Chapter 93 He Only Wants Amelia's Child
Without realizing it, Amelia had gotten too deep into the conversation.
She looked at Briar and sighed inwardly.
She wasn't really talking to Briar—she was talking to herself.
Only by truly moving on could life go forward smoothly.
Real letting go wasn't about forgetting, but about not caring anymore.
That person, and everything related to that person, could no longer affect her.
Nothing could hurt her anymore.
Amelia was working hard to achieve this.
Amelia felt silly, saying all this to a child.
She thought Briar couldn't understand any of it, but the next moment, Briar hugged her.
The small, soft body, with two little arms that couldn't even fully wrap around Amelia, but she held on firmly.
"I won't call him dad," Briar said in a muffled voice.
"Amelia, we'll both be okay."
Briar said softly, "Just like how my birth parents didn't want me—they were the wrong people, but I met you, and getting to have you as my mom is a good outcome."
Briar lifted her head, her big watery eyes full of determination.
"Amelia, after you left him, you'll meet someone better too."
"Just like how Briar met you."
Amelia hadn't expected Briar to say these things.
Her nose tingled, and Amelia couldn't hold back anymore. Tears kept falling.
She hugged Briar tightly, and Briar hugged her back just as tightly.
The two held each other close.
Even though they weren't biological mother and daughter, this was a destined bond.
Amelia couldn't describe how she felt at this moment. She couldn't say anything.
Yes.
They would both be okay.
Life had many hurdles, and once you got past them, everything would get better.
...
The night wind was cold.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
William was drinking glass after glass of alcohol.
In the dim private room, he sat alone in silence.
All he could see was Amelia's cold eyes and her heartless words.
"William, don't make me hate you."
Echoing over and over in his mind.
After who knows how long, the door to the private room opened, and Harold walked in.
Harold first paused when he saw the bottles on the table, then closed the door and sat down next to William.
"William, what's going on?" This was the first time Harold had seen William drink this much.
William shook his head, not knowing where to start.
"Did Isabella's illness flare up?" Harold tried asking.
William paused slightly.
Isabella.
He'd almost forgotten about Isabella today.
His head was full of only Amelia and Briar.
"If her illness flared up, shouldn't you hurry and go see her?" Harold thought he'd guessed right from William's reaction.
But William just shook his head.
"It's not about her," William said, reaching out to pour Harold a drink.
Harold took it and nodded. "Okay, you scared me there."
The two drank, and Harold didn't ask any more questions.
William looked at the liquid in his glass under the dim light.
He'd drunk so much, but his head didn't feel fuzzy at all.
Instead, Amelia's face became clearer and clearer.
"How are things with you and that woman from before?" After who knows how long, William asked.
Harold thought William was being really strange, always so interested in his situation with Thora.
Thinking this, he asked him about it.
William swirled the ice in his glass, his expression unchanged.
"Just curious," he said.
Actually, William himself didn't know why.
He just felt that maybe Harold and Thora's situation could help him see some things more clearly.
Harold sighed helplessly and leaned back on the sofa, taking a big gulp.
"Same as before," Harold said. "Now I'm starting to not really understand what she's thinking."
"I heard she's been busy with career stuff lately, which really surprised me."
Harold said, "She's been with me all these years, just acting cute and buying handbags every day, and now she's actually working on a career!"
William glanced at Harold.
The look made Harold feel a bit awkward.
"No, I mean," Harold coughed to cover his embarrassment and said, "She's actually somewhat useful. I heard she's doing authentication work for second-hand luxury goods... at least the handbags weren't bought for nothing."
William nodded thoughtfully.
So, what had Amelia been doing lately?
It had been 21 days, and he knew almost nothing about what she was up to.
All he knew was about her and Briar.
Harold's awkwardness finally passed, and he asked, "So what's really going on with you?"
William took a sip of his drink and told him about what happened that afternoon.
Only then did Harold understand.
It wasn't about Isabella, but about Amelia and Briar.
Harold knew about William's persistent desire to have a child, so he didn't think it was too outrageous.
"You didn't know about the kid being sick, so you're innocent."
Harold consoled him, "Just pay more attention to her treatment from now on."
In Harold's view, for a child with no blood relation, meeting for the first time, William's attitude was actually pretty good considering his personality.
After all...
Harold looked at the bottles on the table.
They'd known each other for years, and this was the first time William had been like this.
William didn't respond.
"Honestly, if you really like kids and can accept adoption, you could adopt one from a relative."
Seeing William struggling, Harold said directly, "I think they'd be pretty happy about it."
But William shook his head.
It wasn't the same.
He wasn't clear on exactly how it was different.
He only wanted a child that was his and Amelia's. If it was someone else's, he didn't want it.
Even though that little girl named Briar wasn't his and Amelia's biological child either, somehow, in his heart, he accepted her.
It was a very strange feeling.
The moment Briar's little hand patted the back of his hand, he seemed to just know.
Like it was a destined bond.
For some reason, what flashed through William's mind was the deep blue tanzanite he kept in his safe.
A wonderful kind of fate.
He really shouldn't have argued with Amelia in front of Briar today.
William thought.
"Alright, don't think about it so much." Harold raised his glass and clinked it with William's.
"Thinking more about it now won't help. Isabella's situation still hasn't been dealt with."
Harold said, "It's actually good that you're keeping your distance from Amelia and that child right now. Otherwise, what about Isabella?"
"William, there's less than half a year left. Take it easy." Harold reminded him.
Thinking about this, William's head started hurting again.
In the end, he just nodded.
Yes, he should deal with Isabella's situation first.
Isabella didn't have much time left.
He believed that after everything was over, he would explain things properly to Amelia.
She would understand him.