Chapter 1263:
Sherwood was dragged out without ceremony and left near an overflowing trash can by the entrance, where he could only stare up at the sign now posted on the door: Sherwood Howe is not permitted inside.
“Ahhh!” he screamed, his voice cracking open.
Desperate and furious, he went straight to Kari and told her Brad had been with Rylie again — only to receive a sharp slap across his face in return.
“Brad already warned me you were stirring up trouble,” Kari said coldly. “I told you I would never choose you, yet you still tried to sabotage us? And tell me — who’s the one seen getting close with other women?”
She grabbed his chin and shoved a photograph against his face — a picture of him talking intimately with the girl at the bar. She spoke slowly, each word precise and cutting. “If you’re looking for trouble, I can arrange that.”
Sherwood’s eyes widened slightly as the full weight of it landed. Brad had outmaneuvered him again.
He staggered home in a daze, only to be met at the door by his sister, her face wet with tears. “Sherwood, what’s happening at work? The doctors who used to treat Mom so well are suddenly unavailable. She’s really unwell, and every specialist claims they’re too busy. Sherwood!”
“Just stop!” he snapped, his bloodshot eyes wild enough to make her flinch into silence.
A moment later, the fury drained from him. He pulled her into his arms and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry. Work has been a disaster, and people are trying to push me out. That’s probably why the doctors are pulling back.”
о𝘳gа𝗻i𝗓𝘦 𝗒𝗼𝗎𝗿 𝘭𝗶br𝗮𝗋𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘨𝖺ln𝗼𝗏𝘦𝘭ѕ.𝘤𝘰m
She lifted her tear-filled eyes to him. “Then what about the property taxes? And my tuition?”
She was enrolled at the most prestigious private art academy in the Indoria Federation — somewhere far beyond what an ordinary income could sustain. The weight of it settled over him like something solid pressing down on his chest, tightening his throat.
“I’ll go back out,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll find a way. I have to.”
Back at the bar, Rylie gently moved Brad’s hand aside. “What exactly are you doing?”
Brad answered around the candy still in his mouth. “Just setting a few things in motion.”
Rylie tilted her head slightly, watching him. “Did you remember something?”
He shook his head slowly, but his eyes stayed on her — softer than usual. “I know you didn’t leave me behind. I care about you too much to blame you for any of it.”
Rylie’s brows rose faintly. “Did Phil show you something?”
“Yes,” he admitted without hesitation. “But it’s not only what I felt watching that video. It’s what I’m feeling right now, sitting here with you.”
Brad pressed a hand to his chest and continued, “Seeing you is enough to make my head spin and my heart ache. Even without my memories, my body doesn’t forget you.”
Rylie’s features softened. She stayed silent for a few seconds before finally looking up at him. “I… I’m pregnant.”
.
.
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