Niamh wanted to keep Ryan here, but then she heard Kendrick say, “Bye.”
Ryan smiled and looked into Kendrick’s eyes before turning around.
After Ryan left, Kendrick sat back down and picked up the menu.
When he noticed Niamh looking in the direction where Ryan left, he pulled her back to him. Then, he stared at her with his alluring eyes. “Why are you still looking at him? Are you unwilling to let him go?”
“…” Niamh felt that perhaps they had been apart for too long and that was why Kendrick was suspecting their relationship. That would explain why he was getting jealous so easily now as well.
She did not want to be mad at him. Life was long, but the time they were about to spend with each other was too little.
Niamh held Kendrick’s hand. “It has been so many years now. Don’t you know who’s the person I feel the most unwilling to let go of?”
After Kendrick heard that, the coldness in Kendrick’s eyes faded.
He ordered some food that were all Niamh’s favorites. He still remembered Niamh’s preferences as clear as day.
On the way home, Niamh looked at Kendrick and said while they were waiting for the red light, “Kendrick, stop ignoring Lily. Even though she still doesn’t know that you’re her father, she really likes you.”
Kendrick looked at the blinking red light as a countdown started appearing in his head. Then, his expression became grim.
Niamh noticed that he was ignoring her, so she looked over curiously. “Kendrick, did you hear me? Lily is our daughter. She’s still traumatized after what Lana did to her, so that’s why she can’t speak. You’re her birth father and she needs the love of a father, Kendrick. Kendrick?”
Kendrick’s indifference concerned Niamh. She reached over to try to hold his hand when suddenly, Kendrick grasped her wrist tightly.
He was holding her hand extremely tight, making her frown in pain. Then, she saw the malice in Kendrick’s eyes. The sight of him looked extremely horrifying.
“Stop talking,” Kendrick uttered those two words impatiently, looking at her as if he was looking at an enemy he resented.
Niamh endured the pain on her wrist and said calmly, “What’s wrong, Kendrick? I’m Nia.”
Nia.
That name flew right into Kendrick’s ears and into his heart.
The malice in his eyes disappeared as his dark eyes immediately turned bright.
It was as if he just noticed himself holding Niamh with such a tight grip. He quickly let go and caressed her wrist. “Did I hurt you?”
Niamh shook her head. “No. But Kendrick, why did you react like that just now? What happened to you when you disappeared?”
Kendrick remained quiet, his brows knitted together tightly.
However, he did not say anything. Instead, he only stepped down on the accelerator and continued driving.
‘What happened to me when I disappeared?’ he asked himself silently.
In order to stay alive and come back to her, he had to suffer such severe consequences.
It was still early when they went back to Waldburg Manor. Lillian and Jackson were sitting on the rug near the coffee table while playing with a puzzle.
When Niamh saw the smile on Lillian’s face, she felt relieved.
However, she was worried that Kendrick might ignore Lillian again and hurt her fragile heart. As such, she grabbed Kendrick’s hand to hint at him.
“Hold Lily. Don’t make her sad.”
After Niamh said that, Lillian looked over at them.
When she saw Kendrick standing next to Niamh, her eyes darkened. Her gaze looked like that of a wounded deer as she looked timidly at Kendrick. She did not run to him again. She had already stopped running to the handsome mister in her heart.
Lillian’s avoidance only gave Kendrick a reason not to get close to her.
At this moment, Karen led Pudding out from the side hall. He was learning how to walk. He blinked his bright eyes as he walked shakily over to Kendrick.
When he was about to get close to Kendrick, he lost his balance and was about to fall.
Kendrick did not hesitate before reaching out to hold the little boy.
When Lillian saw this, her eyes darkened even more.
The little girl walked out after turning around. Niamh saw the little figure from the corner of her eyes. Then, she looked at the man holding Pudding before following Lillian.
Lillian was holding a lollipop as she sat on the stairs while looking at the stars.
She was at the age where she should be carefree, but she looked as if she had so many troubles in her heart.
“Lily.” Niamh sat down next to the little girl. “Are you sad?”
Lillian looked at Niamh and snuggled closer to her.
She wanted to call out to her mother, but she felt like something was in her throat. She could not make a sound.
Niamh held the child in her arms. “Lily, actually, there’s something I never told you because I figured you’re still young and might not know what I mean.”
Lillian blinked in confusion while looking at Niamh seriously.
Niamh looked at her eyes in pity and caressed the little girl’s hair.
“Actually, the handsome mister is your real daddy. The daddy from before isn’t your real daddy.
“Since Daddy is very petty, he deliberately gets mad at you and ignores you because he thinks you don’t want to call him daddy. So, can you be brave and call the handsome mister ‘Daddy’?”
Niamh said this so that Lillian could face the issue of Kendrick being her birth father squarely.
Of course, if she was able to make Lillian talk, then it would be amazing.
“Lily, do you understand what I’m saying?” Niamh asked patiently.
Lillian blinked her huge eyes as if she understood. Then, she kicked her short legs and walked back to the living room.
She looked at Kendrick, her bright eyes reflecting Kendrick’s figure.
“Lily, the handsome mister is your real daddy,” Niamh repeated once more.
She did not know if Lillian could understand her, but at least she saw a twinkle in the little girl’s eyes.
Perhaps to make Lillian talk again and heal her trauma, she might need to do more than just counseling.
After the children went back to their rooms, so did Niamh and Kendrick.
Kendrick went into the bathroom to shower while Niamh went to prepare for the divorce procedure.
At this moment, Ryan called her.
Niamh answered without hesitation. “Rye, is there something wrong?”
On the other end of the phone, Ryan said in a gentle tone, “I went back to my parents’ place for my documents and they were mad after they found out we’re getting a divorce. They might call you, but it’s okay if you choose not to answer.”
After she heard that, Niamh felt apologetic. “I’m sorry, Rye. You’re such an exceptional person, but now you’ll have the label of a divorcee because of me.”
Ryan replied calmly, “Actually, I’m happy that I was able to have this fake marriage with you.”
From his words, she could sense his fondness and admiration for her.
Niamh stayed silent for a few minutes before saying, “Rye, I appreciate you so much. You’ll meet someone better than me…”
Before Niamh could finish, she felt a wet hand holding her chin all of a sudden.
She was then forced to turn her head. In the next moment, she felt Kendrick’s lips pressing down on hers.
“Mhm…”
Niamh felt her face heating up because she was still on the call.
She wanted to hang up the call, but Kendrick grabbed her hand and pressed her against the wall.
The phone fell to the floor with a muffled thud. Niamh looked at the screen of her phone and noticed that the call was still ongoing. She felt her ears heating up, so she turned her face away to avoid him.
“Kendrick, wait…”
Kendrick held her chin in place and looked into Niamh’s flustered eyes with his intense gaze.
“Look at me.”
“…”
“Don’t think about other men right now.” Kendrick kissed Niamh’s eyebrow. “Eveline Montgomery, I’m your man.”
After he said that, he picked Niamh up.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.