“Thank you,” She thanked and brought Eloise to the elevator.
While Eloise still had no idea that Niamh was the very daughter she yearned for, she followed by Niamh’s side obediently anyway.
Niamh went straight to the 16th floor and rushed to room 1601.
She went to the door and through the small window on it, she saw Kendrick. She was about to push the door and enter when the sight before her suddenly made the corners of her eyes burn.
Kendrick was hopping on one foot to the end of the bed, slowly bending down to pick something up. One of his hands grabbed the end of the bed in support while he tried to stretch the other hand out. Yet with the heavy bandages wrapped around it, he could not straighten his hand at all.
He tried again but failed.
He was about to step the injured foot on the ground so that he could squat to pick it up when Niamh pushed open the door and strode toward him.
Kendrick’s head snapped at the door. He was stunned to see the woman currently running toward him.
“Nia?”
Kendrick was stunned and elated.
He reached for Niamh instinctively, but he had only taken a step when he realized how much the injury on his calf hurt.
Niamh’s heart lurched the same time Kendrick frowned at the pain.
“Kendrick!”
She ran toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging the man before he lost his balance and fell.
“Am I dreaming, Nia?” Kendrick lifted Niamh’s head by her chin, his deep eyes reflecting her enchanting appearance.
Niamh shook her head. “You’re not dreaming, Kendrick. It’s me.”
Kendrick’s knitted brows relaxed. He forgot about Eloise’s presence as his eyes were solely fixed on Niamh.
Staring at her lovingly, he leaned down to capture her lips with a deep kiss.
Stunned, Niamh closed her eyes reflexively and returned his gentle kiss…
Embarrassed, Eloise turned around and walked to the door at the sight.
She looked back again to see Niamh and Kendrick still holding each other intimately before she looked around their surroundings.
“Where’s Sean? Sean should still be downstairs. I’m going to look for Sean,” Eloise muttered to herself before she took the elevator down.
It may have been a cloudy day, but the sun seemed to be shining bright in Kendrick’s heart.
He sat by the bed and held Niamh in his arms.
Despite not having the warm rays of sunshine on his body, his heart swirled with warmth and sweetness.
Niamh was not wearing much and he could see that the wound on her shoulder had not fully recovered. His heart clenched at the sight as he placed a loving peck between her brows.
“Do you hate me for handing you to Ryan, Nia?”
“I know you did that for me. Why would I hate you for it?” Niamh looked up to meet his gaze. “You, however, how did you get hurt? To the point that you can’t even walk properly anymore. Did Ryan do this to you?”
Kendrick gave a light nod as a solemn look graced his eyes. “Ryan is a terrifying figure. I need to come up with a fool-proof plan and end this for good.”
His eyes then warmed up. “I want to bring you home as soon as possible, Nia. I want our family to reunite and be together again.”
“We will, Kendrick. We’ll all be together again.” Niamh took his hand, her slender fingers intertwining with his long boney ones as adoration tinted her eyes.
“These past few days have been difficult without you around, Kendrick. But the thought that I’ll be able to see you after all of this gives me the strength to go on. Don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll take good care of myself.”
Kendrick’s heart lurched as remorse filled him at Niamh’s words.
She was his wife, yet he could not protect her as he should.
“I owe you too much, Nia.”
“You don’t. You owe me nothing. I can feel how much you care and worry about me.” Niamh comforted him. Then, it dawned on her as she turned to look at the door. “Where’s Mom? When did she leave?”
Kendrick could vaguely remember Eloise’s appearance, but he had not paid too much attention to her as his heart and mind were only filled with Niamh.
Kendrick also thought of something that he should tell Niamh. “Nia, about the day Montgomery Manor caught fire, Mom and Dad, they—”
“I have to find Mom, Kendrick.” Niamh got up and walked toward the door worriedly. “You might not know this, but Mom is no different than a child right now. She doesn’t know anything with her current mental state.”
Kendrick looked at Niamh in disbelief. “How? What happened to Mom?”
“I’ll explain later. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll come back once I find Mom.” Niamh opened the door and was about to step out when she came to a sudden halt.
She stared at the handsome man who had appeared in front of her, her expression changing. Every step she had taken outside was now frantically backtracked, one step after the next…
The last thing Niamh expected was for Ryan to suddenly appear before her eyes.
He clearly said that he had something to do. That was why he called the driver to send them out instead, so why was he here now?
Ryan’s thin lips curled into a smile as he watched the colors drain from Niamh’s face. “You must be surprised, aren’t you?” He smiled. “I’m surprised too. Who would’ve thought that you’d be so smart?”
“Ryan!” Kendrick ignored his injuries and rushed to stand in front of Niamh, suppressing the pain from his wounds as he protected her behind him.
His sharp eagle-like eyes bore into Ryan.
“Fight me like a man. Don’t threaten me with my wife’s safety.”
“Your wife?” Ryan scoffed, his tone mocking. “You must’ve forgotten, Kendrick Waldburg, but Eveline Montgomery is my wife. She has been for more than half a year.”
Niamh had to admit that when she came to know that Kendrick was the one who set fire to Montgomery Manor and killed her parents, she was determined to sever all ties with Kendrick no matter how he begged.
Then, Ryan appeared. The man helped her and gave her warmth. When he proposed, she agreed.
Now that she thought about it, be it his kindness or his full-round care, everything the man did was to achieve his ulterior motives.
Ryan said he liked and fancied her, but it would be more accurate to say that he was using and controlling her.
The light in Niamh’s eyes darkened as she walked toward Ryan fearlessly. “What do you want, Ryan? Why do all of this? Let’s all just lay everything on the table. There’s no point beating around the bush anymore.”
“Come back, Nia.” Kendrick took Niamh’s hand and pulled her back to him.
Ryan watched the loving sight, his deep gaze falling on Niamh’s features. “Would you be able to help me if I told you?”
“You have to say it first.” Niamh did not fear him.
Ryan smirked, a cold glint sparkling in his eyes.
“I want Kendrick to die, and I want you to stay by my side forever as my woman, Eveline.”
Niamh was speechless as she did not expect Ryan’s response.
Kendrick was enraged. He could not bear to hear another man think of Niamh like that.
“You must be aware, Ryan, that your actions have long since breached multiple laws. You cannot run forever.”
“Are you trying to urge me to kill you before I get caught, then?” Ryan’s gaze turned frostier.
Physically speaking, Kendrick was not in any condition to fight him, but his aura and the sharpness in his eyes did not dwindle.
There was nothing much he feared anymore. If he were to say something, then it might just be the fear of losing Niamh. He was afraid that she would have to spend every day and night alone without him.
Niamh felt sparks flying in the air, but she was more worried about Kendrick’s current situation.
Kendrick would definitely fall into Ryan’s trap if the latter did anything.
She did not want to see Kendrick more hurt than he already was.
Without hesitation, Niamh stood in front of Kendrick. “I’ll go back with you, Ryan.”
Kendrick felt his heart sink.
“Don’t go, Nia.” Kendrick tried to hold her back, but he saw the unswayed determination on her face.
“Are you certain? You’ll never get to see him again if you leave with me.” The corners of Ryan’s lips quirked into a shadow of a smile. “If this happens again—”
“If this happens again, then you can shoot me in the heart,” Niamh finished the sentence for him.
Ryan clenched his thin lips in admiration for Niamh’s courage.
He glanced at Kendrick, the latter’s eyes no longer holding the same sharp glint in them, and raised his hand in front of Kendrick to pull Niamh into his arms.
Caught off guard, Niamh found herself imprisoned there and unable to fight her way out.
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.