Chapter 101

Christina's voice, warm and gentle, echoed in Dylan's mind, her smile still vivid in his memories. "See? There's something about your smile-it really suits you. I honestly think you look your best when you let yourself smile. You should do it more often."

Dylan gazed into the mirror. Rigid features stared back at him, eyes sharp and almost unyielding.

A long moment passed before he attempted to coax a smile onto his lips, trying to follow her advice. The result, however, felt anything but natural. Frustration pulled his brows together as the awkward grin quickly faded.

Determined,he made several more attempts,each time the smile softening ever so slightly, though it never quite matched what he hoped for. In contrast, Christina's laughter

always seemed so easy and beautiful-her joy radiated without effort.

Still, Dylan found himself rooted before the mirror, practicing again and again,determined to capture just a hint of that warmth.Anyone familiar with him would have been utterly floored by the sight.

Inside a quiet hospital room, Lauretta, feeling the haze of a few drinks, tapped in the same familiar number again and again, but hesitation stopped her from making the call.Time after time, she would erase the digits,her tired eyes falling to her sleeping child beside her.

Nearly half a decade had passed since she'd made her decision, walking away from her family, burning every bridge as she started over in a distant land.

Over the years, Lauretta had erased every way her family could reach her, maintaining complete silence for half a decade.

Old memories resurfaced whenever she thought of her father-his stern ways, the strict rules, but also the deep love he'd always shown her. The ache from those recollections was sharp. With hindsight, she wondered if she'd been too unforgiving in her decisions.

Back then, when having fun abroad, she had had a one-night stand with a stranger whose identity remained a mystery to her. Initially,she'd chalked it up to a fleeting encounter,nothing more. But three months later, her world shifted-she discovered she was carrying a child.

Questions from her father had been relentless, but shame silenced her. She had invented a story about a boyfriend, unwilling to admit the truth behind her son's conception. She'd lied that their relationship had ended, stubbornly "protecting" her supposed boyfriend's identity.

Outrage had exploded from her father when he realized her engagement with the Norris

family was at risk.

Arranged marriage had always been a cage for Lauretta-she'd fought it for years,pleading with her father to break things off.But he would not yield. Such a move, he insisted, would spark conflict between their families and ruin their reputation.

Things had changed when she became pregnant. Lauretta had seized the chaos,insisting it was time to call off the engagement. Her father, however, stood his ground-he demanded she end the pregnancy.

Honestly, when those first test results came in, she had considered terminating the pregnancy. But her resolve wavered the moment she saw the small, flickering heartbeat on the ultrasound. She knew she couldn't give her baby up.

Strength had always been Lauretta's hallmark-she never needed a husband, but she knew she wanted this baby. Confidence in her ability to raise a child on her own never

wavered.

Yet, her father had been unyielding, issuing threats of disowning her if she refused to end the pregnancy. Presented with that stark choice, she had walked away from the Gomez family without a backward glance.

Those memories brought a sting to her eyes as she looked lovingly at her son, tears silently slipping down her cheeks. Her hand reached out, fingers gently curling around his tiny one. She regretted not ever reaching out to her family in the past five years, but she didn't regret keeping her son.

Calvin's words echoed in her mind, giving her the strength to exhale deeply and finally press the call button to her father's number.

Ringing filled her ears-uncertainty creeping in, she almost wavered and hung up, her finger tremboling above the screen. But before she could act, the call connected.

"Hello?" That familiar voice crackled through the line, wearier and rougher with age.

Lauretta's throat clenched, hot tears streaming down her face. A shaky hand covered her mouth, muffling the sobs that threatened to escape.

Somehow, her father, Aldred Gomez, sensed it was her. "Lauretta? Is that you?"

Background noises filtered in-another voice,gentle and concerned. "Who's calling so late,dear? You need your rest. The operation is soon-just hang up if it's not important."

Lauretta's tears came harder, but she pressed her lips together, determined to stay silent and not let her heartbreak spill out.

Aldred's voice came again, softer now,threaded with hope. "Lauretta, is that really you?"

Emotion overwhelmed Lauretta at last, and a sob slipped past her lips.

Noise crackled on the other end-Lauretta's mother's voice rang out, trembling with shock and excitement. "Lauretta? Is it really you,sweetheart? Did our Lauretta finally

call?"

Tears thickened Lauretta's voice as she struggled to answer. "Yes, it's me. I'm so sorry."

Regret weighed heavy in Aldred's reply. "No,Lauretta, I'm the one who owes you an apology."

Sobs broke up Lauretta's words, but she insisted, "It wasn't your fault. I was being stubborn."

Urgency cut through as Lauretta's mother,Doris Gomez, jumped in, her question breathless. "Lauretta, where are you right now? Are you in Lorbridge?"

"No, I'm in Dorfield. Once Caspien gets better, we'll transfer him to a hospital in Lorbridge," Lauretta replied, wiping her cheeks.

Their surprise echoed down the line."Caspien?"

"Yes," Lauretta replied gently. "My son's

name is Caspien. Your grandson."

Stunned silence lingered for a heartbeat as Aldred processed the news, his resistance already beginning to thaw.

Doris, however, wasted no time. "Tell me,Lauretta, what's wrong with Caspien? Is he alright?"