"OH. I'm so sorry, Bianca." Amelia cried as she pulled me into a tight embrace. It was my third day in the hospital when Amelia and Darwin came. 

I thought I had already become numb from the past three days. But the moment I heard Amelia sobbed, hot liquid pooled in my eyes. 

"My poor grandchild."

I didn't know how long we stayed in each other's arms until we both calmed down. 

"I'm sorry it took us days before we visited you," Amelia apologized while holding my arms. 

I stared at her. She seemed five years older than the last time I saw her—at her own party a week ago. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Her porcelain skin was now dry and saggy. 

"How are you, Bianca?" she asked in a gentle voice. "Charlie told me you're not properly eating your meals."

"I don't have the appetite," I said in a weak voice. 

She grabbed my hand and gently pressed it. "The baby... Charlie said he looked just like you."

"C-Charlie?"

"Yes… Bianca." Amelia gave a gentle smile. "Charlie buried him in the family mausoleum."

I didn't know that. Charlie and I didn't chat the whole time he was here. He was just there… checking on me. Reminding me to eat. He didn't tell me that he saw my baby. That he was the one who arranged for his burial.

Another tear rolled down my cheek. My baby. I still couldn't accept that he was gone. I hadn't even seen him. I hadn't even got a chance to hold him in my arms. 

I'm so sorry, baby. 

"I'm sorry, Amelia," I turned to her, sobbing. "It was my fault." I shut my eyes. "If… if I didn't go out that day…"

I suddenly remembered Gideon's words to me. 

"Nothing will ever happen to your child if you stay to be a good wife to me."

I smiled bitterly. In the end, everything just boils down to me. It was my fault I lost my baby. 

If I hadn't gone out that day… If I hadn't answered Amelia's call… If I hadn't decided to leave Gideon…

I shook my head. No. If only I had been strong enough. If I had only stood up to him from the start. If only I hadn't gotten scared. If only I had decided to leave him earlier. None of this would have happened.

"Please, don't say that, Bianca. None of it was your fault." Amelia caressed my arm. "You didn't want any of this to happen."

Despite the tears in her eyes, she gave me a gentle smile. 

I looked at Amelia. She had always treated me with kindness. I remembered how she threw a dinner party when she learned I was pregnant. How she comforted me when my father died. Somehow, the old woman reminded me of my late mother. 

No matter how much I hate Gideon… I could never hate his mother. 

She'd been a perfect mother-in-law. It was just unfortunate that I was married to her other son. 

"Amelia... h-how's Gideon?" I finally managed to ask after a moment of silence. 

"H-he's still in the ICU, Bianca." Tears formed in Amelia's eyes. "Last night... his condition went stable. That's why the doctor gave us a signal to transfer him. B-but this morning... his brain stopped responding. The doctor couldn't tell if he's going to wake up anytime soon."

"I… I understand." I bit my lower lip and looked away. 

I stared at the window of my hospital room. Maybe… I shouldn't have asked Amelia. I didn't want her to see my lack of reaction to what she had just said. 

"I'm so sorry, Bianca." Amelia grabbed my arm and pulled me again in a hug. "I know... I know it must be so hard for you. You already lost your child. And now... Gideon."

I shut my eyes as I listened to her broken voice. Yes. I hated Gideon. No. I didn't just hate him. loathe him. He ruined my life. 

If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have lost my baby.

If only Gideon had been good to me. If only he had treated me better. If only he hadn't appeared in my life…

But despite everything I felt for him, I never wished him dead. No matter how much I despise him, I never wanted him to end up in this situation. 

"Gideon..." I uttered his name as I stood in front of his unconscious body. 

Three days later, the doctor finally allowed me to leave my hospital room. I had decided to finally pay Gideon a visit in the ICU. 

From afar, no one would recognize that the man lying on the bed was Gideon Henry. 

He looked different from the powerful and formidable Gideon that I had been used to seeing for the past months. 

Half of his body was covered in bandages. His head was shaved. His face was swollen from different cuts and bruises. 

Aside from the IV fluid on his arm, different apparatuses were attached to his body. 

Amelia told me that Gideon was driving back to his hotel when his car crashed into another vehicle. Both of the vehicles were fast, so the collision was severe. Gideon's car was a total wreck. The doctor had told them that Gideon's chance of survival was slim.

"I hate you so much Gideon…" 

I muttered, the corner of my eyes burning with hot tears. 

"I hate you for everything you've done to me. For making me leave Charlie. For forcing me into marrying you. For making our marriage a hellhole. You've ruined my life, Gideon." 

I croaked as tears finally escaped my eyes. "If you didn't come into my life, I'm sure I'm living a happy life right now. With Charlie… and our baby." 

My voice broke. "But you suddenly came and ruined everything for me, Gideon. You've deprived me of happiness. God knows how much I hate you." I shut my eyes when I felt my lips were already trembling. I stopped, took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. 

"But you know what?" I said. I opened my eyes and looked at him again. "Despite the amount of hate I feel for you… I never… wished you to die. So you have to wake up, Gideon. You're one of the biggest assholes on this planet, right? You're cruel, selfish, cunning… You're evil. People like you don't die this early. So wake up, Gideon. Wake up for Amelia."

Five months ago…

"Will you miss me?" Charlie asked as he rested both of his hands on my shoulders.

I tilted my chin to meet his eyes. "Of course," I said, pouting my lips. "My fiance will be away for three months. I'm sure as hell going to miss him badly."

Charlie was my boyfriend, who became my fiancé a week ago. We met each other three months ago in the New York public library.

I couldn't forget the first time we met. I was in the adult section of the library when he approached me and asked for directions. And because I got mesmerized by his face, I accidentally gave him the wrong direction.

A playful smile appeared on his lips. "Would you come with me, then?"

I pouted as I played with his hair. "You know I have work, right?" I was working as a children's librarian at the New York Public Library, where we met.

"Yeah." He chuckled, making his eyes turn into slits. "I'm just trying my luck."

Charlie was half-American, half-Korean. He was so good looking with his mixed Asian and western features.

"Come on, just give your fiancé a kiss."

Fiancé. I repeated the word in my head. Damn. Until now, I still couldn't believe that this handsome man in front of me was going to marry me soon.

Last week, Charlie proposed to me. We were having our late-night walk in Central Park when he suddenly knelt in front of me and pulled out a ring.

Of course, I said yes to him. Who wouldn't? In the three months that I've known him, I was already sure that he's the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Charlie is everything I had asked for. Aside from his charming looks, he's smart, sensible, and kind. On top of that, he's also a good cook. He's like a lead character cut straight from the romance novels that I used to read.

I'd had my fair share of boyfriends over the past years. But this was the first time I had felt this deep connection with someone.

I bit my lower lip as I stared at his handsome face. "We've already kissed back at the apartment."

We were at JFK Airport. He has a flight scheduled an hour from now.

Charlie was a travel photographer. He works with BBC, National Geographic, and other travel magazines. He's used to traveling the world for his work. This time, he'd be gone to India for two months.

He licked his lower lip. "You know, I'd never get tired of your lips."

Before I could react, he had already lowered his head and claimed my lips in a passionate kiss.

I wrapped my arms around his nape and kissed him back.

"I love you," I said, breathless after he let go of me. I bit my lip when I saw the dark glint in his eyes. Those chocolate brown eyes of his were my favorite. I would never get tired of staring at them.

"I love you..." He kissed the tip of my nose. "When I come back, I'll talk to your father. Then I'll bring you to LA to meet my parents."

From my shoulder, his left hand moved to mine. He took my hand and caressed my fingers.

I smiled when my eyes zeroed in on the diamond engagement ring he gave me.

"Looking forward to that, Charlie."

We shared another passionate kiss before he entered the departure area of JFK Airport.

"Oh my God! He has already proposed to you?" I almost winced when Helen's voice filled my car.

Helen was my closest friend. We were classmates at NYU. She moved to Texas when she got married two years ago. Her husband was a Texas rancher.

"Well, yeah." I answered, smiling as I glanced at my left hand on the steering wheel.

It had been an hour since I drove Charlie to the airport. I was now on my way to Portland to visit my father. After my mother died two years ago, it was only my father who was left alone in our house in Portland.

Yesterday, he called me, and demanded that I visit him. I hadn't been able to visit him for the past two months. So, after leaving the airport, I decided to travel to my hometown. I was excited to tell my father the news that his daughter is now engaged.

I heard Helen gasp from the other line. "I did a search on him on the internet. He's a famous photographer for the BBC. And damn! He's successful and drop-dead gorgeous."

I lightly shook my head. I just told her Charlie's name, and it seemed like she already knew everything about him. Well... what could I expect. That's typical Helen. She loves digging up people.

I remembered before, she was the source of celebrity gossip at the university.

I pursed my lips. "I already know that, Helen."

"Did you already know that he's the adopted son of the famous billionaire, Bianca?" she asked.

My brows shot up a bit. I didn't know that about him. All I knew was that he's adopted and his family resides in LA. He only told me his mother was a philanthropist and that his father and only brother were both businessmen.

One of the things I like about him is his being down to earth. A smile curled on my lips when I remembered how we ate Chinese takeout on my apartment's rooftop on our first date.

"He's the son of Amelia and Darwin Henry. Oh my God, Bianca. Your fiancée is freaking rich!"

During our three months of being together, Charlie only mentioned his family a few times. He said his adoptive parents were both nice, especially his mother. He promised he would introduce me to them after he was back from India. But he didn't mention anything about his brother.

"It didn't matter if he's from a rich family, Helen. I fell in love with him because he's Charlie. Not because he's famous or he's successful."

"Well, you're right," she agreed. "His looks are more than enough for me."

I just shook my head and stifled a laugh.

After five hours of driving, I arrived at my hometown. 

"When did you come back, Bianca?" A familiar old woman greeted me when I stopped over at my father's favorite diner here in Portland. 

"Just today." I smiled as I looked at the menu. "I want the usual." I said, talking about the meal my father used to order here. 

"How's your father, Bianca? I haven't seen him for three weeks now."

My forehead creased. "He hasn't come here in the past days?" 

"No. I thought he's sick or something."

This time, my lips parted in confusion and worry. Was Dad sick? But he didn't sound sick on the phone earlier. 

"Thanks, Frances." As soon as I got my order, I went back to my car. 

I drove down the familiar road until I reached my father's two-story house sitting in the suburb where I grew up. 

I was the only child of my parents. When my mother died, I convinced Dad to come and live with me in New York, but he refused. 

The moment I parked my car in front of the house, I already knew something was off. There was a lot of unwanted grass on the lawn. It has never happened before. My mother's favorite part of this house was the lawn. One of the reasons Dad never wanted to go with me was because he said he could never leave this house.

"Dad!" I called as I entered the door. My lips parted when I saw the empty bottles of beer on the carpeted floor. When Mom died, Dad went into depression. But he was able to move past it. After a month, he got back to his old self. 

"Dad!" I worriedly went to my father, who was sitting on the sofa. His eyes were closed. He looked asleep. I noticed the visible wrinkles on his face. He seemed like he had aged dramatically since the last time I saw him. 

His stubble was an inch longer than how he usually keeps it. His white t-shirt was stained with grease. 

He looked like he hadn't been taking care of himself. What happened while I was away? 

Did Dad fall into depression again? But he sounded fine every time we talked on the phone. 

"Wake up, Dad." I tapped his arm. "I'm here."

"Bianca... you're here." A smile escaped his lips when he saw me. "How's your trip? Do you want something to eat?" He stood up from the couch. "I have bolognese in the kitchen. It's still your favorite, right?" 

"Dad, what's wrong?" I said, ignoring him. "You look like a mess."

He looked away. "I'm sorry, Bianca. I've been so busy these past days."

My forehead creased. "Busy with what? Dad, I stopped by at Cherry's diner . She told me she hasn't seen you for three weeks now. And the lawn." I pointed at the lawn outside. "It looks like it hasn't been cleaned for weeks. And this mess!" My eyes went to the empty bottles of beer on the floor. 

"Are you having a problem, Dad? Why did you ask to see me?" 

"Nothing's wrong, Bianca." He gave me a faint smile. "I just feel alone here and I wanted to see you."

My frown deepened. "Dad, you know you can't lie to me, right? So tell me, what's wrong?" 

Dad sat back on the sofa. He lowered his head and covered his face with his hands. 

"Dad..." I sat next to him. "What's the problem?" 

He slowly looked at me. My lips parted when I saw the tears in the corner of his wrinkled eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Bianca. I… made a huge mistake. I shouldn't have trusted that man."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Dad?" I asked, confused. "What man?" 

"I'm... going to jail, Bianca."

My lips parted. "W-what…" I held him in the arm. "W-what did you mean, Dad? What do you mean you're going to jail? What did you do?" 

He shook his head and evaded my eyes. "I'm in a huge debt, Bianca."

"Dad, I don't understand. W-what do you mean?" 

"Gideon Henry. I owe him two million dollars. And now, he's threatening to send me to jail if I don't pay his money back within a month."

"LAST month, I lost a lot of money at the casino. There, I met Mr. Gideon Henry. He lent me a huge amount of money without asking for collateral… He said he's confident that I could win back all the money I lost…"

I was pacing back and forth in front of Dad as I listened to his explanation. 

"But that didn't happen… I didn't win. I lost every penny I borrowed from him. Gideon Henry… gave me one month to pay off my debt. He said that if I didn't pay him on time, he would send me to jail." 

"Dad…" I stopped in front of him. I shut my eyes as my hand went to my forehead. "Why did you only tell me about this now?" We just talked on the phone last week, and he didn't mention anything to me. "Why did you keep me in the dark, Dad?" 

"I didn't want to give you problems, Bianca."

I wanted to get mad at him. For hiding things from me. But somehow, I wanted to blame myself for not being perceptive enough. I thought he was doing fine here. I had no idea he was already dealing with something. 

I let out a sigh as I settled beside him. "Dad, I'm your daughter. I have the right to know about these things."

He shook his head. "I didn't ask you to come here to help you solve my problems, Bianca." A weary smile appeared on his face. "I just wanted to see you before I go to jail." 

"Stop it, Dad. You're not going to jail." I told him. "No matter how much money you owe that Mr. Henry, he can't send you to jail. That's against the law." I placed my hand on his back. "Don't worry, Dad. We'll settle this. We'll find a way to pay him on time."

I closed my eyes as I remembered how much debt my father was facing. Two million dollars. Just… how are we going to pay that in two weeks? 

He looked at me. "I thought Mr. Henry was a kind man. But I was wrong, Bianca. I'm sorry for trusting him." 

Gideon Henry. This was the first time I heard that name. What kind of asshole was he for threatening to send my father to jail? 

"Dad... that Gideon Henry. Where could I find him?"