Too Late to Love Her Right

Chapter 13 I'm Staying Here

　　No one knew how long Fiona had been asleep before she jerked awake out of nowhere.

　　What really threw her off was realizing she'd fallen asleep in a hug that felt oddly familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She blinked, lost in a brief moment of confusion, then slowly raised her eyes and took a good, hard look at the face right in front of hers.

　　Same face, just five years older. The boyish arrogance was gone, replaced with a calm maturity and a sharper, more thoughtful vibe. Time had clearly done its thing.

　　Yet no matter how much had changed, that face and those eyes-they were still exactly how she remembered.

　　What a joke. The man who once promised to love her for life had ended up becoming her brother-in-law. And now? He probably hated her guts.

　　Life had blessed her with health... and snatched away her right to love.

　　She let out a small, bitter laugh.

　　Her fingers, which had subconsciously traced the outline of his jaw, dropped back to her side. Fiona sucked in a breath and forced herself to stuff away all those lingering, messy feelings, locking them deep where they couldn't hurt anymore.

　　When morning came, she followed Carlos out of the hotel like a robot. But she never expected to run into Debbie right there at the exit.

　　Debbie's face instantly lit up like it was her lucky day. She rushed over, grabbed Fiona's hand straight from Carlos', and said, "Sis, I was so worried about you! Thank God Carlos found you-I wouldn't have known what to do if he hadn't!"

　　Fiona just stared at her flatly, watching her act like she was auditioning for an award. No reaction, no emotion.

　　Debbie hesitated, her expression shifting to fake shock. She awkwardly let go of Fiona's hand, dropped her gaze, and whispered with a touch of sorrow, "Sis... did you sneak off like that because you want the baby to have a proper place in the family? If that's the case, you could've just told me. I would've stepped aside... I mean... I..."

　　Her eyes turned to Carlos with a perfectly calculated sadness. "Carlos, maybe we should just do what Sis wants. I mean... I won't be around much longer anyway. Let her take my place and love you instead. I just... I..."

　　"Enough with the nonsense," Carlos snapped, frowning hard. "You're going to be fine, and I'll take care of you-that's all."

　　In a blink, Debbie was sobbing right into his chest, tears streaming like she was starring in a drama. "Carlos, you're too good to me, I..."

　　He had no choice but to hug her tightly, murmuring soft reassurances. Fiona turned her face to the side, completely over it.

　　How could Bruce ever have fallen for someone like this?

　　Leaning comfortably into Carlos' arms, Debbie beamed with the sweetest, most satisfied smile. "Carlos, Sis probably just wanted to get away for a bit. She's not really herself lately. Don't blame her, okay? How about we take her somewhere nice to relax a bit? It'll be good for her and the baby."

　　Carlos' eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She had a point. Maybe a little break would help smooth out Fiona's mood... stop her from constantly thinking about running off.

　　"Alright. Where do you want to go?"

　　"Well... I think the Morton family's private island near Valis would be perfect. What do you say, Sis?"

　　Fiona's whole body froze. That island was surrounded by nothing but ocean-the only way in or out was by helicopter. If she went there, there'd be no way to escape.

　　Carlos didn't miss the way her face went ghost-pale. His temper flared. "The island it is."

　　Outside the airport, Fiona glanced up at the clear blue sky, the open road, golden sycamores fluttering beneath the crisp autumn sun... everything so familiar, so calm. A quiet sadness crept into her chest.

　　She could almost see Bruce standing not far away, waiting for her with that soft smile of his.

　　"No. I'm not going."

　　Fiona spoke with a quiet fierceness, lips pressed tight. Until she figured out what really happened in Bruce's accident, she wasn't going anywhere.

　　Especially not somewhere she might never come back from.

　　Carlos's fury exploded. He grabbed her arm like a vice, teeth clenched. "You're refusing to leave? You want to stay-for that dead man? You're carrying my child and still trying to stay behind?!"