Just as she was about to ask, Willow shook her head “I’m going to the hospital.”

    With that, she opened a ck umbre and walked out of the vi.

    Once in the car, she immediately called Julian. As soon as the call connected, she asked him hoarsely, “Julian, where’s Landon? Where is he?”

    Before Julian could respond, Willow’s tone sharpened. “Julian, how much longer are you going to keep this from me? What else are you hiding from me?

    “Right now, I want to know where Landon is. I want to know where my son is!”

    The autumn rain drizzled, tapping on the windshield

    From the other end of the line came Julian’s voice, hoarse and ragged. “Hope Garden Hospital.”

    It was the weekend, so the traffic was terrible. Every stoplight felt like it was working against her. By the time Willow arrived at the hospital, it was almost 7:00 pm.

    She walked into the children’s ward, and it felt as if she’d stepped into a different realm. That ceric feeling was something she hadn’t felt in years.

    The VIP ward was spacious and bright, Landony quietly on the white hospital bed. His face was pale, and his little hands were curled into tight fists beside his pillow.

    Willow slowly walked to the bedside. She crouched down to hold Landon’s tiny hand. On the back of it were injection marks from the IV.

    When she looked closely, she noticed quite a few older needle scars as well. But she’d never noticed.

    What kind of mother was she? Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she wiped them away quickly. She couldn’t cry at this time. What if Landon woke up and got scared?

    She just stared at Landon, desperately suppressing her emotions. After a long while, she stood up and walked toward Julian.

    He was standing by the floor–to–ceiling window, his face etched with pain. Behind him, the lingering autumn rain blended into the dark, damp night.

    Both of them were standing so close that Willow had to lift her head just to look at him. His features were etched with sorrow.

    Suddenly, Willow pped him hard across the face. After hitting him, her whole body was trembling. After all, Landon was her life.

    She hated Julian intensely. With a choking voice, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you hide it from me? Are you remarrying for the cord blood?

    “Did you know the chances of a match between half siblings are only 50%. What if it doesn’t match? What will you do with Landon? Are you going to make him wait in despair?”

    2

    Julian’s eyes were darker than the night sky outside. After a while, he finally spoke, “Do you really want to know? Fine. I’ll tell you.”

    As he spoke, he looked directly into her eyes. He slowly removed his ck leather gloves and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his mangled arm to Willow.

    That arm, withyers of its sh piled up, was disfigured and ugly. There wasn’t a single patch of smooth skin left. It was a shocking sight.

    Julian lifted the arm slightly and muttered bitterly, “It can’t even function normally. Willow, with an arm like this, what right do I have to ask you to have another child with me?

    “How could I ask you to spend the rest of your life with me? It’s not that I didn’t want to save Landon. It’s that I felt like I owed you too much. If I could, I’d be willing to trade my life for his.”

    Willow was still in shock. After a while, she reached out her hand slowly. Trembling, she touched the hideous scars.

    Suddenly, fragments of memory flickered through her mind. On the highway, a ck car, she and Gabrielle were sitting in the backseat.

    The moment the car crashed, she’d passed out.

    Her voice cracked. “It was that car ident, wasn’t it?”

    Julian didn’t answer her. He simply raised his arm and pulled her into his embrace.

    For the first time in three long years, he finally held her. He felt like he’d survived a catastrophe and finally regained what was lost. Only now could he let go of the fear that had haunted him since that day.