Willow said that she’d gotten pregnant because she wanted a baby.

    Just like Landon, that single sentence gave Julian a sense of redemption. His heart meltedpletely at that moment, and his eyes brimmed with affection.

    It had been a long time since he felt this way. Perhaps it was because he felt a sense of home, which reignited a flicker of hope inside of him.

    Inside, Willow finally coaxed the kids to sleep. She quietly got out of bed and walked back to her room. When she turned around, she froze in her tracks.

    Since when did Juliane back?

    He put down the suitcase, removed the trench coat with one hand, and casually ced it on top of the suitcase. Then, he stepped inside the bedroom.

    “Everything’s settled. I missed the kids, so I rushed back overnight. I’ll go check on them.”

    Willow nodded, then settled onto the couch and picked up a parenting book to read. After a while, hex calf felt numb and would even cramp asionally. Her brows furrowed in pain.

    After checking on the kids, Julian walked out and happened to see Willow massaging her leg. He walked over and sat beside her, gently lifting her calf onto hisp.

    With one hand, he gently massaged her leg. “Did you get the shot today?”

    Willow nodded and gently pulled her leg back. “We can do the surgery in a few days. Keep your schedule open for that day. It’s also best if you quit smoking and drinking.”

    Julian didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at her in silence under the warm glow of the light. Ata while, he said softly, “If it doesn’t work this time, let’s conceive naturally.”

    A conversation like that, when they were by themselves, made Willow feel uneasy. Julian’s gaze deepene filled with gentle affection that only a man could carry.

    A momentter, he pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a pair of pearl

    earrings.

    His voice was a little hoarse. “It was quitest minute, so I didn’t know what to get. But these match the dresses you usually wear. Do you want me to put them on for you?”

    Willow wanted to decline. She didn’t want things between them to be more ambiguous than they already were.

    But when her gaze fell on his right palm, the words caught in her throat. She couldn’t say a single one.

    Julian wasn’t wearing his leather glove. The smooth pearls resting on his rugged palm formed a stark

    contrast.

    He picked up the earrings clumsily and carefully put them on Willow. The bright pearls made her skin look even more radiant and tender.

    For the first time, Julian seemed like a husband returning from a business trip, bringing his wife a gift.

    (Charter 200

    +15 BCHUS

    Willow’s long, dark hair was draped over her shoulders. Paired with the white robe she was wearing, she looked like a soft cloud.

    Julian couldn’t help but lightly brush her cheek with hisinger, murmuring affectionately, “It looks beautiful. It suits you well.”

    The night had a way of softening people’s hearts. Willow’s throat tightened. She didn’t say a word, but gently picked up his hand, focusing on his rugged palm

    After a while, he unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve, revealing most of his arm to her. It was battered and ugly.

    Willow’s fingertips brushed across the arm. When she touched a raised section, Julian’s body trembled slightly, his gaze bing even deeper.

    With a hoarse voice, he said, “Willow, I don’t need your pity.”

    Willow looked up at him, her eyes shimmering while she tried to say something.

    Julian’s Adam’s apple boobed as he swallowed hard. Suddenly, as if he couldn’t hold himself back anymore, he pulled her into his arms with one arm, lowering his head to kiss her lips fiercely and madly.

    Willow tilted her head back. By the time she came to her senses, she was pounding his chest, calling out his name intermittently.

    “Julian, let go of me!” 1

    BONUS