Day Fifty-Three…
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Nathan continued to eavesdrop, anticipating to hear the story about Phantomflake's past. It was surprising that she herself couldn't remember anything. It looked like Stephen held the key to the truth of her past.
What happened to her six years ago? Who is the father of her child? How did she lose her baby?
Nathan didn't want to sympathize, but he couldn't stop himself from being curious. Tonight, he saw her in another light. The words she said to Stephen hit his heart so much.
She sounded sincere, admitting to her mistakes and trying her best to make some amends with him. She was also trying to fix the conflict between Stephen and him. For that, Nathan appreciated her.
Meanwhile, Stephen had conflicting thoughts right now. He was reluctant to answer Jane's question.
'Can she handle the truth? I erased her memory because it was very traumatic for her. Forgetting was the only way for her to continue living at that time.'
"Jane… I made a promise to Miss Frost… your guardian… I… I erased your memory for you to live. I think it's best for you not to recall those tragic memories." Stephen looked at her apologetically.
Jane was stunned for a moment when she heard that. It made sense. Stephen managed to erase her memory. This was the reason why she couldn't remember a thing about her pregnancy. But Jane wouldn't accept that for an answer.
"I don't have much time left to live anyway. I need to find out the truth." Jane blurted out suddenly, speaking what was on her mind.
Her words brought a deep frown for both men who were listening to her.
"What do you mean by that?" Stephen asked her worriedly.
"Will you believe me if I say I'm going to die after 47 days?" Jane said it jokingly. She just wanted to lighten the mood because Stephen looked so tense. But it seemed that she made it worse.
Nathan also wondered why Phantomflake wanted him to spare her life for 48 days.
"This is not a funny joke, Jane…" Stephen sounded anxious. "Are you thinking of committing suicide again?"
"Of course not. After waking up from a coma, I realized how precious my life is. So I will not commit suicide to kill myself. I have to get Nathan's forgiveness. I'm doing this to survive, Stephen." Jane glanced at him meaningfully, her lips curling up in a faint smile.
"So now… tell me anything you know about my past. Traumatic or not… I will deal with it by myself. Six years had passed… I ran from my past for six years. It's now the time to face my demons. I have to know the truth, Steph. Please tell me."
Stephen exhaled sharply. 'As long as she couldn't remember, she will be alright. My words won't trigger her memory to come back.'
"I don't know what exactly happened… The father of your baby is still a mystery. A few weeks before your labor date, you had a stillbirth thus losing the baby. The doctor failed to save your baby…" Stephen paused for a moment, assessing Jane's expression.
"It's a baby boy," Stephen added in a low voice. He could see in her eyes that she wanted to know more about her baby.
The room was engulfed with silence after Stephen said his last remarks. Jane didn't want to show it but her eyes stung and became misty. She felt like her heart was stabbed right now.
'Baby boy…' Jane lowered her head, hiding the sadness in her eyes. She didn't know how she got pregnant or who the father was. But deep inside, she was grieving for losing the poor soul at a very young age.
After a few minutes, Jane broke the silence. "How… and why did miscarriage happen?"
Stephen's expression changed when he recalled the reason why. A cold glint flashed through his eyes.
"You were attacked by a bunch of hooligans on the street. You bled too much after fighting them with your life."
Jane felt like her world crumbled when she heard that. She gnashed her teeth while clenching her fists.
"Were they caught and punished?"
Stephen shook his head. This response made them quiet once more.
'I lost an innocent child because of them… Was this my retribution for all the killings I did in the past? I was being punished too… for my crime.'
Jane slammed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She didn't want to cry or show weakness in front of Stephen.
"Thanks for telling me this… Stephen. You can leave now. I want to take a rest."
Without waiting for Stephen's response, Jane laid down on the bed and turned her back on him so that she could hide her tears. She could no longer hold it in.
Stephen just watched her back for a few seconds before he turned around to leave.
Bam!
When she heard the closing of the door, Jane let it all out. She burst out crying just to release her negative emotions. But little did she know, someone could hear her whimpers and sobs.
Nathan subconsciously clenched his fists as he listened to her cries. This was the first time he heard Phantomflake cry. When he destroyed her assassin guild, Phantomflake never shed a tear nor showed any weakness. She was stubborn and maintained her brave front. free(w)ebnov(e)l
'So there is still humanity left in her heart…' Nathan mumbled. He already heard enough so he muted the spying device, giving Jane her privacy. He knew it was inappropriate for him to listen to her cry.
But surprisingly, he stood up and just found himself walking out of his study room. Before he knew it, he was already standing outside Jane's bedroom.
Nathan just stood there, staring at the closed door intently. From his current spot, Nathan could no longer hear Jane. After contemplating for a moment, Nathan went downstairs to where Aiden, Stephen, and Little Ethan were.
"Oh! Uncle Steph. Here is Dad!" Little Ethan pointed his finger at Nathan.
Nathan and Stephen exchanged glances with one another. They felt so awkward facing each other after what happened in Dr. Zhou's clinic.
However, yielding to Jane's advice, Stephen was the first one who spoke up.
"Nate, are you free? Can we talk?"
Nathan bobbed his head. "Follow me."
Nathan walked past them, going to the balcony. But he halted on his steps for a moment and said, "Ethan, Aiden, it's time to go home. Jane is already resting. Don't disturb her."
Nathan knew that Phantomflake didn't want others to see her in her vulnerable state. He asked Ethan and Aiden to go home because he wanted to prevent them from seeing Jane. She was not in a condition to entertain them tonight. She was both physically and emotionally tired.
Unknowingly, Nathan did a thoughtful act for Jane's sake.
Ethan could only crumple his face. He didn't want to leave. "No. I want to stay here."
"Ethan… listen to me, otherwise, I will never allow you to set foot in this place ever again." Nathan threatened him.
Ethan stomped his feet before running away. He had no choice but to obey his father.
"Ethan, wait for me!" Aiden ran to follow the young boy.
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