Chapter 524: Chapter 524: Child, It’s Time
Silas Hawthorne spoke, then dropped a kiss on her forehead.
Watching her peaceful sleeping face, sadness filled his eyes.
He couldn’t hold back, grasping her hand, wiping the corner of his eye.
...
Time passed second by second.
The next day came quickly.
Daylight brightened the sky.
The sunlight slanted through the gaps in the curtains into the hospital room, casting a patchwork of shadows.
Silas Hawthorne looked at Serena Sterling by his side.
The sunlight fell on her, bathing her body in a golden glow.
Even her hair, slightly curled eyelashes, and the fine hairs on her skin shimmered with a golden hue.
Perhaps because she hadn’t been going out often for so long, her skin was transparently pale, looking delicate.
This made her look even more beautiful.
Silas Hawthorne gazed at her, smiling gently.
"Serena, good morning." He spoke as usual, "Today I took leave from work. We’ll spend the whole day together, okay?"
Serena Sterling did not respond.
It’s been a year.
A year ago today, they were having their wedding.
Thinking of this, Silas Hawthorne pulled down the curtain and took out the tape he had treasured.
This was the tape capturing the entire process from fetching the bride to the end of the wedding last year.
Only the unfavorable parts were edited out later, like being abducted by Julian Lawson, that part.
The curtain was slightly drawn closed, the tape playing, projected onto the opposite white wall.
All kinds of festive sounds, lively voices echoed in this single-person VIP hospital room, making it unprecedentedly lively.
Silas Hawthorne sat beside Serena Sterling, holding her hand while watching the video.
Occasionally talking about last year’s events.
"You didn’t know how nervous I was." He said with a smile, "I was always afraid of not finding the wedding shoes, that you’d be angry and wouldn’t go with me."
"I memorized a lot of things, fearing I wouldn’t be able to answer questions."
"Bianca Lynch even frightened me." Silas Hawthorne said somewhat begrudgingly, "She said you stayed up all night the night before, babbling away at her place, making it hard for you to wake up in the morning, grumpy from getting up, telling me to be careful."
Silas Hawthorne laughed at this.
Remembering all sorts of things from last year, the nervousness then, it was all a happy feeling.
But afterward...
"Thankfully, everything went smoothly." He said, watching the scene in the projection where she agreed to marry him, tears in his eyes.
Watching from the drone’s perspective, the long fleet of cars when he brought her home, back then, the whole town was witnessing their happiness.
The entire city was adorned with lights and decorations.
He had meticulously prepared for this wedding for a long time.
He brought her back home.
After a series of processes, they headed to the chapel.
Although there was an unexpected incident with Julian Lawson in the middle, they ultimately got married.
The wedding march played on the projection.
She walked toward him step by step in her wedding dress.
He still remembered the moment when the doors beside him opened, how fast his heart raced.
She looked so beautiful.
He felt joy at having her.
Felt it was a gift from the heavens.
They promised each other a lifetime.
Those two words "I do" were their pledge to each other.
"Serena, you don’t know how nervous I was waiting for your answer." Silas Hawthorne whispered, "Actually, my palms were sweating then, secretly wiped them, afraid you’d notice."
Exchanging rings, a kiss.
Everyone cheered and applauded.
The video ended here.
The frame froze on their kiss.
Because after this... then...
Silas Hawthorne slightly lowered his eyes.
He held Serena Sterling’s hand.
The wedding march was still playing in the hospital room.
As if everything was still in a moment of happiness.
But...
Silas Hawthorne turned to glance at Serena Sterling.
The sunlight slipping in beside them looked as if it was nearing noon.
They had been watching the tape for a long time.
Silas Hawthorne reached out to open the curtain, letting sunlight stream in.
She remained asleep, seemingly with no sign of movement.
He reached out, opened a drawer, and took out a box.
Opened it, inside were their wedding rings.
At this moment, under the sunlight’s illumination, they glistened.
His ring had always been worn on his hand, hers though...
He took the ring out from the box, like she did on their wedding day, and put it on her.
The sparkling ring, worn on her slender finger, still enhanced the beauty of her hand.
He leaned over, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Serena..."
He softly called her name, unable to hold back, holding her head, silently shedding tears.
...
It seemed like a long, long dream.
Serena Sterling felt as if she’d run far, far away in the darkness.
Thorns were everywhere, she couldn’t find her way out.
People seemed to be calling her continuously from all sides, but she couldn’t find the source of the voice.
She didn’t know where she was, nor could she remember what had happened.
A sense of bewilderment.
Until she heard a call—"Child."
She saw a glimmer, she went toward the direction.
Touched that light point.
Then she seemed to return to the past.
Many fragmented scenes.
Happy, sad, perilous, relieved, joyful, painful, and so on...
She kept moving forward, kept experiencing, stayed for a long time at the place where the two children were, finally seemed to return to her childhood.
Returned to that once happy and warm home where her dad and mom were.
In the morning when waking up, mom would come, gently waking her up.
"Serena, little lazy bug, time to get up quickly, or you’ll be in trouble when your dad comes over later." Mom’s gentle voice sounded.
At this time she’d jump up, wriggling, into mom’s arms.
Mom was still young and beautiful, extremely gentle.
Would let her act spoiled in her embrace, let her hang on and not leave.
This is when mom would dress her, carry her downstairs.
Often at this time, they’d run into dad downstairs.
"Still clinging to your mom." Dad said somewhat begrudgingly, "This little trickster, knowing your mom spoils you, just acting spoiled, hurry and come down, there’s a lot of homework today!"
Only then she’d reluctantly come down, giving mom a mournful glance.
Mom smiled and kissed her cheek: "Once Serena returns home from class, mom will buy Serena new clothes, alright? And the newly ordered high heels, it’s the pair Serena really likes."
Then she’d be happy, following dad to the company and to class.
Dad was strict, but with a touch of tenderness within the severity, she liked and admired him very much.
In this way, when the sun set, they returned home, mom waiting for them at home, the kitchen filled with the aroma of food.
A warm and happy family.
Cycled repeatedly.
Until one day, dad suddenly turned back, reaching out to pat her shoulder.
"Child, it’s time." He said, voice filled with reluctance, but firm.
