The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 92: Chapter 92
You are reading The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep, Chapter 92: Chapter 92. Read more chapters of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep.
Serena's body trembled slightly. She fought back tears and gave a small nod. "Thank you, doctor."
Once the doctor had left, she sat quietly at the edge of the bed, gently holding Tiana's hand as silent tears traced down her cheeks.
Time slipped by unnoticed until, at last, Tiana's eyes slowly fluttered open. Her clouded gaze drifted around the room before settling on Serena.
Noticing the movement, Serena quickly leaned forward, gripping Tiana's hand with barely contained emotion. "Tiana... you're awake. I came back."
"Seri..." The name left Tiana's lips in a faint, breathless whisper.
"I'm here," Serena said softly, hastily brushing the tears from her face.
Tiana looked at her with a tender smile. "You came back."
Serena nodded.
"It's been so long since your last visit. I've missed you," Tiana murmured.
Serena's eyes stung as tears welled up again. "I'm sorry," she said, voice low with guilt. She tightened her grasp around Tiana's frail fingers. So much had happened lately, and so much that had pulled her away.
As she saw Tiana so weakened, the weight of her neglect pressed even heavier.
"I still remember," Tiana said with a soft chuckle, "how much you loved the swing in the orphanage garden. You always went so high. I was sure you'd fall one day."
Serena's expression softened as the memory came back, warm and vivid. That time of innocence remained among her most treasured.
She asked, "Tiana, do you remember when I did fall? I scraped my leg and cried like the world had ended."
Tiana's smile grew. "Of course I remember. You were inconsolable. I bought you a lollipop to cheer you up."
Serena gave a quiet laugh, sniffing. "I still remember how it tasted. Sweetest thing I'd ever had."
Tiana looked at her fondly. "You haven't changed, Seri. After all these years, you're still that same little girl."
Serena's hand closed gently over hers. "You have to get better. When you're stronger, I'll take you out, wherever you want to go. Anywhere you've dreamed of."
Tiana patted the back of Serena's hand with a tired but loving touch. "Oh, child... I know my body. I don't have much time left."
Serena froze. Her breath caught as her heart sank. The words echoed in her mind, cruel and final.
"No, don't say that. You'll recover. I know you will," she said, voice trembling, clinging to hope.
But the doctor's words returned to her. If treatment failed, less than a year remained.
Tiana had been more than a caretaker. She was family. The thought of losing her was unbearable.
"There's just one regret I carry," Tiana said, her eyes fixed on Serena with a quiet sorrow. "One thing I've never been able to let go."
Serena, still wiping at her cheeks, looked at her, concern etched in every line of her face.
Tiana continued, "I had a child. A little boy. He got lost when he was very young. I never found him."
From beneath her pillow, she pulled out a photograph and handed it to Serena. "This was him, when he was just a boy."
Serena took the picture and studied it carefully. A small child, five or six, stared back at her.
"I promise, I'll do everything I can to find him," she said.
Tiana nodded, the weight of years reflected in her eyes. She hadn't wanted to burden Serena, but time was running out. The thought of leaving this world with such a deep ache unsettled her more than death itself.
"Thank you, Seri," she whispered, her voice filled with quiet gratitude.
After they talked for a while, Serena noticed the weariness clouding Tiana's expression. She rose gently to her feet and said, "You should rest. I'll come by again tomorrow."
Tiana nodded. "Alright. Take care."
Though reluctant to leave, Serena didn't want to overstay and tire her further. As for the child Tiana had mentioned, who he was remained unclear, but Serena could see how deeply he mattered to her.
Later, Serena made her way to a bar in the city. She stepped through the door and glanced around before spotting Kristy seated alone in a corner.
"Kristy," she called quietly as she approached.
Kristy looked up. At the sight of Serena's tired face, she stood and motioned for her to sit. "Something to drink?"
Serena, fresh off a long flight and visibly drained, shook her head slightly. "Just a lemon water, please."
Kristy called over a waiter and placed the order. "It's been ages, Seri," she said warmly, reaching out to clasp Serena's hand.
Serena returned the gesture, giving her hand a soft pat. "I'm back for good this time. I'll be staying in the country from now on."
"Seriously? That's amazing!" Kristy exclaimed, pulling her into an embrace. "We'll actually get to see each other now!"
Serena laughed. "Exactly. No more time zones between us."
Lowering her voice, Kristy leaned in, her tone turning conspiratorial. "There's something I need to tell you."
Serena raised a brow, prompting her to continue.
Kristy took a breath, her expression sobering. "Victor's planning a marriage alliance, with the Aniston family."
Serena blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't expected him to go through with it.
Kristy sighed. "Regina isn't exactly the quiet type. She's flashy. Calculated."
Serena was quiet, her thoughts turning. 'Victor, with someone like her?'
Kristy studied her for a moment, then added, "If they do marry, I doubt it'll be about love. More like a mutual arrangement, each doing their own thing."
She gave a light laugh, the sound tinged with cynicism. "Regina's known for her restless nature. Staying loyal was never part of her brand."
"Kristy," Serena said quietly, "whatever Victor does, it doesn't matter to me anymore." The news struck her more like idle gossip than something personal.
Kristy idly stirred her drink, then glanced up. "So, what's next for you?"
"I've taken a job at Mr. Brannon's company," Serena replied.
Kristy blinked in surprise. "Really? And... you and Keith, what's the situation there?"
Serena lifted her glass, took a measured sip, and replied, "Mr. Brannon's done a lot for me, and I'm grateful. But right now, I'm not looking to start anything."
Kristy gave a small shrug. "Fair enough. Still... he seems like a decent guy."
Her eyes drifted to the photo Serena held. "Who's the child in the picture?"
"Tiana asked me to find him. It's her final wish, and I want to help make it happen."
Kristy examined the photograph closely, falling quiet. Her gaze sharpened with thought.
Once the doctor had left, she sat quietly at the edge of the bed, gently holding Tiana's hand as silent tears traced down her cheeks.
Time slipped by unnoticed until, at last, Tiana's eyes slowly fluttered open. Her clouded gaze drifted around the room before settling on Serena.
Noticing the movement, Serena quickly leaned forward, gripping Tiana's hand with barely contained emotion. "Tiana... you're awake. I came back."
"Seri..." The name left Tiana's lips in a faint, breathless whisper.
"I'm here," Serena said softly, hastily brushing the tears from her face.
Tiana looked at her with a tender smile. "You came back."
Serena nodded.
"It's been so long since your last visit. I've missed you," Tiana murmured.
Serena's eyes stung as tears welled up again. "I'm sorry," she said, voice low with guilt. She tightened her grasp around Tiana's frail fingers. So much had happened lately, and so much that had pulled her away.
As she saw Tiana so weakened, the weight of her neglect pressed even heavier.
"I still remember," Tiana said with a soft chuckle, "how much you loved the swing in the orphanage garden. You always went so high. I was sure you'd fall one day."
Serena's expression softened as the memory came back, warm and vivid. That time of innocence remained among her most treasured.
She asked, "Tiana, do you remember when I did fall? I scraped my leg and cried like the world had ended."
Tiana's smile grew. "Of course I remember. You were inconsolable. I bought you a lollipop to cheer you up."
Serena gave a quiet laugh, sniffing. "I still remember how it tasted. Sweetest thing I'd ever had."
Tiana looked at her fondly. "You haven't changed, Seri. After all these years, you're still that same little girl."
Serena's hand closed gently over hers. "You have to get better. When you're stronger, I'll take you out, wherever you want to go. Anywhere you've dreamed of."
Tiana patted the back of Serena's hand with a tired but loving touch. "Oh, child... I know my body. I don't have much time left."
Serena froze. Her breath caught as her heart sank. The words echoed in her mind, cruel and final.
"No, don't say that. You'll recover. I know you will," she said, voice trembling, clinging to hope.
But the doctor's words returned to her. If treatment failed, less than a year remained.
Tiana had been more than a caretaker. She was family. The thought of losing her was unbearable.
"There's just one regret I carry," Tiana said, her eyes fixed on Serena with a quiet sorrow. "One thing I've never been able to let go."
Serena, still wiping at her cheeks, looked at her, concern etched in every line of her face.
Tiana continued, "I had a child. A little boy. He got lost when he was very young. I never found him."
From beneath her pillow, she pulled out a photograph and handed it to Serena. "This was him, when he was just a boy."
Serena took the picture and studied it carefully. A small child, five or six, stared back at her.
"I promise, I'll do everything I can to find him," she said.
Tiana nodded, the weight of years reflected in her eyes. She hadn't wanted to burden Serena, but time was running out. The thought of leaving this world with such a deep ache unsettled her more than death itself.
"Thank you, Seri," she whispered, her voice filled with quiet gratitude.
After they talked for a while, Serena noticed the weariness clouding Tiana's expression. She rose gently to her feet and said, "You should rest. I'll come by again tomorrow."
Tiana nodded. "Alright. Take care."
Though reluctant to leave, Serena didn't want to overstay and tire her further. As for the child Tiana had mentioned, who he was remained unclear, but Serena could see how deeply he mattered to her.
Later, Serena made her way to a bar in the city. She stepped through the door and glanced around before spotting Kristy seated alone in a corner.
"Kristy," she called quietly as she approached.
Kristy looked up. At the sight of Serena's tired face, she stood and motioned for her to sit. "Something to drink?"
Serena, fresh off a long flight and visibly drained, shook her head slightly. "Just a lemon water, please."
Kristy called over a waiter and placed the order. "It's been ages, Seri," she said warmly, reaching out to clasp Serena's hand.
Serena returned the gesture, giving her hand a soft pat. "I'm back for good this time. I'll be staying in the country from now on."
"Seriously? That's amazing!" Kristy exclaimed, pulling her into an embrace. "We'll actually get to see each other now!"
Serena laughed. "Exactly. No more time zones between us."
Lowering her voice, Kristy leaned in, her tone turning conspiratorial. "There's something I need to tell you."
Serena raised a brow, prompting her to continue.
Kristy took a breath, her expression sobering. "Victor's planning a marriage alliance, with the Aniston family."
Serena blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't expected him to go through with it.
Kristy sighed. "Regina isn't exactly the quiet type. She's flashy. Calculated."
Serena was quiet, her thoughts turning. 'Victor, with someone like her?'
Kristy studied her for a moment, then added, "If they do marry, I doubt it'll be about love. More like a mutual arrangement, each doing their own thing."
She gave a light laugh, the sound tinged with cynicism. "Regina's known for her restless nature. Staying loyal was never part of her brand."
"Kristy," Serena said quietly, "whatever Victor does, it doesn't matter to me anymore." The news struck her more like idle gossip than something personal.
Kristy idly stirred her drink, then glanced up. "So, what's next for you?"
"I've taken a job at Mr. Brannon's company," Serena replied.
Kristy blinked in surprise. "Really? And... you and Keith, what's the situation there?"
Serena lifted her glass, took a measured sip, and replied, "Mr. Brannon's done a lot for me, and I'm grateful. But right now, I'm not looking to start anything."
Kristy gave a small shrug. "Fair enough. Still... he seems like a decent guy."
Her eyes drifted to the photo Serena held. "Who's the child in the picture?"
"Tiana asked me to find him. It's her final wish, and I want to help make it happen."
Kristy examined the photograph closely, falling quiet. Her gaze sharpened with thought.
End of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep Chapter 92. Continue reading Chapter 93 or return to The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep book page.