Chapter 21
Brilliant fireworks lit up the night sky, drawing gasps of admiration from the onlookers. “So beautiful!”
“That woman named Rosalie is so lucky.”
“It’s clear this confession was carefully planned…”
At that moment, Weston knelt before Rosalie on one knee.§
Somehow, a bouquet of fresh flowers had appeared in his arms.}
“Rosalie, the first time I heard your name was a year ago. That was when I finally discovered the artist behind the painting I loved most.”
“I joined the Redmond family just to be near my idol, to be close to the works I admired from afar.“}]
“But since your return to Ireland, the more time I spent with you, the deeper I fell.”
“Everything about you, inside and out, captivates me.”
“Please, let me take care of James from now on. I want to bring happiness to both of you.”
The sky continued to bloom with fireworks, dazzling and loud, yet none of it could rival the fire in Weston’s eyes.
Even the onlookers couldn’t help but feel stirred; some were excited, and others were moved to quiet awe by the scene.
But within Rosalie’s heart, not a single ripple rose.}
Because
Because at that moment, what replayed in her mind was another confession, one from Easton, from a time that now felt worlds away. Yes, ever since Easton had passed, her heart had long since closed its doors.
She looked at Weston, voice soft but steady. “Do you really know me?”{}]
The fireworks had faded, and the sea had sunk back into quiet darkness.}
“Do you know that before I returned to Ireland, I had just ended a marriage? That I’m pregnant now with my ex–husband’s child?“} “And that my ex–husband is the younger brother of James’s father?“}
“It sounds unreal, doesn’t it?” she said, her smile faint and bitter. “But that’s who I am, someone you never truly knew.”
“What you like is just the version of me holding a brush, the me who paints.”>
“Not the real me.”
“I once loved James’s father deeply. And I love James just as much.“}
“So to save James, I went as far as getting pregnant… with Easton’s younger brother’s child, just so James could have a better chance to live.“D
“My parents must have only told you I was searching for a matching blood donor for James, right? But they never told you that the source I found was the umbilical cord blood from the child growing inside me. I’m that kind of reckless woman with a story far more tangled than you imagine. So please, don’t say you like me so easily. The only man I ever loved was the late Easton. Thank you for your confession today. But I don’t think we’re meant for each other.”
Rosalie had sensed that Weston treated her differently, more closely than he did others.
But she believed it was just a shared understanding between soulmates.
This is similar to how Weston first became James’s family doctor because of her paintings.}
Now, it seemed that wasn’t the whole truth.
Rosalie didn’t take the flowers Weston offered. She turned away to leave.
“Rosalie,” Weston called after her.
By now, Weston had already risen. “I never expected you to carry such a story. But that didn’t make you seem complicated to me. The fact that you carried another child didn’t make me want to give up on you. On the contrary, your willingness to go so far for James only made me admire your strength even more. You were just like your paintings: resilient, radiant, and full of life. Maybe I was too forward today. But I didn’t mind your past. I still wanted to be part of your future. My confession wasn’t a whim. I hoped you’d consider me seriously…”
Rosalie gave no answer; she simply turned and walked away.”
She believed sometimes, silence was the kindest form of refusal.
