Chapter 63: Falling In Love With A Married Man

"You're up?" The tall man sitting on the sofa sprang up.

"Patrick?" After a moment of surprise, Flora remembered that Patrick had mentioned he would take her to the hospital: "You... are you early?" She was a bit flustered.

The apartment where Flora was staying was very close to the city hospital, she had already made an appointment the previous day, so she could go straight to her check-up upon arrival.

"The fetus is about six weeks old.

Tension and mild abdominal pain in the early stages of pregnancy are completely normal and nothing to worry about.

You should drink plenty of water, split your meals, elevate your pillow when sleeping, if your stomach is tense next time, you can apply a warm compress..." The doctor rattled off a list of precautions for early pregnancy.

Flora's eyes widened, she could hardly believe what the doctor just said: "Are you saying... I'm pregnant?"

"Indeed." The doctor nodded nonchalantly: "It's just the start of the pregnancy, the body is merely showing some physiological responses.

It's perfectly normal that you haven't realized yet."

Flora nodded in a daze.

Six weeks - it meant that this tiny life had been conceived on that very night... the night she decided to leave Matthew.

It appeared that their fates were irrevocably intertwined.

Matthew was her past seven years ago, and Matthew remained her present seven years on.

In her life, it seemed he might be the only man she would ever truly have.

As the nurse cheerfully escorted Flora out of the ward, she spotted Patrick standing outside, hands buried in his pockets. She quickly blurted out: "Congratulations! You're going to be a father soon!"

"What did you say?" Patrick's reaction mirrored Flora's earlier bewilderment.

His eyes widened, momentarily unable to digest the nurse's revelation.

It took him a few seconds to shift his gaze to Flora, then he sighed: "Is it Matthew's child?"

Flora avoided his gaze, lightly nodding her agreement.

The look in his eyes was too poignant for her to meet head-on, a whirl of lost emotions she didn't want to confront.

"But he's married to Selena now, so you and he cannot be together anymore.

What about... we get married!" It was an impulsive decision, but Patrick didn't hesitate: "I can't let you become a single mother again!"

A moment of hesitation had already robbed him of seven years of happiness with her.

Now, he saw his heart clearly.

For the love of her, he could disregard who the father of the child in her belly was.

Quite simply, as long as the child was born from her, Patrick was ready to consider it as his own.

"You don't have to answer right away.

If you don't agree at this moment, it's okay... I'll always be by your side." Patrick sighed softly, his hand gently resting on Flora's slender shoulder.

He understood that she was currently conflicted, and couldn't rush to make a decision.

She needed time to think carefully, and he needed time to prove his love for her.

Throughout their seven-year separation, he had always regretted.

If he had trusted her a little more in the beginning, they would not have wasted so many youthful years.

Since their reunion, although he never spoke, his heart was filled with shame, a desire to make amends to her.

"Patrick..." Flora hesitated a little, but she gritted her teeth and said: "What if I can never accept you? Or... what if I marry someone else?"

"You silly girl!" Patrick's hand lightly tapped her forehead.

In response to her puzzled look, he chuckled: "Who do you think I am? Do you really think I'm treating you well just because I want you to accept me?" His smile was still as gentle as the boy in her memories: "No matter what, I will do everything in my power to protect you."

If she decided to be with someone else, the only thing he could do was naturally wish her well.

He would step back one step, continue to protect her as a friend.

"Flora, for... for your sake, and for mine, you must live happily! I don't care about anything else, as long as you are happy, it's enough!"

Flora was the most beautiful emotion of his youth, the only person his heart always pointed towards.

If he couldn't be with her, he couldn't bear to see her struggle in life.

"Thank you." Flora smiled, opening her arms to hug Patrick.

The hearts in their chests weren't beating wildly, but rather, they were beating steadily and firmly.

Suddenly, a thought flashed in Flora's mind - maybe, just maybe, Patrick didn't love her as he thought he did.

In a secluded corner behind a decorative plant pot in the hospital corridor, a faint "snap" echoed.

The curtain fell, immortalizing the embrace of two people in the memory of the camera.

The photographer smirked, his eyes squinting slightly as they briefly flitted over the two figures entwined, then quickly departed, leaving no trace.

"Matthew." the man's voice resounded: "Explain!"

Matthew lowered his head: "What do you want me to explain, father?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Matthew, your current behavior isn't like you at all.

That Ethelbert has been biting us over and over..." The man did not need to continue; Matthew already understood what needed to be explained.

Quite simply, the underworld has its own rules.

Those who do not adhere to these rules, who audaciously violate others, should brace themselves for retribution.

Recently, Ethelbert has been audaciously dancing in front of the man's power; this did not escape the vigilant eyes of the old hawk.

The man had initially assumed that without his directives, his young, energetic hawk of a son, of whom he was so proud, would swoop down on his prey and feast.

However, Matthew did nothing.

He sat quietly, time and time again retreating from his boundaries to give way to that man.

"Father..." Matthew could only utter the word "Father." and then fell silent.

In the vast room, there were only the two of them.

The heavy doors shut, their darkness creating an even greater psychological pressure.

The man looked at his adopted son sitting before him, each day understanding him less.

His brow furrowed: "Is it that you've been caught by that man?"

"Father." Matthew gently shook his head: "That treasure is not solely ours.

The map that Edsel Tremblay drew, his adopted son should also have a share. That would be fair."

In accordance with the code of the underworld.

"When did the son I raised singlehandedly start having such womanly ideas? Remember, Ethelbert is an outsider; we are family." the man said calmly, with no apparent anger at his adopted son's strange notion.

Matthew was equally unperturbed, as if he knew that he would inevitably have the upper hand in this argument.

He adjusted his tie: "Are you not aware that someone is lurking in the shadows? Rather than tearing each other apart for the benefit of others, I'd prefer to share a bowl of soup with Edsel's son." After all, that man's claim to a share was justified.

The man's eyebrows knitted tightly, the wrinkles on his forehead becoming more pronounced.

At that moment, he suddenly felt quite old.

In the end, the world would eventually belong to the young.

He tapped his finger on the table: "Are you suggesting that someone is targeting us? Have our forces become so weak that anyone dares to interfere?"

A mocking smile played on his lips.

In his youth, he had fought tirelessly, his relentless strikes establishing a formidable force in the underworld.

Now, he was aging, no longer having the strength for the relentless battles.

"Someone in the shadows wants to play a game with me." Matthew said without fear, instead displaying an odd enthusiasm: "I am the adopted son of a notorious underworld boss... how can I not play their game? They want to play? Alright, let's play!"

"As long as you know your limits, I don't care how you play the game." he said, essentially giving his adopted son the freedom to follow his own path.

"Father..." Matthew's voice was no lighter, even after receiving his father's approval.

He hesitated slightly, uncertain of how to initiate the conversation.

Pausing for a few moments, he finally continued: "About what I said last time, what have you thought about it?"

The man seated across him furrowed his brows deeper.

The aged lines on his face clustered together, reflecting his discomfort upon hearing his adoptive son's question.

"Do you mean to tell me that you actually want to withdraw?" He sighed: "After all the years of struggling, you should know, we have numerous enemies.

Withdrawing is not as simple as you think... Forget it, if you ignore this, then your years of hard work will vanish into thin air. Can you accept that? Is it worth it for a woman?"

Whether in broad daylight or hidden in shadows, Matthew was known to be an aloof figure, devoid of sentimentality.

He didn't need affection from anyone, nor did he give it, prioritizing self-interest above all else.

Even the infamous underworld boss could never imagine his cold, heartless adopted son would one day relinquish everything for a beautiful woman.

Matthew nodded, without hesitation: "The underworld has many enemies. I don't want my wife and children to be endangered.

I also don't want my kids to grow up surrounded by bodyguards, and still potentially face danger at any moment.

Father, I have charged into battles for you, worked hard, never shirked a task.

Will you let me be free this time?"

This time's freedom was to be for the rest of his life.

He had decided to retire and had no intention to return to this path.

His foster father bowed his head in contemplation, after a long while, he said: "You don't need to make excuses to me."

The underworld does have many enemies, that's true, but who dares to touch Matthew's children?

His excuse sounded so flimsy, it was far from persuasive.

"When children grow up, you can't keep them forever.

Matthew, just complete this last task, then you're free to go wherever you want."

This was the greatest concession his father could make for him.

Others would not have been granted such privilege.