Chapter 151
Thalassa’s heart lurched painfully at his words–words she wanted to believe, but she’d been hurt before. She would be a fool to let herself fall for it again.
“Trust you with my heart?” she scoffed, tilting her head toward the ceiling before meeting his eyes. “You must have forgotten. I trusted you with my heart four years ago when we got married, Kris. I trusted you to make me the happiest woman in the world, just like you promised. But instead, you worked hard to make me the most miserable.”
She snorted bitterly. “And you say you want to be there for me? Where were you, Kris, when I lost our child?” Her voice cracked, a mix of anger and pain seeping through. “Where were you when I lay in that cold hospital bed, grieving, scared, alone, and wondering what I had done for life to be so cruel to me?”
Kris opened his mouth to respond, but she held up her free hand to silence him. “What are you going to say? That you didn’t know? That you weren’t sure the child was even yours? What difference would it make now?”
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she blinked them away, determined not to let them fall. She took a deep breath, steadying herself against the weight of the memories pressing down on her.
“I haven’t needed you for the last three years,” she said, her voice hardening. “And I certainly don’t need you now.
She turned to leave, but Kris’s grip tightened on her wrist. “No, Thalassa,” he pleaded, his voice soft. “I’m not going to make excuses because you’re right. I should have been there. I should have.”
A tear slid down his cheek as he continued. “I wish I could undo every mistake I made. I wish I could make things right, but I can’t. And I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, But if you give me another opportunity, I’ll show you how different it’s going to be.”
Thalassa’s jaw clenched. “How can you promise me that things will be different when you refuse to seek justice for the murder of our child?”
Kris stared at her. “But I did. I had Karen arrested, didn’t I? You were the one who chose to have her released.”
A smile filled with bitterness curved her lips. It was obvious that no matter what, he was never going to accept
that his mother was a monster.
“You’re right,” she said calmly. “It’s sad, isn’t it? That life doesn’t give us the chance to undo our mistakes. If it did, I’d go back and erase the day I ever fell in love with you!”
Her words hit him like a blow, and his grip on her wrist slackened. She took advantage of the moment, yanking her hand free and walking away. But she’d barely made it five steps before his arm snaked around her body, pulling her back against his chest.
“You don’t mean that,” Kris murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I know you don’t.”
“Let go of me, Kris.” She struggled in his hold, but even though he was holding her with only one arm, she couldn’t break free.
Suddenly she felt the back of her neck dampen with moisture, and she realized that he was crying.
“Please, Thalassa,” he whispered, his voice raw with desperation. “Forgive me. Give me another chance.”
Her fists clenched, trembling with anger. “I told you some time back what it would take for me to forgive you, a.. that hasn’t changed. Bring back the child I lost.”
“You know I can’t do that,” he choked, his tears soaking her skin. “But… we could have another. Another baby. I
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Chapter 151
swear, I’ll love and protect that child with everything I have”
+25 BONUS
Disbelief and rage surged through Thalassa. Her vision blurring with angry tears, she spun around and shoved him hard on the chest.
“Do you think this is a joke?” she ground out, her fists raining blows on him. “You think we can just replace the child we lost with another, and that will make everything okay?”
Her blows were relentless, driven by years of pent–up pain and Kris silently endured them. He didn’t try to block her blows or ask her to stop.
It wasn’t until she saw the blood seeping through his bandage, staining his shirt, that she finally stopped.
Her eyes widened in horror. “Kris…”
Kris staggered back slightly but gave her a weak smile. “I’m fine,” he muttered. “This…I know this is nothing compared to the wounds I gave you by not loving you the way I should have.”
Her heart twisted as she looked at the blood soaking through his shirt. “You’re not fine,” she mumbled, rushing into the kitchen.
When she returned, she was holding the first aid kit. Kris was sitting on one of the chairs, looking calm despite the pain he was in. She placed the kit on the table and opened it with shaking hands.
“I can handle it,” Kris tried to say, but Thalassa ignored him.
Her hands trembled slightly as she proceeded to carefully remove his sling. Then she slowly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off his shoulder, guilt shining in her eyes as she looked at all the blood soaking through his bandage.
Carefully she untied the bandage as well before grabbing a cotton and antiseptic to tend to his wound where some stitches had been ripped.
Her fingers were so gentle that Kris stared at her in wonder, his heart swelling with both happiness and sorrow. She still cared about him–despite everything, she still cared.
“If this is what it takes for you to treat me with such care,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving her, “then I don’t mind getting my wound ripped open over and over again.”
“Stop talking nonsense,” Thalassa snapped, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
“It’s not nonsense,” he insisted, smiling weakly. “I’d endure anything to earn your forgiveness.”
He hesitated, then gently cupped her face with his hand, his thumb brushing over the dried tears on her cheek. Thalassa stiffened slightly but didn’t pull away.
“I will never stop regretting how I treated you during our marriage,” Kris whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “But please… give me a second chance. Let me show you that I can be the man you deserve.”
Their faces were inches apart now, their breaths mingling as they drew closer, their lips almost touching.
