Chapter 1774

Elwood wondered what exactly had unfolded back then. He had come to learn that it was Carola who had wronged him, and that he had been the one to initiate the breakup. Yet, deep down, a stubborn voice in his heart whispered that the story wasn’t so simple. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that the woman he had once cherished had betrayed him. Though his memory of the matter was gone, that unwavering certainty remained. He was resolved to piece together the past and uncover the truth. And yet, for reasons he couldn’t explain, his mind remained a blank canvas. The hypnosis session, though unsuccessful, had affected him significantly. As he brooded over these thoughts, a flicker of defiance stirred within him.

“Elwood. Elwood?” Baker waved a hand in front of him, trying to call him back to the present.

Elwood blinked and finally snapped out of his thoughts.

“Are you alright?” Baker asked.

“I’m fine,” Elwood replied.

After a brief pause, he continued, “Kylee told me how kind you’ve been to her, how you’ve looked after her since she was a child. Thank you.”

Baker waved him off with a modest smile. “There’s no need to thank me. It was the right thing to do. At first, I worried I might struggle to accept her, knowing she wasn’t my own by blood. But the moment I saw her, so tiny, so full of life, with those plump cheeks, my heart melted. And when she first curled her little fingers around mine, I made a silent vow then and there: I would raise her as my own, and I would give her the best of everything I could offer.” As Baker spoke, he radiated the quiet warmth of a father.

Seeing this, Elwood felt a pang of guilt. He, Kylee’s biological father, had done so little—far too little—for her. With sincerity in his voice, Elwood gave a small nod. “You’ve shown what it means to be a good father.”

But at that moment, a shadow crossed Baker’s face. He shook his head with a weary sigh. “No, I’ve fallen short as a father. I gave my own daughter so little of the love and guidance she deserved. Because of a moment’s greed, I caused the woman I loved and my daughter to become my secret family. I failed them both.” By now, his voice trembled with emotion.

? ν?

Elwood’s brows drew together slightly as he listened. As Kylee’s father, he couldn’t help but be grateful to Baker. But if he looked at things through Belinda’s eyes—or her mother’s—Baker had indeed abandoned his responsibilities.

Baker continued, “Now, my company stands on the edge of ruin, and it’s all because of me!”

Elwood could hear the weight behind those words. He understood that Baker wasn’t just speaking his mind; he was speaking with purpose, laying out a silent request. Still, because of Baker’s devotion to Carola and Kylee, Elwood felt compelled to help.

So, he got straight to the point. “I know your company’s collapse is tied to Lucas’s interference. No firms or banks dare collaborate with you. I’ll go speak with Lucas about this.”

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Chapters first released on find?novel.net