Chapter 730
A surge of annoyance bubbled inside Garrett but he suppressed it. Kailee still had the photos in her hands. “What do you want?” he asked despite his unwillingness.
Kailee lowered her gaze, hiding the shrewd glint that flashed in her eyes. She spoke softly. “I’d like one last date with you, to make up for our past regrets.”
“I have no regrets about you,” Garrett refused without hesitation.
Tears welled up in Kailee’s eyes once more. “When we broke up and I left for abroad, you didn’t even come to see me off. Your mother was the only one who showed up. We never had a proper closure and that always made me regretful. Maybe that’s why I can’t forget you.”
Garrett steadily gazed at Kailee for a few seconds.
After some time, he closed his eyes. His voice was weary as he said, Alright, I promise.
He thought that perhaps this was the only way to completely get rid of Kailee’s entanglement. “Really?” Kailee expectantly looked up at Garrett. Her face instantly lit up as she let out a joyous smile.
With an expressionless look, Garrett replied, “Only this once, though. After this is over, you must delete the photo and never mention this to anyone-especially not Laney.”
“Okay.” Kailee nodded.
Now that Garrett agreed to go on a date with her, Kailee’s plan was halfway to success. She didn’t care who would find out about the photo. She figured that the more people would know about it, the chances of her marrying into the Harding family would be significantly higher. After getting a positive response from Kailee, Garrett pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn’t want to stay there for another second. Just when he was about to turn around and leave, Kailee suddenly called out to him.
“Garrett!” Kailee exclaimed, looking a bit forlorn. “Was there a part of you that felt like you married Laney out of sympathy?” Garrett abruptly stopped in his tracks. He recalled the complex emotions that he felt upon learning about Laney’s pregnancy. He felt a mix of joy and pity. He pitied Laney for being an orphan and enduring so much during her childhood only to become a bodyguard. If he didn’t take responsibility, what would happen to her?
As he thought of that, Garrett had to admit that he did, indeed, partly married Laney out of sympathy.
“A little bit,” Garrett candidly acknowledged. Kailee’s eyes instantly lit up when she heard that. She seemed delighted.
It was as she expected She figured that there was no way Garrett could fall in love with a mere bodyguard. That was why she assumed that he only married her out of sympathy. “However,” Garrett firmly added. “I would never marry a woman just out of sympathy. What’s important is that I love her.”
Kailee instantly felt a sharp pain in her chest. She couldn’t believe it. “What do you love about her?”
Since Laney was just a bodyguard, she couldn’t understand what Garrett loved about her.
A faint smile appeared on Garrett’s face as he looked into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Laney is special. She’s kind, strong…” Suddenly, he snapped out of his thoughts, and his expression turned rigid.
“But I have no reason to tell you this. Just remember our agreement. After everything is done, delete the photo. I want nothing else to do with you.”
After that, he paid no further attention to Kailee and went out the door without sparing another glance at her.
As Kailee watched him leave, her lips curved into a satisfied smile.
She then took out the recording pen from her bag and watched the red light blink on and off.
She wanted to give Laney another big gift and break their marriage completely.
Meanwhile, when Garrett returned to the ward, Laney was already asleep. The glow of the setting sun shone through the window as she held their daughter in her arms.
Garrett felt a sense of guilt as he sat by the bed and looked at this warm scene.
He didn’t want to destroy this beautiful moment.
However, since Kailee was backing him into a corner, he had no other choice but to give in to her unreasonable demands.
He thought that perhaps once the date was over, everything would come to an end and their family would return to their peaceful, happy life.
Garrett tried comforting himself with that thought as he covered Laney’s body with a blanket.
Suddenly, Laney opened her eyes and looked at the man who was tucking her in. “Are you hiding something from me?” she asked softly.
Suddenly, Laney’s voice sliced through the air, startling Garrett. His eyes narrowed, pupils constricting to pinpoints as his hand clenched the bed sheets, trembling ever so slightly. Beads of sweat formed on his palm as his entire body quivered involuntarily.
Laney knew? Was it possible that she knew what happened between him and Kailee the other night? Had Lan spilled the beans?
A chaotic whirlwind of thoughts raced through Garrett’s mind. His gaze locked onto Laney’s piercing eyes, lips quivering, but words refused to escape his throat.
“Garrett, why are you so quiet?” Laney’s confusion grew as she watched him be lost in his own thoughts.
Suddenly snapping back to reality, Garrett blurted out, “I wasn’t being quiet! I’ve never kept anything from you!”
“Shh, keep your voice down,” Laney hissed, covering Garrett’s mouth. She glanced over at their peacefully slumbering child, relieved. “Thank goodness we didn’t wake our baby girl.”
Releasing her hand, Laney shook her head in disbelief. “Why are you so tense? Are you really trying to fire Lan without my permission? Fired Lan?”
Garrett blinked, exhaling a hushed sigh of relief. So, that’s what Laney wanted to ask me, he thought.
Once he had relaxed, he took Laney’s hand and tried to soothe her. “Don’t worry, honey. I won’t fire Lan. You just focus on getting some rest. Once you’re fully recovered, we’ll leave this hospital and head home.”
“Return home?” Laney’s expression suddenly turned gloomy. After a moment of silence, her voice cracked. “Which home are we returning to? The Hardings’ home or our own?”
Laney knew Garrett’s parents despised her, and she’d worked tirelessly to win their approval. But after her harrowing childbirth experience, nearly losing her life, and witnessing Garrett’s parents’ blatant disregard for her well-being, she’d given up all hope of winning their favor. From then on, she vowed never to return to that cold, suffocating place again.
With determination in his eyes, Garrett tightened his grip on Laney’s hand. “Rest assured, honey, we’re going back to our own home.”
“Will your parents agree to it?” Laney asked, her voice laced with doubt.
“I’ll handle it. They won’t bother you anymore. I promise.”
Frustration had been building in Garrett, too; his parents’ constant meddling in their lives had become unbearable. He’d resolved to sever ties with them once and for all, after the baby was born. Upon hearing his reassuring words, it brought calm to Laney’s heart.
