The two exchanged a glance and both burst into laughter. Outside the hospital room, Evan Yancy held a cigarette but didn’t go in, leaning silently against the wall as if he intended to maintain this posture forever. Jude Shaw patted him on the back, his eyes bloodshot. After Gloria Galloway and Julian Sterling got married, Jude found an excuse and left the country. During this time, he hadn’t contacted anyone, only to return and learn the news of Gloria’s passing. Life is always ; one never knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first. He had no reason to blame Julian Sterling because Julian was a thousand times, no, a million times more upset than him now. "Want to go in and have a look?" He said calmly, taking the cigarette from Evan’s hand. Evan shook his head; since that night with Ashley Dawson, his relationship with Samantha Sullivan was over. "Don’t tell me you don’t have feelings for her anymore—if you truly didn’t love her, you wouldn’t have come all this way just to be here." Evan said nothing; these few brothers always understood him best. "Evan, ask the doctor to check the child’s relation to you. I always thought that child was yours. Samantha never did a paternity test, relying solely on her instincts—how could she be sure the child wasn’t yours? It’s better to check." Evan’s body stiffened, a flicker of hope in his eyes. Jude understood him, immediately called the doctor quietly, who had information about the child, and they just needed to compare it with Evan’s. Evan was somewhat apprehensive; he clenched his hands nervously as he watched the doctor walk into the analysis room. Soon, the doctor returned with the results, smiling broadly. "Mr. Yancy, the child is indeed yours; go recognize your daughter at once." Suddenly, Evan couldn’t hear any sounds—the scenery around him faded away entirely as if only the world before him was bright. But Jude was exhilarated, grabbing the results sheet and running to Samantha’s room, Evan unable to stop him. Samantha and Eleanor Hollis were whispering about the child’s development. The door swung open, Jude entered holding the sheet, his face unable to hide his excitement. "Samantha, the child is Evan’s—I had the doctor discreetly check." "Buzz." Samantha’s head buzzed as she held the paper with black ink, her hands trembling, tears welling up. "Does Evan... know about this?" She asked, her voice shaking, unable to form a complete sentence. Jude initially intended to say he knew but reconsidered and shook his head. Samantha almost crumpled the results sheet, her chest heaving—she had never anticipated this outcome. She thought she and Evan were finished, but the child’s arrival brought new ties between them. Evan already had another woman pregnant. At this thought, her eyes slowly dropped. "That child is just an obligation, Samantha. Think through your decision; don’t be overly swayed by other things. Follow your heart—that’s enough." Eleanor guessed her thoughts and kept encouraging her. Samantha bit her lip, looking up at Jude. "Where is Evan? Where is he?" Jude smiled, pointing outside. In haste, Samantha pulled off the covers and, despite her frail body, rushed out. The elevator door in the hallway had just opened, and Evan had already stepped inside. As the door closed slowly, he missed seeing Samantha who was running towards him. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩 Samantha frantically pressed the elevator button, but it didn’t open. She rushed to the next elevator, pressing for the first floor. Evan stepped off the elevator, seeing the people bustling ahead, his mind still in a fog. Samantha’s child was his, and he was suddenly a father? Yet he ultimately did not have the courage to face Samantha; it felt as if a vast galaxy separated them. "Where do you plan to go?" A breathless woman’s voice came from behind, Evan turned, seeing Samantha supporting herself on her knees, looking up at him, taking deep breaths from running. "I called out to you, but you didn’t respond—do you really hate me that much?" Evan opened his mouth, standing beside the person he loved most, yet had no idea what to say. "Evan, if you don’t mind, let’s get back together." Samantha’s words were firm, perhaps having seen through too many separations of life and death. Like Gloria and Julian Sterling, now separated by eternity, who knows what their loved ones might encounter next. Being together now is what truly matters; they don’t need to keep avoiding each other. Evan looked into her eyes, feeling as if fireworks were exploding all around. "How could I have the right to despise you—I’m not a complete person either." He meant that he too had been with another woman, making him impure, incomplete. Yet Samantha took his hand, looking from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. "You have arms and legs—you seem pretty whole to me." A smile flickered in Evan’s eyes, and he suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. This hug felt as though it spanned a century; neither could recall the last time they hugged. Upstairs, Eleanor Hollis and Jude Shaw watched, relieved to see the two finally in each other’s arms. The child on the bed was still sleeping soundly, occasionally kicking her little legs. Eleanor picked her up and held her close, gently rocking her. So this is what it’s like to care for a child. Her mouth curved into a deeper smile, her eyes sparkling with tiny lights. Downstairs, Eleanor and Evan finally remembered their child and went upstairs. Evan picked up the small bundle in his arms for careful observation, occasionally poking her cheek with his finger, sometimes pinching her chubby paws. Samantha sat on the bed, a hat on her head, her smile radiant. Seeing this scene, Eleanor felt inexplicably moved. Samantha finally found her happiness—it’s wonderful. In the afternoon, she left time to the reunited couple and returned home. After resting for a while, she took flowers and went to Gloria Galloway’s gravesite. But upon arrival, she discovered someone was already there. Eleanor quickly hid behind a nearby tree, feeling it wasn’t appropriate to present herself. If she guessed correctly, Jude truly loved Gloria Galloway—it was genuinely sincere. She remembered Gloria’s text that night, saying she had kissed Jude. Sighing, Eleanor stood quietly behind the tree. Jude had been standing before Gloria’s grave for a long time, so long that his legs were achy; eventually, he sat down unceremoniously. "I told you before, if Julian never likes you, you can come to me—I’ll always welcome you. But you were too stubborn, Gloria. If you’d been with me, it wouldn’t have ended ."