Chapter 59
Liam left Emerald’s mansion after their discussion. Although he was happy for young Morgan, he also felt hurt when he saw her kiss Jace. He knew he would never have a chance to get the woman he loved, but he hoped that young Higginson would be able to take care of her. He stepped into the bustling bar, the heart of nightlife, where the energy is intense and the atmosphere is lively. It was an old brick building that housed the bar; its exterior was modest and unassuming, but inside, it was a different world.
Most people are dressed to impress. Women in stylish dresses or chic tops and skirts, accessorized with statement jewelry and high heels, move gracefully through the crowd. Men sport a range of attire, from casual button-downs to trendy t-shirts paired with jeans or chinos, some donning fashionable sneakers and others opting for smart leather shoes.
“I didn’t know you liked going to places like this,” Kyle shouted, talking to Liam, who was roaming his eyes around, searching for the bar where he wanted to spend the day’s remaining hours. He shrugged his shoulders at the sound of the man behind him, then resumed his walk.
The two reached a long, polished wooden bar, behind which bartenders worked frantically, mixing cocktails with flair and serving drinks with practiced ease. An impressive array of bottles, their labels reflecting the lights, line the shelves behind the bar, showcasing everything from top-shelf whiskey to the trendiest gin. “Don’t you go to a place like this?” Liam asked curiously.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
“Yes, but since getting married, I’ve tried not to spend too much time here. I didn’t want to upset my wife, you know.” Kyle answered as they sat on one of the stools lined up in the bar, roaming his eyes around, hoping not to see anyone he knew, especially women.
On one side of the bar, there’s a small dance floor, a magnet for those who can’t resist the beat. It’s a swirl of movement and color as people lose themselves in the music, dancing with wild abandon with their faces lit up with joy and excitement. Occasionally, a particularly bold dancer will break out a move that draws cheers and applause from the crowd.
“You don’t need to come with me.” Liam said, “Is your friend trying to make sure that I am going to leave Emerald’s house, so he asked you to follow me?”
“He didn’t ask me. I did this voluntarily,” Kyle replied, making Liam nod. “You don’t have to worry about Emerald because I guarantee that Jace will take care of her and do everything he can to shield her from any harm, even at the cost of his life.”
“How can you be so sure?” Liam asked, raising a brow. “He had hurt her before.”
“Exactly. And he regrets it so much, and that’s why he will not do that again. Another thing is that I saw how he was when Emerald left him. He never looks at any woman and never loses hope that she will come back.”
“I hope so,” Liam said, shaking his head before drinking from the glass that the bartender filled for him.
The two stayed in the bar as Kyle joined Liam in his sorrow. Although he pitied the man, he was also happy that his friend finally had his wife back. He began to think about how Jace would be now that Emerald accepted him.
The following day, in Emerald’s house.
“So, it’s confirmed that you are Mr. Landers’ daughter?” Jace asked. Emerald nodded, smiling. They were in the living room with Ace playing on the floor.
“I just don’t know how I got into the Morgan family, and I don’t think they know about it either. Only my nanny will be able to answer that.”
“Why?”
“They never told me anything. With everything they did to me, they have all the right to slap the truth on my face, especially Emerose, but she never did. My sister will never let go of a chance to humiliate me. After all the gatherings that happened in the mansion, she never told anyone about me being my nanny’s daughter or being adopted.”
“How do you feel about it?” Young Higginson asked, looking at Emerald, who had her eyes on their son.
“Overwhelmed. You know what my family did to me and knowing that there’s someone out there who was ready to love me unconditionally besides my nanny, who turns out to be my biological mother.” Emerald answered, looking at Jace, “I have never been this happy. You’re with me and our son, and I just discovered I have a real family. But knowing my biological mother is still missing, I can’t feel totally happy.”
“I understand. Don’t worry; we’re doing everything we can to find her. And I think I must stop Ronnie from searching for anything about Mr. Landers since he won’t harm you.”
“You go to that extent?”
“Of course! I’ll do anything for your and Ace’s safety.”
“Thank you, Jace. For not giving up on me,”
“No. Thank you, Emerald, for accepting me and giving me another chance to be with you and our son. You don’t know how much this means to me, so I will never let this chance go to waste either.”
Young Morgan smiled at Jace before they looked at their son, who was now watching them, smiling. The boy was also happy for them.
“Mom, Dad,” the boy called them as he got up from the floor and sat on Jace’s lap. “Can we go out?”
“Go out?” Jace asked, making the boy nod. “Where do you want to go?”
“Amusement park!!” Ace shouted, looking excited. “I want to experience what my friends in Italy had experienced when they went out as a family,” he added. Emerald’s heart sank after hearing about her son, and so did Jace, who blamed himself for depriving his son of the chance to grow up into a complete family.
“We will go wherever you want to go. You, me, and your mommy.” The boy’s eyes shone like the stars before he hugged his parents. Emerald couldn’t hold on to her tears and let it cut down her cheeks. Seeing her like that, Jace pulled her closer and embraced her and their son.
“I’m sorry for being such a jerk husband and father,” he muttered. And without him knowing, tears began falling on his face as well. Ace and Emerald hug him tightly, making him feel forgiven.
Young Morgan wanted him to know that she was ready to start anew with him and their son and forget about the past that had broken them apart. She wanted to look forward to a future where they were very happy and had nothing to worry about.
“Ace,” Jace said, which made the boy look at him. “I want to tell you that from here onwards, we will never be apart. I am going to be by your side along with your mommy.”
“And my future siblings?” Ace asked, innocently making Emerald and Jace smile.
“Yes, along with your future siblings,” Jace confirmed, laughing. It’s not that he made fun of his son’s request; he was just very happy that he wanted to have a big family like him. Emerald looked at young Higginson lovingly and watched him kiss their son.
When she returned to the country, she never thought that she would be able to experience happiness such as this. It was beyond her wildest imagination that Jace was waiting for her and had never filed the divorce she had signed. Thinking about it, Emerald strongly believes that her husband truly loves her as he claims.
The family stayed at home the whole day and didn’t bother to go to work or attend any important meetings of their companies. They spend time together, trying to catch up to those years that they thought they wasted. Little Ace is the happiest of everyone because the family he has always dreamed of and prayed for is finally in his grasp. Looking at his parents, he closed his eyes and thanked God for hearing his prayer, making him feel like the happiest boy in the world. Now, he started praying that no one would take them away from him, as he already liked the feeling of having both his parents by his side.
They were having a funny conversation when Ace’s nanny, Keng, approached them, “Ma’am M,” she said, making them look at her.
Keng had been with Ace’s nanny from the very beginning. She saw how the boy grew up to be a kind-hearted kid, and she was proud that she was a part of it. She doesn’t have a family and considers the boy and Emerald like her own. Young Morgan knows this, so she couldn’t get mad at her entirely after what happened in the park.
“What is it, Keng?” Emerald asked.
“I’m sorry because I got really scared. Someone texted me that day telling me to take the boy out of the playground if I want him to be safe.”
“What!” Both Emerald and Jace exclaimed.
“That’s why I rushed him out, and I thought that Sir Liam would be able to take care of you, so I just tried to protect little Ace.”
“Where’s the text?” Jace asked. So, Keng pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and handed it to young Higginson.
“Didn’t it ever occur to you that it was my son they were after? That’s why the text told you to get him out of there?”
“I realized that when I felt like someone was looking at us, I ran even faster and hid.”
“That’s dangerous!” Emerald exclaimed.
“Mommy, please don’t get mad at nanny,” Ace said, crying. Young Morgan sighed after seeing how vulnerable her son was. She knew how much he loved Keng, and so did she. That’s why she was angry; Keng put her life in danger as well.
“It’s okay, dear wife. We will find whoever texted her.” Jace said to calm Emerald as he started to think of ways to protect his family. He’s never going to let anyone harm any of them.