Chapter 411 Did Her Suffering Count for Nothing?
Cheers blew up all around.
The firelight lit up every face, all grinning ear to ear, except for Chloe, who had tears streaming down.
Her legs felt like jelly.
She just stood there, watching the man she loved, holding a kid and chatting it up with another woman.
She thought, if she hadn't shown up, would Andrew have kept seeing Celeste, and with this kid she didn't know? They'd look like a perfect little family!
Gavin hugged her leg.
Chloe took a deep breath.
She wasn't some twenty-something anymore, and she wasn't just Andrew's fiancée; she was Gavin's mom too.
Looking at the stunned Andrew again, her eyes were a mess of emotions.
She left with Gavin in her arms, not looking back.
Andrew snapped out of it. He knew Chloe had gotten the wrong idea and immediately put down the little girl, jumping off the stage to chase after Chloe.
Celeste called out, "Andrew!"
Andrew didn't even turn around.
He bolted in Chloe's direction, but the crowd was thick and slowly pulled them apart.
"Chloe!"
Chloe heard Andrew calling her, but she picked up the pace.
Nathan ran over. Seeing Andrew's state, he knew something was up and said, panting, "I don't know why Chloe suddenly showed up!"
Andrew was stuck in the crowd. People kept congratulating him. But Andrew felt drained.
He tried to push them away, but the crowd was like a wall.
"Enough!" Andrew said, his voice deep.
The people around quieted down, looking at Andrew, puzzled.
The rocket launch was a hit, and Andrew should be stoked. Why did he look so bummed?
Andrew put his hands on his hips and said to Nathan, "Tell the guards at the gate to stop her!"
At that moment, Celeste came over holding the little girl.
Nathan glanced at her, his eyes complicated, then lowered his head to make a call. But after a few words, he looked up at Andrew and said, "Chloe drove herself and has already left!"
Andrew's look was ice-cold.
He immediately ran towards the gate, and many people saw the usually cool Andrew having a rough day.
Nathan should have followed. But he didn't.
He chose to stay, looking at Celeste and the little girl with a complex expression.
The kid was Celeste and Luke's.
No one could have imagined that Celeste would pull this.
She was supposed to be transferred to Lumina Bay City.
But the day before the transfer, Celeste brought a kid over, saying she wanted to see Andrew.
Seeing the kid, Andrew was floored.
He was sure that he didn't had any sexual relations with Celeste afterward.
Celeste told him the kid was Luke's.
"Andrew, if it weren't for you dating Chloe back then and turning down the mission, Luke and his wife wouldn't have died! You indirectly caused their deaths! No matter how this kid came to be, she is indeed Luke and my child."
At that moment, Andrew wanted to strangle her.
How could this woman be like this?
A living being was just a pawn for her.
Nathan was also fuming.
He looked at Celeste and said softly, "Even if Mr. Devereux shows leniency because of this kid and keeps you in Copenhegan, it doesn't mean anything! His heart isn't in you; no matter what you do, it won't work."
Celeste's face was sour.
Andrew caught up with Chloe at the airport.
Late at night, she sat in the quiet waiting hall with her son. Gavin was probably exhausted, leaning on his mom's leg and sleeping, clearly having cried.
Andrew felt like he had a rock in his chest.
He slowly walked over and softly called out, "Chloe."
Chloe's body tensed up a bit. Hearing footsteps behind her, she knew it was him.
But she didn't want to see him at all. She knew he came to smooth things over, to explain, but what was there to explain?
She stayed silent.
But she didn't blow up either.
This quiet Chloe made Andrew even more uneasy.
He sat beside her, gently touched his son's head, and said in a soft, slightly hoarse voice, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
Chloe didn't answer.
A heavy silence hung between them.
Andrew looked at her and slowly said, "That kid isn't mine!"
Hearing this, Chloe felt a pang of sadness.
Was their relationship so fragile that he needed to explain this? Shouldn't he explain why he was with Celeste? That woman had hurt her so much back then.
It was one thing to keep Celeste around for work after she broke up with Andrew.
But now, the one who should have left was still here.
She was far away in Syeattel, and he was with Celeste, looking like a couple.
If it were the old Chloe, she would have walked away without a second thought.
But now she had Gavin, and they were engaged, which made her hesitate.
Andrew knew her well enough to understand what she was mad about. After some thought, he decided to spill everything. "The kid is Luke's! You remember Luke, right? Chloe, that kid is already in elementary school, and her home is in Copenhegan."
He couldn't let Luke's kid be uprooted just because of his feelings for Chloe.
He laid it all out, but Chloe was stunned.
Luke's daughter?
Thinking about how Luke died, Chloe lowered her eyes and gave a faint smile. "Are you trying to atone for your sins? It's sad that your colleague died, but what about me?"
Did the youth she gave and the suffering she endured count for nothing?
If he loved her, even if he didn't kick Celeste out, he should draw clear boundaries with her.
A lot of things could be done by others.
But he didn't; he was holding Luke and Celeste's kid while his own son just watched them.
Love was selfish, and Chloe didn't feel that great.
Under the bright white light, she lifted her slightly tired eyelids and said softly, "If you want to compensate or atone, I won't stop you; but remember, Andrew, I have no obligation."
A woman's youthful years was limited.
Chloe had seen what happened between Frederick and Charlotte. She had suffered herself as well.
She felt she should learn a lesson.
If it were in the past, she wouldn't have dared to look at him after saying something like that.
But now it didn't matter; she looked at him and finally said, "Let's postpone our wedding! Wait until you've dealt with everything!"
Afraid he wouldn't get it, she added, "Three people in a marriage are already too many, let alone four!"
She had no ill feelings towards the little girl, but since she was Celeste's kid, she couldn't like her.
Andrew's expression was serious.
He said, "I never intended for there to be four people! That kid just wanted to see the launch; I won't see her again!"
Chloe smiled faintly, not arguing with him.
She didn't trust Celeste's character.
Andrew's Adam's apple bobbed slightly; he could also feel Chloe's resolve.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Just then, Gavin woke up.
He rubbed his eyes and saw Andrew. Gavin had always been a bit scared of him and immediately sat up.
In his panic, he called out to Andrew.
Andrew patted his head. "Come on, kiddo, call me Dad!"
Gavin instinctively wanted to climb into his arms but then seemed to remember something, his little face tensed up, and he didn't move, his big eyes looking at him with a hint of tears.
He hesitated. Because today, Andrew was holding another kid.
Andrew felt a pang in his heart. "That was other's kid."
Gavin's mind was simple. He immediately threw himself into his dad's arms, saying nothing, just silently hugging him.
Andrew comforted him for a while.
He softly said to Chloe, "Stay at the Devereux Mansion for the night! I'll take you back to Syeattel in the morning."
Chloe refused.
She calmly said, "I'll go back myself!"
Andrew lowered his voice. "Let's resolve our issues privately, without making a scene, okay? I called Adeline when I came, and she was especially happy to know you were coming."
Mentioning Adeline made Chloe feel particularly aggrieved.
She choked up a bit. After a long time, she finally said, "You don't need to take me tomorrow!"
Just from this, Andrew knew she wasn't appeased.
He didn't say much more, picked up the luggage, and took her and Gavin to the car.
When they arrived at the Devereux Mansion, Adeline was indeed waiting.
Seeing their faces, Adeline could tell something was wrong, but she didn't say anything.
Andrew put down the luggage and took out a cigarette.
As he lit it, he looked at Chloe. "Mom, could you help take care of them? I need to go back to the base."
Things over there couldn't do without him.
Adeline had already heard about the situation from Nathan, but she was very composed and said nothing, letting him go about his business.
Adeline hinted, "Focus on the family after things are settled."
Andrew's gaze was deep.
He responded and stepped into the night.
Chloe was in a bad mood, but she still forced herself to feed Gavin.
Adeline initially wanted to take Gavin to her own quarters to rest, but Chloe said, "He's in a bad mood tonight; I'll take care of him and put him to sleep."
Adeline thought about it and agreed.
She noticed that Chloe slept in the guest room.
Seeing them upset, as a mother, Adeline couldn't sleep. She waited until two in the morning for Andrew to return.
Nathan came along too.
After turning off the car, they came in.
A servant brought food, and Nathan left after eating a bowl.
Adeline sat nearby, watching her son smoke, her brows furrowed deeply.
Adeline was angry. She said, "You've grown to this age and still can't tell what's important! You've sacrificed so much for this position. Yes, Luke sacrificed himself, but who caused it? If it weren't for Celeste, would the couple have died? She even had the nerve to bring Luke's kid here to gain favor? And what about Chloe, who has suffered all these years? Doesn't she deserve to stand by your side? Which woman could tolerate that scene? If you don't make it up to your wife today, don't bother coming back; you'll just annoy me!"
Adeline said a lot.
Andrew held the cigarette, slowly exhaling smoke rings.
He smiled. "I didn't mean it that way!"
Adeline said sternly, "Even ordinary girls have some pride, let alone Chloe, who comes from such a wealthy and well-educated family. She's been considerate enough! Which beautiful girl would be willing to wait for you all these years?"
Andrew didn't say a word.
He quietly finished his cigarette, got up, and walked to his own quarters.
Opening the master bedroom door, he found she wasn't there. He saw her in the next room.
The moonlight was soft.
She lay on her side, with Gavin nestled in her arms, sleeping soundly.
Andrew didn't turn on the light.
He walked over and sat by the bed, touching her face, which was wet and cold.
He felt both heartache and pain, softly saying, "Please don't cry, okay?"
Chloe indeed hadn't fallen asleep.
She gently patted her son, not looking up. "You've had a long day; go to sleep! We'll talk about our issues another day."
But Andrew didn't want to.
Seeing her so sad and angry, how could he leave her alone?
He gently moved their son to the side, covered him with a blanket, and then, despite her reluctance, carried her to his own bedroom.
With the door closed and good soundproofing, Chloe finally exploded.
"Andrew! What do you want? Do you want to sleep with me?"
She was placed on the soft bed.
Andrew quietly watched her, his gaze inscrutable, while her chest heaved with emotion.
After a while, he turned on the air conditioner.
During the ten minutes it took to warm up, neither of them spoke, remaining silent.
This might be their first real argument in years.
In the past, it was always him suppressing her unilaterally.
Andrew stood by the heater, seemingly contemplating for a long time before saying, "Celeste staying in Copenhegan was my arrangement! But Chloe, I'm leaving the unit; I've already prepared my resignation letter."
Chloe knew that if they didn't talk tonight, he wouldn't let her go.
She clutched the blanket and said blankly, "In the future, will you meet her? Can you ignore that child? If you say you will leave them alone, I'll forgive you immediately, and our wedding will proceed as planned!"
But Andrew was troubled.
He felt guilty towards Luke, and the child was innocent.
He looked at Chloe. "Unless necessary, I won't meet them!"
Chloe looked up at him.
Even in his exhaustion, he was still dashing, a man many women wanted to steal.
He had said he only wanted her. She had believed him!
All she wanted was an equal relationship.
She had waited all these years, unable to get even a promise she wanted.
Tears began to fill her eyes.
She stared into his eyes and said word by word, "Andrew, the woman who gave birth to that child was your lover, a woman you had a relationship with, and you're taking care of her child! Are you kidding me? Am I unable to get married or find someone else, that I have to degrade myself like this?"
That woman had almost killed her back then!
All these years, she had never stopped loving him.
But at this moment, with a heart too full of sorrow to bear, she wanted to retreat.
She doubted his love for her was as strong as he thought; otherwise, how could he bear to treat her like this? He knew full well what she cared about.
Andrew stepped forward, gently holding her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
Chloe, with red eyes, pushed him away.
"Don't touch me!" she said in a hoarse voice.
Andrew's Adam's apple moved, and he forcefully gripped her shoulder, lowering his head to kiss her.
Chloe turned her face away.
Her tone was cold. "Andrew, in your heart, I'm just a woman who sleeps with you and is otherwise dispensable, right? You coax me when you're happy and push me away when you don't need me!"
Andrew's face looked terrible.
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