Chapter 159 Silently Guarding
"Joyce felt a sudden warmth on her back. Sebastian's wet lips kissed her skin, one spot at a time.
Each kiss felt like a spark. She closed her eyes and pushed him away. ""It's broad daylight, don't get all frisky.""
Seeing her teary eyes, Sebastian looked pained. ""You love kids so much, but because of my mistake, we lost ours. I just want to make things right.""
Joyce felt a lump in her throat and forced a smile. ""Sebastian, what if I..."" can never have children again?
Before she could finish, her phone rang. It was Julian's number, so she answered quickly. But it was Todd's voice. ""Aunt Joyce, I miss you so much.""
Joyce pushed her emotions down and smiled. ""I miss you too. Who are you with, Todd?""
""With my dad and mom. My dad is making us breakfast.""
Joyce smiled with relief. It seemed Julian had moved on and was committed to his family.
Just as she was about to speak, a woman's voice came through. ""Ms. Blackwood, this is Alissa. Can we meet?""
Half an hour later, Joyce met Alissa at a café near the hospital.
Seeing Alissa's face, Joyce was stunned. Alissa looked a lot like her, especially their profiles.
Alissa smiled faintly. ""Ms. Blackwood, you should know why Julian was with me. He saw me as your substitute.""
Joyce stayed calm. ""I didn't know any of this. If you're here to cause trouble, you've got the wrong person.""
Alissa sipped her coffee, smiling faintly. ""They say Ms. Blackwood has a sharp tongue. It's true. I'm not here to ruin your relationship with Julian.
Todd needs a father, but I never wanted it this way. I planned to use IVF to save Todd, just needing Julian's sperm, no emotional ties.
But Sebastian found me. He didn't want to see you hurt. He said you were loyal and kind-hearted. If you were with Julian and found out about Todd, you'd leave him.
He'd rather you hate him than fall for Julian and then discover the truth.
I initially refused, but he flew to Country F to see me. To show his sincerity, he waited outside my house all night in heavy snow.
When I saw him, he was completely frozen.
Rather than wanting to be with Julian, I wanted to fulfill your and Sebastian's wishes.
I've never seen a man go to such lengths for a woman. The high and mighty heir of the Winters Family, standing in the snow for a woman he loves, waiting for my answer.
Ms. Blackwood, he really loves you. You should cherish him.""
Hearing this, Joyce's eyes were red. She had thought Sebastian just wanted to break her and Julian up, using Todd to cause trouble.
She never knew he had waited in the snow all night to persuade Alissa.
Joyce felt a whirlwind of emotions—heartache for Sebastian, but mostly moved by his actions.
She smiled at Alissa, holding back her feelings. ""Thanks for telling me. I hope you and Julian can work things out soon.""
Alissa smiled back. ""Reconciliation takes more than courage; it needs silent support. Ms. Blackwood, haven't you ever found anything odd about Sebastian's case in Country F?""
Joyce frowned. ""What do you mean?""
""I mean, Sebastian loves you so much, how could he let another woman get close? Do you really think he was just drunk and unconscious?""
Alissa gave Joyce a knowing smile. ""That case caused Winters Group a lot of losses and almost ruined Sebastian's reputation, but it made your career take off. Ms. Blackwood, have you never questioned it?""
Alissa finished her coffee, nodded at Joyce, and left, leaving Joyce stunned in her chair.
In the car Alissa got into, an elderly woman looked at Joyce through the window and started to cry.
Alissa comforted her. ""Grandma, what's wrong? Are you okay?""
Beatrice Taylor shook her head. ""I'm fine. Seeing that girl pick out the strawberries from the cake reminded me of your aunt. She looks a bit like Connie.""
Alissa hugged Beatrice. ""Don't be sad. I'll take you to see my aunt sometime. But first, let's get you a nice dress for Mrs. Winters' birthday party.""
Beatrice suddenly asked, ""Will that girl be at the party?""
""She should be. She and Sebastian should have made up by now.""
""That's good, that's good,"" Beatrice murmured, feeling an inexplicable attachment to Joyce.
Joyce left the café and went to Sebastian's house instead of the hospital.
She walked into his study and opened his laptop. The password was a combination of their birthdays, and she got in easily.
Among the folders, she saw one with her name.
Inside were photos of her and Sebastian during their separation—her in court, having meals with clients, sitting alone in a daze. All the photos had the phone model noted below, and it was Sebastian's phone. He had taken them all by himself.
During their separation, she always felt like Sebastian was around. She thought it was just her mind playing tricks on her. But it turned out he had been watching her, documenting her important moments.
Tears welled up in Joyce's eyes and began to fall. Then she saw a video in another folder. When she opened it and saw the content, she froze in her chair."
