Chapter 158 How could she not see him as he was so dazzling

After a busy day, Regina was so exhausted when she got home that she didn't want to move.

Douglas, characterized by his thoughtfulness, escorted her to the restroom and provided her with a bath, attending to her needs in every capacity.

After a leisurely weekend, Regina threw herself back into her busy work.

In the morning, she went to the manager's office.

"Ms. Liam, this is the translation for the person in charge of the 'Aurora' project."

The Aurora project was a high-tech intelligent project in collaboration with a foreign company.

Janet looked at the thick stack of papers and frowned. "So much?"

Regina said, "I looked at the information. The project leader, Raymond, has dual citizenship. He has lived in Kensington and Frannice over the years, so I made two language versions of the translation for him to choose from."

"I see," Janet said with a satisfied smile.

In fact, she had only asked Regina to do one language version, but Regina had meticulously and efficiently completed two versions in the same amount of time.

As Janet was looking at the translation, she suddenly remembered something and looked up. "You have no problem with my tomorrow's business trip, right?"

"No problem."

This week, Regina had to go on a business trip, but not with Douglas. Another project had foreign clients coming for an inspection, and they needed an accompanying translator.

The project site was in Silverhaven, a few hundred kilometers from Oriant City, and the trip would take two or three days.

The main issue was that the weather was hot, with temperatures reaching thirty-eight or thirty-nine degrees, and visiting the site would indeed be tiring and exhausting.

But Regina confidently took on the task.

Janet admired Regina more and more. Regina's abilities at work far exceeded the requirements of her current position.

Janet felt that having Regina work under her was a waste of talent.

"According to the company's promotion and salary increase policy, you'll soon meet the requirements," Janet said with a smile.

Regina just smiled.

After all, the promotion and salary raise were acknowledgments of her professional contributions, and they were certainly something to look forward to!

Douglas seemed unhappy the night he found out Regina was going on a business trip.

Regina sat on his lap, hooked her arms around his neck, and kissed him lightly on the lips, as if to comfort him. "It's just two or three days, not two or three months."

"Mrs. Semona, aren't you afraid I'll go crazy missing you?"

"What should I do then?" Regina said seriously. "I can't take you on the business trip with me, can I?"

Douglas knew how important work was to her. He never stopped her from doing what she wanted and respected her in every way. Before she could comfort him, he quickly reassured himself. "It's okay. I can endure it."

He said he could endure it, but in fact, it was quite difficult.

The first night she was away, he had trouble sleeping.

Regina spent almost the entire day with the foreign clients at the site and then accompanied them to dinner in the evening. By the time she returned to the hotel, it was already past nine o'clock.

The first thing Regina did when she got to the hotel was to video call Douglas.

"Good job, Mrs. Semona."

Regina thought it was just her duty. "It's what I should do, Boss."

Each instance she referred to him as "Boss" elicited a mix of amusement and futility in Douglas.

Regina held her phone as she walked to the bathroom, filling the bathtub while talking to him.

Even though it had only been a day, she felt like she had endless things to say on the phone.

As the bathtub filled with water, Regina was about to hang up when she heard him say in a low voice. "Mrs. Semona, please don't hang up."

Regina paused, thinking for a moment before understanding what he meant.

She struggled for a long time but eventually placed the phone across from the bathtub.

From that angle, her body was fully visible.

After undressing, she slowly sank into the water.

The warm water soothed her tense body, making her feel comfortable.

However, on the other end of the call, Douglas was not having such a good time.

His desire was overwhelming.

Regina didn't notice anything unusual on the other end. She soaked in the bathtub, playing with the bubbles, her attention fully on their conversation. She even talked about some interesting things at work while bathing, and speaking enthusiastically.

"That day, I met the Aurora project's leader and their research team. Some of the core members are graduates of Normon University's artificial intelligence program. You really see Normon University talent everywhere."

Regina had thought that apart from translating for the project leader Raymond, she wouldn't have much to talk about with them. But because they all graduated from Normon University, they quickly found common ground in their private conversations.

"They all said they had seen you at Normon University!"

Douglas had once given a lecture at Normon University.

The school often invited famous people from home and abroad to give lectures. Upon the arrival of Douglas, the venue, capable of accommodating tens of thousands, filled up prematurely.

Regina wondered what she was doing that day.

He was so dazzling; how could she not see him?

Thinking about those forgotten memories now made Regina feel regretful and sad.

"They said it wasn't easy to hear your lecture. Normon University had contacted you many times before, but you always refused."

Douglas didn't care much. "If you were going to attend my lecture, I wouldn't mind giving one at your school every month."

At that time, he thought Regina would come, but she didn't because of Philip.

However, he didn't want to think about the past.

He only knew that he had found his happiness now.

The call lasted for dozens of minutes.

When Regina got out of the bathtub, she heard Douglas deliberately suppress a gasp.

Regina froze.

"Are you okay?"

"Miss you, Mrs. Semona," he said with a low laugh, his voice hoarse to the extreme. "It's late. Get some rest. Good night."

"Oh... Good night."

Regina had no idea that just by looking at her face and hearing her voice through the video, Douglas had experienced such joy.

After hanging up, Douglas got up and walked to the bathroom, slowly cleaning himself.

The two-day business trip felt particularly long for both of them.

Two days later, in the evening, Regina flew back to Oriant City from Silverhaven.

She was eager to get back to see Douglas, but an unexpected incident on the way caused her mood to plummet.

After landing in Oriant City, she received a call from a hospital.

The caller asked formally, "Hello, is this Regina Valrose?"

"Yes."

"Do you have time to come to Hopeview Medical Center? Your mother, Melissa Valrose, needs surgery, and someone needs to sign the consent form."

Regina closed her eyes, taking a few seconds to process the situation and her emotions. "You must have the wrong number. Shouldn't you be looking for Sandra Valrose?"

The caller sounded helpless. "Time is of the essence. We've tried calling that lady several times but couldn't reach her. The last time we did, she said she was dealing with something and couldn't make it to the hospital on time, so she gave us your number."

Regina didn't respond immediately.

"Because the surgery carries certain risks, we need a family member's signature and someone to stay with her. Can you come?"

"Let me think about it."

After hanging up, Regina stood among the bustling crowd, feeling like a withered branch on the edge of a cliff.

After a long time, she picked up the phone and called Jason.

To her surprise, Douglas answered.

"Are you with Jason?"

Regina was puzzled. Jason was supposed to pick her up at the airport.

"I couldn't wait to see you."

At Gate 3, Regina saw the tall and handsome Douglas waiting for her from a distance.

Dragging her suitcase, she ran towards him, throwing herself into his arms with joy.

Douglas steadied her and her luggage with a firm grasp, his eyes brimming with an overwhelming affection that he was unable to conceal.

He took her luggage, and they walked to the parking area together.

Jason was waiting there. When he saw them, he quickly walked over, took Regina's luggage from Douglas, and put it in the back seat. Then he opened the driver's door and prepared to start the car.

But as soon as he sat down, he sensed something unusual in the back seat.

Having been apart for just two days, Douglas and Regina were acting like they hadn't seen each other in ages.

Douglas' kisses came down like a storm.

Regina, seemingly forgetting there was a third person in the car, responded passionately.

Jason silently raised the partition in the car, driving quickly and steadily to take them back to the villa.

After a long and intense kiss, Regina's chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath.

That night, they had another intense and satisfying session of lovemaking.

But afterward, Regina lay in bed wrapped in a blanket, staring blankly at the ceiling fan, unable to sleep.

Douglas rarely saw her like this. Usually, she would cuddle up to him and sleep soundly until morning, not lying there with her eyes open, looking troubled.

"What are you thinking about?"

It wasn't until she heard his low, warm voice that Regina snapped back to reality.

Her face was somber. "I got a call from the hospital today. My mother needs surgery, but they can't find Sandra. They need a family member to sign the consent form."

Douglas reached out and touched her head, not asking for details, and simply said, "I'll sign it."

Regina looked up in disbelief.

"Leave all your struggles and hesitant decisions to me," he said calmly. "I won't make any decisions that you'll regret."

Regina took a deep breath, burying her head in his chest, her eyelashes trembling as if trying to hold back some emotion.

After a long while, she finally said, "Thank you, honey."

That one word, honey, melted Douglas' heart.

So, what was a mere signature?

Even if one day he had to put his life in her hands, he would consider it the most natural thing in the world.

Melissa's surgery was scheduled for the next morning.

That day, Douglas made time to go to the hospital.

The doctor, seeing Douglas for the first time, was a bit surprised and asked, "May I ask, you are the patient's...?"

"Son-in-law."

Melissa, lying weakly in bed, looked at Douglas standing beside her, her emotions complex but her fear and anxiety evident.

Douglas chuckled lightly. "What are you afraid of? I'm signing a life-saving surgery consent form, not a death certificate."

Douglas had a refined and elegant appearance, but his words could be ruthlessly sarcastic, like a scalpel dissecting a body.

Melissa took a deep breath, her eyes frequently glancing at the door, but she didn't see the person she wanted to see.

She struggled to speak, finally asking, "Where's Regina? Does she...not want to come?"

As expected, Douglas sneered. "I thought you couldn't care less about her."

Melissa accepted his sarcasm, feeling that every word hit home.

"Yes, I care，" she said with a self-deprecating smile. "I think if I could see her again, hear her call me Mom and say 'I forgive you,' I could die without regrets."

"Die without regrets? You say it so easily. You put a shackle on her for over twenty years, and with one light-hearted 'die without regrets,' you're relieved, but you leave all the pain to her. Who do you think you are?"

Melissa was speechless, choked by Douglas' words.

She thought for a long time, but all she could say was, "It's my fault. I owe her. If...if I had another chance, I would never abandon her again."

During her days in the hospital bed, she thought most about "if."

If she hadn't abandoned Regina that summer...

If she had given more love to Regina as she grew up...

If she had been a good mother...

Tears streamed down Melissa's face, quickly soaking the pillow.

Douglas, tired of talking, signed the consent form the doctor handed him.

"If anything happens here, call me," he said, leaving a number. "Don't bother my wife again."

The doctor hesitated for a moment, but Douglas' natural authority made him quickly nod. "Okay, understood."

After signing, Douglas left the hospital.

Melissa closed her eyes in despair.

The day after the surgery, Sandra finally arrived.