Chapter 247 The Final Act of Kindness
Darwin's hand clearly trembled.
"Never again," he promised, "I could transfer everything—Solomons, Solomon—all my possessions into your name!"
Fiona was taken aback. Those things were treasures in Darwin's eyes.
"Enough," Fiona lowered her eyelids, attempting to pry his grasp from her arm. "I really need to get going."
"Wait a second."
Before she could respond, Darwin's voice faded, and he leaned in to capture her lips in a kiss. In the quiet intimacy of the moment, they shared a lengthy kiss, after which Darwin wrapped his arms around her, a picture of contentment.
"Are you trying to strangle me?" Fiona swatted at his arm.
He kissed her cheek once more. "You've forgiven me, haven't you?"
After a brief silence, Fiona spoke up with gravity in her voice. "Darwin, I'm going to ask you this once, and if you dare lie to me, I will never forgive you for as long as I live."
"Ask away," Darwin said earnestly. "I swear I won't lie to you!"
He had always been truthful to her, except that one time when Lilian came back...
"Are you truly not back together with Lilian? You haven't slept with her?" Fiona asked seriously, "Think carefully before you answer."
"We haven't reconciled, haven't slept together, there has been no intimacy whatsoever," Darwin answered with unwavering certainty. "If I'm lying, may I be struck down!"
"What are you saying?" Fiona covered his mouth. "Don't talk nonsense in a sacred place!"
Darwin gently pulled her hand away and held it tight in his. "I want the gods to bear witness, Fiona. It's you I love, only you I want. No one else could ever take your place."
Fiona felt her ears grow warm at his words.
"Darwin, five years isn't too long, but it's not short either. I've changed a lot, and I'm completely different from who I was before. You should take some time to get to know me again, make sure that the person you can't let go of isn't just the Fiona from five years ago."
Of course, Darwin was absolutely certain. The person he loved was right in front of him. No amount of time passing could ever change that.
"I need to understand too, whether or not you can be a father to my child."
Now, she wasn't just contemplating if Darwin could be a suitable partner.
She had to consider whether he could be a father to Charles and Chicago.
"Of course!" Darwin answered decisively. "I'll go pick up the kids tomorrow!"
"What's the rush? You've already caught me; where would I go?" Fiona said with a hint of exasperation.
Yet Darwin just laughed.
Wrapping Fiona in his arms, he kissed her again.
"Enough already!"
Fiona, feeling a flurry of kisses, checked the time and pushed Darwin away.
"How could it ever be enough?" Darwin pleaded, his eyes filling with a hurt look. "Over five years, more than two thousand days and nights..."
The mere thought was like a knife twisting in his heart.
"You can't imagine the pain I felt, the slow fading of your presence from the apartment, day after day."
Fiona remained silent.
If time could reverse, she would still make the same choices. Back then, she and Darwin had reached a dead end.
She didn't want to be a bird caged by his whims.
Nor did she wish for a child to grow within such confinements.
"I forgot to water the house plants," Fiona deflected after a pause, "I'll do it tomorrow."
Darwin held her tight, almost as though he wished to crush her into his very being.
Hesitating a moment, Fiona raised her hand, tenderly stroking his head, "Darwin, you've got to ease up on the clinginess. I'm not fond of men who stick too much."
"I'm not clingy," Darwin retorted.
At his insistence, Fiona almost laughed.
They lingered in the embrace for a while.
Finally, he accompanied Fiona to the parking lot. Yet just as they reached the car, chaos erupted.
"Darwin!!" came Anniston's voice from nowhere in particular.
The suddenness caught them off guard.
Instinctively, Darwin shielded Fiona with his body, but Anniston still caught a glimpse of her face.
Shock rooted Anniston to the spot: "Where did you find her? So you were eyeing those jewels all along, weren't you! Or maybe, that old hag never left the jewelry to that dead woman, Fiona! You bribed the lawyer, didn't you?"
"Just get in the car," Darwin said, gripping Fiona's hand, motioning her to safety.
"Don't you dare leave!" Anniston raged, lunging for Fiona's hand.
With no hesitation, Darwin pushed her away: "Don't touch her!"
Stumbling, Anniston nearly fell to the ground.
"Monster!" she spat at Darwin, hurling insults. "You caused me to lose my child, you knew the truth since you were a teenager, yet you kept silent!" She raved. "You basked in the maternal love I gave you like a thief! And then you took my company, had me committed for the sake of another woman! You tortured me, abused me! And now, you're out to hoard all the jewels for yourself!"
Darwin didn’t want Fiona to hear such vitriol.
He ushered her toward the driver's side. To anyone, his face seemed calm, but unknowingly, his grip on Fiona’s hand tightened—a lifeline in his grasp.
Suddenly, Anniston picked up a stone from who-knows-where, hurling it at Darwin with a curse.
Fiona's quick senses pulled them aside, narrowly dodging the missile that would have gashed Darwin's head. His prior car accident wounds had not even fully healed; a direct hit would have been grievous.
"Anniston!" Fiona bellowed, stepping forward with fury. Anniston's gaze met hers.
Stepping back with a hint of fear, she chuckled oddly, "You look so much like her. Darwin must have spent a fortune on your plastic surgery, huh? Silly girl, it's not worth it. He's a monster!! He never has a heart. He treated Fiona poorly. Her family died and he was still gallivanting abroad with other women. Now that Fiona's gone, he's remade you in her image. Do you really think he loves you? No! Darwin loves no one but himself! He'd sacrifice anything for his own interests, discard anything!!"
"Really?" Fiona's laugh was icy. "Anniston, you were just railing on about maternal love. What maternal love do you have to speak of?"
Anniston was taken aback.
"I survived a near-death experience to give birth to him!"
"Was it his choice to be born? If anyone’s to blame, why aren't you going after Mrs. Solomon?" Fiona challenged. "And during his upbringing, who was guiding him? Mrs. Solomon was. What about you? No care, no companionship. What’s this motherly love you're talking about?"
"I..." Anniston was at a loss for words, her throat dry.
Before she could muster a response, Fiona continued, "And let's talk about the Solomons' shares. How many in your and your husband's possession are truly yours, and how many belong to Darwin’s biological father? Did he ever touch those shares you hold? You're trying to obliterate him, and all he did was reclaim what was rightfully his father’s. Isn't that the right thing to do?"
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