Chapter 19
After Lionel managed to remove all the online statements that smear Samantha, the matter with Lydia temporarily came to an end.
He prepared two concert tickets, planning on taking Samantha out to relax.
It was a summer night, and the open-air concert venue was a dazzling ocean where neon lights and starlight seemed to merge together.
Samantha looked up to the stage where her favorite band was performing. The lead singer’s husky voice
felt like it reached straight into her heart.
She hummed softly along with the melody. Her fingertips unconsciously tapped with the rhythm, and her
face hadn’t looked this relaxed in a long time.
Lionel stood beside her, his gaze never leaving her.
When fireworks blossomed across the night sky, he suddenly took her hand. His tone was gentle but
resolute as he said, “Samantha, I don’t want just to be your friend.”
Samantha froze and turned to meet his gaze.
Lionel’s eyes, which always seemed to carry a hint of mirth, were now looking at her seriously. “Give me a
chance to take care of you, will you?”
Memories surged forth like a relentless tide.
The loneliness at her deathbed in her previous life, the heartbreak at the airport in this life, and the days
she went through filled with betrayal…
She instinctively wanted to pull her hand back but stopped when she saw how tightly his knuckles had
whitened from the tension.
The night breeze brushed against her hair. As she looked into Lionel’s eyes, she thought to herself that it
was time to live life differently.
Samantha nodded slightly. “I’m willing to give it a try.”
Lionel’s eyes instantly lit up, looking like they managed to capture the light from all the fireworks.
He carefully pulled her into an embrace and whispered in her ear, “I’ll show you what it feels like to be
loved.
Three months later, Sanel Design Studio officially opened its doors.
In front of the bright full-length windows, Samantha brushed her fingers over the brand-new copper nameplate, feeling as if she was finally living a new life.
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In her previous life, she had been trapped in the Wright family for 50 years. In this one, she finally stood on
her own stage.
“I’ve made contact with Meilon,” Lionel said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and gently brushing his chin over the top of her head. “But the final decision is yours. You can pursue whatever style
you want.”
Samantha turned to look into his eyes. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll ruin it?”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Lionel kissed her fingertips with a smile. “Worst case, I’ll just sell paintings
to support you.”
Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, and Samantha realized that, at some point, she had started
smiling sincerely again.
At that moment, there was a loud crash in the CEO’s office of Wright Corporation.
“What did you say?” Harry gripped the newly delivered photo tightly.
In the photo, Samantha was smiling at Lionel, who had his arm around her waist. The photo was taken at
the opening reception of their studio.
Jack braced himself and reported, “Ms. Knott opened her new studio today, and Professor Gray gave all
his overseas resources…”
A glass slammed hard against the window and shattered into pieces.
Harry was breathing heavily, feeling that familiar suffocating feeling in his chest again. This time, he had personally pushed Samantha into another man’s arms.
“Daddy?” Joseph stood in the doorway, clutching his sketchbook, clearly startled by the mess.
Harry forced down his rage and reached out to hold Joseph, only for the latter to step back in fear.
Joseph tilted his head. “Daddy, why aren’t you happy? Mr. Gray said Mommy looks really beautiful when
she smiles, so he makes her smile every day.”
“Does Mr. Gray…” Harry’s throat tightened as he continued, “treat Mommy well?”
“He treats her really well!” Joseph counted on his fingers. “He peels shrimp for Mommy, remembers she doesn’t eat olives, and sings her favorite songs!”
Joseph suddenly paused. “Daddy, what’s wrong?”
Harry touched his cheek and felt a cold dampness, so he hastily turned his head away.
Those small, trivial details seemed to cut into him, clicking him apart piece by piece.
They had been married for five years, but Harry had never known that Samantha hated olives or even
Chapter 19
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Late that night, in Joseph’s room, Harry sat by Joseph’s bed and listened to Joseph excitedly describing Samantha’s new life. “Last time, Mr. Gray took us on a picnic, and Mommy’s cookies smelled so good!”
Hugging his teddy bear, Joseph rolled over. “Daddy, why didn’t you ever go on picnics with us before?”
Harry had no answer to that question.
He remembered how Samantha had once carefully suggested a family trip, only for him to refuse her with the excuse of being too busy with work.
Later on, he found out that she had spent three months preparing the itinerary in advance and had even packed emergency medicine for Joseph’s allergies.
“Sleep now.” Harry gently patted Joseph’s back and hummed an unfamiliar lullaby. Outside, the moonlight was cold and white, reflecting the frostiness in Harry’s heart.
