Ch. 451: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life Chapter 451

Chapter 451

Journi's eyes held a trace of anticipation.

A smirk played at the corner of Baimo's lips. "Are you going to fight or not?"

"Yes." Journi clenched her fists.

"Then talk to her yourself." Baimo had no interest in helping. He hadn't liked this sister from the moment he met her—her demeanor, her temperament, everything about her put him off.

His gaze landed on the string of emerald-green beads on Norah's wrist. A flicker of hope had sparked in him earlier, making him wonder if the appraisal had been manipulated. But the clown had been present throughout the process—no one would have dared to tamper with it.

Besides, no one even knew it was Baimo who had insisted on the appraisal.

He tossed out his words and turned away without hesitation.

Journi watched Baimo walk away, her expression unreadable. She had always been careful around him, always deferential. Even when Pharaoh arranged for them to eat together, Baimo's attitude toward her remained unchanged.

Wasn’t he her father?

Journi couldn’t understand.

But she couldn’t chase after Baimo now. She had to find her own way forward.

...

Norah stayed close to Kevin, worry filling her eyes.

"How do you feel? Are you in pain?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Do you need water? Are you hungry?"

She bombarded him with questions, desperate for answers.

Kevin said nothing. In that moment, all he wanted was to touch Norah’s face.

And so he did.

His hand trembled as he reached out, gently brushing her cheek. "Norah, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Because I found out you were poisoned?" Norah’s voice cracked, thick with emotion.

Kevin winced at the pain in her voice. He couldn’t deny it—everything she said was true.

He had tried to keep it from her, tried to handle everything on his own. If he had succeeded, he would have left without her ever knowing.

His silence was all the confirmation Norah needed.

"Forget the past. We need to focus on getting out of here." She had found Karina, only to realize Karina didn’t remember her. And she hadn’t even gotten the chance to see Steven before Kevin collapsed. Right now, Kevin was her priority.

She had already lost too much.

Her child.

The thought alone was unbearable. Just thinking about it made it impossible to breathe.

"I know." Kevin’s voice was firm. "When you get out, go back to the Imperial Capital. Norah, take care of things there. Live your life. Don’t wait for me."

He grasped her hand, his grip tightening as his voice grew hoarse.

"What are you saying?" Norah's eyes filled with tears. They burned, making her vision blur.

Don’t wait for him?

That meant moving on. Marrying someone else.

How could he expect that? She had been by his side for years. They had a child together. They had lived through life and death. How could she possibly move on?

A bitter smile twisted Norah’s lips. "Kevin, do you think I’m that kind of person? That I can just replace you so easily?"

Kevin didn’t respond.

He had planned for everything. He wanted to leave her with no reason to hold on to him. If he survived, he would return to her. If he didn’t, at least she wouldn’t be a widow tied to his memory.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the pain in his heart. He brushed his fingers over her face, his touch agonizingly tender.

"Norah, I know you’re not that kind of person. But life is unpredictable. You have a long future ahead of you. Kian will be there to help you."

With Kian by her side, she wouldn’t struggle in her career. And he had arranged for Karina to be there for her, too.

If she hadn’t come to the Yi tribe, she would have been living the best possible life in the Imperial Capital. But that life would have been empty—without him, without their child.

She would never have understood everything she did now.

And she would have carried guilt for Steven forever.

"Norah, I love you. If I could change anything, I wish I had never met you." Kevin pressed a kiss to her forehead.

His words were warm, but the meaning behind them was cruel. He wished they had never met—so she wouldn’t be in danger because of him.

But Norah didn’t believe in coincidences. People didn’t just appear in each other’s lives without a reason.

She clutched his hand, her voice raw. "Kevin, it’s too late for that. You’re my Anthony. I’ve admired you from the very beginning. When I saved your grandfather, he told me he wanted me to marry you. And the moment I saw you, I didn’t hesitate."

Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was Kevin’s confession that had finally moved her to say it out loud.

Either way, at that moment, Norah bared her heart.

She had never told Kevin this before. And he had rarely voiced his feelings, either. They had both misunderstood, both assumed the other didn’t care enough.

They had been fools.

Kevin wiped away her tears, swallowing back the words that rose to his lips.

Some truths would only bring her more pain. And he wanted to protect her from that.

He had only one wish left—to see Norah live a happy life.

"I know. The child... was mine..."

At the mention of their child, Norah broke down completely. She collapsed into Kevin’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Pregnancy had been terrifying for her.

And when Kevin found out about the baby, he had wanted to get rid of it. In the end, he had relented, but the uncertainty had tormented her.

Kevin gently wiped away her tears. "Norah, I was an idiot. That night... the woman was you. I didn’t realize it until much later."

He had investigated. He had asked Norah to investigate. Looking back, it was all so ridiculous.

Norah’s voice was raw. "Kevin, that’s in the past. Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here. We have to get Karina and Steven back. And I’m not leaving without you."

Kevin had been poisoned because of her. Now that she knew everything he had done was for her, there was no way she was abandoning him.

She had seen too much death. She understood now—what mattered most was the people by her side.

She couldn't lose Kevin again.

Tears streamed down Norah’s face as she spoke.

Before Kevin could respond, the sound of slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the air.

Norah and Kevin turned sharply.

Baimo strode toward them, a deep, knowing smile playing at the corner of his mouth.