Chapter 499

Norah pushed Kevin away, her voice trembling but firm. “Do what you have to do. Just make sure my child doesn’t die. That’s all I care about.”

Kevin’s heart sank. “You don’t want me anymore?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn’t bear to hear her answer. His dark eyes locked onto hers, filled with a mix of desperation and sorrow. The redness under his eyes deepened, and a mist of unshed tears blurred his vision.

He had known this moment would come. After disappearing for five years and suddenly reappearing in her life, he expected her anger, her blame. But he had no choice. He couldn’t face her as a broken man, a shadow of who he once was.

Norah’s throat tightened as she looked at him. The scar on his forehead was stark, a reminder of the pain he’d endured. She noticed the streaks of gray in his hair, and her heart ached unbearably. Reaching out, she gently touched his face. “You have your responsibilities, your position. You never had a choice. I can’t stop you, and I can’t help you. All I want now is my child.”

Her words cut deeper than any knife. She wasn’t yelling or blaming him. She was resigned, and that hurt more than anything. All she wanted was to return to Cooper, to make up for the five years she’d missed as his mother.

Kevin’s chest tightened, a sharp pain radiating through him. He would’ve preferred her anger, her screams, even her hatred. But her understanding? It was unbearable. He opened his mouth to speak, but a metallic taste filled his throat. He swallowed hard, forcing it down.