Filed To Story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
She was highly agile and very familiar with the manor layout, so she could sneak in easily.
At that time, Halston was sitting in a bamboo chair in the backyard and enjoying the chilly night breeze. He was wearing black casual clothes and seemed rather languished. He looked like he had just recovered from a serious illness, especially since his dashing aura was long gone.
Flossie decided to hide behind a large rock pillar, hesitating to approach the man.
Although she had planned to say her goodbyes, her legs were glued to the floor, and she didn’t dare to move a muscle. She didn’t know what to say, worried that breaking her promise could potentially affect Halston’s health.
She wasn’t superstitious, but she didn’t want to risk the man’s life to prove her beliefs.
“Halston, it’s getting cold, and it’s late. Aren’t you tired? Let’s get you back to your room, okay?” Francine draped a wool jacket over the man’s shoulders, her eyes filled with tears.
She was absolutely heartbroken over the fact that her high-flying, confident, and proud son had become so depressed and gloomy.
“I’m not tired. You should go to bed first, don’t mind me,” Halston hoarsely replied in a weak, unmotivated tone.
“What’s the point of staying here and giving yourself a cold? You should go back to your room and warm up.”
“I’d like some time alone.”
“But you…” Francine let out a long sigh. “That woman made you this way. Please don’t tell me you’re still hung up on her.”
Halston remained silent.
“Oh Halston, don’t be like this. I’m your mother, and I know my son best. You may be perfect in every way, but you’re still a victim to love. If it weren’t for that woman, your life would’ve been smooth sailing, and you wouldn’t have ended up…”
“Mom, I told you. I want some time alone.” The man, sounding slightly aggrieved, balled up his fists gently.
“Alright, I… I’ll leave you alone. Just… ring the bell if you need anything.” Francine didn’t say anything else and wiped away her tears, leaving the backyard quietly.
Flossie, on the other hand, hid herself quite well, which was why no one noticed her the entire time. She continued to stand behind the pillar, watching Halston from the back for a long while.
She didn’t want to leave just yet.
‘Hey Halston, you’ve lost so much weight… oh, you weakling! A mere snake bite caused you to end up like this? Come on, man, get up! What’s the point of moping in the middle of the night?’
‘You know, I actually came here to say goodbye. I made a deal with the gods when you were on the verge of death. I was willing to step out of your life completely if it meant you could stay alive. So hate me all you want. I’m sure that will bring you more happiness than loving me.’
‘So I hope you spend the rest of your life with Seraphina Murphy and be happy, okay? She really does love you. She had to endure so much trauma just to save you. I don’t even think I could ever do that for you. That’s why I just know you’ll be loved when you’re with her. It will be much easier than loving me…’
Not daring to approach him, Flossie was only able to blabber on in her mind, taking this as saying her goodbye.
Just as she was about to leave, she accidentally bumped into a vase.
“Who’s that?” Halston’s hearing had drastically improved after losing his sight. He stood up and slowly walked over towards the pillar, asking in an alert tone. “Mom, are you still here?”
Despite still hiding behind the pillar, Flossie was sure her cover had been blown. Just as she was about to wave at him, the man… acted as if she wasn’t there.
‘What the hell is this guy doing? Is he doing this on purpose to ridicule me?’ Flossie thought. She took a deep breath but soon noticed something off when she was about to explain herself.
‘Halston’s eyes look kind of weird. They aren’t focused on anything at all. It’s like he’s blind…’
‘Wait… Is he actually blind?!’ Flossie felt her heart sink as soon as she thought about that possibility.
She gulped and mustered up the courage to walk away from the pillar, revealing herself to him.
Halston narrowed his eyes slightly, walking towards the sound of footsteps. “If you’re not my mother, are you Seraphina?”
Halston’s words confirmed Flossie’s suspicions. He… was really blind. He couldn’t see her, although she was standing right in front of him.
“You must be Seraphina. You’re not saying anything.” Halston didn’t suspect much and pointed to the chair next to him, speaking softly. “The sky must look nice tonight, and it’s breezy too. So stay with me for a little.”
“Mhm.” Flossie imitated Seraphina’s voice and responded lightly.
Halston hadn’t noticed anything just yet. Specifically… In his current situation, no one was permitted to come near him apart from his mother and Seraphina. Hence, he naturally didn’t assume otherwise.
Flossie noticed the man looking for something with his hands and could tell that he likely wanted some coffee. She quickly handed him his cup, which led to their fingers touching momentarily.
Halston frowned slightly as if he realized something but merely took a sip from his coffee, not saying a word.
The two then continued to sit in silence, with Halston not wanting to speak, and Flossie not daring to.
The windy night brought them a nice flowery fragrance in the air, providing them with an indescribable romantic harmony.
After a long while, Halston spoke up. “Seraphina, you know me so well, unlike my mother. She was really noisy. And you know that I love hand-ground coffee.”
“I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t like coffee before, especially at night. Every time I had any, I could basically kiss my sleep goodbye. But my ex-wife loved making things like these.
“I don’t know where she got her coffee beans and her coffee machine, and I have no idea how she ground them so finely. But the coffee she brewed had some kind of magic spell. I was hooked the moment I took a sip, and that’s how I developed my caffeine habit.”
“Mhm.” Flossie continued imitating Seraphina’s voice, replying dismissively.
This was the first time she realized that the man liked the coffee she had brewed. He had never admitted this to her in the past, of course, usually complaining about the texture or taste. Sometimes, he wouldn’t even visit bother to take one glance at it, ordering the maids to throw it out instead…
Yet now, he was acting like an old man, reminiscing about the past over and over again.
‘What a tsundere!’
“I know you must hate her after everything that’s happened, and… I know that I should too.” Halston’s solemn face was plastered with pain. “When I was at my lowest point in life, my only wish was to see her. At the brink of death, I want nothing else but to hold her hand…”
“But she left me. She didn’t care if I was dead or alive. She was the one who plotted against me, but I just… I’m hopeless. I can’t bring myself to hate her even after all this. I’ll forgive her as long as she’s willing to come see me.”
Flossie was unable to utter a single word, her tears blurring her vision. She couldn’t tell him that she was right in front of him, let alone hug him or give him any sort of comfort.
“Do you think she’d come, Seraphina?” Halston turned towards Flossie, asking desperately.
He then shook his head, his gaze turning gloomy. “Forget it. I don’t think she should, not with the way I am now. I am useless, and she’ll despise me for that. I can’t face her like this.”
“No, she won’t!” Flossie couldn’t resist any longer and replied loudly.
After that, she regretted doing so. Despite her efforts to imitate Seraphina’s voice, Halston was too smart to have not noticed the difference.
The man smiled, speaking in a knowing voice. “You were reckless. You’re not Seraphina. She hates Flossie too much to ever say anything good about her. Let me take a guess as to who you are…”
Halston furrowed his eyebrows, falling into deep thought. “Are you Cecilia? Or Charlotte? Or are you Shirley…”
“Oh, I know. You must be Layla, the new caretaker my mother hired because I’ve never heard of your voice before!”
Flossie was initially consumed by sorrow, with her tears falling down like pouring rain. However, the man’s questions made her roll her eyes instead.
‘How unexpected, Halston Guajardo, you had more women in line apart from Ximenez and Murphy?’
‘That’s four other women that you’ve just guessed! You even assumed I’d be the caretaker you’ve never even met! What about me?!’
‘Is he really still in love with me, or is he just faking it?’