Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
“Umm…” She was helpless to his adorable curiosity, and replied, “At first, my love for the kids’ father was unrequited, and he betrayed me later on. I then stopped loving him but found out that I was pregnant. I decided to give birth to them alone, but their father claimed he still loved me and wished to live together with US as a happy family of four. However, he betrayed me again…
In the end, I ended up like this.” She tried to summarize her melodramatic and complicated love affair with Halston.
‘I see.” Halston nodded dazedly, trying his best to understand the complex explanation.
Flossie chuckled and asked, “What do you understand?”
Halston’s reply was blunt: “If I was Justin, I would try my best to take the children, but I wouldn’t force their mother.”
“Really?” Flossie was filled with disappointment. Halston was different from Justin-even if Justin didn’t have children with her, he would still prioritize her. However, Halston wouldn’t think about her at all even if he had two children with her. Maybe it was a good thing that he had lost his memory, or else it would be a fierce battle with the Guajardos competing for the children’s custody.
“It’s late. Can you go now since you’ve enjoyed witnessing my misery, Mr. Guajardo?” Suddenly, Flossie’s mood turned foul, and she wanted to be left alone.
Halston got up and said indifferently, “Yeah, I should go now…” He took two steps, but stopped and said softly, “I would definitely try to force her to be with me… if it was you.”
“What?” Confused, Flossie wanted to ask him what he meant, but Halston had already left.
Halston clenched his fists in frustration as he walked away. His memory was still foggy, so he couldn’t make any big moves for now. Everything would be clear after Owen performed the surgery for him. He looked forward to that day.
When Seraphina returned home from the hospital, she started throwing a tantrum and breaking things, screaming in frustration.
“What’s the matter with you, Seraphina? Who upset you? Was it Halston? I’ll give him a piece of my mind!” Ethan always spoiled his daughter and could not bear to see her suffer. Even if it was Halston, Ethan would tell him off if he infuriated Seraphina.
“No one upset me, it’s just that I did something stupid and I don’t know how to resolve it.” Seraphina flopped onto her bed and sobbed. “Dad, I’m doomed! It’ll be over for me when Halston gets back his memories.”
“Gets back his memories?” Frowning, Ethan asked, “Is there something wrong with him? You can’t marry him if something’s wrong with his brain. What if he suddenly loses his mind?”
“Shut up, Dad! Don’t curse him!” Seraphina snapped. Despite everything, she would always defend Halston if someone said something bad about him, even if it was her father.
“I’m not cursing him. Didn’t you say there’s something wrong with his brain? He’s so much worse now after his injury, and his company isn’t as prosperous as it used to be. Previously, some kind of small company managed to suppress it, you know.” Ethan was referring to Quinton’s Carmine Pawnshop and its battle with Guajardo Group.
‘Get out. I don’t want to talk to you.” Angry, Seraphina pushed Ethan out of her room and closed the door. She took out her phone and stared at it for a long time, then finally dialled that long-lost number.
The phone rang for a long while but nobody picked up her call.
‘Damn it! What’s he doing? Why isn’t he picking up my calls?’ Seraphina snarled furiously. Before Ethan entered her room, she had tried to call him, but there had been no answer either. Had he blocked her number? Was he using another number?
’Don’t tell me he’s dead!” Frustrated, Seraphina continued breaking things. Finally, right when she had lost all hope, that person called back.
‘What’s the matter?” He sounded exasperated and annoyed, as if he wanted to end the call right away.
‘Where the heck did you go, Jovan? I called you so many times!” Seraphina snapped. If this hadn’t been an emergency, she wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with him.
‘I asked you what’s wrong.’ Jovan’s voice was icy.
Seraphina stopped behaving arrogantly and whispered, “Halston has gotten suspicious and has hired a very capable neurosurgeon to have another brain surgery. Won’t it expose what we did?”
“It doesn’t matter to me. After all, I’m a useless man now. I’ll be waiting for him if he wants to take revenge.”
‘How could you say that?!” Seraphina stomped her foot angrily. “You didn’t say that when you made me do those things, but now that everything’s about to be exposed, you couldn’t care! Have you ever thought about me? My family and yours will be affected by this too, and it won’t be over so soon!”
‘So, you’re saying that he can’t have that surgery?” Jovan asked calmly.
“Of course!”
Try and come up with a way to stop it then.”
Seraphina froze. “You’re saying that…”
‘The neurosurgeon you talked about is good at his job, but he’s just an ordinary man, isn’t he? Your family is powerful and influential. Do I really have to spell it out for you?” Jovan asked her sarcastically.
“Umm…” Seraphina frowned, fidgeting uncomfortably. “You’re… You’re saying that…” I said nothing. Think it through since you’re so smart. In short, you should start with the source if you want to stop the surgery. Use any means necessary; it’s the right way as long as you can stop it.”
Seraphina clenched her phone tightly. “I think I know what I should do now.’
Seraphina took a deep breath and decided to take a risk for the sake of her happiness. Right before Jovan could hang up on her, she quickly asked,’ Out of curiosity, where have you been hiding recently? Didn’t you promise to take Flossie away from Beach City? Why is she still strutting around here? I’m afraid she’ll get involved with Halston again if you don’t step in; you would’ve given up your eyes and blood to Halston for nothing then!”
Seraphina couldn’t understand Jovan’s willingness to give up his eyes and blood to save the man Flossie loved, which had ultimately turned him into a useless man. People would certainly call him a naive and lovestruck fool. Even Seraphina felt that she had to hand it to him because she would never make such sacrifices for Halston. Unfortunately, Jovan’s sacrifices had only gotten him half a year with Flossie. After that, she did whatever she wanted, and his sacrifices became futile. It was really pitiful!
’It’s none of your business. Plus, I’m not you-l love her and wish her happiness. Even though you say you love Halston, you put your happiness first instead of his.” Jovan’s blunt comment rendered her speechless.
Furious, she said, “Why are you telling me this? Yes, you’re very noble… But weren’t you the one who caused this mess? I was just your pawn, and I did everything under your orders. You even hired the man who did the surgery on Halston!”
’If you’re really my pawn, are you willing to stop if I ask you to?”
’Stop?” Clenching her fists, Seraphina demanded angrily, “What do you mean?”
’Stop meddling in it and let him have his surgery. If he remembers anything, tell him that it was my idea, and that you were a victim too. But if you want to stop the surgery, you have to bear the consequences alone. Can you do that?” Jovan provided
Seraphina with two options. She could choose to let the surgery go on and let Jovan take the blame, or stop the surgery and deal with the consequences on her own.
‘Umm… I know what I should do. It’s none of your business.” Seraphina hurriedly hung up the call, possibly out of guilt.
There was an ancient, abandoned residence located away from the hustle and bustle of Beach City. The surrounding neighbors had all moved away, making the residence look very desolate and frightening at night.
“It’s getting late, Master Jovan. Don’t you want to go to bed?” A young woman called Eloise Pierce sighed and tried to persuade Jovan. She was responsible for taking care of Jovan. After Jovan moved back to Beach City, he moved to this old and remote residence alone and was solely under Eloise’s care. At first, Eloise did it for the money, but gradually she wavered.
“You miss Miss Ellsworth so much that you can’t even eat or sleep properly, but what about her? It looks like she doesn’t think of you at all! I read tabloids recently and they’re saying that she’s been seen with both Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Guajardo. Meanwhile, you’re here suffering. She’s a heartless witch!” Crying, Eloise complained about the injustice Jovan had faced.
Jovan’s gaze instantly turned cold, and he growled, “Be silent!” ’I won’t stop even if you want to drive me away or hit me, Master Jovan. Miss Ellsworth is really unworthy of your love and care. You have to pull yourself together, okay?” She threw herself at him and stared at his handsome face. “Let me take you to her and make her take care of you. It’s all because of her that you ended up like this!”
“No, it’s fine.” Jovan sounded gloomy and pathetic. An existence like this made him wonder if he was still alive, and he had no courage to meet Flossie again. He sighed and said lightly, “I decided to leave her to set her free, and I don’t regret it.”
Knowing Flossie’s character, she would not say no if he wanted to use her guilt to make her take care of him for the rest of his life. She would’ve readily abandoned her brother she had just been reunited with, her children, and her career half a year ago to lead a secluded life with him in Varangia, if Jovan had asked.
During those six months, she took care of him as if he was a baby and never complained. Jovan felt it was enough; in his opinion, it had been more than worth it giving up his eyes and body in exchange for having her by his side for that time. Those memories were something he looked back on fondly, and he couldn’t ask for more.
However, Eloise couldn’t figure out why the smart, sensitive, and competitive Jovan had become so passive.
“You haven’t forgotten about Miss Ellsworth, Master Jovan. Why don’t you just give it a try? What if she still thinks about you?
What if she’ll be surprised to see you, and decides she wants to spend the rest of her life with you?” Eloise refused to give up persuading him because she knew how miserable he was living like this.
‘I wouldn’t want that even if she does.” Jovan chuckled bitterly and said,’ Any man with dignity wouldn’t want to live like useless trash in front of their beloved.” Even though he had been cunning and devious in the past to get what he wanted, as a man, he couldn’t abandon his dignity.
“Ah, Master Jovan… Everyone says that you’re wicked and cunning but you’re actually a caring and loyal man. Yes, they say Halston is honest and righteous, the superior heir of Guajardo Group, but I find him to be very hypocritical. He isn’t righteous at all!”
“Hmph, what would you know?” Jovan was amused.
“I know. Miss Ellsworth sacrificed a lot for him. She married him and had his children but he betrayed her and wanted to marry Miss Seraphina instead. Only a man without a conscience can do that!”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know,” Jovan said wearily.
‘No, I do know things! Although I’m a maid, I’m no fool. You’d rather give up your eyes and body to be a disabled person to ease