?Chapter 675:

    No further words were needed. Cole bent and kissed her deeply, letting his feelings speak for him. Now that he understood what the hummingbirds symbolized, even their calls seemed to change. Each one carried a melody that spoke of steady love.

    Meanwhile, on the mansion’s second floor, Ruben stood at the window, watching the pair below as they held each other close. He let out a soft sigh. “Ah, youth…”

    Standing beside Ruben, Jarrett kept his eyes on the couple as his thoughts wandered back twenty-seven years. Youth truly was precious. He had been young once, and he had loved a woman with all his heart.

    Jarrett and Sophie had met in Wtroqix. Back then, he had been nothing more than a naive exchange student. To him, she seemed like a fairy from a different world—achingly beautiful, shrouded in mystery, and she had stolen his heart in an instant. He hadn’t known anything about where she came from or the secrets she carried, but none of that had ever mattered to him. He had fallen for herpletely and without hesitation.

    And thank God, she had reciprocated his feelings. By nature, she was strong-willed and fierce. She could hold her own in any fight. Yet, with him, she became gentle, her voice always soft and never raised in anger.

    Madly in love with her, he had brought her home without any hesitation, ignoring every protest from his family and making her his wife. For him, she had given up everything beyond their home, pouring her heart into their life together, into him, and eventually, into their child. Their love was so profound that each became the center of the other’s world.

    Now, though, that center was missing from his life. He could not help but wonder if he would ever see Sophie again. He was lost in a wave of longing and grief when the sudden crack of a cane against his leg startled him out of his thoughts.

    Jarrett blinked and turned to Ruben. “Dad? What was that for?”

    Ruben’s face darkened, and his words bristled with annoyance. “How long does your mother n to keep living in that vi? Is she going to leave me for good? Or has she run off and found someone else to keep herpany?”

    Watching the young couple had clearly awakened an old longing in Ruben for his wife.

    Jarrett could not help butugh. “Dad, what are you saying? Mom would never leave you. She just needs to rest for a while and regain her strength there. If you miss her so much, why don’t you go visit?”

    A faint flush crept up Ruben’s neck as he squared his shoulders in mock defiance. “Miss her? Why would I miss that old woman? She’s all wrinkles now. If I missed anyone, it would be some young beauty!”

    Don’t miss it: g?lиov???.cоm

    Jarrett just smiled without exposing his father’s thoughts.

    Back on the beach, the long, heated kiss finally drew to a close. When Elliana lifted her face, her cheeks glowed and she met Cole’s steady eyes. With a serious voice, she said, “Cole, I need you to do something with me tomorrow. Something painful but joyful.”

    Painful but joyful? Cole rolled these words around in his head. His mind wasted no time wandering to intimacy. Elliana was the one to bring up having a baby. Earlier this morning, right in the middle of their intimate encounters, she’d cried out—a sharp gasp of pain that made her push him away. It had taken everything he had—soft words and gentle hands—to soothe her until she finally rxed and melted back into him. And afterward, it had been perfect. He’d felt a profound contentment, and she had been radiant, clearly enjoying their closeness.

    He never thought she would want more so soon after. Did she already find herself craving him? Was she already hungry for his touch? A grin crept across his face.

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