Chapter 16
Robert, who had been listless until now, suddenly became energetic, urging Gideon to quickly arrange their trip abroad.
Seeing his enthusiastic state, Gideon should have been happy, but his smile was bitter. If only Robert knew about his condition…
Gideon couldn’t bear to think further.
On the hospital bed, Robert kept turning the hairpin over and over in his hand, murmuring Lena’s name.
His deeply affectionate demeanor worried Gideon profoundly.
After making his decision, Gideon called Lena overseas.
“Hello, Lena, it’s Gideon. I have something important to tell you.”
Lena had just completed a series of experiments. She was surprised to receive his call.
Before Zachary passed away, he had instructed the Ashford family not to inform Lena of his death.
He knew her relationship with Robert was ill–fated and didn’t want them to reunite.
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Lena anxiously asked if something had happened to Zachary.
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When she learned he had passed away long ago, she burst into
tears.
Although she quickly understood why the Ashford family hadn’t notified her, she still regretted not being able to see Zachary one
last time.
He had loved her dearly for years; he was family to her.
“Lena, I called you about something more important.”
Gideon asked directly, “Lena, is there any chance you and Robert could get back together?”
“Uncle Gideon, Robert and I can never be together again.”
Lena had thought Robert had given up trying to reconcile, as he hadn’t appeared for a long time.
She never expected he would change tactics and have Gideon advocate for him.
But no matter who asked, there was no possibility between them
anymore.
Lena frowned, feeling irritated.
But Gideon’s next words shocked her.
“Lena, I know Robert hurt you before. But now he’s sick with
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late–stage cancer. There’s no treatment available here. I lied to him, saying we could go abroad to find you, and he could get treatment at the same time. That way, you might see him out of sympathy for his illness, and you two might have a chance to reconcile.
“Lena, I’m not asking you to accept him again. I just hope you’ll help me convince him to undergo treatment. Can you do that?”
On the other end of the line, Lena fell silent again.
“Lena, I’m begging you, please. We raised you for all those years without expecting anything in return, but now that we’re in trouble, surely you can do something for us?”
Gideon knew his words were shameless, but he was desperate and had to appeal to her sense of obligation.
For Robert to cooperate with treatment, he was willing to be the bad guy.
“Alright.”
This time, Lena agreed promptly.
She was surprised, not understanding why Robert would develop a terminal illness now.
But the Ashford family had raised her for ten years, and they had all treated her well. Now that Gideon was making such a request, she felt obligated to repay them.
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After this, she would no longer be indebted to them.
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Her affirmative answer excited Gideon immensely. There was hope for Robert!
“Lena, I have one more request, Robert doesn’t know about his condition yet, so I need you to help keep it secret. You know his personality. If he learns he has an incurable disease, he’ll definitely give up on treatment.”
After their conversation, Gideon immediately arranged for a private jet to fly abroad.
Knowing he would soon see Lena, Robert’s spirits improved significantly. Hope rekindled within him, and he couldn’t wait to see her.
He thought, “This time, I must win Lena back. Life without her is unbearable.”
Robert took great care to make himself presentable, trying to look more energetic.
He thought, “I’m already ten years older than Lena. During this time, I’ve let myself become such a mess. If Lena sees me looking so haggard, she might find me repulsive.”
The thought made him laugh.
When Robert boarded the plane, his pounding heart finally calmed a little.
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After more than half a year, he was finally going to see Lena again.
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Robert had been too excited to sleep the night before. Now, he could barely keep his eyes open and closed them to rest.
But his mind wouldn’t stop racing. One moment he was thinking about what to say when he saw Lena, the next he was worrying about how to win her back if she refused to forgive him.
He had prepared many things to say, but when he finally saw her, he was so overcome with emotion that he couldn’t utter a single word.
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