Chapter 484
Chapter 484
Chapter 484 Time Reveals Sincerity
Leah explained the bargain she had made with Shawn to Han. “I’m sorry, promise me you will live well after I’m gone,” she chuckled bitterly. “Please take care of Carlotta, and if you ever fall in love with another woman…”
Han cut her off before she could continue. “I won’t fall in love with anyone else except you!” Han yelled in frustration. “I won’t allow you to die like this! Find a place in the compartment to shield yourself. I’m getting the guys to divert the bomb once they determine the location of the compartment…” Han sprang into action. “You must live, Leah. You promised me we’d get married next spring. You can’t go back on your word…” his last sentence was a plea.
Leah knew Han was grasping at straws. “Ok,” she said to him to calm him down.
There were three minutes left before the bomb was about to explode. Based on Han’s plan, his men determined the location of the compartment where Leah was hiding. They quickly worked on dismantling the bombs that were directly under the compartment first before moving on to diffuse the others.
“Boss, 20 seconds left! Get out now!” Ross shouted to Han as he noticed the time ticking on his watch.
Han was still frantically dismantling the bombs from the boat’s undercarriage. “Get everyone out! These are the last two!” Han shouted without looking at Ross.
Hidden in the compartment, Leah had no clue the men outside were toiling hard to rescue her. She was curled up with her hands wrapped around her knees in a claustrophobic metal box. She was not sure if the box could withstand and survive an explosion, but she listened to Han anyway and hid in there
anyway. She was trembling just a few moments ago but was now in a calm state after speaking to Han through the phone. All of a sudden, she was no longer afraid of dying. She felt a sense of warmth enveloping her heart as she readied herself for what was to come.
The remaining bombs detonated, creating a fiery explosion lighting up the night sky. Ross and a few men ran toward Han with protective shields, trying their best to shield him from the explosion, but the force of the explosion propelled them into the dark sea waters. As the fire burned down the boat, pools of blood could be seen floating on the water…
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In the VIP ward of Graceland Hospital four months later, a man dressed in a tailored black suit was crouched over the hospital bed as he looked at the woman lying unconscious on the bed. She still looked as beautiful as ever despite her pale lips and closed eyes.
Next to him, little Carlotta was on the verge of tears. “Daddy, when is Mommy going to wake up…” she asked.
Han’s lips flattened into a thin line as he ruffled little Carlotta’s head. “Soon, darling. She’ll wake up soon,” he reassured her, and perhaps himself too.
In the past 100 days or so, that was how he convinced himself to get out of bed every day. When the final bomb on the boat went off that fateful night, Leah was spared from immediate death as she strategically hid herself in a metal box. However, the good news stopped there. She went into a coma from the impact and had been unconscious for four months now.
Footsteps could be heard from outside the ward, just before Serena Coleman and Ben Wright entered the room. They look agonized as their eyes fell upon Leah who was still lying unconscious. lowered her head as she placed a hand on her belly. “Sarah, I’m about to be a mom soon. Don’t you want to wake up to see this…?” she asked. In the few months that Leah was unconscious, Serena and Ben had kindled a romance and gotten married swiftly. One of Serena’s biggest regrets was not having Leah as her bridesmaid.
Ben took Serena’s hand in his gently. “She’ll wake up soon, Serena. I’m sure she’s excited to meet our little angel,” he said with hope in his voice.
As if Leah could hear their conversation, her finger twitched ever so slightly. Her entire body felt as heavy as lead, and she did not have the strength to wake up just yet. She felt like she was trapped in a long dream where she could overhear all of the conversations that happened by her bedside, but she was surrounded by an impenetrable fog that she could not escape out of.
Back in spring, Han had told her that Serena and Ben were being hunted down by the state, which hastened their decision to get married. Now that Serena and Ben had shown up at her bedside and told her about the marriage and pregnancy, she could not be happier for the both of them. Yet, she still could not bring herself to awaken from her slumber.
Carlotta had also started attending kindergarten. Every day after school, she would come to the hospital to tell her mother about what she did in school. Some days, she would cry about homework and bullies, seeking comfort from Leah.
All these beautiful memories only heightened Leah’s desire to wake up and rejoin her family. Perhaps her body had finally recovered fully, or it was purely Leah’s determination, but she could finally feel her toes moving.
Ben was just about to usher Serena to a seat to get some rest when Carlotta squealed excitedly. “Mommy, you’re awake!”
Everyone else dropped whatever they were doing and hurried to Leah’s bedside. Her eyes were wide open and she greeted them with a weak smile. “Hey, it’s been a while…” she croaked.
Han’s first instinct was to reach for her, but he was a little too afraid that all of this was just an illusion. His arm hung in the air awkwardly as he considered how to approach her.
“Han, you don’t remember me?” Leah was surprised to see this usually confident man looking a little lost and unsure of what to do. She reached out for his hand instead.
It was only when their hands touched when Han could finally believe that this was all true. “You’re… you’re back,” he said with tears falling down his cheeks as he brought her into an embrace.
“Mommy, you lazy sloth! You’ve been sleeping for so long!” Carlotta cried as she climbed onto her mother’s bed. The three of them embraced each other with a long overdue family hug.
Watching the reunion unfold in front of them, Serena and Ben could not help the tears that welled up in their eyes either. “Sarah, we’ll let you enjoy some family time today. We’ll come and visit again soon!” Serena said before they left.
Han let go of Leah once the guests had left. “Liar,” he chided.
“Mommy’s a liar! Mommy said she would celebrate my birthday with me and get married to Daddy!” Carlotta was in a phase of mimicking what the adults said.
“Oh no, how can I make it up to the both of you?” Leah played along as she teared out of happiness.
Han considered this for a moment. “Get married with me immediately. I’ve booked out the wedding venue since spring began until today,” he said as his finger gently traced her delicate jaw. “Don’t even think of running away this time…”
Leah felt her cheeks heating up. “I’m not going anywhere,” she promised. Time had proven his sincerity, and she knew now that she would be with him for the rest of her life.
…
One month later, Leah was dressed in a resplendent wedding gown as she walked down the aisle toward the man who was waiting for her at the end of the aisle. She took Han’s hand when she finally reached him. “Sorry, I’m late,” she teased. After all, she did promise him to get married in spring, but it was summer already.
“As long as you’re here,” Han said as he reached forward to kiss her on the forehead gently.
“The bride and groom will now exchange their rings,” the host announced.
Leah and Han smiled at each other affectionately as Han put the ring on her finger. “You’re not leaving my side from this day onward, Mrs. Howard,” he chuckled.
“Mhmm, Mr. Howard,” Leah replied sweetly. After all that they had been through, they somehow managed to find each other again. She intended to stay with him for all the beautiful days to come.