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"I-I just want to ask you when the plane will take off. I didn't expect you to lock the door," Amber explained.
Owen gazed down and found that she was really holding her passport.
Feeling guilty, he said, "Sorry, I'm used to having the doors locked. You know, what I am working on is very dangerous, so I never have any intention of getting you involved. As long as it's something you don't need to know, I'll try to do it without letting you know."
Amber knew he was doing it for her own good, but...
"Owen, I can't stand any kind of betrayals." She gazed down at his mobile phone very seriously. "Especially betrayals related to Emma. I don't want the people around me to be close to her. Nor do I want her to show up in my life. Do you understand?"
"I see. Don't worry! I only have you in my eyes."
Owen comforted her and passed her his phone. "If you don't believe me, just call her for confirmation. I swear we were simply talking about the internal affairs of Silver Laurel."
"No! You know I don't like to talk with her."
"But I'm afraid you'll get me wrong." Owen pursed his lips.
His seemingly sincere expression caused a flush of guilty to flood over Amber.
"Sorry! I shouldn't have overthought."
Owen kissed her hair with affection. "Never mind, honey. It means that you care a lot about me. I understand."
...
Though they were on their honeymoon, Amber had been in low spirits due to some local causes.
Owen pampered her a lot when they were at home. However, after they came abroad, he was always nowhere to be seen.
Sometimes, Amber doubted whether or not they were spending their honeymoon.
When she called her best friend at college, her friend just scoffed, "I told you not to get married at such a young age, but you tied a knot with him as soon as you graduated. You're really asking for it!"
"I just feel that it's not easy to meet a man I love. Since I could marry him and spend the rest of my life with him, why not?"
"All right. You win!" Her best friend comforted her. "Don't think too much. A busy husband is always better than a scumbag keeping a mistress. You don't want him to be idle all day long without anything to do, do you?"
"Sure, I don't."
"Well, just let him do it then. Maybe you're thinking nonsense all day long just because you get too much free time on your hands. Why don't you do something to enhance your life? Let's go skiing together when you come back, shall we? There's a wonderful ski resort in Orlando City. Let's go and show your talent. You know what? I've regretted it for a long time because I didn't watch your competition on the scene back then."
"It was televised, wasn't it?" Amber asked.
"It's totally different from the real game, all right?" her best friend retorted.
"Well, I'll do a very serious performance for you after I go back."
"Great, sweetie!"
After chatting for half an hour, Amber finally woke up.
However, before she could return home, her best friend called her again.
There were still five days before the end of Amber's honeymoon, but her best friend urged, "Amber, come back right now!"
"Why? What's wrong?" Amber inquired, doubt evident in her voice.
"Y-Your father got injured."
"W-What happened? He's protected by bodyguards all the time, isn't he?" Amber asked anxiously.
She had been claiming that she would cut the ties with her father, but when her father was injured, she was still worried about him.
"I'm clueless about it. None of your family called you? He seems to be injured seriously. Even the newspaper reported it. Blood Raven has been casting greedy eyes on Silver Laurel. After your father got injured, they began to stir up trouble, and I heard that they have secretly bought a lot of nightclubs and bars owned by Silver Laurel."
There were two big Mafias in Orlando City. The left one was Blood Raven family, while the right one was Silver Laurel.
The two had fought against each other for many years, but there had never been a winner.
"And your sister Emma is really a b***h," Amber's best friend complained.
"What did she do?" Amber asked.
"After you went abroad, she played some tricks to get in charge of Silver Laurel temporarily when your father is injured. What's more, she even claimed that she had the final say in Silver Laurel. Bullshit! You're the eldest young lady in Silver Laurel. How dare she say that! Who does she think she is?" Amber's best friend cursed and scolded, wishing to kick Emma's ass.
"Impossible! My dad couldn't possibly give Emma the right to control Silver Laurel," said Amber.
Even if her father was disappointed in her, she believed that he would never let Emma run over her.
"Lydia, please help me check it out."
"All right. Don't worry. I've checked. Your father should still be alive. But I don't know how serious his injury is. Nor do I have any idea about what's going on with Silver Laurel. You'd better come back right now and figure it out yourself," Lydia uttered.
"Okay, thank you!" Amber replied.
As soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy. "Lydia, help!"
The call was ended, and she collapsed to the ground.
Owen was smoking in the room with his back to Amber when she awoke in the hospital.
She used to like the way he smoked. But now, when she smelled cigarette smoke, she felt uneasy and wanted to vomit.
"Owen, my father..."
"You're pregnant," Owen interrupted Amber before she could finish her sentence.
"What?" Amber was taken aback for a brief moment. When she regained consciousness, she placed her hand on her stomach. "Do you mean we have a baby?"
She couldn't believe it, but what Owen said next shocked her even more.
"You're going to have to get an abortion."
Amber looked up at him, surprised, and asked, "What did you say?"
"You should have an abortion," Owen said slowly and clearly.
"No way!" Amber cradled her stomach with both hands. "It's impossible for me to murder the child. This is our baby. How could you expect me to do that, Owen?"
She made a pleading face at him.
Owen remained silent with a poker face, but he appeared determined.
His phone rang right then.
In the hospital bed, Amber could see clearly that the caller ID was Emma.
Why did Emma call Owen again? Amber pondered.
Owen frowned as he picked up the phone. He then turned to Amber and said, "Give Dad the phone. Amber has good news to tell him that he is going to be a grandfather."
After a brief pause, he handed her the phone with a smile and continued, "Tell Dad you're pregnant, Amber. He is going to be a grandfather, isn't he?"
Amber did not expect Owen to change his mind so fast.
Without thinking too much about it, she took the phone and said anxiously, "Dad!"
"Amber, are you pregnant?" Wilson asked, his voice weak.
"Yes. You will become a grandfather. Are you happy?"
"I'm overjoyed!" Wilson suddenly coughed.
Amber was aware that her father had been seriously injured. She worked hard to keep her tears at bay. After all, her father adored her.
"Dad, you need to get well soon, okay? My child requires your help and support. You claimed you owed my mother and couldn't let me down again."
"Okay. I'll give it my all."
Perhaps it was because Amber had recently become pregnant. For the first time, she realized her father was getting older, which brought her to tears.
Wilson noticed and consoled her, "Don't cry, Amber. Everything will be alright."
"Okay, I won't cry."
Amber rested in the ward after the phone call. Owen slammed the door open and yanked her up quickly.
"What are you doing?"
Amber shook his hand away, and Owen threw the clothes to her with a cold face.
"Put on your clothes and follow me back to Orlando City."
"Why now?"
Amber could tell it was already dark outside.
"Yes. Don't you always want to return? Let's go back to see your father."
"But you previously turned me down. Why do you want to return now?"
Amber had wished to return ever since she spoke to her father on the phone in the hospital, but Owen had been making excuses to refuse.
Owen appeared to be stalling for time, in her opinion.
But there was nothing she could do at this point. She couldn't take chances because she didn't know what was going on.
"It's time for you to return."
Owen packed her belongings without saying much.
Amber took advantage of the situation to send a message to her best friend.
"I'm back, Lydia."
However, as soon as Amber and Owen exited the airport, he whisked her away to Silver Laurel's speakeasy.
Amber could tell Owen was concealing something from her.
"How about we go home?"
Amber, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, looked at the man next to her.
Owen closed his eyes and remained silent with a poker face.
"Why should we return home? Your father isn't present. He's in the bar, waiting for you."
"What exactly do you mean?"
Owen snatched Amber's wrist with great force, and his cold eyes fixed on her.
"See? Your father is there."
He raised his hand and pointed outside the bar door to a coffin.
- Writer
