He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 509

Helena fell dead silent, processing the flood of information.

But the violent trembling in her shoulders gave her overwhelming emotion away.

Her fingers twisted into the hospital sheets, gripping them like a lifeline.

Yet she barely had the physical strength to hold on.

"Are you telling me... Hope is alive?" she choked out, her voice breaking.

"Yes," he confirmed without hesitation. "Which is why you have to focus on physical therapy. How else are you going to be a mother to her?"

That single sentence breathed raw, undeniable life back into her shattered soul.

She stared at him, tears welling up in her eyes as sheer gratitude washed over her.

But her response caught him completely off guard.

"She's safe with your aunt," she said, her tone suddenly grounded.

"If Claire is willing, leaving her there is the smartest choice. Look at me—I'm in no condition to raise a medically fragile toddler. She needs absolute stability, and I can't guarantee I can provide that yet. As long as I can visit her, that's enough for me."

It was as if every ounce of her toxic obsession and crippling guilt vanished into thin air.

For her, knowing her daughter was breathing and loved was the ultimate victory.

Everything else was utterly irrelevant.

He paused for a moment before nodding in agreement. "My aunt adores her, so she's in perfect hands. Focus on your recovery, and once you're cleared, I'll take you straight to her."

"Okay," she whispered softly.

He immediately noticed the dramatic shift in her demeanor; the frantic edge was completely gone.

Revealing the truth about her daughter had been exactly the anchor she needed.

With a reason to fight, her entire disposition transformed overnight.

She attacked her physical therapy with relentless determination.

The medical staff was stunned by her sudden drive, thrilled that their hardest patient was finally cooperating.

After six grueling months of rehab, she finally regained basic motor function and stamina.

Her discharge from the hospital was kept completely off the radar.

Julian drove her to his luxury condo in the city center to make her follow-up appointments easier.

It was his primary residence.

Naturally, he stayed there right alongside her.

A week after she moved in, he finally took her to see the little girl.

"Skye, look who it is! Say hi to Julian and Helena," Claire coaxed gently, using their first names.

The toddler just blinked, refusing to utter a sound.

Helena was perfectly content just standing there, soaking in the sight of her breathing, living child.

Every fiber of her being ached to scoop the girl up into her arms.

Compared to the skeletal, dying infant she remembered, the toddler was wonderfully chubby and full of life.

But she forced herself to stay perfectly still, terrified of scaring her.

Finally, under Claire's gentle encouragement, the little girl stepped out and babbled sweetly, "Julian... Helena..."

That tiny, angelic voice shattered the last of Helena's composure, and hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

She turned and buried her face into his chest.

He instinctively wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly.

She couldn't form a single word.

Suddenly, she felt a tiny tug on the hem of her sweater and quickly looked down.

The toddler had waddled right up to her, holding both of her chubby arms out. "Up... hold me..."