Chapter 652 His Daughter With Claire
Avery had never imagined that the powerful Cayden would depart from this world before her. She still couldn't come to terms with this reality.
Seeing her unresponsive, the lawyer handed her a pen. “Mrs. Moore, please sign here.”
Without quite knowing what she was doing, Avery took them and started to stare blankly at the documents.
Pain and sorrow were displayed on her face. Then, Avery suddenly felt a surge of anger. Did that man know in advance that he was in danger? Is that why he had prepared his will ahead of time?
She knew that Cayden was a man of his word—a man of honor. He would go to great lengths for his friends, even if it meant getting hurt.
But why won't he think about me and our unborn child? Is he trying to make amends with us in this way? No. He should have come back alive, ready to endure my grumbles and chiding instead of leaving me alone to bear this bolt from the blue.
Avery forcefully threw the pen in her hand. She was almost hysterical as she screamed, “Get out! Get out! Why did he abandon us? Why would he leave his wife and children behind? How could he have done this? I will never accept a single thing from him in my life, let alone his supposed compensation!”
The atmosphere in the ward instantly turned tense.
Claire's gentle touch steadied Avery's trembling shoulders, her words carrying a sense of serene assurance. “Ery, don't get agitated. We can't let anything mess with the precious little life growing inside of you. Your body's in a crucial phase, and we've got to be extra careful.”
Then, she turned to Xavier and said, “Avery isn't in a good mood right now, so can we discuss the matter of the signature in a few days instead?”
Xavier nodded in understanding, As he bowed slightly at Avery, he said, “I'll visit another day then. Take care of your health first. If Mr. Moore were still here, he definitely wouldn't want to see you in this state of self-destruction.”
After he finished speaking, he waved at the two lawyers. Then, they quickly exited the room.
Even after they left, Claire noticed that Avery was still staring blankly at the sky outside the window, still as a statue. Her lashes flickered at that, and she helped Avery lie on the sick bed. She gently said, “Ery, if you're tired, why don't you take a nap?”
Avery lay stiffly on the bed, feeling utterly exhausted.
The moment she closed her eyes, Cayden's flawless face surfaced in her mind.
He simply stood there in the darkness, smiling at her.
The man had apathetic eyes, yet when he looked at her, his gaze was warm like the sun.
After being discharged from the hospital, Avery went back to the mansion to pack some clean clothes. She had decided to stay at the Lambert residence for the next few days.
As soon as she returned to the bedroom, she saw Cayden's pajamas, neatly folded at the head of the bed. They were the ones he had worn the night before he left for Mocset.
She slowly walked over, cradled his pajamas in her arms, and kissed them.
Within the pajamas, she could almost smell his familiar scent and feel the traces of his body heat.
Her gaze fell once again on the vine creeping up by the window. It was Mandevilla laxa, an ornamental plant Cayden planted for her simply because she once mentioned her love for flowers and her delight in witnessing their bloom throughout the four seasons. Back then, she had mentioned her fondness for the sight of vines climbing up the window, bursting with buds.
And so, he planted the Mandevilla laxa for her, even refusing to let the household gardener or housekeeper intervene in the gardening. He had wanted to do it himself.
Now, the vine had grown as thick as a wrist, its dense leaves resembling a green curtain. Supporting the passionately blooming flowers of red and white, it appeared so full of life and vitality.
The flowers were still there, but the man who planted them was no longer anywhere to be found.
Enduring the tightening of her throat, Avery walked into the bathroom.
His toiletries, cup, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, and everything else that belonged to him, were all still neatly arranged in their spots, clean and orderly.
Cayden was a man with a penchant for cleanliness—he was a little bit of a clean freak. Everything he owned was arranged so neatly, while hers was slightly messy and nonchalantly placed around. Every time he saw her things lying around, he would always help her tidy them up again.
Avery glanced at their matching cups and was lost in thought for a long while before she began to wash her face with cold water.
She hadn't washed her face for several days. In the hospital, it was either the nursing staff or Claire who would help her freshen up with a damp towel.
Moreover, she couldn't eat much, so she now felt extremely weak all over.
Avery took a quick hot shower.
While she was bathing, the water was a bit too hot and was scalding to the touch. Her tears began to flow, and it became impossible to distinguish whether it was the water washing over her or her own tears.
After taking a bath, Avery, with her hair still dripping wet, returned to the dressing room to change her clothes.
She stood in the icy room all by herself, drying her long hair with the hairdryer.
Back in the day, whenever they were at home, Cayden had the special duty of blow-drying her hair.
After blow-drying her hair, Avery opened her wardrobe. The closet that took up the entire wall was filled with her clothes. The autumn attires alone were already filling up the space of the wardrobe. All of them were pre-ordered for her by Cayden, designed by renowned designers. Many of them were the only pieces in the world.
With him around, she never had to worry about clothes.
His wardrobe was pitifully sparse, not even amounting to a tenth of hers. Compared to her collection of clothes, his was truly meager.
She chose a pure white, loose-waisted jumpsuit for autumn. The front design was conservative, while the back featured a deep V buttoned design. The first time Avery tried on the dress, she saw a flash of astonishment in the man's eyes. He personally buttoned it up for her, one button at a time.
Back then, he had cheekily taken advantage of the situation, reaching around from behind her and boldly copping a feel, leaving her both embarrassed and annoyed.
Avery slipped into her autumn dress, trying to fasten the buttons at the back.
Unfortunately, her pregnant form proved to be quite the obstacle, rendering her attempts futile as she struggled to reach the buttons at her back. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed impossible to achieve.
For a moment, Avery felt the slender, warm touch of Cayden's hand gently brushing across her back, just like it had countless times before.
His magnetic and alluring voice, filled with a hint of seduction, seemed to linger in her ears
Avery couldn't help but murmur to herself, “Cayden, when will you be back? Please button this up for me...”
Yet, the silence in the room cruelly reminded her that her beloved Cayden was no longer there.
Avery's heart, already heavy with grief, began to ache intensely once more. Overwhelmed by emotions, she couldn't hold back the soft whimpers that escaped her lips—a poignant expression of her longing and exhaustion.
Cayden. Cayden, I really miss you. Please come home to me.
Before heading to the Lambert residence, Avery glanced at herself in the mirror. She looked as pale as a ghost, her eyes hollow and lifeless. In order to appear less haggard, she applied a touch of makeup, giving her cheeks a hint of color. Her complexion seemed somewhat rosier, giving the impression of renewed vitality. It was only then did she step out.
The Lambert family's driver came to pick her up, and the two of them remained silent throughout the journey.
The entire Lambert family was present at the Lambert residence, including George, Fiona, William, Claire, and Nicole. There were also two young individuals who appeared to be around the same age as Avery.
The moment William laid eyes on Avery, a hint of heartache swept across his usually stern gaze. The excitement he felt was so intense, he couldn't hide it from his face.
That's my daughter—my own flesh and blood with Claire!
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