Chapter 153

The toy store was packed with all kinds of toys, dazzling and overwhelming. William had his eye on a few dolls, perfect for a little girl. If what Christina said was true-that their child in a past life was a girl-then the child who came to him in this life would surely be a girl too.

He picked out a few and headed to the checkout. The handmade dolls were unique, and he hoped that bringing them back would lift Christina's spirits.

As he stepped outside, gunshots suddenly rang out nearby.

He looked up to see several gunmen shooting at each other in the street. The pedestrians, terrified, screamed and scattered, seeking cover.

Just as William turned to retreat back into the store, a bullet suddenly struck him in the chest. He felt a warm gush of blood pour from his chest, and death seemed just a step away.

He looked down to see the blood silently flowing out. In that moment, he felt no fear, only a thought: if Christina saw his body, would she stop hating him and give birth to their child?

He fell back, powerless, as the store clerk rushed over, shouting, "Sir, wake up! Sir!" while dialing 911.

The paramedics arrived quickly, rushing him to the hospital and notifying Bob based on his last phone call.

When Bob got the call, his heart sank. "How could this happen?" After getting a brief explanation, he hurried to the hospital.

William felt like he had died and come back to life. When he opened his eyes, Christina was sitting in front of him with Harper. "Today is Harper's birthday. Did you come back just to tell me this? You didn't have to."

William was stunned and tried to speak gently, but found his body completely unresponsive.

"I warn you, don't try any tricks. If anything happens to Jennifer and her child, I won't forgive you."

"I never intended to play any tricks, William. If you don't want to, you can pretend Harper and I don't exist." Christina held Harper tightly, her eyes filled with determination.

William shook his head. How could he pretend they didn't exist?

But he saw himself, as if out of control, walking towards Christina and gripping her jaw harshly, his voice cold and unfeeling.

"Pretend you don't exist? Christina, after what you've done, how can I pretend you don't exist?"

He threw Christina aside and wiped his hands. "This is just the beginning. If you dare to scheme against me again, I'll make sure you pay dearly."

These weren't his words. William struggled silently, but it was useless. In the dream, he strode out the door, leaving the birthday celebration behind.

Harper, crying, ran after him. "Daddy, please don't go! You've never spent a birthday with me. Can you stay just this once?"

His heart was ice cold. He pried Harper's hands off and left the house without a word.

Christina ran up, holding the sobbing Harper, and shouted at his back, "William, you're too much!"

William paused but didn't turn back. He straightened his back and kept walking.

Later, William risked Harper's life to save Jennifer's son, leading to Harper's death on the operating table, leaving Christina completely shattered.

He saw Christina in black, standing by Harper's grave, her tears flowing silently. The suffering she had endured had numbed her heart.

She sat by the grave, holding it as if it were her daughter one last time.

"Harper, Mommy couldn't protect you. It's my fault. Hell is too cold. Mommy will join you soon."

The scene shifted to the mansion, engulfed in flames. Christina calmly looked at her daughter's photo, holding it as she faced death.

"No, don't!" He tried to rush into the fire to save Christina, but everything turned to ashes as soon as he stepped in. The world was desolate, leaving him alone.

It was all true. No wonder Christina hated him so much. What had he done?

The nightmare suffocated him, making him feel Christina's pain. He finally understood why she hated him so much, wishing him dead.

He woke up abruptly, seeing a white ceiling. He coughed violently, gasping for air.

Bob rushed in, almost in tears. "Mr. Cavendish, you're finally awake!"

He ran to the door, shouting, "Someone, the patient is awake!"

Doctors and nurses quickly came in, checking him over. The doctor sighed in relief. "Mr. Cavendish is out of danger."

Bob sighed too. "That's good. Thank you, everyone."

William felt a heavy pain in his chest, like a weight crushing him. He managed to ask, "Where am I?"

"Silver Crest Hospital, abroad," Bob replied.

"How long was I out?" William felt like an eternity had passed. He needed to know how much time had gone by.

"Four days," Bob said solemnly.

Four days? It had only been four days.

But the things he dreamed felt like a lifetime. He couldn't imagine how Christina endured those years, day by day.

At that moment, he truly empathized. He felt the guilt of both his past and present selves merging, deepening his remorse.

He struggled to get out of bed. "I need to go back home."

Bob quickly supported him. "Mr. Cavendish, you just got out of danger. You can't."

"I said, I need to go back home." William's cold eyes left no room for negotiation.

Bob had no choice but to agree. "Alright, Mr. Cavendish. I'll arrange it."

A day later, the plane finally landed back home.

Ignoring his discomfort, he rushed home and saw Christina coming down the stairs. He quickly walked up and hugged her tightly.

"Christina."