Chapter 24 "Cindy, I came to apologize," Alexander Lowell said hoarsely, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want to explain everything to seek your forgiveness... and bring you back to me." His lips were dry, his gaze uncertain, and every word trembled with caution. For the first time, Cynthia saw a completely different side of the man she once thought indestructible. He wasn't the composed, commanding figure who always held the upper hand. He looked... fragile. So even someone like Alexander could be brought to his knees. She stepped forward slowly, her expression calm but distant. "If you have something to say, say it now. All of it. Because I won't forgive you-and I won't go back to you." Her voice didn't waver. "I'm pregnant with Nate's child, and we're very happy now." The words landed like a blade to the chest. Alexander staggered back, as if the air had been punched out of his lungs. His face went pale, his eyes flickering in disbelief. Pregnant. She had a baby-with another man. How had things changed so quickly? His sorrow poured from him in waves, but still, he found the strength to speak. "Cindy... I've always loved you. Even before you confessed to me-I already loved you." He paused, swallowing hard. "And everything Morinne Ayla did to you... I've made her pay for all of it." His voice slowed as he began to unload the years of anguish, the guilt, the love he'd buried so deep he thought it might rot inside him. The betrayal. The restraint. The nights he drank to numb the ache. The guilt over pushing her away when all he wanted was to hold her tighter. He didn't say these things hoping she'd come running back to him. He just... needed her to know. That she hadn't loved alone. That her feelings hadn't been a fantasy. That he'd always loved her-longer and deeper than she ever realized. When he finally finished speaking, silence fell. Cynthia stood there, her expression unreadable, heart roiling with emotion. So.... he had really loved her. The kiss on her eighteenth birthday, the night she thought she had imagined into something more-it had been real. All of it had been real. Her eyes welled up with something unnameable. But still, her voice remained steady. "Uncle Alex... let's stop here." She offered a faint, almost wistful smile, "Let's try not to see each other again. My life is good now, and I don't plan to go backward." Her hand moved instinctively to her belly, and she turned toward Nathan, smiling with quiet certainty. "Nate, let's go home." Chapter 24 92.31% She took his hand and didn't look back. She was no longer needed Alexander's love. Alexander could only stand there and watch her walk away, the woman he had once been too afraid to love... now belonging entirely to someone else. Back at home, Nathan busied himself making her a cup of warm water and a pot of butternut squash soup. When he saw Cynthia drink it all, a satisfied smile touched his lips. But then, with a tinge of sadness, he finally voiced what had been weighing on him. "Cindy... does he still matter that much to you?" He tried to sound casual, but the ache in his voice betrayed him. "To you... Alexander Lowell holds such an important place in your heart. But what about me? Will you ever love me the way you loved him?" His warm and soft eyes dimmed, and his voice dropped. It wasn't bitterness-it was quiet heartbreak. Cynthia understood his insecurity. After all these years of chasing after her, how could he not feel a little jealous? So she didn't hesitate. She reached out and gently forced her hand into his. "Nate, you matter to me too. And you're only going to matter more from here on out. I'll try to love you more with each day." She smiled, firm and sincere, "We still have a long road ahead of us, don't we?" "Back then, Alexander was once everything to me. I won't lie about that-I loved him deeply. But now, that love is gone. It's over." 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