My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 221

Last night, I went to bed early, mainly because my activities with Shawn tired me out immensely. So, I drifted off to sleep almost immediately after my head hit the pillow. Last night, I went to bed early, mainly because my activities with Shawn tired me out immensely. So, I drifted off to sleep almost immediately after my head hit the pillow.

When I woke up in the morning, the sky outside was painted with shades of purple and orange. There was a faint morning glow at the border of the mountains in the distance; the sun would rise soon.

As I lowered my gaze away from the windows, I saw that Shawn's brows were slightly furrowed together as though he was worrying in his sleep. I instinctively reached out to smoothen it out. He relaxed under my touch as if he knew that I was his safety net.

Normally, his eyes would have snapped open the instant my fingertips grazed his skin!

I slowly shifted away to avoid jarring him from sleep as I got out of bed, dressed up, and left the cabin. I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh air as the bed of daffodils fluttered with the breeze. I crouched down to feel the velvety petals brushing against my fingers while softly remarking, "It's so pretty."

The sounds of birds twittered in my ears, and I rose to my feet. I glanced toward the direction of the birds singing, only to find a few sparrows weaving through the forest. A few seconds later, I even caught sight of a rather hefty-looking crow.

"The early bird indeed gets the worm," I said with a soft giggle.

After I stretched the exhaustion from my sore muscles, I was about to return to the cabin when I accidentally caught sight of an old stone tablet on the patch of grass in the distance. I trotted over out of curiosity and saw many blocky words carved into the stone, and at the end were the names of two people—James and Sandra.

James was the name of my biological father, and Sandra was probably my birth mother's name.

And Brimstone Mountain was the spot they pledged their love!

The night James passed away, he kept telling me of his love for my mother, but how could a man with so many lovers be deemed faithful? He was merely trying to move himself!

Of course, I couldn't be sure of the things that happened between them, so I couldn't criticize their love. I crouched on the ground as I carefully read the carvings, 'You were born before me and turned old when I was born. When I first met you, you were already a family man. Although my heart knows and it's burning with sorrow, I decided to put an end to this. May your future be bright, but forget not our past. When we meet again, I hope you have passed on.'

The phrase was straightforward, and while I could tell my mother loved him, I could also feel her determination to leave when she found out he already had a family. Considering the last line when she mentioned that she hoped he was already dead if they laid eyes on each other again, it vaguely reeked of viciousness.

My mother probably hated him, or else she wouldn't have sent me to the Xenos Family.

Although the matriarch of the family sent me to the Felix Family, she turned me away due to resentment. Otherwise, she wouldn't have married a man from France so quickly!

Still, all these were pure speculation on my part.

I let out a sigh and murmured, "He's dead now."

James Xenos, the old master of the Xenos Family and my biological father, constantly enjoyed power and influence no one else could wield since he was a mere babe. Yet, he could never truly receive the love he desperately wanted in the end.

One-sided love… How many in this world are with the one they love?

Olivia, Christopher, Diego, Nicholas, Quinn, Francesca, Leon, and so many others couldn't be with the ones they loved!

I eventually sat on the ground as I stared at the stone tablet, utterly lost in my thoughts. When I finally left memory lane, I turned my head and saw that man staring at me intently as he leaned against the cabin door.

"Why are you up so early?" I asked, smiling.

"To enjoy the sunrise," he answered calmly.

At the moment, the purple hues in the sky had been replaced by a fiery orange, and the sun was slowly rising. It would appear above the mountains and shine upon them in just a few minutes.

Shawn's straight figure was shrouded by a tinge of gold, making him seem ethereal, like a man from a dream.

I hurriedly ran to him and hugged his arm, afraid that he would disappear. Perhaps he could sense my unease, so he lowered his head, asking, "What are you looking at over there?"

"My biological mother's name is Sandra." I tilted my head as I gazed at him and added, "I finally have a name for the first time in my life."

"Do you blame her?" he inquired, taking me by complete surprise.

Do I hate her?

I'd thought about this question before. Maybe I did, once upon a time. I couldn't say I never despised her for giving me away. Nevertheless, I hadn't thought about what-ifs and could-haves ever since I inherited the Xenos Family.

That was because Shawn's mother gave me a hard time for a while, and I naturally became upset during that period, thinking that she was only worried about her son. Regardless, when I learned that she wasn't my biological mother, I breathed a huge sigh of relief, and my mind instinctively banished her from my thoughts.

It was as though I had finally unloaded the burden that came with knowing this person. After all, it didn't matter who she was. The best revenge was living well.

I shook my head and said, "Everyone is free to make their own choices. She decided to give me up back then, and I've never met her, so I can't blame her. Furthermore, she donated a kidney to me, and every living second I have now is all thanks to her."

So, what right do I have to blame her?

In addition, I'm no longer a naive child, especially since I was with child once. Armed with that knowledge, I understood that some things couldn't be helped. After I put myself in her shoes, I felt oddly at peace with the situation.

Despite that, no matter how I could rationalize her behavior, I could still refuse to acknowledge her. I figured she had made her stance known since she hadn't bothered with getting in touch with me until now.

In her heart, I was never her daughter, and she probably donated her kidney to me out of guilt.

Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.

"That's wise of you," he commented.

I smiled and said nothing in reply. The sun had completely risen, and I tugged him by his arm to the rocking chair to enjoy the sunlight of Bryxton. NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.

"Do you like this place a lot?" I asked curiously.

Every inch of this place was meticulously decorated. It was clear that he had put in a lot of effort.

"Yeah, it's a peaceful place."

Was there any other special reason besides this? I didn't think this was the only point!

I leaned my head on his shoulder as I looked at the mountain scenery. I recalled the last night's dream and recounted it to him, "I had a dream last night. In my dream, my adorable kids were in it, and there was also Tammie. My parents were surrounded by their children and grandchildren in the Felix mansion, looking perfectly happy."

Although it was a nice dream, it was bizarre. My kids, parents, Leon, Tamara, and even Quinn were in my dream, and we were all living in the Felix mansion; only Shawn and Francesca weren't there.

Only Leon's lover and Shawn were notably absent.

At the mention of my kids, Shawn became silent. Perhaps that was because he didn't know how he could comfort me. A few minutes later, he rose to his feet and said, "Let's head down the mountain."

It was another tiring ride on the way back, and at the end of it, I was slumped in the passenger seat and couldn't muster any energy to speak. When we passed the villa, I saw Charles bending his back as he cleared the fallen leaves of the sycamore trees in the courtyard.

When he saw that I was looking out the window, Shawn reminded me dispassionately, "This is a property of the Xenos Family. He's not taking care of this villa for your father but for you. If you like this place, you can always spend a few nights here any time you like, especially in winter."

I tilted my head in his direction and asked, "Why winter, though?"

"The winter in Brimstone Mountain is exceptionally beautiful."

"I see," I hummed in agreement. When he noticed that I was in low spirits, he decided to be silent, but frustration was slowly building up in my chest.

That dream was annoying because I couldn't see my children's faces clearly. Despite that, I knew in my heart that they were mine!

Just when I was wallowing in depression, Olivia sent me a text. 'Renee, I'm getting married on New Year's Day.'

Her news struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I hastily texted her back, demanding, 'Why are you getting married so suddenly?'

'I just want to get married all of a sudden.'

She didn't sound like a consenting party to this marriage. Honestly, it seemed as though someone had forced her into one.

Then, she texted again, 'Will you be my bridesmaid?'