Whitney walked cautiously to Maisie's room and coincidentally encountered Daniel, who had just
exited.
"How is she?" she asked. Her eyes filled with concern, but there was nothing she could do.
Daniel pulled her aside and whispered, "The doctor mentioned her depression came back."
She was stunned. "What depression?"
"Well..." He hesitated, not wanting to revisit the past, but with Maisie deteriorating, he had to
confront it.
"Got it." Whitney nodded, frowning. "I always thought there was more to you two. I thought she only
dated you for your money. She's a loyal girl, just like her mom in a relationship!"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I didn't protect her back then."
"The past is the past. You can't turn back time." She sighed. "But no matter what you do now, give
your best to help her through this!"
"I know."
Whitney led Daniel to the study, retrieved a box from the drawer, and handed it to him. "You're my nephew, as
close as a son to me. Now that you've found someone you want to spend your life with, I'll give you this."
He paused before opening the box, revealing a diamond bracelet.
The beautiful, clear diamonds sparkled under the light.
He recognized it instantly as the Kinglakes' heirloom.
"Aunt, I..."
"Although you're a Newhouse, your grandfather always treated you as a Kinglake!" She smiled. "You're the Kinglake
heir, so your wife should own the heirloom!
"All we want now is for Maisie to get better. Your uncle and I will host a grand wedding for you, a fanfare for her to
marry into the family, to grow old with you!"
Daniel smiled and nodded, looking at her gratefully.
-
Daniel placed the bracelet on Maisie's nightstand and gently caressed her cheek.
The doctor had prescribed medicine to help her calm down. After taking it, she settled into a long nap.
As Daniel reflected on the difficult environment Maisie had grown up in, sent to him by Cindy as a means to
generate income, he couldn't shake the image of her navigating life cautiously. It was as if she had been tiptoeing
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmon eggshells during the few years she spent with him.
The heartbreaking thought of her losing a child and the apparent cruelty of destiny, despite her memory loss,
overwhelmed him. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Simultaneously, he found solace in the realization that fate had brought her to him. If Cindy had
directed her elsewhere, Maisie might have endured a lifetime of misery.
A soft moan escaped Maisie's lips, and she curled into a ball, visibly in pain.
Concerned, he asked, "What's wrong, Maisie?"
She awoke from her dream, suddenly sitting up. When she saw Daniel, she remained in a daze,
unable to speak for a moment.
"Maisie," he said, holding her hands.
The warmth from his palms provided a sense of security.
"How about we go for a walk?" he suggested.
She nodded, but her eyes remained vacant as if she were a puppet under his control.