Marriage Resumption (Valeria and Hackett)

Keith remained silent, his gaze fixed on her.

She chuckled, a hint of bitterness in her laughter. "He believed terminated the pregnancy four years ago. He was unaware

of Alex's existence, and I intended to keep it that way. I feared hel take Alex from me if he knew."

Over the past four years, Keith had been her stalwart support, so she felt the need to let him know these truths.

Keith remained silent and continued to listen patiently

I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything after all of your help, and I even asked you to do me a favor and go to the old residence together last night, putting you in such an awkward position. I truly..." Valeria confessed, guilt washing over her at the memory of the uncomfortable dinner.

Keith finally broke his silence. "I can comprehend the difficulty you've faced. But are you resolved to keep Hackett oblivious to Alex's existence indefinitely? You should understand that secrets have a way of coming to light, and he'll find out sooner or later. That's why I plan to resign once I wrap up these pending cases at hand. My intention is to relocate to a foreign country with Alex so that the James family will never know Alex's existence."

She shared her thoughts with Keith, hoping for his support.

Unexpectedly, Keith said with a smile, "I've managed to let you work for me, and now you're planning to leave?"

"I apologize, but I have no choice..."

Valeria knew that the James family would find out about Alex's existence if she kept remaining in Alcomara. And then what was she supposed to do?

She believed the James family would be desperate to take Alex away from her.

Keith raised his coffee and took a sip. "Marry me. Let's make Alex my son and begin anew. Anyway, you can't evade this forever.

Startled, Valeria stared, almost doubting what she'd heard.

She didn't expect Keith to say it so bluntly, and he straightforwardly proposed marriage!

"You must be kidding."

Valeria awkwardly lifted her coffee to her lips, avoiding direct eye contact with Keith.

"I am completely serious. My mother is pressing for marriage, and I'm at that age for marriage. We've spent four years together, getting to know each other extensively. In many ways, we are the most compatible partners for marriage."Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit peculiar, and Keith, wearing a serious expression, began to explain things to her Just as abruptly, a sense of disappointment filled her.

Valeria's gaze darkened slightly. "So, it's all about finding someone compatible for marriage," she thought.

However, she no longer wanted to treat marriage casually

Marrying Hacken had been a hasty decision, and she could not win over his affection, leading to an inevitable divorce.

She couldn't predict where she'd end up if she married Keith in haste again.

Her heart was weary, and she was no longer willing to take unnecessary risks,

Valeria offered a faint smile. "Keith, I appreciate your kindness, but I've already been through a divorce. I don't want to enter another marriage without serious consideration. You deserve better."

A well-conditioned man like Keith could easily find a good woman.

Why should he get married to a divorced woman with a child like her? It simply wasn't worth it.

Keith didn't utter another word. Instead, he glanced at his wristwatch and said, "It's getting late. I should be on my way. Get

sothe rest

"Sure."

Valeria then stood up to see him to the door.

Keith walked towards the door and added, "You can think about my suggestion. A marriage without love might suit both of us quite well in our current situations now."

With that, Keith turned away and headed for the elevator.

Valeria closed the door behind him and leaned against it, lost in thought.

Marriage without love?

When she had married Hackett, she had been filled with love, only to have her heart broken.

Would a marriage without love indeed be a better option?

Beep...

The sound of a ringing cell phone interrupted her musings.

She picked up the phone and glanced at the caller ID. It was Hackett calling

Valeria couldn't help but furrow her brows, yet she answered the call. She said with a hint of irritation, "Why are you calling To mock me with your sarcasm again?" "Come outside. I'm waiting outside the living quarter. We need to talk."

"What is there to talk about between us other than work?"

As she said that, she was about to end the call, but unexpectedly, Hackett's threatening voice came through. "If you don't come out, I'll come up to you."

"You're not allowed to come up! I'll be down!"

The idea of Hackett coming up completely threw her into a panic.

Ten minutes later.

Valeria arrived outside the living quarter and spotted, the white Aston Martin, immediately recognizing it as Hackett's car

At that moment, Hackett was leaning against the car's front hood His expression was frigid, and he held his arms tightly around himself, exuding an intense, hostile aura. It seemed like he could erupt into a rage at any instant

Valeria sensed that Hackett was not in a stable state of mind and knew she had to be more cautious.

"What do you want to say?

Hackett noticed her approaching, stood upright, and got straight to the point. T've done some digging on Keith. He's been in love with a girlfriend for years who suddenly married another man in a rush. Now, he even has an illegitimate child. His life is too chaotic. You should stay away from him."

A girlfriend who suddenly got married to another man in a rush

"No wonder Keith mentioned a marriage without love earlier. lems he still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend," Valeria thought.

With an indifferent attitude, Valeria said coldly, "You brought me here just to tell me this?"

Tm speaking to you seriously. Being a stepmother isn't anything great. Choose your path carefully." Hackett's expression turned serious.

"Fine. Thanks for the advice, dear Mr. Ex-husband I understand.If there's nothing else, I'll head home."

Valeria's indifferent demeanor managed to irritate Hackett thoroughly.

Hackett forcefully pulled her back with one hand as she turned away and spoke sternly. "Did you even listen to what I said? I told you to steer clear of Keith! He's trouble!

Valeria met his intense gaze. "And what about you? You also love another woman, right? If you're like that and Keith is like that, then I suppose all men are like that. Why should I even care?"

"I don't! Who told you that all men are like that? Are you out of your mind!"

Hackett felt that he would inevitably become annoyed with Valeria, given how she consistently misunderstood him.

How dare she compare him to that worthless guy Keith?

He was different from Keith! He had never held any romantic feelings for a woman, and his interest in Cheryl had been solely rooted in a sense of duty, devoid of any trace of affection,

Valeria gave a contemptuous sneer. "Oh, really? You've done so many bad things for Cheryl. You didn't even want your own biological child. Now you're just putting on a show by erecting a tombstone for the child. You should stop pretending to be are you trying to deceive in this way?" affectionate! Wh

The thought of that empty tombstone infuriated her. In her opinion, it was more like a death curse to her beloved son.

She couldn't wait to hurry over and ruin that tombstone overnight!

Being reprimanded by Valeria, Hackett became infuriated and sheered, "You are an ungrateful woman to regard my goodwill as malice. You deserve to be deceived!"

After uttering those words, he turned and entered the car, driving off with his foot on the gas pedal.

Valeria watched the car speed away, emitting a cold snort. She didn't need his goodwill at all!

Just as she turned around and was about to enter the living quarter, another familiar and terrifying voice suddenly echoed behind her.

"Valeria, is that you? I have finally found you! Great!"

The voice caused her entire body to freeze, and her face turned instantly pale. Her eyes widened in horror, and she dared not look back.