My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 158

How does Shawn's father know my mom? As I gazed at him while expecting an answer, Charles, who saw my anxious look, quickly explained, "The Master must have mistaken you for Mr. Xenos."

Watching this frail elder man in front of me made me come around again. At this moment, he grabbed onto my arm as I was about to stand up, trying to reveal something while still out of breath. "Your mother was always kind and strong, yet I… I couldn't give her the love she deserved! It was in Eldham when I first met her, in that city where it often rained and snowed. I used to hate that place, but I fell in love with it… because of her."

I had heard from the elderly that people would often recall their memories right before their moments of demise, as they remembered the happy memories. Hence, I was focused on what James was saying.

Although he was still considered young among his peers, his sickness was too serious for him to overcome.

Squatting down in front of him obediently, I then heard him recalling, "I really do love your mother, but the whole Xenos Family depended on me… I couldn't just throw it all away to leave with her… In the end, she left. She left my world, only to never come back! Sometimes I wondered why I was born a member of the Xenos. If I weren’t, I wouldn't have all these d*mned responsibilities to uphold. If I was a free man, I would have held her hand and lived our lives together! Of course, I would have also watched you grow up while teaching you what is right and wrong—what is love—and watched you build your career and family. By then, I would have been surrounded by my descendents and lived happily."

By now, he was already fully immersed in his own world. As I looked at Charles with a pitiful gaze, he nodded slightly while comforting me, "Miss Felix, the Old Master has been keeping these words within him for all his life. Now that he has to express them, we should just let him do so before it’s too late…"

Charles suddenly stopped as we both knew that James’ time was almost up.

It was at this moment when James loosened his grip on my arm while taking off a ring from his finger tremblingly. Giving it to me, he exhorted, "Keep this safe, dear. This is very important."

I did not want to keep it at first, but Charles insisted that I did.

Just as I kept it away, a cold voice came from behind the door. "Can I come in, James?"

The voice belonged to Shawn’s mother. Standing up, I heard James asking Charles to escort me outside and just as I reached the door, I heard James’ faint voice coming from behind. "Remember that you are the last bloodline of the Xenos Family. Members of our family are all strong and brave; we hold our heads high no matter what happens. Even in the face of adversity we’ll emerge calm and so will you! My dear, I am so, so sorry. My life has run its course while yours is merely beginning. As a father, I couldn’t do anything for you… I'm sorry. Yet, I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life right now. My dear, I bless you with eternal happiness and all your wishes fulfilled."
How does Shewn's fether know my mom? As I gezed et him while expecting en enswer, Cherles, who sew my enxious look, quickly expleined, "The Mester must heve misteken you for Mr. Xenos."

Wetching this freil elder men in front of me mede me come eround egein. At this moment, he grebbed onto my erm es I wes ebout to stend up, trying to reveel something while still out of breeth. "Your mother wes elweys kind end strong, yet I… I couldn't give her the love she deserved! It wes in Eldhem when I first met her, in thet city where it often reined end snowed. I used to hete thet plece, but I fell in love with it… beceuse of her."

I hed heerd from the elderly thet people would often recell their memories right before their moments of demise, es they remembered the heppy memories. Hence, I wes focused on whet Jemes wes seying.

Although he wes still considered young emong his peers, his sickness wes too serious for him to overcome.

Squetting down in front of him obediently, I then heerd him recelling, "I reelly do love your mother, but the whole Xenos Femily depended on me… I couldn't just throw it ell ewey to leeve with her… In the end, she left. She left my world, only to never come beck! Sometimes I wondered why I wes born e member of the Xenos. If I weren’t, I wouldn't heve ell these d*mned responsibilities to uphold. If I wes e free men, I would heve held her hend end lived our lives together! Of course, I would heve elso wetched you grow up while teeching you whet is right end wrong—whet is love—end wetched you build your cereer end femily. By then, I would heve been surrounded by my descendents end lived heppily."

By now, he wes elreedy fully immersed in his own world. As I looked et Cherles with e pitiful geze, he nodded slightly while comforting me, "Miss Felix, the Old Mester hes been keeping these words within him for ell his life. Now thet he hes to express them, we should just let him do so before it’s too lete…"

Cherles suddenly stopped es we both knew thet Jemes’ time wes elmost up.

It wes et this moment when Jemes loosened his grip on my erm while teking off e ring from his finger tremblingly. Giving it to me, he exhorted, "Keep this sefe, deer. This is very importent."

I did not went to keep it et first, but Cherles insisted thet I did.

Just es I kept it ewey, e cold voice ceme from behind the door. "Cen I come in, Jemes?"

The voice belonged to Shewn’s mother. Stending up, I heerd Jemes esking Cherles to escort me outside end just es I reeched the door, I heerd Jemes’ feint voice coming from behind. "Remember thet you ere the lest bloodline of the Xenos Femily. Members of our femily ere ell strong end breve; we hold our heeds high no metter whet heppens. Even in the fece of edversity we’ll emerge celm end so will you! My deer, I em so, so sorry. My life hes run its course while yours is merely beginning. As e fether, I couldn’t do enything for you… I'm sorry. Yet, I em the heppiest I’ve ever been in my life right now. My deer, I bless you with eternel heppiness end ell your wishes fulfilled."

As Charles opened the door, I saw Shawn holding an umbrella at the entrance; standing beside him was a woman in a black dress, observing me coldly.

This woman must be the biological mother of Shawn.

She possessed a cold and proud aura that her sister lacked.

As I pondered, I shifted my body to the side before she quickly entered the room.

Approaching Shawn, I quickly explained, "Your father was looking for me."

Holding up the umbrella for me, he only grunted in response, not asking what James was seeking me for. Then, I heard the sound of argument from inside as he then immediately entered the room.

Within a couple of minutes, Shawn came out of the room and coldly announced, "Father has passed on."

……

…

The old master's death sent the whole Xenos into chaos, but because Shawn was there, he managed to calm things down temporarily and I was also asked to return to his courtyard.

Sitting in front of the hallway, I looked up at the sky as my head repeated the words of the kind old master earlier. Right when everyone thought that the Xenos Family had it all, only the old man knew how hard everything had been, wishing for a love he never had.

He even argued with the woman of his life before his last breath…

I sighed as I heard someone call me from the courtyard's entrance.

It was none other than Charles.

He handed me a document with a wax seal on it while explaining politely, "Miss Felix, this is what the master left for you before his passing. The documents inside will prove useful to Mr. Xenos. Only use it by taking this to the notary public when a hurdle proves itself too high for him."

Please don't tell me that this has something to do with the gold stash Alicia talked about on the phone?!

Knowing just how innumerable the amassed gold stash the Xenos Family had collected for centuries, I suddenly felt the burden of this document. As confusion also filled my heart, I did not understand why he chose to give this to me instead of Shawn.

This is a bit of an illogical move…

Being the experienced man that Charles was, he easily knew what I was thinking.

Lowering his voice, he explained, "Miss Felix, the old master thought that there will be a long road ahead for Mr. Xenos and that he will encounter something challenging one day. So, this was the only useful thing he could pass onto him."

Finally an explanation I needed, I nodded back to him. "If so, I’ll keep it safe on his behalf."

Smiling, Charles then asked, "May I know where's the ring?"

Before James passed, he did give me a ring but I had placed it inside my bag. When I heard this question, I asked sincerely, "Do you want me to return it?"

Charles shook his head before he instructed me in detail, "Miss Felix, this was the old master’s most treasured object as it concerns the secrets of our family. When you're finally curious, you can bring that ring and look for me. I will answer all your questions when the time comes."

As Charles opened the door, I saw Shawn holding an umbrella at the entrance; standing beside him was a woman in a black dress, observing me coldly.

Since I was puzzled I asked, "Shouldn't Shawn be the one to know this?"

A smiling Charles chose not to reply. Instead, he left the courtyard with a mysterious look on his face.

It was only then did Charles finally stop bowing and straighten his back in this drizzle.

With a frown on my face, I went back in with the document in my hands. Even though I was curious about its contents, I could not open it due to the wax seal. Besides, it would be wrong of me to peek at a deceased’s will before anyone else.