When I woke up the next morning, Lennox and Summer happened to be walking in, one after the other, carrying breakfast. Seeing I was awake, Lennox quickly set the breakfast before me. "Summer and I wanted you to sleep in a bit longer, so we got up early to buy breakfast."
Summer kicked her little legs as she climbed onto the bed, leaning against my shoulder. "I only left you for a little while, and I already missed you so much, Daddy."
Feeling the warmth in my chest, a self-mocking smile appeared in my eyes. They'd clearly been gone all night. They'd clearly just returned from Becket Thorne's bed. Yet they had the audacity to claim they'd gone to buy breakfast. How had I never noticed before how talented they were at acting?
After breakfast, the two of them rushed to drag me to the ski resort. Becket Thorne had already changed into his ski gear, standing in the courtyard waiting for us. But I had zero interest in skiing anymore.
Lennox looked at me with concern, her voice tinged with probing. "What's been going on with you these past two days? Did Summer or I do something to upset you?"
I shook my head. "No, it's just my friend's situation. It's been affecting my mood lately."
Only then did Lennox breathe a sigh of relief, gently kissing my forehead. "Aaron, don't worry. That will never happen to us. If you really don't want to ski, then—"
"Miss Whitmore." Before she could finish, Becket's hesitant voice rang out.
Seeing the longing in his eyes, Lennox didn't want to disappoint him. The words on her lips immediately changed direction. "Why don't you wait here for us like a good boy? Summer, my assistant and I will do a few runs and come right back."
Summer said nothing, but with just one glance I could see her hand secretly gripping the hem of Becket Thorne's jacket. The little girl was probably too eager to enjoy their little world of three. By now they weren't even worried anymore that I might discover what they were doing.
I nodded silently. Lennox carefully instructed the hotel staff to take good care of me. She even carefully put gloves on my hands. "Aaron, it's freezing out here. I'm worried you'll catch cold. If you feel sick at all, call me immediately, okay?"
Summer also played the little adult, checking my jacket zipper thoroughly. "I don't want to see Daddy get sick either."
Becket stood at a distance, watching my warm family scene, unable to hold back the tears welling in his eyes. "Sir, Miss Whitmore and your daughter really are so good to you."
At that, I just looked up with a faint smile. "I think they love you even more, after all. Lennox and Summer can keep both you and me in the dark, quietly building a whole new family on the side. That's proof enough they've never cared about my feelings. All they think about is finding ways to be with Becket Thorne."
I'd barely finished speaking when suddenly a thunderous roar echoed from the distance. The ground beneath my feet began shaking violently. I was about to ask what was happening when I looked up and saw a massive wall of snow barreling straight toward us.
Tourists around us scattered in panic. The scene descended into chaos.
Instinctively, I wrapped my arms tightly around Lennox's waist. But in the very next second, I watched as Lennox pried my hands away and ran straight toward Becket Thorne. Summer, who'd been standing beside me, also ran in that same direction.
I heard a deafening crash as thick snow came crashing down on top of me. Right before I lost consciousness, I saw Lennox, the woman who'd said she loved me, and Summer, the girl who had promised to protect me, nestled in the arms of another man.
When I woke up, a week had already passed.
The nurse saw me regain consciousness and immediately notified the doctor, who was on his lunch break, to come examine me. "Mr. Grant, you're finally awake. Miss Whitmore and your daughter called in practically every top doctor in the city. Miss Whitmore even donated a hundred million to charity, hoping to earn good karma so you'd wake up soon. They'll be so happy to know you're awake."
Before she'd even finished speaking, Lennox and Summer pushed through the door. Seeing I was awake, they both immediately rushed over and embraced me tightly, their eyes filled with anguish.
"You're finally awake. Do you have any idea how worried I've been this entire week?"
Summer's eyes were red-rimmed, her voice choked with emotion. "Dad, I was so scared you'd never wake up."
People always said Miss Whitmore was a CEO, cold and emotionless. But in that moment I felt several hot tears fall into the palm of my hand. Tears were about to spill from Summer's eyes too.
However, the scene before me stirred nothing inside. I only felt a wave of bitter irony rising. In that moment of real danger, the person they instinctively ran to protect was Becket Thorne.
If I said it didn't hurt, I'd be lying to myself and everyone else. I had given Lennox my whole heart. Loved her with everything I had. And as for Summer, I cared for and raised her with my own hands since she was born. I saw that little girl as my own flesh and blood. Yet Becket Thorne had only been around for a few months, and he'd easily stolen everything away, forcibly claiming the place that should have been mine.
Seeing the look on my face, Lennox and Summer suddenly panicked, rushing to explain. "The scene was so chaotic that day. In my panic, I couldn't tell who was who, so I accidentally ran to the wrong person."
Summer chimed in. "Daddy, Mommy and I will never let you be in danger again. This time it was completely our fault."
My body had only just woken up and was still incredibly weak. In that moment I felt exhausted beyond measure. I didn't have the strength to expose their clumsy performance.
Just seven more days. Seven more days, and I'd be able to escape this world. Leave this masked mother-daughter duo behind forever.
Over the following days, perhaps feeling guilty, Lennox and Summer stayed glued to my bedside constantly.