Her Return, His Regret

Lora quickly showered and went to the living room. As promised, the twins gave her a clumsy foot massage.

"Do you feel better, Mommy?" Ella asked as she tried her best to use her little fingers to massage one of Lora's legs.

Although Lora felt like she was being tickled, her heart felt full. She smiled and said, "Thank you so much... the massage has made me feel better."

Ethan had a serious look on his face as he worked on Lora's other leg, pretending to be a professional masseur.

Bianca chuckled and took a picture of this scene. She remarked, "You're so lucky to have such adorable twins, Lora. They love you so much."

"I love Mommy and since Daddy is not yet here, I'm going to continue giving her foot massages and rubbing her back," Ella proclaimed and Lora's heart skipped a beat.

The kids had never bothered her about meeting their father. However, it didn't mean she couldn't see the longing look in their eyes each time they saw other children with their fathers at the theme park.

Looking down at the twins, she asked, "Ella, Ethan, would you like to meet your Daddy?"

Ella's eyes lit up. She looked up at Lora and answered, "Yes! Is he coming home now?"

"What about you, Ethan?" Lora asked, noticing how quiet her son was.

"I'll meet him if you want me to meet him," Ethan answered calmly.

"Of course Mommy wants us to meet Daddy, she loves Daddy, right Mommy? We wouldn't exist if Mommy didn't love Daddy," Ella remarked and Lora's eyes widened.

This little girl had no filter.

She chuckled and reached over to lightly pinch Ella's cheek, saying, "Who taught you how to talk like that, huh? You will meet your Daddy in a few days."

"Yay! Are we going to be a real family now?" Ella asked, her eyes twinkling with joy and sadness crept into Lora's heart.

It seems no matter how much love she showered her children, they still felt the absence of their father.

Lora grew up thinking she was an orphan, so she knew exactly how it felt to grow up without parents. Her children deserved to know their biological father... she couldn't deprive them of a father's love and care just because they were not together anymore. "Ella, I told you. We can only be a real family if Daddy makes Mommy happy," Ethan remarked with a pout. He glanced at Lora and said, "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll still protect you if Daddy doesn't come back."

Lora's heart was filled with warmth. At least she knew, if anything else were to go wrong in the world, she had her two adorable babies by her side.

...

A little while later...

Ryan was resting when the door to the ward opened and Lora walked in.

His eyes lit up and he let out a sigh of relief.

"You came..." he remarked, glancing at Lora, smiling.

"Yes, I did. I promised to take care of you, remember?" Lora replied, walking into the ward.

She noticed the plate of untouched food on the bedside table and frowned. "You didn't eat?"

"I can't use my hands for now," Ryan responded, an innocent look in his eyes.

Lora arched an eyebrow and said, "That's what nurses are for, Mr Kingsley."

"I don't like just anyone to feed me," Ryan replied, his eyebrows creasing. "Only my wife can feed me."

Lora let out a sigh. She rolled her eyes and asked, "Have you always been such a baby?"

"I'm a patient, Lora... can't you be a little nice?" Ryan remarked, arching an eyebrow. Lora glanced at him and when she saw the bandages around his body, her heart ached. She sighed and took the plate of food before saying, "I'll feed you."

Ryan grinned and did a happy dance in his heart. Did this mean Lora was softening up to him?

As Lora began feeding him, she recalled Bianca's words and her stomach churned. She glanced at Ryan and asked, "Do you really want to punish Ivy? Or are you just stalling for her to get away with everything again?" Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He suddenly grabbed the plate from Lora and put it on the bedside table. Despite the sharp pain that flared through his body, he forced himself up and sat with his back leaning against the wall. "Do you really think I would let Ivy get away with everything?" He questioned, his heart aching knowing Lora still didn't trust him.

'I probably deserve that... but I'll do my best to make her trust me again,' Ryan said in his mind.

Lora lowered her eyes. She sighed

and replied, "don't know what to think, Ryan..You've let Ivy get away with a lot of things in the past. It was only recently that I heard it's

del

because she saved you in the past. How do I know if you're not just protecting her right now?"

"Lora," Ryan's voice was hoarse as he looked into Lora's hazel eyes. "I'm not protecting vy.... I can't protect her after what she did to you... I just want to deal with her in the best way possible, Arresting her immediately won't be enough punishment for her. I want her mask off before the entire world. I promise I'll never protect her again. I think I've repaid her enough for saving me... it's high time I focussed on my family- the real people that matter to me."

Lora looked into Ryan's eyes, trying to search for something. When she saw that he was being sincere, she nodded and said, "I'll trust you for now. I hope you don't disappoint me, Ryan. Otherwise..."

She left the threat hanging and Ryan

gulped. He recalled how Lora was determined to ignore him when she just returned... the way she hated him so much, he could see it in her eyes. He never wanted to experience that ever again.

Holding her hand, he declared, "I swear on my life. Ivy will pay for her crimes and I'll prove to you that I love you so much."