WCMBI - Chapter 259: Supreme Love

Ian found himself teleported to the top floor of the mansion in an instant. Clutching Dia in his arms, he looked down below. Though too distant for a child to notice, it was crystal clear to his eyes: Melissa, sternly scolding the nanny.

Despite the action that could be deemed impertinent, he couldn't entertain such thoughts. Rather, he regarded it as her rightful authority.

"Dia, that's the painting Dad always wanted. But it's best if you don't see it."

"Hmm."

"If you're sleepy, you can go to bed."

While patting the child's back, Ian couldn't divert his gaze from Melissa. He longed to see her return as the reigning hostess of the mansion. With hope that this image would persist, he watched her for a while before readjusting Dia in his arms.

"Shall we go to the room now?"

"Umm..."

The half-closed eyes of the drowsy child responded with a whine. Ian quickly took her to his room, carefully washed her hands, and put her to bed. While listening to the gentle, rhythmic breathing, he felt an unsettling aura permeate the space as if it were expanding.

Melissa appeared out of nowhere and approached him, scrutinizing Dia’s condition from all angles. As she came closer, Ian reflexively clenched his fist, only to unclench it. Although he knew intellectually that things were different now, old habits die hard, often causing him trouble.

Even though he had been impulsive earlier, he couldn't forget the satisfaction he felt when embracing her. Loosening his grip on the empty air, he silently observed Melissa inspecting Dia.

After closely examining the child for a moment and confirming she was alright, she spoke in a feeble voice, "You might have been surprised. I wish you could stay with the child tomorrow."

Ian also wanted to be with Dia tomorrow, but he couldn't do so, which filled him with regret.

"Yes, I understand. Please don't worry too much."

"Please find a new nanny for the child. To prevent such incidents from happening again, make sure to properly train the employees."

"Understood."

Melissa glanced at Ian with a hint of reproach in her eyes as he readily agreed. Then she stood up. Unable to bear leaving Adella alone again, she hurriedly turned to leave, but Ian held her back.

"Just a moment!"

"Is there something you want to ask?"

Tension masked by her face, Ian struggled to find the right words and finally managed to speak up.

"If I were to suffer as much and repent as you did, would you give me another chance?"

He knew well that Melissa's heart was not his to claim. However, living without her was inconceivable. She was his first and last love, and he couldn't imagine life without her. Both he and Dia needed Melissa in their lives.

Melissa held her breath for a moment, gazing intently at Ian as if searching for something in his eyes. The warm tears that had fallen from her golden, radiant irises came to mind. Her appearance, still somewhat disheveled, and her moist eyes felt as if they were still brimming with moisture.

The composed and resolute Ian seemed to vanish, replaced by a man on the edge of a cliff, fragile and precarious, with a desperate glimmer in his eyes and a heart that beat softly and silently.

Unable to sense his pheromones anymore and with her bond severed, her heart no longer had an anchor. Yet, like the first day they met, her heart trembled.

She bit her lower lip for a moment, then rounded her lips into a circle. Ian, who had been fixated on her slowly parting lips, swallowed his dry saliva.

"If you were to stand on the same path as me, well...”

Melissa, as she opened her mouth to speak, carefully pondered over her words. From the very first moment she laid eyes on him until now, she had always believed that they had never stood on the same level, neither in terms of social status nor emotional depth. The thought of overturning such an obvious hierarchy had never crossed her mind. After much contemplation, she finally voiced her thoughts.

"For the first time, we might find ourselves on equal footing. If that were to happen, not only you but also I would have a fair opportunity."

Ian was pleased with her response but concealed his emotions, nodding his head in agreement without any show of force.

"Yes, yes. I will undoubtedly create opportunities for you."

In Ian's nodding expression, there was a glimpse of D.S. Was the overwhelming sadness he exuded directed at D.S. or perhaps at himself?

Regardless of the answer, it was undeniable that his precarious appearance had shaken her heart.