Chapter 136: You Are My Greatest Blessing

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: You Are My Greatest Blessing

~Third- POV~

"After all, not everyone is happy to see someone else enjoying the kind of life they can only dream of, especially when it’s my baby who’s living it."

Reynold chuckled, feeling instantly relieved. "When I woke up, I saw so many missed calls and notifications. The photos must have been released around midnight for so many alerts to pile up."

"No, sweetheart," Frederick corrected with a soft grin. "The press release went out around seven this morning."

Reynold’s eyes widened. "Wow... and everyone already knows?"

"Haven’t you heard the saying?" Frederick teased. "Bad news travels fast, but big news travels faster."

"You’re right about that," Reynold admitted, leaning back against his chair.

Frederick’s expression grew slightly more serious. "Eva called me this morning, too."

Reynold turned to him, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, baby." Frederick nodded. "She congratulated me on the engagement. I was honestly surprised, considering the lengthy apology message she sent last night. I guess she’s terrified of having her reputation completely ruined."

"Maybe she was being sincere, Frederick," Reynold said softly, turning his face away. "Maybe she really does regret what she did."

"Eva isn’t the type to change overnight," Frederick said, his eyes fixed on the view outside. "And she kept bringing up how much she wants to meet her daughter. Tell me, if you were in my shoes, considering everything that’s happened, what would you do?"

Reynold paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He looked down at their joined hands before meeting Frederick’s gaze.

"First of all, I’m nowhere near your age or level of experience, so my perspective might not be as mature as yours," Reynold began thoughtfully. "But this is what I’ve learned from life: no matter how many new people we meet, we can never truly erase or replace the people from our past."

Frederick tilted his head slightly, listening intently. "How do you mean?"

"I’m talking about family," Reynold explained gently. "No matter who comes into Lily’s life later, nobody can change who her biological mother is. Just like I can never be the woman who gave birth to Lily, even though I love her wholeheartedly. If certain people can never truly be replaced, perhaps we shouldn’t try to erase them from our lives entirely."

Reynold gently squeezed Frederick’s fingers.

"Ruining Eva’s career won’t give you any real satisfaction, Frederick, because that’s not who you are. And if you’re considering doing it because of how she treated me, I think you should reconsider. I don’t hold any grudges against her, and honestly, I don’t feel the need to punish her for what she did."

He paused, looking down at their joined hands.

"Look at my own family. They made me suffer for nineteen years, Frederick. They abandoned me, left me to fend for myself, and put me through things no child should have to experience. But if they hadn’t treated me that way, if they hadn’t left me behind in that country, I might never have met you. I wouldn’t be sitting here wearing this beautiful ring or looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

Reynold raised his left hand, allowing the diamond to catch the morning light. A small smile touched his lips.

"So, in a strange way, even the terrible things that happened to me eventually led me to something wonderful. And it’s the same with Eva. Everything she did to me only brought us closer and pushed you to put this ring on my finger. Look at me, Frederick. I’m happy. I’m not broken, and I don’t feel like she’s taken anything away from me."

He looked back into Frederick’s eyes. "So why should I want you to destroy her career over something I’ve already made peace with? My family put me through far worse, yet I don’t spend my days wishing you would ruin their lives, even though you have the power to do so. Eva hasn’t even come close to what they put me through. I know what she did was wrong, but I don’t want you to punish her on my behalf when I’m no longer holding on to that hurt."

Reynold lifted his left hand again, allowing the diamond to catch the light as a faint smile touched his lips.

"So, in the end, it was a win for me."

Frederick watched him, visibly impressed by the kindness and lack of bitterness in his fiancé’s heart.

"Besides, you can’t deny that Eva is genuinely talented at what she does. She’s worked hard for years to build a successful modeling career, and she’s accomplished a great deal along the way. What would you really gain by taking all that away from her? Nothing. And at the end of the day, no matter what has happened between you two, she’s still Lily’s mother."

Frederick gave a slow, contemplative nod. "I understand you."

Reynold smiled faintly before continuing. "And let’s be honest, Eva is still searching for Lily because she hasn’t seen her in years. If they ever crossed paths, I doubt Eva would have any trouble recognizing her. Lily looks so much like her that the resemblance would be impossible to miss. So why keep them apart? I know Eva made mistakes, but you don’t have to keep holding on to this grudge."

"I told you before, Reynold," Frederick said quietly. "It’s Lily who doesn’t want to see her mother, not me."

Reynold met Frederick’s eyes, his expression gentle but his tone firm. "Honestly, I think Lily wants to see her mother. She’s just afraid to tell you because she knows how much you’ve done for her and doesn’t want to hurt you."

Frederick paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "Are you sure about that?"

"I’m sure," Reynold replied without hesitation. "No matter what kind of person your mother is, she’ll always be your mother, even if she wasn’t responsible. Take me, for instance. Before I discovered the truth about my own mother, my family said all sorts of terrible things about her, yet I never stopped wanting to meet her. Deep down, I still longed to know her. A mother will always be a mother, just as a father will always be a father."

Reynold leaned closer, resting his other hand over Frederick’s. "Why don’t you sit down with Lily and have an honest conversation with her? Tell her everything, even about your plans to ruin her mother’s career, and pay attention to how she reacts. I’m sure she wouldn’t be happy about what you’re planning to do to Eva. But she might pretend otherwise just to spare your feelings because she loves you so much. She doesn’t want to disappoint you."

Frederick studied his face for a moment. "So, you really think Lily wants to meet her mother but is too afraid to tell me?"

"I’m not certain, but I have a feeling she might want to meet her, baby," Reynold replied gently. "Lily loves you so much, and after everything you’ve done for her over the years, she wouldn’t want to hurt you. How could she bring herself to admit that she wants to meet her mother when she knows how deeply Eva has hurt you?"

Reynold offered him a warm, reassuring smile, lowering his head slightly. "But, of course, the decision is entirely yours, Daddy. I won’t tell you how to deal with someone you’ve known for years, long before I came into your life. I just wanted to share my perspective."

Frederick stared at him for a long moment, deeply moved by the grace, wisdom, and emotional maturity Reynold had shown. He drew him closer, wrapping both arms around his waist and pulling him flush against his chest.

"You never cease to amaze me, baby," Frederick whispered into his hair, his voice filled with pride and affection. "You really do have a heart of gold."

Reynold rested his chin on Frederick’s shoulder, a soft smile spreading across his face. "Perhaps that’s what brought me to you in the first place," he murmured, gently rubbing Frederick’s back. "They say good things happen to good people at the right time. I’ve never once regretted the day I knocked on your door. From that very first moment, I’ve been grateful for whatever twist of fate brought us together."

He paused before continuing, his voice softening. "You’ve given me a home, a future, and a love I never imagined I could have. You’ve given me more than I ever thought I’d find in life."

He pulled back slightly so he could look into Frederick’s eyes. "And as much as I want to protect the life we’ve built together, I would never ask you to destroy someone for my sake. That’s not the kind of man you are. Beneath that tough, powerful exterior, you’re a caring, generous man with a heart that always puts the people you love first. You’ve worked so hard to build a world where the people closest to you feel safe and protected. Don’t let bitterness change the man I’ve come to love."

Frederick felt his heart swell with affection as he looked at Reynold. A warm smile slowly spread across his face.

"I truly am the luckiest man alive, Reynold," he said, his voice thick with affection. "From the moment I opened that door and let you into my life, I knew it was the best decision I would ever make."

Frederick leaned down and captured Reynold’s lips in a deep, lingering kiss. It was slow and tender, filled with all the love he couldn’t quite put into words. His hands moved gently over Reynold’s back as he held him close, letting the kiss linger for several minutes. When he finally pulled away, he remained close, their lips still brushing lightly against each other.

"When I chose you, I knew without a doubt that I had made the right decision," Frederick murmured. "You are the best choice I’ve ever made. Thank you, Reynold. Truly. You’ve brought so much happiness back into my life."

Reynold’s heart fluttered. His eyes glistened as he wrapped his arms around Frederick’s neck.

"Thank you, baby. I promise to love you forever, with every beat of my heart."

"And I’ll love you just as long, sweetheart." Frederick gave him one final squeeze before reluctantly releasing him. A playful spark returned to his eyes as he glanced over Reynold’s cozy morning clothes and raised an eyebrow. "Now, are you ready for today’s outing?"

Reynold smiled brightly, his diamond ring glinting in the morning sunlight as he straightened his collar. "As long as I’m by your side, Daddy, I’m always ready."

Frederick chuckled and extended his hand. "Come on, then. Let’s go show you off to the world."