MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

It was a rainy evening.

Old Sterling had no appetite for dinner as usual. After a few sips of soup, he pushed it away and was about to go upstairs when Cooper came and whispered, "Miss Schultz is, here again, standing at the door."

Old Sterling's face changed slightly.

She had not come for a long time since he asked the servant to stop her several times.

Why did she come again today?

After a moment's hesitation, Old Sterling went out of the villa and stood under the eaves. He saw the slender figure standing outside the carved gate with an umbrella in her hand.

The wind was getting stronger, and the rain increased. The umbrella was a poor shelter from the heavy rain.

The night wind set her shivering, but her eyes were fixed on an upstairs window.

That was Dylan's room.

She was surprised when Old Sterling came out.

"Sir! I want to see Dylan. Let me see him, please!" She cried in a trembling voice.

With a sigh, Old Sterling took the umbrella from Cooper and stepped to the gate.

An energetic ray of hope shone in Savannah's eyes. She thought Old Sterling had, at last, changed his mind and came to open the door for her. But he just stopped at the gate, looking at her calmly.

"My servant should have told you not to call on Dylan again," he said slowly.

"I know... But I just want another look, please. Just for once." Savannah looked at him hopefully.

But Old Sterling replied with a resolute refusal.

"You've already moved out. He wouldn't wake up even if you come every day. Why so stubborn? Go back."

He didn't want to be such a bad man.

But he must harden his heart.

Seeing Dylan again would only make her less determined. She might even ask to come back.

She would completely end her care for Dylan only after a long separation.

Out of sight, out of mind.

"There's something I want to say to Dylan. Just once, let me see him once. Please…" whispered Savannah, after a time.

Old Sterling gazed deeply at her and sighed, with pity in his eyes.

Almost, this girl almost became his daughter-in-law, Dylan's wife.

Unfortunately, they missed again and again.

Maybe it was destiny.

Calming himself down, he said quietly, "Savannah, don't you understand? Dylan can't hear whatever you say to him. He can't hear you for the rest of his life... Go home, live your new life, and stop thinking about him."

Everything that happened between them was but an empty dream.

With that, Old Sterling walked slowly into the villa without another look at her.

Savannah gazed, wistfully, despairingly, at the upstairs window, turning pale.

She wanted to tell Dylan that she was going to close K&G, and after that, she was going back to Chicago with Kaiden.

Dylan, are you not going to wake up?

The rain grew worse, and the sky grew dark. Her hot tears fell into the cold rain and broke the lonely image in the water.

***

Standing near the French window, Old Sterling watched Savannah walk away in a trance. With a sigh, he whispered to Cooper, "Send somebody to escort her home secretly."

Cooper nodded and left.

Old Sterling turned and went upstairs.

He pushed open Dylan's room and went straight to the bed, surrounded by medical equipment.

"Dylan," he stared at his sleeping son and said ruefully, "You can't blame daddy for not letting her see you. I know, if you were conscious, you'd approve of dad doing this, wouldn't you? Only in this way will Savannah start a new life. I know that she is your heart and soul. You must be worried about her and cannot let her go... But you also saw how she took care of you this year. Every time she finished taking care of you, she came back to her room and cried secretly. You adored her so much that you wouldn't have the heart to see her leading a life like this, would you? So, daddy set her free for you. I heard that Savannah might be thinking of closing the company you gave her. She's expected to return to Chicago to take over her grandpa's company. There she would have a new family, a career, and maybe a husband, and she would be happy... You should be at ease."

He could say no more; his voice was choked with sobs.

After a long while, Old Sterling stood up and left the room.

The moment the door closed, the man on the bed gave a slight flick of his finger.

* * *

Today was the launch meeting of K&G's new product of Firebird collections.

K&G's young boss walked onto the stage in the company of her assistant.

Savannah was wearing a tailored red dress of the Firebird collections. Her hair tumbled in a cascade down her back. She stood gracefully erect on the stage, like a dazzling and breath-taking phoenix.

The reporters were all surprised to know that the Firebird collections were designed by the chief designer and owner of K&G, and the beautiful young boss was also the only spokesperson for the new products.

Savannah's appearance immediately caused a disturbance in the reporters.

"She's beautiful."

"No wonder she'd been a still model before. She looks perfect as the image of her own work."

Facing the reporters, Savannah smiled genially.

"Thank you for coming to the launch meeting for Firebird collections today," she said in a pretty soft, crisp voice.

"The Firebird collections look stunning. Where did you get the inspiration for the new products, Miss Schultz?"

"Do you think it will hit the market and even spread overseas again?"

The reporters peppered her with questions.

"I've been working on the Firebird collections for almost a year, with all my effort and energy," Savannah said slowly. "This year, I suffered the biggest fear of my life and almost lost my love. Fortunately, God didn't take him. I firmly believe that he will wake up and recover one day. Nothing could defeat him. In such a state of mind, I created the Firebird collections, hoping that he can be reborn like a firebird rising from the ashes."