When there was no news from her, I often lay awake at night, heart pounding with worry, torn between the fear of bad news and the agony of silence.

Through countless sleepless nights, I clung to the memories of our five-year bond just to stay afloat, until, at last, she completed her mission and returned to my side.

Just as I drowned in those thoughts, Delaney stepped into the bedroom and saw me collapsed on the floor.

“Tucker, the floor is cold. Why are you sitting there? Are you feeling unwell?”

Her voice carried genuine concern. Her eyes, still so beautiful, reflected only me, just as they always had.

Whether it was those five years before she left or the month since she came back, Delaney had treated me with nothing but tenderness. I didn’t want to believe the truth. I couldn’t.

Silently, I locked my phone screen and forced a faint smile.

“Maybe my blood sugar dropped, I just got a little dizzy. I’m fine.”

Only then did Delaney breathe easier. She reached down gently and helped me up, her touch as soft as ever.

“Let’s go to Roseville tomorrow. I’ll ask my lieutenant to book the tickets. You’ve always loved the ocean, haven’t you? Let’s take our wedding photos by the sea. How about that?”

She remained as considerate as ever, but after what I had just overheard, every soft word from her lips only made my stomach churn.

“Not interested.”

Delaney froze, then gently reached out, brushing the back of my hand with her fingertips.

“What’s wrong, Tucker? Why do you look so upset? Did something happen? Didn’t we promise each other, no lies, no matter what?”

That broke me. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My gaze locked onto hers, my voice trembling just beneath the surface.

“Delaney, are you truly not hiding anything from me?”

She hesitated, then offered a faint smile, soft, familiar.

“What could I possibly be hiding from you?”

I swallowed the sting behind my eyes and nodded slowly.

“Alright. Then let’s sleep, Delaney. I’m just tired.”

The next morning, we were stirred awake by the sound of knocking on the door.

Delaney got up and opened it, only to find a man standing there, his eyes red, holding a toddler in his arms. The child couldn’t have been older than three.

“Delaney, he won’t stop crying for his mom. He hasn’t slept in days. I know you said not to come looking for you, but I didn’t know what else to do…”

A flicker of panic flashed across Delaney’s face. Almost instinctively, she turned toward me, trying to read my expression.

“Tucker, please don’t misunderstand. This is Jade Montrose, the medic on our team. His wife was my teammate and a close friend. She died during a mission. I only stepped in out of pity, so…”

Before I could say a word, Jade's voice broke the moment.

“Mr. Montclaire, I know you’re about to get married, and I don’t mean to cause trouble. But the child is still so little. He keeps crying for his mom. I just…”

I cut him off without hesitation, eyes fixed on Delaney.

“The child wants his mother. Delaney, are you his mother?”

Delaney shot a sharp glare at Jade before turning back to me, her voice hurried and defensive.

“Of course not, Tucker. The child is already over two years old, how could he possibly be mine? His mother died saving me. Since then, I’ve been helping take care of them. He just clings to me and sees me as his mom. It’s all just a misunderstanding.”

I studied the boy’s face carefully. He was still small, but the resemblance to Delaney was undeniable.

Grandpa will be arriving tomorrow night. I didn’t want to stir up more mess than I could handle. Burying the ache in my chest, I nodded.

“I believe you. Just settle them in. I’m heading upstairs to get more sleep.”

I turned without another word. Delaney followed behind me in silence.

“Tucker, are you angry? Don’t worry, I promise they won’t interfere with us…”

But before Delaney could finish, Jade’s trembling voice broke in again, with desperation.

“Delaney, while you were gone this past month, the child hasn’t been eating or sleeping well. His health started to decline. I want to take him to the hospital for a proper checkup. I don’t know my way around here, can you come with us?”

“You know I have nothing left. Torren is all I have now. If something happens to him, I truly won’t be able to go on.”

I turned to look at Delaney. She didn’t speak right away, but her eyes gave her away.

She was worried, deeply worried about that child.

I gave a small nod.

“He’s still just a child. His health comes first. Go with them. After all, his mother did give her life for you.”

Relief visibly swept across Delaney’s face. Even her voice sounded lighter.

“Then I’ll take them now and come right back. Tucker, thank you. Thank you for understanding.”

With that, she turned toward the door, lifting the boy in her arms with practiced ease.

She was so anxious, she hadn’t even changed out of her pajamas.

I watched as the child rested his head against Delaney’s shoulder, completely reliant on her. Then, I watched the three of them walk away, like a picture-perfect family fading into the distance.

My heart felt like it had been hurled into a bottomless abyss, sinking endlessly until even the silence was deafening.

By the time the sky turned completely dark, Delaney and Jade finally returned with the child.

I had spent the entire day curled beneath the covers, not moving an inch.

When Delaney stepped into the room, guilt clouded her face. My chest tightened, a creeping dread clawing its way up inside me.

She spoke in a calm voice.

“Tucker, the child’s condition isn’t good. The doctor said he’ll need long-term care. They don’t know anyone else around here.”

“This house is so big. Can they stay here for a while?”

I shut my eyes, fighting back the sharp bitterness rising in my throat.

Just this morning, she had promised they wouldn’t affect our lives. Yet now, she was asking to bring Jade and his child into our home.

When I opened my eyes again, they had gone still, cleared of every storm.

I was about to speak when I noticed Jade standing at the door, holding the child’s hand.

“Tucker, please don’t blame Delaney. She’s just worried about the child’s health. His mother passed away shortly after he was born. Since then, Delaney’s taken on the role of his mother, so it’s only natural that he depends on her.”

“He’s still so young. I can’t even explain to him that Delaney isn’t really his mom. But if this makes you uncomfortable, I’ll take him and leave…”

Jade’s words flowed like honey, but my attention was fixed on the necklace around the child’s neck.

My breath hitched, and I gripped the blanket, my heart pounding. Tears spilled from my eyes without warning.

I looked up at Delaney, my voice barely more than a rasp.

“That necklace on the child’s neck. What is it?”

When I was sixteen, Grandpa had paid a small fortune to hire Delaney as my bodyguard.

I’d never been in much danger, but when I turned eighteen, Delaney was ambushed by enemies. In a heartbeat, we both exchanged gunfire.

In that split second, my body moved faster than my mind. I lunged forward, taking the bullet meant for Delaney.

Delaney’s enemy had fallen on the spot, and she barely managed to escape. The bullet that struck me had landed just a fraction away from my heart.

When I woke up in the hospital, Delaney was sitting by my bedside, her eyes swollen from crying, her sobs barely more than whispers.

“From this day forward, my life belongs to you, Tucker.”

“This life of mine, I will never betray you, Tucker.”

She had the bullet removed from my chest and turned it into a necklace. Holding my hand in hers, she kissed the bullet with reverence.

“From this moment on, I’ll carry this reminder, this life is yours.”

“This necklace is my keepsake. As long as I breathe, it will never leave me.”

I didn’t know if it was the sincerity in her tearful eyes or the deep emotion behind the kiss she pressed to the necklace, but in that moment, all I knew was that my heart had softened into a sea of tenderness.

But now, the very necklace Delaney had once sworn she would never part with as long as she lived hung quietly around the child’s neck.

Delaney’s lips trembled slightly, as though unsure how to explain, but in the end, she remained silent.

Jade, however, couldn’t hide the flicker of triumph in his eyes.

“Oh, that necklace? When the baby was born prematurely, the doctor said Torren was in danger. Delaney gave him the necklace out of worry. He’s worn it since the day he was born.”

“But I’ll tell you this, the necklace really seems to work. This kid, ever since he was little…”

Before Jade could finish, Delaney cut him off with a cold voice.

“Enough! Shut up!”

She grabbed Jade’s arm, dragging him out of the room. The child, frightened, burst into loud sobs. But I couldn’t summon the energy to care; my mind was consumed by Jade’s words.

Delaney didn’t return for what felt like an eternity. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but soon, a series of indecent sounds started drifting into my ears. I rose from the bed and followed the noise out of the room.

The sounds were coming from Jade’s room.

The woman’s voice was sweet, seductive, enough to make one’s bones ache with desire.

“Don’t. Tucker is still at home. What if he hears us?”

The man’s voice was hoarse, thick with lust, though he struggled to contain it.

“He won’t. I’ve locked the door tight. He won’t hear a thing. Come here, Delaney. It’s been so long, haven’t you missed me?”

What happened next followed with agonizing inevitability.

Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, Jade, hovering over Delaney, suddenly turned his head and met my gaze.

When I saw the smug, taunting gleam in his eyes, it hit me.

Jade had done it on purpose. He’d said he locked the door, but the truth was painfully clear: it had been wide open.

He had done it on purpose, to ensure I saw everything, to force me to confront the truth of their relationship.

I lowered my gaze and gently closed the door behind me.

The next morning, when I made my way downstairs, only Torren was at the dining table. He sat there innocently, holding a small bowl and slowly spooning cereal into his mouth.

When he noticed me, his face brightened with a smile.

“Uncle Tucker, you’re awake? Want some cereal? It’s creamy corn and potato chowder. It’s really yummy…”

But before he could finish, he suddenly started to choke. His little face flushed with color, and he grabbed at his throat, tumbling from the chair with a heavy thud.

I froze, stunned by the sudden turn of events. Without hesitation, I rushed forward to check on him.

After all, no matter what had transpired between the adults, the child remained innocent. I couldn’t stand by and let him suffer.

But just as I reached out, Jade’s furious roar shattered the silence of the room.