Chapter 375 Throw them out

Miranda and Darius wanted to keep arguing for a while longer, but with Stephan still present, they didn’t dare put on another suicide act.

They were genuinely afraid that a ruthless man like Stephan might just throw them out the window.

After pondering for a moment, the two slunk away.

Seeing them leave, Grandma let out a long sigh. “That couple has really brought shame upon me and Lana today.”

Stephan spoke up, “Grandma, we’re all family. There’s no shame in this.”

Grandma nodded. “Stephan, from now on, I’m counting on you to take care of my granddaughter.”

“Sure.”

Alana squeezed his hand tightly, silently acknowledging his promise.

Grandma smiled with relief.

Grandma was tired and needed to rest, so she asked Stephan and Alana to get some rest too.

The two walked out of the hospital room hand in hand.

Alana paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but say to him, “Stephan, I really can’t thank you and your parents enough for today.”

Stephan chuckled, “I told you, there’s no need to be so formal between us.”

Alana bit her lip. “I know, but I’m still very grateful to you all. Also, about the dowry... it’s really too much. I...”

She felt unworthy of such generosity.

Stephan smiled and couldn’t help but reach out to pinch her pretty cheek.

“What’s that for?

“Baby, that’s just the dowry my parents wanted to give you... it doesn’t even include mine. I plan to give you my share separately.”

Her eyes widened.

His parents had already given her so much, and he was going to give her more?

“Aren’t you guys... placing too much importance on me?”

Stephan raised an eyebrow. “It’s precisely because we value you that we want you to marry me willingly, isn’t that right?”

Alana felt a mix of bittersweet emotions. “Even if you didn’t give me anything, I’d still marry you willingly. The dowry is a token of your feelings; the amount doesn’t matter to me.”

Stephan nodded, cupped Alana’s face in his hands, and said earnestly, “You’re right, but I want you to know that I’ll marry you with my whole heart.”

“When a man truly loves a woman, he gives himself completely, without reservation or limits. Alana, I love you, so I will do everything in my power to give you the very best.”

Alana looked into the man’s dark, earnest eyes, and her own eyes instantly filled with tears.

She bit her lip as tears streamed down her face, her soft voice trembling slightly.

“Stephan, you’re so mean... you’ve made me cry again.”

She was so moved. How could he say words that touched her so deeply?

It had even made her shed tears.

Stephan pressed his thin lips against the corner of her wet, warm eye. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“If I’d known my baby was so sensitive, I wouldn’t have said it... I would’ve kept it to myself.”

“But since you’re feeling a bit insecure, I said it out loud to prove to you that I truly mean it when I say I’ll marry you.”

Alana couldn’t help but hug him tightly, burying her face in his strong embrace. “Stephan, meeting you is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Stephan chuckled softly. “As it happens, so am I.”

They stayed embraced for a long time.

Once their emotions had settled, they smiled at each other.

Stephan used his sleeve to gently wipe away every tear from Alana’s face. “Little kitten.”

Alana pouted, saying playfully, “Don’t you dare look down on me!”

Her eyes were red from crying, moist and luminous, making her look especially endearing.

Stephan gently traced her beautiful eyebrows and eyes with his fingertips, then curved his lips into a smile. “Alright, I won’t look down on you.”

“I just love my little kitten.”

Alana smiled back, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a kiss on the man’s cheek.

Stephan smiled, teasing her, “You should’ve kissed my lips.”

Alana’s cheeks flushed, “We’ll kiss when we get home.”

“Sure, the kind where I kiss every inch of your body.”

Alana blushed, but still spoke boldly, “Fine, let’s do it.”

Stephan couldn’t help but lean in close, gazing at her flushed, bashful face. “Are you serious?”

“I’m kidding! I was just teasing you!”

“No way, I took you seriously. I’m going to make that happen as soon as we get home!”

“Stephan, you’re shameless!”

“Who’s the shameless one? Who’s the one who stirred up my wicked desires?”

"It wasn’t me!”

“It was you!”

Stephan always had a knack for turning Alana, who had been sobbing just a moment ago, into someone laughing heartily.

He simply possessed that kind of magic.

Alana truly felt that she must have used up all the good luck she had in this lifetime just to meet someone as wonderful as Stephan.

The young couple, laughing and joking as they playfully bickered, were just about to leave when they ran into Agnes, who had arrived late.

Agnes had been keeping a close watch on the hospital these past few days, hoping to find an opportunity to see Alana and Grandma.

Now that she’d run into them unexpectedly, she felt both awkward and embarrassed. When Alana and Stephan saw Agnes, the smiles vanished from their faces instantly.

It was as if an utterly out-of-place person had appeared, abruptly shattering the sweet atmosphere between them.

However, neither of them felt particularly surprised or moved by the sight of Agnes.

Perhaps they had guessed they would run into Agnes sooner or later.

They just hadn’t expected it to be today.

After all, they hoped all their troubles would be resolved today.

From now on, only a bright future lay ahead of them.

Agnes exchanged an awkward glance with Alana and Stephan, then took the initiative to apologize.

“Lana, Mom already knows the whole truth. I misunderstood you. I’m truly sorry. I’ve looked into the matter thoroughly. Your aunt’s family really treated you terribly.”

“It’s my fault. I didn’t catch on in time, which is why you had to go through all this. I’ll make sure you get justice. I’ll make them return every penny I gave them before, and then I plan to give all that money to you. This is what you deserve... they took what was rightfully yours.”

Alana’s expression remained calm. “Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

Agnes said urgently, “It’s not just that, Lana. Mom knows she was wrong. Mom sincerely apologizes to you. I hope you’ll give me a chance to make it up to you properly, okay?”

She stared at Alana, her face filled with sincere hope.

Ever since learning the truth, she hadn’t been able to sleep at night; she couldn’t eat properly either, and she’d lost a significant amount of weight.

She was tormented by guilt every day, wanting to make amends to Alana and earn her forgiveness as soon as possible, yet she had no idea how to go about it.

She longed for Alana’s forgiveness; if her daughter refused to forgive her, she would be consumed by guilt and live in agony forever.

If she hadn’t trusted the wrong people, and if she had returned to check on her daughter just a few more times during all those years away, why would her daughter have to suffer such unfair treatment?

So she was at fault.

Alana showed no reaction. “Your apology no longer matters to me.”

Agnes refused to accept this. “No! I’ll make it up to you. Give me a chance to make it up to you!”

Alana frowned. “Make it up to me? What’s the point of making it up to me now? Besides, if you really wanted to make amends, why didn’t you do something about it sooner?”

When she needed her mother the most, she cruelly abandoned her and ignored her for all these years. Now she’s come back, sought her out, and is feigning concern about making amends, isn’t that ridiculous?

Agnes said helplessly, “Lana, I’ve told you before... at the time, I really had no choice.”

“Leaving you wasn’t my intention; I simply couldn’t support both of us at the time. Only by leaving with that man could I create a good life for both of us.”

“But that was just to create a good life for only you, wasn’t it?”

For her, there was nothing but the pain of being abandoned by her mother.

Agnes said guiltily, “I’m sorry. It was my fault. I didn’t really understand what your life was like. If I’d known you were struggling so much, I would never have abandoned you or be gone for so long.”

Alana replied coldly, “It’s in the past. What’s happened can’t be changed. It’s not something you can just brush aside with a few words of apology.”

“I don’t want to ask anything of you, but I just hope you won’t show up again and disrupt my life.”

Agnes’ eyes began to well up with tears.

“Lana, don’t be so heartless to your mother. Every word you say now feels like a knife stabbing into my heart, causing me such pain that I can’t sleep at night.”