Chapter 59: An apology

Soren picked a bouquet of lilies on the way home. He had intended to leave the office early and pick Elowen up himself, as he had done every day since his rebirth.

But today, an urgent matter had demanded his immediate attention, leaving him with no choice but to break his promise.

He wanted to apologize to her for that. But more than anything, he still owed her a big apology for what he had done to her seven years ago in that hotel room.

When he imagined how much pain, fear, and trauma she might have gone through that night, a suffocating tightness gripped his chest. His breathing grew uneven, and he struggled to draw in enough air.

Soren had to pull the car over by the roadside to catch his breath. He squeezed his chest as he gasped for air. Sweat beads gathered on his forehead.

"I was such a jerk," he cursed himself.

Instead of apologizing to her, he had blamed her.

Seven years...

She had endured his indifference, his humiliation, and his relentless rejection without a word.

Soren felt nothing but a deep, unforgiving regret when he thought she had lived seven years beside the man who had treated her like a mistake. Only after losing her had he understood the enormity of what he had done.

In his previous life, he had watched Elowen die without giving her an apology she deserved. He had spent the rest of his life drowning in regret, wishing for a chance to undo the countless ways he had hurt her.

Now he had given another chance. Yet it didn’t return the seven years he had made her suffer. It couldn’t wipe away the tears she had shed alone or erase the nights she had waited for him while he chose to be somewhere else.

The realization cut deeper than any wound he had suffered.

He clenched his teeth, his jaw growing rigid. "I can never give her back those lost years." A fierce determination settled in his eyes. "But I can give her everything I have. As long as I am alive, I’ll make it up to her."

He looked at the bouquet resting silently on the passenger seat. "From now on, I’ll bring something every single day until she forgives me."

He started the engine and continued his journey home.

The drive was quick. He parked the car in the driveway and headed into the villa. A warm smile spread across his lips as he looked at the flowers in his hands.

"I hope she will like them. She always does."

He punched the code and entered the house. "I am home."

Elowen had just finished preparing dinner when his voice echoed inside the house. She wiped her hands on her apron and came out of the kitchen.

The moment Soren saw her, his smile widened. He approached her.

"This is for you." He held the bouquet out to her.

Elowen took the bouquet, her fingers brushing over the soft petals of lilies. Her expression softened.

"I know lilies are your favorite."

Those words tugged a string in her heart. She snapped her head up. "How did you know?" she asked, surprise written all over her face.

How did he know?

Soren fell silent. He didn’t answer immediately. He couldn’t.

In his previous life, he had often seen Elowen bringing lilies home and arranging them in the vase. Back then, he had never paid attention to the flowers. He had never considered them important enough to notice.

Yet the lilies had always been there, quietly becoming a part of their home – something he couldn’t ignore.

After Elowen died, however, no one brought lilies. Other flowers took their place. Their unfamiliar presence started to irritate him.

Only then had he realized how much he missed lilies. He had felt as though lilies were his favorite. He had even started bringing them himself, arranging them in the vases just like Elowen used to do.

It was only after losing her that he began to notice how much those little things she had left behind mattered to him.

Soren came back to the present moment, his eyes lingering on the lilies.

"I’ve seen you bringing lilies home so many times. Isn’t it obvious?"

His reply only deepened her surprise.

Elowen had assumed he had never cared about the flowers she brought home. She had never imagined he had noticed them, let alone remembered her favorite.

Something softened in her heart. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Don’t thank me. This is what I owe you." He moved toward her, closing the small gap between them. His arms came around her waist. Then his lips pressed softly against her forehead.

Elowen didn’t flinch. She didn’t try to pull back. Her body remained relaxed in his arms, allowing herself to enjoy the warmth of his arms.

The tension that weighed on her throughout the day seemed to fade.

She hadn’t been able to forget what Theron had said. His accusation against Soren had left her with a thousand conflicted thoughts, making her question what she should believe and what she shouldn’t.

But at that moment, standing in his embrace, she wasn’t thinking anything. She wasn’t trying to analyze his actions or judge him through what someone else had said. She wasn’t searching for answers either.

All she did was savor the affection he was offering her. She closed her eyes and leaned against his chest.

"I’m sorry," Soren whispered.

Elowen snapped his eyes open and looked up at him.

There was an unfamiliar depth of guilt in his eyes, accompanied by pain so raw that it seemed to reach her soul directly.

She had never seen him look at her like this before.

"For what?"

"For everything." His voice was thick and hoarse. His arm tightened around her slightly. "For everything I’ve done to hurt you."

Before Elowen could say anything, Seraphina’s excited voice interrupted her.

"Daddy... you are home." She hopped toward him.

Soren released Elowen. The sadness on his face gave way to a bright smile.

"Slow down."

But Seraphina didn’t listen to him. She rushed straight into his arms.

Soren lifted her. "My goodness. You seem heavier than you were yesterday."

Seraphina giggled. "You are getting old, Daddy."

Soren couldn’t help but laugh. "That means my baby girl is growing up."

Soon the room filled with their laughter and cheerful chatter.

Across the city, Tahlia sat in a bar, drowning her sorrow in alcohol.

The news of Elowen’s pregnancy had hit Tahlia hard. Soren’s words kept reverberating in her ears.

’She is my wife for seven years. We have a daughter together. Of course, I love her.’

’She is pregnant again with my child.’

Tahlia had come to the bar, hoping to clear her head. But the alcohol did nothing to ease her turmoil. Instead, it fueled her anger even more until it slowly twisted into hatred.

"Elowen, you bitch." Her fingers tightened around the glass so hard that her knuckles ached.

"How dare you seduce Soren again?" She glared at the amber liquid as though she could see Elowen’s reflection in it.

"You think you can tie him to you with that child? Not a chance. I’ll definitely not let that happen."

A woman drinking beside her overheard the name. She turned her head toward Tahlia.

"Do you know Elowen?"

Tahlia’s head snapped toward her. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"I’m Daphne. I work with Elowen."

"Oh..." Tahlia’s expression twisted with disdain. She picked up her glass and took another sip.

"But I hate her." Daphne’s words caught Tahlia’s attention.

She put the glass down and turned toward Daphne fully. "You hate her?"

"Yes." Resentment and loathing were clear in Daphne’s eyes. "She humiliated me, framed me, and stole the chief designer’s position that should have been mine. I want to make her pay for everything she has done."

She studied Tahlia carefully. "I heard everything you said. You hate her as much as I do."

"I hate her more than anyone could imagine." Tahlia’s tone was full of venom. "She snatched my boyfriend from me. Back then, she seduced him and got pregnant with his child, leaving him with no choice but to marry her. And now, she is shamelessly clinging to him, using their marriage to keep him trapped by her side."

As she spoke, her hatred only grew. "I want her gone from his life. I want my boyfriend back."

When Tahlia looked back at Daphne, desperation shone in her eyes. "Enemy’s enemy is a friend. Let’s work together and bring her down."

Daphne couldn’t delay in accepting it. "Let’s work together."

She stretched a hand toward her.

Tahlia grasped it in a firm handshake. "Since you work with her, I want you to tell me everything she does. Every little detail. I want regular updates."

"Done. I’m already keeping an eye on her," Daphne said. "She is really a bitch. She is already trying to get the CEO’s attention."

"Really?"

Tahlia’s eyes flashed with cunning.

She knew Theron had taken over the company where Elowen worked. It seemed that Theron had already started his game to win her over.

That could work in her favor.

If she could prove that Elowen was getting too close to Theron, Soren might never forgive her. And Valora would never tolerate a woman who cheated on her son.

A malicious smile tugged at her lips. But it vanished quickly.

"I need to know everything about Elowen and her boss," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "If you see anything suspicious, take pictures or record videos and send it to me. Do you get that?"

Daphne nodded solemnly. "Understood. I can’t wait to expose her."