Chapter 224: Ian is awake.

Maya’s face paled. She slowly shook her head. "No. I’m here to tell you that I’m leaving." She took a shaky breath. "I’m not coming back."

Maya looked up at her. "I know I was wrong. I dared to love a man who already had a wife and child. I thought I could win him. I thought..."

Her throat tightened, and she struggled to continue.

"I’m sorry, Evelyn. If I had known that my actions that night would put him in danger, I would never have gone to that restaurant."

Fresh sobs shook her shoulders.

"You are right. He was hurt because of me. I am responsible."

Evelyn swallowed. She had blamed Maya because she was angry. Because she was terrified. Because she could no longer watch the man she loved lie unconscious in a hospital bed.

But she hadn’t expected Maya to accept the blame so readily. For a moment, guilt touched her heart.

"I know I didn’t push him into that coma with my own hands. But I can’t pretend my choices had nothing to do with what happened."

Maya looked toward the room where Ian lay unconscious.

"Ever since I heard about the incident, I’ve been blaming myself." Her voice was filled with guilt. "I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror anymore. Every time I think about that evening, I hate myself. I pushed him into danger."

She let out a shaky breath. "I will carry that guilt for the rest of my life."

Maya’s voice became firmer despite her tears. "I finally understand something I should have understood from the beginning. Love doesn’t give me the right to take someone else’s happiness away. I wanted Ian so badly that I stopped thinking about what my actions were doing to you. I was selfish."

A long silence followed.

"I am sorry, Evelyn. I am sorry for interfering in your marriage."

She bowed her head. "And I’m sorry that my actions became one more burden on Ian."

Her shoulders trembled.

"If he wakes up, please tell him to forgive me."

A sad smile appeared through her tears. "He doesn’t owe me forgiveness. I don’t deserve another chance to be part of his life. Yet, I want to say sorry..."

Maya took one final look at Evelyn. "I hope he wakes up. That’s all I want now."

Maya wiped her tears and walked away. She didn’t look back.

Not once.

Evelyn stood there, staring at her retreating figure. Her chest rose and fell heavily.

She had thought she would feel better after blaming Maya. She had wanted Maya to leave Ian forever. And now Maya had finally done exactly that.

She was leaving. She would never bother her and Ian again.

Evelyn should have felt relieved. But why did her chest feel so tight?

The answer came almost immediately.

She had blamed the wrong person.

Cedric was the real culprit. He had planned the kidnapping.

Even if it hadn’t happened that night, he would have found another opportunity to kidnap her.

’It’s good that she finally realized her place and stepped back on her own,’ another voice inside her argued.

Evelyn turned around and walked back into the room in a daze.

Leo was still sitting beside his father, talking to him about everything that had happened at school.

"And I started swimming classes," he said excitedly. "Uncle Elias enrolled me. I love it. But I’ll enjoy it more when you come with me and swim with me, Daddy."

Evelyn’s eyes grew watery. She could hear how much her son missed his father.

"Leo..." She walked toward the bed. "You should leave now."

Leo immediately shook his head. "Mommy, I want to stay with Daddy a little longer."

"No. You have to leave now. I’ll call the driver."

"But, Mommy..."

"Leo." Evelyn’s voice softened, but she remained firm. "I’ll see you at home."

She took out her phone and called the driver. "Come in and take Leo home."

Beside them, Ian’s fingers suddenly moved slightly. It was almost as if his body was trying to stop Leo from leaving. But he couldn’t wake up. He couldn’t speak.

The driver arrived a few minutes later.

"Take him home," Evelyn ordered.

Leo lowered his head. He picked up his backpack and followed the driver out.

Once the door closed behind them, silence filled the room.

Evelyn slowly sat beside Ian. She reached for his hand and curled her fingers around his.

"Ian..." Her voice trembled. "Please wake up. I need you."

She bent down and pressed her forehead against the back of his hand.

"Maya came," she whispered. "She apologized. She said she would leave and never come back again."

Tears fell onto his hand.

Ian’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

Evelyn didn’t notice. "I blamed her. I told her that you got injured because of her."

She squeezed his hand. "Will you be angry with me?"

Ian’s eyelashes fluttered. He tried to wake up. But the darkness was too deep.

Something seemed to pull him back before he could reach the surface.

Evelyn lifted her head, unaware that somewhere inside the darkness, Ian had heard every word.

"Will you blame me?"

Those words hit him hard.

Ian fought desperately to wake up.

His fingers twitched beneath the bedsheet. He tried to move his head, but his body felt unbearably heavy. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids refused to obey him.

’I don’t blame you. I’ll never blame you.’

He tried to speak, but his tongue felt heavy and numb. His throat refused to form even a single word.

Evelyn’s thumb brushed the back of his hand. "Maya realized her mistakes. She finally understood that love couldn’t be forced. I hope she finds her happiness."

She tried to smile, but her expression twisted with sorrow.

"I want to be happy too." Her voice dropped, emotion almost choking her. "And my happiness is with you."

She looked at his face. He was still calm, with no sign of waking up.

"Didn’t you say you want to reconcile with me?" Her voice was hoarse from crying. "You want to get your family back. You want to be with Leo and me."

Her chest tightened as another wave of emotion crashed onto her. "I am willing to remarry you. Just wake up."

She stared at him hopefully, waiting for any reaction—a flutter of his eyelashes, a twitch of his eyebrows, anything.

There was nothing.

Her patience was thinning. Her hope was dying.

"If you don’t wake up, I’ll find someone else to marry. My brother was telling me about a blind date that day. I’ll go see that man."

Those words sent a jolt through Ian’s entire body. That was the final push he needed.

’No, you can’t leave me.’

He wanted to shout. His chest seemed to tear apart as he fought against the darkness. Every muscle in his body strained as he desperately tried to wake up.

Evelyn sensed the tension. She looked at him and froze.

His face was twisting with effort, his brows drawn tightly together.

"Ian, what is happening to you?"

Fear rushed through her.

"Doctor... Doctor..." she screamed.

At the same time, Ian opened his eyes.

Evelyn stopped shouting instantly. Tears streamed down her face, but her lips stretched into a wide smile.

Surprise and joy mixed.

"Am I dreaming?" she mumbled.

Ian’s gaze slowly found hers. "Eve," he murmured, his voice weak and raspy.

Her breath hitched. She covered her mouth with both hands.

"You—you are awake."

Ian reached out to her.

Evelyn instantly grabbed his hand. She wanted to say so many things, but no words came out. She cried and laughed at the same time.

"Are you okay?" Ian asked, remembering she had been kidnapped.

She nodded again and again. "I am fine."

She leaned down and hugged him.

Ian’s arms encircled her. The hollowness in his chest seemed to disappear.

For a long moment, neither of them said a word. Only Evelyn’s sob echoed inside the room.

"I heard everything you said." Ian broke the silence.

Evelyn lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "Did you?"

He gave a small nod, his face lighting up with a smile. "So, you are ready to marry me again."

Evelyn’s face flushed instantly. "I-I said that to wake you up."

She tried to move back.

He held her close to his chest. "Are you trying to go back on your words?"

She parted her lips but couldn’t say anything.

"Alright. If you don’t want to marry me, I’ll call Maya and tell her to come back."

At the mention of Maya, Evelyn stiffened. Her lips formed a tight pout.

"If she comes back, I will scratch her face. I’ll make her regret the day she was born."

"Easy, easy... I am not calling her." He flashed a mischievous smile. "I said that only to test you. Now..."

He lifted her chin slightly, looking into her eyes. "Tell me, will you marry me?"

She didn’t reply instantly. "Such a dry proposal. No ring. No flowers. I’m not replying."

He laughed softly. "Fine, I’ll arrange a grand proposal."

She smiled back. "You don’t have to do that. You already know my answer."

She hugged him back. A deep sigh of relief escaped her mouth.