Chapter 582
Ms. Russell The floor is cold! Please put on your shoes before you go! You’re still recovering from your delivery! You can’t walk barefoot like this!”
The maid hurriedly chased after Imogen with a pair of shoes in hand, but Imogen didn’t hear a word. Barefoot, she stumbled and rushed out, unwilling to wait a second longer.
It she had wings, she would fly to Archie right now to touch his face and confirm if this was just a dream or reality.
In her haste, Imogen tripped. She was just about to fall when a pair of strong arms caught her steadily.
Her voice trembled as she tentatively called out, “A–Archie?
The reply she had longed for in countless dreams sounded clearly in her ears, with the same familiar tenderness. “It’s me, Imogen. I’m back.”
The familiar scent and voice… It was Archie!
Tears streamed down her face as she clung to his arm. “Where have you been all this time? How could you just leave and then come back like this? I thought I thought you were dead.. You idiot! Do you even know how I got through these months of torment? I thought of you every day, praying you’d be safe. This isn’t a dream, right? Tell me it’s real!”
Her eyes were red and swollen, tears falling one after another.
“It’s not a dream, silly. It’s all real.”
Archie held her hand, placing it on his face. “If you don’t believe me, pinch me and see for yourself.”
How could she bear to pinch him? Instead, her hands carefully traced his face–his e eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips. They were all the features she knew
so well.
“It’s true. You’re really back…”
The last shred of uncertainty in her heart vanished. Imogen threw her arms around him tightly, her emotions surging with a mix of joy and grievance. After a while, when her emotions had settled, she seemed to recall something. Pulling away from his embrace, she tilted her head up and said, “Oh, right! Did you know? You’re a father now! We have a child together!”
Archie feigned surprise perfectly, his voice brimming with delight. “Really? I’m a dad now?
Imogen softened her tone. “After your accident, I found out I was pregnant. The baby was just born, and the housekeepers all say he looks a lot like you.” Instead of immediately asking to see the child, Archie gently kissed her forehead, his face filled with tenderness. “You’ve had it rough, my darling, I wasn’t there for you from pregnancy to delivery. I feel terrible about it.”
– “Don’t b
blame yourself. As long as you’re safe, I’m content.”
Wiping away her tears, Imogen’s expression turned serious. “Archie, what exactly happened that night at sea? The whole ship sank. How did you survive? And if you were fine, why didn’t you come back sooner?”
She had been bottling up all those questions within her all this while. Now that he was back, she asked them all in one breath without holding back. Archle sighed deeply and replied, “That night, six months ago, the ship was on its way back to Seldvale but was attacked by another vessel in international waters. In the chaos, I and one of my men took a speedboat to flank and capture their leader first.
“Then, out of nowhere, a massive storm hit. I was swept away by the storm, and when I came to, I was in another country. I was rescued by the crew members of an oil tanker, but I couldn’t understand their language. On top of that, I was injured and couldn’t communicate with the outside world.
“By the time I recovered enough to move around, nearly half a year had passed, I knew you’d be worried, so I rushed back as soon as I could. Thankfully, I made it back in time to see you”
Archie cupped Imogen’s face in his hands, his voice gentle and filled with sincerity. In just a few words, he explained his situation. Every one of his sentences seemned to carry a long deep longing for her.
