Chapter 20

When Cirrus left the ward and went downstairs, his phone rang. It was Florence calling.Cirrus answered the phone. "Hi, Florence." "Cirrus, where have you been? I asked Peter about where you were but he faltered and refused to tell me."Cirrus took a deep breath to adjust his mood and said, "I'm dealing with something. Are you feeling better now? I'll be right back.""Did you go to see Miss Walker?""No," Cirrus denied it. "She doesn't deserve my concern."On the other end of the phone, Florence fell into silence. After a while, she asked tentatively, "How about you go to see her? If she is fine, then you can complete the divorce procedures as soon as possible. I don't want others to think that I'm your mistress."Somehow, when thinking about getting divorced, Cirrus felt a little annoyed."There's no hurry. I'll divorce her sooner or later. Florence, you are injured. All you should do now is to have a good rest."Florence then said softly, "Alright. Drive safely. I'll wait for you at home.""Got it."After hanging up the phone, Cirrus called his assistant, Vincent."Vincent, do an investigation on who the father of Vivian's two children is. Tell me the result as soon as possible.""Yes, sir.""And check out whether Vivian has a disease.""Yes, sir."……Enduring the sharp pain in the incision, Vivian went to her children's ward.Before she opened the door, she heard Aelius' voice from inside."Uncle Eric, is she my little sister?" Aelius asked happily.Eric answered in a gentle voice, "Yes. And it was your little sister who saved you.""I will be a good brother and treat my little sister very well. If anyone dares to bully her, I will beat them!" Aelius said seriously.Eric was amused by his childish words. "Good boy. Your Mom would be very happy if she heard your words.""Uncle Eric, why doesn't my mother come to see me?" Aelius asked."She is also sick and needs treatment.""Is she badly ill?""... Sort of.""Does she have to lie in bed for a long time every day as I did? She will recover after an operation, just like me, right?"Eric sighed and didn't know how to explain Vivian's condition to him.Vivian had advanced lung cancer. And risking her life to give birth to her daughter had made her in a worse condition.Besides, without undergoing chemotherapy, she had missed the prime time for the treatment. Although she managed to survive after the operation, she wouldn't live long.Thinking about this, Eric felt painful.What a pity that Vivian can't see her children grow up. And what a tragedy that the children will lose their mother at such a young age! Destiny is so cruel to them. "Uncle Eric? What's wrong?" Aelius asked when seeing Eric in a daze."Yes, she will recover," Eric replied with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Your mother will be fine."Hearing his words, Aelius was finally relieved and then smiled.He had just had an operation, so he still needed intubation though he had got better. Perhaps he had been used to such a state so he didn't feel uncomfortable or cry like other children. And there was always a faint smile on his face.Looking at Aelius who looked like Cirrus, Eric sighed with emotion.He hadn't seen Cirrus before. Just now when he saw Cirrus, his first thought was that Aelius was a mini version of Cirrus. The only difference between Cirrus and Aelius was their personalities. Aelius was always obedient and polite, different from his father who was always aggressive and arrogant."Uncle Eric, may I ask you a question?" Aelius asked and then bit his lower lip in hesitation."Sure."Aelius then asked cautiously, "Are you my dad?"Eric was stunned. "I... Do you want me to be your dad?"Aelius thought for a while and nodded, but the next second he shook his head.Seeing him like this, Eric couldn't help smiling and said, "What do you mean? Do you want me to be your dad or not?"With a lovely smile, Aelius said, "I hope you are my dad because you treat me and my mom very well. But I know that you are not my dad.""Then do you want to see your dad?" Eric asked."I used to want to, but now I don't," Aelius answered honestly."Why?""Because he made Mom sad," Aelius said in a sobbing tone, with tears in his eyes. Then he tried to hold back his tears and continued, "Mom has been living a hard life and I want her to be happy in the future. I want to see my dad, but I don't want Mom to be sad because of him. So it doesn't matter if I don't see him all my life as long as Mom can live a happy life."Hearing her words, the nurse who was checking his vital signs was touched. "What a good boy. He's so considerate," she said.Aelius then chuckled and said, "Miss, could you help me comb my hair?"The nurse was amused by him and said, "No problem. Do you always care about your image so much?""No. I haven't seen my mom for a long time. I hope I can look handsome when she comes."As soon as he finished his words, the nurse's smile froze because Aelius' sincere words made her want to cry."I see. I'll help you comb your hair now."Aelius said with a sweet smile, "Thank you very much."Eric then stood up and made room for the nurse.When he turned around, he saw Vivian covering her mouth and crying silently outside.Eric knew that she must have heard Aelius' words. He walked out, took off his coat, and wrapped it around her. "Why don't you have a rest in the ward?" he asked.Vivian wiped the tears off her face and said, "I'm here to see the children.""Allius will be worried if he sees you like this.""I'll just have a look at him here. I won't go in."Putting his hands on her shoulders, Eric said seriously to her word by word, "Vivian, since you survived, cheer up and cherish your life."Hearing that, Vivian thought, Eric is right. Since I am still alive, I must cherish all that I have. And I must seek justice for myself."I will cheer up and try my best to prove my innocence," she said firmly.Eric then nodded and said gently, "I will try my best to help you. Don't worry. I'll be your lawyer. But to prove your innocence, we need evidence.""No problem."Florence, you murderer. I'll let you pay for what you have done, Vivian thought with hatred when she remembered the deaths of Cirrus' parents and her father.

When Cirrus left the ward and went downstairs, his phone rang. 

It was Florence calling.

Cirrus answered the phone. "Hi, Florence." 

"Cirrus, where have you been? I asked Peter about where you were but he faltered and refused to tell me."

Cirrus took a deep breath to adjust his mood and said, "I'm dealing with something. Are you feeling better now? I'll be right back."

"Did you go to see Miss Walker?"

"No," Cirrus denied it. "She doesn't deserve my concern."

On the other end of the phone, Florence fell into silence. After a while, she asked tentatively, "How about you go to see her? If she is fine, then you can complete the divorce procedures as soon as possible. I don't want others to think that I'm your mistress."

Somehow, when thinking about getting divorced, Cirrus felt a little annoyed.

"There's no hurry. I'll divorce her sooner or later. Florence, you are injured. All you should do now is to have a good rest."

Florence then said softly, "Alright. Drive safely. I'll wait for you at home."

"Got it."

After hanging up the phone, Cirrus called his assistant, Vincent.

"Vincent, do an investigation on who the father of Vivian's two children is. Tell me the result as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

"And check out whether Vivian has a disease."

"Yes, sir."

……

Enduring the sharp pain in the incision, Vivian went to her children's ward.

Before she opened the door, she heard Aelius' voice from inside.

"Uncle Eric, is she my little sister?" Aelius asked happily.

Eric answered in a gentle voice, "Yes. And it was your little sister who saved you."

"I will be a good brother and treat my little sister very well. If anyone dares to bully her, I will beat them!" Aelius said seriously.

Eric was amused by his childish words. "Good boy. Your Mom would be very happy if she heard your words."

"Uncle Eric, why doesn't my mother come to see me?" Aelius asked.

"She is also sick and needs treatment."

"Is she badly ill?"

"... Sort of."

"Does she have to lie in bed for a long time every day as I did? She will recover after an operation, just like me, right?"

Eric sighed and didn't know how to explain Vivian's condition to him.

Vivian had advanced lung cancer. And risking her life to give birth to her daughter had made her in a worse condition.

Besides, without undergoing chemotherapy, she had missed the prime time for the treatment. Although she managed to survive after the operation, she wouldn't live long.

Thinking about this, Eric felt painful.

What a pity that Vivian can't see her children grow up. And what a tragedy that the children will lose their mother at such a young age! Destiny is so cruel to them. 

"Uncle Eric? What's wrong?" Aelius asked when seeing Eric in a daze.

"Yes, she will recover," Eric replied with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Your mother will be fine."

Hearing his words, Aelius was finally relieved and then smiled.

He had just had an operation, so he still needed intubation though he had got better. Perhaps he had been used to such a state so he didn't feel uncomfortable or cry like other children. And there was always a faint smile on his face.

Looking at Aelius who looked like Cirrus, Eric sighed with emotion.

He hadn't seen Cirrus before. Just now when he saw Cirrus, his first thought was that Aelius was a mini version of Cirrus. 

The only difference between Cirrus and Aelius was their personalities. Aelius was always obedient and polite, different from his father who was always aggressive and arrogant.

"Uncle Eric, may I ask you a question?" Aelius asked and then bit his lower lip in hesitation.

"Sure."

Aelius then asked cautiously, "Are you my dad?"

Eric was stunned. "I... Do you want me to be your dad?"

Aelius thought for a while and nodded, but the next second he shook his head.

Seeing him like this, Eric couldn't help smiling and said, "What do you mean? Do you want me to be your dad or not?"

With a lovely smile, Aelius said, "I hope you are my dad because you treat me and my mom very well. But I know that you are not my dad."

"Then do you want to see your dad?" Eric asked.

"I used to want to, but now I don't," Aelius answered honestly.

"Why?"

"Because he made Mom sad," Aelius said in a sobbing tone, with tears in his eyes. 

Then he tried to hold back his tears and continued, "Mom has been living a hard life and I want her to be happy in the future. I want to see my dad, but I don't want Mom to be sad because of him. So it doesn't matter if I don't see him all my life as long as Mom can live a happy life."

Hearing her words, the nurse who was checking his vital signs was touched. "What a good boy. He's so considerate," she said.

Aelius then chuckled and said, "Miss, could you help me comb my hair?"

The nurse was amused by him and said, "No problem. Do you always care about your image so much?"

"No. I haven't seen my mom for a long time. I hope I can look handsome when she comes."

As soon as he finished his words, the nurse's smile froze because Aelius' sincere words made her want to cry.

"I see. I'll help you comb your hair now."

Aelius said with a sweet smile, "Thank you very much."

Eric then stood up and made room for the nurse.

When he turned around, he saw Vivian covering her mouth and crying silently outside.

Eric knew that she must have heard Aelius' words. He walked out, took off his coat, and wrapped it around her. 

"Why don't you have a rest in the ward?" he asked.

Vivian wiped the tears off her face and said, "I'm here to see the children."

"Allius will be worried if he sees you like this."

"I'll just have a look at him here. I won't go in."

Putting his hands on her shoulders, Eric said seriously to her word by word, "Vivian, since you survived, cheer up and cherish your life."

Hearing that, Vivian thought, Eric is right. Since I am still alive, I must cherish all that I have. And I must seek justice for myself.

"I will cheer up and try my best to prove my innocence," she said firmly.

Eric then nodded and said gently, "I will try my best to help you. Don't worry. I'll be your lawyer. But to prove your innocence, we need evidence."

"No problem."

Florence, you murderer. I'll let you pay for what you have done, Vivian thought with hatred when she remembered the deaths of Cirrus' parents and her father.