Chapter 48
“Mr. Higginson, please take this,” Daryl told Jace as he handed him the cotton swab and alcohol to clean his wounds. His fight with Liam is intense, and they are both huge and equally strong.
“Thank you,” he said while glaring at Emerald, who was putting some ointment on Liam’s wounds. He was very jealous, thinking he should be the one his wife was taking care of. Although he was the one who started the fight, he justified his actions by being married to her.
“Is there anywhere that you’re hurt?” Emerald asked Liam as she continuously looked at his face and arms.
“Why are you so concerned about him?” Young Higginson asks like a child, but Emerald ignores him, and he doesn’t like it. “Are you not going to answer me?” he adds.
“Ahm, Mr. Higginson, it would be better if you also put some ointment on your wounds.” Daryl chimed in. He knew that his friend would only get mad if Jace continued talking.
“Am I talking to you?” he asked angrily.
“If you didn’t want M to get mad at you even more, you have to take my advice and tend to your wounds quietly,” Daryl warned him, which earned him a glare from Jace, but he did as he said.
As Jace applies some ointment on his wounds, his eyes do not leave Emerald and Liam laughing as they converse. His jealousy leveled up, but he tried to control his anger. He started to pity himself when he realized that his wife never looked at him the whole time, and all her attention was on Liam, who was looking at him from time to time as if telling him that he didn’t matter to Emerald.
‘Make sure to indulge yourself with my wife’s presence now because once I win Emerald back, I will tell her not to even look at you.’ Jace thought.
“Alright, you can rest now,” Emerald said, making Jace look their way.
“Thanks, M,” Liam said, smiling before he got up from the couch to go to his bedroom.
“Ahm, dear wife,” Jace said, trying to get Emerald’s attention. Liam stopped and looked at him. “Can you help me with the ointment? Please?” Young Morgan rolled her eyes at him, but she got up from her seat and transferred to the couch beside him.
“Let me do that for him,” Liam said. He didn’t want them to get close to each other.
“It’s okay, you can rest. I know you’re tired.” Emerald replied, smiling. Liam didn’t insist because he knew that she didn’t like it. So he nodded and left them.
“Why is he here?” Jace asked as soon as Liam was out of their sight.
“I am not giving you permission to know anything about me or the people around me,” Emerald replied and pressed the cotton swab on his wounds a little harder.
“Ouch!” Jace exclaimed, “Do you want to see me in pain?” he complained.
“Yes. So if you didn’t want me to cause you pain, you better mind your own business and leave me alone.”
“I don’t want to.” Young Higginson was upset because of what she said. He tried not to show it but couldn’t, and Emerald noticed it. “Stop acting close to me, Jace, because we’re not. The only thing that connected us was Ace. Because he needed a father. If not, there’s no way I will let you get closer to me.”Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
“You know that’s not true. When will you admit that you still feel something for me?” Higginson asked, his eyes not leaving Emerald’s, who was now uneasy. As much as possible, she wants to limit their closeness out of fear that she might not stop herself and forgive him just like that. “I miss you so much, dear wife,” Jace said as he caressed her cheeks, making Emerald close her eyes. She liked the feeling of his touch, but when she remembered that she needed to teach him a lesson, she opened her eyes and pressed on his wounds. “Ouch, dear wife, is this how much you love me?”
“It’s done. If you’ll stay here, choose whichever room you want to sleep in except mine.”
“But I want to sleep in your bedroom.”
“Shut up!” Emerald shouted and began walking upstairs,
“Dear wife,” Jace continued, so he earned a glare from Emerald when she looked back.
“Why are you even here? Who’s taking care of Ace right now?” Young Morgan remembered to ask.
“Mom and Dad. Before you get mad, I asked for our son’s permission to come here. He even gave me his keys.”
Emerald sighed before she continued going upstairs. She knew how much Ace loved his father and saw how much her son wanted her and Jace to be together. She already had a feeling that the father and son were joining forces to make her forgive her husband, so she was very careful with her actions, as she didn’t want to ruin her plan.
Unknown to them, Liam was watching from the second floor. He got worried when he thought young Higginson was going to kiss Emerald. Although he knew they were still married, he didn’t want to give up on the woman. He wanted her to become his and was willing to fight for her.
Liam went back to LA for Emerald to see that he was always there for her no matter what and that she could count on him. He didn’t tell young Morgan that he was there to stay and would try everything to make her fall for him, even though he already saw how Emerald reacted in front of Jace.
‘I will make you see that I am the right man for you, M., ‘ Liam told himself as he watched her enter her bedroom before he got inside Ace’s.
Meanwhile, Jace was also on his way to his son’s room. Since he can’t sleep in Emerald’s room, he decides to go to Ace’s room instead. But when he entered, he saw Liam lying on his son’s bed, and he got furious.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Sleeping,” Liam replied,
“This is my son’s room. Get out and find another room; better yet, sleep on the couch in the living room.”
“Whenever I visit them, I always sleep with Ace.”
“Do I look like I care? Let me remind you, I am his father.”
“I was his father when you’re not around.”
“Thank you. But since I am already here and he loves me, you can leave his and Emerald’s lives. My family doesn’t need you because I am more than enough for them.” Liam chuckled. Although he was hurt by what he said, he still wanted to fight his feelings as the father figure to Ace.
“Ace called me Daddy.”
“Which Emerald didn’t agree to.”
“We’re talking about the boy.”
“Don’t use my son to get Emerald; I will not let you do that now that I am here.”
“I am not using Ace; you were doing that.” Liam replied, “Admit it, Jace. If not for the boy, do you think Emerald would even talk to you?” Young Higginson was speechless because he knew that the man had a point. But he didn’t want to admit it.
“Even so, this is my son’s room. Leave and look for another room.”
“In case you don’t know, I’ve been a father to Ace and a husband to Emerald more than you. When the boy was born, I was with Emerald. Holding her hands when she was trying to push the baby out of her womb almost cost her life. I was there and acted as the father when Ace was very sick and needed a blood transfusion. I was at their every milestone, watching their relationship as mother and son grow. Tell me, what have you done for them so far?” Jace swallowed hard. He lost to Liam, who had been with his family through many ups and downs. He knew because the investigator reported it to him. And even if he didn’t want to, he was also thankful for Liam for helping and being with them all this time. But he’s there now and willing to do more than Liam has done for his family. He thought he had the rest of his life to show Ace and Emerald how much he loved them.