Marrying A Secret Zillionaire: Happy Ever After Novel

Chapter 1156: Linsey's voice carried a bitter edge as she spoke. "He disappeared this morning without so much as a goodbye, ignored my messages completely, and now suddenly he's desperate to reach me." Her fingers tightened around the phone. "Typical timing, really. Never around when I actually need him." She looked down at the device, her voice dropping to barely a whisper. "I know it's unfair to blame him for this, but I can't shake the feeling that if he'd been here, maybe Alicia and Jeffery would be safe right now." Dolores' expression softened with understanding.

"Linsey, you should call him back. Dustin and I can go check with the surgical team to see how things are progressing." "Alright, I'll be there soon," Linsey nodded, her tone calm but her heart far from it. As she watched Dolores and Dustin walk away, an uneasy feeling churned in her chest. She had thought that after Haven and Kylee were sent to prison, her days of facing life-and-death threats were finally behind her. And yet, she had just witnessed how those she cared about ended up injured.

Clutching her phone tightly, she inhaled deeply to calm her racing mind, then dialed Collin's number. The call connected almost instantly. Before she could say a word, Collin's voice came through-hurried, anxious, and laced with worry. "Linsey, where are you? Did something happen? Are you hurt?" The sound of his voice struck her deeply, her eyes instantly misting with tears. Until that moment, she had braced herself for scolding-for his frustration over her ignoring his calls. But no rebuke came, only concern. "I'm okay," she replied softly, her voice hoarse and unsteady.

Collin exhaled, clearly relieved, but something in her tone unsettled him. "You've been crying," he said quietly, almost certain. |∆ŧè$† ¢₳þŧ€яş 1n Ġ∆lπoνεlŞ.cø₥ Linsey hesitated, torn between denial and honesty. But before she could answer, Collin asked again, more deliberately this time. "You found out, didn't you?" Her breath caught. "What do you mean by that, Collin?" she asked sharply. His words felt like a breadcrumb trail to something he hadn't yet told her. There was a pause. Then, in a voice unusually even, he confessed something that left Linsey frozen.

"I had a vasectomy." "What?!" The phone nearly slipped from her fingers. Her thoughts reeled back to the conversation they had shared just last night. "Collin, you-why would you go through with this without telling me first?" she asked, her emotions swirling in confusion and disbelief. His reply came, calm but resolute. "Because I believe in acting more than explaining." He paused, then added with unmistakable sincerity, "I couldn't bear the thought of you ever going through the pain of childbirth again." A storm of emotion welled up inside Linsey. She was touched deeply.

And though it shocked her, somehow it didn't surprise her-not coming from him. As the reality sank in, Linsey found herself growing calm. In truth, she didn't want more children either. And when she thought about it rationally, compared to what women endure-the trauma, the pain, the recovery-a vasectomy was a small price for a man to pay. In that light, Collin's decision didn't anger her. It touched her. What he had done-without telling her-was born from love, not deception. . . .