When There Is Nothing Left But Love

“Do we know each other?” I stammered hesitantly, frowning.

“It’s me,” The man muttered thickly. He looked as if he was struggling to quell some intense emotion that was rising within him. He cleared his throat, then said, raising his voice, “It’s me, John Stovall.”

John’s eyes were brimming with tears. When his statement elicited no response from me, he looked at rueful, then asked, “Have you really forgotten who I am?”

John? I pondered. That name sounds strangely familiar…

My eyes darted from him to the little girl standing just beside him. Realization dawned upon me.

John was a member of the Stovall family and “Scarlett”’s relative. I recalled briefly seeing him listed amongst the material that Ashton had given me. John had grown out his beard, which hindered me from recognizing him at first glance.

According to Ashton’s plan, I was to battle John in court over custody rights.

within me now? I wondered. The sight of John and the little girl standing

pretense of

girl down on the sofa facing me. He then placed the

briefly announced, “I’m

brought us a round of water, John immediately broke the ice by saying frankly, “The Stovall family and the Moore family have never given up on searching for you. To take care of the child, as well as to accumulate enough funds, we arranged to

sorrow in his voice. In front of the child’s inquisitive eyes, however, John had to maintain his composure. He paused and took several long, deep breaths. Lowering his gaze for

Stovall Corporation’s shares. When you return, you’ll be the second-largest major shareholder in

He took her hand gently,

bit her lip and looked at me uncertainly. She turned back to face John, who smiled at her encouragingly and gave her a nudge. Audrey turned back to look at me with an enormous beam on her face. “Mommy!” she called out with a sweet

than Gregory had been at our first meeting. She seemed emboldened now by John’s affirmation that this was indeed her mommy. Audrey ran towards me as fast as her short legs could carry her and wrapped her stubby arms around my neck. Sobbing, she cried again, “Mommy! I missed

even though I wasn’t fluent in the language, I was nonetheless moved by the earnestness with which Audrey cried. As she clung to my neck and wept, my heart broke. I, too,

hugged Gregory, I felt a sudden rush of tears now as