Chapter 199: Chapter 199

The moon gradually disappeared, and the cycle of a day was completed. The morning air was fresh and pleasant.

Outside the Davis family gate, Maxwell had been standing for a night, but he showed no intention of leaving.

Without seeing Flora and explaining things properly to her, he had no intention of going back. The morning dew fell on him, and his golden hair even felt a bit damp. His legs were already numb—the consequence of standing all night.

Kevin, waking up from his slumber, stretched lazily, pulled back a corner of the curtain, and looked toward the large iron gate not far away. Considering he still had a bit of sincerity, he was surprised to see Maxwell still there. With such good air, he might as well stand for another hour.

Thinking this in his mind, a scornful smile appeared on his lips as he walked towards the adjacent bedroom. Flora's door was tightly closed; she was probably still sleeping. He decided to have breakfast downstairs first.

As Kevin sat at the dining table, the butler walked in, speaking anxiously, "Young Master, the person outside who looks just like you has gone crazy. He says if we don't open the gate, he'll bring someone to break it down."

Kevin chuckled indifferently and said, "Tell him to go ahead and bring someone to break it down. The Davis family can afford a new gate." After saying this, he glanced in the direction of the gate, imagining Maxwell in a rage. It must be quite a sight, full of madness!

However, Kevin was genuinely surprised that Maxwell would stand outside his house for so long. Wasn't he infatuated with Chiyoko? Why was he so fixated on Flora? Could it be just for the sake of the child?

Observing Maxwell's demeanor, it didn't seem like it was only for the child. It felt like his feelings for Flora were quite genuine, not as superficial as Kevin had imagined. Could there be some hidden secrets that Maxwell couldn't express?

He knew Maxwell had gotten involved with the Yota Gang, but he wasn't sure if the Yota Gang was related to this matter. His concealment wasn't targeted at Flora alone but the entire world. What he was wrong about was not focusing on one woman!

"Young Master..." The butler looked somewhat distressed, judging by the person's appearance. It didn't seem like a joke at all. He worried that the person might bring others to break down the gate. Unfortunately, the master didn't care at all, leaving the butler in a state of anxiety.

Seeing Kevin silent, the butler shook his head helplessly and walked out. Just as he stepped out the door, Kevin suddenly called him, saying, "Let him in!"

"Alright." The butler, pleased, quickened his pace.

Soon, Maxwell, looking like an enraged lion, rushed in, scanning the spacious living room before striding into the dining room.

"Where's Flora? Where is she?" Maxwell leaned forward across the dining table, grabbing Kevin's shirt. He gritted his teeth and roared. How could Kevin dare to hide Flora? This damned Kevin!

Observing Maxwell losing his temper, Kevin remained unmoved, coldly saying, "Flora said she doesn't want to see you, so... I had to let her stay upstairs to rest. She needs the rest now."

"Kevin! I want you to find Flora for me immediately!" Maxwell didn't care whether Flora wanted to see him. He just needed to see her, and he must see her. He had a thousand apologies and countless things to say to her!

Kevin continued to adopt an indifferent attitude toward Maxwell's anger and said displeasedly, "Find her for what? So you can continue to hurt her? Continue to deceive her? Do you think this game is fun?"

Maxwell paused, a hint of defeat flashing across his face. He loosened the grip on Kevin's shirt and propped his hands on the table.

Maxwell's unresponsive attitude further infuriated Kevin. "What? No more to say? Feeling guilty?"

Taking a deep breath, Maxwell stared at him, speaking expressionlessly after a long silence, "I deceived Flora for her own good. Since your identity was known by Aunt, I decided not to impersonate Oliver anymore. This time, I really had no choice. Itou Tokugawa asked me for evidence of Chiyoko's affair. Originally, I planned to present her and her child to Itou Tokugawa after the baby was born, but now that the child is gone, I must gather evidence another way. Yota Gang is keeping a close eye on me, so I can only use the identity of Oliver to be with Flora..."

A loud crash interrupted Maxwell's words—a vase had fallen from upstairs. At the same time, the attention of the two men at the dining table was drawn to the direction of the second floor.

On the staircase, Flora glared at Maxwell, glanced at the vase unintentionally knocked over, turned around, and quickly fled to her bedroom. Behind her, Maxwell's anxious voice called out her name.

"Flora, wait! Flora!" Maxwell hurriedly went upstairs, but unfortunately, he was a step too late. With a loud bang, the slammed door blocked him at the entrance to the bedroom.

Maxwell paused for a moment, immediately using his hands to pound on the door loudly. "Flora, open the door! I have something to tell you. Did you hear what I said just now? I played Oliver just to protect you, with no other intentions."

"I don't want to hear your voice! Get out!" Flora shouted with a tearful voice. She didn't want to hear any more of his explanations. Every time he did something excessive, he would pacify her with just a few words. She knew he was good with words, always having lots of reasons. Reasons she simply couldn't resist!

"Flora, even if you don't want to listen, I have to say it. I'm sorry for hitting you that day. I know you were in pain, but do you know I was in even more pain? I even doubted if that was really me. How could I have done it otherwise? I know Chiyoko is pretending, and I know hitting you was wrong. Can you forgive me? I really had no choice but to do this to you because Yota Gang has been watching closely. I had to win over Chiyoko Tokugawa first to protect everyone in the Smith Family. Flora, are you listening? Say something!"

There was suddenly no sound in the bedroom. Maxwell became anxious, banging on the rigid door.

"Step aside," Kevin suddenly said behind him. After saying that, he gently opened the door with a key, then expressionlessly said, "Go in, but better not make her too upset. Otherwise, even if you blow up the Davis family, I won't let you take another step in!"

While his threatening words were still in his mouth, Maxwell had already pushed open the door and rushed in. He anxiously scanned the bedroom and focused on the large bed in the middle. He saw Flora, her head covered with a silk quilt, crying and trembling under the blanket.

His heart tightened, and Maxwell walked over, pulled the quilt off her head, and tenderly lifted her from the bed. "Flora, considering I waited for you at the front gate all night, can you give me a chance to explain?"

Maxwell held her tear-streaked face, gazing at her swollen eyes, feeling heartbroken to the point of suffocation.

"I don't want, I don't want to hear your explanation..." Flora shook her head, and tears fell on both of them as she collapsed, covering her ears with her hands. She knew that as long as she gave him this chance, she would once again fall into his deceitful words.

Every time was like this; she had long figured out his psychology. Just because she was easy to coax, he treated her like a child, saying a few nice words to deceive her each time.

"Flora." Maxwell forcibly pulled her hands down, tightly yet gently embracing her, kissing away the bitter tears on her face with his sensual lips.

Then he moved to her ear, his gentle voice revealing impatience, "Flora, please don't cry anymore. What do you want to stop your tears? Tell me, I'll listen to you."

"I want you to leave... leave right away..." Flora choked out these words, only managing to say these few, her throat felt blocked, unable to breathe or speak, a heart-wrenching pain!

Leaning against Maxwell's embrace, smelling that familiar scent, everything felt so strange. She loved him to the point of death, yet he seemed impenetrable. She had never truly understood him, and felt so pathetic about herself!

"I won't leave. If you don't forgive me, I won't leave," Maxwell stubbornly declared, kissing her hair. His sensual lips brushed across her cheeks, and landed on her red lips, kissing gently, a taste of saltiness, bitter and painful!

He was heartbroken, truly heartbroken! One hand around her waist, the other supporting the back of her head, he deepened the kiss with remorse. He wanted to stop her from crying, couldn't let her cry any longer!

His tongue entered her mouth, and Flora began to squirm and struggle, her face showing painful rejection. At this moment, his kiss only made her feel shame, just like the first time, full of rejection and hatred!

But she couldn't break free from him. His robust physique didn't give her a chance to escape. While deepening the kiss, he whispered in her ear, "Flora, I love you. I've loved you all my life, only you..."

Flora's body stiffened, forgetting to struggle. He finally said the three words 'I love you,' something she had been eagerly waiting for, something she thought he would never say in his lifetime!

He IS saying this now? And... he is saying he's only loved one woman in his life, and it's her? Is all this real? Or fake? Too dreamlike! It must be his way of deceiving her; she knew she couldn't give him a chance to explain!

He knew well how to make her happy, and she, always so weak, was infatuated with his sweet words. One willing to hit, the other willing to endure! The loser was always her, always!

"Let me go..." When his lips slightly left hers, Flora weakly pleaded, despair evident in her voice.

Maxwell released her lips but held her even tighter, caressing her hair and murmuring in her ear, "Flora, I don't know how to explain this series of events to you. Wait until you calm down, ask me whatever you want to know, and I promise I won't hide anything from you, okay?"

Flora was initially going to refuse, but the desire to know the truth overwhelmed her. Refusing words got stuck in her throat and couldn't come out. Knowing she shouldn't indulge him like this, she still couldn't resist listening to him!

"Flora, I didn't start playing Oliver just because I met you; I've been doing it for 25 years. Twenty-five years ago, Oliver was kidnapped. The police told us he died, and my mom went insane with grief. To help her get better, I had to play Oliver and make her happy. Later, when she recovered, to prevent her from relapsing, I had to continue playing Oliver. Besides my dad, no one knew that the returned Oliver was fake..."

Recalling this past, Maxwell's heart still carried a faint pain. It was the tragedy of the Smith Family, and his life tragedy. Over the years, acting as Oliver, he felt tired and tortured!

Flora listened to his words in a daze, no longer shedding tears, perhaps too surprised to remember to cry. Indeed, she was truly astonished; she had never expected Maxwell and Oliver to have such a past!

Seeing her calm down, Maxwell felt a bit relieved. He knew his words had managed to calm her, and now he could finally talk properly. So he continued, "What I didn't expect is that Oliver didn't actually die; instead, he was taken to Germany by Mrs. Davis and became the heir to the Davis family. Until he returned to the country some time ago, I saw him for the first time, and his sudden appearance completely caught me off guard."

Flora pushed him away slightly and finally looked at him directly, observing him. It was only at this moment that she noticed how disheveled he was, with his hair visibly damp from the morning dew, still wearing the same clothes from last night when he left.

Someone who always cared about his image had no semblance of it at this moment, looking like he had just been through a prolonged fight. Even the buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned without his knowledge.

She could imagine how painful it must be to play two roles, even to the point of developing a mental illness. She finally understood why she had never seen Maxwell and Oliver appear together.

Understanding why Oliver was always abroad, understanding why the two brothers had a strained relationship, it turns out it was all an image fabricated by Maxwell. The only thing she didn't understand was Chiyoko's affair a year ago.

"Was Miss Chiyoko's affair a year ago also something you orchestrated?" Flora looked at him with suspicion but then realized it didn't make sense. Why would Maxwell use such a method to deceive Miss Chiyoko when he had claimed to want to treat her well?

Maxwell traced her jawline with his fingers, shaking his head, and earnestly said, "No, she offered herself willingly. She often seduced Oliver when I wasn't at home because she didn't know it was me. I rejected her a few times, but she didn't take it seriously. One night, she directly went to Oliver's room, and I, in a fit of anger, granted her wish... then used Maxwell's identity to confine her on the third floor."

Maxwell said the last part cautiously, carefully observing Flora's expression. Indeed, a trace of shame appeared on her face, but she remained silent.

"I'm sorry, Flora. At that time, I..." What he wanted to say was that he was a normal man and couldn't resist Chiyoko's crazy temptation. However, he would never dare to say such a thing in front of Flora.

He had finally managed to stop Flora from crying, and he couldn't afford to upset her again, risking another outburst of tears!

Flora sneered at him, "You've probably had as many women as there are in a village, right? What does one Miss Chiyoko matter?" A strong sense of jealousy churned in her stomach, and she feared she might not be able to hold it in.

Maxwell felt speechless, seemingly not appreciating her choice of words. As many as a village? Did she think of him as someone solely interested in desires all day long?

"Darling, you can exaggerate, but not to this extent!" Maxwell embraced her, speaking with a hint of guilt, "But I swear, from now on, I won't touch anyone else but you, won't even look at them twice."

The vow sounded beautiful, but Flora would never believe it again. She sat in silence, letting him hold her and kiss her. She was waiting for him to continue speaking; there were still many things he needed to explain.

Maxwell, seeing her silent, felt uncertain and wondered if he should continue. Would speaking further make her even more upset? It was truly a dilemma.

After a while, Flora couldn't wait any longer. She put on an impatient expression and said, "Are you going to continue or not? If not, just leave; I need to rest!"

"I...," Maxwell hurriedly spoke. She kept telling him to leave, and it seemed far from obtaining her forgiveness. He felt a bit anxious, fearing she wouldn't agree to go home with him.

After some thought, he sighed and began, "I know you've always misunderstood my relationship with Chiyoko. That night was indeed because I was drunk, but it's also partly your fault..."

"My fault?" Flora widened her eyes, glaring at him disapprovingly.

"If you had been in the room that night, how could I have fallen into Chiyoko's hands? You weren't in the room in the middle of the night waiting for me to come home. Can't you blame yourself for that?" Maxwell looked down at her, confidently justifying himself.

Flora felt a bit guilty. That night, she had been playing games with Robin, unable to free herself. Indeed, if she had been in the room that night, how could Chiyoko end up on Maxwell's bed?

Regretfully tugging at her hair, she murmured, "If I hadn't run around that night, you wouldn't have done that with Chiyoko, right? There wouldn't have been a child, right?" It was all her fault! She truly blamed herself!

"No!" Maxwell grabbed the hand that was pulling at her hair, trying to comfort her. "Flora, I was just joking with you. It's not your fault, and there's no child. The child in Chiyoko's belly is not mine."

Flora was once again surprised, looking up at him in disbelief. "What are you saying? Chiyoko..."

"Yes, the child is not mine," Maxwell reiterated, a fact he had known for a while.

"How do you know it's not yours?" Flora asked suspiciously, observing him. She couldn't help but wonder if this was another lie to deceive her. Every word from Maxwell seemed to be subject to her skepticism, and he wasn't doing a convincing job!

Maxwell also sensed this, and besides feeling helpless, besides striving to be a trustworthy man, he had no other way.

After a wry smile, he answered, "Because I know her character; she's never loyal to one man. My intuition also told me the child couldn't be mine. So, I asked Nancy to investigate her menstrual cycle. Seeing how serious I was, Nancy directly told me there was no need to check; the child wasn't mine."

"And how did Nancy know?" Flora asked anxiously.

Maxwell smiled and tried to reassure, "Flora, don't be in such a hurry."

Flora turned her face away, feeling annoyed. How could she not be in a hurry? It was such an important matter, and he spoke about it as if it were someone else's story, calm and unhurried.

"Nancy told me, that on the second day I had sex with Chiyoko, she secretly gave Chiyoko a contraceptive pill. So, as soon as she heard about Chiyoko's pregnancy, she knew something was wrong. As for why she gave her the contraceptive pill, Nancy didn't say."

"Do you even need to say?" Flora sneered. The first time she saw Nancy after entering the mansion, she knew that Nancy's feelings for Maxwell or Oliver were extraordinary. Was it love? Perhaps. A kind of self-deprecating, secret love.

Nancy had always harbored strong hostility towards Chiyoko and her, even secretly mistreating Chiyoko on the third floor because of this matter. After Chiyoko was released, Nancy faced a lot of trouble because of it, and naturally, she grew to hate her even more!

"What are you talking about?" Maxwell asked her suspiciously, wondering why she looked like she understood everything.

"Nothing." Flora shook her head, then asked curiously, "Since you knew the child wasn't yours, why did you still keep her? I was almost forced by you to have an abortion back then."

As she spoke, Flora's tone became somewhat resentful. Talking about those past events made her angry and hateful again.

"Do you still resent me? I know I was wrong. Look, the baby is perfectly fine now." Maxwell apologetically stroked her prominently rounded belly and then leaned his face against it.

Unfortunately, she slapped him away with a palm. "Go away! Don't touch me!"

"I haven't communicated with the baby for a long time." Maxwell leaned in again, his long arms encircling her waist. He seemed to enjoy this feeling of holding her and the baby, refusing to let go.

His face rubbed against her belly as he said, "Before, the news of my canceling the engagement was consistently blocked by Chiyoko. Later, I approached Itou Tokugawa to have the engagement canceled according to the agreement. He refused, citing the lack of evidence of Chiyoko's infidelity."

Maxwell's voice became contemplative, helpless, and low. "I had no choice. I didn't want to burden my family, so I returned to W City to find evidence of Chiyoko and Philip's affair. It happened that Chiyoko got pregnant, and I just found out the child wasn't mine. So, I decided to wait for the child to be born. I knew that doing so would hurt you, but I couldn't offend Chiyoko. I had to stabilize her emotions and wait for the child to be born. I'm living in more pain than you, Flora..."