Kneeling for a Second 252

Sebastian held the wooden box in his hands, and it was as if every ounce of strength drained out of him. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees on the deck. 

He lowered his head, and his back was stiff. Valeria couldn’t see his face, only his trembling shoulders. 

Sebastian was in so much pain that he couldn’t say a word, his vision already blurred. He looked at the wooden box in his arms, his fingers trembling as he touched it. 

Inside were his son’s ashes. 

On the way up the mountain, he had asked her once what they were here for. 

When Valeria came out holding the wooden box, his chest tightened sharply. He had carefully asked her what was inside. 

In that moment, it was as if Sebastian felt something deep inside him stir. 

Then, the grief hit, crashing over him so hard he could barely breathe. He stared at the box in his arms, his face expressionless, and his body stiffened. 

His breathing grew difficult, and the ocean breeze stung his face as tears ran uncontrollably down. his cheeks. 

Valeria looked at Sebastian for a long moment before she reached up to smooth her hair. She pulled it into a loose ponytail with the band she wore on her wrist. Then, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and rubbed her face, as if trying to make herself look a little more composed. 

She crouched down so she was eye level with Sebastian, who was kneeling on the ground. 

She reached out, her fingertips trembling as they brushed the wooden box in his arms. In a whisper, she said, “Louis, Daddy and I are here to lay you to rest, okay? You only ever saw me before, but now you get to see your dad, too.” 

Valeria’s voice was soft, but in Sebastian’s ears, it felt like every word was tearing his heart apart. 

She spoke of Louis‘ death and the pain of those years with a steady calm. 

And what had Sebastian been doing at that time? He was celebrating Ruby’s birthday. 

Even if he hadn’t been doing so, he would’ve been at some other party with friends. Although the international student residence was filled with laughter and birthday wishes that night, he had lost 

his child forever. 

Valeria reached for the wooden box in Sebastian’s arms. 

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He flinched and clutched it tighter to his chest, as if already knowing what she meant to do. He said hoarsely, “No. Please, no. Let me hold him a little longer.” 

They were in the middle of the sea, and Valeria wanted to scatter Louis‘ ashes there, so he could finally rest in peace. 

After what felt like an endless ten minutes, Sebastian steadied his breathing and slowly rose to his feet. His fingers trembled and his knuckles were rigid with strain as he held the box. 

Valeria took it from him and opened it. Inside was all that was left of Louis–just a small handful of 

ashes. 

“Valeria…” Sebastian’s pale lips quivered as he stopped her. 

“We…” He lifted his hand, gently wrapping it around her wrist. Slowly, he sank on one knee, his 

voice hoarse. “Please… give me one more chance.” 

He wanted to lay Louis‘ ashes to rest in the Grant family plot. Louis was his son, and he wanted to do 

anything he could to make things right. 

Valeira looked at Sebastian–the man who had always carried himself with such pride–begging her, asking for another chance. 

A chance? What kind of chance could there be? 

And who could give her the chance to go back to that morning in the hospital when they met again? 

Valeria had never regretted bringing her kids into the world. What she regretted was not walking away the moment she could. 

Instead, she had let herself get trapped in it. 

Chapter 253