Be Your Lover Forever (Alicia)

Catching a glimpse of the clock, Elijah's face grew ugly with his mouth slightly agape. Even if Carolien tried ignoring him, she could take everything clearly into her eyes.

She turned off her phone and turned around to open the door.

"Carolien..."

As if he had used up all of his strength, Elijah gathered everything he had to utter the feeble cries. His big palm remained to seize the brocade box in his pocket, but he longer had the courage to take it out right then. Even if it was just to give her a birthday present, he couldn't bring himself to do so!

"I know what you're trying to say. My birthday is over, and I'm blessed. I don't need extra blessings!"

Without looking back or even giving him a single glance, her voice was so calm that no a single ripple was heard. Stepping into the room, Carolien's hands reached out to close the door.

No matter how precious an item was, it could be worthless with just a single flaw. If she didn't know about Gracie and the meaning behind the name, Gracie, she might be seething, but rationality was all that remained for her to face reality right then. If she couldn't even daydream about it, why should she bother?noveldrama

For the first time, Carolien came to a deep realization that it was just a deal between the two of them, with not a single trace of love detected. Since there weren't any feelings between them, it was all a dream. When the deal was completed, nothing else mattered!

Elijah was well aware that Carolien showed such a reaction out of extreme anger. In fact, he hadn't forgotten about her birthday, not to mention how he came over after reminding Hart to bring the birthday present along. Yet, even after all he had done, he couldn't bring himself to say the simplest "Happy birthday". It was not that he forgot about it, but he had too much on his hands these days. Not to mention having the time to keep her company, there wasn't even the time for him to get a proper meal. Other than attending business gatherings, he would make do with his meals and sleep with Hudson, all because the emergency was just too urgent.

He dared not explain himself, for fear that he would have to reject Carolien, and with the gift not sent over in time, things might be too hard on her. Instead, he figured that she could probably be more at ease with the assumption that he was busy at work. Of course, it was a result of the different ways men and women think. Plus, he stubbornly held onto the wishful thinking that if Hart made it, he might still be able to give her a surprise, which motivated him to act in such a way. Even if it couldn't go as planned, she would probably be happier to have him come over before midnight with a happy birthday than to be rejected on her big day. Just how nervous and terrified Elijah had been when he had received her text, for fear of her bringing up the word "birthday". If she said so, Elijah believed that he would never bring himself to say words of rejection.

Of course, deep down, he was, too, relying on the fact that she had once mentioned her lunar birthday to be on the twentieth of May of the lunar calendar, which would fall on the seventh of July. It was a date that symbolized Valentine's Day. Even if he couldn't spend her birthday with her right then, he could do it some other time

Little had he expected the tumbling incidents to come pouring over him that day. Not only was there a sudden fan meeting with Airs and a celebration party, but Kwon, too, pressured him and stirred trouble. On another hand, the gift was detained at customs, while Hart's flight was delayed from the terrible weather. Plus, Kim Mi- chi suffered thoroughly after trying to assist him in holding Kwon back. In addition to the man's insulting means, Kim Mi-chi was stabbed by a needle and spiked. When Elijah received a phone call to head over for a talk about the follow-up negotiation, he feared that he would inflict Kim Mi-chi, so even if the matter could be settled with just a few words, he would never compromise. The two of them bickered around for some time, so one could imagine how much Kim Mi-chi had suffered during that period.

It was why not only did Elijah feel guilty about her, but he also had the same thoughts toward Kim Mi-chi.

Yet, he was well aware that whatever he said was unnecessary at the moment, so in the end, he grabbed Carolien's wrist, losing all the courage to take out the engagement ring meant for a marriage proposal.

"Carolien..."

A pang of uncomfortableness struck him as he exerted a little more strength in his hands. With a frown, Carolien wanted to break free when a low male voice sounded in her ear.

"There's a favor...I need to ask you for!"

The sentence was split into two parts. In an instant, Carolien was drained of all her strength. She paused briefly, and with a glance at her wrist, an idea flashed through her mind.

Could it be that Mrs. Luther's situation was getting worse?

She recently hadn't received the doctor's notice!

After all, she was a living donor and was in fact, not in line with the rules of the hospital. After all, it was a human organ. To put it bluntly, the life of @ living human would be put at risk should there be any unforeseen incidents halfway through the operation. It was why a majority of organs for donations come from accidents or unfortunate dead people. On one hand, saving a life was deemed as gathering good deeds, while for some others, it could be to fulfill their wishes. For instance, criminals sentenced to death might choose to do their one last good deed.

Of course, she was not a saint. Not everyone was willing to donate their organs. After all, it was an organ, an essential part of her body. If it were not for her affection for him, she would not risk her life in exchange for mountains of gold, even if her life might just last a short time.

There were subtle changes in Carolien's emotions.

No matter what, it was true that she had loved him. Even if it was only for a moment, she once had sincere, truthful feelings for him, not to mention how the person she would be saving was his mother. Right then, she had a general grasp of the situation in the Luther Family. Elijah had a father, although it was no different from not having one. He was raised by his mother and shared a deep bond with her, so when it came to donating her kidney,

Carolien hadn't thought about

"rejecting" his pleas, but a realistic thought came to her mind.

Even if she was to do it willingly, it mustn't be unconditional!

No matter how much she tried denying it, she still had feelings for him!

After all, she had to pave the way for Alistair even if Elijah had no feelings for her.

Plus, she had inquired the doctor, who reassured her that if she went through a thorough recovery process after the surgery, it was possible for her to have a normal lifespan. If she wanted to spend more time with her brother, it was inevitable for her to rely on Elijah's financial resources.

That explained her response of

making way for him. Although Carolien did not reject his pleas, the thoughts in her mind had changed drastically. Never would she have expected the concession to turn out to be completely different from what she had imagined. What greeted her was the complete collapse of their relationship.

If he was allowed to enter, it implied that there was room for discussion...

Right then...

Upon observing her response, gloominess shrouded Elijah's face. He couldn't help but feel one more layer of

guilt adding to his heart.