Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire-Chapter 407: A Second Chance

Tears welled in Clifford’s eyes as he stared at her, torn between fear and admiration. He knew she was right, this was who Kelly was. Her faith was her foundation, and her courage came from her unwavering trust in God.

He cupped her face gently, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had begun to spill down her cheeks. "Will you let me decide for myself, Cliff, and trust whatever decision I make?" Kelly asked him with a smile.

He didn’t know how she could do that smile reassuringly at him even now. And that was when it hit him: he must respect her decision and do his best to support her. He closed his eyes, finding the strength to accept her choice.

Then he felt Kelly’s body against his. She was hugging him tightly, so he instinctively wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "If this is what you truly believe is right, then I’ll stand by you. But promise me, Kelly... promise me you’ll let me be there for you every step of the way."

"I promise. We’ll walk this path together," she replied softly. They hugged each other, their silent cries mingling, and Clifford didn’t know how long they stood like that. All he knew was Kelly’s comforting warmth as she whispered, "Everything will be fine, Clifford."

After a few more moments, Kelly broke the hug, pulling away while staring into his face. They wiped the tears from each other’s cheeks.

Taking a deep breath, Kelly turned back to the maze. "Now... left, right, or straight?"

Clifford chuckled, a bittersweet smile breaking through his emotions. "Wherever your faith leads you, Mrs. White, I’ll follow."

She smiled, squeezing his hand as she chose a path. With Clifford by her side and her faith as her guide, Kelly took the first step, trusting that God would light the way, both through the maze and in the journey that lay ahead.

*****

At Lancaster Mansion

Rock stared at the photos sent by Ben. He couldn’t believe how that man had managed to take so many candid shots without him even noticing! There were so many pictures of him staring at Vernice, smiling to himself, something Ben was quick to point out.

"I can’t believe this. What’s wrong with me?" he murmured with a sigh.

"See?!" Ben taunted, smirking in front of him.

"And that’s not all... there’s more," he added with a grin. They had just finished a round of chess, and like usual, Ben had won again. Then, during their break, Ben started sending these photos to Rock’s phone.

Rock raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Are you bored or something? Why are you keeping tabs on me?"

"I’m just making you see how you look and how you’re wasting your time not doing anything about it. Honestly, I feel bad for Vernice. She’s out here blindly loving you without expecting you to reciprocate it. I mean-"

"Ben," Rock interrupted with a crumpled expression, "sometimes there’s just this understanding between two people where you don’t need confirmation. Stop pressuring me, or I swear I’ll send you and Melanie away for another honeymoon!"

Ben scratched his head but quickly retorted, "Hah, you’d definitely get lonely if we left. And do you really think Vernice will stick around with just you? No way. She needs a breather, like my wife, a breather from you!"

"Vernice will still stick around me, but I agree with you that Melanie’s company is a breather for her..." Rock hummed.

Ben’s eyes widened. "Are you that heartless? Letting her stick with you, but in the end, you’ll just push her away?"

Rock’s face darkened as he retorted, "Who says I will push her away?"

Hearing his words, Ben’s face suddenly lit up. "So, are you saying you’re now opening your heart to her?!" he burst out excitedly.

Rock quickly glanced around since they were on the balcony. "Keep your voice down!" he scolded him.

"I’m still thinking about it because I don’t want to be unfair to Vernice. Let’s face it, Ben... I can die anytime!" he pointed out grimly.

"So? Should I remind you that Rain’s test patient on Palan Island, the one trying the cure, is also dying? And yet... she still chose to get married and let herself fall in love! Clifford knew that just like Vernice knows it with you! Can’t you give her a dream come true? Every woman wants to get married and be with the man they love, legally, in the eyes of the law and God!" Ben reiterated passionately.

Rock stared at the horizon. Ben’s words echoed in his mind, hitting a nerve he couldn’t ignore. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as he struggled with the emotions swirling inside him.

"You think it’s that simple?" Rock said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. "What if I fail her? What if I let her down?"

Ben released a frustrated sigh. "You’re already failing her by doing nothing. Vernice is strong, stronger than you think. She doesn’t need you to be perfect, Rock. She just needs you to try. To be there. To love her the way she loves you."

Rock sighed deeply, his gaze still fixed in the distance. "What if I mess it all up, Ben? What if I hurt her?"

Ben crossed his arms, his voice firm but encouraging. "You’ll hurt her more by pushing her away. Love isn’t about guarantees. It’s about taking risks. And you’ve faced bigger ones in your life, haven’t you?"

Rock remained silent for a long moment, the weight of Ben’s words sinking in. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter this time. "I don’t deserve her."

"Deserve her or not, she’s chosen you," Ben countered. "Don’t waste what you’ve been given. You’ve got one shot at this life. Don’t let fear keep you from living it."

The serious conversation was cut off by Vernice and Melanie’s approaching voices. He could hear Vernice’s sweet laughter getting closer.

"Let’s just play again, Ben. How come you’re still not improving?" he quickly changed the subject, although deep inside, he was already thinking about how he should proceed further.

"Hey, bald man, here are some cut fruits. Go and replenish your energy; we have another chemotherapy session tomorrow," Vernice interrupted, placing a plate of cut fruits on the table near him as she sat beside him.

"Thanks," he hummed. Then Rock’s mobile phone suddenly lit up on the table as he received text messages.

"What’s that?" Vernice murmured as she grabbed Rock’s phone.

"Give me that!" he panicked, trying to get his mobile phone, but Vernice was too fast. She got away and started scrolling. Her face brightened, and a wide smile spread across her face as she exclaimed, "Rock, you... Look at these photos!"

Tears welled in her eyes, and she started wiping them as she chuckled and cried at the same time, not minding her surroundings at all.

"Are you alright? What’s happening?" Melanie asked with a frown. But before she could ask more, Ben quickly moved and pulled her away to give Rock and Vernice a moment of their own.

Vernice couldn’t stop the tears streaming down her cheeks as she held up the phone, showing Rock the photos that Ben had sent. "You... you’ve been looking at me like this all along?" Her voice was shaky, a mix of disbelief and joy, as her fingers continued to scroll through the candid shots of Rock stealing glances at her, his expression soft and unguarded.

Rock groaned, running a hand over his face. "Those were just random moments, Vernice. Nothing special."

"Nothing special?" Vernice chuckled through her tears, her heart swelling. "You look at me like I’m the only person in the world, Rock. How can you say that’s nothing special?"

He sighed, knowing there was no way out of this now. "Vernice, stop overthinking. I-" He paused, the words caught in his throat. What was he supposed to say? That she had always been special but he was too much of a coward to admit it?

Vernice stared at him, her tear-streaked face glowing with a mix of hope and longing. "Why do you hide so much from me, Rock? Why can’t you just... say what’s in your heart?"

Rock froze, her question piercing through the walls he’d spent years building. He wanted to deflect, to brush it off, but the raw emotion in her eyes held him in place.

"I don’t know how to say it," he finally admitted, his voice low and hoarse. "I’m not good at this, Vernice.."

"But it’s not easier, is it?" she whispered, her voice gentle. "You’re hurting yourself more than anyone else, Rock. And you don’t have to do this alone anymore. I’m here. I’ve always been here."

Her words broke something inside him. He reached for her hand, his grip firm yet tender. "I’m scared, Vernice," he admitted, his voice trembling. "I’m scared of failing you, of... of letting you down."

Vernice squeezed his hand, her smile soft and reassuring. "Rock, you’ve never let me down. And even if you stumble, we’ll figure it out together. Love isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being there for each other, no matter what."

Rock stared at her, his chest tightening. For the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to hope, to believe that maybe, just maybe, he was being given a second chance at love while he was still here on this earth.