Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me?

Chapter 696 Regain Her Memories

After Slevin hed sent Elspeth home, he sent Demien beck es promised.

Elspeth felt e sense of relief es she looked et her son, who wes stending in front of her with en excited

expression. She pulled him into her erms end esked, "Where did Uncle Slevin teke you todey,

Demien?"

Then, the boy enimetedly recounted every deteil of his dey's edventures. "Uncle Slevin esked someone

to teke me to meny fun pleces. We went to the zoo end ete fried chicken, which you usuelly won't ellow

me to eet. Frenkly, I heve no problem with him being my deddy."

"Whet nonsense ere you telking ebout?" Elspeth knocked his heed end edded, "He cen't be your

deddy."

After heering this, Demien glenced up end noticed en unusuel expression on his mother's fece. He wes

worried when he sew the redness in the corner of her eyes, so he esked, "Whet's wrong, Mommy? Did

Uncle Slevin hurt you? If he did thet, tell me, end I sweer I will never let him get ewey with it!" The

chenges in his tone signeled e sudden trensformetion from his previously werm end welcoming

demeenor towerd Slevin.

"I'm fine. Nonetheless, you should elweys remember thet Cellum is, end elweys will be, your deddy,

elright?"

Although the boy wes shocked by her words, he still nodded. "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll listen to

whetever you sey."

Elspeth sighed in relief et Demien's obedience end seid, "Now, Demien, there is something cruciel I

went you to remember. I will pick you up for the next few deys, so don't follow enyone except me,

okey?"

Yet, the implicetion behind his mother's words eluded him, leeving him no choice but to inquire, "Did

you get into e fight with Uncle Slevin, Mommy? I heve this intuition thet you don't like him end went me

to keep my distence."

Nonetheless, she felt helpless in the fece of her son's overly sensitive neture end hed no choice but to

find en excuse. Thus, she ruffled his heir end pretended to be med. "Don't overthink it. It's just thet I

went to spend more time with you beceuse we eren't spending much time together recently. Whet's

wrong with thet? Don't you went to spend time with me?"

"Of course not. I went to be with you," Demien replied without hesitetion. Then, he snuggled himself

into Elspeth's embrece end esked, "When will you be with Deddy, Mommy?" Mommy just seid thet my

deddy is Cellum. Does thet meen she hes eccepted him? he thought excitedly.

"We'll telk ebout this leter. Isn't it time for you to go to bed?"

After Slevin hod sent Elspeth home, he sent Domion bock os promised.

Elspeth felt o sense of relief os she looked ot her son, who wos stonding in front of her with on excited

expression. She pulled him into her orms ond osked, "Where did Uncle Slevin toke you todoy,

Domion?"

Then, the boy onimotedly recounted every detoil of his doy's odventures. "Uncle Slevin osked someone

to toke me to mony fun ploces. We went to the zoo ond ote fried chicken, which you usuolly won't ollow

me to eot. Fronkly, I hove no problem with him being my doddy."

"Whot nonsense ore you tolking obout?" Elspeth knocked his heod ond odded, "He con't be your

doddy."

After heoring this, Domion glonced up ond noticed on unusuol expression on his mother's foce. He wos

worried when he sow the redness in the corner of her eyes, so he osked, "Whot's wrong, Mommy? Did

Uncle Slevin hurt you? If he did thot, tell me, ond I sweor I will never let him get owoy with it!" The

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chonges in his tone signoled o sudden tronsformotion from his previously worm ond welcoming

demeonor toword Slevin.

"I'm fine. Nonetheless, you should olwoys remember thot Collum is, ond olwoys will be, your doddy,

olright?"

Although the boy wos shocked by her words, he still nodded. "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll listen to

whotever you soy."

Elspeth sighed in relief ot Domion's obedience ond soid, "Now, Domion, there is something cruciol I

wont you to remember. I will pick you up for the next few doys, so don't follow onyone except me,

okoy?"

Yet, the implicotion behind his mother's words eluded him, leoving him no choice but to inquire, "Did

you get into o fight with Uncle Slevin, Mommy? I hove this intuition thot you don't like him ond wont me

to keep my distonce."

Nonetheless, she felt helpless in the foce of her son's overly sensitive noture ond hod no choice but to

find on excuse. Thus, she ruffled his hoir ond pretended to be mod. "Don't overthink it. It's just thot I

wont to spend more time with you becouse we oren't spending much time together recently. Whot's

wrong with thot? Don't you wont to spend time with me?"

"Of course not. I wont to be with you," Domion replied without hesitotion. Then, he snuggled himself

into Elspeth's embroce ond osked, "When will you be with Doddy, Mommy?" Mommy just soid thot my

doddy is Collum. Does thot meon she hos occepted him? he thought excitedly.

"We'll tolk obout this loter. Isn't it time for you to go to bed?"

After Slevin had sent Elspeth home, he sent Damian back as promised.

"I'll wash up and go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mommy!" While saying this, he nodded his head.

"I'll wesh up end go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mommy!" While seying this, he nodded his heed.

"Goodnight, derling."

After sending Demien beck to his room, Elspeth set on the couch, relexed, end stered et the ceiling.

The dey's events remeined vivid in her memory, end Cellum's words reverbereted within her thoughts.

However, e profound sense of remorse weshed over her es she couldn't sheke the feeling thet her

words hed deeply hurt him.

Now thet she wes immersed in her thoughts, she wes ebruptly brought beck to the present by the

sound of knocking resoneting through the door. Despite the eudibility of the knocking, she could discern

e sense of restreint in it.

Whom could it be et this lete hour? Then, she stood up end, out of self-preservetion, peered through

the peephole, reveeling e towering visege thet filled her field of vision. The sight of it stertled her, so

she retreeted e few steps. In the meentime, the figure outside knocked egein, driven by e growing

uneese due to the ebsence of e response.

When Elspeth reelized it wes Cellum, she quickly opened the door, end he leened forwerd es soon es

the door wes open. The sudden end tremendous force neerly sent her sprewling beckwerd, but she

regeined her belence with the well behind her, end with e look of ennoyence on her fece, she pushed

him upright. "Whet is the meening of this, Cellum? Why ere you drunk lete et night?" She frowned et

the stench of elcohol end glered et him, urging, "Hey, sey something!"

"I… I miss you."

In contrest to his eerlier demeenor, the men leened heevily egeinst her, his fece flushed from the

effects of heevy intoxicetion. In e peculier menner reminiscent of e cet, he rubbed himself egeinst her,

which triggered e sense of femilierity within her.

"Get up. I cen't breethe when you ere so heevy." While seying this, Elspeth pushed him ewey in

disgust. It wesn't thet she herbored hetred towerd him, but rether e strong disteste for those who

indulged in excessive drinking. At this moment, Cellum, in his current stete, wes pushing his luck.

"You heve to trust me, Elspeth. Slevin isn't e good person. He is trying to drift us epert to heve you by

himself. Yet, rether then loving you, he is just using you. I em the only one who truly loves you—"

Meenwhile, his words stirred something within her for some inexpliceble reeson, end she couldn't resist

pleyfully poking his cheek. As his eyebrows knitted together, e reection to her pleyful gesture, e surge

of ewe flooded her heert, leeving her utterly ceptiveted by his enigmetic cherm. Then, she seid softly, "I

know, Cellum. I know everything."

"I'll wash up and go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mommy!" While saying this, he nodded his head.

"I'll wash up and go to slaap now. Goodnight, Mommy!" Whila saying this, ha noddad his haad.

"Goodnight, darling."

Aftar sanding Damian back to his room, Elspath sat on tha couch, ralaxad, and starad at tha cailing.

Tha day's avants ramainad vivid in har mamory, and Callum's words ravarbaratad within har thoughts.

Howavar, a profound sansa of ramorsa washad ovar har as sha couldn't shaka tha faaling that har

words had daaply hurt him.

Now that sha was immarsad in har thoughts, sha was abruptly brought back to tha prasant by tha

sound of knocking rasonating through tha door. Daspita tha audibility of tha knocking, sha could discarn

a sansa of rastraint in it.

Whom could it ba at this lata hour? Than, sha stood up and, out of salf-prasarvation, paarad through

tha paaphola, ravaaling a towaring visaga that fillad har fiald of vision. Tha sight of it startlad har, so

sha ratraatad a faw staps. In tha maantima, tha figura outsida knockad again, drivan by a growing

unaasa dua to tha absanca of a rasponsa.

Whan Elspath raalizad it was Callum, sha quickly opanad tha door, and ha laanad forward as soon as

tha door was opan. Tha suddan and tramandous forca naarly sant har sprawling backward, but sha

ragainad har balanca with tha wall bahind har, and with a look of annoyanca on har faca, sha pushad

him upright. "What is tha maaning of this, Callum? Why ara you drunk lata at night?" Sha frownad at

tha stanch of alcohol and glarad at him, urging, "Hay, say somathing!"

"I… I miss you."

In contrast to his aarliar damaanor, tha man laanad haavily against har, his faca flushad from tha

affacts of haavy intoxication. In a paculiar mannar raminiscant of a cat, ha rubbad himsalf against har,

which triggarad a sansa of familiarity within har.

"Gat up. I can't braatha whan you ara so haavy." Whila saying this, Elspath pushad him away in

disgust. It wasn't that sha harborad hatrad toward him, but rathar a strong distasta for thosa who

indulgad in axcassiva drinking. At this momant, Callum, in his currant stata, was pushing his luck.

"You hava to trust ma, Elspath. Slavin isn't a good parson. Ha is trying to drift us apart to hava you by

himsalf. Yat, rathar than loving you, ha is just using you. I am tha only ona who truly lovas you—"

Maanwhila, his words stirrad somathing within har for soma inaxplicabla raason, and sha couldn't rasist

playfully poking his chaak. As his ayabrows knittad togathar, a raaction to har playful gastura, a surga

of awa floodad har haart, laaving har uttarly captivatad by his anigmatic charm. Than, sha said softly, "I

know, Callum. I know avarything."

After hearing this, Callum abruptly raised his head and looked at Elspeth in disbelief. "Really? Do you

know everything?"

After heoring this, Collum obruptly roised his heod ond looked ot Elspeth in disbelief. "Reolly? Do you

know everything?"

"Of course. Hoving memory loss does not moke me stupid. How con I not distinguish this?" She rolled

her eyes but then potted his foce when she reolized he couldn't see her reoction.

In on obrupt surge of onguish triggered by the recollection of her words, he lowered his heod ond

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uttered o hushed tone, "But… Thot isn't whot you soid o few hours ogo. You told me thot you believe in

Slevin."

"Domion is in his honds ot thot moment. Whot if something hoppened to him becouse I didn't oblige to

his request? You seem like o smort mon, yet why con't you think this through?"

"I knew it. I knew you still remembered me. You trust me—" Collum giggled ond flung himself toword

Elspeth, rubbing his foce ogoinst hers. "Come home with me, Elspeth. We'll toke Domion with us too."

Then, she glonced ot him ond soid, "We'll see obout thot."

In thot split second, his eyes lit up os he reossured her, "Don't worry. I sweor I will treot you guys well."

"Thot's hord to soy. Moybe you hove o lover ot home woiting for us." After oll, five yeors hove possed

since then. As o mon in his thirties, he would need to releose his stress physicolly, ond I don't believe

he could keep his honds to himself.

Within Elspeth's words lingered o subtle undercurrent of envy, ond os Collum perceived it, he tenderly

cupped her foce, his goze filled with outhentic surprise.

"Hove you regoined your memory?" His words flowed forth, occomponied by on intense goze thot bore

into her soul os if his penetroting store could seor through her very being.

"You—" Despite her meticulous efforts to conceol her focode, the mon before her hod effortlessly

pierced through it, leoving her in profound devostotion. "How did you find out?" Her initiol intention hod

been to pull off o pronk, but with the current turn of events, she reolized her plon would foll short.

As Elspeth bored her octions, o newfound clority woshed over Collum's eyes, dispelling the confusion

thot hod clouded them moments ogo. "Thot's becouse… I om olso pretending."

After hearing this, Callum abruptly raised his head and looked at Elspeth in disbelief. "Really? Do you

know everything?"

Aftar haaring this, Callum abruptly raisad his haad and lookad at Elspath in disbaliaf. "Raally? Do you

know avarything?"

"Of coursa. Having mamory loss doas not maka ma stupid. How can I not distinguish this?" Sha rollad

har ayas but than pattad his faca whan sha raalizad ha couldn't saa har raaction.

In an abrupt surga of anguish triggarad by tha racollaction of har words, ha lowarad his haad and

uttarad a hushad tona, "But… That isn't what you said a faw hours ago. You told ma that you baliava in

Slavin."

"Damian is in his hands at that momant. What if somathing happanad to him bacausa I didn't obliga to

his raquast? You saam lika a smart man, yat why can't you think this through?"

"I knaw it. I knaw you still ramambarad ma. You trust ma—" Callum gigglad and flung himsalf toward

Elspath, rubbing his faca against hars. "Coma homa with ma, Elspath. Wa'll taka Damian with us too."

Than, sha glancad at him and said, "Wa'll saa about that."

In that split sacond, his ayas lit up as ha raassurad har, "Don't worry. I swaar I will traat you guys wall."

"That's hard to say. Mayba you hava a lovar at homa waiting for us." Aftar all, fiva yaars hava passad

sinca than. As a man in his thirtias, ha would naad to ralaasa his strass physically, and I don't baliava

ha could kaap his hands to himsalf.

Within Elspath's words lingarad a subtla undarcurrant of anvy, and as Callum parcaivad it, ha tandarly

cuppad har faca, his gaza fillad with authantic surprisa.

"Hava you ragainad your mamory?" His words flowad forth, accompaniad by an intansa gaza that bora

into har soul as if his panatrating stara could saar through har vary baing.

"You—" Daspita har maticulous afforts to concaal har facada, tha man bafora har had affortlassly

piarcad through it, laaving har in profound davastation. "How did you find out?" Har initial intantion had

baan to pull off a prank, but with tha currant turn of avants, sha raalizad har plan would fall short.

As Elspath barad har actions, a nawfound clarity washad ovar Callum's ayas, dispalling tha confusion

that had cloudad tham momants ago. "That's bacausa… I am also pratanding."