Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 991

Her poor child had suffered even before it was born, all because Valerie had been trapped in a dark cloud of depression, living under Ashton's shadow. It was for the sake of the baby's health that she finally mustered the courage to divorce Ashton, hoping to escape his control and allow her body and mind to heal.

But in the end... the baby still suffered.

Now Valerie was struggling with the child's medical needs and the mounting bills, her savings dwindling fast...

Snapping back from her thoughts at the silence on the other end of the phone, Valerie propped herself up on her hospital bed, worried. "Nolan, why are you so quiet? Did your dad give you a hard time when you got home, or is he unwell?"

"Valerie, you know my dad has always been fond of you, always caring about you," Nolan seemed to hesitate.

"Yeah, I know," Valerie clutched her phone tighter, thinking of Beckford and feeling a warm sensation despite everything.

Ashton's hatred wasn't just about a childhood misunderstanding of her 'not saving him' but also involved resentment towards her mother. Valerie didn't know the details, only that her parents and Ashton's birth mother had died in the same car accident.

Ashton blamed Beckford and Valerie's mother for having an affair, which he believed drove his own mother to death.

After Valerie married Ashton, he deliberately treated her coldly, wanting to hurt Beckford by hurting her.

Remembering these grievances made Valerie's heart sink, tears chillingly rolling down her cheeks. Her four-year marriage to Ashton had been anything but happy, a constant struggle of silently enduring unrequited love.

Ashton, cold and unyielding, was like a wild horse she could never tame. She had finally given up on him, removing him from her heart as painfully as if she were cutting out a piece of her flesh, yet she had survived.

"Nolan, what are you trying to say?" Valerie, ever perceptive, knew Nolan wouldn't have mentioned his father without reason. A bad feeling suddenly surged within her. "Nolan, what did you say when you went home?"

"I'm sorry," Nolan's voice was heavy, his breath visible in the night as he extinguished a cigarette.

"You...?"

"Yes, I had no choice, Valerie. I told my dad about the baby, that she's not well, that she has a heart condition."

"Nolan!" Valerie pushed herself up, her pale face turning even whiter, "You promised to keep it a secret."

"But Valerie, we can't gamble with the baby's life. You know why I've been going home so often? Because Ashton and my father froze my funds. I can't afford the baby's treatment, I can't give her the best medical care. I hate myself for not being strong enough. If I could bear it all, I wouldn't have gone back to the Fuller family begging. I wanted to be the strong man in front of you, to carry all this for you. I didn't want to let Ashton know because I love your child too!"

His confession was just short of declaring he was ready to be the child’s father.

Valerie's face flushed with an awkward mix of embarrassment and gratitude. Nolan had done so much for her, more than she could ever repay or ignore.