Reborn Through Fire (Kisa and Gilbert)
Chapter 1599

Jensen's body stiffened, his expression a mix of emotions as he looked at her. "You..."

Mia took a deep breath, choking back tears. "The doctor said I can't have children in this lifetime. Do you... do you despise me for it?"

Jensen shook his head instinctively, his voice growing softer. "Don't overthink it. Your health can still be improved."

Mia smiled, lowering her eyes.

"See, you clearly don't like me, yet you still comfort me so gently. You make it so easy for me to misunderstand and to...fall for you," she said, slowly walking toward him.

"Jensen..." She called his name, her hands resting on his shoulders, "Hayes said that if I became his woman, he'd make me the most powerful woman in the McCray family." Jensen looked at her calmly, not saying a word. Mia smiled sadly. "But I didn't agree. Even if he gave me a hundred chances, I wouldn't agree."

"You really are a fool," Jensen murmured.

Mia shook her head with a smile. "Yes, I am a fool. I can't be with him while you're in my heart. I've said it before; I want a pure love. I don't want to betray myself or anyone else."

Jensen averted his gaze, speaking softly. "But I have someone in my heart too, being with you would be unfair to you."

"I know, that's why I'm trying so hard to make you like me," she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. But as their lips and tongues intertwined, he pushed her away.

"You don't look well; you should go back and rest early." Jensen spoke calmly, turning and walking toward his own room.

Mia gazed at his retreating figure, disappearing into the night. After a long while, she slowly crouched down, covering her face and crying in sorrow. Even with numerous injuries in the past, she had never shed a tear. Yet now, she cried like a child-heartbroken, helpless, and desperate.

'Hayes was right. When I replace someone that I love, I start having hope for the future. I, too, want to build a happy family with my beloved one day, and have a lovely baby. But now it seems that such happiness is a luxury, one that will never be realized.'

At the arched entrance of the courtyard, Hayes silently watched her small figure, his face dark and inscrutable. In three days, he was to go to Linsborough for a business negotiation, which was rumored to be perilous. The other party had once been the McCray family's mortal enemy. The cooperation was intended to bring mutual benefits, but there was no guarantee it would not be a trap.

Hayes decided to select two people from the many trainees in the backyard to accompany him. If they could prove their worth during this trip, they would no longer need to train and would become the McCray family's personal bodyguards.

So, early in the morning, all the trainees gathered in the courtyard. Nearly everyone had a look of anticipation on their faces, hoping Hayes would choose them. Everyone, that is, except Jensen and Mia. Mia cast a sidelong glance at Jensen, his face calm and expressionless. She lowered her eyes and sighed softly. 'Perhaps only that woman named Kisa can stir his emotions,' she thought to herself. The courtyard buzzed with conversation, everyone brimming with energy.

"This is a rare opportunity. When Hayes arrives, we must give our best performance."

"There are only two spots, and the competition is fierce. We don't have the advantage of a certain someone with a beautiful face who knows how to seduce men."