Winning Her Heart Back (Emelie Hoven )

Chapter 928 Charles & Emmie's Side Story

Charles was sentenced to ten years in prison. Thanks to his good behavior, his sentence was reduced, and he ended up having to only serve seven years and ten months.

No one came to pick him up on the day of his release. As he stood outside the prison, he realized how much the world had changed. He, too, was no longer the carefree and bold man he once was.

He stood at the gate for a long time, unsure of where to go.

He had spent the last six months of his sentence thinking about what he'd do and where he'd go when he got out. However, when the moment arrived, all those plans flew out the window.

The Davis family had fallen. His father had passed away in prison the year before, and the wardens had been kind enough to let Charles attend the funeral.

He'd seen how destitute his relatives had become, struggling without the protection of the Davis family's name. Even though Elena had told him to find her once he was out, he didn't want to burden her. Their bond as cousins was real.

The person Charles wanted to see most was Emmie. He wanted to see her and their daughter, Mia. However, he was scared. He was afraid that his sudden appearance would only cause trouble for Emmie. She might not even want to see him.

After all, she hadn't even attended his trial the day he was sentenced.

Seven years had passed. Surely, she had moved on and built a new life. Maybe she even had a man who loved her. Even if she didn't, she and their daughter had to be living a stable, comfortable life. He'd left her with plenty of money, and Emelie wouldn't mistreat someone who had helped her.

Emmie had to be doing fine without him. Hence, his reappearance would be out of place no matter what the situation was.

Charles knew all that, but what could he do? Seven years in prison hadn't changed the fact that he still wanted to see her, even if it was just from a distance. A glimpse would be enough to satisfy him.

Hence, Charles used the money that he'd earned doing prison labor to buy a plane ticket to Emmie's hometown. It was a small county with mountains and rivers. From the airport, he had to take a two-hour bus ride to reach her house.

As the bus rattled down the road, Charles' heart shook just as much, rising and falling with every bump.

He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to find Emmie. There was a good chance that she'd moved, but he had to try his luck.

He knew where her old house was and decided to start there. When he arrived, he saw that the front yard was full of fruits and vegetables. There were grains laid out to dry, which was a sign that someone still lived there.

At first, Charles was happy. However, a man in his late 30s stepped out of the house, and his heart sank. So, Emmie had moved away.

Before he could fully process another thought hit him even harder. She hadn't moved. The man was probably her husband.

Sure enough, Emmie followed the man out of the house.

Since she was still living there, the man had to be her husband.

Charles' heart felt like it was being torn apart. His chest tightened, and he found it hard to breathe. For a split second, he wished that he had died in prison, rather than face this.

He stared at Emmie. Seven years hadn't left much of a mark on her. If anything, she'd become more mature and more composed. She looked healthy. It seemed like life had treated her well.

She had clearly forgotten about him.

Charles felt a strange mix of relief and pain. He was glad that she was happy. However, her happiness had no place for him anymore. How was he supposed to live the rest of his life?

"Alright, my dear cousin, you'd better go. It looks like it's about to rain. Tell Uncle Joshua and Aunt Ruth that I'm doing just fine here. They don't need to worry about me."

Cousin? The man wasn't her husband but her cousin.

Charles' heart, which had been on the verge breaking, suddenly revived. He nearly couldn't stop himself from rushing forward.

As her cousin left, Charles ducked behind a pumpkin patch, still unsure if her cousin's presence meant that she wasn't married yet. However, this small twist was enough to lift his spirits for a while.

Then, suddenly, the vines above his head were pulled apart. Charles froze. His body tensed as he instinctively covered his face, ready to bolt.

He didn't want to be seen by Emmie. He didn't want to disrupt her life.

However, Emmie's cool and calm voice stopped him in his tracks. "Didn't you hear what I said? It's going to rain soon. Help me gather the grains before they get soaked and wasted."

Charles stood still, shocked.

Her tone was

o natural that it was as if he hadn't been in prison for seven years. It was as if he had just stepped out for a few hours and came back.

Charles turned around, dazed.

Emmie handed him a rake. Her expression was neutral, with no surprise or joy in her eyes. "Rake it all into a pile. I'll go get the bags."

Still stunned, Charles followed her inside.

He wasn't unfamiliar with farm work after all his years in prison, so gathering the grains wasn't hard. However, every few moments, he'd glance at her, unsure about what was going on.

Emmie said, "I'm a food blogger now. I've got millions of followers online. I'm still editing my next video. So,

once you are done gathering the grains, pick up Mia from Doverbury Elementary School.

"Do you know where Doverbury Elementary School is? It's fine if you don't. Just use your phone's GPS."

Charles was still in a daze.

Emmie frowned. "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah. I heard you," he replied after a pause.

After she put the bags of grains inside, she pointed to a bicycle in the corner of the yard.

"Ride the bike there."

In a blur, Charles hopped onto the bike and followed the GPS to Doverbury Elementary School.

Standing among the other parents picking up their kids, he felt both out of place and like he belonged.

He was nervous. The last time he'd seen Mia, she was three years old and was barely able to talk. Now, after all these years, would she even recognize him?

What if she didn't? What if he walked right past her? Mia was only ten. Could she find her way home alone? What if something happened to her on the way?

Charles' mind buzzed with worry. However, he soon realized that he was overthinking.

He saw a little girl with pigtails and a pink backpack skipping her way out of the school gates. The moment their eyes met, they instantly recognized each other.

Mia's face lit up with a bright smile. "Dad!"

Charles was stunned, his head spinning as the word "Dad" hit him like a sledgehammer. He rushed forward and scooped her into a hug.

"Mia!"

There was a big difference between two-year-old Mia and ten-year-old Mia, but something about their blood ties worked miraculously, enabling him to recognize her at first sight.

Mia grinned. "Mom said you'd come to pick me up today, and here you are!"

"Mom told you I'd be picking you up? How did you recognize me?" Charles was overwhelmed with surprise and relief that his daughter didn't reject him.

Mia raised her little hand and tapped his forehead, acting much older than her age. "Of course I recognized you. Mom shows me your pictures all the time. I must say, though... You're not as handsome as you were in the pictures, Dad. Can you get back to being as handsome as you used to be?"

"I can. Sure! If you'd like that, I will definitely make it happen." Charles choked up, on the verge of tears.

Emmie hadn't denied his existence to their daughter. In fact, she had made sure that Mia would know who he was, so she wouldn't feel like he was a stranger even though they had been separated for seven years.

How could anyone be as kind as Emmie? Still, Charles wasn't sure if that meant she'd forgiven him.

When they got home, Mia ran inside, calling out happily, "Mom!"

Emmie smiled. "Are you hungry, Mia? Yesterday, you said you wanted pancakes, so I made some. They're still warm. Have one to tide you over for now, but don't eat too much. Otherwise, you won't be able to eat your dinner."

Mia cheered, saying, "Thanks, Mom!"

Emmie glanced at Charles. "Would you like to try some?"

Charles walked toward her, his voice hoarse and hesitant as he said, "Emmie, I'm sor-"

"You don't have to apologize," Emmie cut him off, glancing at Mia to make sure that the child hadn't heard him. She then turned around and walked out into the yard.

Charles followed her, watching as she picked up a watering can and started tending to a few pots of citronella.

Her tone was calm and even as she said, "Seven years ago, before you went to prison, you made sure that everything was set for me and Mia. You gave us money, a house, and a car. You gave us everything. "Even though I'd betrayed you once, that was you making things right after hurting me. Seven years ago, we settled the score. We don't owe each other anything now."

Charles stared at her, not knowing how to respond.

Emmie turned to face him. "For the last seven years, I didn't visit you because I didn't want to take the first step But I knew you were getting out today, so I made a bet. If you didn't come to find me, then we were done.

"But you came. So, are you planning to stay, Charles?"

"Can I stay?" Charles asked after a pause, his voice cracking. "If I can, of course I'd want to. The only thing that kept me going all these years was the thought of you and Mia. But I'm not sure... Are you saying that you're still willing to be with me, Emmie?"

Emmie set down the watering can and walked up to him. With a long sigh, she let go of all the old grudges between

them.

"The truth is, I didn't wait for you on purpose. I even thought about moving on and finding someone else. However, during these seven years, I just haven't met anyone who could make my heart race.

"I still remember how you walked past me and gave me that look ten years ago."

Back then, Charles hadn't known her name. He didn't know that her name was similar to Emelie's. Hence, that look

he had given her was solely for her.

He had stopped in his tracks, looking startled. He had then raised an eyebrow and given her a gentle, warm smile,

looking like a gentleman.

At that moment, all she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat.

Now, Emmie smiled and said, "So, yes. I'm willing."