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Novel Catalog
Chapter 181
“We, Nash Calcraft and Hera Lewis, are ever grateful to have been allowed the chance to meet each other!” the young man shouted, his voice ringing clearly through the hospital room.
Nash and Hera repeated the words in unison, their voices filled with emotion as they stood before Herman’s sickbed.
“Due to special circumstances, I invite the bride and groom to pay their respects to Mr. Lewis! We thank him for his love that’s as vast as the ocean,” the young man announced, his words carrying the weight of the moment.
Hera couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down her face. She closed her eyes, lowering her head in respect, unable to hold back the sobs that had been building up. The makeup on her face began to run, but she didn’t care. This was a moment for gratitude, for acknowledging the man who had been like a father to her.
Nash stood beside her, his face unreadable, his heart heavy with the significance of the moment. He, too, lowered his head solemnly to the man who had cared for both him and Hera.
“Our gratitude to him is as heavy on our shoulders as a mountain,” the young man continued, his voice trembling slightly with the emotion of the occasion. “Finally, we wish him the greatest happiness!”
The words hung in the air. The old man, nearing the end of his life, was still able to witness this moment of love. It was bittersweet, but in a way, it felt like a blessing. His family had come together, and they were united in this fragile moment of happiness.
When Harrison and Lauren heard these words, their tears flowed freely. They had been through so much already, and now, to witness this final gesture, was both heartbreaking and healing at once.
The wedding ceremony continued. “Now, the bride and groom will face each other and say their vows. They will promise to stay together, die together, and never be apart,” the young man instructed, his voice growing steadier with each word.
A faint smile crept onto his face as he finished speaking. “I now invite the bride and groom to exchange wedding rings!”
Nash reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring Olivia had given him earlier. He held it in his hands for a moment before taking Hera’s left hand and sliding the colored diamond ring onto her finger.
Hera, her hands shaking slightly, reciprocated, sliding Nash’s ring onto his left ring finger with a soft, loving gesture.
“Let us give a round of warm applause and wish the bride and groom a joyous marriage and endless happiness!” the young man called out, his voice rising with enthusiasm.
The crowd outside, who had been watching silently, broke into applause. Their hands clapped together in support, not just as a blessing to the newlyweds, but as a way to share this moment with Herman, who could no longer speak but could still feel the joy of the occasion.
With the exchange of vows and rings complete, the ceremony was over. The wedding, simple yet filled with meaning, had been held under the shadow of Herman’s near-death, but in a way, it felt like a final gift to him as well.
As the applause slowly faded, Herman’s gaze shifted toward the window. His eyes, clouded with age and illness, focused on a mother and son standing just outside.
The woman, Maria, had been Herman’s caretaker for nearly twenty years. She had been absent the night of the disaster, living in a rented house outside. When she and her son, Adam, heard about the tragedy, they rushed to the hospital without hesitation.
Maria’s eyes were swollen with tears as she saw Herman lying in the bed, his frail form barely recognizable from the man she had cared for all these years.
Adam, holding something in his hand, stepped forward, the real estate certificate for Royal Bay Villa. “After the Lewis family’s estate exploded,” he began, his voice serious, “the chairman called me for the last time. He asked me to give this villa to you as a birthday present, Miss Hera.”
The villa in Royal Bay had once been intended to be sold, and the real estate certificate still bore the old owner’s name. But it was now a gift—Herman’s final offering to Hera, a symbol of his love and regret.
Adam continued, “The chairman looked at me just now. He means for me to give Royal Bay Villa to you as your wedding gift.”
The villa was practically all of Herman’s assets, and it was both a birthday and wedding gift to Hera. Adam handed the certificate to her with a steady hand.
Hera, trembling, took the certificate from Adam. It was heavy in her grasp, the weight of both the gift and the responsibility it carried.
When Herman saw that the certificate had been passed to Hera, his eyes slowly closed. His chest rose and fell one last time before the heart rate monitor by his side emitted a steady, flat tone.
The room fell silent. The old man had passed, just as the wedding ceremony came to a close. He had lived a life full of struggles, but in his final moments, he had managed to give his family a sense of peace, of unity, and love.