The Road to Rebirth Her Fresh Start and His Late Sorrow

Nancy felt a shiver run down her spine as Judson's intense gaze bore into her. She instinctively looked away, only for his strong hand to firmly grasp her chin, turning her face back towards him.

"Nancy, look into my eyes!" Judson's voice was low and dangerous, his eyes narrowed.

Her jaw ached slightly from the pressure, and Nancy had no choice but to meet his gaze. "I'm looking, Judson, just let go..."

"Liar. You haven't been taking care of yourself at all!" Judson retorted, a note of frustration in his voice. "Nancy, you're my wife. If you don't care about yourself, I sure as hell do."

By the end of his sentence, Judson's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "I don't want to be a widower before my time!"

Nancy chuckled and gave Judson a playful shove. "You're worrying too much, scaring yourself over nothing!"

Judson, now a little disgruntled, looked at her with a silent reproach, his deep eyes misty.

Seeing that expression, Nancy's heart softened. "Alright, don't be mad. After we finish the deal with Baldrick tomorrow, how about I take you to the charity auction?"

"Really?" Judson's eyes lit up with excitement.

Nancy nodded, amused. "Yes, really. If there's anything you like there, I'll bid on it for you."

"That's not necessary. The only thing I really, absolutely love is you. I'm just happy you're taking me along." Judson grinned and wrapped his arms around Nancy's neck, planting a quick kiss on her forehead.

Feeling the warmth of his kiss, a slight blush crept onto Nancy's cheeks. "Okay, enough with the sweet talk."

It was amazing how habits formed. Ever since she'd met Judson, he would surprise her with sudden kisses. And she had come to accept it...

Which was quite different from how she had been with Cyrus. Even after they got married, she had never been comfortable with such displays.

Judson, clearly pleased, seemed to be looking forward to the auction.

Just then, the phone rang, shattering the tender moment. Nancy glanced at the caller ID, about to answer, when Judson quickly leaned in and picked up the call himself.

Before Baldrick could get a word in, Judson snapped, "Baldrick, what do you want with my wife now?" Normally, Baldrick would have retorted back, but he sounded urgent. "Nancy, something's happened!" Nancy's fingers paused, her heart skipping a beat. Judson frowned, his brow furrowed. "Speak clearly. What happened?"

Baldrick's voice was grave. "Alice was in a car accident. You need to drive Nancy to the hospital first, and I'll explain more in person."

Judson ended the call with a sharp nod, turning to Nancy who was already on her feet, a look of worry etched on her face.

He thought for a moment. "Nancy, Alice is the model headlining the show, right?"

"Yes." Nancy's hands clenched into fists, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach.

Judson took her hand in his, squeezing gently. "Nancy, don't worry. We'll handle this. Let's get to the hospital and see what's going on."

---

At the hospital, Nancy and Judson hurried to the ward, where they found Alice lying in bed, her leg in a cast.

As soon as Alice saw Nancy, she struggled to sit up, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Nancy, I got rear-ended by some crazy fans! I can't walk the runway with your jewelry now. I was going to be the star of the show, and now...now I can't!" she sobbed.

Seeing Alice so distraught, Nancy gently wiped away her tears with a tissue. "Don't cry, Alice."

"But how can I not? This was such a big opportunity, and those stupid fans ruined it! Maybe I can still do it with the cast on? I don't care about the pain!"

Before Nancy could respond, Baldrick, who was standing nearby, let out a dry laugh.

"You're joking, right? How are you going to walk with a cast?"

"But the show is tomorrow! If I don't walk, the whole event could be ruined! All of our hard work..." Alice's voice grew more frantic. "Unless we find another model in time!"