Chapter 164

**Sarah**

Philip gently removed my simple white dress, his eyes filled with a mixture of love and concern as he took in my changed appearance.

"W-why are you doing this? Philip, I just came out of a coma. I'm not ready for anything... physical." I said honestly. After nearly two years of medical interventions, my body was still fragile, and I had only been recovering for a month.

His gaze softened immediately. "Oh, Sarah, no. That's not why I'm not trying to take advantage of you. It's just that" He examined my skin and my arm, which had thinned considerably. I felt a bit uncomfortable with what he was doing. "You've lost so much weight."

A flicker of insecurity flashed through me. I pouted and squinted at him.

"What do you mean by that? Do you find me unattractive?"

"No, no. No, babe!" he vehemently denied. "That's not what I meant. It's just"

It took a while before Philip continued. "I vividly remember the day Marcus shot you. Your last appearance is etched in my mind. It's been months since we last saw each other, and I just wanted to note for myself what I need to do to make you healthy and vibrant again."

The depth of his concern was evident in every line of his face as his gaze roamed over me, assessing me. "I want to take care of you, my love. You've done so much for me, sacrificed so much."

After that, we lowered ourselves into the bathtub, the rose-scented water enveloping us in warmth. Philip's touch was gentle as he washed my skin, gliding over my healing scars. Each caress showed how much he loved and missed me.

"I've missed you terribly," Philip murmured, his lips brushing against my neck in a feather-light kiss. His fingertips trailed along my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

"Sarah," he breathed, "your heart belongs to me" I could feel the restraint in his touch, the careful way he held himself back out of respect for my condition.

I reminded him so we wouldn't do anything foolish, "We should finish up soon, babe. Rowan and Iris are waiting for us."

Philip nodded. He lifted me onto his body first before kissing me with longing and desire.

Ah, I miss kissing Philip. This man gave me pleasure, love, my dreams

As we approached Villa Serafina, our twins, Iris and Rowan, stood at the entrance with mock outrage and barely contained excitement.

"Daddy, you are bad! Why did you take Mommy all to yourself?" Her cheeks puffed out in an adorable pout.

Rowan, not to be outdone, chimed in, "That's right! We missed Mommy too!"

"President Cornell," Iris declared, wagging her finger in an uncanny imitation of Alex, "back to your office this instant!"

I laughed. "Sorry, babies. I was exhausted last night. Can you find it in your hearts to forgive me? And forgive Daddy, too-it is his birthday."

Iris's pout wavered, but she maintained her stance.

"How about this - to make it up to you both, we'll go on a family vacation. How does that sound?" Philip suggested.

"Oh? And where might we be going?" I asked him.

"It's a surprise!" Philip's lips curved into a mysterious smile.

At that, the kids' eyes widened in amazement.

"Yay!" they cheered, jumping up and down. "Can I bring Max too?" Rowan asked, referring to his fluffy dog.

"Of course you can, champ!" Philip replied, ruffling Rowan's hair affectionately.

I suggested, "Kids, why don't you show Daddy the special cake we made?"

We went straight to the kitchen and sang "Happy Birthday" to Philip. He smiled and held my hands tightly.

"I love you, Daddy!" the kids exclaimed one after the other.

"Daddy, you must make a wish before you blow the candle," Iris said.

Philip kissed Iris on the cheek, then Rowan, and finally me.

"To be completely honest, I have no more wishes. Everything I could ever want is right here in this room," Philip began. "But I'm grateful that not only my twins are here, but Sarah is here too." His gaze locked with mine, conveying a world of unspoken love. "I hope I've managed to give Sarah everything she's ever wished for."

I looked at him and then at my twins. My mind flashed back to a time when all I'd wanted was a second chance at love, a chance to heal from past wounds.

Who could have predicted I would find it in the same man, but a better husband, the father of my kids...

Philip Cornell, the son of the person I hated the most

The man who loves me deeply

The father of my children

"I love you, Philip," I whispered. "Happy birthday, my love."

He squeezed my hand again, leaning in for a tender kiss filled with promise.

That evening, I invited my friend Jane to discover what was happening with her. She was alone in their mansion, and I wanted to thank her because she often visited my children. I asked Philip about it, and he agreed to invite Jane.

Jane has always been more than just a friend-she's like a sister, my best friend

She may have done foolish, but I found it easy to forgive her like a sibling, especially considering how she had supported my children while I was away.

As Jane's sleek car pulled to the villa, she quickly exited and hurried inside.

"Where is Sarah?" she asked with urgency as she called out.

She found me in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the family. We postponed it for my husband's birthday last night, hence my invitation to Jane. Philip had stepped out momentarily for an important meeting, leaving me to manage the cooking and our excited children.

"Oh my God, Sarah!" Jane exclaimed, enveloping me in a warm hug before stepping back to examine me closely. Her eyes widened with concern. "You've lost so much weight!"

I smiled weakly, knowing there wasn't much I could do about it. My diet was still restricted as part of my recovery.

"Auntie Jane, my Mommy is still pretty!" Rowan chimed in, placing freshly washed vegetables on the table.

"Yeah, Auntie Jane is pretty, too!" added Iris.

"Aww!" Jane smiled. Noticing my busy state in the kitchen, she immediately offered to help. As we worked side by side, chopping vegetables and stirring sauces, we fell into an easy conversation about her current position at the Luminary Productions.

Eventually, I broached the subject I'd been curious about. "How's Brody Martin doing?"

Jane's knife paused mid-slice. "We're... friends," she said carefully.

"He's still in Europe. Whenever I'm in London, we happen to meet up. My relationship with him is good. I think he's moved on already.." Jane continued slicing the zucchini, her head slightly bowed as if to hide her emotions.

"How about you? Have you accepted that you two are no longer together?" I asked gently.

Jane fell silent for a moment. "I don't know, Sarah. Part of me feels like I should find someone new. I've tried dating, but..." She trailed off, then continued, "Whenever Brody and I meet for dinner or just to catch up, it's like my heart only beats for him."

I understood her feelings all too well. That's how I had felt about Philip-that internal struggle when your mind tells you one thing, but your heart fights for another.

"Give yourself time, Jane. There's no rush. You're doing well, focusing on your career and yourself. The rest will fall into place when it's meant to," I reassured her.

Jane shared more stories with me, her eyes lighting up as she recounted amusing tales about Iris and Rowan. Her laughter filled the kitchen, a welcome sound that reminded me of simpler times.

A moment later, Philip came in from outside. Rowan and Iris greeted him, and I couldn't help but notice how clingy they still were with him.

It had barely been five minutes since Philip returned from the office when, to my surprise, a parade of familiar faces began to arrive at Villa Serafina.

First came Jakob and Lexi, the couple who had chosen a child-free life. Bronn and Emily, followed them and their daughter Willow was in tow. Amir arrived with his wife, and to my shock, my mother was with them.

I was astonished by the line of cars stopping outside our house. While I appreciated their thoughtfulness, a part of me longed for a quiet evening with just Philip and our children.

Philip's voice, tinged with irritation, cut through my thoughts. "Why are you all here?"

I glanced at my mother. As far as I knew, she was the only one who knew I had returned to Highland Hills.

"I told Amir! And then he invited me to come along," Mom explained.

I turned to Amir.

"Uhm, I I only told Jakob, and I might have mentioned that Mom and I were visiting tonight," Amir admitted.

Jakob jumped in, "I thought you were inviting Lexi and me! I told Emily, and she might have told Bronn?"

"You're not sure?" Jane snapped. "Idiot! Of course, they're married!"

Feeling overwhelmed, I took Philip's hand. "I'm sorry..." I whispered.

He sighed. "Is there anything I can do about it? Honestly, I can see that you miss your friends too!"

I winced, realizing I'd been so transparent.

To comfort myself, I thought about Philip's surprise vacation. That would be our chance to have a peaceful family time.

As the evening progressed, I learned more about what I'd missed. Madam Olsen was still in jail, my investments were thriving, my LoveLogic app had become the top dating app, and Amir had been promoted to CEO of TerraTraxx.

I couldn't ask for more.

The next day, I met one more person-my father, Mr. Benner.