The Secret Obsession of the CEO-Chapter 261: Back Again

Rory stood at the front porch hesitating to enter. She heard the same familiar sounds. The sounds of chickens and the distant conversations of the staff. She looked at the welcome mat and the potted plants on the porch.

Almost a year ago, she stood in the same spot, hesitating to get it.

Mrs. Delport had called her to ask her to visit her grandmother because she was sick. And she was asked to bring her husband and her daughter with her.

She was in a very different headspace then. She thought that she was divorced, and she thought that her grandmother hated her, and she had no place in this house.

As she was suppressing a dark memory, she was suffering from insufferable night terrors. She was scared to be in this house.

But now, a lot has changed.

Today, she is hesitating, but only because she is scared to see the state of her grandmother whose health is deteriorating. She had dealt with the other issues thanks to the man who supported her.

Her man- Liam.

And he is by her side still. It brought a smile to her face.

Rory turned to see Liam by her side, carrying Ellie. He held her hand. Rory smiled seeing the wedding band on his hand. That day, he surprised her with his ring. She was wearing his mother’s ring.

She looked at her hand. She was wearing their wedding band along with the new ring he gave her. She placed her hand on her belly.

Now, she has another child inside her.

Her situation from the past year has drastically changed, all for the better. She was thankful for that.

Liam knocked on the door and Mrs. Delport opened the door. Liam was welcomed first with a wide smile. So, that hasn’t changed.

But Rory did not mind that. She was the one who gets welcomed with great enthusiasm in his home. It’s only fair.

Mrs. Delport said that her grandmother was awake and that they can meet her right away. Liam held her back supportively as Rory walked in the front.

Her heart tore seeing her grandmother lying on the bed with her eyes half closed. Her hair had all gone white, and her skin was very pigmented and covered in wrinkles. Her mouth was parted a little and she was breathing through her mouth.

Tubes were connected to her nose and her wrists. Some machines were in the room. Rory recognized the heartbeat rate monitor. She was getting regular dialysis too.

The room smelled like a hospital.

"Grandma..." Rory sat on the chair at her bedside and held her hand.

Her grandmother couldn’t move her head much and so Rory adjusted and sat to be in her view.

"Grandma, it’s me, Aurora, your granddaughter..." she told her.

Her grandmother rarely recognizes her these days. She has to introduce herself.

"This is Fitzwilliam, my husband," she pointed at Liam who now stood beside Rory. "And that’s our daughter Ellie... You remember Aurelia, Grandma?"

Agnes said nothing. But she looked at each one of them blankly. Rory’s eyes watered realizing that she didn’t remember any of them.

Liam patted her shoulder to compose her. "Grandma, Ellie has something to give you," Liam placed Ellie on the bed beside Agnes.

Rory was surprised to see a peony in Ellie’s hand. It’s her grandmother’s favorite flower.

Ellie passed the flower to Agnes. Agnes tried to move her hand, but she couldn’t. Ellie, not knowing where to place the flower, placed it on the bed, beside Agnes’ hand.

"Good girl, Ellie," Rory shook Ellie’s hand to appreciate her. She didn’t want Ellie to think that she did something wrong.

"Aurora..." Agnes spoke after some time. She was looking at Ellie.

Rory didn’t think much of it. Her grandmother often confuses Ellie with her. She would call Liam by her father’s name at times.

But her heart skipped a beat when she felt her grandmother’s leathery hand on her hand.

"Aurora..." her grandmother said and this time she was looking at her.

"Grandma, I am here... I am..." Rory’s voice shook as she was overwhelmed.

Her grandma recognized her!

"Fitz..." Agnes couldn’t speak further, and she started coughing.

Mrs. Delport poured water for Agnes. Liam quickly walked around the bed and sat beside Agnes.

"Grandma, I am here..."

"Little... Ellie..."

Agnes tried to hold Ellie’s face, but she couldn’t. Rory held Agnes’ hand and placed Ellie’s little soft hand on it.

"Grandma, I am pregnant," Rory said.

They haven’t announced it to anyone yet. Not even to Liam’s family. They had decided to wait until three months to announce it to his family.

But Rory couldn’t keep it from her grandmother. It’s a great thing that her grandmother is lucid and she didn’t know if she could see her grandmother after three months get completed.

She didn’t want to take a chance. She hoped that Liam understood her.

"You are?" Mrs. Delport almost dropped the glass she was holding.

"Yeah," Rory smiled. "It’s only seven weeks and we’ve confirmed it in a hospital. But we haven’t announced it yet..."

Mrs. Delport was nodding excitedly.

"Ma’am, did you hear? Rory is pregnant!" Mrs. Delport shouted in glee.

Rory was shocked to see tears running down the corners of her grandmother’s eyes. "Are you hurt, grandma?" she asked wiping the tears. "Mrs. Delport?" she looked at Mrs. Delport for answers.

She would know.

"...happy... I am happy... "Agnes said and she started smiling.

Rory leaned closer to her grandmother as she tried to say something. "Archibald... Name him after Archie... Archie..." Agnes said. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Rory nodded. "Yes, grandma. I will."

She didn’t know if she was going to have a boy, but she was moved to see how much her grandmother loves her grandfather. And she will name their son Archibald if Liam doesn’t oppose to it.

Archibald is a noble name. She didn’t think that Liam would oppose it.

She looked at Liam. She should have asked him before giving her word to her grandmother. Liam smiled. He didn’t look like he was offended. So, she got relaxed.

"I’ll bring him to visit you, grandma," Rory said excitedly.

But her grandmother turned her head and looked to the other side. Rory thought that she was looking at Liam, but she was not looking at Liam either. She was looking at the waving curtains by the window.

"Archie..." Agnes said.

Rory thought that she was still talking about naming their baby. "I will, grandma," she said.

But her grandmother was still looking at the curtains. She then smiled. "My love..." she tried to hold out her hand to the window.

Liam stood up realizing something. At that time, the heart rate monitor started beeping and Rory noticed her pulse falling.

"Nurse!" Mrs. Delport called for the nurse.

Rory picked Ellie and Liam let her out of the room not to be a disturbance.

Liam hugged Rory. "She’ll be fine..." he rubbed her back.