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The Surrogate He Discarded

Chapter 205: The Burden He Carried · Oct 11, 2026

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Chapter List (283)

Page number / 6

201 Chapter 201: The Showdown 2026-10-11
202 Chapter 202: A Sister, By Blood 2026-10-11
203 Chapter 203: The Confrontation 2026-10-11
204 Chapter 204: Forgiven! 2026-10-11
205 Chapter 205: The Burden He Carried 2026-10-11
206 Chapter 206: The Ghost of Leon’s Past 2026-10-11
207 Chapter 207: Unexpected Visitor 2026-10-11
208 Chapter 208: Unexpected Visitor 2 2026-10-11
209 Chapter 209: His Trump Card 2026-10-11
210 Chapter 210: Meeting an Old Friend 2026-10-11
211 Chapter 211: The Beginning of Richard’s Troubles 2026-10-11
212 Chapter 212: The Story of Sharon 2026-10-11
213 Chapter 213: The Green-Eyed Monster 2026-10-11
214 Chapter 214: Delusional 2026-10-11
215 Chapter 215: Her Calculations 2026-10-11
216 Chapter 216: Happy Daddy 2026-10-11
217 Chapter 217: The Mother and Son Confrontation 2026-10-11
218 Chapter 218: Plotting Against Isobel 2026-10-11
219 Chapter 219: Plotting Against Isobel 2 2026-10-11
220 Chapter 220: Richard’s Dark Secret 2026-10-11
221 Chapter 221: Richard’s Dark Secrets 2 2026-10-11
222 Chapter 222: Isobel’s Confession 2026-10-11
223 Chapter 223: The Storm Raging In Him 2026-10-11
224 Chapter 224: His Pain 2026-10-11
225 Chapter 225: The Homecoming 2026-10-11
226 Chapter 226: The Warmth Of Family 2026-10-11
227 Chapter 227: The Sisters 2026-10-11
228 Chapter 228: The Invitation 2026-10-11
229 Chapter 229: Something Isn’t Right 2026-10-11
230 Chapter 230: Isobel’s Suspicion 2026-10-11
231 Chapter 231: Her Burden 2026-10-11
232 Chapter 232: The Voice She Borrowed 2026-10-11
233 Chapter 233: The Price of A Secret 2026-10-11
234 Chapter 234: Preparing For The Gala 2026-10-11
235 Chapter 235: A Rival From The Past 2026-10-11
236 Chapter 236: The Reason She Came 2026-10-11
237 Chapter 237: Women of Courage 2026-10-11
238 Chapter 238: The Auction 2026-10-11
239 Chapter 239: Stealing The Spotlight 2026-10-11
240 Chapter 240: Shaming Her 2026-10-11
241 Chapter 241: Standing Up For Her 2026-10-11
242 Chapter 242: The Dance 2026-10-11
243 Chapter 243: The Dance 2 2026-10-11
244 Chapter 244: The Masked Man 2026-10-11
245 Chapter 245: The Man Behind The Mask 2026-10-11
246 Chapter 246: The Jealous Man 2026-10-11
247 Chapter 247: The Scheme Failed 2026-10-11
248 Chapter 248: The Rivals 2026-10-11
249 Chapter 249: They Came For Her 2026-10-11
250 Chapter 250: Between the Father and the Grandpa 2026-10-11

Julian pulled a wheelchair beside the bed and helped Isobel ease herself into it.

”You shouldn’t strain yourself if you want to recover quickly.”

Isobel nodded obediently.

She glanced toward the two children sitting quietly on the sofa nearby. They had been unusually silent, their small faces lowered as though they were afraid to interrupt the adults.

Then she looked back at Leon.

”Uncle, everything happened so quickly that I didn’t get the chance to ask. How did you end up in the capital?”

Leanne and Judy exchanged a glance.

They both understood that this was a private conversation. After all, they were still outsiders to Leon.

”We’ll go back to your room,” Leanne said gently. ”Let your father push you back when you’re finished.”

She gave Isobel a reassuring smile before leaving with Judy.

The door closed behind them. For several seconds, the room was quiet.

Then Leon let out a low chuckle. But it wasn’t really a laugh. There was no amusement in it. It was the hollow, broken sound of a man who had run out of tears long ago.

Isobel’s expression immediately became troubled.

So did Julian’s.

He had lived with Leon for four months.

He remembered the man Leon had once been—loud, spirited, stubborn, and fearless. A man who could argue with anyone and would throw himself into danger without hesitation if it meant protecting his family.

And Leon had always been especially protective of his younger sister.

Now, that same man looked like a shadow of himself.

”Aunt Emilia told me that you left Greenvale and married someone from another province,” Isobel said carefully.

Leon stared at his hands.

”Yes.”

His voice was barely audible.

”I married your aunt, and we had four children together.”

A faint smile appeared on his lips. It lasted only a moment.

Then it disappeared.

”But she...and two of my daughters...your cousins...”

His voice broke.

Leon turned his face away and coughed into his fist.

”Uncle...”

Isobel’s heart tightened.

”If you aren’t ready, we can talk about it another time.”

Leon slowly shook his head.

”No.”

He drew a shaky breath.

”If I keep avoiding the past, it doesn’t change anything.”

His gaze drifted toward the window.

”I came to the capital because I wanted to take my grandchildren to their mother.”

Julian’s brows drew together.

”I thought I could no longer take care of them,” Leon continued. ”They’re still so young. They need someone who can provide for them, and I...”

His voice faltered.

”I don’t have much left to give.”

Julian stared at him.

What happened to him?

Rosella’s death alone couldn’t have broken Leon this badly.

There had to be more.

”Someone from our town told me that my daughter, Alena could find work here in the capital,” Leon continued. ”She could work as a saleslady, or so we were told.”

”And her husband?” Isobel asked softly.

Leon’s expression darkened.

”He left.”

His fingers tightened around each other.

”Yana was only two years old.”

Isobel instinctively glanced toward the sofa.

The little girl was still sitting there with her head bowed.

”He simply disappeared,” Leon continued. ”At first, we thought something had happened to him. We waited. We searched.”

He gave a bitter laugh.

”Later, I learned the truth.”

Leon swallowed.

”He had been living with a wealthy widow in the neighboring town.”

Julian’s jaw tightened.

Leon lowered his eyes.

”Alena had a difficult time raising the kids. Money was tight and I got sick.”

Then his voice became quieter.

”I kept asking myself what I had done wrong.”

”Why were the women in my life suffered?”

He paused.

”Perhaps...”

His lips trembled.

”Perhaps I’m a jinx.”

Isobel’s eyes widened.

Leon looked at her with a helplessness that seemed almost childlike.

”Think about it. Every woman who became part of my family suffered because of the men around them.”

His voice cracked.

”My sister...”

He stopped.

The memory of Rosella seemed to pass across his face like a shadow.

”My wife...”

His hands began to tremble.

”And my daughters...”

He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Julian shifted uncomfortably.

Why does he keep saying things like this?

”Uncle...”

Isobel didn’t know what to say.

She wanted to comfort him, but there were no words large enough to contain the grief in front of her.

Leon took several uneven breaths before continuing.

”I haven’t heard from my daughter for several months so we came here. We finally tracked Alena down in Red Fields.”

Julian frowned.

Red Fields? Isn’t that the red-light district?

He exchanged a glance with Isobel.

They were both thinking the same thing.

Something wasn’t right.

”When we found her...” Leon’s voice trembled. ”She drove us away.”

His eyes became wet.

”She said...”

He swallowed hard.

”She said...”

His voice broke completely.

”We should go back to the province and forget about her.”

The room fell silent.

Randy, who had remained quiet until then, suddenly spoke.

”She didn’t want us anymore.”

His small voice was almost a whisper.

Isobel’s heart sank.

Leon covered his face with one trembling hand.

For a moment, he seemed to be trying desperately to hold himself together.

But whatever strength he had left finally gave way.

Tears slipped between his fingers.

”Heaven has turned against me.”

His shoulders shook.

”First, it took my parents.”

His voice cracked.

”Then my sister.”

A tear rolled down his hollow cheek.

”Then my wife...and two of my daughters.”

He struggled to breathe.

Leon looked toward the sofa.

His eyes landed on Randy and Yana.

”And now...”

His lips trembled violently.

”Even my youngest daughter, Alena doesn’t want me anymore.”

The words seemed to break something inside him.

He bent forward, covering his face as sobs tore through his frail body.

Isobel’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

She had never imagined that behind Leon’s anger was a man carrying so much grief.

Julian’s expression hardened with concern.

”Uncle Leon, please...”

Leon tried to speak, but another violent coughing fit overtook him.

”Cough! Cough!”

Julian immediately pressed the emergency button.

Within moments, a nurse rushed into the room.

”His breathing is becoming labored,” Julian said. ”Please give him something to calm him down. The emotional strain is too much for his current condition.”

The nurse nodded and quickly administered the medication.

Gradually, Leon’s coughing eased.

His eyelids grew heavy.

Even after the medicine began taking effect, tears continued to escape from the corners of his eyes.

Isobel’s heart ached.

I shouldn’t have asked.

She lowered her head.

She should have waited until Leon had recovered before asking about his past.

But how could she have known that the uncle who was once a strong and formidable hunter had endured so much loss?

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