Chapter 384 - 23: The Seed of Hope! (Please vote for the monthly ticket~)
Brotherhood!
Esther murmured this name in a low voice, looking up at Edmund.
The former senior C-level employee, now the head of the Ang City station, said word by word, "All who join are brothers, all who join are family. We stand united, facing adversity together!"
Hearing these words, Esther’s eyes lit up.
Wasn’t this what he wanted?
Wasn’t this what he longed for?
Sigh!
Esther took a deep breath.
"It is no wonder, Senior Edmund, your kindness has always been the guiding light for me."
"Meeting you has been the fortune of my life," Esther said sincerely.
"If possible, I wish to continue living as a salted fish... in the past, now, and in the future, always a salted fish," Edmund said with a wry smile.
He did not hide anything in front of Esther, being honest with his thoughts.
"But there’s always someone who won’t allow it!"
"I too want to live safely until a hundred, but there’s always someone obstructing!"
"It’s not us who are wrong, it’s the world!"
Esther nodded, agreeing with Edmund.
He also wished to be a salted fish.
What’s wrong with being a salted fish?
The feeling of idling away the days is simply too blissful.
So, to idle away the days even better, all the threats must be nipped in the bud.
"There’s something we need to do now," said Edmund seriously.
Esther, guessing what had to be done, immediately stood up and bowed slightly.
"I will follow in your footsteps."
...
Pasi stood in front of the apartment’s balcony, gently caressing her already bulging stomach.
This was the fruit of her love with Valen.
Although it had started as an accident, this accident was filled with surprises.
It was a blessing.
Pasi still remembered the bewildered look on Valen’s face when he found out he was going to be a father, his bulky frame cautiously approaching, placing his ear against her stomach, hoping to hear the birth of that tiny life.
Then, he started working even harder.
He wished for a better environment for his child.
She wished for the same.
But above all, she wished for his safety.
After getting married, a confidentiality agreement made her slightly aware of her husband’s job.
It frightened her, but Valen always laughed it off, saying it was nothing.
Because he had a group of reliable comrades, partners.
All she could do was support him and wait for him to come home.
Today was no exception.
At five o’clock in the afternoon, the door rang on time.
Thump, thump-thump!
Pasi, with a smile, quickly walked toward the door, and then she saw Edmund and Esther.
They were Valen’s colleagues and superiors, whom she had met at the wedding.
And then... Valen was not there.
Their expressions were grave, mournful.
Pasi’s face turned pale.
"Valen, he..."
"I am very sorry."
Edmund and Esther bowed their heads.
Tears suddenly reddened Pasi’s eyes and began to flow.
"This is his comfort money."
Edmund handed an envelope with a cheque to Pasi.
Pasi did not take it, so Edmund could only place it on the nearby cabinet.
"The life of Valen cannot be compared to this, but it can help you and your child live better."
"Valen’s death does not mean you are alone."
"The Brotherhood" will take care of you, including your child."
Edmund knelt down, leaning towards Pasi with a compassionate tone.
"Is The Brotherhood the organization Valen was part of?"
Pasi asked.
"No."
"It was Valen’s death that made me decide to establish ’The Brotherhood.’ I do not wish for such a tragedy to happen again," Edmund confessed.
"Not only Valen died?"
Pasi quickly regained her composure, touching her belly as she asked.
"Yes, today I lost many friends."
"Valen was one of them," Edmund nodded.
"Can I join ’The Brotherhood’?"
Pasi asked.
"Of course."
"Whether you join or not, ’The Brotherhood’ will always be your support, and your child’s as well."
Edmund looked at Pasi, who kept touching her belly, guessing what she was most concerned about.
"I will join!"
Pasi said without any hesitation.
Valen had died. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Valen’s child was still there.
She had to make Valen’s child safer.
Women are tender, but motherhood is formidable.
Esther, with admiration in his eyes, watched the mother who quickly controlled her emotions and knelt on one knee.
"All who join are brothers, all who join are family, united we stand, together we face adversity!"
"Valen’s child, we will treat as our own."
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"A boy!"
Pasi let out a sigh of relief in a soft voice in response to Esther’s earnest question.
"Does he have a name?"
Esther continued to inquire.
"Yes, Valen had chosen a name for him."
"Stark."
"Stark?"
"A good name. I swear on behalf of ’The Brotherhood,’ Stark, you will grow up healthy, you will receive the best education, you will have everything that other children have," Edmund and Esther pledged on one knee to Pasi and the unborn child.
Embracing her belly, Pasi knew she had to control her emotions, but at that moment, she could not hold back her tears.
"Thank you."
She wept while tears streamed down her face.
...
Valen’s home was the first Edmund and Esther visited.
But just the first home had already caused the two a suffocating grief.
"Senior Edmund, could I rest for ten minutes before visiting the next home?"
Esther requested.
"You may."
Edmund nodded in agreement.