From Broken to Beloved-Chapter 198- I love you too…
Ford took the initiative and shouldered all the blame, continuously soothing Mrs. Du.
"As a man, failing to take proper precautions was entirely my fault. It has nothing to do with Riley."
Under Ford’s gentle restraint, Mrs. Du finally sat back down on the sofa. Ford immediately continued,
"I came today to talk about marriage. And honestly, even if Riley weren’t pregnant, I would still want to marry her. Now that she is pregnant, that only makes it more certain."
By this point, after spending time with Ford and witnessing his sincerity, Mr. and Mrs. Du—as well as Duke—could clearly feel how genuine his feelings for Riley were. His words were earnest and heartfelt; he truly wanted to marry their daughter and treat her well.
Naturally, they wanted their daughter to be happy too. All their earlier doubts and awkward reactions stemmed from fear—fear that the gap between the two might cause her to suffer. Now that they had seen his sincerity, there was no reason left to oppose the marriage.
And so, the classic phenomenon unfolded: once the son-in-law passed the test, the daughter became the one under scrutiny.
Riley was scolded for speaking to Ford too bluntly. Scolded for acting indifferent toward him. Scolded for not being considerate enough. In the end, she gave up entirely and retreated to her bedroom—out of sight, out of mind.
Not long after, Ford followed her inside.
Riley was lounging against the bed, scrolling on her phone.
Ford unceremoniously snatched it away.
"Pregnant women should use their phones less. Radiation."
Riley knew that already—but knowing and self-control were two different things.
"Then what am I supposed to do? I’m bored to death."
She was completely unemployed now. She wanted to work, but Ford refused to allow it, citing her severe pregnancy symptoms. He even used his influence to pressure her agency into canceling all her jobs, personally covering the losses.
Riley felt utterly defeated. She used to be full of energy—practically unstoppable. Who would’ve thought pregnancy would hit her this hard? In her own words, a woman built like iron had been taken down by a single fertilized egg.
A few steps made her dizzy. A bite of food made her nauseous. She was turning into Lin Daiyu.
Ford walked over and sat beside her on the bed, looking at her gently.
"Move in with me. We’re getting married anyway. If I’m with you, you won’t be bored, right?"
Riley frowned.
"Don’t you still have to work?"
Ford laughed.
"I can stop working to take care of you."
Riley snorted.
"Must be nice being rich."
Ford reached out and pinched her cheek lightly.
"There’s no end to making money. You and the baby are what matter most. Giving up work for you, even temporarily—I think that’s completely worth it."
There was no way she wasn’t moved by how earnestly he placed her at the center of his world.
Without saying a word, Riley leaned quietly into his embrace.
This was a man worth marrying.
Ford lifted her chin, about to kiss her, when she suddenly covered her mouth and jumped up, rushing away. After throwing up in the bathroom, Riley weakly complained to Ford,
"Do you think it’s because I was too energetic for the first twenty-odd years of my life that heaven sent this little demon to torment me?"
Riley was truly at her limit. How could being pregnant be this miserable? She’d always been lively, always free and unrestrained—now it felt like...
Ford pulled her into his arms, his voice filled with guilt.
"I’m sorry. This is all my fault. If I’d known pregnancy would make you suffer this much, we wouldn’t have had a child at all."
He had never imagined pregnancy could be so hard on her. Every time he saw her vomiting until she was utterly drained, he regretted it—regretted letting her get pregnant in the first place. This was only the beginning; just thinking about what she would still have to endure made his heart ache.
Seeing how apologetic he was, Riley ended up feeling embarrassed herself. She lightened her tone and comforted him instead.
"Oh, come on. What woman doesn’t have children? And everyone says that once you get past the first few months, it gets better."
It was exhausting, yes—but when she thought about how this was their child, all the hardship suddenly felt bearable. Worth it.
Ford cupped her face, his eyes gentle and full of affection.
"I love you, Riley."
Riley met his deep gaze, momentarily forgetting all the tears and misery of pregnancy.
"I love you too..."
Bert and Catherine’s wedding was held on January 1st, in an ancient castle in Germany. Both the date and the location were chosen by Bert himself—January 1st symbolizing a lifetime together, and the castle wedding inspired by the fairytale ceremony Catherine had once dreamed of.
Everything she had ever imagined in her dreams, Bert recreated for her, piece by piece.
Catherine was so moved that she couldn’t stop crying. Wearing the pure white wedding gown that Bert had personally designed for her, she felt like the happiest woman in the world.
Only a handful of guests attended the ceremony—close family and dear friends of Bert and Catherine. Renata was there, as was Daniel. Channing and Bert’s mother were unable to attend. Riley, despite suffering from severe morning sickness, still came with Ford by her side, determined to be present.
For Riley, being able to witness Catherine’s happiness with her own eyes was one of the most important wishes of her life.
Catherine had originally wanted Riley to be her bridesmaid, but given Riley’s pregnancy and intense nausea, she couldn’t bring herself to ask it of her. In the end, the role of bridesmaid went to Silvia instead.
Being invited to attend Channing’s boss’s wedding—and to serve as Catherine’s bridesmaid—left Silvia so excited she hardly knew what to do with herself.
When it came time to exchange vows, Bert didn’t give a long, emotional speech. He simply held Catherine’s hand, looked at her steadily, and said,
"I met you late—but the rest of my life is you."
Catherine’s tears fell uncontrollably. No elaborate vows were needed. The rest of my life is you was enough to say everything.
Choking back tears, Catherine spoke her own vows. They were even simpler, yet carried all her feelings.
She said,
"Thank you for coming. Please don’t ever leave again."
Among the few women seated below—married or not—many couldn’t help but redden around the eyes. These plain, sincere vows were, in truth, the most moving of all.
From the beginning to this moment of fulfillment, their love seemed smooth and unwavering under Bert’s fierce protection. Those who had tried to harm or sabotage them had all met unhappy ends.
And yet, their love still felt profoundly hard-won.
Because both of them were people who had endured immense suffering—Bert’s life marked by dramatic upheavals, and Catherine’s by lingering shadows that never truly faded.
