The Silkrana Road and the vast Loessara Plateau had long captivated me since I was young. But every time I brought up the idea in the past, Wanda dismissed it. She had no interest in barren places, let alone deserts.

Now, with her gone, I could finally go by myself.

Just as I was about to embark on this long-awaited journey, my phone rang. Lucas’s voice came through from the phone.

He spoke tearfully, "Dad, Mom is in the hospital!"

"Dad, Mom is in the hospital! She’s been diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer. The doctor said she has maybe half a month left. Please, come quickly!"

For days, I had convinced myself that I had let go of everything. However, upon hearing the news about Wanda Larson, I felt a pang of helplessness.

Without hesitation, I canceled my trip and booked the earliest flight to Estoria.

When I rushed into the hospital ward, what I saw left me frozen in place.

Lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to an oxygen tube, was Luigi.

Wanda stood alongside our son and grandsons, their faces pale and worn with exhaustion.

Realizing I had been deceived, anger flared in me. I turned around, ready to leave, but Wanda blocked my path. "Ethan, please listen to me first."

"It’s not me who’s terminally ill. It’s Luigi."

"It was my idea for Feng'er to lie to you."

"I asked Lucas to lie to you. I knew you wouldn’t come otherwise."

I stared at her coldly: "Wanda Larson, we are divorced!"

"What do you want from me? Can’t you just let me go?"

Her tears fell freely now. "Ethan, in all the years we were married, I never begged you for anything. This is the first and the last time I’ll ask. "

"He doesn’t have much time left. The doctor said it could be any day now."

"I don’t want him to leave this world with regrets."

"Ethan, I beg you. I will even kneel."

"Just promise me you’ll allow our son and grandsons to change their surnames!"

"After this, they can be good sons and grandsons for him."

So, that was her true purpose!

Anger surged through me, my entire body trembling. Before I could say anything, Wanda suddenly dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.

But she was not alone. One by one, my son and grandsons gathered around her.

"Dad, Mr. Collins has already suffered so much. He has no family, no children."

"We’re only changing our surname to give him some comfort in his final moments."

"Grandpa, Dad is right."