Natalie hadn't initially considered the issue, but with her vision deteriorating rapidly after her trip to Mounta Elven, it was hard to ignore the connection. "You can't even handle bright lights. How could you...?" Heather was genuinely alarmed. Now, no matter where Natalie wished to go, Heather would likely object, given the harm certain places posed to her eyes."It's not a big deal, Mom," Natalie tried to reassure."Quiet!" Heather's frustration was palpable, her head throbbing with anger."I genuinely forgot," Natalie admitted. She had indeed forgotten the warnings from her doctor. Since she seldom visited snowy regions, the advice slipped her mind over time. She hadn't anticipated such severe consequences this time around."You forgot?! The price of forgetting is getting plunged into darkness! Don't you understand?" Heather's tone was more than just pained. It was frantic!Feeling the urgency in Heather's voice, Natalie's anxiety spiked. "Mom, I'm sorry!""I don't
Heather wouldn't allow Natalie to step out of Lotus Villa, not even to return to Hillside Villa. Resignedly, Natalie had no choice but to stay put.Inside the study, Stephen glanced at Natalie. "Your eyesight has truly reached..."Stephen trailed off, and the anguish within his tone was palpable to Natalie."Dad!" Natalie interrupted."It's better to have the surgery sooner. It'll also ease your mother's worries.""But I...""Don't worry. We'll arrange for the best surgeons for you." Stephen seemed to understand Natalie's concerns and tried to reassure her.In reality, both Stephen and Heather were anxious, especially fearing the possibility of the surgery failing. Hence, they were extra cautious in making arrangements."Dad," Natalie began hesitantly."Yes?""I-I'm... genuinely scared..." Natalie had always been concerned about how Stephen and others worried for her. Yet now, at this critical juncture, she couldn't help but show her genuine fear to her family.She w
Natalie felt her heart leap into her throat, thinking she was about to tumble. Then, a sudden force gripped her waist, and a familiar touch enveloped her.The moment she steadied herself, she pushed him away without even needing to think...Obviously, it was Cedric!He was the man she least wanted to encounter."Waaah! Waaah!" Luna cried out from a short distance away.Upon hearing her child's cries, Natalie's initial cold demeanor melted away, and she seemed disoriented. "Luna, it's okay!" Rushing to her daughter, Natalie enveloped her in a comforting embrace. "Mommy, I'm scared!""Don't be afraid. Mommy's here.""There's a bad guy... A bad guy!" Luna's fear stemmed from seeing Cedric. Observing the mother and daughter embrace from a distance, especially hearing the child's description of him, filled Cedric with a bitter taste. A bad guy—that was how he was remembered in Luna's eyes.Yes, that was the memory he left behind for her."Yes, he's a bad man. Don't be afrai
Cedric furrowed his brows, his gaze fixed in the direction where Natalie and Heather had just departed."Stop looking at them!" Stephen commanded, his tone significantly graver. There was an unmistakable difference in his attitude.Before, Natalie was his niece.Now that he confirmed Natalie was his own daughter, everything was different!Many things had transpired that Natalie hadn't spoken of since her return from Wexford, but Stephen had learned much from Clyde. Hence, his stance toward Cedric now was markedly different than before.Cedric glanced at Stephen and began, "She just...""As you've seen, her vision has deteriorated rapidly. The doctors say that without surgery, she won't have much time left with her vision," Stephen cut him off coldly.At that moment, Cedric felt an overwhelming pang and suffocation in his chest. "How...?" he managed to murmur."Heather mentioned that Irwin took her to Mount Elven," Stephen elaborated.Mount Elven? Cedric's heart tighten
"Mr. Jarvis..." Cedric looked at Stephen in disbelief, clearly taken aback by the words that had just left Stephen's lips.Stephen cut him off sharply, "She's just a child. Is that what you're trying to tell me?"Hadn't Cedric emphasized time and time again in front of Natalie that Kayla was just a child?"Just because she's a child, does that mean Natalie has to accept it? Did Luna have to be sacrificed because of that?" Stephen's words hit Cedric like stones, each one piercing his heart like a blade.These were universal truths everyone understood!Yet, when faced with reality, people often showed favoritism. And Cedric's favoritism was clearly directed towards Isabella and her daughter.Did he feel trapped at that time? Even if he did, his actions were unforgivable to Natalie and Luna!"This is your last warning, Cedric!" Stephen's voice was icy and dangerous. "Leave this place. Now!"With those final words, Stephen departed. Cedric was left rooted in place, struggling t
When Clyde returned, he saw Cedric standing in the courtyard, seemingly hesitant to leave!Clyde frowned and glanced inside instinctively. His fists clenched as he approached. The moment the two stood together, an air of tension enveloped them.Clyde remarked, "I didn't think it would be possible for you to be here at this time!"What was happening in Wexford? Since Stephen had completely pulled out of there last time, Natalie hadn't been involved or informed about the situation. But Clyde knew. He understood the significance of Wexford for Cedric and Irwin right now. Given the circumstances, one would expect Cedric and Irwin to be fully engrossed there.Yet here Cedric was, seemingly splitting his attention.Looking at Clyde, Cedric noticed the striking resemblance between him and Natalie. A complex emotion flashed in Cedric's eyes. In the previous life, he had been unaware that Natalie and Clyde were siblings. A closer look would have revealed their similarities. If he h
Clyde's warm fingertips gently grazed her eyes.Feeling this warmth, Natalie felt as if she had been scorched. A stifling sensation rose in her chest.Clyde said, "The doctor mentioned your condition is severe. You need to listen this time, okay?""Okay."Previously, Natalie's family had insisted on an immediate surgery. However, perhaps due to her past life's harrowing experience with darkness, Natalie still harbored deep-seated fears. Regardless of the advice given, she resisted, not wanting to plunge back into that abyss.In truth, she was terrified!The risks associated with the eye surgery were high. Should it fail, she would be plunged into an endless darkness. In her previous life, she had suffered enough within that void. So this time around, she was adamant about not spending even a second enveloped in it. Like a devil's lair, the overwhelming darkness left one feeling utterly trapped—a sensation only those who've endured could truly grasp."Nat.""Hmm?""Try to
Despite the situation in Wexford, Cedric still had to come to Simeria. Apart from Natalie being the reason, it was also naturally because... of Luna!After what happened the last time, there was no need for others to guess just what kind of presence he was in Luna's heart.Kyle took a deep breath. When he spoke, he couldn't help the tightness in his voice."Did you see Miss Luna?"Luna...Thinking of her reaction to him and how she had hid in Natalie's arms...Luna's eyes had been filled with fear when she saw Cedric, and he felt more than just a suffocation in his chest.He took several deep breaths, but it did little to quell the stifling sensation in his chest. He moved to the nearby couch and lit a cigarette. "Is there any news about that person?" he inquired gravely.At Cedric's words, Kyle promptly stepped forward, nodding. "Mr. Larkin is currently in Yuloria.""Yuloria?""Yes, we've obtained his address. He's been living in seclusion there for years."Edward Lar