Natalie slept for a solid seven hours, the only time she had managed to do so in the past three days.It was strange, but Calvin's assurance that she would see Benjamin when she woke up actually worked, putting her to sleep.And surprisingly, she didn't have any dreams.But as soon as she woke up, her mind immediately went to Benjamin.Subconsciously, she sat up and called out, "Benjamin...""Mom, I'm here..." Benjamin, who had been waiting by her side, saw Natalie wake up and hurriedly rushed over.Natalie stared at Benjamin, who had suddenly appeared before her, completely stunned.She thought she was dreaming.So, she raised her hand and gave herself a light tap on the forehead, trying to snap out of it."Mom, why are you hitting yourself?" Benjamin hurriedly stopped her, concerned.Natalie gazed once more at the familiar face before her, lifting her hands to touch Benjamin's handsome face, finding it hard to believe her eyes."Benjamin, is that really you? You're back?"
"Benjamin, you must be starving. Try Uncle Calvin's cooking, see if it's delicious?" Benjamin didn't know that Calvin, who saved him, had feelings for Natalie. He only knew Calvin was her friend. So, he politely nodded and said, "Yeah. Thanks, Uncle Calvin.""No problem." Calvin's gaze then shifted back to Natalie as he served her food. "You should eat too.""Okay." Feeling a bit embarrassed, Natalie lowered her head, using eating as a way to hide her awkwardness.In the living room, Margot and Curtis sat close together and didn't go over. It was already evening, and they had already finished dinner. Besides, it didn't seem appropriate to interrupt them. So, the couple pretended to be engrossed in watching TV. However, Margot couldn't resist occasionally glancing at the three people in the dining room. The sight gave her a warm feeling of a family.Curtis reached over and gently nudged her head, whispering, "Stop looking at what others are doing, look at me."Margot glan
Margot couldn't shake off her worry over Curtis going to the nightclub alone late at night. She insisted, "You can go, but I'll drive you there, okay?"Margot felt at ease only when she was with him.After all, he wasn't as tough as he was four years ago. She truly feared that he might suddenly collapse one day. By then, it would be too late for regrets.Deep down, Curtis felt somewhat smug. He sensed that Margot could not live without him anymore.Raising his hand, he habitually pinched her cheek, smiling as he replied, "Alright, you can drive me there."Margot immediately picked up the car keys from the coffee table. Then, she looked at the three people in the dining room and said, "Natalie, you guys go ahead and eat. I'm going out with Curtis. We have something to attend to."Natalie looked up after hearing that. "It's already so late, and you're still heading out? Is it because of Lilac's matter?""Yes, get some rest after eating. You don't have to wait for us," Margot
Curtis furrowed his brows. "I'm average? Margot, are you saying that I'm not good enough for you?"Well, I wasn't good enough for you in the past. But now…" Margot looked at him, and his handsome, determined face flashed before her eyes.She couldn't deny it. She did love him very much. Whether it was in the past or now, she would never be on his level."Alright, fine, I love you."Not wanting to say anything to upset Curtis, Margot could only tell him the truth to make him happy.Curtis chuckled again. "I knew it. There aren't many men with my qualities in this world. How could you not love me? In fact, I'm the only one you'll love in this lifetime."Margot shook her head helplessly, unable to continue. She thought he seemed somewhat strange."Margot, can you drive with one hand?" asked Curtis.She glanced at him after hearing that. Seeing that he was reaching to hold her hand, Margot immediately said, "No, my driving skills aren't as good as yours. I have to focus on
Margot stood beside Curtis. It was the first time she witnessed Gabriel, who was usually tall and imposing, showing signs of helplessness and vulnerability.It turned out even a dignified man could shed tears. Moreover, he was weeping.At that moment, Margot felt uneasy as she looked at Gabriel's vulnerable state.Curtis, too, abandoned his usual aloof demeanor. He reached out to embrace Gabriel, comforting him softly, "Since things have turned out this way, it's time to accept reality. If you love them, give them the life they desire. Have a good talk with Natalie. You can still be friends, and raise the child together."At this point, Curtis realized that Gabriel and Natalie had reached a point of no return in their relationship.Natalie had fallen for someone else, a clear indication that she was no longer in love with Gabriel.Without love, and with a child involved, everything became meaningless.As Curtis persuaded him to let go, Gabriel's handsome face contorted in agon
Gabriel continued to sob.Knowing he could not reason with them, he felt as though the entire world had forsaken him, leaving him in agony.Under the influence of alcohol, he didn't resemble a mature man in his thirties at all. Instead, Gabriel looked like a child, lying there and crying without a care for his image.It was as if he had been bullied and couldn't find anyone to stand up for him, crying sorrowfully.Gabriel cried out, "All of you are bullying me. Everyone has turned their backs on me. Curt, do you remember when Margot left? I was there for you every day, comforting you. "Now that she's back, not only did you not help a friend in need but you also joined in to scold me. I don't have a friend like you. If even friends can't be relied upon, then what hope is there for women? "Leave, all of you. I don't need any of you anymore. Just disappear from my sight."The more Gabriel wept, the more he seemed like a fool.Margot was at a loss for words. The man before her tr
Suddenly, Natalie didn't know how to continue their conversation anymore. Glancing at the time on her phone, she realized it was late. "It's time to rest," she reminded Calvin.Calvin nodded. "Okay, go ahead and get some rest, Natalie. I'll wait a bit longer to see when Magot returns.""Alright, goodnight," Natalie replied and hurriedly left.Since she was unsure of what to say to Calvin, she reckoned it was better to take some time to think things through instead of getting into an awkward situation.Calvin watched as Natalie entered her room. He then leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes to rest. Right then, memories from the past flooded his mind.That year, Calvin was 15 years old. He had attended an international exchange conference with his father.After the conference, he went to the buffet restaurant for a meal. There, Calvin saw a spirited and charming little girl sitting by the piano.She wore a white dress, her hair tied into two braids, and her delicate
Calvin's fear of Natalie's rejection, his fear of her moving away from him, made him weak. Yet, he knew all too well that Natalie had too many concerns.Calvin stared at the ceiling with his eyes open. He let out a long sigh.He prayed, hoping that Natalie could break through her internal defenses and be with him wholeheartedly.Meanwhile, Natalie tossed and turned on the bed in the room, unable to sleep.Her mind was filled with thoughts of Calvin sitting in the living room.In reality, Natalie was not a very open woman, nor was she someone who didn't know self-respect.She spent the night with Gabriel that time because she had liked him since childhood.Both of them had been drinking at a gathering, and she willingly gave herself to him.Until she got pregnant, she had intended to confess to Gabriel, but she accidentally overheard what Marianne said to Gabriel.Marianne said that her parents were from a theatrical background. Although their family appeared to be scholarly, i
Curtis didn't argue with her, and instead, he took her hand and led her inside.Margot noticed that despite Curtis' stern demeanor, he still showed care for her through his actions. She smiled knowingly and playfully asked while walking beside him, "What, can't find me at certain times and you're worried I ran off with someone else?"Curtis glanced at her and scoffed."Would you dare? If you dare run off with someone else, I'll break your legs."Despite speaking harsh words, the expression on the face and the gaze in the eyes directed at Margot were so gentle, it seemed as if they could bring forth tears.Margot listened to his violent words and stared at him, "Say it again, whose legs are you going to break?"Curtis was standing there. Although he still had a bit of presence, his facial expression already showed defeat.Before he could try to please his wife again, Margot had already brushed past him and slipped through the mansion's front doors.While running, he shouted, "An
So Gabriel had to personally drive her wherever she needed to go.Curtis listened to the two people and narrowed his eyes again."Who else?""Anthony."Anthony?Curtis was momentarily taken aback.Then, he saw Anthony coming out of the kitchen wearing an apron and carrying a plate, and walking into the dining room.He set down his coat and told Luna, "You sit, I'll go help.""Go ahead."Curtis followed into the kitchen and saw that Anthony and Gabriel were acting as if they were in their own home, helping themselves to whatever they wanted to eat and making it themselves.He also felt a bit embarrassed and walked over, saying, "It's not right to have you cook since you're visiting, let me do it instead."Gabriel glanced at him and said, "We all treat you like one of us, so why are you being so formal with us?"Anthony responded, "I'm making it for my wife, after all, she only eats the food that I make."Curtis shook his head helplessly.They were showing off their relatio
Margot and Lena turned their heads at the same time.Jordan was dressed in a British-style uniform with a backpack. At eight years old, he stood around four feet tall. His smile was like a little ray of sunshine and could really brighten anyone's day.He shouted, "Mom, Aunt Lena, did you come specifically to pick me up?"Every time Margot heard Jordan call her "mom," it filled her heart with warmth.She raised her hand to give him a hug, gently ruffled his hair, and said, "Of course I'm here to pick you up, get in the car.""It's been a month since I last saw you, and you've grown taller."Lena pulled Jordan onto the vehicle and started driving.Sitting in the car, Jordan couldn't help but smile as he looked at his senior.Lena looked at him and smiled, "Living here, how does it compare to being up in the mountains?"Jordan's eyes landed on Margot, filled with warmth and joy."Wherever my mom and dad are, I feel is the best place. Of course, I'm not saying that being with Mas
Margot greeted them with a smile, saying, "I thought you two would be quietly enjoying your romantic time at the estate. I didn't expect you'd come over to see us!"Lena reached out and gently pinched Louis' round cheeks, then looked at Margot and said, "You keep saying that, but you're not working, so why don't you come visit us?""I'm at home taking care of the kids. You have no idea how challenging it is.""Heh, you're just unfairly blaming Louis. Our little Louis is clearly very well-behaved."Lena ignored Margot and couldn't help but give Louis a couple of kisses after picking him up.Anthony walked over and asked, "Where is everyone else?"Margot motioned for them to come over and sit down, then poured them some water."Natalie just had her baby not long ago, and my in-laws went with Natalie's parents and the others to visit the babies, and they're also going to visit Dad."Whenever Anthony talked about his oblivious elderly father, he got frustrated.He didn't ask any m
Frederick, exuding the presence of the head of the family, welcomed the arriving in-laws with a smile.Afterwards, he behaved well and didn't mention anything about Yasmine, nor did he cause any trouble with his sons.The in-laws were very careful not to mention Frederick's injury, as they didn't want to hurt his pride.Daniel saw how lively it was at home and decided to bring Ena's mother over so that the in-laws could take the opportunity to get to know each other better.In the days that followed, everyone got along very well.In Amberville, Alice Manor.Anthony and Lena were enjoying a peaceful and romantic time together here. No one was bothering them, and they were not going out to work.The two of them spent the entire day cozied up at home.It involved either snacking while watching a movie or playing games followed by some cuddling and kissing.Anthony often made delicious food for Lena and took care of her so well that she seemed completely pampered.This caused Len
"If you won't let me bring her into the family, fine, I'll set up a large estate elsewhere. When the time comes, I won't let you in either."Daniel felt that his father was quite childish.He chuckled and said, "How about this, once the guests leave, I'll take you back to Yasmine. Then you can tell her that you've cut all ties with us and you want nothing. At that point, Yasmine is still willing to stay by your side and take care of you, then we'll do as you wish. How about that?Regarding the greedy Coran siblings, it was important to know that their father didn't have anything valuable left on him, and they wouldn't gain any benefits either.It would be surprising if she still stayed by Frederick's side."Don't underestimate people; Yasmine's love for me is genuine."Frederick didn't want to bet with Daniel.Human nature was something that shouldn't be gambled on.Daniel laughed again. "Are you afraid of losing, Dad?"Frederick stared at Daniel and said, "When have I ever be
Yasmine was not happy when she heard she would be left alone.She knelt beside Frederick, holding his hand and pleading desperately, "Frederick, you can't do this. You can't leave me here alone. If you leave, they'll treat me badly again, just like before. Can you take me with you? Even if it's just to be your nanny, I'm begging you!"Frederick could not stand seeing women cry.When Yasmine pleaded like that, he softened and turned to look at Daniel.Daniel, with a blank expression, said, "Dad, do you really want your in-laws to see you like this?"Frederick also looked upset and said in a serious tone:"Couldn't you say she's my nanny? Who would know?""We have kids at home, do they lie?"Frederick had no choice but to turn to Yasmine and said, "Just stay here. They won’t dare bother you again. I'm leaving now."He raised his hand to signal Daniel to push the wheelchair.Daniel pushed the wheelchair forward.However, Yasmine was unwilling and tried to stop it again.The he
"Are we supposed to live here for the rest of our lives? Even if we have to stay here, at least give us the freedom to come and go as we please."Look at how they've sent so many people to watch over us again, clearly treating us like prisoners."Noticing that Frederick's expression was starting to soften, Yasmine continued to stoke the fire."Tell me, is there any way sons should be treating their father like this? They just want to drive you to your limits so they can split up your assets. Frederick, you can't let them have their way, or else you'll spend your whole life working tirelessly for them only to end up in such a miserable situation. How pitiable that would be.Frederick was speechless.He didn't want to go back. But if he did, his sons would have to treat him with great respect.He hoped that Calvin would bring the military seal, and it had been two days now, yet they still hadn't delivered it to him.Was he really planning on not giving it to him?As soon as he th
She ignored him, and Tommy didn't take the initiative to talk to her either to avoid making her overthink.After sitting in the living room for a while, he waited for all the members of the Crosby family to come downstairs. Once they did, he followed them to the dining room for a meal.As soon as Tommy arrived, Laura put down her fork, got up, and without looking back, said, "Enjoy your meal, I'm heading to the university.""Heading out so early?" Ashley asked.However, she didn't respond and slipped out the door directly.Elias said, "There's an exam coming up, so she's been very focused. She goes in early every day."Curtis and the others didn't seem to mind and invited Tommy to sit down.Only Margot knew why Laura walked so quickly.It was because Tommy was here.Laura had a crush on this big celebrity, and since she couldn't be with him, it was naturally difficult for her to interact with him further.So it was completely understandable that she avoided him whenever she s