"Is there a problem?" Nate had already stepped out of the driver's seat. He courteously opened the car door for Rebecca. Instead of rushing Rebecca to step out of the car, Nate stood by the door with a faint smile. He playfully asked, "Or perhaps you find it insufficient, Becca?" "Of course not!" The playful banter left Rebecca wondering if she had seemed overly greedy earlier. She blushed and quickly waved her hands, explaining, "I'm just too shocked!" Rebecca stepped out of the car and took a moment to glance around the neighborhood. Then she said in a soft voice, "I never dared to imagine having my own house before. Now, when you tell me this entire building is mine, it's just a bit overwhelming …" "It's nothing, really. In the end, it's just material possessions," Nate replied casually, leading Rebecca without much ado. Unspoken was the fact that if Rebecca desired, the entire neighborhood could be hers, and even more. The Johnson family was prepared to give her e
"But ..." Before Rebecca could complete her sentence, Nate once again interrupted her. "Becca, I understand where you're coming from. "Returning the keys to you is our responsibility, and entrusting them back to us demonstrates your trust. Maintaining the status quo isn't an option; we need to evolve from the past." Nate's voice remained composed and measured. It exuded a gentleness yet asserted an authority that rendered it difficult to rebuff. Additionally, he was a man of brevity. He preferred concise communication to convey his points effectively. After delivering his message, Rebecca frowned in perplexity. She said, "I don't get it. How is it different?" Regardless of whether she changed the door code or not, she was still providing them with the new one. The results didn't show any apparent distinction. Confusion contorted Rebecca's face. Nate seemed to understand her thoughts. He couldn't help but curve his lips and negate, "It's different." Rebecca's confusion
Rebecca looked at the first aid kit Nate handed to her, and a wave of complex emotions surged in her chest. She raised her hand to accept it and bit her lip as she met Nate's eyes directly. "Thank you, Nate," she said in a solemn tone. Although Nate had mentioned multiple times that he didn't like hearing those words, Rebecca still felt the need to express her gratitude, even if it was a small and seemingly insignificant statement. This time, Nate didn't say anything. After handing over the first aid kit, he gently tousled Rebecca's hair and said, "Go ahead." With those words, he turned around, as if staying in the room for a moment longer would be a sign of disrespect to her. After all, a bedroom was considered highly personal territory. Despite being family, apart from one's mother, it wasn't appropriate to overstay in someone else's bedroom, and Nate adhered to this belief. As Rebecca busied herself with her bath, Nate went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. During
Throughout the day, until she left the hospital, Rebecca had been excited. Whether it was acquiring her own property or engaging in a lengthy chat with Zelda, everything had put her at ease. However, this sense of ease abruptly dissipated as she descended from the inpatient department. Rebecca hadn't anticipated encountering David here, and their eyes locked directly. It seemed David had just come out from a ward as well. He coincidentally arrived from the opposite elevator that opened simultaneously. As Rebecca took a step forward and raised her gaze, she met the well-dressed David on the other side. At that moment, the smile on her face vanished completely. In hindsight, she couldn't pinpoint the reason for her sudden change in demeanor. Similarly, David's countenance didn't look particularly pleasant upon seeing Rebecca. Rebecca was chatting animatedly with Nate just a moment ago, and in the next second, her entire expression became reserved. She acted as if she ha
Yet, the wind outside was brisk, and the idea of having an extra coat seemed reasonable. Before coming, Nate had reminded Rebecca to bring one. However, she found it troublesome and insisted it was just a short distance from the hospital to the car, so it wouldn't be necessary. Nate, after some consideration, agreed with Rebecca's reasoning. Little did they anticipate that running into David would cause an unexpected delay. Moreover, David had draped his coat over her shoulders, which made the idea of removing it in front of him appear disrespectful. Despite harboring some resentment toward David, Rebecca hadn't completely severed all ties with him. She sighed softly while tolerating the lingering smell of tobacco on the coat. She adjusted the ill-fitting areas and then looked back at David. "I wasn't aware that Maxwell would release me so easily. He showed me some things. Then, he informed Sam and the others. Coincidentally, they were all downstairs, so I just followed t
"Shall we go?" Nate's eyes fell on the coat draped over Rebecca's shoulders. His strides halted as he posed the question. Although Rebecca was perplexed, she replied, "Of course. Why linger in the hospital? Are we savoring the breeze or what?" Nate chuckled. "I thought you were leaving with him, and you just swung by to give me a heads up." As he spoke, a hint of self-deprecation flickered in his dark eyes. On his way to pick up Rebecca from the old city, Nate already had a rough idea about what had happened at Maxwell's place. While Maxwell hadn't explicitly spilled the details, the morning call to Sam spoke volumes. It all revolved around the preceding events. Rebecca's safe release signified that Maxwell's mission was accomplished. Yet, Nate observed Rebecca engaging in conversation with David as if nothing significant had occurred. Their interaction flowed as if they were ordinary friends catching up. It seemed Maxwell's plan had fallen short, and the recordings
The car abruptly came to a halt, which caught Rebecca off guard. Her body lurched forward due to the sudden inertia, but fortunately, the seatbelt pulled her back. "I'm sorry," Nate apologized immediately after realizing his impulsive behavior. "I couldn't control my emotions just now. It was my fault." For someone who spent day and night in the lab, dealing with mundane data, such an emotional outburst was a rare sight. It was not just Rebecca; even Nate himself felt a mix of disbelief and regret. Fortunately, the road was smooth. There weren't many vehicles around, and they happened to be at a red light intersection. So, there was no danger involved. Otherwise, he would be held responsible for any consequences. "It's okay, Nate," Rebecca reassured him. Her gaze shifted to the red light at the intersection as she calmed down. She waved her hand in response to Nate's apology. Perhaps Rebecca could understand the frustration Nate felt. After all, those things she could
As compared to Nate, Rebecca was much closer to Sam and more comfortable in confiding in Sam. That explained why she felt safe telling Sam that she was going to see David.Moreover, there was nothing to hide about the nature of her visit. After hearing what Rebecca said, Sam gave his point of view.He calmly said, "Becca, I, as well as all your brothers, understand that you want to settle it once and for all with David. However, we still think it will be good if you let Cal accompany you while you do it. There is no need to go to Seabound Mansion either. You can meet with him at the mall, a cafe, or a restaurant. It will be good if you don't visit him at his mansion."For Sam, the mansion was a privately owned property.Entering the mansion would be like entering others' territories.If the purpose of visiting David was just to clear any misunderstanding, it was unnecessary to take the risk of entering his territory."But … I've already told him. Won't it be bad if I change m