Ch. 311..320
Chapter 311 Distance
Christina looked up coldly. “If you want me to cut off all contact with him, I can do it. But can you do the same and cut off contact with all women? You can’t talk to your female clients too!”
She also wanted Nathaniel to experience how suffocating it felt to be in such a controlling relationship.
Due to the nature of her work, she had to collaborate with male models, but Nathaniel was never pleased about it.
Even talking to male designers would piss him off.
Nevertheless, she had never expressed anger over such matters.
Nathaniel’s eyes widened in shock, and his expression grew cold.
How do I possibly fulfill such a condition?
He had made an effort to avoid having any women in his life, but it was unavoidable. Nevertheless, all of the interactions were routine and devoid of any emotion.
“Christina, please don’t be unreasonable.” Nathaniel’s voice turned cold.
Christina took in a sharp breath and frowned. She questioned, “You find this unreasonable? Then, why didn’t you find it unreasonable when you enforced this on me in the past?”
In an instant, silence befell them.
Nathaniel lifted his hand, trying to touch Christina, but she avoided it.
His outstretched hand froze in mid-air before he retracted it and left the room.
Before he left, he instructed to have more bodyguards guarding Scenic Garden Manor.
The next day, Christina noticed many unfamiliar faces in Scenic Garden Manor.
Previously, she could still see the entrance unguarded during shift changes, but now there were always people stationed there.
Leaving through the front door directly seemed impossible now.
Francis called her to tell her that he had made the arrangements.
He was going to get her out first before helping her go abroad.
“Christina, I have already taken a break from work. I’ll leave with you,” Francis said solemnly.
Christina felt a mix of emotions when she thought about being able to leave this place soon.
She paused momentarily before saying, “Scenic Garden Manor is filled with bodyguards now. It will be difficult for me to leave, especially since Nathaniel has refused any visitors from coming.”
When Julja heard of the news a few days ago, she called Christina, telling the latter she wanted to come
and see her.
However, she was stopped by Nathaniel at the entrance. She could only go back home in the end.
Francis thought about it for a while and replied, “Then, you have to find a way to leave so I can pick you up. If all else fails, I will force my way in. I’ll make sure you leave that place.” He sounded as if he was going to charge into the manor now,
Christina didn’t approve of his approach. “Forcing your way in is too dangerous and unrealistic. It will be harder for me to escape if he is alerted. Just wait for my message.”
After that, she ended the call.
She sat on the swing and leaned her head against the rope. The swing swayed slowly as she felt the evening breeze. She no longer felt any attachment toward anything in the vast mansion.
Perhaps she only liked the mansion before because of Nathaniel, but now that she no longer loved him, everything seemed boring.
Lately, she had been feeling rather drowsy. When she woke up, she found herself on the bed in the bedroom.
The room was dim, and the light accentuated the figure sitting by the bed.
Nathaniel’s eyes were closed as his hand supported his check.
He wasn’t in a deep slumber, so he instantly opened his eyes when he heard movement on the bed.
Nathaniel passed her two tickets for a fashion show. “Since I couldn’t make it to the last one, I won’t be late this time.”
Christina was taken aback when she saw they were tickets to the show of the renowned designer, Alice. She felt her eyes welling up with tears.
She took the two tickets and realized they were also front-row tickets. These tickets were not available for sale as they were reserved for distinguished guests.
Christina knew that Nathaniel had pulled some strings to obtain these tickets.
If it were before, she would probably have been touched. Yet, at the moment, all she could think about was using this opportunity to leave Scenic Garden Manor.
Christina lowered her head, her eyelashes hiding her emotionless eyes. “I thought you didn’t like this. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to force yourself.”
“I like what you like. Rest well. I’ll go to the study to do some work.”
Nathaniel stood up and wanted to pat her head, but Christina avoided him like he was the plague.
His hand stilled for a moment. Then, he let out a soft sigh and walked out of the room.
Nathaniel didn’t intend to let them continue this conflict.
Therefore, he requested Alice to hold a fashion show. He selected the best seats to make up for what he had done previously.
He hoped to mediate their conflict, as Christina looked listless every day.
Although they were living in the same space, they were behaving as if they were strangers.
It was driving him nuts.
In the late hours of the night, Nathaniel walked out of the bathroom wearing a set of black silk pajamas.
Coupled with his strong physique, he looked especially tall and mysterious in his clothes.
As he lay beside Christina, they could feel each other’s hearts beating.
Nathaniel felt the warm and soft body in his embrace, giving him a sense of comfort.
The next morning, Nathaniel left for work.
At six in the evening, an unexpected guest appeared at Scenic Garden Manor.
Madison had come to grab some documents. She also knew Nathaniel had made plans to take Christina to a fashion show in the evening.
Did their conflict only go on for less than a month? Didn’t it end a little too soon? They’ve already patched things up and are going on a date now. I feel like a fool, causing such a big ruckus for nothing.
She was glad that she didn’t see Christina for the past month, but she didn’t expect her happiness to be so short-lived.
She couldn’t accept it.
In the bedroom, Christina took her passport from the safe in the closet. Before leaving, she checked all the necessary identification documents.
1
After confirming everything was in order, she pushed open the bedroom door.
At this moment, Madison walked out of the study with the documents and saw Christina, who was dressed
1.
Christina was dressed in a pink dress. Her black hair was tied in twin braids, and her fair complexion gave off the impression of a princess from a fairy tale. She appeared detached because of the lack of a smile on her face. She resembled an angel lost in the mortal world.
The two exchanged glances, and Madison smiled.
From Christina’s perspective, Madison was trying to provoke her.
She couldn’t smile at a woman who slept with her husband.
It was all thanks to her remarkable self-restraint that she didn’t rush over to yank Madison’s hair.
Christina ignored her and turned to head downstairs.
“Christina, let’s talk,” Madison said as a devilish thought appeared in her mind.
Christina stopped in her tracks but didn’t turn to look at her.
“There’s nothing for us to talk about.”
Hatred flashed in Madison’s eyes as she walked over to Christina. “It’s better to clear up some things between us. After all, we’re going to be a family in the future.”
A family?
Christina turned around, confused. “What do you mean by that?”
The three of us have different last names, so what is this about being a family? Does she think she’s a female streamer who tells everyone this?
Chapter 312 She Would Not Back Down
Madison smiled and said calmly, “We will be taking care of Nathaniel together in the future, so I wanted to talk to prevent any conflicts.”
Christina’s expression darkened as if she had heard something incredibly absurd.
Madison continued. “The photo you saw on Jewel’s phone was real. Nathaniel and I are in a relationship, but he won’t ask for a divorce from you since he cherishes the time you had spent with him before. I don’t mind it, either. In the future, I’ll take care of Nathaniel in the company, and after work, he will be with you in Scenic Garden Manor. I don’t mind who gets to spend more time with Nathaniel. I just hope we can live harmoniously together.”
With that, she extended her hand warmly.
Anyone not in the know would have thought she was making an important business deal.
Christina was utterly disgusted by Madison’s enthusiasm.
She felt as if she had fallen into a snake pit, and Madison’s gaze was like fangs, ready to sink into her defenseless skin.
Although she saw the photo that day, she still held a glimmer of hope that things weren’t as they seemed. However, she couldn’t think of any excuses for Nathaniel now.
The truth was a nightmare to her.
Christina swatted Madison’s hand away and bellowed, “Even if you are willing, I still find it disgusting! Go and find other women to share a husband with you. Get lost!”
Madison was pushed to the ground, and she was shocked by Christina’s strength.
However, satisfaction welled in her heart when she saw Christina’s enraged demeanor. It seemed she believed in Madison’s words.
She got up and said, “With your temper, Nathaniel probably won’t be able to stand you for more than two days. It’s no wonder he has been staying over at my place recently. I advise you to put on a smile. It’s not like Nathaniel needs you!”
With that, she rolled her eyes and left in a hurry with her documents.
Every word of Madison’s was like a dagger cutting into Christina’s heart.
She felt like crying as anger and sadness flooded her, but she tried to stop herself from shedding tears.
When Madison finally disappeared from her line of sight, Christina fell to the ground.
She sobbed silently. After some time, a housekeeper who came upstairs to clean was startled by her distraught appearance.
At this moment, the driver walked in.
“Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Hadley asked me to pick you up.”
Christina snapped out of her daze and realized her face was covered in tears. She asked the housekeeper to bring a wet towel for her to wipe her face.
“Mrs. Hadley, you look unwell. Why don’t you stay at home and rest for a while?”
No, I have to go.
Christina had never had such a strong urge to leave Scenic Garden Manor.
She stood up with great effort and shook her head. “No need.”
With that, she headed downstairs.
At the entrance of the fashion show, colorful lights and lively music filled the venue. People entered the place one after another, posing in front of the prominent logo for photos.
Christina was the first to arrive.
Without the bodyguards beside her and Nathaniel’s overwhelming presence, Christina finally felt a sense
of freedom.
She took out her phone and messaged Francis, sending him her location.
Nathaniel got out of the car. He was wearing the suit Christina had customized for him. He had kept the suit in his closet all this time and wore it specifically for this day.
“I have an urgent meeting today, so I arrived late. Sorry!
Nathaniel’s voice rang out from beside her. She opened her eyes and hummed in respon
“Let’s go in.”
The two showed their tickets and took their seats in the front row of the show.
response.
“This is one of your favorite designers. You said her style leans toward being spirited, which was similar to your style.” Nathaniel spoke softly beside her.
Christina was surprised that he remembered something she casually mentioned.
Alas, this no longer meant anything to her.
Christina hummed in acknowledgment and didn’t continue the conversation.
Right then, the music started playing, and the models walked out from backstage, moving toward the front with each step synchronized with the rhythm.
Christina wasn’t paying much attention to the show.
She gripped her phone tightly as thoughts flooded her mind.
A fashion show usually lasted no more than twenty minutes, so she was worried that there wouldn’t be enough time for Francis’ arrangements.
“Why aren’t you watching? Do you feel ill?”
Nathaniel noticed Christina was distracted. Her gaze was distant and unfocused.
“I-It’s nothing.” Just as Christina was about to say something else, her phone vibrated. Francis had replied.
to her.
She didn’t rush to check it and instead raised her head to scrutinize the outfits worn by the models.
Her focused gaze wasn’t on the designs, as her mind was racing with ideas on how she could leave without. being noticed later.
When Nathaniel wasn’t paying attention to her anymore after two models passed them, Christina opened her phone to read the message.
The text message wrote: Restroom.
Christina quickly glanced at it and deleted the message.
As the fashion show neared its end, Christina gathered her courage and leaned toward Nathaniel.
Her faint fragrance wafted into his nose, instantly capturing Nathaniel’s attention.
Christina whispered in his ear. “I want to go to the restroom.”
“Sure.” Nathaniel raised his hand and wrapped it around her waist. He couldn’t help but plant a kiss on her face. “I’ll go with you.”
As Christina couldn’t come up with a reason to refuse, she responded, “Okay.”
She could only go with the flow.
When the two arrived at the entrance of the women’s restroom, Nathaniel stopped following her.
Christina walked in and noticed there was no one.
At that moment, Francis emerged from behind the door. He was in disguise from head to toe, making it impossible to see his features. Also, his eyes were adorned with thick and alluring makeup.
It was difficult to differentiate his gender from his makeup.
“Nathaniel is right outside. We can’t go out,” Christina uttered anxiously.
Francis smiled devilishly. “Who says we are leaving through the door?”
Then, he pointed at the window.
The window was wide open, about sixty centimeters in width. Christina’s figure was tiny, so it would be easy for her to crawl out of it.
“Don’t hesitate. Let’s go.”
Francis grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the window.
Christina had made up her mind. She had come this far, and she refused to back down now.
Nathaniel waited at the door for a while. Soon, the fashion show ended.
Women who wanted to enter the restroom saw a handsome man standing at the door and felt too embarrassed to pass by.
Nathaniel walked toward them and asked one of them, “My wife has been inside for a long time, and I’m worried something might have happened to her. Could you go in and help me take a look?”
The woman felt like she had hit the jackpot and agreed, “Of course. I’ll go in and check right away.”
Chapter 313 She Is Back Four Years Later
The woman entered the restroom and immediately came back out. “There’s no one in there. Maybe she already left, but you didn’t notice.”
Nathaniel’s expression immediately darkened.
The restroom’s empty? Oh no!
He strode past her and entered the restroom to find that it was indeed empty.
He raised his head and saw that half of the window had been taken apart.
A chilly breeze blew through the window, yet it was like a spark that ignited Nathaniel’s rage.
His temples throbbed as a sense of foreboding rose within him.
He dashed out of the restroom, called Sebastian, and ordered the security guards to seal off all exit points and search for Christina.
At least several hundred people had come to attend the fashion show, so it was rather difficult to look for
her.
Nathaniel looked through the surveillance footage in the security office. Christina had not left his side from the moment they entered and only disappeared after going to the restroom.
When he recalled how cold she had been to him the past several days, he realized that she wasn’t angry at him but had given up on him.
That was the moment he was certain that Christina had run away.
This was not done on a whim but planned in advance.
Nathaniel punched the wall angrily. A reddish dent in the shape of a fist was left in the wall as flakes of paint fell off.
“Deploy every single personnel. I don’t care what method you use as long as you get Christina back!”
Just as he was feeling lost and frustrated, Madison informed him that the company was in trouble. It was as if God didn’t want him to find Christina.
The company had spent a long time establishing a new brand. They had planned on releasing it in the later half of the year, but the information got leaked somehow.
In fact, everything related to the project was circulating on the internet.
The team had spent countless days and lots of effort researching and compiling information for this project. Now that it had been exposed on the internet, it gave the company’s competitors a huge advantage.
Moreover, such details were considered the company’s classified information. No ordinary person should be able to get their hands on it.
The shareholders immediately rushed down to the company, demanding an answer from Nathaniel.
They put all the blame on him and even used Charlie’s name to attack him.
“Mr. Charlie Hadley never allowed such a rookie mistake to happen when he was in charge.”
“You must deal with this situation right away. If there is a huge fluctuation in the stock price, it will result in losses for the company.”
For an emergency to happen at the company at a time like this was clearly a premeditated attack on Nathaniel.
Who on earth had the power to steal the company’s classified information?
Quelling the chaos was the most important task at hand. After that, Nathaniel was going to find the mastermind and skin him alive.
The best and only solution was to bring forward the plan and release the new brand as soon as possible.
Even if their competitors got hold of the project’s information, they wouldn’t be able to get everything ready right away.
For the next month, Nathaniel completely immersed himself in working on the project and released the
brand ahead of time.
He managed to keep the damage under control.
The silver lining from all this was that Hadley Corporation had received a huge amount of free marketing due to the leak.
Nathaniel did everything he could to save the company from this crisis. After a month of hard work, he finally returned to Scenic Garden Manor.
Hearing the sound of a car driving in, Raymond quickly went out to greet him. The usually confident and energetic Nathaniel was now a cold and dispirited man who had visibly lost a lot of weight.
Ever since Nathaniel and Christina had left the house together that night, they never returned.
Raymond heard from one of the bodyguards that Christina had run away.
He didn’t dare to ask Nathaniel a single question about it for fear of agitating him.
“Mr. Hadley, you haven’t gotten any proper rest recently. I’ll get the kitchen to prepare dinner for you.”
Nathaniel gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and went upstairs.
The bedroom was kept tidy, and the décor had not been changed. The only thing the was missing was Christina’s bubbly energy. Now that it was gone, the room felt cold.
His busy month had helped him temporarily forget about her.
But now that everything had calmed down, the pain he had locked away burst forth. It felt like daggers were piercing his heart.
Nathaniel dejectedly sat on the rug with his back against the wall. His deep and dark eyes had no light in them.
Suddenly, he noticed something shiny under the couch. It was the tin box that Christina wanted to show him on the day they had argued.
However, he had been so enraged at the time that he wasn’t in the mood to listen to her.
He walked over and reached under the couch to take the box out.
There was a latch on the front of the tin box. Knitting his eyebrows, he lifted it carefully, and the cover opened.
In it was a folded piece of paper.
For some reason. Nathaniel’s heart started aching. He fished the piece of paper out of the box and opened it to see that it was an ultrasound report. It indicated that Christina was ten weeks pregnant with twins.
He recalled how she had gazed at him expectantly with the box in her hands as she was about to tell him. the good news.
He inhaled sharply as his shoulders started to shake,
I can’t even imagine how Christina felt when I locked her up and was so distrustful of her. It’s no wonder she wanted
to leave…
After a long time, Nathaniel finally gathered his thoughts and pulled out his phone to call Sebastian. “I don’t care how you do it or where Christina has gone. You must find her!”
Four years had gone by in the blink of an eye.
Lightspring was a city where tourism drove its economy.
In recent years, many investors put their money into the city’s businesses, and the area’s economy improved.
There was a lavender field and a red windmill in the south of the city. The two rows of seats there were filled with people.
Staff members bustled about the two-meter runway.
Several cameras were set up below the stage and angled to capture the upcoming show.
“Okay, everything’s in order. Start the music and send the models to the stage!”
The tall models strutted down the runway wearing the new designs for the spring season. Each outfit had its own unique and distinctive features.
Christina was wearing an orange suit jacket that cinched at the waist and a plaid skirt of the same color. Her hair fell in waves behind her shoulders, and her bare skin was practically glowing. She looked like the epitome of a fashionista.
This was the tenth fashion show she had organized after establishing her brand.
She paid special attention to all the details of every show and ensured that every product was exactly as she had intended it to be.
Night fell, and the fashion show was a success.
After wrapping up the show, her colleagues invited Christina to go out, but she turned them down and went back to the hotel.
When the taxi she had called reached the downtown area, the driver informed her that he couldn’t turn around at the hotel’s entrance, so she had to get off and walk.
Christina paid him and got out of the car. As she walked down the street, she pulled out her phone and checked her messages.
All of a sudden, a man, who smelled strongly of alcohol, blocked her way and pressed a knife against her.
“Don’t move. Give me all your money.”
Chapter 314 Throwing A Tantrum
This area was newly developed, and there were very few pedestrians around. Not a single person could be seen within a ten-meter glance.
Getting someone to help was unlikely.
Despite the dilemma, Christina remained calm, her eyebrows slightly furrowing. “I can give you money, so please don’t hurt me.”
all my
The man impatiently urged, “Stop wasting my time. Hurry up.”
The woman in front of him was half a head shorter than him and appeared frail, which gave him the courage to rob her.
Christina removed all the cash and jewelry from her person and handed them to him. “Here, take all of
them.”
“Give me your phone too,” the robber urged impatiently.
Her phone had a considerable amount of information, and losing it would be highly inconvenient. Christina hesitated for a moment before she reluctantly handed over the phone.
The robber took her belongings with a smile on his face. His eyes gleamed with delight as he examined the windfall in his hand and began counting them.
By the time he noticed a figure sprinting toward him from the side, it was already too late. He had already been struck by a swift kick from the approaching person.
The six-foot-tall man was sent hurtling through the air by the force of the kick. He tumbled and landed face-first on the ground, scraping his elbows in the process.
The robber cursed under his breath, rose from the ground and quickly rushed toward his attacker while brandishing a knife.
In the darkness, two towering figures engaged in a fierce fight. The man’s eyes were cold as he unleashed a series of precise punches, swiftly overpowering the robber.
By the time Christina regained her composure, she realized that the robber had already left her belongings behind and fled the scene.
She hurried over to thank the man, “Thank you, sir….
Their eyes locked momentarily, and in the next second, it felt as if the air itself had frozen in place. Christina felt as though her heart had been pierced, as a faint wave of pain radiated throughout her body.
Nathaniel! Why is he here? Is it merely a coincidence, or was he stalking me?
Nathaniel’s deep gaze bore into her with intensity, gripping her like a fierce beast sinking its teeth into her neck, leaving Christina struggling to catch her breath.
With swift agility, she snatched the phone from Nathaniel’s hand and swiftly turned, fleeing from the
scene.
Run faster. Don’t let him catch up….
Nonetheless, outrunning Nathaniel was an impossible task. In a matter of moments, he caught up with her, firmly grasped her arm, and forcefully dragged her into an empty alleyway.
“Let go of me… Mmph…
The sound of her struggle vanished into thin air as Christina’s thin lips were sealed shut.
Her hands were restrained, leaving no room for resistance.
Amid the nibbles and bites, her thin lips were soon wounded. The overpowering and deranged breath of the man filled her lungs.
From the moment they engaged in this duel, she was destined to be at a disadvantage and deemed the
weak one.
After an indeterminate period. Nathaniel finally released her, his narrow and deep eyes bloodshot, resembling a giant beast on the verge of going berserk.
It was only after a long period of silence did he say, “Where are the children?”
Christina widened her eyes. He knows the existence of the children… Is he chasing me relentlessly for the sake of the children? But isn’t he with Madison right now? Why did he come here to torment me instead?
“What made you think I would give birth to your children? I terminated the pregnancy four years ago! Isn’t your body in good shape now? You can have a dozen children with other women. Let’s make a deal to never see each other again, all right!”
Nathaniel’s anger surged uncontrollably, his jaw clenched, and his furious gaze seemed capable of drilling a hole right through Christina.
He had been tirelessly searching for Christina’s whereabouts all these years, and as soon as he received the news, he swiftly rushed over here.
The moment he laid eyes on her, a surge of emotions awakened within him, rendering him unable to resist the urge to approach her.
He was willing to let go of everything that had transpired in the past, on the condition that Christina returned with him.
“No! Four years… That’s one thousand four hundred and sixty days. You need to repay what you owe me with the rest of your life!”
His voice reverberated in Christina’s ears like an angry incantation, leaving an indelible mark in her heart. It was as if a seed had been planted, taking root and growing incessantly from that moment onward.
Christina forced herself to calm down despite the immense mental stress. Her angry eyes darkened again, and she said coldly, “Let go of me, you have no right to do this.”
Given Nathaniel’s temperament, it was highly unlikely that he would let go of the person he had been searching for over the course of four years.
He bent down slightly and hoisted-Christina onto his shoulder. “Fine, I will release you if you come back with me and bear my child. Once the baby is born, I will set you free!”
Believing such words would be foolish.
Where do you want to take me? Let me go! Help…”
anicked, Christina screamed toward the deserted road, but her cries were met with silence in
response.
Vill I be brought back after four years of running away? She couldn’t fathom accepting such a fate.
Christina glanced at the hotel located just across the road, where a few people were awaiting her return
nside.
f she vanished without a word, they would undoubtedly be concerned and worried about her.
The subsequent scene intensified the tension coursing through Christina’s entire body.
Nathaniel carried her while marching directly toward the hotel across the street. As they walked, he dialed Sebastian’s number. “Arrange a flight for tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, Mr. Hadley.”
Nathaniel ended the call and strode into the hotel with Christina still on his shoulders.
Despite depriving her of her freedom with force, he audaciously ventured into a crowded place.
Christina relentlessly struck his back, her entire body struggling to break free from his constraint. “Help! He kidnapped me! Please call the police…
The woman’s plea immediately captured the attention of those around her, and all eyes turned toward the
origin of the sound.
Among them, several tall men strode forward and positioned themselves in front of Nathaniel.
“Who is this lady to you? Why are you carrying her?”
Sir, since you look decent, you surely do not lack companionship. Forcing a woman against her will is illegal. I strongly advise you to release her immediately,” one of the men declared sternly.
Facing the questioning gaze of onlookers, Nathaniel remained composed and spoke with an affectionate tone. “Please don’t misunderstand. This is my wife.”
“You say she’s your wife? Do you not hear her cries for help? Let her go,” the passerby retorted.
Gradually, a crowd began to gather around Nathaniel, and the hall soon filled with people.
As the crowd grew, Christina sensed a glimmer of hope for escape. Thoughts of a potential escape route began to form in her mind.
On the other hand, Nathaniel remained calm and composed, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He reached into the pocket of his windbreaker and retrieved two small books. “This is our wedding photo, officially stamped at City Hall. If you doubt my words, feel free to call the police and verify it yourself.”
The red stamp and the wedding photo provided undeniable evidence to support his claims.
The passerby remained skeptical and questioned, “If she is indeed your wife, why does she not want to go with you?”
Nathaniel chuckled and gently set Christina down, wrapping his arms around her. “She’s just throwing a tantrum. We’ve visited several tourist spots today, and she still doesn’t want to return. I’m exhausted, so I
decided to carry her back.”
The passerby, now convinced by Nathaniel’s explanation, smiled. “Ah. I see. Let’s give them some privacy.
veryone.”
Chapter 315 You B*stard
Seeing that the crowd was dispersing, Christina immediately tried to call them back. “I’m not his wife. I…”
Nathaniel raised his hand and pinched her chin. “Darling, stop fooling around. I’ll bring you out again tomorrow, okay?”
1
Despite being in public, he directly locked her thin lips with his to stop her from saying anything more.
Christina was stunned.
With her hands held tightly by him, she had no choice but to accept the kiss reluctantly. It was supposed to be romantic, but the way they did it seemed like they were having a fight with each other.
Only after the surrounding onlookers went away did Nathaniel enter the elevator with her in his arm.
In the elevator, Christina was a lot quieter. Nathaniel thought she had accepted the fate that she could
never escape.
When the elevator stopped on the twentieth floor, Christina finally had a trace of emotion on her calm face.
Although she seemed composed, Nathaniel didn’t let his guard down along the way. His grip on her kept tightening.
It wasn’t until the door was shut that Christina withdrew her fair hand from his palmh; her wrist was red. “What is it that you need to let me go?” She sounded depressed.
That surprisingly made Nathaniel feel that he was a heinous person.
In the past four years, whenever he received any news about Christina, he would put down his work and
rush over at once.
As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would never give up.
Lowering his head, he snickered and loosened his tie in frustration.
“Didn’t I say it just now? You’re going to pay back for aborting my child.”
Nathaniel moved closer to her, resembling a fierce beast that was cornering its prey. The atmosphere gradually became oppressive as his hot and heavy breath enveloped her like danger was approaching.
Nathaniel scooped her up and threw her onto the bed.
Christina felt her head spin. Before she could recover from the shock, the light in front of her had been blocked completely.
Nathaniel’s cold and handsome face filled her sight. When he caught a sniff of her fragrance that he had been longing for, his eyes glinted. “I remembered that there were two, so you would have to give me back. four!TM
“Rascal! What do you take me as?””Christina panicked, her eyes widening. She pounded hard on his chest, trying to push him away.
Right then, Christina’s phone that fell out of her coat rang.
When she spared it a glance, her heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t conceal the panic on her face.
Nathaniel frowned slightly. “Why are you so nervous?”
He let go of Christina and picked up the phone at the foot of the bed. The moment his eyes fell on it, his gaze darkened.
Sweetheart?
“Give it back to me!” Christina tensed and immediately shot up from the bed.
However, she was way too short. She was nowhere close to snatching her phone back.
Nathaniel held her tightly in his arms, not giving her a chance to move around. Then, he answered the call and turned on the speaker.
“Hello?” His voice was cold.
Christina fixed her eyes on the phone, breaking into a cold sweat. She felt like her heart had nearly stopped.
Please don’t say anything. Please…
After a moment of silence, the voice of a mature man came through from the other line. “Christina, didn’t your show end a long time ago? Why aren’t you back yet?”
Christina’s breathing was getting ragged. Holding tightly onto Nathaniel’s slender arm, she was on the verge of breaking down.
She tried her best to sound as normal as she could. “Yosef, I went out to celebrate with my colleagues.”
“Do you need me to pick you up?” Yosef asked concernedly.
“I-It’s okay.” Nathaniel, who was behind her, nibbled her ear. Her skin seemed as if it had been burnt when his scorching breath brushed past it.
“I met an old friend of mine. I think I’ll be back late tonight. Go ahead and sleep first,” she said cautiously
in fear.
“But your two poodles are looking everywhere in the house for you. They usually can only fall asleep when you’re back.” Yosef was slightly worried. He keenly sensed that Christina was in a troubled situation at the moment.
“My poodles are good. Prepare them milk, and they’ll sleep after drinking it…”
As she spoke, Nathaniel slid his hand into the back of her shirt, Christina gasped. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.” There was a slight tremble in her voice.
After saying that, she hung up the phone at once.
Before she could do anything, Nathaniel pressed her under him. His bloodshot eyes seemed as if they could swallow up a person. “Since when did you get close to Yosef?”
Gritting her teeth, Christina said stubbornly. “It’s none of your business!”
When she left four years ago, she didn’t want to stay in touch with Francis. It so happened that she
bumped into Yosef, who was on a business trip in Epea.
It was because of Yosef’s help that she managed to adapt to the new environment quickly.
“Christina, how far have you gone with him in the relationship?” Nathaniel increased his voice, and tension filled the room in an instant,
Back then, he felt that Yosef had taken a fancy to Christina. That was why he secretly sent Yosef on a business trip abroad.
It had never struck his mind that he had created a chance for them to be together instead!
At the thought of that, his rage mounted even more.
Nathaniel held Christina’s head, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Even if you don’t say, I can still find it out. You’d better not have any romantic relationship with him, or else I’ll skin him alive!” His furious voice
sounded as if it came out of hell.
Christina’s shoulder ached from being squeezed by him. Every cell in her body was resisting his approach.
“Nathaniel, you’re a b*stard!”
Her heart was bleeding to the extent that she could hear the drips.
Nathaniel ripped her thin coat off, and some of the buttons on her shirt fell off too. Soon, the fair body of hers filled his sight.
“B*stard? I’m nothing compared to you and Francis! One is doing everything she could to leave me, and the other is trying his best to set me up. You two don’t ever think about having a good time!”
Then he bit her slender shoulder, wanting nothing more than to swallow her alive.
The cooling air from the air conditioning brushed past her skin. She shuddered, feeling like she was lying on a snowy land.
No matter what she said, Nathaniel wouldn’t believe her. She sensed pain, and the view in front of her shook to the extent that she saw double. Her head felt heavy. She didn’t even know how she passed out. After having a steamy night that felt like an eternity, Nathaniel finally fell asleep with her in his arms. The first light of dawn was gentle, resembling a fresh start.
When Christina woke up, it took her a while to organize her thoughts.
Nathaniel already had his clothes on. He was sitting on the couch while speaking on the phone. “Is it ready? Come and pick me up now.”
After ending the call, he raised his eyes and stared at Christina deeply. I’ll never let you escape this time.
Right then, an ear-piercing siren came through from the corridor outside.
“There’s fire! Everyone, run!”
eyes
Chapter 316 About To Get Caught
Not long after the fire alarm went off, they heard a series of footsteps outside the room.
Startled, Christina immediately put on her clothes.
Just as she stood up, Nathaniel draped his suit over her thin shoulders.
“Wear it.”
Having extra clothing for protection was a good thing under such circumstances.
Christina was slightly moved. She was extremely reluctant to accept his kind act. However, thinking that someone was still waiting for her at home, she still took it.
When she was done wearing it, Nathaniel pulled her with him and went toward the door.
Those in the rooms had no idea what was going on. As soon as they opened the door, they ran out and headed toward the staircase in a fit of panic.
The corridor was packed with people. Nathaniel held Christina in his arms and followed the crowd to the backstairs.
Noises were everywhere. Someone anxiously increased their pace and cut the line, pushing away those at the side. Christina tripped and fell from Nathaniel’s embrace.
Somebody caught hold of Christina and pulled her into the crowd.
Before Nathaniel could take a clear look, the figure had gone away.
“Walk quickly! Don’t block the way!” urged the people behind him.
“Do you think you’re admiring the scenery here? Faster! We are running for our lives!”
Nathaniel tried his best to push the crowd away, but Christina was nowhere to be seen.
It seemed like she had vanished into the thin air.
“Christina, Christina!” His deep voice was unpleasantly piercing.
The people around only wanted to flee for their lives. They couldn’t be bothered about him.
Nathaniel took out his phone and called Sebastian. “Check the surveillance cameras. T want to know where Christina went!”
Earlier, Yosef had taken advantage of the chaotic situation and brought Christina to the room. That was why she managed to get away from the corridor in a hurry.
“Mommy!” Two adorable voices came through from the wardrobe.
“Mommy, why didn’t you come back yesterday?” The children’s cute and innocent faces were full of
worry.
“We’ve been waiting for you obediently in the room.”
Furrowing her brows, Christina held the two kids in her arms. Her heart was still thumping loudly.
Four years ago, she didn’t go for an abortion. Instead, she used her own savings to raise the children.
In order to avoid Nathaniel, she had been staying overseas and dared not return to the country.
This time, she had deliberately come back for the show. She thought of leaving with her children right after she was done with it. However, Nathaniel still found her.
“A fire has broken out! We need to get out immediately!”
Christina wanted to carry the children up to leave, but Yosef stopped her. “Christina, calm down. There’s no fire. I did that to save you from Nathaniel.”
Christina’s phone had a GPS tracker. It would be easier to find out where she was if her children wanted to look for her.
“Let’s wait until the crowd outside disperses before we leave.” Yosef already had a plan in mind.
“Mommy, you must not have eaten your breakfast. Your stomach is going to get uncomfortable because of
this.”
The cute little girl blinked her crystalline eyes while staring at Christina. Despite being angry, the little girl still looked so sweet and lovely.
Bending down her body, Christina met Camila Steele’s eyes and caressed her head. “Good girl, Camila.”
Lucas Steele, the elder brother, stood on the chair and gave Christina a bowl of oatmeal. “Mommy, you said that our health will be affected if we don’t eat our meals on time. Taking care of Camila alone is enough for me. Please don’t add yourself to the list.”
Looking at how sensible Lucas was, Christina couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Stroking his head gently, she said, “Thanks, Luke. I’ll eat now, okay?”
“Be careful. It’s hot. Let me cool it down for you.”
“I want to blow on it too.”
Η
Just like that, the two lovely children blew on the oatmeal in front of her.
Christina felt warm.
Under the children’s gazes, she finished up the oatmeal quickly.
“We should plan our way out.” Yosef walked over with a gentle gaze. “It’s dangerous for you to leave with the children now. If Nathaniel sees you, he’s going to find out about them. So you need to take a different
route.”
Christina agreed with him. She had kept the children hidden for a long time because she didn’t want Nathaniel to know. If they were exposed, all her previous efforts would be in vain.
Yosef had downloaded a copy of the hotel’s escape route on his phone in advance. “Later, you’ll be taking the A route to leave. The children and I will use the elevator. Then we’ll meet up at the airport.”
“All right. Please take care of them for me.” Christina’s eyes were filled with gratitude.
At that moment, she felt that Yosef’s presence was like a glimmer of hope to her.
Soon, everything was ready. “Be obedient and listen to Mr. Gunther, okay? Don’t run around,” Christina said to the children before leaving.
“Don’t worry. Mommy. We will be good.” The cute children winked their eyes at Yosef playfully.
When they were abroad, Yosef would always help Christina to take care of the children if she was busy. Hence, Lucas and Camila trusted him a lot..
When the crowd in the corridor had dispersed, Christina disguised herself by putting on sunglasses and tying her hair up in a bun. Then she walked out of the room.
She couldn’t help trembling in fear as she walked. Bodyguards were looking for her everywhere in the hotel. Fortunately, they didn’t know Christina, and they only had a photo to refer to. Hence, they weren’t able to recognize her after she disguised herself.
After getting into the taxi, Christina let out a silent sigh of relief when she looked in the rearview mirror and saw that the hotel was getting farther away from her.
Since she could get out successfully, her children should be fine too. What she needed to do next was to wait for them at the airport.
Meanwhile, the two children looked cool and adorable with the sunglasses on.
“Lucas, Camila, are you ready?” Yosef pulled a large suitcase with the two children sitting on top.
“Mr. Gunther, let’s go!”
After checking out of the hotel, the three of them headed directly to the airport.
They would be able to meet up with Christina once they boarded the plane.
“Lucas, Camila, wait for me in the lounge, okay? I need to go and check ourselves in.” Yosef said.
“All right.”
Taking the necessary documents and tickets, Yosef went out hurriedly.
“Lucas, who is the bad guy? Why does that person want to catch Mommy?” Camila asked curiously.
Lucas pouted with his eyes filled with anger. “He must be a devil! Not only does he want to catch Mommy. but he also wants to catch us! Humph!”
If I meet him, I’m going to teach him a lesson!
Right then, they heard a harsh voice outside. “Quick! Check every lounge. Inform Mr. Hadley right away if you find the woman with the name of Christina!”
“Noted!”
Lucas immediately jumped down from the couch. “Camila, the devil has called someone to catch. Mommy. We need to run!”
“But Mr. Gunther told us to wait for him in the lounge.”
Lucas pulled Camila down from the couch. With the bags on their backs, they hurriedly ran away. “It’s going to be more troublesome if they find us!”
Chapter 317 Give The Children Back To Me
Like two little rabbits, Camila and Lucas trotted out and went to a VIP lounge.
It wasn’t a place where ordinary people could enter.
They were in a hurry, so they didn’t notice that there was a person in front of them and bumped into him.
Nathaniel frowned slightly. He flicked his glance across the space and didn’t see anyone. When he lowered his head, his eyes fell on the two children.
They had cartoon masks on. Raising their heads, they stared at him with their bright eyes.
This man is so handsome, but… he seems so scary.
“Sorry, mister. We didn’t do it on purpose,” Camila said absentmindedly while fixing her eyes on him.
Why does he look so much like Lucas?
Nathaniel was uptight. The GPS tracker showed that Christina had come to the airport. However, although the bodyguards had looked for her everywhere in the lounges, she was still nowhere to be found.
Hence, he entered the VIP lounge to check it out. To his surprise, it was two kids who he saw.
Looking at their sparkling eyes, which resembled a galaxy of stars, Nathaniel felt that they were somewhat similar to Christina’s.
Withdrawing his gaze from them, he said coldly. “Don’t run around.”
Then he walked past them and went further inside the lounge.
It wasn’t until the bodyguards outside went away that Camila and Lucas finally felt relieved.
“Lucas, let’s go
and find Mr. Gunther. He’ll be worried if he doesn’t see us when he comes back later.” Camila pulled Lucas and walked toward the door.
“I think Mr. Gunther has completed the check-in procedures. We’ll look for him in the check-in area.”
The VIP lounge was quiet. Although their voices weren’t loud, Nathaniel could hear them clearly.
Nathaniel’s
‘s steps paused from moving forward. He turned around and blocked the children’s way instead. “What’s your relationship with Yosef?”
Not knowing what was going on, Camila moved closer to Lucas. “Lucas, did we encounter a bad person?” She was frightened by the cold expression on Nathaniel’s face.
Holding Camila in his arms, Lucas bravely raised his eyes. “Mister, please move aside. We don’t know you.”
Although he was still a kid, he knew he should keep his younger sister protected at all times.
Nathaniel’s gaze darkened. He reached out to pull down the boy’s mask.
What came into his sight was a face that was extremely similar to his. The little boy’s brows and unswerving gaze were exactly like his.
A thought struck Nathaniel’s mind out of the blue. He was certain that Christina had lied to him.
“You…
Mommy has said that those who take off our masks without permission are bad people!
Lucas put
his guard up. Letting go of Camila’s hand, he dashed forward and hit Nathaniel’s private parts with all his might.
Nathaniel had yet to come to his senses when he was hit. Veins popped out on his forehead in an instant.
D’mn it…
“Camila, run!”
Lucas grabbed his sister’s hand and ran toward the main entrance.
Nathaniel drew in a sharp breath. He chased after them and managed to catch them in the corridor not far away from the entrance.
“Let us go! Kidnapping children is a crime!” Lucas struggled to break free. However, he was just a kid. There was nothing much he could do.
Camila was frightened to tears. “You’re a bad person. Let go of me and my brother! My mommy won’t let you off the hook when she’s back!”
“I look forward to seeing your mother!” Nathaniel carried the two children on his shoulders and continued to walk ahead.
As long as the children were in his hands, he believed that Christina would definitely show up.
Just as Nathaniel stepped out of the entrance, he heard hurried footsteps from the back.
“Nathaniel, give the children back to me!” Yosef chased after him. Little did he expect them to be found by Nathaniel just because he had gone to deal with the check-in procedures.
Nathaniel gave the children to Sebastian to be carried into the car. Then he dashed over to Yosef and kicked him hard. “Who do you think you are to be asking for my children?”
Yosef fell to the ground and clutched his stomach in pain. So he has found out the kids’ identities.
“Let them go. Christina has nothing to do with you anymore. You have no right to take them away.”
“Do you have, then?” Nathaniel’s face was as black as thunder, and his eyes were bloodshot. At that moment, he resembled a demon who had come from hell.
He took his anger out on Yosef. Just like that, the two men didn’t care about the fact that they were in public and broke into a fight.
However, it was clear that Yosef was no match for Nathaniel. He could only return an attack after being punched twice.
Soon, Yosef could hardly get back on his feet. When Nathaniel tried to throw a punch at Yosef’s forehead, a slender figure came over and stood in between them. His fist hovered in the air.
“Stop fighting! I’ll leave with you!” Christina’s eyes reddened in an instant. Her gaze was filled with stubbornness and disgruntlement.
She had waited in the airport for a long time. She gave Yosef a buzz, but she couldn’t reach him.
1
The moment she walked out of the restroom, she saw Nathaniel heading outside with Camila and Lucas in
his arms.
Having no time to think about anything else, she directly rushed over. However, Yosef was faster than her and even got into a fight with Nathaniel.
After receiving several heavy punches, Yosef was in too much pain to move around. He took several deep. breaths and said, “Christina, don’t go with him…”
Looking at how his beloved woman was protecting another man in front of him, Nathaniel felt like his heart had been stabbed.
Nathaniel stared at Christina’s fair face with his eyes slightly narrowed.
She helped Yosef up. “Go back first. You don’t have to take care of me anymore. I have to make things. clear with him.”
Yosef had been a great help to her in recent years. He didn’t have to bring trouble upon himself anymore.
It took her some effort to help him get back on his feet. There were some bruises on the side of his thin. handsome face. “Christina, don’t go with him. We can call the police.” His mouth was filled with the tang of blood.
Nathaniel pulled Christina to him. “We don’t need an outsider to meddle in our affairs,” he warned with a frosty gaze.
Then he got into the car with Christina. Several bodyguards were blocking Yosef from approaching them. As soon as the door was closed, the car drove away from the airport.
“Mr. Hadley, where are we going?
“To the private airport to return to Scenic Garden Manor.”
Camila curled herself up in Christina’s embrace, and Lucas lay in Christina’s right arm. They flitted their eyes to the side from time to time.
“Mommy, have we been caught by the big gray wolf?”
“Lucas, will the big gray wolf eat up children?” Camila nestled in Christina’s arms. “Mommy, I’m scared.”
Christina was worried that her children would be frightened, so she gently caressed their heads and said softly. “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, the big gray wolf won’t hurt you.”
Chapter 318 Back At Scenic Garden Manor Again
Nathaniel furrowed his brows. The big gray wolf? Are they referring to me?
Although the backseat of the car was quite spacious, the three of them squeezed into the corner like fish hiding from a cat.
The two adorable kids stared at him with vigilant eyes as if he were a menacing villain about to pounce on
them.
His gaze fell upon Lucas’ little face. Between the clean features and delicate eyebrows of the boy, there emanated an aura of composure, which was quite similar to Nathaniel.
On the contrary, Camila’s gaze toward Nathaniel was one of fear. With just a few more glances from the latter. Camila was so frightened that she nestled into Christina’s embrace.
Nathaniel raised his hand to massage his temples and redirected his focus to the tablet he held in his hand.
Due to the long travel time, the two adorable little ones soon leaned against Christina’s body and peacefully fell asleep.
A tinge of yellowish evening sun poured in as three peaceful sleeping faces quietly rested against each other, exuding a serene and nostalgic ambiance.
Nathaniel took out à blanket and gently placed it over them. He was very cautious as he did not want to disturb their sleep.
At that very moment, the priority was for Christina and the kids to come back to his side, and the rest could be dealt with later.
When the car came to another stop, they were back at Scenic Garden Manor.
As the car door opened, Christina reluctantly stepped onto the ground. A gust of wind swept by, and she couldn’t help but perceive a subtle air of oppression around her.
It was the first time Camila and Lucas had seen such a large courtyard. Deep inside their hearts, there was a mixture of fear and curiosity toward the unfamiliar surroundings.
Mommy, where are we?” Camila couldn’t hold back and asked.
Nathaniel drew closer and said, “This is your home.”
Just then, Camila appeared frightened, as if she had encountered a fearsome beast. Iter little hands reached out to climb onto Christina. “Mommy, hug me
Nathaniel’s attempts to get closer were met with rejection by Camila.
With an irritated look, Christina shot a warning glance at Nathaniel, signaling him not to approach the
kid.
She held Camila close to her chest and tenderly caressed her little head. “Camila, be good. Don’t worry.
I’m here.”
With a determined cool face, Lucas stood beside Christina, acting like a guardian angel and constantly on guard against Nathaniel’s approach.
Nathaniel had no choice but to give in. “Christina, take the kids inside first. It’s not good to stand here and be exposed to the wind.”
No matter how stubborn Christina might be, she would never risk her kids’ health out of spite.
Despite her reluctance, Nathaniel had already brought them back.
Escaping was an unrealistic thought.
She pulled Lucas and whispered. “Let’s go inside first. Are you guys hungry?
Camila nodded and spoke with an innocent voice. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”
“I’m not hungry. Lucas didn’t want to enter the big gray wolf’s house. However, as soon as he said that, his stomach growled.
Noticing how sensible Lucas was, Christina’s heart ached. “After all the traveling. I’m hungry too. How about we secretly eat up all the food in the big gray wolf’s house so that he has nothing to eat?”
Upon hearing that, Camila and Lucas blinked their watery eyes and gave a nod of agreement.
“Let’s go inside,” said Christina.
She knew that the more she resisted, the more her kids would resist. She didn’t want to burden them with her negative emotions.
As they walked in, they were welcomed by Raymond.
It had been four years since Raymond and Christina last met. Christina appeared to have developed a sense of calmness and sophistication compared to before.
“Mrs. Hadley, you’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for you for four years since you left…” Raymond looked down and found two adorable kids who looked exactly like Nathaniel did when he was a child.
“Are these two Mr. Hadley’s children?” he then asked.
Christina silently acquiesced and said. “We’ve been on the road for the entire day, and the kids are hungry. Can you arrange for the kitchen to prepare some food?”
“Mr. Hadley called back earlier and made the arrangements. The food is still steaming hot,” Raymond replied.
There had not been many changes in Scenic Garden Manor. It looked the same as when Christina left four years ago.
Christina led the kids into the dining room. Upon seeing the abundant food, both Camila and Lucas couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!”
“Come and have your meal” Christina served rice and dishes to the two kids. Although she occasionally took them out for meals, their appetites were small, so she usually refrained from excessive spending and wastefulness.
However, for the two kids, they found it fascinating, and all sorts of desserts were their favorite.
After finishing their meal, Christina took them upstairs for a bath.
After putting on clean pajamas, the three of them lay down in the guest room to sleep.
The brother and sister lay on Christina’s sides, leaning their little heads against her shoulders. “Mommy, are we going to stay here from now on?”
Christina fixed her gaze on the ceiling and got lost in her thoughts. “Do you both like it here?”
“Kind of, but not really,” Lucas answered sincerely.
“If you both like it here, we’ll stay. If not, we can find somewhere else. It’s all up to you, okay?” Christina said softly.
There was complete silence in the room.
Christina lowered her head and realized that the two adorable little ones had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
She breathed a soft sigh, tucked them in with the blanket, and planted a gentle kiss on their peacefully sleeping faces.
Inside the study, Nathaniel sat by the desk and went through the documents, with piles of files in the corner forming a small mountain.
A slender figure walked in.
“Why aren’t you resting at this late hour?” Nathaniel looked up, and his eyes were as calm as a frozen lake.
There was no trace of emotion in Christina’s eyes. “What exactly do you want? To confine me like in the past?”
Her tone was frosty as well.
Nathaniel stood up and walked toward her. His tall figure enveloped her fragile figure. He then delicately placed his hand on her slender shoulder and said meaningfully. “As long as you don’t run away, I won’t…”
“Have you ever thought about why I wanted to run away?” Christina’s questioning voice was like a sharp knife piercing him deeply.
Why doesn’t he think about who drove me away back then?
Nathaniel responded, “We both made mistakes in those matters, and I don’t want to dwell on them. Can you also-”
“No,” Christina refuted.
Her heart was not a blackboard, and memories were not like chalk marks that could be easily erased.
“So what do you want? I’m willing to do anything as long as you stay with me.” Nathaniel’s temples throbbed vigorously on both sides.
Nathaniel, who had encountered all kinds of problems in life, found himself utterly helpless in front of this young woman.
Christina thought for a moment and said, “I want you to move out of Scenic Garden Manor. I don’t want. to see you anymore.”
“Is that it?” Nathaniel couldn’t believe his ears.
Christina lazily lifted her gaze. For Nathaniel, Scenic Garden Manor was his home. He had mysophobia and couldn’t sleep well outside.
However, she realized that after four years of running, coming back here was the only choice, and escaping again seemed meaningless.
Christina replied, “I haven’t thought about anything else yet, so for now, this is the only condition.”
“Fine. I’ll move out tomorrow,” Nathaniel agreed immediately.
Christina withdrew her shoulder from his grasp and turned around to leave.
Nathaniel reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulled her into his embrace, and slowly walked toward the
door.
Chapter 319 Apologize
“W-What are you trying to do?” Christina’s eyes widened, and her heart pounded uncontrollably.
“Didn’t I say I’ll be moving out tomorrow? That means I can stay here for another night. It’s been a long time since you slept in the bedroom. Don’t you miss it?”
A low magnetic voice sounded, causing Christina to blush again. She protested, “No, I don’t.”
“I know you do.”
As he spoke, Nathaniel was already on his way to the bedroom with her in his arms.
He shut the door gently, leaving only their breathing to fill the quiet room.
Silently, Nathaniel held Christina in his arms. She was just as frail as she was before. It felt as though the wind could lift her off her feet.
However, this petite lady before him would run away and leave him without a word.
Nathaniel wrapped his arms around Christina’s slender waist, hugging her tightly in his embrace as he breathed hot air down her neck.
They remained quiet. The moonlight shone brightly, illuminating their figures that were cuddling together.
Early morning the next day, Christina woke up to the morning sun. When she opened her eyes, the man beside her had already left.
She opened the wardrobe and found half of Nathaniel’s clothes gone.
Upon a closer look, she noticed some latest women’s designer fashion pieces hanging in there.
Did Madison stay here while I was away?
Just then, someone knocked on the door. A housekeeper entered the room to clean. When she saw Christina looking at the wardrobe in a daze, she quickly explained, “Mrs. Hadley, even when you weren’t around, Nathaniel would still ask people to fill the closet with the latest women’s designer fashion every season. I guess he was worried you wouldn’t have new clothes to wear when you’re back.”
In doubt, Christina checked the label on the clothes. They were indeed the size she usually wore.
Madison had a larger frame than her. Hence, these clothes wouldn’t fit her.
Suddenly, her mood turned brighter. After changing into a new set of outfits, she went to the study.
“Mommy, can we play soccer at the lawn?”
Camila walked over and made a request using her cute voice, making it hard for others to reject.
“Go ahead. I have something to work on now. Luke, please take care of Camila,” Christina said. Scenic Garden Manor belonged to her now, and she could do whatever she wanted to.
“Okay, Mommy.”
Lucas grabbed Camila’s hand and hurried down the stairs cheerfully.
They had always loved playing soccer. Being too busy with work, Christina couldn’t bring them to the soccer field. Most of the time, they would play at Christina’s studio.
However, her studio was too small for them to play soccer.
Lucas felt like he could finally play a real game with Camila now.
Under the sunlight, the two little figures ran as much as they wished on the
Lucas kicked the ball and sent it flying in the air.
With a thud, it hit Madison, who just got off a car.
“D*mn it! Who did this?” Her dress was wet with mud.
Lucas quickly ran over. “I’m sorry, miss. It was an accident.”
grass.
“Where did this kid…” Madison’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at the little boy before her. The little boy looked about three years old but already bore a strong resemblance to Nathaniel.
An ill premonition suddenly brewed in her heart.
wwww
Lucas didn’t like the lady before him and only thought she was a scary and fierce woman.
He picked up the ball and wanted to leave but was stopped by Madison. She grabbed his slender arm and asked, “Who is your mom?”
“Let me go. It’s none of your business who my mommy is.” Since they were young, Christina had taught Lucas and Camila not to disclose family information to strangers.
Lucas instinctively thought the woman before him was an evil lady.
“You witch, let go of my brother.” Camila picked up a small stone and threw it at Madison.
Madison gasped in shock before she looked at her. “Another one!”
The little girl and the little boy looked so similar that anyone could tell they were fraternal twins.
Taking advantage of the situation, Lucas broke free and took Camila’s hand. “Run, Camila!TM
With their small steps, the two ran into the house together.
“Run, Raymond! A witch is chasing after us!”
Anxious, Lucas and Camila cried out, and their voices echoed to the second floor.
Upon hearing their cries, Christina came down from the study and met Madison, who was wretched.
Four years later, these two rivals in love finally met, tensing up the atmosphere.
Madison gasped and asked in disbelief, “Christina, why are you here?”
Although Nathaniel had been persistently inquiring about Christina’s whereabouts these years, the news all turned out to be false. Despite his efforts in looking for Christina, nothing worked out.
A few days ago, Madison heard from Sebastian that there was news of Christina. Naturally, she thought it would be a dud.
She never expected Christina to return.
With an icy glare, Christina said, “This is my turf. I should be the one asking why you were here.”
After Madison heard the response, her expression grew dark. Her eyes were filled with disdain as she asked, “Who is their father?”
I remember her stomach was flat when she left. When did she get pregnant?
Crossing her arms, Christina replied firmly, “It’s Nathaniel.”
Upon hearing that, Madison’s eyes quivered. When did she get pregnant? Before she left?
She forced herself to remain calm and said sarcastically, “Well, who knows who their father is? Back then, you had an ambiguous relationship with Francis. Maybe, he’s the father? Or maybe you had them with some other man out there. Don’t try to make Nathaniel their father!” After she spoke, she deliberately looked at the kids with disdainful eyes.
Camila frowned slightly before she hid behind Lucas.
“Nonsense! We’re not some kids that were born out of nowhere. We’re Mommy’s precious kids,” Lu retorted as he shielded Camila.
Seeing her kids’ frightened expressions, Christina was angered.
She walked to Madison and raised her hand, slapping the latter on her face.
Her palm print was clearly printed on Madison’s face.
“How dare you hit me?” Madison’s pupils were ferociously red and bloodshot.
“So what?”
This was something Christina wanted to do four years ago. Now that she had done it, she felt satisfied beyond words.
The pain on Madison’s face couldn’t compare to the humiliation she felt. Furious, she lunged at Christina. “Christina, I’m going to kill you!”
“Don’t hit Mommy, you witch!”
Lucas pounded on Madison, who came charging at Christina. Taken aback, Madison staggered and fell backward. However, she was caught by someone in time and didn’t fall.
“What’s happening here?” Nathaniel looked at them coldly as he asked.
“This evil lady here said we were b”stards, so Mommy got angry and hit her!” Lucas furrowed his brows, and his eyes flashed with anger.
“The kids attacked me first. Look how dirty my clothes became. Even my forehead is grazed…” Madison felt wronged..
Gritting his teeth, Nathaniel breathed through his teeth coldly. “Apologize.”
Chapter 320 A Change Of Heart
Lucas clenched his fists. Disgruntlement was written all over his delicate face.
Christina would not stand to see her son endure such a grievance. Picking her children up, she was all ready to head upstairs.
Then came Nathaniel’s grim gaze. “I said, apologize.”
Seeing the man’s sharp, menacing glare. Madison felt a shiver run down her spine. “Nathaniel! You’re asking me to say sorry?” she snapped back in disbelief.
“Don’t make me repeat it for a third time,” uttered Nathaniel through gritted teeth.
His words pierced Madison like a sword. No matter how hard she gnashed her teeth in resistance, she eventually caved in and apologized.
That was when a sense of warmth rose in Lucas’ heart. Maybe this big gray wolf’s not that loathsome after all. The boy turned around and made a face at Madison. “I won’t forgive you, you witch!”
On that note, Madison glared daggers at the boy, which frightened the latter and compelled him to cower in his mother’s embrace.
“Nathaniel, hear me out-
“You should go back first.”
Nathaniel trod on Christina’s heels to the second floor upon dropping the statement.
The only thing Madison could do was watch the family of four head upstairs together. Jealousy flooded
her heart.
Christina has already been gone for a good four years, so why didn’t she stay away for good? Why must she come back? I’ll never let her set foot in here! I’ll need to think of something to drive that woman out once more!
Christina took a moment to comfort Lucas and Camila. Luckily, the children had not been affected.
Otherwise, a tight slap would never have been enough for her to let the matter slide.
“Mommy, I want to draw.” Camila had a gentle personality and had always enjoyed spending some quiet time on her own. Drawing was her favorite hobby.
She seemed to have inherited the passion for doodling from her mother.
Nathaniel heard the exchange when he stepped inside the room. “I’ll get someone to make the arrangements right away.”
In less than ten minutes, the vacant room next door was decorated as an art room, fully equipped with all sorts of paints.
A glance over the newly designed art room immediately calmed Camila’s nerves, and her bubbly eyes lit up. “Wow! There are so many different paints!”
“Do you like it?” Nathaniel inched closer to the little girl.
Instead of shying away from him that time, Camila simply bobbed her head in response. Her flushed. checks made her look all the more endearing. “I love it!”
Moreover, her mellow voice was music to Nathaniel’s ears, melting his heart altogether.
“I’ll get someone to send a set of Montblanc paintbrushes over to you first thing tomorrow.”
Camila’s crystalline eyes widened like saucers the second she heard that. She, for one, was aware that those paintbrushes of the said brand were worth a fortune. Thank you…”
With a faint grin playing about his lips, Nathaniel raised his hand to caress Camila’s head. Surprisingly, the little girl did not dodge the man’s reach that time around.
On the sidelines, Christina was baffled at that sight. Since when did Nathaniel learn how to win over a child?
“Camila’s tricked by the big gray wolf. A few paintbrushes are all it takes for him to lay his hands all over her head,” said Lucas, pouting the entire while.
“Oh? So, you wouldn’t?” A chuckle accompanied Christina’s question.
“Definitely not,” answered Lucas with resolution as he crossed his arms.
Seeing Nathaniel fast approaching, he forced himself to turn his head and looked away. “I’m going back to my room to study.” He went on his way as soon as he said his piece.
Christina, in turn, nodded in approval of her son’s character. That’s my son! I’m glad he showed some backbone. Right then, her phone that was left in the study rang. She spun on her heel to answer the phone.
It was a call from the real estate agent.
Alas, Nathaniel was one step ahead of her. He grabbed the phone and hit the answer key.
“Hello, Ms. Christina. I’ve come across two condominiums that are quite in line with your requirements, When will you be free to go check them out with me?” asked the agent enthusiastically.
Nathaniel’s countenance was as grim as death. “She doesn’t need any of it. Don’t ever call this number again.”
He hung up the phone right after finishing the sentence.
“What have you just promised me last night?” He looked up at Christina, his tone frosty.
The woman wavered at his stare. “Random people are in and out of here all day long. There’s no way I’ll be staying in a place like this.”
That property was not under her name, after all. She figured that Nathaniel could go back on his word any day and take back whatever he had offered at any time.
Besides, she had been fending for herself and the kids for the past four years. Even she would deem herself worthless should she have to resort to living off a man.
“From now on, you’ll have all the rights in the world to kick any outsiders out.”
“That includes you, correct?” Christina arched a brow.
In fact, he was the person she wanted out the door the most at that juncture.
Nathaniel’s eyes darkened. “No, not really. At most. I won’t spend the night here.”
Christina then snatched her phone back from Nathaniel’s grip. Nevertheless, the man locked her by the waist, and just like that, their bodies drew so close to each other. Their warm breaths quickly permeated 1 the air in the already cramped space between them.
“Remember what you said.”
Christina broke free from the man’s arms like prey escaping from its predator.
Looking at the retreating figure, Nathaniel heaved a soft sigh.
At least I get to keep her by my side for now. As long as she doesn’t run away from me, I’m sure she’ll have a change of
heart sooner or later.
The next day, Nathaniel engaged an interior designer to transform those two rooms beside the master bedroom into independent kid’s rooms.
One of them was decorated in pink, giving off a princess-like vibe any girl would adore. Not only did it house a Barbie-designed bed made out of crystals, but it also came with a pinkish wardrobe filled with myriads of cute dresses.
Simply put, every nook and cranny of the room was a nod to Barbie’s style.
“Do you like it, Camila?” Nathaniel might have crouched down to speak to his daughter, but he was still way taller than her.
“Are these all for me? But Mommy said I shouldn’t accept things or candies from strangers!” Camila sounded serious.
She had already made an exception the day before and accepted quite a few paints.
A tinge of pain assailed Nathaniel deep down. He held Camila’s hand and proclaimed, “I’m not a stranger. I’m your daddy.
Camila shook her head and retracted her hand. “Mommy told me Daddy’s already six feet under, so how could you be my daddy?”
Nathaniel’s visage clouded over at that. I’m still very much alive, okay?
He was bent on building a good rapport with the children and winning them over. Once both of the kids. took his side, they could help him convince Christina.
As a matter of fact, Camila was all sweet and lovely. If anything, her adorable appearance could easily melt anyone’s heart like cotton candy.
At first, he thought that he could get Camila to befriend him with ease. Never in his wildest dreams did he anticipate himself being stumped by such an assertion coming from a little girl like her.
The next thing he did was fish out a strawberry lollipop from his pocket. “So, would you like to have a daddy to be by your side?”
What he said struck a chord with Camila’s heart. She nodded in bewilderment.
It went without saying that she had longed to have a father, for she had always seen ouer their fathers beside them except for her and Lucas.
Nathaniel was elated to see that reaction. “Then, is it okay for me to be your daddy?”
Camila eyeballed the man without even blinking once. Not a word escaped her.
“There’s no need to rush things. We’ll take it one step at a time. You can call me ‘Daddy’ whenever you’re ready. But before that, could we just be friends first?” exhorted Nathaniel gently as he stretched out his hand.
Camila said nothing. Can I really be friends with this big gray wolf?
“You won’t hurt Mommy, will you?” the little girl questioned timidl
“I won’t, for sure. I’ll only dote on all of you with all my heart.” Nathaniel curled his lips slightly upward as he spoke.
It was as though Camila saw a glimmer of hope emanating from the man. She accepted the lollipop in Nathaniel’s hand and said. “Okay.”
“Should we do some drawing together?
“Sure!”
With that, the father-and-daughter duo made their way to the art room hand in hand.
Meanwhile, Christina finally finished her work in the study. She checked the time, only to find that it was time for Camila to have an afternoon nap.
Camila won’t stop drawing once she picks up the paintbrush. I wonder when she’ll shake off that bad habit of hers. She entered the art room and prompted softly, “Camila, it’s nap
time…”