Ch. 971..980
A Cue for Love Chapter 971
Why Did You Do This To Me
Natalie completely disregarded Olivia’s threat.
Instead, she walked up to the stage under everyone’s scrutiny.
When Olivia saw this, the smile on her face slowly faded away. “I think I’ve made myself clear. It’s our event tonight. I will call the guards if you insist on messing things up.”
“You’re calling the guards? You should call the police!” Natalie scoffed. The smile on her face was cold and evil.
“What do you mean?” Olivia questioned.
“You put hormones in the water that day. This itself is wounding with intent,” Natalie seethed as she grabbed Olivia’s hand and raised it up. “Different people have different tolerance for this type of hormone, so unless a substance is scientifically proven to be safe, using it makes you liable for intentional homicide.”
Olivia froze when she heard the word “hormone.”
Her face paled, and she tried to break free from Natalie’s grasp.
“What are you talking about? What hormone?”
Natalie looked down at her with disgust.
You can’t run away, Olivia. This is your punishment.
When Olivia decided to take away Anna and her hard work, Olivia had crossed Natalie’s bottom line.
Thus, Natalie vowed she would make Farrington Jewelry the biggest joke all over Yaleview.
This was her version of justice.
When Olivia refused to admit her crime, Natalie knew she had to pull her trump card. She would not go easy on her anymore.
“Yvette’s assistant, Xerxes Will, had already admitted everything. You offered to pay all his gambling debt, and in return, he gave you the opportunity to poison Yvette’s drink with the hormone you prepared. Since this is Farrington Jewelry’s grand event today, I will make you the spotlight. There’s no better time and place to show the world who you are, Olivia Jones,” said Natalie, facing the camera.
Olivia’s face became grave with terror when she heard the assistant’s name. She shook her head in denial.
“N-No… I don’t understand what you’re saying… No! You’re spewing lies! Let me go! Guards!”
Her carefully-set hair became disheveled as she kept struggling. Within seconds, the elegant lady’s image was shattered, and everyone looked at her like a maniac.
Just as the two were caught in a stalemate on the stage, a group of men in uniforms stormed into the hall.
Olivia thought the security guards had finally arrived, but when she saw that those men were wearing police badges, she fell into terror.
As Natalie said earlier, those were all law-enforcers.
They walked toward Olivia, saying, “Olivia Jones, we have conclusive evidence to suspect you of poisoning Yvette Snyder. We need you to come with us to the station.”
Olivia refused to accept reality and thought Natalie was just trying to scare her earlier on, but when she saw the police for herself, it finally registered in her mind that Natalie meant what she said.
It turned out Natalie was there not to be humiliated by her, but to humiliate her.
When Olivia saw the icy cold handcuffs, she instinctively shouted in agitation, “Don’t touch me! I’m not going anywhere! Leave me alone!”
Screaming, she ran to a corner and kept her distance from the police, glaring at Natalie with bloodshot eyes.
“You! You should just die! You devil! Ammy and I are meant to marry each other since we were kids, but you messed everything up! Why? Why did you do this to me? I love him! I love him so much that I could do anything for him. As for Muse, I had my eyes on her first, but you came and took everything from me. Why? Why did you do this to me?”
Olivia lost it and lambasted Natalie with a litany of questions when she finally realized the finality of her fate.
“Tell me, Natalie Nichols, why? Why did you do this to me?” she raged.
A Cue for Love Chapter 972
Why Do I Deserve It
The press conference had gone in a totally different direction.
The media was supposed to stop the livestream. However, seeing that the number of viewers was increasing non-stop, none of the media companies stopped.
Olivia was no longer elegant and graceful in front of the camera. She had lost her temper and looked like she had gone crazy as she questioned Natalie.
The latter watched as the woman before her went berserk, detesting the questions that were directed at her. However, at the same time, she also pitied Olivia.
The corners of her red lips curled slightly as she said, “All right, then. Let me ask you this, why should Yvette take responsibility for what you plotted when she has nothing to do with this? There are so many employees in my company, and they’ve spent days and nights working. Yet, all their hard work was ruined by you. What gave you the right to do so?”
Olivia had never expected Natalie to answer her with her own questions. However, she was feeling desperate, so she screamed, “What do they have to do with me?”
“You get to question others when you encounter challenges, yet when someone falls for your schemes, it’s their fault for falling for it?” Natalie clenched her fists as she glared at Olivia with cold eyes.
“No! I am the young lady of the Jones family! I’m Amos Stone’s fiancée! No one can arrest me!” she screamed as she struggled to break free.
Then, a click sounded. The ice-cold cuffs were locked on her wrists, and the police wanted to bring her away.
Bridger and Jada couldn’t care less that people were livestreaming what was happening as they strode toward their daughter.
The man’s face was pale as he begged, “This must be a misunderstanding. Please look into this properly. Don’t frame my daughter for something she didn’t do!”
“We have solid proof that she did it. We did not frame her.”
“That’s impossible!” Jada shook her head as she cried. Then, she shouted, “Ammy! Hurry up and stand up for Olivia! She’s your fiancée. Help her out when she’s being framed by that evil woman!”
Hearing that, Olivia glanced up and looked in the direction of the VIP seats.
However, all she saw was the man clasping his hands together under his chin, sitting elegantly as he exuded a domineering presence.
All he did was watch her quietly. There wasn’t anything about him that hinted that he wanted to help her.
He was able to see everything she did from the beginning. If he actually wanted to help, there was no way he would still be sitting there now.
I like him so much.
I like him so much that I’m willing to dig out my heart for him. I was even willing to do whatever it takes so that I can be worthy of being his fiancée. This wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for that.
I’ve done so much, yet the person so dear to me is doing nothing to help me.
Her father’s begging and her mother’s cries were getting more and more clear in her ears. At that moment, Olivia wanted nothing more than to give up.
“Dad, Mom… Stop it already…” Then, she pursed her lips and said to the police, “I’ll go with you and cooperate with your investigations.”
Bridger and Jada had also seen how Amos was acting, and they couldn’t help but get mad at him. They also came to understand that they would never be able to bring their daughter home anymore.
“Let’s go.”
With that, the police led Olivia away, and the chaotic press conference finally ended.
Natalie looked indifferently at the devastated Bridger and Jada.
After all, there was nothing for her to feel pity about when the outcome was all the Jones family’s own doing.
If Bridger and his wife hadn’t spoiled Olivia, perhaps she wouldn’t have done anything that would hurt others and herself.
Seeing that the press conference had ended, Natalie quietly left the place in the midst of the chaos.
However, she encountered Amos when she left through the side door of the exhibition center.
With one of his hands in his pocket, the man looked at Natalie, who was wearing a suit, before saying, “I’d like to talk to you in private, Natalie.”
A Cue for Love Chapter 973
Why Is It So Painful
“Sure. Go ahead,” Natalie said.
Amos explained seriously, “I want to say that I have no idea that Olivia would hurt you because of me. The moment what she did was exposed, she was no longer my fiancée. The marriage contract between the Stone family and the Jones family will be canceled sooner or later.”
The woman fiddled with the cap she was holding as she asked with a faint smile, “And you’re telling me this because?”
“I’ll be single once I cancel my marriage with Olivia. Then, I can pursue you once more and get engaged with you.”
Upon finishing his sentence, he took a step forward and grabbed Natalie’s slender wrist.
“If Yvette’s incident didn’t happen, my father would have approved of you and Dream. He would definitely be satisfied with you being his daughter-in-law. I admired you the moment I first met you. I came to like you more the more time I spent working with you. There was never a lacking of women around me, but you’re the only one I can’t seem to forget. I hope you can give me this chance and let me be your man.”
Natalie stared at his hand around her wrist for a moment before prying his fingers off slowly, freeing herself from his grasp.
“Mr. Stone, perhaps we can be great partners when it comes to our work, but it will never happen when it comes to relationships,” she rejected resolutely, a glint flashing across her eyes as she blinked.
Amos stared at his now empty hand and asked, refusing to give up, “Why?”
“What do you like about me?” she asked.
He was shocked by her question, but he then replied without any hesitation, “Natalie, I admit that I was drawn to your looks in the beginning, but I like everything about you now!”
“Can you accept that I have five children?”
“What sort of joke is that?” Amos raised a brow in shock as he asked, “You’re only twenty-four this year. How can you have five children already?”
“You’ll know if you investigate a little. I’m not lying.” Having changed the direction of their conversation, Natalie asked again, “Since you say that you like everything about me, can you accept the fact that I have five children and that I will distribute the assets of the Stone family to them in the future?”
“I…”
Amos was at a loss for words.
Five children… And they’re all not mine. How can I distribute the assets of the Stone family to them?
What’s more, if Father and my friends and family find out that I’m going to take in five children who have no relations with me whatsoever, I’m going to be turned into a joke.
Natalie wasn’t surprised that he was being so hesitant.
On the contrary, she thought it was totally normal that he was being hesitant, and she had expected this to happen.
“Mr. Stone, with your family background, it’s destined that your marriage will have nothing to do with love.” She smiled slightly and continued, “Even without Olivia, your father would have paired you up with a woman who will benefit the Stone family. Your marriage will be decided based on the benefits it will provide, rather than your feelings for your partner. That’s why there’s no need for you to waste your time on me. If this continues, it will only affect our jobs and collaboration. It’ll only end up in a loss for both of us.”
Natalie wasn’t looking down on Amos.
In fact, he represented most of the men on Earth.
Who in the world would be as foolish as Samuel was?
“Mr. Stone, I finally managed to get away from the media reporters, so I can’t stay here for too long.” Pulling her hair back, she put on her cap once again and said, “I’ll be going now. I will head to Stone Corporation two days later to discuss the adjusted purchase plan.”
“Okay.”
Amos narrowed his eyes as he watched Natalie leave in a rush. He felt a sense of emptiness in his chest.
She was right.
He was exactly that kind of person.
In his eyes, love would never be able to surpass benefits, which was the most important thing to him.
However, he couldn’t understand why it felt so painful after getting rejected by Natalie.
A Cue for Love Chapter 974
You Finally Returned
After clearing Dream’s name at the Jones family’s press conference, the first thing Natalie did was tell Anna the good news.
Dream was not the only one that got bashed by the netizens during this period of time. Anna was a victim too.
Since the incident started, not only did Anna not complain to Natalie, but she also encouraged and consoled Natalie.
Anna sent her a smiling emoji upon receiving the news.
Natalie’s mood instantly brightened up after seeing the emoji.
The magnolias planted by the streets filled the area with its scent. The woman took a deep breath, and the strong floral fragrance instantly filled her senses.
Fortunately, everything has been successfully resolved.
When she reached home, she saw a huge bouquet of pink roses in front of the door.
Pink roses were her favorite flowers, and not many people knew of this.
She thought of the time the man “proposed” to her. He had decorated the place with a sea of pink roses. Natalie’s heart jolted at the thought of this.
Is it him?
Did he… finally return for me?
Tears welled up in her eyes and her heart started to beat faster.
During the time they were apart, Natalie was mad at him, nor could she understand him. However, among all these negative emotions, she still missed him.
She missed his hugs and his low voice, and also how attentive he was when he protected and loved her.
The sound of footsteps came from behind her. Her lips instantly curled upward, and she quickly turned around.
“You’re finally back!”
Yet, the person before her was not the one she was hoping to see.
The man was wearing a black T-shirt and army green pants. He had a warm smile on his boyish face as he looked at Natalie.
“Are you angry? I told you that I’d return immediately after I finish my assignment. I kept my promise and came back once I was done.”
With the pink roses still in her arms, she stared at the smiling man in shock and was at a loss for words.
Unable to figure out why Natalie was looking at him like that, Jerome walked over to her and flicked her on her forehead. “What’s wrong? Are you really angry? The assignment I received… It was actually quite urgent and I wanted to finish it as soon as possible too. I’ve already done my best. I know that Dream Jewelry was in some trouble recently. But I’m finally relieved when I saw that you’ve resolved the issue on the news earlier.”
Natalie nodded after listening to his explanation. “I’m fine. Your work is more important.”
“Then, what was with your expression earlier?”
“Huh?”
“Your eyes were filled with disappointment when you looked at me,” Jerome explained. “It was so obvious that you didn’t want to see me. What else could it be if you’re not angry?”
The disappointment she was feeling was not the kind he was thinking of.
Natalie didn’t know how she should explain it to Jerome, so she shook her head and said, “I’m not angry. Besides, you sent me such beautiful pink roses. How can I still make a fuss?”
“Really?” he asked, leaning closer to her.
“Of course.”
“Then, invite me to your place for a drink,” Jerome suggested. He had a plan in mind.
“Why?”
“We can’t drink alcohol in the army. I haven’t drank in a long time, and we haven’t drank together in a while too,” he persuaded. “Besides, you finally cleared your name today. Shouldn’t we celebrate? You only have five-year-old children at your home. You can’t possibly ask them to drink with you late at night, can you?”
That certainly made sense to Natalie after she gave it some thought.
Jerome was like a little brother to her. There wasn’t a better timing for this than now.
“Let’s go.”
“Mhm.”
They saw that only a few dim lights used to light up the pathway in the house were lit when they entered. It seemed like Emma had also gone to sleep at around ten o’clock.
Pointing at the stairs that led up to the second floor, Natalie said with a smile, “Consider yourself lucky today, Jerome. I’ve got some treasures in my wine cellar.”
A Cue for Love Chapter 975
Get Close
Jerome followed her as they made their way to the wine cellar.
Natalie took out two bottles of wine from the cabinet and two well-crafted wine glasses.
Popping open the bottles, she then poured the red wine into a decanter.
Since the process needed time, Natalie decided to arrange the pink roses in a vase while waiting.
However, she saw that the flowers had already been arranged into a vase the moment she turned to look.
“I’ve handled it,” Jerome said, smiling and rubbing the back of his head.
“Okay. Thank you.”
A moment later, the wine was finally done decanting.
Both of them sat opposite each other on the floor as they drank and talked about the old days.
“Natalie… why do I feel like you’ve changed so much? It hasn’t even been a year since you were in Chanaea,” Jerome said as he took a sip of the wine. “I feel like you have more on your mind now…”
“Well, maybe.”
Natalie gave him an ambiguous answer.
Half of what was troubling her was work, and the other half was Samuel.
She still couldn’t understand why Samuel would choose to betray her and propose to Luna.
“Is it too tiring to make money?” Supporting his body with his arms, he stared at Natalie. “Slow down if it’s too tiring. If it gets any worse, don’t do it anymore. It’s not that bad to be a slacker.”
She shook her head and said, “No, I can’t. I’m not working for just myself now. I have five children. There’s no way I can afford to raise them if I become a slacker.”
Then, without any hesitation, the man replied, “I’ll help you raise them!”
“You…” Natalie was left stunned by his words, but she quickly responded, “No way. You’re only assisting me because we grew up together. But I’m not that shameless of a person. It’s not easy for the Sutton family to have a major-general like you. Keep yourself single now and marry the person you like instead.”
Jerome knew that she was avoiding him, but he wasn’t anxious about it.
“Do you still remember our childhood?”
“Of course! How can I not?” Thinking back to the time when they were younger, Natalie felt as though they had gone back to the time when they were carefree children. “Back then, I never would have believed that you’re General Sutton’s only son, nor would I expect you to grow up to be so tall and handsome.”
Her childhood was filled with happiness.
The thought of it made Natalie smile ear to ear.
“I remember too… Since I was young, I knew…” I knew that you’d grow up to be a beautiful and strong woman.
This seed of thought had already been planted since he was young. As time passed, the seed had grown into a magnificent tree.
With his status now, Jerome had many women chasing after him. He took priority in his job and used the military as an excuse to reject them, but only he himself knew that Natalie was the only woman he ever wanted.
“Our childhood was really the best time!” The woman raised her glass and said, “Come on! Let’s toast to our nostalgic past!”
“Sure.”
Their glasses collided and a crisp clink sounded.
Both of them continued drinking and talking for a long time.
When Natalie had too much to drink, she lay on a pillow drunkenly as she said, “A thousand glasses is not enough when you drink with a great friend. It’s too bad that I have such a low tolerance… Burp…”
Jerome saw how addicted to drinking she was even though she was bad at it and had already expected this.
He also lay on a pillow and supported his head with his arm as he stared at the woman’s side profile. His heart thumped loudly and his ears began to redden.
Jerome was a vigorous young man and had heard of all sorts of amorous things from his fellow comrades in the military. He couldn’t stop himself from gulping as he watched the drunk Natalie before him.
His gaze shifted to her red and enticing lips. At that moment, he felt his throat dry up in an instant.
Meanwhile, his body also seemed to have its own consciousness as it slowly leaned closer to her.
A Cue for Love Chapter 976
We Have A Father
Jerome dared not kiss Natalie back when he was young an inexperienced.
When he met her again when he was older, her life changed drastically. He was afraid that he would make her uncomfortable if he got close to her, so he got even more worried about taking initiative.
Jerome had risked his life training in the military during the years that he wasn’t by Natalie’s side. He managed to succeed in countless of his missions, all because he no longer wanted to be the snotty kid who always followed her. Instead, he wanted to be someone who can stand beside her and protect her.
As he brushed her bangs away and was about to kiss her on the lips, Natalie let out a burp and interrupted the moment.
Burp!
She suddenly opened her eyes and saw the handsome face that was right before her.
The alcohol had blurred her vision as well as her consciousness, and she thought she saw Samuel’s face.
Samuel…
Are you finally back?
Her lips curled into a faint smile before she fell into a deep slumber.
The woman looked so much more innocent and alluring when she slept compared to when she was awake. She looked like an adorable doll that one would love and protect with all they had.
At the sight of this, Jerome smiled and shook his head.
Pushing himself up, he left Natalie’s side and continued sipping on his glass of wine, the smile still on his face.
What’s the rush?
We still have a long time ahead… I’m sure that she’ll realize that I’m no longer just a little brother to her. Instead, I have become a man who would love and protect her for the rest of her life.
It was quite chilly at night.
Jerome found a blanket nearby and covered Natalie with it before getting up to leave the room.
In the corridor of the second floor, Sophia happened to wake up because she needed to go to the toilet.
At the sight of a man’s silhouette, she quickly called out, “Daddy!”
Jerome turned to look when he heard that. He instantly saw the cute little girl who was hugging a teddy bear standing behind her.
Their eyes met, and Sophia instantly knew that she had mistaken him for someone else. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.
“Mr. Sutton!” She tightened her grip on her teddy bear as she asked, “W-Why are you here?”
The man walked over to her and crouched down before her so that he would be at her eye level.
He only knew about Clayton and Xavian previously and had only learned of Franklin, Sophia, and Yumi’s existence recently.
She really is Natalie’s biological daughter. They share so many similarities in terms of facial features, especially their eyes. She’s practically a mini version of Natalie!
Jerome felt as though he was looking at a younger Natalie as he studied Sophia. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the little girl.
“Mr. Sutton? Is there something funny about Sophia?” the little girl asked.
He patted her head and said gently, “You really look like your mother. You remind me of her when she was younger. You look just like her when she was a kid, but she was much fiercer than you are.”
Fierce?
Sophia glanced up at the man in confusion. She could not imagine her mother being fierce at all.
“How can Mommy be fierce? Mommy’s the most gentle person on Earth!” she said.
Jerome found her to be even cuter seeing how she was so protective of her mother.
He was quite fond of her even though they weren’t blood-related.
“I was wrong.” Jerome took her tiny hands and led her back to her room. “Sophia, it’s not easy for your mommy to take care of the five of you. Can you let me take care of you guys?”
Sophia glanced at the hand that was holding her and shook her head.
“We have a daddy, Mr. Sutton!”
Jerome thought that she was talking about Marcus who had passed away, so he didn’t try to argue with her.
“I won’t be replacing your daddy’s position. I just want to take care of the five of you and your mommy.” Stopping in his tracks, he said, “We’re here. Go to sleep. Goodnight.”
A Cue for Love Chapter 977
Snatched From Your Hands
Sophia returned to her small pink bed after bidding goodnight, but she was feeling distressed.
This is bad… Daddy has a rival! Mr. Sutton looks so nice when he smiles. He also treats Mummy and the five of us very well. If it weren’t because I’ve lived with Daddy for almost six years, I’d get swayed too! Daddy is here in Yaleview, but why didn’t he show up? Why is he giving another man the chance to pursue Mummy?
Plagued with those thoughts, Sophie tossed and turned in her pink bed. But since she was still very young, she soon dozed off.
That night, Jerome did not leave Natalie’s house. Instead, he stayed the night, sleeping on the living room’s couch.
When Emma woke up to make breakfast, she was shocked to see Jerome on the couch.
“Ahh! You are…”
Emma raised her voice unwittingly since she had been startled. Afraid of disturbing Natalie and the children, Jerome said hurriedly, “Don’t be scared. It’s me.”
At first, Emma had only seen the figure of a man, but now that she recognized it was Jerome, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Sutton. You gave me a fright.”
“Natalie and I were up drinking until late into the night. It wasn’t appropriate for me to find a random room to sleep in, so I rested on the couch.” Straightening his clothes, he smiled as he added, “Don’t mind me. I’ll wait for Natalie to wake up and say goodbye before leaving.”
Emma glanced at Jerome, contemplating what he had just said.
The kids have a biological father, but he has never shown his face here over the past month. On the contrary, Jerome seems like he’d be a good match for Ms. Nichols. He’s capable, courteous, and a true gentleman based on my observations.
“I’ll prepare some toiletries for you then, Mr. Sutton.”
“Thanks, Emma.”
When Natalie and the five little ones woke up two hours later, they found Jerome helping Emma in the kitchen.
Natalie rubbed her eyes that were still bleary from sleep and said sheepishly, “Jerome, I was so out of it yesterday that I fell asleep… and forgot all about you…”
Jerome laughed. “Even after not seeing you for a year, you still haven’t gotten any better at holding your liquor, but that’s all right. I’m used to it. Why don’t you and the kids come and have breakfast?”
“Okay.”
Natalie nodded and walked over to the dining table.
The children wore torn expressions as they watched how Jerome doted on Natalie.
After all, a human heart was not made of stone. It was clear that Jerome genuinely cared for Natalie, and if not for their father, they thought he would be a good match for their mother.
“Franklin! Sophia and Xavian! Clayton and Yumi! Why are you just standing there? Quick, come over here,” Natalie called out, gently waving them over.
With that, they walked to the dining table, dragging their feet, and sat down for breakfast.
One of the dishes was a breakfast wrap.
Jerome prepared one with vegetables and bacon, then held it out to Natalie.
“Huh?” Natalie was puzzled.
“Do me a favor and try this to see if it’s poisoned,” said Jerome.
“How childish!”
Despite saying that, Natalie could not stop a smile from tugging at her lips. She took the wrap from him and started eating with relish.
The children were stunned when they saw that. He’s way too good at flirting! This… It’ll surely give him an edge over Daddy!
Dumbfounded, they stared at the wrap in Natalie’s hands, their eyes as round and wide as saucers.
Noticing how they fixed their gazes on the breakfast wrap, Jerome pulled a plate toward him and began making more, placing one on each of the children’s plates.
“Here, I’ve wrapped one for each of you,” he said with a smile. “Let me know if you want more. I’ll make them for you.”
There was no question that the kids sided with Samuel, but they could not help wondering whether Natalie would choose Jerome over Samuel since she and the latter were still giving each other the silent treatment.
“Thank you…”
All five of them laughed awkwardly, then lowered their heads and started eating.
Daddy, if you don’t hurry up and come to your senses, Mommy will get snatched from your hands!
A Cue for Love Chapter 978
Five Anxious Children
Emma was also relieved to see Jerome getting along with the five kids.
I’ve heard from them that Ms. Nichols is a very capable woman. However, even the strongest of women would find it challenging to raise five little ones.
Earlier that morning, Emma had also made a point to observe Jerome discreetly as he helped her make breakfast. He did not say much, but he was neat and thorough, putting as much effort into preparing breakfast for the children as he would if he were their biological father.
Anyway, I’ve not seen any sign of the kids’ father here. It’d be a good thing if Ms. Nichols and the children had Ms. Sutton to care for them.
The quintet ate with worry in their hearts while Emma watched them with buoyant spirits. Only Natalie focused on tucking into her meal, oblivious to what the others were feeling and thinking.
After all, she and Jerome were very close.
In fact, he was like a younger brother to her.
Hence, regardless of how well he treated her, she had never thought of their relationship in that way.
A younger brother falling for her?
In her eyes, that was impossible!
As Natalie ate, she reached for the tablet on the table and began browsing the morning news.
The hottest news that morning was about Olivia exposing a famous actress to hormones and framing Dream Jewelry for it.
As a result, the Jones family’s Cupid collection for the latest season had to be postponed indefinitely, and their reputation was in tatters, thus causing the company’s stock prices to plummet.
The news showed the Jones family’s office building, the mansion where they lived, and Bridger and the other family members.
Although the camera panned past the family quickly, Natalie still caught a glimpse of them. Bridger seemed to have aged overnight, Jada’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, and even the usually arrogant Jerry looked dispirited.
After watching a little while longer, she turned off the tablet.
Even though Jerry had not harbored any ill intention toward her, she did not regret taking revenge against the Jones family.
Olivia owes me that much, and it’s only fair for me to seek justice for myself and Yvette.
After taking a sip of milk, Jerome suggested with a smile, “Now that the company’s affairs have been resolved and I’ve completed my mission successfully, why don’t we go out and have some fun today? We’ll go to one of those escape rooms that are all the rage now. What do you think?”
The five kids did not have much of a reaction.
After all, Natalie had always been focused on her work and rarely went out to have fun. Hence, they guessed she would turn down his suggestion immediately.
But to their surprise, Natalie readily agreed.
“Sure. Why not?”
The five little ones started coughing at the same time when they heard that.
When Natalie saw Franklin, Sophia, Xavian, Clayton, and Yumi start coughing one after another, she could not help shooting them a suspicious look.
“What’s going on? Why is it that when one of you coughed, the others followed suit?”
Clayton cleared his throat and piped up, “That’s because we want to go to an escape room too!”
“Oh?” Natalie had no idea that Clayton and the others were interested in escape rooms, so she was very surprised to hear that.
Nodding, Franklin turned to Natalie and said, “Yeah! We’ve always wanted to play that. It’s just that you haven’t had any free time because you’ve been busy with work. After hearing that you and Mr. Sutton are planning to go there, we want to join too!”
Franklin and Clayton’s intentions were as clear as day.
Catching on quickly, Sophia, Xavian, and Yumi nodded emphatically.
“We like playing that too!”
“Mommy, take us with you!”
“I want to play too!”
Hearing that, Natalie shot a glance at Jerome. “They’re all so eager to go. I’m their mother, so I should take them. It might be inconvenient for you if we asked you to go with us, so why don’t you—”
She had wanted to suggest that he find someone else to go with him. However, Jerome spoke before she could finish her sentence, saying, “It’s no inconvenience at all. When it comes to escape rooms, the more people, the merrier. It’ll be fun with the seven of us.”
The five children had thought Jerome would leave disheartened after his plan failed. The last thing they expected to see was that he genuinely did not seem to consider them a bother in the slightest.
A Cue for Love Chapter 979
I Cannot Tolerate Any Longer
The expressions on the five children’s faces stiffened.
Clayton was sitting the closest to Jerome, and the latter reached out to gently pat his head. “Didn’t you say that you were all interested in escape rooms? Now that we’ve said we’ll take you to one, why does it seem like you’re not too happy about it?”
Although Jerome’s comment dove into the heart of the matter, the children could not express their true thoughts and only plastered a smile on their faces.
“What? No way! We’re ecstatic!”
“Yeah! We’re super excited!”
“Mr. Sutton, can’t you see that we’re smiling?”
Once they finished their breakfast, Jerome and Natalie left the table first while Emma bustled off to wash the dishes in the kitchen.
All five adorable kids held their heads in their hands, fraught with worry.
Yumi frowned as she asked, “What’s up with Mommy today? Why did she agree so readily?”
Franklin nodded in agreement. “I was wondering the same thing. It stands to reason that Mommy must have plenty to attend to after resolving the crisis involving Dream. However, she went and agreed to go to an escape room with Mr. Sutton! That’s so strange!”
“Daddy hasn’t spent time with Mommy in a long time. Recently, Mr. Sutton’s the one who has been by Mommy’s side. He’s also very nice to us.”
It was Sophie who made that remark. After saying that, she proceeded to make a bold assumption.
“Do you think… Mommy has had a change of heart?”
As soon as she posed that question, they immediately became despondent.
It’s over. Mommy has had a change of heart. Even if Daddy comes to his senses and returns, what’s the point?
As they fretted over their parents’ relationship, their faces became etched with sadness and anguish that did not befit their age.
When Emma returned to continue clearing the dining table, she saw the glum expressions on their faces.
“Mr. Sutton has already started the car and is waiting for you outside. Why are all of you still sitting here? Didn’t you want to play that escape room or something?” she asked, interrupting their thoughts.
Unable to explain to Emma the reason for their low spirits, they could only force themselves to perk up.
“We were sitting here to let our stomachs digest our breakfast. We’ll be off now.”
“Ah, I see.”
Emma nodded, not fully understanding.
Franklin and the others left the dining room and walked to the courtyard.
Since they were taking the kids, Jerome and Natalie were each going to drive one car and split the five children between the two vehicles.
The boys would go with Natalie while the girls would go in Jerome’s car.
Once they had settled into their seats, Jerome and Natalie headed to Yaleview’s most famous themed escape room.
Meanwhile, Samuel looked grim as he listened to Jesper’s report.
“Mr. Bowers, after Jerome entered the mansion last night, he didn’t leave until nine this morning. Even then, he didn’t leave at once either. Instead, he and Ms. Nichols drove separately to a themed escape room with the five children.”
“What’s an escape room?” Samuel interrupted, his gaze turning stormy.
After a brief pause, Jesper explained, “Escape rooms are where the younger generation gather and hang out nowadays. The rooms are designed according to various themes. However, the basic premise is that the participants get locked in a room where they have to find clues and solve puzzles to unlock the door and escape… To make it out, they have to rely on things like their mental and physical skills as well as teamwork. There are also many different themes available.”
“A man and a woman locked up in a room alone?” Samuel asked with a piercing gaze.
Jesper dared not respond to that question.
“And they have to be in constant physical contact in that room?” Samuel continued.
Jesper gulped.
I don’t think I used those terms while talking about the escape room.
Samuel had already struggled to suppress his anger after hearing that Jerome had stayed the night at the mansion. Now that he had learned that Jerome was going to get locked up in a room with only Natalie, he felt as if he was about to lose his mind.
“Mr. Bowers… Actually, the five children will also be there…” Jesper reminded Samuel softly.
However, Samuel did not hear a word he said. Grabbing the coat next to him, Samuel strode out.
In such situations, tolerance is key. However, I really can’t tolerate it any longer!
A Cue for Love Chapter 980
Cutting Queues
After Jerome and Natalie parked the car, they led the five children to the escape room.
The two adults and the five children caught the attention of many passersby.
Jerome and Natalie were dressed in casual clothes, but the two of them were too good-looking for passersby to ignore. In fact, their looks were comparable to that of famous celebrities, and the sight of them walking down the street seemed as if they were posing for a poster.
The five children were dressed in a similarly casual style as Natalie, wearing white shirts. However, the cartoon ducks in the middle of the shirts did not have the same expressions. To sum it up, all five children were downright adorable.
The passersby could not help but take out their phones and begin taking photos of them.
“Are they a family? Wow! They’re so good-looking!”
“The guy’s so handsome, and the woman’s so pretty. Even their children are so cute! I’m jealous!”
“This is unbelievable! How could they be so gorgeous even in unedited photos?”
Naturally, Natalie did not dwell on their words, but Jerome could not stop the smile from forming on his face.
As Jerome imagined spending the rest of his life with Natalie and the kids, not only did he not dislike it, but he even looked forward to it. He did not mind that Natalie had children with Marcus. In fact, he felt bad for her and cherished her more because of that experience she had.
Meanwhile, the five children’s hearts were sinking.
Even though it seemed great to ship Natalie and Jerome together, they did not forget the fact that they had a father.
Not long after, the seven of them walked into the themed escape room.
The one who welcomed them was a female university student. When she saw the two adults and five children, she knitted her brows and told them, “Sorry, but the escape rooms other than ‘Elk Grove Girls’ School’ have been all reserved. Moreover, ‘Elk Grove Girls’ School’ has a horror theme, and it’s restricted to people above the age of eighteen. The children are too young, so we can’t let them play it.”
Natalie furrowed her brows a little. “Is there no way around this?”
“There are already four people who have registered for ‘Elk Grove Girls’ School,’ so two more adults can join, and the two of you would be perfect,” the university student continued. “As for the children, you could let us take care of them. We have a board game room. There are many young parents who come here to play, so after they’ve entered the escape room, we’ll take care of the children and play board games with them.”
Natalie then crouched down and asked the children about it.
“What do you think?”
The five children exchanged glances with each other. Although they were there to third-wheel Natalie and Jerome, they did not intend to stop their mother from enjoying herself.
Since the shop assistant had said that there were another four people in the escape room, that meant Natalie and Jerome would not be spending time alone with each other.
Thus, there was no need for them to follow Natalie everywhere anymore.
Franklin took in a deep breath and said, “Mommy, since you’re already here, you might as well go in with Mr. Sutton. The few of us will go and play board games.”
Xavian chimed in, “Mommy, you don’t need to worry about us. You can go ahead and enjoy the escape room. We’ll enjoy our game too.”
The other three nodded in agreement.
At that, Natalie smiled. “That’ll be it, then. Stay here and play board games with this young lady. Mommy and Mr. Sutton will be going in for the game.”
“Okay!” the children chorused sweetly.
The five children were then brought into the board game room while Natalie and Jerome were each given a set of school uniforms by the staff.
Only the black eye masks they received were identical. Natalie’s school uniform was a white shirt paired with a blue pleated skirt and a matching blue tie. On the other hand, Jerome had black school pants, a white shirt, and a blue tie.
“What is this?” Jerome turned to the side and asked the staff member.
“This is what the players wear before entering the escape room,” the young woman explained patiently. “’Elk Grove Girls’ School’ is a school-themed room, so putting on the school uniforms helps with the immersion. Also, this eye mask is to be put on before entering. This escape room is the scariest one we have so far, and we have staff members as characters inside. If you encounter unfamiliar people inside, you’ll need to complete the sub-quest given by them. If you complete it, you’ll get a surprise!”
It was Natalie and Jerome’s first time playing in an escape room, so they heeded her words solemnly.
After hearing the details of the story setting, Natalie and Jerome went into the dressing room to change.
Right then, Samuel walked in with a darkened expression.
“Mister, sorry, but all of the escape rooms are booked for the day. If you’d like to—”
Samuel did not know when Natalie was coming back out of the dressing room, so he coldly said, “A hundred thousand. Is that enough for me to cut the queue?”