Ch. 2181..2190

Chapter 2181 Saying Goodbye to Yvette

The old master talked to Yvette for a long time. He had been living recklessly and dangerously for his whole life. In the end, he gave up everything and turned himself in because of his daughter.

The police officer saw that it was almost time and went over to remind him that they had to leave.

The old master stood up with his trembling body and looked at the haggard Mrs. Quimbey. His eyes were filled with remorse and guilt, and he blamed himself endlessly.

"I'm sorry. I promised that I wouldn't meet her and recognize her, let alone disturb your lives. But this still happened... I'm really sorry.”

He looked at her with sad eyes and restrained feelings. However, he did not dare to reveal his emotions.

That was because he was afraid of seeing Mrs. Quimbey's disgust and hatred.

Mrs. Quimbey did not respond.

The old master closed his eyes and left with the police.

Lance stood there and looked at Yvette’s portrait deeply. He was cold, dismal, and silent.

Mrs. Quimbey took a deep breath.

"Lance, you should go back. You're a good husband to Yvette, and I’m sure she was grateful to you. You should live a good life in the future."

Mrs. Quimbey did not know what else she could say, so she turned around and left.

She looked at Nicole and Julie, nodded, and left in silence.

Nicole saw Lance standing in the drizzle and felt sorry for him.

She thought about what she took from the flight attendant and stepped forward.

'This is what Yvette wrote on her flight back to Atlanta. The flight attendant found out about Yvette's incident and didn't throw it away. You can keep it

Lance paused and reached out to take it.

Nicole took one last look at Yvette’s grave before she turned around and left.

They needed their own space.

Before long, Nicole heard Lance sobbing loudly behind her.

That incomparable sadness, accompanied by the drizzle, was unforgettable.

This was the end of Yvette’s story.

It took them a long time to get over Yvette's death.

They did not really feel that Yvette was dead. She was just living in another place.

Yvette's parcel to Nicole was stuck at customs for nearly a month.

When Nicole received it, she felt sad and miserable.

Nicole opened the package with red eyes and saw the small gifts inside. She was so despondent that she could not speak.

There was a small note inside that read, "I hope that Lil Chatty grows up healthily and happily!"

Nicole held back her tears and put the things away.

Clayton went over to hug Nicole and patted her on the back.

"I know you're grieving, but you still have to look forward. We shouldn't give these things to Lance, lest he gets more depressed."

Nicole nodded. "I know. He moved his company from Atlanta back to Central Medianía, which is equivalent to giving up on all his hard work, so I won't rub salt into his wounds.”

Clayton smiled, stroked her hair, and sighed.

Nicole hugged him and cried for a while. She fell asleep from crying too much, so Clayton took her back to the bedroom.

Chatty came in and tried to climb up to the bed with her short legs.

However, she was not tall enough.

After trying for a long time, she only managed to hang half of her body on the bed.

When Clayton heard the movement, he got up and looked at Chatty helplessly. He stretched out his hand and made a hush gesture.

Chatty opened her eyes wide and nodded solemnly.

Then, she continued to climb on the bed.

Clayton was speechless.

Soon, Chatty found out that something was wrong.

Fischer pulled her legs from behind and wanted to climb up too.

Chatty was annoyed and kicked him to the ground.

Fischer pouted his lips.

Seeing that the two kids were about to get into a fight, Clayton walked over in a few steps and walked out of the room holding one kid in each hand.

Clayton had a serious expression on his face as he looked at Chatty.

"Didn't I tell you that Mommy is in a bad mood these days? You're not allowed to disturb her!"

Chatty pouted and said aggrievedly, "But I want to kiss Mommy!"

Fischer also said eagerly, "I want to kiss Mommy too!”

Clayton frowned. Under his cold gaze, Fischer changed his words and said, "I want to kiss Godmother!”

Clayton softened his gaze. "You can't kiss her because you’ve grown up."

Fischer, who was not yet four years old, was speechless.

He wanted to throw a tantrum, but Clayton was exuding such a strong and intimidating vibe. Thus, Fischer only looked at Clayton aggrievedly.

Fischer stretched out his arms to hug Chatty for comfort and finally kissed her little cheek.

Chatty did not know what happened and looked at Fischer with a smile.

Clayton's face turned dark as he thought, 'I didn’t allow him to kiss my wife, so he kissed my daughter?! This little brat! I'll beat him up!'

A few days later, Nicole resumed her normal schedule and commuted to and from work.

Clayton sent her to the office. If Nicole had no other business engagements, she would call Clayton to pick her up.

Logan thought that this routine would not last long because to outsiders, this was a driver's job.

However, they underestimated Clayton's passion for being Nicole's driver.

Clayton would come and pick Nicole up, rain or shine. He also liked to use different cars to pick her up.

Every car he drove would attract everyone's attention because they were all ridiculously expensive.

Nicole did not care much about the price of the car since this was Clayton's hobby. Thus, she would not persuade him to pretend to be poor.

That was because he did not stop her when she bought diamonds.

It was drizzling outside.

It was gloomy lately.

Logan knocked on the door and came in.

"President, Euan Churchill from Astrolabe Enterprises invited you for a spa treatment this afternoon. Do you want to go...?"

Nicole raised her eyebrows. She had a good impression of Astrolabe Enterprises' new president, Euan Churchill.

They did not play golf or go for drinks. Instead, he liked to drag her for spa treatments and massages when he was free.

Later when Clayton found out, he felt a sense of crisis and followed them out a few times, but he never joined them again.

That was because Clayton found out that Euan Churchill liked men, especially him!

This knowledge made Clayton feel uncomfortable that he could not stop thinking about it.

Nicole did not care. Euan was clean, polite, and well-spoken, so what did it matter who he liked?

She agreed without hesitation.

Logan smiled and sighed.

"At least my self-esteem won’t be battered today."

Nicole frowned. "Huh?"

Logan knew that she was just asking casually, so he explained with a smile, ’That's because every time Mr. Sloan comes to pick you up, he drives a different luxury car to catch your attention. But whenever I see those cars, my self-esteem gets hurt because I'm just a corporate slave...”

Nicole smiled and raised her eyebrows. Her eyes were bright and vivid.

'Then you guys have to work harder so that I can continue to buy more luxury cars!"

Logan was speechless and felt attacked.

Nicole sent a message to Clayton and told him about her appointment.

Clayton wanted to follow, but when he heard that it was with Euan, he did not even want to show his face.

Nicole smiled and said nothing.

In the afternoon, Logan and a female assistant sent her there. Naturally, the female assistant stayed back with Nicole.

Coincidentally, Euan also had a female assistant with him.

A place where women gathered was more relaxing.

Nicole also liked to talk business during her leisure time. 1

Chapter 2182 Monster

Euan talked about their current joint project and suddenly thought of something else.

"Actually, I'm exploring another project, but I don’t know if it'll be successful.”

Nicole replied, "Oh? Tell me about it."

Euan clicked his tongue. He could not care less about the mask on his face and said, "I heard gossip from someone that a hot spring has been dug out in Mount Baldwin. It’ll be profitable to build a hot spring resort there..."

Seeing his excited expression, Nicole smiled calmly.

"Gossip?"

Euan's eyes flickered.

"My younger brother is an avid rock climber and has gone to Mount Baldwin dozens of times. He told me about it when he came back this time."

Nicole raised her eyebrows. "Is there a report from the relevant authorities?"

Euan laughed.

"If there was, it wouldn't be gossip anymore. It's just that it's in another province far away, so I'm not so sure. Ms. Stanton, if you're interested, shall we go and check it out together one of these days? Even if it's not true, we can go for a hike and relax!"

Nicole was not that interested in it at first, but she was a little moved by the hike.

It would be nice to bring along Clayton and Chatty on a vacation.

It was a last-minute plan, so it would be a hassle to go abroad, but going to another province was fine.

Nicole thought about it for a moment and agreed.

"Sure!"

They did not talk for long when Clayton called.

He came to pick Nicole up and was already at the entrance.

Nicole did not say much. She asked the staff to wrap up the treatment and went out with a radiant face.

Euan followed behind and said with a smile, "Ms. Stanton, your skin is flawless! Do you go abroad for medical treatment regularly?"

Nicole raised her eyebrows, touched her face, and said with a smile," Natural beauty, I can't help it."

Although she knew that Euan’s compliment was exaggerated, any woman would be happy to hear it.

Just in time, Nicole saw Clayton standing at the door, looking tall and handsome.

Euan's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward to say, "No matter how many times I see Mr. Sloan, he just has that natural glow. He's simply outstanding!" 1

Nicole’s lips twitched.

Although Euan was not a woman, Nicole still felt uncomfortable that someone was eyeing her husband.

"It's a pity that he’s not yours, so you shouldn't look at him so much."

Euan was stunned and watched her departing back.

"How petty..."

Nicole's pace was fast because she did not want Euan to greet Clayton.

Clayton immediately opened the door for her, and she went in.

He then went to the driver's seat and quickly drove away.

Euan was speechless as he thought, 'Do I look like a monster?'

In the car, Clayton saw that Nicole was laughing and asked, "What's the matter?"

Nicole thought of the hiking trip and told him about it.

"It’s not just for the hot springs. Let’s go on a hiking trip and bring along Chatty and Fischer!"

Clayton smiled. "Sure, it can be a short family getaway. But why must we bring Fischer with us?"

Nicole curled her lips. "You're so petty. I thought you liked Fischer. Didn't you raise him to be your future son-in-law? Can you bear to separate those two for a few days?”

Clayton smiled helplessly.

"Sigh... If I weren't afraid that Chatty will meet a scumbag when she gets older, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get close to her. I'm teaching Fischer to treat her better now so that she won't get touched just because someone did something nice for her."

Nicole agreed. "I think so too."

The two chatted until they returned to the Stanton Mansion.

It was Mr. Anderson's birthday, so everyone, except for Maverick, was there.

As the birthday boy, Mr. Anderson tried his best to cook a simple meal, but Floyd stopped him.

Thus, Kai and Julie went to the kitchen to cook while Aida and Grant made a cake and desserts.

Floyd caught a few fish himself and happily played chess with the butler.

When Nicole and Clayton arrived, everyone was almost done with their task.

Floyd glared at her with dissatisfaction.

"Why are you back so late?"

Clayton immediately took the blame and said, "Dad, I had a last-minute appointment that I couldn't turn down, so we ran a little late."

As he said this, he took out the gift that he prepared earlier and handed it over to the butler. It was a box of high-quality premium tea.

"Happy birthday, Mr. Anderson."

The butler looked at it and was so happy that he grinned from ear to ear.

'Thank you, Ms. Stanton and Mr. Sloan.”

Clayton always bought expensive gifts.

The butler was a tea connoisseur. This particular tea was grown from a thousand-year-old tree. Each year, only a few grams were produced, so it was more expensive than gold.

Kai was busy running in and out of the kitchen. When he came out and saw the radiant Nicole, he was furious and yelled at her.

"Hurry up and help out! Don’t think that you can get away with it!”

Clayton smiled. He immediately put down his things and rolled up his sleeves to go into the kitchen.

Nicole hurriedly stopped him.

"I’ll help. You can stay here. Chatty and Fischer will be back soon."

Clayton frowned. "But it's a mess inside. You..."

Nicole patted his chest and said, "Don't worry. If you go, my third brother will just boss you around!"

She winked at him. Clayton smiled and lowered his head to kiss her forehead.

"Okay then. You can come out if you’re tired."

Nicole nodded and ran in happily.

Floyd rolled his eyes and could not stand the sight of them being lovey- dovey in front of everyone as if they were alone! How rude! i

He thought, 'Grant and Aida are still the most restrained."

Floyd subconsciously glanced at Grant and Aida, who were in the dining room.

He almost lost his temper when he saw them.

Grant looked at Aida dotingly and pinched her nose from time to time. He even smudged her face with the cream on the table while Aida glared at him angrily.

Floyd rolled his eyes speechlessly.

The butler smiled and shook his head.

'This is good. Aida is pregnant now, so our house will be even livelier next year!"

Floyd muttered in a low voice, 'They all forget their father once they're married. How useless! My precious daughter is also hopeless."

He glanced at Clayton, who was boiling water to make tea, and eased his expression.

"My son-in-law is still the best."

The butler nodded approvingly.

Floyd patted him on the shoulder.

'Thanks to your birthday, we can finally gather everyone! Otherwise, it'll be difficult to get all of them together."

The butler was speechless.

After a moment of silence, he coughed a few times.

"Chairman, it doesn't seem that difficult for you to call them back every once in a while for a lecture..."

Floyd said, "I have a legitimate reason. Look, Kai is married, but he's still in the headlines. Grant's wife is pregnant with their second child, but he still goes on business trips..."

'You obviously miss them!"

The butler smiled, squinted his eyes, and saw through everything.

Floyd did not say a word.

Clayton came over with the brewed tea, and said with a smile, "Dad, I'll go and help out in the kitchen."

Floyd waved his hand.

"No need! It's too tiring!"

Kai, Julie, and Nicole, who just came out of the kitchen, were at a loss for words.

Was it not tiring for them too?

Chapter 2185 Emergency Rescue

The tremors from the earthquake were so strong that Nicole had to walk by the wall to dodge the falling objects.

Overhead, the dim yellow lights suddenly went out.

It became pitch black.

For a moment, Nicole could not get used to the dark and could not see anything.

In the next second, she suddenly heard Chatty’s scared voice.

“Mommy...”

Nicole trembled and looked in Chatty’s direction excitedly.

Two of her assistants came out carrying a child in their arms.

“Ms. Stanton, let’s get out now! The back of this building has collapsed.”

The assistant said anxiously.

Nicole’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness. She looked at her female assistant, who was carrying Chatty, and saw that her forehead was bruised like she had been hit by a falling object.

Nicole immediately went over to look at Chatty. Fortunately, the child was just frightened. The assistant protected Chatty, but she was still terrified.

Nicole felt grateful and glanced at the assistant.

“Thankyou. Let’s go quickly.”

She stretched out her hand to carry Chatty and stroked her head. Finally, she felt at ease.

Fischer was carried by the male assistant. He was very well- behaved but also quite frightened.

There was nothing wrong with the male assistant, but he was visibly flustered.

They turned around and headed for the exit.

Nicole carried Chatty and ran outside.

Just as they were about to turn the corner, an aftershock struck them.

The tremor this time was several times stronger than the previous one.

The ground was unsteady.

They could not find a place to hide.

At that moment, half of the wall in the room collapsed and became ruins.

The screams continued, and the cries for help were deafening.

Someone who was running ahead was hit by a falling object in the next second.

That person became lifeless.

However, how could Nicole abandon Chatty to save a stranger at that moment?

Nicole’s heart clenched tightly with indescribable fear as she thought, ‘Luckily Clayton isn’t in here... Luckily he’s outside!’

While she was deep in thought, a white light flashed in front of her eyes.

The block of cement above her came crashing down.

The path behind them was blocked, but fortunately, no one was hit.

The male assistant was holding the female assistant’s hand while carrying Fischer in his arms.

Nicole paused. “You go first...”

She knew that if she walked ahead, she would only slow down the three of them.

The male assistant was agile and did not hesitate.

He jumped over the wreckage in a few steps, then ran out with the female assistant.

Even though he jumped forward and fell to the ground, he still managed to get out in time.

Nicole also followed behind.

She carried Chatty, who was obedient and did not cry or make a fuss. However, she could feel her little body trembling in fear.

Nicole took a deep breath and jumped onto the collapsed ruins.

When she was just about to jump down, the ground suddenly shook again.

For a moment, the space above her went dark.

The concrete and steel bars overhead fell.

Nicole was shocked and used her body to protect Chatty.

The concrete brushed past her head and landed a few millimeters away.

Chatty was safe and sound, but Nicole’s left arm was grazed by the falling concrete and steel bars. It pierced her flesh, and blood gushed out instantly.

Nicole’s heart settled down when the concrete fell to the ground.

The male assistant ran over to pick her up and carried Chatty.

Nicole climbed down and clutched her arm. Her face was pale from the pain.

However, now was not the time to take things slow.

Countless people were buried inside, and many survivors were trapped under the rubble.

Those who managed to get out cried loudly because they had just escaped death.

The screams and cries were incessant, and the surroundings instantly became a tragedy.

Their loved ones might still be inside, so grief and fear overwhelmed them.

In just a few minutes, the environment changed.

“The rescuers are coming up the mountain. Everyone, please calm down!”

“When are they coming? My mother is still inside! ”

“The rescuers are sending a helicopter over, so they’ll be here soon!”

The surrounding green hills and lush trees became gray. The air was dusty and suffocating.

The female assistant slumped on the ground and looked at the scene in front of her with a pale face. She still did not regain her senses.

Fischer obediently hugged the frightened little Chatty.

Nicole’s eyes were sore as she resisted the urge to shed tears.

She took out her phone.

At this time, Clayton should have made his way here.

Nicole no longer cared about her wound.

She called Clayton, but his phone was not in service.

Gradually, Nicole’s face paled. She started to tremble.

She knelt next to Chatty and Fischer, patted their heads, and tried to keep her voice as calm as possible.

“Chatty, Mommy’s going to find Daddy, so wait here with Uncle and Auntie, okay? Mommy and Daddy will come to pick you up soon.”

Chatty blinked her big watery eyes and nodded.

Nicole smiled and stood up.

The male assistant hesitated and spoke.

“Ms. Stanton, let’s wait for Mr. Sloan to come to us. We shouldn’t split up at this time. When the rescuer comes, we can go down the mountain immediately. Your wound also needs to be dealt with in time.”

Nicole knew that what her assistant said made sense.

But for some reason, she had a bad premonition in her heart.

This feeling was very strong.

All she could think about was the last moment she parted with Clayton.

They said goodbye reluctantly, and she left without looking back.

Nicole thought that she should have looked back at him.

She tore off a piece of cloth from the hem of her clothes and tied it to the upper part of her wound so that it would quickly stop the bleeding.

Nicole looked calm as she said, “Take care of the children and watch out for their safety. If the rescuers come, you should bring the children and leave immediately. I’ll follow you after I find Clayton. Contact my brother immediately when your phone is in service and get him to send someone to pick us up.”

The male assistant nodded and could only listen to her arrangements. He could not stop her.

Nicole took one last look at Chatty.

Although her face was covered in dust and dirt, her eyes were filled with crystal-clear tears.

Nicole trembled slightly, patted Chatty’s head, and tried her best to calm down.

“Chatty, you’re so brave. This place is very dangerous, but don’t be afraid and don’t cry. Follow Uncle and Auntie closely and take good care of Fischer. Can you promise Mommy this?”

Chatty nodded with determination. She choked up and said in her baby voice, “Yes, Mommy. You and Daddy must come back and pick me up soon.”

“Okay.”

Nicole smiled, stood up, and ran toward Clayton.

There were noisy cries everywhere as everyone still felt the lingering fear from the earthquake earlier.

Nicole ran to the place where she and Clayton parted ways j ust now.

There was originally a protruding boulder that was surrounded by railings.

A few minutes ago, many people were standing there admiring the scenery. The clouds and mist were pleasing to the eye and soothed the soul.

In the blink of an eye, nothing was left. The place was wrecked.

It was as if that boulder was sliced apart. Along with the railings, the boulder disappeared off the edge of the cliff...

Chapter 2184 Two-Faced Boy

Fischer also stood up and said, "Chatty, are you thirsty or hungry? If you're tired, you can tell me, and I'll carry you."

Chatty nodded happily.

"Okay!"

Clayton cursed inwardly. 'What a two-faced boy!'

Fischer smiled happily and walked up. Although he was thin, he was very agile, and he did not need Nicole to pull him along.

He was not tired at all. He just wanted to help Chatty relax a bit.

Now that Chatty reached her goal, Fischer would continue as usual.

Clayton was speechless at first, but he was subjected to Chatty's brainwashing, which proved quite effective.

Chatty hugged and kissed Clayton from time to time and wiped Clayton's sweat.

She said that he was the best dad in the world and praised him, saying that he was really good-looking and even more handsome than Fischer.

Chatty also said that she would learn from her mom and find a boyfriend like Daddy in the future.

After a while, Clayton was much more spirited in carrying Chatty up the mountain.

He did not even complain about being tired. Nicole shook her head repeatedly when she saw his vigor.

Chatty was young and certainly had a bright future ahead!

When they were about two-thirds of the way through the journey, Nicole really could not stand the sight of them anymore and asked Clayton to put Chatty down.

She made a phone call and asked the assistant who was waiting for them at the top of the mountain to come down and pick Chatty up.

In just forty minutes, they arrived at the top of the mountain.

Chatty took a look and wanted to go back to sleep.

Nicole had no choice but to send Chatty and Fischer back to the hotel.

Clayton took off his jacket and stood there in a simple sweatsuit. People could not take their eyes off that tall and handsome man.

Nicole also stood there tiredly, but when she saw the beautiful scenery on the top of the mountain, the anxiety in her heart was swept away.

She looked around. Thin clouds shrouded the top of the mountain, which was dense with greenery. The place looked like a beautiful fantasy land.

Standing there and looking down, Nicole did not feel scared. On the contrary, it made her calm down instantly.

She felt refreshed.

Clayton quietly watched as she closed her eyes and relaxed. A smile subconsciously formed on her face.

"Gorgeous..."

Nicole nodded without opening her eyes.

"Mhmm! This trip is worth it!"

Clayton said, "I was talking about you."

Nicole suddenly opened her eyes, and their eyes met. His gaze was so intense and affectionate that she could feel his surging love for her. 2

A cool breeze blew by and touched the tip of her heart.

Clayton stretched out his arms, and Nicole threw herself into his arms. The couple quietly enjoyed this moment while embracing each other.

After a while, Nicole's phone rang.

It was a call from one of her assistants.

"Ms. Stanton, Mr. Churchill has just arrived at the hotel and proposed to have afternoon tea with you. He also mentioned that it would be even better if Mr. Sloan joined."

Clayton heard the assistant's words.

His face instantly darkened as if he had swallowed a fly. It was indescribable.

Nicole smiled. "Okay. I'll go over later."

Clayton frowned. "I don't want to meet him."

Nicole pinched his cheek understandingly and nodded with satisfaction.

"I know. I'm very glad that you can protect yourself so well."

Clayton raised his eyebrows.

Nicole held the phone and smiled.

"I'll go over by myself. This mountain isn't very high. If it's not cost-effective to develop a resort here, I think it's better if we drop it. I have to go back and thank him for his kindness, then politely decline his offer."

Clayton nodded in agreement.

"Right. Looking at the current situation, I think a hot spring resort isn't suitable for this place. It's too remote, and no one comes except for tourists. It's not cost-effective for tourists to stay in the hot spring resort for one night. Besides..."

He hesitated to speak.

He had a bad feeling about this place.

It was a subtle feeling, but he could not tell what was wrong with it.

"Forget it. Go on then. Let me know when you're done talking with him, then I'll go and look for you."

Nicole nodded.

The couple reluctantly said their goodbyes.

Clayton looked at Nicole's departing back and suddenly felt an intense longing.

His heartbeat was extremely fast, but he quickly comforted himself that they would meet again soon in ten minutes.

When Nicole arrived at the hotel, many people were coming and going.

Although this was a hotel, it was actually a small two-story lodge.

The infrastructure and design were almost fifty years old. The place was dilapidated, and the bedsheets were yellow. Nicole did not know if the sheets had been changed.

The sound insulation of the room was not great, and the sanitary conditions were not up to standard.

This place was also cheap.

If there were other options, Nicole would not choose this place.

She made up her mind to take the cable car down the mountain at night so that they could go back after visiting other places.

It was enough to hike this mountain once.

There was a restaurant in this hotel. Euan sat in the greasy place in his clean and branded clothes.

He looked so out of place.

Euan saw Nicole come in and stood up happily.

However, when he saw that Nicole was alone, the joy on his face was reduced by half.

Nicole pretended not to notice and walked over.

"Mr. Churchill, just as well, I have something to tell you."

"Ms. Stanton, I know as soon as you open your mouth that you're not satisfied with this place..."

Euan held out his hand with a wry smile.

Not only dissatisfied.

This was torture for her!

Nicole smiled, but she did not say any harsh words. "Stanton Corporation's focus will gradually shift out of the real estate industry. I'm afraid you'll have to find another partner, Mr.Churchill."

Euan nodded.

Suddenly, there was a boom.

The loud noise engulfed the place.

In the next second, the tables and chairs in the dining room wobbled visibly.

Debris from the roof overhead also dropped right on their table.

Nicole's face turned pale. A bad premonition suddenly popped up in her mind.

She subconsciously looked out and saw a tourist falling to the ground. A crack appeared less than one meter away from him.

The crack on the ground was getting bigger and bigger like it was being ripped apart by a beast.

"It's an earthquake! Run quickly-"

Euan stood up in shock. When the tremors came again, he suddenly pulled Nicole and ran outside.

Nicole's face was pale, and she panicked for a while.

Before she walked out of the door, she suddenly felt her heart clench.

"Wait! My daughter is still inside!"

As she spoke, she turned around and ran in regardless of how violently the building was shaking.

There were piercing screams and terrified cries all around.

There was also a loud crash of something hitting the ground.

The ground was shaking violently. The fear brought about by natural disasters was far more intense and unavoidable than man- made tragedies.

It was really an earthquake.

Nicole's mind went blank. Her body trembled involuntarily, but she tried her best to calm herself down.

Right.

She must stay calm.

Nicole dodged the vase that was leaning over from the side. The next second, she heard the sound of the glass shattering onto the ground behind her.

It was sharp and frightening.

Nicole shouted at the top of her lungs. Her sharp voice was mixed with the sound of heavy objects falling around her.

She was terrified and flustered as she shouted, "Chatty! Fischer..." 1

Chapter 2187 He Died

“Ms. Stanton...”

“Madam...”

“Mommy...”

Countless voices reverberated in Nicole’s ears.

It was as if those voices were separated by a window, vaguely lingering in her ears.

Nicole fell into a coma due to her grief.

She wanted to be strong and face everything, but she dared not.

She was afraid that it was true, that something might have happened to Clayton.

If so, her life would forever lose its color.

After a long time, the voices finally quieted down.

She seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.

This hiking trip felt like a thrilling dream.

There were no dead people, screams, earthquakes, or thick fog that covered everything as far as the eye could see.

in the dark.

Doctors were coming and going from the room.

The tall man stood in front of the window and looked at the dark sky outside. When he turned back, he looked at the woman who was sleeping unsettlingly. Suddenly, he frowned slightly and felt a little worried.

He walked over, sat down, and looked at Nicole’s face patiently and meticulously. Every inch of her face looked so familiar.

He was greedy and unreconciled but forbearing.

Who said that to love someone was to let them go?

Who said that time was the cure for everything?

After being separated for such a long time, he did not feel any better, even if he tried his best to numb himself with endless work. He also tried to persuade himself that he should not be so selfish because Nicole would be in danger if she returned to him.

However, he could not help but think about her whenever he was free.

All he could think about was Nicole.

He finally managed to persuade himself to let go of her and that it did not matter as long as she was happy. He would just look at her from a distance all his life and be more open with her.

This was all he could give her, and it was what she wanted most.

He should respect her.

He could only watch her in silence when she was unconscious because he did not dare to show his emotions.

Someone opened the door, came in, and spoke softly as if they were afraid of disturbing the people inside.

“Sir, the Young Lady is awake.”

“Alright.”

The man lowered his voice, stood up, and walked out with light footsteps.

Nicole lay there and frowned tightly.

Although she could not hear clearly, was Clayton the one talking just now?

She thought, ‘He’s not dead! He’s still alive! ’

All of a sudden, she felt elated.

Nicole was in a coma, and she struggled hard to wake up from the dream.

Meanwhile, Eric Ferguson quietly went to the next room.

He saw the little girl sitting on the pink princess bed, looking so soft and pretty, like a small replica of Nicole.

She was so beautiful that the world seemed to be better with her existence.

The little girl blinked her big eyes warily at the man who suddenly appeared. She pursed her lips and asked, “Who are you?”

Eric softened his expression, gently knelt on one knee by the bed, and looked at her with a smile.

“We’ve met before, Chatty. When you were young, you bumped into me at the club. Do you remember?”

Chatty frowned and recalled her short life with difficulty. In the end, she shook her head.

“I don’t remember.”

Eric laughed. He liked her more and more.

He was amused by Chatty’s expressions, and no one could dislike such a cute little girl.

Eric said in a soft tone, “It’s okay if you don’t remember. You were too young at the time, so you’ll remember later. I’m your mommy’s good friend.”

Chatty questioned him seriously.

“But my mommy or my daddy never mentioned you before. If you were her good friend, why didn’t you come to our house to play?”

Eric froze and smiled.

“That’s because I was busy abroad...”

Chatty was obviously not interested in his affairs.

She looked around at the unfamiliar environment and said in a baby voice, “Where’s Daddy and Mommy? And where’s Fischer?”

Eric pursed his lips, looked at her seriously, and said, “Your friend was taken away by your mommy’s assistants. He’s fine. Your mommy fainted, so she’s resting here. I thought you should be with your mommy, so I brought you here. What do you think?”

Chatty did not understand his twists and turns. She pursed her lips a little anxiously and said, “I want to see my mommy!”

She said as she slid off the bed.

In the end, Eric stopped her.

“Your mommy isn’t awake yet, so you shouldn’t disturb her. If you need anything, you can ask the maids.”

“I want Daddy!”

The little girl said bluntly.

Eric’s expression tightened. There was an indistinct emotion in his eyes.

“Your daddy won’t be coming back anymore. He’s dead.” 1

Chatty blinked. She still did not understand what dying meant.

She thought about it and wanted to look for her mother, but she did not want to talk to this weird man anymore.

Chatty curled her lips and lifted the quilt up.

“I’m going to sleep...”

Eric nodded. “Okay. Go to sleep.”

He did not expect this kid to be so good-tempered and sensible.

He thought that she was going to cry secretly under the covers.

What a pity.

However, it was not completely miserable. Although Clayton was dead, Eric would still be there. He was willing to treat Nicole and her daughter well.

Eric stood up and left the room.

Chatty sat up and slid down the bed, landing firmly on the ground.

She ran out cautiously without wearing her shoes so that she would not make a sound.

When she saw Eric entering the next room, she quickly sneaked in through the gap in the door.

“Mommy...”

Chatty yelled loudly.

Eric looked at her in shock and stretched out his hand to grab her, but he did not manage to reach her.

She was elusive like a fish, so he could not catch her.

At this time, Nicole suddenly woke up because she heard her daughter.

She sat up abruptly with a pale face and panted heavily.

The lights in the room were not turned on. When she looked toward the door, she only saw a vague figure of a man standing there.

Her heart trembled, and she wanted to go down the bed excitedly.

“Clayton...”

Tears welled up in her eyes in an instant.

In the next second, the lights were turned on.

Nicole saw the man’s face and found that he was not the one she wanted to see.

She forced back her tears and looked shocked and disappointed.

Eric stood there and looked at her with a complicated gaze.

He was tall, lean, dignified, and indifferent while dressed in a black shirt and black trousers.

He still looked handsome and unapproachable, but at this moment, he deliberately tried to look gentle.

It seemed like he was deliberately imitating someone else’s temperament and habits.

Eric walked over and watched as the little girl struggled to climb onto the bed and threw herself into Nicole’s arms.

“Mommy...”

Nicole suppressed her tears and gently stroked the back of her daughter’s head to calm her down.

She was heartbroken.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

Nicole raised her head again and looked at the man.

“Mr. Ferguson, why are you here? Where are we? Where’s Clayton?” 11

Chapter 2186 No Signs of Life

Nicole stood there among the crowd. People were screaming and crying loudly.

They knelt there with terrified faces and the indescribable grief of losing their loved ones.

It felt as if an invisible wall formed in front of her, forming two different worlds.

Nicole looked at the ruins with a pale face.

Euan, who was on the side, walked over with a dismal expression. He looked like a mess because he participated in the rescue just now. His body was covered in dirt.

He looked at her and hesitated to speak.

The emotions in his eyes were very complicated.

“Ms. Stanton, during the earthquake just now, the surface fractured, and the boulder fell down when the first tremors hit. Mr. Sloan and three other people who were standing there fell off the cliff together. They didn’t have a chance to react.”

This was the cruel truth.

Nicole’s face was dreary and tense as she looked at the large surface that had disappeared in disbelief.

There was still some loose rubble at the fracture, and the place was surrounded by people at the moment.

Clayton was just standing there and talking to her just now. He hugged her, and she could still feel the warmth from his arms.

How was that possible?

At that moment, she stood there at a loss, not knowing what to think.

An indescribable sadness emerged from the bottom of her heart and spread to her whole body, making her tremble and panic.

Every nerve in her body felt numb and painful.

It felt as if someone was strangling her neck and suffocating her like she was on the verge of death.

Nicole wanted to go forward to take a closer look, but Euan stopped her.

“Ms. Stanton, it’s still dangerous there. I heard that there will still be aftershocks, so don’t go there! ”

Nicole’s mind was blank at this moment, so she could not react to anything.

She just wanted to go there to find Clayton. Maybe Clayton fell on a tree and was waiting for her to save him!

A bit of hope rose in her heart as she thought about it.

She stubbornly pushed Euan away.

“I have to save him...”

From the moment Nicole and Clayton decided to be together forever, Nicole never imagined what would happen if Clayton disappeared from her life.

She remembered that their relationship did not start off vigorously like those who fell in love at first sight. They also did not have many twists and turns in their relationship.

It was always Clayton’s initiative and approach that slowly softened Nicole’s heart. That was how he walked into her world.

Nicole was used to his existence because he was like the sun that illuminated her whole life.

Clayton risked his life for her and gave up everything for her. He stayed in Medianía to start anew because of her.

His appearance erased all the unhappiness in Nicole’s past. Nicole hoped that she could wake up next to the gentle and warm Clayton every morning until the day she died.

However, they had only been together for such a short time, and he disappeared like this.

Unknowingly, Nicole felt tears streaming down her face.

Euan stopped her with all his might.

“Ms. Stanton, you really can’t go there. It’s too dangerous! Everyone is waiting for the rescue team. Please be patient! ”

Euan regretted proposing this project and regretted that Nicole did not agree to it.

He also regretted that this natural disaster took down a man that he admired.

If something were to happen to Nicole, Euan would feel even more guilty.

Thus, he wanted to save anyone he could.

Earlier, Euan ran out of the hotel without Nicole completely out of his instinctive self-protection.

In that kind of situation, everyone would naturally save themselves first.

However, Euan was not a bad person. When he saw the people outside screaming in horror, he did not remain indifferent and immediately got involved in helping to rescue others.

When he got to this place, he saw the boulder breaking off from the cliff, and all four people, including Clayton, fell down.

Euan did not even have time to run over.

He did not even dare to think about that horrifying moment because he knew that the outcome was tragic.

“Patient?! How can I be patient?! Mr. Churchill, you recommended us to this stupid place! Why did you recommend this kind of place? If we didn’t come here, this wouldn’t have happened!”

Nicole yelled at him in a hoarse and crying voice.

Euan stood there speechlessly, overwhelmed with embarrassment and guilt.

However, he could not help it.

He could not have predicted a natural disaster.

Nicole cried, pushed Euan away, and ran to the edge of the cliff.

She could not see the bottom of the cliff because the mist halfway up the mountain covered the scene below. She looked down and could only see white and gray clouds. The greenery seemed to be covered with a layer of darkness. Everything looked bleak and cold.

It looked like a giant beast that could swallow anything in one gulp and would not refuse anyone who jumped down.

Nicole’s eyes darkened. Her whole body was tense. There would only be trees a few thousand meters down below, and Nicole could not see any signs of life.

That kind of despair instantly pervaded her body.

Nicole could not wait to plunge in.

If she jumped down, would she be able to find Clayton?

Nicole could not control herself as soon as she had that thought.

She was in a trance. Her chest felt heavy, the sad howling and cries for help were like a siren song that lingered in her ears. She felt even more desperate.

Euan was holding her back and did not dare to let go.

However, Nicole really wanted to go down and have a look. Was Clayton very scared at that time?

They did not even have time to say goodbye.

If it was not for Euan, they would have gone back to the hotel together. Clayton stayed back only because he did not want to see Euan.

No matter what, Nicole hated Euan.

“Mommy, Mommy...”

Chatty’s voice approached from behind.

Perhaps because of their blood relation, Nicole could clearly recognize Chatty’s voice from the crowd.

Nicole shuddered and quickly turned her head.

Nicole saw Chatty not far away, reaching out to her and crying as if she realized that something bad had happened. Chatty stretched out her hand and wanted Nicole to hug her.

Nicole felt like her heart was thrown down the garbage disposal and ground to shreds. The pain was unbearable. She could not move at all.

Gradually, Euan pulled Nicole away from the cliff.

Nicole’s eyes were teary as Chatty threw herself into her arms.

In an instant, the feeling of Chatty’s soft little body instantly replaced the darkness and despair that Nicole felt.

Nicole gently hugged Chatty’s small body and cried softly.

She thought, ‘What was I thinking? If I jumped down the cliff in front of Chatty, it would traumatize Chatty forever.’

That would be too cruel to Chatty.

However, Nicole could not restrain the grief of losing Clayton which surged constantly like a geyser.

“Look, the rescue plane is here!”

“We’re saved...”

“Come and save us! My husband is still inside, and my child is missing...”

“Help! Save us!”

The noise flooded Nicole’s ears.

Nicole also felt her vision dimming.

She could not stand the intense pain in her heart from the sudden loss of her partner. In the next second, she fell headfirst to the ground...

Chapter 2188 Test Result

Nicole looked straight at Eric.

Her voice was low and calm without showing any signs of panic.

If it were not for the paleness of her face, it would be impossible to tell that she had lost her composure in her sleep because of a man.

Even though Eric felt uncomfortable, he concealed it very well.

He walked in as if nothing had happened, walked to the chair next to the bed, and sat down.

"Are you alright? Do you feel any discomfort? Should I ask the doctor to check on you again?"

He said as he took out his phone to call the doctor.

As a result, he was interrupted by the impatient Nicole.

"Eric, what's going on? Was that earthquake just a dream? Where's Clayton? Why isn't he here?"

Nicole was unwilling to think about the worst outcome even though the grief was surging in her heart.

Eric looked at her and said in a low voice, "It's not a dream. My helicopter passed by the mountain and received a distress signal. When I got there, I saw that you fainted, so I brought you back here. The other kid went back with your assistants, and I brought Chatty along to accompany you. This is my property not far from the earthquake zone. Although the rescue team arrived right after I did, I was afraid that it would be too chaotic. The hospital is also overcrowded, so I brought you two here."

His tone was very calm.

Nicole choked up, and her eyes turned red.

"So... You don't know whether Clayton is dead or alive?"

Naturally, she would not expect Eric to save Clayton out of kindness.

Eric paused.

"He's dead, and there's almost no hope of him surviving the fall. You also know that the chances of survival from a several thousand meters fall without any equipment or preparation are almost zero."

"I don't believe it..."

Nicole gritted her teeth.

Eric was silent for a few seconds before he sighed.

'The body parts of two of the fall victims have been found. They're not even whole bodies. The search and rescue team also found four blood samples that have been sent for testing, and the DNA test results were consistent with the fall victims. The authorities didn’t allow relatives to identify the bodies yet to prevent a frenzy, but they have released the results and test certificates. One of the blood test results belongs to Clayton. I'm guessing that the other victim's and Clayton’s body parts will be announced soon."

His words were like a knife that stabbed Nicole's chest fiercely.

It was so painful that she could not speak. She was shrouded in despair, and her body turned cold.

Nicole did not want to believe this at all.

This news was like a bolt from the blue that hit her on the head.

Nicole shook her head in panic and shock.

"I don't believe it! I don’t believe it..."

She covered her ears with her hands and started to cry.

Chatty saw her mother crying, so she hugged Nicole in distress and patted her carefully.

Just like how Clayton and Nicole coaxed Chatty in the past, Chatty followed suit and coaxed Nicole.

Nicole hugged Chatty, shivered, and cried silently.

She could not control the heartbreaking despair that overwhelmed her.

Seeing such a Nicole, Eric felt a little distressed.

He really wanted to comfort her, but he held back because he was afraid that Nicole would think that he was taking advantage of the situation to get closer to her.

Although Eric wanted to do this, he knew that he should not rush things, especially not now when her heart and mind were filled with memories of another man.

The room was filled with sorrow and hopelessness.

After a while, Chatty also wanted to cry.

Chatty tugged on Nicole's clothes and deliberated whether to cry or not when she suddenly thought about something.

She asked urgently, "Mommy, this uncle said that my daddy is dead. What is 'dead'? Where did Daddy go?"

Eric's face darkened in an instant.

The next second, Nicole abruptly raised her head and glared at him fiercely with an icy face.

Nicole looked like she wanted to cut him to pieces.

Eric knew he was at fault, but he did not expect Chatty to be so thoughtless.

Usually, Eric only had contact with one child - Chance. Chance's comprehension surpassed children his age and could catch up to Eric’s.

Thus, Eric thought that all children were like Chance.

However, Chatty was so similar to Clayton in certain aspects.

Nicole did not rush to answer Chatty and said to Eric in a cold voice, "Mr. Ferguson, I think you're too cruel for telling this to a child who doesn't understand anything yet. Don't you think that you're too nosy?" 2

Eric pursed his lips.

He wanted to justify himself, but when he opened his mouth, he saw her face and closed his mouth again.

Forget it.

This was his fault in the first place.

He lowered his eyes and said, 'You should rest well."

Eric stood up and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something.

"I lent my helicopter to the rescue team, and I won't be able to get it back for a while. Since we're in the earthquake zone, the air traffic is temporarily under strict control, so you’re stuck here for a while."

After he finished speaking, he walked out and closed the door.

Eric breathed a sigh of relief and felt inexplicably guilty and nervous.

He purposely lent out his expensive helicopter and proactively donated money and resources to help the disaster victims.

He wanted to do this to prove that he was different from before, not because he wanted to keep Nicole here.

Anyhow, he had to use some high-sounding reason to cover up his ulterior motives, right? 1

As soon as Eric went out, Nicole's face darkened.

She touched Chatty’s face and pursed her lips.

"If someone is dead, it just means that they'll become a star in the sky and accompany you. But Mommy doesn't believe that Daddy is dead. Mommy will find Daddy."

Chatty nodded.

"I also don’t believe it. Daddy said he loves US the most!"

Nicole nodded and suppressed the tears in her eyes because she did not want to lose her composure in front of Chatty.

Before Nicole confirmed everything, she firmly believed that Clayton would come back to them.

Nicole took a deep breath and got out of bed. The moment she stood up, she felt a bout of vertigo.

She might be weak because she was too sad.

Nicole took a glance and saw that her phone had disappeared.

She calmed down and took a few deep breaths to get rid of the dizziness. After feeling better, she opened the door and went out.

Chatty followed closely behind.

Eric was in the living room instructing the maids on what food and supplements they should serve Nicole. When he heard the movement, he looked at Nicole and frowned slightly.

"Why did you come out here?"

Nicole stretched out her hand. "Where’s my phone?"

Eric was silent. He turned around and picked up a phone from the table in the living room.

Nicole saw that the screen was shattered, and she could not even turn it on.

Eric explained.

"It's like this because it fell off you. If you want a new one, I can get someone to buy it for you. But because of the earthquake, the base station was destroyed, so there won't be any signal for a while, even on the landlines. The whole city is temporarily paralyzed."

Chapter 2189 I'm Going to Look For Him

Nicole frowned and looked like she did not believe Eric.

How could it be such a coincidence?

She subconsciously looked at the maid next to her.

The maid noticed and nodded in agreement.

"Ms. Stanton, it's true. This is the safest place now because this house is earthquake-proof. Even if there is an earthquake, it won't collapse. If you want to contact the outside world, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Nicole heard this and felt her heart turn cold.

She could wait, but could Clayton wait?

Every second and every minute was precious, so she did not want to waste her time here.

What if Clayton was stuck somewhere, waiting for someone to rescue him?

Nicole wanted to leave immediately and get a team to rescue Clayton.

Her complexion turned extremely pale.

Her fists were clenched tightly, and her whole body was tense.

What should she do if she could not contact anyone?

How could she sit still?

Nicole raised her eyelids, looked at Eric, and pursed her lips.

"Can you do me a favor?"

'What is it?"

Eric's heart sank. Even though he knew that helping her at this moment would do him no good, this was the first time Nicole begged him.

Thus, he did not want to say no to her.

"Please lend me a few of your people or set up a search and rescue team

to look for Clayton at the bottom of the cliff."

Eric frowned disapprovingly. His face darkened.

"You know very well that there's almost no hope of survival if he falls from that height..."

"I know! I know everything, but I don't want to believe it! I need to find him, dead or alive. A few drops of blood on a test report means nothing. He might just be injured and bled nearby. Maybe he's still alive!"

Nicole was about to burst into tears and was trying hard to deceive herself. She seemed to be in denial.

Eric felt suffocated. His chest was tense, and his heart ached terribly.

"Okay, I'll send someone to look for him."

Eric took a deep breath. Anyway, he knew that it was almost impossible for someone to survive a fall from that height.

It was no big deal being kind to a dead man.

Thinking of this, Eric mocked himself again.

Nicole pursed her lips.

"I'm going too."

Eric refused. "No, you’re not fully recovered yet..."

'This wound is nothing! He's more important. I must go!"

Nicole was determined and serious as if there was no room for negotiation.

Eric looked at her and compromised again.

He looked down at the little girl standing by Nicole's leg.

'What about her?"

Nicole stroked Chatty's hair. "She'll stay here, so please take care of her."

The emotions in her heart were complicated as she was tangled with grief.

Nicole did not show any vulnerability or sadness in front of Chatty because Chatty was alone in this unfamiliar environment.

Eric nodded and glanced at the maid.

The maid nodded with a smile and went over to hold the girl’s hand.

"Come, baby. Let’s go and play. There are a lot of toys here..."

The girl looked at her mother. She was reluctant to part with Nicole and wanted to follow her.

Nicole smiled and said, "Chatty, baby, go to sleep. You can see Mommy again when you wake up.”

Chatty pursed her lips and could only nod in resignation.

She remembered that Daddy said she should not cry or make noise when he was not around. Otherwise, Mommy would be anxious and sad.

Chatty did it.

She was brave in this unfamiliar place.

Chatty took two steps out, then ran back and hugged Nicole's leg.

"Mommy, you must tell Daddy that I've been a good baby so that he'll reward me!"

Nicole nodded and choked up.

"Alright. Mommy will tell Daddy if I see him."

Chatty smiled and revealed her baby teeth, then followed the maid to the room.

Eric looked at Chatty's skipping back.

For some reason, he felt a trace of bitterness in his heart.

How nice would it be if he also had such a well-behaved and clever daughter?

Chance was like a mouse in front of him.

Whether Eric spoke to him or not, Chance was terrified to death.

They did not seem like father and son and were more like enemies.

Eric looked away and followed Nicole.

Even in a different city, Eric's influence should not be underestimated. He just needed to make one phone call to gather a team of more than a hundred people at the fastest time possible. They claimed to be a voluntary organization that came to rescue the disaster victims.

Thus, the authorities gave them the green light to proceed, which greatly facilitated their search.

Eric's helicopter was useless in this situation, but he found a lot of drones.

Searching with drones was more convenient and quicker.

However, the scene was tragic beyond his imagination.

They searched within range of the two victims. The smell of blood permeated the air and would not disperse for a long time.

Clothes and fabrics were stuck in the mud and broken branches were all around them. Some tall trees fell due to the earthquake, and the air had a damp and unpleasant smell. The scene was gory and tragic.

There was a large crack in the ground that looked horrifying. It looked like there was no place to seek refuge during the earthquake earlier.

Seeing this scene was suffocating enough.

The search and rescue team wore protective equipment and masks and began to search every inch of the area in silence.

A dozen drones in front searched all over the mountain and wilderness.

When Nicole arrived, the team had already started the search. Even though it was nighttime, the place was brightly lit.

It was just that the light brought no warmth and only made people feel cold and lonely.

Eric followed Nicole out of the car.

The person who took the lead hurried over to meet them.

"Mr. Ferguson, Ms. Stanton, the drone is currently searching a large area mainly covering the possible range of the fall. But there are no leads yet."

Eric nodded, glanced at Nicole, and said in a deep and steady voice," Continue the search."

This time, Eric really spared no effort in finding Clayton, his rival in love.

Clayton was already a corpse anyway, so Eric did not care if they found him or not.

It would be even better if he could find Clayton's body. That way, Nicole could give up, and he would have a chance. 2

However, Eric could not express his dark thoughts at this time.

Eric looked at the scene in front of him solemnly. Everyone was equipped with flashlights, and the lights were constantly moving, which increased the difficulty of the search and rescue.

In fact, nighttime was not conducive to the search, but Nicole still held a glimmer of hope and would want to grasp every moment she could.

How could it be so easy for Clayton to escape death?

Eric already knew the outcome, and he did not hold any hope for Clayton's survival when he searched for him with Nicole.

Nicole rolled up her sleeves and held a flashlight, intending to go into the forest. But Eric pulled her back.

"Why are you going in?"

"I'm going to look for him. We’ll increase the chances with one more person."

Eric suddenly felt frustrated.

"How can you help? There are so many people here, so it’s more than enough!"

"It's not enough! I'm more sensitive and can spot him better than they can, so I have to go in by myself."

Nicole looked at him solemnly and said, "Mr. Ferguson, I'm surprised that you're willing to help me so much, but I’m also very grateful to you. I’ll remember your kindness. When I find Clayton and get through this difficult time, we'll be sure to repay you. But at this time, you'd better not dissuade me because I've made up my mind."