Chapter 786 Actually, They Once Had a Child
Grant stood at the entrance of The Devereux Mansion, lost in thought. Memories of his rough childhood flooded back, filling him with a deep sense of sorrow.
A cold wind blew through, snapping him back to reality and scattering his thoughts.
"Grant, what are you doing?" he muttered to himself.
He stepped back and leaned against his black Range Rover, his hands shaking as he fumbled for a cigarette. Just then, the gates of The Devereux Mansion opened, and a white Maserati drove out. It had to be Natalie.
Natalie had arrived in Copenhagen last night and planned to buy some gifts for the elders at home that day, so she left early in the morning.
As the car exited the gates, she saw Grant.
A black SUV.
He was dressed in black, leaning against the car, quietly smoking.
Natalie felt her eyes strain at the sight. Before she could think it through, the white Maserati came to a halt. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, staring ahead. After a long moment, she regained her composure, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car.
Walking up to Grant, Natalie looked up and asked softly, "What are you doing here?"
Grant took a drag from his cigarette, finishing it off.
When he looked at her again, his eyes were cold and distant. He stared deeply at The Devereux Mansion. "I've been here before when I was very young. It wasn't a pleasant memory. Natalie, you said you wanted to break up and leave, and now you're saying it's time to get married. There's nothing wrong with that! But..."
Grant's gaze was intense.
What he wanted to say was, if he had known the truth back then, how could she be sure he wouldn't have chosen to be with her?
Who gave her the right to decide for him?
But he didn't say any of that.
Because there were no "what ifs" in life; it's all about the choices we made. Natalie had made her choice long ago, and so should he.
Natalie stood there in a loose white coat, in the early morning mist.
She stood for a long time, tiny droplets of dew clinging to her eyelashes.
It took her a long time to understand what he meant. So, Grant had known about her identity all along, and he had known why she broke up with him.
Grant sensed her thoughts and gave a faint smile. "Let's leave it at that."
"Grant."
Natalie suddenly called out to him, her gaze unwavering. "You came here to blame me for my weakness, didn't you? So, Grant, let me ask you, do you dare? Do you dare to say you can give up everything, defy your mother, and be with me? Can you face the McCall family's accusations and bear the infamy? If you can, then you have the right to blame me. Otherwise, you don't."
As she spoke, memories of the past and the pain resurfaced.
They were young and naive and didn't know the weight of their actions.
She had paid the price.
In the cold daylight, they stood facing each other in the wind. After a long silence, he looked at her and asked softly, "Before we broke up, why did you sleep with me?"
The atmosphere was tense.
The cold wind tousled Natalie's hair, covering half of her face and clouding her eyes.
She lowered her gaze, hiding the moisture in her eyes, and said softly, "Maybe it was out of spite. After all, I had chased you for so long, Grant... You were really aloof back then."
She gave a self-deprecating smile, and he stared at her before finally choosing to leave.
The door of the black Range Rover slammed shut with a loud bang.
Then he drove away.
He must have been driving too fast, as the tires screeched against the pavement, making a deafening sound. Grant drove, watching Natalie in the rearview mirror, her figure growing smaller and smaller, left far behind.
Just like back then, when she got into Clayton's car and left him behind.
So, feelings did come full circle.
Grant thought he should feel satisfied, leaving Andrew's beloved daughter behind at the gates of The Devereux Mansion. He should feel satisfied, right? But why were his hands trembling as he gripped the steering wheel?
His hands shook as he reached for the cigarette pack, only to find it empty.
The car horn blared suddenly.
It was he who had hit it.
Natalie stood there for a long time. Perhaps the gatekeeper had acted as a messenger, as someone slowly walked out of The Devereux Mansion. It was Andrew.
Andrew only saw the back of a car, then looked at Natalie.
Natalie stood there, a few tears slipping from the corners of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.
Andrew asked, "A new boyfriend? Did you fight?"
Andrew walked over and wiped her tears. "Your mom said you went shopping. I was wondering why you're still here, so you came here for a date early in the morning. What happened? Did you have a fight?"
Natalie shook her head and spoke with a choked voice. "No! Someone I knew from before."
Andrew's gaze was deep, his tone drawn out. "Someone you knew from before, huh? Then he must not have been good enough for you to choose him."
Natalie shook her head again, leaning into Andrew's embrace, and resting her face on his shoulder.
Andrew patted her shoulder. "If it was my fault, I'm willing to apologize to him for you. No more crying, your mom will be worried if she finds out."
Natalie cried even harder.
Her father had been single for many years, focusing on his career, and it took many years for him and Chloe to truly be together. He had handled that matter back then with no fault of his own; he should have dealt with it justly.
She couldn't let Andrew apologize against his conscience for her personal feelings.
Besides, so many years had passed, and she and Grant were no longer the same.
She shook her head in Andrew's arms, then gently hugged him, acting like a good girl. Andrew couldn't bear to let her drive, so he called a driver and accompanied her out.
In a couple of days, Gavin would bring Molly back.
The whole family, together.
During a family dinner, Chloe and Molly went over the household expenses. None of the women in the family liked doing it, but Chloe thought Molly should learn.
After finishing, Chloe called for the maid to bring two desserts. He spoke softly, "New recipe, try it."
Molly knew she had something to say.
Sure enough, after the dessert, Chloe took out a few photos of men and explained their backgrounds, finally asking, "Molly, which one do you think is most suitable for Natalie?"
Molly was simple-minded and usually didn't like to meddle, but Natalie was the family's treasure.
In bed, Gavin would mention Grant, so Molly knew about him too.
Chloe asked, and Molly respectfully looked through the photos. Finally, she said softly, "None of them look as good as Mr. McCall."
Chloe was silent.
She looked at Molly for a long time before sighing, "Yes, he is quite handsome. Otherwise, your sister wouldn't have been so infatuated back then! But they were never meant to be, and I wouldn't want her to marry into that family."
Chloe confided in Molly, sharing her concerns.
"Gavin told us, and I remembered the past. Mrs. McCall was indeed pitiful, but I could see she wasn't an easy person to get along with. I think she played a part in Natalie and Mr. McCall's breakup."
Molly nodded, "Gavin thinks so too."
She looked at Chloe.
Her background wasn't respectable, and others might not have accepted her. But Chloe treated her well, giving her everything Natalie had. Over the years, this had become her home.
Chloe, feeling Molly's gaze, coughed lightly and stood up, "It's late, you should get some rest."
Molly nodded.
She waited for Chloe to leave, then had the room cleaned before returning to her bedroom. Gavin had already showered and was in his pajamas, leaning against the headboard with a book, clearly waiting for her.
Molly blushed.
He was usually busy, but during holidays, she suffered.
Around the Fireworks Festival, he had about 20 free days.
In those 20 days, she endured at least 50 times. Sometimes Molly wondered where he got the energy at his age.
Blushing, she showered and sat at the vanity to brush her hair.
Gavin looked up and asked, "Mom talked to you for a while. What did she say?"
Molly looked at him in the mirror, then said, "Mom is planning to set Natalie up with someone. There are a few good candidates, but I don't think she likes any of them."
Gavin hid his face behind the book.
After a while, he said, "I'll talk to Mom tomorrow. Let's wait. If Natalie moves back to Copenhagen, we can set her up then."
Molly agreed, "Okay," looking obedient.
Gavin saw her like this and wanted to tease her, but tonight was different.
He was especially gentle with her.
Fireworks bloomed outside, and in the spacious, luxurious bedroom, it was warm and full of spring.
In the east-facing bedroom across the way, Natalie stood quietly, watching the fireworks, holding a charm in her hand.
She had gotten it at a church many years ago.
In her youth, a night of passion had resulted in a new life. She only realized it after breaking up with Grant, but by then, the child was gone.
It didn't hurt much, just a small piece of flesh being torn away.
It was her and Grant's child.
The doctor said her body was special, and after this miscarriage, it would be hard for her to have children again. So seeing Grant again, she had no feelings left.
Grant was in the prime of his life, and the McCall family, after a difficult time, valued bloodlines highly. Sometimes, love wasn't just about liking someone.
Marriage even more so.
Natalie gently held the charm, then carefully put it away.
She stayed in Copenhagen for a while, and when she returned to Syeattel, she didn't go to the office. She spent her time at home drawing comics and occasionally visiting the Hawkins Mansion to help Charlotte with wedding preparations.
One day, Lola and Johnny were there.
After lunch, Natalie was about to leave with Charlotte when Lola called her over, "Natalie, come here."
Natalie obediently sat next to her.
Lola smiled, patting Natalie's head, "Grace came by a few days ago. She mentioned Grant, saying his company wanted her to endorse a product, but she hesitated because of your history with Mr. McCall."
Lola added, "The endorsement fee is $1.2 million, which is quite a high price.."
Natalie was stunned, then said, "She doesn't need to consider me. She shouldn't turn down money."
Lola smiled again, "That's up to her. You should talk to her."
Natalie didn't want to get involved, so she stayed silent.
Johnny, flipping through a magazine, spoke up, "Rejecting it is one thing, but telling you about it, Lola, that's not like Grace."
Lola glared at him, "You know women so well! You know Grace's style too?"
Johnny laughed, "Look at Lola! She seems generous, but I have to be careful all the time, afraid of saying the wrong thing and ending up on the couch."
Lola closed his magazine.
Lola teased, "Alright! Let's see a therapist. I need to get better so I can serve Mr. Flores, so he won't say I'm harsh and uncaring."
Natalie spoke slowly, "Are you flirting? Can you consider my feelings?"
Lola pinched her cheek, "Grace is coming over! Think about how to handle her."
Natalie stayed silent.
She wanted to see a therapist too.
Johnny handed her over to Charlotte, "Mom, Natalie's here."
He went downstairs, sat in the passenger seat, and buckled up.
Lola looked at him, "Did you invite Grant to our wedding?"
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