Chapter 787: How Much Is Your Affection Worth?
Johnny chuckled, "Of course! I worked with him on such a big project. Inviting him to my wedding is just the right thing to do. It would be weird if I didn't."
Lola found it amusing.
She rested one hand on the steering wheel, her fingers supporting her chin. She was beautiful, and the scene was incredibly pleasing to the eye.
She laughed softly, "Our Mr. Flores usually doesn't talk this much unless he's feeling guilty."
Johnny lowered his head and planted a kiss on her lips.
Nothing could be hidden from her!
He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice low and tender, "You went to see a therapist and learned all these tricks, didn't you? And now you're using them on me, huh?"
His tone was gentle, and his voice was incredibly pleasant.
He was deliberately being seductive.
They had reconciled for a while now, but since their last intimate encounter, they hadn't made love again. Lola had seen the best therapist a few times, but Johnny hadn't been able to join her, so he didn't know what kind of treatment she was receiving.
Even though they hadn't been physically intimate, their relationship had grown much stronger.
At night, Stella still slept between them. Once Stella fell asleep, they would hold hands and talk across her. Johnny often looked at Lola with tenderness in his eyes.
He was trying to seduce her again!
Lola gently touched his face, her slender fingers lightly gliding over his handsome, chiseled features. After a moment, she laughed softly, "You don't like it?"
He caught her restless fingers, "Of course I like it, but we might be late."
Lola looked at him, "If we go to the hotel now, maybe we won't need to see the therapist anymore."
Johnny was almost driven mad by her teasing.
They were still in the yard at home, with servants coming and going, who could easily see them. But he didn't care anymore, leaning in to explore under her clothes while kissing her.
After a while of this teasing, Johnny was breathless and whispered in her ear, "You're tricking me again!"
Even though she wasn't particularly aroused, he still couldn't resist touching her.
Lola held his hand to stop him, her voice low, "I did feel something!"
They had a long future ahead. With Johnny's abilities, he could probably still be active at seventy.
They had nearly thirty years to go.
She wasn't in a hurry at all. The most important thing was that they loved each other. She gently pulled his long fingers away, their gazes subtly intertwined. Lola whispered, "If we don't leave now, we'll really be late."
Half an hour later, Johnny accompanied her to the clinic.
As usual, she went into the consultation room while he waited outside. While waiting, a nurse at the front desk exclaimed, "It's snowing!"
Snowing... Johnny was slightly taken aback. He got up and walked to the window.
Through the glass, he saw the gray sky gently releasing soft snowflakes, which stood out clearly against the backdrop of the vintage red brick buildings.
On the street corner, a street musician stood, with long hair and wearing very thin clothing.
But the violin in his hand,
Johnny could tell at a glance that it was shiny and expensive, well-preserved, and must have been costly when it was bought. The tune he played was gentle and sorrowful.
He must be missing someone.
Johnny stood by the window, quietly watching for a while. Passersby hurried by, and no one gave the musician any change. Perhaps because it was snowing, everyone was in a rush and had no time to appreciate the music.
After a moment, he glanced at the consultation room door and softly told the nurse, "I'll be downstairs. Let my wife know when she comes out."
The nurse nodded, not quite understanding.
Johnny didn't take the elevator but slowly walked down the stairs and crossed the street.
The musician continued playing the violin, noticing a well-dressed man approaching him. The man wore a crisp shirt under a high-quality thin wool coat and was very handsome.
The music didn't stop; the musician kept playing.
Johnny stood there, quietly listening to the gentle snowfall.
After a few pieces, he took out his wallet and gave the musician all the cash he had, about three or four thousand dollars. The musician accepted it with gratitude, neither humble nor arrogant.
As Johnny turned to leave, he thought the musician wasn't just playing the violin or trying to make money.
He was trying to figure out how to keep living.
He must be missing someone.
Across the street, in front of a small coffee shop, Lola stood waiting.
She wore a warm coat and a new gray wool scarf around her neck, and her long hair was tied up in a bun. She stood there, simply and beautifully, waiting for him.
They were separated by the gentle snowfall.
Johnny quickened his pace, but the cold made his legs ache, slowing him down a bit.
He smiled at her and then slowed down, walking up to her.
The snow continued to fall.
He glanced at the coffee shop behind her and smiled warmly, "Mrs. Flores, shall we have a cup of coffee?"
Lola had her hands in her coat pockets.
She asked, "Mr. Flores, do you still have any money?"
Johnny raised his phone, "We can use mobile payment."
Lola laughed, "Good thing Felicity didn't spoil you too much over the years. You still know how to use mobile payment."
Johnny pinched her nose and put his arm around her shoulder as they walked into the coffee shop. His voice was low, "I know a lot of things, Mrs. Flores. You'll find out."
She replied, "Looking forward to it."
In the end, Lola bought the coffee. She bought three cups and then looked outside, "Aren't you going to invite your friend for a cup?"
Johnny looked at her, and after a moment, he said softly, "Lola, I was just thinking if I had stopped to appreciate things back then, maybe we wouldn't have had to struggle so much to get here."
Lola gently patted his cheek, "There's no 'if' in life, Mr. Flores."
She looked out the window and said softly, "Now, it's not too late."
Meanwhile, Natalie couldn't avoid it.
Grace approached, and she reluctantly greeted, "Grace!"
Grace was much older, but she still maintained her figure well. She wore a dress that accentuated her curves, with a fur coat over it, looking very fashionable.
Inside The Hawkins Mansion, Grace took off her fur coat, and a servant immediately brought coffee and a list.
"Mrs. Hawkins is upstairs. Please review this first and let us know if there's anything to add."
Natalie wanted to slip away, but Grace called her back, "You should take a look too. You'll need to know this eventually! When you get married. I might not be able to guide you, so it's good to learn."
Natalie remained silent.
She could only sit back down and look at the list together.
A servant reported that Clara wanted to see her. Grace was indifferent, "No."
The servant went to relay the message.
Grace continued with her tasks, and Natalie cleared her throat, "Is it Grant's assistant? Clara Lynn?"
Grace smiled, "Maybe! But I don't know her name, and she's not that important. Don't get distracted, learn this, or I'll have to talk to your mom about you."
Natalie stayed silent.
She glanced at Grace secretly, who seemed unbothered, chatting and drinking coffee as if nothing had happened.
Charlotte came down, acting the same way.
In the evening, Grace's car sneaked out through the back gate. Natalie drove herself home, and as she was leaving, she saw a black SUV parked at the entrance.
Clara, dressed in a suit, was waiting by the car, looking somewhat anxious.
Natalie knew she was waiting for Grace.
She didn't stop, and her car slowly drove out of The Hawkins Mansion gate.
Clara recognized her car and stepped in front of it, forcing Natalie to stop. She didn't get out of the car and said coldly, "What do you want?"
Clara walked over, her gaze on Natalie was complex.
In the past, she thought Natalie had nothing but her looks. She never imagined Natalie was a wealthy heiress from the Devereux family, a family that could rival the Hawkins family.
A cold smile appeared on Clara's lips. "You told Grace not to take the Granatal Nexus Technologies Group's ad, didn't you? Natalie, how could you be so cruel? You ruined Grant back then, and now you're ruining his career. You just can't stand to see us happy, can you? You're just bitter and vengeful."
Natalie sat in the car.
It was warm in the car, and her fingers held the steering wheel, bare of nail polish, with a healthy pale pink hue that looked very pretty.
After a moment, Natalie laughed lightly, "It's freezing out here, Clara. Didn't Grant care enough to make sure his fiancée dressed warmly? It seems like your days with him aren't that great. I remember he has quite a temper. If your life is so miserable, why would I be upset?"
Clara's face turned pale with anger.
Last time, she had upset Grant, and it was only through Alvina's mediation that she was allowed to stay.
But Grant had given her a lesson.
She was now working in the advertising department, and Grace was someone she had to win over, but Grace wouldn't budge. Clara believed Natalie was behind it, and she hated her for it.
Natalie straightened up a bit.
She looked at her former classmate, her tone indifferent, "Clara, it's been eight years. You've got what you wanted. There's no need to flaunt it every time we meet because the things you care about, I might not care about anymore."
Clara gave a strange smile.
Her pride was clearly wounded.
At that moment, the back window of the SUV rolled down, revealing a handsome face with a brooding expression... it was Grant.
Natalie was surprised to see him, but she didn't regret what she had said.
She and Grant had long been over.
She glanced at Grant, then rolled up her window and slowly drove away.
Grant sat in the car.
Clara turned to look at him, trying to smile, but it came out more like a grimace because she could see that Grant still hadn't forgotten Natalie.
He hated her, but he couldn't forget her.
Clara's voice was broken, "Grant, can we get married?"
Grant didn't respond, which was a silent refusal.
After a long pause, he coldly said, "Get in the car!"
But Clara slowly crouched down, covering her face with her hands, tears streaming through her fingers. Eight years, she had given her youth and everything she had, but she couldn't earn even a bit of this man's affection.
His eyes were only for Natalie.
Grant watched her quietly for a moment, then told the driver, "Drive."
Since she wouldn't get in the car, she could cool off in the wind. The black SUV slowly drove away, without any hesitation or compromise, just like his heartless attitude toward Clara over the years.
He didn't necessarily need her by his side.
He had kept her around because Clara was the best and most outstanding woman available. He wanted to see if he could develop feelings for such a woman. If he did, he would marry her and completely forget about Natalie.
He had tried to like her.
In the third year, she was by his side, they had some ambiguous moments. After a night of drinking, there were hugs and the faint scent of her perfume. He knew she had kissed him.
He was drunk but not completely out of control.
He was fully aware that Clara liked him and was kissing him, and he didn't push her away.
He thought that if he could feel a physical attraction and have a relationship with her, it would be good. It would fulfill the most important aspect of a marriage, desire. They could satisfy their physical needs and have a couple of well-bred children.
Clara was indeed a good match.
But that night, even with Clara in his arms, being so proactive,
He couldn't muster any interest.
His mind was filled with thoughts of Natalie and that night in the warm cabin under the wool blanket, her naked body like a soft little animal snuggling into his arms.
They were each other's first.
Afterward, he saw the bloodstains on the sheets, and the delicate Natalie refused to get out of bed for a whole day, complaining of pain, even though he had only done it once and had been very gentle.
It hadn't lasted long, and they hadn't even fully experienced it.
But he could still remember how soft her body was, how well-developed she was.
Her waist was so slender.
Even though it was so rushed, he had thought about it for years. He was unable to forget!
Grant had done business in the market, and it wasn't like he hadn't played along with the game. When alone in a private room with a young woman, she had also proactively unbuckled his belt. He wasn't without sexual needs, but when it came to that moment, he would think of Natalie, of her holding his neck and softly calling him Grant.
That night, she had said many times, "Grant, I like you!"
Like... In the car, Grant laughed bitterly. How much was her "like" worth?
Valentine's Day had arrived. Lola and Johnny's wedding was held on an island. All their friends and family had chartered flights and booked hotels. There were so many people that they flew in two groups to the famous island.
When Natalie boarded the plane, she didn't expect to be seated next to Grant.
He sat casually, his coat on his lap. The flight attendants were all sneaking glances at him, probably recognizing him and hoping for a business card or something.
Grant ignored them.
When Natalie approached, he looked up and saw her ticket, clearly indicating she was seated next to him. She was about to ask someone to switch seats.
At that moment, a flight attendant had already given him her phone number.
Natalie remained silent.
Grant noticed and took the note from his pocket, handing it back to the flight attendant, saying calmly, "My wife is here. She wouldn't be happy."
The flight attendant apologized repeatedly and addressed Natalie as Mrs. McCall.
After the flight attendant left, Natalie sat down and looked straight ahead, saying lightly, "Grant, don't mislead people. We have nothing to do with each other!"
He casually flipped through a magazine, his tone nonchalant, "Just helping to fend her off! Is it necessary to be so concerned?"
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