Chapter 800 Between Us, No One Wronged the Other!
The hospital room was warm, but Natalie felt a chill run through her as she looked at the paternity test results.
Haven, who had just finished feeding, relaxed in her arms and let out a small burp before falling asleep.
Natalie snapped back to reality.
She gently patted Haven and spoke in a low voice, "Grant, what do you want me to say?"
Grant's breath hitched.
Natalie gave a faint smile. "After I got together with Clayton, and while you were still in that ambiguous relationship with Clara, if I had come to you and said, 'Grant, I'm pregnant,' I can already imagine how you would have responded. You would have asked, 'Are you sure the child is mine? What, Clayton doesn't want to claim the child?'"
Grant wanted to deny it, but he couldn't.
Because what Natalie said was likely true. Back then, he might have found a way to mock her. Besides, he couldn't accept her being with Clayton and then coming back to him.
He would have looked down on her.
Seeing his expression, Natalie smiled even more faintly. "You see, that's how we are, hurting each other back and forth. But Grant, the main reason I didn't tell you isn't that. It's because... I fell in love with Clayton. I genuinely wanted to spend my life with him."
So, there was no need to say anything.
Nothing could be more hurtful than that.
Grant's face turned pale.
After a long silence, he spoke sincerely, "Natalie, let's put everything behind us and start over."
Natalie looked down.
She gazed at the baby in her arms and said softly, "Start over? Grant, you always knew our situation. You never had the courage to start over with me. Why now? Is it because of the child? Just because of the child, you're willing to give up everything?"
She paused, then spoke firmly, "I don't want to."
Natalie pressed her cheek against Haven's and said softly, "Mr. McCall, the child's name is Haven Percy. I believe that Clayton, who is wandering out there, will return to his safe haven. I will wait for him with our child. If he doesn't come back in a year, I'll wait a year. If he doesn't come back in ten years, I'll wait ten years."
There was a knock at the door. It was the nurse's voice.
The door was locked and couldn't be opened.
The nurse outside, worried something might be wrong, called security.
In the VIP room, Grant stared at Natalie without blinking. He had often seen her, secretly watching her through every stage of her pregnancy.
But suddenly, she felt like a stranger to him.
He wondered what was wrong. It took him a long time to realize that the unfamiliarity came from Natalie truly letting go of him.
Even if Clayton wasn't around, she had no intention of going back to him.
After a long while, Grant spoke bitterly, "For the sake of the child, Natalie, we should start over."
Natalie still refused him. "In this world, there's no such thing as 'should' or 'shouldn't.'"
The knocking at the door grew louder.
"Mrs. Percy, should we call the police?"
Natalie put Haven down and got up to open the door. Grant didn't stop her.
When the door opened, it wasn't just the nurse and security personnel outside. Chloe and Molly were there too, carrying a large bag of nutritional supplements and baby supplies.
They looked at Grant, surprised, yet not surprised.
No one knew their daughter better than a mother.
Seeing Natalie's expression, Chloe guessed what had happened.
She also knew Natalie's decision.
Chloe walked in and put the things down.
Then she directed Molly, "Molly, close the door! Tell the nurse to come back later."
Molly, always obedient, immediately closed the door.
Once the door was closed, Chloe turned to Grant.
Her tone was calm but carried the authority of a mother. "Mr. McCall, this is a private room. It's not appropriate to barge in like this. I remember Mrs. McCall isn't a very forgiving person. If she finds out, it won't be peaceful. Mr. McCall, you may not care about your reputation, but our Devereux family does. So, if there's nothing important, Mr. McCall, please don't come around."
Grant looked at Chloe.
But he spoke to Natalie, "I broke up with Clara."
Molly's eyes widened, looking at Chloe, while Natalie showed little reaction.
Chloe chuckled dryly as she started preparing food for Natalie. "That might be your wishful thinking, Mr. McCall. Have you discussed it with Ms. Lynn? Have you informed your mother? Acting impulsively won't do."
"Besides, Natalie has no intention of reconciling with you. So, Mr. McCall, there's no need for unnecessary sacrifices, wasting the good relationship between you and Ms. Lynn."
Her words were reasonable, but each one was like a thorn.
They pierced Grant's heart.
In the end, Chloe softened a bit. "Go back, Mr. McCall. Whether it's with Natalie or this child, there's no fate between you. If you want to see them, just look from afar. There's no need to cause trouble for each other. Don't you agree?"
Grant left.
The paternity test results were left in the room. Natalie held them for a long time before slowly tearing them into strips and throwing them into the trash. She only said one thing, "This is Clayton's child."
Chloe didn't force her.
Natalie had already suffered the pain of love once. Chloe didn't want her to continue suffering.
Grant's family was too complicated.
Natalie was now with them, with the care of her siblings, and that was good enough.
Grant returned to his apartment. He hadn't slept for nearly 24 hours and hadn't eaten for a long time, but he didn't feel like eating or sleeping.
He kicked off his shoes and lay on the couch, his mind filled with Chloe's words.
The words were harsh, but he knew they were true.
That day on the island, the way he treated Natalie, he had given up on her. They had separated completely, so how could that child be his?
He deserved it.
He thought about Chloe's words, about Natalie, and about the child.
For the first time, he longed for a family.
Maybe he had never wanted to get married because he always thought there might be a chance with Natalie. But back then, he was too proud to admit he still loved her.
The bright lights stung his eyes, and Grant suddenly closed them.
His phone kept ringing. It was Clara calling. He turned it off.
Later, he fell asleep.
When he woke up, Clara and Alvina were there. Alvina was in a wheelchair, and Clara had dragged her over. To be honest, ever since seeing that child, Alvina hadn't been as enthusiastic about Clara.
But she couldn't accept Natalie.
Her plan was to take the child and have Clara raise it.
Then it wouldn't matter if she had her own child or not.
Grant lay there, watching them for a long time before slowly sitting up.
Alvina got straight to the point and told him her plan.
"Grant, that child is definitely a McCall. You must get the child back and have Clara raise it. Then you can focus on your career."
Grant leaned back on the couch, covering his eyes with his hand, and said wearily, "I told her, the engagement is off. I can compensate her. She can decide the amount."
"As for the child... you're overthinking it. It's not my child. I did a DNA test. There's no blood relation."
Alvina was stunned.
Clara, who was beside her, was also stunned.
She realized that Grant and Natalie had slept together, and the timing was on the island.
She suddenly couldn't take it.
Her voice was hoarse and almost hysterical, "Grant, you'd rather be with her than with me? I'm your fiancée, the future Mrs. McCall, but you never wanted to have sex with me!"
She couldn't bear the thought of being completely neglected by this man.
She felt like a clown.
But Grant was unmoved.
He watched Clara's outburst, then took out his checkbook and wrote a number.
Eight million dollars, to buy Clara's eight years of youth.
Clara looked at Alvina.
Alvina hesitated. She had admired Clara, but after learning about her affair, she felt uncomfortable. Who would want their son to be cheated on? So she remained silent.
Grant sighed, "Let's part on good terms. I never liked you. You knew that. Between us, no one wronged the other."
Clara looked at the check.
After a long time, tears in her eyes, she said, "Fine! I want to see how you win Natalie back! And I have one last request. I want two percent of Granatal Nexus Technologies Group's shares. That's not too much, is it?"
Grant refused.
"The shares are impossible. I'll give you another two million dollars."
Alvina thought it was too much, too generous. "Grant!"
But Grant felt that if money could solve the problem, it was best. Maybe Clara didn't love him as much as she thought. She was just unwilling to let go, and the price wasn't right.
Clara took the check.
She left without looking back. Her pride shattered after knowing Grant and Natalie had slept together. She needed to find another man to prove her worth.
She believed she could live better without Grant.
The apartment was left with just the mother and son.
Alvina sat beside Grant and lowered her voice, "Grant, now tell me the truth. Is that child yours?"
Grant closed his eyes. "No. The child is... Clayton's."
Alvina was skeptical.
After a while, she couldn't help but mutter, "But the child looks so much like you. And Clayton has foreign blood. The child doesn't look like that at all. Grant, don't lie to me!"
Grant couldn't hold back anymore.
He opened his eyes and said softly, "Mom, since you came in, all you've talked about is the child. Have you ever cared about me? Have you ever considered my feelings? Back then, when you went to see Natalie... did you tell me?"
Alvina was stunned.
For a long time, she trembled, "What was wrong with me seeing her? Grant, are you blaming me?"
Grant stared at her.
He said seriously, "Back then, Natalie and I had a child. Later, it was lost."
Alvina was completely stunned.
Grant covered his face, his voice hoarse to the point of being almost inaudible. "Mom, Natalie was only 20 years old then."
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