Chapter 814 Natalie, Let's Start Over 1
Natalie thought he would let her go.
But as she opened the car door, Clayton got out from the other side.
She held onto the door, looking at him in the night, her voice low to avoid waking the house staff. "Clayton!"
This was The Devereux Mansion, where Gavin and Molly were also here.
Natalie didn't want any misunderstandings.
But Clayton was persistent. He walked over and draped his coat over her shoulders, looking down at her with an expression more unreadable than the night itself.
"It's late. Haven must be asleep. I'll just take a quick look and leave."
Natalie didn't move.
Clayton gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her into the house with a slight firmness.
Some of the staff were still awake.
Seeing them come in, they quickly stood up. "Ms. Devereux, Mr. Percy."
Natalie asked softly, "Is Haven asleep?"
The staff quickly replied, "Yes, she is! Selene just brought the bottle downstairs and said Haven was sleeping soundly."
Natalie nodded.
She took off the coat and went upstairs without saying anything more to Clayton.
Under the staff's watchful eyes, Clayton followed her.
When they reached the second floor, Natalie spoke in a low voice, "Don't wake her up."
She glanced at him.
Clayton understood. If he didn't follow the rules, he might not get another chance.
He whispered, "Okay."
Selene, who was sleeping in the outer room, heard the noise and quickly got up. "Ms. Devereux."
Natalie softly told her to go back to sleep, then led Clayton into the nursery. Though surprised, Selene lay back down.
In the moonlight, Haven lay in her pink bed, sleeping soundly.
She still liked to kick off her blanket.
Luckily, it wasn't cold.
She lay there in her little cow-print onesie, her tummy exposed.
In the moonlight, Clayton looked at her soft little face, reminiscent of when he first met Natalie... just like this.
But now, Natalie had grown thinner, more womanly.
Clayton couldn't help but bend down and kiss Haven's little tummy through her onesie.
The baby scent softened his heart.
Clayton didn't realize how tender his gaze was. He regretted missing Haven's growth.
Haven, at about a year old, was so adorable.
Haven usually slept deeply, but tonight she woke up unexpectedly. She turned over, her big eyes meeting Clayton's.
Haven looked at him, confused.
After a moment, she reached out to touch Clayton's face, curious.
Her warm little hand touched his face, feeling it carefully... still half-asleep, she mumbled, "Daddy."
Clayton's eyes grew warm, filled with indescribable emotions.
Haven snuggled close to him, holding him without any guard... a little life he had once abandoned.
Clayton knelt down, gently holding her.
Haven smiled in her sleep, then breathed sweetly and comfortably fell back asleep.
Clayton couldn't bear to let her go.
He slowly leaned in, absorbing Haven's scent, as if it could make up for the two years he had missed with them...
Natalie watched from the side.
After a long while, she couldn't help but leave, quickly walking to the hallway, tilting her head back slightly... to keep from crying.
She felt a mix of emotions.
The warmth of the scene just now was as painful as the hurt Clayton had caused her... if she had never had it, she wouldn't miss it.
But she had once had the best love, the happiest days.
Now, Natalie felt both love and hate for Clayton.
The mix of emotions made it hard for her to easily say she loved him again.
Selene, sleeping in the outer room, guessed something was up between them and pretended to sleep.
After a while, Clayton came out of the nursery. He saw Natalie standing there, her figure looking lonely under the hallway's crystal light.
Clayton slowly walked over.
Natalie turned to look at him, her expression serious, her voice low. "Clayton, have you thought it through? If you want me and her, you have to be ready to be a good father."
"I can't accept another day of you asking me to think about it... if you needed to think, we shouldn't have been together over two years ago! Clayton, any hesitant marriage shouldn't exist."
Clayton didn't speak.
He just gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close.
Natalie leaned against his shoulder, the two of them silent.
After a moment, his shirt grew warm and damp. He knew Natalie was crying.
She cried softly, suppressing her sobs.
She cried with restraint and unwillingness.
How could she be willing to forgive him so easily, but what could she do... she still loved him, loved the man who had once given her everything.
The night grew quieter, everything silent.
Clayton held her for a long time... from the farthest bedroom balcony, Gavin could see them.
He wore a black robe, holding a wine glass, silently watching.
Gavin didn't consider himself a magnanimous person.
If it were any other time, he would have beaten Clayton for hurting Natalie.
Just like Kingsley always wanted to beat Johnny back then, but... Clayton and Natalie were different.
He could see that Clayton loved Natalie, and Clayton had been through a lot.
Gavin lowered his eyes. What could be worse than death?
When Molly came out, Clayton was already downstairs, sitting in his car, ready to leave.
Gavin turned to look at his wife, pulling her close, his chin resting on her head as he chuckled softly.
"Molly, your Clayton is back in the house. Are you happy? Now you can see your Clayton more often."
In the dim light, Molly's face blushed.
Despite her age, she still wasn't used to intimate jokes between them.
She bit her lip. "I'm not happy! ... And he's not my Clayton. Gavin, if you say that again, I'll be mad."
Gavin kissed her cheek, setting down his wine glass. "Let's go to bed."
He wrapped his arm around Molly, heading back to their bedroom, stretching with a yawn, finally ready for a good night's sleep.
Since that night, Clayton often appeared around Natalie.
There weren't many special dates.
When work wasn't busy, he would go to Natalie's, cook for her and Haven, and play with Haven.
Haven loved playing with a ball, and later he brought Max over, letting Haven play with the dog.
The female dog, now six years old, seemed to understand that Haven was a human child.
Max was very gentle with her.
Not only did it play with her, but Max also let Haven ride it like a horse, and when tired, they would sleep together.
In the afternoon, Haven leaned against Clayton's leg.
She tried to stay awake to hear more stories, but she was too tired from playing and slowly closed her eyes.
Max, seeing this, also closed its eyes.
Clayton carried Haven to bed, sitting by her side for a while, wiping her sweat.
Haven was quite clingy.
She held onto Clayton's arm as she slept.
Clayton smiled gently, lying down beside her, letting Haven sleep in his arms... Haven snuggled in and fell into a deep sleep.
Clayton stayed with her for a long time before getting up to find Natalie.
Natalie was in the study, drawing comics. She didn't like sitting at the desk, preferring to curl up on the soft sofa, her legs crossed with her laptop on her lap.
Clayton walked over and took the laptop away.
"That's bad for your circulation."
Natalie looked up at him.
At home, she dressed casually, black pants and a white shirt, with a shawl over her shoulders... her long hair falling to her waist, adding a touch of femininity.
Clayton placed the laptop on the desk.
He leaned in and kissed her, whispering against her lips, "In the past, if I took your things, you would definitely argue with me."
"Natalie, now you're polite and distant with me."
Natalie looked up, her voice soft. "In the past, you weren't my ex-husband."
Clayton stared at her, his gaze suddenly deep and unreadable.
Besides affection, there was a hint of undeniable desire.
Natalie was a mature woman now. She didn't naively think that starting over with Clayton would be like their past platonic love.
Several times when he kissed her, she could feel his sexual desire... in the past month, he had taken several cold showers.
Her heart beat faster, finding an excuse. "I'll go check on Haven."
But before she could get up, Clayton grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms.
Clayton held her with one arm, closing the study door with the other.
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