Chapter 873 Natalie, Are You Buying a House to Get Married?
As the first light of dawn broke, Natalie headed to the hospital.
Pushing open the door to the hospital room, she saw Andrew lying in bed, looking much better. The IV treatment overnight had stabilized his condition.
Chloe was dozing off by the bedside.
Clayton hadn't slept; he was sitting on the couch, scrolling through documents on his phone, handling some company matters. But he looked visibly exhausted.
Natalie stood at the door for a moment, then walked in and gently patted Chloe's shoulder.
Chloe woke up. "Natalie, you're here!"
She continued, "Your dad's fine now! He just needs to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. You should let Clayton go home and rest. He stayed up all night!"
But Natalie insisted that Chloe go home first, considering her age.
Chloe turned to tuck Andrew in and said softly, "Alright then. I'll go home and have the chef prepare some light, nourishing food for your dad. He's been overdoing it with social events lately, still thinking he's young and invincible!"
Natalie smiled faintly and helped tidy up.
Clayton, who had been too focused, finally noticed Natalie. He got up to see Chloe off.
Chloe told him to go home and rest too. Clayton wiped his face and said, "I'll go home in the afternoon and take a nap, then come back in the evening."
Chloe glanced at Natalie, hesitating to say something.
Natalie didn't object.
Chloe realized they were really together now. It wasn't surprising; ever since Clayton saved Natalie when she was pregnant, their relationship had softened. They just hadn't had the chance to be together until now. It was only natural.
Chloe left.
Natalie wiped Andrew's face and hands carefully, feeling a bit sad. As he aged, she didn't know how much longer she could be with him like this.
Clayton guessed her thoughts and gently pressed her shoulder, whispering, "Don't dwell on sad things. At least today is good. We should live in the moment."
Natalie glanced at him. This was one of their cultural differences.
He had grown up abroad, and his mindset was different from hers.
She didn't respond to him. She just said softly, "You should lie down for a bit. I'll keep watch."
Clayton nodded in agreement.
Natalie walked into the bathroom to wash the towel. As she washed, she got lost in thought... and then she saw someone in the mirror.
Clayton approached her, gently wrapping an arm around her waist, and asked softly, "Still thinking about it? I think your dad has another ten years in him."
"That's not enough," Natalie said, her eyes reddening. She told him to stop talking.
Clayton just watched her quietly.
He looked at her serene face, the calmness in her eyes... then pulled her into his arms, stealing a moment of closeness in the hospital room.
Natalie felt embarrassed and quickly composed herself.
As she was about to leave, Clayton gently grabbed her wrist and said softly, "No more crying."
Natalie replied, "Okay," but her eyes were still red.
When she walked back into the room, she found Andrew awake.
He looked at her red eyes and joked, "So my illness has turned into a dating opportunity for you two, huh? The hospital room is a great place for romance!"
Natalie sat down beside him and said softly, "Dad!"
Andrew leaned back against the pillow, comforting her, "Alright, I won't joke anymore. I'm fine, just had a few too many drinks... scared your mom. I'll definitely drink less from now on."
Natalie bit her lip, "You always say that!"
Andrew defended himself, "I have a good tolerance! I've been fine all these years. This was just a minor issue. Look, I'm fine now!"
Natalie didn't respond.
Andrew knew she was upset and made several more promises. Natalie said she'd remember them and tell Chloe.
Andrew's heart softened, and he gently patted her head, "I'm fine."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
It was a servant from The Devereux Mansion bringing breakfast.
Besides Andrew's nutritious meal, there was also breakfast for Clayton.
Chloe, ever thoughtful, hadn't forgotten Clayton's dietary preferences despite her own lack of rest. She had the servant bring a special breakfast for him.
Clayton ate on the couch and then opened his laptop.
Natalie watched him.
Clayton said softly, "I have a meeting this morning that I must attend. I'll sleep in the afternoon."
Natalie checked the time. There were a few minutes left, so she said, "You should go back to Syeattel to work. This is too exhausting."
Clayton drank half a cup of coffee, his eyes on the screen, and said softly, "But the house can't be without a man. With you and Mom at home, I can't relax."
Natalie wanted to say more, but Clayton had already joined the company meeting.
The people in the meeting noticed Natalie too.
She forced a smile and stepped aside...
Andrew, eating his breakfast, said calmly, "Your mom and I have decided that once I'm better, we'll move to Syeattel. So you two should go back and focus on work. Haven should go back to school in Syeattel too. Growing up in Copenhegan is like growing up in the countryside."
Natalie was stunned. Copenhegan was a big city, wasn't it?
How could it be considered the countryside?
Andrew sipped his milk and said casually, "Your mom and I thought we'd settle down here, but after a few years, we realized we couldn't adapt. Especially your mom, she still craves the hustle and bustle. She can't go a day without it!"
Natalie knew his real reason was for her and Clayton's careers.
She was touched, but she couldn't say that out loud and undermine Andrew.
So she teased, "You're just thinking about the city ladies, aren't you? Grace was asking about you last time!"
Andrew blushed, "That was ages ago. Don't bring it up. If your mom hears, she'll get jealous! She's the jealous type."
Talking about Chloe, he had endless things to say.
Natalie leaned against him and asked gently, "Do you really want to move back to Syeattel?"
This was also Gavin's hope. After all, the Devereux Group was a massive corporation. Moving it back to Copenhegan wasn't feasible. Most of the Devereux family's connections were in Syeattel. Moving back to Copenhegan would mean starting over.
Andrew finished his breakfast and wiped his mouth.
Lying down with his hands behind his head, he said softly, "Of course I do! That's where your mom and I met. One evening, I went to Frederick's house and saw your mom for the first time. She was so young then, a whole generation younger than me!"
Natalie listened intently. Her parents rarely talked about their youth.
Andrew sighed, "I owe your mom a lot. She went through so much with me. Gavin had a tough childhood too. Remember the dog Snowflake? Gavin or Johnny had it. It means Gavin couldn't even afford Snowflake brand coffee back then."
Natalie didn't know about this.
She looked at Clayton.
He was clearly trying not to laugh...
Suddenly, Natalie felt at peace. Her parents moving back to Syeattel wasn't a sacrifice. With their children around, how could it be? They could visit whenever they missed home. The important thing was having someone to look after them.
At noon, when Andrew fell asleep, she discussed with Clayton, "I want to buy a bigger house."
Clayton teased, "Thinking about marrying me?"
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