“Nonetheless, she suffered so much because of our forbidden relationship,” Stephen said with a sigh. “She didn’t want to do it, but she ended the relationship somehow.”
Nicole noticed the sadness in his eyes and pursed her lips.
What if Mom had known that he was from the Musgrave family? Would she still be so madly in love with him?
I’ll never know the answer to that question.
Besides, the one who ended the relationship with a white lie had been Mom, not Sir Musgrave or his family…I don’t think it’ll be fair to say that he abandoned her.
Nicole continued to stare at her mother’s painting, thinking about just how much Rosalie had loved Stephen.
Her marriage to Zane Lane was probably just the final movement of her act, since it was the nail in the coffin to make Stephen lose all hope.
Rosalie’s love for Stephen had hurt her deeply.
She had wanted to sacrifice her happiness to give Stephen what he deserved as the son of a duke, but the truth turned out to be very different.
Stephen and Portia did not have any kids together, and he spent his days staring at Rosalie’s painting in this corner of the estate.
Nicole found their love almost suffocating.
Even though she did not know if her parents had done the right thing or not, she knew for a fact that she could never make such a huge sacrifice for the person she loved.
Nonetheless, she no longer hated Stephen.
However, she still found it difficult to call him ‘Dad’, for he had a part to play in her mother’s suffering.
“I’ll visit your mother, Nicole,” Stephen promised.
Nicole remained silent, though she no longer tried to force him into apologizing at her mother’s grave.
She turned to face Evan. “Shall we go home now, Mr. Seet?”
Wait…she’ wants to leave now?
Why is she so eager to leave?
“Nicole, can you stay here for a few days? You could keep…keep your mother company,” Stephen pleaded.
He had wanted her to keep him company, but he decided at the last second that he did not have the right to tell her such a thing.
She doesn’t think that I’m her father anyway..
Evan glanced at Nicole. She doesn’t hate Sir Musgrave anymore, so she’ll regret it if she didn’t get to spend some time with him.
But…how am I going to convince her to stay without aggravating her?
He came up with a plan.
Time to mobilize the kids!
He whipped out his phone and sent a message to John.
Twenty minutes later, the four kids appeared at the estate just as Nicole was trying to take her leave.
Jeremy and John had told them what to do on the way there. “Kids, help us make Mommy stay at the estate for three days. Daddy said that he’ll buy all of you gifts if you succeeded!”
The four kids thought about it for a moment before concluding that it was worth it.
“Deal!” they chorused.
As for Nicole, the kids’ arrival shocked her. “Why are the kids here?”
Kyle stared at her with a grin on his face. “Mommy, I like this place! I want to stay here just for a few days more.”
Juan smirked. “I want to investigate the architecture here and build a castle just like this when we get back!”
Nicole stared at them in disbelief. Didn’t you ask me for money to buy a tablet just a few days ago? Who gave you the idea to build a castle this time around?
Who taught you to be so arrogant and boastful?
Nina crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Mommy, the only way for me to get new makeup is to stay here! Do you understand?”
Nicole was confused.
What has staying here got to do with makeup? Is someone going to give it to you?
Evan grimaced. They’re going to expose my plan at this rate…
To his horror, Maya did exactly what he had feared all along. “Mommy, Daddy totally didn’t get us to stay, and those two uncles totally didn’t bribe us with gifts on the way here. We want to stay, and that’s that!”
