Chapter 857 I’ll Protect You When I Grow Up
“That is not it.” Irvin shook his head. “It is just that it has been tough on Mommy and Daddy. You have been apart for so many years in order to protect Alexia and I. I am sure you have missed each other a lot all these years.”
When Elise saw the sincerity in Irvin’s eyes, her own eyes started to turn red, and she unconsciously brought her hands up to hold his face as she took a good look at the boy.
People often talked about how daughters were mothers’ treasure, and that was why Elise was all the more grateful to have such a thoughtful son.
It seemed that God still treated her well after all. “Mommy.” Upset, Irvin held her back and stated firmly, “Don’t worry, Mommy. I will work hard so that I can protect you and Daddy when I grow up. I won’t let you two be apart anymore.”
Elise was so moved she continuously nodded. “Alright. I will wait for the day to come. I have faith that my dear son can achieve that.”
…
It was almost afternoon the next day when Narissa woke up to the sound of her phone’s ringtone. She groped around the entire bed, only to finally realize that her phone was on the coffee table.
She bounced off the bed and sat up like a zombie, and gave herself a second to clear her head while she waited for the call to end.
However, the caller didn’t seem like they were going to give up any time soon, as they called again immediately after the first call wasn’t picked up.
Narissa looked up at the ceiling and grunted, but she finally crawled over despite how unwilling she was. After pressing the phone to her ear, she sank into the bed again with a thud and muttered, “Hello? Who is this?”
“Rissa? It is me.”
Nancy’s voice instantly gave Narissa a jolt. It felt as thought she had instantly teleported back to the Cuber Residence. Sitting up instinctively again, she opened her eyes and asked, “Ma? What is with the sudden phone call?”
“How bold of you to even ask that? You are always doing this. You never seek us out first. I am surprised you remember having parents,” Nancy grumbled.
“Geez, it is only because I don’t really have anything interesting to update you and Da on. Also, it is not like you like hearing what I say.” Narissa got out of bed and poured herself a glass of water.
“You brat, you always come up with a reason for everything. It has been eight years now. It is about time you put an end to your stubbornness. Don’t you know that your father and I will only continue to grow older? You are our only daughter. Are you really going to let all the blood, sweat and tears Da and I poured into our work go to waste if you refuse to come back and take over the family business?” Nancy kept persuading her daughter.
Despite being immune to these words, Narissa couldn’t help feeling emotionally drained when Nancy said that. She only responded by giving a short ‘I am sorry’ at last.
“Can an apology solve the problem? Do you think your father and I want an apology?” Nancy didn’t buy it at all, and instead insisted, “If you have found someone you can entrust yourself with, bring them back home for us to see. And even if you haven’t found someone, it is about time you came back. Da and Ma are the people closest to you. We won’t laugh at you. Really, Rissa, come back. I miss you.”
“Thanks, Ma.” Narissa might be insensitive, but she wasn’t cold-blooded. It was impossible for her to not be disheartened to hear her own mother say that.
There wasn’t a child in the world who didn’t miss home or their mother. However, she would definitely have to go on a blind date if she were to go home now before she had found her true love. Just the thought of that made it hard for her to agree to return home.
“Don’t just say thanks. Your father might not say it, but he has been missing you as well. You know he is the one who pampers you the most. Do you really think us, the Cubers, wouldn’t be able to find you if we really wanted to?” Nancy sighed.
Narissa’s heart ached when she heard that, and she didn’t know what to say in return.
With how her father’s love was hidden but ran deep, and she happened to be a fastidious person, they were doomed to be each other’s nemesis. It was near impossible for them to be on good terms with each other.
“I have never begged you nor wronged you by asking you to do something you don’t want to. But your father’s health isn’t what it used to be. The people on the board of directors are eager to swallow the Cubers’ family business if they could. If only you knew how heartbreaking it is to see his hair turning white because of how worried he has been. Rissa, do you really not care about Ma and Da anymore?”
Narissa then heard Nancy’s endless sobs that seemed to prick at Narissa’s fragile heart.
Standing in front of the mirror, Narissa fell into deep thought when she saw how messy her hair was, and how she was so unlike herself.
Indeed, humans couldn’t stubbornly live their whole lives for their own sake.
As for Jamie, it was impossible for Narissa’s love to come to fruition. After all, she was the one who had been one-sidedly in love with him from the start.
The person who gambled their heart away first had to be prepared to lose in the game of love.
This was a fact she should come to terms with soon.
“Ma.” Narissa then heard herself utter, “I will be home soon. Wait for me.”
At Danny International Finance Corporation Building, Ariel’s assistant was giving Ariel a report in the office.
Right then, Ariel saw Danny pass by outside the window with his arm around the waist of a curvaceous woman. They were all smiles as they chatted and walked into the room next door.
Ariel, who was fully focused on work, started getting distracted, and her eyes followed after the duo.
From the angle she was looking at, she could clearly see the woman sitting on Danny’s lap, with her whole body sticking to the man’s. The woman even leaned in to give Danny a kiss.
The scene made Ariel unknowingly clench the gel pen in her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to take a closer look.
Did they kiss or not?
“Miss Whitney? Miss Whitney!”
“Huh?”
Ariel only came back to her senses after the assistant called out to her a few times. “What?” she blurted out.
“I am done with last week’s report. Is there anything that needs to be improved?” the assistant asked with a smile.
“No, you have done well. You may leave.” Ariel hurriedly dismissed the assistant without actually listening to a word she said.
The assistant was pleasantly surprised by Ariel’s answer, but since it was rare for Ariel to not ask her to redo something, she quickly left the office before Ariel could say anything else.
However, Ariel’s heart was a mess again the moment the door was closed.
After sitting for a while, she pressed her phone to her ear, and started pacing back and forth in the room while pretending to make a phone call. She took the opportunity to sneak a peek at what was going on in Danny’s office.
On the other side, even though Danny’s flexible chair was almost completely flattened, the woman on him didn’t seem to have any intention of getting up. He knew he couldn’t hold on any longer.
“Hey, isn’t this a little too much? Do we really have to be so close?”
After listening to Ariel’s advice last night, Danny had gotten an old classmate of his to act with him, which was why they were both in this situation now.
However, he was still a conservative man. His classmate might not be straight, but he couldn’t help feeling conflicted being so close to a woman.
“You don’t know anything, so just follow my lead.” The classmate huffed confidently with a small smile adorning the corners of her lips. “The more realistic it is, the more convincing we will look. Quickly, check if she is looking this way.”
“How am I supposed to see anything with you in my face?!” Danny was so depressed he could pass out.
“Fine, then. Act now, check later.” The woman glared at him and demanded, “Put your right hand on my waist, and pull me in behind my head with your left.”
“Let’s just stop…” Danny was rejecting her from his head to toe.
“F*ck, are you looking down on me? I am sacrificing so much for you, you dolt. Fine, keep being reserved if you want to be lonely till the day you die. I am not the one who can’t hold her in my arms anyway,” she hissed.
Danny was instantly energized when the woman brought up Ariel. He then abruptly reached out and pressed her head to his without hesitation.
“Ouch!” She almost sprained her neck by the sudden motion. “Not so hard, you idiot! Can’t you just imagine that I am that lady?!”
