“Of course,” Geoffrey responded respectfully as he helped Nelson.
Then, in a brief moment, he and Cristofer exchanged a meaningful look. Afterward, both of them averted their gazes, and Geoffrey continued assisting Nelson out of the dining room.
Once Cristofer left Nelson’s place, he hailed a taxi and headed back to the Hans’ Residence. When he arrived home, all the lights on the first floor had been switched off.
Glancing up at the second-floor windows, he noticed a faint yellow glow emanating from his bedroom window. He entered the villa, ascended the stairs quietly, and gently pushed open the bedroom door.
Inside, a soft night lamp on the nightstand casts a gentle glow. Estelle lay curled up on the sofa, still clad in Cristofer’s oversized white shirt. The roomy shirt, resembling a cozy blanket, was engulfed by her petite frame.
Her delicate face was pale, her lips drawn into a thin line, and her long, flowing hair framed her features. When a soft breeze drifted in, a strand of hair danced lightly around her face.
As he looked at her, Cristofer couldn’t help but sigh emotionally.
‘Estelle, you’re twenty-nine years old now. We’ve known each other for about twenty years. And despite the passing of time, you haven’t changed much. You’re still as beautiful, charming, and kind as ever, and you still get teary-eyed so easily.’
‘As the apple of your parents’ eyes, you deserve a life filled with happiness. But ever since you married me, you’ve endured so much suffering. I should have cherished you and treated you well, but I failed. Instead, I brought you pain.’
‘When I misunderstood you, you must have felt helpless and heartbroken. And now, for the sake of Grandpa, you’ve agreed to my request and forced yourself to live with me, pretending to be affectionate in front of him. You’re so kind and tender-hearted, yet I’ve made you live in constant unhappiness.’
‘Every time I tried to win you back, you gently rejected me and made it clear that you’d fallen in love with someone else. Perhaps we will never be reunited.’
Thinking about his, Cristofer smiled bitterly.
“Mm…” At this time, Estelle woke up and slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Cristofer standing before her, she rubbed her eyes and said, “You’re back. Have you had dinner? I’ll heat up the sweet soup I made for you…”
As soon as she stood up, he pressed her shoulders and motioned her to sit back on the sofa.
“What’s the matter?” Estelle asked.
“I’ve had dinner,” Cristofer said. Seeing her tired look, he had mixed feelings. “Are you waiting for me?”
Estelle nodded.
“Why do you wait for me?”
“Because…”
“Estelle, look at me. Do you know who I am?” Cristofer asked.
Hearing this, Estelle was wide awake, and there was a trace of depression in her eyes. “I know you are Cristofer,” she answered in a small voice.
Cristofer then smiled and said, “I thought you would blurt out that I am Mr. Mysterious.”
“I can distinguish you from him,” Estelle said, looking directly into his face.
“You can distinguish between us now?” Cristofer was a little surprised.
“Yes,” Estelle replied, “Is your arm still hurting? It’s raining outside. Did you get wet?”
Cristofer shook his head, saying, “No, my arm’s fine, and I didn’t get wet.”
“Would you like some sweet soup?” Estelle offered.
“No, thanks. You seem tired. You should get some rest,” Cristofer suggested.
“Alright,” Estelle agreed. She got up but hesitated, rubbing her hands.
Observing her, Cristofer asked, “Is there something on your mind?”
Estelle nodded.
“Have you changed your mind about our act in front of Grandpa? Or do you no longer want to stay here? Feel free to tell me your thoughts. I won’t pressure you…”
“Thank you,” Estelle expressed before he could finish his sentence. “Thank you for helping me get York to sign the donation agreement. I’m not sure how you managed to persuade him, but I know you’ve been working tirelessly on this for the past few days, and it must have taken a lot of effort. Christina means the world to me, and I couldn’t bear to lose her, so… I’m not sure how to put it into words, but… Thank you very much.”
Cristofer was initially taken aback by this, then he smiled warmly, understanding her intentions. “So, is it because you wanted to express your gratitude that you waited up for me and made sweet soup?”
“You can say that. I…”
“Well, you don’t have to explain it to me. I know what you were thinking. Go to bed early. Good night,” Cristofer said.
Standing still, Estelle said abruptly, “Mr. Mysterious is still alive.”
Hearing that, Cristofer raised his head and looked at her.
“I met his driver at the Grand Hotel of Hadale City before. He told me that Mr. Mysterious is still alive,” Estelle explained.
“And then?”
“But Mr. Mysterious didn’t come to me. He might… hate me very much,” Estelle sniffed and looked sad, “Mr. Mysterious and I will never be together again, but I still love him. Since he can live a good life even without me, I will give up on him and won’t try to find him or disturb him. I will cherish the memory we had and remember him forever. I don’t want to give you any false hope, so…”
Cristofer quickly cut her off, trying to contain the pain inside his heart, “I know what you mean. You can rest assured that after Grandpa passes away, you can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. I won’t force you to stay by my side or pester you to come back to me.”
Without the burden in her heart, Estelle was more relaxed. “Thank you. No one can accompany us to the end of our life. We must accept the changes in our relationships calmly.”
Sighing deeply, Cristofer said, “I understand. Go to bed early, Star.”
“By the way, I have something to discuss with you,” Estelle said, suddenly remembering something. “Uncle Luke told me that Grandpa’s eightieth birthday is coming. We should think about how to celebrate his birthday.”
“Okay, got it. I’ll arrange everything well,” Cristofer remarked, and he turned to leave.
****
After returning to his bedroom, Cristofer turned on his laptop and began his therapy with Dr. Stewart through video chatting.
“Dr. Stewart, I saw the tree with pinky-white flowers. It’s the same as that in my dream. It is a Malus Halliana tree,” Cristofer quickly shared.
“Did you have any special feeling when you saw it?” Dr. Stewart asked.
“Yes. When I got close to the tree, I felt heartbroken.”
“Anything else?”
“And… I felt very delighted.”
“You felt heartbroken and happy at the same time?” Dr. Stewart asked to confirm.