When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel)

Chapter 2051

Wealth or not, even the most successful mother ends up babysitting, Cecilia

reminded herself. Elena, after all, spent half her days wrangling two toddlers who weren't even her own.

Four daughters-in-law, eight grandkids-my house will be louder than a circus ring.

And heaven forbid they start squabbling over shares of the family company... The mere prospect turned the air around her slightly metallic.

She started feeling dizzy, the world rocking as if it couldn't decide which reality to land on.

Beside her, Elliot was lost in a parallel fantasy of his own: When I'm big, I'll marry a girl just like Dahlia-sweet, polite, helpful. Then everyone in our house will laugh more than they argue. The vision painted a smile across his small face.

So the woman and the boy stood together on the dim porch-one tall, one small -both staring after a taillight long gone, both dreaming of futures woven from hope, fear, and the soft glow of an April evening.

Nathaniel's voice drifted from behind them, warm yet teasing. "What are the two of you doing posted at the doorway? Isn't it freezing out here?"

The mellow baritone snapped mother and son from their spell. Cecilia startled, pressing a hand to her chest, then managed a shaky laugh.

"We're fine," she answered, though a faint tremor still clung to her words.

Elliot pouted, eyes clouding. "My heart feels colder than the air. Mommy, could you invite Dahlia over again to play soon?" The plea slipped out before he could tame the longing in his voice.

Just then, Jonathan stepped from the study, rubbing the blue light of hours spent coding from his eyes.

asked, one brow rising

afternoon wrestling

"playing" through the

stomach knotted with a competition

he stammered,

Jonathan's trophies. The

at once yet chose mercy, letting

a simple-minded

blind to the undercurrent, simply found both boys impossibly adorable and felt her heart swell

the boys finally retreated to their rooms, Cecilia tugged Nathaniel onto the couch. "Nathaniel, a thought just hit me,"

he asked,

divide the estate? And when they marry, how

siblings turning into rivals—like Nathaniel and Nicholas-still haunted

he chuckled. "You're planning

flies faster than

already likes Dahlia.

girl that sweet could capture many hearts:

the notion away. "The odds of both boys loving the same

her hair.

right," she murmured, letting the beat of his

walked into the detention infirmary where