Chapter 95 – The Return Novel (Natalie & Bryce) PDF Read Online Free

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Just as Mrs. Perkins was watching, Liam woke up. He was immediately in high spirits, even though it was still early in the morning. He looked at his sleeping parents with delight.

Seeing that Liam had woken up, Mrs. Perkins immediately whispered to him to come with her and let the two adults sleep for a while. He and Mrs. Perkins left quietly.

Natalie woke up at 9 a.m. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Bryce’s sleeping face. He had rolled quite close to her, and she could smell the tobacco scent of his cigarettes on him. She stared blankly at the sleeping figure in front of her.

Just then, Bryce also opened his eyes. When their eyes met, neither of them looked away. They stayed like that for a while in the quiet bedroom, with the light coming in from the window over the bed, just looking at each other. They could hear each other’s breathing. Somehow, this strange moment of their being together felt both natural and yet uncomfortable. It was as if neither of them knew what to do or say to break the spell of the moment.

Bryce lifted his arm from where it was lying across his chest and started to gently reach toward Natalie, as if he were going to touch her hair. Then something seemed to change in Bryce, and a darker expression came into his face. The soft light went out of his eyes, and his glance hardened. He withdrew his hand. He had realized that his softer feelings were coming to the surface, and he knew that he had to suppress them. He said clumsily and more roughly than he had intended, “Aren’t you going to get up?”

Natalie’s face flushed. She immediately got up and scrambled to the bathroom, wishing that she never had to come out again. After closing the door, Bryce slowly sat up. There was a puzzled look and a hint of disbelief in his eyes. Now, did he actually have feelings for Natalie? He looked towards the bathroom door and frowned.

Natalie took a cold shower to clear her head. When she emerged from the bathroom, she didn’t look at Bryce. She looked at the ground guiltily instead as she made for the hallway.

Downstairs, Mrs. Perkins had already prepared breakfast. When Bryce arrived, they all sat around the table to eat. The atmosphere was awkward and silent. Natalie was still immersed in the embarrassing scene with Bryce from earlier that morning. Bryce ate in silence and avoided her eyes.

Mrs. Perkins thought back to the scene earlier when the family was all lying on the bed together that morning. She said cautiously, “Mr. Clare, I would like to ask you something.”

Bryce shrugged, his mouth full of coffee, so Mrs. Perkins continued, “Sir, you’re married to Mrs. Clare now. I was wondering…” Here she paused, a little afraid to go on. “And I was wondering if your mother knows about this marriage?”

A prime reason why Mrs. Perkins had been in the Clare family for so many years was her loyalty to Bryce’s mother. Therefore, she couldn’t help but think if his mother knew about the marriage and, if she did, what she thought about it.

Natalie glanced at Mrs. Perkins. She had met Bryce’s mother before, and she felt that the woman was dignified, noble, and elegant. She was also a very polite woman, but if she found out that her son had married a woman who had a child, what would she think? Thinking of this, Natalie could not help but feel dejected.

Bryce said indifferently, “We were in a hurry when we got married. We’ll announce it to the family when we find a suitable time.”

Seeing Bryce’s attitude, Mrs. Perkins did not say anything more. After all, she was just a house help, and Mr. Clare must have his own plans. But when she noticed Liam sitting at the table eating obediently, she suddenly had second thoughts. She remembered that a short while ago, Liam had been bullied by other children at school. Her heart ached, and she could not help but exclaim, “Liam is a Clare! If people had known that he was a Clare earlier, then he wouldn’t have been bullied!”

Bryce and Natalie were taken aback by this. They looked at each other but didn’t say anything. Mrs. Perkins didn’t know the truth about the relationship between them. She thought that Liam was Bryce’s own child, especially given Liam’s intelligence and his resemblance to the young Bryce that she remembered. However, she could only keep quiet. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that although Bryce and Natalie were husband and wife, they weren’t like an ordinary couple. It was strange.

After breakfast, Natalie needed to go to work, so she handed Liam over to Mrs. Perkins. She always felt at ease when she left Liam in Mrs. Perkins’ care. Natalie got into Bryce’s car, and he drove her over to her office. They didn’t talk much along the way, but eventually, Natalie asked him tentatively, “If your family knew you were married, what do you think they would say?”

Bryce gave Natalie a confused look and said, “You don’t need to worry about it.”

Natalie nodded and didn’t say anything else. She didn’t want to get involved with any family politics of the Clare family. She said, “Well, if you ever need me to do anything in the family context or need my help, just let me know.”

Bryce, true to his dominant characteristics, responded indifferently. He dropped Natalie off near her office and left. Natalie couldn’t help but sigh. This man was truly cold when it came to everything he did, but in a way, this was also a good thing. She didn’t want to owe Bryce too much. She was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to repay him in the future.

How would Bryce’s family react when they got to know about his marriage? Will the Clares accept Natalie and Liam readily, or will they face abandonment once again?

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