When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him

Chapter 1145 Still Pretending

Back inside the mansion, Elena knelt down beside Elliot, gently stroking his hair as she tried to calm him. “Sweetie, don’t cry. Your dad is just sick. He’ll get better soon, I promise.”

Elliot, though young, wasn’t naive. He knew she was only saying that to comfort him. But, deciding to play along, he sniffled and nodded, trying to appear like any other ordinary child.

“Really? Can I see my dad? I want to know how he’s doing now.”

Elena hesitated, glancing over at Cecilia for guidance. “Ceci, what do you think?” she

Cecilia smiled reassuringly. “After dinner, we can go see your dad,” she suggested.

e asked softly.

Elena, still unaware that Nathaniel was pretending, nodded in agreement. “Yes, let’s do that,” she said, finalizing the plan with Cecilia’s lead.

Elliot’s tears dried up as soon as he got confirmation. He immediately perked up and obediently started eating his dinner, excitement bubbling beneath the surface. He could finally check on his father and see for himself how things were going.Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

After dinner. Elena took Elliot and Cecilia to visit Nathaniel. He was staying in his old residence, now under the care of his previous housekeepers, and his living conditions were far more comfortable than they had been at the mansion.

When they arrived, they found Nathaniel seated by the window, staring out at the landscape in a dazed state.

“Has Nathaniel eaten yet?” Elena asked one of the housekeepers.

“Yes, he’s already eaten,” the housekeeper confirmed.

“That’s good,” Elena nodded, clearly relieved that he was taking care of himself.

From where he stood, Elliot glanced at his father. Nathaniel still looked a bit lost, his expression vacant. Could this be the aftereffect of his surgery? The sight troubled Elliot. He could see that his father’s condition was a heavy burden on his mother.

“Daddy,” Elliot called out sofily, stepping closer.

Sensing that things could get complicated. Cecilia gently held onto Elliot’s hand. “Elliot, your dad needs his rest right now. Let’s not disturb him today, okay?”

Seeing the look in his mother’s eyes. Elliot reluctantly agreed. “All right then,” he said, taking a step back

After casting a few more lingering glances at his father, Elliot allowed Cecilia to lead him away. Later, once Elliot was out of sight, Cecilia returned to Nathaniel’s room alone.

She closed the door behind her and walked straight over to Nathaniel, her brow furrowed in concern. Just as she was about to test whether he was still playing dumb, Nathaniel’s hand shot out, grabbing hers with surprising strength.

“How did you get here?” Nathaniel asked, his voice serious, his gaze meeting hers with clarity–no longer the vacant stare from before

Cecilia blinked in surprise. “Why are you still pretending?” she asked, confused.

This was Nathaniel’s territory, and he wasn’t worried about anyone overhearing. However, he didn’t share every detail of his plan with Cecilia. “I wanted to see who was truly concerned about me when I was vulnerable, and who was just pretending,” he explained. “Plus, it’s allowed some of my rivals to lower their guard.”

He didn’t mention the little “wedding gift” he had planned for his younger brother. After all, he wasn’t sure if Cecilia still had any lingering feelings for Nicholas.

“All right. Just tell me what you need me to do,” Cecilia said, ready to cooperate.

“You’re willing to cooperate?” Nathaniel’s mind briefly wandered back to the earlier incident with Elliot. “We need to keep a closer eye on our sons in the future. They’re not as simple as they seem.”

Cecilia laughed, unable to hold back. “Come on, how can a four or five–year–old not be simple?”

As her laughter rang out, Nathaniel found himself momentarily stunned by her beauty. Without thinking, he leaned in, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Cecilia blushed as his handsome face came closer. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red, and she shyly turned away, her

heart racing.

Nathaniel’s kiss was gentle, but Cecilia tensed up slightly at first. Mistaking her reaction for reluctance, Nathaniel stopped. “Ceri.”

“Hmm?” Cecilia asked, still flustered.

Taking a few steps back, Cecilia lightly touched her flushed face. “If there’s nothing else, I should go. I’m worried Eli might feel uncomfortable being here alone. Her voice held an odd tension that Nathaniel couldn’t quite place.