Chapter 582
Chapter 582
+25 Bonus
Chapter 582
Althea sat in the seat Daven had occupied earlier-now empty. She poured juice for the children before settling into her place.
“Where’s Grand Dad?” Grace asked, spreading jam over her toast.
“He had an unexpected meeting with colleagues from overseas,” Riana answered calmly. “He won’t be joining us this morning p>
“Another meeting?” Josh shrugged. “Adults are always busy p>
Riana chuckled softly. “Sometimes that’s true. But what they do is part of their responsibility. One day, you’ll be just as busy, Josh p>
Breakfast unfolded lightly. Grace talked animatedly about her plan to dive deeper in the pool later. Josh responded now and then, mostly between bites. Eli listened more than she spoke.
But today, she seemed more open.
“The meatball soup is really delicious, Mrs. Althea,” she said sincerely.
Althea smiled. “Thank you. Would you like some more p>
Eli nodded shyly. “Just a little p>
Riana observed her quietly. Eli no longer sat stiffly the way she had during her first weeks in the house. Back then, she spoke only when necessary, smiled too carefully, and chose her words with visible hesitation. Now, she seemed freer-no longer constantly glancing around as if afraid of making a
mistake.
It was a small change.
But it was real.
After a while, breakfast ended. Grace let out a small yawn and slouched into her chair, while Josh excused himself to return to his room for an online class that was about to begin.
A staff member approached the table. “Miss Eli,” she said gently, “Mr. Nathan has asked to see you in his study p>
Eli, who had been neatly folding her napkin, froze. “Now?” she asked softly.
“Yes, Miss. He’s waiting p>
Riana turned toward her with a smile that aimed for calm. “Come. I’ll go with you p>
Eli swallowed and stood slowly. Her hands instinctively clasped together in front of her. “Did… did I do something wrong?” she whispered.
Althea rose at once and touched her shoulder gently. “No, Eli. Not at all p>
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Chapter 582
+25 Bonus
Eli gave a small nod, though the faint trace of unease lingered in her eyes.
Riana reached for her hand. “Grand Dad just wants to talk to you. That’s all p>
“Really?” Eli asked again. She didn’t quite believe it-Nathan had never called her in privately like this before. “I didn’t mean to… last night, when I asked about Mom p>
Riana stopped walking for a moment and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “What you asked was not a mistake, Eli p>
Eli nodded, but the anxiety hadn’t fully left her eyes.
The reading room was smaller than Nathan’s main office, yet it felt warmer. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, and the faint scent of aged wood and paper created a calm, almost protective atmosphere.
Nathan was already seated in a cushioned chair near the window. He closed his laptop as they entered.
“Ah, Eli,” he greeted lightly. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry I couldn’t join breakfast. Overseas meetings can be quite troublesome p>
Eli stood straight, still slightly awkward. “That’s all right, Grand Dad p>
Nathan smiled and gestured toward the chair in front of him. “Have a seat. We’re not in court p>
That was enough to draw a small smile from her. She lowered herself carefully into the chair, while Riana sat beside her. Nathan didn’t dive into anything serious right away. Instead, he asked about her vocal training, about the pudding she’d made the night before, even about who had won the swimming
game.
Little by little, Eli’s tense shoulders began to relax.
a few minutes, Nathan inhaled slowly.
said, his tone gentler now. “There’s something we need to talk to you about p>
posture stiffened again, though this time she didn’t interrupt with an apology.
Nathan held her gaze steadily. “I hope you can listen carefully-and receive what we’re about to say with a calm heart p>
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