Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 147

Chapter 147: Their Sweet Daughter
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Elsie gasped in between her tears, repeating the same apologies to Nathaniel. He tightened his arms around her, reassuring the lady that he sought no apology.

“You did the best thing you could think… for your safety… when I failed you.”

Nathaniel tried to calmly trace the conflicted feelings storming in his heart. None of them was anger. Even if he felt some wrath, it was directed to himself.

“Still… I hid our daughter from you… I’m sorry… It took me this long… to return…”

Struggling to breathe, Elsie hiccupped as she tried to speak. Her grasp on the back of Nathaniel’s shirt loosened because of the tremors flaring her entire body. She desperately grabbed the fabric back.

“I’ve been waiting for you… but… I know how much I’ve disappointed you before… I didn’t expect to meet you again, Elsie.”

Nathaniel heaved a sigh. Closing his eyes, a deep frown marred his forehead.

Even with Elsie in his arms now, Nathaniel couldn’t help but think this might be a dream—one he had to forcibly wake up from soon.

‘She’s here… She’s real. She’s here with me now.’

Nathaniel silently chanted the same words in his heart, hoping to lessen his sense of disbelief. Through his blurred eyes laden with tears, he saw his fingers in between the familiar soft blond locks of hers.

She was real.

His love had returned.

Neither Nathaniel nor Elsie realized how much time had passed when they finally ceased crying. Fortunately, the hanging wisterias and the archways provided them with quite some privacy because some visitors began appearing in the garden.

“Shall we wash our face first?” asked Nathaniel, his voice quiet and raspy yet, holding a little hope, “We have more to talk about, en?”

“Y-yes… We should.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, Elsie nodded a few times. She quietly let Nathaniel rub his thumbs under her eyes, feeling the warmth of his touch seeped under her skin.

Even after years, she still sensed the same tenderness from his gentle touch.

“There’s a water tap over there. Come.”

Elsie simply nodded again. Slowly rising to her feet, she couldn’t help but think her legs felt weak when she took her first step. She almost wobbled before hurriedly straightening her legs.

“…?”

Elsie tilted up her chin, looking at Nathaniel once he grabbed her waist. His grasp was sturdy, securing her in his hold.

“…you look unsteady,” Nathaniel spoke, as if understanding the meaning behind Elsie’s gaze, “Can you walk?”

“I can. Still, thank you.”

Nathaniel nodded as he awkwardly released his hand from Elsie’s waist. He showed her to the water tap, a few feet from the wisteria-covered archway.

After washing their faces, Elsie and Nathaniel returned to the garden table, once again sitting across each other. The gentle breeze carried the faint and indistinct chatters from the visitors.

Elsie and Nathaniel looked quite similar, from their reddened and swollen eyes to the bleak expressions on their countenances.

“Niel.”

Despite sounding cautious, Elsie was the one who broke the heavy silence. Her green eyes were locked onto Nathaniel’s brown ones.

“Do you want to see her photos?” Elsie began took out her phone before placing it on the table, “Her name. I haven’t told you… our daughter’s name, right?”

“What’s her name?” Nathaniel inquired, his voice still low and hoarse yet, showing a glimpse of his hope, “May I see her photos?”

What did she look like?

Would she have the same lovely features as Elsie?

Or, would she also have a little of his features?

Nathaniel couldn’t help but imagine who their daughter took the most after. He remembered saying to Elsie that he hoped their child, no matter which gender, would take after her more.

Elsie parted her lips, letting the name roll out of her tongue.

“Her name is Lorianne, nicknamed Lorrie.”

Nathaniel was stunned. His brown eyes widened slightly upon hearing the name spoken ever so softly by Elsie, followed by a warm smile on her lips.

Lorianne.

That was the name Nathaniel picked when Elsie asked about the potential baby names years ago. If they had a girl, he wished to name her Lorianne to which Elsie agreed easily.

“It means laurel or sweet bay tree. Niel, laurel is synonymous with victory and honor. That’s a good name for our sweet child.”

Nathaniel still remembered what Elsie told him after he picked the name. Its meaning made him love it even more.

“Lorianne… Yes, it’s a lovely name… for our daughter.”

Nathaniel tried to pronounce the name himself. He didn’t realize his lips also curved into a smile albeit faintly.

Thinking that Elsie still chose that name for their daughter set Nathaniel’s mind more at ease. Something light fluttered within him, gently brushed against his heart.

“This is her,” Elsie pushed her phone toward Nathaniel, the back facing upward, “I also have just sent her photos to your e-mail.”

Blinking, Nathaniel reached for Elsie’s phone. His heart began pounding faster as his eyes stared at the back of the sleek metal.

‘Her photos… Our daughter’s… Lorianne’s photos are here…’

Nathaniel held Elsie’s phone with both of his hands. As if reluctant to blink, he kept gazing at it as he slowly turned the phone upward, allowing him to see the screen.

“…this is her?”

Nathaniel’s voice cracked once his eyes saw the photo displayed on the screen, of a young and lovely little girl holding a bunny plushie.

“Yes,” Elsie nodded, fresh tears glistening in her eyes, “That’s our daughter.”

Nathaniel bit his lower lip, feeling his entire body trembling again. His eyes gazed at Lorianne, realizing how much the brown shade of their eye color matched.

Lorianne, their sweet daughter, was smiling brightly in the photo. Her long wavy hair was tied into twin pigtails, sharing the same blond hues with Elsie’s.

Their daughter…

She was their daughter.

The one… who he never thought to… breathe and be alive.

Drip…

A lone tear trickled down Nathaniel’s right cheek.