Heiress' Househusband is a Secret Billionaire - Chapter 216

Chapter 216: In His Dreams, He Saw Her
Tristan appeared during tea time, bringing the buttery and fluffy pastries to the lounge, including some iced drinks. He happily greeted Elsie, who he hadn’t met for years, before introducing himself to the adorable Lorianne.

“Hello, Lorianne. My name is Tristan. May I call you Lorrie?”

Lorianne quickly agreed, bobbing her head up and down. Grinning, she said, “Hello, Tristan~ Come and eat with me, Mommy and Daddy.”

Nathaniel and Elsie smilingly watched as Lorianne and Tristan interacted more with each other. The young man knew how to easily catch a child’s attention.

The clock gently ticked on the wall. The sun had dipped lower than its previous stance in the sky. The golden light cast shimmers on the blue waves, sending sparkles in its wake.

Lorianne and Tristan’s voices filled the air of the lounge while Nathaniel and Elsie mostly stayed quiet. The little one cackled when the young man joked, her merry laughter bounced off the walls.

“Daddy, can we go outside? I wanna see the garden. And the sea!”

Lorianne asked Nathaniel with a cheeky grin once she was done with her last bite of chocolate eclair. She ate everything she was served, including the walnut pie and strawberry shortcake.

Lorianne’s enthusiasm earned chuckles from Nathaniel. Reaching for a tissue, he gently wiped the little girl’s mouth, smeared with the chocolate cream.

“We can. Let’s go now.”

“Yay!”

Tristan didn’t join the family of three as they made their way out of the villa. He quickly gathered the used plates, cups and cutlery, bringing them to the kitchen.

Halting in his tracks, Tristan glanced over his shoulder. He stared at Nathaniel, who carried Lorrie in his arms and Elsie, who followed closely by his side.

‘They look better than I expected.’

Tristan was glad to see how comfortable Nathaniel, Elsie and Lorianne were with each other. Even though they had just reunited, their interactions were better than his anticipations.

Smiling, Tristan turned around and resumed his steps. He couldn’t help but whistle. He made a mental note to text Ruediger about the current situation in the villa.

The late afternoon sun bathed the yard in golden light, showering its warmth and glow over the vast lavender bed. The salty breeze carried the soothing scent of the flowers.

Nathaniel walked slightly ahead, his eyes following Lorianne’s little figure. The young child ran down the pathway carefreely. The wind tousled her soft blond locks.

Elsie strolled beside Nathaniel, her eyes scanning the endless rows of the delicate purple blossoms. A gentle smile graced her lips, but her heart ached seeing the blooms.

He said he planted these with her in his mind.

What did he feel at that time?

Were they sadness, regret and also anger?

Elsie unconsciously paused from walking. Standing opposite the swaying lavender stalks, she hesitantly reached out her hand. Her fingers brushed against the petals, feeling how familiar they were.

“Every season, I made sure they thrived… even though you weren’t here.”

Nathaniel’s voice sounded very low to Elsie. Her breath caught in her throat, she abruptly turned to look at him.

Nathaniel stood only one foot away from her. Elsie tilted her chin up, finding his brown eyes lingered with something unspoken. Something stirred in her heart, something hard to explain.

“I knew it was just a worthless dream of mine, but…” Nathaniel paused, he unconsciously lowered his tone, “I’ve always… always hoped you’d be here someday.”

In his dreams, he saw her standing in the middle of the garden, admiring the lavender stalks.

In his dreams, he saw her kneeling before the lavender bed, gently taking in its sweet scent.

In his dreams, he saw her turning around, softly calling him to join her.

Five years of separation, of missing moments that could never be returned. And now, she was here, at this very lavender bed he had carefully cultivated with her in his mind.

Nathaniel’s words were plain and clear. Elsie wouldn’t ever mistake them to mean something else. Pursing her lips, she clenched the hem of her blouse, various thoughts conflicted in her mind.

No matter how much she thought everything was fine, she couldn’t deny the lingering fear from years ago.

Still…

Didn’t she come back with a resolution? Not only to right the wrong she had left behind, but also…

Mustering up her courage, Elsie made up her mind. She didn’t want to delay this issue anymore. Not only for her, but also for Nathaniel and Lorianne.

Nathaniel caught the change in Elsie’s gaze. The look of doubt and fear from the beginning changed to something else—a look of determination.

“Niel,” Elsie began, her brows slightly furrowing as she spoke, “May I have some of your time later? There’s something I want to talk about with you. It’s about us.”

Nathaniel blinked, he froze for a moment. Never did he expect Elsie to say that.

By clearly bringing up the issue, they would inevitably reopen the old wounds. And, the end results might make or break them.

Nevertheless, he wouldn’t miss out on this chance.

“Yes, Elsie,” Nathaniel nodded, he became more serious, “I’ll make time for you soon. How about tonight?”

It might sound rushed, but he couldn’t wait anymore. This issue had been hanging at the back of his mind, desperate for attention. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the time to talk to her about it.

Until she brought it up herself.

‘…that easy? Tonight? Has he been… waiting for this?’

Elsie didn’t know whether to feel relieved or fearful for Nathaniel’s quick agreement. She inwardly laughed at herself because whether she played dumb or not, it was obvious he also wanted the same.

“Yes,” Elsie nodded, her movement slightly stiff, “Let’s talk tonight. Maybe after Lorrie goes to bed, what do you think?”

“Okay.”

Nathaniel’s answer was short, but enough to convey his wish. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest as he inevitably imagined how their conversation would be.

Would they grow closer again, or… would they drift further apart?

He wouldn’t get the answer until tonight.