As soon as Sophia returned and saw Nathan, she happily exclaimed, âNate, youâre here!â
âYeah.â He glanced briefly at her before walking out the door.
âNate, where are you going? Itâs almost lunch time; why donât you stay for lunch before you go?â Sophia desperately tried to make him stay.
âI donât feel like eating,â he answered coldly before returning to Villa No. 8 and never came out again.
Compared to the indifferent Nathan, Michael was much more enthusiastic. He brought in the fowls that Sophia caught from the farm to their backyard. Then, he carried the freshly picked fruits and placed them in the kitchen. After that, he sat in the living room to rest, Carmen in his arms as he chatted with Linus.
On the other hand, Cooper was getting riled up and thought that Michael was thick-skinned when he did not leave. Even Carmen couldnât bear it anymore and asked innocently, âDaddy, are you trying to dilly-
dally at Grandpaâs house? Look; Grandpaâs getting mad!â
Michael rubbed her forehead as he cuddled her. âSilly girl. Iâm Mommyâs husband; whatâs wrong with having a meal at Mommyâs house?â Behind those words was a sense of smugness.
âNonsense!â Sophia was flustered upon hearing that.
Meanwhile, Cooper was fuming while Linus couldnât help but laugh. Cooper really was not fond of Michael!
Seeing that the meal was about to be served, Sophia glanced at Carmen and Michael, and then at Villa No. 8. Michael and Carmen were here, while Nathan wasnât. He was eating at home alone and Sophia thought it seemed a little lonely. Despite that, she felt dejected as she recalled Nathanâs coldness toward her. Biting her lip, she asked, âMichael, did Nate hate me before this?â
Meanwhile, Michael was being held while Carmen forcefully braided his hair. He laughed and said, âNo way; he loved you back then! He liked you more than he did me!â
However, Sophia did not seem to think so. Nathan had always been cold toward her and she was always taking the initiative to speak to him, but he would just ignore her. He rarely came to play or even come home. What a head-scratcher of a little teenager.
Sophia then made a phone call to Villa No. 8. When Nathan did not pick up, she hurried to the villa to check on him. She brought Carmen with her, in case Nathan rejected her offer.
Before this, Sophia had been there before so she knew where Nathanâs bedroom was. She went over, only to find Nathanâs bedroom door closed. Carmen knocked on it and yelled, âNate, itâs time for lunch!â
âWhy are you here?â
They could hear shuffling through the door before it was swung open. Not expecting to see Sophia at all, Nathan froze for a moment. Sophia enthusiastically chirped, âNate, come over for lunch. Linus and Carmen will be there; you should join us!â
However, Nathanâs expression remained cold. âI donât want to.â
Before he could shut his door, Carmen slipped into his room with Sophia. Nathanâs room looked a little more sophisticated compared to an average boyâs. The color palette of the room was a simple black and white, and it was a large area that was fully furnished. In addition to the basic study room and wardrobe, he had his own gym room, balcony, and a swimming pool. In his study, there was even a Bitcoin mining machine. Seeing them, Snowball came out of its kennel and wagged its tail at Sophia.
Snowball belonged to Nathan. After staying the night at the farm with the others, it came back to Nathan while the other dogs went back to Villa No. 2.
âYou have a beautiful room, Nate!â Sophia exclaimed.
At that moment, Nathan scowled. âPlease leave when youâre done.â
What a cold little teenager! Sophia thought maybe she shouldnât have barged into his room like that.
After all, Nathan had grown up and needed his own privacy. Despite that, her sharp eyes caught sight of the photos on Nathanâs desk. There were portraits of himself as well as pictures of him with Carmen, Michael, and his parents. On top of that, there were many pictures of him with Sophia.
âNate, those are pictures of me!â Ecstatic, Sophia picked up one of the photos and looked at her past self. She was wearing Bayside Universityâs uniform and was carrying Nathan in her arms, who was wearing the school uniform too.
Not only that, there was also a photo of her and Nathan wearing matching pajamas. In the photo, Nathan was smiling happily. It was clear that they used to have a good relationship, so why was he being so cold to her now?
Frowning, Nathan tried to kick them out once again. âPlease get out!â
âYouâre so mean.â Carmen pouted disapprovingly.
Resentfully, Sophia placed the photos down and said to him once again, âNate, come over for lunch.
Weâve brought back a lot of delicious food from the farm!â
âIâm not interested.â Nathan looked away.
He really is a cold little teenager. And so, Sophia stopped pushing and turned to Carmen. âDarling, you can stay a little longer. Mommy will go now. Donât forget to bring Nate along for lunch.â
Upon hearing that, Carmen instantly agreed, âOkay.â
With that, Sophia left. When she was gone, Nathan sat at his desk and stared at the photos Sophia looked at. For the past few years, he had been staying at the university and he rarely came home. This home reminded him of his guilt. He did not know how to face Michael, Carmen, and Sophia.
Back then, it was his mother, Celineâs, doing that the Phantom Wolf had kidnapped Sophia. On that day, he almost lost everything he held dear. He had lost two mothers and two sistersâ¦
Despite that, Michael and Sophia still treated him like their own. However, the more they treated him well, the guiltier he felt. He matured overnight and he was no longer the oblivious little kid he once was.
âNateâ¦â Carmen pouted as she came over holding the dog. She held onto his shirt as she begged, âMommy told me to take you home for lunchâ¦â
Waking from his daydream, he felt a weight on his chest. He hugged Carmen before whispering, âAlright;
you wait here while I change.â
Upon hearing that, Carmen smiled happily. âOkay!â
Not long after, Nathan and Carmen went over to Sophiaâs. Compared to other kids his age, Nathan was much more mature. By now, Sophia roughly knew why he had been treating her so coldly. She did not blame anything for what happened back then. She did not blame Michael or Nathan, not even Quinton.
She could only blame her cruel fate.
Despite that, she had gained back everything that she lost, and it was enoughâ¦