Chapter 196 Oliver Came Back Early
Grace totally remembered Neil. Back in the day, the Windsor and Montague families used to hang out. She'd tag along with her folks to the Montague's place sometimes. In her mind, Neil was always this super chill and classy man.
If he hadn't bailed back then, maybe Henry would've turned out a bit more polished too.
Neil was the first to break the ice. His voice was just as warm and smooth as she remembered. "Grace, can we chat?"
Grace popped open the car door and stepped out.
They stood there, face to face. Even though they weren't exactly tight, they had some family connections.
Neil didn't dig up the past. He just asked about Henry and Taylor, and also checked in on Seraphina.
Grace went quiet for a sec before speaking with a bitter edge, "Mrs. Montague waited for you her whole life. On her deathbed, she kept calling your name. She mistook Henry for you and only then could she pass away peacefully. If you get a chance, go visit her grave. She had a tough time."
Neil nodded. "Yeah, I should go see her."
Back then, Neil rushed into marriage. After the wedding, he and Aurora were like oil and water. They fought all the time, and she even thought he was cheating with Heather. She trashed Heather's rep in their social circle.
Neil couldn't handle it anymore and split from Aurora. Little did he know, that split was for good. While trying to clear his head on a cruise, he fell overboard, lost his memory, and wandered around aimlessly for most of his life.
When Neil finally got his memory back and returned to Evergreen City, everything was different. Aurora hated him, Henry didn't get him, and even Seraphina, who he respected, was gone.
Neil had nothing left!
He didn't spill any of this to Grace because she had been through enough. He just apologized and asked her to cut Henry some slack, saying Henry used to be a really warm-hearted kid.
After Neil left, Grace leaned back in her seat. There was a teddy bear on the passenger seat next to her.
On that autumn night, the air at Tranquil Heights was a bit chilly.
When Henry got back, it was almost eight. As he walked through the hall, Clara was cleaning up the dishes. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Henry.
The vibe between them was kinda awkward.
Clara hesitated for a moment and then asked, "The maids just made some pizza. Want a slice?"
Henry wasn't really hungry, but since Clara rarely showed him any kindness, he didn't want to turn her down or mess up the mood. So, he tossed his jacket on the back of a dining chair and smiled lightly. "Yeah, why not. Thanks, Clara."
Clara glanced at him and went to heat up the pizza.
A maid brought Henry a cup of coffee. He took a sip while flipping through the newspaper. The grandfather clock in the hall chimed eight times, filling the room with its melodic sound.
Henry paused to listen, soaking in the quiet.
Lately, he had been savoring every moment, wanting to capture each one as a cherished memory.
Clara brought over the pizza, her attitude lukewarm, but Henry didn't mind and still spoke to her respectfully.
Clara, annoyed, walked away.
A maid tried to comfort him, "Mrs. Windsor may seem a bit standoffish, but she's actually quite kind-hearted on the inside."
Henry gave a faint smile.
Upstairs in the bedroom, Taylor had already taken a bath and was sitting on the carpet in her floral pajamas, playing with a teddy bear, looking very content.
Grace was leaning on a soft sofa nearby, going through some documents.
With so many branches of Serene Petal Dining, there were always endless accounts to review, and she had to handle them even at home.
Henry stood behind her, wrapping an arm around her slender shoulders and glanced at the documents in her hand. "I can have the company’s finance team help you with these. You don't need to work so hard."
Grace disagreed. She pulled the documents back and continued reading, her voice soft. "This isn't their job. There's no reason to make them do extra work. Over time, they would definitely resent it. Besides, Henry, you weren't someone who mixed personal and professional matters before."
Henry was moved by her demeanor. After a while, he smiled and asked, "What kind of person was I before?"
Grace put down the documents. "You weren't a person before!"
Henry was taken aback, then lowered his head to kiss her. Though his kiss was gentle, Grace still stopped him. "Taylor is watching us."
Henry stopped, his gaze deep. "She's very focused on her play. She can't see us."
Grace ignored Henry and continued reading her documents in that position.
Henry enjoyed the atmosphere and started a conversation. "Clara just gave me some pizza."
Grace didn't look up. Under the lamp, her face was radiant, and her tone was indifferent. "They made quite a lot of pizza this afternoon. Even the gardeners and security guards had some."
Henry lightly bit her ear. "Are you trying to annoy me?"
Grace felt they were too intimate, far beyond what was necessary for the purpose of conceiving a child.
Henry guessed her thoughts. Though disappointed, he promised, "Don't worry! If you ever want to leave, I won't hold you back." After saying that, he went to accompany Taylor.
Taylor placed the teddy bear neatly and was drawing with paper and pen. For a four-year-old, her drawing was quite impressive.
Henry picked up the teddy bear and looked at it for a long time. He suddenly asked Grace, "I haven't seen this toy before. Did you buy it today?"
Grace knew she couldn't hide it from him and said softly, "It was a gift from him."
She thought Henry would be upset. When she looked up, she met his gaze.
Henry's eyes were deep and inscrutable, containing something she couldn't understand. He didn't lose his temper or show any anger; he just said, "Got it!"
But in the middle of the night, Grace knew he got up and sat in the living room until dawn before returning to bed.
When she woke up again, Henry was not in bed.
On the white pillow lay a dewy red rose. Attached to it was a delicate box, which, when opened, revealed a dazzling diamond ring—Grace's wedding ring that she had worn for several years.
Today was Grace's birthday, and Henry gave her this.
The message was clear: he wanted to reconcile.
Grace sat on the bed, lost in thought. She quietly reflected that if it weren't for their past, the current Henry would indeed be a good husband, embodying all the beauty she had fantasized about in her youth.
Unfortunately, she couldn't forget.
Grace had feelings for Henry, but it was impossible for her to truly let go of everything and reconcile with him.
She thought that the best outcome for her and Henry would be regret.
As Grace was feeling sad, a commotion suddenly came from downstairs. She was startled and put on a coat to go out to the balcony to look.
Then she saw Oliver.
Oliver got out of the car, dressed in a simple casual outfit. His features were much leaner, but his handsome contours remained. They looked very much alike as siblings.
Grace gripped the railing tightly and called out hoarsely. "Oliver!"
Oliver looked up.
Their eyes met, and Grace's eyes were already filled with tears. She called out again, "Oliver! Oliver!"
She didn't care about her bare feet and ran downstairs.
Just like when she was a child, seeing Oliver return, she ran down from upstairs and threw herself into his arms. Time had passed so quickly, and it had been so cruel, taking everything from them.
Reuniting now, everything had changed.
"Oliver!" Grace hugged Oliver tightly, her voice choked. "Why did you come back early?"
Clara, standing nearby, wiped her tears. "It's your birthday, so he came back early."
Grace knew in her heart that without Henry's help, it wouldn't have been possible for Oliver to come back early. Henry wanted to surprise her, so he had left Tranquil Heights early.
Grace didn't mention Henry, and neither did Oliver.
Clara held Oliver's hand, tears streaming down her face. "You're finally home. Now I can tell your father..." she choked up.
Oliver hugged Clara to comfort her. After a while, Clara calmed down and wiped her tears. "Go visit your father's grave first! I'm sure he'd be glad to see you."
Oliver's heart twinged as he watched Taylor approach with a cheerful greeting. Without hesitation, Oliver swept Taylor up and dashed off, their laughter filling the air.
Taylor was very much like Grace when she was a child. Oliver had spent several years in prison, and his heart had long turned cold and unfeeling, but now it felt incredibly soft.
Taylor was a comfort from heaven for the Windsor family.
Oliver knew about Taylor's poor health early on. He gently touched Taylor's head, feeling very tender.
Oliver went to the cemetery alone. The golden sunlight fell on him but couldn't bring any warmth.
He stood quietly, looking at Nathan's photo, recalling everything about their father-son relationship and the warm family life at Tranquil Heights.
A tall figure had been standing behind him for a long time—it was Henry.
Oliver knew Henry was there and spoke softly, "I went in at the best age, for six years in total. Now I'm over 30! Henry, it's understandable that you didn't help the Windsor family, but what you did to Grace was simply despicable!"
Oliver turned around, his handsome face cold, and without a word, he swung a punch at Henry.
Henry didn't dodge; he deserved it. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
But Henry only allowed Oliver three punches. After that, the two of them fought fiercely in front of Nathan's grave, as if they were trying to kill each other.
Oliver called Henry a bastard.
Henry called him a loser, saying he didn't know how to handle business perfectly, and that Nathan was old, but Oliver wasn't senile but still be so reckless!
He scold Oliver for letting Dylan take over the case after going to prison!
Henry sneered, "What an idiot!"
Neither of them gave in, and both got injured!
But they both knew that Taylor stood between them, and for her sake, they couldn't kill each other.
Finally, Oliver lay on the ground, panting.
He said softly, "I won't live at Tranquil Heights, nor will I accept the Windsor Group. If you must give it to someone, give it to Grace! We have no personal grudges, but what you owe her, you can never repay in this lifetime!"
After saying that, Oliver patted the dirt off his clothes and struggled to get up.
Henry got up too, swaying as he stood, watching Oliver's gradually receding figure. For some reason, Henry shouted at his back, "I love her! It's not compensation! I just purely love her!"
Oliver's body tensed, a bitter smile crossing his face. In that moment, he couldn't deny it—Henry had a point. If Henry was a jerk, then Oliver was a failure. It was his own carelessness that had brought about their downfall, ripping the family apart.
His gaze turned icy as he spoke Dylan's name with a slow, cold smile. "Dylan, I'm back!"