Chapter 181 Juniper is Always the Treasure of the Windsor Family
Juniper stood up and handed Felix a few tissues.
"Grandpa, you don't need to feel sad for me. You watched me grow up, and I've always had a good life. I haven't suffered."
"You're right, I'm not sad, I'm not crying. It's just that my eyes tear up easily now that I'm old."
Felix fumbled to wipe away his tears, but the more he wiped, the more they flowed.
If Paloma really had forgotten her own child, even if Juniper found her, she would only face a mother who had forgotten everything. How much would that hurt Juniper!
Why did Juniper have to suffer so much?
Felix let out a deep sigh.
"She's the Harrison family's child. Back when something happened to Paloma, I didn't have the face to see Owen anymore. You all know that Evander never liked business since he was young. He preferred research. Paloma was his junior at a research institute."
Felix's face was full of bitterness as he shook his head and sighed several times.
"We old friends came out of the war together and will go back to the grave together. The person I'm most ashamed to face is Owen!"
Marcus frowned. "Someone from the Harrison family? Now that you mention it, Juniper does look a bit like Paloma when she was young. Why didn't you mention this before?"
Felix smiled bitterly.
"After Paloma left, Evander always privately considered Paloma his wife, and I accepted his choice."
"But Paloma died. We couldn't possibly go to the Harrison family to arrange an engagement, could we? Owen not beating me to death would have been good enough! I was too embarrassed to say anything, so I didn't bring it up."
"Evander has suffered all these years. I'm not afraid of you laughing at us!"
"A few years ago, Evander almost wanted to die to go find Paloma. I stopped him and sent him to Tranquil County, thinking it would be good for him to do something to take his mind off things."
"As soon as Evander went there, his whole spirit improved. I was so happy! Alexander's father was irresponsible and weak, but at least I still had Alexander. Evander was all alone with nothing. I was really afraid that one day he'd leave before me."
Felix wiped the moisture from his face.
"I was terrified! Last year when Evander came back, he pulled me aside at the hospital and talked for a long time. He even mentioned Paloma, but I didn't see any unhappiness in him. I thought he had moved on, but I didn't realize that was when he found out about Juniper's DNA matching his!"
"Juniper, I'm not asking you to forgive Evander, and I'm not asking you to come home. I just hope you won't blame Evander. His life has been hard too!"
For a moment, no one spoke.
Marcus sighed heavily.
"Just because he's suffered, does that mean Juniper should be wronged? Catherine and Juniper are both innocent in this. The Windsor family never thought about abandoning Juniper."
"Felix, look at Juniper. Such a wonderful child is the result of our whole family's care! Even if there were difficulties, your son went too far. Facing such a good child, how could he just refuse to acknowledge her?"
Felix smiled bitterly. "He didn't dare!"
Catherine suddenly spoke up. "Does Evander have depression?"
When Catherine saw Evander last time, she noticed his mental state wasn't very good, and he was in an extremely closed-off state internally.
Felix nodded.
"Yes, but he's been much better these past two years. At least he's not trying to die to go find Paloma anymore."
Grace looked at Felix, who had aged considerably, and said helplessly, "You haven't had it easy either!"
"Evander scares me. I'm afraid that when I die, Alexander will be all alone too, so I keep pushing him to get married soon. But he completely ignores me!"
Alexander said helplessly, "Grandpa, every time you push me to marry, you give a different reason. How can I trust you?"
Juniper looked at everyone in the family. If it weren't for her situation, the whole family wouldn't have gathered together like this.
She cleared her throat and spoke up clearly.
"I've thought it through! I agree to return to the Howard family, but I am Juniper Windsor and will always be Juniper Windsor. Felix is my grandpa, which for me just means I have one more elder who cares about me. I'm actually gaining something! As for Evander, I don't want to see him right now, but I don't blame him."
Felix looked at Juniper and kept nodding.
"Whatever you say, whatever you say. You keep the Windsor name. The Windsor name is good! Marcus, I need to thank you for raising such a wonderful granddaughter."
Marcus snorted coldly, though his expression improved considerably.
"Of course my granddaughter is wonderful! Both my granddaughters are the best! Let me tell you, Juniper is only doing this because she feels sorry for you. She's still the Windsor family's child."
"I know, I know. The Howard family won't shortchange Juniper either. Juniper can do whatever she wants. From now on, both the Howard family and the Windsor family are your home!"
Samuel muttered, "How did it become your family's? I was hoping that one day Juniper would take my Martinez surname. You really got the better deal."
Juniper hugged Samuel's arm. "You're also my grandpa!"
"That's more like it."
Grace coughed. "From now on, why don't Juniper and Catherine just live with us? The Windsor family has enough children. Our house is quiet."
Felix: "Sure, I'll move in with you too."
Grace said angrily, "Are you really that shameless?"
"How am I shameless? Marcus, think about it. Catherine will be our grandson's wife in the future, and Juniper is our own granddaughter. Sooner or later, we'll all be one family!"
"Get lost! These are all Windsor family people. Get out right now!"
Marcus got angry just looking at Felix and cursed as he chased both him and Alexander out.
"I get annoyed just seeing people with the Howard surname!"
"People with the Windsor surname aren't any better! Except for Catherine and Juniper—the rest are all troublemakers!"
Everyone in the Windsor family acted as if they hadn't heard anything.
Juniper quietly pulled Catherine's hand and whispered while covering her face, "Catherine, I want to go out for a bit. Will you come with me?"
"Where to?"
Juniper pulled Catherine into the car, buckling her seatbelt while explaining, "I want to go see The Harrison Manor. Catherine, you can drive, right?"
"Yes."
Catherine didn't hesitate and started the car. After driving for quite a while, she said, "But I don't have a license."
Juniper fell silent.
She hadn't thought of that.
Catherine didn't have a license. What if something happened?
"Should we wait for Philip? I'll call him?"
Catherine's eyes looked at the road ahead. Her driving was steady, her gaze calm.
"You came to me because you didn't want them to know, right? My skills are pretty good, and I know where The Harrison Manor is."
"But it's not safe. Should we take a taxi?"
Catherine looked at a motorcycle parked by the roadside and lifted her chin slightly.
"Let's take that. I have a motorcycle license."
Half an hour later, a black motorcycle entered the area outside The Harrison Manor and stopped by a flower bed.
Juniper had held onto Catherine's waist the whole way as they sped along. The cold wind had cooled down her somewhat messy thoughts quite a bit.
When she saw The Harrison Manor, Juniper's expression was complicated.
"Is this it?"
Was this where her mother had lived?
A gentle voice came from inside the gate.
"Isn't that Catherine? Why are you standing at the door instead of coming in? And who is this?"