Chapter 151
Nora nervously covered Samuel's mouth and apologized in a low voice, "Mr. Smith, I'm sorry. Samuel is still young, Samuel just..."
Samuel just desperately wanted a complete family.
"Yes," Michael's answer was firm.
This answer shocked Walter.
He looked at Michael with growing anger, "Mr. Smith would even lie to a child."
"Whether it's a lie or not, I don't need to explain to you." Michael opened the car door and let Nora get in with Samuel.
Nora also looked at Michael in shock.
He said yes.
Don't overthink it. They were already in a cooperative marriage relationship.
So Michael wasn't lying. He really had gotten a marriage certificate with her.
Samuel stared at Michael intently, his eyes reddening with excitement, "Daddy, you'll marry Mommy and protect her, right?"
Michael nodded and ruffled Samuel's hair.
Samuel hugged Nora, his voice choked with tears, "Mommy, Daddy said he'll marry you."
Nora's body felt numb and stiff. She patted Samuel soothingly, got into the car, and closed the door.
The adult world was really complicated.
Some things weren't as simple as children thought.
Just because you're married doesn't mean you're a family.
"Michael, what game are you playing? You don't love Nora at all, and there's no emotional foundation. Why are you competing with me?" Walter lowered his voice and asked irritably.
"Who says there's no emotional foundation?" After closing the car door, Michael looked at Walter calmly, "I've known Nora for quite a while. Although we've only recently started getting closer, she deserves to be cherished, not treated like you did—refusing to take responsibility."
Walter gritted his teeth.
Michael was putting on quite a show.
"Michael, we're both men, no need to play this game with me." Walter rubbed his temples, "You haven't even solved your own family crisis yet, and you're already meddling in Samuel's business. Do you think Nora will be safe by your side? Do you think you can protect Samuel?"
"Let's find out," Michael said in a deep voice.
"Michael, if anything happens to Samuel while he's with you, I'll take him away immediately," Walter warned Michael.
"The Smith family's situation is tricky, but right now, if the Clark family refuses to publicly acknowledge Pearl's crimes against Nora and send her out of Emerald City, I won't let this go either. Once the Clark family's reputation is damaged, the Wood family will inevitably be affected. If I were you, I'd know what to do to avoid risks and losses."
Michael said this casually and got into the car.
The driver drove away, leaving Walter standing alone at the hospital entrance.
He cursed irritably and rubbed his temples.
Michael was crazy—he might actually do it.
Once Pearl's reputation was ruined, he'd have to hold a press conference immediately to break off the engagement to avoid the fallout.
That cunning bastard Michael was dragging the Wood family into this mess with him!
Michael had always been ruthless, but why was he suddenly going after the Clark family?
Was it because Aria had schemed against him multiple times, or because Luna and Eloise were getting too close?
"Mr. Wood..." Royce walked over.
"Send Pearl and Aria back. Tell Aria I want to see her alone tomorrow morning."
Walter really wanted to know what had happened between Michael and Aria.
He didn't believe Michael would marry Nora, much less that Michael had feelings for her.
At most, it was just possessiveness.
---
In the car.
Samuel reached out on his own, wanting Michael to hold him.
Michael held Samuel and looked out the window with him.
"Daddy, can you make a promise with me?" Samuel wanted Michael to confirm the promise, afraid he was lying.
What if he refused to marry Nora later?
Nora felt nervous and grabbed Samuel's hand, "Samuel, don't do this."
She was afraid Michael would be put off by Samuel, thinking he was too clever and trying to latch onto the Smith family.
But to Michael, it was heartbreaking.
How lacking in security and desperate for a father's love must this child be to be so careful?
"Pinky promise." Michael raised his hand and hooked Samuel's little finger.
Samuel's eyes reddened again, his voice choked as he said, "Pinky promise, pinky promise, can't change for a hundred years."
Michael patted Samuel's back, silently comforting him.
Nora's eyes also reddened as she turned to look out the other car window.
She knew what Samuel wanted.
When Michael no longer wanted her.
She would probably go on blind dates, find someone willing to accept her and Samuel, and marry to spend the rest of her life.
To give Samuel a home.
"Mr. Smith..."
Back home, Samuel had fallen asleep.
Michael placed Samuel on the guest room bed and tiptoed out.
She could tell he was very good to Samuel.
But that wasn't a reason for Nora to be greedy.
"There's no children's room in the house. Tomorrow I'll have someone redesign the master bedroom on the first floor into a children's room." Michael said quietly.
"But..." Nora nervously bit her lip.
"You won't need to stay in the first-floor master bedroom anymore. Samuel wants a complete family, so shouldn't mom and dad sleep together?" Michael knew exactly how to use Nora's weak spot.
Nora's eyes reddened, "Mr. Smith, I'm sorry for troubling you. Please don't dislike Samuel. He's never had a father, and I was always in prison, so his personality is more mature than other kids his age."
"He's a lot like me." Michael said quietly.
Nora paused and lowered her head without speaking.
"James is only three years younger than me." Michael's voice was somewhat low.
James was the Smith family's illegitimate child.
That meant when Michael was three years old, Nolan had already had James with Luna outside.
His childhood was also missing a father's love.
His family wasn't complete either.
So Michael could empathize with Samuel more than anyone, could truly understand his feelings.
"I'm sorry." Nora didn't want to bring up Michael's painful memories and ran to the kitchen to bring out the noodles.
Michael looked at the steaming noodles and smiled.
It turned out that the simpler the happiness, the more it captured your heart.
He only regretted not meeting Nora earlier.
"I wish I'd been born three years later." Michael said quietly.
"What?" Nora was serving Michael vegetables, not understanding what he meant.
"That way, you, me, and James would have met at the same school." Michael was confident that between James and him, Nora would definitely choose him first.
Unfortunately, there were no such ifs in this world.
If he had appeared by Nora's side when she was blooming, how could he have let his rose be trampled by others?
Nora's hand gripping the knife and fork slowly tightened. After a long while, she looked up at Michael, "Mr. Smith, the noodles won't taste good if they sit too long."
If the person who had appeared in her life back then wasn't James but Michael, how wonderful that would have been.
No, wait.
In that situation, no one would have believed her.
She and Michael had met too late.
The current her didn't deserve Michael.
Why hope for more?
And Michael shouldn't give her hope either.
"Nora, let me publicly adopt Samuel." In his personal capacity, publicly acknowledge Samuel's identity as his adopted son, legally and legitimately inheriting everything he had.
The knife and fork in Nora's hand dropped to the floor.