Chapter 154
Michael's place.
Nora hid under the covers, her heart racing.
She could almost hear her own heartbeat.
The closer Michael got, the more flustered she became.
The light under the covers dimmed. Nora nervously clenched her hands—she knew Michael had turned off the lights.
The bedside sleep light slowly faded, and Nora's heart jumped to her throat.
"You like sleeping with your head covered?"
Michael's voice was so pleasant it made Nora's heart race even faster.
Gathering her courage, she poked her head out from under the covers. Nora wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and looked at Michael carefully.
Michael lay beside her, his voice low, "Go to sleep."
Maybe because the bed was so big, Nora and Michael were far apart. Both were quiet, not saying another word.
Michael really didn't touch her, letting her fall asleep peacefully.
Sensing the person beside him breathing evenly, Michael turned to look at Nora, watching her for a long time.
He had never actually imagined that one day, he could have a woman share his bed.
In the past, women had tried every trick to sleep in his bed, and he only felt disgusted.
Now, he was full of anticipation, looking forward to the look in her eyes when she woke up tomorrow morning and saw him.
"Are you asleep?" Michael asked softly.
Nora didn't move—clearly sleeping deeply.
"Really no sense of caution at all." Michael laughed helplessly and reached out to brush Nora's hair.
Nora was very beautiful, the kind of presence you'd remember at first glance in a crowd.
A high nose bridge, deep but cool eyes.
Michael still remembered how Nora looked dancing the White Swan on stage years ago.
Maybe from that brief encounter that year, he had already kept Nora in his heart.
He just didn't realize it himself.
Later, he met many women, but none gave him that same sense of wonder.
The next morning, Nora woke up to find herself curled up in Michael's arms.
Not daring to move, Nora trembled.
She looked back at her own pillow.
On the huge bed, she and Michael only took up about a third of it.
And Michael was almost sleeping on the edge.
Feeling guilty, Nora clenched her hands, not knowing she had this habit of burrowing into someone's arms while sleeping.
"You're awake?" Michael woke up to find Nora curled up in his arms, not daring to move, and asked with a smile.
So it was true—waking up in the morning to see the person you want to see really does make you feel good.
This was a warmth that the old Michael had never experienced.
"Mr. Smith, I'm sorry." Nora stammered, quickly got up, got dressed, washed up, and went to make breakfast.
Michael also got up and went into the bathroom to find that Nora had already squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush.
Looking down with a smile, Michael casually ran his hand through his hair.
So this is what home feels like.
In the past, no matter where he lived, for Michael it was just a place to stay.
But now, it seemed to have the warmth of home.
"Samuel, did you brush your teeth properly?" Nora was making breakfast while managing Samuel.
Samuel wasn't tall enough to reach the sink in his room.
Michael came downstairs wearing casual clothes. His hair was messy in the morning, and the beige loungewear made his face look somewhat warmer.
Different from the coldness when wearing suits, this Michael seemed more approachable.
"Dad, I can't reach." Samuel tilted his little head, asking Michael for help.
Michael's steps froze for a moment, his heart tightening.
This call of "Dad" really melted his heart.
Picking up Samuel with one hand, Michael reached for a new toothbrush and squeezed toothpaste on it, "I'll take you to buy a children's toothbrush after school."
Samuel, being held by Michael, brushed his teeth seriously and said, "Dad, are you going to pick me up after school?"
"Yes." Michael nodded.
Samuel was very happy, his eyes bright.
"Dad, will you always like me?" After brushing his teeth, Samuel asked carefully.
He was actually very afraid that Michael would suddenly not want him one day.
"Yes." Michael nodded.
"Can I keep calling you Dad?" Samuel asked again.
Michael ruffled Samuel's hair, "Yes."
"Then when you have other kids in the future, you'll still like me, right?" Samuel actually understood everything.
Michael paused. Other kids?
Was Samuel afraid he would have his own children?
Looking up at the mirror, Michael was shocked for a long time.
The way Samuel looked when brushing his teeth seriously—he looked so much like him.
His heart tightened. Michael instinctively grabbed Samuel's chin, making him look in the mirror, comparing carefully.
"Samuel?"
Outside the door, Nora called Samuel to eat. Seeing the big one and the small one standing at the bathroom door, she froze for a long time.
Was it her imagination?
Samuel in Michael's arms looked so similar.
Samuel's hair was messy, Michael's hair was messy too. The facial expressions of the big one and the small one were the same. At first glance, they looked like enlarged and reduced versions of each other.
Michael came back to his senses, looked back at Nora, and put Samuel down, "I'll have the butler come remodel a children's room."
"That's not necessary. Jasper is on a business trip with his boss today and will be back tomorrow." Nora nervously pulled Samuel over, not daring to look up.
"Having a children's room means Samuel can stay wherever he wants. It's more convenient, and he definitely wants to spend more time with his mom, right?" Michael said calmly.
Samuel nodded hard, "Mom, Uncle Jasper is off on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Can I stay here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays?"
Nora was a bit nervous—he even had the days figured out, "But..."
"Then where does Samuel want to stay on Sundays?" Michael squatted in front of Samuel and asked with a smile.
"Sundays I have to stay at Clea's." Samuel said very seriously.
"What?" Michael raised an eyebrow. How did Clea manage to win over both Jasper and Samuel?
"I'm a gentleman, I have to be responsible for Clea. I kissed her, so I have to go keep her company every week." Samuel said very seriously.
Michael laughed—only someone like Clea would say such manipulative things.
"Samuel..." Nora's face turned red from holding back laughter, "Clea is Jasper's girlfriend. You should call her aunt."
Samuel blinked, "But she told me to call her by her name. She said calling her aunt makes her sound too old."
Nora smiled—that sounded like Clea's personality.
Michael got up and took Samuel to eat. Suddenly remembering something, Michael said quietly, "It would be best to keep Jasper away from Clea."
It wasn't that Clea wasn't good—some things weren't what Jasper could handle.
The dangers around Clea far exceeded what Nora and Jasper could imagine.
Nora looked at Michael nervously, "Clea has such a nice personality."
She really liked Clea's personality.
"It's not that she's not good..." Michael didn't know how to explain to Nora for a moment. Some things might scare her if he said them out loud.
"Anyway, Jasper and Clea are from different worlds. It's best if they don't get emotionally involved." Michael reminded Nora very seriously.
Nora paused, lowered her head, and said nothing.
Probably, Michael thought that people with backgrounds like Jasper and her weren't from the same world as Clea and him, right?
Actually, what Michael said made sense. People from different worlds forcing themselves together would be very painful.