Chapter 506 Chapter 506: Storytelling For The Children
Actually, the four candidates knew the result when they found that Estelle didn’t come to the reception room with them.
Now, the dust had settled, and none of them was surprised when hearing Luke’s words. Emily, who thought she could get the job, shook her head and heaved a deep sigh, “Sure enough. I knew Mr. Hans would choose Miss Hudson. Although he seldom looked at her, I could feel that his attitude toward Miss Hudson is different from that toward us.”
After seeing the four candidates off, Luke went to the study to see Cristofer. He stood calmly in front of the desk and confessed in a sincere tone, “Mr. Hans, it was me who let Estelle come to the interview. If you are mad, just scold me.”
Cristofer had been stable and good at suppressing his own feelings. When he was a child, he never cried like other children when he got injured. After he grew up, even though he was in great pain, he still showed a calm look in front of others as if he was invincible.
Looking at Luke, who was ready to be scolded by him, he showed a calm look, which was typical of him, and asked calmly and gently, “Have the other candidates left?” He didn’t intend to scold Luke at all. Luke looked after him when he was a child and watched him grow up. In his heart, he had taken Luke as his family, and he greatly respected him.
“Yes, I’ve asked the driver to drive them home,” Luke responded calmly.
Hearing this, Cristofer nodded slightly. At the thought that Estelle was still here, he suddenly fell down, leaning against the backrest of his wheelchair and closing his eyes wearily.
Seeing him like this, Luke worriedly asked, “Mr. Hans, do you want to go back to your bedroom and rest? You don’t look well. How about I call the doctor over?”
“Don’t bother,” Cristofer replied in a low voice with his eyes still closed. “I’m fine. I’m just a little tired. Interviewing the candidates is more tiring than dealing with the company’s affairs. Uncle Luke, tell...” He suddenly paused in mid-sentence, thinking about how to address Estelle. After a few seconds, he continued, “Tell Miss Hudson that she has the job. She can use the cars when she needs to buy things for the children, and we’ll pay her back. In any case, she should put the children’s needs first.”
Hearing this, Luke, who knew that Cristofer was concerned about Estelle, tried to persuade Cristofer again, “Mr. Hans, since you still care about Estelle, why don’t you let her know? Now she has come back. You can have a good talk with her.”
“I don’t care about her. I offer her the benefits just because I want her to take good care of the children,” Cristofer said stubbornly. After he said that, even he himself felt that this excuse was far-fetched. He thought to himself, ‘Estelle is their mother. Even if I don’t offer her anything, she will take good care of the children.’
“Mr. Hans, you are just too stubborn. Do think twice before you make any decision, or you will regret it. Do you really not love Estelle anymore? I don’t think so. Have you forgotten the happy past between the two of you?” Luke asked, sounding sad for them.
With a sad look, Cristofer didn’t answer his question and just said, “Whether I love her or not is not important anymore. She lied to the police and framed me. Apparently, she doesn’t love me anymore. Uncle Luke, I have already accepted the truth. Don’t try to persuade me again.”
Cristofer felt a mix of emotions. He thought, “Estelle once raised my hopes and then dashed them. That hurt more than if she had never given me hope at all. I don’t want to go through that pain again.” He let out a quiet sigh.
Luke felt a deep sadness for Cristofer as he thought about the difficult past six months. His eyes even started to get teary. He told Cristofer, “Mr. Hans, both Old Mr. Hans and I wish for your happiness and for you to move forward, not dwell on the past.”
Cristofer, thinking about Gary, tried to hide his emotions by covering his face with his trembling hand. He didn’t want Luke to see his vulnerability. In a determined tone, he said, “I won’t get stuck in the past. I’ll rebuild everything. The company will thrive, and I’ll stand tall once more.”
“Mr. Hans, if you want to move on from the past and start fresh, you should first confront your true feelings. Don’t be stubborn or indifferent to Estelle. There seems to be a misunderstanding between you two. From what I can see, she’s still just as lovely as before. Remember when you both had a great relationship, and everyone thought you were a perfect match?” Luke said, reminiscing about the good old days.
Luke recalled how close Estelle and Cristofer used to be when they sat together in the living room. He talked about their past together for a while.
Cristofer had believed that his memories of his time with Estelle had faded, but Luke’s words brought them rushing back. He couldn’t help but smile as he remembered Estelle’s sweet smile from her youth.
Suddenly, Cristofer realized he was smiling because of Estelle. He quickly composed himself, cleared his throat, and said, “Uncle Luke, I still have a lot of work to do. Let’s not talk about this. You can go back to your work.”
Luke wanted to say more, but he thought talking too much might not be helpful, so he politely ended the conversation, left the room, and closed the door quietly.
The study was the only place that enabled Cristofer to have inner peace. Since he couldn’t stop thinking about Estelle, he worked late until night. When evening came, Luke invited him for dinner, but Cristofer declined, saying he wasn’t hungry. Later, Luke had a servant bring him coffee.
The Hans family had a large business to manage, so Cristofer had to consider various factors when dealing with company emergencies. He finally finished his work many hours later and could take a break. As he rubbed his tired eyes, he suddenly heard children laughing.
The study was next to the children’s bedroom, and both rooms had open balconies. With the balcony door open, Cristofer could hear the children clearly.
He wanted to go out to the balcony in his wheelchair to enjoy the moonlight and the cool night breeze. But he heard Estelle’s gentle voice before he could leave his desk.
“In the end, the little mermaid threw herself into the sea. Her body turned into water bubbles, and she went to heaven,” Estelle was telling the children the story of the little mermaid.