Chapter 514 Chapter 514: Superhero Is Cool
Facing Estelle’s questions and Luke’s astonishment, Cristofer remained silent. He focused on holding Yvonne, who was shifting in his arms to prevent her from falling.
Yohan woke up at this moment. He vaguely remembered stargazing with Estelle and his sisters last night, and then Cristofer joined them. When he opened his eyes and saw Estelle and Cristofer together, he happily exclaimed, “You two have finally made up!”
Feeling embarrassed, neither Cristofer nor Estelle replied to him. They both turned away and simultaneously suggested, “Let’s go downstairs and have breakfast.” As soon as they finished speaking, they both froze and fell into silence.
After a few seconds, Estelle couldn’t help breaking the silence. With her eyes bright with tears, she said in a soft voice, “You haven’t answered my question. Did you walk here carrying your wheelchair alone, Cristofer?” As she said that, her voice became lower and lower, and she imagined the scene of Cristofer walking upstairs with difficulty while carrying a wheelchair. ‘Cristofer, your legs are so badly injured that it is even difficult for you to stand up. You must have suffered great pain when you walked,’ she thought.
Hearing her words, Cristofer shook his head and replied, “It’s none of your business.”
Estelle’s fair skin highlighted the redness in her teary eyes, making her look pitiable. When Cristofer noticed she was on the verge of tears, he softened and added, “Take the children downstairs. It’s time for them to eat breakfast.”
After saying that, he gazed at the distant horizon from the top floor. The early morning view was breathtaking. His expression became distant, and his thoughts were a mystery to everyone.
Listening to their conversation, Luke finally grasped the situation and said, “Mr. Hans, the doctor has warned you repeatedly not to walk in your current condition, or all the previous treatments will be in vain. How can you disregard the doctor’s advice?”
In contrast, Cristofer appeared calm, as if nothing unusual had happened. “Uncle Luke, don’t worry. I’m alright. You had a busy day yesterday, and you must be tired. Take the day off today,” he said casually.
As Luke was about to say more, Cristofer quickly added, “Oh, and Uncle Luke, let the others know just here, so they don’t have to keep searching for me.”
Cristofer had been on the terrace and was unaware of the events inside the house. However, judging by Luke’s flustered appearance and Estelle’s thinly dressed state, he guessed that the others at home were anxiously looking for him and the three children.
“Okay,” Luke replied, sounding resigned, and then went downstairs.
With Luke gone, only Estelle, Cristofer, and the three children remained on the terrace. Anticipating that Cristofer might ask her to leave again, Estelle quickly stated, “I won’t leave unless you tell me how you got here.”
“No matter how I got here, it’s not what you think,” Cristofer said, wearing a serious expression.
“I don’t believe that,” Estelle retorted, her lips pressed into a thin line. She stared at Cristofer stubbornly, waiting for him to reveal the truth.
Seeing Estelle’s determination, Cristofer noticed that she was just as stubborn as she used to be in her youth. Every time she wore that expression, he would ultimately give in. Thinking of this, he felt a bit helpless. He was about to say something stern with a cold demeanor when a cheerful and childlike voice disrupted the serious atmosphere.
“I know! Dad, you must have flown here!” Yohan exclaimed as he pointed at the sky with eager anticipation. “Mom said you’re a superhero! Superheroes can fly, Dad, you’re so cool!”
Yvonne and Christina, who were nestled in Cristofer's and Estelle’s arms, wholeheartedly believed Yohan's words without a hint of doubt.
Yvonne lifted her head to gaze at Cristofer with admiration. “Wow, Dad, you’re amazing! So you use a wheelchair not because your legs are short but because you can fly with it?”
“...Yes,” Cristofer replied, playing along. He then gently lifted Yvonne with his warm, broad hands, allowing her to sit securely on his lap while smoothing her messy hair.
“Dad, can I see your wheelchair?” Christina’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. She wondered if Cristofer's wheelchair had wings.
The children were unaware of the wheelchair’s actual purpose and believed it was a superhero’s gadget. Listening to their questions, Estelle sighed and approached Cristofer with Christina in her arms so that Christina could get a closer look at the electric wheelchair.
Meanwhile, back in the villa, Luke informed the others that he had found Cristofer and the children, instructing them to return to their duties. He also directed the cook to prepare breakfast immediately. After getting everything organized, he headed back upstairs to the terrace, feeling concerned about Cristofer. He hurried up the stairs, and as he turned a corner, he nearly stumbled.
“That was close. I almost fell,” he muttered, clutching the stair railing and letting out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he noticed something gray in a corner. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was cigarette ash. Scanning the area, he spotted cigarette butts at the base of the staircase.
‘Mr. Hans has been smoking again,’ Luke pondered while deeply sighing. Then he realized that from this vantage point, looking up toward the top floor, he could see everything happening on the terrace above.
Last night, Cristofer, who had paid attention to Estelle and the children these days, knew that they would come to the terrace to watch the stars, so he also came here secretly.
Standing at the stairwell, Cristofer gazed at Estelle and the children all the time. He was already an adult, more than thirty years old. Still, when he heard the conversation between them, he looked at the starry sky and thought, ‘There are so many stars. If only Grandpa had really turned into a star. Then I’ll watch the starry sky every night and tell Grandpa I miss him so much.’
Deep in thought, Cristofer lit a cigarette. Since his release from prison, he had been working long hours every day. Cigarettes and coffee helped him cope with the heavy workload. When he felt down, he turned to smoking. Although it didn’t always make him happy, it provided some relaxation.
Over time, Cristofer chain-smoked, and more cigarette butts piled up on the ground. After a while, he snapped back to the present and realized the children’s and Estelle’s voices had faded away. Glancing towards the terrace, he saw the three children snuggled up against Estelle, fast asleep, and he couldn’t help but smile.
He knew Estelle didn’t have much strength, and if she held onto the two girls for too long, her arms would become tired and sore. So, he made an effort to get up and slowly climbed the stairs to the terrace while carrying his wheelchair with great difficulty, enduring significant pain in the process. However, when he reached Estelle’s side, he deliberately acted cold, allowing her to believe it was Luke who had helped him get there.