Chapter 533


    Natalie was petrified.


    The Whitlock family was just too straightforward.


    She couldn''t believe that Cecilia wanted her to call her Mom.


    They had only just met each other for the first time.


    "No, Auntie!" She let out a nervous chuckle. "I prefer to call you Auntie."


    The Whitlock family''s bluntness was a little too much for her to handle.


    Fortunately, Cecilia did not force her.


    "Alright then, if that''s what you prefer." Cecilia looked at her affectionately.


    Then, she guided Natalie to sit on the sofa and asked how she was.


    Natalie thought Cecilia would start questioning her about her background. She was her son''s


    girlfriend, after all.


    She braced herself for the questions and drafted the answers in her mind — her height, her


    education, her job, her family...


    But surprisingly, Cecilia didn''t ask a single thing


    about those.


    Instead, she asked Natalie if she liked Hayden, inquired about her health, and wanted to know more


    about how she felt.


    Natalie could see that Cecilia genuinely cared about her.


    But her kindness was too abrupt.


    Natalie was not used to it.


    Out of courtesy, she answered Cecilia''s question patiently as she tried to hide her awkwardness.


    Cecilia didn''t seem to notice Natalie''s unease at all. She continued chatting passionately with no


    intention of stopping.


    Natalie was literally a damsel in distress.


    She silently thanked God when Tobias finally returned home.


    Her eyes lit up, and she stared at him like her knight in shining armor.


    She immediately sprang up from the sofa and leaped towards him. For the first time, she beamed


    her widest smile at Tobias, "You''re back, Mr. Whitlock."


    Tobias paused abruptly. Then, his gaze drifted up to her face.


    "Yes, I''m back." The corners of his lips quirked into a faint smile.


    Natalie leaned closer to him and whispered, "Mr. Whitlock, your mother is here."


    Tobias tilted his head to look behind her, and his eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw Cecilia


    sitting on the sofa.


    Cecilia looked much healthierpared to when he left. She had gained a fair amount of weight,


    and color had finally returned to her cheeks. She was no longer pale and sickly.


    Tobias let out a sigh of relief to himself.


    "Mother," he greeted in a clear and sweet voice.


    Cecilia tilted her chin to acknowledge him.


    Natalie did not want to disturb the mother-son reunion. Most importantly, she felt intimidated by


    Cecilia''s unusual hospitality.


    "Uh, Mr. Whitlock, I''ll go put Hayden to bed. It was nice talking to you, Auntie!" Natalie said with a


    polite smile.


    "All right." Tobias nodded in approval.


    Then he nted a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight."


    Natalie was stunned.


    Did Tobias just kiss her on the forehead in front of his mother?


    Heart pounding, she quickly scuttered upstairs.


    Tobias moved to sit across Cecilia.


    Guilt shed across Cecilia''s eyes. "I''m sorry, Tobias."


    Tobias''s dark eyes glinted. "It''s alright, Mother. The past is in the past. Besides, no one would ever


    have guessed that it would turn out like that. It doesn''t matter anymore, as long as the three of us


    are doing good. I couldn''t ask for more."


    Cecilia forced a smile.


    She could only tell herself the same thing to make herself feel better.


    "But Natalie still doesn''t remember anything, does she?" Cecilia sighed.


    Tobias''s brow knitted into a frown. "She doesn''t.


    But I believe that she will. One day, perhaps. Even if —" His breath hitched for a moment. "Even if


    she really can''t remember the past, she''s still mine. This might be a good thing."


    Cecilia knew that he was right.


    Even if Natalie really couldn''t remember anything, at least she was still with him.


    However, if that was the case, then it was also a cause of regret. He would definitely feel like he had


    lost a part of himself.


    A sigh escaped her lips.


    Tobias didn''t want Cecilia to worry about this, so he sneakily changed the topic. "Did Selinae


    with you?"


    Selina rarely left Cecilia''s side. If Cecilia was back, she must have followed her here too.


    However, she was nowhere to be seen.


    "She dide with me, but as soon as she arrived in Agaphen City, she received that man''s call.


    She went to look for him again."


    Tobias''s frown deepened.


    He knew who Cecilia was talking about.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He was the man with whom Cecilia was in love for ten years since they were in school, so much so


    she was willing to give up her luxurious life and drop out of school for him.


    However, that man was not a good person.


    "Mother, he doesn''t deserve Selina," Tobias muttered with a dark look.


    Cecilia gave a bitterugh. "Of course I know that, Tobias. However much I tried to persuade her or


    scold her, she just won''t listen. She''s still waiting for him. What else do you think I can do?"


    A sorrowful look gathered in her eyes. "Some things are fated, and we can''t change the oue


    even if we tried."


    Selina was fated to fall into a star- crossed rtionship with the man.


    Tobias pulled a long face, his eyes darker than the midnight sky. "I''ll talk to Selina someday."


    Cecilia looked helpless. "There''s nothing you can do about it. She''s blinded by love. We can''t stop


    her, so we can only stand by as we watch her fall into this. Just like..."


    Cecilia stopped herself.


    Perhaps, her daughter was just like her.


    Back then, her parents were against her rtionship with that man, but she still risked her life to be


    with him. Even after marrying Tobias''s father, she still did not give up on him. She only decided to


    truly let him go when she had been ruefully disappointed by him.


    "Maybe suffering a little will do her good. Otherwise, she''d never give up." Her voice wavered.


    No mother would ever wish for their daughter to suffer.


    Most importantly, she didn''t want her daughter to be hurt by love.


    But there was nothing she could do about it.


    Tobias''s eyes turned cold.


    Noticing Tobias''s expressions, Cecilia decided to change the subject.


    The talk about Selina got too stressful.


    "By the way, how are you and Natalie doing recently? Is Hayden fond of Natalie?"


    The coldness in Tobias''s eyes dissipated instantly at the mention of Natalie.


    His tone softened. "We''re good. They are mother and son, after all. Hayden likes her very much."


    Cecilia''s entire body rxed. "That''s good. As long as you and Natalie are well, I can rest assured.


    The burden in my heart can finally be eased."


    "And one more thing." Cecilia''s face turned serious. "Tobias, have you looked into the matter


    regarding Natalie not being my child?"


    Part of the reason why Cecilia hade back this time was because of Tobias and Natalie. She


    wanted to see if they were really doing well.


    The other part of the reason was because of this matter.


    Years ago, she had handed her daughter over to the babysitter and told her to give the baby to


    Madison.


    If Natalie was not her daughter, where would her daughter be now?


    How could such a mistake happen back then?


    Seline stepped into the apartment, wrinkling her


    nose.


    It was an old and shabby building, obviously undermaintained, with peeling walls and cracked


    floors.


    If it weren''t for that man, she would never visit such a horrible ce her entire life.


    How could a fine, upper-ss youngdy like her ever visit such a ce?


    There was no other exnation. She asked for it.


    She loved that man. She loved him for a decade, and she loved him to the bone.


    That man was her everything.