Chapter 496


    Niki settled the matter in the blink of an eye without even letting him inside—he simply shoved the


    envelope of photos into the man’s hands. In truth, Niki already possessed the ability to face


    problems on his own even though he was still overly dependent on Matthias. Oftentimes, Matthias


    dly let Niki handle things for him with no worries.


    Meanwhile, Matthias didn’t seem anxious at all; he was calm andposed as he gently swirled the


    ss of wine in his hand. Niki could never be sure of what was going on in Matthias’ head.


    It seemed that Matthias wasn’t holding back tonight—he drank ss after ss without waiting even


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    for Niki to return. Thetter frowned as he noticed what was happening; he was only away for a


    moment and Matthias had already finished half the bottle.


    “Slow down, Matthias. I bet you haven’t even had dinner!” Niki said out of concern.


    However, Matthias turned a deaf ear toward him and continued drinking on his own. As a result, Niki


    was unhappy; he went up to Matthias and grabbed the wine ss from his hand.


    “Are you really here to drink with me? Or am I only supposed to watch?” Nikiined in


    exasperation, for Matthias was gulping down wine like it was in water.


    “Do you like Heather?” Just then, Matthias looked up at Niki with his tired eyes which were


    bloodshot-red. Since when had he be this frail and haggard?


    This sudden query stunned Niki momentarily and he couldn’t react in time. Even though he did have


    feelings for Heather, he couldn’t possibly admit it in front of Matthias.


    “Go after her if you want.” Matthias’ rationality was crumbling under the influence of alcohol, for there


    was no way he would urge Niki to pursue Heather in a sober state.


    In Matthias’ eyes, Heather was a dangerous threat—he would never let Niki take the risk. If too


    many things were gathered in one ce, Matthias might just go crazy.


    “I think you’re the one who likes Heather!” Niki exchaimed as his face fell instantly. Matthias’


    increasingly odd behavior these days was evidence that he had feelings for Heather.


    At this moment, Niki could see that Matthias’ suppressed feelings weren’t directed at Myra but


    Heather; it seemed that his cousin’s feelings for Heather were much stronger. Evidently, Matthias liked


    Heather a lot—she was someone incredibly special to him.


    “Me?” Matthias pointed at himself. It was as though someone had seen through his disguise right then.


    He could firmly admit that the woman he liked was Myra, but when it came to Heather, he didn’t have


    the courage toe to terms with how he felt about her.


    “You told me that you like Myra, but you have no chance with her anymore. In other words, you already


    gave up on her since the beginning.” Niki didn’t wish to see Matthias in such a confused state


    anymore; even though he was interested in Heather as well, his rationality was telling him that Matthias


    was a better match for her.


    “Wake up—Heather is the one you like. You’re just holding onto the version of Myra in your memory.


    Can’t you see it? After so many years, you, Myra, and even Heather have all changed. You guys are no


    longer who you were all those years ago, so why would you let the past control your present? Just go


    after Heather openly if you like her.”


    Matthias turned his face away and looked elsewhere. Before he knew it, Niki had grown up from the


    little boy he once was to a full-fledged man. He was already an adult who could analyze things from a


    logical point of view.


    “Perhaps the woman who touched your heart has always been Heather, but you’re just unwilling to


    admit it.” Niki had never spoken to Matthias in such a way, yet it was as if he was possessed tonight


    —he had to give Matthias a wake-up call no matter what.


    Just then, Matthias’ heart dropped to his stomach; no one had ever told him that before, and he never


    thought of things that way either. Perhaps Niki was right.


    “You’re a lot smarter than I am, Niki.” Matthias was so used to taking care of Niki and pointing


    him in the right direction that he’d just realized his younger cousin was a lot more perceptive of the


    situation than he was.


    “You told me that I remind you of your younger self. If that’s the case, maybe you once had feelings for


    Heather since I’ve also taken interest in her as well.” Niki hadn’t experienced what Matthias went


    through; he was making wild guesses at this point. However, he couldn’t keep it in anymore—he didn’t


    want Matthias to miss the opportunity to realize his own emotions.


    The feeling of falling for someone would always remain in one’s deepest memory even with the passing


    of time. Back then, Matthias was too young to understand the nervous thumping of his heart whenever


    he saw Heather. Was fear really the only reason behind it? Perhaps… he was feeling something else


    as well?


    Was impressing Myra with a more sessful version of himself the only goal behind his endless


    grinding all these years, or was he desperate for Heather to stop looking down on him? Out of all


    people, why did he care so much about her opinion of him? He obviously hated her…


    Niki took away the bottle of wine on the table and said slowly, “Don’t let hate cloud your feelings; it’s


    time to let go of the past. If you like her, you should appreciate it and take your chance.”


    Matthias suddenly felt even smaller than Niki. He let out a self-deprecating cackle—just how much


    time had he wasted all these years? He’d been living in his own lies, afraid to evene to terms with


    his feelings for someone else. After all this time, Niki finally exposed his secret that he’d been hiding


    for years.


    “You’re encouraging me to go after Heather? She’s the woman you like, though,” Matthias pointed out


    knowingly. It seemed that Niki was running away from reality.


    “I do admit that I’m interested in her, but I know I’m not the guy she wants. Besides, the way she looks


    at you is different.” Just then, Niki recalled that one time in Matthias’ home when Heather and


    Matthias were chatting merrily over some drinks. The two of them were birds of a feather, and they


    were the rightful couple.


    Matthias stood up and went up to Niki. He took a moment and stared at his cousin who was


    awkwardly holding a wine bottle in one hand and a ss in another before he extended an arm and


    ruffled his hair casually.


    “Don’t be so sure of everything. Just speak up if you like her, and we can have an even battle.”


    Matthias grinned cheerfully as he spoke. He’d beenpeting with himself all his life, and it was finally


    time to do something he actually liked.


    He used to think he wanted nothing more than to be a man who was worthy to be with Myra, but


    now, he decided to just follow his heart.


    Letting go of his grudges of the past meant starting all over again. He decided that he wouldn’t


    suppress his longing for Heather anymore; if he liked her, he should pursue her with all his heart. At the


    very least, he wouldn’t have any regrets even if she rejected him in the end.


    “My mother won’t like it if I date an older woman.” Niki put on a gentle smile; he was happy that


    Matthias finally took his advice. Perhaps he would be able to see the two as a couple very soon.


    Niki mocked himself in silence for tantly encouraging his romantic rival to go after the woman he


    liked. Objectively speaking, though Niki had feelings for Heather, he didn’t have a strong desire to


    get together with her.


    Sometimes, the romantic interest in someone could remain as mere feelings; as he watched and


    admired the woman from afar, he came to realize that they might not be a good match after all.


    Just then, Matthias grabbed the bottle of wine from Niki’s hand and drank straight from it. Soon, he


    emptied it all in one long gulp. Due to his clean and lean appearance in addition to his overly schrly


    demeanor, a bold and impulsive gesture like that was indeed quite rare from him.


    Matthias patted on Niki’s shoulder and said, “Thank you.” He’d already understood Niki’s


    intention even during his blind date back then; he just wasn’t willing to take the leap.


    After that, Evan had also advised him on the matter, and he even tried to persuade himself as well.


    Now, Niki was supportive of him as well. With that in mind, Matthias finally decided to let his feelings


    take over. After all, it wasn’t such a big deal to be interested in Heather—how embarrassing could it


    be?


    “I’ll head over to see her right now,” said Matthias confidently. He’d rather take advantage of the mood


    and tell her everything tonight.


    “Good luck.” Niki stared at the empty bottle in Matthias’ hand. This fe is quite the drinker.


    “But before that, let me help you with some things you don’t need.” As he said that, Matthias started


    walking toward the bookcase. When Niki finally realized what was happening, his cousin had


    already opened a bottle of brandy.


    Niki quickly said out of concern, “Hey, this is straight liquor—you can’t drink it on its own.”


    Is he not afraid of the burning sensation in his throat? Niki rolled his eyes; Matthias would get drunk


    very soon if he carried on like this. Has he lost his mind after getting tipsy?


    The next second, Matthias was already gulping down the bottle of brandy. Niki immediately picked


    up all the other alcohol bottles he had on disy—he couldn’t let Matthias get his hands on them.


    “How are you going to talk to Heather if you be drunk?” Niki said angrily. There seemed to be


    no end to his cousin’s drinking spree. At that moment, Niki nned to toss his entire collection of


    alcohol into the trash after Matthias left.


    Previously, he thought that it’d be rude to throw away these gifts from others. Moreover, the elegant


    and fancy bottles looked pretty exquisite on his bookshelf as a form of decoration.


    After going through this ordeal, however, Niki regretted it to the core; if Matthias were to down all


    that alcohol, he’d probably be so intoxicated that it would warrant a trip to the hospital.


    Right now, Matthias reeked of alcohol as an ominous smile hung on his lips. While he stared at


    Niki’s upset and annoyed expression, he was somehow amused by it.


    Atst, he decided to stop teasing Niki. Matthias was fully aware of his cousin’s personality; if he


    continued to fool around, that little cousin of his would rat him out for sure by telling his aunt.


    Niki’s mother, who was also Matthias’ aunt, was the younger sister of Matthias’ mother. The woman


    would often check up on Matthias through the phone, albeit in the form of lectures; she was one of


    Matthias’ few elders who truly cared about him.


    As he was heading out from Niki’s home, Matthias knocked on his head all of a sudden. He just


    realized something in the midst of his dazed state of mind—it wasn’t the right time to visit Heather at


    this hour. Thus, he decided to spam her with phone calls instead.


    It was the middle of the night, and Heather had long since fallen asleep. After all, she finally went to


    bed after staying up all night yesterday. When her phone suddenly started buzzing endlessly with


    Matthias’ iing calls, she could only crawl up from her bed to take the call. Since Heather was half-


    awake, she sounded awfully tired and groggy on the phone.


    “Who is it?” Her irritated voice rang through Matthias’ speaker as soon as she picked up. On the other


    end, Heather was determined to teach them a good lesson if they weren’t calling because of something


    important.


    She didn’t check the caller’s identity as she answered the phone hastily. Obviously, she wouldn’t have


    answered if she knew that Matthias was the one who was calling.


    “It’s me.” Matthias’ reply was short and simple.


    “Who are you?” Heather was about to explode at the response; she was instantly wide awake and took


    a look at her screen.


    To her surprise, it was Matthias. The impulse to kill someone rushed up to her chest, for she couldn’t


    understand why Matthias wouldn’t leave her alone. After ending the call in exasperation, she


    immediately blocked his number on her phone—she was utterly vexed.


    When Matthias tried to call her again, he finally realized that his number had been blocked. As a result,


    he almost smashed his phone on the ground in anger. Nevertheless, he kept his calm rationally and


    texted her via Messenger.


    “Come outside. I’m outside the Langston Residence.”


    Heather could no longer fall asleep after this brief interruption. When the text message reached her


    phone, she tossed it away without a second thought, and her phone crashed violently onto the


    floorboards. Right now, her phone was the devil—even though she’dpletely shattered its screen,


    she couldn’t care less.