Chapter 1865


    Yulia couldn''t help but smirk silently to herself on the sidelines.


    Chloe, too, rose from the couch, her hand on her hip, leaning into Damon''s embrace as she


    sauntered over, a faint, tender smile gracing her face.


    She believed that Nathan was truly the clown of the household. His talent for ying the fool was


    both exasperating and endearing.


    But as the saying goes, love is blind. Perhaps if someone else were in Nathan''s shoes, suddenly


    discovering they had a daughter would be just as unbelievable, especially a daughter who had been


    under his nose the whole time, sweetly calling him ''Nathan'' day in and day out.b2


    Bystanders can only see the surface of things, too manyplexities that only he would


    understand. Piling up one thing after another, the web of considerations was daunting to untangle.


    When it came to children, a crucial piece, no room for error can be afforded.


    She understood, had Nathan not cared so much, he wouldn''t be beating around the bush, reluctant


    to even consider the possibility. He was probably scared to death of the disappointment if it turned


    out not to be true.


    He knewing to Damon for answers would invite a "harsh talking-to", butpared to the


    potential letdown, he figured a few harsh words would be easier to swallow. As long as Damon


    denied it, that would be the best answer for him.


    Nathan may seem like a wayward son, carefree all day long. But even he had a heart.


    With Damon and his father''s strict and detached dispositions, if he were simr, the family would be


    suffocating.


    He had a knack for charming people. A little exasperating, sure, but not necessarily a bad thing.


    He made his rounds, greeting Elizabeth, Royce, and Alyssa.


    Alyssa responded cheerily, rubbing her cheek against Anya''s and beckoning Yulia over.


    Yulia approached, and Alyssa took her hand, looking up at her warmly. "Yulia, bless you for keeping


    Anya, and for raising her so well. I know you''re a good kid, just dealt a bad hand with a husband like


    Nathan. If you ever need to talk,e to grandma and your folks, we''ll have your back


    unconditionally. If he steps out of line or gives you trouble, we''ll set him straight for you."


    Nathan leaned in, "Hey, hey, what''s all this about having a rough time because she''s married to me?


    Marrying me must be the luck of her."


    Alyssa scoffed dismissively, "Don''t tter yourself. If I''d known marrying you was a sign of good


    fortune, I''d have whisked Yulia off to a convent long ago."


    Nathan''s mouth twitched, "You guys,e on, I''m your flesh and blood. Is this how you treat your


    own?"


    "That''s why I say Yulia''s got it tough, marrying someone like you. Perhaps you saved humanity in


    yourst life, and this is your reward. Hmph."


    Nathan almost choked on Alyssa''s disdain. Was this really his dear grandmother?


    "The one who saved humanity was me, not him," a calm voice interjected. It was Damon, standing


    beside Chloe, his expression unreadable as ever.


    The room fell silent.


    Chloe blushed, seemingly aware of what Damon meant by his words. She looked like she wanted to


    hide but merely lowered her head, closing her eyes in a brief escape. Why did he have topete


    even in this?


    Nathan rolled his eyes to the heavens in response. Why on earth was Damon taking such a silly


    boast seriously?


    The onlookers exchangedplex nces at Damon. Was there a single normal person in the


    Harper family?


    Thank goodness for the hired help, who chose this moment to announce that dinner was ready.


    As they moved towards the dining room, the tension eased, and forced smiles crept onto their


    faces. The younger generation, two couples,gged behind.


    Yulia chuckled softly at Chloe''s awkwardness.


    Nathan watched Damon, who stood with an air of self-assured righteousness. "Really, bro? You


    care about that sort of bragging?"


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Damon nced at him from the corner of his eye, "Your sister-inw is the best, so I have to be the


    best, too."


    Nathan was speechless, nodding after a while before giving Damon a thumbs-up. "You''re the man!


    Numero uno!"


    Damon turned away, indifferent to Nathan''s words, leaving him with a view of the back of his head.


    Anya was doted on by Alyssa and Elizabeth, leaving Yulia and Chloe barely able to get a cuddle.


    By the end of the evening, Anya''s little belly protruded triumphantly, round as a little watermelon.


    Nathan seized the moment to lift her dress and pat her belly gently. "Knock, knock, knock," he


    laughed, "Hey, looks like the watermelon is ripe."


    Anya giggled uncontrobly at Nathan''s antics, her little hands reaching to lift his shirt, "I want to


    see Nathan''s watermelon."


    Slumped on the couch, Nathan let Anya pull up his shirt, revealing his taut abs, no watermelon for


    her there.


    "Call me daddy." he insisted.


    Anya reached out and gave a little press, pouting. However, she didn''t make a big fuss, as if


    Nathan''s well-defined abdominal muscles were something she had long grown ustomed to.


    A cushion flew through the air, hitting Nathan squarely, and he turned to see Damon staring him


    down coldly. "Show off again, and I swear I''ll cut each one off." Damon spoke while covering Chloe''s


    eyes, his face a mask of murderous intent.


    Nathan quickly straightened up, pulling his shirt down with a sheepish expression.


    Anya, ustomed to Nathan''s tussles with Damon, covered her mouth to hide her giggles. "Nathan


    got beaten up by Damon again."


    Nathan red at her, "Say daddy."


    Anya furrowed her brow, "Nathan!"


    "It''s Dad to you."


    "Nathan, Nathan!" Anya stubbornly twisted her little neck away, refusing to look at him.


    --


    After Nathan straightened out his clothes, Damon released Chloe.


    In the kitchen, Elizabeth was busy preparing a fruit tter with the help of the housekeeper. Being


    pregnant, Chloe insisted on getting involved whenever she was home. Only then could she truly


    rx.


    Chloe found afortable position on the couch and turned to Yulia with a soft voice, "You didn''t


    eat much tonight, dear. Didn''t the dinner agree with you?"


    Yulia offered a half-smile and shook her head gently, "No, it''s not that. I wasn''t very hungry, had a


    cup of coffee beforeing over."


    Chloe nodded understandingly, "It seems grandma and mom are reluctant to leave tonight. Why


    don''t you stay over too?"


    Yulia had considered this earlier. These days, staying over had be almost routine. At first,


    there was a touch of awkwardness, but she quickly grew ustomed to it.


    Yulia nced at Nathan. She had always been ustomed to following his lead. If he stayed, then


    she would.


    "Don''t worry about him. If you stay, he definitely won''t leave." Chloe seemed to read Yulia''s mind.


    Yulia felt a bit embarrassed and nodded slightly. The thought of leaving and enduring a long car ride


    made her stomach churn ufortably. Herplexion turned a bit pale.


    Chloe gently took her hand, "Are you alright?"


    Yulia covered her stomach with one hand and forced a smile, "I''m fine. Just the thought of the car


    ride made my stomach feel uneasy."


    Chloe looked surprised, "You get carsick?"


    It was true, that the mere thought of a car ride can unsettle those who suffered from motion


    sickness.


    "Sometimes."


    It had happened before, but rarely.


    Elizabeth, apanied by the housekeeper, brought over two identical fruit tters. With so many


    people, it was easier to have separate tters within reach.


    "Come on, let''s chat and enjoy some fruit," Elizabeth cheerfully invited, taking a smaller te from


    the housekeeper filled with fruits carved into little animal shapes. She settled on the sofa and


    beckoned Anya.


    "Come here, sweetie, see what grandma has made for you?"


    Anya looked over and, upon seeing the beautifully arranged fruits, eagerly started towards her


    grandmother. But Nathan hooked her with his feet, crossing his ankles to encircle Anya, preventing


    her from leaving easily.


    "Nathan, let go."


    Of course, Nathan disagreed, "Say ''Dad''."


    "Ugh. Grandma, Nathan is being mean to me." Anya, not one to give up easily, pouted, tears


    brimming in her eyes, ready to spill over at any moment.


    Damon watched with a mischievous glee. Remembering how Nathan had unted his dominance


    over him on the stairs earlier, Damon was particrly irked. He hadn''t cared before about who got


    married or had kids first, but being one-upped by Nathan over such trivial matters was infuriating.


    As Anya stubbornly refused to call Nathan ''Dad'' that night, the smile only broadened on Damon''s


    face. "Stop pressuring her. Let her call you what she''s used to. As long as she knows who you are,


    why fuss over a title?"


    Damon''s schadenfreude tone evidently made Nathan bristle—not out of fear, but out of sheer


    annoyance.


    "You better not let those two call you ''dad''ter if you don''t care."


    Damon scoffed, "Maybe they''ll start calling me that while still in the womb."


    Nathan suddenly had the urge to turn around and punch his brother. How could he be so irritating?


    Yet Damon continued, "I wonder if being called ''Dad'' by two kids will get on my nerves?"


    The insinuation was clear.


    Here Nathan was, pressuring his daughter to call him ''Dad'' every single day. And there, Damon was


    expecting the prospect of being called ''Dad'' to the point of annoyance?


    It was just too much.


    A kicknded on Nathan''s leg, causing pain to shoot through him. He loosened his grip, and


    Elizabeth scooped Anya away.


    "You deserve it for not being called ''Dad''. It''s your own doing."


    Nathan felt that he had been unjustly treated. Wasn''t he worthy of hearing his daughter call him


    ''Dad''?


    "Yulia, are you okay?" Chloe''s voice, filled with gentle concern, echoed, drawing curious nces.


    Yulia''splexion was notably poor. Under the bright lights, her forehead and the tip of her nose


    glistened with fine beads of sweat.


    As everyone looked on, she stubbornly shook her head. One hand clutched her chest as she tried


    to swallow the piece of mango in her mouth.


    The intense vor of the mango spread through her mouth, and her brow furrowed at the


    overpowering taste. She tried to suppress the difort, but waves of nausea surged, her chest


    heaved twice, and her face suddenly contorted. She could no longer hold back and, covering her


    mouth, she rushed to the restroom.