Though Nathalia didn't want to be rude, she somehow felt contempt towards Matt, and she said plainly, "She doesn't want to see anyone now."

Is he here just to cause more trouble? Doesn't he know that his presence will only upset mum? He must be doing it intentionally.

​​

She was then aware that she had these dark thoughts, that she suspected him.

Matt was rather taken aback and didn't know how to react for a while. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He bit his lips, then tried again. "What happened? Dad seems very upset, as well. He came home and just locked himself in his room. I tried to talk to him, but he just asked me to leave him alone..."

Matt had moved in to live with Curt in a splendid villa, and the two had been getting along very well. It was probably part of the reason why Curt intended to give him half of his property.

Nathalia didn't want to hear anything about Curt at all. I don't give a shit about him! She thought angrily.

"I'm tired. I'm going home. Bye." Nathalia said impatiently. Matt then realized that Nathalia looked upset and worn. He looked around and asked, "Where's Spencer? Is he not with you?"

Then he opened the door of the car and said, "Come, let me take you home."

Nathalia refused directly, feeling exhausted and annoyed, "No, thanks."

Spencer had had a car specially designed for Nathalia. It was bulletproof. He had also hired a driver.

Just then, the car pulled over, and a bodyguard opened the door for Nathalia, bowing to her to let her know that it was ready.

Nathalia went into the car and leaned on the window. Just as the bodyguard was to close the door, Spencer popped his head in and said sincerely, "Nathalia, I just want to let you know that even if we weren't a family, I would love us to be friends still, friends that can share joy and sorrow."

This was the first time that he had stated his mind clearly. Whatever happened, he wanted to be close to her. With her being in the world, it meant a lot to him.

Nathalia knitted her brows, glanced at him, and said indifferently, "Thanks. But I don't want to think about it now."

Does he really have no feelings for Amy Berry at all? Nathalia wondered curiously. He broke up with her, canceled the wedding, and announced it in the news within just a day. He didn't care about what others think or the Berry family. He seemed so determined as if he had been looking forward to its cancellation.

Looking hurt, Matt asked tentatively, "You really care about what Spencer thinks, I guess?"

Without hesitation, Nathalia nodded, "Yes." Her face seemed to light up all of a sudden, simply for the sake of mentioning Spencer. "He's my husband, the most important person in my life."She said it clearly, proudly.

There was no shyness, nothing to hide as she always believed that when you loved, you expressed it, that one should be true to their own feelings.

Spencer felt like someone had just torn the scab of a deep wound of his heart, and it started bleeding again. "You would even compromise, give up your principles, give up your friends for him? You used to be different. You..." He hesitated as if to find the right words. "You, you used to be you. You had you, but now you seem to be living for Spencer..."

To Matt, Nathalia was like the brightest gem that shone upon his heart. To fall in love with her was too easy for him. He loved her bravery, her purity, her pride, everything about her.

He had been through so many sleepless nights thinking about her, yet still managed to pretend to be cool in the day, to others.

When he saw her occasionally, he was bursting with joy, but he had to hide it, not to allow others to suspect. It exhausted him.

He thought it had come to an end. It had exhausted him so much that he could finally stop loving her. Yet, now seeing the sparks in her eyes, how she expressed love so freely, he was helplessly charmed by her again. How could he stop loving her at all? How could it be possible?

Nathalia had no idea of Matt's thoughts and feelings, nor was she interested in them. She cut him short, and with the same indifferent tone, she said, "People change. I've grown. I've learned to compromise, as you said. I've also learned to share, to love the right people as it makes me happy."

She had put down her guards. Love had transformed her from a spiky hedgehog to a soft fluffy, loving creature. In the past, she had to be strong as it was the only choice, as there was no one to fight for her but herself.

She didn't have the choice to comprise, despite how tired and hurt she was.

People saw her as the proud, confident, invincible woman, but no one knew how much she had yearned for a hug, for a voice to tell her that everything would be fine, for someone to stand by her.

She used to walk in the desert alone, forlorn, helpless, confused. Spencer appeared like a magical lake in the middle of the desert. He saved her and taught her gratitude and love.

He spread his arms around her like the wings of an angel to protect her from harm, and gradually she learned to let go of her fear, loneliness, and worries.

Since then, she had a home, a home that she had always dreamed of. Life had given her a lot of challenges, but it had also taught her to cherish what she had.

Matt had always found Nathalia an odd girl, a mysteriously charming one. He was still trying to understand her. "But does it really make you happy, forsaking you, yourself?"

Nathalia looked at him and said clearly, "You are wrong. I'm still me, but I have learned to trust and love the right man, to share joy and pain with him, to walk the path of life with him. This is possibly the most precious kind of happiness, Matt. Perhaps one day, you will understand."Love is a precious thing as it can't be bought or forced. When it comes to you, you keep it and cherish it.

Her eyes sparkled with life. They shone so brightly as if there was a flame burning inside.

She seemed so strange to him, so bewitchingly strange that he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She's like a half ocean and half fire. He didn't know why he thought so, but he was enchanted by the thought itself.

Nathalia found Matt's gaze a bit disturbing. She frowned and said, "I have to go. Bye."

The bodyguard closed the door. Matt stood there quietly, watching the car going towards the sunset.