Chapter 168: Chapter 168

Chapter 168 Not Home Henry pulled Crystal close into his arms after stepping out of the study but remained silent.

Crystal felt somewhat aggrieved.

Nonetheless, it was still Christmas, and she was staying at his house, so she didn’t feel it was appropriate to throw a tantrum.

Leaning on his shoulder and catching whiffs of the pleasant aftershave on him, she asked in an undertone, “What time will you be back?”

Henry had to go to the law firm later to negotiate with the lawyer hired by Audrey’s husband.

After briefly pondering, he replied, “I’ll be back before dinner to accompany you for a meal. Then, we’ll return to the condominium together. Crystal, this matter won’t affect our lives.”

Crystal forced a smile.

In the afternoon, Henry left with David.

Initially, Julia planned to take the two girls out, but she was no longer in the mood to do so.

The atmosphere in the Miller residence became somewhat stifling.

Crystal waited for the entire day, but Henry didn’t come home.

He did call to tell her to eat first and have the driver send her back to the condominium, saying he would be back late.

Crystal didn’t probe further for a specific time.

She couldn’t help but behave slightly indifferently to preserve her pride and dignity, given that matter involved Audrey.

At eight o’clock at night, Crystal was ready to take her leave with Snowy. Julia felt very apologetic.

Crystal smiled faintly. “It’s all right.”

However, only she knew of the bitterness that filled her chest for the entire day.

After she got into the vehicle, the driver didn’t start the car immediately.

The next second, the door to the backseat was abruptly opened from the outside, and Robert’s figure came into view.

The driver, knowing his place, understood the newcomer had something to discuss with Crystal, so he tactfully kept quiet.

Robert rested his hand on the roof of the car while gazing at Crystal. “I have something to say to you.”

Crystal was in a foul mood in the first place, so she had no intention of dealing with him.

Robert caught her arm and forcefully dragged her out of the car.

The night wind buffeted their figures.

Crystal glared at him. He lit a cigarette, looking at her through the rising smoke. “You still want to be with him even after all this?

A transnational divorce lawsuit like this could last two years. Are you willing to see Henry always being around his ex-lover? He will have to go to the hospital to take care of her whenever she harms herself. Do you really want to be in such a relationship?

Can you bear such grievances?”

Crystal despised Robert’s straightforwardness, but everything he mentioned was on the mark.

Crystal responded calmly. “Robert, I don’t think whether I’m doing well or not is any of your business.”

All of a sudden, he slammed the roof of the car, startling the driver.

Illuminated by the moonlight, Robert’s grimace appeared frightening as he questioned her, “Crystal, am I that heartless of a person to you, someone who doesn’t wish you well? But have you considered that I actually want you to be happy?”

Robert was probably overly agitated as the cigarette between his fingers could be seen trembling. “F*cking think with your head.

Even Seth would be a hundred times better for you than him!”

Colors drained from Crystal’s face.

Staring at her for a moment, Robert piped up tenderly, “Crystal, perhaps you can give me another chance. I won’t let you down again.”

She returned to the backseat of the vehicle and said impassively. “It’s too late, Robert.”

With that, she instructed the driver to start the car.

The driver sighed and gently stepped on the accelerator.

Crystal remained silent on the way. The young driver couldn’t help but utter, “Don’t worry, Miss Winters. I won’t blabber about what happened tonight.”

Crystal didn’t respond.

She didn’t seem to care that much anymore at that point.

After returning to Henry’s condominium, she helped Snowy to settle in and waited for Henry to come home.

However, he didn’t return even as she waited till midnight.

The night grew silent, with only Snowy keeping her company, trotting in circles around her feet.

Crystal sat before Morning Dew and played all the pieces she could remember. Still, Henry hadn’t come home.

Snowy got tired and nestled at Crystal’s feet.

The scenic and magnificent night view of Barnwood opened up before Crystal as she sat in front of the piano, but she felt utterly depressed.

She reconsidered her relationship with Henry and realized she could no longer back out of it.

Henry didn’t come home that night.

The next morning, Crystal left the condominium with Snowy and returned to her own place.

Henry probably went back afterward as he called to ask about her whereabouts.

She grasped her phone, not knowing what to say.

Possibly swamped with work, Henry could only utter a few sentences before having to hang up because of another incoming call.

Just like that, the two didn’t meet for the subsequent few days.

During that period, something came up at the music center again.

After the official opening of the music center on the preselected auspicious day, Emelia invited Crystal to her office for a cup of coffee alone. Noticing her pale countenance, Crystal couldn’t help but express her concern.

“Crystal, I’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer.” Emelia spoke in an undertone.

Holding the coffee mug, Crystal blinked at Emelia upon hearing that.

Then, tears streamed down her cheeks.

She didn’t wipe away her tears and instead asked softly, “Did you get a second opinion?”

“Yes. I’ve been to the best hospitals in the country. Crystal, I plan to go to Sumanthova to recuperate, but I don’t want to give my shares to others. If it’s possible, I want you to take over. I have no other demands as long as I can recoup my investment capital.” Emelia grasped Crystal’s arm.

When Crystal placed down her coffee mug, even her fingers were shaking.

She waited a long while before saying, “I’ll accompany you to Sumanthova.”

Emelia shook her head.

She had always been a tough woman and still had aspirations at that moment.

She and Crystal established the music center. Although she had fallen ill, Emelia still hoped Crystal could carry on with the business.

Subsequently, Emelia spoke a lot.

However, Crystal couldn’t possibly buy all the shares in Emelia’s possession as that would set her back by more than ten million, and she didn’t want to ask for that money from Henry.

That night, she went back to have dinner at John’s place.

Anna showed her concern when she sensed Crystal’s dampened mood.

Crystal mentioned Emelia’s condition and matters related to the music center. John asked Anna, “How much money do we have left? Let Crystal use the money.”

Anna returned to the room and counted their savings.

They had several million, but the amount was far from being sufficient.

Therefore, Anna suggested, “Miss Long is having a hard time now, and this music center is also something you two worked hard to set up. Why don’t we do this? This condominium your dad and I are staying in can fetch around twenty million. We don’t need to stay in such a huge house. An eighty square meter apartment would be sufficient for us to live in.”

Crystal didn’t agree to it.

In the end, John made the final decision. “We’ll do as Anna says.”

Crystal felt very guilty, but Anna comforted her tenderly, “You’re our only child, so these things will eventually be passed down to you anyway.”

The condominium was located in a prime area with many interested buyers.

As a result, the place was sold within three days.

After the Winterses moved into a smaller house, Anna handed Crystal the passbook with ten million. “Give this to Miss Long and remember to gift her something. She has taken good care of you all these years.”

Crystal nodded and said, “Once I earn back the money, I’ll buy you a bigger house.”

Anna smiled. “In that case, your dad and I will be waiting for you to provide for us.”

Crystal still had some savings on hand.

She invited Emelia to meet up in a cafe. In just a few days, the latter had lost quite a bit of weight.

Emelia wanted to order coffee, but Crystal stopped her. “You’re not allowed to drink that since you’re sick!

Emelia merely grinned in response.

Crystal handed her a check worth twelve million and an additional five-hundred-thousand check. The second check was a gift from Crystal, but Emelia refused to accept it.

Crystal gently held her hand. “I’ll wait for you to come back.

She decided to hold onto those shares temporarily, and when Emelia returned, she would transfer those shares back to her.

Emelia didn’t have many relatives, nor did she have a husband or children.

She could’ve left the country without attachments, but after listening to Crystal’s words, she choked up and scolded the latter jokingly, “You’re so mean. I was thinking of settling down overseas with a handsome man and never coming back here again, yet you’re using the music center to hold me back!”

The two laughed, but sadness lingered within their chests.

Crystal thought to herself depressingly. How much time does Emelia have left now that she’s been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer? I don’t even know when we’ll see each other again or under what circumstances we’ll be reunited That meal she shared with Emelia was considered a send-off. Still, Crystal didn’t expect she would bump into Henry there.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen him for almost an entire week.

They rarely conversed, even on the phone.

They couldn’t help but lament inwardly after running into one another again.

Henry wasn’t alone. Jamie and two other strange men trailed behind him.

Crystal fathomed he was working, so she merely nodded at him.

She wanted to send Emelia home, but Emelia shook her head in refusal.

Emelia was a shrewd woman and could sense at first glance the estrangement between the couple, so she flashed a faint smile and said, “I’ll take a taxi.”

Crystal could only help Emelia hail a taxi and watch her get into the vehicle.

Emelia’s figure was so emaciated that she was completely obscured from Crystal’s view upon getting into the taxi.

Sorrow surged within Crystal as she stood amid the night for a long while.

“Crystal.” She turned around and saw Henry standing behind her, his figure illuminated by the neon lights.

He exuded an air of elegance that even the most dazzling light couldn’t overshadow.

She paused for some time before asking, “Are you done with your work?”

Henry hummed in response.

He took the car keys from her and uttered gently, “You don’t seem to be in a good state, so let me drive you.”

Crystal didn’t object.

After getting into the car, he asked, “Should we go to my place?”

She leaned against the back of the chair and replied in slight exhaustion, “Snowy is at my place, so you should drive yourself home first.”

Sensing her indifference, he frowned slightly.

However, he didn’t let his displeasure show and instead said, “Let’s spend the night at your place, then. You can take a rest later.

I’ll walk Snowy.”

Crystal went along with his suggestion. If I object, I’ll look petty and seem like I care too much.

Henry appeared to be in the mood to chat with her. “Did you have dinner with Miss Long? I noticed she didn’t look well.”

Crystal nodded and recounted everything to him.

When she was done talking, Henry stopped the car beside the road. The traffic light ahead happened to have turned red.

Staring ahead, he asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t you tell me when you needed money?”

The Winters family even sold their house and moved into a smaller place.

As a man, there was no way Henry wouldn’t take that matter to heart.

Crystal looked down. “Henry, I don’t really want to spend your money now.”

Silence ensued.

After a long while, he asked again, “Is it because you lack a sense of security?”

She didn’t reply to that.

In fact, she didn’t regret her decision. Those overly intimate and heart-fluttering nights they shared had prompted her to agree to his request. She had mustered all her courage to accept that relationship, and even though her bravery persisted, traces of cowardice had also crept into her heart.