Although Lucinda now knew she was her fatherâs daughter, her heart still felt heavy, preventing her from falling asleep.
Observing her melancholy, Nathan held her tightly in his arms and gently ki*sed her forehead.
âI understand, honey.
I know this is hurting you deeply.
After all, you have loved and respected him for more than twenty years.
Being betrayed by him is the most painful thing for you.
â
Tears welled up in Lucindaâs eyes as she rested her face on Nathanâs chest, remaining silent.
Nathan continued, âBut Hilliard is right.
It is simply way too shocking.
Perhaps he has his own reasons.
You need to see him in person tomorrow and listen to his explanation before making any decisions.
â
Lucinda nodded gently, clutching Nathanâs waist even tighter.
âYou are pregnant now.
Even if you donât want to rest, our babies still need to rest.
You should at least relax for their sake .
â
âBut⦠I canât help feeling sad,â Lucinda replied, her voice filled with sorrow.
Nathan sighed silently, attempting to guide her to bed.
âThen let me tell you some bedtime stories.
â
âNo!â Lucinda protested.
âYouâre not good at telling stories.
Itâs too boring!â
âThatâs precisely why I can lull you to sleep,â Nathan retorted, leaving her momentarily speechless.
It made sense, she realized.
She couldnât argue with that.
Relenting, Lucinda allowed Nathan to regale her with his monotonous bedtime stories for twenty minutes.
Not long after, she finally succumbed to sleep under the soothing sound of his voice.
After a few hours of sleep, dawn arrived.
At half past seven in the evening, the grand banquet to celebrate Valerieâs return took place at the top of Peace Mountain in Atticusâ grand villa.
Valerie was elegantly dressed, donning a magnificent golden gown that made her resemble a princess in a castle.
Her arrival elicited a wave of applause from the assembled guests.
As a superstar, Valerie attracted numerous reporters who eagerly snapped photographs of her.
She exuded an air of nobility and grace.
Amidst the crowd, someone noticed Lucindaâs absence, sparking a heated discussion among some guests.
However, their attention swiftly turned back to Valerieâs beauty.
Since Atticus had yet to wake up, Graham assumed temporary leadership of the Simmons family.