Chapter 1964: Chapter 2178

The stern, aloof face of Nathan was no longer there.

In its place was the image of a handsome yet entirely unfamiliar young man, someone Lucinda had never laid eyes on before.

She approached, suspicion etched on her face.

“During my half year in Forden, I visited almost every two to three days.

Your photo was there before.

When was it replaced?”

Lucinda found it perplexing.

“If the photo had been replaced with the real Nathaniel’s, how could Vivien not know, and not have come to mourn her brother in the past year and a half?”

Nathan gently placed his white flowers before the tombstone and bowed slightly, paying his respects to the departed.

“Last night, just before I went to sleep, I sent an instruction to the Forden Police Department, asking them to replace the photo on the tombstone overnight.

”

“That fast?”

Nathan’s gaze held a peculiar glimmer.

“Would you rather have my photo gracing this tombstone for eternity?”

Lucinda was caught off guard, her response grave.

“Let not such ill-fated words escape your lips.

”

Skillfully diverting the conversation, Nathan broached a different topic.

“Nathaniel, at the tender age of fifteen, met his demise in a tragic accident.

He was my most adept comrade.

The burden of guilt for his passing has weighed heavily upon me…”

Lucinda listened attentively, though she had heard this narrative once before, upon discovering Nathan’s faked death.

She patiently absorbed his words as he recounted the tale.

“While Nathaniel was enrolled in the military academy affiliated with the National Security Bureau in Stastle from his childhood, Amanda and Vivien Lost touch with him for over a decade.

However, Logan was aware of this.

Hence, when I assumed Nathaniel’s identity, his suspicions arose swiftly, yet he concealed them until he proposed that I marry you.

”

A sudden sternness etched across Lucinda’s features.

Nathan’s recent peculiar demeanor undoubtedly bore some connection to the Roberts family’s clandestine affairs involving her.

Sighing, Nathan continued, “Do you recall the time before our union, when I treated you with utmost kindness, nurturing you as if you were my sister? Yet, upon learning of our impending marriage, my demeanor towards you underwent a drastic transformation, often veering towards sarcasm and mockery.

”

“Indeed, I do.

”

Even though Lucinda had distanced herself from the affairs of the Roberts family, her memory remained vivid, particularly regarding the past events involving Nathan.

Nathan’s gaze fell dejectedly.

He hesitated, his lips parting several times before he added, “Logan sought me out and revealed my true lineage.

He requested that I…”

Lucinda inquired, “What did he request of you?”

“He intended to silently end your life and conduct rituals to wed you to the departed Nathaniel, in an attempt to alleviate the tragedy of his premature demise.

”

In other words, Logan wanted Lucinda to marry a man already deceased.

Lucinda was deeply shaken, her mind conjuring the image of Logan’s once benevolent countenance.

She could never have fathomed that Logan harbored such malevolent intentions all along while sheltering her within the walls of the Roberts family residence.

“Nathaniel has been gone for several years, and it’s preposterous that he harbored such superstitions, believing in such things.

It’s truly absurd.

”

“Yes.

” Nathan gently touched her face.

“At that time, I was still under the Roberts family’s protection, and Logan hadn’t yet entrusted me with the full executive power of the Roberts Group.

Without concrete evidence to report his absurd behavior to the police, I had no choice but to distance myself from you.

I acted coldly and spoke harshly to push you away, all in an effort to mislead Logan.

”

Nathan continued, “I repeatedly told him that our personalities were incompatible.

After our wedding, we left the Roberts family residence and moved to Bay Villa, mainly to shield you from Logan’s machinations.

Thus, during those years, Logan never had a chance to bring you any harm.

I know you are aware of certain things.

For instance, during those years of our marriage, I frequently had heated arguments with Logan in the study because of you.

I believed that by doing this, I was safeguarding your life, but I failed to see the toll it took on your mental well-being.

Moreover, my demeanor indirectly spurred the other members of the Roberts family to scheme against you, leading to your disappointment in me.

It was entirely my fault.

”

Lucinda listened intently, her mind simultaneously analyzing his words.

“I still remember that before Logan passed away, he held my hand and implored me not to divorce.

He showered you with praise, but it turns out none of it was sincere.

He only wanted to bind me to the Roberts family as his daughter-in-law, using that as an opportunity to scheme against me.

”

Nathan nodded.

“So, that’s what he said to you in his final moments.

”

His eyes, red and brimming with tears, stared intently at Lucinda.

His hand, clasping hers, was slightly sweaty.

“I didn’t have the courage to disclose the truth to you.

For I feared that you might wish to part ways with me upon revisiting the pain of those three years.

”

Having weathered countless trials together, Nathan found himself unable to bear the thought of losing her.

Lucinda tenderly touched his face, assuaging his distress.

“I won’t leave you…”

Before she could complete her sentence, Lucinda suddenly grasped a crucial realization.

“There’s something amiss here.

If you sought to divorce me and wished to distance me from the Roberts family solely due to Logan’s machinations, then why did you later become engaged to Eleanor? I recall you were always supportive and protective of her, out of gratitude for saving your life.

Why didn’t you fear she would also fall victim to Logan’s schemes?”

Nathan fell into silence, a subtle stiffness creeping over his features.

Whenever the past events of those years in Forden resurfaced, it inevitably conjured memories of Eleanor.

Nathan’s heart grew cold, wishing he had never crossed paths with such a person.

As Nathan wrestled with internal turmoil, Lucinda, with a blend of determination and endearment, gently seized his earlobe.

“Speak truthfully.

Are there still secrets concealed within you?”