Semua Bab Opening My Eyes to Reality: Bab 521 - Bab 530

Suddenly, a hand reached past Natalie and took the tree topper from her. She turned her head to see Rowan standing behind her and couldn't help but smile. "Is this teamwork for a jolly Christmas celebration?"Rowan had just set up the lights in the star. Hearing her, he looked up, and his eyelashes were dusted with flecks of gold powder, probably from brushing against the layer of fine gold glitter particles on the ribbons he'd been hanging on the balcony."Of course it is," he earnestly replied as his gaze fell on her slightly trembling ankles. "Your legs must be tired. Go rest, and I'll handle the rest."His broad and warm palm had a comforting and reassuring temperature even when pressed against her back through her thin cashmere sweater.Natalie steadied herself before saying, "Let's do it together. I like doing these things with you."Welcoming Christmas was meant to be a bright, bustling day spent with family. She wasn't tired and was only grateful to have the chance to sh

Family warmth was the true spirit of a joyous reunion.On Christmas Eve, carols echoed through the night. The children played and stayed up to welcome Christmas with the adults. It was a rare year of full reunion, so Natalie couldn't bring herself to stop them.Laughter filled every corner of the villa and spilled joy from room to room.But Rowley and Wanda only made it until a little past 9:00 pm before they couldn't stay awake any longer, soon curling up and falling asleep on the couch. The maids carried them back to their bedrooms, and Susan, too old to stay up much longer, went to sleep soon after.Natalie waited for the clock to strike midnight. The moment it struck 12:00 am, Bella's call arrived.When Natalie tapped on the answer button, Bella's enthusiastic voice burst through the receiver, "Merry Christmas, Natalie! Now hand over the Christmas presents!"While Natalie was momentarily stunned, Bella continued, "Am I the first to send you a Christmas wish? You must be moved

Alice smiled faintly. "I'm actually not that gentle either."Still, Bella trusted her eyes and believed Alice was just being modest. "Isn't this gentle? Let me tell you—I'm even afraid to breathe too loudly around you."Alice responded with a lovely smile that gave her a delicate, refined kind of beauty. "You're being too kind."As Bella and Alice chatted, Natalie listened from the side and soon learned that Alice was a music teacher. She appeared soft and gentle, but there was a quiet stubbornness beneath the surface. Before they left, they exchanged numbers, and Bella grinned. "I never thought someone as tone-deaf as I am could end up being friends with a music teacher."…In a quiet corner, Rowan was on the phone with Gregory. His tone was unusually cold as he asked, "What's up?"It was very quiet on Gregory's end, and it was the kind of quiet Rowan had never been able to get used to since childhood. Such silence felt particularly eerie on a festive day meant for family joy,

Natalie's heart softened. "Alright. Let's go home."She helped Rowan to his feet. After saying their goodbyes, they left together.When they were gone, Magnus puzzledly said, "Mr. Mattel seemed perfectly sober earlier. How did he suddenly get so drunk?"Magnus was straightforward and never one to overthink. He was probably the only one who hadn't realized that Rowan had been feigning drunkenness and sleepiness the whole time.Landon teased, "You just don't get it, do you? Her scent got him drunk."Magnus blinked. "Does that mean Natalie smells like alcohol?"The whole room burst out laughing. Not long after the couple left, everyone started leaving.At the entrance, Landon said he was going the same way and could give Bella a ride. Perhaps out of habit, it seemed that whenever they drank and Landon was present, he was the one who ended up taking her home.Now that they thought about it, he wasn't such a bad guy at all.Being her blunt and forthright self, Bella drunkenly wra

On the 27th of December, Rowan and Natalie took Wanda and Rowley out for the holiday. During the Christmas holidays, parents were finally off work and had time off to spend with their kids.The two took Rowley and Wanda to a theme park, which was packed to the brim. Every ride had a line that seemed to go on forever.Fortunately, with two adults, Rowan handled the rides with Rowley and Wanda, while Natalie queued ahead for the next attraction. Luckily, winter in Grendale was neither cold nor warm, and the temperature was just right.While bored in line, Natalie played a puzzle game on her phone when it rang with a call from an unfamiliar number. She hadn't intended to answer, but when it rang again after the first attempt failed, she finally picked up."Hello?"A sweet female voice came from the other end, "Hello, may I speak to Ms. Sutton?""Speaking," Natalie replied.The woman excitedly said, "Hello, Ms. Sutton! I'm an employee of Avenoir Beauty Group. We're currently selecti