Nora's change in attitude instantly chilled the previously cheerful atmosphere. Chasel Mills' smile froze on his face.
He had thought that after five years, things might have changed, but he never expected people to be so cold-hearted. The girl who used to cling to him every day and declared she wanted to marry him had transformed so drastically.
"This is... Chasel, right? You're back..."
A few aunts exchanged awkward glances, their expressions shifting slightly. Years ago, Chasel had been a young entrepreneur who founded the Beiqing Group, becoming a well-known star businessman in Verdant City. These aunts had treated him like royalty, openly praising the Mills family for producing such talent and trying to curry favor with him.
But now, not a single one of them stood up to greet him. After a dry acknowledgment, they fell silent.
However, Nora's aunt showed no restraint: "Chasel, what are you back for? Don't you think you've embarrassed the Mills family enough? Are you planning to come back and cause more trouble, or did you just want to interrupt Nora and Samir's wedding?"
Seeing her aunt speak up, Monica Anderson's expression darkened. "Chasel, although Anguo jokingly promised you a future with Nora back then, times have changed. Nora has found her own happiness now. Don't take it the wrong way, but you can't give her happiness anymore. If you truly care for her, you should let go of this idea and not come back at this time!"
"Enough!" Just as Monica was about to say more, Gilberto suddenly erupted, "Chasel has finally come back, and you can't hold your tongues for a moment? I swear, one word from me is worth a thousand..."
However, Gilberto's words were cut short.
Nora quickly interjected, "Dad!"
She knew her father's temper; he was about to say something about her marrying Chasel again. There was no way she could marry a rapist, even if he was the person she once claimed she would marry no matter what.
Seeing his daughter so anxious, Gilberto let out a heavy sigh but chose not to continue.
"Chasel, we need to talk!"
With that, Nora Mills turned and walked outside.
Chasel remained silent but followed her. Even though he tried to tone down his presence to appear like an ordinary young man next door, years of military discipline still showed in his steady gait. Each step he took was measured and consistent, almost as if he were marching.
While others didn't notice, Samir did. He glanced at the two of them, a flicker of hostility crossing his eyes.
"Chasel..." Once they reached the balcony, Nora looked up at him.Before she could say anything else, Chasel forced a smile and said, "You never used to call me by my full name like that!"
At his words, Nora's gaze flickered slightly, but she retorted coldly, "You know that was in the past. Now, I don't even want to mention your name!"
God knows how heartbroken and desperate she felt when she found out that Chasel had been imprisoned for rape. It was like being betrayed by someone she had admired for years!
After the pain came hatred. And after the hatred, she had completely erased Chasel from her heart.
"I was framed!" Chasel insisted.
"Maybe," Nora replied, her tone laced with skepticism.
It was clear that Nora Mills didn't believe him.
"I called you out here just to tell you that there's no possibility for us anymore. I'm in the South, you're in the North, and we will never cross paths again!"
Chasel maintained his smile, but it was tinged with bitterness.
Years ago, Nora hadn't said anything like that.
"We're from different places—one in the South and one in the North. If we keep heading South, we'll eventually reach the North. If we keep going North, we'll end up in the South. We are forever inseparable!"
But he didn't care about that anymore.
After five years of a tough life, facing life and death, Chasel had long since moved on from his feelings for Nora. That affection had been buried deep within him and had gradually faded.
What mattered more to him now was the bond of family he shared with Nora.
This time, he had only come back to see his adoptive parents and Nora.However, aside from his adoptive father, everyone else had misunderstood him.
"I don't want you to ruin my current relationship, and I don't want my parents to argue because of you!"
"Over the years, they've faced enough gossip because of you! Even though you've been to prison, with your skills, finding a job shouldn't be too hard. Just work steadily and be a good person. Don't bring shame to Mom and Dad!"
A flicker of sympathy crossed Nora's heart, but she still spoke coldly.
Especially when she emphasized the words "be a good person."
"Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble for you, nor will I let my parents suffer because of me!"
Chasel wiped the smile off his face and took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside him. He then turned and walked toward the living room.Nora Mills felt a flash of disappointment cross her face. Five years in prison, five years disconnected from society—could he really adapt to the world now? Moreover, finding a job would be tough for someone with a criminal record, especially with Chasel's past crimes that made everyone look down on him. What right did he have to say anything? Even her own relatives despised him, let alone others.
What bothered her most was Chasel's comment about not coming back to bother her. It left a sour feeling in her heart.
Upon returning to the living room, Samir, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "Nora, aren't you going to introduce us?"
Nora instinctively glanced at Chasel before walking over to Samir, linking her arm with his. "This is my boyfriend and fiancé, Samir, the vice president of Tianchen Pharmaceuticals!"
Samir smiled, "I'm just a figurehead for now. The company is busy preparing for an IPO, and my dad is still in charge. I need to train for a few more years before he hands over the reins to me!" His tone was humble, but there was an undeniable pride in his eyes.
"And this is... Chasel!" Nora looked back at Chasel, not elaborating further.
"Hello, I'm Nora's brother, Chasel!" Chasel extended his hand. In this day and age, the only people he treated with such courtesy were his comrades and a few respected elders; no one else, no matter how powerful, earned that privilege from him.But since Samir was Nora's fiancé, that made him Chasel's brother-in-law. Chasel extended his hand with a friendly gesture. However, a hint of awkwardness crossed Samir's face, as if he felt a bit apologetic. "Hello, but I'm sorry, I don't usually shake hands with others. Really sorry about that!"Chasel's resolute gaze seemed to deepen at that moment, and he calmly withdrew his hand. Nora Mills showed a brief flash of embarrassment, but it quickly faded.
"Chasel Mills?" It was only then that surprise flickered in Samir's eyes, as if he had just pieced it together after some thought. "Wasn't there a strong... in Verdant City five years ago...?"
At this point, Samir suddenly seemed to realize he had misspoken and quickly corrected himself. "Sorry, it must just be a coincidence with the name."
Chasel's expression remained unchanged. The Mills family relatives, including Monica Anderson and Nora, felt a wave of embarrassment wash over them, their expressions turning sour as they glanced at Chasel. They thought it was a mistake to have adopted him in the first place.Only Gilberto shot a dissatisfied look at Samir, feeling that this prospective son-in-law was a bit hypocritical. He quickly tried to change the subject. "Isn't it almost mealtime? Is dinner ready?"
Upon hearing this, Monica Anderson immediately caught on.
"Just a moment, just a moment!"
"Today is Samir's first time at our home; we have to make sure he enjoys Auntie's cooking!"
Monica Anderson looked at Samir with satisfaction, like a mother-in-law admiring her son-in-law. He was handsome, came from a family that owned a business, was wealthy, and polite.
With that, she headed toward the kitchen, seemingly ignoring Chasel.
"Come on, let's have a drink, just the two of us!"
Gilberto Mills was quite attentive to Chasel.
"Sure, I'll join you!" Chasel replied with a smile.Even though he was still recovering from a serious injury and shouldn't be drinking, he pushed those thoughts aside.
Soon, the food was served, and everyone gathered around the table.
However, before anyone could pick up their chopsticks, Samir received a phone call and stepped outside for a moment. When he returned, he was holding two beautifully wrapped boxes.
"Uncle, I heard from Nora that you enjoy smoking. I had someone specially go to the Dunhill headquarters in the UK to get this pipe for you. It's a limited edition, only five hundred made worldwide. And this is some handmade tobacco I brought back from Italy. I hope you like it!"
Once back at the table, Samir handed the gift box containing the pipe and tobacco to Gilberto.
"Yeah, Dad, Samir put in a lot of effort to get these!"
"There are only five hundred of these in the world! They must be so expensive, probably over ten thousand!"
Her aunt gasped, her face a mix of astonishment and envy.
"The original price isn't that high, just fifty thousand," Samir replied with a smile. "It's just that because it's a limited edition, it's hard for ordinary people to get their hands on!"
"Fifty thousand?"
The Mills family was completely taken aback.
Once they got home, they would definitely look up the value of the gifts Samir had given them. He had brought gifts for each of them, and they seemed quite valuable.
Samir noticed that they were only focused on the price and missed the part about how ordinary people couldn't buy them.
This wasn't just about money; it was about status!
Unfortunately, they didn't understand this, and he couldn't help but feel a bit disdainful. The Mills family relatives were ultimately not up to par.
After the wedding, he would have to make sure Nora Mills cut ties with them. The daughter-in-law of the Lee family needed to be noble and elegant!
"This needs to be taken care of; we can't let it get damaged!"
Monica Anderson noticed that Gilberto Mills didn't seem too thrilled, so she quickly took it from him, her heart filled with joy. She was so pleased with her daughter's choice of a son-in-law who was so generous.
At that moment, Berloff's aunt turned to Chasel and said with a hint of jealousy, "Samir really cares about his father-in-law. I just wonder if someone has prepared any gifts now that he's back?"
Samir couldn't help but smile inwardly.
Finally, his aunt was getting to the point.
Everyone's eyes turned to Chasel in unison.