CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Lara didn't see Nate's face, but Luther and Melanie did.

While the man just chuckled, amused, Melanie was worried. Her son was wary and on guard, meaning he wasn't underestimating Lara's uncle.

Even though he was fresh out of prison, Nate couldn't know that he was only charged with financial crimes. And that he was innocent.

«It's not how you think, Nate,» she said before things got out of control. «Luther isn't a violent man. And you might not know the whole story, Lara. But I believe it's worth listening to his version.»

She didn't want to intrude, on one side. On the other hand, she couldn't see her old friend being misunderstood. Even though Lara didn't seem very concerned about her uncle's past sins.

«Whatever the case, even if my uncle committed a crime, he is now a free man,» she said simply.

«I did not, though,» he said. «I committed no crime.»

He leaned back on the sofa and observed the young woman, trying to find any hint of worry, judgement... Anything. But, even if she physically resembled Gracelyn, the two had very little in common when it came to character and opinions. Even her gestures resembled Steve, but not as much as to think of him immediately. She had changed during the years, many times. That was certain.

«Are you sure you don't mind?» he repeated, his worries settled. If she truly had no concern, they wouldn't fight.

If she did but lied, he would find out sooner or later. If she was like Gracelyn, he couldn't allow her to stop him from his revenge.

«I told you. Whatever debt you had with society, you paid for it. Even more than needed, given that your family didn't visit you in prison. Unless dad came without telling anyone.»

«Steve, doing something without telling Grace? You're talking about sci-fi, aren't you?» he chuckled.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

When Lara replied to his laugh, he confirmed that his brother was the same coward as in the past.

«They haven't changed, have they?»

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«I don't know,» Lara said. «For what I could witness, they didn't. If anything, mom became even more controlling and greedy while dad is just the same. But I can't be sure, uncle. I haven't seen them in a long while, except for a few brief and coincidental meetings.»

«Coincidental?»

«Mom chased me out of home,» she revealed. Somehow, she felt no shame at those words.

«She, what? Why?»

She turned to Nate, silently asking for permission before revealing something very personal about them both.

«Because I was pregnant.»

«Y-you... Oh, wait, it happened... What? Five years ago? And the newspapers found out only now that you date Nate Woods? Why didn't you tell your mother?

I'm sure she would have acted differently if she knew.»

She bit her lower lip and lowered her gaze.

«Because I didn't know about Nate. We met one night by chance. We lost contact for a few years and met again only recently.»

«You... You were alone?» he said.

His lips curled down, and he forgot everything about his grudge. That little girl did forget him, true. But he couldn't stand to see her suffering.

He spread his arms just like when she was a kid and pulled her in a hug under Nate Woods's lethal glare. He could have sworn he heard a low growling, but it must have been his imagination. What grown man would growl? What was he, a wild animal?

He saw Melanie get up and pull Nate towards the garden chair, maybe pinching his arm through the jacket.

Something was off; he could feel it. His businessman sense was still alive and kicking, and he could understand when a group of people was hiding something. He had learned how to sense it after failing to realise his own family's betrayal.

He let go of Lara - who had allowed him to hug her just fine - and cleared his thoughts. Suddenly, Lara was not the one he needed to be wary of. Nate Woods was more complicated.

And Melanie was involved as well.

That last realisation made his heart ache. Why was she betraying him? Why? He had come back to her with the hope of starting something anew.

He was too old for romance, and Melanie loved her husband dearly. But he could settle for being friends or little more than that. He would have been content with sharing his last years with her, by drinking tea together and remembering Robert. Whatever was fine with him.

Still, that feeling was too strong to be ignored. They were hiding something huge. Even worse than when Steve and Grace hid their plan to send him to prison.

Not again, he thought. He wouldn't have been tricked a second time.

Running away would have been enough to save himself. But the thought of losing the only friend he had left for a second time hurt him. Not to mention that he also had a family, again.

If Lara was innocent - and she surely was, since she was five at the time - they weren't enemies. And the twins were part of his family, too, even if he could imagine how Nate Woods would look at him for the rest of time. But he had a claim to those kids. They were his grand-nephew and grand-niece.

«It's a pity Grace didn't know how cute your children would be,» he said.

Lara smiled, agreeing with him.

«You met them?»

«Yes, I did. When you brought them to Melanie, I was already here. She offered me a warm bed, and I accepted since I'm currently poor.»

«Currently?»

«The tribunal is still unfreezing my belongings. Some of the principal assets are still under control, and I can't use my money.»

«Uncle, I can lend you my apartment! I mean, it's not mine. I'm living in it, paying rent. I've paid the rent for two months a few days ago, so it's available. However, I live with Nate. You can use it as you want!

It's empty now. It's not very large, but it will be enough for the first few days, right?»