?Chapter 427:


    Corrine, standing up, reached over and pinched his cheek yfully.


    “Well, your grumpy face isn’t exactly winning over any kids.”


    Nate looked down at her, his hand slipping into hers as they walked back toward the apartment building.


    “Do you like children?” he asked, his voice softening slightly.


    Corrine brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and whispered with a hint of wonder, “Isn’t his childlike charm just delightful?”


    “I can’t say it appeals to me,” Nate replied.


    As she locked eyes with him, Corrine’s lips formed a tight line.


    Nate added, “Perhaps if he were our child, I might feel differently.” He drew Corrine close, encircling her slender waist with his arms. His breath brushed her ear, its unsteady rhythm akin to the flutters of a spring breeze, sending ripples through her heart. A soft blush spread across her cheeks, and Nate’s eyes sparkled with amusement.


    As they entered the elevator, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.


    “When will you let yourself lean on me, even just a little?”


    Corrine’s muscles tightened unexpectedly. She believed they had put this matter to rest, yet here was Nate, revisiting it.


    After a brief pause, she responded carefully, “It’s just what I’m used to.” Her life had always been about solitude, confronting each hurdle on her own, shouldering every challenge alone.


    Although the Ford family showed her great affection, and her grandfather and uncles adored her deeply, Corrine was aware of her fragile position within their ranks.


    Therefore, Corrine made it her mission to handle things wlessly, tackling every issue on her own to spare the Ford family and her rtives any burden. This was the established behavior of someone who felt contingent on the generosity of others.


    Only through such measures did she believe she could prevent being disliked. Only through such efforts did she think she could prevent abandonment.


    “I understand,” Nate murmured, his head resting in the bend of her neck as he breathed in her scent deeply.


    “I won’t bring it up again.”


    Despite his reassurance, Corrine detected a note of defeat and a deep-seated willingness to yield in his voice.


    Unexpectedly, a surge of emotions welled up in her, causing her nose to tingle and her eyes to moisten.


    Deep down, Corrine was struggling to let go of the logic she always clung to when it came to Nate.


    But when it mattered most, that rationality invariably pulled her back. She opened her mouth to speak, yet realized that her words would be futile at this juncture.


    At that moment, the elevator reached her floor, and she stepped back into her apartment.


    As the door began to shut, she turned reflexively for ast look at Nate. He remained in the hallway, casually resting a hand in his pocket, a gentle smile gracing his lips.


    “Good night, Corrine.”


    “Good night,” Corrine replied.


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