Chapter 45

Questions like Simone Milton’s, of course, went unanswered by anyone.

Nick Arthur, standing nearby, couldn’t help but look around restlessly.

His current plans are indeed as Simone Milton guessed. In any case, he’ll take the person to the civil affairs office to get the documents sorted out first.

By then, the person in question was already in their grasp. No matter how much Simone Milton refused, it was pointless.

“Ahem, you don’t need to worry about so much. Just come with me. After all, I’m not going to hurt you. What are you afraid of?” Nick Arthur cleared his throat and spoke, somewhat unsure of himself.

Seeing Nick Arthur so unsure of himself, Simone Milton resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She took a few deep breaths, finally managing to calm her mixed emotions.

“Surely you’re not trying to say what I think you are, Mr. Arthur… How could you do this? I thought I made myself clear enough. Your behavior is simply unacceptable…” Simone Milton didn’t know how to describe Nick Arthur’s actions.

She had a slight headache. Looking at the stubborn Nick Arthur, she sighed helplessly.

Facing Nick Arthur’s firm gaze, she knew she had no way of convincing him to give up the idea of marrying her.

With no other choice, she slowly spoke to Nick Arthur, “Mr. Arthur, what do you see in me that you like? What about me do you find attractive? Can’t I change those qualities? I’ll definitely try to get rid of everything about me that you dislike!”

“I like everything about you. No matter how you change, I’ll still like you. I mean it seriously. It’s not just because you’re Martha’s mother that I make this choice.” Nick Arthur looked at Simone Milton seriously, his eyes filled with tenderness.

And that’s indeed the case. If he didn’t like this person at all, no amount of pressure from others would make him make such a choice.

The fact that he’s willing to make such a choice proves that he isn’t averse to Simone Milton at all. He also believes that being with Simone Milton isn’t a bad thing at all.

It’s such a happy and fulfilling thing to be able to form a family with the person you love. How could he possibly resist that?

“Or maybe, you actually really hate me. All this time we’ve spent together, you’ve just been pretending to be friendly with me? You were just acting?” Nick Arthur thought for a moment before asking Simone Milton again.

If it weren’t for the fact that Simone Milton didn’t have any feelings for him, he really couldn’t understand why Simone Milton would reject him, even though she actually liked him.

This makes no sense at all!

Simone Milton sighed deeply, her gaze lost in thought. “Of course not. How could I possibly hate Mr. Arthur? If I hated you, I wouldn’t have done those things…”

“To be honest, at first, I had prejudices against you, Mr. Arthur. But as I got to know you better, those prejudices gradually disappeared… But…”

Simone Milton hadn’t finished speaking when Nick Arthur next to her spoke up again to ask a question.

“Since you say that such prejudices have disappeared, then why don’t you accept me? Did I do something wrong that made you unable to trust me?” Nick Arthur looked very determined.

“As long as you point out the things I can change, I will try to make those changes… So please don’t refuse me, okay?” At that moment, Nick Arthur was extremely humble.

He knew that if he let Simone Milton go now, they might never be able to be friends again. In that case, it was better to take a chance.

He’s going to bet that Simone Milton has feelings for him.

Such a humble Nick Arthur left Simone Milton unable to find the words to refuse him.

“Mr. Arthur… I’m just worried that one day, when you realize that I’m not the person destined for you, and you regret it, what should I do?” Simone Milton said helplessly.

She said this half-jokingly. To be honest, she was still afraid that the course of events might somehow implicate Nick Arthur.

These days, Katie Adams has her eyes set on her. Who knows when things might take a dramatic turn for the worse.

If, by then, something really happened to Nick Arthur, she would be consumed by self-blame for the rest of her life, with no way out.

“There won’t be anything like that. If such a thing really happened, then may I never find peace in death, and may I never be reborn in the afterlife.” Upon hearing Simone Milton say this, Chen Zi immediately swore an oath.

In short, everything must be done to keep Simone Milton trapped as long as possible.

Finally, under Nick Arthur’s relentless attacks, Simone Milton was completely defeated.

By this time, Simone Milton had also successfully made it to the civil affairs office, riding in Nick Arthur’s car.

Standing at the door, Simone Milton stared at the entrance to the civil affairs office, feeling a bit nervous and somewhat dazed.

“I… maybe we should pick another auspicious day to come back? Don’t you think today is too hasty?” Simone Milton racked her brains, trying to persuade Nick Arthur to give up.

“I think today is a perfect day for the ceremony. As for the exact date of the wedding, we can discuss that later.” Nick Arthur regained his usual composure and spoke to Simone Milton in a calm voice.

“Well… I don’t even have my ID card or household registration book with me. I’ll go get them first. Once I have them, I can come back and register with you, okay?” With one plan failing, Simone Milton looked at Nick Arthur earnestly and came up with another idea.

However, Nick Arthur clapped his hands. The next second, the driver respectfully took out two small notebooks from a small box.

“I was already prepared. Here’s your household registration book and ID card, which I got from my uncle…” Nick Arthur said, his ears turning red with embarrassment.

“Why would my dad give you these things? He’s never told me about them before!” Simone Milton was devastated. She stared at the clearly shy man before her, completely speechless.

She couldn’t help but step forward, wanting to shake Nick Arthur’s head to see if she could get the “water” out of his head.

But at the same time, this also proves that Nick Arthur had this all planned in advance. He must have been scheming for quite some time, and now he simply has an excuse to act on his plans.

“These aren’t important. What’s important is that none of your reasons hold water at all. So now, come with me inside…” Nick Arthur said this while slowly extending his hand.

He placed his hand in front of Simone Milton’s feet and said seriously:

“Miss Simone Milton, will you marry me? For the rest of our lives, I promise I’ll never let you down or make you cry again. I’ll treat you well for always.”

His expression was so gentle, his eyes filled with countless stars, as if he could pull people into that unique world in just one moment.

Simone Milton was overwhelmed with emotion. Unconsciously, she reached out her hand and placed it on Nick Arthur’s hand, along with a slight nod of her head.

Seeing that Simone Milton finally agreed, Nick Arthur smiled and went into the civil affairs office with his people.

When they came out of the civil affairs office again, Simone Milton could hardly believe that she had so casually gotten married to Nick Arthur.

She stared at Nick Arthur beside her, seemingly dazed. She pleaded with him, “Mr. Arthur, please hit me. Let me know if I’m dreaming. Everything seems so unreal.”

Nick Arthur, who was standing nearby, heard Simone Milton say that. He tickled the tip of Simone Milton’s nose and said with a smile, “Of course, ‘fool’ is real. Do you really want to go back on your word now? I told you from the start that that’s absolutely impossible!”

Hearing Nick Arthur’s cautious words, Simone Milton was truly at a loss for words. She sighed and looked at Nick Arthur helplessly.

“Mr. Arthur, do you think I still have a chance to regret things now?” she said, staring at Nick Arthur with a resentful look in her eyes.

Even if she regrets it, she believes that Nick Arthur will surely find another way to make her stop regretting it.

Now that things have come to this point, it’s useless to regret anything anymore. So, she’ll just try to accept it.

Upon careful thought, even if she ended up with Nick Arthur in the future, she wouldn’t feel any regret or hesitation.

If that’s the case, then she should be able to give it a try as well, right?

Thinking this way, Simone Milton felt much less oppressed in her heart.

But then, she thought about it again. She hadn’t discussed this matter with Martha yet. If Martha found out, she might be very disappointed in her as a mother.

Sharing her concerns with Nick Arthur, Simone Milton felt uneasy: “We should discuss this with Martha first… What if she can’t accept this reality? That would be…”

Seeing this, Nick Arthur gently embraced Simone Milton. He said to her in a gentle tone:

“Don’t worry so much. I’m sure, given Martha’s personality, she’ll be very happy to hear about this… Leave this matter to me. I promise Pond won’t be angry with you at all.”

His sincere expression really makes it hard not to trust him.

Attracted by Nick Arthur’s demeanor, Simone Milton couldn’t help but believe what he said. She nodded and said, “In that case, it’s your turn first.”

“Do you still call me Mr. Arthur now, my dear?” Nick Arthur said, whispering softly in Simone Milton’s ear.

Simone Milton shuddered, her entire face turning red. She stared at Nick Arthur in shock, crying inwardly.

That’s a foul, a complete foul. How can anyone possibly withstand that?!

“Well… then how should I address you? Nick? Ayen? Brother Yan?” Simone Milton nervously averted her gaze, stammering as she spoke.

“You can call me Ayen or Brother Yan. But really, I’d prefer if you called me ‘husband’ or ‘wife’.” Nick Arthur once again leaned close to Simone Milton’s ear, whispering softly.

That deep utterance of “wife” instantly made Simone Milton’s cheeks turn pink, and her heart began to beat wildly.

“A Yan… you… let’s go back first!” Simone Milton said, not knowing what to do with her hands and feet!

She walked home with Nick Arthur, holding his hand and stepping in step with him.

By now, Martha had returned and was sitting on the sofa, having fun with Juliet Milton.

“Mommy, Uncle Arthur, where have you been? Why didn’t I see you when I came back?” Martha blinked her big eyes, looking at the two adults in confusion.

“This… we…” Simone Milton really wanted to talk about her and Nick Arthur, but seeing Martha’s innocent gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

Nick Arthur, who was standing nearby, noticed what was happening. He patted Simone Milton on the shoulder and said, “Let me do it!”

Seeing Nick Arthur step forward first, Simone Milton felt somewhat relieved, for some reason.

Well, I’ll just leave this matter to Nick Arthur to handle!

Simone Milton thought irresponsibly like that, then nodded at Juliet Milton.

Who knew that Juliet Milton, standing nearby, seemed to understand what was going on. She quietly pulled Simone Milton aside to a quiet place.

“Dad…” Simone Milton felt overwhelmed by Juliet Milton’s intense gaze. “What do you need from me? Maybe Martha needs me…”

Seeing how timid Simone Milton was, Juliet Milton couldn’t help but sigh. “Are you really going to overreact like that? I’m not going to eat you anyway. Who are you trying to impress with this behavior?”

“Heh…” Simone Milton chuckled to herself. She thought, “You might not actually eat me, but once you find out about this, you’ll definitely scold me mercilessly. Of course I’m scared.”

“No, no. It’s completely because of your father’s great ‘aura’ that I find it hard to adapt. That’s why I feel uneasy.” Simone Milton was talking nonsense, with no coherent logic to her words.

Upon hearing this, Juliet Milton became even more convinced of her suspicions. There was a good chance, perhaps eighty percent, that it was true.

He rolled his eyes impatiently and said to Simone Milton in a cold tone, “You’ve decided to be with him after all. You need to understand that marrying into their family is no easy task. There’s a lot of trouble and complexity in wealthy families. You really need to think carefully before making this decision!”

“Dad, you already know?” Simone Milton’s eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn’t believe she had been so obvious.

She was very confident that she hadn’t made any mistakes.

“I obviously know. You made it so obvious. If I didn’t know, that would be strange!” Juliet Milton rolled her eyes in exasperation. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Simone Milton was worthless.

“How could you decide to be in a relationship with him so quickly? Can’t you be a little more reserved or put off making that decision?” Juliet Milton said, clearly frustrated and teeth-gritting with annoyance.

“I tried to refuse too, but… anyway… things have come this far now. I’ve already divorced him. What else can I do?” At the end, Simone Milton gave up and sat down on the stairs.

Originally, she thought the two of them had just become official partners. Who would have thought that Simone Milton would drop such a bombshell on him? Juliet Milton felt dizzy and overwhelmed.

“What did you just say? I couldn’t hear you clearly. I must have misunderstood, right? Ha, today must be April Fools’ Day. You’re just joking with me, aren’t you?” Juliet Milton laughed nervously, refusing to believe what she had heard.

He would never admit that that little brat Nick Arthur could be so fast and kidnap his precious daughter.

Seeing Juliet Milton’s intense reaction, Simone Milton, on the other hand, was somewhat confused. She said doubtfully, “Dad, didn’t you already guess it? Why does it seem like…”

“Gued it? I only guessed that the two of you had officially become a couple. Who would’ve thought you’d be so bold as to get married so quickly! Your courage keeps getting greater and greater. You didn’t even consult us about something this important!” Juliet Milton grew angrier and angrier as she spoke.

If it weren’t for the fact that Simone Milton is already so old, it would be utterly shameful to actually pick up a stick and hit someone. At this very moment, Juliet Milton really wants to pick up a stick and hit someone.

He took a few deep breaths, finally calming himself down. With a slightly hoarse voice, he said, “You weren’t joking with me just now, were you?”

His eyes were wide open, as if to say, “If you dare tell me you’re not joking, I’ll make sure you pay for it.”

However, even though Simone Milton had received this information, she still nodded and said honestly:

“Dad, you heard me right! This isn’t a joke, nor any kind of prank… Your daughter is truly with Nick Arthur, and we’ve gotten married.”

At this point, Simone Milton glanced at Juliet Milton with a hint of reproach: “It was you who provided my ID card and household registration documents. So why are you making such a fuss now? Weren’t this exactly what you wanted all along?”

Hearing Simone Milton say that, Juliet Milton coughed a few times, a little embarrassed.

He truly had forgotten how he had handed over his household registration book to Nick Arthur, and how he had earnestly told Nick Arthur to take good care of Simone Milton.

Coughing a few times to defuse the awkwardness, Juliet Milton said with a distracted look, “Even so, that’s not why you should hide things from your family and get married without their consent! You’re driving me crazy!”

“But now that things have come to this point… Ayen said we’ll decide on the wedding date later… Dad, please…” Simone Milton spoke in a somewhat coy manner, completely different from her usual straightforward style.

Juliet Milton took a deep breath, followed by a series of questions:

“What about the Arthur family? What’s their opinion on this matter? How can you be sure that the Arthur family will accept you?”

“They’re the real family. If you can’t convince the Arthur family, what’s the point of your efforts? You’d only be laughed at for trying to force yourself on them!”

What he fears most is that by then, the Arthur family might refuse to acknowledge the marriage at all. And Nick Arthur, under pressure from them, might ruin the entire arrangement.

By then, once this news gets out, Simone Milton will be a complete joke.

“I’m sure Ah Yan will take care of everything. He’ll definitely handle these matters well… So, Dad, please trust me!” Simone Milton had a determined look in her eyes, clearly very confident in Nick Arthur.

Faced with Simone Milton’s trusting gaze, Juliet Milton didn’t know how to persuade her any further.

Finally, he sighed and said slowly, “Alright then. But this time, we definitely can’t be so hasty as we were today. We need to plan everything carefully!”

“Of course!” Hearing Juliet Milton say that, Simone Milton knew she had passed this hurdle. A happy smile appeared on her face.

While Simone Milton and Juliet Milton were sharing their thoughts with each other, Nick Arthur was having a conversation with Martha in the living room.

“Uncle Arthur, are you interested in my mom?” Martha asked carefully.

Nick Arthur nodded, then looked at Martha very seriously and said, “Actually, Uncle Arthur has something to tell Martha. I hope Martha won’t be upset, okay?”

“What’s the matter? If it’s true that Uncle Arthur stole Mommy while Martha wasn’t looking, then Martha is very generous! She can share Mommy with Uncle Arthur.” Martha said with a smile.

“What if… what if your uncle told you that I’ve found your biological father? Would you still agree to be with your mother?” Nick Arthur took a deep breath before asking tentatively.

Upon hearing these words, the smile vanished from Martha’s face. She became depressed and sat alone, lost in thought for a long time.

Nick Arthur, who was standing nearby, didn’t disturb Martha. He simply waited quietly for her to respond.

After a long while, Martha, who had kept her face turned away, finally raised her head and shook her head, saying:

“Although I’m happy that Uncle Arthur helped me find my father, could you please stay with my mom? It’s not something Martha can decide.”

She sighed and crossed her arms, acting like a little adult. “Uncle Arthur, you can’t do this. If you really want to win Mommy’s heart, you shouldn’t come to me!”

“But Martha is your mother’s treasure. If we’re to be together, we need to get your permission first. Only if you agree will we really be able to be together.” Nick Arthur stared at Martha with loving eyes, his gaze filled with tenderness.

He gently stroked Martha’s hair and said slowly, “So, Martha, can you tell me what you’re thinking?”

“I don’t know… But if Mom really likes Uncle, then it would be great if we became a family!” Martha shook her head, speaking with uncertainty.

“Martha is such a sensible girl. But what if Uncle Arthur tells her that the biological father she’s been looking for all along is me? Would Martha hate me then?” Seeing that the right moment had come, Nick Arthur carefully tried to gauge Martha’s reaction.

Upon hearing this, Martha was initially confused, seemingly not understanding why Nick Arthur said such a thing.

But later, when she saw Nick Arthur’s serious expression, she suddenly understood.

She blinked her eyes and looked at Nick Arthur carefully. “Uncle Arthur, do you really mean what I think you mean? You’re not lying to Martha, are you?”

She feared this answer in her heart, yet also felt a sense of anticipation. Her gaze was fixed intently on Nick Arthur, filled with hope.

“No! No… I’m sorry, I only found out about this recently as well… If Martha hadn’t asked me to investigate, I’d probably still be in the dark.” Nick Arthur said this with a look of apology in his eyes.

All he feels now is deep guilt. When facing Martha, he doesn’t even know how to ask for her forgiveness.

Anyway, the fact remains that he was absent from Martha’s life for so many years. Those two sentences alone can’t change that fact.

Hearing these words, Martha’s tears burst forth like a dam breaking. She hugged Nick Arthur tightly and cried bitterly.

“Why, why… Uncle Arthur, are you lying to me? How could you possibly be my father? Why are you my father?” Martha felt completely confused.

When she heard this news, she was overjoyed. Her uncle Arthur was indeed, just as she had always imagined, her father.

Seeing Nick Arthur admit it so firmly, she couldn’t help but feel a little angry inside.

She wanted to ask Nick Arthur why he came so late. She wanted to ask him if he had any idea how painful it was for her to be laughed at all these years because she had no father.

But when she saw Nick Arthur’s guilty expression, she felt more sadness than anything else, along with a hint of joy.

Great! So she isn’t an orphan with no father after all!