Chapter 131

Annie's POV

After tucking Lucy in, I gently pulled the covers up to her chin and watched her peaceful expression for a moment. She looked so serene in sleep, her golden hair splayed across the pillow, her small chest risingand falling with each breath. It amazed me how quickly she had become such an important part of my life, how effortlessly she had claimed a piece of my heart.

I leaned down to place a soft kiss on her forehead before quietly making my way to the door. As I stepped into the hallway, carefully closing Lucy's bedroom door behind me, I caught sight of Howard standing in the doorway of his study.

Our eyes met across the distance. The intensity of his gaze made my heart beat a little faster, yet I hesitated, uncertain whether to approach him or continue on my way. We stood there for a moment, silently regarding each other in the dim hallway light.

Howard gestured toward the balcony."Shall we talk?"

"Sure," I replied simply, my voice barely above a whisper.

The balcony was spacious, with a small table and two chairs positioned to take advantage of the view. The lighting was bright enough to illuminate us clearly while the darkness beyond the property line created a sense of privacy, as if we were enclosed in our own little world.

I settled comfortably into one of the chairs, but Sue's earlier words kept circling in my mind: "What if she's not a relative, but someone Howard..."Her unfinished insinuation had planted a seed of unease that I couldn't

quite shake. I wasn't normally a suspicious person, but when you've been deeply hurt before, that kind of sensitivity becomes almost reflexive.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to address it directly. "Howard, who was that woman talking with you in your study earlier?"

The moment the question left my lips, I found myself tensely observing Howard's reaction. I had grown accustomed to Philip's impatience or even anger whenever I asked such questions. But Howard's expression showed no displeasure.

He moved closer to me, answering with an easy casualness that surprised me. "That was Selena, my sister."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, along with a twinge of surprise at my own emotional response. I had begun to trust Howard during our time together, yet Sue's suggestion had so easily sown seeds of doubt in my mind.

Howard was quiet for a long moment, then he reached for my hand.His voice was calm but firm. "But a relationship won't last if two people communicate through guesswork rather than honest conversation."

His words caught me off guard.

In that moment, I suddenly realized how deeply my six years of marriage to Philip had affected me. I had grown accustomed to guessing rather than asking directly. Whenever I had inquired about the identities of people around him during our marriage, Philip would impatiently chastise me:"You always need to know who I'm talking to! Don't you understand how suffocating that is? It feels like I have no personal space! Like I'm being monitored constantly!"

Eventually, his complaints had escalated to threats: "If you don't change this behavior, we might as well get divorced."

I had learned my lesson and stopped asking questions. I had even convinced myself this was the right approach.

Looking up into Howard's eyes now, seeing the sincerity there, I felt a warmth spreading through me. He was so different, not only refraining from criticism of my curiosity but actively encouraging direct questions.

"Thank you for understanding," I smiled. "So, about your sister,can you tell me more about her?"

Howard's expression softened, his face taking on a reminiscent quality. "Selena is a few years younger than me. We have an older brother,William-Lucy's father-but he was much older than us,so we rarely played together as children. Selena and I were closer in age, so our connection was stronger. She was incredibly cute as a child, and I was always proud of her. I would often boast to others, 'Look at my adorable little sister-you don't have a sister like her."

There was a warmth in his voice I had never heard before as he recounted these memories.

I found myself drawn to this side of Howard's past, a facet I had never seen before. I remained quiet, listening intently.

The joy in Howard's voice gradually faded. "This harmonious relationship was broken by my mother in the year my brother died."

He paused, considering how to continue.

Curiously, I asked, "What happened?"

"She was worried I would compete with Selena for the family company, so she suddenly sent me away, then publicly announced that the company would be inherited by Selena." Howard leaned against the railing,gazing into the distance.

I found this puzzling. "Didn't you already have your own company by then?"

Howard nodded. "Yes. If they had discussed it with me beforehand,I would never have objected to Selena inheriting. But my mother didn't trust me.Selena had no previous experience and was suddenly pushed into a management position; she was completely overwhelmed. I couldn't bear to see my sister struggle, so I told my mother that Selena could seek my advice if needed. But my mother accused me of trying to use this opportunity to take the company away from Selena. After that, I realized I couldn't say anything about my sister or the family company anymore,or they would suspect I had ulterior motives regarding Selena's company."

It was under these circumstances that Howard suddenly felt like an outsider in his own family. "I just wanted to support her, help her understand company operations, make her work easier."

Hearing the desolation in his voice, I hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to embrace him.

Howard didn't reject my gesture; instead, he gently pulled me closer, his pace of speech slowing. "During that time, I lost my brother, and my mother and sister became increasingly distant. It seemed Lucy was the only family member who would never betray me. That's why she's so important to me. Though she's not my biological daughter, she means more to me than any biological child ever could."

I patted his back gently,offering wordless comfort.

Howard continued explaining, "Because of my mother, I avoided contacting my sister. And Selena worried that I resented her for obtaining the company that didn't belong to her. She was concerned I felt uncomfortable about the situation, so she avoided contact as well."

I commented sincerely, "I had no idea such a misunderstanding existed between you."

"Yes," Howard gripped my shoulders, creating a small distance between us so he could look directly into my eyes.

His tone became more serious than I had ever heard. "What I learned from this experience is that if you want a relationship to last,you need to communicate clearly. Otherwise, if misunderstandings are allowed to persist, even the strongest feelings will eventually disappear."

On this point, I completely agreed with Howard's perspective. "What finally prompted you to resolve the misunderstanding?"

Howard gave my cheek a gentle squeeze. "Because of you."