Nora's sudden change in attitude instantly chilled the previously joyful atmosphere. Chasel's smile froze on his face.
He had imagined that after five years, things would change, but he hadn't expected such coldness from the people he once knew. The girl who used to cling to him and talk about marrying him had changed so much.
"Is that... Chasel Mills? You're back..." Some of the aunts looked awkward, their expressions shifting slightly.
Years ago, Chasel had founded North Green Group at a young age, becoming a renowned entrepreneur in Verdant City. These people had praised him endlessly, claiming the Mills family had produced a big shot, and they were eager to please him. But now, no one stood up to greet him, and after a dry comment, no one spoke to him further.
However, Nora's youngest aunt didn't hold back. "Chasel, why are you back now? Haven't you embarrassed the Mills family enough? Are you here to cause more trouble, or are you trying to interfere with Nora and Samir's wedding?"
Hearing this, Monica's face turned sour. "Chasel, although there was a joke about you and Nora's marriage back then, things have changed. Nora has found her happiness, and you can't give her that anymore. If you care about her, you should let go of this idea and not come back now."
"Enough!" Gilberto suddenly erupted, interrupting Monica. "Chasel finally came back, can't you all just say less? When I speak, my word is my bond..."
But before Gilberto could finish, he was quickly interrupted.
"Dad!" Nora called out urgently. She knew her father's temper and feared he might insist on her marrying Chasel. There was no way she could marry someone with such a past, even if he was the one she once swore she would marry.
Seeing his daughter upset, Gilberto sighed heavily and stopped speaking.
"Chasel, let's talk," Nora said, heading outside.
Chasel followed silently. Even though he tried to tone down his presence, appearing like an ordinary young man next door, his years on the battlefield showed in his steady, measured steps, each one precisely the same distance apart.
No one else noticed, but Samir did. He didn't dwell on it, though. Instead, he looked at the two figures walking away, a hint of hostility flashing in his eyes.
"Chasel..." Out on the balcony, Nora looked up at Chasel.
But before she could speak, Chasel gave a bitter smile. "You never used to call me by my name like that."
At his words, Nora's eyes flickered briefly, but she responded with a cold smile. "You know that was in the past. Now, I don't even want to mention your name."
Only she knew how devastated and hopeless she felt when she learned that Chasel had been imprisoned for assault. It was like being betrayed by someone she had admired for years. After the pain came hatred. And after the hatred, she erased Chasel from her heart completely.
"I was framed!" Chasel explained.
"Maybe," Nora replied, clearly unconvinced. "I called you out here just to tell you that there's no future for us. We're in different worlds now. It's like I'm in the south, you're in the north, and we'll never meet again."
Chasel's smile remained, though it was tinged with more bitterness. Back then, Nora had said something different: "You and I, one south, one north. Keep going south, and you'll reach the north. Keep going north, and you'll reach the south. We are inseparable."
But he didn't care about that anymore. After five years of a harsh life, facing life and death, Chasel had long since buried his feelings for Nora deep within, letting them fade. What he valued now was the familial bond with her.
He had returned only to see his adoptive parents and Nora. Yet, aside from his father, everyone misunderstood him.
"I don't want you to ruin my current relationship, and I don't want our parents to argue because of you! They've been talked about behind their backs because of you. Even though you've been in prison, with your skills, finding a job shouldn't be too hard. Just work honestly and live a good life. Don't bring shame to our parents anymore!"
Nora felt a pang of reluctance but still spoke coldly. She emphasized "live a good life" with particular weight.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to bother you or cause our parents any more trouble," Chasel said, his smile fading as he took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions. Then he turned and walked back toward the living room.
Nora's face showed a hint of disappointment.
Five years in prison, five years out of touch with society—can you really adapt to the world now? It's hard enough for an ex-con to find a job, and the nature of Chasel's crime was the kind that made everyone look on him with disgust and contempt. Even his own family looked down on him, let alone outsiders. And when Chasel claimed he wasn't back to bother her, it left Nora feeling uncomfortable.
Back in 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's side, linking her arm with his. She introduced him, "This is my boyfriend and fiancé, Samir, the Vice President of Tianchen Pharmaceuticals."
Samir smiled modestly, "I'm just a figurehead for now. The company is preparing to go public, and my dad's still in charge. It'll take a few more years of training before he hands it over to me." His tone was humble, but there was an unmistakable pride in his eyes.
"And this is... Chasel," Nora said, looking at Chasel without elaborating further.
"Hello, I'm Nora's brother, Chasel," he said, extending his hand. Nowadays, the only people who received such courtesy from him were his comrades or a few respected elders. But since Samir was Nora's fiancé, Chasel offered his hand.
However, Samir's face showed a hint of awkwardness, as if apologetic. "Hi, but I'm sorry, I don't have the habit of shaking hands with others. My apologies!"
Chasel's determined eyes seemed to deepen as he calmly withdrew his hand.
Nora's face showed a brief moment of embarrassment, but it quickly passed.
"Chasel?" Samir finally seemed to register something, as if he had been pondering for a while. "Wasn't there someone with that name in Verdant City five years ago who was involved in some...?" He abruptly stopped, realizing he might have misspoken, and quickly corrected himself, "Sorry, it must be a coincidence."
Chasel's expression remained unchanged.
The Mills family relatives, including Monica and Nora, felt utterly embarrassed. They looked at Chasel with even more disdain, thinking they should never have adopted him.
Only Gilberto gave Samir a disapproving look, feeling that this future son-in-law was somewhat insincere.
"Isn't it almost time for dinner? Is the food ready?"
Gilberto quickly interjected, trying to ease the tension for Chasel.
Hearing this, Monica immediately caught on. "It'll be ready soon!" Monica said.
To Monica, Samir was the perfect son-in-law. He was handsome, his family owned a company, he was rich, and on top of it all, he was polite.
With that, she headed to the kitchen, seemingly forgetting about Chasel.
"Come on, let's have a drink, just the two of us!" Gilberto was quite attentive to Chasel.
"Sure, I'll join you!" Chase replied with a smile.
Despite his injuries, he pushed aside the thought of avoiding alcohol.
Soon, the food was served, and everyone gathered around the table. Just before they started eating, Samir received a call and stepped out for a moment. When he returned, he was holding two beautifully packaged boxes.
"Mr. Gilberto, I heard from Nora that you enjoy smoking, so I had someone go to the Dunhill headquarterone of only five hundred worldwide. And here's some handmade tobacco from Italy. I hope you like them!" Samir said as he handed the gift boxes to Gilberto.
"Yes, Dad, Samir put a lot of effort into getting these!" Nora beamed with pride.
"Only five hundred in the world? That must be expensive, probably over ten thousand!" One of the aunts exclaimed, her face full of surprise and envy.
"The actual price isn't that high, just fifty thousand dollars. It's just that due to the limited quantity, it's hard for ordinary people to get one!" Sam explained with a smile.
"Fifty thousand?" The Mills family members were completely stunned. They were eager to check the value of the gifts Samir had given them once they got home. Samir had brought gifts for everyone, and they seemed quite valuable.
Samir noticed they focused only on the price and missed the part about ordinary people not being able to buy it. It wasn't just about money; it was about status! Unfortunately, they didn't understand, and he felt a bit disdainful. The Mills family relatives were ultimately not up to par. After the wedding, he thought it best for Nora to cut ties with them. A daughter-in-law of his family should be noble and elegant.
"Make sure to keep it safe, don't let it get damaged!" Monica quickly took the gifts from Gilberto, who didn't seem too interested, and stored them away with delight. She was thrilled with her daughter's choice of a generous son-in-law.
Just then, the youngest aunt turned her attention to Chasel.
She said with a hint of jealousy, "Samir sure does care a lot about his father-in-law. I wonder if someone else has prepared any gifts now that they're back?"
Samir chuckled inwardly. She had finally hit the nail on the head.
Everyone turned their attention to Chasel, waiting to see his reaction.