Chapter 226
“He was the most famous online coach for international math Olympiads, a real whiz in his field.” Someone in the crowd recognized him right away.
Mr. Roberts fished a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Nathalie. “Nellie, I’m leaving my current school. I won’t be able to teach you anymore. But if you change your mind, come find me. Don’t worry about the tuition. I can cover it.”
Miranda snatched the card from Nathalie and tore it to pieces. “My daughter won’t be looking for you. You can leave now.”
Mr. Roberts sighed and shook his head, resigned. He gave Nathalie a meaningful glance. “Nellie, remember my phone number.” And then, he walked away, feeling helpless.
The scene shifted, and a new image appeared on the stone mirror. Cameron, with his assistant in tow, made a grand entrance at Rainbow Bridge.
Nathalie was curled up under the bridge, tears streaming down her face. Cameron reached out his hand to her. “Come with me, Nellie. I
n give you a warm home.”
Nathalie’s eyes were filled with hope but also doubt. There are so many unfortunate people in the world. Why choose me?”
Cameron was caught off guard. Trying to mask his true intentions, he lied smoothly, “When I decided to do a good deed, you just happened to be the one I met. It’s fate.”
Innocent Nathalie was unaware of the world’s harshness. She flashed a bright smile, showing her pearly whites. “I believe you.” Then she reached out her hand to him.
Miranda, hiding behind a bridge pillar, watched Cameron with a sly smile playing on her lips.
Standing by the stone mirror, Cameron’s handsome face turned ghostly pale. He understood all too well the meaning behind Miranda’s sinister smile.
Just the day before, he had met with Miranda, earnestly pleading with her to persuade Nathalie to return to Patrick. He had told Miranda that Greta was seriously ill and urgently needed a kidney transplant. Nathalie was the healthiest and closest blood relative.
Miranda took a large sum of money from him without a second thought and betrayed her daughter. She told Cameron, “Nellie doesn’t have any affection for her father and sister. She’s someone who knows what she likes and dislikes; she won’t just give up her kidney for nothing.”
So Cameron devised this whole redemption act. He wanted Nathalie to feel grateful for his supposed rescue and then, out of gratitude, willingly donate her kidney.
And he did succeed. Greta’s life was extended. But he never considered that his arrival was never a salvation for Nathalie.
Before he came along, there was already a teacher willing to help Nathalie. Unlike him, that teacher valued talent and wouldn’t have clipped her wings. Without him, Nathalie could have turned to that promising young teacher, surely achieving academic greatness with her intelligence.
She could have quickly escaped her troubles and had a bright future instead of following him and losing a kidney.
Realizing this, Cameron fell to the ground, defeated. “Nellie, you have every right to hate me.”
When Cameron slowly woke up, he found his face wet with tears. Surprised, he touched his cheeks and looked around to see he was still on his couch at home. Next to him lay Timeless Cycle.
He picked up Timeless Cycle, staring at it with fear. The vision he’d seen was clearly a dream, but the events in the dream were also real memories. If he hadn’t woken up and had continued the long dream, might he have seen even more stories? Would those stories have torn at his heart even more?
He closed his eyes again, hoping to dive back into the dream. But a series of urgent knocks on the door interrupted him.
