Chapter 156
Nellie suddenly made up her mind. “Nathan, I want to change my surname.”
Nathan replied with a cheerful, “Sure thing.”
But Nellie felt lost. “Whose last name should I take though?”
Nathan leaned in closer with his charming smile and held her hand tightly, “Why not take mine?”
As she pondered, she realized that, in both her past and present lives, Nathan had been her rock. If there was anything in the world she still cherished, it was Nathan.
“Alright,” she agreed.
Nathan floored the gas pedal, and the luxury car shot off towards the city hall like an
arrow.
Standing at the entrance, Nellie was deep in thought. She was about to lay the name to rest here. From this point forward, she would no longer be Nellie Brown.
Nathan seemed to sense her melancholy and, with genuine warmth, said, “I’ll walk this new path with you.”
Nellie nodded, her steps heavy as she made her way inside.
“Excuse me, sir, I want to change my name.”
“Do you have your ID with you?”
Nellie handed over her ID, her hands trembling slightly.
“And what’s the reason for the name change?” The clerk slid a form across the counter.
Nellie picked up the pen, her hand shaking as she wrote. “This name brings bad luck.”
The clerk looked skeptical. “Miss, that is quite an unusual reason…”
Nathan interjected with a firm tone, “What’s with all the fuss? Just process it.”
Despite his youth, Nathan’s presence was commanding enough to make the clerk flinch. “Alright, please write your current and new name on the form.”
Nellie carefully wrote her current name: [Nellie Brown.] Then, with deliberate care, she penned her new name: [Nathalie Rowland.]
Nathan’s previously cool demeanor broke into a bright smile at the sight of the name. Finally, there was something precious in this world that was uniquely his.
As they left the city hall, Nathan, holding her hand, said, “Let me take you home.”
Nellie–no, Nellie was gone. Nathalie had taken her place.
11:17
Elsewhere, Cameron and Greta had just gotten their marriage certificate without a hitch. Greta’s long–time dream had come true, and she seemed to glow with newfound happiness.
However, Cameron felt an inexplicable emptiness. He worried about his mother’s reaction if she discovered their secret marriage. “Greta, let’s keep this under wraps for now.”
Greta was disappointed. “Are you saying we should keep our marriage a secret?”
Cameron explained, “My mom doesn’t approve of us. If you want a peaceful life, we need to keep this from her. Otherwise, she’ll make things as difficult for you as she did for Nellie.”
“I just can’t let my mom treat you like that,” he added softly.
Those words melted Greta’s heart. She smiled warmly. “Cameron, marrying you is enough to make me happy. A secret marriage it is, then. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
However, Cameron’s idea of a secret marriage differed from Greta’s. He dropped her off at the Brown family home, and Greta, feeling a bit let down, said, “Cameron, we’re married now. Shouldn’t we live together?”
Cameron replied, “If we live together, it’ll be impossible to keep it from my mom. Greta, for the sake of our future happiness, bear with this for now. Once I make my mark in business and reclaim the Dawson family inheritance, we’ll be together for real.”
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