When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 417

“If Jonah explained things to you, would you believe him? Would you get back together?” Nelly asked, her voice gentle but serious.

Nancy looked up, her eyes suddenly bright. “Of course I would.”

Nelly’s smile softened. “That’s what he’s hoping for, too. You care so much about people, Nancy. If you forgave him, you’d get pulled right back into the Watson family mess. But you’re so pure, so honest. Felix… you can’t win against him. Jonah, though, he really wants to keep you safe.”

Nancy didn’t answer. She just sat there, quiet, Nelly’s words settling over her.

Nelly went on, “Honestly, Rudy wouldn’t have gotten close to you so easily. Have you ever thought that maybe, after you went abroad, some things were set up behind the scenes?”

There was no proof, but Nelly couldn’t help thinking about it. Felix was always so careful. He’d protected her for years. For people to know about the rift between Nancy and her father, someone had to leak it. If it was Britney and the Chandler family, Felix couldn’t control everything. Nancy had been too caught up in her feelings. She wouldn’t do anything reckless.

If she’d managed to settle down overseas, she might have escaped Britney’s schemes and found some peace.

Suddenly, Nancy stood up, but Nelly reached out and caught her hand. She gently smoothed Nancy’s clothes, her eyes warm and soft. “At least freshen up before you go see him, okay?”

A rush of warmth filled Nancy’s chest. Her eyes stung a little. She understood what Nelly was really saying. She also understood Jonah’s heart, maybe more than anyone.

After a moment, she smiled, teasing. “Nelly, you care about Jonah so much. Do you harbor feelings fo him, too?”

Nelly laughed. “What do you mean, ‘too’?” She thought Nancy was finally admitting her own feelings. She’d noticed it for a long time. Even after everything, Nancy just couldn’t let Jonah go.

…

That evening, after finishing up her work, Nelly went back to her office. Brody was curled up in the corner of the sofa, fast asleep. The last of the sunset poured through the big windows, painting his features in soft gold and making his usually tough expression look gentle and relaxed.

Nelly walked over, noticing he still had his phone in his hand, his posture perfectly straight even in sleep. The phone kept buzzing. So much for not being busy. He’d probably been working the whole time she was gone.

She cleared her throat, but he didn’t wake up. So she grabbed a stack of files and dropped them loudly onto the table. The sudden noise jolted him awake.

“You’re done?” he mumbled, blinking the sleep from his eyes.