Though Nathaniel Nathan's words were harsh, he knew full well he could never bring himself to hurt her. Hit her? He couldn't bear it. Scold her? He couldn't bear that either.
He was even more reluctant to use on her the methods he reserved for other people.
He said in a cold voice, "I agree."
Vera Xavier's eyes brightened as she looked at him, and she said earnestly, "Then it's settled!"
It was nearly dark when Vera Xavier returned to the Preston estate. Cara Preston was standing in the courtyard, and upon seeing Vera, she immediately called out, "Sister, where have you been these past few days?"
Vera Xavier glanced at her. The disappointment in her sister's eyes was impossible to hide. Cara Preston had probably never imagined she would return safely this time.
Cara Preston quickly schooled her features into a worried expression. "Sister, you're finally back! Mom and Dad would have been worried sick if you didn't return soon!"
Vera Xavier looked her in the eye and asked, "And you? Were you worried about me?"
Cara Preston froze. Ever since Vera Xavier had returned to the Preston family, she had always been timid and cautious, barely daring to speak, let alone stare at someone so directly.
It was also the first time she realized how beautiful Vera Xavier actually was. Though her face was pale, her features were delicate and refined. Her eyes, in particular, were a captivating mix of spirited and steady.
She had always considered herself beautiful, but in this comparison, she was unexpectedly outshone by Vera. She couldn't help but curse inwardly, 'You were already gone, so why the hell did you come back?'
A flicker of scorn flashed in Vera Xavier's eyes. 'I must have been so blind in my past life to have treated Cara Preston as my most trusted confidante, sharing every single secret with her.'
Vera ignored Cara and started to walk inside. Snapping out of her daze, Cara quickly grabbed her arm. "Of course I was worried about you! Sister, don't you love Wesley Kane? Why would you run away from your own wedding?"
'Run away from the wedding?' Vera remembered now. 'Nathaniel Nathan had abducted me while I was resting in my room. That's why no one knew he had crashed the wedding—everyone just thought I ran off.'
Before Vera Xavier could answer, Rona Langdon stormed out of the house, feather duster in hand. With a powerful roar, she swung it straight at Vera's head. "Vera Xavier, if you had the nerve to run away from the wedding, you shouldn't have bothered coming back! See if I don't beat you to death!"
Vera Xavier stared at Rona Langdon's savage expression. 'In my previous life, I never understood how my own mother could be so cruel. Only after being reborn did I learn that Rona Langdon isn't my biological mother at all. No wonder she treats me this way.'
She moved to grab the feather duster, but a strong hand caught it first. She looked up to see Zachary Preston, the man of the house. "As long as Vera is back safely, that's all that matters. We can discuss everything else later!"
Rona Langdon's eyes were frantic with rage. "What do you mean, 'as long as she's back safely'? Look at what she's done! Is any of it something a decent human being would do? It's just as I expected—raised in the countryside, completely uncivilized!"
"That's enough!" Zachary Preston's voice rose. "It doesn't matter if she grew up with us or in the countryside—she is our daughter!"
Rona Langdon had a fiery temper and usually ran the household. However, Zachary Preston was, after all, the man of the house, so she normally wouldn't dare to openly defy him. But tonight, she was dead set on teaching Vera Xavier a lesson.
She glared at Vera Xavier. "If you don't give a clear explanation for running away from your wedding today, then don't you dare set foot in this house again! Do you have any idea what you've done? Because of you, our family is the laughingstock of the entire residential compound!"