Billionaire's Regret: Losing Me And Our Son - Chapter 221: Chapter 221

The moment Quinn's lips touched mine, I froze, and then my ears started to burn.
My heart was pounding wildly as I stared at Quinn, wide-eyed.
Honestly, I just can't figure out how this man's mind works.
After hesitating for a long moment, I finally murmured timidly, "Why... why don't you call her 'Clary' anymore?"
At my words, Quinn's lips curved into an amused smile.
The next moment, Quinn sat down right across from me, locked his eyes on mine, and said earnestly, "If you don't like it, I promise I won't call her that ever again."
I looked up and met his sincere gaze—he wasn't lying or just trying to placate me.
A sudden wave of inexplicable joy washed over me. With childish playfulness, I said to Quinn, "If you wanted to tell me, you'd have brought it up yourself..."
Quinn explained softly, "I only look after Diana out of respect for Julia. But Clarissa is different—I truly see her as a confidante. Though they're sisters, Clarissa was born with a congenital heart condition, so she's always been much gentler and more reserved than Diana."
Because of her poor health, Clarissa grew up in her family home in Sea City. Although she couldn't attend school, she loved reading and spent her days at home teaching herself a great deal.
Quinn first met Clarissa when he was twelve years old.
After paying respects to their ancestors at his mother's family home in Sea City, Julia planned to visit her old house. Quinn pestered her to let him come along.
With no other choice, Julia took Quinn back to their ancestral home in the countryside.
Quinn recalled, "That was my first time meeting Clarissa. At first, we were both quite reserved—I only knew she was Julia's eldest daughter. Having never been to the countryside before, everything around me filled me with curiosity. Driven by this sense of wonder, I sneaked off to the back hills when Julia wasn't looking... only to accidentally fall into an animal trap...
"Just as I was falling, a hand suddenly grabbed the back of my shirt. Only then did I realize that Clarissa had already spotted me sneaking out and, out of concern, had been following me all along.
"Unfortunately, Clarissa wasn't strong enough to pull me out. Instead, we both tumbled down into the hunting pit together.
"The hunting pit was deep—we both got pretty banged up, and Clarissa even broke her leg. I was terrified and filled with guilt. I tried calling for help, but no one came. Just as I was growing restless with anxiety, it was the injured Clarissa who started comforting me instead.
"Clarissa calmly told me to stay put, reassuring me that Julia would surely notice we were missing and come looking for us by dawn at the latest. Then, to distract me, she started chatting, asking about my hobbies and interests. To my amazement, despite never having attended school, she was remarkably insightful. In fact, our perspectives were so strikingly similar—it was almost uncanny.
"We talked animatedly until dawn. When Julia found us, I realized for the first time just how badly Clarissa was hurt—she couldn't even stand up. Every time I recall that moment, I'm filled with admiration; she was braver than most people," Quinn recounted intermittently, sharing his memories of Clarissa with me.
I listened intently, studying Quinn's expression. When he mentioned Clarissa, his eyes lit up with admiration.
Just as he had said, Quinn truly admired Clarissa and regarded her as a remarkable woman.
A strange mix of emotions churned inside me—part jealousy, part insecurity. 'How could I ever hope to measure up to someone like Clarissa?' I wondered, feeling lost.
'Or maybe... I shouldn't even compare myself to her.'
"If Clarissa is truly as remarkable as Quinn described, she'd probably consider it beneath her to even compare herself to someone like me," I thought.
Every winter and summer break after that, I'd find every excuse to visit Sea City—and, of course, to hang out with Clarissa. Over time, we naturally became close confidants.
Quinn's voice snapped me out of my wandering thoughts.
Snapping back to reality, I forced a smile and teased, "You two got along so well—did it ever cross your mind to marry her?"
At my words, Quinn frowned and fixed me with a serious look. "Natalia, if I had even an ounce of romantic feelings for her, I wouldn't have waited for you."
My heart skipped a beat—I had to admit, Quinn's words struck a deep chord within me.
Does Quinn have romantic feelings for me?
"Not just me—Clarissa also sees our relationship as purely platonic," Quinn said with conviction.
'I still had my doubts about that.
But I kept my doubts to myself—all I needed was to confirm Quinn's true feelings toward her.
After a brief pause, I said softly, "Thank you for volunteering to tell me all this."
Quinn arched an eyebrow at me and suddenly asked, "Still getting jealous over nothing?"
I was taken aback for a second, then blurted out defensively, "Who's jealous? I just wanted to make sure..."
"Natalia," Quinn interrupted me, suddenly locking his deep, dark eyes on mine. "I love you."
"A jolt ran through me like an electric shock, a shiver running down my spine. For a second, I couldn't believe my ears," I thought.
I blinked in shock, my voice shaky. "W-what did you just say?"
Quinn looked into my eyes and repeated in a deep, steady voice, "If this is what you needed to hear, then let me say it clearly—I love you."
Before I could react, Quinn swept me up into his arms.
Startled, I gasped as Quinn carried me toward the bathroom. "W-what are you doing...?" I stammered.
"You didn't come back to the bedroom last night." Quinn looked down at me, arching his eyebrows, his tone both domineering and playful. "Shouldn't you make up for what you owe me?"
"What do you mean I owe you?" I caught his drift, my face burning crimson as I protested, "It's broad daylight!"
Without giving me a chance to protest, Quinn carried me straight into the bathroom.
He lowered me into the steaming bathtub, then suddenly leaned in, his breath hot and ragged against my ear. "Last time in the water... unforgettable, wasn't it?" he murmured.
I was so embarrassed I couldn't speak, and before I could even react, Quinn pressed his lips to mine.
This time, it was no fleeting peck.
After their passionate encounter, the house staff already had lunch ready.
Under the house staff's knowing glances, I kept my head down, my face burning with embarrassment as I pushed my food around my bowl.
Today marks Lindsey's return from abroad and the planned family gathering at the Madden Mansion.
In the afternoon, we took Benedict back to the Madden Mansion.
As soon as we stepped inside, a stylish young woman came bounding over, her face lit up with excitement. "Big bro! Natalia! It's been ages—I've missed you guys!"
Quinn leaned in and whispered in my ear, "This is Lindsey." Then he turned to her with a warm smile and said, "Your father mentioned that now you're back, you're planning to stay for good?"
"Absolutely! Back home is way better than abroad—we've got every cuisine imaginable here! No way am I ever going back!" Lindsey beamed, her bright smile saying it all—she was clearly the outgoing type.