Billionaire's Regret: Losing Me And Our Son - Chapter 247: Chapter 247

I stared at him blankly, momentarily stunned. His question surprised me.
"Am I feeling sad?" I asked in return. I did not even notice my own feelings.
"Let's go home." Quinn took my hand and led me away from the scene. He said calmly, "I've heard you mention June many times; you clearly care about her. I don't know why she decided to quit, but I'm sure she really needs a friend right now."
Quinn, gently analysing the matter, said, "Once June has calmed down, you can call her or see her to get to the bottom of this."
But could I say that June and I were friends? Our relationship was far too complicated—there was no way we could ever be friends in this lifetime.
I could not bring myself to tell Quinn everything that had happened between us. Perhaps I was just overly sympathetic, feeling a bit sorry for her. Perhaps York was right. I was becoming such a hypocrite.
I shook my head and muttered, "No need."
Quinn did not press further upon hearing that. After getting in the car, he changed the subject and said, "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Grandpa wants us to bring Benedict back to the family home for dinner tomorrow night.
"Tomorrow night?" Snapping back to reality, I hesitated and said, "I've promised Mom I'd be with her."
It was the first Christmas since Ben's imprisonment. York and I had agreed to accompany Shirley so she would not feel lonely or sad.
Christmas was a time for family reunions, so it was only natural that Alex missed Quinn and Benedict. For a moment, I found myself caught in a difficult situation.
Quinn was thoughtful and understanding. "I'll let Grandpa know and we'll visit him the day after tomorrow," he said.
"That won't work," I shook my head and said. It would only give Joseph and his wife more leverage over us.
After much consideration, I suggested, "How about we go to the family home at noon tomorrow and head to my mom's place in the evening?"
"Sure," Quinn smiled and said, immediately taking out his phone to call the butler at the family home.
The following day, at noon, we arrived punctually at the family home, bringing our carefully prepared gifts.
Alex was more easygoing than I had expected. He did not mind that we could not stay for Christmas Eve dinner. He just wanted to have a chance to hug Benedict.
Benedict, the family's little darling, was on his best behavior, calling out "Great-Grandpa" again and again in his sweet voice, making Alex beam with joy.
After lunch, Lindsey pulled me along for a walk in the garden. "Natalia, I haven't had a chance to thank you for introducing me to Miss Yu last time," she said.
She was very polite, but judging from the gleam in her eyes and her animated expression, I knew her intentions lay elsewhere.
"If you want to ask about Miss Vance leaving the entertainment industry, I can only tell you I'm just a bystander myself," I said frankly with a smile.
Lindsey was surprised. "What? I thought Miss Vance was leaving showbiz to marry your brother!" she said. I smiled and indicated that I knew nothing.
"By the way, you'd better reconfirm the date of your fashion show with Miss Vance," I kindly reminded Lindsey as the thought occurred to me.
Given June's current state, I could not help but worry that she might not be able to attend the fashion show as planned.
"Don't worry about that. I contacted Miss Vance right after I saw the news. She's really sweet and assured me everything's fine.
"Natalia, my fashion show will be held right after Christmas. You must come, okay?" Lindsey said with a giggle.
Since Lindsey said so, I felt much more at ease and readily agreed. Just then, Quinn came looking for me in the garden.
"Didn't I tell you not to leave the house without my permission?" Quinn frowned, draping a jacket over my shoulders.
The wool coat wrapped around me, warm and comforting. I lowered my head and said softly, "I'm not that fragile."
Lindsey, who was standing nearby, clicked her tongue and said, "Quinn, I've just finished eating. Do you have to rub your lovey-dovey stuff in my face right after I ate?"
Quinn ignored her, wrapped his arm around me, and led me inside. Leaning in, he whispered in my ear, "If you keep behaving like this, I'll make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow." I shot him a glare.
As dusk fell, we returned to the Smith family home. Shirley had personally prepared a lavish feast while York was busy with the decorations.
I was playing with Benedict in the living room, and York had no choice but to call out to Quinn, "Hey, could you please check if these decorations are alright?"
Quinn stepped forward with a stern expression, carefully examining. "Left side; raise it a bit more..." he said.
I chuckled softly at the sight, suddenly feeling blissful with these peaceful, harmonious days with my family.
That evening, the four of us gathered around the dining table, where Quinn and York drank together for the first time.
The pleasant drinking session was interrupted when Quinn's phone rang. My eyes flicked to the screen; it was an unfamiliar landline number.
Quinn did not attempt to hide it and answered the call right in front of us, "Hello?"
Within seconds, Quinn's expression darkened, his brows furrowing. "Is she alright? I'll go over right now!" he said.
My heart skipped a beat, and somehow, the name "Clarissa" popped up in my mind.
After hanging up, Quinn's face darkened. He stood up, grabbed his coat, and said, "I'm sorry. Something urgent came up. I need to step out for a while."
Shirley was confused and asked, "Is there an emergency? You just had a drink; you can't drive now. Should I call the driver for you?"
"No need, Shirley. I'll just hail a cab," Quinn said, instinctively glancing at me. "Sorry, I'll be back as soon as I can."
Quinn's inexplicable apology confirmed my suspicion. He was going to see Clarissa. I could not tell if I was disappointed or sad. In that instant, a wave of indescribable, complicated emotions washed over me.
After a brief pause, I stood up and, gathering my courage, said, "I'll go with you. I haven't been drinking; I can drive."
Without giving him a chance to refuse, I grabbed my coat and headed straight for the garage ahead of him.
Quinn followed closely behind. Just as we got in the car, he said hesitantly, "Natalia, I..."
"What happened to Clarissa?" I asked, barely keeping the pent-up frustration from my voice. I told myself that no matter how upset I was, I needed to get the facts first.
"The police station called. Clarissa encountered a drunkard while she was out, but was rescued by passing officers.
"She's at the station now. She doesn't have any family members or friends here in Enschester, so they reached out to me," Quinn explained gravely.
I gasped after hearing this. As a woman, I had encountered drunkards before and was almost harassed.
"You're not mad?" Quinn asked skeptically as he entered the address into the GPS.
I started the car and chuckled. "Do you think I'm that petty? There's only one thing that would ever make me mad—if you lied to me," I said.