Faux Vows, True Desires

"But it's dangerous."

Keith was well aware of the old saying "no guts, no glory," but the risk seemed too high this time around.

"Dangerous, sure, but I will be careful. It's an opportunity. If I pull this off, not only will we bust the entire Porter gang, but we'll also weed out the snakes in our own family tree. Consider it me clearing the path for you, son, and a real chance for you to break away."

Nathan had longed to shake off the other members of the Blue family, tired of being held back by family ties.

In the old days, sticking together as a family was beneficial, but in this day and age, unity had been lost. Clinging to each other now only led to endless trouble, especially since some relatives had grown too ambitious over the years.

So ambitious, in fact, they'd thought about harming his own children just to carve up his wealth.

"Lucy's coming home in a few days," Keith suddenly changed the subject.

At the mention of his daughter, Nathan's face lit up with a smile. "Whenever she decides to return, our door is wide open for her. Speaking of which, is your mother coming back with her?"

Keith looked at his father and said, "If Mom comes back, it'll be to officially serve you with divorce papers. You sure you want her to come back?"

Nathan's smile stiffened before he replied, "What's inevitable will come, and what must be faced will be faced. Even if your mother doesn't come back, she still wants a divorce. It's not solely her decision. I'm not willing to let go, and without my consent, she's stuck."

Even in Skywatch, Janice Bright wouldn't win a divorce case against him.

"Son, I know I treated you and your mother harshly in the past to protect you both, but her mind is set. I might as well let go. A clean break might even improve her attitude towards me."

"How so? You and Lucy are still my children - that's a fact that'll never change. With you both in the picture, your mother and I could still see each other even if we parted ways."

"Right now, she looks at me like I'm her enemy, barely willing to speak to me. Why suffer like this?"

Nathan sighed. "Keith, you're still young, unwed. You haven't tasted what it's like to truly love someone. You can't understand how I feel. I want to let go, but I'm afraid. If I don't let go, your mother remains my wife, but once I do, it's over."

"But..."

"I'm content just seeing your mother every day, without expecting her forgiveness. Anyway, I won't divorce her unless I'm dead."

If he were dead, he wouldn't be holding Janice back anymore; he could set her free.

Keith felt helpless.

Once Nathan had made up his mind, it was impossible to change it.

Even if Keith's mother filed for divorce, it would be futile. Nathan's influence in Skywatch was too strong for her to overcome. And with him and his sister involved, once Lucy returned, their mother would likely follow, if only for Lucy's sake.

"For Lucy, mom wouldn't make a scene with dad."

"Dad, when Lucy gets back, you need to spend time with her, think about her, make up for the years you missed. She grew up without you and Mom. You owe her that."

Keith's words carried an unspoken concern.

Nathan had just revealed a willingness to risk everything, even his own life, in his battle with Zachary.

Without confronting him directly, Keith could only appeal to his father's love for his sister.

Nathan chuckled, "True, your mother and I weren't there for her, but the Moore family has treated Lucy as one of their own, loving her to the bone. Of course, I'll make it up to her once she's back." "Has Stefan mentioned coming along? With Ascend Global setting up a branch in Skywatch, I reckon he'll be staying here for a while."

Nathan had great respect for his son-in-law.

With his help, Ascend Global's new branch in Skywatch would undoubtedly establish itself smoothly.

Stefan would have the chance to support his daughter and help his company expand its reach, all while making a hefty profit.

"Dad, that's a given. Stefan and Lucy are deeply in love, especially as newlyweds. He'll definitely be accompanying Lucy back."

Stefan and Lucinda had been officially married for several months, but couples in love, even after a decade, still bask in the honeymoon phase.

"Lucy's got Stefan. I don't need to worry about her. But you, Keith, you should start thinking about settling down. I haven't pressed you before, but now your sister's married, and you don't even have a girlfriend. I can't help but push you a bit."

"That rule of yours, not letting women within three feet of you? Drop it. Otherwise, you might end up a bachelor for life."

Keith stood up and walked away.

"Ungrateful kid, I'm just trying to give a nearly twenty-five-year-old a gentle nudge, and you can't even bear to listen."

"I'm going to rest, maybe dream up a daughter-in-law for you."

Nathan muttered to himself, "Ungrateful kid! Such a waste of your good looks."

Keith was handsome, but his aloofness and his rule against women getting close meant he had no girlfriend and no overt suitors.

There were those who harbored secret crushes, but Nathan dismissed any girl without the courage to express her feelings. The Blue family's complicated situation required a mistress with the fortitude to shoulder such a role.

After Keith left, Jerry, the butler walked in.

"Mr. Nathan, Mr. Keith has left."

"Mhm, I pushed him about marriage, and he walked out on me."

Nathan admitted frankly.

Jerry was surprised but chuckled, "Mr. Nathan, perhaps you were a bit too eager. Mr. Keith is still young. There's no harm in waiting a few more years until he's more mature."

"He may be young, but he's never been in love. I worry about his normalcy, and I fear he might distrust love and marriage because of Janice and me. He's my only son, and his happiness concerns me." Nathan sighed again, "Children, they're debts we owe."

"At least Ms. Lucy is married, and her husband is an excellent match. Mr. Nathan, you might find it easier to nudge them for a child than to push Mr. Keith to tie the knot."

Nathan laughed, "Don't let Lucy catch you saying that."

Jerry smiled, "I haven't seen Ms. Lucy in over twenty years; she won't hear any of this from me."

Jerry had only seen Lucy when she was just a few months old.

Though he heard she grew up to be the spitting image of the grand dame in her youth, Jerry still longed to lay eyes on the grown-up Lucy and to serve her.

"Lucy will be coming home soon, right after Liam's wedding," Nathan announced. "Her mother will be accompanying her. Jerry, take a look around the other garden and see if anything needs fixing up. I want everything to be perfect when the ladies arrive. I'll bring them here for a visit."

This was the estate crafted for Janice, and even though her relationship with her husband Nathan was going through a rough patch, he wanted to show her the beauty of this place.

"Rest assured, sir," Jerry replied promptly, "no matter when the lady arrives, the garden will greet her in its finest glory."

The estate had been meticulously cared for over two decades. Every flower, blade of grass, tree, hill, and stream had matured into a vision far surpassing its initial splendor.