Chapter 239

Naomi returned to Azuregaze Mountain. Her personal doctor had already arrived and examined Ivy, who was now sleeping after receiving medication. Naomi spoke with the doctor, learning that Ivy's chest pain stemmed from angina caused by coronary heart disease, and that she was not in immediate danger. Relief washed over Naomi.

She had never known her mother, who died from a pulmonary embolism shortly after giving birth to her. Her father abandoned her, leaving her in the care of a nanny and butler at their villa in Roncrity. For years, he never visited. Ivy, aware of Naomi's background, often sighed while holding her as a child, saying, "Naomi, if only you were a boy, your father would have taken you home."

This thought deeply affected Naomi from childhood. She even mused, "If I were a boy, I would have a family." Consequently, she began mimicking boys at a young age, keeping her hair short and wearing boys' clothes. Over time, many mistook her for a male.

As she matured, she felt no different from men; indeed, she considered most men inferior—less handsome and less skilled in combat. The only inconvenience was using women's restrooms, which often caused panic and sometimes even police calls.

Naomi firmly believed in remaining unmarried and childless. Her life had been a tragedy: her mother died giving birth to her, and her father abandoned her at birth. Because her father had no other offspring, Naomi was brought back to the Sullivan family upon coming of age to claim her heritage. However, after he later had a son, he again cast her aside.

Naomi long ago dismissed the concept of family as a farce. She was content with her independent life, truly caring only for Ivy, Mr. Lampard, and Cynthia.

Returning to her room, Naomi stepped onto the balcony to smoke. Despite dressing like a boy, she possessed delicate, slender fingers, pale and graceful as porcelain. A long, slim cigarette glowed between her fingers, the cool scent of tobacco filling her lungs and enveloping her in smoke.

Suddenly, she noticed a light in the distance. Startled, she craned her neck. Only seven or eight mansions stood on Azuregaze Mountain, mostly spaced far apart. However, her mansion and the twins' were unusually close, almost touching, separated only by a fence.

As a child, a pair of twins lived next door. Naomi wasn't sure if they were orphaned, but they lived with their grandmother. Naomi had been close to them, often joining them for meals. However, when she was in the third grade, their grandmother died, and shortly after, the twins moved away without saying goodbye. For years, the villa remained dark. Now, upon her return, she wondered, "Could the twins be back?" Intrigued, she decided to investigate.

Both villas occupied large plots of land; although adjacent, their main entrances were far apart. Naomi disliked using the main entrance. As a child, for easier access to meals, the twins had installed a small gate in the corner of the yard. Before Naomi moved, she frequently used this gate. Their yard was filled with fruit trees—apple, peach, fig, and plum trees.

Neglected, the trees had grown wild, sprouting saplings, transforming the area into a small orchard. During those years, Naomi would slip through the gate to pick the ripe fruit, often sitting in the trees to eat her fill.

Naomi slipped through the small gate, finding the yard transformed. Weeds and wild trees were gone; ground lights illuminated the path, and flowerbeds overflowed with fragrant, exotic plants. The old, rusty swing set had been refurbished and freshly painted.

Naomi remembered loving that swing, standing on it while the twins took turns pushing her. Insufficient pushes resulted in scoldings. "Yes, I often scolded and even hit the twins, but mostly because they deserved it," she thought.

Seeing the lights inside the villa, Naomi felt a surge of curiosity. "Were the twins back, or were there new owners?" she wondered. If it were new owners, an unannounced visit would be impolite. She decided to return during the day with a valid reason.

Noticing a cherry tree laden with bright red cherries, Naomi remembered Cynthia's love for them. "Maybe I can pick some and bring them to Cynthia tomorrow to apologize for standing her up today," she thought, feeling guilty.

She began picking cherries, soon running out of places to put them. She removed her floral shirt to use it as a container. Seeing her ruined shirt, she decided to pick even more, climbing higher.

"Standing on the tree is dangerous. Why don't you come here and pick them from the balcony?" a man's voice called out.

Startled, Naomi slipped, nearly falling. The man caught her arm, pulling her to the second-floor balcony. Her feet landed, but his arm remained around her, their lips colliding with her ear. The man's ear was cold; her lips' warmth startled them both. Shocked, Naomi instinctively pushed him away, spitting and rubbing her lips as if they were contaminated.

The man, already awkward, felt inexplicably annoyed by her disdain. He frowned. "I just saved you. What's with your reaction?"

Naomi snapped out of her daze. "Sorry, it's just… two men hugging is too gross. It was a reflex."

The man's gaze intensified. Naomi, with a cheeky expression, asked, "Wait, who are you?"

"I should be asking you that," the man replied. "What are you doing climbing my cherry tree in the middle of the night?"

Naomi realized he was the villa's owner. In the house's light, she began to examine him closely.