Nathan ran his fingers through Crystal's hair as she cried into his muscular chest. "I've known about Todd's secret for a long time," he admitted. "And don't worry, I've been trying hard to find your Biological Father. Soon, we will find him,"
"But why did my Mother leave you my inheritance?" Crystal asked. "Was it because you paid off all of her debts?"
Nathan nodded. "There was that," he said. "But there was more to it."
Crystal raised her head and looked at him in confusion.
"There was also the matter of you," Nathan explained.
Crystal had already been crying, but when she heard that, she remembered what her Mother's note to Nathan had said - "Please love her for me."- and she began to really bawl. How can she face life without this man?
Suddenly, Crystal saw that Evan was returning. Straight away, she covered her face with her hands to cover her shame, but it was of no use. Thankfully, for once in his life, her brother showed her a little empathy. Instead of addressing her directly, he turned to Nathan and said, "Mr. Davis, why don't you take Crystal home so that she can get some rest? I'll stay here."
Nathan looked at Crystal, smiled, and said, "I'll take care of her. If anything happens, call me right away, regardless of what time it is."
Evan nodded and said that he would.
Crystal allowed Nathan to lead her out of the hospital. He took her home, and in the days that followed, she walked through life in a daze. Thankfully, though, as Nathan shuttled her back and forth from the hospital, her Father's condition gradually stabilized.
Time flew by. Nathan's birthday quickly approached, and Arnold suggested that he celebrate with his brothers at the military's villa, And he agreed that it was a great idea.
When the night of the party arrived, Crystal put on the customized light blue yarn dress that Nathan had prepared for her. The dress was embedded with diamonds, and it shimmered under the light. Crystal liked the color. It reminded her of the sea, and it had a calming effect on her.
Crystal looked like an elf with the dress on, and everyone was stunned when they saw her in it. A few of the men were playing Fortnight on a PS4, and when they saw her, one of them said, "Wow, Crystal, you look amazing!"
Crystal smiled at them and said, "What are you playing?"
"Fortnight," he replied. "Do you want to join?"
Crystal shrugged and said, "Sure. My name's Crystal. What's yours?"
"I'm Elmo," Elmo replied. "And this jerk-off is Cass. If he drinks too much, you want to stay clear of him!"
Crystal felt her cheeks turn red. "Thanks for the warning..." As she sat down, she looked around the room. "Where's Leslie?" she asked casually.
Elmo: "I don't know. She went out early this morning. It's a good thing that she's out, though. All she ever does is cause trouble."
They had only been playing for a little while when Alex and Owen joined them. Owen gave Crystal a long look, and then he said, "Crystal, you dressed so beautifully tonight. Is that because you know that Nathan has something important to announce?"
Owen pushed Alex as if to remind him not to spill the beans.
Crystal shook her head. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "You might as well tell me!"
Alex suddenly realized that he had said too much. "I have somewhere to be," he muttered, and then he quickly disappeared back into the crowd.
Crystal chuckled as she turned to Owen. "I supposed you aren't going to tell me anything..." she said.
Owen grinned, and as he buttoned his lips, he said, "I'm a vault."
Crystal nodded and said, "I figured as much."
Suddenly, an engine revved outside, and after a moment, Leslie sauntered in. She had a smarmy grin on her face, and there was a strange, handsome man a half step behind her. They were dressed in matching outfits, and in his left ear, there was a black diamond earring, which was a match to the one in Leslie's right ear. They walked into the living room, sat in the love chair, and Leslie asked them what they were playing.
"Fortnight. But never mind that" Crystal giggled. "Who'd you bring with you?"
Leslie: "Oh, he's my friend."
Crystal was not satisfied with Leslie's answer, but Arnold and Nathan walked over before she could press her for more information.
When Arnold saw Leslie, he shot her a dirty look but didn't comment on her appearance at the party. Instead, he pointed to the man beside her and said, "Who's this?"
Leslie smirked and said, "He's my friend."
When Alex heard it, he laughed and said, "Don't you recognize him? This man is Hugo Perez!"
Owen was stunned. Hugo Perez was the son of the president of a huge company.
"Wow!" he exclaimed. "I never would have guessed that you had such affluent friends!"
Leslie: "There are lots of things that you don't know about me."
When Hugo heard that, he put his arm around Leslie's shoulder and whispered something in her ear. As he spoke, her eyes widened, and once he was done talking, she rushed off in the direction of her room. She was gone for a few minutes, and when she returned, she had three dresses in her hands. One was a simple, blue, silk evening dress. One was a black, fluffy, witch-like dress. And the last one was a strapless, white, beautifully feminine dress with lace around the collar and three-quarter lace sleeves.
Leslie held each dress up for Hugo and said, "Which one do you like better?"
Hugo: "The white one. I think you look stunning when you wear that dress,"
Leslie smiled and said, "Give me a few minutes to change, and I'll be right back down!"
No one could believe what they'd just heard.. Apart from Arnold, no one there had ever seen Leslie in a dress.