Crystal’s One Night of Love
Chapter 286

Chapter 286 A Good Husband

Crystal quickly and firmly placed Lara's number on Henry's blacklist.

The task was accomplished, but her feelings still felt a little bruised. She was somewhat absent-minded when Henry tried to converse with her.

Their car finally rolled to a stop at the mansion.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Henry turned toward Crystal, his voice laced with tenderness as he asked, "Why are you so quiet?"

Men always like to compare.

Henry pondered for a while. "Did I hurt you just now?"

Crystal shook her head.

She opened the door and got out, sidestepping the topic. "They're waiting for us."

They hadn't gone far when Henry looped his arm around her waist, pulling her close from behind, and she fell into his embrace.

The snow fell all around them, wetting their coats, but neither of them seemed to mind. It was rare for them to warmly embrace each other like this on a cold winter night.

"Crystal, I'm thinking I could actually become a good husband to you," he whispered, his breath a gentle. caress against her ear.

He decided to discard any preconceived notions about her, aiming to accept her completely.

No matter if it was due to his desires as a man or her kind nature, he believed she'd make an exceptional lover, wife, and mother. Leaning against his shoulder, Crystal murmured, "Really? What is it that you like about me?"

Henry patted her back. "I'll tell you tonight!"

"This is all going a bit too fast..."

Henry's fingers glided along the curve of her spine. Her entire body felt soft to the touch, and he was happy to stay this way

with her.

At the entrance of the mansion stood David and Alfred, who were puffing away on cigarettes.

David's eyes widened as he asked, "Do you see that couple embracing each other over there? Is that Henry and Crystal?"

Lowering his head, Alfred lit his cigarette and took a long drag from it. He was the embodiment of rugged

charm.

Casting a glance their way, he confirmed, "There's no doubt about it!"

David grew anxious.

With the cigarette hanging from his mouth, he marched through the falling snow and shouted, "Henry,

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have you lost your marbles? Why are you frolicking in the snow on a freezing day like this? Even if you and your thick skin can handle it, your wife just gave birth two months ago. How could you drag her out in the snow with you?"

Alfred's cigarette came close to searing his fingers.

Crystal gently removed herself from Henry's embrace, feeling embarrassed. "Dad's coming over!"

Henry, realizing the inappropriateness of standing in the snow like this, slipped off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. He pulled her into his embrace and said, "Okay, let's head inside. I told you that Dad loves you to bits."

David had come over right then.

He handed a large black umbrella to Crystal and launched into a tirade against his wayward son.

Henry fished a cigarette from his pocket, ignited it amidst the delicate snowfall, and then threw Crystal a

smirk.

He was clearly teasing her with that smirk.

Truth be told, this version of Henry appealed to Crystal. However, with the elders around, she didn't dare to flirt with him, so she quickly walked into the living room.

David proceeded to lecture his son about taking proper care of women who had just given birth.

In the end, he waved his hand dismissively and said, "Go on and attend to your wife. Looking at you gets

on my nerves!"

Henry nonchalantly finished his cigarette, then followed Crystal indoors.

As he stepped inside, he saw Crystal taking off her coat and drying her hair with a towel.

Clad in a delicate dress made from wool that set off her fair skin, she radiated softness and elegance.

Henry's voice took on a tender tone as he said, "We've got half an hour until dinner. How about upstairs for a shower? I'll go check on Remi!"

Skyler, holding his hand, said eagerly, "I'll go with you, Daddy!"

Bending down, Henry lifted the little one and planted a kiss on her forehead.

Skyler beamed as she wrapped her arm around his neck with happiness.

Crystal's gaze softened at the sight of the father and daughter.

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Julia took the towel from her hand and said gently, "He'll settle down eventually. You two have such a deep

bond."

Crystal murmured an acknowledgment.

It did not matter whether or not he could remember the past.

What mattered was their future.

Crystal headed upstairs for her shower while the ground floor of the Miller residence buzzed with activity.

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Servants bustled about, serving sumptuous dishes. The dining hall radiated a festive air of Christmas After checking on Remi, Henry descended the stairs with Skyler in tow

It was already half-past seven in the evening.

Fireworks had begun illuminating the sky.

Dressed in her pretty little dress, Skyler ran around Henry, whose heart melted. He scooped up his daughter in his arms once more.

His eyes would wander from his financial magazine to her delicate and fair little face.

She resembled Crystal a lot.

Feeling embarrassed under her father's intense gaze. Skyler fiddled with her fingers. "Daddy, you're good-looking, but I think Christopher is more handsome!"

Henry patted her on her buttocks.

With her cheeks flushed. Skyler leaned on Henry's shoulder.

Alfred entered with David right then, looking pensive.

The relationship he shared with Berthold wasn't as close as this. That boy was rather shy,

At that moment, Melora and Berthold came down the stairs.

She had been thriving recently, no longer grappling with the challenges of making ends meet. With her parents helping her take care of the child, she regained her former radiance. There was an added touch of womanly allure about her too.

Alfred missed her, but he understood his place.

He bent down and said to the two children. "Come here and get your Christmas gifts!"

Skyler eagerly rushed forward, and she was rewarded with a large gift.

Berthold seemed bashful. He always perceived Alfred as a stern man. "Go on!" Melora reassured him with a pat on his shoulder.

Berthold summoned his courage and approached Alfred. "Great-Uncle Alfred!"

The atmosphere grew a little awkward.

A hint of embarrassment crossed Alfred's face, but he tenderly patted the boy's head and handed over the gift. He said in a gruff voice. "You should call me Daddy!"

Berthold nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite. "Daddy!"

Skyler swooped in, explaining in a clear voice, "Great-uncle Alfred is Mommy's uncle, so I call him Great- uncle Alfred. But Great-uncle Alfred and Aunt Melora are a couple, and they gave birth to you. Berthold. So, you need to call him Daddy!"

Alfred ruffled Skyler's hair.

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What a clever child! She takes after her father.

Skyler tugged Berthold along to open their gifts together.

Melora slowly descended the stairs.

Alfred retrieved a box from his pocket, then presented it to her. "Here's your Christmas gift!"

Melora refused to accept it.

Alfred said, "Your brother addresses me as Uncle Alfred, so consider it a gift from your elder! Take it. I rarely come over, and I'll be leaving tomorrow. Who knows when I'll be back again?"

Melora accepted the box and opened it.

Inside the box lay a pearl necklace that looked expensive at first glance.

She quickly rejected it, but Alfred shrugged it off, downplaying its value.

What he didn't reveal was that this piece was a cherished heirloom of the Lodge family that was passed down through generations to each successive wife of the Lodge family head.

He and Melora faced an uncertain future, yet at this moment, he impulsively wanted to extend this promise to her.

As the air crackled with emotion, Henry looked on from a distance.

He wasn't as obtuse as his sister and knew the true value of that pearl necklace, but he didn't expose it. At this moment, his phone rang in his pocket.

The number was unfamiliar to him.

He thought for a while before deciding to answer it. The voice on the other end was filled with desperation. "Mr. Miller, please, you have to help Lara! She lost her financial support, so she went back to her hometown to work. It's snowing today, and her hometown is situated in the mountains. She slipped off a cliff, and rescue is near impossible now... Mr. Miller, I know she made mistakes and offended Mrs. Miller but now it's hard to rescue her without a helicopter, and she might freeze to death out there! She tried calling you several times, but you didn't pick up! Mr. Miller, I'm begging you to help her!"

The person on the line was Emily.

Henry clutched the phone.

Several missed calls... After that, Crystal blacklisted the number. A life is on the line...

Without hesitation, Henry agreed to help. He asked for details about the situation and assured Emily that he would handle it.

After hanging up, he raised his gaze to replace Crystal coming midway down the stairs.

She looked relaxed after her shower, but her face was unusually pale.

"Are you heading out?"

Her gaze met his as he donned his coat, ready to step outside.

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Henry nodded.

"It's got something to do with us, Crystal. I'll be back after dealing with it."

"But dinner is ready! Uncle Alfred is leaving tomorrow morning!"

Crystal clutched the banister and descended slowly.

She appeared composed, but only she knew how much her hands were trembling.

Finally, she stood before him and said softly, "We'll ask Uncle Alfred to arrange a helicopter through his connections. I don't think it's that difficult for him to do so."

Henry turned to Alfred.

Alfred was smoking leisurely, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I can help."

His gaze shifted to Crystal.

Her smile was gentle as she said, "With Uncle Alfred's help, you can trust it'll be fine. Henry, you promised not to get involved with Lara anymore. Let me handle this, okay?"

She wasn't naïve.

This was too much of a coincidence.

Lara was just playing the victim.

However, she was daring enough and willing to trap herself in such a perilous situation. After all, if the helicopter didn't arrive, she would really freeze to death in the mountains.

Crystal didn't care about Lara's life, but she did care about family harmony.

She stared at Henry.

Henry extended his hand, brushing her cheek tenderly. In a gentle voice, he said. "It's not often that Uncle Alfred comes here. Let him enjoy dinner with you guys. I'll go take a look and will be back tomorrow

morning."

With that, he turned to leave.

Crystal caught his hand. "Are all these loved ones and this festive atmosphere not enough to keep you here? Or is it that you don't trust me? Do you think I blacklisted her on purpose?"

A faint frown crossed Henry's face.

"Crystal, I didn't think so."

Crystal lowered her gaze, not wanting to alarm Skyler. She didn't want to create an awkward situation for the elders during Christmas either.

She choked out, "You were just talking about being a good husband and about making things better... Yet now, just a short while later, you're off to replace a woman who is clearly interested in you. Henry, are you truly trying to do what's right or are you just too in love with that face?"

She said it. She finally spoke her mind.

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Henry looked serious. "Crystal, stop it."

Crystal let go of his hand, feeling a bit dazed as she did so.

She forced a cheerful smile, walked over to scoop up Skyler, and took a seat at the dining table.

She whispered to Skyler, "Daddy has something to take care of. How about we have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa first?"

Skyler let out a small whimper, clearly disappointed.

Crystal continued to soothe her.

She didn't cast another glance in Henry's way.

It was obvious that she was filled with disappointment.

David couldn't stand it any longer. He said sternly, "Henry, if you leave, I'll break your legs!"

"Dad, a life is at stake here." Henry's tone remained calm.

His gaze then shifted to Crystal.

He wished she would say something to him, even if it was a rebuke, or even if it was just a look. But she didn't. She seemed to have given up and was fully focused on caring for the children.

David was about to break his son's legs...

"Dad, let him go," Crystal said.

David felt sorry for Crystal. He had asked her to wait for Henry, and yet the man who had returned was such a terrible one.

Ultimately, Henry left.

As he stepped out of the Miller residence, the snow fell heavily around him, covering him in a blanket of

ice.

He sat in the car and arranged for the helicopter rescue. Although progress was made, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stared blankly at his phone. After a while, he dialed Crystal's number.

The call connected, but there was no answer.

She was clearly angry.

After a moment's thought, he sent her a message that read: I'll be back tomorrow morning.

He then ignited a cigarette and waited, but even after he finished the cigarette, she didn't respond.

He extinguished his cigarette and glanced at the brightly lit mansion with a warm atmosphere before winding up the car window expressionlessly.

Then he drove off.

His departure meant he might not make it back anytime soon

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Once Lara was rescued, she was sent to the ICU.

The next morning, when Crystal awoke in her bed, she lay still and traced the gentle patterns on her pillow with her fingers.

The grandfather clock downstairs chimed eight times.

She slowly got up, freshened up, fed Remi, and spent time with Skyler.

At ten in the morning, she handed out large gifts to all the household staff. They were very happy and made well wishes about her marriage.

Crystal smiled softly and called over two of the long-serving housekeepers. "Help me get ready a bedroom. across from the children's room. The furniture company will deliver some furniture for this room this

afternoon."

She had already had the design done.

It was to be her suite, where she would move in later. In other words, she and Henry were going to sleep in separate rooms.

The housekeeper was surprised, but they dared not say much.

They discreetly informed Melora about it.

Melora made a secret call to Henry from her bedroom.

Henry was still in Tellmoore.

He answered the call in the hospital corridor and asked, "How's Crystal? Is she still angry?"

Crystal hadn't answered his calls or responded to his messages for the past few days.

He knew that it would take a long time for him to pacify her.

Melora's voice quivered as she replied, "Dad's really furious! Crystal cleared out a room for herself. I think she wants to draw boundaries between you two. Henry, you need to come back now!"

Crystal wants to stay away from me?

Henry was clearly taken aback.

"I understand. Let's talk later."

He hung up and immediately dialed Crystal's number.

Unexpectedly, Crystal picked up.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke. "Merry Christmas!"

Crystal remained silent for a while before responding. "Merry Christmas to you too!"

Henry hurriedly added, "I'll be back this afternoon."

He then explained further in a hushed voice.

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On the other end of the line, Crystal was overseeing the placement of furniture. She lowered her head and chuckled coldly. "Sure, whatever."

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