Chapter 334: Naomi’s Devotion

Hearing her daughter’s admission, Elena’s frown deepened.

She hadn’t been born into a wealthy family, so she found it difficult to understand how a man could maintain relationships with so many women at once.

Not long ago, she and Naomi had been curled up in bed watching a telenovela. While watching the main character juggle his many wives, Elena had complained about how exhausting it must be to manage so many women.

They were constantly scheming against one another, each trying to win the man’s favor. How on earth was one man supposed to keep everyone happy?

At the time, Naomi had simply smiled and replied, "Mom, you can’t generalize. There are always sisters who get along perfectly well."

Elena remembered how confidently her daughter had said those words. Back then, she’d thought Naomi was merely defending the women in the drama.

Now, looking back, she couldn’t help feeling that her daughter had been hinting at something all along.

’That little rascal was practically telling me about her own situation!’

Elena pressed her lips together before asking, "So, besides the three of you, there are other women too, aren’t there?"

"There are still a few more."

Elena’s eyebrows shot up.

"And you all know about one another?"

"I do." Naomi nodded and affectionately took her mother’s arm. "We’ve met before, and we often spend time together."

They hadn’t been going out for afternoon tea as frequently lately, mainly because Vivienne was pregnant and the weather had been unbearably hot. Still, the women remained in constant contact through their group chat.

Their conversations covered practically everything imaginable. Sometimes they shared recommendations for delicious food or talked about little things that had happened during the day. Other times, they exchanged parenting advice or teased one another about more intimate matters.

Despite their complicated relationship with Luca, the women got along surprisingly well. Even Arabella, who was usually rather serious, had become more relaxed around them.

After her first intimate experience with Luca, Arabella had even started participating in some of the group’s more suggestive conversations. Surprisingly, she seemed to have done quite a bit of research on the subject, both theoretical and practical.

Apparently, she’d secretly studied various techniques online, hoping to make her intimate moments with Luca more enjoyable.

Remembering some of the things she’d heard, Naomi couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed.

Her mother, however, wasn’t interested in the details of their group chat.

She was far more concerned about what all of this meant for her daughter’s future.

"Naomi, with Luca having so many women in his life, aren’t you afraid he’ll eventually get tired of you and leave?"

Elena studied her daughter’s face.

Naomi was young, beautiful, and still at the beginning of her life. It pained Elena to think that she might be setting herself up for heartbreak.

The world was vast enough to accommodate all kinds of people, but that didn’t mean every arrangement would end happily.

People changed. Feelings faded. Even the most beautiful women eventually grew older, and youth alone couldn’t guarantee anyone’s place in a man’s heart.

What would happen when Luca’s affection for them began to wane?

What would these young women do when the excitement of their relationships gave way to the harsh realities of life?

Elena’s question was directed at Naomi, but her concerns extended to every woman involved with Luca.

They were all young and beautiful, enjoying the sweetness of being in love. None of them seemed particularly interested in considering what might happen if things went wrong.

Yet it was often those who loved the deepest who ended up getting hurt the most.

Naomi understood what her mother was trying to tell her.

Elena was worried about her future, and she couldn’t blame her for that.

But love had never been something Naomi could approach with a cool head.

Looking back, she could still remember the day she accidentally bumped into Luca.

From that moment onward, her life had taken a turn she could never have anticipated.

"Mom, to be honest, I haven’t really thought that far ahead."

Naomi shook her head. Then she looked directly into Elena’s eyes, her expression more resolute than her mother had ever seen.

"But there’s one thing I’m sure of. Luca’s feelings for me are genuine. I can feel it whenever we’re together."

She paused, gathering her thoughts.

"I’ve already thought of him as my husband. Whether he eventually marries me or not, I’ve made up my mind about him."

Naomi’s voice was soft, but there was no hesitation in it.

"If he ever gets tired of me and decides to leave, I’ll definitely be heartbroken. I might even resent him for a while. But I won’t force myself to marry another man just because things didn’t work out."

She smiled faintly, though a trace of melancholy lingered in her eyes.

"I’ve already met someone who amazed me so much that I might spend the rest of my life comparing everyone else to him. After meeting Luca, it’s difficult for me to imagine myself falling for another man."

Elena stared at her daughter, her heart aching.

"You silly girl. What am I supposed to do with you? How can I convince you to leave him when you’ve already made up your mind?"

She hadn’t even realized that tears were gathering in her eyes until her voice began to tremble.

Only a short while ago, she’d been furious enough to demand that Naomi end the relationship. Now, after hearing her daughter’s heartfelt confession, that anger had gradually given way to helplessness.

She felt sorry for Naomi.

Deep down, Elena knew her daughter wasn’t someone who fell in love easily. But when Naomi finally gave her heart to someone, she did so completely.

Unfortunately, the man she’d chosen had other women in his life, and Naomi seemed perfectly willing to accept that reality.

"Mom..."

Naomi moved closer and wrapped her arms around Elena, resting her head against her mother’s chest.

"Please don’t be angry anymore. I really love him. I want to stay with him for the rest of my life."

She clung to Elena affectionately, almost like a child pleading with her mother for a little more time before bedtime.

Even if Elena refused to approve of their relationship, Naomi knew she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to leave Luca. At most, she would have to keep seeing him in secret.

But having her mother’s acceptance would mean so much more to her. If Elena could eventually give them her blessing, Naomi wouldn’t have to hide such an important part of her life from the person closest to her.

She had kept these feelings bottled up for quite some time. Now that she’d finally spoken honestly about them, she felt a weight lifting from her chest.

Besides, Luca had never concealed the existence of his other women from her. Naomi had known what she was getting into before she chose to be with him.

She’d hesitated for a long time, fully aware of the complications that awaited her. In the end, however, she’d still walked straight into his arms, like a moth drawn to a flame.

And now, she was more deeply involved than ever.

Elena gently stroked her daughter’s soft hair. Her expression shifted between frustration, sorrow, and reluctant acceptance.

In the end, all she could manage was a long, helpless sigh.

"Alright. I understand."

"Really?!"

Naomi immediately lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with delight.

Her smile stretched from ear to ear, and the excitement on her face was impossible to hide.

Elena stared at her for a moment before realizing something that made her heart ache all over again.

’That little girl was acting pitiful on purpose!’

All that pleading, the trembling voice, the way Naomi had buried her face against her chest... It had all been an attempt to win her approval.

In other words, her daughter had never seriously considered leaving Luca, regardless of how this conversation turned out.

Elena felt a pang in her heart.

She had raised Naomi for more than twenty years, watching her grow from a little girl into the beautiful young woman standing before her. Yet now, all it had taken was one man for her daughter to start playing tricks on her own mother.

And what could Elena really do about it?

After all, she couldn’t deny that she had played a part in bringing the two of them closer.

When Naomi and Luca first became involved, Elena had practically given her daughter a helping hand. She’d even prepared contraceptives for Naomi and ordered several sets of revealing outfits online, hoping to help her feel more confident around her boyfriend.

Looking back, Elena couldn’t help wondering whether she’d made a mistake.

’Perhaps I should have left them alone. At this rate, I might as well have helped her get pregnant from the beginning!’

The thought left her both exasperated and speechless.

Still, she had already made her decision.

"Your mother won’t interfere with your relationship with Luca anymore."

Elena raised a hand and gently caressed Naomi’s cheek.

"But listen carefully. If the day comes when you realize that Luca no longer loves you, I hope you’ll have enough sense to let go. Don’t force yourself to stay with someone who doesn’t want you anymore."

Her expression softened.

"Remember, no matter how difficult things become out there, you can always come home to your mother. I’ll always be here for you."

Elena couldn’t predict the future. She believed Luca genuinely cared for Naomi now, but no one could say with certainty what tomorrow would bring.

People’s hearts were difficult to understand, and feelings could change.

If Luca ever stopped loving her daughter, Elena hoped Naomi would have the courage to face reality instead of sacrificing her dignity to keep him.

She wanted Naomi to love wholeheartedly without forgetting her own worth.

"Hehe, don’t worry, Mom!"

With her mother’s approval finally secured, Naomi beamed.

Then, as though she’d suddenly remembered something important, she hesitated before speaking again.

"By the way, Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

Elena’s heart immediately tightened.

’What now? Is there something else she hasn’t told me?’

For one brief moment, she wondered whether Naomi was about to reveal another shocking detail about Luca and his women.

Fortunately, her next question was entirely different.

With her ears turning red, Naomi lowered her gaze and asked softly, "Mom... do you want to be a grandmother?"

Elena blinked.

Naomi had been thinking about this more frequently lately.

She’d only recently graduated and was still young. Not long ago, even discussing the possibility of having children with her senior, Raven Green, had seemed like talking about something far removed from her own life.

But things had changed.

Cecelia was pregnant, she’d met Amelia who was also pregnant, and Vivienne was now expecting Luca’s child. Seeing the other women take that step had stirred something inside Naomi.

For the first time, she found herself genuinely wanting to have Luca’s baby.

"You’re pregnant?!"

Elena grabbed her daughter’s wrist, her eyes widening with excitement.

Judging by her reaction, it was obvious that she wasn’t opposed to the idea of becoming a grandmother.

"Mom! No!" Naomi hurriedly shook her head, her face burning with embarrassment. "I’m not pregnant yet. I was only asking what you thought about it!"

The excitement vanished from Elena’s face almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"Oh..."

She released Naomi’s wrist, unable to hide her disappointment.

For a while, she remained quiet, studying her daughter’s face as she considered the matter.

Then she reached out and patted Naomi’s shoulder, speaking with unexpected seriousness.

"Daughter, since you’ve already made up your mind about Luca, there’s nothing wrong with having a child with him sooner rather than later."

Naomi stared at her, unsure whether she’d heard correctly.

But Elena wasn’t finished.

"At least have two children. That way, if you and Luca ever separate in the future, he can keep one and you can keep the other."

Naomi: "..."