Chapter 785 - 357: The Family’s Greatest Secret

Chapter 785: Chapter 357: The Family’s Greatest Secret

"Montana, it really is cold in winter." He first responded to her words, then his voice turned calm, "But it’s worth it because my home is there."

He paused, giving Riven, and himself, a moment to prepare.

"My story is simple, yet complex. You know, I don’t have just one wife."

He told her everything about Aliya, Emily, and Max.

No sentimental preludes, no emotional embellishments, just the purest statement of facts. The thing that rooted him in Montana was a complete and complex family.

Riven listened quietly, the light-heartedness and playfulness she carefully disguised on her face gradually faded away like a sand painting washed by ocean waves.

The sea breeze made her feel a bit cold, and she instinctively hugged her arms. If Elizabeth’s warning in the afternoon was like a stone thrown into a lake, stirring ripples of unease...

Then Lin Yu’an’s confirmation at this moment instantly drowned her unrealistic fantasies that had just been ignited by that surfboard.

The sand beneath her feet seemed to become soft as well, giving her the illusion that she was about to sink.

"So..." Her voice felt somewhat dry, as if it had been ground by sea sand, "You’re giving me the surfboard today as just... a simple birthday blessing for a friend?"

"Yes, and not entirely." Lin Yu’an looked at her, his tone still firm.

"I saw your longing, I don’t want your dreams to have regrets."

"At the same time, I also want to tell you in this way that I understand your world, just as you can understand me. People like us are destined to sail on the path of freedom."

People like us...

She suddenly smiled, that smile under the cold moonlight had a hint of self-mockery, yet miraculously restored her usual carefree and proud demeanor.

"I understand." She took a deep breath, the salty sea breeze seemed to clear her mind significantly.

She raised her head, and her blue eyes regained their brightness, despite that brightness containing some emotions she herself couldn’t decipher.

"Lin, thank you for everything tonight. The birthday gift, the dinner, and... your honesty."

"Wishing us a smooth sail tomorrow."

"Us", used so cleverly. It wasn’t the intimacy between lovers, nor the politeness between friends, but a deeper declaration of being kindred spirits.

It seemed to say: Alright, the cards are laid out, for now, you and I are partners about to sail on this vast ocean.

Silence descended once more.

They walked side by side, slowly along the moonlit coastline. The waves tirelessly kissed the beach, making a "swooshing" sound.

Lin Yu’an looked at Riven’s slender yet stubborn back, admiring her ability to quickly sort out her emotions and regain her proud nonchalance.

This was a powerful self-healing ability.

And it was at this moment that Lin Yu’an posed the question that had been lingering in his mind since dinner.

This was no longer a curious inquiry but a sincere concern.

"Riven," his voice was exceptionally clear on the empty beach, "since dinner, I’ve had a question I want to ask."

Riven’s steps paused slightly, "Tonight is the night of confession, isn’t it?"

After receiving Riven’s affirmation, he continued, "During dinner, your family was there."

Lin Yu’an carefully chose his words to make the question sound less offensive, "But I didn’t see your mother. Is she... not in Florida?"

This question, like a stone thrown into the ocean, evoked no echoes for a long time.

Riven stood still, unmoving. The moonlight stretched her shadow long across the damp sand, making her appear exceptionally solitary.

The sea breeze blew her long hair, making her look like a beautiful statue about to be weathered away.

Lin Yu’an did not urge her, just waited quietly. After a long time, Riven finally turned around slowly.

The pretense of nonchalance that was on her face had faded, replaced by an indescribable weariness.

"My mom..." she began, her voice so light it seemed like it could be swept away by the sea breeze at any moment, "she’s Norwegian."

She raised her head, looking at the bright moon hanging in the night sky, her gaze distant and hollow.

"She never liked the sun in Florida, she said the sunlight here is too bright, so bright that it’s somewhat foolish and superficial."

"She misses the snow in Oslo and the sacred stillness of the winter forest."

These words were full of poetic beauty, yet also revealed an unbridgeable gap rooted in growing-up environments.

"So, when I was five, she and Dad divorced. She returned to the Norway she longed for, while my father continued his sailing career."

Riven lowered her gaze, looking at her toes drawing meaningless circles in the sand, "Later... she married a new man."

She took a deep breath, as if the truth she was about to reveal was so heavy that it required all her strength.

"She married a Norwegian prince."

This word, as it came out of her mouth, carried no glory or excitement, only a numbness of stating facts.

"So, she is now a Princess Consort, living in a royal estate in Oslo, leading a fairy-tale life that many envy."

"We... seldom meet, she has her new family, new children, new... life."

This secret, more powerful than Kira’s secret! Like a silent bomb, it exploded loudly in his heart!