Chapter 745

The preparations felt less like an upcoming family gathering and more like the calm before a war.

By late afternoon, Lydia began helping Naomi study some of the basic etiquette required for facing the Chen family elders.

“Don’t openly argue with them,” Lydia advised while opening a thin notebook inside the reading room.

Naomi frowned. “What if they’re annoying?”

“Just look at them and smile.”

“That sounds way scarier.” Naomi pushed the book in front of her away dramatically. “Can’t someone else replace me instead?”

Lydia chuckled softly. “Impossible. And remember, you don’t need to become someone else,” she said gently. “You just need to appear calm.”

Naomi let out a long sigh before dropping herself onto the sofa. “I’m really not suited for any of this.”

Her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the large study at the end of the corridor.

That room belonged to Cale now.

But once upon a time… it had belonged to her father.

Those two assistants had been the ones to tell her earlier.

A strange feeling rose inside Naomi’s chest again.

Without fully understanding why, she eventually stood up and slowly walked toward the study. Lydia didn’t stop her. Perhaps the woman had already become occupied with other matters herself.

The study door stood slightly open.

No one was inside.

ow, that gave Naomi the courage to step inside quietly and look around.

elt far calmer than the rest of the mansion. The scent of aged wood and paper lingered the air. Massive bookshelves lined the walls, while a large black desk faced the garden

ows overlooking the back courtyard.

Naomi slowly ran her fingers across the surface of the desk.

And somehow, the feeling of familiarity was impossible to explain.

As though she truly had entered this room countless times as a child.

She wandered toward one of the wooden cabinets in the corner of the study. Near the bottom, she found

an old wooden box hidden slightly out of sight.

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It wasn’t locked.

The moment she opened it, several old photographs immediately came into view.

Naomi’s breath caught.

Her hand slowly picked up the photograph resting at the very top.

The picture looked incredibly old.

A little girl stood there holding the hand of a teenage boy whose cold expression made it obvious he felt uncomfortable being photographed. Beside them stood Naomi’s father, one arm wrapped proudly around the young man’s shoulders while smiling broadly at the camera.

Naomi stared at the photograph for a long moment. The little girl was clearly her.

And the teenage boy was…

Cale.

“I really shouldn’t be surprised by how troublesome you were. Always running off and making everyone worry.”

The low voice coming from the doorway made Naomi turn immediately.

Cale stood there quietly watching her.

Naomi ignored the teasing remark, instead lifting the photograph in her hand slightly. “My father looked very proud of you.”

Cale’s gaze fell onto the old photograph.

And for a brief moment, something in his eyes changed.

A pain that had been buried for far too long.

Naomi slowly rose to her feet. “Did I really follow you around that much?” she asked softly.

touched Cale’s lips. “If only you knew how badly I wanted to throw you into the koi pond

<ept clinging to me nonstop.”

ned quietly as she took a few steps closer. Her eyes remained fixed on the photograph.

is feels strange.”

What does?”

“My father is holding you like someone precious to the family.”

Silence instantly filled the room.

Cale didn’t answer right away.