Chapter 783

The moment the doors to the sitting room opened, Naomi immediately understood why Eli had said everyone was gathered there.

Nathan and Riana were seated side by side on the main sofa. Daven and Althea occupied the sofa across from them. Chris stood near the window, absentmindedly turning a coffee cup in his hand. Lydia sat beside Cale, her expression calm and unreadable.

The conversation that had been taking place stopped instantly when Naomi entered. Every eye in the room shifted toward her. The sudden attention made Naomi halt mid-step.

For some reason, she felt exactly like a student being called into the principal’s office.

“Well.” Riana’s warm voice was the first to break the silence. “You’re finally awake. Did you sleep well?”

Naomi clasped her hands together nervously.

Lowering her gaze in embarrassment, she knew there was no way she could ignore Riana’s question.

“Yes, Mrs. Riana,” she replied softly.

Riana was already on her feet before Naomi could even make her way across the room.

The woman walked over and gently took Naomi’s hand in hers.

It was such a simple gesture, yet it stirred something unfamiliar inside Naomi once again.

Care.

Affection.

A kind of love that felt genuine and wholehearted.

“Come here,” Riana said warmly. “Sit with us.”

Naomi obeyed.

She settled beside Riana, while the older woman continued holding her hand. Every so often, Riana’s thumb would brush softly across her skin, a small gesture that somehow made Naomi feel even more cared for.

“We’ve just finished hearing everything.”

The words instantly made Naomi tense.

Riana noticed immediately.

“Don’t be afraid.” Her voice was gentle, the way a mother might soothe a frightened child. “Lydia and Cale have already told us what really happened.”

Naomi lowered her gaze. So they knew.

They knew about her identity. About the Devereux family. About the life she had lived in Berlin all those years. About every loss she had endured, losses that even now she still struggled to fully understand.

What surprised Naomi was not that they knew the truth. It was that not a single one of them looked at her differently. There were no pitying glances.

No judgment.

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No awkwardness because the details of her life had suddenly become known to everyone. There was only sincere concern, and little by little, it warmed the cold ache inside her chest.

“I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through, sweetheart,” Riana said softly.

Althea nodded in agreement. “If I had known all of this the first time we met,” she said with a quiet sigh, “I probably wouldn’t have been this shocked.”

“It isn’t anyone’s fault,” Naomi replied quietly.

“Even so, you shouldn’t have had to carry all of that on your own,” Althea said.

Naomi fell silent.

For a moment, she genuinely had no idea how to respond. The Miller family confused her. They were too warm. Too kind. Too sincere.

Too willing to open their hearts and accept someone else. And perhaps that was exactly why the dark thoughts that had haunted her for years began creeping back into her mind once more.

What if all the problems that seemed to follow her eventually destroyed this family?

What if her presence brought nothing but hardship into their lives?

What if-

“Naomi.”

Cale’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts instantly.

Naomi looked up. His gaze was fixed directly on her.

“Stop thinking about things you don’t need to think about.”

A small laugh escaped Chris. “Sometimes I honestly think you two can read each other’s minds.”

“She’s easy to read.” Cale answered casually. “Just look at her face. She looks completely lost. What else would she be thinking about besides negative things?”

Naomi stared at him in disbelief.

“That can’t possibly be true, Mr. Mil-”

“Cale, Naomi. Call me Cale.”

The girl immediately frowned again, clearly unhappy with the correction.

“See?” Chris turned toward Naomi. “That’s exactly why I never wanted to work directly under him.”

“Liar,” Daven replied flatly. “You work under him almost every day.”