MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

"Grandpa," Greta's voice whispered behind him.

All of them in the ward looked at her in surprise.

George didn't expect her to accept him so soon. He turned to the girl in the hospital bed excitedly, "Greta… What did you call me? Can you call that again?"

Greta held back the tears.

"Grandpa," she murmured, and her voice thrilled with emotion, "I know you've been regretting all these years. If my mom and dad were alive, they would not blame you anymore. Dad's death was an accident, and the killer was his genetic disease. Uncle's right. I shouldn't blame anyone."

Tears welled up in George's eyes. He went to hug his granddaughter and sobbed, "Greta. I'm sorry, grandpa will make it up to you..."

Dylan and Savannah watched Greta weeping against her grandpa's breast. They smiled, relieved.

***

Under the careful care of the Sterling family, Greta recovered quickly and was discharged from the hospital in less than a month.

After leaving the hospital, she moved to Sterling's house to live with George.

George, Of course, treated the lost granddaughter like a treasure. He prepared the room with the best view in the whole house for her as a bedroom and redecorated her father's old study as her study, and he hired special bodyguards, servants, and drivers for her. Because Greta should still be studying at her age, he also sent her to the best senior high school in LA.

In a few months, everyone in the Sterling family knew that old Sterling's eldest granddaughter was the apple of his eye.

***

On a Saturday evening, Dylan and Savannah went back to Sterling's house with their two children as usual.

After dinner, the whole family sat on the couch, chatting and laughing.

George dandled his little granddaughter, Sheila, who was in his lap. He turned to Greta from time to time and talked to her lovingly, with a smile on his face.

Savannah gave a relieved laugh.

Now, Greta was almost a common girl, carefree and healthy.

She was studying in an all-girls high school. Although she entered the school halfway, she had been diligent and intelligent since the first day and made rapid progress.

The girl had suffered too much before, but they were sure that sooner or later, she would forget the bad old days.

"Dylan," George thought of something and said to his son, "there's going to be a dinner party to celebrate the anniversary of the Sterling group, right? Those celebrities will attend with their children. Let Greta join you and introduce some new friends of her age to her."

Dylan understood George's purpose. Now Greta was living a perfectly normal life, but she had few friends around. Apart from studying and reading, she spent most of her time staying home with George. Adolescent girls should have more fun with their friends. George was afraid she felt too lonely.

"Okay. I'll make arrangements." He nodded.

Savannah laughed and said to Greta, "I'll get you a dinner dress from K&G. Greta, you must look perfect in a beautiful dress."

Greta, aware of her grandfather's kindness, paused and smiled, "Well, I won't go. I don't like noisy occasions."

"Don't be nervous! Your aunt and cousin will go together with you," George thought his granddaughter was just too shy about meeting too many strangers. "There will be a lot of young people like you at the dinner party. They're all from big families. Make more friends, and you don't have to stick at home all day."

"No, grandpa." Greta shook her head. "I know you're afraid I'm too bored to be alone, but I used to be alone, and I didn't have many friends around me. I got used to it. I didn't like to be surrounded by too many people." Then she stood up and said, "Excuse me, I'm sleepy. I want to go to bed early."

And she went straight upstairs.

Savannah and Dylan looked at Greta's back.

"Greta's a good girl, but…" George sighed, looking at the upstairs. "She seldom reaches out to others. According to her teacher, she has no friends at school. Every time I wanted to introduce her to some friends of the same age, she refused and seemed not interested in it. She doesn't want to be too close to anyone... Well, I don't know if she's been through anything, and I daren't ask."

Savannah exchanged a glance with Dylan and said to George, "Don't worry, Dad. Greta lived in a different environment from most children. Take your time. Don't push her."

"She differs from most kids in character. If she doesn't like making friends, just let her be," Dylan added.

***

On the second floor, Greta closed the door and lay in bed.

She knew well the kindness of her grandpa and aunt, and she appreciated it.

After she returned to the Sterling family, they wanted to make up for her with the best things in the world, afraid that she might be unhappy.

They wanted her to live the life of an ordinary girl, so they kept introducing new friends to her.

But somehow, she couldn't accept their offer.

Maybe she was used to being alone. Or...

She turned over in bed, and the face of a silent young man came into her mind.

Brent.

She whispered the name in her heart.

Although it had been more than two years, every time she thought of him, the real torture came.

Brent's death, perhaps, was the reason why she hadn't been able to make friends or get close to other people...

She told her family that she was used to being alone over the years, and it was not true.

Brent was the only person she had been close to in her life.

But he died because of her.

She was afraid that her friends would die because of her again. Subconsciously, she even felt that she was an unlucky person, destined to have no friends.

That was why she closed her heart and didn't want to socialize.

"Brent, how are you in heaven?" She murmured, a smile on her lips as if she and Brent were sitting face to face.

"I'm fine now. Grandpa, uncle, and aunt are very kind to me... You can rest assured. Good night."

She closed her eyes, and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.