Second Time Around, I Won’t Marry the Don Chapter 03

Second Time Around, I Won’t Marry the Don Chapter 03

Nathan’s expression turned complicated.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“Since Luna wants her, then let it be her.”

“But—you’re not here to become the Vitale family’s young miss. I’ve changed my mind.”

“Our family housekeeper happens to need a child.”

Meaning I wasn’t qualified to be the Vitale family’s principessa, but I could barely qualify as the housekeeper’s daughter.

At best, I could be the housekeeper’s daughter.

He looked at me, as if waiting for me to nod eagerly.

Before I could say a word, Scrap answered for me.

He nodded so hard I thought his head would fall off, shoving me toward Nathan with all his strength.

His eyes told me everything.

Having a mom was better than having none.

And being raised by the Vitale family’s housekeeper was still far better than ending up in an ordinary home.

Under Scrap’s hopeful gaze, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.

After all…

I was only a child.

I needed someone’s protection if I wanted to survive.

When someone was willing to adopt me, I didn’t have the luxury of saying no.

Satisfied, Nathan turned to leave.

Before walking away, he threw one last sentence over his shoulder.

“Don’t reach for things that were never meant to be yours.”

Just like that…

In this life, I became the daughter of the Vitale family’s housekeeper.

After everything…

I still ended up back in my previous life’s “home.”

Last time, I’d lived in a spacious luxury suite.

This time, I slept in a tiny maid’s room.

Still…

It beat sleeping on a moldy mattress.

At least I never went hungry anymore.

In fact, I ate well.

Mary and several of the maids always slipped me extra food because I was so thin.

Mary bought me new pajamas and everything I needed.

She hadn’t wanted to adopt me.

Her young master had simply handed her a child and expected her to raise me.

I remembered that in my previous life, she’d eventually had a child of her own.

Years later.

Now I’d stepped into her family first.

The guilt never left me.

Just like in my last life…

I’d taken Luna’s mother away from her.

So no matter how kind Mary was…

I could never bring myself to call her Mom.

She looked disappointed.

But she never pressured me.

She remained as gentle and warm as ever.

After Luna came home, she depended on me for everything.

She wanted me beside her while she ate.

While she slept.

Naturally, Nathan and I crossed paths a few times.

I always lowered my head without saying a word.

He walked past me as though I didn’t exist.

As the years passed, Luna gradually grew more independent.

She started school.

She made plenty of friends.

But I remained the one she was closest to.

She still called me Sister Stick.

One day, while I was outside the study, I overheard Mrs. Vitale talking.

“Why let Mary adopt her? Maybe we should adopt her ourselves. She’s a sweet-looking girl, Luna adores her, and the psychic did tell us to adopt the Guiding Light…”

Nathan cut her off.

“When Luna chose her, she didn’t say she was willing or unwilling, but instead made another orphan fight for her on her behalf. It’s clear that even at a young age, she has heavy scheming intentions.”

“If we adopted her, we’d only be inviting trouble into our own home.”

“Besides, letting her become Mary’s daughter is already more than she could’ve hoped for.”

“It’s enough to repay the Guiding Light.”

I didn’t stay to hear the rest.

Mrs. Vitale must’ve been convinced.

She never brought up adopting me again.

The paperwork went through quickly.

I became Mary’s daughter and received a new name: Ava Miller.

Whenever Nathan came home, I stayed out of his way.

I didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.

My death in my previous life had everything to do with him.

But…

He had also been the one who chose me at the orphanage all those years ago.

He’d given me years of comfort and privilege.

I’d consider that debt repaid.

The past was over.

So were the grudges between us.

In this life…

We should each live our own lives.