The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus) novel Chapter 571

Marcus brought Laura back to Holden Residence. As Laura stepped out and looked around, everything looked exactly the same as before—maybe even more extravagant than it was when she lived there. Clearly, the Holdens had only gotten more successful over the years.

"Mom, we're here," Marcus said as he opened the car door and glanced at Laura, whose eyes were filled with mixed emotions.

"Oh, okay." Laura snapped out of her daze and quickly stepped out of the car.

The moment she got out, she saw Sheldon walking over with the helpers. They stood neatly in two rows and bowed deeply to her. "Welcome home, Mdm. Laura."

Tears shimmered in Sheldon's eyes as he bowed deeply and repeated, "Welcome home, Mdm. Laura. You're finally back."

The sudden formality caught Laura completely off guard. She turned to Marcus and saw the surprise on his face too. It was obvious he had not been informed about Sheldon's welcome arrangements.

"Mr. Marcus, Mdm. Laura, welcome home," Sheldon said again with another bow. As he straightened up, he struggled to hold back his tears. "I'm sorry. I'm just really happy and couldn't help myself."

He added, "I hope you can forgive me, Mdm. Laura."

Laura looked at Sheldon, and her eyes turned red too. She did not say anything. She simply stepped forward and gave him a gentle hug.

"Sheldon..." Her voice caught in her throat. There were so many things she wanted to say, yet not a single word came out.

"Mdm. Laura, you don't need to say a thing. I understand it all," Sheldon said, holding back his emotions. "You must be tired from the trip. I've already had everything prepared for your return."

He continued, "Your old room is ready too, but I figured you probably wouldn't want to stay there, so we arranged something different. Let me take you to see it."

"Alright." Laura nodded, her voice still choked. Having someone familiar around made everything feel less overwhelming.

Then, Sheldon turned to Marcus. "Mr. Marcus, you should rest. I'll help Mdm. Laura get reacquainted with the estate."

"Okay." Marcus nodded. He called Noah over and had him follow along before stepping into the elevator and heading upstairs.

"This way, Mdm. Laura."

"Sheldon, I'd like to see Father," Laura said.

She already knew that Charles had not really been buried in the cemetery. The ashes placed there had been a decoy.

"Come with me," Sheldon replied, forcing a smile as he led her toward the biggest maple tree in the estate.

"When Mr. Marcus buried Mr. Holden Senior here himself, everyone working in the house was given the day off. The only people who know about this spot are Mr. Marcus, Ms. Walker, and me.

"And now you, Mdm. Laura," Sheldon said, his voice trembling as his eyes turned red again. "Please promise to keep this a secret."

Laura nodded firmly. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"Whenever Mr. Marcus comes here to Mr. Holden Senior, he makes sure the staff is off duty. If I'm no longer around, and you want to visit Mr. Holden Senior, please do the same."

"I will," Laura promised, nodding earnestly. "But Sheldon, what did you mean by saying you won't be at Holden Residence anymore?"

"It's nothing," Sheldon said as he wiped his eyes. "Come, Mdm. Laura. Let's get you some rest."

"Okay." Laura did not make any special gestures toward the maple tree. Her respect and mourning were private—carried quietly in her heart.

After that, Sheldon took her to the new room they had arranged. It was on the third floor, on the far right end. When she opened the window, she could see a field of blooming jasmine outside.

He said, "Mdm. Laura, please take some time to rest. We can talk about everything else tomorrow."