CHAPTER 237: CHAPTER 238: I WILL CARRY YOU DOWN

Before Vera could react, Nathan Leafcastle had already embraced her waist with both hands, placing her sideways on the carousel horse.

"No, I—" Vera tried to get her leg over to climb down, but Nathan mounted the horse behind her, blocking her with his arm.

The music began, and the carousel started to spin.

Vera swayed and nearly tumbled to the ground.

"Be careful!" Nathan quickly reached out, his arm steadying her waist and pulling her back onto the carousel horse.

Startled, Vera hurriedly gripped the carousel’s handrail. She then reached over and pushed away his arm, which was still around her.

"I’m sorry," Nathan apologized softly, withdrawing his arm.

"It’s... it’s all right," Vera stammered, her voice tinged with awkwardness. "Could you ask them to stop it?"

Sharing a small carousel horse with a strange man, this close, was really too much for her to bear.

"Vera, don’t be nervous. I’ll protect you." Nathan’s arms reached around her from either side, his hands gripping the carousel’s handrail in front of her. "I remember the first time you rode a carousel; you were only three. Uncle Wave was afraid you’d fall, so he had us ride one horse together. That day, you had so much fun you didn’t want to get off. The amusement park was about to close, but you still clung to the handrail, refusing to let go. Of course, something from so long ago, you definitely wouldn’t remember. Oh, and when you were six, you wanted to come play here, but Uncle Wave didn’t have time, so I secretly brought you. Grandma ended up thinking we’d been abducted by traffickers and called the police..."

"And that time when you were thirteen, you remember that, right? On your birthday that year, I gave you a carousel music box..."

Nathan’s voice was low as he recounted these past events, a rare, gentle expression on his usually taciturn face, and he occasionally chuckled softly.

Clearly, those memories were incredibly precious to him.

Vera, however, didn’t take in a word. She just clutched the handrail tightly, shrinking back as much as possible to avoid any contact with his body.

Apart from Kris Cooper, she had an instinctive aversion to and repulsion from close contact with any other man.

"Do you remember any of this?" Nathan asked.

Just as Vera was about to answer, her phone rang in her bag. Holding the handrail with one hand, she fumbled for her phone with the other.

The screen displayed the name "Kris."

She quickly answered the call. "Hello?"

"Honey, why aren’t you back yet?" On the other end, Kris Cooper cradled the phone between his neck and shoulder, carefully tossing a salad with both hands.

The dining table was set with tableware, red wine, and candlesticks. The candlelight flickered, casting a brilliant glow on the dewdrops adorning the roses on the table.

"I..." Vera took a shallow breath. "I’ll be back right away. Wait for me a little while."

Pouring the mixed salad onto a plate, Kris Cooper said with a smile, "Should I come and pick you up?"

Vera quickly declined from the other end. "No need, I—"

Before Vera could finish, Nathan raised his left hand. The carousel ground to a halt, and the music faded away.

Nathan dismounted and reached out to steady Vera’s arm. "Vera, come... I’ll lift you down!"

"No... no need!" Flustered, Vera tried to dodge him, attempting to push him away with one hand while clutching her phone in the other. As a result, her body tilted, and she tumbled off the carousel horse. "AH—!"