Adriana nodded her head at Noah's request. She walked out of the ward stiffly and followed his words as if she were hypnotized.
"Wait outside for me love. I will give you a ride to where you need to go."
'He's a good actor.' She thought as she slowly walked down the hall. She took a deep breath and calmed down.
She decided to leave before he could come out because right now she was about to have a nervous breakdown. As she walked down she saw Mrs.Preston walking towards the ward with some food in her hands.
She was bringing an alternative meal for the porridge that the old lady had been refusing to eat.
"Mrs.Preston, grandma has eaten the porridge." Adriana informed her.
"Ah, thank you for informing me. Adriana you can just call me auntie. There is no need to be so formal with me. Although we have never been on good terms, I don't wish for that to be the same forever." She said with a genuine smile.
"Of course Auntie." Adriana forced a beautiful sarcastic smile on her face. "Though, I don't know about us being on good terms. I don't mind but is that really the case for you?" She asked carelessly.
The woman's smile froze for a second and she let out a breath. "It seems you still hold a grudge for the past."
"Ho ho, it's hard not to auntie. You listened to all the rumors surrounding your daughter-in-law knowing it could harm her reputation and possibly her marriage and yet you did nothing to stop them or defend her despite knowing that they were false. I trusted you and confided in you, I told how afraid at was of that person but when the time came and I needed you to speak up for me you were silent."
"Even though your marriage was almost destroyed once in the past because someone interfered , you still helped the homewrecker enter my home and you let her do as she pleased. You let history repeat itself but this time you allowed the homewrecker to succeed."
"I-"
"But it's okay auntie . Your decisions are justified. After all, every mother wants the best for their children. You THOUGHT that was the best for your son so….you let me fall to the brink of my death without remorse. Should I thank you for sending someone to save me at the last minute because of your guilt?" Adriana crossed her arms mockingly.
"Oh, well it's fine. You only wanted what's best for your son so I should just live with the consequences. Anyway, considering the fact that your son brought an orphan woman, called her his girlfriend and said that he would marry her soon, you were probably terrified.
"After all you did have someone prepared for him since the beginning. I'm really glad I'm not your daughter, it would be sad having a mother controlling my life and not allowing me to make my own mistakes, decisions and experiences."
"Adriana, please forgive me." The woman bowed her head and her hands trembled at her accusations.
"Why are you asking for forgiveness auntie? Of course I forgive you. You did the best for your son and that's justified right? But-" Adriana lifted her finger as if she remembered something.
"This time don't get in the middle of my plans. You no longer have any way of protecting her. I would stay back if I were you. Trust me AUNTIE you shouldn't get in the path of a vengeful woman." Adriana smiled sweetly and she walked right past her.
She held a startled expression after when she saw the person in front of her.
Mrs.Preston turned to see who it was and she froze. She examined Adriana's expression to see if she had said that on purpose so that the person could hear her. Seeing her startled expression she realized that it wasn't planned by her and she too was surprised.
*******
Paris:
James sighed. It had been a whole day and nothing. He had found absolutely nothing.
He walked around his mothers office and he sighed. Once in a while he would touch the unfinished clothing placed around the room. They were drafts her mom had left before finishing the actual designs. He decided to go through her scratchbooks where she has a lot of old designs.
He went through a few of the books and he would always recognize some designs familiar to outfits in his and Aria's closet.
He sighed and picked up a chair. He then started going through all the books. "Maybe uhg…. maybe it's a design on may 2…" He thought reaching for the book in the end of the last shelf. He put his feet in tip toes and he arched his back trying his best to reach it. His little hands would touch the end of the book but his strength wasn't eanough to bring the book down.
"Agh…"
BANG
The book he was reaching for and a few others fell on the floor. One of them hit his heand and he jumped down on the ground holding his forehead in pain.
He looked at the open albun on the floor with photos of his mother and….
He froze.
"I-I did it!"
When he heard footsteps coming he quickly closed the albun and placed a book above it.
He then pretended to start cleaning up.
"James? Are you okay?" Crysty walked inside worridly.
"Don't worry aunt I have it all covered. Some books fell but I'm going to read them now.
Seeing him sitting on the floor and opening one of the books with Adriana's old designs Crysty smiled.
He looks so cute!
She squealed internally and patted his head. "Then I will go back downstairs. Call me if you need anything. Your mom will video call you in the afternoon." She told him and James nodded.
When she was finally gone he walked towards the door and locked it. He hurridly walked back to the floor and picked up the book.
He turned to the first page and his hands trembled in excitment.
The first picture was his mother sitting in a piano, the next was her kissing a man in the beach. After that, followed a picture of them holding hands, he then found one were they both got matching tattoos. Her mother got a fish behind her ear and the man in his chest.
He gulped when he saw the mans face. He looked just like that man. He was convinced that man in the photos was his father. He was shocked when he realized who that is.
"Mommy knew all along…." He mumbled.
He felt envious of his sister. She unknowingly spent an amazing time with their biological father but here he is stuck on his own.
He bit his lip and continued flipping through the pages. "Mommy and dad were married?" He frowned when he saw the wedding picture.
His mother looked happy and she was wearing a beautiful white dress. His father lifted her up in the air. The next picture was then in a cabin in the forest during winter, sharing a hot drink.
Everytime he flipped through a new page his little heart would feel a pang.
His mom was happy once….
But what about now? Did dad do something bad to her? Is that why she never talks about him?
The questions came in one after the other and his curiosity was definitely not satisfied. He wanted to know more but most importantly he wanted to see his mother and ask her. He also wanted to see the father he has longed for.
A lone tear fell from his eye when he reached the end of the book.
Why was dad not in the pictures of mommy's pregnant belly? Did he leave them? Did he abadom mommy and them? Why?