Just as Mary was about to say sothing, her phone suddenly rang.
The sharp sound echoed softly in the quiet library.
She glanced down and saw the na glowing on her screen.
It was Alex.
Adeline noticed and smiled politely.
"I won’t interrupt you anymore," she said, her voice light and graceful.
She lifted the books in her hand and waved them gently. "I’ll take these with ."
Mary nodded. "You can go ahead."
Adeline raised an eyebrow, her lips curving. "Aren’t you going to put an entry?" she asked with a teasing tone.
Mary chuckled softly, shaking her head.
"I’ve already seen the book’s na, and I’ll record it later. Besides, I already know your na, Adeline."
Adeline’s eyes sparkled with amusent, and she nodded.
"If that’s the case, then I’ll leave first."
She turned and walked away with elegance.
The soft sound of her shoes faded into the hallway until she disappeared.
Mary looked down at her phone again.
The smile that blood on her lips was softer than the sunlight streaming through the library’s tall windows.
For the past few weeks, Alex had been calling her regularly.
Sotis he picked her up from her workplace.
Sotis he freed himself from his busy schedule to take her to a restaurant.
She could tell he wanted to treat her well and learn more about her.
Her heart ward at the thought.
’One of the best decisions... was to let go of my hate...’
She accepted the call and pressed the phone to her ear.
"Mother," Alex’s voice ca from the other side; however, compared to the mature side he always showed to others, this ti his voice sounded a gentle.
"I’m outside your workplace. I ca to pick you up."
Mary checked the clock on the wall. Her shift was nearly over.
A chuckle escaped her lips. "I’ll be out soon," she said warmly.
Then she asked with a knowing tone, "Have you eaten?"
Alex imdiately sighed with a pitiful voice.
"Not yet. I was hoping I could co to the Waters’ family apartnt and get so lunch or dinner."
Mary laughed. For a brief mont, she almost had the illusion that Alex did not have enough to eat.
Her mind drifted back to the past, to when he was a teenager.
He often ca to the library with a hungry expression, his thin body trembling as if he had not eaten in days.
Back then, she used to slip food to him secretly, always using Eleanor’s hands to hide her identity.
Now, seeing how openly he complained about food, her heart tightened with affection.
"I’ll be there soon," she said softly.
She quickly packed up her things, said goodbye to the remaining staff, and left the library.
Outside, the evening sun painted the sky in soft hues of gold and pink.
Across the road, a sleek Bentley was parked, its polished surface shining under the light. Mary’s steps slowed as she approached the car.
Before opening the door, her eyes caught a familiar figure.
Adeline.
The young woman had just stepped out of a store nearby, a small bag of items in her hand. She looked surprised to see Mary again.
Mary hesitated for a mont. Instead of entering the car, she walked straight to Adeline and greeted her with a smile.
"Adeline," she called gently.
Adeline blinked, then smiled back. "Miss Mary? Are you shopping too?" she asked curiously.
Mary shook her head.
"No, I’m heading ho. I was wondering if I could drop you off. If not for you today, I might have continued to suffer in silence."
Adeline waved her hand lightly.
"There’s no need for that. I only helped because I couldn’t stand watching those bullies."
But Mary insisted. She gently took Adeline’s arm and started guiding her toward the car.
"Don’t refuse. You saved today, so let return the kindness."
Adeline’s steps slowed when the Bentley ca into view.
Her brows furrowed slightly. Sothing about this car felt familiar, as if she had seen it sowhere before.
But before she could think about it more, Mary opened the back seat door.
Inside, Alex sat waiting, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp as he turned to see who was coming.
The mont Adeline stepped closer, Alex’s eyes widened slightly. Surprise flashed across his face.
Adeline froze too, stunned to see Alex sitting there.
Before she could understand anything, Mary gave her a light push.
"Go on, sit inside," she said with a smile.
Adeline’s body moved almost on its own. She slipped inside, her heart beating faster than usual.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Mary grinned, her smile bright.
She walked around the car, opened the passenger door, and sat in the front seat. She turned to the driver.
"You can start driving."
The driver gave a small nod. He knew better than to question Mary’s decisions. She was, after all, Alex’s mother.
He still rembered how just a few days ago when Mary had asked him to drive and he had hesitated...
At that ti Alex’s face darkened, and he even cut off his (the driver’s) bonus.
Having learned his lesson, the driver never dared to neglect Mary ever again.
Alex could not take his eyes off Adeline.
He rembered her. The woman who had helped him. The very woman he couldn’t forget and kept on dreaming about for the past few weeks.
Adeline, on the other hand, could feel his gaze on her. Her face heated, and she turned slightly to the window.
Mary, watching the two of them through the rearview mirror, could hardly hide her satisfaction.
She pressed her lips together to suppress a chuckle. In her heart, she thought, ’This is perfect.’
From the first mont she t Adeline, she had felt sothing unusual.
The girl’s calm yet strong nature reminded her of the kind of partner who could truly support Alex.
And when Adeline had helped her deal with those bullies, Mary’s thoughts had only deepened.
Alex was bullied a lot during his teenage years; after she was gone, she wanted Alex’s future partner to be soone who could deal with bullies.
In a mother’s eyes... their son could never grow up.
User Comments
0 comments from readers