"I’m glad to see that you two are so in love," Mrs. Phillips suddenly spoke.
Sienna Johnson could only manage a smile, unsure how to respond.
Sienna had been on edge the entire ti, unable to relax. If she could choose, she desperately wanted to leave right then, but this was Noah’s mother.
"Sienna, do you know what Noah likes to eat?" Mrs. Phillips asked.
Sienna considered briefly before answering, "Noah likes spicy food a lot." Their tastes were very similar.
Mrs. Phillips raised her head slightly. Sienna couldn’t clearly discern the aning behind her gaze, only sensing that her expression seed to have softened compared to before.
"That’s correct. Noah does indeed like spicy food."
"Haha..." Sienna could only manage a nervous laugh.
Mrs. Phillips seed to open up then, words pouring out like a breached dam. "You’ve been with Noah for so long. Do you know why he stayed at the orphanage for such an extended period?"
Noah had never ntioned this. Curious, Sienna asked, "He never told , so I’m not sure."
"The Phillips family offended soone influential. Noah was taken away when he was only two years old and abandoned at an orphanage’s doorstep. We searched for him for many years, but there was no news of his whereabouts. So people claid Noah had died, but we refused to believe it and continued our search year after year. After Noah disappeared, no one in the Phillips family knew a day of peace." A faint trace of sorrow erged on Mrs. Phillips’ otherwise calm face.
"Noah is the only child of our family. He should have lived a life of luxury, but instead, he endured so much hardship. I want my precious Noah to have the very best, so..." Mrs. Phillips said, sighing lightly.
Sienna interrupted her, "I understand, Mrs. Phillips." She knew she wasn’t good enough for Noah, but she didn’t want to hear it from Mrs. Phillips.
Putting down her teacup, Mrs. Phillips said softly, "I’m not opposed to your relationship. Had you not had a child, or if Noah hadn’t intended to marry into your family, I would indeed be happy to support you both. However, Sienna, you should be aware of your situation. Given your circumstances, it’s impossible for us to accept you."
She knew her own shortcomings, but she never imagined a day would co when she’d be taphorically stripped bare and humiliated like this.
Each of Mrs. Phillips’ words felt like a small whip lashing at her.
"I understand, Mrs. Phillips. I ca here today only to return the necklace and had no other intentions. I didn’t know the necklace was a family heirloom passed down to the daughters-in-law. Had I known earlier, I certainly wouldn’t have accepted it."
The diamond necklace Noah gave her for her 22nd birthday was certainly expensive, but she truly hadn’t realized its profound significance.
Adrian Desmond sat quietly to one side. Knowing Sienna’s pride, he figured that after such humiliation from Mrs. Phillips, she would likely harbor no more feelings for Noah, regardless of how much she might have loved him.
He wanted her to face reality and retreat. It was cruel, but as the saying goes, isn’t a short, sharp pain better than a lingering one?
Better to endure one great pain than to suffer agony in small doses.
"Madam, the Young Master is back," a servant ca to announce, interrupting the unpleasant conversation.
"Noah’s back..." Mrs. Phillips’s expression changed. Gone was the polite distance and indifference; in its place was the face of a mother who genuinely adored her son. "Go tell Noah that Sienna is here."
"Yes."
Hearing Noah had returned made Sienna even more anxious. After Mrs. Phillips’s dismissive remarks and veiled criticisms, she really didn’t want to face Noah right now.
A flurry of hurried footsteps approached, and then the parlor door was thrown open with a BAM! Noah stood in the doorway.
"Baby." Noah’s eyes lit up with unrestrained joy and excitent at the sight of Sienna.
Mrs. Phillips, standing to one side, watched as her precious son’s eyes imdiately found Sienna upon entering, his gaze lingering on her to the exclusion of everyone else. She was very displeased but didn’t let it show on her face.
"Noah, why are you back so early today?"
Ignoring his mother, Noah walked straight to Sienna. Standing before her, he explained, a little anxiously, "You called , didn’t you? I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to return your calls recently..."
Sienna looked at the man, who had lost a lot of weight, and a pang of bitterness struck her heart. They usually got along so well, but right now, she didn’t know how to face him.
She explained, "I called you, but it wasn’t for anything important."
Only then did Noah’s gaze move from Sienna to the others in the parlor: his mother and a strange man. His eyes briefly fell on Sienna’s hand intertwined with the strange man’s, and he quickly looked away.
"Why are you at my house?" Noah imdiately sensed sothing was wrong.
He had inford his family of his intention to marry into the Johnson family, and their reaction had been vehent. His grandfather, refusing to listen to any explanations, had locked him up. He had only been released the day before. He’d planned to find Sienna imdiately, but a crisis at the company had delayed him.
Mrs. Phillips answered for Sienna, "Sienna ca to return the necklace."
Noah was silent.
"Noah, this necklace is our family heirloom! How could you give it away so casually?" Mrs. Phillips showed Noah the necklace, and his face turned pale.
"Mom, did you ask her for it?"
Mrs. Phillips didn’t answer.
"Mom, I already gave it to Baby! How could you ask for it back? You’re embarrassing !" Noah felt deeply humiliated.
Mrs. Phillips rely smiled without saying a word.
Sienna took the responsibility, explaining, "I didn’t realize this necklace held such profound aning, which is why I accepted it back then. I only recently learned it’s a family heirloom passed down to the daughters-in-law in your family."
Noah was silent.
"Brother, you’ll always be my brother."
Noah grasped Sienna’s other hand. "...Can’t you be resolute for , just this once? Be headstrong for my sake, just once?"
"I’m sorry."
"So, this is your answer to my proposal?" Noah looked at her, and the pain in his eyes made Sienna unable to et his gaze.
"Brother, I..." Adrian squeezed her hand tightly. The words Sienna was about to say caught in her throat. "I’m sorry. Curly really loves her father, and I still want to be with Curly’s biological father."
After everything that had been said, staying for dinner would have been unpalatable. Sienna gently pulled her hand from Noah’s grasp and said to Mrs. Phillips, "Mrs. Phillips, I apologize for the intrusion. My daughter is waiting for at ho. Since the necklace has been returned, I won’t impose any longer."
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