Chapter 17
“Of course. Harry’s your only child.” Heather looked baffled.
Beverly caught a hint of a crack in the calm, collected mask Heather had worn for the past decade. She wanted to break it completely and expose the truth. She clenched her fists without realizing it.
Evan spoke, his voice disrupting her train of thought. “Mom, Bev and I plan on adopting a child. That means Harry won’t be our only child in the future.”
“Oh, I see,” Heather said. However, she felt uneasy deep down. Somehow, Beverly felt different from how she’d been in the past.
Years ago, when Elaine had discovered her husband’s affair, she’d left behind nothing but a divorce agreement demanding that he leave the marriage without a penny to his name. Then, she’d moved to Alterra with Beverly.
Elaine had too fierce a temperament-she couldn’t stand even the slightest flaw in her marriage. Beverly was just like her, so the fact that she was still around likely meant that she’d yet to discover anything.
Heather relaxed at that thought.
“Mom, I don’t want to hear you ask Bev to have more children,” Evan said. He remembered how devastated and anguished Beverly had been when she’d lost their second child. It had pained him, and she’d drowned in depression for a long time. He no longer wanted her to go through that.
Heather had no choice but to go along with them. “Alright.”
Then, she asked, “What’s the name of the child you’re going to adopt? Have you met her? When will you bring her to meet me? I’m her grandmother, after all.”
It was then that Beverly realized she had no idea what the child’s name was. She thought about the photo of Harold with his arm around the little girl at the amusement park. Was she Emmeline?
“The orphanage has just sent the photo album over, so we’ve yet to meet her. If Beverly is happy with her when we do, then we’ll talk about the adoption,” Evan said indifferently. “As for her name, I didn’t bother asking.”
Since Evan refused to mention the child’s name, Beverly decided to ask Harold whether he knew later. She didn’t pay attention to the rest of the conversation. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Christina.
Christina had always been the bubbly, excitable type. Even after getting married, she would chatter endlessly whenever she returned to Gray Manor. But that night, she was oddly quiet.
There was another odd thing about her. Not too long ago, they’d chatted on WhatsApp. Christina had told Beverly that she wanted to lose a few pounds because summer was approaching. She’d even described her diet in detail.
Yet that night, she hadn’t stopped eating, and she’d only eaten from the two relatively heavier dishes placed before her. She hadn’t taken anything from the plates further away from her.
Christina was several years younger than Beverly, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration for Beverly to say that she’d watched the former grow up. She instinctively wanted to ask Christina what was wrong, but she was afraid she was lining herself up for yet another betrayal.
And so, she hardened her gaze and excused herself from the table, wanting to go to Harold. He and Theresa were playing a game in the entertainment room on the first floor. Next to it was the drawing room.
“I wouldn’t even be back here with her if not for the fact that I need her brother’s money for an investment. Don’t worry, alright? I won’t touch her, even if we sleep in the same bed. You’re the only one who has my heart, babe.”
Beverly stopped in a daze when she vaguely heard someone whispering sweet nothings. It was Lance-he’d cheated on Christina.
Beverly wanted to charge in there and reveal his true colors, but this was ultimately Christina’s business. It would be better for her to tell the latter first.
Even if she no longer wanted to have anything to do with the Gray family, she knew very well how agonizing it was to be betrayed by one’s husband. How could she stand by and watch as Christina, who was practically her sister, was lied to?
The study door was ajar. Beverly had just placed a hand on the doorknob when she heard Christina’s tearful voice drift out from inside. “Mom, Lance is having an affair. I want to divorce him.”
It turned out Christina was already aware of the affair. One of the reasons she’d made this trip back to Gray Manor was so she could get people to back her up.
Beverly was relieved to hear her words. Though the York family was prestigious in Clouron, they were nothing in Alterra. They bore no threat to the Gray family.
Besides, given how protective Evan was of his own, there was no way he would allow someone to trample all over his sister.
