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Chapter 344 Crispin’s Scheme
Having said that, Elias exited the dining hall without casting a backward glance or bidding
farewell. It felt as though he was purposefully avoiding her presence.
Rosie’s gaze fell upon the barely touched food on the table. Does he truly need to depart
in such haste? Am I some kind of monstrous being? Am I genuinely that repugnant to him?
At the Allegra Villa, Amanda found it hard to drift off to sleep at her birth parents’ house.
Meanwhile, Aiden, that mischievous little boy, had fallen into a peaceful slumber. Jack had
spent quite a while entertaining his grandson tonight, leaving the little one fatigued.
Amanda observed the peacefully sleeping child. She gently covered him with a blanket
before venturing out of the bedroom with unhurried steps.
She had intended to take a solitary walk in the garden. To her astonishment, she stumbled
upon Edith wrapped in a coat, standing beneath the moonlit sky.
“Mrs. Alle-” Amanda hesitated, feeling that the formal address was inappropriate. Opting
for a more intimate term, she called out, “Mom, what brings you out here?”
Upon hearing her voice, Edith turned around and greeted her with a smile. “You can’t
sleep too? I suppose I’m too excited. I couldn’t fall asleep tonight, so I decided to take a
walk.”
“I guess I’m just not used to the bed, so I can’t sleep,” Amanda said.
Edith walked over and settled onto a wicker chair. “Join me, my dear. Let’s have a chat,
just us mother and daughter.”
Amanda gracefully took her place on the opposite chair, relishing the caress of the gentle
breeze against her cheeks. The garden exuded a delicate fragrance, lending a pleasant
ambiance to the moment.
‘Don’t let your dad fool you with his early slumber. He, too, was brimming with excitement
today, eagerly anticipating this moment for quite some time,” Edith remarked.
Amanda offered a gentle smile but remained silent.
Edith continued, “These past years, you have endured so much. Your dad informed me
about the hardships you faced under your adoptive father’s mistreatment, and how he
consistently demanded money from you. Is that true?”
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered with genuine concern.
<
1:1
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAmanda’s lips curled into a gentle smile. “Those are all things of the past now. The one
who endured the most was my mother. She faced countless hardships throughout the
years. Wherever she went, she always took me with her. I found happiness in being by her
side. Later, when I married Elias, he helped me resolve many of my problems. During that
year, my adoptive father didn’t harass me at all. I thought things had changed, but it turns
out that Elias had been protecting me all along.”
Recalling that year of their secret marriage, Amanda knew that although Elias didn’t fulfill
his duties as a husband and showed no concern or care for her, he did step in when her
mother passed away. When her adoptive father came demanding money, it was Elias who
sent him away.
That
year wasn’t exactly filled with happiness, but it was peaceful and stable. At that time, she
even thought she could live like that for the rest of her life.
Edith glanced at Amanda with a mixed expression when Elias was mentioned, a hint of
nostalgia in her eyes. Speaking slowly, she said, “Elias is a good young man. With the
Winters Family gone, he’s the only one left to hold everything together.”
With the conversation reaching this point, Amanda couldn’t help but speak up for Elias.
“Mom, let Dad support him. He simply wants to reclaim the shares rightfully belonging to
him from Old Mr. Winters.”
“Naturally, that’s what we’ll do. We are a family now, and he is Aiden’s father. We will
him,” Edith replied.
Hearing Edith’s words, Amanda felt relieved for Elias. It was better to have someone
extending a helping hand rather than battling alone.
Edith then asked hesitantly, “Amanda, is there still a chance between you and Elias?”
support
The smile that graced Amanda’s lips gradually faded. The truth was, she didn’t want to
confront this question. “I… I don’t know…”
She genuinely didn’t know what to do. It felt like a glimmer of trust had rekindled within
her toward Elias, yet she couldn’t shake her fear of repeating past mistakes. Conflicting
emotions left her feeling torn and unsure.
Observing her daughter’s inner turmoil, Edith decided to divert the conversation. “Let’s
not dwell on that for now. Let’s talk about something more enjoyable. What style do you
prefer? I’ll have someone redecorate a new room for you tomorrow.”
Amanda just smiled and responded, “There’s no need for that. Aiden and I can sleep in the
same room. For now, he still can’t bear to be separated from me.”
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In the following days, life gradually returned to its familiar rhythm.
Despite the delay in the recognition banquet, Jack took matters into his own hands and
issued an official announcement on the company’s website, acknowledging Amanda’s
rightful place in the family. The revelation sparked a buzz online.
This turn of events only fueled Crispin’s anxiety, and he felt compelled to act swiftly.
With Amanda’s return to the Allegra Family, Stephanie’s days grew increasingly
unbearable. She felt utterly neglected by her parents.
“Where are Mom and Dad? Why haven’t they come for dinner?” Stephanie had spent
entire day sulking in her room. The evening had arrived, yet there was no sign of her
parents. Reluctantly, she made her way to the dining room alone.
the
The helper, who was serving the dishes, responded, “Mr. and Mrs. Allegra suggested you
proceed without them. They are in the garden, enjoying their time with Aiden, digging in
the soil.”
Digging in the soil?
Stephanie couldn’t believe that her mother, who was known for her elegance and poise,
and her perpetually authoritative father were actively engaged in soil-digging activities
with a three-year-old toddler in the garden. What a disgrace! The way they spoil that child
is utterly appalling!
A disdainful snort escaped Stephanie’s lips as she placed her spoon on the table.
Throughout the day, she had sequestered herself in her room, but no one had bothered to
check on her. It turned out that her parents were preoccupied with playing with that little
brat and indulging in soil-digging activities.
In the past, Stephanie’s parents would take turns coaxing her to come down for dinner,
fearing that she might go hungry, but now, the couple seemed to have their minds
consumed by the return of their eldest daughter, Amanda, and their newfound grandchild.
They were completely oblivious to Stephanie’s existence.
Just then, her phone buzzed, signaling the arrival of a text message.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmStephanie cast a casual glance at the screen, only to discover that the message was from
Elias.
The whole situation of him sending her a text message felt rather peculiar.
She immediately picked up her phone and opened the message, revealing a sequence of
numbers. 5022 Cloudview Hotel
A hotel room number? What can this possibly mean?
111
34
Utterly bewildered, Stephanie grappled to comprehend the intended meaning. She hastily
replied to the message, ‘What do you mean?’
However, as time passed, no response came. She double-checked the number and
confirmed that it was indeed Elias’ phone number.
Perhaps he is occupied and unable to reply?
Stephanie decided to call him directly. However, to her surprise, the call ended abruptly as
soon as it connected. This couldn’t be a mere coincidence-it was surely intentional!
Filled with frustration, she sent another message. ‘What do you mean by all this?’
After a few minutes of anticipation, a notification chimed, and she eagerly opened the
message. ‘You’ll know when
‘You’ll know when you come.
From that point on, regardless of what she sent, no further replies came.
Confusion mingled with curiosity surged within Stephanie. Determined to unravel the
mystery, she decided to venture out and see what was happening.
She got up and left the dining room, and the helper nearby asked, “Miss, aren’t you going
to finish your meal?”
Stephanie hurriedly responded, “I’m done. I’m going out.”
With that, she hastened back to her room, swiftly changed into a different outfit, and then
set off in her car.
Meanwhile, Jack and Edith were happily engrossed in playing with their grandson, and
they had no interest in what Stephanie was up to.
Inside room 5022 at Cloudview Hotel, Crispin sat before the desk, his fingers dancing
across the keyboard as he peered at the messaging page on his phone.
As he noticed the indicator revealing that Stephanie had read his last message, an evil
grin curled upon his lips.
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