176 — “Break out into the storm.”

My chest feels cold. I open my lips to answer Julian’s mother, but no sound escapes through them.
Noticing my sudden anxiety, Julian subtly positions himself between the two of us, protecting me with his body.
Mrs. Adams frowns, placing her hands on her hips. “Don’t stand in front of her like that; it looks like I’m being mean to the girl.”
“Mother-”
“Why don’t you go with your brothers? It’s been years since you last gathered like this. I’m sure you have a lot to talk about.”
Julian gives a nervous smile.
“But-”
“No buts.” Mrs. Adams sighs, letting her arms hang at her sides. “Go join your brothers, Julian.”
He looks at me fearfully, almost like a scared puppy. I give her a reassuring smile, telling him without words that *I’m fine,* but he doesn’t look relieved… yet he walks through the second hall, disappearing around a turn.
When we are alone, Mrs. Adams sighs.
“It’s quite funny to see a grown man obeying his mother like a little boy.” I let my tongue get a life of its own, and before I could regret it, she smiled.
“I’m pretty sure you order him around without saying that much.”
I give a small giggle, a bit more relaxed.
On the balcony, she seemed cold and distant, like there were invisible walls around her. But the woman in front of me possesses something attractive, an energy that calms my nerves and makes me feel at ease.
“How about some tea?” She asks, walking slowly, waiting for me to follow her in the opposite direction. “Lemon with honey is my favorite during pregnancy.”
“Please.” I smile, following her closely, turning down a corridor to reach a room that, despite being big, is very comfortable, with couches and armchairs in the center, circling an apparently expensive round table. Everything about this place is luxurious; even the wood burning in the fireplace feels somehow special.
“How many weeks?” She asks, sitting down on the couch and pointing out next to her.
“Eleven.” I sit where she suggests, suddenly aware that this woman will soon be my future mother-in-law.
“Still early.” She comments, looking at me softly and almost… lovingly…? I confess that it confuses me. I expected a cold woman who would treat me badly, but-
My thoughts are interrupted by a familiar face entering the room. Auston approaches with a tray with two cups of tea, and I wonder when he took the order and how he prepared it so quickly. However, all these doubts disappear when I feel the warmth of the cup between my two hands.
“You know, you really are your father’s copy.” Mrs. Adams’ sweet and nostalgic voice surprises me as much as her words. “They say girls are mirrors of their father. Well, in my case, *all my children* are copies of my husband. The better I got were a few features and the brown eyes of my third boy.”
Her soft smile hides behind her cup as she decides to take her first sip. Without realizing it, I end up repeating the movement, taking a discreet gulp of the hot drink that combines the sourness of the lemon with the sweetness of the honey… a conflicting taste that quickly wins my palate.
“But it’s quite ironic, don’t you think? The child they rejected the most is the one with the family’s blood running stronger.” She says, still with her lips behind the cup, preventing me from reading her expression properly.
Her eyes are still unreadable, and even though she looks friendly, a chill runs down my spine. “Serve them right.”
I blink a few times in surprise, “But, Mrs. Adams…”
“Please call me Liliana; you are my son’s fiancée after all.”
I take a deep breath and force myself to call her casually, “Liliana, you’re a friend of Mrs. O’Neil, aren’t you?”
“It’s more appropriate to say that our husbands are friends. We’re just friendly with each other because we don’t want to upset them. They grew up together; it’s natural for their friendship to be strong. A smart woman knows how to choose her battles. And no matter how much I despise that old woman, I still need to keep my face.”
Now that I think about it, Liliana Adams looks quite young. I’m curious about her story, but I don’t dare ask anything; I just bite my tongue and swallow the words.
But as if reading me like an open book really were an Adams family skill, she gives a slight chuckle and sets down her cup.
“My husband and I met in high school, and I became pregnant very early. I had my first boy when I was seventeen. We got married shortly after he was born, and we’ve been together ever since. For some, it’s a great love story, but for us, it was plain and natural.” She says tenderly. It’s like the past is flashing before her eyes because they sparkle with feelings for the first time.
So that’s why Julian said his family doesn’t care about children born out of wedlock... Jack was one, too.
“Although Mr. O’Neil is five years older than my husband, they grew up together. It’s safe to say he sees Dominic as a hero or something.”
“I guess the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree,” I murmur thoughtfully, without realizing that I expressed my thoughts in words.
“You are right.” Liliana places the cup on the saucer, looking at me carefully. “Julian also sees Michael as his own older brother. Their bond is strong enough for him to turn his back on his own blood.”
I hold my breath, looking intently into her eyes, which, once again, are emotionless.
“I don’t blame him. Julian has always had a lot to deal with since he was young. He would embrace the world with his little hands, believing that the responsibility of the family should be over him. He put too much pressure on himself, and I thought I was going to lose him. In the end, he recovered, but I didn’t.”
I think she will open up a little more, but the matter ends there. All she does is lift the cup for another sip — and again, I find myself repeating her gestures.
“Do you want to know about the family?” Liliana asks, and the way she looks at me tells me she’s not talking about the Adams. “I’m sure your father has been silent about it all these years.”
“You’re right. Dad doesn’t tell me anything about the O’Neils.” I say, wilted, taking another sip of the lemon and honey tea that’s growing in me.
“I figured it. That’s the kind of person he is, after all. But I also don’t blame him for cutting ties after everything happened.” Liliana says firmly, and I can see that this topic bothers her because her face finally shows emotion again. “That’s a complicated family. They are rich, influential, and arrogant, if I may say so... the kind of person that thinks is on top of the world, and everyone below is an *insect.* But they’re not always like that. Dominic is someone who’s not very interested in people but rather in their *value.* The greater one’s value to him, the greater his interest. However, when it’s not valuable in his eyes, he doesn’t care…”
I bite my lip, knowing she’s being cautious in telling him that my value in his eyes is so low that he doesn’t care about *my existence.* But honestly, it doesn’t hurt. I already knew that I meant nothing to the O’Neils, and there’s no point in feeling disappointed when no expectations have been made.
“Let’s just say that because of the competition with his brother, Dominic tried harder than other people,” Liliana says softly, taking a sip of her tea. “He’s younger than his twin brother. To us, it doesn’t mean much... but those exact three minutes decided that Patrick would be the firstborn and the favored heir.”
Oh, that’s right, my grandfather also has a twin brother. Remembering this makes me touch my belly for a simple caress, attracting Liliana’s eyes.
“Because of that, Dominic worked hard his whole life. And it had results... after all, he’s the CEO to this day. But it had its price. They seem rich and happy, but there’s a lot of bitterness within four walls… especially in Miranda O’Neil’s heart.”
Even hearing my grandmother’s name brings shivers down my spine.
“See, she always had some difficulty getting pregnant. When she found out that I was expecting a child — a girl still in high school and eleven years younger, she almost freaked out and tried every type of treatment possible also to get pregnant. Two months after Jacob was born, she also gave birth to Michael. The problem is that she had a lot of complications during her pregnancy, and because of that, she couldn’t have another child. Miranda thought it would be enough for her only child to be a boy, but when I got pregnant again, she became even more bitter.”
I hold a sigh in my throat, uncertain, afraid of interrupting her and losing the opportunity to find out more about Daddy’s family.
“Still, she coped well for a while. Michael used to be a dedicated and obedient boy who always listened to his parents’ wishes. But then, there was a scandal — Dominic O’Neil had a child out of marriage.”
*Wait, what?* The shock of this discovery makes my eyes widen.
“Does my father have a brother?” I ask with genuine surprise, and Liliana gives me a discreet smile.
“By blood, yes. It’s Michael’s half-brother, but they are not close. Miranda hated the mistress and child enough to threaten them and also her husband. She was always saying that she would get divorced and that Dominic would lose influence and half of everything he achieved… That woman is from an important family of investors who helped with the company’s expansion, so it wasn’t an empty threat. She was aware that Dominic didn’t marry for love, but I believe every woman expects loyalty from a partner. I can’t blame her for resenting him so much, but it’s not fair to direct all the anger at innocent children. The mistress’ son wasn’t to blame for coming into this world, nor were you.”
My hands are sweating, but I’m not sure if it’s from the heat of the cup or simply because this is a sensitive topic. I would never have imagined Mrs. O’Neil had a past like that. Still, I can’t justify what she did to my mother, nor can I forgive her for so many years of rejection. I feel bad for her, but I’m not able to come up with understandable words.
“I didn’t tell you this to make you forgive them or anything... I just think you have a right to know the full truth about the O’Neils.”
“Yes… Thank you for telling me.” I give him a soft smile and look down at the rest of the tea that remains in the cup.
I don’t feel like drinking it anymore.
Liliana holds it over my hands, and her touch is certainly comforting. Our eyes meet again, and her eyes shine with happiness.
Julian said she’s not the woman she used to be... yet I feel like I’m standing in front of a light.
“Madam,” Auston appears suddenly, interrupting my thoughts with a serious voice. “Mr. Adams is home.”
She looks at me one last time and gives my hand two gentle pats.
“Well… It seems time to break out into the storm.”