Chapter 311 Maybe you'd Like me to Commit you to one Right Now?
Adeline picked a busy restaurant for their meetup. The place buzzed with chatter and clinking dishes.
Mia, fresh out of the quiet mental hospital, flinched.
"Adeline." She frowned. "Why here? Wouldn't somewhere quieter be better to catch up?"
Adeline sipped her coffee, a small smile on her lips. "I thought you'd enjoy some liveliness after being cooped up."
Truth was, the crowded spot offered anonymity, a safety net. Adeline still feared what Thomas might do.
Their food arrived, giving Mia a break from her complaints. As she dug in, she turned to Adeline. "You're not from Radiance Springs, are you? This dish is a local favorite."
"You're right," Adeline smiled faintly. "I'm from Neon City." She glanced at Thomas. "You know it?"
Thomas snorted, not looking up. "Neon City? All I know there are the Quinns. And their eldest daughter, shameless enough to chase Mr. Foster even after he married Mrs. Foster." He sipped his wine. "What do you think of this Evelyn, Miss Wilson? Shameless, right?"
Adeline almost laughed. Stella had clearly told Thomas she was Evelyn. A clever twist of truth. Adeline was Evelyn, and Evelyn had wronged the original Adeline.
She traced the rim of her cup. "Evelyn is not only shameless," she said neutrally, "but foolish too."
Adeline knew the truth. Jasper, not Evelyn, had orchestrated the hit-and-run. Molly might have been involved, but Evelyn had no part in the accident that nearly killed her. Yet, Stella pinned Evelyn's identity and blame on her.
'Has being Mrs. Foster made Stella forget she's the real Evelyn?' Adeline thought, smiling slyly.
She'd seen people shift blame before, but never someone so boldly taking another's sins as their own.
"Foolish?" Thomas echoed, amused. "You think so too?"
"Absolutely," Adeline replied, meeting his gaze coolly. "If I ever get the chance, I'll introduce you to this brainless Quinn heiress."
Thomas seemed taken aback, his retort dying on his lips.
'Could Adeline really be Evelyn? Who would speak of themselves with such disdain?' he wondered.
"Enough about people I don't know," Mia cut in, pouting. Clearly, she wasn't interested. "Adeline, I saw you on the news with that famous painter, Sebastian. You're so lucky!"
"He's an artist I've admired for years," Adeline said with a soft smile. "I never thought he'd become my boyfriend."
"I get it!" Mia exclaimed, linking her arm with Thomas's. "It's like me and Thomas. I used to just admire him, but then... feelings change!"
Adeline noticed the flicker of annoyance on Thomas's face at Mia's touch. It was odd. If he didn't care for Mia, why did he go through the trouble of getting her released? Without his intervention, she would have stayed oblivious to his return. Yet, now that she was free, he seemed resistant to her affections. What was his game?
Bothered by these questions, Adeline called Bennett as soon as she got home. Tim and Tom were already at the training camp with the kids, ensuring their safety with the bodyguards.
"Thomas and Mia?" Tim chuckled on the other end. "Love is definitely not part of the equation. Thomas is using her, just like he always has."
He explained how Thomas had hoped to climb the social ladder using Mia's wealthy background, only to abandon her after her family's demise. "He's back now because the Turners had a hefty life insurance policy. Over five billion, in fact. And Mia, as the sole heir, is entitled to every penny."
Adeline wasn't surprised. She had suspected as much.
"Poor Mia," Tim sighed. "The truth is, Thomas has a girlfriend. She came back with him, but she's smart, keeping a low profile." He sent Adeline a picture of Thomas with a beautiful woman. "This is Grace Miller, his girlfriend."
"I'm telling you this for Mia's sake," Tim added. "If you need more proof, I can provide it. We've known Thomas for a long time, and exposing him isn't something we want to do. But you're different."
True to his word, Tim sent more photos. Thomas with Grace, Thomas with a three-year-old boy – his son, Mark.
Adeline closed her eyes, Mia's innocent face flashing in her mind. Her naivete was a painful reminder of Adeline's own infatuation with Jasper.
Sleep evaded her that night. Images of Mia, Thomas, Grace, and the child, Mark, swirled in her mind, leaving her restless and troubled. As dawn approached, she finally gave in and dialed Jasper's number.
"Mr. Foster," she said as soon as he answered. "The mental hospital where Mia was... it's under your control, isn't it?"
Jasper was silent for a moment, then a humorless laugh crackled through the phone. "Adeline, it's one in the morning. And you're calling me to ask about a mental hospital? Maybe you'd like me to commit you to one right now?"
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