Chapter 57 Her Heart's Intentions
"What?" Edward's pupils contracted sharply, and he dropped his silverware to the ground.
Evelyn felt a sense of disappointment as she observed his distress over Nicole.
"Just now, Ms. Adams was crying and shouting your name at home. Her emotions were unstable. Mrs. Tiffany asked you to go and check on her, saying that she's afraid Ms. Adams might do something extreme..."
Before Bart even finished speaking, Edward suddenly stood up and rushed out of the dining room.
"You dare to go find her, and you won't be my grandson anymore!" Byron slammed the table in anger.
However, it was already too late, as Edward's figure had disappeared.
"What an unfortunate family! In my entire life, I've tried countless times to change Edward's mind, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't alter his feelings. It's my uselessness!" Byron pounded his chest and stomped his feet, feeling guilty towards his granddaughter-in-law.
Evelyn lightly smiled and gently placed her cool palm on Byron's weathered hand.
"Grandfather, don't say that. What you've done for me is already enough. It's just that Edward and I aren't meant to be."
...
Outside the villa, Edward, full of worry, was about to get into his car.
"Mr. Wellington!"
He abruptly stopped and turned around, seeing Lily chasing after him under the bright lights with anger in her clear, slightly red eyes.
For some reason, a trace of guilt welled up in his heart. He was about to say something, but she spoke first.
"Tonight, your sister slandered one of the staff at my hotel, resulting in that girl having an epileptic seizure. Please tell Ms. Debra that I won't let this go. She must give that girl an explanation."
Edward furrowed his brow. He never expected her to come out and say this.
So, the few glimmers of expectation in the man's eyes instantly faded away.
"Although Debra is my sister, I don't involve myself in her matters."
"So, you think this is a personal matter. Alright, I understand."
After speaking, Evelyn's gaze turned cold. She turned and walked back toward the villa without even glancing at Edward.
Suddenly, Edward felt very uncomfortable, and his whole body chilled.
Was she mocking him?
That evening, Edward went to visit Nicole, who was suffering from "severe depression," and only returned home exhausted in the early morning hours. Despite his dissatisfaction with Nicole because of Lily's situation, when he saw the diagnosis report for severe depression, the most secretive and tender corner of his heart was still touched. Depression was a knot he couldn't avoid.
"Mr. Wellington, there's been a bit of an issue. Do you think we need to handle it?" Bart hesitated, holding his phone.
"What?" Edward closed his eyes briefly, taking a rest.
"Ms. Debra's video insulting the female service staff at the hotel has been spread online. The public relations department discovered it in a timely manner. They were afraid that it might affect the Wellington Group's image, so they wanted to ask for your opinion."
"Delete it."
Edward slightly narrowed his eyes and said, "Debra's personal matter shouldn't escalate to the company level. It must be completely deleted."
"Yes, Mr. Wellington!"
Back at the villa, as Edward was about to go upstairs, he saw May, dressed in pajamas, walking towards him with a worried expression on her face.
"May, didn't I tell you not to wait for me anymore? I don't know when I'll be home when I'm busy." Edward felt a rare warmth in his heart.
May had been like this since they were young. As long as he didn't explicitly say he wouldn't come back, she would wait for him at home like a mother would. But she was getting older and couldn't bear it anymore. So, in the past three years, Lily had taken over the responsibility of taking care of Edward, diligently waiting for him to come back every night before going to sleep.
—"Edward, have you eaten? I left some food for you, and it's still hot."
—"Edward, can you sleep a little earlier next time? Staying up late causes frequent headaches. A healthy routine can also make you feel better."
—"Edward, even if you don't want to listen, I'll still say it even if you scold me. Because I want you to be healthy, and I don't want you to get sick."
"If you ask me not to wait for you, should I stop waiting for you? In that case, I would be a maid, not family." May sighed. "If Mrs. Wellington were here, things would be so much better, and I could save some energy."
She has been taking care of you with all her heart for three years. I saw her marry you with a young and tender face, and now she has become exhausted. Just thinking about it breaks my heart.
"Mr. Wellington, you're not lucky."
Edward's mind drifted, and Lily's clear, lively eyes, tinged with a hint of grievance, appeared before him. He would never have such care in the future. If he said he wasn't disappointed at all, it would be a lie.
"She is not my lucky charm; she is my misfortune."
Edward returned to the bedroom with a gloomy expression and was surprised to see a box on the table.
He recognized the box from the tailor shop and thought that the clothes must have been repaired. He hurriedly opened the box.
Inside the box lay a top-quality suit quietly.
The lining was renewed, and at first glance, there were almost no visible stitches on the surface. It was truly excellent craftsmanship.
Edward smiled with satisfaction.
"You still have her in your heart, Mr. Wellington," May said joyfully when she saw him staring at the clothes.
"The item is fine. It's truly a labor of love, not in vain," Edward replied coldly, running his fingertip over the smooth and straight collar.
"She put so much effort into you, more than just this," May sighed sadly, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Follow me."
The two of them arrived at the room where Lily used to live.
May skillfully opened the closet door in the corner. "Take a look."
Inside the tall closet, there were shelves layer by layer, neatly lined with boxes of different colors and sizes.
Edward was stunned. "What are these?"
"These are all gifts she prepared for you in the past three years," May explained.
"There are your birthday gifts, Valentine's Day gifts, wedding anniversary gifts, and so on. She even said that there are gifts for the anniversary of your first meeting," she continued. "Even on insignificant days, as long as it had to do with you, she would prepare a gift for you."
"Even though she knew you never cared about these sentiments, she stubbornly prepared them as if she wanted to explain herself," May said.
Edward's pupils contracted, and a suffocating feeling of bitterness filled his chest.
"I can't see what feelings Ms. Adams has for you, but Mrs. Wellington truly loves you. Please don't accuse me of being biased, but in this lifetime, I will always stand by Mrs. Wellington's side. I don't look highly upon any other woman," May said, angry at Nicole's arrogant demeanor.
"Mr. Wellington, even though I'm just a servant, I'm not ignorant. I heard that the necklace you gave to Ms. Adams appeared at an auction. Did the Adams family sell it? You put so much effort into making that necklace for her, and they just sold it. Didn't she say anything to stop them?" May asked.
"May, let's not talk about this anymore, okay?" Edward said in a deep voice, wanting to interrupt her.
"Do you know how much Mrs. Wellington loves that necklace? When she heard you were going to give it to Ms. Adams, she was so jealous that tears streamed down her face!" May trembled as she spoke as if expressing grievances to Lily.
Edward was shocked and tightened his grip.
She cried.
That woman actually secretly cried because she couldn't have a necklace?
May took out an exquisite brocade box from the closet and opened it in front of him.
In an instant, Edward was stunned.
Everything inside belonged to him, and he couldn't even remember it himself.
She carefully collected the crystal cufflinks he had inadvertently lost, the ties he didn't want, and the lighter he had left idle for too long.
"If it were Mrs. Wellington, she would never disregard the gifts you gave her. She's the type of person who even keeps the ties you don't need, discreetly storing them away. She would never do anything to disrespect your feelings!"
"Nicole doesn't know that the necklace was sold. If she knew, she would never allow anyone from the Adams family to do such a thing." Edward clenched his fist tightly, his chest filled with bitterness that was about to overflow.
He couldn't tell if he was making excuses for himself or Nicole.
"I've always believed in one saying: you can never wake up someone pretending to be asleep!"
May shook her head with frustration and sighed, then walked away.
Leaving Edward standing there stiffly, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
It turned out that during the three years she was married to him, her virtues, gentleness, and generosity were all an act. She had a temper, she cared, and she got jealous, but she silently endured all the bitterness and sorrow.
But she used to care so much. How did all of that disappear from her cold eyes?
Edward clenched his teeth, his jawline tensed, and his cold eyes filled with unwillingness.
