Chapter 454 Diannel Knows Ethan Well
Diannel snapped back to reality and excitedly grabbed Ashley's arm. "Mrs. Yates, thank God you're alive!"
Ashley looked at Diannel with confusion. "Who's Mrs. Yates? Are you talking to me?"
Diannel froze in bewilderment.
Atticus, not recognizing Diannel, pulled him away and protectively positioned himself in front of Ashley. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Diannel looked perplexed, his gaze shifting between Atticus and Ashley. Noticing Ashley's unfamiliar expression, he said with a hurt look, "Mrs. Yates, it's me, Diannel. Don't you remember me?"
Something clicked in Atticus's mind. Six years ago, he had rescued Ashley, after which she had lost her memory. Could this Diannel know her from before? The way he called her "Mrs. Yates" suggested he might be connected to her past husband.
In an instant, anxiety washed over Atticus. He suddenly feared losing Ashley and hastily intervened, "What nonsense are you talking about? Her name is Pearl, not Mrs. Yates or whatever you're calling her."
"Pearl?" Diannel repeated softly.
Diannel looked at Ashley, who appeared completely lost. Suspecting he might be one of Ethan's associates, she quickly confirmed, "Yes, my name is Pearl."
"Mommy, what's going on?" Andy called out.
Behind them, Andy and Nate approached and positioned themselves protectively around their mother, eyeing Diannel with suspicion.
Diannel was completely disoriented.
What was happening? This woman looked identical to Ashley, yet she didn't recognize him. She called herself Pearl and apparently had two children with this man.
Diannel's gaze fell on the two adorable boys. Andy and Nate were miniature versions of Ethan. Upon recognizing their features, Diannel became even more confused.
He had just seen Pearl and Atticus holding hands—were they married? If these were their children, why did they look exactly like Ethan?
His head throbbing with confusion, Diannel could only awkwardly say, "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
"It's alright, no harm done," Atticus replied. He turned to Ashley and asked gently, "Pearl, are you okay? He didn't frighten you, did he?"
Ashley shook her head. "I'm fine."
Angela approached, looking disappointed when she didn't see Ethan. "Where's my brother?"
Ian stepped forward. "Princess, His Highness Prince Totti is handling business at the palace. He sent me to take you home."
Angela let out a disappointed "Oh."
She turned to Andy and Nate. "Andy, Nate, can I come play with you again tomorrow?"
The brothers nodded. "Of course."
Angela waved goodbye. "Aunt Pearl, Uncle Atticus, see you later."
"Goodbye," Ashley replied.
Ashley watched as Ian escorted Angela away. Before leaving, Diannel gave Ashley one last searching look, then followed after them.
"Atticus, have you had dinner yet?" Ashley asked.
"Not yet."
"I'll make something for you all."
With that, Ashley headed to the kitchen.
The interruption had given Atticus a reprieve; he had been on the verge of proposing to Ashley. He touched the ring box hidden in his pocket, his emotions in turmoil. Perhaps another opportunity would present itself soon.
"Godfather, your pocket is bulging," Nate observed. "Are you hiding something tasty?" He reached for Atticus's pocket.
Atticus quickly covered it and stepped back. "Not for you to see!"
Nate gave chase. "Godfather, not sharing treats makes you a bad role model! Let me see!"
The two playfully chased each other around the yard as the sunset cast golden rays upon them, creating a beautiful scene.
Andy glanced at Atticus's pocket, recalling the hopeful expression on his godfather's face when he'd been holding his mother's hand. He knew exactly what was in that pocket.
Andy stepped forward and pulled Nate back. "Nate, you're always thinking about food. Mommy's already in the kitchen—can't you wait a little?"
"Oh, I'll go help Mommy then," Nate said before heading off.
Once Nate left, Andy fixed Atticus with a penetrating look. Atticus felt unnerved by the boy's uncannily mature gaze. "Andy? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Godfather, were you about to propose to Mommy just now?" Andy asked directly.
Embarrassed at having his intentions discovered by the child, Atticus's face reddened. "Andy... would you be upset if I did?"
Andy felt emotions he couldn't quite articulate.
He liked his godfather—Atticus had taken wonderful care of their family. If Andy never discovered who his real father was, if they never crossed paths with him, perhaps he could have supported Atticus and his mother getting together.
Unfortunately, his father was now within reach, and selfishly, Andy wanted his biological father. Recognizing the selfishness of this thought, Andy lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.
"Godfather, I like you. If Mommy likes you too, I wouldn't object to you two getting married."
The condition was clear—only if his mother genuinely loved him.
Touched, Atticus stroked the boy's head. "Thank you, Andy. I'll do my best to win Pearl's heart."
Andy nodded quietly.
Atticus took his hand. "Come on, let's go inside."
Andy looked at their joined hands and sighed inwardly.
From a distance, Diannel watched the scene from his car. Unable to hear their conversation, he could only observe their interactions, which seemed genuinely warm and familial.
Perhaps because Pearl looked identical to Ashley, Diannel couldn't shake the powerful feeling that Ethan had somehow been abandoned.
"Ian," Diannel asked, "what's the relationship between this Pearl woman and that gentleman?"
Ian replied, "According to my information, that man is Atticus. Pearl is his wife, and those two children are naturally theirs..."
Diannel was speechless.
His empathy for Ethan's situation made him increasingly agitated.
The luxury car drove to the palace. Back at their quarters, Diannel paced restlessly.
"Diannel, why are you so agitated? What happened?" Nick inquired.
"I met a woman today who looks exactly like Mrs. Yates, but she doesn't recognize me," Diannel explained. "She calls herself Pearl. No wonder Mr. Yates looked so strange during the meeting today. Others might not notice, but I've known him for almost twenty years—I can read his thoughts from a single glance."
He continued, "I've figured something out. We picked up Mr. Yates's sister from Pearl's place, which means Mr. Yates and Pearl already have some connection. It's possible Mr. Yates has already fallen for Pearl. But today I showed him Mrs. Yates's photo, and he discovered the resemblance between his late wife and Pearl. Now he's conflicted... He'll probably avoid seeing Pearl again. What have I done?"
"So what now?" Nick asked.
Diannel sighed. "That Pearl definitely isn't Mrs. Yates. She's married with children. A relationship with Mr. Yates is impossible. Perhaps it's better if they part ways sooner rather than later."
But sometimes fate played cruel tricks. Was it really that easy to sever such connections?
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