OLIVIA’S POV
There had to be something going on behind all this. Was he trying to get rid of me? The thought popped into my head, half–jokingly, but the uncertainty lingered. “Thanks for the offer,” I told him, keeping my voice casual. “But I won’t be there. anytime soon. I still need to clean up and grab some breakfast.”
He nodded slightly, his expression unreadable. “Alright then. I’ll be waiting for your there,” he said, and without another word, he turned around and walked out of the
room.
As the door shut behind him, I sat motionless for a few seconds, listening to the sound of his footsteps retreating down the stairs. I got up from the bed, tiptoed to the door, and opened it just a crack. Peeking out, I confirmed that he was indeed leaving. His steps echoed faintly before fading out of range. I gently closed the door again and leaned my back against it, letting out a quiet sigh. My fingers found their way to my mouth, and I began biting my nails repeatedly, something I only did when I was nervous or overwhelmed.
Who was that just now? Had someone swapped places with the Adrian I once knew? Because the man I just spoke to–it felt like I was talking to a completely different person. He wasn’t the cold, distant version of himself that I had gotten used to lately. And that was what disturbed me the most.
Why couldn’t I ever figure him out? One minute he was distant, barely able to look me in the eye. And now he was polite, almost warm.
“You know what,” I muttered to myself, pushing away from the door, “that’s his problem, not mine.” Right now, I needed to focus. There were more important things to deal with–like getting to the hospital.
I headed into the bathroom and took a quick shower, trying to clear my mind under the stream of warm water. After that, I put on a simple outfit–a skirt and a blouse–and made my way downstairs for breakfast.
I sat at the dining table and picked at my food, not really tasting it. I couldn’t help but notice that Adrian had left without even having breakfast. That alone told me something was off. Adrian never skipped meals. Especially not breakfast. He always said it was the most important meal of the day.
To anyone on the outside, Adrian probably seemed like the ideal son–in–law. Het showed up at the hospital. He sat by my father’s bedside. He acted like he cared about our family. But last night, he’d slipped just for a second and revealed something that stuck with me.
He said the Graysons were all liars.
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CHAPTER 079
What did he mean by that? Did he know more about my family than I did? Had they done worse things than I already discovered? The questions raced through my mind, each one more unsettling than the last.
my dad
I finished my meal, my appetite long gone. Then I grabbed my purse and headed out.
I During the drive to the hospital, I rehearsed the questions I wanted to ask when he woke up. If he was awake. I needed answers, and I hoped to God he was ready to give them.
When I arrived and stepped into the hospital room, I was surprised to see my father sitting up in bed. My mother was by his side, holding his hand, and across the room, Adrian sat on a couch, his phone in his hand.
He looked up when I entered, his eyes briefly meeting mine. “Took you long enough,” he said flatly.
1 forced a sarcastic smile.
My eyes shifted back to my father. Despite everything, a wave of relief washed over me. A part of me was genuinely happy to see him awake and alert. The guilt that had eaten at me last night–the guilt of knowing I’d played a part in putting him in this condition clung to me like a second skin.
But how was I supposed to start this conversation? The last time we talked, everything had ended in tension and confusion. The room now felt heavy with that leftover awkwardness. Like no one wanted to be the first to speak.
Adrian was quick to catch up to us. He cleared his throat, his presence still lingering even though the air between us was already tense. Then, as if sensing the need for space, he spoke up.
“I’ll give you guys some privacy,” he said quietly. Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, the soft thud of the door behind him making the silence feel heavier.
I stood there for a moment, feeling the weight of everything I was about to say, I lifted my hand and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, steadying myself. Then, I broke the silence.
“My real parents… who are they?” I asked, my voice calm but laced with all the emotions I was trying so hard to keep in check.
Their eyes met mine, both their faces instantly hardening. My mother was the first to speak.
“So that’s the first thing you choose to say to him? After everything you’ve done? After the damage you caused?” she said coldly, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
“What else did you expect me to say? ‘I’m sorry?” I snapped, unable to help myself.” You should be the ones apologizing to me.”
Still, I reminded myself to stay careful–Adrian could be right outside that door,
2/3
CHARTER (179
listening. The last thing I needed was to say something that would hint at what I’d discovered through his computer.
My mother scoffed loudly, her lips twisting in disdain, but before she could speak again, my father reached over and gently placed his hand on hers.
“It’s alright,” he said softly. “We don’t need her apology. She’s made her choice to be this way.” He turned to me then, his expression stiff. “As for your real parents…” he paused for a beat, “we don’t know who they are.”
I blinked. “What do you mean you don’t know them? You told me once that you did them a favor by adopting me. How does that make sense if you didn’t know them?”
“That doesn’t mean we knew them, we adopted you from a foster home, and yes we did whoever dropped you there a favor by removing you from that place, which I now see was a mistake.” My mother said.
I rolled my eyes, was she trying to get to me or something, now that I know she isn’t even my mother I don’t care about anything she says to me anymore.
“I deserve to know the name of the foster home,” I said firmly, keeping my voice from cracking. “That’s the least you can give me.”
There was a long pause before my father sighed and turned to her again. “What was the name of the place?” he asked, almost pleading.
But she looked away, refusing to speak, lips pressed together in defiance.
“Uhmm… Sunshine Orphanage Home,” he finally said, the name slipping out. uncertainly. “That should be it,” he added with a half–hearted nod as if trying to convince himself it was the truth.
It didn’t matter if he was unsure. I would check it out. And if it turned out to be a lie, I
would come back. And I would make them tell me the truth.
Without another word, I turned on my heel to leave, the desire to look at either of them
gone.
But just as I reached the door, her voice cut through the air one last time.
“She never–blended in with us from the beginning because she always had poverty in her blood, she always preferred the poor root” She turned her attention to me “Go find your poor parents”
I paused, then let out a soft, calm smile. Her words no longer had claws. They couldn’t cut me the way they once did. I didn’t need to fight back. Not anymore.
CHAFTER 060
