CHAPTER 083
OLIVIA’S POV
“Alright, Mrs. Westwood, shall we?” the woman said, placing a neat stack of papers on the table directly in front of Julian and me.
I blinked, confusion creasing my brow. “How did you know my last name? I never told you that.”
Even to my own ears, my voice sounded uncertain. I wasn’t being confrontational- just genuinely surprised. From the way her lips curved slightly, I could tell she had been expecting that question.
“Well,” she began with a small, almost amused shrug, “everyone knows the famous wife of Adrian Westwood.” Then, with a slight pause and a raised eyebrow, she added, ” Or should I say ex–wife?”
Her tone had shifted ever so slightly–more curious now, though still polite. For al moment, a heavy silence settled over the room. I could feel Julian’s gaze flicker toward me, probably wondering how I would respond to that…
“Well… soon–to–be ex–wife,” I said finally, my voice dropping a little. Saying it out loud still felt odd, like my tongue had yet to get used to the words.
“Mmm, I see,” she replied, her tone neutral as she nodded, but I didn’t miss the flicker of judgment–or maybe just curiosity–that crossed her face before she returned her attention to Julian.
“And let’s not leave out you, Mr. Blake,” she said, straightening her back. “Though | must admit, the rumors floating around about you and Mrs. Westwood haven’t exactly been… Appropriate.” She adjusted her glasses and gave us both a firm look. “But that‘ s not why we’re here. Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
Oh boy. Here came the part I’d been dreading–the truth.
I heard Julian clear his throat and shift in his chair, clearly gearing up for the awkward confession we were about to make. He glanced at me again, and I met his eyes before subtly nodding and gesturing with my head. No way was I doing the talking–he started this mess.
He sighed and finally spoke, “Well, uhmm… Mrs.?”
“You can call me Mrs. Lambert,” she interjected.
“Okay, Mrs. Lambert,” Julian continued, still trying to sound composed. “There was a small misunderstanding with this whole thing”
She raised an eyebrow.
Successfully unlocked!
“Yes, well, you see,” I jumped in, deciding to help him out–sort of. “We’re just friends. And where I come from, friends don’t usually adopt children together. So, he might
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CHAPTER 083
have… made a mistake when he said we were here to adopt.” I gave Julian a quick side glance. Yes, I absolutely pinned the blame on him. He was the one who blurted it out at the gate without any warning.
Mrs. Lambert blinked slowly. “I don’t understand. What exactly are you trying to say?”
“We didn’t come here to adopt.” Julian said, this time more firmly.
Silence.
Mrs. Lambert removed her glasses and set them down on the desk, folding her hands in front of her. Her lips were a thin line now, and the calm look on her face began to give way to visible irritation.
“So let me get this straight…” she began, her tone dropping a few degrees colder. “Your told them at the gate you were here to adopt. I personally escorted you inside, offered you seats, and went to fetch the necessary paperwork. At any point–literally any point. -you could’ve corrected the misunderstanding. But instead, you let me waste my time preparing documents for a process you had no intention of completing.”
Her voice was growing sharper, the edges lined with growing frustration.
“Do you have any idea how busy we are here? Every second counts, every form, every family visit. We don’t have the luxury of entertaining lies or… games.
The guilt was already bubbling in my chest, and Julian’s expression told me he was feeling it too.
“We didn’t do any of those because we came here for a different reason. We wanted to find out something.” I said, trying my best to stay composed even as tension slowly filled the room.
“Something else?” Her brows furrowed. “So you tricked us into letting you in just because you wanted to find out something else? Do you realize I’m supposed to be aring for the children right now?” she snapped, her voice rising an octave as she began stumping her index finger to the desk repeatedly. The sound echoed through
the small office
“I’m sorry I did that–I really am,” I said quickly, my hands placed firmly on the table as if bracing myself. “But this is also very important. To me. More than I can explain.”
Mrs. Lambert glared at me, clearly unimpressed with my apology. Her hand moved toward the telephone beside her, lifting it with purpose and dialing a number swiftly, each button press deliberate and final
Panic spiked in my chest. She was really going to kick us out
“Please…” I said suddenly, and the words that came next poured out of me without forethought, born of sheer desperation. “I really need your help. I was an orphan here. I only recently discovered I was adopted, and I came here hoping I could find out something–anything–about my biological parents”
The moment those words left my mouth, everything changed.
CHAPTER 083
Mrs. Lambert froze mid–dial. Her hand hovered in the air, motionless, and for a second I wasn’t sure she even heard me. Then, slowly, almost cautiously, she placed the receiver back on its hook and turned her eyes toward me. The stern expression she had worn moments earlier disappeared, replaced by something softer… something almost vulnerable.
“You were an orphan here?” she repeated, her tone significantly gentler now.
Η
“Yes, I was,” I replied with a quiet nod. “And that’s the real reason I came here today. I know I went about it the wrong way, but I didn’t know how else to do it. I just…. I needed to come here and try to piece together where I came from. Who I am.” There was a beat of silence as she looked at me. Then she cleared her throat softly and picked up her glasses from the desk with careful hands. “Well… maybe I can help,” she said, her voice almost distant as if she was remembering something far away. Julian gave me a look–shocked, eyebrows raised and lips slightly parted–but I was just as stunned as he was. I hadn’t expected her to listen, much less offer help. “You can?” I asked slowly. “But… why?”
She let out a small sigh and looked at both of us, her eyes clouded with memories.” Because I was also an orphan here. I grew up in this place. But before I could uncover anything about my own parents, it became too late. They were gone. The answers disappeared with them. And even though what you did today was dishonest and disrespectful, I wouldn’t wish that same regret on you.”
Her words hit me right in the chest, stirring something deep inside. I gave her a soft, sincere smile, my heart swelling a little with a hope I hadn’t expected to feel today. It was rare especially in this town to find someone who could look past the surface and see the pain underneath.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said gently. “But thank you. Really. Thank you.”
“I said I could help,” she corrected, her tone shifting back to business. “Not that I cant find them for you. That part’s still on you. But if you were truly an orphan here, then your file should still exist somewhere in our archives. Now, follow me.” She said.
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