Chapter 162 The First Hug, His Muscles Are So Firm
The entire room contained only a black wooden table.
Beside it were two chairs.
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On the table lay a photograph, surrounded by plaster roses and angel figurines.
Behind the photo was a pure white urn.
The name on the photo was-
Evangeline.
Cassius’s mother!
No wonder…
No wonder he dared not approach but couldn’t bring himself to leave!
No wonder the old man’s eyes were red when he left earlier.
No wonder he was so angry about the demolition.
She brought out a floor mat from the room and spread it on the ground.
“Want to sit?”
She sat down first.
“I just asked Ms. Evan, and she told me to have some rest.”
She looked up.
The man stood in the light, his profile bathed in soft glow.
His eyes seemed to reflect the light.
Then, to her surprise, he actually sat down on the mat beside her.
When he first sat down, his body was slightly stiff.
Gemma pulled out a mint–flavored gum from her pocket and placed it in his palm.
“This fell off Ms. Evan’s table just now.”
“Maybe she wanted me to give it to you.”
“After all, I introduced myself as your friend.”
Cassius lowered his gaze.
He stared at the gum, lost in thought.
The coldness in his eyes gradually warmed.
It was as if a lost child had finally found his way home.
‘Cassius, I don’t think Ms. Evan ever blamed you.”
Though she didn’t know the full story.
She could piece together some of it from Vincent’s reactions.
It was likely that Evangeline had a difficult pregnancy, and the old man, having lost his daughter, couldn’t move on.
Besides resenting Derick’s infidelity, he also blamed Cassius for bringing misfortune.
Only by holding onto this hatred could the old man find the will to live.
Over the years, due to the old man’s cold rejection, the shadow in Cassius’s heart had grown darker.
He had gradually accepted the fallacy that he was the murderer of his mother.
What a pitiful soul.
When Gemma turned to look at him, she truly saw a hint of grievance in his slightly moist eyes.
Cassius, you know, back when I was in school, my teacher taught us something.”
‘From the moment a woman becomes pregnant, there are countless opportunities to prevent the child from being born.”
“You might not know this, but women have strong intuition.”
“Ms. Evan definitely didn’t wait until she was about to give birth to realize there was a problem.”
Her gaze was firm
Her voice was gentle.
Like a celestial maiden descending from the heavens.
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Chapter 162 The First Hug, His Muscles Are So Firm
“Even if she knew early on, she still chose to give birth to you.”
Cassius gently unwrapped the gum and put it in his mouth.
It was slightly bitter.
His brow furrowed slightly.
“Really?”
His fists clenched tightly.
He was desperately trying to suppress the beast he had locked away in his heart for years.
“Before you were born, Ms. Evan made all the arrangements.”
“Back when you told me Ms. Evan had divorced Derick long ago, I guessed that this was her way of securing a future for you.”
Gemma carefully considered the sequence of events.
Connecting the dots from her conversation with Elizabeth.
She made a bold conjecture.
“She had already anticipated her own fate back then.”
“She wasn’t afraid!”
“But she was afraid that after she was gone, no one would take care of you.”
“And although your aunt is a good person, she didn’t dare take the risk. So she used her wealth to make a deal, ensuring your aunt would protect you
as you grew up.”
After all, once Evangeline died, the Raven family would fall into Derick’s hands. How could Elizabeth possibly stand up to her brother?
Unless Elizabeth’s confidence, like Derick’s, came from Evangeline.
Elizabeth’s dowry back then was said to be extravagant.
Sibling discord, huh?
How could Derick bear to spend so much money just to save face?
So, that must have been Evangeline’s gift to her sister–in–law.
A parent’s love for their child knows no bounds. They plan far ahead.
Evangeline truly cherished the child in her womb, going to great lengths to plan his entire life.
If he turned out to be unremarkable, his aunt’s protection would at least ensure he lived happily as a wealthy heir.
If he achieved greatness, those shares would be his key to revenge.
“I really envy you.”
She sighed.
“Cassius, having such a wonderful mother, I truly envy you.”
Cassius felt the gum dissolve on his tongue, the mint flavor spreading.
The initial bitterness quickly faded.
Leaving behind an endless sweetness.
He turned to look at her.
Today, Gemma wasn’t wearing any makeup.
But her skin was flawless. Even at such close range, not a single pore was visible.
Like a delicate porcelain doll.
It was hard to connect her to the image of someone who had thrown a blades at Derick.
She always managed to surprise him at certain moments, in certain environments.
For some reason…
He felt a sudden warmth in his chest.
A feeling he couldn’t quite describe, yet it brought him joy, spreading through his limbs.
Even though the trees blocked out the sky.
He still felt a warm glow on his body.
For the first time.
He showed a gentle expression.
“Maybe your guess makes sense.”
He looked toward the main house.
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Chapter 162 The First Hug, His Muscles Are So Firm
He genuinely hoped Gemma was right.
Gemma smiled. “It’s not a guess.”
“When I was offering incense to Ms. Evan earlier, this gum just fell down.”
“You thought I stole it?”
‘Come on, do I look that uncivilized?”
Cassius actually smiled.
A genuine smile.
Gemma was stunned.
She had always known Cassius as the aloof, untouchable figure.
But when he smiled, he looked warm and radiant.
“You should smile more often.”
“Ms. Evan would be so happy to see you like this.”
Cassius looked back at the main house.
He tried to smile wider.
But…
It looked a bit awkward.
Gemma noticed his stiffness and suddenly realized something. She quickly took off his coat.
“I’m not cold anymore. Here, you take it.”
She mimicked his earlier gesture, trying to drape the coat over him.
But he was slightly taller, so she had to reach up, losing her balance!
She tumbled straight into Cassius’s arms.
“Careful!”
Cassius instinctively wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
With a slight force.
He pulled her into his embrace.
His arms were broad and strong.
The muscles in his hands were firm and powerful.
She felt as if she could never fall while in his arms.
“Cassius.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re holding me too tight. I can’t breathe.”
The grip around her loosened slightly.
Just enough for her to breathe.
Gemma, “…”
Cassius asked, “Is this better?”
“Y–yeah, it’s fine.”
“Were you scared earlier? It was just a mouse,”
Gemma, “!!!”
Now she was really scared!
ルギー
