Chapter 589
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Soon, Mary arrived, bringing the good news with her.
This time, the person who felt awkward was Claire. Upon seeing Hank’s grandmother, she couldn’t help but shrink back.
After chatting briefly with Cherise, Mary caught sight of someone nearby who she simply couldn’t ignore. “Is this Hank’s mother?”
Claire, who had been trying to shrink into the background, immediately sat up straight when Mary spoke.
She thought to herself, ‘I’ve already survived Clusia, so what’s this little bit of awkwardness?‘ After adjusting her posture, she steeled herself and looked Mary in the eye, replying, “Yes, I am Mrs. Phoebe Chivers. I’m Hank’s mother, and I’m also Cherise’s mother.”
Her words were calm and confident, and with her rare grace and composure, she immediately caught Mary’s attention. “Ah, I see now! Like mother, like son. What a beautiful woman you are! Thank you for bringing such a wonderful pair of children into the world.”
Mary said this as she slowly moved closer to where Claire was sitting. “I’m a straight shooter, and since we’re practically family now, let’s not beat around the bush. I’m curious–have you met a man who suits you these past years?”
Claire, feeling a bit awkward, chuckled nervously and waved her hand. “No, nothing like that. Even if I had the thought, I just don’t have the ability for it. I’ve been lying in bed all these years, and let’s face it, the conditions just aren’t right.” Mary responded with a surprised “Oh!” followed by a somewhat excited expression. “Well, that’s really-”
Realizing she might have said something inappropriate, she quickly covered her mouth and then continued, “Oh no, I mean, that’s really too bad. You’ve had to carry the burden of raising Hank all by yourself these years.”
Claire awkwardly chuckled a couple of times. “It’s not exactly like that. Hank wasn’t really raised by me, more like my best friend took care of him. She’s still in Astamia and didn’t come back with us.
But Hank’s a good kid, we never had to worry much.”
“Well, that’s still your doing.” Mary added, giving her a thumbs up.
Before long, the two women, who had been exchanging words, seemed to hit it off, and they began chatting away, laughing and joking with each other.
*****
When Hank saw the news shared by Morris about Cherise’s pregnancy, he had just come out of the orphanage. When Hank saw the news shared by Morris about Cherise’s pre
Like everyone else, he smiled brightly upon reading it, his youthful energy shining through.
As usual, he casually hopped onto a bike and started pedaling back to the villa in the southern part of the city.
However, halfway through, at the same spot where Lydia’s subordinates had previously caught him, a car and its driver were waiting for him again.
Hank, who had already slammed on the brakes, narrowed his eyes at the black sedan blocking his way. Just as he was about to swerve around it, the car door on the driver’s side opened, and a woman stepped out.
The woman was none other than Stella. “Hello, Hank. Long time no see,” she greeted with a smile.
Hank sighed upon seeing her and showed his annoyance, “How is it you again? No, I should ask, how is it you people from the Walton family again?
12:39 Sat, 22 Feb MO
Chapter 589
“You stopped me here last time too. What, are you planning to pull the same stunt again?”
Stella had no idea about the previous incident when Tristan had ordered Lydia to stop Hank, so she was a bit confused. “What do you mean, last time? I’m not aware of anything, Hank. Is there some sort of misunderstanding?”
As Stella spoke, she began to wonder if her brother had done something to Hank, since he was now Arthur’s son.
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Arthur and her brother, although appearing to be colleagues, were actually fierce competitors behind the scenes. So what Hank had just said didn’t seem entirely impossible.
Hank didn’t care about Stella’s confusion and scoffed. “Birds of a feather.”
“Perhaps there really is some misunderstanding, Hank,” Stella continued, speaking in a softer tone, almost pleading. “Can I have just a few minutes of your time? I just need to ask you one question, and then I’ll leave.”
Hank stayed on his bike and glanced at her. “Hurry up.”
He had already been out for most of the day and needed to get back to see his mother. He also wondered how things had gone with Ms. Leach.
“Come on, speak quickly,” he urged after a brief pause.
Stella, seeing that Hank had finally stopped, quickly started, “Hank, I know you’re Arthur’s son.
“That’s why I stopped you today. I just need to ask you one question–something about your mother. Can you tell me who your mother is? Is she someone I know?”
“Seriously, this is ridiculous,” Hank said, crossing his arms and looking at the well–groomed woman in disbelief.
“Lady, you followed me all the way here, blocked my path, just to ask who my mother is?
“I mean, to put it bluntly, why does this concern you? I’m not going to entertain this.” With that, Hank turned his bike around and was about to pedal away.
But Stella was unwilling to let him go. The fact that Arthur had a son had been bothering her for some time. She immediately stepped in front of Hank’s bike, blocking his way. “This is important to me. I’ve loved your father for many
years.
I thought he was single, and I stayed single for him, hoping that one day I could stand by his side.
I never expected this, never thought this would be the outcome. Please, Hank, tell me what you want. I will buy it for you.” Stella seemed to have thrown caution to the wind, speaking her heart out, disregarding everything else.
Hank looked at the strange woman in front of him and couldn’t help but mutter, “No wonder Jean told me never to mess with women over forty. They’re terrifying.
“Look, your feelings are your own business, but I really have nothing to say, so thanks, but no thanks.”
With that, Hank quickly turned his bike around, taking advantage of the moment when she was caught off guard, and pedaled toward a gap in the side of the road.
“Hey, hey, wait!” Stella took a few steps after him, but soon stopped, frustrated. She stomped her foot in defeat, then squatted down, her face contorted in apparent distress as she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
When the call was answered, she pleaded, “Lance, it’s Stella. Please, I need you to do me a favor.”
After the call, Stella stayed in the car for a long time, brooding in silence.
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About an hour later, her phone rang again. The voice on the other end was Lance’s from earlier. “Stella, I’ve got something.
“Arthur’s son just went into a villa at The Southbrook Manor 88, in the southern part of the city. The owner of the villa is named Claire, and she just returned from Astamia not long ago. It seems like they’re mother and son.”
