Chapter 139 Adeline

Chapter 139 Adeline
Adeline's POV 

If not for the fact that Percy had stopped me, I would have run to Zara's apartment to break the news of my pregnancy to her. And I have also been doing my best in avoiding facing the woman who I had thought was my mother. 

All efforts to contact me from her side proved futile because I expressly told Percy to make sure she couldn't contact me. I was not ready to hear her excuses. I was still not ready, but Ilya resurfacing took that choice away from me, that bastard.

"You're overthinking again," Percy said, his voice a low rumble behind me. I felt his hands settle on my shoulders as his thumbs traced the line of my collarbone. Since he took the day off, he was dressed down in simple black jeans and a shirt. Since the doctor’s appointment yesterday, he hadn't let me out of his sight for more than ten minutes.

"I’m just... I don't know what to say to her, Percy," I admitted. "How do you relate with a woman who stole you but also gave you everything she had? Because she did the best she could as a mother, given her selfish nature."

"You greet her as the woman you’ve become. As my queen, the mother of my children, and as a senior partner in the biggest law firm," Percy said. "She's not here to judge you, baby, she has no right to."

The elevator chimed, and I held my breath as I turned around. Sloane had volunteered to welcome her even as I assured her it was unnecessary. Sloane looked even more nervous than I did, which sort of made me feel better.

My mother, eh, Melissa, stepped out. She looked smaller than I remembered. She clutched her handbag to her chest, and for a moment, I could swear she looked self-conscious. She was not dressed as lavishly as she used to, maybe because Percy had stopped sponsoring her lifestyle, I don't know.

Then, her eyes found mine. "Adeline," she whispered.

"Hi, Mom," I said, the word feeling strange and heavy in my mouth. It made me a bit sad to see that she had lost her usual dramatics. She had mellowed, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

We sat around the dining table in an awkward silence. If not for Sloane playing the hostess as she poured us coffee, we would have all been sitting there and twiddling our hands.

"So, Adeline, darling, how have you been?"

"Good, Mom," I mumbled and sipped my coffee, not offering her anything more.

"The place is... it’s even higher up than I remembered." Melissa said, her voice trembling as she took a sip of the tea she asked for. 

"It's been a long time since you've been in here, Melissa."

"Yes, I guess."

"Plus, it keeps the noise out and any unwanted visitors." Percy added smoothly. 

"I know I've never said this to you, Percy, but I want to thank you for looking after her." My mouth dropped open in surprise. This was not the mother I grew up with. "I know I didn't give her the best start for a life like this."

"She deserves all the good things in life."

"You did the best you could." I added after Percy nudged me with his feet under the table.
She looked at me and took a deep breath. "Look, we can skip the formalities. Percy knows everything. Sloane knows everything. We’re all family here, so there's no need for this awkwardness." 

Her eyes filled with tears, then. "I heard about... the gala and the trouble with the other family. I was so worried, Addie, I swear. I thought your father had finally found you."

"He has," I said, my voice hardening. "Ilya Kozlov used Marcus Vane and Eric Weeks to file a lawsuit against the Whitmore estate yesterday. The file is bogus, but it will hold up in court."

"He won't stop at a lawsuit. Ilya doesn't care about money as much as he cares about control. He will try to take everything you love just to prove he can."

Later that evening, after Percy had dragged Sloane away to discuss her curriculum, which I knew was just an excuse to give us space, I found Melissa out on the balcony, staring at the city lights with her coat wrapped tightly around her.

"I wanted to hate you," I said, stepping out to stand beside her. "When I found out. When I realized my whole life had been a lie and all those moving we did..." 

Melissa didn't turn around. "I know. You have every right to. I was so arrogant. I never thought you would find out, and I didn't think you would ever be found."

"Why did you choose to cover for him?"

"I wish I could say he was that powerful because he was, but I could have made him dump you in an orphanage, but I wanted to keep you. He knew I loved you, so he constantly used you against me. He also loved the feeling of having one over the police. All in all, we were both selfish, and it hurt you. I have no excuse for that."

She could have also left me with him, but she didn't do that because he would have turned me into a weapon. I was grateful for that."

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" She said after a stretch of silence.

"How did you know?"

"You've been rubbing your stomach all day." 

I smiled at her. "Twins."

She burst into tears. "Oh, Adeline. I'm so happy you have Percy. You're going to be a good mother."

Her apology wasn't perfect, and it wasn't going to magically erase the pain she had caused in my life, but it was a start. Not everything was black and white, my relationship with Melissa taught me that.

We went back inside, the air between us finally clear, but the peace was short-lived.

Percy was standing in the center of the living room with his phone in his hand, and his expression hardened enough to know something had happened. I recognized Silas on the speaker.

"Boss, we have a problem," Silas’ voice crackled. "The Supreme Court didn't just serve the papers. They’ve granted an emergency injunction. Their legal team is claiming that because Melissa is a fugitive and an accomplice from an old kidnapping charge, any testimony she gives regarding the case is inadmissible, which is crazy because the real criminal is behind the lawsuit."

"He’s trying to create drama around us," I said, it was a known tactic. "He knows she’s going to be my star witness for the fraud claim. If he can discredit her, they can lock her up until she provides Ilya, which won't happen."

"The Supreme Court is letting this shit fly? What are they even after?"

"To prove to the world that the Whitmore business is a failure. The stocks will plummet, and the rest will follow."

He walked over to me. "I promised you no one would touch you, didn't I?" I nodded. "I still stand by that."