"What?" Liliana couldn't hide her shock at Arthur's confession. She almost spilled her tea out of her glass in shock.
"You know my son and know where he is now?" repeated Liliana in an incredulous tone.
"Yes," Arthur replied solemnly.
Liliana looked wide-eyed, then cupped her own mouth with both palms. She got up and went to make sure that no one else outside her house would be listening in on her conversation with Arthur.
Once she was sure that the situation was safe, Liliana returned to her side porch, where she and Arthur were having tea together.
"So is it true that my son is currently fine?" Liliana later asked Arthur.
"Yes, ma'am. Your son is fine and in good health." Arthur replied.
Liliana seemed to let out a long breath, as if she was releasing a heavy burden that had been pressing on her chest.
"Thank God... Thank you for listening to my prayers," Liliana murmured gratefully.
Arthur could only look down as he let out a somewhat stifled sigh. He wanted so badly to tell his mother that he was the son Liliana had longed for. However, once again, Arthur was bound by the rules of the system, so he could not freely do what he wanted.
"What exactly happened to my son that he had to disappear like this?" asked Liliana after managing to catch her breath.
"Someone tried to harm him, so he had to pretend to be gone for a while in order to avenge that person's actions. If he appears now, he won't be able to expose the crimes that person has committed," Arthur said honestly.
"Someone wants to harm him? Is it Dave and Chloe?" asked Liliana with a tense face.
"I can't tell you everything, ma'am. What's important now is that you have confirmation that Arthur is fine and is making plans somewhere. You can rest easy and not have to guess anymore," Arthur said again.
Liliana nodded in understanding. In her heart, she was sure that what happened to Arthur was nothing but Dave and Chloe's doing. In fact, Arthur's fiancée also seemed to be involved. However, she didn't have any evidence to support her assumption. Even the police still haven't found any evidence.
But even so, Liliana still breathed a sigh of relief. At least, Arthur is confirmed to be safe even though he is still unable to appear. For some time now, she has only been strengthening her heart and trying to convince herself that her son is okay even though there is no certainty for that.
"Then, can I see Arthur for a while? I really miss him." Liliana asked in a tone that turned somewhat somber.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. For the time being, you will not be able to meet Arthur. His current hideout is in a very secret place. No one is allowed to come, even those closest to Arthur." Arthur replied again.
"Then can I call him for a while? If I can't meet him, hearing his voice for a while is fine too." Liliana was still persistent.
Athur shook his head with a regretful expression.
"Even a phone call is unlikely, ma'am. The party that wants to harm Arthur will immediately know and track down Arthur's current hiding place. Arthur's efforts over the past few days will have been in vain." Arthur tried to come up with an alibi that Liliana would accept without much protest.
Liliana seemed to pause for a moment, then nodded in understanding.Although it wasn't to her liking, she tried to understand. Arthur must be in a difficult position right now, so he couldn't act carelessly.
"Okay then," Liliana finally muttered in a resigned tone. Although she hadn't been able to see or contact Arthur, at least her son was okay.
"Is he healthy and eating well?" Liliana asked again after a few moments of silence.
Arthur nodded.
"Arthur is very healthy and eats well every day. He can also sleep comfortably. You don't need to worry about that." Arthur replied with a smile. He was not lying. Since becoming Arthur Wang, he has indeed eaten well and slept well on a comfortable bed.
"Thank goodness ...." Liliana murmured again as she breathed a sigh of relief. Her old eyes seemed to be slightly glazed with tears.
"By the way, how do you know Arthur?" Liliana then asked about something else.
"I was one of his friends when he was studying abroad," Arthur replied. This time he had to make up a story.
"He never told me he had a friend named Artha." Liliana muttered as she recalled.
"We didn't get along very well back then, so it's only natural that she never told you about me. We met again recently because of business, and then we became close. But then he had an accident and had to disappear for a while," Arthur lied.
Liliana nodded her head, seemingly believing Arthur's words.
"Actually, I came here also because of Arthur's request. He wanted to know how you were doing." Arthur lied again.
This time Liliana did not answer. Only her eyes looked even redder. She seemed to be finding it increasingly difficult to contain her feelings.
"Yes, even though our relationship hasn't been so good lately, I know that he still cares about me," Liliana said later in a voice that sounded a little hoarse.
"He's very sorry for how he treated you, ma'am. Now he realizes that no one cares about him and loves him as much as you do. She regrets not trusting you." Arthur responded with an equally unbearable feeling.
"Is that true?" murmured Liliana incredulously. The woman's tears finally fell without her being able to prevent them.
"Yes, he can now see clearly, which ones are sincere to him and which ones are just out to take advantage of him. Your son already knows everything. And when he returns, you will be the first person he will want to hug."
"He said that?" Liliana sobbed slightly.
"Yes, he did." Arthur said.
Liliana could no longer hold herself back. Her defenses collapsed. She sobbed while covering her face with both palms.
Arthur could only watch his mother cry without being able to do anything. He wanted to come hug his mother, but he was afraid that he would be unable to hold back his feelings. He was afraid he would admit that he was Arthur, which would make his revenge mission go awry.
Liliana herself finally calmed down a bit after shedding all her troubles by crying. Her heart felt much lighter and her breathing also felt more relaxed. She wiped away her tears and lifted her face more determinedly than before.
"Everything will be fine, ma'am. There's no need to worry," Arthur consoled after watching Liliana cry.
"If Arthur can't be reached through phone calls and can't be visited either, then how have you been keeping in touch with him?" Liliana asked later after being much calmer.
"Through letters. That's only at certain times, not all the time," Arthur replied. Again, he had to make up a story that Liliana's logic would accept.
Liliana nodded, seeming to believe him.
"Is it okay if I leave a letter for Arthur later?" Liliana asked again.
"Of course you may, ma'am. He'll be very happy to receive it," Arthur replied with a smile.
Liliana's eyes condensed again, but instead of crying this time, she smiled back at Arthur.
"I'm going to write a long letter. I hope he'll read it all the way through without getting bored," Liliana murmured softly.
"I'm sure he won't get bored reading it. In fact, he'll repeat reading it several times."
Liliana wiped the corners of her eyes and let out a long breath. Her longing for her son was becoming more and more intense. But what could she say, she still couldn't hug her son right now.
"You don't mind enjoying tea and macaroons alone first. I want to write a letter to Arthur," Liliana said later.
Arthur sipped his tea for a moment, then nodded with a smile.
"Please write as many letters as you can, ma'am. Arthur will be very happy to receive them," Arthur said.
"Thank you very much." Liliana replied in a happy tone, before finally walking out of Arthur's presence.