Liliana said awkwardly, “Well, it’s really not that important… Mr. Loyd, I’m not good with words, and I’m afraid I’ll say something wrong, so maybe I should let Miles speak instead.”
Andrew immediately looked toward Miles, waiting quietly for him to continue.
Miles opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if gathering tremendous courage before finally speaking up.
“Mr. Lloyd, Liliana and I have made a decision! P–Please become our stepfather!”
Andrew’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, thinking there must be something wrong with his hearing. “What did you say? Miles, could you please repeat that?”
Since it was already out, Miles no longer held back. “I said we’d like you to be with our mom. It’s obvious she cares about you. She’s lost her martial strength, and though she puts on a happy face, Liliana and I know she spends her nights restless and staring into the dark. The only time her eyes light up is when you’re around.”
He continued, “We both know she’s barely had a single happy day in her life. Our father married into the family, but he turned out to be useless and betrayed her in the end. We don’t want her trapped in this unfair life forever. Mr. Lloyd, you’re a man worthy of respect, and though what I’m saying might sound crazy, even shocking, it’s what we truly want as her children. As long as Mom is happy, nothing else matters.”
Andrew froze, staring at Miles up and down. The man looked perfectly sane, but the words coming out of his mouth were insane, the kind of wild nonsense only someone suffering decades of brain fog might blurt out.
Liliana quickly jumped in, embarrassed. “Mr. Lloyd, I know this might sound exaggerated and hard to accept right away. But think about it… My mom’s still young, and she’s as elegant as ever. Honestly, her charm outshines mine by far, and in Blumedale, there’s no shortage of men who admire her. She’s alone now, while you’re unmarried. And you know the saying: an older woman is a treasure. If my mom could be with someone like you, she’d be overjoyed. And for you, Mr. Lloyd, having a stunning older woman is an experience no young girl could ever give.”
As the girl rambled further off the rails, Andrew raised his hand. “Enough. Let’s keep this between the three of us. My stance is simple, and you two need to stop with the ridiculous ideas. Victoria treats me like family, like her own son, and I see her the same way. I’ve never had improper thoughts about her. Honestly, you two need a doctor.”
Miles panicked and pressed harder. “Mr. Lloyd, please, just think it over! We didn’t come to this lightly… We really considered it. It may sound absurd, but things like this do happen. And even though Mom has lost her martial strength, she’s kept herself in great shape. When you’re out together, no one would even notice much of an age gap.”
Andrew’s face went cold. “I don’t want to hear this again. That’s tigal.”
He had no desire to argue further. The whole thing gave him a headache and made his chest tighten. He did not even want to imagine what would happen if Tiana ever found out about this. She would probably explode.
As for Victoria, Andrew fell silent. He had never been able to read this elegant woman clearly. But one thing was certain: Andrew was not a monster, and there were some things he simply would not do.