Chapter 385: An Orphan

Elena pinched her palm, refusing to acknowledge her mistakes. Lowering her voice, she said to Cecilia, “If you hadn't remained childless despite your long marriage to Nathaniel, I wouldn't have been so desperate to find a replacement for him.”

In the world of family businesses, a childless boss was considered absurd.

“You have no right to lecture me. Who doesn't love their own child?” Elena snapped before leaving.

Cecilia stood, a wave of sadness washing over her; her mother had never shown her affection. This explained her earlier meddling. Lost in thought, her hand was grasped from behind.

“Thank you,” Nathaniel said, his mood brighter than she'd ever seen it.

Cecilia, startled, quickly pulled away. “You don’t need to thank me. I acted impulsively out of pity. Nothing more.”

She immediately went to Martha’s room, worried the commotion had disturbed her. Fortunately, Jonathan had gone shopping with Sven and hadn't seen Elena.

Meanwhile, Elena drove home with a throbbing headache. Cecilia, daring to lecture me, her own mother-in-law! she thought, pinching the bridge of her nose and urging the driver to speed up.

The car slowed in town traffic. Frustrated, Elena opened the window and spotted a familiar figure.

“Jon! What are you doing here?”

Elena stopped the car and ran after Jonathan. Lately, her life had been hectic, yet she'd been persistently investigating Jonathan's background. She'd initially believed Ernest was his father, but Ernest denied it. Her investigation revealed Vivian had been celibate while abroad and had no children. Jon wasn't Vivian's son! Elena had then discreetly searched for Jon's biological mother, suspecting a resemblance to Nathaniel—he might be Nathaniel's illegitimate son.

After a considerable distance, Elena lost sight of Jonathan, reluctantly returning to her car.

Nearby, Jonathan sighed in relief. How did Elena get here? he wondered.

“Mr. Sven, let’s hurry home,” he said, realizing Elena had likely come to cause trouble for his father or mother.

“Alright.”

Relieved to find his family home, Jonathan visited Martha. He learned from the caregiver that Elena had visited, intending to take his father home, but he'd refused to go.

Seeing Jonathan's return, Cecilia decided to visit Elliot, who was hospitalized. With New Year's approaching, she couldn't bear leaving him alone.

She knocked on Nathaniel’s door and entered. “There’s something I need to tell you,” Cecilia paused. “Mason should have told you I have another child, Elliot. I’m bringing him home tonight, and I need you to be careful with your words. His health isn't good.”

Cecilia was informing him, not seeking approval. She then went to the hospital to pick up Elliot.

Elliot, unlike Jonathan, resembled a typical four-year-old. Cecilia decided to keep him unaware of the family complexities. At the hospital, she said, “Elliot, we’ve taken in Mr. Rainsworth. He’s blind and ill, with no one to care for him.”

Elliot, underestimating his mother, played along. “Mommy, I understand. Mr. Rainsworth must be an orphan, right?”