Chapter 1324
Chapter 1323:
“Elliana, how did your mom get hurt and fall into the sea all those years ago?” Kaleb asked, eager for answers. Everyone turned to Elliana, waiting to hear the truth.
Elliana looked around at their expectant faces. “It’s a long story. We’ll need time to talk it through. Let’s sit down first p>
“Let’s go back to the Thompson residence,” Jenifer suggested. “Elliana just woke up and hasn’t eaten. She can tell us everything after breakfast p>
No one disagreed. They took the elevator down, ready to head to the Thompson estate.
But the moment they stepped out of the hotel, they ran into Cole, Arthur, and Milton, who had come searching for Elliana.
Even though the Thompsons hadn’t dealt with the Sun Group or the Evans Group personally, Cole, Arthur, and Milton were world-renowned figures. The Thompsons recognized them at once.
Before Elliana could introduce them, Milton’s eyes locked onto Rita. “Mom p>
Rita froze. She had seen Milton’s photo yesterday and accepted that he was her son, but her mind was still blank. Hearing a grown man suddenly call her “Mom” left her startled and unsure.
As Rita hesitated, Arthur stepped forward, his voice shaking. “Rita p>
Twenty years had passed since the couple was torn apart. Now reunited, Arthur’s eyes shone with tears of joy.
But Rita looked lost. She had seen Arthur’s photo yesterday. She knew he was her husband—that they had two children—but she didn’t know how to face him now. Arthur’s deep, tender gaze made her heart flutter. A soft blush rose to her cheeks before she could stop it.
Before Rita could decide how to respond to Arthur, Milton had already moved. He rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Mom! I finally found you p>
Milton had been only six when Rita had been compelled to leave him. More than twenty years had passed since then. But his longing for her had only grown deeper with time.
𝕍𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕥 𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕖:
From the day she disappeared, he had been forced to shoulder a burden far too heavy for a child. Overnight, he had practically stepped from boyhood into adulthood. There was no real childhood. No slow journey into adolescence. He had simply grown up because life demanded it.
He had kept Rita’s final instructions close to his heart—take care of Arthur, never forget her, and once he was grown and able, bring his sister home.
And he had fulfilled every word. He had stayed by his father’s side, worked tirelessly, built himself into a dependable man, and never stopped carrying the family’s load. He had never once forgotten his mother. And just as she had told him, he had found his sister and brought her back. Now, after decades of struggle, the family was whole again.
As memories of that long, lonely journey rushed through him, Milton’s eyes filled with tears. “Mom p>
He called out to her again and again, tightening his hold as if she might slip away. He could not bear the thought of losing her again.
Rita’s memories of her own past were gone, but seeing Milton cling to her with such desperation left her unable to push him away. She didn’t resist. His embrace was warm. Steady. Comforting. So this was what it felt like to be held by her son. After a moment, Rita lifted her arms and slowly hugged him back. She had no memory of raising a child. No memory of hugging her child. Holding a grown man as her son felt unfamiliar, yet the feeling easing into her heart was gentle and strangely sweet.