Chapter 681
It was indeed a handsome face, one that bore a certain resemblance to Norton’s.
He looked to be in his mid-twenties, which also matched Norton’s age.
Of course, this wasn’t Norton.
Penelope knew Mrs. Stapleton had been full of hope, and seeing the man’s face clearly now would be a shock she couldn’t immediately accept. Penelope was about to comfort her when Mrs. Stapleton suddenly embraced the homeless man emotionally.
“Norton, Mom has finally found you p>
Penelope stood stunned for a long moment, then quickly pulled Mrs. Stapleton back, whispering, “Look carefully. This isn’t Norton p>
Mrs. Stapleton, who had been crying, froze at her words.
“Of course this is Norton. How could I mistake my own son p>
Penelope was speechless.
“And you. It’s only been six years, and you don’t even recognize him p>
Mrs. Stapleton shot her a disdainful look and turned back to the homeless man. Seeing his dazed expression, his eyes fixed on the bowl of unfinished food, she completely broke down when he tried to kneel and eat again.
“Norton, what’s happened to you? You don’t even recognize your own mother? You Mrs. Stapleton reached for the man’s hand but only grasped an empty sleeve. A sob escaped her.
“Mom is so sorry. If I had cared about you more, you would never have run away from home! I was wrong, please forgive me, Norton. I promise I’ll make it all up to you p>
Mrs. Stapleton’s grief-stricken cries drew a crowd of onlookers, many of whom were happy that the homeless man’s family had finally found him.
Feeling helpless, Penelope tried to reason with Mrs. Stapleton again.
“Please, look again. He really isn’t Norton p>
But Mrs. Stapleton wouldn’t listen. She hugged the homeless man again,
apologizing through her tears. The man, terrified, struggled to break free. When he couldn’t, he began to whimper along with her.
“Norton, you missed Mom too, didn’t you p>
Seeing that it was about to rain again, Mrs. Stapleton ignored Penelope’s objections and insisted on taking the homeless man back to the hotel. She even asked the male hotel owner to help him take a bath.
Once he was clean and dressed in fresh clothes, his face was even clearer.
Yet, Mrs. Stapleton still believed he was Norton. She busied herself blow-drying his hair, trimming his long bangs, cutting his nails, and finally, feeding him.
After he had fallen asleep, she sat by his bed, gazing at his face with a look of pure maternal love.
“Norton, you’ve suffered so much. When we get home, Mom and your brother will take care of you. We won’t let you be wronged ever again p>
version of Mrs.
Watching this ve
Stapleton, Penelope saw a mother for the first time-Norton’s mother She was showering this stranger with the motherly love that Norton had craved his entire life but never received. sŵnovels
Penelope’s throat constricted with sorrow. Not wanting to upset Mrs. Stapleton, she
fled the room to get some air.
Mrs. Stapleton was now convinced
this homeless man was Norton and
would surely try to take him back to Orenth, which was absolutely out of the question. But Penelope couldn’t persuade her. After thinking it over, she realized she should call
Theodore.
But could she really drag Theodore back into the grief of Norton’s tragic death?
She couldn’t bear to do it.
In the end, Penelope didn’t call
Theodore. She decided it was best to try and keep Mrs. Stapleton calm for a couple of days Perhaps, in a moment of clarity, she would realize
the man in front of her wasn’t
Norton.
With that thought, she returned to the room, only to find Mrs. Stapleton on the phone with Theodore.
“Theo, I found Norton! I found him! I’m bringing him back to Orenth tomorrow. From now on, we have to take good care of him p>
Penelope didn’t know what Theodore said on the other end, but Mrs. Stapleton became angry.
“How can you say that? He’s your brother p>
“Of course he’s Norton p>