Chapter 952 – His Second Chance Love: The Freezing Silence

Chapter 952 – His Second Chance Love: The Freezing Silence

“Good.” Emery nodded. Seeing that Anthony gave no reaction, she decided to leave things at that.

Only then did I realize that Anthony was seething in silence, waiting for Emery to suggest a solution. After all, The Jade belonged to her.

The outcome was already considered merciful. If it were in the past, that waiter’s fate would be much worse.

I guess this was the life of an insignificant person. If he failed to do what was required of him, he didn’t deserve his position and could only face the consequences. Not to mention, the one he offended was a somewhat paranoid perfectionist such as Anthony.

Subsequently, the manager guided us further in.

We walked along a hallway and reached a private room. Emery stepped aside to give way to us.

Baffled, I linked arms with Anthony and walked into the room. Upon seeing the people inside, I stood paralyzed to the spot.

The girl at the table was wearing a student uniform with her hair swept in a high ponytail and her head already reached the shoulder of the man beside her. There was a layer of mist in her eyes, but I could see that she had blossomed into a graceful young lady.

At that moment, I thought I was seeing Macy standing there while smiling at me with joy.

Pressure built behind my nose as tears stung my eyes. I subconsciously let go of Anthony’s arm and shuffled closer to that familiar figure. “Macy?”

“Mommy…”

The girl’s clear voice reminded me of the sound of bells. Perhaps it had been too long, but I couldn’t seem to recall Macy’s voice. At that moment, I only felt like I was meeting someone I knew a lifetime ago.

Dazed, I slowed in my footsteps.

However, the girl couldn’t seem to wait anymore, running toward me with tears in her eyes. Before I could react, I was already enveloped in a warm embrace.

“Mommy, I missed you so much!”

I finally snapped out of my daze. This girl wasn’t Macy; she was Summer.

She looked so much like her mother that I found it inconceivable.

I slowly hugged her back and parted my lips to exhale a long breath, holding down the urge to cry. Then, I patted her on the back and whispered, “Thank God you’re alright. Thank God…”

Many times, when missing her kept me up throughout the night, I would think about all the things I wanted to say to her. However, I found myself bereft of speech upon finally seeing her again. Instead, all those words seemed to be channeled into my actions and the silent tears rolling down my cheeks. At that moment, it seemed like nothing I said would be enough to alleviate the pain that came with six years of separation.

After what seemed like an eternity, a deep male voice broke through the silence.

“Let’s sit down first and talk.”

Following the source of the voice, it took me two seconds to recognize the man as Jared.

He kept the same hairstyle he had six years ago. Genuine warmth and humility shone in his slightly squinted eyes. The only difference was that the strands of hair curled at his temples were already white, making the dark stubble on his chin look a bit fake.

Perhaps it was.

Time was enough to resolve all grudges.

I could no longer remember which great man said this, but when our eyes met, it felt like many things from the past had faded away. We nodded to each other in greeting, but we both knew who it was really for.

After taking our seats, Summer explained that Anthony was the one who arranged for them to return to the country. They had originally planned to come back with the elders, but due to having other plans, they arrived earlier but Anthony didn’t tell me because he wanted to give me a surprise.

I had to admit, he achieved his goal.

I wanted to thank him properly, but Summer clung to me and prattled on, “Mommy, do you know? I feel like I’m the happiest person in the world now. Mr. Cress said that you were sick like me too and went to a place where no one could find you. Dad couldn’t handle your departure, that’s why he left us. I was sad for a very long time but believed that you’d come back someday. And now you have! I knew that you would never abandon Audrey and me.”

As Summer spoke, she clung to me like she used to when she was younger, making her look like an overgrown child.

My lips curved into a smile and I gently rubbed the crown of her head with mixed emotions in my heart.

Perhaps to Summer, the “truth” that everyone so carefully maintained around her had become the best part of her life.

As long as the lie was built out of love and belief, it could protect a child’s growth.

It had been six years since Summer and Gregory saw each other. She had grown up into a cheerful person and was especially fond of her quiet and elegant little brother, constantly teasing him when she got the chance.

It seemed like absence indeed made the heart grow fonder because upon entering the private room, Audrey had hung around Summer and completely ignored Anthony.

As a result, the table was divided. My side was a lively long-lost reunion, while John and Anthony’s was quiet and lonely.

Summer’s attention was fully focused on Gregory. “Hey Greg, do you remember me? I’m Summer. Your big sister.”

Gregory shook his head. “No, but I’ll remember from now on.”

Audrey cut in right then with an expectant look on her face. “Summer, did you miss me?”

“Of course I did! I thought about you every single morning when I woke up,” Summer answered without missing a beat, then pinched Audrey’s chubby cheek before turning back to tease Gregory. “Greg, you’re so cute. I’m sure there are plenty of girls who give you love letters in school, huh? How many have you received? Tell me, hmm?”

Gregory fell silent for a moment before speaking. “I don’t like girls.”

“Huh?” Summer grew up in an open-minded environment after all. Hence, she smirked and continued probing, “Do you mean you like boys, then?”

“No,” Gregory immediately denied. “Children are too noisy. I don’t like all of them.”

Summer’s reaction was exactly the same as mine back then. She froze for a moment as astonishment flashed across her face. Then, amusement filled her eyes, probably thinking that she had underestimated this six-year-old brother of hers.

Gregory wasn’t insulted by Summer’s expression, but perhaps it was to take care of his feelings, Summer stopped interrogating him. During the meal, she made sure to treat Audrey and Gregory equally.

Although Gregory didn’t display any particular affection, I knew that it was only because he wasn’t used to being the one who needed protection.

This boy resembled Anthony in this regard. Due to his pride, it would take him some time to adapt to this sudden change of roles.

I didn’t eat much during the meal, but it wasn’t because I didn’t have an appetite. Instead, looking at Summer just filled every cell in my body with so much happiness.

She had become such a radiant and kind girl who effortlessly took care of other people’s feelings. It seemed like she had inherited at least half of Macy’s genes. Every time I stared a second too long, I would mistake her as Macy and feel like she was beside me again. Subsequently, I would take a few extra glances at her, which completely distracted me from the delicious food spread out on the table.

We stayed at The Jade until three in the afternoon before finally leaving.

It was rare for the whole family to gather. Hence, I was more than eager to return home and spend the rest of the day enjoying life as a family.

However, after getting into the car, Anthony took the liberty of changing our schedule. “Go to the largest shopping mall in the city.”

“Aren’t we going home?” I asked.

“No.” Anthony elaborated with a neutral expression, “Let Summer and Audrey shop for new clothes. Children enjoy the process of selecting clothes in malls.”

Finding his words reasonable, I didn’t object and went to the mall with them.

Audrey was the happiest one. As soon as we entered a high-end clothing store, she tugged John along with her and expertly maneuvered her way to the princess section, wanting to try on every dress there.

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