Chapter 420
Chapter 420:
Albert had known she’d be home today and, that very afternoon, had made a special trip across town to pick up her favorite pastries. But before he could set foot inside the villa, the sharp voices of two gardeners drifted over from the yard, gossiping openly about Liliana. A chill shot through Albert’s chest. He bolted into the house, eager to find Helena and offer her some comfort.
Yet what he stumbled upon was Kareem, mid-confession.
Fury blazed through him, leaving no room for patience. He seized Helena’s hand in a fierce grip and turned to Kareem. “You already have a daughter, don’t you? There’s no reason for Helena to stay here, putting up with this humiliation. I’m taking her with me—right now.” Without waiting for an answer, he tugged Helena toward the door, his steps swift and unrelenting.
“Dad, hang on p>
Helena started to protest, but the words caught in her throat. Tonight had left her rattled, tangled in emotions she couldn’t quite sort out. She wasn’t even sure how to face Natalie or Liliana anymore.
In the end, she swallowed her hesitation and simply told Kareem, “I’m heading out for now,” letting Albert guide her toward the door without another glance back.
Albert took the wheel himself, and once they were on the road, he asked where she wanted to go.
Helena sat in silence for a beat, then quietly said she wanted to return to the little apartment she’d once shared with Alden.
Albert gave an immediate nod.
But as soon as Alden drifted into her thoughts, Helena couldn’t focus on anything else. She checked the time, her gaze lingering on the cold face of her watch as she worked out when Alden’s surgery would be over.
By now… it had to be finished, hadn’t it? Did everything go smoothly?
She kept wanting to call Leonino, but the thought that he might still be inside the operating room—and that any distraction might jeopardize Alden’s surgery—held her back.
The entire ride home felt suffocating, her thoughts tangled in anxious knots.
Albert caught sight of her expression and figured she was rattled by the unexpected arrival of her real parents’ adopted daughter. He opened his mouth, searching for something reassuring to say, but nothing came out.
gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝗰𝓞𝗺, 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓬𝓴 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈
They walked into the apartment without exchanging a single word.
Helena had barely started to hang up her coat when her phone rang. Spotting Leonino’s name flashing on the screen, she abandoned the coat, letting it slip from her hands, and hurried to pick up.
“Leonino, Alden’s surgery…” she burst out before Leonino could speak.
“Calm down, calm down. Everything went great. The surgery went even better than we hoped,” Leonino cut her off gently, eager to ease her fears before they overwhelmed her.
“Praise God, praise God p>
The relief hit Helena so hard she couldn’t hold back her tears, the words tumbling from her lips in a choked whisper.