Chapter 442
Chapter 442:
Thanks to the tip Natalie got from Leonino, Alden’s team quickly zeroed in on a secluded estate.
After watching it for two days straight, they confirmed the person inside—more like trapped—was Delaney.
The very day he heard the news, Alden’s ears started ringing again. If it had happened before, he’d have ignored his symptoms and dashed to her immediately.
But this time, he held back, pushing the urge aside and focusing on Helena instead.
Helena had told him she wanted a long, healthy life with him. She’d also said she wanted him to hear their baby’s very first cry.
So Alden made himself hold off for another day—waiting until his emotions settled and his health stabilized—before finally heading to the estate.
Peering over a fence covered in blooming flowers, he caught sight of his mother for the first time in years.
She appeared as kind and graceful as he remembered—the same woman who used to fix his collar before school.
At that moment, tears sprang to Alden’s eyes, clouding his sight. He blinked hard to push them back and looked at her with almost hungry longing. He had once thought she was gone for good—never imagining they’d cross paths again in this life.
When Leonino heard the news, he was quick to congratulate him. “It’s amazing you found your mother so fast! Where is she now? How’s her health? I’d like to pay her a visit p>
At that, Alden let out a soft sigh. “My mother… she’s not mentally well at the moment p>
The instant he caught sight of her, Alden wanted to sprint into her arms. But the reports from his bodyguards quickly flooded back into his mind. Delaney had battled severe trauma and mental instability for almost ten years.
Her mind was stuck in the past—living again the days when she raised him alone in the development area in Cheson. Each day, she’d cradle a doll, or a flower, or a leaf, acting as if it were Alden, talking to it like it could understand.
Having supported Helena through her own mental battles, Alden had gained a fair bit of knowledge. He knew perfectly well that one wrong step could shatter his mother’s fragile mind for good.
𝖀𝗉𝖉𝖆𝗍𝖊𝗌 𝗈𝗇ɩү 𝓰⍺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀ꞏⅽ𝗈𝗆
So, he fought the impulse to go to her. Instead, he arranged for her to be moved quietly to a safer place and hired expert therapists to start her treatment.
Leonino listened with a serious expression, then quietly rested his hand on Alden’s shoulder. After a brief pause, he asked, “Finding your mother is a good thing… So why would the Hughes family want to harm you p>
In the past, Alden had thought his mother was dead and had never mentioned her family to his friends. He gave a bitter laugh. “In families like ours, it’s always the same story—money, power, and backstabbing. What else could it be p>
“For… money?” Leonino put the pieces together quickly.
Alden nodded and said softly, “My mother inherited a large portion of shares and assets from my grandfather. Now that she’s sick, the one in charge of everything for her is, of course, my uncle, Zayden Hughes.” He didn’t need to say more.