Chapter 313

“Well, your Adam is certainly handsome… and far more striking than Melanie’s Adam,” Marianne remarked as she looked at the picture that Melody had just shown her. She looked at Melody and nodded at this, still looking down at the couple in the picture.
It had been an entire day and night since Marianne and Richard Thomas had first met Adam Collins, yet the memory remained fresh and jarring. They had expected someone refined, possibly mild-mannered, the kind of man who wore neatly pressed shirts and sensible trousers and be simple like their Melanie. Instead, the man who had shaken Richard’s hand and kissed Marianne’s cheek had shown up in a dark polo neck, worn leather jacket, and jeans- looking like a hooligan.
It wasn’t until much later, after they had peppered Melody with questions, that the truth came out. Apparently, that wasn’t how Adam usually dressed at all. The leather, the edge-it had all been a fluke. Or worse, deliberate misdirection to put them off balance. While Marianne was still in shock, her husband had been relieved.
Richard had been the first to laugh, shaking his head and muttering something about “the boy having guts.” He hadn’t seemed too bothered—in fact, he’d almost admired the boldness. But Marianne couldn’t quite recover from the initial shock. She had never expected someone to present himself so misleadingly on a first meeting.
To her, it felt almost… insidious, even if unintentionally so. And so, somehow, she had formed an aversion to Adam Collins.
Still, they had parted on polite terms. Adam had been courteous, even warm by the end. And he had promised to speak to Melanie-something that, despite everything, Marianne held onto as a sign of good faith. However, the moment they had parted and discovered the truth from Melody, she had been determined.
If the child who had been so calm and patient, could end up marrying a rebel, she could not help worry about her younger daughter.
Melody had always been stubborn and rebellious, if she ended up with someone like that, Marianne was at a loss on what she would do. So, the first thing, after being up the whole night and thinking, she had done the next morning, was to call Melody and asked her to send pictures of her beau.
Thankfully, though her daughter had not sent the pictures over, she had come over in person, and as Marianne scrolled through the photos on her phone, Marianne felt a wave of relief wash over her. At least the boy dressed normally. No leather jacket in sight,just a clean shirt, a warm smile, and an overall decent, presentable appearance. fre/ew.ebnovel.c om
Reassured and visibly pleased with this young man’s ’normal’ look, Marianne glanced up at Melody and smiled approvingly. “He really is much more handsome,” she said with a satisfied nod. “Anyway, have you two stopped fighting? And when can we meet him?”
Melody exhaled quietly, a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. Thank God for the photo shoot. She had picked the right guy, and between different angles, outfits, and moods, she now had enough content on her phone to survive any of her mother’s interrogations.
“Hm. He’s just really busy with work these days, Mom,” she replied smoothly. “And after that, we were thinking of going on a short vacation. Maybe somewhere quiet. If you want, you can join us there. It’ll be much more relaxed than a formal sit-down meeting.”
Marianne’s eyes lit up at the idea, the corners of her mouth lifting as she clapped her hands together in delight.”This is a wonderful idea! Absolutely wonderful!” she exclaimed, already imagining sunlit breakfasts and long, casual conversations. “You know what would make it even more lovely? Having Melanie with us. Why don’t we invite her too? It’ll be relaxed and laid-back, just like you said—no pressure, no expectations. Just a little family getaway, something easy and warm. I really think it would do her some good.”
“Since she’s married now, we might not get many chances like this to have her live with us. She’d already maintaining her distance, who knows when we’ll see her properly again? And we’re already waiting and hoping for her to reach out. But if we were to have her stay with us like this, in a more personal, homely setting, I think things could shift.”
Marianne sighed, her voice filled with quiet hope. “She could get to know us all over again. Without the awkwardness or the formality. Just real conversations, shared meals, maybe even a few laughs. I think… I think that might open a door. We can organise this at the Hunting Lodge! I think that would be a good place.”
Melody’s smile faltered, just slightly. She knew this was coming-or something like it. Her mother always meant well, but her ideas had a way of complicating things without meaning to. Still, Melody nodded slowly, careful to keep her tone light.
“I don’t mind,” she said, offering a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “If Melanie wants to come, she’s welcome. It could be… fun. We can invite Adam too.”
In truth, she wasn’t thrilled. The idea of being trapped in the same vacation home or resort with her ’sister’ wasn’t exactly relaxing.
But then again, now that everyone knew she had a boyfriend, maybe Adam and Melanie would return to their previous self and drop their guards. Adam would be polite to her agaun.
And if Melanie was around, distracted, it would give Melody a little more time alone with Adam. A little more freedom to move closer, to test the waters without anyone noticing. She’d use her ’model’ boyfriend to distract Melanie and know about Adam.
With that consolation to herself, Melody agreed with her mother’s plan to invite Adam and Melanie as well as her own beau Adam to the cabin the woods for a small vacation in a couple of weeks. It was a big and beautiful place, perfect for some romance and couple time.
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