Chapter 1445
Chapter 1444:
The crowd began exchanging glances, their interest piqued, while Lance lingered off to the side, looking even more out of place than before.
Adah, for her part, was mortified. She longed to shout that there was nothing between her and Allan, but doing so would only make her seem defensive. Finding herself with no escape, she realized she had walked straight into his verbal trap. She felt completely outwitted, silently cursing him for putting her in this position.
She shot him a warning look, silently pleading with him to stop talking nonsense. But thanks to his clever words, the audience misread her irritation. To them, that glare was nothing more than a playful, teasing pout.
Frustrated, Adah snapped. “And where is this gift p>
She was desperate to see what could possibly take six entire weeks to prepare. Though no matter what he revealed, she was determined to reject it on the spot. She would crush his pride right there, proving to everyone that no man could corner her so easily.
Standing before her, Allan read her expression effortlessly and smiled inwardly, already guessing her plan. Then he turned to the crowd, his voice ringing out. “Six weeks ago, Adah and I made a bet. If I could give her a birthday gift that she truly loved, she would marry me. Today, I intend to honor that bet — and I want all of you to be my witnesses p>
A collective gasp swept through the guests, followed by a rush of excited murmuring. Every eye fixed on Allan, eager to see what would happen next.
In the next moment, he stepped out of the ballroom and then returned, guiding a wheelchair.
Seated in it was a woman in an elegant dress, whose age and fragile health were apparent, yet her radiant smile and clear eyes suggested she had been well cared for.
The guests exchanged bewildered glances, unable to identify her.
Adah, however, stood frozen, her eyes wide. Nearby, Elliana, Rita, Sophie, and Raymond all changed expression.
Leonel, too, stood rooted in place, utterly stunned.
𝗥𝗲𝘢𝗱 𝖿𝗋е𝖾 𝘯𝗼𝗏𝘦ls 𝗼𝘯.сo𝗆
A hush fell over the room, every gaze fixed on Allan, braced for the revelation. After an agonizing moment, a raw, wrenching cry tore from Adah’s lips. “Mom p>
Without a second’s hesitation, she ran to the wheelchair and collapsed to her knees beside Sally. “Mom… is it really you?” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared in disbelief.
Emotion glistened in Sally’s eyes as she reached out and smoothed her daughter’s hair with a trembling hand. “I’ve come back, Adah p>
Leonel hurried over, his voice barely steady as he stammered. “Sally… you’ve finally come back to us p>
Meeting his gaze, Sally saw the marks of years of longing and separation. She answered, her voice quivering with emotion. “I’m sorry, Leonel. You had to wait for me for so long p>
As it turned out, Allan had already explained everything to Sally — how Leonel had married Melanie solely to appease his mother, without ever betraying their marriage. The truth left her deeply grateful yet aching with regret. She had disappeared without warning years ago, so she would have understood if the man had moved on with his life. Yet he had chosen to wait for her all those years.