Chapter 240: The Appointment

Chapter 240: Chapter 240: The Appointment

Joyce Rivers was weeping and wailing as she blurted out everything about Milton Grayson’s recent behavior—his frequent outings, his constant distraction, his withdrawn silence.

"If he had a clear conscience, why would he be so absent-minded all the time and deliberately avoid me? He must be hiding something, thinking about some woman on the outside!"

Upon hearing this, Gwen Grayson immediately recalled the secret she had overheard outside the office earlier. It all clicked into place.

’Dad’s recent strange behavior must be because of my sister’s biological mother.’

’He didn’t tell Mom because he knows her temper and was worried she’d stir up trouble.’

"Mom, you’re just making yourself miserable by being so suspicious and letting your imagination run wild. Dad would never do anything to betray you. Please stop crying all the time. You’ll cry all your good fortune away."

"So in your eyes, I’m just an unreasonable and irrational woman?" Joyce Rivers snapped in disbelief.

"Well..."

"You ungrateful daughter! I’m your own mother, how could you twist the knife in my heart like that!"

"It’s because you’re my mother that I’m telling you the truth. You should sign up for a flower arrangement or tea ceremony class, make more friends, and find a distraction. Then you won’t obsess over these things."

Hearing this only made Joyce Rivers’s chest feel tighter.

...

As dusk settled over the city, Jared Hawthorne arrived at the company building right on time to pick Vesper Grayson up from work.

The car was unusually quiet on the way back. Vesper kept her eyes lowered, gazing out the window, lost in thought.

Jared Hawthorne glanced over at her. He gently placed his large, warm hand over hers and spoke in a low voice.

"You’ve been quiet. Is something on your mind?"

Vesper Grayson shook her head slightly and leaned back against the seat.

"Today, Dad told me something."

"What was it?"

"Dad told me..."

Vesper didn’t hide anything. She told him everything Milton Grayson had revealed to her that afternoon, word for word and in great detail.

A flicker of emotion crossed Jared Hawthorne’s eyes. He tightened his grip on her hand, gently soothing her.

"So what are you thinking? If you want to see them, we can find some time to arrange a meeting."

"I don’t know..." Vesper looked lost. "Growing up, he doted on me and protected me. No matter how Joyce Rivers and Gwen Grayson targeted me or gave me a hard time, he would always stand by my side without hesitation. I always believed he was my biological father."

But now, her father was telling her they weren’t related by blood.

’Dad must have loved my biological mother so deeply that his affection extended to me. He gave his all to a daughter he shared no blood with, even caring for me a hundred times more than he did for his own daughter, Gwen.’

"The debt of gratitude for raising you isn’t diminished just because you don’t share blood. You can still be a devoted daughter to him, respect him, and love him. It doesn’t have to affect you reuniting with your biological parents."

"But she has amnesia. She doesn’t even remember I exist."

"She only has amnesia, it’s not that she doesn’t love you. Forgetting you was never her intention, and it’s certainly not her fault," Jared Hawthorne said, gently stroking her fingertips to comfort her.

Vesper Grayson’s heart was a whirlwind of emotions, conflicted and uneasy.

"If I acknowledge them, will Dad be sad?"

"No," Jared Hawthorne said with certainty. "If he were going to be sad, he wouldn’t have told you the truth. Even if you reunite with your birth parents, you’ll still be his beloved daughter. Having a few more people to love and care for you isn’t a bad thing."

"But we’ve been apart for over twenty years. I have no feelings for them, and they might not..."

"There isn’t a parent in the world who doesn’t love their own flesh and blood," Jared Hawthorne interrupted, his low voice soothing her anxiety.

Before Vesper could decide what to do, Milton Grayson contacted her, saying that her biological parents wanted to meet her.

After hanging up, Vesper stared blankly for a moment, then turned to the man sitting on the sofa, scrolling through financial trends.

"Honey, Dad just called. He said my biological parents want to meet us."

Hearing this, Jared Hawthorne immediately closed his laptop and looked up at her.

"When?"

"Tomorrow evening, at The Prosperity Hall in The Imperial Hotel."

"I’ll go with you."

Vesper Grayson nodded lightly, unable to hide the nervousness in her heart. She asked softly, "What do you think I should wear? I’m kind of panicking."

"Just wear something comfortable. They’re coming to see you, the person." Jared Hawthorne reached out, gently pulling her into his arms. He held her cold fingertips and chuckled softly, soothing her tense emotions. "Don’t be nervous. Let’s meet them first and see how they act toward you. If they’re cold and distant, we just won’t see them again. Whether or not you want to maintain this family tie is your decision."

Vesper nestled in his embrace, inhaling his clean, reassuring scent. Her frayed nerves finally began to settle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured softly, full of reliance.

"I’m so glad you’re by my side!"

...

The next evening, the car pulled up to the entrance of The Imperial Hotel. Jared Hawthorne helped Vesper Grayson out of the car.

When they reached the door of the private room, her grip on his hand tightened.

Jared Hawthorne stopped and looked at her nervous expression, chuckling teasingly.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, you weren’t even this nervous when you met my family."

"It’s different..." Vesper lowered her gaze, her voice filled with apprehension.

Back then, her relationship with him hadn’t deepened yet, and she had no emotional connection to the Hawthorne Family, so she naturally didn’t care what they thought of her. But the people she was about to meet were her biological parents. For over twenty years, they hadn’t known of each other’s existence, and she had no idea if they were also looking forward to seeing her.

Jared Hawthorne’s lips curved into a slight smile. "If you’re really that nervous, we can go back for now. We’ll reschedule the meeting for when you feel mentally prepared."

’We’re already at the door, how can we possibly turn back now?’

She bit her lip and took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.

"Let’s go in!"

Whatever the outcome, this meeting would serve as a form of closure for the past two decades.

Inside the private room, Jenson Whitman and Renee Rhodes sat side-by-side.

The man was tall and straight-backed with a noble bearing, his dashing vigor radiating the sharp aura of a business tycoon. The woman was graceful and poised, elegantly refined. Even though she was over fifty, time had been exceptionally kind to her.

This was especially true for Renee Rhodes, who had clearly been well-cared for and pampered. She was surrounded by a gentle aura that could only be nurtured by love.

True beauty never fades with time. At her age, her face was still free of fine lines, her skin smooth, fair, and flawless as jade. Her features were gentle and exquisite, making it easy to imagine that in her youth, she must have possessed a devastating beauty that could captivate a nation.

Milton Grayson sat opposite the two of them. After some pleasantries, the long-buried events of the past were laid bare and sorted out.

Years ago, Jenson Whitman had made enemies in the business world and was targeted in a deadly assassination attempt. In the ensuing chaos, a pregnant Renee Rhodes was accidentally separated from him and vanished without a trace. It was by a strange twist of fate that she was rescued by a passing Milton Grayson.

The reason Milton hadn’t been able to discover her true identity was twofold: first, she had nothing on her person to prove she was Renee Rhodes, and second, his own resources were limited, allowing him to search for information about her only in Northolme and a few nearby cities.

Jenson Whitman, for his part, had never imagined that after falling into the sea, Renee would drift with the currents all the way to the Northolme region.

"Regardless, I must thank you, Mr. Grayson, for saving my wife!" Although Jenson Whitman was jealous that Milton Grayson had spent a year with his wife, he knew the man had saved her life. He could distinguish right from wrong.

Moreover, he had also saved his and Regina’s child.

He had always thought that child was lost. He never expected that she was not only alive, but had lived well.

What surprised him even more was that the goddaughter Regina had taken in not long ago turned out to be his own biological daughter.

’No wonder Regina always said she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when she saw the girl, that she couldn’t help but want to be close to her, as if they had known each other for a long time.’

’This must be the unbreakable mother-daughter bond, etched into their very bloodline.’

"There’s no need to be so formal, Mr. Whitman. It was nothing," Milton Grayson said, his gaze gentle as it slowly fell upon Renee Rhodes. His eyes were frank. "Anyone in my position would have done the same. During the time we spent together, I strictly observed propriety. I respected and cherished her, and never once crossed any lines."

’He had admired her, but he always maintained a proper distance and gave her the utmost respect. He had thought that after they were married, and only if she was willing, they could take their relationship further. But fate never gave him that chance.’

Upon hearing this, the tension in Jenson Whitman’s jaw slowly eased.

Renee Rhodes also let out a long sigh of relief, the weight in her heart finally lifted.

’I was so worried I might have done something to betray Lance while I had amnesia.’

’It seems this Mr. Grayson is a true gentleman, a good man.’

’It’s a pity I already have someone I love. I can only let his feelings go unreciprocated.’

"Mr. Grayson, thank you. Thank you for saving me, and thank you even more for protecting my child." Renee Rhodes’s eyes were filled with emotion, her voice brimming with sincere gratitude. A thousand words of thanks were ultimately condensed into that one heavy sentence.

"Between you and me, there is no need for thanks."

Before he could finish speaking, the door to the private room was gently pushed open.