Chapter 477: The Truth of the Past
After dining at The Law Residence, Cecilia Vaughn and Adrian Law quickly drove back to Starfall Bay.
Before leaving, Stacy Summers was quite reluctant to part with them, pulling out all sorts of good things for Cecilia Vaughn to choose from.
The most amusing part for Cecilia was that Stacy had picked out a lot of farm products like cured meats and tea, as if she and Adrian wouldn’t be able to eat without help, living in Starfall Bay.
...
In the car, upon hearing Cecilia’s muttering, Adrian couldn’t help but laugh.
"Cecilia, really, Grandma is just concerned about us."
"I know, I’m not silly... But looking at all these cured meats, they do smell quite nice. Could it be that Grandma specially asked someone to buy the meat and smoke it at The Residence?"
Cecilia found it curious. She had seen people smoke cured meats when she was small, but that was all wood-smoked. Now in Stellerton, people who bother to make their own cured meats are really scarce.
Even if anyone did, they’d probably use machines to rush production.
It just doesn’t have that original taste from childhood.
"Grandma doesn’t have many hobbies; she just likes playing mahjong and watching soaps. Apart from that, she loves to eat."
Listening to Cecilia, Adrian’s expression turned contemplative.
"But judging by these things, they probably weren’t smoked at The Law Residence because, nowadays, most cured meats in Stellerton are sun-dried. These seem like they were smoked by people in the countryside using charcoal."
Cecilia nodded in agreement.
"Yes, they do smell like they were made the old-fashioned way, with the color and aroma."
"Cecilia, if you like them, I’ll make some for you tomorrow."
The man knew that Cecilia’s greatest passion, like Stacy, was eating, so he playfully winked at her.
Adrian’s narrow eyes and his cool, handsome demeanor were complemented by this cheeky wink, adding a touch of youthful vitality.
Cecilia felt her heart skip a beat, and only a few words popped into her mind.
Dangerous charm!
They say girls have the potential to be temptresses, but in Cecilia’s view, Adrian is the one with the true ability to enchant and enthrall.
"You’re not allowed to wink at people so casually in the future."
"Why?"
The man’s lips curled up as he saw Cecilia clutching her heart in distress, and he pretended to ask knowingly.
Cecilia rolled her eyes at Adrian.
"I’m just afraid some girl will fall for you and dig away my treasure."
"But if anyone dares to pursue you, I’ll give them a run for their money and show them what it means to break boundaries."
Cecilia spoke matter-of-factly, revealing a mischievous grin, like a cute little fox.
...
Adrian raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Cecilia, but isn’t the only girl in my eyes you? Are you planning to sabotage your own territory?"
"..."
Cecilia was caught in Adrian’s logic, but thinking about it, it seemed that besides with her and Stacy, the man truly doesn’t smile much.
By that reasoning, it should be pretty safe, right?
But still... so many people were still coveting him.
Recalling Rosalind White’s deliberate provocations at The Law Residence, Cecilia’s smile swiftly vanished.
She made a fierce angry face.
"Why does everyone say you can’t wear a red scarf? You wear it just fine!"
At these words, Adrian’s sly, dark eyes also turned cold.
"We’ll talk about it at home."
...
These four simple words suddenly added a chill to the air.
Cecilia didn’t understand why Adrian suddenly became so serious. As she realized something was off, the man suddenly made a sharp turn, accelerating onto the highway.
Usually, when they went from The Law Residence back to Starfall Bay, they wouldn’t take the highway. In any case, going through the city would only add a few minutes of traffic.
But judging by Adrian’s look, he seemed troubled.
Not angry, but rather as if, like Rosalind said, this red scarf triggered some taboo of his.
...
Not being part of Adrian’s past twenty-something years is Cecilia’s biggest regret.
To be a bit sentimental, Cecilia sometimes thought that if only her childhood friend had been Adrian, that would have been perfect.
They wouldn’t have missed so many years, and Adrian would have certainly understood her deeply.
Cecilia admitted she was being overly jealous. Every time she thought of how Rosalind White had saved Adrian’s life as a child and was thus always welcomed at his home like a lady, she couldn’t help but overthink.
Cecilia sighed, pressing her temples, willing herself to calm down.
...
Back at Starfall Bay, Adrian wrapped his arms around Cecilia’s waist, looking significantly serious.
"Cecilia, do you remember I once talked about my mother?"
Cecilia was startled. She opened the album she kept in her nightstand, which contained photos of Adrian’s mother, Susan Roswell, and his sister, Nancy Law.
She had once mistakenly thought the photo of his mother in his wallet was of an ex-girlfriend, causing a big misunderstanding.
"Yes, I remember. Your mother, she’s so beautiful—it’s my lifelong regret not meeting her. But she must have been the most beautiful one."
This wasn’t mere flattery.
Because when Cecilia saw that photo, only one word came to mind: stunning.
When you see such a flawlessly beautiful woman, you’ve got no words left to describe her looks.
Susan Roswell absolutely topped the list of stunning beauties.
...
Adrian’s long, phoenix-like eyes were filled with an inexplicable gloom as he opened his mouth, his voice hoarse.
"When I was twelve, I went on a vacation to a resort with my mother. It was then that we encountered a group of panic-stricken kidnappers."
Twelve years old...
Cecilia’s heart raced, her mind struggling to imagine what such a formidable man today would have looked like at twelve.
From his voice, she could hear a vulnerability.
Cecilia had never seen Adrian vulnerable, but looking at his deep and complex expression, her heart suddenly ached.
"If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t... I don’t need to know the past."
Digging into someone’s wounds might just be gossip for outsiders, but it’s an unforgettable scar for the person involved.
Cecilia had her own experiences, so she understood.
...
The girl bit her lip, then quickly extended her long arms to pull Adrian into a hug, wanting to give him some warmth.
"Adrian, I don’t want you to be sad..."
"It’s okay, it’s all in the past. There’s nothing that can’t be said."
He clenched his hand, his tone nonchalant, only the hatred couldn’t be concealed.
"I can never forget that day. My mother tried to save me by hiding me in a cabinet, but she..."