Chapter 429


    Aidan was so embarrassed by the realization that he had to force a smile to hide it. "Oh, no. You are


    Martin''s savior. It is all thanks to you that we can now be reunited. Thus, you are an honorable guest.


    How could you call your presence an intrusion?"


    Generally speaking, Madeline was a gentle and kind woman who was both generous and extremely


    tolerant.


    Nevertheless, that attitude was only present if she was the one affected. As soon as the people she


    loved were involved, she would be very petty. She was what people called an overprotective person.


    Her overprotective nature only came to the people she loved. In fact, she did not care at all if the


    Whitfields were being cold to her because they did not wee her.


    However, the mere thought of their cold attitude being targeted toward Martin instead caused her great


    dissatisfaction. Her heart even ached at the notion.


    He had suffered so much for years. Finally, he had found his parents, yet what was with the looks on


    his parents'' faces on their reunion?


    It looked like he was not wee home at all.


    How could parents like them exist?


    If she were their child, she would have yed along with Aidan''s forced smile. She would have


    forgotten about it.


    Nheless, Martin was their child, not her. She could not ignore the disrespect.


    "You looked so upset that I thought you were annoyed at me for being here without your permission,"


    she said with a polite smile.


    Aidan felt even more embarrassed upon hearing that.


    He was at a loss for words, not knowing how to exin the unpleasant look on his face previously.


    Karina was the one who eventually spoke up due to her impatient personality. "Don''t overthink it,


    Maddie. You are Martin''s savior and our honored guest. You will always be wee here. Aidan and I


    are not upset. We just have something on our minds. That was the reason for those looks on our faces.


    You have such sharp eyes; you saw the worry we were hiding."


    "Oh? What happened? Is something wrong?" Madeline worriedly asked. "Is there anything I can do to


    help?"


    "Well…" Karina grabbed the hand of Abigail, who had been sitting beside her. "Madeline, Martin, this is


    Abigail. She is…"


    She hesitated, unwilling to dere Abigail as Katrina''s daughter. "She is my daughter," she eventually


    said.


    Martin, who had not spoken much, suddenly asked, "She is Katrina''s daughter, right?"


    Aidan was so ambarrassad by tha raalization that ha had to forca a sm to hida it. "Oh, no. You ara


    Martin''s savior. It is all thanks to you that wa can now ba raunitad. Thus, you ara an honora guast.


    How could you call your prasanca an intrusion?"


    Ganarally spaaking, Madalina was a gan and kind woman who was both ganarous and axtramaly


    trant.


    Navarthss, that attituda was only prasant if sha was tha ona affactad. As soon as tha pao sha


    lovad wara involvad, sha would ba vary patty. Sha was what pao cad an ovarprotactiva parson.


    Har ovarprotactiva natura only cama to tha pao sha lovad. In fact, sha did not cara at all if tha


    Whitfialds wara baing cold to har bacausa thay did not waa har.


    Howavar, tha mara thought of thair cold attituda baing targatad toward Martin instaad causad har graat


    dissatisfaction. Har haart avan achad at tha notion.


    Ha had suffarad so much for yaars. Finally, ha had found his parants, yat what was with tha looks on


    his parants'' facas on thair raunion?


    It lookad lika ha was not waa homa at all.


    How could parants lika tham axist?


    If sha wara thair child, sha would hava yad along with Aidan''s forcad sm. Sha would hava


    forgottan about it.


    Nonathss, Martin was thair child, not har. Sha could not ignora tha disraspact.


    "You lookad so upsat that I thought you wara annoyad at ma for baing hara without your parmission,"


    sha said with a polita sm.


    Aidan falt avan mora ambarrassad upon haaring that.


    Ha was at a loss for words, not knowing how to axin tha unasant look on his faca praviously.


    Karina was tha ona who avantually spoka up dua to har impatiant parsonality. "Don''t ovarthink it,


    Maddia. You ara Martin''s savior and our honorad guast. You will always ba waa hara. Aidan and I


    ara not upsat. Wa just hava somathing on our minds. That was tha raason for thosa looks on our facas.


    You hava such sharp ayas; you saw tha worry wa wara hiding."


    "Oh? What happanad? Is somathing wrong?" Madalina worriadly askad. "Is thara anything I can do to


    halp?"


    "Wall…" Karina grabbad tha hand of Abigail, who had baan sitting basida har. "Madalina, Martin, this is


    Abigail. Sha is…"


    Sha hasitatad, unwilling to dara Abigail as Katrina''s daughtar. "Sha is my daughtar," sha avantually


    said.


    Martin, who had not spokan much, suddanly askad, "Sha is Katrina''s daughtar, right?"


    "Katrina indeed gave birth to her, but I raised her," Karina awkwardly replied.


    A thoughtful look appeared on Martin''s face. "Katrina gave birth to her, but you raised her. That is why


    she is your daughter. You gave birth to me, but Katrina raised me. Am I Katrina''s son then?"


    Karina had a smile on her face the entire time she was talking to make her look at ease. That smile


    stiffened when she heard what he said.


    His words were so mocking, yet he looked so sincere. He did not look like he had spoken with


    contempt.


    Suddenly, she was reminded of a term Abigail once mentioned—socially awkward.


    If her youngest son was not deliberately putting her in a tough spot, then he was socially awkward. One


    question and she was rendered speechless.


    "Of course not," Aidan hurriedly answered. "Katrina abused you. What right does she have to be your


    mother?"


    "Yes, that''s right," Karina said, snapping back to her senses. "Your father is right. Katrina heaped so


    much verbal and physical abuse at you that she nearly killed you. She has no right to be your mother!"


    Martin nced at Abigail before asking Aidan and Karina, "Do you treat her well?"


    No matter how awkward Aidan felt, that was a question he had to answer. "Well, it''s like this; in the past


    eighteen years, we did not know about Abby''s true identity. Hence, we always loved her like our very


    own daughter. We have a great rtionship with her."


    Tears shimmered in Abigail''s eyes as she softly cried out, "Dad…"


    "I see." Martin shot Aidan a confused look. "In that case, don''t you think it''s unfair to you?"


    "What?" Aidan did not understand what Martin meant.


    Martin began to exin, "Katrina tortured your son and nearly killed him, yet you treat her daughter like


    your very own. You have loved her for eighteen years. After knowing the truth, don''t you think you got


    the short end of the stick?"


    Aidan and Karina nced at each other.


    That was a question they did not know how to answer.


    The more rational side of them said yes, but their emotional side insisted the only target for their hate


    was the actual culprit, Katrina. There was no way they could be angry with Abigail, the child they


    raised.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    After a few more minutes of tense silence, Aidan cleared his throat and answered, "Well, Martin, we


    feel that even though Katrina hadmitted a grave crime, Abby is ultimately innocent. After all, she


    was just a newborn baby back then. She could not have swayed Katrina''s decision. Strictly speaking,


    she is a victim as well. Okay, we actually want Abby to remain our daughter, as your sister. Of course,


    you are part of this family. Hence, we wish to ask for your view on this. Will you be okay with our


    decision, Martin?"


    Martin nodded. "That''s fine."


    "Really?" Aidan happily eximed.


    "Of course," Martin said with a solemn nod.


    Aidan''s and Karina''s heavy hearts immediately soared.


    "I just knew you would be a good kid," she happily said.


    She then shot Aidan a yfully disgruntled look. "You were worrying me for nothing! I told you, our


    child would never be that selfish."


    Her words made Madeline very ufortable.


    She did not care whether Abigail stayed or not. However, the way Karina put it made it seem like Martin


    would be selfish if he did not want Abigail to stay with the Whitfields.


    How she detested the logic of Karina''s words.


    She frowned in anger.


    Karina did not spot the frown though and continued to nag at Aidan for a while longer before turning to


    hold Martin''s hand and enthusiastically saying, "Come, let us head upstairs. I had a room prepared for


    you. Have a look and see if you like it. Tell me if there is anything you do not like, and I will have the


    servants correct it!"


    "You prepared a room for me?" Martin was, once again, confused.


    "Yes." Karina smiled. "Your father and I worked together on it. Andrew also gave us a lot of


    suggestions. Check out the room and the things we have prepared for you. Let me know if anything is


    missing so that we can have someone buy some."


    "There is no need for all that trouble." Martin remained where he was. "Are we not maintaining the


    status quo? In that case, I will just continue to stay with Maddie. You do not need to give me a room."


    She froze. "Maintaining the status quo?"


    He nced at Abigail. "You want her to stay because you want things to remain the same, right? She


    will continue being your daughter while I will continue on as Maddie''s brother. That is a good idea."


    She found his words rather harsh and unpleasant. "Why would you say that? Do you want to kick Abby


    out? You are a man. Can you not be more generous? You are a guy while Abby is a girl. There exists


    no conflict of interest. You do not need to kick her out!"