Chapter 61


    Avery raised her head and stared at Cayden unblinkingly.


    Time seemed toe to a standstill. She did not know how much time had passed before she


    regained herposure. Her heart continued to churn with a kaleidoscope of emotions.


    Her long eyshes quivered, drawing attention to the tears welling in her eyes.


    Cayden is Moore.


    The truth was a hard pill to swallow.


    Still, he was not the only one who had changed a great deal. Avery could say the same for herself.


    She supposed it was fortunate that after all those years, she had once again run into the man who had


    always held a special ce in her heart.


    Sadly, her life had gone down a tragic path after leaving high school.


    As Avery stared at Cayden before her, she suddenly remembered the passionate kiss they had shared


    in his car earlier. An inexplicable emotion surged in her chest, taking her aback.


    She felt as though she had been transported back to high school times.


    A shrill voice cut through the silence. “What''s this show of favoritism, Moore? Don''t tell me you only


    remember Avery?” A gorgeous and statuesque woman approached Cayden and shot him a flirtatious


    nce.


    s, he only had eyes for Avery.


    The woman who had flirted with him pursed her lips awkwardly before rolling her eyes at the in-


    looking Avery.


    Cayden continued staring at Avery as he said, “I remember her. One summer, we had a basketball


    match with a high school in the city. A lot of our schoolmates showed up to watch the match. All the


    girls were screaming when I made thest shot. When I turned around, I realized Avery had the loudest


    cheer.”


    His words caused Avery to flush as red as a tomato.


    Impossible! I would never have done anything like that!


    She had been picked on all her life. While she probably “deserved” a spot in the far corner of the


    stands at a basketball match, she would never get a spot in the front row to cheer for the yers.


    Avery suddenly became the center of attention after Cayden''s deration.


    Flustered and scared of bing themon enemy, she looked at the crowd timidly and


    stammered, “N-No. I-I really didn''t do that.”


    Meanwhile, the overseas expert invited by Cayden had finished examining Hollie''s leg.


    After the expert left, Hollie put on a birthday hat and greeted the crowd. A massive cake was wheeled


    out on a trolley and ced before her.


    Nephele stood beside her mother as thetter made a wish and blew out the candles before cutting the


    cake.


    While giving out pieces of cake, every one of Hollie''s former students gave her their best wishes.


    Avery had not seen Hollie since she left high school, and she was naturally nervous and excited about


    that day''s event. Hollie had cared for her deeply, and it made up for the maternal love Avery had


    always craved.


    Though to be honest, she had no idea what maternal love was supposed to be like.


    Nephele wheeled Hollie away from the noisy crowd to a table on the first floor of the mansion.


    Avery met them, and Hollie patted one of her hands gently. “I''m relieved to see that you''re doing well,


    Ery. It has been many years. Have you tried looking for your mother?”


    Avery''s hand stiffened in response.


    “I haven''t.” She forced a smile on her face as she met her former teacher''s gaze. “She must be living


    well now, and I don''t want to disrupt her life.”


    Actually, Avery had tried to look for her mother in the past.


    She remembered pasting missing person notices along the road when she was ten. Sadly, her efforts


    did not bear fruit.


    After she grew up and came to the big city, she realized she had been looking for a needle in a


    haystack.


    No one seemed to know where her mother was.


    Nepheleforted her friend, “I agree with you. You''re all grown up now, and you don''t need to rely on


    anyone else. Just take good care of your father.”


    Overall, Hollie was d to see that Avery had done well despite her horrid experiences in high school.


    Cayden approached them a whileter with a ss of fruit juice. He ced it in front of Avery like an


    attentive boyfriend.


    A waiter followed him with a tray of fruit juice, which he served to Hollie and Nephele.


    Nephele sipped on her juice and shot Cayden and Avery furtive nces. Their rtionship is probably


    moreplicated than I imagined. They seem to have met each other before today''s party.


    Just then, a married couple walked over to their table with a three-year-old toddler in tow. Both adults


    were high-flying white-cor workers in the city.


    The husband offered a hand to Cayden and said, “If I didn''t see you today, I wouldn''t have known that I


    actually worked at yourpany, Moore.”


    “Nice to meet you,” came Cayden''s reply. He appreciated courteous people. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The wife also shook hands with Cayden and Avery and greeted them warmly.


    The couple joined them at the table.


    Their toddler, however, leaned against Avery''s leg and sucked on his thumb.


    “I''m sorry. My kid must think you''re too pretty,” his mother apologized to Avery while wiping the toddler''s


    drool. The toddler was still smiling at Avery.


    Avery reassured her, “Don''t worry about it. I love kids.”


    “Are you married? If you are, why don''t you try for one soon? Honestly, it''s quite fun to raise a child.”


    Cayden nced at Avery, who sipped on her juice instead of replying to the woman. He squeezed her


    handfortingly under the table.


    Avery hastily pulled her hand out of his grasp, surprised by his action. How could he tell that I''m upset


    by the topic? Does he know how to read minds?


    Meanwhile, the husband piped up, “I heard Ms. Choume say that you transferred schools after a year


    in our high school.”


    Cayden nodded in reply but did not borate on his reasons for leaving.


    “I know a secret...” Nephele said. She did not think her mother would stop her since many years had


    passed.


    “I heard this from the principal himself.” Nephele nced at Cayden and continued, “Apparently, Moore


    fell in love with a girl in high school and was summoned to the principal''s office for a telling-off!”


    It was a shocking revtion.


    Avery was baffled by how quickly her heart sank.


    He liked another girl in the past.


    Nephele carried on in a mysterious tone, “Surprisingly, Moore swore to the principal that he wouldn''t


    disrupt the girl''s studies and that he would marry her once he graduated.” She then peeked at Avery


    before adding, “The principal fumed and asked him if he knew what love was, iming he would regret


    it once he graduated high school! Then, Moore said he knew what love was, and he even said he


    already imagined marrying and raising kids with the girl.”


    Cayden''s silence seemed to affirm Nephele''s ims.


    Back then, his family had been embroiled in an internal feud. Young and at the mercy of others,


    Cayden had been sent to a small town to study. To his surprise, he fell in love with someone, though it


    wasrgely a one-sided affair.


    That year, Cayden utterly lost himself to the unrelenting ws of passion.