Chapter 344
Chapter 344 Crispin’s Scheme
Having said that, Elias exited the dining hall without casting a backward nce or bidding farewell. It
felt as though he was purposefully avoiding her presence.
Rosie’s gaze fell upon the barely touched food on the table. Does he truly need to depart in such
haste? Am I some kind of monstrous being? Am I genuinely that repugnant to him?
At the Allegra Vi, Amanda found it hard to drift off to sleep at her birth parents’ house.
Meanwhile, Aiden, that mischievous little boy, had fallen into a peaceful slumber. Jack had spent quite
a while entertaining his grandson tonight, leaving the little one fatigued.
Amanda observed the peacefully sleeping child. She gently covered him with a nket before
venturing out of the bedroom with unhurried steps.
She had intended to take a solitary walk in the garden. To her astonishment, she stumbled upon Edith
wrapped in a coat, standing beneath the moonlit sky.
“Mrs. Alle-” Amanda hesitated, feeling that the formal address was inappropriate. Opting for a more
intimate term, she called out, “Mom, what brings you out here?”
Upon hearing her voice, Edith turned around and greeted her with a smile. “You can’t sleep too? I
suppose I’m too excited. I couldn’t fall asleep tonight, so I decided to take a walk.”
“I guess I’m just not used to the bed, so I can’t sleep,” Amanda said.
Edith walked over and settled onto a wicker chair. “Join me, my dear. Let’s have a chat, just us mother
and daughter.”
Amanda gracefully took her ce on the opposite chair, relishing the caress of the gentle breeze
against her cheeks. The garden exuded a delicate fragrance, lending a pleasant ambiance to the
moment.
‘Don’t let your dad fool you with his early slumber. He, too, was brimming with excitement today,
eagerly anticipating this moment for quite some time,” Edith remarked.
Amanda offered a gentle smile but remained silent.
Edith continued, “These past years, you have endured so much. Your dad informed me about the
hardships you faced under your adoptive father’s mistreatment, and how he consistently demanded
money from you. Is that true?”
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered with genuine concern.
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1:1
Amanda’s lips curled into a gentle smile. “Those are all things of the past now. The one who endured
the most was my mother. She faced countless hardships throughout the years. Wherever she went,
she always took me with her. I found happiness in being by her side. Later, when I married Elias, he
helped me resolve many of my problems. During that year, my adoptive father didn’t harass me at all. I
thought things had changed, but it turns out that Elias had been protecting me all along.”
Recalling that year of their secret marriage, Amanda knew that although Elias didn’t fulfill his duties as
a husband and showed no concern or care for her, he did step in when her mother passed away. When
her adoptive father came demanding money, it was Elias who sent him away.
That
year wasn’t exactly filled with happiness, but it was peaceful and stable. At that time, she even thought
she could live like that for the rest of her life.
Edith nced at Amanda with a mixed expression when Elias was mentioned, a hint of nostalgia in her
eyes. Speaking slowly, she said, “Elias is a good young man. With the Winters Family gone, he’s the
only one left to hold everything together.”
With the conversation reaching this point, Amanda couldn’t help but speak up for Elias. “Mom, let Dad
support him. He simply wants to reim the shares rightfully belonging to him from Old Mr. Winters.”
“Naturally, that’s what we’ll do. We are a family now, and he is Aiden’s father. We will him,” Edith
replied.
Hearing Edith’s words, Amanda felt relieved for Elias. It was better to have someone extending a
helping hand rather than battling alone.
Edith then asked hesitantly, “Amanda, is there still a chance between you and Elias?”
support
The smile that graced Amanda’s lips gradually faded. The truth was, she didn’t want to confront this
question. “I… I don’t know…”
She genuinely didn’t know what to do. It felt like a glimmer of trust had rekindled within her toward
Elias, yet she couldn’t shake her fear of repeating past mistakes. Conflicting emotions left her feeling
torn and unsure.
Observing her daughter’s inner turmoil, Edith decided to divert the conversation. “Let’s not dwell on that
for now. Let’s talk about something more enjoyable. What style do you prefer? I’ll have someone
redecorate a new room for you tomorrow.”
Amanda just smiled and responded, “There’s no need for that. Aiden and I can sleep in the same room.
For now, he still can’t bear to be separated from me.”
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In the following days, life gradually returned to its familiar rhythm.
Despite the dy in the recognition banquet, Jack took matters into his own hands and issued an
official announcement on thepany’s website, acknowledging Amanda’s rightful ce in the family.
The revtion sparked a buzz online.
This turn of events only fueled Crispin’s anxiety, and he feltpelled to act swiftly.
With Amanda’s return to the Allegra Family, Stephanie’s days grew increasingly unbearable. She felt
utterly neglected by her parents.
“Where are Mom and Dad? Why haven’t theye for dinner?” Stephanie had spent entire day sulking
in her room. The evening had arrived, yet there was no sign of her parents. Reluctantly, she made her
way to the dining room alone.
the
The helper, who was serving the dishes, responded, “Mr. and Mrs. Allegra suggested you proceed
without them. They are in the garden, enjoying their time with Aiden, digging in the soil.”
Digging in the soil?
Stephanie couldn’t believe that her mother, who was known for her elegance and poise, and her
perpetually authoritative father were actively engaged in soil-digging activities with a three-year-old
toddler in the garden. What a disgrace! The way they spoil that child is utterly appalling!
A disdainful snort escaped Stephanie’s lips as she ced her spoon on the table.
Throughout the day, she had sequestered herself in her room, but no one had bothered to check on
her. It turned out that her parents were preupied with ying with that little brat and indulging in soil-
digging activities.
In the past, Stephanie’s parents would take turns coaxing her toe down for dinner, fearing that she
might go hungry, but now, the couple seemed to have their minds consumed by the return of their
eldest daughter, Amanda, and their newfound grandchild. They werepletely oblivious to
Stephanie’s existence.
Just then, her phone buzzed, signaling the arrival of a text message.
Stephanie cast a casual nce at the screen, only to discover that the message was from Elias.
The whole situation of him sending her a text message felt rather peculiar.
She immediately picked up her phone and opened the message, revealing a sequence of numbers.
5022 Cloudview Hotel
A hotel room number? What can this possibly mean?
111
34
Utterly bewildered, Stephanie grappled toprehend the intended meaning. She hastily replied to the
message, ‘What do you mean?’
However, as time passed, no response came. She double-checked the number and confirmed that it
was indeed Elias’ phone number.
Perhaps he is upied and unable to reply?
Stephanie decided to call him directly. However, to her surprise, the call ended abruptly as soon as it
connected. This couldn’t be a mere coincidence-it was surely intentional!
Filled with frustration, she sent another message. ‘What do you mean by all this?’
After a few minutes of anticipation, a notification chimed, and she eagerly opened the message. ‘You’ll
know when
‘You’ll know when youe.
From that point on, regardless of what she sent, no further replies came.
Confusion mingled with curiosity surged within Stephanie. Determined to unravel the mystery, she
decided to venture out and see what was happening.
She got up and left the dining room, and the helper nearby asked, “Miss, aren’t you going to finish your
meal?”
Stephanie hurriedly responded, “I’m done. I’m going out.”
With that, she hastened back to her room, swiftly changed into a different outfit, and then set off in her
car.
Meanwhile, Jack and Edith were happily engrossed in ying with their grandson, and they had no
interest in what Stephanie was up to.
Inside room 5022 at Cloudview Hotel, Crispin sat before the desk, his fingers dancing across the
keyboard as he peered at the messaging page on his phone.
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As he noticed the indicator revealing that Stephanie had read hisst message, an evil grin curled upon
his lips.