Chapter 1468:
“I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I just ordered a bit of everything. Maybe something will catch your eye.”
Wesley sat back, legs crossed and face unreadable.
“Mrs. Stanley, is all this really about coffee, or did you have something else in mind?”
After their last awkward meeting, Carola chose her words carefully, afraid of putting him off again.
“I know I haven’t been around for most of your life. Honestly, I hardly know what you like or dislike. I just wanted the chance to get to know you, even though it’s a little late.”
Tears rimmed Carola’s eyes as she tried to keep her voice steady.
Wesley offered no response, simply watching her in silence.
Noticing her slip, Carola brushed the corners of her eyes, forcing a small smile.
“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. Your birthday’s almost here. I thought maybe we could do something big—throw a proper party, invite everyone, make it a real event. Would you be alright with that?”
For years, she’d missed every chance to celebrate with him. Now she wanted to give him a grand birthday, hoping it would make up for those empty years.
Of course, there was another reason for her enthusiasm. She hoped Wesley’s birthday could be the moment she revealed to everyone that she was his mother. She longed for the world to see that Wesley was not motherless.
Wesley’s eyes deepened as he scrutinized Carola. Amid her hopeful gaze, he rejected her without mercy.
“There’s no need for all that, Mrs. Stanley. Don’t trouble yourself over my birthday.”
Her smile faltered. Pain flickered in her eyes.
“It’s no trouble at all. I’m your mother. I want to celebrate your birthday.”
Carola squeezed her hands together, fighting the urge to ask if he hated her for having a family of her own, but the words caught in her throat. No matter what, Wesley was her son. Even though her memories hadn’t returned, the natural bond of blood made her instinctively want to be close to him. She could sense his coldness toward her. He usually avoided her, and she could tolerate it. But she truly did not want to miss his birthday. She had missed enough already.
𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝘢𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗲𝗹𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗼𝗺
She refused to give up.
“This is your first birthday since we found each other again. Let me do something for you. If you don’t want a party, then maybe just dinner—just us, as a family?”
Family? The word felt like a bitter joke to Wesley. He wasn’t sure what family members she meant. He checked his watch and got to his feet.
“I’ll be spending that day with my girlfriend and don’t wish for outsiders to disturb us.”
Carola sat frozen in her seat, replaying Wesley’s words in her mind long after he walked out of the café. His girlfriend. Elena. He intended to spend his birthday having dinner with Elena.
A sigh slipped from Carola’s lips, disappointment flooding her chest. The message was clear—Wesley valued Elena’s company above his own mother’s.
Carola made her way back to the manor that stood quietly on the outskirts of Klathe.
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