novelraw Chapter 277 - 278: The Thief’s Heart Will Not Die
Chapter 277 - 278: The Thief’s Heart Will Not Die
Chapter 277: Chapter 278: The Thief’s Heart Will Not Die
Not wanting to argue with Mother Johnson, Sienna Johnson walked towards her bedroom upstairs. Pauline Briggs grabbed Sienna’s arm, led her upstairs, and brought her into her own room, closing the door behind them.
Only the mother and daughter were in the room.
Looking at her daughter, Pauline sadly advised, "I know you resent my favoritism, but marriage is a significant event in life; it’s not something to gamble with out of spite. Kiki told me about that Adrian Desmond—he’s no good. Besides, he looks like a cruel man."
"..."
"When a man like that treats you well, he can spoil you rotten, but if you try to break up with him, he could kill you!"
Sienna had to admit that Pauline was right. Adrian Desmond could spoil her to the heavens when he was pleased, but if she angered him, he was just as capable of dragging her to hell.
"I heard the Stewart Family bailed Sabrina Johnson out. Didn’t you go see her, Madam Johnson? I imagine Sabrina Johnson must desperately need her mother’s comfort right now!"
"Sabrina Johnson is married, so I don’t have to worry about her anymore. My only concern now is your marriage."
"My affairs are none of your concern!"
"Sienna, when can you forgive me?"
A wave of suppressed emotion rose in Pauline’s chest. Her eyes reddened as she looked at her estranged daughter, the pain in her heart too profound to voice.
"There’s nothing to forgive between us!
So what if you’re my biological mother?
Relationships depend on affinity. It’s not your fault you don’t like me. I used to resent you, but I’ve come to terms with it. I don’t blame you anymore."
"Sienna, you’re my own flesh and blood. How could I not like you?"
Sienna laughed coldly. "Children are very perceptive. Did you think I couldn’t tell whether you liked me or not? Or do you take me for a fool, unable to distinguish who treats me well from who doesn’t?"
"..."
"Madam Johnson, I’m begging you, let’s just go back to how we used to interact."
"I know I was wrong before, and I want to make it up to you. Won’t you give me a chance?"
Pauline had been desperately trying to reach her daughter’s heart, but Sienna’s emotional walls were too high, too impenetrable. No matter how hard Pauline tried, she couldn’t get through.
"Madam Johnson, if a person is already full, would you expect them to eat a sumptuous banquet? That’s how I feel about your kindness now. I don’t want it! I don’t need it! Don’t you understand?"
"I’m tired. So incredibly tired. Please, just let me be alone for a while."
Sienna looked utterly exhausted, her face etched with weariness, her voice frail. Pauline couldn’t bear to see her like this and relented. "Alright, we’ll talk about this later. I’ll have a servant draw you a bath... Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? What do you fancy? I..."
Sienna, however, did not appreciate Pauline’s concern. She opened the door and walked out.
"Sienna."
Her daughter’s indifference and rejection cut Pauline to the core. She covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she wept silently.
「In the kitchen,」
Pauline, wearing an apron and disposable gloves, was meticulously preparing dinner for Sienna. A servant entered and reported, "Madam, Miss Sienna didn’t take a bath; she went straight to bed."
"Mm. Let me know the moment she wakes up."
"Yes, Madam."
Pauline prepared a wide array of dishes, hoping her daughter would enjoy at least some of them. Thinking of Sienna’s resentment towards her as a mother, the pain in Pauline’s heart swept over her like a tidal wave.
Cola Chicken Wings, Stir-fried Chives with Squid, Oyster Sauce Lettuce, Steamed Eggplant with Minced Garlic... For the main course, she made Lotus Leaf Spare Ribs and Glutinous Rice. Remembering a time Sienna had eaten a lot of noodles, Pauline specially prepared Plain Noodles in Chicken Soup for her.
The table, laden with dishes, exuded an irresistible aroma. Sabrina Johnson entered, bent down to take a sniff, then turned to Pauline, smiling. "It smells delicious—just like Mom’s cooking."
"Sabrina, what are you doing here?" Pauline asked, surprised to see her.
After all, on the day Sabrina had been driven out of the Briggs family home, her eyes had seemed to spit fire when she looked at her adoptive mother.
"I missed you, Mom." Sabrina behaved as if those unpleasant memories had never occurred, treating her adoptive mother just as she always had.
"Mom, I missed you so much! Did you miss me?" Sabrina walked over and hugged her adoptive mother affectionately.
Pauline’s expression was somewhat strained. She wasn’t sure how to face her adopted daughter, as their relationship was no longer as harmonious as it once had been. In fact, Pauline found herself instinctively recoiling from such intimacy now.
"Mom, I know I was wrong. Please, forgive me this one time. I was just... jealous of Sister. Frederick..." Sensing her adoptive mother’s stiffness, Sabrina’s voice trailed off, her tone laced with sadness.
"What about Frederick?" Despite everything, Pauline had doted on her adopted daughter for many years and still felt concerned for her.
"Frederick said he’s always loved Sister, and he wants to divorce me to marry her."
"How is that possible?"
"That’s why I stole the formula! I thought if I created problems for their business, Sister wouldn’t be able to steal my husband." Sabrina’s face clouded with sadness and gloom, making her look like a genuinely unhappy wife.
"No, your sister wouldn’t take Frederick from you." Pauline didn’t believe her.
"Sister has always hated me for stealing her fiancé! ...Mom, Sister has amnesia; many of her memories aren’t accurate. She just had an accident back then. How could Frederick and I possibly have harmed her?
We searched for her for so long, but when we couldn’t find her, we assumed something terrible had happened..." Sabrina started to cry.
"But you still shouldn’t have stolen the formula! Do you have any idea how much trouble that caused? Kenneth Brown died, and your sister’s engagement party was ruined..."
Since her husband’s death, Pauline had felt adrift and indecisive. She struggled to handle these escalating situations, and she’d noticed more white hairs appearing recently.
"Mom, what’s there to be sad about for Sister? That Kenneth Brown was no good. If Sister had actually married him, she would have been miserable."
"You’re right."
Sabrina looked at the table laden with food and felt a strong urge to poison Sienna to death with it!
"Mom, I heard Sister is back. I’ll go get her."
"Go ahead."
Sabrina said she would, but she made no move. Her smile vanished, and she scuffed her toe awkwardly against the floor. "Actually, never mind. I shouldn’t go and annoy her. Sister doesn’t like me... and she must hate me even more now."
Pauline walked over, took Sabrina’s hand, and said gently, "Sabrina, both you and Sienna are my daughters, my treasures. I want you to love each other like sisters. Sienna might misunderstand you, but you need to try to help her understand, instead of resorting to things like stealing formulas and hurting each other."