Chapter 12
ww years had passed.
After moving to Chavelia, Madeleine changed her name to Adeline Montne. She also started operating a lompe bat lis a peaceful pai
Worried that she would have a tough time living alone abusad, Frank and Cynthia constantly wired her money. At last, she couldn’t take it anymore. She had ne choir but to call them and say, “Mom, Dad, how many times mana Htell you that I’m doing line ovet hete?
“You don’t need to worry about me. You don’t need to keep transferring money to me, either.
Adeline felt rather exasperated. Her parents couldn’t stop worrying about her, and the most frequent way they showed their concem was try giving her money.
She used that money to open a lounge bar near a university where she was bound to have a steady clientele. The old ones who left every year would always h replaced be the new batch of incoming students.
In all honesty, life had been rather pleasant.
However, when the frequency of her parents‘ bank transfers started increasing. Adeline started feeling uneasy.
Despite being in Chavelia, she kept herself updated on the news back home. This, she knew what had happened in the last five years.
Naomi had passed away just one day before Sullivan officially made a name for himself in Arbington’s business world. Adeline was sad she didn’t get to see Naomi one last time, but compared to that, she valued her life a bit more
Sullivan was indeed meant for greatness, just as he had been depicted in the novel. It was for that very reason that Adeline tried to keep her contact with her parents to a minimum. She was wonded that constant communication would lead to him sensing that something was atniss,
It everything went back to normal, then all her efforts in the last five years would’ve been for nothing.
According to the original timeline in the novel, Sullivan should’ve confessed his feelings to Isabel and started a relationship with her by now, yet for some reason, he remained single for live whole years.
Adeline heard that he kept the box of her ashes by his side at all times. People who didn’t know them praised him for his undying love, but she had a feeling he had some other ulterior motive for doing so
The thought of that made her shudder and solidified her decision to minimize contact with her parents.
Out of the blur, Adeline heard someone knocking on the bar counter. She instinctively turned around to find herself looking into a pair of dark, unreadable eyes. “Hi, there, I’d like a
“a margarita“
It had been so long since she last heard that oh–so–famillat voleer seen the face that had stared back at her throughout countless nights, Even if she closed hei eyes, she could still identify him just by tracing his fingers over lids features,
Her heart missed a beat, and she stood rooted to the spot
Halsing an eyebow, Sullivan called out a little louder, “Miss?”
Adeline hatedly teminated the call, feeling a sense of vexation.
Slar knew it. She knew she’d been having far too much contact with her parents. With how slewd Sullivan was, sooner or later, he would alscover that she wasn’t actually idrad. That being said, she didn’t expect him to appear here so soon, catching her off guant
“The hat is closed today.
Frigning composur, Adeline polsted at the “Closed for Today” sign hanging on the door and lowered her voice to say, Eluscklung, Sullivan petitewed the sign and showed her the “Open for Business” side that was displayed in front. With a look at amusement, he remarked, “If I’m not mistaken, it only counts it the guests can see the “Closed on Today” sign, right?”
Startled, Adeline looked at the sign only then did she realize she had forgotten to dip the sign over
Tunning redwithembarrassinent, she grabbed the sign and hung it up properly before saying, “There Mitage isclosed today, sit. If you’d like a drink, you’ll have to drop by some other establishment
Once he finished, she lowered her head and busted herself with work, but sullivan continued to stand at the bat, refusing to leave, just as she wondered if she should say something, he asked, “Have we met before?”
