Chapter 539: Chapter 539



Allie hung her head, sniffling as though she had endured a profound injustice.

Joelle, standing nearby, grasped the gravity of the situation unfolding before her. “Aurora? She’s gone to sleep. Allie brought her to me earlier, and I took Aurora to bed.”

Rafael knew Joelle wouldn’t lie, and the atmosphere grew silent. Adrian suggested, “If you’re worried, go check inside.”

Rafael’s anger began to wane. Had he really wronged Allie?

Rafael strode inside and discovered Aurora peacefully slumbering on the sofa, draped with Allie’s coat. Rafael knew that Allie had brought that coat with her to Switzerland. It seemed he had indeed misjudged Allie.

Rafael emerged outside, his expression grim. Allie sat there, quiet and pitiful, being consoled by Joelle. Tears streamed down Allie’s face, yet she remained eerily silent, her anguish unvoiced.

Suddenly, Rafael recalled the insights he had gleaned about Allie from the servants of the Myers family. Before she turned thirteen, Allie had been perpetually overlooked and bullied. A nefarious older man had attempted to take advantage of her, and with no lock on the basement room door, Allie spent each night clutching a box cutter as she slept. Upon turning thirteen, Allie suddenly became acutely aware of the necessity to fight for her inheritance, prompting her to desperately seek the approval of everyone in the family.

Rafael took a deep breath, steadying himself, and approached Allie. “I’m sorry.”

Allie looked up, her gaze piercing and accusatory, resembling that of a wounded animal. Rafael braced himself, anticipating her to lash out in anger. But to his surprise, Allie suddenly sprang to her feet and dashed away, fleeing along the path beside the swings.

“Allie!” Joelle called out, but Allie didn’t stop.

Rafael snatched the coat from the chair. “I’ll go after her. Don’t wait for us.”

With that, he went after Allie. The warm afternoon had given way to a chilling evening, and Allie’s hands and feet were numb with cold.

She was unaware of how long or how far she had run, but running helped her clear her mind and vent her feelings.

“Allie!” Rafael finally caught up to her, draping his coat over her shoulders and gripping her firmly by the shoulders. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have accused you. Let’s take a moment to calm down and handle this like adults, okay?”

Allie’s briefly healed mood shattered once more. She shoved Rafael away, her voice rising with hurt. “You care more about that little girl than you do about me! No, you care about Joelle! Because that’s Joelle’s daughter!”

“I don’t.” To prevent Allie from bolting once more, Rafael firmly grasped her wrist. Allie winced at the sharp pain.

As Rafael tightened his grip in a surge of anger, the outline of his fingers left a distinct imprint on her delicate wrist. He released her wrist, pulling her closer by the hand, and wiped her tear-streaked face with a handkerchief.

“Aurora is also my daughter. I raised her for the first three years of her life. She’s just a child. Don’t let jealousy consume you because of a child; it exhausts me.”

Allie clutched Rafael’s shirt. “Do you still like Joelle?”

“I don’t.”

Allie sniffled. “I understand now. It’s fine. Let’s go back.”

Was she truly so easy to placate? Rafael felt a twinge of skepticism, uncertain whether Allie was concealing some hidden agenda.

.

.

.