Chapter 79
Chapter 79:
Noticing Adrian’s sharp glare, Sophie lifted the sandwich like a peace offering and spoke in a rush, her voice softening. “I went out to grab breakfast for you p>
Adrian kept his eyes on her for a few moments, then gave a short, clipped “alright” and turned his attention elsewhere without another word.
He left it at that, but the message was clear as day—he would let this slide.
Neither of them spoke while they ate, and when they were finished, Sophie slipped away to finish packing up her bathroom things. Adrian made his way to the study to answer a call.
Neil’s voice came through the line, steady and businesslike. “Mr. Knight, I’ve forwarded you everything I could find on Zola Barnes—your wife’s mother. It’s all in your email now p>
Opening his laptop, Adrian scrolled through the files while Neil briefed him.
“There’s not much on record. Officially, Kolton Barnes had her declared deceased three years after she went missing. So there’s nothing recent in the public files p>
Adrian opened the attached message and scanned the summary and a handful of grainy, faded photos.
Neil added, “I had these photos shown to the Barnes family’s house staff. Turns out, Zola only resurfaced a little over a month ago. The staff said she’d gone into hiding all these years to avoid dangerous loan sharks—and to protect your wife. Kolton and his wife Michelle apparently knew the whole story, and it was Michelle who helped Zola find somewhere safe p>
Adrian’s brow furrowed as he stared at the images. He had been half convinced that the woman might be an impostor, but with Kolton confirming her identity, that seemed unlikely. Still, something about the situation did not sit right with him.
𝘘𝘶𝗮𝗹i𝘁𝗒 𝘁𝘳𝖺𝗻s𝘭𝖺𝘁i𝗼n𝘴 о𝗻
Sophie zipped up the last bag and took a steadying breath. Adrian grabbed her suitcase without a word, and together they made their way to the hospital.
Halfway there, Sophie bit her lip and asked quietly, “Do you even want to see my aunt p>
Adrian answered with an easygoing smile. “Why wouldn’t I? I can’t just show up at the hospital and ignore the patient. As your husband, the least I can do is say hi to p>
He let the pause hang for effect, then added with a grin. “Your aunt p>
They reached Zola’s room, and Sophie knocked softly before pushing the door open. “Aunt Zola, I brought someone to visit you p>
Zola lifted her gaze, taking in the tall man beside Sophie. “So, this is your husband p>
“Yes, this is Adrian Knight—the one I kept telling you about,” Sophie replied.
Adrian stood by her side, studying the woman in the hospital bed. Zola looked frail, her cheeks hollow, but there was no mistaking the family resemblance. She matched the woman from the photos almost perfectly. Adrian felt his doubts start to fade. Stepping forward, he greeted her with a respectful nod. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zola p>
Zola watched him closely, sizing him up in return. Michelle’s stories had painted Adrian as useless, a complete washout. But the man standing in front of her had an air of calm confidence, his eyes unwavering and sharp. Nothing about him said failure—except maybe the mask that hid his scarred face.
In a friendly, easy tone, Zola said, “Soph never mentioned you were this put-together p>
“Soph?” Adrian repeated, glancing over at her with a lifted brow.
Color rushed to Sophie’s cheeks. “Just a nickname… Aunt Zola’s always called me that p>
A quiet laugh escaped Adrian. “That suits you p>
Zola watched the two of them and said, “She’s told me you take good care of her. Watching you together, I actually believe it p>
Surprise flickered across Adrian’s face. “She really said that?” His voice warmed, just a touch of joy slipping through.
Sophie was quick to pull on Adrian’s sleeve, eager to steer the attention away from herself. “Aunt Zola, we’ve still got a stack of paperwork to sort through,” she said in a rush. She winked at Zola. “We’ll be back to see you soon p>
Sophie dragged him forward, making Adrian stumble before he finally matched her pace, one step at a time.
A faint smirk played on his lips as he trailed behind, his voice slow and laced with amusement. “Soph, what’s the rush? I was hoping to stick around and chat with Zola a little more p>