3.
Avalon’s POV
Rufus once told me that he had given our biological children to a wealthy older couple. He said they were doing well now, and he didn’t want me disturbing their lives.
I searched for a long time but never found a trace of them.
None of his family ever knew that, before my parents passed, they left me more than just money. I also inherited real estate worth tens of millions.
I sold the properties, built a small house in the countryside, and spent my days tending to flowers and vegetables, living a very leisurely life.
The twins believed I had kidnapped Radnor just to maintain being the matriarch of the Ralstons. From that moment on, they refused to acknowledge me as their mother, branding me as a cruel and manipulative woman.
But they didn’t know—after that, I adopted a pair of orphaned twins.
Back then, the girl was gravely ill and couldn’t afford treatment. Her brother had been working on a construction site to earn money for her but fell and broke his leg.
When they were at their lowest, clinging to life in a slum, I happened to pass by. I couldn’t bear to walk away. I rushed them to the hospital and paid for the best treatment.
When I saw the faint light return to their dull, lifeless eyes, it felt as if I were seeing my own children—those I had never met.
My heart softened on the spot. I completed the adoption papers and gave them names: Zion and Zeniah.
Over the years, I watched them grow up, and they stayed by my side as I grew old.
“Why don’t you just stay this time?” Bowden said gently, snapping me out of my thoughts. There was a trace of tenderness in his eyes. “Quit that maid job of yours. You don’t have to keep struggling outside anymore.”
“She was the one who had me kidnapped back then!” Radnor snapped from the side, scoffing with clear disapproval.
“Dad said it clearly,” he went on, voice cold. “As long as she admitted her mistake, he’d let the past go and let her stay. But she wouldn’t even say a single ‘sorry.’ Now she’s suffering out there, and suddenly she regrets everything?”
I had already explained it all—again and again. I didn’t do anything. In fact, I had nearly fallen off a cliff trying to rush over and save him. If a passing local hadn’t pulled me up, I would’ve died down there.
But it wasn’t just Radnor who didn’t believe me. Rufus and Shawna had also lashed out in anger, accusing me of being a monster.
In their eyes, I was toxic and cruel. Only Sharice—sweet, soft-spoken, and oh-so-perfect—could ever connect with them. She was their confidante, their ideal of the kind and graceful mother.
I looked at Radnor standing before me and thought of everything I’d once done for him. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
When he was little, he was always sick. I stayed by his bedside day and night, nursing him back to health, cleaning up after him, feeding him—raising him and his sister with my own two hands.
But the older he got, the colder he became. He only had eyes for Sharice, who spoiled him without limits.
Back then, I thought he simply didn’t like being disciplined. What I didn’t realize was that he had already known the truth all along—that Sharice was their biological mother.
And me? In their hearts, I was just a nanny—one they could call or dismiss at will.
Before I could respond, the hotel manager suddenly walked over and announced that tonight’s engagement party had been upgraded to VIP service—it’s on the house.
“This is a premium, VIP-level treatment. The Ralstons really must have some powerful connections!”
Gasps and whispers filled the room as the guests looked around in awe.
Tucker Thornton, the manager, gave the overjoyed Radnor a look—polite but indifferent.
“The owner made it clear—tonight’s upgrade is all in honor of the groom’s mother. It’s a special gesture. We hope you all have a wonderful evening.”
Instantly, all eyes turned to Sharice, especially Radnor, who looked at her with nothing but admiration.
“Mom, your connections are amazing! When did you get to know the hotel’s owner?” he asked in awe.
Sharice quickly wiped the confusion from her face and gave a modest smile, pressing her lips together and signaling him to keep it low-key.
I watched Radnor shower her with adoration, and all I could do was laugh to myself.
Tucker gave me an awkward glance and looked like he wanted to explain something. I subtly signaled for him to let it be.
The hotel had been a birthday gift from Zion and Zeniah—a present for my sixtieth birthday last year. I hardly ever visited, leaving the entire place in the manager’s care.
Just then, Shawna walked in, arm-in-arm with Rufus. The father and daughter were chatting and laughing as they entered.
Shawna had grown into a stunning beauty. As for Rufus, even in his sixties, he remained tall and elegant, every inch the charming gentleman.
The moment he saw me, he froze for a second.
“Grandpa! Mom!” Shawna called out sweetly as she flung herself into Bowden’s arms. But the moment her gaze landed on me, her smile stiffened. Then, disgust flashed across her face.
“What is that bitch doing here?!”
