Madame did not make eye contact. She avoided Edieās eyes, looking off into the distance. "Itās been over ten years, but I do know that it wasnāt your motherās fault. The blame is someone elseās." She bowed her head, and there was a brief moment when her voice became unclear because of intense emotion.
Edie shakes her head in confusion. "You mean, after all this time, what everyone has been saying is a lie? It destroyed families and all the talk that my mother gave birth to a child in shame! I donāt understand?" Tears were filling in the corner of her eyes.
"Your mother didnāt have any regrets. She raised you all by yourself and did the best she could. She wanted to give you a proper education, but instead, she was forced to die by someone elseās hand!" Madame explained briefly.
Edie didnāt know what to believe. All these years, she lived in shame. Believing what her mother had told her and now her very own mother-in-law is telling her the same thing Edieās grandpa told her. "So, the shame is not my motherās, but someone elseās?" Edie asked.
Madame shook her head and said, "Yes, Edie!"
Edie thought she felt calm, but her body had its own rhythm. She was excited and eager. She had to find out everything. "What are the secrets from the past? I need to know the truth? Do you know what they are?"
Madame heard the excitement in Edieās voice, and she opened her mouth to speak, but there was nothing. She hesitated as if trying to find the right words. "I donāt know, but I do know what kind of woman your mother was. If she had known that Stanley had a fiancĆ©, she would not have had an affair with him. It was so many years ago, and even talking about it now is very emotional for both of us."
The light in Edieās eyes gradually disappeared. She was overwhelmed with disappointment. "Thank you for telling me, and thank you for believing in my mother. You have no idea how much it means to me. It has been a long time, but I canāt let it go. I have to find out the truth." Edie clenched her fists hard and tried to calm her nerves. "Her death will not be in vain. I will see to it!"
Madame looked at Edie and said, "Your stubbornness is your strength, and I admire your willingness to struggle. I advise you to investigate it further. The truth should be revealed. I will only be in the city for a short time, and I wonāt get in your way. Just remember if, for some reason, you need my help, please ask." She took a few deep breaths and let out a loud sigh of relief, and she turned around and left.
Just as Madame walked past Stuart, he said in a cold voice, "I donāt care who you hurt, but I will never let you hurt Edie."
"No need to worry!" Instead of arguing, she agreed with him.
This caught Stuart off guard, and he frowned as he looked back at her. Just as he was watching his mother leave, Edie came up from behind and hugged him. "Your mother said sheās leaving. You should ask her to stay!" Edie said.
"No! I will not ask her to stay!" Stuart said, his voice sounding heavy.
Edie wanted to tell Stuart about his motherās kind and caring other side, but she didnāt know-how. She slowly took his hand in hers, and Stuart looked down and spotted the ring. His eyes grew dark. "Did my mother give you this?" he asked with uncertainty.
Edie raised her hand and showed Stuart the ring. "Yes, she said it was a gift," Edie explained.
Stuart looked at the ring, and all kinds of different emotions were surging through his body. "This is the wedding ring that my father gave her. She has been wearing it for over twenty years, and not once has she ever taken it off. What does this mean?" Stuart couldnāt help but be confused. Stuart looked in his motherās direction, "What are you up to, my dear mother?"
When Madame Yates arrived back at the hotel, Mr. Bayer was patiently waiting for her to tell her about Donaldās condition. She took one look at him, and her heart sank. His deep eyes, circled by fine lines, sparkled with knowledge, but they were red and watering like he was crying. Mr. Bates turned, a slight frown on his face. "Karenās missing. No one knows where Sofia is, and now Hawk Real Estate Co. Ltd. is in a mess," he said, his voice low almost to a whisper. "Some people are supporting Donald, but the others insist on speaking with the chairman. Thatās not the worst part, though." Mr. Bayer hesitates. "Donald.....heās not the same man!"
Madameās expression changed to such extreme anguish that the whole room seemed to shift and darken. The matter now became serious. "Karen would never leave Donald. Something must have happened to her. I canāt allow you to get involved, and Iāll go and talk to him." She finished off her sentence with a shake of her head. Despair descended.
"What about you? Youāre the deputy director of the L. N. Group. Why do you need to get involved with Donaldās business? If anyone sees you with him, they will find out about your relationship with the Lynch family!" Mr. Bayer said, sounding stressed.
His words had jarred Madame. Her face was flushed, her jaw still tight with emotion. "When have I ever cared about other peopleās opinion of me?" she said, glancing up at Mr. Bayer with a worried look. Reluctant, she nodded. "Listen carefully," she continued in a firm voice. "You have done so much for me and left everything behind because of it. I need to do this for you!"
"I canāt stand to watch you go through this and alone!" Mr. Bayer said with a voice full of emotion. This was the woman who ruled his life and his heart, and it struck him to the bone to see her in this situation. Madame didnāt know what to say. "Iām going to stay in the city and find Karen. I want you to go back to Europe. I will not be by your side, so you need to take care of yourself!"
"If youāre staying! Iām staying!" Madame insisted.
"Youāre the deputy director, and I have nothing to do with the Lynchās. Therefore, no one will suspect anything. Go back to Europe, and thereās no need for you to worry. All I want from you is to know that you will take care of yourself?" Mr. Bayer spoke with decisiveness.
For a long time, Madame Yates stood helplessly looking at him. She nodded her head and said, "I owe you so much! I donāt know how I can ever repay you!"
"Donāt talk such nonsense! You donāt owe me anything!" Mr. Bayer knew this discussion would only end in an argument, so he quickly changed the topic. "You saw her today! How did it go?"
"She is very much like her mother. I really enjoyed the time we spent together. Stuart acts differently, when heās around her, heās happy!" Madameās eyes grew red as she fought back the tears.
She turned her head in fear Mr. Bayer would see, but he knew. He looked at her hand and noticed her diamond was gone. "Whereās your ring?" he asked.
Madame touches her finger and smiles, "I gave it to her as a gift. I wanted to give her my blessings."
Madame spoke out his hopes and fears, all in the same sentence. Although the ring was gone, her love for Alexander was as strong as ever. "Iām happy that everything turned out so well! Youāve had a very busy day. You must be tired. I will let you rest," Mr. Bayer said as he turned to leave the room. To escape his bitterness, he buried it deep in his subconscious mind. He felt as if his heart was a lead weight in his chest. He whispers softly, "Good night, my love."