Aware of her own lapse in composure, Ariana Evans turned Olivia Zane in a different direction and explained somewhat awkwardly to Titus Zane, "Titus, just now Mom... lost control, I didn’t scare you, did I?"
Titus Zane curved his lips, glancing at Olivia Zane who was immersed in disappointment, and shook his head, "It’s okay."
Beyond those two words, he didn’t know how else to respond.
The family runs a company and lacks no money, but Titus’s mother always insisted on working. Although she was an independent and strong woman, he had never seen her lose her temper.
Her words were not always gentle and soft-spoken, but they were still tender and kind, and she never raised her voice in a shout.
But now, his mother was scolding his father so seriously, and the latter didn’t retort, it must not have been the first time.
"Mom, it’s getting late, I should be heading back too." Belatedly realizing he was the only one left sitting at the dining table, Titus stood up and walked towards the living room.
"Going back? Where to? Do you want to stay at a hotel instead of at home?" Ariana Evans frowned disapprovingly and came over in a motherly fashion, grabbing Titus’s hand to hold it between hers, "Titus, now that you are back, stay at home. Your room has always been kept the same as before."
Titus Zane was emotionally touched but still politely declined his mother’s attempt to keep him, curving his lips and saying, "Mom, I still have some things to deal with, I’ll come back after I’m done."
He didn’t mean to deceive his mother; this kind of white lie was something he was compelled to tell.
Fortunately, Ariana Evans didn’t force the issue, patted the back of his hand and sighed, looking a bit disappointed, "Alright, my daughter has grown up and has her own things to do. I can’t control everything as a mother."
"Mom..." Titus Zane gripped his mother’s hand, and before he could express his apologies, he saw Ariana Evans force a smile and say, "Mom isn’t blaming you, it’s just that..." Ariana paused before adding, "I just can’t bear to let you go,"
Seeing that Titus Zane’s eyes had become red with emotion, Ariana sighed helplessly and feigned annoyance, "Child, Mom just spoke some truth, why are you crying now,"
Titus Zane raised his other hand to gently dab at the corner of his eye and pulled up the corners of his mouth in a forced smile, "Mom, I’m not crying."
"I know," Ariana Evans agreed, and then patted the back of Titus’s hand with earnest affection, "Child, I just want you to know that no matter when, the door to this home is always open for you."
"Mom!" Throwing himself into his mother’s embrace, Titus Zane closed his eyes.
If there was anything in T City he couldn’t bear to leave behind, it was this mother who always cherished and loved him.
"Alright, it’s getting late, I won’t keep you any longer," Ariana Evans gently patted Titus Zane’s back and reminded him.
"Alright, then I’ll be leaving and will come visit you another day." Stepping out of his mother’s embrace, Titus Zane bit his lip, trying not to look too sad.
"It’s so late, it’s hard to find a cab, let me drive you," Ariana proposed.
Not wanting his mother to go to any more trouble, Titus Zane lied.
"No need, I’ve already notified the driver to come pick me up when I arrived."
In order to make it more believable to the Zane family, he glanced at his watch, "The driver should already be waiting by now."
"Okay, then hurry along, don’t keep the driver waiting, making money is hard for everyone."
"Yes, Mom, I’ll be going." Seeing that Olivia Zane remained lost in thought, her gaze lowered, Titus Zane did not disturb her and grabbed the bag from the sofa to leave.
After seeing her daughter leave through the front door of the villa, Ariana Evans then turned back inside.
"Mom, why are you still offering her to stay at our home?" Olivia Zane looked up and asked her mother loudly and discontentedly.