Or maybe, he had thought of it too, but pretended to be deaf and mute, simply going with the flow and agreed to Elly Campbell’s request, to marry her?
After the surprise, there came deeper self-reproach and sympathy.
Just how deeply in love was Elly back then, that she would joke about the entire Campbell corporation just to marry him?
And how did he respond to her each time?
Thinking about it, Adam Jones’s heart ached as if it were being pierced by needles.
He looked at Elly, the words to ask for forgiveness were on the tip of his tongue, yet he just couldn’t bring himself to say them out loud.
No matter what, the things he did back then were real, and his mistakes were thorough. He didn’t want to refute anything, but Elly’s words "let’s end it here" tugged at his heart, making him anxious and pained.
When Elly was about to leave once again, Adam called out to her, "Elly."
He walked over to her slowly, pursed his lips, and his smile was somewhat pale, "It’s alright if you don’t accept my compensation, I won’t give up."
Hearing this, Elly frowned slightly, "Why are you insisting on this? It would be better to just make things clear. I’m not holding onto it anymore, so why are you still clinging to past mistakes?"
Adam gave a wretched smile, "You not minding is your affair, whether I want to make amends is mine, we can’t control each other."
Elly was at a loss for words by his retort.
Seeing her silent and grimacing, the pale smile spread from the corner of his eyes, "It’s okay if you don’t want me, I won’t force it, but if I don’t try, I’ll regret it myself."
He reached out and gently touched her face, but she instinctively dodged it.
"Elly, you just go on and do what you want to do, and don’t worry about what I need to do, okay?"
He looked at her with hopeful eyes and, after a long while, he heard Elly say with a cold voice, knitting her brows, "Suit yourself, as long as you don’t regret your own actions."
A smile began to spread across Adam’s eyes, "I won’t regret it, even if I spend a lifetime being neglected by you, I still won’t regret it."
Elly, upon hearing his words, curved her lips sarcastically, "Isn’t it too early to talk about a lifetime now?"
Could a man like Adam Jones really stay loyal to one woman for a lifetime?
Not to mention Adam, even when it came to an average man, she wouldn’t believe it.
Seeing Adam pressing his lips together, looking at her with a faint smile and not answering her question, she didn’t press for an answer. Since he wasn’t responding, she decided to let it be.
At that moment, Adam felt somewhat pleased inside. Although her attitude was still unyielding, her words "suit yourself" had given him a glimmer of hope.
At least, she hadn’t blocked all his paths, had she?
Elly, disturbed by Adam’s smile, frowned and stepped forward to leave, but suddenly, as if she thought of something, she stopped, turned around, and looked at Adam.
Adam, standing in the same spot and seeing her turn back, brightened up and heard Elly ask, "Do you really intend to compensate me?"
Adam, taken aback for a moment, didn’t understand why Elly had suddenly changed her mind, but he was very happy inside. Meeting her inquiring gaze, he nodded earnestly, "Yes."
"Any demand I make will be okay?"
Elly added another sentence.
"Yes, any demand is okay."
Adam stood in front of her, looking down and nodding, deepening the smile in his eyes.
"Then give me back the custody rights of William Campbell."
Adam was momentarily caught off guard when he heard this, but he quickly understood.
Apart from his son, there was probably nothing else he possessed that she cared about anymore.
Adam laughed self-deprecatingly in his heart while watching the hint of hope brimming in Elly’s eyes, and said, "Just this demand?"
Elly, thinking Adam wouldn’t agree, felt the hope in her eyes dim involuntarily. She had not harbored much optimism and was waiting for Adam to refuse, but then she heard him chuckle in response, "Okay."