Elly stood by the door, her heart filled with anguish as she realized she had forgotten the long-standing confusion and insecurity in her son’s heart. She had thought all of that was finally behind them, but now, watching her son cry in his sleep, her heart felt as though it was being sliced with a knife, shattered to pieces.
Many problems wouldn’t just disappear because she avoided them deliberately; she knew she still had to face them head-on.
Her gaze lingered quietly on the father and son for a moment. She didn’t move forward to disturb them but instead quietly closed the door and walked out.
Adam kept holding William, gently patting his small body without saying a word as he comforted him. When Elly left the room, Adam looked up at her, pressing his lips together and withdrawing his gaze with a complex expression.
He held William for an entire hour, waiting until he was deeply asleep before carefully putting him back in bed, kissing his forehead, and then leaving the room.
Adam searched downstairs but couldn’t find Elly, and his heart inevitably sank.
After a moment of thought, he went up to the rooftop.
This was Elly’s private rooftop, attached to a spiral staircase leading up from their second floor. Going up the staircase, one would emerge onto the rooftop, which was converted into a sunroom with thick, transparent, and sturdy tempered glass covering the top and all four sides.
In the winter, lying here to soak up the sun, warmed by the light diffused through the glass, was possible.
On summer nights, when the glasses were opened, a cool breeze would blow through the windows. Lying here allowed for an intimate view of the clear, starry sky, which was very pleasant.
This was also the reason why Elly and Arthur Clark chose to live in this apartment initially.
At that moment, she was sitting in the sunroom, with two bottles of red wine placed on the nearby marble table, one of which was already empty.
Without frowning, Adam walked over and sat down beside her, his gaze sweeping past the bottles of wine; his brow furrowed even tighter.
Though this brand of wine wasn’t as strong as spirits, its kick was stronger than other red wines. She had already consumed a bottle and a half in such a short time. When the aftereffect kicked in, she would be in for quite the ordeal.
he said as he sat down next to her and took the wine from her hands, "Stop drinking, or you’ll feel sick later."
Elly glanced at him faintly. Her eyes were clear, not appearing drunk, but her cheeks were flushed red from the alcohol.
She didn’t reach for the wine bottle in Adam’s hand but asked softly, her voice hoarse with the effect of alcohol, though she seemed to be without a trace of drunkenness.
However, when Adam heard her question, his heart tightened, because he could discern a hint of heaviness in her husky voice.
Moving closer, he gently embraced her, replying softly, "Yes, he’s asleep."
His voice was low, and his dark eyes were filled with tenderness.
Unexpectedly, Elly didn’t push him away. The strong scent of alcohol on her body made Adam frown.
He knew she was drunk, for she would only be so docile, only in her drunkenness would she not reject his embrace.
After a long silence, Elly suddenly lifted her head from his chest. Her small nose brushed against his firm chin, and her bright eyes, now somewhat hazy, stared intently at him.
With that one look, Adam felt as though his heart was in her grasp, as if by her simply asking, he would offer her the entire world on a platter.