Every word he slowly uttered seemed to be carrying thorns.
Questioning, criticism.
Facing his remark, her face gradually stiffened, and Charlotte Chester appeared even more uneasy.
Of course, Camilia Davis was also uneasy.
She was in her forties, and a miscarriage in her youth had left her with chronic health issues. Over the years, her hard work and difficulties made her age quickly, and now, plagued with illness, she was bone-thin, her eyes sunken, looking aged and pitiful.
She had never set foot in such a dignified and wealthy living room, nor seen such a group of people who seemed born with an air of nobility and authority.
She was like a humble ant, wringing her hands while sitting on the dark brown sofa. Though the sofa was soft and spacious, extremely comfortable, she could not sit steadily, as if there was fire beneath her, roasting her whole body with torment.
Yet she did not dare move, nor speak.
Even at over forty years old, one sentence from Zane Jackson made her cheeks burn with shame and self-abasement, and she couldn’t even lift her head.
Mia Ginger watched her, her heart filled with agony.
Zane Jackson’s words were like needles, piercing her skin, making her feel the same shame, if not more so, than Camilia.
Even though she committed unforgivable mistakes, even though she selfishly changed her life, she had still been her mother for seventeen years.
Using her thin, frail shoulders to build her a home.
"She is she, and Mia is Mia."
There was a brief silence in the living room before Aiden Jiang frowned and spoke: "Back then, out of selfish motives, she took Mia from outside the mall. We, as a couple, initially decided to pursue the matter, but..."
Aiden glanced at the old man and explained: "After all, she raised Mia well, and now she’s got cancer. Mia is soft-hearted and didn’t want us to bring it up from the start, so we didn’t raise the issue to avoid upsetting her."
He shifted blame onto Camilia, while speaking highly of Mia, finally causing the old man to show a hint of emotion.
The old man looked at Mia Ginger and said gently: "I heard you call her mom earlier, why don’t you blame her? She kidnapped you as a child."
"I didn’t call her recently." Mia’s face was a bit stiff.
"You’re not angry now?" The old man asked, slightly surprised, with a smile.
"I am angry." Mia still spoke the truth, without any additional explanations.
Charlotte Chester grew anxious, bit her lip, and glanced at her.
"Just this matter?" The old man turned towards Zane Jackson, displeased: "This isn’t the child’s fault, what does it have to do with her? You make such a fuss..."
"Let me finish." Zane interrupted him helplessly, his intense gaze fell on Mia Ginger, and he frowned: "If that’s all, we can leave it at that. She is pitiful, I won’t say much. As long as she has self-respect, is clean and upright, Koa’s marriage will certainly follow your wishes."
"However," Zane changed his tone, saying, "Parents are the child’s first teachers. The child will inevitably develop certain tendencies based on what kind of mother they have. Mia grew up in the kind of village within a city, inevitably picking up some unsavory habits. I especially made inquiries; this girl had boyfriends when she was only in her teens."
Zane deeply frowned, casting a sidelong glance at Mia Ginger, "That boy is a hooligan from Eastern Peak Village, the fourth son of the Cox Family. You may not know the Cox Family, but you must know the Myres Family, the two families have close ties, and none of the descendants have upstanding conduct."