Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 687

After a moment of thought, Emilia picked out a few high-end handbags and jewelry pieces from her shopping haul and drove to Paisley's residence.

Standing at the front door, she hesitated.

But eventually, she pressed the doorbell.

The door opened, and Paisley stood there, looking visibly surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Paisley asked.

Emilia's mind went blank. She opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat.

Under her mother's wary gaze, Emilia held out the luxurious shopping bags.

"I went shopping today," Emilia said softly. "I saw these and thought of you. I know they are your style."

Paisley looked at the elegant boxes. It was obvious Emilia had specifically chosen them with her tastes in mind.

She reached out and took them, but remained perfectly silent.

A cool breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the leaves overhead.

The two women stood there in agonizing silence for what felt like an eternity.

Emilia's hands clenched into fists, then slowly relaxed.

Finally, her voice barely a whisper against the wind, she said, "Mom."

It was impossibly quiet, but Paisley heard it.

Paisley glanced up.

Emilia kept her eyes trained on the ground, her heart hammering against her ribs. She was terrified Paisley would snap at her to never use that word again, so she didn't dare meet her gaze.

Because she was looking down, she completely missed the flash of complicated emotion that crossed her mother's face.

The wind continued to howl softly.

Nearly half a minute passed before Paisley finally spoke. "I heard Theodore's mother sought you out?"

Emilia blinked in surprise, then nodded eagerly. "Yes."

She hadn't told her not to call her Mom. That was a victory. Relief washed over Emilia.

"Did she give you a hard time?" Paisley pressed.

Emilia shook her head. "No, not at all."

Paisley was her biological mother, yet the chasm between them felt insurmountable.

As far as she knew, Paisley was the only blood relative she had left in the world.

It was a suffocating realization.

But she swallowed the tears.

Turning her back to the door, Emilia looked up at the drifting clouds, took a deep, shuddering breath, and marched confidently toward her car.

Inside the house, Paisley stared down at the beautiful gifts in her hands and let out a long, quiet sigh.

...

By the time Emilia returned to Glenn Manor, Bella was already home.

Lately, the little girl had been busy with early education classes and extracurriculars.

Theodore had offered to hire top-tier private tutors to teach her at the estate, but after discussing it, they agreed she needed to be around kids her own age. Given her time in the orphanage, socializing was crucial.

When Emilia walked into the living room, Bella was sitting at the grand piano, her tiny fingers hovering over the keys. Theodore was seated closely beside her, gently guiding her hands as they pressed down on the ivory.