The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1017

Elmer was taken aback, never having expected her to suddenly pull such a stunt.

“What are you doing? How are you at fault?”

Adriana pursed her lips bitterly, her voice somewhat heavy.

“As you know, Stacy only got to know Alfonso indirectly through me back then. I... I didn't know that Alfonso was such a despicable person, so I once played matchmaker for them. I thought Stacy was wonderful, and it would be great if we could be a family. I never imagined that I was actually pushing her into hell. Now that things ended tragically for her, I can't shirk responsibility for all the hurts and hardships she suffered.”

Following her words, Elmer was silent for a long time.

Finally, he let out a long sigh and waved a dismissive hand at her.

“All right, there's no need for this.”

Adriana thought he was unwilling to forgive her, and her entire body stiffened.

Seeing her reaction, Elmer knew she had misunderstood and immediately clarified, “How could this be your fault? Back then, no one could've forced her if she hadn't willingly chosen to be with Alfonso. At the end of the day, it was her own misfortune for choosing the wrong person and failing to see his true nature. She willingly jumped into hell herself. She might appear gentle and docile, but in reality, she was as stubborn as me. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ignored our advice, sticking to her own way and eloping with him.”

Despite his words, but deep down, Elmer was truly heartbroken.

Stacy was the daughter he and his wife had when they were almost forty years old. She was the apple of their eye, and the whole family doted on her.

As such, he was inevitably devastated that his only daughter was gone just like that. Worse still, her life before death was beyond miserable.

But even with his resentment toward the Garcia family, he was clear-headed. He only despised those who had harmed his daughter.

Alfonso, Susan, and Roxanne... They all deserve to die! But this matter can't be blamed on Adriana. What did she do wrong? She merely befriended Stacy. In the end, it was Stacy herself who made the decision. Moreover, she has also taken care of Neera over the years. Without her, Neera wouldn't be where she is today.

At that thought, he sighed once more. “Please take a seat. Let's not bring this up again in the future. We've never blamed you. You are Neera's aunt, and you treated her very well. We are very comforted and grateful.”

Adriana's nose stung. She nodded firmly, forcibly holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

Nadine, who had been watching at the side, came over at that moment and took her hand.

“Since you're already here, why not stay for a meal before you leave? You can also tell us about Neera's life all these years.”

Naturally, Adriana accepted the invitation without hesitation. Sitting down with her, she began to share stories about Neera's life, from her childhood to the present.

In particular, she detailed the latter's transformation in the past few years to grow stronger gradually.

“She has endured a lot of hardships. Yet, she never complained to me about anything, regardless of whether it was emotionally, in life, at work, or in her studies. She's always well-behaved, never causing me the slightest trouble. She's also very talented and quick to learn anything, with a special interest in medicine. For that reason, she majored in both medicine and business studies. During the few years she was abroad, she had her plate full. It was with much difficulty that she slowly grew to become who she is today.”

At that, anguish swamped Nadine. An emotional person, she swiftly burst into tears.

In the end, she gratefully patted the back of Adriana's hand.

“Thank you for treating her as your own child all these years. Our whole family is grateful to you. She's lucky to have an aunt like you.”

Likewise, Elmer felt very much discomfited deep within.

For lunch, Adriana stayed and ate with them. She also sincerely invited them to Imperial Gardens.

“You haven't met Neera's three children yet, have you? When you're free, come and meet them. They are all very adorable.”

Upon hearing that Neera had three more children, the Park family was extremely surprised.

“She has children? When did this happen? Isn't she still single?”

Speaking of that, Adriana felt a wave of guilt washing over her. “Back then, her stepmother and stepsister set her up and destroyed her innocence. Then, she found herself pregnant.”

The Park family knew about that matter, but they didn't expect Neera to have actually given birth to the children.

Jeremiah murmured, “When we saw her previously, she didn't look like she had had children, so we didn't dare to ask about it. We thought she might have terminated the pregnancy.”

With a bitter smile, Adriana admitted, “I initially advised her to terminate the pregnancy since the father's identity was unknown. My biggest fear was that she would regret it. But she couldn't bear to do so, saying that it was her own flesh and blood. In the end, she decided to carry the pregnancy to term. Thanks to her persistence, the three children became her warmest bonds and her greatest motivation.”

Once more, the Park family's heart broke.

They found it hard to imagine how a young girl could have faced all that and become a single mother.

She must have been through so much hardships and difficulties along this journey!

After a long silence, Elmer finally spoke. “Okay, we'll arrange a time to visit.”

Subsequently, Nadine asked, “What about Stacy? Where... is she buried?”

“At South Mountain Cemetery. After she passed away, I laid her to rest there. The scenery is beautiful, and it's peaceful. No one will disturb her there,” Adriana said apologetically.

The Park family was in great distress, yet they still thanked her fervently.