Chapter 179
Audrey’s POV:
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” Mrs Cole said, her voice
carefully modulated as she entered the living room.
“Not at all,” I replied politely, feeling Caspar shift slightly closer to
me on the sofa.
His presence was reassuring.
An awkward silence settled over the room.
“Perhaps we should move to the dining room,” Mr. Cole suggested,
breaking the silence.
“Our chef has prepared lunch.”
I nodded, rising from the sofa. “That sounds lovely.”
As we walked toward the dining room, Mrs. Cole reached out as if to
touch my arm, but her hand was inadvertently caught by Daisy, who
appeared at her side.
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“Everyone, please, Chef Martin has outdone himself today.”
Daisy announced cheerfully, linking her arm through Sara’s with
practiced ease.
She guided her mother forward, the picture of filial devotion.
I watched their intimate interaction with a complicated feeling in my
chest.
To say it didn’t affect me would be a lie–seeing the easy familiarity
between them stirred something deep inside.
But I understood the reality: Daisy had been the Cole daughter for
twenty–seven years.
She wasn’t pretending; this was her life, her mother.
I pretended not to notice their closeness and continued toward the
dining room.
Mr. Cole guided me to a seat directly across from him and Mrs. Cole,
with Caspar next to me.
The table was elegantly set with fine china and crystal glasses-
clearly, they had gone to great lengths for this meeting.
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“Robert and I are so pleased you could join us today,” Mrs. Cole said,
her voice catching slightly.
“Thank you for having us, Mr. Cole and Mrs. Cole,” I replied formally.
Something flickered across their faces–disappointment.
I hadn’t meant to hurt them, but “Mom and Dad” were words I
couldn’t bring myself to say.
They quickly masked it with warm smiles.
“Please, eat as much as you’d like,” Mrs. Cole said, smoothly changing
the subject.
She reached for a serving dish.
“You must try the roasted vegetables–they’re prepared with herbs
from our garden.”
Mr. Cole nodded enthusiastically,
“And the salmon is excellent. Our chef has a way with seafood.”
He spooned a generous portion onto my plate.
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“Thank you,” I said, looking at my rapidly filling plate. “This looks
delicious.”
I kept my expression carefully neutral, but something inside me
softened slightly.
In the Bailey family, no one but Margaret had treated me with/such
genuine concern.
“You know,” Daisy suddenly announced, her voice cutting through the
polite conversation.
“I think you should call them Mom and Dad.”
My fork clattered against the plate.
Every head at the table turned toward Daisy.
“I mean, they are your biological parents,” she continued, ignoring
the warning glances from Ethan and Finley.
“Mom and Dad seem more appropriate than Mr. and Mrs. Cole, don’t
you think?”
“Daisy,” Finley’s voice was sharp. “This is too sudden.”
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William opened his mouth, likely to defend his sister, but one look
from Ethan silenced him.
“Let’s not rush things,” Robert interjected smoothly.
He offered me a gentle smile.
“Audrey, this is our first meeting. It’s perfectly normal that you
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wouldn’t feel comfortable with such familiar terms right away.‘
He reached over to pat his wife’s hand reassuringly.
“These things take time, and we respect whatever feels right for you.”
Sara nodded quickly.
Daisy stood, turning to me.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes suddenly glistening with tears,
“I didn’t mean to make things awkward. It’s just that… I feel so
guilty.”
She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin.
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“I’ve been occupying your place in this family for twenty–seven years.
Living the life that should have been yours.”
Her performance was flawless–the trembling lip, the glistening eyes,
the perfectly timed pause for emotional effect.
She turned to Sara and Robert.
