Chapter 272: Because ... Mama was the one who bought them.
Xavier paused mid-step.
His fingers clenched tightly.
"I won’t," he said before finally walking out of the room.
Liam lifted his eyes to watch him leave, but he didn’t respond to Xavier’s confidence.
Instead, he silently poured himself another drink before leaning back against the couch and taking a slow sip.
"Xavier ..." he murmured quietly, almost to himself. "I just hope you can hold on to that confidence until the very end. Because when truth finally reveals itself ... when realization truly hits... it breaks a person to the core."
He took another sip before slowly closing his eyes, allowing the weight of every regret to settle over his chest once again.
Those regrets were nothing new.
They had lived with him for seven long years.
Yet no matter how much time passed, he had never learned how to live comfortably with them.
They still weighed on him just as heavily as they had the day he lost Adelyn.
He still blamed himself the same way he had when he searched desperately for her seven years ago ...
... exhausting every resource at his disposal ...
... only to fail to find her.
That guilt had never lessened.
Nor had the suffocating sense of helplessness.
It lingered inside him ... like an invisible chain wrapped tightly around his heart, refusing to loosen.
And he knew it never would.
Not until the day he drew his last breath.
Because there was one truth Liam had accepted long ago—
He would never be able to forgive himself.
As the night grew darker, the memories of his own bias from the past surfaced more vividly than ever.
One scene after another ...
One mistake after another ...
Each one so painfully clear that he could no longer hide from them.
And the more he faced them ...
... the more they hurt.
———————————————————
The next day—
The morning unfolded just as beautifully as Adelyn could have hoped.
When she slowly opened her eyes, Little Eira was still sleeping comfortably beside her, looking every bit the sweet, innocent little angel she truly was.
Adelyn couldn’t help but soften at the sight of her like that. A small, tender smile slowly curved her lips as she quietly admired the little girl for a long moment.
Then —
Careful not to wake her, she reached out and gently brushed a few loose strands of hair away from Eira’s face.
It wasn’t the first time she had looked at the girl from this close.
But the more she looked ...
... the more she felt this tiny little girl was slowly stealing a piece of her heart—
A piece she might never be able to take back.
"Aren’t you just too charming, little one?" she murmured softly, gently tapping the girl’s tiny nose. "You’ve completely bewitched me with your cuteness. I don’t think I can ignore you anymore ... not when you’re always trying so hard to stay close to me."
She had the urge to poke Eira’s soft little cheek. However, she held herself back, knowing it would wake her. And she couldn’t bear to disturb her —not when the little girl looked so peaceful and comfortable in her sleep.
Quietly getting out of bed, Adelyn moved around the room with careful, silent steps, making sure not to create even the slightest noise while finishing her morning routine.
Once she was done, she came out fully dressed for the day.
Her eyes instinctively drifted back toward the bed.
There ...
The little one was still sleeping just as peacefully as before.
A smile unconsciously appeared on Adelyn’s lips.
She quietly walked back to the bedside. Sitting down beside her, she slowly reached out and gently caressed Eira’s soft hair. Her touch was featherlight —soft and light, yet it carried a subtle intention of waking the little girl naturally.
Just as she had hoped, Eira soon squirmed lightly in her sleep. Her long eyelashes fluttered a little before she slowly opened her eyes.
"Good morning, baby!!" Adelyn greeted her warmly the moment those innocent eyes met hers in sleepy haze. "Did you sleep comfortably?"
Little Eira’s sleepy daze lasted less than a second. The instant she saw Adelyn smiling at her, she seemed completely awake.
Still, she leaned forward and wrapped both her tiny arms around her mama’s waist.
"Good morning, Mama," she mumbled softly. "Eira slept the best."
Adelyn smiled and gently ruffled her hair. "Good ..." she said. "Then it’s now time to wake up and get ready for the day."
When the little girl looked back at her, Adelyn couldn’t resist anymore. Lovingly pinching her cheeks, she added, "You wouldn’t want to miss the delicious breakfast waiting for you downstairs, would you?"
Little Eira immediately shook her head.
Every meal with her mama felt special. She wouldn’t willingly miss a single one unless she absolutely had to.
"Then ..." Adelyn stood up before opening her arms toward her. "Come here."
"Let me take you to the bathroom, brush your teeth, and help you get ready."
Eira didn’t stay on the bed for another second. Immediately springing to her feet, she hurried straight into her mama’s waiting embrace.
Adelyn caught her with a soft laugh before scooping her into her arms and carrying her out of the room.
It didn’t take them very long.
After helping Eira brush her teeth, Adelyn gave her a quick bath before helping her get dressed for the day.
Mabel stood nearby, ready to assist whenever needed.
But for most of it, Adelyn insisted on doing everything herself. She hadn’t expected herself to become so involved.
Yet with every passing day ...
Every single time she heard the little girl call her ’mama’ ...
Something inside her quietly changed.
She found herself becoming more and more willing to do things for her —the ones that a mother does for her kids with love.
It wasn’t an obligation anymore.
It simply felt natural.
"Here ..." Adelyn said while looking at Little Eira through the mirror. "Let me put this on for you. Can I?" she asked
Eira obediently nodded to her in response.
Matching to the little girl’s outfit, Adelyn had carefully chosen a hair clip with a beautiful butterfly design. Seeing her nod, she clipped it to the girl’s silky brown hair.
"These hair clips are so pretty. They suit you perfectly. See —" she said with a smile, admiring the delicate butterfly design, studded with gem-like stones. "You should wear them more often. Keeping them unused here is such a waste."
As she said that, her fingertips once again lightly brushed over the clip —appreciating its smooth texture and cute design.
Little Eira looked at herself in the mirror ...
However, instead of looking happy, a quiet hesitation gradually surfaced in her eyes.
When Adelyn noticed it, she immediately stepped to the side so she could look at the little girl’s face directly and better.
"What’s wrong??" she asked gently. "Don’t you like it??"
She had never seen Eira wear hairclips before. So naturally, she assumed the little girl simply didn’t like them.
But then—
Eira slowly shook her head.
"Eira likes it ... very much," she answered honestly.
Adelyn only became more confused. Her brows furrowed slightly. "Then why don’t you wear them?"
Little Eira slowly raised her face to look at her. Her voice became unusually soft.
"Because ... Mama was the one who bought them."
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