CHAPTER 429

Aidan was so embarrassed by the realization that he had to force a smile to hide it. "Oh, no. You are Martin's savior. It is all thanks to you that we can now be reunited. Thus, you are an honorable guest. How could you call your presence an intrusion?"

Generally speaking, Madeline was a gentle and kind woman who was both generous and extremely tolerant.

Nevertheless, that attitude was only present if she was the one affected. As soon as the people she loved were involved, she would be very petty. She was what people called an overprotective person.

Her overprotective nature only came to the people she loved. In fact, she did not care at all if the Whitfields were being cold to her because they did not welcome her.

However, the mere thought of their cold attitude being targeted toward Martin instead caused her great dissatisfaction. Her heart even ached at the notion.

He had suffered so much for years. Finally, he had found his parents, yet what was with the looks on his parents' faces on their reunion?

It looked like he was not welcome home at all.

How could parents like them exist?

If she were their child, she would have played along with Aidan's forced smile. She would have forgotten about it.

Nonetheless, Martin was their child, not her. She could not ignore the disrespect.

"You looked so upset that I thought you were annoyed at me for being here without your permission," she said with a polite smile.

Aidan felt even more embarrassed upon hearing that.

He was at a loss for words, not knowing how to explain the unpleasant look on his face previously.

Karina was the one who eventually spoke up due to her impatient personality. "Don't overthink it, Maddie. You are Martin's savior and our honored guest. You will always be welcome here. Aidan and I are not upset. We just have something on our minds. That was the reason for those looks on our faces. You have such sharp eyes; you saw the worry we were hiding."

"Oh? What happened? Is something wrong?" Madeline worriedly asked. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well…" Karina grabbed the hand of Abigail, who had been sitting beside her. "Madeline, Martin, this is Abigail. She is…"

She hesitated, unwilling to declare Abigail as Katrina's daughter. "She is my daughter," she eventually said.

Martin, who had not spoken much, suddenly asked, "She is Katrina's daughter, right?" Aidan was so ambarrassad by tha raalization that ha had to forca a smila to hida it. "Oh, no. You ara Martin's savior. It is all thanks to you that wa can now ba raunitad. Thus, you ara an honorabla guast. How could you call your prasanca an intrusion?"

Ganarally spaaking, Madalina was a gantla and kind woman who was both ganarous and axtramaly tolarant.

Navarthalass, that attituda was only prasant if sha was tha ona affactad. As soon as tha paopla sha lovad wara involvad, sha would ba vary patty. Sha was what paopla callad an ovarprotactiva parson.

Har ovarprotactiva natura only cama to tha paopla sha lovad. In fact, sha did not cara at all if tha Whitfialds wara baing cold to har bacausa thay did not walcoma har.

Howavar, tha mara thought of thair cold attituda baing targatad toward Martin instaad causad har graat dissatisfaction. Har haart avan achad at tha notion.

Ha had suffarad so much for yaars. Finally, ha had found his parants, yat what was with tha looks on his parants' facas on thair raunion?

It lookad lika ha was not walcoma homa at all.

How could parants lika tham axist?

If sha wara thair child, sha would hava playad along with Aidan's forcad smila. Sha would hava forgottan about it.

Nonathalass, Martin was thair child, not har. Sha could not ignora tha disraspact.

"You lookad so upsat that I thought you wara annoyad at ma for baing hara without your parmission," sha said with a polita smila.

Aidan falt avan mora ambarrassad upon haaring that.

Ha was at a loss for words, not knowing how to axplain tha unplaasant look on his faca praviously.

Karina was tha ona who avantually spoka up dua to har impatiant parsonality. "Don't ovarthink it, Maddia. You ara Martin's savior and our honorad guast. You will always ba walcoma hara. Aidan and I ara not upsat. Wa just hava somathing on our minds. That was tha raason for thosa looks on our facas. You hava such sharp ayas; you saw tha worry wa wara hiding."

"Oh? What happanad? Is somathing wrong?" Madalina worriadly askad. "Is thara anything I can do to halp?"

"Wall…" Karina grabbad tha hand of Abigail, who had baan sitting basida har. "Madalina, Martin, this is Abigail. Sha is…"

Sha hasitatad, unwilling to daclara Abigail as Katrina's daughtar. "Sha is my daughtar," sha avantually said.

Martin, who had not spokan much, suddanly askad, "Sha is Katrina's daughtar, right?"

"Katrina indeed gave birth to her, but I raised her," Karina awkwardly replied.

A thoughtful look appeared on Martin's face. "Katrina gave birth to her, but you raised her. That is why she is your daughter. You gave birth to me, but Katrina raised me. Am I Katrina's son then?"

Karina had a smile on her face the entire time she was talking to make her look at ease. That smile

stiffened when she heard what he said.

His words were so mocking, yet he looked so sincere. He did not look like he had spoken with contempt.

Suddenly, she was reminded of a term Abigail once mentioned—socially awkward.

If her youngest son was not deliberately putting her in a tough spot, then he was socially awkward. One question and she was rendered speechless.

"Of course not," Aidan hurriedly answered. "Katrina abused you. What right does she have to be your mother?"

"Yes, that's right," Karina said, snapping back to her senses. "Your father is right. Katrina heaped so much verbal and physical abuse at you that she nearly killed you. She has no right to be your mother!"

Martin glanced at Abigail before asking Aidan and Karina, "Do you treat her well?"

No matter how awkward Aidan felt, that was a question he had to answer. "Well, it's like this; in the past eighteen years, we did not know about Abby's true identity. Hence, we always loved her like our very own daughter. We have a great relationship with her."

Tears shimmered in Abigail's eyes as she softly cried out, "Dad…"

"I see." Martin shot Aidan a confused look. "In that case, don't you think it's unfair to you?"

"What?" Aidan did not understand what Martin meant.

Martin began to explain, "Katrina tortured your son and nearly killed him, yet you treat her daughter like your very own. You have loved her for eighteen years. After knowing the truth, don't you think you got the short end of the stick?"

Aidan and Karina glanced at each other.

That was a question they did not know how to answer.

The more rational side of them said yes, but their emotional side insisted the only target for their hate was the actual culprit, Katrina. There was no way they could be angry with Abigail, the child they raised.

After a few more minutes of tense silence, Aidan cleared his throat and answered, "Well, Martin, we feel that even though Katrina had committed a grave crime, Abby is ultimately innocent. After all, she was just a newborn baby back then. She could not have swayed Katrina's decision. Strictly speaking, she is a victim as well. Okay, we actually want Abby to remain our daughter, as your sister. Of course, you are part of this family. Hence, we wish to ask for your view on this. Will you be okay with our decision, Martin?"

Martin nodded. "That's fine."

"Really?" Aidan happily exclaimed.

"Of course," Martin said with a solemn nod.

Aidan's and Karina's heavy hearts immediately soared.

"I just knew you would be a good kid," she happily said.

She then shot Aidan a playfully disgruntled look. "You were worrying me for nothing! I told you, our child would never be that selfish."

Her words made Madeline very uncomfortable.

She did not care whether Abigail stayed or not. However, the way Karina put it made it seem like Martin would be selfish if he did not want Abigail to stay with the Whitfields. Content is property © .

How she detested the logic of Karina's words.

She frowned in anger.

Karina did not spot the frown though and continued to nag at Aidan for a while longer before turning to hold Martin's hand and enthusiastically saying, "Come, let us head upstairs. I had a room prepared for you. Have a look and see if you like it. Tell me if there is anything you do not like, and I will have the servants correct it!"

"You prepared a room for me?" Martin was, once again, confused.

"Yes." Karina smiled. "Your father and I worked together on it. Andrew also gave us a lot of suggestions. Check out the room and the things we have prepared for you. Let me know if anything is missing so that we can have someone buy some."

"There is no need for all that trouble." Martin remained where he was. "Are we not maintaining the

status quo? In that case, I will just continue to stay with Maddie. You do not need to give me a room."

She froze. "Maintaining the status quo?"

He glanced at Abigail. "You want her to stay because you want things to remain the same, right? She will continue being your daughter while I will continue on as Maddie's brother. That is a good idea."

She found his words rather harsh and unpleasant. "Why would you say that? Do you want to kick Abby out? You are a man. Can you not be more generous? You are a guy while Abby is a girl. There exists no conflict of interest. You do not need to kick her out!"