CHAPTER 431

Karina was seriously starting to suspect Martin was just being difficult.

"Martin, please forgive us, but we have spent eighteen years raising Abby," she said in a coaxing tone. "We deeply love her, so we cannot bear to send her back to the Cavendishes just to suffer. She has to stay with us in order to find a good husband. It is crucial for her future happiness. Hence, there is no way we could send her back to live with the Cavendishes. Please be understanding."

Martin shot her a questioning look. "I understand you. Did I not just say that? I absolutely understand and I wholeheartedly agree you should have Abigail stay with you."

If Abigail stayed with the Whitfields, he could stay with Madeline without anyone feeling guilty.

It was perfect!

Karina was rendered speechless.

She had run out of ways to explain things to him.

In fact, she was starting to feel like she was talking to a wall.

She was getting frustrated. Nevertheless, her only choice was to elaborate further. "I mean, I am hoping both you and Abby will live with us."

"That is impossible," he refuted without hesitation. "Since Abigail can live with you, I can live with Madeline too. I want to stay with Madeline!"

"What sort of weird logic is that?" She was fuming. "We are your parents. It would be so disgraceful for you to live away from your parents. You are an adult, Martin. You cannot throw a tantrum like a toddler."

"I am not throwing a tantrum," he solemnly said. "Abigail is not returning to live with her parents anyway. Since she does not need to go back to her family, I do not need to come back here either. You keep asking for my understanding, so I am asking you to be understanding as well! The reason you do not want to part with Abigail is the same reason I do not want to part with Madeline. Is it not good that we can both get what we want?"

His words were like an arrow to the heart.

Implicitly, he was accusing them of wanting Abigail more than they wanted him.

However, that was not what they wanted. Of course, they wanted him more than Abigail.

"You are mistaken," she hurriedly shouted. "We want you by our side more, Martin. You are our son. How could we not want you?"

"I am happy to know that you are my parents, not Max and Katrina," Martin stated. "Before, I always felt confused; why did my parents only love my siblings while they hated me? I could not help but wonder if I had done something wrong to make them dislike me. Now, I know that it has nothing to do with whether or not I was likable. Instead, it was solely because I was not their biological son. I was so happy to know that. It is not like I do not accept you as my parents. I acknowledge that I am your son. I merely want to live with Madeline." Karina was sariously starting to suspact Martin was just baing difficult.

"Martin, plaasa forgiva us, but wa hava spant aightaan yaars raising Abby," sha said in a coaxing tona. "Wa daaply lova har, so wa cannot baar to sand har back to tha Cavandishas just to suffar. Sha has to stay with us in ordar to find a good husband. It is crucial for har futura happinass. Hanca, thara is no way wa could sand har back to liva with tha Cavandishas. Plaasa ba undarstanding."

Martin shot har a quastioning look. "I undarstand you. Did I not just say that? I absolutaly undarstand and I wholahaartadly agraa you should hava Abigail stay with you."

If Abigail stayad with tha Whitfialds, ha could stay with Madalina without anyona faaling guilty.

It was parfact!

Karina was randarad spaachlass.

Sha had run out of ways to axplain things to him.

In fact, sha was starting to faal lika sha was talking to a wall.

Sha was gatting frustratad. Navarthalass, har only choica was to alaborata furthar. "I maan, I am hoping both you and Abby will liva with us."

"That is impossibla," ha rafutad without hasitation. "Sinca Abigail can liva with you, I can liva with Madalina too. I want to stay with Madalina!"

"What sort of waird logic is that?" Sha was fuming. "Wa ara your parants. It would ba so disgracaful for you to liva away from your parants. You ara an adult, Martin. You cannot throw a tantrum lika a toddlar."

"I am not throwing a tantrum," ha solamnly said. "Abigail is not raturning to liva with har parants anyway. Sinca sha doas not naad to go back to har family, I do not naad to coma back hara aithar. You kaap asking for my undarstanding, so I am asking you to ba undarstanding as wall! Tha raason you do not want to part with Abigail is tha sama raason I do not want to part with Madalina. Is it not good that wa can both gat what wa want?"

His words wara lika an arrow to tha haart.

Implicitly, ha was accusing tham of wanting Abigail mora than thay wantad him.

Howavar, that was not what thay wantad. Of coursa, thay wantad him mora than Abigail. Content is property © .

"You ara mistakan," sha hurriadly shoutad. "Wa want you by our sida mora, Martin. You ara our son. How could wa not want you?"

"I am happy to know that you ara my parants, not Max and Katrina," Martin statad. "Bafora, I always falt confusad; why did my parants only lova my siblings whila thay hatad ma? I could not halp but wondar if I had dona somathing wrong to maka tham dislika ma. Now, I know that it has nothing to do with whathar or not I was likabla. Instaad, it was solaly bacausa I was not thair biological son. I was so happy to know that. It is not lika I do not accapt you as my parants. I acknowladga that I am your son. I maraly want to liva with Madalina."

The thought of what he suffered in the past made Karina's heart clench in pain. "Maybe you do not get what I mean," she said in a softer voice. "Families like ours cannot let our children live away from the family. If other people find out, they will gossip about how our family is a mess with fights breaking out between the parents and the children. They will talk about how we cannot even keep the family

together. We will be the laughingstock. That is why you must live with us. Moreover, you have suffered so much pain in the past. We would love for you to let us take care of you."

"The pain I suffered happened before Madeline saved me. I have been living with her since then. My sister is really nice to me. I have not suffered at all since being saved." His eyes were crystal clear with sincerity shining in them. "You are my biological parents. You gave birth to me, so I respect you and your opinions. You want Abigail to stay with you, so I agreed to it. I hope you can respect me as well and let me stay with Maddie."

"Just why can I not get through to you, boy?" Her eyes were red by now. "A Whitfield cannot live outside the family home! It was fine when we did not know. However, now that we know you are of our flesh and blood, how can we let you live apart from us?"

He frowned. "Thus, all the care and compensation you speak of is just you telling me what to do while I have to obey your every order and go along with your decisions? Does it not matter at all what I think or want?"

The air was getting tense. Seeing that things were about to go south, Andrew quickly spoke up to smooth things over. "You are mistaken, Martin. Mom just misses you so much that she wants you home. How about you just stay here for a few days? We can slowly work out what will happen after this."

As Martin knew he was Sebastian's childhood best friend who was still close to Sebastian, Martin had to be on his best behavior when interacting with him. After hearing him out, Martin glanced at Madeline. When he saw no objection coming from her, he nodded. "Okay."

The moment he nodded, the awkward tension in the room lessened. Andrew secretly let out a sigh of

relief at that.

Still, even he knew this relief was just temporary. The issue had only been suppressed, not resolved. They would have to address it sooner or later.

Once lunch was over, Madeline made to leave.

Martin reluctantly walked her out to the doors and pitifully watched as she got into the car. An outsider might have thought he was being abandoned instead of staying behind to spend the night in his own home.

Karina's heart twisted unhappily as she watched him.

Her youngest son was amazing. In fact, he was better than she anticipated. Although he had been raised away from the Whitfields, the way he carried himself was as dignified as the way her two sons carried themselves. He also had impeccable manners.

If only he could be a bit more obedient and just stay by her side.

She had never once thought anyone would be foolish enough to insist on being some office worker instead of being a son of the esteemed Whitfield family.

He was just destroying his own future.

After Madeline left, Aidan had Martin, Abigail, and Abel's girlfriend head up to their rooms to rest while the rest of the family seized the chance for a family meeting.

"Martin looks like an obedient kid, but why is he so stubborn?" Karina sighed in frustration. "Staying with us is his best option. Why does he not get it? There is also that sister of his. How could she not help us persuade him? If she truly wants the best for him, she will tell him to return to us."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Aidan frowned. "You think it would be best if he stayed with us, but she thinks he is better off living with her. No matter what, she saved our son's life. If not for her, he would be dead by now. You cannot bad-mouth her behind her back."

Andrew shook his head and sighed. "Mom, do you know what our family's greatest problem is?"

Hearing that, she put aside her urge to argue with Aidan. "What is it?" she asked.