Chapter 69: Who is She Really?
Hugo was taken aback, not expecting Tina to suddenly bring up her mother. She had been back for so long but never mentioned her mother on her own initiative, and he, fearing it would sadden her, had also avoided the topic.
Hugo fell silent for a moment, then said, “Your mother-she was a kind person, full of a sense of justice. She could put aside her personal interests for the greater good. In short, Tina, the person in this world who loved you the most was your mother, even more than I ever could.”
He deliberately spoke lightly of Rebecca, not going into great detail.
Perhaps he did not want to stir up sad memories for Tina.
Tina simply nodded in response to his answer and did not press further.
Jared, however, started to ponder deeply. Hugo had been besotted with Rebecca back in the day, even willing to clash with Elizabeth for her sake. With such deep affection, Hugo’s description of her boiled down to just kindness and a sense of justice, without any hint of his past admiration.
“Not bad, Rebecca-she was quite something!” Logan’s expression darkened momentarily when he mentioned Rebecca, but it quickly returned to normal, except for the look of admiration for Rebecca on his face.
Hearing this, Jared turned to look at Logan, sensing he was touching upon something crucial.
He had forgotten that his grandfather knew Rebecca.
It was his grandfather and Rebecca who had arranged his engagement to Tina.
Tina was stunned for a moment by Logan’s words.
She did not know how her mother was acquainted with Logan and had never heard her mother mention him.
She had assumed their engagement was the result of some transaction, but now it seemed the connection between Logan and her mother was not merely an acquaintance.
There was a deeper bond between them.
But why was Jared looking into her mother and the medicines?
Some things were too frightening to probe into. Once you dug deeper, more people would be implicated.
Tina looked deeply at Jared and then stood up, “I’m off to school.”
Hugo was startled, “School?”
He had been busy familiarizing himself with the new company for the past couple of days, leaving early and returning late, and was unaware that Tina had actually gone to Ensford High School to teach.
“You really are… Your own daughter has been a teacher for two days, and you don’t even know,” Jennie, who had just finished washing the dishes, glared at Hugo and said, “Tina is now the Lead Teacher for Class 22D at Ensford High School, and in just one morning, she has those students well-disciplined.”
At first, both she and Hugo thought Tina was joking about becoming a teacher, but after Miss Lehman came looking for Tina yesterday afternoon and they chatted for a while, she learned that Tina was indeed teaching at 22D.
“The most important thing is, Tina earns fifty thousand dollars a month, which is almost as much as your yearly income used to be.”
“Really?” Hugo stood up excitedly and laughed, “Haha, I knew it! My daughter is the best. Who says my country girl doesn’t know anything? Now what… My mother always compares Amber to Tina. Now, my daughter has gone to teach her proudest granddaughter!”
Tina replied, “… Mr. Reed, I’m just temporarily teaching the students, not Amber’s teacher.”
“It’s all the same!” Hugo laughed so hard he couldn’t close his mouth, “Ah, I can finally hold my head high for once. Amber always sneers at me, looking down on Tina, and subtly mocks my own daughter for not being as good as her, the adopted child. Let’s see if she dares to show off in front of me now.”
Tina: Amber is, after all, your adopted daughter, is this appropriate?
Jennie slapped Hugo lightly and explained apologetically to everyone, “My husband is just a bit crazy with joy, don’t mind him.”
Hugo then snapped back to his senses and gave a silly chuckle, “Sorry, sorry, I just got a bit too happy.”
He didn’t mean to disregard his foster daughter in favor of his biological one; rather, Amber had infuriated him over the years, especially since Tina’s return, with her numerous schemes. Seeing his own daughter outdo her now, he lost himself in his pride.
Logan and Jared said nothing, instead finding Hugo’s behavior quite genuine.
As Tina was off to work, and Jared had no classes that day, he returned to the villa with Logan.
Once inside, Jared asked Mrs. Brown to take Sophia to play.
He stopped Logan, “Grandpa!”
“What’s the matter?” Logan was in a great mood today, his smile broadening as he spoke to Jared.
“Do you know Tina’s mother?” Jared’s deep eyes fixed intently on Logan’s face.
“Of course, I know her. How else couldI have arranged your engagement?” Logan said cheerfully.
“How did you come to know her?”
“That’s a long story, you see…” Logan’s smile suddenly faded as he caught the calculating look in Jared’s eyes. The words he was about to say took a sharp turn, “Oh my, what’s wrong with my memory? I can’t seem to remember much anymore. I must be getting senile, I should get Ben to check on me soon.”
Jared interjected, “… Ben just gave you a full check-up the day before yesterday, you don’t have dementia.”
“Is that so?” Logan continued to feign confusion, “Then his medical skills must be lacking. I’ll have Tina look at me in a few days.”
After saying this, he attempted to head upstairs but Jared grabbed him, “Grandpa! Playing dumb won’t work. This is serious, you must tell me everything.”
“Oh, you rascal, how dare you pressure your grandfather!” Logan collapsed to the ground, pretending to be distraught, “Mary, look at what your grandson is doing to me! I’m left all alone, with no one to stand up for me, Mary, why did you leave me alone to die… After you left, these unworthy descendants started taking me for granted…”
“My life is so hard, to be beaten by my own grandson in old age!”
Jared was astonished, “When did I ever beat you?”
“I’m already on the ground because of you, and you’re still denying it? Are you even a man? Own up to what you’ve done!” Logan took his dramatics to the next level.
Jared sighed, “Please stop this nonsense, this is no joke, it’s about the safety of many people.”
“You stubborn boy, why insist when I’ve told you I’ve forgotten? You want me to talk, talk to this big head of yours!” Logan was clearly dissatisfied.
Jared clenched his teeth, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll have the police come and talk to you!”Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
“I might as well be dead, this accursed life… He’s going to send his own grandfather to the police just because I have dementia, Mary, open your eyes and look at your wonderful grandson…” Logan feigned a move to hit his head against the wall.
Jared exclaimed, “Stop!”
“Grandpa, you want to protect Rebecca, but do you want to harm Tina? Have you ever considered that some things Rebecca is involved in might put Tina in danger?”
Logan stopped abruptly.
He fell silent for a moment, then with a grave expression, said, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s that I don’t know much. She once saved our family’s lives. I only know she’s very capable, beyond that I don’t know, and she wouldn’t let me know. Jared, we owe her, and we must protect Tina no matter what.”
Jared looked at Logan for a long time, certain this time he was not lying.
Who exactly was Rebecca?
Despite having saved the Farrell family’s life, why did he have no recollection of it?