After the guests had left, Hannah stood nervously in the corridor, her hands clasped tightly together as she tried to calm her racing heart. All day, she had rehearsed her apology to Adrian in her mind, but now that the moment had arrived, the words felt stuck in her throat.
Adrian walked toward her, his steps heavy with exhaustion. His usually sharp eyes were tired as he rubbed his forehead. "I'm really tired, Hannah," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I think I'm just going to head to bed. Can you let Elijah know I'll meet him tomorrow?"
Hannah's heart sank. This wasn't going as she had imagined. She had planned to say sorry, but now it felt too late, too awkward. She took a deep breath and before she could stop herself, blurted out, "Adrian, wait."
Adrian paused mid-step and turned back to her, his brow furrowed. "Yes?"
Hannah felt her pulse quicken, her voice barely a whisper. "I… I made a mistake… and I want to say…"
Adrian leaned in slightly, his confusion deepening. "What do you want to say?"
Hannah took another shaky breath, willing herself to push through the anxiety. "I'm sorry," she finally said, the words spilling out all at once.
Adrian blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Sorry?"
Hannah nodded quickly, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Yes, sorry… for a lot of things. I have a lot to apologize for."
She reached out, taking his hand. Her fingers trembled slightly as she led him toward the kitchen. "Come with me. I made something for you."
Adrian followed, his confusion shifting into mild amusement. As they entered the kitchen, she presented him with a dish of sweets she had prepared earlier with help of Elijah, her eyes flicking between the dessert and the floor, too nervous to meet his gaze.
Adrian chuckled softly, sensing where this was going. He took a spoonful of the dessert, already expecting it to be off. As soon as the taste hit his tongue, it was far too salty. But instead of letting on, he smiled warmly at her. "It's delicious," he said, his voice gentle. "I'm going to finish all of this, so you don't have to worry about tasting it."
Hannah blinked, surprised. "You're going to eat it all? But I don't think—"
Adrian quickly cut her off with a playful wink. "It's too good to share right now. Don't worry, I'll save some for later." He kept his tone light, knowing full well he didn't want her to taste the disastrous result.
Hannah hesitated, then nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips, unaware of his true intention.
Elijah studied her, his expression thoughtful, as if piecing together the depth of her struggle. After a long pause, he said quietly, "Hannah, you know you can talk to me, don't you? I may be just an employee of your husband, but to me, you're like a daughter."
Hannah looked up at him, surprised and deeply touched by his words. "Thank you, Uncle. That means a lot."
Elijah smiled, but there was a distant sadness in his eyes, a weight of old regrets. "You remind me of my own daughter," he said softly, his voice carrying the heavy burden of years of pain. "I made mistakes… and now, she's far away from me."
Hannah felt a deep pang of empathy for him. "I didn't make any mistakes," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "But my stepfather isn't here either. He always had the answers. I miss him every day. And my biological father… I hate him. He left me and my mother when I was born. I don't even consider him a father."
Elijah's expression tightened slightly, a flash of pain crossing his face. But he nodded slowly, understanding her bitterness. "You loved your stepfather a lot, didn't you?"
Hannah's eyes welled with tears. "I still do. I always will. His presence meant everything to me. But sometimes, life takes away the people you love the most." Her voice turned hard as she added, "And as for my real father, he was never there for me. I'll never forgive him."
Elijah's heart ached at her words, though he tried not to let it show. "I don't know about myself," he said quietly, "but I know your stepfather must have been a good man."
Adrian was pacing in the hall, his phone pressed to his ear. He noticed Hannah's mother and gestured for her to sit. "Please, sit down," he said, momentarily lowering the phone from his ear. "How are you?"
Before she could respond, Adrian glanced at his phone again. "I have a call to finish," he continued. "I'll leave you to it—Hannah's in the kitchen." He gave a small nod and hurried out, leaving Hannah's mother alone in the hall.
She walked toward the kitchen and paused at the doorway, her steps faltering as she saw Elijah standing beside Hannah. Her face tightened in shock, but she quickly composed herself.
Elijah placed a gentle hand on Hannah's head. "I may never be able to take your father's place," he said softly, his voice filled with care, "but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll always be here for you."
Just then, Hannah's mother called out from the doorway, her voice sharp with anger. "Hannah! Adrian's been looking for you."
Hannah looked startled but quickly composed herself. "Mom, you're here!" She moved toward her and gave her a hug. "I want you to meet Elijah," she added, introducing the two.
Hannah's mother gave Elijah a curt nod, her eyes cold.
Hannah excused herself, "I'll go upstairs and "I'll leave you both to talk." She headed out, leaving her mother alone with Elijah. The air grew heavy with unspoken tension as she turned to face him.
"You came here?" Her voice was laced with disbelief and anger. "I told you not to come near my daughter."
Elijah's posture stiffened as he took a small step back, sensing the hostility. "I was just advising her to apologize for something," he explained calmly. "That's all."
Hannah's mother crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You never apologized to me. Now you're teaching my daughter how to say sorry?" Her words were cold and biting.
Elijah sighed, his face showing a mix of guilt and regret. "I don't want Hannah to make the same mistakes I did. She deserves to do things right."
He hesitated for a moment before adding, "I've noticed things between Hannah and Adrian… They haven't really started their life as husband and wife yet. They seem so distant."
Her eyes flashed with anger. "There's nothing wrong between Hannah and Adrian. They're just fine. I won't let you interfere in her life like you did mine."
Elijah's gaze softened. "I never meant to interfere. I only want what's best for Hannah."
Hannah's mother took a step closer, her voice low and firm. "If you truly want what's best for her, you'll stay away from her. I will protect my daughter, and I don't need you teaching her anything."
Elijah stood there for a moment, his eyes filled with the weight of unspoken memories. "I understand," he said quietly, before turning to leave.
As he walked out, Hannah's mother remained still, her heart pounding with the echoes of the past.