CHAPTER 421: CHAPTER 421: OLD WOMAN

Aurora saw the entire scene, and for a moment, she suddenly started to miss Spencer. After all, it had been a long time since she had last seen him.

Honestly, seeing her father and mother being so lovey-dovey and her father’s devotion and dedication to fulfill every single wish of her mother, she was truly moved.

For a brief moment, she even started to imagine what it would be like to marry Spencer.

However, she quickly suppressed those thoughts. Soon, Mary, Adam, Aurora, Adriana, Lucas, Olivia, and Theodore sat together in the room. One by one, they ordered their dishes and spent a warm, joyful night.

Before dinner ended, Olivia and Theodore presented their gift.

They had bought a designer dress that Mary had wanted for a long time but never planned to buy. Seeing the dress, Mary was truly stunned before smiling brightly.

"I love it," she said with genuine happiness, taking the gift with a huge smile.

Adriana and Lucas were next. They gave Mary a diamond necklace that was worth a lot. Lucas had used some of his funding money to buy it, while Adriano had secretly taken a loan from Peter just to contribute.

When Mary saw the necklace, she was completely taken aback. She stared at it in disbelief before saying,

"This is way too costly! I can’t accept this. You two should return it and buy something simpler instead!"

Her heart ached at the thought of how her children might incur a debt just because of her birthday gift.

Adriana and Lucas exchanged awkward looks before Adriana said, "Mom, we can’t return it. The place we bought it from doesn’t give refunds."

Lucas nodded quickly. "Yeah, no refunds at all."

Mary was speechless. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She looked at her son and daughter, who had grown into responsible adults, and for a moment, tears filled her eyes.

Then Aurora took out a folded piece of paper and passed it to Mary.

Mary looked at it, confused. "What’s this?"

Aurora smiled mysteriously. "Just open it."

Mary slowly unfolded the paper, and when she saw what was written, her eyes widened in disbelief.

She looked up sharply at Aurora. "How do you even have enough money to buy the house we’re living in?"

According to everyone, the penthouse they were living in belonged to Emily, and hence, when Aurora presented the property deeds of the house, Mary was stunned.

Aurora chuckled.

"I took a few gigs over the past six months, and things went really well. So, I saved up enough money to buy the place."

For a moment, the entire room fell silent. Olivia and Aurora exchanged a brief glance, as if wondering whether Aurora would tell everyone the truth...that she was actually a millionaire.

But Aurora simply shook her head, and Olivia sighed quietly.

The others stared at Aurora in shock. Mary looked at her daughter with a serious expression.

"Aurora, I can’t take such a huge gift. It’s too much. You should transfer the house back to your name."

Aurora immediately crossed her arms. "No way. This gift is non-refundable, too."

Mary stared at her, surprised by her serious tone, before letting out a laugh. "You really think I’m an idiot, don’t you?"

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Of course not. But I’d really appreciate it if you just accepted it and enjoyed it."

Mary sighed deeply before finally giving in. "Fine, but this is way too expensive. I’ll return something of equal value on your birthday."

Aurora raised an eyebrow and smiled sadly. "You make it sound like I’m not your daughter. Why are you talking so formally?"

Mary immediately panicked. "You really know how to blackmail your mother emotionally!" she said, half annoyed and half amused.

Aurora laughed softly, and just then, the door opened.

Alex walked in, looking a bit tired. Since he had been busy with a meeting, he hadn’t arrived on time. When he entered, everyone smiled warmly at him.

Alex took his seat and looked at his mother. In his hand was a small box. He passed it to Mary with a gentle smile.

Mary accepted it happily. She was already overwhelmed by all the gifts from her children and husband. For the first time in years, she felt truly loved and grateful.

Without hesitation, she opened the box. Inside was a car key.

She blinked in confusion and looked at Alex. "A car key?"

Alex smiled. "Yes. This car will pick you up and drop you off from now on. The driver’s salary will be paid by me. So, you can think of it as your personal pickup and drop-off service."

Mary was stunned again. Her children had given her so many thoughtful and valuable gifts that she couldn’t help but laugh.

"If I get all this every month," she said jokingly, "I’ll start wishing for my birthday to come every few weeks!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Mary looked at all the gifts again and smiled softly. "Thank you," she said with heartfelt warmth.

Everyone simply smiled back. They all knew how much Mary had sacrificed for them.

In each of their lives, she had been an irreplaceable support, sometimes stern, sometimes gentle, but always there when it truly mattered.

Adam looked at his wife, his first love, and his heart swelled with affection.

This was the woman he had loved since he was seventeen.

When she had said yes to him, he had vowed to treat her well for the rest of his life. Even though circumstances had hurt them many times, they had made it through together.

He silently thanked fate and Emily for helping them rebuild their lives into something beautiful.

Just as he thought about Emily, the door opened again, and Emily herself entered, holding a small gift box.

Everyone chuckled upon seeing her. Emily had been busy lately, and they hadn’t expected her to make it. Over the past few years, she had become an important part of their family... a friend, a helper, and a silent supporter.

Emily smiled as she walked toward Mary. She handed her the box and said warmly, "I think you’ll be thrilled with what’s inside."

Mary smiled curiously and was about to open it, but Emily quickly stopped her.

"Open it later," Emily said softly. "In private."

Mary looked at her in surprise. "In private? Alright then," she said, nodding with a smile.

Dinner continued with laughter and light-hearted talk. By the time it ended, everyone felt relaxed and happy.

Just as everyone left the room, a sudden voice echoed from behind them.

"Adam?"

The tone was sharp and filled with surprise.

Everyone turned around. Standing in the hallway was an old woman, looking to be in her late nineties. Beside her was a man who resembled Adam by at least ten percent.

Everyone froze.

The moment they looked at the pair, silence filled the room. Adam’s face turned pale as he stared at the old woman and the man with a complex expression.

The old woman’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Adam," she said slowly, "what are you doing here? How can you even afford to be in a place like this?"

Aurora’s expression darkened. She felt offended immediately. So did the rest of the Waters family.

Olivia stepped forward with a sharp smile. "If an old woman like you can dine here, then why can’t we?" she asked coolly.

The old woman glared at her, clearly furious, before turning back to Adam with a stern look. "Are you really Adam?"

Adam didn’t speak, but his silence was enough of an answer.

The old woman’s eyes widened in anger. She marched toward him with trembling hands and raised one hand to slap him.

But before her palm could reach Adam’s face, Lucas moved faster.

He caught the old woman’s wrist midair, his grip firm and his gaze cold. "What do you think you’re doing?" he asked sharply.

Does this old woman think that she can pop up from somewhere and slap his father? What a dream!

The old woman struggled to pull her hand back, but Lucas’s hold was too strong.

"Let go of me!" she shouted furiously. Then she turned toward Adam. "Adam! Are you just going to stand there and let your mother be bullied?"

The moment she said "mother," everyone froze.

Mary, Aurora, and the others stared at Adam in shock.

"Mother?" Adriana whispered.

Adam looked down, silent, but then gave a small nod.

Everyone was stunned.

Lucas, realizing what he had done, immediately released her hand.

The old woman snatched it back and, without hesitation, slapped Lucas hard across the face.

The sound echoed sharply through the room. A red mark appeared on Lucas’s cheek.

Everyone was stunned speechless.

Before anyone could react, Aurora’s expression turned icy. Without thinking, she swatted the old woman’s hand away. But she hadn’t controlled her strength; her push was too strong.

The old woman stumbled backward and fell to the floor.