Chapter 1616
Ellinor swiveled her head to look out the window while massaging her temples. “So, what you’re saying is, this trip… was a bust.”
“Not entirely,” replied Balfour.
Ellinor’s disheartened eyes gleamed with hope again. “What do you mean?”
Balfour locked eyes with his sister. “I heard Lady Lotus’ voice over a phone call through a friend. I wouldn’t mistake that voice. It’s our mother’s voice. I’m convinced there can’t be two voices in the world with the exact same tone, intonation, and speech patterns.”
Ellinor’s pupils quivered. “Really? It’s our mother?”
Balfour nodded. “I’m absolutely sure that it’s her.”
Ellinor’s eyes were tinged with a hint of red. “Mother… She’s still alive…”
Upon seeing his sister like this, Balfour reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “Yes, our mother is alive.”
Ellinor looked up at Balfour. “Then why didn’t she want to meet you? Does she know you were the one trying to see her?”
Balfour shook his head. “She doesn’t know it was me. I didn’t let my friend reveal my identity.”
Ellinor took a deep breath. “You should let her know. She needs to know that her son is looking for her. She would definitely want to see you.”
Balfour lowered his gaze. “If she knew it was me, she’d be even less likely to meet me.
Ellinor furrowed her brows, not understanding, “Why?”
Balfour sighed. “Over the years, I’ve been publicly searching for you and our mother worldwide. If she’s alive, she must know I’m looking for her. Yet she’s never tried to contact me and has intentionally avoided my people. Under these circumstances, do you really think she wants to see me?”
Ellinor’s frown deepened. “Could it be… could it be that she has amnesia too?”
Otherwise, why wouldn’t she come back for Ellinor?
Balfour shook his head again. “I don’t believe so. If she had lost her memory, she wouldn’t continue to use the pseudonym Lady Lotus for her paintings, and she wouldn’t be hiding so effectively.”
Ellinor was silent.
That was true. If her mother had amnesia, she wouldn’t be using the pseudonym Lady Lotus.
But if her mom didn’t have amnesia, why wouldn’t she come back for Ellinor?
She could understand why her mother might not want to return to the Howard family or see anyone from there. But Ellinor wasn’t part of the Howard family anymore, so why did her mother disappear like a puff of smoke after leaving her?
Balfour gently pulled his sister into a comforting hug and patted her back. “I know you miss our mother. She probably holds resentment towards me and the Howard family, and I don’t blame her for not wanting to see me.
But for your sake, I won’t give up on trying to communicate with her. I’ll convince her to meet you. I promise.”
Ellinor took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She didn’t want to cry in front of anyone.
Before, she thought she was carefree, full of life, and fearless.
But now she felt vulnerable.
