Chapter 11 A Share in Common
Somehow, she felt as if she were looking at her own daughter.
It struck her with the idea that Helen bore a resemblance to the child.
More precisely, they looked like two peas in a pod.
All of a sudden, she got up from her seat.
"Adri? Are you alright?"
Noticing her eccentricity, Alvin caught hold of her wrist and asked caringly.
Peter and Theresa also became conscious of her odd behavior, both turning towards her.
"Would you excuse me for a minute? I ... I've got a stomachache."
She bowed slightly and apologetically, "You guys order first. I'll be right back."
Leaving the private dining room in a hurry, Adriana went straight to the washbasin in the restroom, where she tried to keep her sanity by splashing some cold water on her face. The more she thought about it, the more distracted she was.
Could it be that Luis was her child?
Back then in Waverly, she gave birth to a boy, which was supposed to be the same age as Luis now.
Let alone his looks-strikingly similar to Helen's.
She had sensed the resemblance the first time she saw Luis, but she didn't pay much attention then. Now that she thought about it, she felt completely stunned.
"Adri? What's the matter?"
Someone popped up from behind abruptly.
Theresa asked again with concern, "You all right? You know Peter, he ... he's just like that. Don't mind him."
"It's OK."
Looking at Theresa, Adriana couldn't help but frown and sigh, "What about you?
Are you absolutely positive that Peter is the right one? I know he has a strong family background. But you're supposed to marry someone who loves you, so that he will care for you." Based on her observation of Peter in the past two days, she found him a man with many character flaws, who wasn't good enough for Theresa.
Hearing those words, Theresa looked a bit irritated with her pupils constricting, "Why would you say things like that? I think there's been a misunderstanding... between you and Peter? What kind of a person do you think he is?"
"Tessa. You deserve someone that treats you so much better. You don't have to rush your decision. Just deliberate on this for some more time, will you? If he's not worth it, I'm sure there'll be many other options for you."
Anyway, Adriana just thought that Theresa was too good for Peter.
She's such a nice and sweet girl, and a jerk like Peter is definitely no match for her!
"Ha, Peter has been good to me."
Theresa took her hand and said gravely, "Adri, don't ever say things like that again. Peter and I are engaged, and we are meant to be together."
Even if he doesn't love her, she's bound to be Mrs. Alston.
Since Theresa put it this way, Adriana felt like it was not her place to say anything more, "OK, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters." Everyone has the right to make choices, and she understood perfectly what Theresa meant.
However she was still nervous about the possibility of Luis being the child she gave birth to through a surrogate.
If he really was, it must be kept strictly confidential to Theresa.
She thought to herself.
"Alright then, you'd better go back now. I really need to use the bathroom."
Theresa smiled, released Adriana's hand and left.
After grooming herself in front of the mirror, Adriana turned around and left the restroom.
Unexpectedly, hardly had she entered the room when she saw Peter coming toward her.
Adriana frowned automatically, trying to avoid eye contact with him.
He, however, grabbed her hand and dragged her into another empty private dining room, without forgetting to lock the door. Then he pressed her against the door and looked down at her coldly, "Who the hell are you?"
"Ouch-"
His sudden push left a reverberation of spikelike beating on Adriana's back.
She gasped with pain and glared at Peter, "What on earth are you doing?"
She had no idea why Peter brought her here, but one thing is for sure he's definitely not the man he seemed to be.
"What am I doing? I think you should answer the question first. First you deliberately try to get close to Luis, and then here you are, stirring up my relationship with Tessa. What are you really up to?"
His grim face looked quite frightening, sending a chill through her.
Adriana started to feel a little bit awkward, because she did not expect her conversation with Theresa to be overheard by him.
But she decided to retort, "What about you, Mr. Alston? Eavesdropping on our conversation. What's your excuse for that?"
"Well well, how eloquent! Stay away from Theresa and Luis. If I should ever find out about your bad intentions towards them, don't blame me for being rude."
While speaking, he bent down towards Adriana ...
Startled by his action, she could do nothing but press her cheek firmly against the door, trying to create space between them, but there wasn't much left.
Peter fingered a wisp of her curly hair, said with a sneer, "I've met lots of women. You may look prettier than Theresa, but that doesn't mean you can do anything you want. I don't know why you are trying to pit Theresa against me. Since you are like her best friend, so I'm gonna let it pass this time. But I'm warning you that there won't be a second time."
"What the-!"
He then pulled out a wisp of her hair, which made Adriana let out a gasp of pain.
"What do you think you're doing! Mr. Alston, you have gone far enough." She glared at him, feeling a flash of irritation.
Peter waved the wisp in front of her, "This should teach you a lesson. Mind my words!"
And then he pulled Adriana aside, opened the door and strutted out.
His rude behaviors left her breathless with fury. At the same time, she struggled with god knows what Theresa saw in him. What a nuisance! She returned to the room angrily.
Theresa gave her a suspicious glance and asked, "What took you so long?"
While talking, she threw another glance at Peter subconsciously.
He... seemed to have just walked in as well.
The two of them left at the same time, and returned one after the other. They were not...?
"I, em, I had to make a phone call." Adriana quickly came up with this excuse.
"Well then, come sit down and eat. Meals are all ready to serve."
Theresa glimpsed at Adriana's phone on the dining table, but she didn't say anything.
At that moment, Adriana also saw her phone lying on the table. Embarrassed and feeling a tad stupid, she could have slapped herself across the face.
It was stupid to make such a mistake. Unforgivable!
"Auntie, there you are! I thought you went home..."
Luis grinned at Adriana, his white teeth bared.
"Nah, I just needed to use the restroom." Adriana smiled at him and said.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐