Ch.1405 Chapter 1409 - When Love Comes Late

Still wary, Stella withdrew her hand, responding, âJust an accident.

Fixing her gaze on Haley, she questioned, âWhere were you? Why do you come to me now?â

Dropping her gaze, Haley revealed, âI miraculously survived a car crash that year.

Burdened with debts, I had no choice but to entrust you to Mr.

Anderson.

Tears traced down her face as she continued, âI had plans to reunite with you after securing a stable job, but fate had other plans.

I was abducted and sold to another country.

The journey home was fraught with suffering.

A lump formed in Stellaâs throat; she understood the arduousness of Haleyâs escape from the clutches of kidnappers.

Haley wiped her tears, resolutely meeting Stellaâs gaze.

Clasping Stellaâs hand, she vowed, âStella, donât hold it against me.

I had no choice back then.

Iâm here to make amends now.

Observing the woman who bore a striking resemblance, Stella felt a profound sympathy for the trials Haley had faced.

She harbored no desire to cast blame, acknowledging that Haleyâs escape was fueled by her yearning to reunite with her daughter.

With a nod, Stella embraced Haley, murmuring, âYouâve suffered a lot.

In what should have been a poignant mother-daughter reunion, Matthew observed with a cold, scrutinizing gaze.

His gaze fixed on Haley, his frown deepened, finding the womanâs sudden appearance laden with suspicion.

In that moment, Oliver and Juliette approached.

âYour mother hasnât had dinner yet.

Stella, let her eat first.

You can talk after dinner,â Juliette suggested with a warm smile.

Stella released her hold on Haley, dabbing her tears away with a tissue.

âLetâs have dinner first.

âOkay,â Haley agreed.

As she prepared to escort Stella to the dining room, a hushed voice cut through the air.

Matthewâs piercing stare bore into Haley as he inquired, âDo you have any evidence to affirm you are truly Stellaâs mother?â

His authoritative tone applied pressure, making Haley uneasy.

However, she had anticipated this moment and maintained composure.

Turning her head, she avoided Matthewâs probing eyes and explained, âI visited the orphanage and provided documents as evidence.

If you remain unconvinced, Iâm open to a DNA test.

But I trust no mother would mistake her own daughter.

Her words failed to dispel Matthewâs skepticism; he continued to scrutinize Haley with growing curiosity.

Aware of Matthewâs knack for inducing stress, Stella intervened, cautioning him, âMatthew, cease with the questioning.

She guided Haley towards the dining room, reassuring her, âMatthew didnât mean any harm.

Pay no mind to him.

Haley nodded, smiling in agreement.

âCertainly.

As Matthew continued to scrutinize Haleyâs retreating figure, his instincts whispered of an underlying mystery in the unfolding situation.

Matthew lingered in the living room by himself for quite a while, his emotions swirling as he overheard laughter from the dining room.

He was determined not to let Stella down at this moment.