Lost Me Gained Regret

Chapter 444

Summer stood by the floor–to–ceiling windows for a while, listening to the faint sounds from outside before turning around to chug down the glass of milk that was on her bedside table. Holding the empty glass, she opened her bedroom door and stepped out.

Hearing the noise, Bella looked up, her heart aching a bit as she remembered what Ivy had told her earlier about Summer. She wondered how Summer had managed to grow up, how much hardship she had endured. It had been over a year since she returned, and yet, she still didn’t show genuine closeness to Bella, her own mother. Her guard was always up. Ultimately, Bella blamed herself for being too negligent in the past.

Seeing Summer approach, Bella pretended not to know what was on Summer’s mind.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Summer asked.

“Nothing,” Bella replied, suddenly pulling her into a hug, caressing her head. “Honey, you can call me whatever you feel comfortable with. It’s just a title, it doesn’t matter. We have all the time in the world to grow closer, let’s take it slow.”

The unexpected embrace made Summer stiffen up.

Bella usually appreciated these affectionate gestures, but only when Summer acted obedient and compliant, so this behavior from Summer wasn’t out of the ordinary.

However, she had braced herself for a confrontation or blame, like being called out for addressing her mother by her name or being an ungrateful child, but it never came. There was no reproach. That left Summer unprepared and, frankly, shocked.

an orphanage, Summer learned to expect punishment for both doing nothing wrong and making mistakes. No one had ever held her and spoken kindly to her when she was in the wrong. Bella was the first. Summer was adept at masking her true feelings, always hiding any trace of darkness with a facade of

“Take a look, do you like it? You’ve always liked Vista

tomorrow.”

in your name,

mansion with a front yard and a swimming pool at the back, the best Vista Town had to offer. Usually, she would accept Bella’s gifts with feigned enthusiasm, but this time, she

hood “V

for

sofa, standing up awkwardly and

“Did you hear that? She said wherever I am, that’s

had always accepted valuable gifts without hesitation. If not for the paternity test, Ivy

tears, picking up the blueprint, “We’ll buy the house tomorrow.” It was time to

millions, and she had almost rejected it because of a few words from Bella? Impossible. She was just afraid of future consequences, wanting to leave cleanly when the time

a ludicrous notion of familial affection, especially since she wasn’t Bella’s biological daughter. The kindness shown to her now was all based on that mistaken belief. She was nothing but

interloper.