Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me

CHAPTER 613 HANDS ARE TIED

What Helia said made sense. As someone considered extremely famous among the richest, as well as an eligible bachelor, the list of women who wished to marry Welson would go as long from Damoria to Eden.

Although she had a comely and pretty face, it was still not to the point that it would make men fall in love with her at first sight, reminisce about her, or even flock to her.

Since none of the possibilities they thought of made sense, Elspeth figured they might as well not crack their brains dwelling on it. She reassured Helia that she had booked a plane ticket and directly took her back to Blaydal, which could count as helping her to stay away from Welson's pestering.

Standing at the gate of the Joneson Residence, Helia felt an inexplicable trace of nervousness in her heart. After all, many years had passed since she left home. She would be lying if she said she did not have butterflies in her stomach. She even felt a hint of strangeness when she looked at the familiar building before her.

Elspeth squeezed Helia's hand a little, signaling her not to be nervous. "This is your home. Be natural and just walk in."

Before their arrival, Elspeth had already informed Frank of their visit. As such, everything had long been ready, and he even had someone welcoming them at the gate as they arrived.

Instantly, Helia recognized the woman, who was past her seventies, at a glance. The moment she saw her, tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes. She parted her lips, yet she never called out the name she knew by heart.

Marguerite, the one who used to be in charge of my daily life. I practically regarded her as my half-mother. I missed her the most after I left home. Now that I am over 50 years old, my heart is filled with indescribable emotion when I look at Marguerite's gray hair blowing in the wind.

"Miss Helia, you have returned."

Nodding, Helia reached out to hold Marguerite's slightly rough hands. However, as soon as she did so, she abruptly realized that her hand was rougher than Marguerite's.

Marguerite, too, felt the difference in the skin texture of Helia's hand. Miss Helia had always lived a pampered life. What kind of hardships did she go through to the point that she became like this?

Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of this. "Miss Helia, you must've suffered a lot living outside for so many years."

At that moment, all of Helia's grievances came down in tears. Before this, she took her identity as Elspeth's mother into consideration and could not easily show her fragile side in front of her daughter. Yet, she nearly cried like a baby in front of Marguerite now.

As for Elspeth, she simply watched the two cry in each other's arms in silence. Afterward, Marguerite led Elspeth and Helia into the main hall. Although Michael seemed to have been waiting for a long time, he showed no sign of impatience, and his eyes took on an expression that Elspeth could not comprehend.

Helia, on the other hand, did not show much emotion in front of him. Still, she knelt and addressed him politely. "Dad."

"Get up. Don't kneel. I heard from Frank that you've suffered a lot of wrongs outside. Now that you're back home, you're still the second young mistress of the Jonesons." Michael knew that he owed Helia, for he was the one who did not get to the bottom when she 'died' and let her live outside for so many years.

Nevertheless, Helia did not feel aggrieved. After all, it was her own choice. She was the one who insisted on staying out and not going home. Moreover, in her opinion, Michael's effort was already good enough. Therefore, she maintained her kneeling position instead of getting up.

"Helia, I failed you. I know that in your heart, you were blaming me—"

At once, she denied, "No, I didn't. The reason why I'm kneeling here now is for you to state my punishment."

For the first time, Michael was at a loss for what to do. "You weren't at fault in this matter from beginning to the end, so why should I punish you?"

She lowered her head, and her tone gradually softened. "I faked my death back then and made you think you had lost a daughter. Those overwhelming grief must've affected your health. Plus, I insisted on refusing to return home for many years and failed to fulfill my duty as your daughter…"

Regardless of the dissatisfaction that Michael had for Helia, all of it dissipated at that moment as he listened to her words. He stood up, stepped forward with the help of his crutches, and helped her up. "Helia, you're my daughter. How can I blame you?"

Although Helia was over 50 years old, to Michael, she would always be her second daughter, who resembled him the most. The blood of the Jonesons runs deep in her body. Blood is thicker than water, so I can't bear to blame her no matter what.

Standing on the side, Elspeth, too, heaved a sigh of relief as she watched the two reconcile. Michael waved to her, signaling her to come over. "Elspeth, thank you for bringing your mother back. If it wasn't for you, I'm afraid I might never know that my daughter is well alive in this world." There was an undisguised loving-kindness on his face.

It made sense why he said so because he only had one son and two daughters. His son had long passed away due to illness, and his two daughters also left successively. No doubt, seeing his children die earlier than him was a distressingly grievous blow to him.

However, not only did he now have a granddaughter, but his daughter, who had left home back then, also returned in one piece! That was simply glad tidings for him. He even felt that he had gotten much younger all of a sudden.