Chapter 453: Pointless Kindness
Spring was slowly creeping in, and the plants in the courtyard had begun to sprout new buds.
Adeline wandered through the Thomson mansion with no particular destination in mind.
Word was that Ashton had moved out of the estate, choosing to live alone elsewhere, likely because of Milania.
After all, he had brought such a dangerous woman into the Thomson family-how could he still have the face to stay here?
Edward, however, still lived in the mansion.
And judging by the way he carried himself, he had no plans to leave again, probably because hed once again tasted the luxury and power of the Thomson family and couldn't bear to let it go.
Yet he hadn't severed ties with Britney.
Then again, that wasn't surprising.
Edward was the one who chose to fake his death and run away back then.
It wasn't like Britney forced him to.
Truth be told, both of them were in the wrong-a scumbag and a homewrecker.
But what could anyone do? Edward was Lorenzo's son.
Lorenzo was aging, and his heart had softened.
He couldn't bring himself to truly cast out his own flesh and blood.
But he also couldn't accept Britney.
So things were left hanging in this awkward limbo.
A harsh, ragged coughing fit snapped Adeline out of her thoughts.
She turned toward the sound.
There, in a small pavilion nearby, a young man was hunched over the railing, coughing violently.
She recognized him-Marshall, one of the younger members of the Thomson family.
She walked over and kindly handed him a couple of tissues.
"Thank you..."
Marshall took the tissues and coughed for a while longer before finally catching his breath.
He gave her a faint, grateful smile. "Miss Hensley, thank you. Did you come with Harrison today to visit Grandpa?"
"Yes." Adeline nodded. "It's warmer now, but your health isn't great. You should go inside soon-if the wind picks up, it won't be good for you."
Marshall gave a bitter smile. "I know, but... l spend most of my day indoors, recovering. It gets so suffocating sometimes. Just being outside a little longer helps me feel normal."
There was sympathy in Adeline's eyes.
"Miss Hensley, would you mind keeping me company for a while?" he asked softly. "No one in the family really talks to me much."
Adeline knew Marshall's background.
His father was Lorenzo's younger brother's adopted son, which made both father and son's positions in the family complicated.
Lorenzo treated them decently, but in such a big household, not everything could be fair.
What Marshall said might very well be true.
She checked her phone.
No messages from Harrison yet.
He was probably still talking with Lorenzo.
So she nodded. "Sure."
"Thank you, Miss Hensley," Marshall said gently.
"I was really worried when I heard something had happened to you."
"Thanks for your concern," Adeline said with a polite smile. "But I'm fine now."
"I heard Harrison was gone from Orianto for quite a while during that time," Marshall said with a sigh. "Miss Hensley... he must care about you very much."
Adeline didn't quite know how to respond.
After all, Marshall was a man.
Talking to him about this kind of thing felt... awkward.
She was about to steer the conversation elsewhere, but Marshall continued, "You and Harrison are together now, right?"
That question made Adeline feel uncomfortable.
She barely knew him, and he was a man. Why was he asking her about this?
Even if he was curious, shouldn't he be asking Harrison instead?
Asking her directly like this felt off.
Still, she kept her composure.
She offered a faint smile and replied with a quiet, "Yes."
"That's wonderful," Marshall said with a wistful look. "Someone like me, with a body like this... I doubt anyone would want to be with me."
"Don't think like that," Adeline said gently.
"You'll get better. And you're a good person. One day, you'll find someone who truly loves you."
"You're right, Miss Hensley." Marshall smiled and nodded.
Adeline glanced at her phone again. "I should head back now. You should get inside too-the wind's picking up."
"Alright. Goodbye, Miss Hensley."
"Goodbye."
Adeline turned and left.
The smile faded from Marshall's face.
His eyes darkened as he watched her retreating back.
Was she hinting at something?
Saying he was "a good person"?
Did she suspect something from the way he spoke? But he hadn't said anything suspicious.
It was just small talk.
Still, Adeline wasn't simple.
How else could she have stayed by Harrison's side for so many years as his top aide? Marshall began replaying their conversation in his head.
He thought, "Did I say too much? Did she catch on to something when I asked about her and Harrison?"
He sighed, annoyed with himself for being too eager.
But it wasn't the end of the world.
Last time, he had secretly helped Milania escape, and Harrison hadn't noticed a thing.
People saw him as weak, quiet, and harmless.
No one would suspect him.
He just needed to be more careful from now on.
With that in mind, he relaxed a little.
As he slowly made his way back to his courtyard, he thought carefully.
He thought, "So, Adeline and Harrison are definitely together now. That means-she is Harrison's weakness."
All the effort he and his father had poured into this... hadn't been for nothing.
Harrison clearly cared about Adeline.
Otherwise, why would he have gone all the way abroad and nearly lost his mind trying to find her?
What they hadn't expected was that Adeline would turn out to be the Mendoza family heiress.
They'd assumed she came from an ordinary background, which would've made her easier to manipulate.
But now? She was not someone they could use so easily.
Marshall's brow furrowed as a cold wind blew through the trees. He coughed again-violently.
He looked down at the tissue Adeline had handed him earlier.
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then he gave a soft, derisive laugh and tossed it into the nearest trash bin.
He didn't need pointless kindness.
When Adeline returned to the main hall, she happened to run into Harrison coming down the stairs.
"Finished talking with Lorenzo?"
"Yeah."
He walked over and took her hand.
Her fingers were a little cold, and he frowned slightly.
"You were outside too long?"
"It's fine." She smiled. "It's not that cold out now."
Even so, Harrison called for someone to bring hot coffee.
The two of them went to his room in the mansion to rest.
After the coffee was served, the servants quietly left.
Adeline looked around the room, and then gave a little nod.
"What's that nod for?" Harrison asked.
"It's just... this place has your style," Adeline
replied. "Same as your villa. You really do like this aesthetic."
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