One night stand with my President (chapter 674)

 

Chapter 674: A Shining Third Wheel

When Alberto learned that Connie had decided to adopt Pharrell, he had no objections whatsoever.

He chuckled. “Who would’ve thought? After all this, Pharrell ends up being my son after all.” Maybe this really was fate’s way of giving them a connection. From now on, he would still treat Pharrell as his own flesh and blood.

“Humph.” Connie shot him a glare. “I’m the one adopting Pharrell. How does that make him your son?”

“Your son is my son,” Alberto said, raising an eyebrow. “Anyway, we’re getting married sooner or later.”

“In your dreams.”

“Dream all you want, I’m still marrying you.”

As they bantered back and forth, no one else was around—just Pharrell, lying in his crib. For some reason, Pharrell suddenly started giggling.

Connie turned at the sound and saw his smiling face. Her heart melted. Bending down, she scooped him into her arms and said to Alberto, “I’ve already found out where Pharrell’s birth mother is buried. Once he’s well enough to leave the hospital, we should take him to visit her.”

At the very least, she should know that Pharrell was okay now and that he would have a good life ahead. That way, her spirit, watching over them, could finally rest in peace.

“Alright,” Alberto nodded, reaching out to gently stroke Pharrell’s tiny cheek.

After Alberto and Connie decided to adopt Pharrell, Gracie’s heart felt much lighter. Even if they hadn’t chosen to adopt him, she could still have raised Pharrell in the Mendoza household and taken good care of him. But it would have felt somewhat unofficial. When Pharrell grew older, how would they explain his identity to the outside world? It might affect the child’s psychological well-being.

Although Pharrell shared no blood ties with their family, since they’d decided to look after him, they couldn’t do things haphazardly. Fortunately, with this adoption, Pharrell would truly become the young master of the Mendoza family.

Now Gracie had only one concern left: Isaac hadn’t been discharged from the hospital yet. Isaac had been hospitalized for quite some time. Now he could move around, and his spirits were excellent. However, his initial injuries had been severe, so the doctors recommended he stay a few more days for observation.

Isaac wasn’t in a rush. Every day, he happily remained in the hospital, constantly telling Gracie what he wanted to eat, driving her crazy. But though she complained, her actions never shortchanged him.

Today, Isaac was clamoring for beef oatmeal again. Gracie prepared the oatmeal at home and brought it to the hospital with Adeline. After delivering it, Isaac immediately started complaining that his hand hurt and demanded Gracie feed him.

“Are you just trying to torment me?” Gracie pinched his arm hard in exasperation.

“I am not! My hand really hurts.”

Gracie moved to pinch him again, but Isaac quickly said, “Give me some dignity, honey. Our daughter’s here. Don’t let her laugh at me.”

Hearing this, Gracie turned to look at Adeline.

Adeline immediately looked up at the ceiling, pretending she hadn’t seen or heard anything.

“Honey, come on, feed me the oatmeal. I’m starving.”

Isaac put on a pitiful expression. Ever since he’d been hospitalized, this was the expression Gracie found hardest to resist.

She sighed helplessly. “Fine, fine. I’ll feed you. Happy now?”

Picking up the spoon, she scooped up some oatmeal and brought it to his lips, coaxing him like a child. “Open wide, aaah—”

Isaac opened his mouth, ate the oatmeal, and beamed.

Adeline, watching from the side, felt like a shining third wheel. Deciding she’d rather not continue radiating light, she slipped out of the hospital room.

Just as she was wondering where to find a snack, she noticed one of the Mendoza family’s bodyguards hurrying toward her.

“Miss Hensley,” the bodyguard greeted her respectfully.

Adeline gave a slight nod. “What’s the matter?”

“Mrs. Livingston is here,” the bodyguard said. “She says she’d like to visit Mr. Mendoza.”

But the Mendoza family’s security had stopped her in the first-floor lobby.

“What’s she doing here?” Adeline frowned slightly.

Could it be that because she’d previously visited the Livingston residence to see Pedro, Mrs. Livingston felt she should reciprocate?

But one thing Adeline was certain of: Isaac definitely wouldn’t want to see anyone from the Livingston family.

So she instructed the bodyguard, “Tell her we appreciate her kindness, but my father is resting right now and can’t see anyone. Please ask her to go back.”

“Understood.”

The bodyguard returned to the hospital’s first floor and relayed Adeline’s message to Mrs. Livingston without mentioning that it came from Adeline.

Mrs. Livingston persisted. “Could you please just let me go up and see him? Just one quick look. Mr. Mendoza has been hospitalized so long, and I haven’t visited once—it weighs on my conscience.”

But the bodyguard remained unmoved.

“I’m afraid we can’t let you go up. Mr. Mendoza needs to rest. He’s not to be disturbed while resting. Please go back.”

Seeing this, Mrs. Livingston had no choice but to leave. Before leaving, she said, “Then please, when Mr. Mendoza wakes up, let him know I came by today.”

“Very well.”

After getting into her car, she rubbed her temples in frustration. She hadn’t expected that she couldn’t even get a glimpse of Isaac.

Was he still angry about what had happened before?

Honestly, it was all in the past now. Adeline was perfectly fine. Why did he have to keep holding a grudge?

More importantly, if she couldn’t see Isaac, how was she supposed to do what she needed to do?

Mrs. Livingston lowered her gaze, opened her bag, and looked at the small bottle inside. It contained a substance that could make someone physically ill.

Her plan was simple. Isaac had already been hospitalized for a while. If his condition worsened, the Mendoza family’s attention would be focused entirely on him. They wouldn’t have time to target Pedro.

All she had to do was find an opportunity to slip the drug into Isaac’s drinking water or something else he consumed.

She didn’t care that taking too much of the drug could cause mental confusion or even endanger his life.

So what?

It was the Mendozas’ fault for refusing to forgive them.

Isaac deserved to die.

If he died, Adeline would be consumed by grief over losing her father. That would not only keep Pedro safe for a while but also torment Adeline.

Served her right. If she’d agreed to marry Pedro in the first place, he never would have tried to kidnap her, and none of the events that followed would have happened.

Mrs. Livingston was completely oblivious to how twisted her reasoning had become. In her eyes, her precious son had done nothing wrong.

Everything was the Mendozas’ fault.