Too Late, Mr. Cooper: Your Bride Ran with Your Baby novel Chapter 316

Then again, Liliana couldn't help but marvel as she stood before the vast, empty Grayson villa, a hand resting on her lower back.

Mrs. Grayson was certainly a master of keeping up appearances.

When Liliana was a child and would visit Matthew with Linton, Mrs. Grayson would always make a point of coming home, no matter how busy she was, to help Matthew entertain his friends.

Liliana had never once suspected the complex, painful drama that lay beneath the surface of Matthew’s family. Mrs. Grayson played her part so perfectly in front of outsiders.

She had even been envious as a child, thinking that Mrs. Grayson and Mr. Grayson were the perfect couple. Why else would Mrs. Grayson always have such a happy, radiant smile on her face?

...

Thinking back on it now, there was a reason Mrs. Grayson had been the goddess that all of Crownport’s high society looked up to.

Her inner strength was truly formidable.

Liliana felt a surge of respect for her.

With Mrs. Hart beside her, she followed Mrs. Grayson into the villa.

The house had been empty for nearly six months, ever since Matthew’s passing.

As soon as she stepped into the living room, she was hit by the distinct smell of an unoccupied house. She took a light sniff; it wasn’t unpleasant, just heavy, as if the very air in the house had grown thick and stagnant.

Liliana also detected a faint, lingering scent of sandalwood.

Her eyes followed the elegant, rich aroma to a small shrine resting quietly in the living room.

Liliana froze.

Displayed on the shrine was Matthew’s memorial portrait.

Her heart seized in her chest, a sudden, painful contraction that made it difficult to breathe. It felt as if a heavy stone had been dropped on her, crushing her with an oppressive weight.

She realized she wasn’t emotionally prepared to face the truth—

Mrs. Hart looked at her, her voice filled with surprise and concern. “Liliana, you...”

Hearing her mother’s voice, Liliana was pulled from the suffocating grief that had enveloped her.

She raised a hand to wipe her tears, only then realizing that she had been sobbing uncontrollably.

Mrs. Grayson lowered her gaze, her elegantly maintained face impassive. She gently placed a hand on Liliana’s trembling shoulder, her proud voice thick with unshed tears. “Liliana...”

“Come on, let’s go upstairs. I’ll take you to the study.”

Mrs. Grayson’s words cut through the veil of sorrow that had descended upon Liliana.

She looked down at Liliana’s swollen belly and sighed softly. “Don’t be sad, Liliana,” she comforted her. “For the baby’s sake, try not to dwell on it.”

But even as she spoke, her own eyes glistened with moisture. Her nose stung, and she had to bite her lip to keep from choking up.

At a time like this, to say one wasn’t sad was just lying to oneself.