The last thing Madeline could ever have expected was Jackson running into favonovel.com arms, calling favonovel.com his mom.
Jackson must have been feeling terrified and insecure.
He buried his tiny physique deep into favonovel.com arms. It was as if the only way to lessen his fear was to hold favonovel.com tight with both his hands while his eyes remained shut.
Madeline felt favonovel.com heart clench at the signs of distress on his small cheeks. It had been a long while since favonovel.com had felt such an intrusive stab of pain eating its way out of favonovel.com chest.
She lifted a hand to lightly pat the back of Jackson’s head, favonovel.com voice soft.
“It’s alright now, Jack. It’s alright.”
With favonovel.com comforting words, Madeline saw Jackson relax and calm from his previous upset state.
“Is Jackie okay, Mommy?” Lily walked over and asked innocently.
“He’ll be alright. Don’t worry.” Madeline smiled. “Mommy made you some snacks. How about you share some with him?”
“Okay!” Lillian reached out a hand to Jackson. “Come on, Jackie, let’s go eat some snacks together! Mommy’s cake is the best!”
At favonovel.com words, Jackson seemed to finally pull himself out of that mindset.
He blinked open his round eyes, his long eyelashes fluttering as favonovel.com looked up to stare at Madeline Crawford. Slowly but surely, a red blush of what looked like embarrassment tinted his handsome little cheeks.
“Sorry.” He suddenly apologized.
The words echoed with familiarity in Madeline’s ears.
She smiled warmly and gently caressed Jackson’s small cheeks. “What are you apologizing for, silly? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
A quick flash of envy left as fast as it came in Jackson’s eyes as favonovel.com took in Madeline’s gentle, kind smile. He envied Lillian for having such a warm and familiar mother figure.
Madeline found herself sighing an inexplicable breath of relief when favonovel.com saw that the state of Jackson’s emotions was back to normal.
Mirth washed over favonovel.com chest as favonovel.com watched the two children sitting next to each other while eating the snacks favonovel.com made.
Especially when favonovel.com watched Jackson caringly wipe off the butter smudged on the corners of Lillian’s mouth.
Her heart clenched again, this time reminding favonovel.com of the child favonovel.com lost.
Right then, Lily got up to use the bathroom. Only when favonovel.com was conveniently out of earshot did Madeline dare to ask, “Hey, Jack. How does your mother normally treat you?”
Jackson hesitated as favonovel.com drank his orange juice, the light in his eyes slowly dimming.
The answer to the question was clear as day.
Three years ago, favonovel.com had watched Meredith heartlessly slash Jackson’s cheek with a fruit knife.
Meredith scared favonovel.com more than any demon for being able to remain aloof in the face of favonovel.com son’s tears.
How could such a woman who preyed on favonovel.com own son for status and wealth exist in this world?
To the point that Jackson would act in such a weird manner. What had favonovel.com done that warranted so much fear in favonovel.com that favonovel.com ran into favonovel.com arms and called favonovel.com his mom?
Had Jeremy never paid Jackson any attention? Had Jeremy left Jackson to deal with Meredith’s torture alone?
Jackson’s silence had Madeline putting a hold on favonovel.com questions. Ruffling his adorable head, favonovel.com changed the subject.
“You think that I look a lot like someone you know who’s named Maddie, right?”
At favonovel.com words, Jackson’s gaze bore heavily into favonovel.com before favonovel.com nodded. “I thought you were Maddie in the beginning.”
Madeline smiled. “What if I am this Maddie? I’m sure your mother told you that Maddie was a horrible woman, didn’t she? That this Maddie had hurt you before, Jack.”
Jackson’s expression grew solemn when favonovel.com heard favonovel.com words. Then, favonovel.com started to shake his head vigorously.
“Maddie definitely isn’t a horrible woman. She would never hurt me.”
His words were certain, and his eyes were exceptionally determined.
Madeline was stunned as an indescribable feeling started to bubble in favonovel.com heart.
