Chapter 805:

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Surprisingly, Angela seemed delighted by the gesture and lingered for a few extra seconds, soaking up the moment. When her eyes finally landed on Helena, a faint warmth glimmered there.

A mischievous smile crossed Delaney’s face. “Careful—that’s my daughter-in-law you’re holding. Don’t go stealing her away.”

“Fine.” Angela released Helena at last, her focus never wavering from Delaney. “In that case, Delaney, you and I have unfinished business.”

Both Alden and Helena stood still, bewildered by the sudden playful rivalry crackling between the two women. A phone appeared in Angela’s hand, and she pulled up a calendar, tilting the screen toward Delaney. “Take a look at all these red circles. Recognize any of those dates?”

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A frown creased Delaney’s brow as she tried to make sense of what she saw. To her eyes, the marked days seemed random, but as she scanned the years, certain clusters stood out. She thought hard, her expression shifting, her pulse quickening. Only then did it dawn on her—those marked years matched exactly the ones she had spent in Corland. Still, the question remained: what were the exact dates?

Angela allowed a silence to linger, as though she wanted Delaney to puzzle over the calendar a little longer. Only after watching Delaney’s confusion deepen did she finally speak, a hint of relief in her voice. “Those dates aren’t random, Delaney. Each one marks a day I went searching for you.”

That answer left Delaney stunned. “You were looking for me?”

Earlier that very day, it had been Delaney who reached out first. Fearing Ella might stir up problems for Helena, she had convinced herself that bringing Angela into the mix would smooth things over. Determined to shield Helena from harm, Delaney had clenched her jaw and made the call. Angela had kept the same number, unchanged by the passing of time.

“Maybe I just knew,” Angela responded softly, almost as if she’d plucked the thought straight from Delaney’s mind. “I had a feeling you’d call one day. We’ve still got forever to settle the score, haven’t we?”

Though her tone held a spark of rivalry, it carried the warmth of old friendship. Tears threatened to spill as her eyes took on a rosy hue.

“Alright.” Delaney managed a weak laugh. Most of her life, she’d been the one receiving comfort, but Angela always made things feel more equal. Reaching over, she brushed away Angela’s tears. “The kids are watching. Don’t give them material to tease you with.”

“Let them try!” said Angela, her face lighting up with the kind of playful confidence she hadn’t worn since she was a teenager. Every smile, every flicker in her eyes carried that old spark. At last, her gaze settled on Alden.

At that moment, Alden noticed Helena’s bare feet. Without a word, he retrieved her shoes and crouched beside her, carefully slipping them on without caring about anyone’s opinion.

“I’ve got it,” Helena said. She didn’t usually worry about appearances, but even she wasn’t comfortable with open affection while Angela and her mother-in-law stood nearby. Somehow, with both their hands fumbling and bumping into each other, the shoes found their way onto her feet.

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