Chapter 158

It seemed that Eleanor sensed Hilda's gaze.

Almost unconsciously, she lifted her eyes and froze when they locked with Hilda's. For a beat, neither of them moved.

Eleanor, especially, needed a second to steady herself. Hilda? The name clicked in her mind, and she suddenly remembered Lillian and Nolan once saying how much she looked like Hilda.

Back then, she had brushed it off, but standing face-to-face with the woman now, even she was unsettled. The resemblance was undeniable.

But how could that be?

Weren't her parents long gone? Was it pure coincidence, or was there something more? Her thoughts scattered when Hilda suddenly rose from her seat and hurried toward her, grasping her hand with trembling fingers.

"My dear, have you been well all these years?" Her voice cracked, gentle but weighed down with pain.

Eleanor was taken aback. Well? How could life have possibly been well?

An orphanage, no matter how decent, could never replace a home.

A daughter who should have grown up surrounded by comfort had instead spent over two decades in hardship.

And even after building a future for herself, she had been dragged through heartbreak and humiliation,al because of her origins.

Hilda's chest ached with regret. This was her fault,hers alone.

She should never have insisted on returning to the country. If she hadn't, her child would never have been lost.

Eleanor could feel the rush of emotion in Hilda's voice, but she didn't quite know how to respond.

Realizing she had gone too far, Hilda quickly let go of Eleanor's hand. "Forgive me. I don't know what came over me. You simply feel so familiar. Almost like the daughter | lost. Please don't think badly of me...I just...miss her."

As she looked at her, Eleanor's heart wavered.

Even with countless questions running through her mind, she cautiously asked, "But Mrs. Benton, didn't you already find your daughter?"

As she thought of Lainey, Hilda's face twisted with disdain.

"That girl? Impossible. My daughter looked just like me when she was little. And as she grew up, there's no way she would turn out looking nothing like me."

Hilda's eyes softened as they fell on Eleanor. In a low murmur, she added, "If anything, she should've grown up to resemble me the way you do."

The words lingered, and the space between them fell into an awkward silence.

Eleanor's heart pounded in confusion. Unable to withstand Hilda's searching eyes, she abruptly rose to her feet. "I... excuse me. I need to use the restroom."

Hilda, realizing she had let her eagerness show too plainly, did not stop her.

She simply sat back and watched her go.

From the corner of the hall, Lainey had been observing.

So that explained why Hilda had been treating her so strangely all this time. From the very beginning, Hilda hadn't believed that she was her daughter.

Lainey's pulse quickened. She didn't know how Eleanor and Hilda had managed to cross paths, but from the looks of it, this had been their first meeting. With that cold reassurance, her eyes grew darker and more dangerous.