Chapter 21 What Is Your Relationship With Her?
“Are you disappointed because it’s not Eleanor?”
Ethan’s thoughts were exposed, but he only gave a nonchalant smile. “I’m not disappointed. Even if she’s not my sister, I will still treat her like one.”
Protecting Eleanor had become a habit for him in recent days.
He had made up his mind: if Eleanor wasn’t Joanna, he would still accept her as his sister.
“Nothing is confirmed yet, so everything is still uncertain.”
He still believed that Eleanor was Joanna.
Oscar had long since figured out what he was thinking. “Dad won’t allow it, and Jojo will get angry.”
Mentioning Jolene, Ethan grinned wickedly. “I’m treating Eleanor as my sister, not asking you all to do the same. If she gets Jupset over this, imagine how much worse it will be when Joanna returns.”
He didn’t expect that this remark would indeed come true later on.
As they spoke, the car had already entered the estate. As they walked into the hall, they immediately saw Hudson sitting in the center, his back to them.
Hudson, in a suit and sitting in a swivel chair, turned around. His hair, streaked with black and white, was styled into a slicked–back look. Even in his fifties, his sharp features still hinted at the handsomeness he had in his youth.
“Dad.”
Hudson looked at Ethan, his face darkened. “Ethan, what exactly is your relationship with Eleanor?”
He had already learned about the events at the banquet yesterday, and after Ethan messed up the collaboration between the two families, a little investigation quickly revealed the root cause.
Ethan knew this was going to be a tough conversation with his father, and not wanting to explain too much, he decided to be blunt: “I want to recognize her as my sister.”
Hudson froze. “That… that’s it?”
Ethan shrugged helplessly. “Yeah. Do you really want me to marry her? Actually, if you’re not worried about the McKenzie family accusing you to your face, I have no problem with it.“,
“You brat, what are you saying?!” Hudson cursed, grabbing a cup beside him and throwing it at him. “You already have a sister. What do you need another one for?”
“Jolene was adopted by you, not by me. My real sister went missing. What’s wrong with me accepting another sister?”
Hudson fell silent at these words.
The disappearance of his youngest daughter had always been a painful knot in the hearts of the Xander family.
Finding Joanna was not only his hope but the hope of his children as well.
“You want to recognize her as your sister because she looks like Hannah, right?”
Ethan didn’t speak, and Hudson snorted coldly.
“I know you have deep feelings for Hannah. After all, she raised you for a few years. Even if she looks like Hannah, this girl can’t possibly be Joanna.”
He had investigated Eleanor. Aside from her life improving slightly after marrying Gabriel, her previous life had been difficult, to say the least.
Without parents, she had been bullied from elementary school through university.
1/2
He had scoured all of Newayne but hadn’t found Joanna. If Eleanor were Joanna, it would raise the question of what they had been doing all these years.
It was like finding something far away, yet right in front of them.
It felt like a slap in the face.
“Oscar.” Hudson suddenly had an idea. “Yesterday, your mom kept saying she saw Joanna and that her mental state seemed fine. Look into it. Find out which guests attended yesterday, and who interacted with your mother.”
Mentioning Adele, Hudson’s voice softened considerably.
Since his daughter had gone missing, Adele had been mentally unstable. Perhaps once Joanna was found, her illness would improve as well.
There were many people at the banquet yesterday. He didn’t know what had happened to his wife, so he had to start by looking at the guests.
“Got it.” Oscar nodded gently.
He knew about this too. After finding his mom yesterday, her mood had noticeably improved.
Bored, Ethan was scrolling through his phone. When he saw the conversation was wrapping up, he quickly stood up to leave.
Hudson stopped him. “Since you want to recognize her as your sister, she should at least meet us. Invite her over for dinner
tomorrow.”
Hudson’s words surprised Ethan. He asked eagerly, “Are you serious?”
So, Dad agreed?
Seeing Ethan so excited, Hudson snorted. “Yesterday, you asked me to meet your friend. I assume you were talking about her. This is the first time in all these years that you’ve shown such concern for a woman. I want to see for myself what kind of person she is.”
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