Chapter 875
Chapter 875:
He didn’t want her to experience any discomfort.
The train arrived swiftly, and they boarded. Toby and Fernanda took their seats together.
During the four-hour ride, Fernanda learned that Toby was a math teacher at a high school in Silendale. His wife was an accountant, and their son Duran, a senior at Ashford University studying economics and management, was preparing for graduate studies.
Duran had a sister, a doctoral student in translation, who was currently away at a conference overseas with her advisor.
“Duran is aiming for the graduate program at Esaham University,” Toby said with a proud smile. “He’s bound to succeed.”
Duran scratched his head, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Toby, a strict father, seldom praised his children, especially in front of his newly found niece. This rare compliment made Duran quite bashful.
“Fernanda, have they treated you well all these years?” Toby asked gently, stroking her hair as he looked at her with concern. “We should have found you earlier. It’s our fault.”
He recounted how, after Gracie took money from the family to help Robert start a factory, the Cooper family’s fortunes dwindled.
Her father, Roger, ended his relationship with Gracie. Later, Roger fell seriously ill, the factory closed, and the Cooper family faced hardship.
Gracie and Robert relocated to Esaham, severing all ties with the Cooper family. Even the news of Gracie’s death had been relayed by Martin.
At that time, Toby had intended to go to Esaham for Gracie’s funeral, but Roger’s illness and subsequent death threw the family into turmoil. The closure of the factory left them buried in debt, stripping them of any means to search for Fernanda.
The Coopers depended on financial help from Martin to survive their toughest times.
“Your grandfather never saw your mother again before he died, nor did he meet you,” Toby said, his voice filled with regret and sorrow. “But your grandmother has always thought of your mother and you. Now, as she nears her end, her sole wish is to see you. Your grandfather regretted cutting ties with your mother, causing her to leave and never return. He was too stubborn to apologize, but I know he regretted it deeply.”
Hearing Toby’s words, Fernanda felt a deep sorrow stirring within her.
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩶𝓬𝗈𝗺
The Cooper family had once flourished, basking in prosperity and stability. But Gracie’s reckless decisions had turned their lives upside down. Her actions had severely disrupted the family’s finances, causing every aspect of their lives to rapidly deteriorate.
Yet, blood ties ran deep. Their connections were indelible.
Even in his last moments, Roger harbored only concern, not bitterness, toward his headstrong daughter.
Duran gazed out at the passing scenery, discreetly wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes, remaining silent.
When the train pulled into Silendale, it was already midnight.
Instead of heading to a hotel, Toby took Fernanda straight to the hospital.
As the elevator ascended, Fernanda felt an inexplicable nervousness. Perhaps it was because Toby and Duran had made such a positive impression on her, and she had already begun to feel a bond with the Cooper family. Thus, even after two decades apart, she found herself ready to embrace these relatives.
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