Accidentally Yours, My Super Rich Second Husband-Chapter 168: Confused & Confused

The evening air inside the grand estate was warm and filled with a quiet sense of contentment. After dinner, Evander, Ashton, and Delphinia had retreated to the living room. The soft crackle of the fireplace filled the otherwise silent space, bringing a cozy ambiance to the moment.

Delphinia sat beside Ashton for a while, chatting idly about the meal they had just finished, before excusing herself to the kitchen. She wanted to check on the dessert she had set aside earlier. As soon as she disappeared through the doorway, Evander saw an opportunity.

He turned to his son, who was sitting comfortably on the couch with his legs tucked up, holding a small pillow against his chest. His dark eyes were focused on the television, though it was clear his mind was elsewhere.

"So," Evander began, leaning slightly forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "How was your day, kid?"

Ashton blinked and looked up at his father. "It was good," he said simply.

Evander lifted a brow. "Really?" His voice held a slight amusement as he tilted his head. "Delphinia mentioned your mother came to see you today."

Evander wasn’t particularly shocked by the news. He had already known Lydia had been showing up at Ashton’s school—Delphinia had mentioned it the other day. Apparently, it wasn’t a one-time thing. She had come by a few times before, even before Delphinia married him.

That meant one thing: Lydia had always wanted to see Ashton. It was just that now, with Delphinia officially part of their lives, she finally had the opportunity to meet him properly.

Evander leaned back slightly, studying Ashton’s expression. At the mention of Lydia, Ashton’s grip on the pillow tightened slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. He gave a small nod. "Yeah."

Evander studied his son for a moment, noting how carefully he was choosing his words. "And? How did it go?"

Ashton shrugged. "We went to a nice restaurant, ate good food, and then we came home."

A short, simple answer. Evander smirked slightly. "That’s it? Nothing more to say?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Ashton hesitated, shifting his position slightly. "That’s all we did."

Evander leaned back against the couch, stretching out his legs. "You know, you don’t have to hold back with me. If there’s something on your mind, you can tell me."

For a moment, Ashton was quiet. He looked down at his hands, tracing patterns over the fabric of the pillow before sighing. "I don’t get it," he finally admitted, his voice quieter than before.

Evander’s gaze softened. "What don’t you get?"

Ashton hesitated again, his fingers tightening on the pillow. "Why is she doing this? Why now?"

Evander frowned slightly. "You mean why she suddenly wants to be in your life?"

Ashton nodded. "I remember what she said before..." He trailed off, his jaw clenching slightly. "She said she hated me. She said she never wanted me. But now, she acts like she wants to know me. Like she cares."

Evander felt something cold settle in his chest. The memory of that day—standing outside Lydia’s house, hearing her venomous words spill from her lips—was still fresh in his mind, no matter how many years had passed. He had wanted to protect Ashton from those words, but some wounds never truly fade.

"People like Lydia..." Evander exhaled slowly, choosing his words carefully. "It’s really hard to understand her, even for me."

Ashton looked up at his father, searching his face. "You think she’s lying?"

Evander hesitated before answering. "I think people don’t change that easily. Especially not when they’ve already made it clear how they feel."

Evander didn’t believe in sugarcoating things. Not in a hundred years. Especially not with Ashton. The boy was smart—too smart to be fed comforting lies. And he was strong. Stronger than most kids his age. Pretending Lydia was anything other than what she had shown herself to be would be a disservice to him.

He met Ashton’s gaze, seeing the uncertainty there. The hope, even after everything. That was the hardest part. No matter how much Lydia hurt him, Ashton still wanted to believe in her.

Ashton lowered his gaze again, his fingers now absentmindedly picking at the edge of the pillow. "Then why is she doing this? What does she want?"

Evander wished he had an easy answer. He didn’t want to tell Ashton that Lydia was probably only reaching out now because of some selfish reason—maybe her career, maybe her reputation. Maybe guilt. But he also didn’t want to sugarcoat things. Ashton deserved the truth, even if it hurt.

"I don’t know for sure," Evander admitted. "But I do know one thing—whatever her reasons are, they don’t change the past. And they don’t define you."

Ashton didn’t respond right away. He just sat there, staring down at the pillow in his lap, deep in thought. Evander could see the conflict in his son’s eyes, the uncertainty of wanting to believe his mother but also remembering the pain she had caused him.

After a long silence, Ashton finally spoke. "It’s just... confusing."

Evander nodded, understanding. "Yeah. I imagine it is."

The quiet stretched between them, filled only by the distant sounds of the kitchen where Delphinia was moving around. Evander watched his son carefully, but he didn’t press further.

Ashton was already dealing with enough emotions, and forcing him to talk more wouldn’t help. Instead, Evander reached over and ruffled the boy’s hair gently, a rare gesture of affection from the usually stoic man.

"You don’t have to figure everything out right now," he said. "Take your time. And remember, you don’t have to deal with this alone."

Ashton looked up at him then, his expression unreadable, but there was something softer in his eyes. He gave a small nod.

Evander let the conversation settle there. He had done what he could for now. When Delphinia finally returned from the kitchen, carrying a plate of dessert, the conversation shifted to lighter topics, and Ashton didn’t bring up Lydia again.

But as Evander watched his son from the corner of his eye, he knew this wasn’t over. Lydia had left wounds in Ashton that couldn’t be healed overnight.

And Evander would never forgive her for that.