?<strong>Chapter 946:</strong>


    He sat cross-legged on the bed in a daze, one arm in a sling and gauze covering his left eye. At the sound of the door, he slowly turned his head, and his cold, empty gaze struck Joelle like a blow to the chest. If Rnd hadn’t left her side, he might have grown up as outgoing as Kalel or as aplished as Lucas, like a normal young man.


    Instead, his eyes held the weariness of someone who had lived through war, stripped of joy and filled with apathy.


    Joelle’s resolve slipped, and she rushed forward to envelop him in a tight embrace.


    She wanted to smile, but the emotion choked her. Only when she felt the warmth of his body did it finally feel real—she had found Rnd.


    “Oh, Rnd… I’m here to take you home. I’m so sorry!”


    Rnd’s body remained stiff, his chapped lips moving ever so slightly as he muttered, “Aunt.”


    The word struck Joelle hard, but she quickly reminded herself that Rnd had been taken from her as a baby. It was only natural for him to see her as a stranger.


    If he wanted to call her “Aunt,” so be it.


    She would love him all the same, with everything she had.


    Rnd didn’t push her away. After greeting Joelle, he shifted his gaze to Adrian, his eyes steady and unwavering. “Uncle.”


    Adrian was momentarily taken aback. Rnd’s demeanor seemed far too mature for his age. The boy’s eyes carried a quiet stubbornness and an undercurrent of hostility that most might overlook, but Adrian recognized it instantly.


    The embassy had briefed Adrian before their arrival, telling him that Wade had sacrificed himself by strapping explosives to his body, taking down enemies to ensure Rnd’s survival on the battlefield.


    Wade must have known his fate was sealed. Before joining the riot, he had written to the embassy, entrusting his only son to Joelle and Adrian.


    An ironic move, Adrian thought.


    The very man who had torn Rnd away from them was now entrusting them with the task of raising him.


    But Joelle didn’t dwell on the past. To her, Rnd was innocent—a young man who needed love and care.


    For two days, she devoted herself tirelessly to looking after him. On the third day, while changing his bed sheets, Joelle saw a framed photo of Wade on the nightstand, and her chest tightened.


    “What’s wrong?” Rnd asked, noticing her reaction. “Don’t you like seeing my dad?”


    Joelle hesitated but knew it was better for Rnd to see the bigger picture. He might have high respect for Wade, but thetter hadmitted serious crimes.


    “Rnd, I know it’s not easy, but it’s better for you to forget the past. Once we get home, you can have a fresh start.”


    Rnd sneered, his gaze fixed on the window. “You’re saying my father was an unforgivable scoundrel?”


    “No, that’s not what—”


    Rnd cut her off. “Someone who abandoned me for over a decade has no right to criticize the person who raised me.”


    Joelle felt a lump in her throat, unable to refute his words.


    .


    .


    .