Chapter 22

Glug, glug...

Mark refilled the glass Adele had just emptied, the wine pouring in red.

"Thanks to you, this was truly a pleasant and delicious dinner."

"I enjoyed it too."

Maybe it was the single glass of wine loosening his guard, but Mark carefully brought up something that had been sitting in his chest.

"Actually... earlier, it felt for a moment like my wife had come back to life. I found myself thinking, if she were still here, our evenings would always have been this warm."

"I heard your wife passed away giving birth to Jade."

"Yes. Jade's only ever seen his mother in a portrait. In it, she's wearing the very dress you had on tonight. That must be why he brought it to you."

"He must have missed his mother very much."

Jade had been smiling so brightly at her side the whole evening. But now that she…