Chapter 1838:


    “Of course not,” Alban said with a softugh. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “All I want is for you and our daughter to be happy. Just having you both in my life is enough for me. I won’t ask for anything more,” he promised.


    Gillian felt a quiet stir of emotion after hearing what Alban said, but she didn’t change her mind about staying with the Jones family. She had already made a private promise to remain loyal to Christina, no matter what.


    Since Gillian said nothing, Alban gently steered the conversation elsewhere.


    “Come on — it’s time for lunch,” he said in an easy tone.


    Gillian gave a small nod. “Okay.”


    Alban walked with Gillian and Adide into the dining room. He served Gillian’s favorite dishes first, then turned his attention to Adide.


    “Thank you, Alban,” Adide said in her sweetest voice.


    “Here you go, Adide — have some more meat,” Henrik said with a smile.


    “Thank you, Henrik,” Adide answered, bright and adorable as ever.


    Colette and Santos followed, each offering her something from the table, and she thanked them both with the same charming politeness.


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    Alban let out a quiet sigh. He found himself wondering when Adide would finally call him “Dad,” and the thought settled over him with a dull ache. Still, he tried to hold onto the brighter side of things. Just being with Gillian and Adide was more than he had once dared to hope for, and being called “Alban” felt far warmer than “Mr. Martel” ever had.


    “Where would you like to go after lunch?” he asked softly.


    Gillian nced up at him briefly, then back down at the table. “Ask Adide. I’ll go wherever she wants,” she murmured.


    “Alright.” Alban shifted his voice into something lighter and more yful. “Adide, where do you want to go?”


    Gillian noticed the effort he made — the way he adjusted his whole tone just to delight their daughter — and a small smile found its way to her lips.


    Adide chewed her food thoughtfully, tilting her head. Herrge, bright eyes swept back and forth between Gillian and Alban. Then a wide grin broke across her face.


    “Let’s go ride the pony!” she announced.


    Gillian understood at once — Adide was asking for the three of them to go on the merry-go-round together.


    “The merry-go-round it is,” Alban said warmly, smiling at his daughter.


    Adide pped her hands with delight. “Yay!”


    “You had better look after Gillian and Adide,” Henrik said with mock severity. “If either of them gets so much as a scratch, I’ll have words with you.”


    “I know, Grandpa,” Alban replied, with the patient tone of someone who had heard the warning before.


    He loved Gillian and Adide more than anything. Keeping them safe was never something he needed to be reminded of.


    Gillian kept her eyes lowered, warmth rising to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Her life felt like something out of a dream, and some quiet, fearful part of her was terrified of waking up and finding it gone. She still couldn’t quite believe she had been weed into a family like this — powerful, close-knit, and loving in ways she had never imagined possible.


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