Adrian's words caught Bianca slightly off guard. During the time she had worked as his secretary, she had overheard a few unpleasant rumors about Mrs. Williams. She hadn't expected the box to be connected to Adrian's mother.
"I don't know if she even still deserves to be called mom," Adrian said in frustration, running his fingers through his still-neat hair. "It's been so long since I last said that word. Too long, to the point that it feels foreign to say it now."
Bianca stayed quiet, letting him speak. She knew he didn't need comfort, he just needed someone to listen.
"You've probably heard stories about my mother before, right?" Adrian asked, glancing at Bianca.
She gave a small nod in response.
Adrian sighed softly. His hands moved to open the box. The story about his mother had already spread widely at the office. He knew his employees liked to gossip about it. But he didn't want Bianca to know. Somehow, a part of him didn't want her pity.
