Billionaire's Regret: Losing Me And Our Son - Chapter 224: Chapter 224

Her words sent a collective shudder through the room.
Not wanting Benedict to get scared, I quickly signaled the nanny with my eyes to take him elsewhere.
Lindsey turned deathly pale, frozen stiff and rooted to the spot, clearly at a complete loss.
"By the way, those 'hell notes'—think of them as a thank-you gift from your late cousin, courtesy of me." Georgia bared her teeth in a vicious grin.
Lindsey shuddered violently, and the envelope she was clutching slipped from her hands, scattering colorful "hell notes" across the floor for everyone to see.
"Agh!" Lindsey shrieked, her face contorted in terror.
"Georgia, you've gone too far!" Tina snapped, immediately yanking Lindsey behind her in a protective gesture.
Tina stepped protectively in front of Lindsey, her face flushed with anger as she pointed at Georgia and snapped, "This is a family dinner to welcome my daughter home. If you're here to cause a scene, then get out!"
"Tina, this is my house. It's not your place as an outsider to tell me what to do." Contrary to her usual fiery temper, Georgia was eerily calm. She turned to Joseph with a sinister smile. "Brother, do you still remember the promise you made to me all those years ago?"
Joseph frowned deeply, narrowing his eyes at Georgia. "Georgia, it's been so long. At the end of the day, we're still family—Lindsey is your own niece..."
"So long? Yes, eighteen years! Just like that—eighteen years gone, and my dear niece is all grown up," Georgia cut Joseph off, her venomous gaze fixed on Lindsey. "How enviable, having parents who always shield you!"
"Aunt Georgia…" Lindsey's face flushed crimson with humiliation. Gathering her courage, she stepped out from behind Tina, lips trembling as if she were about to speak.
"Silence!" Alex's commanding voice abruptly cut through from the staircase.
I instinctively turned my head and saw Alex, supported by Drake, descending the stairs with shaky steps, his presence still commanding.
Alex doubled over in a fit of coughing, his face gaunt but his piercing gaze undimmed. Fixing Lindsey with a stern look, he said, "Lindsey, you were just a child when you went abroad. But now that you're a grown woman, it's time you accounted to your aunt for the mistakes you made back then."
Judging by Alex's demeanor, it seems he's about to stand up for Georgia.
Lindsey froze momentarily, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Father, Lindsey didn't know any better back then..." Tina attempted to intercede, but was immediately silenced by Alex's piercing glare.
Tina could only bite her tongue, shooting Joseph a pleading look to back her up.
At this moment, Lindsey spoke up with a choked voice, "Aunt Georgia... I'm sorry."
Georgia burst into wild, hysterical laughter, her voice trembling with rage. Gritting her teeth, she spat, "A simple 'sorry' for my son's life? Typical of the Maddens—what a sweet deal!"
"What exactly do you want from us?" Joseph demanded coldly.
Before Georgia could respond, Lindsey suddenly dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.
Quinn and I had been watching the whole drama unfold with detached amusement, but I never in a million years expected Lindsey would actually kneel before Georgia.
Even Quinn frowned in surprise.
Tina and Joseph stared in shock, eyes wide. Instinctively, Tina rushed forward, trying to pull Lindsey back to her feet.
Lindsey remained unmoved. Kneeling on the ground, she knelt to Georgia and said clearly, her voice steady but remorseful, "Aunt Georgia, I can't use my young age as an excuse for what I did back then. You're right—it was my fault that my cousin died, and I hurt you. Since the third of next month is his death anniversary, I will personally design a set of burial garments for him with utmost care. Not just this year—every year from now on, I will remember his birthday."
She remained kneeling, two crystal-clear tears streaming down her face.
It wasn't the look of someone feeling wronged; rather, she seemed genuinely remorseful.
Georgia's brows knitted tighter and tighter as she stared unblinkingly at Lindsey, who was kneeling on the floor, her eyes dark and inscrutable.
"Georgia, Lindsey has already agreed to your terms," Alex said sternly, turning to face her. "This is a family dinner. If you're here to eat with this old man, then sit down and keep quiet. Otherwise, get out of my house this instant."
"Tsk. What a performance—just like your mother," Georgia sneered, her eyes locked on Lindsey with icy contempt.
After saying that, her expression softened slightly as she turned to Alex and said solemnly, "Father, I have matters to attend to today. I won't be joining you for dinner."
This was Georgia's compromise, of sorts.
"Mm." Alex remained expressionless as he watched Georgia turn and leave the ancestral home, then immediately instructed Drake to serve dinner.
"Get up now! Don't be so foolish next time—why on earth would you kneel to her?" Tina hastily helped Lindsey to her feet, muttering under her breath.
Standing right beside them, I instinctively reached out to steady Lindsey as well.
Lindsey, still visibly shaken and barely registering my presence, steadied herself and turned to Tina with a dazed look. "Mom, didn't you tell me Aunt Georgia had forgiven me long ago?"
Tina froze for a moment, her eyes darting away evasively. "I... I only said that so you could focus on your studies..."
Lindsey pressed her lips together, her face shadowed by a disappointment too deep for words.
Quinn gently took my hand and led me away from the scene, whispering, "Come on. Grandfather is waiting."
"Mm." I nodded, only then realizing this was a private family matter and I really should step away.
Thanks to Georgia's little scene, the family dinner lost all its flavor. Hardly anyone spoke, and an awkward silence hung over the table.
Not long after dinner, Quinn found an excuse and discreetly slipped away early with Benedict and me.
In the car, Benedict had already fallen asleep in his car seat.
Recalling today's events, I couldn't help but say to Quinn, "Now that I've seen her in person, I finally understand what you said before."
"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, pausing in confusion.
I smiled and said, "You were right—sending Lindsey abroad when she was little was for the best. She's truly nothing like her parents."
He chuckled and, with a playful grin, pressed me, "So, what makes her different in your eyes?"
"Lindsey is such a responsible girl," I said, recalling how she knelt before Georgia and spoke those words. "She's very decisive when dealing with problems. Sometimes, sincerity is often the best solution."
Quinn, in an uncharacteristically playful mood, grinned and teased me, "You know, Ms. Hinton, your analysis is spot-on. The Madden Group would be doomed without you."
I huffed and shot him a haughty glare. "Well, Mr. Madden, you'd better remember that!"
The traffic light ahead turned red.
Quinn brought the car to a stop and suddenly murmured, "Hand me something."
"What?" I turned to him, puzzled.
At the same time, Quinn suddenly leaned in and kissed my cheek. With a playful grin, he said, "Next time we hit a red light, remember to turn your face to me."