Bianca saw that Albina had settled in and didn’t seem half as formal and unfamiliar when they talked about Albina’s adoptive parents.
She had asked about the two of them before and knew they were in a tragic situation, having spent almost their entire lives without any blessings and ending with such a tragic death.
Not to mention Albina, even Bianca, who was an outsider to them, felt sad.
-In a few days, your father and I will take a trip to Sogen City to see your adoptive parents.
Albina had a soft smile on her lips.
-My parents would be very happy if they knew you were going to visit them.
She knew that when her parents died, she was the one who couldn’t stop worrying.
If in heaven they knew she was doing well and that her real parents loved her, they would be so relieved.
If it were anyone else, if they heard their daughter call her adoptive parents “mom and dad” so affectionately, they would have been a little jealous.
But Antonio and Bianca would not.
In their hearts, Juan and Marisa are their benefactors and they were too grateful to be jealous.
Without their adoption, there would be no telling how much abuse Albina would suffer on her way to adulthood.
It was also the love they gave Albina that made her the wonderful and kind person, and they were so relieved and grateful.
-Albina, can you tell mom what your adoptive parents were like?
Albina’s eyes softened. After a while together, she could see that the people of the Espina family were very gentle, very sensitive and kind at heart.
So when she met them for the first time and saw their eyes, her inner defenses crumbled and she couldn’t help but cry out the name she couldn’t cry out before.
-My father, well, he was a very kind man, I’ve never seen anyone so kind…..
Albina spoke of Juan’s annual donations to the orphanage to help children in poor mountain areas and Antonio and Bianca listened intently.
The information they sought was nothing more than cold words, but from Albina’s mouth they could imagine a vivid picture.
Albina’s aura softened when she spoke of her adoptive parents, as if there was a soft circle of light.
Javier also listened attentively. He admired such selfless and upright people the most, so the Albina raised by John was not bad tempered.
Diana watched as the eyes of the crowd focused on Albina and gritted her teeth in hatred. She was tempted to intervene, but fearful of making a fool of herself as she had done before.
She averted her gaze just in time to see Doria looking this way.
Doria waved at her and Diana, seeing that no one was looking at her, silently approached Doria.
-Doria, what did you want to see me about?
There was a note of exasperation in Diana’s voice as she uttered these words.
Doria looked at Diana with loving eyes.
-Miss Diana, don’t be angry.
Saying this, Diana could not contain her complaints and her eyes sulked.
-Doria, I feel bad, why did Albina come back, wasn’t she doing well in the Santangel family, why did she have to come back to the Espina family and take away what I had worked so hard to get?
Doria’s eyes were red-rimmed with anguish and her heart filled with compassion for the girl she had raised.
There was also more than a little resentment as she looked at Albina, who was surrounded in the living room.
“Yes, she’s lived such a happy life, she’s had no contact with the people of the Espina family before, never met them, she’d even live well if she didn’t know her birth parents, why would she go back and steal someone else’s things from them!”
Diana finished speaking and looked at Doria with pursed lips.
-Do you think I’m too greedy? I’m obviously just an adopted daughter and I’m asking for so much? Now that Albina is back, do you also think I’m a nuisance?
-Miss Diana, how can you say such things? -Doria took her wrist and sighed- I’ve only taken care of her for two years, but I’ve been taking care of you for more than twenty, don’t you know who’s the most important to me? I remember everything you did for me when I was about to be kicked out.
Diana hung her head in shame.
She stayed with Doria because she was the one who had been taking care of her the longest and the nicest. Another thing was that she felt she had to fight Hector because he ignored her opinion and tried to get rid of Doria while she was gone.
But she said nothing of this and looked at Doria with eyes full of resignation.
-Now the whole family is around Albina and no one cares about me, only you.
Doria looked distressed, but did not know how to calm her down, and remembered the teeth marks on the chopsticks.
-“Miss Diana, I know you are upset, but you have to control your emotions,” said Doria as she took out the pair of chopsticks.
All the members of the Espina family had their own special chopsticks and Diana could tell at first glance that they were hers.
Doria pointed to the teeth marks and said:
-The maids who were clearing the table found this and I took it, and warned them not to spread the word. How could you be so careless? If this had reached the Lord and Lady’s ears, they would have thought you were too spiteful and couldn’t stand Albina.
Doria called Albina’s name directly, without any hint of respect.
Diana was also shocked, she had been pretending to be very gentle and considerate in front of Antonio and Bianca, but she had been exposed several times in the last few days due to her emotions. If they knew she couldn’t tolerate Albina, they would definitely only choose Albina.
The worst thing that could happen to him was to be kicked out of the Espina family.
A cold sweat broke out on his back and he took Doria’s hand gratefully.
-Thank you.
Doria looked at the gratitude in his eyes and felt comforted as she said:
-I’ve covered it up for you this time, but if other people see it next time and word gets out, you’ll have a hard time hiding it.
Diana nodded hurriedly.
-Don’t worry, I’ll control my emotions and no one will find out. But I just hate Albina and I get angry when I see her, now everyone surrounds her and they didn’t even notice that I’ve left the room, it’s hard for me.
Doria rolled her eyes and frowned.
-I’ll see if there’s any way to get them to stop paying attention to her.
She finished speaking and patted the back of Diana’s hand reassuringly.
-Now they’ve only just met and their twenty years of sedimented feelings have exploded, which is why they’re being so affectionate. When time passes, their feelings will no longer be so strong and you will be able to find a way to break the relationship between them. She is still useful, now is not a good time.