Chapter 1023: Chapter 1023: The Woman from That Year
"What’s going on?"
Justin Battleson looked at Adam Ross standing before him and asked.
Adam’s expression was somewhat odd, as he glanced up at Charlotte Thompson, seemingly hesitant about whether to speak up.
It was unusual to see Adam so indecisive. Seeing this made Charlotte speculate that it must be something serious.
"Yesterday, a woman sought out the Ross Family."
Adam moistened his somewhat dry throat, finding it difficult to broach what he had to say next, "She claimed to be the biological mother of Jack and Chad, but these two children..."
However, before Adam could finish his sentence, Charlotte interjected without hesitation.
"How is that possible? Weren’t Jack and Chad born through surrogacy?"
Her certainty made even Adam, the person involved, startle for a moment.
He was surprised Charlotte could believe this so firmly because he hadn’t confirmed it to her very distinctly before.
But then it occurred to him that Charlotte had cared for Jack and Chad for so many years. She must have realized something.
This realization brought some relief to Adam’s mind.
Since Charlotte already knew about the situation of the children, it wouldn’t be too awkward for him to talk about it now.
"The trouble is just here," Adam said, running his fingers through his hair, his eyes tinged with a shadow of despair.
"This woman came out of nowhere, claiming to be the biological mother and wanting to reclaim the two children."
If this woman hadn’t come, Adam would have almost forgotten the whole thing.
At the time, he thought it was a good solution, so much so that he became estranged from the Ross Family for a while. The housekeeper, who managed everything, died unexpectedly in a car crash, and subsequently, Adam completely forgot about the matter.
The hospital had not been able to reach the Ross family, so the children were just abandoned.
Charlotte later came to know about it and adopted the two children, raising them herself.
As Adam briefly recounted the past events, Charlotte’s frown deepened.
"That woman said she could return the money Uncle Lincoln gave her years ago; she just wants to take the two children. You see, this is... isn’t that just..."
Adam’s voice was dry, and he could only manage a helpless sigh at the end.
Charlotte turned her gaze to his face.
Seeing Adam’s grim expression, Charlotte could imagine how Mr. Ross would react to hearing this.
Mr. Ross had high hopes for the two children; it was impossible to just hand them over to someone else.
No wonder Adam had rushed over to them as if fleeing from disaster.
"Are you sure she’s the woman who gave birth to the children back then?"
"How should I know? I forgot whether I ever saw her."
Adam sounded quite aggrieved as he spoke. When the woman found him yesterday, Adam even suspected she might be one of his ex-girlfriends.
The truth turned out to be more shocking.
To think that when that woman showed up yesterday, Mr. Ross’s face was the ugliest Adam had ever seen.
"Anyway, the old man is checking, but it must be her," but Adam knew in his heart that someone who dared to approach the Ross Family directly must be very confident.
Thinking about that made Adam somewhat regretful.
He should never have gone through with it.
"And this woman said, if the Ross Family doesn’t let her reclaim the two children, she’ll expose everything that happened back then."
As he said this, Adam’s palm on the table kept tightening, his knuckles turning white.
Charlotte understandably realized that this was something that could never be made public.
Surrogacy was not a minor issue. Once leaked, it could completely destroy the reputation of the Ross Family.