I let out a low, hollow laugh, turned off my phone, and didn't look at the messages again. It didn't matter. After this birthday feast, the next time I saw Adrian Lennox and Adrian Ashford would be the last.
The following morning, I arrived at the celebration alongside Adrian Winslow and Julian Moretti. We boarded the lavishly decorated Family cruiser together. The moment we appeared, Adrian Lennox and Adrian Ashford came forward with wide smiles.
They walked straight to Adrian Winslow and Julian Moretti, leaving me standing to the side as though I were empty air.
"Our darling girl, it's been so long since you've called your parents. You don't even ask how we're doing. Come here, let your mother look at you. Have you gotten thinner?"
The words sounded like scolding, but the tone was pure indulgence.
Adrian Winslow laughed and threw herself into their arms. Julian Moretti stood just beside them, his gaze warm. The three of them together looked like a portrait of a family.
And I stood apart, as though I were nobody. A stranger who'd wandered onto the wrong deck.
"Happy birthday, Lennox."