From Secret Wife to Queen of Her World by Anonymous

Chapter156.

Gabriel had always communicated with his two children as equals, never imposing his own thoughts on them just

because Jaxon and Joshua were young.

His gaze softened.“Keep saying, Dad is listening.”

Jaxon took a deep breath and said, “It was all because Dad doesn’t like Mom. That's why they bullied her.”

“They knew that no one would protect their mother.”

There was a trace of sadness in his voice for Hazel, which made Gabriel's thoughts grind to a halt.

His throat felt tight. He lowered his gaze, his voice rough as he asked, “Why do you think | don’t like mom?”

your

Jaxon furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then answered.

“Because Dad never went to any banquets with Mom, never kissed her goodbye when you left, and never

hugged her when you chome.”

“At every meal, it was just Mom, my brother, and me. | often saw Mom hiding in her room, crying by herself.”

Gabriel's heart clenched at those words.

He thought of Hazel now, speaking to him so coldly. Then, he remembered how she was when they had first

married-how she used to laugh and sing with him. He remembered her during their pregnancy. It suddenly struck

him that she didn’t becindifferent to him overnight. Though Jaxon was young, his memory was sharp.

He lowered his head, looking sorrowful.“Dad, actually, I'm also

to

blame

“I knew Mom didn’t like Gianna, but I still couldn't stop my brother from talking to her. That was wrong.”

“Mom is our mother, isn't she?”

Jaxon’s words hit Gabriel like a bolt of lightning. The children understood the truth, and he only realized it after

the divorce.

Hearing Jaxon’s words, Joshua lowered his head, a sad expression crossing his face. In the past, he had thought

Hazel was unkind to him because she often stopped him from eating snacks or staying up late, while she seemed

gentler with Gianna. How heartbreaking it must have been for Hazel.

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In the eyes of the two children, Gabriel had always been their hero, someone capable of anything. Gabriel fought

to suppress the bitterness, gently patting Jaxon’s head. He then asked softly, “Is there anything else Jaxon wants

to say to Daddy?”

Jaxon pursed his lips and shook his head.”Dad, you should rest early. My brother and | are going

back to our room now.”

Despite the hard conversation, Gabriel sent them back to their room before returning to the bedroom himself. He

slumped onto the sofa, leaving the lights off, sinking into the darkness, and letting his emotions flicker across his

face.

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When Hazel returned to the car, Leila was already asleep in John’s arms, tucked under a blanket with a fox on it.

John gently handed the child to Hazel, waking her up. He said in a soft voice, “Ms. Robinson, lethold her. She

just fell asleep.”

Hazel nodded.

After settling Leila, Hazel headed to the study where John was already waiting for her.

Hazel began telling him about Mason.

“The way he looked at you was a

bit strange.

Have you ever met him before?”

. I only lived here for a short twhen | was a child, then went abroad with my foster father. aven’t been back

in over ten years.”

After getting to know Hazel better, John occasionally returned to take Hazel and Leila to ZN Laboratory for

treatment. He stayed abroad for the rest of the time.

“He might have seen you when you were a child.”

If it weren't for the murderous intent in Mason's eyes toward John, Hazel wouldn't have noticed anything

unusual.

John had lived in an orphanage in Akron, the nearest county to Nyack, before being adopted and taken abroad by

his foster father.

When Hazel was young and returned to Nyack with her grandmother, Hazel had visited this orphanage as part of

a charity effort.

It was during that tthat she had met John. He was introverted, solitary, and often had wounds.

She had tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he avoided her. By the tshe left the orphanage in

Akron, he still hadn't let his guard down.

As he never spoke and was as thin as a monkey, she secretly gave him a nickname, Monkey.

From then on, she began sponsoring children at the orphanage with her pocket money each year. She would

write letters, and send books, toys, and snacks-but every time, she never received a response from him.

“Well, I'll arrange for someone to look into it,” John said.

Hazel asked curiously, “John, what was your original nbefore you were adopted and given the nJohnson

Pittman?”

John shook his head.”l didn’t have a name. Dean calledBlake because | was always dirty and looked so

dark.”

He only got his nafter he was adopted.

Hazel asked, “So you have no memories at all from before you arrived at the orphanage?”

She had learned from the orphanage dean that John was already four or five years old when he cthere, so

he should have been able to remember things.

Johnson sighed. “No.”

Thad passed, and he wasn’t sure whether he had forgotten or lost his memories. In the end, it didn’t matter

to him anymore.

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Mer

He gave a rare smile.“Do you know why | gave myself the codenJohn?”

Hazel was completely clueless,

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Even though he had a perfectly fine nlike “Johnson,” he still let people around him call him John,

“Because that’s what you named me.”

“Maybe you've forgotten, but one tyou muttered quietly. You said, ‘John is so stubborn.’ I've had really good

hearing since | was young, and | remember everything.” Back then, he hadn't dared to speak to Hazel because

of his deep feelings of inferiority. Every tshe brought him food, he would see her fair hands and then look at

his own dirty ones. He would curl up and ignore her.

After she left, he would wash his hands every day, but she never appeared again.

Later, Dean brought him a letter from Hazel. When he saw her neat handwriting on the paper, he felt even more

inferior, especially because at that time, he hadn't gone to school yet and couldn't read.

“I was illiterate. Couldn’t understand a single word you wrote. | had to have the dean read it to

me.”

Hazel was two years older than Johnson.

Back then, the Robinson family hadn’t gone bankrupt. She had started receiving formal education carly, with

private tutors, so she knew far more than her peers.

“So this is why you never replied?”

Johnson sighed.“How do you expect an illiterate to reply?”

From the moment he received that first letter, he seized every opportunity to learn, practicing as beautifully as

she did writing tirelessly, hoping one day he could write But before John could send that letter, he was adopted

and taken abroad, losing all contact with her.

She nodded, finally learning the truth about what had happened all those years ago. and fit, yet The now tall

Johnson was no longer that pitiful boy he once was. He looked slim when fully dressed but had a solid, muscular

build when undressed. His whole body was strong he didn’t look bulky-just full of strength.

But back then, she had been his salvation, showing him the beauty and light in the world. “Ms. Robinson, do you

remember when we were in Nyack, and | mentioned that there were several groups secretly investigating you?”

Hazel nodded. “I remember.”

Johnson said solemnly, “The Stevens family- they were one of them.”

“It wasn’t Sebastian, but his mother, Alanna Decker.”

AL.

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