Andrea fell into a deep thought; she didn't know if her hesitation to meet Valentine Anderson was because she was afraid of being misunderstood or unwilling to let go of Lucas.
"Andrea," Agatha's voice broke through her reverie as she failed to respond to her earlier inquiry.
Shaking off her introspection, Andrea turned to Agatha and declared, "Agatha, I haven't fallen for Lucas. I will go and meet Valentine. I entrust the company to you in my absence."
With that, Andrea rose from her seat and swiftly departed, leaving Agatha in stunned silence.
As Andrea exited her office and closed the door behind her, a somber expression clouded her face.
At the far end of the corridor, Tony emerged from the exclusive elevator, making his way towards Andrea's office.
When their gazes locked, Andrea's facial expression remained inscrutable. Tony approached her cautiously, then spoke apologetically as he drew near, "Andrea, I'm sorry I asked Agatha to speak with you."
"It's irrelevant. We're leaving for Cardiff tomorrow," Andrea replied sharply before striding towards the elevator.
Tony's eyes sparkled with delight; he hadn't expected that involving Agatha would lead to such a positive outcome.
"Is Lucas coming with us?" he asked, watching Andrea stride away.
Halting, Andrea turned, her voice tinged with displeasure, "Lucas will not be joining us, Tony. You shouldn't always demonize him. He's a good person. Try to see that."
Without waiting for a reply, Andrea continued towards the elevator. Tony, still skeptical, couldn't accept her defense of Lucas, branding anyone connected to the organization responsible for Mr. Singers' death as vile and corrupt.
As Andrea was about to step into the elevator, Tony called out with a hint of cheer, "Andrea, I'll pick you up from the mansion tomorrow!"
She didn't acknowledge his shout, disappearing into the elevator. Tony, undeterred by her silence, whistled contentedly as he made his way back to the CEO's office to discuss matters with Agatha.
As Andrea left her office to return home, she noticed that Pete hadn't arrived back from school yet. However, the grounds of the mansion were abuzz with activity. Lucas and the staff were in the midst of constructing an impressively large playhouse and setting up an expansive playground. They were so engrossed in their work that they didn't notice Andrea's arrival.
When Housekeeper Win finally saw Andrea, she momentarily froze in surprise. Quickly regaining her composure, she greeted Andrea with a warm smile. "Ma'am Andrea, did you come back to retrieve a file from home? I'll fetch it for you right away."
Andrea gently shook her head. "No, there's no need to return to the office today. Agatha has returned," she explained.
Housekeeper Win remained silent, aware that during Andrea's time at home as a nursing mother, Agatha had taken the reins of the company and managed its affairs with notable competence.
"What's happening here?" Andrea inquired, turning her attention to the staff and Lucas Anderson, who were all working joyfully on the playground.
"Ma'am Andrea," Housekeeper Win began, her voice tinged with excitement, "Sir decided to have this playground built so that Pete could invite neighborhood children to play. He mentioned that Pete doesn't often have friends over and thought it would be beneficial for him to socialize and make new friends."
Andrea bowed her head, a pang of guilt washing over her as she realized how well Lucas Anderson was treating her son, to the extent that she felt she had taken advantage of his kindness.
Seeing Andrea's silence, Housekeeper Win grew anxious. "Ma'am Andrea, if you're worried about the noise or the disturbance the children might cause, I can—"
"No, that's not it," Andrea interrupted with a dismissive wave before asking earnestly, "Mrs. Win, between love and morality, which should I choose?"
The question took Housekeeper Win by surprise. In all the years she had known Andrea, she had never sought her advice on such a personal matter. The nature of the question clearly hinted at issues of the heart. With a compassionate smile, Housekeeper Win offered her insight. "Ma'am Andrea, you can't completely disregard public opinion. It might seem unimportant in matters of love, but eventually, their words can affect you, and you might even risk losing the very love you hold dear. Perhaps I'm mistaken, but in the end, it's important to follow your heart."
Andrea remained quiet for a moment, absorbing Housekeeper Win's words. When she finally spoke, it was to express her gratitude. "Mrs. Win, thank you so much."
Flustered by the acknowledgment, Housekeeper Win hastily replied, "Ma'am Andrea, there's no need for thanks. I'm simply doing my duty."
With little more to say, Andrea turned and made her way into the house.
Andrea remained holed up in her bedroom all day long, ignoring even Pete when he returned from school. As night fell, Lucas Anderson entered the room to find her lying on the bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.
The housekeeper, Win, had informed him earlier that Andrea had been home since noon. Lucas had assumed she'd returned to work, so he was surprised to find her still in the bedroom. "Andrea, is anything wrong?" he inquired with a hint of concern.
It was only then that Andrea's gaze shifted towards him. "I'm going to Cardiff tomorrow," she said quietly, "to meet Valentine with Tony."
Lucas Anderson's face broke into a smile, and he teased, "That's great news."
However, Andrea's frown deepened. Lucas's reaction wasn't at all what she had expected. Before she could voice her thoughts, Lucas added, "Pete's been worried about you. He's been asking for you ever since he got back from school. You shouldn't hide away; you should go see your son."
A sudden headache gripped Andrea. She had been avoiding Pete because she didn't know how to tell him that the man he had been calling father was in fact his uncle, and that the man she was about to bring home, who bore no resemblance to him, was his actual father. It was a thought that weighed heavily on her mind.
"I will talk to him when I return with his father," Andrea replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucas Anderson simply nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Without another word, he retreated to his art collection room.
The following morning came, and Tony was prompt, not even waiting for the sunrise. He arrived at the Singers' mansion in the predawn stillness.