Eleven Years All to the Wrong Man novel Chapter 255

Karen Hayes had lived her whole life without ever traveling to a city other than Riverton City.

When she arrived at her daughter's spacious apartment, she stood at the entrance, utterly stunned.

"Come on in, Mom."

Emma opened the shoe cabinet in the entryway, took out a pair of slippers, and placed them at her mother's feet.

Karen remained frozen at the door, taking in the scene before her. She was filled with a sense of wonder, but also a sliver of fear in this unfamiliar environment.

"This… this door doesn't need a key?"

Emma had just stood there, without taking out a key or doing anything at all. A voice had said, "Identity confirmed," and the heavy door had swung open on its own.

Karen's eyes were wide with amazement at the unknown technology.

"It's okay. The doors here don't use keys; they use facial recognition. I'll add your face to the system in a bit, so it'll be easy for you to come and go."

Seeing her mother still standing hesitantly in the doorway, Emma reached out and gently pulled her inside.

"I—I just came from Riverside Millford. I took a bus and then a train. My shoes are dirty. I'll get this rug dirty…"

A woman who had been strong and self-reliant her whole life felt an unfamiliar sense of timidity and apprehension for the first time.

Seeing her mother like this pained Emma. She smiled reassuringly. "It's alright, Mom. The rug is meant to be walked on. Don't worry. Even if it gets dirty, someone will clean it."

Hearing this, Karen slowly bent down, took off her shoes, and stepped inside.

"You just got here, so you might not feel settled. In a little while, I'll take you to the mall to buy some toiletries and daily necessities."

At the mention of spending more money, Karen immediately waved her hands in protest. "No, no! I brought toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a towel in my bag. They're all new! No need to buy anything. Why waste money like that!"

Emma didn't even need to look in the bag to know that the toiletries her mom brought were the cheap, dollar-store kind, and the towel was likely a freebie from some family event.

"Alright, alright, enough of that. What you need to do right now is take a shower and get some sleep. When you wake up, I'll take you out for some delicious food!"

Considering her mother had been traveling on a train for over thirty hours, Emma knew she must be exhausted. She went into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and laid out a clean towel and a new set of pajamas she'd never worn.

Perhaps it was age. In the past, Karen had never thought much of such long train rides. But this time, her body was truly feeling the strain. She didn't protest any further and obediently went into the bathroom.