Chapter 367 Showdown
Rosa had been under incredible stress for the past few weeks, but never had she felt more wronged
than at that moment. In a raised voiced, she sniped at Colby, "That was all because of your affair
with Maria Song! Otherwise, do you think I would be willing to leave my own daughter behind and
come back here?"
At the mention of Maria''s name, Colby was struck by a sudden thought. "Is it possible that Maria did
this? What has she been up totely?"
In fact, the same thought urred to Rosa. "She went on a holiday with Norman several days ago,
and James followed her there. James has alreadye back to H City, but nobody has seen her.
I''m not sure whether she''s back or not."
"Calm down. I''ll send more people to look for Ines." He himself couldn''t fly to the US immediately, so
he entrusted his daughter''s matter to a friend there. In addition, he asked someone to investigate
Maria''s whereabouts.
After attending a business dinner, James received a WeChat message from Maria.
He zoomed in the photo he had just received and saw the sleeping profile of a little girl.
His phone beeped with another message. "This is my daughter. Isn''t she beautiful?"
James went back to check the girl''s face carefully and replied, "So, is this girl your daughter with
Colby or with Rosa?"
Maria pouted upon reading his reply. How could she have a baby with Rosa? Another question
entered her mind. "How do you know who she is?"
James didn''t hide anything from her. "At the moment, Mr. and Mrs. Zheng are looking for their child
all over the US." Many people knew about the parents'' desperate search after all, so it wasn''t so
surprising for James to have heard about it.
''How well-informed this man is!'' Maria thought.
She received Colby''s phone call in the evening in the US, that is, morning in H City.
"Hello, Mr. Zheng, it''s been a while."
"Maria, let''s cut the bullshit. I heard that you''re in the States." As it turned out, Colby had found out
that she had flown to the US straight from her ind getaway.
"Yes. I have a project in the country that needs to be checked," Maria answered in a roundabout
way.
"If your men took Ines away, please don''t hurt the child. I''m open to a discussion, if you want
anything from me."
Maria pretended to be surprised. "Ah. So what I heard was true—that you were looking for a child.
You''re thinking that I did it?" She would never admit it.
"Didn''t you?" Colby challenged her.
"Of course not. How could I do such a thing? I just happened to be in the US. Is that why you''re
suspecting me?"
Colby did not answer. She was right. On the second day after Maria''s arrival in the US, Ines
disappeared. If she didn''t do it, who else could it be? However, he had no evidence, so a direct
usation was out of the question.
Maria blew away a non-existent speck of dust on her fingernail and continued in a gentle voice, "Mr.
Zheng, you wound me. I don''t even know what your daughter looks like. Besides, do you think I''m
someone who would hurt a child?"
Colby stered on a fake smile. "It would be better if it wasn''t you because I''m not going to let go of
the person who took her away."
The threat in his voice was obvious, but Maria remained blithely uncaring. She replied unhurriedly,
"Mr. Zheng, you still care about me so much."
''Care about you? I want to kill you!'' he thought venomously. As for that issue with Peggy, her
assistant, he could bet with certainty that Maria was involved in it.
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On the third day after Colby''s daughter had disappeared, Rosa flew back to the US.
As soon as she got off the ne, she received a call from a strange number. "Rosa."
At first, Rosa didn''t recognize the voice of the caller.
"Who are you?"
"Who do you think?"
Maria asked. Rosa suddenly stopped in her tracks. She stared hard toward the horizon and hissed
angrily, "So, it was really you who did it!"
"How does it feel to lose your child, Mrs. Zheng?"
Maria asked with a smile. It was horrible, of course. Rosa hadn''t had a good night''s sleep in the
past three days due to nonstop worrying for her daughter''s safety. "What did you do to Ines?"
"What''s your hurry? It''s only been three days, Rosa. I, on the other hand, have lost my child
forever."
Rosa''s breath started toe in short, rough pants. "If you hate me so much, juste at me!
Leave Ines out of this!"
"What if I have already hurt her? You will never see your daughter again!" There was a chilling note
of finality in Maria''s voice.
Rosa''s strength nearly failed her. "What have you done to my daughter?"
"What have I done to her?" Maria''s loudughter was harsh and grating. "What else can I do? My
son is too lonely over there, so I killed her so that she can keep himpany."
"Maria! You—" Rosa was so angry that her hands trembled, but fear for her daughter was quickly
oveing that emotion.
"Mrs. Zheng, please go back home. You can''t ever see your daughter anymore. You won''t even find
her corpse."
Rosa couldn''t give up just like that. "Maria, why are you putting all of the me on me? You were
also responsible for what happened!"
Hatred zed in Maria''s eyes. "Yes, I may not have beenpletely innocent, but I''m not guiltier
than you! I won''t let you go!" She wouldn''t absolve herself of the guilt, either. She was Arthur''s
guardian, so she should also be responsible for the ident.
"Give Ines back to me, and I will apologize to you." Rosa tried to bargain with the other woman.
"Give my son back to me, and then I will do whatever you ask me to do." Maria could do anything,
as long as Arthur coulde back to her.
"Maria, no one wanted your son to die. It was an ident!"
"An ident?" Maria sneered. "It may have been an ident, but it could have been avoided! In
the end, nothing prevented it from happening. Moreover, you let me take all of the me! I took the
me for you for nearly ten years! Do you think I will let you go?"
All of her efforts in thest ten years had been focused on her revenge against them.
"So what? I have Colby behind me now, but what about you? James didn''t fall for you ten years
ago. What makes you think that he would do so now? Other than him, who else is strong enough to
stand up to my husband?" In the first ce, Rosa didn''t think that a man like James would ever
prioritize love over anything else.
"It doesn''t matter whether he loves me or not. He''s willing to help me, and that''s enough. Besides,
what makes you think that he hasn''t fallen in love with me?"
Rosa took a deep breath, her hope giving way to desperation. "Maria, if you dare hurt even one hair
on my daughter''s head, I will end you!"
"Okay. Just wait and see!" With those foreboding words, Maria ended the call.
Immediately, Rosa saved the call log. She was about to put away her phone when someone
mmed against her arm. The phone slipped out of her hand.
In the blink of an eye, the person picked up her phone and ran off with it. Everything happened too
fast. Before Rosa could take a good look at the man, he was already out of sight.
"Help! I just got robbed!" shouted Rosa anxiously.
After searching all over, she finally found her phone beside a trashcan. However, it was already
broken into pieces.
Rosa cursed Maria with every invective she could think of.
Her hand tightened around the broken phone, and her eyes shed with anger.
Half an hourter, Rosa returned to her apartment. She was barely out of her car when the
babysitter rushed over and handed her an envelope. "Ma''am, somebody left this for you."
Rosa tore open the envelope carelessly. A short tuft of soft hair was inside.
''This must be Ines'' hair!'' Rosa guessed in her mind, biting her lower lip. Her breathing became
labored, and her chest ached like an invisible hand was crushing her heart inside.