《You, Me And Our Genus Twins》 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 1 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Genius Kids It was a usual day in Dusktown, but not for one particr mall. Its parking lot was cordoned off, and a corpse covered in white clothy in the center of the parking lot. A group of people stood around the body, awaiting the police officers to conduct their questioning. ¡°I know who the killer is, mister!¡± A young boy aged four or five squeezed through the throng and tugged at the man whom the officers called ¡®leader¡¯. Christopher looked down and was surprised to see that he was stopped by such an adorable boy. He was in white tracksuit, and his face was perfectly sculpted. His eyes were big, round, and shining, his skin wless and fair. Anyone who saw him would want to kiss him. Christopher crouched down patiently and knelt on one knee. He asked gently, ¡°Is that so? Tell me what you saw.¡± ¡°I saw nothing, but I can guess what happened.¡± He raised a finger and pointed at the crowd. ¡°The killer is thatdy in a white hat.¡± Christopher looked at where the boy was pointing, and he saw a middle-aged woman ring at the boy with panic and anger. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense, you brat!¡± She looked at Christopher. ¡°Officer, you can¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s just a four-year-old kid. He can¡¯t possibly know anything about this.¡± ¡°My brother did not lie.¡± Another adorable boy came out. He was wearing the same kind of tracksuit his brother was wearing, though the color was different. His brother wore a white one, while his tracksuit was ck. ¡°Hi, mister. I¡¯m Taylor. Quincy Taylor. And this is my brother, Joel.¡± He went up to Christopher and extended his hand while he made his introductions.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Well, these boys are precocious. Christopher was amused, and he entertained the boy by shaking his hand. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°My brother isn¡¯t a liar, mister. Thatdy in the white hat is the killer.¡± Quincy looked at Christopher seriously. Christopher noticed something wrong with that woman as well, but he wanted to know why the kids were so sure she was the killer. He asked, interested, ¡°And how are you so sure she¡¯s the killer?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not a sunny day today, and yet she wears a cap that¡¯s supposed to cover her from the sun. And this is an underground car park. There¡¯s barely any light here, but she still won¡¯t take her cap off,¡± Joel said cutely. ¡°And she dresses immactely, which means she likes to doll herself up. However, she¡¯s actually pairing her dress with a cap that¡¯s normally used for outdoor sports. People who love to doll themselves up never match their outfits that way. In other words, the cap and the dress aren¡¯t parts of the same set. She wore the cap in a hurry,¡± Quincy answered seriously. Joel went over to the body and squatted beside it, then pointed at the high heel on her right foot. ¡°The right heel looks a lot cleaner than the left, which means someone has wiped it off before.¡± He looked at the woman in the cap seriously. ¡°I suspect that the victim got into an argument with thatdy, and she used her heel as a weapon. She must have hit thatdy¡¯s head and caused it to bleed. Thedy got angry, so she killed the victim. After she did that, she put the victim¡¯s heel back on her foot and wiped the bloodstains off it.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 2 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Are They the Young Master¡¯s Kids? Joel continued, ¡°Thatdy dyed her hair yellow. If she got blood on her hair, it¡¯d be pretty visible. She couldn¡¯t clean the blood off her hair quickly enough, so she covered her hair with her cap to hide the bloodstains and her injury. As she didn¡¯t prepare the cap beforehand, it doesn¡¯t match her dress.¡± The analysis sounded logical, and everyone turned their gazes to the woman¡¯s head. The woman held her cap down and shook her head nervously. ¡°T-That¡¯s nonsense. He¡¯s talking nonsense!¡± Two officers went over to the woman without needing Christopher to tell them to. She screamed and tried to run, but the officers caught up and pinned her down quickly. When they took her cap off, the bloodstain on her hair was revealed. Everyone gasped. ¡°She is the killer!¡± ¡°Who are those kids? They¡¯re so young, but they¡¯re so smart! Genius, I say!¡± ¡°You sure we aren¡¯t on a show?¡± Someone looked around for a camera, thinking that a TV station was pranking them. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Maybe their parents taught them their deduction skills.¡± Someone looked around to see if the kids¡¯ parents were around. They had the culprit, and the evidence was clear. The woman couldn¡¯t defend herself, so she was taken away, and the cordon was taken off. The kids hopped and skipped back to the car and bragged to their mother who was in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°We¡¯re awesome, aren¡¯t we, Mom?¡± The driver was a young, gorgeousdy named Madeline Taylor, and she smiled proudly. ¡°Very much so, yes.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± The kids high-fived each other, happy that their mother praised them. A whileter, a fiery red Cayenne came out of the parking lot, and a cute voice asked from the backseat, ¡°Can we really meet Dad in Dusktown, Mom?¡± ¡­ The Hart Family were the top aristocrats in Dusktown. The manughter that happened in the mall a day ago was barely a blip in the city, but it gained the attention of the Harts¡¯ patriarch¡ªPhilip. He was watching the television, but his eyes were glued to the young brothers. During the investigation on the day before, a reporter was on the scene, and he recorded the whole process of the kids cracking the case. Philip stared unblinkingly at the taller boy. He was the one who introduced himself as Quincy. He looks just like my son when he was a kid! After the news broadcast ended, he went upstairs and came back down with a photo album in hand. Before he actually came back down, he called his butler. ¡°Coming, sir!¡± The old butler hastened over to him. ¡°Zacharias, you have to see this. I saw a boy on TV, and he looked just like Sebastian when he was a kid.¡± Philip sat down on the couch and turned the TV on to rewind the show, then he opened the photo album. The boy named Quincy looked exactly like the boy in the photo album, but that boy was Philip¡¯s son when he was young. ¡°Oh dear.¡± The butler was excited as well. ¡°Could that be the young master¡¯s son?¡± ¡°He definitely is. He¡¯s the spitting image of Sebastian!¡± Philip smacked the couch. ¡°That stupid brat! We can¡¯t allow one of our own to fend for himself out there. I¡¯m calling him right now. He¡¯s going toe back and pick my grandson up!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 3 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Impossible ¡°Um¡­¡± Zacharias suggested, ¡°I think you should call Master Sebastian and ask him about this. He¡¯s not the gallivanting type. Perhaps this is just a coincidence.¡± Philip was unhappy that his butler ruined his fun. ¡°They are my grandkids.¡± He had been wanting a grandkid for a long time, but his son didn¡¯t even have a girlfriend yet, much less a child of his own. He really wanted a grandson of his own. I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m calling him. If he doesn¡¯t admit it, he¡¯s going to have to do a paternity test. I just know they¡¯re my grandkids. There¡¯s two of them! He called his son, and his eyes shone with glee. ¡­ Another uneventful day passed. Madeline came to Rain of Fae to meet her client, but after their short interaction, she found the man to be insufferable. ¡°Give me a million, and I¡¯ll drag that swindling girlfriend of yours back here in three days.¡± The pathetic man before her was a client of her firm. His name was Harold Yosemite, and he was an unlucky man. He thought he got himself a girlfriend, but three monthster, she swindled five million and a ton of jewelry away. Now he was asking her and her associates to find that woman. Harold stared at the perfect beauty who was before him, and his whole face turned red. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for her anymore. I¡¯ll give you one¡ªI mean, five million! Please be my girlfriend!¡± Madeline said nothing. She picked a silver spoon up and bent it, then she rolled it around until she eventually turned the spoon into a silver ball. She then smiled at Harold, asking sweetly, ¡°What did you say, Mr. Yosemite? I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t hear you over how loud the wind is howling.¡± All the color drained from Harold¡¯s face. He looked at the silver ball Madeline was ying with, then he looked at her face. He gulped, and he steeled his resolve. The man stammered, ¡°I-If it¡¯s you, t-then I don¡¯t mind dying. A-All I ask is that you be my girlfriend.¡± Wow. He¡¯s persistent, isn¡¯t he? The boys¡ªwho were at another table¡ªguffawed in amusement, and their mother shot them a re. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Joel stuck his tongue out and jumped off the leather sofa, then he trotted over to his mother and leaped onto herp. He looked at Harold with his cute, shining eyes and said, ¡°Thank you for your affection, mister, but we have a father.¡± We just don¡¯t know where he is, and we¡¯ve never met him. ¡°S-She¡¯s your mother?¡± Harold stared dumbly at Joel, thunderstruck. ¡°Yep.¡± Joel climbed up his mother and wrapped his arm around her neck, and he kissed her. ¡°I have a brother too. We¡¯re twins. Our Mom is awesome.¡± Quincy went over and introduced himself seriously, ¡°Hi. I¡¯m his brother.¡± ¡°T-This can¡¯t be real. This can¡¯t be.¡± Harold refused to ept that as the truth. The woman I have a crush on is the mother of two? That¡¯s impossible! She¡¯s like, what? Twenty? If these boys are her sons, does that mean she got pregnant when she was just a highschooler? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 4 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Impact That can¡¯t be true! Sebastian¡ªwho had been sitting in a corner¡ªstood up and came over. He stopped beside Madeline and her son, his left hand in his pocket, and he looked at Harold. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Harold looked at him, and he was petrified. He stared at Sebastian for a long time, then he turned around ever so slowly to look at Quincy, only to get his heart broken. They look so simr. This guy must be his dad. And here I was, thinking that she and I could get married, but she¡¯s already the mother of someone else¡¯s kid. And the guy is richer and hotter than I am. Oh, and scary too. Oh, me and my broken heart. He clutched his chest and left, looking crestfallen. He didn¡¯t even want to look for his ex anymore. Madeline said, ¡°Hey, what about your request?¡± ¡°I¡¯m putting a stop to it,¡± Harold answered without looking back. ¡°She¡¯s too ugly for me. I don¡¯t want to hurt my eyes. Guess I¡¯ll just hire a killer to get rid of her.¡± Is that guy wrong in the head? No, that¡¯s not the point. Point is, why does this random guy look so much like Aldo? At the same time she had that thought, a sense of crisis welled up within her too. She got up and held Joel¡¯s hand, looking rmed. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aldo,¡± she called her other son. Aldo was Quincy¡¯s nickname. ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± He followed his mother out of the caf¨¦. Joel¡¯s nickname was Buddy. When he went past a young man, that man suddenly tried to pluck something out of the boy¡¯s head. He was Sebastian¡¯s bodyguard, and his name was Quinton. Sebastian had been out of town for work, but Philip had called Sebastian nonstop yesterday and demanded that he make an immediate return, so Quinton and his colleagues followed Sebastian back to the Hart Residence. But what Philip told them shocked them. He said he found two genius boys who were suspected to be Sebastian¡¯s sons. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Sebastian denied it, but Philip gave them an order, and he seemed adamant about it. He wanted them to extract the boy¡¯s hair so they could perform a paternity test. If they failed the mission, Philip said he¡¯d get so mad, he¡¯d be sent to a hospital. Sebastian and the others had no choice but to oblige. And thus, the intelligence team did their work. Once they found out that Madeline and the kids would show up in the caf¨¦ today, they came to stake out the ce and carry out their task. Just when he was about to get his hands on the boy¡¯s hair. Someone grabbed his wrist, and everything around him spun. When he realized what was happening, he was already suplexed and mmed to the ground. Quintony on the ground in confusion. Someone suplexed me? Only Master Sebastian¡¯s a better fighter than me in the family, but someone actually just suplexed me? It took some time for that fact to sink in, then he quickly jumped back up. Madeline was the one who did that, and she was protecting Joel in her arms. She red at Quinton coldly. ¡°What were you trying to do?¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Aldo gasped. Madeline quickly pulled him into her embrace as well. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked nervously. The boy covered his head and pointed at a nearby young man angrily. ¡°He pulled my hair!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 5 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Flippant Wem kept his hand behind his back, in case the hair was taken away. Alright. Got the hair. Now Master Sebastian can do that paternity test, and Master Philip won¡¯t get mad. Nice. Madeline held the kids close to her, squinting dangerously at Sebastian. ¡°What do you want?¡± She could see that the man who tried to attack Buddy and the man who pulled Aldo¡¯s hair were following the same man¡¯s orders. So if I want to know anything, I¡¯d ask him. Sebastian¡¯s hand was still in his pocket. He stood there and looked at her calmly. ¡°I suspect that you stole my seed, biologically speaking. So I need their hair for a paternity test.¡± Madeline¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her blood pressure was raised, her heart raced, and beads of sweat poured from her forehead. This man looked just like her son, as if they were made of the same mold. Is he really the boys¡¯ father? Impossible. That¡¯s too big of a coincidence. My boys are mine and mine alone. She was the only one who stayed with her boys ever since she was pregnant. She carried them to term and risked her life to give birth to them. She was the one who stayed by their side every step of the way and raised them all by herself. They¡¯re mine, and nobody can take thtem away from me! She calmed down quickly and looked at Sebastian coldly. ¡°You¡¯re being a bit imaginative. I have a husband, and we¡¯re a loving couple. Please don¡¯t say something so suggestive. It¡¯ll upset my husband.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re married, are you?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°Miss Madeline Taylor, do you really think I came here without any preparations? It¡¯s pointless telling such a weak lie.¡± Before she could say anything, he looked at the kids. ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡± The boys looked at each other.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Aldo said, ¡°Mom said Dad¡¯s a superhero who saved the world, and now he¡¯s on an adventure to bring justice to everyone.¡± Okay, that is embarrassing. Buddy asked him cutely, ¡°Do you believe that, Aldo?¡± Aldo said, ¡°Nope. I think they¡¯re actually divorced.¡± Buddy argued, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think Dad ran away because Mom abused him.¡± Aldo raised his pinky and put it against his brother¡¯s lips, telling him to shut up. ¡°Don¡¯t make Mom look like a violent woman in front of so many people. She¡¯s a gentle woman. Well, at times.¡± Hey, what¡¯s that supposed to mean? I¡¯m always gentle when I¡¯m not fighting. She pulled a face. ¡°Boys, are you trying to get whacked again?¡± Buddy looked up at his mother innocently. ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t really hide looks. It¡¯s not like a wiener. Aldo looks so simr to that mister. I think he¡¯s Aldo¡¯s father, and you can¡¯t deny that.¡± ¡°Stupid!¡± Aldo said. ¡°We¡¯re twins. If he¡¯s my dad, that means he¡¯s your dad too. In other words, he¡¯s our dad.¡± Huh? The heck? You can¡¯t just call a random guy your father. There are lots of people who resemble another person, but they¡¯re totally unrted. You can¡¯t just say he¡¯s your dad because you share his looks. You¡¯re jumping the gun here. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 6 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Are You Stupid? Well, they are just kids. It¡¯s normal for them to be imaginative. But I don¡¯t care even if he¡¯s really their dad. My kids are mine, and nobody can take them away from me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom.¡± Buddy held her hand and looked at her innocently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if he¡¯s our father. You¡¯re the one who raised me and Aldo up. Even if he is our father, he¡¯s nothing more than a stranger to us. Well, the only thing different is that he¡¯s our father, though that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s a stranger.¡± Well, that¡¯s just dandy, Sebastian thought. ¡°Yeah!¡± Aldo said. ¡°Mom, Buddy and I are yours. To us, our father is just like a neighbor we don¡¯t even know.¡± God, please don¡¯t let them be my kids, or they¡¯re going to be the death of me. You can¡¯t just say your father is nothing more than a neighboring stranger. Sebastian had always been a calm, tactical man, but even he thought the kids were going a bit too far. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. He¡¯s not your father.¡± Madeline looked at the kids, then she turned to Sebastian and extended her hand. ¡°You stole my kids¡¯ hair. Give them back to me, or I¡¯ll call the cops on you.¡± Buddy swung her hands and said softly, ¡°Mom, hairs are worth nothing. They¡¯re all over the ground. Not like the police officers are going to care even if they took some.¡± Oh for the love of god, please stop talking, son. Do you have to ruin the mood every time I try to look heroic? Sebastian felt pleased that even Madeline couldn¡¯t escape her son¡¯s teasing. He looked at her and smiled elegantly. ¡°Miss Taylor, you look like a capable fighter, so why don¡¯t we have a little match? If I win, I¡¯ll take the hair with me, but if I lose, I¡¯ll give them back to you, and I¡¯ll apologize.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Buddy pped his hands happily. ¡°Take the offer, Mom! I love seeing you beat people up.¡± Son, don¡¯t you think that hobby is a bit too violent? Madeline was tempted by the offer. She was a talented martial artist and had been training ever since she was a kid. She had never met her match ever since shepleted her training, so she thought this would be a cinch. I can take my son¡¯s hair back and get this annoying man to apologize just by fighting? Nice. ¡°I¡¯m upping the ante.¡± She looked at him. ¡°If I win, you¡¯re going to stay away from me and my sons forever, got it?¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Deal.¡± Buddy blinked and trotted over to Wem. ¡°Hey, mister. Gambling is a bad habit, but it¡¯s fun if done in small doses.¡± He looked up at him. Wem looked down curiously. Huh? Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Buddy grinned. ¡°Mister, the weather¡¯s nice today, so do you want to have some fun?¡± Wem was still bbergasted. ¡°I am sorry?¡± Quinton couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and he knocked his colleague on the head. ¡°Are you stupid? Master Joel wants to bet with you.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 7 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Let¡¯s Fight Wem could not believe what he was hearing. Hey, kids shouldn¡¯t be gambling. And why did you have to be so roundabout about it? I don¡¯t think we need to do any paternity tests anymore. This boy is Master Sebastian¡¯s son. Since the boy could possibly be his employer¡¯s son, Wem entertained him. He knelt down on one knee and looked the boy in the eye. ¡°What kind of game would you like to y, Master Joel?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Buddy answered, ¡°Easy. We¡¯re betting on who¡¯s going to win or lose.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Wem was about to say that he bet that Sebastian would win, but then Joel said, ¡°I¡¯m betting that my mom is gonna lose.¡± Huh? I must be hearing things. I think I have to get more sleep. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re betting that your mother is going to win, huh?¡± Buddy blinked. ¡°No. I¡¯m saying my mom is gonna lose, and that handsome mister is going to win.¡± Wem looked at him curiously, and a momentter, he asked, ¡°May I ask why?¡± I thought you liked watching your mother beat someone up. What¡¯s more, your mother is a decent fighter. She took out the second-best fighter in one fell swoop. Well, Quinton might have been caught by surprise, and he might have held back because she¡¯s your mother, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s a decent fighter. We can see that clearly. If she¡¯s that good a fighter, why are you betting on her losing? Buddy grinned at him and huddled closer. ¡°I am not telling,¡± he whispered. Wem froze up. If you¡¯re not telling me, then why did youe so close? Do you like pranking people that much? Sebastian felt a weird feeling bubbling up within him as he watched the child. He wasn¡¯t interested in women, nor did he like kids, but for some inexplicable reason, he felt a sense of closeness to the boys, especially to the shorter one. He looked sweet, and whenever he smiled, it melted Sebastian¡¯s heart. For some reason, he wanted to pat his head, hug him, and give him the entire world. He stooped down before Buddy again and smiled. ¡°So, what¡¯s the ante?¡± ¡°Oh, I can tell you.¡± He pointed at Wem¡¯s head. ¡°I want ten strands of his hair.¡± Oh, so he¡¯s trying to avenge his brother, huh? Amused, Sebastian looked at Wem. ¡°Of course.¡± Well, I can¡¯t do anything about that. Wem nodded. ¡°Of course, Master Joel.¡± Joel blinked again. ¡°You¡¯re betting that my mom will win, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Not like I can say no. Master Sebastian is clearly taking your side. ¡°Nice.¡± Buddy smiled happily, and he went back to his brother. ¡°Aldo, I¡¯ll avenge your missing hair. Just you wait. I¡¯m great at plucking hairs. And by great, I mean it¡¯s super painful.¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°And why are you so sure I¡¯ll win?¡± Buddy made a face. ¡°I¡¯m not telling.¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. This fight will end quickly.¡± Only one way to know the results. He looked at Madeline. ¡°Miss Taylor, are you picking the spot, or shall I do it?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 8 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Lost Madeline said, ¡°You choose. I¡¯m not familiar with the ce.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± He then took them to the dojo he frequented. After preparations were done, they started to fight. Madeline trained under a famous master, and her movies were fluid, but also powerful. Naturally, they were elegant as well. The kids pped loudly for their mother and cheered her on. Madeline knew she was good, but to her surprise, Sebastian wasn¡¯t bad either. He looked like a noble who had never done anything that needed brute force before, and yet every move he made was powerful enough to overwhelm her. Eventually, she made a mistake and gave Sebastian an opening. He hit her on the shoulder, and she tumbled backward. The boys gasped, worried, but Sebastian held her waist just in time. He spun around with her in his arms and steadied her. A momentter, he let go and took a step back. ¡°So, do you still want to go on?¡± He smiled. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. It wasn¡¯t a long match, but Madeline knew that she probably wasn¡¯t Sebastian¡¯s match. However, she didn¡¯t want to surrender. She didn¡¯t want him to see her sons again. I have to win and make sure he never appears in our lives again. He¡¯s decent, but I still have a fighting chance. If I do my best, I can still win. She gritted her teeth and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± They fought again, and Madeline lost again. Sebastian held her throat with three fingers, and the match was set, much to Madeline¡¯s disbelief. She always thought of herself as a genius when it came to martial arts, and she thought she could win no matter who her opponent was. I¡­ I lost? And there¡¯s nothing I can do to deny that. He outspeeds, overpowers, and outsses me. It had been a while since she was defeated, and it tasted as bitter as ever. But she was no sore loser, so she admitted defeat. ¡°I lost.¡± Sebastian let her go and straightened her up, being the gentleman he was. ¡°You¡¯re already good enough.¡± And he meant that. There weren¡¯t many men who could go toe to toe with him, let alone a woman. However, it was this woman who changed his perception. If he hadn¡¯t fought her, he would never have believed that a frail, gorgeous woman like her could be such a skilled fighter. ¡°No, I lost. You¡¯re the better fighter.¡± She took a few steps back and looked at Sebastian seriously. ¡°You can take Aldo¡¯s hair, but no matter what the results are, the boys are mine and mine alone. I will not allow anyone to take them away from me. As long as I still breathe, I will fight.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Nobody can take them away from you, but if the results prove that they are my sons, you will have to exin how you managed to get your hands on my seed.¡± She looked down in silence. That was a painful memory for her, and she didn¡¯t want to relive it. It was fraught with agony and humiliation, but if Sebastian was the boys¡¯ father, then this request of his would not be out of line. All she could do now was pray that the boys weren¡¯t his sons. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 9 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 9 Chapter 9 What Do You Want to Say? It¡¯s just a coincidence that Aldo resembles him. It happens to anyone all the time. Sebastian didn¡¯t push her further, seeing that she didn¡¯t want to answer. Everything was just spection before the results were known. What he would do next depended on what the results were. Wem came to Buddy and knelt down on one knee. ¡°I lost, Master Joel. Do you want to pluck my hair off yourself, or should I do it for you?¡± ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Buddy rubbed his hands happily. Sebastian thought, Son, your mother just lost a fight, and she¡¯s pretty sad by the looks of it. Don¡¯t you see that? Are you sure you should be looking so happy right now? Buddy couldn¡¯t hear his monologue, of course. He happily plucked a strand of Wem¡¯s hair and gave it to Aldo like it was some sort of treasure. ¡°Here, Aldo. You can have it.¡± ¡°No!¡± Aldo frowned in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s dirty.¡± Wem felt discouraged. Hey, I wash my hair every night. ¡°I see.¡± Buddy blinked again. He asked Wem, ¡°Hey mister, does plucking your hair hurt?¡± Wem didn¡¯t know why he asked that, but he shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t, I guess.¡± Quinton thought that sounded ridiculous. I guess? That¡¯s a simple yes or no question. Buddy blinked at Wem. ¡°Mister, hair is really precious, you know. You might have great hair now, but they¡¯ll fall out. You lose ten strands if you pluck one, so multiply that by ten, and you¡¯ll be losing at least a hundred strands of hair. Getting bald is scary. You don¡¯t want to have a balding crown.¡± Wem shut up. So what are you trying to say, Master Joel? Please just shoot it straight. Quinton thought his colleague was really stupid. ¡°Master Joel, what will it take for you to have mercy and stop plucking his hair?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy, really. Getting bald is scary for everyone, so we¡¯ll stop plucking his hair.¡± He raised one finger. ¡°One hundred for a strand of hair. Give me nine hundred, and I¡¯ll stop plucking his hair.¡± So he¡¯s stopping because his brother thinks the hair is dirty, and he¡¯s asking for money in exchange instead? But that¡¯s a cheap price, really. Oh, you¡¯re so kind. Wem patted his pocket. ¡°I don¡¯t have cash.¡± ¡°But you do have your phone.¡± He raised his arm and clicked away on his wristwatch, and a QR code appeared on the screen. He showed it to Wem. ¡°Here, scan this code. Easy and eco-friendly way of payment.¡± Oh, wow. He¡¯s prepared? I can¡¯t believe him. He took his phone out and was about to transfer nine hundred to the boy. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sebastian took his phone out and scanned the code on the boy¡¯s watch, then he keyed in the amount. A few secondster, a lovely disembodied voice announced, ¡®Transaction sessful. A hundred thousand received.¡¯ The Harts were silent. It announces the transaction? Does he do this a lot? Wait, he does seem experienced, so he might have done this many times. How many people has he conned? Buddy blinked curiously and clicked on his smartwatch. He counted the zeros on the transaction a few times, and after he confirmed that it was correct, he trotted over to his mother happily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. That mister might be a good fighter, but he isn¡¯t really smart. I only asked for nine hundred, but he gave me a hundred grand. Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Stupid people are easy to handle.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 10 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck It was the first time someone ever called him stupid, and it stunned Sebastian. I¡¯m not stupid. I just feel like spoiling him because he¡¯s so adorable. I can¡¯t hold back, really. Oh no, I did hold back a little. I would have given him ten million, but he¡¯s too young to handle that kind of money. The boy was adorable, and he felt a surge of affection for him, so he gave free money for once. But he thinks I¡¯m stupid? Cheeky, isn¡¯t he? Philip would sometimes talk about Sebastian¡¯s childhood, and he said Sebastian was a cheeky boy who would prank everyone everyday. He was an annoying boy, ording to Philip, but Sebastian didn¡¯t believe that. Everyone uses me as an example to motivate their kids. I¡¯m a brilliant man, and many people want to be me. I couldn¡¯t have annoyed people. But when he saw how cheeky Buddy was, he was starting to believe his father. If this is my boy, and if he takes after me, then I might have been an annoying brat at some point. ¡°What did I tell you, Buddy?¡± Madeline said seriously, breaking his train of thoughts. ¡°We can¡¯t scam someone just because they¡¯re stupid. Give the man his money back.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Well, guess I wasn¡¯t annoying after all. He got that from his mother. Buddy was reluctant to give the money back. I worked hard to make this kind of money. I don¡¯t wanna give it back. But he was a good boy, so he had to listen to his mother. A momentter, he came back to Sebastian and looked up at him. ¡°Mister, you want to know why I bet that Mom would lose, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sebastian stooped down and looked him in the eye. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Buddy tilted his head to the side and grinned. ¡°Ny-nine thousand and nine hundred per question.¡± I see. He doesn¡¯t want to give me back the money. Good. I don¡¯t want it either. He wanted to spoil the boy, so he was willing to give him whatever he wanted. ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded. Delighted, Buddy came closer to him and whispered, ¡°Because Aldo told me that we were born because you and Mom had a fight.¡± Seriously? Buddy continued, ¡°The books say giving birth is painful, so I think Mom must have lost to you, and that¡¯s why she had to bear your kids.¡± He seemed sure about that. ¡°If she gave birth to us because she lost to you, then of course she would lose to you again.¡± Sebastian asked, ¡°If you think your mother would lose, why did you encourage her to fight me then? And you said you wanted to see your mother beat me up. But if you think I would win, doesn¡¯t that mean I would be the one doing the beating? You should have told her not to fight me.¡± Buddy blinked again. He turned his wristwatch on and showed him a QR code. ¡°Same price for that question.¡± Wow. He really loves money. Madeline came over and smacked her son on his head. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, Buddy.¡± She let the first time slide, since Sebastian seemed rich. A hundred grand probably means nothing to him. But going at it again is just being too cheeky. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 11 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 11 Chapter 11 You¡¯re Uneducated ¡°Okay¡­¡± Buddy answered, crestfallen. He told Sebastian, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you next time, mister.¡± He¡¯s trying to get me as a returning customer? He wasn¡¯t a curious man, so he wasn¡¯t disappointed by his unanswered question. He stood up and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll take you guys home.¡± She could be my sons¡¯ mother. I have no idea how she got my seed, but ording to the data Dad¡¯s intel sent me, she¡¯s a good woman¡ªgentle, kind, has a sense of justice, and she¡¯s responsible. Okay, maybe not gentle. She managed to suplex my best bodyguard in one fell swoop. That¡¯s so not gentle, but she¡¯s a good woman. As a gentleman, I have the responsibility to take her home safely. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°No thanks,¡± she refused. ¡°I can go home by myself, thank you.¡± She ignored him, took her boys, and left the dojo. She was about to get to her car, but then another car came to a halt before her, blocking her way. A woman in her forties got out of the car, and she strode aggressively to where Madeline was standing and yelled, ¡°Madeline Taylor!¡± Madeline was happily talking to her sons, but when she saw that woman, her smile was reced by an icy look. Phoebe pointed at her. ¡°How dare you run from us? No matter where you try to run, I can always take you back. We¡¯ve spent a lot of money and time on you, so now it¡¯s time for you to repay your debt. How dare you run away just like that? Do you even have a heart?¡± Aldo let go of his mother and stood before her, as if he was trying to defend her. His smile was also reced by an icy look, and his eyes screamed murder. ¡°You¡¯re a Xavier, not a Taylor. Even if Mom has to repay her debt, it¡¯s between her and the Taylors. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Phoebe roared. ¡°I¡¯m Mrs. Taylor!¡± ¡°And my great uncle is the head of the Taylors.¡± He snorted. ¡°The blood of the Taylors flows in my mother¡¯s veins, not you. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s closer to the family, not you. You¡¯re just an outsider when pushes to shove, and you think you can order Mom around? Shameless, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Phoebe pointed aggressively at the boy. ¡°You uneducated little b*stard! You have no right to talk to me! Now scram!¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re the uneducated b*stard here!¡± Aldo¡¯s face was red with anger. ¡°You and your whole family are uneducated b*stards!¡± Madeline was heartbroken to see her son looking so angry. She pulled him behind her. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Aldo. Keep an eye on Buddy. This is my fight. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Her son was only five, and yet he was already trying to protect her from harm. But the more he tried to do that, the more heartbroken she was. Even if her son was fifteen, the responsibility of protection was still on her, not him. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 12 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 12 Chapter 12 You Deserve It She kept relenting precisely because she was indebted to the Taylors, and Dusktown was the proverbial corner. Even so, Phoebe still poked and prodded the wasps¡¯ nest, thinking that she could get her way. She didn¡¯t say anything because of the help her uncle and his sons gave her, but she would not take it anymore after Phoebe called her sons b*stards. You should know why I got pregnant with them. How dare you call them b*stards? She pulled her boys behind them and looked at Phoebe coldly. ¡°Out of my way, or else.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± Phoebe stood up straighter. ¡°Madeline, I am your uncle¡¯s wife. Touch me, and you¡¯ll be getting it.¡± Madeline sneered. She was about to shoot back, but then a remote-controlled airne flew toward them and hovered above Phoebe. Then, the hatch opened, and some yellow, viscous liquid drenched Phoebe in the face. She closed her eyes, screaming and touching her face. She was terrified, thinking that it might be acid. It¡¯s not. Phew. It¡¯s sticky, and it smells nice. Like a flower. Is this¡­ honey? Hmph. Must be the work of those little b*stards. She roared angrily, ¡°Quincy, Joel, you little b*stards! I¡¯ll skin you worthless kids alive!¡± Sebastian had been watching the kids pranking the woman with amusement, but then his smile was reced with a scowl. Did she just call them worthless b*stards? They might be my kids. Even if they aren¡¯t, I will not let someone insult such adorable kids. He was about to step in, but Aldo got out of Madeline¡¯s car, and he was holding a small crate in hand. His face was red with fury, and his eyes were filled with cold murder. He approached Phoebe quickly, and he opened the crate. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Everyone heard the sound of something buzzing, then they saw a colony of wasps flew up into the air. They smelled the scent of honey, and they went straight for the source. In this case, it was Phoebe. And then Phoebe screamed in horror. Buddy was holding the controller for the airne, and he came to his brother¡¯s side while making a face at Phoebe. ¡°You¡¯re the worthless one, Phoebe. You should have stayed in Worrick, but you just had to get yourself in trouble. You deserve this.¡± Son, wasps can be pretty venomous. Are you sure this is fine? He watched as the wasps kept stinging Phoebe and filling her face with swellings. Huh. I don¡¯t think I have to step in anymore. He was liking the kids more and more. The paternity test isn¡¯t needed. The kids are smart, brave, and they have my looks. They must be my kids. He stood behind Madeline and the kids, his hand still in his pocket, and he watched silently. Phoebe thought she was going to die. She kept screaming and iling her hands in a futile attempt to swat the wasps away. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 13 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Weak? The boys felt a lot better seeing Phoebe getting tormented. They held their hands andughed in delight. Kids were simple creatures¡ªthey got angry easily, but they got over it as easily as well. They would feel happy if they saw a viin getting their *ss handed to them. Phoebe came to Dusktown this time to take Madeline back, even if force was needed. She had brought a group of bodyguards with her, and they quickly came over to swat the wasps with their coats. The wasps¡ªwho were enjoying their honey¡ªwere angered, and they stung the bodyguards as well. When they finally left everyone in peace, Phoebe and her bodyguards were nigh unrecognizable. Their faces were filled with swollen patches of flesh. The boys pped and pranced happily, much to Phoebe¡¯s ire. She screeched, ¡°Get those b*stards right now! I will skin them alive!¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. The wasps¡¯ stings hurt a lot, but the bodyguards had their orders, and they surrounded the boys. Madeline pulled the boys behind her and sneered. A bunch of weaklings can¡¯t take my sons from me. Dream on. She was frustrated and wanted to vent it on the bodyguards, but just then, the Hart bodyguards dashed to stand in front of them and stopped Phoebe¡¯sckeys. Sebastian came to her side and smiled, one of his hands in his pocket. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re the men here. We can¡¯t let thedy do everything herself.¡± His bodyguards knew what he was getting at. They took Phoebe¡¯sckeys down with overwhelmingly superior strength, and the battle was over in a moment. ¡°Sir, what should we do now?¡± Quinton stepped on one of the bodyguards and looked to Sebastian for instructions. Sebastian said, ¡°Call the cops. I want to sue them for attempting to kidnap my sons.¡± ¡°But sir, what about the paternity test?¡± We haven¡¯t done that yet, so calling the boys your son might be a tad bit bad for your image. ¡°I didn¡¯t say they¡¯re my real sons.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m their godfather.¡± He smiled and patted the boys¡¯ heads. ¡°And now they¡¯re my godsons.¡± He liked the boys. Sebastian was a cold person, and he never did care about anyone or anything that wasn¡¯t already close to his heart. However, the kids whom he had just met managed to stir his emotions easily. No matter what the results are, these boys are my sons now. Nobody can insult them, unless they step over my dead body. Quinton got his orders, and he obliged. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± He called the cops. Madeline tilted her head to the side. ¡°I could have handled it on my own.¡± She frowned. ¡°I know these trash are no match for you, but we¡¯re the man here. Letting a fraildy like you do the job would be an embarrassment to us men.¡± Frail? Quinton cocked his eyebrow and turned away to make the call. She suplexed me in one fell swoop, and you call that frail? Boy, that¡¯s a 100 in Deception. Imma block him out now. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 14 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 14 Chapter 14 She¡¯s Gorgeous He was worried that if he didn¡¯t, he might make an expression that would get him killed. Madeline was speechless as well. Those who didn¡¯t know her would think she was weak at first nce, but she couldn¡¯t believe that Sebastian would say something like that even after he fought her. Does he think everyone who loses to him is frail? Well, in that case, then I am frail, since I lost to him. Wait. This isn¡¯t something I should dwell on. She turned around and looked at him seriously. ¡°The boys are my kids, not yours. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re their real father or not, they¡¯re mine and mine alone.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°They¡¯re your whole world, and I won¡¯t take them away from you. I¡¯m not amon thug.¡± She had been there for the kids ever since they were born, and she had been pouring her heart and soul out to them for five years. I¡¯d have to be pretty scummy to take them away and break them up. Hmm, but I can take all of them with me. That way, they won¡¯t be broken up. Madeline looked at him calmly, but she couldn¡¯t find any traces of a lie. He was really handsome; possibly the most handsome man she had ever met. But besides that, he had a noble and elegant air about him. One look and she knew he was no ordinary man. He was as elegant as a prince and as majestic as a king. People would naturally trust his words and actions, and that included Madeline. She heaved a sigh of relief secretly and smiled at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± She was gorgeous, and her smile looked like a sea of blooming flowers. It even attracted Sebastian, who had seen countless beauties throughout the years. His smile broadened. ¡°No problem.¡± He looked at the Taylors, who were writhing and screaming on the ground. ¡°Take the kids and leave. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± So you called my sons b*stards? You¡¯re going to pay a heavy price, or you¡¯re noting out of jail that easily. She nodded and thanked him again before she led the kids to her red Cayenne. Just before they reached the car, Buddy, who had his hand held by his mother, suddenly turned around and looked at Sebastian. Sebastian was seeing them off, and he smiled gently at the boy. Quinton had just finished his call. He turned around, and the first thing he saw was Sebastian¡¯s smile. His hand trembled, and his phone almost fell to the ground. Holy sh*t. Master Sebastian is actually smiling that gently? What is this? Some sort of illusion? Man, I want to take a photo, but he might kill me, so I¡¯d better not. He¡¯s not this gentle to everyone after all. Buddy saw Sebastian smiling at him. He suddenly smooched his little hand and pushed it toward Sebastian. Obviously, that was a flying kiss. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. That melted Sebastian¡¯s heart. He¡¯s so adorable. For some reason, he was seized by an urge to take the boys home with him. I don¡¯t care even if they¡¯re not my sons. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 15 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Love You Most He never thought he liked kids that much. His rtives had kids, but the most he could do was have more patience with them. The boys were different. Ever since he saw them, all he wanted to do was spoil them and give them the whole world. He wanted to protect them and keep every kind of danger at bay. He would never allow anyone to hurt or anger them. He wanted them to be happy every day. I must be mad or something. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Buddy gave him another flying kiss before he went into the car and sat with his brother in the backseat. Madeline revved up the car and went onto the highway a whileter. ¡°I like Mr. Hart, Mom,¡± Buddy whispered. Aldo looked at him. ¡°Me too,¡± he agreed. Buddy said, ¡°He¡¯s better than our uncles. His smile is like the sun. It¡¯s warm and fuzzy.¡± Aldo pouted. ¡°They spoil Phoebe and Isabel too much, our uncles.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Buddy was crestfallen, and his voice was barely a whisper. ¡°They¡¯re nice to us, but Phoebe and Isabel are always more important to them. Every time they bully you, uncles always take their side.¡± Nobody cares about Mom aside from me and Aldo. She¡¯s always second in line for everyone else. Poor Mom. ¡°Yeah!¡± Aldo snorted. ¡°But it¡¯s alright, Mom. Don¡¯t be sad. Buddy and I will always love you. You¡¯ll always be the most important person to us. Nobody¡¯s more important than you are.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Buddy jumped off his seat and squeezed through the space between the driver¡¯s seat and the passenger seat. He kissed his mother on the cheek and smiled. ¡°Aldo and I will always love you, Mom.¡± It¡¯s fine if nobody loves Mom. Aldo and I will do that. We¡¯ll grow up and be super awesome. If anyone tries to bully Mom, we¡¯ll smack them back. Nobody¡¯s going to bully her ever again. Madeline teared up. She was about to cry, but she held it back and smiled. ¡°I love you too, sweeties. Buddy, get back to your seat and buckle up. This is dangerous.¡± ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± He kissed her on the cheek again and went back to his seat and buckled up. She watched him in the rear-view mirror until he buckled himself up. Then she looked at the road and held the steering wheel tightly, her heart filled with happiness. Before she had her sons, she was an unlucky woman, but after she had them,dy luck seemed to have finally smiled on her. Her boys were the gifts fate had given her. They were her angels and her whole world. Aside from death, nobody could separate her from the boys. If anyone tried to hurt them, she would drag them down to hell even if that was thest thing she did. They came back to their rented condominium half an hourter. It hadn¡¯t been too long since she came back to Dusktown, so she hadn¡¯t bought a house yet. However, she was checking out some units already, and she wanted to get a house where she and her kids could settle down. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 16 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 16 Chapter 16 That¡¯s Too Bad Dusktown was the best town to live in in the nation. It was scenic, and the temperature was agreeable. It was perfect for the kids. They were at a growing age, and she wanted them to have a ce to call their own. Then, she would pick a good school for them, and they could make friends. She wanted them to live like normal kids and grow up happily. But Dusktown¡¯s houses were expensive. She didn¡¯t have much money, so she couldn¡¯t buy anything good. She had only arrived in Dusktown not too long when she went to talk business with Harold, all so she could make more money. It was a pity Harold looked like he had a few screws loose. I lost that deal. I could have made a million. Well, too bad. Of course, she might be poorpared to the Harts, but she was well offpared to most people. She had managed to save some money thanks to her working herself to the bone over thest few years. She couldn¡¯t get herself a luxurious manor, but getting a small bungalow near a school area was not a problem. She wouldn¡¯t let her kids suffer either, and her fridge was always stuffed with food. She took a shower and changed into casual attire before she went to cook dinner for the kids. She asked the kids what they wanted, and she made two meat-based dishes, two vegetable-based dishes, and a bowl of soup. Cooking was her forte, and the kids loved her food. They always praised her whenever they had her cooking. All her frustrations and fury were swept away as she watched her kids smile. As long as they were fine and happy, everything else was nothing for her. She took them out for a stroll after dinner, and the kids stayed around her all the time, frolicking about. They were smiling cheerfully as if nothing in the world could bother them. Madeline smiled, feeling fulfilled and fuzzy. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. They went back to their house at nine, and Madeline helped them bathe. Then they changed into their pajamas andy on the bed. They listened to the little robot recounting a bedtime story while she went to take a shower. After she got changed, shey between the kids, and they turned the robot off before they rolled into her arms. They kissed her and said goodnight before drifting off to sleep. The room was dimly lit, but that didn¡¯t stop Madeline from watching over her sons greedily. She actually slept in a different room from the kids for some time earlier in the year. Most kids in Worrick would sleep in their nursery from the day they were born instead of sharing a room with their parents. Sleeping in separate rooms only when her sons were five was considered quitete in that nation. One day, not long after she slept in a separate room from her sons, she was woken up by the sounds in the nursery, and she dashed over without even wearing her slippers. When she got there, she saw Phoebe and two men trying to catch Buddy in the room. The boy was curled up in a corner of the bed and was calling out to his mother in terror. Aldo was holding a Swiss army knife, kneeling in front of Buddy. He held the hilt tightly, ring daggers at Phoebe, threatening to use violence. Phoebe was angrily ordering her men to quickly get a hold on Buddy so she could take him away. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 17 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Punishment She was shocked and furious, of course. Madeline rushed to the men and broke their arms, then she broke two of Phoebe¡¯s ribs. Madeline¡¯s uncle punished Madeline after that, and she left the residence with her kids despite her cousins¡¯ best attempt at dissuasion. Ever since then, she would never leave her kids alone, not even when they were sleeping. Even so, Buddy spent a long time after that just to heal from his trauma. He would wake up at midnight and cry out for his mother. He would il his hands and beg some imaginary entity not to catch him. She was heartbroken, and she cried too. She tried her best to provide aplete family for her kids. She wanted them to have a happy childhood, but her kids were always insecure. Aldo was slightly better. He was precocious and wise beyond his age. Buddy had a weak constitution, and he had always been a gentler soulpared to his brother. The trauma from almost getting abducted one midnight still lingered on in his soul. No matter how sleepy he was, he could only sleep in his mother¡¯s arms. If she wasn¡¯t around, he wouldn¡¯t sleep no matter howte it was. She looked at her beautiful son, who was holding her sleeve tightly. She felt heartbroken, but also sweet at the same time. She kissed their foreheads and turned the nightlight off. Then, she pulled them into her embrace and closed her eyes. The kids felt that, and they huddled closer to her. She smiled, and she hugged them tighter. It was a good night¡¯s sleep. She made a good breakfast for them the next day and only woke them up once she was done. Her boys never slept in. They always got out of bed the moment she woke them up. They rubbed their sleepy eyes and went to the restroom to wash up without her telling them to. She loved seeing them rub their sleepy eyes. It was adorable, and she would never get tired of it. Every time she saw them doing that, she had to hold herugh back, then she would go and hug the kids and kiss them. They fooled around, and the kids finally woke up. They went through their morning routine and went to have breakfast. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Aldo wasn¡¯t a picky eater; the boy could eat anything. Buddy had a weak stomach, making him a picky eater. Poor Madeline had to make something different for him every day. She made papaya milkshake, oatmeal, avocado sandwich, and mashed pumpkin for them that morning, and they loved it. They happily had their breakfast, and Madeline did the dishes with the kids helping her. Just when she was about to wipe her hands dry, someone rang the doorbell. ¡°I¡¯ll get it, Mom!¡± Buddy offered his help immediately. ¡°Slow down, Buddy.¡± Madeline wiped her hands off quickly and went after him. ¡°Don¡¯t open the door for a stranger.¡± She was worried Phoebe¡¯s men mighte to take him away again. What did I ever do to her? Why does she hate me so much? Phoebe¡¯s niece was barren, and she wanted to take Buddy in as her son. Obviously, Madeline refused, so Phoebe tried to take him away by force, but she didn¡¯t have the chance when Madeline and her sons were sleeping in the same room. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 18 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Bully Not long after she and her sons slept in separate rooms, Phoebe and her men came and tried to steal Buddy away. Fortunately, Buddy was a little scaredy cat. He had been insecure ever since they slept in separate rooms, and his sleeps were fitful. He woke up the moment someone opened the door, and he started crying for Madeline. Aldo was woken up by his cries, and the first thing he did was whip out the Swiss army knife under his pillow to defend his brother. She only knew her son had a Swiss army knife hidden under his pillow that day. It was also then that she knew that Aldo was also scared that they were sleeping in separate rooms, though he didn¡¯t say that out loud. It¡¯s my fault. I couldn¡¯t give them a safe, happy home. The Taylors were nice, but they were still not her family in the end. Her kids couldn¡¯t feel safe under that roof, and that contributed to their fear after they slept in separate rooms. That was why Aldo had to hide a knife under his pillow, and that was why she took the kids and left despite her cousins¡¯ dissuasion. The reason she stayed with the Taylors despite Phoebe and Isabel¡¯s objections was because of the kids. She was worried that she couldn¡¯t take good care of them alone, but the Taylors proved to be more trouble than they were worth. In the end, she left and took care of the kids alone. She thought she could avoid Phoebe after that, but that woman took it a step further, and this time, Madeline was the target. Aside from a barren niece, she also had an intellectually-challenged nephew who also had a limp leg. He only had a five-year-old¡¯s intellect, while Madeline had photographic memory. Phoebe¡¯s sister-inw wanted her to marry her disabled son. She said they could have a smart kid because of Madeline¡¯s intellect, and Phoebe took her men to where Madeline was living at the time to abduct her and Buddy. She wanted Madeline to marry her nephew, while Buddy would be taken to her niece and be her son. It did not end well. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she took the kids and left Worrick. She thought Dusktown would be a safe ce as it was rather far from Worrick, but Phoebe still came all the way to capture her. Why is she so obsessed with me and my son? Why does she want to ruin our lives? Did I kill her family in my past life or something? Buddy stood on a stool and looked through the peephole. ¡°Mom! It¡¯s Mr. Hart!¡± He turned around, looking excited. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. It was obvious that he liked Sebastian. Madeline quickly took him off the stool and scraped his nose. ¡°You could have asked me to see who it was next time. Don¡¯t stand on the stool. You might fall and knock your head. That¡¯s the fastest way to get stupid points.¡± ¡°Alright, Mom!¡± Buddy answered. Madeline took the stool away and opened the door. Sebastian was in casual attire, though it didn¡¯t take away from his handsome looks. He stood outside quietly, looking like a god who just descended from Mount Olympus. It was easy for a man like that to gain two young boys¡¯ affection, especially if one of them was a naive one like Buddy. ¡°Mr. Hart!¡± Buddy looked up at him, his eyes shining brightly. His look melted Sebastian¡¯s heart, and he smiled. He took two big hampers from Quinton and handed them to Buddy. ¡°Hi. Here¡¯s a little gift for you.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 19 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Results Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Really?¡± Buddy blinked. ¡°Yes.¡± Sebastian patted his head, a weird feeling bubbling in his heart. He bent down and hugged the boy. ¡°It¡¯s LEGO. Do you like it?¡± The hug came too suddenly, startling Buddy. Despite his affection for Sebastian, he still fidgeted and escaped his hug. Then he hid behind his mother and hugged her, though he stuck his head out to look at him. Sebastian¡¯s heart melted again. He wanted to hug him, and he was holding down the urge to drag him out and hold him in his arms. He stood up and looked at Madeline. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± Madeline nodded quietly. ¡°Drinks or coffee?¡± She led him into the living room. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± He put a file on the coffee table. ¡°The results are out. They¡¯re my sons.¡± The results were expected, but Madeline still felt everything around her spinning. Her blood went cold, and her mind buzzed. It was still uneptable even though she was prepared for it. The boys aren¡¯t mine alone anymore. Someone else has the right to love them. He¡¯s their father. Out of all people, him? How can this even happen? Am I in a novel or something? There¡¯s no way this kind of coincidence can happen. Why did I evene to Dusktown? Regret filled her, robbing her face of its color, and her body of its warmth. Buddy was shocked. He hugged her tightly and called out to her with a trembling voice. Aldo stood before Madeline, defending her. He grabbed the knife on the coffee table and pointed it at Sebastian fiercely. ¡°Get out. Don¡¯t scare Mom. Scare her again and I will hurt you.¡± He liked Sebastian, but if Madeline was scared of him, he would rather do away with that affection. Sebastian frowned. He looked at Madeline and told her softly, ¡°Calm down. Rx. You¡¯re scaring the kids. I told you I won¡¯t take them away, and I keep my promises. Calm down.¡± Oh yeah. He did say he won¡¯t take them away. I have nothing to fear. They¡¯re still mine, and nobody can take them away from me. She took a deep breath and took the knife away from Aldo, then she ushered them to the couch and sat down. Madeline held them in her embrace tightly, but her gaze never left Sebastian. ¡°They¡¯re my whole world. As long as I live, nobody can take them away from me. What will you do now?¡± ¡°I understand, and I can promise on my name that I won¡¯t separate you from your kids,¡± Sebastian answered softly as he tried to ease the tension. ¡°I have a question for you.¡± Madeline calmed down a lot more after she got his promise. She nodded. ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°How on earth did you get your hands on my seed?¡± Weird. With my status and power, how did I never see thating? This is unbelievable. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 20 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Sebastian¡¯s Mockery Madeline paused for a moment, and she smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fate, I guess. Five years ago, my cousin fell terribly ill¡ª¡± Someone rang the doorbell again before she could finish. She stopped talking and smiled at Sebastian apologetically. ¡°I¡¯ll take the door. Sorry.¡± Sebastian nodded in understanding. She got up and went to the door, but when she looked through the peephole and saw who was outside, she frowned. A whileter, she sighed and opened the door. ¡°Dan, you¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Dan raised his hand against her. She could have easily dodged that p if she wanted to, but she didn¡¯t. She had no right to, for she owed him her life. Ten years ago, she was left for dead on Dusktown¡¯s streets. If it weren¡¯t for Dan showing up at the right moment, she would have died in shame. Dan didn¡¯t only save her life, he also saved her dignity. He had taken her back to the Taylor Residence and convinced his father to raise her. He had the right to hit her, but she had no right to dodge him. But just when the p was about to connect, someone grabbed Dan¡¯s hand, stopping him from hitting her. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Dan looked furiously at the man who stopped him. ¡°Who are you? Why did you step in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sebastian Hart,¡± Sebastian introduced himself tartly. Dan froze up. Sebastian? The young master of Dusktown¡¯s top family? He flung Sebastian¡¯s hand away and looked at him, though there was a hint of fear in his eyes. ¡°The president of Hart Corporation?¡± The Taylor Family was the top family in Worrick, but Worrick was a small country which wasn¡¯t even half the size of Dusktown. The Harts were at least ten times stronger than the Taylors could ever be. If this man was truly the legendary Sebastian Hart, then Dan had reason to fear him, for that Sebastian was a cruel soul. Sebastian was about to answer him, but Aldo came and shoved Dan away. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare p Mom!¡± He stood in front of Madeline defensively and red at Dan. Buddy hugged Madeline tightly, but he also looked at Dan. ¡°Don¡¯t hit Mom, Uncle Dan. She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± Dan frowned. ¡°Aldo, I¡¯m your uncle. That was rude of you.¡± Aldo replied fiercely, ¡°You tried to hit Mom. You¡¯re a baddie. I hate you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hit Mom, Uncle Dan, and don¡¯t yell at Aldo!¡± Buddy suddenly let his mother go and came up to Dan. He looked up at him and showed him his wristwatch. ¡°Don¡¯t hit Mom, Uncle Dan. I¡¯ll give you money. I made some money.¡± He was looking at Dan fearfully. He didn¡¯t have any crying look on his face, but tears welled up within his eyes and fell down his cheeks. Buddy was pale, and his hands were trembling with fear. It pained Sebastian to see that. He crouched down and held the boys in his embrace, patting their backs gently. ¡°It¡¯s alright, boys. Daddy¡¯s here. I¡¯ll keep you and your mother safe. Nobody cany a finger on you or her anymore.¡± Dan was surprised. ¡°D-Daddy?¡± Sebastian looked at him and smiled. ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t think I have a son your age. You must have gotten the wrong person.¡± Dan¡¯s face was red with embarrassment. ¡°What are you talking about? What I was trying to say was, how did you be my nephews¡¯ father?¡± ¡°Nephew?¡± Sebastian sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t even look like their uncle. Nor are you acting like one.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 21 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Sometimes You Have to Hit Them Dan¡¯s face was red with anger. ¡°This is our family business. Leave this ce. This has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Sebastian sneered. ¡°They¡¯re my sons, and you say this has nothing to do with me? Do you think you have something to do with this? What a joke.¡± Dan shut up. He had no retort for that, so he red at Madeline. ¡°What is happening, Madeline?¡± He raised his voice. Buddy trembled in fear. He pushed Sebastian away and ran to his mother. He hugged her tightly, but he was still trembling. It broke Madeline¡¯s heart. She squatted down and hugged her son. ¡°Calm down, Buddy,¡± she assured him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really, I am.¡± Most kids could still hold it in when nobody was there for them, but once someone came to their aid, they would start to cry. Buddy was no exception, and he bawled. ¡°We have to run, Mom! We have to go somewhere they can¡¯t find us! Run!¡± Madeline felt crushed seeing him cry. She teared up, and her voice broke, but she patted his back nheless. ¡°We¡¯ll leave right away, Buddy. Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll take you boys far, far away.¡± She stood up with Buddy in her arms, and she went to her bedroom. ¡°Aldo, to the bedroom,¡± she called her other son. ¡°Pack my things up.¡± She wanted to take them and go to a ce where the Taylors could never find them. Aldo red at Dan and ran to the bedroom. ¡°Hold it!¡± Dan barked fiercely. ¡°Did you forget that I saved you when you were dying? Is this how you¡¯re going to repay me?¡± Madeline stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes in agony. A momentter, she turned around. ¡°So what do you want me to do this time? Marry your disabled cousin? Or do you want me to give Buddy away to your niece so he can be her son?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to!¡± Buggy hugged her neck tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to be my mother! I don¡¯t want to leave you, Mom! I don¡¯t want to!¡± he cried with fear. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Buddy.¡± Madeline kissed him. ¡°Remember, Buddy. As long as I am here, nobody can take you or Aldo away from me. I¡¯ll cut the hands of those who dare. As long as I am here, nobody can separate us,¡± she said adamantly. ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person, Madeline. Do you think of me as somemon thug?¡± Dan asked angrily. ¡°I won¡¯t let Phoebe marry you off to my cousin, nor will I let her take Buddy. I just want you to drop the charges and let Phoebe and her bodyguards go.¡± Dan got angry again when he was reminded of Phoebe¡¯s pitiful circumstances. ¡°You went too far this time, Madeline. No matter what, my father married her legally, and she¡¯s my stepmother. She¡¯s our elder. You can¡¯t do that to her. Do you know how badly she¡¯s hurt? And now she¡¯s in the detention center, charged with abduction. If she¡¯s found guilty, she¡¯s going to be jailed for three to five years. If that happens, that means our family head¡¯s wife is a convict. That¡¯ll be humiliating for us.¡± He stared at Madeline. ¡°Madeline, don¡¯t make me regret my choice of saving you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t yell at my mom!¡± Aldo stood in front of Madeline, his gaze icy. ¡°I did that to Phoebe, not Mom. And she¡¯s no respectable elder. What else does she know how to do except bully me and Buddy? She¡¯s jailed? Great. She almost abducted Buddy. Of course she needs to get jailed.¡± ¡°Where are your manners, Quincy?¡± Dan was angry. ¡°Who said you can talk to me like that? And you actually attacked Madeline? She¡¯s your great aunt! Do you want to get spanked? I think you do, or you¡¯ll grow up with all your bad ways intact.¡± Sebastian sneered. Did he just call my son a mannerless kid who needs to be taught a lesson? Well, then I guess a lesson is in order, but not for Aldo. He chuckled. ¡°Quinton.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Quinton, who had been waiting outside, came in. Sebastian pointed at Dan with his chin. ¡°This is my sons¡¯ uncle. I need to talk to my boys, and I have no time for him. Why don¡¯t you take him out and show him a bit of our hospitality? I¡¯ll have a chat with him once I have time.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Quinton bowed at Sebastian and invited Dan out. ¡°Come with me, please.¡± Dan was white with fury. ¡°Mr. Hart, you might be the president of Hart Corporation, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to interfere with my family affairs. You should be the one to leave, not me.¡± Sebastian wouldn¡¯t even talk to him. He simply shot Dan a scornful gaze and looked away. Quinton put his hand on Dan¡¯s shoulder and smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s a hot day, isn¡¯t it, Mr. Taylor? All this heat must be getting to your head. We have some cool, refreshing drinks out there. It¡¯ll help jog your mind. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel much better if you have a few bottles of it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dan flew into a rage and swung his arms. He tried to swing Quinton¡¯s hand away, but instead of doing that, Quinton held his other arm and pinned it behind his back as well. Quinton was smiling warmly. ¡°Come with me, Mr. Taylor. We have enough refreshments for you. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± Dan tried to struggle free, but it was futile. He was dragged out, and a bodyguard closed the door behind him. Dan was about to say something, but Quinton covered his mouth and mmed his fist against his belly. The pain shot up his head, and everything around started to spin. Quinton¡¯s men then stuffed all kinds of items into Dan¡¯s mouth. Before Dan could recover from the pain, Quinton punched him again, and Dan fell to the ground. The other bodyguards then surrounded him and kicked him. Dan has his own bodyguards as well. When they realized what was happening, they tried to save him, but the Hart bodyguards pinned them down to the ground easily. Dan was in a slightly better statepared to hisckeys, as Quinton didn¡¯t pin him to the ground. After he made sure Dan¡¯s face was as swollen as a balloon, he told his men to get a rope. Quinton tied Dan up and tossed him to a corner, grinning at him. ¡°Wow, the heat must have really gotten to you, Mr. Taylor. Stay in the shade and calm yourself. You should be fine once Master Sebastian is done. You can talk to him then.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 22 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Furious N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Dan was furious, for he had never been humiliated before. The heat got to me? No, you got to me. He felt like killing someone out of rage, but he couldn¡¯t do anything given his circumstances. Madeline spent a lot of time calming Buddy down before he finally stopped crying. She sat on the couch while the boy was in her arms, hugging her. The crying had stopped, but the sniffling hadn¡¯t. Sebastian was heartbroken. He sat beside Madeline and patted his back lovingly. ¡°I went to check on his situationst night. Buddy seems to be shorter than his peers.¡± That was being really roundabout, and all so Buddy wouldn¡¯t be hurt. Aldo¡¯s height was what normal five-year-olds should have, but Buddy was half a head shorter than the average height. Buddy was still hugging his mother. He leaned his head on her shoulders and tilted his head to look at Sebastian. ¡°I-I¡¯m not short.¡± He sniffled. ¡°I¡¯ll get taller once I grow.¡± Sebastianughed, and he patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Yes, of course you¡¯re not short. I¡¯m tall, and your mother is too. Once you get older, you¡¯ll be tall too.¡± ¡°Are you really our father?¡± Buddy looked at him curiously, still adorable as usual. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°The results are out. I am you and Aldo¡¯s father.¡± ¡°You¡¯re awesome.¡± He looked at Sebastian hopefully. ¡°You¡¯ll protect me, Mom, and Aldo, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sebasitan held his hand seriously. ¡°From now on, I will protect you, Aldo, and your mother. Nobody can harm you anymore.¡± Madeline promised that as long as she was alive, nobody could take her children away from her. As for him, he promised that as long as he still stood, nobody could harm Madeline or the kids unless they stepped over his dead body. ¡°Thank you.¡± Madeline hugged Buddy tightly. ¡°But I¡¯ve decided to take the kids and leave.¡± ¡°You want to stay away from the Taylors?¡± Sebastian cocked his eyebrow. ¡°But where can you take them? It¡¯s the information age. If the Taylors want to, they can always locate you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big world. There must be some ce I can hide.¡± She buried her face in Buddy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t leave because I wanted to repay my debt to the Taylors, but now, I don¡¯t want to do that anymore,¡± she muttered. Her kids were growing, and they needed a safe environment to live in. The Taylors¡¯ treatment of her was starting to traumatize the kids, and that was why Buddy was terrified of Dan. Her debt to the Taylors wasn¡¯t as important as her kids, so she decided to leave. My debt? F*ck that. I saved their son and worked for them for years. My debt is already repaid. I can¡¯t sacrifice my son just because of this debt. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can leave.¡± Sebastian licked his teeth. ¡°My dad wants to see them. He¡¯s been looking forward to having grandkids for a long time now. I came here today to take the boys to him.¡± Madeline held Buddy tightly, and she tensed up. ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t take them away from me.¡± She looked at him, rmed. ¡°I won¡¯t. So, I have a suggestion.¡± He looked into her eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± Madeline still had her guard up. ¡°You and the boys can stay at my ce,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°I can take care of you guys. As long as I¡¯m here, nobody can hurt you. Not even the Taylors.¡± He patted Buddy¡¯s head. ¡°I can promise that nobody can make Buddy cry again.¡± He then patted Aldo¡¯s head. ¡°And I won¡¯t let Aldo risk himself to protect you two.¡± Madeline almost cried. Aldo was only five years old, but every time something happened, he would always be the one to rush in first and ask questionster just to keep them safe. She had told him many times that he should just hide behind her and keep an eye on Buddy like the kid he was, since she could protect them. Her son would always tell her that he was the man of the household, and that he was old enough to keep her and Buddy safe. Sebastian promised that Aldo would never have to do that again as long as he was around, and it hit her where it mattered the most. She covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I failed to care for them.¡± ¡°No. You did a splendid job.¡± He patted the kids¡¯ faces. ¡°I never did like kids, but that changed after I met them. You taught them well, and they are really likable. That¡¯s why I like them.¡± Dad likes us! He says we¡¯re likable! Buddy looked at him with sparkling eyes. His fear was disappearing, and it was reced by excitement. Madeline noticed that, and it swayed her decision. He looked at her boys, hesitating if she should take Sebastian¡¯s offer. ¡°Aldo, Buddy, do you want to stay with your father?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Buddy nodded. He looked at her, his eyes filled with anticipation. ¡°I want to stay with Dad, Mom. Everyone else has a father. I want one too!¡± ¡°Stop talking, will you?¡± Aldo smacked him and put on his serious face. ¡°I¡¯ll go with what you decide, Mom.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Buddy hid his anticipation. ¡°I¡¯ll go with what you decide too.¡± Madeline¡¯s heart melted, and she hugged Aldo. ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± She kissed him. ¡°This time, you call the shots. As long as you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy.¡± Aldo looked at her and pursed his lips, then he looked at Sebastian. ¡°Can you promise you won¡¯t hurt Mom?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sebastian promised. ¡°And I can also promise that I¡¯ll protect her with you boys.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 23 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 23 Chapter 23 She Hopes It¡¯s Real Aldo looked at him for a long time, and he came to the conclusion that Sebastian was reliable. He¡¯s handsome; the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever met. Uncle Sam is the most handsome man in Worrick, but Mr. Hart is even more handsome than he is. And he¡¯s really elegant. Other than that, he has a sense of justice, but most importantly, he looks at me and Buddy with gentle eyes, just like Mom does. It¡¯s like he can be happy just by looking at us two. Fine, I¡¯ll trust him. ¡°Sure.¡± He looked at Sebastian and nodded. ¡°We can stay over at your ce for the time being.¡± Sebastian chortled. So he¡¯s saying they¡¯ll be my guests for now. If they¡¯re happy, they¡¯ll stay, but if they¡¯re not, they¡¯ll leave, huh? ¡°Okay.¡± He patted the boy¡¯s head lovingly. ¡°You call the shots, son.¡± Aldo fidgeted and dodged him. ¡°Don¡¯t pat my head. You¡¯ll make me short,¡± he mumbled. Sebastian noticed his ears turning pink, and he smiled. What a softie. So adorable. He patted the boy¡¯s head again despite his protests, and he smiled at Madeline. ¡°Pack your things. We¡¯re leaving right now. Need my help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She hesitated for a moment and bit her lip. ¡°I have something to tell you. You can decide if you want to take me and the kids to your father after that.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Tell me.¡± She looked at the ground, and her eyshes fluttered. ¡°My mother¡­ is an illegitimate child.¡± Illegitimate children were looked down upon in Dusktown, and even their children were seen as marks of humiliation. That woman had abandoned her when she was a child, but still she had to suffer the consequences because of her. Her uncle, Nigel Taylor, who was also Dan¡¯s father, had two sisters. One, his true sister¡ªCrystal Taylor. She was the noble and beloved princess of the Taylors. The other was her mother, the illegitimate child Nigel¡¯s father sired with another woman¡ªCameron. As the legitimate son, Nigel despised Cameron. Back when Madeline almost died, Dan pitied her and took her back in, much to Nigel¡¯s fury. Nigel had yelled and screamed at his own son for that. Dan refused to give in and went against the family despite Nigel¡¯s objection. But Nigel couldn¡¯t win against Dan, so he reluctantly took Madeline in. But as she was the child abandoned by an illegitimate daughter, she had been suffering under the Taylors. Fortunately for her, Sam was a gentle person, and it was all thanks to him that she managed to grow up in peace. She didn¡¯t know who Sebastian really was, but judging from his clothes and mannerism, she knew he muste from an aristocratic family as well. Will someone like him ept my son, whose grandmother is an illegitimate child? Bloodline was important for aristocrats. Her son might be important, but Sebastian was young. If he wanted a son, he could marry ady from a clean background and sire a few more children. It didn¡¯t necessarily need to be her boys. ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it,¡± he said gently. ¡°Your mother¡¯s the illegitimate child, not you. She might be the product of the sin of lust, but you are not. You are legitimate. My father won¡¯t look down on you just because of that. And besides¡­¡± He took a few papers out of the file and handed them to Madeline. ¡°I suspect that you¡¯re not Cameron¡¯s true daughter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Madeline stared at him in shock. ¡°I have to apologize first.¡± Sebastian nodded at her. ¡°My father sent his men to gather info on you and the kids so he can know you guys better.¡± ¡°And?¡± Madeline didn¡¯t care about that. She had far more important matters to deal with first. ¡°Why did you say she¡¯s not my real mother?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s too cruel to you. She doesn¡¯t treat you like her own daughter. Instead, you¡¯re more like an enemy to her.¡± He pointed at the papers before Madeline. ¡°And look at this. She¡¯s an alcoholic. There were a few times¡ªafter she was drunk¡ªthat she bragged about how lucky her daughter has it, and how she¡¯s born to be a princess. She even said she yed the Taylors like a fiddle despite how smart they think they are.¡± Sebastian looked at Madeline. ¡°I don¡¯t think you had an exactly princess-esque life in the Taylor household, not to mention they don¡¯t acknowledge Cameron. After she divorced her first husband, she married a wealthy middle-aged man and cut contact with the Taylors. I don¡¯t think she can y the Taylors like a fiddle, unless she did a switcheroo using you and the Taylors¡¯ kid.¡± He took a sheet of paper out from the stack and pointed it out to Madeline. ¡°Look here. Crystal and Cameron¡¯s daughter were born on the same day in the same month in the same year, and in the same hospital. I suspect that she did a switcheroo using her daughter and Crystal¡¯s. That¡¯s you, by the way. You are Crystal¡¯s real daughter, while Crystal¡¯s ¡®daughter¡¯¡ªAngie Wendel¡ªis Cameron¡¯s real daughter.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Madeline looked at the paper in shocked silence. I-I¡¯m not Cameron¡¯s daughter? I¡¯m their most beloved princess¡¯ daughter instead? I-Is this real? She really hoped it was. She didn¡¯t care about the Wendels¡¯ wealth. She was just doing it for the boys. She didn¡¯t want her boys to be discriminated against because their grandmother was an illegitimate daughter. Sebastian said, ¡°If you¡¯re fine with it, I can send these papers to Michael. He¡¯s a smart man. He¡¯ll know what I¡¯m talking about once he sees this, and once he does, he¡¯lle here to do a paternity test with you.¡± Madeline¡¯s hands were trembling. Michael was the head of the Wendel Family and the richest man of Wendel City. She had seen him before. He was a handsome, gentlemanly person. He had style, and he cared a lot about his wife and daughter. That strong but gentle person might actually be my father? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 24 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Till Death It was a big deal, so to speak. If the results weren¡¯t what she was expecting, she would be devastated. The only way to not have disappointments was to not have expectations in the first ce. She tried to calm herself down and told herself that it was fine even if the results weren¡¯t what she wanted, and then she took the papers. ¡°I¡¯ll get my men to send these to him. Thanks for helping.¡± She had a few loyal subordinates in her firm. All of them were in other cities for their requests, but getting a couple back was no problem. ¡°Oh, actually, neither of us has to send our men to do this.¡± He was reminded of something, so he took his phone out and texted Quinton. ¡°We have a mailman right outside, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be d to take on this job.¡± Quinton opened the door and took Dan in. He was already untied, though his clothes were still messy, and his face was horribly swollen. Madeline was shocked to see him in that state. ¡°Dan?¡± She shot up from her seat. She was still panicking over her son¡¯s crying when Dan was taken away, so all her attention had been on her son. She had heard Quinton say something about refreshments for Dan, and she thought it was real, but she was proven wrong. Dan angrily flung Quinton¡¯s hand off his shoulder. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve gotten yourself a rich boyfriend now, huh, Madeline? How dare¡ª¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± Sebastian stood up with the files in hand and came up to him. ¡°Pipe down and look at this first.¡± He tossed the file to him. ¡°What the heck is this?¡± Dan red at Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, just because you¡¯re the richest man in Dusktown doesn¡¯t mean sh*t. You assaulted me for nothing, and this is not the end of it. You¡¯d better drop your charges on Phoebe right now and bust her out of the detention center, or we¡¯reing after you.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Sebastian smiled. ¡°I told you, be quiet and look at the files first. Once you¡¯re done, hand it over to your uncle. If Michael agrees to do what I think he will do, I¡¯ll help you out with Phoebe¡¯s case.¡± ¡°Uncle Michael?¡± He looked at Sebastian curiously. ¡°What does this have to do with him?¡± He looked at the papers and skimmed through them, but the more he looked, the grimmer the look on his face was. ¡°T-This is impossible,¡± he mumbled in denial. ¡°How can this be?¡± ¡°Is it so hard to admit that Madeline is Crystal¡¯s daughter?¡± Sebastian said coolly. ¡°Whether she¡¯s Crystal¡¯s daughter or not depends on the results of the paternity test. You can¡¯t say she isn¡¯t just because you deny it.¡± All the color was drained from Dan¡¯s face, and his anger was snuffed. His hands were trembling, for if that was the truth, there would be hell to pay. Madeline suffered when she was living with the Taylors, while Angie was in heaven. Madeline might be the young miss, but she was actually little more than a servant. She had to do everything around the house, and she was disdained as well. On the other hand, Angie was beloved. Her parents and brothers spoiled her, and she had never suffered even a day of her life. Crystal was the beloved young miss of the Taylors, while Cameron was the illegitimate daughter. She was the b*stard born to her witch of a mother who deceived Dan¡¯s grandfather. Crystal and Cameron were at odds all their lives. If Sebastian¡¯s guess was true, then that would mean Crystal¡¯s real daughter was tortured for years, while Cameron¡¯s real daughter was raised as Crystal¡¯s own. If Aunt Crystal finds out, she¡¯ll be furious. No, livid. Holy sh*t. If Madeline is actually Aunt Crystal and Uncle Michael¡¯s own kid, that means she¡¯s my cousin. What the hell have we been doing to her then? How will Dad and I exin this to them? His blood ran cold, and he trembled in fear. ¡°I will tell my uncle about this.¡± He gripped the papers, his face pale, then turned around to leave dazedly. The news was too much to take in, and he even forgot about his stepmother. After he left, Sebastian said, ¡°Pack up. No matter who¡¯s your parent, my father and I will treat you and the kids the same. You are a kind, responsibledy who raised great boys. I love them. I¡¯ll take care of you and the kids. I won¡¯t let you suffer anymore. Madeline could see that he was being genuine. He¡¯s a good man. I¡¯ve been unlucky for years, but looks like my luck¡¯s starting to turn again. She nodded and thanked him again before she went to her room to pack up. She owed the kids too much. Since they wanted to be with their father, she¡¯d live with him too. As for me¡­ well, if they¡¯re happy, then I¡¯m fine with it. Aldo went with her into the room to help. Buddy huddled closer to Sebastian and asked curiously. ¡°If this Uncle Michael is really Uncle Dan¡¯s uncle, does that mean he¡¯s my grandfather?¡± Amused, Sebastian pinched his cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. That is exactly who he is.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Buddy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m smart! I have photographic memory! I¡¯m super awesome. Aldo and Mom¡¯s awesome too!¡± Buddy would always praise his brother and mother at all times. ¡°That¡¯s a coincidence.¡± He hugged the boy and pinched his nose. ¡°I have photographic memory too.¡± No wonder he¡¯s my kid. He¡¯s just like me. Buddy held Sebastian¡¯s shirt and looked at him nervously. ¡°Dad, will you always be this nice to us?¡± Sebastian was surprised that the boy would call him ¡®Dad¡¯. Dad? He calls me ¡®Dad¡¯ that quickly? It was a simple title, but one that filled his heart with warmth and pride of being a father, and also a sense of responsibility. He hugged the boy tightly and nodded with solemnity. ¡°Yes, I promise I¡¯ll always be this nice to you.¡± Well, he wasn¡¯t always that nice to them. It only went up ever since that day, as he kept being nicer and nicer to the kids. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 25 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Take You Home Madeline didn¡¯t have much luggage. There were only three of them, and two of them were on the smaller side. She was pulling the big one and a smaller one, while Aldo was pulling the other one as they walked out of the room. Sebastian put Buddy down and went to take the luggage from her. Madeline evaded him. ¡°I can do it myself.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Sebastian took it from her, refusing any arguments. ¡°But when there are men around, do please let us do the heavy lifting.¡± She had never been treated this way ever since she was a child, and she didn¡¯t know what to do. Aldo said seriously, ¡°Mom, Mr. Hart is right. Let the men do the heavy lifting. Just you wait. Once I grow up, let me handle all the lifting around the house.¡± He actually wanted to help his mother with all three luggage, but she wouldn¡¯t let him. She said it would hinder his growth. He agreed with Sebastian though. Men should handle the heavy lifting. A fraildy like Mom should stay out of it. Mr. Hart? Sebastian squatted down. ¡°Aldo, I¡¯m your father. Your real father. Shouldn¡¯t you call me ¡®Dad¡¯?¡± ¡°As if.¡± He looked up proudly. ¡°You never cared for me a day in my life, and you want me to call you ¡®Dad¡¯? Nothinges easy in this world.¡± He looked at him. ¡°But I can call you ¡®Daddy-o.¡¯ Do you want that?¡± Uh¡­ Buddy hung his head low and poked his fingers together. Oh, but I called him ¡®Dad¡¯. I wonder if Aldo will get mad if he finds out. But I like Mr. Hart. He¡¯s the kind of Dad I want. ¡°Okay then.¡± Sebastian patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you for now then, Mr. Quincy Hart. If I pass, then you can call me ¡®Dad¡¯.¡± Aldo frowned. ¡°I¡¯m Quincy Taylor, not Hart.¡± ¡°Why do you want to be a Taylor?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°They bullied your mother, so why do you want to take their name?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s my mother¡¯s name, and I want to take after her.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t be a Taylor soon,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°She should have been a Wendel in the first ce.¡± Aldo pursed his lips and looked at Madeline. ¡°I¡¯ll go with what Mom wants. I¡¯ll take whatever name she wants me to.¡± Buddy agreed softly, ¡°Me too.¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°I understand.¡± If I want to get through to them, I have to get through to their mother first. I see. He patted Aldo¡¯s head and stood up. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thatter. For now, let¡¯s go home.¡± He took the luggage and led the way. Quinton saw himing out with the luggage in hand, and he took them from Sebastian at once. Buddy noticed that. He turned around and saw Aldo talking to Madeline. He¡¯s not looking at me right now, and Dad¡¯s not doing anything. He quickly trotted over to Sebastian and held his right hand. ¡°Dad, is your home our home too?¡± he whispered. Buddy suddenly holding his hand made Sebastian¡¯s arm shiver. The boy¡¯s hand was so soft, he felt he could break it if he held it too tightly. For some reason, Sebastian¡¯s hand sweated, and he didn¡¯t even dare hold the boy¡¯s hand too hard. He even started to breathe quietly. When he looked down, he saw the boy looking back at him with anticipation in his eyes. His heart melted from that, and he held the boy in his arms. He kissed Buddy¡¯s cheeks, smiling gently. ¡°Yes. My home is your home,¡± he answered, his voice as warm as the spring breeze. ¡°You guys will stay there for a long, long time, yes? Our home is your fortress. As long as you¡¯re there, no one can harm you, your brother, or your mother.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Buddy cheered. He looked back, but Aldo¡¯s attention was still elsewhere, so he pecked Sebastian on the cheek. He hugged Sebastian¡¯s neck and huddled closer. ¡°I like you, Dad. You look just like the man I dreamed of.¡± In his dreams, his father was just like Aldo, but a lot bigger and stronger. The boy was soft, and he smelled sweet. As hey in Sebastian¡¯s arms, it melted his heart. He held the boy up and kissed his cheek. ¡°I like you too, son.¡± ¡°You have to like Aldo too!¡± Buddy said. Sebastian smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°And Mom too!¡± he continued. Um¡­ Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He¡¯s taking his time. Buddy tilted his head to the side suspiciously. ¡®You don¡¯t like Mom?¡± Sebastian couldn¡¯t say no, not when the boy was looking at him with unease. ¡°Of course I do,¡± he said. He had mixed feelings about Madeline. He didn¡¯t actually like her, but he didn¡¯t dislike her either. She was someone worth his respect and affection, but he had only known her for a few days. If he said he liked her just like that, it would sound too irresponsible and flippant. But he couldn¡¯t say that to the boy. He was still too young, and there were a lot of things that he couldn¡¯t understand. He had to say that he liked Madeline if he wanted to put the boy at ease. And as he expected, the boy smiled happily the moment Sebastian told him the answer he wanted. His smile shone even brighter than the sun. It was as if the smile had shone on Sebastian¡¯s soul as well, and it filled him with a sense of warmth. It¡¯s magical. For some reason, I just like this boy. He wanted to spoil him, to love him, and to protect him. He wanted the boy to be happy every day. Is this the power of the bond between father and son? He kissed the boy again. ¡°Time to go home, son.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 26 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 26 Chapter 26 I Don¡¯t Need You From that day on, Quincy and Joel had a ce they could call home. Their home was somewhere they could grow up happily, and Sebastian would keep all dangers at bay for them. If anyone wants to hurt them, they¡¯ll have to go through me first. Half an hourter, they came to Hart Manor. It was built on the expensivend of Dusktown, and it took up a hundred acres. There was a mountain beside it, and waterfalls existed too. The scenery was gorgeous, and it looked just like a castle that came out from ancient times. The car drove into the walkway, and it took a long time before they came to the clearing. Zacharias had been waiting on the top of the stairs. When he saw Sebastian¡¯s car, he quickly went into the living room excitedly. ¡°Sir, sir! Master Sebastian has returned!¡± Before the car even came to a halt, a group of bodyguards was already standing beside it. Once it stopped, they went up and opened the door for Sebastian. Philip was walking quickly out of the living room, asking nervously, ¡°Where is my grandson? Is he here? No, are they here?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them, but I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± Zacharias quickly went out. Philip didn¡¯t have enough patience to wait. He ran out of the house, and the first thing he saw was Sebastianing out of the car with Buddy in his arms, while Aldo came out from the other side by himself. He looked serious. Philip beamed, and he descended the staircase. ¡°Finally! You¡¯ve been a useless brat all these years, but for once, you finally did something right and brought my grandsons back to me!¡± What do you mean I¡¯m a brat? My sons are right here. Keep my dignity intact, will you? Philip didn¡¯t care. He went over to his son and took Buddy from him. He looked at the boy closely and commented, ¡°Yes, yes! He does look like her.¡± Suddenly, sadness welled up within Philip. ¡°He resembles your mother more. Look at his eyes, his brows, and his nose. My god, he looks just like his grandmother.¡± Buddy blinked. ¡°Um, sir?¡± he asked softly. ¡°Who¡¯s his grandmother? I look like my mother, not someone else¡¯s grandmother.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Philip coughed. ¡°Not his grandmother. Your grandmother. She was your father¡¯s mother. Used to be really gorgeous too. Buddy, you¡¯ll grow up to be a beauty too.¡± Buddy blinked again. ¡°I¡¯m a boy. Mom¡¯s a beauty. I¡¯ll be the handsome guy.¡± Philipughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯ll grow up to be a handsome one. I bet you¡¯ll be a hundred¡­ no, a thousand times more handsome than your father.¡± Hey, you¡¯re my father! Ah, shut up. I have my grandkids now. I don¡¯t need you. Look, they¡¯re so cute. What can you do besides making me angry? The more he looked at Buddy, the more he liked him. Then he waved at Aldo. ¡°Come here, Aldo. Come to Grandpa. There¡¯s a lot of food and toys in the house, and they¡¯re all yours.¡± Aldo stood beside his mother, his face tensed up and serious. Madeline patted his head. ¡°Go, Aldo. He¡¯s your grandfather. Call Grandpa.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Aldo answered, and he slowly went over to Philip to give him a bow. ¡°Hello, Grandpa.¡± Philip put Buddy down and picked Aldo up instead. He looked at the boy for a long time, then he turned to Zacharias. ¡°Look at him, Zacharias. He looks exactly like Sebastian when Sebastian was a kid, even more sopared to when I saw him on the TV. If I had seen him in the flesh, I would have ditched the paternity test for real. This one is obviously Sebastian¡¯s son.¡± ¡°That is true, sir.¡± Zacharias wiped away his tears of joy. ¡°Sir, you finally got the grandson you always wanted, and two at once too. Bless the souls of the madam and the ancestors. Thank the gods!¡± Philipughed in delight. ¡°This is the blessing of our ancestors. And I thought I¡¯d never see my grandkid my whole life. But boy, am I d I¡¯m wrong. I saw not one, but two grandkids! Good thing we do charities, huh? Our ancestors are great.¡± Madeline could finally rest easy seeing how excited Philip was. She was worried he might not like them, since they were born out of wedlock. She was worried he only asked Sebastian to take them back so their bloodline wouldn¡¯t have to live the life of a drifter. She thought he only did it out of obligation instead of love. Looks like I was worried for nothing. His eyes were shining when he saw them.That proves he really loves them. Since he likes them, the boys can finally settle down. They don¡¯t have to follow me around and suffer any discrimination anymore. Philip yed with Aldo for a while before he put him down. Then, he held the boys¡¯ hands and took them into the living room. The stairs were tall, and Philip walked slowly with the kids. He held his head high, and his steps were firm. He was old, but the light of pride still shone on his face. Sebastian could see that Philip was truly delighted for the first time in decades, and he felt a little bit guilty. He might be a genius, but the god probably closed the door of rtionships for him, as he had no interest in that. He was a workaholic who spent most of his days in hispany. Sometimes he would go on a business trip and onlye home to the manor on the weekends. He was an only son, and that made Philip lonely. That got worse as he aged, and he wanted to get a grandkid as soon as possible. Every time they met, he would urge Sebastian to get married and have a kid. However, he didn¡¯t have anyone he was interested in, which made marriage impossible. He was left with no choice but to stay away from his father. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. He would go home every weekend in the past, but he switched that to once a fortnight. But thanks to that, it only made Philip get more anxious. He even threatened to disown Sebastian if he couldn¡¯t have a grandkid. Well, now he got what he wanted. He has not one, but two intelligent, beautiful grandsons. Look at him. Happy as ark. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 27 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Impossible Happiness was infectious. His father was happy, and it made him happy too. He started to smile, and joy welled up within him. He remained two steps behind Philip and the kids, and his gaze never left them, in case they slipped up and fell. The sun shone on Philip and the kids, their shadows stretching far, far behind them. Sebastian followed them slowly, and he wasn¡¯t impatient at all. His gaze was as gentle as water, and it was never seen by anyone before. It was as if Philip and the kids were his whole world. Madeline was following not far behind, and she could see how Sebastian was looking at the trio before him. The look in his eyes assured her, for she knew someone who could have that gaze could never be evil. Or at least he won¡¯t hurt the boys, and that¡¯s enough for me. The living room was filled with all kinds of toys Philip asked his men to buy, while the coffee table was filled with snacks and drinks, which was also for the kids. Philip had even prepared a thick menu too. Philip sat the boys down beside him and handed them the menu. ¡°Take a look, boys. You¡¯ll be deciding what we¡¯re having for lunch.¡± Kids were perceptive creatures. They could see that Philip truly liked them, and Buddy quickly fell for the love bombs. He sat beside Philip and looked down at the menu, pointing at all the dishes he loved. ¡°I like this one. Aldo likes this one. Mom likes this one. Oh, I like this one too.¡± ¡°Alright, you¡¯re getting all of them.¡± Philip ticked every dish Buddy pointed. Sebastian wasn¡¯t a fan of heavy food. Everything Buddy ordered was either sweet or spicy, and even though there were a dozen dishes, he didn¡¯t like any of them. Philip didn¡¯t realize that though. After Buddy was done ordering, Philip happily handed Zacharias the menu and asked him to get the chef to make it. He only had eyes for his grandsons and spared not a moment for Sebastian. Guess once he has his grandkid, he doesn¡¯t need his son anymore. Oh well, he has beenining about me even before the boys showed up. What can I do? He went to the kitchen and asked the chef to make some light dishes. The chef obliged. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. When he came back out, Philip was already sitting on the rug with the kids, ying with them. The rug was only bought that morning. It was pure white, soft, and smooth, and it wasfortable to sit on. A few minutester, Aldo opened himself up too, and he started to smile. He even called Philip ¡®Grandpa¡¯. Philip sat between the kids, and he wouldn¡¯t stop smiling just because the kids were calling him Grandpa. It was lunchtime a momentter, and Philip took the kids to wash their hands. While they were eating, Philip kept filling the boys¡¯ bowls with food, worried that they might starve. That was especially the case for Buddy. He was Aldo¡¯s twin, but he was shorter than his brother, and it saddened him to see that. If he could, he would have given him enough food to make him the same height as his brother. While he filled Buddy¡¯s bowl with food, he muttered, ¡°This is all because he didn¡¯t stay with me since the day he was born. If I was the one taking care of him, I would have fed him enough to make sure he grows tall.¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°Dad.¡± Are you sure you should talk like that in front of their mother? You¡¯re making it sound like she didn¡¯t take good care of the boys. Philip noticed his slip of the tongue, and he looked at Madeline. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Madeline. I didn¡¯t mean anything. Just saying it¡¯s a shame I only got to see them after so long. I know it¡¯s been hard raising them on your own. I have a lot of questions, so let¡¯s talk after lunch.¡± Madeline nodded. She knew what Philip wanted to talk about, but she had nothing to hide, so she wasn¡¯t worried. The kids were feeling sleepy after lunch. Buddy was lying on Madeline¡¯sp, rubbing his eyes. Aldo was tired as well, but he kept his eyes open and sat on the couch seriously, staring at Philip and Sebastian as if they would do something bad. He had heard what Philip said during lunch. He was worried that the talk was a pretext to hurt his mother. Philip smiled and waved at the boys. ¡°Come with me, boys. I¡¯ll take you to the bedroom. It¡¯s naptime.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping.¡± Aldo sat up straight. ¡°I want to listen to this negotiation,¡± he answered seriously. ¡°I¡¯m a man. I want to protect her.¡± Buddy leaned against his mother and tilted his head to the side to look at Philip. ¡°Grandpa, what do you want to talk about with Mom?¡± he asked cutely. Philip¡¯s heart melted from Buddy¡¯s adorable attitude. How can they be so cute? Oh, my heart! ¡°It¡¯s nothing, boys.¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just something about the past. I won¡¯t hurt her, I promise.¡± ¡°I want to listen!¡± Aldo insisted. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Aldo. It¡¯s time for you and Buddy to take a nap.¡± Madeline got up and carried Buddy in her arms, then looked at Sebastian. ¡°Lead the way please.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take the kids to their bedroom, Dad,¡± he told Philip. Philip was angry that Sebastian took his job, and he red at his son. ¡°Go, and take good care of the boys.¡± Alright, that¡¯s going to be a problem. I can see my life getting that bit harder here. Sebastian took Madeline and the kids to the guest room. He opened the door and told them, ¡°They can stay here for now. The nursery¡¯s under renovation. Once it¡¯s done and confirmed to be safe, they can move in.¡± ¡°No! Not the nursery!¡± Buddy, who had been dozing off on his mother¡¯s shoulder, suddenly woke up. He hugged his mother, tensed up, and his eyes widened in fear. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay in the nursery! Mom! We¡¯re not staying in the nursery!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 28 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Her Past ¡°Okay, okay. You won¡¯t be staying in the nursery!¡± Madeline felt heartbroken seeing him so distraught, and she patted his back. ¡°We won¡¯t stay in the nursery.¡± Buddy rxed after getting his mother¡¯s confirmation. He leaned on her shoulder and tilted his head at Sebastian. ¡°We don¡¯t want to stay in the nursery,¡± he whispered. Okay, that reaction was odd to say the least. He whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why does Buddy dislike nurseries so much?¡± Aldo heard that. He held Buddy¡¯s hand tofort him and answered angrily, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that witch, Phoebe Xavier! Buddy and I were staying in the nursery earlier in the year, and a few days after that, she and some baddies came to the nursery at midnight. She wanted to take Buddy away because her niece wants him to be her son. That scared him, and from then on, Mom never lets us stay in any nurseries ever again.¡± As he exined the reason behind Buddy¡¯s reaction, Sebastian could feel his fury climb. Phoebe Xavier, is it? I¡¯ll make sure to remember that name. ¡°Alright, the nursery¡¯s ditched.¡± He took Buddy from Madeline and patted his back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Buddy. I¡¯ll keep you safe. If anyone tries to hurt you or Aldo, I¡¯ll beat them up.¡± Buddy leaned against his chest and held his shoulder. ¡°And you have to keep Mom safe too!¡± Sebastianughed, but he nodded. ¡°And your Mom too.¡± He and Madeline put the kids to bed. Buddy was exhausted. He asked Madeline for a naptime kiss and drifted to sleep once he hit the hay. Aldo didn¡¯t want to sleep just yet. He warned Sebastian, ¡°You¡¯d better not hurt Mom. I¡¯ll grow up soon, and I¡¯ll be super strong then. I¡¯ll get back at anyone who tries to hurt Mom.¡± He¡¯s such a delicate boy, but he just has to put up that serious act. Sebastian was amused, but also sad. He¡¯s only five. He should be protected, but he keeps on trying to protect his mother and his family despite his delicate age. Madeline patted his head. ¡°Aldo, I told you I¡¯m strong. Nobody can hurt me, and I don¡¯t need you to keep me safe. All you have to do is be happy and grow up in peace with your brother.¡± Aldo pouted as he didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Everyone in the Taylor Family hurts you except for Uncle Sam. Uncle Dan almost pped you earlier, but you didn¡¯t even dodge.¡± Madeline was silent for a long while. Then she held his hand apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aldo. It¡¯s my fault, but it won¡¯t happen ever again. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt me, I promise.¡± The boys are starting to know what¡¯s right and wrong. They¡¯ll feel angry and sad for me if I get hurt, and it might even traumatize them. I¡¯ve repaid the Taylors, and from now on, I won¡¯t let them hurt me or take advantage of me ever again. ¡°Really?¡± He looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Really,¡± she promised. ¡°Pinky promise!¡± Aldo raised his right pinky. ¡°Pinky promise!¡± Madeline made a pinky promise with him and kissed his forehead. ¡°Sleep. I¡¯ll protect myself. You boys don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worry,¡± Aldo answered seriously. ¡°It¡¯s just a sweet burden.¡± Madeline smiled and poked his nose. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best not to be your burden then, so all that¡¯s left is sweet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°Pressure is a kind of motivation, and it keeps me working hard. That¡¯s the only way to power.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be really powerful,¡± Madeline answered gently. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you two safe.¡± ¡°And me too.¡± Sebastian crouched down beside the bed and held his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll protect your mother and Buddy.¡± Aldo pouted and pulled his hand away. He closed his eyes, turned his back on Sebastian, and fell asleep. It¡¯s fine. Time will tell him that I¡¯m reliable. I¡¯ll be the man they can depend on. I¡¯ll make sure nothing stands in their way. After the boys were asleep, Madeline and Sebastian left the room. Philip was waiting for them on the first floor with a pot of hot tea in front of him. When he saw theming down, he thought to himself, Wow, they¡¯re a perfect match. Mostdies will only look like a servant if they stand beside Sebastian. He¡¯s too handsome and powerful. Even the rich ladies get affected too, but not her. Not Madeline. Odd. She¡¯s just a fraildy and is unappreciated by the Taylors, but she¡¯s as confident as that brat is. It¡¯s like they¡¯re made for each other. She¡¯s not overshadowed by Sebastian. Why? Is it because she¡¯s a great martial artist? The data did say that she¡¯s a martial artist who¡¯s almost unmatched. Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s so confident. Maybe that¡¯s why she shines even though she looks weak. While he wasing up with his own theories, Sebastian and Madeline had sat down across from him. Madeline looked at him. ¡°We may talk now, Mr. Philip.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Philip sipped some tea and put the cup back onto the table. ¡°You know what I want to talk about, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°You want to know how I got pregnant with the boys.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± He nodded solemnly. He found out a lot of things about the Taylors, but not how or why Madeline got pregnant with twins. The Taylors kept that under wraps, and his men were still looking for the answer. But he wanted to know the true answer from Madeline herself, for he had a n that was dependent upon her integrity. He had to know if she could be trusted before he could execute it. ¡°It¡¯s simple, really.¡± She looked at Sebastian. ¡°Have you ever donated your sperm to the national sperm bank?¡± Whoa. Sebastian was a master at controlling his emotions, and he was rarely shocked by anything, but this time was an exception. He asked in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re saying that the boys are IVF babies? And you applied for the sperm from the national sperm bank?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°What about you? Have you ever donated your sperm to the national sperm bank?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 29 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 29 Chapter 29 You¡¯re Lucky, In a Sense Well, this is awkward. He looked at his father, his eyes filled with silentints. Philip was awkward as well, but he sat up straight and coughed seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. If it weren¡¯t for my wise decision, you wouldn¡¯t be having your sons right now. Sons. Plural. Two of them. Two. You should thank me.¡± ¡°Well, thank you so much then.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°What¡¯s with that attitude, Sebastian?¡± Philip smacked the table ¡®angrily;. ¡°If you had just gone to that blind date, I wouldn¡¯t have donated your sperm. It¡¯s all your fault in the end. What? Do you want to me me for that?¡± Of course not. You¡¯re my dad. How could I ever me you? I me myself. Madeline looked at Sebastian. ¡°So¡­ you have donated your sperm, right?¡± She thought it was unbelievable that a man like Sebastian would donate his sperm. ¡°Not willingly.¡± He noticed her confusion and exined, ¡°My dad forced me to go on blind dates, and I refused, which made him angry. One of his disciples worked in the national sperm bank then, so Dad spiked my drink, knocked me out, got his student to extract my sperm, then he donated the sperm to the sperm bank.¡± Whoa. Um¡­ okay? She looked at Philip, then she gave Sebastian a look of sympathy. Ahem, you¡¯re lucky to have a father like that, in a sense. Philip felt embarrassed from being looked at like that, and he sighed. ¡°To tell you the truth, Madeline, I wasn¡¯t in the best of my health back then. Every time I sleep, I worry that it might be thest time I close my eyes. I only have one son. His mother passed early, so if I were to pass, he¡¯d be left with no family in the world. If he¡¯s sick or unhappy, nobody can care for him. I was worried about that, and I don¡¯t think I could rest in peace if that were to happen.¡± ¡°So I forced him to go on blind dates, wanting him to have his own family and someone to love him even if I died. But he just wouldn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t go no matter what I said, and I got really mad, so I snapped. I took him to my student and asked him to extract Sebastian¡¯s sperm. I didn¡¯t think much about it. I just thought that if someone used his sperm, our family¡¯s bloodline would continue. I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the death of the lineage then.¡± Hey, it started out as a touching story, but what happened to the second part? So what do you want? A family for your son, or someone to continue the bloodline? Philip thought his story didn¡¯t make sense too, and he coughed. ¡°Point is, I want this brat to raise a family and have someone to care for him. Continuing the bloodline is just a nice bonus.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you snort at me, you brat!¡± Philip smacked the table. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done it if you just went on that darn date. Besides, if I hadn¡¯t done that, you wouldn¡¯t have two adorable kids now. Thank me, you brat.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you very much.¡± ¡°I am not talking to you.¡± He turned his attention to Madeline. ¡°Ignore him, Madeline. That¡¯s what he does best: making me angry. Let¡¯s talk about you. You¡¯re young, so why did you choose the IVF path? It¡¯s a¡­ difficult path, to say the least.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of my cousin.¡± She had nothing to hide from them. ¡°To put it simply, he was gravely ill, and there were two ways to save him. One, a matching bone marrow. He needs a donor for that. Two, cord blood. All the Taylor family members got tested, but their bone marrow couldn¡¯t match his. The only hope for him was through the cord blood, and that required someone to get pregnant. Fortunately, the boys¡¯ cord blood was a match, and my cousin was saved. That¡¯s why the boys were born.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t Phoebe have a daughter?¡± Philip frowned. ¡°She¡¯s your cousin¡¯s half-sister, while you¡¯re just his cousin. No matter how you look at it, she¡¯s the one with a higher chance to match. So why you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡± Sebastian smirked. ¡°IVF is also a painful process. Excruciating, some might say. And Phoebe¡¯s daughter was around Madeline¡¯s age five years ago. I hesitate to say this, but¡­ barely legal. She was unmarried and single back then. Of course the Taylors won¡¯t let their beloved princess take the risk.¡± IVF is painful, and the woman will almost always be a single mother once the child is born. In our society, that means goodbye to any good prospects in the dating and marriage scene. Of course Nigel won¡¯t have his daughter do that to save his son. He cashed in his favor with Madeline and forced her into this. The Taylors are a bunch of scum. Philip smacked the table again. ¡°Those pieces of scum! Animals, all of them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± She smiled. ¡°My cousin is really nice to me, and I¡¯m happy that I could save him. Besides, I never regretted giving birth to the boys. They¡¯re more important to me than myself. They¡¯re my dearest treasure.¡± ¡°You think so because you¡¯re a kind and grateful woman. Doesn¡¯t change the fact that the Taylors are still a bunch of animals.¡± Philip scoffed at this kind of behavior. Holier-than-thou, disgusting, evil bunch of hypocrites. ¡°Mr. Philip, I know you¡¯re anrgy for me, but that¡¯s because you¡¯re standing in my shoes.¡± Madeline looked at him seriously. ¡°Look at it this way: My other cousin, Dan, saved my life. If he hadn¡¯t done that, I would have died with indignity on the streets. The Taylors gave me my life, and they gave me a ce to stay. Sam treated me like his own sister. When he found out about my talent and love for martial arts, he spent a lot of money hiring a famous master to train me. He also taught me survival skills. As long as I could save him, I would do anything.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 30 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Truth Philip shut up. He knew she had a point. He had a few adopted kids too, and he treated those kids differently than how he would his son. He had a clear goal when he took them in¡ªto raise them up as Sebastian¡¯s right-hand men. The boys were also rescued in the direst of moments, and they were grateful for Philip¡¯s help. They wouldn¡¯tin even if he asked them to give their lives to Sebastian. Hey, but I love them like my own. Sebastian is like a brother to them. He would never see them as his underlings. The Taylors? Not so much. Only Nigel¡¯s eldest son resembles a human. He¡¯s truly kind to Madeline. Everyone else sees her as a servant and looks down on her, yet they take all she has to offer. I never treated my adopted kids that way. That still makes them trash. F*ck them. He snorted with scorn. Sebastian smiled. ¡°Now I really want to know what Michael will do once he knows you¡¯re his daughter.¡± His own daughter was treated like a servant by the Taylors for so many years, and she was even forced to undergo an IVF process before she could even get herself a boyfriend just to save her cousin. Michael might be a gentleman, but he protects his own like no tomorrow, and he¡¯s really proud. Wonder what he¡¯ll feel once he knows the truth. ¡­ It was a shocking afternoon for Michael, who was in his residence in Wendel City. He was spacing out in his study, the file Dan faxed him sitting on his desk. When they had the video call earlier, he was shocked to see Dan looking so injured, and he asked who did that. Dan did not answer. Instead, he went on an incoherent speech about how Angie was Cameron¡¯s daughter instead of his, and how his real daughter was Madeline. He was shocked, and he asked what Dan meant. Dan iled his arms in frustration, but he refused to answer. He only hastily said he would fax a file over. When Michael read through the file, he understood what Dan told him earlier. He¡¯s right, and this file proves it. Angie isn¡¯t my real daughter; Madeline is. No paternity test needed either. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s my own daughter. Hepared Angie and Madeline¡¯s photo to his, and he realized that Angie did not resemble him at all. However, he could see some shadow of him on Madeline¡¯s face. He never suspected that Angie wasn¡¯t his daughter, as no one mentioned it before, and he never thought her not resembling him was a problem either. She might not resemble him, but she had his wife¡¯s looks, and it was normal for girls to inherit their mother¡¯s looks. Who¡¯d be crazy enough to suspect that their kid isn¡¯t their kid? But when that suspicion did arise, he went around to look for evidence and realized that not only did Angie not resemble him, she didn¡¯t resemble his parents either. She had no features of the Wendels at all, but Madeline did resemble Michael¡¯s mother when she was young. As Angie resembled his wife, he never suspected that she wasn¡¯t his child. I see. She resembles Crystal not because she¡¯s our kid, but because her real mother¡ªCameron¡ªis Crystal¡¯s half sister. Cameron looked slightly simr to Crystal. And Angie only resembles Crystal because she resembles her real mother. Crystal was a legitimate child, but Cameron wasn¡¯t. They might be half sisters, but they were born to be enemies. Cameron despised Crystal, so she gave birth on the same date and in the same hospital as Crystal on purpose. Then, she did a switcheroo while the Wendels weren¡¯t looking. Which means ever since then, her daughter took my girl¡¯s ce and has been enjoying everything the family has to offer, while my real daughter was exiled? She suffered under the hands of Cameron and Xander, almost died on the streets, then Dan saved her only for the Taylors to treat her like a¡­ a servant? She toiled under them, and they insulted her? She¡¯s my only daughter! My princess! But she suffered because of my moment of oversight! He felt his heart torn asunder with pain and fury. He couldn¡¯t ept that truth, but when his men reported back with the data they gathered, he was forced to ept it. They tracked down the witnesses listed on the file, and they confirmed that Cameron had said the Taylors were all fools multiple times in front of them. ording to them, she yed the Taylors like a fiddle, and she said her daughter was born to be a princess. They said Cameron looked arrogant and smug when she said that, but they only thought it was the ramblings of an alcoholic, so nobody took it seriously. Well, that¡¯s it then. Madeline is my real daughter. Our real daughter. The girl I thought was my daughter is actually someone else¡¯s child. He was the head of the Wendels. He was courageous, smart, and enjoyed sess at a young age. Thest few decades were more or less the same thing¡ªenjoyment and happiness. It had been a long time since he lost his cool, but that day, he lost it. The man, in his fury, swept everything on his table away onto the ground. If Cameron was in front of him right then, he would tear her apart limb from limb. He didn¡¯t care what kind of grudge she and Crystal had, but involving an innocent child was going too far. She secretly sent her daughter into my family to enjoy the best life has to offer while my own child suffers the worst life has? How dare she? His face was white with anger, and he was trembling. It took him a long time, but he finally calmed down. Vengeance wasn¡¯t the first thing on his list. He would have that sooner orter, and he wouldN?velDrama.Org (C) content. make sure it was a satisfying one. That wasn¡¯t the most important thing for him right now. The most important thing was to do a paternity test to see if Madeline was his daughter. He was ny-nine percent sure that Madeline was his daughter, but he needed to do that test so he could feel at ease and prove it to everyone else. After all, bloodline was something that could never be treated lightly. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 31 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 31 Chapter 31 If Two Ride a Horse He took a long, long time to calm himself down after that, and he finally resumed his usual self. He called his eldest and youngest son, summoning them back home. He had four sons and a daughter. His eldest sons, Jonathan and Joseph, were twins. His youngest sons, Connor and Cedric, were also twins as well. Jonathan was the eldest, while Cedric was the youngest. He and Crystal had four sons before they finally had a girl, and they treated her like a princess. They loved her for more than twenty years, but now, he realized his love had been poured onto the wrong person. He med himself every time he thought of the suffering Madeline went through. Having twins ran in Crystal¡¯s family. Crystal¡¯s brothers were twins, while she gave birth to two sets of twins too, and Madeline also gave birth to twins. Why didn¡¯t I think of that when Madeline gave birth to the boys? Cameron is Crystal¡¯s half-sister. Crystal got the tendency to birth twins from her mother¡¯s side. Cameron has no such genes. Five years ago, Madeline gave birth to two beautiful sons just like his wife did so many years ago. Why didn¡¯t I suspect her of being my daughter? If I had known the truth after she gave birth to the boys, I could have taken care of her and her boys for a few more years. Those beautiful, intelligent boys are my grandsons! That idea excited him. He wanted to hug them, kiss them, and tell them he was sorry. If he had known they were his own grandkids, he would have taken them in and cared for them himself. He would never have let them live under the Taylors¡¯ tyranny. The more he thought of that, the more upset he was. When he called his sons, they could hear the solemnity in his voice, and they were nervous. They wanted to know what was wrong. He didn¡¯t answer them. He only asked them to return quickly, but before he hung up, he told them to get a driver to drive them home in case they got themselves in danger because they were in a hurry. He only called two of his four sons home. He had handed hispany to Jonathan, and his eldest was managing it well as the president. His youngest opened a gamingpany and made a lot of money too. His second was a national researcher who worked at a research center. It wasmon for him to stay in theb for long periods of time. He didn¡¯t call Joseph back in case it got in the way of his job, while Connor worked with the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. It was a strict department, and he couldn¡¯te home whenever he wanted, so Michael didn¡¯t alert him. Half an hourter, his sons came into the study. When they saw the dark look on their father¡¯s face, it unnerved them. ¡°What happened, Dad? You sounded like you were in a hurry on the phone. What happened?¡± ¡°A few things. All important. I don¡¯t want to repeat myself. Give me a moment.¡± He clicked around and sent two online conference invitations to his other sons. Joseph and Connor epted it, though they were surprised to see their father and brothers around. ¡°What happened, Dad? This seems serious,¡± Joseph asked. ¡°This is important.¡± Michael handed the file to Jonathan. ¡°Jonathan, read the content out loud for your brothers.¡± ¡°Alright, Dad.¡± He took the file from Michael, and as he read, he and his brothers started to look solemn as well. Once he was done, a dead silence fell on them. A long, long timeter, Cedric looked at his father. ¡°This isn¡¯t true, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is.¡± Michael shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to look into this, and Cameron did say the exact same thing written on this file. She even called your mother a fool despite her being the so-called ¡®legit child¡¯. She said she yed them all like a fiddle and got your mother to work for her.¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°She said Mom¡¯s a fool who got yed and is working for her? Is she talking about Mom raising Angie as her own?¡± ¡°Probably, and look at this.¡± He took out three photos. ¡°This is Angie, Madeline, and your grandmother¡¯s photos. Of course, your grandmother¡¯s photo was taken when she was young.¡± The Wendel brotherspared the photos, and the results made their blood go cold. Madeline looked slightly simr to their grandmother, while their ¡®sister¡¯, Angie, resembled nothing like their grandmother. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°See? Madeline¡¯s obviously one of us.¡± Michael closed his eyes in agony and scrolled through his phone. ¡°This is Xander¡¯s photo. I got it from a friend who knows him.¡± He put Xander¡¯s photo together with Angie¡¯s, and they noticed the slight resemnce. But since the genders were different, it could only be seen if observed closely. If no one suspected it, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell. Michael looked at his sons. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure that Madeline is your real sister. The thing that stops me from being definitely sure is a simple paternity test. So¡­¡± He scanned his sons. ¡°What do you think?¡± The brothers looked at one another. Jonathan said, ¡°The first order of business is that paternity test. We need to bepletely sure about this.¡± Michael nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to prepare the jet. I shall be flying to Dusktown in half an hour.¡± Joseph said, ¡°If Madeline is really our sister, we have to take her in.¡± Michael answered, ¡°Naturally.¡± She¡¯s one of us. More importantly, she¡¯s my daughter. I can¡¯t let her live the life of a drifter. ¡°What about Angie, then?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°And that¡¯s why I summoned you here,¡± Michael said. ¡°If Madeline is indeed your sister, what should we do with Angie? Should we let her stay, send her back to the Colts, or hand her over to Cameron?¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°Dad, from what I know about Madeline thus far, if Angie stays with us, she would never recognize us as her family.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 32 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Argument ¡°Jonathan¡¯s right,¡± Joseph said. ¡°Just like how Mom and Cameron are enemies, that¡¯s how it¡¯ll be with Angie and Madeline. Angie has been bullying Madeline for years. Once Madeline finds out that Angie took her ce as our sister, do you think she can get along with Angie? Do you think she can do that once she knows everything that Angie has is supposed to be hers?¡± He answered his own question, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can if I were in her ce.¡± Michael nodded silently. He shared the same sentiment. Madeline was her real daughter, while Angie was the girl whom he had spoiled for more than two decades. If the paternity test showed that Madeline was his true daughter, then the best case scenario for him and his wife would be Madelineing back into the fold, and they could still keep Angie around. They were rich. Even if they had more kids, they could still afford it. The problem was, Angie and Madeline were enemies. Just like what Joseph said, Angie had bullied Madeline for years. Everyone thought Madeline was Cameron¡¯s daughter back then, and Cameron was an illegitimate child. Even though Madeline was a legit child, since Crystal was Cameron¡¯s nemesis, Angie never did like Madeline ever since Dan took her into the Taylor household. She kept trying to chase Madeline out. Dan was in his rebellious phase at that time, and going against everyone was what he liked. The more someone didn¡¯t want him to do something, the more he would do that exact thing. Angie wanted to chase Madeline out, but he refused. He even made her cry because of that. Madeline was supposed to sit with them during meals, but Angie threw a tantrum and sshed a whole bowl of food in her face, chasing her off the table. Ever since then, Madeline never did sit with them for meals anymore. On top of that, ever since Madeline knew how to cook, Angie loved to order Madeline to cook for her. Every time they went to the Taylor Residence, she would ask Madeline to cook. Nigel spoiled Angie, so he actually told Madeline to cook for the whole family. Every time they visited, Madeline would be the one to cook the whole family¡¯s meal. He never felt bad about it because it had nothing to do with him, but now it broke his heart. Why should my daughter cook for Cameron¡¯s? If Crystal finds out about this, she¡¯ll be livid. Madeline used to avoid Angie like the gue and let Angie do as she pleased, but once she knew she was the real darling of the Wendel Family, she would never get along with the usurper who had taken her ce for more than two decades. But I did raise Angie like she¡¯s my own for two decades. I¡¯d probably even cry if a pet of mine died, let alone a human whom I¡¯ve loved as my own. He couldn¡¯t chase Angie out, and the fact that he had to choose between Angie and Madeline made his head hurt. ¡°What should we do?¡± Cedric frowned. ¡°We can¡¯t chase Angie away. Cameron¡¯s evil and twisted, yes, but Angie is innocent.¡± ¡°She is innocent,¡± Connor said. ¡°But Madeline¡¯s the victim here. She suffered a lot because of Cameron¡¯s twisted actions. Angie, on the other hand, has gained from this. Because of what Cameron did, she took Madeline¡¯s ce and enjoyed the life that was supposed to be Madeline¡¯s.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean, Connor? Are you ditching Angie? We practically watched her grow up. You can¡¯t abandon her just like that.¡± Cedric was displeased. ¡°Dad, Jonathan, Joseph, Connor, I don¡¯t mind even if you tear Cameron apart limb from limb, but Angie is innocent. She knew nothing about this. She didn¡¯t ask Cameron to do the switcheroo. We spent two decades with her. That must mean something. Guys, I don¡¯t care what the results are. Angie will always be my sister, and this house will always be her home. I don¡¯t care what you think, but I will defend her.¡± ¡°Calm down, Connor.¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°Why are you so worked up? I know you want to defend Angie, but what about Mom? Have you ever thought about how she would feel? Cameron switched her real daughter out just to get back at her. If she tries to send Angie away after knowing the truth because she can¡¯t face her, are you going to argue with her? Are you going to turn your back on her for Angie?¡± Cedric shut up. Angie was important, but not as important as his mother was. His mother had a heart condition, and it would palpitate at times. His father, him, and his brothers always took great care of her. They would never make her angry. A momentter, he muttered defiantly, ¡°She loves Angie the most. Mom won¡¯t ever abandon her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she thinks Angie is her own daughter, and she¡¯s the youngest of us all,¡± Jonathan answered coldly. ¡°But now she¡¯s not. Not only is she not Mom¡¯s own daughter, she¡¯s also her nemesis¡¯ child. Do you really think she can love Angie the same after she finds out about this?¡± ¡°I think she can¡­¡± Cedric answered stubbornly. But not even he believed that. His mother could be paradoxical. She was sweet and kind, but she also had a strong sense of justice. To them, she was the gentlest, most gorgeous, and most reasonable mother in the world, but to Cameron, she was a cruel tyrant. Before their mother was married, she had her father and brothers to keep her safe, and after she got married, she had Michael to protect her. She wanted for nothing in life, and she had no enemies, save for Cameron. Asking Mom to ept Cameron¡¯s daughter and love her like she¡¯s her own? Come on. That¡¯s impossible. Michael massaged his forehead. ¡°Keep this a secret from your mother. She must not know about this before the results are out.¡± The brothers nodded. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Michael stood up. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Jonathan,e with me to Dusktown. We will meet Madeline. Cedric, stay with your mother. Before Ie back, she must not know about this.¡± Jonathan and Cedric nodded. He then told Joseph and Connor, ¡°You two focus on work. Once we have news, Jonathan and I will inform you.¡± Joseph and Connor nodded. Once arrangements were done, Michael and Jonathan left for Dusktown on a private jet. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 33 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Mentally Tired It was a happy afternoon in the Hart Residence. Philip kept asking Madeline about the twins and their days before they came to the residence. Madeline entertained him, and heughed out loud sometimes. An hour flew by. Philip, who was still asking all the details about the twins, suddenly changed the topic. He looked at Sebastian and Madeline. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two get registered?¡± ¡°What did you say, Mr. Philip?¡± Madeline didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°Register what?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®register what¡¯?''¡± Philip said matter-of-factly. ¡°Marriage registration, of course.¡± ¡°I am sorry? Marriage registration?¡± She was surprised, but she smiled. ¡°You must be joking, Mr. Philip.¡± I¡¯ve only known Sebastian for a couple of days, and we have only spent a few hours together, but you want us to get married already? ¡°I am not.¡± Philip looked at her seriously. ¡°Do you want them to call the boys illegitimate children?¡± Madeline paused. They were only two words, but it hurt her where it was the most painful. She had suffered for years because she was the daughter of an illegitimate child, and she wouldn¡¯t wish her boys to tread the same path. ¡°No matter what the reason is, illegitimate children are always looked down upon in Dusktown,¡± Philip answered slowly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want the boys to suffer that fate, you¡¯ll have to get registered as Sebastian¡¯s legal wife. Even if it¡¯s just a fake marriage and you guys get divorced in a few days, that¡¯ll still make the boys legit children, and they won¡¯t have to suffer any discrimination.¡± Madeline was tempted to agree. She could do anything for her sons. As long as they could be legitimate kids and never tread the thorny path she did, she could even sell herself and be a servant, let alone get married. She looked at Sebastian, ¡°Is that fine?¡± Philip looked at him as well. He might look calm, but he was actually quite nervous. He wasn¡¯t sure if Sebastian would agree. He knew his son well enough to know that he wouldn¡¯t. After all, Sebastian disagreed even though all he wanted was for him to go on a blind date back then. He had flown into a rage and threatened Sebastian, but he still failed. This time around, it was a marriage. That was a bigger hurdle than a date, but he hoped Sebastian would agree. The kids were too adorable, and he didn¡¯t want them to bebeled as illegitimate children. Madeline was a gooddy too, and she was a great match for Sebastian. If they can get married, they¡¯d be a family. How good is that? And after they get married, the kids can stay here with Sebastian. I can also pass away in peace once that happens. He stared at his son and awaited his answer with bated breaths. Sebastian looked at Madeline for a silent moment, then he nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Philip couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°What did you say, brat?¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Sebastian shot his father a resigned look. ¡°I¡¯m a father now. Can you at least show me some respect and don¡¯t call me a brat?¡± Philip snorted. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a grandfather, that still doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m your old man.¡± He looked at Sebastian. ¡°I can call you whatever I want.¡± Well, I can¡¯t say anything about that. He¡¯s my father. ¡°And stop changing the topic.¡± He red at Sebastian. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear what you just said. Say it again.¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°I said I¡¯ll get registered with Maddie.¡± ¡°Maddie? It¡¯s been like, what, a couple of days? And you already have a nickname for her?¡± He patted Sebastian¡¯s shoulder and looked at him mysteriously. ¡°Well, so you¡¯re not a total idiot.¡± He muttered, ¡°Oh, I get it. So you were lying when you said you weren¡¯t interested in women and rtionships. Work is the only thing that can give you satisfaction? Bull. In the end, you just don¡¯t like the girls I chose because they¡¯re not as pretty as dear little Maddie here. I¡¯m a man of culture, but my son cares only for a woman¡¯s looks? How disappointing.¡± Honestly, Dad, this is why I don¡¯t want to talk to you sometimes. Philip might have muttered under his breath, but he was close enough for Madeline to hear him. She smiled. She thought Philip was a kind and interesting man. He loved his son and her boys deeply, and she respected people like him a lot. She felt close to him too, as if he was her own father who cared about her. N?velDrama.Org owns this. The household was a nice ce as well. Philip might mock Sebastian a lot, but she could see that Sebastian was Philip¡¯s whole world, just like how the boys were hers. He could mock his own son, but nobody else could. Sebastian treated his father well too. He might be a cold, uncaring man to the world, but he wouldn¡¯t get impatient with his father, nor would he retort when his father mocked him. Instead, he would always listen to whatever his father had to say. Philip might look like he had a lot toin about his son, but they were actually a happy family. It was a great rtionship, and Madeline could truly smile at that. She liked the Hart Family. The boys would have a really happy childhood if they grew up here. Because of that, she was delighted and thankful that Sebastian would want to marry her. Just like what Philip said, even if they were divorced shortly after the marriage, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that her boys had be legitimate children. She was Sebastian¡¯s first wife, and her sons would be the direct descendants of Sebastian. Even if they were to get a divorce, her sons could still stay with them without any questions asked, and they would grow up happily. Though, she would like it if the marriage were to go on for just a bit longer. She wanted her sons to live in a family where both parents were present and married. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 34 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Thunderstruck ¡°Alright, alright, enough.¡± Philip waved his hands impatiently. ¡°We have no time to lose. Get registered right away. If someone asks, say you¡¯re married a long time ago and lived separately because of disagreements. Now you have made up, so you came back. My grandsons will be legitimate children then. I won¡¯t butt in about how you do this, but I won¡¯t let anything happen to my grandkids.¡± Madeline thought, You just told us to get registered right away, and that¡¯s ¡®not butting in¡¯? But I¡¯m fine with that. Getting her sons the ¡®legitimate children¡¯ status was too tempting, and she gave in, so she looked at Sebastian. Sebastian nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll go right away.¡± Philip snorted and rolled his eyes. ¡°Never knew my son¡¯s a sucker for good looks. Shallow! How disgraceful!¡± Well, you can call me shallow all you want, because you¡¯re my dad. He looked at Madeline. ¡°So, do you have your IDs?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± she said. ¡°But we can¡¯t go right now. We have to wait until the boys wake up so we can tell them where we¡¯re going. Buddy will cry if he doesn¡¯t see me when he wakes up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Philip waved them off. ¡°I¡¯m here to keep an eye on them. If they want to see you when they wake up, I¡¯ll just call.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Madeline hesitated. ¡°Let¡¯s do as Dad says,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°The more you stay with them, the less confidence they¡¯ll have when the time for you to leavees. If you leave them alone a few times ande back within the time limit, they¡¯ll know you¡¯lle back no matter where you go. It¡¯ll be easier for them to ept it when you have to be separated from them for a few hours every day eventually. Once you settle down, it¡¯s time for them to go to school, and you can¡¯t stay with them all day, can you?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Madeline was still hesitating, but she was convinced in the end. What Sebastian said made sense. The boys were growing up, so what she had to do was build their sense of security up so they could be independent instead of overly relying on her. Now, they would get nervous and anxious the moment she was out of their sights. ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± She left the kids to Philip and took her IDs before she went with Sebastian to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Sebastian was driving. She looked out the window while she was on the way there, and she felt like everything was a dream. All of a sudden, she was getting married to a man whom she just met. She would never have thought of this even in her wildest dreams. But even if this is a dream, it¡¯s a good one. My boys will be legitimate children very soon. No matter what happens to this marriage, at least the boys won¡¯t be looked down on because of their background. She held her IDs tightly, her heart filled with excitement. Suddenly, her phone rang. She took it out and frowned when she saw who the caller was. Sebastian noticed the look on her face, and he nced at her phone screen. It read, ¡®Uncle¡¯. Oh. Nigel. The Taylors¡¯ leader who looks smart but actually got yed like a fiddle. He smirked. He could see that his life would be really interesting for a very long time. His life before this was dull and without excitement. He preferred the excitement. Madeline sighed almost inaudibly, but she took the call. ¡°Hello, uncle.¡± ¡°Madeline¡­¡± He called Madeline¡¯s name, but he couldn¡¯t say anything else. The words were stuck in his throat like a fishbone. After Phoebe got into trouble, he came to Dusktown all the way from Worrick, but the moment he came to the Taylors¡¯ base in Dusktown, Dan came to him, looking distraught and sad. He said Madeline could be Crystal¡¯s real daughter, and that Angie was just a fake. He told her Madeline was most possibly the Wendel couple¡¯s real child. The news shocked him, and he couldn¡¯t believe that it was real. But when Dan sat down before him and threw all the proof in his face, he had to believe it. The clues lined up perfectly, and the exnation was logical. When he came to that conclusion, he had plopped down on his chair and fell into a trance. If Madeline is Crystal and Michael¡¯s kid, that means she¡¯s my own niece. And how did I treat her all these years? Like a servant whom anyone can order around. Phoebe and Isabel especially. They don¡¯t even think of Madeline as human. The first two years after Madeline came, Sam was studying abroad, he was busy with work, and Dan went on a globetrotting adventure, leaving only Phoebe and Isabel as masters of the house. They had almost tortured Madeline to death. When Sam came back, Madeline was nothing but skin and bones. She had injuries all over her body, and she was almost dying. Sam flew into a rage and chastised Isabel. That made those women hold back. Sam then sent Madeline to a martial arts ss so she could learn how to defend herself. Even so, that only made sure Madeline wasn¡¯t beaten up physically. The mental torture never stopped, even until she had left the Taylors. They saw Madeline as less than trash, saying that she was a stain on the family name. They said the Taylors had raised her, and that was already kind enough, so they justified working her to the bone. ¡®Debt repayment¡¯, they told him. He was busy with work, and he couldn¡¯t care less about the drama between women, so he let Phoebe and Isabel do as they liked. He too shared their opinion. Since Madeline was Cameron¡¯s daughter, and Cameron¡¯s mother destroyed his parents¡¯ rtionship, he saw no point raising a homewrecker¡¯s granddaughter. It if weren¡¯t for Dan going against him in his younger days and threatening to do something outrageous unless they took Madeline in, he would rather feed their leftovers to the dogs instead. Just like what Phoebe and Isabel had said, he thought it was already magnanimous enough for the Taylors to raise Madeline. She was just the granddaughter of a homewrecker. He couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t raise her like a young miss. That was what he thought. Because of that line of thought, Madeline was only a young miss in name, but a servant in reality. He never cared about her, as he thought that was what she deserved. Reality, however, decided to teach him a punishing lesson. The girl whom I have mistreated for so many years is my real niece and not a homewrecker¡¯s granddaughter? Gods. How am I supposed to face Madeline now? How am I supposed to face Crystal and her husband? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 35 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Laugh He held his phone, feeling guilty and confused. Madeline felt curious that her uncle would stop after he called her name out. ¡°Do you need anything, uncle?¡± ¡°Oh yes, um, yeah, I have something to say.¡± He snapped out of it and said hoarsely, ¡°Madeline, I¡¯ve heard about all of it from Dan. And I¡¯m¡­¡± He wanted to apologize, but then he thought, The test isn¡¯t done yet. What if Dan got it wrong? If she¡¯s not Crystal¡¯s daughter, that means Cameron is still her mother. He changed his mind and said instead, ¡°And I know Phoebe has gone too far this time, but she has received her punishment. Please, for my sake, can you forgive her this once?¡± Madeline thought it was a weird thing to hear. She had known Nigel for many years, and it was the first time he talked so softly with her. And he¡¯s negotiating? If it¡¯s in the past, he¡¯d be roaring at me and ordering me around. ¡®Madeline, I order you to let Phoebe out!¡¯ ¡®Madeline, do this or you¡¯re an ungrateful cur!¡¯ ¡®Madeline, the family raised you. It¡¯s time to repay your debt. You cannot do this to us!¡¯ ¡®Madeline, we spent a lot of money raising you. No matter what we do to you, you deserve it. You should be thanking us instead ofining about anything. You¡¯d better not do anything bad, or else.¡¯ She had heard all this so often that she could already memorize them all, but to her surprise, her uncle changed his attitude today. She knew why that happened. All hatred and love happened for a reason. Someone¡¯s story could be drastically changed if they had a different background. She held her phone, but she had no idea what to say. Before this, all she could do was say yes, for they had told her many times that she would have died without Dan¡¯s help. They said the Taylors gave her everything she had, and she had to give her life even if they wanted her to. All she could do was say yes, but now she wanted to say no. And it wasn¡¯t just because of her change in background. Phoebe was arrested because Sebastian called the cops on her. She had no right to drop the charges and let her out for obvious reasons, but she couldn¡¯t tell Nigel that, for that would mean antagonizing the whole Taylor Family and making an enemy out of them for the Harts. No matter what would happen to her and Sebastian, he had helped her out this time. He had called the cops on Phoebe to help Madeline out, and Madeline would not repay that kindness with malice. A long silenceter, Nigel said tentatively, ¡°Madeline? Are you there?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Uncle, I¡±m sorry. I¡ª¡± Just when she was about to say no, Sebastian suddenly extended his hand. ¡°Give me the phone.¡± Madeline was surprised. ¡°What?¡± He smiled. ¡°Trying to bust Phoebe out, isn¡¯t he? Hand it over. I¡¯ll deal with him.¡± He took the phone from her and turned the speaker on. ¡°Hello, Mr. Taylor. I¡¯m Sebastian.¡± Nigel was surprised. ¡°Mr. Hart? Y-You¡¯re with Madeline right now?¡± ¡°Obviously, yes.¡± He leaned against his seat, an elegant smile curling his lips. ¡°Mr. Taylor, you should have enough power to find out that I was the one who asked my men to call the cops on Phoebe. But still, you called Madeline instead of me. Do you think she¡¯s a pushover? Are you trying to bully her?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Nigel frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a bit heavy, don¡¯t you think? I called her because she¡¯s the cause of the whole thing. You might have misunderstood something.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°Yes, she might have been the cause, but I was the one who sued. As long as I don¡¯t drop the charges, Madeline can do nothing about it. So¡­¡± He smiled again. ¡°What will you do? Ask Madeline to beg me to let her go? If I don¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll be ming her for failing her task, then you¡¯ll hate her for this, won¡¯t you? If that¡¯s what you had in mind, then I¡¯m sorry to say that you¡¯re a big bully, Mr. Taylor. And it¡¯s quite shameless of you too.¡± Nigel¡¯s face was red with embarrassment. ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Hart? I won¡¯t do something like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the best.¡± He crossed his legs, his elegant smile still curling his lips. ¡°And now let me tell you something seriously. I am suing Phoebe no matter what you say, and nobody can help her. You don¡¯t have to waste your time begging Madeline for help. She¡¯s not as powerful as you think. Not even you can pull this off, and yet you asked a girl in her early twenties to do it for you? My, that¡¯s not too gentlemanly, don¡¯t you think? Not too brave as well.¡± ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Nigel stammered in anger, and his face was white with fury. It had been a long time since someone talked to him like that. He was the Taylors¡¯ leader, and Taylor Corporation was on the list of top one hundredpanies in the world. The Taylors were also the top family in Worrick, and they were worshipped by many. Nobody has ever mocked me in front of my face. How dare he? But he couldn¡¯t snap back at Sebastian. Taylor Corporation was the toppany in Worrick, but it was still no match for the bigger and stronger Hart Corporation. On top of that, Sebastian¡¯s father was a senior statesman who had contributed largely to the nation. Although he was retired, he was still influential. He was a national treasure, and nobody would be stupid enough to go against him or his family. Furthermore, Philip had a lot of students, and all of them were probably more powerful than the Taylors. He would never go against the Harts unless he wanted to destroy his own family. More importantly, the Harts had the moral high ground in this case, but he didn¡¯t. Philip might be a respected statesman, but he had to be reasonable too. If Sebastian was in the wrong, not even Philip could defend him. No matter how powerful Philip was, he too had his own enemies. If the court of public opinion swayed in the Taylors¡¯ favor, they could work with the Harts¡¯ enemies and fight with them. Not in this case, however. After Sebastian called the cops, he went through the legal procedure and sent out hispany¡¯s legal team to deal with the matter. There was nothing he could use against the Harts. He had no other way but to shamelessly ask Madeline for help, though that only gained him a mocking session from Sebastian. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 36 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 36 Chapter 36 wless Man He hadn¡¯t felt so embarrassed in a long while. His face turned pale for a moment before his blood rushed into his cheeks, making them burn as if he had just been pped a few times. He parted his lips to speak, but he couldn¡¯t find a goodeback. Sebastian chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my assistant to send you my number in a while, Mr. Taylor. If you¡¯d like to talk about Phoebe, I¡¯d dly have that conversation with you. I hope you don¡¯t contact Madeline for matters regarding Phoebe from now on. Madeline¡¯s just a poor little girl who¡¯s no different from a maid in our family. How could you expect a maid to help youplete something even you aren¡¯t able to do?¡± He curled his lips into an elegant smirk. ¡°Am I right, Mr. Taylor?¡± Nigel was so furious that he felt like he was about to burst. His hand was trembling as he clutched his phone. He couldn¡¯t seem to argue against Sebastian¡¯s words at all. What can I say? Can I say that I¡¯m not rted to you while Madeline is? Can I say that I wanted Madeline to help me save Phoebe because of that? But as Sebastian just said, Madeline isn¡¯t well-respected over at his house, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to convince him to let go of Phoebe. What can I do? Can I order Madeline to convince Sebastian to let go of Phoebe? Can I tell her that she¡¯d be an ungrateful pig otherwise? Yet, Sebastian said that if I did that, I¡¯d be bullying the weak and that I¡¯d be shameless to do so! I¡¯m the chairman of Taylor Corporation; can I embarrass myself like that? Sebastian was too good with his words¡ªhe could easily make someone lose their temper! Right then, Nigel felt like Sebastian hadpletely destroyed and shattered him. After uttering a few perfunctory statements, Nigel ended the call and wiped his forehead to find that he was soaked in sweat. Sebastian returned the phone to Madeline after he saw that the call had ended. ¡°If Mr. Taylor cares about his reputation, he¡¯ll probably stop looking for you and asking you to save Phoebe.¡± Madeline wore aplicated look in her eyes as she stared at Sebastian. This guy¡­ It¡¯s good enough that he has stunningbat skills, but how could he also be so good at talking? ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Sebastian shot her a sideways nce before smiling. ¡°Do you suddenly find me handsome?¡± Madeline was speechless for a while. Does he think one would suddenly find him handsome? Doesn¡¯t he know that anyone with eyes could easily see how good-looking he is? Especially when he¡¯s fighting and arguing with others¡­ That¡¯s when his handsomenesses with a hint of darkness. Sebastian is really a child of the Gods, huh. He has a good family background, he¡¯s handsome, he¡¯s good at fighting, he¡¯s smart, he¡¯s good at talking¡­ I haven¡¯t seen a single one of his ws yet. What is he, if not God¡¯s favorite child? Sebastian eyed her amusedly when he saw her remaining silent for a while. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± She didn¡¯t know what else to say. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t really wish to talk to him. He was too strong and too eloquent¡­ She couldn¡¯t win him in both physical and verbal fights, so she figured it¡¯d be best if she didn¡¯t speak! However, Sebastian didn¡¯t let her go so easily. He gazed out the car window for a while before he looked back at Madeline. ¡°We¡¯re some distance away from the Civil Affairs Bureau, and it¡¯ll take about ten more minutes to arrive. Why don¡¯t we have a chat? Since you¡¯re about to be my wife, perhaps we could talk more to get to know each other.¡± ¡°Sure¡­ What do you want to talk about? Do you want to know about Quincy and Joel¡¯s earlier days?¡± Although her sons never made any such ims, she was aware that they wanted to have both parents as their other peers did. Fate had somehow pulled them together and miraculously allowed the two young boys to unite with their family again. Madeline hoped that Sebastian could get to know the two boys a little better so that he could develop a closer bond with his sons. ¡°I am genuinely interested in Quincy and Joel¡¯s childhood, but I¡¯ve already heard my father talking about it for two hours with you. I think that¡¯s enough for today, and we can talk about it another day. I¡¯d like to talk about Phoebe instead,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Phoebe?¡± Madeline tilted her head sideways. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Sebastian sat in the mostfortable yet elegant position as he spoke in an amused tone. ¡°Phoebe¡¯s father is the Taylor Family¡¯s cook, right?¡± Madeline nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Phoebe is Nigel¡¯s second wife. Sam and Dan were both from Nigel¡¯s first marriage, right? Nigel was really close to his first wife, and he hadn¡¯t nned on remarrying after he lost her. However, he ended up getting married to the cook¡¯s daughter, Phoebe. Phoebe is short, ugly, and dumb; there¡¯s nothing about her that¡¯s good¡­¡± Sebastian smirked before ncing at Madeline. ¡°Judging by Nigel¡¯s background, he could have married a talented and gorgeous woman from a rich family if he wanted to remarry. Do you know why he ended up getting married to someone as dumb as Phoebe?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement. ¡°I do.¡± Madeline nodded. ¡°I heard that Phoebe¡¯s father died after attempting to save Dan. Before Phoebe¡¯s father died, he told my uncle that the one person he was the most worried about was his daughter. He begged my uncle to make sure that Phoebe got married so that she would have a family and a home to return to. Phoebe¡¯s father stared at my uncle for a long, long time, and my uncle had to agree to his request so that he could die in peace¡­¡± Although Nigel wasn¡¯t that nice to Madeline, he was still a man who kept his word. After dealing with Phoebe¡¯s father¡¯s funeral, and after Phoebe was ready, Nigel got married to her. Phoebe¡¯s father had sacrificed his life for Dan, so Phoebe was weed to the Taylor Family despite herck of education, her ugly looks, her loud voice, and her denseness. She was often jeered at after entering the Taylor Family, but her life wasn¡¯t bad. Madeline¡¯s cousins, Sam and Dan, were grateful for Phoebe¡¯s father¡¯s deeds, so they weren¡¯t resistant to having her as a stepmother. They were extremely receptive and patient with her. After that, Phoebe and Nigel had a daughter, Isabel, and Phoebe finally secured her role as a part of the Taylor Family. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Even though Nigel was harsh toward Madeline, he had done everything he could for Phoebe. Nigel was a handsome man from a wealthy family. Although he was past 40, he still looked like he was in his 30s. He had a well-built figure and was often approached by all sorts of women, but he stayed loyal to the old and ugly-looking Phoebe. He protected their marriage without uttering a singleint about Phoebe¡¯s uneducated and inelegant behaviors, he protected and loved her generously, and he was always there to deal with the messes she made. Madeline had to say that she respected her uncle for doing such a thing. When it came to loyalty in marriage, Nigel was practically a wless man. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 37 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Relying on Each Other? The smile on Sebastian¡¯s face widened as he listened to Madeline¡¯s description of Nigel. Madeline felt her heart racing at the sight of Sebastian¡¯s smile. All along, she had always thought of her two sons as the most good-looking boys in the world¡ªevery other man was just passing clouds to her. However, Sebastian was too gorgeous, and he looked even more eye-catching whenever he smiled. She simply couldn¡¯t help but feel attracted to him. When she couldn¡¯t contain her emotions anymore, she lowered her gaze and stared at his chin while speaking to him. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°I¡¯mughing at how Cameron¡¯s statement was urate. Everyone in the Taylor Family is an idiot. They don¡¯t even know how they¡¯ve been fooled,¡± Sebastian uttered with a faint smile. ¡°Are you talking about my uncle?¡± Madeline knitted her eyebrows puzzledly. ¡°How is he dumb? The Taylor Corporation is thergestpany in the whole of Worrick, and my uncle is the chairman of the company. He¡¯s smart, he¡¯s capable, and he¡¯s charismatic. He¡¯s not dumb at all!¡± It wasn¡¯t easy for one to achieve sess. Nigel had managed to maintain the Taylor Family¡¯s reputation and had ensured that the Taylor Corporation remained at the top of the pyramid¡ªthat itself showed how capable of a man he was. How can one associate the word ¡®idiot¡¯ with my uncle? ¡°Trust me. He is an idiot!¡± Sebastian rested his chin on his palm as he gazed at her with twinkling eyes. ¡°I got some of my men to investigate the Taylor Family so that I could get to know you, Joel, and Quincy a little better. However, I identally stumbled upon something really interesting¡­¡± His smile was elegant and gorgeous, yet Madeline seemed to notice something odd about it. He looks like he¡¯s smiling at our family¡¯s failures. Why do I feel so nervous all of a sudden? she wondered. ¡°What did you find interesting?¡± Her tone sounded more careful than usual as she questioned him. She had a feeling that it was bad news! Sebastian continued smiling at her. ¡°Just one month before Phoebe¡¯s father, Bryan, had bravely saved Dan, Bryan found out that he had cancer and could only live for another two months¡­¡± Madeline was shocked. Momentster, she spoke up with a tone of disbelief. ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± ¡°What am I saying?¡± Sebastian eyed her amusedly. She noticed her palms sweating as her throat became dry. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­ Bryan was the one who staged the entire ident. He knew that he didn¡¯t have long to live after being diagnosed with cancer, and he wanted his daughter to marry my uncle. So, he hired one of the maids to drive toward Dan, so that he could charge out and save Dan¡­ He became Dan¡¯s savior, and he sacrificed his life so that he could beg my uncle to marry Phoebe. For the sake of Bryan¡¯s peace of mind, my uncle had no choice but to marry Phoebe¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly it!¡± Sebastian nced at Madeline with an impressed look. ¡°That¡¯s not bad. You¡¯re brave, you have nning skills, you can fight, and you have brains! No wonder my sons are so outstanding!¡± Madeline was speechless. He¡¯s praising me, but why does it make me feel so uneasy? What¡¯s wrong? Oh! Joel and Quincy are my sons! Who is he to be proud of them? ¡°They are my sons!¡± she uttered instinctively. ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Sebastian said with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re our sons. You can¡¯t have sons on your own. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have applied for sperm from the sperm bank! You can take half the credit for having Joel and Quincy, but the other half belongs to me. Your genes may be good, but mine is not bad either. Honestly, I think my genes are a little better since you lost to me!¡± Sebastian¡¯s thought processes were clear, and he was extremely articte. How does he expect others to hold conversations and develop friendships with him when he¡¯s the one doing all the talking?! She was too tongue-tied to speak for a while. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll never be separated from Joel and Quincy. They¡¯re my sons, and no one can take them away! Not even you!¡± She red at him as she warned him. ¡°I know you¡¯re their biological father, but all you provided for them up until this point is your sperm. So, don¡¯t you dare think about snatching them away from me. As long as I¡¯m alive, I refuse to be separated from them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect. That was exactly what I was thinking!¡± He gave her a lopsided smile before leaning forward to speak in a deep voice. ¡°So, Miss Madeline, are you saying that you¡¯re going to stay with me for the rest of your life?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Which ear of yours heard me say such a thing? I didn¡¯t say that!¡± she protested. ¡°I heard it with both ears!¡± he chuckled. ¡°Both Quincy and Joel are part of the Hart Family, so I can¡¯t have them out on the streets without a proper name. You, on the other hand, can¡¯t bear to be separated from them. If they stay with the Harts, wouldn¡¯t you have to be with me for the rest of your life?¡± Madeline was speechless once more. You¡¯re so good with words¡ªit¡¯s a shame that you aren¡¯t awyer or a diplomat! She pushed Sebastian away as he got closer to her. ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s going to stay with you, it¡¯s you who¡¯s going to stay with me! If you don¡¯t want to see me, you can just tell me and the boys to pack up and leave your house.¡± He beamed at her for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll be the one to stick to you and depend on you, then. We¡¯re on the way to collect our marriage certificate, after all. If all goes well, we¡¯re about to spend the rest of our lives with each other. We can rely on each other¡ªI think that¡¯s a good idea!¡± Madeline was shocked. He gave in without putting up an argument this time! That¡¯s unbelievable! But¡­ What does he mean by relying on each other? ¡°From the start until now, my only intention is to spend time with Joel and Quincy. I never thought about relying on you!¡± she insisted. Sebastian chuckled without saying anything else. He was rather surprised by the whole thing. Since Sebastian was a workaholic, he had never been interested in rtionships, but after he met Madeline, he suddenly found that he was. Perhaps¡­ Maybe¡­ It¡¯s possible¡­ It¡¯s likely¡­ that it¡¯s because she¡¯s my son¡¯s mother. I feel a sense of responsibility toward her. How can I let my son¡¯s mother be bullied by others, right? I have to protect her. Sebastian had ordered his men to research the Taylor Family for the sake of his sons. When he saw the reports, he felt even more protective over the mother and sons. Furthermore, he was starting to develop feelings toward Madeline after knowing her a little better. He believed that it was possible for him and Madeline to turn their contractual marriage into an actual one. After all, he had never found a woman who interested him. She was the only one who caught his attention, and she was also the mother to his sons. If they could turn their marriage act into something real, he believed that it would be mutually beneficial to the both of them! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 38 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Thank You, I Guess? Sebastian beamed at Madeline, and she felt her insides fluttering as he did so. She inched toward the car door to maintain some distance from him. This man felt threatening to her, and she only felt safe when she stayed away from him! ¡°Why are you moving so far away from me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯d eat you up,¡± he said with augh. ¡°I¡¯m not moving away. I¡¯m just¡­ I think it¡¯s cooler by the window.¡± Madeline, who often thought of herself as a fearless and strong woman, was trying her best to maintain her dignity in that situation. ¡°Fine.¡± He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not shying away from me at all!¡± Despite saying so, his expression clearly indicated that he thought she was overreacting. I¡¯m just going to y along with you because I¡¯m the bigger person, his expression seemed to say. Madeline was silent for a while. Why is it so troubling to be with this guy? Why does he have to be my sons¡¯ biological father, and why can¡¯t I ever defeat him? I wish I could beat him up! I¡¯m not angry, I¡¯m not angry, I¡¯m not angry¡­ She repeated that to herself many times before speaking to him again. ¡°Since you knew that my uncle had been scammed by Bryan, why didn¡¯t you tell him about it earlier?¡± ¡°Why should I do that?¡± He shed her an elegant smile. ¡°If your uncle knew the truth, he would realize that Phoebe wasn¡¯t actually the daughter of his son¡¯s savior. He¡¯d find out that he¡¯s married to a woman whose father is actually an enemy who fooled him. If I break this news to him right after sending Phoebe off to jail, wouldn¡¯t he be d that I sent her to jail?¡± Madeline was quiet for a while. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? Then, my uncle wouldn¡¯t have to go around begging others to get Phoebe out of jail.¡± ¡°How does that benefit me in any way? Why should I please him?¡± Sebastian asked with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯d prefer watching him running around worriedly, using up all of his energy and strength to lower himself and beg others. When he realizes that he can¡¯t save Phoebe after doing all of that, he¡¯ll be angry, sad, agonized¡­ He¡¯ll stay up for nights and spend his days suffering. Isn¡¯t that way better?¡± His words left Madeline speechless. How much does Sebastian hate my uncle? She wasn¡¯t sure what to say as she stared at Sebastian. ¡°My uncle¡­ must¡¯ve wronged you in the past,¡± she finally uttered. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded calmly. ¡°He did.¡± ¡°What did he do?¡± she asked. What was the terrible thing he did that made you wish such a horrible life upon him? Sebastian gave her a stunning smirk as he spoke. ¡°He was bad toward my sons and my sons¡¯ mother.¡± She froze upon hearing his words. This wasn¡¯t the answer she had expected. So, Sebastian is only bad to my uncle because he¡¯s angry on behalf of me and my sons? An unfamiliar feeling circled around her chest¡ªshe couldn¡¯t entirely describe what she felt, but it was a mixture of sweetness, bitterness, and warmth. It had been Madeline and her sons against the world for so long, and this was the first time someone stood up for them. All sorts ofplicated emotions spread across her chest as she gazed at the man before her. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t good with words, so she couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say to him right then. If I have the chance to do it, I have to be nicer to him, in the future. Even though he seems rather¡­ intimidating, he¡¯s still really nice to Joel, Quincy and me. He fights for us. Whatever he said about my uncle earlier was also his way of protecting us. He told my uncle to contact him instead of me, so that my uncle wouldn¡¯t trouble me. But¡­ Madeline lowered her gaze as she spoke in a soft tone. ¡°Actually, things are a mess between me and my uncle¡¯s families. Although my uncle has never loved me as a true family member, Dan saved my life, and the Taylor Family was the one who brought me up. Sam even helped me hire a good teacher to teach me martial arts¡­ In other words, I wouldn¡¯t be the person I am today if it weren¡¯t for the Taylor Family. I¡­ don¡¯t think I have the right to hate them.¡± ¡°Dan only saved you in the spur of the moment. He wanted to keep you in the family because he was in his rebellious phase where he wanted to go against whatever Nigel said. The more Nigel hated you, the more Dan wanted you around to annoy Nigel¡­¡± Sebastian leaned back into afortable position in his seat as he continued speaking in a calmer voice. ¡°After keeping you in the Taylor Family, he allowed Isabel and Phoebe to continue bullying you. It¡¯s fortunate that Sam came back from his overseas studies¡ªhe¡¯s the only one with enough of a conscience to stop Phoebe and Isabel from abusing you. Otherwise, you might have already died in the Taylor household¡­¡± Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he looked at Madeline. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate Phoebe and Isabel at all?¡± ¡°Of course I do! I¡¯m not a rock¡ªof course I hate them. But what can I do with my hatred?¡± Madeline let out an exasperatedugh. ¡°Phoebe¡¯s father is Dan¡¯s savior, and Dan is my savior. Dan protects Phoebe and Isabel, and the Taylor Family took care of me. I am indebted to them, so how can I do anything to Phoebe and Isabel?¡± ¡°You might not have been able to do anything in the past, but you¡¯ll be able to in the future.¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°Phoebe was arrested for attempted kidnapping, which would give her a sentence of at least three years. Furthermore, once Nigel finds out about the truth, he¡¯ll probably get a divorce from her. If she¡¯s lucky enough to survive prison, she¡¯ll realize that she has lost everything by the time she gets out of prison. Isabel, on the other hand¡­¡± Sebastian rubbed his palms together. ¡°I¡¯m interested to know if Nigel will still love Isabel as much when he finds out that Bryan wasn¡¯t exactly his son¡¯s savior, but an enemy who had plotted against him¡­¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°Now that I think about it, I do feel rather tempted to tell Nigel the truth!¡± Madeline was quiet again. She could tell that Sebastian was thinking about how he could hurt Nigel, Phoebe, and Isabel the most. ¡°Alright. The decision has been made,¡± Sebastian said with a wide grin. ¡°If Nigeles and pleads with me, I¡¯ll tell him the truth! I believe his facial expressions will be epic. If you¡¯re not around, I¡¯ll get someone to record Nigel¡¯s reaction,¡± he uttered with a smile. She eyed him speechlessly. Thank you, but I don¡¯t think I want to see the video at all! ¡°I wonder when Mr. Taylor will contact me again.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face was filled with anticipation. Meanwhile, Nigel, the man Sebastian was thinking about, was walking around with quick footsteps. He had just arrived at the hall when Dan happened toe downstairs. ¡°How is it, Dad? Did Madeline agree?¡± Dan asked worriedly. ¡°No.¡± Nigel was too embarrassed to tell his son that Sebastian had shamed him to a point where he couldn¡¯t even hold his head high. ¡°Sebastian took over and stopped me from talking to Madeline,¡± he exined in a brief manner. ¡°What are we going to do, then?¡± Dan asked worriedly. ¡°You have to find a way to save Phoebe, Dad! How could she live in a prison? We have to get her out of that ce!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 39 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Disgusting Nigel nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯m trying to think of something.¡± ¡°What other ways could there be?¡± Dan asked worriedly. ¡°The whole of Dusktown is Sebastian¡¯s territory. As long as he doesn¡¯t give in, Phoebe will never be released! Dad, should we talk to Sebastian? Didn¡¯t Sebastian say that Joel and Quincy are his sons? The Taylor Family helped take care of his sons as they were growing up. Isn¡¯t this how he should be repaying us?¡± ¡°When are you going to grow up, Dan?¡± Nigel stared at his son exasperatedly. ¡°We might have been able to ask him to repay us in the past, but as you said, Madeline might be your aunt¡¯s daughter. If she¡¯s your aunt¡¯s daughter, then Quincy and Joel would be your aunt and uncle¡¯s grandchildren. If that were the case, then it¡¯d be our responsibility to care for the two boys, right? If we try to use this to get Sebastian to repay our deeds, your aunt and uncle might hear about this someday. What would they think about us then? Do you want them to look down on us?¡± Nigel asked. ¡°What should we do, then?¡± Dan stomped his foot with annoyance. ¡°Dad! We have to save Phoebe! We can¡¯t just leave her alone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave her alone,¡± Nigel uttered with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll visit her at the detention center and ask if she has a way to contact Madeline and beg Madeline personally. We¡¯re all family, after all. If Phoebe apologizes to Madeline, Madeline might forgive her and help her get out of there.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Earlier, Nigel was so embarrassed by Sebastian¡¯s mocking statements, he felt the urge to stick his head into a hole. He no longer dared to go to Sebastian or Madeline personally. But since Phoebe was the main person involved, it would make sense for her to talk to them. Phoebe had always been the one bullying Madeline, after all. This time, if Phoebe was willing to bow down and apologize to Madeline, and if Phoebe could be extra nice to Madeline, Madeline might just forgive her. Nigel didn¡¯t believe it when Sebastian imed that Madeline didn¡¯t have a say in this matter. Nigel could tell that Sebastian only uttered those things in an attempt to protect Madeline. Sebastian said that Madeline wasn¡¯t respected and had no say at his house only because he wanted to reduce the pressure ced on Madeline. Sebastian was trying to bear some of Madeline¡¯s stress. The more he did so, the more it showed that he cared for Madeline. Nigel believed that Sebastian would listen to Madeline if Madeline was willing to speak up for Phoebe. Then, Sebastian would let Phoebe go. At least, that was what Nigel thought. Dan agreed that it made sense as well. ¡°Let mee along! Phoebe¡¯s stubborn, and I¡¯m afraid she might not apologize to Madeline. I can help convince her,¡± Dan suggested. ¡°You cane if you want to,¡± Nigel replied. Both father and son left the vi and headed to the detention center. After going through the usual procedures, they sessfully managed to arrange a visit with Phoebe. Phoebe, whose face was swollen and puffy, began to wail the moment she saw Dan and Nigel. ¡°Nigel! Dan! What took you guys so long? Are you guys here to save me? Hurry¡­ Hurry up¡­¡± She held her cuffed hands up in front of the policewoman. ¡°Release me now! I¡¯m free! I¡¯m free!¡± Nigel spoke in an awkward tone. ¡°Calm down, Phoebe.¡± When Phoebe saw how the policewoman was standing still and eyeing her with a look of disdain, she froze before turning to Dan and Nigel. ¡°Dan, Nigel, aren¡¯t you guys here to get me out of this ce? No. No! You guys must be here to save me, right? Hurry and get me out. I can¡¯t stay here for another second. I need to leave now! Now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop shouting!¡± Nigel barked. Phoebe shuddered in fear as she recalled how Nigel hated it whenever she shouted. She immediately lowered her voice before looking at him with a pitiful expression on her face. ¡°Please help me get out, Nigel. This ce isn¡¯t meant for humans. If I stay here any longer, I¡¯m going to die!¡± It was too scary in there¡ªeight prisoners had to share a room as there weren¡¯t any single rooms. There was nothing else apart from eight beds and a single toilet bowl in one room. She was thest person to be sent into the room, so her bed was right next to the toilet bowl. She couldn¡¯t block the disgusting scent of human waste even if she kept her nostrils shut. Phoebe couldn¡¯t stand it, so she mmed her hands on the metal doors and begged for the wardens to put her in a different cell. However, no wardens showed up, and her roommates gave her a hearty beating. She was beaten to the point where she had to kneel on the ground and beg for mercy. The other prisoners forced her to scrub the toilet bowl countless times before they finally set her free. Her whole body ached after receiving the beating, and she didn¡¯t get much sleep at all that night. Just the day before, she skipped dinner because she was angry, but her food was snatched away by one of the prisoners. The next morning, someone snatched her food away again. She was already starving by that time, so she made a report to the wardens. The food in prison was worse than the food she fed her dogs at home. By the time she finished eating and returned to her room, the rest of the prisoners teamed up and beat her up again. She had only been inside for less than two days, yet she felt like she had never suffered as much in her whole life. Every second of her time there was spent anticipating that Nigel and her sons would hurry over to get her out. She couldn¡¯t spend another minute in that ce. ¡°I want to get you out of here, but you need to know that we¡¯re in Dusktown and not Worrick,¡± Nigel uttered while ring at her angrily. ¡°How many times have I told you to use your brain before acting on impulse? Why don¡¯t you ever listen to me? It¡¯s fine if you cause trouble in Worrick, but why did you do it here?! Dusktown is the Hart Family¡¯s territory ¡ªI¡¯d need to have some power to be able to get you out of here!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, Nigel?¡± Phoebe asked in a shaky voice. ¡°Are you saying that you and Dan aren¡¯t here to get me out right now?! No¡­ No, no, no¡­¡± She shook her head frantically as she grabbed Nigel¡¯s hand while sobbing. ¡°You have to save me, Nigel. You have to get me out. I know my mistakes. I¡¯ll never do this again. I¡¯ll listen to you from now on. I¡¯ll pay attention to everything you say¡­¡± Her hands were covered in ck, slimy stuff as she grabbed Nigel¡¯s hand, and Nigel shuddered in disgust as he told himself, I have to control myself. I can¡¯t show my disgust! This is the daughter of the man who saved my son! Before Bryan died, I swore to him that I would take care of his daughter and protect her for the rest of her life. I promised that she would never have to suffer. I¡¯m a man, and a man has to keep his word. Phoebe is my responsibility. No matter what she does, I cannot abandon her. In the end, he pulled his hand away from her with some force before addressing her concerns. ¡°If you wish to leave this ce, there is only one way now¡­¡± Her eyes lit up with hope. ¡°What way is it?¡± she asked anxiously. ¡°Give Madeline a call and beg her to forgive you¡­¡± Nigel pulled his phone out and ced it in front of Phoebe. ¡°What? You want me to beg that b*stard?!¡± Phoebe screamed. ¡°No! I¡¯m not going to beg her for anything! I¡¯m only in this situation because of her and her two nasty boys! That b*stard¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shut up!¡± Nigel was furious to hear her cursing, and his veins popped out on his forehead as he shouted at her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you scolding Madeline, Joel, and Quincy ever again!¡± he said while mming his palm on the table. Phoebe trembled upon receiving a scolding. ¡°W-Why?¡± she asked shakily. ¡°They are the ones who got me into this state. Why can¡¯t I scold them?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 40 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Sebastian¡¯s Logic ¡°Because Madeline isn¡¯t a b*stard. She¡¯s Michael and Crystal¡¯s biological daughter! Joel and Quincy aren¡¯t b*stards either¡ªthey¡¯re Madeline and Sebastian¡¯s biological sons!¡± Nigel growled. Phoebe was too stunned to speak. She had been leaning forward against the table, but now, she fell back onto her seat. ¡°What did you just say, Nigel? A-Are you drunk? Did you go drinking? W-Why are you spitting nonsense?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying nonsense. Everything that I¡¯m telling you is true¡­¡± Nigel waved his hand around dejectedly. ¡°I¡¯m really tired, Phoebe¡­ We¡¯re different. You¡¯re a housewife who enjoys the life of a wealthy woman, and all you do is eat, drink, and sleep. I have to work, and I¡¯m really tired¡­ I don¡¯t expect you to take any of the burdens off my shoulders, but I just want you to stop causing trouble for me, okay? If you really want to get out, just give Madeline a call and beg her to put in a good word for you. You need to make sure she gives in and agrees so that you can get out of there soon. I can¡¯t think of any more ideas apart from that.¡± Phoebe red at him in disbelief. That b*stard, Madeline, is actually Michael and Crystal¡¯s daughter? Joel and Quincy are Sebastian¡¯s sons? That whole bunch of people I look down on, and the people who I scold and beat up whenever I want to¡­ are actually biologically rted to the men of the Wendel and Hart Families? After Dan¡¯s brief exnation, Phoebe understood the sort of person Sebastian was. He was someone even Nigel couldn¡¯t afford to mess with. Crystal, on the other hand, may seem gentle on the outside, but she was a feisty and strong woman. Nigel was fond of her, so Phoebe would often butter her up and avoid offending her in any way. In the Taylor Family, Nigel, Richard, Crystal, Sam, and Dan were people she had to respect and act carefully around. Isabel¡ªher and Nigel¡¯s daughter¡ªwas someone she genuinely loved. So, Madeline, Quincy, and Joel were the only ones she could bully relentlessly. They were like her punching bags that she could pummel and step on anytime she wished to. If she went out to bully others, people might scold or even sue her. The only person she could bully without facing any consequences was Madeline. Isabel and Phoebe were used to treating Madeline like a pet dog or cat instead of an actual human¡ªthey would order her around the house and criticize her whenever they wished to. Madeline was the only person who could make Phoebe feel like she was actually in power. It gave Phoebe the taste of living life as an elegant, haughty, rich man¡¯s wife! However, now that Nigel was telling her that Madeline was actually Crystal and Michael¡¯s daughter and that Madeline was the biological child of the well-respected Taylor Family¡­ If Michael and Crystal ever find out about all the times Isabel and I mistreated Madeline¡­ I remember how we used to beat Madeline up really badly before Sam returned to the country. When Phoebe thought about Crystal¡¯s seemingly gentle yet secretly hateful and fierce personality, fear spread across her face as she shuddered. ¡°No, no, no! This can¡¯t be real!¡± She shook her head in panic. Madeline was supposed to be a b*stard that Isabel and Phoebe could bully and order around forever. How could the tables have turned so drastically? This can¡¯t be true! Phoebe turned to Dan with a hopeful look in her eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t true, is it, Dan? Madeline is actually Cameron¡¯s daughter, not your aunt¡¯s! Joel and Quincy can¡¯t be from the Hart Family either! Your dad got it wrong, didn¡¯t he, Dan?¡± ¡°Dad didn¡¯t get it wrong, but you shouldn¡¯t be too worried, Phoebe.¡± Dan quicklyforted her when he saw the fear in her eyes. ¡°Although Quincy and Joel are Sebastian¡¯s sons, they are illegitimate sons who are looked down upon by the rest of Dusktown¡¯s well-known families. I¡¯m sure the Hart Family doesn¡¯t really care about them. Furthermore, although there¡¯s a possibility that Madeline is my uncle and aunt¡¯s biological daughter, Cameron switched her away when she was born, so my uncle and aunt have never cared for her at all. They don¡¯t have a strong rtionship with each other. Your father, on the other hand, saved my life, so the Taylor Family is indebted to you.¡± ¡°On top of that, you didn¡¯t know that Madeline was my uncle and aunt¡¯s daughter. They can¡¯t me you for something you didn¡¯t know. For the sake of my father, I¡¯m sure my aunt and uncle wouldn¡¯t put the me on you for what you did to Madeline!¡± ¡°Do you think so?¡± Phoebe¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°If it¡¯s just a possibility that Madeline¡¯s their biological child, there¡¯s also a possibility that she isn¡¯t, right? Dan, you guys must¡¯ve been scammed by Madeline. Madeline can¡¯t be your uncle and aunt¡¯s daughter. She was born to suffer in this life! She¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Phoebe! You need to stop saying such things!¡± Even Dan¡¯s face was turning sour at that point. ¡°I¡¯ve looked at some of the Wendel Family¡¯s pictures of their older generations, and Madeline looks simr to one of my cousin¡¯s grandmothers. Angie, on the other hand, looks nothing like the Wendel Family. We¡¯re not sure that Madeline is my uncle and aunt¡¯s daughter, but all we need is a DNA test to make sure. You need to stop saying that Madeline¡¯s a b*stard¡ªmy uncle and aunt would be really angry if they heard it.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Phoebe shuddered at the thought of Michael, who would seek revenge for the tiniest matters. She kept quiet after that. Dan pulled his phone out and keyed in Madeline¡¯s number before handing the phone to Phoebe. ¡°You should call Madeline now, Phoebe. You need to do it before the wholewsuit starts. As long as Madeline is willing to drop the charges, you will be able to leave this ce. If yourwsuit begins, you¡¯re stuck here even if Madeline stops pressing charges.¡± ¡°No, no! I want to go out! I have to leave!¡± When she thought about her terrifying cell, she no longer cared about Madeline¡¯s birth parents. With shaky hands, Phoebe held onto the phone and dialed Madeline¡¯s number. Madeline didn¡¯t notice her phone ringing, as she was preparing to register her marriage with Sebastian at the Civil Affairs Bureau. There were a lot of people in the hall, and there was a long queue in front of the counter where people registered their marriages. ¡°Why are there so many people?¡± Madeline felt a little nervous. She looked around the ce and attempted some small talk just to calm her nerves. As she spoke, she tried her best to sound light- hearted and carefree, as if she wasn¡¯t nervous at all. ¡°The more, the merrier. It shows that today is a good day to get married,¡± Sebastian said with a smirk. ¡°We¡¯re lucky, I guess.¡± She didn¡¯t know how to respond. I guess it makes sense! Sebastian stayed beside Madeline as they queued up at the counter. This was rather surprising to Madeline, as she figured that someone as powerful as him could probably use his name to get an express pass to the front of the line. Alternatively, Sebastian could have told his assistant to arrange for someone to queue for them. However, to her surprise, he stood beside her the whole time. Both of them shuffled their feet forward as the line moved. Sebastian wore a huge pair of sunsses to cover half his face, and the people around him immediately assumed that he was some celebrity. They stole nces in his direction, and some of them even snapped photos until the Hart Family¡¯s guards stepped forward to stop them. However, that only attracted more people to stare at them. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 41 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Better Than Money Falling Out of the Sky Madeline was speechless. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to get one of his bodyguards to queue for him? At least people wouldn¡¯t pay so much attention to him then. They queued for a long while before it was finally their turn. The workers at the Civil Affairs Bureau followed their regr procedures to check if Madeline and Sebastian were both willing to be each other¡¯s spouses. This made Madeline more nervous than ever¡ªher head was practically spinning as she and Sebastian went through the whole process. When the workers handed her the marriage certificate, she was still in a daze. She took the papers and walked out into the sunlight, still struggling to regain her senses. Am I¡­ married? Do I legally have¡­ a husband? My kids have a father and¡­ a home? She couldn¡¯t exin what she was feeling at that moment. I¡¯m excited, I¡¯m emotional, I¡¯m confused, and¡­ I feel uneasy and worried about my future. But regardless, my sons now have a father, both legally and biologically. This is something worth celebrating! She turned around to look at Sebastian with her marriage certificate in her hand. ¡°Mr. Hart¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s odd for my wife to call me Mr. Hart,¡± Sebastian replied with a smile. ¡°You can call me Sebastian, Seb, or Sebbie.¡± Sebbie? The corner of Madeline¡¯s lips twitched. That¡¯s too cheesy! I think I¡¯d rather call him Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± She felt rather awkward calling him that way. ¡°I just wanted to tell you that I¡¯ll remain loyal to our marriage. As long as we¡¯re legally a married couple, I¡¯ll never date another man.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s the same for me,¡± he replied matter-of-factly. ¡°This is basic respect, and I believe both of us are decent individuals who can stick to such rules.¡± ¡°Are¡­ are you willing to do the same?¡± Her heart was racing.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmm?¡± He nced in her direction. ¡°Willing to do what?¡± ¡°Stay¡­ loyal to the marriage?¡± she asked in a weak tone. Their marriage felt a little more like an act, after all. Madeline had agreed to obtain the marriage certificate without naming any other requests apart from turning her sons into legitimate children. After collecting their marriage certificate, she regretted not havingmunicated her other wishes. She had hoped that they would both stay loyal to the marriage while they were married¡ªshe didn¡¯t want¡­ a third party. However, she wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯d be considered cheating for Sebastian to fall for another woman while they were married. Their marriage wasn¡¯t entirely legitimate, after all. However, she still hoped that he wouldn¡¯t date another woman while they were married. If he did fall for another woman, she wouldn¡¯t mind getting a divorce. Once they got a divorce, they¡¯d be able to date whoever they wished to. ¡°Of course!¡± He pointed at the marriage certificate in her hand. ¡°What do you think this is? It¡¯s a marriage certificate, right? With this, you¡¯re my wife. It¡¯s a man¡¯s most basic responsibility to remain loyal to his wife!¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you questioning my morality right now?¡± he asked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± She quickly shook her head. ¡°I just thought that¡­¡± I just thought that this marriage was an act for Sebastian to give his sons a legitimate identity. I didn¡¯t think he would take this marriage seriously. If he doesn¡¯t take this seriously, then he wouldn¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to date other girls while we¡¯re still married. ¡°Now I know why Joel¡¯s so insecure,¡± Sebastian said with a faint smile on his face. ¡°He¡¯s just like you!¡± Madeline was stunned for a second. ¡°You¡­ can tell that Joel¡¯s an insecure child?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Marriage is a sacred thing, and I promise you that I¡¯ll stay loyal to the marriage as long as our marriage certificate is still in our hands. I¡¯ll stay loyal to you. There¡¯ll be no such thing as a third party in our marriage!¡± ¡°Sebastian¡­ Thank you!¡± Madeline thanked him sincerely. Both her and Sebastian had only gotten the marriage certificate for the sake of their sons. Logically speaking, she had no right to criticize him even if he were to date other women during their marriage. She personally didn¡¯t see anything wrong with it as well. However, she had to consider her sons. Although both she and Sebastian knew that the marriage was an act, their sons weren¡¯t aware of this. If Sebastian fell for another woman and dated her while they were married, their sons would be really sad once they found out about it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I should thank you instead. I haven¡¯t done anything, yet you gave me two adorable geniuses as my sons. This is better than having money fall out of the sky!¡± Madeline didn¡¯t know what to say. This is apliment, isn¡¯t it? But why does it sound so awkward? She was about to say something when her phone rang. It was a video call invitation from Phillip. The kids must be awake! Madeline thought. She hastily picked up the call to see a young boy who looked half-awake lying on the bed. Young Joel began wailing into the phone. ¡°Mommy, where did you go?¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw the adorable young boy. ¡°Daddy and I went out to buy some stuff.¡± This was the story that Philip, Sebastian, and she had agreed on. In the future, they would tell everyone that she and Sebastian had obtained their marriage certificate a long time ago. That way, Joel and Quincy would be their legitimate sons. As long as she remained as Sebastian¡¯s wife, it didn¡¯t matter when they obtained their marriage certificate¡ªJoel and Quincy would still be their legitimate sons, and others wouldn¡¯t be able to spread rumors about the two young boys. However, Philip insisted that they told the public they had obtained their marriage certificate a long time ago. Philip wanted them to say that they obtained the certificate before the boys were born. They were to tell the two boys the same story. Sebastian tried to go against Philip¡¯s idea, but Philip was a stubborn man, and Sebastian had no choice but to give in and agree in the end. Madeline wasn¡¯t the mostpromising woman, but she was used to giving in after living with the Taylor Family for so many years. She was willing topromise as long as it meant that her sons weren¡¯t hurt. Furthermore, Philip was genuinely doing it for her sons¡¯ own good¡ªhe wanted both her sons to have a proper status within the family. Madeline was thankful to Philip for thinking on behalf of her sons, so she didn¡¯t argue against Philip¡¯s way of doing things. Instead, she went ording to his instructions, and she lied to Joel and imed that they were out to buy things. She didn¡¯t mention anything about them collecting their marriage certificate. Hmm. I¡¯m not technically lying. I¡¯ll definitely buy some gifts for the kidster. I simply omitted the part where we went to collect our marriage certificates, she thought. ¡°Did you and Daddy go shopping?¡± Joel pouted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Quincy and me along? We want to go shopping too.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 42 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Please Forgive Me ¡°I don¡¯t want to go at all!¡± Quincy, who wasn¡¯t in the video call at all, shouted in a haughty tone from beside his brother. ¡°Fine¡­ But I want to go!¡± Joel stared into the camera with a pitiful look on his face. ¡°When are you coming home, Mom? I need your kisses and hugs to wake up!¡± The young boy had fair and round cheeks, and he fixed hisrge, round eyes on the camera. His eyes glistened with tears as his round belly moved up and down ording to the rhythm of his breaths. Madeline still found herself mesmerized by her son¡¯s cuteness despite seeing him every day. Sebastian, who had only witnessed this a few times, was therefore more amused than she was. He felt his insides fluttering at the sight of his cute son, and he desperately longed to reach his arms into the phone screen just to squish and kiss the fair and chubby boy¡¯s cheeks. ¡°We¡¯reing back really soon,¡± Madeline said. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to buy both of you guys a gift on the way home. What do you boys want?¡± ¡°Yay! I love presents!¡± Joel stroked his chin with his stubby fingers while thinking. ¡°I want¡­ I want to go out for dinner with Dad and Mom. Then, I want to watch a musical fountain show after dinner!¡± he cried. He wants to have dinner with Dad and Mom, and he wants to watch a musical fountain show after that, huh? Madeline instinctively turned to nce at Sebastian, and he nodded in response. She gave him a grateful look before she turned to smile at her youngest son. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll make sure your wishes come true! What about you, Quincy? What do you want?¡± Quincy¡¯s voice sounded without his face being in the video call. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I want in particr. I¡¯ll just have whatever Joel said, Mommy.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you think a little harder, darling?¡± Madeline asked. Quincy was a little too mature in comparison to Joel¡¯s innocent personality. Quincy was often worried about troubling his mother, so he never asked for anything. This made Madeline feel bad. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything now,¡± Quincy replied. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll think of something when I go out with Mom and Dad tonight.¡± Sebastian, who had been staring at the screen from his spot beside Madeline, turned to stare at her with a surprised look on his face. ¡°Did Quincy just call me Dad?¡± His eldest son was a cold, arrogant child¡ªhe hadn¡¯t managed to trick Quincy into calling him his ¡®Dad¡¯ up until then. Wait. It¡¯s not tricking. Quincy¡¯s my son. He¡¯s supposed to call me his Dad! ¡°Yeah!¡± Madeline cheered. Her sons were finally like the rest of the children who had both parents. They finally had a normal family. Things are going to get better from here onward! ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Dad? I want to talk to him.¡± Joel¡¯s gaze flickered for a moment before he looked directly into the camera. ¡°Dad¡¯s right here.¡± Madeline handed the phone to Sebastian. When Sebastian held the phone and saw Joel staring at him, he felt all sorts of emotions spreading across his chest. Pride, joy, and an overflow of love seemed to surface from nowhere. Joel was just a kid he had met a few times, yet the young boy managed to trigger so many emotions within him. Being blood-rted to someone provides such a magical connection! ¡°My son.¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice was filled with warmth and love as he gazed at Joel on the phone screen. ¡°Dad!¡± Joel grinned. ¡°You and Mom need toe back soon! I miss you guys!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°We¡¯reing back really soon. You and Quincy have to listen to your Grandpa¡­ Is Grandpa around?¡± ¡°Grandpa was here a moment ago. He just went downstairs,¡± Joel uttered in a childish voice. ¡°Grandpa said that we¡¯ve been sleeping for too long and that we should eat some food. Grandpa said that he ordered a lot of good food for Quincy and me, and he went off to get someone to prepare the food!¡± Madeline eyed her son speechlessly. ¡°You guys shouldn¡¯t eat too much, or else you won¡¯t be able to finish your dinner.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Okie!¡± Joel¡¯s tiny head bobbed up and down in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll just eat a little bit to satisfy my cravings.¡± Joel knew himself well. Quincy was much easier to care for, while Joel had a small appetite and was picky with food. Furthermore, Joel was the one who often had cravings. He didn¡¯t enjoy main meals¡ª he preferred eating snacks instead. Madeline worried a lot about her son¡¯s eating habits. Right then, Philip¡¯s voice came from somewhere else in the room. ¡°Are you boys awake? I¡¯ve prepared a tea time snack for you guys, soe down and have it with Grandpa!¡± ¡°Coming,ing! We¡¯reing, Grandpa!¡± Joel crawled out of bed clumsily. Madeline was amused by the young boy¡¯s actions. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d only get out of bed with my kisses and hugs?¡± Joel blinked for a moment before answering. ¡°Good food is the only thing that can wake me up apart from Mom!¡± Madeline burst intoughter. He¡¯s my son indeed! He¡¯s so adorable! The two kids followed their Grandpa downstairs for tea time. After Sebastian ended the video call, he handed the phone back to Madeline. ¡°You¡¯re not as important as you think you are, after all. The kids didn¡¯t cry,¡± he teased. ¡°¡­That¡¯s only because Philip is really nice to them. He makes them feel secure. They may be kids, but they know a lot. They are very aware of who likes them and who doesn¡¯t.¡± Anyway, my kids video called me right after they woke up, didn¡¯t they? If they couldn¡¯t get to me, they¡¯d probably cry. I¡¯m sure that I matter a lot to my kids! ¡°Philip?¡± Sebastian waved the marriage certificate in his hand. ¡°We¡¯ve got our marriage certificate, so maybe it¡¯s time you change the way you call him. Don¡¯t you think you should call him your father now?¡± She stared at him wordlessly. He wants¡­ me to change the way I call Philip? Am I supposed to call Philip my dad? Sebastian isn¡¯t just an extremely talented man. He¡¯s able to beat me in a fight, and he¡¯s even better at acting than I am! Madeline wanted to ask if she should talk to Philip about it before changing the way she addressed him. However, she had only parted her lips to speak when her phone rang again. She retrieved the phone she had just kept away. This time, it was Dan who was calling her. She felt a heavy feeling in her chest whenever she received a call from someone from the Taylor Family. After letting out a quiet sigh, she ced the phone beside her ear. ¡°Dan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The voice that sounded in Madeline¡¯s ear wasn¡¯t Dan¡¯s, but Phoebe¡¯s. Madeline frowned as she responded in a cold tone. ¡°Yes?¡± Phoebe put on a pitiful face on the other end of the phone call. She tightened her grip on Dan¡¯s phone and tried her best to suppress the anger and hatred within her before speaking in a shaky tone. ¡°M- Madeline, I made a lot of mistakes in the past. I know what I¡¯ve done wrong now. P-Please forgive me this one time, Madeline. Let me out, okay?¡± Madeline suspected that there was something wrong with her ears. When she was ten years old, Dan was the one who had brought her into the Taylor Family. For the next three years, she was badly tortured by Phoebe and Isabel. When she was 13, her cousin, Sam, returned from his studies overseas. He lost his temper when he found out that Madeline had been abused by Isabel and Phoebe, and he gave Isabel and Phoebe a huge scolding after that. Ever since then, Madeline was no longer abused by Isabel and Phoebe¡ªSam was her protector at home. However, Isabel and Phoebe continued to act like they were above her. In their eyes, they were the true members of the Taylor Family, while Madeline was just a servant who was indebted to the Taylors. After being with the Taylors for more than ten years, it was the first time Madeline had heard Phoebe calling her ¡®Madeline¡¯ in such a gentle and polite tone. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 43 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Uneducated Woman Madeline felt likeughing all of a sudden. So, it¡¯s true when they say that everyone gets their own fair share of bad luck. Before Sebastian told me about Bryan¡¯s whole plot, I might have felt rather conflicted about Phoebe¡¯s request. But now, I don¡¯t feel conflicted at all. ¡°It¡¯s toote to say that you¡¯re sorry now! You should have never thought about messing with my son. I¡¯ll never forgive you! You¡¯ll have to look forward to being in prison!¡± Madeline uttered with a smile. ¡°No! No!¡± Phoebe screamed into the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the Taylors were the ones who brought you up, Madeline. The Taylors took care of you, and Dan even saved your life. He¡¯s your savior! Also, my father was the one who saved Dan¡ªhe¡¯s the reason Dan is alive. If Dan died back then, no one would¡¯ve been around to save you. If you look at it that way, my father is technically your savior as well! You¡¯re hugely indebted to the Taylors, and the Taylors educated and took care of you for such a long time. You wouldn¡¯t be the person you are today if it weren¡¯t for the Taylors! Y-You can¡¯t forget our sacrifices and betray us just like that!¡± Madeline chuckled once more. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to say. As long as you mess with my son, I will never let you go! I¡¯m punishing you as a warning to anyone else who might think of harming my son as well.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it anymore. I really won¡¯t!¡± Phoebe wailed frantically. ¡°I know what I did was wrong now, Madeline. I really do! Please give me a chance. I promise I¡¯ll never do anything to Joel and Quincy in the future. Please let me go! I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡± Madeline didn¡¯t want to waste any more time talking to Phoebe, so she simply uttered those three words before ending the call. When Phoebe called again, Madeline no longer picked up the phone. Phoebe continued calling Madeline¡¯s phone like a madwoman, but Madeline didn¡¯t pick up at all. Eventually, Phoebe flung the phone onto the ground before shouting at the top of her lungs. ¡°B*tch! B*tch! B*tch! That ungrateful b*tch! That traitor! When I get out, I¡¯m going to kill her. I want to slice her into a million pieces and crush her into ashes. I want people to step on her, to curse at her, and to¡ª¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Nigel, who had been sitting opposite her, got to his feet before growling at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just warn you not to scold Madeline anymore?¡± he uttered with a pale expression. Phoebe shuddered upon hearing his loud and fierce growl. ¡°That ungrateful traitor refuses to save me! I¡¯ve already begged her, yet she still doesn¡¯t want to let me go! Save me, Nigel! You need to find her and convince her to let me go! Look at me, Nigel, look¡­¡± Phoebe pulled her sleeves up to reveal her arms which were full of injuries. ¡°They hit me¡­ They hit me like they wanted me to die. I can¡¯t stay here anymore, Nigel. They¡¯re going to kill me! Nigel, you made a promise to my father before he passed away! You said you would take care of me and make sure that no one bullies me. But now, I¡¯m about to go to prison¡­ This ce is terrifying, Nigel¡­ Please save me¡­ Get me out of here¡­¡± She copsed onto her chair and trembled in fear as she thought about the vicious female inmates that shared the same cell as her. Nigel shut his eyes for a moment. When he thought about Bryan¡¯s face and the promise he made to Bryan, he felt both anxious and sad at the same time. There was a burning sensation in his chest. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help Phoebe get out of here. I¡¯ve tried my best! But the Taylors are simply no match for the Harts, and I¡¯m no match for Sebastian. Whenever Sebastian mocks me, my face ends up turning red, and I feel extremely embarrassed. I¡¯ve thought about all sorts of other ns, and I¡¯ve been feeling so anxious that my lips have been cracking. There¡¯re ulcers in my mouth. Yet, I still can¡¯t find a way to save Phoebe. What can I do? I¡¯m not God; I can¡¯t do whatever I want to. I really want to do it, but I¡¯m incapable of saving her. This is something that¡¯s out of my power. Momentster, he opened his eyes and stared at Phoebe before speaking in a soft voice. ¡°I don¡¯t have any more ns¡­ I¡¯ve tried everything that I thought could work. You snatched the boy away in public, and the Harts sued you for kidnapping the child. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. They sent out a team ofwyers, and they have evidence for everything. I¡¯m not God; I can¡¯t have everything go ording to my desires. I can¡¯t save you¡­¡± ¡°No! No! No!¡± Phoebe shook her head hysterically before she leaped forward in Nigel¡¯s direction. Her trembling hands clutched his shirt as she cried. ¡°Save me, Nigel. You have to get me out! Don¡¯t you forget that my father died trying to save Dan! Before my dad died, you swore to him that you would care for me and not have others bully me. But look at me now! Look at the way I¡¯m living! The police said that I¡¯ll be in prison for at least three years. I can¡¯t even survive three days here! I don¡¯t think I can even handle another three hours! Please think of something, Nigel. You have to save me. You have to!¡± Nigel wore a pained expression as he shook his head. ¡°I told you¡ªit¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to save you; it¡¯s that I¡¯m not capable of doing it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. No way!¡± She continued shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re the richest man in Worrick, Nigel. You¡¯re so powerful. Of course you can do it! I¡¯m sure you can do it if you want to!¡± Regardless of what Phoebe and Isabel did, Nigel was always there to clean up their mess. Phoebe was certain that he could do the same this time. I¡¯m sure he can do it! But he only shook his head as he stared at her. ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything this time.¡± ¡°No way. No way!¡± She pushed him away before pointing at him. ¡°Did you find another woman, Nigel? You want to get rid of me¡ªthat¡¯s why you¡¯re not saving me, right? You want to fool around with others while I¡¯m locked up here!¡± she howled. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Nigel got mad. ¡°That has to be the case! It must be!¡± Phoebe continued to hold her finger in front of his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you forget how my father died, Nigel! Dan would¡¯ve been dead if it weren¡¯t for my father. You owe my father a life! If you wrong me, my father will definitely haunt you as a ghost!¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± Nigel was so angry that he saw stars. His heart was pounding furiously, and he felt like he was about to vomit actual blood. Have I not done enough for her throughout these years? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Taylors owe Bryan his life, would I ever date someone as rough and uneducated as her? I only swallowed all my disgust and hatred and married her because I owe Bryan his life. Throughout these years, I allowed Phoebe to do whatever she wanted to in the Taylors¡¯ household. Even though I feel disgusted every time I see how rough and dirty she is, I still try my best to contain my feelings. I don¡¯t love her, and I don¡¯t even want to see her, yet I¡¯m willing to stay loyal to the marriage. I poured all my heart into my work, and I¡¯ve never messed around with others at all. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 44 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Two-Faced Sebastian Nigel wasn¡¯t able to give Phoebe love, but he gave her money, status, and the title of the woman of the Taylor Family¡­ He practically gave her everything that he could afford to give. Throughout these years, he had been more lenient andpromising with his wife than he had been with his sons. What was all of it for? It was all because the Taylors owed Bryan his life! I¡¯ve been returning this favor for so many years now. I think it¡¯s about time for it to all be over, right? I¡¯ve given Phoebe so much. If she had a conscience, then she wouldn¡¯t bring up the oath I made on Bryan¡¯s deathbed all the time. She¡¯s still the same rude, vulgar, and uneducated woman fromst time. Even now, I¡¯m still disgusted by her. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You guys have to save me!¡± Phoebe didn¡¯t realize how ill and weak Nigel looked and continued to whine about her situation. ¡°Nigel, Dan, please save me and get me out of here! I¡¯m my father¡¯s only daughter. If he knew that I¡¯m being locked in prison, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest in peace!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Madeline!¡± Dan, who had been quiet for a while, finally got to his feet before walking toward the door. ¡°Even if I have to get on my knees, I¡¯ll make sure she helps you to get out of here.¡± ¡°Dan¡­¡± Nigel ran after him. Phoebe wanted to go out too, but the wardens quickly grabbed her arms. ¡°You have to save me, Dan! Dan¡­¡± Phoebe wailed in the direction of the room entrance. Dan charged out of the detention center before calling Madeline¡¯s phone with shaky hands. She didn¡¯t pick up the call, so he dropped her a text. ¡®Where are you, Madeline? I want to see you. I want to see you right now!¡¯ Meanwhile, Madeline and Sebastian had gone to buy presents for their sons and were on the way back to the Hart Residence. When Madeline saw the text from Dan, she let out a sigh. Sebastian chuckled after seeing the text. ¡°We¡¯ve been walking around for a while now. Let¡¯s find a spot to sit and get some drinks,¡± he suggested. She tilted her head to the side to stare at him. ¡°Will you tell Dan all about Bryan¡¯s matters?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll depend on the vibeter,¡± Sebastian said with an elegant smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it if the atmosphere is decent.¡± Madeline could only chuckle. Is he sure that he¡¯s going to look at the vibe during our talk? Isn¡¯t he just going to find the best way to hurt my uncle and cousin? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. There was a private clubhouse called Rabbit¡¯s Den nearby them, so Madeline sent the address to Dan before she visited the clubhouse with Sebastian. Both of them got a VIP room and ordered some snacks and drinks for themselves while they waited for Dan. About 20 minutester, when Madeline finished her drink, Dan knocked on the door. Madeline stood up to greet him, but he simply walked over to her without uttering a single word. Thump! He fell onto his knees right in front of her. She stumbled backward as she was rather taken aback by his actions. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Dan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Madeline. Please set Phoebe free!¡± Dan knelt on the ground, his face pale and his head lowered. ¡°I know it¡¯s all Phoebe¡¯s fault. However, since her father saved my life, and since I saved your life, could you please just let her go this one time? Just this once!¡± Sebastian stood up and walked over to Madeline¡¯s side, his shoulder only inches away from hers. Then, he lowered his gaze to stare at the man on his knees. ¡°You sure are doing a lot just to help Phoebe out!¡± he uttered with a smirk. ¡°Her father is the reason I¡¯m alive!¡± Dan gritted his teeth as he hung his head low. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her father, I would¡¯ve been dead. I have the duty to save her since I owe her father my life! So¡­ Please let Phoebe go, Madeline!¡± Dan pressed his palms on the ground before lowering his forehead to bow to Madeline. Thunk! He smashed his forehead against the concrete floor. ¡°Stop it, Dan¡­¡± Madeline lowered herself to help him up. Sebastian chuckled. ¡°I can guess what he¡¯s going to say next. He¡¯s probably going to say that he won¡¯t stand up until you agree to his request.¡± Dan¡¯s face had been pale at first, but it turned red after he heard Sebastian¡¯s words. However, he couldn¡¯t be bothered by such matters at that point, so he continued to press his forehead against the ground. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to ignore the shame he felt. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s precisely what I was about to say! If you don¡¯t agree, then I¡¯ll continue kneeling here until you say yes!¡± ¡°I told your Dad about this¡­¡± Sebastian smirked while gazing at Dan with a pleased expression. ¡°Madeline doesn¡¯t have a say in this. I¡¯m the one you should be begging.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯m begging you!¡± Dan hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°Please set Phoebe free, Mr. Hart! As long as you¡¯re willing to set her free, I¡¯ll do anything you want me to do, as long as I¡¯m capable of doing it!¡± Sebastian raised his eyebrows. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ Well, I just realized that I do have something I need your help with.¡± A hopeful look formed in Dan¡¯s eyes as he quickly looked up at Sebastian. ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll do it as long as it¡¯s something I¡¯m capable of doing!¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like forcing people to do things that are beyond their power, so whatever I¡¯m talking about is definitely achievable as long as you¡¯re willing to do it!¡± Dan¡¯s insides were burning with rage¡ªhe was so furious that he felt like he was about to erupt. I¡¯m already on my knees. How dare he say that he doesn¡¯t like forcing people to do things? This guy is so shameless! Sebastian stopped talking at that point, and Dan was left hanging as he knelt on his knees and waited for Sebastian to continue. This only made Dan angrier. Sebastian is simply too much! But I can¡¯t do anything about it since I¡¯m the one begging him for a favor. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Sebastian said as he gave Madeline a look. Then, he bent down to speak to Dan. ¡°From today onward, I want you to forget about the fact that you had once saved Madeline¡¯s life. I don¡¯t want you to ever bring up this matter for the rest of your life. In other words, Madeline will no longer be indebted to you for saving her life if I set Phoebe free¡­¡± Sebastian red at Dan. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good as well. It really makes you look bad when you keep expecting others to repay you for the things you¡¯ve done!¡± Dan was about to lose his temper at this point. His chest was boiling, and his face was drained of all color. What Dan said was the truth¡ªhe had truly saved Madeline, and Madeline wouldn¡¯t have survived if it weren¡¯t for him. Dan was the one who had given her a second chance to live, and she wouldn¡¯t exist right then if Dan wasn¡¯t around. Technically, Dan was the one who had given her everything, so it was natural for Madeline to repay him. Is there anything wrong with me expecting her to do something in return? However, he wasn¡¯t about to argue with Sebastian right then. There were tons of ways he could refute Sebastian¡¯s words, but Dan didn¡¯t utter a single thing. He was worried that Sebastian would change his mind and not let Phoebe go. So, he gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°Okay. I agree! As long as you let Phoebe go, I¡¯ll forget all about how I saved Madeline¡¯s life. I won¡¯t talk about it from now on!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 45 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Huge News ¡°Great! It¡¯s a deal!¡± Sebastian beamed before standing up and taking his phone out. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my men to head to the police station now to drop Phoebe¡¯s charges.¡± Madeline stared at him speechlessly. This man is serious¡­ Really? I don¡¯t know how to describe him. Two-faced? Scary? Evil? Anyway, from now on, I¡¯ll definitely try my best to not get on his bad side! Otherwise, I don¡¯t even know how he¡¯s going to ruin my life! Sebastian was a man of his words¡ªhe gave Quinton a call in front of Dan and ordered Quinton to send someone to the police station to cancel the charges filed against Phoebe. Dan was overjoyed, and he pressed his hands on the ground and staggered to his feet. It was hard for him to get up as he had an injury on his left leg. Although it didn¡¯t affect his daily life, he couldn¡¯t do extreme exercises, and his leg would hurt on rainy days. Since he arrived in the room, he had already been kneeling on the ground for about four minutes, and the injury on his left leg couldn¡¯t handle the pressure. It was starting to hurt him, and his whole left leg felt stiff, making it hard for him to walk. After Sebastian ended the call, he nced at Dan¡¯s left leg before smirking. ¡°You got that injury from the car ident, didn¡¯t you?¡± Dan instinctively clutched his left leg as he spoke with a nk expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a slight injury.¡± He had only injured his leg in the ident, while Phoebe¡¯s father had lost his life. Whenever he thought about how someone had lost their life to save his, he would feel a terrible ache in his chest. Dan felt especially guilty toward Phoebe, who had lost her father because of him. That exined why he was willing to sacrifice his pride and dignity just to get Phoebe out of prison. Fortunately, his n was a sess! He couldn¡¯t care about the pain in his left leg as he walked out of the room excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ll go pick Phoebe up!¡± He would never forget the shame he felt that day. Right then, he didn¡¯t have the ability to go against Sebastian, but one day, if he had the opportunity, he would definitely get revenge on Sebastian! It¡¯s never toote to get revenge. I¡¯m going to remember this for the rest of my life! ¡°Hold on.¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in such a rush. Even if I stop pressing charges, she won¡¯t be released immediately. I have a secret regarding your car ident, and I believe you¡¯d be interested in hearing it. Why don¡¯t you stay for a while and hear me out?¡± Madeline kept quiet the whole time. It¡¯sing! It¡¯s finally happening! First, Sebastian had a discussion with Dan so that he could get what he wanted in exchange for setting Phoebe free. Once Dan agreed to it, Sebastian actually agreed to release Phoebe. Dan had just started celebrating, and he had only been happy for a few minutes, yet Sebastian was about to pour a bucket of cold water on his head now. If my guess is right, once Dan finds out the truth of the car ident, he¡¯s going to go to the police station to stop the police from canceling the case. Dan would want to press charges on Phoebe all over again. So, Phoebe will still stay in jail in the end. This is really¡­ Once again, Madeline reminded herself to never be Sebastian¡¯s enemy. He wasn¡¯t just a powerful man¡ªhe also used a lot of malicious tactics. I can¡¯t afford to mess with someone like him! Dan¡¯s footsteps came to a halt before he turned around to look at Sebastian. ¡°Do you know something about my car ident?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sebastian pointed at the couch. ¡°Sit down and hear me out. I promise you won¡¯t regret this.¡± Dan stared at Sebastian before he turned to gaze at Madeline for a moment. Madeline let out a quiet sigh before she poured Dan a ss of warm water. ¡°Come over and sit, Dan. It¡¯d be good for you to know about this secret.¡± Sebastian had put in a lot of effort and money to obtain this secret about the car ident, so Madeline believed that she had no right to tell Dan the secret without getting Sebastian¡¯s permission first. She was, therefore, d that Sebastian had decided to tell Dan the truth. She hoped that the truth would be out so that Dan and Nigel would no longer act like two idiots who didn¡¯t know anything. Dan knew Madeline well, and he knew that Madeline wouldn¡¯t lie to him. If she said that it was beneficial for him to hear the secret, then he knew that he¡¯d definitely benefit from it. However, he simply couldn¡¯t think of any possible secret that could be rted to the car ident, and he couldn¡¯t imagine how he would benefit from it. In the end, he slowly turned around before taking a seat on the couch. Sebastian turned to speak to Madeline then. ¡°Give Mr. Taylor a call and tell him toe over to hear the secret together.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Madeline nodded before pulling her phone out to call Nigel. Nigel was just nearby. When Dan said that he was going to look for Madeline to ask her to release Phoebe, Nigel had followed him as he was worried. But after his past experience with Sebastian, Nigel was too ashamed to meet Madeline, so he had decided to wait in the car. After receiving Madeline¡¯s call, Nigel hurried over to the VIP room. Dan questioned Sebastian after four of them were in their seats. ¡°What secret is it? Can you tell us now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sebastian smiled elegantly as he ced a file that his men had just handed him in front of Nigel and Dan. ¡°If you guys aren¡¯tplete idiots, you¡¯ll understand what the secret is after you read these files.¡± Nigel¡¯s face turned pale, and his veins popped out as he felt himself getting mad. Sebastian is just too horrible! The Taylors might not be as powerful as the Harts, but I¡¯m still his senior! He¡¯s so rude when he speaks to me¡ªhe doesn¡¯t have any manners at all! Nigel¡¯s facial muscles trembled with anger, and his fingers were shaking as he reached for the file. If the Taylors were actually more powerful than the Harts, Nigel would¡¯ve picked up the coffee in front of him and sshing it over Sebastian. Nigel desperately wanted to teach the disrespectful brat a lesson! However, the Taylors were no match for the Harts, so Nigel couldn¡¯t afford to infuriate Sebastian. Even though Nigel felt like his chest was about to burst with rage and shame, he could only clench his jaw and hold it all in. He took deep breaths and contained the emotions within him as he tore the file open with trembling fingers. Nigel froze after he finished reading the first page. His eyes widened as his fingers shook even harder than before. Dan, who had leaned closer to nce at the files, put on the same expression after reading the papers. When they finished the second page, Dan couldn¡¯t control himself any longer. He grabbed the papers and began to mutter to himself. ¡°How could this be? How could this be?!¡± Nigel looked up at Sebastian with his face pale and sickly. ¡°The details here¡­ A-Are they real?¡± Sebastian curled his lips into a smile. ¡°All of Bryan¡¯s doctors¡¯ reports are at the back of the file. You can see the hospital¡¯s official chop and signature. If you still don¡¯t believe me, you can send your men to investigate it.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian leaned back in his seat to rest in an even more elegant pose. ¡°When he went for his first check-up, he didn¡¯t know that what he had was a terminal illness. Furthermore, he probably didn¡¯t think about using his life in exchange for his daughter¡¯s lifetime happiness. So, during his first check-up, he had used his original name and hadn¡¯t bothered to hide anything. It was easy to find this,¡± Sebastian uttered. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 46 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Scammed Nigel snatched the files back from Dan¡¯s hands before flipping to thest page with his trembling hands. Just as Sebastian had said, thest page showed all of Bryan¡¯s medical reports of his terminal illness. Nigel heard a loud ringing in his ears as his vision turned ck for a moment. He nearly fainted right then. His face was the color of paper¡ªeven his lips had turned white. Nigel tried his best not to faint as he spoke through quivering lips. ¡°N-No¡­ Even if Bryan had a terminal illness, that doesn¡¯t prove anything¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Is that so¡­¡± Sebastian stared at Nigel with amusement. ¡°Apart from that, my men also found out that Bryan had taken all of his money out of the bank ount just one day before the car ident. The driver who had hit Bryan was sentenced to one year in prison, but after that, the driver and his family moved out of a rented house they had been living in for a long time and returned to their hometown, where they purchased a condominium with two rooms and three halls¡­¡± Sebastian rested his fingers on his chin as he smiled. ¡°The driver who hit Bryan used to be a gambling addict. He had more than 100,000 worth of debts, half of them to loan sharks, and both his parents were ill and had no source of ie. The driver also had a three-year-old and a one-month-old kid, and his wife was a housewife who cared for the driver¡¯s parents and their children. She didn¡¯t have a source of ie either. Do you think a family like his could have managed to clear all the debts and purchase a new house in their hometown? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s odd?¡± Everything that Sebastian said had its respective evidence in the file. The evidence was all there, so Nigel couldn¡¯t lie to himself any longer. What Sebastian said was the truth. I¡¯m an idiot! Nigel thought. This chef treated me like an idiot and fooled me for years! I¡¯m the richest man in Worrick. I¡¯m rich and handsome, and I used to be the most sessful young man in the country. Even though I already had a prior marriage and two sons, there were still tons of gorgeousdies who wanted to be with me. Yet, after Bryan saved Dan, I was forced to make an oath as Bryan refused to shut his eyes until I did so. I promised to marry Phoebe and care for her forever. I couldn¡¯t just go against my promise! For the sake of this promise, I tolerated Phoebe¡¯s vulgar habits and her idiocy. I even married her and made her the woman of the Taylor Family. On top of that, I forced myself to have a daughter with her. Throughout these years, I¡¯ve always thought that I owed Bryan his life. Although I never developed feelings for Phoebe, I¡¯ve always been understanding toward her. I was especially sweet toward our daughter, Isabel. But now, I just realized how big of an idiot I was! What a joke! A savior? Bryan was never a savior. It was all part of his n. It was a trap. It was a trap that Bryan had set up to ensure that his daughter would get married to a rich family and enjoy her life. I thought my enemy was my benefactor, and I tolerated all the disgust toward an idiotic and evil woman as her husband for nearly 20 years! Sebastian¡¯s right¡ªI am an idiot! I¡¯m even dumber than Phoebe! Nigel¡¯s hands were shaking as he gripped the files. His heart was pounding, and his figure wavered while his vision turned blurry. In the end, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore¡ªhis body fell backward as he fainted. ¡°Dad!¡± Dan, whose eyes were bloodshot, cried out loud and held onto Nigel¡¯s falling body. ¡°Uncle Nigel!¡± Madeline rushed over to Nigel as well. She knew some basic medical skills, so she briefly checked Nigel¡¯s pulse before heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°Thankfully, he¡¯s just experiencing some shortness of breath, probably because he was too angry,¡± she told Dan. It wasn¡¯t a big deal as he simply couldn¡¯t catch his breath after getting too worked up. Things would have been worse if he had a stroke or a heart attack. Madeline stuck her thumb out and applied pressure onto his philtrum. A few minutester, Nigel gradually opened his eyes. Hey on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, his gaze nk and his expression stiff and withdrawn. It had just been a few minutes, yet he looked like he had aged by ten years. Dan felt both anger and heartache when he saw his father in that state. Once he was sure that his father was fine, he got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that b*tch!¡± he cried. As Dan charged out of the room, Nigel quickly grabbed his wrist. ¡°Stay right there!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop me, Dad. I need to kill that b*tch!¡± Dan wrestled his way out of his father¡¯s grip. Nigel forced himself up into a seating position as he spoke at a slow pace. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you¡­¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± Dan cried. There were tears of sadness and fury in the younger man¡¯s eyes. Both of them had suffered so much in the hands of Phoebe and Isabel! My father is such an outstanding person, yet he ended up marrying someone as rude, disgusting, and uncultured as Phoebe, all because Bryan saved my life. I, on the other hand, had to suffer a long-term injury to my left leg after the ident. It has been many years, but my leg still hurts on rainy days. I can¡¯t do extreme exercises and I can¡¯t learn martial arts because of this leg injury. I couldn¡¯t even join the basketball team while I was still at school. Perhaps you yearn more for the things you can¡¯t have. When I saw my peers running on the field with their sweat trickling down their youthful faces, I was so envious of them. No one knows about this until today because I always try my best to look like I don¡¯t care. I tell others that I don¡¯t enjoy sports. However, no one knows how much I long to be like my peers who can run andugh on the basketball field. This is an experience that every boy should have, but that car ident stripped me of these basic rights. In the past, Dan had assumed that Bryan was whole-heartedly trying to save him. Dan felt both thankful and guilty for years. Whenever he thought about how Bryan had sacrificed his precious life to save him, he would feel guilty toward Bryan, and Phoebe, who had lost her father. So, unlike other families who treated their stepmothers as enemies, Dan was especially nice toward Phoebe and her daughter, Isabel. Phoebe was dumb and would often get mocked by the other family members, but Dan would always stand up for her. If anyone mocked Phoebe, he would punish that person. Isabel inherited most of Phoebe¡¯s looks¡ªher round face and small eyes made it hard for her to appear like a rich man¡¯s daughter no matter how she dressed herself up. So, she was often jealous of Madeline¡¯s natural beauty. Whenever Isabel had the chance, she would torture and bully Madeline. Dan knew about this, yet he chose not to care since Isabel¡¯s grandfather was his life-saver. He thought that if it weren¡¯t for him, Isabel would have had a grandfather who loved her. He also thought he was the reason Isabel lost a person who loved her, so he decided that he would be the one to shower her with the love she never got from her grandfather! Both Dan and his father showed extra love and care to Phoebe and Isabel because of the guilt they had toward Bryan. Their love for the girls was practically endless and unconditional. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Yet, they just realized that it was all a lie. They had been scammed! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 47 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Father-Daughter Reunion They were total fools! They had been fooled for close to 20 years! The more they sacrificed for Phoebe and Isabel, the more it made them look like idiots. The nicer they were to Phoebe and Isabel, the more they appeared like fools! Dan was so furious that he felt like his capiries were about to burst. There was only a single thought in his head right then: I want to kill phoebe! I want to step on her throat and crush her windpipe, choking her to her death! ¡°Dan¡­¡± Nigel fixed his guilty and sorrowful gaze on Dan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Nigel was proud of his intellect and his capabilities, and he couldn¡¯t believe that he had made such a stupid mistake. Back then, after the car ident, Nigel had suspected that someone was trying to harm his son intentionally. He had ordered his men to investigate the driver, but his men had told him that there was nothing fishy about the ident! Nigel had no idea if Bryan was skillful enough to bribe the man that Nigel had sent to investigate the case, or if the man had simply been too careless with his work. It could¡¯ve also been because Nigel only suspected the driver but not Bryan, since Bryan was dead. So, the man Nigel sent had only investigated the driver¡¯s background without looking into Bryan¡¯s actions. Perhaps that was why they didn¡¯t manage to realize anything. The incident had happened so long ago, so there was no way for Nigel to find out why they didn¡¯t notice Bryan¡¯s evil little scheme all those years ago. Ultimately, Nigel had been fooled for close to 20 years, and he had helped to care for his enemy¡¯s daughter and granddaughter. He had even provided his enemy¡¯s daughter and granddaughter with endless respect and care¡­ I¡¯m so dumb. I¡¯m really so dumb¡­ I used to be so guilty over Bryan¡¯s death. After that, I was troubled by the fact that I had to get married to Phoebe. All of my mental energy was spent on feeling guilty and troubled¡ªI never had the chance to suspect that the honest and kind-looking Bryan was actually an evil man! Nigel felt apologetic toward his son for not having dug out the truth all those years ago. Because of Nigel, Dan had treated his enemy as his benefactor and had spent all his years showering love on Phoebe and Isabel. The amount of love and care that Nigel and Dan had given to Phoebe and Isabel over the 20 years was equivalent to the hatred and regret they felt right then. Nigel felt especially guilty toward his own son. His stupidity was the reason that his son had to go through all that suffering and rage right then. ¡°No, Dad¡­ I¡¯m the one who dragged you into this,¡± Dan uttered bitterly. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t assumed that Bryan saved me, you wouldn¡¯t have had to marry Phoebe¡­ I-I was the one who ruined your life¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, you silly boy¡­¡± Nigel lowered his gaze to look at Dan¡¯s left leg before speaking in a shaky and bitter tone. ¡°Bryan targeted you because he wanted his daughter to get married to me. He hired the driver to hit you, and then he pretended to sacrifice his life¡­ Your leg¡¯s only like this now because of me¡­¡± Nigel felt his heart aching whenever he thought about the pain that his son had to go through. When Nigel thought about how his son¡¯s left leg would hurt on rainy days, and whenever he thought about how his son couldn¡¯t do martial arts or other extreme sports, Nigel would feel a searing pain in his chest. Furthermore, Nigel had even cared for his enemy¡¯s daughter. He had thanked her, he had felt guilty toward her, and he had given her all the best food and clothes¡­ I¡¯m probably the biggest idiot on earth¡­ ¡°Stop talking about this, Dad. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and neither did I. It¡¯s all Bryan and Phoebe¡¯s fault!¡± Dan hissed through gritted teeth. There were sparks of fury dancing in his eyes as he spoke. ¡°I want to kill her! I¡¯m going to kill her now!¡± Dan flung Nigel¡¯s arm off him before running out of the room. Nigel hastily chased after him. ¡°I¡¯lle with you, Dan.¡± Nigel knew that Dan would have to face horrible consequences if he were to actually kill someone. Nigel didn¡¯t want his son to waste his life away for the sake of a dumb and evil woman. It was more agonizing for one to live in a terrible state than for one to just die. Now, Phoebe was being locked up in prison for attempted kidnapping. If he wanted to get Phoebe out, it would be hard, but it would be as easy as pie if he wanted to make sure that she suffered inside! Dan and Nigel left, with Dan leading the way. Madeline instinctively took a few steps forward. ¡°Do you think they will actually get mad and kill Phoebe?¡± she asked worriedly. Dan was her savior, after all. Although he hadn¡¯t been extremely nice to her, he also hadn¡¯t bullied her. Furthermore, Dan was Sam¡¯s brother, and Sam cared about him a lot. Sam would be really sad if anything happened to Dan. Apart from Madeline¡¯s two kids, Sam was the one person who was genuinely nice to her, and she didn¡¯t want to see him sad. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sebastian said in an uninterested tone. ¡°Nigel¡¯s an experienced man¡ªDan won¡¯t get a chance to kill anyone as long as Nigel is there.¡± Madeline thought about it for a while and heaved a sigh of relief when she realized that Sebastian¡¯s words made sense. Even though the process was brutal, Madeline believed that this was good news for Dan and Nigel. Nigel didn¡¯t like Phoebe at all, after all. Every second he spent with Phoebe was torture to him. Madeline couldn¡¯tment much on her uncle, but she had to say that he was extremely good at keeping promises. Throughout the past 20 years, Nigel had kept his promise to Bryan and remained loyal to Phoebe and the marriage. He forced himself to tolerate his hatred toward Phoebe, and he remained married to her for nearly 20 years. Nigel was still young¡ªhe wasn¡¯t 50 yet. Judging by the average lifespan in their society, Madeline believed that Nigel was still able to live for another 20 years. Since he knew the truth now, and since he could get rid of Phoebe, it¡¯d feel like a leash had been taken off of Nigel¡¯s neck. Although he may suffer now, in the next 20 years, Nigel would no longer have to deal with the disgust and hatred he felt for Phoebe. He could finally breathe. This was good news for him. Madeline returned to the couch and nced at the gifts she had bought for her sons. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. Joel and Quincy must be waiting for us,¡± she said to Sebastian. He nodded. They were just about to leave the clubhouse when Madeline¡¯s phone rang again. She halted her footsteps and pulled her phone out to see who was calling. Her phone screen showed an unknown number. She didn¡¯t have the habit of ignoring unknown numbers, so she picked up the call and ced her phone beside her ear. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello¡­¡± Soon enough, a warm and deep voice filled her ear. ¡°I¡¯m Michael Wendel.¡± Michael Wendel? Is he my¡­ biological father? She unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone in her right hand. ¡°H-Hello, Mr. Wendel,¡± she uttered with a thick voice. Madeline¡¯s so-called mother, Cameron, had been enemies with Michael¡¯s wife, Crystal, her whole life. Crystal was a gentle and cultured woman, and she wouldn¡¯t use Madeline just to get revenge on Cameron. However, Crystal also didn¡¯t allow Madeline, who was Cameron¡¯s daughter, to refer to Crystal and Michael as her aunt and uncle.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 48 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 48 Chapter 48 He Feels Like Puking That was because Cameron was the Taylor Family¡¯s illegitimate daughter, while Madeline was the daughter of an illegitimate daughter. This meant that Madeline had no rights in the family. Madeline had met Michael a few times, but they hadn¡¯t properly talked to each other in the past. The only time Madeline ever spoke to Michael and Crystal was when Madeline had paid a visit to the Taylor Residence. Madeline was walking directly toward Michael and Crystal back then, and she couldn¡¯t avoid them in time, so she had no choice but to bow to them before greeting them as Mr. and Mrs. Wendel. Crystal didn¡¯t even nce in Madeline¡¯s direction and simply walked past her with the aura of a haughty queen. Michael, on the other hand, only gave her a nod. His movements were elegant, and his expression was gentle¡ªhe was an extremely handsome and mesmerizing man. Time was on his side as he didn¡¯t seem to have aged much over the years. Although he was the father of four sons, he looked like he was only in his thirties. He was used to wearing a pair of round, gold-framed sses, and he was always dressed in a well-ironed suit with a spotless white shirt under it. He was tall, charismatic, and elegant at the same time. However, Madeline heard rumors saying that this was just the way he appeared to be. Beneath the gentle and elegant front that he put up, Michael was actually a heartless and vicious man when he was doing business. Both Michael and Nigel were the same age, and they used to be ssmates in university. They had both taken over the Wendel and Taylor Corporations at the same time. That year, when they both inherited their respectivepanies, bothpanies had been rather simr in terms of reputation and financial power. However, Taylor Corporation was currently only in the top 100 most influentialpanies in the world, while Wendel Corporation had made its way up to the top 50. Michael¡¯s skills and talent were evident through his achievements. Madeline was immersed in her thoughts when Michael¡¯s voice rang in her ear and disrupted her train of thought. ¡°Madeline¡­¡± Michael uttered. ¡°I believe you already know about your birth history, and¡­ I¡¯d like to meet you. Would that be okay?¡± His manner of questioning was too polite for her to reject him. ¡°Sure¡­¡± She told him the address to Rabbit¡¯s Den and the room number she was in. It sounded like Michael was talking to someone beside him for a while, but he got back to her soon enough. ¡°I can reach the ce in 30 minutes. Would it be okay for you to wait for me there?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Drive safe,¡± she replied. After ending the call, she looked at Sebastian with exasperation. ¡°Mr. Wendel wants to meet me now¡­ Why don¡¯t you bring the presents home first? I¡¯m afraid Joel might start crying if we keep the boys waiting for too long.¡± Sebastian believed that the two boys were probably having the time of their lives with his father. They probably don¡¯t have the time to miss Madeline, and I don¡¯t think they would cry over her. However, being the caring gentleman that he was, he decided not to say such hurtful words in front of Madeline. Since Sebastian wasn¡¯t too interested in meeting Michael, he figured that it¡¯d be more meaningful for him to spend his time with the two adorable kids at home. He could feel himself itching to squish Joel¡¯s cheeks whenever he thought of the young boy. I just want to hug him! ¡°Sure!¡± Sebastian took the gifts they had bought for the kids. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Wem and Gregor with you. Once you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll get them to send you home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Madeline said hastily. ¡°I can be on my own. You don¡¯t need to leave anyone with me.¡± She knew that Quinton, Wem, Gregor, and Desmond were Sebastian¡¯s assistants, bodyguards, and drivers. Since the first time she met Sebastian, these four individuals had always been circling around him. For him to hand two of his men over to her¡­ She felt like she wasn¡¯t important enough for that. ¡°It¡¯s decided.¡± Sebastian brought the gifts out and turned around right before he stepped out of the door. ¡°Madeline, you should remember that you¡¯re no longer the old you! You¡¯re now my legitimate wife and the mother to my sons. You¡¯re the woman of the Hart Family! You have to remember that you¡¯re no longer the poor girl who used to stay in other people¡¯s houses. Now, you have the same right as everyone else to voice your opinions. As long as you¡¯re following the law and as long as you¡¯re doing things with logic and purpose, you don¡¯t need to give in to anyone, no matter who you encounter. You don¡¯t have to be afraid!¡± He curled his lips into a smile, and his sharp and gorgeous features made him look like a male god under the warm glow of the chandelier. ¡°Remember these six words, Madeline¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid, just do it!¡± She stared at him speechlessly. For someone like him, who has such mesmerizing and elegant looks, to say stereotypical things like ¡®don¡¯t be afraid, just do it!¡¯¡­ These words don¡¯t fit his image at all! She nodded at him speechlessly, and he beamed before turning around and walking off at a leisurely pace. Madeline returned to the couch and took a ss of juice for herself as her mind began to wander. I wonder how Uncle Nigel and Dan are doing now. Meanwhile, the two men she was thinking about had sessfully met Phoebe once more. Phoebe ran to them frantically. ¡°How are things, Nigel and Dan? Did Madeline agree to let me go? Can I leave now?¡± ¡°You want to leave?¡± Dan red at her hatefully. ¡°Stop dreaming, Phoebe! You¡¯ll never be able to leave for your whole life!¡± Phoebe was stunned. ¡°W-What happened, Dan? I¡¯m your stepmother! Why are you talking to me like that? Have you been possessed?¡± ¡°Why am I talking to you like that?¡± Dan held up the files that had been in his hands the whole time before throwing them in Phoebe¡¯s face. ¡°Take a look at this, and you¡¯ll know why I¡¯m talking to you like that!¡± Phoebe picked up the papers in a daze. As she flipped through a few pages, her face began to turn pale. Fear surfaced in her eyes as her body began to shake with fear. ¡°No¡­ This can¡¯t be real! This isn¡¯t real! You guys must be lying!¡± She threw the papers on the ground and stepped on them before pointing at Nigel. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me! You ungrateful, heartless man! You must have found a woman outside! You want to get rid of me, but you don¡¯t want people to think that you¡¯re ungrateful, so you came up with a lie like this! You can¡¯t be this evil, Nigel. My dad sacrificed his life to save Dan, so your family owes my dad his life. You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. The Taylor Family owes Bryan his life! I¡¯ve heard this sentence a thousand times, and I feel like my ears are about to rot, Nigel thought. In the past, whenever he heard Phoebe say this, he would feel a lot of guilt toward her, and he would always agree to anything she asked. But did he really owe Bryan his life? No! He didn¡¯t. Bryan was the one who scammed him. Nigel had stepped into the intricate trap that Bryanid out, and he had ended up marrying an ugly and rough woman. He had tolerated the disgust he felt for the woman and stayed in a rtionship with her for more than 20 years. When he thought about it now, Phoebe wasn¡¯t the daughter of his son¡¯s savior at all. Instead, she was the daughter of his enemy, who had heartlessly plotted against him. Just the thought of it made him feel like puking! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 49 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 49 Chapter 49 She¡¯s Crazy He shot Phoebe an icy look. His eyes were filled with hatred, and his gaze pierced her soul. ¡°Phoebe, your dad was the one who staged this whole thing, and he bribed the driver to hit Dan. He pretended to be the good guy by sacrificing his life to save Dan. Didn¡¯t you know about this at all?¡± Nigel looked right into Phoebe¡¯s eyes as he questioned her in a slow tone. Phoebe shuddered before she screamed at him. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? What nonsense is that? My dad didn¡¯t do such a thing! You¡¯re using my dad of something he didn¡¯t do! My dad sacrificed his life to save your son, yet you¡¯re not thankful at all. You¡¯re even putting the me on him! You¡¯re so heartless, Nigel! Are you even human?!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He sneered. ¡°Look at the way you¡¯re reacting. You must know about this, right? I knew it¡­¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°You and Bryan are biologically rted. You guys lived under the same roof, so you must have known about his plot. You must have sensed something even if he didn¡¯t tell you! I always thought you were dumb, but I just realized that I¡¯m the dumbest person. I was fooled by an idiotic woman like you for more than ten years!¡± ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± She shook her head frantically. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know anything! It¡¯s all fake! It¡¯s a lie! You¡¯re framing my father. He saved your son¡ªyour family should be indebted to me. You guys can¡¯t be so ungrateful, and you guys can¡¯t just forget about me like that. You can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Nigel let out a coldugh as he slowly stood up and pressed his palms against the table. He leaned forward to get closer to Phoebe. ¡°The evidence says it all, Phoebe. You and your father¡¯s scheme has been exposed! You have to pay for what you did! You and your father lied to my son and me, and you guys made us sacrifice so much for you and your daughter in the past 20 years. Your father hurt Dan¡¯s leg, and he still suffers from its after-effects until today! Just you wait, Phoebe. I¡¯m going to make sure you pay for everything you and your father have done! I¡¯m going to make sure to turn the rest of your life into a living hell!¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes were filled with strong hatred as he red directly at Phoebe. His sharp stare felt like a knife stabbing into Phoebe¡¯s chest. She shivered before shaking her head like a madwoman. ¡°No¡­ No¡­ No¡­! You can¡¯t do this to me, Nigel! I don¡¯t know anything at all! You must have gotten it wrong. It must have been a mistake. My dad is an extremely honest and loyal man¡ªhe¡¯d never do such a thing. Someone must have framed him. It was Madeline, wasn¡¯t it? That b*stard, Madeline, must be trying to harm him! Doesn¡¯t she have all sorts of connections? She must have gotten those people to create these fake pieces of evidence just to frame my father! You can¡¯t trust her, Nigel. Don¡¯t trust¡ª¡± Smack! Nigel sent a p across her face. His p was so hard that she could see stars. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth, and she pressed her hand against her lips as she red at Nigel in disbelief. ¡°You hit me¡­ How dare you hit me¡­¡± All these years, she had been ced on a pedestal in the Taylor Family. She could do whatever she wished to, hence she was always the one pping others, and not the other way around. In the past, no one would dare toy a finger on her, but Nigel had just hit her! ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to be hit by others, huh?¡± Nigel¡¯s figure towered over her, and he fixed his cold, stern re on her as he spoke. ¡°This is just the beginning, Phoebe. You¡¯re about to understand what it feels like to live in a living hell! For the rest of your life, I¡¯m going to make you suffer endlessly. You¡¯re going to suffer until you die an undignified death! Yearster, you¡¯ll realize that the time you spent in prison was actually the best time of your life! You¡¯ll desperately wish to return behind the metal bars, where you will try your best to stay alive until you take yourst breath!¡± ¡°No¡­ No¡­ No¡­¡± When she thought of her terrifying cell, she shook her head and screamed as tears of fear rolled down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. Don¡¯t do this to me, Nigel. I don¡¯t know anything, and my father is definitely innocent. Please, Nigel. Help me get out! Nigel¡­ For the sake of Isabel! Yes¡­ Yes¡­¡± Phoebe was like a drowning person who had just found a final twig she could cling onto. ¡°Think about Isabel, Nigel. Our Isabel! She¡¯s all grown up and has reached the age of getting married. How is she going to find a good family if her mother¡¯s in jail?¡± she said while gazing at Nigel hopefully. Her heart felt like it was being sliced when she thought about her daughter. She hunched her body as she began to sob and wail. ¡°Please, Nigel. Please think of our daughter! You love her, Nigel! She can¡¯t have a mom who¡¯s in jail. Please, Nigel. For the sake of Isabel, get me out of here!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Nigel curled his lips into a sneer. ¡°Isabel? Isabel¡¯s your daughter, not mine. What has she got to do with me? She shares the same blood as you and Nigel. Now that Bryan¡¯s master n is exposed, do you think Isabel will still get to be a youngdy in the Taylor Family?¡± Phoebe froze. What does he mean? D-Does he not recognize Isabel as his own daughter? ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that!¡± She leaped over to Nigel before grabbing his cor and shaking his body. ¡°Are you crazy, Nigel? Isabel¡¯s our daughter! How could you abandon your own child like that?¡± Phoebe had lost her parents a long while ago, so Isabel was the only person who was blood-rted to Phoebe. Isabel was practically Phoebe¡¯s life. If anyone ever insulted Isabel, no matter how small that insult was, Phoebe would lose her temper and criticize those people. However, Nigel had just said that he no longer wanted Isabel. He didn¡¯t want Isabel to be the youngdy of the Taylor Family anymore! How can this happen? This is about as bad as when I received the news about staying in prison. Phoebe clung to Nigel¡¯s cor as she continued shouting like a crazy woman. Nigel forcefully pushed her to the ground before stepping on her chest. He red down at her with an icy, ferocious look. ¡°Does she have the right to be my daughter? I loved Sam and Dan¡¯s mother, and I wanted to just care for my two sons after she left. I didn¡¯t n on remarrying anyone. Yet, because of Bryan¡¯s lies, I was forced to marry you! If Bryan hadn¡¯te up with this n, I wouldn¡¯t have married you, and Isabel wouldn¡¯t have existed! She shouldn¡¯t have existed at all to begin with! Thinking about her reminds me of you and your disgusting father! I¡¯m already being generous and kind by not releasing my anger on her. Do you think she can still be the youngdy of the Taylor Family? Do I look like an idiot to you? Do you think our family members are still going to act like we¡¯re your servants?! I already helped Bryan take care of his daughter for half a lifetime. Do you think I will still continue to care for his granddaughter?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 50 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Karma Nigel used his toes to apply pressure against Phoebe¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m not a saint, Phoebe. I¡¯m not that great of a man. I didn¡¯t send Isabel into prison because she still carries some of the Taylor Family¡¯s blood, but I¡¯m not going to give her anything else!¡± ¡°No¡­ No¡­!¡± Phoebe shook her head while screaming in terror. Is Nigel going to chase my daughter out of the Taylor Family? Is he going to make her leave without a single penny in her pocket? No. No! How could Nigel do that? His daughter is my daughter¡ªshe has the Taylors¡¯ blood and should be a well-respected woman in the family. My daughter should be a proud Taylor, and she should receive all the love from her family. I used to picture her having a grand marriage where she gets married to a man from another wealthy family. That way, the Taylors would have pampered her for the first half of her life, while her husband¡¯s family would pamper her for the second half. That¡¯s what my daughter¡¯s life should be like. How could Nigel be heartless enough to kick his own daughter out without giving her any money? Fear and agony made Phoebe¡¯s chest tighten. She was crying so hard that her whole body was shaking, and she was in so much mental and physical pain that it felt like she was caught in a cycle of dying,ing back alive, and dying again. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, Nigel. Please don¡¯t do this to Isabel¡­ She¡¯s innocent¡­ She doesn¡¯t know anything¡­¡± ¡°When you say that she doesn¡¯t know anything, you¡¯re indirectly iming that you know everything, right?¡± Nigel pressed his foot against her chest before bending down lower. ¡°So, you knew all about your father¡¯s nasty ns! Your father bribed the driver and hit my son. My son¡¯s leg isn¡¯t fully healed, yet here you are, sucking the blood out of my son and enjoying the good life that the Taylors offered you! ¡­You¡¯re so evil, Phoebe!¡± ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± Phoebe was sobbing so hard, she could barely breathe. In the past, she genuinely didn¡¯t have any idea about what happened as her father didn¡¯t tell her anything. When her father, on his deathbed, requested Nigel to get married to her, she was actually surprised. Her father knew that she liked Nigel. There was once when Phoebe¡¯s father caught her gazing at Nigel and checking him out. Her father then brought her home and shut the door before giving her a scolding. ¡°Nothing goodes out of coveting a man like that, especially when you¡¯re just a servant. You should stay away from Nigel,¡± Phoebe¡¯s father said. This hurt her pride, and she had a huge fight with her father after that. She wailed and med her father for being a useless cook¡ªshe thought that he was the reason she was a servant. Phoebe hated her parents for their bad genes, as Nigel didn¡¯t even take a second nce in her direction. After the huge fight, they didn¡¯t talk much about it, but Bryan stayed up the whole night burning through packets of cigarettes. A while after that, Bryan got terribly injured to save Dan and was rushed to the hospital. When Bryan uttered his wish for Nigel to get married to Phoebe, Phoebe was both surprised and ted. At the start, Nigel didn¡¯t agree to it. The doctors imed that Bryan was about to pass on, yet Bryan held onto hisst breath while ring at Nigel. Bryan refused to let himself release hisst breath. In the end, Nigel had no choice but to agree to marry Phoebe. After Nigel made that statement, Bryan¡¯s expression andplexion became much better. However, the doctors told Bryan to write a will since he was nearing the end of his life. Everyone left the room, and it was just Phoebe and Bryan inside. Phoebe held Bryan¡¯s hand as he whispered into her ear. ¡°You cannot ask anyone about my money once I¡¯m dead. If you want to get married to Nigel and live a good life with him, you cannot mention anything about the money in front of them!¡± Phoebe questioned her father as she didn¡¯t understand his intentions. Her father widened his eyes before addressing her in a creepy, ghost-like voice. ¡°If you talk about our family funds, then Nigel probably won¡¯t get married to you. He might hate you and chase you out instead,¡± her father told her. Bryan had instructed her not to hunt for money within her own family. There was no money at home, so he told her that there was no point in looking there. He even said that she wouldn¡¯t need the money from then onward. ¡°Once you get married to Nigel, and once you be the woman of the Taylor Family, you will have money! So, you shouldn¡¯t look for the money at home. Don¡¯t look for it, okay?!¡± Bryan reminded her. She would lose Nigel, and she would ruin the rest of her life if she went to search for her family¡¯s money. Back then, she didn¡¯t understand what her father meant by that. She even felt sorry for herself. Her father was the main chef in the Taylor Family, so he received quite a good amount as his sry. Even though she was a big spender, she was sure that her father had savings of at least 200,000. Where did all of that money go? Why didn¡¯t Dad leave the money for me? As much as she was curious about this, she was more afraid of losing the chance to get married to Nigel. So, she promised her father that she wouldn¡¯t look for the money at home. She wouldn¡¯t tell others that her family had zero funds, either. After Phoebe made this promise to her father, he finally passed away peacefully. Phoebe waspletely clueless about her father¡¯s final wishes, and the curiosity she felt was like an itch she couldn¡¯t scratch. Bryan had warned her that Nigel would abandon her if she went to look for their family¡¯s funds. So, no matter how curious she felt, she could only try her best to forget about it. As she grew older, she put her father¡¯s medical condition and the missing funds at home together, and she made some guesses from there. However, she didn¡¯t want to think too much about it. She would rather believe that the ident was legitimate. She wanted to think that her father had genuinely shown up to save Dan, who was nearly hit by a car. Phoebe could sense a lingering danger in the air when she finally made sense of what her father must have meant when he told her his final wishes. So, throughout the years, Phoebe had kept her mouth shut and never uttered a single word about their family¡¯s money. Right now, it turned out that her guess was correct! Her father had used their family¡¯s funds to hire someone to murder Dan! He reminded Phoebe not to tell anyone about the family funds because people would grow suspicious of Bryan if they found out about it, and they would send men to investigate Bryan. If Bryan¡¯s plot had been exposed, Phoebe wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to marry Nigel at all. She had obeyed her father and kept the mysterious disappearance of her family funds a secret. It had been more than 20 years, yet she had never told anyone a single thing. Despite this, her father¡¯s scheme was still exposed in the end. She finally understood the whole picture then. My father used this plot to exchange the remaining time he had to live for my marriage and happiness. Now that it has all been revealed, and now that Nigel knows everything¡­ My good days are over. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The way Nigel red at Phoebe made him look like he wanted to stab her a thousand times. She felt sorry for herself. She genuinely didn¡¯t know about the n at all. Bryan was the one who sneakily made his own decisions, and he hadn¡¯t spoken to her about it at all. Phoebe didn¡¯t technically do anything wrong, so why were they ming her? She reached her arms out and held onto Nigel¡¯s ankles as she cried. ¡°Please, believe me, Nigel. I really didn¡¯t know anything. Please let me go! Please don¡¯t get mad at Isabel. She¡¯s your child, Nigel! Nigel¡­¡± Nigel raised his leg and kicked her away hard before staring at her icily. ¡°You¡¯re the person who¡¯s the closest to Bryan. You guys lived together. I don¡¯t believe that you didn¡¯t know anything! And so what if you don¡¯t know anything? Bryan only plotted against me and hurt my son for the sake of your happiness. Since you got to enjoy all the joyous oues of Bryan¡¯s plot, you will also have to suffer all the hatred and anger that I feel from being cheated by Bryan! And Isabel! ¡­Isabel only enjoyed the life of the wealthy because of Bryan¡¯s n. So¡­ the same logic applies to Isabel!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 51 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Tell Her to Get Lost ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Phoebe fell to the ground and hollered in a heart-wrenching tone, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! Nigel, please save me¡­ Get me out of here¡­¡± All this before her must be a nightmare. That¡¯s right. It must be just a nightmare. Once I wake up from this nightmare, everything will be back to normal! She was the honorable mother of the Taylor Family, and her daughter was the beloved Miss Isabel. For the rest of their lives, they would enjoy the endless wealth and honor that were brought to them by the Taylor family. At this moment, Phoebe desperately crawled toward Nigel, grabbed him by his leg, and begged him to save her from this horrible ce. As long as I get out, this nightmare wille to an end, she desperately thought. Seeing that, Dan took a few steps toward Phoebe and kicked her away with force. Then, he grabbed her by the cor and yanked her up from the ground. His face hovered closer to her and he said callously into her ears, ¡°This agony will make you understand that we are capable of doing this to you!¡± Having said that, he gave her a hefty punch on her stomach, and she copsed into herself, screaming in pain as she hit the ground. Inimically, he gritted his teeth in anger and continued the beating. In enormous pain, Phoebe squealed like an animal that was being ughtered as the beating continued, and she kept begging for help. In the meantime, the prison guard, who had previously tried to turn a blind eye by taking a phone call, ended the call and rushed back to the meeting room. He cleared his throat and attempted to pull Dan away from Phoebe. Then, he raised his voice and warned, ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you all a family? What is the fight for? No fighting is allowed here!¡± To avoidplicating matters for the prison guard, Nigel grabbed Dan¡¯s arms and stopped him from continuing his aggressive behavior. Dan unwillingly withdrew his fists as he spit on Phoebe¡¯s face. ¡°There is more toe for you, Phoebe Taylor!¡± he hissed. ¡°Knock it off, Dan! We¡¯re leaving now.¡± Nigel dragged Dan out of the room with force. If Nigel continued to stay in the room, he was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist giving Phoebe a good-hiding as well. She deserves to be beaten to death! ¡°Come back! Don¡¯t do this¡­You can¡¯t do this to me! Nigel, Dan¡­ Please,e back! Help me out¡­ I want to get out¡­¡± Phoebe begged in despair. However, no one responded to her. The sound of footsteps gradually went away and soon disappeared. Phoebe couldn¡¯t get up, so she pounded the floor with her fists and wailed, ¡°No way! You can¡¯t do this to me, you can¡¯t¡­ I hate you, I hate you, I hate you all!¡± Phoebe hated Nigel and Dan, and the same went for her father. If her father hadn¡¯t taken matters into his own hands and plotted against Nigel, she wouldn¡¯t be in such a miserable situation today. In those years, she was ecstatic and proud when she married Nigel, yet here she was, suffering and appearing absolutely wretched. She had a feeling that she would be tortured to death by Nigel and Dan. If her father hadn¡¯t hidden the n from her, even though she couldn¡¯t have married into a wealthy family, she could have at least lived a peaceful life until old age. However, her father took it upon himself to scheme against Nigel. Back then, she had seeded in marrying Nigel, but as her father¡¯s plot was exposed, Nigel and Dan took out their anger on her and they wouldn¡¯t let her get away that easily. No. From N?velDrama.Org. They would not give her a quick death. They would definitely torture her to death but slowly, and little by little. She was scared. Extremely terrified. And her daughter¡­ Her daughter, who grew up living in a bed of roses and was well pampered, would be detested and loathed by Nigel and Dan. Soon, they would kick her daughter out of the house and renounce her name as part of the Taylor Family. Her daughter would fall from heaven to hell. How could her daughter take that? She was in pain. So much pain. Phoebe clutched her chest as it was so painful that she could hardly breathe anymore. After leaving the detention center, Nigel and Dan instructed the driver to return to the Taylor Residence. The father and son did not say a word during the whole trip. During that time, both their cell phones rang numerous times, and the calls were made by the same person¡ªIsabel Taylor. Both of them nced at the phone and unanimously cklisted her. Clearly, no one was in the mood to answer her calls. Soon after, their bodyguards and assistants were bombarded with phone calls from Isabel. Yet, without orders from their masters, not one person dared to answer her calls. Half an hourter, the car drove into the Taylor Residence. As soon as Nigel and Dan exited the car, Isabel ran to them in a fury, questioning with fire in her eyes, ¡°Dad, Dan, is there something wrong with your cell phones? Why didn¡¯t both of you answer my calls? And your bodyguards and assistants, why didn¡¯t anyone answer my calls? What are they doing? They can¡¯t even answer a phone call! What a bunch of trash!¡± Nigel halted and nced at Isabel, who looked just like a replica of Phoebe. Seeing that, he could feel his heart ache as if it was being swept up by a huge wave. Except for Isabel, the Taylors were all good-looking. Back then, his first wife was a notorious beauty and his two sons had also inherited his and his wife¡¯s genes¡ªthey were tall and sturdy; handsome and attractive. His eldest son, in particr, was known as the highest-rated man in Worrick. He was talented and gorgeous, and had always been Nigel¡¯s greatest pride. However, his only daughter, Isabel, waspletely different from his sons. She inherited the body type of her mother¡ªshort, stout, and heavy. No matter how hard he tried to get her to control her calorie consumption, her round face remained; no matter how many fitness coaches he hired to train her, her obesity remained. Without a doubt, some girls were chubby and plump. However, if they were well-mannered and had a good temperament, they would still look beautiful. Unfortunately, Isabel also got her character from Phoebe¡ªbird-brained, rude, vicious, and loud-voiced. Although Nigel had spent a lot of effort on Isabel and hired many teachers for her, he still failed to cultivate her elegant temperament. For many years, he had been perplexed as to why this was the case. Now, he suddenly understood. This was because learning from a good role model was far more important than hiring different coaches. Since Isabel was born, she had always been the apple of her mother¡¯s eye and she wouldn¡¯t let Isabel go anywhere without her presence. As a result, Isabel had learned to be ill-mannered and spiteful like her mother, given the time that they had spent together every day. In the past, Isabel was loved dearly by Nigel because of Phoebe¡¯s father, Bryan, who had saved his second son¡¯s life. But now, the thought of Bryan and Phoebe only disgusted him, as did Isabel when he saw her. He did not want to see Isabel again. With that, he nced at her in disgust, brushed past her, and walked toward the living room. Isabel was stunned by his disgusted nce and suspected that she might have misread it. After all, her father had always adored her. How could he possibly look at her with that detested look? ¡°Dad¡­ Dad!¡± In disbelief, she ran toward Nigel and chased after him. Without looking back, Nigel ignored her calling and made a gesture to his bodyguards. They immediately stepped forward and blocked her way. ¡°Miss Isabel, please step away.¡± Hearing that, Dan came to a sudden halt and red at the bodyguard. ¡°Shut up!¡± he yelled. ¡°Are you blind or deaf? She is no longer a youngdy. Tell her to get lost! I don¡¯t want to see her ever again!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 52 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 52 Chapter 52 A Magnificent Beauty The bodyguard immediately bowed and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Taylor. It was my mistake!¡± ¡°Get her out of there!¡± Dan barked impatiently. ¡°Yes, Mr. Taylor!¡± The bodyguard gestured for Isabel to leave. ¡°Please leave right now, Miss Isabel!¡± Isabel stood there in shock. She widened her eyes in disbelief as she questioned Dan. ¡°Dan, have you gone mad? If I don¡¯t belong in this family, then which family do I belong to? Also, are you trying to chase me away? How can you chase me away? This is my home!¡± ¡°How can I?¡± Dan sneered. ¡°Because the ident back then was orchestrated by Bryan Xavier! Bryan Xavier is now my enemy, and you have his blood flowing in you! You¡¯re a rotten child that¡¯s the product of Bryan Xavier scheming against my father! You shouldn¡¯t even have been born! Chasing you away is the least of what I could do to you. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that you¡¯re still half-rted to me, I would¡¯ve strangled you to death myself!¡± Isabel was now petrified, and all the color drained from her face. She vehemently shook her head, saying, ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible! Dan, what kind of a joke is that? My grandfather saved your life! What do you mean that it was orchestrated? What schemes? Dan, are you insane?¡± Dan was in no mood to continue dealing with her. He yelled hismands at the bodyguard. ¡°What are you all waiting for? Get her out of here!¡± Out of the three Taylor siblings, only Sam had a more agreeable personality. Both Dan and Isabel were hot-headed and quick-tempered. It was obvious that Dan was in a foul mood, and none of the bodyguards dared to disobey his orders. They immediately stepped forward, grabbed Isabel by the shoulders, and herded her out. Isabel felt like she was going crazy. She shook her head with all her might and began to plead loudly, ¡°Dan, what¡¯s the matter with you? Dan, it¡¯s me, Isabel! I¡¯m your sister! How can you treat me like this? Let go of me! Let go! You bunch of worthless dogs! Did you hear what I said? If Father finds out that you¡¯ve treated me this way, he will definitely break all your legs! Let go of me, let go!¡± However, the bodyguards ignored her protests and shoved her out to the main gates of Taylor Residence. After pushing her to the ground, they turned around and headed back in. The gates closed behind her. However, Isabel crawled up from the ground and limped her way to the gates. She began screaming at the top of her lungs as she pounded the gates as hard as she could. Two bodyguards were positioned right at the entrance, but no matter how violently Isabel mmed the gates as shemanded the bodyguards to open them up, they merely stood there in silence and ignored her. She kept banging on the gates as she cried out for her father and her brother. No one paid her any attention. After half an hour, she no longer had any strength left and her voice had turned hoarse. She fell into a heap on the ground as she continued crying. Isabel could not understand why things had turned out this way. All of a sudden, her world had juste crashing down. Her mother was currently detained at the detention center, and thewyers said that her mother would face at least three years of jail time. Her father and brother had always been invincible, but they still could not get her mother out despite their fervent attempts to find a solution. In fact, Isabel had even heard that Madeline Taylor was the reason why her mother got in trouble. Believing that she could ckmail Madeline into letting her mother go free, Isabel had rushed back to get a few things before heading out to meet Madeline. However, before she could leave the house, her father and brother came home. She thought that they would bring back good news, but instead, they brought back news that shattered her world! Dan said that it was her grandfather who orchestrated the ident that happened to him. Her grandfather was not Dan¡¯s savior, but his enemy. This was why her father did not want her anymore. Even Dan looked at her like she was his enemy as well, and she had been chased out of the Taylor Residence. Isabel was terrified. Were her father and brother just caught up in the heat of the moment, or did they really mean it? What if they didn¡¯t recognize her as part of the family anymore? What would happen to her? She was the Taylor family¡¯s daughter! She was her father¡¯s daughter and her brother¡¯s sister! How could they treat her like this? Even though she wept until her voice started cracking, still no one came looking for her. Isabel was stricken with fear. She had never felt so frightened before. Suddenly, she remembered her mother. That¡¯s right! Mother! Her mother was the one who loved her the most in this entire world! The most important thing now was to get her mother out of the detention center. As long as her mother did not get in trouble, then Isabel would have someone to rely on. Her mother would surely be able to help her get back into the family¡¯s good graces and remain a part of the Taylor family! She wiped away her tears and took out her cell phone to call Madeline. Meanwhile, at Rabbit¡¯s Den. Just as Madeline took her seat opposite Michael and Jonathan, her phone started ringing. She was amused when she saw who was calling her. It was indeed a busy day for her phone today, as nearly every member of the Taylor family had called. She apologized to Michael and Jonathan before getting up and answering her phone. ¡°Madeline Taylor, where are you? I want to see you!¡± Isabel¡¯s tone was vicious. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Must I see you just because you want to?¡± Madeline snorted. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Even though you wish to see me, I don¡¯t want to see you. As for where I am now? I¡¯m not telling you!¡± Isabel was trembling with anger. ¡°Madeline Taylor, don¡¯t you get cocky! Do you think that just because you bagged a rich man, you¡¯re going to be someone important? Stop dreaming! Madeline Taylor, a b*tch is a b*tch! I have a lot of information on you that you wouldn¡¯t dare let anyone else get their hands on. If you know what¡¯s good for you, then hurry up and withdraw the charges against my mother and get the police to release her. Or else, I¡¯m going to show this to the sucker who¡¯s fallen for you! Let¡¯s see if he would still want you!¡± After hearing how Isabel cursed at her, Madeline was itching for a fight as well. Previously, she was wary of Dan and could only hold herself back whenever she wanted toy her hands on Isabel. But now, she no longer needed to hold back. Since Isabel herself was asking for it, then Madeline would use this opportunity to teach her a lesson! ¡°Fine,e here!¡± Madeline told Isabel where she was and hung up. She joined Michael and Jonathan once more and politely apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you both waiting.¡± ¡°No worries, we¡¯re the ones who¡¯ve interrupted you¡­¡± Jonathan got up from his chair. ¡°Please take a seat.¡± Jonathan only took his seat once Madeline sat down. Michael stared at Madeline for a long time without speaking. Madeline was beautiful, but that word did not even begin to describe her. She was a magnificent beauty, like the ones who inspired the creation of countless artworks and poetry throughout history. His wife had also been such a beauty, and she had been nicknamed the most beautiful woman in all of Worrick. Cameron and his wife were half-sisters, so they did have some likeness in their features. However, Cameron could not hold a candle to his wife at all. When they stood together, her wife¡¯s captivating beauty would make Cameron look like a maidservant inparison. In the past, whenever he saw Madeline, Michael would think that she was Cameron¡¯s daughter and did not give her a second look. But if he had bothered to pay more attention to Madeline, he would have felt suspicious about it earlier. There was no way that a woman like Cameron could give birth to a daughter as stunningly beautiful as Madeline. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 53 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Stunned If Michael had paid more attention to Madeline, he might have realized that she looked quite like a younger version of his mother. As such, he would¡¯ve realized Madeline was actually his and Crystal¡¯s daughter. Unfortunately¡­ Upon recalling Madeline¡¯s life growing up and the way she was treated by the Taylor family, Michael felt his heart clench, and a lump formed in his throat. ¡°Maddie¡­¡± he hesitantly said, trying his best to smile at Madeline. ¡°Please, allow me to call you that.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Madeline replied, feeling nervous about how polite Michael was. ¡°Mr. Wendel, feel free to do so.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me that. Just call me¡­¡± Michael was stumped. What should she refer to him as? He was almost one-hundred-percent sure Madeline Taylor was his daughter. But the most persuasive piece of evidence was still missing¡ªthe Certificate of Paternity. One shouldn¡¯t acknowledge someone as a parent so casually. He currently had no right to ask her to refer to him as ¡®Father¡¯. That thought made him quite distressed. Michael had to change the topic. ¡°Maddie, do you know about¡­ your family?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Madeline answered with a nod. ¡°If by that you mean you are possibly my father, and your wife is possibly my mother. I know of it.¡± ¡°Do you mind if the family doctor takes some of your blood to be sent for a paternity test?¡± For some reason, he suddenly felt anxious. ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± she solemnly said as her eyes remained trained on Michael. ¡°If you really are my father, and your wife is my mother, I would be ecstatic. People used to jeer and gossip about Quincy and Joel because of who I am. If you and your wife are their grandparents, they wouldn¡¯t be looked down on for having a mother who was born out of wedlock. That would make me incredibly happy.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Quincy and Joel¡­¡± Michael¡¯s mind wandered. He knew of those two kids. To save Sam, the Taylor Family had forced Madeline to go through IVF and bear test-tube babies. When his wife told him about the pregnancy, he didn¡¯t think too much about it. But now that he was reminded of the children, his heart throbbed with pain. His daughter wasn¡¯t even twenty years old when she gave birth to the twins. She was still a child! As a matter of fact, Isabel was Sam¡¯s sister, but the Taylors couldn¡¯t bear to let Isabel have children while she was still unmarried. Hence, they pushed Madeline into having test-tube babies, so that they could harvest the cord blood and save Sam. Back then, he felt nothing since it wasn¡¯t any of his business. He even thought that it was Madeline¡¯s duty since she owed Dan her life, and the Taylors had raised her. But now that he knew she was highly likely his daughter, the circumstances of her pregnancy pained him so very much. This girl was quite possibly his flesh and blood. She was a beloved daughter of the Wendel Family. However, because of his carelessness and ipetence, someone took her away, after which, she was left alone in the world, dependent on strangers, and tormented by life. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He felt as though he had been stabbed in the heart, and he teared up. ¡°I¡¯m so useless. I didn¡¯t perform my duty as your father and allowed that evil woman to take you when you were so young¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet.¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a little too early to be apologizing when the paternity test hasn¡¯t been done.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get the blood to thebs for testing first,¡± she said, stretching out her arm. ¡°We can talk once the results are out.¡± Nothing was impossible in this world. Everyone thought she was the daughter of Michael Wendel and Crystal Taylor, but what if she wasn¡¯t? What if someone messed up, and this was just a mistake? It was better to wait for concrete evidence before talking to each other. After all, it would be so very awkward if everyone were wrong, and the paternity test revealed that she wasn¡¯t Michael and Crystal¡¯s daughter. Michael understood what she meant by that. ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± he agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s get the blood tested first. We¡¯ll talk in further detail once the results are out.¡± He adamantly believed Madeline was his and Crystal¡¯s daughter, but he needed the results of the paternity test. It would be strong and undeniable evidence, and by then, Madeline could properly return to her rightful family. At this moment, Jonathan stood up and called for the family doctor. The doctor drew Michael¡¯s and Madeline¡¯s blood. The tubes of blood were ced in a cooler box. Then, the doctor left along with Jonathan and the bodyguards. The best paternity testing center in Dusktown was already notified by the time the group was on their way. To ensure the authenticity of the test results and to prevent other people from messing with the results, Michael had his son, Jonathan, and a few of Michael¡¯s men personally watch the testing process. Madeline¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of her twins. She didn¡¯t think there was anything Michael and she needed to talk about before the results were out. She wanted to leave very badly. She wanted to return to Hart Residence and look after her children. But she was the host here, and Michael was the guest. It would be rude of her to shoo him off when he had yet to show any intent to leave. Meanwhile, Michael studied Madeline. The longer he looked at her, the more beautiful and refined she seemed to him, and the more he liked her. He was about to say something to better know her and her children when the door was violently mmed open. There was a loud bang as the door crashed into the wall. Isabel was on the warpath as she marched toward Madeline and raised her hand to p Madeline. Just as Michael thought to stop Isabel, Madeline grabbed Isabel by the wrist and threw Isabel over her shoulder. Isabel then crashed to the ground. But that wasn¡¯t all. Madeline then stepped on Isabel¡¯s chest, leaned down, and loudly pped Isabel without even removing her foot. ¡°This p is for Quincy!¡± Madeline pped Isabel hard once more. ¡°This is for Joel!¡± Then, there was another loud p. ¡°This is for me!¡± Madeline had been practicing martial arts for nearly ten years. Hence, her ps were so strong that it made the other person think they were being pped by something metal instead. The ps left Isabel shrieking with pain. Blood dripped from her lips and nostrils. Isabel saw stars but did her best to re at Madeline with disbelief. Her voice trembled with rage as she shouted, ¡°You hit me? Madeline, have you forgotten your ce? How dare you hit me? ¡± ¡°Mind your manners!¡± snapped Michael, the man who always looked so kind and warm. There was an icy cold expression on his handsome and noble face. He looked down and disdainfully said to Isabel, ¡°Maddie could possibly be my and Crystal¡¯s daughter! From now on, I will pull out the teeth of anyone who has the gall to insult her!¡± Isabel was stunned. What did her uncle say? Madeline was his daughter? No, no, no! It was impossible! What was going on today? Was the world going to end? Was she still asleep, and this was all a nightmare? First, her grandfather went from being her brother¡¯s savior to an enemy. Then, her father and brother kicked her out of the family. Now, her uncle was saying Madeline might very well be his daughter! No. This was impossible! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 54 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 54 Chapter 54 How is He Going to Handle This? ¡°You got it wrong, Uncle Michael! You must have gotten it wrong!¡± Isabel wailed in terror. ¡°Madeline is that b*tch, Cameron¡¯s daughter! Did you forget about that? Madeline¡¯s blood consists of Cameron¡¯s dirty blood, so she can¡¯t be a good person! She¡ªMmm!¡± Before Isabel could finish her words, Michael pressed the cold sole of his shoe against her mouth. He stomped on her mouth, and his gold-rimmed sses glinted as he red at her icily. ¡°I told you that I¡¯d pluck your teeth out if you utter a single bad thing about Madeline.¡± Michael heartlessly pressed his foot against Isabel¡¯s mouth before moving around in a circr motion. She let out a wail of agony as she tried to get away from him. Michael had never been one to hit women, but things were different today! He knew what Madeline¡¯s life used to be like in the Taylor Family. Furthermore, he knew that Phoebe and Isabel were the two people who were the worst to Madeline. While Sam was studying overseas, there wasn¡¯t a single person in the Taylor Family who was good to Madeline. Phoebe and Isabel had even given Madeline all sorts of injuries by hitting her. Crystal was Cameron¡¯s arch-enemy, yet even she couldn¡¯t bear to see Isabel and Phoebe torturing Madeline. In the past, Crystal had once told Michael about how Isabel and Phoebe were abusing a child who was just a little older than ten. Back then, Madeline was still living with the Taylor Family, so Michael and Crystal didn¡¯t do anything as they didn¡¯t want to get involved. However, when Michael recalled what Crystal told him in the past, and when he thought about how Phoebe and Isabel had abused Madeline, he felt a burning rage in his chest that only seemed to grow by the second. His whole body felt like it was on fire now. My daughter! Me and my wife¡¯s only daughter. Madeline was supposed to live the luxurious life of a princess if she had stayed with Michael in the past. He and his wife would have pampered and spoiled her, and she would have grown up without any of these troubles. However, the reality was that he had lost his daughter! This ended up with Madeline being abandoned, trampled on, tortured¡­ This was his greatest failure in life¡ªit was the one thing he couldn¡¯t forgive himself for. It hurt him until now! He took all of the hatred and anger he felt and channeled it toward the bottom of his foot. He stepped on Isabel so fiercely that blood sttered all over the ce as she screamed like a dying animal. As Isabel continued to thrash around, the sling bag that had been hanging from her shoulders was flung aside. A pile of pictures fell out of the bag and onto the floor. When Michael took a nce at the pictures, he seemed to stop breathing for a moment. Then, he lifted his foot off of Isabel before walking over to the pictures. When he bent down to pick the pictures up, every image he saw only made his heart ache more than ever. These were all pictures of Madeline. They were pictures of Madeline being whipped, being cornered by a few people, being punched and kicked¡­ There were even pictures of her lying on a bench, where her entire back was filled with blood¡­ Michael¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t handle the sight of these images, and he felt his vision turn ck for a moment as it got harder for him to breathe. If Madeline is really my daughter¡­ She¡¯s really my daughter¡­ How am I supposed to handle all of this? He tightened his grip around the pictures as he pointed at Isabel. ¡°You¡­ You guys¡­¡± How could you guys do this to her? Even if her mother is really Cameron, and even if her mother was an illegitimate daughter, what has that got to do with her? How could you guys do such a thing? Michael felt like there was an icy hand squeezing his heart. His face turned pale as he breathedboriously. Madeline bent down and picked up all the pictures before she walked to Michael and took the pictures from him. She gazed at it for a moment beforeughing. ¡°Were you nning to use these to threaten me so that I¡¯d save your mother?¡± she asked Isabel. Isabel crawled up from the ground with a hand over her mouth. She was in too much pain to speak. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m a little direct,¡± Madeline continued with a smile. ¡°Seeing these things will only make me hate you even more. It makes me wish that your mother will be in jail for a few more years. Isn¡¯t it hrious that you would use these pictures to threaten me?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°You¡­ Aren¡¯t you afraid that Sebastian might see these pictures?¡± Isabel spoke in a muffled voice. ¡°Sebastian is the Young Master of the Hart Family¡ªhe¡¯s handsome, ssy, and refined. What about you? You¡¯re worse than a maid! You¡¯re a dirty woman, and you have no right to be with Sebastian! When he sees how horrible your life used to be, he will definitely hate you and find you disgusting! You¡­ you don¡¯t even have the right to know him! As long as you save my mother, I¡¯ll help you keep this a secret. Otherwise, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Michael interrupted her angrily. ¡°Madeline is my daughter and the youngdy of the Wendel Family. She has the right to be with anyone she wants!¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Isabel refused to believe this. She wailed at him, ¡°There must have been a mistake! Someone nasty like Isabel can¡¯t possibly be¡ªAh!¡± Before she finished her sentence, Michael gave her another kick. Then, he went forward and pressed his shoe against her chest before ring at her with a deadly look in his eyes. ¡°If you talk bad about Madeline again, I¡¯ll pluck out all your teeth!¡± Isabel grabbed onto the man¡¯s ankle as she cried. ¡°I¡¯m Isabel, Uncle Michael! You can¡¯t do this to me! Aunt Crystal loves me the most! She¡¯s going to be mad if she finds out what you did to me!¡± Everyone around Michael knew that he loved his wife more than his own life. Apart from Crystal¡¯s own daughters, Crystal was the fondest of Isabel and her brothers. How dare Michael treat Isabel that way? Wasn¡¯t he afraid that Crystal would get mad? When he heard his wife¡¯s name, Michael felt dizzy once more. Crystal had a bad heart, and the doctors said that she had to take care of herself and avoid getting emotional. However, what would trigger more emotions than the fact that the daughter they had been caring for wasn¡¯t their biological daughter? What would she feel when she found out that her biological daughter had been left out there to be tortured by others? If Crystal knew about it, and if she knew about what Madeline went through, would she be able to handle it? Isabel thought that she had managed to convince her uncle when she saw him keeping quiet for a while. This gave her more courage to push Michael away before getting onto her feet with the help of the wall beside her. ¡°If you do anything bad to me, Aunt Crystal will definitely start an argument with you! Uncle Michael, please get my mom out of there. I¡¯ll keep this a secret¡­¡± Her eyes lit up as she continued speaking. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! As long as you save my mother, I¡¯ll definitely keep this a secret and never tell Aunt Crystal about it!¡± Michael didn¡¯t feel like speaking to someone as dumb as Isabel. He raised his voice to call one of his bodyguards. ¡°Send her to the Taylor Family and bring her to Nigel. Tell him to keep an eye on this idiot so that she stopsing out to embarrass herself!¡± His bodyguard bowed and proceeded to follow his orders. He ignored Isabel¡¯s protests as he grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her before pushing her out of the room. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 55 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Responsible Isabel¡¯s crying and cursing grew distant after they shut the door. Momentster, Madeline shed a smile at Michael. ¡°I¡¯ll head home now if there¡¯s nothing else you need from me, Mr. Wendel. Joel and Quincy are waiting for me to head home, and they¡¯re probably getting impatient,¡± she said. ¡°Alright.¡± Michael tried his best to suppress all his emotions as he spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you once the DNA test results are out.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Madeline nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around.¡± She bowed to him before leaving the room. Michael sent her out and watched as she got in the car. He stayed by the side of the road and gazed as she left the building. Madeline, too, turned around to look at him as the car drove off. She only turned to face forward after Michael¡¯s figure grew too far away to be seen. At that moment, the word ¡®father¡¯ popped up in her mind, repeating itself in her head. Father¡­ Mother¡­ Brother¡­ If she was really Michael¡¯s daughter, it meant that she would have a father, a mother, four brothers, a grandfather, a grandmother, uncles, aunts, cousins, and countless other rtives. She would no longer be the person who was chased out of her home. She would no longer be the girl with the blood of an illegitimate mother or the girl who was looked down upon by others. She would be an actual, proper daughter of a family. Joel and Quincy would no longer have to be regarded with disdain because of her reputation from birth. At that thought, she felt her blood boiling with excitement. Apart from the day she gave birth to Joel and Quincy, this was probably the luckiest day of her life¡­ She had to thank Sebastian for it. If he hadn¡¯t found the truth about her birth parents, perhaps she would¡¯ve been regarded as the daughter of an illegitimate daughter for the rest of her life¡­ Sebastian was her benefactor and her savior. I¡¯ll have to thank him properly when I get the chance to do so! As these thoughts ran through her mind, she eventually arrived at the Hart Residence. The car drove directly into the front porch, and she opened her car door the moment the car stopped. Before she got out of the car, she could already hear her sons¡¯ lightheartedugh. Her lips curled into a smile as she thanked the bodyguard who escorted her out. Then, she headed directly toward her precious sons, who were ying around with a dog in the yard. It was a tiny white puppy. ¡°Mommy!¡± Joel¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he saw Madeline. He had been squatting down and ying with the dog, but he immediately charged toward Madeline when he saw her. After jumping into her arms, he began to act cute as he clung to her waist. ¡°Why did you take so long, Mommy? I missed you so much!¡± ¡°Did you?¡± Madeline scraped the tip of his nose yfully. ¡°Aren¡¯t you having a lot of fun?¡± ¡°I did!¡± Joel wriggled around in her arms. ¡°I missed you so much that I nearly cried! Then, Grandpa got someone to send a dog over when he saw me being sad. Grandpa¡¯s so nice!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡± Madeline pinched his cheeks amusedly. ¡°So, it¡¯s good enough to have a dog around if Mommy¡¯s not here, right?¡± ¡°No!¡± Joel shook his head as he held one finger up to her. ¡°This puppy is only fun for a while! If you were toe home anyter, I would still end up crying because I miss you!¡± ¡°Are you proud to be crying? You sure seem proud of announcing it!¡± Quincy walked over with a disdainful look. ¡°You¡¯re a man! You should bleed more than you cry!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not a man!¡± Joel widened his eyes in an adorable manner. ¡°I¡¯m just a small boy!¡± Quincy was genuinely amused by his younger brother right then. Why is he so cute? Hisshes are longer than a girl¡¯sshes, and hisrge eyes are bright and watery¡­ He looks cuter than a Barbie doll. Hmm¡­ But Barbie dolls are girls! Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. Even girls aren¡¯t as cute as my brother is! ¡°Fine,¡± Quincy mumbled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll let you be the small boy, and I¡¯ll be the man!¡± Philipughed out loud as he was amused by the two boys¡¯ conversation. He walked over and ruffled their hair while chuckling. ¡°You¡¯re back. Did you manage to settle everything?¡± Philip asked Madeline. ¡°I did.¡± Madeline nodded at him. ¡°Thank you for looking after the boys, Mr. Hart. I hope it wasn¡¯t too much to ask for.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you talk to me like that!¡± Philip¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Joel and Quincy are my grandsons, and it¡¯s one of the greatest joys in my life to be spending time with them. How could it be too much to ask for? Also, stop addressing me in such a formal tone. You¡¯re a married woman¡ªwhy aren¡¯t you changing the way you address me?¡± She was speechless for a moment. This old man sure is¡­ a straightforward guy. She parted her lips a few times without finding the right words to say, as it was simply too sudden¡­ Furthermore, she had only gotten the marriage certificate with Sebastian because she wanted to give her kids aplete family. She didn¡¯t actually see herself as Sebastian¡¯s wife. Was it really necessary to start calling Philip her ¡®Dad¡¯? ¡°Dad, you¡¯re always causing trouble!¡± Sebastian appeared out of nowhere and stepped forward from behind Philip. He had his hands stuck into his pockets as he gazed at Madeline before smiling. ¡°Do you expect Madeline to change the way she addresses you just like that? Aren¡¯t you ashamed to tell her to change the way she addresses you without giving her some fees in return?¡± ¡°¡­Fees?¡± Philip was confused. ¡°Oh, I know!¡± Joel held up his fair and tiny arm as he jumped around. ¡°This is when the parents have to give their daughter-inw tworge red packets so that their daughter-inw will start addressing them as her parents. The emcee would usually tell the bride to speak up a little louder when she first calls her inws during the wedding!¡± Madeline stared at her precious son speechlessly. ¡°Joel, where did you hear of all this nonsense?¡± ¡°Is it nonsense?¡± Joel widened his eyes. ¡°I saw it on TV. It¡¯s nice! It¡¯s not nonsense¡­ Mommy, are you about to be a bride?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Madeline didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Oh, I know now!¡± Philip reached for his two grandkids¡¯ hands before he nced at Sebastian and Madeline. ¡°Come on. Follow me.¡± Since Philip had spoken, they had no choice but to follow him to the hall. Once they were there, Philip got Sebastian and Madeline to wait at the hall as he brought the kids upstairs. Momentster, Philip came back down with a traditional- looking wooden box. Quincy tagged along closely behind the old man while Joel clung to the old man¡¯s arm as he spoke in his cute and innocent voice. ¡°Watch out for the stairs, Grandpa. Don¡¯t fall down!¡± Philip was pleased with his grandson¡¯s words, and he chuckled as he spoke. ¡°What a good boy!¡± When Sebastian saw how happy his father was, he felt a surge of gratitude for his sons. Mhmm. Even though I wasn¡¯t the one who gave birth to them, they still have parts of me in them. Therefore, I¡¯ll take responsibility for them. I¡¯ll always be responsible for them! Philip brought the wooden box over to where Sebastian and Madeline were sitting, and he opened the box before pushing it to Madeline. The item inside was one that was filled with memories of the past. ¡°Here¡¯s something from me and Sebastian¡¯s mother, Madeline. This will serve as the fees for you to change the way you address us!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 56 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Candies and Roasted Sweet Potatoes When Madeline saw what was in the wooden box, she was shocked for a moment. The box consisted of all sorts of jewelry that looked like it was worth a fortune. ¡°This is too much. I can¡¯t take it.¡± She waved her hands in rejection. Philip red at her. ¡°This was Sebastian¡¯s mother¡¯s dowry, and she had left it behind for her future daughter-inw. This belongs to my grandchildren¡¯s mother. If you don¡¯t want it, who should I give it to?¡± Joel immediately widened his eyes before walking over to Madeline and tugging on her sleeve. ¡°You want it, Mommy. Once you take it, you¡¯ll be Grandpa¡¯s daughter-inw. Then, we will all be one huge family!¡± Madeline stared at her son speechlessly. These pieces of jewelry are too expensive¡­ I¡¯ll feel guilty if I take them. Furthermore, I¡¯m not actually in love with Sebastian. We only got the wedding certificate for the sake of the kids. If he ever finds a woman he loves, he¡¯s going to break up with me. I can¡¯t take this. ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommy¡­ Take it, Mommy. I want Grandpa and Daddy to be a part of our family!¡± Joel tugged on Madeline¡¯s sleeve as he begged her tearfully. Madeline finally gave in when she saw the young boy¡¯srge, teary eyes. Forget it. I¡¯ll take it, for now, just to calm my son down. If Sebastian really meets his loved one in the future, I¡¯ll just pass these things to that woman. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d keep it as mine forever. I¡¯ll have to y along with the show for now, but I¡¯ll just think of it as me taking care of these items for now. When I divorce Sebastian in the future, I¡¯ll just return these to Philip. Upon taking a deep breath, she took the wooden box and stood up before bowing to Philip. ¡°Thank you¡­ Dad!¡± ¡°Great! Great!¡± Philip let out a heartyugh as he held both of his grandchildren in his arms. ¡°Come on, Joel and Quincy, let¡¯s go to the kitchen to see what¡¯s for dinner today!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Joel cheered. ¡°I love good food!¡± The three of them headed to the kitchen happily. As Sebastian looked at the way his father walked off, he thought that his father looked at least ten years younger¡ª the old man¡¯s footsteps seemed so much lighter. Momentster, Sebastian shifted his gaze back to Madeline. ¡°Thank you.¡± She was stunned by his sudden show of gratitude. I just took all of this jewelry for free, and I haven¡¯t even thanked him yet. Why is he thanking me? Is there a misunderstanding somewhere here? Sebastian beamed when he saw the dazed look on her face. ¡°Ever since my mother passed away, I¡¯ve never seen my dad this happy.¡± He held his teacup toward Madeline. ¡°I¡¯ll drink this in ce of alcohol. Thank you for raising Joel and Quincy to be such amazing children¡­ It must have been hard.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Madeline shook her head. ¡°As I said, I wouldn¡¯t be the person I was if it weren¡¯t for Joel and Quincy. They are the ones who saved me. Having them as my sons is the luckiest thing I¡¯ve ever experienced, so I never found it hard to care for them.¡± ¡°You just have a really good attitude toward things,¡± Sebastianmented. ¡°I only have a vague idea of how much you¡¯ve suffered, but I¡¯ll make sure that it never happens again. In the future, I¡¯ll take up all the responsibilities of a husband and a father, and I¡¯ll take good care of you and the kids. I¡¯ll make up for all the things I couldn¡¯t give you in the past.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± She shook her head hastily. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re willing to get married to me, and the fact that you¡¯re willing to give Joel and Quincy a proper family and a legal status, is more than I could ever ask for. I can deal with the rest on my own¡­ If you ever find a woman you love, I¡¯ll make sure to tell Joel and Quincy that we broke up in peace, so that they¡¯ll continue to love you as their father.¡± She was genuinely thankful to Sebastian. She was thankful that he had found the secret about her background. She was thankful that he was willing to marry her and to give her kids a legal title. Regardless of why Sebastian was doing so much for her, it was a fact that she, Joel, and Quincy had benefited a lot from it. She wasn¡¯t going to forget Sebastian¡¯s kindness. She was reminded of what she thought about on the way back earlier¡ªshe knew that she had to repay him someday! Sebastian narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the woman in front of him. She sure is an interesting individual. I¡¯ve met tons of women who circled around me in hopes of being my wife. But this woman, who is already Mrs. Hart, is saying that she will step back if I find someone else that I like. Doesn¡¯t she want to continue being Mrs. Hart? Right then, Sebastian felt the urge to check his reflection in the mirror. Do I look worse than usual, or is this girl¡¯s eyesight just bad? Hmm¡­ Her eyesight might be bad, but she sure has gorgeous eyes. Her slightly watery eyes are filled with life¡­ The more I look at her, the more I feel like my soul is about to be sucked into her gaze. Her eyes are too mesmerizing. I can¡¯t believe the Taylors could bear to torture someone as pretty and gorgeous as Madeline. Perhaps they¡¯re blind, or perhaps they¡¯re heartless creatures. Either way, they¡¯re still bad people! Madeline felt ufortable under Sebastian¡¯s scrutiny, so she stood up. ¡°Is there anything else you need? Otherwise, I¡¯ll go check on Joel and Quincy.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s something else.¡± Sebastian stood up as he responded to her. ¡°Get Joel and Quincy to come here. I¡¯ll pass a few men to you guys.¡± What? Madeline was confused. She was just about to ask if she had misheard him when he walked out of the house. She already had her mouth open to speak, but she shut it again after he walked off. Forget it. I¡¯ll go look for my kids first. After calling her sons to the hall, she found a row of four young and handsome men standing by the stairs. When she and her sons walked out, the four men bowed to them respectfully. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mrs. Hart, Young Master Quincy, and Young Master Joel.¡± Madeline was still confused. She tilted her head to the side and nced at Sebastian. ¡°These are the bodyguards I hired for you and the boys. From left to right, they are Emory, Leonard, Fred, and Simon. If you find it hard to remember their names, you can remember the acronym, ELFS.¡± Madeline was still speechless. ¡°From now on, Emory and Leonard will be in charge of taking care of you, while Fred will take care of Quincy and Simon will take care of Joel. They have their own teams, so you can always ask them for help if you need anything.¡± Joel gazed at Sebastian. ¡°Can I tell them to go out and buy candies for me?¡± Both Sebastian and Madeline were silent for a moment. ¡°¡­Sure!¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°Great!¡± Joel¡¯s short, chubby legs carried him down the stairs and over to Simon¡¯s side. He held the bodyguard¡¯s hand. ¡°Can you buy some roasted sweet potatoes for me too?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 57 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Can I Speak? ¡°¡­Sure,¡± Simon muttered. ¡°Woah!¡± Joel looked up at Simon once more. ¡°You¡¯re so nice, Mr. Simon!¡± Sebastian was speechless. I¡¯m the one who hired these men! Why isn¡¯t Joel thanking me? Sebastian coughed. ¡°You need money to buy stuff, Joel,¡± he uttered. ¡°I have money! I have tons of money!¡± Joel raised up his little hand to show the watch on his wrist. ¡°I have a lot of money, so I can buy a lot of candies and roasted sweet potatoes. I can also buy chips, coke, fried chicken, and all sorts of other yummy stuff!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Philip was standing by the stairs with his back straightened to appear especially elegant and powerful. ¡°Your father has already paid them, so they will only take money from your father whenever you need them to buy stuff. ¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Joel turned to look at his grandfather with his eyes wide and bright. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! You¡¯re so amazing, Dad!¡± Both Philip and Sebastian were pleased and satisfied with Joel¡¯s response. Madeline, on the other hand, was still watching them speechlessly. Is it my turn to say a word or two now? ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, but I don¡¯t think this is necessary,¡± she said. Sebastian turned to look at her. ¡°I know you¡¯re an independent woman who¡¯s used to doing things on your own, but things are different now. You aren¡¯t just Madeline Taylor; you¡¯re also Mrs. Hart, so you need to get used to this change in role. This role may give you certain benefits, but it alsoes with some issues. For example, my father has his enemies in the political circle, and I have opponents in the business industry. There will be bad people, and they aren¡¯t always going toe at us directly. Some of them may y sneaky tricks, and they may use our family to threaten us. In the past, my father and I used to be each other¡¯s weaknesses. But now, you, Joel, Quincy, and my father are all my weaknesses¡­¡± Sebastian gazed at Madeline. ¡°Do you understand what I mean?¡± We are all his weaknesses¡­ This is such a simple sentence, yet it makes my heart race just thinking about it. We¡¯re his weaknesses only because he cares about us. If Joel, Quincy and I are Sebastian and Philip¡¯s weaknesses, this means that¡­ they truly care about us. When Sebastian phrases it that way, it really feels like we¡¯re one big family. We¡¯re a family who is bonded through thick and thin¡­ She clenched her fists as she nodded. ¡°I understand now.¡± ¡°And the men?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°I¡¯ll take them,¡± she replied. She understood the situation, and she took the men, but she still felt rather insecure. She felt¡­ She didn¡¯t know how to exin what she felt. When she was with the Taylor Family, she had always been the one giving and contributing to the family. She was used to it. But now, she was with people who didn¡¯t need anything from her. On the contrary, they kept stuffing things into her arms, and they were consistently showering her with love and care. She was surprised by the sudden show of love, and it made her rather afraid. She didn¡¯t know how she was going to repay them. Sebastian had simply given her too much. What could she offer in return? Right as she was contemting all these matters, Emory and the other three men bowed at her and her sons once more. ¡°All four of us swear upon our lives to stay loyal to Mrs. Hart, Young Master Quincy, and Young Master Joel. We will fulfill our duties and follow all orders, and we will only stop when we¡¯re dead. The skies will not forgive us if we go against our word.¡± Madeline was speechless once more. That was really formal! She walked down the stairs as she addressed the four men who were kneeling on one knee. ¡°Please stand up.¡± The four of them stood up in a synchronized manner. Even though there were only four of them, their aura was powerful¡ªit was evident that they had gone through intensive training. Stars formed in Joel¡¯s eyes when he looked at the four tall men. ¡°You guys are so cool!¡± Joel turned to look at Madeline. ¡°Mommy, are Mr. Simon and the rest of them going to be like the bodyguards surrounding my uncles? Will Mr. Simon and the rest of them stay with us every day?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Madeline replied while stroking her son¡¯s face. ¡°Great! I love it!¡± Joel pped his hands excitedly. ¡°I love it when there are a lot of people. That makes everything more fun!¡± ¡°What¡¯s good about there being a lot of people around?¡± Quincy frowned. ¡°Just your presence is enough to bother me. Things will get noisier if there are more people around!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen, Young Master Quincy.¡± Fred bent down to speak to the boy. ¡°We¡¯ll only talk when you need us to talk, and we¡¯ll keep quiet when you want us to be quiet. We won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Quincy gave his bodyguard the side-eye. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to speak, but you¡¯re still talking now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Fred was speechless for a moment. ¡°My apologies,¡± Fred finally uttered as he got to his knees. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to kneel, so why are you kneeling?¡± Quincy frowned. Life is tough! Fred thought to himself. Right then, Joel hopped over happily as he tugged Fred¡¯s arm to get Fred to stand up. ¡°My brother¡¯s just joking, Mr. Fred. My brother makes the best jokes!¡± Fred didn¡¯t know what to say. I must be too insensitive to notice that it was a joke! Sebastian smiled as he patted Quincy on the head. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop fooling around with these men, Quincy. They¡¯re scaredy-cats, so they get frightened really easily.¡± ¡°Yeah! Yeah!¡± Joel nodded earnestly. ¡°I don¡¯t think Mr. Fred and the rest of them know you well enough, Quincy. They would get scared of you easily. We have to take some time to interact with them, and weFrom N?velDrama.Org. can only joke with them when we¡¯re close enough. Now¡­ Why don¡¯t we have dinner first? Food is the most important thing!¡± Joel ran over to hold Quincy¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Quincy. Time for dinner. The rice is cooked! I can smell the scent from here! It smells so good.¡± ¡°Do you have a dog¡¯s nose?¡± Quincy hissed. ¡°Dog? Oh yeah! Did our dog eat anything? I bet it¡¯s hungry,¡± Joel muttered. Quincy didn¡¯t know what to say, and Sebastian couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Joel. You have an assistant now, right? You can get him to feed the dog.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Joel turned around to wave at his father. ¡°We don¡¯t need Mr. Simon to feed the dog. I¡¯ll do it myself. It¡¯s adorable to watch dogs eating, and I love feeding them!¡± ¡°You idiot.¡± Quincy grabbed the other boy¡¯s arm angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t turn around and talk while you¡¯re walking. You¡¯ll fall! How many times do you need me to tell you this?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Joel turned back to look at his brother with a sweet smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Quincy! I¡¯d never fall as long as you¡¯re holding my hand!¡± Quincy was speechless. Sigh. Joel¡¯s too good-looking¡ªI can¡¯t even get mad whenever I look at him. My uncle was right, after all. It¡¯s all about the looks. Even though I don¡¯t like the way my uncle looks, I have to agree with what he said. Both the brothers entered the hall hand-in-hand as Joel cried out in his cute voice, ¡°Is dinner ready, Grandpa? Let¡¯s eat!¡± Philip spoke in a booming voice. ¡°Hey! Dinner¡¯s ready! Let¡¯s eat!¡± Sebastian smiled upon hearing Philip. ¡°My dad¡­¡± Sebastian paused for a moment as he nced in Madeline¡¯s direction. ¡°I mean our dad¡­ It seems like our dad has a really good appetite today.¡± Madeline didn¡¯t know what to say. She was using all her brain juice toe up with something when her phone started ringing. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 58 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 58 Chapter 58 The Dove and the Magpie N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Sam¡¯s name was written on her phone screen. Madeline let out a sigh of relief. Great. Now I don¡¯t have to think of what I have to say to Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯ll pick a phone call up,¡± she told Sebastian with a smile. He nodded. ¡°Hello? Sam?¡± Madeline ced the phone by her ear as she walked to a quieter spot. ¡°Madeline¡­¡± Sam started on the other end of the line before pausing for a long while. Madeline noticed how he sounded rather odd. ¡°Yes, Sam? Is anything the matter?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I heard about your birth parents¡­¡± Sam muttered. ¡°Oh¡­ That¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°The DNA test results aren¡¯t out yet, so I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± She kept telling herself the same thing. She didn¡¯t want to get excited over nothing. If things didn¡¯t turn out the way everyone expected them to, she would be extremely disappointed. ¡°Dan told me about most of what happened. If it¡¯s true¡­¡± Sam paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for all these years, Madeline¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal¡­¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°It was hard in the past, but now that everything is over, it all feels like a dream now that I look back at it. Once I got through it, it no longer seems that hard anymore¡­¡± ¡°Well, then¡­ Angie¡­¡± Sam hesitated for a moment. ¡°If you¡¯re really Aunt Crystal¡¯s daughter, and if Angie is Cameron¡¯s daughter¡­ Have you thought about how you¡¯re going to interact with Angie?¡± Madeline froze for a moment. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about this in the past¡­ I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯m Mr. Wendel¡¯s daughter, anyway. So, I didn¡¯t put much thought into the future¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you should start thinking about it¡­ Madeline, if you¡¯re really Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal¡¯s daughter, would you agree to them treating both you and Angie as their daughters?¡± Madeline frowned. ¡°Why are you asking this question, Sam? Did one of them tell you to ask me about this?¡± ¡°N-No, Madeline. Don¡¯t misunderstand me. They weren¡¯t the ones who told me to ask you this¡­¡± Sam muttered. ¡°Who asked you to ask me, then? I know you well, Sam, and I know that you wouldn¡¯te up with this question on your own. This doesn¡¯t sound like you at all,¡± Madeline uttered. Sam was a gentle and calm man who could contain his temper. He was the type to n things out before taking action. Since the DNA test results weren¡¯t out yet, it was unlikely for Sam to ask her such questions. ¡°It was Cedric who told me to ask about it. He¡¯s too impatient,¡± Sam replied exasperatedly. ¡°Cedric?¡± Madeline was stunned. ¡°Young Master Cedric?¡± ¡°If things are as they seem to be, then he¡¯d be your brother,¡± Sam replied. ¡°So what?¡± Madeline scoffed. ¡°The bonds built through time are firmer than the ones built through blood. Although I may be his sister, Angie was the one he grew up with. Rtionships aren¡¯t exactly formed through biological connections¡ªthey¡¯re built through the umted time spent with one another. It seems like Cedric is already starting to get worried about Angie before the results even come out¡­¡± Sam sighed as he knitted his brows together. ¡°That¡¯s not what Cedric meant, Madeline¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you about this, Sam,¡± Madeline uttered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it until the DNA test results are out. If the resultse out to be something unexpected, all of this will turn into a joke¡­ I¡¯m sure you know what I mean, Sam.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Sam sighed. ¡°I know what you mean. You take care. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± ¡°I got it, Sam,¡± Madeline replied. She responded with a few more words of care before ending the call. When Sam heard the dial tone on the other end of the line, Sam frowned as he felt a headache coming. He gave Cedric a call. The phone only rang once before its owner picked it up. ¡°How was it, Sam? Did she agree to it?¡± Cedric¡¯s worried voice sounded in Sam¡¯s ear. ¡°Madeline said that she doesn¡¯t want to talk about this matter until the DNA test results are out,¡± Sam replied. ¡°You¡¯re too anxious, Cedric. It¡¯s too early to talk about this. The DNA test results aren¡¯t even out.¡± About ten minutes ago, Cedric had just told Sam the huge secret¡ªthat Madeline might be Crystal and Michael¡¯s biological daughter. Since then, Cedric had been pestering him to give Madeline a call. Cedric wanted to know if Madeline was okay to have Angie living under the same roof. Sam felt like it was more appropriate to ask Madeline after the DNA report was out, but Cedric eventually convinced Sam to ask her immediately. In the end, Sam gave in and called Madeline to ask about it. ¡°It¡¯d be toote if we wait for the DNA results to be out,¡± Cedric uttered worriedly. ¡°Sam, Jonathan says that someone like Madeline might not necessarily agree for Angie to stay with her. If that really happens, what¡¯s going to be of Angie? Are we going to chase her out? We watched Angie grow up. Even though she may not be my biological sister, we¡¯re talking about 20 years of living together. How could we end this rtionship just like that?¡± Sam frowned. ¡°What do you think you can do, Cedric?¡± ¡°I was thinking¡­¡± Cedric bit his bottom lip. ¡°I want to convince my parents to say that Angie and Madeline are actually twin sisters and that Madeline was stolen from the family at a young age. Then, my parents can im that they thought she had passed away and that they recently found out that she was still alive¡­¡± Sam sighed. ¡°Do you think everyone¡¯s an idiot, Cedric? Your lie is full of loopholes. Who¡¯s going to believe it?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether others believe it or not!¡± Cedric uttered. ¡°What matters is that others don¡¯t find out about the fact that Angie is Cameron¡¯s daughter. Cameron is the illegitimate child of the Taylor Family, and she has a horrible reputation. Angie¡¯s at the age where she should be getting married. If her birth parents are revealed now, how¡¯s she going to get married? Who would ever be willing to marry a woman like her? This affects her entire future!¡± ¡°Stop getting too hopeful about this, Cedric,¡± Sam advised. ¡°Based on my understanding of Aunt Crystal, I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t agree to your idea. You know how much Aunt Crystal hates Cameron. In the past, if it weren¡¯t for Cameron and her mother¡¯s evil n, my paternal¡ªyour maternal¡ªgrandmother wouldn¡¯t have died with regrets. Aunt Crystal hates Cameron too much. She wouldn¡¯t help her to take care of her daughter.¡± ¡°But Angie is innocent!¡± Cedric protested. ¡°Angie isn¡¯t Cameron¡¯s daughter¡ªshe¡¯s my parents¡¯ daughter! My parents watched her grow up. She¡¯s my sister!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not!¡± Even though Sam¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, it sounded firm. ¡°Cedric, have you heard about the fairytale of the dove overtaking the magpie¡¯s nest? The evil magpie intentionally killed the dove¡¯s offspring to get the dove to care for its offspring. When the dove found out about the truth, do you think it could continue caring for the magpie¡¯s offspring?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 59 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Delusional Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Cedric instinctively refuted Sam¡¯s words. ¡°But Madeline isn¡¯t dead, is she?¡± Sam was silent for a long while before he spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to think the way you do, Cedric.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Cedric could feel his scalp tingling in fear when he heard Sam¡¯s stern voice. ¡°W-What do you mean, Sam?¡± ¡°The way that you considered this issue and the perspective you took sounds like something an evil, irrational b*tch would say¡­¡± Sam uttered. ¡°Sam¡­ I¡­¡± Cedric¡¯s throat was dry. ¡°I know you¡¯re close to Angie, and I understand how you may be biased toward her. But Cedric¡­ Regardless, Madeline is still your sister and Aunt Crystal and Uncle Michael¡¯s daughter. You can be biased, but you need to know your limits. You may feel sorry for Angie, but don¡¯t you feel sorry for your mother as well? If your mother chose Madeline over Angie, are you going to pick a fight with her? Would you prefer to stab your mother in the heart one more time just to stand up for Angie?¡± Sam asked. ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Cedric quickly denied it. Among all of Cedric¡¯s cousins and siblings, Sam was the second closest person to Cedric, falling behind Cedric¡¯s brother, Jonathan. Sam had always been the gentlest one among all of Cedric¡¯s other cousins, yet Sam was also the one who had the strongest aura. Everyone else was afraid to act rashly when they were in front of Sam. ¡°Sam¡­ I just feel sorry for Angie¡­¡± Cedric muttered. ¡°Up until now, Angie still thinks that she¡¯s my parents¡¯ biological daughter and my biological sister. She grew up in afortable environment, and she was a spoiled child from birth. If the public finds out that she isn¡¯t part of the Wendel Family and that she¡¯s the illegitimate child of Cameron, others are going to look down on her. Her marriage will be affected as well. My heart hurts whenever I think of this, Sam. All of us cherished and cared for Angie a lot as she was growing up. How could we bear to watch her suffer?¡± ¡°All you think about is Angie. But what about Madeline?¡± Sam asked. ¡°If Cameron hadn¡¯t exchanged her daughter for someone else¡¯s, then Madeline would¡¯ve been the sister that you guys cared for. Angie was lucky enough to live under the warm and loving roof of the Wendel Family for more than twenty years, but Madeline¡­¡± When Sam thought about all the abuse that Madeline had to go through, he no longer felt like talking. Sam sighed. ¡°Cedric, Angie¡¯s role as your parents¡¯ daughteres before her role as your sister. You shouldn¡¯t meddle with this¡ªlet your parents handle it. You should just go along with whatever your parents say. They¡¯d never bring harm to you guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure my parents will listen to Madeline!¡± Cedric wailed. ¡°Sam, when the DNA test results are out, can you please talk to Madeline about this? If she¡¯s truly my parents¡¯ daughter, can you tell her to ept Angie and convince my parents to say that they are twins? All four of us would owe her one if she did that!¡± Sam felt his head hurting when he realized that Cedric wasn¡¯t listening to his advice at all. ¡°Cedric, is this what you want, or is this what all four of you guys want?¡± ¡°All four of us have agreed on this,¡± Cedric replied. ¡°I got it. You can end the call now, and I¡¯ll call Jonathan and Joseph to ask them about this,¡± Sam replied. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Cedric lost the confidence he had earlier. ¡°It¡¯s my opinion for now, but all four of us have always shared the same mindset on things. My elder brothers might not have voiced out about this, but I¡¯m sure they agree with what I say!¡± Sam shook his head. ¡°If you told Joseph what you just said, I¡¯m sure the first thing he would do is to beat you up. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Cedric flinched before mumbling grumpily. ¡°That¡¯s why I talked to you before talking to him! Just help me to talk to Madeline, Sam. I know she listens to whatever you say. You should convince her to let Angie live with her. There¡¯s no harm done to her, anyway. As long as you speak to her about it, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being delusional, Cedric!¡± No matter how patient Sam was, he still had his limits. ¡°Listen to me, Cedric. You shouldn¡¯t stick your nose into this. Listen to your parents¡¯ instructions¡­ You need to remember that your mother has a bad heart, Cedric. If you cause trouble and trigger her illness, you¡¯ll regret it if anything bad happens!¡± Sam warned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you being more understanding, Sam?¡± Cedric was getting mad as well. ¡°Madeline listens to you the most, and my parents value your opinion as well. As long as you¡¯re willing to step forward and voice out about this, I¡¯m sure my parents will agree to tell the public that Angie and Madeline are twins. This will be good for both Angie and Madeline, so why don¡¯t you agree to my idea, Sam?¡± ¡°Because this is a lie that can be easily exposed. Only an idiot would believe it,¡± Sam replied. ¡°Also, based on Aunt Crystal¡¯s personality, once it¡¯s confirmed that Angie is Cameron¡¯s daughter, Aunt Crystal will definitely cut ties with Angie. She wouldn¡¯t allow Cameron¡¯s daughter to call her ¡®mom¡¯. You should just give up on your idea!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all about putting in the effort to change things!¡± Cedric replied. ¡°You know how much my mom loves Angie, Sam. Even if Angie is Cameron¡¯s daughter, my mom was still the one who brought her up. How could my mom bear to let her go? E-Even if my mom lost her temper and chased Angie out for a while, I¡¯m sure my mom will give in if we speak up for Angie. She¡¯ll let Angie stay.¡± ¡°Aunt Crystal despises Cameron, and she wants to chase Cameron¡¯s daughter away, yet you insist on speaking up for Cameron¡¯s daughter. Do you think that sounds like a good idea?¡± Sam frowned while asking. ¡°Don¡¯t you care whether your mother gets a heart attack? Are you sacrificing your mother¡¯s life for the sake of your sister¡¯s wellbeing, Cedric?¡± ¡°I told you¡ªthat¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Cedric uttered anxiously. ¡°How could I not care about my own mother¡¯s life? My mother¡¯s heart isn¡¯t that weak¡ªshe just suffers from palpitations. She¡¯s so fond of Angie. Even if she gets mad for a while and chases Angie away, she¡¯d regret it and have a heart attack after she calms down! I¡¯m preparing for the worst, and I¡¯m trying to avoid all of this before it happens. I¡¯m thinking on behalf of my mother too!¡± Sam¡¯s head pounded as he felt himself getting angry. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke. ¡°You can do whatever you want. I have some family matters, and I¡¯m about to travel to Dusktown, so I don¡¯t have time to continue talking to you. I¡¯ve said what I needed to say. You¡¯re a grown man now, so you should use your brain before taking action. Don¡¯t regret your actions only after it¡¯s toote! I¡¯ll repeat myself again. You shouldn¡¯t meddle with Angie and Madeline¡¯s matters, and you should go ording to your parents¡¯ wishes. If you still regard me as your cousin, then you should listen to my advice. That¡¯s all. Goodbye!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 60 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Nothing at All He ended the call and massaged his temples before standing up and walking out of the study. His assistant cum bodyguard immediately greeted him. ¡°The flight is ready, Young Master Sam.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Sam uttered with a nod. Just moments before receiving Cedric¡¯s call, he had received a call from Isabel. In the call, Isabel was sobbing uncontrobly. She told him that their father and brother had chased her out of the house. Sam was shocked to hear this¡ªtheir father and Dan were the two people who were the fondest of Isabel. Sam suspected that there was something wrong with his hearing when he first heard that they had chased Isabel out. Sam asked for a reason, but Isabel didn¡¯t tell him anything. She simply cried and begged him to help her. He quicklyforted Isabel before ending the call and calling his father instead. However, his father wasn¡¯t willing to exin anything in the call and insisted that they only talked after they met. After that, Sam gave Dan a call. Dan was crying and cursing at the same time¡ªit sounded like he was drunk. Something huge must have happened, Sam figured. Sam was worried, so he quickly ordered his men to prepare a private jet. He had handed his orders to his staff and was just about to leave when Cedric called him. He already told Cedric whatever he wanted to say, so it was up to Cedric whether Cedric wanted to take Sam¡¯s advice. Crystal, Michael, Jonathan, and Joseph were all people who could handle their own issues, so Sam wasn¡¯t too worried. He decided that he had to check on his own family instead. The trip from Worrick to Dusktown took about two hours by flight. Sam found his father in the study once he arrived at their pied-¨¤-terre. Nigel wore a dejected look on his face. It had only been a few days since Samst met Nigel, yet Nigel looked like he had aged 10 years. ¡°What is it, Dad? Did something happen?¡± Sam was shocked. Nigel was a famous figure in the business industry¡ªhe was known for his exemry looks, figure, skills, and charisma. Sam had always perceived his father to be a calm and determined individual. He had never seen his father this dejected and helpless in the past. Nigel didn¡¯t say anything and simply passed the files on the table over to Sam. Sam hastily took the papers into his hands. Upon reading the content of the paper, Sam finally understood what was going on. ¡°That b*tch!¡± Sam cursed as he flung the documents onto the table. No wonder my dad is in such a bad state. He must feel disgusted. They had all thought that Bryan was Dan¡¯s savior¡ªthat was why Nigel got married to the ugly and useless Phoebe. Nigel even had a daughter with Phoebe. In the end, all of it was just a scheme. Anyone in Nigel¡¯s position would have been just as disgusted. Nigel let out a bitterugh. ¡°Cameron was right. All of the Taylors are idiots!¡± If the public knew about this matter, Nigel would be thergest joke of the century. He would be thergest idiot, and his sister and brother-inw would take second ce. They would no longer be able to stand tall in front of others. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think about things that way, Dad. The ones who should feel guilty and embarrassed are Phoebe and Isabel. Both our family and my aunt¡¯s family are merely victims.¡± Sam tried his best to comfort his father. Nigel chuckled bitterly. ¡°But people are going tough at us for being idiots!¡± ¡°We are just kind. We didn¡¯t expect someone to be as evil as them,¡± Sam uttered as he gave his father¡¯s shoulder a squeeze. ¡°Dad, kind people like us would definitely empathize with our situation. Only the evil ones wouldugh at us for being dumb. We don¡¯t have to care about what evil people think.¡± Nigel gazed up at his eldest son beforeughing and shaking his head. ¡°Forget it¡­ I¡¯m fine. I need some time to process this, but I¡¯ll be fine in a few days¡­ By the way, your uncle called earlier. He said that the DNA test results are out¡­¡± ¡°Are you talking about Uncle Michael and Madeline¡¯s DNA test?¡± Sam asked. Nigel nodded. ¡°What did the results indicate?¡± Sam held his breath after asking the question. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise.¡± Nigel sighed. ¡°It has been proven that Madeline is your aunt and uncle¡¯s biological daughter¡­¡± Nigel pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a bitterugh while shaking his head once more. ¡°What is this? You know how Madeline spent the past years of her life in our household. How am I supposed to face Madeline in the future? How should I look your aunt in the eye?¡± Nigel mmed his fist against the table. ¡°I hate this! I hate this so much! Phoebe and Cameron are both evil people. I¡¯ll never let them go. I have to make sure that they suffer. I have to!¡± ¡°Madeline is a kind girl, Dad. She¡¯d never me you for this. We still have a lot of time, so we can compensate her in the future.¡± Sam soothed his father. ¡°You¡¯re right. From now on, both you and Dan will have to take good care of Madeline. By the way, you shouldn¡¯t let your Aunt Crystal find out about this matter for now. Your uncle still doesn¡¯t know how to tell her about it. He¡¯s really troubled by this matter, and he¡¯s worried that your aunt¡¯s heart might not be able to handle the truth. Sigh¡­ What did us Taylors do in the past to deserve such bad karma?¡± ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll give Madeline a call and ask her if she¡¯s free to bring Joel and Quincy over for dinner sometime soon,¡± Sam uttered. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Nigel muttered. ¡°Anyway, both Dan and I owe her an apology. Sigh¡­¡± Nigel heaved another long sigh before shaking his head. If he knew that Madeline was his niece, he would¡¯ve taken better care of her. How did he end up making her suffer so much? Then again, if they knew that Madelyn was his biological niece, Crystal and Michael would have treated her as their daughter from the very start. Then, Madeline would have never stayed in his home, and she would have never been bullied by Isabel. ¡°By the way, Dad. Isabel¡­¡± Sam thought about Isabel all of a sudden. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this name now. I don¡¯t want to see her either. Both she and Phoebe are evil women. Whenever I see her, I think of Phoebe. Both her and Phoebe are the reason I feel so ashamed!¡± Nigel waved his arm around weakly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I got it,¡± Sam replied gently. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for her to study overseas.¡± ¡°You can do whatever you think is right. You should send her as far away as possible. It¡¯d be better if she never returned. I never want to see her again!¡± Nigel hissed. Sam let out a quiet sigh. I guess a part of Dad¡¯s hatred for Isabeles from his hatred toward Phoebe. He might not have loved Isabel as much as he loves Dan and me, but he still treated her with care. Now that he knows of Bryan¡¯s evil scheme, he doesn¡¯t even want to see Isabel at all. I guess it makes sense. Isabel used to bully Madeline all the time. Now that it¡¯s proven that Madeline is Uncle Michael¡¯s biological daughter, Dad would never forgive anyone who bullied Madeline in the past. Isabel and Phoebe are, of course, the tworgest culprits. It¡¯s definitely a good idea to send Isabel far, far away. Upon leaving the study, Sam contacted Isabel to tell her his n. ¡°What? You want me to leave the country?¡± Isabel eximed in surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave, Sam! What would happen to my mother if I left? You need to help me, Sam. I don¡¯t want to leave. I want to stay with my mother!¡± If she left the country for a foreign ce, she would be nothing at all. How could that be better than her staying home and livingfortably as the youngdy of the Taylor Family? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 61 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Persistent Young Master Sebastian Sam clutched his phone as he spoke in a quiet voice. ¡°I¡¯m not having a discussion with you, Isabel. I¡¯m telling you about my decision. You have to leave the country. Your mother, on the other hand, broke the law, so she should be prosecuted. No one¡¯s going to be able to save her.¡± ¡°No. How could this happen¡­¡± Isabel wailed. ¡°Sam, can you let me go home first? I¡¯m begging you, Sam. Please let me go home first! Dad and Dan won¡¯t let me go home¡­ What did I do wrong? Why would they treat me like that? I¡¯m Dad¡¯s daughter. How could he not want me? Help me, Sam¡­ Help ¡­¡± Sam felt his heart softening upon hearing her cries. He let out a soft sigh. ¡°Dad¡¯s still angry, so he doesn¡¯t want to see you for now. But I have another pied-¨¤-terre in the countryside. You can stay there for now, and you can leave overseas for your studies once I¡¯m done arranging all your admission procedures.¡± ¡°I got it, Sam.¡± Isabel stopped crying. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to whatever you say from now on. Thank you so much. I always knew that you¡¯re the best!¡± she uttered obediently. She would do anything as long as it meant that she wouldn¡¯t have to leave the country. She had to find a way to stay here. She didn¡¯t want to leave as she wanted to continue being the youngdy of the Taylor Family. I¡¯m my father¡¯s daughter, and I was born as a youngdy in the Taylor Family. No one has the right to chase me away! Sam double confirmed her location before sending his bodyguard over. He told the bodyguard to bring Isabel to his ce in the countryside for her to settle down there. Strictly speaking, Isabel didn¡¯t do much harm apart from picking fights and bullying Madeline all the time. She still had blood ties with the Taylor Family, and Sam knew that his father only refused to see Isabel because his father was still angry. Once Nigel was done being angry, he would still have to deal with the necessary things. Whose fault is it that Isabel has my father¡¯s blood running in her? Furthermore, after 20 years of living together, a bond would have been formed even with one¡¯s pet, let alone one¡¯s daughter! As Sam thought about this, he couldn¡¯t help but think of Angie and his uncle and aunt. Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal are in an even tougher position than Dad. They have treated Angie like the treasure of the family throughout all these years. They gave birth to four sons, while Uncle Michael¡¯s second brother has two sons. Uncle Michael¡¯s third brother has two sons as well. Among the three families in the Wendel Family, there are a total of eight boys but only one girl. One can only imagine how much Angie was pampered as she was growing up. The amount of effort that Dad spent on Isabel is nothing inparison to the amount of effort Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal spent on Angie. Would Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal really be able to let go of Angie? But¡­ if they can¡¯t let go of Angie, then Angie and Madeline would have to live under the same roof. Would Madeline be okay with that? Whenever Sam thought about these questions, he felt troubled on behalf of Michael. He sighed and shook his head to get rid of all the thoughts he had in his mind. Instead, he gave Madeline a call. ¡°Madeline.¡± ¡°Is anything the matter, Sam?¡± Madeline asked. ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t I call you for nothing?¡± Sam asked with a smile. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No. I just thought that something might be up, that¡¯s all,¡± Madeline replied as she chuckled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much,¡± Sam said with a smile. ¡°I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯m here in Dusktown. Are you free tonight? You should bring Joel and Quincy along for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Madeline mumbled. ¡°The boys are taking a nap now. I can bring them over once they¡¯re awake.¡± Sebastian, who was sitting next to her, raised an eyebrow upon hearing her words. Interestingly, even though he didn¡¯t utter a single word, she seemed to understand what Sebastian was saying. ¡°Um¡­¡± Madeline hesitated for a moment before speaking to Sam on the phone. ¡°Sam, is it okay if Mr. Hart and I bring Joel and Quincy over?¡± ¡°Mr. Hart?¡± Sam froze. ¡°Are you talking about Sebastian, the young master of the Hart Family?¡± Madeline wore aplicated look in her eyes as she gazed at Sebastian. ¡°Yes,¡± she muttered. She didn¡¯t know what else she could say. ¡°That¡¯s such a coincidence¡­¡± Sam muttered quietly. Momentster, he spoke in a soft tone. ¡°Regarding your children¡­ Madeline¡­ The Taylor Family will be indebted to you for the rest of our lives¡­¡± he uttered. Even if Joel and Quincy were now reputable children of the Hart Family, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Madeline had once given birth before her marriage. It didn¡¯t take away all the pain and suffering she went through as a single mother. This was all Sam and the Taylor Family¡¯s fault. Back then, Sam wasn¡¯t aware of the fact that Madeline had gone through the test-tube baby procedure to save him. If he knew about it, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to it. He only found out about it when the child was born, but everything was toote then¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve said simr things a lot of times,¡± Madeline uttered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve also replied to you a lot of times. I don¡¯t regret it! Giving birth to Joel and Quincy is the best thing I¡¯ve ever done in my life! I love them more than I love my life, so you can only imagine how much they matter to me. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about this, and you shouldn¡¯t think that you owe me anything, Sam. I¡¯m serious!¡± ¡°That¡¯s different¡­¡± Sam muttered. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my illness, you could¡¯ve fallen in love and gotten married to give birth to adorable children. You wouldn¡¯t have had to give birth without getting married, and you wouldn¡¯t have had to be a single mother. You took care of Joel and Quincy all on your own¡­ I know you felt sorry for your sons because you thought they were illegitimate children. You went through a lot of stress, yet Dan and Isabel were never understanding of your situation. They even caused you all that trouble¡­ They put you through so much pain¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s all over,¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t help but nce in Sebastian¡¯s direction. ¡°Now that Joel and Quincy have found their biological father, and now that I¡¯ve gotten a marriage certificate with him, Joel and Quincy are legitimate sons. So, we shouldn¡¯t be caught up in the past anymore, Sam. We should just live our best lives from now on so that we don¡¯t waste the good luck that we have now. Don¡¯t you think so, Sam?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stop talking about the past. If only Dan and Isabel were as smart and thoughtful as you¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them so much,¡± Sam uttered. Madeline smiled without continuing the conversation. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s all for now. We can talk again when we meet at night,¡± Sam said. ¡°Okay. See you tonight,¡± Madeline replied. Upon ending the call, Madeline realized that Sebastian had been staring at her the whole time. ¡°What is it?¡± Madeline felt rather ufortable. Sebastian smirked. ¡°You made a mistake earlier.¡± ¡°Hmm? What did I say?¡± she asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that Joel and Quincy found me,¡± he corrected her. ¡°I was the one who found them!¡± ¡°¡­Does that matter?¡± she mumbled. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 62 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 62 Chapter 62 What¡¯s There to Show Off? ¡°Of course it matters!¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°The first statement would make me sound like a responsible father, while the second one would make me sound like a useless man! I¡¯m a father, so I should be the one looking for them and not the other way around. I don¡¯t want my sons to think of me as irresponsible!¡± ¡°¡­Whatever floats your boat,¡± Madeline muttered. Sebastian was about to continue talking when the housekeeper hurried over. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hart, the Wendels are here to see you.¡± Sebastian curled his lips up as he gazed at Madeline. ¡°I guess the DNA test results must be out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really quick.¡± Madeline was rather surprised. ¡°Yeah. If you pay a little more and request for instant results, it¡¯s usuallypleted within a few hours,¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°¡­Oh,¡± she muttered. He had just done a DNA test with Joel and Quincy, so she knew that he had to be right since he was experienced in doing the test. ¡°Send them in,¡± Sebastian told the housekeeper. Momentster, Michael and Jonathan were led into the hall. Philip had the habit of taking an afternoon nap, so none of them woke him up. Sebastian, Madeline, Michael, and Jonathan each took a seat before the maids served them some tea. Michael, however, wasn¡¯t in the mood for tea. He felt waves of sadness hitting him as he gazed at Madeline. The DNA results were out, and things were finalized¡ªMadeline was him and his wife¡¯s biological daughter! This is my daughter! She was born into a grand family and prepared for a luxurious life, yet she ended up on the streets, where she suffered for years. If Dan hadn¡¯t happened to save my daughter, she might have been dead. If that happened, she would have left this world in the most horrible and shameful manner. Back then, was Cameron the one who sent those people to torture my daughter on purpose? Just that thought itself was enough to trigger Michael¡¯s urge to kill someone. He wished he could slice Xander into pieces. How could they treat my daughter like that? They are too much! Theplicated emotions¡ªpain, anger, hurt, worry¡ªmade tears well up in his eyes. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The DNA results are out, Madeline,¡± Michael spoke to Madeline in a trembling voice. ¡°It¡¯s true that¡­ you¡¯re our biological daughter!¡± Jonathan aptly handed her a set of documents. She took the papers and flipped to thest page where the results were stated. It was true. She was Michael¡¯s biological daughter! It was all confirmed now! Her sons had a father, and she was no longer the daughter of an illegitimate daughter! What a joy! Madeline and her sons could walk around with their heads lifted from then onward! ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t contain the happiness within her as she handed the papers to Sebastian. ¡°From now on, Quincy and Joel won¡¯t have to be looked down upon because of my past. This is great!¡± she uttered excitedly. Sebastian took one look at the results before speaking in a calm tone. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. Who would ever dare look down upon my son? I¡¯m Sebastian Hart!¡± ¡°¡­Others might not dare to say it to your face, but they would definitely talk about it behind your back! Well, they won¡¯t do it now since I¡¯m no longer an illegitimate daughter¡¯s child. Quincy and Joel aren¡¯t rted to Cameron at all. The three of us will no longer have to be shamed and bullied because of her!¡± Madeline¡¯s words had no other intentions, and she was merelymenting on the situation that she was in right then. However, every sentence she said felt like a knife stabbing into Michael¡¯s heart. Tears formed in his eyes, and he had to widen his eyes to force his tears back down. I¡¯m such a useless man! I¡¯m the head of the Wendel Family, yet I didn¡¯t manage to protect my own daughter. My precious, lovely daughter was left alone¡­ She was bullied and looked down upon by others. This is all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault! ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± His eyes were red and his voice croaky. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Madeline¡­ It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t see through Cameron¡¯s evil scheme, and I failed to protect you. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Madeline shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. You¡¯re a victim too.¡± Would a parent ever agree to have their child being switched for someone else¡¯s child? Madeline knew that Michael must have suffered just as much as she did when he first heard of the news. In fact, she believed that he must have felt worse than she did. Michael and Crystal were known for being a loving couple, and he certainly cherished the children his wife gave birth to. Michael would only love the daughter born from him and his wife¡¯s love¡ªnot some random child that entered their household. Michael had known Madeline for years. Even though he didn¡¯t have many interactions with her, he knew that she was pretty, capable, and skilled atbat. She had taken over the Taylor Family¡¯s old business that was left behind, and she had done exceptional work to improve the business. She was an outstanding woman. However, only then did Michael realize that Madeline was beyond her looks and skill¡ªshe was also kind, understanding, andpromising. Even after being mistreated for so many years, there was no sign of hatred or resentment on her face. She was a gracious, calm, and peaceful woman. This is who my biological daughter is! Michael thought. A sense of pride and joy spread across his chest. At that moment, he desperately wanted to hold her hand and make a public announcement. This woman, Madeline, is my biological daughter! She is the true gem of the family and the only princess of the household! In the future, she will be an indispensable part of the Wendel Family. All of the Wendel Family¡¯s wealth, pride, and reputation will be rted to her. ¡°Come home with me, Madeline!¡± Michael gazed at his daughter with a passionate and warm look. ¡°Your mother¡¯s heart isn¡¯t well, so I haven¡¯t told her about the news of you being our biological daughter. I¡¯m afraid that she might not be able to handle it if she gets too excited. You cane home with me, and I¡¯ll hold your hand while we break the news to your mother. When your mother sees how thoughtful and outstanding you are, and when she sees you right before her eyes, she might find it easier to ept the truth. At least you¡¯ll be there tofort her. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go along with your n,¡± Madeline uttered after hesitating for a moment. ¡°G-Good girl!¡± Michael, who had always been known as the calm and elegant man of the Wendel Corporation, couldn¡¯t control his emotions at that moment. Sebastian frowned for a moment before questioning Michael. ¡°Will you guys be returning to Wendel City?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Michael replied. ¡°Wendel City is right next to Dusktown, and I took a private jet over. The whole trip isn¡¯t that long¡ªit only takes about 1 hour by flight!¡± ¡°Maddie, Aldo & Buddy, you¡¯ll be taking the jet with me,¡± Sebastian said. You¡¯re not the only one who has a private jet. What¡¯s there to show off? Michael and Madeline were both quiet for a moment before Madeline turned to Sebastian. ¡°Are youing along?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sebastian turned to look at Madeline. ¡°As your husband and the father of your two sons, I have the duty to take care of you guys. I wouldn¡¯t want you guys to be bullied.¡± ¡°¡­Actually, I was just wondering¡­ How¡¯s yourpany doing?¡± Madeline asked. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 63 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Fooling Him into a Marriage Sebastian raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why would you ask about that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason¡­¡± Madeline muttered. ¡°I just¡­ feel like you don¡¯t have much to do¡­¡± ¡°¡­I had been working for three years without a holiday up until I met Joel and Quincy,¡± he replied while looking at her. ¡°So, don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯ve umted all my past holidays, so I can be on holiday for at least two to three months! Oh, I forgot to tell you that I have a brother, Lucas, who¡¯s my assistant in thepany. He can be ratherzy sometimes, but he¡¯s useful when you need him to be. So, if I have other important matters to handle, I can afford to be away from thepany for about six months to a year.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°A brother?¡± Madeline was puzzled. ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you an only child?¡± The family portrait in the house clearly showed a family of three with Sebastian and his parents in it. ¡°Oh, Lucas isn¡¯t a biological son. My father adopted him,¡± Sebastian exined. ¡°Oh. Doesn¡¯t he live here?¡± she asked. ¡°He does. But he went overseas a few days ago, so he¡¯ll only be back in about two days. He¡¯lle back to stay here once he returns to the country,¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Madeline nodded. She looked especially obedient when she nodded while saying ¡®oh¡¯. She was like an older version of Joel, and Sebastian felt his hands getting itchy when he noticed how adorable she was. He longed to ruffle her hair. Sebastian had never been one to limit himself, and he did whatever he wished to do. So, Madeline was attacked with a sudden stroke on the top of her head. She turned and eyed him puzzledly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Sebastian gave her a pleasant smile. ¡°Your hair was just messy,¡± he replied. She didn¡¯t know what to say. My hair¡¯s messy? Isn¡¯t he making it messier by ruffling my hair? Michael couldn¡¯t stop himself from clearing his throat. How dare he touch my daughter right in front of me? Does he have any respect for me at all? Sebastian gazed in Michael¡¯s direction before smiling. ¡°Do you have a sore throat, Mr. Wendel? Here. Have some tea!¡± Michael was speechless. I hate that I wasn¡¯t the one who taught my daughter as she was growing up. Otherwise, Sebastian wouldn¡¯t dare to act so wild and recklessly in front of me! Michael raised his teacup and sipped on it while looking at Sebastian. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s the situation between you and my daughter,¡± Michael uttered. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯ll keep it short.¡± Sebastian gave Michael a brief exnation of his rtionship with Madeline before he wrapped an arm over Madeline¡¯s shoulders. ¡°So, now, Madeline is my son¡¯s mother, my legal wife, and the main woman of the Hart Family.¡± Michael gazed at Sebastian before looking at Madeline. He had a lot of things to say, but he didn¡¯t know where to begin. Right then, he felt¡­ rather uneasy. He hadn¡¯t even cared for his daughter for a single day, yet she had already turned into someone else¡¯s wife. In other words, even though he had just taken his daughter under his wing, he wouldn¡¯t be able to spend most of his days with her. He wouldn¡¯t be able to build a bond with her. His daughter was married, and she would be living in her husband¡¯s house¡­ The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He cleared his throat and stared at Sebastian before speaking in a stern tone. ¡°Mr. Hart, I¡¯m really grateful for your act of giving Joel and Quincy a proper title as your son. However, the most important thing in a marriage is that both parties love each other. You and Madeline won¡¯t be happy if you guys don¡¯t love each other. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to bring Madeline, Quincy, and Joel back to the Wendels¡¯¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t work,¡± Sebastian rejected him without any hesitation. ¡°If you bring Joel and Quincy away, my dad will definitely stop you. Do you want to fight my dad?¡± Michael was speechless. There were a limited number of people in this world who would dare to go against Philip. ¡°But don¡¯t you think that¡¯s unfair to my daughter? My daughter¡¯s still young; she can¡¯t sacrifice her whole life for the sake of Joel and Quincy¡ª¡± ¡°I can.¡± Madeline was the one who interrupted him this time. She gazed at Michael before giving him a slight smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a sacrifice. When I see how happy Joel and Quincy are with Old Master Hart, I feel happy myself.¡± She hadn¡¯t been in the Hart Family for long, yet she felt like this was the most secure and happy period of her whole life. If Joel and Quincy could continue living such a stable life for the rest of their childhood, there was nothing more she could ask for. Michael, on the other hand, was speechless. Fine. Just assume I never brought this up! ¡°There¡¯s a question I¡¯d like to ask you, Mr. Wendel¡­ Are you nning to reveal my wife¡¯s identity once you bring her home?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Michael replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring her home and pick a date for her to announce her identity and reunite with her ancestors! We will invite all of the Wendel Family¡¯s good friends and business partners over for the event where Madeline announces her true identity.¡± ¡°What about Angie? Will her identity be revealed?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± Michael hesitated for a moment. ¡°What is it?¡± Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he stared at Michael. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get revenge, Mr. Wendel? If you don¡¯t reveal Angie¡¯s true identity, how are you going to put Cameron behind bars?¡± Michael clenched his fists. ¡°There are a lot of ways to ruin Cameron¡¯s reputation. We don¡¯t have to bring up the past¡­¡± ¡°But would that be fair to my wife?¡± Sebastian clutched Madeline¡¯s hand before wrapping his fingers tightly around hers. ¡°My wife was stolen by Cameron and switched out. If Cameron doesn¡¯t get punished for her crimes, how are you going to make up for all the suffering my wife has been through?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Michael didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Mr. Hart.¡± Jonathan, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke up. ¡°Our whole family hates Cameron for what she did. However, Angie is innocent. If we reveal what Cameron did in the past, this would also expose Angie¡¯s true identity. Angie¡¯s at the age where she should be getting married. If this information gets out now, it¡¯ll ruin Angie¡¯s life¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Are you saying that¡­ you guys are nning to fool someone into marrying Angie?¡± Michael nearly choked on his own saliva. ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°What do you mean, then?¡± Sebastian curled his lips. ¡°Angie is Cameron¡¯s biological daughter. This is a known fact, yet you guys are choosing to hide it just to get Angie to marry a good man. Isn¡¯t this fooling someone else into a bad marriage?¡± Michael had no way of arguing against Sebastian. Why does it sound like we¡¯re actually trying to scam a man? But¡­ we just don¡¯t want the past generation¡¯s deeds to impact Angie¡¯s marriage. We¡¯re not fooling anyone. Michael turned to Madeline. ¡°What do you think, Madeline?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 64 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Unhappy Madeline thought about it for a moment. ¡°If you¡¯re asking for my opinion, of course I¡¯d prefer to be able to reveal the truth about the past so that Cameron gets prosecuted.¡± Michael looked into his daughter¡¯s eyes. ¡°Trust me, Madeline. I hate Cameron as much as you do! Revealing whatever Cameron did would also expose the truth about Angie¡¯s birth parents, though, and that woulde as a huge blow to Angie¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After pausing for a moment, Michael gathered his words before speaking at a slower pace and exining, ¡°I have a scale in my heart that tells me you take up arger spot than Angie, Madeline ¡­ I was thinking that I could find other ways to make Cameron pay for what she did in the past. As for Angie¡­ I¡¯ll announce her as an adopted daughter we brought home. Once you meet your ancestors, I¡¯ll get Angie to move out of the house. As an adopted daughter, she¡¯ll no longer have the right to inherit anything from the family. Since she was once my child, I just want to give her a clean background so that she doesn¡¯t get cursed whenever she¡¯s out in public.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just go with whatever you say,¡± Madeline uttered with a smile. Michael¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Does that mean you agree with me, Madeline?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re asking for my opinion, of course I would want everyone to know about Cameron¡¯s deeds so that she can pay for whatever she did in the past,¡± Madeline replied. ¡°But if you don¡¯t agree to it, I won¡¯t force you to do anything. We¡¯re father and daughter, not enemies¡ªit¡¯s only right for us to consider each other¡¯s viewpoints.¡± However, fate wasn¡¯t everything. When it came to rtionships, what mattered was each other¡¯s sincerity. Madeline was a realist. Her actions toward others depended on how they acted toward her. She would repay them with whatever kindness they showed, and she might be a little kinder than they were, but that was about it. Madeline gave Michael a friendly smile. She was polite but distant¡ªit certainly didn¡¯t seem like the sort of attitude a daughter would show to her father. This made Michael feel rather sad. He was a smart person, and he had been in the business world for years, so he had met all sorts of different people. Madeline didn¡¯t need to say anything, yet he already understood what she was trying to do. However, he couldn¡¯t me her for being so unemotional over this matter. Logically speaking, Angie was innocent. However, all the warmth and joy that Angie had experienced was supposed to belong to Madeline. Furthermore, what Madeline was asking for wasn¡¯t a lot. She simply wanted to reveal the truth to seek justice for herself. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Yet, Michael couldn¡¯t even do this for her. How would he have the right to ask her to ept him wholeheartedly without having her guard up, then? If she was actually able to do it, then he would suspect that she didn¡¯t genuinely want him as a father. He would think that she was acting especially warm to him just to gain the benefits that the Wendel Family had to offer. However, it was evident then that Madeline didn¡¯t truly care about the Wendels¡¯ wealth. This realization made Michael feel both d and sad. Perhaps it was because they were blood-rted, but Michael found himself being fond of Madeline. She didn¡¯t just remind him of his wife, but she even looked a lot like his mother when she was younger. Madeline¡¯s appearance gave him a sense of familiarity, and he felt especially attached to her when he thought about how she was born from his and his wife¡¯s love. But Angie¡­ He couldn¡¯t bring himself to do such a horrible thing to her. After all, he was the one who watched Angie grow up. Angie had been with them for more than 20 years, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ruin her future just like that. It was impossible for one to have the best of both worlds, and Michael understood that concept. Right then, the best that he could do was to bring Madeline home before using his love to gradually form an emotional bond with her. He would show her that she was the daughter he loved the most. On the other hand, he would slowly distance himself from Angie before finding a way for her to get married to someone who lived far away. Once Angie had a good partner¡­ They wouldn¡¯t have to stay in contact anymore. By then, they could put a full stop to their twenty-plus years as father and daughter¡­ Michael realized that Madeline had be especially distant and polite after he stated that he wouldn¡¯t tell the public the truth about the past. Sebastian had the same realization. After that, he no longer insisted on getting Michael to reim justice for Madeline. I just got my hands on my wife and sons¡­ My sons, especially! I just snatched them over¡­ Hey, no. I mean, I just brought them home, yet the Wendels popped out of nowhere and want to take them away from me. How annoying. I guess it¡¯s good that there seems to be a thick wall between Madeline and the Wendels. Since Madeline has taken myst name, she¡¯s part of the Hart Family. Her original family¡­ It¡¯s good enough that they exist. As for a strong bond¡­ There¡¯s no need for that! Sebastian was clearly pleased to see Madeline treat Michael and Jonathan as if they were just guests. The few of them spoke for a while more. Madeline mentioned that she had made ns with Sam to return to the Taylor Residence for a meal and that she could only follow Michael home the next day. Michael was eager to bring her home¡ªhe couldn¡¯t even wait for one night. He immediately gave Nigel a call to tell him and Sam that he wanted to bring Madeline back to the Wendels now. Nigel was worried about his sister¡¯s health, so he asked Michael how Michael was nning to break the news to his wife. Michael told Nigel that he would keep it a secret for the time being considering Crystal¡¯s health and Angie¡¯s reputation, and deliberate over the matter. Nigel was still worried, so he asked if he could join the Wendels for dinner. Since Nigel had expressed his worry for Crystal, Michael couldn¡¯t reject Nigel¡¯s request to join him for dinner. In the end, the initial n for Madeline to visit the Taylor Residence turned into Madeline and Nigel visiting the Wendels together. Madeline stayed in the hall and chit-chatted with Michael for a long while, so she didn¡¯t wake the kids from their naps. Both of the boys slept until evening time when Philip woke them up and brought the drowsy boys downstairs. When Joel saw Madeline, he tottered over excitedly before jumping into her arms. He rubbed his eyes, and his head against her chest. ¡°I was sad because I didn¡¯t see you when I woke up!¡± She held him and stroked his back while smiling. ¡°How should I make you happy, then?¡± He lifted his fair, chubby face up to look at his mother before poking his own cheek as he spoke. ¡°l want Mommy¡¯s kisses!¡± Madeline giggled as she lowered her head to nt a few kisses on Joel¡¯s face. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Joel chuckled. He rested in Madeline¡¯s arms as he gazed at Michael and Jonathan. ¡°Do we have guests, Mommy?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She stood up and introduced Philip to Michael and Jonathan before she introduced her two sons. ¡°This is your grandfather and your Uncle Michael. That¡¯s the way you guys should address them from now, do you hear me?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Joel turned to look at Michael and Jonathan. ¡°Hello, Grandpa. Hello, Uncle Michael! It¡¯s nice to meet you guys!¡± Quincy followed closely behind his brother. Inparison to his brother¡¯s cute and soft voice, Quincy¡¯s voice was much more mature and clear. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 65 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Is He Talking to Me? Michael and Jonathan gazed at the two boys attentively. Jonathan could still keep his cool, but Michael waspletely mesmerized by the boys¡¯ cuteness. At Michael¡¯s age, it was normal to be fond of children, especially when these children were gorgeous kids who were biologically rted to him. He pulled both the boys into his arms and gave them a tight hug. Philip wasn¡¯t pleased to see this. He had just found his two precious grandchildren, and he hadn¡¯t had enough time with them. How could the kids¡¯ maternal grandfather just show up to steal them away from him? This guy sure has some nerve! Philip shot Sebastian an angry re. Sebastian felt rather helpless. It wasn¡¯t as if a rock could¡¯ve given birth to Madeline. There were a lot of things that they could control, but they couldn¡¯t stop Madeline from having biological parents, could they? Philip was even more annoyed when Sebastian didn¡¯t respond to him. I can¡¯t depend on anyone else but myself! Hmph! After giving Sebastian another re, Philip turned to Joel and Quincy with a smile. ¡°Come over to your grandpa, Joel and Quincy.¡± The boys were naturally closer to Philip than they were to Michael. So, when Philip called for them, they immediately slipped out of Michael¡¯s arms before running over to Philip. Philip beamed as he held one grandson in each arm. He even gave Michael a smug look. Michael was speechless. Is this the capable, bold, and undefeated Old Mr. Hart? He¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like who I expected him to be! He¡¯s so¡­ childish! Regardless, it was true that Philip was a famous businessman that Michael couldn¡¯t afford to mess with. Since Michael didn¡¯t dare toe face to face with Philip, he could only avoid Philip¡¯s smug look before lowering his gaze to look at the two kids in Philip¡¯s arms. Anyone who had eyes could tell that Philip was extremely fond of the boys. Michael felt extremely conflicted. He understood why his daughter wasn¡¯t interested in the Wendels¡¯ wealth. Her two sons were the only grandchildren in the Hart Family, and they were the only two who were the third generation of the family. Furthermore, both of the kids were witty and adorable¡ªanyone would be fond of kids like them. If things went ording to n, these two boys would own the Hart Family someday. As the mother of these two sons, Madeline was certainly going to enjoy an endless supply of luxury and wealth in the future. What was the Wendel Family¡¯s worth inparison to the Hart Family¡¯s? Despite this, Michael truly believed that Madeline wasn¡¯t a woman who cared about wealth. He didn¡¯t know her that well, but Sam knew her well enough. Sam once said that Madeline was a kind girl who valued loyalty. She was a good woman. If only I had kept an eye on my daughter and not allowed Cameron to steal her away¡­ If my daughter hadn¡¯t been stolen, then I wouldn¡¯t be caught in such a tough position between her and Angie. Michael understood that he would only receive unconditional love from Madeline if he was able to show her the same amount of love. If he could only offer Madeline half the love he had, it would be greedy of him to ask her to love him at full capacity. Yet, he couldn¡¯t bear to watch Angie¡¯s reputation being ruined. And his wife¡­ He didn¡¯t know if his wife could handle the fact that Angie wasn¡¯t their biological daughter¡­ Michael was worried about his wife¡¯s health and Angie¡¯s future. This reduced the amount of joy he felt toward finding his biological daughter. He was deeply troubled, but he forced a smile anyway. Madeline could sense this. ¡°Actually¡­ You don¡¯t have to force anything. I¡¯m not in a rush, so I can go home once you feel ready for it,¡± she uttered. She was way past the age of needing her parents. She was a grown woman, and Michael and Crystal were getting old. In the future, it¡¯d be her turn to take care of Michael and Crystal. If Michael wasn¡¯t willing to acknowledge her as a daughter, Madeline wouldn¡¯t be driven to seek her parents just to care for them. Michael froze for a moment before rifying himself. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel pressured at all. I¡¯m so d to have found you, and I can¡¯t wait to bring you home so that our family can reunite. I¡¯m just worried about your mother¡¯s heart. She can¡¯t get too emotional, so I¡¯m afraid her heart might cause her problems if she gets too excited upon meeting you.¡± ¡°Then, should we slow things down and wait for Mom to get better before I go home?¡± Madeline asked in a concerned tone. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Your mother¡¯s heart is fine now, but she just can¡¯t handle surprises. This won¡¯t change no matter how long we wait,¡± Michael exined. ¡°In that case¡­ I know a doctor who¡¯s really skilled, but she¡¯s not in Dusktown now. Why don¡¯t I get her toe over before I bring her along to meet my mom?¡± Madeline suggested. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have a family doctor at home.¡± Michael felt guilty to see how thoughtful Madeline was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madeline. I¡¯ll take good care of your mom, and I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Madeline nodded. She had a really good impression of Crystal. In the past, during her worst days with the Taylor Family, there had been times when Isabel brought some of their distant rtives to beat Madeline up. Crystal happened to catch them in action. Although Crystal thought of Madeline as Cameron¡¯s daughter back then, she still scolded Isabel and the others before helping Madeline and telling the family doctor to treat Madeline¡¯s wounds. Crystal was a gorgeous, elegant, and kind woman, so Madeline didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to her. They all chatted for a while more as they waited for the private jet to be prepared. Michael got on the Wendel Family¡¯s private jet. Nigel still had some matters to settle, so he didn¡¯t travel with them. Instead, he nned for him, Sam, and Dan to take a private flight directly from the Taylors Residence. Sebastian brought Madeline and his two sons to his own jet. Philip¡¯s identity didn¡¯t allow him the luxury of traveling wherever he pleased, so he had to stay in Dusktown. Before sending the two children onto the ne, Philip eyed them longingly as he reminded Sebastian and Madeline to return home soon. Madeline nodded earnestly. Sebastian promised that he would bring the family home soon since his home and his father were there in Dusktown. ¡°Do you think I want to stay with the Wendels in Wendel City as their live-in son-inw?¡± he muttered to Philip. Despite this, Philip still teared up as he watched Quincy and Joel getting on the ne. Sebastian felt rather annoyed to see this. Back then, when I traveled overseas for my studies, I don¡¯t recall my dad being so sad when I left! I guess it¡¯s true when they say that grandchildren have a special spot in their grandparents¡¯ hearts! Madeline felt especially touched when she saw Philip tearing up. Throughout the years, Madeline and her sons had only received a limited amount of love from others. She cherished Philip a lot since it was rare for someone to offer so much love to her sons. She didn¡¯t know how she could repay the old man. She tugged on Quincy and Joel¡¯s arm, telling them to wave to Philip. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I¡¯ll bring Quincy and Joel home to you really soon.¡± This time, Michael was the one who felt ufortable witnessing their interactions. After having such a long chat with Madeline, he had yet to hear her call him ¡®Dad¡¯. Why does she talk to Old Mr. Hart in such a sweet manner? I want to hear her calling me her dad too! Philip nodded and waved at his two grandsons while speaking to Sebastian. ¡°Take care of my grandsons and their mother, you stinky brat. If I hear of them being bullied out there, I¡¯m going to make life hard for you once you¡¯re back!¡± Sebastian was speechless. Is it appropriate for my dad to call me a stinky brat in front of my wife and sons?From N?velDrama.Org. Michael was just as speechless. Is Old Mr. Hart indirectly referring to me? He is, isn¡¯t he? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 66 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Embarrassing Oneself Upon getting on the ne, Madeline sent Quincy to his seat before he sat down and put on his own seatbelt. Joel crawled up onto Sebastian¡¯s thighs before pressing both his hands against Sebastian¡¯s cheeks. The young boy¡¯s gorgeous face was right in front of Sebastian. ¡°Stinky brat! Hehe! Daddy¡¯s a stinky brat!¡± Joel grinned. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Sebastian was at a loss for words. I have to talk to Dad about this when I get home. No matter what, I will not have him call me a stinky brat in front of my wife and kids in the future! Sebastian smiled as he lowered his gaze and leaned closer to Joel. ¡°Smell me. Am I stinky?¡± Joel sniffed the man earnestly, and he did so a few times before shaking his head. ¡°Daddy¡¯s not stinky! Daddy smells so, so good!¡± As Joel spoke, he rubbed his head against Sebastian¡¯s neck while mumbling. ¡°You smell good, and Mommy smells good. You smell as nice as Mommy. Ah¡­ Quincy smells good too! All of you smell good!¡± ¡°What about you, Joel?¡± Sebastian asked. Joel continued clinging onto Sebastian¡¯s neck while rubbing his face against it. ¡°Of course I smell as good as you guys. You guys gave birth to Quincy and me, so we smell just like you guys do¡­ By the way, Dad, how did you and Mommy give birth to Quincy and me? Will you guys have more kids in the future?¡± Their topic had suddenly taken an unexpected direction, so Madeline quickly interrupted Joel. ¡°The flight is about to take off, Joel. Hurry and sit down. You need to put your seatbelt on.¡± ¡°My seat is right here!¡± Joel clung to Sebastian¡¯s neck while speaking in a cute tone. ¡°No!¡± Madeline carried Joel over to the spot beside Sebastian before forcing him to sit properly. She tapped him on the tip of his nose. ¡°That¡¯s dangerous. Furthermore, Dad will get tired if you sit on him for too long.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Joel¡¯s eyes seemed dazed for a moment before he leaned closer to Sebastian and rested in Sebastian¡¯s arms. ¡°Daddy, will you get tired if I rest in your arms?¡± Joel asked with hisrge, watery eyes. ¡°No!¡± When Sebastian saw the soft and cute figure holding onto him, he realized that he¡¯d be willing to let Joel sit on his thighs even if it meant that his legs would be numb by the end of the flight. Madeline shook her head exasperatedly. No one could win against Joel when he was acting cute. Madeline sat down beside Quincy and said softly to Sebastian, ¡°You can tell him if you¡¯re tired. You don¡¯t have to spoil him.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t make Daddy tired!¡± Joel cried. ¡°I¡¯ll just lie here for a while before I give Daddy a massage!¡± The kid kept his word¡ªhe crawled out of Sebastian¡¯s arms and began to give Sebastian¡¯s legs a massage. Sebastian was excited just to see his son acting that way, so he lowered his head to kiss Joel¡¯s round cheeks. ¡°My son is so sweet!¡± Joel was amused by the man¡¯s kisses, and he stuffed his head into Sebastian¡¯s arms as he giggled and acted cute with his father. Madeline watched Joel for a while more before she went to check on Quincy. Quincy had a book in his hand, and he seemed immersed in it. He wasn¡¯t moving at all. ¡°Get some rest, Quincy. You need to take care of your eyes,¡± Madeline reminded him. ¡°I got it, Mommy.¡± Quincy lowered his book and rested against his seat as he shut his eyes with a stern expression on his face. Sebastian looked at the yful and cute Joel in his arms before ncing at the stern and wise-looking Quincy. ¡°How could twins be so different from one another?¡± he asked Madeline. ¡°¡­I think Joel has always been shorter than Quincy, so Quincy is used to taking care of Joel. Or¡­ maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m used to reminding Quincy that he¡¯s the older brother who has to take care of his younger brother¡­¡± She felt rather sorry upon uttering these words. She wished her elder son could be as sweet, happy, and innocent as her younger son. She felt sorry for Quincy as he was too mature for his age. ¡°I¡¯m only a little shorter than Quincy now, Mommy!¡± Joel was still in Sebastian¡¯s arms as he used two fingers to demonstrate how much shorter he was than his brother. ¡°When I grow up, I¡¯ll be as tall as Quincy! I¡¯ll take care of him too! I¡¯ll remember to save some good food for him. If anyone fights him, I¡¯ll back him up. I love Quincy, and I¡¯ll protect him forever!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying again!¡± Quincy reached over to scrape Joel¡¯s nose. ¡°I¡¯m the one who will protect you forever.¡± Joel immediately pulled away from Sebastian¡¯s arms before leaning toward Quincy and jumping into Quincy¡¯s arms. ¡°I want to protect you too! Let¡¯s protect each other forever!¡± When Madeline heard her sons talking about protecting each other, she was reminded of how Sebastian had said that she and he could depend on one another. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Sebastian. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but he was also gazing at her when she turned to look at him. She shifted her gaze away as she felt her face turning warm. Sebastian let out a soft chuckle upon realizing her actions. This girl¡­ is so attractive. Some people are just like a puddle of rainwater¡ªthey¡¯re unattractive, and they don¡¯t make me feel like looking at them at all, but others are like expensive wine ¡ªthe more you taste them, the more you realize how tasty they are. Madeline¡¯s obviously the second type of person. The more time I spend with her, the more I realize that she¡¯s my type. The way she laughs, acts, and speaks; her values, morals, and attitudes¡ªall of them fit well with mine. It¡¯s almost as if she was tailor-made for me. How amazing! Their flight took about one hour, and they soon arrived at their destination. Once their nesnded, Michael and Jonathan led Sebastian and Madeline into the Wendel House. Since Michael had previously informed the rest of them that there would be important guests paying a visit that night, Crystal, Joseph, Connor, Cedric, and Angie were all home. When Crystal heard some noiseing from the front porch, she opened the door to greet their guests. The other four followed closely behind her. When they all saw Michael and Jonathan returning with Sebastian, Madeline, Quincy, and Joel, Crystal and Angie were utterly confused. The other three brothers, on the other hand, knew what was going on. Soon enough, Angie came to her senses and hurried down the stairs before stopping in front of Madeline. ¡°Do you know whose house this is? How dare youe here! You should get lost immediately!¡± she cried angrily. ¡°Stop it, Angie!¡± Michael frowned. ¡°Dad!¡± Angie turned to her father as she stomped her foot angrily. ¡°You know how much mom hates Cameron. How could you bring her daughter to our house? What¡¯s up with you, Dad? You should chase her away before Mom gets angry!¡± Michael felt like there was a heavy rock pressing against his chest. The person Crystal hates the most is Cameron¡­ Cameron¡¯s daughter shouldn¡¯t be in our house¡­ Yet, the truth is that Crystal and I have been caring for Cameron¡¯s daughter for the past twenty years! Angie¡¯s words were like a knife stabbing into his heart. He felt his blood pumping in his veins as a sharp pain spread across his chest. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 67 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Self-Sabotaging Michael gritted his teeth to suppress the rage he felt. ¡°Angie, Madeline isn¡¯t Cameron¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s mine and your mother¡¯s daughter¡­¡± he uttered honestly. He shot a gaze at Joseph as he spoke, and Joseph gave him a subtle nod. Michael heaved a sigh of relief. While they were on their way home, Michael had ordered Joseph to call both of their family doctors to inform them to be on standby just in case they were needed. Michael was sure that his son had followed his orders. Angie didn¡¯t realize the way Michael and Joseph were exchanging looks, as she was too stunned by what Michael just said. She red at Michael while questioning him. ¡°W-What do you mean, Dad?¡± Crystal was more shocked than Angie was. With her eyes widened, she questioned Michael with a look of disbelief. ¡°What did you just say, Michael? Say it again!¡± When Michael saw the two family doctors edging closer to his wife, he gained some courage to repeat himself. So, Michael held Madeline¡¯s hand before walking over to Crystal and cing Madeline¡¯s hand in Crystal¡¯s. He ced his arm on Crystal¡¯s back as he spoke in a gentle tone. ¡°You heard what I said, Crystal. Madeline¡­ Madeline¡¯s our biological daughter. It¡¯s all my fault. I failed to take care of our daughter, and I didn¡¯t realize that I had brought the wrong child home. I¡¯ve already done a DNA test to prove that Madeline is our daughter¡­¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Angie shouted while shaking her head. Crystal was still too stunned to respond. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. Stop cracking such terrible jokes, Dad. This can¡¯t be real. This isn¡¯t real. I¡¯m your biological daughter. I look just like Mom! Everyone says I look like Mom. How could I not be her daughter? You¡¯re lying, Dad. You¡¯re lying!¡± Angie cried. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Michael tightened his grip around Crystal as he gazed in Jonathan¡¯s direction. Jonathan calmly pulled the DNA test results out. He had made a lot of copies of the results, so he handed one copy to each member of the family. Angie went through the results with trembling hands, and tears trickled down her cheeks after that. She wailed and sobbed as she tore her copy apart. ¡°No! This can¡¯t be true! This is fake. You guys are lying. I don¡¯t believe it! You guys are all lying!¡± She shook her head. How could I not be my parents¡¯ child? I¡¯m the youngdy of the Wendel Family. I don¡¯t believe this. I share the same blood as Mom and Dad. I¡¯m my brother¡¯s younger sister. I¡¯m the precious girl in the Wendel Family. I am! I have to be! Ever since Angie was a child, tons of people had been envious of her for being born into a rich family. They were also envious of her loving parents and the eight older brothers and cousins she had. She had always been the brightest, most eye-catching gem in all her social circles. Everyone looked up to her. But if she wasn¡¯t her parents¡¯ daughter, and if she wasn¡¯t the youngdy of the Wendel Family, all of this would disappear overnight. I¡¯ll be banished by the heavens. Everything I used to have will no longer belong to me. All the envious gazes I used to get will turn into mocking and ridiculing gazes. I might even be kicked out of the upper- ss circles. I¡¯ll turn into an outsider¡­ I can¡¯t allow that to happen. I can¡¯t! ¡°You! This was all a part of your evil scheme, wasn¡¯t it? You scammed my father. You¡¯re Cameron¡¯s daughter, and you¡¯re just as bad as her. You¡¯re evil. You must be trying to harm me!¡± Angie charged over to Madeline as she reached out to grab Madeline¡¯s shirt. Sebastian held his arm out to push Madeline behind him, but Madeline stopped him right in time as she used her other hand to grab Angie¡¯s wrist. In one swift motion, she twisted Angie¡¯s wrist to her back before pushing her onto her knees. Angie wailed in pain. Right then, Cedric stormed over to Madeline. ¡°Are you crazy, Madeline? What are you trying to do?¡± Madeline raised her foot and kicked Angie to the ground before patting the dust off her hands. ¡°I¡¯m just protecting myself. Do you have bad eyesight, Cedric? Didn¡¯t you see what just happened?¡± she asked calmly. ¡°You¡­¡± Cedric was at a loss for words. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Madeline raised her brows as she looked at him. ¡°Do you think I should act the way I used to? Should I let her hit me and curse at me without fighting back? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you! I used to take all the beating and cursing because I thought I was Cameron¡¯s daughter. I thought I was indebted to you guys and the Taylor Family. But now, I¡¯ve returned my debts to the Taylors, and¡­ it seems like I never owed you guys anything. Why should I allow her to bully me, then?¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± Cedric couldn¡¯t seem to argue against her. Madeline turned to look at Michael. ¡°I don¡¯t think your family wees me, Mr. Wendel. Perhaps I should visit another day.¡± ¡°No, Madeline. Don¡¯t get mad.¡± Michael was still trying to calm down Crystal, who was trembling uncontrobly. ¡°I want you to apologize to your sister!¡± Michael barked at Cedric. Cedric pretended not to hear anything as clenched his teeth and bent down to help Angie up. Angie quickly crawled into his arms as she began to sob. She felt as if her entire world had copsed at that moment. She despised Madeline. Madeline¡¯s someone who deserves no respect¡ªher mother was an illegitimate daughter. In the past, Madeline received less respect than the maids in the Taylor Family. But now, the man I like the most is saying that he likes Madeline. Even after Madeline went through the IVF procedure and had two sons, that man still hasn¡¯t given up on her. All he thinks about is her. I hate Madeline. I wish she could just die and disappear from this world. But Madeline didn¡¯t just stay around. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s actually my parents¡¯ biological daughter. Right now, she¡¯s about to overtake my position as the youngdy of the Wendel Family. I know I¡¯m not as smart, pretty, or fit as Madeline. The only thing I¡¯ve always won her in is my family background. My dad is Michael Wendel and my mom is Crystal Taylor. I have eight brothers and cousins who love me. I¡¯m the precious princess of the family. But now, all of that is gone. All of this belongs to Madeline. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the skies actually fell to the ground at this point, Angie thought. All she did then was cling to Cedric as if he was thest sliver of hope she could find. My brothers are mine. My parents are mine. I¡¯m the youngdy of the Wendel Family. No one can snatch that away from me. I¡¯ll fight anyone who dares to do it! Michael was annoyed by Cedric¡¯s actions, but he couldn¡¯t do much. All Michael could do was to speak to Madeline. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad, Madeline. Cedric isn¡¯t going against you. He¡¯s just like that. I promise all four of your brothers will be nice to you in the future!¡± ¡°Michael¡­¡± Crystal had been staring at Madeline the whole time. Crystal¡¯s entire body was shivering as she looked up at her husband. ¡°Are you saying that Madeline is our biological daughter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Michael nodded as he hugged his wife. ¡°Madeline¡¯s our biological daughter!¡± ¡°What about Angie?¡± Crystal¡¯s gaze was eerily calm despite her trembling figure. ¡°If Madeline is our daughter, then who are Angie¡¯s parents? Why does Angie look so much like me?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 68 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Hard Pill to Swallow Crystal¡¯s question caused a loud ringing in Michael¡¯s ears. He had been worried about his wife¡¯s health and Angie¡¯s future. All along, he had wished to conceal the truth about Angie¡¯s birth so that others wouldn¡¯t know that Angie was Cameron¡¯s daughter. However, he forgot about how smart his wife was. She was an intelligent and sharp woman¡ªthe one question she asked had struck the bull¡¯s eye immediately. Yeah. That¡¯s true. If Angie isn¡¯t our daughter, why would she look so much like Crystal? Could I say that it¡¯s just a coincidence? Hiding the truth and telling an outright lie are two different things. If Crystal didn¡¯t ask about it, I would just be hiding the truth. But since she asked about it, I¡¯d be lying if I answered her. She might not get too mad if I choose to hide something this huge from her, but if I told an outright lie, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be furious! Michael¡¯s face turned pale as ayer of sweat formed on his forehead. As he stared at his wife, his mind was spinning at the speed of light in search of a way to resolve this issue. But Crystal wasn¡¯t being patient. ¡°Answer me, Michael. Tell me¡ªif Angie isn¡¯t our daughter, then why does she look so much like me?¡± ¡°Yeah, Dad. Mom¡¯s right!¡± Angie leaped over and clung to Michael¡¯s arm. ¡°You must be lying, Dad! I must be your daughter. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t look so simr to Mom! Why are you lying, Dad? I¡¯m your daughter. Why would you say that Madeline¡¯s your daughter? What¡¯s wrong with you, Dad?¡± Angie was certain that she was their biological daughter. She had to be! She looked just like Crystal, so she had to be blood-rted to her. Madeline must have found a way to fool my dad! ¡°It¡¯s Madeline! She must have lied to you!¡± Angie pointed at Madeline while she used her other tug on Michael¡¯s arm. ¡°She must have lied to you, Dad. How could a cheap, dirty woman like her be you and Mom¡¯s daughter? She¡ª¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shut up!¡± Michael barked angrily. ¡°Stop scolding Madeline. She¡¯s our biological daughter and the youngdy of the Wendel Family. I will not forgive you if I hear you talking bad about her again!¡± ¡°Dad, did you just¡­ shout at me¡­?¡± Angie widened her teary eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve never shouted at me, Dad. Now¡­ You¡¯re shouting¡­¡± Tears trickled down Angie¡¯s face as she felt her body turning cold. She shuddered as her limbs tingled from the icy feeling she felt under her skin. She was truly dejected¡ªher father had just shouted at her because of Madeline. If Madeline¡¯s really my mom and dad¡¯s daughter, then will I still have a spot in this family? When Sebastian saw how shocked Angie seemed after being shouted at by Michael, he curled his lips into a smile. Why does she look like her whole world is copsing just after her father shouted at her? What a spoiled brat! Sebastian turned to give Quinton a look, and Quinton immediately understood. Momentster, Quinton stepped toward Angie before giving her two ps on her face. Everyone was stunned for a moment, but Cedric was the first to return to his senses. He ran over to Angie and wrapped his arms around her to protect her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he shouted at Quinton. Quinton smiled. ¡°We¡¯re only being nice since Mr. and Mrs. Wendel are here. Otherwise, we would have given her more than two ps! She talked bad about Mrs. Hart in front of the Hart Family¡ªthis is merely a tiny lesson we¡¯re teaching her!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Cedric was just about to hit Quinton when Jonathan walked over to stop him. Cedric red at Jonathan angrily. ¡°Why did you stop me, Jonathan? This is the Wendel House. They¡¯re bullying our sister on our turf! Others wouldugh at us if they heard about this!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Jonathan red at him. ¡°Angie was the one who made a mistake with her words. Why didn¡¯t you get mad when she was the one scolding others? Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± ¡°Angie was simply a little more straightforward. She only made a nastyment about Madeline, but they¡¯re the ones who got physical!¡± Cedric protested. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Cedric. We prefer not to attack others verbally, as that ruins our reputation.¡± Quinton imed to be sorry, but he didn¡¯t seem apologetic at all. This only made Cedric angrier. ¡°You¡¯re a man who just hit a woman. Are you proud of yourself?¡± Cedric hissed. Quinton smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t care about one¡¯s gender and age. To me, people are only segregated into two groups¡ªfriend and foe.¡± At that moment, there were stars in Joel¡¯s eyes as he stared at Quinton. The young boy pulled his hand away from Sebastian¡¯s to jump around while pping his hands. ¡°You¡¯re so cool, Mr. Quinton! You¡¯re so handsome!¡± Cedric shot Joel a fierce re. Swoosh! The young boy immediately disappeared behind Sebastian. Meanwhile, Quincy stepped forward and stood beside Sebastian to protect Joel. ¡°Do you want to pick a fight?¡± Quincy gave Cedric a provocative re. Madeline quickly walked over to Quincy before holding the young boy¡¯s hand. ¡°Why are you scaring the kids?¡± she asked Cedric calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you, Mr. Cedric.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t.¡± Quinton chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re going to put me out of my job, Mrs. Hart.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s doing our job now, Quinton.¡± Right then, Emory and Leonard stepped forward and stopped in front of Madeline. ¡°It¡¯s our job to take care of Mrs. Hart.¡± Cedric was fuming at this point. They clearly aren¡¯t showing the Wendels any respect since they came all the way here to cause trouble with us. Sure, the Hart Family might upy a really exclusive spot in the business world, but that doesn¡¯t give them the right to bully us like that, right? Us Wendels aren¡¯t going to give in so easily! ¡°Are you guys all dead?¡± Cedric turned around and shouted at his bodyguards. The few of his bodyguards had been stunned before that, but they hurried over upon hearing him shout. Do they think that I, the fourth son of the Wendel Family, am going to fight the Hart Family¡¯s bodyguards? I wouldn¡¯t lower my standards like that! ¡°Return to your positions!¡± The bodyguards had just made their way over when Michael¡¯s shout made their footsteps halt. ¡°Dad¡ª¡± Cedric gazed at his father resentfully. ¡°Shut up!¡± Michael barked at Cedric. Michael had always been a gentle, warm, and loving man, and Cedric had never seen his father acting in such an emotionally unstable manner. Although Cedric was the wild one in the family, he was still a filial son who would obey his father, even if he didn¡¯t want to. In the end, Cedric shut his mouth and gritted his teeth as he red at Madeline and her people. Madeline looked extremely calm. I¡¯d be lucky to gain anything, and I¡¯d be fine even if I don¡¯t gain anything from this, she told herself. After all, she was no longer at the age where she needed her parents. Even though she longed to feel her parents¡¯ love, Madeline knew that some things simply couldn¡¯t be forced. If Michael and Crystal were willing to take her as their daughter, she¡¯d be d to spend time with them and respect them. However, if they felt like it was hard for them to do such a thing, she would understand as well. She would ept their decision without feeling any pain or regret. Although Madeline was still young, she had been through a lot. Therefore, her worldviews were much more mature than others. The best thing that came out of her experiences was probably her ability to face her troubles with a neutral attitude. While the few of them were fighting, Crystal had been trying her best to contain her emotions. She knew her body the best, and she didn¡¯t want to copse before she found out about the truth! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 69 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 69 Chapter 69 The Intelligent and Gorgeous Woman Crystal leaned against Michael¡¯s chest as she shut her eyes and spoke to herself. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Another one. Deep breaths¡­ Finally, she felt a little better¡ªher heart wasn¡¯t pounding as hard as before. She opened her eyes before turning to look at Michael. ¡°Tell me, Michael¡ªwho are Angie¡¯s parents?¡± she asked in a calm voice. All of them¡ªMichael and his sons¡ªwho knew the truth could feel their hearts in their throats. Michael looked like he was about to say something, but he stopped himself at the veryst moment. Crystal looked directly into his eyes. ¡°Angie¡­ is Cameron¡¯s daughter, isn¡¯t she?¡± Although she spoke at a slow pace, her voice was extremely shaky. ¡°What nonsense are you saying, Mom?¡± Angie screamed. ¡°What got into you? How could you say such things? How could I be Cameron¡¯s daughter? You¡­ Are you mad, Mom?¡± If Angie had felt blown away by the fact that she wasn¡¯t a child of the Wendel Family, then she felt like she hadpletely exploded upon hearing that she was Cameron¡¯s daughter. Angie, out of all people, knew best why Madeline had suffered throughout the years. It was because Madeline was supposedly Cameron¡¯s biological daughter! Cameron is the illegitimate daughter of the Taylor Family, and she¡¯s one of the culprits who caused my grandmother¡¯s death, Angie thought. Naturally, everyone would hate her daughter since they all hated her. That¡¯s why everyone in the Taylor Family treated Madeline so horribly. If Dan hadn¡¯t been a rebel who insisted on going against my uncle¡¯s words and bringing Madeline home, Madeline would have died on the streets. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Madeline didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡ªshe only went through all of that abuse and maltreatment because she¡¯s Cameron¡¯s daughter. Just the fact that she¡¯s Cameron¡¯s daughter is already a crime in the family. But now, Mom¡¯s iming that I¡¯m Cameron¡¯s daughter! No. This can¡¯t be possible. I¡¯m Mom and Dad¡¯s biological daughter, and I have the blood of the grand and elegant Wendel and Taylor families. How could I be Cameron¡¯s daughter? I¡¯m not. I can¡¯t be! Angie thought. Crystal didn¡¯t seem to notice Angie¡¯s screams as she continued to look at her husband. ¡°Answer me, Michael. Is Angie Cameron¡¯s daughter?¡¯ Michael¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down, but he remained silent for a long while. Once he gave Crystal his answer, he would be ruining his daughter¡¯s future. He had spent more than 20 years caring for and nurturing Angie¡ªhis daughter was like a precious gem to him! How¡­ am I supposed to be okay with this? ¡°She is, isn¡¯t she?¡± Crystal never once took her eyes off of him. ¡°You said that Madeline is our daughter and that you have a DNA test report to prove it. So, it¡¯s confirmed that Madeline¡¯s our daughter¡­ Angie isn¡¯t my biological daughter, yet she looks simr to me¡­ Why would she look simr to me? Because Cameron and I share the same father! Cameron and I look rather simr to each other, too. She¡¯s Cameron¡¯s daughter, and she looks like Cameron, which exins why she looks like me¡­¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not right! That can¡¯t be true!¡± Angie cried out loud as she shook her head frantically. ¡°Stop talking, Mom. That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m your daughter. I¡¯m Daddy¡¯s little girl. I¡¯m really your child!¡± But Crystal didn¡¯t look at Angie at all. Instead, she continued to stare at Michael. ¡°Back when I was expected to give birth, I went to the hospital, and I recall Cameron checking in to the same hospital during that same period. I thought she was just there to annoy me and make me mad, but now¡­ I see¡­¡± Crystal finally shifted her gaze to Angie. ¡°Now that I think about it, Cameron had arranged for her and me to share the same ward. She gave birth on the same day I did. All of that wasn¡¯t to annoy me or get me mad after all¡­ Her main intention was to switch her daughter for mine¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not true, Mom. That can¡¯t be true¡­¡± Angie bent down as she sobbed helplessly. This can¡¯t be real. None of this is real. If this is real, then my life is ruined. I thought it was bad enough that I¡¯m not a biological child of the Wendels. I can¡¯t believe the bad part was revealed at the very end. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m Cameron¡¯s daughter! I¡¯m the one who often cursed Cameron¡¯s daughter for being cheap, rude, and shameless¡­ And now, I¡¯m that exact person I used to curse at! No. I can¡¯t believe it. This must be one of Madeline¡¯s evil schemes. I have to be my parents¡¯ child. All of this is just a lie! Angie was still sobbing as she ran toward Michael and Crystal. ¡°It¡¯s not what it seems to be, Mom and Dad! This can¡¯t be true. You guys have been fooled by Madeline. I¡¯m your daughter. This is all part of Madeline¡¯s evil n. She¡¯s fooling you guys! Don¡¯t trust her. Don¡¯t!¡± Jonathan turned to Angie with aplicated gaze in his eyes. ¡°I watched as the DNA test was done, Angie. There can¡¯t be a mistake with the results. Madeline¡¯s really Mom and Dad¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°No! You¡¯ve been fooled by her too, Jonathan!¡± Angie cried while shaking her head. ¡°She¡¯s a liar, and she lied to all of you. I¡¯m your sister, Jonathan. Don¡¯t let her fool you! Madeline¡­¡± Angie turned to Madeline before charging over to her. Cedric had been holding onto Angie, but she pushed him aside. ¡°You¡¯re so evil!¡± Angie shouted at Madeline. ¡°How could you try to take my parents away from me? I want to kill you. I want to kill you¡­¡± But before Angie could get close to Madeline, Emory came in between both girls before he sent a kick directly into Angie¡¯s stomach. Angie stumbled backward upon being kicked, and she soon fell onto her bottom with a loud smack as she hit the ground. ¡°How dare you, Madeline?¡± Cedric was furious. Sebastian smirked. ¡°Why are you shouting at my wife when it was my bodyguard who was protecting her, Cedric? Are you just picking on my wife because you think she¡¯s an easier target?¡± Cedric grew even more furious. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you, Sebastian?!¡± ¡°No. I never thought so. The stupidest people are the ones who have the least fear, anyway! I don¡¯t think you¡¯re afraid of anything!¡± Sebastian chuckled. ¡°You¡­¡± Cedric¡¯s face turned into the color of a tomato as he felt his blood boiling. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Cedric.¡± Jonathan walked over and pushed his brother behind his back. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to speak again without asking for Dad¡¯s or my permission!¡± ¡°But Jonathan¡­¡± Cedric was displeased. ¡°I told you to shut up!¡± Jonathan frowned. Cedric was extremely respectful toward his brother. Even though he felt like he was about to erupt with anger, he decided to keep his mouth shut. Meanwhile, Crystal patted her chest as her face turned pale. Michael got worried upon seeing this, so he quickly ordered the family doctors toe over and check on her. Both of the family doctors couldn¡¯t do much apart from providing Crystal with pills that could prevent a heart attack. Then, they suggested for Crystal to calm down. She wasn¡¯t supposed to get too emotional. Crystal tried her best to regte her emotions and focused on one thought in her mind. I have to know the truth! I can¡¯t copse! After taking her medication, Michael helped her over to a couch in the hall. Sebastian and the rest of them were also invited into the hall. Once Crystal felt a little better, she quickly turned to her husband. ¡°Can you answer my question now, Michael? Angie is Cameron¡¯s daughter, right?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 70 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Too Cruel She knew what the answer was, but she still wanted Michael to tell her that Angie wasn¡¯t Cameron¡¯s daughter. She wanted him to tell her that she was someone else¡¯s daughter, If Angie was Cameron¡¯s daughter, that would mean Crystal had raised and loved her worst enemy¡¯s daughter as her own for more than twenty years. That would be too cruel for her. She didn¡¯t want to hear anything else. All she wanted was for her husband to tell her that her answer was wrong, but she would never get that wish. Crystal had managed to guess the reason and the process. If he lied to her even at this point, he knew she would hate him for life. He loved her and would never hurt her, and now, all he could do was hug her. ¡°Yes, Crystal.¡± He nodded. ¡°Angie is Cameron¡¯s daughter.¡± Angie had been shivering in fear all this time, and she finally screamed, ¡°No!¡± Buddy trembled, and Aldo covered his ears. Sebastian patted Buddy and put the boy on hisp. ¡°I¡¯m here, son.¡± He kissed the boy. Buddy smiled sweetly at his father and huddled closer to him. He hugged Sebastian and tilted his head to the side, looking at Angie curiously. He knew Angie, of course. She was just as bad as Isabel was. Yes, she was prettier than Isabel, but she never did look at them like they were humans. Angie had always looked at them like they were trash. He didn¡¯t like the look in their eyes every time they looked at them, and he and Aldo would stay out of their way every time they saw the girls. Isabel and Angie were princesses who always had the attention of the public, but now, Angie looked like a proper mess. It was as if her clothes and jewelry had been taken away, leaving nothing but a husk of her former self. Angie could feel her soul getting crushed and burned, and she was in agony. Michael¡¯s answer was akin to a death sentence, but not physically speaking. Just minutes ago, she was the only girl in the Wendel Family, beloved by her parents and brothers. But now, she was the daughter of the woman the Taylors hated the most. It was an emotional roller coaster, so to speak, just that the roller coaster was filled with des and methrowers. I¡¯m Cameron¡¯s daughter? Impossible. If the public knows about this, then I¡¯d be finished! She staggered and knelt before Michael and Crystal, bawling her eyes out. ¡°Dad, Mom! This can¡¯t be real! T-They must have lied to you! I¡¯m your daughter! I was born and raised here! I¡¯ve lived with you for more than twenty years! I must be your daughter!¡± ¡°Nobody lied to us. Madeline is our daughter, while you are Cameron¡¯s. That is the truth.¡± Michael heaved a sigh and waved at Jonathan. Jonathan handed him a file that contained all the most important evidence, including the Certificate of Paternity, the pictures of Madeline and Michael¡¯s mother back in her younger days, and the testimonials of the witnesses who heard Cameron calling the Taylors a bunch of idiots in her drunken episodes. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Angie didn¡¯t even look at the files closely. She skimmed through them and tossed the whole thing onto the floor. She looked at the Wendel couple with an unspoken plea in her eyes, and she shook her head. ¡°Dad, Mom, you can¡¯t be sure this is real. They could have doctored it. But the days I spent with you guys? Those are real. Dad, Mom, I¡¯ve been with you for more than twenty years. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m not your daughter! I don¡¯t care who says otherwise!¡± She cried and held the Wendel couple tightly. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m your daughter, and you¡¯re my parents. That hasn¡¯t changed for thest twenty or so years, and it wouldn¡¯t ever change. I don¡¯t care what kind of evidence you have; that won¡¯t change how I feel about you two.¡± Crystal shoved her away, then she picked the file up and perused them word by word. When she read through the witnesses¡¯ testimonials, she gnashed her teeth, almost crushing them in anger. I am a fool. I¡¯ve been raising my enemy¡¯s daughter for more than twenty years, while my own girl was insulted, tortured, and almost killed. I am such a fool. She gripped the files tightly as she trembled in rage. She looked at Madeline and tried to say something to her, but it took her a long time, and finally, all she could muster was a feeble apology. Madeline shook her head. She didn¡¯t bear any grudge against the Wendel couple. They were the victims too. The apology opened the floodgates, and Crystal¡¯s emotions poured forth like a great waveing down from a broken dam. She wobbled toward Madeline and gave her a tight hug as she cried her heart out. ¡°I am so, so sorry, Maddie. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m such a fool. I haven¡¯t been taking good care of you when I was pregnant, and you had to live in the incubator right after you were born. I¡¯ve already failed you enough, but who would have thought I would fail you further and let that witch take you away? I am so, so, so sorry.¡± She started hyperventting eventually, much to the shock of her family. The family physicians had rushed to Crystal¡¯s rescue, however. They fed her the emergency meds and massaged her, and luckily, she managed to hold on. Michael held her tightly, fear still lingering in his heart, while tears lingered in his eyes. ¡°Calm down, Crystal. Our girl¡¯s back. We can make it up to her still. We have a lot of time ahead of us. It¡¯ll all be better. What¡¯s important now is your health. What would happen to Maddie if you were to fall? What would happen to me? To the kids? You have to be strong for them.¡± Crystal didn¡¯t want to fall either. I cannot die yet. I want that witch to pay for what she did. I must not die. She took her pills and breathed deeply to calm herself. It was a difficult ten minutes, but eventually, she regained some color on her face and managed to calm down. Michael was drenched in sweat, and the Wendel brothers looked pale from the fright as well. Cedric said, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s not talk about this for now. It¡¯s not good for Mom. We should get something to eat and retire for the day. We can leave this for tomorrow.¡± Michael gave it some thought and nodded. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s have dinner first.¡± Dinner was served a momentter, and everyone took their seats. Angie sat down dumbly on her usual spot, tears still streaming down her cheeks. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 71 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Be Still Crystal didn¡¯t even look at her. She kept filling Madeline¡¯s bowl with food. Everyone was confused and in chaos. Sebastian, Aldo, and Buddy were the calmest of them all. Sebastian was sitting beside the boys and helped them with their meal. The boys¡¯ table manners were immacte. Their posture was upright, and they wouldn¡¯t stir the tes to get their food. All they did was eat their own food quietly. Their cheeks would puff up every time they popped something in their mouths, and they looked like hamsters that had stuffed their faces full of nuts. Crystal nced at them by chance, and she couldn¡¯t look away. She had never looked at them seriously before, thinking that they were Cameron¡¯s grandsons. But now that she knew they were her grandsons, she felt like she was stabbed in the heart. Her daughter and grandsons were right under her nose all this time. She had seen them countless times at the Taylor Residence, but not once did she ever love, hug, or even keep them safe. Michael noticed her peculiar behavior, and he looked where she was looking. Oh, she¡¯s looking at the boys. He wanted to ease the tension, so he smiled at the boys gently. ¡°Aldo, Buddy, she¡¯s your grandmother, you know.¡± ¡°Grandmother?¡± Buddy blinked, then tilted his head to the side to examine Crystal. ¡°Are you sure about that? She looks really young to me. She can¡¯t be my grandmother. I¡¯ll call her prettydy.¡± Madeline chuckled. Her biological mother was indeed really young. Time was kind to her, and she kept herself well, so she didn¡¯t look a day over thirty. If she was in the entertainment industry, she would be praised as someone with eternal youth, and countless people would try to ask her for some tips to care for their skin. Crystal felt a little better after hearing that little joke. ¡°You idiot!¡± Aldo looked at him and frowned, as if he was looking at an imbecile. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? She¡¯s Mom¡¯s Mom, and that makes her our grandmother no matter how young she looks.¡± Buddy blinked innocently. ¡°But Mom didn¡¯t call her Mom.¡± Crystal was just starting to rx, but now she tensed up again. Her appetite was already bad to begin with, but now she lost all of it. She put her cutlery down and held Madeline¡¯s hand. She asked Madeline to sit beside her earlier for a purpose. Crystal stared at her daughter for a while, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Maddie, can you ever forgive me?¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It is not your fault.¡± Madeline smiled gently. ¡°You are a victim too, Mom.¡± Crystal¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What did you call me, Maddie?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Madeline gave her a hug and patted her back gently. ¡°I am a mother too, Mom. I can understand you. If someone took my boys away, it would be the same as killing me. I know how you feel, Mom.¡± ¡°Maddie¡­ Maddie.¡± Crystal could no longer hold back, and she hugged Madeline tightly. ¡°Maddie, my daughter. I am sorry. I¡¯ve failed you.¡± She cried. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl. I failed you.¡± Michael never expected Madeline to call his wife ¡®Mom¡¯ so easily, and he felt jealous. He met her first, but she hadn¡¯t called her ¡®Dad¡¯ just yet. Cedric was sitting beside Angie, and he pouted scornfully. I knew it. Anyone would love to be the young miss of our family. Lots of people try to get closer to us just because they¡¯re our rtives. Now that she knows who she really is, of course she wants to make Dad and Mom happy. Makes it easier for her to establish her presence. What about Angie? She¡¯s been with us for more than twenty years, and now she¡¯s going to be kicked away? Her whole family¡¯s going to be taken away from her. I can¡¯t imagine how she¡¯s going to take this. He noticed Madeline whispering something to Crystal and making her smile. Mom is in a good mood. Great. ¡°Dad, Mom, I have something to say.¡± Crystal let Madeline go and turned around sheepishly to wipe her tears away, then she turned back and looked at Cedric. ¡°What is it, Cedric?¡± Crystal felt a lot better now that Madeline was calling her ¡®Mom¡¯ and kept assuring her that it wasn¡¯t her fault that Cameron did the switcheroo. A smile was curling her lips, even. Cedric felt even more certain now. Good. The timing is right. He suggested, ¡°Dad, Mom, I know it¡¯s great that Madeline is back, but what about Angie? I have a proposition here.¡± The mention of Angie wiped the smile off Crystal¡¯s lips, and her face fell. ¡°What is it?¡± Michael knew that out of his four sons, Cedric loved Angie the most, and he was arrogant and impulsive. Crystal just felt better. He¡¯d better not do anything stupid. He warned, ¡°You¡¯d better think before you speak, Cedric.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve thought about this long and hard.¡± He looked at his parents. ¡°Dad, Mom, Angie might not be your daughter, but it¡¯s true that she has lived with us for more than twenty years. You can¡¯t brush that off so easily. Even though we¡¯re not rted to her, she thinks of us as her family all this time.¡± ¡°No, this can¡¯t be,¡± Angie mumbled. ¡°This can¡¯t be real. You¡¯re my real family. Dad and Mom are my real parents. You¡¯re all my real brothers. We¡¯re a family. A family.¡± Cedric patted her back and continued, ¡°Dad, Mom, here¡¯s a n. We can tell the public that Mom gave birth to twins. That way, Angie and Maddie can both stay with us, and you get another daughter in the family. It¡¯s a win-win situation, right?¡± Crystal adjusted her position and sat up straighter. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to call the cops to arrest Cameron after dinner,¡± she said clearly. ¡°As you should.¡± Cedric nodded. ¡°Cameron is an evil witch. She should be arrested.¡± ¡°No, Cedric!¡± Angie grabbed his arm with trembling hands. ¡°Cedric, what if she tells everyone about this when the cops arrest her? If she tells them that she actually did a switcheroo just so she can get back at me, that¡¯d be bad.¡± Cedric paused for a moment and looked at Crystal. ¡°Mom¡ª¡± ¡°What? Are you going to tell me not to call the cops on Cameron?¡± Crystal stared at her son darkly. Jonathan hissed, ¡°Cedric, Mom just got better, so quit it, will you?¡± They knew how much Crystal despised Cameron. Cameron was their grandfather¡¯s illegitimate child, and she was only born because Cameron¡¯s mother deceived their grandfather. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 72 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Foolishness Their grandfather said that despite Cameron¡¯s mother¡¯s sin, Cameron was innocent. He forced Michael to swear that he and Crystal would never hurt Cameron unless she did something outrageous. With that protection draped over her, Cameron would harass Crystal all the time, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it because of the oath. Even if she did something outrageous, they would have to hand her over to thew instead of doling out vignte justice. Their grandfather knew that Crystal loved Michael, so instead of having her make the oath, he asked Michael to do it. Because of her deep love, she didn¡¯t want Michael to break his oath, so she neverid a finger on Cameron no matter how horrible Cameron was to her. Now that she finally had the chance to get revenge, she would do it through the only way she could¡ªthew. She would expose Cameron¡¯s heinous crimes and make sure justice was served, but that would mean Angie¡¯s real mother would be exposed as well. It was a dilemma. Cedric had to choose between his mother¡¯s grudge and Angie¡¯s future. Cedric was silent, contemting his choice. Angie was trembling in fear, and she looked at Crystal with a plea in her eyes. ¡°Please, I beg you, don¡¯t do this to me, Mom. I¡¯m your daughter. This must be Cameron¡¯s conspiracy! She must have set this all up so Madeline can take my ce as your daughter! You can¡¯t fall for this! You can¡¯t fall for Cameron¡¯s scheme!¡± ¡°The truth is clear now, and I don¡¯t wish to speak further on it.¡± Crystal looked at Angie. ¡°Angie, you are not our daughter, and I will not help Cameron raise you anymore. Once this dinner is over, so are your ties with us. From now on, you have nothing to do with the Wendels. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with us anymore.¡± Angie was bbergasted. ¡°No!¡± She nched, shaking her head violently. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Mom. I¡¯m your daughter! And you¡¯re throwing twenty years of love away for a-a paternity test result? Mom, you love me! You can¡¯t just dump me like this!¡± ¡°I loved you because I thought you were my daughter. Because Cameron set me up.¡± Crystal stared at Angie, her eyes filled with hatred that could burn a city. ¡°While I was loving you with all my heart, Cameron wasughing at my foolishness. My idiocy. While you were enjoying all the Wendels have to offer, she was torturing and yelling at my daughter. She almost killed my own girl.¡± The more she said, the more agitated she became. She mmed the table and shot up from her seat. ¡°Angie Wendel¡­ No. I suppose you¡¯re a Colt now. You are the daughter of Xander and Cameron. You can leave now. I¡¯m not waiting until dinner is done. You can see either of your parents, I don¡¯t care. The point is, you have no ties to us anymore.¡± ¡°No, Mom. No¡­¡± Angie was still shaking her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Xander? The Colts used to be rich, but they¡¯ve declined because of his ipetence. He divorced Cameron and married a strong woman with a powerful background to save his ailing family. He has a powerful wife and children of his own. I might be his daughter, but he didn¡¯t raise me, so he won¡¯t care about me. Cameron? The Wendels are going to sue her and send her to jail. Asking her for help is just a death wish. No. I won¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯m the Wendels¡¯ daughter and the young miss of the family. My ce is with the Wendels, and I won¡¯t go anywhere. She stood up, tears still streaming down her cheeks, and she wobbled over to the Wendel couple and knelt before them. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m your daughter. You¡¯ve raised me up, and I¡¯ve spent all this time staying by your side and cheering you up whenever you need it. I care for you whenever you are sick, and I am the one who has done her job as a daughter. Dad, Mom, are blood ties that important? Isn¡¯t our love more important than something as insignificant as blood? Dad, Mom, I love you and our family. I won¡¯t leave you or the family unless I die.¡± Michael wanted to cave in then, but he looked at Crystal. He wanted to keep Angie around, since he did raise her up, and she was a part of the family for many years. It broke his heart seeing her cry, but he knew his wife was the one who was hurt the most in this matter, and she was the only one who could make the decision, not him. Crystal looked at her calmly, her face deadpan. ¡°Angie, if it was an ident, I would let you stay and keep you around. I can still see you as my own, but it was not an ident. Cameron nned this. She wanted you to take my daughter¡¯s ce and enjoy the Wendels¡¯ wealth as well as my love. And she did it. You enjoyed a great life for many years, while my own daughter suffered hell. I can¡¯t forgive myself, nor can I forgive you. Every time I see you now, I am reminded of my foolishness and Cameron¡¯s wickedness. You must leave.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m innocent!¡± Angie wouldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°Cameron did that. I had nothing to do with it. And maybe this is a conspiracy. Maybe I¡¯m your daughter, while Madeline is a fake.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Enough,¡± Crystal answered coldly. ¡°You are already of age long ago, and we¡¯ve been kind enough to keep supporting you until this day. You took my own daughter¡¯s ce and enjoyed the family¡¯s love and wealth for more than twenty years. For old times¡¯ sake, we aren¡¯t punishing you for that. You are allowed to leave unscathed, so why must you stay and make me suffer?¡± ¡°Angie, Mom is right.¡± I can¡¯t let Mom get angry again. It¡¯s not good for her health. He agreed, ¡°Angie, I know it¡¯s hard for you to ept that you¡¯re not Mom and Dad¡¯s own daughter, but Mom has a point. You¡¯re a grownup now. Even if you are their daughter, they have already fulfilled their responsibility as parents. It¡¯s not out of line to ask you to fend for yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right, Jonathan,¡± Cedric protested. ¡°If Angie is really Dad and Mom¡¯s daughter, they¡¯d marry her off to a great family, and they¡¯d give her a lot of dowry too. But now that she¡¯s going to get the boot, she¡¯ll be losing everything.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 73 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 73 Chapter 73 You¡¯re Still Scamming? He looked at Crystal and negotiated, ¡°Can¡¯t we put this off for now, Mom? We can marry her off to a good family before calling the cops on Cameron. It¡¯s already been more than twenty years. You¡¯re not in a hurry, are you?¡± Sebastian snorted. He cocked his eyebrow at Cedric and smiled elegantly. ¡°So you¡¯re still going to scam someone out of a good marriage?¡± Cedric flew into a rage. ¡°This is our family¡¯s matter, Sebastian, so stay out of it!¡± ¡°Oh, you want me to stay out of it, eh?¡± Sebastian smiled and stood up. ¡°Since you think it¡¯s not my business, then that means it¡¯s not my wife and kids¡¯ business either.¡± He held the boys¡¯ hand and looked at Madeline. ¡°Looks like we can go back now.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± Buddy chirpsed. ¡°I wanna go home. I miss Grandpa.¡± Michael¡¯s face fell. ¡°Cedric, can you just shut up?¡± Jonathan quickly went up to Sebastian and blocked him. ¡°I see everyone¡¯s done with dinner. Why don¡¯t we move to the living room and let the kids have desserts and fruits?¡± Buddy¡¯s eyes shone when he heard the mention of food. Jonathan saw this and said instantly, ¡°Come, Buddy. I¡¯ll take you to where the delicious food is.¡± Buddy looked at Madeline, and Madeline looked at Sebastian. Sebastian helped her earlier, so she had to let him make the choice. If she let the kids stay despite him saying that they were going to leave, it¡¯d be ungrateful of her. Sebastian noticed the look from Madeline. She¡¯s just too understanding. Since Madeline was willing to let him make the decision, he didn¡¯t want to make it difficult for her either, and he nodded at Buddy. Buddy looked delighted, and he asked, ¡°What kind of food do you have, uncle?¡± Jonathan¡¯s heart melted, and he beckoned to Buddy. ¡°Come with me, Buddy.¡± Buddy looked at Sebastian. Sebastian nodded at him, and he quickly went to Jonathan. Amused, Sebastian shook his head, and he whispered, ¡°We had better keep an eye on the boys, or he might get taken away with just an offer of a biscuit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s him, not me!¡± Aldo scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not like that idiot.¡± Madeline patted his head. ¡°Don¡¯t call him an idiot, or he¡¯ll really be an idiot.¡± Cedric saw her smile, and he went to her side. He said in a soft voice, ¡°You already have a happy life, so why do you want to ruin Angie? Just tell Mom to keep Angie around. She¡¯ll do what you tell her to.¡± Madeline frowned, and she looked at him. ¡°You should know what Angie and Isabel have done to me all my life. It¡¯s already kind of me not to make them suffer. How can you even ask me to defend Angie? Are you trying to be kind, or do you think I¡¯m some sort of pushover?¡± ¡°Why you little¡­¡± Cedric flew into a rage. ¡°You had better show mercy whenever possible. If you defend Angie today, I promise I¡¯ll be nice to you. I¡¯ll take care of you and make up for the lost years.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting carried away, Cedric.¡± Sebastian wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°I can take care of my wife. You don¡¯t have to do it for me.¡± Cedric shot him a re and took a step toward Madeline. He growled, ¡°Don¡¯t feel too smug just because you¡¯re married to Sebastian. That¡¯s just because you have your sons with you. Once the boys have established themselves in the family, they won¡¯t need you anymore. Sebastian will get a divorce and keep the boys for himself, while you will be chased away. Do you think you can do anything about it without us helping you?¡± Sebastianughed mirthlessly, and he looked at Cedric. ¡°Rumors say that all the Wendel boys are elites among the elites. Well, the rumors are wrong. I can¡¯t say much about your brothers, but you¡­ You¡¯re a total and utter imbecile. Trying to turn us against each other right in front of me? Do you think I¡¯m a pushover, you imbecile?¡± Cedric¡¯s face fell. ¡°Did you just insult me?¡± Sebastian answered, ¡°No. I was just making an uratementary.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Before he could finish, his mother¡ªwho was helping Jonathan prepare the food for the kids¡ªquickly came over. ¡°What did you say to Maddie again? Don¡¯t say anything stupid. I wanted Angie to leave. It¡¯s my decision, and she has nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°She has everything to do with it.¡± Cedric nced at Madeline angrily. If it weren¡¯t for her, we¡¯d still be a happy family instead of being in this mess. Now, my beloved sister is going to get the boot. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Shut up!¡± Michael came over and growled, ¡°One more word and you¡¯re going to your room.¡± Cedric was furious, but he had to shut up. Joseph and Connor came over and put their hands on his shoulders. ¡°Cedric, please grow up and just stop talking, will you?¡± Cedric red at them. ¡°Grow up? Grow up? Hey, Angie¡¯s the victim here. If none of us are going to defend Angie, she¡¯s going to get the boot, and that¡¯ll ruin her life!¡± His anger red, and he shoved his brothers away. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. I need to make this clear with Dad and Mom.¡± He strode back to his parents and said loudly, ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m a part of the family, so I have the right to voice my opinion. Angie¡¯s been living with us for more than twenty years. I always thought she¡¯s your real daughter, but now that she¡¯s not, you want to chase her out? What if you find out that we aren¡¯t your real kids? Are you going to chase us out too? Dad, Mom, I love and respect you, but I can¡¯t believe you could be so cruel as to deny Angie¡¯s love just because of a piece of paper. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s heartless of you?¡± Crystal couldn¡¯t believe her own son just called her cruel and heartless. She felt everything around her spin, but she tried to control her emotions despite her heart thumping so crazily it could leap out of her chest. She asked her son calmly, ¡°So you¡¯re calling me cruel and heartless? Does that mean you¡¯re kind andpassionate? What do you want to do then?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 74 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Murphy¡¯s Law Michael patted her back and kept calming her down. Then, he roared at Cedric, ¡°What the hell did you just say, Cedric? Do you think we want this to happen? Can you be a bit more understanding? Let your mother calm down, will you. We can talk about this tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Cedric iled his arms around angrily. ¡°Mom¡¯s going to call the cops on Cameron tonight, and everyone will know she¡¯s Angie¡¯s real mother. Angie will be ruined, and everything will be toote then.¡± Angie was hiding behind Cedric and holding his arm, crying her heart out. ¡°So?¡± Crystal stared at him. ¡°Tell me then, what do you want to do?¡± ¡°I told you what I want to do,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We¡¯re keeping this a secret and pretend nothing ever happened. Once we marry Angie off to a good family, we¡¯ll call the cops on Cameron and make her pay the price.¡± ¡°And what if I refuse? What will you do?¡± Crystal stared at her son darkly, her eyes looking like two little ck holes that could suck all the light around her. ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore. Cameron took my daughter away for twenty years, and I can¡¯t wait any longer. I want to call the cops on her now, so what will you do, Cedric?¡± She went to take her phone, but she didn¡¯t look away from him. Cedric¡¯s face was red with anger and he held Angie¡¯s hand. ¡°Fine; if that¡¯s what you want to do, I¡¯ll take Angie and leave. You might not want her anymore, but I do. I¡¯ll keep her safe. I¡¯ll make enough money for the both of us. I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Very well then. If you wish to cut ties with your own mother for her enemy¡¯s daughter, then so be it.¡± Crystal looked at him and sheughed. ¡°I see now. I see that I raised you only for her to cash in on my efforts. Very well. Take her and leave. Leave!¡± He froze up. ¡°Mom, I never said I wanted to cut ties with you. I¡­¡± Cedric was still talking, but Crystal couldn¡¯t hear him anymore. All she could hear was the thumping of her heart. It was like thunder roiling within her, beating her eardrums, threatening to make her fall at any moment. She didn¡¯t want to fall. She just found her daughter, and she hadn¡¯t gotten to know her yet. She hadn¡¯t called the cops to arrest Cameron and make her pay for her crimes yet. She hadn¡¯t asked her family if they thought she was cruel as well. She didn¡¯t want to fall, but that was not up to her. The last thing she remembered was spewing blood everywhere and everything turned dark. Michael stared dumbly as his wife spewed blood and copsed to the ground, but he reflexively held her in his arms. Her face was deathly white, but her lips were eerily red and his mind nked. Jonathan nched. ¡°Dr. Ziegler! Dr. Hiddleston!¡± he roared. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. The doctors rushed to their side. As Cedric was standing right in front of Crystal, her blood was sttered all over his face. He didn¡¯t even manage to close his eyes and avoid the blood before he already saw his mother falling backward, much to his shock. M-Mom just spewed blood? B-Because of me? No. I never wanted this. He staggered backward as his legs turned to jelly and he almost fell down. Everything around him disappeared for a moment, but when his brothers called out to their mother, he suddenly snapped out of it. He rushed to his mother and kneeled beside her. ¡°D-Don¡¯t scare me, Mom. I-I didn¡¯t mean it. I didn¡¯t mean to make you mad. Wake up, Mom. Don¡¯t scare me.¡± ¡°F*ck off!¡± Joseph pulled him up by the cor and punched him square in the face. There were tears in Joseph¡¯s eyes as he shouted, ¡°I f*cking told you to let Mom calm down and put off this sh*t forter! I f*cking told you, but you didn¡¯t f*cking listen! Now, nobody¡¯s going to call the cops on Cameron! Are you happy now?¡± Cedric fell down from the punch, but he crawled back to his mother in tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I shouldn¡¯t have argued with you. Please, wake up! I¡¯m sorry! Please¡­¡± If something happens to Mom, Dad and the others will never forgive me. I will never forgive myself. She can¡¯t die! She must not. Joseph is right. Why couldn¡¯t I have just put this off untilter? I could have talked with her about it after everything had settled down. Why did I have to argue with her? I already know she has a heart condition. Why did I go and make her mad? The doctors were trying their best to save Crystal, but she just wouldn¡¯t open her eyes or say anything. Cedric pped himself, but he couldn¡¯t even muster any strength. Fear robbed him of everything including his strength. Nigel and his family had arrived at the worst of times. They werete because Nigel had something to do and the first thing they saw was the living room looking like a mess. The door was open as the butler and maids came out in a hurry to see if the ambnce had arrived. Nigel knew about Crystal¡¯s condition, and the sight of the Wendel Residence in a mess reminded him of that. Please don¡¯t let that be the reason. He strode to the living room, but his prayers weren¡¯t answered. His sister was lying in Michael¡¯s arms, her face deathly white, and her breathing almost nonexistent. The doctors were kneeling beside her while administering emergency treatment. He pushed the throng away and kneeled on one knee beside Michael, but he held Michael by his cor. ¡°What happened? What happened to Crystal?¡± Michael¡¯s eyes were red and tears were streaming down his cheeks. He loved all his children, but the one who would stay with him for the rest of his life was his wife. They were childhood friends and fell in love with each other along the way. They never argued once after they got married, and they were each other¡¯s soulmates. Their hobbies matched, and after so long, Crystal was still the only one who truly understood him. What should I do if she leaves me behind all by myself? How should I face life? Fear was gripping his heart tightly. He never wanted to cry, but the tears kept falling by themselves. He had never felt so terrified in his life before. Ever since he knew about his wife¡¯s condition, he had feared losing her to death. When the time to face that fear came, he realized that the pain he had imagined paled in comparison to the real thing. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 75 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Repentance ¡°What are you crying for?¡± Nigel shoved Michael away. ¡°Crystal will be fine. She will be.¡± Sirens red outside, and the butler came in. ¡°The ambnce is here.¡± The family physician was sweating, but he was too busy to wipe it off. He quickly said, ¡°The madam is in critical condition. She probably has to undergo a bypass surgery, so she must go to the hospital.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Nobody was going to argue with the expert. A chaotic processter, Crystal was sent into the operating room. The red light above the doors lit up. Madeline stared at it for a while and looked at Buddy, who was holding her hand. She had toe with the Wendels to the hospital, as Crystal was her mother. Initially, she didn¡¯t want the boys toe with her, as hospitals were full of germs. The boys had protested, especially Buddy. He wouldn¡¯t let her hand go, and he was tense, as if worried she might abandon him. She then relented and brought the boys with her. When she looked down at Buddy, he was staring up at her as well. She smiled and crouched down beside him. ¡°Buddy, can we talk a little?¡± Buddy pounced at her and gave her a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯m not going home. I¡¯m staying here with you.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t do anything about it, and she patted his head. ¡°Your father will go with you and Aldo, alright?¡± She looked at Sebastian. ¡°Your grandmother¡¯s surgery will take a long time, and I have to stay with her. But you¡¯re still kids, and it¡¯s bedtime.¡± ¡°No!¡± Buddy wouldn¡¯t go with that n. ¡°I can only sleep when you hug me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Sebastian bent down and patted his head. ¡°Let them stay. It¡¯s already unnerving for them to be in an unfamiliar ce. If you¡¯re not around, that¡¯ll frighten them more.¡± I guess I have no choice then. Sebastian picked Buddy up and sat on the bench so the boy could sleep on hisp. ¡°Can you sleep in my arms, son?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Buddy patted the empty spot beside Sebastian. ¡°You sit here, Mom.¡± Madeline got up and sat beside Sebastian. She then held Aldo¡¯s hand and tried to get him to sleep in herp as well. Aldo shook his head in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m not that big of a baby.¡± He climbed up the bench and sat beside his mother. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± He sat up straight. ¡°I¡¯ll stay up with you, Mom.¡± Madeline shook her head, but she knew she couldn¡¯t do anything to change his mind. The surgerysted for more than three hours, but fortunately, it was a sess. When the doctor told them that Crystal was out of critical condition, all the strength left Michael, and he wobbled. So death decided to show her mercy. I can still go on in life with her by my side. Crystal was sent to the ICU when she was deemed fine after some observation. The hospital wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to stay back, so the doctor suggested that they go home ande back during visiting hours the next day. Michael came up to Sebastian and Madeline. Buddy was asleep in Sebastian¡¯sp, but Aldo was still wide awake. He was holding his mother¡¯s hand, staring cautiously at everyone who showed up around his mother. Michael patted Aldo¡¯s face and told the Hart couple, ¡°Come with me,¡± he said softly, but he sounded adamant. He couldn¡¯t care less about anything else. He didn¡¯t care about his son, fake daughter, or the twenty years Angie had with them. He cared naught about those. He just wanted to make his wife happy. Since his wife thought she failed her daughter and wanted to make up with her, he would ask Madeline and the kids to stay. Since his wife didn¡¯t want to see Angie, he would send her away. Madeline nodded when she saw how firm he was. With how Crystal was doing, she had to stay here for a while. At the very least, until Crystal had stabilized. As they were in Wendel City, and Michael was inviting her to stay, she had no reason to find an abode outside. Sebastian had no objections. He would stay where Madeline and the kids were. After they came out of the hospital, Michael looked at Angie and Cedric. ¡°Don¡¯te back ever again. You can go wherever you want. From now on, you are no longer rted to the Wendels.¡± Cedric nched, and his voice trembled as he said, ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°And as for you three¡­¡± Michael looked at Jonathan, Joseph, and Connor. ¡°Your mother and I have done our job of raising you up. Now it¡¯s time for you to repay that debt. If you want to abandon us because you too think we¡¯re heartless, then so be it. You can go anywhere in the world. We¡¯ve raised you up, and our job is done. You can do whatever you want now.¡± After he said that, he didn¡¯t look at anyone and went straight to his car. ¡°Dad, please, don¡¯t¡­¡± Jonathan ran to catch up with Michael and said softly, ¡°Cedric feels sorry about this. He only did it on impulse. He didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Joseph kicked Cedric angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Are you really going to abandon your own parents?¡± Cedric snapped out of it and went to stand before his father, then he knelt on the ground. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m an idiot! I made Mom mad, and I know that, but I won¡¯t ever do it again. I¡¯ll apologize when she wakes up. I won¡¯t do it ever again.¡± And he wouldn¡¯t. Just this once was enough to horrify him. When he was waiting outside the operating room earlier, all he could think of was his parents. For as long as he could remember, his mother had always been a stay-at-home mother, and she took care of them every day. His mother was the gentlest, sweetest soul around. She would do everything herself when it came to her kids. Every time they were sad or sick, their mother would care for them. She would stay with them when they were sad, console them when they were unhappy, and care for them when they were sick. Angie didn¡¯t do any of that. She only grew up with them. She might be important, but his mother was more important than she was. If he had to choose between his sister and mother, he¡¯d choose thetter every time. It was a shame that lesson was only learnt after his mother almost died and had a bypass surgery. After what happened, his perfectly fine mother had be more fragile than ss. They had to take great care of her heart, or her life would be in danger, and that was all his fault. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 76 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 76 Chapter 76 A Different Brother A lot of kids could leave their parents behind at the drop of a hat, but not many parents could do that to their own children. Michael only chased Cedric away because he was furious. Now that his son was kneeling before him and crying, his anger waned. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± he said curtly and went around Cedric. Joseph kicked his brother when he went past him. ¡°Get up.¡± Connor shook his head and pulled his twin up, and he patted Cedric¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Think before you leap next time, or the price might be too steep to pay.¡± Cedric hung his head low and nodded. Connor wrapped his arm around his twin¡¯s shoulder and led him to the car park. Angie chased after them, crying. ¡°Connor, Cedric!¡± Connor stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. ¡°Angie.¡± Angie came up to them tearfully. ¡°What about me? I want to go home too.¡± ¡°Angie, if I were you, I would find a spot to stay for the time being,¡± Connor said. ¡°If you actually love Dad and Mom, you should stay away from them. Go independent and start a new life.¡± ¡°H-How can you say that, Connor?¡± Angie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Connor, you¡¯re my family. My ce is with the Wendels. And now I lost both of them just like that. How am I supposed to start again?¡± ¡°Angie, you¡¯re an adult. You should learn how to take care of yourself,¡± Connor said. ¡°If you really love Dad and Mom, you will get a job, settle down, and take care of yourself. You can see them if you have time, but don¡¯t trouble them with your matters. I¡¯d do that if I were you.¡± ¡°No, no, no! Connor, you say that only because you are not me.¡± She shook her head in agony. ¡°You¡¯re my family. I did nothing wrong, but now you want to dump me like I¡¯m some kind of trash? What do you think I am? I¡¯m your sister! I¡¯m Dad and Mom¡¯s daughter! You can¡¯t throw me away just like that. How am I supposed to ept this?¡± ¡°Angie, Dad and Mom owe you nothing, and neither do us,¡± Connor answered calmly. ¡°Just like what Dad said, he and Mom have done their jobs of raising us up. Now it¡¯s time for us to repay that debt. Is it so wrong that they want you to leave the house and start a new life?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same!¡± Angie broke down. ¡°You¡¯re abandoning me and stripping my status away. And you¡¯re going to tell everyone who my real mother is. If you do that, you¡¯ll ruin my whole life.¡± ¡°You are the daughter of Xander and Cameron. Nobody is stripping you of your status. Dad and Mom are only exposing the truth,¡± Connor said. ¡°You say being Cameron¡¯s daughter will destroy your whole life. Well, Madeline has been her daughter for more than twenty years, but she¡¯s living well.¡± And it doesn¡¯t get any better than that. She¡¯s the young madam of the Harts. Not many girls her age can be her peer. Angie had noeback at all. She thought Michael was cruel, and Crystal was crueler still. She had a lot toin about them, but Connor refuted all her arguments before she could bring it up. Angie had nothing to say, but she was frustrated. But I am the young miss of the Wendels. I am Dad and Mom¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m your sister. How can you deny me just because of a piece of paper? How can you chase me out and ruin my life just like that? How can my parents, who loved me so much, turn their backs against me just because we¡¯re not rted by blood? Just because I¡¯m Cameron¡¯s daughter? She couldn¡¯t ept it at all. Connor sighed. ¡°Angie, Dad and Mom have given you a lot of money and jewelry over the years. You can live a better life than most people in this city with that kind of money in your hands. Just find a ce to stay and settle down. Time can heal everything. Give them some time to handle Cameron¡¯s case. Once they forget about her, maybe they¡¯ll ept you back.¡± Give them some time to handle Cameron¡¯s case? Angie smiled bitterly. It¡¯ll be toote then. When the truth is out, everyone who knows me will know I¡¯m Cameron¡¯s daughter. How am I supposed to marry into a rich family then? She was the only daughter of the Wendels since she was little. No matter where she went, she¡¯d be the star of the show, but once the truth was out, she would be cast out from the circle. No rich man would ever like or marry her. The friends who used to envy her wouldugh at her misery. Some would even make her life even worse, while the one whom she had bullied for years would take her ce and pay her back for what she did. That¡¯s not my life. I was born on a silver tter. I¡¯m an elite. I should live my whole life in riches and wealth. I¡¯d rather die than give up that life. ¡°Fine. Leave. Just leave me behind.¡± She knew she couldn¡¯t count on Connor or Cedric. One was cold, while the other was gripped by fear. I can¡¯t count on anyone. I can only count on myself. ¡°Angie, don¡¯t do any stupid things,¡± Connor advised her onest time. ¡°Dad and Mom are only asking you to leave because they¡¯re really angry. Just find a ce to settle down. Once this is over, they¡¯ll start to miss you. I¡¯m sure they will take you home. Don¡¯t do anything stupid to ruin yourself.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Angie wiped her tears off and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°I¡¯m not the Wendels¡¯ young miss anymore. I have no money or power. What can I do anyway? I won¡¯t do anything, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Connor noticed the hatred in her eyes despite the calm front she was putting on, and it displeased him. She has no right to hate anyone. None of us owe her. A famous master noticed Connor¡¯s talent when he was eight, and he was taken in as his disciple. He spent little time at home and didn¡¯t have the deep love toward Angie like his brothers did. He preferred kinder, morepassionate people. Angie¡¯s cruelty displeased him. Cedric might be a fool, but at least his heart was in the right ce, and he was compassionate. He thought someone like that was more reliable. At least he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being backstabbed someday.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 77 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 77 Chapter 77 New Backer He lost all interest in talking to her once he saw the hatred in her eyes. She was just an ingrate. No matter how much they helped her, she would bite the hand that fed her the moment they failed her expectations. He had seen a lot of people like that, but it took a long time for them to show their true colors, just like how gold-ted copper had to be burnt to show its true colors. It was only then he realized that the cute sister he thought he had was just an ingrate who would tear them apart once they couldn¡¯t satiate her appetite. He nced at her and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re on your own now.¡± He left with his twin after that. Angie watched them leave, and it felt as if she had fallen into an ice pit. The chilling air pierced through her soul, but she wouldn¡¯t leave her fate up to chance. Before the truth was out, she knew she must do everything she could to keep the truth concealed and stay with the Wendels. She had to remain as the Wendels¡¯ daughter. Only then could she keep her identity and bright future. She took a deep breath and hailed a ride. They didn¡¯t even leave me a car. The Wendels¡¯ cruelty fueled her hatred. She got into the ride and sat back, closing her eyes. I won¡¯t fall just like this. If I¡¯m going down, then I¡¯m dragging the Wendels and Madeline together with me. I did nothing wrong, but they cast me aside just like that. I can¡¯t be the only one who suffers. All will suffer like I did. If they¡¯re doing this to me, then I¡¯m messing up their lives. When she came to her destination, she got out of the car and came to a gate that had engravings on it, though it was shut. The guard saw her. ¡°Who goes there?¡± And he came to see who it was. ¡°It¡¯s me, Angie,¡± Angie answered. ¡°Oh, Miss Angie.¡± The guard¡¯s stern look was reced with a smile. ¡°What brings you here sote in the night?¡± ¡°I need to see Grandpa and Grandma,¡± she said. She was at the Wendel Residence, where Robert and his wife stayed. As the only daughter of the Wendels, she was spoiled by Robert and Harriet. The guard quickly opened the gates, and Angie came in. Robert and Harriet were asleep, but the butler went to wake them up. They knew it must be urgent, as they were woken up at one in the morning. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Robert wore a robe and came down with Harriet. Harriet was more than ten years younger than Robert. She wasn¡¯t Robert¡¯s first wife, but the sister of his first wife. Robert had three sons with his first wife, and he loved her deeply. After her death, he was nning on never remarrying, but then Harriet would come over to take care of her nephews, and they eventually got married. Harriet spent all her youth taking care of Robert¡¯s sons, and he was touched by that. Eventually, he married her, and she became his second wife. Michael and his brothers got along swimmingly with Harriet. They didn¡¯t really refuse it when she married their father and became their stepmother. She had no children of her own, so she saw Michael and his brothers as her own kids. Robert and his sons respected her greatly because of that. When her grandparents came out, Angie went and hugged Harriet tearfully. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Grandma¡­¡± Michael and his brothers called Harriet ¡®Auntie¡¯, but since she was legally Robert¡¯s wife, so Michael and his brothers¡¯ kids called her ¡®Grandma¡¯. Harriet loved her step-grandchildren, as she had no kids of her own, and she loved the only girl¡ªAngie¡ªeven more. The boys were raised by Crystal, but she helped bring Angie up. Crystal lost a lot of blood when she gave birth to Angie, but she was eventually saved. Crystal¡¯s health wasn¡¯t really great even after she was discharged, so Harriet helped Crystal take care of Angie. Angie grew up a bit cheeky, and Crystal was a strict mother. She might love her only daughter, but she would never spoil her rotten. However, Harriet would give Angie anything she wanted, and thanks to that, Angie was close to her. Robert had eight grandsons and one granddaughter. His family was big, but Angie was the closest to Harriet among the grandkids. They were her only hope now, and she made herself look like she was in the worst agony in the world. Angie was the only one Harriet raised, and she poured her heart and soul into the child. She was heartbroken seeing Angie cry so pitifully. She patted her back, asking, ¡°What is it, Angie? Why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?¡± ¡°Grandma¡­ Dad and Mom are abandoning me!¡± Angie started huping. Harriet frowned. ¡°What are you talking about, you silly girl? Everyone knows they love you the most out of all their children. They won¡¯t abandon you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. G-Grandma, it¡¯s true,¡± Angie said through tears. ¡°Dad said I¡¯m not their real daughter. He says I¡¯m Cameron¡¯s daughter. He doesn¡¯t want me anymore, and he wants to chase me out. I don¡¯t want to leave, Grandma. This is my home. I grew up here. Where can I go? I-I don¡¯t want to leave you, Grandma¡­¡± Angie hugged Harriet tightly, crying her heart out. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯re not their real daughter?¡± Harriet looked at Robert, shocked. Robert was confused as well. He didn¡¯t stay with his sons, so he didn¡¯t know what had happened in Michael¡¯s household. ¡°I-It¡¯s true, Grandma. Dad said I¡¯m not his daughter, and Mom doesn¡¯t want me anymore. She wants to chase me out, and Dad is doing what she says.¡± Angie was still crying while hugging Harriet. ¡°Can you help me, Grandma? I don¡¯t want to leave you guys. This is my home. If I leave, I¡¯ll be without a family. I¡¯ll lose Dad, Mom, and you two. I¡¯m so, so scared, Grandma.¡± After a lot of exnation, Harriet finally understood what was going on. She looked at Robert with comint in her eyes. ¡°This is preposterous. Even if she isn¡¯t their daughter, we still raised her. They can¡¯t abandon her just like that.¡± Robert nodded. He was shocked by the news, but he reflexively thought Harriet was right. The Wendel Family was rich enough to keep another kid, even if she was not their own. She¡¯s been with us for more than twenty years. They can¡¯t dump her just like this. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He looked at Harriet and Angie. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Michael and Crystal about this. We raised Angie up. They can¡¯t throw her out just like this. If this goes out, the public will call us heartless.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 78 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Are You Stupid? They raised her for more than twenty years, but now, they¡¯re chasing her out just because she isn¡¯t their real kid? If this gets out, everyone¡¯s going to call us heartless. You¡¯d cherish a pet after you had it for a long time, let alone a living, breathing human. This is insane. Robert took Harriet and Angie and rushed to Michael¡¯s house. He lived close to his sons, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive. Michael and his family had juste back, and they hadn¡¯t slept yet. Things were too chaotic for them to get some sleep. Then the butler led Robert, Harriet, and Angie in. Michael went to wee them, though he looked harried. ¡°What brings you here, Dad, Auntie?¡± ¡°Because of this ridiculous thing you did,¡± Robert said sternly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it from Angie. You found your real daughter, didn¡¯t you? You can keep her if you want, but Angie is my granddaughter too. I¡¯ve watched over her since she was a baby, and I won¡¯t let you chase her away.¡± ¡°Dad, please, just let me rest, can you? Please don¡¯t make me do this.¡± Michael wiped his face. ¡°Crystal just got out of the woods, and everything¡¯s a mess. Can you just let me catch a break?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Robert paused for a moment. ¡°What happened to Crystal?¡± Nigel came over. ¡°My sister wanted to cut all ties with Angie, but Cedric argued with her. Her condition acted up, and she was sent to the hospital. She just got out of the woods.¡± Cedric hung his head low, his face pale, and he was tense. Connor looked at him. He knew Cedric wasn¡¯t feeling great either. Anyone would feel horrified if their mother was sent to the hospital and had a brush with death because of them. He wouldn¡¯t chastise him, but not because he couldn¡¯t. Cedric was already ming himself for this. He had a feeling that Cedric might harm himself if he chided him. Crystal had already fallen, and he would not let anything happen to Cedric. He patted his twin¡¯s shoulder consolingly. However, he could only do that because their mother was fine. Otherwise, he might never forgive Cedric. Robert shut up. The Wendels and the Taylors were great friends. He was good friends with Crystal¡¯s father. Now that she was hospitalized because of this whole thing with Angie, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Forcing Crystal to keep Angie would just be killing her. Angie was leaning against Harriet, crying in silence. Harriet patted her and said softly, ¡°Michael, I raised Angie because Crystal wasn¡¯t in the best condition to do so after giving birth to her. If you want to cut ties with her, shouldn¡¯t I get a say in this?¡± Michael frowned at her. ¡°Auntie¡­¡± ¡°Michael, I don¡¯t agree with this. Angie is innocent.¡± Harriet held the girl in her embrace, patting her back. ¡°Michael, I¡¯m stopping you for you and Crystal¡¯s own good. You¡¯re acting on impulse, and most decisions done in that state are wrong. You¡¯ll regret this once you calm down.¡± She kept herself well, and since she had no kids, she was still slim. Even though she was already in her forties, she was still beautiful. Harriet looked at Michael and persuaded, ¡°Michael, believe me. I¡¯m doing this so you and Crystal won¡¯t regret this. You¡¯ve raised her for more than twenty years. There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t love her. If you expose the truth about her impulsively, it¡¯ll be toote for regretster.¡± She then looked at Madeline. ¡°You must be Madeline, correct?¡± Madeline went up and nodded at Harrier. ¡°Hello, Grandma.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Harriet looked at her and said softly, ¡°Maddie, your parents want to cut ties with Angie because of you. Please, will you speak up for Angie and ask them to keep the truth a secret so she can stay? They feel guilty for not seeing the truth sooner, so they¡¯ll do what you say. As long as you help Angie, it¡¯ll be great for the whole family. Everyone can be happy.¡± Madeline frowned at Harriet. She had a feeling Harriet wasn¡¯t as nice as she looked. She might sound gentle and look like she adored Madeline, but what she said was a trap. To put it tantly, she was saying that Madeline was the reason for the Wendels¡¯ chaos, and if she didn¡¯t speak up for Angie, that would mean she was a petty woman. God, this is so annoying. I¡¯m just here to get reunited. Why do I have to go through all this? To the Wendels, Angie was innocent since Cameron was the one who did the switcheroo. But to Madeline, Angie was not innocent. Previously, no matter if she was at the Colts or the Taylors, Angie would always mock or abuse her every time they met. She was already kind enough not to make her pay for what she did, but she never thought the Wendels would keep asking her to speak up for Angie. Are they stupid? Sheughed mirthlessly and ignored Harriet, then she looked at Michael. ¡°Mr. Wendel, the boys are getting sleepy. Where is the guest room? It¡¯s time for them to sleep.¡± Harriet frowned and looked at Robert. ¡°Rob¡­¡± She was more than ten years younger than Robert. Even though she was past her prime, she still looked gorgeous. Moreover, she never got pregnant because she took care of Robert¡¯s sons. Robert had always respected her, so seeing her getting ignored angered Robert. ¡°Madeline!¡± he scolded. ¡°Your elder is talking to you! Mind your attitude!¡± Madeline looked at him calmly. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten back into the fold. Strictly speaking, none of you are my elders yet.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Furious, Robert looked at Michael. ¡°This is the daughter you want? This is why you¡¯re dumping Angie away? She has no manners at all! Why did you let her back? To make a mockery out of the family?¡± Nigel looked at Sebastian, who was standing beside Madeline. ¡°Mr. Robert, do please mind what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! Why? Can¡¯t bear that?¡± Robert growled. ¡°Angie is our real daughter. She represents our family¡¯s best values. That little b*stard isn¡¯t! She¡¯s mannerless and disrespectful to her elders. Do you really want everyone tough at us for having a descendant like her?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 79 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Stand Up Madeline was about to reply, but Sebastian stopped her. He took one step forward and guarded Madeline. A smile curled his lips as he looked at Robert coolly. ¡°Well, well, well. Nerve thought someone would call my wife a mannerless, disrespectful b*stard right in front of me. That¡¯s quite cultured and courteous of you, Mr. Wendel. Oh, I¡¯m Sebastian. Sebastian Hart.¡± Robert was shocked. ¡°Sebastian Hart?¡± He didn¡¯t know Sebastian, but he had heard that name before. He was Philip¡¯s only son and the only heir to the Harts. He was the most powerful man in the Hart Family and was a business genius that dominated the business world. He looked at Madeline, then at Sebastian. ¡°Y-You are¡­¡± Jonathan quickly went up to Robert and introduced, ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce him, Grandpa. Maddie is Sebastian¡¯s wife now, and her boys are his sons.¡± Too many things were happening at once that night. Then, his grandparents had arrived without notifying them, and they went into interrogation mode the moment they came in. Thus, Sebastian slipped their minds in the heat of the moment. Robert was dumbfounded. If Madeline was just a poor girl without anyone backing her up, nothing would happen if he yelled at her, but no. She was Sebastian¡¯s wife. Even if she was raised by the Wendels, they couldn¡¯t yell at her whenever they wanted after she got married. After all, she would have her husband¡¯s side to back her up, and if her husband¡¯s side of the family wouldn¡¯t let her get insulted, not even her own family could insult her. Naturally, Sebastian wouldn¡¯t let her get insulted. Robert was put in an awkward situation. His face kept twitching, but he could say nothing. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Jonathan quickly stepped up and smiled at Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, my grandfather had a slip of the tongue in all this confusion. We¡¯re all family here, so I think Maddie won¡¯t mind, right Maddie?¡± He looked at Madeline. Jonathan liked Madeline. She was incredibly gorgeous, but not seductively so. She seemed pure and innocent, rxed and easygoing. He hadn¡¯t talked to her much, but no matter where and when, she¡¯d always be calm and confident. He admired that part of her, and she was obviously more agreeable than Sebastian was. Convincing her to let things slide was easier than convincing Sebastian. Jonathan was looking at her, but Sebastian stepped in and kept her from talking. He cocked his eyebrow at Jonathan and said, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that your grandfather is a bully? If my wife is just a regr woman, he can yell at her however he wants to? Now that he knows she¡¯s my wife, it bes a slip of the tongue?¡± Jonathan wanted to bullsh*t his way out of this, but Sebasitan wouldn¡¯t let him, and Jonathan shut up. He opened his mouth, but he could find no excuse to weasel his way out. Robert¡¯s face paled with anger, but he couldn¡¯t find anyeback either. After all, Sebastian spoke the truth. He knew Madeline and was clear about how she grew up. All he had for her was disdain, so he had yelled at her without caring if he was right or wrong. After all, she was his granddaughter, and he could yell at her if she angered him. Nobody could chastise him for that, but he never thought she was Sebastian¡¯s wife. Now that she had someone backing her, he couldn¡¯t yell at her whenever he wanted to. To make things worse, Sebastian kept backing him into a corner. Harriet noticed his dilemma, and she stepped in. She smiled gently at Sebastian, saying, ¡°So you¡¯re Madeline¡¯s husband! That makes you family. Oh, you should have introduced him to us, Maddie. He¡¯s such a charmer. We¡¯re happy that you found yourself a good partner.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll get back to youter.¡± Sebastian nced at Harriet and set her aside, then he went back to Robert. ¡°Mr. Wendel, you insulted my wife for no reason. I think an apology is in order.¡± Robert almost cked out from fury. I¡¯m an old man, and she¡¯s my granddaughter. You want me to apologize to a young girl like that? Does he have no idea how our society works? His father was looking bad and might pass out at any time, so Michael had to stand up. His wife just got out of the operating theater, and he did not want to send his father in next. He heaved a sigh and walked up to Sebastian. ¡°It¡¯s all a big misunderstanding. A lot has happened today, and tensions are running high, so people get a bit short-tempered. They don¡¯t mean it. It¡¯s reallyte now, so get some rest and we¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t want to rest. His wife was called a mannerless b*stard, and the man who insulted her showed no signs of apology. I will not rest. My family has been everywhere in this nation, and none of us have been insulted this way, not even the servants. He called my wife a b*stard and thinks he can sleep it away. In his dreams. No pun intended. He snickered and put his hand in his pocket. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that anyone from your family can insult my wife whenever they¡¯re angry then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Michael felt awkward, and he was having a headache. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that it¡¯ste, and the boys can¡¯t sleep well in their arms. Let¡¯s get some rest and talk about it tomorrow.¡± Aldo couldn¡¯t hold on anymore, so he had fallen asleep on the way back. Sebastian and Madeline were each holding one when they got out of the car. They were just talking to Michael and his family and were about to retire for the night when Robert and Harriet barged in. When the argument started, they handed the boys to Wem and Desmond for fear that they might be woken up from the noise. Wem and Desmond stood far away from the battlefield, but they were not out of sight. The boys slept well in their arms, and they didn¡¯t even stir despite how bad the argument got. ¡°Mr. Wendel.¡± Sebastian looked at the boys. Since they were sound asleep, he could rest easy, and he said coldly, ¡°We know what happened here, so drop the pretense. If someone insults my wife, then they have to apologize. Even a kid knows how to say sorry when he or she did something wrong. Don¡¯t tell me your own father doesn¡¯t know that.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 80 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Unworthy Nobody would take a step back, and Jonathan felt like his head was about to explode. He stepped up and stood in front of his father, who looked really upset. He gazed at Sebastian and said, ¡°Sebastian, honestly, I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re standing up for my sister. Really, I am, but Sebastian, think about this. Everyone here is her family. If you keep pushing us, it won¡¯t be good for her. If you do this, it¡¯ll put her in a dilemma. She¡¯d have to choose between you and her own family.¡± ¡°Family?¡± Sebastian looked at him and snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you defending her when your grandfather called her a mannerless b*stard, and now you¡¯re calling yourself her family? Sorry, but you¡¯re thinking too highly of yourself.¡± Jonathan¡¯s face fell. ¡°That¡¯s too far, Sebastian. I was nice to you because you¡¯re the boys¡¯ parents, and I don¡¯t want to put Maddie in a tough spot. I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡± He was the eldest son of the Wendels, and he was a brilliant man who got sessful at a young age. His whole life was paved with praises and des, but this was the first time someone was being so rude to him. ¡°As I said, you think too highly of yourself. You¡¯re nice to me because my family is more powerful than yours, and you don¡¯t want to antagonize us.¡± Sebastian scoffed. ¡°Ever since Maddie and I came to your ce, only your mother actually cried because of all the suffering she endured. None of you actually cared about her. Did you ask her how much she suffered? No. All you care about is Angie. All you did was try toe up with a n to keep Angie. All you tried to do wase up with an idea so Angie wouldn¡¯t have to suffer. You guys keep arguing and arguing and arguing, but none of you actually care about Maddie.¡± He smiled sardonically. ¡°Well, I can understand you. Blood isn¡¯t more important than the time you spent with Angie, so of course you side with her. But calling yourself Maddie¡¯s family when you¡¯re siding with Angie is a bit disgusting, don¡¯t you think?¡± Jonathan opened his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t say a word, and his eyes that shone with anger dimmed, and his head hung low. Sebastian was right. Ever since Sebastian and Madeline came to their ce, Jonathan and the rest of his brothers were hoping that Angie could stay, despite the fact that only Cedric had spoken up. They didn¡¯t say it because they knew about their mother¡¯s grudge, and they were worried about her health. They didn¡¯t want to anger her, but deep down, they cared about Angie and were trying to see if they could help her out. Aside from his mother, nobody cared about the suffering Madeline had endured in the past. Nobody cared that she was chased out of the Colts and almost died when she was just a child. Nobody cared that Phoebe and Isabel physically abused and almost killed her when she was taken to the Taylors. It was as if the suffering wasn¡¯t important because it was in the past. As if they could pretend it never existed. They were already worrying about Angie before she even started to endure hardships, but none of them cared that Madeline had almost died multiple times. Sebastian is right. We call Madeline our family, but we still won¡¯t let Angie go despite what she did. That¡¯s disgusting. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said softly. ¡°You¡¯re right, Sebastian.¡± He looked at Madeline. ¡°Madeline, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She shook her head and smiled. ¡°I have a brother. When he was fifteen, he almost died in a car crash, but I took him to the hospital in time. He¡¯s an orphan who had nowhere to go, so I took him into my firm after he healed up and raised him for five years. We have only known each other for five years, and he is not rted to me, but he¡¯s more important to me than you are. So¡­¡± She looked at Jonathan and smiled. ¡°I can understand why you side with Angie. That¡¯s human. Besides, you can¡¯t get along with all the people in the world. It depends on a lot of factors. I can¡¯t force anyone to get along with me, so I don¡¯t particrly care about how you treat me, but Sebastian is right about one thing.¡± She looked at Sebastian before she turned back again. ¡°Just don¡¯t demand anything from me using the pretext of family while you actually don¡¯t think of me as family. I don¡¯t mind anything else.¡± Her smile embarrassed him, and it tugged on his heartstrings for the first time. For the first time, he felt that she was truly his sister. Her voice was soothing, like clear stream water. It was calm and sweet, and Sebastian loved it. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and looked at Robert. ¡°Hear that, Mr. Wendel? That was for you. Don¡¯t call her a b*stard and act like you¡¯re so high and mighty. If you don¡¯t think she¡¯s good enough to be a part of the Wendels, then you¡¯re not good enough to be her elder. Don¡¯t even think for a moment that you can insult my wife just because you¡¯re old enough.¡± Robert had never felt so embarrassed in his life. He was already an old man, but a young man was insulting him without fear or fervor, and he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Philip alone could bankrupt the whole Wendel Family if he wanted to, and not to mention Sebastian had an uncle who had an army of talented people as well as another uncle who had a nation¡¯s wealth living overseas. Original from N?velDrama.Org. His uncles had no children of their own, making Sebastian the only descendant. They were the Harts¡¯ everything, and Robert could never cross them. All he could do was vent on Michael. ¡°This is all your fault! You just had to let them in!¡± Michael shook his head, smiling bitterly. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m a failure of a father. I¡¯ve never been by her side ever since she was born. I failed her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Harriet said after being quiet for a long time. ¡°Maddie is still your daughter no matter what. You and Crystal gave her life.¡± She went up to Madeline and said softly, ¡°Maddie, parents can do no wrong to their children. You won¡¯t be here without them. Your mother almost died because of the matter with Angie, and your father is exhausted just handling this matter. You can¡¯t let this go on, can you?¡± Madeline looked at her, smiling. ¡°So? What are you trying to say?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 81 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Moral ckmail From N?velDrama.Org. Harriet said softly, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is you can apologize to your grandfather and father, and we¡¯ll just let this thing slide. We¡¯re all family here. There¡¯s no need to make everyone upset for a little thing like this.¡± Madelines smiled. ¡°Why should I apologize? Did I do anything wrong?¡± Harriet had noeback to that. Did she do anything wrong? No, she didn¡¯t. The one who disrespected Robert and shut him up was Sebastian, not her. But I can¡¯t tell her that I¡¯m asking her to apologize to my husband because she looks like a pushover. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Mrs. Wendel?¡± Madeline asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what I did wrong. Why should I apologize?¡± ¡°Enough, Madeline! Do you have to ruin everything before you¡¯re happy?¡± Angie cried. ¡°This is my home. I grew up here. Why can¡¯t you just ept me? Why do you have to chase me away? Will you only be happy if I die? How can you be so evil?¡± ¡°I am not the one who wants to chase you away,¡± Madeline answered calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve never even said that. Whether you stay or leave depends on the Wendels, not me. Don¡¯t call me evil, Angie. You know who¡¯s really evil here.¡± ¡°But this all started because of you!¡± Angie cried loudly. ¡°You could have settled this easily. All you have to do is tell Dad and Mom to let me stay, and Mom wouldn¡¯t have been hospitalized because of that fight with Cedric. Dad won¡¯t be in a dilemma right now either, but you just won¡¯t! You want me to leave, but instead of saying that yourself, you let Dad and Mom do it for you! That¡¯s more evil than you chasing me away yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve answered that before.¡± Madeline looked at her scornfully. ¡°Angie, you know how you treated me. I¡¯m already kind enough not to make things worse for you. Why do you expect me to speak up for you? You never showed that kind of kindness to me, so why do you expect me to do the same to you? Sorry, but I¡¯m not a saint. I¡¯d rather save a stray dog than someone who has hurt me countless times before. Namely you.¡± ¡°Did you just insult me?¡± Angie asked incredulously. ¡°How dare you insult me, Madeline? That¡¯s going too far!¡± Madeline answered calmly, ¡°Angie, you might have forgotten all about this, but you¡¯ve insulted and abused me before. It¡¯s not too much that I pay you back a little, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. Why do you keep bringing it up? So that¡¯s your true colors, huh?¡± Angie shouted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pay me back when I did that to you? Why are you doing it now that you finally got the chance to? And you say you¡¯re not making things worse for me? This is making things worse for me.¡± Madeline looked at her calmly. ¡°I never paid you back because I thought I was Cameron¡¯s daughter. I thought I was born with a sin. I thought I owed you because you¡¯re Dan¡¯s cousin. He saved my life, and he wants me to tolerate you, so I did. But now I realize that it¡¯s all a big mistake. You¡¯re the one born with sin, while I am Dan¡¯s cousin. If that¡¯s the case, why should I defend you?¡± ¡°Maddie, you¡¯re wrong,¡± Harriet said gently. ¡°Cameron might not be your real mother, but she did raise you, and that¡¯s a bigger favor than bringing you into this world. Angie is her daughter, and you should show her mercy for your foster mother¡¯s sake. That¡¯s how you show gratitude.¡± Madeline stared at Harriet for a moment, then she sighed and shook her head. ¡°Mrs. Wendel, honestly, I¡¯m impressed by how easily you spout something so stupid and disgusting.¡± Harriet¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Maddie, I am your elder. You can¡¯t act so rude to me.¡± ¡°I told you I haven¡¯t gotten back into the fold yet. You¡¯re not even my elder, so shut it.¡± Madeline cocked an eyebrow at her. ¡°And don¡¯t call me rude. You tried to morally ckmail me first. I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± Harriet bit her lip. ¡°Maddie, I¡¯m doing this for your own good¡ª¡± Madeline frowned. ¡°Forgive me for being honest, but you¡¯re not exactly young, so stop with the young girl act. It¡¯s disgusting. Did nobody tell you that before?¡± Harriet¡¯s face fell. She loved it when people said she looked as young as a university student, and she hated it when people called her old. Madeline hit her where it hurt the most, and she actually started hating Madeline. She came here in the first ce to make life worse for Michael and Crystal, but now, her goal changed. She clenched her fists and said, ¡°Madeline, your grandfather is right. If a mannerless girl like youes back into the fold, it¡¯ll make the whole family aughing stock. We will never know peace.¡± She held Angie¡¯s hand and pulled her closer, then she looked at Michael. ¡°Michael, Crystal and I raised Angie up, and we love her. I¡¯m telling you now that if you chase her out, then you¡¯re not my son anymore. It¡¯s either me or Madeline, Michael. You make the choice.¡± ¡°Please, Grandma, no!¡± Jonathan quickly said. ¡°Mom just got out of the woods. If she finds out that Dad chased Madeline out after she wakes up, how is he supposed to exin to her?¡± ¡°Yeah, Grandma,¡± Connor said. ¡°A lot has happened today, and everyone is tired. We¡¯re not in the best of moods, so we talk before we think. I think we should get some rest and leave this for tomorrow.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you leave this for tomorrow, or any day after that. Angie is my only granddaughter, and that¡¯s it.¡± Harriet held Angie¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°You can¡¯t be this heartless. You raised her up and spent more than twenty years with her. You can¡¯t abandon her just because she¡¯s not your father¡¯s real daughter. Either you keep her, or you chase me out as well. You choose.¡± Michael could feel his head explode. Choose? How am I supposed to choose? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 82 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Salvageable Madeline¡¯s my daughter who got stolen since the day she was born. Harriet¡¯s the one who took care of me and my brothers just so we wouldn¡¯t have to be tortured by a stepmother. She married Dad and has no children of her own because of that. How am I supposed to make the choice? He shook his head in agony. ¡°Auntie, please. Please don¡¯t force me to make a choice, alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m forcing you? No, you are forcing me.¡± Harriet teared up. ¡°Crystal had to heal up after Angie was born, and I helped raise her up. Your father has nine grandchildren, but Angie is the only one I raised myself. Now you want to chase her out? No, I¡¯m not forcing you. You¡¯re breaking my heart here.¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± Angie cried loudly and hugged Harriet. It was at that moment, her despairing heart finally felt slightly secure. Harriet was even more powerful than Robert in the family. Michael and his brothers respected her more than their father because she gave up on having her own kids just to take care of them. Now that Grandma is helping me, Dad won¡¯t chase me out anymore. Even if Mom only cares about Madeline, as long as Grandma is here, I won¡¯t be harmed. I might not live as well anymore, but at least I won¡¯t have to leave the family. ¡°Angie. My poor Angie.¡± Harriet was hugging Angie and crying as well. Michael¡¯s face was as white as a sheet, and he couldn¡¯t say a word. Michael was in agony, but he didn¡¯t cave in, nor did he give up on Madeline. Madeline saw that, and she pitied her father. Madeline took a step forward and looked at Harriet. ¡°Stop forcing him to make a choice. He doesn¡¯t decide whether her real identity is exposed or not; I do.¡± Harriet was holding Angie, but she looked up at Madeline. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maeline said, ¡°I mean I will call the police even if Mr. Wendel doesn¡¯t. I will sue Cameron for making the switcheroo, so don¡¯t force him to make a choice anymore. Try forcing me.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Harriet pointed at her with a trembling finger. ¡°How can you do such a vile thing? Angie is innocent! Why won¡¯t you show mercy?¡± ¡°Exposing Cameron¡¯s crimes and telling the public about Angie¡¯s real identity is evil?¡± Madeline cocked her eyebrow. ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then suit yourself. I¡¯ve decided to call the cops on Cameron tomorrow. Anything you want to ask? Or do you want to force me to relent as well? Fine, do it. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°You¡­You¡­¡± Harriet could force Michael because of her identity, but not Madeline. She pointed at her and stammered, but she could do nothing to her, so she turned to Michael. ¡°She¡¯s your daughter, Michael. You¡ª¡± ¡°Stop forcing him,¡± Madeline interrupted. ¡°I won¡¯t be getting back into the fold for now, nor will I do as Mr. Wendel says, so there¡¯s no use in forcing him. It¡¯s my decision to call the cops and sue Cameron, and no one else. There¡¯s no point in making things hard for him.¡± Michael looked at Madeline, feeling touched, and he teared up. ¡°No.¡± He sobbed. ¡°You¡¯re our daughter, Maddie. We¡¯ve missed thest twenty years of your life, but we won¡¯t miss a second more from now on. I¡¯m sorry for being too weak.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Wendel. I don¡¯t me you.¡± She looked at him and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that I¡¯m now a legal child thanks to Mom and you. Aldo and Buddy won¡¯t have to face any discrimnation after this. I can understand you, and it¡¯s not important whether I cane back to the Wendels or not. What¡¯s important is that the criminals face justice.¡± ¡°How can you be so evil?¡± Harriet growled. ¡°Cameron is your foster mother no matter what. She raised you up. You can¡¯t send her to jail. God will punish you for this.¡± ¡°That again?¡± Madeline cocked an eyebrow at her. ¡°Did you forget that I called you stupid for saying that? If we go by your logic, if an evil woman steals your children away and raises them up, your children have to be grateful for her instead of hating her for stealing them away?¡± ¡°Maddie¡¯s right, Grandma,¡± Jonathan said. ¡°Grandma, Maddie is our family. If it weren¡¯t for Cameron, she would have been enjoying her life with us. But Cameron stole her away, and not only did she fail to take care of Maddie, she almost killed her. She didn¡¯t exactly raise her.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Madeline looked at Jonathan, surprised. She never thought he¡¯d defend her despite all the pressure from his family. Did Sebastian do the trick? Looks like he¡¯s a decent person. He didn¡¯t turn evil after getting scolded. In fact, he learned something from it. He¡¯s good. ¡°Even you, Jonathan?¡± Harriet pointed at Jonathan, her face white, and she almost cried. ¡°Did I love you for nothing? My most beloved grandson, refuting me just for an outsider. A-Am I that worthless?¡± Robert red at Jonathan. ¡°Jonathan, apologize!¡± he roared. Jonathan sighed and bowed to Harriet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for arguing with you, Grandma. It¡¯ste. I¡¯ll send you two home. We can talk tomorrow.¡± ¡°I am not leaving! She¡¯ll call the cops on Cameron and tell everyone about Angie¡¯s real identity if I do!¡± Harriet said through sobs. ¡°She¡¯s already of marrying age. If her identity is exposed, how is she supposed to marry then? Nobody will marry her! She¡¯s your sister! You grew up with her! Can you really watch when her name gets tarnished?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, Grandma,¡± Jonathan said. ¡°It¡¯s not the end of the world. Maddie¡¯s been Cameron¡¯s daughter for more than twenty years. She¡¯s still fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Harriet said. ¡°Angie is the Wendels¡¯ princess, and I raised her up. I won¡¯t let you ruin her life!¡± Madeline looked at her calmly. ¡°And? I¡¯ve decided to call the cops on Cameron, and Angie¡¯s real identity will get exposed. How are you going to force me into letting Cameron go free so Angie¡¯s secret can be kept then?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 83 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 83 Chapter 83 What Did You Call Me? ¡°You¡­You¡­¡± Harriet looked at Madeline, her face pale. She then gritted her teeth and pushed Angie away, then she knelt before Madeline. ¡°I beg of you!¡± She looked up at Madeline in anguish. ¡°I beg of you, please. As a grandmother, I beg of you. Please have mercy on her. Please let her stay with us. Don¡¯t tear the family apart. You don¡¯t want that to happen because of you, right?¡± ¡°What are you doing, Auntie?¡± ¡°Grandma, please stand up!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, Grandma!¡± Michael and his sons quickly went to pull her up. ¡°Get away!¡± She pushed them all away and kept looking at Madeline. ¡°Please, I beg you. I promise that she won¡¯t get in your way even if she stays. She can move in with me. I¡¯ll take care of her, alright?¡± She styled herself out to be a defender of justice, as if Madeline was the viin who was forcing the victim into a corner. Madeline thought things were getting a bit thorny at this point. It would be easy if the Wendels didn¡¯t care about her. She¡¯d let her do whatever they wanted, while she¡¯d go on with her life. But the problem was that Michael cared about her, and even Jonathan was starting to speak up for her. And then there was her real mother¡ªCrystal. She could see that Crystal was the one who cared about her the most among the Wendels. That was where her mother differed from her father and brothers. She was the one who got pregnant with her, and she was the one who carried her to term. Madeline was the one in her belly for ten months, not Angie. Kids were their mother¡¯s flesh and bone, and Madeline was Crystal¡¯s flesh and bone, not Angie. Crystal treated her differently from the other Wendels. Only Crystal had love and heartbreak in her eyes when she looked at Madeline. She felt guilty and agony about her loss, and she was always careful around Madeline. She hated herself for letting Cameron do the switcheroo and lost out on her childhood and teen years. She approached her carefully, worried that Madeline might hate her because of something she did wrongly. She was the one who truly cared about her. Madeline was a sucker for kindness. Too few people were nice to her, so everyone who was nice to her was precious. She¡¯d repay their kindness at least three fold. Madeline wouldn¡¯t want those who were kind to her to feel sad. So what now? She was in a dilemma, and she looked at Sebastian. Sebastian looked calm, as if he knew everything and was treating this as a good show. He noticed Madeline¡¯s look, and he smiled confidently. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°It¡¯s fine. If she wants to kneel, then let her. We have no work tomorrow, so we can stay up the whole night. Let¡¯s see how long she can go on.¡± Cedric had been quiet the whole night, but now he flew into a rage. ¡°You had better watch it, Sebastian!¡± ¡°Cedric, shut up!¡± Michael roared. He closed his eyes and knelt before Harriet. With a trembling voice, he said, ¡°Please don¡¯t force me to do this, Auntie. Crystal wants to call the police. She¡¯s now in the ICU, and I can¡¯t go against that. Cameron must be arrested, or Crystal will never rest easy. Auntie, I know this is insolent of me, but you can punish me how you want. Just don¡¯t force me anymore.¡± ¡°You¡­You¡­¡± Harriet was wobbling from fury. ¡°Michael, I-I raised you up, and this is how you¡¯re going to repay me? Is your wife more important than I am? Do I have to die before you¡¯ll let Angie go? Is that what you want?¡± ¡°This is all my fault¡­¡± He stared down, teardrops falling onto the ground. ¡°If anything were to happen to you, I¡¯d dly give my life up for you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Robert kicked Michael. ¡°After your mother died, you fell terribly ill and almost died. Did you forget who stayed by you at all times? Harriet never had her own children just because she wanted to take care of you three. She poured all her heart and soul into you boys, and now you¡¯re abandoning us just because you have your own family? Do you think your family is more important than we are? Should we just die?¡± ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t say that.¡± Michael banged his head against the floor. ¡°This is all my fault.¡± He kept banging his head, but he never did say he would let Cameron go and hide Angie¡¯s identity. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Angie¡¯s eyes were red with hatred. It was like she didn¡¯t know her father and brothers. Grandma is already on her knees, but they still won¡¯t let Cameron go and keep my identity a secret? What are their hearts made of? Not even stones are this hard. Robert kept yelling at his son, while Michael kept banging his head. Blood seeped out of his forehead and covered the floor in red, but he would not relent. He could not relent. His wife was still in the ICU. If he were to relent, he wouldn¡¯t be able to exin himself once his wife woke up. He could relent if his wife was in the wrong, and he would be willing to beg for forgiveness, but his wife was not in the wrong; his father and stepmother were. All his wife wanted was for the truth to be exposed, and for justice to be served. He would not let her down. Sebastian¡¯s phone rang while they were arguing. He took his phone out and looked at Quinton. Quinton got what he was trying to say, and he went away. Sebastian nudged Madeline and huddled closer. ¡°Help Mr. Wendel up,¡± he whispered. She hadn¡¯t known him for long, but she noticed that he was always confident no matter what the matter was, and she found him reliable. For some reason, she felt that he would not do or say anything meaningless. Now that he wanted her to help Michael up, she knew he must have a n. She nodded at him without hesitation and went to Michael, then she bent down and held his arm. ¡°I¡¯ll help you up, Dad.¡± ¡°Michael froze up and swiveled around to look at her. ¡°W-What did you call me?¡± he asked, his voice trembling. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 84 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 84 Chapter 84 What Do You Mean? Madeline smiled at him. ¡°Dad.¡± He was her real father in the first ce, so she had no reason to put up airs. She didn¡¯t call him that previously because she wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted her back, but now, she knew he truly wanted her back in the family. She was touched by the love Michael had for Crystal. Madeline wasn¡¯t sure if he was a good father, but she was sure that he was a good husband and a man whom a woman could rely on. Because of that, she could address him as ¡®Dad¡¯ easily, unlike how it was earlier. It might be a simple title, but it touched Michael. He wondered whether that was the magic of blood bonds. His sons had called him that countless times, but it felt different when Madeline called him that. It tugged on his heartstrings, and he wanted to pull her into his embrace so he could shower her with love. He stared at her; the more he looked, the more he realized that Madeline resembled him and Crystal. Our blood flows in her. She¡¯s our daughter. He hugged her tightly and sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m really, really, sorry, Maddie. I¡¯ve failed you.¡± Harriet was still kneeling on the ground, but she froze and thought everything would be settled once she kneeled. She thought Cameron¡¯s crimes would be hidden away and Angie would still be staying with the Wendels. Once Crystal came back, she would have to live with Angie and get annoyed every single day. She thought the woman whom she had envied for life would live in misery for the rest of her waking days, but things didn¡¯t go as expected. She was kneeling on the ground, but Michael seemed to have forgotten all about her. He was hugging Madeline and finally reunited with her. Harriey wanted to see Michael relent and go against Crystal while wanting him to keep Cameron¡¯s crimes a secret and let Angie stay with them, but all she saw was Michael throwing away his dignity just to let his wife have her wish. That stoked her mes of envy. Is she that much better than me? Why does God give her everything and nothing to me? Beset by anguish, she said in a trembling voice, ¡°Michael, d-do you really want me to die before you¡¯ll keep Angie?¡± ¡°Oh, you want to die, huh?¡± Sebastian took the files Quinton gave him and flipped through it. Then, he tossed it in between Michael and Harriet. ¡°Well, suppose I¡¯ll send you on your merry way, then. The highway to hell can be crowded, so do be careful.¡± Robert roared, ¡°That¡¯s going too far, Sebastian!¡± Sebastian nced at him for a moment. ¡°Madeline, help Mr. Wendel up. I have something to tell him,¡± he said. Madeline was holding Michael¡¯s arm. ¡°Dad, get up. We can talk after that.¡± Michael didn¡¯t want to let her down, so he obliged and rose to his feet. Sebastian looked at Michael. ¡°Mr. Wendel, I stumbled upon something interesting when I was looking into Madeline and the boys¡¯ backgrounds. I didn¡¯t think much about it back then, but now that I¡¯ve met your stepmother, I think that interesting little tidbit bes a lot more¡­ shall we say, mysterious?¡± Cedric was the easiest to be enraged among them all and he hissed, ¡°Say what you have to say, Sebastian. You think it¡¯s funny going round in circles?¡± Sebastian smiled at him. ¡°Yeah, especially when there¡¯s a few rabid dogs running with me.¡± An angry Cedric pointed at him. ¡°You¡­¡± Connor smacked his hand down and frowned. ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned enough yet? Shut. Up.¡± Cedric was reminded of his mother before heart clenched and he quickly shut up. Connor looked at Sebastian and apologized, ¡°Please go on, Sebastian.¡± He was in the spy department, and being observant was one of the requirements. He realized that Sebastian might seem flippant and distant, but he would never do anything pointless, nor would he say anything useless. If he¡¯s talking about Grandma all of a sudden, then it must have something to do with what¡¯s happening tonight. Sebastian looked at him. He had a rough feel about all the Wendel brothers¡¯ personalities that night. Jonathan was calm and collected while his second brother was a man of action. He wouldn¡¯t spend time talking if he could use violence to solve the matter. He couldn¡¯t imagine someone like that working in the research field. Connor was the most easygoing and meticulous of all, and he resembled his father the most. His twin was just a slightly handsome man, but aside from that, he was just a bumbling idiot. Well, they are passable, at least. No evildoers among them, and if I were forced to praise that idiot, I¡¯d say he¡¯spassionate. At least Maddie doesn¡¯t have to deal with stupid and demanding family like the girls in novels. Then, he looked away from Connor and turned his gaze to Michael. ¡°Mr. Wendel, do you still remember how your mother passed away?¡± Everyone thought the question came out of nowhere, but Harriet¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Robert was beside her, telling her to get back up and he noticed his wife¡¯s peculiar reaction. ¡°What is it, Harriet? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Harriet shook her head nervously. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Her heart was pounding furiously, and she looked at Sebastian. Why did he suddenly ask something so tangential? Does he know something about this? Or, is it just a random question? She suddenly regretted standing up for Angie instead ofying low. Her n was to make life hard for Crystal, but that n failed and backfired on her. He¡¯s suddenly bringing up my sister¡¯s death. ¡°Of course I remember how she died,¡± Michael said. ¡°She was pregnant with her fourth child when she was thirty-five. Advanced maternal age, if you will. Her fetus wasn¡¯t stable, and she fell by ident. She lost a lot of blood back then.¡± His voice became barely a whisper, and his hands were clenched into fists. ¡°She was already in her third trimester back then, and when she fell, there was nobody around. It was already toote when she was found, and she died before we could get her to the hospital.¡± Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at him. ¡°The Wendels are rich. There should have been servants around to take care of your pregnant mother.¡± Michael answered, ¡°Yes, we had servants, but not in my mother¡¯s room. Her room was on the second floor while the servants were on the first floor. She fell in her bedroom, so nobody noticed.¡± Connor had always been the calm one, but now, he couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore. ¡°Sebastian, what might you be implying?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 85 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 85 Chapter 85 I¡¯m Interested Sebastian looked at Connor for a moment. ¡°When my men were looking into Maddie and the boys¡¯ past, I noticed that one of the maids who served your mother is living the life right now. Shees from a regr family, but about ten years ago, she suddenly worked with your stepmother and invested a lot of money to open a private clubhouse, and she has been in close contact with your stepmother ever since.¡± Shocked, Harriet held Robert¡¯s hand and struggled to stand up. She red at Sebastian and demanded, ¡°What are you trying to say, Sebastian? What are you implying? Are you calling me a murderer?¡± Sebastian nced at her and smiled. ¡°Miss Branson, I haven¡¯t said a thing yet. Why are you so nervous? Scared?¡± Michael was no fool. He was smart, in fact. He knew what Sebastian was trying to say just from that little interaction. He stared at Sebastian, and he said with a trembling voice, ¡°You¡¯re saying that my mother¡¯s death has something to do with Auntie?¡± ¡°And there¡¯s another thing.¡± Instead of answering his question, Sebastian brought up another topic. ¡°I heard that Miss Branson doesn¡¯t have any children of her own because she took care of you and your brothers. Is that right? Your father did say that out loud.¡± Michael nodded. ¡°Yes. That is right.¡± And that was why he and his brothers respected Harriet a lot. ¡°But the reports I got say otherwise.¡± Sebastian looked at Robert and Harriet. ¡°My men found out that Harriet is barren, and she knew it before she married your father.¡± He smiled at Robert. ¡°Mr. Wendel, the reason Miss Branson never had her own children wasn¡¯t because she wanted to care for her nephews, but because she is barren. I wonder if you know that, Mr. Wendel. Did you know she deceived you? Or did you work with her so your sons would believe that she sacrificed her own happiness to take care of them?¡± It was a deadly question, as either answer wouldnd Robert in a world of embarrassment. If it was the former, that meant he was a fool, but if it was thetter, then that meant he was an aplice. Michael and his sons looked at Robert. Robert¡¯s face was twitching, but he had to answer, for everyone was looking at him. ¡°I did not know.¡± He looked at Harriet and asked, ¡°Why did you lie to me? Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t want any children because we already have three kids? I thought you said you were worried you wouldn¡¯t have time for Michael and his brothers.¡± Harriet was panicking. She never thought she¡¯d be dragged into this whole mess. If she had known about this, she would never havee to Michael¡¯s house and tried to make Crystal¡¯s life difficult. She didn¡¯t defend herself. Of course she wanted her own children, and she consulted a lot of doctors for that before and after she married Robert. Nobody noticed that, so nobody looked into it. But now that her secret was exposed, they could find the evidence easily if they wanted to. It was useless to try and argue, so she looked down and covered her mouth. ¡°Rob, it¡¯s hard to be a stepmother.¡± She sobbed. ¡°I said that just so Michael and the boys would believe that I truly was nice to them. I never had any other ideas.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, but only you would know if that¡¯s the truth.¡± Sebastian looked at her and chuckled. ¡°You know, once I found out about your case, I came up with a little story in my head. To be exact, it¡¯s a tragedy.¡± ¡°Enough! Stop talking!¡± Harriet¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Even if I did lie, I am still their stepmother, and they¡¯re rted to me. They¡¯re the closest family I have aside from Rob. I love them, and I raised them. I treat them like my own children, and you can¡¯t tear us apart just because of some little story you made up.¡± ¡°Hey, if you guys are that loving, then what¡¯s the harm in listening to my story?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t stand up unless Mr. Wendel agreed to your terms? Why are you up now? Keep kneeling.¡± ¡°You¡­You¡­¡± Harriet couldn¡¯t even form a coherent sentence. She was enraged, but also terrified. Harriet had her own dirty little secret, and that must never be found out. She had never regretted her actions so much before. Why did I have to poke my nose where it doesn¡¯t belong? And now see what that got me. He might say something really bad in just a moment. She wobbled and held her forehead, leaning toward Robert. ¡°Rob, I feel really dizzy. I¡ª¡± ¡°Oh ho ho, do please hold yourself together, Miss Branson. Don¡¯t pass out.¡± Sebastian looked at her, amused. ¡°Even if you do pass out, I¡¯ll still tell my story. If you¡¯re awake, you can still defend yourself, but if you¡¯re not, you¡¯ll be sent away and miss out on my story.¡± Harriet was pretending to be dizzy, but now she truly felt like fainting from all her anger. But Sebastian had a point. She couldn¡¯t faint at this point in time. Harriet leaned against Rob and looked at Michael tearfully. ¡°Michael. I¡¯m your stepmother, and I raised you. Are you just going to watch as this young man insults me?¡± Michael had always been nice to his father and stepmother, but this time, he didn¡¯t defend her despite what she said. Instead, he was staring at her, his deep gaze filled with a terrible storm. The look in his eyes scared her, and she asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Michael, why are you looking at me like that? You¡¯re going to trust a stranger instead of your own stepmother? I crossed him because I tried to help Angie, and now he¡¯s trying to make you doubt me in return. Don¡¯t trust him, Michael!¡± Michael stared at her for a silent moment, then he turned to Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, I¡¯m really interested in your story.¡± ¡°Well, we have time to spare, and I¡¯m willing to tell you all about it.¡± He wrapped his arm around Madeline¡¯s waist. They were standing under the chandelier, looking like a perfect couple. A smile curled Sebastian¡¯s lips, and he took on the role of storyteller. His voice was crisp, clear, and sonorous. It captivated those who listened, and oh, did the Wendels listen. ¡°The story I have in mind is of how Miss Branson fell in love with her own sister¡¯s husband¡­¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 86 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Understandable and Betrayal ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± Harriet stopped him furiously. ¡°Sebastian, I¡¯m nearly fifty years old, and I¡¯m your elder! You cannot nder me like that!¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll change it up a bit then. Once upon a time, there was a sessful young man who was loved by his wife¡¯s sister. But his sister-inw had to hide that love deeply within her, for her sister and her brother-inw were madly in love with each other.¡± ¡°Sebastian, enough! Shut up!¡± Harriet would kill to tear Sebastian¡¯s tongue out right at that moment. ¡°Hmm?¡± Sebastian looked at her curiously. ¡°What is it, Miss Branson? Have you fallen in love with Old Master Wendel when your own sister was still alive? If you haven¡¯t, why are you reacting so violently then?¡± Michael looked at Harriet coldly, and anger was crawling up his face. There was a difference between her taking care of them after their mother¡¯s death and marrying their father after spending a lot of time with him and falling in love with him, and coveting him and secretly getting close to him while their mother was still alive. The former was understandable, but thetter was betrayal. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! I would never do that!¡± Harriet hated herself for poking her nose where it shouldn¡¯t belong. She could have lived her life in peace and taken her secret to the grave, but she just had to land herself in a world of trouble. If she could turn back time to a few hours ago, she would tell the guard to keep a close eye on the main gate and never let anyone in. Of course, she wouldn¡¯te out either. Sebastian smiled, and he continued, ¡°Now that the sister-inw has caught feelings for her sister¡¯s husband, she started disliking her sister. But she probably didn¡¯t have the idea to kill her sister and rece her in the first ce. She was still unmarried, but her brother-inw already had three children. She didn¡¯t want to be a stepmother. However, she eventually found out that she was afflicted with infertility, so she started making ns to take her sister¡¯s husband for herself.¡± He smirked at Harriet. ¡°She couldn¡¯t have her own children, but her sister had three, and to her, those kids were her stepchildren. Why should she be someone else¡¯s stepmother when her own sister¡¯s kids could be under her care, right? And she loved her sister¡¯s husband as well. It would be easier to make her own nephews see her as their mother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! Nonsense!¡± Harriet couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore, and she pounced at Sebastian. ¡°That¡¯s a lie! You¡¯re ndering me! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Quinton appeared beside her and twisted her arm behind her before she could even get close. She screeched in pain and bent over, eventually losing her bnce and falling to the ground. Sebastian didn¡¯t stop. ¡°And finally, she did the deed. While her pregnant sister was in her room all alone, she tried to get her sister to fall. When her sister did, she started to bleed, but instead of calling the ambnce to help her sister, she covered her sister¡¯s mouth and kept her from calling for help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! Nonsense!¡± She struggled to break free, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°She fell down herself. I had nothing to do with it!¡± Sebastian looked down at her. ¡°She thought nobody would find out about her secret. She thought all would be fine with her sister¡¯s death, but fate wasn¡¯t so kind to her. A maid called Cindy noticed her crimes, and that maid ckmailed her with this dirty secret of hers. She had no choice but to give her a lot of money to keep her mouth shut. Eventually, the woman managed to marry the man of her dreams. Or in this case, the widower of her dreams. She established herself in her brother-inw¡¯s home, but Cindy¡¯s greed evolved. Cindy kept asking the woman for money. Worried that her contacts with Cindy would be found out, the woman came up with a n. She said she liked Cindy and thought of Cindy as a capable woman, which was why she opened a clubhouse with Cindy. Since then, she kept sending money to her through the clubhouse in order to shut Cindy up.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it¡­ I didn¡¯t do it¡­ I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Harriet kept shaking her head, shouting, ¡°Rob, Michael! Believe me! I didn¡¯t do anything! He¡¯s getting back at me because I tried to defend Angie! Believe me! I never did anything he said! I never have!¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to verify the truth.¡± Sebastian looked refreshed after finishing that story, and he sounded rxed. ¡°Get someone to bring Cindy here and ask her. Or they can look into that clubhouse¡¯s ounts to find the answer.¡± He smiled, looking at Harriet. ¡°Cindy¡¯s clubhouse is in the red. Your investments have yielded no returns, and she used your money to buy estates all over the world. Her husband and son¡¯s cars are better than the Wendel brothers¡¯.¡± He chuckled. ¡°And you say you never did that? If you never did anything, why are you so nice to Cindy then? Is she your best friend? Or do you just want to share your wealth with her?¡± ¡°S-She helped me before,¡± Harriet answered fearfully. ¡°I-I almost got into a car crash, and she saved me. She¡¯s my savior. Money¡¯s not as important as life. She saved my life, and it¡¯s normal that I pay her no matter the amount.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She saved your life?¡± Sebastian arched his eyebrow. ¡°When and where? Do you have any witnesses?¡± Harriet had no answer to that. The fewer that knew about the deal between her and Cindy, the better. There were no ¡®witnesses¡¯ at all. Even when Robert brought it up, she only told him that she almost got into a car crash and was saved by a girl who worked as the family¡¯s servant. She told him she wanted to open a shop with her and repay her. The Wendels were rich, and Robert was generous when it came to her. She had money, and Robert didn¡¯t really care about small stuff like that. He only asked her a few questions and let her do whatever she wanted after she told him she wasn¡¯t hurt in the ident. Ever since then, she seldom brought Cindy up in front of him. She thought he would forget this incident as time went by, and she and Cindy would take this secret to their graves. But she never thought it would be exposed just because she wanted to make Crystal¡¯s life miserable out of jealousy. She kept opening her mouth, and finally, she came up with an excuse. ¡°That¡¯s just you trying to attack me. There¡¯s no secret between me and Cindy. He¡¯s just trying toe up with an imaginary crime. He wants me dead!¡± she wailed. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 87 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Sebastian¡¯s Practical Joke She was a mess of tears, but Robert and Michael didn¡¯t feel a thing. They were smart men, and the only reason they never suspected her was because she was family, and they trusted her. Now that they knew she lied about why she chose to take care of Michael and his brothers instead of having children of her own, Robert and Michael¡¯s trust in her diminished, while the seed of doubt was sown. When Sebastian told them about the peculiarities between her and Cindy, the seed of doubt grew. Robert respected her because he loved his first wife. Michael and Crystal¡¯s rtionship was just like his and his wife¡¯s. They were also childhood friends who eventually fell in love and got married. Even after they had three sons, they still acted like newlyweds. And then his wife was pregnant with their fourth child. Before his wife¡¯s passing, he lived his days much like any other happy family. He was busy with work, but he had a soulmate and three beautiful children waiting for him at home. The very thought of his family was an endless source of strength for him. But when his wife died, half his world died with her. There was noughter or light in his world. What was left was darkness and loneliness. Harriet would take care of the boys frequently after that, and during one of his drunken episodes, he mistook her as his wife and had skinship with her. He could see that Harriet loved him, and the kids needed someone to take care of them. When he said he¡¯d take responsibility and she nodded, he married her. He didn¡¯t like her at first and refused to let her bear his child for fear that she¡¯d mistreat the boys if she had her own kid. But when he started having feelings for her, he took pity and hinted to her about having her own kid. She would tell him that it was already wrong of her to marry her dead sister¡¯s husband, and she didn¡¯t want to have a kid of her own lest her sister¡¯s kids lose their father¡¯s love. She told him that caring for her nephews was the same as caring for her own child. She vowed that Michael and his brothers were her sons, and she¡¯d treat him like they were her own. That promise was held, and she never did get pregnant with her own children. She also saw Michael and her brothers as her own. Because of that, he respected her and forbade his sons from ever disrespecting her. But now he found out that it was all just an act. Harriet didn¡¯t get pregnant not because she felt guilty, but because she was barren. She had been trying to treat that, but all of her efforts ended in failure. He was married to her for many years, but this was the first time he realized that the woman whom he thought was gentle was actually a scheming, lying snake. He was looking at her and having mixed feelings about it. It had been a long time since he knew and married her, but he never seemed to have truly known her before. Michael¡¯s feelings were more directpared to his father. Robert might have mixed feelings about the matter, but he didn¡¯t. His mother was irreceable. No matter how nice Harriet was to him, she could neverpare to his own mother. He was already a teenager when his mother died, and he could remember a lot of things from those days. Harriet might look loving, but it was just her job to do so. It was different from their mother¡¯s love. He couldn¡¯t ask for too much from a stepmother, so she passed the test, but only as a stepmother. Compared to their mother, the love Harriet had shown them was as shallow as a puddle of water after a rain. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He could remember how his own mother looked at him and his brothers. It was as if she was looking at the world¡¯s most precious treasure. No matter which of them was hurt or sick, their mother would do everything to care for them. She would always panic whenever they got into any little trouble, and that love stemmed from her soul. He knew she¡¯d take their ce in any suffering if given the chance. On the other hand, Harriet only showed care and concern just so she wouldn¡¯t be called a bad stepmother. He always thought his mother died from an ident, but now, he knew that his mother¡¯s death could possibly be a dark n of his stepmother¡¯s. Harriet¡¯s love for their father might be why she killed her own sister. Since she was barren, marrying her own brother-inw would give her a family. It was perfect¡­ ly twisted of her. He was staring at Harriet, but instead of a storm brewing in his eyes, a hurricane of hatred was howling instead. The intense hatred in his eyes spooked Harriet, and she shook her head violently. ¡°Michael, you have to believe me. I didn¡¯t kill your mother. She¡¯s my own sister, and I love her. I¡¯m no animal. I could never have killed her. Don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s lying. He¡¯s trying to pit us against each other. This is a scheme against me. He has no evidence. You cannot trust him!¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who killed your mother. Hey, I like to tell stories, but finding evidence? Not so much. I think Mr. Wendel is very interested in the evidence part though.¡± he moved his hand up and reached Madeline¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯ste, Maddie. The boys are asleep in my men¡¯s arms, but the beds are always better. Why don¡¯t we go back to our room?¡± She hadn¡¯t known him for long, but Madeline could see that Sebastian loved practical jokes. The thing he liked most was to sow chaos, and he¡¯d always feel refreshed after that. She let him do what he did, and she shook her head in amusement, but then she nodded. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time to sleep.¡± Jonathan looked at Robert first, and then at his father. He whispered something to Joseph and Connor beforeing over to the Hart couple. Maddie, Sebastian, I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡± Madeline smiled at Jonathan and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 88 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Beauty Original from N?velDrama.Org. Her overly-polite attitude made Jonathan uneasy. He said, ¡°You¡¯re my sister. You don¡¯t have to say thank you. This is your home too, and you belong here. You can go anywhere you want after you get to know the ce.¡± Madeline nodded with a smile, but she said nothing. Jonathan led her and Sebastian to the guest room. Sebastian took Aldo from Wem, while Madeline took Buddy from Gregor. The boys were around forty pounds, and the bodyguards took turns taking care of them. Even though they changed hands, the boys still didn¡¯t wake up. Sebastian kissed Aldo and smiled at Madeline. ¡°People always say kids won¡¯t wake up when they¡¯re asleep no matter how loud it is. They won¡¯t even know when someone takes them away. I always thought that¡¯s an exaggeration, but now I see that it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°But kids are sensitive. They can only sleep soundly if the people they¡¯re familiar with are around. If no one¡¯s around them, they¡¯ll wake up easily.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sebastian looked at Aldo and kissed him again. ¡°I was just thinking about keeping an eye on the kids lest someone took them away in their sleep. So there¡¯s nothing to worry about, huh?¡± Jonathan had mixed feelings about Sebastian. Sebastian was vastly different from how he acted in the living room. He was looking at Aldo with love in his eyes, and there was tenderness he hadn¡¯t seen before, much to Jonathan¡¯s surprise. He always thought Sebastian only epted Madeline and the boys because the boys were his sons. He thought Sebastian only took care of them because he didn¡¯t want the Hart bloodline to wander aimlessly outside. He thought Sebastian was only doing his job, but now that he saw the look in Sebastian¡¯s eyes as he gazed at Aldo, Jonathan knew he was mistaken. Sebastian wasn¡¯t just feeling responsibility for Buddy; there was also love. Madeline was reminded of that time Phoebe tried to steal Buddy away in the night, and she whispered, ¡°You¡¯d still better keep an eye on them.¡± Sebastian looked at the adorable boy in his arms and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. My son is too adorable. I bet a lot of people want to steal him.¡± Your son? That¡¯s my son, alright? You can be quite random at times, Sebastian. Sometimes you¡¯re serious, but sometimes you¡¯re funny, and you switch between modes perfectly. She shook her head and kept quiet, then she looked at Jonathan, who was still outside the door. ¡°I¡¯m alright now, Mr. Wendel. You go do your job.¡± Jonathan was upset by how formal she sounded, as if cats were scratching at his heart, but he had no way of shooing them away. ¡°Maddie, I told you that we¡¯re siblings. You don¡¯t have to be this formal,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me Mr. Wendel. Call me Jonathan. I¡¯m really happy that we found you.¡± Madeline answered, ¡°Alright then, Jonathan.¡± It¡¯s just a name. I¡¯d call everyone by their names if I knew them. It¡¯s nothing, really. Madeline might have obliged, but it made Jonathan even more upset. He wasn¡¯t stupid, and he could see that the way she called him was still formal. He felt crestfallen, but then he thought that was stupid. I¡¯ve never shown her any brotherly love, so why should I expect her to see me as her brother? That¡¯s just being hypocritical. He cursed himself silently and smiled at Madeline. ¡°It¡¯ste. You and your husband get some sleep. See you tomorrow.¡± My husband? Madeline looked at Sebastian. He was looking at his son, and it seemed like he didn¡¯t hear that. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at Jonathan. ¡°You too. Good night.¡± She looked cold when she wasn¡¯t smiling, as if she was hard to approach. But when she did smile, it felt like the warmth from her smile alone could melt snow. It was dazzling like the sun itself. Jonathan had seen a lot of beautiful people, and he was rarely stunned by anyone¡¯s looks, but Madeline¡¯s smile surprised him nheless. My sister is really beautiful. Not only that, but she also has a great personality. She¡¯s calm, elegant, smart, brave, and if the rumors are true, a skilled fighter as well. No wonder she managed to make the legendary Sebastian fall for her. In just a few hours, Jonathan¡¯s affection for Madeline surged, and he told her good night genuinely before he left. Madeline noticed his change as well, and her smile got a lot warmer as she watched him leave. Having more people who loved her was better than having more enemies. When he disappeared from her sight, she took Buddy into the room. The kids were sleeping soundly, and she didn¡¯t want to wake them up for a bath. She decided that she¡¯d let this slide and have them bathe the next morning. Madeline got a bathrobe and was about to shower, but she looked at Sebastian. ¡°What about you?¡± Sebastian was looking at his son, but now he turned his attention to her. He noticed the bathrobe she was holding, and he got what she was trying to say. ¡°I¡¯ll bathe in the room next door.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°Good night.¡± Sebastian answered, ¡°Good night.¡± Madeline went into the bathroom, closed and locked the door, then she bathed. Half an hourter, she dried her hair and took off her bathrobe to change into her pajamas beforeing out. The first thing she saw was Sebastian lying beside the kids, and he was wearing a bathrobe. What is he doing? Sebastian was lying on his side, holding up his face with his elbow. ¡°I was worried the boys might be scared if you took too long in the bathroom, since they¡¯d be alone.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She went over to the bed. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°They¡¯re my sons too, and it¡¯s my duty to take care of them. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± She nodded and looked at Sebastian. Sebastian noticed her staring at him. ¡°Anything?¡± What do you mean ¡®anything¡¯? It¡¯s almost three. Shouldn¡¯t you be in your room and asleep by now? She took a few steps forward and looked at the boys, then she whispered, ¡°I can take care of them myself. You go to sleep.¡± ¡°Buddy is holding my hand.¡± Sebastian looked at his hand. Madeline looked where he was looking and saw Buddy holding Sebastian¡¯s hand. His chest was heaving as he breathed. He¡¯s sleeping fine. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She smiled. ¡°Just pull your hand out. He won¡¯t wake up.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 89 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Call His Name ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Sebastian looked at Buddy lovingly. ¡°I haven¡¯t slept in the same room as my son before.¡± So I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room then? But that just sounds wrong. What if they got used to this and shove me away? What if he takes the boys for himself without me realizing it? She shivered and killed the idea of sleeping in the guest room. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep together.¡± Sebastian pointed at the other side of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s a big bed, so you can sleep on the other side of the kids. When they wake up tomorrow and see us sleeping with them, they¡¯ll be delighted.¡± S-Sleep together? Sebastian noticed her shock, and he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything.¡± That¡¯s not the problem. I mean, a man and a woman alone in a room? And sleeping on the same bed? ¡°We¡¯re a legal couple now, and we¡¯re going to have to do even more intimate stuff for the kids. What are you afraid of?¡± Sebastian cocked his eyebrow at her. Even more intimate stuff? Something even more intimate than sleeping on the same bed in the same room? What is it? ¡°Alright, stop thinking about it. Just get in the bed. I¡¯m turning the lights off.¡± Sebastiany down on Buddy¡¯s left side. Madeliney down on Aldo¡¯s right. Sebastian turned the lights off. The bed was big, and with the kids between them, Sebastian indeed couldn¡¯t do anything. His presence also felt weaker with the kids sleeping between them, and her heart finally started to calm. It waste, but she couldn¡¯t sleep. Too many things had happened that day, and it seemed really long for her. She kept thinking about them, and they shed across her mind like a virtual carousel. The more she thought about them, the less she felt like sleeping. A long whileter, Sebastian whispered, ¡°Are you still awake?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Madeline said, ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sebastian looked at Buddy. He could only make out a faint outline of Buddy as it was dark. ¡°It feels different sleeping with your own kid. I keep wanting to look at them.¡± I just can¡¯t close my eyes. He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my first time doing this with the kids.¡± Madeline didn¡¯t know what to say. A long timeter, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± Madeline answered, ¡°For giving birth to the boys without you knowing. For making you miss five years of their childhood. You became a father without even knowing it, and now you have to take up the responsibility of fatherhood. You did nothing wrong. I dragged you into this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Sebastianined, ¡°It¡¯s my Dad¡¯s fault. He¡¯s already a grownup, but he keeps pulling things like this without thinking about the consequences.¡± He sounded really close to his father, however. A smile curled Madeline¡¯s lips. ¡°You get along with your Dad really well.¡± ¡°Our Dad,¡± Sebastian corrected. ¡°We¡¯re going to act like a real couple. Aldo is the smartest kid I¡¯ve ever seen. If you can¡¯t get in character, he¡¯ll know we¡¯re a fake couple.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Well, not a fake couple technically, since we did get registered. What kind of couple are we then? Dutch? In- name? Acting couple? Business partners?¡± Madeline was having a headache. ¡°We can break up when you meet someone you like.¡± She emphasized, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything but the boys.¡± ¡°But I want the boys too.¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to be hard for us to break up.¡± Madeline sat up and looked at him. ¡°I can give you anything, but the boys are off limits. As long as I am alive, I won¡¯t let anyone take them away from me.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Sebastian held her shoulder down. ¡°Go back to sleep.¡± ¡°Just remember. Never try to take the boys away from me.¡± ¡°Okay. I promise you.¡± Sebastian said, ¡°If I find someone I like, we can break up, and you can take the boys with you.¡± Madeline eased up andy back down. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sebastian smiled silently. Buddy was holding his hand instead of the other way around at that moment, and it felt magical for him. It was like someone needed and depended on him. It hadn¡¯t been long since he met them, but he loved them from the bottom of his heart. He kept wanting to be closer to them. He wanted to make them happy and give them the best the world had to offer, and he wanted to be close to them. Perhaps that was a magic exclusive to children. They could make grownups like them so they could survive in this world even though they had no survival skills at all. He kissed Buddy¡¯s cheek. ¡°I have no idea why I like them so much either,¡± he said lovingly. ¡°I¡¯ve never loved someone so much before, aside from my parents.¡± And it hasn¡¯t even been too long since I met them. ¡°I have no idea either,¡± Madeline said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because fate smiled on you.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°I think so.¡± Sebastian epted that exnation. Madeline gave birth to the children in an extraordinary way, and yet he bumped into them just by chance. Fate probably did smile on him. ¡°Se-Sebastian¡­¡± Madeline felt awkward calling his name for the first time. ¡°Yes?¡± Sebastian answered. ¡°I want to know about Harriet,¡± she said. ¡°Ask away,¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°Everything you said about her¡­ Was it a guess, or do you have proof?¡± Madeline asked. ¡°Some parts are my conjecture, the others are backed by evidence,¡± he said. ¡°Which part is a conjecture? Which part is backed by evidence then?¡± she asked. Sebastian answered, ¡°There¡¯s proof for her barren affliction and her investing in a clubhouse with Cindy. Also the money she spent on Cindy all these years. Everything else is a guess.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Madeline was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you guessed the part where she caused my grandmother to fall? The part where she refused to call a doctor for my grandmother and caused her death was a guess?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 90 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Bad ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°My men found a lot of stuff. I didn¡¯t really think much about her back then. Sure, it seemed suspicious, but I didn¡¯t look into it. Since she wanted to bully you earlier, I thought I could use this against her.¡± He paused for a moment and looked at Madeline, a smirk curling his lips. ¡°Since I¡¯m just paying her back for what she did to you, I don¡¯t even need any proof.¡± You win. ¡°And I probably hit the jackpot,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°I linked all the points together and came up with a story just to get back at her, but judging from the looks of it, my story is close to the truth.¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Madeline said. ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°Your father and brothers are going to have a sleepless night,¡± Sebastian said happily. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Yep. He really loves to make people¡¯s lives miserable just to get some sort of satisfaction out of it. ¡°Just sleep, alright?¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the Wendels¡¯ business to look for the evidence, not yours. This might possibly be a murder, and your father¡¯s mother¡ªyour grandfather¡¯s wife¡ªwas the victim. They will find the evidence no matter what.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Madeline said. ¡°Good night.¡± Sebastian replied the same thing as well. They didn¡¯t sleep for a long time after that, but they said nothing either. She was in silence for a long time, and a lot of things crossed her mind, but eventually, she drifted to sleep. It was a peaceful slumber, and when she woke up, Sebastian was still asleep. Madeline turned to her side and looked at him and the boys, then she started to have mixed feelings about it. Philip said that Aldo looked exactly like Sebastian was when he was little, and he said Buddy looked like Sebastian¡¯s deceased mother. But on closer inspection, she could see that they both resembled Sebastian. They looked like a mini version of him when put side by side. Anyone could see that they were father and son at first nce. She was impressed by the magic of blood. The boys had no interaction with Sebastian for thest five years, but they still resembled their father nheless. She wasn¡¯t rted to Sebastian at all either, but now, she had two boys who resembled both her and Sebastian. While she was staring away at them, she suddenly realized that Sebastian had opened his eyes. Surprised, she quickly looked down and focused on Aldo. Sebastian looked at her, then at the kids, and he smiled. ¡°Good morning.¡± Madeline brushed her unkempt hair away. ¡°Good morning.¡± I wonder if he saw me staring at him. Sebastian sat up and looked at the children. ¡°Do you want to let them sleep in?¡± Madeline thought about it for a moment, and she nodded. ¡°It was way past their bedtime when they sleptst night. I¡¯ll let them sleep. They¡¯re still growing, and they need their sleep.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Sebastian got out of bed. ¡°Now let¡¯s get breakfast. I¡¯ve got some Wendel Morning News to catch.¡± Wow, he really doesn¡¯t care when it doesn¡¯t concern him, huh? This guy looks and acts like royalty. It¡¯s like he¡¯s a real king, but his personality doesn¡¯t match his air. He¡¯s so bad. She shook her head speechlessly. ¡°You go. The boys will be scared if they don¡¯t see me after they wake up.¡± ¡°Did you forget something?¡± Sebastian looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re not alone now. ¡°Get Fred and Simon here to keep an eye on them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Sebastian changed into his clothes,menting nonchntly, ¡°Maddie, you have got to get used to this. The boys aren¡¯t just your sons anymore. They are also the Harts¡¯ young masters. Fred and Simon are their bodyguards. Letting them get along with the kids will be good for them. And as for you¡­¡± He looked at her. ¡°You should have your own space instead of just making the children your whole world, or you¡¯re going to be lonely, sad, and depressed when the kids go to school.¡± He really knows how to talk, but he¡¯s so bad. I won¡¯t get lonely, sad, and depressed. I have my own firm and career. I won¡¯t be depressed just because the kids are at school. She had no argument here, and she thought he had a point, so she called Fred and Simon. It had been a long day, and they had gone to sleep at a time way past their bedtime, so the kids didn¡¯t even stir even though she and Sebastian were chatting so happily. Fred and Simon came up a whileter. Once Sebastian and Madeline washed up and got changed, they left the room. Fred and Simon came in to take their ce and stayed with the boys. They went down and headed toward the living room. Michael and his sons were there, and they stood up to greet the Hart couple. ¡°Dad. Gentlemen,¡± Madeline greeted them. She didn¡¯t address her brothers one by one, so she just greeted them all at once. ¡°Morning, Maddie. Did you sleep well?¡± Michael looked at Sebastian. ¡°And did you have a good sleep, Sebastian?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Madeline said. ¡°The boys are still slee¡­ Dad, did you guys stay up the whole night?¡± Michael and his sons were still in the same clothes, though they were starting to wrinkle after a night, and they looked harried. It was obvious they stayed up the whole night. ¡°Yes.¡± Michael invited them to the dining table. ¡°Have a seat. Cedric, tell the chef to make breakfast.¡± Cedric stood up. Michael asked, ¡°What do the boys like, Maddie?¡± ¡°Anything,¡± she said. ¡°Anything, really. They aren¡¯t picky.¡± Michael looked at Cedric. ¡°Make more of everything then. Tell them to make the boys¡¯ favorite and their specialties.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Cedric nodded and went to the kitchen. Michael asked, ¡°Dad, what about the case with Grandma? Did you find any evidence?¡± ¡°We did.¡± Michael¡¯s smile was reced by a grim look. ¡°Your brothers and I dragged Cindy here through the night and interrogated her. She¡¯s a coward and broke down in moments. She told us everything after your brothers scared her.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Madeline looked at Sebastian. ¡°Is it like what Se-Sebastian said?¡± For some reason, she would feel awkward and stammer whenever she said Sebastian¡¯s name. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 91 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Stupid ¡°Yes.¡± Michael looked at Sebastian. ¡°It¡¯s just like what Sebastian saidst night. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Sebastian was young and had never met us back then, I would have suspected that he was at the scene himself.¡± Madeline looked at Sebastian again, and she was impressed this time. He¡¯s as smart as the rumors say he is. He only went and made a fictional tale out of some clues he found, and his guess was right on the money. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you this time, Sebastian.¡± Michael looked at him gratefully. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you exposing the truth, we would have thought of our mother¡¯s killer as someone who took great care of us.¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Wendel. This is nothing.¡± Oh, it¡¯s nothing alright. You came up with a bullsh*t story just to mess with Harriet. You never intended to help them, but it¡¯s true that you exposed the truth and helped them. It¡¯s natural for them to thank you. ¡°It might be nothing to you, but it¡¯s important for me and my brothers,¡± Michael said. ¡°We¡¯re lucky that Harriet is still young. If we only found out about the truth after her death, we would be too ashamed to see our mother when we finally meet her in the afterlife.¡± That would be the humiliation that taints our lives. Madeline nodded. ¡°Harriet went too far.¡± She killed their mother and made them think they owe her a favor for raising them up. And she even told them she didn¡¯t have her own children so she could take care of them. This is just shamelessly despicable. She¡¯s worse than an animal. Jonathan said, ¡°Too far? She¡¯s vile.¡± He and his brothers felt angry for their father, and they despised Harriet after the truth was out. It was lucky they weren¡¯t toote, and their father could still avenge his mother. If they only found out about the truth after Harriet¡¯s death, their father would be left without an outlet for his rage, and he¡¯d probably die of depression. ¡°True,¡± Madeline agreed. ¡°Where¡¯s Harriet? Did you call the cops on her?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Michael said. ¡°She¡¯s not just my enemy; she¡¯s also my brothers¡¯ enemy. You have two uncles, and I¡¯ve notified them about this. They¡¯re out of town, but they¡¯lle here ASAP. Once they¡¯re here, we¡¯ll talk about how we should handle Harriet.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Madeline understood that. In other words, he¡¯s not the only one who has a score to settle with her. His brothers should get that chance as well. Dad has to call his brothers back so they can exact vengeance. I get it. Sebastian suddenly huddled closer and whispered, ¡°Looks like we missed nothing even after we slept through the whole night.¡± She noticed theugh in his voice, and she felt speechless when she saw the look of schadenfreude on his face. You¡¯re the heir to the Hart Family, and you look like a god who just descended from Olympus, but you sure love gossip, don¡¯t you? He was too close to her, and she could feel his hot breath brushing across his skin. And he also smelled like mint. She wasn¡¯t used to being so close to someone, so she blushed and moved away from him, but she pretended like nothing was wrong. ¡°What about Cameron, Dad?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve called the cops on her, and Dusktown¡¯s forces will arrest her. I haven¡¯t asked them for details yet,¡± Michael said. ¡°I¡¯ll take your mother to her when she¡¯s all better.¡± It was not a visit. He would take her to Cameron so she could see the end of her nemesis. Crystal hated Cameron the most, and she would skin her alive if she could. Of course she had to see her nemesis¡¯ end with her own eyes if she wanted any closure. Madeline nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go with her then.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± Michael looked at her gently. Michael never lived with Madeline for a day before, but she was a likable woman. She was beautiful, elegant, well-mannered, dignified, and confident. He¡¯d admire her even if she was someone else¡¯s daughter, let alone his. She was his and Crystal¡¯s flesh and blood. With that and her own charm in the equation, his affection for her rose with every passing moment he spent with her. They chatted for a few moments, and breakfast was ready, but the boys were still asleep. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Michael looked upstairs. ¡°Should we wake them up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let them sleep,¡± Madeline answered. ¡°Where¡¯s uncle, Dan, and Sam?¡± Last night, Nigel and his sons stayed silent the whole time after they came, and they pretended that they were invisible. Madeline guessed that they were feeling guilty and had no idea how to face her. She didn¡¯t think that was necessary, of course. No matter what, Dan saved her life before, and Sam hired a famous master to teach her self-defense. Thanks to that, she could face anyone and anything without fear of fervor. No matter what, she would still be grateful for Sam and Dan. After all, there wasn¡¯t anyw that said cousins must be nice to cousins, but Dan and Sam did show her kindness, and she would repay them in kind. ¡°Your uncle has his own ce here, so they went back.¡± Michael hesitated for a moment, and he said, ¡°After you went to bedst night, he apologized to me profusely. He said he wronged you a lot because he had no idea you¡¯re my daughter. He hopes you can forgive him. He feels sorry about what he did, and it¡¯s awkward to see you now. He doesn¡¯t know how to face you, so he wants me to tell you that he¡¯s really sorry.¡± Nigel also apologized to MIchael and said he failed him and Crystal. Their daughter was right under his nose, but he failed to take care of her and made her suffer. All Michael could say was it was in the past, and that Nigel shouldn¡¯t take it to heart anymore. He couldn¡¯t criticize him, since he too failed in taking care of his own daughter. He had no right to me anyone else. He looked at Madeline and said softly, ¡°Maddie, we owe you a lot. We¡¯ll make it up to you, we promise.¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°And I¡¯ll always keep in touch.¡± Cedric had gone back to his room for a shower and a change of clothes after he told the chefs to make breakfast. When he came back to the living room, he heard that conversation between Michael and Madeline. He stopped in his tracks, nced at Madeline, and he snorted disdainfully. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 92 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 92 Chapter 92 What Did You Say? Michael red at him angrily. ¡°Your mother is still in the hospital. What do you want this time?¡± It was fortunate that his wife was saved, or he would have kicked Cedric out. Since he was his son, and his wife was already saved, he didn¡¯t want to chastise him too much in case he got stressed out and did something stupid. If he were to be overwhelmed by guilt and cut himself or did something dangerous like drunk driving, he could get himself killed, and that would only devastate Michael. But he¡¯s already back to his old ways just because I cut him some ck? The mention of his ill mother made him freeze up, and he stared down at the ground. ¡°Nothing, Dad.¡± ¡°Oh, I know what he¡¯s thinking, Dad.¡± Madeline hade to the dining table and taken a seat. She smirked at Cedric and exined, ¡°He¡¯s thinking, ¡®Wow, this Madeline is some shameless b*tch. Now that she knows she¡¯s a part of our family, she wants to stay with us in case she misses out on our riches. If Dad and Mom are just paupers, she probably won¡¯t want to admit that they¡¯re her parents so easily. She says she¡¯s here for a reunion, but in reality, she¡¯s just trying to take advantage of us¡¯.¡± Cedric was red with anger. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, Madeline?¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°Cedric, you¡¯re a man. If you did it, you¡¯ll have to admit it. Are you sure that¡¯s not what you have in mind?¡± Cedric¡¯s face got even redder. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, for Madeline was right; that was what he was thinking. He thought Madeline only showed up and tried to butter up his father just because they were rich. If the Wendels were poor and powerless, she¡¯d probably say that her parents had never raised her for a day in her life and stay away from them, quoting that they were not rted to her. He had seen a lot of people like that before. That was what he truly thought, but he felt embarrassed that Madeline said it out in front of everyone. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Madeline said he wasn¡¯t a man if he didn¡¯t, and he couldn¡¯t let that happen. He had always been stubborn and egotistical. If he denied his true thoughts, he would think he wasn¡¯t man enough. Michael took his silence as an admission, and he flew into a rage. He picked a te up and hurled it to the floor. ¡°What in God¡¯s holy name are you thinking? How could you see your sister that way? Your sister is our child, just like you boys are. You¡¯ve been enjoying the family¡¯s love, wealth, and riches for more than twenty years, but what did she have?¡± The more he said, the sadder he was, and he finally teared up. ¡°What do you mean your sister wants to take advantage of us? She¡¯s our daughter. She deserves a part of this wealth. If it weren¡¯t for that witch, Cameron, she would be enjoying the same life you boys have for thest twenty years. But no. No, instead, her life was nothing but suffering!¡± Michael¡¯s heart hurt when he was reminded of Madeline¡¯s suffering, and he choked up. ¡°I failed my own daughter. I failed to protect her, and I¡¯ve never even raised her. Now that I finally found her, you think she¡¯s just a gold digger? Even if she is, she¡¯s just eyeing my wealth, and I would give it to her dly! What makes you think you have the right to nder her?¡± Cedric was pale with guilt. ¡°I did not nder her,¡± he defended himself. ¡°You can¡¯t even think about it!¡± Michael¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re blind to what you did? Do you think nobody can see through you? Do you think you¡¯re the only smart person here?¡± Cedric opened his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Dad, Cedric didn¡¯t mean it. He just got to a dead end, that¡¯s all. Calm down. I¡¯ll deal with this.¡± Jonathan went over and sat his father down on his seat. He poured Michael a ss of water and looked at Cedric. ¡°Cedric, I know you¡¯re ufortable that Maddie suddenly became our sister instead of Angie. I can understand that, but you can¡¯t vent on her. She¡¯s the victim here. You can¡¯t me her for taking Angie¡¯s ce when that ce is hers to begin with. You understand that, right?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Cedric, as if he was being publicly prosecuted. He didn¡¯t want to look at anyone, or perhaps he was too scared to do so. He hung his head low and stared at the ground, and he nodded. Jonathan continued, ¡°Just like what Dad said, Maddie is their child, just like you and I are. She¡¯s a part of the family to begin with. Whatever we have, she should have them too, right?¡± Cedric had no counterargument, and he nodded. Jonathan said, ¡°Since she¡¯s Dad and Mom¡¯s child just like we are, that makes her a part of the family. So why shouldn¡¯t shee back and take her ce with us? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Cedric had nothing to say to that. He couldn¡¯t possibly say that Madeline should nevere home because she grew up without them. That was what he had in mind, but he knew that was wrong. If he actually said that, his father would kick him out of the house. All he could do was nod. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Jonathan looked at him and continued, ¡°Cedric, don¡¯t just nod at me. Answer me. Do you think Maddies¡¯ right foring back to us? To Dad and Mom? Or do you think she¡¯s wrong? Do you think she shoulde back and get reunited with us or stay away and never see us again?¡± Jonathan demanded an answer, and Cedric had no choice, so he said, ¡°She shoulde back and get reunited with Dad and Mom.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Jonathan continued, ¡°Maddie has no grudge against Dad and Mom. She never med them for their careless mistake that cost her dearly. Since they have no grudge between them, it¡¯s normal for them to want to be reunited. Dad and Mom are happy that she came back to them. They would be devastated if she didn¡¯t, however. Am I right, Cedric?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Cedric was already numb from all the nodding. ¡°Good.¡± Jonathan nodded, and he looked at Cedric. ¡°Since you think I¡¯m right, and Dad and Mom will be happy that Maddiees back for a reunion, why don¡¯t you like her then? Why do you hate her? Why did you mock her because she came back for a reunion? Why are you looking down on her?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 93 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Under a Spell Cedric had nothing to say, and everyone was quiet as well. He knew they were waiting for him to speak up. That was how their family worked. It was democratic, and they could always argue if they thought someone was wrong. Anyone could refute if they thought the argument wasn¡¯t sound. When someone finally fell silent and thought that they were in the wrong, they must admit that they were wrong. Everyone was waiting for his apology, and a long timeter, he stared down and said raspily, ¡°I¡¯m wrong.¡± Jonathan looked at him calmly. ¡°And why are you wrong?¡± Cedric hung his head low and clenched his fists. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t dislike Maddie. I shouldn¡¯t think that she never should havee home. I shouldn¡¯t have thought that she only wanted to reunite with us because she wants our wealth.¡± His face turned even redder as shame was added to the equation. He came from a good family, had good looks, was smart, talented, and managed to be a sessful entrepreneur at a young age. He grew up in a bed of roses and walked the path that was paved with praises, and he had never been in such a situation before. ¡°Cedric, I can understand how you feel.¡± Michael stood up and went over to Cedric. ¡°You don¡¯t like her because you think she¡¯s the source of all this mess. You think she ruined our peaceful lives, and you don¡¯t want that life to ever change. You hope that Angie is your real sister, and that none of this has ever happened. You think that it¡¯d be great if Maddie never existed, because we¡¯d be living our peaceful lives then.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Cedric still didn¡¯t look up, and he clenched his fists tighter. He didn¡¯t deny it, for that was what he had in mind. The one before him was his father. He loved, protected, and raised him, and he would not lie to this man. ¡°But you¡¯re wrong, Cedric.¡± Michael patted his shoulder. ¡°Cedric, if you feel ufortable from the changes that are happening, if you feel that you¡¯re hurt, you shouldn¡¯t me Maddie. You should me me.¡± Cedric froze for a moment, and he looked at Michael. Michael looked him in the eye. ¡°Cedric, I failed your sister. I couldn¡¯t protect her, and I let that witch take her away.¡± Tears were welling up in his eyes, and grief danced within his soul as his voice broke. Michael had always been like a mountain for Cedric. He was indefatigable and invincible. Aside from his mother being sent into the operating room the night before, he had never seen Michael in so much pain. It broke his heart, and he said, ¡°Dad¡­¡± Michael kept looking him in the eye and continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my ipetence, Maddie would have been the one to grow up with you, not Angie. We would never have had someone called Angie in our family. Now that the truth is out, you feel hurt that Maddie is going to take Angie¡¯s ce as your sister. You think you¡¯re going to lose your beloved sister, and you feel hurt, so you tried to defend Angie and hate Maddie, but that¡¯s only because I failed as a father.¡± ¡°No.¡± Cedric shook his head by reflex. ¡°That¡¯s not it, Dad.¡± ¡°That is it.¡± Michael looked him in the eye and continued adamantly, ¡°The sister who has grown up with you is going to leave us, and her life is going to change dramatically. You hate this change, and it makes you uneasy. If you have to me someone so you can feel better, then me me. My ipetence caused all this mess, not Maddie. Maddie is innocent. She did nothing wrong. You have no reason to me her.¡± He sounded bleak, and his eyes were filled with guilt and powerlessness. Cedric felt like he didn¡¯t know him, but he was also heartbroken. Michael, at least to him, should be calm, collected, and confident. He had never seen Michael looking so down and crestfallen. He kept denying himself and called himself ipetent. That tore his heart into pieces. ¡°That¡¯s not it, Dad.¡± Tears welled up in his eyes, and he almost cried. ¡°This is my fault, Dad. I spoke out of line. I won¡¯t me her anymore. I¡¯ll apologize!¡± He swiveled around, his face crimson. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is all my fault. Please forgive me. I-I promise I¡¯ll be nice to you. I¡¯ll take up responsibility as your brother. I promise.¡± Madeline thought the Wendels had a good way of teaching their children. Cedric could admit his wrongdoings because of that, and his heart was in the right ce. He cared about the sister whom he grew up with, but that led him down a misguided path. Now that he was taught a lesson and was forced to face his wrongs, he finally admitted it. Madeline would let that slide, so she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t really care about those who have nothing to do with me. You didn¡¯t hurt me, so you don¡¯t have to be apologetic.¡± Wait, so I have nothing to do with you? Why did I even think she¡¯s here for our wealth? She doesn¡¯t even care about me. I must have been thinking too highly about myself. Jonathan noticed the awkward air, and he stepped in. ¡°Well, we¡¯re a family here. Now that everything¡¯s settled, let¡¯s get something to eat, or the food is going to get cold.¡± They sat down and had breakfast. Without Cedric¡¯s sarcastic behavior ruining the mood, breakfast was a lot more peaceful. After that intense reproach from his family, Cedric put aside his prejudices and tried to see things objectively. It was then he realized that what he did before wasughable. He couldn¡¯t understand why he thought Madeline only came to see them because she wanted their wealth. Maybe it was my prejudice. When he started looking at things objectively, he realized that she didn¡¯t care about the reunion. Her mannerisms were top notch, and every move was elegant and rxed. An artist could make a portrait out of her. She showed no signs of inveigling anyone, not even Michael. In fact, she was always polite and distant with the Wendels. There were no signs of her trying to get close. It was like the Wendels were just a family of rtives she could do without. If she liked them, she could come over for visits, but if she didn¡¯t, she could forget about them entirely. She doesn¡¯t care about any of us, and I thought she only came to us because we¡¯re rich and powerful? She saw through me and exposed that to everyone. Even though everyone around the table was his family save for Sebastian, he still felt embarrassed. Was I under a spell? Why would I think she¡¯s a gold digger? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 94 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Again He noticed Madeline¡¯s polite behavior, and the others had too. Michael felt a bit crestfallen, but he knew that Madeline¡¯s attitude was expected. They had never raised her for even a day in her life, and ever since she came to their house, she never enjoyed a moment of peace. He failed to give her the warmth of a family and a father¡¯s love, so he had no right to ask her to treat them as family. But we have time. Now that she¡¯s back, we can get along and eventually have her open up to us if we open up to her. We¡¯ll be a real family eventually. The boys woke up when they were halfway through breakfast. Joel asked to see Madeline the moment he woke up, and Simon quickly called Madeline. She rose to her feet and told Michael, ¡°Dad, the boys are awake. I¡¯m going to see them.¡± ¡°Go,¡± he said. ¡°And wash them up. They should be hungry now, so take them here. The chefs made a lot of food for them.¡± Madeline nodded. ¡°Okay, Dad.¡± Sebastian put his cutlery down and got up too. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to,¡± she responded. ¡°I can handle this myself.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he replied. ¡°I just miss the boys.¡± She figured, Well, as long as you¡¯re happy. They went upstairs. Joel was rolling around on the bed with his pillow in his hands. ¡°I want Mom. I want Mom. I want Mom.¡± This boy is really¡­ She went and knocked him on his head. ¡°Buddy, you and your antics again!¡± He pounced at her. ¡°Mom!¡± Madeline shook her head. I wonder where he got this from. I¡¯ve never acted this way, so¡­ She looked at Sebastian. Not impossible, really. He might be a prankster who loves practical jokes, though I can¡¯t imagine him acting like a spoiled kid. Sebastian noticed the weird look she was giving him and he cocked his eyebrow. ¡°What is it?¡± After she shook her head, she replied, ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡± She patted Joel¡¯s back. ¡°Where¡¯s Aldo?¡± As Joel was clinging to her like a ko to a tree, he said, ¡°He went to take a shower.¡± Madeline sighed. ¡°Can you be a little like Aldo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m great too, Mom!¡± He puffed his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m cute, and I know that!¡± Oh my God. She did not know what to say. Sebastianughed in amusement as he carried Joel and kissed him. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re the cutest boy in the world.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Joel hugged him and wiggled around in his embrace. Sebastian¡¯s heart melted as he held Joel and asked Madeline, ¡°Is our son always this cute after he wakes up?¡± Our son? That sounds so awkward. She wanted to say that Joel was her son, but it would sound too forced if she kept emphasizing that. As she patted Joel¡¯s back, she exined while ncing at Sebastian, ¡°He always does this after he wakes up. I wonder who he takes after.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. It¡¯s not me. I wasn¡¯t this cute when I was a kid.¡± Oh fine. As long as you¡¯re happy. Quincy came out of the bathroom, his hair wet. When he saw Sebastian and Madeline, he greeted them. ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± Sebastian looked at Joel, then at Quincy, who just came out of the shower looking all clean. He thought he had made it in life at that moment. Sebastian handed Buddy to Madeline and rummaged through the drawer for a hair dryer. ¡°Come, Aldo.¡± He waved at Aldo. ¡°I¡¯ll dry your hair.¡± Quincy went over and sat beside him. Sebastian turned the hair dryer on and dried Quincy¡¯s hair. He carefully controlled the temperature in case it was too cold or too hot for the child. He looked serious, careful, and meticulous while doing it. Madeline smiled and carried Joel. ¡°¡®ll take him to the bathroom.¡± She took him to the bathroom and bathed him where she dried his hair and changed him into new clothes beforeing back out. Quincy had changed as well. They were wearing matching outfits as usual. Quincy was wearing blue pants and a white shirt, while Joel was wearing white pants and a blue shirt. The style was the same, though the color wasn¡¯t. As both boys resembled each other, anyone would know they were brothers. Joel looked delighted as he held Quincy¡¯s hand and kept calling his name, telling him all the interesting things he saw. Anyone would think what Joel said was boring, but Joel wouldn¡¯t stop talking about it. Quincy wasn¡¯t annoyed either as he allowed his brother to talk. He would call Joel an idiot from time to time, but Joel wasn¡¯t angry. He kept smiling and talking to Quincy. They went ahead while their parents followed. In the end, they finally came down to the living room. Michael¡¯s eyes shone when he saw the boys. ¡°Aldo, Buddy! Come! Come to Grandpa!¡± The boys looked at their parents and Madeline nodded at them. The kids went over to Michael and greeted, ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Good boys!¡± Michael loved the kids and he held them in his arms, helping them with their food. They went to the living room after they had breakfast, and after some small talk, the butler came to announce the arrival of Michael¡¯s brother. The one who came first was the middle child¡ªBenjamin. Benjamin came with his wife and two sons. Finding out that their stepmother was their mother¡¯s murderer was a big deal and everyone had the right to know the truth. Morgan came not long after Benjamin did. He also came with his wife and sons, and just like Benjamin, he had two sons. Michael introduced Madeline to his brothers and vice versa. It was just like that, after Madeline was reunited with her parents and brothers, she now met two uncles, two aunties, and four cousins. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! When Michael was introducing them to her, she was reminded of the first time she read ¡®The Story of the Stone¡¯. Her first thought then was, Wow, there sure are a lot of people in here, and the rtionships are superplex. I need to pay a lot of attention if I want to understand them. She thought it would be hard to remember all her uncles, aunties, and cousins at first, but when she was reminded of The Story of the Stone, it calmed her down. Hey, it¡¯s just two uncles, four cousins, and four brothers. If I can remember and sort out all the rtionships in The Story of the Stone, this won¡¯t be a big deal. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 95 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 95 Chapter 95 He Thinks So For some reason, the eight boys didn¡¯t differentiate between families when they were ordered from eldest to youngest. Madeline¡¯s brothers were the eldest among the boys. Uncle Benjamin¡¯s sons were called Eric and David, and they were fifth and sixth in chronological order. Their names were easy to remember, since Madeline came up with a catchphrase for it. Eric and David? E and D? Hmm, oh, I know! Ed, Edd, and Eddy! But contrary to that interesting catchphrase, Benjamin¡¯s sons weren¡¯t too close to Madeline. They didn¡¯t look really happy to see Madeline, but they weren¡¯t too against it either. Madeline could understand that. She wasn¡¯t a dor bill, so not everyone would love her. They were just her cousins, so they could be friends if they were lucky, but if not, then they would just be acquaintances. Morgan¡¯s sons were seventh and eight in chronological order. In other words, Michael¡¯s sons were the oldest four, while Benjamin¡¯s were in the middle, and Morgan¡¯s were the youngest. That¡¯s easy to remember. Morgan¡¯s sons were called Jack and Nichs. Hmm, Jack and Nichs, huh? God is gracious, and the victory of the people. Alright, I¡¯ve remembered their names. Her own brothers¡¯ names could be hard to remember though. Perhaps fans of JoJo¡¯s Bizarre Adventure would recognize Jonathan and Joseph, but Madeline couldn¡¯t make that connection. She just thought their names sounded fine. Connor meant ¡®lover of hounds¡¯ while Cedric meant ¡®kindly¡¯, but neither of them had shown those attributes. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Jonathan was calm and collected, while Joseph was a man of few words. Connor could be scheming if he wanted to, while Cedric was an idiot. Lover of hounds? Kindly? Yeah, right. Get real. She might be thinking about a lot of things, but she didn¡¯t drop her mannerisms. She¡¯d greet everyone Michael introduced to her. After all, she was the youngest kid around, and she¡¯d have to greet anyone Michael introduced. When the introductions were nearing its end, she heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, it¡¯s going to end soon. Michael introduced Nichs to her. ¡°Maddie, this is Morgan¡¯s second son¡ªNichs.¡± ¡°Hello, Nichs.¡± Madeline looked at him for a moment longer because of his name. Angie means ¡®messenger of God¡¯, while Nichs means ¡®victory of the people.¡¯ I wonder if the people¡¯s victory has anything to do with God¡¯s message. Nichs nced at Madeline and ignored her. He asked Michael, ¡°Where¡¯s Angie, uncle?¡± Michael froze up, and he looked at Madeline. ¡°She¡¯s upstairs.¡± He didn¡¯t want Madeline to misunderstand anything, so he exined, ¡°It was gettingte, and it would be dangerous for Angie to leave alone. That¡¯s why we let her stay.¡± Madeline smiled. She wasn¡¯t angry, for she didn¡¯t care. She wasn¡¯t blind. She¡¯d repay the Wendels¡¯ kindness, and she wouldn¡¯t really mind if they wanted to keep Angie. But she would nevere back to them, naturally. She wasn¡¯t saying anything, but Michael had a feeling that what little bond they had built over breakfast was broken because he kept Angie for the night. Madeline was about toe back to them, but now she had decided against it because of his decision. He felt crestfallen, and he was reminded of the time he ludicrously thought he could keep both Madeline and Angie together. He thought he could have another daughter, but now he knew that was mere foolishness on his part. He had never raised Madeline, and she didn¡¯t really feel any familial love toward him. When she needed them most, they weren¡¯t there for her. Now, she was all grown up and didn¡¯t need them anymore, and she could face anything with ease. If she was happy with how he and his wife treated her, she would be fine with calling them Mom and Dad. However, if she wasn¡¯t happy with how he and Crystal were treating her, she could stay away from them for her whole life, and it would be impossible for them to see her. And I thought I could keep both her and Angie? She has no reason to do as I say and live under the same roof with Angie. Why should she watch as the one who insulted her and usurped her ce get all chummy with her own family? That¡¯s just disgusting. If Madeline actually listened to him and his wife and befriended Angie just toe back to the Wendels, he would know she was here for their wealth. But now, it was obvious that she had no interest in the Wendels¡¯ riches. If he kept being nice to Angie, that would be akin to pushing his own daughter to the backburner. Madeline didn¡¯t care about the Wendels. Not one bit. And humans were creatures driven by the desire to have what they couldn¡¯t. He held Madeline¡¯s arm and exined, ¡°Once she wakes up and has breakfast, I¡¯ll get someone to send her to the Colts and exin this whole thing to Xander.¡± I can¡¯t be too greedy. It¡¯s clear now. Madeline hasn¡¯t said anything or forced me to make a choice, but it¡¯s obvious that I can only keep one or the other, not both. If he kept Angie, then Madeline would only be rted to them in name only. It would be impossible for her to open up to them, and he didn¡¯t want to see that. She was stolen when she was born because he failed his job as her father. She suffered for years, and he had to make it up to her. Besides, he could never keep Angie around. Crystal loathed Cameron, and Angie¡¯s existence reminded her of that nemesis as well as their foolishness. With how bad Crystal¡¯s health was, he couldn¡¯t keep Angie around, or it might kill Crystal. There can only be one daughter for us for the rest of our lives, and it¡¯ll be our real daughter. Madeline smiled at him. ¡°You decide, Dad.¡± Cedric¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked at Michael hopefully. ¡°Dad, Maddie said you can make the decision. Can we keep Angie? Xander didn¡¯t raise Angie, and he doesn¡¯t love her. There¡¯s no way he would treat her well. Angie¡¯s been staying with us her whole life, and she¡¯s already used to this ce. Even if we tell the public the truth, we can still keep her as an adopted child.¡± He got into an argument with his mother and almost killed her because he didn¡¯t want to tell the public about the truth. Since then, he gave up on keeping the truth a secret, but now he saw an alternative. Hey, if we just tell them that Angie¡¯s adopted, then it¡¯s fine, right? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 96 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Fool! Xander could chase Madeline out even after he raised her for ten years. He hasn¡¯t even taken care of Angie for a day in her life, so she would suffer if she went to the Colts. Not to mention everyone knows Xander¡¯s wife controls his home. If she bes Angie¡¯s stepmom, Angie would suffer! I mean, being an adopted kid is worse than being a young miss, but it¡¯s better than going to the Colts. He looked at Michael hopefully. Michael was having a headache. Why have I never realized that this boy is a fool? ¡°Did you forget about your mother?¡± Michael asked. ¡°She won¡¯t want to adopt Angie.¡± ¡°She will!¡± Cedric insisted. ¡°She raised Angie, and she loves her. The one she hates is Cameron, and she got angry at me because I argued with her and tried to stop her from calling the cops on Cameron. I know that wasn¡¯t right of me, and I¡¯ll do what she wants us to. We already called the cops on Cameron, and they must have arrested her. Mom will be stoked when she knows this. Cameron is arrested and being punished now, but Angie is innocent. Mom will take her in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree.¡± Michael frowned. ¡°Angie is the Colts¡¯ daughter, and she has nothing to do with us. We¡¯ll send her to her family after she wakes up. We¡¯ve been kind enough to raise her up, and the rest is up to Xander now. Stay away from Angie and the Colts, you hear?¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± Cedric then remembered someone, and he turned to Madeline. ¡°Maddie, help me out here. Tell Dad to keep Angie, alright? We¡¯re all boys here, and you¡¯re the only girl. You¡¯ll be bored if you¡¯re alone. If Angie stays, she can be your friend and go on shopping trips with you. You girls love to huddle together and gossip, right? And you aren¡¯t familiar with Wendel City, but Angie grew up here. She can introduce you to the circle here. She has a lot of friends, and I know she can help you out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t stay here for long. Once Mom gets better, I¡¯ll take the boys back to Dusktown. I¡¯ve decided to stay there.¡± Philip was in Dusktown, and he adored the kids. He wouldn¡¯t want to be separated from them, and besides, Dusktown was a beautiful city. The climate was perfect, and it was an international metropolis. Its economy, education, and transport system were top-notch in the nation. The boys were about to go to school, and she would enrol them into a kindergarten once she returned to Dusktown, and she would stay there. Cedric frowned. ¡°Maddie, if you¡¯re going back to Dusktown, then that¡¯s all the more reason to persuade Dad to keep Angie. She can help you take care of them when you¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Cedric.¡± Madeline cocked her eyebrow at him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you want me to persuade your father? This is your family matter, and your father is head of the family. He should know what he should and shouldn¡¯t do. Why do you keep asking me to step in?¡± Cedric shut up for a long time, but he finally found an excuse. ¡°Dad listens to you! He thinks he owes you, so he¡¯s being nice to you. He¡¯ll do whatever you say, so please help me out here. I¡¯ll owe you one. I promise I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± Madelineughed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that because your father listens to me, I¡¯ll have to speak up for someone I don¡¯t like despite how disgusted I¡¯ll feel about it?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cedric, but I¡¯m not a masochist. If that¡¯s what you want, you¡¯ll have to do it yourself. Don¡¯t drag me into this. I owe you nothing, and I certainly have no obligation to help.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least be sympathetic?¡± Cedric was furious. ¡°Everyone will beughing at Angie once the truth gets around. She can¡¯t face those mockery if she returns to the Colts. At least we can keep her safe if she stays with us. The truth is exposed now, and it won¡¯t take long until everyone knows you¡¯re the true princess of the Wendels, while she was just an ident. You already have a better status than she does, so why can¡¯t you just let the past go and help her out? How can you be so cruel? Is your heart made of stone?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She beamed beautifully. ¡°I do have a heart of stone.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Cedric was too angry to form a coherent sentence. Madeline kept smiling. ¡°Cedric, you can¡¯t force someone without any desire to do anything. I have nothing to expect from you or your family, nor do I owe you anything, so drop that big boy act around me. It¡¯s useless. If you love her so much, then find a way around it yourself. Don¡¯t force me into this. You won¡¯t get anything from me. I won¡¯t entertain any of your antics.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Cedric¡¯s face was red with anger, and he felt like he could explode at any given moment. His brothers looked at Cedric like he was an idiot, and they shook their heads. Jonathan walked up to Madeline¡¯s side and patted her shoulder. ¡°Ignore him, Maddie. He¡¯s lost his mind. I¡¯ll teach this punk a lesson once I have time.¡± Joseph was more direct than his twin, and he spat at Cedric, ¡°You imbecile.¡± Connor walked up to Madeline¡¯s other side. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Maddie. I think I took too many nutrients while we were in Mom¡¯s belly. He isn¡¯t really bright in this department.¡± Connor pointed at his temples. Madelineughed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I told you that I don¡¯t really care about anyone or anything that has nothing to do with me. I just think of this as entertainment.¡± Cedric felt like blowing up, and he red at his brothers. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? I¡¯m not Angie¡¯s only brother here. The Colts will kill her if we send her to them! Why aren¡¯t you guys even worried?¡± ¡°I think Cedric is right.¡± Nichs went up to Cedric and looked at Madeline. ¡°Maddie, you¡¯re already the young miss of the family now, so why can¡¯t you let the past go? Even if Angie were to stay, she would just be an adopted daughter, and it would depend on you whether she gets to live a good life or not. She won¡¯t affect you. Uncle and Auntie have raised her for so long, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be sad if you want them to send her away. Just let her stay, alright? Be understanding. They¡¯re your parents. At least be nice to them.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 97 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Kneel ¡°Nichs is right,¡± Erin agreed. She was the wife of Morgan, and she came up to Madeline. ¡°Maddie, please be understanding. It¡¯s normal to want Angie to stay. After all, she¡¯s smart, beautiful, and adorable. Not to mention she¡¯s been here for more than twenty years. If I were forced to send her away, I would die of heartbreak. Maddie, you can¡¯t just think for yourself. You¡¯re a daughter. You should love your parents more. No matter what, you have to ask them to keep Angie and make them happy.¡± Madeline looked at Erin and observed her closely. The women in the Wendel family were beautiful. Her mother was gorgeous, of course. She used to be called the top beauty of Worrick. Benjamin¡¯s wife¡ª Felicia¡ªwas exquisite too. She was tall, lithe, and elegant. Erin was beautiful too, but she was a far cry from Crystal and Felicia. Crystal and Felicia had top-notch looks and air about them. They could be top celebrities if they worked in the entertainment industry. Erin was just a regr beauty. She was beautiful, but there was nothing special about her. Compared to Felicia, she was nothing. But more importantly, Madeline had a feeling that Erin had darker ideas in her mind. She sounded like she cared about Michael and his family, but Madeline could see that she wanted to make things more chaotic. So she doesn¡¯t like Mom and Dad? She wants to stir things up and make things worse for them? This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Madeline¡¯s instincts were spot on. Erin did want to make things worse for Michael and his family. She had always been jealous of Crystal. To be exact, there weren¡¯t many women in Wendel City who weren¡¯t jealous of Crystal. She was born lucky. Before she was married, she was seen as the pride and joy of her parents and brother. After she was married, her husband loved her like she was the most precious treasure in the world. He did whatever she wanted to, and after she gave birth to four boys and a girl, she established her husband as heir to the Wendels, and that consolidated her position as well. Crystal¡¯s life was a smooth one. She grew up on a silver tter and married into another rich family. Everyone around her loved her deeply, and she had never suffered for a day in her life before. Erin was one of the best people back when she was in her family, but after she married into the Wendels, she was overshadowed by Crystal¡¯s brilliance. Crystal outssed her in everything. Her husband was better and more loving than Erin¡¯s, and even Crystal¡¯s sons were better than hers. She keptparing herself to Crystal, but it only hurt herself in the end. It was the first time she saw Crystal in a predicament in more than twenty years, and she was delighted. Michael wants to send her away? Oh no. He can¡¯t. Crystal is going to get her life back if he does. I can¡¯t let him send her away. I have to keep her around. Only then can their daughter keep fighting Angie and make a mess out of her family. And Angie will be a reminder of what a fool Crystal has been. Angie will be an annoyance that will slowly build up to be a fatal knife that will take her life. And once she dies, I will be the winner. So what if she has a good life? It¡¯ll all be gone once she¡¯s dead. It¡¯s useless if she can¡¯t stay until the very end. That scheme of hers was why she wanted to help Cedric. Cedric had no idea about her dark idea. He only thought that she was a kinder person than his own brothers were. She¡¯s helping Angie? Then he turned his attention to Madeline. ¡°Maddie, even Auntie Erin is helping me. Just speak up for Angie and keep her around, alright? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be grateful for you. I know she¡¯ll get along with you. It¡¯s better to have more friends, right, Maddie?¡± ¡°Yeah, Maddie,¡± Erin agreed. ¡°Angie might not be Michael¡¯s real daughter, but he and Crystal have raised her like she is, and they¡¯ve poured their heart and soul into her. They can¡¯t possibly throw her away. They only want to send her to the Colts because they care about you. Since they care about you, you should care about them as well. Persuade them to keep Angie. That¡¯s what a good daughter should do.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be that petty, can you?¡± Nichs said. ¡°Angie has lived here for more than twenty years, and now she¡¯s going to be sent away because you showed up. You can¡¯t be so cruel.¡± ¡°Yes, Maddie.¡± Erin went up and held Madeline¡¯s hand, pretending to look solemn. ¡°Maddie, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Angie is a gentle, adorable, and kind girl. Your parents and brothers love her. If she¡¯s forced to leave and suffer because of you, I know your family won¡¯t be happy. Angie is a lovely girl. You can¡¯t let her go homeless because of you, right?¡± Madeline smiled and was about to say something, but Angie suddenly said, ¡°Dad, Uncle Benjamin, Auntie Felicia, Uncle Morgan, Auntie Erin, Eric, David, Jack, Nichs, you¡¯re here!¡± Everyone turned around. Angie was in a white dress, and she was walking up to them. Crystal and Cameron were both beauties, and Angie resembled both of them, making her a beauty as well. She had tears in her eyes, and she looked like she could fall over at any time. Erin quickly went over and held Angie in her embrace. ¡°My poor Angie. How could this happen to you? We¡¯ve watched over you ever since you were a child. You¡¯re such a sweet girl, and I¡¯ve always seen you as my own. Your mother is the criminal here, not you. You¡¯re innocent. Your parents can¡¯t send you away just like that. I won¡¯t stand for it!¡± ¡°Thank you, Auntie Erin.¡± Angie looked at her gratefully. She then went up to Madeline, bit her lip, and suddenly kneeled. Shocked, Cedric and Nichs shouted, ¡°Angie!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 98 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Annoying Angie ignored them and looked up at Madeline. ¡°Maddie, I¡¯ve given things a lot of thought. I know you don¡¯t like me, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. Cameron is my mother. She might have never raised me, but I am her daughter. Of course you hate me, but Maddie, I beg of you, please don¡¯t take my family away from me. I was born and raised here, and they are my everything. I¡¯ll lose everything if I lose them. I cannot lose them. I can¡¯t. Maddie, I beg of you, please let me stay. Please let me remain a part of this family. I promise I¡¯ll listen to you. I won¡¯t try to take anything, I swear. Just treat me like a maid and let me serve you.¡± ¡°Angie, please don¡¯t do this.¡± Heartbroken, Cedric crouched down and helped her up. She¡¯s supposed to be the family¡¯s princess. She¡¯s this city¡¯s princess. She should be our pride, and that¡¯s how it has been for years. But now she¡¯s on her knees and begging Madeline just so she can stay? But this is her home to begin with. She was born and raised here. She can¡¯t leave just because she¡¯s not Dad and Mom¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s still in school. If we chase her out, how is she supposed to survive? Angie broke into tears. ¡°Let me do this, Cedric. I can¡¯t lose you. I can¡¯t¡­ The thought of losing you, losing Dad, Mom, and this family? It hurts me worse than death ever could. Just let me do this, Cedric. I want to beg for her forgiveness. I want to stay here and be a part of the family. Please, Maddie, I beg of you!¡± She put her hands on the ground and banged her head against the floor tile. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. As Madeline looked at her, she was reminded of karma. Back when she first came to the Taylors, Angie and Isabel cornered and abused her just because she was Cameron¡¯s daughter. She didn¡¯t even do anything wrong. They then insulted her, whipped her, and pushed her head down into the pond. They would cut the heater off in winter and drench her nket with cold water. When it was summer, they would sabotage the AC and fill her room with mosquitoes. Then they would lock all the exits. She wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep, and the mosquitoes would fill her whole body with bite marks. They did that a lot of times. Fortunately, Sam came back from his studies and saved her, or those two would have killed her. Isabel was the perpetrator, while Angie was the aplice. Angie was more of a fake b*tch than Isabel was. Whenever Isabel would pull her horrible pranks on Madeline, Angie would always stand beside her. She would look like she was dissuading Isabel, but in reality, she was fanning the mes and would make Isabel hate Madeline more. They even tried to ruin her face before, and Angie goaded Isabel into it. She told Isabel that Madeline was pretty, and she might seduce Dan or Sam when she grew up. She said that cousins could marry each other in ancient times, and she was worried that Dan or Sam might fall for her and eventually marry her. Because of that, Isabel tried to ruin her face and turn her into an ugly monster. But fortunately, Madeline wasn¡¯t a pushover, and she always resisted. Sure, she was tortured, but at least her face wasn¡¯t ruined. Sam eventually came back and kept her safe. He even hired a master to tutor her. Thanks to her training, she seldom came back home, and the two witches couldn¡¯t torment her anymore. It had been a long time since then, but the memories were still fresh. Angie was still the princess of the Wendels at that time. She was arrogant, haughty, and condescending. Anyone would think she was an aristocrat, but now she was on her knees, begging for mercy. Madeline smiled, and she crouched down to look at her with amusement. ¡°Angie, you should know what you have done to me, right? So why are you kneeling? You yelled at me, abused me, insulted me, and you goaded Isabel into ruining my face. This bad blood between us? It¡¯s as big and deep as an ocean. I¡¯ve told you that the only reason I¡¯m not kicking you while you¡¯re down is because I¡¯m kind enough not to. So why do you think I would defend you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really, really sorry,¡± she apologized through tears. ¡°I was young and stupid, but I¡¯ve never done that after I grew up.¡± ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t, not because you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Madeline said calmly. ¡°I could protect myself after I grew up. You and Isabel were no match for me, and Sam protected me, so you couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Angie was still crying. ¡°But that was when we were young, and it¡¯s been a long time since. I¡¯m sorry. I know what I did was wrong, and I will never do it again. Please, Maddie. Have mercy on me. I beg you, please forgive me. Please don¡¯t take my family away from me.¡± Madeline looked at her, smiling. ¡°Angie, you might think of my abuse as an interesting little story that happened during our childhood, but all the whip scars left by you and Isabel? They never did fade. I still have them. Angie, I¡¯m not as kind as you think I am. I will never forgive you, so take that kneeling attitude to someone else. See if they¡¯ll save you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes darkened when he heard that Isabel and Angie left whip scars on Madeline. He was sitting far away from the Wendels and ying with the boys, but now he looked at Madeline. For some reason, he wanted to see her scars. Her skin was fair, wless, and glistening, as if it was milk done to perfection. He couldn¡¯t even see an erged pore. Her exposed skin was perfect, but he thought, What about her covered skin? Is it full of scars? She was the boys¡¯ mother, and the thought that she could have whip scars on her otherwise wless skin made him squirm. He really wanted to take her clothes off and see the scars left by Angie and Isabel, and then he¡¯d pay them back tenfold for what they did. Michael was even more direct. The fact that his adopted daughter whipped and abused his own daughter broke his heart, and he also felt humiliated. He thought he was a smart man, but he couldn¡¯t even keep an eye on his own daughter and had allowed her to suffer. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 99 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Too Far He would feel sorry about sending Angie away before this. He would probably feel uneasy and guilty, but after all the stunts Angie pulled, his patience and guilt had run out. I owe her nothing. She keeps saying she loves us and the boys, but if she really cared about us, she would have given us some space and not trouble us even further. But no. Oh no. First, she got Dad and Harriet to pressure us, and now she¡¯s kneeling before Madeline right in front of Benjamin, Morgan, and their families. She acts like she¡¯s the victim, but she¡¯s the one who reaped the most benefits out of this. She stole my daughter¡¯s life! What makes her think she has the right to beg and plead? ¡°Alright, enough!¡± He was finally enraged, and he announced, ¡°It¡¯s time to rectify the situation. Maddie is my daughter, and it¡¯s only right that we get reunited. Angie has her own parents too, so she should be reunited with them.¡± He looked at Angie and the boys who were consoling her. ¡°This is my decision, and Maddie has nothing to do with it. You will not me her for this. Jonathan!¡± He looked at Jonathan. ¡°Here,¡± Jonathan answered and went over to his father. ¡°Take Angie to Dusktown and hand her to Xander,¡± Michael said. ¡°Tell him about this whole story and ask him to take care of her.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jonathan nodded. ¡°I understand, Dad,¡± he said. ¡°No! I won¡¯t go! I won¡¯t go! I don¡¯t want to leave you, Dad! I love you!¡± Angie prostrated herself before Michael and held his calf. ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t send me away. You¡¯re my father, and this is my home. I¡¯m nothing without you. Dad, please don¡¯t do this to me. I can¡¯t live without you.¡± Michael¡¯s adamant attitude made Erin panic. Oh, I can¡¯t let this happen. If she¡¯s sent away, Michael¡¯s family will return to their calm and peaceful life. But I want to mess Crystal¡¯s life up. I can¡¯t let him send her away. She went up and held Angie, then she looked up at Michael. ¡°Michael, how could you send her away? That¡¯s too cruel! We¡¯ve thought of her as our own because we thought she¡¯s your daughter. Jack and Nichs love her like a sister. How are we supposed to ept it if you want to send her away?¡± ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± Nichs was beside Angie, holding her. He agreed, ¡°Uncle, she¡¯s the only girl in the family for more than twenty years, and all of us see her as a part of the family. We can¡¯t just cut ties with her, not after we spent more than twenty years with her. We can¡¯t ept you kicking her out all of a sudden. She¡¯s the one we grew up with, and she¡¯s my only cousin sister. I don¡¯t care about anyone else. No one else can rece her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say this onest time.¡± Michael looked at Angie and Nichs. ¡°My daughter is Madeline, and Angie is Xander¡¯s daughter. Madeline will be my only daughter from now on, and Angie must leave this household.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Angie never expected her father, who loved her the most, to be so cruel all of a sudden, and she broke into tears. ¡°That¡¯s going too far, Michael!¡± Erin said angrily. ¡°Angie is such a sweet, lovely, and smart girl. If you don¡¯t want her, then I¡¯ll take her! Get up, Angie.¡± She helped Angie up and wrapped her arm around Angie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Come with me, Angie. Since your father doesn¡¯t want you, I¡¯ll take you in. You¡¯ll stay with us. Nobody will chase you away.¡± He¡¯s not going to send her away. Not on my watch. I¡¯m going to keep her. We live near each other, so if Angie stays with us, Crystal will see her if she¡¯s out and about. And she¡¯ll be annoyed every time she sees Angie. She was delighted by that thought. And the public will call her heartless for abandoning Angie after she found her own daughter, while they will call me kind for keeping someone who was chased out. She would get praises while Crystal would be condemned, and that was a chance Erin would not forgo. ¡°Yeah!¡± Nichs supported his mother¡¯s decision. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mom. If Uncle and Auntie are chasing Angie out, then we¡¯ll take her in.¡± Morgan thought it was a bit out of line. ¡°Stop this nonsense, Erin. You too, Nichs.¡± Jack agreed, ¡°Mom, this is Uncle¡¯s private matter. We should let him decide.¡± ¡°This is not nonsense.¡± Erin held Angie in her embrace. ¡°She¡¯s such a sweet and gentle girl. I¡¯ve always thought of her as my own. We¡¯re all humans, and we all havepassion. I won¡¯t let Michael chase her out and let her suffer! I¡¯ve watched her grow up ever since she was a kid. I¡¯m taking her in no matter what, and she¡¯s my daughter now. Nobody can chase her away.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Erin¡ª¡± Michael wanted to say something, but Madeline stopped him. ¡°Dad.¡± She smiled. ¡°Since Auntie Erin loves her so much, just let her take Angie in, alright? Don¡¯t stop her. If she wants to have a daughter in her household, who are we to stop them, right?¡± Michel was surprised that Madeline would speak up for Angie. Madeline only smiled. She had her own n, of course, for she noticed something interesting earlier. Cedric and Nichs were by Angie¡¯s side, consoling her. Cedric was Angie¡¯s brother, while Nichs was her cousin, but Angie kept leaning toward Nichs and giving him a look that was filled with agony and sorrow. I wonder why? Hmm, I guess she wants to hook up with Nichs. Cedric is Angie¡¯s brother, but Nichs isn¡¯t rted by blood to her in any way. That means she can¡¯t marry Cedric, but she can marry Nichs. After everyone knows she¡¯s Cameron¡¯s daughter, it would be hard for her to marry into any rich family, and the Wendels are her best choice. Erin wants to take Angie in as her daughter, but Angie wants to marry her son. When they be a couple, let¡¯s see if Erin can still act like she loves the ¡®sweet and gentle¡¯ Angie. Ooh, I can¡¯t wait. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 100 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Vengeance Erin took Angie to her family, and they stood together. She kept caring for Angie, asking if she was fine, and Angie felt surprised. She could see that Michael had decided to abandon her, and she couldn¡¯t stay with them anymore. Just when she was going to fall into the pits of despair, Erin suddenly showed up and took her in. Nichs was standing beside her, telling her that everything was going to be fine, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention. Instead, she wasing up with a n. Crystal hated Cameron, while she was Cameron¡¯s own daughter. If Crystal would stay in aa forever, then it would be better for Angie, but if she were to regain consciousness, Crystal would treat her with disgust. I probably can¡¯t get anything from Michael and his family. I can¡¯t rely on Xander or Cameron either, so I have to n for my future. She had eight brothers, and four of them were her cousins. They used to adore her, but now, only Cedric and Nichs cared about her. Crystal and Cameron were half-sisters. She was Cameron¡¯s daughter, while Cedric was Crystal¡¯s son. They were rted, so no matter how nice Cedric was to her, she could never marry him, but she could marry Nichs. Michael had called the cops, and Angie knew that Cameron must have been arrested. The fact that Cameron was her mother would be revealed soon, and once the news made the rounds, she would be worthless in themunity, and it would be impossible for her to marry into any good family. But I can marry Nichs. He might just be the Wendels¡¯ third family¡¯s second son, and that¡¯s not evenparable to the family¡¯s heir. But at least they¡¯re the richest family in Wendel City. As long as Wendel Corporation still stands, I can live a good life forever. She would never have even considered Nichs before this. She was arrogant back then, and she was aiming for the heir to the secondrgest family in Worrick. Marriage between rich families was a big deal, and back then, she was the only princess of the Wendels. She thought she was worthy of any man in the world, but now, she didn¡¯t even dare think about having her pick of men. The more prestigious a family was, the more they cared about their children¡¯s partners¡¯ backgrounds. Cameron¡¯s infamy was well known, and Angie only became a part of the Wendels because of Cameron¡¯s switcheroo, and the truth would drag her down. No rich family would want her to marry their children. She would have never considered Nichs before this, but now, he was her best choice. If she let this chance slip, she would lose all initiative, and instead of her doing the picking, men would be the ones picking her. And they won¡¯t be great men either. I have to grasp this chance and establish my status as Nichs¡¯ fianc¨¦e before my friends find out about my real identity. Even if I am no longer a part of the Wendels after that, being their daughter-in- law can at least keep my status intact, and my friends won¡¯tugh at me. Her n was made, and she sorted everything out in just a few moments. She leaned closer to Nichs and acted even more pitiful. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Nichs was the closest to her in age out of the eight boys in the Wendel Family. They were the same age and were ssmates from elementary to high school. Aside from Michael¡¯s sons, he was the one who interacted with her the most, and he was deeply attached to her. If he had to choose, he would lean toward Angie. Cameron might be at fault, but Angie was innocent. And Madeline tried to get Uncle and Auntie to chase her away? That¡¯s too much. Angie did nothing wrong, but she has to leave? He thought it was pitiful that she had to lose her family, so he supported his mother in taking her in. He sympathized with Angie, seeing as how she was putting on the act of a pitiful victim. He kept promising her that he would take care of her and that everything would be alright. Angie looked at him tearfully, feeling touched. ¡°Thank you, Nichs.¡± Her look of reliance fueled his sense of brotherly love, and he held her shoulders firmly, promising, ¡°As long as I am here, you¡¯ll always be a part of the Wendels. If anyone tries to bully you, youe to me. I¡¯ll take care of them for you.¡± Angie kept nodding, and she looked at Nichs gratefully. Nichs wanted to say something, but the butler was alreadying in with Robert. After Sebastian and Madeline went to bedst night, Michael called his brothers and locked Harriet in the basement after he asked their opinion. She would be judged after they came. It waste night at that point, and he asked Robert to stay over, but his father refused. He wanted to return home no matter what. Worried, he asked Jonathan to follow Robert, but Robert refused. He didn¡¯t want anyone to follow him. All he wanted was to be alone. It had only been one night, but Robert looked like he had aged ten years. His back was hunched, his face was pasty, and there were dark circles under his eyes, as if he just recovered from a bad illness. His sons felt sad seeing their father looking like that. They went to him, then helped him to the couch and sat him down. Robert sat down and asked Michael, ¡°Where¡¯s Harriet?¡± Michael answered, ¡°Still in the basement.¡± Robert said, ¡°Get her here. I have something I need to ask her.¡± He didn¡¯t sleep for the whole night. Robert was reminded of a lot of things, and he had a lot of questions to ask Harriet. Michael nodded and looked at Jonathan. Jonathan then told the bodyguards to bring Harriet up. A few minutester, two bodyguards took her into the living room. Harriet nched and shivered when she saw the whole Wendel Family in the living room. She pushed the bodyguards away and staggered over to Rovert. She then knelt before him and hugged his legs. ¡°Rob, please, have mercy on me! For old times¡¯ sake! Please, I¡¯ve raised your sons for you! No matter what I ever did, my love for you is true! And my love for the boys is true as well! Rob, I¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Morgan was the closest to Harriet, and he kicked Harriet to the ground. His face was red with fury, and he pointed at Harriet. ¡°You took care of us? You raised us? Are you f*cking kidding me? If you hadn¡¯t killed our mother, she would have taken care of us better than you did! If she was around, we wouldn¡¯t have even needed you!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 101 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Nonsense ¡°But my love for all of you has always been true!¡± Harriet struggled to get up, knelt, and looked up at Morgan with tears in her eyes. ¡°Morgan, I¡¯m your stepmother. I took care of you after your mother died. I don¡¯t need anything, but please have mercy on me for old times¡¯ sake. Please don¡¯t call the police. I¡¯m willing to be a nun and pray for your mother.¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Morgan spat. ¡°You¡¯re a killer! I don¡¯t want you defiling the monastery. You killed our mother, and we will never forgive you. If you want to repent, there¡¯s a good ce that¡¯s all the rage now. Hell.¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Harriet crawled over to Robert and held his hands, swinging them as hard as she could. ¡°Rob, Rob! I¡¯ve always loved you, Rob. That¡¯s why I did something so stupid! Rob, please, I¡¯ve loved you my whole life. I gave my youth to you and your sons. Please have mercy on me. Don¡¯t send me to jail!¡± She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Rob, please, I don¡¯t want to go to jail. That¡¯s a terrible ce! Rob, please, have mercy. I¡¯ve loved you my whole life, Rob. Please!¡± She didn¡¯t sleep the whole night, and she spent all her time in terror. Before she was married to Rob, she was the young miss of the Bransons, and after she was married, she had servants tending to her every need. She had never even washed her clothes before, and jail would be hell for her. That¡¯s no ce for humans. I¡¯ve lived my whole life as a queen. I¡¯ll die in days if I get sent there. She didn¡¯t want to die. She still hadn¡¯t seen all life had to offer. It¡¯s better being the madam of the Wendels. My every need is seen to, and I can have whatever I want. I can go wherever I want too. If I feel like it, I can get my friends and y some badminton or golf. We can also go swimming, working out, shopping, or going to the spa. I¡¯m just in my forties. If I keep myself well, I can live this life for a lot more years. But I¡¯ll have nothing if I get sent to jail. I¡¯ll have to stay in a cramped ce and live a life of austerity. Life will be a torture. When she was locked up the night before, she felt like banging her head against the wall as she was filled with regret. I was living the life, but why did I have toe and torment Crystal? If I just stayed home, none of this would have happened. I would have lived my life as it was. Whatever happens between Angie and Crystal has nothing to do with me. Why did I have to be this stupid? She didn¡¯t manage to torment Crystal, but she paid for her foolishness, and the price was her life. She regretted that, but it was toote for it. All she could do was put her faith in Robert and hope that he would let her off the hook for old times¡¯ sake. Please don¡¯t call the cops on me. I don¡¯t want to get jailed. ¡°Do you really love me?¡± Robert looked at her. He was having mixed feelings about it. ¡°Do you know what love is, Harriet?¡± ¡°I really love you, Robert. I¡¯ve only ever loved you,¡± she said through tears. ¡°I fell for you the moment I laid eyes on you, but you were my sister¡¯s boyfriend, so I didn¡¯t say anything. I know that was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t control myself. I tried to love someone else, but I couldn¡¯t. You¡¯re the only one I love, and I can¡¯t love anyone else.¡± Robert snorted, and his voice broke. ¡°You say you love me, and yet you killed the woman I love most. You put me in a world of agony, and you call that love?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want this. I didn¡¯t.¡± Harriet shook her head tearfully. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to her. I just bumped into that by ident. Please, Rob, that was all a coincidence. You have to believe me. I never wanted to hurt her. She was just unlucky. Her falling down was an ident. I had nothing to do with it! I swear!¡± ¡°You can stop now,¡± Robert said sadly. ¡°Cindy told us everythingst night. Your sister kept calling for help and tried to get to her bed after she fell down. She wanted to get her cell phone to call someone to help her, but you barged in and closed the door. Then you locked it and held your sister down. You stopped her from getting any help, and you even covered her mouth to make sure of it. Your sister kept bleeding and bleeding until she died.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s a lie! She¡¯s lying!¡± Harriet shook her head violently. ¡°That¡¯s a lie, Rob! Trust me! That¡¯s not what happened!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s a lie, why did you give her so much money over the years then?¡± There was pain in Robert¡¯s eyes. ¡°Cindy saw you going upstairs, so she got you some fruits. When she came to your sister¡¯s bedroom, she was about to knock on the door, but then she heard your sister calling for help before that call for help was abruptly stopped. All she could make was muffled sounds. Cindy was shocked, and she kept quiet for a long time. About ten minutester, you opened the door and went out to ask for help, but your sister was already dead by then.¡± The more he said, the more agonizing it was for him. ¡°After your sister¡¯s death, Cindy came to you. She knew when you went into the room, so if she called the cops, they would know you murdered your sister. You were terrified, so you gave her a lot of money to shut her up, while she testified that your sister was already dead when you went into the room. You conspired with her and killed both my wife and my unborn daughter!¡± He couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions anymore. Robert kicked Harriet away and hurled a teacup at her. ¡°I will never forgive you, Harriet! Never! Michael, call the cops! I want her arrested! I will make her pay for killing your mother and unborn sister!¡± ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± Michael answered and took his phone out. ¡°No, Rob, please!¡± Harriet crawled back to Robert despite the shards of teacup cutting her. She hugged his leg tightly, bawling her eyes out. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it, Rob! I didn¡¯t. The devil took over me that day! But I didn¡¯t push her down! She fell over herself! She was already down when I got in, and there was blood everywhere. She would have died even if she asked for help! She was just unlucky she died! Fate wanted her dead right there and then. I had nothing to do with it! I swear! Please have mercy on me, Rob. I beg of you. I don¡¯t want to go to jail. That¡¯s a cruel ce! Please, Rob. Have mercy on me. I¡¯ve loved you all my life! Please, have mercy just this once, Rob!¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 102 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Insanely Jealous Simrly, Harriet wasn¡¯t sure what had ovee her that day. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to kill a man, much less her own sister, but she distinctly recalled how downtrodden and hopeless she had felt after she found out she was irreversibly barren that day. The more elite the family was, the more their daughter-inw was expected to produce heirs to the family name. If she was medically certified as a barren woman, she would end up miserable no matter which family she married into. She would even be made theughing stock of the upper echelons of society, and her sterility would be the butt of everyone¡¯s joke. She had been in a foul mood throughout the few days leading up to the murder, but she kept her resentment to herself. She dared not bring up the matter of her sterility to her parents as well, fearing that they would deem her unworthy of marrying rich and refuse to help her make connections with the eligible scions in their society. If that happened, her life would be over. On the same day, she went to another hospital for a second opinion, only to learn that she was congenitally barren. In other words, no treatment could reverse this fact no matter how much the field of medicine had advanced. Harriet cried and left the hospital in despair. She wasn¡¯t sure how she had ended up at her sister¡¯s ce afterward, but when she passed through the living room, she remembered stopping in front of the family picture that hung on the wall. The family picture depicted her sister and brother-inw sitting side by side with three happy children in their arms. Harriet felt insanely jealous then. She had been in love with her brother-inw for a very long time, but she kept it to herself and told no one about it since he was married to her sister. Her sister not only married the man Harriet loved but also gave birth to three sons with a fourth one on the way, which added insult to Harriet¡¯s injury. Her husband doted on her and worshiped the ground she walked on; he cared for her and he would get the moon for her if she asked for it. Harriet couldn¡¯t understand why she and her sister, despite being biologically rted, had such different fates. Where her sister had married the man she loved and given birth to three sons with a daughter along the way, Harriet enjoyed no such happiness. She watched the man she loved marry her sister, and she was medically dered a barren woman. As such, she couldn¡¯t ever have her own children. At that moment, she stared at the family picture in the living room as poison filled her heart. The more she looked at her sister¡¯s smiling face in the picture, the more she found it irritating; Harriet badly wanted to rip off her sister¡¯s face in the picture and rece it with her own. She remembered thinking how perfect her life would be if she had the same things as her sister had. She wasn¡¯t greedy. She wouldn¡¯t ask for three sons and a daughter, but for the ability to produce an heir. s, she couldn¡¯t even do so since she was irreversibly barren. Resigned to her fate, she moved on from the living room dejectedly and went up the stairs to where her sister¡¯s room was. She pushed the door open wearily like she was dreading something, but that was when she saw her sister lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. At the sight of Harriet, her sister lit up in relief and sobbed, ¡°Quick, Harriet! Call the ambnce. I¡¯m bleeding¡­¡± Upon seeing her sister¡¯s tear-stained face, Harriet suddenly thought of the family picture in the living room. She had wanted to rip her sister¡¯s face off the family picture and rece it with her own. At that moment, a blind fury descended upon her. It was uncontrobly wild, and it ate away at her reasoning mind. If my sister dies, I can be the one in that family picture! If she dies, I¡¯ll marry my brother-inw and have her three kids. I won¡¯t ever need to have children of my own, so no one will know that I am barren! It was as if she was possessed by the devil. She didn¡¯t register the fact that she had turned to close and lock the door, nor did she register her own actions as she pinned her sister down and pped a hand over her nose and mouth. All she knew was that when she came back to her senses, her sister was already dead and staring up at her with wide, hollow eyes. Harriet could practically see the haunt of a grudge in her sister¡¯s lifeless gaze. She scrambled away from the body in horror, but as things were, it was toote. She started contemting on the ways she could cover this up. For one, she could pretend that she had only juste into the house and stumbled upon her sister¡¯s dead body. That could work; she hade to the house during lunchtime when the yard and the living room were empty, so no one could have seen her. She felt safe and fortunate in this belief, but little did she know that by some twist of fate, someone had seen her¡ªa maid who went by the name Cindy Macintosh. Cindy had gone up to her and ckmailed her. Out of fear, Harriet bought the maid¡¯s silence with a large sum of money. After that, she married her brother-inw as she wished and adopted her three nephews as her own sons. She told the outside world that she wouldn¡¯t dream of having children of her own, not while she still had her sisters¡¯ children to take care of. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Countless people praised her for her selflessness, and even her parents pointed out how sentimental she was. Nheless, they told her that she ought to reconsider having children of her own out of this union. She had gotten all that she ever wanted¡ªa husband whom she had loved in secret for years, three sons, and a solid reputation. However, she spent her days in paranoia, terrified that Cindy would show up out of the blue and tell everyone her secret. Her reputation would be ruined if that ever happened, and she would lose everything. Cindy knew her secret, and that secret loomed over her like the tip of a de, waiting for the right time to stab through her. There were plenty of times when she considered killing Cindy. The secret would die with her then, and Harriet wouldn¡¯t need to worry about anyone else finding out the truth. However, killing someone without a trace was not as easy as it sounded. She couldn¡¯t bring herself tomit murder, and she didn¡¯t think she could get away with it for long before the police started cracking down on her. As such, she spent all these years coping with the paranoia. There were many nights where she regretted what she had done. She couldn¡¯t count the number of times where she thought about what could¡¯ve happened had she not murdered her sister in cold blood. Pregnancy was a dangerous thing in itself, and her sister had been advanced at the time to carry a fourth child. She had slipped, fallen, and bled herself halfway to death when Harriet came upon her in the bedroom. In hindsight, she would have died even if Harriet hadn¡¯t done anything. It went without saying that a natural death on her sister¡¯s part was less horrifying than a murder on Harriet¡¯s. Perhaps she would have died anyway, and murdering her was unnecessary. That made Harriet realize just how stupid she had been to crown herself as a murderer. Whenever this came to mind, she would be filled with regret and a sense of helplessness. Presently, she thought about the day she walked into the room and saw her sister lying in a pool of blood. She cried out hysterically, ¡°It¡¯s true! I¡¯m telling the truth! She was already bleeding profusely when I came into the room. There was so much blood; even if I didn¡¯t kill her, she would have died anyway! I¡¯m not a murderer. She slipped and fell to her own death. I swear I¡¯m telling the truth! All of it!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Morgan snapped as he lifted his leg and kicked Harriet aggressively. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t killed my mom, she wouldn¡¯t have died! You killed your own sister! You¡¯re heartless, and you¡¯re worse than vermin!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true!¡± Harriet sobbed as she crawled over to Robert. She could feel shards of the broken teacup stabbing into her thighs as blood dripped all over the floor, but she couldn¡¯t care less as she clung to Robert¡¯s leg and pleaded, ¡°Rob, you have to believe me. She would have died even if I didn¡¯t kill her. That was her fate, just as it is mine to marry you! Rob, you know I love you, right? I¡¯ve done nothing but devote myself to you all these years. I poured my heart out to you, and everything I¡¯ve done is for you. I could do the whole world wrong, but I would never hurt you. Please, Rob, save me. Save me!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 103 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 103 Chapter 103 This Is Exasperating! ¡°Are you saying that you killed my wife and my unborn child for me?¡± Robert kicked Harriet aside belligerently. ¡°Harriet, being your husband is the greatest regret of my life, that and the fact that I was blind to your true colors! Just thinking about how I married you after you killed my first wife makes me sick! I ought to kill you myself!¡± ¡°N-No, Rob, please don¡¯t do this to me. Rob¡­¡± Harriet sobbed as she shook her head. ¡°Rob, we¡¯ve been together for so long, and I¡¯ve given you the best years of my life. You can¡¯t do this to me, Rob¡­¡± Amid her sobs, the sound of the police siren began to draw near. It grew louder as the cruisers made their way down the street, and Harriet grew even more frightened when she heard it. She fell to her knees in front of Robert and grabbed his leg, pleading profusely, ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you¡ªdon¡¯t send me to jail! You can¡¯t let the police take me away! I don¡¯t want to go to jail! Please, please¡­¡± Meanwhile, Sebastian led the two children into the dining room. Quincy was seated next to Sebastian with a book in hand, and he was engrossed in whatever he was reading. Meanwhile, Joel was in Sebastian¡¯sp as he wrapped his arms around thetter¡¯s neck. He had his chin propped up on Sebastian¡¯s shoulder, so he could get a clear view of the living room. ¡°Are you scared, Buddy?¡± Sebastian nced over to check on the kid when he heard Harriet¡¯s cries grow more shrill by the second. ¡°Nope!¡± Joel answered with his arms still firmly wrapped around Sebastian¡¯s neck. Then, he asked, ¡°Dad, do you know why the police are taking that woman away?¡± Sebastian bristled. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I know the answer!¡± Joel proimed proudly. ¡°I understood everything. That woman killed her own sister, and now that the truth hase out, the police areing to take her away!¡± Sebastian patted the little boy¡¯s back. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Joel answered. ¡°Aldo and I really like watching true crime shows. We even helped the police solve a case! Grandpa saw us on television after that.¡± ¡°Oh, I know about that one.¡± Sebastian smiled and nodded. It was precisely because of that case that his father had discovered the existence of these two children. Otherwise, Sebastian wouldn¡¯t have had such adorable sons to call his own. He held onto Joel and felt a rush of warm affection for him. He couldn¡¯t help nting a firm kiss on the child¡¯s doughy cheek. Joel¡¯s eyes glistened, and he looked away from the living room as he ducked his little head. Then, he returned the kiss by giving Sebastian a peck on the cheek. ¡°I love you, Dad!¡± Upon hearing his son¡¯s soft and childish voice, Sebastian thought his heart would melt into a puddle. ¡°I love you too!¡± He couldn¡¯t help giving the boy another peck on the cheek. ¡°I love you so much, Dad!¡± Joel insisted and kissed Sebastian once more on the same spot. ¡°I love you more, Buddy.¡± ¡°No, I love you more!¡± ¡°No, I love you way more, Buddy.¡± ¡°I love you way, way, way more, Dad!¡± Quincy, who was sitting at the side, peeked out from behind his book and frowned at his father and brother. He had always believed that Sebastian was intelligent and powerful enough to take good care of his mother and brother. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have to grow up so quickly. It looks like Dad has lost a bit of his smarts after hanging out with Buddy for so long, though. Has Buddy¡¯s stupidity rubbed off on him? That doesn¡¯t make much sense, though, for it would¡¯ve rubbed off on Mom and myself long ago. Perhaps Mom and I are just too intelligent, but that has its own set of problems too. It¡¯s bad enough that Buddy¡¯s the dumb one, and now he has Dad to keep himpany. This is exasperating! I need to work harder in school if I¡¯m going to keep this family afloat! I must keep reading! With renewed determination, he looked away from Sebastian and Joel. Then, he went back to reading his book. It didn¡¯t take long for the police to arrive. Under the butler¡¯s direction, the police officers marched into the living room. By then, Harriet had already cried herself hoarse. She let out a frantic yelp when she saw the police. As she scrambled to get off the living room floor, she rose to her feet and turned to run. In truth, she wasn¡¯t sure where she could run off to. She only knew fear at that moment, and it made her want to run. I can go anywhere as long as I can get away from the police, she thought to herself. s, that was only wishful thinking, for it took only a few seconds for two police officers to leap onto her and pin her down. They handcuffed her, and after informing Robert of some of the procedures following this, they took Harriet out of the living room and into the police cruiser. She wailed and begged and howled for mercy, but no one bothered to spare her a second nce. The police shoved her unceremoniously into the car, closed the door, and drove away from the house, the fading sound of sirens marking their departure. Devoid of Harriet¡¯s hysterical cries, the living room of the Wendel Residence suddenly became very still and quiet. After a while, Robert straightened up and eyed Madeline meaningfully. ¡°Maddie¡­ you and Mr. Hart have my thanks for this.¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Grandpa.¡± Robert looked over to where Sebastian was hanging out with the kids, and the man seemed rather pensive. Since she didn¡¯t want to call Sebastian by name, Madeline elected to call for her children instead. ¡°Aldo, Buddy!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Joel answered sweetly as he took Sebastian¡¯s hand and walked into the living room. ¡°Mom, Aldo and I are here.¡± Having said this, he turned around to look at Quincy, who stood behind them. Madeline walked up to the children, and she held their hands as she guided them over to where Robert was. ¡°Aldo, Buddy¡ªthis is your great-grandfather. Go ahead and greet him.¡± Quincy looked proper as he said in a crisp voice, ¡°Hello, Great-Grandpa.¡± ¡°Hello, Great-Grandpa!¡± Joel followed suit, albeit with more fervor as he dragged out thest syble endearingly. Robert was enamored with them, and an affable smile fixed itself upon his wizened face as he said, ¡°Hello, my little ones! What angels!¡± He assessed them lovingly. They were both cherubic with their snow-white skin andrge dark eyes; they even boasted delicately-chiseled and wless features. It was hard not to love them at first sight. He was sure that if he liked this golden pair of grandsons¡ªwhom he had only just gotten to know¡ªso much, Philip would be sure to love them as well. He couldn¡¯t help feeling apologetic toward Madeline. This granddaughter of his had had it rough in life, but even so, she pulled through and gave birth to two adorable, bright, and absolutely endearing children who shared the Hart¡¯s family name. Robert had heard a few stories about Philip. Apparently, Philip wounded himself during the war, so he and his wife did not have children of their own until they were in their forties. They had a son, who was none other than Sebastian, and they loved him with all their hearts. At present, Philip was already in his old age, and Sebastian had no interest in romance whatsoever. He never even had a girlfriend, a fact that remained a thorn in Philip¡¯s side. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Right now, the heavens had blessed Philip with two adorable grandsons, both of whom were bright and lovable. Robert was sure that Philip would dote on them if he ever met them. As for Madeline, she was the biological mother to both boys; Philip could fault her roots all he wanted, but he would still take care of her alongside her sons. To that extent, she would not be worse off than when she first started, and her sons would have a bright future ahead of them. Robert was sure that having Madeline and her sons on the Wendels¡¯ side would only be a boon to them, and he must have been stupid with sleep to have treated Madeline with such unbridled hostility last night. His smile deepened upon thinking about this, and the warmth in his eyes was close to spilling over as he gazed at Quincy and Joel. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 104 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 104 Chapter 104 A Chance to Turn Things Around The atmosphere in the living room seemed to have lightened up after the events of the day. Having shown Quincy and Joel how fond he was of them, Robert turned to thank Sebastian for revealing Harriet¡¯s true colors to the rest of the Wendel Family, for they had been blindsided all these years. In truth, he didn¡¯t think Sebastian and Madeline would ever work out. He wouldn¡¯t even consider the likes of Madeline, with her dubious background and whatnot, to be his granddaughter-inw. If he thought that way, Philip, the patriarch of the Hart Family who stood at the top of the social pyramid, would not perceive her well either. Philip was a notable figure among the elite, and the woman who could stand to be his daughter- inw would inevitably be an heiress with both brains and beauty, not to mention an impable background. Madeline, on the other hand¡­ If one had to get technical, she was part of the reputable Wendel Family, but unfortunately, she did not grow up among them. Robert had heard stories of her from Angie back in the day. ording to Angie, Madeline was something like a personal ve to Isabel, and she was insignificant, to say the least. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for the Harts, who cared about their image and good name more than anything else, to take in a woman who had been a personal ve to someone else and make her the family¡¯s mistress. As such, Sebastian was probably only with Madeline now because of the two children. If Madeline had any intention of bing the Hart Family¡¯s mistress at all, she would be in for a great disappointment since that was bordering on the impossible. That said, Robert had to admit that things would work out in the Wendels¡¯ favor if Madeline did marry into the Hart Family. After all, their social status would beunched to new heights should such a union ever take ce. This might not be a feasible n now, but it had potential. After all, Madeline did give birth to two sons who were the rightful heirs to the Harts¡¯ family name, and even if Sebastian were to marry another woman of pedigree in the future, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that Quincy and Joel were the first and second son respectively. Philip and Sebastian would only give those two boys the best. More importantly, Quincy and Joel were both bright and perceptive; coupled with the Harts¡¯ influence and resources, they could very well go ces. Once they mingle well enough with the Harts, they will surely help to bolster our connections as the grandsons of the Wendel Family. At the thought of this, Robert softened and became even more affable as he spoke to Madeline and her sons. It didn¡¯t take long for him to bepletely enamored by the trio; he was friendly with them and treated them with gentle kindness. He even told Michael and his two brothers as well as Jonathan and his seven siblings that from now onward, Madeline was officially the only youngdy of the Wendel Family. No one was to trifle with her or treat her unkindly, and those who did so would face his wrath. Upon hearing this, Angie gritted her teeth and glowered at Madeline with unadulterated spite. She hated how heartless the Wendels were, and she hated Madeline for her good fortune. Angie knew her grandfather too well to understand that the only thing he cared about, aside from his children and grandchildren, was the Wendels¡¯ glory and future sess. For him to have changed his demeanor toward Madeline overnight meant that he had already set his eyes on forming an alliance of some sort with the formidable Hart Family. When Angie had asked Robert and Harriet to back her upst night, she did not tell them of Sebastian¡¯s background and identity. Everything happened so quickly that Robert did not have time to evaluate the situation. However, now that he had spent a whole night thinking about this, he suddenly concluded to ally with the Harts. Needless to say, he could only do that if he could appease Madeline and her two sons. If the children weren¡¯t Sebastian¡¯s and Madeline hade along to the Wendel Residence without Sebastian to back her up, things would have turned out very differently. Madeline was not capable enough on her own to dethrone Angie and be the youngdy of the Wendel Family, but she was lucky enough to have given birth to two sons, both of whom were Sebastian¡¯s. Angie rememberedughing alongside Isabel as they made fun of Madeline for having children before she got married. They had discussed her ill fortune with wicked amusement, iming that there was no point in being pretty if no elite family would want her as a daughter-inw, especially when she had be a mother to two boys. In fact, James Dugray was one such case. Angie had liked him back in the day, but he was so obsessed with Madeline that he didn¡¯t even mind her having two children in her care; he was sure that she was the one he wanted to marry. However, when James¡¯ mother found out about it, she immediately told Madeline off and warned James that she would jump off a building if he were to proceed with the marriage. As such, James had no choice but to give up on pursuing Madeline. After that, Isabel and Angie were sure that Madeline would be saddled with taking care of her two mongrel sons with some average joe who wouldn¡¯t amount to much. Either way, it would be impossible for her to marry into an elite family and be ady of leisure. s, little did Angie know that Madeline had such good fortune. In order to save Sam, she had given birth to the two sons who ended up being Sebastian¡¯s spawn. It just so happened that the birth came around the time when the Harts were in dire need of heirs, so it went without saying that her sons would receive nothing but the best in life under their care. It was only because Madeline had Sebastian to back her up that the Wendels had such high regard for her. In a family as vast as the Wendels, the only ones who spoke up for Angie were Cedric, Serena, and Nichs; no one else woulde to her defense. Why is Madeline the lucky one and not me? She was starting to regret not volunteering to undergo the IVF procedure to save Sam. Seeing as he was her cousin too, her gene sample would bepatible with his as well. If she had been the one to give birth to Sebastian¡¯s kids, she would have nothing to fear now even if she was discovered to be Cameron¡¯s daughter. However, these all chalked up to be nothing more than wishful thinking; Madeline was the one who had the privilege of mothering Sebastian¡¯s children, and she was also the official youngdy of the Wendel Family. Everything good had gone to her, while Angie was stuck with the rotten leftovers. No, this can¡¯t be it. I can¡¯t just give up like this! She cast a sidelong nce at Nichs while he stood next to her. She still had a chance to turn things around! If she could marry Nichs, she would be Madeline¡¯s sister-inw as well as part of the Wendels. By then, she would get to share in the glory that woulde in light of the Wendels¡¯ eventual alliance with the Harts. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. This was herst chance, and she must not let it slip out of her fingers. Therefore, she had to act quickly! Erin would bring her back to her ce after this, and it would give her the perfect opportunity to strike while the iron was hot. The only thing that might get in the way was Nichs¡¯ affections for another woman, and such affections apparently ran deep. Whatever sentiments he had for Angie were limited to those between siblings. It doesn¡¯t matter, though! Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I¡¯ll create circumstances that will force Nichs to take responsibility. At the moment, her father and her brothers still saw her as one of their own. Once she became Nichs¡¯ woman, then they would stand up for her and make him marry her. After that, she was sure that she could win Nichs over and have him shower her with the same love her parents shared. Meanwhile, Madeline had caught sight of the look Angie gave Nichs, and she couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Looks like she¡¯s an antsy one. I¡¯m sure things will take an interesting turn soon enough. Robert, on the other hand, had not slept at allst night, and it was only by sheer force of will that he could stay awake now and keep the conversation with Madeline going. Half an hourter, he finally caved in to the drowsiness. He stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m rather tired, Maddie. I¡¯ll be going to bed now. You and Sebastian can stay here for a couple of days, and the same goes for the kids too. When your mother recovers, I¡¯ll have your father pick out a date, and we¡¯ll throw a soiree to wee you back into the family. I must introduce you to our friends and family and let them know that my granddaughter has returned!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 105 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Shameless! Michael added in earnest agreement, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Finding Maddie and being reunited with her is a joyous asion indeed! We have to throw a banquet to celebrate it and have everyone else know that Maddie is the only princess of the Wendel Family!¡± Everyone in the living room sounded their hearty approval, but Nichs was the only one who grumbled under his breath, ¡°Having a daughter of the Wendel Family spend most of her life away from us is nothing to be proud of. The rest of high society will see us asughing stock for sure if word of this gets out.¡± He had said it in a voice barely above a whisper, but Michael heard it nheless. The words cut through him like a knife. Indeed, having his daughter grow up outside the Wendel Family was nothing to be proud of at all; it only went to show how incapable he was as a father who couldn¡¯t even protect his own daughter. That was how he interpreted Nichs¡¯ pointed remark, but in truth, he was wrong. Nichs had meant to say that someone like Madeline, who had grown up outside the gentle breeding of the Wendel Family, was not worthy of the title of the youngdy of the household. However, he couldn¡¯t have said it that bluntly, so it hadn¡¯te off quite as harsh as he intended. In the end, the statement was taken out of context by Michael, who only felt more guilty toward Madeline. He became more driven to treat her with the kindness she must have missed out on all these years. It was his fault that she had to survive outside the love and care of the family, and he vowed to make it up to her. Michael couldn¡¯t be bothered about confronting his nephew over this, so he ignored Nichs and brushed it off, pretending not to have heard it at all. However, he treated Madeline even more affably now and with renewed enthusiasm. Nichs gaped at his uncle¡¯s behavior and shrugged. Forget it, he thought. He was the youngest in the Wendel Family next to Angie at twenty-something years old, but everyone still treated him like a child. His words hardly carried any weight, and no one in the family ever took him seriously. He couldn¡¯t change the way they saw him, but he knew he could take charge of his own life and make his own judgment. He reached an arm around Angie¡¯s shoulders and gave her aforting squeeze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Angie. You still have me, and I¡¯ll keep you safe forever. No one will hurt you as long as I¡¯m here!¡± Angie nodded and turned to look at him with red-rimmed eyes. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s so sweet of you, Nichs!¡± Upon seeing the gleam in her eyes and her show of reliance toward him, Nichs felt as if he was a valiant hero, and he shed her a satisfied grin. Meanwhile, after Robert said a few more things to Madeline and Sebastian, he rose and left the main house. The other branches of the family followed suit, and when Nichs¡¯ family left, they brought Angie with them. Erin and Nichs stood on either side of Angie as they walked out of the house. In particr, Erin held Angie¡¯s hand while they chattered idly like a pair of mother and daughter. At the sight of this, Madeline smiled as amusement glittered in her eyes. Soon, the only ones left in the vi were the main family, Sebastian, the two kids, and Madeline herself. Now that the matter of Harriet and her past crime was resolved, Michael decided to call up the hospital to ask them about his wife and how she was coping so far. The hospital told him that she was awake and that he could visit her, though for only half an hour at a time. He was ted to hear this and immediately rushed over to see his wife. Simrly, the others were equally relieved as they followed him to the hospital. Madeline told Sebastian to keep an eye on her kids while she went with the rest of the Wendels to the hospital. Presently, Crystal was lying in the intensive care unit. She looked frail, but her condition had stabilized. When she saw the nurse leading Michael into the room, excitement filled her as she peered behind him. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Since he knew the reason behind her anticipation, Michael quickly turned and said to Madeline, ¡°Maddie! Your mom wants to see you!¡± Madeline had been walking behind the brood, but Joseph shoved her forward after hearing what Michael had said. She hurried over to Crystal¡¯s bedside and crouched down as she said, ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mom. How are you feeling? Are you well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine¡­¡± Tears welled up in Crystal¡¯s eyes as soon as she saw Madeline. She raised a hand with some strain and gently caressed Madeline¡¯s face as she took in her features. There was so much love and pain in her gaze as she said weakly, ¡°Maddie, my darling¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Madeline had been calm and unfazed until she saw the look in Crystal¡¯s eyes and felt her heart wrench. Eyes were the windows to the soul, and Crystal looked at her the same way she would have looked at her sons with overwhelming love andpassion. It was as if Madeline was her precious jewel, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to handle something as delicate and perfectly made as her. She could feel tears pricking her own eyes as Crystal continued to stare at her. She sped Crystal¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Mom, you have to take care of yourself so that we can have more time together. If you copse now, that future we want won¡¯t be possible anymore, will it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! You¡¯re absolutely right, my darling,¡± Crystal said with a nod as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Just wait for me, Maddie. Wait for me to get better. We¡¯ll go shopping, have meals together, and look at all the things on sale¡­ I have so much to say to you¡­ ¡± When she started crying, the doctor frowned. He walked over to the bed as he said to Michael and the others, ¡°Mrs. Wendel has only just pulled through a rather intense period, and it would be better that she remains stress-free for now. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to end the visiting session here. You may return tomorrow.¡± These were the doctor¡¯s orders, and no one dared go against them. As such, Madeline stepped aside from the bed and let Michael have the room. He reached out to sp his wife¡¯s hand and muttered something to her in endearment before leaving reluctantly. Upon their return to Wendel House, they found that Sebastian and the kids were nowhere in sight. Madeline immediately dialed Sebastian¡¯s number, and when she heard the noise in the background, she asked, ¡°Where have you taken Aldo and Buddy? It sounds like a lot is going on at your end.¡± Sebastian¡¯s strong and pleasant voice was clear and crisp despite all the noise behind him. ¡°I brought them to the amusement park. Want toe over? I could get Quinton to bring you in from the main entrance¡­¡± He suddenly trailed off before adding, ¡°Okay, you shoulde by; Buddy¡¯s orders. He says he wants both his mom and dad to have fun with him.¡± Madeline¡¯s heart twisted when she heard this. While Quincy and Joel were considerate and never comined about not having a father figure in the past, she had seen the envious looks on their faces whenever they came across children who had both parents with them. Now that they had a father figure in their lives, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to rain on their parade. ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed readily. ¡°Which amusement park is that? I¡¯ll head over right now.¡± Sebastian mentioned the name of the amusement park and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address and have Quinton wait for you at the entrance.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She paused before adding softly, ¡°Sebastian¡­ Thank you.¡± Her voice was soft and sweet, and when she said this, there was an almost ethereal edge to it that made Sebastian feel as if a feather had tickled his earlobes. He felt goosebumps rise along his skin as he chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee. Isn¡¯t this what I¡¯m supposed to do as a father? Bringing my sons to amusement parks and such?¡± Madeline froze at this. Those are my sons! This guy is just outright snatching my sons away from me, and he doesn¡¯t seem sorry about it at all! She was the one who raised those two kids. All he ever did was provide the semen, but he was making it sound as if he had carried out parental duties alongside her as well. He¡¯s shameless! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 106 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 106 Chapter 106 An Odd Way of Comforting Someone Madeline hung up and turned to say goodbye to Michael and her brothers. Then, she left Wendel House and made her way over to the amusement park. Michael had wanted her to take a car and two bodyguards with her, but when he got to the yard, he saw that her bodyguard was already in the idling car waiting for her, so he dismissed the thought. Upon getting into the car, Madeline saw that one of Emory¡¯s men was in the driver¡¯s seat, and Emory himself was in the passenger seat. ¡°Where did you get the car, Emory? We took a ne here,¡± she pointed out curiously. More to the point, the car was a modified luxury ride. It was understated on the outside yet spacious on the inside, and it came with top-notch safety features. Emory turned around and grinned toothily at her. ¡°I have a pied-¨¤-terre here in Wendel City with a couple of cars that I used to drive parked in the garage, so I had someone send one of them over.¡± She gaped at him when she heard this. This was a very fine car, and she could hardly believe that it had been left to collect dust in a garage in some pied-¨¤-terre. It seemed like the car was only used more than a few times in a year, but what could she say other than that she could never appreciate the worldview of the rich? About half an hourter, she arrived at the amusement park. The car slid into a space in the nearby parking lot, and she hurried down. When she spotted Sebastian and her kids from afar, she started running in their direction. Joel caught sight of her immediately with his eagle eyes, and he jumped up and down in ce as he eximed, ¡°Mom¡¯s here! Dad, Mom¡¯s here!¡± At that moment, Sebastian saw Madeline too. She looked like a dancing butterfly as she fluttered her way over to them. The breeze picked up her long, silky hair and revealed the captivating artwork that was her face. She was wearing a in white t-shirt with ck jeans, and the outfit entuated her small waist and delicate figure. She looked tall and slender with her long legs d in jeans, and coupled with her gorgeous facial features, she was a stunning sight to see. She turned heads as she ran over to where Sebastian and the kids were, and there were even a few passers-by who took out their phones to try and take pictures or video clips of her. Without waiting for Sebastian¡¯s orders, the Harts¡¯ security guards immediately spread out over the area to stop these people from filming and photographing. Those who were stopped kept their phones obediently and mourned over their lost opportunity to take pictures of a rare beauty like her, but they couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was a youngdy of nobility. If that was the case, it would exin why she traveled with bodyguards. There were even some who believed Madeline to be a celebrity they didn¡¯t know about. Previously, there was a female celebrity who had made headlines after she was pictured traveling with a dozen bodyguards or so. Madeline certainly had the visual makings of a celebrity, and she appeared to have plenty of bodyguards at her disposal too, most of whom were tall and good-looking young men. If the crowd couldn¡¯t take pictures of the rare beauty, they didn¡¯t mind settling for pictures of these handsome bodyguards. There were a few youngdies who secretly aimed their cameras at the bodyguards and took their pictures. They giggled and ran away from the scene before the guards could reprimand them. However, the bodyguards were already used to this, and they did not go after those gaggle of girls who had infringed their portrait rights. It was a small sacrifice to keep their master out of pictures, after all. Sebastian kept a particrly low profile. Well, at least that was what he thought of himself; others liked to call him elusive. He rarely ever appeared in public and during social events. Whenever Hart Corporation took part in social highlights for the sake of keeping up connections, it was always Lucas Hart¡ªthe vice president of Hart Corporation, Philip¡¯s adopted son, and Sebastian¡¯s younger brother¡ªwho attended these things. Sebastian didn¡¯t like showing his face in public, whereas Lucas was the pr opposite. He was a hedonist through and through, and he enjoyed a good time. He was like a fish in water when it came to soirees, dance parties, and other asions of the sort, but Sebastian would find himself feeling out of ce the moment he arrived. As such, Sebastian became the most elusive bachelor of Dusktown; his name was intimidating in itself, and those who had actually seen him in person were as rare as they came. This was the first time he had shown up in a public space that was crawling with people, but thankfully, no one recognized him. If they did, there would certainly be discourse. Presently, he stood under the sun. The noise around him was spectacr, and the crowd only grew wider as time passed. He couldn¡¯t help finding all this very curious and amusing. He watched as Madeline rushed through the crowd and made a beeline for him. As his gaze lingered on her, something in him stirred. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off her, and he didn¡¯t even blink once. However, she wasn¡¯t looking at him; she had her eyes on her kids all this while. Before she reached them, Joel ran up to her and hurtled into her arms. Then, he wrapped his arms around her happily as he eximed, ¡°You¡¯re here, Mom!¡± She bent over to pick him up and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to ask Quinton to wait outside for me while you and your father have fun in the park?¡± ¡°No.¡± Joel shook his head and cupped her face as he said seriously, ¡°I wanted to wait for you with Aldo and Dad. We can go on rides together now that you¡¯re here.¡± Madeline was so moved by his sweet gesture that she nted a firm kiss on his cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can be so adorable, Buddy!¡± Delighted by her kiss, Joel giggled and cupped her face before kissing her cheek repeatedly. To the side, Sebastian watched both mother and son indulge in each other¡¯spany. When he nced down at Quincy, he began to feel a twinge of sympathy for the kid. As such, he bent over to pick up the child and pecked him on the cheek. Quincy gaped at him speechlessly. When Sebastian saw the impassive look on his little face, he assumed that the boy was unhappy. He cated, ¡°Don¡¯t get upset, Aldo. Your mom loves you too, you know. It¡¯s just that Buddy is a little more clingy than you are, so she spends more time with him. You¡¯re adorable too.¡± Quincy was at a loss for words. No one said he was upset, and it wasn¡¯t in his nature to cling to his mother like some needy child. I¡¯m doomed, he thought in mute despair as he eyed his father reproachfully. I finally get a dad, and he turns out to be an idiot! What should I do? Just then, Madeline walked up to Sebastian with Joel in her arms, and she reached to caress Quincy¡¯s face with her free hand. As she smiled, she exined to Sebastian, ¡°Aldo doesn¡¯t like it when I pick him up. He keeps saying he¡¯s a big boy now, and he doesn¡¯t want his mommy to carry him. You should be honored that he lets you hold him like that!¡± Sebastian brightened up when he heard this, and he couldn¡¯t resist giving Quincy another kiss on his doughy little face. ¡°Well, my son certainly likes being carried by me!¡± Quincy shot him a look of mild disgust and slowly squeezed himself out of his arms. Then, he headed into the amusement park without looking back. Sebastian stared after his little figure in astonishment. It took some determination on Madeline¡¯s part not tough at this as she carefully set Joel down on the ground. Then, she watched as he ran after his brother while crying, ¡°Aldo!¡± Sebastian gazed at the little ones and said wistfully, ¡°It¡¯s like they say¡ªall kids are different. Aldo and Buddy may be twins, but they¡¯replete opposites.¡± ¡°That much is true,¡± Madeline said as her eyes fell upon Quincy¡¯s retreating figure. She seemed a little sad as she added, ¡°Aldo always thinks he has to take care of me and Buddy because he¡¯s the oldest kid.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. He was only five, but he saw himself as the only man in the family who needed to be a pir for his mother and younger brother. There was no denying that Madeline had a part to y in this; it was her fault for not giving him the sense of security he needed to be a carefree child. When he saw the sadness in her eyes, Sebastian pointed outfortingly, ¡°You aren¡¯t him, so you won¡¯t know how he truly feels. There are times when I see the way Aldo looks at us, and I swear, it¡¯s like he thinks we¡¯re some foolish peasants or something. You might be feeling sorry for him, but maybe he¡¯s really happy the way he is.¡± She tipped her head and gave him an assessing look. ¡°You sure have an¡­ odd way offorting someone.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 107 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Unexpected Enthusiasm This was the first time Quincy and Joel had been to an amusement park with both their parents, and they had a whale of a time. Sebastian realized that while Joel appeared soft and clingy, he was actually gutsy enough to want to try any ride that he was allowed on at his age. The bodyguards they brought along with them had spread out over the park to stand in line for the rides, so they never had to wait for long before they went on the rides. Within half a day, they were done with most of the attractions they could go on. The kids were sweating after frolicking around the park, but the smiles on their faces were dazzling. Even Quincy, who was serious most of the time, was grinning widely as he revealed his pearly whites. At that moment, Sebastian understood what it was like to have a family of his own. He never particrly enjoyed amusement parks, but seeing how happy his kids were made his heart swell with satisfaction. Perhaps such was the magic of parenthood; he had only known the kids not too long ago, but he was sure that he loved them. It was as if there was an invisible force that prompted him to give these children the best he could and indulge in them. Naturally, the kids¡¯ delicate good looks were lovable enough on their own. All in all, Sebastian had the urge to love and care for them; he also wanted to put a smile on their faces. Meanwhile, the kids were beyond happy after they had managed to go on all the rides they could. Joel hurtled into Sebastian¡¯s arms as he looked up at him and said, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go for a meal together!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sebastian was only all too happy to indulge in these kids. He stroked Joel¡¯s flushed cheeks affectionately and asked, ¡°What do you feel like having?¡± The kid thought about it and finally answered, ¡°I want fried chicken, burger, Coke, and fries!¡± Sebastian blinked at him. Why do all kids love fast food? ¡°No!¡± Madeline interjected. ¡°Buddy, we¡¯ve talked about this. We can only have burgers, fried chicken, and fries once at the end of every month. We¡¯re still in the middle of the month right now, so you can¡¯t have those.¡± Joel looked up at Sebastian with pleading eyes. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Sebastian wanted to say yes to him, but he couldn¡¯t undermine Madeline. He nced over at her, and she shook her head as she reached out to grab Joel¡¯s arm. She pulled him into her arms and gave him a stern look. ¡°I¡¯ll be mad if you keep this up, Buddy.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Joel licked his lips in disappointment. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to a buffet, Mom?¡± ¡°A buffet sounds alright to me,¡± Sebastian said as he looked at Madeline. ¡°We¡¯ll bring them to the best one this town has to offer¡ªthe kind where the food is prepared hygienically and is packed full of nutrients without any junk food in sight.¡± Madeline hesitated for a moment and nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± After all, she didn¡¯t want to dampen her children¡¯s mood while they were having such a good time. ¡°Yay, we¡¯re going to a buffet!¡± Joel cheered loudly. Then, he ran over to Quincy and whispered into his ear, ¡°I thought Dad would have the final word because of how smart and capable he is, but it looks like we¡¯ll still have to listen to Mom, Aldo!¡± He thought he was whispering, but Sebastian and Madeline could hear every word clearly. In particr, Madeline was embarrassed. However, Sebastian only shook his head as heughed this off,pletely unaffected by the remark. Just then, Quincy shot his brother a sideways nce and countered, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that good men listen to their wives? Dad wouldn¡¯t be a good man at all if he refused to listen to Mom, and I wouldn¡¯t want to like him. I¡¯d even make Mom hate him if I could!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Joel replied in agreement. He nodded and borated, ¡°That¡¯s what they say on TV too. Only good men listen to their wives!¡± This exchange rendered Sebastian speechless. He gave Madeline a curious look as he asked, ¡°What do they watch on TV?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Well¡­¡± No words came to her mind, and she finally settled on a brief response. ¡°He watches everything.¡± Sebastian raised a brow. ¡°Everything? Including soap operas and romanticedies?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. They also watch shows where they solve family conflicts on TV,¡± she added helpfully. He took a deep breath as he registered this. Oh, so that exins it. He threw an amused look in Joel¡¯s direction as he said, ¡°You know what? We should sign the kids up for some personal development sses like golf, polo, horseback riding, or even martial arts; anything that they remotely show interest in, they can go ahead and try to pick it up as a hobby. They don¡¯t have to be world champions in golf or be an equestrian, but they ought to have something to ground them. It¡¯s sort of like giving them an outlet and a way to get them to exercise.¡± The kids could pick up whatever craft they wanted if it meant they would stop watching talk shows where the guests aired their dirtyundry on TV. She nodded. ¡°I think so too. Let¡¯s just wait until everything has settled down before we sign them up for these sses.¡± ¡°By the way,¡± he suddenly said. ¡°While you were at the hospital, our dad called us and said that he had already contacted the school where Aldo and Buddy will be attending. It¡¯s the best private school in Dusktown, and it¡¯s near our ce. Aldo and Buddy can start school right after we get back. Madeline was somewhat stunned by this. ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± She didn¡¯t think Philip would be so enthusiastic. Sebastian thought the same thing as well, for he pointed out with augh, ¡°My dad would like nothing more than to have Aldo and Buddy attend the school right away so that he can pick them up every day. They¡¯re worth more than gold to him.¡± Madeline pursed her lips. Why is he calling his dad ¡®our dad¡¯ like it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world? It was such a shame that Sebastian was born into an elite family. Philip would never allow him to work in the entertainment industry, but if he did, then Sebastian would win an academy award or two. He might even snag the Best Actor Award if he tried hard enough. She was just about to say something when Sebastian¡¯s phone rang suddenly. He fished it out of his pocket and took a look at the screen before answering the call. As he pressed the phone to his ear, he greeted, ¡°Hey, Dad.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t hear what was being said on the other line, but she did hear Sebastian hum a few times in agreement. ¡°Got it,¡± he finally said and hung up. She stared at him, whereas Sebastian kept his phone and said, ¡°That was our dad.¡± She sighed and cleared her throat as she replied, ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no need to call him ¡®our dad¡¯ when no one is around, is there? I mean, we¡¯re not¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re legally husband and wife!¡± Sebastian cut her off. ¡°If you¡¯re going to give your kids the perfect family, we¡¯ll have to go all the way and let the kids know that we are very happy and very much in love. Otherwise, they won¡¯t have the sense of security they need.¡± She frowned and said softly, ¡°I have thought about this, and I think it isn¡¯t right. If we keep this up, we¡¯d just be lying to them and giving them the false impression that our rtionship is solid. What if we separate one day? They¡¯ll be the one to bear the brunt of it, and it¡¯ll only scar them psychologically.¡± He tipped his head to the side and asked, ¡°You seem pretty intent on breaking up with me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± she quickly countered with a shake of her head. ¡°I want nothing more than to give the kids a stable family life, and if you don¡¯t break up with me, I¡¯ll spend forever with you like this. You, on the other hand¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me,¡± said Sebastian as he insisted. ¡°I will spend forever with you if it means that I can provide the perfect family for our kids.¡± Madeline eyed him silently. After a moment of thought, she said to him, ¡°I think your promisees off as a little impulsive. You¡¯re only young, and there¡¯s still a long life ahead of you. Who knows? You might even meet someone you truly love.¡± Sebastianughed. ¡°You¡¯re talking as if you¡¯re so old.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 108 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Unbelievable! ¡°First of all, I¡¯m different,¡± Madeline pointed out matter-of-factly. ¡°I can do anything and give up everything for my kids as long as it¡¯s in their best interests, and that includes being a spinster for life.¡± ¡°You being a spinster, while noble, is not in Aldo and Buddy¡¯s best interests at all,¡± Sebastian debated. ¡°The kids need a father figure in their lives while they¡¯re growing up, and having both parents around is the best for kids their age. They need to know that they have a perfect family rooting for them.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± she said. ¡°That is why I¡¯m willing to go through with something as ridiculous as getting a marriage certificate with you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ridiculous at all,¡± he countered as he gazed into her eyes. ¡°Maddie, you keep saying how I might meet a girl I truly love someday. Has it ever crossed your mind that you might be that girl?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Madeline gaped at him with wide eyes. Sebastian chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re young, pretty, and capable¡ªthis makes you the cream of the crop. Also, you are the biological mother of my children, which means we¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other. At this rate, don¡¯t you think something might eventually happen between us? There might be a spark.¡± She was stunned by his exnation, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words. When he saw that he had rendered her speechless, heughed and asked, ¡°Tongue-tied all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I just¡­¡± She snapped out of her reverie and admitted hesitantly, ¡°I never thought that would be a possibility for us.¡± He raised a brow at her. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it? We wouldn¡¯t consider being in a rtionship with someone else while we¡¯re raising the boys, and it¡¯ll just be us two single folks hanging around at home. You won¡¯t have your eyes on another man, and I won¡¯t be interested in dating other women. That¡¯s fertile ground for a possible romance to grow between us, don¡¯t you think?¡± Madeline bit her lip and said nothing. Considering that his proposal was a logical one, one might ask her why she thought that way. In truth, she didn¡¯t think she was good enough for him. In the past, she had never thought of herself as not being good enough for anyone, nor did she ever think about finding a man for herself just to fill the stepfather-shaped hole in Quincy and Joel¡¯s lives. She had made up her mind about spending forever as a family of three with her two boys without ever contemting marriage, but that was until Sebastian showed up out of the blue. After that interlude, she found herself married to Sebastian on paper, but she never thought of herself as his wife. The only reason she and Sebastian even bothered with the marriage certificate was so that Quincy and Joel wouldn¡¯t bebeled as children born out of wedlock. Up until now, she had thought that Sebastian shared that sentiment. She was constantly anticipating the moment he would bring up the matter of divorce. In fact, she was certain in her belief that it would happen after news of Quincy and Joel being children of the Hart Family had settled among high society. Never did she consider the possibility that Sebastian would fall for her. She grew up humble, but she didn¡¯t think so little of herself that she would believe she could never be good enough for anyone and thus submit to a bottom-feederbel. That said, it was odd that someone of her fortitude could think that Sebastian would never fall for her. Why is that so? It¡¯s a strange feeling to have. Upon seeing that she was lost in her thoughts once more, Sebastian shook his head and said, ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll drop the matter for now; we still have a long journey to go anyway, and the only thing we need to know is that we will be bound to each other until such time that we each meet someone else. We¡¯ll be going to the buffet, and after that, we¡¯re heading back to the Harts¡¯ pied-¨¤-terre here in Wendel City; our dad¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Madeline was surprised by the news. She then asked, ¡°Old Master Hart is here?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Sebastian jerked his chin in the direction of the boys, who were bickering as they walked up ahead. ¡°He said something about missing his grandchildren, so he decided toe by to see them.¡± She blinked and made no reply. In all honesty, she wasn¡¯t sure what she should say about that. Sebastian tipped his head and gave her a bemused look. ¡°My dad didn¡¯t have much to upy his time with after he retired from the army. He would do some gardening or raise a few pet birds before Aldo and Buddy came into our lives. You must understand, that he was in his forties when my mom had me, and while the rest of his peers had grandchildren who were already in high school, he was worried sick about me not having a girlfriend or the intention to settle down. Now, everything seems to have worked out in his favor; he gets to bring his grandchildren out alongside his friends, and he won¡¯t have to pine after the ideal family life that he wants in his golden age anymore.¡± Madeline said, ¡°Old Master Hart is a very nice man.¡± The Hart Family was formidable even among the elite, and while Quincy and Joel were part of their bloodline, their birth wasn¡¯t exactly legitimate. If Philip were an old-fashioned man, he would have never epted Quincy and Joel as his grandchildren; instead, he¡¯d shun them for being a disgrace to the Harts. However, not only did he acknowledge them, he even loved them as his own. Ever since he met them, he had shown that he wanted nothing but the best for them. It was rare for someone as powerful as Philip to discard draconian ideals about the legitimacy of one¡¯s birth, particrly when it concerned a family as elite as his. He had always been nothing but kind and generous to the kids and Madeline as well. For this, Madeline was supremely grateful. She was sure that it would only bring unimaginable hurt to Quincy and Joel had Philip not epted them with open arms and genuine love, but with contempt and disgust instead. There were two ends to the spectrum¡ªone was where Philip¡¯s eptance of the children could ensure them a bright future, and the other where his contempt for them could potentially turn them into the laughing stock of high society, which was an unbearable consequence for two young kids. Philip was a very nice man indeed, and she vowed to tell her children that they ought to show him respect. Just then, Sebastian looked at her and said, ¡°You and the kids are very nice people as well, in case you didn¡¯t know.¡± Madeline wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. She could return thepliment as courtesy dictated, but in truth, she wasn¡¯t convinced that Sebastian was a nice person at all. He had a twisted sense of humor, and there were times when he was wicked beyond imagination. Anyone who crossed paths with him needed to seriously consider what they had done wrong in their past lives to meet with such great misfortune. That said, she had to give credit where credit was due; he was a brilliant father figure to Quincy and Joel. Granted, there were a few asions where the insidious side of him prevailed over his reasonable one, but she supposed the ends justified his wicked means. With that in mind, she said a little stiffly, ¡°Well, you¡¯re nice too.¡± Sebastian eyed her for a moment. Then, he shook his head as he chuckled and said, ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡± Madeline fell silent. Was it that obvious? They continued their idle chatter as they made their way over to the restaurant, whereupon the four of them helped themselves to the hearty buffet. When they were done with the meal, they left the restaurant and headed over to the Harts¡¯ pied-¨¤-terre. The kids had only just gotten down from the car when they saw Philip waiting for them in the front yard. Original from N?velDrama.Org. They immediately lit up as they ran up to the old man with wide smiles on their faces, each of them calling aloud, ¡°Grandpa!¡± Even Quincy, who tended to bottle up his feelings, was grinning. That was a solid testimony to the love these children had for their grandfather. They ran up to him and threw themselves into his open arms. Philip held each boy in one arm as he burst out into a cheeryugh and said, ¡°Oh, my little darlings, I have missed you!¡± Sebastian stared at this scene incredulously. He was quite sure that grandfather and grandchildren had only just seen each other not too long ago, so it was unbelievable that the old man could miss the kids so terribly. I never heard my dad saying how much he missed me while I was away from home for more than half a year. The double standard is ringly obvious. Sebastian was a little bitter as he stood to the side and greeted his father, only to be ignored as Philip straightened up, said hello to Madeline, then brought his two precious grandchildren into the house behind him. ¡°Come along now, my little darlings. I¡¯ve brought many gifts for you, and they¡¯re in the living room waiting to be opened.¡± Suddenly forlorn, Sebastian stared after Philip with his mouth open. He was beginning to suspect that he was adopted as a baby because his parents couldn¡¯t have children of their own back in the day. That doesn¡¯t make sense! If I¡¯m not their biological son, Aldo and Buddy aren¡¯t his biological grandkids. If that¡¯s the case, he can¡¯t possibly shower them with such unconditional love. Madeline, on the other hand, sputtered when she saw the puzzled look on his face. As though reminded of the fact that she was still next to him, Sebastian turned around and said, ¡°Follow me to the bedroom. I need to tell you something.¡± He sounded so serious that she nodded and went with him into his bedroom. Once they went it, Sebastian turned to close the door and locked it. After that, he spun and gave her a meaningful look as he said, ¡°Take your shirt off.¡± Madeline gaped at him with wide eyes. Excuse me?! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 109 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 109 Chapter 109 I Don¡¯t Want to Impose Madeline backed away from Sebastian as she eyed him warily and asked, ¡°What did you just say? I thought we agreed that this husband-and-wife thing is only an act!¡± ¡°You think too little of me,¡± Sebastian said dryly as he walked up to her, closing the distance between them. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to strip entirely¡ªjust a fraction so that I can take a look at your scars.¡± She froze. ¡°My scars?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he affirmed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Isabel and Angie whipped you when you were young and you still have the scars from theshings?¡± Let me take a look at them. With the right treatment, they might fade or disappear.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t wrap her head around this. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ll be wearing clothes all the time to cover them up, so don¡¯t trouble yourself.¡± ¡°Let me take a look,¡± Sebastian insisted. He was a perfectionist, and the thought of Madeline¡¯s wless skin being marred irked him for some reason. Presently, she clutched her clothes as if they would fall right off her if she didn¡¯t and shook her head. ¡°No, there really isn¡¯t a need for that. I really¡­¡± ¡°Overlook your own interests all you want, but you should at least think of the kids,¡± he countered firmly. ¡°What if they want you to bring them to the beach someday? Are you going to wear a swimsuit without revealing those scars? Or are you never going to bring Aldo and Buddy to the beach so that you¡¯ll never have to wear a swimsuit? What if the kidse across your scars by ident or some other? You don¡¯t want them to be heartbroken, do you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Madeline hesitated and bit down on her lower lip. ¡°Fine, but let me take a shower first.¡± He was pleased by his own powers of persuasion, so Sebastian smiled at her and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± As such, she bounded into the shower and dried her hair afterward. Then, she slipped into her pajamas beforeing out of the bathroom. Meanwhile, Sebastian had showered as well, and he was d in his dressing robe as he sat on the bed while typing away on hisptop. When he saw that Madeline hade out of the shower, he closed hisptop and set it aside before ncing in her direction. All of a sudden, Madeline felt her cheeks burning up. She slowly walked over to the bed and sat down gingerly next to him. Following that, she turned to show him her scars. She slipped off half her pajama top to reveal half her back. There were dozens of scars on the baster skin of her back. Some were horizontal while others were vertical, and they were all of various depths. Needless to say, it was hard not to think of them as anything but ugly. However, the dozens of scars did not seem to deface her gorgeous skin, but rather added a trace of tortured beauty to it. Her back was enticing. If one ignored the scars, the rest of her skin was as white as snow; some parts of it were so smooth that the lights yed off it, giving it a subtle glow. The silhouette of her back was defined and delicate, and as she sat up straight, Sebastian could vaguely make out the lines of her wingspan. For a moment, it was as if she might sprout beautiful butterfly wings and take off. There was much about her back that fueled his imagination. Sebastian¡¯s breath hitched, and he thought the room was growing warmer all of a sudden. Madeline, on the other hand, chewed on her lip doubtfully when she heard no response from the man behind her. ¡°Well, do you think the scars can be healed?¡± He snapped out of his reverie and muttered quietly, ¡°I can¡¯t make any promises about the deeper ones, but we can probably tackle the faint ones. My younger brother, Caleb, went to medical school, and he recently opened up a pharmaceuticalpany that hasunched plenty of good stuff. I¡¯ll ask him about it and see if he¡¯s able to rmend treatment for the deeper scars on your back.¡± ¡°That sounds like an awful lot of trouble,¡± she pointed out. ¡°The deeper ones aren¡¯t more than a few, so I¡¯d be grateful enough if you could find a way to help me get rid of the faint ones. That said, I did try out several creams, but none of them helped, so I just left the scars as they are. My clothes cover them up well enough anyway.¡± ¡°Well, ordinary creams would wield ordinary effects,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Caleb has tons of good stuff in his product line-up, so I¡¯m sure he has a way to help you get rid of those scars.¡± Madeline pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to impose¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be imposing at all,¡± he reassured. ¡°He¡¯s alwaysing to me for help whenever he finds himself at a dead end.¡± She thought about this for a moment and said, ¡°You guys seem close.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He sputtered. ¡°I¡¯m sure Aldo and Buddy will be just as close as us.¡± Madeline sighed wearily. ¡°Yeah. Well, don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He mused, ¡°Perhaps they shoulde to me for help whenever they run into dead ends too.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that, but just as she was scrambling toe up with a witty response or two, Sebastian¡¯s cool fingertips suddenly ran along the ridge of her scar and lightly traced down the length of her back. She shivered under his touch, and goosebumps raised along her skin as she stood up and drew her top closed. Her face was flushed as she demanded, ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± ¡°Testing out the depth of the scar,¡± he exined matter-of-factly as he gazed up at her. ¡°Just so I can give Caleb a better description. He¡¯s going to need details if we want him toe up with the best solution there is.¡± In actuality, he had no idea what possessed him as well. One minute he was staring at her back, and he feltpelled to trace his finger along one of her scars the next. At that moment, he felt a strange twinge of sympathy. She¡¯s had it rough, he thought. Madeline should have grown up under the loving care of her parents, never having to worry about food or shelter. However, Cameron¡¯s schemes had led her to live under brutal conditions that no one should ever have to endure. Indeed, she should have been a youngdy of nobility just like Isabel and Angie, but those two had walked over her like she was a doormat and whipped scars into her back. The surprising thing was that Madeline had taken this all in stride. She had no interest in reliving her past turmoil, but she didn¡¯t hate the world for it either. She carried herself with pride that ought to have been beaten out of her years ago, and she was bright, intelligent, and perceptive of the world around her. Until now, Sebastian could find no w in her. He had only ever cared about work in the past, and he had no interest in meeting women. He was under the impression that women were delicate and vtile creatures who mightsh out without good reason, and he simply did not have the time to deal with them, not to mention take care of their apparently-fragile feelings. Ever since meeting Madeline, though, he experienced a change of heart. As it turned out, it challenged his previous notion of women. Not all women were irritating and unreasonable; women like Madeline, for example, felt like a breath of fresh air. She put him at ease with her witty repartee and her unaffected demeanor. He found himself wanting to draw closer to her, get to know her better, and to take one more nce at her. He wanted to stay and see just what other surprises she could give him. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Aldo and buddy!¡± Madeline dered abruptly after she couldn¡¯t argue with the reason Sebastian had given her. She still felt a little peevish nheless by his intimate gesture earlier, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of this room. She turned to run out the door, but she suddenly heard Sebastian say teasingly, ¡°You¡¯re seeing the boys wearing that?¡± Madeline skidded to a stop. She looked down and saw that she was still wearing her pajamas. As she blushed furiously, she clutched the front of her top and froze in ce. She was at a total loss. Sebastian offered with good humor, ¡°I¡¯ll go and check in on them.¡± He brushed past the woman and opened the door before turning around to appraise her. When he saw that her pretty face had turned a bright shade of red, he couldn¡¯t help butugh as he pointed out, ¡°Your back looks great, by the way. It¡¯s symmetrical and elegant, not to mention it has a gorgeous silhouette. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be the center of attention the moment you attend a banquet in a backless gown or something, but for that to happen, we¡¯re going to have to do something about those scars.¡± Madeline swallowed nervously and did not make a reply. She felt as if she had just been teased, but when she saw how honest and serious Sebastian looked while he was giving her reassuring advice, she began to wonder if she was just sensitive and a little prudish. Am I overreacting? At herck of a response, Sebastian let out anotherugh and gazed at her face meaningfully. With that, he turned to walk out the door. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 110 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 110 Chapter 110 The Three Idiots When Philip had called Sebastian a man who ¡®appealed to visuals¡¯, he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. This was the first time that Sebastian realized he was, in fact, one such man. He was starting to think that Madeline was made for him. Everything about her seemed to fulfill the checklist he would have had if he ever took the time to think about his ideal woman. Her face was carved out of perfection itself, and she was such a rare beauty that even the silhouette of her back was alluring. All of a sudden, he found himself wondering what she would look like without clothes on. Now that they were legally husband and wife, surely it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable of him to request that she fulfilled her marital duties in the bedroom. In his defense, he had no intention whatsoever to date other women, and he had already made up his mind that he would spend forever with Madeline. To subject himself to a lifetime of celibacy under such circumstances would be masochistic. Sebastian was still pondering on this when he came into the living room to find both his children enamored by their grandfather. He ignored the pointed look that Philip served him as he took Quincy and Joel by the hand before leading them back into the room. Following that, he and Madeline worked together to bathe the kids. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! They had only just put the kids to bed when Joel beckoned them over. ¡°Mom, Dad,e and bunk in with us!¡± Madeline nced at Sebastian cursorily. Then, she walked over to Joel¡¯s side of the bed andy down. On the other hand, Sebastian rounded to the other side of the bed andy down next to Quincy. This was the first time Joel was awake and had both parents in bed with him. Needless to say, he was ecstatic. He was on Madeline one minute and climbing onto Sebastian the next, which bothered Quincy as he tried to fall asleep. ¡°Buddy, are you sleeping or not?¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting in the way, Aldo!¡± Joel shoved him aside. ¡°Go over to that side. I want Dad on my left and Mom on my right.¡± Quincy rolled his eyes. ¡°What am I, chopped liver?¡± ¡°No,¡± Joel said patiently. ¡°I yed with you in the living room earlier, but Mom and Dad weren¡¯t there. I¡¯ve missed them a whole lot, and I want them to myself right now, so can you please just move so Dad can sleep next to me too? You¡¯re the best, Aldo!¡± With that, he mbered over his brother and nted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Quincy rolled his eyes in mock disgust, but he turned and mbered over Madeline nheless to sleep on the far edge of the bed. Just like that, Joel got what he wished for; he had Sebastian on his left and Madeline on his right. If he nudged over to the left, he could easily roll into his father¡¯s embrace. If he rolled to the right, his mother would be there to pull him into her arms. This was a dreame true. He rolled from left to right before repeating it. He was giggling throughout the process, and he would lift his head to kiss whichever parent he had rolled into. This went on for a considerable number of times before it finally tired him out, and it was in Sebastian¡¯s arms that he drifted into a deep slumber. Meanwhile, Sebastian held onto the soft bundle that was his son and felt his heart melt into a puddle. What bliss it is to be a dad! My son is the most adorable creature on Earth! He nted a kiss on top of Joel¡¯s head, and the little one wriggled slightly before clutching him tightly with his arms. After he had settled in afortable position, Joel muttered, ¡°Dad¡­ Burgers¡­¡± Sebastian tried to keep himself fromughing as he peeked over at Madeline and whispered, ¡°See what you did to my son? He¡¯s craving burgers in his sleep now.¡± Madeline shot him a withering look. Excuse me, sir, but that is my son. She was suddenly filled with the urge to follow in Quincy¡¯s footsteps and roll her eyes at Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the kids out for fried chicken, fries, and burgers at the end of the month,¡± he promised solemnly. She hummed in response and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a must.¡± The agreement was once every end of the month, and not even the apocalypse could change it. If anything were to happen to dy the grand ns of vegging out on fast food, Madeline would always push them back by a week and make it up for the kidster. ¡°Thank you for not fighting with me on the whole fast food thing today,¡± she said quietly. She was grateful that he hadn¡¯t put her in a difficult position back at the amusement park. After all, she knew how much he loved the kids and how he was inclined to indulge in their every whim, and she had been worried that he would take a stand against her by insisting on bringing the kids for fast food. If that were to happen and she was forced to go along with whatever he said, the kids would end up bending their principles, which she had taught them to stand by no matter what, and they would eventually learn to manipte one parent against the other for their own interests. As a result, the kids would be spoiled beyond reason if that continued. However, heaven forbid Madeline disagreed with Sebastian; if they ended up fighting over different opinions, Joel would be devastated to think he was at fault for turning his parents against one another since he was a sensitive child. s, none of this would unfold because Sebastian had implicitly gone along with her decision and further reaffirmed the principles she had instilled in her children. For that, she was grateful to him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me next time,¡± Sebastian whispered to Madeline now as he gently caressed Joel¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve raised the boys so well on your own that it¡¯s only right for me to make things easier for you. Besides, it¡¯s in the kids¡¯ best interests that I¡¯m not seen taking a stand against you.¡± Madeline looked at him in the dimness of the room and smiled without saying anything. As things were, she needed to reevaluate her opinions of Sebastian. The insidious side of him seemed to be reserved for his enemies only, but when it came to her and the boys, he was always kind and considerate. Perhaps she and the boys had finally gotten lucky in life, for she found no other exnation as to why a man as exemry as Sebastian would be willing to take care of them without shunning her in the process. She was also acutely aware that Robert¡¯s shift in demeanor today was brought about by her association with Sebastian; she doubted that the old man would be so generous to her otherwise. While things like these did not bother her, she still preferred being treated with respect rather than being mocked and subjected to abuse. I owe Sebastian for this. Their half-day excursion to the amusement park today coupled with herck of sleepst night had taken a toll on her. She yawned, and at some point, she dozed off until the evening. When she woke up, she woke the boys up as well. They sat up groggily and drank their water. After thest of their nap had gone out of them, they put on a change of clothes and left hand-in-hand to spend time with Philip downstairs. Madeline had always had a habit of leaving her phone off whenever the kids were sleeping, terrified that a sudden call would disturb them. However, she had a separate phone with a private number that only less than a handful of people knew about, and she kept it on 24/7. Presently, she checked her phone and saw that Michael had texted her, inviting her to join the family for dinner. She thought about this for a while and turned to make arrangements with Sebastian. ¡°My dad wants me to join them for dinner at the Wendel Residenceter. I¡¯m on board with it, but I don¡¯t think I want to bring the kids along. Could you keep an eye on them for me?¡± Sebastian replied, ¡°Sure. Someone will keep an eye on them, and I bet my dad will be the first to volunteer. It¡¯ll only be a matter of time before he glues the kids to himself so he can have them all day.¡± ¡°Wait, are you going to dinner with me?¡± Madeline asked. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. ¡°My gut tells me that something interesting will take ce in the Wendel Family over the next few days. You can¡¯t be selfish and watch the show on your own; I¡¯ming with you!¡± She eyed him curiously. ¡°What have you noticed so far?¡± He raised a brow and looked at her knowingly. ¡°The same things you have.¡± ¡°Well, what might those things be?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if they were talking about the same things here. With an insouciant air, he put on a change of clothes and answered nonchntly, ¡°The three idiots.¡± Madeline pressed her lips into a thin line, but before she could ask further, he nced at her and borated, ¡°Michael didn¡¯t want Erin to bring Angie back to her ce, but you stopped him from protesting and sounded your agreement on the matter¡­¡± He trailed off as though to silently ask her to fill in the nks. He quirked a brow and added in amusement, ¡°I can only assume that your agreement came after you noticed that Erin and Nichs are both idiots.¡± ¡°You noticed it too, eh?¡± Madeline gaped at him in mild disbelief. ¡°You have such little faith in my intelligence that it hurts me,¡± Sebastian said dryly. He looked down to button up his shirt and drawledzily, ¡°Erin wants to bring Angie home and raise her like she¡¯s her daughter, but Angie won¡¯t settle for that. Instead, she¡¯s vying to be Erin¡¯s daughter-inw! Unfortunately, being the idiots that they are, both Nichs and Erin have yet to figure this out.¡± Madeline pressed, ¡°How are you so sure that Angie will strike in the next two days?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 111 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Fallen for Madeline¡¯s Charms ¡°That¡¯s because Angie is the third idiot,¡± Sebastian answered. ¡°Like most idiots, she won¡¯t have the patience to wait things out; she¡¯d grab the first opportunity thates her way, and she thinks this dinner is the best chance she¡¯s got. This will be the first time she¡¯s seeing Nichs after the incident, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have plenty of things to tell each other. Angie can always spin him some lie about being upset and needing someone to drink with her, and the rest¡­ well, you know how it goes.¡± Madeline blinked at him in surprise. Indeed, she did know¡ªthis was exactly what she imagined Angie would be capable of nning. She was young, but having to work to fend for herself and her kids made her world-weary. She had seen her fair share of the different kinds of people in this world, and women like Angie made up a huge part of them. Now that Angie could no longer rely on the main Wendel household, she was going to have toe up with a contingency n to carry on her life of luxury if she didn¡¯t want to join the workforce. Simple- minded as she was, she naturally thought about marrying rich, but her less-than-favorable lineage and background were deterring factors. As things were, Nichs was the best, if not the only choice she had at the moment. As such, she would try to plot against him and lure the man into getting her pregnant. Then, she would force him to marry her. Madeline had known Angie since they were children, and she understood Angie well enough to know that the girl had littlemon sense and no strategic mind. She probably panicked herself silly and decided that bing Mrs. Wendel was the only way she could remain in high society. She was worried that once her true identity was revealed, those who knew her would start to shun her and make fun of her. If she could be Mrs. Wendel in the next month or so, she could still retain her dignity even if the truth of her background came out. With all these reasons in y, Madeline was sure that Angie would strike soon, but she was certain of these things only because she had known Angie for many years and had be familiar with her ways. For Sebastian to be able to make such urate and simr guesses was, to some extent, surprising. After all, he had only met Angie less than a handful of times. Presently, when Sebastian caught sight of the astonished look on Madeline¡¯s face as she assessed him openly, he shed a grin and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did my intelligence shock you?¡± She sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him in exasperation. Can¡¯t be good for one to praise oneself too much, she wanted to say. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so surprised,¡± he added with a smirk. ¡°In time, you¡¯lle to realize that geniuses do exist in this world. We aren¡¯t just mythical creatures, you know.¡± This made her even more speechless. She didn¡¯t know if he was a genius or not, but one thing was for sure¡ªhis shame knew no bounds. Since she didn¡¯t want to waste her breath on him, she put on a change of clothes and headed downstairs. It was gettingte. They greeted Philip and the kids when they arrived downstairs and left for Wendel Residence.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Quincy and Joel escorted their parents to the car and watched them get into the vehicle. Joel, in particr, stared at them with watery eyes, but after Madeline told him that they had an important family matter to attend to and that he and Quincy couldn¡¯t tag along, he did not pester her. When the car drew away from the house, Madeline glimpsed out the window and saw that her kids were staring after the vehicle. Just then, Philip crouched down behind them and pped a hand on their little shoulders before telling the boys something with an affable smile on his wizened face. Whatever it was that he had said apparently cheered them up, for the disappointment on their faces was swiftly reced by bright smiles. At the sight of this, Madeline¡¯s lips curled up in relief, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling the same disappointment that her children had felt moments ago. She had been concerned that her children were far too attached to her and wouldn¡¯t leave her alone, but now that they had someone else to rely on, namely their ever-indulgent grandfather, she was starting to feel a little hollow inside. However, she knew that this was a good thing. In fact, it was healthy for the children. The more attached they were to her, the more insecure they would be, and they might eventually evolve into mommy¡¯s boys. That¡¯s a terrifying idea, she thought with a shudder. She would much prefer them to spread their little wings and learn to take charge of the sky above them. They would weather through somehow, and that was all part and parcel of growth. It wasn¡¯t until the children had gone out of sight that Madeline finally withdrew her gaze from the window. The Harts¡¯ pied-¨¤-terre wasn¡¯t too far away from the Wendel Residence, and it only took them about ten or so minutes to get there. Upon their arrival, Sebastian and Madeline were greeted courteously by the Wendels¡¯ butler, who led them into the living room. Michael and his four sons were there, and perhaps familiarity had finally sunk in after the past few meetings, for the atmosphere in the room was no longer as heavy as the first. In fact, Madeline found her conversation with the Wendel men to be more pleasant this time. It wasn¡¯t long before dinner was ready and everyone took their seats at the dining table. As they helped themselves to the food and chattered idly among one another, it was clear to see that the ambiance was a lighthearted one. The more she spoke to them, the more Madeline realized that her father and brothers were all decent people. They had grace, intelligence, and charm, all of which were traits that put her at ease during a conversation. Each of them had something substantial to share about a certain topic, and she could tell that they were speaking from experience and true knowledge. Their every gesture was elegant, and it was hard not to like them. It was no wonder that Angie had so desperately wanted to cling to them. Anyone would wish to have a father and brothers as aplished and well-mannered as the Wendel men, Madeline included. On the one hand, she was rted to these men by blood; on the other, Michael and his sons were affable and charming in their own ways which made her ponder what it would be like to have them as a family. If she had to be honest, the idea was growing on her. Meanwhile, the feeling was mutual on Michael and his sons¡¯ end. Frankly speaking, they had known Madeline for a long time now, but her past mistaken identity as Cameron¡¯s daughter had given them a foul impression of her. As a result, none of them bothered to associate with her, much less get to know her. Given how vile the other woman was, they didn¡¯t think Madeline could have turned out well under Cameron¡¯s care. It didn¡¯t help that Isabel and Angie hated Madeline with a passion, and whenever they talked about her, it was always with contempt. The hatred they had for her would show itself in their expressions and their very detailed and often disdainful description of her. As such, the Wendel men concluded that Madeline was a terrible person. Now that they were sitting together and conversing with each other, these men realized that they had been wrong; the Madeline they thought they knew about were lies. On the contrary, Madeline was more knowledgeable and perceptive than most girls her age. She could carry herself well in a conversation with easy grace and intellect, and every statement she put forth was sensible, backed up with facts, and convincing. She boasted beauty, elegance, intelligence, and decorum. She was articte and erudite, not to mention centered. It was as if nothing could faze her like she was sure in and of herself. Even Michael was starting to think that she possessed a certain strength that mirrored Jonathan¡¯s, though his other sons were far from showing the same fortitude. Michael was growing fonder of her each time they met, and he was proud to call her his daughter. Humans were creatures of sentiments; the more they stuck together, the stronger their affections for one another blossomed. As Michael¡¯s fondness for Madeline grew, he was unknowingly bing more inclined to treat her with fatherly love. Such was human nature, for nearly everyone tended to deviate toward the bright and the beautiful. They despised what was ugly and searched instead for that which was kind and alluring. Madeline was as pretty as she was delicate, not to mention she wielded such impable manners and grace that it was hard not to admire her. There was a maic field around her that drew others in, and the more they got to know her, the more Jonathan, Joseph, and Connor liked her. On the other hand, Cedric appeared to need more convincing. However, little did anyone know that he was already starting to fall for Madeline¡¯s charms. She was his actual sister, one whose blood was the same as his, and she was an intellectual, enigmatic beauty as well. He had no reason to dislike her at all! He thought about how he should tell Madeline that he liked her withouting off as stiff and unnatural. He wanted to let her know that he was willing to bury the hatchet between them and that he would be nothing but kind to her from now on¡ªjust as a brother should be. He was still deep in thought when his phone suddenly rang with a call from Angie. He answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear. Immediately, the other line was filled with Angie¡¯s sobbing. ¡°C-Cedric¡­ What should I do?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 112 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 112 Chapter 112 He Must Be Wrong Cedric¡¯s chest tightened as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Angie? What do you mean? Why are you crying?¡± On the other side of the table, Madeline smirked. Here we go, she thought without looking even the slightest bit surprised. She couldn¡¯t help ncing over at Sebastian, only to find that he was looking at her as well. They exchanged a knowing smile as though musing over an inside joke, but they were the only ones at the dining table who looked happy. The rest of the Wendels were stone-faced as they stared at Cedric, waiting anxiously to hear more so they could discern what the matter might be. While they had made up their minds to send Angie away and reunite with Madeline so that everything could fall back into ce, it didn¡¯t mean they had packed up their affections for the former. After all, she had spent over twenty years in their family, and she had been a daughter and a sister to them until recently. Such sentiments were not so easily discarded. At least for now, Angie still held a higher ce in their hearts than Madeline did. On the other line, Angie was sobbing as she said, ¡°Cedric, I¡­ I was in a bad mood, so I talked to Nichs. W-We drank a few sses of wine after that, but then¡­ but then¡­¡± She broke off in a distraught wail and cried, ¡°I don¡¯t know how things ended up like this¡­ Cedric, what should I do? What am I going to do now?¡± She barely said anything of note in the midst of her sniveling and crying, and her words were incoherent at best. Despite that, Cedric could already guess what she was trying to tell him. However, he refused to believe that his guess could be right. Nichs and Angie were cousins, and they couldn¡¯t have done what he thought they did. No, he told himself firmly. No, I must be wrong! With that in mind, he urged, ¡°Angie, stop crying and tell me what happened. ¡°What happened between you and Nichs? Did you guys get into a fight? Was there a disagreement?¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± Angie sniffed and sobbed again as she exined in a thick voice, ¡°I was drunk, and I don¡¯t know how I ended up sleeping in Nichs¡¯ bed, but when I woke up, I found out that he and I¡­ We¡­¡± She trailed off like the rest of the sentence was too hard for her to word out. Then, she added another abrupt piece of information by saying, ¡°Alina saw us. She got really mad and wanted to beat me up, but Nichs took her away. Cedric, what should I do? If word of this gets out, my reputation will be ruined¡­¡± Cedric was inplete, utter shock. My sister¡­ slept with my cousin. Nichs and Angie were not rted by blood, but they had been cousins for over twenty years. The truth of her birth story had only just been uncovered days ago, yet she was found in bed with him after presumably a night¡¯s worth of tussling. The sudden and fast-paced change that had happened in the course of a few days hit Cedric like a ton of bricks. He held his phone in one hand as he sat looking dumbfounded at the dining table. When Michael saw that Cedric had gone silent, he pressed, ¡°Cedric, what happened to Angie? Why is she crying?¡± Cedric clutched his phone as he gazed at his father with a distant look in his eyes. For a moment, he had no idea how he should answer that question. At the sight of his nk and somewhat odd expression, Michael grew even more anxious as he demanded, ¡°Come on, spill it! Don¡¯t just sit there like a log!¡± Cedric licked his lips and finally stammered, ¡°A-Angie said that she¡­ she and Nichs¡­ they are together now. W-Well, Alina found them and¡­¡± To be exact, Alina didn¡¯t find them; she had caught them in bed. She was Nichs¡¯ fianc¨¦e, and they had been engaged for over a year. They had ns to marry right after Alina graduated from university, but now, that was a distant dream. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Michael stood up so abruptly that his chair screeched as it scraped against the floor. He shot his son a bewildered look as he asked, ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re together now? What do you mean Alina found them? For heaven¡¯s sake, Cedric, you aren¡¯t making sense!¡± However, he knew Cedric did make sense, even if vaguely. He knew precisely what had happened through the bits and pieces of Cedric¡¯s exnation, but he just didn¡¯t want to admit it. The daughter he raised for over two decades had only been out of the house for a day and had already slept with Nichs, his nephew. What am I supposed to make of that? Meanwhile, Cedric was so flustered by the news that he didn¡¯t want to stay here and talk about it anymore. He rubbed his face tiredly and hung up the call before he started to walk outside. ¡°I¡¯m going over to Aunt Erin¡¯s to see how things are.¡± He needed to do so. Right now, Alina was probably furious, and he didn¡¯t want Angie to get hurt. With Cedric gone, the others didn¡¯t want to sit around and wait either. Michael turned to Sebastian and Madeline before saying, ¡°Sebastian, Maddie, the both of you should carry on with dinner. I¡¯ll go check up on Angie.¡± With that, he walked out the door while Jonathan, Joseph, and Connor followed suit. After they left, Sebastian looked at Madeline and asked, ¡°Are we going?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she said with a pleasant smile. ¡°Erin is always going on about how kind, considerate, and bright Angie is. She¡¯s clearly enamored with the girl, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to have someone as wonderful as Angie be her future daughter-inw. I ought to go over and congratte her.¡± Sebastian gazed at her thoughtfully. He used to think that Madeline was great in every way conceivable, but her fatal w was how kind and honest she was. It was precisely because of this that the Taylors took delight in bullying her and abusing her. As of now, he realized that he had been wrong about her. She was not as naive as she seemed, for she had a little bit of a wicked side in her. When she allowed the Taylors to hurt her the way they did, it was probably out of sentiment or some kind of gratitude. There was nothing wrong with being sentimental or grateful at all, but a girl as brilliant and kind as Madeline deserved to be loved and cared for. Sebastian couldn¡¯t promise her a lot of things, but for as long as she stayed with him, he vowed to keep her safe. That would be his resolve. Soon, the Wendels gathered at Erin¡¯s ce, and Nichs was presently in the living room frantically exining himself to Alina. Angie, on the other hand, was seated on the couch. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her face was tear-stained. At the same time, her hair was still dripping wet. Sebastian and Madeline were thest ones to arrive; Cedric already had an arm around Angie while he comforted her by the time they entered the door. Angie huddled in his arms like a wounded animal as she sobbed hysterically. If one didn¡¯t know better, one would think she had been abhorrently wronged. Meanwhile, Nichs was beside himself with clueless panic, for he wasn¡¯t sure how things had ended up like this. When he and his parents had brought Angie home the day before, they had lunch, after which he escorted Angie to the guest bedroom and told her to get some rest. Then, he went back to the other guest bedroom and took a shower. When he was done, he was ready to call it a day. He and his father had rushed back to Wendel City the night before, and he was too worn out from the journey and theck of sleep to even think straight. However, just as he had changed into pajamas and was about to go to bed, Angie knocked on his door and came in. She was wearing a nightgown and holding a bottle of wine. Judging by the dazed look in her eyes, she had drunk a considerable amount of it. Having walked into his bedroom, she perched at the foot of his bed and started telling him about how sad she was. He had felt sorry for her, and when she asked him to drink with her, he did not refuse. They talked over sses of wine, and he eventually got drunk. He cked out after that, and his memory failed him. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Nichs had been woken up when ice-cold water was sshed on his face. He was sound asleep in bed, but the bucket of icy water tipped over him had him drenched and shivering. Nichs yelped and bolted upright, only to find his fianc¨¦e, Alina, standing at the foot of the bed while holding up an empty bucket and staring at him with red-rimmed eyes. He had sat up in bed without clothes. Next to him was Angie, who had been jolted awake by the icy water and was now sitting upright without clothes as well. For a moment, Nichs¡¯ mind felt as if it had imploded. Alina said nothing as she hurled the bucket at his head and stormed out of the room. Nichs cared about nothing else at that moment; he merely reached for his dressing robe and pulled it on before he rushed out after her. When he caught up to her in the downstairs living room, he persuaded her to stay and had been exining himself to her ever since. He told her about what had recently happened in the Wendel Family, and he emphasized Angie¡¯s sad backstory. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 113 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Going Crazy Nichs¡¯ voice was hoarse from all the exining he had done, but the only thing that Alina said in response was, ¡°You and Angie are not actually cousins, and there is no blood rtion whatsoever between the both of you. Is that right?¡± She snorted and drawled sarcastically, ¡°Well then, congrattions! The both of you are a match made in heaven!¡± Nichs panicked. Alina was his first love, and the Harmons stayed in the same vimunity as they did. He and Alina had been ssmates throughout middle and high school, and she was the most beautiful girl on campus. She was the first girl he ever liked, and he had secretly been in love with her for two years before he made his feelings known. He ended up pursuing her for three years before she agreed to go out with him. She was about to graduate from university when he proposed to her, which was an asion that had been a long time in the making. After their parents gave them their blessings with the engagement, and as soon as Alina graduated, Nichs could take her as hiswfully wedded wife. Never in a million years could he have expected something like this to happen. His eyes were turning red with panic as he grabbed Alina¡¯s slender wrists and begged, ¡°Please, Lina, you have to believe me. Angie and I are nothing more than cousins. You¡¯re the only one I love, and you know that, right? You¡¯re the only person who has my heart¡ªall of it!¡± ¡°Cousins, you say?¡± Alina shrugged his hand off and smirked bitterly at him as she asked, ¡°Cousins who sleep together?¡± Nichs blushed. ¡°T-That was an ident¡ª¡± ¡°An ident?¡± She gave him a disgusted look. ¡°You might think it was an ident, but your precious cousin over there certainly doesn¡¯t think so!¡± He blinked at her, not understanding at all what she was referring to. Upon seeing his confusion, she added sarcastically as she glowered at him, ¡°Having a hard timeprehending? In that case, why don¡¯t you ask your precious cousin what she intends to do next!¡± When he heard this, he immediately understood what she meant and quickly promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lina, we can just pretend none of this ever happened. No one here would breathe a word on this¡­¡± ¡°Nichs.¡± Angie had been crying in Cedric¡¯s embrace until she heard this and turned to look at Nichs in disbelief. ¡°What are you saying? How could you say something like that?!¡± He looked at her in astonishment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m saying that we should pretend none of this ever happened. Everyone here today is family, and they wouldn¡¯t breathe a word about this!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Nichs!¡± she snapped. ¡°What do you mean we¡¯ll just pretend as if nothing happened? You¡¯re just going to turn your back on me after you robbed me of my innocence? I am ruined because of you. How will I ever get married now?¡± His mind drew a nk. ¡°That was an ident¡ª¡± Angie sobbed. ¡°ident or not, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you took my innocence, so you¡¯ll have to take responsibility for this. How else will I face society?¡± ¡°R-Responsibility?¡± He gaped at her. He couldn¡¯t possibly do that; they were cousins! More importantly, the person he loved was Alina, and that had been the case for years. All he ever dreamed about was marrying her, and asking him to give that up so he could marry Angie instead was impossible. ¡°Nichs, I didn¡¯t want any of this to happen, either¡­¡± Angie went on to say as tears spilled down her cheeks, ¡°What other choice do I have, though? I¡¯m ruined because of you, and if you won¡¯t take responsibility for it now, how will I live this down?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, Nichs,¡± Cedric interjected stonily. ¡°Since you and Angie have already spent the night together, you will have to take her for a wife. You don¡¯t want to subject her to a life of shame, do you?¡± ¡°What are you thering on about?¡± Nichs snapped angrily. ¡°I was drunk, and I didn¡¯t mean to do any of it! I remember now¡ªit was her. She was the one who made the first move!¡± Blurry images started to sh through his mind. It was as though he was holding onto hisst thread of hope as he lifted a finger and pointed at Angie belligerently, ¡°She was the one who climbed on top of me! I was drunk, and everything was all blurry, but I remember her pouncing on me and taking off my clothes. She touched me, kissed me, and pinned me down on the bed! I was so drunk that I took her for Alina¡­ It wasn¡¯t my fault! It was hers! She did this to me deliberately!¡± The fog that shrouded his memory was starting to clear with every word he said. When he finally recalled enough to put the pieces together, he stared at Angie with wide eyes. ¡°Yes, you did all this on purpose! You deliberately wore your nightgown and came into my room, and you deliberately got me drunk so you could sleep with me. That way, I¡¯d be forced to marry you! You just want to stay with the Wendels now that you¡¯re no longer the youngdy of the family, so you plotted against me and took advantage of me. You¡¯re despicable, Angie!¡± Nichs was no fool, and now that this matter concerned his future and the love of his life, he was experiencing an unprecedented rity. Angie has made a fool out of me! She set this whole thing up from the very beginning. It was no ident; it was all part of her borate scheme. She wanted me to knock her up by ¡®ident¡¯ and marry her so that she can continue to stay and enjoy a life offort with the Wendels. Smoke wasing out of his ears as he eyed Angie menacingly, and there was no disguising his hatred or fury as he roared, ¡°You are absolutely despicable, Angie! I took care of you and loved you as if you were my own sister all these years, but you decided to go and turn me into your personal tool instead. You and your biological mother are two peas in a pod! The both of you are evil and rotten to the core!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Pretending as if she had been used of some horrible crime she did notmit, Angie shook her head vehemently while she sobbed, ¡°Nichs, how could you say that about me? This whole thing was an ident. You got drunk, and that was why we¡ª¡± ¡°An ident?¡± Nichs bit out venomously. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s just pretend as if nothing happened and forget about all this. Right now, I want you to leave this house and never step foot in here ever again!¡± ¡°No, Nichs! You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± She lowered her head and cried as she clutched the front of her shirt. Her tears dripped down her cheeks as she added, ¡°This might be an ident, but there¡¯s no denying that we slept together, so how am I ever going to marry anyone else in my state? You have to do something about this, Nichs. You must!¡± Next to her, Cedric assessed the woman with a dazed look in his eyes. For some reason, the girl sitting here on the couch with him was different from the girl he had grown up knowing all these years, and it felt like she was a stranger he had never met before until today. Her n had been immacte, and she was so close to convincing everyone that this was an ident. s, a wicked n like hers would stand to be broken apart by the righteous at some point; she might as well have worn her motives on her sleeve. She called this an ident, but she insisted on Nichs marrying her, which made it hard for anyone to believe that everything today was a coincidence.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Her story started to crack when Nichs said that she had shown up in his bedroom in nothing but a nightgown just to get him to drink with her. Cedric had never thought that the Angie in his mind, who was always just a little prideful but also kind and naive, would turn out to be someone so vicious. Since he was unable to cope with such a change, he stood up and walked away from the couch, leaving her on her own as he joined his father and brothers on the other side of the living room. This made Angie¡¯s stomach churn. She looked up at Michael, Jonathan, and the rest of their entourage. She was still crying as she asked, ¡°Dad, Jonathan, Joseph, Conner, Cedric¡ªwhat should I do? Tell me what I should do!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 114 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Too Cruel Michael gazed at Angie darkly and asked, ¡°Will you listen to me?¡± Angie met his gaze as panic seized her, wondering what the man might say. Will he stand up for me and call the shots? Will he make Nichs marry me? If these were old times, she was confident that he would be on her side, but now, she wasn¡¯t sure. However, as things were, she had no choice but to listen to him. She nodded and said earnestly, ¡°Of course I will, Dad!¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Michael began. ¡°In that case, get changed. I¡¯ll take you away from here and drop you off at the pied-¨¤-terre so you can stay there for a few days. Once you feel better, I¡¯ll have Jonathan bring you to Dusktown where you will stay with your biological father from then on.¡± He spoke so quietly, but his voice was clear and carrying in the deathly silence of the living room, and each word sent chills down Angie¡¯s spine. He¡¯s too cruel! Indeed, this father of hers, who had been nothing but good to her all these years, was being cruel and heartless right now. He hadn¡¯t asked Nichs to marry her, and instead wanted her to pack up so he could send her back to the Colts! Granted, she wasn¡¯t Michael¡¯s biological daughter, but that didn¡¯t mean thest two decades of their rtionship had been paper-thin and so easily discarded. How can he be so heartless to me? At first, the panic and bewilderment in her eyes were all but an act, but now, they were reced by real despair and anguish; it was as if Michael had turned into a stranger. The longer she stared at him in disbelief, the faster her tears raced down her cheeks. ¡°How could you do this to me, Dad? I know I¡¯m not your actual daughter, but I¡¯ve filled that role for over twenty years, haven¡¯t I? Don¡¯t you have even the slightest affection or sympathy for me? You¡¯re just going to throw me out like trash? What did I do to deserve this?¡± Michael met her gaze and said soothingly, ¡°Angie, maybe you haven¡¯t done anything wrong before, but you have today. You yed Nichs like a fool and lured him into bed. I can¡¯t tell you how disappointed I am in you.¡± He had always believed that Angie was innocent this whole time, and while he had agreed to send her away from the main house, he never stopped feeling apologetic toward her. He even thought about putting her up at the Colts¡¯ until he could cate his wife and Madeline. Once the storm blew over and things quieted down, he would think of a way to bring Angie back. Where there was a will, there was a way. Crystal and Madeline were inevitably livid after recent events, and they could get impulsive. As such, Michael didn¡¯t think it was suitable to try and mend the rtionship between them and Angie. However, he firmly believed that time could heal all wounds. Crystal and Madeline would calm down eventually, and as long as he tried, he coulde up with a way to make them ept Angie back into the family. By then, he could have both his biological and adopted daughter under one roof, and his happy family would be pieced back together. He had such hopes, but the reality was often far more ruthless. Angie had given him the impression that, albeit stubborn, she was kind-hearted and endearing. He had been sure that she was nothing like Cameron even though she was her biological daughter. After all, he was the one who had raised Angie; she must be sweet and considerate, theplete opposite of the vicious and despicable Cameron. However, he was starting to have second thoughts right now. Perhaps the apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree no matter how much he wanted to believe that wasn¡¯t true. He thought about how Cameron¡¯s mother had plotted against and hurt Crystal¡¯s father. Then, he thought about how Cameron had plotted against Crystal and himself. Now, Angie was plotting against Nichs. Thest twenty years he had spent guiding Angie did not make her a dignified, kind-hearted, and self- sufficient young woman. She was endearing and lovable when things went her way, but in the face of hardship, the wickedness in her shone through, and she became just as malicious as her mother and grandmother. ¡°No, Dad! I didn¡¯t!¡± Angie sobbed as she shook her head frantically. She couldn¡¯t understand why her seemingly foolproof n had failed. She did not drug Nichs at all, and one way or another, they had ended up sleeping together after they got drunk. She did not force herself on him, and everything happened consensually. On that premise alone, no one here should be able to pinpoint her crime and use her of plotting against Nichs. Things were turning out differently from what she had expected, and even Nichs¡¯ behavior was something she had not imagined. She never thought that he would be smart enough to get to the bottom of this and insisted that she was the one who had set him up. When they got drunkst night, she tried to hug and kiss him. He did not object to her advances, and instead naturally pulled her into his arms and pinned her down on the bed. Yet, he was sure in his belief that he had been set up by her, insisting that she had nned all this from the beginning. Not only was he refusing to take responsibility for what he had done, but the affection andpassion that once colored his gaze whenever he looked at her were also gone, and they were reced with unadulterated hatred. This isn¡¯t how I imagined it at all! Not even in the slightest! This isn¡¯t how it should be! In her mind, Nichs would be filled with anguish, regret, and pain that he would bepelled to marry her. Her life with the Wendels had given her thepanionship of her eight brothers, but among them, Cedric and Nichs loved her the most. The love and care that Nichs had shown her could not bepared, for Jonathan, Joseph, and Connor did not evene close. She knew that he was in love with Alina, but she was confident that he loved her as well. She was just as pretty as the woman, and now that they had slept together by some twist of fate, she was sure that he loved her enough to marry her after spending the night with her. She was sure that he would break up with Alina. However, things were turning out to be vastly different from what she had anticipated. Nichs had outright refused to marry her, and now he harbored unmistakable enmity against her. She couldn¡¯t wrap her head around the fact that he had had a change of heart so quickly. Her parents, brothers, and Nichs had now turned their backs on her. When she called Cedric earlier, her helplessness, panic, and sadness had been an act. However, they were all too real right now. She was crying desperately as she stared at Michael and the four boys whom she had called her brothers for thest twenty years. ¡°Dad, Jonathan¡ªI¡¯m your daughter and your sister! Why is this happening? How can you all be so content to see me ruined like this? Why aren¡¯t you standing up for me? I have nothing now, and I¡¯m not even my own person anymore because I¡¯ve given that to Nichs! Yet, you won¡¯t even have him take responsibility for that? How can I live this down? This will be the death of me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Erin was shocked when she came upon themotion in her house. Behind her was her husband, Morgan. The both of them had gone out earlier that afternoon to run some errands, and they had just gotten back. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After entering the room, she immediately rushed over to Angie when she saw her crying desperately. She sat down next to the sobbing girl and wrapped an arm around her shaking frame before frowning as she looked at Michael. ¡°Michael, what is the meaning of this? I¡¯ve already brought Angie over to stay with us, so why won¡¯t you leave her alone? Didn¡¯t we agree that I would take her in as my own daughter? She has nothing to do with you anymore, so don¡¯t even think about taking her away from me!¡± Then, she turned to Madeline and seethed, ¡°You!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 115 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Get Out of My Sight! Erin red at Madeline with a fire burning in her eyes as she went on to say, ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought this on, aren¡¯t you? How can a youngdy like you be so vicious? I¡¯ve already taken Angie in, but it seems like you aren¡¯t satisfied until you¡¯ve sent her away and banished her from the city!¡± Erin had presumed that the main family and Madeline were only here because they wanted to send Angie away to the Colts¡¯ ce, but she would not stand for that! Crystal was still hospitalized, and sending Angie away now would only be doing her a massive favor. Erin had to do everything in her power to keep Angie in her house to unsettle the main family, and when Crystal returned home to find that Angie was still around, she might drop dead out of anger. Let¡¯s see how that woman is going to gloat when she¡¯s dead! In order to be able to dangle Angie in front of Crystal just to get on her nerves, Erin was determined to keep Angie by her side, and she would not stand to let the main family take her away. As ambitious as she was, Erin was not reckless; she knew she couldn¡¯t risk offending Michael and his sons. They were the direct heirs to the Wendel family fortune, and they were all brilliant, capable men with bright futures ahead of them. As such, she still needed to be on their good side if she wanted to safeguard her sons¡¯ best interests in the family. With that in mind, she decided to aim her pistol at Madeline instead. Granted, Madeline had given birth to Sebastian¡¯s sons, and Sebastian was indeed here at the scene as well, but Erin cared about none of these. After all, the Harts would never allow someone of Madeline¡¯s background to marry into their distinguished family. Even her children were illegitimate and stood no chance against a true heir born out of marriage. Be it here in Wendel City or over in Dusktown, illegitimate children were subjects of contempt, and they had no ce among the elite. No one would spare these children a second thought, and their birthright to some ludicrous family fortune was non-existent. This meant that Madeline¡¯s mongrel children would not stand to inherit a penny even if the Harts owned the world. Sebastian only doted on those children now because he was unmarried. Not only that, he had no legitimate heir. There woulde a time when he would have to take a wife and start a family with her. By then, his wife would be sure to torture Madeline¡¯s kids in her own children¡¯s best interests. As for Madeline, Sebastian was only with her now because she was his shiny new toy; once he grew tired of that pretty face, it would only be a matter of days before he cast her aside. Erin was a mother too, and she understood what it was like to be a parent. For as long as Philip was still around, he would never allow Madeline to marry into the Hart Family. Erin was certain that Sebastian only saw Madeline as his pretty ything, and he wouldn¡¯t take her seriously. Thus, she couldn¡¯t care less about how she treated Madeline at all. Besides, she was Madeline¡¯s aunt; there was nothing wrong with an aunt pointing out the mistakes her niece had made, and no one could say otherwise. She knew her words were harsh, but she needed to make herself out to be a gracious woman who couldn¡¯t bear to see one niece bully the other without giving her a stern talking down to. At that moment, Madeline let out a smallugh as her pretty lips curled up at the corners. Her eyes were dark, but there was a subtle glimmer in them that made them look like delicate onyxes. ¡°Aunt Erin, I think you¡¯ve misread the situation.¡± She kept her voice leveled. She sounded sweet and pleasant like an iced tea on a hot summer¡¯s day. There was even a soothing edge to the way she spoke that put everyone at ease as she exined, ¡°Seeing as you¡¯ve taken her in as a daughter, you¡¯ll certainly get to have a say in whether Angie stays with you or not. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be very happy to know that she is not just your daughter now, but your future daughter-inw too. You like her, don¡¯t you? This must be such good news for you, so I am here to congratte you on this union!¡± Upon hearing this, Erin froze. ¡°What are you talking about? What daughter-inw? Congratting me? You¡¯re not making sense!¡± Just then, her gaze flickered past Angie and Nichs before it went over to Alina. It was only then that she realized something was wrong. ¡°Lina, are you alright?¡± Erin walked up to the girl and reached for her hand. She pressed worriedly, ¡°You don¡¯t look too well, Lina. Are you feeling sick?¡± ¡°Not physically, but it sure feels that way.¡± Alina¡¯s rage was gone, but it was reced by an even scarier calm that indicated a brewing storm. ¡°Madam Erin, Mr. Michael, now that both of you are here, I¡¯d like to just make things clear¡ªI am officially calling off my engagement to Nichs. I¡¯m breaking up with him! From now on, I will have nothing to do with him or with the Wendels!¡± ¡°Lina, no!¡± Nichs shouted. He rushed over to try and grab her wrist. ¡°Lina, what happened today was an ident. I have never felt anything more than brotherly love for Angie, and now, I don¡¯t have any feelings for her at all! I hate her, and I am incredibly disgusted by her. You¡¯re the only one I love, Lina! I know what happened today was my fault, but please forgive me. Please, I don¡¯t want us to break up. I can¡¯t bear it!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Erin looked at Nichs and Angie. Finally, she was starting to make sense of things. She was inplete disbelief as her gaze darted between her son and Angie. ¡°T-The both of you¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen! This was all Angie¡¯s doing!¡± Nichs insisted in a raised voice. ¡°Since she can¡¯t be a youngdy of the Wendel Family anymore, she set me up so that she can be the young mistress of our family instead! I hate her, and I won¡¯t ever marry her, Mom! I won¡¯t marry anyone else but Lina!¡± He knew how much his mother liked Angie, and he was terrified that she would make him marry her. He couldn¡¯t stand the idea of it; he loved Alina, and he had dreamed of marrying her since he saw her. I won¡¯t marry anyone else but Alina! Upon hearing what her son had said, Erin felt rage tear through her. She turned to re at Angie as she muttered in disbelief, ¡°How could you? How could you, Angie?¡± Then, she rushed up to the girl and grabbed her by the cor, thereafter shaking her hard. ¡°Angie, how could you do this? How?! I took you in out of the kindness of my heart. I fed you and gave you a roof over your head, yet you went ahead and set my son up for your own gains?!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t!¡± Angie cried while shaking her head. ¡°Aunt Erin, you have to believe me. Nichs and I were drunk, and when we woke up, we were in bed together. He was the one who made the first move. Aunt Erin, you have to believe me. It was Nichs who started kissing me and touching me first!¡± ¡°You lying little wench!¡± Erin pped her hard on the face and grabbed a fistful of her hair before delivering several more harsh ps. ¡°Nichs loves no one else but Lina! Why would he ever want a tramp like you when he already has Lina? You skank! You, your grandmother, and your mother are all rotten to the core! You set my son up so you could marry him. Well, don¡¯t waste your time; for as long as I¡¯m alive, you won¡¯t ever marry into the Wendel Family! Get out of my sight! Out!¡± In a matter of minutes, Angie was sported red hand imprints on her face. She was crying and howling for help, and when she managed to shove Erin aside, she darted behind Michael. She clutched his arm desperately and wailed, ¡°Dad, please, you have to help me. Please¡­¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 116 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Dumbest of Them All No words could describe the way Michael was feeling. Help her? How am I supposed to do that? Tie Nichs down at the altar and force him into marrying her? That wasn¡¯t feasible; Nichs would never listen to him, much less be duped into being tied down at the altar. As things were, he had no choice but to wash his hands off the matter. Angie thought she could outsmart everyone by finding a way to remain in high society, but she probably didn¡¯t think that she had dealt her worst hand in this game of cards. If she honestly believed that Nichs would marry her just because she set him up to sleep with her and thereby keep her ce in the Wendel Family, she must be either stupid or naive. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if the world revolved around her and her whims. Now, she had lost herself to someone who would not take responsibility for it. Not only that, she even lost Erin and Morgan¡¯s support, trust, and love. She had lost everything. Michael sighed quietly in resignation before he pushed her away and said, ¡°I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°No, Dad, that¡¯s not true,¡± Angie cried. ¡°Nichs ruined me, so shouldn¡¯t you at least talk to Uncle Morgan and Aunt Erin about getting him to marry me so that I won¡¯t have to live with the shame?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Angie!¡± Nichs roared. ¡°I will never marry you. I won¡¯t marry anyone else other than Alina, so just give up on your foolish dreams!¡± ¡°Dad, Dad!¡± Angie clutched Michael¡¯s arm and begged tearfully, ¡°Dad, please say something. I lost myself to Nichs, and I have nowhere to go right now. My future is ruined! You have to hold him ountable for this!¡± ¡°Stop with that nonsense, Angie!¡± Erin took Alina by the hand and said, ¡°I will have no one other than Lina be my daughter-inw. A tramp like you isn¡¯t even good enough to polish my shoes, much less marry my son! Go look in a mirror and look at your filthy state. My son is out of your league, you bottom-feeder. Know your ce!¡± Indeed, Alina was born into the elite Harmon Family, and she was a youngdy whose status was on par with Nichs¡¯. Next to her, Angie was just the scum of the earth. That said, the Colts were considerably affluent as well, though not as influential as the Harmons. Besides, Xander was a pushover who only ever listened to his step-wife, and she had nothing to do with Angie whatsoever. If Angie were to return to the Colt Residence, she would be nothing more than an additional mouth to feed and a waste of space. She would have no dowry to offer her suitors and no inheritance from the Colts. Erin¡¯s sons were not as brilliant as Michael¡¯s, but Nichs¡¯ greatest aplishment to date had to be snagging a fianc¨¦e like Alina. After all, the Harmons were a distinguished blue-blood family in Wendel City, and Alina ought to be with someone like Jonathan; for her to choose Nichs was still something that made Erin¡¯s heart swell with pride, though she never said it. Yet, Angie was trying to tear Nichs and Alina apart right now. Erin would rather die than allow that to happen. Alina was the only daughter-inw she wanted, and she would not allow the likes of Angie to ruin that n. However, at that moment, Alina shrugged off Erin¡¯s hand and said curtly, ¡°Madam Erin, I think I¡¯ve made myself very clear that I want to call off the engagement. I refuse to marry Nichs!¡± Her icy gaze swept past Morgan, Erin, and Nichs, all of whom looked shocked. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Wendel, Nichs¡ª I hereby absolve myself of all rtions to your family. You can take any girl you want as a daughter-in- law now that I¡¯ve called it quits. Nichs and I are through, so don¡¯t use me as a shield against all your problems. I¡¯ll be going home now, so the rest of you should carry on. Nichs¡­¡± She shot him a withering look. ¡°We¡¯re over now, so don¡¯te looking for me. I hate you, and I don¡¯t want you to show up in front of me ever again!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°No, Lina, please don¡¯t do this!¡± Nichs begged desperately as tears glistened in his eyes. ¡°Lina, I didn¡¯t mean to betray you like this; I was set up by Angie! Lina, I don¡¯t understand how you can walk away when it isn¡¯t even my fault to begin with. Is what we have truly so fragile that it allows no room for idents like this? How can you just leave me and break up with me without batting an eye? Do you think so little of me that you could just cast me aside like this? We¡¯ve been together for years, Lina. Why would I ever want to break up?¡± At this, he took a deep breath that seemed to pain him as he went on to say, ¡°Why are you breaking up with me? Lina, you have to know that I¡¯ve only ever loved you, and that remains true even though I identally and unknowingly slept with Angie! Can¡¯t we just say that I got hit in the head or I got bamboozled and move on with this? I know that I¡¯m wrong, and I made you upset. You can beat me, lash out at me, or even punish me if you¡¯d like, but just don¡¯t break up with me or leave me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this because I¡¯m disappointed in you,¡± Alina exined coolly, her gaze clear and unwavering. ¡°Nichs, you¡¯re not Angie¡¯s only cousin; she has four, and you are not the most capable among them. Do you know why she chose you anyway?¡± He was stumped. ¡°T-That¡¯s because Angie and I have always been close before this incident. I promise you that¡¯s not the case anymore, though! I hate her! I swear that I¡¯ll pretend as if I never knew her, and I won¡¯t have anything to do with her from now on!¡± ¡°You really think it¡¯s because you guys were close?¡± Alina snorted. ¡°No, Nichs, you¡¯re wrong! She chose to set you up not because you were close with her, but because you¡¯re the most stupid one out of the lot!¡± ¡°Lina, what¡­ what are you saying?¡± Nichs flushed bright red. ¡°I¡¯m saying that the only reason why Angie chose to set you up is because you are the dumbest among your brothers!¡± Alina eyed him scornfully. ¡°Angie is a daughter of the Colt Family, and Madeline is Mr. Michael¡¯s real daughter. Angie only stayed with the Wendels and enjoyed a life of privilege because her mother, Cameron, cruelly took Madeline away and put Angie in her ce! Now that the truth is out, it¡¯s only right for Angie to give Madeline back her birthright and move out of the Wendel Residence! That¡¯s how justice works! However, you just had to put your foot in and insist on taking Angie back to your ce. You have nomon sense of right and wrong, and youck foresight. You¡¯re dumb, and you¡¯re incapable of looking at the big picture. How am I supposed to just leave my future in your hands?¡± She stared at him for a while before answering her own question with a look of disappointment. ¡°I can¡¯t do that to myself. Nichs, you have let me down. You are not the man I want to spend the rest of my life with! The man I choose will be capable and intelligent, not to mention sensible¡ªsomeone unlike you. You¡¯re foolish andck good sense, so I can¡¯t possibly love or even admire you. I¡­ I must have been blind to even think you and I could work out. I have overestimated you.¡± Nichs had pursued her relentlessly for years before she was finally moved by his dedication and sincerity and went on to be his girlfriend. She even said yes to him when he popped the question, and they had been engaged for over a year. She was moved by how loyal he seemed and how devoted he was to his romantic pursuit of her. After all, it was rare for someone to be in love with another for years without once wavering. Since then, she saw him through rose-colored sses. She convinced herself that she would be happy with Nichs after she married him because he was a good and honest man. Something in her finally clicked right now, and the rose-colored sses shattered. It didn¡¯t matter how much he loved her, for he was foolish and without fortitude. The both of them could never meet in the middle, and if they were to marry, fighting over differing opinions would take up much of their life together. She could already imagine how exhausting that would be. For example, if she had known about the incident surrounding Angie and Madeline¡¯s birth stories, she would have never allowed Nichs to bring the former home. However, if that were the case, Nichs would think of her as unsympathetic and heartless. He would undoubtedly y devil¡¯s advocate and im that it was only right to help Angie out now that her life had fallen apart; to suggest he did otherwise would be borderline cruelty. Even if by some miracle or other she had convinced him to see her point, he would still grow to resent her for dissuading him to leave Angie be. Alina couldn¡¯t risk having moments like that taint her marriage, and she couldn¡¯t possibly bring herself to marry a man as foolish as Nichs. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 117 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 117 Chapter 117 No Pushover Nichs froze as he stared at Alina in shock and disbelief. Her words were like death by a thousand cuts, and he couldn¡¯t bear the hurt any more than he could bear her disgust for him when she found out he had slept with Angie. In fact, Alina had brutally put him in his ce and called him a fool. She had told him that she was breaking up with him, not because of his unexpected one-night stand with Angie, but because he was a simpleton with nomon sense of right and wrong. A simpleton with nomon sense of right and wrong? No. That¡¯s not me. Nichs shook his head as he said hurtfully, ¡°Lina, how could you say that about me? I just¡­¡± I just felt so sorry for Angie, and I wanted to help her get through these tough times. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that. He couldn¡¯t tell Alina that he felt bad for Angie; while he was being a good samaritan, Angie had been scheming against him. She had turned around and bitten him like a viper as soon as he left himself wide open. That in itself was a foolish mistake on his part. Nichs thought Alina was being unfair, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t quite find the words to argue and prove her wrong. The flush on his cheeks was gone, and he was looking more ashen-faced by the second. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Lina, how could you say such things about Nichs?¡± Erin¡¯s heart twisted when she saw how broken Nichs looked. ¡°Nichs is just too kind for his own good! He took pity on Angie and tried to help her. None of us could have expected her to take advantage of him like this! She¡¯s an ingrate and a traitor!¡± ¡°Pity?¡± Alina repeated with a raise of her brow. ¡°While you were all taking pity on Angie, did you ever stop to feel sorry for Madam Crystal? She nearly lost her life giving birth to Madeline, only for her long- time enemy to take the baby away and rece her with another. Imagine her anguish!¡± Erin stiffened. ¡°We didn¡¯t think Angie would turn out to be so evil. We really thought she was innocent, and we¡ª¡± Alina cut her off with a bark of coldughter. ¡°You didn¡¯t think Angie would be evil, but have you ever thought that you and Nichs¡¯ kindness would only add insult to Crystal¡¯s injury? Angie is Cameron¡¯s daughter, and if Crystal sees Angie, she would inevitably think of Cameron; it would only be a stab to her heart. Angie has to be sent away so that Crystal will never have to see her again and get stressed out about it!¡± Having said all this, she eyed Erin mockingly and drawled, ¡°You know, Madam Erin, if I didn¡¯t know that you were actually a kind person by nature, I would have thought that you were only keeping Angie to spite Madam Crystal because of some personal grudge you have against her!¡± She might sound like she was vouching for Erin¡¯s apparent kindness, but in actuality, her implication was clear. She suspected Erin was using Angie to spite Crystal all along. On the other hand, Erin flushed when she heard her ns being pinpointed. ¡°Lina, where do you get such oundish ideas? I couldn¡¯t possibly have thought that far. I watched Angie grow up, and all I want to do is care for her after all that has happened. I have nothing against my sister-inw, so why would I spite her? Now is not the time for nonsense, Lina!¡± Those who had been swept up in this mess had clearly never contemted this before. When Erin suddenly showed such enthusiastic concern over Angie and insisted on taking her in as a daughter, Michael and his sons did not question it, though they had found it strange at the time. They brushed it off because they were close to Erin and Morgan¡¯s side. Michael and his two brothers were tight-knit, and naturally, their children mingled well enough too. As for the inws, while Crystal and Erin were not close by any means, there was no obvious animosity between them. They hardly ever fought, and everyone thought they got along alright. No one could have thought that Erin¡¯s motive in bringing Angie back to her ce was to further her ns of hurting Crystal, but now that Alina had brought this up, Michael and his sons began to feel as if something had been amiss all this while. Morgan¡¯s family indeed loved Angie as though she was one of their own, but Erin had never doted on her or cared this much about her until recently. After the main family was caught up in a melodrama premised on Angie¡¯s birth story, they decided it was for the best to send her away, but Erin suddenly insisted on taking her in as a daughter without even considering the main family¡¯s disagreement. In retrospect, one had to question her motives in doing so; had she truly felt sorry for Angie and wanted to keep her, or did she want to make her stay in the Wendel Family just so she could rub salt on Michael¡¯s family¡¯s wounds? Michael and his sons would have believed the former to be true had Alina not brought this up, but now that she had, it was as if the jigsaw pieces were starting to fall into ce, and they were beginning to contemte if thetter had more truth in it. As such, the looks they gave Erin started to turn wary and skeptical. Erin felt a chill down her spine when she met their inquisitive gaze. She dared not risk offending the main family in any way; pretending to love Angie as if she was her own to spite Crystal was the best n she coulde up with. After all, the Wendels were only the top elite family in Wendel City after Michael stepped up as head of the family. The Wendels came from really old money, but when it came for Robert to seed his father, the family was already on the verge of a downfall. The nobility of their name was an empty shell, and while they did their best to polish up said shell, the Wendels¡¯ business was crumbling. It could have been wound up at any given time. When Michael took over Wendel Corporation, he worked hard to salvage it by consolidating its assets and eventually getting the business back on track. It was under his leadership that the Wendels rose from the dead and imed the throne as the wealthiest family in Wendel City. He was the head of the family right now, and he held over eighty percent of the shares in the Wendel Corporation. Jonathan was the sessor to Wendel Corporation. Meanwhile, Joseph, Connor, and Cedric were all brilliant in their own fields, and they had carved bright futures for themselves. It could only be in Erin and her children¡¯s interests to be in the main family¡¯s good books. Thus, she had never thought about making them her enemy. Jealous as she was of Crystal, she would rather put on a show and make as if she got along with her. No one could possibly tell that she had hated Crystal for years, after all. However, all her little secrets came spilling out after Alina blew her bluff in front of Michael and his sons. Technically speaking, Alina had reaffirmed Erin¡¯s ¡®kind nature¡¯. She imed to believe that Erin only brought Angie back to her ce not to hurt Crystal on purpose but out of her own goodwill. However, Michael and his sons were smart enough to catch on, and as soon as Alina said those words, they began to wonder if the opposite was true. Had Erin known that this was how things would go, she never would have suggested that they bring Angie back. Perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have climbed into my son¡¯s bed and ruined his engagement with Alina, who would still be on friendly terms with us instead of cutting us off like this. For Alina to resort to seeding enmity between Erin¡¯s family and Michael¡¯s was proof of her resolve to break up with Nichs. This was a hook, line, and sinker maneuver; she would nevere back or reconsider the engagement. Erin had bragged about Nichs¡¯ engagement to the youngdy of the Harmon Family to her friends on countless asions. She was always proud of it, but now that Nichs was so close to tying the knot, Alina decided to call off the engagement. Not only that, she even stirred up strife between Erin and the main family in the process. Erin had truly shot herself in the foot. I can¡¯t believe how luck has turned on me, she thought ruefully. Meanwhile, Alina smiled wryly as she said, ¡°Madam Erin, I think I just made myself quite clear that I know how kind-hearted you are, and I believe that you didn¡¯t just take Angie in to further aggravate Madam Crystal. Even so, I will not stand for the way you and Nichs are handling this. Both of you are showing Angie more empathy and kindness than she deserves, which is beyond my comprehension. As such, I can¡¯t possibly spend the rest of my life with a family like yours, and seeing as we¡¯re going our separate ways, I can only hope that we do so amicably. From now on, I have nothing to do with any of you!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 118 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Heartache Alina took a few steps backward and nodded at everyone in the room as she said, ¡°Sorry to drop in on all of you like this, but it¡¯s thest time. From now on, we are going our separate ways, and we probably won¡¯t ever cross paths again. I, along with the rest of the Harmons, will no longer have anything to do with the Wendels. Goodbye!¡± With that, she turned around and walked out the door. Nichs immediately ran after her. ¡°Lina, let me exin. Lina¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to exin.¡± Alina stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him indifferently. ¡°You coulde up with the most reasonable exnation, and I¡¯d still think you¡¯re a moron for allowing this to happen in the first ce. I¡¯ve already told you that I won¡¯t settle for a man who can¡¯t tell right from wrong. I want someone who can take a clear stance when thingse down to it; someone who is bright enough to know which shots to call. We¡¯re over now, Nichs, so stop pestering me while things are still amicable between us. I don¡¯t want to make things ugly. I¡¯m leaving, and you are not coming with me!¡± She spun on her heels and left without so much as a backward nce. Nichs wanted desperately to run after her, but pride held him back. He stood in ce and watched her leave, and she never looked back. When she was out of sight, he thought his heart had bled itself dry, but it still felt like someone was wringing it out. He was foolish andcked foresight; he was not a man who could call the shots, nor did he know which ones to call. Am I really like that? He thought about his mother, who had apparently only taken Angie in not to raise her as her own daughter but to spite Crystal and cause discord among the main family. He turned slowly like a broken figurine in a music box and cast a long, hard look at Erin. Erin was gutted when she saw his pale face and glistening eyes, for he looked like his soul had been ripped out of his body. She hurried up to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders before saying firmly, ¡°Nichs, there are other girls in this world who deserve you more. You¡¯re still young, and you still have plenty of time to meet a better woman!¡± Granted, she had been pleased with Alina¡¯s family background, but the girl had not spared her any good graces when she called her bluff in front of everyone today. She shuddered to think how terrifying it would be to have a daughter-inw like that. More importantly, Alina had already seen through her act and learned of her dark secrets. If things had turned out different today and the engagement had not been called off, Erin would not be able to show herself in front of Alina without being reminded of the humiliation she had dealt her. Alina wouldn¡¯t respect her even after marrying into the Wendels. There was no doubting Alina¡¯s impressive background, but she wasn¡¯t the only girl in Wendel City who ran in the same elite circle as they did. Nichs was a fine young man with plenty of prospects, and Erin was sure that he would find someone better. ¡°What do you mean I can find someone better?¡± Nichs let out a bitterugh. ¡°Mom, I have loved Lina for seven years. It took me nearly half that time just to get her to go out with me! I¡¯ve met plenty of girls in my life, but only Lina has my heart, and I can¡¯t love anyone else but her! Why would I settle for anyone else when I¡¯ve already had the best? Lina is the most perfect girl there is, so who else can outshine her, Mom? Who?¡± His gaze flickered over to Angie, and the bitter, humorless smile still hung from his lips as he demanded, ¡°How do you intend to make this up to me, Angie? When your parents, brothers, and even my brothers refused to speak up for you after the incident, I was the only one who stood by you!¡± He pounded his own chest, sounding anguished as he went on to say, ¡°I only wanted to take care of you. I felt sorry for what happened and I wanted to protect you by giving you a better life despite everything. However, what did you do? You set me up! You made me look like a fool in front of the love of my life! She left because I can¡¯t give her the reassurance she needs to trust me with the rest of her life! I have been nothing but kind to you, Angie. How could you do this to me? Where is your damn conscience? Has it been thrown to the dogs?!¡± Angie was sobbing hysterically as she begged, ¡°Nichs, you have to believe me. I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen. You were the one who got drunk and¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Erin barreled to the crying girl and clutched her by the cor. Then, she pped her hard across the face. ¡°You useless, lying tramp! Nichs and I took you in when you lost everything, but you went ahead and stabbed my son in the back! You¡¯re horrible and without conscience! I¡¯ve seen animals more decent than you! I can only me myself for not seeing your true colors sooner. I took you in because I thought you were a good kid, but you¡¯ve only brought trouble to Nichs! If you think a disgusting tramp like you can ever marry my son, you¡¯re dead wrong! For as long as I live, you won¡¯t ever marry into the Wendels!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen. I¡¯m innocent!¡± Angie screamed and shoved Erin aside before running to hide behind Michael. With tears streaming down her swollen face, she pleaded, ¡°Dad, you have to help me! Nichs made me his ownst night, and if I don¡¯t marry him, who else can I marry? Please, Dad¡ªyou need to help me. Please!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Just then, Jonathan grabbed her wrist and dragged her out from behind Michael before he threw her onto the floor. She shrieked as she fell into a heap on the ground. Then, she stared up at Jonathan in bewilderment. ¡°Jonathan¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say my name. The only sister I have from now on is Madeline.¡± He gazed down at Angie¡¯s miserable form and bit out, ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, Angie? Do you think that you could just set Nichs up and marry into the Wendels like you¡¯re moving chess pieces on a board? Well, let me just point out how wrong you¡¯ve been. You can move all the chess pieces you want, but you set yourself up for a checkmate from the very beginning!¡± He took a deep breath as though to keep himself from roaring. In a barely-restrained voice, he went on to say gravely, ¡°Nichs is right. He truly loved you as a sister, and with that kind of support, you could¡¯ve stayed with him and he wouldn¡¯t mistreat you. You would still have a good life ahead of you had you not tried to get greedy, but you ruined your own future by pushing the only people who stood by you, and you revealed your true nature in the process. You think you¡¯re so smart, but you were just paving the way to your own doom. From now on, the Wendels will no longer trust you or take pity on you¡­ We are cutting you off entirely!¡± ¡°No, Jonathan, that¡¯s not it¡­ You have to believe me¡­ All of you have it wrong¡­¡± Angie sat on the ground in a sad heap while crying hysterically, ¡°Why don¡¯t any of you believe me? I really didn¡¯t mean for this to happen! Why can¡¯t you just believe me? Why?¡± Her voice was growing hoarse, and there was no hiding her despair and agony. This isn¡¯t how things are supposed to be. She believed that Nichs was willing to go against the main family and take her in because he had feelings for her. She thought that as long as he had slept with her, he would love and care for her, not to mention take responsibility for her and marry her. s, she had been wrong about everything. Nichs refused to marry her, and he even went to the extent of hating her! How could this be? This isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to be! This can¡¯t be! Since he didn¡¯t want to waste his breath on her, Jonathan walked over to Michael and said, ¡°Come on, Dad. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Michael nodded sullenly, then nced at Sebastian and Madeline. ¡°Sebastian, Maddie, let¡¯s go home.¡± Madeline made a noise of agreement, and she fell in step next to him as they left the living room together. When they passed Morgan and Erin, Michael looked straight ahead without sparing them a look. It was as if they were invisible to him. At that moment, Erin knew that he was growing wary of her. She felt panic seize her as she rushed up to him and smiled apologetically. ¡°Michael, don¡¯t listen to all the nonsense Lina said earlier. I only brought Angie home because I truly took pity on her. I have no intention of aggravating Crystal at all! Besides, Crystal raised Angie for over twenty years, so perhaps she might even let Angie stay. What would be the point of me using Angie to aggravate Crystal? Lina was only spilling oundish theories, wouldn¡¯t you say, Michael?¡± she said. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 119 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Unbearable Consequences Michael did not even spare Erin a look as he walked away, and thetter stood in ce awkwardly. She couldn¡¯t chase after him, but she feltpelled to. In the end, she did not move at all, and she looked like she had swallowed a fly as she watched him leave. Meanwhile, Nichs was standing in the living room with a nk look on his face. It was as if he had been hollowed out, and he no longer registered all that was going on around him. Morgan and his eldest son, Jack, saw Michael and the others out the door. Upon reaching the threshold, Morgan said apologetically and uneasily, ¡°Michael, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Michael turned to look at him before he sighed and pped a hand on Morgan¡¯s shoulder. Without another word, he led his kids home. Morgan felt like his heart had been emptied as he stood rooted to the doorway. He suddenly realized how his life had been meaningless. While Crystal was hospitalized and Erin was healthy and perfectly fine at home, he couldn¡¯t help finding that Michael was far happier than he could ever be. Needless to say, he was envious of Michael. If he were to go on like this, he would be living in vain, and he was just wasting away his own existence. Presently, he seemed to have frozen at the doorway. He was so still that even Jack had to call out for him. ¡°Dad?¡± When he did not respond, Jack called him several more times. ¡°Dad. Dad?¡± Finally, he snapped out of his reverie and turned to look at Jack blearily before he sighed. ¡°Come on.¡± In the living room, Erin was trying tofort Nichs. Rather, she was putting down Alina to make him feel better. She did not spare the girl from all the insults she could think of, making her out to be some vicious creature that Nichs should be d to have gotten rid of, even if said vicious creature was the one who broke up with him. There was no telling if Nichs heard everything Erin said. He was still staring nkly into space as he stood tall and straight, and he made no response whatsoever. Erin, on the other hand, hated Alina with fresh fury. She couldn¡¯t believe that the girl had pointed out her deepest, darkest secret in front of everyone. Everyone in the main family will have something against me from now on. I don¡¯t even know if I can fix this! If I can¡¯t, then my sons will be the ones bearing the brunt! Damn it, Alina! All the anxiousness and anger in her tranted into a torrent of abuse aimed at Alina, and she was growing more savage by the second. Her pretty features were all colored by wickedness and spite, and they were twisting her face into a menacing grimace. Unbeknownst to her, Morgan took in her shift in demeanor from where he stood at the living room doorway. Atst, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and went up to her. ¡°Erin, let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s file for divorce,¡± he said. Erin thought she must have heard him wrong. She turned to eye him incredulously as she demanded, ¡°What did you just say, Morgan? Could you repeat that?¡± Morgan gazed at her steadily. ¡°I said, let¡¯s file for divorce.¡± Shock ripped through her. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Morgan? Divorce? Why would we do that? Our sons are all grown up, so why would you want to file for divorce now? We could be grandparents in a couple of years! Divorce isn¡¯t a possibility right now!¡± ¡°I put up with you all these years because I wanted what was in our sons¡¯ best interests,¡± Morgan replied with forced patience. ¡°However, I don¡¯t want to carry on like this anymore. I¡¯ve already wasted over twenty years of my life, and I don¡¯t want to waste another twenty more.¡± All the color drained from Erin¡¯s face, and her voice trembled as she asked, ¡°Morgan, what are you saying? You¡¯ve been putting up with me? For over twenty years?¡± He was silent for a while before he said, ¡°Maybe that was an exaggeration. We had our sweet moments when we first started seeing each other, but I don¡¯t know when it all changed¡­¡± He looked as if he was searching for his memories. ¡°I think it was during the time of your family¡¯s downfall. You were kind and gentle when we first got married, but after your family¡¯s business went bankrupt, you became different. It was a gradual change, but you started being selfish, jealous, and contemptuous toward those less fortunate than you. You lost grip of reason and you failed to learn your ce, and your shame knew no bounds.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true,¡± Erin countered weakly as she shook her head, looking ashen-faced after hearing his description of her. Every woman would want to be seen as wonderful andpassionate by their own husband, but now, her husband of over twenty years was calling her selfish, petty, and shameless. She couldn¡¯t ept this, for she didn¡¯t think it was true. I¡¯m not like that! She had always taken care of her looks. She kept a rigorous skincare routine; she exercised to maintain her figure; and she wore ttering clothes. She simply couldn¡¯t stand letting time mold her into something ugly and undesirable. That was why she still looked so good in her forties. She believed that her husband loved and admired her, but now, he was using horrible words to describe her. He had reduced her into something worthless, but that couldn¡¯t be her. It simply couldn¡¯t be! Morgan, however, merely shook his head and did not argue with her. There was little point in doing that, so he repeated with more emphasis this time, ¡°Erin, I want a divorce. I¡¯ll have mywyer draw up the agreement right now.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want a divorce! Even if I die, I will not agree to it!¡± Erin shook her head frantically. When her family business went bankrupt back then, they had lost thepany and ended up with crushing debt. If they couldn¡¯t fork out the money to pay off the debts, her father and brother would have gone to jail. Her parents had cried and begged her for help, hoping she could settle their debts for them. It was an astronomical sum of money that she did not have, and as far as she knew, Morgan had no cash in his bank either. However, he had immovable assets. If she could sell off those immovable assets, she could save her father and her brother from having to go to jail. With that in mind, she pleaded with Morgan to sell off those properties. However, those immovable assets were a gift from Robert to his three sons, and if Morgan wanted to sell his share, he needed the old man¡¯s approval. As such, he went to seek Robert¡¯s permission to sell off those properties so that he could save his father- and brother-inw. At first, Robert disapproved. He imed that the immovable assets were deemed as such because they would be passed down from one generation to the next, so selling them off was not an option. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. It was only after Erin got down on her knees and begged for him to let them sell off the assets that Robert finally agreed to it, but on one condition¡ªshould she and Morgan ever get a divorce one day, she would not get a single dime from the settlement. She would leave the marriage with only the clothes on her back and nothing more. Erin couldn¡¯t understand why Robert would evene up with such a condition in the first ce. She thought it hrious, for she had been so confident that she and Morgan would never divorce. After all, she was no longer young at the time, and she couldn¡¯t do better if she left Morgan. Besides, she and Morgan had two sons to care for, and a divorce would be in nobody¡¯s interests, so she never considered the idea of it. She remembered thinking how ridiculous Robert¡¯s condition had been. As such, she signed the agreement undertaking that, in the event of a divorce, she would not take a single dime from Morgan. She had put pen to paper without flinching, and she managed to have the assets sold off for arge sum of money after that. She paid off her family¡¯s debts and used the remainder to set up apany for her brother. Thepany was only a small one, but it gave her brother a job that paid well enough for him to live comfortably. As for the agreement she had signed, shepletely forgot about it. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 120 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 120 Chapter 120 ckmail Never did Erin imagine that she and Morgan would divorce. However, he was standing in front of her and telling her in no ambiguous words that he wanted a divorce. She was stumped. There was no way she would allow this divorce to go through; if she did, she would be left with nothing! The most unbearable consequence of all, virtual poverty aside, was that she would be a divorc¨¦e. No longer would she walk around being known as Morgan¡¯s wife and the third madam of the Wendel Family. She could turn from a woman envied by men to a woman scorned andughed at by others overnight. The drastic change was one she could neither ept nor cope with. Ashen-faced and incredulous, she eyed Morgan with an almost maniacal gleam in her eyes as she seethed, ¡°I gave birth to our sons, Morgan. You cannot do this to me! If you insist on going through with the divorce, I swear I¡¯ll go up to the rooftop of Wendel Corporation and leap to my death!¡± Morgan stared at her and said unaffectedly, ¡°If all you care about is yourself and you have no consideration of our boys whatsoever, you may leap to your death from whichever rooftop you like. I¡¯ve already made up my mind and I want a divorce. I can¡¯t spend another day with you, not if it means a lifetime of all this nonsense. If you won¡¯t sign the paperwork, I¡¯ll just have to file a suit and take it up to court. Either way, the divorce will go through.¡± ¡°Why? Why?!¡± Erin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as tears spilled down her cheeks, and her voice was trembling as she roared, ¡°What did I ever do to make you want to divorce me? Is there someone else, Morgan?¡± ¡°No,¡± he answered with a frown. ¡°Your biggest mistake to date is to insist boldly that you have done nothing wrong! Erin, if you have the time, why don¡¯t you look into a mirror and take a good look at yourself? When I first married you, you were pure andpassionate without a single evil thought. Now, you¡¯re selfish, greedy, and full of schemes!¡± He was growing angrier as he spoke, and tried as he did to keep his voice level, it was getting loud. ¡°At first, I turned a blind eye to your scheming. I tried to talk some sense into you, but it didn¡¯t work, and when you chose to turn to such savage, underhanded ways, I still said nothing. However, you decided to go after my own brother! What did my brother and my sister-inw ever do to you? Why did you so viciously want to try to use Angie to aggravate them? They¡¯re my family. Are you so intent on seeing them suffer that you would go to such lengths to hurt them? Does that give you joy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Erin shook her head vehemently, looking as white as a sheet. ¡°You know as well as I do that you had a role to y in all this!¡± Morgan pointed out tiredly. ¡°Stop lying to yourself and others, Erin. I didn¡¯t see the vicious side of you because I saw you as my wife, and I didn¡¯t think anything bad of what you did. However, when Alina opened up the floodgates by calling you on your bluff in front of everyone, we could all see your cruel and despicable nsid bare under the sun. Deny it all you want, but no one will ever believe you!¡± ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t do anything, Morgan! I didn¡¯t! You have to believe me!¡± She sobbed and said urgently, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Angie was so wicked that she would set my son up even after I took her in as one of my own. I really did take pity on her, and I wanted to help her in any way I could.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Took pity on her? Wanted to help her in any way you could?¡± Morgan snorted. ¡°Erin, do you even hear yourself? Are you convinced by your own lies? There is nothing special between you and Angie. You weren¡¯t all that close to her back in the day either. I don¡¯t see Benjamin and Diana wanting to take her in, but you stepped up and insisted on bringing Angie home. Why did you do that?¡± ¡°I really did feel sorry for her, and besides, it¡¯s not as if we can¡¯t afford another mouth to feed. I brought her home on a whim,¡± she exined tearfully as she rushed up to Morgan and clutched his arm. ¡°Morgan, you have to believe me. I¡¯m not as cruel orplex as you make me out to be; I only felt sorry for Angie and wanted to help her. I didn¡¯t n on aggravating Michael or Crystal at all! Please believe me, you have to!¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t believe you, neither would Michael, Crystal, Jonathan, and the rest of them.¡± He pulled away from her and warned icily, ¡°If you don¡¯t want Jack and Nichs to be strangers to the main family, I suggest you agree to the divorce. Our family and theirs could still get along without you, but that won¡¯t be the case if you were to stay. You know Jack and Nichs aren¡¯t capable enough to make it on their own; you know what kind of future awaits them if they don¡¯t get the main family¡¯s help and connections. If you still want your sons to be on friendly terms with their cousins, I suggest you sign your name on the divorce paperwork, leave the Wendels, and stay the hell away from my brother, my sister-inw, and my nephews!¡± ¡°No! No!¡± Erin wailed hysterically. ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous, Morgan! Do you really think everything will work out well for Jack and Nichs if we divorce? They will have a divorc¨¦e for a mother! If you go ahead and get married to a younger woman and have a child with her, what ce will our sons have in this home? Your new child and your younger new wife will have all the privileges!¡± She was sobbing as she rushed over to Jack¡¯s side. She clutched his arm and swayed it to show she was desperate. ¡°Jack, talk some sense into your father. You have to stop him from divorcing me. You and Nichs are old enough to settle down and start your own families; if your father and I go through with the divorce now, who knows what others might think of us? Who knows what they might think of you? I won¡¯t sign the papers. I do not agree to go through with this!¡± Jack frowned, and he turned to look at Morgan imploringly. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Never in his dreams did he think his father would bring up divorce. He knew that his parents¡¯ rtionship had been rocky for a while now, and there was hardly any sentiment left between them. Erin was always up to no good and she was growing more unreasonable by the day; Morgan couldn¡¯t stand the way she treated others and how she managed the family affairs, and he often regarded her antics with a critical and disdainful eye. Jack could tell that his father was growing tired of having to put up with his mother, and the love they once shared was now chipped away by unteral contempt on his end. Even so, Jack never thought that his father would ask for a divorce. After all, they weren¡¯t young anymore, and at their age, most couples were set to put up with one another until the end of time. It was hard toe by a couple in their midlife who could still love each other as much as Michael and Crystal did. Divorce was rarely ever contemted by anyone who was Morgan and Erin¡¯s age. Shouldn¡¯t they put up with each other and just let the days go by? Jack wanted to dissuade his father from going through with the divorce, but he had only just called out for him when Morgan cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯ve made up my mind after careful consideration, and I¡¯ve wanted a divorce for a long time now. The only reason I didn¡¯t bring it up was because you and Nichs were so young back then, so I chose to put up with her for your sake. However, I can no longer tolerate her antics today. I can choose to ignore her picking on others and mocking them, but I will not stand for her to humiliate, aggravate and hurt my brother! How despicable must she be to want to hurt my brother and my sister-inw like this? Just thinking about sharing a bed with a woman like her makes me feel sick, and I¡¯m through spending every day like this!¡± Upon hearing this, Erin was at aplete loss. This was the first time she heard how Morgan really felt about her, and she didn¡¯t expect her husband to think of her as such a monster. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 121 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Go Away! Regret filled Erin. She grew introspective as she wondered what wickedness could have possessed her to bring Angie back into her home. Had she not done so, Angie would never have climbed into Nichs¡¯ bed and had rtions with him. Alina would never have caught them in bed together and be so infuriated that she feltpelled to say such venomous things to Nichs. At the same time, Erin didn¡¯t know why she had been so intent on seeing the main family suffer. If everything was fine on their end, Jack and Nichs would¡¯ve benefited from it too. If they were having a hard time, however, she and her sons would gain nothing whatsoever. What was I thinking at that time? Why was I so thrilled by the idea of using Angie to aggravate Crystal? Why did I insist on bringing Angie home? Indeed, Erin had no personal grudges against Crystal. She must have lost a couple of screws when she thought about using Angie to hurt Crystal, for she wanted nothing more than to see the woman drop dead from anger. Crystal¡¯s life and death didn¡¯t affect her in the slightest, and she certainly had nothing to gain. In light of that rhetoric, she wondered why she simply had to start trouble by painstakingly butting into the main family and Angie¡¯s personal affairs. Not only had she gained nothing out of her schemes, but she also managed to ruin her son¡¯s engagement to the love of his life. Not to mention, she was on the verge of being thrown out of the house by her own husband. Why did I bring this on myself? How did I manage to make a mess out of my own life? She was sorely and truly regretting all of this. If she had a chance to turn back time, she would learn her ce and leave the main family alone. She would not interfere with their personal affairs and she would stay quiet throughout. However, regret was an incurable affliction. There was no point letting it fester when it would hardly change anything. As such, she could only hold onto Morgan for as long as she could. She would not divorce him, not even if she had to die to maintain that assertion. Morgan was just as stubborn as she was. He took out his phone to call hiswyer and have him draft up the divorce paperwork. Upon seeing this, Erin let out a shrill cry and ran to snatch the phone, but he shoved her to the ground. When shended, she coincidentally fell in a heap in front of Angie, the sight of whom made her features twist with a grimace. ¡°This is your fault!¡± Erin scrambled to get to her feet and rush up to Angie. She grabbed a fistful of her hair and began to strike her maniacally. ¡°This is all your fault! All of it! You caused my son to lose everything, and my life is falling apart right now! You abominable tramp! You¡¯re just a homewrecker!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true! That was not how things happened!¡± Angie struggled to break free as she iled her arms to shove the angry woman off her. It wasn¡¯t long before they were locked in a vicious catfight. Morgan watched this and closed his eyes tiredly, and he beckoned for his personal bodyguard. ¡°Separate them and send Angie to the Colt Residence.¡± The bodyguard nodded, and with a few of his men, he went on to separate Angie from Erin. Two guards approached Angie to apprehend her, but she quickly mbered over to where Nichs was as she cried, ¡°Nichs, save me. I don¡¯t want to be escorted by guards to the Colt Residence. Save me, Nichs! I love you, I really do, and I¡¯ve given myself to you. You have to save me and marry me. Make me your wife, and I promise I¡¯ll fulfill all my wifely duties! I¡¯ll always be kind to you and start a family with you. We¡¯ll be happy together!¡± Nichs¡¯ face was devoid of color and warmth, and he was trembling with anger as he reached for a nearby object and hurled it in Angie¡¯s direction. ¡°Go away! You¡¯d better go away right now! I don¡¯t want to see you ever again in this lifetime! Get out, get out, get out!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. This was the worst day of his life, for he had lost the woman he loved most in a very humiliating manner. Alina was the first and only girl he ever loved, but she had broken up with him and articted her immense disappointment in him. She even scoffed at him and looked upon him with contempt, deeming him someone whom she could not spend forever with. He knew Alina well enough to know she would nevere back to him. He had spent years and energy on pursuing her before finally seeding, and now, he had lost her entirely. He wasn¡¯t sure if he hated Angie or if he hated himself more. Angie was despicable and selfish, and he was foolish and gullible. He wished he had been smart enough to see through Angie¡¯s ns so that he would not lose the love of his life. s, it was toote now for what-ifs and what-could-have-beens. All of a sudden, it was as if a dark storm cloud loomed over him, and he was so anguished that he couldn¡¯t stop shivering. Presently, when Angie saw the hatred on Nichs¡¯ face, she felt as if she had been thrown into a cer, and a chill ran down her spine. She had failed, and things had turned out more differently than she thought. She had been convinced that Nichs would take responsibility for her and marry her as long as they had had rtions. Such a conviction was premised on his love for her, paired with the confidence that Michael and his sons would stand up for her. She was sure they would force Nichs to take her for a wife. However, everyone¡¯s reaction was different from what she had imagined it to be. Michael and his sons couldn¡¯t care less about her when they left the house; Nichs not only refused to marry her, but he also hated her with a passion now. How can they do this to me? She had been with the Wendels for thest two decades or so, and in that time, everyone treated her like she was made out of precious jewels. They took care of her and loved her unconditionally. However, the moment they found out that she was not part of the Wendel Family bloodline at all, it had taken them all but a day to turn heartless. Is blood really thicker than water? Are they really going to be so mean to me? Michael and his sons did not stand up for her at all. They had been the ones who loved her and came to her defense in the past, but even they had turned their backs on her. Who else can I turn to now? She stared at Nichs and sobbed with all her might. ¡°Nichs, you can¡¯t do this to me. You have always been kind to me over thest twenty years, so how could you hate me now? You can¡¯t just do this to me! You can¡¯t!¡± Nichs clenched his fists and tried to exercise restraint. It was only by sheer force of will that he did not rush up to her and kill her with his own hands. He turned to look at her with red eyes and snapped, ¡°Yes, I was nothing but kind to you, and I loved you the most! I was so kind that even when Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal didn¡¯t want to take you in, my mom and I offered you a ce in our home. How did you thank me for it, though? By making me lose the only girl I ever loved. You climbed into my bed and you deliberately allowed Lina to¡­¡± He trailed off when he thought about what Alina had said, and his heart twisted painfully in his chest. A grimace shed on his handsome face as he turned around abruptly and growled, ¡°Get out! Get her out of here and back to the Colt Residence! I don¡¯t ever want to see her again! Get her out of this house!¡± He was sure that if he went on to speak to her, he would lose control and strangle her to death. Morgan¡¯s bodyguard made an affirmative reply and dragged Angie out the door with added force. She struggled against the bodyguard, but she could not break free from a grown man¡¯s custody. Hence, it wasn¡¯t long before she was hauled out of the living room and into the car. She cried and shrieked as she tried to leap down from the car. In the end, the bodyguard couldn¡¯t help knocking her out by dealing a swift chop to the back of her neck. Suddenly, darkness filled her vision, and she felt herself grow limp. Before she cked out, the only thought that crossed her mind was how this was the end of her. After this, she would no longer have anything to do with the Wendels. They were arge family, yet not a single one of them had spoken up for her throughout all this. They were the wealthiest family in Wendel City, the most morous, and they were always filled with love andughter. She would no longer be a part of all this, and she hated it. She hated the fact that she had been so happy and fortunate until recently. How did I be like this? This isn¡¯t fair¡­ She cked out feeling nothing but hopelessness and regret. The car drove away, and as soon as it did, Morgan¡¯swyer came by the house with the drawn-up divorce paperwork. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 122 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Shut the Hell Up! Thewyer respectfully handed the paperwork to Morgan before Morgan looked through them. When he was satisfied with them, he passed the documents to Erin and said, ¡°Sign these.¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I won¡¯t divorce. I won¡¯t!¡± Erin shook her head and stared at the divorce paperwork in front of her like they weren¡¯t paper, but a viper with words printed on it. Morgan eyed her and said icily, ¡°If you sign these today, I¡¯m willing to give you an apartment and a commercial building as part of the settlement. If you don¡¯t sign these, I¡¯ll have mywyer proceed with thewsuit. Do you still remember the agreement you entered into with my dad all those years ago? If I take this divorce to court, this marriage will be dissolved and leave you with nothing. There will be no settlement.¡± ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Erin let out a shriek and quickly lunged toward Morgan before she fell to her knees in front of him. She clutched at his clothes and looked up at him tearfully while crying, ¡°Morgan, I know I was wrong to have done all that. I¡¯m really sorry, and I promise it won¡¯t happen again. Give me one more chance; please don¡¯t go through with the divorce. Think about Jack and Nichs. Forgive me this once and I promise I won¡¯t do something like this ever again¡­ We¡¯re not young anymore, Morgan, and if we divorce now, how would others think of us?¡± She had not expected her schemes, born out of her petty jealousy, would end up being her downfall. Had she known, she would have stayed quiet and washed her hands off the situation just like Benjamin and Diana had done all this while. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. It was now that she understood what it meant to have her ns backfiring on her. She thought she was being clever when she hid her wickedness from the outside world, but in reality, it was only a matter of time before her true nature revealed itself. Her family did not suspect her because they trusted her implicitly, but when someone finally tore through the veil that obscured her deepest, darkest, and most vicious thoughts, all her wickedness came tumbling out into broad daylight. Everyone knew what she had been nning to do. It was as if she had been stripped bare in front of everyone, who sharpened their pitchforks without so much as batting an eye. Bitterness and regret flooded through her like they never had before. The main family could prosper or suffer, and none of it would make a difference to her. Even if Crystal died, Erin would not stand to inherit any part of her fortune in the main family; she would have nothing to gain from sabotaging and aggravating others, so there was virtually no reason for her to try and get on Crystal¡¯s nerves. Now, the life Erin hade to know was in tatters. Her plot against Crystal was a bust, and she was left bearing the brunt of her own actions. She single-handedly ruined Nichs¡¯ engagement and turned the love of his life against him; her husband was throwing her out of the family home and making her sign divorce papers; and her own family had long since fallen from grace, and they had hoped that having the Wendels as their inws would help them from falling further. If truly she and Morgan went through with the divorce, the Peters would lose their only lifeline. They would have no one else to depend on in times of need. Granted, Erin had two sons, but her eldest had insisted on bing awyer despite her avid protests. She didn¡¯t think he could amount to much as awyer. As for Nichs, he had only just graduated from university not too long ago and was still jobless at the moment. He could barely fend for himself, let alone provide for her and the rest of the Peters. If she and Morgan divorced, her fall from the pedestal would be spectacr, and she would never be able to spend her days as ady of leisure ever again. As such, she refused to divorce, and she wouldn¡¯t ever sign those papers even if she was being threatened with death. She clung onto Morgan, sobbing and begging as tears flowed relentlessly down her face. Jack¡¯s heart twisted at the sight of this. He walked up to his father and pleaded quietly, ¡°Dad, she knows she¡¯s wrong. Can¡¯t you brush this off as a one-time thing and let her off on a warning?¡± Morgan gave him a pointed look. ¡°Jack, if you had married someone like your mother, would you put up with her and never contemte divorce?¡± Jack parted his lips to say something, but he made no reply in the end. He questioned himself then, and he knew the answer. If he had married someone like Erin, he would most certainly divorce her. He could tolerate plenty of things. His wife could be in-looking, rough around the edges, humorless, or a cker. She could even be unreasonable and without intellect. However, there was no way he could put up with a woman who was unkind and actively plotted against his brother. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± Morgan said as he gazed at his son steadily. ¡°Jack, if you can¡¯t even put up with someone like that, why should I have to? I have been tolerating her antics for over a decade, and I stayed with her because of you and Nichs. Now that the both of you have grown up, the idea of a perfect family does not bear the same weight anymore. Are you boys truly expecting me to go through life with someone like her just so I can take care of sentiments that you should have long outgrown?¡± He let out a slow sigh and added bitterly, ¡°If this goes on, I will only be living in vain¡­¡± Jack was rendered speechless. Even thew allowed for a divorce in the event of an irretrievable breakdown of marriage, so long as it wasn¡¯t premised on betrayal, an affair, or abandonment in times of need, there was no one standing on a moral high ground who could deem divorce as unjust. He had been staying with his parents for his whole life; they were the ones who raised him, so he knew his father was telling the truth. Ever since Erin¡¯s side of the family had gone bankrupt, she had turned into a petty, unforgiving, headstrong, and unbnced woman. As it turned out, time could really change a person. He remembered there was a time when his mother had been kind and gracious too, but life sanded away that shiny surface and ate away at her personality like rust. She slowly became selfish and vicious, and she wanted nothing more than to see those around her suffer. It started with her enjoying others¡¯ sufferings and humiliation, but now, she had resorted to scheming against her husband¡¯s family. Indeed, to expect Morgan to stick by her for the rest of his life was cruel and unreasonable. After all, Morgan had not yet reached his fifties, and taking into consideration the average human lifespan, he had a good twenty more years to go. Jack couldn¡¯t bear to have him put up with his mother¡¯s antics for that long, not while it was thest few decades of his life. He clenched his fists and lowered his head, and he did not try to speak up for Erin anymore. ¡°Jack? Why aren¡¯t you speaking? Jack?¡± Erin stared at her son expectantly and cried belligerently, ¡°Jack, talk to your father for me. You and Nichs have grown up, and you could settle down to start your own family anytime soon! I can¡¯t go through with this divorce¡ªif I do, you and Nichs will bear the brunt of it! Jack, talk to your father. You have to do it. Please, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Jack sighed and crouched down to help his mother to her feet. With a hand wrapped around her arm, he cajoled, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s just get up and talk about this¡­¡± ¡°No, I will not get up!¡± She let out a pained sob. ¡°Jack, I can¡¯t go through with this divorce. This family is all I have, and I can¡¯t lose all of you!¡± ¡°Mom, a divorce isn¡¯t the end of the world,¡± he said patiently. ¡°Even if you and Dad divorce, Nichs and I will still be your sons, and we¡¯ll still take care of you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± she screamed. ¡°Your father and I are supposed to be a unit! If you and Nichs ever get married and start families of your own, where would that leave me? I love your father, and I refuse to back out of this marriage even if it kills me!¡± Nichs, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly piped up, ¡°Mom, the divorce wouldn¡¯t have happened had you not tried to hurt Aunt Crystal in the first ce! If you ever for a second saw Dad as your husband, then you wouldn¡¯t have plotted against Aunt Crystal. You¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up! Shut the hell up!¡± Erin flew into a rage as she scrambled off the floor and rushed up to Nichs before pping him hard in the face. ¡°I have never tried to hurt your Aunt Crystal, so don¡¯t make up nonsense against me! That no-good tramp Alina made up lies, and you fell for it! Why would you listen to her crap when you¡¯re my son? How could you do this to me?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 123 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Broken and Hysterical The pnded hard and fast on Nichs¡¯ face, and he staggered backward a few steps, nearly toppling over. He could feel his cheek tingling, and after a few seconds, a painful and stinging sensation started creeping under his skin. ¡°Just because you deny it doesn¡¯t mean it hasn¡¯t happened! All of us know what you were nning, and you know it too. You can argue all you want, but it won¡¯t change Dad¡¯s mind about the divorce!¡± He licked his lips and scoffed as he gave Erin a baleful look. Then, he turned to leave. ¡°Nichs, where are you going?¡± Jack hurried after him. Nichs was not in the right headspace at the moment, and he couldn¡¯t risk having him go out alone. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Nichs shrugged him off. ¡°I need to go out and clear my head, so don¡¯t follow me!¡± He walked out the door without so much as a backward nce. Jack took two steps after him, but he stopped and turned to look at his crying mother. He was torn, and he quickly beckoned his bodyguards. ¡°Follow Nichs and keep an eye on him. Make sure he¡¯s safe!¡± The bodyguards nodded and immediately went after Nichs. On the other hand, Jack went back to his mother and said, ¡°Mom, stop kicking up a fuss. Dad¡¯s already made up his mind to divorce you, and there¡¯s no point in you protesting against it. You have nothing to worry about even if the divorce goes through; you¡¯ll still have me and Nichs. I promise I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t divorce. I refuse to! I won¡¯t sign those papers even if it means I have to die!¡± Erin cried, shaking her head vehemently. If she hadn¡¯t signed that dreadful agreement with Robert all those years ago thatpelled her to give up any settlement in the event of a divorce, she might¡¯ve just gone along with Morgan and gotten the paperwork over with. However, with that agreement prevailing over this, she would rather die than divorce! She would have nothing if she left Morgan, and her life of luxury woulde to an abrupt end. She could not divorce. It wasn¡¯t even a possibility! Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Morgan gave her an icy look and threw the divorce papers at her like he was adding trash to the recycling pile. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days to consider this, and if you don¡¯t sign those papers by the end of three days, I¡¯ll take this to court. I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t get a single dime after the divorce, and your family will never gain anything from the Wendels anymore!¡± With that, he spun on his heels and broke into long strides as he walked away from her. Erin sat on the ground, looking defeated. For a while, she couldn¡¯t summon the strength to get on her feet. She clung to Jack¡¯s shirt as she begged wildly, ¡°Jack, I know I was wrong, but please go and talk to your father and make him see sense! I don¡¯t want a divorce, I really don¡¯t¡­¡± Jack gave her a sad look. ¡°Mom, you know how Dad is. When he makes up his mind, there¡¯s no changing it. He won¡¯t listen to me.¡± ¡°How would you know that if you haven¡¯t tried to make him see reason?¡± She pounded his chest angrily. ¡°Just tell him that you and Nichs would die with me if he insists on going through with the divorce! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll change his mind then. He only has the both of you, and if you were gone, he would have no sessors! You and Nichs are the only ones he¡¯ll listen to, so please talk to him for me!¡± He gaped at her, clearly in disbelief that she would even suggest something like this. Using suicide as an excuse to get one¡¯s parents to abandon divorce efforts was immature. Moreover, he and Nichs had long outgrown their teenage angst to ever consider doing that. They were already in their twenties, and if they resorted to such childish attempts, it would only serve to humiliate them. More importantly, he couldn¡¯t side one parent over the other, not while the situation had made itself clear¡ªhis mom was in the wrong, and his dad was innocent. Morgan had spent the better part of his marriage suffering from and putting up with Erin¡¯s nonsense. As things were, he had every right to institute divorce proceedings, and Jack couldn¡¯t bring himself to get in the way of it, much less stake his own life to keep his parents¡¯ broken marriage. Presently, he gave his mother a long, hard look, and it took him a while before he found his voice again. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re not thinking straight right now. I¡¯ll bring you up to your room and let you calm down before we talk about this again.¡± He reached around her shoulders to help her up so he could escort her to her bedroom, but she shoved him aside. She waved her arms around maniacally as she howled, ¡°Do you call yourself my son, Jack? Why won¡¯t you help me with this? If your father goes through with this divorce, it will affect you too! Once he¡¯s a bachelor again, he¡¯ll marry someone new and have some mongrel child with her, and eventually, everything that¡¯s supposed to be yours and Nichs¡¯ will be given to his new wife and kid! You stand to lose your birthright! I can¡¯t divorce him. I won¡¯t!¡± ¡°Mom, I have a job, and I never wanted any share in Dad¡¯s fortune,¡± Jack bit out coldly. ¡°It is only honorable that I make it on my own as a man, and if I want something, I¡¯ll work for it. I won¡¯t demand Dad to give me his fortune even if it is my birthright, and he can give it away to whoever he likes since I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± Erin was going out of her mind. ¡°How could I have given birth to such a fool? Jack, you¡¯re being stupid and naive!¡± He frowned when he felt the onset of a migraine assaulting him. He sighed wearily and said, ¡°Forget it. Say what you will about me, Mom, but I won¡¯t stay to hear any of it. I have to go now, so take this time to calm down and think things through. If you agree to the divorce now, Dad will still give you a roof over your head and amercial lot. By the end of three days, however, that offer willpse and you¡¯d be left with nothing.¡± Then, he didn¡¯t spare his mother a second nce before walking out of the living room. She took a deep breath and yelled, ¡°Jack, get back here! Get back here right now!¡± He ignored her and left the house. He had initially been worried that she would be devastated enough to act impulsively, but after talking to her, he realized that she would rather pawn anyone else¡¯s life than her own. She was obsessed with money and fortune, and as greedy as she was, she couldn¡¯t possibly take her own life and give up all the luxuries this world had to offer. In the living room, Erin sat on the ground and wailed when she saw that her husband and sons had left her alone. Regret was sinking into her. She was filled with a strong hatred for Angie and for herself. She could have had a life of leisure, but the wickedness and jealousy in herpelled her to do senseless things against others. She had schemed against those around her, and it was bad enough that none of her ns worked out, but to drag herself under the bus as well really struck her hard. She wanted to strangle herself for having gone to such lengths. However, her bted regret did nothing for her. She had already made a huge mistake, and she didn¡¯t even get the chance to prove that she could change for the better. All she could do now was to refuse to go through with the divorce, but it only took a day before her parents and brother showed up at her ce. As it turned out, Morgan had gone to her family and pressured them into talking sense to Erin. Right now, her family ran a very smallpany and relied on coborations with Wendel Corporation to get by. However, following the incident from the day before, Wendel Corporation had decided to terminate all coborations with them. They lost a majority of their business that day, and all manufacturing work came to a standstill, leaving a huge bulk of materials in the factory that could neither be used nor sold off. Thepany could not cope with the sudden expenses, and it would only be a matter of time before the factory went bankrupt. They wouldn¡¯t be able to pay their workers, which would lead the union to make trouble for them, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before the court and the bank got involved. As things were, the Peters were facing the familiar threat of bankruptcy again. Her brother, Callum, had gone and asked Morgan why he was pulling out from all the coborations, and he told him everything. When Erin¡¯s parents showed up at her ce, they first berated her and demanded that she sign the divorce papers immediately. She had cried and sobbed, stubbornly refusing to go through with the divorce. In the end, her mother snapped impatiently, ¡°How could you be so stupid? Your father and I are Nichs and Jack¡¯s biological grandparents; for Morgan to actuallye and pressure us so heartlessly could only mean he¡¯s made up his mind to divorce you. If you sign the papers now, he¡¯d still give you a roof over your head and a shop to run, and he¡¯d reinstate all the coborations with our family. At the very least, that could provide us with the means to survive. However, if you were to drag this out and refuse his kind favor, you¡¯d be left with nothing. Your dad, Callum, and I will all be your sacrificialmbs, and it will only take another half a year before our whole family is thrown out on the streets to beg for a living! Is that what you want?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 124 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Detestable ¡°I still have Jack and Nichs,¡± Erin said, stupefied. ¡°They won¡¯t leave me to die. I won¡¯t have to live like a beggar and sleep on the streets.¡± ¡°At most, you can only dy the inevitable by six months. Morgan will still divorce you after half a year, and by then, you¡¯ll have lost an apartment and a shop. That¡¯ll be a huge loss!¡± Jasmine Lloyd coaxed, ¡°Erin, you should know Morgan¡¯s temperament by now. Once he has decided on something, you can¡¯t change his mind no matter what you do. If you go up against him now, he¡¯ll just hate you even more. Why don¡¯t you listen to him and file the divorce first, then slowly try to change his heart in the future? You still have Jack and Nichs, and they are already at that age to start their own families. Naturally, you¡¯d have a say in these arrangements along with Morgan. The more you guyse into contact, he will know that you¡¯ve changed. With a little help from your sons, you can get back together with him again!¡± ¡°Your mother is right,¡± Tommy Peters said. ¡°If you go against him now, he will only hate you more, and the little sliver of goodwill left between you will be gone. In the end, you¡¯ll still have to get divorced.¡± Erin bit her lip and tried to hold it in for a while, but she eventually failed and covered her face as she began to wail. She knew that her parents were right, but she wasn¡¯t quite willing to ept this situation yet. Just a few days ago, she was still so happy as the highly admired third mistress of the Wendel Family. She didn¡¯t have to do anything all day; She could rx and go on a walk, get facial treatments, go shopping, or hit the gym. She could do whatever she liked. However, in just a few days, she had fallen from the sky into the dusty earth. She would be a divorced woman with no money to her name. She would be mocked and ridiculed, and she could no longer use money as she pleased, nor could she buy anything she wanted. She would also have to move out of the Wendel House; the Wendels¡¯ vis, manors, clubs, and cruise ships¡­ All those wonderful luxuries would be out of her reach as well. Indeed, she was in utmost pain. Why did she have to bring Angie home? If only she could turn back time, she would definitely live her life properly and keep to herself instead of doing something extra like trying to aggravate the main family through Angie¡­ She cried until her body went limp, and her voice became so hoarse that no sounds came out. Every last drop of energy within her was gone. She finallypromised and signed her name on the divorce papers. Just like that, she lost her family and her marriage, which was the envy of everyone she knew. She was in so much pain that she felt like her insides were on fire. However, she didn¡¯t have a way to turn the situation around, and she could only ept it painfully¡­ After signing the divorce papers, the subsequent procedures were easier to carry out. Soon, Morgan got the divorce certificate. Following that, Erin moved out of the vi that belonged to the third son of the Wendel Family. The vis that belonged to the three Wendel brothers were arranged by Robert, and even though the three brothers upied their respective vis, those vis were under Robert¡¯s name. Since Robert was still alive, the three brothers only had the right to use the vis and did not own them. Now that Erin and Morgan had divorced, she could only move out of the vi and find another house to live in. She didn¡¯t have much money on her hands, so she couldn¡¯t afford a vi. Hence, she could only move into the apartment Morgan had gifted her. An apartment of about 1000 square feet was already quite decent for most people in the working ss, but for Erin, it was as small as a pigeon¡¯s nest. The apartment didn¡¯t have a garden, swimming pool, or gym, and the bedroom was as small as her previous bathroom. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. After she toured the apartment, she got so furious that she began throwing everything inside it. Then, she slumped onto the couch and sobbed hysterically. Jack saw how sorrowful his mother was, so when he went home, he discussed with his father and asked if it was possible to give his mother a vi to live in. Morgan looked at him and was silent for a while before saying, ¡°All the properties under my name have been sold because of your Grandpa Tommy and Uncle Callum. When the Peters¡¯pany went bankrupt, I sold everything I had to pay their debts. I even owe your Uncle Michael and Uncle Benjamin money, and I still haven¡¯t paid them in full yet. When I divorced your mother, she was only given a shop and an apartment; even though it doesn¡¯t look like a lot, at least I didn¡¯t give her the debts I owe your uncles. I have not wronged your mom or her family. I do not owe them anything!¡± Jack was a little surprised. ¡°We owe Uncle Michael and Uncle Benjamin money?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Morgan smiled an ironic smile, ¡°Your Grandpa Tommy and Uncle Callum would¡¯ve been jailed if they didn¡¯t pay their debts, and I sold everything I could in our family. However, the debt was still too huge, and we still couldn¡¯t pay it even after we exhausted all the resources we had. I could only ask your uncles Michael and Benjamin for help. They lent us money without any hesitation¡­¡± Heughed mockingly. ¡°Your mother is using the money Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal lent to her. She doesn¡¯t appreciate that at all, and she even tried to attack Aunt Crystal¡­¡± He shook his head, and there was a pained look in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. She used to be a kind and understanding woman; how did she be so evil like this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Jack mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that we still owe Uncle Michael and Uncle Benjamin money¡­¡± ¡°You were still in school then, so what use would it be even if I told you?¡± Morgan said. He then continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it now. I¡¯ll return the money I owe my brothers, and you just have to focus on your job as awyer. I¡¯m not asking you to get filthy rich or to be very sessful. You just have to pursue your passion and earn enough to keep yourself alive. Just live your life happily.¡± He sighed lightly and closed his eyes while saying, ¡°Regarding my divorce from your mom, one of the reasons was that I couldn¡¯t bear to stay with her anymore. The second reason was that I had to make a stand in front of your Uncle Michael. Michael and I are brothers by blood, but your mom treated Crystal like that; if I don¡¯t do something about it, our families will grow further apart, and we might even turn into strangers. Even Uncle Benjamin and his wife will look down on us. Your Grandpa Robert is busy with work, and your grandmother passed away too early. Harriet did say that she would take care of us like her own sons, but in reality, she spent most of her time dressing up and enjoying life. Michael had to take care of me and Benjamin when we were young, and thanks to him, we are still living righteous lives. I cannot disappoint him. Even after everything that your mom has done, I still tried my best to provide a good life for her¡­¡± After staying silent for a long while, Jack nodded. ¡°Okay, Dad. I understand now.¡± When the Peters¡¯pany went bankrupt, Morgan had sold all his property to help Tommy. In other words, he had actually done everything he was obliged to do in regards to Tommy and Erin. Morgan was a good man and a good husband; it was Erin who didn¡¯t know how to appreciate that. If Erin had to me anyone for her having to stay in a mere apartment, she could only me herself. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 125 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Familiar Strangers Pitiful people always had a detestable side to them, and Jack no longer felt like racking his brains to find a vi for his mother to live in. ¡°I¡¯m d you understand.¡± Morgan stood up. ¡°Come with me to your Uncle Michael¡¯s house. I need to tell him that I divorced your mom.¡± His insistence on divorcing Erin was also for his two sons¡¯ sake. After all, unity was strength. Michael¡¯s four sons were all sessful in life, and Morgan did not want Jonathan and his brothers to grow distant from Jack and Nichs simply because of what Erin had done. Morgan hadn¡¯t seen Nichs in a few days, and Michael had sent people to keep an eye on him. Morgan knew that Nichs had been drinking away his troubles every day, but since he wasn¡¯t in a good mood himself, he didn¡¯t want to deal with Nichs just yet. He allowed his son this short-lived freedom until his mood got better before dealing with him. Morgan took Jack to Michael¡¯s ce. These days, the atmosphere at Michael¡¯s ce had been pretty good. Crystal¡¯s health was recovering at a visible rate every day. Madeline let Philip take care of Aldo and Buddy while she apanied Crystal at the hospital. Then, she would return home at night to put her sons to sleep. Meanwhile, Sebastian alternated between Dusktown and Wendel City every day. He would go to work at Dusktown in the day, and he¡¯d return to Wendel City to apany his father and sons at night. Philip only felt that ever since his wife passed away, his days couldn¡¯t be as wonderful as they were recently. He could bring his grandchildren out on trips every day, and when he returned home at night, he would be weed with the joyousughter of his son and daughter-inw. He began to live life with renewed strength and vigor. Meanwhile, Crystal was more or less the same. After Crystal¡¯s illness had stabilized, she was allowed to be transferred from the ICU to a normal ward. Once she was transferred there, her family would be allowed to visit her. Madeline went to the hospital every day to spend time with Crystal, and her rtionship with her mother improved by leaps and bounds. Some people never knew each other even if they grew old together, but some strangers would immediately click with each other. Crystal never thought that this would apply to a mother-daughter rtionship. Ever since she discovered that Madeline was her biological daughter, she was filled with love and guilt toward Madeline. When she saw Madeline again, she found that she loved her deeply, and she would willingly give Madeline the best she could offer to make it up to this daughter of hers. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Madeline had already liked Crystal to begin with, and now that Crystal treated her with so much love, she also responded in kind. She took good care of Crystal, and the woman only loved her more. Madeline made sure Crystal was happy every day, and Crystal¡¯s health recovered steadily. Soon, she would be discharged in a few days. Now that his wife was recovering, Michael could finally cease his anxiety. He saw that his wife was pleased with Madeline, so he took a liking to Madeline as well. He was in a good mood, and he didn¡¯t put on a sour expression even when he saw Morgan. He even invited Morgan and Jack to have a seat with a smile on his face. Morgan asked about Crystal¡¯s health, and when he heard that Crystal would be discharged in a few days, he was sincerely happy for his brother. After asking about Crystal¡¯s condition, Morgan cut to the chase. ¡°Michael, I¡¯ve divorced Erin.¡± Michael was stunned. He knew that Morgan wanted to divorce Erin, but he also knew that Erin had been struggling and refused to get divorced. In fact, he thought that the divorce wouldn¡¯t happen for Jack and Nichs¡¯ sake. He never expected them to get divorced for real. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know what he should say. Nheless, he was supportive of the divorce between Morgan and Erin. They were a family, but Erin actually plotted against his wife. If Erin were still his sister-inw, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face that woman, and even his own brother and nephews by extension. If Morgan hadn¡¯t divorced Erin, Michael¡¯s family would have distanced themselves from Morgan¡¯s family until they wereplete strangers to each other. Their mother had passed away early on, and their father was busy with work. Michael had brought up Benjamin and Morgan himself, and he really didn¡¯t wish to be strangers with Morgan¡¯s family. A woman like Erin did not deserve Morgan, and it was good that they¡¯d divorce soonest possible. The only regret was that Jack and Nichs would no longer have aplete family. Fortunately, they were all grown up now and could take care of themselves. Hence, they wouldn¡¯t be affected too much by changes at home aspared to their younger years. He felt that Morgan¡¯s decision to divorce Erin was the best he could make. After all, it wasn¡¯t because their personalities didn¡¯t match; it was simply because Erin¡¯s character was terrible. At the thought of his brother having a cruel woman by his side, Michael didn¡¯t feel too happy about it. Nheless, he couldn¡¯t say things like that in front of Jack. He simply sighed and withheld hisments. Morgan continued, ¡°Michael, this recent incident isn¡¯t the only reason I divorced Erin. To be honest, we stopped understanding each other a long time ago. She was like a stranger to me, and sometimes I didn¡¯t even want to go home because she would be there. In the past, I could endure for Jack and Nichs¡¯ sake, but this time, I couldn¡¯t endure it anymore when I saw her ugly side¡­¡± Michael nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± If it were an idental mistake, a couple that had been married for 20 years would forgive each other if possible. However, Erin didn¡¯tmit a mistake by ident; she harbored malicious intent and had been plotting for a long time. What was more, she had been plotting against her own family, which made it worse. This sort of woman had a heart so cruel that it was disgusting. Any normal man wouldn¡¯t wish for their wife to be such a disgusting woman. Morgan chatted for a while longer with Michael, and he left with Jack not long after. A few dayster, Crystal was discharged from the hospital. Madeline went to the hospital every day to take care of Crystal, and she even made soup for her while making sure she had everything she needed. Crystal was in a good mood, so her health also recovered rapidly. She looked quite healthy and spirited when she left the hospital. Even though her body was still weak and unsteady, which was quite pitiful in itself, there was happiness and vigor on her face; this was unlike her near-death expression when she was first hospitalized. Michael was greatly pleased by that, and his smile never left his face as he praised Madeline repeatedly for being a considerate and warm person. Crystal even held Madeline¡¯s hands; they looked so intimate as though they couldn¡¯t bear to part with each other even for a moment. Once Crystal was discharged, the four Taylor brothers put down their work and went home for a reunion. At night, Michael had the kitchen staff prepare an entire table of delicacies. Sebastian also attended with Aldo and Buddy, so everyone in the Taylor Family was present. When she saw her children, son-inw, and her grandchildren all gathered at the table, Crystal had mixed feelings in her heart. She was joyful yet grieved, but joy won in the end. After a toast, Crystal announced to her sons, ¡°I¡¯ve talked this through with your dad, and we shall hold a weing cocktail party for Maddie next weekend. We¡¯ll invite all the rtives, friends, and partners of the Taylor Family, and we shall announce that Maddie is officially part of the Taylors¡­¡± She produced a stack of printed name lists and passed it to Jonathan and his brothers. ¡°This is the list of guests your dad and I have decided on. See if there¡¯s anyone we left out.¡± The names on the list were all squished together, and there were probably hundreds of people listed. It was obvious how important this cocktail party was to Michael and Crystal. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 126 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Did Something Happen Between You Two? Everyone had a copy of the name list, save for the two little children. Buddy grabbed Madeline¡¯s hand and said in an adorable voice, ¡°Mom, I want to see it too.¡± Crystal hastily passed him the name list in her hands and said gently, ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s all my fault. How could I have forgotten about Aldo and Buddy? Come, you can look at Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s list.¡± Not only did she pass her name list to Buddy, she even snatched the name list out of Michael¡¯s hand and passed it to Aldo. Michael was speechless. Fine. Even though he didn¡¯t want to admit that ever since Madeline started bringing their grandsons home, his position in his wife¡¯s heart was getting lower by the day. However, he was seeing the truth with his own eyes, so he couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Thank you, Grandma!¡± Buddy took the name list with one hand, and he put his other hand to his lips and gave Crystal an adorable flying kiss. Crystal could instantly feel her heart melt. She took Buddy into her arms and squealed in joy, loving him with her entire being. Indeed, the bond of blood was truly the most mysterious thing in the world. She had known Aldo and Buddy for a long time; when she first met the children in the past, she only thought that they were adorable yet pitiful, and she wanted to be closer to them because of that. However, every time that thought popped into her mind, she would also remember that they were Cameron¡¯s grandsons. The love she had for them would instantly dissipate as she treated them like strangers, passing them by with just a nce. However, ever since she knew that they were her own grandsons, she loved them dearly. She wanted to give them the best and make them the happiest children in the world. In fact, she simply couldn¡¯t love them enough. Children were very sensitive. Despite their young age, they knew who liked them and who didn¡¯t. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Michael and Crystal loved them sincerely, so they were willing to get closer to Michael and Crystal too. This was especially so for Buddy. He had always been a clingy kid, after all. Crystal loved to hold him and kiss him, and he loved to lean in Crystal¡¯s embrace like a little kitten as well. Crystal had four sons and a daughter, but none of them acted as cute as Buddy. Since she was advanced in age, Crystal¡¯s heart began to soften as well. As such, she loved children even more than she did when she was younger. Buddy was like the apple of her eye, and she treated him with so much care that it seemed as though he was something fragile. Sebastian pampered his children very much, and Madeline thought that the children had gone through enough when they were with her. Neither of them thought that it was wrong for a boy to behave cutely. Hence, they let Buddy be and focused their attention on the name list instead. Madeline didn¡¯t know most of the people on the list; she only knew a handful of the Taylor Family¡¯s friends. After all, she had lived in Nigel¡¯s house for more than ten years. Even though Nigel wouldn¡¯t go through the trouble of introducing the Taylors¡¯ friends to her, she could still recognize the Taylors¡¯ friends since she had lived there long enough. In particr, she knew Nigel¡¯s brother¡­ He was Crystal¡¯s brother and her uncle, George Taylor. George and his wife, Holly Baker, had two sons. The elder son was Ethan Taylor, and the younger was Stephen Taylor. George and his family were kind people. George, Ethan, and Stephen were all gentlemen and never bullied Madeline. Holly was also a typicaldy, gentle and elegant. Madeline had also never gotten into a conflict with Holly before. However, there had been some conflict between Madeline and Holly¡¯s niece, Katie Baker. Katie was the daughter of Holly¡¯s younger sister. Holly¡¯s younger sister had passed away early on, and her brother-inw remarried. Holly was worried that her niece would be bullied by her stepmother, so she took Katie in and raised her like her own daughter. Logically speaking, Madeline lived in Nigel¡¯s house in Worrick, whereas Katie lived in George¡¯s house in Dusktown, so there wouldn¡¯t be much interaction between Madeline and Katie, much less any forms of resentment. However, the truth said otherwise. Madeline hated Katie even more than she hated Isabel and Angie. Isabel and Angie only bullied and insulted her, but Katie was even worse¡ªshe had used Madeline of stealing! It was her first time visiting George¡¯s house with Nigel and his family. She had no ns of going, but since Dan was throwing a tantrum back then, she was urged to go. Dan was a little tyrant in the house, and he simply had to have his way. No one could budge him if he decided to be stubborn about it. He insisted that Madeline went to George¡¯s house with him, so Madeline could only tag along. She stayed at George¡¯s house for a few days. One day, Katie suddenlyined that a few of her precious jewelry had gone missing. Isabel was the first to point a finger at Madeline; then, she and Angie found a bracelet in the guest room Madeline was staying in. Her usation of stealing was thus proven. Katie had lost a jade bracelet, a jade pendant, a set of ruby jewelry, and a bracelet. The bracelet they found was the least expensive of the bunch. The remaining items were worth almost a million, and they were all gifts Holly had given to Katie. Many precious items were gone, and they even found Katie¡¯s lost bracelet in the guest room where Madeline had been staying in. As such, everyone believed that Madeline was the one who stole Katie¡¯s jewelry. Dan was the one who brought Madeline to George¡¯s house, so he was furious that Madeline actually dared to steal Katie¡¯s things. He had Madeline sent to the basement, where she was tortured and interrogated about the whereabouts of the remaining jewelry. She was beaten until she was near death, then she developed a high fever that triggered a case of pneumonia. In other words, she almost died. In the end, Holly said that she would rece the jewelry for Katie, and asked that Madeline be let out of the basement and sent to the hospital. That was how Madeline survived. After that, she never went to George¡¯s house again, and she rarely saw Katie ever since. However, she never forgot about that incident. Even until today, she was known as a thief; everyone in the Taylor Family believed that Madeline had stolen Katie¡¯s jewelry, all because she was known as Cameron¡¯s daughter at that time. Cameron was vicious and infamous, so Cameron¡¯s daughter naturally wouldn¡¯t be better off. It would be no surprise if Madeline were a thief. However, she was no longer Cameron¡¯s daughter now. She wanted to find out the truth and clear her own name. She red at Katie¡¯s name without moving for a while. When she met Katie again, she had to ask and get a clear answer to the whereabouts of those missing jewelry all those years ago. Did someone else steal it, or did Katie plot with Angie and Isabel and worked together to frame her? No matter what, she had to get an answer from the woman. Unfortunately, too much time had passed since then. She had no witness or evidence, so it would probably be too difficult to find out the truth¡­ Upon thinking about this, she felt an uncontroble sorrow within her. The sufferings she had gone through before didn¡¯t seem so terrible now that she thought back about it. The wounds from her previous torments also no longer ached, but she didn¡¯t want to be known as a thief nheless. She wanted to clear her name, but it had happened so long ago. She didn¡¯t have any clues, not to mention evidence, so could she really clear her name? She gripped the name list tightly and red at Katie¡¯s name, the sorrow and injustice crashing like furious waves in her heart. Sebastian noticed that something was off about her expression, so he looked in the direction of her re. When he caught sight of Katie¡¯s name, his gaze darkened. Then, he asked Madeline in a quiet voice, ¡°Did something happen between you two?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 127 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Favor ¡°Yes¡­¡± Madeline didn¡¯t want to lie, and she also wasn¡¯t scared that Sebastian would misunderstand her if she told the truth. Therefore, she generously told him all about the grudge between her and Katie. After listening to everything Madeline had to say, Sebastian chuckled. ¡°The Taylors are really something.¡± He was incredibly sarcastic. Madeline shook her head. ¡°My Uncle George and my Aunt Holly are decent people; Ethan and Stephen are also righteous gentlemen. As for Katie¡­ She looks alright most of the time, so I can¡¯t decide if her jewelry had really been stolen, or if she just put on a show to frame me¡­¡± Sebastian cocked his head to one side and looked at her. ¡°Do you want to find out?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Madeline said. ¡°I want to find out the truth and clear my name¡­ However, it has been too long, and it¡¯s not easy to investigate¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°It¡¯s quite easy to investigate. I¡¯ll help you.¡± He took out his phone and typed out a message before sending it to his subordinate. ¡°I¡¯ll get Eternal Daylight to investigate for you. This is just a small matter; it¡¯s just that you couldn¡¯t get someone to help you before. If you try hard enough, it¡¯s actually quite easy to find out the truth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can investigate it on my own.¡± Madeline hastily reached out to take Sebastian¡¯s phone so that she could stop him from sending the message. ¡°Have you forgotten what I do for a living? I can do that on my own!¡± It had been more than ten years since the incident, so she thought it wouldn¡¯t be easy to investigate. Nheless, she didn¡¯t think that it would be impossible. Those jewelry were too costly, and something worth a million wouldn¡¯t just vanish into thin air. Now, she only had to send people to investigate the jewelry and figure out who had it, as well as also whose hands it passed through. Then, she would be able to know if there had been an actual robbery or if it was thebined efforts of Angie, Isabel, and Katie to frame her. However, it had been too long, so she didn¡¯t know how many people had handled the jewelry or whose house it was in right now. It wasn¡¯t easy to investigate, but it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible either. Since she had time, she could carry out the investigation slowly. However, she didn¡¯t want Sebastian to help her. Sebastian had already helped her a lot, so she didn¡¯t want to owe him more favors. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡± Sebastian dodged her hand and hid his phone out of her reach. ¡°If it were up to you or your subordinates in your office, you won¡¯t be able to find evidence before the cocktail party.¡± Madeline fell silent, for that was indeed true. Her people all had missions to do, and they were all working outside right now. She couldn¡¯t get them toe back and help her investigate something private. As for herself, she had to apany Crystal and take care of her children, so she was even busier. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry,¡± Madeline said, ¡°When Aldo and Buddy go to school, I will have time. I can this matter by then.¡± ¡°In that case, what will happen before you find out the truth?¡± Sebastian countered. ¡°Before you find out the truth, the Wendels will treat Katie as an honored guest, and you¡¯ll have to wee her with all smiles. You were the victim, but Katie and the Taylors already think of you as a thief while Katie as the victim. Are you okay with that?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Madeline was speechless. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t pleased with that, but she didn¡¯t want to owe Sebastian any favors anymore. After all, he had helped her too much. Moreover, she had gotten used to depending on herself throughout the years. She wasn¡¯t used to Sebastian helping her whenever something came up. After all, relying too much on someone else might make things worse, so she preferred to rely on herself. Sebastian could guess what she was thinking. He smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯m not helping you, I¡¯m helping Aldo and Buddy¡­¡± As he spoke, he lowered his head and sent a message to the leader of his team of subordinates. ¡°My sons¡¯ mother has to be meless. I don¡¯t want to hear people using Aldo¡¯s and Buddy¡¯s mother of being a thief.¡± Madeline felt a pang in her heart, and it felt as though a poisoned needle had pricked her. Likewise, she didn¡¯t want things to turn out like that. As such, the incident had remained like a thorn in her heart. She had dreamed countless times that she would find out the truth and clear her name someday. However, she was in an awkward position in the past; coupled with the fact that she needed to take care of Aldo and Buddy, she was powerless. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she needed to prove her innocence. Her ability was nothingpared to Sebastian¡¯s. If Sebastian were on the case, he would have a higher rate of sess than her at finding out the truth. It was apparent that she would have to owe Sebastian another favor. She wasn¡¯t sociable, and she wasn¡¯t good at talking either. Except for thanking him gratefully, she didn¡¯t know what else she could say. ¡°No problem.¡± After sending out his orders in the form of a message, Sebastian put away his phone. ¡°You are the mother of my sons, so your reputation will greatly affect our sons¡¯ benefits. I¡¯m helping myself instead of you, so you don¡¯t have to feel burdened by this.¡± Madeline smiled and stayed silent, but she was still very grateful in her heart. This son of the Hart Family might be a little questionable at times, but he was truly nice to Madeline, Aldo, and Buddy. In fact, he was impable. After a night of discussion, the family finally settled on the guestlist for the cocktail party. Meanwhile, Michael entrusted the preparations of the cocktail party to Cedric. Out of the four Wendel brothers, Cedric was the least busy. He only had the gamepany he established to attend to. Since he was the boss, he could give himself time off whenever he wanted to. Out of the four brothers, his rtionship with Madeline was the most distant. Hence, Michael and Crystal entrusted the preparations to him on purpose so that he could do something for Madeline and try to be nicer to her. After more than ten days of getting along with each other, Cedric was convinced of Madeline¡¯s charm. Madeline could please his parents very well, and the atmosphere at home wasn¡¯t any different from when Angie was there¡ªperhaps, it was even a little more cheerful. Madeline¡¯s personal charm was simply something Angie could never hope to reach. To Cedric, Angie was a simple and adorable girl in the past. He had pampered Angie a lot since she was his sister and they grew up together. When he saw Angie, he was biased and thought she was perfect in every way. After Angie plotted against Nichs and slept with him, causing thetter to fall into depression and turn to alcohol forfort, Cedric was disappointed in Angie and began to reflect on his actions. He had thought hard for a long time; save for her smarts and good looks, he couldn¡¯t find any other good qualities about Angie. However, Madeline was different. Madeline was knowledgeable and talented. She studied a lot, and she was also a Renaissance woman. She was presentable both inside the home and out, and her cooking was so delicious that his own chef couldn¡¯tpare. If one put Angie and Madeline side by side andpared them, Madeline would definitely win in every aspect. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 128 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Pay for Your Actions Before this, he didn¡¯t like Madeline very much, and he liked Angie simply because he was her brother. He couldn¡¯t think of any other reason. However, now that Angie¡¯s true colors were revealed, her real identity was also exposed. Angie wasn¡¯t his sister; Madeline was. Madeline was already quite talented, and when he saw her as her brother, he thought he had never seen a girl as outstanding as Madeline before. With a wonderful sister like that, he felt extremely proud of it. Furthermore, his parents especially loved Madeline and tried their best to make it up to her. As such, he didn¡¯t want to hinder them. He had angered his mom so much that thetter had to be sent to the operation room. After his mom woke up, he went and apologized to her. When he apologized to his mom, he had never been so uneasy in his life; his face was pale and his legs were wobbly. As soon as he saw his mom, he kneeled in apology toward her. Before he could say anything, his tears fell first. He was terrified and scared that his mom would me him and say she didn¡¯t want him anymore. His mom was so nice to him, but he had angered his mom to the point of jeopardizing her health. When he saw his mom lying weakly on the bed, he felt like pping himself to death. However, his mom didn¡¯t me him andforted him instead, saying that she was happy enough to know that he had repented. The feud between parents and their children neversted very long, so naturally, she wasn¡¯t angry anymore. While he sighed in relief, he also felt terribly sorry for his mom. His parents asked him specifically to prepare the weing cocktail party for Madeline, and he wasn¡¯t the least bit resistant as he agreed without hesitation. He also put his mind to it, hoping that he could organize the perfect cocktail party. He wanted it to be a part of hispensation toward Madeline for foolishly treating her like that, and he also wanted to prove to his parents that he truly epted Madeline as his sister so that they didn¡¯t have to worry, especially his mom. Now, his mom cared less about them brothers as Madeline became the real apple of his mom¡¯s eye. His mom loved Madeline so much and treated her so well that he thought he should be as nice as he could to Madeline; only then could his mom be happy and rest assured. On the day before the cocktail party, the evening dress and jewelry which Crystal had custom-ordered for Madeline finally arrived at Wendel House. Crystal immediately brought Madeline to try on the dress and jewelry in excitement. Madeline put on the dress and jewelry, and when she emerged from the fitting room, Crystal simply couldn¡¯t take her eyes off her. Even before Crystal knew that Madeline was her daughter, she already knew that Madeline was beautiful. In fact, she was the most beautiful girl Crystal had ever seen. She even felt pity for Madeline as she thought that the woman had been born into the wrong family. This girl who had astonishing beauty would have an entirely different life if she were born in a slightly more decent family. It was a pity that such a beautiful girl had to be Cameron¡¯s daughter. Cameron¡¯s reputation was down the drain, so no matter how beautiful her daughter was, her daughter could never dream of marrying into a rich family. The richer a family was, the more careful they were to uphold their reputation. None of them would want to be inws with a terrible woman like that. Afterward, in order to save Sam, Madeline attempted the test tube baby procedure and gave birth to Aldo and Buddy. Back then, Crystal felt even more pity for her. She came from a less-than-ideal background, and she even became a single mother out of wedlock. No matter how beautiful Madeline was, the beauty was wasted on her. Her best option in the future would be to marry a normal man from a decent family. However, she would never be able to marry into a prestigious family. However, life had its twists and turns, and it was also full of mystery. It turned out that Madeline wasn¡¯t Cameron¡¯s daughter after all. Instead, she was Crystal and Michael¡¯s daughter. Meanwhile, Aldo and Buddy were actually Sebastian¡¯s sons! Her daughter¡¯s fate took a turn and sted right through the skies. Now, the Madeline standing before her was wearing a fitting evening dress paired with jewelry worth more than ten million. Her beauty had bloomed so brilliantly that no one could take their eyes off her. The more Crystal looked at Madeline, the more emotional she got. She took Madeline¡¯s hands as she examined Madeline over and over again. She couldn¡¯t be more proud and loving. She had never met a girl more beautiful than her daughter. Madeline¡¯s skin was so pretty and supple that it was like suet jade of the best grade. Her eyes were sparkling like stars, and her nose was well- shaped. Her lips were naturally red, her eyebrows naturally on fleek. Her aura was even more magnificent; charming but not seductive, it was proper and elegant, and even had an otherworldly touch to it. As Crystal stared at Madeline, she took thetter¡¯s hand in loving joy and kept admiring her. Madeline felt a little uneasy by Crystal¡¯s gaze. She was about to say something when the butler announced that George and his family had arrived. The weing cocktail party for Madeline would be held tomorrow, and George and his family had come to Wendel City a day earlier. Crystal was on good terms with both her brothers, so when she heard from the butler that George was here, she immediately led Madeline outside to wee him in joy. Madeline said, ¡°Mom, shouldn¡¯t I change out of my clothes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Crystal said happily, ¡°We have to show your Uncle George and Aunt Holly how pretty our Madeline is! They will definitely stare in amazement!¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re exaggerating.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Crystal said proudly, ¡°I guarantee that be it Wendel City or Dusktown, there will never be a girl prettier than my darling Madeline!¡± Since she was unable to convince Crystal otherwise, Madeline could only let herself be led by the hand to the living room. George and his family weren¡¯t mere guests, for their car drove in from the entrance and pulled up at the staircase in front of the living room. The Wendels¡¯ bodyguard jogged over and opened the door for the visitors. Meanwhile, George and his family got out of the car. There was George and his wife, Holly, and also the siblings Ethan, Stephen, and Katie. The family of five was all present. Katie walked behind George and his biological family, and when she looked at Madeline, uneasiness crept into her expression. Madeline couldn¡¯t forget that day when she was falsely used by Katie, Angie, and Isabel that she stole Katie¡¯s jewelry. Simrly, Katie couldn¡¯t forget that incident. If Madeline looked at that incident with injustice and unresignment, Katie looked at it with uneasiness and fear. She had actually arranged that incident herself, and she knew more than anyone the truth of that incident. Even though it happened more than ten years ago, every time she saw Madeline, she would still remember that incident. It had been better previously since Madeline had been taken in and her position was lower. Hence, Katie wasn¡¯t scared that Madeline would cause an uproar about this. However, now that Madeline had transformed into the only young mistress of the Wendel Family, Katie began to feel afraid. She feared that Madeline would dig up the past and realize that she wasn¡¯t the daughter of George and Holly. Simr to Madeline, she was simply taken in by the Taylors. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The difference between them was that Phoebe and Isabel had treated Madeline terribly, so Madeline¡¯s days at Nigel¡¯s house were unbearable. As for Katie, the wife of the second son of the Taylors was her aunt, and Holly had loved her like her own daughter. George and his sons also pampered her. Even so, the fact that she wasn¡¯t part of the Taylors remained unchanged¡ªshe was only taken in. George and Holly liked her, so she could act like a pampered young mistress in the Taylor Family. If George and Holly disliked her, however, she would be sent back to her father¡¯s family. Her father¡¯s family was poor, and her father had even married a vicious woman. If she were sent back to that home, her life would be done for. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 129 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Almost Died Upon seeing George and his family, Crystal acted like she was making a precious offering as she took Madeline¡¯s hand and introduced her daughter to George¡¯s family. ¡°George, Holly, Ethan, Stephen, Katie, meet my and Michael¡¯s daughter, Maddie.¡± Madeline greeted them one by one, ¡°Nice to meet you, Uncle George, Aunt Holly, Ethan, and Stephen.¡± She automatically ignored Katie, and she didn¡¯t even spare thetter a nce. Katie, who was forcing a smile on her face, could barely hold the fake smile up. The corners of her lips began to tremble. Meanwhile, Crystal was sensitive and smart enough. Her gaze at Katie became slightly different as it was mixed in with judgment and enmity. Holly frowned and attempted to smooth things over. ¡°Maddie, this is your cousin, Katie. You haven¡¯t met her in a long while; do you not recognize her anymore?¡± Naturally, she remembered what happened when Madeline first stayed over at their house. Madeline was beaten mercilessly and almost died. She didn¡¯t think much of it before, but now that Madeline had turned into Michael and Crystal¡¯s daughter, she found it rather awkward as well. No matter what, she felt that she and Katie were right, whereas Madeline was in the wrong. Even though Madeline had be Michael and Crystal¡¯s daughter, it didn¡¯t erase the fact that Madeline had stolen Katie¡¯s jewelry so many years ago. If it weren¡¯t for Holly, Dan would¡¯ve beaten Madeline to death that day. If Holly hadn¡¯t taken pity on Madeline and taken out some jewelry to rece Katie¡¯s missing ones while insisting that they send Madeline to the hospital, Madeline might be dead by now. The crime of stealing had to be punished. Since Madeline hadmitted that crime, Holly had done the best she could for Madeline under those circumstances. Madeline nced at her and smiled. Then, she turned to look at Crystal. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s something I want to ask Katie about. If I don¡¯t get a satisfactory answer from her, can I ban her from entering our living room?¡± Crystal gripped her hand tightly and said without hesitation, ¡°Of course!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Katie¡¯s expression turned even worse. The look on George¡¯s face darkened, and Holly had scrunched up her eyebrows even more. Ethan and Stephen exchanged looks without saying a word. Madeline looked at Katie and was about to open her mouth when a few cars drove closer to them and entered the house, pulling up beside them. The people getting out of the cars were Michael, Jonathan, Nigel, Sam, and Dan. Michael strode toward the group. ¡°George, Holly, Ethan, Stephen, Katie¡ªwhy are you all standing here? Why don¡¯t you go inside and chat?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Maddie.¡± Holly¡¯s tone was dissatisfied. ¡°Crystal was about to take us to the living room, but Maddie said that she had something to ask Katie about. She has to get the answer she wants to hear before Katie is allowed to enter your living room.¡± Michael frowned and looked at Madeline. ¡°Maddie, what¡¯s going on?¡± Madeline was about to speak when more cars drove in. The neers were Joseph, Connor, and Cedric. Meanwhile, Sebastian was in tow with Aldo and Buddy. They had agreed to have dinner together, so they arrived at about the same time. After the few people got out of their cars, they went over as well. Joseph was at the front, and after he greeted everyone, he asked the same question Michael did. ¡°Uncle Michael, Uncle George, Aunt Holly, why are you all standing here? Why not talk in the living room?¡± Holly was even more annoyed now that the question had been asked twice. Her tone turned even worse as she said, ¡°Your sister is not letting us in. She said that she has something to ask Katie about, and Katie¡¯s answer needs to be what she was looking for. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be permitted to enter the living room.¡± Blocking the living room entrance was definitely not a way to wee guests. She never liked Madeline much, and now she hated Madeline even more. She looked down on Madeline and thought that the position was ill-fitting for the girl. Just because Madeline became the young mistress of the Wendel Family, she seemed to have forgotten her roots and her manners, blocking the second family of the Taylors at the door and refusing them entrance to the living room. How rude! When Dan heard Holly mention Katie¡¯s name, his expression changed immediately. After all, he was the one who had wronged Madeline the most. He was the one who saved Madeline and brought her to the Taylor Family, insisting that she be taken in. However, he had taken Madeline in not because he pitied her and wanted to provide her with a ce of belonging. He did it simply because he was rebellious at that time, and he liked to go up against his dad no matter what he did. His dad didn¡¯t like Madeline, so he simply had to bring Madeline home. Since his dad was annoyed at the sight of Madeline, Dan wanted Madeline to stay in their home, and he even forbade her from moving out. He insisted that she stay simply to be an eyesore to his dad. He had let Madeline stay in the Taylor Family, but he wasn¡¯t the least bit nice to her. In fact, he allowed Phoebe and Isabel to scold and insult her. Even when he saw them in action, he didn¡¯t do anything about it, much less when they were doing it out of sight. This continued until his brother came home from his studies overseas and saw that Madeline was being tortured to death by Phoebe and her daughter. His brother was kind and took pity on Madeline, so with his help, Madeline managed to live a slightly better life. In the Taylor Family, his brother was the only one who treated Madeline kindly. As for him, he probably treated a pet dog better than he treated Madeline. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if Madeline were really Cameron¡¯s daughter. He had saved Madeline¡¯s life and given her a ce to stay, after all. No matter what his motives were, it was because of his help that Madeline could survive. If Madeline were Cameron¡¯s daughter, he would be repaying evil with kindness, and Madeline should be grateful to him all her life. However, Madeline wasn¡¯t Cameron¡¯s daughter. In reality, Madeline was his Aunt Crystal and his Uncle Michael¡¯s daughter, making him Madeline¡¯s cousin by blood. When he recalled everything he did to Madeline, he thought that he was a real beast. Madeline refused to let Katie in the Wendels¡¯ living room, and he immediately remembered that incident about Katie¡¯s jewelry. Katie had lost a jade bracelet, a jade pendant, a set of ruby jewelry, and a rose gold bracelet. In the end, only the cheapest rose gold bracelet was discovered in the guest room Madeline was staying in. Angie and Isabel had firmly stated that Madeline had stolen the jewelry Katie lost, and he was furious. He had brought Madeline to his Uncle George¡¯s house, but Madeline had stolen Katie¡¯s jewelry. He thought that Madeline had disgraced him. He had ordered people to bring Madeline to the basement and tortured her, interrogating her to spill the whereabouts of the other missing jewelry. Madeline was gravely injured, but she only repeated the words, ¡®I don¡¯t know, it wasn¡¯t me, I¡¯m innocent.¡¯ In his fury, he left Madeline alone and ran out for a round of drinks with his friends. He had fooled around outside for the entire night, and Madeline was shut in the basement overnight. When he went back the next day, Madeline was already sent to the hospital. Her high fever had developed into a case of pneumonia, and she was sent to the emergency room while she was on the brink of death. His Aunt Holly had taken out a few jewelry pieces to rece the ones Katie lost, and she said that it didn¡¯t matter if the items were lost. They couldn¡¯t take Madeline¡¯s life over some jewelry, after all. Madeline had received her due punishment, so she probably wouldn¡¯t dare tomit such crimes again. As such, they decided to let bygones be bygones and never mention it again. Madeline had almost died, and he was shocked at that fact. Even though he didn¡¯t like Madeline very much, he didn¡¯t want to take Madeline¡¯s life with his own hands either. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 130 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Questioning He was terrified, so he didn¡¯t insist on anything and followed Holly¡¯s decision. When Madeline was discharged from the hospital, he had her sent back to Worrick. Since then, no one mentioned the incident ever again. Before today, he never doubted that Madeline was the one who stole the jewelry. However, he wasn¡¯t so sure right now. If Madeline had stolen those jewelry, why could they only find the cheapest rose gold bracelet even after they looked all over the ce? Where had the other costly jewelry disappeared to? It didn¡¯t make sense for Madeline to steal the jewelry and hide the costly ones, leaving the cheapest bracelet out to be discovered and turned into evidence that she was the thief. This was the simplest logic and thergest w, but no one at that time thought that much about it. Everyone believed that Madeline was the one who stole Katie¡¯s jewelry. Now, Madeline had blocked Katie from entering the house. Naturally, the question she wanted to ask would involve this incident. Dan tightly clenched his fists, whichy on either side of his body. He wasn¡¯t sure of the emotions he was feeling right now. If they found evidence that Madeline wasn¡¯t the one who stole the jewelry, and that it was all an act by Isabel, Angie, or even Katie, how could he face Madeline then? Michael and Crystal could hear the dissatisfaction in Holly¡¯s tone, but neither of them reprimanded Madeline for being rude. Instead, they were curious about what Madeline wanted to ask Katie about. Crystal held Madeline¡¯s hand and said in a concerned voice, ¡°Maddie, just ask Katie whatever it is you want to ask. We still have time, and the air is quite nice in the yard today. We¡¯ll stroll around and chat in the yard. It¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± Michael also said, ¡°Yes, Maddie, just say whatever you want to say. We¡¯re all family, so you can be open with us.¡± Holly was so pissed that she almost fainted. She was part of Crystal¡¯s family, so she could be considered a VIP regardless, right? They hade all the way here for the weing cocktail party for Madeline, but they were now blocked at the entrance and refused passage until Madeline was done questioning her niece. How could Madeline act so high and mighty? Crystal and Michael also looked like they were charmed by Madeline, and they had ignored even the most basic ofmon courtesies when treating guests, allowing the girl to mess around. It was especially so in Michael¡¯s case. He was the richest man in Wendel City and the head of the Wendel Family. He should be the calmest and wisest person here, but he was acting like Crystal and messing around as well. The dissatisfaction piled up in her heart, and her expression soured even more. However, she knew that George always had a soft spot for Crystal. They were biological siblings and had grown up together. The same blood flowed in their veins, and they had a close rtionship. Even if they fought, they could still make up to each other as if nothing had happened. However, it wasn¡¯t the same between husband and wife. The rtionship between husband and wife had to be carefully tended to, and the wife must never mistreat the husband¡¯s family. If the husband became dissatisfied, cracks would appear in the bond between the husband and the wife. Her mom had taught her this even before she got married. She had taken care of her niece in their home all these years, and George had never expressed any disapproval. Instead, he treated Katie like his own daughter. George was kind to her niece, so she too must be nice to George¡¯s sister. No matter how upset she was at Crystal and Madeline, she couldn¡¯t say anything as long as George hadn¡¯t said that Crystal and Madeline were in the wrong. As such, she could only endure it. Meanwhile, Madeline also knew that it wasn¡¯t proper for her to deny Katie entrance. However, Michael and Crystal didn¡¯t reprimand her and even supported her decision. This warmed her heart very much. In the beginning, when she first got into contact with Michael and Crystal, she only treated them as her elders and responsibility. Now that she had spent more time with them, she could see that they really loved her, so her feelings toward Michael and Crystal also became more sincere. She could feel parental love from Michael and Crystal. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t as strong as her love for Aldo and Buddy, but she could feel that Michael and Crystal truly loved her and treated her as their own daughter. It was a sincere heart in exchange for another. She slowly began to treat Michael and Crystal as her own parents, and she even viewed the Taylor Family as her own. Thus, this was why she had the confidence to block Katie out of the living room. After all, this was her home. She was part of this home, and she was also one of the masters of the house. She had a right to deny entrance to anyone she didn¡¯t like! Her parents didn¡¯t reprimand her or think that there was something wrong with her decision. Instead, they looked at her with caring gazes, so she was especially grateful for that. She was so emotional that she wanted to hug Crystal and call her as she did when she was young. She wanted to call her in a soft and sweet voice, ¡°Mom¡±. It felt good to be supported unconditionally by one¡¯s parents as if one were soaking in hot springs or being shone upon by the warm sunlight. She was originally a little ufortable when she saw Katie, but now, she could smile as she asked the woman, ¡°Let me ask you this, Katie. Remember that time with the stolen jewelry? You hid your jewelry and used me of stealing it. You framed me and ndered me when you said that I stole them instead. Was it your idea, or did you team up with Isabel and Angie?¡± As soon as she spoke, the looks on everyone¡¯s faces changed. Crystal¡¯s expression immediately turned icy cold, and she looked at Katie with a re like sharp arrows. Meanwhile, George and Holly were stunned and looked at Katie in disbelief. Katie¡¯s face went pale as she hastily shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t! Madeline, you can¡¯t just use people like that! You stole my jewelry, and they found my bracelet in your room. You also admitted¡ª¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve never admitted it before,¡± Madeline said calmly. ¡°Even if I were beaten to death over and over again, I will never admit that I stole your jewelry. Not once have I admitted that!¡± When he heard the phrase ¡®beaten to death over and over again¡¯, Dan went pale in the face while cold sweat broke out on his forehead. It was him¡ªhe was the one who beat her. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He had done it, and he also let his subordinates do the same thing¡­ He wanted to just disappear; he wanted to escape this embarrassment and awkwardness. Meanwhile, the looks on Michael¡¯s and Crystal¡¯s faces turned even worse. Michael had on a dark expression, and his re was like a knife that was brought down upon Katie¡¯s body. Crystal held Madeline¡¯s hand tightly with tears pooling in her eyes. She was trying so hard to endure so that the tears wouldn¡¯t fall. What sort of life did her daughter lead in the past? Cameron! It was all the evil woman Cameron¡¯s fault for causing her daughter to grow up in so much pain, injustice, and suffering. After the cocktail party, she had to see Cameron and torture her so much that she would wish she were dead. If not, this fury within her would never dissipate! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 131 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Caught Katie was pale as she argued, ¡°We found my bracelet in your room, and that was solid evidence. It¡¯s been so long, but you¡¯re digging it up again. Are you trying to ruin my reputation?¡± ¡°Who cares if it happened a long time ago?¡± Madeline smiled mockingly and continued, ¡°Why do it if you don¡¯t want anyone to know? Do you think that the truth will be concealed just because it happened a long time ago, and I¡¯ll have to take the me for you my entire life?¡± ¡°What about you? You¡¯re probably thinking you can me me just because you¡¯re in a higher position now.¡± Katie had tears in her eyes. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re in a different position now. You¡¯re the young mistress of the Wendel Family, but I¡¯m only a loose rtive of the Taylor Family. You¡¯re blocking the entrance to the Wendels¡¯ living room and denying me entry, and you¡¯re also putting stress on Uncle George and Aunt Holly. You¡¯re forcing me to admit that I was behind that incident so that your name can be cleared, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Quit trying to twist the truth. It¡¯s no use,¡± Madeline said calmly. ¡°Since I¡¯m blocking you right now, that means I have the right and confidence to. Do you think that just because it happened so long ago, I won¡¯t be able to find any evidence? You¡¯re wrong.¡± Katie trembled in her heart, her face getting paler. ¡°Madeline, what do you mean by that? What evidence? You stole my jewelry, so even if you found evidence, it will only prove that you¡¯re guilty. What does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°Katie, do you know that you weren¡¯t very smart when you tried to frame me? No one discovered the truth back then, but that¡¯s only because everyone believed that I was the one who stole your jewelry. No one bothered to investigate¡­¡± Madeline stared at her. ¡°A few days ago, some people carried out an investigation and found evidence that could prove my innocence¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Katie was panicking now. ¡°Even if they did find evidence, it must be fake. You must¡¯ve faked the evidence so that I would take the me!¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°This argument is meaningless. I¡¯ve reported it to the police, and they will be here soon. When they get here, I¡¯ll hand over the evidence to the police¡ªevidence that you framed me and involved a huge sum of money in the process¡­ Katie, you will go to prison. You will pay for everything you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Katie panicked. Did she report it to the police? How could she do that! It¡¯s just a private matter within the family¡­ That day, everyone believed that Madeline was the one who stole her jewelry, but no one reported it to the police, so what right did Madeline have to file a report now? She was so scared that her hands and feet went cold. She grabbed Holly¡¯s wrist in panic with tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Aunt Holly, I didn¡¯t frame her. She¡¯s trying to me me for it, Aunt Holly¡­¡± Holly patted herfortingly. Then, she frowned as she looked at Madeline. ¡°This is a private matter in our family, so how could you report it to the police? If everyone knows about it, both the Wendels¡¯ and the Taylors¡¯ reputations would be damaged.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t report this to the police, how will I clear my name?¡± Madeline looked at her with a clear gaze. ¡°I was almost beaten to death by you people. I was young and couldn¡¯t prove my innocence, but now that I can do so, I¡¯d want to clear my name.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Buddy, who was originally leaning in Sebastian¡¯s embrace, suddenly leaped into Madeline¡¯s arms. He buried his small face into her embrace and began to cry. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Buddy, it¡¯s over now. I¡¯m not sad anymore, so please don¡¯t be sad too, Buddy!¡± Madeline hugged his little body, her heart aching for him. She gently caressed the back of his head. She didn¡¯t purposefully ask the children to stay away. To her, it wasn¡¯t a proud thing to be called a thief. She feared that someone would tell her children nonsense in the future. Her children would definitely believe her, but if they didn¡¯t know the truth, they might be hurt by the rumors that were circting outside. Instead of that, she would rather have her children know the truth. Besides that, she didn¡¯t want her children to grow up sheltered and spoiled. They had to experience the storms in life so that they would know how vicious people could be. That way, they would be able to learn how to identify and avoid these people. Aldo also walked over to Madeline and held her hand. He looked up at her, his pretty little face tensed up. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯ll protect you!¡± ¡°Good boy!¡± Madeline patted his little head, her smile soft and gentle like water. Holly frowned hard. She was about to say something when sirens were heard in the distance. They were getting nearer and clearer by the minute. At the sound of the sirens, Katie trembled all over, the fear evident in her eyes. Her hands that held Holly¡¯s in a tight grip were as cold as ice. Holly frowned and looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Katie, what are you scared of? If you¡¯ve never done it, no one can me it on you.¡± She didn¡¯t want to suspect Katie either, but Katie¡¯s reaction was too unusual. If it were her, she would be furious at Madeline for turning things upside down and using her. She would be more angry than scared. However, Katie¡¯s emotions right now almost contained no anger. In fact, it was only fear. She couldn¡¯t help but begin to suspect that Madeline really was innocent back then. ¡°Aunt Holly, I¡¯m scared,¡± Katie¡¯s voice trembled as she said, ¡°Aunt Holly, Madeline is now the young mistress of the Wendel Family. I¡¯m scared that she bribed the police to me me. I would never be able to clear my name¡­¡± ¡°Are your Uncle George and I nothing to you?¡± Holly said, ¡°Unless the police produce concrete proof that you really did it that day, your Uncle George and I are here for you. No one would be able to nder you!¡± Katie wasn¡¯t the least bitforted. When she heard the sirensing nearer, she trembled even more. She wasn¡¯t confident at all. She was scared that Madeline really found proof that she had set up the incident all those years ago. If Madeline really found proof, she would be sent to prison, and her life would be over! In truth, she was secretly in love with Jonathan. She didn¡¯t know when it started. When she realized it, she was already helplessly in love. She didn¡¯t have eyes for anyone except Jonathan. Holly knew of her feelings and had tried to convince her by saying that she wasn¡¯t a good fit for Jonathan and that she should give up. She had to kneel and beg Holly before thetter agreed to ask Michael and his wife to arrange a meeting between her and Jonathan. If Michael, Crystal, and Jonathan agreed, she could be Jonathan¡¯s girlfriend. She might even marry him in the future. She had a crush on Jonathan for the longest time, and she had hoped for years. She finally gained Holly¡¯s support and managed to take one step closer to realizing her dream. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. However, this had to happen right now. If the incident was exposed, how would Jonathan view her? Jonathan would never like her back! The more she thought about it, the more scared she got and the more painful it became for her. Tears began to stream down her face. By then, the police car had arrived. A few policemen got out of the car, and the policeman at the front showed Katie a warrant. ¡°Katie Baker, you¡¯re suspected to be involved in a case of jewelry theft that happened six years ago. Please come with us; we require your assistance.¡± ¡°No! It wasn¡¯t me, I¡¯m innocent!¡± Katie was so terrified that she hid behind Holly and gripped Holly¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°Aunt Holly, I¡¯m innocent!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 132 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 132 Chapter 132 She Would Rather Die Holly shielded Katie as she asked coldly, ¡°A girl¡¯s reputation is at stake here. You can¡¯t just take her away with no evidence. If you want to take her, you¡¯ll have to provide evidence.¡± ¡°We do have evidence,¡± the leading policeman said without emotion. ¡°We have both witnesses and physical evidence.¡± Holly felt her heart tremble. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said that we have both witness and physical evidence,¡± the leading policeman said. ¡°The witness would be Katie Baker¡¯s biological father. He can attest that six years ago, Katie once gave him a jade bracelet, a suet jade pendant, and a set of ruby jewelry. He had sold those items to a jewelry shop, and we already found transaction records from the shop itself. The signature of Katie Baker¡¯s father was also found on the transaction records.¡± Holly was so stunned that she couldn¡¯t react. After a long while, she turned to look at Katie. Katie gripped Holly¡¯s clothes tightly with a face full of tears. When she saw Holly looking at her, she bit her lip and shook her head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± The leading policeman said, ¡°We¡¯ve brought Ian Daniels here. You can confront him here.¡± With a wave from him, one of the policemen immediately led Ian out of the police car. Ian was Katie¡¯s biological father. When Katie¡¯s mother was ill and bed-ridden, Ian was found sleeping with his secretary. Katie¡¯s mother divorced him during herst breaths. She thought that if she divorced Ian, her daughter would receive some of the property. However, in truth, Ian was shouldering arge debt. The debt was shared between the couple, so the property under Katie¡¯s mother would still go to Ian for the debt could be paid. After the two were done with the divorce procedures, Katie¡¯s mother only had about 100,000 left on hand. The shop and real estate her parents had given her as dowry were all used to pay Ian¡¯s debt. Katie¡¯s mother was struggling to stay alive and she passed away on the day she received the divorce certificate. Holly¡¯s heart ached for her sister, and Holly hated Ian to the bone. She took Katie into the Taylor Family and raised Katie in ce of her sister, which was how Katie cut off all ties with the Daniels Family. When Holly saw Ian again, her eyes were filled with disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe that the jewelry she gave Katie had been given to Ian by her own niece. Not only that, Katie even framed Madeline and shoved the me on her. No, this cannot be true. She had raised Katie herself and Katie should know that the person whom she hated the most was Ian. How could Katie give Ian the jewelry Holly had given her? This couldn¡¯t be true. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. This couldn¡¯t possibly be true! Holly turned around and led Katie to her side. ¡°Katie, please tell me that this isn¡¯t true. There must be some sort of misunderstanding, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! This isn¡¯t true, this isn¡¯t true at all¡­¡± Katie cried so much that her face was full of tears. She looked at Ian pleadingly and said, ¡°Dad, I am your biological daughter. How could you nder me? Dad, tell the police and Aunt Holly that this isn¡¯t true. This just isn¡¯t true!¡± Ian looked defeated. ¡°Katie, just admit it. I was the one who sold the jewelry to the shop. The evidence is clear as day. The jewelry was yours, but I had sold it to the jewelry shop. If you didn¡¯t give them to me, it would mean that I was the one who stole them. The jewelry was worth a million, so if I am really charged with theft, I would stay in prison forever. You don¡¯t want to put your biological father in jail, do you?¡± ¡°How could you say that?¡± Katie sobbed and gasped for breath. ¡°How could you?!¡± Holly stared at her with widened eyes. ¡°What Madeline said was right? You really did it yourself? You gave your jewelry to Ian, but you med it on Madeline and caused her to be almost to death by Dan?¡± Dan, who had been trying to hide, was suddenly mentioned in this terrible manner. His handsome face turned from pale to red and he could feel his stomach churning. How could he have been such a jerk? He wanted so badly to p himself silly. He lowered his head as much as he could, not daring to look anyone in the eye. Katie sobbed so much that she couldn¡¯t say anything; she knew that she was done for. With the concrete evidence, she could no longer wriggle her way out of this. Madeline was right. This wasn¡¯t a well-nned operation; if someone were rich enough, and if they cared enough, they would easily find out the truth. That day, the truth was covered up simply because as soon as the incident was discovered, everyone believed that Madeline was the one who stole her jewelry. No one exercised the effort to investigate the matter, nor did they try to prove Madeline¡¯s innocence. Now, the past which had been hidden for six years was now exposed again. With both witnesses and physical evidence, she couldn¡¯t me it elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Katie sobbed, kneeling on the ground and holding Holly¡¯s leg. ¡°Aunt Holly, I didn¡¯t want to do that either¡­ My dad borrowed money from the wrong people, and if he didn¡¯t return the money, they would break his legs. I had no choice, so I could only¡­ I could only give him the jewelry you gave me so that he could pay the debt¡­¡± ¡°Even though I hate him, I still know that he is your biological father. You couldn¡¯t sit by as your biological father got into trouble, and I can understand that. However, why did you me it on Madeline?¡± Holly was so furious that her face went red and she was trembling all over. ¡°Because of your nder, Maddie almost got beaten to death by Dan! Katie, how could you do this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do that either, Aunt Holly, I really didn¡¯t. I hold no grudges against Madeline, and I didn¡¯t want to harm her. It was Angie and Isabel who forced me to do that¡­¡± Katie shook her head in tears. ¡°I had the jewelry with me and was going to give it to my dad, but Angie and Isabel found me. Isabel told me to put the bracelet in Madeline¡¯s room. She said that if I don¡¯t do what she says, she would tell you that I was stillmunicating with my dad. She said that she would ask you and Uncle George to send me back to the Daniels Family¡­¡± She held Holly¡¯s leg tightly, heaving silent sobs. ¡°Aunt Holly, Isabel is the only young mistress of the Taylor Family. Angie was also the only young mistress of the Wendel Family. They are both treasured by the Wendels and the Taylors, but what about me? I¡¯m only a poor girl staying with the second family of the Taylors. How would I dare to offend them? If I did, I would definitely be sent back to the Daniels Family¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to go back to the Daniels Family. Her dad was a useless fellow who didn¡¯t know anything except for eating, drinking, and wasting himself. Once upon a time, the Daniels Family was on the same level as the Baker Family. However, her dad had ruined the Daniels Family¡¯spany and racked uprge debts. She also had a stepmother, who had given birth to her younger sister. If she went back to the Daniels Family, she would be her dad¡¯s and stepmother¡¯s servant. She wouldn¡¯t have a single day of happiness in her life. However, Katie was still respected in the Taylor Family. She lived in a vi and went around in a luxurious car with servants and bodyguards serving her. She was used to her luxurious life here. When she thought of her life after returning to the Daniels Family, she would shiver in fright. She would rather die than return to the Daniels Family. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 133 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Especially Terrifying When Angie and Isabel threatened her that if she didn¡¯t cooperate, they¡¯d ask George to chase her back to the Daniels Family, she agreed without much resistance. Katie¡¯s words put all the Wendels and Taylors present to shame. Isabel was the daughter Nigel had raised for more than 20 years. Angie had also been the apple of Michael and Crystal¡¯s eyes for more than 20 years. However, neither Nigel, Michael, nor Crystal knew that the innocent, kind girls in their eyes were actually so cruel and vicious in private. Crystal already had tears all over her face as she hugged Madeline, sobbing and repeating the same sentence. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± When she thought about everything Madeline went through before, she felt her heart ache as if it were being emptied. The pain went deep into her heart and bones. She wished she could shred Cameron and Angie to pieces, but even then she wouldn¡¯t be able to get rid of the hatred in her heart. George sighed heavily before he talked to Michael and Crystal. ¡°I was also in the wrong in that incident. I didn¡¯t investigate thoroughly, and I allowed Dan to do whatever he pleased¡­¡± He was also prejudiced toward Madeline. Also, since Madeline was brought over by Dan to their home, he allowed Dan to punish Madeline and didn¡¯t interfere with Dan¡¯s decision. He never thought that the seemingly kind Katie was actually so evil inside. Also, the incident happened when Katie was in her teens. Those were supposed to be a girl¡¯s cleanest and most wonderful years, but she actually did something like framing Madeline and simply watched as Madeline was almost beaten to death, but she still kept quiet about the truth. She never even begged for mercy on Madeline¡¯s behalf. Now that he thought about it, it was terrifying. He thought that they had raised a gentle and kind girl who knew how to repay kindness, but now, they realized they couldn¡¯t have been more mistaken. She was more like a ruthless wolf. Michael shook his head and stayed silent. He didn¡¯t have the right to me George. In fact, he didn¡¯t have the right to me anyone. He only had himself to me. That time when his wife had just given birth to his daughter, he had focused his entire attention on taking care of his wife, who was weak and frail. He had overlooked his daughter who was sent into the baby care unit, so Cameron had the chance to switch out his daughter. He had neglected his duty as a father, so what right did he have to me anyone else? The policeman in the lead asked Holly, ¡°Do you still have any objections? If not, we¡¯ll take Katie Baker with us to aid in the investigation.¡± ¡°Aunt Holly, save me, Aunt Holly!¡± Katie knelt on the ground and hugged Holly¡¯s legs, screaming in terror, ¡°Aunt Holly, I don¡¯t want to go to jail. Aunt Holly, I¡¯m still so young; if the policemen take me away, my life will be finished! I was still too little then, and I didn¡¯t know better. I¡¯m willing to apologize to Maddie, Aunt Holly. I admit to my wrongdoings. Please just save me, save me!¡± Holly¡¯s heart softened at the sight of Katie weeping so bitterly. She looked at Madeline, hesitant. ¡°Maddie, Katie was indeed very young at that time. She didn¡¯t know better. Can you just, well¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m one year younger than Katie,¡± Madeline said calmly, looking back at her. ¡°Katie wasn¡¯t merciful to me despite my young age. Six years ago, if it weren¡¯t for my luck, I would¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ve been wronged, but the incident has happened already, so it wouldn¡¯t help much if you brought Katie to justice now,¡± said Holly. ¡°Maddie, we¡¯ll get Katie topensate you and apologize to you. Just tell us whatpensation you¡¯d like, and we¡¯ll do our best to provide.¡± ¡°Whatpensation? Can money do anything right now?¡± Sebastian, who had been silent all this while as he focused on coaxing his precious sons, nced sideways at her. ¡°Were you underestimating me or Mr. Wendel when you said that? Look at me and Mr. Wendel; do we look like men who would mistreat our wife and daughter? Do you think that the daughter of Wendel Corporation¡¯s chairman and the wife of Hart Corporation¡¯s president wouldck money or any physical thing?¡± Holly had an awkward expression now. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I was just trying to express my sincerity while apologizing¡­¡± Sebastian said indifferently, ¡°If you want to be sincere, quit yapping and let the police take her away. Don¡¯t waste our time.¡± Holly was at a loss. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Her sense of reason told her that letting the police take Katie away would be the fairest choice. However, in terms of emotion, she couldn¡¯t ept this. She and her husband only had two sons, and Katie was her biological sister¡¯s daughter who lost her mother at a young age. Katie¡¯s father was unreliable, so she took pity on Katie and raised her like her own daughter. She worked so hard to raise Katie into the pretty and intelligent girl she was now. Now that Katie was of the age to marry, she would be able to quickly find a good man to marry. Then, she would bear his children and step into the next stage of a blissful life. Now, if Katie were taken away by the police, her life would be ruined. Even if they found a goodwyer to work on the fact that Katie was too young during the incident so that her penalty would be lessened, the amount of money involved was simply too big. If they couldn¡¯t get Madeline¡¯s forgiveness, Katie would have to be jailed for at least two years. No reputable family would want a woman who had been in jail to marry into their family. Katie¡¯s life would be over. The more she thought of it, the more upset she got. She couldn¡¯t help but beg again, ¡°Maddie, I admit that that incident was all Katie¡¯s fault. Katie has done you a disservice, but since it has already happened, even if you send her to jail, it wouldn¡¯t help anything. But to Katie, this penalty is too serious. She¡¯s at the age to get into talk of marriage, but if you send her to jail right now, her entire life will be ruined. She was wrong, yes, but she shouldn¡¯t need to be punished so severely. Maddie, I¡¯m not trying to cover for her, but I want her topensate you in a different way. Just some kind of way as long as it¡¯s not getting taken away by the police. Anything other than that would do.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t ept other forms ofpensation,¡± Madeline said calmly. ¡°The incident happened six years ago, but no one ever felt like they wronged me or apologized to me. If Sebastian hadn¡¯t found out the truth for my sake, I would¡¯ve bore the name of a criminal all my life. However, she would be able to live her life with peace of mind. She¡¯d marry a good man and live her life in happiness. What about me, though? What did I do to her that I would have to endure the cruel things she did to me?¡± Holly knew that justice was on Madeline¡¯s side. She also knew that her request was a little too unreasonable. However, she couldn¡¯t just let it go and let the police take Katie away. She humbled herself and begged, ¡°Maddie, no matter what, we¡¯re all family. Please just see it as a plea from your Aunt Holly to you. Katie is like my own daughter, so if you ruin Katie¡¯s life by sending her to prison, I would be heartbroken. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live my remaining life in peace. Please just pretend that you¡¯re doing a favor for your Aunt Holly and help me. I will be forever indebted to you!¡± ¡°A family?¡± Madeline looked at her, eyebrow raised and a half-smile on her lips. ¡°Miss Baker, your niece falsely used me of stealing her jewelry in your very own home six years ago. I was thrown into the basement and almost beaten to death. While that was happening, you never said anything about us being a family, nor had you asked Katie to be merciful and let me go.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 134 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Mocking in Secret Holly¡¯s face went red at the retort, and she couldn¡¯t say anything for a long while. George sighed and patted her softly. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Holly. I know you love Katie, but you have to be reasonable. Crimes must meet their due punishment. Katie did something wrong, so she should ept her punishment. She did it to herself, and she had to pay for what she did. You cannot save her.¡± ¡°No, Uncle George, please¡­¡± Katie sobbed as she shook her head. ¡°Uncle George, please, I beg of you, please save me. I didn¡¯t know better, and Isabel and Angie forced me to do it. It¡¯s too cruel to ruin my life for a single thing I did wrong. Uncle George, save me, please save me¡­¡± ¡°No one is trying to ruin your life,¡± George said. ¡°It was definitely you who did the false usations and framing. Now the police want to take you away, and that¡¯s simply because you should take responsibility for what you¡¯ve done. That¡¯s just the consequences of your actions; you did it to yourself. No one forced it on you.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She can save me, though¡­¡± Katie sobbed. ¡°If she lets me go, she could change my entire life¡­ The incident happened so long ago, so why should I be forced to take responsibility now? I know I¡¯ve done wrong, and I¡¯m willing to make it up to her. I willpensate her with anything as long as it¡¯s not getting jailed!¡± ¡°How would you expect to repay kindness with evil?¡± Madeline curved her lips coldly. ¡°I almost died because of you that day, but you never let me off the hook. In these six years, you also never admitted your wrongdoings or apologized to me of your own ord. It¡¯s obvious that you have not really repented ore to your senses. Now, you¡¯re wailing because I found evidence. You say you were wrong and begged me to forgive you, but if there was no evidence at all, I would be branded a thief all my life and you would never reveal the truth. If that¡¯s the case, why should I forgive you?¡± ¡°I know my mistakes now, I really do¡­¡± Katie cried as she crawled over to Madeline¡¯s feet and bowed her head in apology. ¡°Maddie, please be merciful and forgive me just this once. I was also forced to do it; Angie and Isabel threatened me, so I had no choice¡­ Madeline, you¡¯re only one year younger than me. You know how important reputation is for girls like us. If I really go to jail, my life would be over. Maddie, please take pity on me and let me go just this once. I¡¯ll be forever indebted to you. I swear that I¡¯ll remember your kindness all my life, and I¡¯ll do whatever you tell me to do in the future. I swear, I swear!¡± ¡°Yes, reputation is very important to a girl. If her reputation gets ruined, her whole life would be ruined as well¡­¡± Madeline smiled an ironic smile as she spoke. ¡°Look, you know it so well! You know that, but you still wanted to frame me and ruin my reputation. Why should I forgive you if you¡¯re so evil?¡± Cedric couldn¡¯t stand it anymore as he interrupted, ¡°Maddie, why are you so unforgiving? Katie has already admitted to her mistakes, so why would you break Aunt Holly¡¯s heart because of her? I think¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, Cedric!¡± Crystal was furious. Her face was flushed, and she had a piercing re as she reprimanded, ¡°Get out right now. Get lost!¡± Michael was taken aback by her outburst and hastily patted herfortingly on the back. ¡°Crystal, don¡¯t get so worked up now. He¡¯s an imbecile, so don¡¯t stoop to his level. I¡¯ll kick him out right now!¡± Joseph, who was standing nearest to Cedric, gave Cedric a forceful kick on the thigh. ¡°How dumb are you? Cedric, if you¡¯re sopassionate, why don¡¯t you try getting called a thief and then get beaten to near-death? If you were the one being called a thief and getting beaten almost to death six years ago, only then would you have the right to talk about forgiveness. If not, then shut your damn mouth! You¡¯re just a hypocrite!¡± ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Jonathan red at Cedric. ¡°Cedric, half a year ago, you got into a conflict with someone at the bar. They were many in number, but only a few were on your side. You were at a disadvantage, but since they were in the wrong, they had to take responsibility. After that, you called the police and got them all arrested, but they pulled some strings and asked you to let them go. What did you say back then?¡± Cedric immediately went red in the face. What did he say? He said that revenge was inevitable. That was the only time he had been mistreated in all his life. He was furious, and even when the other side asked his dad¡¯s business partner to beg for mercy, he didn¡¯t let up. In the end, all of them were sent to jail. Even though they were only in jail for six months, it didn¡¯t matter. His wrath was quelled. They had begged for forgiveness then, and they had asked a very important business partner of Wendel Corporation. His dad went against the pressure and made the decision for him. That business partner¡¯s plea was ignored, and justice was served. Of course, he also insisted that the other party pay for their crimes. He felt like he had actually turned into a hypocrite like his brother said. At that thought, he blushed in embarrassment and admitted his mistakes as he lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad, Mom, Jonathan, Joseph, and Maddie. I was wrong. I won¡¯t do that again¡­¡± Madeline was speechless. She had to admit that everyone was a contradicting individual, and they had many sides to them. Take Cedric for example¡ªhe was an especiallyplex person. He was always so bold and unafraid, and he was especially wild and proud. He looked like someone who would never bow his head and apologize to anyone. In truth, he was reallycking in the intelligence department. However, he wouldn¡¯t get too stubborn. He would apologize sincerely once he knew his faults, and he wasn¡¯t even mad at his brother Joseph for kicking him. His apology was especially sincere. She was truly mad when he offended her, so mad that she wanted to dice him up and ignore him for the rest of her life. However, when he lowered his head and apologized, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to get mad. Why would she get mad at an imbecile? If he kept being like this, he would learn to improve soon enough when he stepped into the outside world. Someday, he might get unfortunate enough that hisck of smarts would be the death of him. She wasn¡¯t obliged to teach him, after all. Hence, she ignored Cedric andforted Crystal. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not mad, so you don¡¯t have to be mad either. Joseph had kicked him just now, so that counts as punishment for him. Do calm down.¡± Joseph not only kicked Cedric, he also gave Cedric a lesson. Those words weren¡¯t meant only for Cedric; they were meant for Holly as well. Would she want to be a hypocrite? When Holly asked for mercy on Katie¡¯s behalf, she was already one. Everyone there weren¡¯t fools, and they understood perfectly what Joseph secretly meant. No matter how unwilling Holly was to let Katie go, she could no longer ask for mercy on Katie¡¯s behalf. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 135 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Do Not Wish Upon Others What You Do Not Desire If she continued begging for mercy on Katie¡¯s behalf, she would be a hypocrite. Her husband and sons were present, so how would she dare to be called so in front of them? She could only watch as Katie was taken away by the police. Katie wailed and struggled, begging for Holly to save her. Holly was heartbroken by Katie¡¯s weeping, and she cried many tears as well, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. If Katie were innocent, she would protect Katie no matter what. However, now they had both witness and physical evidence of Katie falsely using Madeline, Madeline called the police to arrest Katie so that she could clear her name. Madeline hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but if Holly continued to beg for mercy on Katie¡¯s behalf, she would be the hypocrite Joseph spoke of. What could she do? She couldn¡¯t do anything. Katie struggled with all her might, but in the end she was still forced into the police car. The car started, and her wailing screams for help trailed off in the distance. Holly was so sorrowful that she felt her heart break. Even if Katie really did something wrong, the incident had happened so long ago. Her two sons were studying overseas at that time, and they had graduated two years back. They were working in companies now, and they were swamped with work every day. They had limited time with her, so Katie was the one who stayed by her side and kept herpany. She loved Katie like her own daughter, so she couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Katie was suddenly taken away by the police, and that Katie¡¯s life was ruined. She was angry that Madeline could be so heartless, and she even hated Michael and Crystal as well. She was mad that Michael and Crystal hadn¡¯t respected her and refused to understand her. They didn¡¯t even try to convince Madeline to let Katie go. The more she thought about it, the angrier and more unresigned she got. She reached up and pressed her temples as she said, ¡°I have a headache. I don¡¯t think I can join the cocktail party tomorrow.¡± With that, she turned and walked toward her car. Ethan and Stephen hastily blocked her way. Ethan gripped her arm. ¡°Mom, what are you doing? If you¡¯re feeling unwell, we can help you inside to rest. We¡¯ll ask Uncle Michael to fetch the family doctor to take a look at you. If you go home now, you¡¯ll get tired from the journey, so won¡¯t you feel even more ill?¡± George also walked over and warned in a low voice, ¡°Enough. Haven¡¯t you embarrassed yourself enough? Quit the nonsense and get inside.¡± When George said that, Holly felt even more upset. She wanted Michael and Crystal to say something nice and allow her to go into the living room. In the end, Michael and Crystal never said a word, letting her go just like she had said she would. Who did they think she was? In her anger, she pushed George and her two sons away. Then, she strode toward the car. ¡°Leave me alone. I¡¯m feeling unwell and I want to go home!¡± She hoped that Michael and Crystal would stop her and say something nice to her. Her dear niece was taken away by the police in the presence of so many people. She didn¡¯t feel too good about it, and her pride was also wounded. She needed Michael and Crystal to give her a way to back out of this situation so that she could remain at Wendel House and be with Michael and his family. However, none of the Wendels came over to stop her even when she walked right next to the car. Even the four Wendel brothers had no reaction. She was so furious that her entire body trembled. She forcefully opened the door and got in the car. George stopped her and scolded, ¡°What are you on about? Six years ago, Maddie was almost beaten to death at our house. Crystal hadn¡¯t even voiced her displeasure yet, so what right do you have to sulk like this?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who beat her!¡± Holly felt annoyed and wronged. Even her voice was shaking. ¡°Dan was the one who did it, so what¡¯s that got to do with me?¡± ¡°Dan was a child back then. Were you a child also?¡± George was so furious that his expression turned dark. ¡°If the beating didn¡¯t have anything to do with you, what about Katie framing Madeline? You had raised this niece of yours who is capable of framing someone else in her teenage years. She was indifferent when she saw Maddie being beaten almost to death by Dan. She deserves to be arrested. What right do you have to be sulking in front of my sister and my brother-inw?¡± ¡°You also said that Katie is my niece who I raised on my own. Can¡¯t they just let Katie go for my sake?¡± The more Holly talked, the more her heart hurt. Tears streamed down her face. ¡°I¡¯ve spent so much effort raising her, but now she¡¯s taken away by the police just because they wanted it to happen. Have they thought about my feelings? You are Crystal¡¯s biological brother, and I am her sister-inw. How can they not be considerate about me and my feelings and just let Katie go this once?¡± ¡°What about you? Can you calm down and be considerate of Michael and Crystal?¡± George looked at her, frowning. ¡°Holly, stop thinking about what you want. Step in Michael and Crystal¡¯s shoes for a moment. What if it were Ethan or Stephen who was framed by someone six years ago and sent to the basement to be beaten almost to death? Six yearster, you finally discovered the truth. Would you let the one who framed your son off the hook?¡± Holly was stunned. Would she? Of course not. If anyone dared to frame her sons and even beat her sons almost to death, she would be merciful to not kill that culprit with her own hands. How could she forgive them? George continued, ¡°Holly, both Ethan and Stephen are here. Please, tell me your truest thoughts while they are listening. If six years ago, Ethan and Stephen were the ones who were framed and beaten almost to death, and you could forgive the culprit nheless, I won¡¯t stop you anymore. You can go wherever you want. Now tell me, can you forgive them?¡± Holly¡¯s lips trembled. She couldn¡¯t make a sound. Her two sons were standing right beside her, and she couldn¡¯t even lie in her anger. If she said she could forgive the culprit, her sons would be heartbroken. Her heart would ache for her sons as well.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. If someone framed her sons and beat her sons almost to death, what sort of mother would she be if she could forgive them? ¡°You can¡¯t forgive them, can you?¡± George said in a low voice, ¡°Holly, you shouldn¡¯t wish upon others what you don¡¯t desire yourself! If you cannot forgive them, what right do you have to ask Crystal and Michael to forgive Katie? Are they being disrespectful to you, or are you just causing unnecessary trouble?¡± Since George had put it so bluntly, Holly couldn¡¯t help but admit that she was indeed causing unnecessary trouble. What right did she have to ask Michael and Crystal to do something she couldn¡¯t do? Michael and Crystal didn¡¯t owe her anything. She even hoped that Michael and Crystal coulde over to stop her. It would already be a miracle if they didn¡¯t hate her. She lowered her head and covered her mouth. More tears ran down her cheeks, but she no longer said anything. George knew then that she realized what she did wrong. She was simply too proud to admit it aloud. He sighed and put an arm over her shoulder. He led her back to Michael and Crystal, then apologized in her stead. ¡°Michael, Crystal, please don¡¯t be angry with her. She was simply heartbroken for Katie, and she couldn¡¯t properly understand what was going on. She knows her mistakes now. That incident was our fault. I hadn¡¯t taken good care of Maddie, and I allowed this injustice to happen to her in my own home. I promise that if I have the chance to, I will make it up to her. I will also take good care of her for you.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 136 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Even Better Holly lowered her head without making a sound. She had silently agreed with George. Michael didn¡¯t say any words of understanding. He simply gestured a wee. ¡°Come, let¡¯s sit in the living room.¡± He didn¡¯t even say a word to smooth things over, so it was apparent that he was angered as well. Crystal didn¡¯t even spare Holly a nce as she took Madeline with her to the living room. She had been spoiled since young, and her two brothers also loved her. After getting married, Michael also treasured her, so if she didn¡¯t like anyone, she could just express it without worrying about other things. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. After all, she had the right to. There was hatred lurking in Crystal¡¯s heart, whereas Holly lost all her confidence she had when she threw a tantrum just now. Even though the Taylors and the Wendels were more or less evenly matched, upon closer inspection, the Taylors were quite considerably lower in statuspared to the Wendels. She had two outstanding sons, but Crystal¡¯s four sons were even more outstanding than hers. If a family were to prosper and maintain that prosperity, simply having money wouldn¡¯t be enough. They needed people to handle business, politics, and military well, and it would be even better if they had people talented in the fields of science, education, and arts. Of Crystal¡¯s four sons, her eldest son Jonathan had inherited Wendel Corporation, while her second son Joseph was a special researcher working with the country. The national special researchers were all talents of the highest level. Only one would be picked out of ten million people. Joseph had contributed vastly to the country at a young age, and that was how he was promoted to the level of a special researcher. On the surface, Joseph didn¡¯t seem any different from a normal researcher, but as soon as Joseph left the research institute, bodyguards woulde over to protect him, and those people were armed with guns. In Wendel City, not many could be treated like that. Joseph was only a little more than 20 years old now, so his future would be very bright indeed. Crystal¡¯s third son, Connor, was working a top secret job; even George didn¡¯t know what exactly Connor¡¯s job was. Meanwhile, Holly suspected that even Michael and Crystal had no idea. However, she had heard George mention that Connor got promoted recently, and he would be sent to Dusktown for work soon. George also said that he once saw a middle-aged person standing with Connor. That person was famous in Dusktown, but they treated Connor with utmost respect and even a little bit of fear. When Connor left, arge group of people followed him. George could recognize one of them; they were a senior cadre in the public service system of Dusktown. Even a senior cadre would have to follow behind Connor. Connor looked like the leader of the group, so even George was wondering what exactly Connor¡¯s job entailed and what rank of cadre he actually held. However, no one dared to ask Connor about it. Even if someone did, they would only get the same answer¡ªit was a secret. No one knew what Connor¡¯s job was, but anyone who knew Connor well enough would know that he too had a bright future ahead of him. With his level at that young age of his, he would be formidable when he grew more mature. Of Crystal¡¯s four sons, the least sessful would be her fourth son, Cedric. However, no matter how unsessful Cedric was, he was talented in business. He had announced early on that he would establish his ownpany and feed himself. He didn¡¯t want a single cent from Wendel Corporation, and he did exactly that. Within a year after his graduation, the gamepany he established on his own was now famous and raking inrge sums of money. A gamepany might sound a little improper, but George had praised Cedric countless times in front of her. He said that Cedric had Michael¡¯s genes, and he was sensitive to business and full of vigor. He had a keen eye too, so if he continued developing, Cedric would turn his gamepany into a second Wendel Corporation given enough time. Of Michael¡¯s and Crystal¡¯s four sons, Connor was half in the military and half in the political area. Jonathan and Cedric were both in business, whereas Joseph was working in the sciences. Of Michael¡¯s nephews, Eric Wendel was a professor in university, and David Wendel was an actor skilled in both song and filming. Jack was awyer, and Nichs had just graduated from college and was poised to enter the entertainment industry¡­ All in all, the new generation of Wendels were all outstanding save for Nichs, who had just graduated from college. The Wendels had amazing talent in all the areas mentioned before, namely military, politics, business, education, arts, and sciences. As such, Holly couldn¡¯t make enemies out of the Wendels. Her sons were lucky to have such amazing rtives. She couldn¡¯t let Michael and his wife find fault with her sons simply because of her. Some rtives would be closer than others, and if their rtionship went well, they could even act like siblings. They would be able to look out and care for each other then. If they weren¡¯t on good terms, however, cousins would mean even less than friends. Even an extra friend could open up a new path, much less one¡¯s own rtives. Her own family had fallen to ruin and couldn¡¯t help her sons much. She couldn¡¯t lose this support for her sons from her husband¡¯s side because of her one niece. She endured it painfully, but she still managed to force a smile on her face. She endured the unfairness and humiliation as she walked with her husband into the Wendels¡¯ living room. Having lived for so long, she finally understood what it meant to submit to someone simply because you needed them. She couldn¡¯t me anyone for her husband and sons who couldn¡¯t match Crystal¡¯s. Since she couldn¡¯t win, she could onlyy low and try to please Crystal¡¯s family. If not, her days would get even worse than they were now. Crystal was an intelligent and sensitive woman, and she knew what Holly was thinking. She also knew that if she said some nice words and allowed Holly some grace, Holly would look better in front of those people, and she would also feel much better. However, she didn¡¯t want to do what Holly wished and ignored the womanpletely. Because of some jewelry, her daughter almost died at their house. She was already gracious enough not to hold it against them. However, Holly even had the nerve to beg for mercy on Katie¡¯s behalf, spouting nonsense about the damage being done and to let Katie off the hook, and that they¡¯d make it up to Madeline. Crystal¡¯s daughter wouldn¡¯t fancypensation from others. Also, Holly¡¯s argument that Katie should be let off the hook because the damage was already done was absolute nonsense. Since the damage was done, shouldn¡¯t the culprit pay for what they did? Since the damage was done, should the victim simplyment their misfortune, and the culprit could be free of all consequences? She was so enraged by those words; if her sister-inw wasn¡¯t the one who said it, she would¡¯ve definitely pped them across the face. Yet, she was expected tofort Holly and save her pride? As if! If it weren¡¯t for George¡¯s sake, Crystal would¡¯ve kicked Holly out in an instant! Some people would act high and mighty if one were meek in front of them, but if one showed one¡¯s strength, those people would weaken themselves instead. Holly was one of those people. If Crystal really spoke in Holly¡¯s favor, Holly would feel very humiliated, and she might even attack Crystal in return. However, now that Crystal was unrelenting and refused to even look at Holly, Holly would panic even more. She would rack her brains and think of what to do so that Crystal wouldn¡¯t bear a grudge against her. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 137 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 137 Chapter 137 What Certificate? Even though she wanted to apologize and pretend that nothing happened today, she was too proud to say sorry to Michael and Crystal. Hence, Michael and Crystal never spoke a word to her throughout that night, ignoring her as if she never existed. Not only that, even the Wendel brothers and Madeline acted the same. No one spoke to her at all. There were a few instances when she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and wanted to just leave, but she didn¡¯t dare to. She didn¡¯t want to turn against her husband, and she also didn¡¯t want Michael and Crystal to hate her sons by extension. As such, she could only endure it. After dinner, the family left the dining hall and moved to the living room to chat. Crystal led Madeline to sit beside her, and she kept singing praises of her daughter, going on and on about how good and outstanding her daughter was. Michael sat on the other side of her, a smile on his face. He would voice his agreement sometimes, obviously thinking the same thing Crystal was. Holly had known Madeline for more than ten years. Before this trip to the Wendel House, she thought of Madeline as the pitiful girl who was taken into the Taylor Family. Madeline was without identity or position, and she looked more like Isabel¡¯s servant. It was because of that that she could be so bold when she asked for mercy on Katie¡¯s behalf. After all, she looked down on Madeline from the bottom of her heart. Wasn¡¯t she just a loveless little servant? She could just say sorry andpensate her with something nice. It shouldn¡¯t be an issue so serious that her niece would have to be sent to jail. After that dinner, she realized that she was wrong; she had beenpletely wrong. Madeline was no longer the pitiful girl who had taken refuge in the Taylor Family. She was now the young mistress of the Wendel Family, as well as the apple of Michael and Crystal¡¯s eyes. From what she could see, even the Wendel brothers weren¡¯t as loved and Madeline was. Not only that, judging from Sebastian¡¯s attitude toward Madeline, she was also wrong in thinking that he only stayed with Madeline for the sake of their sons. Because of Madeline¡¯s unbearable experiences in her youth, she thought that Sebastian would look down on Madeline beforeing here, and that he definitely had no love for Madeline. He only did it for their two sons and to maintain some pride for Madeline. After all, be it Dusktown or Wendel City, illegitimate children would always be regarded with disdain. They had no status to speak of. She didn¡¯t see much future in Aldo and Buddy, and she thought of Madeline, Aldo, and Buddy as toys for Sebastian to while away the time with. When Sebastian had had enough, he would naturally toss Madeline and her sons aside. However, after being with them for a few hours that night, she realized that she couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. Sebastian didn¡¯t just love his children¡ªhe absolutely loved them to bits. His gaze was gentle and full of love whenever he looked at his two sons. Since Sebastian liked Aldo and Buddy so much, would he marry Madeline for Aldo and Buddy in the future? Madeline had truly gone through unbearable experiences when she was young. Her identity was humble and she couldn¡¯t even be shown in public, but now things were different. Now, Madeline was the young mistress of the Wendel Family, and she was more or less on par with Sebastian now. If Sebastian didn¡¯t mind Madeline¡¯s past, he could very well marry her, thus making Aldo and Buddy legitimate children. If Aldo and Buddy were legitimate children, they would be Sebastian¡¯s eldest and second eldest son. In other words, they would have the right to inherit the property of the Hart Family. Imagine, the Hart Family! The Hart Family was the top family in Dusktown! Even with the Wendels and the Taylorsbined, they couldn¡¯t match the nobility of the Hart Family. If Madeline really became the mistress of the Hart Family while Aldo and Buddy became the heirs, what would happen if Madeline, Aldo, and Buddy rose to power and targeted her because of the incident involving Katie? As she thought that, she could feel cold sweat break out on her back. She was feeling insecure now. Having stayed silent for the whole night, she finally couldn¡¯t hold it in as she forced a smile at Madeline. ¡°Maddie, since you and Sebastian already have children, when are you holding your wedding?¡± She was testing the waters. She was trying to gauge Sebastian¡¯s attitude toward Madeline, and she desperately hoped that Sebastian had contacted Madeline solely for the children¡¯s sake. Also, he might have treated Aldo and Buddy well because it was a new experience for him to suddenly have two children of his own. When the novelty of the experience had passed, he would toss Madeline and her children aside. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Then, she wouldn¡¯t have to fret about her offending Madeline just now for Katie¡¯s sake. Madeline was dumbfounded at the question. A wedding? She had never thought about having a wedding with Sebastian. She and Sebastian had simply lived together so that their children could have aplete family. There was no need for a wedding. When Holly saw Madeline¡¯s stunned expression, she sighed in relief, her tense lips rxing. Good. Sebastian was only fooling around with Madeline, and he hadn¡¯t nned to marry her. Sebastian, who was ying with Buddy, caught sight of her expression and smiled. ¡°Maddie and I have already gotten the certificate, and as for the wedding¡­¡± He nced at Madeline. ¡°Maddie has been a bit busy recently, so she doesn¡¯t have time for that. We¡¯ll wait a while until she has more time before we talk about the wedding.¡± ¡°Certificate?¡± Holly widened her eyes. ¡°What certificate?¡± ¡°The marriage certificate, of course. What else?¡± Sebastian nced at her and put on a half-smile. ¡°Miss Baker, I see that you¡¯re not quite ted to hear this news, and you look more scared instead¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Do you not wish for Maddie and I to get our marriage certificate?¡± Holly shook her head subconsciously. ¡°That¡¯s not it. How could I? You and Maddie are such a great match, you¡¯re perfect for each other¡­¡± Her face was pale and her heart was racing. Madeline and Sebastian had gotten their marriage certificate? They actually did it! It turned out that Madeline was already the mistress of the Hart Family! Aldo and Buddy, those two b*stards, would have transformed into the heirs of the Hart Family! As for her, she had just offended the mistress of the Hart Family and the future heirs¡­ Sebastian ignored her and continued ying with Buddy. Holly had thought viciously that Madeline¡¯s humble status couldn¡¯tpare to his. She also thought that Sebastian would look down on Madeline and that he wouldn¡¯t think much of her, hence he wouldn¡¯t dream of marrying her. Sebastian could see through those thoughts of Holly¡¯s perfectly well. However, Holly would never understand that to him, Madeline was kind, brave, persistent, and real. She was much more adorable than people like Holly, who grew up in a normal family and was educated properly, but had no sense of right and wrong. Indeed, Madeline was forced to kneel in front of people before, and she was pped and shut in the basement and even beaten until she was gravely injured. She had also bowed to people before, and was reprimanded and had to serve many people like a humble servant. However, was that any reason for Madeline to be subpar and to be scorned at? You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 138 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Understanding She had never stolen anything; she was forced to kneel and was pped and shut in the basement to be beaten because she was too young and couldn¡¯t resist. She never wanted those to happen. She waited on the Taylors like a servant, acting so humble like a ve because she knew to repay kindness. She was grateful to the Taylors and was willing to repay what they did for her. She didn¡¯t really think of herself as a ve. From all this time with her, he came to know about Madeline¡¯s bravery, persistence, optimism, sunny outlook, self-respect, and self-love. This girl had too many brilliant qualities. He only felt sorrow when he thought about her kneeling in front of people, of her getting pped and whipped and having to wait on people like a servant. He never thought that she was lowly. Apparently, people like Holly had other ideas. People like Holly thought that the young master of the Hart Family should have a wife who was untouched by the world¡ªa pretty flower who grew up in a prestigious family. They thought his wife should be someone who had never bowed to anyone before, and instead was the one being waited on and admired at, and be wholly unworldly. However, they didn¡¯t know that he was once thrown into an organization that worked for the country because his father wanted to train him. In that organization, there were all sorts of people from different backgrounds. With them, he had rolled on swamp grounds, ate rock-like bread, slept in caves, starved until his eyes went red, and even ate earthworms dug fresh from the dirt out of desperation. He had traversed several cities, and could speak more than ten local ents. He could even swear in the localnguage. He wasn¡¯t some unworldly person himself, so he wouldn¡¯t require his wife to be of a high position to shine brilliantly and remain untouched by the world. His standard for choosing a partner was actually quite simple. He only had one requirement¡ªhe wanted to like what he saw. Coincidentally, he liked what he saw in Madeline. Even though she had knelt to people before, and she was pped and had waited on people like a servant, he still liked what he saw. Because of that, Madeline had the right to be his wife. If the two really developed feelings for each other in the future, he might really hold a grand wedding for Madeline and amaze everyone who looked down on her! Nigel and George both had houses in Wendel City, so they didn¡¯t stay in Wendel House. When it was about time, they bid farewell and left. On the way back to the Taylors¡¯ other house, Holly was still in a daze. She couldn¡¯t believe that the pitiful and lowly girl, who would be pped and punished at the slightest inconvenience, would turn into the mistress of the Hart Family today! ¡°How could it be?¡± She mumbled, turning to look at George. ¡°How could Old Master Hart agree to Sebastian and Madeline getting their marriage certificate? Families like us would want their sons to marry a nice woman of wless upbringing and simr status. How could the Harts¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Maddie¡¯s background?¡± George frowned as he looked at her. ¡°Maddie is my sister¡¯s and brother-inw¡¯s only daughter, the young mistress of the Wendel Family. Even though the Wendels aren¡¯t as prestigious as the Harts, they¡¯re still the top family in Wendel City. They had been a famous family for a long time, and it wouldn¡¯t be too far-fetched for the young mistress of the Wendel Family to get married to the young master of the Hart Family, would it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that the Wendel Family isn¡¯t on par with the Hart Family. I mean¡­ Maddie didn¡¯t grow up in the Wendel Family¡­¡± Holly said, ¡°Maddie had been considered Cameron¡¯s daughter for thest 20 or so years. You know how Phoebe and her daughter treated her. They pped her and forced her to kneel before, and they treated her like the lowliest servant. Wouldn¡¯t a prestigious family like the Hart Family think that she¡¯s¡­ too lowly?¡± She wanted to use the word ¡®dirty¡¯, but Madeline was George¡¯s biological niece, so she changed her wording in case she offended George. ¡°How could you think that?¡± George stared at her in surprise. ¡°Maddie was still young then, and she was bullied. Phoebe and her daughter had terrible character, so what does that have to do with Maddie¡¯s worth? I think Maddie is pretty decent. She speaks and acts elegantly, and I heard Stephen say that Sam was grateful to Maddie for saving him, so he hired a lot of teachers for her. She learnt martial arts, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She had her lessons on etiquette, horse-riding, golf, billiards, and even flower arrangement. Stephen said that Maddie would have at most six different sses every day. He also praised her for her smarts, and she was very quick to learn. He even felt sorry for Maddie for having been born in the wrong family, or she would¡¯ve be the most prestigiousdy in Dusktown¡­¡± At that, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Now, we¡¯re sure that Maddie was born to the right parents after all. She was just unlucky for the first 20 years, and her beautiful destiny was stolen. Now that the truth is revealed, she can go back to where she belongs. Maddie now has Michael and Crystal to protect her, and she also has her sons with Sebastian. Only happiness awaits her¡­¡± Holly could no longer hear what George said next. She could only think of Katie. She was Crystal¡¯s sister-inw, so how could Crystal get so lucky? Crystal hadn¡¯t taken care of her biological daughter for long, and when she was reunited with her daughter, her daughter had already be the mistress of the Hart Family. Now, the Wendels and the Harts were joined by marriage, and the Wendels would rise to a higher status. Hence, the four sons of the Wendels would shine even brighter. What about her, though? She had raised her niece like her own daughter, and after a single meeting with Madeline, her niece was sent by Madeline into prison! She even wanted her daughter to marry Jonathan so that their family would have a closer rtionship with the Wendels. Now, not even a normal family would want their son to marry a woman who had been in jail, much less Jonathan. When Katie was released, she would have no say in who she got married to. She couldn¡¯t even think about getting married into a decent family. With that thought in mind, she felt so sorrowful that tears began to fall from her eyes again. Noticing that she was crying again, George couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Come on, stop thinking so much. Don¡¯t worry about offending Crystal and Maddie today, or worry that they would take out their anger on Ethan and Stephen. They are both reasonable people, so as long as Ethan and Stephen are reasonable, Crystal and Maddie won¡¯t me it on them.¡± The sense of understanding between a married couple was sometimes unmatched. They had been together for more than 20 years now, so George knew what Holly was thinking about. Holly must have misunderstood, but George didn¡¯t think Holly was unforgivable. Everyone had biases, of course. Holly had brought up Katie herself, so if Holly were indifferent about Katie¡¯s imprisonment, that would be true terror. As long as she didn¡¯t do anything too extreme, he allowed Holly to be sad about it. After all, he and his sons wouldfort Holly and bring her to the truth. Time could change everything. In due time, Holly would finally understand, and things would be alright again.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 139 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Generous Move The cocktail party convened the next day as expected. After the party officially started, Michael, Crystal, Madeline, and four of his sons descended down the spiral staircase engraved with flowers slowly. Madeline, who was walking between Michael and Crystal, was wearing a white gown that was embroidered with diamonds, and it shone brightly as if it was the night sky. At this moment, everyone¡¯s gazended on her. What happened in the Wendels recently had been circting among the elitists in Wendel City. Anyone with ess to a wider circle would know that the youngdy of the Wendel Family was switched at birth by Cameron, and the past youngdy of the Wendel Family, Angie Wendel, was Cameron¡¯s daughter while Cameron¡¯s daughter, Madeline Taylor was actually Michael and Crystal¡¯s real daughter. Now that the truth was revealed, Angie returned to the Colts in Dusktown while Madeline was taken back to the Wendels. Some of them felt like the Wendels didn¡¯t handle the situation well because it was too cruel to discard their ¡®adopted¡¯ daughter without any warning. Nevertheless, those who knew more exined what happened between Angie and Nichs. Upon hearing that, those who pitied Angie stopped trying to defend her and ended up sympathizing with Michael and Crystal instead. So what if the Wendels are the richest in Wendel City? They can¡¯t even take care of their own daughter well and ended up raising their enemy¡¯s daughter for more than 20 years after they got switched at birth. How pitiful! As Madeline grew up in Worrick, she never stayed in Wendel City before, so most of the people present tonight had never met her. It was obvious that they all thought that Madeline was raised up terribly because Cameron was an illegitimate daughter that was notoriously known for having a terrible reputation. It was rumored that Madeline was kicked out of the house by Cameron when she was ten years old and almost died on the streets. Just then, they all thought that a girl that had been roaming the streets ever since she was young would surely grow up to be a jittery person with no confidence, but they were all wrong. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Madeline, who showed up at the cocktail party, was not only gorgeous but extremely elegant at the same time. Just then, her tremendous charisma shocked everyone at the scene, especially the single men there as their eyes brightened up instantly. As Madeline was the Wendel Family¡¯s only daughter, it was obvious that she was pampered seeing how Michael and Crystal stood at both of her sides as if they were her bodyguards. Other than that, she was also a surreal beauty. Madeline had a paleplexion, thick eyebrows and bright eyes. Her facial features were extremely intricate, and her body was curvy without any hint of extra fat, especially her bewitching slender waist that made others somehow feel like touching it to feel her skin. Even the thought of it was an enjoyment. Love at first sight existed as long as someone was extremely beautiful. During the cocktail party, many single men hadpletely fallen for Madeline¡¯s charms as they waited impatiently for Michael to do his opening speech before rushing to Madeline to introduce themselves to her in hopes that she would give them her phone numbers so that they¡¯d be able to make their first moves. If they could get the beautiful woman to fall in love with them, they might not even need to work as hard anymore considering the wealth that she could bring to them. On the other hand, Michael and Crystal walked down the staircase along with Madeline before they stopped. Then, a waiter came and bowed slightly before holding the tter filled with sses of wine in front of Michael. After taking a ss of wine, Michael raised a toast to express his gratitude to all the guests that came. ¡°Friends and family of us Wendels, to celebrate my daughter¡¯s return, my wife and I decided to throw a cocktail party, and we would like to thank all of you for joining us tonight. I hope that all of you guys can take care of my daughter in the future after this. Here¡¯s a toast for you guys!¡± He raised his ss at the crowd before bringing it to his mouth and downed the entire ss of wine. After Michael ced the ss down, another waiter walked toward him holding a tter. This time, there was a document on the tter. At this moment, Michael took the document and dered, ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone here already knows that my daughter was switched at birth cruelly when she was born, and the truth was only revealed recently, allowing me to finally meet my real daughter now. I acknowledge that it was my inability that caused her to be stranded on the streets, so after discussing with my wife, we¡¯ve decided to give Madeline 5% of Wendel Corporation¡¯s share aspensation to her, and all of you are to bear witness of it¡­ Maddie¡­¡± He called out for Madeline before taking the pen and gave it to Madeline. ¡°Come sign your name on this.¡± What he said created an uproar among the crowd. Even in Dusktown, the capital of the country, or Wendel City, the city adjoining Dusktown, daughters in influential families had no inheriting rights as per past agreements despite thew stating that both male and female had equal rights for inheritance. However, influential families ced strong emphasis on family traditions. As the share of the family business was fundamental for the family¡¯s growth, the inheritor of the family must have all of the share to prevent thepany¡¯s share from getting divided and causing the inheritor to lose say in thepany before the family business broke into shambles. Even a son who wasn¡¯t an inheritor could only get a small portion of share if they were extremely pampered, while those who weren¡¯t had to work hard on their own as they wouldn¡¯t be able to get any assets or budget from the family. When the head of the family was still healthy, he would already prepare a will to distribute his inheritance; the family business,pany shares and assets would all go to the son. For the daughter, she would only be able to get cash, a few houses and smallpanies if she was really pampered, while the others would only get one or two houses. In short, it was extremely rare for the head of the family to give family corporation shares to daughters willingly. Even though Michael and Crystal had four sons, they actually gave five percent of theirpany¡¯s share to their only daughter instead. Although five percent didn¡¯t sound like a lot, it was definitely still a generous move because Wendel Corporation had a total worth of up to billions. While this didn¡¯t mean that Madeline had be a billionaire, she was definitely financially secure because she would be able to profit every year as long as Wendel Corporation was still around. There were many guests of different genders that came to the party tonight Upon hearing Michael¡¯s decision, the single men¡¯s gaze toward Madeline became more eager while the ladies stared at her with jealousy. If only our fathers are as generous as hers! Nevertheless, Madeline was shocked as well because Michael and Crystal had never told her that they were transferring her a small part of Wendel Corporation¡¯s share prior to the party. Right then, she stared at Michael in shock before she tried to reject him. ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t have this¡­¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Crystal grabbed the pen in Michael¡¯s hand before cing it in Madeline¡¯s hand. ¡°Maddie, this is your father and my love for you. You should take it and sign your name.¡± Yet, Madeline hesitated. ¡°I-Is this really a good idea?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 140 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 140 Chapter 140 A Servant Instinctively, she nced at Jonathan. As all of thepany shares were usually meant for the male inheritor, it would mean that Joseph, Connor, and Cedric wouldn¡¯t be able to get any shares because all of it would be transferred to Jonathan in the future. Wouldn¡¯t I be snatching what belongs to Jonathan away from him? Despite that, Jonathan smiled when he noticed Madeline¡¯s gaze before he said gently, ¡°Maddie, since Mom and Dad have decided to give it to you, you should take it. After all, I do feel guilty for not being able to take care of you for the past 20 years, and I¡¯m happy that Mom and Dad have decided to give you some shares. I can assure you that I¡¯ll work hard in the future so that the shares in your hand won¡¯t lose their value.¡± ¡°Jonathan, why are you even talking like that?¡± Connor patted Jonathan¡¯s back before he teased, ¡°Why would you say that you won¡¯t let Madeline¡¯s share lose its value? You should say that you¡¯ll work hard so that her profits will double or even triple in the future!¡± Immediately, Jonathan broke intoughter before he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± At this instance, Jonathan and Connor looked extremely rxed and calm. It was obvious that the two of them were alright with Michael and Crystal¡¯s decision regarding thepany shares. Then, Madeline nced at Joseph and Cedric before she noticed that they looked calm as well. There were no signs of anger or aggrieved at all. Since she knew what Madeline was worried about, Crystal walked toward her before holding onto her arm. ¡°Come on, stop staring at your brothers. Your father and I had already discussed this with your brothers, and they have also agreed to it. Your brothers imed that they¡¯d be less worried if you have those shares with you considering how delicate you are. Even if we won¡¯t be here many yearster, your brothers will still take care of you for us!¡± ¡°Mom¡ª¡± Madeline held Crystal¡¯s arm before she whined. ¡°What are you even talking about? You and Dad are still young! As Madeline was Crystal¡¯s child, she naturally liked Madeline. As Madeline was her own daughter, her presence was pleasing to Crystal¡¯s eyes, and she was starting to like Madeline more and more after spending time with her. Miraculously, the estrangement between the mother and daughter pair disappeared within less than a month. They¡¯d spend their time every day together to eat, chat, and shop while Crystal would kick Michael to the guest room and get Madeline to sleep with her, so their rtionship had been improving a lot. asionally, she¡¯d feel like she had never lost Madeline or missed her growth because Madeline had been growing up with her, and that was why they were able to get so close to each other within such a short time span. Thus, Crystal felt really happy when Madeline finally started disying affection to her. Since she was unable to control herself, she held Madeline¡¯s hand and guided her to Michael¡¯s side before leading her to sign the document. ¡°Come on, you have to sign this. The guests are still watching, and we can¡¯t waste their time any further.¡± Just then, Madeline had no choice but to sign her name on the share transfer document. After that, Michael took the document and signed his name in front of everyone before handing the document to thewyer that came to witness the share transfer process. At that instance, the document came into effect, and Madeline had a worth of billions from today onward. Madeline¡¯s fate was a perfect example of Cindere¡¯s transformation. Just a few weeks ago, she was still an illegitimate daughter that was looked down upon by others, but now, she became the Wendel Family¡¯s prized daughter, and Michael even transferred 5 percent of the company¡¯s shares to her generously. Right then, Madeline became popr among the single men. Not only did she have arge worth, she was also an exotic beauty! For the beauty to hold Wendel Corporation¡¯s shares with Michael and Crystal as well as her brothers¡¯ permissions proved that all of them valued her. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. There was a huge difference between marrying a girl who was prioritized by her family and a girl who wasn¡¯t. If one were to marry a girl who was prioritized by her family, her family would surely help their son-in- law out for the girl to be able to live afortable life and do their best to help the son-inw if he had any requests for their girl. On the other hand, a girl who wasn¡¯t prioritized by her family would easily be a burden that would be abandoned if anything bad happened, and the son-inw wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything from her family at all. However, from the Wendels¡¯ attitude, it was clear that Madeline was extremely pampered in the family, so it was time to see which man would be lucky enough to be noticed by the Wendel Family¡¯s princess and be one of the Wendels in the future. After the document was signed, Michael said a few more words before announcing the start of the cocktail party. Before his speech even ended, there were already a few well-dressed young men walking toward Madeline. In no time, she was quickly surrounded by a few young men. At this moment, Madeline was speechless. What¡¯s happening? Still, all of the people who were invited to the party tonight were not ordinary people. Although they were all eager to get to know Madeline, they still valued their reputation and acted politely before introducing themselves to Madeline in a friendly manner. Despite that, Madeline was still taken aback because she had never been well-received as a person ever since young. In the past, she had never joined any of the parties held by the Taylors and would avoid them as much as she could so that Isabel wouldn¡¯t bully her. Thus, she never knew that she could be so popr at an event. While she was greeting everyone politely and epting their name cards, Quinton squeezed through the crowd before reaching her and bowed respectfully. ¡°Mrs. Hart, the little young masters miss you, so the Young Master sent me over to pick you up to meet them.¡± Upon hearing that, all of the single men at the party went quiet. Huh? Mrs. Hart? Little young masters? Is this a joke?! The Taylors had always kept it a secret that Madeline saved Sam by doing an in vitro fertilization as it wasn¡¯t something to be proud about. As Madeline had been growing up in Worrick ever since she was ten years old, and this was her first appearance in Wendel City, no one knew that she had given birth and was already the mother to two children. Nevertheless, Madeline was nning to hide the fact that she was already the mother of two, so she smiled at the crowd politely before apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to leave now because my sons miss me. Excuse me!¡± All of the men were rendered speechless. S-Sons? The princess of the Wendel Family already has not just one but more sons? How old is she even? How can a girl who barely looks like she¡¯s in her twenties have more than one son?! Those men, who had fallen in love with Madeline because of her beauty and worth, as well as those who tried to gain her good impression, were all confused right then. Meanwhile, Madeline ignored all of the shocked looks on the crowd¡¯s faces and nodded politely before following Quinton to the second floor. At the same time, all of the men stared at Madeline and Quinton¡¯s retreating figures and started making spections of Quinton¡¯s identity. Based on Quinton¡¯s behavior, he was just a servant, but the way he dressed and his looks were definitelyparable to any of them right there. If he hadn¡¯t said anything, all of them would think that he was just another good looking young master from a reputable family with a noble charisma, but he was none of that as he was just a servant. At this instance, all of them couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of reputable family Madeline got married into as even their servant would look and act just like a young master. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 141 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 141 Chapter 141 If You Can¡¯t Endure It, Don¡¯t Put Up With It Meanwhile, Madeline entered the VIP room on the second floor along with Quinton. The moment she entered, Joel ran over and jumped into her arms before looking up at her with his bright eyes excitedly. ¡°Mommy! Mommy, we saw you from upstairs just now, and you looked so pretty! You¡¯re the prettiest person in the entire world!¡± Initially, Michael and Crystal wanted to take Quincy and Joel along with them to introduce the kids to their friends and family. However, Sebastian refused to let them do so. ¡°Not just the Harts¡ªeven the Wendels have enemies, and while these people wouldn¡¯t do anything to us in public, they often like to target our family members behind our backs, so it¡¯s better to not let too many people know about Quincy and Joel¡¯s existence to protect them.¡± Immediately, Michael and Crystal were persuaded by his reasoning. The more reputable the family was, the more private they were. This was the same case for the Harts. Although many knew about Sebastian, not many had been able to see Sebastian in real life because Philip was protective of Sebastian and wouldn¡¯t let him make an appearance in public. This was a good habit, and Michael as well as Crystal should learn from Philip. Thus, they decided to not reveal Sebastian and the kids¡¯ identity. Still, Sebastian and the kids could see everything that happened downstairs on the second floor from Madeline shocking the guests when she appeared in front of them, to a bunch of young men surrounding her as soon as Michael announced the start of the cocktail party. While Quincy and Joel were proud and happy to see Madeline being the center of the attraction, Sebastian felt slightly ufortable as he couldn¡¯t stand to see the sight of his wife being surrounded by a bunch of men who were trying to woo her. Why should I put up with it when I can¡¯t endure it any longer? Without any hesitation, Sebastian waved his hand at Quinton and got him to get Madeline back. Since Quinton understood Sebastian well, he knew what Sebastian wanted and went downstairs to reveal Madeline¡¯s identity in front of everyone. Although Sebastian couldn¡¯t hear what Quinton said because the second floor was too high up, he could already imagine what Quinton was going to say based on his understanding of him. When he noticed that everyone looked in disbelief when they watched as Madeline went upstairs along with Quinton, he knew that all the fantasies that those men had downstairs had been destroyed. The Wendel Family¡¯s princess already had a husband and wasn¡¯t someone that they could approach anymore. Since he was satisfied by what he saw, Sebastian took his sons back into the VIP room before Madeline came upstairs. Just then, Madeline caressed Joel¡¯s chubby cheeks with a smile before she eximed, ¡°Thank you, Joel! You look really adorable tonight as well!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. While Quincy and Joel didn¡¯t show up in front of the crowd tonight, they still dressed up for the party. Quincy was wearing a ck tuxedo with a white shirt and a red bow while Joel was wearing a white tuxedo with a ck shirt along with a simr red bow. Even though their outfits looked simple, it looked noble and made the two adorable boys look like princes that were extremely likable. The more Madeline looked at her sons, the more she couldn¡¯t believe that she actually gave birth to two adorable twins. At that moment, she pulled Quincy and Joel into her arms and peppered them with kisses. Just then, Joel started giggling because of how ticklish the kisses were before he fell into her embrace and refused to get up. When he noticed the blooming smile on Madeline¡¯s face, Sebastian leaned against the window and smiled as well. ¡°Are you in a good mood?¡± He could sense that she was genuinely happy at that moment. ¡°I am.¡± Madeline bent down to carry Joel again before she looked at him. ¡°Just now¡­ My parents gave me five percent of Wendel Corporation¡¯s shares¡­¡± Then, she reached out to brush the side of her hair that fell out to the back of her ear before smiling in embarrassment. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand me as I¡¯m not lusting for my parents¡¯ money. I just feel like¡­ My parents really love me¡­¡± Although it was lowly to use money as a measure for love, if a person who imed to love another wasn¡¯t even willing to pay for them, it surely wasn¡¯t true love. A reputable family would always let the son inherit all thepany shares. Thus, Michael and Crystal¡¯s action to give her five percent of Wendel Corporation¡¯s share proved how much they loved and valued her despite the fact that they had four other sons. Madeline was really touched and grateful as the shares increased her sense of belonging in the family. Right now, she felt like she was a part of the Wendels, and she was Michael and Crystal¡¯s daughter as well as Jonathan and the others¡¯ little sister. Since Michael and Crystal treated her genuinely, she would be sure to treat them with kindness and be a filial daughter. Madeline was determined to help her brothers out since she was a part of the Wendels now. She would finally have a family from today onward! At this moment, Madeline felt at ease, the joy and excitement that she was feeling right then couldn¡¯t be put into words. A smile bloomed on her face while her eyes glistened. Under the chandelier¡¯s illumination, she looked really seductive. Just then, Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened a little before his heart started racing. Suddenly, a thought shed past his mind¡­ It looks like five percent of apany¡¯s shares is enough to get her to treat Michael as well as Crystal like her family and make her smile with a sense of security. Still, they only gave five percent of the shares, and I can definitely give her more¡­ Then, Madeline nted another kiss on Joel, who was still curled up in her arms, before she stood up and took him to Sebastian before asking, ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone send you guys any food? Are you guys hungry? I¡¯ll go get someone to send some food over.¡± The smile on her face when she was coaxing Joel was still there, and her voice was soft and sweet as if it was a hook that was tickling Sebastian¡¯s heart. At this moment, the tip of his fingers twitched subconsciously as he suddenly felt like caressing her pale cheeks¡­ Her skin looks so smooth and soft¡­ I bet her skin feels nice to touch. Nevertheless, the thought quickly disappeared from his mind before he answered, ¡°We¡¯re not hungry yet. I¡¯ll get someone to send us food once we are hungry.¡± ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m hungry!¡± Joel ran into Sebastian¡¯s arms before he started whining, ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m really, really hungry, and I think that I can eat a lot!¡± Immediately, Sebastian lowered his gaze and ruffled Joel¡¯s hair before he asked with a voice as gentle as calm water, ¡°Are you really hungry, or are you just itching to eat something, huh?¡± At the same time, Madeline was watching the father and son pair with a smile on her face while an unknown emotion started coursing within her body. How great it is to be able to live like this! In the past, she¡¯d never imagine that Quincy and Joel would be able to find their biological father, or the fact that their biological father would love them just as much as she did. SRight then, the man that was coaxing her son in front of her was so charismatic and charming that she felt her heart skipping a beat. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 142 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Take Her Away The cocktail party progressed and ended smoothly after three hours. Other than the opening of the ceremony, Madeline spent her entire time apanying her sons in the room and didn¡¯t show up anymore, causing all the young men at the party to sigh in disappointment. The next day, Madeline bid Michael and Crystal farewell as Philip had found Quincy and Joel a school back in Dusktown, and she had to return because school was starting soon. Upon hearing that, Crystal was reluctant to let Madeline leave. However, Michael ced his arm around her shoulder tofort her. ¡°It¡¯s just a few hours of traveling if we are to go to Dusktown from Wendel City, and it only takes about an hour if we go by ne. We can always go visit Maddie when we miss her.¡± Although he was reluctant to let Madeline leave as well, he knew that allowing Madeline and the kids to return to Dusktown with Sebastian was the best arrangement. While Michael still couldn¡¯t tell how Sebastian was treating Madeline and the kids as well as whether Sebastian and Madeline had a future together, he figured that letting them spend more time together would allow their feelings toward each other to grow so that they could be a true couple in the future instead of being together just for the kids. If the kids were allowed to grow up with Sebastian, their rtionship would be further strengthened if Sebastian put in more effort to take care of the kids. Hence, if worse came to worst, he would still love Quincy and Joel as his own even if he divorced Madeline and had a new family in the future. The greatest love of a parent for their children was to consider them in the long run. As a daughter would have to get married, Michael had to let Madeline leave even if he was reluctant to do so for the sake of her happiness in the future. ¡°I¡¯m going to send Maddie off.¡± Then, Crystal held Madeline¡¯s hand and said reluctantly, ¡°After I reach Dusktown with Maddie and the kids, I¡¯ll take them to visit our house at Dusktown. Also, since Nelson is returning soon, let¡¯s stay at Dusktown for a few days and introduce Maddie to him when he gets back. In the future, Maddie can look for him if she needs any help since we won¡¯t be there.¡± Nelson Taylor was Michael and Crystal¡¯s adopted son. As wealthy and influential families often liked to have a big family, it was popr for the wealthy families in Wendel City and Dusktown to adopt children once they had decided on an heir. Usually they¡¯d pick smart, loyal and reliable children to get adopted so that they could be the inheritor¡¯s partner and apany them when they grow up. After the adopted child grew up, they would be able to work as the inheritor¡¯s right-hand man. Of course, an adopted child had no chance of being an inheritor. To prevent that from happening, they usually wouldn¡¯t register the adopted child using their family name. As Nelson¡¯s ount was registered under one of the elders from the Taylors, he moved out after he was an adult and stayed on his own. Just like all of the other adopted children from other families, Nelson was carefully selected before he was adopted. Back then, Crystal visited more than ten orphanages and selected five potential children before she started observing the children¡¯s cognitions and behaviors. A few yearster, she was left with Jake and Nelson, who were exceptionally smart, loyal, and grateful. As for the other children, Crystal arranged for them to be adopted by nice families who had no children. The purpose of wealthy families adopting children was clear¡ªit was to groom capable and loyal right- hand men for their families¡¯ inheritors. Other than that, they also focused a lot on the adopted children¡¯s loyalty toward the inheritor in case the adopted children suddenly had the desire to fight for inheritance. As adopting children was mainstream within wealthiest families, and it was a rule that an adopted child wouldn¡¯t be able to be an inheritor, any adopted child who tried to fight for inheritance would be heavily criticized. Thus, if an adopted child was discontented and showed signs of desire, they would be sent away, so most of the adopted children that stayed till the end were loyal and reliable, and that was the case for Jake and Nelson. The two of them were groomed to help the next inheritor of the Wendels; they had been in the same ss as Jonathan ever since they were all children, so the three of them were really close to each other, and Jake and Nelson were Jonathan¡¯s most loyal right-hand men. Jake and Nelson entered Wendel Corporation along with Jonathan to be Jonathan¡¯s personal assistant and help the man out. After Jonathan managed to get a footing in the Wendel Corporation, Nelson was sent to Dusktown by him to manage Wendel Corporation¡¯s branch in Dusktown while Jake was posted abroad to look over Wendel Corporation¡¯s overseas projects. Thus, it was obvious that both Jake and Nelson were informed about Madeline being the Wendel Family¡¯s biological daughter instead of Angie. Although the two of them wanted to meet Madeline, Jake couldn¡¯t return as the project overseas was at a critical juncture while Nelson couldn¡¯t return because he was working abroad as well. However, Nelson was finally able toe back after two days. When she recalled that Nelson was staying in Dusktown, Crystal felt slightly relieved because Madeline would be able to get Nelson¡¯s help since she would be staying there as well. Even though Michael went along with everything that Crystal decided before she was sick, he became even more fearful and protective of Crystal after she fell under the weather and became even more attentive to Crystal¡¯s requests. Therefore, he agreed without any hesitation when she wanted to go to Dusktown to send Madeline off. Due to Crystal¡¯s health condition, Michael had already handed Wendel Corporation to Jonathan for him to manage thepany, and Jonathan only needed toe to him if there was any important decision that needed implementation. Currently, he was semi-retired and had no problems moving to Dusktown with Crystal, not to mention just staying there for a few days. Two days after their discussion, Michael and Crystal left Wendel City along with Madeline to travel to Dusktown, and they were joined by the kids, Philip, and Sebastian. When they arrived at Dusktown, Philip invited Michael and Crystal to the Hart Residence and treated them to a meal. After the meal, they chatted in the living room for a while before Michael and Crystal decided to leave. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However, when Crystal wanted Madeline and the kids to leave together with them, Philip refused before he chuckled and said, ¡°Maddie is already married, so how can she constantly go back to her family? Maddie and the kids will be staying here from now on, and they can always visit you guys during the day when they miss you guys, but it¡¯s better to not go over sote at night.¡± Upon hearing that, Michael and Crystal were both speechless. Nevertheless, they couldn¡¯t argue against Philip. Although they were inws now, Philip was still about two decades older than them and he was an elder that they needed to respect. Moreover, he was an extremely influential elder that one needed to fear even if he were to stomp his feet on the ground. Thus, Michael and Crystal couldn¡¯t possibly argue against Philip when the respectable elder requested them to allow Madeline and the kids to stay in the Hart Residence. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 143 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Like a Tongue Twister Besides, Philip was right. Regardless of Madeline and Sebastian¡¯s rtionship, Madeline was still the Hart Family¡¯s daughter-inw, and there was nothing wrong with her staying in her husband¡¯s house. Despite their reluctance, Michael and Crystal could only allow Madeline and the kids to stay in the Hart Residence. However, before they left, Crystal kept reminding Madeline that they would send someone over to pick Madeline and the kids over to their house for a meal so that she could get to know Nelson, and Madeline agreed obediently. After Michael and Crystal left, Madeline took the kids upstairs to get their nap. Meanwhile, the kids were very happy to return to the Hart Residence. Just then, Joel sat on Philip¡¯sp and he wrapped his hands around the man¡¯s neck before he started pouting and acting cute. Meanwhile, Philip waspletely captivated by Joel as his eyes crinkled from smiling and refused to let Joel go. Before going upstairs, Joel started rolling on the long and snowish white fur mat before he started giggling on his own when no one entertained him. Philip got someone to buy the soft and silky fur mat before cing it downstairs so that his grandchildren would be able to y on it. Seeing how Joel expressed his liking toward the fur mat, Philip was really delighted as his grandchild was enjoying what he had bought for him. Even though they were also staying in another house that they owned when they were in Wendel City, it was somehow different, and now that his son, daughter-inw and his grandchildren were all home, Philip felt so happy that he could sleep with a smile on his face. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic despite being happy. If only my partner was still here. Life right now is great, and she would have been as happy and joyful as I am if she were still alive¡­ After taking the kids back to their bedroom upstairs, Madeline helped them to wash up and change into their pajamas before putting them in bed. Just then, Joel started rolling on the huge bed that was about two meters long before he rolled into Madeline¡¯s embrace and hugged her by her waist. ¡°Mommy, I really like this house and this bed. Mommy, can we stop moving houses and stay here forever?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Yet, Madeline could only ruffle Joel¡¯s hair because she didn¡¯t know how to answer his question. After all, she had no confidence and didn¡¯t know what the future was going to be like. If she could still be together with Sebastian, Quincy and Joel would naturally be able to continue staying here. However, if Sebastian finally met the person that he liked and the two of them broke up, she would have to leave with the kids because the real mistress of the house would be staying here. When Joel noticed that Madeline was hesitating, he asked uneasily, ¡°Mommy, will we still move away in the future?¡± Upon meeting his apprehensive gaze, Madeline felt her heart aching a little before she bent down and nted a kiss on him. Then, she dered gently, ¡°Even if we move away in the future, I¡¯ll always stay with you and Quincy, and we will never be separated!¡± ¡°What about Daddy?¡± Joel asked with anticipation again, ¡°Daddy won¡¯t be separated from us forever, right?¡± However, Madeline went quiet again. Although she really didn¡¯t want to disappoint Joel, she didn¡¯t want to lie to him as well. Madeline really didn¡¯t know what her future with Sebastian would be like because the two of them didn¡¯t get together because of love, after all. If Sebastian really met someone that he truly loved in the future, she would definitely have to let him go for that. Still, how could she tell Joel about that? ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Sebastian entered the room right when Madeline was in a conflict with herself. He was wearing his pajamas, and there was a lingering scent of shampoo on his body. It was obvious that Sebastian just came out from the showers. ¡°Daddy!¡± Joel¡¯s eyes brightened as he got up from the bed and pounced on him. Immediately, Sebastian rushed forward to the side of the bed to catch him before patting on his small back. ¡°Don¡¯t run on the bed next time, alright? It¡¯s really dangerous, and you might get hurt.¡± ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Joel replied softly before hugging Sebastian and stared at him. ¡°Daddy, I was asking Mommy if all four of us will stay together without separating forever, but Mommy refuses to answer me.¡± Right then, he sounded as if he wasining, and his soft childish voice sounded aggrieved. Upon hearing that, Sebastian gave Madeline a look before he smiled and ruffled Joel¡¯s hair. ¡°Of course all four of us will stay together forever. Family should always be together, and they can never be separated!¡± ¡°Yes! You¡¯re right, Daddy!¡± Joel nodded furiously to express his agreement, and hisrge eyes were filled with joy. At this moment, he hugged Sebastian tightly before burying his face in Sebastian¡¯s chest and eximed with his childish voice, ¡°I love Daddy the most!¡± At the same time, Madeline was speechless. Darling, does it not hurt your conscience to say that? How dare you like your father the most when I¡¯m the one who gave birth to you after ten months of pregnancy. I even raised you for five years when your father hasn¡¯t even been with you for more than 50 days?! On the other hand, Sebastian felt his heart melting when he heard Joel¡¯s childish voice. Then, he lowered his head and nted a kiss on Joel¡¯s head before replying softly, ¡°I love you and Quincy the most too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Joel continued, ¡°I love Quincy and Mommy the most, and Grandpa too¡­ Uhm¡­ Grandpa and Grandma as well. I love Uncle Jonathan, Uncle Joseph, Uncle Connor and Uncle Cedric as well!¡± Madeline was rendered speechless again. Can¡¯t you only like one person the most? You can actually like a lot of people the most at the same time?! As Joel continued speaking, he got even more excited as arge smile bloomed on his adorable face. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m so happy that so many people like me now!¡± Although Joel had a joyful look on his face, Sebastian felt something stabbing his heart when he heard Joel. ¡°What do you mean? Did people not like you in the past?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joel nodded. ¡°In the past, no one really liked us other than Big Uncle¡­ Big Uncle is Uncle Sam, and Small Uncle is Uncle Dan. Still, Uncle Sam isn¡¯t as nice to uspared to how Uncle Jonathan, Uncle Joseph, Uncle Connor and Uncle Cedric treat us. However, Uncle Connor told me that it¡¯s because Uncle Jonathan, Uncle Joseph, Uncle Cedric and him are my biological uncles while Uncle Sam and Uncle Dan are just my cousin uncles, so it¡¯s normal that my cousin uncles wouldn¡¯t be as nice as my real uncles!¡± Hisrge eyes glistened brightly before he continued dering happily, ¡°Quincy and I have four real uncles now, and they¡¯re so nice to us because they love us a lot! Grandpa and Grandma love us even more than my uncles, and Grandpa, Daddy and Mommy love us the most!¡¯ Joel let out a ¡®Wow¡¯ before a look of indulgence appeared on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I can be so happy right now! Everything feels just like a dream!¡± The five-year-old child was talking about his happiness like an adult, and Sebastian was extremely charmed by his adorableness while feeling his heart ache for him. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 144 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 144 Chapter 144 As If! Joel was Sebastian¡¯s son, after all, and it was precisely because of this that he ought to be loved and spoiled by everyone whoid eyes on him. However, the twins had not gotten the love and respect they deserved for the past five years. After all, they were illegitimate children at the end of the day. As far as the world was concerned, they had no father, and Madeline was the only one who ever truly loved and cared for them. At the thought of this, Sebastian¡¯s heart twisted, and he had never wanted to give his sons all the stars in the sky as he did at that moment. ¡°There will be more people who woulde to love the both of you!¡± he promised solemnly as he wrapped Joel up in his arms. ¡°My brothers will being home tonight, and you and Quincy will have three more uncles who will love you unconditionally.¡± Philip had three adopted sons, all of whom were younger than Sebastian. The eldest among them was Caleb, the second was Kieran, and the youngest of them all was Lucas. Philip had been injured on the battlefield when he was young, and the doctor had subsequently told him that he would never be able to have children of his own. It was only after going through countless treatments for over twenty years that he managed to sire Sebastian, whose mother had already been in her forties by then. After Sebastian was born, Philip dropped by over half the orphanages in the country and selected about a dozen children out of thousands. Atst, he narrowed it down to three children, all of whom he adopted so that Sebastian would have siblings growing up. The three children were none other than Lucas, Kieran, and Caleb. The four of them grew up together, and in their adulthood, each had made a career for themselves. Right now, Lucas was the vice president of Hart Corporation, and he co-managed allpany affairs alongside him. Caleb, on the other hand, disyed prowess in the medical field and became a doctor. He had set up his own pharmaceuticalpany under the financial backing of Hart Corporation, and he hadunched several medical products as well as ran his own private hospital. As for Kieran, he had taken an interest in performing arts, namely singing. He managed to get himself into the most elite music school in the world at the age of fifteen, and upon graduation, he returned to the country three yearster to start a career in the entertainment industry. He was now a singer and huge celebrity. All three of Sebastian¡¯s brothers had been abroad when Madeline and her sons came to Wendel City, so they never got a chance to properly meet each other. Sebastian had given his brothers a heads-up, and after learning that Madeline had returned to Dusktown, all three brothers decided that they would rush back and make time for family dinner. It was going to be a family reunion. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Uncles?¡± Joel stared up at Sebastian expectantly and blinked hisrge eyes. ¡°All my uncles are handsome! Big time!¡± Joel had never seen his uncles in person, but he had seen pictures of them on Sebastian¡¯s phone. He remembered how Philip had told him stories about Lucas and the others¡¯ childhood days, so even though he had never met them, he still felt as if he was familiar with them. The impression he had of his uncles was that they were all supremely handsome men, and they were even more handsome than the celebrities he saw on television, though not quite as handsome as Sebastian. Presently, Sebastian smiled when he heard the child¡¯s description. ¡°Indeed, they are.¡± Now that he thought about it, he didn¡¯t think it was fair for his dad to have used him of being someone who ¡®appealed to visuals¡¯. In fact, that was borderline hypocritical of the old man. In the entire Hart Family, Philip probably was the most obsessed with visuals. He had only fallen in love at first sight with Sebastian¡¯s mother because she was a stunning beauty. The Hart Family had military roots, and the generations that came before Sebastian were mostly involved in the army. His mother, on the other hand, belonged to a prolific family who dabbled in politics, academics, and the like. At first, Sebastian¡¯s grandfather didn¡¯t think Philip was good enough to marry his daughter, but for a proud man like Philip to discard all his sense of pride just to appease the girl he loved, he did not back down and relentlessly badgered her and her family. Upon seeing how dedicated Philip was, Sebastian¡¯s grandfather finally and reluctantly agreed to let the two lovebirds marry. Philip had been over the moon when Sebastian was born, and he started searching high and low for children he could adopt as Sebastian¡¯s siblings before the boy attended school. After that, he handpicked Lucas and the other two from among thousands of orphans. It went without saying that the children he had painstakingly picked out from the lot were good-looking. This was further proof that Philip was a man who appealed to visuals. As such, Sebastian probably inherited such a trait. He smiled now as he caressed Joel¡¯s chubby face and said, ¡°Your uncles are handsome, and they will love the both of you like their own. They will love you more than the uncles on your mom¡¯s side!¡± There was no denying that Lucas and the other two were loyal to Sebastian. As such, they would only love Quincy and Joel as their own, Sebastian was sure of it. ¡°Wow, that¡¯d be great!¡± Joel cheered. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m the luckiest boy in the whole wide world! The luckiest! I must be!¡± He felt as if he had gone from rags to riches. He couldn¡¯t ask for anything better; it was his favorite thing in the whole world to be liked by those around him since being a lovable child was what made Madeline happy. ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± Sebastian said as he rubbed the boy¡¯s back. ¡°Now, go to sleep. We¡¯ll go hiking when you wake up, and your uncles will be home after that, so you¡¯ll get to meet them soon!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joel pecked Sebastian¡¯s cheek happily and slid under the covers next to Quincy. He tipped his head and kissed his brother on the cheek as well before saying, ¡°Sleep tight, Aldo.¡± Quincy picked up a corner of the covers and tucked Joel in. ¡°Sleep tight.¡± Sebastian chuckled as he rubbed Quincy¡¯s head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a good brother/¡± The little boy stiffened as he said, ¡°Sleep tight, Dad.¡± ¡°Sleep tight!¡± Sebastian flipped on his side and kissed Quincy between the brows. Quincy wiggled as though he was ufortable with the show of affection, but he didn¡¯t object to it, and instead closed his eyes as he waited for sleep toe. Another low chuckle escaped Sebastian as he caressed the little boy¡¯s hair. Then, he got into bed and lay down next to him. While Joel had been moring for Sebastian¡¯s attention earlier, Madeline had gone to take a shower. Having done so, she blow-dried her hair and changed intofortable loungewear, only to return to the room and find that Sebastian was already lying in bed while the kids napped next to him. She was at a loss for words. Come on, is this how it¡¯s always going to be from now on? She shuffled reluctantly over to the other side of the bed and saw Sebastian, who had had his eyes closed just moments ago, looking at her. She whispered, ¡°Can¡¯t you go back to your own room to nap?¡± He eyed her steadily and said, ¡°This is my room.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°In that case, could you spare us another room so that I can move in there with my kids?¡± He reached up and stroked Joel¡¯s hair. ¡°I want to take naps with my sons, though.¡± Madeline gaped at him in disbelief. She wanted to nap with her sons too. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to give up that privilege! If he thinks that he can throw me out and make me leave my sons, he¡¯s dead wrong! She was starting to think that he was conspiring to achieve this all along. He wanted to usher her out of her sons¡¯ bedroom, then take over the school run so that she would have less time with her kids. Eventually, her boys would be so used to her absence in their lives that Sebastian could easily take over her role and be the main parental figure. As if I would let that happen! I will not let him get away with his evil schemes! Not wanting to lose out, she ignored her previous hesitation and climbed into the other side of the bed andy down next to Joel. We¡¯ll just sleep together. That doesn¡¯t scare me at all! Hmph! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 145 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 145 Chapter 145 He Got What He Wanted Since she was worried that the nap would only disrupt the children¡¯s sleep cycle at night, Madeline woke Quincy and Joel up after an hour, not wanting to let them sleep in any longer. Quincy woke up as soon as she called him, and after lying in bed to wait for the grogginess to pass, he slipped down from the mattress and headed into the shower to wash up. Joel, on the other hand, was a stubborn one; he refused to get up even after Madeline had tried to wake him up several times. Sebastian couldn¡¯t help thinking that his son was adorable even while he was throwing a tantrum. As he smiled indulgently, he pulled the little boy into his arms and pinched his chubby cheeks. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s wake up and have some fruits and drinks before we go hiking.¡± The hills and mountains made up the backyard of the Hart Residence. In fact, it was as if their backyard had been carved out of the hills themselves. There were plenty of exotic fruits and woond creatures like game birds and hares in the hills, and Joel often discovered new things on each hike. He treated it as something like a treasure hunt. He woke up immediately at the thought of this. He moved around in Sebastian¡¯s embrace until he could wrap his arms around thetter¡¯s neck and cheered, ¡°Hiking! Hiking!¡± ¡°Good boy,¡± Sebastian praised as he patted the kid¡¯s back. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s wash up.¡± Joel tumbled out of bed happily and ran into the bathroom to ssh water on his face. Meanwhile, Madeline watched Joel¡¯s retreating little figure and gave an exasperated shake of her head. She turned to look at Sebastian and asked in a somewhat usatory tone, ¡°I take it you won¡¯t be going to thepany today?¡± For the president of arge enterprise, he didn¡¯t seem the least bit concerned about doing actual work ¡ªin fact, he was taking time off every two or three days. ¡°Lucas is keeping an eye on things there,¡± he said as he put on a change of clothes. ¡°Rx, thepany¡¯s doing just fine without me, and even if it isn¡¯t, our family is rich enough to take care of the three of you for the rest of your lives. Cut me some ck, will you?¡± She was at a loss for words. She was never too concerned about not having someone to provide for her family of three; she was only asking about his job because he seemed a little too insouciant about it forfort. It was like he didn¡¯t take his work seriously at all. She was a workaholic, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had Quincy and Joel to take care of, which limited her working hours, she would have worked twenty-four hours every day without fail. Also, the way he just said ¡®our family¡¯ makes it sound as if we really are a family¡­ It does make me wonder what he¡¯s implying. Is he so used to having us around that he has integrated himself as a part of us? It didn¡¯t take long for the children to wash up. After changing their clothes, Sebastian and Madeline washed up as well and brought the kids downstairs, where Philip was already waiting for his precious grandsons in the living room. At the sight of the twins, Philip lit up and beckoned them over. Joel wasted no time in climbing into the old man¡¯sp, thereafter wrapping his little arms around Philip¡¯s neck as he asked, ¡°Grandpa, Dad is going take me and Aldo hiking! Are youing with us?¡± ¡°No,¡± Philip answered with a lighthearted chuckle. ¡°These old bones of mine aren¡¯t made for hiking. I¡¯ll be waiting right here at home, and I¡¯ll have the kitchen whip up a delicious dinner for the both of you!¡± If his grandchildren were going hiking, he was sure that Madeline would tag along as well. He wanted to give Sebastian and Madeline the quality time they needed, and he prayed furtively that that would be enough to send some sparks flying between them. Right now, Sebastian and Madeline were only together because of their sons. He hoped that the both of them could one day develop an attachment to one another and eventuallye to discover they were in love. By then, they would be married for real. When that happened, then Quincy and Joel would finally have the happiness they deserved, and Philip could rest easy. Madeline and Sebastian indulged in the fruit tter alongside their children. After a few sips of water and a brief conversation with Philip, they brought the kids over to the backyard and the hills beyond. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The foliage in the hills provided cool shade, and they woulde across pretty wildflowers every once in a while. The scenery around them was perfect, and the air was especially fresh. As they followed the trail, Joel was at the peak of his excitement; even Quincy had brightened up considerably. It was clear to see just how much the kids loved being out in nature. After hiking for a while, Joel turned and ran over to Sebastian. Then, he clung to his waist as he looked up and said, ¡®Dad, the hills are so pretty. You¡¯re amazing! I love it here!¡± Madeline looked at her child with a raised brow. She didn¡¯t think Sebastian had anything to do with how pretty the hills were. Joel still had his arms wrapped around Sebastian¡¯s waist as he said cheerily, ¡°My dad¡¯s rich and handsome, and he has a mountain to call his own. I get to be the foolish son of a hill-keeper!¡± A foolish son of a hill-keeper sounds a lot like an insult, Madeline thought wryly. It does have that condescending undertone to it. ¡°You¡¯re so stupid!¡± Quincy pointed out disparagingly. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t own the hills¡ªthe government does!¡± Joel tilted his head to the side and eyed his brother inquisitively. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why is it that we get to live in the hills and climb them whenever we want after reuniting with Dad?¡± Quincy thought about this for a moment. Then, he decidedly nodded and said, ¡°Fine, Dad¡¯s amazing, but I¡¯ll be even more amazing when I grow up!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Joel said supportively. ¡°You¡¯re definitely going to be more handsome than Dad when you grow up, Aldo. You¡¯ll be even more amazing too! Oh, Aldo¡ªlook over there! A chicken!¡± Upon seeing a chicken trekking up ahead and clucking, Joel grew excited and quickly dragged Quincy with him as he barreled further into the hills. ¡°Buddy, slow down or you¡¯ll fall!¡± Madeline called out after him. The boy didn¡¯t even turn back to look at her as he responded, ¡°No, I won¡¯t! Aldo¡¯s holding my hand!¡± Fred and Simon hurried after the kids, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Hart. We¡¯ll keep an eye on them and make sure they don¡¯t get hurt.¡± They were two of the best bodyguards in the Hart Family, and they would never allow the twins to get hurt. Otherwise, they would lose their credentials. The hills were immediately filled with the children¡¯s rambunctious cheers andughter, and it was as if the world had slowed down, filled with a serenity that apanied the twins¡¯ idle chatter. When she heard how happy her kids sounded, Madeline turned to thank Sebastian as if on instinct. She loved her sons to the moon and back; she would give up everything for them, but no matter how hard she had worked in the past, she had never been able to provide them a life as carefree as the one they had now. While she had not deprived them of material needs since they were born, she could never have given them the same level of moral support that they now had from both parents. This was the life that her children deserved, and they could look back on their childhood and say they had a happy one. She was extremely grateful to Sebastian for being able to provide for her children with all this, but she had thanked him countless times. Any more and she would appear a little too courteous forfort. As such, she wondered how she was going to properly thank him. Maybe I could cook up a feast or buy him a gift Just as she was deep in thought, she kicked something and staggered forward. ¡°Look out!¡± Sebastian reached out to steady her immediately, but because of momentum, she ended up stumbling right into his arms. He quickly wrapped a strong arm around her waist, and the moment his hand gripped onto the dip in her waistline, he was acutely aware of how soft and delicate she was beneath her clothes. He was suddenly reminded of the night when the Wendels threw a banquet in her honor. That night, she had worn a stunning evening dress, the back of which was woven through with pearls. Her baster skin and the chiseled silhouette of her back subtly peeked through from underneath the pearls, which only added a seductive edge to her appearance. Coupled with the ttering cut of the dress that cinched at her delicate waist, Sebastian remembered thinking about how it would feel to reach out and wrap an arm around her. He had refrained from doing so back then, but now, he finally got what he wanted. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 146 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 146 Chapter 146 How Very Strange After Madeline had steadied herself and found her footing, she realized that she was in Sebastian¡¯s arms. Upon seeing how closely pressed together they were, she quickly shoved him aside, only to find that she might have overreacted. Sebastian was only helping her, and after regaining herposure, she managed to utter a stiff, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he answered as he waved his hand dismissively. Then, he asked, ¡°By the way, do you have ns for tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bringing Quincy and Joel over to my parents¡¯ ce,¡± she answered. ¡°My mom said something about introducing her adopted son to all three of us, so she¡¯ll have her driver pick us up after breakfast tomorrow.¡± She paused and asked him, ¡°Is there something you need me to do for you?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± he replied. ¡°How about tomorrow afternoon?¡± She shook her head after a moment of thought and said, ¡°No, I think I¡¯m just going to take a nap with the boys after lunch.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He looked at her seriously and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make the necessary arrangements then. After the boys¡¯ nap, I¡¯m taking you to Caleb¡¯s hospital so that he can take a look at the scars on your back and see if he can suggest the best treatment for them.¡± He did think about letting Caleb examine her scars at home, but that would make for a very awkward moment between a brother-inw and a sister-inw. As such, dropping by the hospital seemed like the best solution. Caleb would be seeing Madeline in his professional capacity as a doctor, and she would be consulting him as a patient. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,¡± Madeline said now. ¡°I don¡¯t want to impose. I mean, these scars aren¡¯t really affecting my daily life anyway.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t we already talked about this multiple times? Also, haven¡¯t wee to a consensus that if the scars can be healed, we¡¯d go along with the best treatment there is?¡± Sebastian was insistent as he added, ¡°Right, so it¡¯s settled. Remember to clear your schedule for tomorrow afternoon.¡± She couldn¡¯t very well turn him down now. As such, she nodded obligingly and said, ¡°Fine, then. Thank you.¡± She owed him more favors every day. Forget it, she thought. There¡¯s still plenty of time for me to repay his deeds. Soon, an hour had passed since they started hiking the trail, and the kids were already drenched in their own sweat. Madeline called for them, and when they returned to her side, she began to lead them home. Joel was reluctant to leave as he muttered coquettishly next to her, ¡°Mom, I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet.¡± ¡°Be good,¡± Madeline cated as she rubbed his head. ¡°We can alwayse back next time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! There¡¯s always a next time!¡± The little guy perked up immediately as he said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m staying right in front of the hills, so I cane back anytime I want!¡± Entertained by his smugness, Madeline had to keep herself fromughing as she said affirmingly, ¡°Yes, you cane back anytime you want.¡± Just like that, the happy family of four trekked back to the vi. It was already twilight by the time they arrived, and before they entered the living room, they could hear the sound of chattering and Philip¡¯s laughtering from within. Joel was holding Madeline¡¯s hand as he blinked and noted, ¡°There are guests here! Do you think the uncles havee?¡± Sebastian said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Buddy. Why don¡¯t you go take a look for yourself?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joel let go of Madeline¡¯s hand and reached for Quincy¡¯s. Then, he dragged him into the living room as he said, ¡°Come on, Aldo¡ªlet¡¯s go see if our uncles are here. Our uncles are really handsome, you know, and Uncle Kieran is a superstar with a lot of fans!¡± Quincy did not share his twin¡¯s curiosity and enthusiasm, but he allowed himself to be dragged into the living room nheless, fearing that if he let go, Joel would trip over his own feet. After running up to the door of the living room, Joel shouted while pushing open the door, ¡°Grandpa, Aldo and I are back! Are our uncles here yet?¡± Upon hearing the endearing voice piping up from the doorway, the guests in the living room immediately turned to look in Joel¡¯s direction. Joel gave the door another push, and he dragged Quincy inside as he trudged through the entryway. ¡°Grandpa, Aldo and I are here!¡± At the sight of the twins, the three young men in the living room immediately rose to their feet. Philip chuckled good-naturedly as he said, ¡°Wee home, my darlings! Come over here and let me introduce you to your uncles!¡± Joel pulled Quincy over to Philip and climbed into the old man¡¯sp habitually. Then, he began to appraise the three young men in earnest. When his gaze flickered past Caleb and the other two, he eximed, ¡°Wow! All of you are really handsome! You¡¯re even more handsome than you were in the pictures!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a handsome little fe too,¡± Lucas praised heartily as he walked up to the child and crouched down to his eye level. Then, he produced an envelope from his pocket and said, ¡°Here you go, I¡¯ve brought you a gift!¡± Joel stared at the envelope with wide eyes before he turned to look at Philip. Philip chuckled and said, ¡°Go ahead and take it. It¡¯s a present for you, after all.¡± Joel took the envelope filled with cash, and as his fingers curled around the present, he bowed his head in Lucas¡¯ direction as he said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Lucas. I love the present, and I hope you¡¯ll be in excellent health and that your business will prosper!¡± A delighted look shed across Lucas¡¯ features. He was so charmed by the little boy¡¯s demeanor that he quickly reached out to pull him into his arms. He gave Joel a tight squeeze, then caressed his soft, chubby cheeks as he crooned, ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you just the most precious boy I¡¯ve ever seen! You¡¯re so adorable, I could die!¡± I might just die. This kid is the work of the heavens! Joel¡¯s eyes glistened. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die, Uncle Lucas. I want you to live a really, really long life so that you can take care of Grandpa!¡± Philp burst outughing as he rubbed the kid¡¯s head affectionately. ¡°How very sweet of you!¡± Even Lucas was amused. ¡°My goodness, what did my brother feed this child to make him say such sweet, endearing things?¡± Meanwhile, Caleb and Kieran had each already produced their own envelopes of cash, and they shoved them into Quincy and Joel¡¯s hands as well. The twins looked at the three envelopes they had each received. Joel thanked Caleb and Kieran as well, showing his appreciation for the generous presents. Then, he turned to see that Madeline had walked in, and he quickly ran over to her to put the envelopes in her hands. ¡°Mom, Uncle Caleb, Uncle Kieran, and Uncle Lucas gave me these. They¡¯re all so nice to me, and they¡¯re so handsome too! Not only that, they¡¯re pretty generous. I really like them!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Lucasughed and turned to look at Sebastian and Madeline. He said, ¡°Sebastian, Maddie¡ªyour son must have grown up eating honey. Look at him! He¡¯s such a sweet little guy!¡± Madeline was a little stunned to hear Lucas address her by her first name, and she flushed. It was strange to think that she could be a sister-inw to all three of these young men who looked to be around her age. How very strange, she thought. Caleb and Kieran did not wait for Sebastian to introduce them to Madeline and instead took the initiative to do so themselves as they greeted the couple readily. Joel was over the moon. He was enamored with his three handsome uncles, and he waspletely at ease in theirpany. He wasted no time in jumping into a humorous conversation with Lucas and the others. Philip and his sons were very entertained by the little boy, andughter filled the living room. Lucas, in particr, was bewitched by the child. He had always been the most yful among his siblings, and he had an affinity for fun and games. While he had note across many children in his lifetime, he seemed to be a natural with them. It didn¡¯t take long for Joel to be friends with him, and he would call him ¡®Uncle Lucas¡¯ ever-so-sweetly every now and then. Lucas thought his heart would melt. After dinner, he insisted that Joel bunked in with him that night. However, fun and games aside, certain boundaries must not be overstepped, and for a child to bunk in with an adult who was not his parent happened to be one of them. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 147 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Hijacked Joel tightened his grip on Madeline¡¯s hand as he turned down Lucas¡¯ invitation, but he blew the man a quick kiss. ¡°Goodnight, Uncle Lucas. I¡¯m still young, so I¡¯ll be sleeping in Mom¡¯s room. I promise I¡¯ll bunk in with you when I¡¯m older!¡± Lucasughed when he saw the little guy scurrying away with Madeline as if he was terrified that he would be dragged into Lucas¡¯ room. Presently, he draped an arm around Sebastian and leaned all his weight on him like a squid-like creature. He then said, ¡°Come on, Sebastian¡ªtell me your grand secret to having such a splendid life! You didn¡¯t have to marry or do the deed, but all of a sudden, the heavens decided to bless you with two adorable and brilliant sons who look like cherubs! Where¡¯s my share of good luck, huh?¡± ¡°Envious of me, are you?¡± Sebastian cast him a sideways nce. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t I get Dad to bring you over to a sperm bank and you can sign up as a donor? Maybe if you¡¯re generous with your donation, you¡¯ll end up with a few cherubs of your own.¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Lucas said, shuddering at the idea. He was suddenly amused and added, ¡°Hey, I remember how you ignored Dad for two months after he made you donate your sperm. I felt sorry for you then, but in hindsight, Dad had really impressive foresight. As always, his decision turns out for the best!¡± ¡°Oh, shut up.¡± Sebastian gave him a look of mock disgust. ¡°You and your ttery irk me out.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m right!¡± Lucas smiled devilishly. ¡°Goodness, my oldest nephew is so bright and handsome; it just melts my heart to see him.¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Sebastian raised an inquisitive brow at his brother. ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you¡¯re satisfied with just looking at him.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± Lucas winked teasingly. ¡°See, I¡¯d love to have my nephew as a son-inw, but that¡¯s just a fanciful thought. Can¡¯t have a daughter without having a girlfriend first, right? Unlike you, I didn¡¯t donate my semen.¡± Sebastian looked decidedly exasperated and murderous at the same time. ¡°Scram!¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯ll be off to bed! Goodnight!¡± With that, Lucas dashed out of sight. ¡°We¡¯ll be off to bed, too, Sebastian.¡± After observing the amusing exchange between their brothers, Caleb and Kieran rose from the couch, ready to call it a day. Sebastian hummed in response, and he nced at Caleb as he said, ¡°Remember to clear your schedule for tomorrow afternoon, Caleb.¡± Caleb nodded. ¡°I will.¡± Not like you¡¯d let me forget about it, he thought as he recalled the texts and calls from Sebastian reminding him about the appointment. This was the first time he had seen Sebastian so dedicated to taking care of a woman¡¯s wellbeing. He was starting to think that the arrangements Sebastian made between himself and Madeline were not just for the sake of the children, but out of his actual affections for her. What will Ann do if Sebastian truly has feelings for Madeline? When he saw that Sebastian had gone up the stairs, Caleb fished out his phone and pulled up Ann Evans¡¯ contact. Then, he sent her a text that read, ¡®Ann, are you nning toe back to Dusktown anytime soon?¡¯ Ann¡¯s reply was almost instantaneous. ¡®I¡¯m not sure. Why? Did something happen, Caleb?¡¯ He hesitated for a brief second before he typed, ¡®I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard, Ann, but Sebastian has two kids now.¡¯ It took only seconds for Ann to call him on the phone after she saw the text. He sighed and put the call through. Then, he pressed his phone to his ear as he greeted slowly, ¡°Hey, Ann.¡± ¡°Caleb, was that some kind of a joke?¡± Ann demanded nervously. ¡°What do you mean Sebastian has two kids? How did that happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth¡­¡± Caleb began to exin all that had happened recently. After hearing the whole story, Ann was shell-shocked. ¡°How is that even possible? How could something like this happen? This is way too coincidental forfort. It must be a conspiracy!¡± Caleb paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Ann, I think Sebastian may actually have feelings for Madeline, so¡­¡± So maybe you should forget about him. The words were on the tip of his tongue and close to rolling past his lips, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say them. Anyone familiar with Ann and Sebastian would know about her long-time crush on him. However, she had never confessed her feelings for him, and he had always been cold and distant toward her, as though her presence or theck thereof did not concern him in the slightest. That in itself was solid proof that he did not reciprocate her affections. Ann hadn¡¯t told anyone that she liked Sebastian, and Caleb didn¡¯t think it was his ce to be blunt with her. That said, he liked to think that she was smart enough to understand what he had implied earlier. Although she did understand, that didn¡¯t mean she could ept it. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She and Sebastian had grown up together. She had been in love with him for as long as she could remember, and her feelings for him had not faded with time. She even went abroad for her studies because her mother had told her that distance made the heart grow fonder. If Ann had remained by Sebastian¡¯s side, then he would only ever see her as the little girl from their childhood, and it was hard for him to think of her as a grown woman, much less a romantic partner. As such, Ann¡¯s mother had sent her abroad for two years and told her to work on herself so that she could be a world-weary woman. Ann was also advised to keep minimal contact with Sebastian so that the memory of her would slowly fade from his mind. That way, when two years were up, she would return to Dusktown as a beautiful and intelligent woman who could present herself in a new light before him. Perhaps then he would think of her as different from the girl in his memories; he might even fall for her and grow so in love with her that he would ask for her hand in marriage. While Ann and Sebastian had grown up together, he had no feelings for her whatsoever, and he treated her the same way he would to a stranger. She was acutely aware of how irksome she would seem to him if she were to stay and pester him relentlessly. If that had been the case, then her chances of marrying him would go down the drain. As such, she would much rather leave the country as her mother had suggested and work on herself while abroad, hoping that any memory of her would fade from his mind. That way, when she made a gloriouseback two yearster, he might finally be stunned by her beauty and aplishments. Following that, she had forced herself to leave Dusktown and got out of Sebastian¡¯s sight. To achieve the results her mother had told her about, she had lived thest two years in loneliness and agony. She had even cut off all contact with Sebastian, and thest time she spoke to him or texted him had been over a year ago. She was halfway through her two-year stay abroad. If she held on for another ten months, she could go back to the country and be reunited with him. She had spent all this time honing different skills and trying to be a better version of herself. She studied well and picked up a variety of hobbies. She even went to the gym and took care of her looks. She wanted to go back to the country and astound Sebastian with her transformation. Then, he would view her in a new light, be stunned by her, fall in love with her, and eventually marry her. s, before these two years were up, she got a call from Caleb telling her that Sebastian had two illegitimate children with some random woman, and in order to give them a proper background, he had decided to sign a marriage certificate with that woman. Ann thought she might go out of her mind. What was the point of me leaving Dusktown and staying away from Sebastian for over a year then? She had tried so hard to make him forget the old her so that she could make a glorious return to Dusktown and wow him. Her ns of impressing him, making him fall in love with her, and marrying him were now hijacked! She had loved Sebastian for over ten years, and she didn¡¯t even want to think of him as a brotherly type to keep the hopes of a romantic rtionship with him alive. She hadn¡¯t even dared to tell him that she loved him. Right now, Caleb had as good as told her that she would never get to tell Sebastian she loved him. No, this can¡¯t be! I will not stand for this! Sebastian is mine only! With that in mind, Ann took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m booking my ticket home right now.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 148 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Intentions Without waiting for Caleb to say anything, Ann hung up. ¡°Ann?¡± Caleb called out, but when he heard the beeping tone on the other end, he felt frustration well up in him. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop Ann. After all, he knew how much she loved Sebastian. She was borderline obsessed with him, and he was all she could think about; no one else could take his ce in her heart. However, Sebastian did not reciprocate her feelings at all. This was all fine in the past when he had been single and had taken no interest in women. After all, Ann was adopted by Sebastian¡¯s aunt when she was a child, and both of them had grown up together. When family ties mingled with those of friendship, perhaps there mighte a day when Ann could actually move Sebastian to take her for a wife. However, not only was Sebastian married to Madeline on paper, but he also shared two sons with her right now. While Quincy and Joel were illegitimate children, Philip had taken a strong liking to them and treated them as though they were precious bundles of treasure. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian didn¡¯t seem to mind that they were born out of wedlock either; after having retrieved a marriage certificate with Madeline acknowledged as his legal wife, he managed to bestow legitimacy upon the children¡¯s birth. As long as Sebastian and Madeline did not divorce, Quincy and Joel would be the true sessors-in- line of the Hart family name. As things were, Sebastian was already a married man with a family, and Ann¡¯s return would only be filled with sadness and embarrassment, both of which did little good to her. Although Caleb knew that Ann¡¯s return was pointless and would only break her heart, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop her. After all, he understood that love was something that could not be exined in clear, concise terms. One couldn¡¯t just stop loving a person after years of having feelings for them, and Caleb was living proof of that. He had known from the very beginning that Ann only ever loved Sebastian, but that didn¡¯t stop him from falling in love with her anyway. He knew that she would probably never have feelings for him, at least not romantically, but he still couldn¡¯t help falling in love with her, and such affections did not wane over time. Over thest few years, there had been plenty of girls who showed interest in him and pursued him, and among them were women whose aplishments and background were on par with Ann¡¯s. However, he was not interested in any of them. His love for Ann could not be disced, and he couldn¡¯t ever move on without superhuman effort at the very least, much like how Ann couldn¡¯t move on from Sebastian. There was nothing he could do about his feelings, and in the same way, he couldn¡¯t stop her froming back. As for what might happen after her return, all there was left for him to do was to see how things would unfold. At the thought of this, he closed his eyes tiredly and took a deep breath. Then, he walked out of the living room somberly. The Taylors¡¯ driver arrived early the next morning to pick up Madeline and her children, who did not get into the car bound for Taylor Residence until they were done with breakfast. Since Michael and Crystal did not invite him, Sebastian did not tag along. He had quite a bit of work piled up at thepany after he had made several trips between Wendel City and Dusktown. More importantly, he couldn¡¯t have his world revolve around Madeline and her children. Besides, it was very clear to see that Michael and his wife did not like him for constantly intruding upon their quality time with their daughter and grandsons, especially since he was the man who would take their precious daughter away from them. After Sebastian saw Madeline and the kids off, he went to thepany. There wasn¡¯t much distance between the Harts¡¯ vi and the Wendels¡¯. It would take only ten minutes or so to get from one point to the other if they did not hit traffic along the way. The gates swung open as the car pulled up outside the Wendels¡¯ ce, and the driver cruised up the pathway until it finally parked outside the living room. Upon hearing the sound of the car, Michael and Crystal hurried out the front door. They had been waiting to see their daughter and grandsons for a while now. Behind Michael was a young man who boasted handsome features. The Wendels¡¯ bodyguard opened the car door for Madeline. The two kids were the first to leap out of the vehicle, and when they saw Michael and Crystal standing at the door, they greeted brightly, ¡°Grandma, Grandpa!¡± ¡°Hello!¡± Crystal beamed and immediately walked up to the children before pulling them into her arms. She smothered one of them with kisses and the other with tight hugs, and even then she didn¡¯t feel like she had shown them enough affection. ¡°Mom, Dad,¡± Madeline greeted when she saw her parents. ¡°Come here, Maddie! I¡¯d like you to meet Nelson.¡± Crystal beckoned her over with a grin and took her hand. Then, she brought her over to the young man standing behind them. ¡°This is my adopted son whom I¡¯ve told you about. His name is Nelson, and he¡¯s in charge of the Wendel Corporation branch here in Dusktown, so he¡¯ll be here for a better part of the year. You can go to him if you need help with anything. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be more than d to help!¡± ¡°Okay, Mom,¡± Madeline replied. Then, she shed Nelson a smile as she greeted, ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Nelson.¡± ¡°Good day, Miss Taylor,¡± Nelson greeted respectfully with a nod. She quickly said, ¡°Just call me Maddie, please. There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me.¡± Nelson smiled at her kindly and said, ¡°Well then, pleasure to meet you, Maddie.¡± ¡°This is nice, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re both such angels,¡± Crystal interjected indulgently as she let go of Madeline¡¯s hand and reached an arm around each of her grandchildren. She had a warm smile on her face as she said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go into the house. I had the kitchen prepare some fruits and snacks for the both of you, so let¡¯s eat while you catch me up on all the interesting stuff that you¡¯ve been through this week!¡± When Joel heard that there was food waiting for him inside the house, he said happily, ¡°I love food!¡± ¡°Well, we did get the fruits and snacks ready for both of you,¡± Crystal said as she lowered her gaze to look at the child lovingly. ¡°You can tell me what food you¡¯d like to have, Buddy, and I¡¯ll have the kitchen pack it for you!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Joel was clearly delighted as he grinned from ear to ear, and it looked like he was going to be happy for the rest of the day. When Michael saw how happy his wife looked, he cheered up as well. He gazed upon his wife, daughter, and grandchildren and felt his heart swell with gratitude and love. After they had all gathered in the living room, Crystal immediately insisted on having her daughter and grandchildren with her on the couch. She turned to Nelson and said, ¡°Nelson, could you please pour Maddie a cup of tea?¡± ¡°Of course, Mom,¡± Nelson responded as he went to promptly pour out a cup of tea. Then, he carried the saucer very carefully as he set it down in front of Madeline. Madeline was just about to rise to take the cup when Crystal stopped her and held her down on the couch. Madeline turned to look at her mother in confusion, only to see that Nelson had walked up to her with a tray in hand. He bowed and held the cup out to her before saying, ¡°Miss Taylor, this is your tea.¡± She gaped at him in shock. She desperately wanted to stand up, but Cyrstal seemed intent on keeping her on the couch. Though exasperated by this, she took the tea reluctantly and took a ginger sip of the hot drink. Then, she ced the cup on its matching saucer before rising to straighten Nelson up. This time, Crystal did not stop her as she helped Nelson straighten up. She held onto his arms as she said, ¡°Please, Nelson, call me Maddie from now on.¡± She knew that the Wendels and the Taylors paid particr attention to one¡¯s decorum. Crystal could say Nelson was an adopted son all she wanted, but he knew his ce in the household was nothing more than that of a servant. His mother had asked him to serve Madeline tea because she wanted to let him know her ce in the household. This was Crystal¡¯s way of making sure he knew that even if Madeline had grown up outside the family, she was still the youngdy of the Wendel Family. As such, Nelson would have to listen to her every word from now on and treat her as his superior. While Madeline was grateful to her parents for having gone to such lengths to reaffirm her ce in this household, she was sure that she would never treat Nelson as a servant. She knew the hardships of being victimized by the likes of Isabel, and as such, she would not dream of inflicting the same pain on others. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 149 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Perfection ¡°Sure.¡± Nelson smiled in response, producing a wooden case from the side before he gave it to Madeline. ¡°Maddie, this is a gift for you. I hope you like it.¡± Upon receiving the wooden case, Madeline opened it and realized there were threeyers in it with a different set of jewelry in each of them. While there was a set of diamond jewelry in the firstyer, the one in the secondyer was a red gem, followed by a blue gem in the thirdyer. Just by taking a quick glimpse of those jewelries, Madeline could tell that each of them cost a fortune. Thus, she said in embarrassment, ¡°Nelson, this is too expensive a gift. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡± Nelson added with a smile, ¡°My mom sent me a picture of you, and it seemed to me that these pieces would fit you just nice, which was why I bought them specially for you. After all, a pretty wearer like you deserves to wear these beautiful jewels more than anyone else does.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nelson.¡± Knowing that it wouldn¡¯t reflect on her if she insisted on rejecting Nelson, Madeline decided to ept the gift. Fortunately, she had also prepared a gift earlier as she took a sophisticated-looking box and gave it to Nelson. ¡°Nelson, here is a gift for you. Please check it out.¡± Deep down, she couldn¡¯t thank Sebastian enough when she looked at the gift since neither of her nor her brothers had ever given each other a present. After all, Sebastian had told Madeline earlier that Nelson would surely present her a gift if he had learned the ropes. Thus, he prepared a diamond watch for Nelson and put it in Madeline¡¯s handbag. In fact, what Sebastian did was foolproof since the situation wouldn¡¯t go wrong either way. If Nelson presented Madeline with a gift, all she had to do was to give him the diamond watch as a gift to return the favor; if Nelson didn¡¯t do so, she could keep the watch and take it back with her. Gosh! If it hadn¡¯t been for Sebastian¡¯s reminder, I wouldn¡¯t even have thought of preparing a gift for Nelson. At the thought of Sebastian¡¯s thoughtfulness, Madeline was especially grateful toward him. At the same time, she readied the diamond watch in her handbag and waited for the right time to give Nelson the diamond watch after thetter gave her a gift. In the meantime, Nelson, who saw the gift from Madeline, extended his arms to receive the box in surprise. Like Madeline did, he opened the case right away in front of the crowd before he was greeted by the sight of a diamond watch lying inside quietly. As followers of thetest fashion trend, all the bystanders were able to tell that the diamond watch was a limited edition under an international brand. While the watch was known to be priceless, there was no amount of money that could be used to buy the premium edition. Although it might just seem to be an ordinary diamond watch, the value it possessed was worth no less than the three sets of jewelries that Nelson gave Madeline. Thus, Nelson was starting to feel thankful toward Madeline and impressed with her capability at the same time, considering the fact that she could afford something so expensive like the watch. With a smile on his face, he immediately took off his watch and put on the new watch that Madeline gave him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this series of 12 watches from a friend, and each of them represents one of the 12 horoscopes. While there are only 12 of them produced andunched globally, each watch, along with the horoscope it represents, is unique and irreceable. Thus, there is no amount of money that one can buy either of them with. My horoscope is a Capricorn, which happens to be the one this watch represents. I¡¯m immensely grateful for this wonderful gift from you, Madeline! Thank you so much!¡± Meanwhile, Crystal was also able to tell that the watch belonged to a premium international brand, but she was taken aback by the unbelievable coincidence. Nelson¡¯s horoscope is a Capricorn, and Madeline¡¯s gift is a watch that symbolizes this horoscope. Well, something tells me she must have done some research on Nelson¡¯s horoscope. How thoughtful and kind my daughter is! Feeling proud of her own daughter, Crystal seized Madeline¡¯s hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s my good girl, Madeline. Nelson, you have no idea how much your sister has missed you. Promise me that you¡¯re going to take good care of your little sister.¡± Nelson smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. I¡¯ll be sure to look after Madeline.¡± At that moment, something came to his mind about the differences between himself and Jake. After all, Nelson was not close with Angie at all. Despite the usible amiability and tenderness that Angie disyed in the Wendel Family, she harbored a strong sense of disdain and contempt for Nelson and Jake as she treated them like her servants instead of her brothers. In fact, even her intimate way of addressing the two men, as if she was addressing her brothers, could not hide her sense of superiority and arrogance. Nheless, Nelson decided to take the moral high ground without ming Angie for that. After all, the fact remained true that Angie was indeed his master and Jake¡¯s. Therefore, he didn¡¯t think he and Jake would harbor a grudge toward Angie for that because he didn¡¯t see anything wrong with the way Angie had always treated them. However, that also meant that they would never be any closer with Angie because all that was left between them was loyalty without love. Now that Angie was no longer a part of the Wendel Family, Nelson didn¡¯t think that it was necessary for them to continue serving her loyally. Without any affectionate feelings toward Angie, they felt no hatred toward Madeline who would rece Angie soon enough, not to mention the fact that Madeline was much more approachable than Angie was. Moreover, Madeline was prettier and more gorgeous than Angie was, apart from her superior capability that was evident in her affordability. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Madeline is such a perfect and thoughtfuldy! Who would have thought that she would do her homework on my horoscope and give me such a wonderful gift! How kind she is! I must take good care of my little sister and make sure nothing harms her in all my power. In the meantime, Madeline was embarrassed by Crystal and Nelson¡¯s tteringpliments, thinking she wouldn¡¯t have known about the reason behind presenting the watch as a gift if Nelson hadn¡¯t been so specific. Sebastian is so thoughtful! Not only did he help me prepare a gift for Nelson, he also prepared an unforgettable and special one. Gosh! He is so perfect! Soon, Madeline recalled the previous moments in which she was with Sebastian whenever she hit a snag as she started to realize in hindsight that Sebastian seemingly had everything under control. No matter what happens, he always seems to have a solution to it. It¡¯s my first time ever running into someone so perfect and strong. Moreover, he also treats me and my sons very caringly. How can there be someone so perfect and wless like this man? At the thought of that, Madeline¡¯s heart pounded a million times faster as she became worried that she would fall in love with Sebastian if the man continued to treat her sons like his own. Thus, Madeline didn¡¯t dare to think about it anymore because she didn¡¯t think she deserved to be Sebastian¡¯s soulmate. Sebastian deserves the best woman in the world. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll meet someone else as perfect as he is and fall in love with her at first sight or after knowing each other for some time. By then, I¡¯ll just be the odd person out. Disheartened by the thought of that, thedy patted her chest and took a deep breath. At the same time, she told herself not to be greedy because her job was to make as much money as she could and look after her two sons. For that, she didn¡¯t think she should be concerned about her rtionship status, believing that was something that only maidens should worry about. I¡¯m already a mother of two, so romance and love are none of my business. I only have one job, and that is to raise my kids! ¡°Maddie? Maddie?¡± Crystal shed her hand right in front of Madeline. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 150 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 150 Chapter 150 On the Brink of Death ¡°Yeah?¡± Madeline snapped out of her trance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Crystal then asked, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? You were so caught in your thoughts that you didn¡¯t hear me calling out to you several times.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Madeline responded, her cheeks blushing. ¡°What¡¯s the matter by the way, Mom?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Crystal seized her daughter¡¯s hand and replied, ¡°I want to ask you about visiting Cameron in the detention center. Your dad pulled all the strings he could to get us in, and we can drop by for a visitter in the morning. Would you like toe with us?¡± Madeline reacted with a brief silence before she nodded and said, ¡°Sure, Mom. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Deep down, Madeline wanted to meet up with Cameron too. After all, she knew Crystal couldn¡¯t wait to vent out her anger on thedy in the detention center. Since she knew that seeing Cameron was the only way for her mother to find peace within herself, Madeline couldn¡¯t think of a reason not to visit the detention center. Therefore, she decided to go ahead and meet up with Cameron, wanting to hear what thetter had to say. I wonder whether Cameron will regret swapping me with Angie. Is she going to be overwhelmed by her guilt, or is she going to bite our heads off and feel no remorse? ¡°Good.¡± Crystal wrapped her fingers around Madeline¡¯s palm, gritting her teeth while speaking vengefully, ¡°If your grandfather hadn¡¯t made me swear not to act against her, I would have tortured and killed her myself!¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . At that moment, Crystal was reminded of her father whose kindness was taken advantage of by Cameron¡¯s mother before she gave birth to Cameron, but even so, Crystal¡¯s father still treated Cameron with love and kindness. In fact, he even wished Cameron could live a happy life forever by forbidding Crystal and her brothers to go after her. Unfortunately, the kindness of Crystal¡¯s father was not repaid with appreciation and gratitude, leaving Crystal heartbroken and disappointed when she discovered that Cameron was even more wicked than her merciless mother. My brothers and I didn¡¯t have to do a single thing to take Cameron down, but instead, she got herself into trouble and ended up behind bars. ¡°Mom, Grandpa just didn¡¯t want your hands to get dirty because he loved you.¡± Madeline could see through her mother¡¯s resentment toward her grandfather. Thus, she tried tofort Crystal and alleviate her frustration. ¡°I heard from my uncles that you used to be Grandpa¡¯s favorite child. The reason he didn¡¯t want you to go after Cameron was not because he was trying to protect her. Instead, he was trying to protect you.¡± Crystal responded with silence and smiled. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. I would have gotten my hands dirty if I had to take her out myself. If I was the one who broke thew, I could be in Cameron¡¯s ce instead, spending my days behind bars. Your grandpa knew it well that my impulse could easily get the better of me, so he made me swear not to do anything to Cameron to keep me from going astray. Thus, you¡¯re right. I was your grandfather¡¯s favorite child.¡± At the thought of how Cameron and her mother set them up, Crystal¡¯s exasperation immediately surged through her and gnawed at her rationality. The longer Crystal dwelled on that matter, the angrier and madder she felt. Therefore, she stood up and suggested that they should set out. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the detention center, shall we?¡± Crystal¡¯s words revealed just how desperate she wanted to meet Cameron in person. At the same time, Crystal felt a strong urge to lecture the former even though she couldn¡¯t give her a p in the face or kill her by herself; she felt that doing that would perhaps help her find some peace on the inside. On the other hand, Michael had no objection about Crystal¡¯s n as Nelson and Madeline felt the same way. Soon, the few of them left Wendel House and made their way to the detention center. Since Michael had already sent his people to the ce ahead to deal with the necessary procedures, it didn¡¯t take them long before they got to meet Cameron. When Cameron came into view, she was seen wearing her prison uniform with her hair cut short. Unlike her favorite curly hair that was running down to her shoulders, her hair was now a few inches shorter than it previously was. At the same time, her hands and legs were both cuffed as her wrinkles filled the saggy skin on her face, apanied by dark circles. Although she was about Crystal¡¯s age, Crystal looked ageless as if she was merely in her thirties while Cameron seemed just like a middle-aged woman in her fifties. The moment she saw Crystal along with Michael, Madeline, and Nelson entering the detention center, she tried to stand up behind the table, only to be restrained by the warden with her hands on her shoulders. ¡°Sit still!¡± Thus, Cameron could only remain seated without moving a muscle, and she red at Crystal in a grudgeful manner. ¡°What¡¯s your purpose for visiting? Are you here to gloat?¡± ¡°You know what? You¡¯re right. I¡¯m here to gloat over your misery!¡± Crystal sat right opposite Cameron and jutted her chin, gazing at her with disdain and contempt. ¡°What goes aroundes around, Cameron! The jail is the only ce that is meant for someone so scheming like you! As you can see, you¡¯ve failed to get what you wanted in the end!¡± Cameron clenched her fists unhappily, and a grudge filled her mind and soul. ¡°What are you gloating about? You always act like you¡¯re above everybody else, but don¡¯t you find it embarrassing for having failed to protect your daughter?¡± She glimpsed Madeline and smiled contemptuously. ¡°Your daughter may look like a decentdy now, but did you know that she used to look like my dog? When I told her to kneel down, she sank down to her knees as I said; when I told her to p herself in the face, she kneeled down before my feet and spanked herself repeatedly. When she failed to make me happy, I knocked her down and put my foot on her face to make her apologize to me. She¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Before Cameron could finish her sentence, Crystal sumbed to her overwhelming anger that prompted her to stand on her feet and grabbed the former¡¯s hair just before giving her a few ps in the face. However, Crystal showed no signs of stopping what she was going to do as she grabbed Cameron¡¯s hair and dragged her away, whereupon she knocked her down and put her foot on her belly. ¡°This is the price you¡¯re going to have to pay for having bullied my daughter! I¡¯m going to beat you to death right here!¡± As a well-educated woman, Crystal was hardly capable of any demeaning verbal insults. Thus, she directed her anger at Cameron by repeatedly stomping Cameron¡¯s body and face, refusing to tolerate a single word that Cameron just said. On the other hand, the warden, who was watching aside, couldn¡¯t help but criticize Cameron¡¯s character after hearing the words that came out of her mouth. Thus, she was gleeful to see Crystal roughing her up. Although she was bound by her duty to make attempts in stopping Crystal from pressing ahead with her violence, she didn¡¯t try hard to make sure the job was done. In fact, she was even shoved away by the furious Crystal a few times in the process. It wasn¡¯t until it seemed to her that Cameron had suffered enough that she decided to step in and separate Cameron from Crystal. After all, the warden¡¯s job could be jeopardized if Cameron was found with internal injuries as a result of Crystal¡¯s brutal beating. Meanwhile, Cameron was seen curling up and wrapping her head with her arms in pain. Although Crystal¡¯s beating wasn¡¯t as devastating as expected due to her usual poor health, Cameron¡¯s old injuries that were inflicted by her cellmates only added to her agony. Ever since she was locked up, she found herself in a living hell, in which she was tormented by her cellmates every single day. Deep down, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was Michael and Crystal who bribed those inmates to give her a hard time. Not only did they beat her up and take her meal away, they also pressed her against the toilet bowl and humiliated her by forcing her to drink the water in it. Besides, they harassed her in her sleep at night by tying her limbs up, making her kneel on her knees until dawn. No! I can¡¯t take this anymore! I¡¯ve had enough of this! Despite Cameron¡¯s reluctance to show weakness in front of Crystal due to their long history of rivalry, she somehow lost all her willpower to stand her ground and pathetically crawled toward Madeline¡¯s feet before grabbing her trouser legs. ¡°Maddie¡­ please save me! Please save your mother, Maddie!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 151 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 151 Chapter 151 No Match for Dan ¡°Get lost!¡± Crystal swung her foot at Cameron. ¡°Take your hands off my daughter! Maddie is my daughter, which means I am her mother! Who are you to call yourself her mother?!¡± Thedy then angrily grabbed Cameron by the cor and pped her face repeatedly. ¡°Who are you to call my daughter Maddie? After all the suffering you put my daughter through, I wish I could just skin you alive!¡± In the meantime, Cameron was moaning and screaming in pain, enduring Crystal¡¯s beating while screaming for Madeline¡¯s name. ¡°Save me, Maddie! No matter what this woman says, I¡¯m still your mother who raised you up all those years even though I may only be your foster mother. For old times¡¯ sake, help me!¡± On the other hand, Madeline stood behind Crystal and looked at Cameron cially, amused by her ridiculous words. What makes thisdy think she is entitled to the credit of having raised me up as her foster mother? As far as I can remember, she never treated me with love and care just like how she described the way she treated me moments ago. All I ever endured from her was humiliation, abuse, and mistreatment. When Roy and Roxanne were still alive during Madeline¡¯s childhood, they had no idea that Madeline was actually not the biological daughter of their son, Xander, and Cameron. While the old couple had always wanted to have a grandson instead of a granddaughter, Cameron had abused Madeline for the very same reason because she was not her son. Instead, she was a daughter. Although what Cameron had done to the poor Madeline was sometimes deemed to be uneptable, Roy and Roxanne had never cast a doubt on Madeline¡¯s biological link with Cameron and Xander. Nheless, Roy and Roxanne eventually had enough of Madeline¡¯s misery at the hands of Cameron, so they decided to take her back home with them. For the next twenty years, the Colt Manor became a haven where Madeline had finally gotten to enjoy some peaceful moments. Although Cameron had asionally swung by and given her a hard time, the days she had spent together with Roy and Roxanne helped build a bond between them. Thus, the old couple naturally stood up for Madeline whenever Cameron tried to get physical with her, and they even lectured her to treat her own daughter better. After a few heated encounters, Cameron decided to stop seeking trouble with Madeline out of fear that Roy and Roxanne would get a sniff of her secret. However, things took a turn for the worse when Madeline turned nine years old¡ªthat was when Roy and Roxanne passed away. After that, she was taken back to the Colt Residence where she was tortured by Cameron for the subsequent year just as Xander met another woman and dumped Cameron. Since Xander¡¯s wife was a cranky socialite who was known for her hot temper, the man refused to pursue Madeline¡¯s custody right and even made Cameron take her away with her. At the same time, there was nothing that Cameron could do to make Xander and his wife yield, so she was forced to file a divorce with him and leave the Colt Family. Shortly after that, Madeline was cast away from Cameron who was broke as she found herself wandering aimlesslyter that night. While she was thinking of visiting her schoolmate whom she thought could put her up, she was then dragged into a dark alley by a few thugs, but fortunately, fate showed her pity when Dan happened to pass by and saved her life before he took her into the Taylor Family. Not long after that, Cameron visited the Taylor Residence and demanded Madeline to be given back to her, only to be turned away by Dan. Although Dan was just a little brat at that time, his superior status as the Taylor Family¡¯s second son gave him an absolute advantage over Cameron who was a woman abandoned by the Colt Family. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Thus, Dan easily won their hostile encounter hands down. Furthermore, Dan was not someone to be trifled with, not to mention his courage and fearlessness. Therefore, neither of Cameron¡¯s tricks worked against Dan. In fact, Cameron was always the one who ended up on the losing end every time she shed with Dan. After several defeats at the hands of Dan, she eventually came to realize that she was no match for Dan and was unable to take Madeline away from the Taylor Family. Then, when Dan threatened to make Cameron suffer should she ever mess with Madeline again, she finally gave up the idea of coming after Madeline and decided to leave her alone. Although Madeline¡¯s subsequent life in the Taylor Family wasn¡¯t exactly a cozy one either, she managed to survive and even gave birth to two sons. Therefore, she had no doubt that she would have died a long time ago if Dan hadn¡¯t saved her or taken her away from Cameron. Because of that, Madeline couldn¡¯t help but find Cameron¡¯s words absurd when she tried to im credit for raising her up. How funny! Soon, Crystal was pulled away by the warden as thetter restrained Cameron on the chair and politely said, ¡°Mrs. Wendel, I sympathize with your situation, but I need you to stop acting violently. Otherwise, there will be consequences for me.¡± Crystal took a deep breath and suppressed her murderous urge, apologetically smiling at the warden. ¡°My apologies. I shall keep a cool head right now.¡± The warden reacted with a silent smile, knowing thews of karma better than anyone due to the nature of her job. Since she was able to empathize with Crystal¡¯s situation, she reckoned she might even overreact more dramatically if she was in her ce. In the meantime, Madeline patted Crystal¡¯s arm and walked closer to Cameron, sitting down opposite her. ¡°I¡¯m not your daughter. My father¡¯s name is Michael Wendel, and my mother¡¯s name is Crystal Taylor. I¡¯m the daughter of these two people, not yours. Your daughter¡¯s name is Angie Wendel, and she has now been sent to the Colt Family by my parents¡­¡± She then looked Cameron in the eye with a smirk. ¡°Your biological daughter, Angie Colt, is now in Dusktown. Has she ever bothered to visit you here?¡± ¡°How dare you, Madeline?!¡± Cameron felt so mad that she wanted to rise on her feet, only to feel pressure on her shoulders as the warden made her sit back down. ¡°Behave yourself!¡± the warden yelled. Meanwhile, Cameron struggled to suppress her anger despite the overwhelming pain, and her eyes nearly cked out. At the same time, she mped the table with her hands while ring at Madeline like a hungry beast. ¡°How dare you treat my daughter like that?! You¡­¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± Madeline raised her eyebrows and looked at Cameron. ¡°I belong with my parents while Angie belongs with Xander. Isn¡¯t it right for her to return to the Colt Family?¡± ¡°You¡­ How could you?!¡± Cameron was speechless, unable to dispute the fact that Madeline just pointed out. She then turned her attention to Michael and Crystal before shouting at them, ¡°Both of you! Where is your conscience?! Angie has been treating you both as her parents for thest twenty years, so how could you two just abandon her like that? After all these years that you all spent together, don¡¯t you love her at all?! Are you people even humans?!¡± In fact, Michael and Crystal¡¯s love for Angie still remained within them before they met up with Cameron, but after the conversation they just had, their love for Angie simply faded. In that instant, Cameron began to feel worried that Michael and Crystal would extend their grudge to Angie because of their personal vendetta. Deep down, Cameron was counting on the couple to treat Angie better so that her wish coulde true. If they can treat Angie as their own daughter, I¡¯m going to be so happy, but why would they want to make me happy now? At that moment, Cameron realized there was no way Michael and Crystal would grant her wish after the wicked and intolerable things she had done. Oh, dear! They¡¯re going to make sure I suffer as much as possible until the day I die. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 152 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Cameron¡¯s Wishful Thinking No, they are not going to treat Angie kindly like they did before. After all, Angie is now part of the Wendels. Thinking that Angie was now her daughter and Xander¡¯s, Cameron was struck by her own fear about the worst case scenario¡ªthe broken tie between Angie and the Taylor Family. ¡°I would stop having those pipe dreams if I were you!¡± Crystal red at Cameron with a cold piercing gaze, and it felt like sharp des that plunged through thetter¡¯s skin. ¡°Raising your b*stard child for you and Xander is the most disgusting thing I have ever done! She better not show up in front of me ever again. If she does, I¡¯m going to beat her up every time I see her just like the way you treated my daughter years ago!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Cameron shouted, ¡°Are you even human, Crystal?! Angie is innocent! After all those years in which she treated you as her mother, how could you just disregard the moments you both once shared together and turn against her? Where is your heart?!¡± ¡°You have the audacity to talk to me about conscience, eh? I thought you were aplete stranger to conscience.¡± Crystal smiled coldly and added, ¡°You abused and tried to get my daughter killed, so do you seriously think I¡¯m going to treat your daughter with kindness? Just wait and see, Cameron! I¡¯ll make sure your daughter suffers a fate worse than mine right now!¡± Little did Cameron know that Crystal was actually saying those words to pique her. After all, she was nothing like Cameron and the most she could do was to stop treating Angie kindly like she used to. While Crystal couldn¡¯t bring herself to do Angie any harm, she wanted to scare Cameron with her false threats to make sure Cameron lived in fear. Seeing you suffer is an absolute sight for sore eyes to me, Cameron! However, Cameron took Crystal¡¯s fake scare seriously as her petty and wicked nature prompted her to draw her own conclusions with Crystal¡¯s words. Thedy was on the verge of going mad as she tried to stand up once again, only to be restrained by the warden. She then gave Crystal an evil stare with a horrible expression on her face while she bellowed intimidatingly, ¡°If you ever dare toy a finger on my daughter, I swear I will haunt you even in death, Crystal!¡± Deep down, swapping Angie¡¯s ce with Madeline¡¯s was the proudest thing Cameron had ever done in her life. After all, she was an illegitimate daughter herself as she was constantly governed by contemptuous judgment and disdainful insults. While Cameron and Crystal were both sisters with the same father, Crystal was always the one who received all the spotlight and attention, but Cameron, on the other hand, had to live like a rat in the sewer without anyone else¡¯s respect. Why is it so unfair to me?! We¡¯re both daughters of our father, but why does Crystal get to be the gorgeousdy and have everything she ever wants in her life while I get looked down upon?! This doesn¡¯t seem fair at all! Despite her frustration, Cameron had quickly recognized her inability to change her fate as she begrudgingly admitted Crystal¡¯s superior status over hers. Therefore, she did everything she could in her power and swapped Crystal¡¯s daughter with hers so that Angie could take Madeline¡¯s rightful ce and enjoy thefort and wealth the Wendel Family could provide her. While Cameron had faced countless failures in her life, swapping Madeline¡¯s ce with Angie¡¯s was the one right thing she deemed she had done well. After all, she had managed to disgrace Crystal¡¯s daughter with her illegitimate origin by bing Madeline¡¯s mother. Although Madeline was subsequently taken in by the Taylor Family, she still had to live her life like a servant while Angie was the apple of the eye in the Wendel Family. At the thought of that, Cameron couldn¡¯t help but feel any happier about the greatest achievement in her life. Nevertheless, Cameron was disappointed when she realized her n was about to be thwarted after her daughter¡¯s actual identity was discovered. What was worse was that Cameron couldn¡¯t believe that Crystal would harden her heart and cast her away from the Wendel Family, even threatening to retaliate on her despite the moments she had shared with Angie in the past two decades. Am I truly destined to be a failure? I want to beat Crystal! Thinking about Angie and Madeline¡¯s earlier fate, she considered her n a sess and a victory for herself. While you helped raise my daughter up, I was busy torturing your daughter, Crystal! Nheless, now that Cameron knew her victory was about to slip away from her fingers, her heart felt like it was burning so much that she would die in the next second. As she clenched her fists, she mmed the table hard and said, ¡°You raised Angie up, Crystal! If youy a finger on her, you¡¯ll be nothing like an animal, and you¡¯re going to get what¡¯sing to you!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have to do that.¡± Crystal coldly continued, ¡°Like mother, like daughter¡ªthis is why you and your daughter are two worthlessdies with no sense of shame at all. Take your daughter for an example; I can¡¯t believe she repaid Nichs¡¯ kindness by trying to make love with him and forcing him to marry her, but unfortunately, Nichs has fallen for someone else and would never marry her. Therefore, she lost her virginity and failed to get what she wanted not long before she was roughed up by Nichs and his mother. In the end, she was sent away by them to the Colt Residence¡­¡± She coldly smiled and added, ¡°I heard that Xander¡¯s wife is a feisty tigress, so how do you think she is going to treat a promiscuousdy like Angie?¡± ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± Cameron¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she was on the verge of losing her sanity. She was then seen wildly mming the table as she screamed in a loud voice and said, ¡°Crystal, you mustn¡¯t do that to Angie! You can¡¯t do that! You can¡¯t!¡± In fact, Cameron initially thought that someone as kind as Crystal would continue to treat Angie well even after discovering her actual identity, considering the moments they shared together in thest twenty years and her reputation. Deep down, she was even looking forward to witnessing Crystal¡¯sText content ? N?velDrama.Org. disappointment upon finding out that the daughter whom Crystal had spent twenty years raising up was actually hers. Since she believed that Crystal would be devastated by the truth, Cameron took her sister¡¯s kindness for granted as she reckoned Crystal would continue to treat Angie well for the sake of their bond and her own reputation. Nevertheless, things took an unexpected turn when Crystal, whom Cameron had thought was always too kind, decided to send Angie away from the Taylor Family to the Colt Family. Since she was also aware of the cranky temper of Xander¡¯s wife, she didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen to her daughter when Angie arrived at the Colt Residence. Angie is the only daughter I have, and I put all my hopes in her to give us both a better life. Having swapped Angie¡¯s ce with Madeline¡¯s in the Wendel Family, Cameron was hoping that would give her daughter a head start in marrying into a family even more prestigious than Wendels. When the dust settled, she would tell Crystal the shocking truth about Angie¡¯s actual identity and reveal to her that she, Cameron, was Angie¡¯s mother. As for Crystal¡¯s biological daughter, she would probably be living in the Taylor Family like a servant, which Cameron believed would break Crystal¡¯s heart and scar her for the rest of her life. By then, she would have won her battle against Crystal, but in reality, she lost everything, including herst hope. ¡°You b*tch, Crystal! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Cameron sumbed to her hatred and vengeance, rising to her feet as she shoved the warden behind her before charging at the woman. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 153 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 153 Chapter 153 That Word Disgusts Me Just as Michael and the rest were about to stand in front of Crystal, they were shoved away by thedy herself. She thennded a kick on Cameron¡¯s belly, sending her staggering backward before she copsed onto the ground. After that, she walked up to Cameron and put her foot on thetter¡¯s chest while looking down with her eyes fixed on her face. ¡°Cameron, your daughter is going to be like you for the rest of her life; no one who is going to respect her. Meanwhile, what about my daughter?¡± Crystal beckoned Madeline over and seized her hand, proudly revealing a smile. ¡°Take a closer look, Crystal! This is my daughter, Maddie! Do you know whose kids Quincy and Joel are? They are Mr. Hart¡¯s sons. That¡¯s right, the man from the prestigious Hart Family in Dusktown¡ªSebastian Hart! My daughter is married to Mr. Hart, and Quincy and Joel will be the Hart Family¡¯s rightful heirs. Therefore, Maddie is going to live the rest of her life in comfort and wealth while your daughter will never get anywhere close to my daughter¡¯s status!¡± Soon, Crystal tipped her toes and applied pressure on Cameron¡¯s chest, squinting and mocking the latter. ¡°How pathetic you are, Cameron! You spent your whole life plotting against us for your daughter, but in the end, my daughter has thestugh as she is now the apple of everyone¡¯s eye¡ªin fact, she¡¯s just like me. On the other hand, your daughter is going to be like you, a trash beneath everyone¡¯s feet.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No way! No!¡± Cameron pped Crystal¡¯s foot with all the strength she had left in her. She yelled while shaking her head wildly, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me! This isn¡¯t possible!¡± There is no way that those two b*stards, Quincy and Joel, are the Hart Family¡¯s heirs! After all, they were just the illegitimate sons that Madeline bore in order to save Sam. ¡°You¡¯re a liar! I¡¯m sure you¡¯re lying!¡± Her eyes turned red, and it seemed as though they were going to pop out of their eye sockets. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± Crystal bent over and looked at her with a gleeful smile. ¡°You¡¯re so pathetic, Cameron. You¡¯ve been scheming your whole life, but you achieved nothing in the end. Instead, your n changed my daughter¡¯s life and helped her marry into the prestigious Hart Family. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m capable of finding a good husband for my daughter either even if I was going to be in charge. Thus, I must say that I have you to thank for plotting against my daughter; if it weren¡¯t for you, she wouldn¡¯t have be a part of the Hart Family now.¡± Nheless, Crystal didn¡¯t feel that way deep down. Instead of having Madeline marry into the Hart Family, she wished that her daughter could marry into a modest family so that they could stand up for her should her husband ever mistreat her one day. However, the Hart Family was too much of a match for the Wendel Family to handle. Therefore, if Madeline was ever mistreated by anyone in the Hart Family, the most they could do was to bring her back to them and provide her a haven offort. After all, they didn¡¯t have what it would take to retaliate on the Hart Family. For that, Crystal was especially anxious when she realized there was little the Wendel Family could do to stand up for Madeline if the Hart Family did her daughter wrong. Thus, she wished for Madeline to marry into a modest family instead so that the Wendel Family could protect her better. Nevertheless, it was toote for Crystal to do anything. After all, Madeline was already the Hart Family¡¯s daughter-inw when the mother and daughter reunited. Although Crystal didn¡¯t think the Hart Family was where Madeline belonged with, she refused to reveal her true feelings in the face of Cameron, misleading thetter into thinking that she was satisfied with her son-inw. Needless to say, it didn¡¯t ur to Cameron that way as she didn¡¯t share the same concern as Crystal had. Knowing Cameron would only feel jealous of herself and her daughter, Crystal was sure the former would be suffocated by her own hatred and jealousy, which was exactly what she wanted to see. On the other hand, Cameron was about to lose her mind, wondering why her fate was ying a joke with her. Howe Madeline¡¯s b*stard sons were born into the Hart Family in Dusktown? In fact, she¡¯s now guaranteed a wealthy life because of her sons, as well as her marriage with Mr. Hart. No! No way! Madeline is living a better life than Crystal. She¡¯s gotten a better husband for herself than her mother did. No! How is this fair?! As she med her own fate, Cameron kepet asking herself what she had done wrong to deserve so much suffering while dragging her daughter down with her. In the meantime, her jealousy prompted her to resent Crystal and Madeline for living a better life than her. ¡°I will kill you! I swear I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± She struggled wildly with tears rolling down her cheeks, feeling as if her organs were burning on the inside like she was suffering a fate worse than death. Meanwhile, Crystal continued to make sure Cameron stayed beneath her foot. ¡°You know what, Cameron? You have yourself to me for how you end up today. I promised Dad not to do anything to you as long as you mind your own business. You could have lived a happy life with Xander; he would have at least made sure you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about making a living even if your life might not be exactlyfortable, but you¡ªyou threw away all that and put yourself in your current miserable state!¡± Then, she tiptoed and put pressure on Cameron¡¯s body with a sneer on her face. ¡°How does it feel to be behind bars anyway? How do you feel sharing the same cell with a few other inmates?¡± Then, Crystal moved closer to Cameron¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°This is just the beginning, Cameron! I¡¯m going to make sure you spend the rest of your life in jail.¡± ¡°No! No way!¡± Cameron was seen with her eyes wide open in horror. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Crystal! You mustn¡¯t do that to me. I¡¯m your sister! You¡¯re going to get what¡¯sing to you for treating your sister that way!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get what¡¯sing to me?¡± Crystal smiled cially. ¡°You know what? If someone is going to get what¡¯sing to her, it¡¯s going to be you who gets it first!¡± Thedy smiled contemptuously and bent over, leaning closer to Cameron¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to send your daughter here to keep youpany. By then, you will no longer feel lonely anymore.¡± ¡°No! No! You can¡¯t do that! You mustn¡¯t do that!¡± Cameron shook her head wildly, screaming at the top of her lungs like she had finallye to realize her mistakes. The next moment, she hugged Crystal¡¯s foot and sobbed pathetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Crystal! It was all my fault! Please! Please show me mercy! After all, you promised Dad that you will leave me alone and let me live a peaceful life, so you mustn¡¯t go back on your word. Just let me go, Crystal. Get me out of here. I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer! Please help me and spare Angie. You can¡¯t do that to her. She is your daughter whom you¡¯ve raised for the past twenty years.¡± ¡°Are you calling me your sister?¡± Crystal stomped Cameron¡¯s face hard with her foot repeatedly. ¡°Do you know how much that word disgusts me?!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Cameron screamed in agony as she shoved Crystal away. In that instant, the warden came closer and stood between Cameron and Crystal, whom she reluctantly told to stop. ¡°Mrs. Wendel, you¡¯re making things difficult for me here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Crystal apologetically nodded. ¡°I apologize for the trouble I just brought you, but if your superior insists on holding you responsible, you can always contact mywyer. I¡¯m more than willing to take full responsibility for what might happen.¡± The warden shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s about time now. Look.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 154 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Cruel Fate Crystal nodded. ¡°Alright, we should go now. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble we were causing you.¡± After meeting up with Cameron, Crystal was d that she was able to vent her anger out on the former, although her anger was still gnawing at her mind. I guess I finally understand why some people would gloat over the misery of the others. It all makes sense now. Feeling gleeful to see Cameron¡¯s miserable state, Crystal seized Madeline¡¯s hand and walked away happily. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Maddie.¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t go!¡± Cameron shouted behind thedies. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me here, Maddie! Save your mother! Get me out of here!¡± However, Madeline only looked back and gazed at Cameron calmly with a gaze that was filled with neither vengeance nor rage. When Cameron noticed Madeline¡¯s eyes, she grew even madder because that was the expression that only happy women had. Then, she was reminded of those eyes on Crystal¡¯s face when she used to be their father and brother¡¯s favorite. Not long after that, Crystal received even more spotlight when she married Michael, who was a loving husband. Crystal¡¯s eyes have always been so pure and morous, yet I will never be able to look the way she does. This is all thanks to fate! Crystal gets all the good stuff in life, but I get nothing at all. Nevertheless, Cameron was devastated when she came to think how her fate had pulled a prank on her. After all, her daughter failed to live afortable and wealthy life despite her meticulous scheme. On the other hand, Madeline inherited Crystal¡¯s pure eyes as she didn¡¯t have to work her way to get the life she wanted like Cameron did. No! This shouldn¡¯t be the way things end up! I set Madeline up by bing her mother, who is an illegitimate child herself, so that I could make sure she gets treated like a rat in the dirt; she should¡¯ve been just like the younger me. Why didn¡¯t it turn out the way I nned for Maddie, though? Why didn¡¯t she be a poor and despicable woman? No! This is not how it works! This is not how it works!ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Madeline! Madeline!¡± Cameron screamed maniacally, ¡°Stop right there and get back here! You¡¯re my daughter, so you must repay your debt to your mother! You¡¯re going to get what¡¯sing to you if you don¡¯t treat me right! You¡¯re going to die a horrible death! You will die a horrible death!¡± Deep down, Cameron wished Madeline could rescue her for their old times¡¯ sake. After all, if Madeline was willing to treat her as her own mother, not only would she be able to leave the ce, she would do something to turn Madeline against her own parents. If Madeline still cared for her foster mother, Cameron believed Madeline would stand up for her even if Crystal and Michael wanted her behind bars, which would lead to a standstill between thedy and her parents, unlike the heartwarming scene she just saw. Unfortunately for Cameron, none of her ns ever worked out sessfully. Damn you, Madeline! How can you abandon your foster mother after reuniting with your biological parents? No matter how hard Madeline tried to scream to get Madeline¡¯s attention, thetter never looked back again. Thus, she copsed onto the ground in despair and rapidly mmed the ground whileining, ¡°No! This is not how it should be! This is not how it should be!¡± Deep down, Cameron¡¯s n was to have Angie take over Madeline¡¯s ce so that her daughter could enjoy endless wealth andfort while Madeline would suffer from disrespect and insults just like her. When Crystal grew old and was about to die, she would tell her about the secret and gloat over the regretful look on her face. While that fantasy had shed her mind countless times, Cameron would always feel euphoric every time she thought about that, but sadly for her, she never got to see it happen in reality. After all, Crystal had long discovered the truth and taken Madeline back home with her. From that point onward, Madeline began to live a decent and happy life as part of the Wendel Family. On the other hand, Angie was back to the life she rightfully belonged to as she was taken to the Colt Residence, where her fate remained unknown. Why is fate so unfair and cruel to me? What have I done to deserve a joke like this?! I hate it! I hate this! As she felt anger surge through her, Angie painfully grouped her chest and wished she could just die instead. In the meantime, Michael was seen wrapping his arm around his wife¡¯s shoulder while Crystal was holding Madeline¡¯s hand. When the three of them stepped out of the building, they were instantly greeted by the bright sunshine that shone on them. Then, Michael titled his head and pinched Crystal¡¯s shoulder, admiring his wife¡¯s beautiful looks. ¡°Well, everything is finally over, so let¡¯s start afresh now. We¡¯re going to live together as a family and never leave each other¡¯s side again.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Crystal seized Madeline¡¯s hand tightly and coyly said, ¡°Our daughter is going to visit the Hart Familyter in the afternoon.¡± Upon witnessing Cameron¡¯s pathetic state, Crystal finally lightened up a little. However, she was still slightly bothered by the fact that Madeline would be away from her because she was already married to Sebastian. For that, she couldn¡¯t help but wish that Madeline was just a ten-year-old girl whom she could love and keep by her side all the time. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Michael shot a gaze at Madeline and forced a smile. ¡°Well, we¡¯re always together in our hearts even though she may not always be by our side. We have Nichs in Wendel City, and since he is so capable, there is nothing much for us to worry about there. If you want to spend more time with Maddie, I guess we could stay in Elsenburg a little longer. Our subsidiarypany in Dusktown is the most important branch after the headquarters in Wendel, so I guess it won¡¯t make much of a difference for us to stay here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Crystal¡¯s eyes lit up as she seized Madeline¡¯s hand. ¡°Maddie, what do you say if your dad and I stay here for a little longer?¡± Before Madeline could reply, she turned her attention to Michael and said, ¡°Wait a second. I think we might as well just live here permanently since Dusktown is so much more developed than Wendel is. Besides, Joseph is here, and Connor is about toe here soon, so why don¡¯t we shift ourpany to Dusktown as well?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Michael bitterly replied, ¡°Our father¡­¡± At that moment, Crystal snapped out of her trance and said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Since Wendel Corporation is based in Wendel City, shifting thepany is no trivial matter, and I think there should be proper nning about that.¡± Since she knew that her father-inw was still around, Madeline understood that Michael was too kind to leave him behind and move to Dusktown. While everyone else knew that Michael had always obeyed Crystal¡¯s every wish, only thedy knew it herself that she mustn¡¯t take her husband¡¯s kindness for granted, or their rtionship could take a turn for the worse. On the other hand, the reason Michael always went along with Crystal was because he knew she was understanding and would never do anything to make things difficult for him. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 155 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 155 Chapter 155 An Appeal for Sympathy Moving, for example, was one of those things. Crystal wanted the entire family to move over to Dusktown so that she could be with her daughter all the time, but Michael thought that would be unsuitable considering Robert¡¯s old age. He had good reason, and that was why she had given up on the idea of moving andpromised with him instead. Michael was touched to know that Crystal didn¡¯t need much persuading to see eye-to-eye with him, and he felt certain that there was no other woman as wonderful as her. Crystal had given him four sons and a daughter throughout their marriage. All four of their sons were kind and responsible young men who took care of their mother and obeyed her more than they listened to Michael. If she had insisted on moving over to Dusktown, the boys would undoubtedly go along with her n as well. If that came to pass, then Michael would be left all alone in Wendel City with Robert! At the thought of that, he wrapped an arm around Crystal¡¯s shoulders and murmured softly in her ear, ¡°You¡¯re the best, darling.¡± ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± Crystal said with augh as she shoved him aside. She flushed as she nced over at Nelson and Madeline before she warned, ¡°The kids are still here.¡± Madeline pursed her lips as she smiled warmly at her mother. She liked her parents a lot; they had treated Quincy and Joel with unconditional love and kindness, and they were also happily and enviably in love with each other. Theirs was a wonderful rtionship that could only be associated with positive terms. Growing old together seemed to be Michael and Crystal¡¯s goal, and forever and always was a term created for the likes of them. They were a match made in heaven and nothing could separate them. Indeed, Madeline saw them as a live embodiment of such fairytale concepts. When her parents were together, Madeline allowed herself to believe in true love and evesting marriage. If she could have what they did to look forward to in the future, it would be her wildest dreamse true. Can I really have what they have, though? At the thought of this, she couldn¡¯t help thinking about Sebastian. She and Sebastian could be on this journey for an indefinite period of time, but there was no telling when it woulde to an end. Presently, they walked up to the car while exchanging funny anecdotes with one another. When they were halfway to the car, they saw another vehicle pull a stop near them. The car door opened, and it was a bodyguard who got out first, thereafter opening the door to the backseat for the passenger. At that moment, a woman in her forties emerged from the car. She was tall, standing at around five- feet-seven, and while she wasn¡¯t plump in any way, her height gave others the impression that she was a well-built woman. Crystal recognized her immediately. The woman who had gotten down from the car was none other than Xander¡¯s current wife, Amelia. At the sight of Michael and Crystal, Amelia smiled at them warmly as she greeted, ¡°President Wendel, Mrs. Wendel, what a coincidence.¡± Crystal stopped in her tracks and shed the woman the barest hint of a smile that did not reach her eyes. ¡°What a coincidence, indeed.¡± Her tone belied her skepticism. She feared that running into Amelia while they were still so close by the incarceration facility was not so much a coincidence as it was a result of the woman asking someone to spy on them. She had found out that Crystal was here to see Cameron, and she had decided toe by to badger her. Amelia was still beaming as she asked, ¡°Mrs. Wendel, I¡¯m sure you and President Wendel must miss Angie terribly after not seeing her for so long. Angie is here with me too!¡± She waved her hand at Angie, who was sitting in the backseat of the car. ¡°Angie,e out here and say hi to your parents! What are you hiding in the backseat for?¡± Angie slid out of the car with red-rimmed eyes and greeted Michael and Crystal timidly, ¡°Mom, Dad.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Neither Michael nor Crystal made a response. If they had had any residual sentiments for Angie, whom they had raised for over two decades, before this, those sentiments dissipated after they had seen Cameron. Angie was not their daughter; she was a weapon in Cameron¡¯s arsenal meant to torture them and aggravate them. To show Angie any form of kindness was to be cruel to themselves, and to ept her was to betray their biological daughter, Madeline. There was no way they would be so foolish. Upon seeing no response from Michael and Crystal, Amelia grimaced. Meanwhile, Angie grew flustered. She took a few tentative steps forward until she came to a stop in front of Michael and Crystal. Then, she gazed at them imploringly as she asked, ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯ve missed you both. Will you be staying in Dusktown for long? Can I go back to visit?¡± In truth, she had already been by their ce in hopes of visiting them. However, she was kept out of doors, and she never got to see Michael or Crystal. She dared not let Amelia learn of the fact that she was despised by Michael and Crystal, so much so that they even refused to see her. She knew that the Colts only took her in, fed and cared for her because they thought she was still on good terms with Michael and Crystal, both of whom Amelia were trying to appease. In fact, Amelia was hoping to use Angie as a way to get close to the Wendels and procure some kind of profitable coboration. The Wendels¡¯ bodyguards had been the ones to drop Angie off at the Colt Residence. Amelia had not been sure if the bodyguards were acting on someone else¡¯s orders or their own, because when they had dropped Angie off at the house, they had made it clear to her and Xander that they were to take good care of Angie. There was no telling if the bodyguards had only said it out of common courtesy and nothing else. While the bodyguards might not have meant anything by that, neither Xander nor Amelia wanted to risk it. After all, the Colts were not as prominent as the Wendels, whose power and influence were far beyond theirs. If they were to take Cedric, who was the least aplished in Michael¡¯s family, as a yardstick, even he could easily outdo the Colts. While the Colts were an elite family in Dusktown, they were nothingpared to the Wendels. Dusktown was far more prosperous than Wendel City in the sense that it was the nation¡¯s economic and political center. The Wendels, on the other hand, were merely the wealthiest family in Wendel City, but their riches could not stand topete with that of their Dusktown counterpart. However, the branch enterprises under Wendel Corporation in Dusktown were doing rtively well, so the Wendels were still considered part of the elite circle here as well. The Colts, however, were probably third-rate among all the elite families. Xander and Amelia wouldn¡¯t dream of messing with the Wendels, not when their capabilities in any industry could never match up to thetter¡¯s. As such, when the Wendels¡¯ bodyguards told them to take good care of Angie, they dared not disobey them. Angie had not had it particrly easy during her stay with the Colts, but it was still better than what Madeline had been put through during her life with the Taylors¡¯. That said, she could sense Amelia¡¯s hostility toward her, and it seemed like she couldn¡¯t wait to throw her out of the house. Earlier today, Amelia had somehow found out that Crystal and Michael would be here to see Cameron in prison, and she had insisted on bringing Angie along with her so that she could badger the couple. Along the way, she had told Angie to hook the Colts up with the Wendels so that they could be business partners. Angie had known at once that Amelia was trying to test her. She wanted to see how Michael and Crystal would react to Angie; if they even cared about Angie at all, so much so that they would even consider working together with the Colts, it would be in Angie¡¯s best interests. After all, that meant she would not have to suffer any hardships while she was staying at the Colt Residence. However, if Amelia were to find out that Michael and Crystal had cut Angie off entirely, and that they did not care whether she lived or died at all, she would only suffer in the hands of the Colts from now on. She was Xander¡¯s daughter, but he had no affections for her whatsoever, and it didn¡¯t help that Amelia was known for being as heartless as she was aggressive. Being a stepdaughter to her could only mean a life full of darkness for Angie. As things were, Michael and Crystal¡¯s residual love for her, if they had any at all, was her only hope. That was why she was gazing at them imploringly, hoping that they could show her some sympathy for old times¡¯ sake. For as long as they still showed that they loved her as if she was their daughter, she would not suffer too badly at the Colts¡¯ ce. Life at the Colts¡¯ ce was on a different end of the spectrum from life at the Wendels¡¯, but there was no way that Angie could ever be part of thetter again, and beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 156 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Disgust If this was before she had seen Cameron in prison, then Crystal might have considered pretending as if she was still on close terms with Angie just to make sure the Colts would treat the girl well enough. But as things were, Crystal was filled with nothing more than hatred for Cameron, and by extension, she was disgusted with Angie too. Angie had decided to show up in front of her at the most inappropriate of times. She could only me herself for being incapable of protecting her own daughter all those years ago. This had allowed Angie to take her real daughter¡¯s ce and spend a good twenty-something years living in thep of luxury in the Wendels¡¯ household. Crystal did not want to see Angie at all. It only reminded her of how she had given Angie a life of privilege while her real daughter was suffering in another home for the same amount of time. The more she thought about this, the more her heart twisted, and she was filled with indescribable agony. She felt nothing more than hatred and disgust for Angie, so much so that she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to feign sympathy or fondness for the girl. ¡°Don¡¯t ever call us Mom and Dad again,¡± Crystal bit out icily as she eyed Angie impassively. ¡°Maddie is our daughter, and you are Xander and Cameron¡¯s. Neither I nor the Wendels have anything to do with you anymore.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Angie stared at Crystal pleadingly. She wanted to beg for her favor and sympathy, but she could not bring herself to do it. She was worried that if she did, Amelia would find out she meant nothing to Michael and Crystal. However, Amelia had already realized this. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. When Angie first returned to the Colt Residence, she had made it sound as though Michael and Crystal still loved her. However, they had to send her away because they wanted to cate their real daughter, whose animosity toward her had been unbearable and there was no resolving things amicably. Upon hearing this, Amelia had her doubts. If her daughter had been the one who was switched by Cameron, she would hate that woman and the girl who reced her daughter for over two decades. At that point of time, she did wonder if Crystal was different. There had been people whose children were switched at birth and they ended up loving the child they had raised more than they did their biological offspring. Amelia didn¡¯t want to discount Crystal as someone capable of doing just that. Indeed, there had been cases where animal fosters hade to love the stray mutt they rescued off the streets. It wouldn¡¯t be too far a stretch to suppose that Michael and Crystal had residual love for someone as young and pretty as Angie. After all, they had raised her for over two decades, and they might truly be attached to her. If Amelia was shown to have mistreated Angie during her stay with the Colts, then she would be in a world of trouble if Michael and Crystal ever confronted her for it. Her fear toward Michael and Crystal far exceeded her hatred for Angie, so she put up with the girl¡¯s unwanted presence in her home. She and Xander had a daughter and son of their own. While Xander was by no means a man of any fortitude, he was a pushover who listened to her, and she always got the final say in their household. In the past, her life had been something of a cabaret, and she had noints whatsoever. However, aplete stranger who had absolutely no rtion to her whatsoever was living in her home right now. What irked Amelia the most was that Angie¡¯s existence was a sore reminder of the fact that she was not Xander¡¯s first wife. Angie was proof of Xander¡¯s first marriage, and Amelia was his second. Before Angie came, everything the Colts possessed belonged to Amelia and her children. Xander had managed to keep the family business from crumbling and going bankrupt with his brother and father¡¯s help, and it was only after that that he could make ends meet and feed his family. Now, a part of the money that Xander had made with the help of his brother and father would be used to feed Angie and pay for her upkeep instead. The four of them were supposed to be the only ones in the Colt Family, but now, they had an extra person among them. It was getting on Amelia¡¯s nerves; she wanted nothing more than to make Angie disappear, but she thought about Michael and Crystal and how a future coboration with them could be at stake, so she tolerated Angie. Besides, her father and brother had emphasized that she ought to be nicer to Angie so that they could use her as a tool to associate themselves with Michael and Crystal. If all went well, then her father and brother would praise her for a job well done and give her considerable benefits. Their offer had tugged on her heartstrings, and she immediately began to look on the brighter side of things. Michael and Crystal had raised Angie for over twenty years, so Amelia was sure that there would be residual sentiments between them. In that case, things would be made easier for Amelia, who only needed to use Angie to try and form a connection between her family and the Wendels. That was precisely why she had been so willing to pay for someone to look into and spy on Michael and Crystal¡¯s every move. When she found out that they would be dropping by the prison to see Cameron earlier today, she had rushed over to the vicinity with Angie, and there was no hiding her anticipation as she made it look as though they had run into the couple by coincidence. She was sure that no matter what happened, Michael and Crystal would look back on thest twenty- something years they had spent raising Angie. Even if they had been the ones to send her packing, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that they still cared for her. Angie had also fed into the narrative when she told the Colts about how much Michael and Crystal had doted on her and loved her. This only reaffirmed Amelia in her belief that the Wendel couple would agree to working together with her family if Angie was the one who asked them to. s, she did not expect for reality to turn out so differently than what she had imagined. Presently, Michael was standing next to Crystal, and he was looking at Angie without even a hint of compassion on his face. Crystal, too, seemed unfazed on the surface, but there was no hiding the icy gleam and the disgusted look in her eyes as she regarded Angie. At once, Amelia felt her stomach twist into a knot, but she did not want to give up just yet. In Dusktown, the social hierarchy was clearly and painstakingly demarcated by each family¡¯s elitist capabilities. The Colts were, needless to say, on the lower rungs of the socialdder. As for the Evanstons, who were Amelia¡¯s family, they could be considered as third-rate among the upper-ss echelons. Even after all these years, her father and brother could not push their family into new heights no matter how hard they worked, and it seemed as if they were fated to be stuck as a third-rate family in the elite ss. There had been several attempts on her father and brother¡¯s part to find some other family who could help propel them into the ranks of the first- and second-rate families in the elite circle, but the difference between all these levels were farrger than semantics could convey. There were some social events and parties that only the first-rate families had exclusive privilege to attend, just as they had the exclusive right to enter certain ces of luxury; there were still ces where second-rate families could gain ess to, but not without serious effort. However, for third-rate families, they were only good enough to attend non-exclusive events. The Colts wanted to climb the socialdder, and they wished to be gazed upon with admiration and envy too. The Wendels, for example, were one such family who could bounce them into the dazzling world of first-rate families. Amelia desperately wanted to seize this opportunity to help the Evanstons make friendly ties with the prolific Wendels. Granted, Michael and Crystal were not treating Angie with the same reaction Amelia had hoped they would, but she still thought she could give this a shot. As such, she stepped forward and looked at Crystal as she said warmly, ¡°Mrs. Wendel, Angie has truly missed you all. She would talk about you and your husband all the time, and whenever she came across your favorite food during family dinner at our ce, she would tell me how much you loved it. Not a day has gone by where she did not mention either of you, and now that we¡¯ve run into each other here today by chance, why don¡¯t we all go out for a nice meal together? It would do Angie some good to spend time with you both, seeing as she hasn¡¯t had a meal with you for a while now. She has missed all of you.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 157 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Angie¡¯s Pain ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom!¡± Angie pitifully looked at Crystal. ¡°Let¡¯s dine together. After all, it¡¯s just one dinner. I believe Maddie should be able to understand it, shouldn¡¯t she? You wouldn¡¯t mind, would you, Maddie?¡± She turned her attention to Madeline, her eyes filled with sympathy as her skinny stature and pale face made her look even more pitiful. Madeline smiled and was about to say something, but Crystal beat her to it and replied, ¡°What are you trying to say?!¡± Crystal¡¯s expression changed as an angry look showed on her face. ¡°Are you implying that Maddie isn¡¯t understanding at all if we don¡¯t dine with you? Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?!¡± In the face of Crystal¡¯s sudden harsh attitude, Angie was so frightened as she was shaking from head to toe. Then, she was seen shaking her head rapidly in denial. ¡°No! No, Mom! That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you¡ªI¡¯m not your mother, so stop calling me ¡®Mom¡¯ from now on! Are you too dumb to understand my words?!¡± Finding it hard to tolerate Angie¡¯s scheming attitude when she spoke with Madeline, Crystal flipped out and lost her temper. ¡°Angie Colt! I¡¯m going to warn you onest time! Your father is Xander Colt, and your mother is Cameron Taylor, so you¡¯re not my daughter! If you ever call me Mom again, I¡¯m going to get someone to rip your mouth off!¡± Upon hearing what Crystal said, Angie could only look at the former in horror, her lips shivering and puckering in a trance. After all, she couldn¡¯t believe Crystal would threaten to rip her mouth off if she ever called her ¡®Mom¡¯ again. How could she do this to me?! I¡¯m her daughter whom she has raised for twenty years, so how could she just throw all those moments away just because I¡¯m not her daughter by blood? How can she be so cold-blooded? At that moment, Angie puckered her lips and was about to call Crystal ¡®Mom¡¯ again. She wanted to argue with her, but she eventually swallowed the words that were forming at the tip of her tongue. Deep down, she was worried that Crystal would do as she said by telling her bodyguard to p her in the face. If that happened, it would sever her ties with the Wendel Family. At the same time, Amelia could tell that Crystal no longer cared for Angie, whom she thought was going to suffer in the Colt Family for the rest of her days. Soon, she became too timid to look at Crystal again as she turned her attention to Michael with a pair tearful eyes. ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever call me ¡®Dad¡¯ again. Maddie is the only daughter I have.¡± Michael calmly looked at her and added, ¡°Angie, you¡¯re not my daughter and Crystal¡¯s. We¡¯ve been kind enough to have raised you until your twenties. If you¡¯d like to repay us for that, I urge you to stay away from us from now on because we don¡¯t want to see you again.¡± Ever since the matter in which Angie had set Nichs up, Michael finally learned his lesson. Although he and Crystal might have raised Angie, he was still disheartened by the fact that she had inherited too many of Cameron¡¯s negative traits. I guess Cameron has a pretty strong gene; she even passed it down to Angie. That¡¯s why Angie is selfish and shameless like her mother. At one point, Michael was even ashamed of having a daughter like Angie, so now that he was faced with a chance to cut ties with Angie, he seized it and hoped the Wendel Family would have nothing to do with thatdy ever again. Farewell, Angie! ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Angie shook her head while shedding her tears. ¡°You¡­¡± She then tried her best to keep herself together and looked at Amelia. ¡°Miss Amelia, I would like to have a word in private with¡­¡± At the thought of Crystal¡¯s warning, she didn¡¯t mention the words ¡®Mom¡¯ and ¡®Dad¡¯ in front of Michael and Crystal. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Meanwhile, Amelia, whose hope was about to be killed, desperately wished for Angie to change Michael and Crystal¡¯s mind in order to reconcile with them. Deep down, she told herself that she would stay away from Angie as long as she could fix her rtionship with Michael and Crystal. ¡°Alright, alright!¡± She smiled and said, ¡°Please just carry on. I¡¯ll go somewhere nearby to get a little something.¡± Thedy then took her bodyguards with her and left Angie on the spot. When Amelia was far enough, Angie walked up to Michael and Crystal with her head down, sobbing. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you both! I¡¯m suffering every single day at the Colt Residence. The Colt Family fears you, and only you both can make sure I live a happy life in the Colt Residence. If they ever find out you guys are cutting ties with me, they are going to do anything they want to me to make me suffer. Please! You have no idea how scary my stepmother can be!¡± Then, Angie looked up and shifted her gaze to Michael, tearfully begging the man as she said, ¡°I may not be your biological daughter, but I was like one to you for the past twenty years. Think about the loving moments we once shared; are they all fake to you too? I loved you with my heart, and even now, you guys are still like my mom and dad to me. No one can ever rece you both in my heart, so I swear I¡¯m going to do my best to repay your kindness even if it¡¯s going to cost my life. I will repay my debt as your child, I promise. For now, I¡¯m not asking you both to take me home or treat me as your daughter. I just want you to treat me better so that I get to live a happy life in the Colt Residence. Please, I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡°No!¡± Crystal rejected Angie without a second of hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re not our daughter in the first ce. Back in those days, we were dumb and silly for raising you, so we will not repeat our mistakes. Therefore, your fate has nothing to do with us from now on!¡± ¡°Are you guys really going to do this to me?!¡± Angie groped her own chest in pain, her face turning as pale as a white sheet. ¡°No matter how you deny it, you both have been my parents for as long as I¡¯ve been your daughter in the past two decades. After all these years that we¡¯ve spent together, you want to disappear from my life and tell me to move on without you all. You¡¯re not so cold-blooded, are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not bold-blooded,¡± Crystal answered. ¡°If we were cold-blooded, we¡¯d be sure to retaliate and let you have a taste of what Maddie went through back then. The fact that we¡¯re not cold-blooded enough is the reason why you¡¯re not living in hell now. Instead of making you feel Maddie¡¯s pain, all we have done is cut ties with you, so consider that a sign of mercy from us!¡± ¡°No¡­ you can¡¯t do this to me¡­¡± Angie sobbed and shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t make a living by myself because you guys spoiled me when I was a child, yet you¡¯re going to abandon me now like I¡¯m some disposable trash. That¡¯s nothing different from killing me. Do you guys seriously want to see me dead?!¡± ¡°Nobody wants you dead!¡± Madeline, who had been quiet all the while, finally broke the silence. ¡°Have you forgotten about what you did, Angie? You once met a man who wanted to give you afortable life, but you chose to plot against him. Otherwise, you would have been the Wendel Family¡¯s young lady a long time ago. For that, you only have yourself to me for the misery you put yourself in, Angie! Stop ming others for your pathetic state! Even if you die here the next second, you¡¯d be solely responsible for your own death; no one should take responsibility and feel guilty for your death. Therefore, you can forget about threatening anyone by taking your own life because no one else cares!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 158 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Love Is a Double-Edged Sword In the meantime, Angie clenched her fists, ring at Madeline with hatred and grudge filling her eyes. If Madeline didn¡¯t exist, I would still be the Wendel Family¡¯s youngdy while living a life that every other lady envies. This could have been so wonderful until Madeline ruined it all. Deep down, Angie couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about a world without Madeline, whom she imagined suffered from various gruesome deaths. I wish for Madeline to die. With her out of the way, I won¡¯t have to end up in such misery. Nheless, Michael and Crystal could see through the grudge that was filling Angie¡¯s eyes. If Angie showed remorse for having taken Madeline¡¯s ce for thest two decades, they would at least sympathize with her, but the expression from Angie¡¯s eyes said otherwise as the couple could tell how much she hated Madeline. Who is she to hate Madeline? Like mother, like daughter. She is just as wicked as Cameron! To Michael and Crystal, Madeline was the apple of their eyes, which was why they would never tolerate Angie¡¯s hatred for their daughter. For that, the tiny bit of sympathy that they previously had for Angie was now reced with a strong sense of disgust and anger. Eventually, they all grew tired of talking to Angie as Crystal seized Madeline¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Maddie.¡± She then walked away while holding Madeline¡¯s hand without even looking back at Angie while quickly making their way to their car. ¡°Mom!¡± Angie cried out loud and tried to give chase, but Michael, who was right behind his wife and daughter, waved at Nelson. Thetter then instructed the bodyguards to keep Angie at bay. ¡°Mom, Dad!¡± Angie was surrounded by the guards who prohibited her from taking a step further as she could only watch Michael and Crystal walk away without looking back in tears. While Angie didn¡¯t think there was anyone who didn¡¯t like to daydream in the world, she realized she was one of them upon being sent to the Colt Residence. Even after that, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the Wendel Family as she thought Michael and Crystal would miss her in her absence. After all, they had raised her for the past two decades, and she didn¡¯t think the love they had for her could be severed so easily. Therefore, she initially believed that Michael and Crystal were only acting on their impulse by sending her to the Colt Family, thinking they would return for her after calming down, but when Angie saw how Crystal treated Madeline, she was instantly disappointed; their intimate interactions told her that there was no chance for her to return to the Wendel Family ever again. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . It was Madeline who took everything away from me! She then crouched on the ground, curling up with her arms wrapped around her head as she refused to ept the truth. I should be living a wealthy and comfortable life like a queen. I deserve more than the life I¡¯m living now. After a few moments of crying and sobbing, something seemed to pop into Angie¡¯s mind, whereupon she reached for her phone and dialed a number. ¡°Hello, this is Angie speaking. You still remember the debt you owe me, don¡¯t you?¡± In fact, if Angie wasn¡¯t at her wits¡¯ end, she wouldn¡¯t even think about contacting that man¡ªafter all, he was a lunatic. Knowing that she would be ying with fire if she dealt with him, she feared and dreaded him. If I hadn¡¯t run out of options, I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about contacting this person. ¡°Angie?¡± Luke curled his lips upward on the other side of the phone. ¡°I remember that I¡¯ve paid you all my debts.¡± Angie bit her lips. ¡°Do you want to know about Madeline¡¯s status? I have news about her for you¡­¡± As the smile on Luke¡¯s face slowly faded, his dark eyes were filled with coldness and indifference. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± After all, he made a promise to his brother that he would be strangers with Madeline for the rest of his life. ¡°Do you know whose kids Quincy and Joel are?¡± Angie went on to say, ¡°Both of them are the sons of Dusktown¡¯s Mr. Hart. That¡¯s right¡ªSebastian Hart. Madeline is now Sebastian¡¯s wife, as well as the Hart Family¡¯s young mistress.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Luke interrupted thedy harshly. ¡°You¡¯re full of horses*t! Madeline said she will never marry for the rest of her life!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± Angie then added, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can run your own investigation and find out.¡± Upon finishing her sentence, she silently waited for a response from the other side of the phone shortly before it was hung up. Not knowing how Luke felt toward Madeline, she desperately wanted to find out the man¡¯s reaction after she told him that Madeline had married Sebastian. Therefore, she gave in to her curiosity and called once again, only to realize the call didn¡¯t get through. Well, Luke must have blocked my number. In that instant, Angie was caught in a trance because she didn¡¯t know what would happen following the call she just made to Luke. While she didn¡¯t know what kind of a person Luke was, she didn¡¯t think there was actually anyone else who knew Luke in the world, but Angie was counting on his unpredictable insanity to see Madeline suffer at the hands of him. Despite Luke¡¯s crazy nature, Angie was well aware of what he was capable of. Thus, she knew it would ruin Madeline¡¯s life if Luke ever showed up in her life, hoping that would right the wrong and turn things in her favor. Although she knew Madeline had once saved Luke¡¯s life in the past, she had a feeling that Luke had no intention of hurting Madeline and was just bluffing when he said he hated her. However, Angie couldn¡¯t care less about that because she reckoned it was necessary for her to do something in order to take Madeline¡¯s happiness away. I can¡¯t live with the pain of seeing Madeline enjoy her life! What if Luke really hates Madeline?! He is an unpredictable lunatic, and no one can predict what his next move is. Who knows Luke would kill Madeline if he sumbs to his impulse and emotions? Meanwhile, Luke dialed the inte and summoned his personal bodyguard at Adams Corporation in Capitol. ¡°Sir.¡± Liam scurried toward him and bowed down. ¡°I want you to investigate Madeline for me.¡± Luke gave the man an order. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Liam bitterly added, ¡°Young Master Logan said¡­¡± Luke raised his eyebrows and smirked ambiguously at him. ¡°Are you my personal bodyguard or my brother¡¯s?¡± Liam kept his head down. ¡°I¡¯m yours, but¡­¡± ¡°Enough said!¡± Luke hurled the pen at the desk and bellowed, ¡°Stalk Madeline for me and make sure Logan knows nothing about this. If so much as a word gets out, you¡¯re going to serve my brother, and we will never meet again. Do you understand?¡± Liam helplessly shook his head. ¡°Alright, sir. I heard you.¡± He bowed down to Luke and proceeded to leave the ce. However, Luke soon called out to him once again. ¡°Liam.¡± Luke turned around and bowed to Luke. ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Luke gazed at Liam with a calm yet intimidating expression on his face. ¡°Remember who saved your life back then; remember who gave your mother a decent funeral so that she could leave the world with honor. Mypany¡¯s name is Microlutions, not Adams Corporation, which means I am your master, not my brother!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 159 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Pampered and Loved Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Liam lowered his head as his heart tightened. ¡°Yes, sir. I swear I won¡¯t speak anything of you to Young Master Logan.¡± Luke and Logan were close brothers, and Logan was probably the only one who could get Luke to listen to him. If Luke hadn¡¯t given Liam any special orders, he would have to answer once Logan asked him any questions. However, now that Luke had told him not to reveal anything, he would bepletely silent when faced with Logan. If not, he would be disobeying his master. Luke frowned a little. ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t tell him anything; it¡¯s just that you can¡¯t say anything about Madeline Taylor to Logan. If it were any other matter, you can just tell him what he wants to know, alright?¡± Liam went silent for a while. Then, he lowered his head and answered respectfully, ¡°Yes, sir. Understood.¡± Luke waved his hand, and Liam left the room as he sighed. Madeline¡­ It had been a long while since Lukest mentioned this name, so why did he suddenly remember her name today? Meanwhile at Dusktown, Michael and Crystal still felt sorry for their daughter whenever they saw Madeline even though they were d to see Cameron get the punishment she deserved. They thought she had been through too much and was too pitiful, and along with those thoughts, they also felt that it was illogical and unforgivable for Angie to hate Madeline so much. Crystal was so furious that when she returned to their other home, she called up her four sons and also her adopted son, who was away on a business trip. She ordered them to cut off all ties with Angie and prohibited them from giving her any form of help, be it mary or otherwise. In particr, she gave Cedric extra stern orders. She told her sons about Angie¡¯s hatred for Madeline, and while she spoke, her elegant face was flushed red in anger. She couldn¡¯t calm herself down. Jonathan and his brothers feared that their mother would jeopardize her own health if she kept her anger going, so they all agreed. After that, Cedric received some extra attention from his brothers. Jonathan and the others all called him up to warn him, telling him to stay conscious and cease any contact with Angie. If not, they would deal with him personally. With all the reprimands raining on him, Cedric had to repeat time and again that he had changed. He really had changed! Now, he hated Angie more than anyone. He used to say that Angie was innocent, and he believed that she was a kind and understanding girl. In order to protect Angie, he had enraged his dear mother so much that she was sent to the hospital and almost died. However, Angie plotted against Nichs and slept with him, ruining the marriage Nichs had finally gotten after pursuing it for so long. Cedric realized that he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. How could he still have any forms of love toward Angie? He wasn¡¯t a fool! However, he was exactly a fool in the eyes of his parents and elder brothers right now. His parents and brothers had nagged at him in turns, and they really saw him as an idiot. He was reprimanded so much that he thought he would die. When his parents and brothers were all done calling him up, he slumped in his chair and held his head between his hands, screaming as he vented his frustration. He swore that if he were even the tiniest bit friendly toward Angie in the future, he would consider himself a pig! After Madeline had lunch with her two children, Sebastian came to pick her up. Michael and Crystal were quite upset. When Crystal heard the butler announce that Sebastian was here, she frowned in a dissatisfied manner. ¡°You only brought the children over for one day, and they haven¡¯t been here long enough. What is he in a hurry for?¡± Madeline knew that Sebastian was here to take her to Grayson¡¯s hospital, for he wanted to treat the scars on her back. However, she was afraid that if she said that, her parents would be in a worse mood. Her dad was just a little tired,but her mom had heart problems. She had been angered and exhausted recently, so herplexion was already terrible. She could feel that her parents truly loved her, and she felt the same toward them. She felt her heart aching for them as she attempted to cover the truth. ¡°Sebastian is taking me to pick a school for Aldo and Buddy. We¡¯re taking them to school next Monday since it¡¯s about time for them to be schooled.¡± In truth, Philip had already decided on a school, which was an elite primary school not far from the Hart Residence. Even though the children were only five years old, they were quite brilliant, and she had also taught them many things. Philip thought that the children could very well attend first grade sses already. As such, Aldo and Buddy would be first graders from next Monday onward. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Upon hearing that it was proper business, Crystal rxed her expression. ¡°Go ahead, then. Pick a good school for Aldo and Buddy¡­ When you¡¯ve decided on a school, we can donate a building or something so that the teachers will take good care of Aldo and Buddy.¡± Michael and Crystal loved their two beautiful and obedient grandsons to bits. Now, the children¡¯s positions in Michael and Crystal¡¯s heart was way higher than Jonathan and the others. When she heard that her grandsons would be going to school next Monday, Crystal was extra worried. There would be many people in the school, and parents wouldn¡¯t be allowed to go with their children. What if someone bullied her darlings? Madeline said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. Aldo and Buddy will definitelynd in the same ss. If they¡¯re together, they can look out for each other, so you don¡¯t have to donate anything to the school.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk when you¡¯ve decided on a school.¡± Crystal took the children from her. ¡°Don¡¯t let the children run around with you. They can nap here, and you and Sebastian cane back for them after you¡¯re done.¡± Madeline was speechless. After all, Philip was waiting for the children toe home so that he could take a nap with them. When she saw Crystal holding the children with such longing on her face, Madeline couldn¡¯t bear to say no to her. After all, Aldo and Buddy would return to the Hart Residence at night, so Philip would be able to see them then. Now, Madeline decided to let Aldo and Buddy apany her parents for a while longer. Madeline let Aldo and Buddy stay at the Wendels¡¯ other home. Then, she left alone with Sebastian. Thetter was waiting for her at the door since he didn¡¯t go in. If he did, they would have to catch up on each other, and it would be a long time before they could leave. He waited for some time outside, and when he saw Madeline emerging all alone, he peered behind her. ¡°Where¡¯s Aldo and Buddy?¡± Madeline exined, ¡°My parents couldn¡¯t bear to part with Aldo and Buddy, and they wanted to take a nap with them. Let¡¯s fetch them after we¡¯re done.¡± Sebastian frowned. ¡°When are they going back to Wendel City?¡± When they returned to Wendel City, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hog his sons anymore. Even though it had only been half a day since hest saw them, he had begun to miss his sons. If he had known this earlier, he would¡¯ve taken the trouble to go in. If he did, he could definitely bring his sons out. Madeline was speechless. Was it really okay for him to regard her parents with such disdain right in front of her? Still, she didn¡¯t dare imagine that she, Aldo, and Buddy would be so pampered and loved that people would scramble to give them love in the past. She was especially happy for her darlings. In fact, she was gentle toward those who treated her and her sons well. She smiled as she coaxed Sebastian, ¡°We can bring Aldo and Buddy home after we¡¯re done with our business, alright?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 160 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Majestic As such, he could only leave it at that. Sebastian greeted Philip briefly before he took Madeline to Grayson¡¯s pharmaceutical headquarters. Grayson¡¯s pharmaceutical headquarters was located in the countryside of Dusktown. It reached about 150 acres and had mountains and rivers closeby. Other than that, there were also countless herbs nted near the headquarters, and they stretched far in the horizon. Sometimes a breeze would pick up, and one could smell the herbs. It had a pleasant and refreshing smell. Madeline looked around at her surroundings for a long while. She liked this otherworldly ce, which was so quiet and pretty, but another word also came to mind¡ªit was wealthy! Absolutely wealthy! Even if it were built in the countryside, a ce of this size definitely wouldn¡¯t be cheap. Madeline especially loved this sort of ce, which was tucked away from the hustle and bustle of people. The scenery was great, and not many people were there. As Madeline gazed at the intertwined fence closing the scenery in, she sighed. ¡°How majestic.¡± Sebastian nced at her. ¡°It was a gift from me.¡± Madeline stared at him in confusion. Sebastian pointed at the pharmaceutical building in front of them. ¡°I gave it to Grayson as a graduation gift.¡± Madeline was speechless. She pointed at the endless mountains, rivers, and the herb ntation. ¡°These too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sebastian ced an arm on the car window, a hand supporting his chin as he said carelessly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t fenced off before. Lots of people like the scenery here, and theye here often on a trip. Too many herbs got stepped on, so we added a fence afterward.¡± Madeline didn¡¯t know what to say. Fine. She had to refine her statement¡ªSebastian was just too wealthy! Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. At that moment, Sebastian thought of something and turned to look at her. ¡°I can¡¯t y favorites. I¡¯ll give you one too.¡± Madeline was stunned. Was that considered ying favorites? No, that wasn¡¯t the point. What did he say he was going to give her? Sebastian looked at her nonchntly. ¡°You want to keep working at your office, right?¡± Madeline nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be continuing work after Aldo and Buddy go to school.¡± She had inherited the office from her teacher. She once swore at her teacher¡¯s sick bed that she would devote her entire life to the office and its management. She would never go back on her word. Sebastian asked, ¡°Have you found a suitable location?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Madeline said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of looking after Aldo and Buddy go to school.¡± Too many things were happening recently, so she couldn¡¯t take time to focus on reopening the office. However, even though she couldn¡¯t focus on matters pertaining to the office, her employees had always been bustling about somewhere. If so, she had to quicken her pace. ording to the rules of the office, after each employee hadpleted a task, they could take one to two weeks off. Her employees were basically homeless and didn¡¯t have any family, so she had to find a location for the office as soon as possible. When her employees returned from their tasks, they could at least have a ce to rest. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯ve picked out a ce for you, and I¡¯ll show you after we get your scars examined.¡± Madeline said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can do it on my own.¡± ¡°Go have a look first. Later on, you can decline if you want to,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°It¡¯s really okay,¡± Madeline said. ¡°I can deal with it on my own.¡± After all, she was already used to dealing with such things on her own, and she didn¡¯t need anyone to help her. ¡°Be good!¡± Sebastian said. ¡°You have to set a good example for Aldo and Buddy. Be a good girl.¡± Madeline was speechless. Sebastian¡¯s voice was filled with love, but his words melted Madeline¡¯s heart as a flurry of emotions filled her. Be good. This was the first time someone said that to her. When she was young, she would always see other parents say this to their children to coax them. Meanwhile, no one had coaxed her like that before. Her heart melted into a puddle, and she lost all her temper. However, she didn¡¯t want to just ept this. She wanted to decline, but she didn¡¯t know how to. Sebastian looked at her with an intrigued look on his face. He thought that his sons¡¯ mom was quite an interesting girl. She was strong and formidable, but her limbs looked so skinny that he thought they might break with a snap. However, she was amazingly good at fights, and she could give his best bodyguard a shoulder throw. Of course, his bodyguard had gone easy on her, but he had tested her strength before. Needless to say, he was impressive. If they were to fight seriously, Quinton and the others may not be able to win against Madeline. She was such a strong woman, but she was so easily coaxed like a child. Her personality was unbelievably soft. He only needed to utter the words ¡®Be good¡¯ before she¡¯d blush. She would lower her head, and her porcin neck would form a pretty curve like an elegant swan. She was so beautiful that no one could take their eyes off her. She was a wonderful girl, and one had the urge to ce her in one¡¯s hands to protect her against the world and evil bullies. ¡°That¡¯s settled,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°I picked out the ce myself. It¡¯s right opposite Aldo and Buddy¡¯s school. I¡¯m doing it all for our sons, so you have to understand that.¡± Madeline was at a loss for words. Sebastian was not only handsome, but also very good at talking. She could be ruthless and cold toward her enemies, but when someone treated her so nicely like this, she didn¡¯t know what to do. She couldn¡¯t find a reason to retort no matter how much she racked her brains. Sebastian looked at her and smiled in a good mood. ¡°You truly are a good girl.¡± His sons followed Madeline¡¯s footsteps, but he himself wasn¡¯t so easily coaxed. Madeline was still thinking up ways to decline his offer in the nicest way possible when the car pulled up and Sebastian announced, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± After the car was parked, Madeline was about to open the car door when the door was opened from outside instead. Emory reached up and ced his hand against the top of the car while bowing politely. ¡°Mind your head, Mrs. Hart.¡± Madeline said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can manage.¡± Emory smiled at her while remaining silent. Meanwhile, Madeline was exasperated. Someone who was used to this sort of treatment might think that this was a disy of their status and power, but for someone who had never experienced this treatment before, it was so ufortable that it might as well be a form of torture. Sebastian walked over to her. She was about to discuss with Sebastian if they could ask Emory and the others to decrease their rules and etiquette when Grayson walked down the stairs toward them. ¡°Hi, Sebastian, Madeline.¡± Sebastian nodded at him in greeting. ¡°Are you busy with something?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Grayson. ¡°I¡¯m free for the rest of today, so I can go home with youter.¡± To him, Philip and Sebastian were more important than his own life. Since Sebastian had a task for him, which was hard toe by, he would put in his all. He gestured toward the two and weed them. ¡°This way, please, Sebastian and Madeline.¡± Of course, he had acted so courteously mainly because of Madeline. If it were only Sebastian, he would be more casual around him. Madeline nodded at him. ¡°Thank you!¡± He was about to say something when his phone rang. He gave it a look, and there was a slight change in his expression as he spoke to Sebastian and Madeline. ¡°Pardon me, guys. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Madeline hastily said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± He walked to the side with his phone in hand. After making sure that he was out of earshot, he answered the call and ced his phone to his ear. ¡°Hello, Miss Ann¡­¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 161 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Didn¡¯t Get to Live the Way She Wanted ¡°Grayson.¡± Ann¡¯s voice rang out next to his head. ¡°I¡¯ve reached Dusktown, so can you pick me up?¡± When she found out that Sebastian married a girl named Madeline and had children with her, she felt herself spiraling into anxiety and madness. Immediately, she bought the earliest flight back and settled all of her work before flying back. When Ann reached the airport, the raging anger and sadness coursing through her mind suddenly calmed down. I can¡¯t just go to Hart Residence like this because I have a house in Dusktown, and there¡¯s no point in me heading to the Harts¡¯ when I can go back to my own ce instead. However, if I go back to my ce, there¡¯s no reason for me to stay over at the Hart Residence anymore. She was nning to take her luggage to the Hart Residence and make up a reasonable excuse to stay over. I must stay at the Hart Residence! It¡¯s unfair that a woman who has no rtion to Sebastian at all enters the Hart Family and stays with them while I can¡¯t. If someone from the Harts picks me up and takes me to the Hart Residence, I¡¯ll find a reason to stay. The person that Ann wanted to see the most was Sebastian. If Sebastian would pick her up, he¡¯d be the first person that she¡¯d contact. However, she knew that it was impossible because Sebastian had always been cold toward her, and his attitude toward his servants were even better than how he treated her. Knowing Sebastian, he surely wouldn¡¯te if she wanted him to fetch her. Even if he dide, he would send her straight to her house. As such, there was no way that she would look for Sebastian. Still, it wasn¡¯t possible for her to ask Philip to pick her up, so she was only left with three options¡ª Lucas, Kieran, or Grayson. Lucas, Kieran and Grayson were all staying at the Hart Residence. If any of them came to pick her up, she would surely be able to stay over at the Hart Residence. Nevertheless, Ann knew that she couldn¡¯t count on Lucas because their personalities just wouldn¡¯t vibe. Although she tried her best to please them, she just couldn¡¯t seem to get Lucas to like her, and his attitude toward her was simrly cold. He was just like Sebastian as he looked down on her. Yet, she never expressed her anger despite feeling extremely furious. Since Sebastian was really close to Lucas, Kieran, and Grayson, she couldn¡¯t pick a fight with Lucas when she hadn¡¯t even gotten married to Sebastian. On the other hand, Kieran was well-known in the entertainment industry to have a personality of a prince; he looked as if he had a good temperament and was approachable. However, Ann never managed to get close to Kieran although they grew up together. In reality, there were only a few who made it into Kieran¡¯s heart even though he treated everyone nicely. Unfortunately, Ann wasn¡¯t able to be one of those people despite her hard work all these years. Thus, she was acquainted with Kieran at best, and she wouldn¡¯t call him to pick her up. In fact, Kieran might even think that something was seriously wrong with Ann if she really called him. Hence, Grayson was her only option left. Ann knew that Grayson had a crush on her all along, and it was probably her only achievement after staying in the Hart Residence for years. However, she didn¡¯t like Grayson. She fell in love with Sebastian and became obsessed with him as she had never met a man as outstanding as him. Sebastian was good looking, elegant, and talented. Not only that, he could always stay calm ande up with a good strategy when needed. No matter what happened, Ann would always feel safe and secure as long as Sebastian was there. Any events that he joined would make him the center of the attraction, and he was a man that managed to charm all sorts of girls and break their hearts. Even though she knew that Sebastian didn¡¯t like her and had no feelings toward her, she just couldn¡¯t seem to control herself from loving him. If it was possible, Ann really wished that she fell in love with Grayson instead of Sebastian. That way, she wouldn¡¯t be suffering like how she was right now, but she just couldn¡¯t seem to control her feelings. Sebastian was the only guy that she could think about, and she¡¯d even dream about getting married to him. Since she knew that her life would lose its meaning if she were to leave Sebastian, Ann knew that she must get into the Hart Residence no matter what! I can only kick that woman named Madeline and her kids out of the Hart Residence if I get to stay there. Sebastian belongs to me. I¡¯m the Hart Residence¡¯s only youngdy, and no one will be able to take that away from me! At the thought of that, she entered the VIP lounge room before contacting Grayson to get him to pick her up. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Since Ann¡¯s adoptive mother was Sebastian¡¯s aunty, she would always bring Ann to stay over at the Hart Residence so that it would be easier to take care of Sebastian¡¯s mother when she wasn¡¯t feeling well. After Sebastian¡¯s mother passed away, her adoptive mother continued staying at the Hart Residence and refused to go home after the divorce with her adoptive father. Thus, Ann grew up with Sebastian and the others ever since they were little, and she was their childhood friend. By right, as the only girl in the Hart Residence, she should be the treasure within the Hart Family that everyone pampered and looked after, but that wasn¡¯t the case because she was only able to get Grayson to fall in love with her among all four handsome and talented men in the Hart Family. Sebastian, Lucas, nor Kieran had ever treated Ann as if she was a part of the family despite her hard work and countless efforts to get them to like her, and Grayson was the only one who remained loyal to her. However, she couldn¡¯t tell if she had seeded or failed, because it wasn¡¯t really a failure as long as Grayson was still there for her to prove that she was still charming enough. If not, she¡¯d doubt her identity as the prettiest girl in school ever since she was little. The moment Ann contacted Grayson, she was confident that he would surely pick her up on his own. After all, he had never rejected any of her wishes after so many years. Nheless, she waspletely dumbfounded when Grayson rejected her. ¡°Ann, I¡¯m a little busy now, so I don¡¯t think that I can go over¡­¡± Just then, Grayson didn¡¯t dare to let Ann know that Sebastian had brought Madeline over to visit him as he was afraid of triggering her. Since all of them grew up together, it was obvious that all of them knew about Ann¡¯s secret crush on Sebastian, but none of them exposed her for it. Truthfully, everyone could tell that Ann had a crush on Sebastian, and that was the main reason why Grayson hid his feelings toward Ann and never dared to express his love because he knew that Ann didn¡¯t like him. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Upon hearing Grayson¡¯s words, Ann got angry as her grip on her phone tightened and her facial expression darkened. She had never imagined that Grayson would refuse her request one day as he had never done so in the past. Although Ann felt like her lungs were about tobust from anger, she didn¡¯t dare to throw a tantrum as she rposed her emotions before replying gently as if she was understanding, ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you¡¯re busy, I can get a cab to go back on my own. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a little hard to get a cab at this time¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I get my assistant to go pick you up?¡± Grayson asked. ¡°Send me your location right now, Ann.¡± Right then, the dark look on Ann¡¯s face eased a little. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll send you my location so that you can get Asher to pick me up.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 162 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Blinded by Love Asher Golding, Grayson¡¯s most valued assistant, was also a young, handsome, capable, and talented genius. As he was the recipient of Grayson¡¯s favor, he had been following Grayson¡¯s side all the time without starting anew by himself. Otherwise, with Asher¡¯s ability, it would not be difficult for him to go out and work hard on his own at all. Ann especially liked to associate herself with capable and good-looking people; she loved it even more if men could take care of her and treat her like a little princess. At that moment, she could feel the sense of superiority that came with being the only girl in the Hart Family. ¡°Okay, I understand,¡± Grayson replied, and after telling Ann to send the address to his phone, he called Asher over and told him to pick up Ann at the airport. Asher had no objection on the surface, but he was full of annoyance in his heart. My boss is good at everything; he¡¯s talented and amazing, but his taste in girls is not very good. He¡¯s blinded by love! How could he actually fall in love with Ann who has nothing but good looks? However, his boss¡¯ rtionships were private affairs and only his boss knew best. As long as he was not asked for his opinion, he would not talk about it. ¡°I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± After he received the address sent to him by Grayson, he turned and left. Grayson stared at Asher¡¯s retreating back for a while before he suddenly thought of Sebastian and Madeline. Aftering back to his senses, he turned and walked into the building. Sebastian had been here countless times, and he could find Grayson¡¯s office without anyone leading the way. Soon, Grayson went straight to the office before he apologized to Sebastian and Madeline. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sebastian and Madeline. I¡¯ve kept you waiting for a long time.¡± Madeline knew that his politeness was mainly because of her. If it were just Grayson and Sebastian, he wouldn¡¯t be speaking so politely. She got up from the sofa, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the one who has troubled you toe over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Madeline,¡± Grayson said. ¡°We are a family. If I can help you, I will feel honored.¡± To be precise, he had no good feelings for Madeline; after all, the woman came out from nowhere and took the position that should¡¯ve belonged to Ann. However, he liked Quincy and Joel. He adored Quincy, who looked exactly like his elder brother, and Joel, who could make his fatherugh when he talked. Since Madeline was the mother to both kids, he would give Madeline the respect she deserved. To treat the scars on her back, Madeline always thought that Grayson had to look at it in person, so she was always ufortable about it because she was rather conservative. Although she constantly told herself that Grayson was a doctor and that doctors did not exactly distinguish between men and women when they treated patients, she felt ufortable as long as she thought of the man looking at her back. Fortunately, Grayson didn¡¯t want to look at his sister-inw¡¯s back either, so he called a female assistant over and asked her to take Madeline to the observation room. The female assistant asked Madeline to take off her shirt and lie on the bed before she took pictures of every single scar on Madeline¡¯s back. While taking the pictures, the female assistant secretly scolded the person who beat Madeline up for being perverted and brutal. This is such a beautiful girl with such a perfect back! How did that person manage to do it? They¡¯re simply not human! the female assistant secretlyined in her heart. After taking pictures of every scar on Madeline¡¯s back, she said to her, ¡°Okay, Mrs. Hart. You can put on your clothes now.¡± Madeline got up and wore her clothes before thanking the female assistant. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± the female assistant said very nicely. ¡°This is our job, and you are too kind.¡± After Madeline got dressed, she left with the female assistant and returned to Grayson¡¯s office. Upon sending Madeline into Grayson¡¯s office, the female assistant left quickly, and she soon returned to bring in the printed photos. Then, she handed the photos to Grayson and backed out of the room. The photos she took were professional, and every photo showed a scar without showing the entire back. As she nced at the photos, Madeline¡¯s uneasiness finally calmed down. So far so good. Fortunately, these are just photos of the scars. Otherwise, even if it¡¯s just a photo of my back, it would be embarrassing to be seen by my so-called brother-inw. Sebastian was standing beside Grayson, and he could clearly see the scars on the photos. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He had been joking with Grayson, but the smile on his face disappeared before he knew it, and he began to frown as anger surged within him. His son¡¯s mother had been whipped and abused before he even knew her! This thought gave him the urge to grab the person who had whipped Madeline and crush them to death. ¡°Can you get rid of thempletely?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Yes.¡± Grayson nodded. ¡°However, it will take some time.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Time is not a problem as long as it can be removed.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Grayson replied. ¡°I¡¯ll go and dispense the medicine now. You guys may hang around nearby first.¡± ¡°No,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°I have something to do with her, so I¡¯ll bring her over another day.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Grayson smiled. ¡°Bring Aldo and Buddy over another day. There are a lot of fun things around here, and the air quality is good. Besides, there are no people around, and they won¡¯t bump into passers-by when they run around. They can have fun.¡± Sebastian nodded and left with Madeline without saying another word. As the two got into the car, Madeline could clearly feel that Sebastian was in a bad mood. He had tilted his head and was looking out the window without saying a word. After ten minutes, she finally couldn¡¯t help it and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly in a bad mood?¡± He turned his head to look at her for a while. Then, he suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s make a list.¡± Madeline answered, ¡°What list?¡± Then, Sebastian threw the photos he had been holding to her. ¡°A list of people who caused the scars on your back.¡± Madeline was stunned for a moment. Then, she shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. The past is over, and I don¡¯t want to mention it again.¡± Sebastian stared at her for a long time and said slowly, ¡°Were most of the injuries on your back caused by Dan?¡± As Madeline¡¯s eyes shed with surprise, she subconsciously asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I guessed correctly, didn¡¯t I?¡± Sebastian raised his eyebrows. ¡°Most of them were caused by Dan, and the rest were caused by Phoebe and Isabel. Besides these three people, was there anyone else?¡± Madeline realized what he was trying to do and said, ¡°Are you trying to avenge me? It¡¯s fine. Anyway, Dan saved my life; if it weren¡¯t for him, I would have died a long time ago. As for Phoebe and Isabel, one is in prison, while the other has been kicked out of the house by my uncle, so they have already received the punishment they deserve. You don¡¯t need to avenge me anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Dan¡­ Considering that he saved your life, I won¡¯t take revenge on him, but he had been spoiled by your uncle. Your uncle doesn¡¯t know how to teach his son well, so for your sake, I am willing to help your uncle to teach Dan well and help him grow up¡­¡± Madeline was at a loss for words. ¡°As for Phoebe and Isabel¡­¡± Sebastian curled his lips. ¡°Phoebe is really miserable in prison now, but that¡¯s because she and her father deceived Nigel¡ªnot because she abused you. As for Isabel, although she was kicked out of the Taylor Family, your cousin still feeds and clothes her, and he doesn¡¯t even want to send her abroad¡­¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 163 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Too Extravagant Madeline knew that Sebastian¡¯s mention of her cousin was not referring to Dan, but her eldest cousin Sam. However, she felt that Sam did not have a choice. She murmured, ¡°Well, Isabel is Sam¡¯s biological sister¡­¡± Sebastian nced at her and said lightly, ¡°Who cares about the hardships you¡¯ve endured? Just because she¡¯s Sam and Dan¡¯s half-sister, the abuse you had endured was never addressed, and all the hardships you suffered were for nothing.¡± Even though Crystal and Michael kept saying that they loved Madeline so much and felt guilty about Madeline¡¯s hardships, they never actually sought justice for the woman. That was why Sebastian didn¡¯t enter Wendel Residence when he went there to pick up Madeline today. In his eyes, Michael and Crystal were not worthy of being Madeline¡¯s parents. If Quincy and Joel suffered what Madeline had suffered and were treated so harshly like how Madeline had been treated, he would definitely make the culprits pay a thousand times over and make them regret having been born into this world! When he thought about his beautiful, cute, smart, and sensible boys, his heart softened. Thankfully, because Quincy and Joel were brought into this world by Madeline to save Sam, he was very protective of the two children. Although Phoebe and her daughter had no good feelings toward the two children, they did not dare to touch them. Otherwise¡­¡­ Sebastian¡¯s eyes turned cold, and a chilling rage emanated from his body. ¡°You¡­¡± Madeline had never seen Sebastian like this before, so she looked at him in shock. Then, she subconsciously moved her body to the side so that she was a little further away from him. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Sebastian nced at her and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be dumb. Just because someone says a few nice things to you, you¡¯ll give them everything you have? Before they really take your pain to heart and help you get revenge, they are not qualified to be your real parents.¡± For the sake of blood ties, he thought that it was fine for her to acknowledge them as her parents, but there was no need for her to feel grateful toward them. After all, they didn¡¯t deserve it! Madeline could understand what he meant, and she also knew that he was saying this for her good. She looked at him with aplicated look while her heart was a mess. The two did not speak for a long time after that. After a long time, Madeline suddenly returned to her senses and looked at the road ahead. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Sebastian said. Madeline could see that he was still in a bad mood, so she looked at the photos in her hands that Sebastian had thrown at her just now. Those were the photos that Grayson¡¯s assistant had taken of the scars on her back just now. Since her acquaintance with Sebastian until now, it was the first time she saw him in such a bad mood; it felt novel to her. After all, the image of Sebastian Hart of the Hart Family was iparably superior and exceptional in her mind. He was domineering and alwaysposed without a change in expression no matter what he did. Yet, she actually saw him in a bad mood. She secretly guessed that he was in a bad mood because of the photos in her hands. At this, her heart suddenly became very soft and warm. This man is really good to me. Whether it was because of his sons or other reasons, he was very attentive to her. He had helped her investigate a lot of things and returned justice to her. He also took her to Grayson¡¯s hospital in person because of the scars on her back, which was something she didn¡¯t care to do for a long time, and he even asked his brother to help her remove the scars. Previously, no one had ever treated her with such care like this. ¡°Sebastian¡­ Thank you¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but say softly. Sebastian turned to look at her for a moment and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re so dumb. No wonder you¡¯ve been bullied all the time.¡± Madeline was speechless. Just as she was about to say something, Sebastian said, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The car stopped and the door was opened from the outside. As Madeline got off the car, she looked around and found that it was an unfamiliar ce. Hence, she asked in confusion, ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°Your office.¡± Sebastian led the way. Madeline followed behind him and walked into the courtyard beside the road, feeling shocked. She stopped and asked, ¡°Are you joking?¡± How could this be my office? This is clearly a manor. She couldn¡¯t see the whole estate from the courtyard, so she couldn¡¯t see how much it stretched on at the back, but she was certain that the area was very big. In front were several shops by the road, and they had a total of six floors. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Behind the shops was a particrly spacious courtyard with small bridges over gurgling water. There was rockery and a small pavilion, and the entire ce was filled with enchanting flowers and lush vegetation. There were three buildings behind the courtyard; the main building in the middle was also six floors high, and they were built in an elegant and magnificent style. Then, there was a side building each on the left and right sides of the main building that stood three floors high. Bothplemented the architectural style of the main building, and it was clear that it had been designed by a famous architect. Next, the main building was separated from the side buildings by a wide road, and there was a spacious open space and a garden at the back. Two quaint small buildings were built at the two corners behind the garden. The small buildings were eight floors high and located in the corners of the courtyard, much like two guards guarding the main building. In a ce like Dusktown where every inch ofnd was so precious, such arge manor would be worth a colossal amount of money. Moreover, it was difficult to buy even if one had money. Sebastian is saying that this is my office? What a big joke! The money I earn in a month is not even enough to afford the maintenance fee here! ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you,¡± Sebastian insisted. ¡°This is Dusktown New District. The aristocratic elementary school, aristocratic high school, and business college that had been built in recent years are right across the ce. The school¡¯s environment and teachers are the best in Dusktown, and the supporting facilities are the most cutting-edge here. In the future, our whole family will move here; we will send Aldo and Buddy to the elementary school opposite.¡± He pointed back to the shops in front of him and said, ¡°Your office is outside here, while their school is just across the road. All of you will feel more reassured with this arrangement.¡± Madeline¡¯s eyes widened, and it took a long time for her to recover from the shock. ¡°How about Old Master Hart? Is he also moving here?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°There has been an order from above that there is a project that my dad needs to take charge of, so he¡¯s going back to work.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Madeline was even more shocked. ¡°Hasn¡¯t Old Master Hart retired?¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s just a vacation,¡± Sebastian exined. ¡°Now, there¡¯s an order from above to get him to go back to work.¡± Madeline was speechless. She knew that what people in Philip¡¯s position did at work needed to be kept secret. Thus, she was very sensible and did not ask what he was transferred back for. Then, she looked around the courtyard and murmured, ¡°This is too extravagant¡­¡± After ncing at her, Sebastian then looked around casually but in a dignified manner. He replied, ¡°My sons deserve the best!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 164 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Otherwise, I Will Be Dead! Madeline was at a loss for words for the first time in her life. She stared nkly at Sebastian, not knowing what to say. ¡°It¡¯s settled then,¡± Sebastian announced. ¡°Everything is for Aldo and Buddy¡­ Don¡¯t you want to work opposite their school?¡± Madeline replied, ¡°Yes.¡± She originally wanted to rent an office space near her sons¡¯ school, but she couldn¡¯t afford to rent such a big space! ¡°As long as you want to,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°This way, you can be busy with your career and take care of your children at the same time. You¡¯ll have the best of both worlds¡­¡± He looked around and added, ¡°The environment here is good, and they¡¯ll definitely like it.¡± Madeline answered, ¡°Okay.¡± Sebastian had repeatedly emphasized that it was for the children, and she didn¡¯t want to be against it too stubbornly. It was clear that Sebastian could make her sons live better, so she couldn¡¯t let her sons suffer with her because of her own self-esteem. ¡°Good girl!¡± Sebastian said with satisfaction. ¡°I have one more thing to discuss with you.¡± When she heard the words ¡®good girl¡¯ again, Madeline felt her face turning red again. Those were just two words, but they made her feel like she was being pampered. She didn¡¯t want to go against Sebastian¡¯s wishes, so she said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I want to have Aldo and Buddy¡¯s legal names changed,¡± Sebastian exined. ¡°After they go to school, they can no longer be called Quincy and Joel Taylor; they should be called Quincy and Joel Hart.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Madeline nodded without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll need to sign some papers, right?¡± Sebastian replied, ¡°Yes, I will let someone do the preparation work, and you just need to sign them.¡± ¡°Okay, just let me know when you¡¯re ready with the paperwork.¡± Madeline had no problem with changing the children¡¯s surname. After all, most of the children had their father¡¯s surname; if Quincy and Joel had her surname, people would definitely ask why. To avoid these troubles, it would be best to change their surnames to Sebastian¡¯s. Moreover, she really had no feelings for their current surname. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. In fact, her surname should¡¯ve been ¡®Wendel¡¯. Before she acknowledged the Wendel Family, her parents also asked if she wanted to change her surname to ¡®Wendel¡¯ legally. At that time, she refused. Her surname had been ¡®Taylor¡¯ for so many years, and she was used to it. If she changed her surname to ¡®Wendel¡¯, she would have to change many documents and other things¡ª it would be very troublesome. Moreover, her biological mother¡¯s surname was Taylor. Since she was an adult, it was okay to take her mother¡¯s surname. Her father spoiled her mother very much. Most of the adopted children of other families took the adoptive family¡¯s surname, but Nelson and Jake took her mother¡¯s surname ¡®Taylor¡¯. All in all, she was reluctant to change her surname to ¡®Wendel¡¯. Thus, her father assumed her surname as her mother¡¯s and did not insist on her changing it. She herself was not a legitimate ¡®Taylor¡¯, so it didn¡¯t matter whether her children had the surname or not. Hence Sebastian could change it if he wanted to. After all, changing the surname would only bring good to the children. When Madeline agreed, Sebastian was very happy. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Good girl.¡± This time, Madeline¡¯s ears turned red. Those words were lethal! Those were just two words; not only did her heart soften, but she felt an indescribable tingling sensation all over her body. It was a feeling that she had never felt before, and it was sweet, warm, and especially happy. Sebastian felt her pleasure, so the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but lift. ¡°Since you¡¯re being so good and sensible, I must reward you. Let¡¯s have dinner with the children at night. It¡¯ll be my treat. What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Madeline shook her head. ¡°Old Master Hart has been looking forward to being with Aldo and Buddy the entire day. If we don¡¯t go back to eat with him at night, he will be unhappy.¡± Sebastian was startled for a moment, then he shook his head with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re being such a good girl again. You¡¯re so sensible!¡± Madeline was at a loss for words. She lowered her eyes and said embarrassedly, ¡°Don¡¯t always praise me like that. You always make it sound like you¡¯re coaxing a child. I¡¯m not Aldo or Buddy, you know.¡± ¡°Although you are no longer a child, you are just a little girl in my eyes.¡± Sebastian smiled lightly. ¡°You¡¯re a little girl who¡¯s easily bullied!¡± Madeline retorted, ¡°Why do you make yourself sound so old? You¡¯re just a few years older than me!¡± ¡°Well, you look much younger than your age. Lucas secretly asked me if you¡¯re of legal age.¡± Madeline said with embarrassment, ¡°He¡¯s being ridiculous! Aldo and Buddy are both so big already; how can I be underage?¡± ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit exaggerated, you really have a young-looking face,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°When I first saw you, I couldn¡¯t believe that you were the biological mother of the two children.¡± Every girl liked being praised for being young, so Madeline blushed even more. After thinking for a while, she decided to praise him and said, ¡°You are also very young-looking¡­¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°You¡¯re handsome too!¡± The corners of Sebastian¡¯s mouth curved up even more. ¡°Are we praising each other out of politeness?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are, but I¡¯m not. I will only tell the truth and not lie,¡± Madeline said. Sebastian raised his eyebrows and replied, ¡°Coincidentally, so am I! No one in this world is worth me lying to!¡± Madeline was speechless. This man is so arrogant! However¡­ he does have the right to. Ever since getting to know him, she had not seen anything that could stump him. No matter what happened in front of him, it all became unimportant and easy to solve. It was as if he could solve the matter with a flick of a finger and a light smile. He¡¯s just too strong! Sebastian took Madeline around the courtyard before bringing her around the shops. Madeline found that the courtyard was bigger than she thought, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was a huge manor estate. ¡°Does it cost a lot to maintain this ce?¡± She was a little worried. When her business was doing well, it was quite profitable. However, she had promised her master that her business would donate half of its ie to charity every year. In addition to her generosity toward her subordinates, she didn¡¯t have much left. As such, she was worried that the money she earned in a year was not enough to maintain the ce. ¡°It¡¯s not something you should worry about,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°It¡¯s a man¡¯s business to support a family. You just need to manage the business the way you like and take care of your sons when you have time.¡± Madeline was dumbstruck. How can there be such a perfect man in the world? What if I fall in love with this man one day? After all, which woman would not love such a man? It¡¯s frightening! She couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back and backed away from Sebastian. I¡¯m unworthy of such a perfect man. I have to stay away from him, and I must not be tempted by him. Otherwise, I will be dead for sure! At this moment, Sebastian¡¯s phone beeped, so he took out his phone to read the message without noticing Madeline¡¯s oddness. He nced at the message on his phone. Then, he raised his head and said to Madeline, ¡°My dad is urging us to go home. He misses Aldo and Buddy.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Madeline nodded. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s pick up Aldo and Buddy and go home.¡± When he heard those words, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but happily raise the corners of his mouth. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take the children home!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 165 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Feeling Stunned The two picked up their sons from Wendel Residence and returned to Hart Residence. However, there was an uninvited guest at home. Ann¡¯s eyes lit up instantly when she saw Sebastian walking in from the door. She stood up from the sofa, looked at Sebastian, and called out, ¡°Sebastian!¡± It was only one word, but her voice was very affectionate and intimate. Sebastian frowned slightly, nced at her, and greeted Philip, ¡°I¡¯m back, Dad.¡± ¡°Grandpa, we¡¯re back!¡± Joel came out from behind Sebastian and ran to Philip, throwing himself directly into Philip¡¯s arms. After wrapping his arms around Philip¡¯s neck, he gave the man a big kiss. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± He wrapped his arms around Philip¡¯s neck and snuggled in his arms like a kitten. Philip¡¯s heart softened at that. Heughed happily, put his arms around Joel¡¯s small body, and said in a loud voice, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too, my dear grandson!¡± As he held the boy in his arms, he was filled with emotion. Not long ago, he thought that he would never be able to enjoy being a grandfather in this life. Yet, after a turn of events, God gave him two beautiful, cute, and sensible grandsons. His heart really melted at the sight of them, and he wished he could give all the best things in the world to his precious grandsons! Anyone, including Ann, could see his love and indulgence for Joel. She grew up with Philip, but she had never seen him look at her like that. Thus, her heart suddenly felt very ufortable. Joel is just a b*stard child, so how is he even worthy of the old man¡¯s love? She was bad at hiding her thoughts, so the emotions on her face revealed what she was thinking about. As he nced at her, Sebastian did not speak. After all, he didn¡¯t want to criticize her in front of Philip so that he wouldn¡¯t affect the older man¡¯s good mood. Quincy also came over to greet Philip by saying, ¡°Grandpa.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re both my good grandsons!¡± Philip stroked Quincy¡¯s little head and smiled. He also took Quincy into his arms, and after cuddling them for a while, he finally put the two children down. As he held each one of their hands, he stood up and said to Sebastian, ¡°Sebastian, please entertain Ann. I will bring Aldo and Buddy to go wash up, and when they¡¯re done, we¡¯ll have dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sebastian nodded in response. Philip held his precious grandsons by the hand and walked upstairs,ughing happily. Joel excitedly kept talking to him about what happened earlier today. It was obviously something ordinary, but Philip was very interested and keptughing happily. When the figures of Philip and the two children disappeared around the corner of the stairs, Sebastian withdrew his gaze from them and looked at Ann. ¡°Have you graduated?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ann was stunned for a moment before she regained her senses. Her face was very embarrassed as she replied, ¡°Not yet¡­¡± Sebastian raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why did youe back before you graduate?¡± ¡°Ipleted a project, and my mentor gave me a long vacation. He agreed that I coulde back to visit my rtives, so I returned.¡± Ann lowered her eyes and brushed her hair away from her face. She never dared to look into Sebastian¡¯s eyes when she was lying. Whenever she looked into his eyes, she always felt like he would see through her. ¡°I see.¡± Sebastian then asked, ¡°Have you gone home yet?¡± Ann clenched her fists. It was another question she didn¡¯t want to answer, but she didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°Not yet.¡± Fortunately, she had already thought of what to say. ¡°Grayson knew that I wasing back, so he sent Asher to pick me up at the airport in advance. Asher directly brought me here to see my uncle. You know that my mother is in a sanatorium in the south, so I will be alone when I go home. Thus, I might as welle here to apany my uncle and help around.¡± ¡°You have good intentions.¡± Sebastian curled his lips. ¡°However, I have a family now. I have a wife and children, so it¡¯s not suitable for you to live here again. Besides, there is a family banquet tonight, and it is not suitable for outsiders to join. You¡¯vee a long way, so you should go home first¡­¡± Without waiting for Ann to speak, he raised his voice and called out, ¡°Quinton!¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Quinton entered in response. Sebastian instructed, ¡°Help Miss Evans with her luggage and send her home.¡± ¡°Very well, Young Master!¡± After Quinton bowed, he went to look for the old housekeeper. The old housekeeper must know where Ann¡¯s luggage is! Ann was stunned. She looked at Sebastian in disbelief and said, ¡°Sebastian, are you crazy? How could you treat me like this?¡± She had grown up here since she was a child, and this was her second home. Although Sebastian didn¡¯t like her, he never did something as rude as this. Is he going to chase me away? How could he drive me away? ¡°Ann, do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± Sebastian took a few steps forward and sneered. ¡°You despise my son right in front of me. Do you think I¡¯m blind or that my IQ is limited? Do you think I¡¯m a masochist who¡¯d keep those who look down on my son as a guest in my home?¡± Ann was taken aback. She was startled for a moment before she shook her head in a panic. ¡°Sebastian, you must be mistaken. I don¡¯t despise y-your son¡­ And¡­ And¡­¡± She bit her lip and added, ¡°Are those two children really your sons? Sebastian, have you been mistaken? You have been keeping yourself clean all this while, so how did you suddenly have two more sons? D-Did someone who has ulterior motives frame you? Sebastian, your descendants are not a trivial matter. No matter wherever you go, illegitimate children are all condemned! Sebastian, you are such a perfect person. How can you take two illegitimate children home? By doing so, others will talk about you and mock you!¡± ¡°Aldo and Buddy are not illegitimate children,¡± Sebastian said coldly. ¡°Aldo and Buddy¡¯s mother is my legal wife, and they¡¯re the descendants of the Hart Family. Don¡¯t let me hear you nder my sons again in the future, or I will¡­¡± He sneered coldly, and the chill in his eyes made Ann shudder violently. She couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back while looking at Sebastian in disbelief and heartbreak. How could Sebastian talk to her like this? She grew up with him and loved him for so many years, so how could he treat her like this for a random woman and two b*stard children who appeared out of nowhere? Her heart seemed to be torn to shreds at this moment, and the pain couldn¡¯t be more excruciating. ¡°How could this be?¡± She looked at Sebastian in disbelief, tears brimming in her eyes. ¡°Sebastian, h- how could you treat me like this? We grew up together, and you and my uncle are the most important people in my life. In fact, you¡¯re even more important than my life. Everything I say is for your own good, and no one in this world has your best interests at heart more than me¡­¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 166 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Good With Words ¡°Young Master!¡± Quinton walked toward them with Ann¡¯s luggage in his hand and interrupted Ann¡¯s sobbing. Seeing him, Sebastian immediately ordered, ¡°Instruct someone to send Miss Evans home.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Quinton had Ann¡¯s luggage in one hand while he signaled for Ann to leave with his other hand. ¡°Here, Miss Evans.¡± ¡°I am not leaving!¡± She turned around and ran upstairs. ¡°I¡¯m gonna look for Mr. Philip!¡± Sebastian¡¯s gaze, which was already cold to start with, turned even colder. ¡°Stop her and send her back.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Quinton swiftly chased after Ann while answering him. Ann, who was wearing high heels, couldn¡¯t possibly outrun Quinton, who possessed incredible physical strength. Quinton had grabbed her elbow even before she even made it to the second floor. ¡°Please, Miss Evans, don¡¯t make things difficult for me¡­¡± He continued with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re someone who knows how to behave. Miss Evans, I presume you¡¯d prefer that things be done properly rather than being dragged out by my men?¡± His words made her so angry that she trembled. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Quinton replied with a graceful smile. ¡°I dare to do so.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± As she was still struck with anger, Ann couldn¡¯t even phrase aplete sentence. Then, he immediately went to her side and gestured with his hand for her to leave. ¡°Miss Evans, please.¡± When she saw that, she looked at Sebastian with tears dropping from her eyes. Her gaze was full of grievances. Sebastian, on the other hand, gave her a nonchnt look; his face was emotionless, which gave her an immediate chill. In fact, she had always known that Sebastian¡¯s heart was as hard as a stone. Although Ann had been pleasing him for so many years, he didn¡¯t even treat her like his family, let alone love her. She had treated him well, but for him, she wasn¡¯t even on par to Lucas and his other brothers. All her efforts spent on Sebastian went down the drain; he had never given her anything in response. How on earth would there be such a cold-hearted person? No one understood Sebastian better than her. Ann fully knew that if she insisted on staying, he would really throw her out. That was always his way of doing things¡ªhis wishes were of the utmost importance, at the expense of the willingness and pride of others. If she was really thrown out this time, how would she have the dignity to step into the Hart Residence again? Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to contain her tears and forcefully smiled. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s better. I came in a hurry today, and it¡¯s good for me to return to tidy things up first. I¡¯ll pay Uncle a visit tomorrow.¡± Quinton did not say anything but merely looked at her with a smile. She gave herself a way out of this situation, but no one aided her, which made it an awkward and embarrassing situation. At this instant, Ann hated herself for being so impetuous toe here by herself. She should have looked for Grayson in his hospital beforeing back together with him. He would definitely be on her side if he was around. Even if Sebastian wouldn¡¯t listen to Grayson, at least she would have someone to speak on her behalf and she wouldn¡¯t be this awkward now. Now, she was like an unwanted rat being chased out by the Harts. This was the most humiliating experience she had ever had. In the car, she was in a muddle-headed state, as if she were in a dream. Ann couldn¡¯t believe whatever that just happened was real. Sebastian had chased her out of the Hart Residence! Although he had never treated her well in the past, at the very least, he would not intentionally make things difficult for her. Both Philip and Grayson doted on her, so she knew she had a ce in the Hart Family. However, she was being chased out by Sebastian today for such a ridiculous reason¡ªthat she looked at the two illegitimate children disdainfully. What was wrong with that? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be treated like that? she eximed in her heart. In Dusktown, even an adopted child had a higher social status than an illegitimate child, with thetter being someone despised by the entire city. With that being the case, wasn¡¯t it normal for Ann to look down on them? It wasn¡¯t just her; everyone who knew about their family background would look down on them too. She merely did what everyone else would do. Why was it wrong? Furthermore, how would Sebastian, such a perfect person, ept those two illegitimate children and even raise them up as his own? They would be the blemishes in his otherwise perfect life! Suddenly, she remembered the previous time when Joel acted coquettishly toward Philip with the boy¡¯s arm wrapped around his neck. She felt even worse after thinking this, as if all of her organs were on fire. Even him, the reputable Philip, had epted those two children and went as far as to allow one of them to be so close to him! As the head of the most reputable family in town, the Harts, shouldn¡¯t he have been regarding blood ties as the utmost priority? Children born outside of marriage were not pure; only those born to legally married parents had the noble Harts¡¯ blood flowing through them. As the head of the Hart Family, he should emphasize and protect the pure blood ties coursing in the members of the Hart Family. How could he ept those illegitimate children? Ann knew that elderly people dote on children, especially those who were rted to them by blood, but that didn¡¯t mean he should ept both the illegitimate children now! She was willing to bear Sebastian¡¯s children, no matter how many he desired! As long as Sebastian married her, their children would be the biological grandchildren of the Harts, with pure blood ties. Only such children were worthy enough to be Philip¡¯s grandchildren. Who were the two illegitimate children thought they were? That old man was really foolish! The more Ann thought about it, the angrier she became, and she almost reached for her phone to call her stepmother. However, the one driving her was the driver of the Hart Family. Even if she made the call, she wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything before him. Thus, she could only endure with whatever she was feeling right now. Her stepmother had once promised her that she would fulfill her wish of marrying Sebastian. And she believed that her stepmother had the ability to do so. She would definitely get what she wanted! In the Hart Residence, Quincy and Joel did some simple cleaning-up of themselves. After changing their clothes, they went downstairs with Philip. When they arrived, Philip took a look at his surroundings and asked Sebastian, ¡°Where¡¯s Ann?¡± To that, Sebastian replied, ¡°She has gone home.¡± ¡°Went home?¡± Philip frowned. ¡°We¡¯re having dinner soon. Why did she return home out of the blue? I thought she would be staying over for the night as she has already instructed the servants to bring her luggage to the guest room.¡± ¡°Perhaps she saw Maddie; that¡¯s why.¡± Sebastian took a look at Madeline and continued, ¡°It¡¯s different now because I¡¯ve a family now and she¡¯s single. It¡¯s no longer suitable for us to stay under the same roof. We¡¯ve to avoid gossip.¡± Philip understood what Sebastian said immediately and replied, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t think about it.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Madeline, on the other hand, was speechless. She went closer to Sebastian and said beside his ear, ¡°I thought you said you never lie?¡± Such words of his were still ringing by her ears, but now, she saw this Mr. Hart lying in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± an emotionless Sebastian borated, ¡°This is called a white lie.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course they¡¯re different. I said I won¡¯t lie because no one is worth lying to, but my dad is worthy of some white lies from me,¡± Sebastian answered. Hearing that, Madeline had no idea what to reply. He was really good with words! However, she really admired him sometimes. He could chase Ann, such a stunningdy, away without even batting an eyelid, or showing her any respect. This alone was enough to defeat many other men. Many men would feel tenderness toward women. The prettier the women, the more they would take pity on them. Ann was undeniably stunning; she was easily the most attractive of any woman Madeline had ever met. With her looks, she could be on par with any celebrities in showbiz. Yet, Sebastian could chase such a beautiful and attractive woman away without any hesitation. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 167 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Rolled His Eyes Ever since she knew Sebastian, he had always treated her well and she attributed this to his upbringing and chivalrous attitude as the Young Master of the Hart Family. However, when Madeline observed his attitude toward Ann earlier, it wasn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t good to everyone whom he knew. At the very least, it was not Ann. He didn¡¯t even give her any respect when he faced her. With this in her mind, Madeline couldn¡¯t control herself but to ask, ¡°Do you dislike Miss Evans that much?¡± Sebastian nced at her. ¡°I dislike all those who are unfriendly to my sons.¡± Ann gave his sons that disdainful look of hers, as if she were superior to them, before him in the Hart Residence. Was she taking Sebastian as a moron who couldn¡¯t get what she meant, or did she merely believe she could bully him? How dare she look down on his sons in his house! Ann could not hide her intentions in front of Sebastian; he knew exactly what she was nning. It was because his father liked her that he didn¡¯t want to offend him, so he had been treating her neutrally all along. He couldn¡¯t care less about what she was doing as long as they both mind their own business. However, she had really gotten on his nerves today. He wouldn¡¯t be the Sebastian whom everyone knew if he allowed someone like her, who looked down on his sons, to stay at his ce. These few simple words of his touched Madeline¡¯s heart, and she felt a warm sensation flowing through her, which caused her to be agitated. Sensing the change in her gaze, Sebastian raised his brows and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± She shook her head. After a brief pause, she continued, ¡°I suddenly felt that I have found myrade.¡± Doubts arose in Sebastian¡¯s eyes as his brow was still raised. Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯m referring to Quincy and Joel! We both arerades in protecting them! We are standing on the same side, who can count on each other to have our backs and protect them!¡± Before him, Madeline was the only one in the world who loved both Quincy and Joel unconditionally. Nothing could beat the both of them in her heart. And now, it seemed like she had another person of the same mind¡ªtheir father. Sebastian was the same as her; he loved both Quincy and Joel deeply. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Perhaps his love wasn¡¯t as intense as hers, but it was definitely mightier, a kind of love more toward a protector. They were bothrades in protecting Quincy and Joel¡¯s interest; they were the ones who wished for their happiness the most. In the past, she had been fighting alone, but now, she had arade who stood beside her. That was great! Sebastian thought for a while after hearing what she said before nodding. ¡°What you¡¯ve said is true. No one else in the world loves Quincy and Joel more than us, and that¡¯s why we need to protect them.¡± Ann dared to despise his sons in his house, so of course he had to chase her out right then! ¡°Yes.¡± Madeline nodded and smiled warmly. She felt like she had loved this man more now. However, she had never dreamed of having him, such a perfect man, as her own. If they couldn¡¯t be a couple, she was content enough to be his family as kinship was stronger than love a lot of times. Right when Sebastian wanted to say something more, they heard Joel¡¯s cheerful voice saying, ¡°Dad, Mom, stop whispering among yourselves! Let¡¯s eat!¡± Hearing his beloved son¡¯s cute voice, Sebastian smiled right away. ¡°Coming.¡± Then, he sat down at the dining table but was confused by the empty table. ¡°Aren¡¯t we starting our dinner? Where are the dishes?¡± ¡°We¡¯re waiting for Second Uncle!¡± Joel said, in a cute way. ¡°Third Uncle and Little Uncle won¡¯t be coming back for dinner, but Second Uncle will. Mr. Zac informed us that Second Uncle will be here in two minutes.¡± After that, he stretched out two of his fair and tender fingers. Philip¡¯s heart melted when he saw Joel acting in this manner. He carried Joel and ced him on his legs while saying, ¡°Come on, sweetheart. Count from one to ten with your fingers.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Joel asked, his eyes blinking. ¡°I can count from one to one thousand without using my fingers. I can even do up to ten thousand!¡± Sebastianughed, ¡°It¡¯s cuter if you count with your fingers.¡± Both Joel and Quincy had no idea what to say. Madeline was just as speechless, to which Quincy rolled his eyes. Indeed, Dad or whoever it was is not reliable at all, he thought. They are so silly and might get cheated sooner orter. I better rely on myself to protect both my mother and brother. For that, I¡¯ll need to read more, learn more, and grow up soon! Then, he slipped down from his chair and continued to read his book, which was already read half-way. On the other hand, Joel was looking at Sebastian while blinking and decided that he would satisfy his father¡¯s wish. Then, he started to count in a cute manner with his fingers. ¡°One, two, three, four, five¡­¡± At that moment, Sebastian wasn¡¯t the only one touched by Joel¡¯s cuteness. Even Philip and Zacharias were just as touched. No. In fact, both Philip and Zacharias were more agitated than Sebastian. Elders who were of their age could not resist obedient and cute children. It was particrly so since this child, Joel, looked as beautiful as an exquisitely carved jade. Every part of him was wonderful and there was nothing they couldin of. Philip¡¯s heart almost melted to its extreme when he watched this sweetheart grandson of his. He immediately took his phone out to record what Joel was doing. It had just been a while since his two grandchildren were back, but his phone was already filled with photos and videos of the two youngsters. He would watch them whenever he was free, and sometimes, he even sent them to his old friends to brag about them. Whenever someone expressed their doubts as to why he suddenly had two grandchildren of this age, he would sigh and exin that they were long born before his son married his daughter-inw. However, the coupleter had a big fight and his daughter-inw brought these two children away without keeping in touch with his son. They had only recently reconciled and it was only now that his son brought his wife and sons back to the family. However, such lies of his could be easily exposed, but no one would check on them intentionally. Even if there would be someone doing that, so what? Regardless of what they would say, the Hart Family had already asserted that Sebastian and Madeline had long been married and both children were born from marriage. Who would argue with them that they lied, that Sebastian and Madeline were in fact not married and that both of their children were illegitimate children? That would obviously be starting a feud with the Hart Family! Even Hart Family¡¯s enemies wouldn¡¯t be that stupid to officially sever heir rtionship with them. It also didn¡¯t matter whether Sebastian and Madeline were married not long ago, or a few years back. Since both of them knew each other abroad, they registered their marriage abroad, and of course, the Civil Affairs Bureau wouldn¡¯t have their records. As long as he firmly asserted that his sweetheart grandchildren were born pursuant to Sebastian and Madeline¡¯s marriage, they would be as such! Strictly speaking, these two children were born into this world by Madeline because of him. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Philip was angry with Sebastian that time, which led him to knocking Sebastian out and forcing the man to donate his goods to support the job of his own men, Quincy and Joel wouldn¡¯t have existed in this world. They were here because of him, and he needed to shoulder the responsibility. He would ensure that they grew up in a blissful and happiest environment, and would give them the best of everything. Both Quincy and Joel were his son¡¯s children born under a registered marriage, and they were the true grandsons of the Hart Family; no one could ever change this. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 168 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 168 Chapter 168 This Seemed to Be Illogical The first thing that Grayson did when he arrived home was to hand a box over to Sebastian. ¡°This is for external use. Use it once every night after shower. Apply it in a circr motion and press lightly while doing so until it is fully absorbed. Use it for a month first, and we¡¯ll review again after that.¡± Sebastian took the box and gave Grayson a pat on his shoulder. ¡°Sure and thank you.¡± His second younger brother was a medical genius and possibly the most brilliant of all geniuses. Despite his youth, the man was already a prominent figure in the medical field, having conducted groundbreaking research and holding numerous patented inventions. It was such a waste of his talent for him to have personally concocted a prescription for Madeline. As the corners of his lips curved upward, Grayson said, ¡°I¡¯m not used to you being so polite with me, Sebastian.¡± To that, Sebastian replied, ¡°Help me a few more times in the future and you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Grayson thought for a while before continuing, ¡°True. It has always been you helping me in the past. This is my first time being of some help to you.¡± It was mainly because Sebastian was so capable that he needed no one¡¯s assistance. ¡°Based on that career of yours, I would rather not have your help for the rest of my life,¡± Sebastian said with a grin. He then passed the box to Madeline and added, ¡°Have you understood how to use it?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes. Thank you, Grayson.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Grayson replied. He then walked toward Sebastian and said, ¡°Though I¡¯m doing medicine, I¡¯m involved in healthcare products as well. Don¡¯te to me for any illness, but you¡¯re always wee to if you want to improve your health. My healthcare products can keep you young forever!¡± A doubtful Sebastian tilted his head and looked at him. ¡°Are you possessed by Lucas? These words seemed to being out from him instead of you.¡± Grayson was stunned for a moment after he heard that. Then, heughed and responded, ¡°I¡¯m definitely brainwashed by Lucas.¡± Sebastian was the calmest among them brothers. Grayson was introverted while the third brother didn¡¯t speak much too. Lucas was the only one who spoke a lot with his mouth full of yful and witty words. ¡°Dad, Mom, and Second Uncle, stop talking. We¡¯re going to have dinner now!¡± Joel looked at the delicious dishes served while swallowing his saliva. ¡°That¡¯s right. Why do you all have so many things to talk about? Let¡¯s eat now. I¡¯ll not spare all of you if my sweetheart grandsons starve,¡± Philip said in aughing tone. That made Sebastian tongue-tied. Since his dad had his beloved grandchildren, Sebastian felt his position in the family dropped, but he also adored his beloved children. After dinner, Sebastian and Madeline took both of their children for a walk in the area behind their house to help them digest the food they had just eaten. Quincy was fine, but Joel ate too much, which caused his stomach to appear like a round watermelon now. Sebastian was worried that Joel could be suffering from indigestion. Thus, both he and Madeline apanied Quincy and Joel for a walk for almost an hour before bringing the children back. Following that, the two children spent some time ying with Philip in the living room. It was only when it becamete did the four of them return to their room. Both the children were already exhausted after their shower and they dozed off right when their heads touched the pillows. Madeline came out dressed in her pajamas and she saw Sebastian, who had just taken his bath. After her son wore his pajamas, shey beside her son and gently stroked Joel¡¯s head. On the other hand, Joel was sleeping like a log with no reaction at all. Seeing that Madeline came out in her pajamas, Sebastian waved her over. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just sleep here,¡± she replied while pointing her finger at the area beside Quincy. They had been sleeping in such a way, with both of them by the side supporting the children in the middle. Although Madeline felt uneasy about it, she epted such an arrangement at the thought of their marriage certificate. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She had no intention to marry someone else in the future, and coupled with the fact that she was legally married to Sebastian, it wasn¡¯t a big deal for them to sleep on the same bed. However, Sebastian signaled for her to head over to his side now. This is impossible! They had already agreed that they were only husband and wife in name with no real responsibilities! A cautious Madeline then looked at him. Sebastian found her amusing andughed. ¡°What nonsense are you thinking of? You appear to be a decentdy, but your mind was full of those dirty thoughts?¡± Madeline was lost for words. Seeing that, he sat up straight and took the medication box from the cab beside the bed. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll apply the ointment for you or¡­ do you prefer to do it yourself? It has to be done in a circr motion with some force applied on it. Can you do so? Well, she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t see her back. Even if she used the mirror, there were some spots where she couldn¡¯t reach, let alone pressing them in a circr motion. With that, Sebastian signaled to her again. ¡°Come here.¡± This time, she walked slowly toward him. She was well aware of Grayson¡¯s expertise. To have such a big shot in the medical field to concoct this prescription for her was already a waste of Grayson¡¯s talent. And she must, of course, treasure such precious ointment and ensure that it would be used to its full extent. Hence, she walked to the side of the bed and pulled her pajamas down a little. ¡°Justy down on your tummy. That¡¯s easier to apply.¡± Madeline nodded and did as told with her face buried into the nket. This is better, she thought. No one would notice her shyness once her face was covered. Sebastian then opened the box and Madeline immediately smelled a pleasant ointment odor. Though half of her nose was buried in the nket, the tang was strong enough that she could smell it. ¡°It smells lovely.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but to let out her praise. ¡°Grayson is a perfectionist,¡± Sebastian said before he continued, ¡°Furthermore, you¡¯re his sister-inw. Of course he had to do this well. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have the audacity to face you.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t really understand what he meant. His words seemed to be illogical. To her, this young master of the Hart Family was really a topic terminator. He could always render her speechless with a single sentence. At the same time, Sebastian was getting some of the ointment with his finger before carefully applying it on the wounds on her back. On her back, she had ten wounds, both deep and superficial. Seeing that, he couldn¡¯t control himself but to feel sentimental. Thisdy was fortunate enough to survive after being beaten to this extent. Those who were unlucky would have been dead by now. After he applied the ointment on each and every wound while gently pressing them until they were absorbed, he kept the box and went straight to the washroom to wash his hand. When he exited the washroom, she was alreadyying on Quincy¡¯s side with the two children between them. She even had the nket covering the whole of her, revealing only her head and neck. Her demeanor revealed that she was feeling shy. Sebastianughed when he saw her in this manner. Then, he walked to Joel¡¯s side andy down while asking, ¡°Is there anything else? If there¡¯s none, I¡¯ll turn off the lights now.¡± ¡°I have¡­¡± Madeline replied softly. ¡°I want to give Grayson a present to thank him. What do you think I should give?¡± She had to give something in reciprocal of Grayson¡¯s kindness. It would be rude for her to just take his ointment for free. He would definitely reject any payment made by her. Thus, she thought of giving him a gift, but she had no idea of his likes and dislikes. So, she had to ask Sebastian. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 169 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 169 Chapter 169 She Couldn¡¯t Say! ¡°Present to Grayson? Why?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Just because he gave you the ointment?¡± Madeline replied, ¡°Of course.¡± What else would it be? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should give me the present instead,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m the one who approached Grayson to heal your wounds, and he concocted it out of his respect for me. I¡¯m the one whom you should give a present to, not him.¡± When she heard that, she was bereft of speech. What she had thought earlier was right at all¡ªMr. Hart could really end all conversations. She was at a loss of words the moment he opened his mouth. After thinking for a long time, she said, ¡°Grayson was the one who did the work, though. I can¡¯t give him nothing.¡± To that, Sebastian repeated, ¡°He put in the effort because of me, though. He wouldn¡¯t have done it otherwise!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Since she couldn¡¯t out-talk him, Michelle decided to meet him half-way. ¡°I¡¯ll give you both a present. As for you, I¡¯ll give you whatever you fancy. How does that sound?¡± ¡°The most important thing in gifting is sincerity,¡± Sebastian reminded. ¡°If I tell you what I want, I can just get it myself. You asked me about it and you¡¯ll buy the exact thingter; what¡¯s the difference with me buying it myself?¡± Again, she was speechless as she really couldn¡¯t keep the conversation going. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll think about it¡­¡± Clutching the nket closer, she closed her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep; I¡¯m sleepy. Goodnight.¡± She retracted what she had said earlier in the day. No matter how good he was, she would never fall in love with Mr. Hart! His razor-sharp words were not something she could deal with. Even if he were the perfect catch on earth, he was still not her type! Ann was here again after breakfast the next day. Sebastian was as indifferent to her as usual, as if he hadn¡¯t been the one who chased her out of the Hart Residence the day before. She greeted him and he replied, but he neither looked into her eyes nor talked to her. As soon as she sat down, he left the house while being apanied by Madeline and the two children, who had all greeted Philip. Ann had grown up under Philip¡¯s careful eye and he even treated her like his own daughter. Hence, Sebastian never fought with her in front of Philip to not displease him. For Sebastian, she was merely an unimportant person who was not worth his words. As long as she minded her own business, he couldn¡¯t care less as to whatever she did to please Philip. Seeing that Sebastian left with Madeline and her two sons, Ann¡¯s vessels almost burst. When they had gone far, she couldn¡¯t control herself any longer and asked, ¡°Mr. Philip, what¡¯s happening? Why does Sebastian suddenly have two sons?¡± In reply, Philipughingly told her the story that he had repeated umpteen times. ¡°This is impossible!¡± Ann said with disbelief. ¡°I grew up with Sebastian and I¡¯ve never seen him getting into a rtionship. How would he get married to someone abroad?¡± ¡°Love is illogical, Ann, and there¡¯s nothing impossible with love.¡± Philip smiled while waving his hand. ¡°Look, Sebastian¡¯s sons are already this big. Since you¡¯re only a year younger than him, you should hurry up too! Do you have anyone you like when you¡¯re abroad? Bring him back and I¡¯ll review him for you.¡± Hearing that, she was stunned with rage. Wasn¡¯t he asking the obvious? Someone whom she liked? Of course she had. Everyone who knew her was aware that she had the hots for Sebastian! At this moment, Ann was exasperated that she had no idea what to say. In the past, she didn¡¯t dare to express her crush on Sebastian. Sebastian didn¡¯t like her and he loathed her instead. He was never close to her. She was afraid that if she expressed her liking for him, they couldn¡¯t even remain as siblings anymore. He had his own way of doing things. If he insisted on severing all ties with her, he would really do so and no one could convince him out of it. As Sebastian had no feelings for her, she knew that confessing to him would result in a t rejection, and worse, they would no longer be siblings. That was why she had never expressed in a clear way that she liked him. However, even though Ann had never said so, those around her knew her intention. Now that Philip suddenly posed this question to her, she had the urge to tell him that Sebastian was the one whom she liked. She was furious that Philip yed innocent on this. Her aunt had once instructed Philip on her deathbed to take care of her. Philip had also promised that he would do so at that time, but what was he doing now? He obviously knew that she liked Sebastian, but he allowed another woman to be his wife and even lied to her that the woman had long been married to Sebastian with two children born from their marriage. Was Philip treating her like a moron? All this while, her focus had always been on Sebastian, as if she were looking through a magnifying ss at every detail of him. If things were like what Philip imed to be, that Sebastian had a lover and they registered abroad, she would definitely know about it. However, Philip was now lying through his teeth in front of her. At this instant, her hate for him rose. She really wanted to tell him that she actually liked Sebastian just to see his reaction, butcked the courage to do so. What if he told her she shouldn¡¯t invite gossip because of Sebastian¡¯s marital status, and thus asked her not toe to the Hart Residence any longer? Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Then, she would lose her only way of getting close to Sebastian. No way! I can¡¯t tell him! After a few deep breaths, she suppressed the rage in her heart and gave Philip a gentle smile. ¡°Mr. Philip, I¡¯ve not graduated yet. I¡¯ll think about it after my graduation.¡± Phillip nodded. ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I grew up with Sebastian, Mr. Philip, and I know everything that happened to him. From what I know, he had never been in a rtionship before. He can¡¯t possibly be married, could he?¡± She then shifted the focus to Madeline. ¡°Mr. Philip, you lied, didn¡¯t you? That two children were born as a result of some despicable means that Madeline employed in order to marry into the Hart Family to be the young mistress, no? Mr. Philip¡­¡± With that, she stood up and sat beside Philip. She grabbed his arm and coquettishly said, ¡°Listen to me, Mr. Philip. I¡¯ve seen lots of women like her. They only have money and power in their eyes and worked hard to throw themselves at wealthy men. They would then get pregnant in order to use the child to marry into wealthy families to enjoy the riches. Sebastian is so outstanding; he deserves a woman who truly loves him. Being with such a materialistic and disgraceful woman who purposefully used her children is an insult to him!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 170 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 170 Chapter 170 How Could She ept It? ¡°Stop your nonsense!¡± Philip¡¯s face turned stern. ¡°Ann, your brother and your sister-inw are legally married, and both Quincy and Joel are their sons. I hope I will not hear any defamatory words concerning them from your mouth again in the future.¡± ¡°Mr. Philip¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop it.¡± Philip stood up. ¡°Remember what I¡¯ve said and don¡¯t simply talk about Madeline, Quincy and Joel again. I have other things to do now, and you can leave.¡± After finishing his words, he strode upstairs. ¡°Mr. Philip! Please hear me out¡­¡± Ann went after him, but was immediately stopped by Zacharias, who hurriedly ran to her in a hurry. ¡°Please stop, Miss Evans.¡± He blocked her path with a smile as he continued, ¡°Our Young Master has said that since he is now married with a wife and children while you are still single, you will be treated as a guest at the Hart Residence from now on. Are you thirsty, Miss Evans? Shall I instruct my men to make you fruit juice?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She was so angry that her entire body trembled. What did he mean? Was he saying that because of Sebastian¡¯s marriage, she was no longer a member of the Hart Family, but rather a guest, and thus she couldn¡¯t head upstairs and could only stay in the living room? How could this be? She had grown up in Hart Residence since young and long regarded herself as part of the Harts, but Zacharias was now in front of her, preventing her from going upstairs! She was only allowed to stay in the living room as a guest! Faced with such a big difference in treatment, she was so mad that her entire face paled and her body continued to tremble. It was totally uneptable! Zacharias blocked the stairs in faithful obedience to the task given to him by his Young Master. He would never let Ann go even a step further since he absolutely adored both his little young masters. They were both his lives now! Being as cute as they were, he had to make sure that they grew up in a blissful family with both their parents around. Everyone in the Hart Family was aware of Ann¡¯s feelings toward Sebastian and he wouldn¡¯t let her have any chance toe between Sebastian and Madeline! At this instant, Ann was so angry that she wanted to give Zacharias a tight p, but she didn¡¯t dare to do so. She knew that although he was only a housekeeper, he had been with Philip since his younger days so much so that Philip treated him like a family. If she dared to be rude to him, Philip would undoubtedly tear up their rtionship and she would have nobody to rely on in the future if that happened. She tried hard to contain the anger burning in her heart with her tightly squeezed fists and she squeezed a smile. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve something today, so I¡¯ll visit Mr. Philip next time.¡± Once again, she left the Hart Residence in an embarrassed way. However, she drove herself without the escort of the Harts¡¯ bodyguard this time. After exiting the Hart Residence, she got into her car and drove away. A few minutester, she stopped her car by the roadside and dialed her foster mother¡¯s phone number with her trembling hands. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The moment the call was answered, Ann¡¯s tears dropped. ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± On the other end of the conversation was Emma, who casually asked while she was sunbathing by the beach. ¡°Mom, I was chased out by Mr. Philip and Zacharias from the Hart Residence,¡± Ann said in between sobs. ¡°That old man Zacharias said that since Sebastian is married, I¡¯m only their guest from now on. I can¡¯t even go up to the second floor and can only stay in the living room. What nonsense is this? How can they treat me in this way, Mom?¡± She was breathlessly crying, seemingly aggrieved. ¡°You¡­¡± Emma sighed. ¡°Since you have Mr. Philip behind your back, you can have plenty of excellent men. Why do you keep harping on Sebastian? In the past, he was single, and you might have had a chance, but now, he has a family and children as well. Why are you clinging on to him? Listen to me, I¡¯ll find you a talented man from a good family who will treat you wholeheartedly, isn¡¯t that good? ¡°I don¡¯t want that, Mom. I want nobody but Sebastian!¡± Ann continued crying, ¡°Would there be someone with a better family background than him? Would there be someone more talented than him too? Sebastian is the best for me. I grew up with such a perfect man, Mom. How could I want someone who isn¡¯t on par with him?¡± After a brief silence, Emma sighed again. ¡°Well, that¡¯s right¡­¡± They were family friends with the Hart Family and she knew Philip since she was young. It was a pity that she was more than ten years younger than Philip whereas her sister was only a few years younger than him. Her sister eventually married Philip in the end. Emma, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t look at anyone else because Philip was already the best fit for her. Despite the fact that her parents forced her to marry her ex-husbandter in life, she had never loved him. Her ex-husband suffered from an illness that caused him to be infertile, which left her with no children as well, and hence, she adopted Ann. However, in theter years, the illegitimate son of her ex-husband approached them. It was only then Emma discovered that her ex-husband¡¯s infertility was actually caused by a car ident, and prior to that ident, he had made a woman pregnant. That ex-husband assumed that he would not have any offspring, but a son of his had unexpectedly appeared. He was so happy that he would rather divorce her in order to legalize his illegitimate son despite the immense pressure from the Harts. For her, it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but her sister felt heartache for her. Thus, she had invited Emma and Ann into the Hart Residence. She knew she had never loved her ex-husband, but in their many years of marriage, she had abided by her obligations and did whatever she could as a wife. However, when that illegitimate son appeared, everyone including her ex-husband and his parents stood by him and even chased her out for him. Though she did not love her ex-husband, she was unwilling to ept it. It was because of his infertility that she couldn¡¯t have her own children, but the moment he knew he had a son, he kicked her away immediately. How could she ept that? He wanted to give that son of his a legitimate identity, but Emma was unwilling. So, despite her leaving the house and bringing Ann along into the Hart Family to apany her sister, she refused to get divorce with him. And they didn¡¯t dare to do anything to her as they were wary of the Hart Family¡¯s influence. This went on for many years. The only person she had ever loved was her brother-inw throughout her entire life. Hence, Emma understood what Ann meant. Every other man would be a nobody once a woman met the man who was made for her. They could throw themselves at her, but she would never ept them. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Emma let out another sigh before she continued softly, ¡°I¡¯m recovering well and will be back in Dusktown not long after. I¡¯ll help you when I am back. In the meantime, be good and don¡¯t do any unnecessary things that would annoy Mr. Philip and Sebastian.¡± She had a skin condition that would re up every few years and cause her to experience excruciating itchiness. That could only be resolved if she stayed in a warm climate with plenty of sunlight for a long period of time. That was the reason why she didn¡¯t really see Philip in the recent years. Hearing that Emma was willing to help her, Ann was overjoyed. She immediately said in an obedient way, ¡°I know, Mom. I¡¯ll be good before you get back and will do nothing besides abiding by everything that Mr. Philip has said.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 171 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Capable Man Doesn¡¯t Live on His Parents Shouldn¡¯t Be Used Here Sebastian did a lot of tasks after he brought Madeline and the two children out. He first went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to change the registration details of the children. Once that had been done, Quincy and Joel¡¯sst name on their registration book wasn¡¯t ¡®Taylor¡¯ anymore, but ¡®Hart¡¯. Then, he took them to school where both the children would be attending. They had a walk around the school to familiarize the children with the school¡¯s surroundings. Joel was an expert at ttery. Whatever he saw, whether it was the vast field or the lovely garden, he would exim in surprise and it would be followed by a slew ofpliments. Sebastian was amused by such manners and he said while gently stroking Joel¡¯s head, ¡°It¡¯s Monday the day after tomorrow. I¡¯ll send you and your brother here for school. Do you want it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joel nodded firmly. ¡°This school is big and beautiful. I love it!¡± Then, he hugged Quincy¡¯s arm and said with a smile, ¡°Anywhere will do as long as I¡¯m with Quincy! I¡¯m brave and obedient; I¡¯m not afraid at all!¡± ¡°Yes, you are!¡± Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but carry Joel into his arms and kiss his tender cheek. ¡°My son is the most obedient child in the world! Cute and obedient!¡± Joel smiled happily when he heard that. He returned the kiss to Sebastian and said, ¡°And my dad is the most wonderful dad in the world! Number one!¡± At that, Sebastian pinched his cheeks as he absolutely adored Joel. After the visit to the school, he then brought them to their house opposite. Both children were overjoyed to learn that Madeline would be opening her firm here after they attended the opposite school in the future. Even a usually reserved Quincyughed happily, let alone Joel. He was already running wild in the courtyard. While running, he yelled, ¡°Mom! Come here! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Madeline happily followed him. He was exhausted after running and leaned in her arms. With his arms wrapped around her neck, his face showed a blissful expression as he inquired, ¡°Mom, is this our home in the future?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Madeline replied while wiping off the sweat on Joel¡¯s forehead. ¡°This is our home from now on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± He pressed his cheeks against hers andmented in a soft voice, ¡°Will this be our home forever, Mom? We¡¯ll stay here with Dad and will never have to move again, right?¡± It was a question that she could not answer. Sebastian, on the other hand, approached them and answered while stroking Joel¡¯s head, ¡°We may not stay here forever, but our family will always stay together. No matter which location we are in, as long as we are together, that¡¯s our home.¡± ¡°Do we really have to move?¡± Joel asked, his head tilted. ¡°Dad, I love this ce. Can we stay here forever?¡± This was the first request his beloved son had ever made, and of course, Sebastian couldn¡¯t bear to reject him. ¡°Of course!¡± He nodded and walked to one side with his phone. Half an hourter, someone sent over the property¡¯s sale and purchase agreement. Sebastian handed it to Madeline and instructed, ¡°Sign your name.¡± ¡°What?¡± After she flipped through the agreement, she was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re giving this house to Joel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°This is Joel¡¯s house now. As long as he does not want to leave, this will remain our home forever.¡± She was dumbstruck. What should she say? That he was rich enough to be this willful? ¡°This is not appropriate, I think.¡± After years of unlucky events, Madeline wasn¡¯t used to having someone treating her and her sons this well. ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate.¡± Sebastian replied, ¡°This property is for Joel. As for Quincy, I¡¯ll let him choose somewhere else that he likes. They are both my beloved sons and I won¡¯t practice favoritism.¡± Madeline was still stupefied. She wanted to congratte this Young Master that he finally understood the concept of favoritism correctly, but this gift was too valuable and she did not want to ept it. Sebastian saw through her thoughts. With his brows raised, he said, ¡°They are your sons, but they¡¯re mine as well. You can¡¯t deprive my rights to dote on them.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Then, he shoved the signing pen into her palm and said, ¡°Just sign.¡± As he had rushed her into it, she signed the agreement in a daze. Quinton quickly brought over an ink pad and both she and Joel stamped their fingerprints on the agreement. Joel was confused by what was going on, and with his blinking eyes, he asked, ¡°Are you selling us off?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Sebastian asked in reply. ¡°That¡¯s what they always show in the television programmes.¡± He then made a pressing gesture with his finger and continued, ¡°Leaving my fingerprint means that I¡¯m selling myself off!¡± When Sebastian heard that, he smiled and stroked Joel¡¯s head. ¡°I told you not to watch so many TV shows. You didn¡¯t listen to me, did you?¡± To that, Joelughed and buried himself into Sebastian¡¯s arms without answering the question. Hugging his soft and tender body, Sebastian did not want to harp on the issue anymore. Joel, who always used his cuteness to his advantage, wriggled his way out sessfully once more. After hugging him for a while, Sebastian patted him on the back and asked him to look at the agreement. He then exined, ¡°Look at this. You¡¯ve now imprinted your fingerprint on this agreement, and this house will be yours in the future!¡± While pointing toward the shop houses in front of them and the house that they would be moving in, he continued, ¡°All these are yours. You can stay here for as long as you want. As long as you do not want to move, you¡¯ll never have to!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Joel eximed as his eyes brightened. ¡°You are wonderful, Dad!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just average,¡± Sebastian replied in a humble way. ¡°You will be better than me when you grow up.¡± Madeline had no idea what to say. His words were humble, but she did not feel his sincerity in it at all. Sebastian stretched his hand and pulled Quincy to his side. ¡°I¡¯ve a lot of other properties, Quincy. I¡¯ll bring you there next time and I¡¯ll give you whichever it is that you prefer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Dad.¡± Quincy declined in a stern tone. ¡°A capable man doesn¡¯t live on his parents, Dad. I¡¯ll get whatever I want by myself.¡± Madeline was even more confused when she heard that. That saying wasn¡¯t used in such a situation, son! she eximed in her heart. However, Sebastian found him amusing. It didn¡¯t bother him whether Quincy had used the words correctly; he just wanted to praise the child. ¡°My son is terrific. So sensible and ambitious. You¡¯re wonderful!¡± Hearing that, she decided to give up on them. She had a feeling these three guys were going to drive her insane sooner orter. Though it was only now that Sebastian brought them to this house, he had long nned for all of them to stay here. Even before he left for Wendel City with Madeline, he had directed his men to refurbish this house. The house was now fully furnished and ready for them to move in. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 172 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 172 Chapter 172 He Fell Out of Favor Completely They took one whole day to move. By Sunday night, the entire family was already staying in their new house. The new house had a children¡¯s room for both Quincy and Joel respectively, but they were both afraid to sleep in it. Sebastian couldn¡¯t bear to force them in doing so. Furthermore, he was still enjoying his bonding time with them. Hence, he allowed them to stay in the master bedroom with him and Madeline. Moving here had a big advantage¡ªAnn could never step her foot here as she wished. Ann grew up in the Hart Residence, which she considered her home. She could alwayse up with some shameless excuses to stay there if she wanted to. Thus, he brought Madeline with the two kids here. This ce had no connection with Ann whatsoever, and no matter what shameless excuse she came up with, he would never let her in. It resolved the issue of Ann¡¯s disturbance without upsetting his father, making it a really good way out. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Besides, this ce was quite near to Sebastian¡¯spany¡¯s headquarters. He needed only twenty minutes to get there in the absence of traffic congestion. This location was also newly developed and all the technologies applied here were the most advanced in the country, and it was not as packed as the city. He loved this ce. And obviously, Madeline and the two kids loved this ce too. On Monday, both he and Madeline sent both children to school. Philip had also just returned to society and joined the project department. Everything in the project department was confidential; even the employees could only take a break once their projects had been substantiallypleted. This meant that Philip could not see his grandchildren for a period of time. He couldn¡¯t bear to leave them, and hence, he woke up earlier in the morning and came all the way here on Monday to have breakfast with them before sending them to school with both Sebastian and Madeline. And before they separated, he was endlessly taking photos and videos of the kids. To quote Philip¡¯s words, these photos and videos would be what keep him going. From this, Sebastian fully understood that he was totally out of his father¡¯s favor. Philip¡¯s phone was full with the photos and videos of both the children, but not even one of Sebastian himself. He grudgingly whined about it. When Philip heard it, he merely said heartlessly that Sebastian didn¡¯t fall out of favor, but he had never been in Philip¡¯s good book from the start. Sebastian wasn¡¯t sad at all because he knew that his father was lying. He firmly believed that the one that his father loved the most was him. Though it appeared now that his father doted on the two kids more, that was also because they were his kids. Rounding it up, Philip still loved Sebastian the most. This was what he truly believed in without a single doubt! Philip left for the project team, the two kids went to their school, and Sebastian left for hispany, leaving Madeline alone. Then, she started doing matters that concerned her firm. As her firm changed its location, she needed to create a signboard and advertisement board as well as decorate the ce. Although her job involved running around and she rarely did her work in the firm, she still needed an office. After that, she would need to prepare a hostel for her employees. She was used to doing all of these, and hence, she managed toplete them systematically. All these minute tasks didn¡¯t bother her at all. Furthermore, she was doing all of these alone in the past. Now, she had four other people helping her out. They were none other than the four bodyguards Sebastian had given her and their kids¡ªEmory, Leonard, Fred, and Simon. The school did not allow bodyguards to enter, and thus, whenever the kids were in school, their bodyguards had nothing to do. Together with the other two in charge of protecting her, she now had four assistants. It wasn¡¯t just that because these four assistants had their own men too. The moment they saw she was about to do something, they would immediately call their men over and a huge crowd of them would thene to her aid. With that, Madeline¡¯s firm waspletely decorated within a week. The entire style was that of what she liked and how she had imagined it to be. Her firm adopted its previous name¡ªMansion. Madeline¡¯s master was the one who named the firm. The term was derived from an old saying that described the construction of mansions for the poor that were as solid as mountains, providing them with shelter and causing them to smile. When her master was still alive, it was his favorite sentence. He was an especially idealistic man with a loyal and chivalrous heart. When he was drunk, he always comined about being born in the wrong generation. ording to him, he should have been born in earlier times. In those days, he could simply bring a bottle of wine and a sword with him to travel the world, aiding any injustice he came across. Madeline¡¯s master was a good man, but he was also an unlucky person like her. He previously had a marriage, but it didn¡¯t end up well as his wife couldn¡¯t stand hispanionable personality. She abandoned their child and remarried a wealthy businessman. Out of love for her, he drank excessively on the day of her second marriage and it exceeded his tolerance. The moment he woke up, his only son was gone. In fact, he was a talented man who was skilled in both education and physical skills. Despite his young age, he was already holding an important position with the country¡¯s martial art club, but he resigned for the sake of finding his only son. And after resigning, the man went everywhere searching for his son. After he spent all his savings, he sold off all his properties and started Mansion. He took cases while still looking for his son. His firm took on almost every type of cases, mainly those more toward a private investigator. This type of job required him to run around and be in contact with all sorts of people. With this, he could earn his living to financially support his search for his son while locating his son at the same time. s, he still did not manage to locate his son after all his efforts. On his deathbed, Madeline promised him that she would look for his son for him. Yet, her master replied that it was a task too difficult for her. He wished for her to continue the firm, but as for his son, he would rather her let nature take its course. Madeline now had ten employees under her. All of them were working outdoors now; seven of them were doing the cases of the firm while the other three were looking for her master¡¯s son under her instructions. She had no time and effort to spare as she needed to look after Quincy and Joel now. In the future when her situation improved, she would do it personally. Her master didn¡¯t want to burden her with it, but she felt sorry for him as well. When he was still alive, he was always worried that his son would have his limbs amputated and thrown somewhere to beg for his life, or that he would be in rural areas where he couldn¡¯t even obtain an education and was living solely for the purpose of bearing offspring for the family he was in. She knew that her master couldn¡¯t rest in peace. Thus, Madeline had to locate his son for him. She would continue to do so as long as she lived and would never give up. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 173 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Things Happened Suddenly The Mansion reopened a few dayster. For the sake of being auspicious, Emory even bought more than ten stripes of crackers and set them off for a long time by the door. However, all the others in the firm were busy working outside and no one was around to join the celebration, but it didn¡¯t matter. All of them would return eventually since this was theirmon home now. Quincy and Joel liked their school a lot. It was especially so for Joel since the both of them sat together. When they arrived home every day, they were full of praise for the school. Meanwhile, Sebastian was getting busy at work as he had taken on a new project that required his supervision, so he left early for work and returnedte at night. His workload was so heavy that it was almost dawn by the time he arrived home. However, whenever he was home, Joel would rush into his embrace and give him a kiss, which dissipated all of his exhaustion. He was already a workaholic to start with. Now, for every project he took on, he felt like he was making an effort for his sons¡¯ future and that made him work even harder. Sebastian was posted interstate today and would spend the night in the neighboring city. Because of this, he intentionally took some time out and sent both kids to school himself. Then, he begrudgingly left for his office only after seeing them enter the school campus. Madeline was together with him to satisfy Quincy and Joel¡¯s wishes to have both parents in sending them. After they both entered the school and Sebastian left, she walked to her firm alone. Sebastian was right. Their house was only a street away from the school and they merely needed ten minutes to walk from their house to the school. It was very convenient for them. Upon arriving at her firm, she immediately devoted herself to work. She was also busy recently too. After the renovations were done and her firm was officially opened, she had to proceed with the hiring of staff. The ten people Madeline now had were the same as when her master was managing the firm. All of them had previously received her master¡¯s or her kindness previously. For them, the firm wasn¡¯t merely a job; it was their shelter, and even their home. Most of them were alone with no family around while others had family which they would rather not have. There were all wanderers with no people to care for. Due to all sorts of reasonster, they all met each other in the Mansion. Thest one who joined was here for about a year and none of them had the intention of leaving. They treated Mansion as their lifelong career and theirmon home. That was why she needed to manage the firm well and if she could, to expand it. To do so, it wasn¡¯t sufficient to rely on the people she had now. She would need to recruit more salespersons and secretaries in due course. A few days ago, she had posted her employment advertisement online with the interview being scheduled for today. Emory, Leonard, Fred, and Simon were by her side whenever the children were in school. After they became more acquainted with each other, Madeline realized that all four of them were perfect in all aspects. They were intelligent, both intellectually and emotionally, and capable of completing whatever tasks given to them. They could arrange everything systematically and deal with any hurdles that came their way. She always felt that it was a waste for them to be her bodyguards. In fact, she had proposed this to the four of them, but theyughed and brushed it off, saying that their primary responsibility was to protect her, Quincy and Joel. Their Young Master had assigned them to this task because he acknowledged their capabilities, and they loved their current job a lot. This was their source of pride and honor. Since they had said so, Madeline didn¡¯t continue on this. However, she had already made up her mind to give them bonuses from the firm at the end of the year, together with a big red packet for each of them. When the interview was going halfway, her phone rang. The screen showed a series of numbers instead of a name, meaning that she did not have this number saved in her contact list. However, this series of numbers was so familiar to her that she knew who the caller was without the phone showing the identity. Looking at the number showing on the screen, she had mixed feelings. They had not been in contact for a long time. Why did he call her out of the blue? Owned by N?velDrama.Org. After slightly lowering her head, Madeline told Emory, ¡°Continue with it. I need to answer a call.¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Hart.¡± He stood up and sent her out of the room. Then, she took the phone to the side where no one was around and answered it. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± On the other end of the call, Luke was sitting in a car and ying with a silver de. She asked, ¡°Why did you call me?¡± ¡°Of course I have something,¡± he answered. ¡°I will send you a video now. Don¡¯t tell anyone; otherwise, you¡¯ll end up with your sons¡¯ bodies.¡± ¡°What?¡± Her expression changed and the decibels of her voice increased. The call was hung up, and what immediately followed was a video recording sent to her phone. She quickly opened the video with confusion¡ªand it was her sons in the video. It seemed like a washroom where both Quincy and Joel were lying on the floor with their school uniforms on. Their eyes were shut, seemingly passed out. Before she could have a clearer look, her phone rang again. Madeline picked up the call and immediately scolded in a deep tone, ¡°Luke Adams, what exactly do you want? I will never let you off if you dare to touch my sons.¡± Hearing that, Lukeughed. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me off either when I didn¡¯t touch them.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She was trembling out of anger. ¡°What do you want? Release my sons now! If you ever dare to hurt them, I¡¯ll kill you wherever you are.¡± ¡°Such effort is not necessary,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m just outside. Come out now and we can have a talk¡­¡± He took a brief pause and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Sebastian and his men. I¡¯ve a bugging device installed on you and if you dare to divulge even a word, I¡¯ll kill both of them right away.¡± After that, Luke let out a sneer. ¡°Madeline Taylor, thanks to you, I now have the certification of being mentally ill. With that, I can kill anyone I want without having to bear the consequences.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurt them! I¡¯ll go out now!¡± Madeline said angrily. ¡°And don¡¯t contact my brother either.¡± Luke continued. ¡°As I¡¯ve just said, one word of this from you and I¡¯ll send your kids off to hell. You know me; I do whatever I say. If you do not want that to happen,e out alone.¡± Madeline was so angry that she almost fainted. She had no idea whether he really installed a bugging device on her, but it could be anywhere. Her sleeves, buttons, as well as jewelry; they were all possible. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 174 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 174 Chapter 174 What Rights Do You Have to Mention My Brother? There were simply too many ces to hide a bugging device and Luke did not give her the time to check them all. Madeline didn¡¯t dare to risk her sons¡¯ lives. Hence, she could only do as he said and left the firm alone without telling anyone. There was a silver car outside the firm. She took a nce at its car te number and recognised that it was Luke¡¯s. His habit did not change at all after such a long time. She opened the door and entered it. Before she could sit firm, the car sped off. Looking at the person sitting beside her, she tried to contain her rage and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Quincy and Joel?¡± To that, Luke merely gave her a smile without answering her question and his hand struck toward her nape. Madeline immediately blocked it with her hand. He looked at her with a deep gaze and said, ¡°Maddie, if you do not want your sons to be hurt anywhere or even dead, don¡¯t resist.¡± She yelled. ¡°Luke Adams! What exactly do you want?¡± He struck her nape again and replied, ¡®You¡¯ll know it soon.¡± Reflexively, she wanted to resist his attack, but she thought of his warning earlier. Hence, she could only suppress her subconscious movements and allow his action. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. After an immense pain, everything turned ck before her and she passed out. When she woke up, she realized that she was on the floor with her limbs all tied up. She moved around and checked the surroundings. It appeared to be a room in the basement where there was only a door with no window. Everything was dark, save for the light from a dimly-lit tablemp at the corner of the wall. There was nothing blocking her mouth. Hence, she tried to utter something. ¡°Luke Adams?¡± That instant, another light lit up and she immediately looked at the direction of this light. Not far from her, there was a couch. It looked elegant, appearing to be in a huge contrast with this dark and simple room. Luke was sitting on the sofa with a ss of red wine in his hand and looking at her with his head tilted. Madeline immediately sat up and looked at him angrily. ¡°Is this enough? Where¡¯s Quincy and Joel? Luke Adams, if you dare toy your hands on them, I¡¯ll never forgive you for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me whether I have had enough?¡± He stood up, walked toward her and squatted down beside her. Then, he held her chin and asked, ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± She was shocked to hear that. ¡°What have I done?¡± ¡°Nothing, you say?¡± He looked at her fiercely. ¡°Are you serious about marrying Sebastian? Madeline, have you forgotten what you told me before? You said you would devote your entire life to taking care of your two sons and would never marry! This was what you personally told me. Have you forgotten about them?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°Sebastian is their biological father and we¡¯re not getting married for real. It was just to give Quincy and Joel aplete family.¡± He sneered at her answer of hers. His gaze was cold as he replied, ¡°I should have killed that two b*stards.¡± ¡°What rubbish are you saying?¡± She was furious. ¡°The fact that we aren¡¯t together has nothing to do with either of them. I just didn¡¯t feel anything for you. You¡¯ll always be a brother and a family member to me!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you like me?¡± Luke stared at her, his gaze full of insanity and obstinacy. ¡°Where am I falling short? I¡¯ll treat you well and give you everything that you want as long as you¡¯re with me, and I can even promise to only be good to you for my entire life! Why didn¡¯t you marry me? Just how am I not good enough?¡± ¡°You¡¯re good, but I just feel nothing for you!¡± Madeline continued, ¡°I¡¯ve always treated you as my brother and my family. I do not wish to marry you; I can¡¯t imagine marrying you and bing your wife because all along, all I¡¯ve had for you was kinship, not love!¡± ¡°Who do you love then? Sebastian?¡± He smiled coldly. ¡°Madeline, do you really believe that he married you out of his true feelings? No! He was merely deceiving you! He only wanted Quincy and Joel, and once he gets them, he¡¯ll dump you like garbage!¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± Taking a deep breath, she suppressed all her rage and tried to talk to him in a calm tone, ¡°Can we stop arguing on this? I want to see my kids. Where did you bring them?¡± ¡°You seemed to have misunderstood your situation now, Madeline.¡± Luke gripped her chin tightly and gave her a dead stare. ¡°You¡¯re now my prisoner. How can you talk to me in such a manner?¡± She was getting more anxious and yelled, ¡°I am your lifesaver! I saved your life; if it wasn¡¯t for me, you would have been dead for ten years now!¡± ¡°So what?¡± he asked. His gaze was ruthless. ¡°Do you think I want to be alive? Yes, you saved me, but you killed me after that! What¡¯s the point of living if I cannot be with the one I love? I felt worse than death now. Life is like a living hell for me!¡± Madeline was totally stumped for words. ¡°Though we¡¯re not lovers, we can be family! To me, you¡¯re always my brother, my family. You would understand me if you truly loved me. How can you kidnap Quincy and Joel just because of what happened between us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be your family. I want to be your lover and your husband!¡± He looked at her firmly and insisted, ¡°It¡¯s either you don¡¯t get married for your entire life or the only person whom you can marry is me!¡± ¡°Sebastian and I are just husband and wife in name!¡± She did not want to agitate him further and tried to exin calmly again, ¡°We got together because we wanted the kids to have aplete family¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said that two b*stards should die!¡± His gaze was full with a sense of mercilessness. ¡°I dare you!¡± she yelled. ¡°If you dare to even touch them, I¡¯ll hate you forever!¡± ¡°You sounded as if we were close now.¡± Luke let out a cold and ruthlessugh. ¡°Luke¡­¡± Madeline softened down. ¡°Though we had not been in contact for a while, Logan and you are always my brothers deep down in my heart.¡± His expression changed when he heard that. ¡°How dare you even mention my brother!¡± He gave her a push immediately, his face pale as if he wanted to kill her right there and then. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you, my brother would not be paralysed! Do you know how ill he is right now? He would quickly run out of breath and cough uncontrobly whenever the wind blew. It is all thanks to you!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 175 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 175 Chapter 175 I Want You to Kneel Down Madeline was, again, so mad that she was lost for words. She wanted to say that he was the one who caused that, not her, but she didn¡¯t dare to agitate him any further since Quincy and Joel were still in his hands. Then, she closed her eyes and said slowly, ¡°That was something none of us wanted for Logan. I¡¯m sorry to see him like this, but it was an ident that we couldn¡¯t prevent¡ª¡± ¡°How nicely you¡¯ve described it.¡± Luke smiled coldly. ¡°You can be so calm because my brother and I were nothing to you!¡± ¡°Why do you always have to say these annoying words?¡± She finally lost control of her rage and yelled, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for more than ten years. During you and your brother¡¯s most difficult times, I was the one who supported you both to survive. I treated both of you like my brothers and this is how you treat me now? By kidnapping my sons? Luke Adams, are you even a human?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right!¡± He nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a human anymore; it¡¯s just too tiring. Look at Logan now. He would not have be like this if he could just forget his indebtedness toward you! A human had to be bullied and humiliated upon; I would rather be a beast!¡± He stretched his hand and gripped her neck tightly. ¡°And now, I want to be a beast!¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± Madeline struggled angrily. ¡°Let you go?¡± Luke repeated with his brow raised. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± He subsequently untied the ropes on her limbs and pointed toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go now, but do you dare to leave? The door is there, and it¡¯s open for you to leave, but I can guarantee you that I¡¯ll kill that two b*stards the moment you leave.¡± With a brazen and evil smile, he continued, ¡°As you know, I will suffer no consequences if I kill somebody. I would not have to pay my life for those b*stards and leave my brother alone in this world to be bullied by you!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Madeline was so furious that she wanted to scold him as a lunatic, but her rationality stopped her from doing so. She did not want to scold him even under this kind of situation. Furthermore, scolding him could not solve any problem. Deep down her heart, she wasn¡¯t convinced that Luke would really do something to Quincy and Joel. She leaned toward the fact that he was just unhappy after learning of her marriage with Sebastian. And he just wanted to torture someone else to vent his anger. In fact, Madeline wasn¡¯t particrly worried about the safety of her kids because she believed that Luke wouldn¡¯t do anything to them. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. What she needed to do now was to dispel the annoyance in Luke so that he could release her as soon as possible for her to be reunited with her sons. With this thought in her mind, she again suppressed her anger, looked into his eyes and suggested in a calm manner, ¡°Can we have a discussion over this? What do you want before you let me see my sons?¡± ¡°What do I want?¡± Luke repeated her question, and she had no idea whether he was asking this question to her or talking to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll have to give it a serious thought!¡± She sat on the floor, waiting for his answer. After a while, he appeared to have thought of something and pointed at the ground underneath his feet. ¡°Get down on your knees and beg me. Maybe I¡¯ll be kind enough to let you see them.¡± Such demand shocked Madeline and she looked at him with disbelief. ¡°Luke Adams, do you know what you are saying?¡± ¡°Of course I know,¡± he replied mindlessly. ¡°I know what you are going to say. You¡¯re going to remind me again that you were my life savior, right?¡± He continued mocking her, ¡°Madeline, it¡¯s disgraceful for you to keep on threatening me with that indebtedness. Just because you saved my life, do I have to wait on you forever? Do I have to be your servant and do whatever you want me to do just because of that?¡± Hearing that, she felt like her vessels were on the edge of bursting. Madeline¡¯s face went red with rage. ¡°Can you stop distorting the truth? When did I threaten you? And when did I ever ask you to be my servant? Other than not marrying you, what else did I offend you? In fact, I have the freedom to marry whomever I want. I don¡¯t love you and thus I do not want to marry you. That isn¡¯t counted as an offense to you, right? Just because I don¡¯t love you, you kidnapped Quincy and Joel. You are the one being unreasonable right now!¡± ¡°Well, I love being unreasonable.¡± Luke gave her a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m a lunatic, and you know that, right? Being a lunatic, I can be as unreasonable as I wish!¡± She almost passed out from anger. Finally, she understood that she could not reason it out with him as he was living in his own world with no reason at all. ¡°So, are you kneeling down? If not, I¡¯ll leave now!¡± He looked at her with his brow raised. ¡°Do you really think that I wouldn¡¯t touch your sons? You assumed that I kidnapped them only to scare you, right? Well, you can try, but I have to remind you that I¡¯m not my brother. I¡¯m a lunatic now!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Her face went pale. Clutching her fists tightly, she closed her eyes and eded. ¡°Okay, I will kneel.¡± Although Madeline still believed deep down in her heart that he wouldn¡¯t do anything to her sons, she did not dare to take such risks. They were too important to him, more important than her dignity or even her life, for which she would not risk her life. She was prepared to die for them. She had been sitting on the ground and now moved her knees into a kneeling position. Her face was burning with redness. Now that she was suffering such humiliation, she asked, ¡°Is this enough? Can I see them now?¡± ¡°Wait. What are you rushing for? You have to let me finish my words!¡± He then sat down at the space opposite her. Luke couldn¡¯t care less about his expensive clothes and sat down on the cold floor without any hesitation. ¡°Madeline Taylor, do you remember how many people you have knelt down in front of over the years?¡± She was quivering from anger when she heard his words. ¡°Luke Adams, what do you want? Do you feel happy humiliating me?¡± ¡°Happy?¡± He raised his brow for the umpteenth time. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. In fact, my heart aches when I see you kneeling before me!¡± Madeline was so overwhelmed with rage that she did not know what to reply. At this point of time, she almost believed what he said of himself¡ªthat Luke Adams was a lunatic! ¡°It¡¯s fine if you do not want to list them out. I¡¯ll do it for you!¡± Then, Luke continued, ¡°You¡¯ve kneeled before Xander, Cameron, Nigel, Phoebe, Sam, Dan, Isabel, and even her attendants! Though you were being forced to do so, the fact remains that you did. You¡ª¡± ¡°Just be straightforward with what you are going to say.¡± Madeline¡¯s eyes were already filled with redness. ¡°Luke Adams, what did I do to you for you to humiliate me like this?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 176 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 176 Chapter 176 She Rejected Him ¡°I¡¯m not humiliating you; I¡¯m just reminding you!¡± Luke held her chin and continued, ¡°Madeline Taylor, do you know who Sebastian is? He¡¯s the only heir to the Hart Family! Do you think he would only need to inherit the Hart Corporation? No! He has two other uncles who are as rich as the entire nation. Both of them are unmarried with no children. Sebastian will be their closest kin and he will inherit their empires as well!¡± Madeline was perplexed by everything he had said. ¡°Luke Adams, why did you investigate them? What do you want?¡± To that, he replied, ¡°As what I¡¯ve said, I¡¯m reminding you! Consider this, Madeline. How would Sebastian, with his current status and position, marry you, a woman who has gone down on her knees to so many people before? For him, you are merely an inferior and lowly individual. It¡¯s impossible for him to treat you wholeheartedly! He wants you by his side now because of those two b*stards. When the timees, he¡¯ll ditch you without your knowledge, and after you¡¯re gone, his two sons will have an unblemished life, and he¡¯ll be able to get both of them for nothing.¡± ¡°What rubbish are you saying?¡± She trembled in anger. ¡°To you, I¡¯m someone like what you¡¯ve said? Inferior? Lowly? A blemish who would taint their lives?¡± She couldn¡¯t control her rage and gave him a tight p; it was so hard that even her fingers trembled from it. ¡°Luke Adams, since you look at me in that way, why do you still look for me now? Get away from me as much as possible! I never want to see you again!¡± Madeline had great strength to begin with and because she was angry, she used so much force in that p that it caused the internal lining of his mouth to bleed. The corners of his mouth began to swell with blood. That did not bother him, though. He casually wiped them away and said, ¡°Loyal advice jars on the ears. My words are not pleasant, but they are the truth! Don¡¯t be silly, Madeline. A man like Sebastian will never like a woman with your family background. He¡¯s not sincere with you and is merely using you for his two sons. If the opportunity arises, he will definitely ditch you but keep your sons to marry another rich and elegant woman, and that two sons of yours would have to suffer under that stepmother, then¡­¡± Luke raised his brow and looked at her. ¡°Stepmother, Madeline! You know what tricks stepmothers have up their sleeves; you can¡¯t even rest in peace after you die with your sons under such a person!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Madeline¡¯s face was flushed red. ¡°Sebastian is not someone like what you¡¯ve said! Even if he is, I¡¯m not stupid enough to suffer all those! I¡¯m not a three-year-old child anymore, and I can see for myself who the hero is, who the viin is, who is true to me and who¡¯s not. You don¡¯t have to be worried for me!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± He continued in an emotionless tone, ¡°If you can, you would not have brought that two b*stard to his house and even married him!¡± Thest few words were said with his teeth gnashing with rage. She replied, ¡°We¡¯re both single and wanted to give Quincy and Joel aplete family. That was why we got married. We did not hurt anyone, and all that we¡¯ve done was legal!¡± ¡°No, you hurt me!¡± Luke gave her a cold stare. Though his face was emotionless, his gaze seemed to be burning with anger. ¡°You promised me that you would never marry anyone for the rest of your life! You¡¯ve deceived me, Madeline!¡± Hearing that, she was stumped for words. Madeline had indeed said that to him before, but she did not intend to deceive him. That was her true intention at that time. It had never urred to her that she would locate her sons¡¯ biological father in this world! At that moment, she was being pestered by Luke to the extent that she had no idea what to do further. She had said everything she could but he insisted on marrying her. She had no feelings for him at all, so it was impossible for her to marry him. If that was someone else, she might have thought of other harsher ways to stop the pestering, but the person doing it was Luke. She had known him and Logan from the first year that Dan brought her to Worrick. She had once apanied Dan on a hunting trip in a remote location where she unexpectedly came across the Adams brothers, both of whom were about to die. She pleaded for Dan to save the both of them. Luckily, he was in a good mood that day and ordered someone to send the Adams brothers to the hospital. However, he was also someone with no patience at all. After he instructed his men to send them to the hospital, he could not be bothered about them anymore. Dan was the one who brought Madeline into the Taylor Family. That being the case, he was often afraid that she would disgrace him; so, whenever he was in a good mood, he would give her a sum of money. And she would spend all the money he gave her on the Adams brothers¡¯ medical bills. When she first arrived at Worrick, she was an outsider there and Dan did not have the time to take care of her either. She was lonely, and the Adams brothers whom she saved were her emotional sce. Not only had she often gone to the hospital secretly to take care of them, but after learning that they were being chased to the rural areas by their stepmother, she even rented a house for them and provided them a shelter after they were discharged from the hospital. Subsequently, Sam returned to the country and wanted her to learn some skills. Once Madeline was familiar with her master, she introduced the Adams brothers to him. They both moved to the firm and began learning under her master. She was their life savior. They both treated her well and she had also regarded them both as her brothers. They could be family for the rest of their lives if Luke hadn¡¯t fallen in love with her, but that happened. He loved her and wanted to marry her. And she rejected him. However, there was once where he was drunk and slipped into her room, intending to force himself on her. Fortunately, they made enough of amotion that Logan heard them and immediately stopped Luke. Otherwise, Luke would have achieved what he wanted that night. Madeline was furious about it and asked Logan to get Luke away from her. Logan agreed. In fact, he was feeling so guilty that he thought they should leave as well. Their uncle had coincidentally contacted both of them after they were forced into exile abroad by the evil people and requested them to return for matters regarding their family assets. On that day, Logan wanted to leave with Luke, but Luke refused. Logan could only knock him out and stuffed him into the car just to bring him along. At that point of time, they were still paupers, with no servants with them. So, it was Logan who drove them back. However, he might have been in a bad mood that day and did not pay attention to what he was doing or things were just destined to happen because they met with an ident. Logan sustained serious lung injuries as well as severe bone fractures. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 177 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 177 Chapter 177 What Did You Add in the ss? When the ident happened, they were still in Worrick, so Madeline rushed over the minute she received the news. However, as if he had gone insane, Luke med everything on her and severed all contact with her. Logan eventually recovered and they returned to their homnd to look for their stepmother to settle all feuds. asionally, she would hear some news concerning them from her men. From that, she knew that they had sessfully recovered their family assets and managed to send their stepmother to jail¡ªall with their uncle¡¯s help. Madeline was happy for them, but she did not contact them any further. Since she had totally no feelings for Luke, it would only add to her woes if they met. She was content to know that they were doing well. Yet, she had never expected that Luke would return and seek vengeance on her after a long time. Indeed. As Luke was persistently pestering her, Madeline had told him without thinking twice that she intended to devote herself to her sons and would not settle down for her entire life. However, she had never thought of meeting her sons¡¯ biological father. Times were different now whereby the situation had also changed. Now, she was willing to marry her sons¡¯ biological father in order for them to have aplete family. She had broken her promise, but it was justifiable, wasn¡¯t it? He now wanted to make a big fuss over what she had said earlier and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it besides to exin, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you back then. That was truly my intention, that I would not marry anyone and would spend my entire life taking care of my two kids. The situation has changed, though I¡¯ve met their biological father and I really wished for them to live with him, while at the same time, I don¡¯t want them to lose their mother either. That being the case, Sebastian and I can only live together. You don¡¯t have to keep harping on what I¡¯ve said in the past and insist that I¡¯ve deceived you. Besides the one you¡¯re harping on, I¡¯ve also said that I treated you like my own brother, that I¡¯ve no feelings toward you, that I did not love you at all, that even if I were to get married, the one I¡¯m marrying would not be you!¡± ¡°Your words don¡¯t count; only mine does!¡± he said with a smirk that was followed by a cunning smile. Then, he took a ss of liquid from the coffee table beside the sofa. ¡°Drink it, and I¡¯ll let you see your sons.¡± A frowning Madeline lowered her head to check what was in the ss. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Will you?¡± Seeing her in doubt, he ced the ss back on the table and responded, ¡°You decide. If you don¡¯t drink it, I¡¯ll never let you see them.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Madeline was mad that she rose to her feet, walked over to the coffee table, took the ss, and drank everything in it. She didn¡¯t believe that Luke would dare to poison her! After finishing it, she red at him. ¡°I finished it! Where¡¯s Quincy and Joel?¡± ¡°Great.¡± He stood up and pped for her. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll bring you to them.¡± She gave him an angry stern and did not say anything further. That didn¡¯t bother him at all. He was casually leading the way while saying, ¡°Let me warn you; don¡¯t try to y any tricks before you see them, and don¡¯t even think of running away. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee your sons will be fine when you see them.¡± Hearing that, she was so angry with him that she couldn¡¯t say anything. They had known each other for a long time. Before she gave up her rtionship with Luke, her bond with the Adams brothers was even closer than what she had with Sam. Many people who knew them had always thought that they were real siblings. Madeline really regarded both Logan and Luke as her siblings and her family! They had treated her well in the past; it was so well that even though Luke was treating her this way now, she couldn¡¯t see him as her enemy. She was merely angry¡ªangry at the fact that Luke had be such a person. After they exited the basement, Madeline looked around the surroundings and realized that this ce was entirely foreign to her. However, from the trees and the style of the buildings in this area, she knew that she was still close to Dusktown. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. It seemed like Luke did not bring her somewhere far. With his warning in mind, she did not dare to do anything but follow him into a building. He proceeded straight to the second floor whereby she immediately followed. When he arrived at the end of the corridor on the second floor, Luke opened the door of a bedroom and entered. Madeline followed while looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s Quincy and Joel?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious!¡± He took off his jacket and tossed it on the bed. Then, he unbuttoned his shirt at the cor and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to pick them up. You¡¯ll see them soon.¡± She found him acting weirdly and looked at him with her mind full of doubts. What was the drink that he had given her? Why did he lead her out of the basement and bring her here just after she drank it? Was he really bringing her here to see her sons? With these thoughts, she immediately warned him, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Luke sat on the sofa and looked at her from head to toes. ¡°Maddie, do you feel anything weird?¡± ¡°Weird?¡± She was taken aback by what he asked. Earlier, she had been in a tense state where her entire attention was focused on her two children that she had not realized anything within herself. Now that he had asked, she suddenly realized that her body was indeed feeling strange. She felt hot, restless, and something more that she couldn¡¯t put into words. She was tense with a racing heart. She was fine before he asked, but after he did so, she felt even weirder. Suddenly, the drink that she just hade to her mind. She looked at him in disbelief and asked, ¡°What did you add in that drink?¡± It tasted like a lemonade to her, having a mixture of both sour and bitter taste. What else could it be other than lemonade? Was it the one that she was thinking of? She could not believe that Luke would do such a thing to her. Seeing her in this manner, he stood up, headed toward her and grabbed her shoulders. Then, he pushed her onto the bed and bent his waist to look at her. With a deep voice, he teased, ¡°Maddie, you can feel it. Do you know what was added in the lemonade now?¡± Madeline pushed his hand off her and looked at him, as if she was looking at a lunatic. ¡°Luke Adams, are you really insane now?¡± ¡°Not so,¡± He moved his lips and blew at her ear. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a lunatic. In fact, I feel like this is the most clear-headed moment in my life. Only at this moment am I getting close to the exact thing that I wanted the most. I¡ª¡± He wanted to say something further, but his phone rang. His phone had a customized ringtone, so he didn¡¯t have to look at the screen to see who was calling. Hearing the ringtone, Luke frowned and decided to ignore it. Madeline gritted her teeth. ¡°Dream on! I would rather die than to let you have your way.¡± ¡°Die?¡± He twitched his brows. ¡°Can you bear to die? What would happen to your sons, then? You did not want to die; stop lying to me!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 178 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Get Away From Me! Clenching her fists, she gave him a deadly stare. ¡°Get out! If you dare to touch me, I¡¯ll never forgive you for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I intend, though!¡± Luke stroked her cheeks with his hand. ¡°Not only that, but I want you to bepletely mine! Sebastian would never want to touch you after you became my woman. You can leave him and be with me, then!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really crazy!¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t control herself anymore and scolded him as such. Then, she added in fury, ¡°You better give up now! Even if you did so and Sebastian doesn¡¯t want me anymore, I would rather marry any other Tom, Dick or Harry than you!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hearing that, he became enraged and began strangling her neck. ¡°Did I not treat you well? Just how am I not good enough for you? I don¡¯t mind the fact that you¡¯ve given birth to two sons. As long as you¡¯re willing to marry me, I will treat them like my own and I can even go for ligation if you¡¯re still worried!¡± ¡°Can you stop being crazy? You¡¯re good. Logan is just as good. Everyone in my firm is good as well, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to marry them all! I¡¯ve no feelings for you, that¡¯s it. There are many women, including perfect women, who like you. Why did you not marry them? It¡¯s just like how you wouldn¡¯t marry them because I would not marry you for the exact same reason. Is this so difficult for you to understand?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Luke remained stubborn. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the others. I only care about myself, and what I want is to marry you! I can give up on everything except you!¡± ¡°Get out now!¡± Madeline was feeling even worse. Pushing him aside, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you dare to touch me! I¡¯ll never forgive you for the rest of my life. You are no longer my friend or my brother, but my enemy! One that I would hate forever!¡± ¡°As you wish!¡± He immediately tore his own clothes and all the buttons fell off as a result of his rough action. ¡°I believe that when there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. As long as I put enough effort, you will be mine and my wife!¡± Right after he finished his sentence, Luke pressed himself against her. ¡°Get away from me!¡± Madeline tried to kick him, but he managed to grip her ankle. She was already feeling terrible. That was an intolerable fervent feeling, as if her veins and nerves were bitten by countless ants at the same time. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She had also lost control of herself and was gasping for air. Her limbs were so weak that she was unable to exert any strength. After Luke released her ankle, he rested himself on her once more. At this moment, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Go away!¡± Luke impatiently yelled. The knocking stopped, but after a brief moment, the door was pushed open. Facing Luke¡¯s angry re, Liam entered and braced himself by saying, ¡°Young Master Luke, Young Master Logan gave me a call and asked you to call him back. He said that you¡¯ll regret it if you do not do so¡­¡± When Luke heard that, he looked at Madeline and pulled her up from the bed before he followed up with a strike on her nape. ¡°You¡­¡± She could only say one word before everything went ck and she passed out again. ¡°Keep an eye on her!¡± He instructed Liam and continued indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll strip your skin off if she escapes.¡± That gave Liam chills, to which he immediately responded, ¡°Yes, Young Master Luke!¡± Then, Luke took his phone into the backroom to call his brother. The call was answered swiftly. The moment the call was answered, Logan immediately asked, ¡°Luke, you went to look for Maddie, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± Luke lied through his teeth calmly. Logan was the only person on the who had the ability to control him. He didn¡¯t care about anyone else¡¯s death or happiness, but he couldn¡¯t have the same attitude toward his only brother. During their difficult times, it was his brother who protected him using his own life. Luke would have died a few times now if it weren¡¯t for Logan. He could let everyone in this world down, but not his brother. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me. No one else understands you better than me in this world and I can easily tell whether you¡¯re speaking the truth.¡± Logan pinched his brows and continued, ¡°Luke, why did you look for Maddie again? You promised me that you would never disturb her again, right? You¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to disturb her; she was the one who lied to me first!¡± Luke said in a cold voice, ¡°She promised me that she would never marry anyone, but she is married now!¡± ¡°I know, but she has her reasons for doing so,¡± Logan replied. ¡°You are well aware that nothing is more important to Maddie than Quincy and Joel. Since Sebastian is their biological father, and so long as he has agreed to do so, it was her best choice to marry him in order for Quincy and Joel to have a happy and healthy childhood¡­¡± ¡°You knew about it, Logan?¡± Luke clenched his fist tightly. ¡°You knew that Maddie married Sebastian? All of you knew about it and I was the only one kept in the dark, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I knew¡­¡± Madeline was their life savior and Logan had always treated her like his own sister. He hoped that she could have a good life. Hence, every now and then, he would send someone to get hertest updates just in case she was being bullied, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to mention anything about her before Luke. Logan had spent a lot of effort in convincing Luke to sever all contact with Maddie and forced him to promise that he would not disturb her life. Atst, Luke relented and finally stopped thinking as well as mentioning Maddie. Logan would, of course, not remind him about her either. He thought that as time passed, Luke would forget about Maddie and meet someone new who could rece Maddie in his heart. However, he certainly did not expect that Luke, who had not mentioned Madeline for a long time, would suddenly head over to Dusktown. And Madeline was in Dusktown. The moment he knew Luke went to Dusktown, the first thought Logan had in his mind was that he had gone to look for Madeline. Connecting that with the fact that Madeline was married to Sebastian, he knew that terrible things would happen. Given his brother¡¯s obstinacy for her and his bad temper, he would definitely cause a ruckus in Dusktown. Even Logan had no idea what he would do. After knowing that, Logan immediately gave Luke a call, but he refused to answer. Thus, he had to call Luke¡¯s bodyguard because he could roughly guess what Luke was doing right now. Although he understood his brother¡¯s unwillingness to ept what had happened, he too, knew that love was something that couldn¡¯t be forced upon. Madeline did not love his brother. The more Luke wanted to continue pestering her, the worse they would end up. Logan tried to hoax him calmly. ¡°Luke, I know it¡¯s difficult for you to ept, but this is Maddie¡¯s choice. Nobody stood in the way of whoever and no one forced her in doing so. Maddie simply doesn¡¯t like you. If you truly love her, you should dote on her, protect her, as well as wish for the best for her¡­¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 179 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 179 Chapter 179 He Looked Down on It ¡°I am not that magnanimous,¡± Luke replied in a cold tone. ¡°I only want Maddie to be my wife. It¡¯s meaningless for me to live on anymore if I can¡¯t marry her.¡± Hearing that, Logan felt his headacheing. My brother is really ill. He has a mild manic disorder. Logan spent a lot of time and effort to convince his brother to walk away from his own obstinacy toward Madeline, but everything had now gone down the drain. Luke hadn¡¯t mentioned Madeline in a long time as if he¡¯dpletely forgotten about her, and Logan was especially careful not to bring it up before him. After such a long time, why did Luke suddenly think of Maddie again? With this in his mind, he posed the question to his brother, ¡°Isn¡¯t that you¡¯ve forgotten about Maddie, Luke? We¡¯re living well, isn¡¯t it? Why did you suddenly think of her again? You promised me that you would never contact her nor pay attention to her news again. How did you find out that she married Sebastian?¡± ¡°Angie told me,¡± Luke replied nonchntly. ¡°She told me that Maddie is married to Sebastian.¡± ¡°Angie¡­¡± Logan¡¯s gaze shed. Suppressing his hatred and disgust toward Angie, he continued, ¡°Luke, calm down and think. Angie was Maddie¡¯s enemy, and she wouldn¡¯t do anything beneficial to Maddie. That was why she told you about Maddie¡¯s matters, for you to harm Maddie. Do you want to help her in doing so?¡± ¡°I would never harm Maddie! No one loves her more than me. As long as she¡¯s with me, I¡¯ll make her the happiest person on earth,¡± Luke replied. ¡°Luke, stop acting as if everything will go as nned.¡± Logan worked hard to keep his frustration under control and to appear calm. ¡°Maddie dislikes you, Luke. She is not interested in marrying you. If I find you another woman and tell you that she loves you more than anyone else in the world and will treat you well, do you want to marry her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Luke answered. ¡°I¡¯ll marry no one other than Maddie.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re unwilling to marry someone you don¡¯t love. That¡¯s the same for Maddie. She doesn¡¯t want to marry someone that she doesn¡¯t love too,¡± Logan patiently persuaded. ¡°She has no feelings for you, Luke. Don¡¯t force upon others what you are unwilling to ept yourself. Marrying someone that you don¡¯t love is difficult for you, and that¡¯s the same for Maddie too. She¡¯ll suffer if she marries someone she doesn¡¯t want to. Do you want to see her suffer?¡± Hearing that, Luke pursed his lips and stubbornly insisted, ¡°She¡¯ll grow to like me! We grew up together and lived together previously. At that time, we were happy every day. She likes me!¡± To that, Logan replied, ¡°That was kinship, not love! Luke, don¡¯t do silly things now. At least Maddie still treats you as her brother and her family. If you hurt her, she would regard you as her enemy. Do you want to be her enemy?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Gripping his phone tightly, Luke pursed his lips again and replied, ¡°It¡¯s toote¡­¡± Logan immediately frowned. ¡°What do you mean by this? What have you done?¡± A frustrated Luke squinted his brows and said, ¡°Logan, don¡¯t be bothered about this. I can handle my own issue.¡± ¡°Luke Adams!¡± Logan yelled. ¡°I¡¯m your brother. How could I not be bothered by what you do? I don¡¯t want you to do something that you would regret for the rest of your life. Tell me, what have you done to Maddie?¡± Luke thought of Maddie, who was now in the bedroom, and his Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down. With his hoarse voice, he answered, ¡°I did nothing¡­¡± ¡°Turn on your video now!¡± Logan hung up the call after uttering these three words. Within seconds, he sent an invitation for a video call. Luke did not want to answer it. However, he had always listened to Logan and couldn¡¯t do otherwise now. Thus, he epted the video call. Logan was standing behind hisrge office table and looking sternly at Luke via the screen. ¡°Tell me, Luke. What have you done to Maddie?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Luke did not dare to look into Logan¡¯s eyes. Seeing that, Logan looked at him for a brief moment. Then, he suddenly pressed his left palm against the table, grabbed the de that was on the table, and stabbed his palm hard. The de sliced through his palm and stroked the table. His face immediately went pale in pain with cold sweats appearing on his forehead. Luke was stunned. He was dazed for a moment before he yelled, ¡°Logan! What¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°I said I am not going to let you do things that you would regret forever!¡± Logan looked at him with a dim gaze. ¡°Luke, I want you to know my determination on this. Maddie saved our lives; she is our savior. If you hurt her in any way that I can¡¯t amend, I can only die to atone for your sin.¡± Then, he stared into Luke¡¯s eyes and added, ¡°You know I will do whatever I¡¯ve said, right?¡± Yes. Logan was right¡ªhe was someone who abided by his words. Logan appeared to be gentle and elegant, having a nice temper. Yet, how would someone with a nice temper led Luke to recover their inheritance from that ruthless stepmother of theirs? Logan was over and above Luke in terms of plot, tricks, and even ruthlessness. However, he was different from Luke, in that Luke only cared about Madeline and Logan in the entire world whereas Logan still loved this world. Except for his brother and Madeline, everything in the world was filthy to Luke whereas Logan remained convinced that the world¡¯s bright sides outweighed its dark sides. He had always told Luke that if he was kind to the world, it would repay him with light and hope. That was exactly what Luke looked down upon. As long as he was kind to the world, it would repay with light and hope, Logan said? B*llshit! Wasn¡¯t he kind enough to Madeline? He would give her his entire heart, but she was still unwilling to marry him. He hated this world. If it weren¡¯t for his brother and Madeline, he would have long been dead. Yet, he was Logan¡¯s only kin now and Logan would be grieving for him if he died. Besides, he wanted to marry Madeline. They could be together forever if he could marry her. Then, they could stay together forever, just like how they were when they were younger. That would be the most wonderful thing on earth. It was because of both Logan and Madeline that he remained living in this dirty world. But now, Logan was threatening Luke with his life to forbid him from doing anything to Madeline. How could he marry her if he didn¡¯t do anything? He had everything nned out. A man like Sebastian would never ept a woman who had been tainted before. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 180 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Hate Him Once Luke did the deed with Madeline, she would be his. Sebastian would definitely abandon her by then. This couldn¡¯t have happened before because she didn¡¯t want to marry anyone, but now that she was willing to marry, she had to marry Luke. So, if Sebastian were to leave Madeline, Luke could marry her. That was his n. However, Logan was now forbidding him from enacting that n. If Luke didn¡¯t give up, Logan would take his own life. Logan might look calm and gentle, but he always kept his word¡ªthat was a fact. What if Luke followed through with his n and his brother found out about it? Logan might feel so guilty that he wouldmit suicide as an apology. It was either the only living family Luke had or the woman whom he wanted to marry. What should he do? Logan silently stared at Luke with eyes as cold as ice. For a moment, Luke watched the cold sweat drip down Logan¡¯s forehead and the wound on Logan¡¯s palm bleed. Finally, he looked down and said, ¡°Alright. I get it¡­¡± Logan let out a sigh of relief. He had been so afraid Luke had gone so mad that he wouldn¡¯t even listen to Logan¡¯s advice. Luke always kept his word when it came to promises made to Logan. ¡°Luke, where are you now?¡± Logan softly asked. ¡°Tell me the address and I¡¯ll be there.¡± He nced at Logan¡¯s left hand. ¡°Go take care of that wound first.¡± ¡°Tell me where you are first,¡± Logan insisted. With a frown, Luke told Logan where he was. ¡°I want to watch you clean and dress that wound.¡± In response, Logan shook his head in exasperation and pulled the de out of his palm. Luke frowned harder upon seeing the ugly state of the wound. ¡°Logan, you once told me we must cherish our bodies. You taught me that, yet you don¡¯t do as you say.¡± ¡°To kill someone, you must first destroy his soul¡­¡± Logan stated. ¡°Physical wounds may heal, but a damaged heart can never be cured. Luke, do you want Maddie to think of you as her enemy? Do you want her to hate her forever and never forgive you?¡± Luke didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he merely looked away with pursed lips. Honestly, Logan knew Luke didn¡¯t want that to happen even without an answer. In Luke¡¯s mind, Logan and Madeline were the only two people in this world who he cared about. He was deeply in love with Madeline. Thus, there was no way he would want Madeline to hate him or to think of him as her enemy. ¡°Listen to me, Luke,¡± Logan soothed. ¡°The only difference between being spouses and being siblings is the way you show your affection for each other. As long as Maddie loves you and cares about you, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re just a brother to her, right?¡± ¡°It matters!¡± Luke loudly objected. ¡°Only lovers will stay together forever. Siblings cannot. Since I want to live together with Maddie for the rest of our lives, I must marry her.¡± Luke¡¯s words rendered Logan speechless and his head hurt more than his palm did at this moment. ¡°Then again, Maddie won¡¯t love you if you force her to be with you. Not only will you not get what you want, you¡¯ll also be her enemy and she¡¯ll hate you for the rest of your lives! Then, she won¡¯t ever feel happy and warm when she thinks of you. She¡¯ll only feel hatred and disgust for you. When she sees you in the future, she¡¯ll look at you with vengeful eyes. She won¡¯t even be worried for you or even talk to you! Instead, you will be the enemy that she wishes she could stay away from forever! Do you really want that to be your rtionship with Maddie?¡± By the end of Logan¡¯s speech, Luke was hanging his head low and his knuckles were clenched tightly. Of course, Luke didn¡¯t want that to happen. He wanted Madeline to smile at him, to love and care for him like she did before. What if things happened just as Logan said they would? Madeline would be physically his, but she would hate him. Even if she was together with him, she wouldn¡¯t smile at him or care about him again. Instead, she would look at him with hatred burning in her eyes. What would be the meaning in marrying Madeline then? ¡°P-Perhaps she won¡¯t hate me,¡± Luke muttered in a voice so weak that he sounded like a helpless child. His face was ghastly pale. ¡°I love her so much¡­ I¡¯ll be good to her, so how can she hate me?¡± Logan sighed. ¡°Put yourself in her shoes. There is a woman who is exceptionally nice to you. You don¡¯t love her, but she loves you. So, she¡¯ll pull all the tricks she can to have you. Will you love her, take her as your wife, and spend the rest of your life with her just because of that?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Luke scoffed with disgust. ¡°I would kill her!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same situation,¡± Logan said. ¡°If you have Maddie through pulling tricks, she will also hate you to the point where she wants to kill you.¡± Logan¡¯s words were like a bucket of ice to the zing fire within Luke. For a few long moments, he lowered his head and pondered hard before he eventually responded in a low voice, ¡°I see¡­ I was wrong to think what I did.¡± When Logan heard Luke say that, he was ecstatic because he had finally persuaded Luke. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He was so afraid that Luke would keep going until the bitter end, that he would ignore Logan¡¯s words and stubbornly insist on his own. Using his life as a threat was only a temporary measure. Who knew if Luke might suddenly go mad one day and continue to bother Madeline? The only solution was topletely dissuade Luke from this idea by making Luke acknowledge how bad of an idea it was. Only then would he go back to his usual ways of drawing a clear boundary and sticking to it. At that, Logan let out a sigh of relief. He ended the call and asked his assistant to call for a doctor. The wound in his palm was so deep that it needed stitches. However, Luke refused to let the call be dropped. He insisted on watching the wound be treated. When Logan¡¯s injury was finally stitched up and bandaged, someone knocked on the door to the room Luke was in. ¡°Go away!¡± Luke impatiently shouted. Liam¡¯s voice was audibly trembling as he said through the door, ¡°Sir, Miss Maddie doesn¡¯t seem to be doing so well¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Luke hurriedly ended the call and strode out of the room. As soon as he opened the door, he noticed how terrible Madeline looked. Curled up on the bed was Madeline moaning and groaning in pain. ¡°Maddie? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Luke asked as he dashed over to her. Madeline¡¯s face was bright red with a fever as she was covered in a sheen of sweat. She initially had her eyes closed. When she heard Luke¡¯s voice, she forced herself to open her eyes to look at him as she mustered all her strength to spit out, ¡°Scram!¡± All Luke could see in her eyes was disgust and hatred. It made his body freeze and his eyes to widen. It was then that he recalled what his brother had told him just now. Logan had said Maddie would despise Luke if he forced himself on her. Everything he had done was for Maddie to ept him, love him, and stay with him as his wife. If all that he had done didn¡¯t pull him and Maddie closer and instead made Maddie detest him, what was the point? No. He couldn¡¯t have Maddie hate him. He also couldn¡¯t stand having Maddie look at him with revulsion. He wanted to be someone whom Maddie liked, not her enemy! ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he mumbled as he sat down beside Madeline. ¡°Logan has just lectured me. I know now what I¡¯ve done is wrong. Maddie, don¡¯t be angry with me, please?¡± Hearing that only made Madeline pissed beyond belief. This happened every single time. Whenever Luke made a mistake, he would act as innocent as a child while apologizing and begging for forgiveness. Yet, after all that, he would still make the same mistake. If she weren¡¯t weak from the agonizing pain, she would have kicked Luke out of the room right away! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 181 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Happy Ending for All However, Madeline didn¡¯t have the strength to do as she wished right now. The only thing she could do was spit out through gritted teeth, ¡°Get out now! If you darey a finger on me, you will be my enemy forever! I will never ever forgive you!¡± By now, she was absolutely certain just what Luke had fed her. This b*stard! While she thought he was like a brother to her, he actually fed her that type of drug. If she could move, she would fight him to the death. However, she was in too much pain. Her insides felt like they had been tossed into hot oil and her skin felt like it was burning. She was aching all over, yet there was a near-uncontroble urge rising within her. She knew just what that uncontroble urge meant, but she would never allow something like that to happen! Not only was she a woman, she was also the mother of two kids! She had to protect her dignity for the sake of her children! Her voice was so thicklyced with anger and revulsion that her words felt like knives stabbing into Luke¡¯s heart, which made him panic. ¡°Maddie, don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ve promised my brother that I won¡¯t do anything you do not consent to. Forgive me, please?¡± Madeline forced her eyes to stay open as she warily eyed him. ¡°You truly won¡¯ty a hand on me?¡± ¡°I swear!¡± Luke said, raising his right hand. Everything he had done was just for him to be closer to Madeline and they could live together forever. However, if continuing with his n meant making her hate him and regard him as her enemy, then he would naturally not continue with the n. Madeline studied him and wondered whether he was speaking the truth. The way Luke reacted didn¡¯t make sense. After all, he nned all of this. He kidnapped Quincy and Joel so that she would submit to him, so that he could have his way with her. It was all going smoothly for him and he was now only a step away from what he wanted. Would Luke really have given up? Noticing the suspicion in Madeline¡¯s eyes, Luke felt hurt. ¡°When have I ever lied to you, Maddie?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve done things that are more despicable than just lying to me!¡± Madeline scoffed in disgust. He pursed his lips in response. ¡°I know, I was in the wrong. I¡¯m apologizing, aren¡¯t I? Forgive me, Maddie?¡± Hearing that, she couldn¡¯t help but curse him out in her mind. He was mad! Luke was a weird man, she knew that. As his mother died when he was still a child, he grew up tormented by his stepmother. He was cold-hearted and had a twisted logic while not caring about anything other than Logan, not even his own life. Thus, Madeline was more patient and tolerant with him, for she pitied him for his tragic childhood. Whenever he did anything wrong, she would always be able to find an excuse for him. With the kind of horrible upbringing he had, it was normal for him to have a twisted sense of the world. He was living a good life now. With enough time, his mental wounds would eventually heal, and he would slowly get better. However, Madeline now felt like she had been wrong to think that. This b*stard wasn¡¯t simply weird. He was actually sick in the head! He was insane! She didn¡¯t understand him at all. After all, he had alreadymitted extremely immoral deeds such as kidnapping and drugging her. Why would he notmit other atrocities? How could she trust him? ¡°You, get out! Get out!¡± She clutched at her shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see your face. Get out now!¡± The agony was too overwhelming. Who knew when she would lose her mind? She was terrified that the drug would take over her mind, making her lose all rationality, and be so dazed that she would pounce on Luke. All she wanted to do now was to be alone in her room and wait out the effects of the drug. ¡°What will happen to you once I¡¯m gone?¡± Luke asked, frowning at Madeline. She currently looked as red as a cooked lobster. Her eyes were bloodshot and her breathing came out in harsh, trembling pants. She did not look okay. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± she roared. ¡°Get out! Just get out!¡± However, Luke merely turned and asked Liam, ¡°Is there a cure?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liam was confused and stuttered, ¡°Does doing that with a guy¡­ count?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It doesn¡¯t!¡± Luke barked in frustration. ¡°I mean an actual cure! Medicine! Do you not understand human speech?¡± Liam gulped. ¡°Sir, you asked me to find the strongest drug¡­¡± ¡°I even told you to get something that won¡¯t hurt her!¡± Luke was fuming. ¡°The drug used on Miss Maddie wouldn¡¯t hurt her,¡± Liam softly said. ¡°As long as you and Miss Maddie¡­ Then, no harm wille to her¡­¡± Frankly speaking, Liam would love it if Luke and Maddie were together. After all, he was Luke¡¯s personal bodyguard, and was always a few steps away from Luke; he knew better than anyone else just how much Luke liked Madeline. The Adams Family was now the richest family in Capitol. Additionally, Luke didn¡¯t just have an extremely handsome face because he was also a genius. Luke had single-handedly started apany from scratch and turned it into a leader in the industry in just two years. A few years ago, after Logan and Luke returned to Capitol and wrestled the Adams Family away from their stepmother¡¯s hands, Logan took over Adams Corporation while Luke founded Microlutions Corporation. Currently, the Adams Family was a distinguished leader in Capitol. Thebined assets of Adams and Microlutions Corporations were worth so much more than what most second-degree dynasties had. The Adams and Microlutions Corporations were considered one of the best of the best, even when compared to otherpanies in the nation. Not only that, the two brothers were one of the most famous rich bachelors around, and thus many daughters of noble and wealthy families dreamed of being married to one of them. If one had to describe Logan, he was an elegant and outstanding gentleman whose presence was as refreshing as the morning breeze. As for Luke, he was an aloof, proud being who was just as arrogant and cunning. To a man like Liam, Logan was the man who was more worthy of a woman¡¯s eternalpanionship. However, the two men were equally admired in Capitol. Liam thought it was because women prefer bad boys. The number of admirers that Logan and Luke had were almost the same. However, Luke only ever had eyes for Madeline. If there were to be a time when she could only be saved by sacrificing Luke¡¯s life, Liam had no doubt that Luke would do it without any hesitation. The deeper Luke loved Madeline, the more pain he felt when he couldn¡¯t have her. Finally, they were at this stage where Liam didn¡¯t want Luke to give up. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There wouldn¡¯t be any other chances after this! As long as Madeline changed her mind and got together with Luke, Liam firmly believed that she would be happy just based on how deeply in love Luke was. They were both outstanding members of their genders and childhood friends. They were perfect for each other, so why couldn¡¯t they be together? Getting together meant a happy ending for all! ¡°I don¡¯t trust you!¡± Madeline snapped. ¡°Get out! All of you, get out! ¡°I can get through this by myself. I won¡¯t allow any of you to touch me!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 182 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Don¡¯t Move Madeline¡¯s sharp eyes red at Luke. ¡°Do you hear me? If you dare toy a hand on me, I will never ever forgive you! Never!¡± Luke felt her gaze carve into his face as fiercely as if they were knives. He knew that she was speaking the truth. If he actually dared touch her, he would be her enemy for life and she would never forgive him. If that truly happened to their rtionship, what was the point in Luke living then? ¡°Okay. I see. I¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, the door to the room was kicked wide open. He turned around. The door mmed against the door with a loud bang as Sebastian strode into the room. Sebastian Hart? Luke couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as he leaped to his feet and asked, ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, he coldly nced at Luke before walking over to Madeline. Meanwhile, Madeline had been staring at Sebastian with disbelief. Was she in so much pain that she was hallucinating? Sebastian Hart? Why will Sebastian be here? Isn¡¯t he in another city on a business trip? ¡°Clear the room!¡± Sebastian barked out as his eyes remained fixed on Madeline. ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Walking in right behind Sebastian was Quinto, Gregor, and several other men who immediately approached Luke and Liam. Soon, the men were wrestling each other to the ground. While Luke and Liam were strong fighters, they were soon outnumbered. Quinton and the other men didn¡¯t bother fighting Luke and Liam one by one. Instead, they swarmed over to the two men. In just a few moments, Luke and Liam were knocked out cold and dragged out of the room. Madeline watched with conflicted emotions as Luke was knocked out. ¡°D-Don¡¯t hurt him,¡± she feebly pleaded as she wrapped a hand around a corner of Sebastian¡¯s shirt. ¡°Quinton and the others won¡¯t do anything with him unless I order them to,¡± Sebastian replied while looking down at her. ¡°I see¡­¡± Madeline¡¯s voice was trembling with pain. ¡°H-He just changed his mind¡­ Logan must have dissuaded him from the idea. I hate him for doing this to me, but¡­ he¡¯s Logan¡¯s only brother¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Put other people aside for now and focus on yourself. How do you feel now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel s-so good,¡± she weakly answered as she shook her head. Now that she was overwhelmed by agony, she bit her lip. She was in so much pain that she was drenched in sweat and her body was shaking. ¡°He fed you that kind of drug?¡± Sebastian frowned. Mustering up all the strength she could, she nodded. ¡°He was going to force himself on you?¡± A spine-chilling murderous rage shed through his eyes. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. In response, she nodded before she shook her head. ¡°He changed his mind¡­ He swore he wouldn¡¯t lay a hand on me and asked his subordinate for a cure¡­ He didn¡¯t touch me at all¡­ He didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°And the cure?¡± he asked. She shook her head. ¡°Quinton!¡± he called out. ¡°Young Master,¡± Quinton answered as he walked back into the room. ¡°Call for Edward,¡± Sebastian ordered. ¡°Also, wake those two degenerates up. Get the antidote from them.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Quinton then left the room. A few minutester, he walked back into the room. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed it, Young Master. There is no antidote for the drug Mrs. Hart was given¡­¡± Sebastian¡¯s gaze darkened. With pursed lips, he nodded. ¡°I see. Go outside and guard the door.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Quinton bowed and left the room once more. Then, Sebastian turned back to Madeline. ¡°You hear that? There¡¯s no antidote.¡± ¡°P-Please¡­¡± she moaned. ¡°P-Please help me to the shower¡­ I-I hear a cold shower would w-work just as well¡­¡± ¡°That only applies to inferior drugs of the past,¡± he stated. ¡°Cold showers do nothing for new drugs.¡± ¡°What do we do then?¡± she cried out as her hands clenched tightly to Sebastian¡¯s shirt. ¡°H-Have you seen Quincy and Joel? H-How are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± Sebastian reached out to gently stroke her bright red cheeks. ¡°In your current state, twenty-four hours in a cold shower wouldn¡¯t even be enough for the drug¡¯s effects to go away¡­¡± ¡°What do we do then?¡± Madeline¡¯s body spasmed from the pain. Her voice trembled as she continued, ¡°The kids will p-panic if they can¡¯t find me¡­¡± ¡°There is a way¡­¡± His dark eyes bore into her. ¡°We are legally married¡­¡± She stared up at him in a daze. The drug¡¯s effects were so strong that her mind was so hazy that it had stopped working. She didn¡¯t understand what he meant by that. In Sebastian¡¯s eyes, Madeline¡¯s dazed stare caused her to look rather foolish in a soft and helpless way. He silently sighed and leaned in close to whisper into her ear, ¡°If you consent to us fulfilling our duty as a married couple, I can help you¡­¡± As his warm breath brushed against her ear, a refreshing minty smell wafted into her nose. That pleasant and revitalizing scent carried hints of a masculine musk. The scent made her feel like someone had poured an entire barrel of oil into the fire in her, causing Madeline¡¯s body to burn with passion. A moan slipped past her lips as an unspeakable agony zed within her, causing her to curl up even tighter. ¡°Let me help you,¡± he softly said as he caressed her hair. ¡°We are husband and wife. No one can criticize us for anything, be it from a moral or legal standpoint.¡± Sebastian¡¯s warm voice broke thest of Madeline¡¯s defenses. Yes. That was right. They were legally married spouses. No matter what they did, it was just logical. There would be nothing wrong morally or legally. She couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. Madeline thought that if things continued as they were, she was going to die from the pain. What would happen to her children if she died? Tears streamed down her cheeks as the agony was intense for her to endure. Her hands reached out to Sebastian as she made onest request while her rational mind was still present. ¡°Not here¡­¡± She would be devastated if they did it here. ¡°Alright!¡± he agreed. Removing his coat, he covered her with it before carrying her. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± He didn¡¯t want to do it here either and left the room with Madeline in his arms instead. While they were in the room, his men had taken control of the entire area. Sebastian was able to walk downstairs and into the car without any obstruction. After a barked out order, the car began to speed toward the mansion he lived in with Madeline. Meanwhile, within the car, she had lost herself to the agony. The overwhelming pain meant she restlessly shifted and twisted her body throughout the ride. Not wanting Wem and Quinton to hear her sweet moans, Sebastian pressed a button that resulted in the divider rising between the front and back seats of the car. Madeline writhed and wriggled. Sebastian couldn¡¯t stop the fire from being stoked within him with an alluring temptation right on hisp. He did his best to stop her body from moving. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± They still had to get out of the car and he didn¡¯t want to embarrass himself before his subordinates. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 183 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Stopping Himself From Saying More It was perhaps due to his overly stern tone that Madeline soon regained consciousness. Her beautiful, tearful eyes had already opened by then, but Madeline seemed to be having a hard time focusing on anything in front of her. At this moment, she looked as powerless and weak as a small wounded animal. Sebastian¡¯s heart melted as he saw the pitiful sight. He cooed in a soft voice, ¡°Good girl. Hold on for a little longer. We are almost home!¡± ¡°Home¡­¡± she mumbled as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt, her gaze still unfocused. ¡°Aldo and Buddy¡­¡± ¡°They are both okay. They have only passed out from inhaling ether fumes in high concentration¡­¡± Then, he continued in a low voice, ¡°Be a good girl and hold on for a bit, okay? You can see them after you feel better.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be good¡­ I¡¯ll listen to you¡­ Aldo¡­ Buddy¡­¡± Her eyes were already shut even though she kept mumbling incoherently. She didn¡¯t seem like she knew what she was talking about. Her hair was stuck to her forehead in perspiration and even her clothes were drenched in sweat. Despite her wretched appearance that made her look like she had just been fished out of deep water, she seemed to look even more beautiful than before. Her palm-sized face didn¡¯t have a single blemish on her smooth, soft skin. On top of that, her drenched clothes stuck to her body and uninhibitedly brought out the curves that were hidden behind the clothes. Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but think he had to be a modern day politician for him to not do anything even though he had a beautiful woman in his arms! Luke¡¯s residence was fairly far away. Even though they had been stepping on the gas throughout their journey there, it still took them 30 minutes to arrive at his residence. Madeline was already terribly unwell by the time they arrived there. Sebastian swiftly covered her flushed face and torso with his coat, and after he got out of the car, he rushed to their bedroom with her in his arms. Desmond, who had been at his post on the second floor, immediately walked over and greeted, ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Have Aldo and Buddy regained consciousness?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°They have not,¡± Desmond answered before reassuring his employer. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry too much about it, Young Master. The doctor has said that the little young masters only need their sleep now and they will be in tip-top condition once they wake up. There won¡¯t be any after effects either.¡± Sebastian let out a hum after hearing his words, and he instructed Desmond to bring the kids to the children¡¯s room. ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Desmond and Quinton went into the bedroom and picked up the unconscious children. ¡°Guard them in their room,¡± Sebastian said to Desmond. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere before they wake up. They might get scared if they don¡¯t see anyone with them after they wake up.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Desmond energetically replied. After he had made the necessary arrangements for his sons, Sebastian headed into the bedroom with Madeline in his arms, while not forgetting to lock the door behind them after they were in the room. Seeing the knocked out Madeline in his embrace, he hesitated for a minute and brought her to the bedroom instead of putting her in bed. He didn¡¯t want to take advantage of her when she was unconscious, and so he decided to let her take a cold shower. He wanted to know after she had regained her consciousness if she regretted her choices. Then, he brought her into the bathroom, and after filling the tub with cold water, he carefully ced her in. Madeline immediately jolted awake when her warm body touched cold water. Sebastian squatted down beside the tub and held her by her arm to prevent her from slipping. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± he asked. She turned her head to the source of the voice and had to concentrate with all her might before her eyes finally focused. ¡°S¡ªSebastian¡­¡± ¡°Correct. It is me. How do you feel? Do you need my help?¡± he asked again. She chewed on the tip of her tongue and forced her eyes open in order to make herself more awake. With great difficulty, she stuttered, ¡°T-Thank you¡­ I¡­ I want to be alone f-for now¡­¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Sebastian stood up. ¡°Will you be alright by yourself?¡± ¡°Y¡ªyes¡­¡± Madeline replied with a nod. He lowered his head and his scrutinizing eyes fell on her. After making sure that she wasn¡¯t as weak as she was before, he agreed to leave her to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll go take my shower, then. Give me a call if you can¡¯t do it alone,¡± he said as he put a phone beside her hand. He only left to go take a shower in the bathroom beside after seeing Madeline nod in response. She was still in the bathroom when he returned from his shower. He could hear the sound of water flowing, but still, he was worried enough to knock on the door and call out, ¡°Madeline?¡± A quivering voice came from the bathroom. ¡°I am fine¡­¡± ¡°Are you taking a shower in cold water?¡± His eyebrows had knitted together by then. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long. You will fall sick easily if you are in cold water for long.¡± ¡°I know¡­ T-Thank you¡­¡± Madeline¡¯s voice that came through was so weak yet so stubborn at the same time. Sebastian paused for a moment before he shook his head and a smile appeared on his face. She might seem like she would be easy to bully because of how gentle and fragile she looked; however, she had tenacity and grit just like he did. She looked as pretty as a dodder, when she, in fact, was a pine tree that stood tall even in extreme cold weather. She was the type of woman he admired. He had always heard people talking about how god had taken extra care with him when he was made, but he had never understood nor believed these words. Even though he had always been a lucky man, and that he was shockingly talented, he had also put in the extra work to get what he wanted. No one could have gotten their sess with luck and talent alone. However, today was the day he had to agree with what people had been saying about him. His father had acted out in a fit of pique and stole a sample of his semen to support his senior¡¯s career, which was why it wasn¡¯t within anyone¡¯s expectation that the person who ended up receiving the semen was a woman so beautiful and strong. Madeline was the most brilliant woman Sebastian had evere across in his life. Having his and her gics together was like abination of the best of two worlds. It was no wonder Quincy and Joel were such wonderful children. As his thoughts drifted to his children, he turned around and headed to the room next door. The young boys, with their cheeks flushed, were sound asleep in the next room. They didn¡¯t seem the slightest bit perturbed even when Sebastian went into the room. When he saw Sebastian entering, Desmond, who had been watching the children from the bedside, quickly stood up and bowed. ¡°Young Master,¡± he greeted. Sebastian only gave a hum of acknowledgement as he sat down beside the bed and caressed the children¡¯s foreheads. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. The doctor has given the little young masters their check-ups. Everything is normal. They will be fine after they wake up.¡± Hearing that, Sebastian only nodded wordlessly. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Before long, Desmond called out to him again in a small voice, but his words trailed off before he finished his sentence. Sebastian threw a look at him and chided, ¡°Say what you have to say. Since when have you picked up speaking mumble jumbles?¡± For some reason, Desmond seemed embarrassed before he finally spoke. ¡°Umm¡­ Emory and the rest of them¡­ They are still kneeling outside¡­¡± Kneeling for a little while might not have affected much of anything, but it was quite embarrassing for the 4 grown men to keep kneeling in front of the living room. That was why Desmond took up the courage to ask Sebastian what his intentions were. Any kind of punishment, even ones that could make them bloody and bruised, would be far better than just kneeling there without knowing what was next in line for them. Sebastian let out a deep frown at that and he growled, ¡°Fred and Simon are free to go. It isn¡¯t their fault that Aldo and Buddy were kidnapped, since it was the school that didn¡¯t allow bodyguards. Beat Leonard and Emory up 20 times each, though. Let this serve as both a reminder and warning that I¡¯ll send them back to the training camp so that they can be certified a second time if something like this ever happens again!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 184 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Gossip Kills ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Desmond answered as he could finally heave a sigh of relief now. 20 beatings was like scratching an itch for trained men like them. Sebastian¡¯s punishment for them was probably to teach them a lesson rather than causing them pain. Their boss had definitely gone easy on them! Desmond couldn¡¯t go downstairs to inform Emory and the bunch as he was still watching over the little young masters. He only sent Quinton a message about it, and had him head over to the 4 kneeling men instead. Sebastian stayed there for a while more. After finally feeling more at ease after seeing that his boys were in a deep sleep, he got up and instructed, ¡°Guard them well. No one is to leave this room. Get someone else to watch them if you need to step out for whatever reason.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Desmond took his orders well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. I will stay right here and watch over the little young masters!¡± Hearing that, Sebastian nodded before turning around to head back to the bedroom next door. The room was still empty, save for a consistent sound of flowing watering from the bathroom. Feeling slightly helpless, he knocked on the bathroom door and tried to convince her, ¡°Maddie,e on out. We need to talk.¡± It took some time before the shaky voice from the bathroom gave a weak ¡°O-okay¡­¡± The bathroom door finally opened after a few minutes, and out came Madeline, d in pajamas, who stumbled her way out. Sebastian must have been so surprised to see her swaying that he immediately grabbed her and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I am¡­ I am fine,¡± she replied in a quivering voice. She looked even more pitiful than she did earlier. Even though her cheeks were still blushing, her lips had already turned into the shade of white paper. Water kept dripping from her hair as she shivered and looked like a freezing, drenched chicken. As her eyebrows were pressed together into a frown, Sebastian made Madeline sit down on the bed before he wrapped her in a wool nket. Then, he found a towel and blow dryer, and proceeded to pat the excess moisture out of her hair before blowing it dry. As the blow dryer did its magic, he said, ¡°Maddie, let¡¯s talk.¡± She had her bathrobe tightly around her as she nodded. ¡°O-Okay.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± asked Sebastian. Madeline didn¡¯t reply to that because she didn¡¯t feel anything different in particr. She hadn¡¯t looked at the time. She wasn¡¯t aware that she had been under the cold shower for a long time. All that she knew was how her brain felt clearer and her body had also returned to a normal temperature. However, her veins and nerves still felt like they were being bitten by bugs or that they were on fire. The pain on the inside didn¡¯t fade one bit. The difort was so tant that hurling her head at a wall felt like a good idea at that moment. She was overwhelmed by an unexinable feeling of sadness as big beads of tears started rolling down her face uncontrobly. Sebastian was caught off-guard the moment Madeline started crying. His voice immediately softened again. ¡°Does it feel bad?¡± Madeline had no choice but to quietly nod at his question. He reached out to touch her hair, and after feeling that he had gotten rid of most of the moisture, he switched off the machine. ¡°Let me help you,¡± he blurted out out of nowhere. ¡°I will take responsibility for you.¡± She looked up at him and he couldn¡¯t help but gawk at how incredibly beautiful she was. She had the kind of beauty that could cause the ruin of kingdoms if they were in the olden days. Her big eyes that were adorned by long and curlyshes had an elegant, enchanting curve by their corners. They made her look as innocent as an obedient child. Other than that, her straight nose, small mouth, beautiful lips, and her slender neck that connected to her sensual vicle were all features of her that made her look so exquisitely gorgeous. He couldn¡¯t believe how he could be so careless as to let this beautiful woman, whose personality he admired and also coincidentally was the mother of his sons, fall into Luke¡¯s hands. Knowing just how much she had to suffer because of Luke made Sebastian¡¯s heart ache¡­ He was willing to take all responsibilities as her husband. ¡°I will be loyal and true to you after I have your body¡­¡± His gaze met Madeline¡¯s, and he slowly continued, ¡°I will be a responsible husband. I will be loyal to our marriage, and I promise to notmit adultery. I will never betray you. I will give my heart and soul into making life with you work as we raise our children.¡± Sebastian knew that Madeline probably wasn¡¯t in her best state of mind now, so he enunciated every word that he spoke. He spoke slowly and surely, and even emphasized on certain words that were more important. Just like he had thought, Madeline¡¯s thoughts were all muddy. It took her a while before she finally understood what Sebastian had said to her. Looking at the serious expression on his handsome face and how his eyes seemed to twinkle as he looked back at her, she was possessed by an urge to cry. This was what she would consider the best ending. It was probably because of all the things she had to experience in the past that she could never give herself to a man, no matter the circumstances. Madeline didn¡¯t want to have fingers pointing at her or mouths berating her for being an immoral, dishonorable woman. Furthermore, she was a mother. She thought that it would be a disgrace to her children if she were to get involved with a man whom she had nothing to do with. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Even though she knew that her view might be wrong and that she was being biased, it was hard for her to change her mentality because it was her personal experiences that had shaped her thoughts. That was why she would rather stay under the cold shower and wait for it to pass on its own despite how terrible she felt. However, even the cold water was no match against the drug clouding her head. Madeline had almost lost all hopes then. Just as she was caught in a dilemma and in utmost pain, Sebastian had not only offered a helping hand, but also to take responsibility over her. This, truly, was the best option she had. At least they were awfully wedded husband and wife. It might be unbearable, but at the very least, no one could ridicule her for giving Sebastian her body. She wouldn¡¯t embarrass her children too. The only problem now was that she felt sorry for Sebastian. He had unknowingly been dragged into this mess, and yet he was now promising her that he would honor their marriage and never go to another woman if he were to bring her to bed. That would mean that he was giving up his chances of getting married to a woman of his level, then! Madeline suddenly recalled Luke¡¯s words, and she mumbled, ¡°I am not your best choice¡­¡± In all honesty, Madeline didn¡¯t feel like she deserved anyone at all. So what if she had had a tough childhood and went on her knees more times than she could count? She didn¡¯t think that it made her a lowly or inferior person. She did have to kneel and bow when she was a child, but that wasn¡¯t because she had done anything wrong or that she was a bad child. It was because she didn¡¯t have the power to protect herself. Even though life hadn¡¯t been easy for her, her hands were clean all this time¡ªshe had never intentionally done one bad thing. She was a good and upright person who deserved to be with anyone she wanted, but that might not be the case for others. Just as Luke had mentioned, Madeline grew up under rather harsh conditions. She wasn¡¯t a flower in a greenhouse that was carefully taken care of and neither was she the treasured daughter of a rich family. She was someone who had suffered from beatings and mockery. To a lot of people, Madeline had had a shameful past, and that was why a man like Sebastian was supposed to be with a wless woman: someone who was born with a diamond spoon in her mouth, and was raised by a family and servants catering to her every whims and wishes. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be with Madeline, who had none of those growing up. She didn¡¯t think that she didn¡¯t deserve Sebastian, but she knew that a lot of people did. That was how destructive gossip could be. She was afraid that he was only making an offer like this out of pity, and that he would regret it someday. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 185 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 185 Chapter 185 It Is Not the End of the World to Not Like Women Madeline then said the exact words that she was thinking. ¡°You¡­ You will r-regret it someday¡­¡± ¡°Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?¡± A small smile appeared on his face and he looked into her eyes. ¡°At the very least, I am now giving you my words as your husband. I have decided to carry out my duties as a husband and a father. I will hold responsibility over our wedding. Just give me all of you. You don¡¯t have to hold back. We can be like any other husband and wife out there.¡± She stared at him as she listened to his words, and she could feel herself bing relieved in that instant. It was as Sebastian said. There was no reason for her to worry about the future. They were awfully wedded couple, after all. There was no need for her to feel ashamed about doing something that every other husband and wife did. As for what would happen in the future¡­ In case the marriage didn¡¯t work out, they could always have a divorce! There were so many divorcees out there. No one would put me on couples who divorced legally. ¡°Alright¡­¡± She nodded. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± The smile on Sebastian¡¯s face grew deeper after she finally agreed to it. What an unlucky woman Madeline was. She was thanking the man who was taking advantage of her! It wasn¡¯t everyday that he got to see someone whose luck had been so bad all her life. I should take some time and take her to a temple, he mused. Her luck might get better if she prays a little. He then got up and went to the window. After pressing on the button for the curtains on the home control panel, the curtains slowly closed in from both sides. The room had gotten dark as though it was nighttime when the curtains werepletely closed. He made the room dark because he didn¡¯t want her to feel embarrassed. He then went back to the bed, and after he took off his clothes, his arms snaked around her and pulled her into his embrace¡­ ¡­ Madeline finally fell asleep after a long time. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Sebastian, on the other hand,y in bed reminiscing about what had transpired moments ago. He let out a lowugh, and carried her into the bathroom to shower them both. She woke up from her sleep when the warm water caressed her skin. However, she was so exhausted she couldn¡¯t even move her fingertips. Forcing her eyes open, she squeezed out, ¡°Aldo and Buddy¡­¡± He gave her a fewforting pats at that. ¡°Our boys are asleep next door. I have already instructed the guards to never leave the children¡¯s side. Aldo and Buddy are okay. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± When she heard that, her eyes closed once more and she drifted off to sleep. Then, Sebastian was left to clean up after the two of them. After he was done washing up, he carried her back into the bedroom. He turned on the wallmp afterying her head on her pillow, where he theny on his side, and gazed at her with his chin plopped on one arm. It was just hours ago that Madeline was but a beautiful woman who was his sons¡¯ mother. Now, however, there was a new identity¡­ She was his woman. He didn¡¯t remember where he heard this from, but he hade across a saying that women who had given their bodies to men would always hold a special ce in the men¡¯s hearts. This probably was what he was feeling now. To him, the way Madeline made him feel was one of a kind. Today was the first day that he slept with a woman, and it was the woman whom he coveted from the inside out. Sebastian¡¯s father used to suspect that he had an undisclosable reason for not dating. However, it wasn¡¯t that he had any reason for it. The truth was that¡­ he had a psychological issue. He was a naughty boy when he was young. One day, he and a bunch of friends decided to y hide- and-seek. He chose to hide himself in a forest where he coincidentally came across a couple who were not legally married to each other. Not only that, they were both married to different individuals and their spouses were people whom Sebastian knew. He was a mere 5-year-old child when he witnessed the couple getting on it in a bush not far from him. It was all because he had hidden himself in another bush to hide from his friends that he was now in the front row seat to what was happening in the bush in front of him. Just as his mind was thrown into a turmoil on what he should do, a bunch of people came and caught them in the act. The couple, caught off guard by the unexpected raid, was still naked when they were dragged out of the bush and beaten by the people surrounding them. His young ears had to hear all the dirty insults thrown at the couple. Sebastian had seen everything from their bare torsos to their embarrassed expressions when they were busted. What he had witnessed that day was what caused his hatred for sexual conducts between men and women after he had grown up. He loved work as much as he hated what the couple did. He would get nauseous every time that memory came to mind. Sebastian had never told anyone about this, not even his father. He didn¡¯t want his father to worry. And of course, there was no way he could tell his own father something like this. He knew that his condition wasn¡¯t normal, but he didn¡¯t think it mattered. It was not the end of the world just because he didn¡¯t like women! There were a lot of people who stayed unmarried throughout their whole lives in the world today. Take Second Uncle and Third Uncle, for example. They hadn¡¯t gotten married once, but they seemed to be living their best lives! However, his mental illness had been healed miraculously even though he hadn¡¯t seen a psychologist, nor did he take any medicine. It was as though he was never the man who didn¡¯t like women. Earlier on when Sebastian was hugging Madeline, he didn¡¯t feel that extreme disgust or rejection he would always feel in the past. It felt so natural when they were together in each other¡¯s arms. In fact, he really liked how it felt. It was a strangely wonderful feeling that he had never felt before. His low gaze kept staring at Madeline with a gentleness that his eyes had never had before. She was his wife from now on, and he would make sure that he treated her well. Madeline showed no signs of waking up any time soon. Her body must have had a hard time coping with both the drugs in her bloodstream and Sebastian¡¯s endless pestering that she was in a deep slumber for the next few hours. He was in the midst of watching her when he suddenly thought about his sons next door. After covering her up properly, he got up and went to their room. Desmond was still fiercely guarding the children by their side when Sebastian went into the room. Seeing his employer, he immediately got up and bowed. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°How are they?¡± Sebastian asked, his eyes on the boys in the bed. ¡°They are still asleep,¡± Desmond answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, Young Master. I had Edward check the little young masters again earlier, and he said that they are fine. He also said to let the little young masters sleep more and have them woken up and fed around 10:00PM.¡± Edward was Sebastian¡¯s personal doctor. Just like Grayson, Edward was also a medical genius. The only difference between them was that Grayson specialized in pharmacy whereas Edward was more of a medicine guy. ¡°Alright. We will do as Edward says,¡± Sebastian replied with a nod. He then sat down by the bedside and caressed the children¡¯s faces. Emory had immediately contacted him after failing to contact Madeline upon realizing that she had gone missing. The children¡¯s rmed teacher had also contacted him first thing after the children disappeared. Sebastian¡¯s chest felt a tightness he had never experienced before after he had received the news, and especially after he found out that the boys might be missing because they were kidnapped. At that moment, he was possessed by the urge to kill. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 186 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Ipetence Sebastian had never felt this way before. It was like a hand was squeezing his heart, making it hard for him to breathe. He was always someone who would devise a n before doing anything. There were not a lot of things in this world that could cause him to move a muscle in his face. However, when he heard that his sons were kidnapped, not only did his expression turn dark, his chest also swelled with anger and the urge to kill. There was only one thought in his head at that moment: he would do whatever it took to save his sons! If his sons¡¯ kidnapper dared to touch even a hair on their bodies, he would make sure to pay it back thousands of times! Fortunately, his sons were rescued without injury to them. Sebastian promised to protect them well in the future. He would never let anyone have the chance to hurt them again. He was looking at his two sons when his phone rang. The children had been in a deep sleep for a long time, so he was not afraid of waking them up when he sat at the bedside without moving and pressed the phone to his ear. ¡°Young Master,¡± Quinton¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Logan Adams has arrived at Dusktown. He wants to see you.¡± ¡°Okay. Have hime here,¡± Sebastian calmly said, in which Quinton answered, ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Then, Sebastian hung up the phone. He knew a little about Logan and Luke. Some of the information sent by his subordinates were rted to the two of them when he had sent someone to investigate Madeline at first. It seemed that Logan and Luke used to be important people to Madeline. Her rtionship with them was even closer than that of Sam. It was no exaggeration to say that the three were as close as biological siblings. The men hadter left Worrick, and when they returned to the country, they cut off all contact with Madeline. The information that his subordinates had gathered didn¡¯t mention what exactly had happened between them. He wasn¡¯t interested in knowing in the past, but he was very curious about it now. Logan was weed into the living room about 30 minutester. After Quinton made Logan¡¯s presence known, Sebastian left the children¡¯s room and went downstairs. ¡°President Hart.¡± Logan, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up. Sebastian sat down opposite him and said, ¡°Please take a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Logan sat down before going straight to the point, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about today. It was my fault for not keeping a closer eye on my brother which made him do the wrong thing. I am willing to ept any punishment and need forpensation. Can you please return my brother to me, President Hart?¡± He had rushed to his brother¡¯s holiday vi after he arrived in Dusktown. However, it was already toote by then. The vi had already been taken over by the Harts, and even though Luke¡¯s underlings were still there, they were also being watched by men who worked for the Hart Family. They told him that his younger brother was no longer in the vi and had been brought away by their master. One of the Harts¡¯ bodyguards gave him Quinton¡¯s contact information and it took him several tries before he coulde here for a chance to talk to Sebastian. He had already heard the details of what Luke had done from Liam. He felt sorry. And it wasn¡¯t intended for Sebastian. It was for Madeline. Logan had made a promise to Madeline before that he would keep a watchful eye on Luke, and that Luke wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to harm her. And yet, he had broken his promise. He was willing to ept any punishment for his mistake. ¡°Even though I really want to tell you that I don¡¯t need yourpensation, and that all I want to see is Luke paying the price in the most painful way possible, but this is Maddie¡¯s business. She is not my subordinate. She is a person of her own, so I will respect her opinion. I don¡¯t have a say in how Luke will be punished. Maddie will decide,¡± Sebastian stated. ¡°Where is Maddie?¡± Logan asked in a guilt-driven voice. ¡°Can I see Maddie?¡± He started to feel nervous as his heartbeat picked up its pace after he asked that question. It had been too long since he had seen her. She was his pir of support who was there for him when he was going through the toughest time in his life. Madeline was his¡­ sister. Logan and Luke¡¯s life had been a tragic movie for more than 20 years now. Even after they had returned to Capitol, and had taken back all the Adams¡¯ property, the brothers didn¡¯t feel the least bit happy about it. The property they received came at the price of losing their family. Logan felt sorry that Luke had done something like this to Madeline, as he had promised her that he would restrain Luke so that he would never see her nor disrupt her life again in the future. In over 20 years, the only time the brothers had felt familial warmth was the 10 years they had spent in Worrick. They, along with Madeline, might have been poor then, but they had each other. They relied on each other for support, warmth, and stability. He and Luke might have returned to Capitol after that, but Luke had definitely left his heart back at Worrick. The enormous Adams¡¯ vi was nothing but a cold and empty building to them and it wasn¡¯t a ce they would call ¡®home¡¯. Logan often dreamed about the time they spent in Worrick. Even though they were busy preparing themselves for revenge back then, it was a time when they had sincerelyughed. Their house was small, but it was home. After taking their revenge in Capitol, they had their money and status but also lost the happiness and warmth they used to have. He really missed that time of his life. He also missed Madeline a lot, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to see her. It wasn¡¯t easy for Luke to finally stop talking about her. Logan was afraid that Luke would start having designs on her again if he were to find out that Logan was still in contact with her. It was for her own good that Logan chose topletely disappear from her life, but he really missed her. No matter how sessful work was, or how many new projects he managed to acquire, his broken heart always felt like it was missing something. Perhaps now, he could finally have the chance to see her again. He suddenly became nervous at the thought of that. It had been a long time since he had felt this on edge. Can I finally see Maddie today? he hopefully asked himself. ¡°She is still sleeping just now,¡± Sebastian said as he stood up. ¡°I will check and see whether she is awake. You can talk to her yourself if she is up and willing to see you.¡± Logan also stood up when Sebastian did, and he politely nodded. ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± The corners of Sebastian¡¯s lips were slightly raised, and he wordlessly turned around and went upstairs. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. However, Madeline wasn¡¯t in the bedroom when he went in. He seemed to think about something as he swiftly went out the door and into the children¡¯s room beside. As he expected, she was sitting by the bedside, each hand holding one child¡¯s hand, and her face was wet with tears. Desmond was standing by the window when he saw Sebastiane in. Bowing respectfully, he informed in a hushed voice, ¡°Mrs. Hart has been here for a while. She never stopped crying.¡± Sebastian only hummed in reply as he didn¡¯t instruct Desmond to leave the room. Then, Desmond knowingly took a step back to the side of the window. After that, Sebastian walked to Madeline and calmed her down gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The doctor has given them a few checkups. Aldo and Buddy are fine. They will be okay after they get their sleep.¡± Madeline¡¯s hoarse voice then rang out. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She was looking up at him after she wiped away the tears on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You, Aldo and Buddy. You are all my responsibility. I am obligated to take care of my wife and sons. You don¡¯t have to thank me no matter when or what.¡± He then continued, ¡°Also, I am responsible for protecting you. It is because of my ipetence that the 3 of you were kidnapped.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 187 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 187 Chapter 187 I¡¯m Sorry, Maddie ¡°No¡­¡± Madeline shook her head and let out a sob. ¡°I was too naive¡­ Even though a lot has happened between Luke and I, I have never hated him. I¡ªI treated him like my real brother¡­ I trusted him too easily¡­¡± If it wasn¡¯t for her to trust that Luke would not do anything to her and her sons, she might have thought of other ways to solve the matter instead of not telling anyone about it like he told her to do, andter going with him. She was still the old her, but Luke was no longer the Luke she knew. Not only did he humiliate her, he also drugged her. After everything that had happened, she could say for sure that she despised him. She would never trust him or anyone else that easily anymore. Sebastian did not continue to discuss this with her and the topic promptly changed. ¡°Logan is here. He is downstairs. Do you want to see him?¡± ¡°Logan came?¡± Madeline stood up from the bedside. ¡°Yes,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°He said he is sorry for what Luke did, and he is willing to bear any punishment andpensation. I told him that this is your business. You will be the one to call the shots.¡± He paused briefly before continuing, ¡°Do you want to see him? If you don¡¯t, tell me what you n to do with Luke. I will get it done for you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± She hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Is it going to be done exactly how I want it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°This is about you. Although I really want to deal with him myself, you are your own person. You are not my subordinate. I have no right to make decisions for you. I respect your opinion.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She sighed gratefully. It seemed like she was seeing the good in him the more they got along. She was especially grateful for him. Meeting him was probably the second good thing that god had bestowed upon her, the first time being the time when she had Quincy and Joel. ¡°I have told you that you don¡¯t need to thank me ever again,¡± Sebastian gently reprimanded Madeline. ¡°You are not only the mother of my children. You are also my woman from now on. You gave birth to our sons, and you also gave yourself to me. It is only natural that I would do anything for you.¡± She could feel her cheeks getting warm. Give myself¡­ to you? Baffled, she repeated quietly, Do you really need to say something like that out loud? Not wanting to recall what happened earlier at all, she quickly changed the subject and announced, ¡°I want to see Logan.¡± To that, Sebastian nodded and said that he would go with her. Madeline subconsciously wanted to give her thanks again, but upon remembering what he had said about that, she swallowed the words that almost came out of her mouth. She nodded and didn¡¯t say another word. Before she left the room, she turned to look at her sons. She looked like she was reluctant to leave them again. Noticing that, Sebastian reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Desmond will be here to apany Aldo and Buddy. He will let us know when the children wake up.¡± Then, Desmond hurried over and bowed. ¡°Please be at ease, Mrs. Hart. I will look over the little young masters without even blinking once.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± she earnestly said with a nod. Although reluctant, she still left the room with Sebastian after leaning down to kiss her sons. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She immediately saw Logan after she made a turn at the stairs. Looking at the familiar face, Madeline¡¯s emotions instantly erupted and her tears rolled out of her eyes like beads on a broken thread. She couldn¡¯t hold it in, no matter how hard she tried now. She then raised her hand to cover the lower half of her face to stop herself from making a sound. She was ten years old when Dan brought her to the Taylor Residence in Worrick. Even though he was the one who took her there, he never seemed to care much about her. The only person whom she knew when she first arrived at thepletely foreign ce was Dan. He would often stay out of home and wander around. Madeline could only stay at the residence as she was surrounded by unfamiliar ces and people. She didn¡¯t dare to go anywhere. However, the Taylor Residence was filled with people who harboured only ill intentions toward her. It was normal for her to get a beating or starve when she lived there. Even so, those were only trivial matters. The only thing that almost broke her down was the never-ending loneliness she had to endure. She was truly lonely. She lived alone with no one to care about her while having to deal with contemptuous and scornful eyes everywhere she went. She didn¡¯t even have someone to talk to and felt like she was alone in this big world, and that loneliness was enough to drive her crazy. Just as she thought that she couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and was on the verge of death, the peculiar Dan suddenly took her to go hunting. Madeline then saved the thoroughly injured Adams siblings who seemed like they could die anytime soon. For a long time, she and the brothers relied on each other to keep themselves warm and alive. To her, the brothers were the most important people in her life, other than her two sons. Their ce in her heart was far above that of Crystal and Michael. She had always thought that they would be family for life. However, Luke attempting to rape her after sneaking into her room in the middle of the night had changed everything. Logan had told her wearily that he would bring Luke out of Worrick so that Luke could never disrupt her life. Since then, they had lost contact. As much as Madeline missed them, she knew that she didn¡¯t love Luke, and could never ept bing his wife. So what if they met again? It would only add to the list of things to worry about. She could only put all her attention to her work and her two sons. That was her way of forcing herself not to think about them or even going to see them. She would pretend that she had really forgotten about them, but still, the moment she saw Logan, she immediately knew that she had never forgotten them. Madeline didn¡¯t give much thought about Luke because of howplicated her feelings toward him were after all the disgusting things he had done, but she had missed Logan a lot. The moment she saw Logan, she felt as though she was seeing a rtive she hadn¡¯t met for a long time. She couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmingly sad at that moment. Just like an aggrieved child who could hold back when they haven¡¯t seen their parents but would immediately turn on the waterworks as soon as their parents appeared, Madeline burst into tears at the sight of the man she had not seen in years. Her eyes were blurry with tears almost instantly. She didn¡¯t even know how she managed to stumble her way into Logan¡¯s embrace. She hugged him tightly as she buried her face in his chest. Then, she was sobbing so sadly her body began to tremble. Madeline really, really did miss Logan. After being separated from the brothers, she had no one to talk to about her ups and downs. No one even cared to know how she felt. She had finally found a ce that felt home. It was somewhere where she could hide in and cry or laugh uninhibitedly. She had support andpany in that home, and she had someone to lean against for warmth. It had all disappeared in a puff of smoke overnight. It was hard for her to describe the pain, but if she had to, it felt like she had the most important thing to her poked at and carved off from her heart with a knife. She couldn¡¯t stop crying as she hugged Logan. He also hugged her in return as he gently patted her, but didn¡¯t even notice the tears streaming down his face. ¡°It is alright now, Maddie¡­¡± Logan held back a choke as heforted her with his words. ¡°Luke, that piece of sh*t¡­ It is my fault. I didn¡¯t watch him like I told you I would. It is all my fault. I¡¯m sorry, Maddie. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 188 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Lunatic Sebastian began to feel an unexinable difort when he saw Madeline and Logan embracing each other. His eyebrows were knitted as he subconsciously wanted to pull the two apart. On second thought, it seemed like a good thing that she was releasing her emotions like this. She had always kept her emotions hidden and would habitually suppress it even if something were to happen. He felt that he shouldn¡¯t stop her at this point. And so, he decided to only stand there. For more than 10 minutes that Madeline was in Logan¡¯s arms, she cried with all her might, venting all the grievances that had piled up inside since her separation from him. Her head seemed to have cleared after all the tears that she shed. She finally stood up straight in embarrassment as she couldn¡¯t help reaching out to wipe her tears that had soiled his chest. He lowered his gaze before taking a step back to avoid her touch. ¡°It is okay,¡± he said. ¡°It will get dry in a while.¡± She nodded at that and turned to look at Sebastian. Her voice sounded even more hoarse than it already was. ¡°Is Luke in¡­ our house now?¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Madeline then requested, ¡°Can you pass him to Logan?¡± He nodded again and reassured her, ¡°Like I said, this is your matter to handle and I will respect your opinion.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hand him over to Logan.¡± She suddenly felt like the cloud in her sky had disappeared after crying in Logan¡¯s arms. Luke might be a scoundrel, but he was still Logan¡¯s only younger brother and family. For Logan¡¯s sake, it was impossible for her to do anything to Luke. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. After hearing her decision, Sebastian nodded and instructed Quinton, ¡°Bring Luke here.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Quinton nodded before leaving the room. Luke was soon brought to the living room where everyone was waiting. His clothes were a mess and there were injuries on his face. It was obvious that he had been through quite a lot. As soon as Logan saw the Harts¡¯ bodyguards bringing Luke in, he quickly walked to Luke. Madeline noticed that his left leg was dragging the ground when Luke came walking toward them. He didn¡¯t seem to dare use force on that leg. She suddenly recalled the time Luke talked about how his perfect brother had be a cripple and she was instantly hit by an excruciating pain like no other. It felt as though someone had stabbed a knife through her chest. The tears that she tried so hard to swallow came welling up again. Luke felt a little ufortable seeing his older brother here. He never wanted Logan to see the embarrassing state he was in. Regardless of everything else, he only had himself to me for underestimating Sebastian. Luke thought he had wlessly carried out his n and that no one could track down where he had taken Madeline to. He didn¡¯t expect Sebastian¡¯s men to have found him so quickly. He almost felt like he had been pped in the face because of that. As a self-proimed super hacker, he had hacked all the surveince on the roadside. He had thought that no one could find him and Madeline that way, but Sebastian just had to go and give him a one-of- a-kind surprise. He had lost. It was an utter defeat for him. Logan only took a few steps forward before he came to a stop. His cold eyes looked at Luke, and he growled, ¡°Come here.¡± Hearing that, Quinton motioned for the bodyguards to release Luke, in which he trudged to his brother¡¯s side. ¡°Luke¡­¡± he pitifully called out. Logan¡¯s harsh voice thenmanded, ¡°Kneel.¡± Luke pursed his lips at that, and with a bend at his knees, he was kneeling on the floor. Kneeling down was no big deal to him. He didn¡¯t care about the trivials because he was willing to do anything as long as he could get Logan to not be mad at him. Seeing that Luke had done as he said, Logan¡¯s gaze turned to Quinton. ¡°Please untie the rope on his wrists.¡± Luke¡¯s hands were tied up behind his back then. Quinton looked to Sebastian and after getting a nod from the boss, Quinton went forward and got down to free Luke from the rope. Luke¡¯s arms were already numb from staying in the same position for so long. After the rope was loosened, he subconsciously moved his arms to get the blood flowing again. Logan continued to look at him coldly. ¡°Take off your shirt,¡± hemanded. Luke looked up at him, but he quickly lowered his head before taking off all the clothes on his torso, leaving nothing behind. ¡°Hand me your belt,¡± the elder brother continued. And Luke did as he was told. He removed the belt from his pants and passed it to Logan. The moment the belt was in his hand, Logan unceasingly raised the belt and whipped it against Luke¡¯s back. Sebastian might have said that he would respect Madeline¡¯s wishes and she had passed Luke to Logan without saying a thing, but there was no way Logan could pretend that all of this hadn¡¯t happened. They owed Madeline an apology. Logan could never face his conscience if all he did now was bring Luke home. Even if he was striking his most beloved brother, anyone who had done wrong had to be punished. Logan especially had to punish his brother for hurting the one person he shouldn¡¯t have. He put all of his strength, anger and disappointment into the first whip thatnded on Luke¡¯s back. The thin but tough leather belt immediately tore open a long slit the moment it met Luke¡¯s back. As soon as the flesh split open, fresh blood came gushing out and trickled down his back. Luke¡¯s body staggered at that, but he remained kneeling at the same spot without even raising his head. The moment Logan saw how the belt tore into his younger brother¡¯s skin and how blood came flowing out of his wound the next second, Logan could feel his heart constrict as he grew soft-hearted. Despite that, he went on with his second stroke. His arm felt weaker than it was during the first whip, leaving only a blue-ck line on Luke¡¯s back. His flesh didn¡¯t tear open this time. The third whip followed soon after. And it went on and on¡­ Luke had only lowered his head with his back still straight at first. However, with every beating that he got, he eventually fell forward. The only reason he didn¡¯t fall t on the floor was because he managed to put his palms on the floor to hold himself up in time. It hurted like hell, but he never made a sound from the first whip he received. He never begged for mercy, either. He wasn¡¯t afraid of pain. He was never afraid of pain. He was only worried and scared. He was scared that his brother would get angry at him, and look at him with that pained, disappointed gaze of his. He knew that he had done wrong. He should have never done something like that to Madeline. Luke didn¡¯t even know why he would suddenly do that to her¡­ Perhaps, he really was a lunatic¡­ Luke closed his eyes as he took in the increasing pain, but still, he didn¡¯t make a sound. Oddly enough, he wasn¡¯t the first person there who couldn¡¯t stand it. It was Madeline. Madeline was suddenly reminded of her childhood when she saw the bruises forming each time the beltnded on Luke¡¯s blood-stained back. She was a mere 12-year-old girl when she struggled for 2 years to stay alive in Worrick. Suddenly, she had fallen sick. The measles that she had contracted was an infectious disease that resulted in a high fever and rashes all over her body. Due to the fact that it was an infectious disease, Dan had instructed someone to dump her off at a hospital, and he never bothered with her after tha¡ª No. Madeline knew that no one would have bothered with her even if it wasn¡¯t an infectious disease. She remembered how her ward was in a constant state of silence. The doctors and nurses seldom went to her ward because of the risk of being infected. Other than the times when medical personnel would go make rounds in her ward and bring her medicine, it was always dead silent. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 189 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Lost Madeline was afraid. Not only did she suffer from a high fever, the red bumps all over her body had also made her unsightly. She was too young to know that measles was an infectious disease whose fatality rate was, in fact, not high. Just the words ¡®infectious disease¡¯ was enough to scare her so badly that she thought she would definitely die. That night, she was alone in a hospital bed and the only thing she could do was wait for her death. Later on, Logan and Luke sneaked into the ward to apany her after they found her. They wouldn¡¯t leave even if she chased them away. She told them that infectious diseases were contagious, and that they were scary and deadly. Logan, in return, said that she would not die. He then reassured her that they would apany her, and that she would definitely ovee the disease. Luke was 2 years younger than Logan, which means that Logan was only 1 or 2 years older than her. Hence, he could be considered to be just a naive teenager. When Logan heard that she would die, he was so scared that he immediately held her hand and started crying. He said that he wasn¡¯t afraid of death and that the both of them would follow her to the afterlife if she were to die. They refused to leave her no matter what she said. And so, the boys would hide when the doctors and nurses made their rounds. They would run to her side to apany her after the doctors and nurses had left. Besides that, Luke would always sneak out to buy her favorite snacks when no one noticed whereas Logan would repeatedly soak a towel to cool her down physically. Her body still felt terrible to the point where she always felt that she was dying, but at least she had Logan and Luke by her side now. With them there, she no longer felt lonely. As sleepy as Madeline was, she would keep looking at the brothers instead of going to sleep. At the time, she thought of the boys as her family, and that she had a family just like everyone else did. She was sure that they would be together forever no matter what might happen in the future. Nothing could ever tear them apart¡­ s, it hade to this¡­ Destiny was really something that no one could control. Madeline never thought that Luke would fall in love with her, and even want to marry her. She had always thought of him as her brother. How could siblings ever get married? So, she rejected him. What Madeline didn¡¯t expect was that Luke would try to force himself on her after that. Now that they had gotten to the point of no return, the only thing that could be done was for Logan to leave with Luke. The family that she had thought would never be separated all her life was finally parting ways¡­ Even now, she was witnessing her most cherished brother beating her other brother. She suddenly couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Rushing over to Logan, she grabbed his raised hand and muttered in a choked-up voice, ¡°Forget it, Logan. Just let it go¡­¡± Nothing seemed to be unforgivable when she thought about the time Luke had said that he would die with her while crying his eyes out. She had forgiven him. She really had¡­ When Logan heard that, he slowly lowered his hand and threw the belt at Luke. His hand then tentatively went to the back of her head. ¡°Maddie.¡± He sighed sadly. ¡°You have always been so softhearted¡­ You will be taken advantage of if you keep doing this¡­ You will always be on the short end of the stick¡­¡± She shook her head desperately and threw her arms around him. ¡°Logan¡­ I miss you so much¡­ I miss our home¡­¡± she cried. Although the house was small and shabby, it was the only ce she couldpletely lower her walls down. It was a ce that she truly thought was home. She had lived in many different ces before. The Taylor Residence in Worrick, the Wendel Residence in Wendel City, and the Hart Residence in Dusktown were all the ces she had stayed, but the only ce she would really call ¡®home¡¯ was the small house that she lived in along with Logan and Luke. She missed that home. She really, truly missed it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Luke, who was still on the ground, suddenly apologized. ¡°Maddie, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I know that I was wrong. I swear I will never act like a scumbag again. I will have Logan stop caring about me if I ever do something like that again¡­¡± He then lifted his head and looked at her. ¡°Maddie, will you forgive me?¡± Madeline wiped off the tears on her face and lowered her eyes to look at him before making sure he was telling the truth. ¡°Will you really never do something like that again?¡± ¡°Really, really! I swear!¡± He raised his right hand. ¡°Logan will stop caring about me for life if I ever make you angry again!¡± ¡°Liar!¡± she rebutted. ¡°Logan would never do that.¡± ¡°If that is the case, you can¡ª¡± ¡°It is fine,¡± she interrupted him before he could say anything else. She then turned to look at Quinton and politely asked, ¡°Can you get a doctor here, please?¡± ¡°Mrs. Hart, you don¡¯t have to be so polite with me! I will go right now!¡± Quinton went and notified the guard outside to bring the doctor. Madeline looked back at Luke and warned, ¡°This is yourst chance. I really, really, really won¡¯t forgive you anymore if there is a next time!¡± Luke nodded, and he was about to start throwing promises again when she cut him off again. ¡°I said to forget it. I don¡¯t need you to swear anything. Only your conscience and will can keep you in line. There is no point in making oats when you don¡¯t have your conscience and will!¡± She turned to Logan and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you help him up, Logan?¡± Logan nodded and bent over to help his brother up the floor. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± Madeline pointed to the sofa. She had a lot to ask and say to them after not meeting for such a long time. As Logan brought Luke to the sofa, she noticed that Logan was limping on his left leg. She immediately felt like a cold hand was tearing into her chest and pulling out her heart when she saw that. ¡°Logan, your leg¡­¡± she hesitantly began. ¡°I am okay¡­¡± He took a few pieces of tissue from the coffee table and wiped the blood on Luke¡¯s back, and after making sure that the sofa would not be soiled, he helped Luke to sit down on the sofa. Logan turned to look at her again, and gently said, ¡°I walked too much too fast today. I am a little tired. I will be okay after resting tonight.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Madeline felt like crying again after hearing that. Her eyes were already swollen from crying so much earlier. Sebastian, who had been quiet all this while, went to the kitchen and found an ice pack. He then wrapped it in a towel before handing it to her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore. Your eyes are already swollen like peaches. How will you exin to Aldo and Buddy after they wake up?¡± She quickly took a few deep breaths and put the towel on her eyes in an attempt to hold back her tears. ¡°Are Aldo and Buddy alright?¡± Logan asked. ¡°They are fine,¡± Madeline replied. ¡°The doctor said that they will be alright after they wake up from their sleep.¡± Logan was ridden by guilt as he listened to her words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he whispered. He didn¡¯t know what he could do to make up for his and Luke¡¯s mistake. ¡°Forget it, Logan. It is in the past now. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore.¡± She removed the towel from her eyes and shed a smile in Logan¡¯s way. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you and¡­ Luke. How have you been these two years?¡± He nodded in reply. ¡°Everything has been good.¡± With the exception of how much he had missed her, of course. During their poorest and most difficult times in Worrick, Logan would always think of their home in Capitol. He would recall the enormous vi and all the tasty food he and his younger brother enjoyed when their mother was still alive. He always thought that he would take Madeline home with him if he could get everything that should have belonged to him and Luke back. Logan also thought that someone as lovable and beautiful as her should live in their big vi being served by servants, wear only the most beautiful clothes, and eat the most delicious foods. He hoped that he would have the opportunity to share all the good things with Madeline in his lifetime. In the end, he finally received his wish for revenge and had taken back everything that should have belonged to them. Atst, Logan and his brother had returned to the enormous vi, where they were served by countless servants and able to eat the best dishes. However, he had lost his most beloved baby sister. The person who he wanted to share his life with the most was no longer there with him. Everything that he owned didn¡¯t seem all that important anymore at that moment¡­ You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 190 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Stop Thinking About the Impossible Again Logan threw a nce at Luke and couldn¡¯t help thinking how great it would be if Luke was telling the truth. If Luke really managed to give up on Madeline, it would mean that they would finally be able to bring her back to Capitol to fulfill his lifelong dream. He would then be able to let her live in the big vi, wear pretty clothes, and eat good food¡­ The brothers had practically been with each other their whole lives. Hence, there were a lot of things they didn¡¯t need to use words to understand one another. Luke caught the look his brother was throwing at him, and he knew immediately what Logan was thinking. ¡°Logan, I am speaking the truth. I have thought about it properly. I don¡¯t think me and Maddie have a chance anymore. I¡ª¡± A knock on the door cut him off mid-sentence. After Quinton marched over to open the door, they were greeted by the sight of Edward walking in with a medicine box. The first thing he did was bow to the owners of the house. ¡°Young Master, Mrs. Hart,¡± he greeted. Madeline stood up at that, and she urged, ¡°Please check the wounds on my brother¡¯s back.¡± Upon hearing Madeleine address him as her brother, Luke nced over at her with dark eyes that had an unusual glint in them. It wasn¡¯t as though he wanted to marry her. He had always treated her like a younger sibling when they were still in Worrick. However, he had wanted to bring her along when their uncle hade and offered to bring the brothers back to Capitol and carry out their revenge against their stepmother. She, of course, had rejected him. She said that the Taylors wouldn¡¯t let her leave. As a member of the family, she had an obligation to listen to the Taylors. With that, she couldn¡¯t go with Logan and Luke. Because of that, Luke felt unhappy. Even though she was a Taylor, they had never treated her like family. Logan and Luke wouldn¡¯t be able to know or do anything if the Taylors bullied her after they had left the country. Madeline might be a Taylor, but she was Logan and Luke¡¯s family. She had told them before that they were the most important people to her, and that the Taylor Family wasn¡¯t even 1 percent of how important the brothers were to her. She might have said all these because Luke had forced her to, but he knew that she meant every word she said. They were her real family! The Taylors were mere horsesh*t! However, it didn¡¯t matter how hard he tried to persuade her. She was stubborn about not leaving. He even went online to ask his hacker friends for ways he could bring her home. His hacker friends knew he and Madeleine were not blood-rted. ording to one of his friends who knew that Luke and Madeleine had been very close together since childhood, due to the fact that they are not rted to each other, there was no way for them to live together forever unless he married her. That was the reason why he told her that he wanted to marry her. However, she had rejected him. Vexed, he asked for advice from his inte friends again. Their suggestion this time was for him to go past the point of no return with her since he and Madeline were close. By then, she would have no choice but to marry him. And so he did as he was told. He snuck into her room in the middle of the night, and tried to do things that would seal the deal. As a result, her trying to fight back had alerted Logan about what was going on. Not only did he not seed at taking her, but he also ended up being beaten up by his brother. After Logan had apologized to her, he immediately decided to leave Worrick with Luke¡­ A lot of things happened after that as well. The only difference between what happened before and after was that Madeline was no longer a part of thetter. Luke regretted it. He and his brother might have gotten back everything that was theirs in the first ce after they went back to the Capitol, but his heart was always empty¡ªit felt like he was missing something of utmost importance. At that point in time, he knew that what he was missing was the woman who was no longer in his life. Original from N?velDrama.Org. He and Logan had gotten everything back, but they had lost Madeline in the process of it. Their little family was onlyplete with the 3 of them in it, but it had all been ruined because of that mistake that he made that caused her to stay away from them. He missed her terribly, but he did promise Logan that he wouldn¡¯t go to her anymore. He wanted to keep his promise to his brother. That was why he wouldn¡¯t have gone to Madeline if it wasn¡¯t because of that call he received from Angie. Her call gave him a reason to go look for her. Madeline, who had told him that she would never get married her whole life, had ended up bing Sebastian¡¯s wife. Luke was only here to make her pay for going back on her words. He didn¡¯t intentionally break his promise to Logan. He was suddenly reminded of the ¡®point of no return¡¯ talk he had with his hacker friends after he arrived at Dusktown. He then thought that Madeline could surely marry him if she could get married to Sebastian. As long as he could cross the line with her, he would have the chance to marry her and be with her forever. However, she continued to refuse him even after she had been drugged into submission. She even looked at him with those hatred-filled eyes when she warned him that she would forever despise and not forgive him if he dared try anything with her. Hearing what she said, he was shocked. It wasn¡¯t as though he really wanted her as his wife. His only intention was to stay together as a family again like how they were in Worrick. But she would have ended up hating him if he had forced himself onto her as she even swore to never forgive him. What would be the point of him doing any of this, then? He didn¡¯t want her to hate him, and he didn¡¯t want her to ignore him for the rest of their lives. Eventually, he finally realized how wrong he had been, and so he promised everyone, including himself, that he would never force her into doing something like that anymore. On top of him changing his mind, hearing Madeline call him her ¡®brother¡¯ had instantly transported him back to the time when the 3 of them had relied on each other to live in Worrick. His eyes continued to shine as he looked at her. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t even feel a bit of pain when Edward gave him an anesthetic injection and sewed his wounds close. After looking at her for a little while longer, he turned his head toward Logan and said, ¡°Logan, I want to stay in Maddie¡¯s house as her guest.¡± ¡°¡­You!¡± Logan hissed. ¡°You better stop having ideas again!¡± Logan was baffled by how thick-skinned his younger brother was. Not only did Luke kidnap the children of Harts¡¯ Young Master. He even tried to force himself onto Sebastian¡¯swful wife. And now he wants to stay here?! Logan fumed. Does he think of Mr. Hart as a pushover? Just from his actions alone, there was no way Sebastian would allow Luke to stay at their house. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ideas.¡± Luke peeked at Madeline. He suddenly realized how he could only stay for a few short days if he didn¡¯t have a good reason for his request. So, he quickly added, ¡°I want to stay by Maddie¡¯s side to keep her safe. I will be her bodyguard.¡± Logan was speechless at first, and then he suddenly roared, ¡°What the hell are you thinking? Follow me back to the Capitol tomorrow!¡± ¡°No! I want to be Maddie¡¯s bodyguard!¡± His eyes twinkled as he looked at her. ¡°Maddie, I only wanted to marry you because my friend told me that only married couples get to stay together forever. You rejected my proposal, and there is no way I would force you into it again because you will end up hating me. And I don¡¯t want you to hate me! This is why I want to be your bodyguard. We can stay together forever this way, too! I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t marry me as long as we can always be together!¡± Sebastian quietly listened to Luke¡¯s ridiculous words. His subordinates had found a psychiatric diagnosis certificate that belonged to Luke. Sebastian had thought that it was a fake that the brothers produced in case they needed it when they were taking their revenge on their stepmother. But from what he was seeing now, it seemed that he had thought wrong¡ªLuke might be a real whacko! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 191 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 191 Chapter 191 But Sebastian Knew No Fear Madeline was also rendered speechless after hearing Luke¡¯s words. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to start a company of your own? What will happen to your n if you be my bodyguard?¡± she asked. ¡°I can let my underlings handle thepany. I can also move the headquarters here to Dusktown.¡± Luke excitedly continued, ¡°Moreover, all the development mypany is involved in is rted to calctors. I am only in charge of the technology. I have people to handle the rest. Those have got nothing to do with me.¡± Other than the technical aspect, he had always let his subordinates do everything else without being afraid that they would stab him in the back. He had never been worried about them betraying him because he knew that his subordinates couldn¡¯t possibly get the benefits of working with him anywhere else. His technologies were the best in the world, after all. It was a guaranteed path to sess and wealth to have Luke as a boss. Unless it was someone with a bad brain, everyone who worked for him would surely stay loyal to him and even go to the ends of the earth for him. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t afraid if someone did end up betraying him. As long as he had his technologies in his hand, he would never have to worry about not earning a keep. No one could steal his technology skills away from him. He didn¡¯tck money or power as those came easily to him. He only wanted to fulfill his childhood dream now.Original from N?velDrama.Org. He had imagined the day he became sessful multiple times when he was a young boy. In his dreams, he would make pretty Maddie a princess who would worry about nothing. He would love her, pamper her, and make her the happiest little girl in the world. However, by the time he had the money and capability to let Madeline live a carefree life, their rtionship had already fallen apart. He was heartbroken about the fact that his childhood dream could nevere true. He really, really wanted to bring her home, but the time never seemed right for him to do that. The Taylors wouldn¡¯t let her go when she was a part of their family, and now, Madeline was Sebastian¡¯s wife. Luke¡¯s friend had told him that married couples are supposed to live together. That would mean that she had to live in Hart Residence now since Madeline married Sebastian. She wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to Capitol with Luke now. Hence, his childhood dream could nevere true at this point. That was when Luke came up with his wonky idea: Since she couldn¡¯te with him, he would stay with her here instead! He would be able to realize his dream of wanting to stay by her side that way. He could love her, take care of her, and share everything that he had with her! After listening to his words, Madeline could only look at him with a resigned expression on her face. There was no way she could feel safe enough to keep him by her side as her bodyguard after the things that he had done to her. However, she of all people knew his personality best¨C¨Che was the type of person to stomp ahead after he had decided on something. She racked her brain for an excuse to reject his absurd idea, but she still couldn¡¯te up with anything even after she had racked her brains over it. She finally spoke when a headache started thumping at her head. ¡°How could you possibly be my bodyguard? You are the respectable second young master of the Adams Family. Stop messing around, Luke. You can stay and have fun in Dusktown for a few days if you like it here. I can bring you and Logan around for a sightseeing. You can go home with Logan to Capitol after you have had your fun.¡± ¡°I may be the young master of the Adams Family, but I am also your brother!¡± He continued, ¡°Look. I kidnapped you so easily. That means that your safety isn¡¯t guaranteed. I must stay by your side and protect you, or else I will keep worrying about you!¡± Sebastian¡¯s ears immediately perked up when he heard Luke¡¯s words. Maddie¡¯s safety isn¡¯t guaranteed? He thought. Isn¡¯t he just trying to say that I am ipetent in a roundabout manner? He could feel his anger re, but he somehow couldn¡¯t find a word to rebuke the man. It was for the fact that Madeline and the children were kidnapped, and for a husband to let that happen to his wife and children, it could only mean that he was indeed an ipetent man. This was the first time in his life that he had felt so ashamed of himself. He was a proud man who had never experienced any setbacks in life. A man, who was usually as calm as a cucumber no matter the circumstance, could no longer hold himself back now. Quinton was the first one to speak up. Standing behind Sebastian, he coldly spat, ¡°Dusktown has always been a safe ce. Mrs. Hart and the little young masters were kidnapped because we didn¡¯t expect anyone to sneak into a school to abduct the students in broad daylight. Also, you only seeded because the school doesn¡¯t allow bodyguards. We have learned our lesson now. We will suggest to the school to enhance their security so that something like this will not happen again.¡± Luke¡¯s words had somehow made Quinton feel dejected. It was the school¡¯s fixed rule that students were strictly not allowed to bring a bodyguard with them. If only the school had allowed it, Quinton could guarantee that Luke¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t have managed to snatch away the little young masters. He was confident in the Harts¡¯ bodyguards¡¯ ability and caliber. Luke was about to counter him when Logan sternly stopped him. ¡°Shut up! Kidnapping a student from school is a serious offense. You should be grateful that Maddie decided to forgive you and not call the cops on you. Even if you are safe, your men could have been brought to jail instead! Are you trying to involve them in this?¡± Luke immediately lowered his head without saying a word then. Logan massaged his furrowed eyebrows and said to Madeline, ¡°Maddie, you know how he is. He does anything he wants. I hope you can keep him by your side as your bodyguard for a while, if you don¡¯t mind. I will leave two men behind to make sure that he doesn¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± Logan knew Luke too well. As long as Luke had something he had put his mind to, he would do anything to get what he wanted. He might not have done what he attempted with Madeline today if only Logan hadn¡¯t restricted him and stopped him from contacting her. Just the thought of them bing her enemy was enough to make Logan break out in cold sweat. Logan realized that it might be better to let nature take its course than to block it. After what had happened today, Logan didn¡¯t dare assert pressure on Luke anymore. He was going to let Luke do as he wished. He was truly afraid that Luke would do something beyond the point of saving. If bing a bodyguard was what he wanted to do, Logan was going to let him do it. Logan would let him do it for some time, and after fulfilling Luke¡¯s wish, the former would try to persuade thetter to go home with him. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Madeline turned to look at Sebastian with a troubled expression on her face. Now that it was Logan¡¯s request, it made it harder for her to say no. However, this was the Hart Residence. So, she wasn¡¯t the one calling the shots here. Sebastian noticed her inquiring look, and the corners of his mouth went up. He would seem like he was afraid of Luke if he didn¡¯t let him stay. And Sebastian knew no fear. He let out a scoff and slowly began, ¡°You can stay if you want to, but I would like to propose a few conditions.¡± Luke immediately said, ¡°Go ahead and say it, President Hart!¡± ¡°First,¡± Sebastian stated, ¡°since you are a bodyguard, you have to change the way you address Maddie. Just like every other bodyguard here, you have to follow the rules and call her Mrs. Hart.¡± Didn¡¯t Luke want to marry her? he mused as he quietly nned it all out. Fine. I will make it so that he has to address the woman he wants by myst name. I will make sure that he is reminded that she is my wife every time he calls her. Sebastian would only believe that Luke had given up on Madeline if he could endure calling her Mrs. Hart! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 192 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Are You Sure You¡¯re Talking About Bodyguards Instead of ves ¡°No!¡± Luke immediately protested before Logan could even chip in. ¡°I am fine with not calling Maddie by her name, but I am her bodyguard. I am hers, not the Harts¡¯. Why would I need to call her Mrs. Hart? I can call her Miss Maddie or Mistress too, but not Mrs. Hart!¡± Sebastian peered at him then. ¡°I am not discussing with you. I am informing you about my decision. You can stay if you agree, and if you don¡¯t, there is nothing else for us to talk about.¡± Luke¡¯s face, which was pale from the pain, had turned red again after he was angered by Sebastian. His eyes red at Sebastian as he bit his teeth, and it took him a while before he roared, ¡°Okay. Deal!¡± ¡°Try saying it once,¡± Sebastian urged with a smile. ¡°We will talk about the second condition once you get used to it.¡± Luke had no choice but toply. ¡°¡­Fine! You win!¡± he hissed. He then turned to Madeline, and his flushed face turned even redder. His mouth opened and closed without a sound, and he eventually lowered his head and unwillingly called out, ¡°Mrs. Hart!¡± Madeline didn¡¯t say a thing, but hearing that made all the goosebumps on her body rise. She really, really, really felt ufortable hearing that from Luke, but since it was something Sebastian wanted, there was no point in her embarrassing him by saying that she didn¡¯t need that. She could only hold herself back from soothing the goosebumps on her arms, and forcibly hummed in reply. Luke pouted as his gaze lowered to the floor. The shadows cast by his longshes made him look like a good boy who had been wronged. Even though he was already in his 20s, his beautiful, wless babyface and lean figure made him look like a teenager. Him sitting on the sofa like a child with a defeated look on his face felt so pitiful and lovable that no one would be able to imagine how scary he looked when he was out of control. Seeing that, Logan couldn¡¯t help but pat him on his head. ¡°You¡­¡± he sighed with his voice filled with helplessness and regret. Logan felt like he was the one to me for all this. In fear of their stepmother tracking them down and killing them off, Logan and Luke had never gone to school after they got to Worrick. He was the only one who would go out and settle things if he had to. He always kept Luke at home and prevented him from getting in contact with outsiders because he was worried that young Luke would be taken away by their stepmother¡¯s goons. On the other hand, Luke had been brutally cynical because of what he had to go through when he was young. He disliked getting in contact with outsiders and his condition only got worse because of Logan¡¯s overprotective tendencies. They eventually went back to Capitol and got their revenge. But even after they had retrieved everything that was rightfully theirs and had gained fame for their intelligence and good looks despite only being young adults, Luke continued to spend time in his own world as he still disliked dealing with other people. Due to the fact that he had very little contact with the outside world, Luke turned into an immature adult¨C¨Che could even be considered to have a wed personality. There were a lot of things about social convention that he didn¡¯t understand. He would look like a mature adult when it came to things that he knew. On the other hand, he seemed like an ignorant child when it came to things that he was oblivious about. It was a blessing that Luke was a natural when it came toputers. There was no way he could make a living otherwise. However, even though Luke was so shockingly gifted and he was the one who made easier money among the brothers, Logan couldn¡¯t help but worry about his younger brother. He knew that Luke wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in society if something bad were to happen to Logan. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The world was aplicated ce where only having a good brain wouldn¡¯t help one survive. There was no way Luke could save himself with his talent inputers if he someday fell into an evil scheme. Luke was like a child who carried a precious treasure with him¡ªhe just might get gobbled up if Logan wasn¡¯t there to protect him. That was why everything was Logan¡¯s fault. It was because of his overprotectiveness that Luke had such a peculiar personality. His childhood had caused too big an impact on his growth that his w stuck to him even though they later had a change in status and lifestyle. Hence, his little brother¡¯s personality was hard to change no matter how hard he tried. Thinking about this, he gradually went from pleading for Luke to actually wanting Luke to stay here. Later on, he nned to find some time to have a talk with Madeline when Luke is not around and have her teach Luke about societal norms. It might be useful for him in the future when he deals with other people. Furthermore, Luke used to only hole himself up in his office or home and tinkered with hisputer all day when they were in Capitol because of his dislike for meeting people. Luke could go all day without speaking to anyone if Logan hadn¡¯t gone to him first. Luke bing Madeline¡¯s bodyguard seemed like an opportunity to get him out of the house and communicate with other human beings more! He would surely pick up some skills to make a living after he had been exposed to the outside world. Just in case something bad were to happen to Logan, at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about leaving Luke behind. Also, he thought while peeking at Sebastian. He is one of the best men in Dusktown. His ability and skills are considered one of the best. It was obvious that Sebastian didn¡¯t like Luke, and if Luke really were to stay by Madeline¡¯s side, Sebastian just might teach him a lesson or two on how to behave like a normal person. Logan wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much about Luke if he were to learn something from Sebastian. It only took a little more than 10 seconds for all these random thoughts and nnings to appear in Logan¡¯s head. After dissecting this whole thing, he became enthusiastic about keeping Luke by Madeline¡¯s side as her bodyguard. He turned to look at her, and said, ¡°Maddie, you don¡¯t have to hold back against him since he is the one who volunteered to do it. Don¡¯t give him special treatment. Just think of him as another bodyguard.¡± ¡°This is exactly what I wanted to talk about for my second condition,¡± Sebastian suddenly took over. ¡°You have to act like a bodyguard if you want to be one. Do what our bodyguards do, and if you can¡¯t do it, I will get rid of you right on the spot.¡± ¡°What is so hard about being a bodyguard,¡± Luke grumpily muttered. ¡°I can do any task I am given well!¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyebrows raised at that. ¡°Is that so? I will talk about a few basic rules then. You have to stand when your master is seated. You have to watch when your master is eating. You have to stand there and take it all in even when your master, who is having a bad day, is taking it all out on innocent you.¡± ¡°Are you an employer or andlord?¡± Luke¡¯s eyes were opened wide as he stared at Sebastian. ¡°I am not done yet,¡± Sebastian reprimanded as he red at Luke. ¡°The bodyguards who work for the Harts have morning practices that start at 5:00 AM and end at 8:00 AM every day. Night practices start at 7:00 PM and end at 9:30 PM. No staying up on nights you are off duty. Your lights must be off for bed before 11:00 PM. We do it military style here. Words from your higher-ups are to be heeded no matter what. You have to jump from a building when you are told to. And no objections.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure you are talking about bodyguards instead of ves?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 193 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 193 Chapter 193 He Is Just Too Evil! ¡°Ha! You are right,¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Our bodyguards are picked from our own training camp, and they have all signed a lifetime contract.¡± ¡°Sebastian¡­¡± Madeline quickly interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t let Luke sign a lifetime contract.¡± Who was he trying to joke with? She didn¡¯t even want Luke to stay for a day if it wasn¡¯t for Logan, and now Sebastian was talking about a lifetime contract? God have mercy! She was thinking of keeping Luke here for a few days and sending him back to Capitol after he had his fun. Just why would Sebastian talk about a lifetime contract out of nowhere?! After Sebastian shot her a quick look, he said, ¡°Alright. I will put you on a 3-months probation for my wife¡¯s sake. You don¡¯t have to sign the contract for now.¡± Just as Luke was about to say something, Edward, who had been dressing his wounds, draped a shirt on his body. Edward then stood up and bowed to Sebastian and Madeline. ¡°Young Master, Mrs. Hart, I have treated Young Master Luke¡¯s injuries.¡± Luke immediately whipped his head around and looked at Edward. He couldn¡¯t believe how the only time he felt a small pain was when he was getting the anesthetic injection. He didn¡¯t even feel anything afterward, and yet the doctor was saying that he was done! He is good, Luke thought before standing up and nodding at Edward as he gave his thanks. ¡°You are most wee,¡± the doctor politely replied with a smile. He then turned to Sebastian and Madeline. ¡°Young Master, Mrs. Hart. I will be leaving now if there is nothing else.¡± Sebastian nodded.¡±Go ahead,¡± he said. After Edward had left, Sebastian turned to Luke again. ¡°There is a third condition.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Luke growled. ¡°There is a third one? Are you not done yet?¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t seem affected by Luke¡¯s rage, and he only smiled. ¡°You can say no. I am willing to have you as our guest for a few days because of Maddie, but for you to be our bodyguard?¡± His finger moved left and right. ¡°You fall way too short to be one.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! Tell me what the third condition is! If everyone else can do it, so can I!¡± Luke eximed as he angrily pulled his sleeves up his arm. Sebastian red at him then. ¡°The third condition has nothing to do with anyone else. It is a rule especially made just for you. You need to ept having at least two people supervising you because of the bad behavior that we have seen from you thus far. If you insist on staying here, I will assign two bodyguards to stay under the same roof as you. They will be watching you 24/7.¡± ¡°Sebastian! Don¡¯t go overboard!¡± Luke was so angry he immediately stood up. ¡°Watching me for the whole day? Do they need to follow me when I use the shower or toilet?¡± The angrier he got, the better Sebastian¡¯s mood seemed to get. ¡°In principle, yes,¡± Sebastian hummed. ¡°But if you are against it, they can wait outside the bathroom and toilet while you get done with your business.¡± ¡°Y¨CYou!¡± Luke pointed at Sebastian¡¯s nose. He was so mad he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Luke! Stop being unreasonable!¡± Logan pulled down his brother¡¯s hand which was mid-air. ¡°This is not Capitol, and we are not in our own house. A guest should follow what the host asks! You have to do as President Hart says if you want to stay here. You only have two options: it is either you ept the condition and stay behind, or you leave with me. And no bargaining!¡± Luke was shaking from anger then. His jaw clenched, and it took him a while before he said through gritted teeth, ¡°I ept this!¡± ¡°Good. Quinton, get Conrad and Dean here.¡± There was nothing for Sebastian to worry about as long as there was someone to watch over Luke. Furthermore, it might be safer to keep the slightly insane man under constant supervision than to let him roam free. ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± Quinton responded before walking aside and giving Conrad and Dean a call. ¡°These are the three conditions I have for you so far. I will tell you the rest when I think of any,¡± Sebastian nonchntly added. Luke angrily rolled his eyes after hearing Sebastian¡¯s words. Why is this man Quincy and Joel¡¯s father? he quietly cursed. This is all the Taylors¡¯ fault! Maddie wouldn¡¯t have to give birth to this man¡¯s children if it wasn¡¯t because the Taylors forced her to in order to save Sam! I will definitely screw them over when I get the chance to! Conrad and Dean arrived soon after, and Sebastian then gave them his instruction. ¡°The two of you will live with Young Master Luke from now on. You are responsible for watching his every move every minute of the day. Also, get him familiarized with the Harts¡¯ rules, and make sure he follows them.¡± His words came to a short pause. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Young Master Luke will be one of Harts¡¯ bodyguards. He will be on 3-month probation, which makes him your colleague. You can call him by his name.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master!¡± Conrad and Dean dutifully took the orders. ¡°Alright.¡± A smile appeared on Sebastian¡¯s face. ¡°You can now bring your new colleague to his amodation. Since the 3 of you will be staying together for the next three months, you may change into a bigger room.¡± Even though his words were generous, Luke couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was mocking him. Three adult men in a room! Other than the time when he, Logan, and Madeline had stayed together when they were in Worrick, it had been a long time since he had shared rooms with others. He hateding in contact with anyone other than Logan and Madeline! Now that Sebastian wanted him to share a room with two other men¡­ His face had turned ck from anger then. ring at Sebastian, he hissed, ¡°You really are something, aren¡¯t you?¡± He couldn¡¯t do anything now since he was trying to make up for his mistake, and he needed Sebastian¡¯s help. But just wait until this is over, he thought. I will definitely get my revenge on you, Sebastian! Sebastian threw him a nce and lightly smiled. ¡°I will treat you like a guest today and forgive your impudence for President Adams¡¯s sake. But if this is how you continue to act tomorrow, you will receive a harsh punishment for breaking our house rules.¡± It was difficult not to notice how jolly his gaze was as the corners of his lips further lifted. ¡°Learn our rules if you don¡¯t want to get punished. Or else, don¡¯t say that I haven¡¯t reminded you when you receive your punishment!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The ¡®President Adams¡¯ Sebastian spoke of would naturally be Logan, not Luke. Even though Luke was also a president himself, he wouldn¡¯t be one anymore from tomorrow onward. He was going to be a bodyguard working for the Hart Family. It was at this moment that Sebastian was even more sure of his guess¡ªLuke¡¯s psychiatric diagnosis was not forged¡­ Luke might really be mentally ill! No sane person would give up the position of apany president to be the bodyguard of someone who obviously disliked him. Instead of answering Sebastian, Luke¡¯s head whipped in Madeline¡¯s direction, and he howled, ¡°Maddie, can you please divorce him? He is not suitable for you!¡± Sebastian was too evil of a man for kind-hearted Madeline! Luke was sure that she would only end up getting bullied if she stayed with the ogre! ¡°Luke, please don¡¯t say things like this in the future,¡± she sighed. ¡°Sebastian is the children¡¯s father. I will never divorce him.¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 194 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 194 Chapter 194 What Else Could He Do? After All, He Was Guilty! Not only was Sebastian the children¡¯s father by blood, but he was also someone who shouldered the responsibilities a father should. The children liked and looked up to him. They wanted to get closer to him. Ever since the children and father had met, Quincy and Joel had gotten a lot more lively than they were. Joel, who used to care about nothing, had gotten even more so after living with the Harts. Not only did he not get more mature, but he also seemed to start acting like a young child again. Even Quincy had asionally seemed to have regained the vigor and innocence children his age should have. Madeline was grateful to Sebastian for everything he had done. Love might not exist between him and her, but he was truly a perfect husband and father. As long as he never suggested having a divorce, there was no way she would be the one to mention it first. Luke let out an unsatisfied ¡°hmph¡± at that. Just as she was about to speak up again, she was stopped by the sound of footstepsing from upstairs. Joel was holding Quincy¡¯s hand as they waddled their way down the stairs. ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± the boys cheered. Desmond was following behind them when his panicked voice could be heard. ¡°Please don¡¯t run so fast, little young masters. What if you fall?!¡± Her sons had just woken up and were now hopping down the stairs. After seeing them, Madeline instantly forgot what she wanted to say as she rushed toward them. ¡°Aldo! Buddy!¡± she eximed. ¡°Mommy!¡± Joel threw himself into her arms and wrapped his tiny arms around her waist. His soft voice then rang out, ¡°Mommy, I missed you so much!¡± Her heart melted at that. She then squatted down and scooped Quincy into her arms and nted a kiss on each child. ¡°My good babies. Mommy is here. Mommy has always been here. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Oh? You only missed Mommy, huh? Didn¡¯t you miss Daddy as well?¡± Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows and rubbed Joel¡¯s head. ¡°I missed Daddy too!¡± Joel raised his chin to look at Sebastian, only for his gaze to shift between Logan and Luke. His eyes seemed to twinkle as he said, ¡°Uncle Logan?¡± ¡°Buddy, you remember me?¡± Logan was surprised to hear the young boy calling his name. The children were only 2 to 3 years old when Logan and Luke had left Worrick. Since they weren¡¯t at an age where they could remember things yet, he had thought that the children had forgotten about them. ¡°I remember!¡± While hugging his mother, Joel turned to look at him. ¡°I have seen you on Mommy¡¯s phone, Uncle Logan. Mommy¡¯s phone has pictures of you hugging Aldo and me! There are videos as well!¡± Logan looked at Madeline then as a wave of emotions surged through his chest. It felt a little sad, yet warm at the same time. He had thought that Madeline would delete everything rted to them. But it turned out that not only did she not delete them from her phone, she even showed their photos and videos to the kids. Logan walked toward Joel and got down to the young boy¡¯s height before he tentatively opened his arms to hug Joel. Joel went into Logan¡¯s arms rather obediently, but his big pretty eyes were full of curiosity as he looked at his uncle. Seeing that, Logan gently rubbed the young boy¡¯s soft bed of hair. His eyes were filled with love as he looked at his nephew. He couldn¡¯t help but muse how different it was to see a family member¡¯s childpared to seeing someone else¡¯s child. He would often think of Quincy and Joel every time he saw someone else¡¯s child in Capitol. His heart had always stayed calm when he looked at those children and he never felt the urge to embrace or pamper them. Quincy and Joel, however, made him never want to let them go. He could even pick a star from the night sky for them if that was what they wanted. ¡°Aldo and Buddy, you have gotten even prettier than thest time I saw you!¡± The love in his eyes felt like it would overflow as he looked at the children. Even though children were oblivious to a lot of things, they were especially sensitive to adults¡¯ emotions. Joel could tell that Logan liked him, and so he shed an adorable smile at the older man. ¡°Uncle Logan, are you our guest? Mommy said that you live somewhere far, far away. That is why we can only see you from Mommy¡¯s phone.¡± ¡°That is right.¡± Logan didn¡¯t seem to have the intention of letting him go anytime soon. ¡°Do you wee me at your home, Buddy?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course! Uncle Logan, you have to stay here longer! Mommy will be super happy if you were to stay here for a few days!¡± Joel excitedly cheered and his pretty eyes were like crescent moons. Logan¡¯s heart had melted after he saw the soft smile on the young boy¡¯s face. ¡°Alright.¡± Logan¡¯s chest felt warm as his gaze shifted to Madeline then. He indeed wanted to stay at Dusktown for a little longer. He hadn¡¯t met up with Madeline before this because of his promise to her that he would prevent Luke from disrupting her life. However, now that Luke and Madeline had made up, he could finally start with the moving of the headquarters of Adams Corporation to Dusktown. Dusktown was one of the world¡¯s top 10 cities suitable for both business and dwelling. Not only was Dusktown the most bustling city in the country, but it was also an internationally known capital of trade. He believed that moving hispany¡¯s headquarters here would expand their opportunity to grow. Of course, that was not what was important. The main point was that Madeline and the children were here. It was purely by a strange coincidence that Madeline had married into the Hart Family. Now that they could finally meet again, Logan was going to support her here. It would be terrible if he didn¡¯t even know that she was being bullied because of how far Capitol was from Dusktown. He could wait until he and Luke were settled down here to live life together again, as they did in Worrick. Some might think that it was melodramatic of him to wish for a life where they have to depend on each other when he basically owned the world now. But it was the truth. Rather than being materialistic, they would provide emotional and mental support to each other. The closest person to Logan, besides Luke, was Madeline. This was how human beings were¨C¨Cthe more they couldn¡¯t get something, the more they wanted it. He had alwayscked love and a family, and that was why he had put such importance into familial love and warmth. Luke and Madeline were all he had. With that, he wished that they could be together and be there for one another as long as they lived. Joel¡¯s words seemed to have caught Logan by his weakness, making Logan even more reluctant to let the young boy go. On the other hand, Luke had mixed feelings about the children. Back when they were in Worrick, Logan was the one who had loved them from the start. He, however, never liked the sight of them. He thought that the children were born for the sole purpose of saving Sam. It was a big sacrifice that Madeline had to make and bring along with her for the rest of her life. He was rather lukewarm toward the children when they were in Worrick. It was only for Madeline¡¯s sake that he would sometimes take care of them, and even during those times, it was hard for him not to give them an attitude. It was even harder for him to get along with the children now after he had just kidnapped them! This was why he had been silently standing aside all this time. Meanwhile, Logan, who still had his arms tightly secured around Joel, and Joel, being the softhearted boy that he was, patiently stayed in his uncle¡¯s embrace. It wasn¡¯t like he minded being in the arms of his uncle, anyway. He really liked his Uncle Logan because of how very handsome he was! Joel might be young, but he could very well tell what a beautiful face was. Without a doubt, he was going to pamper this good-looking uncle of his! The duo continued to chat for a while before Joel¡¯s gaze fell on Luke¡¯s face. He seemed to be scrutinizing the older man when his little eyebrows crinkled. Luke could feel himself bing tense from being at the receiving side of such a look. The hairs on his body as well seemed to be standing on end. What else could he do? After all, he was guilty! You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 195 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 195 Chapter 195 A Dummy With Money After staring at Luke for a good amount of time, Joel turned his head back to Logan and eximed, ¡°Uncle Logan, you look just like that uncle over there! My brother and I look alike too!¡± Joel then looked at Quincy with his chin lifted, looking especially proud at this moment. Joel liked his older brother. He was d that they were simr because that way, anyone could tell that they were siblings straightaway! ¡°That is right.¡± Logan smilingly threw a nce at Luke. ¡°Just like how you are Aldo¡¯s little brother, that uncle over there is my little brother.¡± Joel hummed and nodded at that, and he continued, ¡°Uncle Logan, I am a really good boy! I listen to my brother well. Is your little brother a good boy too? Does he listen to you?¡± ¡°Him?¡± Logan¡¯s eyes stayed on Luke for a while, making the younger of the two look away while bashfully rubbing his nose. Logan then looked back at Joel and caressed his small head. ¡°He can¡¯tpare to you. He is not even 0.0001 of you, Buddy.¡± ¡°Woah!¡± Joel¡¯s eyes went wide with shock before he sympathetically said to Logan, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t your little brother listen to you, Uncle Logan? I listen really well!¡± He then turned to Quincy. ¡°Aldo, aren¡¯t I the best-est at listening to you?¡± ¡°Yes, you are.¡± Quincy nodded. Upon hearing the praise from his favorite person, Joel seemed to have grown a pair of wings and was so happy that he could fly. Logan let out a heartyugh after seeing the children¡¯s antics. With his hand gently caressing Joel¡¯s head, he looked at Madeline and said, ¡°Aldo and Buddy are too cute.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they?¡± Madeline smilingly nced at her kids before she looked back at Logan. ¡°How long are you staying in Dusktown for, Logan? Can you stay here a few more days?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I can,¡± he replied with a nod. ¡°Then¡­¡± Madeline didn¡¯t continue her words as she peeked at Sebastian. ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°You are thedy owner here. You do what you have to do with your guests.¡± ¡°We are not guests!¡± Luke grumbled. ¡°We are your brother-inw.¡± Sebastian only let out a scoff as he scooted a nce at him, which in turn made Luke roll his eyes. Hmph! Cocky *ss. I will get Maddie to divorce you someday, and I will get her far away from you, Luke secretly cursed. Madeline could only shake her head after witnessing the childish banter. Not knowing what else to say to them, she ignored them and said to Logan, ¡°I am sure you are tired. Let me bring you to the guest room. You can freshen up and take a rest there. I¡¯ll call you once dinner is served.¡± Joel¡¯s hand immediately shot up at that. ¡°I want to be the one who calls Uncle Logan!¡± Calling people for meals was his favorite thing to do! ¡°Alrighty, Buddy wille to get me!¡± Logan then picked him up. ¡°Let¡¯s go check out the room together.¡± Madeline, who was leading the way, let out a smile as she looked at them. Luke had stood up to follow after them, only to be stopped by Sebastian almost immediately. ¡°Take your new colleague to his dorm,¡± Sebastian ordered Conrad and Dean. ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡± the bodyguards answered at the same time. They each snaked their arm around Luke¡¯s shoulder and announced, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Luke! Let¡¯s get familiarized with our new room!¡± Luke didn¡¯t say anything to them. He only red at Sebastian and hissed, ¡°You! You vicious man!¡± ¡°Young Master Luke, aren¡¯t you a little too humble?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°I am not even 0.0001 as vicious as you are!¡± Luke immediately roared in anger, ¡°Bullsh*t! I am not as despicable as you are!¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? How could anyone be more despicable than a man who daredy hands on 5-year-olds?¡± Sebastian asked, his eyebrows lifted. ¡°I¡­¡± Luke¡¯s face was flushed then. ¡°I was only ying a joke on my nephews. What has that got to do with you?¡± Sebastian could only sneer at his words. ¡°Those are my sons that you were ¡®ying a joke on¡¯! What do you think that has got to do with me?¡± ¡°But they are also my nephews! I already knew them when you were god-knows-where! My brother and I have helped Maddie raise the boys for almost three years, and now you want to act like their father when you have only taken care of them for a few days?¡± ¡°I n to do that for the rest of their lives!¡± Despite the tant provocation, Sebastian managed to keep his cool. ¡°I won¡¯t allow anyone to touch even a strand of their hair¨C¨Cnot even you!¡± Luke admitted that it was his hotheadedness that caused him to kidnap the children and he still regretted doing something like that. Guilt stricken, his gaze began to falter, and he looked away from Sebastian¡¯s eyes. ¡°How the hell do you even have such good luck?¡± he unhappily muttered. Out of the billions of people in the world, he couldn¡¯t understand how Sebastian was so lucky to be Quincy and Joel¡¯s father. To hell with Sebastian and his luck! ¡°Huh.¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t feel the need to continue this pointless conversation any longer, so he gave Dean a knowing look. After acknowledging the gaze, Dean started pushing Luke to the front and urged, ¡°Stop wasting time. Let¡¯s go. We will go choose our new room now, Luke. Since there are 3 of us, we have to get the biggest room!¡± ¡°How can one room be enough?¡± Luke scornfullyined. ¡°Won¡¯t we at least need a suite if all three of us are going to live in it?¡± ¡°We have a suite, too. It is a 7-star suite. Guaranteed satisfaction!¡± Dean proudly boasted. ¡°So what if I am not satisfied? I have the money! We can buy anything we are short on!¡± A thought suddenly hit Dean. ¡­ A dummy with money? It definitely would be a little ufortable for three grown men to live together, but it was apletely different matter if one of the roommates was a dummy with a lot of money! After Conrad and Dean finally brought Luke away, Sebastian walked to the sofa and sat down. Quincy didn¡¯t follow along after his little brother, who had been brought away by their uncle. Instead, he was reading a book on the sofa. The elder of the two sons loved reading. He read almost any kind of book he could get his hands on. Once, Sebastian caught Quincy reading a high school-levelnguage textbook in full concentration. Honestly speaking, it was a sight that had caught Sebastian off-guard. He had asked his son if he knew what he was reading then, but all he got in return was an extremely contemptuous look from the young boy. It was as if Sebastian had asked him a question too silly to answer. He quietly peeked at the book his son was reading today, and it was an encyclopedia. Not only that, Quincy was flipping through it so fast that he must be reading at least ten lines with one nce. Sebastian was about to ask if it was possible to remember anything if he was going through the pages so quickly, but upon recalling the disgusted look on his son¡¯s facest time, he quickly asked something else. ¡°Aldo, what kind of books do you like the most? I will buy them for you.¡± ¡°I like books that make me powerful,¡± he replied while his eyes never left the book once. ¡°I like any books that give me knowledge.¡± Looking at his young son¡¯s face, he began to have mixed feelings. ¡°Do you¡­like how it feels when you read? Or are you forcing yourself to read because you want to grow powerful faster?¡± he asked. That question finally made Quincy look away from the book to Sebastian. ¡°I like how it feels when I read. Daddy, I want to be a wise man. I want to be a wise man who can help answer anything Mommy and Buddy don¡¯t know. I also want to be a strong person who can protect Mommy and Buddy.¡± Even though he was aware of how important it was to know how to fight, he knew that he was too tiny for that. It wouldn¡¯t matter how hard he trained; he wouldn¡¯t be able to be a fighter. Hence, all he could do now was work hard at gaining knowledge. Furthermore, a book that he once read said that knowledge was power. Because of that, he went on and read countless books to gain knowledge. This was his way of bing stronger to protect Madeline and Joel. ¡°You can continue to read if you enjoy it, but you have to take good care of your eyes.¡± Sebastian lovingly patted the crown of Quincy¡¯s head and continued in a gentle voice, ¡°However, if you are doing this to protect Mommy and Buddy, you don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry to grow up. Daddy is here. Daddy will protect every one of you!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 196 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Sense of Security Quincy looked at his father, and after a moment, he shook his head. ¡°No conflict here. I can protect Mommy and Buddy with you when I¡¯m older.¡± Sebastian let out augh when he saw the serious expression on Quincy¡¯s face, and he praised, ¡°Good. You are a good child. You really are Daddy¡¯s little boy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Quincy only pursed his lips as he continued to read his book. ¡°Aldo, do you want to learn martial arts?¡± Sebastian asked again as he gently caressed the top of the boy¡¯s head. That immediately piqued Quincy¡¯s interest, and his head shot up once again to look at his father. ¡°Martial arts?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°It is important to be clever, but knowing how to fightes in handy, too.¡± He had initially nned to let the children learn self-defense when they were older, but he had changed his mind after what had happened today. Someone who had ill intentions wouldn¡¯t go easy on them just because they are children. It was exactly because they are defenseless kids that they make an easier target for bad people. He hoped that Quincy and Joel could pick up self-defense because no matter how well the bodyguards might protect them from harm, it was still better for the children to know how to keep themselves safe. ¡°Sure! I¡¯d like that!¡± Quincy energetically agreed. He then thought about something, and he asked, ¡°Daddy, who was the one who drugged Buddy and me?¡± ¡°You knew that you were drugged?¡± Quincy then began to tell his father the details of the incident. ¡°Yup. I knew. They used ether. Buddy and I went to the washroom, and when we came out, someone covered our noses and mouths with ether rags. We lost consciousness after that.¡± ¡°Were you scared?¡± Sebastian continued to caress the boy¡¯s head. ¡°I was not.¡± Quincy shook his head. ¡°I saw Desmond right after I woke up, and he told us that he would bring us to Daddy and Mommy. We weren¡¯t scared at all.¡± Sebastian was curious about something else, and he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Buddyze around in bed? Didn¡¯t he always want Mommy¡¯s kisses and hugs before he was willing to get out of bed? Was Buddy scared?¡± ¡°That silly boy wouldn¡¯t be scared!¡± Quincy answered. ¡°Desmond told him that Daddy had someone bring us out of school, and silly Buddy believed him!¡± ¡°¡­ What happened after that?¡± ¡°Buddypletely forgot about thister! Buddy is too simple-minded!¡± Quincy sighed with a frown on his face. He then thought, This is so frustrating! I need to study harder, or else I wouldn¡¯t even know if someone has taken Buddy away. Oh, he paused. And I need to learn martial arts. I need to be clever and strong to protect Buddy! Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Daddy, did the bad guy knock us out to kidnap us?¡± Quincy looked at Sebastian. ¡°Were they trying to use us to threaten Daddy for money?¡± ¡°They were indeed trying to kidnap you and Buddy, but it wasn¡¯t for money. The bad guy wanted to see Mommy.¡± Quincy¡¯s eyebrows knitted together at that. ¡°Mommy? Why did they want to see Mommy? Were they trying to hurt Mommy? Have you caught the kidnapper? Who was it, Daddy?¡± Not seeing the need to hide the truth for Luke, Sebastian confessed, ¡°It was Luke.¡± ¡°Luke?¡± The little boy was caught by surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t he my uncle? Why did he have to kidnap us to see Mommy?¡± ¡°It was because he did something wrong and made Mommy angry. Mommy couldn¡¯t forgive him, and she didn¡¯t want to see him. He had to kidnap you and Buddy to threaten Mommy into seeing him.¡± Sebastian¡¯s hand moved to touch Quincy¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Thank god nothing bad happened this time, but I hope that you and Buddy can pick up self-defense in case something like this happens again in the future. Learn something that can help you protect yourself, okay?¡± Quincy quickly answered, ¡°Okay! I will watch over Buddy. I can take on any challenge. I am the most hardworking student!¡± ¡°Attaboy! Daddy believes in you. My Aldo and Buddy are the best!¡± Sebastian patted his head and pulled him into a hug. Quincy had turned stiff from the show of affection that he wasn¡¯t ustomed to, but¡­ Sebastian¡¯s chest felt so warm! It gave him a sense of security like none other. He only froze for a moment before finally sumbing to the addictive feeling and leaning into the hug. Sebastian couldn¡¯t help butugh when he lowered his gaze to look at his son. As he kissed Quincy on his head, he assured, ¡°Son, Daddy promise to always take good care of you, Buddy and Mommy. What happened today won¡¯t happen a second time!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Quincy attempted a few times, and he finally lifted his arms to wrap around Sebastian¡¯s waist. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± he softly mumbled, making Sebastian lower his head to look at him. ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± The boy once again lowered his head. It is just that¡­Daddy and Mommy¡¯s hugs feel different, the boy mused. Mommy¡¯s hugs are soft, and they smell nice. Daddy¡¯s hugs feel real safe! Quincy felt as though he was surrounded by the walls of a sturdy castle when he was in his father¡¯s arms¡ªhe didn¡¯t feel like he was scared of anything at that moment. Smilingly, Sebastian was about to say something again when Madeline came down the stairs with Joel¡¯s little hand in hers. ¡°Daddy! Aldo!¡± Joel had missed his brother and father a lot even though they had only seen each other a while ago. He immediately ran down the stairs and went in for a hug from his brother before he affectionately threw himself in his father¡¯s arms. Joel¡¯s personality was as warm as the Sun. He would be especially sweet and clingy when he was with people he liked. He seemed to make it his duty to melt hearts. The more Sebastian hugged him, the more he seemed to love his son. Madeline went and sat down beside Quincy while rubbing his head. She wanted to tell the children about the kidnapping incident, but she didn¡¯t know how to bring it up. Just the thought of her children being scared after hearing the details made her extremely reluctant to talk about it with them. However, she needed to tell them about it if she wanted to know how they felt after the incident. Children and adults thought differently, after all. One example was when Joel was two years old, and he loved dumping his toys into the toilet bowl. His soft toys, such as his puppy plushie, bear plushie or rabbit plushie especially, were victims of his strange habit. She was never angry at him for it. All she did was tell him that toilet bowls were dirty and he shouldn¡¯t put his toys in them. Of course, Joel never listened. She then thought of another way to find out why he did what he did. ¡°Why do you always dip your toys into the toilet bowl?¡± she asked one day. Joel had adorably given an innocent reply then. ¡°I shower every day, and I want my puppy, my bear, and my rabbit to shower as well!¡± That was the instant that she understood his behavior. Other than the toilet bowl, there was nowhere else in the house that held that much water. He only put his toys into the toilet bowl to give his toys a bath. Madeline then exined to him that the bathtub was where baths were taken, and that toilet bowls were where poopies were made. It would only make the puppy, bear and rabbit turn stinky if he let them take their baths in the dirty toilet bowl. From then onward, Joel had never put his toys in the toilet bowl. Thanks to that incident, Madeline realized that children have their own ways of thinking, and their thoughts are different from adults¡¯. She was worried that the drugging and kidnapping would scare the children and traumatize them, but it might not be that way for the kids. They might even brush it off like it was another everyday thing. She didn¡¯t want them to recall it just because she intentionally brought it up. She began to hesitate whether or not she should mention it as she looked at Quincy. Unexpectedly, it was Quincy who spoke first as he looked back at her. ¡°Mommy, Daddy said that Buddy and I should learn martial arts as self-defense so that we can protect ourselves!¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 197 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Nothing to Fear ¡°Self-defense?¡± Madeline subconsciously looked at Sebastian. ¡°Is this because of the children¡¯s¡­ kidnapping?¡± As soon as she mentioned the word, she took a peek at the children¡¯s faces, only to find that they looked like they usually did. They didn¡¯t look like they were particrly traumatized. At that sight, she could finally let out a breath of relief. ¡°Yes,¡± Sebastian told her. ¡°No matter how good the bodyguards are, there wille a time when they cannot protect the children. It would make them much safer if they had the ability to protect themselves.¡± ¡°You are right.¡± Madeline agreed with him, and she nodded. She would have been bullied more by the Taylors if she hadn¡¯t learned martial arts to protect herself. There were tons of benefits of learning martial arts¨C¨Cthe first one being that one could protect themselves, and the second one was the increased level of confidence martial arts practitioners had. Anyone with that confidence would be able to stand up against anyone without fear because they know they have the ability to take care of themselves. The thing was¡­ Learning martial arts was no walk in the park. She was fine with having a tough time, but the boys were her babies. For someone who had painstakingly raised them to grow up without any hardships, the thought of putting them through something so tough pained her. Sebastian noticed that she was unwilling to say yes to it, so heforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will teach them step-by-step. I won¡¯t put them through any hardships.¡± Besides Madeline, Sebastian, too, was reluctant to do it as well! It pained him to think that his beautiful and obedient sons, whose limbs were as delicate as flowers and whom he didn¡¯t need to put in a lot of strength to carry, were going to take up something so physically taxing. If it wasn¡¯t because of the kidnapping incident orchestrated by Luke, he would have been absurdly reluctant to let his children learn martial arts. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, I am a tough cookie!¡± Quincy convinced them in all seriousness. ¡°No pain, no gain! I want to be someone who has the ability to protect Mommy and Buddy! I can¡¯t be more brilliant than other people if I don¡¯t work harder than them!¡± ¡°Me! Me!¡± Joel raised his hand and eagerly joined the conversation. ¡°I am the same as Aldo! I will do anything Aldo does!¡± Sebastian¡¯s gaze flicked between Quincy and Joel. At that moment, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but pull them into an embrace before smacking a big kiss on each of them. ¡°I wonder what good deed I did in my past life for me to get such wonderful boys as my sons in this lifetime.¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Joel hugged his father with his small face tilted upward as his crescent moon eyes looked at Sebastian. ¡°I must have done lots of good things too in my past life for me to have such a good Daddy, Mommy and Aldo!¡± Upon hearing that, Sebastian, still hugging Joel, couldn¡¯t help but look at Madeline and ask, ¡°Maddie, did Buddy grow up drinking honey water? He is too sweet.¡± Madeline startedughing at that, and she reached over to caress the little one¡¯s head. She didn¡¯t know who Joel took after for him to be such a sweet talker. He had always been the best at cheering her up. Joel was born with a weaker constitution than Quincy. Not only was he shorter and skinnier, but he also fell sick more than his older brother did. As their parent, it was natural that Madeline¡¯s scale would tip more to the sicker child¡¯s side. Even though she constantly reminded herself that she shouldn¡¯t pick sides and she needed to treat both her children fairly, she would always unconsciously be more concerned about Joel. She would sometimes worry that Quincy would get jealous of his younger brother, but she eventually realized that she had been worrying over nothing. Joel loved his brother so much that his eyes shone every time he saw Quincy. His older brother was the one he stuck to the most, other than his mother. Joel would even say all kinds of sweet things to his older brother every day. After they had outgrown their toddler stages, Quincy, who was born only a few minutes before Joel, had automatically assumed the responsibilities of an older brother. Not only did he not get jealous because of his mother¡¯s love for his younger sibling, but he was also even showing as much love to his brother as his mother would. Joel was so enthusiastically clingy that he could even follow Quincy to the washroom, but Quincy never once showed that he was annoyed by Joel¡¯s persistence. He would always let his younger brother do anything he wanted. Whenever Madeline saw the siblings together, she would think that she might be the most blessed person on earth. She, too, wanted to say what her husband and younger son had said about good deeds and karmas. She wanted to tell them that her sons must be her blessing from her past life! Seeing how warm the atmosphere in the room was, Madeline couldn¡¯t help but probe what her children thought of the kidnapping. When she did, Quincy only showed her how fearless he was, while Joel was as muddled as he always was. He didn¡¯t seem to have any idea about what had happened. It might have been the fact that the children were still young, or because they hadn¡¯t been hurt and had woken up in their own home that the incident didn¡¯t seem to leave much of an impression nor trauma on them. She could finally be at ease after making sure that her children were fine. That night, she prepared a scrumptious meal to wee Logan and Luke with Sebastian by her side. She still held some resentment and anger toward Luke for the things that he had done to them, but upon seeing Logan limp, her heart felt so much pain that she didn¡¯t feel like holding onto those negative feelings anymore. Just like Luke said, Logan was the prime example of what a perfect man was before he sustained the injury to his leg¡­ Logan might look elegant and gentle on the surface, but she knew just how prideful of a man he was. He might seem to not care that he had be a cripple, but she could only imagine how upset he must feel about it. And coincidentally, Luke was Logan¡¯s only brother and family. She was willing to let Luke off her hook for Logan¡¯s sake. She only hoped that Luke would start behaving and stop worrying about his only brother. The atmosphere at the dining table was peaceful because the children were there. When night came, Madeline arranged for Logan to rest in their guest room, whereas Luke, along with Conrad and Dean, went to the bodyguards¡¯ quarters to the east. Luke was rather obedient as he quietly went with his new colleagues. He didn¡¯tpare his plight to that of his brother. When the second day came, Madeline, to her pleasant surprise, noticed how Logan¡¯s limp wasn¡¯t as severe as it was yesterday. As much as she was ted by the sight of that, she thought that she might have imagined it, and so she quickly took a few more looks at Logan. Loganughed out loud when he caught her stealing nces at him, and he said, ¡°My limp was more obvious because I was too tired yesterday. My leg feels much better now after I had proper rest.¡± Her lips parted and quivered ever-so-slightly, but she didn¡¯t know what to say in return. There was still a suffocating feeling that a boulder was pressing on her chest. ¡°I am fine!¡± Logan patted her shoulder and gave her aforting smile. ¡°Maddie, don¡¯t worry about me. I am good. And I am really happy¡­ I have never been better.¡± The first memory that Logan had was of his sickly mother, who was in bed, and how distant he felt he was from Luke. For as long as he could remember, there weren¡¯t a lot of happy moments in his life. After his mother had passed away and his father had remarried, he and Luke were basically abused by their stepmother every day. They had to struggle to stay alive back then. The two of them managed to make their escape to Worrick with the help of their uncle¡¯s friend after that. They might have gotten out from the evil clutches of their stepmother, but he spent every day thinking of a way to get his revenge and take back everything that was theirs to begin with. s, he seeded at it. He took back their property and got his revenge. However, his beloved sister was no longer by his side then¡­ You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 198 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Giving Birth to a Baby After Logan had gotten back the property, he would always think of Madeline whenever he came across something yummy or fun. He hoped that the sister he used to rely on each other with would still be there by his side for him to share his joys and achievements. As time passed, his desire for that to happen didn¡¯t fade. Instead, it got so strong it became an obsession of his. He had thought that his obsession would have no choice but to be his lifelong regret, but just as he thought all hope was lost, his wish finally came true. From now on, he could finally share his wealth, status, and glory with his dear sister without having to hide it. He was going to protect her and make her the happiest person on earth! After they had breakfast together, Logan told the injured Luke to go and take his rest. ¡°Where are you going, Logan?¡± Luke asked, to which Logan told him that he was going to the company. Adams Corporation had extended its branch to Dusktown, but the office wasn¡¯t a big one. There were a lot of preparations he would need to do if he intended to move thepany¡¯s headquarters here. Hence, he decided to work on it earlier. ¡°Oh,¡± Luke answered with a pout. ¡°You boring man.¡± Logan¡¯s days were filled with work. Now that they had finally reunited with Madeline, work was still all that Logan was thinking about. Logan was already used to his younger brother¡¯s antics. With that, he could only helplessly shake his head and let Luke say whatever he wanted to say. After Logan had left Hart Residence, Sebastian and Madeline sent the kids to school together. It was either because the children were ridiculously brave, or they could handle pressure because yesterday¡¯s incident didn¡¯t seem to affect them in any way at all. They had practically jumped out of bed after they woke up, and with vigor, they went to school like they usually did. The school had improved its security measures after the kidnapping incident. They also promised Sebastian and Madeline that the children¡¯s safety was guaranteed as soon as they were within school grounds and that no simr incident would happen from now on. It was a good thing that the school took action, but Sebastian wasn¡¯t going to entirely put his faith in them. He even went as far as to build wristwatches for the children which had features that would allow them to call the police and save themselves. The wristwatches had built-in GPS that their bodyguards could track to pinpoint the children¡¯s location anytime if needed. Other than that, the watches had an anesthetic needle that could be ejected with the push of a button. The needle was coated with strong anesthesia that could take down an adult man instantly. Not only that, the watches were connected to the rm system in the Harts¡¯ bodyguard quarters. Like the anesthetic needle, the rm could be set off with the push of a button. Quincy and Joel, who wore clothes and wristwatches of the same style but in different colors, waved at their parents after they were dropped off at their school, and after saying their goodbyes, the youngOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. boys ran inside with their hands in each other¡¯s. Due to the increased safety precautions, strangers weren¡¯t allowed within thepound, which made it difficult for someone to take a child away without anyone noticing. And on top of that, Quincy and Joel had watches that guaranteed their safety and could keep them safe. However, despite knowing all that, Sebastian still didn¡¯t feel like all of that was enough to protect his children as he watched their retreating backs. He just couldn¡¯t bear to let them go to school. If only his children could stay within his sight so that he could watch them every second of every day. Madeline was even more worried about the children than their father was. Seeing how anxious she was, Sebastian tried to calm her down. ¡°They will be okay,¡± he said. ¡°Dusktown is the safest city in the country. Luke only had the guts to do it because he is crazy and he was sure that you wouldn¡¯t protect him. Anyone else would definitely think twice before they do something against thew as Luke did.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± She forced herself to smile. ¡°My heart doesn¡¯t feel settled yet because I was in shock, but I will be fine in no time¡­ It is gettingte. How about you head over to thepany now?¡± He nodded at that. ¡°Alright. You don¡¯t look too good. Don¡¯t rush to get back to work. You can take some rest for a few days if you need to. Get well first before you start worrying about work.¡± Her face began to turn red from embarrassment then. Technically speaking, even though she was a mother of two, it was only yesterday that she had be a woman. It was true that her body wasn¡¯t in its best condition. But just thinking about the reason why her body didn¡¯t feel well made her cheeks grow warmer and warmer, and she lowered her gaze to avoid Sebastian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay. You need to take care of yourself too. You seemed to always have work to be done.¡± That made himugh, and he told her, ¡°I am very different now from how I used to be. I was a workaholic who loved doing overtime. But now, I get off from work right on the dot almost every day. A lot of people have been curious about what changed this workaholic who always did overtime.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± sheughed. ¡°What do you tell them, then?¡± The corners of his lips went up. ¡°I told them that two little angels appeared in my life.¡± His answer made herugh even more joyfully. His eyes seemed to darken as he looked at her beautiful smiling face, and he was suddenly reminded of how she looked, moaning and squirming in his arms yesterday. A strange feeling rushed into his head then. ¡°Maybe,¡± he let out a lowugh. ¡°There will be three angels in the future.¡± He was implying that Madeline was his third angel, but her mind had gone in apletely different direction. She suddenly recalled how they didn¡¯t use any protection, and neither did she take a contraceptive pill! Three little angels? she panicked. Does he want another¡­ child? Should I give birth to another one? Will that be okay? Noticing that she was frozen, he asked, ¡°What is wrong?¡± ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t take a pill yesterday¡­¡± she stammered. ¡°I have heard that there is a kind of morning-after pill that can prevent pregnancies if taken 72 hours after doing the deed.¡± ¡°Prevent pregnancies? Why do we need that for?¡± he subconsciously asked her. He thought that it would be nice to have another child as adorable as Quincy and Joel were. Furthermore, the boys were already five years old. He had missed five years of the time the children had spent growing up. That was why he looked forward to a baby that had just been delivered. He wanted to know what Quincy and Joel looked like when they were born. His curiosity could be satisfied if he and Madeline could give the brothers a younger sibling. Chewing on his lower lip, he began to wonder why Madeline wanted to prevent pregnancy. He could think of many reasons, but it was probably because they were only husband and wife on paper. No, he stopped himself. That is not it. We were a couple on paper, but I don¡¯t think we are now. Sebastian had promised her he would stay loyal to their marriage, and that he would never fall for someone else or cheat on her. He also promised that he would be a responsible husband and father. They were a real married couple now. That contract of theirs was a thing of the past. But a baby¡­ She had never given this a thought. ¡°Don¡¯t you like children?¡± Sebastian asked after seeing her hesitating. ¡°Or do you not like having too many kids? Do you prefer having only Aldo and Buddy?¡± You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 199 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Woah! ¡°No, I do like them,¡± Madeline confessed, ¡°but I have never thought about this.¡± ¡°Well, you can start thinking about it now. I really love kids. And everytime I think about Quincy and Joel; I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll say no even to another nine or ten children you give birth to. My father used to think the same way as well. The Hart Family thrived during my father¡¯s time. My grandmother gave birth to my father and my two uncles, but after that, my mother was the only one who gave birth to a child. My uncles are still bachelors, and I doubt they ever will have kids of their own. This means that I am the only hope from the third generation. I am sure my father would love the idea of us having ten kids. It would be even better if they were all twins!¡± Madeline was rendered speechless after hearing Sebastian¡¯s words. Nine or ten children? Is he joking? He has to be joking! Then, he continued discussing with her, ¡°That is why it may be good for us to go with the flow, no? Don¡¯t take contraceptive pills. It is our and the child¡¯s fate if you get pregnant. I am sure the new baby will be as lovable as Aldo and Buddy.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± she hesitantly asked, ¡°Is it harmful for the child if I still conceive after taking the pill?¡± He calmly exined, ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. I have done my research on this before. The pill won¡¯t harm the child.¡± A stunned Madeline rified, ¡°You have checked it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sebastian replied with a nod. She didn¡¯t answer him, but she somewhat conceded after listening to him. Alright. Her head had been in a mess ever since so many incidents had happened. She would have forgotten that it was possible for her to be pregnant after she and Sebastian had done it yesterday if it wasn¡¯t because she had that sudden thought about kids. However, Sebastian had somehow thought about this beforehand. Indeed, he wasn¡¯t just anybody. It was only normal for someone of his status to be so meticulous and attentive. However, for him to not remind her to take the pill even though he had thought about it, he must really want her to have a baby, but she¡­ She hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Can I discuss this with Aldo and Buddy when theye home for lunch? If they don¡¯t want a younger sibling, I would like to wait a few more years until they are more grown-up and ready for it. Let¡¯s only try for another child then, shall we?¡± This way, she could give herself time to emotionally prepare for it as well. Most importantly, Madeline didn¡¯t think she and Sebastian were close even though they had already done the deed. She would feel weird about giving birth to another child of his under such circumstances. ¡°Alright,¡± he immediately agreed before he reassured her. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. You wouldn¡¯t get pregnant for sure even if you didn¡¯t take the pill.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± However, it was always better to be extra safe when it came to things like this. Pregnancy was like a lottery: some people didn¡¯t get pregnant no matter how hard they wanted a child while some who didn¡¯t even want a child didn¡¯t even have to try twice to hit the jackpot. Giving birth was no joking matter. She needed to be fully prepared for it and she couldn¡¯t allow any mishaps to happen. They continued to talk for a while before Sebastian eventually got into his car to head to thepany. Madeline, on the other hand, went back to Mansion. She couldn¡¯t concentrate the whole morning, and she would often get distracted when she was there. She and Sebastian would definitely not have gone to bed together or discussed the matter about a baby if it wasn¡¯t for the incident that happened yesterday. Due to the fact that Sebastian directly told her he couldn¡¯t wait to have another child with her, she just couldn¡¯t give a straight answer at this point because she wasn¡¯t sure if that was what she wanted. Even though they were legally married and they had done it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like they were not like other normal couples. Everyone else became married because of love through mutual agreement. They, however, got married because of the children. Maybe, she thought, we can start falling in love after our marriage? Just the thought of it was enough to make her blush like a tomato. If she had to be honest, she did have a crush on him. Perhaps¡­ she could try to open up and pursue him. And if he were to fall in love with her, they could be like any other husband-and-wife who loved each other. But¡­ Sebastian is such an exceptional man. And I¡­ At the thought of that, Madeline never looked down on herself, but she knew what others thought of her. They didn¡¯t think she was worthy of Sebastian. The more she thought about it, the more confused she was. She still hadn¡¯te up with a decision by the end of it. The only thing she could do then was tap herself a few times on the head to remind herself to stop thinking about it. She had so many thoughts going through her head that she would start rejecting her own ideas no matter what anyone else had to say. At this point, it seemed rather futile to overthink it. She might as well just do as she had told Sebastian. She would ask the children if they would like to have a younger sibling. Madeline wouldn¡¯t take a pill anymore if the kids wanted a younger sibling. The morning seemed to pass by slowly because of the thoughts troubling her. She continued to keep it in when the boys came home from school during lunchtime. It was after they had their meal and the children were ready to take their afternoon nap when she nonchntly brought it up. ¡°Aldo, Buddy, would you like to have a younger sibling?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Joel was the one who replied first. ¡°Mommy, I would love to have a younger sibling, but no matter what, Aldo will always be my favorite!¡± He then hugged and gave Quincy a big kiss as he cheered. Madeline then waited for Quincy¡¯s opinion on this. The young boy looked somewhat disgusted while wiping off the saliva on his cheek, but he didn¡¯t push his younger brother away. ¡°Mommy,¡± he started. ¡°Are you and Daddy going to give us a younger sibling?¡±¡± ¡°No, dear. Mommy wants to know what you and Buddy think. We will give you one if you like the idea, and if you don¡¯t¨C¨Cwe won¡¯t,¡± Madeline exined to them. After that, Quincy answered calmly, ¡°I am okay with it. Daddy and Mommy must have a good rtionship if you are willing to have a baby. Daddy and Mommy having a good rtionship makes me happy.¡± Having a baby doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that our rtionship is good, does it? she thought. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell her young son something like that. Joel¡¯s bubbly voice rang out once again. ¡°Mommy, I like having younger siblings! I love it! I want to be an older brother too! Mommy, please give us a baby! You can give birth to the baby, and I will take care of it! I will be a good older brother like Aldo!¡± She stayed quiet for a while after hearing her son¡¯s words, and she soon reached out to caress him on his head. ¡°Okay, but babies don¡¯te out just like that! That would depend entirely on fate. Mommy can only have a baby when the time is right.¡± Joel¡¯s big, round eyes seemed to twinkle at that. ¡°Like how I and Aldo were fated toe to Mommy?¡± ¡°Correct!¡± Madeline lowered her head to kiss him, a smile still hanging on her lips. ¡°Just like how Buddy and Aldo were fated toe to Mommy!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± The child gasped. ¡°Our younger sibling will definitely be a cutie!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. What? She looked at him in confusion. Subsequently, she shook her head and rubbed Joel¡¯s head, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop talking now. It is time for your nap.¡± The children obediently went to sleep after that. When the time to resume their ss came, she woke them up, and brought them back to school. After seeing the children walk into the school building hand in hand, she went back to her workce. Madeline¡¯s office was on the second floor. As soon as she went upstairs, she was greeted by the sight of Luke standing in front of her office door with Conrad and Dean on his sides. Conrad and Dean were here to supervise Luke under Sebastian¡¯s instruction. Madeline could only imagine how ufortable Luke must feel to be under watching eyes every second of the day. However, he seemed unbothered by it. Seeing here up, he took a few steps forward and called her, ¡°Ma¡ª¡± Dean suddenly let out a loud cough at that moment. Luke threw a nce at him, and without a change in his expression, he tried again, ¡°Mrs. Hart, I would like to have a private conversation with you.¡± Hearing that, Madeline looked at him without a word. You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 200 You, Me And Our Genius Twins Chapter 200 Chapter 200 An Unbearable Past Madeline could feel the goosebumps crawling up her skin. She quietly raised her arm for the bodyguard trio to see, where she said to Conrad and Dean, ¡°You two, don¡¯t make him call me so politely. My hair is standing.¡± They shot each other a look. ¡°We will do as you say, Mrs. Hart,¡± they answered respectfully. Luke had an arrogant expression on his face then. After throwing them a nce, he shuffled in front of her. ¡°Maddie, I want to talk to you alone.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk in my office.¡± She nodded before opening the door to her office. Seeing that, Dean urgently called after her, ¡°Mrs. Hart¡­¡± ¡°It is fine,¡± she said. ¡°He can¡¯t win against me now that he doesn¡¯t have Aldo and Buddy in his hands. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Luke, who had been silent for a while, rubbed his nose and admitted to the bodyguards. ¡°Maddie is right. Neither my brother nor I can win against Maddie in a fight. And of course,¡± he pointed in their faces, ¡°if I am not her opponent, then neither are the both of you!¡± Conrad and Dean could only hold themselves back from rolling their eyes at him. They couldn¡¯t bother themselves with his strange and randomparison. They didn¡¯t need to be theirdy boss¡¯ opponent; they only wanted to at least be on Luke¡¯s level! Every one of the bodyguards knew about how Madeline had given Quinton a shoulder toss the first time she and Sebastian had met. Knowing how well she fought, the bodyguards would naturally feel more at ease at leaving her alone with Luke. They took a few steps back and gave her a polite bow before reminding her, ¡°Please be careful, Mrs. Hart. We will be right outside the door. You can shout for us anytime you need something.¡± Upon hearing the words, Luke red at them and huffed, ¡°What do you think could happen to Maddie when I am with her?¡± It is exactly because you are with her that something might happen! the bodyguards thought at the same time, but they could only hold themselves back from rolling their eyes again and pretend not to have heard anything. Luke then put his hands in his pockets and casually followed Madeline into the office before closing the door behind him. She didn¡¯t say anything as she turned to look at him and only walked toward the pantry. ¡°Juice or coffee?¡± she asked. Luke then replied, ¡°Coffee.¡± ¡°Without sugar and milk as usual?¡± Luke had always preferred taking his coffee ck since back then. He never liked adding sugar or milk to his cup of bitter beverage. ¡°That is right,¡± he said with a nod. She made him a cup of coffee and poured herself a ss of water, After setting her ss on the coffee table, and the coffee cup across her, she told him to take a seat. Luke, who had been walking around the office, strode in front of her and stopped only a few steps away from where she was sitting. With a bend of his knees, he knelt down on the floor. She could feel a headacheing when she saw that. ¡°What are you trying to do this time?¡± she sighed. ¡°I am apologizing to you!¡± He ced his palms on the floor and loudly kowtowed three times before he straightened his torso again. ¡°You knelt before me, and I am returning that by prostrating myself in front of you. We are even! You are not allowed to bear grudges against me or think that I am a bad guy anymore!¡± Looking at him, she felt as resigned as she was speechless, and she shook her head. ¡°Forget it. I will let you off the hook for Logan¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°That is a deal, then! You cannot think that I am a bad person in the future. Just pretend that this is the first day we are meeting after I left Worrick, and that nothing has happened between us!¡± he blurted out. ¡°¡­ Fine.¡± It was not like there was anything else she could do about this. She would just have to let him be if he wanted to stay in his delusions. ¡°Maddie, you are so nice!¡± A wide smile appeared on his face. He then stood up and went to sit beside her. ¡°You are the best!¡± She didn¡¯t say anything in reply. Seeing that, Luke continued apologetically, ¡°Actually¡­ I didn¡¯t mean what I said. I lied to you on purpose.¡± ¡°What?¡± Him abruptly saying things without context confused her. ¡°I am talking about how I said that you are lowly and insignificant. I was lying! People who are bullied are never lowly or insignificant. It is those who bully you or others that are b*stards!¡± She looked at him while smiling faintly. ¡°You included?¡± she asked. ¡°Not me. I was the one who was bullied, okay?¡± She let out a disbelievingugh at that. ¡°I am serious!¡± he eximed as he huddled up to her. ¡°I have never told you about how my stepmother abused Logan and me, have I?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. She thought about it for a second before she nodded and hummed in reply. Both Logan and Luke had only mentioned the abuse and their escape from their house, but neither of them had gone into the specifics. He then began to tell her the story. ¡°My stepmother was way more ruthless than Phoebe and Isabel. Their tactics and ploys can¡¯t evenpare to my stepmother¡¯s! I will give you an example. There was once my stepmother put a me on me just to hit me. I might have been 6 or 7 years old then. She stripped me. Stripped! I had nothing on my body. I was so naked¡­¡± He sounded rather happy when he told his story. There wasn¡¯t a drop of difort on his face. Madeline, however, had begun to frown. ¡°You¡­You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t really want to hear it anyway.¡± ¡°I do want to tell you though,¡± he said. ¡°I am only telling you because I suddenly feel like talking about it. Why do you think I have never told you about it before?¡± ¡°¡­ Okay. Do as you please.¡± ¡°Of course, I am going to do as I please. No one can make me do anything I don¡¯t want to!¡± His head then tilted as he looked at her. ¡°You are the only exception, Maddie. I will do anything you tell me to. I will listen to everything you tell me!¡± His head was so close it almost bumped into her head. She then pushed him away with a finger and scolded, ¡°Sit down properly!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± he gasped, but he was finally in his seat properly. ¡°That vicious woman. She had someone take off all my clothes and whip me with a leather belt. After that¡­¡± He bit his teeth, and his nonchnt tone turned deadly that instant. ¡°She had someone tie Logan¡¯s hands behind his back. She then made Logan kneel and lick off all the dog food in the dog bowl.¡± Madeline¡¯s heart seemed to stop when she heard his words. She almost jumped out of the sofa when she incredulously asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± He continued coldly, ¡°Do you know what our ¡®fault¡¯ was? She said that we insulted her, and as punishment, she didn¡¯t allow us to eat anything for three days. Logan and I hadn¡¯t even touched a drop of water on the second night, but she suddenly barged into our room and imed that we were stealing her dog¡¯s food. She then said that she was going to let us have our fill of dog food since we chose to do something as despicable as stealing and eating dog food. We refused, of course, but she then had people take my clothes off before they whipped me. She also told Logan that she was only going to stop beating me up after Logan had finished all the dog food in the bowl.¡± Luke¡¯s gaze stared into the distance unmovingly. The yful glint in his eyes had disappeared. ¡°Logan then knelt in front of the dog bowl on the floor,¡± he seethed. ¡°He finished the bowl full of dog food. He¡­¡± Chapter 201 Chapter 201 "Stop!" The more Madeline listened, the closer she was to losing her temper. She couldn''t hold the difort in her anymore and she finally interrupted Luke''s story, "Enough! I don''t want to hear it anymore! Your stepmother''s behavior isn''t how a person should behave!" She wasn''t known as someone good at scolding people. She wasn''t going to scold anyone at the moment because all she wanted to do was beat them up now. If she could meet Luke''s stepmother right now, she wouldn''t hesitate to seize the opportunity to beat the said woman up, even at the cost of imprisonment. Never had she held such resentment against someone; it was deeper than the resentment she held against Phoebe and Isabel Taylor. Madeline found it difficult to ept everything that Luke told her. His words not only stung her heart, but also caused her body to ache as she cried out again, "How could she do that to you? The things she did were inhumane!" "You''re right. She''s an animal." Agreeing with her statement, Luke dug his nails into his palms in an attempt to use the pain to distract him from reliving the nightmares. "Maddie, after everything I''ve told you just now, I want you to know that I lied to you. Getting bullied doesn''t mean you are inferior to anyone. The bullies are the ones who shall be d*mned instead. Therefore, you can pursue your true love as you like. Sebastian Hart is nothingpared to you. He shall even count himself lucky to have you! All the things I''ve told you before were a lie. I said those words because I thought you would have sympathy for me after listening to my story and end up marrying me. Please don''t take them seriously." N?velDrama.Org holds this content. As she was taken aback by himing clean, Madeline struggled to find a proper response. "This is what you''re trying to tell me by sharing your story?" "Of course!" He exined further, "I was worried that you believed my words and would look down on yourself. I don''t want to see you putting yourself in a vulnerable position when you are dealing with Sebastian. You have to remember, it was a lie after all. You are too good for him. On the contrary, he doesn''t deserve you. You''ll always be the best, or else I wouldn''t havee all the way to see you. Nobody on Earth can even bepared to you." "I understand. Never once had I thought about myself not beingpatible with someone." Looking at Luke, Madeline hesitated before she asked, "Do you mind sharing what happened after Logan and you went back to Capitol?" "Sure." He readily agreed to the request. "Why not?" "Tell me, then. I asked around to find out about your wellbeing after you left, but there''s still so much I don''t know," Madeline stated, to which Luke asked, "What do you want to know? I will tell you everything." "Stop!" The more Madeline listened, the closer she was to losing her temper. She couldn''t hold the difort in her anymore and she finally interrupted Luke''s story, "Enough! I don''t want to hear it anymore! Your stepmother''s behavior isn''t how a person should behave!" Madeline pondered for a moment before she bombarded him with questions. "How have you been? Revenge must be very tough, isn''t it? Did you struggle with your life there?" Even though she bombarded him with questions, he only answered with a "no". As he remembered something, he sneered, "I bet you can''t even imagine how dramatic the things were going on in the household. Speaking of which, do you know my father has a b*stard child?" "I''ve heard of it." She nodded as she confirmed his guess. "I heard that he is younger than Logan, but older than you. Your father had him by cheating on your mother." Luke made an boration on Madeline''s statement. "To put it simply, my stepmother was a nobody, but the sc*mbag father of mine considered her his true love. They believed they were made for each other, but my grandparents forbade my father to marry that b*tch. Since they failed to fight against their will, my father was forced to marry my mother for the sake of both families in the end. My mother''s family began to lose their influence when my maternal grandparents passed away. Following that, my uncle got involved in a scam and had to flee the country. Not long after that, my father married his mistress right after my mother passed away. The b*stard was brought into the Adams Family together with his mother, which caused me and my brother to suffer from a nightmare. The mistress would torment us with every method she could think of over and over again. We were lucky to escape from death''s hands every time." When she heard about the tragic ordeal of their childhood, Madeline was fuming with rage. "What about your father? Didn''t he do anything to protect you? You''re his own flesh and blood, after all!" "All the sc*mbag could see was his mistress. My brother and I are nothingpared to them." Luke sneered at the thought of his father being biased. "The mistress is his true love and the b*stard is their child, while they are the true family that he had always longed for. On the contrary, Logan and I are merely a token of his shameful past where he couldn''t make his own choice, and the proof of him betraying his true love. He did not care about our well-being at all. Instead, he wants us dead to make room for his b*stard." An ironic smile formed at the corner of Luke''s lips. "Thanks to my mother, she left us a bequest and took precautions to have it notarized at the notary office. If Logan or I can''t make it to eighteen, the bequest will be donated to charity. If not, my father and his mistress would''ve found a way to get rid of us when we were young." The blood drained from Madeline''s face as her anger grew. "It is inhumane for parents to harm their children! How shameless of your father!" "There, there." Patting Madeline''s back, Lukeforted her. "I had moved on a long time ago, so there''s no need to get mad on my behalf." Taking a deep breath a few times, she finally calmed down, but her emotions were still seething within her. "Back when my master was still alive, he would always tell me that there were injustices everywhere, and a lot of people were suffering from it. Even though we can''t help every person in the world, we can still do our best to assist them. However, I couldn''t even save Logan and you from your family¡­" In the end, not only strangers couldn''t be saved, she even failed those whom she was close to. "Don''t think so lowly of yourself. You''ve helped us a lot." Luke put his hand around Madeline''s shoulder in aforting manner. "Back then, if you didn''t save Logan and me, we wouldn''t have made it till today, Maddie." "B-But I wasn''t there with you when you were plotting revenge against your stepmother¡­" The guilt devoured her mind entirely. "I should have followed you two to Capitol¡­" "You should have indeed." Luke said firmly, "If so, I wouldn''t have turned up at your room and made a move on you that night." "Excuse me?" Madeline gaped at his sudden confession. "Marrying you was not a necessity." When Luke was confessing to Madeline, his tone was honest. "I want us to not be separated, so I didn''t mind if you wanted to be my wife or not as long as you''re with us. Yet, you told me the Taylors forbade you to leave and follow us to Capitol. Then, a friend told me that it is natural for a wife to follow her husband everywhere. If we are married, we will not be separated." Her eyes widened with realization. "S-So, you tried to¡ª" "Yes. That was why I proposed to you, but you rejected me. So, I thought that if you were pregnant with my child, you would have to marry me." Luke shrugged as he recalled the past. "I didn''t expect my n to backfire. You have been mad at me and ignoring me since then. Logan even tried to take me with him so that I could stopying my hands on you." Madeline was too shocked to form a response and after a while, she decided to rify her stance. "I was never forbidden to follow you; it was just that I must go back to my family after your revenge." "It''s the same for me." Luke stood his ground and didn''t waver one bit. "Logan told me that it would be dangerous for you toe with us. We cane back to find you anytime after we are done with our business. Yet, you made it clear that you will go back to Worrick once we have gotten rid of my father and my stepmother. What''s the difference if you can''t stay with us?" "What you mean to say is that as long as I''m staying at Capitol, you don''t mind if I don''t marry you? We can stay being siblings, right?" Chapter 202 Chapter 202 At that, Luke stated, "I want the three of us to stay close together so that I can see you every day, no matter what our rtionship is." Staring at her for a moment, he then added, "If you happen to love me and are willing to marry me, I will do so dly. I''m happy with you being either my wife or my sister." With a heavy heart, Madeline murmured, "I am not marrying you. Aldo and Buddy are Sebastian''s sons and they need their father. As long as he doesn''t n to divorce me, I will never be the first one to dere a divorce." "Let us be siblings, then." Luke didn''t have a strong opinion on this matter. "I''ve been diagnosed with a mental problem, anyway. The books state that mental illness is hereditary. I have been worried that our child will inherit this problem from me after we get married but now, I don''t have to worry about our child''s health and can avoid making you sad if we are not married to each other." "What are you talking about?" To stop him from thinking lowly of himself, Madeline interrupted, "There''s nothing wrong with your mind. You are just getting out from your hardship and a lot is going on in your mind now. Your condition is not gic and will not be passed along to your offspring." "Nobody is certain about that." Luke shrugged her off. "After all, my wife will be no one but you. I will not marry just anyone to have a child with a mental problem. If so, not only have I wronged them, I would always be concerned about their well-being and worrying about their health." Upon hearing that, Madeline mumbled, "You''re like a brother to me. Even if it wasn''t Sebastian, it would not be you either." "A brother?" Raising his eyebrows, Luke asked with a hint of interest, "Now that you have met your real brothers, who are you going to choose? Them, or Logan and I?" Without any hesitation, Madeline answered resolutely, "I am closer to Logan and you, for sure." The Adams brothers and her had been depending on each other for almost ten years. They were the only ones who took care of her when she was seriously ill and thought she was on her deathbed; they were the only ones who genuinely treated her with kindness before she found her origin. To Madeline, the only link between the Wendel brothers and her was built on their blood connection and her appreciation of their capability, nothing more. The Adams brothers were the ones who shared a stronger bond with her. At that, Luke stated, "I want the three of us to stay close together so that I can see you every day, no matter what our rtionship is." As she sorted out her rtionships, a thought urred to her. At this moment, she could finally understand the reason behind Cedric''s defense of Angie. If Angie had behaved herself, there was no way the Wendel Family would have severed ties with her easily. The Wendels'' decision was only temporary and not directed at Angie. It was merely out of their hatred toward Cameron and an act of impulsion upon learning the truth. Once they had ovee the feelings and thought about the time they had lived together, it was not impossible for Angie to return to the Wendel Family. However, Angie was desperate to return to her old life. In looking for a guy whom she could take advantage of, she plotted against Nichs, who once considered her as family. By doing so, the Wendel Family learned about her true nature and isted her. Madeline''s answer brought a smile to Luke''s face and he ruffled her hair with force. "Maddie, since I have apologized, promise me that you will forgive me and remember only my good deeds." Needless to say, she had already forgiven him after listening to his tragic story. Feeling sorry for him, she nodded at his request. "Of course. As long as you promise to behave from now on, I''ll pretend nothing happened." "What a good girl you are!" Once again, he ruffled her hair, a trace of blooming happiness on his face. "Luke, you haven''t finished your story." Madeline then inquired, "I heard there were rumors that the b*stard actually isn''t your father''s biological son." "You bet!" He gloated over the fact when her question reminded him of something. "My father had always thought his only true love was loyal to him. Even though he failed to marry her, she still managed to withstand all the hardships and gave birth to his child. After my uncle returned to the country, he initiated an investigation on the b*stard child, and my father was unaware of it. The results show that the b*stard''s biological father is not my father, but another man. As my uncle thought that we were at an advantage, he asked me and Logan to return to the country." Original content from N?velDrama.Org. "He got his karmaing!" Satisfied to hear Luke''s father getting what he deserved, Madeline couldn''t wait to hear the rest of the story. "I assume learning the truth drove him mad?" "Of course." The smile on Luke''s face grew. "My uncle was happy about that too. My father may be a loser, but the Adams Family is the most prestigious and wealthiest family in Capitol, while my mother''s family''s influence has declined. My uncle met his wife abroad, and her family is the richest of the locals, but they hold no influence over Capitol. Having her as our only ally, we would have probably taken a longer time to overthrow my father from his position of power. However, knowing that the b*stard is not my father''s son, his mistress and the b*stard were defeated on the spot when they lost the bargaining chip to win his heart." She nodded. "Regardless of his love for your stepmother, there is no way a man will raise another man''s child without holding a grudge. Learning the truth must have been hard for him, and he would surely be resentful toward your stepmother." "Indeed." Luke scorned as he recalled, "Once we were back in the country, the first thing my uncle helped us with was to cultivate power in Capitol instead of telling the truth to my father immediately. As our power grew, we began to attend all kinds of social activities. One day, we pretended toe across my father and that b*tch at a party. He used us of not being filial, but we showed the result of a DNA paternity test to him. We told him the truth there and then, before all the guests, and he wasn''t too happy about that." Sharing his encounter, Lukeughed uncontrobly. Madeline urged him to continue, "He must have had a hard time believing your words." "He refused to believe it." Luke nodded as he exined, "Even though he had his doubts, he still needed to hide them in front of others. All this time, he harmed his sons for a b*stard and gave the b*stard all of his love. How ridiculous things would be if his efforts were wasted on someone else''s son. He couldn''t ept the truth and used us of ndering him, but we didn''t let him off the hook easily." "What else other than the test result did you prepare to prove your words?" "We were well aware that anyone could fake the result, but we knew facial features would never deceive. Not only did we use our father''s and the b*stard''s hair for the test, but we also found the biological father of the b*stard. Knowing my father and his mistress would attend the party, we brought the man with us. We then tricked him into standing next to the b*stard, right in front of all the guests." Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Luke chuckled as he continued with his story. "As if God answered our prayers, the b*stard didn''t take after his mother. Instead, he inherited his father''s facial features. When they were standing next to each other, everyone could clearly see they were rted." He then clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Maddie, if only you were there, you would have seen how furious he was." Feeling happy for him, Madeline waited for Luke to continue sharing the story. "What happenedter?" "Later?" He took a sip of the coffee to clear his throat. "After being embarrassed in front of people, my father left the party in shame and the woman followed after him. Her son''s real identity was like a ticking bomb. Once the truth was revealed, there was no way they could survive my father''s anger. So, she could never allow my father to find the truth. She had to cover up for her lies and made him believe that the b*stard is his biological son." "However, your father will no longer believe her," Madeline observed calmly. "She can continue to hide the truth from him if he wasn''t suspicious. However, once he starts to suspect things, nothing can hold him back from seeking the truth unless your father is willing to pretend to be clueless for Delh''s sake." Delh Xeni was Logan and Luke''s stepmother. She had a beautiful name, and it was said that her beauty was extraordinary. It was just a pity that the more beautiful she was, the more evil she became. After that, Luke continued from where he left off. "Besides, Logan seeded in bribing one of my father''s bodyguards. Wait¡­ I''m making an overstatement here to say he was bribed. My mother helped him in the past, so he has been thinking of a way to repay her for her help." "My father noticed his capabilities and assigned the man to be his personal bodyguard. He has always been on our side and went undercover to wait for an opportunity to get in touch with my brother and me." "Logan knew that our mother helped him out before, so once we got back to Capitol, Logan got in touch with the guy immediately. He was happy to see Logan, and agreed to help us out without hesitation." "What about now? Is he still staying with the Adams Family?" "He is." Luke then borated, "Vulcan is an orphan my mother helped before. He''s only a few years older than us and now working as the leader of our bodyguard team. Not only is he handsome, but he is capable too. I will introduce you to him one day when you visit Capitol." Luke chuckled as he continued with his story. "As if God answered our prayers, the b*stard didn''t take after his mother. Instead, he inherited his father''s facial features. When they were standing next to each other, everyone could clearly see they were rted." Madeline let out a sigh of relief. In most stories, those working undercover didn''t have a happy ending. Thank God for keeping him safe. she thought to herself. As he took another sip of his coffee, Luke resumed his story. "Let''s see, where were we? Ah¡ªI am saying Delh tried to deceive my father. They had a fight in the living room and made a fuss out of it, in which Vulcan could hear them even though he was waiting outside the room. After the fight, my father seemed persuaded by Delh because he had asked a favor from his acquaintance. He brought the b*stard with him to theb and performed another paternity test." Madeline shared her opinion regarding the matter. "I can tell he wasn''t persuaded by Delh or still having trust in her. He just didn''t want to face the truth that he chased his sons away, only to be raising someone else''s child." "I believe so." Luke''s lips curled with contempt. "My father was biased toward the b*stard from the very beginning. Fearing the two of us would fight over the b*stard''s right to inheritance, he did nothing to save us from Delh''s torment. Atst, we had no choice but to escape. And now, he will not have the courage to admit that he mistreated us." Believing Delh wouldn''t sit still, Madeline took a guess. "Delh must have tried everything she could to fake the result." "She did," Luke muttered. "Her efforts were useless, though. My father is not only skeptical about everything, but he has a heart of stone too. Otherwise, he wouldn''t watch Delh torment us without doing anything to stop her. I even heard that before he epted Delh and her son into the family, he carried out a paternity test on the b*stard and himself. The result showed that they were rted to each other." "Delh managed to deceive him back then?" Original from N?velDrama.Org. "Indeed. He was deceived once, so this time, he didn''t allow himself to rest before the results came out. We also made a stakeout on Delh''sckey, so she couldn''t find the opportunity to fake the result. At "They got what they deserve!" Hearing the story, Madeline could feel her spirits lifted. "My father was furious at learning the truth and he violently whacked her in public that day. Furthermore, he has not stopped making them suffer since that day." Luke shook his head as if thinking of something funny. "Too bad both my uncle and Logan refrained me from meddling in their infighting, so I''ve to wait until the end. I wasn''t there to see him punish her, but I saw her body." Luke made a sound to show his detestation, but his eyes shone with excitement. "Delh died miserably. There were various wounds all over her body caused by any and every object you could think of. Besides, my old man also found some loafers to assault her non-stop, and she had not slept for days." Thinking about Delh''s terrible deathnded Luke in a good mood as he finished the coffee in one gulp. "She struggled for some days until she finally died, but she had iting." Madeline was usually softhearted, but after hearing Luke''s story, she had decided that Delh didn''t deserve any of her sympathy. "Everything turned out great," she remarked. "There''s no point in dirtying your hands if you can wait for your father and Delh to fight against each other." "You said the exact same thing as my uncle and Logan!" Luke stated before he borated, "My uncle called the police upon my father after Delh was dead. My father was thrown behind bars as he was guilty ofmitting a homicide. As such, we no longer need to worry about my father." Luke spread his hands open and shrugged. "My uncle is cautious. He said that my father is rted to us by blood, after all. No matter the reason, as long as we are opposing him, people will use us of being unfilial. Even though I don''t care about my reputation, my uncle and Logan still do, thus I have to listen to them." "Your uncle is right. Some people tend to criticize from the sidelines. They will force you to tolerate your father no matter how much he has wronged you, just because he is rted to you by blood. Others will not hesitate to meddle in your family matters and call you out for being against him. You made the right decision to not confront him head-on." Chapter 204 Chapter 204 "Whatever, I never care about these things." Luke shrugged. "My father is serving a life sentence now. There''s no way he can be released." "Life sentence?" His statement was a surprise to Madeline. "Your fathermitted homicide, but he''s only serving life imprisonment? Shouldn''t they impose the death penalty on him? He murdered a person!" "What a surprise, isn''t it?" Lukeughed in amusement. "This was my uncle''s idea. He hired awyer on Logan and my behalf for our father and imed that Delh was the one to me. As a result, my father has to serve a life sentence. To my father, death is the only escape from his imprisonment, while living means he has to suffer. My uncle doesn''t want to spare him easily, so he can suffer in misery for the rest of his life." "Your uncle has good thinking," Madeline stated. "He hired awyer on your behalf, so nobody can me you for not saving your father. It will help your reputation too." "This is merely one of the reasons. He did so mainly out of his resentment toward my father. He didn''t want to let my father get away easily." The light in Luke''s eyes darkened when he thought of his uncle. "Uncle has been suspecting that my father was involved in my mother''s death. You need to know that my uncle is very fond of my mother." Luke sighed and turned to look at the scenery outside with a gloomy expression. Madeline frowned when she saw his expression. "What''s the matter?" "Maddie, you are perceiving my uncle as a loving person, aren''t you?" Luke muttered with a chuckle. Nodding to his question, she answered in the affirmative. "He isn''t." Even though Luke tried to force a smile, it was bitter nheless. "Uncle has always suspected that my father nned my mother''s death. As a result, he loves us. But at the same time, his hatred toward us doesn''t be any less." Madeline stared at Luke in disbelief. "Just because you guys are your father''s kids?" This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. "You''re right." He nodded in response. "We are born as members of the Adams and we have their blood. Although my father wasn''t good, our grandparents loved us. My mother never took a liking to my father back when she was alive. Besides, with her bedridden condition, she never managed to warm up to Logan and me. Therefore, we were raised by our grandparents during our childhood. They had given us the affection we longed for from our parents. Can you understand?" "Whatever, I never care about these things." Luke shrugged. "My father is serving a life sentence now. There''s no way he can be released." Madeline thought back to the way Philip treated his grandsons, and she nodded. "Yes, I understand." "My grandparents treated us with care." Luke sighed. "You know older generations care about carrying on the family lineage. If we change the family name to my mother''s, I''m afraid that their souls can never be at peace. Logan and I will never leave the Adams Family for my mother''s family name." Madeline had mixed feelings when she heard that. "So, things are awkward between your uncle and you?" When she was listening to Luke''s story, she was having the impression of their uncle being a loving elder. Never would she think that there would be a twist to his image. "Yeah." Luke sighed with resignation and shrugged. "Forget it. Maybe this is just the way we were born to be, which was to be deprived of affection from our elders." Suddenly, he held Madeline''s wrist and looked at her with a serious expression. "Maddie, promise me that we won''t fight anymore from now on. You are all my brother and I have." She struggled out of his grip and red at him. "I never thought of starting a fight with you! You are just being unreasonable!" "Alright, alright. I''m the one being unreasonable. It''s all my fault." Luke nodded a few times to indicate his defeat. "I''ve learned from my mistakes. I apologized. Let bygones be bygones and we can start over. Okay?" Madeline nodded. "Didn''t I tell you? If you promise to behave, then I will not bring up the past." "The past?" Luke then yed dumb. "Did anything happen to us? I don''t think so. We are siblings, always and forever." His antics made Madelineugh, and she shook her head. "You really are one of a kind!" Luke asked, "Of what?" "For your shameless attitude!" "It''s one of my charms." Luke wasn''t bothered by the remark. "If I have more self-awareness, I would not dare make an apology; if I have not apologized, you will not have forgiven me; if you haven''t forgiven me, I will lose my sister, and a life without you is totally uneptable! All I need for my whole life is Logan and you. I can''t lose either one of you." At this moment, all the grudges and hard feelings Madeline held for Luke had disappeared after listening to his story. Most importantly, he was a family, above all else. As long as he reflected on his mistakes and made amends, she would always forgive him. "That''s enough for today." She got up from her seat. "You should not stay outside for too long when your wounds are healing. You need to take proper rest." "It''s nothing." Luke had little care for his injuries. "Logan is fond of me, so he is reluctant to hurt me for real. I''m fine." What a lie! However, she wasn''t persuaded by him. Even though only the first punch of Logan''s caused Luke to bleed, the following punches were strong enough to leave marks on him too. How could it not hurt? Annoyed with him acting tough, Madeline grumbled, "Don''t push yourself so hard. I''m staying at the agency and not going anywhere, so I don''t need bodyguards with me right now. Now listen to me and go home for a rest. I''ll let you know when I''m going out. Then again, what caused you to abandon your life as a young master and be my bodyguard? You know I don''t need more bodyguards!" "Yes, you have enough bodyguards, but to me, I''m losing my only sister!" Luke let out a harrumph indicating his annoyance. "If only you could see Sebastian. He was looking at me like he could eat me alive! If I haven''t decided to be your bodyguard, then I can only stay for a few days as a guest before he would chase me away. Even if he doesn''t do it, Logan will find a way to stop me from overstaying, but I don''t want to go! I am staying here with you!" "If you decided to stay, then what about Logan?" She teased, "You forgot about your brother?" "Logan''s a grown man. He can handle himself." Luke waved away her worries. "Besides, he will not stop his worries by having me around, thus he has no time to find love. Without me, he can finally have time to pursue love and get married." Luke then spread his hands as he stated, "Once he finds the love of his life, I will only get in his way. My future sister-inw will hate to see me following him everywhere. " Madeline could only stare at him with mixed feelings. Atst, he snapped his fingers with a hint of excitement. "Ta-da! You got the correct answer! I chose to stay and be your bodyguard, only to get on Sebastian''s nerves. He couldn''t steal our beloved sister without consequences. I have to show him what I am capable of, or else he will mistreat you." Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Um, well¡­ He can be a bit temperamental, so I guess he can do that. Sebastian agreed to it, anyway. Still, she warned, "You can stay for a while if you want. You don''t have to follow the rules too tightly, but don''t try to cross Sebastian or his family!" "I know," Luke said. "I won''t do anything stupid, or that cunning little b*stard is gonna kick me out. I won''t let him catch me." "Don''t call him that! He''s Aldo and Buddy''s father! You have to respect him!" He seemed reluctant, so Madeline red at him, and he relented. He waved her down. "Fine, fine. I''ll do as you say, alright?" "Don''t do anything stupid, alright?" She pointed at him. "Step out of line and I''ll ask Logan to take you away!" "Yeah, yeah," Luke said. "I won''t leave. I''m not letting Sebastian get his way. Don''t worry. I won''t do anything stupid, but I need to get a day off tomorrow. I have something to do." Madeline frowned. "You''re not even healed yet. You can''t run around." "I need to do this. It''s super formal, super important stuff," he argued. She shook her head. "Fine. Whatever." Yeah. As if he''s gonna be my bodyguard for long. He''s gonna feel bored in just a few days. I bet he''ll leave without me even doing anything. They chatted for a long time, since this was the first time they had met in years. Before they knew it, school was already over for Quincy and Joel. Conrad and Dean knocked on the door halfway through and asked Madeline if she was fine. They were worried about her, and Luke felt like punching them. Madeline spent a long time just to calm him down, but he still looked sad. "You''re my sister. I won''t ever hurt you, even if that''s thest thing I do. Why do they hate me so much?" "Of course they don''t like you." Madeline did not evenfort him. "You did try to hurt me once." Luke had nothing to say to that, though his hatred against Angie mounted. If she had notined about what Madeline did to her, he would never have hurt Madeline. It''s all her fault! He asked her out to a coffee shop the next day. Um, well¡­ He can be a bit temperamental, so I guess he can do that. Sebastian agreed to it, anyway. Still, she warned, "You can stay for a while if you want. You don''t have to follow the rules too tightly, but don''t try to cross Sebastian or his family!" Angie came to the room on the second floor and knocked on the door, feeling nervous. Her life at the Colts was slowly turning into a living hell. She only managed to live her life in peace because she lied to Xander and Amelia. She told them Michael and Crystal still loved her, but that lie was busted when Amelia met the Wendel couple outside prisonst time. After she found out they had cut all ties with her, her quality of life dipped. Amelia would give her sass and call her all kinds of names. She moved her to the servant''s room and ordered her around every day, as if she was her maid. Sometimes, she really wanted to leave that ce, but she had no money. She used to have a few houses and shops under her name when she was with the Wendels, but after her past was exposed, Crystal got someone to change the name on her ID to ''Angie Colt''. It was just a slight change, but she lost ownership of all her houses and shops. Angie had left the Wendel household in a hurry. Michael''s bodyguards took her to Dusktown themselves, and she did not manage to take anything with her. All she had was a million dors in her ount. After she settled in with the Colts, she spent big money on new clothes and jewelry for herself, as well as presents for Xander''s whole family. She wanted them to think the Wendels still cared about her. A million dors might sound like a lot, but it onlysted Angie a short time. Now, she only had about a thousand left. She was almost at the end of the line, and she had to save. She was out of money, and Xander''s whole family ordered her around like she was their maid after they found out the Wendels had cut ties with her. Especially their children. Her life was worse than a maid''s in that household. Angie wanted to escape and return to the Wendels. She wanted her old life back. She came up with countless ns just so the Wendels would forgive her and take her back in, but she did not even have the chance to see them. Life tortured her so much, she was barely skin and bones. Every day was a struggle for her. Luke called her just when she thought she had lost all hope. That call alone lit her soul up. She knew Luke way back when they were in Worrick. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Isabel looked down on Luke and his brother, as they were great friends with Madeline. She could not order them around like what she did to Madeline because they were not Taylors. Thanks to that, they were not exactly enemies, though of course they were not friends. Unlike Isabel¡ªthe idiot crossed almost everyone she met¡ªAngie cared about her public image. She even helped Luke out once when she saw him getting in trouble. Now that Luke was calling her, she had ns on cashing in the favor. She and her friends were vacationing in Capitol a few months ago, and she bumped into Luke by chance in a jewellery shop. He was in apletely different attirepared to the time they met in Worrick, but she recognized him right away. His looks were too outstanding for her not to. Even if he was in a big crowd, he would still be the center of everyone''s attention. Nobody could forget about him once they had a look. She ran into some trouble back then, and Luke settled it for her like it was nothing. She sent someone to look into him after he left. It was then she found out he was the young master of Capitol''s richest family¡ªthe Adams. On top of that, he also built his ownpany, and it was called Microlutions Corporation. He''s handsome and capable. The one thing Angie loved most in life was being desired by rich guys. She wanted all the rich guys to fall for her even though she could only marry one man, and even though she would never even date anyone who had a lower social status than her. She loved being the center of everyone''s attention and affection. She wanted Luke to fall for her, so she had used her connections and got his number. She then asked him out for a meal, saying she wanted to thank him for his help. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 It was a pity he refused her. She would have loved it if he agreed, but she was still the great Miss Angie Wendel back then. There were countless men who desired her, and all were better than Luke. She was only down for a while before she forgot all about him. She was filled with hatred back when they were outside the prison. All she wanted was for Madeline to suffer, and then she remembered Luke. She brought Madeline up when they were in Capitol just to get closer with him, but Luke seemed to despise Madeline. There was loathing in his eyes as he told her that he didn''t want to hear her name. She could see he hated Madeline, so she called him when she came out of prison and told him about Madeline''s current situation. She wanted him to hurt Madeline. Ever since then, she had been living in anxiety every day. She was waiting for his news, and now he finally called her. And he''s in Dusktown too! Does he mean he''s going to make Madeline suffer soon? She was excited to get his call. Angie dressed herself up as gorgeously as she could for the meetup at the coffee shop. Her vengeance had taken a backseat for now, and she came to see him for one purpose this time¡ªshe wanted him to fall for her. The only way to make aeback was to make him fall for her and marry him. My vengeance can wait. I can do it after I marry Luke and give him a son. Luke told her toe in, and she went inside. He was standing beside the window. The sight of Luke made her blush, and her heart raced. Luke was holding a ss of wine. He was slender, he had defined facial features, and he looked like he came straight out of a shoujo manga. His fair skin gleaned under the sunlight, and even his fingers were beautiful. He looked almost ethereal. He''s not only handsome; he''s capable too. He owns Microlutions. I can make aeback if I can make him mine. Her heart raced even faster at this thought. She slowly came in and showed up before him in the best appearance she could muster. "Luke, my dear¡­" It was a pity he refused her. She would have loved it if he agreed, but she was still the great Miss Angie Wendel back then. There were countless men who desired her, and all were better than Luke. She was only down for a while before she forgot all about him. "My dear?" Luke arched his eyebrow and smirked. "I don''t think we''re that close, are we?" "Oh, but we are," she said cutely. "I''ve known you for years, and we''ve helped each other before. I''ve always admired you, my dear¡­" She fluttered her eyshes at him, her gaze filled with admiration and love. Luke stared at her for a moment before snorting. "Yep. You''re still a pariah no matter how much you try to hide it. I feel sorry for the Wendels. They gave you all their love for so many years, and this is what you turn out to be. A pariah." Angie''s smile froze. She clenched her fists and put on an indignant look. She looked like an irondy who would not back down even after that insult. "I didn''t do anything wrong, did I? What did I do to deserve that insult?" This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. "You did nothing wrong?" Luke retorted, "No, that''s wrong. You did everything wrong! And you deserve more than just an insult!" Angie froze up. "Impossible. This must be a misunderstanding, Luke. I''ve always admired and respected you. I would never cross you!" "Oh, but you did¡­" Luke closed in on her. "And you know how you did it? You tried to hurt my sister." Angie''s eyes widened. He has a sister? Who is it? Madeline? She froze up, and her jaw dropped. "W- What do you mean, Luke?" I thought he hated Madeline! "You should know what I mean," Luke sneered. "You rang me up and told me about Madeline because you wanted to use me to hurt her, didn''t you?" "No, I didn''t!" She shook her head reflexively. "I know you''re good friends with her, so that''s why I called. She married Sebastian! She''s the Harts'' young madam now. She''s really happy, and I know you would be happy for her too. You''re her brother, after all. I called you just to share the news. I-I was just being nice." "Hah!" Luke looked up and let out augh. "You''re being nice? What do you think I am? Stupid?" "I''m telling the truth!" Angie thought he was being terrifying despite the fact that he was smiling. She took a few steps back and gave him a sincere look. "Luke, Madeline''s my dad and mom''s daughter. She''s my sister, and you''re her brother. I just had to tell you about the good news. I was just trying to share her life. I didn''t mean her any harm. I-I swear to God!" "You swear to God?" Luke sneered agian. "Why don''t you ask God if he got the message? I can send you on a one way trip to Him." He opened the french window. "Two choices. Either you jump, or I throw you out." "Y-You want me to jump?" Angie stammered. "T-That''s a good joke, Luke. I-I have no idea what you''re talking about." "Oh, really?" Luke put his ss down and held Angie by her shirt cor, then he pinned her against the open window. Angie hung in midair, and she screamed. "What are you doing, Luke? Let me go!" "You can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can jump out of the window yourself, or I can help you with it. But I always need payment for my assistance. Perhaps I would scratch your face a little." He whipped out a little dagger and brushed it across Angie''s cheek. "You tried to seduce me the moment you came in, didn''t you? Let''s see how you can seduce anyone if I ruin your face! Oh, no, wait. I should gouge your eyes out so you can''t even see who you''re seducing." He moved the de upward and held it before her eyes. Shocked, Angie closed her eyes. "Help! Help!" she screamed. "Shut up," Luke said coldly. "You sound worse than a baby''s screech. My hand might just slip." "No, please don''t hurt me, Luke. Please¡­" She was shivering in fear, and she begged, "Please, Luke, let me go. I''m sorry. I won''t do it ever again! Please, let me go! Please¡­" Chapter 207 Chapter 207 "You still don''t get it?" Luke applied pressure on his de and slid it across the area under her eye. She could feel the de carving into her flesh. Pain and fear overwhelmed her, and she screamed. "You have until the count of three. I''ll gouge your eyes out if you''re still not jumping," Luke said coldly. He was just like a demon to Angie. "One¡­ Two¡­" "Stop, stop! I''ll jump!" Angie screamed. She could feel that this was not just a threat. He was for real. They were just on the second floor. She would break an arm or leg if she fell from here. There was no real harm, but if Luke blinded her, she would be finished. Nobody would marry her if she was blind, let alone a rich guy. I''d be done for! Luke pulled his de away and took two steps back. He whistled and saidnguidly, "Jump." She looked down. It might be just the second floor, but her legs almost gave way from the fear. She was shivering. Angie looked at Luke, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I''m sorry, Luke. I''m really sorry. I''ll do whatever you say, alright? I won''t do anything stupid again. Please, just have mercy on me." Luke fiddled with his dagger and squinted. "I''ll be counting to three again if you''re not jumping." The dagger was glinting menacingly under the sunlight. Angie shivered and looked back again. She wanted to just get it over with, but she did not have the courage to. She was too scared to jump. Angie kept crying and shaking her head. "I''m sorry. I''m really, really sorry. I won''t do it again. Please, let me go¡­" A devilish smile curled Luke''s lips. He raised his right hand and hurled his dagger at Angie''s eye. Angie let out a terrified scream, and she turned around to jump right out the window without hesitating. She fell with a thud, then she wailed. Luke looked down the window. Angie had fallen into the bed of flowers, and she was screaming. His smile turned into a grin, and it was a wide one. He had picked this coffee shop and room on purpose. The coffee shop''s garden was right out the window, and the flower bed was on the first floor''s balcony. Angie wouldnd on the flower bed if she jumped out of the window, and nobody would be harmed. Luke did not want her falling on anyone. "You still don''t get it?" Luke applied pressure on his de and slid it across the area under her eye. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Angie''s scream attracted someone''s attention. The waiter who saw her falling down was shocked, and he called his manager over. The manager was in a dilemma. Someone just fell from the second floor. If this was a tough customer, they would have to pay her a lot of money even if they were not responsible for the ident. She was just the manager, not the boss. If the boss found out about this, she would be med for her management failure. It could cost her this job too. She quickly called the ambnce and asked Angie, "Hi, miss. Did you jump out the window yourself, or did someone push you?" Luke had juste down. He heard what the manager said, and he answered, "She jumped down herself." The manager turned around. That testimony was important. They would be cleared of any charges if the customer was the one who jumped out the window themselves. Luke crouched down beside Angie and drawled, "She''s my friend. She''s jealous of a kind and beautiful lady. She''s upset that thedy is living her best life, so she tried to sabotage her. But thedy is blessed. She managed to stay out of danger. My friend got mad that her n failed, so she jumped out of the window." Oh, um. Really? That''s¡­ weird. I-I have no idea what to say. Angie''s arms and legs were killing her. The pain almost knocked her out, but she was still conscious and heard what Luke said, and she hated him for it. He forced me to jump, and now he''s ruining my reputation? I did not jump willingly. He forced me into it! She wanted to kill him, but she was too much of a coward to do that. Besides, she was hurt. Even if she wanted to kill him, she was no match for him. What should I do? Should I call the cops? No. I have no proof he forced me to do this. He''s rich. He can get a goodwyer and weasel his way out of this, and he''ll get back at me once he escapes. It''ll make my life even worse. This guy is mad. And he''s rich and powerful at that. He can make my life a living hell if he wants to. Luke scared her into submission, and she did not argue with him. Instead, she kept sobbing. The manager felt at ease, seeing as the victim and her friend were not nning to sue the coffee shop. She decided to stay out of it. She knew something must have happened between them, but as long as the victim wasn''t demandingpensation, the manager would pretend none of this happened. She pretended she saw nothing. The ambnce came just a momentter. The doctor and nurses moved Angie onto a stretcher and sent her to the hospital. Her left leg and right wrist were broken and needed to be operated on. She was sent to a ward after the operation. There was a nurse waiting beside her when she woke up. The nurse told her, "Miss Colt, your operation and hospitalization fees total up to 1,200 dors. You can pay for it yourself, or I can call your family and have them pay for you." Angie almost fainted again after hearing that. Luke, you b*stard! You made me jump, and you didn''t even pay for my fees? She only had less than fifteen hundred in cash. How am I supposed to live on so little money after this? Xander was useless. He did not even give her a single cent, and Amelia was a stingy wench who would never give her any money as well. She had to pay out of her own pocket ever since she came to Dusktown. To make things worse, she had not even made any money yet. She would be left with nothing if she gave all her remaining cash to the hospital. Her face was white, and she was shivering in fury. The nurse thought she was not paying, so she frowned. "Miss Colt?" "I''ll give you my father''s number." Angie refused to pay out of her own pocket, and she told the nurse Xander''s number. He was still her father after all. He should pay for her hospital fees now that she was hurt. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 The nurse managed to call up Xander to inform him about Angie''s condition. At once, he rushed over to the hospital. He couldn''t care less about Angie, and truth be told, he found her to be the bane of his existence. Lucky for her, he was a prideful man who could not risk having anyone call him an indifferent father for not visiting his injured daughter in the hospital. If word of his apathy toward Angie got out, his reputation would be ruined. He did not know¡ªor rather, he did not want to admit¡ªthat he had already lost his standing in Dusktown. The Colts'' brutal fall from grace did not prevent him froming up with the funds for Angie''s medical bills. Xander had his assistant settle the bill at the counter while he went into Angie''s room. When he saw how miserable and bedraggled she looked, he frowned and asked, "What the hell did you do to end up this way?" Angie''s left leg and right wrist were broken, and there were scratches on her face and abrasions all over her body after she fell into the flower bed from the second floor. It must have been a horrific experience for her since she looked really badly roughed up. Angie knew Xander did not care for her, but tears fell from her face when she saw him anyway, and she croaked, "Dad..." He looked stormy, and his frown deepened as he snapped, "Oh, for heaven''s sake! Don''t just start crying. Tell me what happened. Go on¡ªOut with it!" "N-Nothing..." She swallowed her sobs and bit out in a trembling voice, "I didn''t watch where I was going and I fell from the stairs..." She dared not bring up Luke''s name in front of Xander¡ªnot when she knew how pathetic and cowardly he was. If she told him that Luke was the one who had forced her to leap off from the second floor, he would abandon her in the blink of an eye just to save himself. There was no chance that Xander would defend her. More importantly, she still needed Xander to foot her hospital bill, which he would not do if he found out she had gotten on Luke''s bad side. "Why must you go out of your way to make trouble for me? Don''t you have anything better to do?" Xander said irritably as he glowered at her. Amelia had been giving him a hard time since the Taylors dumped Angie at his ce. He hated Cameron for doing this to him. As a chain reaction, he hated Angie as well. He would have cut Angie off entirely if he weren''t so worried that the Taylors might confront him for it if they found out. As things were, he was in no position to anger a prominent family like theirs. Meanwhile, Xander''s indifference and sharp tone prompted Angie to p her unhurt hand over her mouth as she sobbed. She couldn''t understand how she had ended up in such a sorry state, either. Back at the Taylors'', she only needed to sneeze to have everyone coddle her; now, she was bruised and aching all over, with a broken leg and a fractured wrist to boot, but there was not an ounce of sympathy thrown her way. The nurse managed to call up Xander to inform him about Angie''s condition. At once, he rushed over to the hospital. She couldn''t even bring herself to tell anyone that it was Luke who had humiliated her andnded her in the hospital. The Adams Family had more money and power than the Colts could ever hope to attain. If Amelia and Xander were to find out that she had only ended up in hospital because of Luke, they could cut her out of their lives entirely and leave her to fend for herself. Where would she go then? Life with the Colts could be better, but beggars could not be choosers. At the very least, they fed her and put a roof over her head. If there came a day when they threw her out onto the streets, she would have nowhere else to go. She thought about how her life had been before this and grew bitter at how it was now. The resentment and the spite welled up in her as her heart shattered into a million pieces. "Will you stop crying? You''re giving me a headache!" Xander snapped, clearly fed up with her. "How are you still tripping over your own two feet at this age? Don''t you dare cry over your own clumsiness!" Angie sniffed and stopped crying at once, shuddering with the effort to keep her sobs down. Xander waited to see if she would burst into another round of wails, and when she didn''t, he said grimly, "I doubt there''s any serious damage done, so I''ll be on my way. Stoping to me with trivial matters like this in the future. In case you haven''t noticed, I have a ton of things going on as the head of the family. I''m not like you, little Miss Lounge-Around-And-Do-Nothing-All-Day! I swear, it''s like you''re deliberately getting into trouble just to pass the time!" He turned to leave after that, not wanting to hang around anymore if she wasn''t going to tell him anything important. "Dad?" Angie called out pleadingly. "Could you hire a caretaker for me? I can''t really do anything on my own with my wrist and leg broken." That was true, but what mattered even more to her was that having a caretaker was the only way she could have her old life back¡ªa life where she was waited on hand and foot by somebody else. The key difference between the upper echelons of high society and the lower onesy in having someone attend to you at all times. For as long as Angie had a caretaker with her, she could pretend that she had never fallen from grace¡ªthat she was still a youngdy of nobility throughout her recovery period. If she didn''t know for a fact that Xander would never spend on something asvish as a bodyguard, she would have asked him to hire one for her to keep her safe. However, she did know how stingy he was, so she did not bother making such a request lest he thought it was an outrageous demand on her part. Hiring a caretaker would not cost much, and Xander thought it was much better to have someone stay here with Angie than to leave her to fend for herself. If she were to perish in a hospital room out of neglect, then it would reflect badly on his already-rocky reputation. He couldn''t risk that, and after weighing the pros and cons, he said with a grave nod, "Fine." When he left, Angiey on the bed and winced at the pain that shot through every part of her body. For a moment, she thought death might be more weing than this agony she was going through. Tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly, and her chest tightened with the grudges that she held. This was not what her life should be like. She was supposed to be the youngdy of the Wendel Family. For as long as she could remember, she had be ustomed to having people wait on her while she did whatever she liked. She was supposed to be spoiled by everyone and have everything she wanted. She never imagined that things could take such an ugly turn. No, this can''t be it! I want to go back to the Wendels. I want to be Michael and Crystal''s daughter. She was so determined to make this happen that she vowed not to let go of even the slightest hope. Crying, she reached for her phone with her good hand and called Michael and Crystal, only to find that none of her calls could get through because they had blocked her number. Not wanting to give up, she borrowed the nurse''s phone and called them again, but it was to no avail. Then again, what did she expect? Michael and Crystal did not have the habit of answering calls from unfamiliar numbers. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Left without a choice, she resorted to calling Nelson instead. This time, the line got connected, and she greeted him in a watery voice, "Nelson?" "Miss Colt?" Nelson recognized her voice, but gone were the days when he addressed her as Angie. To him, she was Miss Colt now. She really wanted to p him through the phone when she heard his way of address. As much as she itched to do that, she knew that getting on his good side was of priority. Besides, she did not want to offend him at all. Back when she was living with the Taylors, she saw Nelson and William as nothing more than ves even though she imed them to be like her brothers. Her affections for them were superficial, and in reality, she loved having them obey her every whim, and she was not polite about it either. Nheless, they followed her orders and showed her the respect she demanded of them. But that was in the past. She was a Colt now¡ªno longer a Wendel, and no longer worthy of courtesy on Nelson''s part. She cursed him for rubbing salt in her wound, but on the surface, she sobbed desperately over the phone, "Nelson, I fell and broke my leg. I miss Mom and Dad, but they aren''t picking up my calls. Could you call them for me, please?" Chapter 209 Chapter 209 "No," Nelson replied without hesitation, turning Angie down. "Mom and Dad have made it very clear that you are a Colt now, not a Wendel, and you no longer have anything to do with us. They do not wish to see you." "But I really, really miss them." Angie sobbed miserably. "I know I''m not their biological daughter, but they raised me for over twenty years. I''m sure, deep down, they still care about me. They never left my side and made sure I took all my meds when I was sick. Mom would even sleep in my room at night just to take care of me. I''ve never been away from them for so long, not since I could remember, and I miss them so much..." The waterworks intensified as she said this, and at some point, her words became incoherent. Unfortunately for her, Nelson had never liked her even when she was still a youngdy of the Wendel Family, and any respect or obedience he had shown for her vanished the moment Michael and Crystal cut her off. He saw no reason to pity her now that she had lost her mantel as Miss Wendel and been thrown out of the house. He did not even spare her any pleasantries before he hung up on her. In the midst of her relentless sobbing, Angie heard the decisive beep on the other line that indicated Nelson had ended the call. She stopped crying, and her sadness was reced with blinding fury as she raised her arm to hurl the phone at the wall. However, she paused just as the phone was about to fly out of her hand, and she reminded herself that the phone belonged to the nurse. If she broke it, she would have to pay for it. She could not afford to throw tantrums now that the funds in her bank ount were low. As such, she sniffed and swallowed her anger, then slowly put her arm down. Tolerance was a virtue, they said, but it felt more like a machete hacking away at her. Michael and Crystal were determined to erase her from their lives, and Nelson was clearly following in their footsteps as well. The only person she could turn to now was Cedric. She thought about this and decided that Cedric was probably the only one among the Wendels who might stille to her aid. Wiping her tears away, she took a deep breath and dialed Cedric''s number, then prayed furtively that he would answer. Thankfully, the call got through, and she summoned her feeblest voice as she said, "Cedric..." On the other line, Cedric froze when he heard her voice. His mother had ordered him to never get in touch with Angie, so he immediately tried to hang up the call. However, he heard Angie crying, and the thought of her sobbing gutted him. Yes, he was admittedly hurt and disappointed after she had used Nichs for her schemes. He had never imagined that his adorable and considerate baby sister would ever resort to such selfish, underhanded ways, and he was heartbroken after the incident. "No," Nelson replied without hesitation, turning Angie down. "Mom and Dad have made it very clear that you are a Colt now, not a Wendel, and you no longer have anything to do with us. They do not wish to see you." But he had thought about it and found himself pondering on the meaning of family. He associated family with values such as tolerance and forgiveness. It seemed a little too cruel that they would all turn their backs on Angie just because of one mistake on her part. No one was perfect, and no one could go through a lifetime without doing any wrong. Besides, weren''t the saints always raving on about forgiveness? Cedric softened when these lines of argument crossed his mind. He then sighed and asked, "What''s wrong, Angie? Why are you crying?" "Cedric, I..." Angie was crying so hard she could not get her words out. "I broke my wrist and my leg. I''m hurting everywhere right now, and I miss all of you so much..." "What?" He had been sitting behind his work desk when he picked up the call, but upon hearing this, he stood up abruptly and demanded, "What do you mean you broke your wrist and your leg? How did that happen, Angie?" Owned by N?velDrama.Org. "I¡ªmy left leg and my right wrist are broken." A fresh bout of tears fell from her face as she went on to say, "I slipped and fell from the stairs." She kept the details vague, not wanting to tell Cedric the truth. Knowing him, he would march up to Luke and demand an exnation from him. When he did, Luke would not hesitate to tell him everything that had happened, including the part where she had contacted him to get rid of Madeline. He would expose her schemes and tell Cedric of her wicked intentions. Even if Cedric did not believe him, he might be suspicious of Angie. As such, being frank was simply not a viable option for her at the moment, which was why she had deliberately left Luke out of the story and lied to Cedric about how she got her injuries. Right now, exacting vengeance on Madeline was secondary to looking for someone to be on her side. She had broken her leg and her wrist, so there was no better time than the present for her to gain sympathy from others. All she needed was for Cedric to forgive her and start seeing her as his own sister again. Once he did, her life would take a turn for the better. Cedric''s heart twisted when he heard about the severity of her injuries. "Where are you now?" "At the hospital," Angie said, her voice evidently shaky from all the crying. "I miss you so much, Cedric. I''ve grown up with you in the Wendel household, and the Colts want nothing to do with me, especially Amelia. She hates my guts, and she''s always bossing me around the house. None of them even care that I''m lying here in the hospital with my broken leg and wrist. I''m all alone..." She broke into another round of sobbing. It was as if someone had plunged a dagger into his heart. Angie had been his sister and the apple of his eye for over twenty years. Being the only girl in the family, she had been showered with unconditional love from all her cousins and brothers, but now, she was suffering alone in the hospital with a broken wrist and leg with no one to care for her. He could only imagine how distressing this must be for her. Meanwhile, Angie knew Cedric well enough to manipte him. If she could get him to drop by the hospital to pay her a visit, then she could gain his sympathy and have him treat her like how he always had when she was still in the Wendel Family. Without wasting time, she told him the name and address of the hospital before saying, "Pleasee now, Cedric. I''m scared. I''ve never been alone in a hospital before. And don''t tell Mom and Dad about my condition; I don''t want them to worry." That wasn''t the truth, of course. She just didn''t want them to be furious when they found out that she had gotten in touch with Cedric; they would stop him from seeing her for sure. Cedric, on the other hand, was oblivious to this fact and merely assumed she was being considerate. Moved by how thoughtful she was of Michael and Crystal, he replied, "Got it. I promise I''ll drop by the hospital and not tell anyone a word about this." After the call ended, Angie set the phone aside and grew jittery with anticipation. The broken leg and wrist would be well worth it if she could get Cedric to side with her again. She started nning on what she would say to himter and what she could do to make the best out of this meeting. Just as she was getting antsy, Cedric finally showed up. She was so overwhelmed by his arrival that she was at a loss for words. If her leg were not broken, she would have leaped out of bed and into his arms, but as things were, she was confined to the bed. Hence, she could only stare at him with glistening eyes as she cried out, "Cedric!" A pained look shed across Cedric''s face when he saw her lying all by her lonesome in the hospital bed with her left leg in a cast. He quickly rushed up to her. "Angie!" "Cedric!" This time, her voice cracked, and she started crying as she watched him draw closer. He crouched down next to the bed and caressed her forehead tenderly. "You should have been more careful, Angie. How could you¡ª" A slow p sounded from the doorway, interrupting Cedric mid-sentence. Shocked, Cedric and Angie nced at the door, only to see Luke standing there pping his hands insouciantly. An amused smile tugged on his lips as he drawled sarcastically, "Well, aren''t you two just the most loving pair of siblings there is? I''m moved to tears." Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Angie was stunned to see Luke. Why was he here? Had he not done enough to her? What was he doing here?! "Who are you?" Cedric had never seen Luke in person before. With his hands in his pockets, Luke strutted over to Cedric in an elegant butnguid manner. "Let me introduce myself. I am Luke Adams, Maddie''s older brother." "Luke Adams? You are Luke?" While Cedric had never officially met Luke, he had heard of the man before. He knew that Madeline had two good friends and that they were brothers who studied and worked under Madeline''s master. However, it seemed that Madeline got into a fight with them, which led her to cut off all ties with the two brothers. While a lifetime was not forever, it was not short either. It was normal for people toe and leave each other''s lives. At first, Cedric did not care much about Madeline. Hence, he had already forgotten who exactly had told him about the Adams brothers. He did not think much of the matter either after he knew about it. It was why Luke''s sudden appearance and his obvious hostility bewildered Cedric. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, confused. How was it any of his business who Luke was to Madeline? What was with the passive-aggressive tone in Luke''s voice when he was the one to barge in out of nowhere? "Nothing much." Luke studied him from head to toe. "I heard Maddie found her biological family, so I am here to test if her new family was treating her well." "Are you crazy?" Cedric asked after a pause. "Yes, I am!" There was no anger in Luke''s eyes despite being called insane. His lips twitched upward in azy smile as he continued, "However, I am not as crazy as you. You have it much worse than I do." Cedric flew into a fit of rage. "What did you just say?" "It''s the truth," Luke solemnly said. "You are so crazy that youck brains. In fact, your condition is so bad that the doctor should be prescribing you pills to counter your stupidity!" Finally, Cedric understood what was going on. "Are you looking for a fight? What did I do to you? Why are you targeting me?" Luke scoffed. "You aren''t just stupid; you have no brain cells at all! After all that I have said, you still don''t get what I am angry about? Maddie is a smart girl. Why is she cursed with an idiot for a brother? I am starting to suspect the DNA test was wrong and she is not rted to the Wendels at all!" Angie was stunned to see Luke. Why was he here? "Just what is it you want?" Cedric was furious. "Luke Adams, nothing has happened between us. Stop with the lies! Another insult and I will not hold back anymore!" N?velDrama.Org content. "I never once insulted you. I was merely speaking the truth." Luke pointed to Angie who was on the bed behind Cedric. "Do you know why she''s stuck in bed?" Cedric turned to nce at Angie. Her face was pale. Lying on the bed, Angie was trembling hard with eyes filled to the brim with fear. "Why?" he asked with a frown. "She mistakenly thought I hated Maddie and tried to make me attack her," replied Luke. "No! You are lying!" she screeched. "I did not!" "Don''t listen to his lies, Cedric," she then said to her brother with panic in her eyes. "He''s crazy and a liar. I have never done that! I have done nothing!" Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, reaching her trembling lips. She looked so pitiful, but Cedric did not have time to be upset over that anymore. Luke was likely speaking the truth. After all, his parents had ordered him to cut off all contact with Angie. If Luke was not lying, then Angie was hospitalized because she tried to scheme against Madeline, which led to revenge from Luke. Despite all that, Cedric still snuck out behind his parents'' backs to visit Angie. If they found out, they would be exasperated. When he recalled how his mother had to be rushed into an operating theater because he angered her so much over what happened with Angie and Madeline, he shivered hard, breaking out in a cold sweat. There was not a single doubt in his mind that if that happened again, his father would actually disown him and chase him out of the family. "Is that the truth?" he asked Luke, fear rising in him. "What proof do you have?" "I don''t need proof." Luke smiled. "I don''t care if you believe it. I just wanted to know if you and Angie are truly close..." With a happy grin on his face, Luke waved the phone in his hand and continued, "I recorded everything just now, especially how you two were looking into each other''s eyes and holding hands while tears rolled down your cheeks. I will be showing the video to Maddieter. She will know who the best brother is once she watches it!" Luke knew Angie would contact the Wendels as soon as her leg was broken. Thus, he had been waiting outside to see who woulde running in concern. Maddie had married Sebastian because he was the biological father of Quincy and Joel. By that logic, Sebastian was now the closest person to Maddie because he was her husband. There was no way Luke could argue against that. However, when it came to the Wendels and the Taylors, he had to fight with them head-on! Previously, Maddie only had two brothers. Now, she had four more brothers. It was a threat to his ce in her heart. Although he was close to her, that did not negate the fact that Madeline was connected to Jonathan and the others by blood! What if she grew closer to the others after spending more time with them? He could not allow that to happen! He had to show Madeline that blood was not always thicker than water. As such, her biological brother might not be as good to her as the brother she grew up with. Finally, the moment he had been waiting for had arrived. He had only kidnapped Quincy and Joel because of Angie''s schemes. After everything that happened, Angie was now an enemy of Madeline. Even so, Cedric still cared about Angie! What did that mean? Was that not proof that the sister Cedric adored was Angie, not Madeline? In conclusion, biological siblings were nothing! None of Madeline''s biological brothers could love her as much as he did. Luke''s mind was filled with dreams and ns of his own, not realizing that he had identally struck Cedric''s Achilles heel. After all, Cedric''s parents had repeatedly ordered him to cut off all ties with Angie and to never contact her again. However, he went against those wishes and snuck out to Dusktown in order to visit her in the hospital. He would be dead if they knew what he did. His face was pale with shock. "Oh, and one more thing," Luke said with an expectant tone in his voice. "Angie did not fall down the stairs by ident. I forced her to jump. You adore her, don''t you? You want to avenge her, right? Well, come fight me!" he continued, thumping his chest with a fist, and holding his head high. It would be so much better if Cedric, the fool, actually fought him because of Angie. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Angie was Maddie''s enemy, but Cedric started a fight with him for Angie''s sake. He protected Maddie while Cedric protected Angie. In the future, Luke assumed he would be Maddie''s most cherished brother. As for Cedric, he would be nothing but a sore loser! This was awesome! Luke looked at Cedric with anticipation. Cedric''s beautiful eyes appeared to be shining, and the former wished that thetter would start a war with him in the next second. On the other hand, Cedric almost fainted out of anger. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Where did hee from? What a frivolous man¡­ He was so angry before he was stunned by Luke''s ridiculousness. Pointing at his nose, Cedric stammered but couldn''t think of anything to say. With that, he turned his head and asked Angie, "Is what he said true? You didn''t slip down the stairs but were forced to jump down?" Angie panicked because she did not expect this to happen. Luke was the one who forced her to jump down and that action caused her to break her wrist and leg. She was already in such a miserable state, yet he did not intend to let her go but came to the hospital to stir up trouble instead. She was not sure whether it would be better for her to continue lying or tell the truth. In desperation, she chose the former. A lie took a hundred lies toplete. On the contrary, telling the truth was less risky. Crying, Angie exined, "Cedric, it''s true that he forced me to jump down from the second floor, but what he mentioned about me plotting against Maddie isn''t true. I swear I didn''t do it!" "Oh? You didn''t plot against Maddie?" Luke raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "If you say so, then tell me. Why did I fly thousands of miles from Capitol toe here and force you to jump off the building? What is so special about you that deserves my attention?" "I don''t know... I don''t know how I offended you..." Angie cried and shook her head. "I know you and Maddie are childhood sweethearts, and you two are as close as siblings, but why would I be so foolish to plot against Maddie in front of you? I-I know that Maddie doesn''t like me, but I have left the Wendel Family and won''t interfere with Maddie''s affairs anymore..." "What do you mean?" Luke, who had been smiling all this time, instantly turned cold. Angie was Maddie''s enemy, but Cedric started a fight with him for Angie''s sake. He protected Maddie while Cedric protected Angie. In the future, Luke assumed he would be Maddie''s most cherished brother. As for Cedric, he would be nothing but a sore loser! This was awesome! "Are you implying that Maddie asked me to frame you? Get a mirror and just look at yourself! You''re worse than an animal! Why would Maddie even spare you a nce? She doesn''t have time to waste on you!" Angie cried and shook her head, hating him to the extreme. If only there were superpowers in this world! If there were superpowers in this world, she would definitely kill Luke, Madeline, Sebastian, those two little brats, and everyone in the Wendel Family! What did she do so wrong that all of them had to treat her so cruelly? Wasn''t it because she was not as lucky as Madeline to be born into a good family? Madeline Taylor! You darn witch! I swear I would end you! If she had known that this day woulde, she should have hired someone to kill Madeline ten years ago. At least, she would not be in the situation she was in today! Cedric stood on the spot nkly, feeling his hands and feet bing cold. He did not know what was going on, and he was supposed to believe in his younger sister, who grew up with him. He should have trusted his most beloved sister instead of that psychopath, Luke. However, his intuition told him that Luke was telling the truth. For no apparent reason, he believed Luke''s words. Angie contacted Luke and wanted to plot against Madeline, but it backfired. Not only did she fail to take Madeline down, she also infuriated Luke. Therefore, Luke retaliated against Angie, forcing her to jump off the floor, which caused her wrist and leg to be broken as a result. After that, Angie called Cedric andined to him. He believed her and felt bad for her. That was why he left work and took an overnight flight to visit her... If Luke had not waited in the hospital and showed up in time to tell the truth, Cedric might have stayed with Angie the whole time. Once her injuries got better, he would have taken her to his residence, provided her shelter, taken good care of her, pampered her as he did before, and treated her like his precious little princess¡­ If his parents found out about this, they would definitely be enraged. Getting scolded was considered a light punishment because if he made his mother sick again, his father and brother were never going to forgive him. "Angie, how¡­ how did you turn into someone like this?" Cedric looked at Angie in disbelief. "I understand that you feel aggrieved because others call you a selfish person who took someone else''s ce, and it''s not your will that you''ve been switched during birth, so you are innocent, but it is a fact that you''ve indulged yourself in the wealth that should have belonged to Maddie for more than twenty years. You should feel bad for her instead. How could you treat her as an enemy and plot against her?" "I didn''t! Cedric, you have to believe me. I really did not do that!" Angie shook her head desperately. "I have returned to the Colt Family, so there is nothing between me and Maddie anymore. Why would I plot against her? I didn''t do that. Please, trust me!" If Cedric did not believe her, she would be doomed. At this moment, she regretted it. She should not have asked Luke for help. Back when she was outside the prison, she saw how affectionate Michael and Crystal were to Madeline, and when Madeline lived a happier life than her, she got jealous to the point of hatred. She could not help wanting to do something to ruin Madeline and kill her! Angie''s emotions had taken control of her when she contacted Luke. However, her plot backfired. She had long known that Luke was a lunatic, so why did she pin her hope on Luke to plot against Madeline? Now, it was not Madeline who was destroyed, but Angie herself. If Cedric believed Luke, it would be difficult for her to gain his trust again in the future. "I really want to believe you..." Cedric looked at her with aplicated gaze as he uttered softly, "But Angie, I can''t..." He sincerely wanted to believe Angie to justify his foolish actions. However, he could not. His reasoning told him that what Luke said was the truth. After the incident with Nichs, Angie let him down once again. Taking a deep breath, Cedric turned to leave the ward. "Cedric, where are you going?" Angie cried and called out to him. "Please, don''t go! Cedric, don''t go! I''m Angie, your dearest sister! My wrists and legs hurt so much. Being in the hospital alone is scary. Cedric, please! Stay with me, please¡­ Cedric..." Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Cedric paused when he heard Angie cry out. However, it was only for a brief moment before he left the room without even looking back at her. Angie had yed him for a fool once more. This was not the Angie he knew. Despite her pleas and cries, he felt no distress. He did not wish to see her again. All he wanted was some peace and quiet. After leaving the hospital, he headed into a random bar and ordered some drinks. Even so, the more he tried to drink his sorrows away, the greater his sorrows. As he grew more morose after some drinks, he gave into the urge to call his friend. He called his very best friend, the friend he shared every secret with. With a little liquid courage in him, he told his friend everything, never once holding back for fear of beingughed at. After he was done with his rambling, he took a swig of his drink and asked in confusion, "Say, why is Angie like this now? She was so nice back then; beautiful, mature, and loved by everyone. Why is she now... apletely different person?" On the other side of the phone call, Jeremy Dobias, the best friend who was ying therapist at the moment, patiently listened to every word Cedric said before letting out a chuckle. "Do you want the truth?" "Obviously!" Cedric barked out. "Why would I call you if I don''t want the truth?" "The truth may not be pretty," said Jeremy. "Frankly speaking, we don''t really like Angie. You are the only one with rose-tinted sses, thinking that she was the most perfect being on earth." "Why?" asked Cedric. "Why don''t you guys like her? Why did none of you mention anything?" This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. "Everyone knows your whole world revolves around your sister," Jeremy said with a scoff. "It would cause unnecessary trouble if we criticized her since we all knew you adored her. On top of that, we like you. Even if we do not like her, we would tolerate her for your sake. She is your sister, after all. We can just stay away from her just because we dislike her. Hence, we did not need to bad-mouth her to you." There was a long moment of silence. Cedric was at a loss for words. "Cedric, listen to me. Since Angie is not your real sister, stay away from her. Was it not bad enough that she infuriated your mother so much that she had to be rushed into an operating theater? Why are you still in contact with her?" Jeremy solemnly advised. "Angie is an adult now. She has her own life to live. No one is responsible for her future. Since your parents do not want you to be in contact with her, just cut off all ties. Your parents gave you life and raised you. What has Angie ever done for you? Why must you go against your beloved parents just for her?" Cedric paused when he heard Angie cry out. However, it was only for a brief moment before he left the room without even looking back at her. Cedric could not argue against that logic. "I understand," Cedric eventually said in a glum tone. "This will be thest time..." Jeremy sighed. "Hopefully." He knew just how sentimental Cedric could be. As a friend, that was something he admired about Cedric. After all, no one wanted a cold-hearted friend. While it was not wrong to be soft-hearted, he did not agree with hurting one''s own parents over an adopted sibling who only cared about herself. Hence, it was not wrong for Cedric to be attached to Angie. However, he was an idiot to do so! Hopefully, Cedric would learn a lesson from this incident and stop acting like a fool. After hanging up on Jeremy, Cedric was no longer in the mood to drink. His mind wandered to his parents, particrly his mother. Crystal forbade him to contact Angie ever again, but he snuck out behind her back to visit Angie in Dusktown. Now, he was stuck in a dilemma; should he sneak back home, or should he confess his sins so that his parents could prepare for what would happen? It was not easy to take the first step and admit fault. His parents might be angry, or they might look at him with intense disappointment shimmering in their eyes. The possibility was so upsetting that he wished he could be a coward and sneak back to Wendel City as if nothing had happened. After some thought, he did not dare to do so. If he did not confess to his parents, and they found out from other people, he would be in greater trouble then. If that led to his mother falling sick from anger, his father and brothers would beat him up. However, what he was most afraid of was their disappointment. He could not bear to live with the disappointment. After spending a lot of time thinking it over, he finally decided to tell his parents the truth. After all, he now realized his wrongdoings. If he spun his story carefully while confessing his sins, his mother might not fall sick from anger. With his mind made up, he left the bar and drove to his parent''s home. Throughout the journey, his mind kept ying out the oues of his possible actions. He eventually settled for the method that would least likely anger them. Crystal and Michael were surprised to see him. "Why are you here, Cedric?" asked Michael. "Oh, nothing. I just missed you guys, so I came to visit." Cedric frowned when he saw Crystal. "Mom, why do you look so pale?" "She has a slight fever," Michael answered as he raised a hand to her forehead. "She was burning up yesterday, but she has recovered a little now." "Why didn''t you tell me you were sick?" Cedric sat down by her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Where does it hurt? Have you gone for a check-up?" "I''m fine." Crystal tilted her head and scanned his face. "Why did youe here so abruptly? Is everything alright?" The look in her eyes made him feel so guilty. "Something minor happened," he replied, rubbing his nose with a finger. "Well?" Her eyes bore into him. "What happened?" "You have to promise me first that you won''t be angry!" Cedric cried in a pleading voice. "I identally made a small mistake, but I''ve realized how wrong I was. I promise I will never do it again. I am here to confess my sins to you guys. I am sorry and I will ept any punishment. However, you cannot get angry, Mom!" "Fine. I will not get angry," she immediately said in agreement as she stroked his head. "Don''t be afraid of mistakes. As long as you repent and actively apologize for it, we will always help you in dealing with any mistakes you make." "You''re the best, Mom!" Cedric wrapped his arms tightly around Crystal. "You are an adult now. Why are you still so childish?" she said with augh as she pushed him away. "No matter how old I am, I will always be your son." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "As such, I will forever be a kid when I''m around you." Sheughed. "You''re so sweet today. You must have done something really bad. Tell us, what did you do?" "I..." Cedric gritted his teeth and told her everything about what happened with Angie. Before Michael or Crystal could respond, he hugged her tightly and pleaded, "I''m sorry, Mom. I know I should have listened to you and Dad. I know I made a mistake by getting fooled by Angie once more. I will ept any punishment you have for me, but you cannot get angry. If you fall sick because of anger, I would be considered a bad son. People will insult me until the day I die. You love me, right? Surely, you would not want your son to be called a bad son." Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Michael and Crystal were furious after they heard what had happened, but they couldn''t bring themselves to stay mad at Cedric after his sincere apology, so they directed their rage at Angie instead. At the same time, they were worried about Madeline. Crystal reached for the phone immediately as she said, "I have to call Maddie right now. Heaven knows what Luke had done to her!" Crystal had been down with a cold for thest few days. Not wanting Madeline and the children to catch the virus, she called and told them not to visit until she was better, but she certainly did not expect Angie to make a move in this short span of time. Presently, the other line picked up on the second beep, and Crystal quickly pressed, "Maddie, are you and the boys alright?" "Hey, Mom. Yeah, we''re fine," Madeline answered, a little confused. "Why''d you ask, Mom? Did something happen?" "Cedric told us what happened with Luke," Crystal exined. "ording to him, Luke only came to Dusktown to look for you after Angie got in touch with him. Did he hurt you?" "There was a minor incident," Madeline confessed. "But it''s over now." Hearing this, Crystal bristled and probed anxiously, "What did he do to you? Did he hurt you or the boys?" Had Crystal remained oblivious to the incident, Madeline would continue keeping it from her just so she wouldn''t get upset or angry over it. However, now that Crystal had found out about it and was asking for an exnation, she saw no point in lying to her. Besides, she did not n on covering for Angie either¡ªnot when the girl was the one who started the whole thing. As such, Madeline recounted the whole thing with brevity while Crystal listened grimly on the other end of the phone. When she heard that Luke had kidnapped Quincy and Joel, she practically burst into mes. Seething with rage, she eximed, "How could he do that to the kids? They''re only so young! Oh, they must have been so scared!" "Actually, they held up a lot better than I thought," Madeline said catingly. "Mom, the boys are fine. Don''t worry. Are you and Dad free this evening? If you are, I''ll bring Aldo and Buddy over for dinner." She could tell just by the way Crystal sounded that thetter was out of her mind with panic. Crystal would probably not be able to rest easy until she had examined Quincy and Joel personally and concluded that they were fine. "No, don''t trouble yourself," Crystal said wearily. "Your father and I have an errand to run, but I''ll call you as soon as our schedule frees up. You can bring the kids over then." She had run a fever just yesterday, and she would hate herself if the kids caught whatever bug she had. Children were more susceptible to viruses after all, so she figured it was safer for them to visit on the weekend. Michael and Crystal were furious after they heard what had happened, but they couldn''t bring themselves to stay mad at Cedric after his sincere apology, so they directed their rage at Angie instead. "Okay, got it," Madeline replied obligingly. Then, she reassured her mother, "Don''t worry, the kids and I are just fine. Luke apologized to me as well. I''ll introduce you to Luke and Logan sometime. You''ll see that they''re good people. They helped me out a ton when I was a child, and I''ve always been grateful for them." "I''m so sorry, Maddie..." Crystal''s nose prickled as tears sprang to her eyes. She pped a hand over her mouth as her voice cracked. "It''s all my fault that I could not protect you. If only..." If only that witch Cameron had not taken you away from us, and if only you''d grown up by my side, then you''d never have hung around the likes of Luke. Subsequently, Aldo and Buddy would not have been kidnapped. Granted, the incident was without any foul y, but she could imagine how terrified and anxious Madeline must have been when Luke kidnapped Quincy and Joel. She could rte to that fear, and her heart broke for her daughter. "Mom, we''re fine now, and everything''s over. There''s nothing for you to be worried about, okay?" Madeline went on to say soothingly. They chatted on the phone for about half an hour more before Crystal reluctantly hung up. Having ended the call, she wasted no time in asking around for Amelia''s contact, then called the woman. As soon as the call got through, Crystal introduced herself, and Amelia lit up on the other line immediately. She was about tounch into a round of niceties when she heard Crystal bite out icily, "Mrs. Colt, now that Angie is living under your roof as your daughter, it is your duty to discipline her and guide her instead of letting her hurt and plot against others. If I hear about another incident like this, I swear I''ll have all of you pay for it!" With that, Crystal did not bother waiting for Amelia to speak before she hung up. Amelia was admittedly stunned by this out-of-the-blue warning, not to mention affronted by it. But she was in no position to trifle with the Wendels or the Taylors, and she wasn''t bold enough to call Crystal back and hurl abuse her way either. As a result, all her anger was centered on Angie, and she beckoned for her bodyguard. "Go and look into what Angie has done this time!" The bodyguard did as he was told while Amelia took her rage out on the ornaments in the living room. She was furious that Crystal could talk to her the way she had just because she had money and power, both of which Amelia was sorelycking. Angie was raised by the Wendels, so it was really their fault that she ended up being so problematic. What right did Crystal have to call me and threaten me like that? I''m just a stepmom to that wench; I neither raised her nor birthed her, so why should I have to clean up her mess? Unfortunately, she could not say such things to Crystal, not while Cameron was Xander''s ex-wife. The Wendels had Cameron locked up behind bars, and they probably hated Xander as well. If Amelia were to mess with Crystal or rub her wrong, then the Taylors and the Wendels might work together to destroy the Colts and the Evanstons as revenge. Even with their assetsbined, the Colts and the Evanstons were no match for the Wendels, let alone for the formidable Taylors. The unspoken rules of high society forced Amelia to swallow this insult instead of confronting Crystal about it. She ended up simmering in her own fury and humiliation at home, though she only grew angrier with every passing second. She ended up breaking the teacups on the coffee table just to vent out her frustration. Her bodyguard was efficient, and he soon returned with details of what Angie had been up to recently. ording to the intel, Angie had been forced to leap off the second floor of a cafe by the second young master of Capitol''s most prominent family, and Amelia grew extremely grim at this. Capitol was one of the top few most developed cities in the country, and the most prominent family there could easily trample her family and the Colts into non-existence. If the second scion of that family had a bone to pick with Angie, there was no telling he wouldn''t decide to turn his missiles on the Colts or the Evanstons next. That will be the end of our families. We''ll be obliterated alongside Angie! Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The thought of this scared Amelia, and she quickly ordered her bodyguard, "Go pack up all of Angie''s things and drop them off at the hospital. Tell her that the Colts will no longer have anything to do with her. She''s just as diabolical as her mother, and our home has no ce for someone like her. From now onward, she is officially cut off from the Colt Family!" "Yes, ma''am," the bodyguard said, then turned to walk out of the living room so that he could pack up Angie''s things. "Wait!" Amelia called out to him. "Tell the security guards at the neighborhood entrance that our family has nothing to do with Angie anymore. Hence, she is no longer a resident here. If they even let her step foot into the neighborhood, I''ll be sure to have a word with them!" Chapter 214 Chapter 214 The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, ma''am. I''ll get to it right away." Amelia watched her bodyguard leave, and she cheered up considerably now that she could finally throw Angie out of the Colt household. She detested the girl, who had been a thorn in her side, ever since the Wendels dropped her off here. There were plenty of asions where Amelia thought about sending Angie away, but the Wendels had told her to take good care of the wench, and she was not stupid enough to go against their word. She dared not so much asy a finger on Angie either. It was only after she had seen the cold shoulder Michael and Crystal had given Angie the other day outside the prison that she started showing contempt for the girl. Furthermore, the confrontational phone call from Crystal today gave Amelia a good reason to throw Angie out of the house. Nothing tops the feeling of being able to get rid of a parasitic intruder, she thought happily. Meanwhile, Amelia''s bodyguard carried out his orders impably. Having packed up Angie''s things, he went over to the hospital and found her room, then dropped her things off at the foot of her bed as he said curtly, "Miss Wendel, Madam Colt has asked that I leave your things here, and she also said that you should return to your biological mother, given how you have inherited her despicable ways. The Colts will no longer have anything to do with you, so please refrain from associating yourself with their good name from now on." Angiey astonished in bed as she snapped, "How dare youe in here and spew such nonsense!" "I''m not spewing nonsense," the bodyguard replied stoically. "I''m merely conveying Madam Colt''s intentions. All your things have been packed up into these bags here, and your ess to the neighborhood has officially been withdrawn. Save yourself the humiliation and don''t return to the Colt Residence." He did not bother to spare her a second nce before walking out of the room. "Hey! Stop right there! I said, stop!" Angie shrieked. The bodyguard ignored her and hurried out of the room. In the midst of her shouting, she identally tore her wounds, and the searing pain made her break out in cold sweat as she forced herself to lie still on the bed. She was trembling from the anger that coursed through her, and she thought she might go crazy. She couldn''t believe the Colts actually threw her out of the house. What am I going to do? While living with the Colts hadn''t exactly been all rainbows and sunshine, their home was in a reputable neighborhood, and they had bodyguards and maids as well. Being Xander''s daughter meant Angie would still be part of high society as the youngdy of the Colt Family, but it seemed like that identity of hers was taken away as well. She would have nowhere to go once the hospital released her. The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, ma''am. I''ll get to it right away." She had neither fortune nor property under her name. She would have to rent a ce somewhere dodgy and kiss the mor that came with being a youngdy of nobility goodbye. I''ll be homeless, she thought, mortified. How did I end up like this? Shey in bed and let the agony and hopelessness wash over her. She would rather die than live a penniless life, but the idea of death scared her, and she could not bring herself to die in such a miserable state. Where did I go wrong? Angie couldn''t understand why her life was in shambles while Madeline''s was only getting better with time. She stole everything from me! My life, my happiness¡ªI''ll destroy her and take back what is rightfully mine! ¡­ Meanwhile, over at Mansion, Luke was holding his phone up in front of Madeline to show her the video he had taken of Cedric and Angie in the hospital. "See, Maddie, the only sister Cedric cares about is Angie. You should stay away from him for your own good. When will you realize that Logan and I are the only ones who truly care about you?" Madeline gave him a withering look. "Should I be concerned that you''re seemingly obsessed with Angie? Are you okay?" "I''m perfectly fine," Luke said lightheartedly as he stretched out on the couch like a cat that just had a full lunch. "Why wouldn''t I be when I can freeload off my brother? I can do whatever I like whenever I want, even if it''s nothing. You know what, doing nothing is officially my goal in life. I strive to do nothing! I shall survive on my vast family fortune, which willst me a lifetime if I don''t gamble it away." Upon hearing this, Madeline rolled her eyes in exasperation and said, "Okay, whatever. As long as you''re happy." "I''ll be happy if you promise you won''t have any brothers except for Logan and me," Luke countered. She gaped at him. "What are you, four? Because that''s exactly what you sound like¡ªa four-year-old kid." "What''s wrong with that?" he asked, challenging her. "Kids have all the fun anyway. Not to mention, they aren''t as pretentious as adults are." Hearing his words, Madeline made no response. More urately, she couldn''t find the words to argue with him. "Remember, Maddie, sometimes blood doesn''t run thicker than water. None of those biological brothers of yours are as reliable as Logan and me. We''re the best siblings you could ever ask for, got that? Just to prove it to you, I even brought you gifts!" Luke sat up and produced a small box before tipping it forward as all its content slowly poured onto the coffee table. The box was an ornate jewelry box that contained multitudes of essories studded with rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, and crystals. Some of these jewelry even had price tags on them, and despite the shocking number of zeroes on those tags, Luke was treating these jewelry like toys by scattering the pile with his fingers, spreading them out on the table as he said proudly, "Look at what I got you, Maddie! These are just half of what I actually bought; the rest of them are still in a safe in Capitol, but I''ll bring them over the next time I visit." Ever since he and his brother had taken back the family fortune and started honing careers for themselves, they were practically rolling in money. With his newfound money, Luke couldn''t resist buying fancy jewelry and other odds and bobs that were favored by women for Madeline, and he kept them in the safe. While he and Madeline had not been on talking terms when he bought those gifts, he knew that they were meant for them, and he would rather keep them in a safe than give them away to others. Fortunately for him, it all panned out quite well, and he could now openly buy whatever he wanted for her. Madeline, on the other hand, wasrgely unimpressed by the jewelry when she first saw them, but when she heard that Luke had more of them in Capitol, her heart warmed, and she was almost moved to tears. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She was like a sister to Luke, and knowing him, he did not have any girlfriends either to splurge on. As such, the jewelry could be meant for no one other than Madeline, even though they had stopped talking for a time. It was testimony that he still cared for her and thought about her every now and then. Madeline was admittedly touched to know how much she meant to Luke. For a huge part of her life, she was deprived of familial affection. "Luke," she called out softly, her voice sweet. "You shouldn''t have gotten me all this. You know I hardly use jewelry, and you really ought to consider budgeting even if you have money to spare. You can always buy property or something. Wouldn''t want the vtile market to catch you off-guard and leave you floundering, would you?" "Pfft, you worry too much. My strategic mind is unaffected by market vtility." He tapped his temple as if to make a point. "As long as the wheels in my head keep turning, I''ll always find a way to make money. Besides, if therees a day when I am rendered a fool, having money won''t be of much help to me, will it?" A grim look passed over Madeline''s face. "You think you''re so clever with your witty humor and your nonchnce, right? You just won''t listen to sense even if it''s good for you!" Luke panicked when he saw that he had truly gotten on her nerves and quickly said, "Okay, okay! Whatever you say goes. I''ll buy property as you asked me to, but only if you allow me to keep buying jewelry for you too. You know I can''t help myself. How about it?" Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Madeline shook her head, but just as she was about to say something, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she called out. The door opened to reveal a beautiful youngdy standing there. "Leigh, you''re back!" Madeline''s eyes lit up at the sight of the girl, and she rose to walk over to the door to greet her. Leigh Shefford was one of the only two girls who worked for Madeline. Each member in Madeline''s team of ten had their own skill set, and Leigh''s happened to be her medical prowess. She was a doctor and secretly a medical prodigy with quite an impressive portfolio. A while ago, someone engaged her for the treatment of a scion from Oaksbury. She had called Madeline yesterday to inform her that she would return now that the job was done, but thetter hadn''t expected her to arrive so soon. Presently, Leigh was beaming as she walked through the door and gave Madeline a tight hug in greeting. Luke sat on the couch in the same manner as one imagined an invertebrate might and pursed his lips unhappily while narrowing his eyes when he saw the two girls hugging. He hated when others got too close to Madeline, but seeing as he knew Leigh, he decided to brush this incident off, albeit begrudgingly. After all, Leigh did not know Madeline for as long as he had, and their bond was not quite as deep, either. That said, the only thing she had going for her was her gender. Where Luke could only settle for just dining with Madeline, Leigh could do all the girly things with her like bunking in together and using the same restroom. For that, Luke had to admit he was jealous of Leigh. Meanwhile, Leigh kept in touch with Madeline regrly despite being away on business, and she was told of Luke and Logan visiting town. As such, she wasn''t all that surprised to see the younger Adams brother sitting in Madeline''s office right now. Smiling, she greeted, "Hey, Luke." Luke hummedzily in response, not at all enthusiastic or friendly. Leigh thought this was expected behavior on his part and didn''t mind his indifference in the slightest. Following this, Madeline led Leigh by the hand to the couch. They caught each other up on all the recent happenings in their lives, and the conversation seemed endless. While they were talking, Luke listened in disinterest as he remained sprawled on the couch, interjecting whenever he caught something interesting. Though he was interjecting, in reality, he was merely offering unnecessarily scathing input that nobody asked for. However, Leigh and Madeline went on talking in spite of his ruthlessmentary. The former, in particr, was dumbfounded by how persistent he was, but she pretended as if he never spoke, knowing that he was infuriating on purpose. Madeline, on the other hand, would turn and shoot him a dark re when she felt he had crossed the line with his words, but he seemed to take this as a triumph instead of feeling ashamed about it. In fact, he even looked pleased. He was so exasperating that it was a miracle he had gone this long without suffering a well-deserved beating from anyone. Madeline shook her head, but just as she was about to say something, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she called out. Just like that, she and Leigh continued to ignore Luke throughout the conversation. He was like a petnt child whenever he was around Madeline, and the more attention you paid him, the rowdier he got. The best solution was to turn a blind eye to his existence entirely, and it wasn''t so much about discouraging him from butting in as it was about preserving Madeline''s sanity. The conversation took an interesting turn when each woman started taking out their phones to show the other pictures they had taken. Leigh was showing off hertest client''s before-and-after pictures. "Take a look, Maddie. What do you think? Pretty good job, huh?" Madeline assessed the young man in the picture and approved, "Indeed." Leigh''s client this time was a scion named Gabriel Vanderbilt. The photo had captured his delicately- chiseled features and innate elegance. In other words, it wasn''t hard to tell that he was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was handsome too and his fine looks rivaled those of any A-list celebrities. Bumping her shoulder against Leigh''s yfully, Madeline asked, "Come on, spill the beans. Did anything naughty happen between you and Young Master Vanderbilt while you were staying with him for a whole month?" "Nothing happened between us at all, much less anything naughty," Leigh answered with augh. "Besides, his family is so messed up. I''d have to be out of my mind to sign up for that wild ride." "That''s true," Madeline said with a sigh. "Prolific families like the Vanderbilts are always polished on the outside but rotten within." Whatever went down at the Vanderbilts'' had been reported back to Madeline. Gabriel had fallen sick some time ago. He had been particrly susceptible to illnesses since he was a baby, but his condition worsened after his own sister began to poison him bit by bit. He had a close friend, Oliver Sinir, whom his sister, Samantha Vanderbilt, had a crush on. However, her affections were never reciprocated by Oliver, and he avoided her just to keep her from misreading his intentions. While he did not return Samantha''s feelings, he was the best of friends with Gabriel, and he would often stay at the Vanderbilts'' ce whenever thetter got sick. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Gabriel''s feeble disposition had caused the Vanderbilt cousins to vie for his position as the sessor to the family, and they would grow restless whenever he fell sick, eager to prove themselves. But the Sinirs were much more formidable than the Vanderbilts, and with Oliver around to back Gabriel up, none of the cousins dared make a move. Samantha, however, saw her brother''s condition as an opportunity for her to seduce Oliver. Anytime Gabriel fell ill, Oliver would move in. She had hoped that over time, he would take notice of her or even seekfort in her presence. Thereafter, he could start developing feelings for her. She was confident that he would fall in love with her at some point, but it would require a lot of time and she was willing to borrow time at her brother''s expense. Samantha went on to keep Gabrielpany day after day just so she could spend time with Oliver, but for some reason, Gabriel''s condition kept deteriorating, and none of his usual medication worked no matter how much of it he took. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Gabriel''s parents were already at their wits'' end when they heard through the grapevine that Leigh specialized in odd andplex medical cases. As such, they paid big bucks to have her move in with them so that she could treat their son. It didn''t take long after that for Leigh to discover Samantha''s plot and call her out on it. At first, Gabriel''s parents wanted to cover this up and send their daughter abroad for her studies, hoping that the incident would die down in her absence. Much to their astonishment, Oliver called the police as soon as he learned the truth, so Samantha was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment. With Oliver keeping an eye on the case, none of thewyers Gabriel''s parents had hired for Samantha was of much help. In the end, Samantha was made to serve a long sentence in prison, and even if she was released on good behavior, it would only be after she had served at least five years'' worth of jail time for attempted murder. "Sick, right?" Leigh sighed, and she sounded jaded as she said, "How will we ever have faith in humanity again if we keep getting jobs like these? It''s disgusting that someone could do something so despicable to their own family." Madeline nodded, then pulled up photos on her phone and changed the subject to lighten the mood. "Here, this is a family photo I took with my parents, my brothers, and my two uncles back at Wendel City." "Oh, let me see!" Leigh excitedly leaned over to take a closer look. She scanned Madeline''s family photo earnestly, but suddenly, the smile on her face froze as she stared at one of the figures. Grimly, she asked while pointing to the figure, "Maddie, who''s that?" She was pointing at Holly. "That''s my Aunt Holly," Madeline replied. She tilted her head to one side when she sensed the other girl''s mood shift. "Leigh, what''s the matter?" Chapter 216 Chapter 216 "Maddie..." Leigh did not take her eyes off the picture of Holly as she muttered, "I guess I never told you how I became an orphan, huh?" Everyone in Mansion were orphans, including Madeline previously. There were a handful of lost children who had never known kinship in their lives, and Leigh was no different. She had kept her life story vague and told Madeline she had no parents or other rtives to care for her while growing up, but she never did say how her parents had died. Could Holly have something to do with it? Madeline thought after seeing how Leigh had reacted to the photo earlier. "It''s her," Leigh said as if confirming Madeline''s suspicions. She pointed once more at Holly''s figure in the photo and said, "It was her and another man who killed my parents!" There was unmistakable hatred in each word she bit out. A chill ran down Madeline''s spine when she heard this. She pointed at George''s figure next to Holly in the picture and pressed worriedly, "Is he the man you''re referring to?" Leigh shook her head. "No." Madeline heaved a sigh of relief, but she was still anxious as she asked, "Are you sure?" This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. "A hundred percent," Leigh said through gritted teeth. "I will never forget what they look like. I still dream of them every now and then. The man resembles this woman. Their faces are burned into the back of my mind." "The woman''s name is Holly Baker, and she''s married to my Uncle George." Madeline asked softly, "Are you sure she was one of the two people who killed your parents?" "Definitely!" Leigh looked like she wanted to poke a hole through the screen where Holly''s face was. "She even has the same mole right here, just along her upper lip line. I remember it as clear as day. She could have been reduced to ashes and I''d still remember exactly what her face looked like!" Her fingertips were shaking as unbridled hatred and fury coursed through her. Madeline put her arm around the girl''s shoulders and asked softly, "Leigh, how did they kill your parents?" "My parents died in a car ident. It was this woman and that other man who killed them." Leigh had her gaze fixed on Holly, as if staring at the photo of her made her borate better. "I was only six that year, and my mom was pregnant with her second child. My parents brought me out on the day of the ident, and we went shopping. We came out of the mall and used the pedestrian crossing to get to the parking lot across the road, but that was when a car ran the red light. It came hurtling toward us, and I would have been hit had my dad not pushed me and my mom out of the way. In the end, he couldn''t dodge the car in time, and it knocked into him and sent him flying..." She took a deep, shaky breath as if to keep from crying, but fat teardrops started to fall from her eyes. "Maddie..." Leigh did not take her eyes off the picture of Holly as she muttered, "I guess I never told you how I became an orphan, huh?" The sounds and images from the scene of the ident came rushing back to her all at once. She could still remember the way her father had been sent flying, then fell in a trajectory beforending on the ground with a loud thud. She remembered her mother crying out her father''s name, and how he had responded by spitting out a mouthful of blood. She saw herself falling to the ground, a helpless toddler who could only watch as her father coughed up blood onto the road next to him. He couldn''t even utter a word. "Oh, Leigh..." Madeline whispered sadly, tightening her arm around the girl''s shoulders. "A man and a woman¡ªthis woman in the photo right here¡ªcame down from the car," Leigh continued, viscerally angry as she jabbed a finger at Holly''s picture. "And they ran over to my dad. When they saw how badly hurt he was, the man turned and immediately got into the car, and the woman followed him. My mom managed to grab hold of that man and begged him to save my father and to take him to the hospital, but he refused. He shoved my mom, but she clung to him fiercely and kept begging for him to help. Then, that woman came up to my mom and pried her hand off the man, shoving her to the ground." She clenched her fists as her eyes turned red. "My mom was pregnant at the time, and I could tell how much pain she was in after the woman pushed her to the ground. She was holding onto her belly and she couldn''t get up, but that was when the nightmare happened. The man and the woman got back into the car. He drove the car forward and ran my mom over." "What the hell?" Madeline''s eyes widened in shock. "How could he do such a thing? What was that dirtbag thinking?" "They''re animals, I tell you," Leigh said ferociously in a cracking voice. "My mom and dad died not long after. I remember crying while I crawled over to their lifeless bodies. I shouted for them to wake up, but they didn''t. A passer-by ended up calling the police for me, and when the police arrived, it didn''t take them long to catch the culprit, but you know what? Maddie, they¡ª" She broke off as she finally looked away from the photo and met Madeline''s concerned gaze. There was a sad curve to her lips, and she looked like she was about to fall apart even as she said in the midst of a dryugh, "The man they caught wasn''t even the same guy who ran my parents over! They caught somebody else instead." "You mean, the guy found someone else to take the me?" Madeline asked. "Yeah." Leigh nodded. "That was exactly what he did, and the impostor pleaded guilty to all the charges. When the police told me it was that impostor who killed my parents, I denied it and insisted that it was someone else, but they brushed it off and told me I was too young to know for sure, and that I had probably mistaken another man for the real culprit." "I can''t believe they just invalidated you like that!" Madeline was belligerent, and her face was flushed as she pointed out, "That''s a load of bull!" "Oh, you''d think that would be the end of it, but no!" Leigh shook her head and added in frustration, "My grandmother died before my parents got married, so my grandfather was all I had left, and he took the news of my parents'' passing hard. The police might not have believed me, but my grandfather did, and he went around broadcasting the truth. He did all he could to raise awareness of this cover-up, but then..." Atst, the sob that she had been holding back finally escaped her. She dug her nails so deep into her palms that the skin tore. "But then one day, when my grandfather was out, he got run down by a car. The police imed it was an ident, but a voice in my head told me not to believe that." She tipped her head back and stared at the ceiling stubbornly to keep her tears from falling. "Maddie, I''ve kept all these to myself for years, and the memories haunted me every day, refusing to leave me alone. When I got older, I finally understood that my grandfather did not die from some freak ident; he was silenced forever. I didn''t fully understand it back then. I mean, I was only six, and I didn''t know what I was supposed to know at that age." "Leigh..." Madeline was at a loss for words. All she could do was hold the girl in her arms and dry her tears. "Go on, cry it out. It must have been so painful for you to have bottled this up for years on end." Leigh tried smiling, but she couldn''t bring herself to, and it only made her tears fall faster. "I was only so young, and at the age of six, I had no idea what was going on around me, and I couldn''t do anything either. I was orphaned all of a sudden, and the police sent me to an orphanage. After that, I was adopted, and I thought I would get to start a new life in a new home, but the man who took me in was a maniac with violent tendencies. One day, I ran away and met my master. He saved me, and I stayed with him from then on. When he knew his time was up, he couldn''t bear to leave me all alone in this world, so he sent me over to your master''s ce and had him take care of me instead." Madeline wasn''t sure if there was anything she could say that would make Leigh feel better. In the end, she murmured helplessly, "Oh, Leigh, you poor thing..." With a deep breath, Leigh added, "After that, I grew up and I figured out a lot of things. The memories of my parent''s and my grandfather''s idents became clearer over time too. You know what, Maddie..." Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Leigh turned to look at Madeline and continued tearfully, "All these years, I went wherever my master went. After he passed, I came to Mansion to take on all kinds of clients and go anywhere they wanted me to just so I could finally track down the people who killed my parents!" She shook her head with a self-mocking expression. "But the world is full of ces to hide, and I couldn''t find the man no matter where I went or what I did, until now..." She nced down at Madeline''s family photo, and when she spoke again, her voice was like ice. "The universe pulled through for me, and I guess one can run but only so far, right? I''ve found the woman who was with the murderer! I''ve found her atst, and I''m going to kill her!" She stood up abruptly, and she would have barreled out the door had Madeline not held her back. "Whoa there, Leigh! Let''s not be rash about this! Killing someone is a serious offense. I can''t have you throw your life away like that!" "I''m not afraid of dying, Maddie," Leigh replied with a terrifyingly calm voice. "I''m living now just so I can avenge my parents and grandfather. An eye for an eye, and I must kill the murderers with my own hands! I could care less about my own life!" "Leigh, listen to me," Madeline said, still holding onto the girl. "I just told you that the woman in the picture is my Aunt Holly. My uncle, who is her husband, is only second to my mom in the Taylor Family, and he has power and money. Being his missus means getting around town in a fancy car and an entourage of bodyguards. She''s unassable!" With that, she tugged Leigh back onto the couch and said patiently. "Think about it, Leigh. What if your n goes awry and you get charged with attempted murder? She would still be able to go around town pretending to be guilt-free, but what about you? You''d be a suspect." Upon hearing this, Leigh took several deep breaths, and her mind finally cleared. "You''re right, Maddie. You''re absolutely right. I shouldn''t be impulsive and strike without thinking. I''ve been waiting for this day for over a dozen years, and waiting a while longer wouldn''t make a difference. I ought toe up with the perfect n where I can execute that wretched woman within seconds!" Madeline gaped at her, and for a while, she wasn''t sure how she should respond to her friend''s bloodlust. "Uh, Leigh, maybe we should put that n on hold. In fact, we should forget about any n that would end up with you being thrown behind bars for taking thew into your hands. How about if we just call the police and tell them what happened? We can find the bestwyers in the city to represent you and re-open the case, okay? The culprits will be sent to prison, and your parents will get the justice they deserved." "Prison? And then what?" Leigh gave her an incredulous look as she tilted her head to the side. "The case is over a decade old, and any evidence the police collected then would be gone by now. Let''s just say for argument''s sake that they do find new evidence on the case, what will happen then? We send these crooks to jail for a couple of years even though they literally took the lives of my loved ones? Who knows if they''ll be released on good behavior and have their sentences cut short? They''ll be out after a few years if they''re lucky and ''turn over a new leaf'', but what about my parents and grandfather?" Leigh turned to look at Madeline and continued tearfully, "All these years, I went wherever my master went. After he passed, I came to Mansion to take on all kinds of clients and go anywhere they wanted me to just so I could finally track down the people who killed my parents!" She shook her head with a self-mocking expression. "But the world is full of ces to hide, and I couldn''t find the man no matter where I went or what I did, until now..." Leigh was fuming at this point, and the air around her crackled with angry energy. "My parents and my grandfather will never get their lives back because of those two scoundrels! I lost my family because of them, and I''ve had to cope with the agony for over a decade. These people ruined my life, Maddie. Do you think it''s fair that they can get away with it just by serving a couple of years in jail?" "You''re right! You know what, I''m all for you taking revenge on these *ssholes, but I don''t think you should go up to them on your own and kill them. There''s no technicality to it, just brute force, and you''re better than that," Luke suddenly chimed in. He eyed Leigh steadily and snapped his fingers, saying, "How about if I introduce a top-notch assassin for the job? All you have to do is fork out the payment, and I promise you can have anyone killed." "Get out of here!" Madeline snapped, crumpling up a piece of tissue and hurling it at him in frustration. "Get out of the office right now!" He caught the tissue deftly and shot her a wounded look. "Maddie, be reasonable. Don''t you think my solution is a lot better than her idea of charging into the fray alone? I mean, do you seriously want her to kill your aunt without backup?" "Luke. Adams." Madeline glowered at him darkly. She was so furious she could strangle him. "I''m warning you, if I find out that you''ve been getting up to illegal nonsense, I''ll have Logan beat you up! Get out of here! Go and get me juice from Juice Shack. I want you to personally bring me the juice, and if I find out that you had someone else get the juice for me, I swear I''ll have Logan drag you back to Capitol tomorrow!" Luke shrugged nonchntly. "Okay, don''t get all snappy about it. I''ll go and get the juice if that''s what you want, alright? As if I would let somebody else do it. Also, must you threaten me like that? It really hurts my feelings." She growled, "Go!" She had a feeling that Leigh might kill him first if he didn''t leave, though she thought he deserved it for joking around and being so insensitive when the poor girl was clearly in need offorting. "Okay, jeez. I''m going!" He rose from the couch and headed out the door. "Don''t you worry. I''ll be back so fast you''d think I blended the juice along the way! It''ll be the freshest juice you''ll ever drink!" "For heaven''s sake." Madeline rolled her eyes. "Will you just go? And take your time; the longer, the better." ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. He scoffed. "You''re the only one who whines about my being here. How could you say that to my handsome face, hmm? I question your taste sometimes. Anyone else would have fawned all over me and offered to get me juice instead!" He was grumbling as he walked away. When he was out of sight, Madeline said soothingly to Leigh, "Don''t mind him, Leigh. He''s always been a weirdo, and the more attention you give him, the worse he gets." "It''s fine." Leigh waved her hand and added sarcastically, "It''s not as if he hurt me or anything, right? Which is more than I can say for those who covered for the murderers. Honestly, Luke''s idea is pretty good. I kind of like it." Madeline gaped at her speechlessly. I ought to drag Luke into the boxing ring and rough him up real good! She made a mental note of that and turned to focus on the problem at hand, which was Leigh''s obviously aggravated temper. "Leigh, calm down. We''ll figure something out, and we''ll avenge your parents and your grandfather, I promise." She wrapped an arm around the other girl''s shoulders as she added reassuringly, "You''re one of my closest friends, Leigh, and I don''t want to see you throw everything away for the sake of vengeance. We have to n each step very carefully and be more farsighted about this. I''m sure we''ll find a way to help you get justice for your loved ones without you risking everything you''ve worked for, okay?" Leigh fell silent after she heard this, but it was clear to see that she disagreed. A brief pauseter, Madeline went on to say, "See, Holly is just an aplice, that much we can be sure of, right? The real culprit is the man who was with her at the time, so killing Holly isn''t going to help. If you kill her and the police arrests you, then the man who murdered your family will still be out there living his life as if nothing happened. You don''t want that, do you?" Leigh considered this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You''re right, Maddie. I should find out who that man is and kill him before I kill Holly!" "Well..." Madeline winced. "I was thinking of a different approach that didn''t involve spilling blood. I mean, we aren''t barbarians, and you wouldn''t want to be imprisoned for murder before you could carry out your revenge ns. Let''s brainstorm on this for a little bit and try toe up with a foolproof n, alright?" "You''re totally right, Maddie!" The impulse seemed to have worn off, and Leigh looked like she was seriously strategizing. "We aren''t barbarians, and if spilling blood is too brutal, then I''ll just have to poison them! I''ll find a way to give them the most lethal dosage of poison there is. I''m useless when it comes tobat, and I''d sooner shoot myself in the foot than take anyone on in a physical brawl. There''s a higher chance that this n would work if I stick to what I know best and poison Holly and that man." That wasn''t what I meant by ''foolproof n''! Madeline wanted to throw her head back and let out a cry of frustration. "No, Leigh, we have to do this without breaking thew," she emphasized, reaching out to hold the fric girl''s hands. Subsequently, Madeline added solemnly, "I want to see you live out your best life. I want to see you fall in love and marry into a nice family, then have a few kids of your own. You deserve all the happiness, and even if you escape legal arrest, having blood on your hands is going to taint your bright future." Leigh snorted. "I''m not afraid!" "I know you aren''t, but I am!" Madeline said sternly. "Before he passed away, my master told me to take care of all of you. I''m supposed to make sure you''re all okay, and I can''t just have one of you going around, killing people even if it''s for a righteous reason. I need all of you to live out your best life, and I''m obligated to keep you safe." Madeline paused, then suggested, "Okay, how about I talk to Sebastian and see if he cane up with a proper solution? He''s born and raised in Elsenburg. Plus, he''s seen enough to know what to do. To top it off, he''s powerful and has connections to help you with your revenge." Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Leigh shook her head. "But you said you and Sebastian don''t have actual feelings for each other and that you''re only a married couple on paper. I don''t want you to owe him any favors because of me." "It''s fine," Madeline reassured. "Even friends would help each other out in times of need, right? Besides, we''re not asking him to take revenge on our behalf but juste up with ideas on how to go about it. If we put our heads together, we might just think of something workable, or rather, he might." After a moment of hesitation, Leigh nodded and said, "Okay, you can ask him, and he can help if he wants to. I don''t want to needle him into it." "I know. I''ll be really tactful when I ask him," Madeline promised. She patted Leigh on the shoulder and added, "Alright, we''ve agreed that patience is key to this revenge, so just leave it to me and I''ll make sure your family gets the justice they deserved. Come on, let''s go and see your dorm now. When was thest time you got a proper rest? I bet they worked you to the bone while you were in Oaksbury." With that, she led Leigh to the dorm room she had set up for her and gave her a brief tour, then asked, "So, what do you think? Is there anything else you''d like me to get for you?" "It''s nice," Leigh said, then shrugged nonchntly. "You know I don''t need much, just a roof over my head and basic amenities." Madeline could tell from the distracted look in her eyes that the whole revenge thing was still weighing on her mind. Resigned, she patted the girl''s shoulder once more and said, "I think that''s enough plotting for the day. Take a nice, hot shower and settle in. Do let me know if you need anything else. I''ll call you when it''s time for dinner. We can eat out if that''s what you''d prefer." Leigh nodded and saw Madeline out the door, but thetter pushed her back into the room. "Please stop thanking me and get into the shower, then go straight to bed. Go on, be good." A smile curled on Leigh''s lips as she threw her arms around Madeline and gave her a light squeeze. "Thank you, Madeline. You''re wonderful!" "Does that mean you''ll listen to me and hold off on this revenge thing until I''ve talked to Sebastian? I''ll help you for sure, so just wash up and get some rest." Madeline patted Leigh''s back, then went out of the room and closed the door behind her. Madeline thereafter made her way downstairs after leaving Leigh''s room. When she saw Emory, she said, "Hey, Emory, could you do me a favor?" "Of course, Mrs. Hart. What is it?" Emory replied hurriedly. Leigh shook her head. "But you said you and Sebastian don''t have actual feelings for each other and that you''re only a married couple on paper. I don''t want you to owe him any favors because of me." Madeline smiled and said politely, "A friend of mine¡ªLeigh, the one whom I brought upstairs earlier¡ª isn''t really stable right now and I''m worried she might do something impulsive. Could you have someone keep an eye on her? Do not let her leave the premises on her own, and if she wants to go somewhere, inform me immediately." "That''s no problem at all," Emory said agreeably. "I''ll get to it right now, Mrs. Hart." She shed him a smile and went back into her office before giving Sebastian a call. Surprised to see her number on his screen, Sebastian put her through and asked, "Everything alright?" "Well, not exactly," Madeline said slowly. "I need your help with something, but you can say no if you want to, alright?" "You''re the mother of my children," he pointed out. "Of course, I''d help you. What do you need?" "Thanks." She told him the story of how Leigh had been orphaned, then said, "I understand that she wants to avenge her family, but she seems a little unhinged and prone to making rash decisions at the moment. One minute she wants to kill the murderers, and the next she wants to poison them. She doesn''t really have a clear n right now, and it''d be hard to find new evidence on a decade-old case. I guess I''m calling you to see if you have any feasible solutions for her." "Of course I do," Sebastian said with a smallugh. "Gosh, you sound so serious you had me worried for a second there. Anyway, I looked into the Bakers when I was investigating Katie, and apparently, the whole family has lost all their former glory. They''re nothing more than third-rate now, and if revenge is what Leigh wants, you could always bankrupt them and take every ounce of their dignity away." "No, that''s too easy," Madeline countered. "Leigh doesn''t want them to go bankrupt; she wants them dead. She wants Holly and the man who was the real culprit behind her family''s death to pay for their crimes in blood." "In that case..." He chuckled darkly. "You should probably tell her that killing them would only be doing them a favor. Revenge isn''t about swift ends, it''s about making the enemy suffer so much that they''d beg for death." Madeline parted her lips to say something, but she considered what he said and found herself agreeing with him. "I''ll talk to Leigh about this." She was sure that if she could be persuaded by his rhetoric, then Leigh would be too. "But there''s just one tiny problem¡ªHolly is married to Uncle George. The Taylors will still help her even if we bankrupt the Bakers, so I don''t see how this n would leave her so anguished that she''d beg for death." "Then you''ll just have to make your uncle file for a divorce and kick her out of the Taylors," he said easily. "When I was looking into your incident back at the Taylors'', I ran a background check on everyone on your mother''s side, Holly included. She loves your uncle very much, and she''d be devastated if he were to file for a divorce from her and throw her out of the family. She''d lose her identity as Mrs. Taylor, and I doubt she could ever bounce back from that." N?velDrama.Org content. "That''s well and all, but why would Uncle George ever want to divorce her?" Madeline borated, "They''re happily married, and besides, they have two sons together. I see no reason for him to want to separate from her." "Sure, he has no reason to divorce her now, but what if he finds out she was an aplice to a murderer?" Sebastian drawled, sounding amused. "I''ll have someone look into the ident and find new evidence on it. Even if nothing turns up, I''ll still find a way to make Holly talk. George will know what kind of person his wife is the moment she confesses to the crime, and he''ll leave her then." "And how do you propose to make her confess?" she pressed. "Also, if she does confess, then she''d be guilty, wouldn''t she?" "No, she wouldn''t," he countered. "The man who actuallymitted the crime would be though. She only pushed Leigh''s mother, but the man was the one who ran the victims over intentionally. If Holly engages a really good legal team for her case, there''s a high chance she would end up getting acquitted." Madeline paused, then grumbled, "Well, that''s not fair..." "Yeah, well, thew tends to favor the wicked sometimes," Sebastian said. "Anyway, I''m guessing that the man Leigh mentioned, the one who supposedly looks like Holly, is her brother, Scott Baker. I''ll look into him as well beforeing up with a more specific n, but I''m going to need to speak to Leigh first." Thinking that he wanted to get more details from Leigh, Madeline agreed, "I''ll make the arrangements. We can grab dinner together this evening, and after that, you can talk to Leigh privately in the study." They talked for a while longer before Sebastian hung up and called his intelligence team, then had them look into any ident from sixteen years ago that might have involved Scott and Holly. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 That night, Sebastian met Leigh for the first time. He had run a thorough background check on her and on everyone else in Madeline''s life after learning that Quincy and Joel were his sons. ording to his research, Leigh was a highly-skilled medical genius who was a disciple of a legendary veteran in the medical world. Before her master passed on, he ced her under Madeline''s master''s care and found her a new home in Mansion. From then on, she had taken on countless jobs from the agency and was dispatched all over the world. That said, her position in the agency was non-contractual. Sebastian just so happened to have a thing for collecting talents, much like how a hunter collects his trophies. He did not so much want to hire them for jobs as much as he wanted to keep them as part of the extended branch of the family, only without blood rtion. They would be loyal only to the Harts and serve nobody else. After dinner that night, he led Leigh into the study to go over the details of the revenge. He was never one to beat around the bush, and hey all his terms and conditions out on the table with hardly any room for negotiation. The moment Leigh sat down, he said bluntly, "I''ll help you with your revenge if you agree to just one condition." "What is it?" Leigh asked. "I want you to sign a lifelong contract with me and be a permanent member of the Hart Family," he borated. She blinked, and a brief pauseter, she asked bewilderedly, "What does that mean?" "It''s exactly what it sounds like." Sebastian picked up a contract from the table and handed it to her. "I''ve had a contract drawn up in anticipation of this, so take a look and tell me what you think." Leigh took the contract and nced through it, then slowly understood what he was talking about. He had called it a contract, but in substance, she was binding herself to a lifetime of servitude to the Hart Family. She would have to do all that Sebastian asked her to unconditionally, and if she were to turn her back on the contract, she would be liable to pay a shocking amount of damages. She felt like she was signing up for very at this point, though she had been a fool to think that Sebastian would help her without asking for anything in return. But just earlier today, she had been ready to put her life on the line to avenge her parents; signing this contract to achieve the same end seemed like aughable consequence byparison. N?velDrama.Org content. "I''ll sign it," she dered firmly. "I''ll do anything you ask of me if it means getting my parents and grandfather the justice they deserved." "I''m d you can see the big picture." Sebastian nodded approvingly. "So, I don''t know if Maddie has already told you this, but I don''t think murder is the right solution for you. A dead man knows no pain, but the living does. It isn''t fair that you''ve suffered all these years just so the people who caused you such agony could get away with a swift end. I rmend torturing them until death is all they wish for. What do you think?" That night, Sebastian met Leigh for the first time. He had run a thorough background check on her and on everyone else in Madeline''s life after learning that Quincy and Joel were his sons. ording to his research, Leigh was a highly-skilled medical genius who was a disciple of a legendary veteran in the medical world. "Maddie has told me about that, and I agree," Leigh answered. A smirk yed on his lips. "Good to know." He had no intention of doing anything illegal, for starters, and it would be tough killing somebody without breaking thew. Torturing someone until they wished they were dead, on the other hand, happened to be his forte, and a task well within his means. Presently, he took out a picture and showed it to Leigh, asking, "Is this the man you saw with Holly on the day of the ident?" "Yes, that''s him!" Leigh took one nce at the photo and immediately recognized the man as the murderer. Her eyes turned red as she seethed, "He was the one who crashed into my father, then ran his car over my mom while she was still pregnant..." Her voice broke as tears threatened to spill from her eyes, which were smoldering with unmistakable hatred as she stared at the photo. At the sight of this, Sebastian was sure that if the man in the photo were to materialize right now, she would rush up to him and kill him. "His name is Scott Baker." Sebastian tapped the photo and borated. "He''s Holly''s older brother." Leigh hissed through gritted teeth, "Must be some kind of rotten gene pool." "I guess they aren''t the brightest pair. It''s either that or the fact that you''re the only one in your family who has been spared and that you''ve found one of the culprits that make this whole endeavor a lot simpler than I expected," he remarked thoughtfully. She frowned and looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" He leaned into his seat behind the desk as he tapped his fingers against the desk. "Anyone who has done something like this would usually go the extra mile to erase all evidence of their crimes. It would be a challenge to find even a lead six years after the incident, let alone for a case from sixteen years ago. But I''m not sure if Scott and Holly are careless or just really confident in their ability to cover this up, because it took my subordinates less than half a day to track down the man who took the me and went to prison in Scott''s ce. He was released from jail six years ago after serving the full sentence." "I knew it!" Leigh smiled humorlessly. "I told Maddie that getting the police involved would not make a difference. Even if the real culprits were caught and thrown behind bars, they would only serve a couple of years of jail time before they get a second chance at life. But what about my parents? Where''s their chance at a second life, huh?" "What if prison is more than just a ce for them to reflect on their mistakes?" Sebastian asked insidiously. "How much money do you have?" She gave him an odd look. "I have some savings... How much do you need? I''ll pay you whatever is needed for you to carry out this revenge for me." "I don''t need the money; you do." He chuckled. "I won''t be asking for payment from you now that you''ve agreed to sign the contract with me. All I''m asking is that you keep your word." "Of course," she promised. "I would give you my life if it means you''ll help me see this through. I''ll do anything!" Sebastian eyed her in amusement. "I don''t want your life. I want your talent and your loyalty." Her brows furrowed. "Then why''d you ask about money?" "Though I don''t need it¡ªyou do," he said as a corner of his lips curled up in a devilish smile. "Scott isn''t a very smart guy, at least not enough to think about covering his tracks. I can easily have him sent into prison, and once he''s behind bars, surely there''ll be other inmates in hispany. You''re going to need the inmates'' help in keeping an eye on dear Scott to make sure he really thinks about his mistakes and changes for the better. I think you should pay these inmates a friendly visit in time..." Something in Leigh''s mind clicked after she heard this, and her eyes lit up as she eximed, "Oh, I know what you mean now!" Thew prevented her from making Scott pay in blood for what he did to her parents, but she could find a way to make his life a living hell while he was in prison. In fact, she could make his life even more miserable once he was out of prison so that he would wish he was dead! She finally decided that she did not want to end his life. Instead, she would make him a homeless beggar, one whose existence and survival was at the mercy of society. For as long as she kept working while she was alive, she could save up enough money to ruin Scott''s life when he was out of prison. "I know what to do now," she said, nodding at Sebastian gratefully. "Thank you!" Hatred had blinded and clouded her judgment as her desire to avenge her family had no outlet until now. Sebastian had given her a solution and pointed out the direction she should walk in, giving her hope that she did not think she would ever have. At that moment, she nced at the contract on the desk and said, "Shall I sign the contract now? I''ll do it just to get the ball rolling." "No, this can wait," Sebastian said casually. "You can sign it after you''ve gotten your revenge." Leigh raised a brow at him and asked, "Aren''t you worried that I''d change my mind after all the help you''ve given me?" "Not at all." He appeared to not have ever considered the possibility that she might not keep up her end of the deal. "Anyone who goes back on their word is unworthy of the Hart Family. Besides, you won''t be on the losing end after signing the contract. At the very least, you''d have people to back you up when somebody wrongs you in the future." Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Leigh froze, then nodded slowly. "You have a point." Scott had found someone to take the fall for his crime while Leigh''s parents had to die without justice ever being served, and it was all because the Bakers had power and money while Leigh had no one other than her grandfather to stick up for her. She was only six when her grandfather left her, and no adult would listen to or believe what a six-year-old had to say. If she were to sign the contract and be part of the Hart Family, she would never have to worry about getting picked on ever again, not while the Harts were a force to be reckoned with in Elsenburg. That said, she wouldn''t have agreed to Sebastian''s terms had he not been a good person at the outset. If he was secretly vile, he might end up forcing her to take the me for somebody else''s crime, just as Scott had done to save himself. However, this was the least of her concerns right now. The only thing she cared about was getting revenge on the person who took her family away from her. If she had been ready to stake her life for this, then signing a contract with Sebastian was but a small price to pay. Besides, even if Sebastian did force her to do anything she did not want to, she could always take her own life. She would much rather that than suffer the humiliation of beingbeled a murderer even though she waspletely innocent. "Alright, then, seeing as you''ve agreed to the ns, let''s call it a day. I''m going to need to dig up more evidence so that I can figure out the next step." Sebastian eyed Leigh seriously before adding, "By the way, it''d be wise for you to lie low for a while. Maddie''s very worried about you. She''s prideful and stubborn by nature, and not once has she ever asked me for a favor. For her to havee to me for help in order to ease your burden just goes to show how much you mean to her." At the thought of Madeline, Leigh felt a rush of warmth seized through her, and she nodded as she said, "You''re right. Maddie is one of the kindest people I know, and she''s my only friend too." He smiled and made no response to this. Shortly after Leigh left the study, Madeline knocked on the door and came in. Sebastian looked up at her curiously and asked, "You alright?" "I cut up some fruits for you," Madeline announced. She had cut the fruits into neat little squares and arranged them on a tter before setting the tter down on the desk. Staring at the fruit tter, Sebastian saw that she had poked toothpicks into some of the fruit slices. He took a piece of fruit and popped it into his mouth, then nodded as he praised, "Pretty good." All of a sudden, he narrowed his eyes and pointed an using finger at her. "Oh, I see through your sly moves,dy. I never got such special treatment even when I was working through the night before this, but now you''re treating me like a king because I agreed to help your friend out." "That''s preposterous," she countered, amused. "The housekeeper would have done the same thing too had I not beaten her to it tonight." Leigh froze, then nodded slowly. "You have a point." Scott had found someone to take the fall for his crime while Leigh''s parents had to die without justice ever being served, and it was all because the Bakers had power and money while Leigh had no one other than her grandfather to stick up for her. She was only six when her grandfather left her, and no adult would listen to or believe what a six-year-old had to say. "See, there''s nothing special about a fruit tter that the housekeeper cuts up for you, is there? It''ll just be a in midnight snack. But when the mistress of the household does it, then it''s a meal prepped with love," he argued. Madeline gaped at him. What a load of nonsense! She could hardly believe he had said this with a straight face. Besides, she was quite sure that a midnight snack would be taken at, well¡ªmidnight! Presently, Sebastian took another bite of fruit before looking up at her and asking, "You''ve gone quiet all of a sudden. What''s the matter?" "I don''t know," she said with a sigh and a shake of her head. "I find it stressful talking to you. Most times you''re operating on a different wavelength, leaving me speechless." He looked like he was trying to keep hisughter at bay. "You''re not so speechless now, are you?" "Okay, can we just put the bantering aside for a bit and talk about something serious?" Madeline put up her hand as if to physically stop the witty remark she just knew was on the tip of his tongue. "About what you told Leigh... How are you so sure that you could get Scott thrown into jail?" "Oh, ye of little faith." Sebastian raised a brow at her. "Why did you ask me to help Leigh out if you doubt my abilities?" "I don''t doubt you," Madeline corrected, shaking her head imperceptibly. "I''m just being sensible here. The incident was well over a decade ago, and there are hardly any eyewitnesses or evidence you could use to build a case against Scott, much less pin the me on him. I know you''re really capable, but sometimes things just don''t work out no matter how powerful you are, and I don''t think you''d resort to fabricating evidence... would you?" "Fabricate evidence?" This time, he actuallyughed, and he looked highly entertained as he asked, "Why would I do that? What kind of person do you think I am? I''m not like Scott; I would never stoop so low. Besides, if I did anything illegal, my dad would be the first to knock some sense into me, literally!" "Well, that''s true," Madeline admitted. "I just don''t see how you''d be able to find evidence on a case that is over a decade old." He blinked and asked, "I''m assuming Leigh didn''t tell you." "Tell me what?" Madeline tipped her head to one side, looking at him curiously. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. "That I''ve already found the man who took the fall for Scott," Sebastian exined. "His name is Rnd Webbs, and apparently, he was Scott''s chauffeur for a while, but he quit after his mother fell ill and needed somebody to care for her 24/7. He was running out of money, and when Scott offered to pay him handsomely for the prison gig, he agreed to it. So, Rnd took the money and went to prison in Scott''s ce." "Leigh didn''t tell me that," Madeline said, frowning. "So you''re saying that Scott paid this Rnd guy to take the me?" "Yes," Sebastian answered with a firm nod. She pressed further, "But Rnd would have been released from prison by now, wouldn''t he? Most hit- and-run cases don''te with sixteen-year imprisonment sentences." "Right on," he said with a smile. "The guy was released six years ago." "It doesn''t make sense then, does it?" She sounded exasperated as she went on to ask, "Wouldn''t Rnd have run away with the money after he was released from prison? How could you and your team track him down so easily?" "Because Scott is an idiot!" Sebastian took another bite of fruit and added nonchntly, "He probably thought the case ended as soon as the sentence was meted out and that he''d have nothing to worry about after that. He was especially convinced by this line of thought because Leigh''s family was wiped out, and Leigh was only six when she became an orphan who waster sent to a children''s home and was never heard of again. All his problems were taken care of, and he thought he''d gotten off the hook." Madeline pondered on this and nodded. "You make a fair point. So what are you going to do next?" He said, "The Bakers were still a prestigious family at the time Scott asked Rnd to take the me for him. He promised to pay a handsome sum as well. Judging by the number of assets Rnd has at the moment, I''m guessing Scott paid him close to five million that year." "What? Five million?" Astonished, she eximed, "That''s a lot of money! The standard of living back then was probably not as high as today''s, and if we take into ount the normal intion rate, five million was the retro equivalent of fifty million!" She shook her head in disbelief. "Now I know why the Bakers fell from grace eventually. I mean, it''s hard to keep a family afloat with someone as dumb and vicious as Scott at the reins." "Precisely! Do you see the picture now?" Sebastian grinned. "If you think about it, finding evidence against Scott isn''t difficult at all. Rnd was just a chauffeur whose family was struggling to make ends meet, so how would someone like him end up with tons of cash all of a sudden? I looked into it and traced the money back to Scott." "You make it sound so easy," Madeline pointed out, her brows drawn together. "In that case, does it mean that the legal system is broken for facilitating crooked transactions like these?" "Not really." He paused, then added, "ording to my subordinates, Rnd was dirt poor when he went to prison, which indicates that he had hidden the money Scott paid him, but perhaps the investigating officer could have a better job. They tried looking for evidence, but nothing came up, and they couldn''t trace the ident back to Scott. Coupled with Rnd''s confession, I can understand why the police ended up arresting the wrong person." Madeline probed, "Which means Rnd only took the money out after he came out of prison?" "That''s right," Sebastian affirmed. "He only took out a small portion of the money to pay for his mother''s medical bills, but after he was released from prison, he bought a bungalow in Elsenburg and two commercial buildings. He had about a few hundred thousand in his savings after that, and he''s been livingfortably off the money since." Chapter 221 Chapter 221 A pauseter, Sebastian pointed out, "I think he only refrained from acquiring assets while in prison so he could keep his guard up against his own wife. He didn''t want to have to pay a single cent in alimony to her if she were to divorce him, but in the end, she didn''t. When he was released from prison, the bungalow and one of the twomercial buildings he bought were registered under his wife''s name." "Huh. I guess he''s reaping the rewards of his hard work," Madeline mumbled. "I wonder if he ever thought about making it up to Leigh and her family for what he''d done." Sebastian shook his head and chuckled. "You''d be overestimating the extent of their consciences." "True," she admitted. "I probably shouldn''t expect these scumbags to feel apologetic for what they''d done. Anyway, let''s talk about something else." She perked up considerably and eyed him curiously before asking, "Our n right now is to sue Rnd and attack him at his weakest. From there, we''ll trace the crime back to Scott, and have him arrested and thrown into jail. Is that right?" "Yeah, that''s pretty much it." Sebastian nodded. "As long as the police can find evidence of Scott paying Rnd to go to jail in his ce, we''d be able to pin the crime on him." "But what about Holly?" Madeline pressed. "Leigh''s holding a grudge against her for being the murderer who pushed her mother onto the ground and let Scott run her over with his car afterward." "We could sue Holly, but the only crime she''d be liable for is pushing Leigh''s mother to the ground. She didn''t do anything else, and at most, she''d be given a light sentence of five months imprisonment. If she engages a goodwyer, she might get away with a fine or something and never have to go into jail at all." "If that''s the case, Leigh could very well end up taking thew into her own hands... I can tell she''s prepared to gamble away everything for the sake of revenge. She might find herself in trouble even if she does kill Holly, but she''s prepared for that too." "You''re not wrong," Sebastian said. "Getting Holly incarcerated won''t be an easy feat, and even if we seed, she''d be out of prison in no time. So, I told Leigh that the alternative course would be to induce George to file for a divorce from Holly and make her lose everything she loves. She''d end up miserable for the rest of her life." Madeline parted her lips to say something, but he smiled and interrupted, "You''re going to tell me that George won''t ever divorce Holly, right?" She pursed her lips and nodded. Her argument made sense; George and Holly were happily married after all, and they had two brilliant sons. In any case, they would stay married for the sake of their sons. Sebastian, however, smirked as he said, "Oh, but I think he will be persuaded. I''ll be meeting him tomorrow evening. You can tag along if you''d like." Owned by N?velDrama.Org. A pauseter, Sebastian pointed out, "I think he only refrained from acquiring assets while in prison so he could keep his guard up against his own wife. He didn''t want to have to pay a single cent in alimony to her if she were to divorce him, but in the end, she didn''t. When he was released from prison, the bungalow and one of the twomercial buildings he bought were registered under his wife''s name." "You''re meeting Uncle George?" Madeline asked, dumbfounded. "I also invited Nigel and Michael," he added in amusement. Bewildered, she pressed, "Whatever for?" "You''ll see," he replied coolly. Raising a brow at her, he asked with an almost devilish edge to his voice, "Will you be joining us then?" She hesitated for a second and asked, "Do you want me to?" "It won''t make much of a difference," he answered nonchntly. "I''d be meeting George on Leigh''s behalf, which naturally puts me at odds with the Taylors and the Wendels. If you''re afraid that you might offend them, you could always sit this one out." "I''m not afraid! I''ll be there," Madeline said hurriedly but determinedly. "I was the one who asked you to help Leigh, so I can''t have you be the vanguard while I hide in the shadows. I''m going with you." "Okay." Sebastian gave her a crooked smile, clearly pleased by her response. He was starting to admire Madeline more and more, and she took him by surprise with her loyalty each time, never once letting him down. That night, after Quincy and Joel finally went to sleep, Madeline tossed and turned in bed restlessly. Sensing her movements, Sebastian turned on his side and asked in hushed tones while looking at her, "Hey, why aren''t you sleeping?" "I can''t," she whispered back, turning so that she was lying on her side and facing him. "Can you tell me what you''re going to say to my parents and my uncle tomorrow evening? Also, what can I do to help? Should I be doing anything at all?" "No, you just have to show up," he said. "All you need to do is make sure that you''re firmly on Leigh''s side, and that you''d be willing to go against your so-called family for her." Madeline pursed her lips. My so-called family. Why does he have to make it sound like that? Growing defensive, she pointed out, "They are my family." "Right, but only because you''re rted to them by blood, that much I''m willing to admit," he conceded with a careless chuckle. "That''s all there is." She finally made sense of what he was implying. "You''re telling me that they don''t actually care for me, and that blood is the only thing that proves our kinship?" He argued, "Am I wrong?" Madeline thought about it for a second. "I know my uncles and I don''t have that close of a family bond, but my parents are different. I''m sure they love me, or at least they like me enough to be kind to me. To that extent, I should at least show them my gratitude and take care of them. It''s what family does and what humanity dictates for us, no?" "But do they really love you?" Sebastian questioned, cocking a quizzical brow. She nodded. "I think they do, and that''s enough for me." "Here''s to hoping." He chuckled lightly. "We''ll put that to the test tomorrow evening." He was always so elusive, dangling bits of details to bait her attention and then giving her nothing in return. Her curiosity was bubbling up, and she couldn''t help probing, "So what are you going to say to them tomorrow evening?" "Plenty of things, most of which I have no intention of divulging to you right now. You''ll find out tomorrow," he said, once again being elusive. He reached out and patted the top of her head, then said, "The only thing you need to know is that I have my reasons for wanting to punish Holly. I''m doing it as a favor for you and Leigh, but also because she actually gave you a hard time not too long ago. Not to mention, she tried to persuade you to let her niece off the hook even after the girl confessed to the crime. Remember how she was hoping you''d just brush off the incident since whatever her niece had done was in the past?" He chuckled icily. "A despicable woman like Holly doesn''t deserve the life she has right now. She ought to be trampled and get a taste of misery." Madeline was touched by his dedication. "Thank you..." Granted, her parents were kind to her and loved her, but for some reason, she trusted Sebastian more, and she knew he was much kinder to her than anyone else had ever been. If that were not the case, she would have turned to her parents for help instead of asking him for a favor at first instance. Perhaps she had unconsciously decided he was a reliable person who made her feel safe. Hence, he would be the first person she thought of in times of need. He was the most capable and most charismatic man she had ever met. She believed, for some inexplicable reason, that there was nothing in this world he could not do, and she knew he had the means and the brains to help Leigh in her revenge. "Ah, here we go. You''re thanking me for helping your friend out, and I''m going to thank you for raising two wonderful kids for me. If we keep this cycle up, we might end up more formal than business partners," Sebastian joked as he tousled her hair affectionately. "It''s gettingte; you should go to sleep. Goodnight." She responded with a tired ''goodnight'' and pulled the covers over her. Before long, she fell asleep. Where sleep came easy to her this time, it did not do the same for Sebastian. He suddenly grew restless, and even though there were two sleeping children barricading him from Madeline, he could still pick up the faint, sweet scent of her. The memories of their wild, unhinged endeavors the other day surfaced in his mind. He recalled how she had felt under him¡ªso soft and beautiful, drawing him in with her scent. A familiar heat coursed through him. Oh, how he wished to have her under him once more. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Once he had a taste of it, his desire started to grow. Before he had a wife, he had never thought about this sort of thing. Now that he had experienced what it was like to have a wife, he could not forget that feeling. Having said that, since he intended to spend the rest of his life with Madeline, it made sense for her to perform her duties as a wife, right? He could not just be a virgin forever. Well, even though he had considered doing the same as his Second Uncle and Third Uncle, which was to stay single, before meeting Madeline, things had changed. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian was a married man now, so he should live the life of an ordinary husband. That was right. That was it! After making up his mind, he tilted his head to look at Madeline. Since there was only a dim wallmp on the head of the bed, he could only make out the silhouette of Madeline''s face, but he could imagine her ethereal and beautiful appearance, her frown, her smile, and the way she twisted and turned under him that day. The heat and temptation he was currently experiencing could not be described in words... It was something he had never experienced before and was never interested in, but tonight, he suddenly thought about it, so the fire of sensation started burning within him. Since he was unable to withstand the heat, he quietly got up and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower. After washing up, he could feel the cool air again. The fire was sessfully put out, but this was not a long-term solution... He tilted his head to look at Madeline, but his sight was blocked by Aldo and Joel. Well¡­ If he wanted to live a normal married life with Madeline, the first thing they had to do was to spend time alone. She would never agree for him to touch her in front of the kids, albeit they were sleeping. He stared at Aldo and Joel for a moment. He liked to sleep with his sons, but five-year-old boys should be sleeping in the children''s room. Sleeping with parents for a long time would have an impact on children''s psychological development. Therefore, he should find a way to persuade Aldo and Joel to sleep in the children''s room. Once he managed to persuade the kids to sleep in another room, he and Madeline would be the only ones left in the room. In that way, it would not seem weird if they had sex in the room. At the thought of that, he curled his lips and smiled, patted the little heads of the two children, and closed his eyes before falling asleep. The next night, Sebastian and Madeline met the three siblings of the Taylors, George''s two sons, as well as Michael. Once he had a taste of it, his desire started to grow. Sebastian was not interested in having dinner with these people, but they were all busy except Crystal. In order to save time, he invited them to have dinner together. Over the years, he had long cultivated the ability to maintain a poker face no matter what happened. They could talk about anything at the dinner table, and nothing would affect his appetite. He guaranteed that he could eat and drink well, but it might be a different case for the Taylor Family. Tonight, they were probably going to lose their appetites or experience indigestion. That sounded pretty good. The Taylor Family had mistreated Madeline for so many years, but since Dan brought Madeline under his wing and a family tie was established between the two thereafter, he could not do anything to the Taylor Family. Fortunately, karma came to them. Sebastian did not deliberately target the Taylor Family; they were the ones that brought it upon themselves. After the group sat down and exchanged greetings, Crystal asked Sebastian affectionately, "Seb, why did you suddenly invite us out for dinner, saying that you have something important to discuss with us? What''s so mysterious about it that you have to invite only certain people here?" As his mother-inw, Crystal''s adoration for Sebastian only increased the more she watched him. Needless to say, she was pleased to have Sebastian as her son-inw. After all, even if she was asked to find a match for Madeline, she would not be able to find a better man than Sebastian. Her daughter was naturally the best thing in the world to her, so she expected a man as great as Sebastian to be worthy of her daughter. Many people spected that Sebastian married Madeline for the sake of the two children and pretended to be husband and wife without loving her, and that when the time came, Sebastian would take the two children and drive Madeline out of his house. However, that had not happened yet. Who would be able to predict the future? Although her daughter was ill-fated and wasn''t pampered, she carried the blood of both the Taylor Family and the Wendel Family. Her daughter waspletely on par with Sebastian in terms of status, and even more so in terms of appearance. Undoubtedly, she had never seen a girl more beautiful than her daughter. When her daughter and Sebastian stood side by side together, theyplemented each other. The two even shared their own children¡ªa pair of twin boys. Even though everyone badmouthed the rtionship between her daughter and Sebastian, thinking that the man would abandon her daughter in the future, Crystal never thought so. Her daughter was a good girl. In the future, he would undoubtedly fall in love with Madeline sincerely, whereby the two would respect and cherish each other until they grew old. For her daughter, forming a family with Aldo and Joel''s biological father was the best thing she could ever wish for. Since Sebastian was an excellent man, he was worthy of her daughter. Therefore, she sincerely hoped that her daughter and Sebastian would live happily ever after. Based on such thoughts, Crystal''s attitude toward Sebastian improved. "Yes. There is something important I have to bring up." Sebastian turned his head and nced behind him. Quinton, who was standing behind him, immediately came over and handed the files in his hand to everyone. All of them were puzzled. Why would he prepare materials when they were eating? Was Hart Corporation intending to cooperate with the Taylor Family and the Wendel Family? If that was the case, it would be good news! Although both the Wendel Family and the Taylor Family were ranked among the first-ss families, there was still a gap between them and the Hart Family, which was the pinnacle of riches. Compared with the Hart Family, they not only had a difference in wealth, but they also didn''t have Philip Hart, an important figure. As long as Philip was in the Hart Family, they would stand upright because of his status, no matter what happened. The moment everyone received a copy of the files, each of them started having their own spections. After opening the files and skimming through the content, all of their expressions fell, especially George and his sons. Before reading all of the content, Stephen mmed the file on the table and scolded with a livid expression, "This is impossible!" "Oh?" Sebastian raised his eyebrows to look at him. "Are you saying that I forged these materials to deceive you, Young Master Stephen?" "I..." Stephen was speechless when asked. He had no evidence and no courage to use Sebastian of fabricating evidence to nder his uncle and mother. The Taylor Family, the Baker Family, and the Hart Family had no grievances with each other, so there was no reason for Sebastian to forge evidence to frame his uncle and mother. However, he refused to believe that everything in the file was true. His uncle and his mother killed someone. They did not just make someone else take the me; they also killed the old man who served their son and daughter-inw. The original family of four was killed by Stephen''s mother and uncle, leaving only a six-year-old child, who waster sent to an orphanage... Chapter 223 Chapter 223 That sounded awful. If it was just his uncle''s doing, he might have been able to ept it, but this incident also involved his mother. Stephen could not believe that his gentle and kind mother wouldmit such a horrible crime. After everyone read the material, the room went silent. Sebastian looked at George and asked, "What do you think, President Taylor?" George waspletely dumbfounded. It had been a long time since he had suffered such a severe blow, so his mind went nk. He had no idea how to link the information printed on the material with his wife. That¡­ That was impossible... "Maybe... Maybe Scott did it alone..." he stammered with difficulty. "It''s all Scott''s decision. Holly doesn''t know anything..." "Yes! That''s right!" Stephen eximed. "My uncle nevernded a proper job ever since he was young. He must have done everything. My mother isn''t involved in any way!" "Really?" Sebastian smirked. "It is stated clearly here that Scott was involved in a hit-and-run, so Leigh''s mother chased after them and begged them to take her husband to the hospital, but Miss Holly shoved her away and pushed her to the ground. Are you saying that Leigh made this all up? Because Miss Holly''s statement did not match Leigh''s at all. Thetter did not mention pushing Leigh''s mother, nor Scott running over the victim''s body, causing two deaths¡­" Hearing that, George and Stephen had their mouths agape and their faces pallid. They could not say a word. Since Sebastian confidently gathered them and prepared the materials, including witnesses and physical evidence, it could only mean that all of this was true. Their wife and mother pushed a pregnant woman to the ground in order to help Scott escape, causing Scott''s car to run over the pregnant woman, killing two people at once. Ethan, who had not spoken all this while, suddenly spoke sternly, "Maybe... Maybe it''s true, but my mother was still young at that time. She was timid and might have been frightened, so..." "So what?" Sebastian raised his eyebrows and looked at him. "Back then, she was young and timid, and when she saw Scott driving over Leigh''s mother, she panicked and ran away with Scott. Is that what you are trying to say? Are you going to tell me that she doesn''t know that Scott bribed the driver, Rnd Webbs, to take the me for them?" Ethan opened his mouth but was unable to speak. Of course, there was no way she did not know. His uncle did not go to jail even after killing two people and ruining one''s life. How could she not know? That sounded awful. If it was just his uncle''s doing, he might have been able to ept it, but this incident also involved his mother. However¡­ "President Hart, being right and just for a rtive''s crime is easier said than done," Ethan countered in defense of his mother. "My uncle could have done wrong, but he is my mother''s brother. My uncle bribed Rnd so that he would take the me, and as his sister, should my mother have stood up to testify against my uncle and send him to prison?" He shook his head and continued, "President Hart, with all due respect, if it were me, I wouldn''t be able to do such a thing, so I don''t think there''s anything wrong with my mother''s approach." "Okay, let''s say your theory makes sense!" Sebastian nodded with a smirk. "What happened after Rnd took the me for your uncle? The Shefford Family''s assets were divided among Leigh''s rtives, while she was sent to the orphanage. After your uncle and your mother killed Leigh''s family, they didn''t even care about her life or death¡­" Sebastian looked at Ethan with a half-smile and continued, "Are you going to tell me that if this happened to you, you would do the same? After killing the whole family, you will watch their children be sent away to an orphanage and get adopted by a beast to suffer from abuse every day?" "I..." Ethan''s face turned green. How was he going to answer that? Was he going to say that he would do the same? Wouldn''t that mean he would be a beast, too? He had to tell him that it was his mother''s fault? He realized now that Sebastian''s banquet tonight was part of a scheme to bring down his mother and uncle! Though he felt extremely anxious for his mother, he could no longer say anything to justify her actions. George ced the file on the table and looked at Sebastian, asking, "President Hart, I have now figured out the whole situation. This matter is all Scott and Holly''s fault from the beginning to the end. May I know what kind of advice you would like to give us over dinner?" "I don''t think I''m in a position to give advice, but for the sake of Maddie, I want to let you know what my ns are in advance." After ncing at Madeline, Sebastian stated, "Leigh is Maddie''s friend and will soon be my subordinate, so I promised Maddie and Leigh that I would seek justice and take revenge for her. Tomorrow morning, someone will hand over all the evidence rted to the car ident to the police. Thewyers of Hart Corporation will act as Leigh''s defensewyer to seek justice for her and avenge her grievances." "Can''t we settle it privately?" Stephen blurted. "Years have passed since the incident, so it should be better to settle it privately. We are willing to pay her marily aspensation. Please ask Miss Shefford to provide us with a price. If we can afford it, we will send her the money right away!" If this incident was exposed, not only would his uncle go to jail, but it would also have a big impact on the Taylors. Now that they were living in an era where information technology was advanced, it was easy for the public to find out that the mistress of Taylor Corporation had killed someone, did not take responsibility, and sent the survivor to a welfare institution where she waster adopted by her adoptive father, who tortured her for life. Their share price was bound to be greatly affected. Big corporations like them were most afraid of negative news. If this incident was exposed, their stock prices could fall by a lot. By then, they would have suffered a huge loss. That was the case for thepany. In the case of his mother''s private life, her reputation would be greatly damaged once this incident was exposed. If people found out that his mother and uncle killed two people together in the past, and they did not compensate the families of the victims but instead watched them fall into a miserable situation, many people would start pointing fingers at his mother. If it started spreading on the Inte, it would cause a public uproar. By then, people would start criticizing her and condemning her mercilessly. If strangers started scolding her, how was she going to face the public? There was no way he would let that happen. This incident must not be exposed. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. It must be settled privately! "Settle privately?" Sebastian curled his lips into a smile, nodded, and said, "You have a wonderful idea! But may I ask you, Young Master Stephen, since you''ve suggested settling it privately, why didn''t they do this back then? After the death of Leigh''s parents, why didn''t your mother and uncle visit her grandfather to discusspensation? Why did they bribe someone to take the me instead?" "Maybe..." Ethan''s face flushed red as he stuttered, "Maybe they were too scared to do that back then, so..." "Oh. I understand now." Sebastian nodded. "Do you mean that just because they were frightened, they could be inhumane? If so, may I ask..." He looked at Stephen, raised his eyebrows, and tossed a question, "If you encountered something simr in the future, would you be as inhumane as them?" Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Stephen''s face flushed. The meaning behind Sebastian''s words was clear. He was telling his mother off for being inhumane. However, as a son, he could not even rebut Sebastian. It was true that his mother and uncle were at fault in the past. Therefore, as a son, he could only listen to Sebastian''s ridicule, unable to say a word of rebuttal. Seeing his son''s face flushing in embarrassment, George had nothing to say. He felt ashamed; it was a feeling he had never felt before. All this while, he considered himself to be a good person, and his family never did anything against their conscience. Not even in his dreams did he expect his wife to havemitted such a crime. When Sebastian called his wife inhumane in front of him, he could not even defend her, because Sebastian was right. His wife was inhumane. Just as he was about to exin to his second son, Stephen uttered, "Yes, I admit that my uncle and mother''s actions at that time were not right, but so many years have passed since the incident. Even if the truth is made public, Leigh''s parents will not be revived from the dead. Why don''t we try to make up for Leigh and give her as muchpensation as possible?" Sebastian smiled and replied, "Young Master Stephen, you are indeed your mother''s son. I remember that when I found evidence that Katie had wronged Maddie, your mother said the same thing. ''It has been a long time since the incident, so why do you have to punish Katie? Why don''t you let Katie go andpensate Maddie for the sake of the Taylor Family?'' was what she said." Sebastian looked at Stephen with raised eyebrows. "Remember these words from your mother that day at Wendel Residence in Wendel City? Didn''t your mother say that to Maddie? That''s why I said you are your mother''s son indeed. You are the same deep down!" "I..." Stephen''s face instantly reddened when he heard Sebastian snapping back at him. Out of anger, he raised his voice. "Are my mother and I wrong? The incident is in the past. Does it still make sense to hold anyone ountable? Don''t you think it''s more important topensate those who have been hurt?" "Oh, so that''s what you think!" Sebastian nodded as if he had just discovered something. "If that is the case, I have to ask you another question... If you and Leigh were to exchange identities, your parents as well as your grandfather would have been murdered unjustly. When you found out the truth today, the other party decided topensate you with a lot of money. Are you willing to settle privately, take the money, live a happy life, and forget the grievances of your parents and grandfather? Will you happily use that money to enjoy prosperity and wealth?" Stephen''s face flushed. The meaning behind Sebastian''s words was clear. He was telling his mother off for being inhumane. "I..." Stephen stuttered, but nothing else came out of his lips. Only sweat was forming on his forehead while he was rendered speechless. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Why aren''t you answering my question?" Sebastian pursed his lips and chuckled. "Isn''t it an easy question to answer? There are only two answers, yes or no. It''s as easy as that. What''s so difficult about it?" Stephen was ashamed and angry, so his face turned scarlet. Was this question difficult to answer? No. Not at all. If it was him, he believed that his choice would be the same as Leigh''s. No matter how much the other partypensated him, he must also make his enemies pay the price. The worse, the better! But he could not say that. If he said that, wouldn''t that mean that Sebastian and Leigh were right? However, he could not answer that he would let go of the murderers who killed his parents after taking the money. His father was sitting in front of him. If he said that, his father would be utterly disappointed in him as he had raised a son in vain. He had only now realized what it meant that some things were easier said than done and why it was important to treat others nicely. Compensating Leigh with money to convince her to let go of his mom was easy to say, but if it were to happen to him, he might be even more anxious to seek revenge. Seeing him in a dilemma and being set on fire by Sebastian, Ethan hopped in to save him. Looking at Sebastian sincerely, he uttered, "President Hart, we all know that what happened back then was indeed my uncle and my mother''s fault. My uncle is the main culprit, and my mother was implicated. If Leigh wants to take revenge, she can do whatever she wants to my uncle. We won''t get involved, but for my mother¡­" He then stood up and begged earnestly, "Please also consider that my mother is Maddie''s aunt. I promise you that as long as Leigh agrees to settle this matter privately, our family is willing to compensate Leigh with the greatest sincerity." Sebastian smiled. The Taylor Family was about to abandon their soldiers and protect theirmanders. Their uncle was their rtive, but their mother was undeniably closer to them by blood. If they could keep both of them safe, that would be the best solution. However, now that the situation did not allow for them to keep Holly and Scott safe, they abandoned Scott to protect Holly. It was a pity that Holly was not a good person. If she was a good person and what happened back then was a matter of one''s mind or ast resort, Sebastian might be willing to make an exception for Madeline''s sake. However, when Madeline almost lost her life in George''s house and when he informed the police to catch Katie, who framed Madeline, Holly begged for mercy on behalf of Katie instead. She did not feel guilty about Madeline at all. That alone was enough to prove that Holly was not a good person. Since Holly had no good intentions, why did he have to let her off the hook? He looked at Ethan with a smile. "President Taylor, I think your family is a little weird. All of you love to say I should do this and that for Maddie''s sake, but may I ask you, what right do you have to make me do things for you for Maddie''s sake? What did you do for her? Why am I obliged to agree to your requests for the sake of her?" It had been a long time since Ethan, George''s son, had encountered someone being so rude to him. Since he was not used to it, he frowned and retorted, "Besides you, everyone here is a family member of Maddie!" "Family member?" Sebastian raised his brows and looked at him. "Do family members intentionally harm one member and drive them to a dead end?" Sebastian took out a stack of photos from his chest pocket and threw them in front of Michael and Crystal. "You two! Do you know what I''ve been busy with recently? I''ve been busy removing scars for Maddie!" Michael and Crystal subconsciously took a look at the photos on the table. Of course, Sebastian did not show them Madeline''s back. What he showed Michael and Crystal were the scars on her back. Grayson asked his female assistant to take pictures in order to prepare Madeline''s scar cream. There were various erged scars, but no pictures of the body. Looking at the scars on the photos, Crystal picked one of them up, and her knuckles instantly went white. With trembling fingers, she questioned, "Are... Are these¡­" Chapter 225 Chapter 225 "Those are the injuries on Maddie''s back," Sebastian answered lightly. "Besides the scars she got from getting beaten by Cameron when she was a child, the rest are from your family!" Sebastian sneered at Ethan, "President Taylor, please take a good look at the scars in the photos. Look carefully and see if you people deserve to be called Maddie''s family!" "It''s my fault... It''s all my fault..." When Crystal looked at the scars in the photo, tears welled up in her eyes. The longer she got along with Madeline, the deeper her feelings for Madeline were. Angie was under Michael''s and her wings for most of her life. From childhood to adulthood, they pampered her and cherished her, wanting to give her the best in the world. What about her own biological daughter? She had lived in the world for more than twenty years, but she did not have a good life and even suffered various abuses. In today''s society, even as servants, drivers, or gardeners, few had been beaten, but Crystal''s and Michael''s daughter was beaten until there were scars all over her body. After flipping through the thick stack of photos masochistically, she almost fainted from crying. Ethan was embarrassed. How could he not be ashamed to request Sebastian to do things for Maddie''s sake after seeing the stack of photos? After seeing the stack of photos, how could he request Sebastian to do things for Maddie''s sake brazenly? Sebastian was right. What right did they have to mention Madeline? Apart from hurting her, they failed to provide her with anything. Slowly, his expression sank as he took a seat silently. George sighed deeply and uttered, "Young Master Hart, after all these talks, why don''t you tell us what you want? Based on what you just said, you''re nning to send Scott and Holly to jail. Is that right?" "Yes." Sebastian looked at him and continued, "Not only that, but I also hope that you and Holly will divorce." "That''s impossible!" Stephen was furious upon hearing that absurd request. "Sebastian, who do you think you are to control my parents'' marriage?!" Owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Young Master Stephen, please don''t get too worked up. I''m not meddling in Mr. Taylor''s marriage. I''m just offering him a suggestion." Sebastian nced at Stephen and then looked at George before saying, "If Mr. Taylor has a special taste for a woman who has lost her conscience like Holly Barker, I have no problem with that! It''s just..." "Those are the injuries on Maddie''s back," Sebastian answered lightly. Smirking, he continued, "Leigh is a tough character. She will seek her revenge on the murderers who killed her parents. She will never give up if she fails to achieve that. Since Leigh will be signing a contract to work under me immediately, I will never watch my subordinates live in misery, unable to avenge themselves¡­" Looking at George, he smiled, "When it''s time for me to do justice for my subordinates, don''t tell me I didn''t warn you!" "What do you mean by that?" Stephen mmed the table angrily. "Are you threatening us?" "I told you that I''m just giving you a suggestion." Sebastian nced at him and said that indifferently. "The business industry is like a battlefield. You and I are both people in the industry. If we can''te to an understanding at the dinner table, I''ll see you on the battlefield. Aren''t business wars the norm?" "You..." Stephen''s face turned pale as he felt his whole body shudder. A business war! If the Hart Family dered a business war with the Taylor Family, the Taylors would certainly be unable topete. However, they were no easy feat either. If they brought them down, Hart Corporation would also be losing a lot. Was Sebastian out of his mind? Would he really dere war between Hart Corporation and Taylor Corporation over an insignificant person like Leigh? "George..." Crystal wiped the tears from her face and looked at George. "You''re my brother, but Seb is my daughter''s husband and my grandson''s father. If you choose to partake in a business war with Seb, the Wendel Family will not assist either of you." George went silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand..." Hearing that, Stephen hurriedly chimed in, "Aunt Crystal, you..." "Stephen, that''s enough." He was interrupted by Michael in the middle of his words. Michael, who had always been kind and elegant, was now wearing a cold and stern expression. His gaze was as sharp as a sword as he stated, "Honestly speaking, if Crystal and your father didn''t have a good rtionship, I would''ve done my best to assist Seb." Stephen''s face twisted even more. "Uncle Michael..." Michael ignored him and looked at George, suggesting, "George, you''re not just my brother-inw; we are also good friends. As a friend and a man, I suggest you divorce Holly..." "Uncle Michael, how could you say that?!" Stephen was anxious and angry. "That''s our mother you''re talking about! As our uncle, how could you encourage my parents to divorce?!" "Stephen..." Michael looked at him with cold eyes. "If you marry a wife who killed two people, treat it like nothing happened, and watch a six-year-old girl sent to the orphanage all alone after her whole family died, will you still stay in the marriage?" "I..." Stephen was stunned as his face turned green before turning pallid. "That''s different! How can the woman I like be the same as my own mother? No matter what she did wrong, she still loves me and my brother. She''s still our mother!" "What''s the difference?" Michael looked into his eyes and asked, "Holly is your mother. That''s right, but she is also your father''s wife. If you don''t want to share a bed with a wicked woman, do you think your father is willing to?" "No¡­ It doesn''t work like that¡­ It doesn''t..." Stephen shook his head with a pale face. "My parents have been married for more than twenty years, and they have a great rtionship. How could they get a divorce?" "Why not?" Sebastian looked at him with a leisurely smile. "Your father didn''t know what a beast your mother was before, so they can still live with each other. Now that your father has discovered your mother''s true colors, how do you expect him to spend the rest of his life with a beast?" "Know your limits, Sebastian Hart!" Stephen was furious now. "No matter what, she is my mother. How dare you insult her?" "If you don''t want to be scolded by others, don''t do things that deserve a scolding." Sebastian eyed him indifferently. "I''m just telling the truth. Don''t you think that what your mother and your uncle did was inhumane?" "No, it''s not like that!" Stephen shook his head and exined, "It was an ident. What they did was unintentional! They were just frightened and too scared to be sent to jail, so they paid someone else to take the me! They¡­ They aren''t bad people. All¡­ All of this is just an ident!" Sebastian snickered, "Even if the deaths of Leigh''s parents were an ident, what about the death of Leigh''s grandfather? Didn''t they think about Leigh''s future after her parents died and her only rtive, who was her grandfather, was killed?" He then sneered again, "Of course, they don''t think about it! They are beasts disguised as humans! They have no sympathy at all and only want to live a peaceful life. Why would they care about what happens to a little orphan?" Chapter 226 Chapter 226 "Sebastian, you''re ndering us!" Stephen yelled angrily, "My mother is a good person. Why would she kill someone? Leigh''s grandfather''s death must have been an ident. He could not have been killed by my mother and uncle!" "Yes. I haven''t found the person who killed Leigh''s grandfather. He has gone abroad, so it isn''t easy for me to find him. It may take some time, but Stephen, ask yourself, do you believe in these coincidences?" Sebastian sneered, "Think about it. Why did Leigh''s grandfather not die sooner orter, but die exactly when he found the witness he had worked so hard to look for to testify at the police station? You keep saying that this is an ident, but listen to your conscience and tell me. Do you believe it?" "I believe it!" Stephen dered loudly. "My mother is not the kind of person you im her to be. She is not!" "Okay. I admit that the driver of the truck that killed Leigh''s grandfather has not yet been found. It''s just my spection that he was murdered by your uncle and mother, so let''s not touch on this topic first! Let''s talk about something else." Sebastian looked at him and said, "Stephen, let me ask you. Since you said that your mother is a kind woman, why did she ignore Leigh after getting involved in the hit-and-run incident with your uncle that took Leigh''s parents'' lives? If this happened to you, would you have done the same?" "I... My motherpensated her with money!" Stephen stammered, "It''s not written in your material, but my uncle and mother paid Leigh more than a hundred thousand dors." "Indeed. Your uncle and your mother paid Leigh more than a hundred thousand dors." Sebastian nodded and continued, "But Leigh was only six years old at that time. After her parents died, she only had her grandfather, but he died soon after. Do you think a six-year-old girl knows how to keep a hundred thousand dors? Anyone with a conscience would care about her life. The least they could do was to make sure that she was not abused or bullied and could grow up in an ordinary family, but what did your uncle and your mother do? They just did the bare minimum, yet you are brazenly defending your mother, saying that she is a kind person?!" Sebastian sneered and shook his head. "Young Master Stephen, I have to say that you must have misunderstood the meaning of being ''kind''. The bar for kindness for you is too low!" Stephen''s face was ashen, and his mouth was agape. However, he could not even bring himself to say another word. "That''s enough, Stephen. Stop talking." George gave him a bitter smile, discouraging his second son. "I''ll handle my affairs. Just don''t say anything." "Sebastian, you''re ndering us!" Stephen yelled angrily, "My mother is a good person. Why would she kill someone? Leigh''s grandfather''s death must have been an ident. He could not have been killed by my mother and uncle!" The more he said, the more mistakes he would make. Anyhow, the incident was Holly''s mistake to begin with. No, it was not just a simple mistake, but a crime and a loss of conscience. No matter what his son said, it would be wrong and self-inflicted. "Dad..." Stephen looked at George in panic and asked with a trembling voice, "A-Are you really going to divorce Mom?" George shook his head and replied, "Let''s not talk about this now. Dig in. The food is gonna get cold." He was extremely confused right now, so he had not figured out his next ns. Though he urged everyone to dig in, no one had the appetite to eat anymore. Oh. Well, maybe not everyone. Sebastian looked like he could still enjoy his food. Sebastian ate elegantly and gracefully, and his dining posture could even be documented in etiquette textbooks as a model. Unfortunately, no one at the dining table could admire his elegance. George lost his soul. Ethan lost his taste for food. Stephen was as restless as an explosive barrel that could explode at any time. Crystal simply dragged Madeline to the cubicle, locked the door, and insisted on seeing the scars on her daughter''s back. Madeline could not resist her, so she let her see the scars reluctantly. Crystal almost fainted from crying after seeing them with her own eyes. Michael was worried about his wife, so he told her to open the door. Seeing that Crystal''s eyes were swollen from crying, he felt distressed and put his arms around her tofort her tenderly. Crystal snuggled into his arms and bawled, "It''s true! It''s all true! Our daughter is so beautiful and has such good skin, but scars are imprinted all over her body! How can this be? Michael, why did this happen? What did I do so wrong to be punished? I''ve never done anything wrong in my life. Why do the heavens have to punish me? Why¡­" It was true that mothers felt pain whenever they saw their children getting hurt. Upon seeing the scars on Madeline''s body, she felt as if a knife had pierced into her heart. Although she did not raise her from childhood, Madeline was her daughter, whom she carried in her womb for ten months! Madeline looked so identical to her, and Crystal adored her as soon as she saw her. She desperately wished to turn back time so that she could raise her child from the day she was born. She had always felt bad for the pain Madeline had had to endure since she was a child, and now that she saw the scars on Madeline''s body, she was even more heartbroken. Michaelforted her, but he was also pained and remorseful. His wife battled with her life to give birth to their daughter, yet he failed to protect their child, which was a shame in his life. Madelineforted Crystal, "Mom, don''t cry. It''s all over, and I''m fine now. Let''s not think about the past, okay?" She did not know that Sebastian would show those photos to her parents. To her, those things seemed so distant that they belonged to someone else instead of her. It was true that she had suffered a hard time before, but her two angels, Aldo and Joel, healed her. She did not have any resentment toward her past at all. She even considered herself lucky. Thepany of Aldo and Joel was enough to heal everything. Madeline coaxed Crystal for a long time before she finally stopped crying. After that, the family left the cubicle and returned to the dining room. By this time, no one had the appetite to eat anymore, and it was time to disperse. Crystal reluctantly held Madeline''s hand and suggested, "Maddie, why don''t youe home tonight?" Hearing that, Madeline replied in a somewhat difficult position, "Mom, Aldo and Joel are waiting for me to go home. They never sleep without me at night. If I don''t go home, they will make a fuss." Crystal''s heart was filled with grief again. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. It took a long and hard time for her to finally reunite with her daughter, but she was now a wife and a mother, not just her daughter. She was the mother of her children and Sebastian''s wife first before bing Crystal and Michael''s daughter. It was a regret that Crystal could not make up for in her life, and it broke her heart. With that, she watched Sebastian leave with Madeline. Nigel and George''s family did not leave, and Nigel even stopped Crystal and Michael, who were about to leave the restaurant. "Crystal, Michael, let''s talk." To be precise, they were going to hold a family meeting. The first and second sons of the Taylor Family, as well as the members of the Wendel Family, were closely rted. What George decided to do next would directly affect the interests of the Taylor Family and the Wendel Family. Nigel must understand George''s decision to know what he should do next. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 After Crystal and Michael sat down, Nigel asked George, "George, what are you going to do?" "I don''t know..." George looked at him nkly. He was born as the second young master of the Taylor Family. He had a reliable father as well as a shrewd and capable eldest brother. From childhood to adulthood, no matter what he encountered, he had his father and brother to shelter him from any circumstance. His growth and career journey had been smooth-sailing throughout his life. Even until middle age, he never encountered any major ups and downs. Today was the most shameful and embarrassing day of his life. He never thought that the person who shared the same bed with him would turn out to be a vicious woman. He was scolded and mocked by a young man in front of everyone, but he could not even defend his wife. That was because Sebastian had evidence to justify his ims, making him stand on high grounds of morality while he was on the wrong side. The woman he was married to did outrageous things, so he dared not quibble at all. He did not want to be pointed at the nose and used as inhumane like his wife. "I know you''re in a dilemma, George," Michael said with an expressionless face. "Even if Maddie and Sebastian are not here now, I still want to make it clear that if the Taylor Family and the Hart Family are involved in a business war in the future, our family will not assist any party." Nigel frowned and looked at Michael. After a long while, he sighed and shook his head without saying a word. If Michael assisted the Taylor Family, they might have a chance to be the Hart Family''s rivals. However, if there was no help from Michael, they would have been crushed by the Hart Corporation without a doubt. Though he and George had a close rtionship, he could not risk the Taylor Family''s century-old business foundation. He had to express his position. "George, it''s not that I don''t want to help you. If Holly was wronged and my nephews are the ones getting bullied, I will definitely stand by you and be there for you, even if I risk everything. I will seek justice for you, but the truth is..." Shaking his head, he continued, "I am on the same boat as Michael. I won''t assist any party. I hope you don''t me me..." "Uncle, how could you do this?" Stephen was furious. "We are a family. Your business has always been our business. How can you stay out of it now that something has happened to our family? That''s too..." "Shut up!" Ethan stopped him halfway through his words. After Crystal and Michael sat down, Nigel asked George, "George, what are you going to do?" Stephen refused to ept it and questioned, with his neck straightened, "What''s the matter? Did I say something wrong? Are we not a family? Everyone is trying to draw the line with us when something happens. What is this? Does everyone just leave when misfortune hits? What kind of family is this? Uncle Michael and Uncle Nigel, you guys are cowards!" "Cowards?" Michael sneered and stood up. "If refusing to be an aplice is considered a cowardly act, then so be it! I don''t care what you say!" After saying that, he held Crystal''s hand and urged, "Let''s go." With Michael''s pull, Crystal got up, gave Stephen a cold nce, and said to George, "George, you should discipline Stephen, or he''ll be like Holly in the future!" "Aunt Crystal!" Stephen''s face flushed with anger. "H-how could you say that about me?" "What did I say?" Crystal raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "A son is bound to follow his mother. If you think your mother is right and is a good person, you should be happy that I said you resemble her!" "I..." Stephen''s face reddened, and he was unable to speak properly. Ethan yanked him down and scolded, "Enough is enough. Stop talking, will you?" He made a gesture of invitation to Michael and Crystal, offering, "Aunt Crystal, Uncle Michael, I''ll see you off." ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. After that, he sent Michael and Crystal out. When the door was closed, only Nigel, George, and Stephen were left. Stephen looked at Nigel pleadingly and begged, "Uncle Nigel, please help my mother. If she is sent to prison, how embarrassing will it be for our family? We can''t afford to lose her!" "It''s not that I don''t want to help, but I can''t," Nigel sighed. "Elsenburg is the Hart Family''s territory, and our strength is notparable to theirs. What your mother did is horrendous, so if we go against the Harts in a business war, not only are we inferior in strength, but the public will also side with the Harts. Once the business war starts, they will make use of public opinion to get the upper hand. Our family''s reputation will be ruined once the things your mother did are exposed. Our stock will plummet, and by that time, we will be in a mess, and it''ll be easy peasy for the Harts to ruin us." Stephen''s face went pale, and he could not speak for a while. He was a wealthy and noble son who was carefully nurtured and brought up by George, and he was also an eminent figure in the business world. He was not a fool. He was eager to protect his mother and dared to do everything for her. When something happened, his first reaction was to protect her. Impulsively, he felt that all the Taylor Family members would think like him, desperate to protect his mother. However, when Nigel exined the truth to him, he understood that even if they risked everything, they might not be able to protect her because his mother was indeed in the wrong. Besides, it was also due to the other party''s being too powerful. They could not cover up the mistakes his mother made. If the other party was just an insignificant citizen, they might be able to pay him, intimidate him, or cover up the story with their power to minimize the impact of the whole incident. However, they were currently up against a strong family¡ªthe Harts. All the Hart Family had to do was to spread what his mother did and stir up public opinion to ruin the reputation of the Taylor Family. Once word was spread, the whole nation would be informed sooner or later. By that time, the stock price of the Taylor Family would plummet, and everything produced by the Taylor Family would be spontaneously boycotted by the public... It was difficult to make a family prosper for a hundred years, but destroying a wealthy family OF a hundred years was sometimes the easiest task on earth. The Taylor Family could not protect their mother and could only go down in history because of her. "How evil!" Stephen mmed the table and huffed angrily. "Madeline is from our family, but she''s behaving like an outsider who is going against us! She''s a betrayer! What''s so great about giving birth to two children for Sebastian? She doesn''t even know her ce anymore! I''m pretty sure they are just illegitimate children she had with some other men. How could the Hart Family take it seriously? I''m gonna see what will happen to her once Sebastian kicks her out of the house!" Nigel frowned, stood up, and said seriously, "George, Crystal is right. You have to discipline Stephen. Otherwise, he might go astray and make the same mistakes as his mother." Stephen was stunned upon hearing that. "Uncle, w-what do you mean by that?" "I can''t believe a dignified young master of the Taylor Family is selfish, narrow-minded, mean, and unreasonable..." He looked at Stephen with eyes filled with disappointment. "I don''t remember you acting in this manner when you were younger..." He was not sure if it had been too long since he met Stephen, but he had gone astray. Perhaps he was just pretending to be nice before this, but it took Nigel a long time to realize. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Nigel sighed and patted George''s shoulder, saying, "George, kids follow their parents... If you switch environments for him and teach him now, he should be able to return to the right track." After speaking, he turned and walked out. "Uncle, how am I selfish, narrow-minded, mean, and unreasonable? Exin so I can understand!" Stephen chased after him angrily. Nigel walked to the door and happened to meet Ethan, who hade back from sending Michael and Crystal off. Seeing Stephen frantically yelling at Nigel, Ethan almost wanted to p him. "Stephen Taylor, haven''t you had enough?" "Uncle..." Ethan wanted to send Nigel off, but thetter waved him off. "Don''t worry about it. Go andfort your father and discipline your brother well. Work is important, but family is more important. It''s scarier to have a useless teammate than to have a genius teammate." After those words, he left without looking back. Stephen held back and did not utter a word, but his face was flushed with anger as he panted heavily. Ethan was enraged as he pushed him back into the room and scolded him angrily, "First, you infuriated Aunt Crystal and Uncle Michael, and now you''ve angered Uncle Nigel? What are you trying to do? Are you going to offend everyone and be a loner?" "I don''t care if I be a loner!" Stephen threw his hands in anger. "They''re just viins who bully the weak and fear the tough! They''re afraid because the Harts are powerful, so..." A crisp smack sounded, and a loud p interrupted his words. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Georgended a palm on his cheeks and looked at him coldly. "Go on. What happened to them?" Stephen covered his face in dissatisfaction. "Dad, I''m telling the truth. We are a family. Why don''t they help Mom? If something happens to them, we will definitely help them!" "They won''t do such a thing," George uttered coldly. "Because our family doesn''t have despicable and shameless viins like Scott and Holly!" "Dad, how could you call Mom a despicable and shameless viin?" Stephen''s eyes widened in disbelief. "She is your wife and our mother!" "Am I wrong?" George asked coldly, "Isn''t she a despicable and shameless viin?" "She is definitely not!" Stephen argued stubbornly. "She must have been wronged by them. She doesn''t know anything." George looked at him, and a surge of intense disappointment and exhaustion suddenly crept into his mind. Nigel sighed and patted George''s shoulder, saying, "George, kids follow their parents... If you switch environments for him and teach him now, he should be able to return to the right track." Crystal and Nigel''s words rang in his ears, "Discipline Stephen, or he''ll be like Holly..." Shutting his eyes and reopening them after a while, George nced at Ethan and Stephen before deciding, "I will divorce Holly..." "I don''t agree!" Stephen was riled up as he roared, "Mom must be innocent. Dad, don''t you know how much she loves you? You can''t divorce her!" George nced at him and sneered, "Okay... Even if you are right and your mother is innocent, I also have the right to divorce your mother. Now stiptes that I need your consent to divorce your mother, so I''m just notifying you, not asking for your opinion." "Dad, you can''t do this!" Stephen scolded, "You are afraid of the Hart Family, aren''t you? You want to sacrifice your wife in return for the Hart Family''s forgiveness. If you do this, you''re being shameless! Shame on you! I despise you!" "Shut up!" Ethan scolded, "Who are you to talk to Dad so rudely? Stephen, apologize!" "I''m telling the truth. Why should I apologize?" Stephen insisted, stubbornly. "I''ve said those words already, so I''m not afraid that someone else will scold me. Even if I don''t say it, somebody else will!" Ethan wanted to say something, but George waved his hand to stop him. "Ethan, enough." With a headache, Ethanforted his father, "Dad, don''t bother him. He just has a bad temper, but I will persuade himter." "It''s fine." George looked at Stephen and stated, "I have decided to divorce your mother. If you feel ashamed of me, you may leave the Taylor Family with your mother and take herst name. Do it first thing tomorrow so that you don''t have to worry that our family will be a disgrace to you." "W-What?" Stephen was stunned. He waspletely dumbfounded. He had just hoped that his father could defend his mother, protect her, and not get a divorce. Never did he think of leaving the Taylor Family. His already flushed face was now devoid of color as he stammered, "Dad, I-I didn''t mean that..." "What do you mean then?" George stared at him and questioned nkly, "Didn''t you say that I''m shameless? Didn''t you feel ashamed to have a father like me? In that case, I will divorce your mother. You shall follow your mother, who has made you proud, and stay away from a father who made you feel ashamed!" "I¡­ I..." Stephen panicked, and he was unable to speak coherently. He did not intend to leave the Taylor Family. The Baker Family was now in decline, and that family belonged to his uncle. Would he have a future if he were to join their family? He was the second young master of the Taylor Family. Even if it was his eldest brother who would inherit the family''s assets in the future, he would still be well settled. After leaving the Taylor Family, he would be nothing. He did not expect that his father would suggest that he leave the family. He was his father''s son, so how could his father treat him so badly? "Dad, y-you can''t do this to me..." Feeling hurt, he countered, "I''m your son. How could you abandon me? W-What do you think of me?" George stared at him for a moment and sighed, "It''s my fault for not teaching you well... It''s my fault... I didn''t teach you well..." Before he knew it, his son had grown into such a despicable man. He admitted that he did his best to raise his children, but his second son had still gone astray. Could it be... the power of genes? Even though he taught him with care and patience, Stephen still followed after Holly. Perhaps, even if he did teach him the good ways, Holly still taught her sons through her words and actions, shaping Stephen into the man he was today. In the future, when his eldest son got married, he must be observant of his wife. Her appearance and family background would be secondary, but her character was the most important. Looking at George''s disappointed eyes, Stephen panicked. He was no longer as arrogant as before. With a soft voice, he apologized, "Dad¡­ I-I was just too worked up earlier and said the wrong things. I hope you don''t me me... I-I¡­" When George looked at him, he felt exhausted both physically and mentally, and there was an indescribable feeling in his heart. "You don''t have to apologize to me. I have made up my mind to divorce your mother, so no one can stop me. I don''t want to be tied to a vicious woman for the rest of my life. If you don''t understand me, you may leave the Taylor Family with your mother. Your uncle inherited the Taylor Family''s assets, but the sess of our family was the fruit of my hard work, so they will all be mine. If you are ashamed of me, you should leave the house and pursue your dreams. I am not guilty to you in any way as I have fulfilled the role of a parent by raising you. In the future, you will go your own way and I will go on mine. You are no longer rted to us." Chapter 229 Chapter 229 "Dad..." Stephen looked at George in shock, unable to believe that his father, who had always loved him, would say such words. George sighed heavily and walked toward the door. Stephen was so flustered that his legs went limp, and he chased after him staggeringly. "Dad, I can exin..." Ethan also chimed in to persuade his dad, "Dad, don''t be angry with Stephen. He''s just a little reckless. He said those words out of anger!" However, George responded without looking back, "Words of anger are the truth... They are from the bottom of your heart... Hah." His voice was cold. One could tell how heartbroken he was just by listening to his voice. Stephen felt distressed as he shouted at George''s back, "Dad, I really didn''t mean it. I just... I just feel sorry for Mom. If you were to switch positions with her one day, I would have protected you the same way!" Though George did not look back, his heart softened. The reason his second son was still protecting Holly at this time could be regarded as the instinct of a child. However, it was a pity that he could not distinguish between right and wrong. If he were to stay with the Taylor Family, George was afraid that he would bring disaster to the family sooner orter. Therefore, it was right to kick him out. After leaving the restaurant, he did not head home straight away but looked for hiswyer. Once he settled his things and returned home, Holly was lying on the bed scrolling through her phone. Seeing that George had returned, she looked up at him and continued scrolling her phone while asking, "What did you talk about with your brother and sister? Why can''t I join you?" There was dissatisfaction in her voice. Ever since her niece was taken away by the police at Wendel''s Residence, she had silently hated Crystal, but George adored his little sister a lot, so she did not want to ruin her rtionship with George for Crystal. Eventually, she endured it and made noment. Since only the two brothers and one sister of the Taylor Family were invited to tonight''s dinner without allowing her to tag along, she could not help expressing her disdain andining. George stared at her for a while before cing the divorce agreement beside her pillow, informing her, "Holly, let''s get a divorce... I''ve asked thewyer to draft the divorce agreement. You just have to sign it..." Holly tapped her finger on the phone screen a few more times before she came back to her senses. She looked up at George in disbelief, as if she was looking at a stranger. "What did you say, George?" "Dad..." Stephen looked at George in shock, unable to believe that his father, who had always loved him, would say such words. "I said, let''s get a divorce..." George looked into her eyes and emphasized it word for word. "When I looked at you in the past, I saw a gentle and kind woman, but when I look at you now, I only see a hideous beast¡­" Holly''s face changed dramatically as she stared at him incredulously. "W-What''s wrong with you? Are you possessed?" "I am not possessed! The ugly and dirty things you''ve done in the past have been exposed," exined George. "Do you remember the pregnant woman you pushed to the ground? Remember the young couple who were hit and killed by your brother? Their daughter is back for revenge!" The lights in the room were dim. George''s face was pale, and his voice was cold. Standing beside the bed, he said these words in an indifferent tone, making Holly shiver in fright. The image of her brother''s car running over the pregnant woman shed in her mind... She heard screams. She could not help but look back. Dark-red colored blood quickly spread out on the ground... She shuddered in fright and quickly regained herposure, stammering, "W-What are you talking about? I don''t know what you''re getting at." "Stop pretending," George uttered indifferently. "I''ve seen the evidence. There''s no use for you to deny it¡­" After that, he picked up the divorce agreement beside the bed and threw it at Holly. "Let''s get a divorce... Sign it." "No, I''m not getting a divorce! Are you crazy? You''re divorcing me without a proper reason!" Holly threw the divorce agreement away due to anger. "I won''t ever get a divorce!" "Whatever..." said George coldly. "If you don''t sign, we''ll live separately." As long as they had lived separately for half a year, thew would sentence them to divorce. He and Holly signed a prenuptial property agreement before they got married to divide the assets fairly. Therefore, there would be no property dispute between them. After half a year, he and Holly could be separated. When it involved property assets, he suddenly thought of something. He failed to listen to his mother''s words back then. That was why he was suffering now. Back then, he and Holly were in free love. His mother did not favor Holly and disliked her for being petty, so she did not approve of their wedding. Despite that, he insisted on marrying her, and his mother could not beat him, so she put forward a condition¡ªhe could marry Holly, but he had to sign a prenuptial property agreement. The content of the agreement was drafted by his mother and thewyer, and, of course, it was all in his favor. To sum it up in simple words, although Holly was his wife, the properties in his name had nothing to do with Holly. Once they divorced, how much he wanted to give to Holly was entirely up to his conscience. He really liked Holly at that time, but his mother did not agree with his marriage to her. He figured that she was dissatisfied with Scott, and his mother had a prejudice against Holly because of this. She was also afraid that Scott would hinder him in the future. Now, he finally understood that his mother was not prejudiced against Holly but had a good eye for people. The woman he had argued with his mother for a long time to marry turned out to be... a beast with a human face. At this moment, he could not tell whether he felt heartbroken or empty. He just wanted to quickly draw a clear line with Holly and have nothing to do with this woman in the future. He was exhausted physically and mentally, and he no longer wanted to quarrel with Holly, so he turned around and walked out the door. "I''ll be staying over at Nigel''s." He never wanted toe back to this home again. N?velDrama.Org content. "Stop right there, George Taylor! Exin to me!" Holly chased after him. George did not stop in his tracks as he uttered, "Don''t pester me. If you have the time to do this, you might as well think about how to prove yourself innocent. The child whose parents were killed by you and your brother hated you to the bone and she came back to take revenge now. You might as well find a way to protect yourself, or at least, don''t be sent to prison by that child." No matter what, Holly was the mother of his two sons. If Holly went to prison, his sons would definitely be heartbroken. For the sake of his sons, he also did not want to see Holly sentenced to prison. "What on Earth are you talking about? Stop right there, George Taylor!" Holly was currently frightened and anxious, so she identally sprained her ankle. After crying out in pain, she fell to the ground. George disappeared at the corner of the corridor without looking back, and the sound of footsteps gradually faded away. Holly fell and sat in the corridor. Suddenly, the image of the pregnant woman screaming in a pool of blood appeared in her mind. She could not help but let out a scream, struggled to get up, and stumbled back to the bedroom. She then locked the door and dialed Scott''s number while shivering. Tha contant of tha agraamant was draftad by his mothar and thawyar, and, of coursa, it was all in his favor. To sum it up in sim words, although Holly was his wifa, tha propartias in his nama had nothing to do with Holly. Onca thay divorcad, how much ha wantad to giva to Holly was antiraly up to his conscianca. Ha raally likad Holly at that tima, but his mothar did not agraa with his marriaga to har. Ha figurad that sha was dissatisfiad with Scott, and his mothar had a prajudica against Holly bacausa of this. Sha was also afraid that Scott would hindar him in tha futura. Now, ha finally undarstood that his mothar was not prajudicad against Holly but had a good aya for pao. Tha woman ha had arguad with his mothar for a long tima to marry turnad out to ba... a baast with a human faca. At this momant, ha could not tall whathar ha falt haartbrokan or ampty. Ha just wantad to quickly draw a ar lina with Holly and hava nothing to do with this woman in tha futura. Ha was axhaustad physically and mantally, and ha no longar wantad to quarral with Holly, so ha turnad around and walkad out tha door. "I''ll ba staying ovar at Nigal''s." Ha navar wantad toa back to this homa again. "Stop right thara, Gaorga Taylor! Exin to ma!" Holly chasad aftar him. Gaorga did not stop in his tracks as ha uttarad, "Don''t pastar ma. If you hava tha tima to do this, you might as wall think about how to prova yoursalf innocant. Tha child whosa parants wara kid by you and your brothar hatad you to tha bona and sha cama back to taka ravanga now. You might as wall find a way to protact yoursalf, or atast, don''t ba sant to prison by that child." No mattar what, Holly was tha mothar of his two sons. If Holly want to prison, his sons would dafinitaly ba haartbrokan. For tha saka of his sons, ha also did not want to saa Holly santancad to prison. "What on Earth ara you talking about? Stop right thara, Gaorga Taylor!" Holly was currantly frightanad and anxious, so sha idantally sprainad har an. Aftar crying out in pain, sha fall to tha ground. Gaorga disappaarad at tha cornar of tha corridor without looking back, and tha sound of footstaps gradually fadad away. Holly fall and sat in tha corridor. Suddanly, tha imaga of tha pragnant woman scraaming in a pool of blood appaarad in har mind. Sha could not halp butt out a scraam, strugd to gat up, and stumd back to tha badroom. Sha than lockad tha door and did Scott''s numbar wh shivaring. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Holly kept dialing Scott''s number, but all her calls went unanswered. She panicked even more. When she called her parents, she was told Scott had been away from home for a few days by then. After her parents heard the panic in her voice, they asked her if everything was alright. However, there was no way she would dare tell them anything. After hurriedly making up a few excuses, she hung up on them. She then called her sons. At first, she tried to call Ethan, but he did not pick up. Next, she called Stephen. He answered, but he was audibly drunk. "Stephen," she shouted into the phone, "did you know your father was going to file for a divorce?" "Sure. Why would I not?" He drunkenly giggled. "Not only is he divorcing you, but he is also disowning me. Say, isn''t it hrious? Heh. He even told me to change myst name to yours, Baker. Ha! I have been Stephen Taylor for twenty years. To ask me to be a Baker out of nowhere... Does he think I am a fool?" He kept thering, but she was no longer listening. Holly was stunned by what he spoke of; George was disowning Stephen and throwing him out of the Taylor Family. Was George mad? ck spots appeared in her vision as she stumbled, nearly copsing to the ground. Giving George two sons was the reason behind her confidence and pride. She had thought that she would always be his wife as long as her two sons were around. Never in her dreams did she think George would divorce her or disown their son. No. He would not. He was angry with Stephen and did not mean that. Anyway, she still had one more son, right? Ethan would surely help her. Holly''s fingers were trembling so hard that she nearly dropped her phone. She called Ethan once more. This time, someone picked it up. "Ethan," she shouted, like someone who was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, "did you know? Your father is going to divorce me! I don''t want a divorce! Ethan, help me!" "Mom," Ethan whispered in a very soft and somber voice, "I''m in the police station. Uncle Scott has been captured by the police, and... the driver who killed Leigh''s grandfather is also here. Someone dragged him back from abroad. I don''t know the details yet, but the police are currently questioning him. Mom..." Holly kept dialing Scott''s number, but all her calls went unanswered. "Tell me the truth," he continued, speaking even softer. "Were you involved in the death of Leigh''s grandfather? Was it really an ident or¡ª" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "The driver who killed the old man is back in the country. Why? H-How?" she stammered. "D-Didn''t he migrate overseas? Why is he back so suddenly?" "It was not a sudden return," he replied. "They say the Harts went looking for him." "The Harts? Do you mean the Hart Family? Is it Madeline''s doing?!" Holly shouted, furious. "What does she want? I have done nothing to her! Is hurting Katie not enough for her? Is she after me too? She deserved to be stolen by Cameron back then! Why didn''t she just die while she was away?" "Mom!" Ethan barked in warning. "Don''t say that. If Aunt Crystal and Uncle Michael hear about it, they will be angry. The situation is bad enough as it is. Do you really want to make them our enemies?" "Why? How can this be?" she mumbled to herself in terror. "That incident happened ages ago. Why are they looking into it now? They''re dead and have been for years. Why are the police investigating their deaths now? It is all in the past, right? After all, it has been so many years¡ª" "Mom, there is no point in saying any of that. Let us talk about something else that would help us," he gently interrupted, doing his best to restrain his impatience. "Tell me; were the deaths of Leigh''s family idents or homicides? You have to tell me the truth. I can only help you if you do so!" "Help me? How would you help me?" She muttered before gritting her teeth and spitting out, "It was an ident! Everything was an ident! Your uncle crashed into Leigh''s parents, killing them. Her grandfather died by ident. I was not involved in any of their deaths! I am not involved in any of it!" Despite her words, Ethan could sense from the way Holly reacted that it was not an ident at all. His heart sank. "Mom, I am one of the people on earth most worthy of your trust. Who can you believe in, if not me? You must tell me the truth so that I can help you..." "I said, it was an ident! How many times do you want me to repeat myself?" Gone was her usual sophisticated elegance. She screamed at the top of her lungs, "I told you, it was an ident! An ident! That is all!" Before he could reply, she hung up. When he tried calling back, he heard an automated message stating the number was unavable instead. He rubbed his temples to ease the pounding in his head. As he thought about what his next move should be, Ruben, hiswyer, hurried over. "President Taylor¡­" "The situation is bad. Your uncle confessed to everything. He said he bribed the driver to do the deed, but the money," said Ruben, after dragging him to somewhere more isted, "was given to him by your mother." Ethan''s ears were buzzing from the shock. Just as he suspected, his mother lied to him. His kind and elegant mother was truly a murderer. "President Taylor," a worried Ruben continued, "your mother is currently in a bad spot..." Ethan stood there, silent and unresponsive. Ruben did not need to tell him that the situation was bad for his mother; he knew well how bad things were. Now that Scott had told the police about Holly''s involvement, they had a lead. This meant she would not escape unscathed. His heart hurt as if it was being squeezed. He racked his brain, hoping to find a solution that would ensure his mother''s survival. At this moment, a group of men came marching out and into a police car. A whileter, the car sped away with its siren on. "Those people," whispered Ruben with a frown, "are likely going to... your home." Halfway through the sentence, Ruben swapped out the words he was going to say. After all, it was crass to tell his employer that the police were going to capture his mother. Even so, Ethan was no fool. He knew what Ruben was going to say. He would have loved to rush home immediately, but his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground. They would not move an inch at all. What was the point of going home? He could not save his mother. Even if he went with the police, he would only be forced to watch as they arrested her. He gulped. "Think of something, quick! You must try your best to protect my mother. Money is not an issue!" Chapter 231 Chapter 231 After a brief acknowledgement, Ruben hurried away. Ethan remained standing by the window as he repeatedly looked through his contact list. Whom should he call? If not for Sebastian, there would be many people he could contact. Perhaps he could have saved his mother by overlooking his morals and integrity just once. However, Sebastian was involved in the case. As long as the evidence was true, no one would dare interfere with the case when Sebastian and the Hart Family were keeping an eye on it. For the first time in his life, he felt powerless. How he wished he could save his mother, but he was useless. He did not know how long he stood there in the darkness with his phone in his hand, but soon he heard the sirens of a police car before one pulled up into the yard. Through the window, he watched as his mother was escorted out of the car with handcuffs around her wrists. Before he could think about his actions, he was charging straight out of the station. Holly spotted him before he got close to her. She struggled hard against the policeman escorting her as she cried out, "Ethan, save me! You have to save me!" From the moment she saw the police appear, she had been crying. Her eyes were swollen by now. She had never felt so afraid before. Going to prison was even more terrifying than the idea of divorcing George. She never thought she would be connected to prison in any way. Ethan stopped before her, at a loss for words, and did not know what to do next. The policeman escorting Holly pushed him to the side, and he could do nothing but watch as she was forced past him toward the station by the police. "Ethan, please! Save me!" She desperately shouted, turning back to look at him. "I don''t want to go to prison. I am innocent! You have to save me!" He followed the group to the door of the interrogation room, where the police pushed her in. "Mr. Taylor, this is really bad," reported Ruben as he came running over in a hurry. "The police asked Scott if your mother knew what he was going to do with the money, and he said yes." "Is he mad?" Ethan shouted in a whisper. "How would it help him to drag my mother into this? Has she not been good to him? Why is he doing this to her?" "He..." Ruben let out a bitter chuckle. "I hear that he''s drunk..." "Drunk?" Ethan was trembling with fury. "Are they thinking he''s spilling the beans because he''s drunk?" After a brief acknowledgement, Ruben hurried away. Ethan remained standing by the window as he repeatedly looked through his contact list. Whom should he call? Ruben nodded. "Yes." "Can a drunken confession be used as testimony?" Ethan''s vision was going hazy with shock. "Can he change his testimony after he sobers up?" "There''s no use." Ruben shook his head. "Even the driver confessed to being paid by Scott to kill the old man, and that Scott had also arranged for him and his wife to migrate overseas to be with their daughter. However, he did not have a good time there. His daughter soon passed away, while his wife divorced him and returned here. He was there all alone, wasting his life away. When the Harts brought him back, he told the police everything. He sobbed and wailed as he cried about how guilty he was and how he should not have gotten greedy. He told them every detail about how Scott bribed him. It matched Scott''s testimony. Hence, there is no way Scott can change his testimony after sobering up." "Useless! They are all trash! Failures!" Ethan mmed his fist against a wall. "What about my mother? Has she ever met the driver?" "Well, no." Ruben let out a sad sigh. "However, she was careless enough to transfer the money to Scott instead of giving him cash. When the bank opens tomorrow, the police will know everything." Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He looked at Ethan and feebly said, "You have to be prepared..." Ethan''s eyes slid shut in despair. He knew what Ruben wanted him to be prepared for. Holly could not escape unscathed this time. She was doted on her entire life and raised in luxury. She had never suffered once in her life, yet she was going to jail. His heart ached when he recalled just how caring and gentle she was when raising him. No. He could not give up just yet. As her son, he could not just stand idly as she was sent to prison. Even if it was a one-in-a-million chance, he had to do his best to rescue his mother. He took a deep breath and called Madeline. The number was unavable. When heter looked at the time, he realized it was well past midnight. Logically speaking, he should contact Madeline in the morning. However, his emotions overwhelmed him so much that he could not wait another second longer. His car sped away from the police station toward Sebastian and Madeline''s home. In fact, he was driving so fast that he arrived at his destination in less than twenty minutes. He had thought he would be able to see Madeline as long as he was at her home, but the guards refused to let him in since Sebastian and Madeline were both asleep. No matter what he said or offered, the guards resolutely kept him out. He was panicking hard, but there was nothing he could do. Time slowly ticked past, and the sun began to rise. Madeline woke up at seven, as she usually would. She would then lead her children downstairs and have breakfast with them before sending them off to school. That morning, when she descended the stairs, Zacharias was waiting for her with a message. "Mrs. Hart, Ethan Taylor of Taylor Corporation is here. The guards said he arrived around one o''clockst night and has been waiting outside the gates since then. He wishes to see you." She was stunned. "Let him in." "Do it after twenty minutes," Sebastian called out from the dining room doorway. Zacharias acknowledged the order and left without asking any questions. "Why would you make him wait twenty more minutes?" she asked Sebastian as she walked over to him. "It''s because breakfast is ready," Quincy said. "Yes, Mom! Let us have breakfast first. We can talk to Uncle Ethan afterward!" Joel grabbed her hand and stared up at her with his cute eyes and chubby cheeks. "If we let him in now, you won''t have breakfast. Dad is only making Uncle Ethan wait so that you can enjoy your breakfast. He is so sweet! Dad must surely be the best man in the world!" Madeline was rendered speechless. It was early in the morning, yet her sons were already heaping ttery on Sebastian. Sebastian shook his head with a smile and stroked his sons'' heads. "It looks like my genes are still stronger," Sebastian said in a teasing manner. "My sons are just like me!" She stared at him, confused. "He''s saying that we''re smart," exined Quincy. "You''re smart too, Mom! It''s just that Dad is smarter." Joel giggled. "It''s not like girls need to be super smart anyway. I think girls are just fine if they''re pretty and have a good heart, just like you. After all, you''re not just beautiful and kind, but you are also a good fighter and a great cook. You get full points and bonuses in my heart. You are the best woman in the whole world, Mom!" She didn''t even know how to respond to that statement. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 "Joel''s right," Sebastian praised with a grin as he rewarded Joel with a pat on the head. Oh, how he loved his son. Madeline was rendered speechless. What was right about that statement? Was it about how she was not as smart as Sebastian, or the deration that she was the best woman in the world? She sighed internally. There was no way she was the best woman in the world. She should not even think about it. Not wanting to continue on the topic, she said, "Okay, let''s have breakfast first. We''ll talk to Ethan afterward." She did not have a good rtionship with him anyway, and he had already waited for her for hours. Twenty more minutes was nothingpared to that. Breakfast was delicious, and her two sons enjoyed it very much. Joel had been a fussy eater, but ever since they moved in with Sebastian, he had improved. It was because the table would always be covered with his favorite dishes. As he could not fit that much food into his stomach, he would be done after taking a few bites of every dish served. As he insisted on having some of everything, he made it look like he was not a fussy eater, like Quincy. Sebastian was such a thorough caretaker with the kids that there was nothing toin about his methods. She was particrly thankful for that. Since she had to talk to Ethan after breakfast, she could not send the kids off to school. As such, Sebastian took over the task. It was only after moving in with him that she realized Sebastian, the head of Hart Corporation, was a homebody. In the morning, he would have breakfast with them before going with her to send the boys off to school. While he would have lunch at the office instead ofing home, he would alwayse home after work to spend time with the kids. He never stayed out for business dinners. Madeline found it rather strange. How could Hart Corporation be so profitable if he did notwork? She had asked him about it. After all, executives of big corporations had to socialize once in a while at the very least, right? It was an unavoidable part of life for businessmen. Hart Corporation was a huge corporation. There was no way he was never invited to anything. His calm reply was that although thepany received a lot ofworking invitations, he had a special tool just for that purpose¡ªLucas. "Joel''s right," Sebastian praised with a grin as he rewarded Joel with a pat on the head. Oh, how he loved his son. Anyone familiar with him knew just how close the two brothers were. Lucas was able to represent him in all matters. Hence, it was Lucas who attended those events in his ce. After all, he did not like to mingle while Lucas did. They were perfect partners. She was rendered speechless by that exnation. While she did not think that was what it meant to be perfect partners, it was also not the wrong description of their friendship. Frankly speaking, it sounded more like Sebastian was exploiting Lucas. Anyway, all of this was to say that Sebastian acted less like apany executive in his twenties and more like a veteran. Quincy and Joel adored their father for this. They loved how their parents would send them to school together and spend their evenings with both of their parents. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It resulted in more smiles from Joel, while Quincy grew closer to Sebastian. Life was perfect. She would do her best to protect their current way of life by making sure Sebastian was happy with her. She wanted to make this marriagest just a little longer. After seeing Sebastian and the kids to the door, she had Zacharias escort Ethan into the house. This ce was originally called Sun Garden, and it had two sets of gates. One was located to the east, while the other was located to the south. As the eastern gate was closer to the boys'' school, they would always walk the kids to school that way. Ethan did not know that, though, so he had been waiting by the southern gate. When Madeline finally let him in, he was seething with rage. However, he did not dare to show it in front of her. She was no longer the girl who had to rely on the Taylors. He was here to ask for a favor, not to make enemies. After he was seated and tea was served, she started the conversation with some polite small talk, conveying her apologies. However, it was clear she was only apologizing to be polite. Ethan knew that, but he could not rage at her for the treatment. Instead, he forced a smile on his face and replied, "We are family. Why are you apologizing? After all, I came here without prior notice. It is expected of me to wait." "That''s true," she said, smiling back. "In the future, you can let me know beforehand that you wish to meet me. You would not have to wait then. I could not bear it for you to waste your precious time waiting around." That made him furious. After all, she did not look upset at all by that notion. Of course, no matter what he thought, he dared not say a word about his anger. "Maddie," he continued, forcing himself to continue smiling, "I am here for my mother." There was no way he could air Holly''s dirtyundry in public. Hence, he briefly summarized the situation in a few vague sentences before stating, "I would like to meet with Leigh to discuss this. Can you help me, Maddie?" "Of course I can." She smiled. "I can contact her on your behalf, but it is up to her whether or not she will meet with you." "That''s a given," he replied, nodding. "Thank you, Maddie." She smiled. "Please give me a moment." Then, she went to the room next door to call Leigh and tell her the situation. "I am not particrly close to him, Leigh. We are merely acquaintances, so do not think about me. It is entirely your decision. Do not force yourself." "I''ll talk to him." Leigh let out a mean little chuckle. "Why not?" The Harts were keeping a close eye on her family''s case and would inform her the moment something happened. Hence, she knew what was going on right now, which meant she could guess why Ethan wanted to talk. It was the Taylors who wronged her. She was the victim here. However, she wanted to know what Ethan was going to say to her. Was he just like his mother? Thus, why would she refuse to meet him? A few minutester, Leigh walked into the room where Ethan was waiting. When he saw her walk in with the light shining in from behind her, he shot to his feet in astonishment. This was someone he never thought he would see here. Duringst year''s winter, he was in Talvit for a business meeting. When he left the building with his new business partner, the man fainted. Everyone was shocked. Someone began to call for an ambnce while another shouted at their driver to hurry over with the car. Another person began asking around for a first aid responder. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 As chaos reigned, a young woman''s voice rang out clear and loud across the room. "Let me help. I am a doctor." The crowd parted, and she moved to kneel beside the copsed man. Her hands, as dainty as butterfly wings, pumped his chest several times before he slowly came to his senses. When the ambnce arrived, she briefed the paramedics on what happened before rushing off. Ethan had been so preupied with his business partner''s condition that he did not even talk to her before she left. However, after everything had calmed down, he constantly recalled the beauty of her face and how calm yet lively she looked. People came and went into a person''s life. Some people would meet every day yet leave no impression on the mind, while others would be unforgettable despite having only met once. In this case, to Ethan, the young doctor was thetter. Just a brief nce was enough to carve her into his memories. Whenever he had time, he would suddenly find himself thinking about her. Where was she, and what was she doing now? Would they meet again? Was she going to suddenly appear before him just like how she did on their first meeting? If they ever met again, he would never be foolish enough to let her out of his life so quietly. If he were given another chance, he would ask for her name and contact details. Finally, he was able to meet her again. However, he did not know if it was a wishe true or a joke yed on him. Momentster, he quickly shook the question out of his head. There was no doubt about it. This was no wishe true; it was a prank the world was ying on him. He would rather never see her again than get to know her under the current conditions. Throughout the night as he waited, he had thought up countless excuses to persuade Leigh with. He would offer everything he could as long as she agreed to let Holly go. He would do anything she asked of him. However, now that Leigh was sitting across from him, all he could do was dazedly and silently stare at her. It was evident that she no longer remembered him, for she looked at him as if he was a stranger. "Ethan Taylor, correct? I am Leigh Shefford. Tell me what you have to say. You do not have much time though, as I am a busy woman. You have five minutes." Her voice was as beautiful and sweet as he remembered, except, there was a chill and mocking tone in it that was not there in theirst meeting. As chaos reigned, a young woman''s voice rang out clear and loud across the room. "Let me help. I am a doctor." He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were stuck in his throat. Seeing that he was acting weird, she raised a brow. After taking a few deep breaths, which he hid well from her, he pinched his hand hard to force himself to calm down. When his heart eventually stopped racing, he spoke, "Hello, Doctor Shefford. You have likely forgotten, but we met once in Talvitst year..." "Mr. Taylor," she bluntly interrupted. "We are enemies. I am not in the mood to chat with you. Please tell me what you want." The rest of his speech died in his throat. Gazing at Leigh staring silently at him, he finally understood what the phrase "so close yet so far" meant. He was born to be the best of the best. Hence, this was the first time in his life that he felt dejected¡ª that he realized he was not the beloved child of the world; that the world would y jokes on him too. When he was speechless again, she prompted him by asking, "You are here because of your mother, right? More urately, you are here to plead on her behalf, yes? What do you wish to say? Are you nning to bribe me, or threaten me?" He tried speaking once more, but no words left his mouth. Her face clouded over with a frosty chill. "You should not be wasting your time here. I do not care about what you offer or threaten as I will never let your mother go! For the past sixteen years, I have lived with the sole purpose of avenging my family!" She sneered at him. "Unless you silence me by killing me, like how your uncle and mother killed them, I will never let them walk free." He found himself at a loss for words. Somehow, he left Sun Garden unknowingly. When he was waiting outside the gatesst night, he had been determined to persuade Leigh to let Holly walk free. It was true. Deep down, he knew she would want revenge for her family''s deaths. However, the main culprit was Scott. Let him be the scapegoat for her anger. Let him be the sacrifice to appease the dead. Why did Holly have to be dragged too? He had thought up essays upon essays that he would use to persuade Leigh. N?velDrama.Org content. However, none of those were ever spoken. Leigh was a great woman. She waded through a crowd of people to save a stranger in need. Furthermore, that person was obviously rich. If she had stayed, she would have been well rewarded. Even so, she did not even tell them of her name before leaving. She was a kind woman... All she wanted was justice for her murdered family. He had actually thought of using his status and wealth to coerce her into giving up on that dream. At that moment, she must have thought he was as ck-hearted and despicable as Holly. He was overwhelmed by the distress of a magnitude he had never felt before. It felt like his heart had been carved out. This was a situation he had never wanted to be met with. He did not recall how he made his way back to the police station. When Ruben spotted him, he hurried over. "Mr. Taylor, you did not answer any of my calls. Your mother is about to be charged..." Ethan was silent. Momentster, Ruben prompted once more. "If we cannot provide the police with any significant proof of your mother''s innocence, we must be ready to defend her in court. Based on my experience, I believe she would be faced with at least ten years of imprisonment." Ten years? Although he had been as pale as a ghost and felt like a walking, mindless corpse, Ethan shivered. Ten years... If Holly were imprisoned for that long, she would be ruined for life, and there would be no happy retirement for her. She was his mother, the woman who loved him and raised him. If possible, he wanted to do everything he could to save her, no matter what it took. Even so, there were things that were impossible for him. Even if his mother walked free, the bacsh... "Your mother..." The hesitation in Ruben''s voice grew stronger when he saw the distressed look on Ethan''s face. "She wishes to see you. If you would like to see her, I can arrange for it to happen." Ethan hesitated. "Let me meet her," he said with a nod. He had to meet her once anyway. He needed to tell her to stop hoping for the impossible. There was no way he could save her. She was going to prison¡ªfor sure. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Once a person was locked up, it would be difficult for anyone to meet with the person arrested. It took a long time and a lot of effort before Ethan could talk to Holly. After just one night in jail, her hair was already a mess. Her face was pale and swollen with fatigue. Gone was the elegance brought about by luxury. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. When she saw him, it was as if she saw her savior. "Ethan," she sobbed loudly. "Save me! You must save me! I don''t want to be charged! I don''t want to go to prison! It''s too scary!" The interrogation had only endedte at night. After the interrogation was over, she was shoved into a holding cell. Each holding cell was designed to hold eight prisoners. People talked in their sleep, gnashed their teeth, burped, and farted. The room was so smelly that she could hardly breathe. She spent the worst night of her life trapped in a dark room on a hard and narrow bed with a coarse, damp nket. Although her mind was hazy from exhaustion, she did not dare to sleep. In the morning, her cellmates all watched her with ill intentions. Hence, her hair stood on end from fear. She could not spend another day like that. All she wanted was to get out of that ce. Any price was eptable as bail to her as long as she was out of the cell. "Mom." Ethan gazed at her and reluctantly said, "I''m sorry. I can''t help you." "What do you mean?" Her eyes went wide with horror. "You cannot abandon me. You have always been my pride and joy. You are so capable and amazing. You will surely get me out of here..." "I''m sorry, but I can''t," he interrupted. "If you are innocent, I would have done anything and everything to get you out of here. However, you are not. The evidence is clear. No one can help you. Thewyer says you will be faced with at least ten years. You have to be ready..." "No, no, no!" She shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Save me, Ethan! I cannot evenst ten days! It''s too scary inside. I will die here! Ethan, you must get me out of here at any cost! Please, I am begging you!" "Would you have done what you did if you knew this would happen?" he asked with red eyes. "Mom, you and Dad have always told Stephen and me to be kind, upstanding citizens. You taught us to never be evil or do anything illegal. Why did you not do as you said? The Shefford family¡ª" He paused and sighed. "You and Uncle Scott took three human lives. Have you ever felt guilty about that? Have you ever dreamed about the people you killed?" Once a person was locked up, it would be difficult for anyone to meet with the person arrested. "What do you mean by that, Ethan?" she roared, mming her hands down on the table. "Are you lecturing me? I am your mother! I gave birth to you! I raised you! I worked hard to do right by you! Was it all so that you could lecture me while I am in a tough spot?" He let out a bitter chuckle and ignored her fury. "Mom, do you remember? You once asked me why I would not attend the blind dates you arranged and if I had a girl I liked. Well, I can tell you now; yes, I fell in love at first sight with someone I only met once. I could not get her out of my mind. I love her. I constantly think about her, fantasizing about meeting her once more. I dreamed of our next encounter. I often wished I would be given a second chance. If we meet again, I will definitely seize my chance to tell her of my feelings..." "What are you babbling about, Ethan?" She mmed her palms repeatedly against the table. "Stop talking! Stop it! I don''t want to hear about that! Get me out of here! I don''t want to be in prison. Ethan Taylor, I am your mother, and you must get me out of here!" He looked down and continued, "I saw her today, but I did not dare to approach her, let alone tell her about my feelings. Do you know why?" He looked up and stared into her eyes as he stated, "Her name is Leigh Shefford, and my mother and uncle killed her entire family! She sat before me with hatred and disgust in her eyes. How can I tell her I love her?" Holly was stunned. At that moment, an idea shed through her mind. She leaned forward and hurriedly said, "Since you like her, go after her! Tell her that you will marry her if she lets me go. She can be your wife, and the Taylors will properly pay our reparations. We will give back everything we owe!" "Mom." He stared at her in disappointment. Suddenly, it felt as if he did not truly know his mother. The woman sitting across from him was the woman who gave birth to him yet she acted so much like a stranger. "Go, Ethan! Tell her that you will marry her!" she urged. "If she lets me walk free, she can be Mrs. Taylor. We will be family then. I will be really good to her. In fact, I would treat her better than her parents ever did. Hurry, go!" "Stop daydreaming, Mom." Pain shed in his eyes. "She detests us. She will not love me, nor will she marry me. Saying that to her will only make herugh at us. She will think I am crazy!" "She will not!" She shook her head hard. "You are such a good man, Ethan. Do you not know how many women want to marry you? She is an orphan with nothing. If she knows she could be your wife, she would be ecstatic! She might y hard to get at first, but don''t worry. Properly exin everything to her, and she will agree to your proposal!" "Are you talking about yourself, Mom?" he asked. "If you were her, would you give up on avenging your family just to be Mrs. Taylor?" "How can youpare the two of us?" she roared. "I am the daughter of the Baker family while she is just an orphan. How is she anything like me? I was born in luxury. There is nothing Ick. She is the lowest of the low with greedy eyes and an ignorant mind. You are an amazing, capable, and handsome young man. A few nice words from you, and she would surely say yes to anything. She would even die for you!" He stared at her in silence for a few moments before standing up. There was nothing he wished to say to her anymore. No one could open the eyes of someone who wished to dream on. Holly was stuck in her own world, so everything he said would only fall on deaf ears. "What are you doing?" She shot to her feet when she saw him standing to leave. "Don''t go, Ethan! Take me with you! You have to take me with you!" She did not want to return to the stinking, suffocating, and terrifying cell. She wanted to leave. She had to leave this ce! Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Ethan paused and turned around to look at Holly. "I did my best, Mom, but I cannot help you. No one can help you," he said. "You should have thought about this oue when you ordered the murder back then. Mywyer will do the best he can to reduce your sentence, but there is nothing else we can do." "You cannot do this, Ethan! You have to get me out of here. I can''t go to prison. It''s too horrifying! I will not survive here! Please, Ethan!" she wailed. He left the room without saying another word. "Ethan!" She tried running after him but was stopped by the policeman standing guard. "Ethan!" She was only shoved back into her cell after Ethan had walked out of potential sight. Back in the cell with barred windows and doors, Holly curled up in her bed and wrapped her arms around her head. She was trembling in fear. After all, she had heard a lot of prison stories. It was a ce with inedible food, cramped cells, cellmates who were bullies, and dailybor. She had never done a single job in her entire life. However, she would soon be locked up in a cell with several other women. She would be forced to eat disgusting food and live in a ce she would never even look at. Additionally, she might even be bullied by the people she was locked up with. No. No way. She was a daughter of the Baker family, the wife of Taylor''s second-in-line heir. This should not be her fate. If only she knew... She would never have given Scott the money. He had been nagging her about how she had pushed Leigh Shefford''s mother to the ground. If the girl''s grandfather kept investigating, Holly would be dragged in. He even told her about how George''s parents had never liked her in the first ce, so if they found out she had killed someone, they would force George to divorce her. For some bizarre reason, she fell for Scott''s words and gave him the money. Of course, she knew what he was going to do with the money, but she pretended she did not. She thought she would be fine since she had only given him money. She did not expect Scott, her own brother, would tell the police she was the mastermind while he was just obeying orders. All that just so he could have a reduced sentence. Ethan paused and turned around to look at Holly. "I did my best, Mom, but I cannot help you. No one can help you," he said. "You should have thought about this oue when you ordered the murder back then. Mywyer will do the best he can to reduce your sentence, but there is nothing else we can do." After so many years, neither of them could prove who was telling the truth anyway. However, there was no doubt that she had given him the money. The police had found the evidence. Every policeman who saw her looked at her with disgust and hatred. They thought she was a cold- hearted snake. Thewyer said she would be sentenced to ten years or more. She had never been so afraid before. If she had to be imprisoned for ten years, she would rather die. She did not have the strength tomit suicide though. Finally, she knew what it meant to live a life worse than death. With her head buried in her arms, she sobbed her heart out. If she knew this would happen, she would have told Scott to turn himself in. She might even go talk to the police herself. He was the murderer. How was it any of her business? She should not have given him the money all because he was her brother and she should protect him. In the end, all she did was get herself thrown into prison. A deep sense of regret enveloped her. Apanied by a great amount of hatred. After leaving the station, Ethan wandered around like a lost soul for hours. After a long time, he mysteriously found himself back at Sun Garden, staring at Leigh. "Why are you back?" She was surprised. "Have I not made myself clear?" "It''s not that." He shook his head before awkwardly saying, "I just remembered I forgot to apologize to you." "It''s fine," she said with an indifferent voice. "The pain I suffered is not something that could be forgiven with a simple apology. I do not want to hear any apologies or words of regret. All I want to see is the main culprit arrested and punished!" "I understand." He nodded. "If it were me, I would do the same. However, I still feel guilty and would like to apologize or do something for you..." "Is that so?" She gazed at him with a raised eyebrow. "I had your mother and uncle arrested. I thought we were enemies forever." "We are not." He rejected the very notion of it. "You did not sentence them to prison; they did that to themselves. After all, whates around, goes around. This is justice. This is the natural consequence of their past actions." Leigh stared at him, astonished. "You are quite rational about this." She assumed he wanted to bribe her into letting Holly go. She did not expect him to speak so logically. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. It was very surprising for a crooked mother like Holly to have raised a proper son. It made her do a double take. He dazedly looked at her before finally blurting, "You saved the life of my business partner in Talvitst year. You left without telling us your name. I... My business partner and I have been looking for you. We wanted to thank you andpensate you..." "There is no need. I saved your business partner, not you. He should be the one thanking me, not you." Leigh had traveled to a lot of ces, seen a lot, and helped many. The person she saved in Talvit was nothing to her and had been forgotten soon after. After all, she only acted ording to her own fancy and not out of a desire for gratitude. However, those who owed her a favor would not be allowed to forget about it. She would ask for her duepensation in time. "No," he said. "That deal was important to me. I had put a lot of energy and resources into it. If he had fallen ill, the project would be culled, leading to major losses on my part. You saved his life, which helped me. I owe you thanks." "Fine." She had no choice but to ept the gratitude. "In that case, I ept your thanks. Anything else? If that is all, I must be off." He hesitated. There was so much he wanted to say to her. Before he met her, he thought love at first sight was just a scam. He only realized it was possible after meeting her. After just one fated nce, he could not forget her at all. He had been looking forward to this meeting for so long, yet when he finally saw her again, he did not have the right to even tell her how much he loved her. It did not matter what he thought, after all. There was no way things would work out between them. It was logical and rational for her, the victim, to have his mother arrested. Even so, she was the reason Holly was going to prison. Could he really feel no resentment toward her? Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Even if Ethan could love her without resentment, would Leigh even fall in love with the son and nephew of the people who killed her family? It was evident that she could not. Their happy ending died sixteen years ago when Scott killed her parents. No matter how much he liked her, nothing woulde of it. Distress tore its way through his heart as he forced out through the pain, "I am very sorry about your family. If you ever need my help, please tell me. I will do my best to make up for your loss." "Thanks," she calmly replied. "But there is no need." She then left without saying another wonder; if nothing good was going toe of it, why waste the effort of speaking? She had never wanted to even share the same space as him anyway. He nkly stared after her. If his family had not hurt her family all those years ago, their reunion would definitely be full of joy. They would meet once more because of Madeline, and he would be able to say to her with a smile, "How lucky we are to meet again." He would then do everything he could to befriend her and pursue her. One day, he would be rewarded with the perfect love. Unfortunately, it was as if it was never destined to be... They were not destined for a happy ending together. When Leigh returned to the office, she told Madeline, "Your aunt may be a cruel, inhuman woman, but her eldest son is not bad. He just seems a little crazy or stupid." Madeline stared at her. "That''s a joke, right? Ethan is one of the best men in Dusktown. How could he be any of that?" "I don''t know." Leigh sat down on the couch and absentmindedly flipped through a magazine. "Anyway, there''s something weird about him, particrly the way he looks at me. It is like... he is looking at his lover just before going away to die or something..." Shaking her head abruptly, she continued after snorting, "Oh, for heaven''s sake! There is a feud between us, and he is upset about his mother. He did not need to look at me like that, right? No matter how distressed he acts, I will not feel the same. I only want his mother and uncle to die!" "You must be mistaken," said Madeline. "Ethan..." ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Her sentence was interrupted by her phone ringing. ncing down at it, she saw that it was a call from Quincy and Joel''s homeroom teacher. "Hello?" she hurriedly answered as she lifted the phone to her ear. "How are you, Ms. Brooks?" "Good day, Quincy''s mother." Ms. Brooks sounded quite panicked. "I''m sorry for disturbing you, but your sons just got into a fight with their ssmates. Your younger son and the other child are both injured. Can youe to the school now?" "Joel is hurt?" Madeline eximed. "Where is he hurt? Is it serious?" "Do not panic," Ms. Brooks hurriedly cated. "Your son only suffered some slight injuries. It is nothing much. However, your sons broke the nose of the other child. There is a lot of blood. It looks quite serious. Can youe over? We need to talk about this." "I will be there right away." She hung up and said to Leigh, "Rest here. I have to go to the boys'' school. Their teacher says they got into a fight with another kid, and Joel was hurt." "I''ll go with you," Leigh responded with a frown as she stood up. "They are good kids and would not start a fight without reason. Someone must be bullying them. That''s why they attacked." "Probably." Madeline quite agreed with her. "You don''t need to go with me. You have not rested for days now. Go take a break." "I''m fine." Leigh followed behind her as she left the building. "How can I not worry when I know they are being bullied?" "The little masters were bullied? By whom?" Emory overheard what Leigh said when he came by to hand Madeline something. His eyes were wide with surprise as he tensed up. "Well, it''s not really a bullying incident," Madeline said. "It''s just a little tussle between kids. I''m going over now." "I''ll have the otherse with you!" Emory was furious. Madeline looked at him, baffled. "There is no need. I am not going to start a fight, merely to assess the situation. It would look bad if you guys go." He frowned, evidently unhappy about the decision. However, he had to obey Madeline. As she continued walking away, he strode behind her to argue his case. "Well, I''ll have some men wait outside the gates. One call from you, and we wille rushing in." As Madeline did not want to waste more time, she briefly replied, "Very well." It was truly just a fight between kids, and children always had a short memory. Today, they would be fighting; tomorrow, they would be happily ying together. There was no need to kick up such a fuss. Although she knew that, she still worried. She loved her children after all. While she had suffered a lot growing up, she kept her children well-protected. They had never suffered at all. At the thought that they might have been bullied in school, her heart throbbed with pain. Even when the school was right across the road and within a ten-minute walk, she was too worried so she drove there instead. She arrived at the school gates within a few minutes. After a quick call to Ms. Brooks, she found her sons at the nurse''s office. "Mom!" As soon as Joel saw Madeline, he let go of Quincy''s hand and rushed into her embrace. She quickly caught him. Looking down, she saw a bump the size of a quail''s egg on his forehead. "Baby, does it hurt?" she asked, clearly upset. Throughout the years she had spent training in martial arts, she had been hurt countless times. However, she had a tough life growing up, and so did not care about her scrapes. No matter how bad the injuries were, it was nothing to her. Still, the mere sight of a bump on Joel''s head was enough to make her heart squeeze in pain. Her eyes burned with tears as they slowly turned red. "It doesn''t hurt at all, Mom!" Joel buried his face in her stomach as he whined. "Come, let me see, Joel. Are you hurt anywhere else?" Leigh knelt down beside Madeline and checked him thoroughly. "What about you, Quincy?" Madeline asked, grabbing his hand and checking him as well. "Are you hurt?" "No, I''m not." Quincy looked at her guiltily. "I''m sorry, Mom. I did not protect Buddy. He got hurt..." "That''s not it, Mom!" Joel interrupted. "He was protecting me the entire time and took a lot of hits for me. None of the punches hit him in the face though. But, the punches were so loud that Quincy must be hurting!" As he spoke, he began to sound like he was going to cry. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 "Tell Mom where it hurts, Quincy. Are you injured?" Madeline''s heart was aching. She had never onceid a hand on them, and she had never felt so distressed before either. It was as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. "Don''t worry, Quincy''s mother," Ms. Brooksfortingly said. "The nurse had checked the kids. They are not hurt at all." "Not hurt?" Leigh red at Ms. Brooks with reproach in her eyes. "You mean to tell me the bump on Joel''s forehead is not an injury?" "That is not what I meant." There was an unpleasant look on Ms. Brooks'' face. "If you think the bump is an injury, then the other three kids must be severely injured." Quincy and Joel were a pair of twins that skipped grades. They were beautiful and smart children. Even though they were five years old and studying materials that were a few years ahead of what they should be studying, they had excellent grades and knew everything they were meant to be taught that year. No question would stump them. Although they were equally cute, the older twin was rather aloof and did not like to speak while the younger twin was very cute and obedient. Hence, everyone loved Joel. N?velDrama.Org content. For some reason, the two brothers suddenly got into a fight with their ssmates. Even though they were shorter than the other kids, they were able to deal a lot of damage. The other kids all had bruises on their faces. Madeline was likely nearby as she arrived soon after their call, for the parents of the other three kids were not there yet. Even so, which parent did not treasure their precious darlings? Joel only had a little bump on his head, yet his mother was already fuming with anger. The other kids had bruises and bleeding noses. What was she going to say to their parents if she acknowledged the bump as an injury? Due to her anxiety, she had spoken harshly with her displeasure audible to all. Leigh had watched Quincy and Joel grow up into boys that drew everyone to love them. She loved them as a godmother would. She was initially angry that Joel was hurt, but upon hearing the tone in Ms. Brooks'' voice that implied the bump on his head was nothing, her anger burned brighter. She shot up to stare deep into Ms. Brooks'' eyes as she coldly said, "Ms. Brooks, correct? I have a question; why did the boys fight with the other three kids? I know them. They have great tempers and personalities, and they have been raised right. They would not pick a fight without any reason. Also, they are five years old. The other kids in your ss are at least eight or older, yes? Three eight-year- old kids attacked two five-year-old boys. Joel is also a weak kid who reached his growth spurtter than usual, making him shorter than the other kids his age. Are you telling me that our boys took advantage of the other kids, making them suffer?" Ms. Brooks flushed red at the usation. The logic was correct and sensible, but the other three kids had certainly suffered... Flustered, she was unable to speak for a few minutes. With red cheeks, she finally spat out, "The other kids did suffer worse injuries. I can show you if you don''t believe me." She then left the room and returned with three boys around the age of eight. All three boys had bruises on their faces and nose. They were also limping. It was clear that they suffered worse injuries than Quincy and Joel. When Madeline saw the three boys, her first reaction was gratitude that her twins did not look as bad. Otherwise, she would be beyond distressed. At that, she also remembered that these boys were also beloved by their parents. There was no way their parents would be okay after seeing those injuries. Just as that thought came to her mind, a screech rang out from behind her as a woman in high heels flew past her toward the three injured boys. The woman then dragged one of them into her embrace. "What happened?" Her shriek was shrill enough that it pierced through their ears. "Who did this to my son?" The woman then red at Ms. Brooks. "What happened here? Why was my son attacked?" The chubby little boy that was the woman''s son had been on the verge of tears. His mother''s appearance prompted him to burst out sobbing. "Mom, they hit me! The two of them ganged up on me! You must avenge me, Mom!" "Who? Whose beastly children were rude enough to do this to my son?" questioned the woman. This entire situation was so awkward for Ms. Brooks. After all, Madeline was standing right there in the room. No matter how much she cursed her bad luck, the only thing she could do was de-escte the situation. "Jayden''s mother, it is not that bad," she said with an apologetic smile. "Kids have short memories. They might fight today, but they will y together tomorrow. Calm down, ma''am. Quincy and Joel did not mean to do it. They..." "Quincy and Joel? Queenie Gaston, the chubby boy''s mother, turned to look at Madeline, Leigh, Quincy, and Joel. Her face had clouded over with anger. The sight of them incited a little guilt in her, but then she straightened up and angrily asked Madeline, "Did your sons do this to my son? What did you even teach them?" "I think I have taught them very well, but you might not have raised yours well." Madeline coldly stared back at her. "We do not even know the facts of the situation yet the first thing you do is scream and shout at other people. It would be hard for your son to be raised right." "What do you mean we don''t even know what happened? Just look at our sons!" Queenie screeched as she pointed at Joel before pointing at her son. "Look at the difference in their injuries! Are you saying I cannot scold your son after what he did to mine? If you do not want him scolded, you had better control your son and stop him from attacking other kids! No one had everid a hand on my baby since the day he was born but look what your son has done! This cannot be ignored!" "Do you think you''re in the right just because you''re weaker?" Madeline sneered. "That era is in the past. Now, it is the person who attacks first who is in the wrong. The one who picked a fight deserved to be beaten up. Even if he is injured, he asked for it. It had nothing to do with other people!" She knew her sons. They grew up in the Taylor Residence, so they were cautious kids who excelled in self-restraint. They would not start a fight or ask for one. The only reason they would beat the other kids up this badly was that the other kids made them angry. He who started the fight was at fault. How dared Queenie me Madeline''s children because the former''s kid was the weaker fighter! He deserved to be beaten up! Before Queenie could respond, Madeline turned to Ms. Brooks. "Please exin to us why the five boys were fighting." "We do not know yet," Ms. Brooks reluctantly admitted. "I was preupied with getting the kids to the nurse''s office after seeing their injuries. I had yet to ask them why they were fighting." "Well, ask them now!" Leigh knelt down, held Joel''s hand, and softly asked him, "Tell me, Joel, why were you guys fighting?" Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Joel fidgeted uneasily as his eyes flitted between Queenie and Madeline. Once Queenie caught his hesitation, she felt even more justified in doubling down. "See? Your son can''t even say anything! Your children must be the ones in the wrong!" Queenie bent down to ask her son, "Jay, tell me. Why did you and those two¡­" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The word ''b*stards'' was right on the tip of her tongue when she recalled who Madeline was, so she swallowed them back down before switching to saying, "...ssmates fight?" "I don''t know why either," Jayden sniffed and cried. "I was just ying with Rennie York and Gordon Gatsby like I always do when Joel suddenly came over and started hitting me, so we got into a fight." "Hah! Did you hear what he said? Who started the fight, huh?" Queenie felt she had the high ground as she started pointing fingers at Madeline and raged, "My son has been raised in a warm and loving environment, and no one has everid a finger on him! Look at what your son did to him! Don''t even think about leaving before you make it up to us!" "He''s lying!" Joel swung Leigh''s hand away and rushed into Madeline''s arms, hugging her waist as he buried his face into her. "Mommy, he''s lying! He''s the one who started it when he insulted Aldo and me! He said that Aldo and I are b*stards born out of wedlock, and that we''re the trash of society, and that Daddy doesn''t like us¡­" Joel''s tone grew more and more aggrieved. He looked up at Madeline and said, "Mommy, they''re liars! Aldo and I are not b*stards born out of wedlock. We''re Mommy and Daddy''s precious babies, and we were born because Mommy and Daddy love each other¡­" By now, his eyes were reddened with tears and his voice was all choked up, but he was determined to continue. "Daddy likes Aldo and me! He won''t abandon us! We''re not trash! We''re not Daddy''s disgrace¡­" Madeline was already on the verge of tears when she saw that her sons were injured, but it would be too embarrassing if she cried, so she held them back. However, she could no longer hold it back anymore. Her tears streamed down her face once she heard what Joel said. She was the one who failed them. Back in Worrick, some loudmouthed people would always spew such nonsense in front of her children. Madeline''s sons woulde and ask her where their father was, and she would find all sorts of excuses to quell their curiosity. Her sensible children would notice how upset she was whenever they brought up their father, so they stopped asking. They no longer told her about these sorts of maliciousments others made of them. This time, if that boy had not gone too far by lying in front of so many people, her sons would most likely have kept this from her too. People would insult them by saying that they were b*stards born out of wedlock and the trash of society, but they would not say anything to her out of fear that she would get upset. As these thoughts shed across Madeline''s mind, she felt her heart shattering to pieces. She pulled Quincy into her arms as well and hugged her two sons as she said, "My precious babies, don''t listen to those loudmouthed people who are intentionally trying to hurt you with such maliciousments. You''re not b*stards born out of wedlock. Mommy is Daddy''s wife, and you''re our children. The four of us are family, so if anyone says such things about you again,e home and tell Mommy. Mommy will rip their tongues out for you!" "Your mommy is right!" Leigh added angrily. "If anyone talks about you like that again, you should beat them up, or do as your mommy said and rip their tongues out!" If those three had not been children, Leigh would have stormed over and ripped them to shreds by now! Children did not know better, so as an adult, she should not hold them ountable for this, but since the children could not be ountable, what about the adults? Leigh red at Queenie. "Did you hear that? Your son was the one who called Quincy and Joel b*stards! So what if he was punched in the face? He deserves to get his tongue ripped out for what he said!" Queenie''s fight weakened a little, but she did not back down. "Just because your children said my son insulted them, does it mean he did? I think they''re the ones who''re lying!" "I''m not lying! I''m a good boy who never lies!" Joel kept his arms around Madeline''s waist as he looked over at Queenie and said, "Jayden insulted us! A lot of our ssmates heard him! If you don''t believe me, you can go and ask them. They can tell you that Jayden did insult Aldo and me!" Joel turned to Jayden. "Are you a coward who doesn''t dare to admit what he did? Hmph, what a chicken!" No eight-year-old boy would want to be called a coward, so Jayden forgot to keep up with his lies. Instead, he shouted at Joel, "That''s right. I insulted you, so what? You deserve it! You''re a b*stard born out of wedlock! My mom told me all about it. She said your mother is a shameless woman who gave birth to you before she even married your father! My mom even said¡­" "What''s all this nonsense?" Queenie hurriedly put her hand over Jayden''s mouth. Jayden shoved her hand away and yelled, "It''s not nonsense! I heard you! That''s exactly what you said!" Queenie had an embarrassed expression on her face as she smacked Jayden. "Stop saying such nonsense! If you say such things again, I''ll send you to an orphanage!" "It''s not nonsense!" Jayden stomped his foot. "You''re the one who said it! Why won''t you admit it?" "That''s right," Leigh sneered as she stared at Queenie. "I''d like to know as well. Since you''re the one who said it, why won''t you admit it now?" The derisive look in Leigh''s eyes set Queenie off at once. She yanked Jayden behind her before sticking her nose in the air and dering, "Fine, I said it! So what, huh? Am I wrong?" Queenie looked at Madeline. "Would you have the guts to swear on your life that your sons aren''t b*stard children born out of wedlock? That you didn''t give birth to them before you married Sebastian Hart?" Madeline was just about to retort when she heard Sebastian''s voiceing from behind her. "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to question how my sons came to be?" Joel''s eyes lit up the moment he heard Sebastian''s voice. He twisted around and cried out excitedly, "Daddy!" He immediately let go of Madeline and hurtled himself into Sebastian''s arms. "Daddy! Daddy!" His voice was trembling with emotion as his arms sped tightly around Sebastian. Sebastian crouched down and stared at the bump on Joel''s head before he began feeling all over Joel''s body and limbs to check for injuries. He did not see anything amiss apart from the bump on Joel''s forehead, but he checked nheless. "Buddy, does it hurt anywhere else other than your forehead?" "No." Joel shook his head, but he turned around and pointed at Quincy. "Aldo''s hurt. Aldo protected me, so the three of them kept hitting him. They kept pounding him with their fists. Aldo must be in a lot of pain!" Sebastian looked over at Quincy. Quincy shook his head. "I''m fine." Sebastian held Joel''s hand as he walked over to Quincy before crouching down and giving him a thorough check as well. Once he was sure that neither one of the two boys had pulled a muscle or strained anything, he held them in his arms and looked up. His cold eyes went straight to Queenie. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Sebastian''s gaze was t, but it was enough for the color to drain from Queenie''s face as she broke out in cold sweat. Itpelled her to speak, so she forced a smile as she stammered, "K-Kids are just kids. They don''t know any better. I-I''ll get him to apologize to y-your son at once." Queenie did not know what Sebastian looked like, but Madeline''s son had called this man Daddy, and he was the most handsome and refined man she had ever seen, so it was obvious who he was. The man in front of her right now was Sebastian Hart, the heir of the Harts, and the person who struck fear in the hearts of most people. N?velDrama.Org content. While she might have the guts to meet up with Isabel and talk smack about Madeline behind her back, she did not dare say a single ill word about Sebastian, not even in private. Her limbs went numb, and she pped her son, hard. "Hurry up and apologize to your ssmate!" Jayden was Queenie''s only child, and just like she said earlier, he had never been hit by anyone before. Queenie was stricken with fear, so she ended up pping Jayden a lot harder than she meant to. Jayden yelped in pain. He pushed Queenie away and wailed, "You''re the one who said it! You said that Quincy and Joel are b*stards born out of wedlock, and sooner orter, their father was going to throw them out with the trash, or even if he didn''t, they would be subservient to the other children that were born after his marriage. You said it! You''re the one who said all these things! How can you hit me?!" His shrill cries were clear for all to hear, and when Joel heard thosements, he tightened his grip around Sebastian and looked up at him apprehensively. "Daddy?" "It''s okay. Don''t be afraid. He''s a naughty boy who doesn''t know what he''s saying," Sebastian assured Joel with a gentle voice. He wrapped his arms around the little boy and carried him up before patting him on the back. "Do you believe your daddy or the naughty boy who fought with you?" "I believe you, Daddy!" Joel clutched Sebastian by the neck and refused to let go. Sebastian kissed Joel on the forehead before looking him in the eyes and promising, "You''re my son. You''re my treasure. I''ll always love you, protect you, and I''ll never abandon you. You trust me, right?" "I trust you, Daddy!" Joel tightened his grip around Sebastian and buried his face against his neck. Sebastian felt his heart surge with love. He kissed Joel on the forehead once more before turning to Madeline. "Let''s go." Before Madeline could say anything, Leigh piped up with a frown. "We''re leaving just like this?" Sebastian nced at her and added coolly, "Don''t worry. I won''t let them get away with this." However, he was not going to stand around and demand justice from Queenie. She was not worth his time. Madeline nodded and bent down to carry Quincy. Quincy struggled to get away. "Mommy, I can walk by myself." Sebastian looked over at the two of them and said, "Let Quinton carry him." Quinton, who had been outside the nurse''s office awaiting orders, came in immediately once he heard Sebastian. "I don''t need anyone to carry me," Quincy huffed. He was not a childish little boy like Joel. He was a big boy who could walk by himself! Quinton chuckled and stretched his arms out. "Little young master, I''ve been longing to hold you in my arms for quite some time now. Please let me hold you just this once." It sounded like a joke, but he meant it too. He found the two children adorable and wished he could hold them, but he never found the right opportunity. Since he was ordered to carry Quincy today, he was determined to seize this chance! However, Quincy turned away and held strong. "I don''t want to be carried. I''ll walk by myself." Quinton had a grin on his face as came straight over to take Quincy out of Madeline''s arms and into his own. "Little young master, just this once, please? I really want to hold you." Madeline was speechless. Why does Quinton sound like he''s trying to flirt with a girl? Quinton had a cheerful smile on his face, but there was nothing but respect in his gaze, expression, and mannerism as he carried Quincy. Queenie had seen everything, and she trembled even harder now. The position that Madeline and her two sons held in the Hart family was nothing like what she had assumed. All along, she thought that the Harts simply did not want to see children of their bloodline uncared for, so that was why they brought Madeline and her two sons into the family. Whenever she met up with Isabel, Isabel would curse that Madeline was a scheming b*tch, that her two sons were b*stard children, and that sooner orter, the Harts would disown the children and chase all three of them out of the house. After hearing thesements time and time again, she took them as fact. Queenie believed that Madeline and her two sons were like parasites leeching onto the Harts, and once Sebastian took a wife, all three of them would be thrown out of the house and abandoned by the Harts. However, now that she witnessed everything with her own eyes, she realized how wrong she was. She had fallen for Isabel''s lies. Parasites leeching onto the Harts? B*stard children? It was clear for all to see that Sebastian treated the two children like the most precious things in the world. When he looked at them, his expression was full of love and adoration. He did not even seem like a strict father, but one that would spoil the children rotten. It finally dawned on Queenie that she made a terrible mistake. As soon as she figured this out, she could not stand still any longer. She stumbled over to Sebastian and the others who had already walked out of the nurse''s office. "Mr. Hart, please wait a moment!" She caught up to them and blocked their exit before apologizing in a trembling voice, "I''m sorry, Mr. Hart. My son made a huge blunder! He''s young and doesn''t know any better, so he said something he shouldn''t have. Please don''t take it to heart. I''ll be sure to teach him a lesson when we get home, and I''ll make him apologize to your sons!" Sebastian''s eyes swept over to her for a moment, but he did not wish to bother with her at all. Quinton raised his hand, and several bodyguards immediately came over to push her aside. Queenie was even more terrified. All she could think of was, We''re doomed! The Shrivers were a moneyed family with some influence in Dusktown, butparing them to Hart Corporation would be likeparing a candle''s me to the sun. All Sebastian had to do was say the word, and the Shrivers would vanish from Dusktown at once. It would be the end of her life of luxury. Since Sebastian did not pay her any attention, she turned to Madeline and pleaded, "Mrs. Hart, I made a mistake. Please find it in you to be gracious and forgive me. My son is too young to know better, so he said some foolish things. I will make sure he apologizes to your sons in person. Please forgive us just this once. I beg you, please!" Madeline paused in her footsteps and turned around to look at her. "Do you still think this is all your son''s fault?" Queenie froze for a second before adding in a rush, "I''m sorry! It''s all my fault! I shouldn''t have said such nonsense in front of him. I-I was just kidding around. Please be gracious enough to forgive me." Madeline stared at her and said, "If your actions only hurt me, I might have chosen to forgive you, but your actions have hurt my sons, so I will never forgive you." Anyone who hurt her children was her nemesis, and she would never forgive them for it! "No, no, no!" Queenie pleaded frantically. She was so distraught that she almost kneeled in front of Madeline. "I''m really sorry. I know I made a terrible mistake. I''ll never do it again. I''ll do anything you want to make it up to you. Just say the word and I''ll do it." Madeline was about to say something when a thought urred to Quincy and he cut in. "Mommy, I have something to tell you." Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Quincy''s deration got Madeline''s attention at once. "What is it, Aldo?" "Mommy, one of our ssmates tried to help us during our fight with Jayden. Jayden and the others hit him too, but he didn''t get hurt so the teacher didn''t bring him to the nurse''s office," Quincy exined to Madeline before making his request. "Can we send him home? I want to thank him for his help." "Of course," Sebastian answered before Madeline could. "What''s his name? I''ll send someone to get him." "I''ll go by myself!" Quincy looked at Quinton and said stiffly, "Please put me down." Quinton could tell that Quincy was adamant about not being carried around, so he set him down with a wistful sigh. "I''ll go and bring him over!" Quincy ran toward the ssrooms. "Me too!" Joel cried out hurriedly. "Daddy, I want to go too!" "Okay, let''s go!" Sebastian followed after Quincy with Joel in his arms. Madeline could not be bothered to deal with Queenie anymore, so she followed behind them and called out to Quincy, "Aldo, slow down. Be careful not to fall." "Mrs. Hart, please wait a moment! Please listen to me!" Queenie was sweating profusely as she tried to run after Madeline, but the Hart family bodyguards kept her back. She could not get past the bodyguards at all. The dread in her heart intensified at the thought of her uing downfall, so she did not hold back anymore. She screamed after Madeline, "Mrs. Hart, I''m begging you! Please forgive me! It was just a little fight between the children. It''s not a big deal! Please don''t take it to heart, please¡­" Madeline heard her screams but she did not even bother to turn back and look at Queenie. All she cared about now was her sons. Quincy ran back into the ssroom and headed straight for one of his male ssmates. "Alex, you want to go home, right? Come with me. My mommy can help to take you home." The boy hesitated for the briefest moment before standing. "Thank you." "You''re wee." Quincy''s eyes were dead serious as he said, "You helped Buddy and me, so I''ll help you too!" "Me too! Me too!" Joel waved as hard as he could from where he was behind Quincy. Quincy turned around and frowned at him. "Stop relying on Daddy to carry you around!" Joel''s eyes flitted between Quincy and Sebastian. He wrapped his arms around Sebastian''s neck and squished his face against Sebastian''s before muttering reluctantly, "But I like it when Daddy carries me¡­" He wanted to obey his older brother''s instructions, but he did not want to leave his father''s arms. What should I do? Joel scrunched his face up in indecision. Sebastian''s heart melted at the sight. He kissed Joel on the face. "It''s okay. You''re still a little boy, Buddy. It''s perfectly fine to want to be carried." "Daddy!" Joel perked up again. He kept his arms around Sebastian''s neck as he rubbed his face against it affectionately. Joel''s reaction made Sebastian feel like his son was an adorable little kitten, all soft and warm in his arms, and smelling faintly of milk too. By now, his heart was nothing more than a puddle of fuzzy feelings. He tightened his arms around his son with no intention of ever letting go. All of the students in the ssroom were staring at them curiously. The talkative ones began to whisper to one another, "I think Jayden was lying! Quincy and Joel''s father treats them very well. My father doesn''t even treat me like that. All he does is yell at me!" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "You''re right! Quincy and Joel''s father looks so young and handsome too!" "Is that Quincy and Joel''s father, though? Maybe he''s not?" "Are you deaf? Didn''t you hear Joel calling him Daddy?" "You''re deaf!" The children''s discussion grew louder and louder, and soon, the entire ssroom was buzzing. Sebastian nced at the student who questioned his identity and dered, "I am Quincy and Joel''s father." The student turned scarlet before hurriedly looking away, wishing that he could hide under the table. While Sebastian did not take offense to a child''sments, he wanted these children to know that his sons were not b*stards born out of wedlock. His sons were his flesh and blood as well as his responsibility. He turned to Alex and said pleasantly, "Thank you for helping my sons. You''re wee to be our guest anytime." Alex said politely, "Thank you, Mr. Hart." Now that Joel was safely tucked into Sebastian''s arms, he forgot all about the incident with Jayden. Instead, he gushed to Alex, "Our house is very pretty, and my mommy is the best cook ever! You can come and have dinner with us!" Sebastian chuckled as he nudged Joel''s face. "Joel''s right. Alex, you shoulde and have dinner with us." The students saw how Sebastian interacted with Quincy and Joel, so they knew for a fact that Jayden was lying. It seemed like Quincy and Joel''s father loved them very much. It was nothing like what Jayden said about them bing servants or disowning them. That exined why Quincy and Joel would start a fight with Jayden. It was because he was a big fat liar! After proving that Jayden''s insults were nothing but lies, Sebastian left with his sons and Alex in tow. Once they all got in the car, Quincy asked Madeline, "Mommy, can you send my friend home?" "Send your friend home?" Madeline nced at Alex and asked, "Does he stay very far away?" "Yeah, very, very far away!" Quincy said. "Up in the mountains." "Yes, I know about it too!" Joel, who was still all cuddled up in Sebastian''s arms, raised his hand and cut Quincy off. "Alex''s home is on a mountain far, far away. Alex wants to go home but he has no money, so he can''t." Madeline was even more confused now. "If his home is so far away, why is he attending this school?" "My dad sent me here," Alex exined. "The house here belongs to my dad and my stepmother, and the house in the mountains belongs to my grandma. Grandma''s house is my home. I want to go home." The word stepmother set off a lightbulb in Madeline''s mind. "Your stepmother doesn''t treat you very well?" "Yeah." Alex nodded. "She scolds me and beats me." Madeline frowned. "What about your father? Doesn''t he care about the way she treats you?" "My father is busy working. He rarelyes home," Alex said. "What about when he doese home then?" Madeline asked. "Did you tell him that your stepmother often hits you?" "I told him, but he doesn''t believe me," Alex replied. "I don''t have any bruises." Madeline was speechless. Alex pursed his lips and looked up at Madeline. His dark eyes glinted with an iciness that rivaled a frozenke. "Mrs. Hart, please send me home. I will repay your kindness when I grow up!" He seemed no older than six or seven, but he exuded an aura of maturity that far exceeded his age. As he stared at Madeline, his eyes were steadfast and seemed to confirm that this was a decision he had thought long and hard about. "Mommy, when Jayden, Rennie, and Gordon were hitting Buddy and me, Alex helped us." Quincy looked into Madeline''s eyes and said, "Mommy, we need to repay our gratitude to him. Can we help Alex, please?" Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Before Madeline could reply, Sebastian voiced his agreement. "Okay, we''ll send your friend home!" Madeline was disgruntled. Hey, Mr. Hart, could you please not steal my lines away from me? Sigh¡­ Hang on! He said that he would send Alex home, but which home? The one in the mountains? Madeline looked at Sebastian with a puzzled expression. Sebastian looked over to her as well. "Maddie, are you free in the next few days? If you are, let''s all take a trip together and send Alex home." "To the mountains?" Madeline asked. "Naturally." Sebastian nodded. "Can you spare the time for that?" Madeline queried. "Of course," Sebastian replied. "...Oh, right. I forgot about your AI robot, Lucas." Madeline pitied Lucas. It did not seem like he was the fourth young master of the Harts. He was more like Sebastian''s employee with a lifetime contract! "Yeah," Sebastian said. "There aren''t any pressing matters or major projects in thepany to deal with right now, so Lucas can handle everything by himself." "You''re awesome, Daddy!" Joel was ecstatic. He sped his arms around Sebastian''s neck and sang his praises. "Daddy, you''re the best daddy in the whole wide world! The best ever!" "Thank you, darling!" Sebastian was on cloud nine after hearing his son''s praises. Alex stared at them quietly before moving his gaze away. His expression had turned a little darker. Madeline could see the envy in his eyes, and she sighed to herself. Every family had its own closet skeleton. She could not resist attempting tofort this child who had lost his mother by patting him gently. When her hand came down on his shoulder, she could feel his bones poking through his skin. It was only then that she realized how gaunt he was. Alex was a very attractive child. He had skin as white as snow and a pair of fine eyes, so when she looked at his face, she did not think that he had been treated poorly in any way, but now that she felt his arms, she realized he was nothing more than skin and bones. Madeline''s brows furrowed at once. "Alex, do you eat your fill every day? Why are you so thin?" "I don''t eat much." Alex shook his head. "My stepmother makes the housekeeper cook for us, but to cook separately and make one portion for each of us. There is a lot of food that I dislike because the smell makes me nauseous and I can''t swallow it, but she would make the housekeeper cook exactly all the food that I dislike. She would also make the housekeeper prepare very little food, so I don''t have anything else to eat." N?velDrama.Org content. He spoke so calmly as he exined his situation. There was no trace of anger, but there was coldness in his eyes. Madeline was taken aback. She never thought that there would still be such a cruel stepmother who would starve a child in this day and age. Leigh snorted. "There''s no limit to how cruel a person can get if they put their minds to it!" "Alex, how old are you?" Madeline asked. "I''m seven," Alex replied. "You''re seven?" Leigh''s eyes flitted between Alex and Quincy. "You''re two years older than Quincy, but you''re about the same height as him. What an evil stepmother!" Meanwhile, Joel blinked innocently from Sebastian''sp. "Miss Leigh, I''ll grow taller someday!" Leigh was caught off-guard. However, she immediately reced her sneering expression with a warm and cheerful one. She smiled and stroked Joel''s face before saying sweetly, "Of course, Joel! We don''t have a cruel stepmother in the family who is willing to let the children starve, so you''ll grow up big and strong!" "Mmhmm!" Joel nodded emphatically. "I''m still small, but I''ll be very tall when I grow up." "You''ll grow big and strong too, Alex," Madelineforted him. "We''ll send you home, and once you''re home with your grandma, you''ll be able to eat well and grow tall." "Thank you, Mrs. Hart," Alex thanked her calmly. Truth be told, he did not care about how tall or short he would be. He just really wanted to see his grandma. He had not seen her for a very long time now. His grandma often called him, but since they were so far apart, he did not dare to tell her much either. She was in poor health, so he did not want her to fret. His uncle said that it would be bad for Grandma if she got anxious and warned him not to make her anxious in any way. This was why he was afraid of telling her about his situation. His mother had gone missing when he was very young, and ever since then, he lived with Grandma. Even after his father remarried his stepmother, he continued to live with Grandma until it was time for him to attend school. That was when Grandma asked his father to bring him to Dusktown. His grandma was reluctant to part with him, but as she cried, she kept repeating that schools in Dusktown were better. He was a smart boy who should go to the best schools so that he could have a bright future ahead of him. Grandma kept crying as she got his father to take him away. He had never seen her again after that. Grandma''s home was too far away from Dusktown. Grandma was old and frail, so she could note to Dusktown either, while his father was too busy working to take him back to see her. All he dreamt about was going home to Grandma. He wanted to live with Grandma. He did not care about how living in the mountains might hamper his bright future. His father had gone to school in the rural mountains, but he still managed to get into college. If his father could do it, so could he. Throughout the car ride, Alex was drowning in his thoughts, and he did not speak at all. The car was filled with the sound of Joel''s childish chatters. He was a chatterbox who could go on for hours and hours. Thankfully, everyone was happy to be his audience and paid close attention to everything he said, apart from Quincy, who had a slightly disdainful expression on his face. Sebastian was perfectly happy to hold Joel in his arms throughout the entire car ride. Joel liked nestling in his arms, and he too enjoyed holding his son close to him. They stayed glued together the whole time, and even when they got out of the car, he continued to carry Joel in his arms. Joel was thrilled to stick to Sebastian. He had a huge grin on his face as he wrapped his arms around Sebastian once more. "How childish!" Quincy snorted as he gave his foolish-looking brother a derisive look. Joel stuck his tongue out at Quincy and wagged his legs. "Daddy, Aldo''s jealous of me!" Sebastian was tickled pink by how precious his son was. He gave him a kiss and said, "I''ll hold Aldo later." "Okay!" Joel stated in his clear voice, "You can''t y favorites, Daddy! You must favor us all equally!" Madeline was speechless. What odd advice for a son to give his father! Sebastianughed at Joel''sment. He no longer appeared like the cold andmanding man that confronted Queenie earlier. Instead, he seemed like a warm and doting father. Leigh tsk-ed at the sight and muttered to Madeline, "This must be why your master said that everyone has many facets to them. I''m convinced now after today." The Sebastian that she knew was a cold and distant man who kept everyone at arm''s length, but the Sebastian who was carrying Joel in his arms was warm and loving. Madeline smiled, and her eyes grew fond as she stared at Sebastian and the two children. "He''s a good father. The children are very happy whenever they''re with him." "It seems that way now," Leighmented softly, "But you never know. People change all the time. The only person you can rely on in the entire world is yourself, so¡­" She rested her hand on Madeline''s shoulder and said, "You should be on your toes. Don''t serve your heart up on a silver tter just because he treats you and the children well now. It''s safest when you''re the master of your emotions and not the other way around." Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Madeline knew that Leigh meant well, so she nodded and assured her, "I know." Leigh patted her on the shoulder. "Okay, let''s stop talking about this. I''ll take a look at the three kids and see if they''re injured." "I''lle with you," Madeline said. They could see the bruising on their faces, but they did not know if the children had been hurt anywhere else on their bodies. If they were, they needed to tend to the injuries. The two women brought the three children to a warm room and had them take their clothes off for a thorough inspection. Joelplied at once. Quincy had done a good job protecting him, so there was not a single bruise on him. Quincy and Alex were shy about taking their clothes off, so Madeline and Leigh had to be more forceful in convincing them, prying the clothes off themselves. There were some bruises on Quincy''s arms, legs, chest, and back, while Alex had it a lot worse. Joel started crying once he saw Quincy''s injuries. Sebastian had stayed outside since it felt a little odd for him to be in the room while the women checked on the children, but once he heard Joel''s cries, he came in at once. "What''s the matter, Buddy?" "Daddy!" Joel fled into Sebastian''s arms. "Aldo''s hurt!" Sebastian pulled Joel into a hug as his heart tightened painfully at the sight of the bruises all over Quincy''s body. There were huge spots of blue and ck that stood out like a sore thumb against Quincy''s soft, fair skin. The sight of Quincy''s injuries, along with the bump on Joel''s forehead, was enough for Sebastian to feel his heart breaking. His eyes swirled with anger as a storm began to brew inside him. "It''s okay, Joel. Everything will be alright." Sebastian reined his anger in and gentlyforted Joel. "It won''t hurt once we take care of it." "That''s right," Leigh added. "Don''t cry, Joel. I''ll bandage Aldo right up and it won''t hurt anymore." Leigh brought out some ointment from her medical kit and began to tend to the two children''s injuries with Madeline''s help. Alex did not have any bruises on his face, but his body was littered with bruises that looked even more horrifying than Quincy''s. Even though Alex was not her child, Madeline felt a pang in her heart to see him wounded to this extent. "How can a bunch of kids do this? How can they be so cruel?" "And that teacher, too! Why didn''t they bring him to the nurse''s office?" Leigh fumed. "How irresponsible!" Sebastian took some of the ointment and spread it over Joel''s forehead. He rubbed it in gently and asked, "Does it hurt, darling?" "No, Daddy!" Joel had stopped crying by now. He hugged Sebastian and looked up at him with admiring eyes. "You''re the best, Daddy! Daddy, why did you take so long toe and find us? If we had been together all along, no one would''ve hurt us!" Sebastian''s hand froze for a second before resuming. "It''s my bad. I was too busy with work, so I neglected you and Aldo, but I won''t do it ever again, okay? From now on, I''ll let your Uncle Lucas do all the work, and spend all my time with you and Aldo, how about that?" "Okay! That''s great!" Joel''s eyes were teary, but he had a huge smile on his face. "Daddy, we''ll never be apart ever again, right?" "That''s right!" Sebastian nodded firmly. "Yay!" Joel snuggled into Sebastian''s arms. "Daddy, you can''t let Uncle Lucas do everything, though. Otherwise, Uncle Lucas won''t have any time to find a wife and have children. You can go to work while Aldo and I are in school, Daddy, and spend time with us once wee home from school." "Find a wife and have children?" Sebastian nudged his nose gently as he said, "Who told you about this, you cheeky little boy?" "I heard Grandpa saying it!" Joel put on his best attempt at mimicking Philip by pulling a long face and hardening his voice. "Look at you! All day long, you''re either cooped up in the office or off gallivanting somewhere! You''re surrounded by men all the time, and not a single female in sight, not even a female mosquito! Look at your brother. His sons are already five! When are you going to get a wife?" Sebastian was speechless. He had to warn his father to be a little more cautious with his words when speaking around the children. It was one thing to urge Lucas to get married, but why did he bring up a female mosquito? "Grandpa praised you, Daddy!" Joel eximed excitedly. "Grandpa said that you''re the most awesome in all of Dusktown because you''re already a father to two sons at such a young age. Not only did you give him two wonderful grandsons, but they''re also so smart and adorable! This was all thanks to his brilliant decision-making back then, so Grandpa said that''s why Uncle Lucas should listen to him. He won''t go wrong!" Sebastian was speechless once again. Was his father praising him or praising himself? Brilliant decision-making, huh? How shameless of his father to say it himself! "I think Grandpa was wrong about something, though." Joel had a lot to say as he continued chattering, "Mommy is the one who gave birth to Aldo and me, and not you, Daddy, so why did Grandpa say that you gave him us? Only a woman can give birth, and you''re a man, Daddy, so you can''t give birth!" Quincy snorted and threw Joel a scornful look. "How silly!" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Aldo, you can''t call me silly," Joel pouted as he red at Quincy petntly. "Uncle Lucas told me all about it. He said that I''m not as smart as you because when we were in Mommy''s tummy, you took all the nutrients away! You took 90% of Mommy''s nutrients and left me with 10%. It was because I liked you, Aldo, so I didn''t snatch it away from you, and that''s why you''re smarter than me!" Quincy had nothing to say. Why did the lightning strike him all of a sudden without any warning? How could he be med for Joel''s silliness? "Don''t listen to such nonsense from your Uncle Lucas." Sebastian stroked Joel''s little head. "You''re not silly at all, Joel. You''re just innocent. Once you''re all grown up, you''ll be a hundred times smarter than your Uncle Lucas." "Really?" Joel looked at him expectantly. "Uncle Lucas is so amazing. He never loses when he ys video games! Will I be as amazing as him when I grow up?" "...You''ll be even more amazing than him!" Sebastian dered. Quincy pursed his lips. "I''ve never lost either!" "Oh, that''s right!" Joel nodded. "Aldo is amazing too. He never loses either. When Aldo grows up, he''ll definitely be even more amazing than Uncle Lucas!" Quincy''s lips quirked up slightly in satisfaction. His reaction amused Sebastian. He realized that Quincy was just someone who did not wear his heart on his sleeve, but instead would try to put up a tough front. Even though he adored Joel and cared a lot about him, he would still pretend to find Joel annoying. Apart from Madeline, Quincy was probably the one who loved Joel the most. Oh, not quite. There was also him, Philip, and Lucas. Henceforth, his sons would no longer be starved of any affection. They were the treasures of the entire Hart family and would be blessed with the love of everyone around them, not just Madeline! As for that woman who caused their suffering today¡­ The sky did note crashing down yet, but it was about to for her family! Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Sebastian got his phone out and gave Lucas a call. After a rundown of the day''s events, he told Lucas to send a message to the Shrivers. Lucas was just as protective as Sebastian, so when he heard that his nephews got bullied at school and how malicious their actions were, he was incensed. "Leave it to me, Sebastian. I''ll get it done at once!'' He had been feeling a tad bit bored the past few days, so this was pretty good timing. Lucas was not going to rest until he gave that woman who bullied his nephews a lesson she would never forget! As soon as he ended the call, he reached out to their family''s investigators and asked them to find out who bullied his nephews. Naturally, he was not about to take revenge on a kid. That would be far too unbing of him. However, an ill-behaved child reflected the parenting he received at home. Therefore, the kid''s family was going to pay for this. Jayden''s background was easy enough to look into. The investigators fed the information back to Lucas in next to no time. Lucas snorted once he heard that it was the Shrivers'' grandkid. Here he was, wondering how elite of a family they were that they dared to pull such a stunt on his nephews, but it turned out to be the Oaksbury Shrivers. While the Shrivers arguably had some influence in Dusktown, it was child''s ypared to the Harts. In fact, he would not even need to rely on the Hart family''s influence at all to deal with them. Even Caleb or Kieran could squish them like a bug if they wanted to. Why would the Shrivers dare to bully his nephews when they were nowhere near as established as the Harts? What got into them? After looking into Jayden''s family, Lucas put the word out to strike against the Shrivers as quickly as possible, and as viciously as possible. He wanted anyone who caught wind of this incident to realize that the Harts were not a family to be trifled with. Anyone who stood against the Harts, no matter who it was, was going to pay the price! In thepany, Lucas had the final say when Sebastian was away. Therefore, hismand was carried out at once. The Shrivers did have some influence in Dusktown, so they did have some connections too. Soon enough, they heard through the grapevine that Hart Corporation wanted to take them down. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. When Clive Shriver heard the news from a friend of his, he was thrown for a loop. "Hart Corporation? Are you sure it''s not a mistake? There''s no conflict between us and the Harts, so why would they pick a fight with us all of a sudden?" The Hart Corporation was the premier corporation in Elsenburg City. Those in the corporate world often valued principles and peaceful cooperation. They would not easily step on someone else''s toes without a valid reason. Even Clive himself would take great care not to offend an ordinary person, so why would he get in the way of a corporate giant like the Harts? "It''s real," his friend said in a rush. "I heard that people from Hart Corporation reported your family to the authorities. Right now, the department ofmerce, the internal revenue service, and even the anti-corruptionmission are all gathering a team to look into yourpany. You need to hurry up and think of a way to sort this out. Maybe you could reach out to the Harts and see if you could resolve whatever it is that''s going on between the two families, or else, it could be the end of the entire Shriver family!" So many departments were going to look into the Shriver''s business dealings. It would be one thing if they werepletely clean, but if they were not, then the fines alone would be enough to deal a heavy blow to theirpany. If the government bodies did manage to dig up any sort of illegal dealings, then the Shrivers would be done for! Clive''s friend took their many years of friendship into ount and decided to give him a head''s up, but he ended the call as soon as he could. He wanted to minimize contact with Clive out of fear that he might get dragged into this too. The reminder was solely due to their decades-long friendship. After the call ended, Clive remained in a daze. Why would his family get caught in the crosshairs, and with the Harts no less? The Shrivers were nothing more than a small aristocratic family, while the Harts were one of the most prominent families in Dusktown. He wrung his brain out trying to think of how they might have offended the Harts, but he could not think of anything. Clive rushed home at once and called for an urgent family meeting. His stern but frantic gaze swept across every single one of his family''s faces as he asked gravely, "Tell me. Which one of you offended the Harts?" This was the conclusion hended on. The Harts, being the pinnacle of the corporate world in Dusktown, would not act against the Shrivers for no apparent reason. He was a hundred percent positive that he did not offend the Harts while conducting business around town. If he was not the one who did it, then it had to be someone else from the Shriver family. In order to find a solution to save the family business, he had to figure out who was the cause of this cmity. His gaze fell upon his granddaughter-inw. Queenie was ashen-faced and trembling ever so slightly. Immediately, he honed in on her and barked, "Queenie, do you know something about this?" Everyone turned to look at Queenie. With how serious Clive was about this, there was no way of hiding it from him, so Queenie dared not lie about it. Her voice quivered as she said, "I-It''s because there was a scuffle between Jay and Sebastian Hart''s sons¡­ but it was just a small fight between the children¡­ H-How could he¡­" Queenie''s voice faltered before she could finish her sentence once she spotted the fury in Clive''s eyes. She wanted to say that it was just a spat between the children, so how could Sebastian retaliate by trying to take down the entire Shriver family? However, no matter what she said, deep down inside, she knew that if she were Sebastian, she would have done the same too. If her son had picked a fight with another kid from a family that was far less influential than hers, she would have done what the Harts were doing and teach that kid''s family a lesson too. It was only natural for parents to be protective of their children. Clive''s face had turned white, and he questioned Queenie, "Why did Jay and Sebastian Hart''s sons get into a fight?" If it was just over a tiny matter, he could find someone to act as a go-between and get his great- grandchild to apologize in person. A prominent family like the Harts would care a lot about their public image and would not act unreasonably. If the Shrivers were sincere about the apology, the Harts would probably ept it and let the matter go. Since things had gotten this serious, it would be a piece of cake for Clive to figure out the truth. Therefore, Queenie did not have the guts to lie about it. Her voice was shaking as she regaled everything that happened. "You foolish woman!" Clive was so infuriated that he threw a cup on the floor. "What kind of rubbish did you teach your son? How can you say such nonsense in front of him? What do the Harts'' family matters have to do with you? Why did you have toment on such things?" Clive got so mad that he began to feel a little dizzy. It felt like he was about to get an aneurysm. His great-grandson had gone so far as to call Sebastian''s sons b*stards born out of wedlock, and he even hit them. It would not be so bad if Sebastian did not care about those two children, but seeing how determined the Harts were to take revenge, it was obvious that Sebastian cared a lot about his two sons. Had this been a small matter, he could have found someone to connect him with the Harts and pay them a visit in person to apologize. Everything could have been sorted out just like that. However, Jayden had insulted Sebastian''s sons with such harsh words. This was aplete and utter disy of disrespect. It was unlikely that the Harts would be willing to go easy on them. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Most people were the same. They could shrug most things off if it only involved them, but when it came to their children, things would be different. They would do anything to protect their kids. He was a parent as well, and he loved his own children. He knew how the Harts felt. He knew it was impossible to settle this peacefully after he found out what happened. A simple apology won''t suffice. His great-grandson had insulted Sebastian''s sons. To make things worse, he had even beat the boys. The Harts would destroy their entire family if they did not do something. There was only one thing he could do now; he had to sacrifice someone. The Harts were a lot more powerful than they were. They didn''t even have to attack the Shrivers themselves. All they had to do was tell everyone they disliked the Shrivers, and everyone would stop working with them just to please the Harts. The Shrivers would be public enemy number one. They would be plunged into a crisis and go bankrupt in mere moments, and they would no longer exist. The Harts were fast approaching. He had no time to hesitate, and he came to a difficult decision. He turned to look at Damian. "Damian, you have two choices. One, take your wife and child and leave. Cut all ties with us. I''ll exile you and your family. From today onward, you and your family are no longer associated with us." "Grandpa!" Damian stared at Clive in disbelief, and he nched. Clive continued, "Two, divorce Queenie and let her have custody of Jayden. The alimony''s on you." "You can''t do that, Grandpa!" Damian shouted in protest. "It''s just some boys getting into a fight! It''s not that serious. I''ll take Jay to Sebastian''s ce and make him apologize! That''ll be enough, right?" He refused to get the divorce, nor did he want to be exiled. He was born on a silver tter and grew up in luxury, but he would lose everything if he was exiled. He refused to make a choice. "You can''t settle this with a simple apology," Clive said coldly. "Put yourself in Sebastian''s shoes. What would you do if your son''s ssmates call him a b*stard?" Damian shut up. He would do nothing if the father of the kid who insulted his son was more powerful than he was. However, if the guy was weaker than him, he would teach his family a lesson they would never forget. If he was as rich and powerful as Sebastian was, he would not stand for it if anyone were to insult his son. Clive sighed. "We have no choice. I can''t let your wife and kid drag the whole family down." Damian turned around to look at Queenie. Queenie was shivering in fear, and she shook her head violently. "No, I don''t want a divorce. I''m sorry, Damian. I won''t do it again! I promise! I-I''ll get my cousin to help me out! I''ll make sure Sebastian forgives me!" "Oh yeah! We can call Queenie''s cousin!" Damian''s eyes shone. "If he''ll help us out, I bet the Harts would let us off the hook." "That''s one way to go about it." Clive did not want to see his grandson get a divorce either. He never liked Queenie. He thought she was arrogant, mediocre, and foolish. s, she was beautiful enough to charm Damian into marrying her. The Gastons were just upstarts, but Queenies'' mother was Sam''s mother''s cousin. Thanks to that, Queenie got along well with the Taylors. The Shrivers were only a small aristocratic family in Dusktown, but the Taylors were one of the top families. Having Queenie as a part of their family meant they were connected to the Taylors as well. Putting Queenie''sckluster personality aside, the marriage was a profitable one. He only agreed to it thanks to that. Queenie indeed had hooked the Shrivers up with the Taylors after the marriage, and they made a lot of money from that. It was the only reason why Clive did not think too badly of her despite the fact that he thought he was spoiled, arrogant, and stupid. Nobody in the Shrivers would cross her either, since she was connected to the Taylors. She lorded over everyone in the household, thinking that she was better than anyone here. That was why she spoiled her son. Jayden took after her, getting into fights and insulting his ssmates, thinking it was nothing to worry about. At this moment, Clive regretted not restricting Queenie. I shouldn''t have been scared of her connection with the Taylors. None of this would have happened if I did that. It was toote for regrets though. All he could do now was hope that the Taylors would help Queenie out. Queenie quickly said, "I''ll call Isabel!" Isabel was her best ally among the Taylors. There were a lot of things she had to keep a secret from Damian and Clive, so she went to a quiet room and locked the door, then she called Isabel. She cried the moment it went through. "You have to help me, Isabel! I''m in trouble!" She was scared. She had never been this terrified. It was clear that Clive would make Damian divorce her if she failed to get the Harts'' forgiveness. She had crossed the Harts. If Damian were to divorce her, the Gastons would never let her back due to their fear of the Harts. She would turn from a woman of wealth to a homeless pauper. That was a nightmare for her. This is too much! It''s just a little banter between kids. They can''t do this to me just for that! They''re destroying my family! Damn you, Harts! You''ll pay for what you did! Curse you! She cried and comined to Isabel about what happened. Isabel cursed Sebastian and Madeline after she heard what happened as well. "You have to help me, Isabel!" Queenie sobbed. "Jay only called the kids that because he heard what we said when you came over! He only fought the little b*stards to defend you! You have to help me, or Clive will make Damian get a divorce with me!" "Calm down, Queenie. I''ll help you," Isabel assured her. "I''ll call Sam. He hates bullies like them! I bet he''ll help us out!" "Thank you, Isabel," Queenie thanked her profusely. "But be quick. I''m scared." "Yeah, I know," Isabel answered. "I''ll call Sam right away. He''ll talk to Madeline and Sebastian." ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She hung up and called Sam. As usual, Isabel embellished the story andined, "You have to help Queenie, Sam. Sebastian and Madeline went too far! It was just a little banter. They can''t attack the Shrivers just for that! That''s practically bullying! Sebastian thinks he can do anything just because he''s rich enough to do it! That''s power abuse! And that Madeline! She thinks she''s so great because she married Sebastian. Everyone thinks she''s just a poor, helpless damsel, but she''s really a witch! All Jayden did was argue with her kid, but she wants to destroy his family over that! That''s cruel!" Chapter 245 Chapter 245 She omitted the reason why the kids fought. All she said was that Sebastian wanted to get rid of the Shrivers just because Jayden argued with Joel and Quincy. She could paint Sebastian out to be the viin that way. "I see," Sam said. "I''ll handle this." He hung up and summoned one of his most trusted men over, then instructed him to look into the case. It was easy to find out about the truth, since they knew which school it was and when the fight happened. His underling reported everything to him a short whileter. He felt upset just listening to it. Madeline only gave birth to the boys because his life was in danger. He had no idea about that, but the fact was that the boys only existed because his life needed saving. They did save his life, and he owed it to Madeline and the boys. I can''t believe Isabel and Queenie called the boys that, and in front of Jayden, no less. It had been a long time since he was this furious. Sam was trembling, but he held his fury back and called Isabel. Isabel picked it up with delight. "So, how did it go, Sam?" Madeline listens to Sam. I bet she''ll do as he says and tell Sebastian to let the Shrivers off the hook. The Shrivers owe me one. I''m their savior now. She could never go home after her father decided to cut all ties with her. She refused to see her friends either because they wouldugh at her. She was good friends with Queenie and would frequent her ce to chat and gossip. If the Shrivers knew Sam helped them because she asked him to, they would be even nicer to her. Oh, that''s gonna be good. Sam said coolly, "Isabel, you told me Sebastian wants to ruin the Shrivers because the boys got into a fight, but you didn''t tell me why Aldo and Buddy argued with Jayden in the first ce. Can you tell me all about it now?" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Isabel froze up. She panicked, but she pretended to be calm. "Oh, you don''t have to sweat the details, Sam. It''s just a little banter. Probably started over some stupid stuff like a pencil or a candy. And kids always forget things really quickly. They''ll put it behind them and shake hands tomorrow. Adults should just stay out of their fights. I can''t believe Sebastian and Madeline want to ruin the Shrivers over that. They''re impossible!" Sam listened quietly, and he asked, "Do you think I''m a fool, Isabel?" "Of course not," Isabel quickly denied. "You''re the nicest, most capable man I''ve ever seen. I can trust nobody but you." Her father disowned her after her mother was jailed. Dan used to spoil her, but he too renounced her. He also saw her as a sworn enemy now. Every time they met, he would shoot daggers at her and mock her every chance he had. It had been a long time since she saw her father and Dan. The sight of them reminded her that she was no longer the beloveddy of the Taylors, and she refused to believe that. She kept telling herself that this was temporary. She thought everything would go back to normal once her father and Dan cooled down. Sam was the only person who was nice to her. He gave her money, a ce to stay, and some servants to take care of her. He was the only reason she could still live in luxury. He had wanted to send her abroad, but she refused adamantly, and he relented in the end. The Taylors were working on an important project with her uncle''spanytely. Sam stayed back at Dusktown, so she too decided not to return to Worrick. Nearly nobody who knew her was in Dusktown. Nobody would ask why her mother was jailed as long as she avoided running into them. She could not do that if she went back to Worrick. Every richdy knew her back home, and she had nowhere to hide. Worrick was also filled with her enemies. They might not have dared to do anything to her before this, but now that they knew she had lost her prestige with the Taylors, they would not hold back on the mockery. The thought of those losersughing at her made her sick. That was why she stayed in Dusktown with Sam. That was the only way she could only convince herself that everything was still the same, and that she was still the beloveddy of the house. Sam was really strict on her. He would try to control everything she did, while Dan would just spoil her with everything she wanted. She used to like Dan the most, but now, Sam was the only one she adored. Dan and her father were heartless men who disowned her at the first sign of trouble, but Sam did not. He remained a gentleman and treated her like nothing had happened. Those memories bubbled within her, and she purred, "You''re the nicest, best brother in the world, Sam!" Pity he''s my brother, or I would try to marry him. "And that''s why you lied to me?" Sam told her coldly about why and how the kids got into a fight. "The boys did not fight over a pencil or a candy. They fought because Jayden called Aldo and Buddy b*stards!" Isabel could tell that he was furious. She said nervously, "Sam, he''s just a boy. He didn''t know what the word meant. You can''t me him for this." "Yeah, of course he didn''t know what it meant. He learned it from the adults back at home," Sam retorted. "The Harts never did anything wrong to the Shrivers, but the Shrivers insulted the boys and called them names behind their backs. In that case, I don''t me Sebastian and Madeline for doing this." "No, that''s not it, Sam!" Isabel was finally panicking. "You can''t let them ruin a whole family over something this trivial! That''s preposterous!" Sam answered icily, "From what I know, someone lodged a report to the authorities, iming that the Shrivers havemitted a list of crimes. Of course, they would be fine if that was a lie, but if it''s not, then they deserve everything that happens to them. The Shrivers can lodge a report against the Harts if they want. Keeping yourpetitors in check is a healthy way of doing business. I think the Harts did the right thing. I''d wee ourpetitors to keep us in check as well, if they would be so kind." Chapter 246 Chapter 246 "I-Is that so?" Isabel stammered. "I-I''ll tell Queenie about it then." If this was in the past, she would have forced Sam to help Queenie and deal with the Hart couple, even if it meant she had to throw a tantrum. She would not do that now, however. Dan and her father had renounced her. She would lose everything if even Sam were to abandon her. She hung up and called Queenie to ry Sam''s message to her. The Shrivers were waiting for Queenie''s answer. Queenie was in even more of a hurry than they were, but the result was devastating for her. She almost went crazy after hearing that. "That''s not how it is, Isabel! Sam lied to you!" She almost slurred her words. "The investigations won''t be the thing that kills us. How the Harts see us is! The Harts made a mountain out of this molehill for a reason! They want everyone to find out that we crossed them. You know how businessmen work. It hasn''t even been a while since the news got around, but Clive has already received calls from several business partners to cancel their partnership!" "Why?" Isabel was confused. "The investigations haven''t even started yet. You guys are still okay, aren''t you?" "Yeah, but they would rather not get on the Harts'' bad side!" Queenie exined in a hurry. She was infuriated by how slow Isabel was. "They''d die if they got on the Harts'' bad side. They probably think we''re going down now that we crossed the Harts. They don''t want to sink with us, so they''re jumping ship! The Shrivers will be ruined even without the Harts doing anything to us." It was a dog-eat-dog world. Blink, and you were dead. "Now that''s ying dirty." Isabel felt a chill down her spine. "I-I''ll talk to Sam again." "You have to help me, Isabel," Queenie pleaded. She was already huping. "Everyone here hates me now. They think I did this to them. Jay and I would be ruined if I can''t settle this. All he did was fight the little b*stards. Yeah, he might be wrong, but he doesn''t deserve this." "I know, Queenie," Isabelforted her. She knew how Queenie felt. "I know. I''ll help you." She hung up and called Sam again. This time, she told him what Queenie said. "You have to help her, Sam. Otherwise, Clive will make Damian divorce Queenie, and Jay''s gonna lose either his dad or his mom! Destroying his family over this is too much!" Sam frowned. That was not what he would like to see either. Jayden was just a child. His life would be ruined if his family was destroyed over a little fight. He was angry about what Jayden said, but he did not deserve this. "I see," he said. "I''ll handle this." He did not want to talk too much, and he hung up. Sam spent a long time thinking about the matter, and he eventually called Madeline. "Where are you right now, Madeline?" "Sam?" Madeline asked. "I''m at Sun Garden." "Is Sebastian there too?" he asked. Madeline said, "Yeah, he''s here too." "I heard your boys got into a fight at school," Sam said. "Are they alright? I''d like to see them." This is from N?velDrama.Org. "They''re fine," Madeline answered. "It''s just some scratches. You''re a busy man, Sam. You don''t have to do this." "It''s fine," Sam said. "It''s been a while since I saw the boys too. I miss them, and I can''t rest easy until I see them with my own eyes." Since he insisted, Madeline did not refuse. Sam went straight to Sun Garden after they hung up. He met up with Madeline twenty minutester, and she invited him inside, but the boys were not around. "Where are the boys?" "In the fun room with their friend." Madeline smiled. "They brought a friend home. That''s a first. They love it. Buddy wanted to show his friend everything the house has to offer." The boys had been growing up in a harsh environment up until now. The fact that they could live as regr kids delighted Sam, and he smiled. "They can ask their friends toe over frequently if they want to." Madeline nodded with a smile. "I know, Sam. Have a seat." She invited Sam to take a seat, and the servant served tea and cookies without even being asked. "I''ll get the boys," she said. "It''s alright," Sam stopped her. "They must be having a st. Let them have their fun. Sit down. Let''s talk." "Sure. I''ll get them when it''s lunch time. You should stay for lunch too, Sam. It''s been a while since we had lunch together." Madeline sat down across from him. "Sure," Sam agreed. They made small talk, and then he cut to the chase. "Buddy hurt his forehead, didn''t he? Is he alright?" "Yeah. It''s just a scratch, and we treated it. He''ll be fine in a couple of days." She asked, "How did you know that, Sam?" Sam answered with a question, "Do you know who Jayden''s mother is?" Madeline paused for a moment, and she shook her head. "No." She kept quiet for a moment, then she said, "But she seems to know about my situation." Or Jayden wouldn''t have known who the boys'' father is and called them b*stards. And he only knew that because the people in his household brought it up. "Her name is Queenie. Her mother is my mother''s cousin," Sam answered. "Technically, she''s my cousin too." "I see." So that''s how it is. No wonder Jayden knows the boys'' father and their past. So his mother is a rtive of the Taylors. She was a nobody back in the Taylor Residence. She used to stay in the servant''s room, but Sam moved her somewhere else after the boys were born. The ce she stayed was some distance away from the main building. She would never approach the main house, and the Taylors would never invite their friends and family to her abode. Hence, she had never seen her rtives outside of the closer ones like George and Crystal, but she immediately knew what Sam was here for. "Are you trying to help the Shrivers, Sam?" "Yes," Sam admitted. "Clive, their patriarch, wants Jayden''s father to divorce his mother to save the family. I think that''s a tad too cruel for a young boy to handle. Can you let this slide just for me? I''ll make sure that Queenie and Jayden apologize to the boys." Chapter 247 Chapter 247 "Clive wants his parents to get a divorce?" Madeline frowned. "Why?" "Survival," Sam answered. "The boy and his mother crossed the Harts, so they want them out of the family. Cutting all ties with them is the only way to keep the Shrivers safe." "I see." Madeline nodded. "I have no idea they would do this. I don''t want Jayden''s parents to get divorced either, but Sebastian is the one handling this. He spent a lot of time and effort to protect the kids. I can''t tell him what to do. All I can do is persuade him to stop. I can''t do anything else." "I understand." Sam nodded. "Jayden might have done the wrong thing, but he doesn''t have to be punished this much. Breaking his family up for a little banter is too much, don''t you think?" "Why didn''t you tell me we had guests, Maddie?" A melodious voice rang out. Sebastian descended the stairs. Even the air seemed to sing in his presence. He was as beautiful as a painting, and he elegantly came to Madeline''s side. He then smirked at Sam. "Ah, fancy seeing you here, Mr. Taylor. You''re a busy man, and yet you still took the time to visit me, and not for nothing, I''m sure. Let me think¡­" Sam wanted to say something, but Sebastian did not give him the chance. "You''re here to help the Shrivers, aren''t you?" he asked politely. His voice alone was a delight to hear, but Sam could tell that he was mocking him. Still, Sam was a patient man. He was the most easy going guy among the Taylors, and he did not mind Sebastian''s mockery. Sam stood up and answered, "Yes, that''s why I''m here. Jayden''s mother is my cousin. I''ve heard what happened. Yes, what Jayden said was wrong, but it''s starting to get too serious at this rate. I''m here to negotiate. I hope you can show them a little mercy, Mr. Hart." "Let''s sit down and talk." Madeline asked the men to take a seat. She told Sebastian, "The Shrivers want to break up Jayden''s parents to keep their family safe. I think it''s a bit too much as well." Jayden did go too far with the insults, but Sam was not wrong either. It would be too cruel to destroy a boy''s family over this. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. "I know what you mean. You''re just too kind, and someone exploited that kindness." Sebastian smiled. "The Shrivers are the one who want this divorce, not us. Why should you feel guilty about it when they don''t?" Madeline froze. H-He has a point! I never wanted them to break the boy''s parents up. They did! Why should I feel guilty about something I didn''t do? "Slightly incorrect, Mr. Hart." Sam looked at Sebastian. "You pressured the Shrivers into this decision. Clive wants to break Jayden''s parents up so you and Madeline will forgive them. You and Madeline are why they''re doing this. Tell them you''ll let this slide, and Clive will take back his decision. He wouldn''t want to break his grandson and his wife up and force Jayden to grow up in a broken family." "So we''re talking about why and how this whole thing happened now?" Sebastian nodded. "Very well. Then let''s talk about the reason. Mr. Taylor, do you know why Jayden called my sons something that crude?" Sam froze. He thought it was difficult to answer, but he had to say something. "The boy didn''t know better. He must have heard it from someone in his household." "Precisely." Sebastian nodded. "Jayden only said that because he learned it from his mother. And Queenie called my sons even worse things. Do you want to know what she said?" Sam was feeling awkward now. "No. Queenie is at fault here. I can take them to you and ask them to apologize to Madeline and the boys." "We can talk about thatter." Sebastian waved him down. "We''re talking about how Jayden learned those words, right? He learned it from his mother. And who told Queenie those things, Mr. Taylor?" Sam''s face fell. Who told her that? Who else? Isabel, of course. Goddammit, Isabel! You''re putting me in a pinch here. "Ah, I see you know who told Queenie all about my sons." Sebastian chuckled. "Well, now we know how Jayden learned that insult. That brings us to the end of this little discussion. You told me this punishment is a bit too much for an innocent child, and I agree. I''m willing to let this slide and ept their apology, but you should try to keep your sister in check, don''t you think?" Sam felt like screaming. He had never felt this embarrassed and awkward before. Aldo and Buddy were born because he needed saving, but his own sister insulted them with every single slur under the sun behind their backs. To add insult to injury, he supported Isabel''svish lifestyle and even sent a group of servants, bodyguards, and drivers to serve her after her exile. He failed Madeline and the boys just by doing that alone. "Everyone thinks highly of you, Mr. Taylor. They call you a perfect gentleman, a soft-spoken man, a paragon of virtue. But if you ask me, you''re nothing but a shameless scoundrel." Sebastian smirked. The look in his eyes was calm, but Sam could see the disdain behind it. "Isabel and her mother abused Madeline until she was an inch from death, and she was forced to bear two children before she was even married just to save you. I''m grateful she gave me the boys, but do you have any idea how hard it was to raise them all by herself? She was unmarried, and nobody was even willing to lend her a hand back then. She suffered for many years. I feel sorry for her every time I think about it, but you and your whole damn family take her sacrifice for granted." "No, I do not!" Sam retorted indignantly. "I''ve always been grateful for her help, and I owe the boys a lot. I''ve tried my best to take care of them. I''ve always tried to make it up to them¡ª" "Really?" Sebastian cocked his eyebrow. "By supporting thevish lifestyle of the same woman who almost killed her?" He shook his head and sneered. "If that''s your way of making things up to someone, it''s creative. Too creative. I can''t even begin to understand your philosophy." "What do you expect me to do?" Sam was agitated. He had always been patient and soft- spoken, but now he raised his voice. "She''s my own sister! Do you expect me to stand by while she gets wasted?" "No. She''s your sister, and I can''t tell you to ignore her. But for Pete''s sake, keep her in check. It''s your responsibility to tell her what''s right and what''s wrong. It''s your job to tell her who''s the victim here. I don''t want her ndering my wife behind our backs," Sebastian answered gently but firmly. He looked Sam in the eye and asked, "That''s a reasonable request, don''t you think?" Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Sam nched, and he was at a loss for words. It was a reasonable request, indeed. He was the one who failed here. All he cared about was keeping Isabel snug andfortable, but he forgot to turn her attitude around. Sebastian was the one who exposed Phoebe''s n, and he did it for Madeline, so Isabel pinned the me on her. He had tried talking to her. He told her it was not Madeline''s fault that Sebastian uncovered the truth. He did not nder her mother. Isabel pretended to ept that exnation, but she spread untrue gossip to Queenie and called Madeline and her boys names behind his back. She still hates Maddie. She still thinks it''s Maddie''s fault her mother was jailed, but Maddie did nothing wrong. She did nothing wrong at all. Still, she was hurt the most in this case. He knew that, but he had no choice. Isabel was her sister and ady of the Taylors. He could never cut ties with her and leave her for dead like Dan and his father did. She grew up in luxury and had no idea how to do any chore. She had a rotten personality as well, and she offended everyone she met. Her enemies would have taken her down if he hadn''t helped her. He had to care for her. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Why the silence, Mr. Taylor?" Sebastian asked. "Well, we were talking about how and why this happened. We came to a conclusion. So how are you going to deal with it?" Sam finally made the decision he always wanted to. "I''ll send her abroad." Sebastian asked, "Then buy her a vi, hire a bunch of servants, and support her lifestyle again?" "No," Sam answered with some difficulty. "I''ll enrol her into a militaristic boarding school. The school will whip her into shape. She''s an adult now. She needs to change, or her life will be ruined." Isabel was so moronic, he wondered if she was actually a part of the Taylors. Her parents probably failed in raising her the right way, or her genes might have yed a part. Sam would have to get married and raise his own family one day. He could not take care of her forever. Isabel''s grandfather had hired someone to crash into Dan just so he could save him and force their father into marrying Phoebe. That driver hurt Dan so badly, he could not overextend his leg even until today. It would sting every time it rained. Dan despised Isabel''s grandfather and transferred that fury onto Isabel. He would fly into a rage every time Isabel was mentioned. His rtionship with Dan might be strained if he took too much care of Isabel. He did care about Isabel, but Dan was more important than she was. He would never break Dan''s heart just for Isabel. Sebastian knew enrolling her into a militaristic boarding school overseas was the best Sam could do. Sam was famous for his kind and gentle demeanor, after all. Sebastian smiled silently and looked at Madeline. He wanted to know what she thought. Madeline said, "I guess that''s alright. I think it''s fine." "Sure. We''ll go with that." Sebastian turned his gaze back to Sam. "We''ll go with that n. My brother''s men made the reports, so the authorities are still going to investigate the Shrivers. They''ll be fine if they''re clean, but if they''re not, then they have to be punished. I''ll tell everyone that the investigation is unrted to us. Just regr work." He might have let this slide, but he knew the Shrivers would still be badly hit. His brother would never use someone without proof. He must have looked into the Shrivers and found all the crimes they "I see," Sam said. "I''ll make sure Queenie and Jayden apologize to Madeline and the boys." "No," Madeline said. "Queenie must be rotten to the core if she could say something so evil to the kids. She''d still insult us even if you got her to say sorry. I don''t think it''s necessary." "Oh, but it is necessary," Sebastian said. "At least the boys will know the insults mean nothing. They''ll know it''s wrong." Madeline thought he had a point, so she nodded. "Fine. We''ll be waiting for the apology." Sam nodded. "It''ll be good for Jay. A good lesson for him." Madeline smiled silently. Jayden might have been the one who called her boys slurs, but she med Queenie and Isabel for that. She could forgive kids easily, but Isabel and Queenie were rotten to the core. Sam went straight to the Shriver Residence after that, and they weed him warmly. He told Clive what Sebastian said. Clive thanked him profusely, and he promised, "Don''t worry, Mr. Taylor. Queenie and Jayden will apologize to them straight away." He knew the investigation would cost thepany a lot once it took ce, but it was better than losing everything. He knew they could weather this crisis as long as the Harts stayed out of it. Everyone in the family knew, though they also understood that they would lose a lot after this. They might fall down a rung on the hierarchy of Dusktown, making them the bottom feeders of the aristocracydder. Falling down thedder was easy, but making it back up was nigh impossible. The Shrivers only managed to make a little improvement after generations, but that was all taken away because the ignorant Queenie insulted the Harts. Everyone hated her, including Clive. Still, Damian loved her so much, he would die for her. On top of that, Queenie also gave them Jayden. Clive would never force the divorce, but his dislike for Queenie had turned into contempt. He had little patience when it came to Queenie now. "Did you hear that? Take Jay and apologize to the Harts'' boys at once. You know what to say, don''t you?" Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Queenie nodded nervously. "I understand, Grandpa. I''ll go right away." She was really scared this time. Queenie used to think she was better than anyone else thanks to her rtionship with the Taylors. This was the first time she found out that she was not that much better than anyone. Someone could easily rob her of everything she had in just the blink of an eye. Everyone in the family pinned the me of this catastrophe on her. Damian refused to get the divorce, but even he yelled at her. She had been in control of the marriage all this time, and Damian never ever raised his voice, but he yelled at her just for this. Even so, she did not retort. She was worried Damian might break up with her. She would be done for if the Shrivers gave her the boot. She knew she was at fault this time, and she would keep her mouth shut from now on. She would never look down on anyone again. "I''ll go with them," Sam stood up and told Clive gently. "Mr. Hart and Madeline are generous people, Mr. Shriver. They won''t push Queenie and Jay too much as long as they''re really sorry." Clive stood up as well. "I know you can settle this, Mr. Taylor," he said, then he sent him off. Sam, Queenie, and Jay went straight to Sun Garden. After they arrived, Sebastian asked his servant to bring the boys over. He did not care about the apology. Sebastian would rather work than waste his time on something like this, but his sons needed this. He wanted the boys to know that what Jayden said was wrong. He would have Jayden swallow all the insults he hurled at his boys. Jayden had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions in just one day. A moment ago, he was the beloved prince of the family, but then he became a persona non grata all of a sudden. Everyone in the family cursed him. His father even beat him up, and he cried his heart out, but not even his great- grandfather, who loved him to bits, came to his defense. He had done worse things before, like striking his ssmate''s head so hard that it bled, but all his father did was chide him. He did not even spank Jayden. This time, however, his father spanked him even though Joel was not even hurt. He was scared. He knew he made a big mistake. His mother taught him a million times on how to apologize while they were on the way here. She told him that he must get Quincy and Joel''s forgiveness, or his father would divorce her. They would be booted out of the family. He had ssmates who came from a broken family, and they were pitiful. He did not want that to happen, so he memorized everything his mother told him. Queenie gave him a push, and he bowed at the boys. "Quincy, Joel, everything I said was nonsense. I lied just to make you guys angry. It''s not true. I know that was not the right thing to do, and I''m sorry. Can you please let bygones be bygones and forgive me?" Quincy was sitting right beside Madeline, his face deadpan. He was reluctant to speak as well. Joel blinked and stood up. "We''ll forgive you if you actually know where you went wrong, but you missed someone. You haven''t said sorry to Alex. You hurt him too." Jayden was surprised that they were so agreeable. He immediately bowed to Alex and apologized as per Joel''s request, "I shouldn''t have hit you, Alex. I''m sorry." Alex was sitting on the sofa. Just like Quincy, he was not moving or talking. Joel looked at his brother and Alex, then he sighed. "Fine. I''ll forgive you on their behalf, but promise us you''ll never bully anyone else. You''re the biggest bully in ss. You, Rennie, and Gordon love to bully our friends. Last time you hurt Joey''s head so hard, he had to get stitched. I can still see the holes of the stitches on his head even now." Sebastian squinted dangerously at Jayden. The little b*stard should feel lucky he didn''t do that to my boys, or I would have made sure he had a taste of his own medicine. "I-I understand," he stammered. "I won''t bully anyone anymore. I promise." Bullying cost him too much. He went from a beloved child to a hated brat in a single day. That was terrifying, and he would never do that again. "Okay, that''s a promise then!" Joel beamed, then he tilted his head to the side before looking at Sebastian. "Dad, Jayden said he''s sorry. He won''t be a bully anymore. Can we forgive him?" "Of course, Buddy." The boy was adorable when he tilted his head. Sebastian pulled him into his embrace and gave him a kiss. "We''ll do just that." The love in his eyes was almost palpable. Queenie saw that, of course, and she med Isabel for misinforming her. It''s all her fault! She said the boys are b*stards, and Sebastian only took them in because he didn''t want his family''s descendants to wander the streets. She said they''re the family''s stains of humiliation, and that Sebastian hates them. She also mentioned that he only thinks of Madeline as a ything, and once the novelty passes, Sebastian will remarry and have his own children. She said his wife is going to be one of the best ladies in Elsenburg, and Madeline and the b*stards are going to fall by then. N?velDrama.Org content. Isabel was ady of the Taylors. She was vastly better than she was, and Queenie thought Isabel knew some insider tips, given how adamant she was. She foolishly believed her, thinking that what she said was true. But it''s all a lie! They''re no b*stards, and she''s not a ything. Sebastian cares about Madeline and the boys. He thinks of them as his family! She insulted Madeline and the kids because of Isabel''s misinformation. Even though Sebastian had forgiven her, she had lost her status among the Shrivers. Her husband would probably lose his spot as the heir, and his brother would snatch it away from him. And it''s all Isabel''s fault! From that moment on, Isabel was no longer a cousin she was proud of. Instead, she was her sworn enemy. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 It was Queenie''s turn to apologize after Jayden was done, and they were leaving after that. Madeline wanted Sam to stay and have lunch, but Sam refused. "Next time. I have something else to settle today." Madeline persuaded him, and Joel wanted him to stay too, but he left in the end. He was not in the mood to have lunch. He wanted to see Isabel, but first, he sent Queenie and Jayden back to the Shriver Residence before he went to Isabel''s ce. Isabel was delighted to see him. She skipped up to him and held his arm lovingly. "You''re here, Sam! It''s been a while! I''ve missed you!" She acted like the spoiled child she was. Sam pulled his arm out and cut to the chase, "Pack your things, Isabel. I''ll send you abroad in a couple of days. I''ve enrolled you into an academy. They''ll whip you into shape." Isabel froze, and she frowned. "Why are you bringing this up again, Sam? We agreed that I would never go abroad. I don''t know anyone there. There''s no way I can get used to another country!" "It''s a good thing. A lot of people would kill to get this chance. School is good for you," Sam persuaded her. "You''re an adult now, Isabel. You can''t go on like this. You should pick up a trade and get a job you like once you graduate. Your life will have more meaning that way." "No!" Isabel held his arm, protesting, "Sam, I know a lot of people would kill to go abroad, but I''m not them! I''m better than them! I''m your sister and thedy of the Taylors! I''m a girl, so I don''t have to be as capable as you and Dan are. What I want is to do nothing and enjoy life. You''re supporting my lifestyle now, and I''d marry someone just like you so I can keep enjoying life while doing nothing!" "What are you talking about?" Sam''s frown deepened. "Sure, fine. It might be hard to pick up a trade, but at least learn how to be a better person! Look at you! You hurt Maddie in the first ce, but you somehow managed to y the victim and ndered her! Jayden wouldn''t have known those insults if you hadn''t told Queenie about it. You''re the reason the Shrivers are in so much trouble!" The mention of Madeline enraged Isabel. "Maddie, Maddie, Maddie! Can you stop bringing her up in every conversation? I''m your sister! She''s not! She would have died if not for Dan! We fed her, clothed her, and even gave her a ce to stay, but she turned on us in the end! She''s why Mom is jailed! I hate her!" "Your mother did that to herself. It''s not Maddie''s fault," Sam snapped. "Your mother lived on borrowed bliss. She was not good enough to marry Dad in the first ce, but she and her father duped Dad into the marriage. Karma caught up to her, and she has to pay the price. Your mother is only doing time for her crime. Maddie has nothing to do with it." Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "She has everything to do with it!" Isabel screamed. "She orchestrated the whole thing! Mom would have been fine if she stayed out of it. Dad and Dan wouldn''t have booted me out because of this. She''s my nemesis. She''s nothing but trouble! Dan shouldn''t have saved her! She should have died!" "So that''s what you really think of Maddie." Sam looked at her, disappointed. He said with a heavy heart, "I see. Suit yourself. I''ll enrol you into the school and pay for your tuition fees and living expenses. You can stay out of school if you want, but I''m taking this vi back. I''ll send the servants away too. You can go anywhere you want. You''re an adult now. Dad doesn''t need to support you anymore, and neither do I. It''s your life." "No! Sam! No!" Isabel panicked. She held Sam''s arm tightly and cried. "I-I didn''t mean that. I was just too angry. I''m sorry. Please don''t get mad at me. I don''t want to go overseas. I''m bad at studying! I''ll flunk school! I don''t even know what I don''t know, and I can never get used to a different country. I don''t want to live like that!" She refused to attend school as it was hard work. She had to wake up early just to study. The best food she could have was cafeteria grub, and she had to clean her room herself. She would have no servants tending to her every need, which meant that she had to be independent. Thanks to her mother, she had never stayed in a dorm before, not even in college. Since she had drivers and servants tending to her needs, she had never done any chore before as well. She could never survive overseas on her own. I''m the Taylors''dy. I can live a good life even with just one percent of their inheritance. Why should I suffer in school? I don''t wanna! "This is not a negotiation. This is an announcement." He flung her hand away. "Either you study abroad, or you can go wherever you want. But if you aren''t going to school, then you''re on your own. I won''t help you anymore." "You can''t do that, Sam!" Isabel cried. "I''m your sister. You can''t do this to me. The Taylors have a lot of money, right? Just give me some and I can survive. I''m Dad''s kid too. I''m a part of the family, so I deserve a part of the inheritance. Please, give my part of the inheritance to me. I can live on that, and you don''t have to help me anymore." "Your part of the inheritance?" Samughed mirthlessly. "The inheritance belongs to Dad. He can give it to whoever he wants, and he made it clear he wants to cut all ties with you. He''s already kind enough to raise you up. You''re no longer our family. You deserve no inheritance." "No! No!" Isabel shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I''m his kid! I''m a part of the family. He can''t cut his own family off! He''s just really mad right now. He''ll forgive me!" "Then wait for his forgiveness," Sam said coldly. "But I''m not in charge of you now. You have three days. If you still aren''t going abroad, then you''re packing up and leaving. You can go wherever you want. I don''t care." He turned around and left. "Sam! Don''t leave!" Isabel chased after him, still crying. Sam waved his hand, and his bodyguards stopped Isabel. Isabel could not even move a muscle. All she could do was watch as Sam got in his car and left. "Sam! Sam!" she screamed hysterically, sobbing and wailing. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Sam''s bodyguards only let her go after his car was out of sight. They then got in their car and departed as well. Isabel was alone in the yard, fearful and furious. Her legs turned to jelly, and she plopped down to the ground. She never thought Sam would do that to her. He spoiled her and gave her everything she wanted ever since they were kids. She could not believe that Sam would force her into a corner. I''m his sister! How could he do this to me? We''re all Dad''s children. Why can they inherit his wealth and liverge while I have to go overseas and suffer in school? I don''t want to! I hate this. She hated her father and brothers for turning their backs on her so mercilessly, but she knew she could not do anything to them. Her brothers were rich, and they had bodyguards protecting them, while she had nothing. Sam and Dan used to be her pride and joy. They were brilliant, loving brothers. They were the reason she could live with pride, but now her life was shattered. She suddenly got a crazy idea. What if Sam and Dan are dead? If they''re dead, I''d be Dad''s only kid. If I''m his only kid, then I can inherit all his wealth. I bet Dad will take me back in then. That was just a fantasy, however. Dan and Sam were alive and well. She was not powerful enough to kill them anyway. Still, falling from grace frustrated her. She needed to vent. It''s all Queenie''s fault! Sam wouldn''t have gotten so mad if she hadn''t crossed Madeline. He wouldn''t have sent me abroad. She put all the me on Queenie. It''s all her fault I''m suffering. Her eyes were red with hatred, and she gnashed her teeth. She shot up and darted into the car, then she barged into the streets and made a beeline for the Shriver Residence. All she wanted now was revenge. Sam is sending me overseas to suffer, so Queenie must suffer too! It''s her fault that Sam hates me! There''s no way I''m letting her off the hook when I''m going to hell. She''sing down with me! It''s her fault I lost everything. If I''m going down, then she''sing too! That b*tch is getting these hands! She was terrified of Sam and Dan. It was impossible for her to hurt them, but she could destroy Queenie. They might be cousins, but Queenie obviously worshipped her whenever they were alone. Queenie was just a worthless ve for her. Her ce was on the ground, groveling before Isabel. She was filled with fury, but since she could not take it out on her brothers, she had to vent on Queenie. She came to the Shriver Residence and stormed up to Queenie, then grabbed her by the hair and pped her a few times. "You b*tch! It''s your fault Sam is mad at me! Why should I take the me for the problem you created? Why did you do this to me?" Queenie was taken by surprise. She only realized what was happening after a few ps. "What is the matter with you, Isabel?" she screamed and struggled. "Let me go! Are you mad?" N?velDrama.Org content. Isabel ignored her screams. She was too furious to care, and she needed someone to vent that anger. She hated Sam and Madeline. She would destroy Madeline and keep her in hell for life, but she was too much of a coward to hurt Madeline. Sebastian was protecting her, no less. By elimination, Queenie was her only outlet to vent. She was on the bottom of the food chain, after all. Isabel kept pounding away at Queenie like crazy. Queenie did not retaliate at first, worried that the Taylors mighte after her. However, Isabel went too far. About a dozen pster, Queenie tasted blood in her mouth. She was enraged as well, and she shoved Isabel away. "Stop it!" she roared. "Are you mad?" "No, you''re mad! I''ll kill you! It''s your fault I have to study abroad. I''ll kill you, b*tch!" Isabel scowled and pounced at her again. Queenie instinctively defended herself before Isabel could hit her. She kicked Isabel''s belly, and she staggered backward before plopping down on the ground. "You can''t do this to me!" Isabel''s eyes widened in disbelief. She wanted to get back up and retaliate, but she suddenly clutched her belly and let out a scream. She felt something tearing her belly up, and the pain crashed over her like waves. She rolled on the ground while blood flowed down her legs and formed a pool on the ground. Queenie was petrified. She shook her head in horror. "Impossible. This is not my fault. A-All I did was kick you once." Jayden came after he heard themotion. The sight of Isabel rolling on the ground and drenching the floor with her blood made him scream. The servants were hiding in their rooms a moment ago, but when Jayden screamed, they mustered their courage and came out. They nervously suggested, "Why don''t we call the ambnce, madam? She might die at this rate." Queenie nodded in fear. "Yes! Call the ambnce right away!" The servant made the call, and the ambnce came just a momentter. The medical staff carried her into the ambnce and went straight to the hospital. Queenie was grasped by fear. She was starting to cry, but still she called her husband and told him what happened. "I didn''t mean it. I didn''t mean it. I was just defending myself. It was just one kick, but then she fell and bled like crazy. I didn''t mean it. I was just trying to defend myself." Damian was furious and shocked. After she and Jayden apologized, the Harts had told everyone that the investigations on the Shrivers had nothing to do with them. It made things a lot easier on the Shrivers. They would have to pay a heavy price, but they would get through this crisis in the end. He thought this would be the end of it, but then this happened. He felt heart sink. It would be fine if Queenie was the only one shouldering the responsibility for this, but it would be bad if the Shrivers were dragged into another mess because of this. His family already disliked him because of the previous incident. If something were to happen to them because of his wife again, he would be damned. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 He was horrified and scared. His mind was nk, and he rushed to the hospital. He was worried sick. Queenie was waiting outside the operating room, looking dejected. Damian was a sight for her sore eyes, and she ran toward him and threw herself into his arms. "I didn''t mean it, Damian. Trust me!" She cried. "She started it. I was just defending myself!" Damian let her hug him, but he was stiff. A long whileter, he asked, "How is she doing?" "No idea." She shook her head, still crying. "I''ll be fine, right? I won''t get jailed for this, will I? S-She bled like crazy." She felt cold all over, and she was shivering. Isabel''s thedy of the Taylors, and I hurt her so much, she had to be hospitalized. The Taylors will kill me! We just settled the problem with the Harts, and the only reason the Shrivers didn''t force the divorce is because of Jay. The Harts might not care anymore, but the Shrivers will still have to pay a heavy price to get through this, and it''s all my fault. They hate me already. They''ll force the divorce if the Taylorse after them. I''ll be finished. She curled up in fear. Damian was angry, but he still loved her. The sight of her shivering in fear made his heart soften. "Sam is a reasonable man, right? Then tell him the truth. Tell him Isabel started this." He held her chin up and looked at her. "And your bruises are proof that she was trying to kill you." She moved away stiffly and looked down. She knew she must look ugly after the fight. They might have been married for years and had a kid, but she refused to let him see her in this state. Damian sighed. "Call Sam and tell him about this. I don''t want Isabel to do it before us. She might lie to him." Queenie was as white as a sheet of paper. "W-What if s-she''s dead?" Her voice was trembling. "No. You''re overthinking it. She won''t die that easily," Damianforted her, though he was frowning. "All you did was kick her once, right?" "Yes, yes!" She nodded in a hurry. "It was just a kick, and I only did it once." "You''re not Hercules, and you''ve never done any weight training. She wouldn''t die from that kick," Damian said. "Listen to me and call Sam. Just tell him the truth. He''s a reputable guy. I think he won''t take Isabel''s side, not when she started this." Damian had seen Sam before thanks to Queenie. He thought Sam was one of the greatest men he had ever seen. He was just like the rich gentleman he read about in history books when he was a kid. He was reasonable, gentle, and radiated a kind of regality possessed only by old aristocratic families. His elegance stemmed from his soul and was impossible to imitate. Everyone trusted him instinctively. For some reason, he thought Sam was a fair gentleman who would not side with his family when they were at fault. Queenie had no choice but to do as Damian said. She held her phone with a trembling hand, but she hesitated when she was about to call him. She started crying. "I-I wouldn''t have even talked to Isabel if I knew this would happen. I-I only did it for the family. I don''t even hate Madeline. I had no reason to insult her. I only did that to please Isabel. I hate her. I only yed along with her because I wanted to help the family. I-I never thought this would happen." She had no idea her son would cause so much trouble. She did not think that he would call the Hart boys all the slurs he heard at home, and that her son would get into a fight with the Hart boys and upset their parents. Things got out of hand after that. She never nned to confront Madeline herself. She thought ying along with Isabel and insulting Madeline and the boys behind their backs were fine. They wouldn''t know about it, and I could please Isabel. Our families will get closer too, so no harm done, right? She had no idea her son would overhear their conversation and look down on Madeline and the boys because of that. I can''t believe he called the boys b*stards right in front of them! Everyone else''s kids make them proud, while mine is nothing but trouble. Damian sighed. He assured her patiently, "I know you were just trying to help, but insulting someone is not the right way. It''s toote for regrets though. Call Sam and tell him Isabel''s hurt. The longer you drag this on, the worse it is for us." Queenie was too terrified to call Sam, but she knew they could not keep this a secret. The Taylors would find out soon enough. She would rather tell Sam about it before news got to them first. Sam was the fairest soul among the family. She closed her eyes and steeled herself, then she called Sam''s number. The call went through a momentter. Sam said gently, "Hello, Sam speaking." Queenie said nervously, "Sam, it''s me, Queenie." She started crying right after that, but she told him what happened anyway. "You have to believe me, Sam. I was just defending myself. She pped me like crazy. It was so, so painful. I had to fight back. All I did was kick her away, but then she fell and bled a lot. Please, believe me, Sam. I was just defending myself. I didn''t mean to hurt her." Her voice was starting to crack. "How''s she doing?" Sam shot up from his chair, a chill running down his spine. His heart was racing. He was disappointed in Isabel, but she was still his sister. The fact that she was in danger worried him. She answered through hups, "She''s still in the operating room." "Where are you? I''ll be there right away!" He left the study as he spoke. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Sam rushed to the hospital Queenie told him. The doors to the operating room opened the moment he arrived, so he quickly went up to the doctor and asked, "How does she look, doctor?" "The surgery is a sess but¡­" The doctor sighed. "The patient''s womb suffered excessive blood loss. We had to take it out. She suffered a miscarriage, and she''s barren now." "What?" Sam was petrified. "You mean she had a baby?" She''s not married yet. No, she''s still single! How did she even get pregnant? Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Isabel had been transferred to a ward, but Sam was still in shock. The doctor was telling him the dos and don''ts, but all he heard was someone talking. He had no idea what the doctor just said. Sam only snapped out of it when the doctor was done talking. He was about to leave, but Sam stopped him. "Sorry, doctor, but can you say that again?" Sam was pale and unfocused. The doctor could see that the patient''s condition came as a great shock to Sam, so he brushed the inconvenience aside and repeated the dos and don''ts patiently. "You''re saying she was pregnant?" He stared at the doctor in disbelief. The doctor nodded. "Yes. She was nine weeks pregnant. Her womb broke and suffered excessive blood loss because it was heavily impacted." He shook his head regretfully. "Sorry, but we did our best." The patient looked young, and yet she lost her womb. The doctor could understand how her family felt. They must find it hard to ept. "She was nine weeks pregnant?" Sam turned his gaze to Isabel, who was lying on the bed. He had no idea what to feel. She was nine weeks pregnant, and yet she''s single. The people will be scandalized if the news gets around. After the doctor was gone, he sat down beside the bed stiffly. Sam summoned his trusted subordinate over after a while. "I want you to find out who the father is." This is from N?velDrama.Org. His underling went to do his job. Damian and Queenie came over. He nervously said, "She didn''t mean it, Mr. Taylor. Isabel pped her too. She went too far, and Queenie fought back a little. She had no idea Isabel was pregnant, or she wouldn''t have kicked her belly." Sam was tired. He did not want to deal with this, so he waved Damian down. "You guys go home. We''ll deal with thister." Damian pleaded, "Please have mercy on us, Mr. Taylor. Let Queenie off the hook for once. We have a young son, and he can''t lose his mother. Queenie only defended herself. Isabel barged in and started pping her. This was totally unexpected." "I know. Just go home." Sam raised his hand. He refused to talk about this any further. His bodyguard came and stood before the Shriver couple. "I''ll have to ask you to leave." He extended his arm. Left with no choice, Damian and Queenie left. Queenie could not even feel her legs. She was leaning on Damian, and he held her all the way out. She was terrified out of her mind. It was like a scythe was right above her head and would kill her anytime. Damian was upset as well. The Harts were far more powerful than the Shrivers were. Damian wanted to protect her, but he was too weak to do so. They were helpless. Everything depended on the Taylors now. Queenie regretted befriending Isabel. She would never have done that if she knew this would happen, not even if it meant the Shrivers could get closer to the Taylors. She was nervous. Queenie was awaiting her verdict, and it could mean the death of her future. Isabel regained consciousness about six hourster. Sam noticed her waking up, and he stared at her. "Who''s the father?" The look in his eyes was deathly cold. He was usually warm and soft-spoken. Isabel had never seen him looking like that before, and it scared her. "Sam?" "Who''s the father?" Sam repeated himself coldly. "What do you mean?" Isabel tried to move, but she felt a stab of paining from her belly. Frowning, she asked, "What''s wrong with me? My stomach is killing me!" It was hard to exin, but Sam said, "You had a miscarriage." "Miscarriage?" Isabel''s eyes widened in disbelief. "That''s impossible." "That''s not the only problem. Your uterus was ruined and lost too much blood, so the doctor had to remove it," Sam continued. "You''re barren now." "Impossible!" Agitated, Isabel tried to sit up, but the pain from her stomach made her gasp and lie back down. "That''s impossible. That''s a joke, Sam. No way that''s true! I can''t be barren! They can''t have removed my uterus! No!" How am I supposed to get married if I''m barren? How am I supposed to date a rich guy and marry him if I can''t get pregnant? No wealthy family would let their sons marry a barren woman. "It''s true." Same held his anger back. "Who''s the father? What''s his name? Why didn''t you tell me you have a boyfriend?" Isabel denied, "I-I don''t have a boyfriend." "You don''t have a boyfriend?" Sam raised his voice. "So how did you get pregnant? Did you somehow be a hermaphrodite and knock yourself up?" Isabel held the edge of her bed tightly, stammering, "I¡­ I¡­" The sight of her terror and fear broke his heart. She was his only sister, and now she was barren. But she''s still so young. How is she supposed to live like this? The pity for her overwhelmed his anger for her, and he closed his eyes and calmed down. He asked gently, "You have to tell me who the father is, Isabel. The only way out for you is to marry him." The guy knocked her up before they got married. He has to pay the price. Nobody''s going to marry her now that she''s barren. He has to take her hand in marriage. "No! I won''t!" Isabel screamed. "I won''t marry him!" she protested. "Why?" Sam frowned. "You''re barren now. Nobody else is going to marry you, so the guy who knocked you up has to do it. And you guys must be a true couple if you let him knock you up. You guys love each other. It''ll be a happy marriage, don''t you think?" "No, no!" She shook her head violently. "There''s no love in this rtionship. I won''t marry him even if it''s thest thing I do." "What are you talking about?" He looked at her suspiciously. "If there''s no love in this rtionship, then why did you get yourself knocked up? Who is that guy?" Realization struck him, and murder shed in his eyes. "Did he force you? Tell me his name. I''ll kill him!" he hissed. Isabel shut up. Nobody forced her. She was thedy of the Taylors, so how could anybody have forced her? She would have told her family about it if that happened. She had done it willingly, but she would never marry that man. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Sam was about to say something, but then his assistant hurried into the room. "Bad news, sir," he said. Sam''s heart sank, and he turned around. He handed his phone to Sam, looking worried. "You have to see this, sir." Sam took the phone, but he almost cked out when he saw the article. He flew into a rage. "Who did this?" Someone had posted the news of Isabel''s operation online. The Inte now knew she got pregnant out of wedlock, but was now barren. He ordered, "Call the PR department and ask them to delete everything on the." "I did, but this is going to be hard," his assistant answered quickly. "The news spread like wildfire. It''s trending, it''s on most online news portals, and even verified ounts shared it. Someone''s behind this. Some of them might take the news down if we give them money, but some won''t." "What''s wrong, Sam?" Isabel noticed the look on Sam''s face, and she had a bad feeling about it. She snatched his phone, and when she saw the news, she screamed. "How did this happen? Who did this? I''ll kill him!" She could not ept what was happening. Isabel hurled the phone across the room and held her head as she screamed. Sh*t! The Inte knows all about this now. Everyone''s gonna find out that I got knocked up before I got married. They''ll know I''m barren now. Everyone''s gonnaugh at me! I''ll never marry a rich guy now. I''m done for! She found this uneptable. Isabel screamed for a moment, then she held Sam by his cor and shook him violently. "Who did this? You have to find out who did this, Sam. I won''t let this slide. I''ll kill whoever did this!" Her eyes were red, and her face was contorted. She looked like a demon. She shook Sam a few times, but the pain from her belly seared her. Shey back down and clutched her belly, moaning in pain. Sam was disappointed by her attitude, but he pitied her. He pressed the bell on the bedside and summoned the doctor. The doctor rebandaged her wound and told them, "Let the patient rest. She can''t do anything strenuous, or the wound will reopen and take a long time to heal." The doctor left. Isabel remained on her bed, crying her heart out. She was scared and furious. I''m the Taylors''dy. How did this happen? I should have been a princess. I should own everything good in life. How did this happen? It''s all Madeline''s fault! She did this! Queenie wouldn''t have asked me for help if Madeline didn''t argue with her. I wouldn''t have gotten involved. I wouldn''t have pped Queenie, and she wouldn''t have hurt me. I wouldn''t have been barren! And if it weren''t for her, Dad wouldn''t have kicked me out. If that hadn''t happened, I wouldn''t have even talked to Queenie out of boredom. I wouldn''t have gossiped about Madeline with her, and none of this would have happened. It''s all Madeline''s fault! She cried her heart out. "It''s Madeline, Sam! She''s behind this! You have to help me, Sam!" "What are you talking about?" Sam frowned in displeasure. "You have no proof she did this." Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. "But it''s true." She sobbed. "Who else would do this to me? Queenie? She wouldn''t dare. Only Madeline would start this whole thing. Only she wouldn''t be scared of you or the Taylors." Sam tapped the table lightly. He actually thought Isabel had a point. Isabel was a part of the Taylors, so any scandal involving her would be an embarrassment for the family. This was huge. Almost nobody in Dusktown would get on the Taylors'' bad side. They were too weak to do that, and there was no need. Nobody would attack a giant like the Taylors, unless the grudge ran deep. Isabel was young, so she had nearly no enemies. Only one would be brave enough to go against the Taylors and do this¡ª Madeline. However, he perished that thought as soon as it popped in his head. No. Maddie''s not that kind of woman. She''s generous and fair. She would talk to me if she wanted to clear things up. Backstabbing is out of character for her. "It''s not her. She wouldn''t stoop so low." He scolded, "You have no proof, so stop using her!" "I am not using her. She''s the only enemy I have. Who else would do it?" Isabel bawled. "I''m your sister, Sam. Why are you always defending Madeline? You still won''t help me even at this point? I''m barren, and now everyone knows about it. I can''t live like this!" She was scared, furious, and in pain. Her face was white, as if she would die. Sam was disappointed in her, but he pitied her too. He told his assistant, "Tell the PR to delete the news no matter what. Tell the public it''s just rumors. Post official statements and warn the KOLs that are trying to cash in on this. We''ll sue them if they keep spreading the rumor." Thest part was a lie. The news was true, but they had to pretend it was not. They had to make the public believe it was a lie. The Inte was filled with fake news, andizens were usually skeptical about any news unless they were proven to be true. All they had to do was pretend it was a lie, and the netizens would believe it. Isabel''s reputation would not be destroyed then. The assistant said yes and left. He called the PR department and told them about Sam''s orders. Isabely on her bed, still crying and demanding Sam to help. Sam held back his frustration and anger. "Let''s put that aside. Tell me who the father is." Isabel stopped crying for a moment, and she shook her head. "I don''t know¡­" "You don''t know?" Sam flew into a rage. "Do you think I''m stupid? You don''t know who the father of your child is?" Isabel shook her head, crying her heart out. "I don''t know, I don''t know, I don''t know! I told you I don''t know! Why are you pushing me so much? Do you want me to kill myself?" Sam felt like he could ck out from fury any minute now. "I found it, sir!" His subordinate knocked on the door and hurried inside. He nced at Isabel and whispered to Sam, "I know who the child''s father is, sir." Chapter 255 Chapter 255 "Who''s the father?" Sam asked at once. His subordinate nced at Isabel before saying in a low voice, "I''ve brought him here, sir." He waved his hand, and anky young man was pushed forward. The man looked very young¡ªmost likely in his early twenties, but his fine features made him look like a wless sculpture. He would have been an attractive young man had it not been for his sickly pale complexion and bony figure that made him appear rather frail. Sam''s brows were creased as he scrutinized the man before asking, "Isabel, who is he?" Isabel was angry but also frantic. Her heart pounded like mad as she yelled at Sam''s subordinate, "Who asked you to bring him here? Who said the child is his? He''s just a bodyguard of mine. He''s not the father!" Sam''s frown deepened. "Sir, he is the father of Miss Isabel''s child, and¡­" The man passed his phone to Sam. "This has already gone viral on the Inte¡­" After taking one look at the screen, Sam felt like he was seeing stars. There was an update to the gossip online regarding Isabel. The news was spreading online about how Isabel abused her influence and financial standing toBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. confine a man and abuse him sexually but got pregnant as a result of her recklessness. However, there was an ident and not only did she miscarry the child, but she also had to have her womb removed. This incident was being described online as her reaping what she had sown, as her predicament now was a result of her cruelty and despicable behavior. Sam was trembling with rage as he threw the phone over to Isabel and interrogated her. "Is what they''re saying online true?" Isabel nced at the screen before shrieking in anger and distraught, "They''re making it up! He did it willingly!" "He did it willingly? Did what willingly?" Sam was as white as a sheet as he pressed her, "Didn''t you say that he''s just a bodyguard?" Sam was numb with anger and his voice hardened. He knew all along that Isabel was a proud and conceited girl who was determined to marry someone from a family that was even more distinguished than the Taylors. Therefore, he assumed that the father of her child would be a son of some wealthy family. His n was to get that man to take responsibility for his actions and marry Isabel. That way, Isabel would get what she wanted. It would not be a good way to start a marriage and it would smear their reputations, but since that man knocked her up, he should take responsibility for it. With the Taylor family supporting her, that man would not be able to get out of it. However, never in Sam''s wildest dreams would he have thought that the father was one of Isabel''s bodyguards. No, it cannot be! There must have been some mistake. A proud and haughty woman like Isabel who had her heart set on marrying a wealthy and influential man would never get into bed with one of her bodyguards. It had to be a groundless rumor! Sam assuaged himself with these thoughts, and his face regained some color as his heart settled down. He eyed the handsome young man that his bodyguards were pinning down and asked, "Tell me. What''s your rtionship with Isabel?" The young man kept his head down. Regardless of how malnourished he looked, he was still remarkably handsome, and his skin was as fair as snow. He kept his head low and said nothing, but even so, there was something about him that dazzled like the brightest star in the sky. He was just standing there, but that was enough to attract the attention of those around him. After taking a few more looks at the young man, Sam grew apprehensive once more. With looks like that, it was possible for this young man to seduce a young woman to fall in love with him and bear his child. Sam''s eyes grew cold as he snarled, "Look up at me and answer my question! What is your rtionship with my sister? Do you have anything to do with the child she was carrying?!" The man in front of him was far too attractive, and it unsettled Sam. Perhaps he was indeed the father of her child. This man must''ve used his good looks to seduce Isabel! He must''ve wanted to use her as a stepping stone to marry into a wealthy family! His sister preferred wealthy and powerful men, but was there any young woman who did not like a handsome man? The man in front of him was young and good-looking enough to rival the hottest stars in the entertainment industry right now. With looks like that, all it took was a honeyed tongue and he would be able to seduce Isabel into falling in love with him. He might even be able to convince her to give him everything she had! Upon arriving at this conclusion, Sam was incensed. Sam started ming himself for this. He had been consumed by work recently, and he assumed that since he moved Isabel into a holiday vi and arranged for her to be cared for by a team of housekeepers and bodyguards, she would be well taken care of. As a result, he did not keep an eye on her and she ended up falling victim to a young man preying on her. Sam was filled with regret. Once he saw how the young man continued keeping his head down without saying anything, his anger bubbled over and he yelled, "If you don''t start talking, don''t me me for taking matters into my own hands!" He might seem courteous and gentlemanly, but as the first in line to inherit the Taylor family fortune, it was only natural that he was not a pushover. As the heir of a wealthy and influential family, Sam had amanding air about him. His words cut like a knife and it made the young man tremble violently. He looked up at once in fear. "I don''t know if the child''s mine¡­" the young man replied hoarsely, his eyes wild with terror. I don''t know if the child''s mine¡­ Those words meant that he did have that sort of rtionship with Isabel. Sam felt dizzy once more. He had nned to find out who the father was and get that man to take responsibility by marrying Isabel, but now¡­ Based on how the young man was dressed, he did not seem like the son of a wealthy family. Sam was so furious he could barely get his words out. "How did you know my sister? What''s your rtionship with her?" He suspected that this young man had used his good looks to seduce Isabel, so he red at him with a sharp and stinging gaze. The young man clenched his fists and muttered, "My name is Marshall Sheen. I used to be the star escort at Twilight Oasis¡­" In Sam''s mind, there was nothing but question marks. The star escort at Twilight Oasis? He did not know what kind of establishment Twilight Oasis was, but the phrase "star escort" was enough for him to make a pretty good guess. Sam''s ears were buzzing. It felt like he was about to pop a vein. "Isabel Taylor!" He stared at Isabel in disbelief as he barked, "How could you frequent such a ce?!" Marshall nced at Sam and stated inly, "I know that people like you look down on me, but I didn''t choose to work in such a ce either¡­ My younger brother is gravely ill. He would die if I didn''t find a way to fund his treatment. I haven''t graduated from college yet, and it would take too long to earn enough money through any other means, so I took a job as an escort at Twilight Oasis. Before your sister came along, I only sold mypanionship, not my body, but she came and forced me to sleep with her. She threatened to get Twilight Oasis to fire me if I refused. I was desperate for money to keep my brother alive so I couldn''t lose the job at Twilight Oasis. I had no other choice, so I had to sleep with your sister. Yes, I sold my dignity by sleeping with her, but I did not do anything that warrants me feeling sorry toward her or you." Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Sam could barely hold himself up any longer. Star escort. Selling his body. These words were enough for him to get the full picture of who this young man was. Isabel conceived a child with a gigolo! She, the Taylor family''s daughter, got pregnant with a gigolo''s child! "Isabel Taylor! You¡­ you!" All color drained from Sam''s face, and his voice was shaking. "How can you engage in such debauchery?!" "He''s lying! That''s not what happened!" Isabel was afraid to admit what she had done, so she tried to lie. "I didn''t know that he''s the star escort at Twilight Oasis. I just hired him to be my assistant and bodyguard. I got pregnant by mistake. I was having a bad day so I got drunk and he took advantage of me. I was afraid of damaging my reputation so I didn''t tell anyone, but who would''ve thought that I would''ve gotten pregnant just from that one time¡­" Sam stared at Marshall suspiciously. Naturally, he trusted Isabel''s words over his. Sam wanted to believe that Isabel simply brought the man back to be her assistant and bodyguard, but the man had his sights on her and wanted to use her as his ticket to a life of luxury. After seeing the skepticism in Sam''s eyes, Marshall did not say anything. He wordlessly began to unbutton his shirt. "Marshall, what are you doing?! Get out at once! Get out!" Isabel shrieked. Marshall ignored her as he took off his shirt, leaving his scrawny body on full disy. Once Sam saw Marshall''s body, he gasped. While Marshall''s face was unblemished, his body was littered with a myriad of scars. Sam was so shocked that he fell into a daze. Marshall fixed his eyes on Sam and said, "Your sister was the one who gave me all these scars. Do you think I have the guts to take advantage of her?" Sam stared at Isabel in disbelief. Isabel frantically shook her head. "No, I didn''t! He''s lying! Don''t believe him, Sam!" She never thought Marshall, who had never dared to disobey her, would expose her in front of Sam. She was fully aware of Sam''s personality. He was a righteous, kind, and principled man who never abused his power and hated those who acted cruelly or immorally. If Sam found out about all the things she did behind his back, he would give up on her entirely. Nigel and Dan no longer cared about her anymore, so Sam was the only person she could depend on now. If he too despised her, she would really be left with nothing. Isabel was shaking. She had never felt as petrified as she did now. Sam had gone numb all over. His heart sank to the lowest it could ever go. He truly wanted to believe her, his only little sister, but he was sharp enough to discern that Marshall was telling the truth, and Isabel was lying. Isabel had gone behind his back to hire a gigolo, and she even got pregnant. This was far too outrageous! Sam turned back to Marshall and eyed his body before finally asking, "Was Isabel the one who gave you all these scars?" "Yes." Marshall nodded. "Did she coerce you?" Marshall asked, "Why didn''t you report it to the police?" Marshall lowered his eyes. "I told you. My brother is gravely ill and his treatment requires a lot of money. Your sister took a liking to me and wanted to take me away from Twilight Oasis. When I refused, she threatened to make me lose my job. I had no choice but to follow her. She was generous, so I earned enough money to pay for my brother''s treatment. I wanted to leave after that, but¡­ I couldn''t¡­" "Why not?" Sam asked. This time, Marshall looked him in the eyes and said, "Because she drugged me and took naked pictures of me in indecent positions¡­ I''ve fallen into this vices and my future is ruined, but my brother is still a regr person who has a bright future ahead of him¡­ Your sister threatened me. If I left, she would st those pictures of me all over my brother''s school¡­" Sam got the full picture. At that very moment, he felt a mix of shock, disappointment, and anger. "How could you?" Sam turned back to Isabel, his body numb with rage. "His brother''s sick and he couldn''t afford the treatment, but for the sake of saving his brother''s life, he had to resort to taking on that sort of work. His life is already pitiful as it is, so how could you lock him up and abuse him like he''s some sort of animal?" Isabel vehemently denied everything. "Sam, don''t believe him! He''s lying! He''s lying!" She dared not admit the truth. She would lose everything if she did. "I''m not lying." Marshall looked at Sam and said, "You can ask your men to look into this. Everyone around her knows about this." Sam''s subordinate walked over and muttered, "Sir, Marshall''s telling the truth. I looked into it. Miss Isabel frequently brings Marshall to her room. While the staff doesn''t know what happens inside the room, they have said that they could hear him screaming in agony every time. Sometimes, itsts all night¡­" The screams wouldst all night¡­ Sam''s blood was boiling and his vision was beginning to get a little spotty. Once again, he stared at Isabel in disbelief. The Taylor family''s daughter, his little sister, abused a man until his body was covered in scars. He would scream in agony for nights on end, but he was afraid to disobey her. Despite all of his suffering, he had to stay by her side. N?velDrama.Org content. Who gave Isabel the power and confidence to do such a thing? He did! It was him, Sam Taylor! His father and younger brother had long since found Isabel despicable and chased her out of the house. They left her to fend for herself. His father told him that raising Isabel to adulthood was his duty, and he had done exactly that. From then on, Isabel was responsible for her own life. The Taylors had nothing to do with her anymore. Sam had thought that his father''s actions were too cruel, so he took Isabel in and arranged for her to live in one of his houses. He even arranged for a whole team of staff to care for her. With his care and protection, Isabel was able to continue living a life of luxury even though Nigel and Dan no longer considered her family. She was cared for in every way and had servants to wait on her. Her life now was no different from what she had enjoyed in the Taylor household. Even so, Sam continued to pity Isabel. He thought that the only culprits were Phoebe and her father, and that Isabel was innocent. Since Phoebe had paid for her crimes, they shouldn''t take their anger out on Isabel too. Obviously, Nigel and Dan thought otherwise. Their hatred for Phoebe extended to Isabel as well and they refused to even see her. In the past, Isabel was the Taylor family''s precious daughter, but now, both of them hated her, and he was the only one who still cared about her. This was why he pitied Isabel. Deep down inside, he believed what they did was wrong. They were unable to separate their hatred for Phoebe from what they felt about Isabel, and they were too harsh on her. Isabel did nothing wrong, but she had to suffer because of Phoebe''s actions. Due to this, he felt even more sympathy for Isabel and showered her with even more care. As the first in line to inherit the Taylor family fortune, and as the general manager of Taylor Corporation, money was no object to him. He pitied Isabel and gave her even more money than what she had received when she was still a part of the Taylor household, but what did she end up doing with the money he gave her? She spent it on a gigolo. She even tricked him and threatened him into staying by her side for her to abuse, as if he was some kind of animal! Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Were his actions simply that of a brother doting on his sister? No. He wasplicit in her crimes! Sam closed his eyes, and when he opened them once more, they no longer showed the mix of disappointment, anger, and heartache that colored them earlier. He stared at Isabel and said calmly, "I was wrong¡­" "Sam!" Isabel was terrified by how calm he looked, so she cried out, "Sam, you have to believe me. They''re all lying! I''m being set up. I didn''t do anything¡­" "It doesn''t matter if you refuse to admit it," Sam stated inly. "Even if you don''t admit to it, I can discern who''s telling the truth¡­ I was wrong. Dad and Dan were right. You''re Phoebe''s daughter through and through. You have her blood flowing in you, and it seems like the Xavier family genes have a greater effect on youpared to the Taylor family!" "No! No!" Isabel shook her head with all her might. "Sam, I grew up in the Taylor household. I''m Dad''s daughter. I''m your sister. I''m a Taylor! I belong to the Taylor family!" "Not anymore¡­" Sam dered. "I will ask someone to change your name and strike you off the family genealogy. You''re more like your mother and maternal grandfather¡­ wicked, cruel, and greedy. You shouldn''t be called Isabel Taylor. You should be called Isabel Xavier. Your maternal grandfather only had one daughter¡ªyour mother. So, if you take on hisst name, you''ll be helping the Xaviers continue on their family line. I''m sure your maternal grandfather would be very pleased about that!" "No¡­ no¡­" Isabel tried to get up and plead, but the pain in her abdomen was too strong. She was terrified and filled with despair, and her tears flowed freely. "Sam, I''m begging you, please don''t do this to me. You''re the only one I have left. If you treat me like this too, I might as well die¡­ I don''t want to take my maternal grandfather''sst name. I''m Dad''s daughter. I''m your sister. I''m a Taylor! I want to be a Taylor!" If herst name did not change, she was still part of the Taylor family, but if herst name was changed and the three most powerful men in the Taylor family continued to despise her, then she was well and truly done for. If herst name was changed, it was something everyone would find out about. Once everyone realized her name had changed to Isabel Xavier, they would question why, and those gossiping b*tches would exaggerate how her father and her two brothers all hated her. Everyone would find out that she was disowned and chased out of the family. If that happened, she would be the joke of Dusktown. Those whom she did not get along with in the past would look down on her and make fun of her. How could she live the rest of her life like that? "You don''t need to say anything more. I''ve made my mind up and no one can change it. Not only that¡­" Sam''s gaze was cold. "Dad was right. The Taylors are only responsible for raising you until you''re eighteen. You''ve be an adult for quite some time now, and the Taylors have long since fulfilled their duty. You should be responsible for the rest of your life now. I won''t take back the money I gave you in the past so you can hold on to it and spend it however you like, but I won''t let you stay in my house anymore. I''ll send someone to gather your things and bring them to the hospital. Once you''re discharged, find your own ce to stay. From today onward, I, Sam Taylor, no longer have a sister. Don''t try to look for me anymore. I will put the word out to keep you away from me. You''ll never see me again." As her brother, he had done the best he could. However, his sister had used the money and power that he had given her to engage in such heinous behavior. It was an insult to his kindness and his affection for her. As the Taylor family''s sessor, he might be kind, but he knew where to draw the line. How would he be able to manage the family business in such a cutthroat business world if he was truly a saint who gave in to everyone else''s whims? If Sam had not known where to draw the line when it came to being kind, his father would have long since given up on him and would not have let him hold such a high position in thepany. Anyone familiar with Sam would say that he was a kind-hearted gentleman. Perhaps Isabel had assumed that he would be soft-hearted toward her and would not be too harsh on her no matter what she did. She was wrong about that. While he might be kind and generous toward his family and friends, he did not extend the same kindness to criminals, or those with cruel or malicious intent. Toward those kinds of people, he was as hard as a rock. "No! You can''t do this!" Isabel shrieked through her tears. "I''m Dad''s daughter! I have a right to inherit the Taylor family fortune! How can you and Dan stay in the family and live off Dad''s wealth, but I''m the only one who gets chased out of the house?! You can''t treat me like this!" "I can," Sam refuted coolly. "I''ve already made my decision. If you think it''s unfair, feel free to sue me in court." Isabel was on the verge of a breakdown. Sue him in court? Where would she get the courage to do that? If she did take the Taylors to court, the whole world would find out about how the Taylors were repulsed by her and had disowned her. If the news about Sam ending family ties with her was kept on the down low, those not in the know would still think that she was the Taylor family''s daughter. She would be able to maintain some semnce of pride and respect. However, if she took them to court, everyone would know that she had fallen out with the Taylor family. She would no longer be the beloved and respected daughter of the Taylors, but a wretched nobody. She would have nothing and no one to rely on anymore. Isabel was terrified. She did not want to end up as a wretched nobody. She realized the error in her ways. Again, she pleaded through her tears, "Sam, I know what I did was wrong. I won''t do it ever again. Sam, please forgive me. I''m your sister! Sam¡­" She would have gotten down on her knees to beg if her pain did not immobilize her. Sam stared at her indifferently. "I''ll pay for your medical fees this time. In the future, you''re on your own." He had done everything he could for her, but she did not cherish it at all. She had abused Marshall until he was within an inch of his life, and she made him an aplice to her cruelty. This time, he could no longer forgive her. "From now on, you''re on your own!" Sam threw down his final words before turning to leave. "Sam, don''t! Come back! I know I made a mistake. I know what I did was wrong! I won''t do it ever again. Sam, from now on, I''ll do whatever you say. I swear! Sam¡­" Isabel wailed at the top of her lungs as she cursed the fact that her pain was far too unbearable. She was unable to run after Sam, to get down on her knees and grab his legs to plead with him. Isabel could not ept the fact that she had totally fallen out with the Taylors. He paid for her medical fees, but what then? Was he not going to give her anything else? How was she going to survive once she was discharged from the hospital? Did she have to get a job to feed herself? She had been pampered all her life with numerous servants waiting on her all day long. She did not even know how to cook or do her ownundry, much less hold down a job. How was she going to find work? Isabel drowned in a pit of fear and despair, and her regret was about to swallow her whole. If she had known¡­ if she had known that this would happen, she would not have threatened Marshall. That b*stard! She had taken nude photos and videos of him and trained him into bing her littlep dog, but who knew that he would bite back at such a crucial moment? N?velDrama.Org content. Marshall was too handsome. She was smitten with him the moment sheid eyes on him. Ever since she was chased out of the Taylor family, she could not continue living the life she had previously. She could not attend any parties, banquets, or functions, and this left her in absolute boredom. A pretty young thing like him was just what she needed to kill that boredom. She thought she could do a good job of hiding it and Sam would never find out. Never in her wildest dreams would she expect that the truth would be exposed, and that Sam would be furious and cut off all family ties with her once he found out about it. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 If Isabel had known that this day woulde, she never would have brought Marshall home with her. She could have just kept herself entertained at Twilight Oasis. Why did she have to bring him home? Isabel rued the foolishness of her past self. "Mr. Taylor, please wait a minute¡­" Marshall called out to Sam. Sam stopped and turned around to look at him. "Mr. Taylor¡­" Marshall''s face was ashen and fraught with anxiety. "Could you¡­ could you please ask Miss Taylor to give me the video and photos she took of me¡­" He looked over at the man beside Sam. "Your assistant promised me¡­" "I did, sir," Eugene Reynolds said at once. "He agreed toe and testify the truth because I promised that we would ask Miss Isabel to hand over the photos and video." Sam averted his gaze as he could not look Marshall in the eyes. He was Isabel''s aplice. If he had cut off all ties with Isabel back then, like how Nigel and Dan did, she would not have the guts or the money to threaten Marshall, keep him by her side, and abuse him. He was partly responsible for Marshall''s suffering. Feeling guilty toward Marshall, Sam avoided Marshall''s expectant eyes and looked at Isabel. "Where are the photos and video? Where did you keep them? Hand them over now." "Sam, please forgive me, okay? If you forgive me, I''ll hand everything over immediately!" Isabel''s eyes grew a little hopeful as she tried to bargain amid her sobbing. "Even now, you still don''t feel any remorse for what you''ve done, huh?" Sam stared at her in disappointment. He realized how blind, foolish and gullible he had been. He should have done what Nigel and Dan did¡ªcut off all ties and stop supporting her financially. That way, Isabel would not have been able to engage in such deplorable behavior. Sam thought that he was simply being a kind-hearted person who valued rtionships, but was that truly the case? His kindness had caused the suffering of an innocent soul. He was just as guilty as Isabel was. Sam had never felt as regretful as he did right now. "Since you show no remorse for what you''ve done, let''s just report this to the police." The disappointed look in Sam''s eyes had vanished and was reced by cold determination. "I''m certain that the police will be able to find out where those photos and video are, and you will go to prison for imprisoning someone against their will. You can apany your mother in prison." "No¡­ don''t¡­" Isabel was shaking with fear as she screeched, "Sam, how can you do this to me? I''m your sister, the person you love the most in the entire world! Sam, how can you change just like that? You can''t do this¡­" "I can!" Sam''s voice was frigid as he retorted firmly, "I''m giving you one minute. If you don''t hand everything over, I''m reporting this to the police." Isabel had witnessed how tragic her mother''s living situation was in prison. In a ce like that, being alive was a fate far worse than death. Phoebe had always been a plump woman. Before she was sent to prison, she had tried every means under the sun to lose weight, but it never worked. She would curse in anger, saying that it was all due to gics and that she would probably never seed at slimming down. However, after she was sent to prison, she lost tens of pounds within a month. After two months, she was nothing but skin and bones. Her eyes were sunken in and her skin was sallow. She looked like a zombie and Isabel could barely recognize her. Every time Isabel went to visit her mother in prison, she would describe how awful life in prison was and would tearfully beg for Isabel to save her. Just by listening to Phoebe''s stories alone, Isabel could tell that her mother''s life was truly a fate worse than death. She would rather die than face that kind of life herself. She was terrified of going to prison and that Sam was serious about reporting her to the police, so she did not dare to continue bargaining anymore. She reluctantly mumbled and confessed where she hid the photos and video. "Go with him to retrieve them," Sam instructed Eugene. "Yes, sir!" Eugene replied. "Do you have any other requests?" Sam looked at Marshall. "If you do, go ahead and tell me. I will do my best toply." "No¡­" Marshall shook his head. "I just hope to destroy the photos and video once I get them back, and leave Miss Taylor for good. I want to reunite with my brother and continue living a normal life." "She''s not Miss Taylor anymore. You can call her Miss Xavier," Sam dered. "I will provide you with a sum of money aspensation. I hope you and your brother will be able to lead a good life from now on. If you have anything else you''d like, you can let me know and I''ll do my best topensate you." Marshall shook his head again. "No, there''s nothing else¡­ If it''s possible, I''d like you to promise me something, Mr. Taylor. Promise me that Miss Tay¡ªXavier will stay away from my brother and me, and that she will nevere looking for me ever again." He would be more than satisfied if he never had to see the lunatic, Isabel Taylor, ever again. "I promise!" Sam dered solemnly. "I swear on my honor that if Isabel ever tries to seek you out or cause trouble for you, you cane straight to me and I''ll protect both you and your brother!" Marshall bowed to him. "Thank you, Mr. Taylor!" Sam went red in the face. He did not feel like he deserved such respect from Marshall. "It''s only right for me to do this. I''m the one who should apologize to you. If there''s anything you need in the future, don''t hesitate toe to me. As long as it is within my power to do so, I''ll do my best to help you." He then gave Marshall his contact information before leaving quickly as he felt embarrassed. Sam wanted to be alone, so he drove off from the hospital by himself, without his driver and bodyguards. After driving around town for a bit, he ended up in Sun Garden. He sighed as he stared at the towering entrance before driving in. The guards on watch recognized his car so they did not stop him from entering, but they informed the butler at once. The butler came out to wait for Sam, and when Sam pulled over, he came forward to greet him warmly. "Is Maddie at home?" Sam asked courteously. "Yes, Mrs. Hart is home. I''ve already informed her of your arrival. Pleasee in, Mr. Taylor," the butler replied. This is from N?velDrama.Org. As Sam looked around at the splendor of thepound around him that was akin to royal pces of yore, he fell into a daze. Before Madeline met Sebastian, no one would have thought that Madeline, who relied on the Taylor family''s handouts, would one day be Mrs. Hart, someone whom all of Dusktown had to revere. The Hart family''s household staff treated Madeline the way they treated all the other Harts. This was in stark contrast to the assumptions going around that Sebastian was just toying with her and would abandon her once he found a distinguished youngdy from a wealthy family to marry. Perhaps it would not be too long before Sebastian and Madeline conducted a proper wedding ceremony. When that happened, she would truly be the madam of the Hart household. Sam was caught up in his thoughts when Madeline walked out of the living room with hastened steps. "Sam, you''re here. Is anything the matter?" "No, everything''s fine." Sam walked over to Madeline and looked her right in the eyes as he said seriously, "Maddie, I owe you an apology. I came here today because I want to give you a proper apology. Maddie, I''m sorry. I made a terrible mistake!" Madeline was taken aback. "Sam, what''s gotten into you?" "I was biased and unfair in the way I dealt with Isabel," Sam said, his voice full of remorse. "Dad and Dan both cut off all ties with her, but I had always disagreed with them on that. I thought that Isabel was innocent and should not be punished, so I secretly took her in and provided her with financial support, but I forgot all about the cruel things she did to you¡­ Back then, I just dismissed it as her being childish and immature. I came up with a lot of excuses for her actions, but now I realized that it wasn''t because of childishness or immaturity. It''s in her nature to be evil. She''s rotten to the core." Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Madeline stared at Sam in surprise. "Sam, you''ve apologized to me before." Not just one time, but many times. She did not know why Sam came over all of a sudden to apologize yet again. "No¡­" Sam shook his head, but he found it hard to verbalize his innermost thoughts. He did apologize to Madeline in the past, but he never felt as remorseful toward her as he did now. Sam had no idea what had gotten into him either¡­ He just felt¡­ broken and defeated. All along, he wanted to be a principled and righteous person, but in reality, his actions made him complicit in someone else''s suffering. "Sam, what''s wrong? You don''t look too good. Did something happen?" Madeline asked in concern. Sam shook his head, but he could not find the words to say. "Sam, let''s go in and talk." Madeline led Sam into the living room and personally prepared a cup of tea for him. Sam did not enjoy coffee. He preferred tea, and his favorite was a good cup of green tea. Madeline had specifically chosen the highest-quality green tea they had on hand and prepared it for him. Soon, the air was scented with the fragrance of green tea. Sam had mixed feelings when he noticed how she had prepared a pot of green tea without even needing to ask him. He had showered Isabel with all the care and affection in the world, but Isabel probably did not even know about his likes and dislikes. Meanwhile, he had given Madeline not even a tenth of the time and attention that he had given Isabel, but Madeline was familiar with his preferences. He¡­ felt apologetic toward her. "Sam, what happened?" Madeline asked again as she stared at Sam in concern. "You don''t look well." "Nothing happened." Sam drank a cup of tea before he finally managed to regale the incident with Isabel to her. "I came over to tell you that Isabel will no longer have any rtionship with the Taylor family. I''ve sent someone to get her name legally changed. From tomorrow onward, she''ll be Isabel Xavier." "Oh," Madeline said in acknowledgment withoutmenting any further. Her status in the family was a little awkward, so it was not her ce to say anything. Sam gave a bitter chuckle as he stared at her. "Maddie, if she had even half of your kindness andN?velDrama.Org content. maturity, she would not have done such deplorable things." Madeline racked her brains for something she could respond with, but she came up empty. All she could do was try to console Sam. "It''s all in the past now. You shouldn''t dwell on it, Sam. You''re not in the best of health right now, so you need to avoid stressing yourself in any way. Everything will be fine since it''s all sorted out now." "Yeah. It''s all sorted out now." Sam snorted self-deprecatingly. "It''s all because of my foolishness. I didn''t cut her off when I should''ve, so I ended up contributing to the trouble she caused. I wasn''t as decisive as Dad and Dan were, and I ended up causing Marshall''s suffering. If I hadn''t given her that much money, he never would''ve been abused by her." Madeline nodded and asked, "Is Marshall alright?" She felt sympathetic toward Marshall. Some people fell into vices voluntarily, such as Isabel, while others were forced into it, like Marshall. Many people looked down on escorts or gigolos and treated them with contempt, but Marshall was in a situation where his only younger brother needed a huge sum of money to treat his illness. Money did not grow on trees. He had no other choice but to set his dignity aside to try and earn as much money as he could. A lot of people would insult Marshall and say that he was shameless, but what other choices did he have? If he did not earn enough money, he would have to watch as his brother wasted away. Some might say that there were tons of ways to earn money in this world, so regardless of the situation, Marshall should not have abandoned his dignity and resorted to selling himself. Since he did, it had to mean that he was a shameless person. Otherwise, he would have found some other means of gathering funds. He must have chosen to be a gigolo because he was unwilling to work hard for his money, but instead wanted a cushy job that did not require much effort. It was easy for bystanders to make suchments when they did not have to be in Marshall''s shoes. However, Madeline started the Oasis Law Office specifically to help people in need. Therefore, despite her rtively young age, she had seen much of the woes of others and knew that it was not easy to earn money in this day and age. Even the best of men would have to make tough decisions if they did not have money. Words like escort or gigolo often led to disdain, but Madeline did not look down on Marshall in any way. She pitied him. "He''s not too good. He was nothing but skin and bones, and he did not look like he was in a good headspace¡­" Sammented with great difficulty. "I will send someone to keep an eye on him and compensate him in any way I can." Madeline nodded. "That''s good." The living room fell silent as neither one of them spoke. After a while, Sam pointed toward the boxes stacked up in a corner of the living room. "Are you sorting through your belongings?" "Huh?" Madeline turned to see what he was pointing at. "Oh, that. The Shrivers sent those over as an apology andpensation for what Queenie and her son did." "...Oh," Sam said. The bitter feeling in his heart intensified. If Madeline had not met Sebastian, things would not have turned out like this. Based on the rtionship the Taylors had with the Shrivers, the result would be the opposite. Madeline would have had to apologize to the Shrivers on behalf of her two sons. His remorse toward Madeline and her two children grew even deeper¡­ Sam could no longer push aside the bitterness and remorse he felt. He attempted to apologize once more, but his phone started ringing. He had to swallow his apology as he brought his phone out. It was Eugene who was calling. Eugene was his assistant and one of his most trusted subordinates. He answered the call. "Sir," Eugene greeted him before getting straight to the point. "We''ve found out who it was that funded the online smear campaign against Miss Isabel¡­" "Don''t address her as Miss Isabel anymore," Sam corrected Eugene. "She''s no longer a part of the Taylor household. Also, everything that was shared online was nothing but the truth¡ªan ugly truth, but the truth nheless, so it doesn''t count as a smear campaign." "...Yes, sir. Understood," Eugene replied. "Who did it?" Sam asked. "It''s Luke Adams," Eugene said. "Sir, it wasn''t hard for me to find out who did it, not because of my skills, but because Luke Adams seems to have no intention of hiding it. He does not seem concerned about the possibility of us finding out that it was him. In fact, it feels like he left clues on purpose to make sure that we traced it back to him." "Luke Adams¡­" Sam massaged his temples as he felt a headacheing on. "Yeah, it sounds like something he''d do¡­" Once Luke had dealt with his stepmother and became the second young master of the Adams family, the richest family in Billington, he tried to cause trouble for Sam a couple of times. Sam was not a pushover and Luke had not been able to one-up him, but even so, Sam was not keen to get involved with such a lunatic. "Anyway, you don''t need to look into this any longer. Inform your men and make sure they don''te into contact with him either," Sam instructed Eugene. Luke was a certifiable madman. There was no telling what a madman might do. Sam was the Taylor family heir and he had the responsibility of maintaining the family''s dignity and status in society. He could not risk all that to go up against a lunatic who was a loose cannon. In any case, while it was despicable of Luke to announce Isabel''s deeds to the world, none of it was libel. Everything said online was true. The Taylors were the ones in the wrong, so if he did go up against Luke, they would be the ones to suffer a blow. The best way to deal with it now was to try to buy their way into wiping the gossip off the Inte and ignoring those that could not be silenced with money. All manner of gossip came and went on the Inte anyway. Soon enough, the gossip about Isabel would die down and be reced by some other new piece of gossip. Netizens tended to be rather forgetful. They would forget all about Isabel once they had another juicy gossip totch onto. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Sam gave Eugene a list of instructions before ending the call. "Sam, I heard you mentioning Luke earlier. Did something happen to Luke?" Madeline asked. Before Sam could respond, someone drawled at the door, "Maddie, are you looking for me?" Luke hade in without Madeline noticing at all. "Luke, are you a cat? How can you walk without making a sound?" "Whatever you say," Luke dered with utmost sincerity. "I''m your assistant. Your word is my command." Madeline was speechless. Had he truly been her assistant, she would have cracked a whip by now to deal with his glib tongue and flirtatiousments. "Assistant?" Sam nced at Luke in shock before turning to Madeline. "Maddie?" "Luke¡­ had too much time on his hands, so he decided to spend some time at Oasis Law Firm." Sam frowned. "He said he''s your assistant." "He gave himself that title," Madeline exined helplessly. "Whatever keeps him happy." Madeline had no way of dealing with Luke anyway. All she wished for was for him to stay out of trouble and not cause any problems for her. That was enough to make her rejoice. It did not matter if he stuck around as her assistant, bodyguard, guest, or even as a godbrother. Whatever kept him happy! Sam''s brows furrowed even deeper. "Maddie, did you know about what''s happening online?" "What''s happening?" Madeline asked. Before Sam could reply, Luke interjected, "Sam Taylor, don''t keep going after Maddie for all sorts of bullsh*t. I''m the one who made it go viral, so if you want to get even for it, then have at me. Don''t start attacking Maddie, or else¡­" He red at Sam before grabbing an apple from the fruit basket. Between munches, he continued, "I''m not a pushover like Maddie is. You won''t be able to deal with me so easily! I''ll see to it that anyone who tries to cause trouble for Maddie has hell to pay!" Sam had nothing to say. He knew very well that Luke meant every word. He would definitely do as he said. A regr person would care about the repercussions that their actions might bring upon their family, their reputation, or even public opinion, but Luke did not care about any of these things. He acted freely ording to his own whims and would never consider the consequences of what he did. These were the worst kinds of people to get into a conflict with. For example, if there was a business opportunity that required an investment of one million with a profit of only one buck, no sane person would agree to it, but Luke might. As long as it pleased him, he was willing to spend even ten million to earn one buck. Luke was a downright lunatic who had little regard for consequences, while Sam was the heir of the Taylor family and had the burden of the family''s fortune and glory on his back. Therefore, even though the Taylors had the means to stand up against the Adamses, he was not going to fight fire with fire when it came to Luke. If a sane person got into a fight with a madman, it was the sane person who would suffer the most. Since he knew he would suffer, it was best for him to back off. Sam did not want to trifle with Luke any longer, so he got up and bade Madeline goodbye. "I''ll head off now. It''s gettingte and I still have work to do." "Sam, why don''t you stay for a meal?" Madeline tried to keep him. "It''s alright. I''m swamped with work right now. I''lle and visit you again once I can spare the time." Sam would lose all appetite if he had a meal with Luke present. Madeline tried to persuade him a couple more times, but since Sam insisted on leaving, she gave in and saw him out. Once Sam had left, Madeline brought her phone out to check what was happening online. She finally understood the conversation that Luke and Sam had. Madeline gave Luke a helpless look. Still munching on the apple, Luke looked right back at her inplete innocence. She opened her mouth to speak, but she mmed up soon after without saying anything. What was there for her to say? Should she say that Luke should not have exposed Isabel''s deeds to the world? Madeline did not think that she was that much of a saint. Isabel was too horrible of a person. Since she did such heinous things, she should be exposed to the world. Everyone would know how evil and conniving she was. Should Madeline praise Luke for exposing Isabel''s cruelty to the world and saving Marshall from the hell she had locked him in? She decided against that too. Luke was unhinged enough as it was. What if he became even more unhinged if she expressed approval for his actions? Forget it. Silence is gold. Madeline decided not to say anything at all! She took a clean mug and poured Luke a cup of tea. "Here, have some tea. It''ll help you calm down." Calm down, gain some inner peace, and stop acting like a maniac. Since Madeline took the initiative to pour Luke a cup of tea, he took it as a reward for his actions. He happily sipped at the tea and said, "It''s delicious! I''m sure you''re the one who made it, Maddie!" "I did," Madeline replied. "But I didn''t buy the tea leaves. Lucas bought it for Old Master Hart, but he could not drink it, so he asked me to take some home with me." "The tea leaves aren''t as important as the person who brews the tea! You''re the one who''s amazing, Maddie. You can turn even the worst of tea leaves into the best cup of tea!" Luke sounded thoroughly convincing while he spewed nonsense. Madeline had nothing to say about that. All she could think of was, Whatever keeps you happy, Luke! Nothing else came to mind apart from that. Luke continued to sip his tea gleefully as he asked, "Maddie, are you going on vacation?" "You seem to know everything all the time," Madelinemented. "But it''s not a vacation. It''s just a trip to send Aldo and Buddy''s ssmate back to his old hometown." "It''s all the same," Luke said. "Count me in! I''ll go too. I haven''t been on a vacation in such a long time. I heard that the little kid''s hometown is up on the mountains. I''m sure it''ll be a st." Madeline hesitated. "...If you''re serious about going, I won''t stop you, but you should be warned. Alex said that his hometown is quite impoverished with very little infrastructure. The roads are long and winding, and they don''t even have Inte." "That''s fine," Luke dered indifferently. "There''s an upside to that too. I''m sure the ce isn''t overdeveloped, so the natural environment would''ve retained its original vor. I''m sure it''ll be spectacr! In any case, I''m your personal bodyguard, so I''m naturally going to follow you everywhere. You''re going so far off this time. What if something dangerous happens when I''m not around?" Madeline was at a loss. Why would someone use the word vor to describe nature? Also, who said he was her personal bodyguard? This is from N?velDrama.Org. It was certainly not her! Even so, it went back to what she was thinking earlier. Whatever keeps him happy. She did not bother to correct anything he said since she did not want to stir the beast. As long as he stayed out of trouble and did not do anything illegal, she was willing to indulge in his whims. After all, at one point, all they had was each other. They relied on each other in a time of peril, and when she was at her weakest and most helpless, he was the one who apanied her through it all. She was willing to let him do whatever he wanted, as long as it did not cross any legal, moral, or ethical boundaries. Just then, footsteps rang out from the staircase. Sebastian appeared and soon made his way to the living room. He ignored Luke''s presence entirely as he looked at Madeline and said, "Aldo and Buddy are packing their bags but they''re making a mess. You should go up and take a look." The way Sebastian spoke to Madeline made it sound like they were an ordinary couple discussing the little things that peppered a family''s daily life. Immediately, Luke''s carefree expression morphed into a jealous pout. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Sebastian nced at Luke before heading upstairs. Luke was insulted. Was Sebastian that unmoved by his presence? Did Sebastian not even consider him as his rival for Madeline''s affections?! "Hey!" Luke cried out after Sebastian''s retreating back. "I want to follow Maddie to that kid''s hometown." "Up to you," Sebastian said without even pausing or turning back to look at him. Luke was speechless. He did not feel any sense of achievement! How infuriating! Sebastian could not be bothered to deal with someone with a screw loose in his head. He followed Madeline back to the bedroom. In the bedroom, Joel was squatting down on the floor. He had turned the room upside down. Madeline walked over and poked his little head. "Buddy, what are you doing?" "I''m packing my bags!" Joel said. "Aren''t we sending Alex back to his home tomorrow? I''m packing my bags in advance!" Madeline nced at the floor that was littered with items andmented helplessly, "Are you sure you''re not making a mess instead?" "I won''t," Joel dered with an adorable grin. "I was trying to pack my bags but I saw all the things I had and I kept taking them out to have a closer look, so the floor got a little messy. I''ll put them all back later so it won''t be a mess anymore." Madeline shook her head in exasperation. "What do you want to bring with you? Tell me and I''ll pack it for you." "I want to bring my clothes, Happy, and a lot of yummy snacks!" Joel counted the items off with his fingers. Madeline did not know what to say. Happy was a stuffed toy husky which Joel hugged to sleep every night. He would bring it with him wherever he went too. Quincy, who was sitting quietly by the window reading a book, snorted and said, "How childish." Joel pouted. "I''m not childish! I''m just¡­ sentimental!" Madeline chuckled and patted Joel on the head before passing a small suitcase to him. "Put the thingsThis is from N?velDrama.Org. you want to bring with you into this bag. I''ll help you with everything else." "Okay. Thank you, Mommy." Joel came forward and kissed Madeline on the cheek. Madeline''s heart melted at once. How did she end up with such an adorable son? Meanwhile, Sebastian was standing behind them, watching the interaction that took ce between Madeline and Joel. All of a sudden, he recalled scenes from the first time he and Madeline were intimate. It was¡­ an experience worth remembering for years toe. Due to his childhood experiences, he despised the very idea of getting intimate with a woman, so never in his wildest dreams would he have thought of it as something worth remembering. It did feel¡­ pretty amazing. At least this meant that he was a regr guy after all. Sebastian''s lips quirked up as he said to Madeline, "Maddie,e here. I want to talk to you about something." "Oh. Okay," Madeline replied. She got up and followed him to the room next door. After closing the door behind them, Sebastian got straight to the point. "Let''s have a wedding ceremony." "Huh?" Madeline was startled. Sebastian exined, "Queenie''s son insulted Aldo and Buddy because Queenie thought that Aldo and Buddy were born out of wedlock. If we organize a wedding ceremony, everyone will know that you''re mywfully-wedded wife, and Aldo and Buddy won''t be thought of as children born out of wedlock. No one would hurt Aldo and Buddy like that ever again." Madeline stared at him in a daze. She was willing to go through with his idea. Rather, she was willing to do anything that benefited her sons. However¡­ was it truly okay for Sebastian? A wedding ceremony was a lot moreplicated than a marriage certificate. It was easy to get a marriage certificate as all it took was a couple of hours and a small fee, but a wedding ceremony required a lot of time, effort, and money. This was especially true for a family like the Harts. If Sebastian wanted to organize a wedding ceremony to announce to the world that she was his lawfully-wedded wife and Aldo and Buddy were not born out of wedlock, then he would surely spend a huge sum to n an extravagant wedding ceremony that lived up to the Hart family''s social standing. Otherwise, if the ceremony was too simple, others might assume that Sebastian and the Harts did not care that much about her. In that case, there was no point in having a ceremony. If Sebastian''s goal was to let the world know that he and the Harts truly epted her and cared about her, then he would need to spend an exorbitant amount of money to organize avish wedding ceremony. Was it truly worth it? Sebastian noticed that she had frozen in thought, so he did not rush her into anything. "You can take your time to think it over and let me know your decision after." Madeline was worried that he might take her hesitation the wrong way, so she hurriedly said, "I''m willing to have a wedding, of course. I''m willing to do anything for Aldo and Buddy, but¡­ it''s rather unfair for you. It''s going to cost a lot to have a wedding ceremony." "I don''t think it''s unfair," Sebastian refuted. "You''re my wife. Aldo and Buddy are my sons. As your husband and their father, it is my duty to ensure that you all are given what you''re due." Madeline continued to hesitate. "Then¡­ Won''t your future wife¡­ mind?" Sebastian chuckled. "Maddie, as long as you remain the kind and amazing woman that you are right now, there won''t be a future wife. You''ll be my only wife." Madeline did not know what to say. Who could be sure about the future? She knew that Sebastian was speaking from his heart, but who could guarantee that he would not meet a woman who stole his heart away in the future? Love worked in mysterious ways. There was no way of eliminating the possibility that he might fall in love with someone else in the future, whether at first sight or after getting to know her. When that time came, he would probably regret his decision today, would he not? "Don''t overthink this. I know what I''m doing," Sebastian dered. "As long as you don''t mind having a wedding ceremony, leave it to me. You can just get ready to show up as the blushing bride that day. I''m certain that Aldo and Buddy would be thrilled that we''ll be having a grand wedding ceremony." His words managed to sway Madeline. Even though her sons had never said anything, she knew that they felt insecure and were afraid that she and Sebastian might separate one day. If they held avish wedding ceremony, the kids would feel a lot more secure about the family sticking together. Now that she began to picture the joyful smiles on her sons'' faces, Madeline could not find it in her to object any longer. She nodded and said, "I''m willing to have a ceremony. We can let Aldo and Buddy be our flower boys. They''ll be so excited!" "That''s a good idea," Sebastian agreed. "Then it''s settled. I''ll get thepany''s nning department to start preparing for the wedding ceremony. First, we''ll send Alex back to his hometown. After wee back, we''ll go and take our wedding photos." "...Okay," Madeline said. They were going to take wedding photos too! Madeline was getting quite excited at the thought of her and Sebastian''s wedding photo hanging on the bedroom wall. It would be the first thing Quincy and Joel saw when they woke up. The boys would be ecstatic. Now that they hade to an agreement, they left the room and went back to the bedroom. The two children looked over when they heard the door open. Despite being young children, their gazes had an uneasy sort of scrutiny in them. The two children sighed in relief when they saw the faint smiles on Madeline and Sebastian''s faces. It did not seem like they had quarreled. Quincy went back to his book, while Joel continued packing. The sight of this only served to convince both Sebastian and Madeline that organizing a wedding ceremony was the right decision. They were willing to go through with it even if all it did was give Quincy and Joel the tiniest semnce of reassurance. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 The next day, Sebastian and Madeline took Aldo, Buddy, and Alex with them. Meanwhile, Leigh and a number of assistants and bodyguards followed suit as they hurried toward Alex''s hometown, Sanguine Mountain. Of course, there was also the uninvited Luke. Sebastian, Madeline, Quincy, and Joel sat together, whereas Luke was seated with Sebastian''s assistants and bodyguards. He was quite familiar with Sebastian''s bodyguards at this point. In actuality, he was quite a charismatic man when he didn''t go crazy. Sebastian''s assistants and bodyguards were also outstanding and wonderful people. As long as he did not cause trouble, he''d get along with them. The crowd boarded Sebastian''s private ne and arrived at the city where Sanguine Mountain was located. Then, they boarded an SUV. After twenty-four hours in the vehicle, the group finally arrived at Sanguine Mountain. The vige where Alex''s grandmother lived was inessible by SUV, so they could only go on foot. It took them more than an hour to arrive at Alex''s home. Even Madeline, who had been to a variety of ces, had never seen such a poor and broken mountain vige before, much less Quincy and Joel. The two children werepletely shocked. In particr, Joel''s eyes were bulging. He looked both curious and terrified. He took Sebastian''s hand and said in a small voice, "Dad, they''re so poor here! Our teacher said that if we got kidnapped, we would be sold and taken to a very poor mountain vige where we won''t be able to go to school or have nice meals. Are the mountain viges something like this?" "More or less." Sebastian caressed his hair. "Don''t worry, I will protect you so that no one can kidnap Buddy!" "Okay!" Joel smiled sweetly, tightening his grip around Sebastian''s hand. Sebastian looked down at him, his heart full. It felt especially good to bepletely depended upon and needed. In fact, it was even more fulfilling than getting a huge business deal. "Grandma!" Save for a few simple exchanges with Quincy and Joel along the way, Alex hadn''t spoken much. He pushed the tattered door open and shouted with all his might as he ran into the poorly fenced yard. Sebastian and Madeline waited outside with their children, assistants, and bodyguards, deciding not to enter. A few minutester, a thin and silver-haired old woman walked over to them while holding Alex''s hand. After greeting Sebastian and Madeline, she invited them in. In front of the guests, the old woman brushed the clean-looking tea cups once again, then ced them in boiling water before making tea for the guests. Then, Alex served the cups of tea to the guests one by one. The old woman took some snacks and gave them to Aldo and Buddy, saying to Sebastian and Madeline, "We''re just a simple family, so we don''t have any exquisite items. These snacks are all made from beans and potatoes we nted ourselves, so perhaps the little children would like to try something fresh." The old woman''s eyes were red, and it was obvious that she had cried before. Even though she smiled warmly at Sebastian and the others, she couldn''t hide the sorrow in her eyes. However, there were guests present, so she could only squeeze out smiles to wee the guests. She was smiling on the outside, but there was a raging sorrow and anger within her heart. She thought that her healthy grandson was sent to the city to live a good and happy life, but she never expected him toe back so thin. The child threw himself in her arms and sobbed sorrowfully. In a few sentences, he spoke of his terrible life under his stepmother''s control. She wanted more than anything to grab a knife and run up to that vicious woman to kill her. However, she couldn''t do that yet since there were guests present. They had traveled all that distance to send the child home, so she had to treat the guests well. Sebastian and Madeline thanked the old woman politely. Joel and Quincy also said to her, "Thank you, Grandma." The old woman had a grateful look in her eyes as she gazed at them. "I should be the one thanking you all. Alex told me that it''s all thanks to you that he''s able toe home, or he wouldn''t have been able to make it alone¡­" Just a few sentences in, the old woman''s eyes turned red again, and her tears were on the verge of falling. Her grandson had been mistreated outside and wanted to go home, but he was too young and couldn''t do it on his own. No one answered his cries and calls, so he must have felt terribly lonely. Alex was an intelligent and obedient child, so how could that horrible woman bear to abuse him? "Grandma¡­" Alex leaned against her and looked longingly at her. "I''ll stay with you in the future, and I won''t go anywhere else. Grandma, you don''t have to worry about me. I can still study here, and I''ll get into a college too. I''ll prove myself useful, and when that happens, I can earn lots of money and give you afortable life. By then, we''ll both be happy!" The old woman had her head lowered as she looked at him. She touched his face with trembling fingers, her heart breaking. Belle was old and wrought with many illnesses. When she had been hospitalizedst year, the doctor suggested that she undergo surgery, but she refused. The doctor said that her body was too weak and she only had a fifty-percent chance of surviving the surgery. In other words, she might not leave the operating table alive. If she died during surgery, what would be of Alex? A child without his own mother to care for him was always pitiful. N?velDrama.Org content. If she were alive, she could keep watch on her second son and his wife. That way, Brian Carter and Rachael Vasquez wouldn''t dare to mistreat Alex. If she persisted for a few more years and endured it until Alex was all grown up, he wouldn''t be bullied easily. However, Belle never thought that those two cruel beasts still dared to abuse her grandson despite her still being alive. One of them forgot how good Alex''s mother had treated him, and another forgot what she had promised before getting married to the family. They were both beasts without any sense of conscience! Belle couldn''t count on them anymore, but who else could she rely on instead? Her eldest son and his wife treated her well, and they sincerely loved their nephew, Alex. However, they already had three children themselves. Olivia wasn''t in the best physical condition either, and they lived in poverty as well. Thus, they didn''t have the means to raise Alex. Meanwhile, her body was frail, and she might pass away at any moment. If those beasts were already treating Alex like that while she was still alive, they might treat him even worse once she passed away. At that thought, Belle felt even worse as the pain in her heart increased. Her vision blurred, and she could only stand straight by gritting her teeth and gripping Alex''s hand tightly. As Leigh looked at the old woman, she leaned closer and whispered in Madeline''s ear, "The old woman is in ill health, and she looks like she''s nearing the end. In other words, she won''t be able to live much longer¡­" Startled, Madeline frowned as she looked at Leigh. "Is there any hope of recovery?" Leigh said, "I''ll have to check her pulse before¡ª" She hadn''t even finished speaking when the old woman shook tremendously. "Grandma! What''s going on?" Alex shouted in fright as he supported the old woman. Leigh hastily rushed over and ced the old woman on the ground. She pressed some of the old woman''s acupuncture points, and when she saw Belle reaching into her pocket, she found a bottle of pills inside. After confirming that the pills would help, Leigh opened the bottle and fed the old woman her medication. "Grandma! What happened to you? Grandma¡­ Don''t do this to me, Grandma¡­" Alex''s voice was filled with fear, but he dared not raise his voice as if he was afraid that the old woman might be startled. His young voice was hoarse and suppressed. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 A few minutester, the old woman slowly recovered her senses. While the old woman was unconscious, Leigh shook her head sadly at Madeline, making sure to do it out of Alex''s sight. Madeline understood what Leigh meant, and her heart was heavy. Alex came all the way back to see his grandmother, but thetter didn''t have many days left. When Alex''s grandmother passed away in the future, what would Alex do? The highest possibility was for him to return to his biological father and stepmother. When Alex''s grandmother, Belle Butler, was still alive, Alex''s stepmother had boldly abused him. If Belle passed away, wouldn''t Alex''s stepmother treat him even worse? Madeline had her own children too, so when she imagined Alex''s life going forward, she felt especially sympathetic and upset. Meanwhile, Buddy was startled as he gripped Sebastian''s and Madeline''s hands. His small body leaned tightly against Sebastian''s embrace as his ck eyes stared unblinkingly at Belle and Alex. When Belle''s breathing returned to normal, Leigh called over two bodyguards so that they could carry her into the bedroom and ce the old woman on the bed. Belle was quite embarrassed. "My body isn''t working as well as it used to. You''re all esteemed guests, but I can''t even give you a proper wee." Madelineforted her by saying, "It''s okay, your healthes first." "You sent Alex all the way home for me, but my wee was insufficient. I''m so sorry for that." The old woman looked at Alex. "Alex, go to the fields and fetch your Uncle Aaron and Aunt Olivia. Ask them to come back quickly to serve the guests properly." "Grandma¡­" Alex gripped her hand as longing filled his eyes, reluctant to leave. "Be good." Belle smiled warmly at him. "I''m okay now, so go as fast as you can." Not willing to disobey the old woman''s orders, Alex turned and said to Leigh, "Miss Shefford, please help me take care of my grandmother." Leigh loved this intelligent, brave, and resilient young boy. She caressed his head as she said, "Don''t worry, leave this to me." Alex bowed toward her, then dashed outside. When Alex was out of earshot, Belle looked at Madeline. "Aldo''s mother, I have something to ask of you¡­" Madeline saw that her breaths were shallow, and it took a lot of effort for her to talk. Hence, she took a few steps forward and bent over slightly. "Please, go ahead." "When Alex was present just now, I dared not tell him¡­ The doctor said that my body isn''t holding up, and I don''t have much time left¡­" Tears welled up in Belle''s eyes. "I only have two sons; my eldest son and his wife are good people, but they have three children already. The wife is in ill health, so it might be too much of a burden for them to take care of Alex too." She continued, "However, with a situation like this, if I let my second son and his wife take care of Alex, I cannot rest in peace. Thus, would it be possible for you to take Alex with you when you go back to Elsenburg? I want to ask my second son and his wife to give Alex some money so that he can hold onto them. If not, when I die, they probably won''t even give Alex a single cent¡­" As the old woman spoke, her tears fell silently. At that moment, Madeline especially hated Alex''s father. It was such a poor mountain vige, so it must be very difficult for an old woman to provide for a college student. Alex''s father struggled free of the swamp, but he tossed the son he was supposed to raise to this sickly old woman. As a result, the old woman still had to n for her grandson''s future with her frail body. That man deserved no less than death. N?velDrama.Org content. She suppressed the rage inside her as she spoke gently to the old woman. "Don''t worry, our Aldo and Buddy are good friends with Alex. We''ll definitely help him." "Yes!" As Buddy leaned against Sebastian''s body, he said timidly, "Don''t worry, Grandma. We''ll definitely help Alex. I like him a lot, and he''s as amazing as my own brother!" Belle looked at him and smiled through her tears. "Alright, thank you so much. You''re a good child like Alex!" Buddy leaned in Sebastian''s arms and smiled bashfully. The old woman didn''t have much energy to spare, so Madeline told her to talk less and get more rest. About ten minutester, Alex ran back, out of breath. Soon, a middle-aged man who looked sincere and honest came in with a thin, middle-aged woman. After a reserved greeting toward Sebastian and the others, they gathered around Belle and began caring for her. Obviously, those two treated Belle very well. The old woman insisted that Sebastian and the others stay for a meal. Madeline originally didn''t want to trouble Belle''s family further, but she felt that if they didn''t stay for a meal, the family might feel indebted to them. As such, she had the bodyguards bring in the gifts she had prepared, some of which included food and ingredients. Then, she and Alex''s aunt cooked up a few dishes. The Carters'' house was quite simple, and its kitchen and utensils were no different. At first, she was worried that Sebastian couldn''t get used to the food, but the man ate like he normally did, and nothing was out of the ordinary. She had an even better impression of Sebastian now. She had spent quite a lot of time with him already, yet she couldn''t find anything bad about him. Sebastian was the most perfect man she had ever met! After the meal, Belle wanted to arrange ces for them to stay. This time, Madeline insisted on declining politely. She followed the vige customs and called the old woman ''Mother Belle'' as she exined, "We intend on broadening our children''s views for a change of pace while getting Alex home. We have pitched tents in the mountains, and we''ll stay there with the children at night. The children have been wanting to camp outdoors for a long time, so this is a rare opportunity." Since he feared that his grandmother couldn''t understand, Alex exined it again to his grandmother in whispers. When the old woman understood all this, she nodded in response. She told them that if they felt any difort, they were wee to stay in the house. Even though it wasn''t a huge ce, it could still house a few people. Madeline smiled as she agreed. After both parties reached an agreement, Sebastian and the others left the Carter Residence. Naturally, Alex stayed behind. He hadn''t seen his grandmother, Uncle Aaron, and Aunt Olivia for a long time. He missed them terribly and didn''t want to leave them for even a single second. After leaving the Carter Residence, Sebastian and Madeline went to Sanguine Mountain located nearby. Luke was right; Saunguine Mountain was beautiful. The mountain wasn''t developed at all, and just like he said, it had an original and raw beauty as wildlife teemed on it. It was Aldo and Buddy''s first time seeing a mountain like this, and everything felt new to them. This was especially the case for Buddy as he skipped at the very front. No matter what he saw, he would exim in surprise and happily call his parents and brother, beckoning them to see it as well. His joy affected everyone and dissipated the sorrowful fog that had settled upon the crowd because of the matter with the Carters. Hence, everyone began to smile again. Some of the Harts'' bodyguards didn''t go to the Carter Residence. Instead, they set up camp at the top of the mountain. After getting to the mountaintop and catching sight of the tent there, Buddy joyfully went inside and rolled among the rugsid out in the tent. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 At night, the family gathered around the campfire for dinner. It was Aldo''s and Buddy''s first time staying outside at night, and they were especially excited. Even Aldo, who was usuallyposed, got so excited that his eyes glittered. Sebastian, Madeline, Leigh, Luke, and a number of assistants and bodyguards had pitched about seven tents on the mountaintop, making it look like a mini campsite. Buddy asked for his phone from Madeline. Then, he proceeded to take several photos and videos with it. He ran here and there, capturing breathtaking records of the ce. Aldo and Buddy were supposed to go to sleep at 9.00PM, but they stayed up past 11.00PM before getting into the tent under Madeline''s urging. Even when they were lying on the rugs, the children didn''t have the slightest bit of sleepiness. In particr, Buddy chattered away to Sebastian, Madeline, and Aldo. Seeing his joy and excitement, Madeline wasn''t too insistent when she urged him to go to sleep. In the end, Buddy finally fell into a deep slumber in Sebastian''s arms, unable to hold out any longer. Aldo apanied Buddy the entire time, and when he saw that his brother had drifted off, he closed his eyes and immediately went to sleep as well. Sebastian couldn''t help but chuckle as he rubbed Aldo''s hair. "Aldo is such a good child. Even though he keepsining about his brother, he''s also the one who takes care of his brother the most." "Yes." Madeline smiled as she nodded. "Even though they''re twins, Aldo weighed about six pounds, but Buddy was only five pounds. Aldo has a good physique, but Buddy is weak and sickly. Someone jokingly said to Aldo that he absorbed too many nutrients in my tummy, and Buddy didn''t get enough, so that''s why Buddy was shorter than him and kept getting sick. Aldo remembered that, and he kept trying to protect his brother." When Sebastian looked at his beautiful and adorable sons who resembled angels, he caressed their heads and said again, "You''ve taught them very well. They''re intelligent, understanding, polite, and they have the best personalities and character among their peers. They don''t have any bad habits at all. You brought them up alone in the past, and I don''t need to hear from you to know that you''ve had a difficult past. You spent so much effort on them, but I got myself a deal of a lifetime!" "It''s not exactly like that." As Madeline looked at her sons'' youthful faces, her gaze was as gentle as the moonlight outside the tent. "There is an iparable joy and happiness in raising children. To me, they have provided me so much more than what I''ve given them." Before she knew her real identity, the two children were her only family. It was because of these two children that she could find a ce to call home in this world, and she could feel needed. With her children by her side, she didn''t have even the slightest bit of loneliness. She was her children''s everything, and the children were everything to her as well. After birthing Aldo and Buddy, she had spent every day in joy, fulfillment, and happiness. Being blessed with the pair was the best thing that happened to her. "No matter what, I have to thank you." Sebastian rubbed the children lovingly. "The more time I spend with them, the more wonderful I find them, which makes me love them even more. Thank you for bringing them to me. I remember every effort you put in, and I''ll definitely repay you!" "Don''t say it like that." Madeline cocked her head to the side as she looked at him. "I raised Aldo and Buddy willingly, and it''s not because of you. You don''t have to thank me, but I have to thank you instead. If it weren''t for you, I''d still bebeled an illegitimate daughter, and because I couldn''t realize the truth otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to see my own parents. Technically speaking, I actually owe you¡­" Sebastian cocked his head as he looked into her eyes. "Is that what you think?" Madeline nodded earnestly. "Yes." Sebastian lowered his head and chuckled. He suddenly moved Aldo and Buddy, who were sleeping between them, to one side. Without the two children in the middle, he and Madeline were lying together now. The woman instantly felt uneasy, and she couldn''t help but edge away. "You¡ª" Sebastian moved and pinned her below him, his voice alluring as he said, "Since you''re so grateful to me, why don''t you surrender to me?" Madeline was speechless. As she felt the firm and powerful body on top of her, she froze. Meanwhile, the heat on her face rose steadily. She pressed against Sebastian''s chest as she said shakily, "D-Don''t fool around¡­ The children are still here¡­" Sebastian raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Are you saying that I can do whatever I want if Aldo and Buddy aren''t here?" Madeline gave no response as her heartbeat quickened, and her face was so hot that it would burst into mes. Save for that time she got drugged by Luke and had no choice but to do it with Sebastian, this was her first time being so close to this man. Due to the drugst time, her mind wasn''t entirely clear and her brain was fuzzy. Hence, she couldn''t remember much of the incident. But now, her mind waspletely clear. She could smell the nice minty fragrance on Sebastian''s body. This man loved cleanliness, and if one went near him, one could smell the refreshing mint fragrance on his body. Madeline was already very familiar with this smell, for she would feel peace and calm whenever she caught the scent of him. She wasn''t sure when it started, but deep inside her, she had recognized Sebastian as a strong guardian. With him around, she and her children would be safe. As he loomed over her, she didn''t feel humiliated. Instead, she felt rather bashful. She trusted him, and she knew what he was like. His actions toward her were definitely not because he looked down on her; neither was it because he was toying with the woman. It was because¡­ This is from N?velDrama.Org. What is it? A natural need? She had read about men being more passionate about these thingspared to women. However, Sebastian kept himself pure. His bodyguards were all men, and Madeline also heard that the employees on his office floor were all men; there wasn''t a single female employee to be found. He lived a life free from lust as if he were a monk. Any normal man would have this sort of need. Perhaps he needed it at this moment, and she happened to be the wife he had legally married. Even though she previously said that she hoped they could only be husband and wife in name without carrying out any duties, they were more than that due to the incidentst time. If so, then the agreement she spoke of between them, which was to only be husband and wife on paper, would be void already. She was the one who dragged Sebastian into this first. Moreover, not only did they have a marriage certificate, Sebastian even said that he would hold a wedding for her. If so, they weren''t any different from a normal couple. In that case, it would be natural for them to engage in such acts, right? However, it wasn''t the right ce. With her face flushed red, she pushed against Sebastian''s chest as she said shakily, "Anyway, we can''t do that with the children around¡­" Chapter 265 Chapter 265 "Understood." Sebastian chuckled and stopped teasing her as hey back on his spot. "This is not an ideal ce either. The tent is too thin, and it''s not soundproof at all." Madeline was speechless. Was she being teased just now? Her heartbeat raced as her face burned. She never thought that a man who looked so sensible and dependable actually had such a cruel side to him! She was slightly mad as she gripped her clothes in front of her chest. "I''m not only talking about here; I don''t want to do it when we get home either¡­ Not until after the wedding! A-After all, in the eyes of many, we''ll truly be husband and wife only after we''ve held a wedding and had a banquet!" Sebastian was stunned. In that case, he would have to wait for a long time, wouldn''t he? A wedding and a marriage certificate were different. The marriage certificate could be processed quickly enough, but the wedding required a proper date and ample preparation, especially for families like the Harts. There were various requirements and things to be considered, which meant that wedding preparations wouldst around two to three months. Two to three months¡­ He could smell the faint fragrance on Madeline''s body, and he could see her perfect and clean face. Three months¡­ What if he didn''t want to wait that long? His gaze fell upon Madeline''s face meaningfully. Unable to bear it any longer, Madeline turned around with her back to him as she said in a muffled voice, "It''s gettingte, so we should rest. We promised the children to bring them fishing and hunting tomorrow, didn''t we?" When he saw her hide like an ostrich, Sebastian chuckled and stopped teasing her. He caressed her head as he did with Aldo and Buddy, saying, "Let''s go to sleep, then. Good night." Madeline was speechless. Her face grew even hotter! She clutched her chest as she closed her eyes and chanted to herself, Stay calm! Stay calm! Stay calm! She had to keep her word, and she couldn''t do anything with him before the wedding! At the thought of that, her face reddened even more. Fortunately, she had her back against Sebastian, so she could blush all she liked. If not, she would be even more embarrassed. The two stopped talking, and her mind was upied for a long while before she went to sleep wearily due to fatigue. The next morning, she was woken up by birdsong. When she opened her eyes, Sebastian and the children were already gone. If it were before she met him, she would be terrified if she woke up to see her children gone. Ever since she met Sebastian, though, she never felt that sort of panic and fear. She could rest assured knowing the children had their father to protect them. This life was wonderful! She changed her clothes and walked out of the tent. When Emory and Leonard saw her emerging from the tent, they immediately walked up to her and said, "Mrs. Hart, we''ve already ced the necessities for washing up by the creek. Young Master and the little young masters are at the creek as well." "Alright, I got it." Madeline smiled as she thanked them, "Thank you." Emory said, "I''ll lead the way." He then led Madeline in the direction of the creek. From a distance, Madeline could already hear her sons'' joyfulughter. The children were running and ying chase by the creek. A bodyguard with deft hands must have made something they could blow bubbles with, and the children blew so many bubbles that they covered the whole ce. The morning rays shone rainbows upon the bubbles in the air, and the childrenughed as they ran after the bubbles. Their small and innocent faces radiated like sunflowers, reflecting how carefree they were. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Madeline couldn''t help butugh along with them upon seeing that. When the children saw her, they immediately ran over to her while calling out to her happily. Buddy ran into her embrace and showed her the bottle in his hand. "Look, Mom. Dad made this for me and Aldo. Dad is so amazing! He''s the best in the world!" His shiny eyes beamed with pride as praise for Sebastian poured out of his pretty mouth like freeflow. As she held Buddy in her arms, Madeline looked at Sebastian in surprise. She thought that a bodyguard had made the bubble toys, but it turned out to be Sebastian instead. Meanwhile, the man stood by the creek. His posture waszy, yet he still looked like a majestic king with a powerful aura. The early morning sunlight spilled on his body, coating his handsome face with a golden tint that made him look immacte, seeming as though he weren''t a real person. Madeline was stunned at the sight. She knew early on that Sebastian had amazing looks, and even someone like her, who didn''t judge people by their appearance, had to admit that Sebastian looked exceedingly handsome. However, she was absolutely floored today. Buddy looked up at Madeline for a while, then turned to look at Sebastian. He stared for a few seconds and suddenly thought of something as he let go of Madeline. Then, he ran over to Aldo. While gripping Aldo''s hand, he shouted as if he had just made a huge discovery, "Aldo, Aldo, look. Our dad is so good-looking that mom is stunned when she sees him!" As Madeline remained silent, her face grew red hot. Why was Buddy sputtering¡­ the truth?! Even though it was true, she still had her pride to protect! She was so embarrassed that she wanted to cover her face. "Watch your mouth!" Aldo reprimanded his brother strictly. Madeline looked at her eldest son expectantly, hoping that he could salvage her pride. Aldo looked at Buddy as he said sternly, "You don''t just call men ''good-looking''; you have to describe them with better words like ''handsome''! Mom is shocked at Dad''s handsomeness! I already told you before that Mom only loves one man, and that''s Dad!" "Yes, yes!" Buddy nodded furiously as he agreed. "We don''t have to worry about Dad and Mom separating. Dad is the best-looking man, and Mom is the best-looking woman in the world. Dad is used to seeing a beauty like Mom, so he won''t get used to it if he looks at other women. It''s the same for Mom!" Madeline was speechless. Don''t they know a bit too much? W-What should I say right now? She stood where she was, dumbfounded. Meanwhile, Sebastian couldn''t helpughing as he walked over and patted the children on the head. "Since Mom is awake now, we can start preparing breakfast. You can go back first, and I''ll apany Mom as she washes up." "Alright!" Buddy took Aldo''s hand and nodded while saying obediently, "We get it; Dad wants some alone time with Mom. We can''t be the third wheeler all the time, you know. We have to give Dad and Mom some private time, and they''ll have our little sister!" Madeline had no words to say. L-Little sister? My son, aren''t you getting too far ahead? She opened her mouth to say something to Buddy, but Buddy didn''t give her a chance as he took Aldo''s hand and skipped far away joyfully. Sebastian watched the two run into the distance, then averted his gaze to focus on Madeline instead. He had a half-smile on his face. "A little sister?" Madeline was speechless. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Madeline had a moment of epiphany. This Young Master of the Hart Family seemed to be¡­ wooing her lately. What does he actually have in mind? Does he want us to be a real, married couple and raise our twins while growing old together as any other average couple would? The notion got her flushing, and an unprecedented longing grew within her. If that''s the case, well¡­ It sounds kind of nice. Madeline and Sebastian could be an average married couple just like her parents, living the rest of their lives together deeply in love with each other, all while raising their children. The future she was envisioning had her heart fluttering. Meanwhile, he went up to her and waved his hand inches away from her eyes. "A penny for your thoughts? Why are you so flushed?" he asked with a hint of a smile. With that, the crimson on her face deepened. She couldn''t possibly tell him she was wondering how the two of them could be an average married couple like her parents, who were inseparable and in madly love with each other their whole lives, could she? Sebastian, who thought he should stop at that, couldn''t help wanting to continue teasing her as her flushed face looked super adorable. "Are you thinking about what Buddy saidst time? About a baby sister¡­" He chuckled while sizing her up. "Say, twins are prettymon in your family. Do you suppose our next birth will be twin girls?" N-Next birth? Who said anything about bearing his child again?! She thought and stuttered, "I-It''s all just in your mind." "Is that so?" Sebastian pondered for a moment and nodded. "You''re right. It is a little early to think about this. We have to at least solemnize our wedding and make sure everything''s right before having our girls. Having sweet, baby girls are nothing like having good-for-nothing boys. Excuse you. Your daughters are still non-existent, and you''re already despising your sons? Madeline was super protective of her sons, and she felt ufortable even though she knew that Sebastian was probably joking. "My sons aren''t good-for-nothings. Don''t say that to Buddy. He''s sensitive, and he''ll cry if he hears it." "Come on, as if I''d really call my son a good-for-nothing in his face." Sebastian looked at her as if asking, Are you dumb? "If he asks, he''s the sweetest child in the world." At that, Madeline couldn''t help thinking there seemed to be some discrepancies in her knowledge of this man, for she had always believed Sebastian was very aloof. Now, it hit her that he was rather scheming and even¡­ a nipoop? No, no, no. Madeline instantly dismissed the thought. ''Nipoop'' is unworthy of Sebastian''s breathtaking good looks. Let''s just say he''s scheming. However, just as she wanted to say something, Joel''s crisp, sweet voice came from afar. "Mommy, Daddy, the food''s ready! Come and eat with me, Mommy, Daddy. Hurry up!" "Coming!" Madeline looked over her shoulder and waved toward Joel, then quickly washed up before returning to the campsite with Sebastian. Meanwhile, Sebastian acted much more soberly in front of his sons, taking good care of them as he sat between them. Madeline watched silently while eating, thinking there probably wasn''t a father better than him. She heard a lot of marriages and parenting nowadays were feigned-widowed-style. The men would only ever care about their work and nothing else, leaving everything to their wives. That wasn''t the case with Sebastian, though. He would be with the boys as soon as he got home. He would y with them, cut up fruits, help them out with their meals, and even tuck them into bed. When there came a time he still had work to attend to, he would still lull the boys to sleep before making his way to his study. She remembered once seeing a notion in a book¡ªif a couple had more than one child, the one they typically loved most wasn''t the most sensible or the most outstanding, but the one they spent the most time and effort on. Perhaps Sebastian''s love for the boys stemmed from the attraction of their blood ties, his responsibility, as well as the boys'' intelligence and adorableness in the beginning. But as he grew used to caring and loving them, giving them more of his time and attention, the boys would be his effort and merge with him, bing part of his life. It was evident to Madeline that the bond between Sebastian and his sons wasparable to other fathers who were present from the moment of their child''s birth. If they continued living like this, Quincy and Joel would forget in a couple of years that they never had a father until they were five. They would love their father as much as any average child, and they would also grow up like any other child with a loving mother, a bright, capable, and protective father, as well as a safe and loving home. Madeline revealed a smile involuntarily as she envisioned the future. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Leigh, however, sighed helplessly at the sight of Madeline smiling affectionately at Sebastian and the twins. She once cautioned Madeline to keep her heart to herself, but it seemed that her best and only friend had failed to do so. The group spent a wonderful time on Sanguine Mountain for seven days before leaving. In those seven days, the twins and Sebastian did everything together and their bond grew stronger thanks to that. In particr, Joel had a wild time. Anyone could hear his crisp, carefreeugh from wherever he was, and that pure, childishughter could seemingly cleanse one''s soul, making anyone who heard it smile involuntarily, feeling joyous. Leigh became busy in those seven days as well, taking care of Belle''s health. The group only left Sanguine Mountain and headed straight to Dusktown when Belle could finally stand long journeys. However, Belle''s condition was incredibly poor, and the elderly woman still fell sick despite Leight''s attentive nursing during the journey. Therefore, Madeline arranged amodation for Belle near Leigh''s dorm. Finally, after a few more days of nursing with Leigh''s help, the old woman could finally leave the bed and walk. Once Belle could walk as usual, she wasted no more time and bid Madeline farewell. She wanted to take Alex to her son, Brian, for she could sense that her time was ending. While she was still alive, she wanted to split a massive portion of her b*stard of a son''s assets and put them under Alex''s name. She might not necessarily be able to guarantee her dear grandson a good life with money, but without it, he would definitely not be able to survive after her death. Even if she had to die trying, she wanted to make sure she tore arge chunk off her second son and his wife. That was the least they owed her beloved grandson! Chapter 267 Chapter 267 However, Madeline and Leigh weren''tfortable with the idea of Belle going anywhere alone, for the elderly woman was too feeble. She hade in search of her second son and his wife with indignation, which meant that she wouldn''t be in high spirits. If she got upset or worked up, her condition would worsen. As such, Madeline and Leigh were worried about letting the young and the old search for Brian and Rachael. After some deliberation, Madeline asked tentatively, "Mrs. Carter, can Leigh and I tag along? We don''t feelfortable letting you go on your own when you''re weak like this." "Yeah." Leigh nodded in agreement. At that, Alex held his grandmother''s hand and looked up at her. "Grandma, please let Miss Madeline and Miss Leigh help us." Belle''s condition had the little boy worried. If he could, he wished to stay in Sanguine Mountain with his grandmother, but she didn''t want to. Belle said she hadn''t seen her son for a long time, and she missed him very much. Since Brian wouldn''te to her, she would just go to him. In the past, Belle couldn''te to Dusktown on her own, but she was fortunate to receive the Harts'' help now. As such, she had to use this opportunity toe and find Brian, or she wouldn''t even be able to see him onest time before she closed her eyes forever. Alex had a nagging feeling that his grandmother wasn''t telling the truth. She hadn''te because she missed his father. However, his grandmother was obstinate, and no matter how he cried and begged, she insisted on seeing Brian, or she wouldn''t be able to rest in peace. Left with no choice, he could onlye to Dusktown with her. She wanted to see Brian now, but for some reason, Alex felt apprehensive with a strong sense of foreboding. He was in trepidation, and the feeling pressed him to do something. Hence, he was immediately tempted when Madeline and Leigh suggested going with them. Belle''s condition made him feel hopeless and helpless, and at this moment, his only hope was Madeline and Leigh. He then begged his grandmother to let Madeline and Leigh follow along. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. In actuality, Belle wanted Madeline and Leigh to tag along and be witnesses. If it were just her and Alex, an elderly woman and a child, they could only suffer in silence when they were bullied since Dusktown wasn''t her turf. If no one was willing to help her, she could only depend on Brian and Rachael''s conscience. However, did the couple have such a thing in them?! If they did, they wouldn''t even think about ruining her beloved grandson. They were even lesser than beasts, existences without an ounce of conscience in them. However, this was a family affair, and only their family could resolve it. Any wise man wouldn''t want to drag themselves into another person''s family affairs, after all. Madeline and Leigh were sweet young women. She didn''t want to trouble the two or let them get stuck in a difficult position. Belle didn''t say anything even if she wanted their help, but since Madeline and Leigh offered, coupled with the fact that Alex was looking pleadingly at her, she changed her mind. With that, she turned to Madeline. "Maddie, Alex told me you have aw firm and that you ept commissions. How about this? I''ll hire you to look after Alex and me. I''ll pay you once I get the money from my son." Madeline and Leigh had to have a justifiable identity if they were to follow her, an old hag, or people would only reprimand them for being busybodies. "It''s the least we should do, Mrs. Carter," Madeline said. "Alex is Aldo and Buddy''s friend, and he even helped the twins in the past. It''s only right that we help you as well." "Well, either you ept mymission or Alex and I will just go ourselves," said Belle, leaving no room for negotiation. Belle was an obstinate elderlydy, and no one could change her mind easily. Madeline resigned at that and nodded. "Alright, I''ll ept yourmission." Either way, herw firm would only earn a profit if they took up cases from the rich. As for themon folks, especially those with financial difficulties, she would usually give them a good discount. Once this issue was settled, she would just ept a token charge from Belle, then repay it using other means via Alexter. To be honest, as much as she didn''t want to ept Belle''s money, she was pleased with the elderly woman''s attitude; ever since taking over Oasis Law Office, she had developed a hatred for ungrateful people. Some people would gradually take her help for granted. Madeline took pity on many of her clients since they were financially troubled and would deliberately exempt some of the fees for them. They might have been appreciative in the beginning, but with time, they would push their luck and make even more outrageous demands. Madeline had met people like this one too many times, and every time she did, she would shoo them away without hesitation and never ept their cases again. Even if they regretted their actionster and begged her on bended knees in front of herw firm, she would turn a blind eye to it. There were a lot of people who needed help in this world, and she would rather help those who were grateful instead of heartless fiends. Because of Alex, she had always respected Belle and would take extra care of the elderly woman. Despite so, Belle never took Madeline''s respect and care for granted. Instead, she was grateful and always acted courteously toward them, seeing them as her savior. Only people like Belle were worthy of her help. Madeline never thought of herself as Mother Mary. Despite not asking for anything in return for her help, she only hoped that they could remember her kindness and pay it forward when the time came. Only then would the world be a better ce. Before heading to the Carter Residence, Leigh gave Belle a full body checkup and had her swallow some preventive pills. She also exhorted the elderly woman to keep calm and not get upset. Though Belle promised with a smile, she knew she wouldn''t be able to do so. With how shameless Rachael was, she wouldn''t be able to get anything peacefully. It was only by being even more shameless than that woman could she get enough money for Alex to use until he reached adulthood. Belle knew her condition all too well, and she hadn''t nned to return to Sanguine Mountain alive after coming to Dusktown. Since she already had one foot in the grave, her only wish now was to ensure her dear grandson''s future. As long as Alex could have a decent life after her passing, she would dly follow the Grim Reaper after that. When they arrived at Carter Residence, Alex rang the doorbell, and a servant answered it. "You''re back¡­" The servant was stumped upon seeing Alex. "Why did you bring a guest with you?" The servant frowned with displeasure after taking a look at the person standing behind Alex. "You''ve be more and more imprudent. You know well Mrs. Carter doesn''t like noises. How can you simply bring anyone home?" At that, Belle tightened her grip on Alex and asked indifferently, "Alex, who is this?" "This is the nanny, Grandma," answered the boy. "Nanny?" Belle sneered as she sized up the woman at the doorway. "Well, I have a good sense of this big city''s propriety now. Who''d have thought a nanny could be bold enough to reproach the person she serves for bringing a guest home? The nannies in Dusktown sure have high authority." Chapter 268 Chapter 268 After hearing Belle''s words, the nanny''s already grim face turned even grimmer, and she shot the elderly woman a re before questioning Alex, "Who is this? Mrs. Carter doesn''t like the house to be messy. Don''t bring just about any of your impoverished countryside rtives over lest you want to see Mrs. Carter upset." "You''re the impoverished countryside rtive!" snapped Alex as he held a tight grip on his grandmother. "She''s my grandma!" Stumped, the nanny took a doubtful nce at Belle. "Is she your actual grandmother?" Before Alex could say anything, Belle sneered and said, "My Brian sure has gotten verypetent now. He''s sopetent that he can buy a massive house in Dusktown but won''t acknowledge his mother anymore. I''vee here all the way from the mountains to see him, yet he''s asked a nanny to keep me out." The nanny''s countenance turned even more awful after Belle''s usation. She couldn''t afford to take such defamation. However, seeing how horrible the elderly woman and Alex''s attitude were, she didn''t want to let Belle in either. Thus, she continued to make an issue of Belle''s identity. "Alex, you''re not supposed to call just anyone your grandmother," she said earnestly to Alex. "How can your grandmothere to Dusktown on her own when Sanguine Mountain is so far away? Not only that, she''s in terrible shape. Where have you been? Do you know that you''ve been fooled? They simply brought an old woman to you and fooled you to acknowledge her as your grandmother." "She is my grandmother! I¡­" Alex trembled in anger. "Alright, Alex. That''s enough." Belle cut him off and announced at the top of her lungs, saying, "I know that I''m an old hag from the countryside, and you elites in the big city think I''m old and disgusting. Since my son and daughter-inw are so out of my league, we''ll leave this instance." Just like that, people nearby looked over out of curiosity upon hearing her voice. People on this had a thing for gossip, especially women. Two elderly women who looked a few years younger than Belle stopped in their tracks upon hearing the woman''s words and began whispering to each other while sizing the situation up. Meanwhile, Alex looked at this grandmother with red-rimmed eyes. "Grandma." "It''s okay. Let''s go," said Belle calmly as she turned around while holding Alex''s hand. After seeing the two elderly women talking to each other, she instantly greeted them and said, "Hello, ma''am." Since they had been caught gossiping, the two elderly women turned awkward and looked at each other. Meanwhile, Belle came up to them while holding Alex''s hand, asking politely, "Hi, ma''am, would you mind telling me how to get to the research institute? I''m looking for my son, Brian Carter." The chubbier of the two elderly women smiled upon hearing so and asked warmly, "Is Mr. Carter your son?" "Yes." Belle nodded in affirmation. "I''vee to look for my son, but my daughter-inw won''t let me in because she thinks I''m old and disgusting." Sympathyced the cubby elderly woman at that, and she gave Belle the specific address. After thanking them, Belle took Alex away. Meanwhile, the two elderly women behind them whispered, "Who''d have thought the gentlemanly Mr. Carter is such a heartless person? Can you believe he won''t even acknowledge his own mother?" "Yeah, and Rachael is no kind woman either. Remember how nice of a boy was Mr. Carter''s eldest son when he came? It''s only been so long, and look how badly she has tortured him." "You can say that again!" The two elderly women''s whispers died off as Belle led Alex further away, but she heard the words ''Rachael is no kind woman'' and ''Look how badly she has tortured him'' loud and clear. At that, her heart twinged, causing her face to turn ghastly. "Grandma!" Alex cried in panic upon seeing so. After stopping to take a breather, Belle shook her head and reassured her grandson, saying, "I''m okay." "Let''s go home, Grandma. Forget about finding Dad!" Alex looked at her with teary eyes. "I don''t want to see Dad. I want to stay with you forever, Grandma!" At that, Belle caressed Alex''s face with love while her heart wrenched painfully. Did she not want to live forever and keep her beloved grandson from harm''s way? However, she was running out of time. Madeline and Leigh had been waiting in the car as it wasn''t convenient for them to show up at the Carters'' doorstep. After seeing that Belle didn''t look right, the two young women hurriedly got out of the car and jogged toward her. Leigh hurriedly pressed a few of Belle''s vital pressure points, making her feel much better. After thanking Leigh, Belle said to Madeline, "The nanny won''t let Alex and I go in, so I n on looking for Brian at his workce. I''ve managed to get the address." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. With that, she told Madeline the address. Emory, who was standing behind Madeline, returned to the car at once and ryed the address to Leonard, the chauffeur for the day. After everyone got into the car, they headed straight for the research institute. Meanwhile, Leigh and Belle made small talk. "The research institute is a nice ce to work in. You said that Brian''s already the deputy director at such a young age, right? Mrs. Carter, your son sure is outstanding." "So what if he''spetent?" Belle sneered while looking out the window. "He has all thepetence in the world and not an ounce of conscience. If I had known he would throw away all his conscience after gaining ability, I''d rather he work away in the field back home like my eldest, Aaron." Leigh didn''t know how to reply to that, so she just left the topic hanging. The research institute was such a highly ssified ce that even armed guards were stationed at the entrance. Only authorized personnel were allowed to enter, and visitors couldn''t visit at all. Hence, Belle and Madeline were naturally refused admission. When Belle told the sentry she was here for Brian, the sentry said that Brian was currently working on a project in the research base. Since the project was confidential and the research environment was sealed off, no one was allowed to visit him. Belle was well aware that Brian would have to stay in the research base for a month or two; at times, he''d even have to stay four or five months once the projectmenced, so she didn''t kick up a fuss and calmly requested, "Fine, I won''t see Brian then. I want to speak to your director." "Well¡­" the sentry answered hesistantly. Though the elderly woman imed herself to be Brian''s mother, the director had so much work to do that not just anyone could meet him. Seeing the sentry''s hesitation, Belle said gravely to him, "Just tell him that I haven''t seen Brian in two years. I''m critically ill now and already have one foot in the grave. I just want to see him. If he doesn''t want to see me die with a grievance, please allow me to meet him." Belle indeed looked like she was critically ill, and the sentry was sessfully intimidated. The elderly woman looked so feeble that she could drop dead any minute, and if anything happened to her because he didn''t report her arrival, it would all be on him. Thus, he hesitated no more. "Alright, I''ll let them know this instance." Half an hourter, Belle and the others met with the director of the research institution, Mack Graham. After inviting the group into his office, Mack warmly offered them some refreshments, looking amiable. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, the man sighed apologetically. "Mrs. Carter, I heard from the sentry that you haven''t seen Brian for more than two years. Please ept my humble apology. Our work here is so busy that we tend to neglect our family. I''m truly sorry, but rest assured that I''ve already asked someone to bring Brian over. No matter how busy he is, we''ll make sure that hees to see you when you''vee all this way." Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Although Mack was apologetic on the surface, he actually reproached Brian on the inside. Given the unconventional nature of their job, authorized personnel wouldn''t be allowed to leave the research base for a month or two¡ªsometimes even four or five months. However, they would also be given a one- or two-month break after the project, and it depended on how long they had been isted. In Brian''s case, he had been given at least three to four long holidays in the past two years. However, ording to Belle, it had been about two-plus years since shest saw her son. It wouldn''t be that much of an issue if Brian hadn''t gotten any breaks, but the man never paid his sick, old, dear mother a visit even once when he was indeed given holidays. Was this even reasonable? As outrageous as he thought Brian was, he couldn''t say it upfront and even had to cover for him. What was more, Brian was Belle''s son. It was one thing for her toin about her own son, but another if someone talked badly about him. As such, Mack could only coax Belle with whatever would calm her down. About half an hourter, Brian entered Mack''s office only to be stumped when he saw his mother. "Mom, it''s really you. Why have youe all the way here?" Belle initially had lots to say, but all of a sudden, she didn''t know where to begin upon seeing her son. After all, she hadn''t seen him in two years. Her outstanding son used to be her pride, and like any mother, she saw him as important as her own life¡ªperhaps even more. However, ever since he married Rachael and gradually neglected her and Alex, her pride for him died bit by bit and was reced by disappointment. Nheless, it wasn''t until she saw her sallow, malnourished, withdrawn grandson this time that her long bottled-up frustrations and grievances exploded. Now, the youngest son she used to be so proud of looked loathsome to her, and it even seemed like he was her enemy. Oh, how she hated herself for giving birth to such a heartless, ungrateful monster! Brian, on the other hand, was dumbstruck when he saw his mother staring icily at him like she was looking at an enemy. "Mom, what''s wrong? W-Why are you looking at me like that? Did something happen?" "What''s wrong?" Belle sneered and swung the hand holding Alex toward Brian. "Why don''t you see for yourself? This is your seven-year-old son!" Brian forced a smile at the boy after taking an apprehensive and hesitant look at him. "Alex, what has gotten into your grandmother? Why has shee to Dusktown? Why didn''t you tell me before coming? I could''ve gone and picked her up." However, Alex pursed his lips and said nothing, looking at his father with a face enveloped in emotionless frost. Apprehensive, Brian shifted his gaze to his mother before turning back to his son. "Mom, Alex, what in the world is going on? What happened?" "Answer me this, Brian Carter." Belle bore into her son. "Do you know anything about Rachael''s abuse toward Alex or the fact that he''s being underfed under your care? A seven-year-old, yet he''s been starved to the point of looking like a five-year-old." "That''s impossible!" Brian denied it without a doubt. "Rachael treats Alex really well, Mom. Look at the times we''re in, Mom. What kid gets starved these days? You have to believe me, Mom. Rachael has been taking great care of Alex, I swear." "Great care?" Belle was so livid that she trembled in anger and pped her son. "Are you stupid or evil, Brian?" She continued, "Take a good look at your son." She pointed toward the sallow and malnourished boy with a trembling finger. "He''s sallow, scrawny, and not even as tall as a five-year-old. He hasn''t grown a bit since he was left under your care, and you''re telling me Rachael took great care of him?!" Belle huffed in anger while pointing at her son''s face, chastising, "How did I give birth to a heartless being like you?! You refuse to even acknowledge your own mother after marrying your second wife. Thank the heavens for giving me two sons. Be it if you won''t support me. I still have Aaron for that. I''ll just pretend I never gave birth to you! It''s my fault for not raising my son right, and I''m done arguing with you about that. However, you won''t even do anything about your own child. A beast won''t eat its cub no matter how vicious it gets, but look at you. You''re even worse than a beast!" Brian was stupefied as he froze on the spot, unable to register what was going on. He had forgotten to close the door behind him, so those passing by would''ve heard Belle''s roars, and some even stopped to see what was up. With that, Mack hurriedly closed the door before clearing his throat, nning to calm Belle down. "Mrs. Carter, why don''t we all take a breather? The Brian I know isn''t that kind of guy. I''m sure there must be some misunderstanding." Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "Misunderstanding?" Belle was still trembling in anger. "Ask him if he has ever supported me financially or raised Alex properly!" "I¡­" Brian tried to defend himself, but nothing else came out of his mouth. He was normally swamped with work, so he had no time to think about it. However, after letting it sink in, he realized that he hadn''t visited his mother for more than two years. He hadn''t gone to his mother''s ce or even visited her ever since bringing Alex here for school. He swore he had a good reason for it, though! Either Rachael or his two children would coincidentally fall sick every time he got a break. He had wanted to see his mother, but the n would always be hindered by something like that. A two-month long break might seem like a long time, but it would be gone in the blink of an eye when his head got stuck in the situation. He always told himself he''d visit his mother during the next break, but another emergency would pop up when the time came, and the cycle repeated break after break. Just like that, two years passed before he knew it. He never thought the issue was a big deal, for Belle never grumbled about it to him. Moreover, he always believed a mother would forgive her child for something like this. Surely, his mother would understand his difficulty when he was already worn out from juggling his time between his hectic work and his family of five. However, who''d have thought his mother, who never fussed about things like this, would suddenly cause a scene at his workce? Though only the director was present, he wouldn''t be surprised if his colleagues heard his mother reprimanding him when she was roaring at the top of her lungs. Worse yet, if word got out, his reputation would be done for. There were three deputy directors in this research institute, and all three of them were the next in line to be the subsequent director. In other words, one of them would be the next director. He was the most likely to be selected. After all, he was the youngest deputy director as well as the most brilliant and talented candidate who made the biggest contribution to their research. If everything went well, he would surely be next in line. However, that wasn''t the case anymore. If he didn''t settle this issue well, his reputation would drop, and he would undoubtedly have to say goodbye to his potential promotion. With that, his future would be doomed. It hadn''t been easy for him; he had spent far too much time and effort to get to where he was today. Never did he imagine something he had worked for arduously over the past few years could possibly end on this day because of his dear mother. "Mom, what has gotten into you?!" He looked imploringly at his mother. "Please tell me what I have done wrong! I''ll make sure it doesn''t happen again, so please don''t get upset. How am I supposed to tell Aaron if you be ill from anger?" Chapter 270 Chapter 270 "Do you still have no idea what you''ve done wrong when it has alreadye to this?" Belle looked intively at her son. "Brian, do you still remember who supported you financially when you attended high school?" Difortced Brian''s face as he stumped at Belle''s words. "Mom, you must be tired from all the traveling. Come, I''ll take you home. We''ll talk when we go back." "Why should we do that?" Belle looked calmly at him. "Is it because we shouldn''t wash our dirty linen in public?" "Mom, that''s not what I meant," said Brian awkwardly. "I''m just worried that you''re exhausted, so I want to take you home for a rest¡­" "Pfft¡­" Belle sneered. "If you''re really such a loving son, Alex and I wouldn''t be uninvited into your house." "H-How is that possible?!" The news shocked Brian. "How is it not possible?" Belle retorted. "Why would Ie here if I couldn''t go into your house? When Alex and I showed up at your ce, the nanny stood at the door and imed that your wife hates noise and mess. I''m old and disgusting, so I''m not allowed to step into your home, Brian!" "N-No, that''s impossible!" Brian shook his head, perturbed. "There must be a misunderstanding, Mom! I ¡ª" "What misunderstanding is that?" Belle cut him off. "Are you saying that I''m talking nonsense and deliberatelying all the way here to use your wife and the nanny of something that never happened?" Brian''s anxious face turned pale while sweat gathered on his forehead. "Mom, that''s not what I meant!" "What do you mean, then?" Belle sneered disdainfully. "Brian, I''ve only ever seen Rachael once in the six years you''ve married her, but I''ve never even seen my two grandchildren once! Tell me, what exactly do you mean?" Shocked, Mack looked pale-faced with utter incredulity at Brian, causing thetter to flush crimson, wanting nothing more than to dig himself a hole to hide in. "Mom, it''s not that Rachael and the kids don''t want to visit you. The journey to our home is too long. Rachael and the kids have health issues that don''t allow them to travel long distances." Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "What about you, then?" Belle bore into him. "You only visited me once after marrying Rachael, and that was when I forced you to take Alex to Dusktown. Rachael and your two kids have health issues, but what about you? Do you have health issues that prevent you from traveling long distances as well?" "I¡­" Brian stuttered, feeling ashamed. "I''m sorry, Mom¡­ I''m sorry. I-I''ve been really busy¡­ with work. Rachael and the kids are in bad shape, and they need me to care for them¡­ I really didn''t mean to not visit. I''m sorry, Mom. I''m really sorry. I promise I''ll change, and I''ll visit you all the time¡­ No, Mom, don''t go back anymore. Stay here, and I''ll take care of you!" "Huh, you? Take care of me?" Belle looked at him with disdain. "I should really thank the heavens for giving me two sons. As incapable as Aaron is, at least he''s a dutiful son. If you were my only child, it''ll probably be ages before you realize I''m dead!" "Mom¡­" Sweat dripped profusely from Brian''s forehead as he went weak at the knees. He was so flustered that he couldn''t think straight. His mother said everything calmly just now; she didn''t shout or rant emotionally. However, the more she behaved so, the more apprehensive he got, for this meant that she hadn''t said all of this in spite but actually thought so. He couldn''t believe his mother, who used to love him dearly, would look disdainfully at him now. She was looking at him as though she was looking at a piece of trash. Who''d have thought his mother already despised him so deeply by the time he realized it? For a moment, he couldn''t say anything but continuously reiterated how sorry he was and that he would change, begging his mother for another chance. "Forget it. You''re already stuck in your ways," Belle said inly. "You wouldn''t have even done all of that if you really had a heart. You''re only sweet talking because your boss is sitting here, and you''re forced to put on a show. I swear your true colors will show once Alex and I go home. Heartless people like you cannot be depended on. I already realized it when Alex returned to me in skins and bones." "Mom¡­" Brian looked at his mother with incredulity. He couldn''t believe his mother was slicing him bit by bit with words as sharp as daggers. His mother actually said he was stuck in his ways; she called him heartless and that he would only put on a show. What would be left of his dignity when his mother reprimanded him like that in front of his boss? "That''s it. I''m done talking to you." Belle waved her hand in exhaustion and pulled a piece of paper from her shirt pocket, handing it to Mack. "Mr. Graham, please take a look. This is the statement I''ve gotten from the bank. It clearly states all the money Brian and his wife transferred to Alex and me over the years, not a penny less. It''s all in here." "I¡­ I shouldn''t." Mack felt somewhat awkward. "Why shouldn''t you?" Belle stood up and looked at Mack, saying, "Mr. Graham, you don''t want to get involved in my family''s issue, don''t you? However, I''m an old woman from the country, and I''ve never gotten much education, so I don''t know any profound principles. What I do know is that if anyone has a problem, they should go to their leaders. Mr. Graham, you''re my son''s boss. Are you the leader I should talk to? If not, can you kindly point me in the right direction? I''ll look for the person myself." Mack fell silent at that. It was true that he didn''t want to get himself involved in his employee''s family affairs, but rightfully speaking, he had an obligation to interfere. Since the elderly woman had already put it this way, it wouldn''t be right if he continued to keep himself out of the situation. Moreover, if Belle exacerbated the issue, his entire research institute would also be disgraced. Wouldn''t it be better if he mediated and let Belle forgive Brian, alleviating the issue in the process? Thus, he took the pieces of paper from her while nodding. "Alright, I''ll take a look at them for you, Mrs. Carter." After unfolding the papers and scanning through them, Mack''s countenance turned awful. Belle had indeed handed him a bank ount statement from thest six years. "Take a look for yourself!" He shoved the papers at Brian after looking through them all. Mack looked beyond grim. He could be considered Brian''s mentor, for he was the one who had promoted Brian to his position today. Naturally, he wasn''t pleased when Brian was a part of a disgraceful act. If he wasn''t witnessing it for himself, he wouldn''t have been able to believe his most promising junior was¡­ so heartless! It was obvious to Brian how displeased Mack was after seeing the papers, causing a strong sense of foreboding to surge within him. At that, he flipped through the papers with shaking hands. After looking through it all, his head spun, and he looked at his mother with disbelief. "T-This¡­ This is impossible¡­" he stuttered. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 The bank statement for the past six years stated a monthly transfer of one thousand in the beginning, then a rise to two thousand per month subsequently. That was it, and the amount transferred monthly never increased since. Two thousand?! No, this is impossible! His annual sry along with his bonuses woulde up to at least a couple of million every year. Plus, he would often remind Rachael to transfer some money to his mother. How could she have only gotten a mere two thousand a month?! "How is it impossible?" Belle retorted. "Are you saying you''ve given me more than this, and I deliberately made a fake bank statement to nder you?" "No, Mom, that''s not what I meant¡­ I-I¡­" stuttered Brian. His mind was aplete mess, unable to put his thoughts into words. "You can make a police report if you don''t believe me. Let the police dig into this." Belle sneered. "Ever since marrying Rachael, you''ve nted yourself in Dusktown and never went back to Sanguine Mountain. I swear you''ve alsopletely forgotten about Alex. You''ve never visited your son in the past four years. In the past six years, you gave me one thousand a month for the first two years and two thousand a month for the next four. This money is considered my pension and the expenses needed to raise Alex¡­" "Mom¡­" Brian went weak at the knees. If it weren''t for his mentality, he would''ve already dropped to the floor by now. He was a deputy director who earned at least a couple of million a year. However, he only gave his mother, who had no ie and couldn''t work, two thousand a month to help raise his child. If word got out, his reputation would be ruined entirely! People would despise him! "I didn''t know. I really didn''t know¡­" He shook his head, pale-faced. Since his work was hectic and he had to be isted from the outside world for months after entering a project, he always entrusted the task of transferring money to Rachael. Every time he asked, she would always promise to see to it and that he didn''t need to worry. He was so busy that he just took Rachael''s word for it when she said things were dealt with. However, he dared not say this out loud, for he''d be shifting the me onto his wife if he did so. He wasn''t shameless enough to do such a thing. Belle, on the other hand, sneered after hearing his denial. "I''m your mother, and Alex is your son. Who else would know when even you don''t?" Brian was rendered speechless, tongue-tied. "That''s it. I don''t want to waste any more time on this. I''ll just get straight to why I''vee to see you," said Belle inly as she looked at her son. "I already have one foot in the grave and might leave any day. I don''t feelfortable about leaving Alex in your hands with how heartless you are. While I''m still alive, give Alex all the assets he deserves. I''ll have someone look after it for him in the meantime." "Mom¡­" Brian cked out and nearly fainted. Even if only a few sentences got out from all that his mother had said, he would still be backbitten forever, and he would be unable to hold his head up high ever again. He had always thought of himself as a dutiful son, and he never dared forget how his mother had raised him despite the hardship. However, he couldn''t understand just what exactly he had done that got his mother beyond disappointed in him. However, since it hade to this, he could only admit his mistakes and beg for her forgiveness. "Mom, I''m really sorry. I know I''ve done wrong. I deserved to be punished and yelled at. I''ll definitely take good care of you and Alex. Mom, please give me another chance!" "I don''t trust you." Belle shook her head while gazing at Brian with nothing but pain and disappointment. "Brian, do you still remember Alex''s birth mother? When you got the chance to go to high school, we were so poor that not only did we have no money, but we even owed people debts. I wanted you to go to school so badly that I spent many sleepless nights worrying and crying myself to sleep. In the end, you managed to go to school because of the money from Alex''s birth mother." Brian nodded at that. "I know. I know¡­" "You do? In that case, is this how you should treat Alex?!" Belle suddenly roared with a gaze filled with disappointment and resentment. "Yuri was an orphan too. It wasn''t easy for her to earn all that money, but still, she helped you in any way she could! She gave you the chance to go to school and even saved my life once. If it weren''t for her, I would''ve long been dead!" She continued, "I''ve never forgotten everything she''s done for our family, but look at you! You''ve long thrown it out of the window! After marrying Rachael, you forgot all about the things Yuri did for you. You promised me that you would take good care of Alex, but you broke your promise. You wanted nothing more than for my grandson to be starved to death lest he continues to be a bother to you. You''re nothing but a beast, you ungrateful, heartless monster!" Belle trembled in anger, heaving as she took heavier breaths than thest. Alex freaked out and stroked her back while crying. "Grandma, that''s enough. Let''s just go home. I want to go home!" Now, he knew what his grandmother hade to see his father for, but he wanted none of his father''s money. He just wanted Belle to continue living with him. Once he grew old enough, he would do what his father hadn''t done in thest six years. He would care for his grandmother and let her live a good life! "I didn''t¡­ I swear I didn''t¡­" Brian shook his head like a rattle, pale-faced. His mind had gone nk, and this was all he could say to defend himself. "You didn''t?" Belle rolled up Alex''s sleeve with shaking hands. "Take a good look at this! Look at how scrawny Alex is! He''s all skins and bones, and you''re telling me you didn''t?! What do you take me for, a fool or a blind person?" Brian''s lips trembled upon seeing his eldest son''s bony arm, unable to utter a word. Meanwhile, Belle put Alex''s arm down and wiped her tears away. "Alright, just get straight to it. If you still have some conscience left in you, give Alex all the assets he deserves while I''m still breathing. If you don''t agree to it, we''ll see each other in court." "Mom, please don''t get upset anymore. I''ll do whatever you say!" Brian finally got his voice back when he heard the word ''court''. "I''ll give Alex everything you tell me to. Please forgive me, Mom. I''ll definitely take good care of you and Alex. I''ll do whatever you say!" "Tell your wife toe, and we''ll portion out everything that should be Alex''s. Don''t think about fooling me either. I''ve brought awyer with me." While speaking, Belle looked toward Madeline. "She''s the lawyer I hired, and I''ll have her sue you if you dare fool me." Madeline was a licensed attorney, so they weren''t exactly lying to Brian when Belle introduced her as the elderly woman''s hiredwyer. On the other hand, Brian''s face twitched as he took a gander at Madeline. Never in his life had he been this humiliated. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. To hell, his mother brought awyer with her to ask for money for his own son! Was it necessary to come to this when they were mother and son?! "You don''t have to worry about that, Mom. I''ll do exactly as you say. You must be exhausted after a long journey. Let''s talk this through at home, okay?" His boss was still watching by the side, and he didn''t want to embarrass himself further. However, Belle sneered at him. "What, are you stalling me? Are you thinking of cajoling me out of this so that you can continue to bully Alex and me at home? I''m telling you this, Brian. As of this moment, you''re nothing but an ungrateful, heartless beast to me. Do you think I will negotiate an issue with a beast in private? I''m not going anywhere! I''m sure there will be none left of Alex and me if we go with you!" Chapter 272 Chapter 272 "Mom¡­" Brian looked at Belle in disbelief, thinking his mother had gonepletely insane. My mother must be out of her mind, or she wouldn''t treat me like that. After all, he couldn''t believe that his mother, who used to love and feel proud of him, would say something so mean to put him down. "Enough with your nonsense! I don''t want to hear a single word from you anymore!" Belle waved her hand and added, "There is one thing you''re right about; I''m getting tired of all this. If you don''t want to give me a heart attack, get your wife here and do as I say. That way, things between us can still end on a good note." While Brian puckered his lips and struggled to speak, Mack snarled at him, feeling annoyed with what he heard from Belle. "What are you waiting for?! Get Rachael here right now!" In the meantime, Belle was seen with a bitter look on her wrinkled face, barely getting a hold of herself from the overwhelming anger that was taking a toll on her health. On the other hand, Mack couldn''t help but feel worried for his subordinate. If anything ever happens to his own mother here, Brian is going to be condemned and criticized for a long time. After all, while Mack was Brian''s superior and mentor, his words carried so much weight that they soundedpelling to thetter. Therefore, Brian had no choice but to listen to Mack''s words, whereupon he reached for his phone and gave Rachael a call, telling thetter toe and meet him. An hourter, Rachael arrived and knocked on the door before she came in. When Brian saw her, he felt his anger surging through him so overwhelmingly that he wanted to p the woman. However, he closed his eyes and did his best to suppress his anger, calming himself down. With a decent-looking outfit and makeup on her face, thedy smiled and politely greeted Mack, "Mr. Graham." Meanwhile, Mack nodded in response with a darkened look on his face. At that moment, he was disgusted with Rachael for what she had done, thinking Brian must have entrusted her with the money to be transferred to Belle even though his subordinate didn''t say so himself. After all, a lot of them who worked in the research institute had hometowns far away, so they had no choice but to entrust their families with their soulmates. Brian''s surprised expression didn''t seem to be fake when he saw the bank book. In other words, it wasn''t his idea to transfer only two thousand to his mother and son. Instead, it was Rachael''s idea. Although Mack wasn''t into fashion brands, he could tell that Rachael''s fancy outfit was probably worth a lot. While Rachael''s fancy outfit became an obvious contrast with Belle''s ordinary-looking attire, she walked in and only greeted Mack, making it seem as though her mother-inw, Belle, wasn''t around. Is she really Mrs. Carter''s daughter-inw? Her attitude makes her seem more like the mother-inw instead. As a father himself, Mack knew raising a child was no easy task. In fact, he was aware that Brian''s father had passed away when he was a child. Therefore, he could rte to Belle''s difficulty in raising two sons all by herself. At the same time, he also felt sorry for her because of her disappointing son. After all, Brian only had eyes for his wife ever since they got married. Furthermore, Belle had only ever seen her daughter-in- law once, but she never had the chance to meet her grandchildren. Is this what any normal human would do? I guess I should be grateful that my son is not like her, or IN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. would probably react like Mrs. Carter and drive him away from home harshly. Since he disapproved of Rachael''s actions, Mack wasn''t naturally happy with her. Both Mack and Rachael''s fathers were once senior and junior, he used to treat her as if she was his little sister. Therefore, when Rachael noticed the sudden change in Mack''s attitude, she looked at Brian in confusion. On the other hand, Brian reacted with a disgusted expression on his face, feeling a strong sense of loathsomeness within him about thedy''s good looks that he used to find attractive. Deep down, he couldn''t deny the love he once deeply had for her, or he wouldn''t have married her. Now that he had his eyes fixed upon her face, he couldn''t help but feel disgusted about it. After all, he couldn''t believe that her good looks were just a front for her wicked heart. I trusted her promises that she would take good care of everything in our family, but what did she do in the end? At the thought of that, Brian tossed the bank book into his wife''s hands angrily. Stunned by her husband''s outrageous reaction, Rachael asked while flipping open the bank book, "What''s wrong with you? Why are you so worked up?" After skimming through those few pages, she stammered anxiously while saying, "W-What''s the meaning of this, Brian?" "What''s the meaning of this?" Brian was exasperated. "After all the money I gave you and told you to transfer to my mom, you only gave her two thousand a month?! Does that amount of money seem enough to make ends meet for you?" "Two thousand is more than enough, isn''t it?" Rachael knitted her eyebrows and added, "Well, I asked around not long ago and was told that people from a rural ce like your hometown only made about two to three thousand per month. Thus, I''ve been transferring Mom an average person''s sry every month, so how is that not enough?" "What kind of nonsense is that?" Brian snapped at his wife. "My mom is unemployed, and she is in poor health, not to mention the fact that she still has to raise Alex. Tell me, how is two thousand going to be enough for my mother to sustain her livelihood?" "It''s not like I have a choice here," answered Rachael bitterly. She continued to say, "Look, Brian. Larry and Lucy aren''t exactly in good health either. I''m jobless as well, and it''d be burdensome for you to feed all of us here. So, I just didn''t think we had enough to give Mom." Thedy then turned her attention to Belle and said remorsefully, "Mom, we had to go in and out of the hospital back when Larry and Lucy were in much poorer health. With so many bills to pay, I have to admit we didn''t give you as much money as we should have. However, now that Larry and Lucy are older, their health has improved, so I promise we''ll transfer more money to you. Is that alright, Mom?" "Don''t call me that. I''m not your mom." Belle red at Rachael and said coldly, "You''re a rich family''s daughter who belongs in Dusktown, but I''m just a peasant from the rural vige. Who am I to be your Mom, eh?! Anyway, stop beating around the bush and show me how much fortune Brian and you have. After that, you can decide how much you want to give me and Alex, provided you still have a conscience. However, if you don''t have one and intend to keep all the money, I suppose we''ll bring this matter to the court''s attention and let the judge decide what to do!" "What''s wrong with you, Mom? Why are you talking to me like that?" Rachael looked at Belle in surprise and asked bitterly, "What have I done to be treated so harshly by you? Tell me; I''ll be sure to change and do better. In fact, I deserve some credit for bearing a son and a daughter for Brian, not to mention the money I transfer to you every month without fail. So, how does your usation sound fair to me?" "You want to talk about fairness now, eh?" Belle chuckled coldly and rose from her seat, seizing Rachael''s wrist before she opened the door and dragged her outside. In the meantime, a few other workers were gossiping and standing at the end of the corridor when they saw what happened. As they noticed the olddy grasping Rachael''s wrist and stomping off out of the director''s office, they immediately came closer to investigate themotion out of curiosity. On the other hand, Belle held Rachael''s wrist tightly and dragged her to the bystanders around her. "Ladies and gentlemen, I''m Brian Carter''s mother, as well as Rachael Vasquez''s mother-inw. Right now, I''d like to tell everyone about my situation and implore you all to be the judge of it. My son had a wife named Yuri Vickers before he married Rachael. We were poor people who lived in the mountains. Back then, Brian was entering his senior high school years, but I couldn''t afford the fees at all. Fortunately, Yuri paid all of Brian''s tuition fees with her prize money, which was the reason he managed to continue his study into his senior high school years¡­" Chapter 273 Chapter 273 At the thought of Alex and his mother, Yuri, Belle was seen with tears welling up in her eyes. "When Brian was in his senior year in high school, I was gued with a serious illness that nearly took my life away. However, Yuri saved my life and paid the hospital bill for me when she traveled a long way from Dusktown to Sanguine Mountain to visit me¡­" "What are you talking about, Mom?" Rachael was seen with a gloomy look on her face as she shook off Belle''s hand. "Mom, Brian''s colleague is busy with his work now, so spare him all the boring stories." Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. In the meantime, Brian nervously tried to appease his mother, his forehead covered in a cold sweat. "Mom, can we talk about this when we get home? I''m sorry for what I did. It was all my fault, and I should have been more concerned with you and Alex. When you get home, you can do whatever you want to me, but please just put a stop to all this farce here." Deep down, Brian was embarrassed enough with Mack hearing everything from his mother. Thus, when Belle made a scene about their domestic issue in front of a crowd of outsiders, he was overwhelmed by his sense of shame. As the commotion drew the attention of more of his colleagues, Brian could feel goosebumps running all over his scalp, wishing he could die rather than suffer from the humiliation. "Both of you don''t have a heart at all. So, it''s not going to change anything either if we talk about this when we get home." Belle coldly chuckled. "Didn''t your wifein about my unfair usation? Well, I suppose we''re going to be stuck in this stalemate forever if neither of us isn''t going to open up. Thus, let''s discuss your dissatisfaction here and let everyone be the judge of that. After all, I want to see how dissatisfied she is." Rachael, who was seen with a sour face, bitterly replied, "Mom, these people are not in a good position to be the judge of our domestic issues since they are subjective. Moreover, everyone is too busy to listen to our story, so let''s not waste their time. Come home with us, will you?" Deep down, she didn''t expect an outrageous reaction from her mother-inw, who had been living in Sanguine Mountain all the while without once visiting them in Dusktown. How could she do this to her son? Is she trying to embarrass Brian? Isn''t she worried about ruining her son''s future? Is she out of her goddamn mind? "Yeah, these people may not be in a good ce to judge our issues like you said, but you''re no better either." Belle looked askance at Rachael in contempt. "I only met you once before Brian married you, but ironically, this is only our first meeting in the five or six years since you both got married. You know what''s more ironic? I haven''t even gotten the chance to meet your children. So, tell me¡ªare you in any position to judge?" While there were a lot of people working in the research institute, it didn''t take long for a few of them to be surrounded by a crowd of bystanders who were curious about what had happened. At the same time, they were all murmuring gossip about Brian and Rachael, having their eyes fixed upon them. On the other hand, Rachael, who was beginning to find herself at the end of the rope, finally broke her silence and reacted in a cold manner. "I was pregnant not long after I married Brian. So, how do you expect me to travel so far to Sanguine Mountain, not to mention the bumpy roads? As much as I wanted to pay you a visit, I decided I should only do that when my child grew older. However, I was quickly pregnant with my second child shortly after. Over the six years of my marriage with Brian, I was pregnant twice, and we have two children, but they weren''t in good health. For that, I had to frequently take them to the hospital, so how do you expect me to visit you in the mountains?" "You might not have been able to make it, but what about Brian?" Belle questioned Rachael. "You and Brian have been married for six years, but he only came back to see me once. In fact, it was when I forced him toe back so that he could take Alex to a school in Dusktown. Thus, he had no choice but toe back. Now, I understand that your pregnancy might have made it hard for you to travel here to visit me in the mountains, but what about Brian? Couldn''t he have made it instead?" "Oh,e on. Do you have any idea how busy Brian was with his work?" Rachael said, "Whenever he was assigned a project, he was upied for months. Because of that, I was usually left alone with our sickly kids at home. Do you know how tough that was?" Thedy tearfully added, "I don''t know what I have done to piss you off so much that you want to make a scene right here, Mom? Please stop this. I''m begging you¡ªplease juste home with us. Okay? This is the department where Brian works, not a bazaar where people bandy words with each other. So, you messing around right here is only going to ruin his career, so can we please talk about our problems when we get home?" "You''re pretty good at feigning your innocence, aren''t you?" Belle chuckled coldly. "I know it was true that Brian would usually be upied for a few months straight once he was assigned a project because I have heard of that myself. However, I''m also aware that he would be given approximately 40 to 50 off days by his department should his projectst over a period of 5 months. So, couldn''t he have come back to visit his sickly and dying mother, as well as his motherless son, in those 40 to 50 off days?" The olddy then seized Alex''s hand and rubbed his head, sympathetically saying, "My poor grandson lost his mother not long after he was born, only to be abandoned by his father, who married another woman not long after. He then left him in Sanguine Mountain for about 4 to 5 years without even bothering to pay him a visit." Meanwhile, the crowd set their eyes on the olddy and the child, whereupon they turned their attention to Brian and Rachael in disbelief. After all, Brian had a good reputation around the research institute, as he was the youngest and most handsome deputy dean there. Nevertheless, it was precisely Brian''s healthy image, coupled with his attractive looks and pleasant gentility, that made everyone find it hard to believe what they had just heard about him. Because of his righteous and kind- hearted reputation, he was thought to be a filial son, which was why no one had thought that he would abandon his mother and son in the mountains without visiting them. Therefore, the crowd was disappointed with Brian, deeming him a heartless man with no conscience at all while giving him and Rachael evil stares. In the meantime, Brian''s pride waspletely devastated by the utter humiliation with so many pairs of doubtful eyes fixed upon him. Deep down, only he knew that he was always bothered by something that came up at thest minute whenever he wanted to visit his mother, Belle. I really wanted to visit you, Mom, but there was always something that came up in the end. Despite the thought of that, he knew his exnation wouldn''t change anything because it would only be treated as an excuse to justify his mistakes by the others. Fine, my words will only be met with contempt and disdain instead of sympathy and understanding. On the other hand, Rachael was surprised at how far Belle would go to humiliate her son, Brian, showing no signs of holding back, even in front of the public. For that, she was sure that Belle was out of her mind, or she wouldn''t havee to Brian''s workce to ruin his reputation. How could you do this to Brian, Mom?! He is your son, not your enemy! Angry with Belle, Rachael felt her finger turning cold as she stood up for Brian. "Mom, you misunderstood Brian. He wanted to visit you, but every time he wanted to do that, something always came up. It was either me or the children who fell sick. Thus, even when he was finally free after finishing the project that had kept him busy for months, he had to look after our children so that I could rest. Don''t you think it would have been unforgivable if he had left the children to me instead? Anyway, that was the reason he didn''te back to visit you. Mom, I know we could have handled the situation much better, but I''d be so grateful and happy if you could show us some consideration and understanding. After all, it was really an uphill task for both of us to raise our children, considering Larry and Lucy''s poor health, but I swear we didn''t leave you in the cold on purpose." Chapter 274 Chapter 274 "Well said! Well said! You definitely deserve a round of apuse for that." Belle smiled coldly and said, "I know it was too much for a peasant like myself to ask you to travel all the way from the big city just to visit me. That''s fine, but what about allowance? I didn''t know Brian made tens of thousands per year until I came to Dusktown. Considering the amount of money you''re making, you only give me and Alex two thousand every month?!" As soon as Belle finished her words, the bystanders were stunned, whereupon they gave Brian and Rachael a loathsome look. At the same time, whispers could be heard from the crowd that surrounded them. "Oh my gosh! Is this real? Mr. Carter makes tens of thousands every year, if not millions but only gives his mother two thousand? Does he really think that kind of money is going to be enough?" "I can''t believe that''s who Mr. Carter is. This is uneptable!" "That''s right. We''ve all been fooled by his deceptive kindness! Look at how he treats his mother and son! What an animal! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" Although most of the bystanders were Brian''s colleagues, they wouldn''t want to rub him the wrong way. Thus, they only expressed their disdain either silently or in whispers inaudibly. But, unfortunately, Brian wasn''t without ws, even though he might be popr among his colleagues. After all, those who didn''t like him had been waiting for the right opportunity to hit him when he was down. In fact, even those people, who were unwilling to sabotage their rtionship with the man, couldn''t help but look at Brian and Rachael in a disdainful manner. Meanwhile, Brian was so embarrassed that he felt no different from standing naked in front of everyone who was judging his domestic issues. As the cold sweat drenched the back of his shirt, he walked up to Belle and kept his head down. "It was my fault, Mom. It was all my fault. I''m sorry. You''re right. I''m a lousy son. I deserve to be lectured and punished, so please don''t be mad anymore, Mom." While Brian had always been proud of his own achievement thus far, his sess was earned solely by his own hard work besides the tuition fees that Yuri paid for him in those three years. Nevertheless, his sense of aplishment and pride in his outstanding achievements were shattered when he was struck by the unexpected moment of being publicly judged. Because of that, he struggled to calm himself down, not knowing what to do to appease his mother and the crowd around him. Thus, he only hoped his mother would leave with him so that the humiliatingmotion could end. Please. I know what my mistake was, Mother. Please juste home with me. You could do whatever you want to me when we get home as long as we can put a stop to this embarrassing moment. I''m sorry, Mom. "Brian had nothing to do with the money since it was me who made the transfer." Rachael gritted her teeth and said, "Mom, you''re right that Brian''s job pays well, but like I said earlier, Larry and Lucy''s poor health left us no choice but to keep going in and out of the hospital. So, while his pay may be good, we''re burdened by our children''s piano and their extra-curricr sses. Speaking of that, you have no idea how expensive those sses are nowadays because they alone cost tens of thousands, and that is exclusive of their daily meals and medical expenses. As you can see, everything needs money¡­" "That''s audacious of you to say that!" Belle wished she could just p Rachael in the face. "I raised Brian, yet he repays me by giving me and Alex two thousand every month without any problem paying for your children''s fancy piano that is worth tens of thousands?! How shameless of you,dy!" "How could you say that, Mom?" Rachael tried to exin herself. "The living cost in Sanguine Mountain isn''t that high, so I''m sure two thousand is more than enough to make ends meet, but Dusktown is different. Everything needs money, from meals to traveling expenditures and amodation. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I could have handled the situation better. After all, two thousand was the most we could give back when we were burdened by the heavy expenses for our kids, considering the fact that Brian wasn''t making as much. Now that Brian is making more, we''ll be giving you more allowance from next month onward. So, tell us the amount you think is enough, and we''ll be sure to transfer as much as you wish. After all, Brian is your son, and of course, we''re obligated to repay you. I admit that it was my mistake back then, so I''m going to right the wrong and make sure nothing like this happens again." Meanwhile, Leigh was standing behind Belle, monitoring her health condition while observing her reaction. As she continued to listen to the conversation, she couldn''t help but express her disapproval by clicking her tongue. "She has the qualities of an outstandingwyer, doesn''t she? She''s got quite the silver tongue without any sense of shame!" "Now, that''s what I would call an insult." Madeline, who was standing beside Leigh, said, "Most of the lawyers are honorable and righteous professionals, except the ck sheep." Although Brian''s colleagues were also talking behind his back about Rachael, they exchanged their thoughts in whispers. Nheless, Leigh and Madeline didn''t bother to keep their voices down when they said those words, as if they wanted everyone else to hear them. Needless to say, their responses were clearly heard by every single bystander around them. Soon, Rachael furrowed her eyebrows and looked at thedies. "Watch your tongue,dies. Who might you both be?" "I''m thewyer hired by Mrs. Carter," Madeline replied. "And I''m a doctor." Leigh folded her arms, sizing Rachael up before she shifted her gaze to Brian and sneered at him. "Do you know why I''m not big on rtionships and marriage? It''s because I''m afraid of having a son like you. Your mother worked hard and sacrificed everything she had to raise you, but you? You took her for granted. Now that you''re a grown and married man, you only have eyes for yourBelongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. wife, almost forgetting your mother''s existence. You wouldn''t visit her, and neither would you aid her financially. Attaboy! You''re the ''best'' son a mother could ever hope to have." While Brian was so embarrassed that he didn''t have the courage to look up, Rachael angrily berated Leigh and said, "Watch your mouth,dy! I could sue you for nder!" "Sue me for nder?" Leigh pped her hands with a snigger. "That''s even better, still. You know what? You should probably also invite the press or the filming crew here to do a live broadcast because I have already figured out a title for the show. How about this? An elite, who makes millions per year, abandons his mother and his son and pays only two thousand to her every month. Is this a sign of moral depravity or humanity perishing? What do you think about the title, Mrs. Carter?" Rachael was rendered speechless upon hearing Leigh''s words. Despite her convincing exnation, she knew deep down that two thousand was not enough for Belle and Alex. Therefore, it wouldn''t do her and Brian any good if the matter escted any further. "Did I just hear the press or the filming crew?" Belle nodded and said, "That''s a good idea. Those people can help us show how wicked and heartless Rachael can be to the world! I''m getting old, and I don''t know how much longer I can be around to look after Alex. All I wanted for the boy was some decent education, which was why I made Briane back to take Alex with him to Dusktown. Although Brian promised me that he would take care of Alex, the kid still looks skinny even after spending 2 years in Dusktown. What kind of stepmother are you, Rachael?! Why wasn''t Alex well fed?" Belle, who was calm a few moments ago, began to feel a lump in her throat as she rubbed Alex''s head tearfully and added with a sobbing voice, "I didn''t agree with it when Brian wanted to marry Rachael back then. However, when Yuri was never found again, even though I believed she was still alive, I eventually gave in after Rachael swore that she would treat Alex as if he was her own son, but look at what she did in the end¡­" Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Belle red at Rachael irritably. "Before you married Brian, you said Alex was too young to live without a mother, which was all the more reason you both needed to get married so that you could be the mother figure for the child. Nevertheless, not long after you were married to Brian, you were pregnant, and that became an excuse for you to stop your husband from taking Alex back to Dusktown. Then, when your son grew older, I figured it was time for Brian to register Alex for kindergarten, only to be told that you were pregnant the second time. While Alex was forced to wait once again, I already saw through you for who you were,dy. At that moment, I changed my mind and decided not to let you take Alex with you, even if you agreed to. After all, you were full of lies with all your empty promises about looking after Alex. That kid was just a toddler back then, and if I had handed him over to you, something terrible could have happened should you overlook him." Rachael''s face flushed in resentment. "I wasn''t lying. I was indeed pregnant not long after Brian and I got married. Larry and Lucy were not in good health, and I was barely coping with taking care of them, let alone looking after one more child." "If you couldn''t handle the job, you shouldn''t have made that empty promise!" Belle refuted her disappointing daughter-inw. "In fact, I even made it clear to you that Brian had a son with his former wife, and looking after the child would be your responsibility should you insist on marrying him. Does that ring a bell now? You promised me that you would treat Alex like your own son, but unfortunately, I failed to see through your sweet lie and fell for it. I wish I had known that you were a liar back then because you had no qualms making any promises you never intended to keep just so you could marry Brian. After you married Brian, you tried to brainwash my son into favoring your children over Alex, indirectly turning him into an orphan with no mother¡ªand father! For that, you''re no different from Brian because you both don''t have a heart, anyway. I guess that was what made the two of you fall for each other. You guys are meant for each other as both of your shamelessness knows no equal!" On the other hand, Brian slowly became oblivious to his surroundings as the angry voices around him began to suffocate and drown him. However, he didn''t think he was the person whom Belle had been condemning, as he didn''t believe he was the man she said. Despite the thought of that, he couldn''t deny a single word she just uttered because those were indeed the things he did in the past. When Brian was managing everything at once back then, he had so much on his te that he couldn''t afford to think carefully about every single decision he was making. Therefore, he didn''t see a problem with his actions back then until his mother, Belle, brought up each and every one of them in public. It was then that he realized he had made so many unforgivable mistakes. Oh gosh! I have wronged so many people, especially Mom and Alex. Mom is right. I''m an idiot! An animal! When Belle first made a scene about their domestic conflicts, Brian was too embarrassed to confront her because he was concerned about his reputation. However, he slowly began to grow numb with the usations, eventually agreeing with Belle that his mistakes were uneptable. I deserve to be punished! This humiliation serves me right! "No, I wasn''t lying to you! Instead, I was actually telling you the truth!" Rachael tried to exin herself desperately. "Who would have thought that I''d get pregnant not long after Brian and I got married? I wanted to take good care of Alex for Brian, but when I got pregnant, I waspletely worn out by my morning sickness." "So, what? You starved Alex and kept him poorly fed? What was that all about?" Belle wished she could just skin Rachael alive when she talked about Alex. "I don''t know how much longer I can hold on until myst breath, but I knew it was definitely time for Alex to start going to school, which was why I told Brian toe and take the boy with him. Don''t you think it''s ironic for a boy to suffer from starvation while his father makes thousands and millions in a year? What was even worse was that you even abused Alex and turned a blind eye to your children as they bullied him. You don''t deserve to be a human, Rachael! You''re an animal! I was wrong to let Brian marry you! In fact, I have made two of my biggest mistakes in my life¡ªthe first was giving birth to Brian, and the second was allowing you to marry into the Carter Family!" Belle shook from head to toe in exasperation. When Alex saw his grandmother''s reaction, tears rolled down his eyes. "That''s enough, Grandma! Let''s go home now! I don''t want to see them any longer. I just want you to be in good health, Grandma. Come on, let''s go home now!" "No, I''ve never abused him before, and neither did I ever starve him!" Rachael tried to talk her way out. "How could you believe a child''s words? Furthermore, he never once left your side throughout his life, so when he came to Dusktown, he couldn''t stop missing you. So, those things that you heard from him were lies that he made up just so he could return to your side!" "Besides you and I, only God knows whether you''re telling the truth!" Belle seized Alex''s hand and gave thedy an evil eye. "However, I doubt a wickeddy like you believes in god. You have no belief, and neither do you have a heart because you had no qualms abusing a child. Thus, I don''t believe someone like you has any faith in god." "I did some check-ups on Alex." Leigh held a medical report and hurled it at Brian''s face. "Your son has been suffering from an excessive period of malnutrition. He is a 7-year-old kid but only has the height of a 5-year-old child. Your wife is smart enough not to leave any marks on the child''s body. Otherwise, I''d be sure to put her behind bars from child abuse!" Meanwhile, Brian began to flip through the papers with his shaking fingers as soon as he caught the report with his hands. As he went on to skim through the content, his vision slowly became blurry, and his eyes filled with tears. At the same time, his legs gave away as he crouched on the ground and wrapped his head with his arms, biting his lip to fight back his tears. I let you down, Yuri. I''m sorry. Deep down, he loved Yuri dearly while feeling indebted to her, but that was precisely why he didn''t want to face Alex. After all, every time he saw the boy, he felt as if there was a voice whispering in his ear and reminding him of his betrayal for giving up on Yuri and starting a family with Rachael. Although Yuri remained missing, Brian had been fooling himself into believing that he had a perfect life with a beautiful wife and two adorable children. Nevertheless, Alex''s existence only served to remind him that the happy life he was enjoying now was all because he gave up on Yuri, but Yuri was only just missing, not dead. In fact, Yuri went missing on her way back to Dusktown after she made a trip to Sanguine Mountain to visit Belle on Brian''s behalf. After that, Brian desperatelymitted himself to all attempts to search for Yuri, only to be dismayed and disappointed when his efforts were met with futility. Despite being grief-stricken by Yuri''s bizarre disappearance, Brian was forced to carry on with his job. A year after Yuri went missing, she was presumed to be dead by everyone else, while Brian was faced by Rachael''s tenacious romantic advances. In order to win his heart, thedy even promised to treat Alex as her own son with the reason that the boy needed a mother figure. Although Brian initially disagreed with that, he unknowingly ended up sleeping with Rachael after he got drunk one night. While that night cost Rachael''s first time, he was bound by honor and his respect for thedy''s father, who was still his mentor at that time to marry her. For that, heter went about Yuri''s death pronouncement and proceeded to marry Rachael. Before they were married, Rachael pledged with her own life to take good care of Alex, but in hindsight, Brian began to doubt whether his wife really did keep her word. After all, he never once returned to his hometown to visit Alex ever since he married Rachael. Even after Alex came to Dusktown, Brian didn''t get to spend much time with his son due to his demanding work. Then, when he was done with his project, he couldn''t bring himself to face Alex, whom he was afraid would remind him of Yuri. Because of that, he ended up avoiding the child most of the time, but little did he know that his constant absence had be an opportunity for Rachael to exploit as she starved his only son with Yuri and made him suffer from malnutrition. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 As those suppressed memories suddenly flooded his mind, Brian felt overwhelmed and suffocated, shaking like a leaf from head to toe. When Rachael noticed something wrong with the man, she quickly walked closer to him and showed her concern. "Brian, are you alright¡­?" "Get away from me!" Brian rose to his feet abruptly and shoved thedy away, his eyes turning red as he snapped at her. "Why?! You promised me that you would treat Alex like your own son. You promised me you''d look after him, but why did you treat him so harshly?!" The man then hurled the report at Rachael''s face, ring at her like a bloodthirsty beast that was ready to devour its prey at any moment. Meanwhile, Rachael froze in response, surprised by her husband''s unexpected reaction. Despite Brian''s humble background from a rural vige, his good looks and decent gentility made him an attractive and civilized young man, yet Rachael had never seen him so angry before. At that moment, she found herself meeting Brian''s angry eyes, as if both of them were not husband and wife but enemies with a long bitter history. Soon, her trance turned into rage as she hurled the report back at Brian. "That kid may be your son, but I''m not his mother! So why should I be expected to raise him? Furthermore, he is always full of scheming ideas, and he would never stop messing around mischievously. Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed just to raise him for you? Stop pointing your finger at me if you don''t know anything about it!" "You made a promise to me!" Brian snarled at his wife. "When you wooed me back then, I rejected you until you promised me that you could be the mother figure Alex needed once we got married. You said that yourself, and that was the only reason I agreed to marry you, but look at what you have done! How could you treat my son like that?! Where is your heart?!" "How could you say this to me?!" Rachael red at the man with her eyes wide open, her blood boiling in every vessel within her body. "How dare you yell at me so harshly, Brian?! After everything I did to keep the family together and raise our children, this is how you repay me¡ªwith a harsh scolding?!" "What did you just say? You keep the family together and raise our children?" Brian sneered at thedy and kept his eyes closed for a second. When he opened his eyes again, he responded calmly, "Rachael, we''re going to divorce and move on in our separate ways." "W-What? What did you just say?" Rachael couldn''t believe her ears. "I said I want a divorce!" Brian was seen with his bloodshot eyes, although they were filled with indifference and coldness. "I''m going to file for a divorce! After all, I don''t need you to take care of Alex because I''m going to do it myself. It''s time for me to make it up to Alex and Mom. It was all my fault, and I should now shoulder the responsibility of feeding my own mother and son. I was wrong to count on you to do the job for me back then, but now that I''ve realized my mistake, I''m going to file for a divorce!" "Are you out of your mind?" Rachael looked at Brian in disbelief. "A divorce? What about Larry and Lucy? How could you let them live in a broken family?! How cruel!" "Yeah, I was cruel! To think about what I did back then, I was no better than an animal!" Brian mocked himself. "I was dumb to entrust you with my mother and Alex because my foolishness created an opportunity for you to misuse the money I wanted you to transfer them. This was all my fault! For that, I''ll surely go to hell when I die!" "What are you talking about?! Rachael added in a panicky manner, "Two thousand is more than enough to make ends meet in a rural vige. In fact, that''s the rough amount an average adult makes in a ce like that. Your mother is getting paid an average adult''s sry every month, so what more are you asking for?" "Of course, that''s ''enough''!" Leigh continued to say, "You could spend hundreds of thousands on a fancy piano and several intensive sses for your children but was only willing to give Alex and his grandmother twenty-four thousand a month. That''s a lot of money indeed!" "What do you know?" Rachael gave thedy an evil eye. "How can youpare the standard of living in a rural vige to that of Dusktown? Two thousand is more than enough to live in a rural vige!" "Alex is your child just like your other children. Thus, he must be treated fairly as well." Rachael gazed at Brian and calmly said, "You will give Alex as much money as you give your children, not a single penny less." "Yes! Yes! Of course!" Brian nodded his head, even wishing he could give Alex his life. Why? Why did I make such a foolish and unforgivable mistake? If I hadn''t been so stupid, Alex wouldn''t have had to go through so much suffering. What was wrong with me?! How is two thousand per month supposed to be enough for Mom and Alex to sustain their living? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "W-What does that mean?" Rachael red at Belle, questioning her as her body shivered. "It means exactly as it sounds." Belle met Rachael''s eyes and coldly replied, "With my health condition, I''m pretty sure my days are numbered. So, I must do something to protect Alex while I''m still alive, or my boy''s future is going to be doomed once I take myst breath. Therefore, I want Brian to divide his fortune and give Alex the share he deserves. Then, I''m going to save up the money for him and appoint awyer to keep an eye on the fund for him." In the meantime, Rachael hatefully stared back at Belle but was speechless to refute thetter. Wait, what? Did she just say she wants Brian to give Alex his share of the fortune? Come on! Isn''t Alex a little too young for that? Everything that Brian owns should belong to me and my children. Alex has no business in that regard at all. At the thought of that, Rachael gritted her teeth so hard that her gum nearly bled. When Rachael wanted to marry Brian, her parents didn''t agree at first, deeming everything about him perfect except the fact that he had a son. After all, they didn''t think it would be easy for Rachael to be a stepmother and tried to dissuade their daughter from marrying Brian. However, she loved Brian so much that she only had eyes for no one but the man himself. In fact, she had no problem epting and treating Alex as her own son at first, believing her love for Brian should also extend to his son. Because of that, she was confident that she would make a loving and dutiful stepmother, but not long after Brian epted her romantic advances, she began to fall in love with the man deeper and deeper with time, eventually bing intolerant of Alex''s presence. After all, Alex was the son of Brian with another woman, which always ruined her mood by reminding her of Yuri, of whom she would feel jealous. Deep down, Rachael could never bring herself to ept the fact that Brian once loved another woman. In fact, she rejected it so much that the thought began to haunt her on the inside. Thus, she became unwilling to live with Alex, thinking she wasn''t obligated to raise her love rival''s son at all. Because of that, she quickly had herself impregnated without taking any preventive measures not long after she was married to Brian. Shortly after they both got married, Brian suggested taking Alex with him to Dusktown, which irked Rachael because the child would only get in the way of their honeymoon trip. The situationter went in Rachael''s favor as Brian agreed to go along with her. When they returned from their honeymoon trip, Rachael realized she was pregnant before Brian could even set off to collect Alex. Thus, that became her reason to dissuade her husband from taking Alex to Dusktown, as she convinced him to put the n on hold until she gave birth to her child. With one excuse after another, Rachael managed to keep things going her way for the next 4 to 5 years until Belle ran out of patience. She then called Brian and gave him a harsh scolding, telling her son that the n to take Alex with him to Dusktown mustn''t wait any longer. It was then that Rachael had no choice but to allow Brian to take Alex under their wing. That was my home! I was the one who built our family, so this is the home for my children, my husband, and me! The four of us were going to have such a beautiful and happy life as a family, but Alex wouldn''t stoping back to ruin it. Alex''s presence was a reminder to Rachael that she was not Brian''s only wife, as he once loved another woman. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 I hate you, Alex! Didn''t you have a sweet andfortable life back with your grandma? Why did you have toe to Dusktown?! As Brian was her husband and her children''s father, Rachael was reluctant to share her husband''s love with Alex. Thus, the boy became a pain in her neck as she made it her priority to drive him away from home without leaving a mark on him. After all, she believed her life with her family would be back to normal once Alex was back at Sanguine Mountain. As a growndy, Rachael was grateful that Alex was just a child because there were so many ways she could think of to torture the boy. Yes! I must torture this annoying child! After all, Rachael was convinced that Alex wouldn''t want to leave Dusktown if she let him livefortably with them. Therefore, she dedicated her time and energy to torture the boy, in order to send thetter a message that he didn''t belong with them in Dusktown. A few days ago, Rachael learned from Alex''s teacher that he left with his ssmate''s mother when the boy didn''t return home. She then called the mother of Alex''s ssmate and was told that the child wanted to return to Sanguine Mountain. Upon hearing that news, she was over the moon, feeling grateful that her sacrifices and hard work had finally paid off. After Alex left, Rachael''s mood improved tremendously, as she was delighted that her bitter days were gone. However, her happiness was short- lived when Alex returned with Belle a few dayster. Things then took an unexpected turn when Belle and Brian turned their backs on her. Howe things are bing worse?! My mother-inw wants a piece of our fortune for Alex, while Brian wants to divorce me. Brian, how can you do this to me?! Our children are so adorable and lovely. How can you desert me and abandon your children?! At that moment, Rachael was convinced that Brian and Belle were both out of their minds, deeming the mother and son lunatics deep down. She then clenched her fists and red at Belle, challenging the latter angrily, "What do you think of our fortune?! A huge pie that you can just take a huge piece of? No, we don''t have much money left!" "What are you talking about?!" Brian shook from head to toe with rage. "I''m telling the truth." Rachael cially added, "Do you seriously think you''re really well off? With the amount of money you''re making, your pay is considered average in Dusktown. While I can''t work because I have to look after our kids, we are all forced to live off you to make ends meet. Furthermore, Lucy and Larry''s medical bills cost hundreds of thousands every year because of their poor health. If it weren''t for my parents who aided us financially, we would be burdened by heavy debts that would milk us dry." While every bystander was stunned by Rachael''s shameless response, Leigh sniggered audibly in a sarcastic manner. "I thought you were just heartless for having starved the poor boy, Alex, but it turns out that you''re also a stingy woman who is too parsimonious to spend a single penny. I bet it must have hurt a greedy woman like you to have one more mouth to feed, right? No wonder Alex looks so skinny. Poor him!" "Shut your mouth up!" Rachael berated the doctor. "You''re an outsider who is in no position to judge our domestic matters!" N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "We''re not outsiders." Madeline said, "We''rewyers Mrs. Carter had hired. Since you insist that you don''t have a single penny left, we''ll have no choice but to proceed with the necessary legal actions and let the court investigate whether you''re lying." "Y-You¡­" Rachael nched, shifting her attention to Belle. "Are you sure you want to do this, Mom?! Why are you messing around at Brian''s workce? Do you know how difficult you''re making his life when he gets promoted in the future? He is your son, so how can you do this to him?!" "Well, that''s exactly what you''re taking advantage of, isn''t that? You''re ying on my sympathy and counting on it to make me go easy on Brian so that you can continue to hurt Alex, right?" Belle looked askance at Rachael with a cial expression on his face. "You miscalcted, Rachael! I would have died a long time ago if it hadn''t been for Yuri. Thus, I owed her my life, and I''ll never forget that she saved me from the brink of death. However, I let her down because my son turns out to be an ingrate! Because of that, I only have one son but you, Brian! You''re heartless, and you don''t deserve to be my son at all!" Meanwhile, Rachael was stunned to hear Belle''s words, convincing herself that Belle had gone nuts for humiliating her son in front of so many other people. No mother would ever embarrass her son like that. How is Brian expected to continue working here? How is he going to face his colleagues? This olddy is a madwoman! She ispletely out of her mind! On the other hand, Brian was left feeling ashamed of himself with a pale look on his face. At the same time, his mind went nk as he could only think of one thing¡ªa divorce. I must divorce Rachael. She is the reason the rtionship and trust between me and my mother have been ruined! So, Rachael and I must be separated! "We''re going to divorce, Rachael!" He gritted his teeth and said in a determined manner, "I will give you the share of my fortune that you deserve after our divorce, but what''s mine will be given to my mother and Alex." "Don''t even think about that!" Rachael screamed. "If you ever dare to file for a divorce, Imit suicide and take Lucy and Larry with me!" "Go ahead then!" Brian was seen with his bloodshot eyes that were filled with madness. "Because I''m going to join you soon and look after the kids in the afterlife." Rachael froze in a trance, staring at Brian while murmuring to herself, "A-Are you out of your mind, Brian?! We used to be a lovely couple, plus Lucy and Larry are your adorable children, so how can you bear to see your beautiful family fall apart? How can you bear to divorce me? How can you do that?!" "You have yourself to me for everything that ended up this way because you started it by hurting Alex first!" Brian bellowed at Rachael with a pair of red eyes. "You''re wearing like a million dors with your fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, yet you only gave my mother two thousand every month?! How could you do that to them, Rachael?! Where is your goddamn conscience?! Where is your sense of shame?!" As an educated and civilized intellect, Brian couldn''t have thought of a harsher way to put his word. Deep down, questioning Rachael''s sense of shame was the most severe way Brian could ever think of to criticize his audacious wife. Despite the mild offense behind Brian''s words, Rachael was still provoked and piqued. After all, Brian had always been a tender, tolerant and loving man ever since they got married. Therefore, when Brian questioned her sense of shame, she couldn''t help but feel her anger surging through her. She then spoke with a shaking voice. "How could you say this to me, Brian?! I''m your wife, and I gave birth to your children for you. Are you an animal?!" "You''re right. I''m an animal, which is all the more reason we should divorce." Brian, who could hardly pull himself together, announced, "Once we divorce, you''re free to find another man with whom you could entrust the rest of your life. If you want to keep Lucy and Larry, I could let them stay with you, and I''ll be sure to pay the alimony you deserve without a single penny less; but if you don''t want the kids to be with you, I could keep them instead, or we could both keep each one of them. I''ll grant you any wish as long as you agree to divorce, but there is one thing I can tell you for sure¡ªI will file for divorce whether you like it or not." Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Rachael was stupefied, staring at Brian in a trance. Deep down, she had no idea how the sequence of events would spiral out of control. After all, she and Brian had been a lovely married couple over the years, as they hardly argued with each other. Thus, she found it hardly eptable that Brian was going to divorce her. At that moment, her mind was filled with confusion and bewilderment, as she couldn''t think of what to say in response until someone in the crowd said something. "Look. Mr. Vasquez is here." As soon as the crowd of bystanders stepped aside to make way, Rachael''s parents, Derrick and Laine, walked up to their daughter and berated her and Brian. "What are you two doing here? This is a research institute for proper business, not a ce for you to bicker. So, settle your disputes at home." Soon, Laine approached Belle and politely said, "Mrs. Carter, this is not the ce for them to settle their disputes. Let them go home and discuss their conflicts instead. Please." While the reason Belle made a scene in the research institute was that she couldn''t stand Brian and Rachael''s uneptable actions, she wouldn''t have gone so far as to make herself look like a clown in the process. Nevertheless, when Rachael''s parents were involved, the olderdy eventually gave in and nodded. "Fine, we''ll talk when we get home." In fact, Rachael''s parents showed up because Mack called them for help earlier. While Mack was once Derrick''s junior, he had no choice but to alert thetter, whom he was hoping to help defuse the situation, after noticing how the confrontation among the few of them was getting intense. Fortunately, Belle eventually agreed to leave the ce out of respect for Derrick, much to Mack''s relief. As soon as Belle left, the crowd immediately dispersed. However, the topic didn''t end with it as the people, who witnessed the conflict, discussed it on their social media and chat groups among their friends. After all, the research institute was a big department with over a few hundred employees. Although there were only a dozen bystanders during the conflict, there were many others who were not aware of the matter. Therefore, the topic revolving around the Carter Family''s conflict began to go viral on various discussion forums and tforms. In the meantime, Rachael stood in Madeline and Leigh''s way upon arrival at the Carter Residence, keeping them from entering the door. "You two are not wee here. So, you are not allowed to go in!" "They are the doctors I hired." Belle red at thedy. "Are you keeping them outside the house because you want me to die sooner so that no one can stand up for Alex?" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "You¡­" Rachael''s face flushed in anger as she breathed deeply to calm herself down. "Alright, that''s enough." Laine pulled Rachael''s sleeve and forced a smile in front of Belle. "Anyone who visits the ce is wee. Please step inside." She then extended her arm, courteously showing Madeline and Leigh the way into the house. As soon as everyone took a seat in the house, Derrick, who was Brian''s mentor, began to lecture his mentee. "What do you think you were doing? Messing around in your workce?! Have you no shame, or do you want to throw your future away?!" While Derrick kept his head down in silence, Belle chuckled coldly and answered, "Mr. Vasquez, are you referring to me instead? Speaking of shame, I figured that was something you should have thought of earlier if you didn''t want to get embarrassed in the first ce. My son makes thousands and millions in a year, but your daughter only gives me and Alex two thousand every month. Are you aware of that?" If Madeline and Leigh didn''t tell her how well Brian''s job was paying him, she would have still mistakenly thought that her son was struggling so much to make ends meet in Dusktown that he could not handle one more mouth to feed. However, when Belle realized Brian was making thousands and millions a year but was only getting a niggardly sum of money from her son every month, she was furious and frustrated. In fact, she wasn''t concerned about herself, knowing her days were numbered. However, she needed the money for Alex and insisted that they must give it to the child, which was why she snapped and had a fierce argument with her son and daughter-inw to achieve her purpose, thinking they wouldn''t give Alex some money. "What?" Derrick didn''t understand what was going on just when Brian handed him a crumpled medical report to him. When Derrick skimmed through the content, he was speechless despite his persuasiveness and eloquence, his cheeks twitching uncontrobly. "When Alex and I were living in our hometown, your daughter only gave us two thousand every month and expected us to sustain our living with that kind of money." Belle added, "Then, when I sent Alex away to Dusktown, your daughter abused my boy by starving him so much that he eventually suffered from malnutrition." Soon, Brian gave Alex''s detailed medical health report to Derrick, who was tongue-tied upon flipping through the pages. At the same time, the man''s face darkened, as he had never felt so embarrassed in his life. Not long after that, Belle''s voice was heard again. "No man would like to make a fool out of himself like I just did, but if your daughter hadn''t done something so unforgivable to us, I wouldn''t have made a scene at Brian''s workce. Furthermore, I had to do that for the justice I wanted for myself and my grandson after what your wicked daughter did to us." In fact, Belle''s anger was still not appeased, even though she might havee out on top during the heated confrontation between her and Rachael. After all, she wanted to punish Rachael by exposing her abusiveness and wickedness to everyone after all the pain thetter inflicted on Alex. I have no reason to hold back. I want the whole world to see through Rachael for who she is and what she did. Her evil side should be disclosed and exposed! Meanwhile, Derrick was rendered speechless by Belle''s question. Unlike Rachael, he had a sense of righteousness that prevented him from denying his mistakes and talking as if he wasn''t in the wrong at all. Furthermore, he knew Rachael would surely be a subject to be ridiculed and teased if words about what she said got out, although they might have sounded like a reasonable argument. After today, everything Rachael says will be an embarrassment that peopleugh at. People are going to mock her for her shamelessness! While Derrick was steaming speechlessly, Laine quickly interfered to defuse the situation. "We''re a family, Mrs. Carter. Rachael still has a lot to learn. After all, she used to be spoiled by me and Derrick a lot, so while you could lecture or punish Rachael all you want, you must take it easy before your anger takes a toll on your health." "I''m not angry." Belle went on to say, "I didn''te all the way here to debate who is right or wrong with her. Instead, I''m here to ask for money!" "You''re here to ask for money?" Laine was surprised to hear that. "Exactly," Belle replied. "I know Brian used to give his second son and little daughter a lot of money, so he has topensate Alex the same amount of money he ever gave them in the past and reconcile the differences. Moreover, I want Brian to pay me a sum of alimony, but I don''t demand him to pay me a fixed amount of money. Instead, he can pay me however much he sees fit. As for Brian''s savings in the recent few years, he must include Alex in his division. If you can satisfy my conditions, I''ll stop messing around; but if you can''t, I''ll see you in court. Mind you, I mean what I just said because I already have awyer appointed. So, it''s up to all of you whether we''re going to do this the easy or the hard way." "Mom¡­" Brian could no longer fight back his tears as he sank to his knees in front of Belle. "I''ll obey your every wish and make it up to you and Alex, Mom! I will file a divorce with Rachael! After that, I will live with you and raise Alex together with you. I promise I''ll never let you and Alex down ever again!" When Laine heard that, her face changed. "What are you talking about, Brian?! Why are you going to file for a divorce?! The kids are innocent. They did nothing wrong to deserve this harsh ending that followed your divorce. Plus, Larry and Lucy are too young to see their parents apart, so how can you do that?!" "I must file for a divorce!" Brian shook his head tearfully. "Rachael is ady without a heart, and I can''t stand having a wife who is so wicked and unkind, so I must divorce her! If you guys want to keep Larry and Lucy, I''ll let you have them; but if you don''t, they will stay by my side. One way or the other, Rachael and I are moving in our separate ways!" The man was determined to divorce Rachael, or he could no longer live down the mistake he made to Yuri and Belle, as well as Alex. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 "Please don''t scare me, Brian!" Rachael began to cry. "I love you! I don''t want to divorce you! Even if it''s for Lucy and Larry, you mustn''t divorce me!" At that moment, she suddenly realized that Brian wasn''t just paying lip service when he told her he wanted to file for a divorce. While she was frightened by the thought of the worst that could happen, she went through a lot before she sessfully won Brian''s heart. Because of that, she loved the man so deeply that she started to reject Alex''s presence and treated him as an eyesore. At the same time, her love for Brian also became a catalyst for her refusal to ept the fact that her husband was once in love with another woman. Over time, Rachael''s strong possessiveness eventually took over her, making her intolerant of Alex''s presence because that child was Brian''s son with his former wife. Therefore, she began looking for ways to get rid of Alex so that she could continue fooling herself that Brian was hers and only hers. Brian is mine and only mine! Thinking Brian also felt the same way toward her, Rachael had so much faith in their marriage that she grew audacious and abused Alex to drive him away from her family. However, her worst nightmare happened when Brian seemed serious about the idea of divorcing her. My father is Brian''s mentor, as well as the research institute''s dean, while I''m Brian''s pretty wife, who is younger than he is. Moreover, I gave birth to two children for him, so how could he divorce me over something so trivial? Deep down, Rachael had always thought that Brian would remain by her side and love her unconditionally as always, no matter what happened. Therefore, she was devastated upon learning the moment of truth as she scurried toward Brian and patted his chest tearfully. "Where is your conscience?! I did everything for you because you''re the only one I''ve ever loved in this world. I sacrificed so much for you, yet this is how you repay me?! Is your heart made of stone?!" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "You did everything for me?!" Brian stared at thedy unwaveringly, his eyes turning red. "You lied to me about the money that you were supposed to give my mother and abused Yuri and my son. You call that a sacrifice?! My mom is in poor health, which makes raising Alex even harder for her. For more than twenty years, my mother did everything she could to raise me; but when I was finally capable of making a living myself, I was busy with work and making you happy in Dusktown with Larry and Lucy. While I never once did anything to repay my mother, you shamelessly embezzled the money I had you transfer to her." The man closed his eyes, his face written with determination. "Rachael, I have made up my mind. I will file for a divorce because I can no longer stand your hypocritical and wicked heart. In fact, I would rather stay a bachelor my whole life than live with a woman like you. So, like it or not, we''re getting a divorce!" "Nonsense! You can''t do this to me, Brian! If you ever dare to divorce me, I''ll be sure to take my own life, as well as Lucy and Larry''s. Brian, you''re not a human! You don''t have a heart at all!" Soon, Brian stood up and stared at thedy coldly. "If you want to die, go ahead, but leave Lucy and Larry out of it. They are just young kids who have nothing to do with our conflict, so how can you take their lives away from them? That''s why I call you wicked because you have no qualms threatening to take your children''s lives. In fact, you''re the most wicked person I''ve ever seen in my life!" "If I die, Lucy and Larry are not going to live happily either anyway!" Rachael screamed tearfully. "With your demanding work schedules, who is expected to take care of Larry and Lucy if I''m gone? You? How are they going to continue their lives? If there is no one around to look after them, they are better off dead than alive because that way, they''ll be free from suffering at least." "You''re right." Brian mocked Rachael. "Ever since Yuri went missing, Alex lost his mother while his father carried on with his life like a living dead. That poor boy had his fair share of suffering when I decided to leave him to his wicked stepmother. For that, Alex''s fate was no different from the one you said our children would go through if you''re gone. Nevertheless, it''s never toote to learn from your mistake because I''ll be happy to keep Larry and Lucy if you don''t want them with you. At the same time, I will not marry another woman again because I''m tired of leaving my kids to a stepmother. Then, I''m going to apply for a job transfer to a new department where I won''t have to work on hectic projects anymore. Meanwhile, I will also hire two more caretakers to look after my children." "No¡­" Rachael shook her head tearfully. "Please, Brian. I have realized my mistakes! I will never do that again. Please forget about the divorce, can we? Larry and Lucy are too young to live without their father or mother, plus we used to live like a happy family, so why should we divorce? Why don''t we forget about the past and start everything anew? I swear I''ll treat Mom and Alex well from now on! I swear!" Rachael was unwilling to divorce, deeming that the end of her world should that happen. After all, she was not young anymore, not to mention the fact that she hadn''t been working for years since she married Brain. Therefore, the question of who she was going to live off immediately became concerning to her. If she was a few years younger in age, she could still perhaps hope to find a reliable man, but now that she was already in her thirties, her chances were getting slimmer by the year. Furthermore, her reputation had just been tarnished by Belle after the heated confrontation they had in the research institute because everyone probably had already known her as a wicked stepmother and a daughter-in- law, who had no respect for her mother-inw. Although Rachael still didn''t think she was in the wrong, she was sure that rumors about her would go viral and undermine her reputation even further. By then, she would probably lose all her hope of meeting another reliable man in her life. If I divorce Brian, I''m going to be a woman that no man wants to marry. As the dean''s daughter and the wife of the youngest deputy dean in the research institute''s history, she once had a life that everyone wished to have. Thus, everyone would probably wonder when they saw Rachael struggling to find her second Mr. Right after Brian. Because of that, she knew she mustn''t let Brian divorce her so that she could continue to be the deputy dean''s wife whom everyone was envious of. If I let Brian divorce me, it''s going to be the end of my life. "You should have thought of that earlier." Brian looked at thedy with a cial look. "I''ve made up my mind to file for a divorce with you. So, I will draft a divorce settlement agreement and have you sign in as soon as possible, but if you won''t sign your name on the paper, I''m going to get the court involved. One way or another, we''re going to get a divorce!" He then walked up to Belle and said, "Mom, I''ll get you and Alex a new ce to stay." Belle stood up as Brian seized his mother''s arm. Deep down, the olderdy thought it was a good thing for Brian to divorce Rachael because she was counting on her son to take care of Alex one day when she kicked the bucket. That way, she wouldn''t have to worry about Alex being bullied by his wicked stepmother. Soon, Brian seized Belle''s arm and walked out of the house with her just as Laine caught up to them. "Brian, marriage is not a game, so please think twice before you make any bad decision. About what happened to your mother and Alex, I agree that Rachael was indeed in the wrong, and I''ll be sure to lecture her for that, but Larry and Lucy are innocent. If you divorce Rachael, they are going to be the ones who get hurt the most. They¡ª" "If I don''t divorce Rachael, Alex is the one who gets hurt the most." Brian interrupted thedy and said, "I asked Rachael before I married her if she could treat Alex as her own son, to which she said yes, but in the end, she failed to keep her promise. So, I''m going to exercise my right and divorce her for that!" "That''s your son with another woman, so why should I treat him as my own child?!" Rachael fell apart and eventually spilled out her thoughts in a devastated manner. "I love you, Brian! I love you so much that I can''t tolerate the child between you and your ex-wife, yet you repay my love by divorcing me?! How can you do this to me?!" Chapter 280 Chapter 280 However, Brian was tired of arguing with Rachael, feeling dismayed and disappointed as he walked out of the house with Belle. When Rachael saw the mother and son leave, she instantly lost her mind, thinking she might just lose Brian forever. She then rushed toward them and shoved Belle aside. "This is all your fault! It was you! Why did you have to drive a wedge between me and Brian? My husband and I were deeply in love with each other until you arrived. As soon as you were here, Brian wanted to divorce me. Why must you undermine our marriage and separate the two of us? Does it really please you to see my family broken apart?" Although Brian was seizing Belle''s arm, he wasn''t holding it really tight. Thus, when Rachael shoved the olderdy from behind her, she staggered forward clumsily and lost her footing before falling down the stairs. While the stairs had only about five to six steps, Belle was too old and weak to sustain any injury caused by a fall like that. Therefore, as soon as she hit the ground, she moaned for a while, shortly before she took herst breath. At that moment, everyone froze upon seeing the ident, but Leigh was the first to react. She quickly shoved Brian aside and took big strides down the stairs to check on the olderdy in a desperate attempt to rescue her. In the meantime, Madeline waved at Emory and beckoned her over. "Hurry up! Get the car here!" After Leigh did everything she could to stabilize Belle''s condition, she told the rest to help carry the elderly lady into the car. At the same time, Alex was holding Belle''s hand tightly, crying while shaking like a leaf. "Don''t scare me, Grandma. I want you to be well, Grandma! You''re going to get through this¡­" Meanwhile, Brian sank to his knees beside his son, seizing his mother''s shirt as memories of Belle holding his hand and his brother''s flooded his mind. When Brian''s father died, he and his older brother were still children, but her mother bit the bullet and raised the two of them despite the adversities. At that moment, he remembered seeing his mother suffering from back pain so much that she could barely straighten her body back then. After that, he made a promise to himself that he would give his mother afortable life when he grew up in the future. However, when he was finally a grown man, he got so busy with work and his family that he forgot about his mother. With his eyes fixed on Belle''s stiff body and pale face, Brian felt his blood freezing throughout his body, heartbroken and disappointed. You mustn''t die, Mom! I haven''t had the chance to repay your kindness, so you must live! The man snatched Belle''s hand from Alex''s palm, tearfully begging the unconscious olderdy to wake up. "Open your eyes, Mom. Please! You have to wake up. I''m going to divorce Rachael and treat you and Alex well, Mom¡­" On the other hand, Derrick was driving behind the car with Belle in it while Laine and Rachael tagged along. After witnessing what happened, Laine was so startled that she couldn''t stop lecturing Rachael. "How could you be so impulsive? She is your mother-inw, and shoving her was absolutely not the way to treat her. If anything happens to her, how are you going to answer Brian?" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Rachael, who was frightened out of her wits, still refused to admit her mistakes. "Brian is going to divorce me anyway, so why do I need to answer him?" "Your pride always gets in the way!" Laine pinched her daughter''s face in an annoyed manner. "If anything happens to Mrs. Carter, you could be charged with manughter, which is a criminal offense. You could be sentenced to jail for that! W-Why? Why does my daughter always make me worried?!" Upon hearing her mother''s words, Rachael was finally scared of the consequences that might catch up to her. "No way! I only nudged her, and I don''t think she sustained any serious injury from that fall, so there is no way she will die. Furthermore, even if she really dies in the end, her old age and poor health are to me. I have nothing to do with that at all." "What did you just say? You were the one who shoved Mrs. Carter off the stairs, yet you''re talking like it''s none of your business." Worried and angry with her daughter, Laine added, "No matter how much you and I refuse to admit it, the fact that you shoved Mrs. Carter remained undeniably true. Therefore, you''d better pray nothing happens to Mrs. Carter because if anything happens to her, Brian could press the charge and sue you for manughter." "No, Brian won''t do that to me." Rachael was seen with a pale face. "I''m Lucy and Larry''s mother. If I''m going to jail, what are Larry and Lucy going to do? For that, I''m sure he won''t press the charge." "Don''t forget. Mrs. Carter had a doctor and awyer with her back there." Laine added irritably, "While that olddy may be from the rural vige, I can tell that she is scheming and cunning because she didn''te to see you unprepared. Even if Brian agrees to let you off eventually, you would still have to persuade the doctor and thewyer to do the same before you''re considered safe. So, you really have to pray that Mrs. Carter recovers, or yourwsuit awaits." Despite Laine''s emphasis on the gravity of the situation, the main purpose of her words was just to give Rachael a wake-up call. After all, she didn''t think Belle would die from the fall because the stairs were not that steep. Nevertheless, she was frustrated by her daughter''s recklessness without ack of concern about the consequences that might follow her actions. Thus, she intentionally scared Rachael in the hope that thetter would learn to think twice before she acted. However, things appeared to take an unexpected turn when they arrived at the hospital. Upon meeting Brian and the others, they were told that Belle''s time was almost up, just as Brian was urged to summon everyone else in the family to see her onest time. As soon as Laine heard the news, she went weak in the knees and nearly copsed onto the ground, but Derrick managed to get a hold of her in time. She then asked in a shaking voice, "W-What are we going to do now? Is Rachael going to be held responsible for what happened?" "That''s funny of you to ask." Derrick knitted his eyebrows. "Rachael was the one who shoved her down the stairs, whereupon she was taken to the hospital directly and is now moments away from her death pronouncement. So, why don''t you tell me whether Rachael is going to be held responsible for that?" "I-It''s not my fault!" Rachael shook her head fearfully. "I only nudged her a little. So, how could that possibly kill her? She is weak and old, and she has that to me instead." "Enough with your nonsense!" Derrick reprimanded his daughter. "When will you realize your mistakes?! If those people there decide to call the cops, it''ll be the end for you! Now, the only way to get you out of trouble is for you to apologize to them in the hope that they will let you off for the sake of Lucy and Larry; otherwise, the jail room is where you''re going to be spending your life. Rachael was frightened by her father''s words, finally taking the consequences of her actions more seriously without denying her mistake like she did earlier. In fact, she knew deep down that her father was right because it was indeed her who shoved Belle down the stairs. Therefore, she would surely have to face legal consequences if the police were involved, which left her with only one choice¡ªto settle the matter in private. Believing she wouldn''t have to go to jail in the end, Rachael was convinced that Brian wouldn''t do that to her for the sake of their children, even though the love between them might have faded away after what happened. At the thought of that, she pulled herself together and entered the ward with her parents. Meanwhile, Alex was seen holding Belle''s hand, kneeling down beside the bed. At the same time, Brian was on his knees while holding his mother''s hand on the other side of the bed, crying and sobbing like a sad child. I just lost the one and only chance to repay my mother''s kindness just when I finally realized my mistake. Deep down, Brian was devastated and heartbroken because there was nothing he could do to repay his mother. Before he could do anything, the doctor told him that Belle didn''t have much time left and that the next few moments would be herst. Thus, Brian was told to inform everyone else in the family to visit Belle as soon as possible. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Unable to ept the fact that Belle was going to die, Brian pulled himself together despite his grief and gave his older brother a phone call. Then, he kneeled beside his mother''s bed and cried uncontrobly, finally knowing the pain of losing his beloved one. Back then, he always took his mother for granted, thinking she would understand his situation with his work and children for not visiting her. At the same time, he was waiting for his children to grow older as time passed by. Then, he would take time out of his busy schedule and apply for a long leave so that he could go home and apany his mother. In fact, he was even nning to take Belle on a trip to visit somece surrounded by Mother Nature. After all, his mother had never had a chance to go on a trip because she had dedicated her whole life to raising him and his brother. While Brian had his n figured out, he didn''t know that he was actually running out of time. After the tragedy that happened, his n had gone down the drain as he could never actualize it ever again. On the other hand, Rachael, who entered the ward, angered Alex with her mere presence while the child red at thedy and snarled, "Get lost!" If Alex had said that to her back then, Rachael would have retaliated with severe punishment, but at that moment, she was too timid to do anything. Meanwhile, Laine was afraid that her daughter would provoke Alex unknowingly, so she shielded her behind her and smiled at the boy. "Alex, your mom is just concerned about your grandma, which is why she came to visit her." "I only have one mother, and it''s not her!" Alex hatefully added, "She is the reason Grandma is lying here. She is my enemy! I hate her!" While the child''s angry gaze made Laine''s heart pound rapidly, thetter was forced to continue reacting with a brittle smile. "Your mom didn''t mean to do that. After all, conflicts are normal among family members. Don''t you think so? Who would have thought that your grandmother would sustain such a severe injury from the fall? I know it was your mother''s fault for what happened, but she didn''t really mean it. She¡­" "Miss Taylor¡­" Belle, who was unconscious all the while, suddenly opened her eyes and called out to Madeline with a weak voice. Madeline quickly walked closer to the olderdy. "Yes, Mrs. Carter." Holding her hand, Belle struggled to turn her head and looked at Rachael''s parents. "Come closer. We need to talk." At that moment, Derrick had never felt so embarrassed before as he wished he could just walk out of the ward and stay away from the Carter Family for the rest of his life. However, the reality didn''t unfold as Derrick and Laine wished because they were forced to put up with the olderdy for the sake of their daughter. As her husband remained still, Laine seized his arm and dragged him to the bed, showing her concern with a smile on her face. "How do you feel, Mrs. Carter? Do you feel better now?" Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "There is no way I''m going to feel better again." Belle struggled to utter every single word. "I heard what the doctor said. My time is almost up, and I''m dying¡­" Despite being bedridden with her eyes shut, she was conscious most of the time, having heard the doctor''s words vaguely from a distance. I''m dying and running out of time. I must settle the matter with Alex while I''m still sound and able to talk; otherwise, there is no way I can rest in peace. Laine smiled awkwardly and replied, "You must have misheard the doctor, Mrs. Carter. There is no way a fall like that could hurt you so severely. Anyway, I''m sure you''ll be up and around again with a few days'' rest." "Enough with your nonsense. I don''t believe you." Belle shook her head with immense difficulty. "Let''s talk about business while both of you and Rachael are right here with mywyer. I want to announce myst wish before I die¡­" "Mom¡­" Brian cried out loudly in misery. "Please don''t say that, Mom. I won''t let you die! I''ll be sure to save your life!" "Shut up!" Belle knitted her eyebrows and grunted in a frustrated manner while Brian covered his mouth with his closed fist even though he still failed to suppress his sob. Soon, Belle addressed Rachael''s parents and said, "My time is almost up, so I''m going to cut to the chase and speak about my wishes. I knew my days were numbered with my poor health, but if Rachael hadn''t shoved me down the stairs, I''m sure I wouldn''t have had to die so soon. So, if I call the cops, it''ll probably be the end of Rachael''s life¡­" Meanwhile, Laine shook like a leaf as she quickly tried to pacify the elderlydy. "Please keep a cool head, Mrs. Carter. Rachael was just blinded by her anger back there, and I''m sure she didn''t mean to do that to you. In fact, she only tried to nudge you but didn''t expect that you would fall because of that, not to mention your serious injury from that." My poor daughter, Rachael! Who would have thought that a fall like that could kill someone? Why does fate have to pull such a prank on my girl, Rachael?! "Spare me your nonsense." Belle waved her hand weakly. "Here is my wish¡ªI want the house in which Brian and Rachael are living to be transferred to Alex''s name. After that, Brian and Rachael will move out of the house with their children." "W-What?" Rachael was stunned. "That house belongs to me and Brian, so what right do you have to demand that we transfer the ownership to Alex?" Belle gave thedy a cold look. "I''m about to die now because of you, so is that a convincing reason to you? You may disagree with me, but if you do, I''m going to call the cops to arrest you¡­" The olderdy then turned her attention to Madeline and said, "Miss Taylor, I want you to be my witness. If the two of them refuse to transfer the ownership of the house to Alex, I want to sue thisdy for attempted murder." "I got you, Mrs. Carter." Madeline nodded and said, "But I think we may likely lose the case if we charge for attempted murder. However, if we charge for attempted assault, we stand a pretty good chance of winning." In fact, she mentioned attempted ''assault'' instead of ''murder'' because she still had a glimmer of hope that Belle would survive and live longer despite the doctor''s pessimistic answer. "H-How could you do that?! Where is your heart?!" Rachael cried andined. "Alex is your grandson, as are Lucy and Larry. So, why am I expected to give the house to Alex? How prejudiced!" "You owed that to Alex because you abused him in the first ce. Furthermore, I''m only lying right here because you nearly killed me, but I guess your n still seeded because I don''t think I can live for another few more days. However, I can assure you that this is a sweet deal for you." Belle added, "I know you didn''t have a job all the while, so that means Brian bought the house solely with his own money. Therefore, if Brian transfers the house to Alex, his son is not exactly taking advantage of his father¡­" "I might have been jobless, but that doesn''t mean I didn''t contribute to the family." Rachael shook from head to toe in exasperation. "If I hadn''t stayed home and looked after Lucy and Larry, would Brian have been able to put his mind to ease and focus on his work in the office? Ever since Brian and I got married, every single penny he makes is part of our joint matrimonial asset. Do you have any idea what that means?" "Your joint asset with Brian will still remain the way it is." Belle weakly added, "But like I said, this is going to be a sweet deal for you. All you have to do is just transfer the house under Alex''s name and give the boy three million in cash. In return, I''ll drop the charge and forget about your crime. Besides that, I''ll even dissuade Brian from divorcing you. Think about it. If Brian doesn''t file for a divorce with you, it should probably take you about two to three years before you earn back the three million¡­ Other than that, I want you all to write a letter of guarantee in which Brian agrees to transfer a quarter of his total pay to Alex on a yearly basis¡­" "T-That''s impossible!" Rachael screamed out loud subconsciously. "Are you out of your mind? What are we to you? A bank vault?" "I''ll take that as a ''no'' then." Belle closed her eyes in exhaustion. "Fine, I''m going to call the cops now." She then seized Madeline''s hand. "Miss Taylor, please call the cops for me. I want to sue her for attempted murder." Chapter 282 Chapter 282 "We agree!" Derrick suddenly announced out loud. "We agree to your terms." "I don''t!" Rachael stomped her feet angrily. "I don''t have that much money!" "You take out as much as you have, and your mother and I will give you the rest," Derrick said tiredly. "If you don''t want to go to jail, you should be honest and obedient. If you want to go to jail, your mother and I will not care." Rachael gritted her teeth and stopped talking, for she was still afraid of going to jail. "Mom, I want to divorce her!" Brian knelt beside the hospital bed and said in a choked voice. "She hurt you like this; I must divorce her!" "You..." Belle closed her eyes and did not open them. "You were born to me, so no one in this world knows you better than me. You are not a bad person, but you are soft-hearted and easily misled by words. As such, you''ll lose all your bearings. The determination that you have now in divorcing Rachael will definitely fade, and you will change your mind when Rachael brings her kids to you to cry and beg for your forgiveness..." "No, I won''t change my mind." He shook his head vigorously. "Mom, I can swear, I¡ª" "It''s useless for you to swear," She interrupted him, saying. "Okay, save it. Anyway, Larry and Lucy are innocent, and I don''t want them to lose a parent. As long as Alex has a good life, I don''t care what you and Rachael do." Thinking of his smart and lively children, Brian opened his mouth but had nothing to say. "You and Rachael have to sort it out yourself," Belle continued. "While I''m still alive, take Alex through the house transfer procedures, and there are 3 million more..." Shebored to open her eyes and looked at Madeline. "Miss Taylor, Alex is too young to apply for a bank card. Please give me your bank card number and let Brian and Rachael send you 3 million." "Are you crazy?" Rachael couldn''t help screaming. "Brian is your own son, yet you don''t believe in your own son and believe in an outsider! You asked your own son to transfer money to an outsider''s bank card? Have you been brainwashed?" "You''re right. I don''t believe in Brian because he doesn''t deserve my trust." Belle looked at her coldly. "You don''t have the right to speak here, or do you want to go to jail?" "You..." Rachael was so furious she couldn''t speak. However, Laine tugged at her clothes and shook her head at her. Rachael was so angry that she was about to vomit blood. The house she and Brian lived in now was bought when they got married. The mortgage was only paid off this year, and the house price had more than doubled from when they bought it. Moreover, when she bought the house, her parents were the ones who gave her money for it. Otherwise, how could Brian, a poor guy, be able to afford a house in Dusktown? Now, she was asked to give the house to Alex. Ugh! Why did I push this old woman and cause all this? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. If it weren''t for Belle threatening to put her in jail, Rachael would never have given her house to that little b*stard, Alex! She considered herself to be an intellectual¡ªa well-bred and well-mannereddy who was not on the same level as Belle¡ªbut she was so angry with the older woman that she cursed in her heart. Nevertheless, she only dared to curse in her heart and not outwardly. After all, that elderly woman had dirt on her. I will not let Alex go! When this old woman dies, will things still go the way she wants? She was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. After some time, the people around would forget what happened today, and by then, she would find a way to get the house and savings back from Alex. She was a highly educated adult, so she was not worried about dealing with a child. As for Brian, she was not concerned about him at all. Belle said that she was the one who knew Brian best, and she was no worse, either. Although she didn''t like what Belle said, what Belle said was right¡ªBrian was soft-hearted. Even though Brian looked like he was siding with Belle now and would do whatever Belle asked him to do, he would defect to Rachael''s side after some persuasion once Belle breathed herst. After all, Rachael shared the same bed with Brian for more than 6 years. She knew exactly what Brian''s character was like, so she didn''t believe that Brian could get away from her! Once Belle died, and no one spoke up for Alex, Brian would side with her and her two children after some persuasion. In the future, Alex would be nothing. No one would help Alex then, and by then, everything under Alex''s name would be hers. Thinking of this, she finally felt a little more at ease. After Belle asked Brian to deposit 3 million in Madeline''s ount, Madeline also hesitated. "I''m sorry, but this is a little inappropriate..." "It''s fine." Belle held Madeline''s hand and exined with all her strength, "Miss Taylor, the 3 million is not for you to keep for Alex. It is for yourmission fee! I can''t count on Brian, and Aaron can''t win against this couple, so I''ll give 3 million to you and the house to Alex. You help Alex protect the house, and when I die, don''t let Brian and his wife snatch the house away..." Brian knelt on the ground with his head lowered, feeling ashamed. In his mother''s mind, he turned out to be such a ruthless person... But he couldn''t me his mother for looking down on him so much and seeing him as such a shameless person because what he did before was indeed shameless. The olderdy''s words were like a sharp knife stabbing his heart. He had lost his dignity, and his self-esteem was trampled under her feet, but he couldn''tin to anyone. I only have myself to me. It''s all my own fault... "Um... " Madeline was still a little hesitant. "Miss Taylor, I beg you. You must help me," Belle clenched her hand and begged. "You and Brian are different; you are a good person, and I went to see your Oasis Law Office before. I heard Leigh talk a lot about you. You, your mentor, Leigh, and your employees are all good people! I feel reassured after I entrust Alex to you. The 3 million is themission fee. In the future, let Brian pay Alex the living expenses every month. If he doesn''t pay, sue him! When Alex is 18 years old, if Brian is willing to take care of him, he can continue to take care of him. If he doesn''t care, then Alex..." She tilted her head to look at Alex with some difficulty. "Grandma... " Alex cried and buried his face in her hands. Belle caressed Alex''s face lovingly, then mumbled, "Alex, he has to support you when he gives birth to you. Before the age of 18, he has to support you. After the age of 18, if he doesn''t support you anymore, don''t go to him. You should fight for yourself, find a job, support yourself, and when he is old, you don''t have to worry about him. When you reach the legal age for children to support their parents, just give him however much thew stiptes. You don''t have to give more to him, and you don''t have to care about anything. He still has other children whom he loves more, so let them take care of him!" Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Alex cried and kept nodding. "Grandma, I will listen to you. Don''t talk about it anymore, and have a good rest. Grandma, you must get better, okay?" "I can''t get better..." Belle sighed. "While I can still breathe, I have to make arrangements for you. Otherwise, I won''t be able to close my eyes even if I die..." "Grandma, don''t die..." Alex threw himself into his grandmother''s arms and burst into tears. "Grandma, don''t die, don''t die..." Belle patted him lovingly and looked at Madeline. "Miss Taylor, Brian and his wife are unreliable. If I let Aaron raise Alex when I die, Brian and his wife will definitely make trouble for Aaron. Aaron''s family will not be at peace, so I can''t entrust Alex to Aaron, and I don''t know anyone who is strong enough. Hence, I can only entrust Alex to you! I won''t ask for anything else. I''m just asking you to give Alex a ce to live. Just let Alex live upstairs in your office. Think of the 3 million as Alex''s rent and food. I ..." "Are you crazy?" Rachael couldn''t help screaming again incoherently. "3 million for rent and food? Does he eat gold lumps every day to need so much money? You don''t feel bad because it''s not your money, right? How can you be so generous? " Belle said coldly, "Brian can earn you a lot of 3 million in his life, but you won''t help me take care of Alex! I only give Miss Taylor one 3 million, and she will feed and clothe Alex. If Alex meets with any trouble in the future, Miss Taylor will help me watch him. No amount of money can buy that! This was originally your and Brian''s responsibility, but you''re unreliable, so I can only entrust it to others!" Rachael was about to explode. 3 million! That''s 3 million! Even if Brian can earn a lot, that is Brian''s ie for two or three years, and Belle gave it to an outsider. Who is Madeline Taylor exactly? What kind of pill did she give this old woman? Why did this old woman trust her so much? 3 million! Raising Alex doesn''t even cost 300,000. Isn''t that woman going to make a profit of over 2 million? Rachael was so angry that she was shivering and almost fainted. Belle stopped paying attention to her and continued to talk to Madeline, "Miss Taylor, Alex is like his mother. He is a good boy who is kind and remembers good deeds. If you help him, he will remember that for life. When he grows up, he will be filial to you!" "I know, I know." Madeline nodded again and again. "Alex is a good boy. When Quincy and Joel fought with the other children, only Alex helped them. I remember how good Alex is!" "Then I''ll leave Alex to you!" Belle squeezed Alex''s hand. "Alex, go and bow to Ms. Madeline and thank her." Alex didn''t want to be entrusted by Belle to others. He only wanted her, but he didn''t want to make her feel anxious. Crying, he got up and went to Madeline, intending to bow but was stopped by Madeline. "Don''t." Madeline took Alex into her arms, rubbed the back of his head, and said to Belle, "Mrs. Carter, we don''t bow here. Don''t worry. I will take good care of Alex." After all, there were many people in her office, and Alex was a sensible child, so raising him was not difficult. What was more, there was still that 3 millionmission fee. Now that Belle was begging, Madeline really couldn''t bear to refuse. "Okay, okay..." Belle breathed a sigh of relief and said to Madeline, "Miss Taylor, I have one more thing to trouble you." Madeline nodded. "Mrs. Carter, tell me." Belle said, "Find anotherwyer for me. I need a goodwyer from a proper firm to make a will. I want to write everything about today in the will so that Brian and his wife won''t make trouble for you one day!" Madeline hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay, I''ll help you." Actually, it was not necessary. With her current status, Brian and Rachael wouldn''t dare to make trouble for her. But since Belle brought it up, in order to make her feel secure, Madeline called and helped her find two middle-aged lawyers. At first nce, they were mature and looked very experienced. After thewyers arrived, Belle asked thewyers to record everything that happened today, including Rachael pushing her and causing her injuries, and then asked Brian and Rachael to sign. Rachael felt that it was like a sword hanging over her head, so she refused to sign. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Belle closed her eyes and said weakly, "If you don''t sign it, then I''ll call the police." Derrick was also very angry. He felt that he had never been so humiliated in his life such that he was yed by an older woman, but he was really afraid that Belle would call the police. If the police were contacted, things would get worse, and his daughter might be imprisoned by then, and their family''s reputation would be ruined. He said to Rachael sharply, "Stop making trouble. Haven''t you done enough? Sign it!" Rachael was even more afraid of being caught by the police and imprisoned than he was, so she reluctantly signed her name while her heart bled with hatred. She had had a good scheme, but now, it was all in vain. She was still nning for when the olderdy died, she would persuade Brian and hold Alex in her hands, then ask Alex for the house and savings. Who knew that the older woman not only disallowed Alex from being with them but also entrusted Alex to an outsider? Moreover, that outsider was awyer! How can I get the house and money back from Alex in the future? Belle was obviously an older woman from the countryside, but she seemed to be knowledgeable about everything, including the will and notarization, such that Rachael and Brian had to sign the papers that were subsequently notarized. It was now clear in ck and white that the house belonged to Alex, and the 3 million belonged to the lawyer named Madeline Taylor. In the future, Brian also had to give Alex a quarter of his annual ie! A quarter was worth hundreds of thousands! Rachael felt her heart constricting in pain, but there was nothing she could do. After she signed the papers with Brian, they went to the housing management office to transfer the house to Brian''s name and then collected 3 million and wired it into Madeline''s bank ount. After this was done, a day passed. The olderdy''s health was getting worse and worse. The period when she fell asleep was getting longer, and the period when she was awake was getting shorter and shorter. Brian and Alex did not leave her bedside, while Madeline and Leigh would also visit when they had time. On the evening of the second day, Brian''s eldest brother, sister-inw, and their children all arrived. Belle, who had been asleep for several hours, heard Aaron calling out. As if sensing it, she slowly opened her eyes. "Mom..." Aaron knelt beside the hospital bed. Holding the olddy''s hand tightly, he burst into tears. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 "Aaron¡­" Belle tried her best to open her eyes to look at Aaron. "You''re a good son and brother¡­" She looked at Aaron''s wife. "Olivia, you''re a good woman too¡­" "Mom¡­" Olivia wiped away her tears and tried to smile, "Don''t overthink things. You will get well soon¡­" Belle shook her head; her voice was soft like a sigh. "No, I am satisfied as I see you onest time before my death¡­" She looked at Aaron''s three children with attachment. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. She brought up her two grandsons and one granddaughter. They were all good children who were hardworking, kind, affectionate, and righteous. Somehow, such a family had a mutated soul. Brian was a sessful man, yet he was cruel. Belle sighed. "Aaron, you''re a good man. Brian has achieved all he has today because of your hard work. However, he forgot all about you after his sess. Still, you and Olivia did not me him and lived your life. In the eyes of others, Brian is sessful, and he is the pride of our family. However, he is not in my heart. You are my pride¡­" "Mom!" Aaron tried his best to endure the tears. "Mom, stop talking. Take care of yourself. When you are feeling better, let''s go home. We will take care of you. Please, go home with me. You will be fine¡­" "I know you and Olivia are filial¡­" Belle reached out to Olivia, and thetter hurriedly held the elderly woman''s hand. "Mom¡­" Belle looked at Olivia kindly. "Olivia, Aaron is fortunate to have married such a good wife as you. You''re sensible and kind-hearted, just like Yuri. Our family must be blessed to have both of you as our daughters-inw." Standing near the end of the bed, Rachael clenched her fists tightly. She clenched her teeth in hatred. She didn''t want toe, but her parents forced her. They said that as a daughter-inw, it was not appropriate for Rachael to not stay by Belle''s side when thetter was on her deathbed like what the doctor had said. Besides being criticized, Brian would completely hate her. As Rachael didn''t want to be separated from Brian, she had to stay in the hospital despite her reluctance. However, Belle''s words were stabbing at her heart. Didn''t one say a man''s words are kind when death is close? So, why does this old woman refuse to forgive me? Instead, she''s criticizing me! Rachael''s face was pale with anger, and she wished she could tear Belle''s mouth to pieces. However, she could only hold back no matter how angry she was. I''m so mad that I''m going crazy! Belle reached out to Aaron''s three children. They gathered around and cried for their grandmother. Although their grandmother was uneducated as she only graduated from elementary school, she was the vige''s tidiest and most reasonable olddy. Belle would never talk loudly. She would never quarrel or scold children if she was in a bad mood. Their grandma had never beaten or scolded them. Belle would reason with them in a low voice if they did something wrong. To them, Belle was the best grandmother in the vige. However, she was now dying. The three children were crying, and tears covered their faces. However, Belle looked at them and smiled contentedly. "You are all good children¡­ When I am gone, I don''t think your uncle will help you, so don''t count on him¡­ You have to remember that you can''t have support forever. You must support yourself¡­ Your uncle owes a favor to your parents and he should help you, but he has forgotten your parents'' kindness. Don''t me him¡­ You should have a long-term vision and a rxed mind. It is easy to go astray if you keep remembering the bad things¡­ Just treat him as an ordinary rtive. You don''t have to be close to or leave him for good¡­" Brian was standing behind Aaron''s family. Although Belle''s voice was soft, he could hear every word. He was so ashamed that he wanted to dig a hold in the ground and bury himself in it. Mom is right. Aaron and Olivia treated me well and helped me a lot. However, I forgot their kindness after I got a job, wife, and child. I didn''t even visit Mom for years. I only gave Mom and my son 2,000 a month. I have entirely forgotten Aaron and Olivia. Brian could take care of his own family and happily live his life without hearing about them. However, he was ashamed when his mom brought the issue to the family and treated this as herst words to his brother, sister-inw, nephews, and niece. The three children nodded, their faces tearful. Then, Belle said to Aaron, "Aaron, I entrusted Alex to Miss Taylor. It''s not that I don''t trust you, but I am worried you won''t be able to fight against Brian and Rachael¡­ After I''m gone, you and Brian are the eldest. You and Olivia are honest people, but Rachael can always make a fuss without reason. If you can''t win against her, you will be crushed and can only hold in the frustration. Miss Taylor is awyer. I have something, so they won''t give Miss Taylor trouble. So, you can have peace¡­" Aaron nodded again. "Mom, I''m okay with it. I''ll follow your words¡­" Belle was getting worse. She could feel her lifef orce leaving her body gradually. There was not much time left for her. Her gaze slowly slid away from Aaron, Olivia, her three grandsons, and her granddaughter. "Y-You have to¡­ live your own life¡­ You are doing well; I can rest assured¡­" Gradually, Belle lost her voice, and her grip on Aaron and Alex lost its strength. Her eyes slowly closed. "Mom!" "Grandma!" "Grandma!" The exmations sounded one after another. After a while, the family burst into tears. Brian kneeled beside the bed and almost fainted from crying. Mom didn''t leave a word for me. She didn''t even look at me. Mom must have been disappointed with me and did not forgive me till death¡­ He couldn''t help but give himself a p in the face, followed by multiple ps. Rachael panicked and rushed over to stop him. "Brian, what are you doing?" "Scram! Get out of here!" Brian pushed her away and he roared, "Mom is dead! Are you happy now? Y- You killed my mom! I will never forgive you! Rachael Vasquez, I will never forgive you!" His eyes were red. Brian shouted with all his might and he stared at Rachael as if she was his mortal enemy. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Rachael was stunned upon hearing that. After a while, she returned to her senses and pushed Brian hard. "What are you talking about? I am your wife, the birth mother of your son and daughter! We are a family, and I¡ª" "Leave!" Brian couldn''t hear what she was talking about. His ears were buzzing and his mind was a mess. Seeing Rachael stand before him and yap away, he was irritated beyond measure. "Scram! I don''t want to see you anymore. Get out of here! Get out! Get out! Get out, I said!" Rachael had never seen the gentle and graceful Brian look so irritable and out of control. Frightened, she covered her mouth and turned around, thereafter rushing out of the ward. After she disappeared, Brian''s legs lost their strength and he knelt on the ground. "Mom!" He crawled to the bed crying and buried his face in Belle''s arm. Sobbing, he wailed, "Mom, please open your eyes. Open your eyes and look at me. I''m in the wrong. I am at fault, Mom¡­" As Belle was gone, many memories Brian had forgotten in the past suddenly returned. His father died early, so his family was poor. Whenever there was something delicious to eat, Belle always saved it for him and Aaron, as she was reluctant to eat it. Then, Aaron would leave it for Brian. He was the favored one, and he did the least work and ate a delicious meal. The road to school was difficult. At first, Belle sent Brian to school step-by-step. Then, Aaron took care of Brian. Belle went to work in the fields before dawn and returned when it was dark. She was always working hard. When she returned, she would wash their clothes, clean up the house, and asionally make time to make some snacks. Although Brian lost his father when he was very young, his family was not the poorest in the vige. His mother was ingenious and hardworking. As a widow, she raised two sons and kept the house clean and orderly. Belle would never beat Aaron and Brian because of her being in a bad mood or fatigued. She had endless patience for Aaron and Brian, and she always smiled gently at them. Brian did not take good care of such a good mother. He could have been filial to Belle. However, his mind was filled with work and family after he got married. He forgot how Belle dug the ground with a hoe to earn enough for him to study. He also forgot how Belle worked hard to raise him. I''m wrong. I''m a terrible person. I''m an assh*le! God, please give me another chance to do it all over again. If I have a second chance, I will take good care of my mother and be the best son in the world. "Mom¡­ Wake up, Mom¡­" Brian cried with all his heart. However, Belle would never revive despite how much he cried. After one has passed away, no matter how sad their family was, they must prepare the funeral for the deceased. Belle had to return where she belonged. However, the dead could not walk. So, she had to be cremated and brought back to her homnd in the form of ashes. As Aaron was unfamiliar with Dusktown, he let Brian handle Belle''s cremation. After the cremation, Aaron''s family and Brian returned to their hometown with Belle''s ashes. This time, Rachael''s parents forced her and her children to go along on the trip. Rachael loved Brian. She was fascinated by his handsome face and was determined to marry him. However, she hated his hometown. Having known Brian for so long, Rachael had only been to his hometown once. She was sick of it after only one visit. Sanguine Mountain was beautiful, with lush vegetation and clear waterways. However, the vige where Brian lived was too poor and dirty. The vige had no electricity or Inte, and the roads were narrow and dirty. There were even all kinds of feces from chickens, dogs, cows, and many more. If it wasn''t for his handsome face and his bright future as promised by Rachael''s father because Brian was his best student, Rachael would never marry Brian as his dpidated hometown was the dealbreaker. However, Brian''s handsome face prevailed. She was so fascinated by his looks that she couldn''t let it go. Hence, although she hated the dirty little mountain vige, she was not willing to break up with Brian. So, she swore in her heart that this was her one and only time here. This will be the only time Ie here, and never again. After that, true to her word, Rachael never returned. Despite how Brian nned to bring her back, she constantly disrupted his n and never returned to the vige she hated. However, she came back. Not only did shee, but she also brought her children along. Rachael didn''t want to go along. However, her parents forced her to do it. They said she had to return and bring her children along if she wanted to save Brian''s heart. She was reluctant to break up with Brian, so she came here pinching her nose. A few years had passed and the mountain vige had not changed. It was still the same dirty, messy, and smelly vige in Rachael''s memory. She wanted to turn her head and leave. However, she could only endure it for Brian. Fortunately, this is thest time! After the death of that old woman, the rtionship between Brian and this vige willpletely disappear. He will never return to this dirty ce again, let alone me! Rachael was happy about her future, but she suffered daily in the vige. Regardless of Brian or Aaron''s family, they treated Rachael like thin air. They ignored her and never talked to her. Although she humbled herself to speak to them, they still neglected her. They did not even speak a word to her. Rachael was angry, confused, and aggrieved. She was about to explode with negativity. Despite that, she was still unwilling to leave. Rachael was a little scared as Brian had never fought with her for so long. She was afraid if she turned her head and left, Brian would really never forgive her. Rachael loved Brian, and she couldn¡¯t lose him. She finally endured until the end of Belle''s funeral. Then, she returned to Dusktown with Brian. On the way back, Rachael fell ill with a thirty-nine-degree high fever. She had a splitting headache and felt like dying. She cried and begged Brian to take care of her. However, the man only looked at her coldly and didn''t even pour her a ss of water. Back in Dusktown, Brian didn''t say a word. He only packed his things and returned to work. After going to work, he joined a project. Rachael asked someone and knew that Brian volunteered to join a long-term project, which would take at least half a year to return. Rachael fell into despair. Although Brian did not divorce her, she felt he had no love for her anymore. It seemed Belle''s prediction was wrong, and so was Rachael''s. Brian was not as easy to coax as they thought. He would not forgive her and live happily ever after with just some sweet coaxing. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. This time, Brian was determined to not forgive Rachael. And so, the woman fell into deep despair. She was afraid. What should I do if Brian refuses to forgive me and leaves me alone? Chapter 286 Chapter 286 In the past, when Brian joined a project, he would call Rachael every day despite not being able to return. If conditions permitted, they would have a video call. However, a month had passed since he joined the project, yet Brian did not make a single call. When Rachael tried to call him, his phone would be turned off or it would go unanswered. In the end, she broke down. What''s the difference between this and being a widow? If I continue to live like this, I might as well choose to get divorced. However, where can I find another handsome and wealthy man like Brian? Moreover, he is a father to my two children. I cannot choose to divorce because of the children, unless my situation is desperate. "Mom, what should I do?" Rachael ran to her mother and cried. "He is so cruel! His mother has been dead for so long. When can he stop being childish?" Laine Morris nagged at Rachael, "I told you long ago that you should treat the child by his ex-wife well. You never took my advice! If you took care of him, Brian would also treat you well. You had a good life before, and your friends were envious of you! However, you were not satisfied and kept messing around. Now, you''re in trouble!" "Mom, I''m here for your advice, not to listen to your nagging." Rachael said while crying, "Brian is determined to ignore me. He didn''t transfer me his sry this month. I contacted his workce, and they say he created another personal bank ount. All his sry will be in that ount. Now, he''s ignoring me and not giving me his money. I can''t live with him!" Laine sighed, worried for Rachael. She thought for a moment. "Ray, you have to find the root cause. You are arguing with Brian because of Alex. While Brian is not home, you must take Alex back, change your behavior, and make peace with him. You must take good care of Alex and make him like you. When Alex is happy with you, Brian will come back." "But Mom¡ª" Rachael was unhappy. "This is the best and the only way." Laine patted Rachael''s hand and said earnestly, "Ray, you''re a mother of two children. You must bear the humiliation and think of the overall situation. Because of Alex, you and Brian were ridiculed, and your father and I didn''t dare to get out of the house either. If you don''t coax Alex back, those infamies will be with you for the rest of your life. If you can get Alex back, others will say you have turned over a new leaf when they see you and Alex happy together. After some time, they will naturally forget what happened in the past. Then, your family will be at peace and happy. You will still be the enviable Rachael Vasquez." Rachael was silent upon hearing that. At that point, she was rather interested in what she heard. She had a hard time these days, not only because of Brian but also from the people around her. Like Laine, she didn''t even dare to go out unless necessary. In the past, Rachael''s husband was the youngest vice president of the scientific research institute. He was handsome, wealthy, and devoted to his wife. Rachael didn''t have to work. She gave birth to a son and a daughter, and they were healthy. Usually, she went shopping, exercised in the gym, and walked around. She spent the day casually. However, she was now public enemy number one. Everyone who knew her looked at her with a strange gaze. Some so-called friends called to fort'' her, but they mocked her instead. Some people imed to be the elders who watched her grow up and even stopped her and taught her how to be a good person, as if she were a scum who had done something unforgivable. Suddenly, Rachael Vasquez changed from a beautiful, envied, and sought-after vice president''s wife to a scum who was despised and ridiculed. She couldn¡¯t bear the enormous difference. These days, she could not even eat or sleep. Very quickly, she lost twenty pounds, her hair fell out, and her face turned gaunt. The spots and wrinkles simultaneously appeared, as if she had suddenly gotten ten years older. These days were like a living hell. Therefore, Rachael was interested in Laine''s proposal. She felt that her mother was right. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. People despise andugh at me because I refused to raise Brian and Yuri''s birth child. Those bbermouths will shut up when I take Alex back, raise him and get along well. Although it''s against my will to raise the child of Brian and another woman, Brian is not even giving me living expenses anymore. If I bring Alex back, Brian may give me his money again¡­ Thinking about it, Rachael was less resistant to bringing Alex back. "Mom,e with me!" She then took Laine''s arm. She didn''t want to go alone; or rather, didn''t dare to go alone. Laine shook her head and sighed. "Okay, I''ll go with you." After all, Rachael was her daughter, so she naturally would help her. "I''ll find someone to ask around where Alex lives now," Laine stated. "When we find out, let''s go and buy some gifts for Alex and thewyer, Miss Taylor. We have to visit them with politeness and apologize sincerely. You must reflect on yourself and change your bad temper. When you meet Alex, you have to invite him sincerely, or he will not return with you." Rachael was full of displeasure when she heard that, but Laine said sternly, "Ray, you must recognize your mistakes in order to bring Alex back. Otherwise, it''s useless to do that. Your life will still be in a mess!" "I just don''t want to raise a child from another woman!" Rachael wiped her tears aggrievedly. "Alex is not my child; why do I have to raise him?" "You chose this life!" Laine pped Rachael''s arm angrily and said sharply, "Your dad and I both advised you back then you could easily get someone good because you''re excellent. Why did you have to marry a man with a child instead? It''s hard to be a stepmother; this is the universal truth passed down from the past. We did our best to advise you against it, but you didn''t listen. You said you can be a good stepmother, but look at what happened!" Rachael was silent. At that time, she was hopelessly attracted to Brian, so she wholeheartedly wanted to marry him. Back then, she felt that as long as she could marry Brian, she would be willing to do anything for him. It''s just raising a child; I can just treat him as a pet. It would be no problem if Brian loves me! However, Rachael realized that was not the case after marrying Brian. Alex was a human being. He was the product of the love between Brian and another woman. The more Rachael loved Brian, the more she couldn''t ept the child hanging around under her nose. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Rachael wished that Alex would just die in his hometown, and would not disturb her and Brian for the rest of her life. However, Alex came against her wish. Since Alex came to her home, she was constantly reminded that Brian had loved another woman and had a son together. Now, Rachael had to use the money Brian earned to support the child. She couldn''t stand it. She didn''t want to do anything to Alex. However, she was unhappy and couldn''t help but take it out on him. However, Rachael didn''t expect her venting would be such a problem. Rachael and her parent''s reputation were getting worse. Brian had given up on her and didn''t even give her living expenses, neither could she muster the courage to ask for a divorce. Those days were nothing short of a living hell to Rachael. She had to admit what her mother said made sense. If she wanted to live a good life with Brian, she had to coax and get Alex back. Even if Rachael thought of Yuri when she saw Alex and went crazy, she had to hold back and endure it. Even if she couldn''t treat Alex as her child, she had to pretend and coax Alex to trust, ept, and treat her as his mother. It is only then I go back to the past and have a happy and perfect life. No. As long as Alex is still alive, he will be buzzing around in my family like a fly. My life will no longer be perfect. However, this is a life chosen by my brainless self. I am no longer young and have given birth to two children. It''s toote to regret it now. Rachael closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After opening her eyes, she looked at Laine and said, "Mom, I figured it out. I will listen to you. I''m going to coax Alex and ask him toe back! I''m serious this time. I must bring him back!" Even if life with Alex is not perfect, it is much better than the current hell I''m living in. For the sake of my happiness, I must bring Alex back! He''s just a seven-year-old brat; it''s easy to coax him back anyway! Seeing that Rachael had a change of heart, Laine breathed a sigh of relief. "That''s great. I''ll find someone to help us find out Alex''s address." After finding Alex''s address, Laine and Rachael bought gifts for Alex and Madeline. On Sunday morning, they went to the Oasis Law Office. They were surprised to see the magnificent Oasis Law Office. This was especially the case for Rachael. Although Madeline was beautiful and dressed elegantly, Rachael thought Madeline was a lowlywyer that was working with a smallw firm. She did not expect Madeline to work in such arge firm. When Rachael mentioned Madeline, it did not cross her mind that the staff would refer to Madeline as the boss. What made her feel even more surprised was that she and Laine met Madeline in the Sun Garden instead of the Oasis Law Office. The Sun Garden covered a vast area and had beautiful scenery. It was like abination of the South Garden and Royal Garden. It had the Royal Garden''s magnificence and South Garden''s grace. It had a small bridge and flowing body of water, and around every turn was wonderful scenery. It looked like paradise and made people want to linger. Laine and Rachael met Madeline in the back of Sun Garden. Not far from Madeline, several young and strong men were instructing three children to practice martial arts. One of them was Alex. Rachael''s eyes widened. Alex Carter is learning martial arts with a few good-looking men in a ce as beautiful as paradise! Rachael felt a buzzing in her head as her blood rushed to her head. She thought she was about to have a hemorrhage. This world is crazy! Because of Alex, my parents and I were criticized, and our reputation went down the drain. Alex, on the other hand, is like a little prince, living in a ce I can''t even dream of and being taken care of! What is going on? The world is so unfair! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Rachael clenched her fists, and her fingernails were about to pierce her skin. She was reluctant when she came as she did not want to bring Alex back. She forced herself toe to make Brian forgive her and be all loving again. However, the reluctance had disappeared without a trace. Rachael couldn''t wait to drag Alex away and leave. She was willing to pamper Alex instead of letting him stay here. It was only now that Rachael understood things. Madeline was not a smallwyer in aw firm. She was a wealthy and powerful high-ss person. If I let Alex stay by Madeline''s side, he will seed in life! If Alex stays with such a high-ssdy, his future will not be terrible. When he grows up and bes famous, my children and I won''t have a good life. Alex will take revenge on us! Thinking of this, Rachael trembled all over. If it wasn''t for Madeline''s power, Rachael would have rushed over to Alex and grabbed him by the wrist to drag him home. However, she was afraid of Madeline, so she could only reluctantly smile in greeting. "Hello, Miss Taylor." Madeline smiled in return. "Hello, Mrs. Carter. What''s the matter?" "I''m here to take Alex home." Rachael tried to make her smile look calm and gentle. "Brian and I are very grateful for you taking care of Alex. However, Alex has a home, so he can''t disturb you by staying here anymore. I want to take him home." "You want to take Alex home?" Madeline was a little surprised. "However, Alex''s grandmother has entrusted him to me. I have to take care of Alex until adulthood. It is in the contract, and you also signed it." "That''s true." Rachael struggled to maintain the smile on her face. "However, the contract is fixed, and we are not. No matter what, Brian is Alex''s birth father and I am his stepmother. Alex has a family, so it''s inappropriate for him to stay with others. In the past, it was my fault. I was not good at educating children, which caused him to misunderstand my intentions. During this time, I have studied many books on educating children. If you are willing to give me a chance and let me take Alex back, I am confident I can clear up this little misunderstanding and let go of the past to be a good mother, so he can feel the warmth at home." "I''m sorry," Madeline said apologetically, but her face was cold. "I have to keep my promise. Since I have epted this entrustment, I will take care of Alex. I can''t let you take him away." At that point, Rachael could barely hold her smile. She was afraid of Madeline''s power, so she dared not fight the woman. In the end, she had to pin her hopes on Alex. Rachael''s gaze drifted toward the boy, and she said, "Can I talk to Alex?" Chapter 288 Chapter 288 "Of course," Madeline said with a smile. Rachael was Alex''s stepmother, regardless of the circumstances. Madeline might not let Rachael take Alex away, but she didn''t have a problem with them only having a conversation. She then turned to wave at Emory. Emory, who had been watching her, trod over and bowed. "Mrs. Hart!" "Get me Alex, please. Thank you," said Madeline. Hearing that, Emory nodded and gave a brief reply. "Understood, Mrs. Hart." He proceeded to make his way toward Alex before he passed the message. Rachael couldn''t make out the expression on Alex''s face then when the boy turned to throw a nce at Madeline. She couldn''t help feeling nervous as she wondered if he would really go home with her when this was such a pleasant ce to stay. Despite the confidence she had in coaxing Alex to make him go home with her before she came here, Rachael had now lost everyst drop of it. Soon, Alex, followed by Quincy and Joel, walked in front of Madeline. After Joel ran to Madeline''s side and leaned against her, he looked at Rachael and Laine curiously with his small head tilted. Alex then greeted Madeline politely and asked if there was anything she needed him for. "Your stepmother is asking for you," Madeline replied. "She said that she wants to speak to you." As soon as Alex looked at Rachael, Rachael quickly shed him a gentle and warm smile. "Alex, Mom is here to take you home!" she eximed. "You are not my mother." Alex looked at her coldly and deadpanned, "I only have one mother, and her name is Yuri Vickers. You are only my stepmother." Feeling slightly embarrassed, Rachael tried to exin, "Alex, I know that I haven''t been the best mother to you, but that was only because I didn''t have the experience then. I have always only taken care of two children, but my routine has been disrupted ever since you came and I had to raise three kids. I am sorry that I unintentionally neglected you. I have self-reflected this whole time, and I know that I have done you wrong. I came here to bring you home. I promise I will take good care of you from now on, okay?" "It is not okay." There wasn''t a hint of hesitation in Alex''s reply. "Grandma has already handed me over to Aunt Madeline, and Aunt Madeline is the one who is raising me now. I will make sure I take care of Aunt Madeline when she grows old. I am now Aunt Madeline''s child. I have nothing to do with you or your family. I will not go with you." Alex wants to be Madeline''s son? How can I let something like that happen?! Rachael felt so angry and miserable that her chest was about to burst open at the thought of it. Alex as Madeline''s son would also mean that he would be the young master of a wealthy household. He would ride in luxury cars, and live in a mansion with servants and bodyguards at his feet. Even Rachael herself had never lived an easy life like that! She desperately forced herself to maintain the gracious and friendly smile on her face, and in the tone of an elder, she lectured, "Alex, no matter how good this ce is, this is not your home. Our home is your home. It is where you have your father and your younger siblings, of whom you share the same blood with. They are the closest people to you in the world! How can you live in someone else''s house when your father is still alive and well? It is not nice that you are here causing trouble for your Aunt Madeline. Come back with me, will you? I promise that if youe back, I will treat you like I treat your younger siblings. I will love you like your birth mother!" "No way. I am never hungry here, and I know that I will never be full if I were to go with you. I won''t go, so you can stop wasting my time. I am about to practice my martial arts now. Please leave." "You kiddo!" Rachael''s lungs were about to explode from her boiling anger. She didn''t dare to let it show on her face, and she couldn''t muster a smile even if she wanted to. With a twisted expression, she murmured, "Alex, do you not want toe home with me because you think Aunt Madeline''s ce is better than ours? But Alex, even dogs don¡¯t find poverty disdainful. Human beings like us shouldn''t look down upon the poor and favor the rich! Although your Aunt Madeline''s family has a good standing, you are a Carter, not a Taylor. Your aunt''s house is not your home no matter how nice it is. It is only right for you to live in your own house. You are acting like a squatter by staying here! Not only will you feel awkward staying here, you will also cause trouble for your aunt. Don''t you feel bad about it?" After hearing that, Madeline retorted, "It is not like that. I received the money from Alex''s grandmother. I promised her that I will take good care of Alex. Alex is living herewfully. He is not a squatter. You have overstated your words, Mrs. Carter." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "But no matter what..." Rachael said with a smile. "There is no reason for him to stay at someone else''s house when his father is still alive. I came here to earnestly bring Alex home. After all, there is no ce like home. In my opinion, Alex can grow up healthy and strong only if he is beside his biological father. What do you think, Miss Taylor?" Due to the shock the grandiose of Sun Garden had given her, and the respectful manner the bodyguards of the Hart Family had toward Madeline, Rachael had unconsciously started speaking politely to Madeline. The corners of Madeline''s mouth curled upward then. "Alex''s grandmother wouldn''t have bothered entrusting Alex with me if he could grow up in a healthy environment beside his father. I still have the checklist of Alex''s malnutrition. Would you like to take another look at it, Mrs. Carter?" Rachael could no longer keep her smile on as the muscles on her face started twitching. "That is in the past. I have said it just now that I have realized my mistake. I will change in the future. You can keep an eye on me if you don''t believe me, Miss Taylor. How about you let me take him home for now? And if you are not satisfied with how he is cared for in our house, you can then take him back here." "No," Madeline vetoed. "I may be a woman, but I also understand the importance of keeping a promise. Since I have promised Alex''s grandmother that I will take care of Alex until he hase to age, I will keep my word. I won''t let you take Alex away no matter what. Please leave if there is nothing else. The children are going to have their lessons." As unreasonable as Rachael was, Madeline still ended her words politely by promptly sending Rachael off. "How can you do this?" Rachael couldn''t hold back anymore and reprimanded Madeline as she lost her poise. "Alex is my husband''s biological son. How can you rob someone else''s son just because you don''t have a son of your own? If you want a son, go give birth to one. Don''t stake your im over someone else''s child. What are you getting in return for raising someone else''s kid?" "Why do you say my mother doesn''t have a son, Ma''am?" Joel, who was in Madeline''s arms, blinked curiously at Rachael. "My mother has two sons!" He proceeded to point at Quincy and then to himself. "Aldo and I are both Mommy''s sons!" "You¡­ You guys¡­" Madeline was stunned to hear that. Madeline looked like a woman who, at most, was a little older than 20 years old. She didn''t at all look like someone who had given birth. Rachael had thought that the boys who were with Alex were children of Madeline''s rtives. But it turned out that they were Madeline''s sons! Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Rachael had never suffered such a big blow to her ego throughout her life. Not only was Madeline younger and prettier than she was, Madeline had two gorgeous sons, and was surrounded by bodyguards whose good looks wereparable to Brian''s. Just how much more could someone possibly win in life? And why am I not blessed with a life like hers? Rachael fumed as jealousy consumed her. Her next words were far from pleasant to listen to. "Miss Taylor, why do you want to rob someone else''s son when you have two of your own? I have heard of a tradition in Dusktown for the rich to adopt children. Adopting might sound like it is a nice thing to do, since the children will be half a young master or miss. But in fact, they will be ves who have no human rights, and they have to quietly and obediently serve the biological children of the adoptive family when they grow up. Now that you are trying to snatch Alex away, are you trying to make my son your sons''ckey?" Madeline frowned and argued, "I have never nned on adopting Alex. I¡ª" "I am willing to be Aunt Madeline''s adopted son!" Alex interrupted her before she could finish her words. "I want to stay here even if I am Aunt Madeline''s adopted son who will serve as Aldo and Buddy''s ve when we grow up. Just give up! I won''t go back with you!" Hearing that, Madeline softly reprimanded him. "Don''t talk nonsense, Alex. You, Aldo and Buddy are ssmates and friends, and you are also someone younger who I care for. You are not a ve." "Yeah!" Joel ran in front of Alex and held his hand. "We are friends, Alex. You are not a ve. Your stepmother is such a meanie. She is as mean as Snow White''s stepmother!" At this point, Rachael was so angry her face had turned pale but as she was about to speak again, Laine stopped her just in time. Laine wasn''t an eloquent person, and she was far behind Rachael when it came to articting her thoughts. With that in mind, she had let Rachael speak, only for her daughter to unexpectedly bring the conversation to ruin. She had been preempted by Rachael a few times when she was going to talk, but by the time she had thought about what to say, the air was already thick with awkwardness because of her daughter. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Left with no other choice, Laine could only try her best to mediate the dispute. "Ray doesn''t have the best choice of words, but despite her sharp tongue, she has a good heart. She only wants to take Alex home and reunite him with Brian. Although what she said may not be very pleasant to hear, her intentions are true and straightforward. It is only proper for a father and his son to live together. It is not right to live in someone else''s house. They will surely be criticized by others. I have also heard about the adoption of children by the rich, but what I heard is that the adopted children are orphans who have lost both their parents. I have never heard of someone adopting a child whose birth father is still alive. Also, Brian has been paying for Alex''s monthly expenses. Strictly speaking, Alex is under Brian''s care. It makes no sense for Brian to raise Alex with money out of his pocket, only for Alex to recognize someone else as his parents." "Didn''t Grandma clearly write all about this in her will? Why are you still bothering Aunt Madeline?" Alex''s face had flushed red as his anger boiled up. "It is true that he is giving me living expenses. I even record how much money he is giving me. I will pay him back every penny when I grow up! Grandma said that it is his obligation to support me before I turn 18, and if he doesn''t support me, I am allowed to sue him!" As Alex spoke, his eyes started to turn red. "He shouldn''t have allowed me to be born if he doesn''t even want to give me the money! Now that I am here, he has the obligation to raise me!" "No, Alex. You misunderstood what I meant," Laine said quickly. "I am not saying that your father shouldn''t pay for child support. What I mean is that since your father is the one who is raising you, you shouldn''t be someone else''s adopted son. You shoulde home and reunite with your father. You are his biological son, and everything will be fine once you clear up the misunderstanding. How can family members hold grudges against each other? It would be great if the family is whole. Am I right, Alex?" "No!" Alex''s handsome face was still flushed as he red at her fiercely and growled, "Grandma wouldn''t have passed me to Aunt Madeline if you are good people. Grandma only let me stay with Aunt Madeline because you are all evil! I will listen to Grandma, so stop it! I hate you! I would rather be a beggar on the streets than go home with you!" After he blurted that out, Joel reached out and patted Alex with his small hand. "Alex, don''t be sad. I like you. Just live in my house and don''t go anywhere. Mommy won''t let you go be a beggar on the street. Right, Mommy?" As if he was the one who was about to be cast into the street as a young beggar, Joel suddenly shed his big eyes and looked at Madeline pitifully. Not knowing whether tough or weep at her son''s antics, Madeline stroked his little head and comforted Alex in a soft voice. "Don''t be disheartened, Alex. What other people say doesn''t matter, so don''t take it to heart. Since I promised your grandmother that I will take care of you, I will definitely do as I promised. Nothing anyone else says will ever change my mind." "I believe in you!" Alex looked up at her and said firmly. "Aunt Madeline, I know that you are different from them. You are a good person. You, Aldo and Buddy are the most important people to me from now on. I will make sure to repay you when I grow up!" At that moment, Rachael''s vision turned dark, and she felt like she was about to faint as her blood pressure increased from rage. Since when did this brat get so good at buttering someone up? She wouldn''t have hated him as much as she did if he had been sweeter to her when he was still living with them. She figured that Alex must have carefully, and calctively, dipped his words in honey because he wanted to stay here to be a young master of the family after he saw what a well-to-do family the Taylors were. Sly little fox! Losing her mind from her anger, Rachael rushed to Alex and she grabbed him by the wrist. "Let''s go! You must go back with me! No matter how good this ce is, this is not your home. You must go back with me to your own home!" There was no way Rachael would leave Alex here to let him enjoy the life of a rich young master. On top of that, she needed to take him home to save his rtionship with Brian. Alex had to go back with her. Madeline''s face fell as soon as she saw Rachael making a move. Without needing a signal from Madeline, Emory had already taken a step forward to take hold of Rachael''s arm. "Ma''am, please keep the conversation civil," he warned. He didn''t seem to be exerting any force, but just by grabbing Rachael''s wrist casually, Rachael felt as though her bones had been fractured. As the pain hit her, she abruptly let go of her grip on Alex as she struggled out of Emory''s hold. "What the hell are you doing?! Let go!" Emory swiftly released Rachael after seeing that she had removed her grip on Alex, and he stretched out an arm to shield Alex behind him. Right at this moment, Joel trotted to Emory''s side as he red at Rachael with his plump cheeks inted. "How can you get rough just because you lost the argument? Meanie! Slimeball!" Joel huffed and puffed. With his baby babble, he still sounded so sweet that Emory could melt even though the child was going off at Rachael. Joel was too cute for Emory to not squeeze him! Finally sumbing to his urges, Emory put his hand on Joel''s head and ruffled his hair a few times. "Don''t worry, little young master. With me here, no one can take away Young Master Alex." Young Master Alex? Rachael''s eyes immediately went wide as her temper red after hearing those three words. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Rachael had lost a house, three million dors, fell apart with Brian, and all that she got in return was Alex bing Young Master Alex! How was she supposed to ept this?! Like a crazed person, she shoved at Emory as she stretched out her hand to pull Alex. "Alex, you can''t be a b*stard who doesn''t even recognize your biological father just because you covet wealth and status. You muste home with me! Come here! " Madeline couldn''t help the frown on her face when she witnessed this, and she instructed Emory, "Please send her out, and tell the guard at the entrance that there is no need to announce her arrival if she everes again. She is not weed here." Despite Madeline saying that the mother-daughter duo were to be ''sent out'', they were, in fact, dragged out by force by a few bodyguards. After the bodyguards threw them out the door and had it closed in their faces, Rachael started banging on the door with all her might. Still, no one bothered toe to her. Even the guard at the entrance only stood upright, his eyes coldly peering at her without moving a muscle. She continued to hit the door until she lost all her energy and slipped to the ground as she wailed in tears. She had lost. It was an utter defeat on her part. With all her heart, Rachael had wanted to keep Alex in check in hopes to raise the boy into a cowardly good-for-nothing. She had even hoped that he would suffer a serious illness or have an ident and die from it. That was the one way she could make sure that Brian was left with only the son and daughter born out of her womb. Everything that belonged to Brian was bound to go to her children some day. And when that time came, Brian would finally realize that the children he had with her were the best he could ever have, whereas the child he had with Yuri was nothing but trash who wanted his money. But now, Rachael''s ns hadpletely fell through. Not only did she lose a house, three million in cash and Brian''s love for her, she had also sent Alex into a wealthy family. He was now the child of a wealthy family, and now had a ''Young Master'' title to his name. It was Rachael who single-handedly made Alex who he was today. If only she was a little nicer to Alex and had let him eat and drink his fill while she took better care of him, the boy wouldn''t have been entrusted to Madeline and be the young master of a wealthy family who took him in. Rachael hated how cruel fate was. She couldn''t help mourning about how much she had lost. It didn''t sit right with her how Alex, who had such a wonderful life, was the reason her own children were repressed. What were her children and her going to do if there ever came a day in the future when Alex wanted revenge on her after gaining the power to do so? The more she thought about it, the more she refused to ept the fact. Feeling her blood run cold, she finally wrapped her arms around her head as she cried her heart out. It broke Laine''s heart to see her daughter acting this way, and she huddled to her side to pour her words offort. She only picked Rachael up from the ground and left after Rachael had lost all her strength from crying. After Rachael left, Madeline reassured Alex for a long time to remind him to not take Rachael''s words to heart. "I understand, Aunt Madeline," Alex replied. "I know that my stay here is causing you trouble. I will grow big as soon as I can, and when I am an adult, I will make sure I take care of you!" Madeline was at a loss for words as she couldn''t help the weird feeling crawling inside her when Alex repeatedly said he would take care of her when she grew older, even though she was still a young woman now. "I know that you are a good boy." Madeline smiled and patted him on his hair. "You must always remember that your grandmother has paid me money that allows you to live here rightfully. You don''t have to care about what anyone else says. You must tell me if anyone ever bullies you, okay? You can''t keep it to yourself." Hearing that, Alex gave a sharp nod and answered, "I got it, Aunt Madeline." "Alright, off you go." She patted him and spoke to all three of the children. "Practice for a while longer. I''ll go and make fruit juice for you children. You can stop practicing when I bring the juice over. " "Alright!" Even though Joel didn''t have a big appetite, he was still the most gluttonous one among the three. He continued to cheer in a sickly sweet voice. "The juices that Mommy makes are the yummiest!" Amused, Madeline lightly flicked him on his forehead. The child let out a series of giggles as he covered his forehead with one hand, and he went and held Quincy as he pulled him toward the gymnasium. "Let''s go, Aldo and Alex. We have to go practice martial arts!" Quincy couldn''t help the upward curl of the corners of his lips when he saw Joel didn''t hold Alex, but only held his hand. His silly and sweet younger brother liked everyone, and ever since Alex came to their house, little Joel had been very enthusiastic about Alex. Quincy had always felt unhappy about how his brother would go on and on about Alex. Now that Joel only held Quincy''s hand and not Alex''s, Quincy''s mood suddenly lifted and he, too, waved Alex over. "Come on, Alex!" He might be young, but he was a mature child. As this wasn''t Alex''s home, Quincy knew that Alex would feel bad, or even feel like an outcast if his attitude toward Alex was too cold. That was why he still epted Alex with an open heart even though he felt ufortable seeing his silly brother sticking to Alex. Quincy tried his best to make Alex understand that even though the former was a boy of few words, Alex was weed to live in their house. It was because Alex was a pitiful child. He was even more pitiful than Quincy and Joel were before they reunited with Sebastian. They might not have had a father then, but they at least had their mommy, who happened to be the best mother in the world. She had always loved them and treated them like her babies. Even though they didn''t have a father, they were the happiest children on earth. Alex, on the other hand, had nothing. Not only was his mother missing, his father was technically someone whose presence or absence didn''t make much difference. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Wait. Quincy stopped his train of thought. Alex does have something. He has an evil stepmother who abuses him. How tragic Alex''s life was! And so, he didn''t mind having Alex stay with them. After all, it was more lively at home with three boys. Well, actually, Quincy didn''t like it when it got noisy. But Joel liked it, and everything was fine by Quincy as long as his younger brother liked it. It was the weekend today, but Sebastian was away as usual. He had been so preupied with a new project the Hart Corporation had recentlyunched that he had worked overtime for a few days. He couldn''t even take time to rest on the weekends. Everything at work had been going fine for Madeline, so she focused on the children and spent the whole day with them, taking good care of them. Still, Sebastian was not home yet even after she had tucked Quincy and Joel in. Already ustomed to it, she kept a wallmp lit as she waited for him while she read a book. She was used to going to bed only after he hade home. She could keep waiting on and on no matter howte it was. Even though she didn''t know the reason she insisted on doing so, she only did what she felt like she had to. It was a little over 12AM when her phone started going off. Reaching out for her phone, she threw a nce at it, and pressed it to her ear when she saw Sebastian''s name shing across the screen. "Hey," she greeted. "Maddie¡­" The man''s voice rang out low and throaty, making him sound more sensual than he usually did. "I am in the study room. Come over." "Study room?" She was slightly surprised. "Is something the matter?" "Yes. You will see when youe," he breathed. "Okay. I will be there in a second." Chapter 291 Chapter 291 After hanging up the phone, Madeline threw a loose gown over her pajamas and hurried to the study room. Sebastian didn''t sound quite right. In fact, he sounded¡­ sick. She couldn''t help but wonder if the reason he refused to go back to the room was because he was sick, and he didn''t want to infect the children with the virus. Before this, the first thing Sebastian would do every time he came home was look for the children. It didn''t matter where Quincy and Joel were; he would always go to them first when he got home, and only head off to do other things after he had seen them with his own eyes. With that in mind, Madeline quickened her pace as she started to feel a little nervous. She was almost scampering to the study room. After she knocked on the door and went into the room, she saw Sebastian sitting behind the desk. He had his elbows propped on the table as his palms covered his face. Seeing how much difort he was in, Madeline grew even more panicked. "What''s wrong? Where does it hurt? Why didn''t you call a doctor over?" She asked one question after another. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Hearing that, Sebastian slowly removed his hands to uncover his flushed face. Sure enough, she was so surprised she almost jumped. "Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?" "I don''t have a fever¡­" he said while holding her hand. Even though his eyes looked hazy, they still looked bright, especially so under the lights in the room. He stared at her face with a burning gaze when he suddenly muttered, "I got roofied with that type of drug¡­¡± "Roofied?" Madeline hesitantly repeated. "That type of drug?" Sebastian''s Adam''s apple bobbed as he let out what sounded like a lowugh. "It is the type of drug that Luke Adams gave you¡­" Madeline''s face turned as red as a tomato the instant she heard those words. Shortly after, she recovered when she realized that now was not the time for her to feel shy. She quickly asked him, "What should we do? Do you feel okay?" "I am not okay¡­" Sebastian grabbed her by her hand and pulled her onto hisp before he started kissing her with his head lowered. He then spoke in a muffled voice. "I saved you when you were drugged then. It is about time you gave me tit for tat¡­" Tit for tat? Is this the right situation for that? But then, that wasn''t the point. The point was that¡­ Sebastian said that he needed her¡­ He needs me¡­ Her body started to turn stiff as her face got even redder. "Maddie..." His lips slid over her ear, and his voice sounded even more intoxicated. "We are a legally married couple, no? Don''t you think that I, a man with a wife, should be praised and rewarded for keeping my chastity anding home to my wife for relief after I fell for another woman''s scheme?" With his lean and strong arms wrapped around her body, she could feel herself stiffening up even more. "You¡­ I¡­ We..." Madeline''s head was in such a mess that she stammered and couldn''t say aplete sentence. "There is a problem now..." Sebastian''snguid voice suddenly turned solemn. Hearing that, she asked, "What is it?" "I am sure you won''t agree to it because Aldo and Buddy are in our bedroom. So, are we doing it here, in the guest room, or are we taking the boys to the children''s room?" Ever since Sebastian and Madeline had be a married couple, he had wanted Quincy and Joel to sleep in the children''s room. With how conservative Madeline was, Sebastian knew that she definitely would not show too much intimacy of a married couple when the children were present. However, Joel seemed to have a trauma about being away from Madeline and sleeping in the children''s room. The boy would always look at Sebastian with puppy eyes whenever he briefly brought it up, and it would take no more than a second for Sebastian to surrender. As ridiculous as it might sound, that was why the family of four still shared a bed in the master bedroom even until now! It didn''t make sense for a second grader to still sleep in the same bed as his parents! Sebastian convinced himself that he needed to find a way to make the children sleep in the children''s room after tonight. And this time, he swore he would not step down no matter what. Madeline, on the other hand, was brainstorming for an answer to his question. After a momentary pause, she hesitantly suggested, "How about¡­ we head to the guest room?" He immediately nodded in satisfaction. "Alright." After standing up, he picked her up and strode in the direction of the study room. Startled, she yelped, "I can walk by myself!" "Shh¡­" Sebastian chuckled. "Don''t worry. This is the second floor. No one wille up without our instruction. You don''t have to worry about being seen¡­" Madeline felt speechless upon hearing that. Can I tell him that I am not afraid of being seen, it''s just that I don''t want him to carry me around? It does sound a little¡­ odd, though. No. That is not right. Of course I am worried about being seen. She knew how well rules were established in the Hart Family. No one woulde up to the second floor if the masters of the house hadn''t told them to. But then again, all those weren''t important. The main point was that¡­ Just when the hell did she agree to doing it with Sebastian?! She suddenly came back to her senses and started stammering, "I-I haven''t said yes!" "But you did." He continued stalking toward the guest room with her in his arms. "I asked you to choose between the study, the master bedroom, or the guest room. You chose the guest room." Madeline was rendered speechless yet again. How can anyone give a multiple-choice question like that? Shouldn''t he have asked me if I wanted to do it instead? The man is too cunning! Madeline swiftly pushed Sebastian away to peel herself away from him. "But I didn''t agree to it!" she cried. "You won''t do it?" He stopped in his tracks and lowered his gaze at her. "Or, should I soak myself in cold water the whole night? Even though it might not be effective to cure me, I can give it a try if you really don''t want to." Madeline was at a loss for words. How could she bear to say no when he had said something like this? Oh well, it is not like it is my first time! she thought with her eyes shut and teeth clenched. With the willpower of a warrior, she blurted out, "I''ll do it!" Sebastian instantly let out a chuckle as a smile graced his lips. He knew that she wouldn''t have the heart to let him take a cold bath, which was why he had deliberately fallen for Ann''s trick and drank the drugged drink. He should be able to live a normal married life with Madeline after tonight. He had been reminiscing about that night ever since he had a taste of her sweet nectar. But with Quincy and Joel sandwiched between them, and Madeline being a conservative woman who thought they were not really together, Madeline had never let him touch her again after that one night. This was the only method Sebastian could resort to. Not only could he take his rtionship with Madeline a step further with this, he could alsopletely get Ann out of the picture. It was annoying to say the least, how Ann would always bring up Emma to him. The only problem here was that Emma was an important person to Sebastian''s father. His father would never me Emma even when she had stepped over a line. Thus, for his father''s sake, Sebastian had been very tolerant toward Ann. However, not only did Ann not know when to stop, she started to push her luck as ofte. She had finally burned bridges when she decided to spike his drink tonight. Sebastian would make use of this opportunity presented to him then. Based on how much his father doted on Emma, it seemed like Sebastian could only turn against Ann if she were to do something beyond forgiveness. And this was the best chance he could have. After tonight, he would have a talk with Madeline about how they should live a married life like they would tonight. Also, he found out that Grayson had a crush on Ann. What bad taste in women! Sebastian thought to himself. He would be able to let Grayson know just the kind of person Ann was after the incident had blown up. Grayson would be able to remove whatever rose-tinted sses he must have on, and get himself away from Ann instead of wasting time on her. Sebastian would be killing three birds with one stone then. There could be no other n more perfect than this! Chapter 292 Chapter 292 This time felt as good as it didst time. Sebastian could even say that it felt better thanst time due to the stimnts in his body. After it was over, he picked up Madeline, who had lost all her strength, and went to take a bath. She started to push him away shyly then. "Don''t¡ª" "What are you afraid of?" He lowered his gaze to look at her. She could hear the humor in his words. "Why are you afraid of taking a shower together when we have done more intimate things?" Madeline paused for a few beats before she mumbled, "I am still afraid. You go ahead and wash up. I''ll showerter." She could always close her eyes when doing the thing, but she couldn''t possibly keep her eyes closed when she showered. "That would be a waste of time," Sebastian said. "It is gettingte. We should wash up quickly so that we can go to rest early." He proceeded to ignore her objections and resistance, and carried her into the bathroom. It was then that Madeline realized she, in fact, could take a shower with her eyes closed! And that was exactly what she did until she was clean, and Sebastian then carried her back into the bedroom. He couldn''t help feeling amused as he watched her and asked, "Are you really that embarrassed?" She only nodded her head without saying a word. "It looks like you still haven''t gotten into character." He caressed her smooth face, and noted how nice it felt against his fingers. "W-What character?" she wondered. "Your character as a wife. The preparation of the wedding is almostplete. Let''s take our wedding photo when you have the time." Hearing that, Madeline gasped in surprise. "So soon?!" "Are you worried that the result might not be satisfactory if it is rushed?" Sebastian raised his eyebrows slightly. "If that is the case, I will give you the nning department''s contact information, and you can directly liaise with them. You can tell them any request you have." Hearing that, she blurted out, "No, that is not what I meant. I am not picky." "How can you not be?" Sebastian then said disapprovingly, "It is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Of course we will have to get it as perfect as we can. You must be satisfied with it." Madeline immediately froze after hearing that. Once in a lifetime? Is this¡­ his promise to me? Instead of replying, she only stared at him with nk eyes. "What has gotten you dumbfounded like this?" He flicked her forehead before continuing, "By the way, there is one more thing. Since we are about to have a wedding, I have a few close friends that I want you to meet. They will be your family from now on. They alle from decent backgrounds, so in case you need anything in the future when I am not around, you can go to them directly." Madeline was stunned. There was too much new information for her to digest. Sebastian made it sound as though the both of them would be a real couple who lived a happy life together in the future! Madeline could suddenly feel her heart thumping hard against her chest. Noticing her silence, he added, "Why aren''t you saying anything? I will make an appointment with them and let you know if you arefortable with the arrangement. Are you okay with that?" She hurriedly shook her head and stammered, "S-Sure." She then brought a hand up and pressed it against her drumming heart. "Have you¡­ made up your mind? We will be a real couple after the wedding," she reminded him. "Of course." He nodded unhesitantly. "You are the mother of my sons. I like you, and we arepatible in bed¡ª" Embarrassed, she cut him off, "You can probably leave thatst part out." "This is important too! If we aren''t good in bed, it will affect the rtionship between us husband and wife¡­ Are you satisfied with my performance?" Sebastian kept teasing her because he liked how Madeline looked as she blushed. It was only then that he realized that he had such a sadistic side of him that liked to see her flush as she helplessly iled around. She was adorable to look at. "Can we stop talking about this?" Her cheeks looked as though they were about to explode. He let out a chuckle at that. "I am guessing you are satisfied with me. If you don''t deny it, I will take it as you are agreeing with me." Speechless, Madeline began to wonder how a man who looked so noble and aloof from the outside could be so unrestrained in bed. Fine. Maybe men are really more open-minded than women when ites to things like this. But still, Madeline didn''t want to discuss this with him at all, so she quickly changed the subject. "You know how much I would love to marry you. After all, everyone thinks that it is a privilege for me to be able to marry you. You are perfect. You are literally the most perfect man I have ever met. Also, you are Aldo and Buddy''s biological father¡­" Among the many reasons she told him, the most important one, which was also the only reason that influenced her decision, was thest one. Just Sebastian being a good father, on top of being the real father to her boys, was enough a reason for Madeline to willingly marry him. She would still marry him even if he wasn''t as perfect as he was, as long as he loved Quincy and Joel and they loved him back. But those were all hypothetical. In fact, Sebastian was so perfect to the point where she was the one who would be gaining a lot from their matrimony. "You humble yourself too much." He looked at her with an unwavering gaze. "You are the most beautiful and kindest woman I have ever met. To tell you the truth, I never thought about getting married and starting a family before I met you. I hated the idea of it from the bottom of my heart. But now, I am pleased to ept the fact that I want to marry you and be a couple with you. This should be enough to be an indication of your brilliance and charm." He couldn''t say for sure if what he had with Madeline was love. Perhaps, their rtionship felt more like a marriage in older times that was held under their parents'' and matchmaker''s arrangement. Couples from those times would normally not have any sort of feelings for one another, but they would still be able to live together harmoniously with mutual respect after the marriage. This was probably what fate was. Because if it wasn''t, there was no way they could have sons as lovable as Quincy and Joel. This was their destiny. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Not marrying Madeline was simply uneptable! Hearing his words calmed her uneasy heart. She then gathered up her courage, looked at him and said, "I am d that you don''t sound like you are being forced into it. Even though I really hope that Aldo and Buddy can have aplete family, I don''t want their happiness to be at the expense of your happiness. You are a good person, and I hope you have a fulfilling life. I don''t want you to force yourself into doing something against your wish for Aldo and Buddy''s sake." "You worry too much, I am not as great as you think I am." Sebastian touched her cheek and smiled softly. "You are wonderful. I like being with you very much. I always feel calm and peaceful when I am with you. And Aldo and Buddy? They make me feel as though my heart has been dipped in honey. I have lived for so long, and it is only after I met you and the kids that I realized living could be such a sweet thing." Madeline felt a lot more reassured after hearing this. With her lips pursed into a smile, she murmured, "Indeed. I have only known what happiness is after I gave birth to them. The happiness I have felt in the past was all on the surface, and I would forget about the moments in just a while. Just like what you said, the happiness I feel from being with Aldo and Buddy is so sweet it feels like my heart has been dipped into pure honey. It is so, so sweet it feels as though they have been engraved in my bones. I don''t even need to see them to recall the feeling. I just have to think of them." "What about me?" Sebastian nced at her with a smile. "Does being with me make you happy?" Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Madeline only hesitated for a moment before she nodded. "I am very happy¡­ You have given me things I never ever dared to dream of before. Just like what you said, I feel calm and at peace with you by my side. And also¡­ you give me a sense of security. You are like a mountain. The children and I don''t have to be afraid of anything as long as we have you." It was just that she always felt an unease about how this ''mountain'' might someday leave them. She was afraid this happiness wouldn''tst long. It would probably have to take them after the wedding for her to stop thinking this way. Hearing that, Sebastian nodded with a smile. "Sounds like a great evaluation to me." She quickly avoided his gaze and said in an embarrassed tone, "I am just speaking the truth." "It is settled, then." He murmured, "First, set aside some time. I will bring you to meet my friends so that you can get to know each other. And after that, you can liaise with the nning department to see whether you like the wedding ceremony procedure they have nned. Thest thing we have to do is let my father help us set a time for the wedding." "Mm, alright." Madeline nodded and came to a brief pause before she thought of something. Hesitantly, she mentioned, "Should we tell my¡­ parents about this?" "Sure," he replied cheerfully. "Let''s do it ording to the custom here in Dusktown. My father will pick out a few suitable days and after we invite your parents to have a meal together, we can ask your parents to choose a day to hold the wedding out of the choices avable. Since we are going to get married for real, we should follow the custom in Dusktown. You should bring it up to your parents when it is convenient for you. Our families can have a meal together after my father chooses the dates for our wedding." "Okay, I will." Madeline nodded. Seeing her being sweet and well-behaved, Sebastian couldn''t help but rub her head like he was patting the heads of their children. "Such an obedient girl!" he cooed. Weirdo! She immediately wondered if he had been drugged or was drunk to behave this way. "Are you sleepy?" He looked at the clock. "It is time to sleep. Don''t you women always talk about how you can''t stay upte and that you want to get your beauty sleep?" Madeline looked at the clock too, and it was only then that she realized it indeed waste already. Still, they couldn''t possibly sleep here! "Shall we go back to the master bedroom to sleep?" She sat up and continued, "If we sleep here, Buddy will get grumpy if he doesn''t see us tomorrow morning." "Sure, let''s go back to the room to sleep." Sebastian also sat up. "When are you going to tell Aldo and Buddy that they have to move to the children''s room to sleep? They have grown up. It was fine when we didn''t do husband-and-wife things before, but since we will be a real couple after the wedding, it may be inconvenient for them to sleep with us." How is he so unabashedly talking about something so embarrassing? Madeline quietly whined. He is making me look as if I am not an open-minded person because I am shy. I can''t help but feel shy, though! "Let''s talk about it after our wedding, okay? Buddy has a trauma about staying in the children''s room. He will be unhappy and even have nightmares if we were to tell him to sleep there," she mumbled. "He has toe to terms with it somehow," Sebastian replied after hearing her words. "He is a boy. It will be inconvenient for him to keep sleeping in the same bed as his mother." Madeline then tilted her head and looked at him. "Then why don''t you talk to Buddy instead of letting me talk to him?" "You and him have a better rtionship. He likes you more. What am I going to do if he doesn''t like me anymore after I go to him?" Sebastian huffed arrogantly. Upon hearing that, Madeline was at a loss for words. This man and his tant schemes! "Fine," She finally sighed resignedly. "I will think of a way." In fact, there was no fault in what Sebastian said. Quincy and Joel were no longer young children after all. It might not be appropriate to always let them sleep with her. Especially¡­ If it really is like what Sebastian said about us having a¡­ proper married life in the future, having the children in our bedroom might make things difficult. Madeline suddenly thought of his passionate performance earlier, and she immediately blushed and started to wrap her clothes tightly around her body. She left the guest room after she got out of bed and put on her slippers. When they arrived at the master bedroom, the children were both sound asleep. Seeing this, Sebastian leaned over to take a closer look at them as hemented softly, "Aren''t they both sleeping just fine without us? Us not being here doesn''t seem to bother them much." She thought for a while and said, "It is because I apanied them to sleep, so they must think I am still beside them. They don''t feel safe sleeping by themselves. It is easier for them to wake up at night." "Should I arrange for two bodyguards to sleep with them?" Sebastian suggested. "Won''t they feel safer if they have someone with them?" Madeline paused for a beat before muttering, "That should be fine." "Yes, sounds like a n to me, too." The more Sebastian thought about it, the more he felt that it could work. "To be honest, I don''t feel good about letting them leave us and go to sleep alone. What if someone decides to steal my adorable sons? I will have the wall between the children''s room and the guest room knocked through, and I will let two bodyguards stay beside the boys'' bedroom. Emory and the other three will do. With two in every shift, they can take turns to sleep with Aldo and Buddy." Madeline couldn''t help wondering how anyone was supposed to steal the boys away when Sebastian had those top-notch assistants around him, and had more than 10 bodyguards that kept the perimeter of Sun Garden surrounded like it was a prison. He really is too¡­ Forgive me for myck of vocabry, but I really can''t find the proper word to describe him. However, this seemed like a good way to go about things. Nodding her head in agreement, Madeline said, "I think that would be fine." "Okay, we will do just that!" Sebastian pecked the boys. After a slight pause, he turned to kiss Madeline before he wished her good night. Her cheeks turned red again at that. "G-Good night." "Why do you get embarrassed so easily?" Sebastian chuckled, in which she only replied after she calmed down, "Isn''t this normal? After all, you are my first boyfriend." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "I am not your boyfriend." He kissed her again and said solemnly, "I am your man!" He soonughed when she didn''t answer him. "You are a woman who has a man from now on. I will be your shelter to whatever storm that maye your way!" "It is weird for you to talk like this," Madeline grumbled, to which Sebastian asked, "What is so weird about it?" "A noble and aloof man wouldn''t say something so down-to-earth! Your words don''t match your vibe at all!" Madeline eximed. "You will get used to it," he said. "I have many friends from all kinds of backgrounds. Strictly speaking, I am not the kind of wealthy and noble kind of untouchable young master that you think I am. As you said, I am down-to-earth. You will see what I mean after we get closer." She gave a small nod at that. "Oh," she muttered. "Oh?" Sebastian''s eyebrows were raised as he turned to look at her and ask, "What is your type? Do you like aloof and cold guys, or do you prefer your men to be humble? If you like aloof ones, I can put on a show for you." Madeline did not know how to respond to that. Put on a show? Seriously?! It was probably because she had been bickering with him too much tonight that it was beyond her capacity to continue. "I think you are good. There is no need to put on any show. It is going to be tiring for you. Just be you." "True. Isn''t it sad how I have to fake it even when I am in my own house with my own wife? But¡­" His gaze lingered on her face as he continued, "I am willing to fake it if you like it. I don''t care if it is tiring." And once again, Madeline could not find the words to answer him. Did he just flirt with me again? Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Sebastian was so charming that Madeline, who was at a loss, couldn''t stop his advances. With her face red and her heart thumping, she stretched out her hands to push him in the chest. "Didn''t you already say goodnight?" she muttered. "I did." Sebastianughed and kissed her again before he reached for the wallmp to turn it off. "Good night!" The next day after breakfast, Sebastian and Madeline sent the three children to school, and they dropped the kids off at the gate. That was when Sebastian asked Madeline, "Do you have time? If you do, follow me to the Hart Manor for a bit." The Hart Manor he was talking about was where Philip lived. "I''m free. Is there a reason we are going there?" she asked him in return. "Yeah." Sebastian put his hand on the door frame of the car as he helped Madeline into the car. He then got into the car and sat down beside her. "Why aren''t you asking me who it was that drugged me? You are not curious at all, are you?" "Everything was a mess at first. I couldn''t afford to be curious about it, and I felt a little embarrassed to ask afterward. After all, it is your personal affairs." Upon hearing that, Sebastian tilted his head and looked at her half-smilingly. "You are my wife. You have the right to ask about something like this." "Uh¡­" Madeline couldn''t find the right words to say then. She noticed how she often found herself speechless when it came to Sebastian. She might not think of herself as an eloquent person, but she was definitely not a mush-mouth. However, she seemed to lose her tongue frequently when she was speaking to him. It was so upsetting for her! "It''s alright," he continued to speak with a smile on his face. "You are probably not in character yet. You will be fine after you are used to your new role in the future." She was still at a loss for words. Her brain seemed to have turned nk suddenly, and she couldn''t think of any rebuttal at all. Still, it was fine. Silence was golden anyway. Staying quiet was a form of answer, too! Seeing that she wasn''t going to answer him anytime soon, Sebastian changed the subject. "It was Ann Evans who drugged mest night." "Oh¡ªI remember her," Madeline said. "She is your cousin from your aunt''s side of the family, right?" She then looked at him sympathetically. "It is no wonder you fell for her ruse. It is hardest to avoid backstabbing when ites from the people closest to you." He only smiled without saying anything at that. Sebastian couldn''t possibly tell her that he purposely drank the coffee Ann handed him even though he knew it was spiked. He figured it would be better to maintain his virtuous and upright image in front of her. All those about plots and schemes would be best kept in the dark from her. When Madeline realized that he hadn''t said anything in return, she thought that he felt hurt by the betrayal, so she quicklyforted him. "It''s okay. Even though your cousin is plotting against you, don''t you still have a few younger brothers? Your brothers look like good people. I can tell that at a nce." "Of course!" Sebastian boasted. "Lucas and the lot were all brought up by my father. Of course they are all great guys." "Um¡­ About Ann Evans¡­ Does she really like you, or is she trying to climb up the socialdder with your help?" Madeline tried to feel him out. As Sebastian was a man whose appearance and status were both like honey to bees, Madeline couldn''t help but wonder if Ann was interested in him as a man, or as a tool to propel herself forward. He softly chuckled at that. "You will have to ask her." Fine, then! She couldn''t find her words again. "You have the right to ask her." His smiling face turned serious in that instant. "You are the Mrs. Hart in our household registration book, and she clearly covets your ce. It is reasonable even if you went and scratched her face." Hearing that, Madeline forced augh. "That sounds too difficult for me. I can''t do something like that." Sebastian gazed at every inch of her face then. "That can only mean that I am not attractive enough, and you haven''t fallen in love with me yet. If you really think of me as your husband, and if someone is trying to take me away from you, you would have gone and tore her apart even before I told you to." "Probably," she mumbled. "Mrs. Hart¡ª" Sebastian raised his hand and patted the top of her head. "¡ªI will forgive you this time since we haven''t had a wedding yet. You will make me sad if you remain calm after I fall for another woman''s trap after this." Madeline remained silent after hearing his words. As much as she didn''t want to look like a fool who couldn''t even speak, she really had no idea what she should be saying in this situation. Someone help me! They continued with the awkward conversation until they arrived at the Hart Manor. After entering the living room, Madeline noticed that Philip and Ann were both there. Other than them, Sebastian''s two younger brothers, Grayson and Lucas, were also there. There was also a middle-aged woman who sat across from Philip with a soft smile on her face as she conversed with the old man. Even though Madeline didn''t know who she was, she had a guess that the woman was Sebastian''s aunt, Emma. Sure enough, after Sebastian greeted Philip, he turned to call the middle-aged woman "Mrs. Emma". Her eyes were full of tender kindness when she looked back at Sebastian. "There you are, Seb!" she gushed. "Are you not busy with work today?" "I can manage." He then introduced Madeline who stood beside him. "Mrs. Emma, this is my wife, Madeline Taylor. You can call her Maddie." "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Emma," Madeline greeted as she gave a polite nod. Emma stood up to say hello to her. "So you are Maddie? You look good. You and Seb look like a match made in heaven, standing next to each other." Ann, who was sitting beside Emma, looked like she was in a terrible mood when her initially sour face fell further. "Mom¡ª" With a hint of warning in her eyes, Emma immediately cut Ann off by ncing at her from an angle that Sebastian couldn''t see. After all, Ann was her daughter that she raised with her own hands. She had a deep rtionship with her. She couldn''t help bute up with creative ideas, and even created an opportunity for Ann to drug Sebastian. Emma used to have a crush on Philip when they were young, but s, she could only suppress her feelings for him because he was her brother-inw. Not only did her love not bear any fruit, she had also kept it a secret only she knew. In the end, she had gotten married to a scumbag of a man, and had lived a tumultuous married life without ever knowing how it felt to be mutually in love with her partner. She had never known how it felt to have a happy family. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Now that she had suffered her whole life, she didn''t want the daughter she had personally raised to repeat her mistakes. That was why Emma had used her identity to help give Ann a push. Ann would never have had the chance to bring the cup of spiked coffee to Sebastian if it wasn''t because Emma had given her a leg up. Ann even managed to get Sebastian to drink the cup of drugged coffee. In all honesty, she was envious of her daughter for doing something that she didn''t have the guts to do back in her days. After learning that Sebastian had been drugged, Emma had thought that Ann would be able to have Sebastian at least once. It didn''t matter even if Sebastian refused to take responsibility and still refused to marry her after they had done the deed. At the very least, Ann would have experienced what it was like being Sebastian''s woman. This was something Emma had always dreamed of for herself. Just one time was enough. She would be satisfied with being her brother-inw''s woman just once. But not even once did she ever have the chance to make her dreame true. Ann was far more blessed than she was. Of course, it would be great if Sebastian would marry Ann for her honor''s sake after they had sealed the deal. That way, Emma herself could be inws with Philip''s family, and her rtionship with him would improve and hopefully get more intimate. She had celebrated the fact that things were going exactly as she had nned regardless of the oue after she saw with her own eyes how Sebastian drank the cup of coffee that she put the drug in. She would never have thought that she had been terribly wrong with her assumption. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Even though Sebastian had drunk the coffee, he still pushed Ann away and left despite the pain the drug in his system was causing him. With that, Emma''s n had fallen through. She was a clever woman, and she knew that something like this could only be attempted one time. There was still a chance of her being forgiven if it was a one-time thing. Even the best of rtionships would fall apart if she tried it another time. The Hart Family was her backing. It was because of the shelter the Harts provided her that she was able to live a carefree life. Thest thing Emma wanted was to get into a fight with Sebastian. Still, she knew the reason he suddenly asked to meet her in the Hart Manor¡ªhe was here to settle some scores. In order for him to not hold grudges against her, she hade with the intention to make up for her wrongs. Emma had warned Ann before they came here toy low and sincerely beg for Sebastian''s forgiveness. The instant Ann saw her mother''s warning gaze that reminded her of her words before, she swiftly bit her lip and lowered her eyes, preventing anyone from seeing the unwillingness and jealousy in her eyes. She hated this! Last night was such a good opportunity for her! She had seeded at making Sebastian drink the cup of drugged coffee, and he was showing reactions as well. Thinking that her dream was finally about toe true, she had desperately thrown her arms around the man of her dreams. Instead, Sebastian pushed her away, and endured the alleged burning sensation one would feel when the drug had taken effect, and ran away! He actually ran away! Even though she was a beauty, who was scantily-d as she tightly hugged him when he was drugged, he had unhesitantly pushed her away from him. He even kicked her before he ran out! Ann loathed how it all turned out. The drug she bought was of the newest form. The seller had even told her that the drug was not only potent, but effects could only be cured by women. After the n was sessful, Ann had thought that her dream was about toe true, and she would be with the man of her dreams. She never would have expected him to run away right at the climax of her n. He had gotten away from her with the drug still in his system, and it coincidentally was a drug which the only cure was women. The drug must have gotten out of his system as he seemed to be doing much better after the night had passed. Does this mean that the drug I painstakingly put in his drink has ended up benefiting Madeline Taylor? Ann''s heart, so filled with hatred, felt like it had been smashed into pieces at the moment she came to realization. With Ann still in the middle of her train of thoughts, Sebastian threw a nce at her as he sat down beside Philip. "Dad, there are two things Maddie and I came here today to discuss with you." The older man let out a heartyugh at that. "What is it? Tell me," he urged. He then added, "Why didn''t you take a leave of absence for Aldo and Buddy and bring them over as well? I didn''t have time yesterday, or else I would have brought them here yesterday. I haven''t seen them in a long time. I miss them so much my internal organs are hurting." Philip had been so busytely that he hadn''t had the time to see his beloved grandsons. Even though they video-called each other everyday, he couldn''t squeeze the children in his arms through the screen. He had the most squeezable grandsons with the plumpest cheeks and the softest hair. Just the thought of how their baby fat felt against his touch made him wistful. Upon hearing that, Sebastian was rather speechless. Howe I have never heard Dad say he missed me when I was away from home for a good 6 months when he kept pressuring me into marriage? Letting out a small cough, Sebastian said solemnly, "Dad, I am here to talk to you about something of utmost importance. Please be more serious about this." Philip''s face immediately turned somber then. "I want to see my grandsons. This is the most serious thing we can talk about," he demanded. And once again, Sebastian was at a loss for words. Fine. I''ve lost. It is my fault for being the son while he is my father. Resigned, Sebastian conceded, "I will bring the boys over if you aren''t working overtime this weekend." "I will try not to work overtime, but I can''t promise yet. There are a lot of things going on these days." Philip sounded even more helpless than Sebastian. Hearing that, Sebastian suggested again, "When are you taking a break? I will bring them over then." "Isn''t that a given?!" The older man red at his son. It was as though he was ready to make an enemy out of Sebastian if Sebastian didn''t bring his precious grandsons over. Sebastian couldn''t help but feel it had been harder to get along with his father ever since he had reunited with his sons. The worst part was that the feeling had been intensifying with time! "Enough. I don''t want to talk about this anymore. This conversation pisses me off!" Philip finally showed Sebastian mercy and let him off the hook. "Go on, tell me what important business you are here to talk about." Hearing that, Sebastian let out a relieved breath. Philip was willing to give him a chance to talk about the issue atst! With his body tilted, Sebastian asked, "Dad, remember how I told you I want to have a wedding with Maddie, and I need your help with choosing a few auspicious days? Have you chosen any?" "Of course I have. How can I not take such a joyous asion seriously?" Philip took out a piece of red paper from his pocket and with a smile on his face, he unfolded it before he handed it to Sebastian. "I had someone check the alignment of the stars. These three dates are good for having your wedding. Remember to invite your inws to have a meal together, and let them choose a date out of these three auspicious dates." Ann''s head immediately whipped up as she looked at Philip and Sebastian in disbelief. Her face hadThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. turned pale as her whole body began to shake. A wedding? Sebastian is going to hold a wedding with Madeline?! Before this, Sebastian and Madeline couldn''t prove anything with their hidden marriage. It even seemed like they were having fun ying house together because of the children. Ann even thought that there mighte a day when Sebastian would get tired or sick of Madeline and would finally kick her aside. Furthermore, Quincy and Joel were illegitimate children. They wouldn''t have a high standing in the Hart Family. But then, a wedding was a different case altogether. Holding a wedding was equivalent to announcing to the public that Madeline was Sebastian''swfully wedded wife, and was the future mistress of the Hart Family! The children would earn their rightful ce and name as members of the family as well. As for Ann? Even if there was a chance to chase Madeline away from Sebastian''s side in the future, she would still be the second wife. Being called the second wife was definitely not as morous a position as the first wife. As soon as she heard the news, she could feel a tingle on the back of her head. Her ears buzzed and her limbs turned cold. Sebastian took the red paper from his father and handed it to Madeline after he took a look at it. "Find time to talk to your parents about it and see when they are free," he informed her. "Okay, I will." She nodded. "You have to get it done as soon as possible!" Philip looked at her cheerfully and said, "I have urged you all along to hold the wedding quickly so that I can let those old pals of mine meet my precious grandsons, but you both have been dawdling for so long! The wait is killing me!" Philip was infertile in his younger days. It took him until his middle age for him to get Sebastian. Some of his old friends around his age already had grandchildren who were going to college soon. He remembered how Sebastian didn''t even have a girlfriend when Philip still wasn''t aware that he already had two grandsons. How could he not get nervous about it? But now, he finally had grandsons he could show off to his friends as well! Not only were his grandsons beautiful children, they could easily be considered geniuses with their intelligence. He couldn''t wait to let everyone he knew know that he had grandsons. However, the children''s identities weren''t exactly the most brag-worthy before this. Worried that some foul-mouthed people would talk behind the children''s back about how they were illegitimate children, Philip had no choice but to hold it in, and only told a few of his closest friends about this. All he had to do now was wait for the wedding, and he could finally freely tell the world that he had not one grandson, but two! Ann''s heart felt icy cold as she looked at the ecstatic look on Philip''s face. She had spent a lot of time and effort on Philip by honoring and respecting him as if he was one of her ancestors over the years. It only turned out that she was never someone important to Philip. The man didn''t even care about what she felt or who she liked, or who she wanted to get married to. He only had his eyes for Sebastian and his grandchildren. She couldn''tprehend how such a kind-looking old man could be so heartless and hard to warm up to. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 "Got it, Dad," Sebastian said. "It is already on the agenda, isn''t it? It is going to happen soon." "The sooner the better!" Philip kept bobbing his head up and down in agreement. He couldn''t help thinking how he had led a life with Lady Luck by his side. Just when he had thought that he would never be blessed with a child in his lifetime, his wife suddenly got pregnant with a baby boy who had lived up to their family name since his young age. Sebastian was exactly the type of boy people would oftenpare their sons to. Not only was he capable and had good character, he was also pleasing on the eyes. Philip had never needed to worry about Sebastian. Now that his health wasn''t the best due to old age, he was always worried that his son would be alone with no one beside him after Philip passed on. All of a sudden, he had two grandsons pop out of nowhere! His grandsons were even smarter and more adorable than his son was back in the day. On top of that, a gentle, beautiful and reasonable woman came as a package with his grandsons. Sebastian didn''t even have to do much, and he already had a wife and kids. Just what kind of extreme good luck was Philip blessed with? He could even go to his grave with a smile even if he were to pass away immediately after his son and Madeline had their wedding, and had finally formed their own little family. "Alright, Dad. I will make the necessary arrangements as soon as possible," Sebastian assured him before he suddenly brought up another issue. "Dad, other than the wedding talk, I have something else to tell you." "Go on!" Philip chortled. "Dad, Ann drugged mest night." "What?" The smile on Philip''s face instantly disappeared when he heard that. "It is exactly as I said," Sebastian revealed the truth. "I was working overtime in thepanyst night when Mrs. Emma suddenly brought Ann to mypany. She said that she was passing by and wanted to drop by to see me. They brought me ate-night snack, and they had a cup of coffee prepared for me. Ann spiked the coffee." "What kind of drug was it? Does it affect your body?" Philip''s eyes quickly darted from Sebastian''s head to his toes. Although he knew that Sebastian should be fine since he was sitting next to him without a problem, the older man still couldn''t stop worrying about his only son. His wife had given her all into giving birth to their bloodline. He couldn''t bear the thought of his son having even the smallest and mildest of idents! "Dad, don''t worry. It was not poison. She gave me an aphrodisiac. It was unpleasant after I took it, but I was fine after it was cured." "Aphrodisiac?" Philip red at Ann and roared, "Are you crazy? Sebastian has a wife and children! You actually gave him an aphrodisiac?" Ann''s face quickly turned pale at that. "Mr. Philip, I am also a victim of someone''s scheme! I didn''t know that the coffee was drugged. I don''t know who did it. It has nothing to do with me..." Ann and Emma had already guessed that Sebastian would tell Philip aboutst night when Philip suddenly invited them over out of nowhere. With that in mind, they had discussed and decided beforehand that they would not admit to their crimes no matter what. They would insist that they didn''t know who the culprit was, and that they weren''t the ones who did it no matter what Philip and Sebastion might say. They would tell the men that they didn''t know anything, and the incident had nothing to do with them. As expected, Sebastian really told on them to Philip. Now that she was panicking and afraid, Ann had no choice but to use the method she and her mother had agreed on. "You were not the one who put in the aphrodisiac? Do I look like a fool to you?" Philip heavily mmed the coffee table. "There is no one who doesn''t know what you think of Sebastian. Has he not made himself clear? It is because I kept educating him to treat you nicer for your mother''s sake that he is respecting my wishes and not treating you like aplete stranger. How dare you drug him?! Y-You little sh*t! " Philip proceeded to grab the ss in front of him and angrily threw it at her feet. Ann shuddered in fright and her tears fell immediately. "Mr. Philip, you have to believe me. I don''t know who framed me. I am telling the truth. I really didn''t know that something was mixed in with the coffee. I have been framed¡­" "Stop making excuses." It was Sebastian who spoke this time. As he looked at her, he spat, "I have found the person who sold you the drug. Do you want to see him?" Subconsciously, she yelled, "That is impossible!" Ann had bought the drug a few months ago. The only reason she hadn''t drugged Sebastian was because her mother was not in Dusktown then, and she had no one to create the opportunity for her. She had practically camouged herself when she went and got the drug. She couldn''t even recognize herself in the mirror. Moreover, she had bought it at awless underground clubhouse. She was sure that she did note across anyone she knew when she bought the drug too. And even if she did, she had disguised herself to the point her own mother wouldn''t have recognized her. It was impossible that Sebastian had found the person who sold her the drug! Hearing her outburst, Sebastian sneered and took out his phone to dial Quinton''s number. "Bring him in," he barked as soon as the call got through. "Yes, sir!" Quinton''s dutiful response came from the other end of the line. It didn''t take long after the phone call before a knock came from the door of the living room. Quinton and Wem then came in while dragging a young man in with them. Ann couldn''t hide the shock on her face when her eyes fell on the man''s face. It actually was the man who sold her the drug a few months back! N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. How is this possible? How did Sebastian find him after so many months? I can''t believe this! As Wem held the man down, Quinton tapped on the screen of his phone a few times, and a surveince video was projected on the white wall of the living room. It was an edited clip that showed scenes of Ann going out after disguising herself, her entering the clubhouse to trade with the man who was currently being subdued by Wem, and another scene of her returning to her residence after she got the drug. She was cautious enough to not drive her own car. After leaving her residence, she walked a distance before she got a taxi. However, the taxi brought her back to her own residence. The surveince video specially gave a close-up of the house number of the ce she stayed at. The evidence was so conclusive that she had no way of denying it. Ann was a pale, shivering mess by the end of the video. With tears in her eyes, she questioned Sebastian in a shaky voice, "You got someone to watch me?" "Turns out I was right to do so, yeah?" he asked in return, his cold eyes on her. "But why?" Ann''s pale face was covered in tears. "Why did you drink that cup of coffeest night when you already know that I bought that kind of drug?" "It is because I trust Mrs. Emma too much!" His eyes shifted to Emma, and the corners of his mouth curled into a half smile. "How could Mrs. Emma, who loves me so much, ever allow her daughter to feed me such a harmful drug? It is because you came to mypany with Mrs. Emma, and I trust her too much that I let down my guard, and you sessfully carried out your scheme." Emma''s heart instantly jolted at that. Her hand under the coffee table had clenched into a fist, but her face remained calm as her gentle and elegant smile stayed stered on it. "I don''t have the faintest idea about this whole thing..." Even though she imed that she was a clever woman, she was starting to get a little flustered at this moment. It was obvious that Sebastian was suspecting her. He wouldn''t have said the words he said otherwise. His attitude toward her was the most important decisive factor to whether or not she could live the rest of her life as carefree and unrestrained as before. She had decided she couldn''t let him drift apart from her because of his suspicions! Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Emma tilted her head to look at Ann and scolded, "What are you doing? Sebastian already has a wife and children. Why are you doing this to him? Hurry up and apologize to him!" "Mrs. Emma." Sebastianughed. Raising his eyebrows, he asked Emma, "Do you think this matter will be resolved after she apologizes to me?" She hurriedly said, "Of course not. You are the victim, so you have the final say on this matter." Since Ann was panicked and scared, she grabbed Emma''s arm in horror and begged, "Mom!" The fear came from the unknown. She didn''t know how Sebastian would deal with her, but she knew if Emma refused to plead for her, Sebastian would not easily let her go. He had no sympathy for Ann. Ann knew that if her mother refused to help her, she would be finished. "Be quiet!" Emma gazed at Ann with a heartbroken look. "Don''t you remember my teachings? You must be brave enough to take responsibility if you do something wrong. Even if you like him, you must not resort to such underhand tactics! Since you made a mistake, you must admit it!" "I''m sorry!" Ann suddenly realized something. Getting up from the sofa, she panicked and knelt before Philip. "Mr. Philip, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt Sebastian. I like him so much and wanted to take care of him for you. I don''t want to hurt him¡­" Philip looked at her coldly, and his voice lost the usual kindness he used when he talked to her. Now, it was bone-chilling. "Do you know who I hate the most? Those who hurt my son!" He had suffered from sickness for half his life, so his greatest wish was that his son would be healthy and free of illness. Everyone had a bottom line and Sebastian''s health was Philip''s nerves. Ann gave Sebastian that stupid drug and tested my bottom line. In the past, although I did not love Ann as my daughter, I took good care of her and did not mistreat her. However, she still drugged my son! She can resort to such an underhand tactic when Sebastian doesn''t like her. Does that mean she will poison him if he does something she hates? In the past, I treated Ann as my family because of my wife. However, I hate to see Ann now. I don''t want to see her anymore! "Kick her out," Philip said coldly. "From now on, Ann Evans and the Hart Family have no ties. She will not be allowed to set foot in any property rted to us!" "N-No!" Anna cried and said, "Mr. Philip, I''m so sorry. I am really sorry. I was not in my right mind. Please don''t do this to me. To me, you are like my birth father and you can discipline me all you want, but please don''t disown me, Mr. Philip!" Anna couldn''t lose her status as the cousin of the Hart Family. That status was the foundation of her life in Dusktown. She was not the daughter of some famous family. The only thing she had was her status as the Hart Family''s cousin. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She could integrate into the circle of Dusktown''s upper-ss society and became Dusktown''s famous figure because of her status. Once the Hart Family severed ties with her and disowned her, she would no longer be the famous figure in Dusktown. She would be mocked by the women who were as renowned as Ann. They would still be phoenixes, but Ann would be a crow. She wouldn''t have the respect she had in the past. No! This is too cruel. I made a small mistake; Mr. Philip can''t do this to me. I am the only girl in the Hart Family. Was the love and care I received from the family all fake? How can he punish me severely for making such a small mistake? "I only have a son. I don''t have a daughter." Philip sneered at Ann. "Whoever hurts my son is my mortal enemy. You hurt my son and still want me to take care of you and let you be a part of the family? Do you think we will easily let you take advantage of us?" "I''m sorry, Mr. Philip. I was too obsessed. I didn''t mean it!" Ann panicked as she cried all over. She crawled to Philip and hugged his leg. "Mr. Philip, that drug was harmless, I swear! I like Sebastian; how could I hurt him? It was not a harmful drug. I didn''t mean to hurt him. I just wanted to be with him and take care of him! I¡ª" "Take her away!" Philip didn''t want to listen to her excuses and ordered Quinton. Quinton immediately came over and pulled Ann away from Philip''s leg. "Dad, you''re too kind." Sebastian said lightly, "She bought illegal drugs and it is a crime. You are aw- abiding person; how could you forget this? Didn''t you say everyone is equal before thew? She bought illegal drugs, yet you decided to let her go after disowning her?" "Sebastian, w-what are you talking about?" As her eyes widened, Ann stopped struggling and looked at Sebastian in disbelief. "H-How can you treat me like this?" She looked at him with surprise, and her heart was shattered into a million pieces. He means the world to me. I am willing to do anything for him, including throwing away my life. However, he said such cruel words to me. I know what he meant. He wants to press charges against me and he wants to report that I brought contraband. How could he be so cruel? Compared to her despair, Sebastian was calm. "What I said is the truth." "That''s right; I was clouded with anger." Philip then announced, "Seb is right. Everyone is equal before thew, and thew can''t be challenged! Her purchase of contraband is a crime and she must be handed over to the police. Quinton, call the police!" "Yes, sir!" Quinton agreed energetically and took out his phone to call the police. At this point, even Emma was stunned, what more to say of Ann. Emma didn''t expect Sebastian to be so ruthless. She thought it would be best if Ann''s n would seed. If the n failed, Ann would be scolded and left out for a while at most. With Emma as a mediator, Ann''s rtionship with the Hart Family would be restored in three months, if not two years. Emma never expected Sebastian to be so ruthless and try to report it to the police. If Ann was arrested on the charge of buying contraband, her reputation would be affected alongside Ann''s. Ann was Emma''s only daughter, and Emma raised Ann all on her own. Now, Emma and Ann were one. Emma could not have a good life if Ann became a criminal. Moreover, Emma had only one daughter to count on for the rest of her life, so Ann couldn''t be imprisoned. As such, Emma immediately stopped Philip. "Philip, please calm down. It is not right for Ann to buy contraband. However, she and Seb are cousins. They are a family, so this is a family matter. We can criticize and educate our family. You don''t have toplicate things by reporting to the police and wasting their resources." Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Philip looked at Emma while frowning silently. Meanwhile, Sebastian chuckled. "Mrs. Emma, do you know how ufortable I was after drinking that cup of drugged coffee? I always thought you loved me. However, I learned today that I am not important in your eyes. After being hurt by someone, you thought it is right to let the culprit go after a few reprimands." He grinned and looked at Emma. "Isn''t that so, Mrs. Emma?" "Of course not!" Emma was dissatisfied with Sebastian''s attitude, but she still looked graceful and gentle. "Seb, you are my only nephew, so of course I love you. However, didn''t Philip punish Ann enough? To disown her is a severe punishment for her. Although she bought illegal drugs, it is not lethal. Even if you report it to the police, she will only be detained for half a month, but the damage to Ann''s reputation will never be undone. Ann is your cousin who grew up with you. You don''t have to be so cruel to her. Don''t you think so, Seb?" "No, I don''t. Unless¡­" Sebastian then continued with a faint smile, "Unless you cut ties with the Hart Family too. You and Ann are one. If you''re still my aunt, Ann will still be able to take advantage of the Hart Family as your daughter!" Emma''s expression darkened at that, and she couldn''t maintain her gentleness and gracefulness any longer. In the end, she said sharply, "Sebastian, pay attention to your words. I am your aunt!" "Yes, you are my aunt. That''s all." Sebastian''s light smile turned cold. "My dear aunt, you have put a lot of effort into helping Ann drug me. I didn''t involve you because I tried to be a good nephew. However, you pleaded for the culprit who hurt me, which means I am not as important as your daughter, hmm?" Sebastian emphasized the word aunt. His gaze on Emma was sharper than ever. Emma was horrified as she looked into his eyes. She always thought the rtionship between her and Sebastian was excellent. She always showed care and patience to Sebastian and took care of him. She never neglected him. She thought she had his approval long ago. Moreover, she felt the person he respected the most was her, besides Philip. Emma didn''t expect Sebastian to hate her just because she helped Ann to drug him. Then, he quickly got angry and forgot all about Emma. After all, Sebastian couldn''t be sure if Emma helped Annst night. That''s right. No one knows I helped Annst night. I can''t admit it! Emma stood up abruptly with tears, looking as if she was thoroughly wronged. Tearfully, she said, "Seb, you can''t say these things to me! Ann was not in her right mind. I am angry about her actions too. However, I swear I didn''t know anything about her n! I would have immediately stopped her from doing such a stupid thing if I knew! Seb, I always loved you. How can you doubt me? It seems like my love for you has gone down the drain. Y-You''re making me sad!" Sebastian smiled lightly at that. "Mrs. Emma. Although I have no evidence, I recalled what you said and did when I was drugged. I am sure you knew about it. As you''re my mom''s little sister, I don''t n to sue you, so I don''t have to look for evidence. It''s enough that I know the truth." "Seb, you''re making me sad!" Emma choked as tears welled up. "You are the only child of my sister and Philip, and you are my only nephew. I love you as my own son; how could I hurt you? How can you doubt me? Philip, just look at him!" Emma then looked at Philip aggrievedly. She unconsciously used a coquettish tone. She was no longer young, and Philip was in his old age. However, Philip was still the young master of the Hart Family she wished for. In her eyes, Philip was still the handsome man from back then. Not to mention that although Philip was old, he was handsome and charismatic in his own way. He was the only man she had ever loved. Although they could not be together, she still loved him the whole time. In Emma''s eyes, Philip was still young, and she was still beautiful and charming. She was ustomed to speaking to him in this tone. Philip was used to her behavior and didn''t think anything was wrong. He thought she had never given birth to a child, so she still acted like a teenager even though she was middle-aged. Now, however, he didn''t have the patience to coax her as before. In the end, Sebastian was his limit. He would never allow anyone to hurt Sebastian. Philip trusted Sebastian''s judgment. If Sebastian said Emma knew about Ann''s n of drugging him, then it must be true. As such, Philip was disappointed with Emma. Before his wife passed away, she entrusted Emma, Ann, and several children to Philip. She wanted Philip to take good care of them, so he agreed. Over the years, he had been kind to Emma and Ann. With his protection, Emma could live wholeheartedly. Emma never gave birth. However, her husband had an illegitimate child, which was why he wanted to divorce Emma to make the illegitimate child a legitimate one. Emma had not given birth because her husband was infertile. As he was infertile, the couple adopted Ann. Until Emma was too old to have children, her husband suddenly knew he had made a woman pregnant with his child before he had infertility. Moreover, that child was a boy. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. If he had a son, he could pass on his bloodline. He was ecstatic, so he wanted to divorce Emma to make that son a wedlock child. Although it was inappropriate, it was better than being an illegitimate child. It was a good thought. However, Emma was unwilling to fulfill his wish as she was too old to remarry. So, Emma refused to divorce and asked the Hart Family to help suppress her husband''s business. It was indeed her husband and the Mills Family''s fault. Philip couldn''t bear to watch his wife''s little sister being bullied, so he let Sebastian help her. Not long after, the Mills Family''s business profit shrunk by half. As such, the Mills Family became quiet. Until now, that illegitimate child had not been able to be a part of the Mills Family. Emma had not divorced her husband and was still a Mrs. Mills. Sebastian did all of these under Philip''s order. Sebastian did his best for Emma. However, what had Emma done? Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Sebastian supported Emma. However, she indulged her adoptive daughter in drugging my son and assisted her. Fortunately, it was a harmless drug. In the future, if Ann is dissatisfied with Sebastian, will she poison him? Won''t he be dead? Philip was getting angrier the more he thought about it. In the end, he growled coldly, "I hate those who bend thew for personal gain the most. No matter who they are, if they vite thew, they will be punished by thew! Quinton, report everything to the police!" "Yes, sir!" Quinton''s cell phone was always in his hand. After receiving the order, Quinton quickly called the police. "Philip!" Emma looked at Philip in disbelief. "Ann is my only daughter. If she is sentenced to jail, her reputation will be ruined forever. This punishment is too cruel. Can''t you give her a lighter punishment for me?" "No." Philip then announced firmly, "I have made it clear that no one can bend thew for personal gain. If one vites thew, one must be punished by thew. No one can be an exception!" "Philip, you¡ª" Emma looked at Philip pleadingly with tears glistening in her eyes. Her voice was trembling as she mumbled, "Can''t you make an exception for me?" "No!" Philip shouted. Emma widened her eyes and looked at Philip in disbelief. She couldn''t believe the man would treat her like this. Although she failed to marry Philip and her sister became Philip''s wife, the woman who apanied Philip the longest was Emma, instead of her sister. Emma always thought Philip loved her and that in his heart, she was unique. However, Emma was his sister-inw; they couldn''t be together due to the pressure of society. Even if she failed to marry him and be his wife, she thought she was his confidante and a unique existence aspared to others. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. If Emma asked about anything, Philip would meet her request despite all difficulties. It was true in the past. However, Philip didn''t care for me when a tricky thing happened! Why is this happening? Looking at Emma''s disappointed expression, Sebastian couldn''t help but grin sarcastically. Emma was his mother''s only younger sister. Before his mother''s death, his mother had asked Philip to help care for Emma and Ann. As Philip loved his wife, he listened to her every word. So, Philip cared for Emma like his sister and regarded Ann as his child. However, they were not his true family. Moreover, even if Emma was Philip''s real sister and he had a niece he treated as his own, they were not as important as his son. To put it bluntly, it was a matter of closeness and distance. When the interest of Emma and Ann did not conflict with Philip, he could answer the plea. However, when the interests were conflicted, Philip would safeguard his own interests instead. It was normal, but Emma didn''t think so. She mistakenly thought her status in Philip''s mind was higher than Sebastian''s. This was because Emma had a crush on Philip! The revtion made Sebastian sick. Since Sebastian was a child, Emma and Philip had treated each other in the same way. Just like earlier, Emma acted like a spoiled child to Philip when she was unhappy or trying to ask for something. In the past, Sebastian hadn''t thought about it much. Maybe he had seen it too much, and it was no longer a surprise to him anymore. He thought it was a habit that Emma had inherited from her youth. There was quite a gap between Emma''s and Philip''s age, so she regarded Philip as her elder brother and used to act like a spoiled child, so she could not change her habit even though she was getting older. The rtionship between them was something that Sebastian had gotten used to seeing ever since he was a child, so he never thought badly about it. However, when his subordinate found out that Harriet killed her own sister to marry her brother-inw, Robert, Sebastian understood the truth. Emma did not have sibling love toward Philip¡ªshe had romantic feelings toward him! Emma loved Philip. The discovery made Sebastian sick. He wondered if Emma had hurt his mother to kill her, just like Harriet. Because of this, Sebastian could not sleep for a few days. As hey in bed, he recalled the past and carefully analyzed everything. The more he analyzed, the more confident he became that Emma had a crush on Philip. The only sce was that Philip loved his mother and was nervous about her health. Moreover, the family doctor and bodyguard were very reliable. Philip would attend to everything about his wife and would ask everything about her. Sebastian would also apany his mother from time to time with his three younger brothers. Even if Emma wanted to hurt her sister, she had no chance to attack. This was the only thing that made Sebastian feel relieved. It was fortunate. Fortunately, my mother was not killed. Otherwise, Dad and I will me ourselves and grieve for the rest of our lives. Especially my dad. I even thought of the worst-case scenario. If my mom was really killed by Emma, I would take this secret to my grave and never let Dad know about the truth. Fortunately, it wasn''t what I thought. Even so, Sebastian could never forgive Emma''s romantic love for Philip. Sebastian had never experienced love. He did not understand the love that made one irrational, as described in poetry. However, he felt a human had to know shame. His mother''s favorite person was Emma, besides Sebastian and Philip. However, Emma had her mind on her brother-inw. Sebastian could never forgive Emma for that. Hence, even though he knew the coffee was drugged, he still drank that cup of coffee. He knew Emma and Ann were essential to Philip. The only way to make Philip hate Emma and Ann was to let him know they attacked Sebastian. And so, Sebastian''s n to kill three birds with one stone had seeded in two-thirds. Now, only Grayson was left. At that thought, Sebastian nced at Grayson. Sebastian hoped his stupid brother¡ªthough he was a doctor¡ªwould understand Ann''s true colors after this incident, and he would stop foolishly showing his sincerity to Ann. She did not deserve it. "Philip!" Tears rolled down Emma''s eyes, and she shook her head slowly in disbelief as she said in a trembling voice, "Philip, how could you treat me like this? Ann is my only daughter. If you ruin her reputation, how can she get married in the future? When my sister was on her deathbed, you promised her that you would take care of Ann and me for her. Is this how you take care of us?" Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Upon hearing that, Philip said coldly, "If your sister knew you and Ann joined hands to drug her son, she would not have asked me to take care of you." A sister and a niece are not as close as a son. Sebastian is the treasure that my wife and I had been waiting for. We love him more than our lives. When my wife was still alive, she loved her sons the most. She dotes on them. In her eyes, she even loves them more than me. Her sons are the most important to her. Now, Emma and Ann want topete with Sebastian? What a joke. I will punish Sebastian even harder if he vites thew. I will break his legs! I am already gentle to Emma and Ann. Emma looked at Philip with a sad gaze, her heart feeling such pain that she thought she was in the pits of hell. She always thought she was the exception to Philip. Just as she loved and respected him, he felt the same way about her. Philip''s care and amodation to her gave her such a feeling. Until now, she finally understood that it was nothing but an illusion. It turned out that Emma was not that important in Philip''s eyes. She had wasted her efforts for so many years. Emma thought Philip knew everything, but it was just her being stupid. Presently, she was in utter despair. She regarded the so-called connection with Philip as the constion she could not ask for. Sometimes, she was secretly proud of herself. It was useless that my sister married Philip. It was useless for her to give birth to a child. Ultimately, I''m the one who is by Philip''s side. I have been with Philip for the longest time! In the end, Emma realized everything was her mere imagination. In fact, there was nothing going on between her and Philip. Philip cared for her not because he loved, appreciated, and regarded Emma as a confidant. He was earnestly carrying out his wife''s entrustment to take good care of Emma. In other words, all the care and treatment Emma received from Philip was because of her sister, not from her own charm. Her former pride andcency had be a joke. Having figured this out, Emma covered her face and smiled sadly. She keptughing, but her tears streamed down her fingers. Philip frowned and looked at her weirdly, thinking her reaction was weird. However, he didn''t fall for it. No one will get away from hurting my son and viting thew! One must be dealt with ording to rules! Seeing Emma''s intercession didn''t work, Ann trembled in fright. She then knelt at Philip''s feet and cried desperately. "Mr. Philip, I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. I swear I will not do that anymore. Please don''t let the police arrest me. I can''t handle it¡­" Although buying an illegal drug was not a serious crime and would only give her a fine and detention, it would leave Ann with a criminal record. If she was unlucky and met an acquaintance, she would lose all respect after the news spread. I can''t get married. No aristocratic family would ept a woman with a criminal record as the mistress of the house. My life is over! Ann was crying and trembling all over. However, Philip was unmoved, and it was as if he had a heart of stone. Grayson couldn''t stand it any longer and couldn''t help begging for her, "Dad, Miss Ann is truly remorseful. No matter what, we''re a family, so why don''t¡ª" "What do you mean?" Philip''s face sank. He looked at Grayson coldly, interrupting his words. Grayson felt a tingle at the back of his head and his palms were sweating. However, he still epted the pressure and mustered up the courage to say, "Why don''t we forgive Miss Ann? She is a young girl, so she needs the most respect from others. If she''s arrested, she can''t handle the pressure¡ª" "She needs respect, you say?" Philip sneered. "If she needs respect, she wouldn''t have drugged your brother! Remember what I taught you when you were young? Before you do anything, consider if you can handle the consequences. If she can''t handle the consequence of being arrested, do you think Sebastian can handle the drug she gave?" At that, Philip looked at Grayson from head to toe. "Grayson, I raised you because I needed you to assist Sebastian. Over the years, I spent a lot of effort on you. I don''t think I have mistreated you. However, my adoptive son, who I worked so hard to raise, is helping my niece instead of my son. I apud your courage, Grayson!" This time, beads of sweat appeared on Grayson''s forehead besides his palm. Philip was obviously dissatisfied with Grayson, so thetter didn''t dare to sit still any longer. Standing up, he said, "Dad, please calm down. I didn''t mean that. Since the incident has already happened, it''s meaningless to hold someone ountable. No matter what, Miss Ann is our family¡ª" However, Philip interrupted him sharply, "I said we are cutting ties with her. We have nothing to do with each other from now on. Didn''t you hear that? Or do you want to leave the Hart Family too? Do you want to be a family with her after leaving us?" Those words were heartbreaking. Grayson couldn''t bear it anymore and he immediately knelt down. "Dad, that''s not what I meant¡ª" "Stand up! The Hart Family doesn''t have this custom!" Philip waved his hand impatiently. "Tell me directly what you meant. I don''t have the time to solve your riddles!" Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. When Philip was young, he had a violent temper. Then, his character became softer after he married, had a son, and gradually got older. However, Ann struck a nerve when she drugged Sebastian. Hence, Philip''s violent temper from his younger self was aroused. Now, he hated everyone, and his words were full of anger. Philip had not been so angry since a long time ago. Moreover, he was joyful all day long after having grandsons and looked like a kind older man. As such, Grayson almost forgot Philip was a fire-breathing dragon when he was young. Grayson hadn''t endured Philip''s anger for a long time, so he couldn''t bear it. He hurriedly stood up and felt his legs trembling. In the past, Grayson''s adoptive mother was the one who held the authority. After her death, Philip was the only authority and the God of the Hart Family. Grayson would never challenge Philip''s authority, even if he had the courage. However, he loved Ann too much and couldn''t stand looking at Ann''s pitiful and despairing expression. Love was such an irrational feeling. Grayson knew that as an adopted son, he owed Philip too much and he had no right to go against Philip''s decision. However, Grayson couldn''t control himself. It was as if an invisible thread was pulling him and making him stand up for Ann involuntarily. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Grayson knew his adoptive father was upset because he had spoken up for Ann. However, he still couldn''t hold himself back from wanting to help her. He would go through fire and water for her. "Father, I know you''re upset because Ann is at fault, but I think Mrs. Emma''s right. Things might blow up if we bring this to the cops, discrediting Ann in the process. A woman''s reputation is significant to her, and a punishment like this is too much." Grayson looked at Philip. Despite his adoptive father''s unforgivingly stern gaze, he bit the bullet and continued, "Father, our family has been close to Mrs. Emma and Ann for so many years, and you''ve always treated Ann like your own. If we leave her to the cops just because she made one mistake, wouldn''t people find you unfeeling and unforgiving? Besides, it''ll be damaging to your reputation too. What do you say, Father?" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Philip sneered in response. "Are you worried that people would think that I''m unfeeling and unforgiving, or do you think that I''m unfeeling and unforgiving?" At that, Grayson hurriedly corrected himself and said, "You''re naturally the most loving man I know, Father. However, I worry the world will only foolishly see what''s on the surface and misunderstand you!" "How thoughtful of you." Philip snorted and said inly, "Grayson, you may not be my son, but I raised you all these years, and I might actually know you better than you know yourself. After all, you might not dare to face what you truly think deep down. You keep finding excuses for yourself, but I don''t need to do that. In short, I know your thoughts better than you do." Despite the fact that Philip''s anger had subsided, the calmness made Grayson even more apprehensive. "Father¡­" He called out to Philip but realized his mind had gone nk, not knowing what he should say next. At that, Philip turned to Quinton. "Quinton, please see our guests out and stand guard outside. Just hand over the evidence and Ann to the cops once they arrive, and only tell them she purchased banned substances. Seeing that I have regarded her as my niece all these years, I''ll overlook the fact that she drugged Sebastian. After that, ry my order¡ªfrom now on, Ann will no longer be a cousin to the Hart Family, and she will be banned from entering the premises of all businesses under the Hart Family!" "Yes, sir!" Quinton answered loudly before showing Emma and Ann the way out. "Mrs. Evans, Miss Evans, please!" Emma looked mournfully at Philip with her puffy eyes and sobbed. Her voice was shaky as she said, "You¡­ You''ll rue one day, Philip!" At that, she covered her mouth and ran out crying. Ann bawled and begged for her life, unable to ept her ending. "I''ve learned my lesson, Mr. Philip, I really have. Please spare me this once! I will never do it again, I swear! Please, I beg of you¡­" s, her unwillingness to leave only made Quinton drag her out. As desperate as Grayson was, he dared not help but only looked worryingly at Philip and continued interceding, "Father, this is too awful for Ann. Please spare her this once!" "Too awful for her?" Philip sneered. "Let me ask you this, Grayson. If Sebastian sumbed to the drug last night, who''d be the one in an awful position now?" Grayson parted his lips, but nothing came out of them. "You''re my son, so I''m willing to give you my respect and cast Emma and Ann out while we talk among ourselves." Philip looked at him. "Grayson, an average heart is born askew, which is why everyone would skew. There might be someone who is utterly and entirely just, but I''ve never met one, at least not with my own eyes. Firstly, I have to admit that I am partial. Though all of you are my sons, the one that will forever be most important to me is Sebastian. Back then, before officially adopting all of you, your adoptive mother and I made it clear to you that our purpose in adopting you was to help us look after Sebastian. You agreed to this yourselves. You haven''t forgotten about it, have you?" Grayson shook his head in response. "No¡­" Philip looked profoundly at his adopted son. "Grayson, I raised you because I want you to assist your brother and be his right-hand man. Of course, if Sebastian enves any of you or forces you into anything immoral, I will stop him myself, and you can all ignore him. But before that dayes, you should all be loyal to him and put him first¡­ Am I right, Grayson?" Apart from nodding, Grayson didn''t know what else he could say. With that, Philip waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, I''ll stop at that. You''re already an adult, and you know your rights from wrongs. Think about what you should do. I still have some things to attend to, and Sebastian will handle the rest." At that, he walked away. After seeing Philip off deferentially, Grayson looked toward Sebastian, who looked back at him with a half smile. Grayson really wanted to intercede for Ann, but as a brother who grew up with Sebastian, he knew the man all too well. Sebastian was a good man. He would do many charities every year, never any evil or throw his weight around. However, he was also vindictive and never one to tolerate misdeeds. Since he was dead set on punishing Ann, no one would be able to persuade him otherwise. Even if he asked, Sebastian would most likely turn him down. His mind told him to keep quiet lest he wanted to ruin their brotherhood, but his heart told him otherwise. On the other hand, he couldn''t forgive himself if he didn''t do anything for Ann. "Seb¡­" He looked pleadingly at Sebastian, taking pains to beg. He said, "I know Ann is wholly in the wrong this time, but all of us grew up together. Can you please forgive her this once, seeing that this is her first offense? Please, I beg of you¡­" "Grayson, did you not hear what Father said?" Lucas interjected before Sebastian could say anything. "How can you keep interceding for her when she wants to hurt Seb? Do you want to prove Father right that she is indeed more important than Seb is to you?" "No, that''s not what I meant," Grayson argued. "If Seb were in Ann''s position today, I''d intercede for him too¡­" Lucas snorted in response. "Yeah, right. Seb wouldn''t stoop that low at all!" "I''m only saying if it happens¡­" Grayson argued helplessly. "Alright, Grayson, an honest man speaks forthrightly." Lucas quirked his lips and brow while looking at Grayson. "Be honest with us. You like Ann, don''t you? Because you love her, you''re willing to do whatever it takes to intercede for her, am I right?" Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Grayson moved his lips but couldn''t utter a word for a long time. He didn''t want to lie to his brothers, nor would lying help him, for they knew each other best when they had grown up together. As if any of them would be able to fool the other! Atst, after a long while, Grayson shied away from Lucas'' gaze and nodded slightly. "No offense, Grayson, but you have horrible taste!" Lucas thought his brother could''ve done way better. "Of all the women in the world, why Ann? Just what she did to Sebst night is more than enough to show she''s far from decent!" At that, he sized Grayson up with a frown. "No, Grayson¡ªdon''t tell me you still like her after what she did to Seb." This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "I can''t help it, Lucas¡­" Grayson shook his head in distress. "I know it was wrong of her to drug Seb, but it pains me to know that the cops will take her away and she''d be disgraced. I wish I wouldn''t like her anymore as much as you do, but my heart''s not listening to my head¡­" "You¡ª" Lucas red daggers at him, so livid that he couldn''t finish his words. Lucas was yful and loved idling his life away in pleasure-seeking. Since he barely had any interest in women, he had never been in a romantic rtionship even until this day. Thus, he didn''t understand the concept of how love could make death a beauty as long as a person was with someone they liked. He couldn''t understand Grayson''s feelings for Ann, for he thought love shouldn''t be something that would blind an individual and make them go insane. A woman who could drug a married and fathered man was certainly no decent woman. Since that was the case, Grayson should despise her and stay far away from her. How could he still love Ann?! Isn''t this just a stupid thing to do?! If it were someone else, he''d just call the man a nutjob, snort at him, and walk away. However, they were talking about his brother here. In actuality, he was more worried than angry. After all, he couldn''t just sit back and watch Grayson jump into a fire pit when it was no secret that Ann was no decent woman. No way would he want Grayson to have any sort of rtionship with Ann, but would the man listen? There was a saying that anyone who had fallen in love would be fools and madmen. They''d be unreasonable, unwilling to listen to others, and wouldn''t turn around even if they hit a dead end. Would Grayson end up like this? Either way, I''m going to make my stance! At that, he looked Grayson dead in the eye and said, "Grayson, I''m going to make this clear. I refuse to let Ann be my sister-inw! I will not acknowledge her, nor the children she bears in the future if you do marry her. That''s all I''m saying. You figure it out yourself. Don''t go around saying I''m heartless and disrespectful when I don''t give her any respect after you actually marry that woman." To that, Grayson smiled wryly. "She won''t marry me¡­" Since they were now talking things out, there wasn''t anything that couldn''t be said anymore. He drooped his eyelids and stared at the ground, speaking with destion, "The person she likes is Seb, not me. She won''t marry me. What you''re worried about will never happen." "I beg to differ." Lucas snorted. "Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? I need to think ahead and make it clear to you here and now, lest you say I''m heartless and a person who turns their back on family." "Lucas is right." Sebastian looked at Grayson, still pulling that half-smile. "Grayson, don''t you know that things don''t stay the same forever? Ann might not be willing to marry you now, but who''s to say she wouldn''t change her mind after she leaves the detention center?" Grayson was rendered stumped. "Seb¡­" Sebastian continued, "In the past, she took a fancy to me but despised you, so she wasn''t willing to marry you. However, by the time she leaves the detention center¡ªdiscredited aside¡ªshe''d be exiled from the family, and news of her no longer being a cousin to our family will get out. By then, she might be willing to marry you." "Seb, you¡­" Grayson''s mind was in utter chaos, unsure of what he could or should say. "Grayson, if Ann is willing to marry you after she leaves the detention center, do you still want to marry her?" asked Sebastian as he fixed his gaze on his brother. "I¡­" Grayson couldn''t answer him. "How are you still hesitating, Grayson?!" Lucas couldn''t help feeling anxious. "If Ann is finally willing to marry you after she leaves the detention center, that means she just sees you as a waste center. Since she can''t find someone better, she can only do second-best and settle with you! You might treat her wholeheartedly, but she''ll only use you. She''s phony as hell! Don''t tell me you think a woman like that is worthy of your consideration?! You should shove her away and stay far away from her!" "No¡­ She won''t¡­ Ann doesn''t like me. She loves Seb, and she''ll never marry me¡­" Grayson mumbled with a ghastly countenance. "I''m only saying if it happens." Sebastian put it bluntly. "Grayson, don''t evade my question and answer me. If Ann changes her mind and wants to marry you after she leaves the detention center, do you still want to marry her?" "I¡­" Grayson choked on his words, unable to answer his brother. "Forget it." Sebastian snorted and said inly, "I''ll answer it for you, then. If that dayes, I hope you''ll turn her down." "Damn right about that!" Lucas bellowed. "Grayson, I''d rather you stay single forever like our uncles than to see you marry Ann! She drugged Seb, for f*ck''s sake! I don''t care how benign the drug is; I won''t forgive her for plotting against Seb. I can''t ept a woman like her into my family either. I strongly oppose letting her be my sister-inw!" In response, Grayson looked at Sebastian before shifting his gaze to Lucas, still unable to utter a word. At that, Sebastian shook his head. "Since you''re so indecisive about this, I''ll tell you my decision first. If you really marry Ann in the future, you''ll have to return everything our family has given to you and leave this family with Ann." "Seb!" Grayson was shocked by Sebastian''s decision. Sebastian waved his hand. "Don''t get worked up just yet. I''m not severing our brotherhood. Though I''m upset that you''ve disappointed me, you''re still my brother. The four of us grew up together, and this twenty-plus-year rtionship isn''t going to break just because of a woman. I just want to help you see the true colors of the woman you love so much." "Seb¡­" Grayson gawked at his brother, unable to think straight. "Grayson, if Ann changes her mind in the future and wants to marry you, she''ll certainly tell you that after all she has been through, she still thinks you treat her the best. You''re the one that genuinely loves and cherishes her, so she''s touched and has fallen in love with you. With that, she wants to marry you¡­" Sebastian looked into Grayson''s eyes and asked, "If she puts it like that, will you believe her?" Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Grayson''s eyes widened in response as he stood rooted to the spot dazedly, still unable to utter a word. "You can''t be serious, Grayson?!" Lucas was so livid that he wanted to beat some sense into his brother. "Grayson, can''t you wake up?! She only had eyes for Seb when she was still lofty, and now, she''s even willing to use dirty tricks on Seb so that she can marry him. Once she''s down and out and exiled from our family, she''ll lie about finally realizing what she wants and that you''re the one she wants to marry because she sees her true love in you. Anyone with the right mind can tell she''s using you! You don''t really think she''lle around and fall in love with you, do you?" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Grayson''s lips trembled. "Lucas, don''t speak of Ann like this. She''s not that kind of person¡­ I admit that she''s in the wrong for plotting against Seb, but this is love. It can turn a person into a madman and do insane things. Take me, for instance¡­" At that, he chuckled wryly. "You guys think I''m insane too, don''t you? I don''t want to fall in love with Ann either, and I want to love a woman you guys will approve of. However, I can''t help myself¡­" He shook his head in pain. "It''s my rtionship, but I can''t call the shots. I''ve tried; I really have, but I just can''t do it¡­" He kept telling himself that the person Ann loved was Sebastian, and he shouldn''t fall in love with a woman who loved his brother. That was sick, but he just couldn''t do it. He had tried so hard for so long. He even wished he could gouge Ann out from his heart with a knife. He had many sharp scalpels for that, but he just couldn''t bring himself to do so. "I swear, you¡­" Lucas was so livid that he turned around, wanting to pry his skull open to see just what he had stored in there. "Grayson, we grew up together. No one but us knows you better," said Sebastian inly as he looked at his brother. "Knowing you, you''ll surely believe everything Ann says with a bit of coaxing. Not only will you believe whatever she says, but you''ll even marry her and fulfill this dream you''ve had for years." "Seb, I¡­" That was all he said before he went silent again. He couldn''t retort, for he didn''t have the confidence to tell his brother that he wouldn''t be like what Sebastian said, nor would he marry Ann because he wasn''t sure if he would be able to do that. Perhaps it would really be like how Sebastian put it; he''d marry Ann even if it cost him everything once she begged him. Since he couldn''t do it, he didn''t want to vow. He didn''t want to be a rat that broke his vows, and he especially didn''t want to lie to his brothers. Seeing how Grayson didn''t deny it, Lucas snapped with exasperation, "Grayson, you''re not going to like what I say, but I''m still going to say it anyway. If you dare marry her, I will not show up at your wedding, nor will I acknowledge her as my sister-inw! You can forget about ever seeing me give a f*ck about her!" Grayson looked helplessly at him in response, unable to utter a word. "Grayson, I want you to listen carefully to what I''m about to say next." Sebastian looked gravely at Grayson. "Once you marry Ann, I will announce to the public that you have been disowned, and the Hart Family will reim all that we''ve given you, including all your existing assets and the hospital that''s in your hands¡­ Do you have any objections?" At that, Grayson looked into Sebastian''s eyes and said earnestly, "Seb, I don''t know if I will marry Ann, but I''m certain of this. You can take whatever''s mine whenever, including my life. All that I have today is thanks to you and Father. If it weren''t for you guys, I''d be long dead. To me, you and Father are above all. No matter what you and Father reim from me, I will return it unreservedly without a single comint!" "Very good." Sebastian nodded. "I''ll still give you a day to think about it. If you still ept it by then, I want you to sign a written agreement with me." "I don''t need to reconsider," said Grayson in a heartbeat. "I can sign it now!" "Alright, as you wish." Sebastian smirked. "I''ll have Carlislee over." Carlisle Selwyn was the lead attorney of Hart Corporation''s legal team and one of Sebastian''s confidants. Grayson knew well that Sebastian was serious when he now added Carlisle to the picture, but he didn''t stop his brother. He wasn''t lying; everything he said to Sebastian just now came from the bottom of his heart. All that he had, including his life, was given to him by his adoptive father and brother. If it weren''t for them, he''d have long died without a sliver of dignity left in him. If he disappointed Sebastian one day and that Philip or Sebastian wanted to reim whatever they had given him, he''d willingly return them on a silver tter. It was the least he owed them, and he thought it still wasn''t enough as repayment even if he gave them all that was his. After texting Carlisle, Sebastian put his phone away and turned back to Grayson. "The written agreement will only indicate that you have to return all that''s given to you and leave the Hart Family empty-handed once you marry Ann Evans. Also, all your connections to the Hart Family will henceforth be severed, and you''ll no longer be a young master of the Hart Family¡ª" "Seb¡­" Grayson interjected in a fluster. "I can return every single thing that''s given to me, but can we please not cut ties? I¡ª" "Let me finish." Sebastian put his hand up, stopping him. "Like I said, the four of us grew up together. Even if you''ve disappointed me, I will never get upset to the point of disowning you. You don''t get what I''m trying to say. I meant that it''ll only be indicated in the written agreement¡­" "I think I get it¡­" Lucas turned to Sebastian and asked, "Seb, is the agreement for Ann to see?" Grayson was rendered stumped. Written for Ann to see? What? I don''t get it. This was an agreement between him and Sebastian. Why would Lucas say the agreement was written for Ann to see? Seeing how lost Grayson was, Lucas shook his head and sighed. "No wonder people say the onlookers see most of the game. Grayson, you''re usually more shrewd than this, but now, you look like a buffoon!" Lucas was the yful and mischievous one, while Grayson was the total opposite; he was reticent and a man of few words. If it were in the past, Grayson would''ve red daggers at Lucas and told him to shut up when Lucas teased him like this. However, he was not in the mood that day, only looking absolutely lost. "Grayson¡­" Lucas yfully put an arm around Grayson''s shoulders and said, "I bet what Seb wants you to do is to show Ann this agreement if she wants to marry you. Maybe she''ll start having second thoughts after reading it. After all, she wants to marry you not because she loves you, but because you''re her best and probably only option!" At that, he tilted his head and looked at Sebastian. "I''m right, aren''t I, Seb?" Chapter 304 Chapter 304 "Yes." Sebastian nodded and said to Grayson, "Lucas is right. The agreement is written for Ann to see." After a moment of pondering, Grayson seemed to have gotten something, and his dull eyes gradually brightened. "Seb¡­ if¡­ I mean, if things really unfold like how you and Lucas say¡­ If Ann really wants to marry me, and she still does even after I''ve shown her this agreement, does that mean her feelings for me are real?" After all that she''s been through, she might realize that I''m the one who truly loves her, and she''ll fall in love with me¡­ "Dreams and delusions are two very different things!" Sebastian broke his love bubble unforgivingly. "If you just want Ann, then I have nothing to say. But if you want to find true love in her, you can forget about it! Ann is someone you can only share your riches with but not your sufferings¡ªthe one she loves most will always be herself!" "Why would you talk about Ann like this, Seb?" Grayson asked in bewilderment. "She has never done anything majorly wrong apart from this one time when she drugged you. Your glory and wealth might not be the reason she likes you. Maybe she''s attracted to you solely because you''re exceptionally brilliant. You can''t assume Ann''s a snob just because she has feelings for you. Don''t you think¡­ you have a prejudice toward her?" "I don''t," said Sebastian inly. "She''s a pretty shrewd woman. She might never have tantly bullied the weak or thrown her weight around, but the snobbishness that''s deep within her cannot fool any shrewd man. Her kindness is only a facade for her deep-rooted selfishness and coldness. You can only ever share the sweetness in life with her but never the sufferings. If you seed, her smile at you will be sweeter than honey, but once you''re dispossessed, she''ll run away faster than anyone!" "I second that," Lucas echoed. "Grayson, I''ll be honest with you. Seb, Kieran, and I don''t really like her. Sure, she''s nice to us brothers, but that''s because we''re all high-flyers. How dignifying it is to be close with the four of us?! But out there, she''s as overbearing as she can get and thinks she''s a big deal. She''s just a rtive, but she acts like she''s the eldest and only daughter of the Hart Family, wanting all the socialites of Dusktown to regard her highly! I''ve only ever given her a d*mn because Father adored her. Anyhow, I''ve long had a problem with her." Grayson fell silent. The four of them had grown up together. He naturally knew he treated her the nicest between the four of them. No¡ªthe four of them grew up with Ann, and while the four of them shared a deep bond, their rtionship with her was¡­ Well, only he treated her like a sister. Seb, Kieran, and Lucas¡­ They were just nice to her because of their father''s adoration toward her. As rare as a situation when only very few people held the truth was, it was never without it. Have I¡­ Have I really been blinded? He was in utter distress, and he didn''t want to fall in love with Ann either. No matter how anyone put it, liking a woman who loved his brother deeply didn''t sound pretty. If possible, he wanted to treat Ann as another woman like his brothers did. However, he couldn''t do it. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t do it. At that, he held his head in distress, shaking his head forcefully as he pulled at his hair. "Grayson¡­" Lucas gave his brother''s shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. "You know what, let''s not talk about this anymore." Sebastian didn''t want to continue obsessing over the subject with Grayson, for he knew no matter what he said, none of it would get through to his brother. There were many people in this world whom others couldn''t get through at all once they fell in love, and Grayson wasn''t the only one. It was only until they experienced the harsh reality and their hearts turned cold would they finallye around and move on. "Back to the agreement," said Sebastian. "What I told you just now would not only be written on paper, but also announced to the public. You just need to know yourself that I still think of you as my brother, and I won''t severe our brotherhood just because you''ve done something stupid. But to the public, I will announce your exile from our family¡­ Can you ept this, Grayson?" Honestly, Grayson wanted to say no. However, he was the one who disappointed their father and Sebastian, so he had no reason to oppose it. "You can call the shots," said Grayson with a nod. "Alright, that settles it." Sebastian squeezed Grayson''s shoulder as well and advised earnestly, "Though I''ve nned all of this and also figured out a countermeasure, I still don''t want things to reach that point. I really hope you cane around soon, realize just what sort of a woman Ann is, and forget about her." "Yeah," echoed Lucas. "There are so many women in this world, Grayson, and any one of them is better than Ann. Why must you be so dead set on her? Ann drugged Seb and wanted to slither into his bed. If you really do marry her, imagine what would happen at the dinner table during Christmas and all?!" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Don''t even think about it," Sebastian said. "No matter what, Ann can forget about ever stepping into our home ever again, let alone share a table with me. I will not ept her no matter what role she takes on." "Seb¡­" Pleaced Grayson''s voice as he spoke. "What i-if Ann doesn''t despise my dispossession and truly loves me? Will you still refuse to ept her as your sister-inw even if she truly loves me?" "I''d be a dutchman if she truly falls in love with you like you believe she would; that''s just not who she is," Sebastian said. "Even if she truly falls in love with you like you believe she would, I still won''t take her as my sister-inw and a member of our family!" Just the thought of a woman delusionally wanting to have sex with him through the use of philter repulsed him. It was by sheer luck that Madeline''s appearance turned him into a proper man and made him forget his traumatic, repulsive encounter as a child. Thank the heavens that he noticed Ann''s conspiracy in time, causing her n to fail. Otherwise, his trauma would aggravate for sure. If he got nauseous whenever he saw women, how would he and Madeline live a normal married life and give their boys a perfect home? Right now, just the thought of Ann already got him nauseous, so how could he ept having her as his sister-inw?! Not to mention the fact that they would be sharing a table to enjoy a festive dinner?! Just thinking of it made him abhorrent, wanting to throw up! Why would he, the heir to the patriarchy of the Hart Family,promise like this?! Impossible! Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Grayson looked at Sebastian, then at Lucas. He lowered his head and said softly, "Alright, Sebastian¡­" No matter what happened in the future, his eldest brother would never recognize Ann as part of the Hart Family. Even if he really married Ann, she wouldn''t ever walk through the Hart Residence''s doors as a member of the Hart Family. If he married Ann, every time the family had a gathering yearster, his eldest brother and two younger brothers would bring their wives along and sit together, enjoying time with their father. As for him, he could only walk through the Hart Residence''s doors alone. If he insisted on marrying Ann, that would be a scenario he had to face in the future. Did he really want to marry Ann? No. Why should he consider all these right now? The one Miss Ann loved was his eldest brother. She wouldn''t want to marry him! That was right; he didn''t have to worry about these things, for Miss Ann wouldn''t ever marry him. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Grayson didn''t know if he sighed out of disappointment or relief. He chuckled quietly in self- depreciation. "I''m not finished yet," Sebastian then continued, "Even though I won''t actually cut off ties with you, if you still insist on marrying Ann in the future, the written agreement we''ve established has no expiry date. This means that I have the final say in when I am willing to acknowledge you publicly again. Before that happens, you will have no rtion to the Hart Family. Everything you return to the Hart Family will still fall in my hands, and you may not be able to get them back for the rest of your life." Grayson was stunned for a moment, but he nodded quickly. "All of that doesn''t matter, Sebastian. As long as you don''t truly hate me in your heart and cut off ties with me, I don''t mind all those worldly possessions. Those were originally given to me by Father and you, so they should naturally be returned to you two." "Don''t you understand, Grayson? Sebastian is doing this for your own good. He fears that Ann might deceive you!" Lucas humphed and patted Grayson on the shoulder. "If Ann marries you on the premise that Father and Sebastian would forgive you soon enough, she won''t be able to withstand the poverty one day and leave you. If she manages to live a decade or two in poverty with you, perhaps she really did turn over a new leaf. When that happens, I believe that Sebastian will acknowledge her." "There is no time limit," Sebastian said firmly. "Everything will be under my control for at least a decade or two. I might even change my mind next year and take everything as my own, and you''ll never get them back." "I got it." Lucas patted Grayson on the shoulder again, tranting, "If there is a time limit and Ann finds out about it, perhaps she will just grit her teeth and countdown to that date. Perhaps she might really endure through it all. Without a time limit, it means that there is no hope. That is the most despairing thing, and she''ll abandon you once she''s unable to stand it any longer!" Grayson was speechless, and he said in exasperation, "Sebastian, Lucas, you''re overthinking this. Ann would never marry me." Lucas clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes at Grayson. "Well, do you want to make a bet? If I lose, I''ll come to your every beck and call to do your household chores. If you lose, stop calling me Lucas¡ª you''ll have to call me Mr. Lucas instead!" Grayson was silent for a bit. Unable to endure this any longer, he gave Lucas a knock on the head. "Get lost!" "Ouch!" Lucas rubbed the spot where he had been hit, mumbling, "You keep hitting my head; I think you''re just jealous that I''m smarter than you. However, seeing how ignorant you are, no matter how many times you hit me, I''ll still be smarter than you!" Grayson said, "Can you just shut up? You''re the one who talks the most here! I don''t know why Sebastian wants you to stay by his side when you''re so talkative! I won''t bet with you since I don''t need you toe at every beck and call. You''re too noisy, and I just wish that you''d be as far away from me as possible!" Lucas said while grinning, "It''s obviously because I''m smarter than you, and I speak sweeter words than you do. I''m slick, I dance well, and I don''t get drunk easily! I can help Sebastian by attending all the balls, dances, and charity dinners he doesn''t like. Can you do that?" Grayson was speechless. Indeed, it was true that he wasn''t as good as Lucas in these aspects. He couldn''t win against the third child either. Even though their third brother was in the entertainment business, he was quite the pretty gentleman. He wasn''t smooth and slick like Lucas, but he''d choose his words depending on who he was talking to. No one he wanted to coax and convince would be able to escape his hands. Sadly, Grayson was born like this. He wasn''t very good at socializing; if not, as long as he had a tiny fraction of Lucas'' abilities, he would''ve won Ann''s heart by now. He wouldn''t have allowed Ann to fall for Sebastian, nor would he have gotten to this point. At the thought of Ann, his heart, which had rxed a little thanks to Lucas'' antics, sank again. While he was still wallowing in sorrow, Carlisle arrived. Sebastian ryed his requests to Carlisle. As the topwyer in the entire country, this was a piece of cake to him, and he quickly drafted the agreement. Without reading the document, Grayson signed his name on the end of thest page and left a thumbprint. The agreement had three copies; one would be in Sebastian''s hands, another with Grayson, and Carlisle would own the other backup. Anyone would be shocked by the contents of the agreement, but Carlisle persisted in keeping to the topic. Afterpleting the task, he asked Sebastian if there were any other requests. Since there was nothing else for him to carry out, he left in an extremely quiet way. Lucas looked at Carlisle''s upright figure, clicking his tongue. "I''ve been training him for so long, but he still wears this poker face. There''s not even a tiny sense of achievement for me! Terrible!" Sebastian chuckled lightly. "Be more lenient on him. If you enrage him someday, he''ll really beat you up." "Do I fear him?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "We don''t know who the winner is yet!" Sebastian smiled. "I''m not interested to know who wins, but if you two reallye to blows, you will definitely die at his hands!" Lucas fell silent. He rubbed his nose as he said stubbornly, "That''s different! If I can''t win in strength, I can win in wits! I might not be the one dying!" "Are you sure?" Sebastian mimicked Lucas and raised his eyebrows as he asked, "Are you sure you can outsmart him?" Lucas was speechless again. He was stunned for a bit, then shrugged. "Fine, fine. This is why I hatewyers the most!" Especially Carlisle, the Demon King! In the entire Hart Corporation, Sebastian was the most powerful, and Lucas was second inmand. When Sebastian wasn''t around¡­ No, no matter if Sebastian were there or not, everyone would have to listen to Lucas! Everyone knew Sebastian favored Lucas the most. Sebastian never retorted to anything he said, but only that wretched Carlisle loved to go against him. Lucas couldn''t even win against Carlisle, be it in terms of strength or wits! He hatedwyers the most! Sebastian patted him on the shoulder. "Don''t give up so easily. He might not be better than you in terms of potential. If you have at least three tenths of his diligence, you wouldn''t get so pissed by him that you''d keep hitting the wall." "Huh?" Lucas blinked. "Forget about it, then!" Chapter 306 Chapter 306 If he had to be hardworking, he''d rather be dead. Nothing beat eating, drinking, and having fun every day. If he had to be like that poker-faced Carlisle, with his day consisting of either work or training, what joy would be left in this life? Sebastian smiled and ignored him, saying to Grayson instead, "Have a good look at the agreement when you get home. I stand by my words. Even though I''ve nned everything beforehand, I still hope that you can steer clear of Ann. Don''t get involved with her anymore, much less marry her. As for whether you''ll listen to my advice or not¡­ Think about it properly when you go back." Grayson nodded and said in a low voice, "I understand, Sebastian. I''ll head home now, alright?" He would usually stay behind for dinner, but today, he wasn''t in the mood. Sebastian nodded. "Go ahead." With Sebastian''s permission, Grayson left the Hart Family and returned to his ce. Once he was back home, he took the agreement and sat on the couch. His eyes stared straight ahead at a random spot, and he didn''t move for a long while. He¡­ wanted to see Ann and desperately longed for her to the point of going crazy. He just wanted to check on her and see if anyone was bullying her or if she was crying in despair. If he stood up for her, would Ann''s sentence be lighter? The more he thought about it, the more he suffered. He suddenly stood up and walked to the door. He ced his hand on the handle, but he hesitated. No, he wouldn''t do anything anymore. No one could change his eldest brother''s decision. Even if Grayson stood up for her, he wouldn''t be able to change anything. His father hated anyone who bent thew for selfish reasons. If his father knew that he was looking for people to beg for mercy on Ann''s behalf, his father would get so furious and disappointed in him. In fact, Grayson might even be chased out of the Hart Family. His father wasn''t in the best of health, and he didn''t want his father to get worked up because of him. Grayson slowly removed his hand from the handle and walked back to the couch, sitting down dejectedly. Half an hourter, he could no longer endure the suffering in his heart. In the end, he still left home and went to the police station. He could choose not to plead for a lighter sentence for Ann based on his connections, but he had to visit her at the very least. He wanted her to know that not everyone had abandoned her. She still had him. As long as she earnestly repented, he would still acknowledge her as family. He would also take good care of Ann once she was released. When that happened, even though her status wouldn''t be as noble as it used to be, at least he could ensure that she wouldn''t have to worry about survival. As soon as Grayson arrived at the police station and stated his reasons, he was told that Ann wasn''t allowed to meet anyone other than herwyer. If he wanted to see Ann, he would have toe again tomorrow. The next day, he was already waiting outside the police station even before it was time to start work. He waited for an entire day, and even when the police got off work, he still didn''t manage to see her. He dared not get angry, nor did he dare force his way in. He could only leave in anxiety and helplessness. On the third day, he made his way there early in the morning again. His efforts were finally rewarded, for he finally got to see Ann this time. However, in a mere two days, Ann had turned especially haggard. She looked so sickly that when Grayson saw Ann, he almost couldn''t recognize her at first nce. The Ann he knew before was always morous with exquisite makeup on, and she was a stunning beauty in his mind. However, the current Ann was handcuffed and dressed in prison clothes, looking wilted and dull in the face. There were circles under her eyes, and her originally exquisite and beautiful face now looked extremelymon. She was at most nice-looking. If it weren''t for her features which matched those in his memory, he almost thought that the police got her mixed up with someone else and he was brought to another woman entirely. When Ann saw him, it was as if she had seen her savior. Her tears immediately gushed out. "Grayson, you''re here to save me, right? I knew that you wouldn''t abandon me! Grayson, hurry up and get me out. Take me away, please¡­" This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Grayson felt extremely awkward. "I''m sorry, Miss Ann¡­" "You''re sorry?" Ann''s eyes widened. "What do you mean by that, Grayson? Aren''t you here to bring me out? Grayson, it''s too terrifying here, so please hurry up and get me out, okay?" "I''m sorry, Miss Ann, I can''t do that¡­" Grayson''s heart was both aching and wracked with guilt. "Miss Ann, you did something wrong, so you have to be punished for your crimes. I cannot go against thew to save you, and I don''t have the power to save you either. I can''t do it¡­ I''m sorry, Miss Ann¡­" "No, that can''t be¡­" Ann shook her head desperately. "Grayson, go and beg Mr. Philip for mercy. He loves you all the most, and he''ll definitely listen to everything you say! Grayson, please save me. Please get rid of my records. I cannot have any criminal records on me, and I cannot stay here either. If other people know of this, my life will be ruined. Please!" She covered her face with her hands and sobbed silently. Grayson was sympathetic and pitied her. He didn''t agree with how his father and eldest brother did things, and he felt that they were too cruel for sending Ann to the detention center. However, there was nothing he could do. If he were the one being hurt, he could forgive her and let bygones be bygones. However, his eldest brother had been hurt, not him. He couldn''t speak for Sebastian, and he couldn''t insist that Ann didn''t cause his eldest brother any harm. He couldn''t use every way possible to beg his eldest brother to let Ann off either. He couldn''t do it, and he couldn''t give Ann the answer she wanted. "I''m sorry, Miss Ann. I can''t do those things you speak of." He was both heart-broken and guilty, his voice light and quick. "But don''t worry, Miss Ann. When you get out of there, I won''t abandon you! I can take some time off and bring you on a vacation to rx! You like inds, don''t you? I''ll go anywhere you like with you, alright?" "No, I don''t want that!" Ann wept, breaking down. She shook her head and pped her palm against the table forcefully. "I don''t want a vacation or to rx, I want to get out of here! This ce is terrible, the rooms are small and dark, and the air is dirty and reeks of something! The people I live with smell terrible and make me gag¡­ I cannot take this, I really can''t!" She wept while saying, "Grayson, please, I''m begging you. Please help to get me out. As long as you''re willing to rescue me, I''ll agree to anything you say!" As long as you''re willing to rescue me, I''ll agree to anything you say¡­ This sentence sent a chill down Grayson''s spine. As long as he was willing to rescue Ann, she would agree to anything he said¡­ When she said those words, did she not mean it, or was she hinting at something else? He couldn''t help but admit that even though he still liked Ann, Sebastian and Lucas'' words had left marks on his heart. He couldn''t devote himself fully to Ann without any considerations like before. Something hadtched onto his heart. Grayson no longer took Ann''s words at face value; he would think them over and analyze them. He would ruminate on them. When she said those words, was it an ident, or was she nning something in her mind? As long as he was willing to rescue Ann, she would agree to anything he said¡­ If one of his requests were to marry her, would she agree right away? Or perhaps, without a wedding or a marriage certificate, as long as he was willing to rescue her, would she submit herself to him and toss her name aside? Chapter 307 Chapter 307 His heart was throbbing in pain. He had liked Ann for so long, and he was reluctant to conjecture her words with such a muddled mindset. He was even less willing to believe that everything Sebastian and Lucas analyzed were true. He chased all of his troubled thoughts out of his mind. "Miss Ann, it''s not that I''m not willing to; I''m simply unable to do it. Thew is just, and you have gone against it, so you have to be punished. No one can escape thew, and I cannot rescue you." "No, not like this¡­" Sobbing, Ann shook her head. "I never hurt anyone. Sebastian is my cousin, and this matter is within our family, so why should we resolve it with thew? Please beg Sebastian for mercy and ask him to cancel the charges. As long as he is willing to do it, I''ll be able to get out!" Grayson looked at her and asked, "Miss Ann¡­ Why did you drug Sebastian? You know very well that he already has a wife and a son, so why would you give him that drug?" He wanted to know the answer to this question. "Madeline is no wife of his!" Ann said sobbingly, "She doesn''t deserve someone like him! Do you know how wicked she is? She was just a servant of the Taylor Family, and she was so insignificant. She had kneeled down in front of countless people, and was insulted by even more. She''s a dirty woman, so what right does she have to be Sebastian''s spouse? She has even less of a right to be the female head of the Hart Family!" "You said it yourself that everything is in the past, though!" Grayson then continued slowly, "Back then, she was indeed a minor figure living at the lowest level of society. But now, not only is she the young mistress of the Taylor Family, she''s even Logan''s and Luke''s beloved sister. Her position now is good enough for her to be Sebastian''s wife and the female head of the Hart Family! Moreover, she even gave birth to two intelligent sons for Sebastian. Father loves those children dearly, and you know it! Just because of those two children, she would be the woman most deserving to be Sebastian''s wife and the female head of the Hart Family!" "Oh, those two illegitimate children?" Ann''s eyes turned red with hatred. "Grayson, don''t you know how many people in the upper ss society of Dusktown hate illegitimate children? Those two illegitimate children were a disgrace to Sebastian and the entire Hart Family! Also, the woman who birthed them, Madeline, is the ultimate disgrace to Sebastian and the Hart Family! Why would you think that Madeline deserves to be Sebastian''s wife and the female head of the Hart Family simply because of those two illegitimate children? Just because Madeline can give birth? All women can give birth, you know! As long as Sebastian is willing, in all of Dusktown, there is no wealthy youngdy who wouldn''t want to give birth to Sebastian''s children!" If she were given a chance, she could also give birth to Sebastian''s children! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Only the children she birthed could be the heir of the Hart Family, for they''d have noble blood running in their veins! It was also because of those two illegitimate children that she thought of drugging Sebastian despite everything else. Madeline could rise to nobility because of her children, so she could do it as well! Mr. Philip loved grandchildren, didn''t he? Since there weren''t any other children in the Hart Family, Mr. Philip had to settle for those two. How could Madeline''s illegitimate childrenpare to her own children? If Sebastian slept with her, she would give birth to his son. By then, she could rece Madeline and marry Sebastian, hence bing the female head of the Hart Family! This thought had pushed her to plot against Sebastian as if she had lost her wits. In the end, she failed miserably. Her pain was at its greatest, and her heart would always ache so much that it felt like a poisoned dagger had pierced it. Her n had nearly seeded. Just a little bit more, and she would have slept with Sebastian and gotten pregnant with his child. When she gave birth to Sebastian''s child, Madeline and those two illegitimate children wouldn''t amount to anything anymore. Sadly¡­ She gripped her hair in pain, her tears falling quicker down her face. "That''s not the same!" Grayson continued, "Miss Ann, we grew up together with Sebastian, so you should know that he doesn''t have too much of a liking for women. Sebastian never even saw you in that light. Many women would have loved to have his children, but there wasn''t a single woman Sebastian would willingly marry. There were none before, and now, Madeline is the only one. Based on that alone, Madeline has the right to be Sebastian''s wife!" Ann was stunned. A momentter, she lowered her head in pain, covering her face and shaking her head fiercely. "I don''t get it¡­ I don''t get it¡­ I love him so much, and I am willing to do everything for his sake, but why? Why does he never look at me, and why doesn''t he want to ept my feelings? Which part of me is worse than that wretched Madeline? That wretched woman who groveled all day, who countless people ruined¡­ She was so dirty and despicable, but I was raised with love and care. I am pure and clean, but why isn''t he willing to fall for me?" "Miss Ann, don''t speak of Madeline like that!" Grayson frowned as he said, "No matter what Madeline was like before, she is our sister-inw now. Sebastian will be holding a wedding with her soon to give her a proper identity. After the wedding, she will be Sebastian''swful wife, as well as the proper female head of the Hart Family. As for you, when you see her next time, you should call her Mrs. Hart¡­" "No¡­ No¡­" Ann shook her head in pain, shouting in a hoarse voice, "She doesn''t deserve it! She doesn''t deserve it at all!" She whipped her head up to look at Grayson. "Grayson, you have to stop Sebastian. Don''t let him get tricked by Madeline! Sebastian is a pure man, so what right does Madeline have to give birth to his children? She must have yed tricks on him so that she could have his children! That sort of woman must be evil and cunning. If Sebastian marries her, it will ruin the entire family. She will destroy the Hart Family!" Ann had worked hard for so many years, and she even went to extremes by drugging the man she loved, but she couldn''t even touch the fabric of Sebastian''s clothes. However, Madeline would be marrying into the Hart Family and be the true female head of the family. How could this be? If one could get away from the consequences of murder, she would definitely stab Madeline to death a thousand times, then cut off all her flesh and mince them! She had never hated a person so much before. She hated Madeline so much that she wanted to tear thetter into pieces, then stomp them into dust! Seeing her crazed behavior, Grayson no longer wanted to say anything. The smart, kind, and beautiful Miss Ann he knew had already gone crazy. She had fallen into jealousy and suffering, and she had lost her wits. No matter what he said, she wouldn''t be able to hear him anymore. Seeing Grayson stand up silently, Ann panicked. "Grayson, what are you doing?" "Miss Ann, there is a limit to visitation times," said Grayson lightly. "I should go¡­" "No! No!" Ann hastily stood up, grabbing his arm over the desk. Tears streamed down her face as she begged, "Grayson, don''t go! No¡­ Take me with you! Please, Grayson, take me with you. I cannot stay here a minute longer, so please take me with you. You have to get me out of here!" Chapter 308 Chapter 308 "I''m sorry, Miss Ann. I can''t do that¡­" Grayson didn''t dare look at her as he turned around and fled. He had walked some distance outside, but he could still hear the heart-wrenching sobs sounding behind him. His heart was broken, but there was nothing he could do. This was his first time experiencing such a strong feeling of helplessness. Even though he was only an adopted child of the Hart Family, his father loved him, and his eldest brother took care of him. If he ran into any trouble, he didn''t even have to talk about it before his father or his eldest brother resolved it for him. This was the first time no one came to his aid. He was helpless and lonely. Since Grayson was too distracted to work, he went back home and downed an entire bottle of wine in one go. Drunk, he flopped onto the couch and fell into a deep slumber. The next day, he couldn''t help but visit Ann once more. This time, he didn''t get to see Ann. However, he was informed that the sentence had been passed down. Since the incident wasn''t too severe, Ann was only sentenced to a week in detention. It was only a week, so it was much better than the fifteen days, one month, or even three months that they had anticipated. He secretly sighed in relief. He managed to see Ann again and delivered some things to her. Ann wasn''t ted because of the short sentence, though. Just like when hest saw her, she sobbed and begged for him to save her. Once again, he ran away. Seven dayster, he arrived early at the detention center and waited. He was the only one who came. He expected that none of the Hart Family would be here, but he found it surprising that even Ann''s foster mother wasn''t here to pick her up; she didn''t even send anyone here. He was the lone figure outside the detention center, waiting for Ann. He was confused, and he also pitied Ann greatly. He waited for more than an hour before he saw Ann leaving the detention center, carrying a small bag with her. He immediately walked up to the woman. Ann was already looking all around her before she even stepped out of the detention center, but she could only see Grayson alone. Tears came to her eyes in an instant. Grayson rushed up to her. "Are you alright, Miss Ann?" Ann wiped her tears. "Where is my mom?" "I¡­" Grayson was hesitant. As she wiped her tears, Ann took out her phone from her bag with her free hand and called up Emma. The call went through, and Emma''s voice was cold as she said, "Hello? What is it?" Ann choked. "Mom, it''s me, Ann." "I know," Emma said indifferently. "Talk if you have something to say. If not, I''ll be hanging up now. I''m busy." "Mom¡­" Ann asked pitifully, "Why aren''t you here to pick me up?" "To pick you up?" Emma sneered. "What for? To celebrate your grand return? Don''t you know what shameful things you''ve done? Yet, you still want me to pick you up from the detention center? I''m not crazy!" "Mom¡­" Ann was crying so much that she couldn''t say anything. "Enough, stop calling me," Emma said, annoyed. "You''re the one who''s not capable enough, but you even dragged me down. I must have been blind to have adopted you as my daughter! I''m very annoyed right now, so don''t bother me. My old sickness is acting up again, so I''m in the south to recuperate. I don''t have time to deal with your matters, so just do whatever you want on your own!" With that, before Ann could say anything, she hung up. "Mom¡­" Ann anxiously called, but the only sound that responded to her was the tone after the call ended. As she trembled, Ann called her mom once again, but a mechanical voice sounded instead. "The number you have dialed is unavable." Her legs gave way, and she almost fell to the ground. What did her mother mean by that? Had she gone to the south to recuperate? Why wouldn''t her mother wait for her to be released before going to the south? Her mother didn''t visit her in the detention center, and when she was released, her mother didn''t even come to pick her up. Instead, she turned off her phone and refused to answer her calls! What was her mother trying to do? Had she abandoned her? She knew that she wasn''t her foster mother''s biological daughter, but she was still her foster mother''s only daughter. She never thought that her foster mother would abandon her! She sobbed until her entire body turned weak. She slowly crouched down, holding her head as she wept tremendously. Why? Why did fate have to be this unfair? Everything she had was like a mirage, gone overnight. However, that woman named Madeline easily attained everything she wished for. She had nothing now. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Her hopes of marrying Sebastian; her position as the cousin of the Hart Family; her foster mother''s love; as well as the envy, jealousy, and ttering of the people around her. Everything was gone. "Miss Ann¡­" Grayson didn''t know how tofort her. He turned around, intending to get some tissues from his car. Hearing his footsteps leaving, Ann, who was crouched on the ground, suddenly stood up and ran over to him. She hugged him from behind, crying, "Grayson, why are you leaving? Are you going to abandon me too?" Feeling the soft body on his back, Grayson stiffened all over. He didn''t dare move an inch. "Miss Ann, I was going to the car to get some tissues for you to wipe your tears¡­" "No¡­ No¡­" Ann sobbed, shaking her head. "Grayson, you''re the only one I have! Don''t leave me, no¡­" Now, she only had Grayson. If she lost him, she would lose all of her bargaining chips. She was like a phoenix devoid of all its feathers. She would be mocked and ridiculed by all the wealthy daughters in Dusktown who once envied and were jealous of her. "I won''t leave you," Grayson coaxed, "Miss Ann, don''t be afraid. I will take care of you." "Thank you, Grayson, thank you¡­" Ann sobbed silently. "Everything is alright, Miss Ann, everything has passed¡­" Grayson patted her hand. "Miss Ann, shall I send you home? After going back, you should have a bath and go to sleep. When you wake up, the nightmare will be over. You can start over afresh." "No¡­ I don''t want to go home¡­" Ann wept, shaking her head. "Mom is angry with me and doesn''t want me anymore. If I go home, I''ll be left all alone. I''m scared¡­" "That won''t happen," said Grayson. "There are still servants at home, right?" "No¡­ I don''t want to go home! They''llugh at me!" Ann sobbed as she said, "I''ve been in jail. I''m too ashamed to see anyone in the future¡­" "Miss Ann, don''t think that." Although he was not good with his words, Grayson did his best to coax her. "Miss Ann, you''ve done something wrong, but you have paid the price for it. Everyone makes mistakes, right? It''s the greatest virtue to repent! Since you have already paid the price for what you''ve done, no one will have the right tough at you." "No¡­ It''s not like that¡­" Ann''s face was pressed tight against Grayson''s back, her tears wetting the clothes on his back. "Grayson, can I go back with you? My mom doesn''t want me anymore, and I don''t want to go back to that cold bed. I want to go back with you. Please?" Now, Grayson was the only one she could depend on, and he was her sole bargaining chip. She could only hold tightly onto Grayson and use him to her advantage. She would use him to raise her status so that she wouldn''t be too much lower than the wealthy daughters in Dusktown who liked to compete with her. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 "Ann¡­" Grayson hesitated for a second. Instinctively, he recalled what Sebastian and Lucas had told him before this. They said that after Ann was released from the detention center, she would want to marry him. Now, Ann suggested going home with him. Had Sebastian and Lucas really guessed it right? Did Ann want to¡­ marry him? No, there''s no way. Ann just treats me like her brother. She had just been through such a horrible episode. Her adoptive mother didn''t want to care about her anymore, and she had nowhere to go. It was reasonable for her to just grab tightly onto the only person who was still by her side subconsciously. Ann just sees me as her brother and her family. I shouldn''t make it tooplicated. Yes, that''s it! After taking a deep breath, he turned around and said, "Don''t be afraid, Ann. We''re brother and sister who grew up together since we were young. Naturally, I will take care of you. I¡­" "I finally know who''s the best for me, Grayson!" Ann didn''t give him the chance to finish his sentence. She leaped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest with her face buried in it. "Thank you, Grayson! Thank you so much! I really don''t know what to do without you¡­" At this moment, his body was stiff, and his arms were frozen beside his body. He didn''t dare move an inch. Sebastian''s voice started to resonate in his ears in the nick of time. ''I''m the one she wantedst time. She looked down on you, so she didn''t want to marry you. However, once she''s released from the detention center, her reputation will be on the ground, and she will be kicked out of the Hart Family. News about us not recognizing her status as the cousin of the Hart Family will spread too. By that time, she might be willing to marry you.'' It continued, ''Grayson, if Ann changes her mind in the future and wants to marry you, she will definitely say that after everything she has been through, she still feels that you''re the best. You''re the one who really loves and cares about her. She''ll im that she has fallen in love with you and wants to marry you after being moved by your actions. Will you believe her if she says that?'' Right now, Ann''s voice and what Sebastian said practically ovepped with each other. Did Sebastian really guess it right? At this thought, Grayson was very shocked and pushed her away sharply. Ann stumbled a few steps backward from the push and looked at him in shock. "What''s wrong?" Then, he looked at her haggard and sallow face, the dark circles under her eyes, and her reddened eyes from the constant crying. He became soft-hearted at once. "Nothing. I''m just trying to say that we should leave now. Other people are watching¡­" Hearing that, she turned around and nced at the ce before grinding her teeth. "I''ll nevere to this kind of ce again in my life!" It''s too scary here! I swear that I''m not going toe here ever again! However, Grayson''s mind was in a mess right now, and he didn''t hear what she said. He then walked to his car absent-mindedly. Ann followed him from the back and linked arms with him before asking anxiously, "Grayson, you won''t chase me away, right? I''m really scared. I don''t dare go home alone. Can''t you just take me in for some time and send me back home when I''m feeling better?" Fear crawled all over her face, and she chose her words carefully. Seeing that, he just couldn''t reject her, so he nodded. "Okay." Only at this moment did she feel at ease. Luckily, Grayson is still the same. After what happened, it would be impossible for her to marry Sebastian anymore. Not only that, other wealthy families in Dusktown would never consider her either. Since she had entered a detention center before and was a woman with a criminal record, the prestigious families would never let their descendants marry her. If she was still the Hart Family''s cousin, she could''ve chosen anyone from the second- or third-ss families. If Philip was willing to stand up for her, she might even be able to marry into a top-ss family. Unfortunately, she was too into Sebastian previously and could only see him in her eyes; she didn''t want to marry anyone other than him. Being too obsessed with him and pushing herself into an impasse was her worst move. Now, lesser-known families and second- or third-ss wealthy elites wouldn''t choose her, let alone the top-ss families. As such, her only choice now was Grayson. She had totch onto him tightly and marry the man. If she could marry him, she would still be the mistress of a wealthy family in high society. With that, the rest of her life would still be prestigious. Thosedies in Dusktown who were jealous of her previously would still be envious of her. She wouldn''t fall down here and be stepped on the ground. There was still a happy future ahead of her! At this thought, she hugged Grayson''s arm tightly as though she was hugging her only hope now. On the other hand, Grayson''s body was stiff, and he felt very ufortable. Nheless, he understood that she had been through so much and was afraid, so he didn''t push her away. Both of them didn''t talk much on the way back. When they arrived at Grayson''s house, they saw someone in the living room after opening the door. There was not only one, but three of them. Lucas buried himself in the couch and looked at Grayson, who was bringing Ann into the living room. He then waved at Grayson sluggishly. "Hi there, Grayson. Good morning!" "Why are you here?" Grayson asked. His private ce was a three-thousand square foot duplex apartment, and the door had a password lock. Both Sebastian and Lucas knew the password. Although they knew the password, Lucas felt that Grayson was no fun, so he seldom came here to stay. When he wanted to visit him at times, he would go to the office instead. Why was he suddenly here today? He even entered his house without telling him beforehand! "Of course I''m here for you!" Lucas stood up and walked to Grayson with a smile. "Sebastian guessed that you would be bringing Ann over to stay at your ce, so he deliberately asked me to bring two people here to take care of you. Look¡­" He snapped his fingers and pointed at the man and woman who were standing beside the couch. "They are the bodyguard and assistant that Sebastian specially chose for you. They are siblings too. The brother''s name is Birch Hart, and his little sister is Winter Hart. Birch is the bodyguard, and Winter is your assistant. They will take care of you 24/7 without leaving your side. Grayson¡­" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. He lifted his arm and put it around Grayson''s shoulders. "Are you surprised by Sebastian''s sudden, yet thoughtful and luxurious gift package?" Hearing that, Grayson had no words. Could he say that he was only shocked, but not surprised? After waiting for some time, Lucas realized that Grayson didn''t have any reaction, so he raised his brows and asked, "Why? Don''t you like it?" Just as Grayson was going to say something, Lucas cut him off. "It''ll be of no use even if you don''t like it. It''s a gift from Sebastian. Do you dare send it back? By the way, let me make it clear first¡ªI''m only a delivery man, and I''m not in charge of refunds. If you want to make a refund, you can go to Sebastian yourself." At this moment, Grayson was speechless once again. Is Sebastian helping me to be cautious of Ann? He''s really¡­ He had no words to say anymore. With a nod, he said, "I''ll thank Sebastian myself." "Are you not thanking me?" Lucas was not happy. "I have so many things to do every day. Do you know how busy I am? If you weren''t my biological brother, I wouldn''t have bothered about such a tiny matter! Are you really not thanking me?" When Grayson heard that, he was speechless for a second. "I don''t have a younger biological brother. Thank you, though!" Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Lucas hummed a response and patted Grayson on his shoulder. "You''re being sarcastic now! That''s some improvement!" Hearing that, Grayson didn''t know what to say. Was that even sarcastic? He was really exhausted and didn''t want to talk anymore. When Ann saw that Lucas was talking as though nobody else was around without even sparing a nce at her, she couldn''t help but say, "Lucas, why don''t you talk to me? I''m your big sister!" Lucas then looked at her sluggishly. "I only have three big brothers and no big sisters. Please don''t try to make connections with me." "Why are you talking to me like that, Lucas?" she said unhappily. "We''ve been growing up together since we were young. Is it really that simple to forget our twenty-plus-year rtionship? Are you such a heartless person?" "Is there a problem?" He raised his brows and looked at her. "Didn''t I make myself clear? Whoever plots against my brother will be my enemy forever! Also, who has a twenty-plus-year rtionship with you? Even though I don''t remember much about my younger days, ever since I can remember, I''ve always disliked you. There''s no such thing as a rtionship between us, okay?" "You¡­ You¡­" Ann was so angry that her body started to tremble. "Well, if you have forgotten, let me tell you again!" Lucas looked into her eyes and spoke word by word. "Whoever hurts Sebastian will be my lifelong enemy! I''m not taking revenge on you just for Father''s sake. If you still dare to do anything to Sebastian, I don''t care what status you have¡ªI''ll make sure you know what better death than alive feels like!" His gaze was sharp, and there was a hint of coldness to it. It was nothing like his usually cheerful and indecent look. At this moment, Ann was feeling the chill in her back from his gaze. She then defended herself, saying, "How did I hurt Sebatian? I''ve never hurt him. Everything I''ve done is out of love. There''s no other person in this world who loves him more than I do!" "Everything that you''ve done to him is only because you love the guy?" Lucas looked up andughed as though he had heard the funniest joke in the world. Then, he kept his gaze and looked at her. "Ann Evans, do you know what love is? If your feeling for Sebastian is called love, the beggar on the street loves you too. He wants to marry you, so he drugs you and rapes you. Then, he''ll threaten you to marry him. Would you be willing to do that?" "What are you talking about?" Her face was turning blue from the anger. "How can youpare me with a beggar on the street?" "Why not?" He raised his brows. "Father and Sebastian gave you everything you had. In my eyes, you''re worse than a beggar! At least everything that the beggar owns is his, and he doesn''t owe anyone anything. What about you, though? You owe Father and Sebastian, but you still plotted against him! You''re just ungrateful! In fact, you''re worse than a beggar on the street!" "Lucas Hart! Are you out of your mind?! I-I was just temporarily blinded and did the wrong thing. It''s not as serious as you put it!" She trembled with anger and bellowed, "I just drugged Sebastian with a drug that wouldn''t cause any harm to him. How can you criticize me this way? Have I offended you in theN?velDrama.Org ? content. past that you''re using this to belittle me?" "Not serious?" He scoffed. "In my eyes, everything rted to Sebastian is serious! Only a heartless ingrate like you will take harming Sebastian as nothing!" Hearing that, Ann was so angry that her lips quivered. She still wanted to say something, but Grayson stopped her just then. "Enough. Stop it already." Lucas rolled his eyes at Ann and snorted before telling Grayson, "Do you think I want to argue with her? If you weren''t so foolish as to bring her home, do you think she''d have the chance to argue with me?" "How did you know that I''d bring her home?" Grayson asked. He hadn''t told anyone about this since he knew that Sebastian and his two younger brothers disliked her. "Sebastian guessed it." Lucas snorted again. "Do you think you can hide what you want to do from him?" At this moment, Grayson didn''t know what to say anymore. "Whatever. I have nothing to say to someone like you who wants to learn the hard way." Lucas waved his hand. "Madeline''s wedding dress is ready, and Sebastian asked me to help him send it to her. I''m very busy, so I can''t waste time with a stubborn person like you anymore. Bye!" He then turned around to look at Birch and Winter. "Birch, Winter, take good care of Young Master Grayson. His virginity will be under your protection! Do you understand?" Birch and Winter nodded. "Yes, Young Master Lucas. We''ll make sure toplete the mission!" At this moment, Ann''s face was as pale as a ghost, and she felt pins and needles on her head as though her brain was going to explode. Protect Grayson''s virginity? What does that mean? Are they saying that I will take advantage of Grayson? H-How can they humiliate me like this? "What are you talking about?" Her face was turning blue from the anger. "How can youpare me with a beggar on the street?" She was so mad that she wanted to tear Lucas apart. "What are you trying to say, Lucas? I''m your sister who grew up with you since you were young. How can you humiliate me like this? H-How can you be this heartless?" "Why? Am I not stating the truth?" Lucas raised his brows and looked at her. "Instead of going back to your own house, you insisted on following Grayson here. Is it not because you have your eyes on him and want to marry him?" "I¡­" Ann choked on her own words and didn''t know what to say at this time. She took Grayson as herst resort and herst leverage. Of course, she would grab tightly onto him. In fact, she was indeed thinking about marrying him, but now that Lucas had exposed her ns, she had no way to back down. If she denied this, she would need to eat her own words in the future. By then, Lucas would humiliate her even more. However, if she admitted to that¡­ No! Whatever happens next, I''ll deal with it when the timees. I need to deny it now! Otherwise, Grayson would suspect her. If he became guarded against her, it would influence her future ns. At this thought, she grinded her teeth and said, "Of course not! Grayson is my little brother whom I trust the most! I''m just too upset that my mother doesn''t care about me anymore, and I don''t want to go home alone. That''s why I followed Grayson home!" "Oh, is that so?" Lucas raised his brows and looked at her while his lips quirked into a half-smile. He then swayed the phone in his hand. "I''ve recorded everything you said just now. Always remember what you just said and stay away from Grayson. Don''t eat your own words!" Ann waspletely enraged. "You¡­" in disdain andughed. He didn''t bother her anymore and said to Grayson, "Be careful, Grayson. Don''t be deceived so foolishly. I need to send the wedding dress to Madeline for Sebastian already, and I can''t help you anymore. Take care!" Hearing that, she nearly vomited blood from the anger. He''s definitely repeating it on purpose! Back then, she treated Lucas nicer than how she treated her own biological brother. Now that she had be shabby, he immediately turned against her so heartlessly. Gender doesn''t matter when it comes to *ssholes. Lucas and Madeline are both *ssholes! Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Lucas left Grayson''s house in a good mood after rebuking Ann until she was annoyed and went to Sun Garden. When Lucas met Madeline, he gave her the gift box containing the wedding dresses. "Madeline, these are your wedding gown and evening dresses. Sebastian was going to give you this in person at first, but something came up and he couldn''t. I volunteered to do it for him. You''re not going to me him for not being considerate enough, are you?" "Of course not." She epted the gift box and courteously replied, "Thank you, Lucas." "There''s no need to thank me. I should be the one thanking you!" Then, he sped his hand and said, "Thank you, Madeline, for allowing me to leave the house with a valid excuse. I need to meet my friend right now. By the way, the designer''s phone number is in the gift box. If the dress doesn''t fit you, contact the designer right away. They will rush here to solve all of your problems." She smiled and nodded. "Okay. Take care!" He made the OK gesture and left cheerfully. Since work has been busytely, it''s been a few days since I hung out with my scumbag¡­ oops, I mean a reunion with my buddies. So, I''m not going back home until I''m drunk! Madeline left the office carrying the gift box and returned to her bedroom after Lucas had left. There was a wedding gown, two evening dresses, and a short knee-length dress inside therge gift box. She put on her wedding dress and looked in the mirror. It was stunningly gorgeous, far more so than she had anticipated. The wedding dress'' hemline was seen dragged on the floor and adorned withText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. numerous small diamonds that glistened like a gxy. The dress was a perfect fit and it was neither too loose nor too tight. It outlined her slender and graceful figure,plete with a full chest and a graspable slim waist. The back of the wedding gown was fully exposed, with looming silver threads connected by a series of white pearls. The pearls glistened softly, and theyplemented her fair skin. She spun a few rounds in front of the mirror and didn''t want to take it off. It never urred to Madeline that she would be so fortunate to wear such a beautiful wedding dress and marry such a wonderful man. She had always assumed that she would never marry in her life because all she wanted was to raise her two children well and see them happy. So, she had never imagined herself having such good fortune and happiness. It was imusible to the extent that pigs could fly. Sebastian¡­ Madeline couldn''t stop blushing and her heart fluttered at the thought of this great man who shone brighter than the night sky. She had never met such a great and powerful man before. He was smart, wise, righteous, and perfect. How many good deeds have I done in my previous life to be so fortunate in this life to be able to marry him? At this moment, she couldn''t help but pull out her phone and take photos of herself in the mirror. After a long time, she reluctantly removed her wedding dress and tried on the other dresses. There were two evening dresses; one was red, and the other was silvery white. The red one was a bodycon dress that showed off her figure and made it look more perfect than a model''s. On top of that, the ming red color made her fair skin stand out as if she were a high-quality white jade, which attracted people. Meanwhile, her silver evening gown was a mermaid-style gown that emphasized her slim and slender figure. She looked unattainably stunning in that outfit. Thest short knee-length dress was pink with adylike pattern. Madeline appeared very young after trying it on as if she were an eighteen-year-old student. She hadn''t worn this shade of pink in a long time, and it made her feel awkward. Her phone rang as she turned around in front of the mirror, thinking that this dress wasn''t quite right for the wedding. It was a phone call from Sebastian. Sebastian''s voice immediately resonated in her ears after she picked up the phone and ced it next to her ear. "Well? Do you like the wedding dress and evening dresses?" "I like them very much!" Madeline then expressed her gratitude by saying, "Thank you." "Even though we haven''t had the wedding ceremony, we are already husband and wife. You don''t have to be so formal with me," he stated. She was at a loss for words and became slightly nervous. Her heart was racing, and her mind had gone nk. Despite her best efforts, she could note up with a suitable response to his statement. Sebastian couldn''t help but smile as he imagined her nervous expression from the other end of the phone. "There is a casual dress in addition to the wedding dress and evening dresses. Do you like it?" "I do." She felt embarrassed as she looked down at the pink knee-length dress. "But it looks too young. It would appear that I am faking a youthful appearance." "What do you mean by faking it?" With a smile, he said, "You are still young." "What?" Madeline was even more embarrassed. "Quincy and Joel have already grown so much..." At this moment, she couldn''t help but pull out her phone and take photos of herself in the mirror. After a long time, she reluctantly removed her wedding dress and tried on the other dresses. "What does the growth of Quincy and Joel have to do with you?" Sebastian exined. "You look young. That''s why I''m curious to see what you''ll look like in pink. If we ever have a daughter, she will undoubtedly look like you." She was speechless again. Is he teasing me again? However, he ims that we might have a daughter in the future. If I can give him a daughter after the wedding, we will be a real family by then, right? Their five-member family would beparable to any other in the world; average but stable and content. The identities of Quincy and Joel would also be more well-defined. Instinctively, Madeline''s heart rate increased, and her cheeks began to flush. After not hearing from her for a while, Sebastian asked, "Why are you not saying anything?" "What?" Her heart was racing faster than usual, and she stuttered, "I-I''m fine with either a son or a daughter. Quincy and Joel keep asking for a little sister..." "Oh," he chuckled. "I need to work harder as well! But I need your assistance in generating a favorable condition. Have you informed Quincy and Joel that they will be moving to the children''s room within the next two days?" "I did, but Joel really doesn''t want to. I will persuade him once more when he is in a good mood. N-No need to worry so much," she stated. "I''m not worried." Sebastian contradicted his own words by meaning the opposite. Then, he justified his exnation, "I''m doing this solely for our sons. If their ssmates know that they are still sleeping with their parents when they are already in the third grade, they willugh at them." Madeline was speechless by his exnation. Like I''ll believe you! After a period of silence, she finally agreed and said, "I''ll do my best." "Okay. By the way..." Sebastian said, "Are you free tonight? Didn''t I promise to bring you to meet my childhood friends, but we didn''t make it because I had something else to do? Tonight, I will make a second appointment with them, and I will take you to meet them. Can you free up some time?" "Sure," Madeline replied. She wasn''t very busy because her firm had only recently opened in Dusktown, and few people knew about it. Typically, she would be ying with her sons at night. She asked, after a brief pause, "Should I bring Quincy and Joel? Or should they stay at home?" Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Sebastian smiled and said, "Bring the children along. Don''t forget to let them wear something with lots of pockets for them to stuff all their gift money." "O-Okay," Madeline replied after being rendered speechless. They ended the call after the small talk because he had something to do. Madeline couldn''t help but smile as she looked in the mirror at this moment. I feel so... loved! She felt like she was floating in the clouds and filled with joy. She could not control her smile as the corners of her lips began to curl up without her knowledge. Her mood was upbeat throughout the day. The children''s sses were about to end in the afternoon. She set aside her work and picked up the children from school. Even though it was only a few minutes to school and crossing the road with the children was dangerous, Emory would always drive Madeline to pick up the children. It was Emory behind the wheel today, with Leonard in the passenger seat and Madeline in the back. Luke crammed himself into the car just as the door closed. When Madeline saw him getting into the car, she was at a loss for words. "What?" Luke didn''t regard himself as an outsider and satfortably beside her. "Why are you staring at me like this?" "What''s the matter with you?" She sighed. "What about me?" He gave her an innocent look. "I''m just bored. Is it a problem for me to apany you when you pick up my nephews?" Madeline was speechless, so she shook her head and instructed Emory, "Drive." Emory started the car and drove to school after a hum of acknowledgment. Then, Luke shifted his weight, leaned against the back of the seat, and propped his chin up with one hand. He asked Madeline idly but elegantly, "I heard you''re going to have a wedding ceremony with Sebastian soon." "Yes." Her lips naturally curled upwards at the corners. "The date has already been set. It''ll be on the 16th of next month." He pursed his lips and eximed, "Tell me if he dares to treat you badly!" I''ll kill that scumbag even if it means losing my life. "He treats me very well." Madeline pressed her lips together and smiled happily. "He treats me better than anyone else in the world!" Her response irritated Luke and he gave her a harsh nce. It was as if she stabbed a dagger into his heart, making him feel uneasy. "Are you sure? I''m the one who treats you the best!" I''m willing to sacrifice everything for you. "You?" She raised her brows and looked at him with skepticism. Luke was deeply hurt by her response at this point. "Aren''t I?" Madeline shook her head and asked, "Have you forgotten what you''ve done?" "Okay. I admit that what I didst time was my fault, but you know I did it all for your own good, right?" he rified. "Luke, have you not heard that the phrase ''I did this for your own good'' is very annoying most of the time?" She gazed intently into his eyes and stated, "Love is about self-control and respect. You obviously do what you want to do. It''s for your own happiness, not mine. From beginning to end, you''re only interested in achieving your own objectives, not mine!" After a brief silence, he looked down, flicked his finger, and said softly, "I''ve changed, haven''t I? It''s only that one time. I will not make the same mistake again." Madeline sighed quietly when she heard that. "I hope so." My brother is a psycho! Can he be trusted with his promise? The worst aspect was that Madeline treated Luke as if he were her biological brother. Other people could despise him, even if he was a psycho, but she couldn''t. He was the only sibling she ever had in her lifetime. They were there for each other during the toughest times. It wouldn''t make sense for them to turn on each other and pretend they didn''t know each other now that they had a better life. They would be brothers and sisters for the rest of their lives if given a chance! She smiled and patted his shoulder as she reflected on this thought. "Okay, fine. Let us not dwell on the past any longer. From now on, we''ll be nice to each other. You should find a wife right away. I''m telling you right now that you need to find one who gets along with me. I don''t want any problems in my rtionship with her in the future because I''m already tired of dealing with you. I''ll be furious if you continue to find an intolerable wife!" "I''m not going to find one!" It appeared that Luke was tly rejecting the suggestion as he moved closer to the car door. "What makes women so special? All of them are troublesome!" "Am I not a woman? Am I troublesome too?" she asked. "You''re different and exceptional!" Luke eximed. "In my world, there are only two types of women: women and you. You are more important than the entire worldbined." Madeline was at a loss for words after hearing his response. What kind of nonsense is this? "You?" She raised her brows and looked at him with skepticism. Afterward, she shook her head. "Never mind. I''m not going to argue with you. It serves no purpose to continue these never-ending arguments. You can''t just ignore the inevitable when ites to meeting your soul mate." Luke pursed his lips and remained silent. Even though the road was congested, they arrived at the school quickly because the distance was short. When they arrived, Luke and Madeline got out of the car and waited beside Quincy and Joel''s school''s pick-up area. They saw Quincy and Joel''s ss appear at the school entrance after a few minutes. Quincy, Joel, and Alex were lining up and walking toward the ss pick-up area on the right side of the entrance. The children could see Madeline and Luke from a distance. Quincy smiled at Madeline, while Joel smiled and waved at her. When Madeline saw this, she smiled and waved back. Joel was overjoyed and began jumping. "Walk properly!" Quincy grabbed his brother''s hand. To him, his younger sibling was iprehensible. He couldn''t understand why his brother would be so happy and excited whenever he saw their mother picking them up from school as if they hadn''t seen her in a long time. Joel was even happier after Quincy held his hand and smiled at his brother. "You''re so kind, Quincy!" Quincy was taken aback by his brother''s kind words. Why does he enjoy talking so much? Especially these ttering remarks! On the contrary, Quincy did not like it. He found it bothersome tomunicate, so he avoided doing so. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Joel ran joyfully to Madeline at the designated pick-up area while holding Quincy''s hand. "Mommy!" He dragged Quincy and galloped toward Madeline before leaping into her embrace. He hugged her tightly with his two little arms and said, "I missed you, Mommy!" Madeline lowered her head to touch his little cheeks and said softly, "I missed you, too." "Mommy, I''m hungry. Let''s go home!" He grabbed her hand and dashed toward their car. Madeline smiled as she let him drag her. Since parking near the school''s entrance was prohibited, their car was parked 300 yards away on the side of the road. Joel dragged Madeline in front of him while Quincy and Alex trailed behind. Suddenly, a speeding car approached them on the opposite side of the road. It abruptly changed direction while elerating and sprinted madly toward Joel and Madeline. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Alex and Quincy were right behind Madeline and Joel. Madeline and Joel probably wouldn''t survive if the car hit them, and neither would Quincy or Alex. In that split second, Madeline had no time to think about what was happening. She instinctively hugged Joel and jumped to the side with all her strength. She and Joel managed to avoid being run over, but she suffered scratches on her body as the car passed by and continued to pass through behind her. The car was going to hit Quincy and Alex when Luke jumped in front of it. He pushed Quincy with all his might. The force caused Quincy to knock onto Alex as theynded elsewhere. However, it was too late for Luke to escape by this time. Bang! The car collided with Luke, and he flew a few yards away. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Since the target wasn''t knocked down yet, the car didn''t stop there. It reversed and elerated again in Quincy''s direction. While this was going on, Emory and Leonard, who had been close on Madeline and Luke''s heels, also showed up. Emory quickly grabbed Quincy and dashed forward, trying to find cover. Just as the car was about to run over Alex, who had remained still in the same spot where he had fallen earlier, Leonard jumped over and pushed Alex to safety. However, the car knocked Leonard over with the impact sending him into the air due to the collision. Spit! A mouthful of blood came out, but he gritted his teeth and got to his feet anyway. A few strides later, he leaped onto the front of the car hood and onto the car roof. With one blow, he shattered the car''s sunroof and slid inside. Leonard choked the driver until he was under control, then climbed into the passenger seat and applied the brake. The incidentsted ten seconds from when the car crashed into the people until Leonard hit the brakes. The people around them were screaming in terror, and the car had already stopped before they could react. Some of them called the police, while others mustered the courage to take a closer look. When Madeline hugged Joel to avoid the initial collision with the car, she fell to the ground and experienced temporary dizziness. Soon after regaining consciousness, she turned around to ensure Joel''s safety. She went into a daze when she saw Luke lying motionless in a pool of blood. She quickly stood up with Joel in her hands and stumbled toward Luke. At this moment, Joel was terrified and crying as he tried to find his brother. "Quincy! Quincy!" After realizing that the situation was under control, Emory ran toward Joel and Madeline while carrying Quincy in his arms as soon as he heard Joel crying. Meanwhile, Madeline dashed to Luke, and her knees buckled as she saw him motionless on the ground. She knelt down and felt his pulse with her trembling fingers. Fortunately, I can still feel his pulse! While she hugged Joel and Quincy, who had just leaped into her embrace, she dialed the emergency number with the other hand. Her fingers were trembling uncontrobly, and her voice was breaking. As soon as she finished her call, she tossed her phone and went to see how Luke was doing. Emory immediately rushed to see Leonard after handing Quincy over to Madeline. "Leonard, are you okay?" he asked anxiously as he yanked the car door open. Although Leonard was covered in blood, he was still conscious, and his face was extremely pale. "I''m fine, Emory..." Emory immediately gave the driver, who was still struggling after being choked in the neck, a knife- hand strike, knocking him unconscious. Then, he pressed the Bluetooth earphones in his ears and said, "Someone attempted to murder Mrs. Hart and the young masters outside their school. Send backup immediately." At that moment, Leonard smiled and slowly closed his eyes. "Leonard!" Emory was freaking out, but he was afraid to move Leonard for fear of worsening his injury. Shortly after that, Fred, Simon, a few of the Hart Family''s bodyguards, and Leigh arrived. Leigh quickly assessed Luke''s and Leonard''s wounds. Even though Madeline was not audibly crying at this precise time, tears were running down her face. She turned to Leigh and asked anxiously, "How are they?" Leigh requested that Leonard be ced on the floor before removing her silver needles and inserting them into his chest. "Luke is not in danger." Emory''s heart skipped a beat when he heard that. If Luke is not in danger, then Leonard must be. His crimson eyes were getting even redder, and rattling could be heard from his clenched fists. Simrly, Fred and Simon''s eyes werepletely red. "We''re taking Leonard to the hospital now! He is not going to die!" "You can take Luke to the hospital, but you can''t take Leonard," Leigh said calmly. "He''ll need a stretcher. Have you called an ambnce?" Thatst question was for Madeline. Madeline nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I did." Leigh then turned his attention to Emory and his brothers. "Wait for the ambnce if you don''t want him to die." Although Emory and his brothers were familiar with basic first aid, they were not doctors. They could tell Leonard was seriously injured, but they could do nothing about it. So, they had no choice but to listen to the doctor. The next few seconds were very challenging for them. Even though the ambnce arrived in minutes, it seemed like an eternity to them. Leonard and Luke were loaded into the ambnce when it arrived. While she hugged Joel and Quincy, who had just leaped into her embrace, she dialed the emergency number with the other hand. Her fingers were trembling uncontrobly, and her voice was breaking. As soon as she finished her call, she tossed her phone and went to see how Luke was doing. Madeline had to apany them to the hospital in the ambnce because she was concerned about their condition. On the other hand, Joel appeared to be in shock as his small body trembled and he firmly hugged her. Quincy''s reaction was less obvious than Joel''s, but his body was tense, and his face was pale. Even though the children shouldn''t be taken to the hospital, Madeline wasn''t willing to let the bodyguards take them back to the Sun Garden. Therefore, she would prefer to bring them along to the hospital. Leonard and Luke were taken to the operating room when they arrived at the hospital. Sebastian arrived at the hospital about ten minutester. He rushed in with an anxious expression, and sweat dripped from his brow. Joel was the first one who noticed him. After leaving Madeline''s embrace, he ran toward Sebastian and leaped into his arms. He restrained himself from wailing aloud because the hospital was so quiet. So, he buried his little face in Sebastian''s chest and cried out in fear and sadness while suppressing his voice. Sebastian''s heart shattered at the sound of his sobs. Then, he knelt down and hugged his small body. He gentlyforted Joel as he wiped the tears from his face. "Don''t cry, Joel. Now that Daddy is here, everything is fine, so don''t cry." "Daddy¡­" Joel''s body twitched from crying, and his voice was intermittent. "Mommy... Quincy... Die... Scared..." "It''s okay. Don''t be scared." Sebastian kissed his forehead and patted his back while hugging his small body. "Mommy won''t die. Quincy won''t die. And of course, you won''t die too. Daddy is here. I''ll protect Mommy, Quincy, and you! None of us will die." "Mr. Luke¡­ Leonard¡­" Joel pointed toward the operating room. "Die¡­" "No! They, too, will not die!" Before he approached Madeline and Quincy, Sebastian consoled him and hugged him. A pallid Quincy was nestled up to Madeline as he stared at Sebastian quietly. Meanwhile, Alex sat quietly beside Quincy. Sebastian approached Madeline and stroked Quincy''s head tofort him before asking, "Are you hurt?" Madeline shook her head and said hoarsely, "I''m not sure if Luke and Leonard will be okay..." Despite her best efforts, her voice cracked, and the tears she had fought against began to flow again. "If they... I''d rather be the one who dies..." It was more valuable than anything else because each person only had one life. She couldn''t afford to have anyone die for her, so she rejected the idea that anyone would do so. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 After observing Madeline in silence for a moment, Sebastian instructed Quinton in a hushed tone, "Find out how it is going." He didn''t know how seriously Luke and Leonard were injured or whether their lives were in danger because they were still in the operating room. So, he couldn''t simply console Madeline and assure her that they would definitely survive this. Sebastian was not God. There were so many things in this world that were beyond his control. "Yes, Young Master." Quinton took the order and left immediately. Sebastian then requested tissue paper from Wem and helped Madeline in wiping her tears. "Don''t cry anymore. I can find the best doctor for them and do everything I can to save them." "I don''t get it¡­" Madeline turned her head to look at him while still crying. "Who would want to harm my children and me? I''ve never done anything wrong or harmed anyone. Quincy and Joel are still kids. Why is that driver trying to kill us?" It was very obvious that the car was not out of control and that it did not hit her and her two children by ident. In fact, it was a murder that was nned, but she and her two children had never hurt anyone. So, who could hate them so much that they wanted to kill them and not even spare the two five-year-old children?! "Don''t worry. No matter who it is, I''ll make him pay in the most painful way possible!" Sebastian''s eyes gleamed coldly. His heart skipped a beat when he heard Madeline and the two children were almost murdered. Meanwhile, Leonard was seriously injured, which endangered his life. Sebastian was in a severely tense mood on his way to the hospital. He had never felt his heart pounding in a long time. Despite Emory''s assurances that the two children were safe, Sebastian was so worried that his hands and feet had turned cold. He wanted to see them immediately to ensure their safety and to put his mind at ease afterforting them in his arms. Madeline and the two children meant much more to him in his heart than he could have imagined. They were his wife and children, his family, his responsibility and duty. He would never allow anyone to harm them! If anyone tried, he would make them pay in the most painful way! After a few minutes, Quinton rushed back and reported to Sebastian in a hushed tone, "The injury to Young Master Luke is not that bad. He has three broken ribs and his spleen ruptured. Right now, he is having surgery and his life is not in danger at this moment. But Leonard¡­" He clenched his teeth and said in a broken voice with red eyes, "Leonard has four broken ribs that have prated his organs¡­ The doctor has already issued a critical condition notice¡­" When Sebastian heard this statement, he coldly ordered, "Ask Jenson where he is now." Jenson Wood was the dean of a private hospital owned by the Hart Corporation and a surgeon known as ''The First Choice for Surgeon''. Like Grayson, he was a medical prodigy and had aplished much at such a young age. Hurried footsteps could be heard before he had the chance to finish his sentence. Quinton turned around, and his eyes lit up with excitement. "Young Master, Dr. Jenson is here!" Jenson quickly walked in front of Sebastian and greeted, "Young Master." "Save Leonard!" Sebastian gave him serious instructions. "Just tell me whatever you need. You must do whatever it takes to save him!" With a nod, Jenson said, "I will definitely do my best!" He didn''t have time to say anything else. After finishing his preoperative preparations, he rushed into the operating room. At this moment, Sebastian lowered his head to look at the two children in Madeline''s arms. He asked gently, "Children should not stay in the hospital due to the bad air quality. Let Daddy ask Quinton to send you two back home, okay?" While hugging Madeline tightly, Joel looked at him in fear and shook his head. "I want to be with Mommy." Quincy replied, "I want to be by Mommy''s side." Sebastian looked at Madeline, but he didn''t persuade her to leave. He knew that under these circumstances, she wouldn''t leave. Therefore, he instructed Quinton, "Buy some hot milk for Quincy and Joel." The two children were so terrified that their little faces were extremely pale. This was certainly the case for Joel. His eyes were wide with fear, and he hugged Madeline tightly, not letting go for a second. This broke Sebastian''s heart. After taking the order, Quinton pressed on the Bluetooth earphones in his ears and passed down the message. Someone immediately delivered a few cups of hot milk and some of the children''s favorite desserts. Sebastian gave each of the three children a cup of hot milk. Just then, Joel raised his little trembling arms and handed his cup of milk to Madeline. "Drink this, Mommy." Madeline stroked his little face and managed a smile. "It''s okay, Joel. You can drink it. I''m not thirsty." Joel obediently kept his little arms still and used both hands to hold the cup of milk before sipping the milk. He drank the hot milk and stopped trembling, but he clung to Madeline''s chest and refused to leave. Madeline touched his face, remembering suddenly how close she came to losing them both today. She couldn''t help but kneel down and hug her two children in her arms before kissing them. When Sebastian heard this statement, he coldly ordered, "Ask Jenson where he is now." Fortunately, her two children were fine. It would hurt her more than a knife slicing through her heart if anything happened to them. She had never been so grateful in her life at this moment, appreciating it for not hurting her children. At this moment, Sebastian''s eyes were filled with pity as he looked at Madeline and the two children. If the tragedy hadn''t happened today, they would be sitting in the living room of the Sun Garden now, enjoying some delicious fruits and having a happy moment. Just thinking about that image made him feel warm and happy. It would not be like this now, with Madeline upset and ming herself while the two children were terrified. All of this happened because of the person who instructed the driver. He would definitely find this person and make him pay in the most painful way possible! When he bent down tofort Madeline and the children, his phone began to ring. Sebastian took out his phone and saw a call from the information team leader, Eternal Hart, and ced the device on his ear. "Sir, I''ve found it," Eternal reported. "Isabel is the person behind all of this! That driver''s name is Tyler Cooper. He''s a gambler with a lot of debts including money owed to debtors. Recently, his mother became seriously ill and he desperately needed money urgently, but he had no other choice since the debtors were after him. Perhaps he regained his senses. He wanted to exchange his life for money in order to provide treatment for his ill mother. So, he epted the money Isabel gave him. We have already reviewed the CCTV footage from their meeting. Although she was dressed up and in disguise, we can see traces of her. We have solid evidence to prove that Isabel is the person who paid Tyler!" "Isabel¡­" Sebastian scoffed, "Report to the police." N?velDrama.Org ? content. For that split second, Sebastian almost lost control and wanted to mangle Isabel''s neck with his own hands. However, he couldn''t do that as he had already promised his father that he would not do anything against thew. It didn''t matter. Once Isabel was imprisoned, he had many methods to convince her that she would rather be dead than alive and that it was toote to repent. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 "Yes, Sir!" Eternal took the order and hung up the phone. With the phone in his hand, Sebastian looked at Madeline. "We found out by whose instruction the driver was acting on. It''s Isabel Taylor." "Isabel¡­" Madeline mumbled the name, and a hatred that she had never felt before rose from the bottom of her heart. Even though she had never hated anyone before, she hated Isabel at this moment. She was supposed to be a youngdy of the Wendel Family and live a wealthy life, but that life was taken away from her 20 years ago, and she had to live humbly with the Taylors. She never hated anyone from the Taylor Family no matter the kind of unfair treatment they were giving her. After all, she appreciated them for keeping her. Even after the truth surfaced, she had never done anything to Isabel even though she had what it took to take revenge on her. However, she now finally understood the feeling of hate. She was burning with rage to the point that she had the urge to just tear Isabel apart. She looked up to the ceiling, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes while clenching her fists tightly. I''ll never spare Isabel this time! I''ll make her regret everything she has done and make her pay the price in the most painful way possible! As the time passed, the door to the operation room was finally opened, and Luke was being pushed out of the room. Seeing that, Madeline ran over to him desperately and asked, "Doctor, how''s my brother?" "The operation was sessful," the doctor said. "He''ll recover soon if he gets enough rest." She then asked anxiously, "Will there be any after effects?" "Most probably no," the doctor stated. "We''ll need to see how he recovers." "Thank you. Thank you so much!" She thanked the doctor after the weight in her heart finally dissipated. Luke was then pushed away by the nurse in the direction of the ICU, but Madeline could not go with him for now since she needed to wait for Leonard. Leonard''s operation had not ended yet. The door to the operation room was closed once again. After taking a few deep breaths, Madeline took out her phone and called Logan. The Adams¡¯ home base was in Capitol, so Logan had already gone back to Capitol, leaving Luke here alone. With Luke in such a dire state, she figured that Logan should know about this. The phone only rang once before Logan had already picked it up. "Hello, Maddie." "Logan¡­" Her voice cracked just from saying his name. "I''m sorry¡­" On the other side of the phone, Logan sprang to his feet and asked anxiously, "Maddie, what''s wrong? Are you crying?" "Sorry, Logan. I''m so sorry¡­" She tried her best to hold back her tears and told him everything in her broken voice. "I''m sorry, Logan. I dragged Luke into this¡­" "What are you sorry for? He''s your brother. It''s his duty to protect you. I''m just d to know that all of you are fine!" With the phone in his hand, he left the office in a hurry. "Don''t worry, Maddie. Wait there. I''ming now." He then dashed out of his office and instructed his bodyguard, "Prepare a ne. I''m flying to Dusktown in 10 minutes." After giving a reply in acknowledgement, the bodyguard made a call and passed down the order at once. Then, Logan took his phone and entered the elevator. His hands were sweating from the unease. "Maddie, are you safe now?" How he wished to have a pair of wings on his back so he could fly to Madeline''s side right now. "I''m fine." Madeline nodded. "Logan¡­" She choked out his name once again but spoke no further. She felt like she would start crying the instant she opened her mouth to speak again. "It''s okay. It''s okay¡­" Loganforted her. "Nothing else matters as long as you and Luke are still alive. Wait for me at a safe ce. I''ll be there soon." She tried hard to hold back her tears and gave him a hum of acknowledgement. Afraid that she might start crying out loudly if she spoke further, she just hung up the phone in silence. "Mommy, don''t cry already¡­" Joel hugged her and told her with tears welling in his eyes, "I feel like crying when I see you cry¡­" Hearing that, Madeline held back her tears and lowered her head to caress his cheek. "Okay. Mommy won''t cry anymore. So, Joel don''t cry¡­" Just a moment ago, she was probably acting the same way as her children right now; she was on the verge of tears the moment she was on the phone with Logan, and it was just like how her children felt like crying when they saw her cry. It was at this moment that she finally realized that, deep down in her heart, her family and the people she relied on were never her parents or her biological brothers. It was Logan and Luke all along. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She should not me Cedric for having a stronger bond with Angie than her because her feelings for Logan and Luke were stronger than the Wendels as well. "Logan¡­" Her voice cracked just from saying his name. "I''m sorry¡­" "You should sit down and rest. Quincy and Joel must be tired too." Sebastian asked Madeline to bring the three children to sit down on the long bench in the corridor. After another hour, the door of the operation room was opened again. Jenson walked out quickly, and Madeline stood up and approached him immediately. "Mrs. Hart." Jenson bowed slightly to her. However, she did not bother with his formality and asked anxiously, "How''s Leonard?" "The operation was a sess," he said. "But his injuries are too serious. So, he''s still in a critical stage¡­" Hearing that, her hands and feet turned cold and her heart sank. "What do you mean?" "We need to keep him under observation," he exined. "If he can get through this in 24 hours, he will survive. Or else¡­" Madeline was left speechless as she looked at him. What Jenson meant was that Leonard was hovering between life and death; he might survive, but also might not. She felt awful as though a weight had dropped onto her heart, suffocating her. Sebastian wrapped his arms around her neck to make her feel better instead offorting her with words. He knew any words would be meaningless now since the truth was put right in front of them. Madeline would only relieve herself from this torrent of emotions of pain and guilt when Leonard was safe. He then ordered Jenson, "Try your very best to save Leonard no matter what it takes." "Yes, sir!" Jenson nodded. After half an hour, Leonard was pushed into the ICU. Then, Sebastian said, "Maddie, there''s nothing you can do even if you stay here. Let''s bring the children home together. Their bodies can''t take it if they keep staying in the hospital." Madeline knew that what he said was true, so she nodded without any protest and left the hospital with Sebastian and the children. On the way back, she hugged Quincy and Joel tightly in her arms but did not say a word. She never had such a heavy heart before. Even when she was hit, bullied, wronged, or facing death threats, she had never felt as hopeless and in despair as today. A life was in danger, and it might be lost at any moment because of her. That would be a weight that she could never bear. Isabel Taylor! I''ll never forgive you! I''ll let you pay the price in the most painful way! I swear to God! Chapter 316 Chapter 316 When the car drove into Sun Garden, Madeline''s phone started ringing just when she got out of the car with her two children. With her children in one of her arms, she used her other hand to take out her phone. The caller ID on the screen showed the word ''Mom''. After she picked up the phone, she put it by her ear and said, "Mom." Crystal sounded anxious. "Maddie, I heard from Sam that Isabel was arrested for hiring people to kill you, Quincy, and Joel. Is it true?" "It is," Madeline answered. Hearing that, Crystal''s voice was even more anxious. "Are you and the kids okay?" "We''re fine," said Madeline. "But Luke was hurt. And a bodyguard named Leonard was seriously injured too. I don''t know whether he will survive this¡­" On the other side of the phone, Crystal was so terrified that her hands and feet were turning cold. "Is it that serious? That psycho, Isabel. What does she want to do? Is she crazy?" There''s actually a bodyguard that is on the verge of dying? She really wanted them dead! It was fortunate that her daughter and grandsons were lucky enough to escape the ident without a scratch. Otherwise, they would be the ones seriously injured and on the verge of dying! At this thought, Crystal was so angry that she started trembling. "The members of the Xavier Family are evil one after another. Sam is really a fool too. Your Uncle Nigel had asked him to send Isabel overseas, so that they don''t have to see her anymore, but Sam just keeps refusing. He just won''t do it and keeps saying that Isabel is innocent. Lucky that you and the children are safe, or else¡­" She was suddenly overwhelmed by the thought which made her heart palpitate and she almost copsed. Seeing that, Michael quickly took out a bottle of medicine and gave her a few pills. He then passed a cup of water to her and stroked her back to calm her down. "Don''t be so agitated, Crystal. Take care of your body!" After Crystal swallowed the pills, she tried to calm down her nerves as she took a few deep breaths. Her palpitating heart then returned to normal after a while. Then, she said to the phone, "Where are you now, Maddie? I''ll visit you now." "Mom, are you not feeling well?" Madeline said. "My kids and I are fine. We''re just a little tired. You should rest at home with Dad. I''ll bring Quincy and Joel to visit you when I have time." Crystal knew that if she insisted on going, Madeline would need to take care of her, which would definitely increase the burden on Madeline. At this thought, she suppressed her wish to see Madeline and the children immediately. Then, she reminded Madeline, "Give your dad and I a call immediately if anything happens. We''ll rush there in an instant." "Okay. I got it, Mom." Madeline hung up the phone after she asked Crystal to take care of her body as well. As soon as she hung up, her phone started ringing again. This time, the call was from Sam. When she picked up, Sam asked, "Maddie, are you and the kids okay?" She repeated the same thing that she had said to Crystal just now to him. "Maddie¡­ I know that you might not be in the mood to listen to what I''m about to say, but this is really urgent, so I have to tell you no matter what¡­" he said. "Isabel called me earlier and told me that you used her of hiring people to kill you. The police have already arrested her. She¡ª" "No one used her." Madeline cut him off. "The police arrested her because they had solid evidence. Rather than asking me whether the incident really happened, why not try asking the police instead? I''m in opposition to Isabel. You might not believe what I say." Hearing that, Sam quickly said, "That''s not true, Maddie. I¡ª" "Sam, I''m really tired." She cut him off again. "You can save your breath if you''re trying to plead for Isabel. I''ll never forgive her this time no matter what! There''s a bodyguard named Leonard still lying in the ICU, and he is in that state because he risked his life just to protect me and my children! I''ll never forgive her! Never!" Not waiting for Sam to say anything more, she ended the call abruptly. At this moment, she was even hating Sam. Isabel hired a person to kill her and her children, and that would need money. Until now, Isabel had never used her own ability to earn any money. So, where did her moneye from? After Phoebe and Bryan''s conspiracy was exposed, her uncle Nigel and Dan hated Phoebe to their core. At the same time, they took their anger out on Isabel, kicking her out of the Taylor Residence and cutting all ties with her. After that, Sam was the one providing support for her. So, all the money in her hand was from Sam! Although Madeline knew that Sam was innocent and taking out her anger on him was not right, she just hated Isabel so much! That hatred made her unable to stay rational and treat Sam as an innocent man. That was why she did not dare to continue talking to him on the phone. She worried that she would not be able to control herself from saying some things that she should not. At this thought, she suppressed her wish to see Madeline and the children immediately. Then, she reminded Madeline, "Give your dad and I a call immediately if anything happens. We''ll rush there in an instant." On the other hand, after Madeline hung up the phone, Sam held his phone with shock all over his face. Madeline really hung up on me?! Since the Taylor Family took her in, she would always obey whatever the Taylors said. It was especially so for Sam''s words; she had never refuted him. But today, she hung up on him before he could finish his sentence! Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. At this moment, he did not know what he was feeling. Was it anger? Or was it disappointment? Only at this moment did he finally realize that the Madeline now was not the same Madeline that was living in the Taylor Residence during those days. She was now his aunt Crystal''s daughter and Mrs. Hart. She had enough clout to hang up on him. As for Sam, he should not im himself as her lifesaver anymore and still treat her asst time, thinking that she would obey whatever he said. That would no longer be the case anymore. So, he could only hope that the police got it wrong¡ªIsabel did not hire people to kill Madeline, Quincy, and Joel. Or else, he would not be able to save her even if he did all he could. At this thought, he sighed and stood up before walking out. He suddenly realized that it was a mistake for him to choose to stay in Dusktown at that time. This year, his family and his uncle George''s family had a coboration project and they needed a person to stay in Dusktown. He should have let Dan stay, but he was too indecisive and could not be ruthless enough to leave Isabel alone. Since Dan had his leg broken and could not recoverpletely because of Phoebe and Bryan, he hated them to his bone, and he took his anger out on Isabel as well. If he was the person that stayed in Dusktown, he would not be as bothered and face a dilemma like Sam at this moment. Now, the only thing Sam could hope for was that Madeline got it wrong¡ªIsabel was not the culprit. Or else, it would be the end of Isabel. Even though he wanted to keep her safe, he would not be able to do that anymore. After passing through many hands and using a lot of time and effort, he finally met Isabel in the detention center. She was in prison clothes with handcuffs on. When Isabel saw him, it was as though she had seen her savior. She shouted at him while crying, "Sam, save me! They falsely used me! They just arrested me when I didn''t even do anything! Please save me, Sam!" Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Sam sat across from Isabel. "You''re saying that you''re falsely used?" "Yes! I''m innocent!" Isabel sobbed as she spoke, "Madeline is just taking revenge on me because Queenie scolded herst time! Please save me, Sam!" "Is it?" He looked at her in exhaustion. "Ever since you moved out of the house, I''ve given you a few million. Where is all the money now?" "I spent them!" she said as she cried. "I need to spend money on everything since I''m not staying at home anymore. Do you think that a few millions is enough?!" "The police have checked your withdrawal record," he said. "A while back, you gradually withdrew two million from the bank. Where did you spend that two million?" "I used it to buy some household items. Where else could I spend it?" she said while crying in grievance. "All of you don''t even care how I''m doing out there. I have to spend money on every basic thing in life when I''m living alone outside! Our family has more than a 100 billion worth of fortune, and you just gave me that few million. Do you really think it''s enough?" "Quit quibbling!" Sam said in dissatisfaction. "Do you think everybody else is dumb and you are the only smart one? Do you know that the driver that you hired has been recording your conversations with him on his phone when you made him the deal? Everything that you have said to him is all recorded!" Hearing that, Isabel was stunned for a moment. After some time, she said in panic, "What are you talking about, Sam? What driver? What deal? I''m innocent! I don''t know anything!" "Up until now, you still don''t want to tell me the truth?" He looked at her in disappointment. "The police have a professional device that can identify a person''s voice. I''ve already seen the test report from the police. The voice of the person in the voice record is really you. Do you still want to deny it when there is such solid proof?" She was so shocked that she could not say anything. Voice record? That b*stard driver secretly recorded us?! That son of a b*tch! She had given the driver so much money out of generosity, but he actually framed her. What should I do now? Now that they have solid proof, am I really going to jail? No. No way! I don''t want to go to jail. The prison is too scary. Her mother had turned into a mad woman after just staying in prison for a while. The prison was such a scary ce. Not to mention that she was still young and had a bright future ahead. She could not let the police put her behind bars! "Save me, Sam!" she said while crying in fear. "I''m really innocent! I don''t know how things can turn out this way either. I don''t know how Madeline did it, but I''m sure that she''s the one framing me! Think of a way, Sam! Get me out of here! I''m still young. I can''t be in prison!" At this moment, Sam looked at her quietly as he did not want to speak to her anymore. She still continued to deny it when there was concrete evidence. Does she think that I''m a fool or that the police are fools? Seeing that he remained silent, Isabel panicked even more. "Why are you not talking, Sam? Think of a way to get me out of here, quick! I don''t want to stay here anymore! Please!" "I can''t get you out." Sam sighed. "Isabel, do you know how serious your offense is? I''ve talked to the lawyer. You will face a life sentence for what you did. And if that bodyguard dies, you will be given the death penalty." "What?!" Her eyes widened as she said in a trembling voice, "What did you say? D-Death penalty?" "That''s right. Death penalty," he said. "You have to pay with your life if you take one away. If that Leonard bodyguard dies, you''ll need to pay with your life for his. But if he survives, you''re still guilty of contract killing. Although it was an attempted murder, you''ve still caused serious injuries under grant circumstances. If the victims hire a goodwyer, they''ll make you spend the rest of your life in prison. This will be the end of your life." Hearing that, Isabel was inplete shock. Death penalty?! Is he really saying that I might be sentenced to death?! She slumped on the chair, shocked and quivering in fear. I don''t want to die yet. I still want to enjoy my life. She was a youngdy of the Taylor Family. With such a noble birth, she had been living a luxurious life for the past 20 years and getting whatever she wanted. Those days were the best part of her life, and she would never forget the euphoria of living in wealth. A few moments ago, she was still thinking about going back to being the youngdy of the Taylor Family and enjoying the wealthy life just like those days once Sam was not angry at her anymore. But now, Sam was saying that she might be given the death penalty. No! There''s nothing else scarier than death in this world. I don''t want to die! N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Save me, Sam. I really am innocent!" She was so terrified that her face was turning pale. Then, she started weeping. "Please get me out of here! I''m your only little sister! Save me, please!" "Save me, Sam!" she said while crying in fear. "I''m really innocent! I don''t know how things can turn out this way either. I don''t know how Madeline did it, but I''m sure that she''s the one framing me! Think of a way, Sam! Get me out of here! I''m still young. I can''t be in prison!" However, Sam shook his head slowly. "Even until now, you''re still not telling the truth. I can''t save you like this." He then stood up. "I''ll hire the bestwyer for you. There''s nothing else I can do other than that." Seeing him standing up, Isabel looked at him frantically. "Where are you going?" "Visitation hours are up. I need to leave now," he said. "No! Don''t go!" she cried and said, "You''re the eldest son of the Taylor Family. If you''re willing to help me, you will surely have a way to get me out! Please, Sam! Please save me! I''m still so young! I don''t want to die!" "I can''t save you," he said coldly. "No one can be above thew. Since you went against thew, you should be punished by it. The only thing you can do now is pray for that bodyguard to survive. If he dies, then you''ll be paying yours for his life. That''s for sure." After he said that, he ignored Isabel and turned around, walking out of the door. When she saw that he really was leaving, she became anxious at once. "Don''t go, Sam! Save me! The driver is the one who hit them. What does it have anything to do with me? Think of a way, Sam. Surely you can get me out of here!" "Why are you so ridiculous?" He turned to look at her. "It''s contract killing. If you never hired the killer, he won''t kill in the first ce. You''re the mastermind, so you''ll need to bear the main charges. That driver is just an aplice!" "No, no. I''m not the mastermind!" She quickly shook her head. "It''s Angie! She asked me to do this. She said that it was all Madeline''s fault that I was kicked out of the Taylor Family by Dad. Since Madeline gave birth to two sons for Sebastian, her status rose and she became an important figure in the Hart Family. Dad didn''t dare to mess with Madeline and the Hart Family, so he threw me out of the house. If Madeline and the two little b*stards that she gave birth to die, he''ll let me go home again!" Hearing that, Sam frowned and asked, "Angie?" "Yes, yes!" She nodded forcefully. "I met Angie when I went drinking at a bar one time. She told me that Madeline was the one who made me have no home to go back to. And that after Madeline gave birth to Sebastian''s two sons, she turned from rags to riches, making Dad and you to abandon me. Everything will be back to normal if Madeline and her two children die¡­" Chapter 318 Chapter 318 How nice would it be if everything was back to those days? Isabel thought. Isabel would still be that prestigious youngdy of the Taylor Family who could get everything she wanted and be admired by everyone. Not like the loser that she was now. She had even changed her last name, and her biological father and two brothers who once loved her the most had all abandoned her. Everything that Angie said was what Isabel dreamed of, so she was tempted by her words. Without much hesitation, she did what Angie suggested. Angie said that everything woulde to an end if Madeline and her two children died. She just needed to do things secretly, and let the police arrest the driver that hit Madeline and her two children. In the end, the police would not even find out it was her. Isabel thought so too, and that driver was also introduced by Angie. Angie told her that the driver had some skeletons in the closet, and he did not wish to live any longer since a long time ago. His mother was seriously ill, so he wanted to exchange his own life for his mother''s medical expenses before he died. If she paid him enough, he would take responsibility for everything. And no one would ever know that Isabel was a part of Madeline and her two children''s deaths. However, it was totally out of her expectation that Angie would lie to her. The police had found her right away. She had just met the driver once when she paid him, but the police had already gotten the evidence to charge her with murder! And did Angie not say that the driver wanted to die a long time ago, and that if she paid enough money, she could stay out of this mess and this incident would have nothing to do with her? So, why did that driver secretly record their conversation? Now, that voice recording had be the proof for the police to arrest her and charge her, and she might even be sentenced to death! Isabel was totally deceived by Angie! Angie was so sure and promised her that she just needed to pay the money and she would not have to worry about anything else. But now, the reality was totally different. The idea was suggested by Angie, but she was the one imprisoned by the police! While sobbing, Isabel told Sam everything and shouted in anger, "Angie did all this to me! She should be the one in here, and not me! Quickly get me out of here, Sam!" Hearing that, Sam looked at her in silence and did not say a word for a long while as he did not know what to say anymore. At this moment, he was even feeling a little grateful; grateful that his father found out about Phoebe and Bryan''s conspiracy and was not taking Isabel as his daughter anymore. With that, his feelings for Isabel faded as well. Otherwise, how upset would he feel when he found out that his beloved sister was this foolish? Luckily, his feelings for Isabel were not like those days anymore. The reason he was still willing to meet her now was just that he was too soft-hearted and sentimental. He just could not bear to note and see her. As for his sibling''s love for her¡ªthere was already not much left. When Isabel saw that he was not saying anything, she asked in panic, "Why are you not talking? I''ve already told you the truth. I did this because Angie asked me to. She''s the mastermind! Ask the police to arrest her and get me out of here!" Hearing that, Sam sighed in resignation. "So, you''re saying that you did all of this because Angie asked you to?" "Yes. It''s her!" Isabel quickly nodded. "She suggested the idea, and she''s the one who introduced the driver to me too! She thought everything out. It has nothing to do with me!" Just then, he asked, "Where''s the proof? Do you have any proof?" She was stunned. Proof? When Angie was telling her those things, there were only two of them in the room. So, from where could she find the proof? "What about the money that you paid the driver?" He continued to ask. "Is that money yours or Angie''s?" "It''s mine, but that''s because Angie asked me to pay!" Isabel was so anxious that her face was turning red. "Believe me, Sam. She introduced the driver to me, and she also told me that I just needed to spend some money to let Madeline and her two children die! She was the one who suggested everything! It was her idea!" "How can you prove that everything you said is the truth, and not a frame job?" Sam said. "The police need proof to investigate a case, and not just believe whatever you say. Also, it''ll be of no use even when you have the proof. It will only mean that Angie is your aplice. You still can''t get away with it because you''re the one who met the driver and paid him. No matter what, you won''t be able to get away with it." "N-No way¡­" she cried frantically while she spoke. "I only wanted Madeline and her two children to die because of what Angie told me. She was the one who introduced the driver to me too! If it were not for her, where would I find someone that was willing to kill Madeline? She did everything! I''m innocent!" At this moment, he was even feeling a little grateful; grateful that his father found out about Phoebe and Bryan''s conspiracy and was not taking Isabel as his daughter anymore. With that, his feelings for Isabel faded as well. At this moment, he could only look at her in disappointment. He could not believe that his biological sister could be this foolish. How could someone be this foolish? Phoebe was a fool, and now her daughter too. Does foolishness run in the genes of the Xavier Family? Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He had never been this exhausted before. After looking at her in resignation for some time, he then exined, "Isabel, don''t you get it? You''ve been used by Angie! You''re not the only one who hates Maddie. Angie hates her too! Because of Maddie''s presence, she has lost her status as the youngdy of the Wendel Family, forcing her to leave the Wendel Residence. I heard that she was even forced by Luke to jump out of a building and broke her leg. She only recovered after a few months. I''m afraid that she hates Maddie more than you. But, she''s smarter than you¡­" While shaking his head, he sighed resignedly. "Even though she hates Maddie, she is still afraid of the law and doesn''t want to be put behind bars, so she didn''t dare do anything to Maddie. So when she met you, she instigated you to do the dirty work for her that she didn''t dare to do." As he said that, he could not help but feel grateful again that Isabel was no longer his beloved sister. If his brother was this foolish, he would be tearing his hair out. Even though Isabel was dumb, she could still understand his words. Otherwise, she would be considered an idiot if she still could notprehend the situation after Sam''s clear exnation on the matter. But since she understood, she was immediately enraged. She mmed the table and cried, "So, Angie tricked me! Why would she do this to me? Since I was young, I''ve always shared the good stuff with her. I''ve treated her like my bestie! Why does she want to hurt me?" Sam could not answer her question. One could only find out who truly held their best interest at heart and who did not when they were going through tough times in life. Previously, he thought that even though Isabel was spoiled and wayward, she was not a bad person. But, that was far from the truth. Not only was she spoiled and unreasonable, she was ruthless too. Likewise, he thought that Angie was a kind youngdy, who was delicate and naive. But from what he knew now, she was actually a ruthless and devious femme fatale. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 "What am I supposed to do now, Sam? Please! You must help me!" Isabel cried and begged her brother. "I wasn''t going to do Madeline any harm initially. It was all Angie''s idea. She was the one who kept encouraging me to pull all those things off. I know I was a fool to have listened to her, but I''m still so young, and I don''t want to spend the rest of my life behind bars, Sam. Please help me! I don''t want to die, Sam! Please save me!" "I can''t help you." Sam helplessly sighed and said, "No matter what you said, you still can''t change the fact that you were the one who bribed the driver to kill Madeline and her two sons. Fortunately, none of them were hurt, or else I wouldn''t be able to forgive you my whole life!" This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Why?!" Isabel screamed while questioning him. "I''m you sister, Sam! Why are you always on Madeline''s side?" "I wish I could help you, but I can''t." Then, he added, "Furthermore, have you forgotten how Joel and Quincy were born? They were born only because Madeline tried to save my life. Can you imagine how terrible it was for her to go through all the judgment, humiliation, and disdain over the years when she was pregnant yet unmarried? Then, when the boys were born, they had to suffer through the same harsh judgment that their mother did. So, I owed it to them! Why didn''t it ur to you that I was indebted to them when you were plotting against them? What made you want to kill them so badly?!" "What is it that you owe to them?" Isabel angrily questioned her brother. "Madeline wouldn''t have been pregnant with Sebastian''s children if it hadn''t been for you. If it weren''t for Sebastian''s children, would Aunt Crystal and Uncle Michael still treat her so well? Angie was the apple of their eyes until Madeline gave birth to Sebastian''s sons. Otherwise, why do you think they abandoned Angie and took Madeline into the Wendel Family? So, everything that Madeline has now was given by you!" Suddenly, Isabel became agitated and continued to say, "That''s right! You were the one who gave Madeline everything she has today, which means she owes it to you. Therefore, I''m sure she''ll listen to you. Please, Sam! Talk to her and tell her to drop the charge. By then, I''m sure the police will let me go." Sam looked at his sister helplessly. "Can you please stop acting like a child, Isabel? This incident has just be a criminal case with the police''s involvement. Therefore, it won''t change anything even if Madeline decides to drop the charge. When Madeline epted Dad''s advice to undergo the in vitro fertilization, neither of us knew she would be pregnant with Sebastian''s children. So, you can say that Madeline has her luck to thank for everything she has today. She¡ª" "What difference did that make?" Isabel interrupted him while crying. "Why does she get all the credit for all the good things that happened while I get med for all the bad things that went wrong? That doesn''t seem fair! If Dan hadn''t saved her back then, she would have been dead a long time ago. If Dad hadn''t told her to undergo the in vitro fertilization, she wouldn''t have been pregnant with Sebastian''s sons. Everything she owns now was given by us, so what makes her have the right to put me through so much suffering? Please do something, Sam! Help me! I don''t want to go to jail! I can''t go to jail, Sam! Help me!" Feeling helpless, Sam looked at Isabel in disappointment without any idea on what else he could say to knock some sense into his sister''s head. After all, no one could help her unless she decided to help herself. In response to her stubborn attitude, he had no idea what to do as he grew increasingly disappointed. Soon, he sighed and replied, "There''s nothing I can do for you, Isabel. I''m sorry, but don''t worry, I''ll get the bestwyer in town to help you. It''s the least a brother can do for his sister, but that''s it. It''s out of my power to help you with things other than that." After finishing his words, he walked out the door. "Don''t leave me, Sam! Please! Don''t go away!" Isabel was frightened out of her wits as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Sam! You wanted me to tell you the truth, and I did. It wasn''t me who wanted to hurt Madeline. It was Angie! It was all her idea. Please tell the cops to let me go. Tell them to arrest Angie! Please help me, Sam." Sam stopped in his tracks without looking back. "The cops won¡¯t believe you just based on your words. You''ll need to show them evidence in order to do so. So, you only have yourself to me for being used by Angie." "No¡­ Sam! Please! Don''t leave me here! Please¡­" Isabel cried, wanting to catch up to her brother, only to be restrained by the prison guards. The next second, she found her face pressed against the table as she cried and struggled frantically to break free. "Help me, Sam! Please help me! Angie is the mastermind! I have nothing to do with the entire incident. Please tell the police to arrest Angie. She is the one who should be punished. So, get me out of here!" While Sam smiled bitterly and walked away in silence, Isabel watched her brother slowly disappearing from her sight, whereupon she copsed onto her chair in a panicky manner. At the same time, she curled up, shaking from head to toe as she struggled to ept the fact that her beloved brother just left her to her own fate. How could you just leave me behind like that, Sam? I used to be your beloved little sister. What am I going to do now? Am I going to jail or even¡­ Die? No! I don''t want to go to prison or die! It should be Angie instead, not me! I didn''t want to hurt Madeline. Angie made me do it. Angie! I''ll never forget what you did to me, you cunning woman! I''m going to drag you down with me or haunt you if I die. "What difference did that make?" Isabel interrupted him while crying. "Why does she get all the credit for all the good things that happened while I get med for all the bad things that went wrong? That doesn''t seem fair! If Dan hadn''t saved her back then, she would have been dead a long time ago. If Dad hadn''t told her to undergo the in vitro fertilization, she wouldn''t have been pregnant with Sebastian''s sons. Everything she owns now was given by us, so what makes her have the right to put me through so much suffering? Please do something, Sam! Help me! I don''t want to go to jail! I can''t go to jail, Sam! Help me!" In that instant, Isabel suddenly turned around and grabbed the prison guard''s arm. "I want to expose Angie for her crime! I''m not the mastermind! Angie is! You should arrest her! She is the wanted criminal that everyw enforcer is looking for." Isabel refused to let Angie go unpunished as she was determined to drag thetter down with her. Since her request was logical, the prison guard nodded her head. "Sure. Do you have proof?" "Proof? I¡­ Proof¡­" Isabel''s eyes were left wide open because she had no evidence to prove that Angie was guilty. Damn you, Angie! You nned all this from the beginning! You covered up all your tracks because you wanted me to be your scapegoat from the start. At the thought of that, Isabel was terrified and her countenance was turning pale by the second. What am I going to do? Am I going to die a scapegoat for Angie just like that? Why am I the one who gets punished when Angie was the one who nned everything all along? Why do I have to face the impending doom while Angie gets to live her life out therefortably? No! No way I''m letting that happen! She then scratched her head and racked her brain until something came to her mind. Once again, she seized the prison guard''s arm and said, "I want to see Madeline. I want to tell her who''s trying to kill her." Although Isabel did not have the evidence to testify against Angie, she knew Sebastian could gather the proof she needed to expose Angie''s crime since he was the smartest man in Dusktown. Even if he did not find any evidence, knowing how protective Sebastian was of Madeline and his sons, she was counting on him to go after Angie, against whom she was hoping to leverage her odds. While Isabel was merely just exercising her rights, the prison guard nodded and replied, "I''ll make the arrangements for you, but it''s up to her whether she wants to meet you." "I''m sure she will!" Isabel desperately replied, "Just tell her that I know the culprit who tried to kill her and her sons, and she will see me!" The prison guard nodded and walked Isabel back to her cell before she went along with the procedures to contact Madeline to whom she passed on Isabel''s words. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 When Madeline received a call from thew enforcement unit, she happened to be putting her sons to sleep. While Quincy and Alex were doing just fine upon returning home, Joel appeared to be rather lackadaisical and tired, no matter how the others tried to lift his spirit. Apart from that, he only picked at his dinner and even vomited after his meal. As Madeline and Sebastian were getting worried over their son''s condition, they approached Leigh and Edward to check on the sick child, but the doctors assured them that the boy was fine. However, they both opined that Madeline and Sebastian should let the boy have a good night''s rest since he had a bad appetite, thinking he would probably feel better the next morning. After Sebastian and Madeline bathed the boys, they ced the children in the middle and put them both to sleep. And as soon as the children fell asleep, Madeline''s phone rang. Then, she heard the prison warden telling her everything Isabel wanted her to know before urging her to provide any useful information to the police as well. After all, the attempted murder outside the school was a serious criminal offense that the police did not take kindly to. And if Isabel was telling the truth, the police hoped that they could gather the evidence necessary to bring Angie to justice. Worried that she might wake the kids up, Madeline went to the room next door and answered her call. After finishing the tele-conversation, she hung up the call and was then deep in thought. Then, she let out a sigh before giving Crystal a call. In less than a second, the phone was answered and Crystal''s concerned voice sounded from the other line. "Maddie?" "Mom." Madeline asked, "How are you doing? I hope your heart isn''t giving you issues." "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me." Crystal then asked, "What about you and the kids? Are you all alright?" "Yeah, we''re fine. The kids have gone to bed." Madeline added with a soft voice, "Mom, is¡­ Dad by your side now?" Crystal took a glimpse at Michael sitting beside her and said, "Yes, he is. Do you want to talk to him?" "No¡­ There''s something that I''d like to tell you and Dad about." Madeline merely wanted to know whether her father was right next to her mother. After all, it was only wise to tell Crystal any bad news when someone was around. If by any chance she had a heart attack after learning the news, there would be someone to take care of her at least. Having a bad feeling, Crystal asked anxiously, "What''s going on, Maddie? Are you sure you and the kids are fine?" "Yeah, we''re fine. The kids are asleep, and Sebastian is currently by their side." Madeline then added, "Mom, I have something I want to tell you about Angie. But before that, please promise me that you''re going to stay calm, no matter what you hearter." "Angie?" Crystal''s voice became cold. "What is it about her?" Madeline then went on to tell Crystal what she learned from the prison warden. "Mom, if Isabel is telling the truth, that Angie had something to do with the incident, I definitely won''t let her off so easily this time. Even if there''s no evidence to expose her crime, I will not let her go unpunished." Wrapping her fingers tightly around her phone, Crystal breathed heavily as her heart palpitated. While gritting her teeth, she responded, "Like mother, like daughter! She is a wicked woman and an animal without conscience, just like her mother!" "Mom, the reason I''m calling you now is because I want to tell you what I think about the matter. As far as I know Isabel, I don''t think she would be lying about this. Angie tried to kill my sons, and I''m going to make her pay the ultimate price. So, I''d like you and Dad to give my brothers a heads-up because I don''t want to oppose them. However, for the sake of my kids'' safety, I won''t back down either even if they insist on protecting Angie!" Madeline spoke with a cold voice. Although she could tolerate those who tried to hurt her, she could not forgive those who tried to harm her sons. Moreover, she also believed that Angie was responsible for the state that Luke and Leonard were in. Deep down, Madeline begrudgingly admitted that Angie was smart enough to use Isabel to do her dirty work without getting herself into trouble. Although she did not have any evidence to prove Angie guilty, she was confident that her n to exact her revenge on Angie would not be affected. She believed in Isabel''s words, and it was all the reason she needed to go after Angie and make her pay the price. Though Madeline was aware of thews that governed modern society, she did not think it was hard to make that wicked woman suffer. As long as she had the determination to do so, she would make it happen even without viting thew or getting her hands dirty. However, she could only do that if Angie was not protected by anyone powerful such as the Wendel Family. If Cedric insisted on standing in her way to protect Angie likest time, Madeline swore she would not back down again this time. In fact, she remained firm with her stance even if it meant the entire Wendel Family would oppose her as she was determined to take out the culprit who tried to harm her sons. I will not go soft this time! "Don''t worry, Maddie. Your brothers will understand. They won''t protect a culprit who tried to kill you and your kids, but¡­" Crystal worriedly said, "Maddie, I understand that you are trying to protect your kids. At the same time, I also understand your rage and hatred for those who tried to harm your children. However, I want you to always stay calm and rational, Maddie. Don''t let yourself be blinded by anger and break thew. Angie is a lost cause, but you''re different. You have a bright future ahead of you, so don''t ruin it because of Angie." This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Angie?" Crystal''s voice became cold. "What is it about her?" Madeline chuckled and replied, "Don''t worry, Mom. I still have to look after Quincy and Joel, and I want to watch them grow up and get married. So, I''m going to take good care of my future without ruining it for Angie. Like you said, it''s not worth it after all." "I''m d you think that way." Crystal said, "It''s gettingte now, so your dad and I won''t be heading over today. You and the kids should get some rest. We will pay you a visit tomorrow." "Alright, Mom. I got it." Madeline sighed as she hung up the phone and walked out of the room, heading toward the room next door. The moment she opened a crack at the door to take a peek into the room where her sons were, she was shocked to find out that the bed was empty. She then heard voicesing from the bathroom. She rushed to the sources of the voices while calling out to her children. "Quincy? Joel?" When she got to the bathroom, she saw Joel standing in front of the toilet bowl where he was bending over to puke. At the same time, Sebastian was crouching down behind him, gently patting his back. Not long after that, Quincy came with a ss of water in his hands, gazing at Joel with a pair of tearful eyes while trying tofort his little brother. "Hey, Joel. Everything is going to be alright. You''re going to feel better after vomiting." In the meantime, Madeline''s eyes were filled with tears as she felt a lump in her throat. She then approached Joel and squatted down beside the child, gently rubbing his back. "Good boy, Joel. Quincy is right. You''re going to feel better after vomiting." As Joel bent over and continued to puke, he vomited everything he ate during dinner until there was nothing left but yellowish liquiding out of his mouth. The boy was shedding tears as he weakly and painfully endured the unbearable difort. Meanwhile, Sebastian wrapped his arm around the boy in an anxious manner, finally understanding why a parent would wish to be in his child''s position in a situation like that. Seeing Joel''s misery, Sebastian really wished he could bear the pain for his son instead. He would rather suffer from an illness tenfold more unbearable than Joel''s difort to save the boy from any further suffering. Chapter 321 Chapter 321 A few momentster, Joel finally stopped puking but was drained of all the energy from his body. Although Sebastian wanted to carry him to the bed, the boy, who was particr with hygiene, insisted on cleaning himself before going to bed. When he finally got to his bed, hey on the mattress weakly with barely enough energy to keep his eyes open, lying there with a pale face motionlessly. In the meantime, Madeline wrapped her arms around the little boy, shedding tears in a sympathetic manner. Despite her attempt to fight back her tears, she was overwhelmed by her emotions. She was not someone who was emotionally vulnerable, but she had a soft spot for her children, and the concern she had for them always hit her deeply. At the same time, Sebastian fixed his gaze upon Joel with an unfathomable expression. Deep down, he was bothered by Leonard''s unknown fate and his children''s paranoia due to the recent threats, yet his younger son''s health conditiontely only added to his sorrow. However, he would never forget what happened as he swore to punish the culprit who orchestrated the nightmares to haunt his family. The next few moments, Madeline stayed by the boys'' side and put them to sleep until they drifted off. Nevertheless, she remained awake because she was too worried about Joel. At the same time, she gently patted Joel''s body tofort him so that he could sleep soundly. However, it wasn''t until a few momentster that she realized something was wrong when she felt Joel''s forehead. "Oh dear, Joel is having a fever!" My boy''s forehead is feeling feverish. Meanwhile, Sebastian, who was also awake, quickly turned on the lights on his nightstand and sat bolt upright, slipping his hand beneath Joel''s shirt to feel his body, which he found to be feverish. He then called Edward and summoned him while Madeline contacted Leigh for help and told her toe over. Not long after that, Edward and Leigh arrived and checked on Joel, whereupon the former suggested putting Joel on a drip. After all, he opined that the boy must have been dehydrated due to the vomiting, not to mention his high fever. However, Leigh didn''t seem to approve of his opinion, but since her forte was treatingplicated diseases, she knew little about treating a child''s illness, so she had no objections to Edward''s suggestion. As Edward prepared the fluid, he told Madeline to hold Joel''s arm still to keep him from moving. Lacking the courage to watch the process, Madeline felt her heart crumbling into a mess. As soon as the needle pierced through Joel''s skin, the child shivered from head to toe, opening his eyes with a loud scream. "Mommy!" The next second, Madeline''s tears gushed out of her eyes as she hugged Joel and gently alleviated the boy''s fear. "Don''t worry, Buddy. Everything is going to be fine. I''m right here with you. You''ve caught a high fever now, so you need to be on a drip. The doctor is going to put the needle through your skin as you stay still. Can you do that?" Nevertheless, Joel was confused with what was going on, looking Madeline in the eye while trying to fight back his tears. "Mommy, it hurts¡­" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. When Madeline heard the child''s painful moan, her heart broke into pieces. She then hugged her child tightly andforted him, saying, "It''s going to be okay, Joel. It''s only going to sting a bit, but in less than a second, it''ll go away¡­" To Madeline''s relief, Edward was skillful enough to avoid causing any great pain when he pierced the veins beneath Joel''s skin with the needle. As soon as the doctor pasted the infusion patch on the boy''s skin, Madeline held Joel''s hand and calmed him down. "Don''t worry, Buddy. Mommy''s got your hand. Now that the infusion is done, you won''t be in pain anymore." "Mom¡­" Joel copsed into Madeline''s arms. "My head hurts¡­" "Come on, I''ll give you a little massage," Sebastian said, putting pressure on Joel''s temples with his fingertips while massaging them in a circr motion. "Thank you, Daddy," Joel said. Seeing Joel weakly resting in Madeline''s arms as the boy thanked him, Sebastian felt a strong stab of pain on the inside. "You did great, Buddy. Now, close your eyes and get some sleep. Once you wake up, you''re going to be up and around." "Daddy¡­" Joel gazed at him and said weakly, "I''m thirsty¡­" "I got you." Leigh fetched Joel a ss of water, which was added with a little glucose and salt to get him energized. After a few sips, Joel was suddenly overwhelmed by a strange nausea as Edward quickly grabbed a bucket for him. While the boy went on to puke, he began to cry. "What''s wrong, my dear? Are you alright?" Madeline was panicking. Joel tearfullyined. "I''m dirty¡­ I''m all dirty now¡­" he said. After hearing her son''s response, Madeline was helpless and amused at the same time. Knowing how particr her sons were about hygiene, she could immediately tell the reason that Joel puked was because he thought he just made his bedroom dirty. Therefore, she quickly calmed him down and said, "Don''t worry, Buddy. That''s what happens with most patients, but once you recover, it won''t happen again." "It''s okay. Once you''re done vomiting, you''re going to gargle and get yourself cleaned up again," Sebastian answered. Meanwhile, Joel vomited for the next few minutes upon taking a few sips of water, looking as though he had a seizure. Seeing that, Madeline was sympathetic and scared at the same time; she would have taken Joel to the hospital if Leigh and Edward hadn''t insisted that he was fine. Nevertheless, Joel was confused with what was going on, looking Madeline in the eye while trying to fight back his tears. "Mommy, it hurts¡­" Approximately ten minutester, Joel finally stopped vomiting, resting in Madeline''s arms while gazing at Sebastian. "I''m sorry for disturbing your rest, Daddy." Amused yet helpless, Sebastian felt Joel''s soft cheek and said, "What are you talking about? You''re my son, so of course I''m going to look after you no matter what." "I don''t want to impose on you, Daddy." Joel gazed at Sebastian and added, "I want to be a good boy so that you will love us, Daddy. I love you, and I want you to love me too, Daddy." When Sebastian heard the child''s truthful words, he pinched thetter''s cheek and replied with a tender voice, "Don''t be silly, Buddy. You''re my son, and I''ll always love you no matter what happens." "Really?" Joel anxiously tried to confirm what he heard. "Did you say you''re going to love us? Will you stay with us forever? Quincy and I love you very much." "Of course." Sebastian gently caressed the boy''s head and replied, "We''re a family, and we''ll always be together." After Joel heard the man''s words, his mood improved with a bright smile showing on his face. Feeling sympathetic for the boy, Sebastian caressed Joel''s cheek and asked, "Are you hungry? Do you have any cravings?" Joel shook his head. "I''m tired, Daddy¡­" He raised his hand to feel his eyelids. "I can barely keep my eyes open¡­" "You''re tired, Buddy. It''s time for you to get some sleep now." Sebastian ced his hand over Joel''s eyes. "Close your eyes and sleep now. Everything is going to be okay when you wake up." After responding with an affirmative hum, Joel quickly drifted off to sleep. When Sebastian took his hand off his son''s face, the child was already sound asleep. In the meantime, Leigh and Edward only left after the intravenous fluid in Joel''s drip ran out just as his fever subsided. On the other hand, Sebastian and Madeline showed no signs of sleepiness at all although it was gettingte. A few momentster, Sebastian asked, "Did you take care of the boys by yourself when they fell sick back then?" "Yeah." Madeline replied, "Leigh would usually help me out when she was around, but since she was always away, I was left alone to take care of Joel and Quincy most of the time when they were sick." "That''s not going to happen again." Sebastian gazed at her and added, "I wasn''t there for you all those years, but I''ll take good care of you all from now on! Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Madeline was touched when she heard Sebastian''s words. After all, she had been hanging in there all by herself over the years without anyone ever sharing her burden. Therefore, she instantly felt as if she was no longer fighting alone because her children''s father would stand by her side and share her responsibility from that moment on. "Thank you so much." She then added, "I can''t express how grateful and fortunate we are to have you in our life¡­" Deep down, she was aware of how indispensable a father figure was to her sons. No matter how much she loved them, there was nothing she could do topensate for that. As such, she considered herself very lucky that Joel and Quincy''s father was a tough and responsible man like Sebastian, not to mention his love for the kids and his willingness to raise them with her. Thank God that my sons'' father is Sebastian, who is strong and responsible. This must be the luckiest thing that has happened to me ever since I gave birth to the boys. Sebastian patted Madeline''s shoulder, assuring her that he would have her back. "Don''t worry, and just let me worry about everything. I promise I''m going to take good care of you and the kids." "Alright." Madeline reacted with an affirmative hum. "By the way¡­" She went on to tell Sebastian about what she heard from the prison warden. "Based on my understanding of Isabel, I think she''s telling the truth." "Angie?" Sebastian chuckled coldly and nodded. "Great!" Although he was prompted by thew to put Isabel behind bars, he was unhappy that he didn''t stand a chance to have his revenge until he saw an opportunity after hearing about Angie. That schemingdy dusted her hands off after her evil n seeded, thinking she had nothing to worry about after she threw Isabel under the bus. She must be proud of how smart she is, but I''d like to see how cocky she gets about that. I''m going to have her punished even if thew fails to bring her to justice. Hmph! Underestimating me is going to be her biggest mistake. Deep down, Sebastian was confident that he could have Angie killed without getting his hands dirty to return the wicked woman the favor she did by abetting Isabel to kill his wife and children. You''d be a fool if you think you can get away with it after what you''ve done, Angie! It''s time to shatter your sweet dream! The man then reached for his cell phone and called Eternal. "I want to know everything about Angie, including hertest status. Compile your findings into a file and send them to me." Meanwhile, Sam visited a famous nightclub in Dusktown to meet up with Angie. In fact, he had been searching for Angie''s whereabouts as soon as he left the detention center. Deep down, he had no idea why he wanted to see Angie so badly, thinking it was either because he was too desperate to clear his mind by strolling around town or too eager to seek an answer from thedy herself. Therefore, when he left the detention center, he only had one thing in mind, which was to talk to Angie. After pulling many strings, he eventually managed to find out about Angie''s whereabouts and went to meet her in a private lounge at the nightclub. However, when he saw her, he was surprised to see how well off Angie appeared to be after what happened recently. At that moment, Angie was with a number of young people in the lounge filled with excited cheers and a noisy ambience. While some of them were ying poker cards, the others were singing and drinking, scampering crazily on the dance floor. In the meantime, Angie appeared to be leaning on the couch, wearing a decent outfit with beautiful makeup on her face. At the same time, she was holding a ss of liquor, her eyes looking everywhere in a sluggish manner as she smiled ambiguously, unlike what Sam thought he would see. When the man walked up to Angie, she became surprised as soon as she made out his face. "Sam?" "Let''s talk," Sam said. "Right here?" Angie smiled and asked. "Let''s find somewhere else with a little more privacy." Sam added, "Follow me to the lounge I reserved earlier." Angie had no objections, thinking she should be submissive to gain Sam''s favor. After all, she didn''t want to offend Sam because she liked him for his decency and chivalry. Furthermore, Sam was rich and powerful, so Angie thought she could benefit from his influence. Thus, she stood up and followed Sam out of the door. Soon, someone among the crowd noticed Sam''s presence and started whistling. "Who is this handsome guy, Angie? Care to introduce him to us?" Nevertheless, Angie looked back at them with a smile. "This is my brother, and he is an introverted man, which is why I didn''t introduce him to you guys." She curled her lips upward seductively, hiding her arrogance beneath her charming smile while jutting her chin slightly. After all, Sam was good-looking as his decent outfit indicated his wealthy family background. Noticing that the other women couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Sam, Angie could tell that they were envious of her for knowing someone as outstanding as the man. Nevertheless, she was gleeful deep down, thinking they would never stand a chance to get close to Sam. At the thought of that, she continued to smile seductively and walked out the door with Sam to the lounge he had reserved. Therefore, when he left the detention center, he only had one thing in mind, which was to talk to Angie. After pulling many strings, he eventually managed to find out about Angie''s whereabouts and went to meet her in a private lounge at the nightclub. However, when he saw her, he was surprised to see how well off Angie appeared to be after what happened recently. Upon arrival, Sam told his bodyguards to remain outside the lounge and walked right through the door with Angie. As soon as the two of them sat down, he went ahead and asked what he wanted to know, having no mood to exchange pleasantries with thedy. "Angie, why did you set Isabel up? I admit that she hasn''t always been likable, but you should know that she has always treated you as a sister since you both grew up together. When Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal cast you away from home, she stood up for you and came to me for help. After all those things she did for you, how could you throw her under the bus like it was nothing?" "What do you mean, Sam? I don''t understand a word you''re saying." Angie looked at Sam innocently. "Isabel is like a sister to me. Although we might have fallen out several times, we usually put it behind us and move on pretty quickly not long after that. Therefore, I''d say we''re pretty close to each other, so why are you using me of setting her up, Sam?" "Your denial won''t change the fact." Sam suddenly changed the subject and asked, "I heard that you''re having an affair with some rich man. You''re still so young, so why would you ruin your future like that?" In fact, he had been sniffing around about Angie''s whereabouts earlier that day until someone tipped him off about her affair. Although he didn''t believe it at first, the person who told him about the news convinced him by solemnly swearing on his own life. Since he was unsure whether he should believe his source, he was in disbelief after learning about Angie. After all, she was raised by Crystal and Michael in a decent and educated family until she grew up and became a beauty with charm and wits. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Angie is an innocent youngdy with a bright future, so why would she throw all that away and let some rich man enve her like a toy? Despite what he had found out, Sam refused to believe his discovery until he heard more and more simr stories subsequently. At one point, he even saw the video of Angie hanging out with a man and finally believed what he had been hearing. Nheless, he still couldn''t understand why Angie would risk ruining her reputation with an affair, considering her usual gorgeous and haughty image. This is unbelievable! "Where did you hear all these rumors from, Sam? Don''t tell me you bought the stories that you learned from those haters? Their only aim is to disseminate untrue rumors and sow discord, you know!" Angie said as she paused in a trance. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 "I didn''t believe it either at first, but that''s exactly why I didn''t stop looking for more proof," Sam said. "In the end, I found out that you''re indeed having an affair with a middle-aged man. I saw the video in which both of you were hanging out together like a sweet couple. That man has a wife, a son, and a daughter who is around your age. How can you¡­" "Enough! That''s enough!" Angie''s smile stiffened coldly in that instant. "Did youe here and see me just to talk about that, Sam? If that''s the case¡­" She stood up and added, "I''m going to excuse myself now." "You can''t pretend as if nothing ever happened at all, Angie." Sam stood up and reprimanded thedy, saying, "You may insist on your denial, but you can¡¯t change the fact that you''re giving up on yourself by being a mistress who is having an affair with a married man." "Me? Giving up on myself?" Angie mocked herself while curling her lips upward. "Do you think I wanted to be in my current position if I had the choice? Who would want to? Anyway, you have everything you can possibly think of in your life, so I don''t expect you to understand my situation." "Your situation?" Sam knitted his eyebrows. "What kind of situation are you in?" "Oh, so you want to know about my situation?" Angie curled her lips upward, her eyes filled with hatred. "I should be enjoying a good life in the Wendel Family, feeling the love from my parents and brother, but what do I have left now? Do you understand how it feels for me to lose everything in an instant? What have I done wrongly to deserve that? In the past twenty years, I treated my parents well and cared about my brother because they were everything to me, but in return, they abandoned me like I was some trash!" Her eyes turned red as she shook her head in disappointment. "You''re someone who looks down from a high ce, and you will never understand how I feel, Sam." "Is that why you chose to give up on yourself and be some middle-aged man''s mistress?" Sam looked at thedy in disbelief. "Doesn''t this reason sound sufficient to you?" Tears welled up in Angie''s eyes. "Do you know how heartless they were? They left me with nothing even though the Wendel Family had a fortune worth billions. I treated them as family, but they cast me away without giving me anything!" Thedy shivered from head to toe, covering her chest with her palm while talking in a shaking voice. "That was my home! The Wendel Family was my home when I was a child, and everyone in it was family to me, but they just abandoned me without a single thought of hesitation. When I left, they didn''t even bother giving me a house. How could they do this to me?!" "They are not your family! They never were!" Sam coldly added, "You belong with the Colt Family, and you share the same blood with Xander and Cameron. As such, you have nothing to do with Aunt Crystal and Uncle Michael!" "No! That''s not true!" Angie angrily refuted Sam. "They raised me over the years while I called them my parents. They were the closest family members to me! We spent more than two decades living together, and you think I can just forget about it?! Never! I''ll never be able to forget them, but they¡­ They had no problem letting me go after everything we went through in the past two decades!" She suddenly smiled coldly. "I think I know why now. It was all because Madeline married Sebastian! Sebastian is the famous heir of the Hart Family, as well as Dusktown''s favorite son. Since the Hart Family is more established than the Wendel Family, it shoulde as no surprise that the Wendels were counting on Madeline''s marriage to gain the Hart Family''s favor. That''s right! That''s the only reason they cast me away after we lived together for more than twenty years!" "Is that why you hated Madeline and her sons so much that you wanted to kill them?" Sam questioned Angie''s motive. "You think Madeline took everything away from you, including your ce in the Wendel Family and yourfortable life, so you wanted revenge by killing them! Even if what you say is true, what does that have to do with Isabel? You may have a reason to hate Uncle Michael and Aunt Crystal, but Isabel has always treated you like a sister. In fact, she never did anything to wrong you, so why did you set her up?!" "It was all because of you!" Angie smiled ambiguously at Sam. "It was all because she has a good brother like you whom I can never have." She curled her lips upward, her eyes filled with grudge and hatred. "Tell me everything that Isabel is better than me at, Sam. She is dumb and haughty. Just take a look at the trouble she caused in the past, but even so, she still had you by her side to protect her. However, my eight brothers couldn''t evenpare to you when I met my downfall. None of them had a heart as they didn''t give a damn about me once I got into trouble, but you let Isabel stay by your side and take care of her even though her grandpa and mother set your brother up and wounded him so severely that he was left crippled with a long list of post-traumatic illnesses that would bother him for the rest of his life." She coldly smiled and said, "Sam, I know I shouldn''tpare, but I''m prettier and much more mature than Isabel is, but she lives a life so much better than mine. How do you think I''m going to feel about that?" "They are not your family! They never were!" Sam coldly added, "You belong with the Colt Family, and you share the same blood with Xander and Cameron. As such, you have nothing to do with Aunt Crystal and Uncle Michael!" "That''s your reason?" Sam looked at her in disbelief. "Angie, you should see a psychiatrist!" "Haha!" Angie covered her lips andughed out loud. "No wonder you''re the town''s favorite son, Sam. You sound polite even when you''re berating someone! Are you going to call me sick for that? I don''t think I deserve that, though. Instead, I think I''m doing what''s right for the sake of justice! I''m a pretty and maturedy, yet I''m homeless and abandoned, living a life full of misery. On the other hand, Isabel is a dumb and wicked woman who ironically has a kind brother like you to protect her. Having nothing to worry about, she remained haughty and arrogant even after she was cast away by her family. Do you really think that''s fair to me?!" "You¡­" Sam''s face flustered with anger as he shook his head in disappointment. "How have you be a different person, Angie?" "What do you think I''ve be?" Angie''s eyes rolled around as she smiled seductively. "I''m happy with my life now. Although my husband may be a lot older than I am, he loves me and listens to my every word. Furthermore, you might want to be more careful with your use of words. I''m Jeffrey''s wife, not his mistress. You''re a decent rich man who is highly educated, so you ought to be more cautious with your use of words." ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Jeffrey Miller is your husband?" Sam widened his eyes. "His son is married, and his daughter is even older than you are!" "So what?" Angie continued, "There are no boundaries in love, and age is just a number. As such, nothing is going to stand in our way. What seems to be the problem to you?" "You¡­" Sam was rendered speechless. A few momentster, he sighed and asked, "Do you think you''ve won by abetting Isabel to kill Madeline and her sons while you watched without getting your hands dirty? After Isabel was put behind bars, you thought you could get away with your crimes without being caught. You must think you''re really smart, right?" Angie smiled without saying a single word, feeling proud of herself for pulling off such a clever n as she pitted two of her enemies against each other without getting her hands dirty. Although she agreed with Sam''spliment about her wits on the inside, she decided not to speak her mind. "You''re wrong, Angie." Sam sighed and shook his head. "You don''t know much about Sebastian, do you? He is going toe after you for what you''ve done¡­" Chapter 324 Chapter 324 "Sam, what are you talking about? I don''t understand what you''re saying." She looked at him innocently and continued, "The one who hired a hitman to assassinate Madeline, Quincy, and Joel was your sister. Why would it concern me? If Sebastian wants to avenge them, he would naturally look for Isabel, not me." "Trust me, even though you have nned everything out, you are being too clever for your own good. Sebastian will never let this slide, so you''d better pray for the best." Sam was done talking to her and left the room. However, Angie stayed back and went into a daze as she sat on the couch in the corner. She told Sam that she had feelings for Jeffrey and willingly married him, but in actuality, she wouldn''t have chosen to marry an old man who had one foot in the grave if she had the choice. She was young, beautiful, and came from a wealthy background. She had received the best education since young and was a daughter from a noble family. She used to think that she had a bright future ahead and that she would marry into an even wealthier family. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She imagined that her husband would be a highborn young man whose family background was more affluent than the Wendel Family, and he would be an ambitious and handsome gentleman. She would get married to him with a generous dowry and give birth to an heir to him. With that, she would be ady of the house who would look after her children and husband while living a life that was envied by others. For the past twenty years, she firmly believed that it was a life that she would live. However, the Wendels had heartlessly abandoned her when she needed her status as the youngdy of the Wendel Family the most. If they had the conscience and tried to be a little more considerate to her, they could have announced Madeline''s identity after she married someone with her status as the youngdy of the Wendel Family. However, they never cared about her fate and announced Madeline''s identity to the public, causing her to sink into despair. After losing that precious identity, she had lost her qualifications to marry into a wealthy family. She went from being a highly sought-after woman to a nobody. Since then, her life went into a downward spiral. Even the Colt Family whom she previously looked down on had abandoned her and chased her out of the house. Because of that, she had lost everything, including a roof over her head. She considered herself a smart, beautiful, knowledgeable, and versatile woman, but having all those qualities didn''t seem to help her case. She had racked her brains and tried her best to win the favor of young men from affluent and noble families, but she had unintentionally made Jeffrey fall for her. Since she had been well taken care of since young, she couldn''t stand it if no one took good care of her. Feeling helpless and desperate, she had no choice but to ept Jeffrey''s pursuit. The bottom line was, she refused to be his mistress. Thus, she forced him to divorce his wife before registering their marriage. However, both of them didn''t have a wedding ceremony as Jeffrey''s children were strongly against this marriage, so he didn''t dare to have a high-profile wedding. Besides, Angie didn''t want anyone to know that she was getting married to an old man. Just like that, both of them came to a consensus and lived together after registering for marriage. Of course, she didn''t say those words to him. She merely pretended to feel hurt but was willing to compromise for him, which made him cherish her even more. Although she was married to an old man, she was living a good life where she had a stable ie and someone who could support her extravagant lifestyle. He would give her lots of money even though she had fun all day without going to work. In exchange, she sacrificed her young body and bright future as she had lost her chance at marrying a talented young man. Although Jeffrey was getting older by the day, she could only bear with it in order to maintain her extravagant life. Her hatred toward Isabel had deepened when she thought of the sacrifices that she had made in order to attain the lifestyle that she wanted. Although Isabel was abandoned by Nigel and Dan, Sam was still willing to stay by her side and provide for her. It was apparent that she was better than Isabel in all aspects, but she was worse off than Isabel. Thus, she had meticulously nned for Isabel to fall into her trap and hire someone to kill Madeline. Being the idiot that she was, Isabel was easily manipted and really took action. As she wished, Isabel had been apprehended and jailed for life. She felt great that she could finally step on Isabel, and the woman would never be able to win over her in this lifetime! However, her only regret was that the n wasn''t aplete sess since Madeline and both her children weren''t killed. Her anger would only dissipate only if three of them died. On top of that, the Wendel Family wouldn''t be able to cling onto the Hart Family after their death. By then, she would try to persuade Michael and Crystal to let her return to the Wendel Family and regain her status as the youngdy of the Wendel Family. Her gaze darkened as she clenched her fists while deep in thought. Feeling helpless and desperate, she had no choice but to ept Jeffrey''s pursuit. The bottom line was, she refused to be his mistress. Thus, she forced him to divorce his wife before registering their marriage. What can I do to make Madeline and her children die? ¡­ The next day at Sun Garden, Joel only managed to wake up after 10.00AM. As soon as he got up, he seemed to be in a daze and he didn''t seem like his usual self. "Darling, how are you feeling?" she asked concernedly. "I''m feeling fine. It''s just that I feel weak¡­" He leaned in her arms and shook his head as he felt that his whole body was limp, and he had no strength at all. "It''s alright, you must''ve lost your energy because you''re hungry. You will regain your strength after having something to eat." She then added, "What do you want to eat? Mommy will cook it for you." Hearing that, he shook his head. "Mommy, I don''t feel like eating anything¡­" "You have to eat something in order to recover. Why don''t I make some oatmeal for you? Do you remember how good it tastes when we drizzle some syrup on it? Would you like to have that?" she coaxed him. Hearing that, he reluctantly nodded his head and said, "Alright¡­ Mommy, where''s Daddy and Quincy?" "Daddy''s in the study, and Quincy''s in the bathroom," she answered. Just then, Quincy walked out from the bathroom and was overjoyed to see that Joel was awake. He rushed over and touched Joel''s forehead. "He''s not having a fever anymore¡­" Quincy then lifted his head and asked, "Mommy, Joel is fine now, right?" He stared at her intently as he was really worried when Joel had been sleeping for a long time earlier on. He was scared that Joel would die in his sleep, akin to those scenes yed on television. "Yeah." Madeline smiled as she nodded. "Your brother will return to his normal self after having something to let. Shall we apany him downstairs to get something to eat?" "Sure!" Quincy held on to Joel''s hand and said, "You should eat moreter on. In the meantime, I''ll apany you!" "Sure!" Joel, who was in his mother''s arms, felt happy as Quincy held his hand. He beamed when he saw Quincy smiling at him. "Quincy, you''re the best! I like you the most!" "You like Quincy the most?" Sebastian had just entered the room and heard what Joel said. "What about Daddy, then?" Chapter 325 Chapter 325 As Joel watched Sebastian walking toward him, his eyes twinkled. "I love Daddy and Mommy the most. Daddy is the sun, Mommy is the moon, and I''m the star. We are the happiest family ever, and we can''t live without one another!" he said smilingly. When Joel said they couldn''t live without one another with a smile on his face, Sebastian felt as though his heart would melt from the adorableness of Joel''s different persona. He walked over and kissed Joel''s forehead. "How are you feeling? Do you still feel unwell?" he asked. "I feel great." Joel smiled as he shook his head. "You are such a good boy." Sebastian ruffled his hair. "Even though you are still sick, you have such a lovely smile." "That''s because I''m Daddy and Mommy''s good boy!" Joel said obediently before continuing, "You guys work very hard, so I have to be well-behaved to avoid bing a burden!" "You''re such a good boy!" Sebastian caressed his cheek and looked at Madeline. "How did you raise him to be so well-behaved?" he asked. Madeline smiled upon hearing his question. "I didn''t. I was just lucky to have these two lovely and well- behaved children." Hearing her words, Sebastian didn''t say anything. Only children that had been pampered might be arrogant and capricious. He knew that his children had lived a hard life when they were with the Taylors; that was why they had such obedient and thoughtful personalities. Although he was proud to have such well-behaved children, the thought of them having a tough life in the past broke his heart. How he wished he had been by their side since they were young, for he could''ve protected them and gave them the best things in the world! With that thought in mind, he carried Joel and kissed him. "Let''s go and eat. We''ll eat a lot to get rid of the virus, okay?" "No, no, no." Joel shook his head repeatedly and said, "I haven''t washed myself yet, Daddy. I need to wash up before going to eat." "In that case, I''ll carry you there!" Sebastian kissed him again before carrying him to the bathroom. After Joel was done washing up, they left the bedroom and headed toward the dining room. Since Joel was still sick, he could only eat oatmeal. The oatmeal had been prepared and was being heated inside the pot. Madeline ced it on the table while Sebastian ced Joel in his seat. Then, he scooped a spoonful of oatmeal and fed it to Joel. "I''ll feed you." After swallowing the food, Joel tilted his head and smiled sweetly at Sebastian. "Thank you, Daddy. I can eat on my own, though!" "It''s fine." Sebastian smiled. "I like feeding you." Joel ate very elegantly. When he had food in his mouth, his lips would shut tightly while his cheeks moved up and down as he chewed, looking as cute as a hamster. When Sebastian caught sight of this, he couldn''t take his eyes off his son. Looking at him, Sebastian realized that bloodline was indeed remarkable. In the past, he had met children around Quincy and Joel''s age, but none of them made him feel love like how Joel and Quincy did. His attention would be on them whenever they were in his view, and he''d feel both happy and proud for seemingly no reason. When Joel saw Sebastian''s smile, he smiled sweetly at him and gobbled up the oatmeal that Sebastian fed him; he was obedient no matter how Sebastian looked. "Does the oatmeal taste terrible without adding anything else?" Sebastian asked. "No." Joel shook his head. "The oatmeal is tasty. I didn''t have an appetite when Mommy asked me what I wanted to eat earlier, but now, I''m feeling hungry all of a sudden." His answer made Sebastianugh. "Do you know what the word ''appetite'' means?" "I do." Joel smiled. "I''m very smart, and I know a lot of things!" With that, Sebastian couldn''t help but kiss him. "Not only are you smart, you are also cute!" he said. He is so cute! In fact, he is the cutest in the world! Sebastian thought. Poor Joel was restricted from eating other food after finishing a bowl of oatmeal. He licked his lips, wanting to have more, but he said obediently, "I''ll eat more after I''m better." "That''s my boy. When you are better, you can eat anything you want!" Sebastian said. "Alright." Joel nodded his head. Then, he raised his head and looked at Sebastian. "When I recover, I want to eat at a buffet, Daddy!" "Okay!" Sebastian promised. "Once you recover, I will bring you and Quincy to a buffet." "You have to bring Mommy as well!" Joel added hurriedly. "Of course. We will bring Mommy with us too." Sebastian smiled and nced at Madeline. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Hearing his answer, Joel gave a satisfying smile and kissed Sebastian. "You''re the best, Daddy! I''m so lucky to have you!" After swallowing the food, Joel tilted his head and smiled sweetly at Sebastian. "Thank you, Daddy. I can eat on my own, though!" When Joel kissed Sebastian, the man felt like there were flower petals on his face; it was soft and cool, which melted his heart into a puddle. At that moment, he felt that it was a shame he hadn''t met his children when they were still little. With that thought in mind, Sebastian couldn''t help but look at Madeline again as he wanted to have another baby with her. If they had another child, Quincy and Joel would have another little brother or sister. By then, he would watch them grow little by little. Sebastian felt blessed just thinking about it. Not knowing what was on Sebastian''s mind, Madeline only felt that his gaze was intriguing. She couldn''t help but ask, "What''s wrong?" Just as Sebastian was about to speak, his phone rang. He took out his phone and saw that Eternal was calling. He then answered the call. "Mr. Hart, I''ve sent some information about Angie to your phone. Is there anything else you would like me to do?" Eternal said. "Find someone to keep an eye on her," Sebastian said. "Yes, Mr. Hart." Eternal obliged and hung up after Sebastian finished rying his orders. Then, Sebastian opened the file that Eternal had sent him. "Are you busy?" Madeline asked. "I''ll call Leigh to take care of Joel and Quincy. I want to visit Luke and Leonard at the hospital." Luke regained his consciousnessst night, and Logan was taking care of him there. However, Leonard was still in a critical condition, and there hadn''t been any good news about him. She was somewhat involved in this matter, but she hadn''t been to the hospital yet as she was busy taking care of the sick Joel. "There''s no need to call Leigh. Since I have time today, I can take care of the kids. I''ll send you the file on Angie. You can look at it on your way there," Sebastian said. Then, he sent a copy of the document that Eternal had sent him to Madeline. "Thank you!" Madeline thanked him gratefully and said, "I will not let Angie off the hook!" Hearing her words, Sebastian chuckled. "I was going to say that. Don''t worry, I will not let her get away with this either!" Looking at the both of them, Joel blinked his eyes and asked curiously, "What''s the matter? Are you guys going to fight with someone?" Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Hearing Joel''s question, Sebastian looked at him and didn''t know what to say; he wondered if telling a five-year-old kid about such aplicated matter was appropriate. Just as Sebastian couldn''t make up his mind, Madeline ruffled Joel''s hair. "Daddy and I are talking about the person who will hurt you and Quincy. We are going to arrest her and let her go to prison; she must pay for what she did. Promise me that when you and Quincy grow up, you guys won''t do anything bad, okay?" she said while covering up some of the truth. The world wasplicated, and she didn''t want her children to live in a fairytale, believing that everyone was kind-hearted. She wanted them to be good, but that didn''t mean they shouldn''t be aware of others; they needed to know that humans were unpredictable. Although they were not allowed to be bad, they had to be aware of other bad people who''d want to hurt them. "Oh¡­" Joel blinked his eyes. "Don''t worry, Mommy. Quincy and I are good boys. We will not do anything bad!" His words made Madeline smile as she ruffled his hair. "That''s right. You two are good boys who wouldn''t do anything bad." "In that case, you and Daddy must be careful!" Joel furrowed his eyebrows and said worriedly, "When you are outside, you must take some bodyguards with you and let them protect you!" "I will!" Madeline nodded her head and promised. Even if it were for her kids, she would also protect herself as she wanted to see them grow into adults with her own eyes. Only when she raised them herself would she be at ease. "Mommy, when Quincy and I grow up, we will protect you!" Joel looked at her longingly. Hearing his words, Madeline couldn''t help but chuckle and caressed his cheek. "Okay, I''ll be waiting. Since that''s the case, you and Quincy should study hard. Only when you study hard can you be capable of doing anything. By then, you can protect me!" "Okay!" Joel nodded his head. "We will do our best and work hard!" "Good boy." Madeline lowered her head and kissed him. "I''m going to the hospital to see Uncle Luke and Leonard. Be good and stay home with Daddy and Quincy, okay?" "Okay, but you must be careful!" Joel nodded his head again, his doe eyes filled with worry. When he recalled yesterday''s event, Joel was still scared. He wanted to tag along with Madeline, but Madeline and Sebastian kept telling him that there were many viruses in the hospital, causing children to fall ill if they went. Since he hadn''t listened to their words and stayed at the hospital yesterday, he had fallen sick. As such, he needed to behave today. Otherwise, he would get sick, and it would be tiresome for them to take care of him. Nheless, he felt scared. The more Joel thought about it, the more afraid he was. He looked at Madeline as his eyes were filled with terror. When Madeline saw this, she was heartbroken. "It''s okay, Joel. I will bring some bodyguards with me on my way out, and they will protect me. Look at the time¡ªI will be back in an hour, okay?" Although Joel was still afraid, he held back his tears and nodded his head repeatedly. "I''m a good boy. I don''t want to go to the hospital with you. Instead, I will wait for you at home with Daddy and Quincy." Hearing his words, Madeline knew she couldn''t coax him any longer as she was on the verge of crying too. Thus, she held back the urge to say anything else and kissed Quincy while caressing his cheek. "Quincy, help me take care of Joel together with Daddy, okay?" Quincy nodded his head and said, "Okay, Mommy. Be safe." "I will. Be good now!" Then, she kissed her children again before she left the living room. After walking to the yard and sitting inside the car, she let out a breath and couldn''t help but feel funny and sad at the same time as she thought, I''m just going to the hospital. Yet, we make it seem like we will never see each other again. The car drove off and arrived at the hospital after twenty minutes. Madeline went to the ICU to check on Leonard first, but he was still in aa, and Jenson was always by his side. After standing outside the ICU for several minutes, she asked Jenson to take care of Leonard before going downstairs to see Luke. She knocked on the door before going in, and Logan greeted her at once, asking, "Maddie, is Joel feeling better?" "Yes, he ate a small bowl of oatmeal after waking up. He seems to have already recovered from his sickness." Then, she looked at Luke, who was lying on the bed. "How is Luke doing?" Logan turned to look at Luke in disdain. "He''s never been better. In fact, he''s still as talkative as ever, and it''s making my head hurt." "He''s just like Joel." Madeline chuckled. "He talked non-stop after feeling slightly better. Luke only is talkative when you are around, though. When he''s with the others, he doesn''t talk much." The more Joel thought about it, the more afraid he was. He looked at Madeline as his eyes were filled with terror. "Who said that?" Although Luke could onlyy on the bed as his ribs were broken, he was still a slick talker. "Aren''t I talkative when I''m with you? What? Are you saying that I''m still a quiet person? Why don''t I try talking to you more the next time we see each other?" "I¡­ I would rather not. I''m quite afraid of noise and prefer silence," Madeline said. "How can you despise me, Maddie?!" Luke cried out and used her as if he had been wronged. "I just saved your son, yet you are being contemptuous of me! Oh, dear heavens, how stupid am I to forget that he is Sebastian''s son too? Here I am, saving your son and putting my life on the line, yet you think I''m too talkative!" Hearing his false usation, Madeline was speechless. No matter what, though, she had to thank him since Luke was indeed a good person. With that, she walked toward Luke''s bed and sat beside him. Then, she looked at him with seriousness and said, "Luke, thank you for saving Joel. If anything really happened to him, I wouldn''t know what to do¡­ I''m forever grateful to you, Luke!" "Only a thank you?" Luke raised his eyebrow and looked at her. "Why don''t wee up withContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. something more realistic? What about a marriage in return?" "Luke Adams!" Logan furrowed his eyebrows and scolded, "Be mindful of your words." Luke rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Can''t I even tell a joke? I can''t move, and you are still trying to shut me up. Are you trying to bore me to death, Logan?" His words made Madeline speechless. After some time, she said, "What about this, then? Tell me what you want to eat, and I''ll cook for you in return. Deal?" "No way," Luke said. "It''s already tiring enough for such a delicate woman like you to take care of two five-year-old brats. How can I still get you to cook for me?" "Don''t call them that, Luke. They regard you as their uncle! Do you think this is appropriate?" Madeline asked. "Why not?" Luke nced at her. "How many uncles in the world would risk their lives to save their nephew like me? Who dares to say I''m not suitable to be their uncle?" Hearing his words, Madeline went speechless and thought, Fine, you win! She didn''t even know why she was arguing with a man who was sick in the head. It would be a miracle if she could win an argument over him! Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Seeing that Madeline was at a loss for words, Luke felt a sense of achievement. "I want to eat some fruit," he said casually. "I''ll help you. What do you want to eat?" Madeline asked hurriedly. "You can''t eat anything!" Logan red at Luke and said, "Have you forgotten about the doctor''s words? You can only consume liquids during the next few days." After being quiet for a moment, Luke suddenly let out a scream. "Ugh! I''m so bored!" Madeline didn''t know what to say, whereas Logan sighed. "Honestly, can''t you act like a patient?" he asked. "I''m not a patient. I''m a wounded person!" Luke said seriously. His words made both of them speechless. Then, Logan rubbed his temples and sighed. "I wish I could exchange him for another brother." Although Madeline didn''t say anything, she agreed with Logan in secret. Still annoyed that he was being restricted from doing anything, Luke ignored him and asked Madeline, "Maddie, are you sure it was Isabel who wanted to hurt you and your children? Could it have been anyone else?" The most important thing he cared about now was the safety of Madeline and her children. Now that Isabel was in prison, she would be there for the rest of her life and would not harm them. Right now, he wanted to know if Madeline had any other enemies. He would eliminate them for her before going back to the Capitol, or he would not be at ease. "I''m sure it''s Isabel, but she was being egged by someone." Then, Madeline told Logan everything that the police officer had told her. "Angie and her mother are both sinister! She took your ce and enjoyed the wealth of the Wendel Family for over twenty years. However, not only does she think she owes you nothing, she even wants to hurt you and your children. She is worse than a monster!" Logan said in contempt. "Ahh! It''s so unfortunate! Why did I get hurt? Otherwise, I''d be able to y around with Angie right now!" Luke moaned in despair. Are you sure you want to y with her and not mess with her? Madeline thought as she heard Luke''s words. Then, she sighed and looked at him. "Rest well, Luke. I''ll handle this." Luke''s lips twitched upon hearing her words. "You can''t. You are too soft-hearted." "Not this time. Since she has the guts to hurt my children, I will let her pay a huge price!" she said persistently. "What do you mean by making her pay a huge price? Are you going to scold her or p her?" Luke huffed nonchntly. Madeline was rendered speechless. I''m not ying around. Is he underestimating me? she thought to herself. "I will make her lose everything she has and turn her life into living hell! If I can prove that she had ordered Isabel to do it, I''ll let her join Isabel in prison. If I can''t find anything on her, I will make her lose everything!" "Can you do that?" Luke raised his eyebrows. "Yes!" Madeline nodded. "Sebastian''s subordinate had some information about Angie, and I looked through it on my way here. Initially, Angie had lost everything, but things took a turn once she married a businessman called Jeffrey Miller. Since then, she has been living the life of a rich person again. If we bring Jeffrey down, she will lose everything and be left with nothing once more. For her, living a life of poverty is the worst thing that can happen to her." "Jeffrey?" Luke furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a moment. "I haven''t heard of him." "Me neither," Logan said. Madeline took out her phone and sent Logan the information Sebastian had sent her. "Apparently, Jeffrey became rich after starting a pottery business. He''s considered an upstart, but his wife is from a small aristocratic family at Dusktown. Some time ago, Jeffrey''s wife was pushed off a flight of stairs and entered a vegetative state." She continued, "ording to him, his wife had identally fallen from the stairs herself. However, Sebastian''s subordinate found a nanny iming that she saw Jeffrey pushing his wife down the stairs. Not long after, she changed her testimony and said that he was going to save his wife instead of pushing her down." "Did Jeffrey bribe the nanny?" Logan made a guess. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Madeline nodded. "That''s right. They found out that the nanny quit her job and returned home after Jeffrey''s wife was sent to the hospital. She started spending generously, buying her son a house, a car, and even getting him a wife. She spent much more than she had earned while working for the Miller Family." "Not this time. Since she has the guts to hurt my children, I will let her pay a huge price!" she said persistently. As he listened to Madeline''s words, Logan understood everything. "I get it. If we get the nanny to testify against Jeffrey, he will be in prison. When that timees, Angie will have no one to support her." "That''s right. Not only that, Jeffrey''s children opposed the idea of Angie bing their stepmom. If they find out that Jeffrey pushed their biological mother down the stairs because of Angie, they would definitely vent their anger on her. By then, not only would Angie be unable to get a single penny from the Miller Family, she would also have to face the wrath of Jeffrey''s children." "This is a good idea. Do you need any help?" Logan asked. "It''s all good, Logan. Sebastian has prepared everything, and I can do it by myself." Then, she looked at Luke. "All you have to do is help me take care of Luke. I have to take care of Joel since he is sick, so I can''t be around all the time. Please help me take care of him, Logan." "We are a family. There''s no need to talk about this kind of thing. If you ever need my help, just let me know. I will be staying at Dusktown for the time being, and I''ll let you know when I return to the Capitol." "Okay." Madeline scooted over to Luke and helped him tuck in his nket. "In that case, I''ll be going. Joel has been scared silly by yesterday''s event. When I left today, he was worried sick and looked at me as if he was going to cry. I must return home as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would be scared." Hearing her words, Luke rolled his eyes and huffed. "That is why having a brat is so troublesome!" Madeline didn''t know what to say, whereas Logan red at him before saying to her, "Ignore him. He can''t resist the urge to say anything insulting for a day!" When she listened to Logan''s words, Madeline couldn''t help but smile. That''s not true, she thought. Rather than saying Luke couldn''t resist the temptation of saying something insulting for a day, she felt that he wouldn''t feel at ease if he did not include an insulting word in every sentence. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 When Madeline returned to Sun Garden, Joel was delighted to see her. He rushed into her embrace and hugged her tightly. As Joel was sick, he became a lot more clingy recently. She carried him to the couch and ruffled his hair. "Are you still feeling sick?" she asked. He shook his head and said, "I''m fine, Mommy." "Good boy!" Madeline kissed him a couple of times. "How can you be so cute?" "Because I''m like you!" Joel gave her a cherubic smile. "I''m cute and well-behaved because you are too!" His words made Madelineugh, and she couldn''t help but kiss him again. My baby is the cutest angel in the world! she thought. Then, she ran her fingers through his hair and asked, "Where''s Daddy?" "He was just here ying games with Quincy and me. We were ying when his phone rang. Then, Daddy took his phone and went upstairs." "I see¡­ Then, where is Quincy?" Madeline asked again. "He went out with Alex to buy a present for me! Simon is with them too. Daddy gave Quincy a lot of money and said that he could buy anything he wanted for me. So he is going to buy a lot of presents for me!" Joel answered joyfully. Madeline was stunned when she heard his story. After a moment of silence, she asked hesitantly, "How much did Daddy give?" "Daddy gave Quincy a card." With that being said, Joel gestured animatedly to show Madeline the size of the card with his hands. Then, he continued, "Quincy said that it is a luxury card with unlimited ess to money. He can buy whatever he wants!" When he spoke of it, his feet swung back and forth, and his face was filled with adoration. "Daddy is so awesome!" he gushed. Just as Sebastian came downstairs, he heard Joel''s words and couldn''t help butugh. "Is being awesome that easy?" He sat beside Madeline, took Joel from her arms, and cuddled him. Then, he lowered his head and kissed Joel. "If I had known this earlier, I would have given you a luxury card too. You can spend it however you like!" Suddenly, he recalled the first time he met Joel; it was when Joel received money from the watch on his wrist! How hadn''t he noticed that his son was so money-oriented? But it''s not toote now! Immediately, Sebastian texted Quinton, asking him for a luxury card since Quinton was the one in charge of his personal belongings as he couldn''t be bothered to deal with things he considered ''trivial''. Soon, Quinton walked in and handed him a luxury card. "Mr. Hart, does this satisfy your request?" Sebastian took the card and looked at it. "Good," he said. Right after that, he handed Joel the card. "Here you go. This is yours. You can use it however you like!" "Huh?" Joel blinked his doe eyes dazedly. Sebastian looked at him with adoration, wishing he could give Joel all his cards. But it was useless to have so many cards; just one unlimited card was enough for him. He kissed Joel''s forehead and said, "You and Quincy both have one each. Use it whenever you want to buy anything, okay?" When Joel heard his words, Joel gave the card back to Sebastian and shook his head. "I don''t need this! I''m still young. I don''t need that much money! Plus, I have my own money!" With that, he raised his arm, showing the watch on his wrist to Sebastian, and said proudly, "There is a lot of money in here! I can buy many snacks with it!" "That''s not the same! Keep your money to yourself and spend mine. I earned so much money just to give it to you guys!" "Don''t say that!" Madeline tugged on Sebastian''s clothes and shook her head at him. Then, she turned to Joel and said, "You must study hard and be a better man when you grow up. Then, you will earn money on your own, right?" Even though she knew that Sebastian''s words were true because he loved them very much, she still thought that spoiling them without a care about the consequences wasn''t the brightest idea. Joel nodded his head firmly at Madeline''s words. "Yes! Don''t you worry, Mommy. I will study hard and be stronger than Daddy! I will earn lots of money for all of us!" He paused for a moment before continuing, "But I think Quincy will be more capable than me and earn more money than me. But still, I want to support him! I want to give all of you the best thing in the world!" As he said these words, his big doe eyes shone brightly, and his face was full of yearning for the future. His deration was so charming that Sebastian couldn''t take his eyes off him. He thought his son looked charismatic and was simultaneously touched by his words. He said that he was going to support me when he grew up! Yet, he also wanted to give me the best thing in the world! How can he be so considerate and filial? Soon, Quinton walked in and handed him a luxury card. "Mr. Hart, does this satisfy your request?" With that thought, Sebastian couldn''t help but kiss Joel again, and he felt as though all the love he could pour into this tiny person just wasn''t enough. He didn''t know how to describe his emotions; it was as if there was nothing more fulfilling than spending time with his family. Just as they were bonding, Sebastion''s phone rang. When he swept his gaze on his screen, he saw the call was from Eternal. "Mr. Hart, the evidence is ready," he reported sinctly. "Good. Call the police!" Sebastian instructed. "Yes, Mr. Hart!" After Eternal ended the call with Sebastian, he immediately called the police. Thirty minutester, at the CEO''s office of Miller Enterprise. Jefferey got a call from his secretary that a few police officers had arrived. At first, he was shocked, but he then convinced himself that the police had to be here for another reason as it had been a long time since that matter. Then, he told his secretary to let them in and greeted them with a smile. ¡°Good day, officers. I wonder what''s all the commotion about?¡± "It''s about your wife. Someone had reported that you pushed her down the stairs. Please follow us for further investigation," the police officer replied sternly. The police''s words made Jeffrey nervous, but he regained hisposure and barked, "How is this possible? It was clear that my wife had fallen by ident. So who is the person ndering me?" Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "You''ll find out once we investigate the matter thoroughly. Now, please cooperate and follow us back to the police department," the lead police officer said. "I want to see mywyer," Jefferey managed to stayposed and said seriously. Since his request was reasonable, the police didn''t reject him. "Sure." Half an hourter, Jeffrey was sitting in the integration room of the police department. Of course, he wanted to deny everything, but he never expected they would have evidence of his crime. When he fell in love with Angie, he sneakily arranged for her to stay in the vi he had outside the suburbs. He loved Angie with all his heart and decided to get a divorce as Angie told him that she would only have sex with him after they were married. When he asked for a divorce, his wife refused, which resulted in a heated argument. That was when he identally pushed his wife off the stairs. Chapter 329 Chapter 329 He never intended to kill his ex-wife; he just pushed her off the stairs by ident. That''s why a servant witnessed everything when it happened, as he didn''t do it in secret. After that, he gave the servant a hundred million as hush money. The servant happily quit her job after receiving the money. Then, when his wife was vegetative, he told everyone it was an ident. Although some suspected that he was the one who pushed her off, they couldn''t find any proof. So, no one forced the matter to be investigated by the police. Just like that, the case was closed. After everything had happened, he married Angie despite his children''s protest. Ever since he married her, his life had been getting better and better. It was as if he had a second chance in life; he felt younger and filled with youthful vigor. He loved Angie with the entirety of his being and nned to have a baby with her. He wondered if their baby would inherit their genes and be bright and good- looking as Angie was intelligent, elegant, and beautiful. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Whenever he thought about the bright future ahead of him, he was pumped and felt that life was full of excitement and hope. However, he always wondered how his friends and business partners would admire him when he proved that he could still keep it going after having a child with Angie. But before any of that could happen, everything went downhill. The police had found evidence of him bribing the servant. Because of this, the servant was terrified and blurted everything out. Now that all evidence was in ce, he would be charged with attempted murder. When his predicament finally set in, he panicked as he would be in prison for at least three years¡ªor worse, ten years¡ªif he was found guilty. He was already in his fifties; half of his life had passed, and he just wanted to enjoy life as much as possible. How could he spend his remaining years in prison? "I didn''t mean to push Charlotte down the stairs! She fell on her own!" Jeffrey protested. "Since she fell on her own, why did you bribe Cara with one hundred million?" the police asked. "Because I''m afraid she will talk nonsense!" he said hurriedly. "I was arguing with my ex-wife. She was hot in the head at that moment when she identally slipped and fell down the stairs. At that time, Cara was cleaning the living room. Although she didn''t see anything, she was spreading rumors with other servants behind my back, telling them that I was the one who pushed Charlotte! There were only the three of us when it happened. I couldn''t prove myself, Charlotte was in aa, and there was only Cara left. Won''t I be guilty of murder if I allowed her to keep spreading the rumor? So, I had no choice but to give her one hundred million to keep her mouth shut." "Oh really?" the police officer said coldly. "How generous of you to give her one hundred million and not be mad at her for falsely using you of something you didn''t do!" "What else is there to do? No matter how you put it, my ex-wife was in this state because of me. Because of this, my children are angry at me. What would I do if they had believed in Cara''s words and turned against me?" Jeffrey said. As he continued speaking, he managed to persuade himself and gained more confidence as time passed. It was Cara''s words against his, so he believed that the police couldn''t charge him for anything. Furthermore, his reason was convincing too. As long as there was no evidence, they couldn''t do anything about him. It was as if the police had read his mind, so he mercilessly cut him off by saying, "Jeffrey, do you think we couldn''t convict you just with Cara''s confession? Don''t fret. Soon, we will have new evidence. All we have to do is to detain you in custody for 48 hours. Then, you will have nothing to say for yourself when we have everything. So, I advise you to confess before we find the evidence. That way, you can plead guilty, and the court will be more lenient when they sentence you to prison." "New evidence?" Jeffrey reflexively asked. "What do you mean by that?" There were only three of them when he pushed Charlotte down the stairs. How could the police learn anything else? "There is a famous doctor who had the title of God of Surgery named Jenson. He is currently preparing to operate on your ex-wife. From what we know, the surgery will be a huge sess. Once the surgery is sessful, your ex-wife will be awake. If you don''te clean now, you will not have the chance to do so once she tells us the truth." "Jenson? How is that possible?" Jeffrey was spooked. When his ex-wife hurt her head and went into aa after falling from the stairs, she was in a vegetative state. His children and his ex-wife''s family searched for many famous doctors, but no one could cure her. Nevertheless, a doctor told them about Jenson, saying that the surgery of his ex-wife was too risky and only Jenson could do it. So, they exhausted all possible means to search for him, hoping he would save Charlotte. But they couldn''t even see him in person. "Oh really?" the police officer said coldly. "How generous of you to give her one hundred million and not be mad at her for falsely using you of something you didn''t do!" Jenson was the dean of this country''s famous private hospital and the Harts'' private doctor. He rarely did surgery for outsiders, and it was hard for someone to see him in person if they didn''t have the right contacts; his children and ex-wife''s family were counted as people with no connections. They worked so hard but could only give up after not being able to see Jenson. When he first knew that they were going to ask Jenson to do the surgery, he was terrified, and he feared that they would find Jenson and his ex-wife would recover. But after seeing that they had failed miserably, he slowly eased up. As time passed by, he had almost forgotten about Jenson. Nevertheless, now that the police had told him that Jenson was preparing surgery for Charlotte, he couldn''t believe it. He wondered why Jenson would suddenly help his ex-wife when his children and ex- wife''s family couldn''t see him even when they tried everything. "That''s impossible!" Naturally, this greatly impacted Jeffrey''s mental state, and he couldn''t retain his composure as he roared, "You''re lying!" "Why don''t you ask yourwyer to see if we are lying to you or not?" Finally, the police left the room, allowing Jeffrey''swyer into the room. As Jeffrey saw hiswyer, he asked hurriedly, "What happened? Why did Jenson suddenly agree to operate Charlotte?" "This is all because of Angie," thewyer replied. Jeffrey was stunned when he heard thewyer''s words. "What does this have to do with her?" "Jenson is the family doctor of the Hart Family, and Angie offended the master of the Hart Family." Then, thewyer told him everything the Harts wanted him to know about Angie and Isabel. Jeffrey''s face gradually paled as cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he listened to thewyer''s report. "Is she¡­ Is she tired of living?" Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Angie had the audacity to scheme against Philip''s wife and son? How many lives did she think she had? The worst part was that Angie had also dragged him into her mess! Now, Jeffrey finally understood everything. He understood why the subject of his ex-wife was suddenly brought up when it had been buried for so long, and they even discovered proof. It was all because of Angie! At this moment, he was very regretful. If he had known, he would have stayed far away from her; even if she grasped his leg and begged him, he would have smacked her away. Danger hides in beauty and beauty in danger. Then, thewyer stated, "Mr. Jeffrey, your current circumstance is extremely unfavorable to you. Therefore, I suggest that you plead guilty and seek leniency." "Perhaps... Perhaps the surgery will fail?" Jeffrey was still holding on to thatst shred of hope. "Even if your ex-wife''s surgery fails, the current evidence is enough to convict you," thewyer stated. "Why? Could Cara''s nonsense be enough to convict me?" Jeffrey was not convinced. "The one million you gave Cara to bribe her is not actually legal," thewyer added, "We cannot win this litigation as long as the opposing side employs a skilledwyer." ''''You''re telling me that I''m doomed regardless of the oue of Charlotte''s surgery?'''' Jeffrey''s complexion started paling as the realization set in. He didn''t want to go to prison. He was just in his fifties and wealthy, powerful, and well-connected. He was still in the prime of his life with a great career and was living his best life. If he was imprisoned, all that remained was anguish and torment. His entire life would be doomed! "Yes," thewyer said. "And it was also the president of the Hart Corporation who sent you in here... Mr. Jeffrey, think about it. Given Hart Corporation''s power, would you ever stand a chance of being released?" Jeffrey''s expression turned pallid. Right. How could he forget that the head of the Hart Corporation sent him in? ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. With their strength and ability, they could always find a way to prove that he was guilty. But, of course, it didn''t hurt that he was indeed guilty, either. Not only that, but even if he was fortunate enough to find a loophole in thew and avoid imprisonment, they had the capacity to make him lose everything, bit by bit. If so, he might be worse off than being imprisoned. He eventually realized he had no way out. He had been on a downward trajectory since the day he fell in love with Angie. Even if he didn''t shove Charlotte down the steps, the Hart Corporation wouldn''t let him go because of his status as Angie''s husband. That bitch Angie really destroyed him! If only he had known¡­ But then again, twenty-twenty hindsight. Despite getting older, he was lustful and refused to settle down. He demanded a divorce from his wife and married a lovely young woman just to indulge himself as much as he could before he turned too old. Unfortunately, he had forgotten the fact that there was no reason as to why a young and lovelydy would marry an old man like him. It was as though his thoughts were clouded, and he believed Angie had genuinely fallen in love with him and married him because she was charmed by him. But now, he instantly understood that Angie married him because she didn''t have a better option. Whoever married a vicious and ruthless woman like her was destined for misfortune, and everyone but him was wise enough to stay away. At this moment in his life, his love and lust for her turned into a pot of simmering rage and hate. He despised Angie so much that he wanted to strangle her till death just to vent his wrath! Jefferey clenched his teeth and asked, "When can I be released?" Thewyer hesitated. ¡°If your ex-wife hasn''t woken up after 48 hours and the police don''t have any new evidence, I can apply for bail; however, if your ex-wife wakes up while you are out on bail, you will lose the chance to ask for leniency. Hence, I advise you to confess to the police immediately to reduce your sentence.¡± "No, I have to leave! I still have a lot to deal with!" snarled Jeffrey. He had to take care of Angie personally, or it would be impossible to eliminate the hatred in his heart. Moreover, there was something more important... He had to transfer his assets before entering prison; otherwise, he wouldn''t know how his children would treat him after learning that Charlotte was pushed down the stairs by his own hands. His children were already at odds with him due to his marriage to Angie, and if they knew that he pushed their mother, Charlotte, down the stairs, he was afraid that his children would join hands to embezzle his assets. If he were lucky, even if he were convicted, he would be able to leave prison in about three to five years. Yet, he needed money after being released to maintain hisfortable lifestyle. Without money, he would be utterly ruined. "Okay." Since he insisted on leaving, thewyer had no choice but to follow his client''s will. "I''ll take care of the arrangements for you if the police don''t have any fresh evidence in 48 hours." Even if he didn''t shove Charlotte down the steps, the Hart Corporation wouldn''t let him go because of his status as Angie''s husband. The two came to an agreement, and thewyer left the police station. He returned to his car and pulled out his phone to call Billy Miller, Jeffrey''s son. "Mr. Miller." ¡°How did it go?¡± Billy questioned. Thewyer replied, "He didn''t plead guilty, but I tried to question him based on his guilt, and he didn''t refute it. So it''s unlikely that Cara lied. Your father did, in fact, shove your mother down the stairs." Billy bribed him, so heid a trap for Jeffrey while he was speaking to him earlier. Jeffrey didn''t verbally admit that he had shoved Charlotte down the steps; instead, he hinted as much, and Jeffrey didn''t dispute the fact. This was sufficient evidence that Jeffrey indeed shoved Charlotte down the stairs. On the other end of the phone, Billy clenched his fists tightly. His face darkened as he ground his teeth in fury. Then, after a long while, he finally bit out two words, "I understand." He hung up the phone and swept the items on the desk to the floor in order to vent his anger. Then, he gripped the table tightly as he tried his best to suppress his wrath while taking several deep breaths, chest heaving. Then, he made a call when he had managed to wrangle his emotions into submission. "Prepare the car. We''re heading to Windview Vi." Windview vi was where his father allowed Angie to live. His father intended to bring Angie back to the main house when they had legalized their marriage. But Angie had to spend all of her time at Windview vi because he and his sister protested vehemently at her existence in their lives. Thus, his father had no choice but to make arrangements for Angie to stay in that vi. After he hurried to the house, he rushed into the living room and immediately noticed Angie curled up on the couch. She was on the phone, smiling while cradling a cat in her arms and rxing on the couch in her maroon house robe. As Billy entered the room, she shed him a seductive look before saying on the phone, "I still have some stuff to do. I''ll talk to you soon." She hung up the phone and set it aside. "Bill, why are you here?" she said as she stood up while holding the cat. She spoke in a coquettish manner. The wine-red house robe barely covered anything, exposing a considerable area of her fair, tender skin. Nheless, Billy felt nothing but disgust for her instead of finding it attractive. Chapter 331 Chapter 331 "You made my father hurt my mother, am I right?" Billy stalked toward her like a gust of wind, gripped her neck tightly, and forced her down on the couch. "You wanted to marry my father, so you nted thoughts of him getting rid of my mother so you could rece her, didn''t you?" "What nonsense are you talking about?" Angie was gasping for breath as she struggled furiously. "Billy, what are you doing? Let go of me! I don''t understand what you''re talking about!" "You don''t understand what I''m talking about?" Billy grabbed her neck and flung her to the ground. "Don''t you know that the cops arrested my father? He ced my mother into aa. How could you not know? It''s you! It''s all your fault! My father was fine before, but you showed up and seduced him. My mother is now in aa, and the police have taken my father. You b*tch!" Billy''s anger grew with each word he spat from his lips. Finally, he tugged Angie''s hair and yanked her from the ground to p her harshly across the face. He had never hit a woman before, but his emotions were out of control at this very moment. Not only did he want to hit her, he felt like killing her with his bare hands. Angie fell to the ground due to his brutal actions; blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and her whole body hurt. As shey on the ground, she was stunned. Jeffrey was arrested? His ex-wife was put into aa by him? How is that possible? She sat on the ground, trembling. If¡­ If this is real, what is she supposed to do? If Jeffrey''s ex-wife were really in aa because of him, he would be imprisoned. And if he was imprisoned, would she still have a ce in the Miller Family? No! No way would ever happen! Both Jeffrey''s son and daughter despised her. It was Jeffrey''s protection that allowed her to enjoy a comfortable life in the Windview Vi. Once Jeffrey was imprisoned, they would unceremoniously punt her out of the Miller Family. Where could she go if she was kicked out of the family? She had nowhere to go but to the Miller Family. She could still marry Jeffrey before because of her youth and attractiveness, but now that she was legally Jeffrey''s wife, who else could she possibly marry? Furthermore, Jeffrey was fine before marrying her, but misfortune soon befell him immediately after marrying her. So it would only be natural that people would arrive at the conclusion that she brought bad luck. The wealthier people were, the more superstitious they were. They favored lucky people and intensely disliked those who were down on their luck. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that some would even avoid them like the gue. She would be a symbol of misfortune in the eyes of the rich, akin to having a ward against the affluent and prominent societal figures. She would never again have the chance to evene in contact with the upper crust of society in this life. She was about to lose her sanity. What was God doing? Did He want to drive her to a tragic end? She was anxious and frightened as tears flowed down her cheeks. She asked Billy with slight hope, "Was there a mistake? How could your father possibly harm your mother? It had to be a mistake, quickly think of a way to bail your dad out and allow him to exin to you!" Jeffrey couldn''t get imprisoned! She would only be fine if Jeffrey were innocent. "Mistake? What mistake? The Hart Family discovered the evidence. How could it be a mistake?" raged Billy. "Furthermore, Dr. Jenson will operate on my mother tomorrow. If the Hart family fabricated evidence, why would they allow Dr. Jenson to operate on my mother? Everything will be revealed when my mom wakes up from hera!" "Hart Family? What does it have to do with them?" Angie inquired nkly. "What does it have to do with them?" Billy sneered as he nced at her. "Didn''t my father attract the Hart Family''s attention because he married you? In that regard, I''d like to thank you as well. If it hadn''t been for the fact that they held grudges against you and made them despise my father as well, I would still be unaware that my mother was pushed down the stairs by him, and there would be no way to request Dr. Jenson to perform surgery on my mother!" Angie''s eyes widened in disbelief, and she felt shivers running up her spine. Hart Family¡­ It was Sebastian and Madeline! She instantly remembered Madeline''s words to her. Do you think you have won? No, Sebastian will definitely not let you go. Her words came true. But she didn''t believe it that time. She thought that she had married into the Miller Family and became Jeffrey''s wife. What Isabel did had nothing to do with her, making it unlikely that she would be held ountable for it. Even if she were, she would still be innocent because she only had a casual conversation with Isabel. What could Sebastian possibly do to her? Angie had also married Jeffrey and had be part of the affluent women. The Hart Family had a good reputation for being moral and upright despite being one of the wealthiest families. Philip never permitted anybody in the family to bully others, and Sebastian was no exception. She would be a symbol of misfortune in the eyes of the rich, akin to having a ward against the affluent and prominent societal figures. She would never again have the chance to evene in contact with the upper crust of society in this life. She was a stay-at-home wife. All she did was shop, work out, eat, and drink. So what could Sebastian do to her, regardless of his abilities? Angie took everything for granted, so when Madeline said that to her, she didn''t take it seriously and scoffed in derision. It was only now that she realized Sebastian couldn''t do anything to her, but he could definitely do something to Jeffrey. Additionally, she depended on Jeffrey to survive as if she were a parasite. She would also wither once Jeffrey was done for. She sagged to the ground, regretting her choices. If Angie had known that Jeffrey''s ex-wife was pushed down the stairs by Jeffrey, she wouldn''t have tried to be cunning and used Isabel to mess with Madeline. She thought she could stay out of trouble, and everything would be just fine, but she was wrong... Now what? Her head dropped as she buried her face in her palms and sobbed quietly. What had she done wrong? Why did life y games with her and forbid any means of survival for her? On the other hand, Billy wanted to murder her but realized that killing someone would cost him his life; he couldn''t afford to let that woman ruin the rest of his life. There were multitudes of ways he could torment her as long as she remained with the living. He could make it so that death was an unattainable dream for as long as he lived. Not only could he avoid legal responsibility by doing so, but he would also be able to vent the hatred in his heart! He suddenly raised his voice. "Anyone?!" "Mr. Miller?" said his bodyguard as he walked in. "Throw her out!" Billymanded icily. "Yes, Mr. Miller," the bodyguard replied as he grabbed Angie and dragged her out the door. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "What are you doing, Billy Miller? I''m your stepmother!" Angie shrieked. "What rights do you have to force me out of my home?" "Who gave you the courage to have me acknowledge you as my stepmother?" Billy''s face was as dark as charcoal. Angie was younger than him, yet she imed to be his stepmother right in front of him. It was the worst insult he had to bear in his life! "I am your stepmother!" Angie struggled desperately. "I got a marriage certificate with your father. So legally speaking, I am your stepmother!" "So? So what if thew legalized your marriage between my father? You can''t force me to acknowledge you as my stepmother. In my eyes, you''re trash who deserves to be put to death!" With that said, he lashed out at the bodyguard, "Can''t you even drag a woman out? Are you weaker than her? Throw her out!" Chapter 332 Chapter 332 The bodyguard dragged Angie out of the house and threw her to the ground. When she finally gathered herself to spring up and hurry to the door, it had already been closed right before her eyes. She desperately mmed the door, shouting, "Open the door! You have no right to force me out of my house!" Billy gave her a chilly stare through the iron gate and instructed his assistant, "This house was once upied by a disgusting woman and has be filthy. Find a buyer immediately and sell it." Angie could never live here again if he sold this house. His assistant responded and instantly took out his phone to make a call to the real estate agent. "Billy, you can''t do this. I''m your father''s wife, and this is my house. You have no right to throw me out!" Angie cried hysterically as she shook her head. "Drag her further away." Billy snarled at the bodyguard. "Yes, sir," The bodyguard replied and proceeded to open the door to haul Angie further away. Billy then returned to the room and dumped all Angie''s clothing and personal belongings outside the gate. He also instructed his assistant to take all the valuable items and donate them. Angie''s possessions were not particrly valuable. In all honesty, he thought all these things were beneath him, but he loathed her enough that he refused to leave a single penny to her. After they were done, they left. When Angie returned wholly disheveled, she found they had already dumped all her belongings all over the ground. She sobbed as she gathered her belongings. She even thought of climbing over the gate into the vi when she raised her eyes at the tall gate. She had no choice. She had nowhere else but this ce to call home. As Jeffrey''s wife, she was entitled to live here since Jeffrey owned this ce. Therefore, even if she climbed past the fence, no one would be able to apprehend her. Angie knew where the spare key for the gate was, and if she managed to climb in and get it, she could continue to stay here. So, she grabbed the iron railing of the carved gate and was about to start climbing when a car stopped nearby. "Hey, what are you doing?" tworge and muscr men shouted at her as they exited the car. "This is my house, and my key is inside," Angie said, attempting to calm herself. The buff man pushed her as he walked toward her. "Who are you lying to? The property owner told us that you are a mistress, and he ordered us to take good care of the house and keep you from entering. You better leave now, or I''ll beat you up." He waved his fist in Angie''s direction and gave her a look of contempt. "I''m not a mistress!" she firmly shook her head. "I am the owner of this house. This is my house!" The man looked at her from top to bottom, his eyes derisive. "Why are you even lying? You look like one!" Angie was so furious that she started shaking as she tried to contain her rage. As the Wendel Family''s youngdy, she was treated like a princess since she was a child. A peasant like the one before her right now would feel embarrassed at the sight of her in the past, but now, they were humiliating her by calling her a mistress! I am not a mistress! I am not! Her trembling hands reached inside the luggage for her phone to call the police. This was her house; she was the matriarch of the Miller Family, and she wanted to protect her legal rights! The cops arrived promptly once the phone was connected. After she informed them of the situation, they made many calls and coordinated with everyone. Finally, they came to a conclusion. "Ms. Wendel, we called your husband, and he said that his son, Billy, will temporarily take charge of the family''s affairs. We contacted his son too, and he said that he was nning to sell this house, so you can''t live here," the police stated. "Why not?" Angie was irate and disquieted, with tears streaming down her face. "I am the matriarch of the Miller Family. This is my house. Why can''t I live in it?" "Because you and your husband signed a prenuptial property agreement, the property he owned before the marriage has nothing to do with you. Since he owned this property before marriage, ording to thew, it does not belong to you," the police said. "Moreover, your husband had just decided to give all his assets to his son, which means this property has absolutely nothing to do with you now, so you can''t live here." "He gave it all to his son?" Angie''s face turned stark white, and she repeated in a trance, "He gave it all to her son?!" Angie first agreed to sign a prenuptial property agreement with Jeffrey because if she hadn''t, Jeffrey''s children would never allow her to get married to him. On the other hand, Jeffrey would think that she was not in love with him but rather his money if she did not sign a prenuptial property agreement with him, which might result in a breakup. He waved his fist in Angie''s direction and gave her a look of contempt. If they broke up, Jeffrey could still find a younger and prettier woman than her, but she had no better choice except for him. Despite her reluctance, she was forced to sign the papers since she had no other options. At the time, she was confident in herself. She was optimistic that once she married Jeffrey, she would be able to persuade him to transfer quite a number of his assets to her. But now, soon after their wedding, and before she could persuade him to grant any of his assets to her, Jeffrey chose to relinquish it all to Billy. What about her? What now? To win Jeffrey''s approval, she gave him his virginity and had to suppress the disgust in her heart as she catered to his every whim every single day. But she ultimately received nothing despite all the effort she had ced! Absolutely nothing in the end! She was so mad with rage that she cried and screamed hysterically, "B*stard! Jeffrey, you b*stard!" Angie had given her all, yet that b*stard Jeffrey didn''t give her anything in return. Instead, he used her like a used tissue! The two assigned police officers exchanged nces, then turned and made their way to the police car. "Don''t leave!! What should I do if you leave?" Angie wailed as she ran toward them. "Ma''am, family conflicts are not of our concern," the hapless police officer replied. "But I have nowhere to go," Angie cried and pleaded. "I am Jeffrey''s wife. Why don''t you let me live in his house? You can''t ignore me!" The police said tly, "Ma''am, we have clearly stated everything. Jeffrey wished to give his son all his real estate, shops, and possessions. No matter how hard you try, you will not be permitted to live in Billy''s home. You need his approval if you want to continue to live here. We are the police and compelled to follow thew." "Then, what should I do?" Angie asked anxiously, "Where do I live?" "You can return to your family, temporarily live with your friend, or rent a house or hotel," the police officer sincerely said. "Ma''am, you are an adult, you have both your hands and feet, and you are in good health. Find a ce first, settle down and get a job. I''m sure you will be able to live through this."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Angie copsed to the ground and wept loudly as the officers drove away after giving her some solid advice. She did not have a family to return to. Whether it was her adoptive parents or her biological father, they didn''t care about her anymore. She didn''t have friends who could lend her a ce either. All she had was superficial friendships. When they saw her at her lowest, they all mocked andughed at her; none of them were willing to help her sincerely. Her only choice was to live in a hotel. Although she hadn''t coaxed Jeffrey to transfer some real estate to her, she did receive money from him. As a result, she could still temporarily afford to live in a hotel. But what about the future? Although the amount Jeffrey provided her as her pocket money appeared enormous, it was impossible to purchase a house. Despite being the youngdy of the Wendel Family, she didn''t even possess a house and could only go to a hotel! How did she end up like this? Why were Michael and Crystal so merciless? They had been family for so long. How could they treat her so cruelly? She wouldn''t hate them as much as she did now if they had offered her some additional possessions when she left the Wendel Family. Despite the fact that they had a worth of over 100 million, they refused to give her even a single penny and allowed her to live in a condition where she was better off dead. They are too callous and heartless. They were no better than beasts! Nothing would change no matter how harshly she hurled insults at the Wendel Family, Sebastian, and Madeline in her heart. She had no choice but to pack her luggage, book a cab, and find a hotel as a temporary ce to stay. ¡­ Two dayster, the police finally released Jeffrey after he endured the 48-hour ordeal. He immediately rushed home, attempting to transfer as much cash as possible to his international ounts. He also moved his old jewels, paintings, and calligraphy collection to a secret bank safe that no one knew about. Jeffrey initially resisted having all the assets under his name to be transferred to anyone because he believed that even if he were sentenced, he would be able to leave prison in a couple of years. As long as he had money when he was released, he would be able to livefortably for the rest of his life. For this reason, he had to keep a firm grip on the cash. He could only carry on living afortable life if he had enough funds after being freed from prison. He performed all the calctions, but hiswyer unexpectedly got in touch with him and informed him that Angie wanted to get a divorce and divide his assets. She insisted that she was his wife and was wee to reside in any of his residences even after his son chased her out of the garden. Jeffrey immediately lost it. He ended up like this was all because of her. First, she brought misfortune to him, destroyed him, and now she wanted to have a slice of his fortune? He was furious and informed hiswyer that since he and Angie had signed a prenuptial property agreement, she was ineligible to receive any of his assets. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Unfortunately, thewyer said that in ordance with the prenuptial agreement that they signed, part of the possessions which grew in value after their marriage belonged to her, so she was entitled to reside in any property under his name as long as she was still his wife. How could he allow her to reside in the home registered in his name when he wanted her to die? In order to prevent Angie from continuing to reside in his house, he agreed to sign an agreement transferring all real estate and assets under his name to his son. Then, he requested legal assistance in drafting a divorce agreement so that he could divorce her as soon as possible. The Hart Family targeted Jeffery because of her. Maybe the Hart Family would leave him alone if they got divorced. Hiswyerter found Angie, but she firmly refused to agree to the divorce unless she was given 10 million in cash, a shop, and a vi. The Hart Family loathed her. Would he not be acting against them if he had the audacity to offer her such wealth? He would suffer more if he went against them! But Angie would refuse to divorce him if he disagreed with her request. He had to file for divorce if she wouldn''t sign the divorce agreement. It would take at least six months for the divorce to happen if he had to file for one. But, of course, by then, it would be toote. He knew he couldn''t wait that long, so he wished upon the moon and stars for this day. The first was to conceal his assets, and the second was to track down Angie and coerce her into divorcing him. He had everything nned out, but his son entered the home as soon as he did. "Dad, Mom woke up. She said she wanted to see you," his son stated as he stepped in front of him and cast a chilly nce in his father''s direction as if he was just a stranger. He performed all the calctions, but hiswyer unexpectedly got in touch with him and informed him that Angie wanted to get a divorce and divide his assets. She insisted that she was his wife and was wee to reside in any of his residences even after his son chased her out of the garden. "What did you say? Your mother is awake?¡± Jeffrey shuddered. Yes," said Billy. "The operation went well. My mom woke up this morning. She wants to meet you." His vision went ck, and a strong sense of dizziness hit him. His ex-wife actually woke up? He was doomed! No. This couldn''t be. He had been in a rtionship with his ex-wife for a very long time, and she even bore him a son and daughter. She wouldn''t want her kids to have a father who was imprisoned. He would be fine if he requested her not to disclose the truth and acknowledge that she fell down the stairs identally! These thoughts buoyed Jeffrey''s spirits. "It''s wonderful that your mother is awake! Let''s hurry and see her right away!" He left for the hospital immediately. When Billy looked at his departing silhouette, a scornful smile slowly crept across Billy''s face. Jeffrey quickly rushed to the hospital and met his ex-wife, Charlotte. Although she appeared haggard and weak as shey on the hospital bed, Charlotte was indeed awake, and her frigid stare immediately rested upon his face when she saw him enter. "Charlotte, how are you doing? I was so worried about you!" He ran over, squatted next to the hospital bed, and clutched Charlotte''s hand with a delighted expression. "You don''t know how worried I was when you were in aa, but thankfully, you''ve finally awakened! "Really? I thought you wished me dead." Her words were a littlebored and vague, but it was still audible if he paid closer attention. "What are you talking about? You are still the biological mother of our son and daughter, even if we are divorced. Of course, I''m hoping for your quick recovery to save our son and daughter any misery." Then, as he feared that he might say something incriminating before an audience, he turned around and instructed Billy, who was entering the room behind him, "Bill, leave. I want to talk to your mother alone." "Okay." Billy urged the nurses and physicians in the ward to go with him as he shed a mocking smile that was nearly imperceptible. After some shuffling of the staff, only Jeffrey and Charlotte were left in the ward. Thud. Suddenly, Jeffrey, initially squatting next to the bed and holding Charlotte''s hand, dropped to the floor into a kneeling posture. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 "Charlotte, you''re finally awake!" Jeffrey held Charlotte''s hand and looked at her with affection before saying, "I''ve already suggested a divorce to Angie. We can remarry when I get my divorce certificate!" "Remarry?" Charlotte smirked weakly. "Why should I remarry you?" Before the ident, she hadn''t wanted to divorce when Jeffrey suggested the idea. Thus, he pushed her down the stairs and made her fall into aa. When she finally woke up from it, she learned from her son that Jeffrey had obtained the divorce certificate under his maniption and married Angie while she was unconscious. With that, she became his ex-wife. She hated them and even wanted to kill that adulterous couple! Back then, she didn''t want to divorce Jeffrey so that the mistress could enter the family and be an obstacle for her children. But now that he was going to jail soon and her son would be the patriarch of the Miller Family, there was no way that she would let the mistress take anything from the Miller Family. Why would she want to remarry Jeffrey? She was not a recycling station that would collect any kind of garbage! "Charlotte, I know that it was wrong of me, and I''ve certainly let you down. I''m sorry¡­" Jeffrey held her hand tightly and looked at her eyes to repent. "I was seduced by Angie at that time; I was blinded and did the wrong thing. Please forgive me this once, Charlotte. We can live a happy life together in the future!" "Forgive you?" Charlotteughed weakly. "You wanted to kill me by pushing me down the stairs so that I would give up my position to your mistress. You tried to kill your own wife! I''m just lucky enough to survive. Why would I be so stupid to shoot myself in the foot again?" "I didn''t push you down the stairs on purpose!" he exined anxiously. "It was an ident. I didn''t mean to push you down the stairs! After all, we''ve been married for so many years. Although I was bewitched by Angie at that time and did the wrong thing, I still have feelings for you. How could I have the heart to kill you? I don''t have the guts to do so either! Don''t you think so?" "Do you think I can believe what you say?" She looked at him cynically. "That was not what you told the police! You told them that I fell down by ident! You were the one who pushed me down the stairs, but you told them that I fell down myself! You didn''t even blink when you lied. You''re just a dishonest and irresponsible man. I''m just lucky enough to be able to divorce a man like you! Why should I marry you again?" "I didn''t say that to the police on purpose. There was just no other way for me!" he said anxiously. "I pushed you down by ident, but that nanny said that I pushed you down on purpose. You were seriously injured too. If the police believed what the nanny said, I would''ve definitely gone to jail. As such, there was no other way for me. I could only use money to save myself and let the nanny say that you fell down on your own. This way, the police wouldn''t suspect me." "It''s true that you pushed me down the stairs on purpose!" Charlotte looked at him in disgust as she spoke. "You cheated on me with Angie and wanted to marry her, but I didn''t want to divorce you. I was in your way, so you wanted to let me die and give my position to her!" "No, that''s not true!" Jeffrey raised his right arm anxiously. "Charlotte, I can swear to God if you don''t believe me! We''ve been married for so many years, and we also have two children. I love you so much! Although I divorced you because Angie bewitched me, you will forever be the dearest person in my heart!" He looked at Charlotte in her eyes and said with affection, "You must believe me. My feelings for you have never faded. Now that I know what kind of person Angie is, I will treat you even better thanst time. You''re the woman that I should cherish the most. Marrying you was the best thing I''ve done in my life! Charlotte, although we married young, we can be each other''s lifepanions. We''ve been through so much together, and it''s definitely a chance that God has given me now that you''ve woken up from youra. We must grab this opportunity and remarry without wasting any time. Let''s forget about everything in the past and start over again. What do you think, Charlotte?" Jeffrey was handsome and charming. Although he was in his fifties, he looked at most forty since he took care of his appearance, still as suave and charming as ever. When he looked so affectionately at a woman, she would fall for him as he made her heart flutter. From the outside, he could be considered a charming, good man. Otherwise, the aloof Angie wouldn''t have chosen him as well. However, when Charlotte saw his affectionate look, she only felt nauseous. She wouldn''t be deceived by this j*rk again! They had been married for more than twenty years, but he was ruthless enough to push her down the stairs for a mistress that he had known for less than half a year. He didn''t even feel guilty at all; he told outsiders that she fell down the stairs herself and used the fastest speed to manipte the divorce with her before marrying Angie. "I didn''t say that to the police on purpose. There was just no other way for me!" he said anxiously. "I pushed you down by ident, but that nanny said that I pushed you down on purpose. You were seriously injured too. If the police believed what the nanny said, I would''ve definitely gone to jail. As such, there was no other way for me. I could only use money to save myself and let the nanny say that you fell down on your own. This way, the police wouldn''t suspect me." This man was both heartless and ruthless. She had already been cheated on once, and there would never be a second time! At this thought, Charlotte looked at Jeffrey ironically and said, "You guys cane in now." Hearing that, Jeffrey was stunned. "What?" After she said that, the door swung open, and a few police officers walked into the room with Billy behind them. When Jeffrey saw them, he stood up sharply from the ground, his back drenched in cold sweat. One of the police officers walked up to him and took out a pair of handcuffs. "Jeffrey Miller, you''re under arrest for premeditated murder. Please follow us back to the station for further investigation." As he widened his eyes, he looked at Charlotte before turning back to the police officers. Suddenly, he understood everything. "Y-You guys were listening!" He didn''t know that his conversation with Charlotte would be bugged by the police, so he had said everything that he shouldn''t have. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Back at the police station, he kept denying that he had pushed her down, but he told her with his own words that he had done so by ident moments ago. This was great, for the police managed to obtain solid proof at once. He didn''t even get to go back home to manage his fortune and was put in handcuffs by the police. With solid proof this time, even if he wasn''t charged with premeditated murder, he would still be charged with attempted idental murder. If he was put behind bars, a few years would pass before they released him. By then, he wouldn''t be able to manage his fortune. If he waited for a few years until he was released, no one would know whether his fortune would still be there or not. He was bing more and more terrified as he thought about it. His face turned pale, and his eyes were darting around frantically until hended his gaze on Billy''s face. "You knew about this, right? You knew that the police bugged the ward and were waiting outside, right?" With a nod, Billy replied, "Yes!" "Why didn''t you warn me about this?" He pushed the police away forcefully and ran into Billy. "You treacherous son! I''m your biological father! How can you frame me?!" Chapter 335 Chapter 335 "That''s because you harmed my birth mother," Billy said expressionlessly. "You¡­ You¡­." Jeffrey was so mad that he couldn''t finish his sentence. He looked at Billy''s cold gaze and felt his heart sink. That was his biological son, but at this moment, his son''s gaze was as though he was looking at a stranger. He used to have a virtuous wife, smart and dutiful children, as well as afortable life. However, after falling in love with Angie, he divorced his wife, disconnected with his children, and threw away his comfortable life. In the end, doing time in prison was the only thing waiting for him. After living prestigiously his whole life, he had nothing left at his age. He was foolish for making the worst decision in his life after being blinded by love. At this thought, he regretted it so much that he wanted to kill himself for being blinded and falling in love with Angie. However, it was toote for regrets now. The police had solid proof now, and he couldn''t escape his charges. What awaited him was a few years ¡ªno, possibly more than ten years of prison life. ¡­ Back at Sun Garden, Joel finally recovered after resting for two days. Being at home for two days bored him to no end. Hey in Madeline''s arms and acted like a baby. "Mommy, since I''ve recovered already, can we go shopping? I want to go shopping with you!" There was not much business in Mansion, so Madeline put her focus on her two children. It was not outrageous for Joel to request going outside to y, so she happily agreed to it. "Sure. Should we go with Quincy and Miss Leigh?" "Yes!" He nodded delightfully. "Let''s go with Alex as well!" She stroked his head with a smile on her face. "Yes, we''ll ask Alex as well!" "Sigh, it''s a shame that Daddy is not home." He sighed in disappointment. "It''ll be nice if Daddy is home to go shopping with us!" This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "Daddy''s busy with work. When he''s free, I''ll ask him toe shopping with us again." She coaxed him. "Okay." He nodded like a little adult. "When Daddy''s not busy with work, I''ll apany him to go shopping." Hearing that, Madeline was speechless. Who''s apanying who now? She made a call to Leigh and asked her out. After changing clothes for the three children, she changed her own attire and went to the office in front to meet Leigh. Once they were out, Joel skipped happily while holding Madeline''s hand. "Mommy, can we eat outside tonight?" Her heart was melting with his soft and little hand in hers. Thus, she couldn''t bear to reject him. "Okay, but no junk food." Joel blinked his big, inky eyes. "Okay¡­ No burger, fried chicken, and fries, right?" With a smile, Madeline stroked his little head. "That''s right." "Fine." After some thought, he asked, "What about a buffet?" She thought for a moment and answered, "Okay, but I''m choosing the restaurant." Some buffet restaurants were cheaper, but the food was not authentic, and there was a lot of junk food that the children liked to eat. However, the buffet restaurant that Sebastian chosest time had many choices, and they were all healthy food without any junk food in sight. It was very suitable for children, so Madeline liked it after going there once. Since her son liked to eat at buffets, that restaurant was the best choice. "Okay!" Joel did not have any objections to it. "I''ll like it as long as it''s a buffet!" "Good." She then turned around to ask Quincy and Alex, "Quincy, Alex, is it okay if we eat at a buffet tonight?" Quincy nodded and replied, "Sure thing, Mommy." Alex was fine with it too. Madeline then looked at Leigh. "Why are you looking at me?" With a smile, Leigh stroked Joel''s head. "Joel is the youngest here. Of course we should follow what he says!" "We''ll follow what Quincy says next time." Joel held Quincy''s hand and stuck his head out to look at Alex. "We''ll listen to Alex the time after that." "Our Joel is the sweetest!" Leigh patted his head while praising him. Hearing that, Joel lifted his head and looked at her. "We''ll follow what Miss Leigh says as well!" "Goodness! Joel is so thoughtful! I love you so much!" She couldn''t help but bend down and kiss him on his cheek. Joel chuckled happily, and his beautiful eyes turned into crescents. He then skipped even more vigorously, filled with delight. Since it was still early for dinner, the two adults and three children went shopping in themercial area. When they passed by a luxury store, Joel pointed at a handbag in the shop and said, "Look, Mommy! That bag is so pretty. It suits you well too. I''ll buy it for you!" He grabbed Madeline''s hand and dragged her into the direction of the store. Her heart was melting with his soft and little hand in hers. Thus, she couldn''t bear to reject him. "Okay, but no junk food." "You''ll buy it for me?" Madeline felt that he was being hrious. "Joel, this is a luxury store. Everything here is expensive!" "It doesn''t matter!" he said ostentatiously. "I have money! Daddy gave me so much money!" When she heard that, she had noeback. How did I forget about that? "Joel, I don''t need a handbag. I don''t want to buy it." In fact, she had the money to spend, but she was just used to being thrifty, so she didn''t like to splurge. "I want to buy it!" He dragged her into the store and pointed at a dress. "Mommy, this dress is so pretty too. You''ll look very beautiful in it!" Almost immediately, the staff chimed in and said, "You have good taste, little boy. This dress is a limited edition piece in our store. There''s only one piece for every size. It really fits your elegant aura, Ma''am." "Go and try it on, Mommy!" urged Joel as he swung Madeline''s hand. "If it''s nice, I can buy it for you as a present!" "It''s fine," Madeline said. "I have too many clothes. I don''t need another one." "You need it! You need it!" He nodded his little head forcefully. "You''ve worked so hard to take care of me when I''m sick. I want to buy you a present to thank you, Mommy!" When Madeline heard that, she didn''t know what to say. How can my son be so sweet and thoughtful? She had never taught him that, so she didn''t know from whom he had learned to be so thoughtful. At this moment, she was so touched and proud that she wanted to let the whole world know that her precious son was the sweetest and most adorable little angel in the world! As Leigh watched this scene unfold from the side, she became increasingly jealous. "Gosh! How can Joel be so adorable?! Maddie, you''re really tempting me to get married and have kids!" Madeline rebuked, "Since when did I tempt you? Just say that you got tempted yourself!" "Yes, that''s right! I''m tempted! I''m just so jealous of you for having such good luck and giving birth to such cute sons! Wait until I meet the one that''s right for me. I''ll quickly get married and give birth too!" As Leigh was talking, she stuffed the dress that Joel chose into Madeline''s arms and pushed her into the fitting room. "I, too, feel that this dress Joel has chosen for you suits you well. Quick, go and try it on." Chapter 336 Chapter 336 When Madeline changed into the dress and came out of the fitting room, she saw a crowd forming from afar with Leigh and the three children there. Emory had brought Fred and Simon to protect them nearby. She quickly walked over. "Leigh?" Hearing that, Leigh turned around and looked at her. At once, her eyes were full of fascination. "You look beautiful!" Even though she had known Madeline for a long time, every time Madeline changed into a different attire or a different style, she would be fascinated by her. Madeline smiled and looked at the crowd. She only took a glimpse, but she quickly frowned in shock. "What''s going on?" At the center of the crowd were a man and a woman. The woman was standing, while the young man was kneeling in front of her. Leigh shook her head and answered, "I don''t know. It just happened all of a sudden." Emory walked over and said softly, "Thatdy is Ava Penham, the young mistress of the Penham Family. Meanwhile, the man kneeling is the young master of the Penham Family and Austin Penham''s bodyguard, Johannes Penham." "What happened?" Madeline asked. "They''re causing such an embarrassing scene in public." "I''m not sure," Emory answered softly. "Young Mistress Penham is quite hot-tempered. She''s famous for being arrogant and bossy in our circle. I wonder how Johannes offended her." At this moment, Madeline realized how he addressed Johannes, so she asked, "Do you know Johannes?" "Yeah," he answered. "Old Master Penham used to be our father''s assistant, and their rtionship goes a long way back. Our family''spanies and the Penham Family''spanies have been coborating for years too. In fact, they are considered the Hart Family''s ally." "Young Mistress Penham is outrageous!" Leigh frowned in disgust and spoke up. "If anything did happen, she could have dealt with it at home. Why is she embarrassing the bodyguard in public? Is a bodyguard not considered a human?" Emory replied, "To her, she might really think that a bodyguard isn''t a human." "What the f*ck?!" Leigh eximed. Hearing that, Madeline shouted, "Leigh!" "Sorry, my bad." Leigh lowered her head and looked at the three children. "Cover your ears." Joel didn''t understand what was happening, so he raised his head to look at her. "Why do we need to cover our ears?" "That''s because your Mommy says that I can''t curse in front of you guys. It will have a bad influence on you," Leigh exined. At this moment, Madeline was speechless. "Oh¡­" Joel knitted his little brows. Then, he said seriously like a little adult, "I think it might really have a bad influence on kids¡ªI want to curse as well!" This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He pointed at Johannes. "I pity him!" Then, he pointed at Ava. "She''s so bad!" While Emory, Madeline, and Leigh were talking, they had kept it down so that the people from afar couldn''t hear them. But when Joel said that, he didn''t control his volume at all. His baby voice was so clear that it traveled to many people''s ears, Ava included. When Ava heard that, she nced in their direction as her gazended on Joel''s face. "Who''s bad?" Her eyes were red, and her tone was very fierce. Her gaze was bleary, and there was some drunkenness in it. It was obvious that she was in a drunken state. Terrified by her hostile gaze, Joel trembled and hid in Madeline''s arms subconsciously. Madeline hugged him and patted him. "It''s okay, Joel. Mommy''s here." "Joel? Joel Taylor?" Ava''s bleary eyes darted around Joel''s face, and sheughed like a fool. She then stuck out her finger and pointed at his nose before saying, "I know! He''s that illegitimate child that the Hart Family took back home, right? Haha! The Hart Family is really ridiculous! They actually brought the illegitimate sons back home to raise them when everyone despises illegitimate children! Are they trying to raise two obedient ves for their legitimate sons in the future? It''s just like¡­" She turned her hand and pointed at Johannes. She chuckled and said, "Just like this ve right here!" She then raised her leg and stepped on Johannes'' chest. "Hey! I''m talking about you! Do you admit to your mistake?" Johannes lowered his head and didn''t say anything. When Ava saw that, her expression changed immediately. She grabbed on to his hair, forcing him to raise his head. "I''m asking you something¡ªdo you admit to your mistake?" Johannes could only answer resignedly, "I''m sorry. I''m just a subordinate." "Subordinate? Do you really think you''re a subordinate? You''re just a dog that Austin keeps as a pet!" She released her hand that was grabbing his hair and ordered, "p yourself!" However, Johannes didn''t move at all. Ava grabbed his hair again, forcing him to lift his head. "Why? Are you not satisfied with me? What order did Austin give you? Are you notplying with his words now?" He still didn''t say anything, but he raised his hand and gave himself a heavy p in the face. At this moment, Joel was so afraid that he started trembling. He used his two arms to hug Madeline and stared at Johannes with his big, round eyes full of fear. Seeing that, Madeline covered his eyes. "Don''t look anymore, Joel." However, he pushed her hand and said softly, "I want to watch, Mommy¡­ Why did the baddy call me an illegitimate son? Will I be someone''s ve in the future?" "Don''t listen to her!" she said with a frown. "Didn''t you say that she''s a baddy just now? How can you believe a baddy''s words?" At this moment, she was very frustrated since she didn''t get to rebuke Ava when the woman scolded her son. Before she could say anything, Ava started humiliating Johannes. If she rebuked her now, it would seem a little weird. However, she couldn''t let this pass just like that. Ava had to apologize to Joel in front of him. She needed to let him know that what Ava said just now was nonsense because she was drunk. When Ava heard that, she nced in their direction as her gazended on Joel''s face. "Who''s bad?" At this thought, she touched Joel''s face. "Wait here, Joel. Mommy will get her to apologize to youter!" "Yeah!" Leigh chimed in. "Joel, that baddy was just rambling nonsense. Don''t believe what she says. If she doesn''t apologize to you and Quincyter, Mommy and I will punch her until her teeth fall out!" "Oh¡­" Joel heaved a sigh of relief before nodding. "I''ll be fine as long as Quincy and I don''t end up like that man." He pointed at Johannes. "He''s so pitiful. Quincy and I don''t want to be like him, right, Quincy?" He tilted his head and looked at Quincy. While holding Joel''s hand, Quincy said, "Don''t worry, Joel. We won''t be that kind of person." Madeline looked at Johannes pping himself right then, and she felt upset. Who would want to be that kind of person? He just doesn''t have a choice. Based on Johannes'' attitude toward Ava, he was probably an orphan who was raised by the Penham Family, just like Emory and his brothers. Since the Penham Family raised them when they were young, they had to sign a contract when they grew up with the Penham Family that could restrict them and make them loyal to the Penham Family. That was why they were inferior to the masters in the Penham Family since they were born. If they met people who were kind-hearted, their life would be better, just like Emory and his brothers. Their lives would befortable, and they''d be given proper treatment. There was no difference between their lives and an ordinary person''s life. On the contrary, they would be doomed if they met a master like Ava, just like Johannes. He had to kneel down and p himself in the face in public. Madeline believed that what caused him the most pain at this moment was not the pain on his body, but the humiliation he was experiencing as a result of being surrounded by the crowd. But no matter how embarrassed he felt, he needed to endure it since he was indebted to the Penham Family. He needed to be loyal to the Penhams, and he couldn''t disobey their orders. At this moment, Madeline was feeling a sense of repulsion and disgust toward the whole Penham Family because of Ava''s actions. Could this family be of any good if they managed to raise such an arrogant and bossy woman like Ava? It was just a child''s babble. If Ava was not satisfied with what Joel said, she could have asked him to apologize to her, but she shouldn''t say those hurtful words. When this matter between Ava and Johannes ended, she would not only let Ava apologize to Joel in front of him, but she would also meet the patriarch of the Penham Family to ask him how he educated his child and whether the other Penhams were just like Ava, discussing and humiliating her son! Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Ava resented Johannes, so she took being drunk as an excuse to pretend to be crazy and not let it slide. Meanwhile, Johannes had already pped himself in the face several times, making his cheeks red and swollen. There was even blood trickling down the corner of his mouth, but she still wouldn''t let him off. She grabbed his hair and forced him to raise his head again. "Tell me again; who are you to Austin?" His Adam''s apple bobbed in his throat, and he looked down at the ground. "ve¡­ I''m sorry. I''m just a ve. Please punish me, Miss Ava¡­" Even though he was trying his best to endure it, Madeline could still see the shame and pain that he was hiding on his face. At this moment, she couldn''t take it anymore. However, she shouldn''t intervene with this kind of problem since Johannes'' life and dignity were all the Penham Family''s. If she stood up for him now, Ava would definitely take her anger out on Johannes and hold a grudge against him since she was embarrassed because of him. In the future, she''d punish him even more. If she stood up for Johannes now, it would not be helping him. It would harm him instead, which was why she hadn''t said anything earlier. But now that Ava was getting more and more outrageous, Madeline couldn''t take it anymore. She pushed Joel into Leigh''s arms and walked up to the front. Just as she wanted to say something, a girl ran in from the entrance and looked at Ava in the middle of the crowd before shouting furiously, "I''m going to kill you, Ava Penham!" After parting the crowd, she dashed up to Ava and choked her in the neck with one of her hands, while her other handnded a heavy punch on Ava''s stomach. Ava bent down and shouted in pain, but the girl grabbed Ava''s arm and twisted it before pushing her to the ground. Then, she lifted her leg and stepped across Ava''s body. While sitting on her, shended one punch after another on Ava''s face like crazy. She cried and shouted, "I''ll kill you, Ava! You b*stard! I''ll kill you! Die! Die!" This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Shocked, Madeline''s actions came to a halt. Emory, who had been paying attention to her actions and following behind her to protect her, said softly, "That girl is Luna Penham, the daughter of the Penham Family''s second son. She''s very favored in the family. She even saved Old Master Penham''s life before, so she''s his favorite descendant." "The daughter of the Penham Family''s second son?" Madeline asked softly. "Does that make her Ava''s cousin?" He nodded. "Yes, Miss Luna is Miss Ava''s little cousin sister. Her reputation outside is much better than Miss Ava''s. I wonder what notorious thing she''s done this time to have made Miss Luna so angry." "She''s not just angry; it seems more like hate to me," she said. "It seems like the kind of hatred where Ava killed her father." As they were talking, Luna had already punched Ava until her face was swollen and full of bruises and blood. At this moment, Johannes stood up from the ground to stop Luna, but he didn''t dare do anything to her. As such, he could only persuade her anxiously on the side. "Calm down, Miss Luna¡­" When Austin Penham was done with work, he rushed to the store to meet his sister, Ava. As soon as he entered, he saw a girl sitting on his sister andnding punches on Ava''s face. Her face was covered with blood from the punch, and she couldn''t fight back at all. Seeing that, he was so furious that his head was going to explode. He strode toward their direction and grabbed the girl''s cor, dragging her down from his sister before throwing her to the back. Luna stumbled a few steps backward after being thrown out, and her back crashed into a curio shelf, which was part of the store''s disy. The curio shelf rocked a few times from the knock and began falling on its back. At this moment, there were customers behind the curio shelf. When they saw that it was falling onto them, they panicked and pushed it subconsciously, hoping to push it back up. These people pushed the shelf together, but they used too much force at once. The shelf then fell to the ground, crushing Luna at once. Terrified, Johannes felt his heart skip a beat. He then shouted, "Miss Luna!" Meanwhile, Austin didn''t even look at the person he had just thrown out. He simply kneeled down to check on Ava''s injuries. When he heard Johannes shouting, he lifted his head gradually and looked at him. "What?" With a pale face, Johannes rushed over to the curio shelf. "Miss Luna! Miss Luna!" Austin then turned around to see what was going on. Johannes discarded all the things that had dropped from the shelf and grabbed the cab. It seemed like he was on the verge of bursting into tears as he said, "Please help me, everyone. Help!" Hearing that, the customers quickly helped him lift the shelf on Luna''s body. Luna was lying on the ground with her eyes closed. On her pale face, blood was continuously trickling down from the corner of her mouth. Shey in the middle of a bunch of stuff without moving an inch, and no one knew if she was dead or still alive. When Austin saw her face, he was stunned at once. When he entered the store, Luna had her back facing him, so he hadn''t caught sight of her face. It was totally out of his expectation that the person sitting on his sister and punching her would be Luna. As they were talking, Luna had already punched Ava until her face was swollen and full of bruises and blood. Seeing that his only sister was being attacked while being sat on and punched until her face was covered with blood, he became so enraged that he lost his mind for a second. Without thinking twice, he rushed over and grabbed the cor of the person who was hitting his sister and threw her out. At that time, he didn''t see the face of the person who was hitting his sister, and he didn''t think of the consequences. Even if he thought about it, he wouldn''t know that throwing a person to the side would cause such serious consequences. The person he threw out had knocked onto the curio shelf and caused it to fall down, crushing them in the process. What was more, that person was his cousin sister! He was stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted. As he ignored Ava, he turned around and dashed to Luna''s side. With his finger trembling, he tested whether she was still breathing. Luckily, she was still breathing, but it was very weak. Blood was trickling down the corner of her mouth, and it didn''t look like it would stop anytime soon. Seeing that, his knees went weak as he nearly fell onto the ground. He then shouted shakily, "Quick! Call the ambnce!" Johannes quickly dialed the emergency number. Meanwhile, Austin tore a part of his shirt to wipe the blood from the corner of Luna''s mouth. However, the blood was gushing out and couldn''t be stopped. When he looked at Luna, whose face was turning pale and her signs of life bing weaker, his body started to quiver; he felt a sense of fear that he had never felt before. What if Luna dies? How am I going to exin this to our family? Luna was a premature baby, so she was born weak. His uncle Brandon and Aunt Jennifer had a son and a daughter. Although many parents were biased toward sons, they favored this delicate daughter of theirs, Luna. His aunt Jennifer was the best relic conservator in the country. When she was pregnant with Luna, her leader found her and asked her to repair a batch of relics found in the tomb. She had a photographic memory, was crafty, and had excellent professional knowledge. With her superb hand-eye coordination and gifted talent, she was born to do this job. That batch of relics was very precious, but they were difficult to repair. She was the only one in the country who could do it. At that time, her baby was experiencing a fetal distress with signs of miscarriage. As such, the doctor asked her to try her best to rest in bed and move around less. But in order to save that batch of national treasures, she still worked diligently from day to night and did all she could. After three months of being so busy, Luna was born prematurely. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Luna was born with a deficiency. She was only about three pounds when she was born, so she was put in an incubator as soon as she was born. Austin''s aunt, Jennifer, had a weak body as well. Before she could wait until Luna was out of the incubator, she didn''t have any breast milk left. Thus, Luna was only breastfed for about half a month, and Jennifer always felt guilty for that. In the end, Luna survived after staying in the incubator for more than a month. Although she survived, she had a weak body and was always ill because of her deficiency. Throughout each year, she''d be on medication half of the time. When she was young, since her veins were very thin, she had to be stabbed with the needle multiple times for her to receive an IV drip. Luna would cry hysterically, and Jennifer would join her in her tears because she felt sorry for her. Since the house rules in the Penham Family were strict, all the five cousins received some sort of punishment apart from Luna. Only Luna was protected by Jennifer when she was young, and when she grew up, she had their Grandpa and Jennifer protecting her together. As such, no one had ever touched a strand of her hair. But now, Luna was lying in a pool of blood with her life on the line. What if she died? How would Austin exin it to his uncle Brandon and Aunt Jennifer? It would be useless even if he used his death as an atonement. He became even more terrified the more he thought about it. He couldn''t wait for the ambnce anymore, so he reached out his hand to Luna''s neck and behind her knees, wanting to drive her to the hospital himself. However, it was better if he didn''t touch her. As soon as he moved her, she started coughing badly with her eyes closed. She opened her mouth, and blood gushed out even quicker. "Don''t touch her if you don''t want to kill her!" Leigh walked over and stopped Austin. Even if Leigh didn''t tell him, he didn''t dare touch Luna again either. When he saw that the blood was gushing out of Luna''s mouth even faster, he was so shocked that he nearly fainted. Since young, he had never been this scared before. He was the eldest son in the Penham Family as well as the eldest among the five cousins in the family. He had the calmest personality and hadn''t caused any trouble before, but today, he caused the biggest trouble. "Right here, Dr. Shefford!" Simon dashed over and gave Leigh''s medical kit to her. When Leigh saw Luna''s terrible condition just now, she immediately asked Simon to run to her car and get her medical kit. Her medical kit was an heirloom that her master had left for her, so it was very precious to her. She was used to taking it everywhere she went, including today. After she took over the medical kit, she took out a gold needle from inside and looked at Austin. "I''m going to use the gold needle to block her acupuncture point. This will buy some time for her to wait until the ambnce arrives. If I don''t block it, she will die within three minutes. If I block her acupuncture point, she might have a chance of living, but she might also die. Which one do you choose?" Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. "What are you talking about?" Austin looked at her with a pale face. "Who are you? What nonsense are you saying?" "It''s not nonsense!" Emory said. "President Penham, Dr. Shefford is the Hart Family''s private doctor. Her medical skills are outstanding. It''s best if you listen to her if you want to keep Miss Luna alive." Hearing that, Austin lifted his head and looked at Emory. Since he was petrified, his mind was functioning slowly. He only recognized Emory after being stunned for a few seconds. He knew that Emory was part of the Hart Family, so his status made him instinctively feel that his words were true. Yet, he didn''t know who Leigh was. As such, it was difficult for him to agree to let a stranger stab that long gold needle into his cousin sister''s body. What if Luna was actually fine but ended up being stabbed to death by this doctor that he didn''t know and hade out of nowhere? At this thought, he kept hesitating and didn''t dare believe Leigh. If it wasn''t because someone''s life was at stake, she really wanted to just turn around and leave, but this was a human''s life, and Luna was still so young. On top of that, she even did something that made Leigh happy, so she didn''t want to see the child die in front of her eyes. She then said coldly, "Her lungs have been injured before. She''s coughing blood non-stop because the load fell on her, recurring her old injuries. If I don''t stop her bleeding immediately, she will die of suffocation from the congested lungs before she dies of excessive bleeding." "How do you know that her lungs were injured?" Austin asked. "Do you know Luna?" "I don''t know her. It''s my first time meeting her today," Leigh replied. "I know her lungs were injured in the past because I''m a doctor!" In other words, she could tell from what she observed. Now, she had already proven to Austin that she was not a fraud. If he still didn''t believe her, it would only mean that this was Luna''s fate. Emory had a good impression of Luna, so he couldn''t bear to see a young and prettydy die at such a young age. He then said anxiously, "President Penham, Dr. Shefford is telling the truth. She''s still new in Dusktown, so she doesn''t know about Miss Luna!" At this moment, Luna''s cough was bing more rapid, and her blood was gushing out even quicker. It was obvious that she was short of breath. Her pale face was turning blue, and she was opening her mouth while trying to breathe. Watching her heave her chest rapidly but still being unable to breathe showed just how much she was on the brink of death. After she took over the medical kit, she took out a gold needle from inside and looked at Austin. "I''m going to use the gold needle to block her acupuncture point. This will buy some time for her to wait until the ambnce arrives. If I don''t block it, she will die within three minutes. If I block her acupuncture point, she might have a chance of living, but she might also die. Which one do you choose?" Austin was shocked by that, so he didn''t dare hesitate anymore. He quickly told Leigh, "Please save Luna, Dr. Shefford." Leigh said, "I can save her, but the timing is toote. I don''t have the confidence to guarantee her survival. I''m not going to take responsibility whether she lives or dies." She didn''t want to be in trouble if she couldn''t save Luna in the end. When he heard that, he grinded his teeth and nodded. "No matter if she lives or dies, I will thank you for helping out nheless!" At this point, he could only grab this chance. If he grabbed the chance, Luna might survive, but if he didn''t, he could only watch while his cousin died in front of him. Leigh didn''t bother him anymore and told Emory, "Evacuate the crowd. All of you, please turn around and don''t look!" With Austin and Johannes'' help, Emory quickly evacuated the crowd with Fred and Simon. Meanwhile, after looking left and right, Madeline ran to the window and tore the curtain in the store. Then, she threw a corner of the curtain at Emory. Emory and her opened the curtain and made a circle around Leigh and Luna to cover them up. When the curtain blocked the visions of the passersby, Leigh''s gold needle had been disinfected as well. She then tore Luna''s shirt apart, stabbing the gold needle into the acupuncture point around her lungs. Once the needle was in, she twisted it a few times and stopped immediately. Luna''s coughing sound became softer, and it was at longer intervals too. Gradually, she stopped coughing altogether. At this moment, Austin actually had his back facing Luna while helping to maintain order. But when he couldn''t hear her cough anymore, he was afraid that she was dead, so he turned around painfully to take a look. However, the curtain was pulled very high. It blocked his vision, so he couldn''t see anything. He then asked in a shaky voice, "Dr. Shefford, is Luna¡ª" "She''s not dead yet." Leigh''s voice was like music to one''s ears; it was clear and sweet, just like a first- ss instrument. However, her tone was arrogant and gave off the impatient feeling that she was too lazy tomunicate withmon people. Had this been any other time, Austin would hate women like Leigh who used this kind of tone to talk to him. At this moment, he felt that her voice was just like an angel''s voice! If she could save his little cousin, he didn''t mind her attitude at all! Chapter 339 Chapter 339 After what felt like forever, the ambnce finally arrived and took Luna away. As the vehicle sped through traffic, Austin made a call to Mayo Hospital''s best surgical expert and vice director¡ªFrank Lawson, who was already stationed outside of the A&E building with a few doctors and nurses by the time the ambnce arrived. Right as the ambnce pulled over, the doctors and nurses brought Luna''s gurney down under Frank''s lead. "Who did this?!" Frank asked in shock when he saw the golden needle on Luna''s chest. "I did it. It was to stop the bleeding," answered Leigh as she stayed by Luna''s side to observe her condition. "Stop the bleeding?!" Frank shrilled, startling Austin, who then asked worriedly, "Is something not right, Mr. Frank?" "No, not at all!" While Frank pressed the doctors and nurses to push Luna into the emergency room, he followed the gurney and scrutinized the golden needle. "Did the bleeding really stop after the needle was pierced into her body?" "I think so¡­" Austin rted. "Luna was coughing violently, and blood kepting out of her mouth until the needle pierced into her body. She gradually stopped coughing, and when we brought Luna into the ambnce, blood stoppeding out of her mouth." "Incredible! Absolutely incredible!" Frank gushed. I''ve only heard about it and have never seen this method of stopping bleeding using golden needles. I''m enlightened." At that, he turned to Leigh. "May I know who your mentor is, miss?" Frank was already in his fifties and was from a medical family. Not only was he the vice director of Mayo Hospital, but he was also the vice dean of Dusktown Medical School. Though the man was high- ranking and had students from practically all over the world, he spoke deferentially to Leigh. As a man who studied both traditional and modern medicine, he knew a talent when he saw one. Leigh''s acupuncture technique left him in awe, for he had only ever heard of such skills and never thought he would be able to witness it himself. How could he not be excited? "It''s a secret!" said Leigh as she kept her eyes on the golden needle on Luna''s body, never once looking up. While Frank was at a loss for words, Austin cleared his throat and exined, "Dr. Shefford, allow me to introduce you guys. This is Mayo Hospital''s vice director and vice dean of Dusktown Medical School, Dr. Frank Lawson." "I see." Leigh still didn''t look up. "Does who he is have anything to do with me?" Now, it was Austin''s turn to be speechless. "It''s all good." Frank made nothing of it. "I was just curious¡­" People with remarkable abilities tend to be a little weird; I get it. During the time they chatted, they arrived in front of the operating theater, and Frank turned to Leigh. "Dr. Shefford, I''m going to have to ask you toe into the theater with me." The golden needle needed to be removed before he could perform the surgery. Though he had knowledge of traditional medicine, what he learned was superficial. As such, he dared not remove them himself when he wasn''t sure if there was a specific way of doing so. Leigh nodded in agreement and turned to Madeline. "Go home first, Maddie. This surgery will take quite a long time." She would help to the end. She wouldn''t allow a patient that she had handled at one point to die on the operating table. She would onlye out after she saw the results of the operation with her own eyes. "It''s fine." Madeline shook her head. "I''ll wait for you here." She didn''t bring her boys to the hospital with her this time, for she had be traumatized when Joel fell sick after she took them with her to the hospital where Luke and Leonard were treated. Like before, Joel cried and refused to leave her, but he agreed immediately when she asked Emory to take the boys to Sebastian at his office. Worried that it would be trouble for Sebastian, she gave him a call on the road and said the boys were on their way to thepany. "Would it be a bother to you? If you''d rather, I can have Emory coax the boys into going back to Sun Garden first." Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "They''re always wee here, and I happen to miss the boys too," said Sebastian. "Maddie, you''re the She could tell he was surprised by the boys'' unexpected visit, and the happiness and gleeced in his voice made him look like a kid that got what he wanted for Christmas. His reaction really touched her, and she couldn''t help feeling blessed about her good luck for the umpteenth time that the boys'' father was Sebastian. He was an influential man and a loving father, the luckiest thing that ever happened to her and the boys. Unable to persuade Madeline otherwise, Leigh left her be. After all, Fred was here to keep Madeline company while Emory and Simon took the twins to Hart Corporation. She didn''t need to worry about Madeline''s safety. Now, it was Austin''s turn to be speechless. "It''s all good." Frank made nothing of it. "I was just curious¡­" After making the preoperative preparations, Leigh and Frank entered the operating theater. As Austin watched the doors close from outside, he felt as though his head was hanging above a fire pit. He wished the operation would end that instant so that he could hear the doctors say Luna was out of danger and the surgery was a sess. While he paced back and forth in front of the operating theater, Ava came to his mind, and he looked around to find her missing. At that, he asked Johannes, "Where''s Ava?" "I didn''t see Miss Ava¡­" answered Johannes. "My attention was on Miss Luna the whole time¡­" "Hurry up and find her!" Austin ordered as he fought back his seething frustration. "Yes, sir." Johannes pulled his phone out and made a call, then reported to Austin after ending it. "Miss Ava''s with Dr. Yarde." Dr. Drew Yarde was the Penham Family''s private doctor. "Well, she runs off quickly!" Austin growled. "What happened between her and Luna? Why did Luna attack her? And so aggressively at that! Meanwhile, what''s up with your face?" "I don''t know why exactly Miss Ava and Miss Luna fought," Johannes answered with his head drooped. "Miss Ava and I went into the shop first, then Miss Luna barged in crying, swearing that she wanted to kill Miss Ava. Miss Luna then pressed Miss Ava on the floor without giving a reason¡­ I pped my own face because I shed with Miss Ava by ident. So¡­" Austin frowned in response. "She made you p yourself right in the shop?" Johannes nodded silently in affirmation. "She''s really getting out of hand!" Austin huffed in anger. "Go and ask around why she and Luna would fight!" "Yes, sir." At that, Johannes made another call. After a series of phone calls, he put the phone down and reported, "Mr. Austin, I''ve found out about it. The butler at Master Brandon''s home said Miss Ava strangled Miss Luna''s cat to death." "Luna''s cat?!" Austin''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Snowball?" "Yes." Johannes nodded in affirmation. "Has she gone mad?!" Austin punched the wall in anger. "Luna raised Snowball since it was a kitten! She took care of the cat for nearly a decade, and she treats it like it''s her own child! What the heck was Ava thinking, killing Luna''s cat?!" Chapter 340 Chapter 340 After a moment of hesitation, Johannes answered, "Apparently, Miss Ava confessed her love to Mr. Dixon, but he turned her down¡­" Dixon Suthend was the next in line to the patriarchy of his family and the CEO of Suthend Corporation. He was a handsome, talented young man. The Penhams and Suthends were neighbors, and Dixon and Austin were buddies who grew up together. Austin knew well that his sister had had feelings for Dixon since she was a kid. However, why would she need to strangle their cousin''s cat just because Dixon didn''t reciprocate her feelings? He asked Johannes so, and thetter hesitated again before answering, "It''s said that Mr. Dixon likes Miss Luna¡­" Austin understood it now, and because of that, he was even more livid. "It''s not Luna''s fault that Dixon likes her! Why would Ava befall misery on Luna?! How can she be so ruthless as to kill Snowball?! No wonder Luna wanted to mangle her¡ªI would if I were her!" Oh, how he hated himself for being so blind then. If he realized the person sitting on Ava and beating her up was their cousin, he wouldn''t have bbored her and f*cked up so badly! However, it was all toote now. All he could do right then was to hope that Luna would be out of danger soon, or his death was probably the only way to atone for his wrongdoings. The surgerysted for a long time, and three hours had passed amidst his anxious waiting, yet it still wasn''t done. To make things worse, Jennifer''s call came before there were any signs of Lunaing out of the operating theater. Austin''s palms sweated, and his scalp tingled when he saw the words ''Aunt Jennifer'' on his phone screen. He didn''t dare tell anyone about Luna''s injury. Jennifer wasn''t in her best shape. With Luna''s fate still unknown, he was worried that his aunt''s condition would turn for the worst if she found out about it. Thus, he had wanted to wait until Luna was out of danger before he informed the family. By then, it''d be easier for them to ept as well. But now, Jennifer was calling him; no doubt she had learned of something. He simply let the ringtone go on, for he dared not face his aunt. It stopped momentster, but very quickly, Johannes'' phone rang. He lowered his head to take a gander at it before looking over at Austin. "Sir, it''s Madam Jennifer¡­" At that, Austin closed his eyes and said through gnashed teeth, "Answer it¡­" Apprehensive, Johannes asked, "Mr. Austin¡­ Should I tell the truth or¡­" "Tell her the truth¡­" said Austin with clenched fists after a moment''s hesitation. It was one thing for him to keep it from his uncle and aunt, but another for him to lie when his aunt was asking about it. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. If he chose to lie, his sin would only aggravate when Luna didn''t manage to make it in the end. "Should I honestly tell Madam Jennifer whatever she asks?" Never had Johannes once thought answering a call could feel so horrifying. He was worried he''d cause Austin trouble if he said the wrong thing. Upon seeing Austin nodding with a clenched jaw, Johannes put the phone by his ear apprehensively. "Madam Jennifer?" "Johannes, have you seen Luna?" Jennifer sounded anxious. "The butler said that Ava strangled Snowball, and Luna ran out crying. He''s really worried about her, but he can''t find her at all. Have you seen her?" "I¡­" Johannes nced at Austin in response and mumbled fearfully, "Miss Luna is in the hospital¡­" "The hospital?!" Jennifer shrieked. "Why would she be in the hospital? What happened to her?" Johannes mumbled for quite a while, but he just couldn''t bring himself to tell her the truth. In the end, he said, "Miss Luna got hurt. You cane over if you want. I''ll send you the location in a bit." "How is Luna doing?!" Jennifer asked apprehensively. "Where''s her injury? Is it serious?" "It''s hard to exin it over the phone," Johannes answered. "Why don''t youe over? Please ask Master Brandon to apany you. You''ll know when you get here." Jennifer pressed on, but Johannes wouldn''t give her a straight answer at all. Left with no choice, she could only end the call and rushed to Mayo Hospital with her husband. After Johannes hung up, he looked helplessly at Austin. "I''m really sorry, Mr. Austin. I really couldn''t bring myself to say it¡­ We should just wait until Madam Jenniferes over before telling her in detail. Madam Jennifer isn''t in good health, and it''d be troubling if her condition worsens after finding out what happened. At least we have doctors here¡­" "You''re right." Austin nodded. "How thoughtless of me¡­" With that, he looked up at the operating sign that was still lit and prayed that the surgery would end with sess before Jennifer arrived. At least Brandon and Jennifer wouldn''t get so upset if Luna was out of danger, or he really didn''t know how to tell them their daughter might actually die. s, Lady Luck still wasn''t on his side. When the poor couple arrived, the red sign above the operating theater was still brightly lit, indicating that a surgery was still ongoing. It was one thing for him to keep it from his uncle and aunt, but another for him to lie when his aunt was asking about it. As soon as the couple rushed to Austin, Brandon peppered, "What happened? How did Luna get injured? Is the injury serious?" "I''m sorry, Uncle Brandon. It''s all my fault¡­" Austin could no longer run away but only recounted what had happened now that it hade to this. His guilt aggravated after he was done retelling the event, and he apologized with a drooping head. "Uncle Brandon, Aunt Jennifer, I''m really sorry. I ept whatever punishment that''s given to me. I just ask that you guys don''t be mad anymore. I¡ª" "Y-You''re saying that Luna¡­ Luna might die?" Jennifer interjected with a pale countenance, her voice shaky and her body trembling. "Not necessarily!" Austin hurriedly exined upon seeing that she didn''t look right, "Luna''s injuries are indeed severe, but she''ll be okay if the surgery is a sess. I¡ª" Before he could finish his words, Jennifer closed her eyes and dropped to the floor. "Jenny!" Brandon called out anxiously as he caught her frail body. Meanwhile, cold sweat drenched Austin''s shirt as he ordered Johannes, "Quick, get the doctor!" Johannes obliged at once, shouting for the doctor as he ran. Very quickly, a doctor and a nurse came over to give Jennifer first aid. Jennifer awoke very quickly and began crying as soon as she opened her eyes. "Luna¡­ Luna¡­" "Don''t worry. It''s going to be okay¡­" Brandon squeezed her hand andforted her with red-rimmed eyes. "Our baby''s a lucky girl. She''ll definitely be fine. Don''t scare yourself. How will our kids and I live on if something happens to you?" "Luna¡­ I don''t want to live anymore if Luna dies¡­" Jennifer looked toward the operating theater, her heart wrenching while tears fell like a never-ending waterfall. "I''m sorry, Uncle Brandon and Aunt Jennifer. It''s all my fault. I¡­" Austin was guilt-stricken. "No, it''s not your fault. It''s mine¡­" Jennifer looked dazedly at the operating theater with teary eyes. "I¡­ I''ve always told Luna that harmony brings prosperity. I tell her that Ava doesn''t know any better, and she shouldn''t stoop to her level. Since likes to cause trouble, Luna should just ignore her¡­" At that, she drifted her gaze to Austin. "Ava''s spoiled, wilful, overbearing, pushy, and likes to bully Luna. I''ve always told Luna to tolerate it and put up with Ava, but what has it gotten her?!" Jennifer grew increasingly worked up as she rambled on. She then shrieked, "I''ve always asked my daughter to put up with you guys, but what have you done?! You guys want her dead! Y-You guys have crossed the line!" Chapter 341 Chapter 341 "I''m really sorry, Aunt Jennifer. It''s all my fault¡­" Austin was utterly guilt-stricken, but apart from apologizing, he really didn''t know what else to say. At this point, nothing he said or did could change the fact that Luna was on the verge of death and sent into the operating theater because of him. At that, he kneeled to Jennifer and choked slightly. "Aunt Jennifer, this is all my fault. If Luna¡­ I''ll go with her!" "Why would I need your life?!" Jennifer bawled. "Will Lunae back after you die¡­ No¡­ No¡­" She shook her head in dismay. "What are you smoking?! My Luna will survive! She''ll survive!" She held her head, shaking it non-stop. "Jenny, calm down a little. Luna will be fine. Don''t worry, she''ll be okay!" Brandon held her close as he patted her back to soothe her nerves. His wife came from a schstic family and had always been virtuous and gentle. He had never seen Jennifer scream and lose control like this. Brandon held his wife close to him. Her body was cold and shivering non-stop, and her muffled sobs made his heart wrench. He was probably the only one who could rte to his wife right then. The person lying on the operating table was their precious daughter. If she couldn''t make it, how different would it be from just ripping their hearts out?! Everything said at this point was useless. The only thing they could do now was to pray to the heavens and see if they could spare her life. At that, he looked to Austin with Jennifer in his arms. "Stand up, Austin. I don''t me you for what happened to Luna. You didn''t mean it¡­" However, Austin continued to kneel. "It''s my fault. I let my anger get the better of me¡­" He was so ashamed that he wanted to just m his head against a brick wall. s, never had he been this regretful his whole life. "Get him on his feet," said Brandon to Johannes, who obliged at once. With that, Brandon said to Austin, "I said I don''t me you, not that you''re not at fault. You were too impetuous. You failed to consider the consequences and screwed up big-time¡­ If the person lying on the operating table right now isn''t Luna but another family''s daughter, you''d already be handcuffed and locked up in the detention center now¡­" "You''re right, Uncle Brandon¡­" Austin lowered his head. Sweat had drenched his hair and shirt, and his face was bloodless. Never had he ever been in such difiture. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Brandon continued, "Nheless, I don''t me you; I know you''re a good older brother. You adored Luna and never wanted to hurt her¡­" Brandon''s sensibility made Austin even more guilt-stricken, and the young man shook his head in distress. "No¡­ I''m a terrible brother¡­ I couldn''t even tell she was my cousin. I''ve hurt her. I¡­ It''s all my fault¡­" "You are indeed in the wrong, but I know you have no intention of ever hurting Luna. I don''t me you," said Brandon. "But I won''t forgive Ava!" He was a stern man, after all, and right then, the frost on his chiseled face made him even more intimidating. "Ava has to be heldrgely responsible for Luna''s injury! They''re cousins, but just how ruthless is she to be able to barge into our house and strangle Luna''s cat?! Luna raised Snowball since it was a kitten, and she raised it for nearly a decade. Snowball''s like family to us. Ava might thoughtlessly say she just killed a cat, and it''s not a big deal. But to us, she killed our family!" "I get it. I get it, Uncle¡­" Austin nodded again and again. "Ava has indeed crossed the line. I''ll be sure to have Ava apologize to Luna once Luna wakes up!" "Apologize?" Jennifer, who had been crying in Brandon''s arms, looked toward Austin. "Austin, how are you able to say it so thoughtlessly? Is my daughter''s life only worth an apology from Ava?!" She gnashed her teeth as intense animosity surged beneath her ever-gentle gaze. "I swear I''ll give that girl a piece of my mind!" The hatred in Jennifer''s eyes made Austin''s scalp tingle, and he realized that his family and his uncle''s had fallen out regardless of whether Luna could make it. Their families could never be the same again, and it was all thanks to him and Ava. They had caused their ever-united family to fall apart. Guilt enveloped him, making him suffocate, but apart from apologizing, he really didn''t know what else to say or do. Just as he wracked his brain to express his guilt, the door to the operating theater opened, and Frank came out along with Leigh. "Mr. Frank! How''s Luna?!" Austin, drenched in sweat, dashed toward the doctor and looked into his eyes with nervousness, seeming like an offender awaiting his sentence. Brandon continued, "Nheless, I don''t me you; I know you''re a good older brother. You adored Luna and never wanted to hurt her¡­" Meanwhile, Brandon came up to them while holding Jennifer in his arms. He could tell from Austin''s behavior that Frank was the surgeon who operated on his daughter. "The surgery is a sess," said Frank with a smile as he removed his mask. "It''s an absolute miracle, and it''s all thanks to Dr. Shefford!" At that, he looked at Leigh andplimented, "A man''s aplishments really have nothing to do with age! It''s all thanks to Dr. Shefford''s assistance that Luna''s out of danger. She''s lucky to have met Dr. Shefford, or she''d be gone before even making it to the hospital with how severe her injuries were." If he hadn''t witnessed it for himself, he really wouldn''t have believed there would be such miraculous clinical methods. This surgery wasplicated and danger-filled. Without Leigh''s assistance, Luna would''ve been a goner. What a talent¡ªno, a genius! I have to befriend this genius! He rambled praises toward Leigh, and it wasn''t after listening for a while that Jennifer came to herself, asking gingerly, "Dr. Lawson, my daughter''s fine now, right?" "Yes." Frank nodded with a smile. "The surgery''s a massive sess. Luna will be fine after she recovers from the anesthesia and wakes up." "Oh, thank heavens!" Jennifer burst into tears of joy as she covered her mouth, crying and smiling. "Don''t get too excited just yet¡­" Leigh pulled her sleeves back down and said monotonously, "The congenital deficiency and acquired damage to her body makes it hard for her to live long despite the sessful surgery¡­ At most, I''d say she''ll be able to live until she''s thirty-plus! Also, the family she marries into mustn''t care about having progeny or not because she won''t be able to give birth!" "W-What did you say?" The blood that finally returned to Jennifer''s face flushed away once more, making her ghastly pale yet again. "Don''t get too upset just yet, Mrs. Penham." Frank hurriedlyforted Jennifer before turning to Leigh. "Traditional medicine focuses on recuperation and healing. As long as Dr. Shefford is willing to nurse Luna''s body, she can help Luna extend her life, can''t you, Dr. Shefford?" Leigh snorted in response and pulled an insincere smile. "I do know a little bit of that, but why should I help her?" Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Stumped, Frank tried to retort, "But you''re a doctor¡­" "Who cares if I am one?" Leigh insouciantly answered as she fixed her sleeves. "If a doctor has to save everyone, wouldn''t they be bushed?" Frank parted his lips but didn''t know what to say for a moment. He had never met a doctor like Leigh before. Isn''t it a doctor''s job to save lives? How can Dr. Shefford turn them down so justifiably? "Thank you for saving my daughter''s life, Dr. Shefford!" Jennifer didn''t get upset because of Leigh''s poor attitude. Instead, she was genuinely grateful toward her. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. She understood Frank''s words well. It was all thanks to Leigh that Luna managed to survive. Moreover, she wasn''t one to look down on Leigh and think that Frank was exaggerating just because Leigh was young. Abilities and age never always went hand in hand, and she was the perfect example. Her mother was one of the best relic conservators in the country as well, but she herself had surpassed her mother in her twenties and aplished tasks that not even her mother could. People always believed diligence could make up for lost talent, as well as the fact that sess was one percent inspiration and ny-nine percent perspiration. This might be the case for the average person, but it was only when one wanted to climb to the peak of an industry that they''d realize no perspiration in the world could make up for the one percent of talent. She believed prodigies were more capable than some of their elders, for she was the perfect example herself. Thus, she believed all that Frank had said and was certain Leigh could help her poor daughter. Since she was the nation''s greatly treasured relic conservator, she received the highest regard no matter where she went. However, she didn''t show even a sliver of loftiness because of this. "Dr. Shefford, could you please nurse my daughter to health? We can agree with whatever request you make!" she entreated. "Dr. Lawson''s right. I am a doctor, but I also have a rule¡ªI don''t treat three kinds of people." At that, she listed unhurriedly, "One, anyone that throws their weight around. Two, anyone that is fated to die. Three, anyone that I have a problem with!" Then, she smiled at Jennifer. "I saved your daughter today because she did something that pleased me, but you can forget about having me nurse your daughter to health." "Why is that so?" Jennifer asked anxiously. "Is it because she has done something wrong and pissed you off? If so, I''m willing to apologize on her behalf." "It''s not her¡ªit''s someone else." Leigh shifted her gaze to Brandon before turning back to Jennifer, asking, "You guys are from the Penham Family too, aren''t you? Who is Ava Penham to you?" Jennifer was stumped for a split second before she answered, "Ava is a niece from my husband''s side." "Your niece, huh¡­" Leigh smiled, still as insincere as before. "Do you know how your niece insulted my nephews? She called them b*stards and said they would be ves to others in the future!" "Leigh!" Madeline frowned. Do you have to repeat something so unpleasant in front of so many people?! Leigh tilted her head and looked into Madeline''s eyes. "Don''t shy away from it! Who knows just what people say behind your back when they even dare to insult you right in your face! Do you really expect people to shut up just because you turn away and say nothing?" Madeline was at a loss for words. Oh, forget it! Everyone in the office is a weirdo. Am I their boss? Huh, I''m more like their nanny! I can''t get them to do anything I say until it''s about their livelihoods! Jennifer already loathed Ava to the core, and upon finding out that Ava was the reason behind Leigh''s refusal to treat her daughter, she loathed the young woman even more, wishing she could skin Ava alive! At that, she fought back her anger and exined to Leigh, "Dr. Shefford, Ava''s the reason for my daughter''s injuries today. The two girls have always had a terrible rtionship, so I¡ª" "So what?" Leigh interrupted. "It''s evident that your family has parenting problems when you guys can raise someone so ill-bred like Ava. Who knows how horribly you Penhams insult my two nephews in private when Ava dares to do so in our faces?" Jennifer shook her head at once. "We don''t! I¡ª" "Forget it. There''s no point talking about it," Leigh interrupted again. "I''m already willing to save your daughter because she bbored Ava. Nursing someone to health is a tedious andplicated process; it''s pretty draining mentally and physically. Why should I help a disreputable family when there are so many people in the world waiting to be saved?" "Why is that so?" Jennifer asked anxiously. "Is it because she has done something wrong and pissed you off? If so, I''m willing to apologize on her behalf." "No, it''s not like that! We¡ª" "Come on, Maddie. Let''s go!" Jennifer had wanted to exin further, but Leigh couldn''t be bothered anymore. With that, she grabbed Madeline''s hand and wanted to bypass Jennifer, only to be stopped by Brandon. "Please hold on, Dr. Shefford." Leigh stopped in response and looked at him with furrowed brows. "I''ve already stood by the operating table for over six hours to save your daughter. I''m really exhausted right now, and I don''t have the mood to continue chatting with all of you. If you guys keep at this, don''t me me for being heartless!" Brandon swallowed his words back at once and could only watch Leigh shoot a nasty look at him before leading the young woman away. Livid yet worried, Jennifer questioned Austin angrily, "Just what the heck happened?! Who are Dr. Shefford''s nephews?! Why would Ava call them b*stards?!" Just as lost as Jennifer was, Austin looked to Johannes, who answered hesitantly, "Dr. Shefford''s n- nephews¡­ s-seem to be¡­ Mr. Sebastian Hart''s sons¡­" "What did you say?!" Austin couldn''t believe what he had just heard. "Say it again. Whose sons are they?!" Johannes lowered his head in response. "Mr. Sebastian Hart''s sons." Austin cked out for a split second. "Just what the heck was Ava thinking?! Has she gone mad?!" Anybody in Dusktown who knew Sebastian would certainly know that he wasn''t someone anybody could afford to mess with! Does Ava have a screw loose?! How dare she call Sebastian''s sons b*stards?! Right in their aunt''s face, at that! "Ava, she¡­ she was drunk¡­" Austin''s voice turned softer as he spoke. "Does that give her the right to speak ill of others and actwlessly?!" Jennifer was so livid that her body trembled, and her lips quivered for some time before she dropped a bomb. "I want to split our family up!" The next second, she pulled herself together and turned to Brandon, enunciating gravely, "Brandon, I want to split our family up! Publish it in the papers tomorrow. The Penham cadet branch has nothing to do with the senior branch anymore!" Austin cked out once more upon hearing that, and he nearly passed out. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Split up¡­ Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. His second aunt actually wanted to split up the family! His grandfather was a very old-fashioned and traditional parent who ced utmost importance in the unity and prosperity of the family. If his grandfather knew that his aunt grew cold toward the eldest son''s family and wanted to split away from them because of him and his sister, his grandfather would have a fit. Even though they were the eldest son''s family, his father''s capabilities were average at most. He committed a mistake at his previous job, and he had to resign because of it. He was forced to leave the system and take to maritime trading. As for his uncle Brandon, he was smart, capable, and talented. In fact, he achieved a high status at a very young age. Moreover, his aunt Jennifer was a professional who the country greatly values. She was respected by all and had an extremely high reputation. Aunt Jennifert''s entire family consisted of learned people. They were highly educated in all sorts of fields. Meanwhile, the Penham Family sprouted from military sess. His grandfather wasn''t very educated, so he respected educated people the most. His grandfather had always been proud of his Uncle Brandon for actually marrying Aunt Jennifer, who came from an educated family. All in all, even though their family was the eldest in the Penham Family, they were at a slight disadvantage. They had to lean against a strong tree before they could let their guard down. Thepany that belonged to the eldest son''s family developed smoothly and climbed to the top of Dusktown''s social pyramid within twenty years only because they had support from his grandfather and Uncle Brandon. His grandfather was advanced in age. In crude terms, once his grandfather passed away, if the company belonging to the eldest son''s family were to maintain its glory, it could only depend on the second son''s family. He wasn''t belittling himself. Instead, he knew very well how much he was worth. His father, him, and his younger siblings were not geniuses, and they only won in terms of diligence. In the business field, being diligent wouldn''t amount to anything much other than keeping guard. However, the battles on the business field were fierce, and the only way other than up was down. If they didn''t have strong support, thepany''s glory wouldn''tst long with diligence only. Also, putting benefits aside, he was very respectful of his uncle Brandon and his aunt Jennifer. He also adored his cousins, who were younger than him. He hoped that they could blissfully live together forever. But now, Aunt Jennifer wanted to split the family up! Without waiting for Uncle Brandon to speak, he said hastily, "Aunt Jennifer, I know that Ava and I are at fault. When Luna wakes up, Ava and I will apologize to her together! I swear that something like this won''t happen again in the future!" "You swear? On what?" Jennifer, who was usually gentle, now acted coldly. "Austin, don''t you know what your mother and your sister are like? Your sister doesn''t like Luna and treats her like a thorn in the flesh. She would mock Luna all the time and cause trouble for her. If Luna argues with her in the slightest, your mom would step in and shield your sister, saying that Luna is a foul-mouthed and disrespectful girl! I was foolish before and didn''t want to get to their level, but I now realize that I''ve been wrong! I was too vulnerable, and they were so used to bullying me that they dared to bully my daughter as well!" The more Jennifer said, the angrier she got. She was so pissed that she was shaking all over. "Your sister actually dared toe to our house and kill Luna''s cat. If she didn''t regard us with disdain, how would she dare to be so arrogant? Luna wasn''t home at the time, so the one to die was Luna''s cat. If Luna were home, would she have gone for Luna instead?" Shame was written all over his face from the reprimand, and Austin had no words to say. He parted his lips, but not a word escaped his mouth. Ava, you wretch! How dare you visit Uncle Brandon''s home and kill Luna''s cat? His second aunt was right¡ªshe was simply too arrogant. She had run to someone''s home and killed the cat they had lived with for almost ten years. She really looked down on them. If someone dared to enter his home and kill his cat, he might be even more furious than his aunt Jennifer. He wasn''t good with his words, and he knew he was the one at fault here, so he couldn''t utter a sentence. Jennifer didn''t hate him. Instead, she had a high opinion of him. Austin was an honest person, and he carried himself very much like an elder brother should. Even though her daughter was just Austin''s cousin, Austin still adored her daughter greatly. She was reluctant to vent the hatred and anger she had for Ava onto Austin. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked at Brandon. "Brandon, I''m serious about this. I want to announce publicly that we would be cutting off ties with the eldest son''s family. Do you agree?" She looked into Brandon''s eyes, her gaze firm. There was no room for regrets. She hoped her husband would support her. If her husband didn''t agree to it¡­ There was a sudden twinge of pain in her heart as she refused to think further. She loved her husband, and she didn''t want to be separated from him. However, she loved her children as well. It was herpliance and weakness that caused her daughter to be bullied to this extent. "You swear? On what?" Jennifer, who was usually gentle, now acted coldly. "Austin, don''t you know what your mother and your sister are like? Your sister doesn''t like Luna and treats her like a thorn in the flesh. She would mock Luna all the time and cause trouble for her. If Luna argues with her in the slightest, your mom would step in and shield your sister, saying that Luna is a foul-mouthed and disrespectful girl! I was foolish before and didn''t want to get to their level, but I now realize that I''ve been wrong! I was too vulnerable, and they were so used to bullying me that they dared to bully my daughter as well!" All these years, she had beendylike with excellent upbringing. She refused to get down to the eldest son''s family''s level, and she had also taught her daughter to be patient instead of taking it up to the eldest son''s family. However, even with all the patience, they were rewarded with catastrophe instead of peace. Her daughter had almost lost her life, and she couldn''t endure it any longer! If¡­ If her husband didn''t agree to it, she could only take her children with her as she returned to the rk Family. She didn''t want to file a divorce. She really didn''t¡­ Brandon hesitated for a moment. Naturally, he didn''t want to split up, especially not with how his wife wanted to announce it publicly. However, he and his wife had been together and in love for more than twenty years, and he knew his wife all too well. He knew the determination in his wife''s eyes. If he said no, even if his wife didn''t divorce him, she would still take their children with her as she left him. When that happened, their family of four would dwindle down to his lonesome self¡­ He couldn''t ept that. He didn''t hesitate for long before he nodded in agreement. "Alright, let''s split up from them! After all, it is my fault for not being able to protect you properly, causing you to be bullied." When Ava dared to go into their home to kill his daughter''s cat, she wasn''t just bullying his daughter; she was also disrespecting him as the head of his family. Ava dared to be this arrogant because she didn''t think much of him. If not, she wouldn''t have dared to do so. Austin waspletely dumbfounded, for he thought that Uncle Brandon wouldn''t agree to it. His second uncle treated his grandfather well and also respected his father greatly. Just like him, his second uncle probably knew how important the family''s unity was to his grandfather. His second uncle must know that his grandfather wouldn''t want to see the families of his eldest and second sons bing enemies. He hoped that his second uncle would convince his second aunt, but he hadn''t expected his second uncle to agree right away. He panicked. This wasn''t something he could resolve anymore. With his phone in hand, he hastily walked to a deste ce and dialed his father''s number. "Dad, I have bad news¡­" He was stuttering as he panicked, and he ryed the entire matter in a confusing order. When Bryson heard all that, he was so pissed that he almost threw his phone. "Where is Ava? How did I raise such an ungrateful wretch?!" Chapter 344 Chapter 344 "She is at Drew''s ce¡­" Austin said, "Dad, this is not the time to be reprimanding Ava. The most important thing right now is to convince Uncle Brandon and Aunt Jennifer not to split the family up. Also, Aunt Jennifer stated very clearly that she wants to announce the split in public, and she means it. Anyone who knows our family will ask around to figure out the reason. If people discover that Ava went to Uncle Brandon''s house to kill Luna''s cat, who would dare marry Ava anymore? Ava is already of the age to be discussing marriage. If she gets an aggressive and violent reputation, how would she be able to marry anyone?" "How¡­ How dare she?" Bryson was so mad that his head was spinning. "If I knew she''d grow up like that, I shouldn''t have taken her from the orphanage¡ª" Halfway through his words, he suddenly realized he had let something slip, so he hastily stopped. Nheless, Austin heard it. "Dad, what did you say? Orphanage? Is Ava¡ª" "It doesn''t matter. None of that matters anymore," said Bryson. "I''ll go to the hospital right now. I''ll apologize andpensate your uncle and aunt in Ava''s stead. I hope they can forgive her for my sake." "No, Dad, you have to make this clear," Austin said urgently. "What orphanage? Isn''t Ava my biological sister? Was she adopted from an orphanage?" With the slip of the tongue, he couldn''t hide it anymore. Bryson was also getting fed up, so he gave up on hiding as he sighed and said, "Yes, Ava isn''t your biological sister. Your mother and I adopted her from an orphanage¡­ I have no idea whose blood runs in this adopted child of ours, but she simply cannot be relied upon. Among the five children, you, your two younger brothers, and Luna are children of the Penham Family. You''re all decent and well, but only Ava is unteachable. I''ve spent way more time on herpared to you and your younger brothersbined, but she still grew up like this. If I had known earlier, your mother and I wouldn''t have adopted her in the beginning." "Why?" Austin asked in shock, "Why would you and Mom adopt a child from the orphanage?" "That''s because your biological sister went missing." It had been twenty years, but at the mention of his missing daughter, Bryson still felt his heart breaking. "When your sister was only a few months old, your mother went to visit your grandmother with her. Your grandmother loved your sister, and she took your sister to the park to get some sun. In the end, someone came along and snatched your sister away. Because of the guilt, your grandmother fell critically ill. Your mother was terrified, so she suggested that we adopt a child from the orphanage to convince your grandmother that your sister was found. The child we adopted from the orphanage was Ava herself¡­" "My goodness¡­" Austin gripped his phone and mumbled quietly, "I never knew that¡­ Ava isn''t actually my biological sister. Out of us three siblings, Mom loves Ava the most, though¡­" His father said that Ava grew up all wrong because of her genes. He didn''t retort to his father''s words, but he knew in his heart that the reason Ava grew up wrong wasn''t because of her genes; it was because his mother spoiled Ava. Of the three siblings, his mother loved Ava the most. No matter what she requested, his mother would comply. His younger brother was older than Ava by a mere two years. When his younger brother was still a child, he would fight with Ava for no reason. Most of the time, Ava was the one at fault, but his motherContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. always protected Ava and reprimanded his younger brother instead. As time passed, Ava developed an arrogant personality, and her temper ballooned out of control. She was now selfish and haughty. The brothers both knew that if they provoked Ava, their mother would scold them for not acting like older siblings, telling them they did not know how to take care of their sister. Their mother nagged them so much that they eventually learned toply with everything Ava said. They dared not provoke her and simply let her have her way. Spoiled rotten at the eldest son''s family, when Ava interacted with the two younger cousins, she also wanted them to fawn over her and give her priority. As soon as the cousinsined about her, his mother would stand up for Ava, saying that the cousins didn''t know how to respect their elder cousin. His aunt Jennifer was a good-natured person, and she would advise the cousins to be patient. As time went on, the cousins stopped fighting with Ava and simply let her do what she wished, allowing her to be the tyrant in the family. It could be said that Ava''s terrible personality was a result of his mother spoiling her. His mother loved Ava like the apple of her eye. He thought that it was because boys had to be brought up in strife whereas girls had to be brought up lovingly. His sister was the only girl in their family, and she was also the youngest, so it made sense that his mother would favor Ava so much. It was until now that he finally knew that Ava actually wasn''t a biological daughter of the Penham Family! Since Ava wasn''t a biological daughter of the Penham Family, why would his mother love Ava so much? "Yes." Bryson sighed. "Your mother and I adopted Ava from the orphanage in secret, then lied to your grandmother that we found your sister. Children look more or less the same at a few months old, so your mother told your grandmother that since she was ill, your sister might catch the illness, so your mother didn''t let your grandmother take a good look at the baby. She carried Ava and let your grandmother look from a distance. Your grandmother couldn''t see the difference, so she believed your mother¡­" His father said that Ava grew up all wrong because of her genes. He didn''t retort to his father''s words, but he knew in his heart that the reason Ava grew up wrong wasn''t because of her genes; it was because his mother spoiled Ava. He paused with a sigh before continuing, "Your grandmother thought that your sister had been found, so she recovered, and her body got healthier as well. After recuperating for a few months, her life was saved. Children change very quickly, so when your grandmother next saw Ava, Ava''s face had already changed a lot. Your grandmother never realized that the child was swapped, so she made aplete recovery and her body got even better¡­ It was because of Ava''s adoption that your grandmother''s life was saved, so your mother especially loved Ava, saying that Ava was the savior of our family." "In that case, my grandfather, Uncle Brandon, and Aunt Jennifer don''t know that Ava isn''t my biological sister, do they?" Austin asked. "They¡­ don''t¡­" Bryson said with some difficulty, "Your mother said that if too many people knew about it, word would eventually get out. If your grandmother learns of this, she might get worked up and fall ill again, actually losing her life this time round. In order to protect your grandmother''s life, we have to keep it a strict secret." Austin was shocked. "Even my grandfather doesn''t know about this?" "That''s right¡­" At the thought of this, Bryson felt his heart pounding. Hiding Ava''s origins was the boldest thing he had ever done in his life. However, at that time, his wife had kneeled down and begged him to keep this a secret in case his mother-inw learned of this and lost her life due to the shock. Someone''s life was at stake here, so he could only agree. "In that case, what about my biological sister?" Austin asked, "You adopted Ava back into our family, saying that Ava was my biological sister. What about my real sister, then? How did you look for her?" Bryson didn''t know how to answer that. With his face turning red, he finally said quietly, "After your biological sister went missing, we immediately adopted Ava. We tried looking for her for more than ten days, but we couldn''t find her before your grandmother turned gravely ill. She was in a critical condition, so we had no choice but to visit an orphanage and adopt Ava in ce of the child, lying that your sister was found." He continued, "Since she was technically found, we couldn''t possibly look for her again¡­ However, missing children are more likely to be found within the first few days, but since we couldn''t locate her after more than ten days, there wasn''t much hope if we kept looking¡­" Austin asked in disbelief, "Dad, are you saying that you and Mom only spent ten days looking for my sister, and once Ava reced her, you never looked for her again?" Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Bryson said with great difficulty, "Yes¡­" Austin was speechless. He felt as if he had been struck one too many times by the lightning of shock and terror. He couldn''t believe that his guesses were spot-on. "How can you do that?" He couldn''t understand. "She''s your biological daughter; how can you not look for her? What if she was sold to some poor mountain vige as a child bride? How terrible would her life be?" "Yes¡­ I also regretted it afterward¡­" Bryson said remorsefully. "After that, I kept getting nightmares where your sister lived horribly. I regretted it, but it was toote¡­ Back then, your grandmother was critically ill, and your mother sobbed and begged, so I got everything messed up¡­ Also, we already put in a lot of effort and money, but we couldn''t find her at all¡­" "It had only been a little more than ten days, and you gave up just like that simply because you couldn''t find her?" Austin asked in disbelief. "Dad, don''t you know that most families would risk everything they have to look for their missing children despite their poverty? They''d refuse to give up for years or even decades, so why did you give up after searching for only ten days or so?" Bryson could hear Austin''s disappointment in thetter''s voice. He said while feeling troubled, "Yes, I admit that I had been too rash in my decisions, and I have wronged your sister greatly¡­ But that''s just life. You may make a wrong decision because of your brashness, resulting in the wrong path, but you can never turn back again¡­" Austin didn''t want to say anything anymore as he abruptly ended the call. He always knew that his uncle followed in his grandfather''s footsteps, turning out to be as smart and capable as his grandfather. His father mimicked his grandmother instead, honest and mediocre, but he never thought of his father as any less than his uncle. To him, even though his father couldn''t be as talented as his uncle was, his father was still honest, sincere, and kind. His father was responsible to his family, and he was a good father and husband. He had always been proud of his father. But now, he doubted it. Was his father really that kind? Would a kind man give up willingly after searching for only a little more than ten days when his biological daughter had gone missing? He couldn''t help but think that if he were the one who went missing back then, would his parents also give up after looking for him for more than ten days and leave him to his own devices? This thought sent fearful shivers throughout his entire body. He didn''t want to think any further. He shook his head to chase away the messy thoughts in his mind, then returned to the corridor in front of the operating room. When he got back, Luna was being wheeled out by a doctor and a nurse. He hastily went over with his uncle and aunt. Jennifer looked at her pale daughter, tears streaming down her face. "Luna, Luna?" The nurse said gently, "She''s still under anesthesia, and she''ll only be conscious after at least six hours." Luna was sent into the ICU, but family members weren''t allowed inside. Through the ss window, they stared at Luna for a moment before the nurse chased them out. Jennifer''s expression was horrible. Brandon hugged her shoulders and said, "Jenny, you need rest. You have to take care of yourself; when the hospital allows family members to stay with her, you can take good care of Luna." "Yes, I have to take care of myself¡­" Jennifer wiped her tears and took out her phone, calling up Eddie. "Dad, I sincerely hope that you''d be kind enough to hold a family meeting. I have something very important to tell you." Austin watched silently, not stopping her. He suddenly felt that everything was meaningless. Be it the family''s unity, prosperity, or glory, he had no energy for any of that. He had parents who only looked for a little more than ten days when their biological daughter went missing, and they gave up on finding her as soon as they adopted a girl to rece her. The blood running within the Penham Family was so thin, he really couldn''t find any meaning in pursuing the unity and prosperity of the family any longer. A family meeting wasn''t something that could be held whenever they pleased. It wasn''t until dinnertime when every Penham, save for Luna, was gathered in Eddie''s vi. Eddie looked all around, but he didn''t see Luna. Instead, he saw Ava with bruises on her face. He frowned and asked, "Ava, what happened to your face?" Ava looked down, silent. The person she feared the most in the Penham Family was Eddie. Since Eddie was the head of the family, everyone had to obey him. Eddie never liked her much, and he was very strict with the girl, picking on her ws every time he saw her. Usually, she would avoid seeing Eddie, but today, Eddie asked to hold a family meeting, and no one was allowed to be absent. That was why she had toe. She sat beside her mother, her heart pounding with a fear she had never experienced before. She knew that she was in big trouble. Before this, every time she got herself in trouble, her mother would always be able to protect her. When he got back, Luna was being wheeled out by a doctor and a nurse. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. But today, she wasn''t sure if her mother could still protect her. She didn''t want her grandfather to punish her. She was a girl, so if she were punished in front of so many people, how would she dare to go out again? "I asked you a question. Why are you not saying anything?" Eddie questioned sternly. Before this, every time Eddie reprimanded Ava, Penny would step in and protect her daughter. Eddie was always more lenient with his inws, so if Penny persisted, Eddie would leave them be. But today, even Penny didn''t dare make a sound. She already knew the sort of trouble her daughter hadnded in. In the past, she would always show off her power to those in the second son''s family. She would unt her status as the eldest son''s wife, whereas Jennifer didn''t care for such things and didn''t like getting into arguments. But this time, Jennifer was very serious. The first son''s family was in the wrong, and for a moment, she stayed deathly silent, not daring to utter a single word. Ava never said anything after the question was repeated. The family meeting hadn''t even started, but Eddie was already in a fit. His daughter-inw and granddaughter were both women, so he couldn''t discipline them too strictly. However, his son had his own blood, so he could discipline his son however he wanted. He forcefully pped the table and scolded Bryson, "Your daughter went mute, so you''ve gone mute too, is that it?" "Dad¡­ I¡­" Bryson spoke between hesitations, unable to form aplete sentence. "I''ll say it, then." Jennifer stood up and spoke word by word, rying everything that had happened today. At the end, she stated her appeal. "Dad, I want to publicly announce that the second son''s family will bepletely cutting off ties with the eldest son''s family!" Her eyes were red as tears welled in them, but she persisted and withheld the tears from falling. Eddie stared at her in shock for a long time after she finished speaking, and he eventually said, "Did you say that Luna almost died?" "Yes," Jennifer said while nodding. "Luna almost lost her life, but I don''t me Austin. I know Austin didn''t do it on purpose, and he truly adores Luna. He injured Luna by mistake, and I know he must be terribly sad about it too. I don''t me him at all, but I cannot forgive Ava!" She turned to look at Ava, icy cold fury and hatred in her eyes. "She''s cruel and vicious, and her heart is filled with poison. The second son''s family refuses to be associated with her!" Chapter 346 Chapter 346 If it were in the past, if Jennifer dared to talk about the eldest son''s family like that, Penny would definitely jump up and cry or retort. But today, she didn''t dare make a sound. She knew how serious her daughter''s mistakes were, going to the second son''s family and killing their cat. It was a huge p to the family''s face and proof that she held no respect for the second son''s family. If someone from the second son''s family dared to do that to her own family, she would cause chaos. Eddie didn''t respond to Jennifer''s words. Instead, he said anxiously, "How is Luna now?" This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "The doctor who saved Luna''s life said that since Luna was born weak, she can only live up to her thirties after being inflicted with such an injury." In the end, Jennifer couldn''t stop her tears from falling. She covered her mouth and sobbed silently. When she knew that her daughter could only live until her thirties, she spent every waking minute in anxiety and fear. A normal person''s life wouldn''t even have reached its halfway point in their thirties. Some girls who marriedte would still be unwedded by then. However, her daughter would be nearing the end of her life at that point. If she really had to see her daughter die before her, she''d rather die before her children did. Then, she wouldn''t have to bear the pain that exceeded anyone else''s. "She can only live up to her thirties?" Eddie was shocked and furious. His face went pale, and his hands began to tremble. Many old people like him would favor males over females, loving their grandsons more. He used to be like that as well, but when Luna covered him and blocked a bullet for him, he changed as soon as he saw Luna lying in his arms, closing her eyes while blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Luna had inherited the best parts of his younger son and daughter-inw; she was smart from a young age. That day, all those bodyguards failed to notice anything different, but Luna realized it. A girl in her teens had the courage to run up and take a bullet for him. His heart was broken, but he was also equally proud of her. Not many of his old friends would be as blessed as he was, for he had a wonderful granddaughter to be proud of. Ever since then, everyone who knew him also knew that he favored Luna greatly. He also did it without shame as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His granddaughter was willing to risk her life to save his, so why wouldn''t he favor her? In the beginning, he favored Luna because Luna had saved his life. Afterward, as he continued to love her, it turned into a habit. The child he loved would have no ws in his eyes. Also, Luna was smart, pretty, lovable, and considerate. The more he looked at her, the dearer he found her, and he loved her greatly. But now, his daughter-inw told him that the child he loved the most might not be able to make it to her forties. He felt as if something had gripped his heart, and it was in terrible pain. "Yes¡­" Jennifer said while sobbing, "Dr. Lawson said that the doctor who saved Luna''s life is the best doctor in the country. She can help Luna recuperate, so perhaps she can also extend Luna''s life. However, Ava offended that doctor, and that doctor said that if the Penhams could raise someone like Ava, then the Penhams shouldn''t be too good a family itself. As such, she isn''t willing to help Luna recuperate¡­" She took a deep breath, trying hard to stabilize her emotions. "Dad, this is also one of the reasons why we want to cut ties with the eldest son''s family. Only by splitting up can we ask that doctor to help Luna recuperate¡­" "Who is that doctor, and how dare she nder the Penhams?" Penny finally found somewhere she could vent, so she said angrily, "The Penhams'' reputation cannot be ruined by any random person!" "You shut up!" Eddie furiously hurled the teacup in his hand onto the floor near Penny''s feet. The porcin cup broke into pieces as shards flew everywhere. Terrified, Penny screamed, and her face instantly turned white. Eddie grabbed another cup and threw it at Bryson''s feet. "You wretched son! Look at what sort of woman you married, and what sort of daughter you have!" Bryson had shame written all over his face as he said to Brandon and Jennifer, "Brandon, Jennifer, it''s all my fault. I failed to educate Ava properly¡­" "There''s no use talking about that." Jennifer looked at him. "Bryson, I don''t ept apologies, nor will I ever forgive Ava. I only have one request, which is to split up!" "Yes, we won''t ept any apologies!" Lewis Penham, Luna''s younger brother and the youngest out of the third generation of the Penham Family, shouted with tears in his eyes, "Ava always bullies my sister, and I hate her! I will never forgive her!" He red at Ava in hatred. His voice was shaking, and so was his entire body. Jennifer patted him softly tofort him. Then, she looked at Eddie. "Dad, our hearts have grown cold toward the eldest son''s family. There is no meaning if we''re still forced to be together, and our rtionship will only get worse. Please allow us to split with the eldest son''s family." Eddie was especially adamant about traditions. He believed that if brothers were united, they would be strong enough to ovee any adversaries. Also, since his eldest son''s family was in the business field while his second son''s family was involved in politics, it was only when the two families worked together that the perfect fusion could be created, and it would help the Penham Family prosper. Splitting up would be bad news for both families. Moreover, now that the two families had grown distant and became enemies, if news of this got out, the Penhams would definitely be mocked. He felt as if something had gripped his heart, and it was in terrible pain. His second daughter-inw even wanted to announce the split in public. The more people knew about this, the worse the Penhams'' reputation would be. This was something he couldn''t ept. He softened his tone and tried to convince Jennifer, saying, "Jennifer, I know that both you and Luna feel wronged by this incident. I am also heartbroken to know that Luna is injured. It''s true that Ava is at fault, but Bryson, Austin, and Justin are all good children. Avamitted a mistake, but it shouldn''t be a burden for everyone in the eldest son''s family to bear. Don''t you think so, Jennifer?" "Dad, I know you have many ideals to convince me, but I won''t change my mind," said Jennifer, "Yes, I admit that Bryson is a good man, and Austin and Justin are both good children. However, throughout all those years, I believe they have seen for themselves how Penny and Ava treated me and Luna, but which one of them stepped up to stop the harsh treatment? Who spoke up for me and Luna? In the end, they''re still a family." She continued, "If I don''t protect my children, they will only be bullied to the point of death! I thought I was above them and that I didn''t need to stoop to their level, but I now realize that I am wrong; I am terribly wrong! In the future, if anyone dares to bully my daughter the slightest, I''ll fight them with my life!" Eddie fell silent for a long while. It was too difficult for him to agree to the split. Some timeter, he asked Jennifer, "What if I don''t agree to it?" "In that case, I''m sorry, Dad," she said. "No matter if you agree to it or not, I will announce in the newspapers tomorrow that the Penhams'' eldest son''s family and the second son''s family have cut off ties with each other. We will not be associated with each other from then on!" Jennifer was from a reputable background, and she possessed an outstanding status. Even Eddie couldn''t do anything about her, so he could only turn to Brandon. "Brandon, are you in favor of this as well?" "I agree, Dad." Brandon looked regretfully at Jennifer and Lewis. "All these years, I''ve caused Jennifer and my children a lot of injustice because I wanted to avoid conflict. I understand everything now. I didn''t want anyone to sh, but in reality, I was just too chicken!" He reached out and pulled Jennifer and Lewis into his arms. Then, he looked at Eddie and said firmly, "Dad, I have learned my harsh lesson from Luna''s ident. I was wrong in the past¡­" He turned his gaze onto Penny and Ava, his voice cold and stern as he said, "I don''t care who they are, or what their status may be. In the future, if anyone dares to bully my wife and children, they will have to do it over my dead body!" Chapter 347 Chapter 347 For a moment, Eddie was at a loss for words. He could see that the family had made up their mind. Even if he used drastic measures to force the second son''s family to stay, the two families had already distanced themselves from each other. If they were forced together, it wouldn''t help anything, and it might cause incidents that he was even more reluctant to experience. Now, he could only appease the fury of the second son''s family, then have a proper talk with them to see if he could change their mind. After making up his mind, he looked at Austin. "Austin, have you admitted your mistakes?" "Yes, Grandpa. I have," Austin said while lowering his head, "I have wronged Uncle Brandon and Aunt Jennifer, and I have wronged Luna even more. I am willing to ept any form of punishment from Uncle Brandon and Aunt Jennifer." "In that case, I''ll have you punished twenty times." Eddie asked in a cold voice, "Do you agree to that?" Austin nodded. "Yes, Grandpa." "Dad, there''s no need for that." As her heart softened, Jennifer stopped Eddie. "Dad, I''ve already said before that Austin loves Luna, and it was purely by ident that Luna got hurt. I don''t me him, so you don''t have to punish him, Dad." "This punishment is not because he identally hurt Luna," said Eddie, "I''m punishing him because he is the eldest grandson of the Penham Family, but he acts too rashly! He identally hurt Luna today, but you and Brandon don''t want to me him. What if he had identally hurt someone else''s child? Their dreams and future would have disappeared right now!" He looked at Austin and said, "The twenty times today serves as a reminder. You have to remember that being rash can only cause trouble! From now on, no matter what you''re faced with, you have to remain calm and think before you act. Do you understand, Austin?" "Yes, Grandpa," Austin said while lowering his head. "I understand." Eddie nodded, then shouted, "In that case, we shall begin!" The punishment in the Penham Family was delivered through a palm-wide nk made of ebony. It was kept in the ancestral hall, and the jet ck ebony glistened in the light. It was as wide and thick as someone''s palm, and it looked heavy with quite some weight to it. Whenever the younger children of the Penham Familymitted mistakes, they''d usually just kneel in the ancestral hall, and they had never been punished with the nk before. ording to their grandmother, the previous generation had all been punished with the nk before, and if the punishment was dealt ten times, they wouldn''t be able to get out of bed for days on end. Eddie was advanced in age, and he wasn''t as harsh as he had been in his younger years. Also, since he loved his grandchildren, he was never willing to hit his grandchildren with the nk. Today, it was a record-breaking first. Austin walked to the bench in the yard on his own ord, falling face-first on it. Two bodyguards held his shoulders in ce while another bodyguard dealt the punishment, counting, "One, two, three, four¡­" The bodyguards knew what they were doing, so they didn''t hurt Austin too much. However, since the nk was taken out of the ancestral hall, it wasn''t something they could gloss over either. They had to make it count. As the nknded on Austin''s backside, the dull thuds made everyone wince. Austin bit his lip tightly, swallowing the shrieks he wanted to let out of his throat. He knew that the bodyguards had been merciful. If not, with such heavy ebony, it wouldn''t take too many tries for his skin to split. The bodyguard knew that the slower the punishment was dealt, the more unbearable it would be. As such, twenty blows were dealt in quick session, and soon, the ordeal was over. Even though Austin''s skin didn''t split, it was still painful enough that Austin''s face went pale and wet with perspiration. His clothes were also drenched in cold beads of sweat. Eddie didn''t dismiss Austin to his room. Instead, he ordered his two trustworthy subordinates to support Austin. "Austin, you cannot be absent from the meeting that is toe. Just stay at the side and listen, and you can go back for treatment after the meeting." Austin nodded as he replied, "Yes, Grandpa." Eddie looked at Ava. "It''s your turn." Ava was so terrified that her face went pale, trying her best to hide behind Penny. Penny gave a half-smile. "Dad, Ava is a girl¡­" Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "So what?" He then questioned, "Is there aw that states that girls can be exempted from thew and all punishment?" "Ava is already hurt, though!" She was so anxious that sweat began trickling down her forehead. "Dad, look how injured Ava''s face is!" Eddie was extremely annoyed now, and he ignored Penny as he looked straight at Ava, saying, "Ava, you went to the home of Brandon''s family and killed Luna''s cat. Both your heart and actions are cruel, so I''ll give you fifty times. Do you agree with this?" "Fifty times?" Ava was so scared that all life was drained from her face. She shook her head hastily, "No! Grandpa, you can''t do this to me!" She was a girl; how could she bear to have her butt hit in front of so many people? If news of this got out, how could she keep her head high when she went out? Today, it was a record-breaking first. Austin walked to the bench in the yard on his own ord, falling face-first on it. Two bodyguards held his shoulders in ce while another bodyguard dealt the punishment, counting, "One, two, three, four¡­" Furthermore, it was fifty times! Her eldest brother, a proper man, couldn''t even walk because of the pain after being hit twenty times. He could barely stand only with the support of two people. She was a weak little girl. If she were to be hit fifty times, she would be half-dead! Was her grandfather crazy? Eddie had no time for arguments as he ordered his trusty subordinates, "Carry out the punishment." "No! Get away! Get away from me!" Ava pushed away the people who walked over to grab her, hiding behind Penny and gripping the woman''s clothes tightly. She screamed while crying, "Mom, save me, save me! I''ll be beaten to death with 50 blows!" Penny protected Ava, her eyes red as she questioned Eddie, "Dad, are you trying to kill Ava? Ava is a girl, and her body is so fragile. If you give her fifty blows, she''ll be dead! How could you do this to her?" "If her life is so valuable, then what about Luna''s cat?" Eddie said coldly. "She has no respect for life at all. She did not kill to hunt or to eat; because she wanted to vent, she killed her cousin''s beloved pet. Don''t you see how cruel she is, and how vicious her heart is as well?" He looked at Penny coldly while saying, "You should be grateful that I''m still willing to punish her. If you do not agree, I will chase her out of the Penham Family! If you''re still not convinced, you can get out with her! The Penham Family has no room for cruel, vicious, and disrespectful descendants like you!" Penny was dumbfounded. Her status wasn''t as outstanding as Jennifer, and she was just the daughter of amon merchant. Although her family had some standing within Dusktown, it was iparable to the Penham Family. As the daughter-inw of the Penham Family, no matter where she went, she was fawned over and well-respected. However, if she divorced Bryson, she would be an unwanted woman. People would mock her,ugh at her, and insult her. She had never once thought of divorcing Bryson, but she didn''t want Ava to be punished either. Penny gritted her teeth and bent her knees, kneeling on the ground as both her tears and voice came pouring out. "Dad, Ava didn''t kill Luna''s cat on purpose; she was just drunk at that time. Ava admits to her mistakes now, so can''t you forgive her this time, Dad? Ava knows what she has done wrong, so she won''t dare to do this ever again. Please, Dad!" She kneeled on the ground. She gave Eddie a kowtow a few times with her head banging against the ground. At the side, Austin could only feel his heart grow cold as he watched the scene. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 This contrast was too strong! When his grandfather wanted to punish him just now, his mother never said anything to object even though she seemed hurt and sad. Now that his grandfather wanted to punish Ava, his mother, who was always so mindful of her appearance and pride, actually kowtowed in front of his grandfather to beg for mercy on Ava''s behalf. He almost suspected that his father had misremembered details of the past; the child they adopted from the orphanage wasn''t Ava, but him! Wasn''t it weird to love an adopted daughter more than a biological son? The scene in front of his eyes would only make sense if he were the adopted son, and Ava the biological daughter. Eddie had always looked down on his eldest daughter-inw. In the past, because of the children she had birthed, he let her off the hook. However, he was both grieved and furious today, so he didn''t want to let anyone off just like that. Even if Penny kowtowed until she bled, he was still unmoved. "There are only two options for you and Ava. One, to be punished. Two, you''ll divorce Bryson and leave the Penham Family with Ava. From now on, you''ll have nothing to do with the Penham Family!" "No! Dad, you can''t do this to me." Penny sobbed as she shook her head. "I gave birth to Austin and Justin for the Penham Family, so even if I have no achievements under my belt, I still deserve something for my hard work. Dad, please just let Ava off this once. I promise that Ava won''t do it ever again." Ava didn''t want to be punished, but she didn''t want to leave the Penham Family either. She loved being the wealthy daughter of the Penham Family. If she left them, she would turn into nothing. She was born the young mistress of the Penham Family, and she didn''t want to leave at all! She kneeled down next to Penny and sobbed while begging, "Grandpa, I admit my mistakes. I''ve really repented. I didn''t kill Luna''s cat on purpose! I was drunk, and I didn''t know what I was doing¡­ I swear that from today onward, I''ll quit drinking. I''ll never drink alcohol again!" Eddie felt a migraineing on because of their cries. He said annoyedly, "I''ve given you two options to choose from. If you don''t choose, then I''ll take it that you''ll go with the first choice! Take Ava outside and punish her!" His trusty subordinates immediately went over and dragged Ava off the floor, walking toward the entrance. Penny howled, "Dad, please have mercy on Ava! Hit me instead! It''s all my fault. I didn''t discipline Ava well, so please¡­" "Shut up!" Eddie shouted with a frown. "Either you leave the Penham Family with Ava, or you shut up!" Penny''s sobs quietened down. She covered her mouth, sobbing so hard that her entire body twitched. She couldn''t file a divorce with Bryson. Her parents were proud of her for marrying into the Penham Family. Because of her marriage with Bryson, whenever she went home, her sisters-inw all looked up to her, respected her, and fawned over her. Many years ago, thepany belonging to her family fell into trouble. Before her family went bankrupt, many people ran over andughed at her mockingly. She swore that she would climb up the ranks to somewhere high. By then, no one wouldugh at her or mock her again. If she filed a divorce with Bryson, it would be like falling into a puddle of quagmire from the top of a mountain. She would be faced with countless mockery and eye-rolling. She couldn''t divorce him. She absolutely couldn''t! She could only watch as Ava was pressed onto the bench. The nk was raised high, then brought down heavily. It was so painful that Ava kept screaming. She howled and wept, wanting to rush over to stop the people, but Eddie''s subordinates stopped her from doing so. Even though she was the eldest daughter-inw of the Penham Family, Eddie''s subordinates only swore loyalty to Eddie alone. No matter how she sobbed and shouted, the two people holding her down remained motionless. The person who carried out the punishment on Ava was also Eddie''s trusty subordinate. He had served Eddie for more than thirty years, and he was absolutely loyal to Eddie. He knew Eddie''s preferences, and he knew that out of all the grandchildren, Eddie loved Luna the most and liked Ava the least. He also liked Luna a lot. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Luna was smart and lively, cheerful and kind. She would smile at everyone she met, and she was very kind. She was nice to everyone in the Penham Family. Ava, however, was a spoiled brat. She was arrogant, selfish, and domineering. Even when she met those old people who had served Eddie for decades, she maintained her arrogant behavior. He disliked Ava greatly. Even though Austin was the one who identally hurt Luna, everything happened because of Ava. He knew what Eddie was thinking, so when he hit Austin, he used only a little fraction of his strength. When he hit Ava, however, he used half of his strength. Ava shrieked under the beatings, and even her throat had be sore. A few blows after the thirtieth mark, she fainted from the pain. Eddie ordered in a cold voice, "Ssh her awake and keep going." Penny sobbed, falling to the ground and groveling at Eddie''s feet as she begged, "Dad, please stop it. Stop it! Ava is a girl, and if you keep hitting her, it might affect her body for life. How will she marry and have children in the future? Dad, please stop hitting her!" She covered her mouth, sobbing so hard that her entire body twitched. Bryson begged as well. "Dad, it''s a very harsh punishment, and Ava must have learned her lesson by now. Dad, please just let her off." Eddie looked at Brandon and Jennifer. He gave Ava such a heavy punishment partly because he didn''t like Ava. He disliked how cruel she was, and he wanted to give her a proper lesson. For the most part, however, he wanted to appease the hatred the second son''s family had toward the eldest son''s family through punishing Ava. He wanted the second son''s family to change their mind about splitting up. Brandon and Jennifer were both intelligent people, so they understood what Eddie was thinking. However, the two acted like dolls, not giving any response to his questioning gaze. Eddie was annoyed, so he vented all his anger on Ava while shouting furiously, "What are you standing around for? Ssh her awake and keep going!" The bodyguard fetched a pail of cold water, then sshed it all on Ava''s body. Ava slowly regained her senses, and after a few coughs, she began crying and shouting, struggling to be released. The bodyguard raised the nk in order to continue the punishment. Ava struggled and wept, "Save me, Mom! I''m dying, Mom, please save me! Take me away! Mom, I don''t want to be the young mistress of the Penham Family anymore, please save me and take me away!" She was in so much pain that she was about to die. She didn''t want any luxuries or the position of a wealthy daughter anymore. She just wanted to escape this inhumane suffering and torture as soon as possible. She never even dreamed that she would be pressed against a bench and suffer beatings to her butt in front of so many people in this life. She also never expected that it would hurt so much to have her butt get beaten by a nk. It was so painful that she wished she could drop dead immediately. Be it luxuries or the noble status as the wealthy daughter of the Penham Family, she wanted none of those. She just wanted to be freed as soon as possible. "Stop, stop it!" Penny scrambled off the floor and screamed with all her might at Eddie, "Dad, are you trying to force me and my daughter to death? Luna isn''t dead yet, but you''re alreadying after my and Ava''s life, is that it? Luna is your granddaughter, but so is Ava. You can''t favor Luna simply because Luna saved your life. Luna isn''t dead yet, but you already want Ava to make it up to her with her life! Dad, you can''t be so biased, you most certainly can''t!" Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Eddie couldn''t be bothered to entertain Penny anymore, for he thought she was truly a moron. He had always regretted the day he gave in to Bryson''s plea and agreed to let him marry Penny. But with passing time, he got to know the woman better, and he thought the only good thing about Penny was her looks. His beloved wife wasn''t any smarter either, but she was kind and honest. On the other hand, Penny was unintelligent, dumb, narrow-minded, petty, and cruel. In a family like his, he wouldn''t easily allow his progenies to divorce, especially when Penny had given him two grandsons not long after she married into their family. For the children''s sake, he could only try to put up with things. The only thing he could do was to care for and teach his grandsons himself and minimize their contact with Penny lest they took up her ill-bred behavior. He admitted that he was patriarchal, and his busy work life gave him limited time to focus on his family. Thus, he put more effort into his grandsons than his granddaughters, which were left to his wife and two daughters-inw to care for. Jennifer was intelligent and gentle, so Luna grew up to be adorable, kind, and bubbly. Penny, on the other hand, was petty and narrow-minded, so her coddling made Ava feisty andPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org. advantageous, only content when she gained something from someone but thought she suffered a loss if she failed to do so. It hadn''t been just yesterday when he reprimanded Bryson and Penny about the way they parented Ava, and the two wouldply obsequiously. However, as time passed, not only had Ava not changed her ways, she even screwed up massively this time. Ava had strayed far away at this point, and the young girl would only get even morewless if he continued to be lenient with her. It was only after Ava experienced a good beating that she would know to be fearful and dared not think the whole world would coddle and tolerate her like her mother would. In the future, she would at least think twice before doing anything and dared not screw up. No matter how Penny cried and begged, he remained motionless. Fifty solid nk beatings¡ªno more, no less. By the end of the punishment, Ava''s voice had cracked from all the crying. Her struggling had weakened with each beating as well, so much so that shey moribund on the bench. Meanwhile, Penny threw herself onto Ava, screaming for Drew while holding her daughter in her arms. At that, Drew gave Ava a quick check and said, "Don''t worry, Madam Penny. Miss Ava only has some superficial injuries, and there aren''t any broken bones. She''ll be fine after a period of recuperation." As much as he despised Ava, the bodyguard who beat her kept her status in mind, and he, who served the Penham Family, held his strength back. As such, it was impossible for Ava to end up disabled. "What do you mean there''s only superficial wounds?! Do you not see that she''s bleeding?! There''s so much blood¡­" Penny cried out with a shaky voice. "Austin didn''t even bleed, but Ava''s pants are drenched in blood! You call this superficial?!" Austin''s face turned ashen, left speechless by his mother''s words. Why did it sound like she didn''t feel d at all that he wasn''t bleeding? Had he reallye out of her? Drew, on the other hand, couldn''t care less about Penny when sheshed out at him at once. He beckoned his assistant, saying, "Send Miss Ava to her room." Sure, he was the Penham Family''s doctor, but his main job was to serve Eddie. If Penny ever wanted him to take her scolding subserviently, she''d have to wait until Bryson became the next patriarch of the family. The assistant held Ava, wanting to help her up from the bench. But as soon as he touched the young woman, she squealed, "Mom, it hurts! Mom, it hurts like hell! Mom!" Penny''s heart wrenched so badly that she shuddered while cooing with a shaky voice, "Ava, dear, hang on. Hang on, alright? We''ll put some ointment on after we go to your room, okay? It won''t hurt anymore after that¡­" Right then, she loathed Eddie and wanted to stab him in the heart. How dare that old codger treat my baby girl like this?! Ava''s the precious youngdy of the Penham Family! How dare he punish my weak, defenseless daughter like this?! When will this old codger ever die?! While crying andforting Ava, Penny hadn''t forgotten to curse the old man either. Meanwhile, Ava refused to let anybody touch her, screaming in pain as soon as someone did. Penny''s shirt was drenched in sweat from worry and distress, and she suddenly turned to her sons. "What, are you two dead?! How can you two not help your sister when she''s been beaten up like this?! What good is having two sons like you?!" Meanwhile, Penny threw herself onto Ava, screaming for Drew while holding her daughter in her arms. She red daggers at Austin and Justin like they were her enemies instead of her sons. She shifted her anger toward them, loathing their unwillingness to intercede with Eddie for Ava. The two young men were the two elder grandsons. If they could''ve begged Eddie like she did, asking him to forgive Ava, the old man would''ve certainly listened to them. Anger and despise filled Penny''s heart as sheshed out, "How many times have I told you this?! As brothers, you have to look after your sister. Ava is our family''s only girl. As brothers, you''re obligated to take good care of her. What a good job you two have done, though! Your only sister has been beaten to this degree, yet you two are only standing there watching! Are your hearts made of stone?! Do you even have the slightest bit of conscience in you?!" All this while, Justin had been supporting Austin, who was drenched in a cold sweat and couldn''t stand on his own feet. Now that his mother was suddenlyshing out at him and his brother, he frowned, arguing, "What are you talking about, Mom?! Do you not see that Austin''s also injured? Also, Ava was punished ording to the housew. What can we do apart from just watching? Are we supposed to defy Grandpa and go against him?!" That''s exactly what you should be doing! Best that old man dies from anger! Penny thundered angrily in her head but dared not utter a single word. Having no outlet to vent her long pent-up resentment, she suddenly exploded and charged toward Justin, giving the young man a p. "Did I raise you up to talk back to me or take care of your sister?!" Still not sated after a p, she gave him a couple more. "You ungrateful swain! Kneel!" "Who are you asking to kneel?!" Eddie nearly passed out in anger when his beloved grandson received three solid ps from Penny in the blink of an eye. At that, he grabbed another teacup on the coffee table and hurled it onto Penny. "You kneel!" Penny shuddered in fright and looked at Eddie with a ghastly pale face the next second. "Dad, is Justin not my son?! Have I not conceived him for ten months?! Am I wrong to lecture my own son?!" Chapter 350 Chapter 350 "Are you lecturing your son, or are youshing out on him because you dare not take it out on me?" As a father-inw, it was inappropriate of him to p Penny. As such, he hurled another teacup at her. "Justin may be your son, but he''s also my grandson, not your whipping boy!" Penny felt humiliated after being repeatedly reprimanded by Eddie in front of everyone. To make things worse, she was sullied and drenched in warm liquid, for the teacups Eddie hurled at her still had tea in them. She was feisty and prideful, but on this day, she had been utterly humiliated. Her hatred had incited her to kill at this point; she wanted to kill the old man who had humiliated her. However, she only dared to think about it. She wasn''t aspetent as Jennifer, who rose above all no matter where she went. Jennifer was revered by people, and she also had an influential family to back her up. s, what someonecked would make them want to prove to others that they, in fact, possessed it. Because Penny and her family were insignificant, she was always a sucker for pride, leading to her love of unting her status as the Penham Family''s senior branch matriarch. Although she wasn''t aspetent as Jennifer and her family wasn''t as powerful as thetter''s, she wanted everyone to know that she was the matriarch of the Penham Family''s senior branch, not Jennifer! She was married to Bryson, thus making her more senior than Brandon and Jennifer. Even if she and her family were beneath Jennifer and her family, the couple still had to be deferential toward her! Lo and behold, the respect she had gathered over the years had now turned to dust. But there was nothing she could do at all, for she was a paper tiger. With her and her family''s ipetency, she could put on airs and feign prominence when people showed her respect. But as soon as they refused to do so, she was nothing. Though she was beyond furious and wanted to skin those who humiliated her, she dared not do so and only sucked it up. Back to reality, Eddie red daggers at her,manding, "I''m warning you, Penny. If you darey a finger on Austin or Justin without my permission, I will exile you from our family!" Penny dropped her head and clenched her fists tightly as her body shuddered in anger, falling into deep thought. "Do you hear me?!" Eddie thundered, causing Penny to shudder and stammer, "Y-Yes¡­ Father." With that, the elder turned to his eldest son. "You listen to me. If she dares to treat Austin or Justin cruelly, divorce her. If you refuse to do so, you can leave with her as well!" Humiliated, Bryson''s face flushed crimson in shame. "Yes, Dad. I understand¡­" He''d be lying if he said he never regretted his decision over the years, and it became even more apparent after his brother married Jennifer. Back then, his father strongly opposed his wish to marry Penny, who was drop-dead gorgeous. It was love at first sight, and as though he had been enchanted, he insisted on marrying only Penny no matter what his father said. Unable to dissuade him, Eddie gave up in the end and let Bryson have his way. There was a time when he and Penny were inseparable. She was a beauty, so he naturally grew fond of her. He had loved Penny deeply in the past, but with time, he got to know her better, and he gradually realized one thing¡ªshe had nothing but her looks. In other words, apart from her beauty, she was as average as the next guy. In fact, she was so average that it was even difficult to point out an obvious strength. However, her ws were evident¡ªegoistic, advantageous, feisty, and she wanted everyone to tter and please her. When he was still young, he tolerated her because of her beauty, but as he grew older, he became more appreciative toward inner beauty and thus grew more regretful of his decision. This was especially so when he saw Brandon and Jennifer more and more in love with each other while he and Penny grew further and further apart, living a dull married life. Who wouldn''t be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock. Too bad he understood the proverb a little toote. Eddie pulled a straight face and lectured Justin, "And you, Justin¡ª" Don''t just stand there and allow anyone to beat you up. Before he could finish his words, the butler went up to Eddie and reported, "Old Master, Mr. Hart has arrived." "Mr. Hart?" Eddie frowned and wondered. "Sebastian?" "Yes, sir." The butler nodded in affirmation. "What brings him here? Show him in!" Eddie ordered. The butler nodded in acknowledgment and turned to invite the guest in. Meanwhile, Eddie ordered his subordinates to tidy up the space. Just like that, Ava had been forcibly taken away despite her howling cries of pain, the bench had been put away, and the floor had been cleaned. Eddie then turned to Austin. "Go and get some rest." "Grandpa¡­" Austin lowered his head. "I should stay instead. Mr. Hart has probablye for Ava." Humiliated, Bryson''s face flushed crimson in shame. "Yes, Dad. I understand¡­" With that, he recounted concisely how Ava called Sebastian''s sons b*stards in her drunken state. "I think he hase to seek justice¡­" "Ava Penham, you wench!" Eddie turned beyond grim after hearing his granddaughter''s ''glorious'' feat. He was Philip''s subordinate for over twenty years in the past, and Philip had practically taken him under his wing that whole time. Even now, Philip had a higher status than him. Personally, he was grateful for Philip. Socially, he was beneath Philip. But to think his granddaughter actually called the boys b*stards in front of their mother and aunt! Just what does she keep inside her head?! Rotten flesh?! Though it could be possible that the boys were love children, Philip denied the saying. As ofte, Philip would brag about his precious grandsons to almost everyone, and his saying to the public was that the children were conceived when Sebastian and the children''s mother were abroad. The couple got married but didn''t hold a wedding while they were there. However, the children''s mother and Sebastian fell out when she was pregnant with the boys, so the two separated for some time before reconciling and getting back togethertely. Probably no one but the Harts knew the authenticity of the story. Regardless, it was the family''s private issue. Sebastian was a bachelor, so when Philip said the boys'' mother was Sebastian''s one and only wife, it wasn''t at the expense of anyone''s benefit. As such, no one had the right to interfere. It could be said that whatever Philip said went. If he said the boy''s mother was Sebastian''s one and only wife, then it was what it was. Since even Philip had epted the boys and their mother, wouldn''t Ava only be asking for trouble when she called the boys b*stards in front of their mother?! Just how did our family end up having such an ipetent moron?! This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He was so livid that he was on the verge of breaking down. Bryson and Brandon noticed so, and they quickly brought their father to the living room couch. "Come, Dad. Have a seat." Very quickly, Sebastian was escorted to the living room. He wasn''t alone, though. His left arm was around a bombshell''s waist while his right was holding an adorable little boy''s hand, and the little boy was holding the hand of another little boy that looked nearly identical but was a few inches taller than him. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 After the guests took their seats, the maids served up some refreshments. "Mr. Eddie, I''vee to send you an invitation," said Sebastian as he handed a red, gold foiled invitation to Eddie with both hands. "Maddie and I got married overseas, but we still haven''t held a wedding to this day. Now that she''s back, my father hopes that we can see to it. I hope you can join us for this celebration." This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "Of course, of course." Eddie smiled as he took the envelope from Sebastian. "Congrattions, Sebastian." "Thank you, Mr. Eddie." Sebastian smiled with delight. "Actually, I have another purpose for visiting today¡­" Eddie''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing so, but he still wore an amiable smile on his face. "Please tell us about it. Mr. Philip and I go way back, and it''s all thanks to him that I can have all that I do today. Whatever request you have, I''ll do all that I can to see to it." As nervous as he was, he was fortunate that he made sure Ava got the punishment she deserved. Hence, he still had some confidence in dealing with what Sebastian would throw at him¡ªor so he thought. If Sebastian hade to question what Ava did, he''d have his men bring the young woman out to show Sebastian what he had done. Surely the man would have nothing more to say after seeing Ava''s condition, no matter how upset he was. What else would Sebastian want when Ava has already been beaten to this degree? Surely he can''t be thinking of killing her just because she insulted his sons, right? However, before Sebastian could speak up, Penny lost her cool and interjected, "Mr. Hart, have you come because of the nonsense Ava blurted to your sons when she was drunk? If so, you can rest assured that she has been severely punished¡­" She began crying halfway at the thought of her beloved daughter''s miserable state. "Ava has been mangled from the fifty nk beatings she suffered. I believe the issue should be dropped now, albeit Ava did make a grave mistake. She¡ª" "Shut up, and not another word!" Bryson growled as he turned grimmer by the second the more he listened to Penny''s words. "Don''t speak if you don''t know how to use your words! Don''t go around spouting nonsense!" "How am I speaking nonsense?! Have I made anything up?!" Penny bawled. "Did Ava not suffer from fifty nk beatings? Is she not covered in blood? Yes, Ava shouldn''t have said whatever she said while drunk, but she''s already paid the price for it, hasn''t she?! What more do you people want?!" "I see¡­" Sebastian smiled inly. "But I want nothing other than to show Mr. Eddie something¡­" At that, Quinton tacitly handed Eddie a dossier folder. Meanwhile, Sebastian recounted leisurely, "Earlier today, my wife took our boys out for some shopping. They left pretty happily, only toe home dejected because they were insulted for no apparent reason. As such, I had my men dig into it to see just whose daughter it was that could be so presumptuous and rude¡­" With that, he turned to Eddie and smiled. "Later, they told me their findings, and I learned that it turned out to be your granddaughter, Mr. Eddie. But¡­" He gazed at the elder and enunciated, "Do you know this granddaughter of yours isn''t actually your biological one?" Eddie froze mid-opening the envelope and looked toward Sebastian in shock. "What did you say?" "I said that she''s not your biological granddaughter." Sebastian quirked a brow. "What''s wrong? Are you unaware of this, Mr. Eddie?" Eddie was stupefied for a long time before he coulde to himself, and he red at both Bryson and Penny. "What is up with this?!" He didn''t doubt Sebastian''s words, for he knew the Harts had the world''s most brilliant information team with the best intelligence agents. Plus, Sebastian was the brightest of his generation in Dusktown, so whatever he said would certainly be urate. Bryson''s face paled in response, and Penny looked worse than him. Though livid with rage, Eddie didn''t hurl the newly brought out teapot and teacups as he had scruples about Sebastian, who sat across from him. "Speak up, Bryson! Is Ava actually your birth daughter?!" "Yes, Ava is most definitely our daughter!" Penny interjected. "Dad, you watched Ava grow up. Of course, she''s a Penham and our daughter!" No one can ever know that Ava isn''t a Penham! My baby girl is right at the age of finding a suitor! A beloved daughter born in the Penham Family and an adopted one are night and day! With her identity as the eldest daughter of the Penham Family, Ava could choose whichever young man from an affluent family in Dusktown to be her husband. However, once her cover was blown, her selections would drop at least a league or two. My Ava deserves only the best. No one can ever find out Ava''s true identity! Too bad Eddie didn''t believe a word she said and red furiously at Bryson. "Speak up, Bryson! Is Ava your biological daughter or not?! If you insist that she is, we''ll do a paternity test. If the test says that you''ve lied, you can forget about ever being my son again!" "I see¡­" Sebastian smiled inly. "But I want nothing other than to show Mr. Eddie something¡­" Now at a crossroads, Bryson took pains to reveal, "Ava, s-she''s not really my daughter¡­" "What are you talking about, Bryson Penham?!" screeched Penny as she threw herself at Bryson and thrashed him. "What nonsense are you talking about?! Ava is our daughter! She''s ours!" "Are you done?!" Having had enough of her, Bryson shoved her away and bellowed, "We could keep it a secret when no one dug into it, but Dad is asking questions now! Do you think we can still keep it just between us?! Ava isn''t our daughter, and my blood doesn''t run in her veins. Anybody will know as soon as they verify it! What''s the point of being stubborn? Are you¡ª" He wanted to ask if she was insane, but at the thought that she was someone he pleaded and begged his father to let him marry and that she was the mother of his two sons, he swallowed his words back down. There was only one thing running through his mind right then as he looked at Penny; he had to be sure to keep a close watch on his sons when it was their time to marry. He had to see that they married an intelligent woman. She didn''t have to be beautiful, but at least she was someone with intelligence and a kind personality. They could not marry a woman with all looks but nothing else, or look at what happened to him! Austin had already learned of the truth from his father earlier, so he watched all that was unfolding before him with a numbed face. Justin and the Penham cadet family, on the other hand, knew nothing of this, so all of them were rendered gobsmacked. Meanwhile, Eddie was so livid that he nearly passed out. "Just what the heck is going on? Who''s daughter is Ava if not yours? Why do you want to raise someone else''s daughter for them?" he asked Bryson in a shaky voice. At that, Bryan lowered his head and rted the story. He said, "We had no other choice, Dad. My mother-inw''s life was hanging by a thread, and that was the only way to save her. Therefore, we¡­" "You b*stard!" Eddie couldn''t give a damn about the fact that Sebastian was still sitting across from him anymore and hurled the newly ced teapot at his eldest son. "You gave up finding your own daughter just days after she went missing?! You¡­ Are you even human?!" Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Bryson was so humiliated that he wished he could bury himself underground right there and then. With his head lowered, he argued, "At that time, Penny''s mother had fallen seriously ill, and I sent people to look for Ava. I spent a lot of resources looking for her, but we couldn''t get a single hint as to where Ava could have possibly been after searching for over two weeks. Many said the possibility of ever getting her back was little to none when we couldn''t find her after so long¡­" "Many? Is that your daughter or theirs?!" Eddie trembled in anger. "She''s your daughter! Did you expect them to look for your daughter instead?!" Bryson mumbled for some time before saying with dejection, "I¡­ I know I''ve done wrong, Dad, and I regret it. I regretted my decision long ago¡­ All these years, I would constantly dream about that child. In my dream, she lived miserably, and it pains me terribly every time I wake up from it. It feels like¡­ I''m being strangled by a rope¡­" This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "You¡­ You¡­" Eddie pointed toward Bryson''s nose exasperatedly, having difficulty putting his anger into words. Just how did I end up with such a useless son?! No wonder he took a fancy to Penny back then and would only ever marry her. Someone as idiotic as him sure is a perfect match for that woman! "Mr. Bryson, do you know whose daughter you are raising?" Sebastian suddenly chimed in. "Sorry?" Bryson went nk for a moment beforeing to himself. "Ava''s an orphan. We brought her back from an orphanage¡­" "Did you choose the child, or did your wife do it?" Sebastian pressed on. "My wife," Bryson answered. "I was focused on looking for my daughter back then while my wife went to check out the children at the orphanage and got the procedures done. After that, the two of us picked the child up from there." Eddie now understood what was up. Since Bryson and Penny couldn''t find their missing daughter, and to avoid Penny''s mother dying of guilt for losing the child, the couple chose a child from an orphanage to trick everyone into thinking Ava had been retrieved. That included him, the patriarch of the family and the grandfather of the missing child! The revtion made him so furious that he couldn''t help but hurl another teacup toward the irresponsible couple. "You disgraceful swines! Kneel, both of you! Now!" "Dad¡­" Bryson looked pleadingly at his father with an obvious suggestion. We still have guests here, Dad. Please don''t show me up so badly. As if Eddie could care about his son''s pride when he was already beyond livid. "I said, kneel!" Intimidated, Bryson slowly dropped to the floor. Simrly, Penny kneeled next to her husband. Her face was ashen and ghastly pale, for she had been stupefied by Sebastian''s questioning, so much so that she couldn''t be bothered about the fact that Ava wasn''t their biological daughter had been brought to light. Sebastian actually asked Bryson if he knows whose daughter Ava is¡­ What is he trying to say? Does he actually know who Ava''s father is? No, impossible! They had abandoned Ava at the entrance of the orphanage so covertly back then that no one would have known who her parents were¡ªnot even the staff that took the child in. Decades have passed since then, and Sebastian is so young. There''s no way he''d actually know who Ava''s biological parents are! That''s right. He doesn''t know. He definitely has no clue. I''ve only gotten paranoid. I should calm down; I must calm down and not expose myself. She kept telling herself to calm down, but because she was conscience-stricken and fearful that her deepest, darkest secret would be brought to light, her heart cramped in fright. At the same time, her body shuddered like a fragile leaf in the winter wind. "You¡­ You b*stards¡­" Beyond livid, Eddie pointed at the couple and thundered, "Someone, bring the nk out again!" "No!" Penny screamed in horror. "You can''t do that to me, Dad! Have you gone mad?!" She was the matriarch of the Penham Family''s senior branch and the future matriarch of the family. How could she ever face outsiders if she was punished out in the open? "Dad, take a deep breath." Brandon poured some tea for the elder and coaxed softly, "It was indeed wrong of Bryson to do such a thing, but he was just a young man in his twenties back then. It''s inevitable that he''d make mistakes¡­" "Mr. Brandon''s right." Sebastian smirked and snorted. "Mr. Bryson was young back then and had been deliberately schemed against. After all, it''d be hard for an innocent man to guard against someone who schemed against him. Therefore, it''s excusable." "Had he been deliberately schemed against?" Eddie looked toward Sebastian with a frown. "What are you saying, Sebastian?" "I''m saying that your granddaughter''s disappearance wasn''t an ident but human-induced." Sebastian no longer kept everyone guessing but revealed the truth concisely. "Also, Ava wasn''t brought to this family by fate; it was through human means!" "That''s absurd! Absolute nonsense!" Penny screeched in horror. "It was an ident that my daughter went missing! I only brought Ava home because she looked about my daughter''s age, and they were around the same size. They shared very simr facial features too. She was the best-fitted girl in the entire orphanage! How can you spout nonsense when you know nothing?!" "I know nothing, do I?" Sebastian quirked a brow as he looked at the conscience-stricken woman. "I hate to break it to you, but I know a lot. For instance¡­ how you had a boyfriend named Walter Hudson before marrying Mr. Bryson. He was your bodyguard and childhood sweetheart. You two grew up together, and you¡ª" "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Penny screamed at the top of her lungs, her eyes bloodshot and her face sinister, looking like she wanted to swallow someone whole. "You''re bullsh*tting! I didn''t! Walter was just our family''s bodyguard. What was between us was innocent, and I''m going to sue you for nder!" "I didn''t say that you two had anything going on, though." At that, Sebastian took a leisurely sip of his tea. "I''m just saying Ava is Hudson''s daughter. I didn''t say that Ava''s your child with Hudson, did I? I''m merely stating a fact. It can''t be considered nder, can it?" "No! That''s not true!" Penny shuddered in fear. Her voice was terribly shaky as well. "Ava is just some child Bryson and I brought back from an orphanage. I don''t know who Ava''s birth parents are, and she''s not Walter''s daughter. Why are you making such usations?! Must you ruin Ava and me just because she insulted your sons a little?! You¡­ You fiend!" Meanwhile, Bryson, who was kneeling next to Penny, had been rendered stupefied. All that Sebastian had said traveled into his ears like grenades and exploded in his head one after another. It wasn''t an ident that my real daughter had been abducted. It was human-induced, and it wasn''t fate that led us to take Ava home but because someone wanted me to do so. Ava is Penny and her childhood sweetheart boyfriend''s daughter. In other words, Penny deliberately let people abduct our daughter and reced the child with her and her childhood sweetheart boyfriend''s daughter? As the notion crossed his mind, the hairs on the back of his neck stood, drenched in a cold sweat. No, this can''t be. No way. This definitely isn''t true! How can there be such a cruel mother in this world? No way is this real! I must''ve assumed wrongly. Yes, I must''ve assumed wrongly! Chapter 353 Chapter 353 "Why do you want to make such easily debunked lies?" Sebastian smiled faintly. "Walter''s still alive, so a paternity test is all it takes to prove if Ava Penham is indeed his daughter. Wouldn''t this make your lies pointless?" "Walter''s still alive?" The news stumped Penny. "That''s absurd! Walter''s long dead! You''re bullsh*tting¡­" After she married, Walter became depressed as his health deteriorated. By the time she visited him, he already had one foot in the grave, and she watched him breathe hisst breath¡­ Meanwhile, Sebastian turned to Quinton, who tacitly tapped a few times on his phone to project a picture of a man Penny''s age on the snow-white projector. Penny''s eyes widened with incredulity, for the man shown on the projector looked identical to the face seared in her memory, albeit that he had turned much older. "No¡­" She shook her head rapidly. "Impossible¡­ How?" I watched Walter breathe hisst breath. How can he still be alive?! "Shocking, isn''t it?" Sebastian chuckled under his breath. "He''s not only just breathing, but alive and kicking. He''s now living a happily married life with his second wife, who has given him two sons." "Impossible. You''re bullsh*tting!" Penny thundered with bloodshot eyes, beyond furious. Bryson could no longer keep hisposure at this point, turning to Sebastian with anxiety. "Sebastian, just what the hell is the truth?!" To that, Sebastian looked at him and exined, "Simply put, your wife got tricked by her childhood sweetheart boyfriend, Walter Hudson¡­ Walter had a daughter with his first wife, which is the Ava Penham we now know to be. He lied about being devastated because he couldn''t be with Penny. With thereof, he suffered from depression and became terminally ill, nearing the end of his life. Thus, he begged your wife to take care of his daughter. Not only that, he even bribed Walter''s doctor to brainwash her, persuading her that your biological daughter would be the cause of your family''s death¡­ Penny suffered a hemorrhage when she was giving birth to the girl and nearly died. Postpartum, she was in poor health for a long time as well, wasn''t she? Because of that, she believed the doctor''s words to be true. Thus, under Walter''s so-called guidance, she came up with a brilliant n¡ªwhich was to rece your daughter with Hudson''s¡­" "That''s bullsh*t! I didn''t!" Penny shook her head violently, reiterating, "I didn''t! I didn''t!" Eddie, on the other hand, hurled the only teacup left in front of him, beyond grim with fury. "B*stard! You swine!" He didn''t have a sliver of doubt in Sebastian''s words; given Sebastian''s influence and capacity, he certainly had solid proof if he coulde and tell them all about this now. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Oh, ancestors of the Penham Family, just what sins have we allmitted that led us to allow a wicked idiot to marry into our family?! To think she would dare to give a progeny of our family away and bring her lover''s daughter home for us to raise! This is absolute and utter sphemy! With a shaky voice, he ordered Brandon to call Louis Walker. "Tell the couple toe here at this instant. I want to know just how they have raised their daughter, and if they are aware of their daughter''s wicked crime?!" "No! Don''t!" Penny beseeched in fear. "Dad, please don''t call my parents; I beg of you! They know none of this!" "They know nothing? That means you know everything, don''t you?!" Eddie trembled furiously. "How dare you?! How dare you abandon the Penham Family''s progeny and ask us to raise someone else''s child?! Who gave you the courage to do so?!" "I didn''t want to either, Dad¡­" Penny shook her head non-stop as she cried. "But that child''s the jinx, and she''ll be the bane of us all. I did it for the sake of our family, or we would''ve all died because of her!" "How can you still believe in such bullsh*t when we''re living far from the middle ages?!" Eddie condemned with utter exasperation. "Did you not hear what Sebastian just said?! The doctor that told you all this bullsh*t took your lover''s bribe! He had tricked you!" "No, impossible!" Penny cried and refuted, "Walter wouldn''t do such a thing. That doctor is really skilled. He''s really something, and he guessed a lot of things urately! Also, I nearly died when I gave birth to that child. Is this not enough proof that she''ll be the death of us all?!" "He took Walter''s bribe to trick you; do you not think it''d be easy to learn everything about you?" Sebastian shook his head as he chuckled, then looked toward Bryson with pity. "Mr. Bryson, your wife doesn''t seem too bright¡­" Sebastian''s piteous gaze was like a solid p to Bryson''s face, feeling like he was the joke of the town under the lights. He looked at Penny and asked, his voice as soft as a wisp of soul, "Penny, is what Sebastian said true? Is Ava really Walter''s daughter?" However, Penny cried instead of saying anything. Her mind was in utter chaos at this point. She had always believed Walter to be dead, but now, she was learning that he was actually alive. The revtion put her mind in utter chaos. How is it that Walter''s still alive?! Isn''t he long dead?! Are things really like what Sebastian said? That the doctor took Walter''s bribe? The reason the doctor could tell everything about me urately, making me believe he was a God-like being, was because Walter told him everything about me? No, that can''t be it! Walter has always been loyal to me, both as my bodyguard and as my boyfriend. There''s no way he would have colluded with others to harm me! No, that''s impossible! "Say something!" Bryson hit the roof and charged toward Penny, grabbing her neck and shaking her violently. "Answer me, Penny Walker! Is Ava really Walter Hudson''s daughter?! Answer me!" Though his ability was mediocre, he was a good-natured man, honest and kind, always smiling and ever gentle to others. This was the first time Penny saw him blow a fuse in all her years married to him. His face was flushed, and his facial features were bent out of shape. Even his eyes were bulging, looking all ferocious. Penny had never seen this side of Bryson ever. Fearful, she shook her head with dear life. "Bryson, listen to me. Ava might be Walter''s daughter, but I''m not her mother! Nothing happened between Walter and me. I gave my first to you, and you know this well!" "Why would you even lie about this, Mrs. Penham?" Madeline, who hadn''t spoken the entire time, interjected, "When our information team was digging into Ava, we discovered by ident that you did a hymen reconstruction surgery before you got married. Have you really given your first to your husband?" Something like this was a little inappropriate for Sebastian to bring up, so it was her turn to step in. After all, they hade over on this night to stick up for her and their babies. Sebastian couldn''t be the only one doing all the talking; she had to put in some effort too. Penny turned toward Madeline, looking at her fearfully like she was the Grim Reaper. How did they even find out about something like this?! This is something secretive, and that surgery was done over twenty years ago; how did they manage to find out?! Are they even human?! Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Although Bryson wasn''t as capable or bright as his younger brother, he understood the situation after seeing how things had unfolded. It wasn''t an ident that he had lost biological daughter¡ªit was a n devised by Penny to rece their daughter with her childhood sweetheart''s child. The reason Penny would voluntarily give her own daughter away and rece her was because she had been fooled by her bodyguard, Walter Hudson. Walter had bribed Penny''s doctor and gotten him to lie to her about her daughter being a jinx who would bring misfortunes to the people around her. After hearing what the doctor said, Penny hired someone to take her own daughter away. Subsequently, she brought Walter''s daughter back to their house. All these years, Penny wasn''t close to her sons but was exceptionally fond of Ava. Bryson used to think that it was because Penny was thankful toward Ava as her appearance had helped save his mother-in- law''s life. Thus, she favored Ava a lot. But now, he realized that he had gotten it all wrong. The reason Penny was so fond of Ava was because Penny and Walter were lovers before she got married to him. Walter was the one who Penny truly loved; she saw his daughter as her own and loved Walter''s daughter more than she loved her own sons. "What do you see me as? Huh?" He tightened his grip around her neck. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was contorted with anger. "You shouldn''t have married me if you loved Walter that much. After marrying me, you would rather give our daughter away and bring your lover''s daughter back while letting me raise her as my own. How could there be such a vicious and wicked woman?" If such a scandal became known to the public, Bryson would be the biggestughing stock of Dusktown. After his wife lost their biological daughter, she brought her lover''s daughter home as he foolishly raised the child as his own. On top of that, he had given up on looking for his biological daughter because of Ava. His daughter was now somewhere outside, and he didn''t know whether she was dead or alive. The thought of it made him feel so pathetic that he just wanted to strangle her to death. Noticing that something wasn''t right, both his sons and Brandon immediately stepped forward and dragged him away. Penny, who almost passed out from being strangled, fell to the ground and coughed as she touched her neck. At one point, Penny felt that Bryson would actually strangle her to death. Although he wasn''t as capable as Brandon, he had a gentle temperament and was a nice guy. However, she now realized that even someone as honest as Bryson would lose control and turn into a monster if someone crossed the line. She slumped on the floor, feeling terrified. What should I do? How did it happen? Everything was done seamlessly back then, so how has everything been dug up? Did Walter really fool me? she thought to herself. She couldn''t believe that Walter, who loved her so much and obeyed her every word, would lie to her. If not for both his sons and younger brother, Bryson would have strangled her to death as he couldn''t afford to embarrass himself. There wouldn''t have been someone as pathetic as him in Dusktown. If the matter was made known to the public, he would be aughing stock and a huge embarrassment. He was so enraged that he tried to take deep breaths to calm himself down. After a while, he shut his eyes and kneeled before Eddie. "Dad, I''m sorry for embarrassing the family!" The whole Penham Family would be aughing stock if this scandal was revealed to the public. Meanwhile, Eddie was so exasperated that his face was as pale as a sheet, and his limbs were numb while he had a migraine. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. When he was younger, he got hurt on the battlefield, which had affected his health during his old age. However, he was able to live until today as he could afford the best healthcare. However, the doctor said that he should remain calm at all times and not get too anxious. Otherwise, his illness would rpse with serious consequences. Because of that, his temperament had be milder as he got older; Eddie was even able to calm himself down when he encountered some issues so that he wouldn''t get mad easily. However, it was impossible to do so today after finding out that his eldest daughter-inw, whom he had already looked down on, switched his granddaughter at birth with her lover''s daughter right in under his eyes without him realizing. All these years, he had allowed Ava to cause trouble within the Penham Family. If the incident got out, the Penham Family would be the talk of the town and would beughed at. With that, he wouldn''t be able to uphold his integrity in hister years which would bring him embarrassment. The thought of it made his limbs tremble, and it gave him a terrible migraine. Noticing that, Brandon immediately got someone to call Drew over. Drew was a doctor who was knowledgeable in both Western and traditional medicine. He prescribed two Antihypertensive drugs to Eddie and massaged his acupuncture points while advising him, "Mr. Penham, nothing is more important than your health. Since you have been hurt before, you''ll need to recuperate in order to live a long life. You shouldn''t get yourself worked up as it is harmful for your health!" Upon hearing what Drew said, a thought suddenly shed across Jennifer''s mind. She then looked at Sebastian and asked politely, "Sebastian, do you have a family doctor named Dr. Leigh Shefford? "Yes," he answered with a smile. "Frank mentioned that Dr. Shefford is a skillful doctor, and he holds her work in high regard. I was wondering if we could invite her over to treat my father''s illness?" If she managed to get Dr. Shefford over to treat Eddie, she could try to persuade her to treat her daughter as she couldn''t ept the fact that Luna would only live until her thirties. She would even get on her knees and beg Leigh in order to get her to treat her daughter''s illness. Brandon realized his wife''s intention and chimed in, "Sebastian, Dr. Shefford is a very skilled doctor who helped to save my daughter''s life. We are all very thankful for her, and we would like to thank you for recognizing and recruiting such talent; it was only through you that we were able to meet Dr. Shefford, who managed to save our daughter''s life. If she could treat my father and daughter, the Penham Family would be grateful toward you, and we will repay you generously for your kindness in future!" "If Dr. Shefford is willing to treat my father and daughter, the Penham Family would be indebted to you, and we will definitely repay you for your generosity in future!" Since Brandon was an outstanding man within the Penham Family, Eddie''s resources and connections were handled by him; he would eventually seed Eddie, which would give him a bright future. The Penham Family was also a big family with most of them being leaders and schrs in their respective fields who held high statuses. It was not a bad thing to be indebted by the Penham Family. On top of that, since both the Hart Family and Penham Family had close ties, he wouldn''t have rejected their request even if they didn''t promise to give him anything in return. However¡­ Sebastian looked over at Madeline who was sitting next to him and said, "Although Dr. Shefford is our family doctor, she is actually my wife''s best friend who works at my wife''s office. If both of you would like to get Dr. Shefford over to treat Eddie and your daughter, I''ll need to seek permission from my wife." Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Brandon and Jennifer knew that Sebastian was trying to make Madeline look good and to let the Penham Family know that he respected his wife a lot. Hearing that, Jennifer pleaded to Madeline earnestly, "Mrs. Hart, we would like to ask for your approval on that!" "Leigh is like my sister, so I''ll never force her to do anything. Nheless, I''ll pass her the message. Whether or not she''s willing to treat Old Master Penham and your daughter, I''ll fully respect her choice." Jennifer was rather disappointed after hearing what she said and pleaded, "We hope that you can put in a word for us¡­ We believe that Dr. Shefford is a kind person, and it''s only because Ava gave her a bad impression of the Penham Family. However, Bryson''s family has nothing to do with our family anymore as we have decided to split both families and live apart. We can guarantee Dr. Shefford that our family is kind and upright, unlike the arrogant Ava." "What''s the point of splitting both families?" Eddie howled. "Just get your brother to divorce Penny! Also, Ava is not of the Penham lineage, so just get someone to remove her records from the Civil Affairs Bureau. From today onward, Penny and Ava are mortal enemies of the Penham Family!" "No, please don''t do this to me. I don''t want to get a divorce!" Penny cried. She immediately turned and looked at Bryson as she pleaded incessantly while shaking her head, "Bryson, please don''t divorce me! I''m begging you! Please don''t divorce me for the sake of our sons¡­" Realizing that she could use her sons as bargaining chips, she immediately crawled up and staggered over to Austin and Justin. She stretched her hand out and grabbed onto them while wailing. "Austin, Justin! Quick, beg your father to not divorce me. Why should we separate when we are living well together?" "Get your hands off my sons!" Bryson rushed over and pushed her away while ring at her with bloodshot eyes. "You were unfazed when Austin was punished, but you made a big fuss when Ava was being punished. You would even hit Justin when he did nothing wrong. All you care about is Ava, the daughter of your lover. Austin and Justin don''t even have a ce in your heart! Both of them are my sons who have nothing to do with you. Get away, you vicious woman!" Both Austin and Justin were stunned by what they just heard, and they couldn''t believe the scene that was happening right then. In particr, poor Justin was still in the dark since Austin was already aware that Ava wasn''t their biological sister. He was shocked to find out that Ava wasn''t their sister but the daughter of his mother''s childhood sweetheart. Instead, their sister had been abandoned by their mother¡ªno, their maternal grandmother was the one who lost their sister. Their grandmother liked their sister a lot. One day, she brought their sister out for a stroll when a stranger approached them to ask for directions. After chatting for a while and giving directions to the stranger, their sister was nowhere to be found when their grandmother turned around. Because of that, their grandmother med herself for it and was so devastated that she almost died. Recalling that, Jutsin found it odd and asked, "Mom, did you ask someone to snatch our sister away from grandma?" "No¡­ I didn''t!" Penny shook her head and cried as she denied it. "Yes, she did," Madeline answered as she looked at Justin. "She was afraid that if she was the one who lost your sister, the Penham Family would me her for it. Since she ispetitive and egoistic, she wouldn''t be able to live with such a w. With that, she chose to push the responsibility to your grandmother. That way, your mother would be pitied instead of med when your sister went missing." "No, that''s not true!" Penny shook her head desperately and howled at Madeline, "What nonsense are you talking about? You don''t know anything, yet you are sputtering nonsense. You''re ndering me!" "Speaking of which, you might not believe this, but¡­" She looked at Penny before adding, "Sometime ago, Leigh asked me for a favor, and m-my¡­" Madeline didn''t know whether she should address Sebastian as husband or hubby, and as she was trying to make up her mind, she looked over at him and blushed. Noticing that, Sebastian smiled as he raised his brow as he looked over at her. She immediately avoided his gaze and continued, "My husband investigated Leigh''s matter and managed to find out about a gang involved in child trafficking back then. All of them had been apprehended by the police and are currently still behind bars. Coincidentally, one of them was the one hired by Mrs. Penham. If you still think that I''m talking nonsense, we can report this to the police, and they can confront you about it." "That''s b*llshit! You''re lying!" Penny howled, "Walter was the one¡­" Before she couldplete her sentence, she noticed that she was revealing too much information and immediately paused. At that moment, she was horrified and her face was red. "Walter was the one who took the child away, am I right?" Madeline questioned her. What Madeline said earlier wasn''t all true as she was trying to get information out of Penny. As Penny''s emotions were currently unstable, she wouldn''t be able to think calmly. Thus, she could easily sputter the truth. Madeline deliberately came up with a half-true story to lure Penny, who knew about the truth, to reveal it subconsciously. This trick would have been ineffective against those who were quick-witted and smart. However, it was the perfect trap for someone like Penny. It was a n that suddenly came to her mind but proved effective when she tried it on Penny. "Walter and you had actually nned it out. You found a way to get your mother to bring your child out for a stroll alone, and you gave your mother''s house address to Walter. He then hired someone to y along to distract her while Walter took your daughter away¡­" "No¡­ That''s not it¡­ That''s not it¡­" The horrified Penny looked at Madeline like she had seen a ghost. How? How does she know every detail about our n as if she had spectated the whole thing? Did Walter tell her, or are Sebastian''s words indeed true? Is Walter still alive and that I''ve been fooled by him? Why, though? She couldn''t figure out why Walter would want to fool her. She loved him so much that she was willing to send her own daughter away and raise his daughter as her own. She couldn''t believe that he had fooled her even when she had loved him so deeply. "Penny, do you think that you''re very smart?" Madeline was resentful toward Penny as she thought of how hard her best friend''s life had been. "Penny, do you know who was the one that asked for directions in order to distract your mother so that Walter had the chance to take your daughter away?" Madeline asked as she looked into Penny''s eyes. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Penny looked at her confusedly and asked, "Who was it?" "Her name is Tina Sanders. She was Walter''s second wife and also the woman he loved the most. Walter cheated on his first wife with Tina, and he divorced her to marry Tina. After his divorce, his first wife refused to raise their daughter, which was the case for Tina as well. As such, they thought of you¡­" "They thought of me?" Penny looked at Madeline puzzledly and asked, "Why?" "That''s because he hated you. You kept telling him that you loved him, but you ended up marrying another man. Although he despised you, he wanted his daughter to live afortable life. Since he could use this opportunity to take revenge on you, he started nning the whole thing carefully. He made you believe that your own daughter was a jinx, and he even pretended to be dying before asking you to take care of his daughter." "No¡­ That can''t be¡­" She shook her head. "Walter loved me and was loyal to me. He only loved me, so he wouldn''t do that to me¡­ You''re lying! You''re lying!" Hearing that, Madeline merely kept quiet; she knew that deep inside, Penny had believed what she said but refused to admit it because she didn''t dare to ept the truth. If she chose to not believe it, she could still make herself feel better by convincing herself that the reason she gave her own daughter away was for the good of the whole family and not just herself; her daughter was said to bring misfortune to everyone in the family and not just Penny. But if she believed it, everything she had done would be a joke. She had been raising his daughter as her own and poured all the love and nostalgia she had for Walter toward his daughter. s, it was all a conspiracy. She saw him as her everything, but in actual fact, he never really loved Penny. To live a good life with his second wife, he ced the daughter from his first marriage under her care. Then, to stop her from getting entangled with him and to prevent the truth from surfacing, he faked his death so that he would forever be her pure, first love. He had devised a series of ns just to make her give him all her heart, and because of that, she favored his daughter over her own sons. When the truth was revealed today, her husband asked for a divorce while her sons were not on her side as they saw her as a stranger. Because of that, she didn''t dare to admit that she was being fooled. If she did, it would mean that it was utterly stupid of her for doing all those things for Walter in thest twenty years. On the other hand, Eddie was so furious that he simply picked up an ornament on the coffee table and threw it on Bryson. "How could you be that blind? Look at the woman that you have chosen to marry! Aren''t you getting a divorce? Call yourwyer over now and have her divorced!" He was exasperated as it was the biggest joke the Penham Family had ever encountered where the unmarried Penny was fooled by a bodyguard and even gave her own daughter away after believing his words. Eddie would be embarrassed if the matter was spread out. "Yes, Dad¡­" Bryson''s hands trembled as he took his phone out and gave a call to hiswyer. He got thewyer to draft a divorce agreement before sending it over. Seeing that, Penny immediately rushed over to stop him but he kicked her away. He kicked her viciously in the lower abdomen, and she was in so much pain that she screamed before staggering a few steps back. She fell onto the ground and almost passed out from the excruciating pain. As she held her stomach, she raised her head and stared at Bryson in disbelief. She never expected him to kick her! Although he wasn''t as capable, he had a good temperament and had never hit her throughout these years. It was rare for him to shout at her too. Today, however, he had kicked her to the ground in front of so many people. It made her tremble as she slumped to the ground. By then, she realized the severity of the issue and that it had gotten out of hand. After tonight, she might even lose everything¡ªfrom her status as the futuredy of the Penham Family, to her husband and sons. She would lose everything, and she couldn''t take it at all. All along, she simply wanted to be the best in everything. She wanted to be the center of attention and the subject of envy at every asion. But after tonight, she would be a miserable woman who was despised and ridiculed by many. This feeling would be worse than death, and she was unable to face it. She immediately crawled over to Bryson''s feet and tugged onto his pants while she pleaded, "Bryson, please don''t divorce me! I''m your wife, and we have two sons together. What will happen to them if we get divorced? Please don''t divorce me for the sake of our sons. I''m begging you¡­" "Get away!" He kicked her again and chided, "Both of them are my sons, and they have nothing to do with you!" This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He gritted his teeth as he red at her with hatred. He had never hated someone that much. Back then, he loved her so much that he was willing to listen to whatever she said, and he agreed to her request when she pleaded to him to give up on searching for their daughter while crying. He even agreed to her request of adopting another child. However, his sincerity was wasted as she had nned for her to adopt her lover''s daughter since the very beginning. Since Walter had faked his death, he believed that Penny hadn''t been in contact with Walter all these years. Nheless, it still felt like she had cheated on him. She must have despised him so much that she would do such a thing to him. In fact, she might have seen him as a fool all along. At that moment, he wasn''t only angry at her for betraying him; he felt deep humiliation as his self- esteem had been trampled and stepped all over by her. He had the urge to torture her until death, shredding her corspe into pieces before burning them into ashes. Just as the members of the Walker Family walked in, they saw Penny being kicked by Bryson. Seeing that, both of Penny''s brothers rushed forward furiously. One of them held onto Penny while the other one chided Bryson, "Bryson, are you crazy?" "Me? Crazy? The Walker Family are the crazy ones here!" Bryson howled and red at them with bloodshot eyes. "How dare you let someone that ruthless and shameless marry me? I want nothing to do with the Walker Family¡ªyou guys are now my enemies!" Both of Penny''s brothers were surprised to hear that. yton, Penny''s sensible eldest brother noticed how Bryson had lost his mind and furrowed his brow as he looked at Austin and Justin. "Austin, Justin, what happened between your parents?" Austin tried to exin the situation, but words got stuck in his throat. Noticing that, Justin nced at him and said, "Let me exin it to them." He then told the Walker Family what had happened with a straight face. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 yton understood each and every word that Justin told him, but when he pieced all the information together, it sounded bizarre. He was trying to make sense of what his nephew just said about Ava being Walter''s daughter instead of Bryson''s. Back then when his mother lost his niece, it wasn''t an ident but a scheme nned by Penny and Walter? He couldn''t believe his ears. How could there be such a fool who would give up on her own daughter and raise someone else''s daughter? On top of that, why would she purposely get someone to take her daughter away from her mother so that she wouldn''t be med for losing the child? That can''t be! Only a cold-blooded brute would do such a thing! "Penny, is it true that you gave up your own daughter to raise Walter''s daughter? Did you really frame our mother for losing the child as well?" yton looked at Penny puzzledly and asked with disbelief. He refused to believe a word as he felt that his sister wouldn''t have done such a thing. There must have been an inside story! "It''s not true, it''s not true, it''s not true!" Penny shook her head incessantly and wailed, "yton, they are using me of something I didn''t do! I didn''t do it!" "Is that so?" Sebastian smirked. "Are you saying that I have wrongly used you since I''m the one who provided the information? In that case, it''ll be better to report this to the police and let them prove your innocence." Hearing that, Penny seemed startled. "However, don''t regret it if we get the police involved since it is against thew to kidnap your own daughter. By then, you''d be jailed because of it," added Sebastian as he looked at her. "N-No¡­" The horrified Penny shook her head. She refused to be jailed! If news got out, she would be criticized by everyone and would have to live with the embarrassment for the rest of her life! "Do you think we will do as you wish?" Sebastian asked impassively. "Everyone in this room is either from the Penham Family or the Walker Family, and I believe that none of them would like to air their dirtyundry in public by reporting this to the police. Since I''m an outsider who doesn''t want to make things hard for Mr. Eddie, I didn''t want to get the police involved, but you insist that I''m using you. As such, I''ll have to report this to the police to prove my case." He paused for a second before telling Quinton, "Call the police." "No! No! No! Don''t!" Penny shook her head and bawled, "Don''t call the police! I''m begging you!" She refused to be incarcerated as her life would be done for if that really happened. She wouldn''t want to be jailed no matter what! "How can I prove that I''m not using you when we don''t call the police?" Sebastian smirked. With that, Penny was left with no choice and confessed as she cried, "Y-You weren''t using me¡­" "Are you admitting that Ava is Walter''s daughter? Both you and Walter plotted the whole thing to let him take your daughter away from your mother and rece your daughter with his daughter after that, am I right?" Sebastian questioned. At that point, Penny had let her guard down and sobbed, saying, "I didn''t want that to happen too¡­ I was only doing it for our family''s sake¡­ She''s a jinx who would bring misfortunes to the people around her, which was evident when I almost died while giving birth to her. If she didn''t leave, everyone in this family would die! I did this to save my family members'' lives. I did it for my family''s sake¡­" "Oh, was it really for your family''s sake?" Sebastian chuckled. "If it really was for your family''s sake, why didn''t you give your daughter away yourself, framing your mother for it instead?" Hearing that, Penny immediately stopped crying and was speechless as she couldn''te up with a reason to refute it. Her motive of framing her mother was so that she wouldn''t be suspected of sending her daughter away. On top of that, since it was Penny''s mother who lost the child, Penny could use the reason of her being concerned about her mother having suicidal thoughts from the guilt of losing her grandchild to ask Bryson to keep their daughter''s disappearance a secret and announce to the public that Ava was their biological daughter. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. That way, the Penham Family would stop looking for the child who had disappeared, and both Penny and Walter''s n wouldn''t be exposed too. By then, Ava could also grow up happily in the Penham Family as the youngdy of the Penham Family. Even though Bryson wasn''t someone bright, based on the information that he had heard so far, he was able to figure out Penny and Walter''s scheme. He red at Penny fiercely. If he wasn''t held back by his sons, he would have killed Penny, that wretched woman, on the spot. Noticing his re, Penny trembled with fear. yton, who heard her confession, looked at her in disbelief. The second son of the Walker Family, Colton, had a fiery temper. He rushed over and grabbed her by the cor before condemning her, "How could you do this? It was brutal of you to lose your own daughter on purpose, and you even framed your own mother for it! Did you know that it almost cost our mother her life when she thought that she had lost the child? Even though she recovered, it took a toll on her health! She''s your mother, not your enemy! How could you do it to her?" "I didn''t know that it would turn out like that. I really didn''t know¡­" Penny shook her head. "I decided to look for the child after that, and I didn''t know that Mom would be so worried that it made her fall sick¡­" "B*llshit!" Colton cursed at her and punched her to the ground. "You did it on purpose since you were well aware that mom couldn''t be triggered because of her poor health. You purposely got someone to take the child away from her in order to take the responsibility of losing the child off from you. He added, "On top of that, you also used Mom''s poor health as an excuse to coax Bryson to agree to adopting a child and making her your own daughter. You''ve been stupid since young, and such a viscous n must have been devised by Walter, that b*stard. Both yton and I were stupid for being fooled by him, but what about you? You have been Mom''s favorite child since you were young, so how could you do this to her?!" "That''s not it¡­ That''s not it¡­ I never thought that it would turn out like this¡­" She shook her head as she mumbled to herself. The exasperated Colton looked at Eddie and said, "Mr. Eddie, I know the reason why you asked me and my brother toe over. The Walker Family is indeed responsible for raising such a brute. However, since she married into your family and gave birth to two sons and a daughter, she is now part of your family, not ours. From now onward, she is no longer part of the Walker Family as we do not want a sister who nned to kill our mother. She is now our enemy, not our sister." "Yes, the Walker Family won''t tolerate such an unfilial brute like her!" yton chimed in. "Mr. Eddie, I would like to apologize to you on behalf of our parents and the Walker Family for this. From today onward, please do not notify us about matters regarding her as we do not wish to see her again." Colton bowed at Eddie before grabbing his brother''s arm. "yton, let''s go." Chapter 358 Chapter 358 "yton, I have realized my mistakes. Please don''t go!" Penny struggled to get up from the ground and staggered as she ran over to her brothers while wailing, "yton, I was young and foolish back then to be deceived by Walter. I realize that I''m wrong now¡­" She chased after yton and tried to grab onto his arm. Noticing that, Colton turned around and kicked her on the stomach and growled, "Get lost! The Walker Family does not wee a brute like you! We don''t ever want to see you again!" Colton and yton avoided her like the gue. Penny hugged her stomach in pain and curled up in a ball as shey on the ground while crying hysterically. She finally knew what it felt like to lose everything she had in less than a day, while experiencing both helplessness and hopelessness at the same time. Her husband wanted to divorce her, and her family wanted to cut ties with her. Even her own sons seemed indifferent when they watched her suffer. After today, she had been alienated by her family and was left homeless. When Penny was crying her eyes out, Madeline''s phone rang. After looking at her phone, she whispered to Sebastian, "Leigh is here." Hearing that, he nodded and signaled for her to take matters into her own hands. "Mr. Eddie, my friend has just arrived. I''ll go get her." Madeline stood up and told Eddie. "Sure." He nodded. Soon after she left the living room, she came back with Leigh. Jennifer''s eyes lit up when she noticed Leigh and immediately went up to her. "Dr. Shefford, are you willing to treat my daughter''s illness?" "Sure." She smirked. "But with a condition!" "Just name it!" Jennifer eximed. "As long as you are willing to treat my daughter''s illness, we will agree to any of your conditions." "It sounds good." Leigh nced over at Penny who was curled up on the ground and continued, "I only have one condition, and that is for her to be arrested by the police. If you can get it done, I''ll treat your daughter''s illness. Otherwise, it''ll be the end of our discussion!" "Get the police to arrest her? Why?" Jennifer was puzzled. Brandon, who was calmer than Jennifer, responded politely, "Dr. Shefford, please take a seat and we shall discuss it." Since Leigh was willing to go there, it meant that there was room for negotiation. However, it was unlikely that they would call the cops to arrest Penny since it concerned the Penham Family''s reputation. What Penny did was so embarrassing that if it was known by the public, the Penham Family would be embarrassed. Thus, they would do their best to keep it within themselves. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. If they got the police involved, the scandal would start spreading, and everyone would eventually find out about it. On top of that, Penny was his nephew''s mother, and it would make them look bad if their mother was jailed. Thus, the Penham Family would never get the police involved to safeguard their family''s reputation and to avoid his nephews from being judged. Since Leigh agreed to be there, it meant that matters could be discussed. If it was a condition that they couldn''t fulfill, they could get her toe up with another condition. Madeline then got Leigh to sit on a couch. "Dr. Shefford, no matter what has happened, Penny is my nephews'' mother. It was indeed wrong of her to abandon my niece, but since this concerns my family and nephews'' reputation, we will not get the police involved. However, rest assured that my brother has decided to divorce her, and she will get the punishment she deserves." "Yes, what you said about this being the Penham Family''s matter makes sense." Leigh smirked. "Mr. Penham, aren''t you curious about my presence at your house and why I''m meddling in your family''s business, though?" Hearing that, Brandon took a guess and replied, "Is it because Ava humiliated your nephews? If it''s because of that, you don''t have to worry as we will kick her out of the family and cut ties with her since she isn''t of the Penham Family''s lineage. We will not be giving her any money, so it doesn''t matter to us if she ends up dead or alive. Please be rest assured." "Is that so?" Leigh nced over at Bryson, Austin, and Justin. "What are your thoughts? Are you nning to kick Ava out and sever ties with her?" The three of them were lost for words and didn''t know what to answer. Even though they were aware that Ava was Walter''s daughter, they had lived together for the past twenty years as a family. It wouldn''t be easy to disassociate with someone whom you had grown up with for two decades, after all. What happened back then was all meticulously nned by Walter and Penny. Ava was merely a baby who didn''t know about anything at that time. After finding out about the truth, they wouldn''t be as nice to Ava as before. It was not that they didn''t want to target their anger at Ava; it was just that the family ties that they had built for the past twenty years couldn''t be severed that easily. "See, they can''t do it." Leigh smiled. "We will split our family with them!" Jennifer sputtered. "We will put up a notice in the newspaper to announce that our family will be splitting from Bryson''s family, and both families will not have any form of contact in the future! Dr. Shefford, please, you have to save our daughter. I''m begging you!" "Dr. Shefford, please save our sister!" Lewis said as tears welled up in his eyes. "Ava likes to bully my sister, and we hate her to the core!" "If that''s the case¡ª" Leigh smirked and looked at Brandon. "If you can write me a handwritten letter of guarantee about what your wife had just said, I will promise to save your daughter." "Brandon!" Jennifer grabbed onto his sleeve anxiously. When Brandon saw how desperate his wife was, he didn''t hesitate for long and nodded. "Alright, I''ll write the letter!" "Brandon! Do not write it!" Eddie roared angrily. If Brandon wrote the letter and cut ties with Bryson''s family, it would mean that the Penham Family would fall apart and be ridiculed by others if they found out about it. "Dad, I''m sorry. As a father, I will do whatever I can to save my daughter. I cannot just sit back and watch Luna die!" Brandon looked at Eddie and said. "Nheless, you shouldn''t cut ties with your brother! Do you think that he''s not unfortunate enough? Are you trying to hit him when he''s down?" Eddie reprimanded Brandon before looking over at Bryson. "Aren''t you going to chase Ava out of your house? What are you waiting for? I know that you have raised her for the past twenty years, but she is the daughter of your wife''s lover. Don''t you feel humiliated by it at all?" Bryson, who was being berated by Eddie, was so embarrassed that he just wanted to crawl into a hole. What his father said was right; even though he had raised Eva for the past twenty years, she was still the daughter of Penny''s lover. He would be reminded of it every time he saw Ava. Even if he still cared for her, he would no longer be able to treat her like before. "Alright¡­" He nodded and said, "I will cut ties with Ava and chase her out of the house." "It''s toote for you to say that now!" Leigh scoffed. "Whether or not you want to cut ties with Ava is your business. If Brandon wants me to treat Luna, he will have to cut ties with you. Otherwise, it will be the end of our discussion!" "Why is that so?" Bryson was bewildered after hearing what she said. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 "Why?" Leigh frowned. "Uh... It is a little disgusting! I can''t say it..." She then turned to Madeline. "Maddie, you tell him." Everyone''s gaze shifted to Madeline''s face. Resigned, Madeline could only exin, "Because Leigh was the girl who was taken away by Walter back then." As her words weren''t direct, Bryson only reacted after a short moment of being stunned. His eyes went wide as he stared at Leigh, and he stammered, "Y-You are my daughter?" "I am sorry, but I am not your daughter." Leigh looked at him mockingly and stated, "Shefford is myst name. I am the daughter of the Shefford Family." After staring at her for a long time, Bryson shook his head and insisted, "No, no. You are my daughter. Upon closer look, you look a lot like Luna. You definitely are my daughter!" "In terms of blood rtion, yes. I used to be, but I am not now." Leighughed. "Your daughter is Ava Penham! Did you forget that? She went missing before, but you found her after searching for more than ten days. Everyone who is familiar with your family knows that Luna is the biological daughter that was lost and found!" Bryson, who was flushed from agitation, immediately paled when he heard that. He was no fool. He could tell that Leigh''s words for him were filled with mockery. Leigh was ridiculing him for giving up after a search that onlysted for about two weeks, and had brought someone else back home with him to rece her. He even publicly announced that the Penhams had found their biological daughter. With his credulous personality, Bryson had agreed to getting a new daughter without giving much thought because of how Penny had cried and begged him. It wasn''t like he didn''t regret his decision then. In fact, he often had dreams about the daughter that he had abandoned. In his dreams, she would be living a terrible life, and would sometimes even be dead. He was filled with regret and guilt, but there was no way he could reveal the truth when he had already announced to the public that Ava was the daughter that they had lost. Left with no choice, Bryson could only keep it a secret only he knew. He had never thought there woulde a day his birth daughter would return to him. His birth daughter sitting across from him was supposed to be the person he was closest to, but she was now looking at him contemptuously. He was sure that she hated him, and there was nothing wrong with that; he thought that it was well- deserved. A self-proimed loyal and honest man like him had ended up betraying his own daughter. The rest of the Penhams were shocked as well. This was probably what a ''coincidence'' was. Leigh turned out to be the daughter who was reced by Ava in the house. As Penny stared at Leigh in a daze, she suddenly thought of something and abruptly got up to rush toward her. "My daughter! My dear daughter! You have to save your mother! Please, for me, beg your father to not let him divorce me, and also your grandfather so that he doesn''t kick me out of the house! They will definitely listen to you!" Leigh had turned out to be her biological daughter! Eddie and Luna both counted on Leigh to ease the situation. As long as Leigh was willing to help Penny beg for forgiveness, everything that happened today could be written off, and Penny could go back to living her old life. Penny was so distressed her whole body was shaking as she ran in front of Leigh and tried to hold her hand. Seeing this, Madeline protected Leigh behind her and shoved Penny away. It wasn''t that Madeline was afraid Penny would hurt Leigh. Instead, she was worried Leigh would lose control and kick Penny. Even though Madeline, too, looked down on Penny, Penny was still Leigh''s biological mother. It wouldn''t be something worthy of bragging about if Leigh hadid her hands on her own mother. Leigh wanted to dart toward Penny, but Madeline held her back. Hence, the former had no choice but to stand behind Madeline and sneer at Penny, "Have you got sh*t for brains? You abandoned me and have never raised me a day in your life, but now you want me to beg for mercy on your behalf? You should be d that I haven''t avenged my parents whom you have killed!" "I killed your parents?" Penny was stunned. "Am I not your mother? What do you mean I killed your parents? Aren''t you the daughter of Bryson and I?" "I used to be, but I haven''t been for a long time. My father is a Shefford, not a Penham!" Leigh looked at Penny coldly and hissed, "Didn''t you say that I was born under a lonely moon, and am a jinx to my family and rtives? If that is so, you should have killed me back then instead of dumping me on others! Walter abandoned me in front of my parents and asked them to adopt me. If it is as you said, doesn''t that mean I was the one who killed my parents?" As Leigh spoke, her eyes gradually turned red. Madeline immediately frowned and scolded, "Leigh, don''t say something like that? What do you mean you were born under a lonely moon and are a jinx to your family and rtives? Didn''t Walter already say that that was nonsense they made up to fool Penny Walker?!" "But she believed it!" Leigh red at Penny. "She believed it! She believed that I was a jinx, and that was why I was abandoned! But why would she not kill me, and had my parents adopt me instead if she really thought so? How could she be afraid that I would jinx her rtives, but not worry about how I would jinx someone else?!" The Penhams immediately fell silent upon hearing that. It might sound ridiculous, but it actually made a lot of sense when they thought about it. Penny got rid of Leigh out of fear of being jinxed by the girl. However, they couldn''tprehend how Penny knew how to fear for herself, and yet wasn''t worried that other people would be jinxed. If Penny really believed in such superstitions, wasn''t she just passing the bad luck to someone else when she had someone else adopt Leigh. The train of thoughts only further confused the Penham Family. After some time had passed, Bryson spoke again. "Leigh, don''t believe whatever nonsense that is about the so-called lonely moon and jinx to family members. She was deceived by Walter. It is only because she is stupid and toxic that she believed those baseless lies and abandoned you." "She is stupid and toxic? And what about you?" Leigh looked at him ironically. "Surely you don''t feel proud, and think you are clever and kind in front of her?" "I¡­" Not knowing what to say, Bryson stopped speaking before he even started. "The pot is calling the kettle ck, huh? Didn''t you know that you two are birds of the same feather, and are a match made in heaven?" Leigh scoffed. "You gave up on searching for your biological daughter in just more than ten days, and took someone else''s child from somewhere as a recement!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Do you think you gave birth to a puppy or a kitten? I must have done something immoral in my past life to be born into the Penham Family in this life!" Bryson''s face was as red as a tomato after he heard that. "How could you say something like that to your own father?! No matter what, you are Bryson and my child! We were the ones who gave birth to you. You wouldn''t even be in this world if it wasn''t for us. You should be grateful!" Pennyined. Leigh let out a smallugh at that. "It is true that you were the ones who birthed me, but you are still my enemies who killed my parents! If you didn''t abandon me to my parents, they wouldn''t have passed on so young! There is no way I will ever reconcile with the people who killed my parents. So what if you brought me to this world? You are still people I will never want to live under the same sky with!" Bryson''s emotions only went into a deeper turmoil after that. As ridiculous as that logic sounded, it did make a lot of sense. How absurd was this?! Chapter 360 Chapter 360 "What nonsense are you spouting?" Penny trembled in anger. "You..." Her eyes abruptly went wide in the middle of her sentence. "Your adoptive parents are dead?" "Yes!" Leigh snarled. "They passed away when I was just a child. They died by your hands! That is why I am here to take my revenge on you!" Penny was momentarily stunned, but she soon jumped up in excitement and rushed to Bryson, grabbing his arm. "Did you hear that, Bryson?! She jinxed her adoptive parents! I did the right thing back then! I managed to save the whole family by sending her away! I saved the whole family, Bryson! You can''t put the me on me!" "Scram!" He shoved her away and roared, "Can''t you tell that she is making fun of you?! You¡­" His anger stopped him from finishing his words. Penny desperately shook her head then. "No, no. She admitted it herself that she killed her adoptive parents. If I hadn''t sent her away back then, she would''ve ended up killing us instead. It was I who saved our family. I made the choice back then. You can''t me me for it!" Bryson didn''t feel like saying anything at all after hearing that. The only person he med now was himself for being a blind idiot who made such a cold-blooded and stupid woman his wife. He deserved his bad luck! With a dark face, he didn''t want to say anything anymore. So be it. He would just let things take its course. No matter what kind of consequences awaited him, it was all his own doing. I deserve this, he thought. Even though he no longer wished to exin anything as his heart sank, his wife had no intention of letting him go just like this. Penny stomped her feet and demanded, "Say something, Bryson! I was the one who saved our family. I might not have contributed anything, but I did put in effort. You can''t divorce me!" Bryson only lowered his head without saying a word. His silence left her with no choice but to look at Austin and Justin pleadingly. "Austin, Justin,e help me beg your father. I cannot have a divorce!" Austin only had an impassive expression as though he hadn''t heard anything. Justin, on the other hand, blurted out, "Mom, why are you still worried about the divorce? Didn''t you hear Leigh¡ªI mean, my sister said that she is going to get Uncle Brandon to call the police on you! If you get charged with trafficking a child, you will be imprisoned for a minimum of 3 years! By the time you are in prison, you won''t even need to sign a divorce agreement for the court to split you and Dad up if he wants a divorce!" Penny came to a pause when she heard that, and she immediately whipped her head to look at Leigh. "No! You can''t sue me; I am your mother! I gave you your life. The heavens will not forgive you if you sue me. You will be damned and eventually die a horrible death!" Leighughed at that. "If God has so much free time, I am sure he would strike you with lightning before he gets to me." "Are you cursing me?" Penny roared, "How dare you curse me?! I am your birth mother! I gave you life!" "Didn''t I already give you an answer to your question? You were the one who gave birth to me, but you were also the one who abandoned me. Youmited the crime of abandonment when you gave birth to me without taking care of me. You were the one whomitted the crime first and caused the deaths of my parents. Now that you are my enemy, why can''t I curse you?" Leigh raised her eyebrows at Penny. "I have even worse curses. Would you like to hear them?" "Y-You¡­" Penny was tongue-tied for a long minute before she realized that Leigh wasn''t going to do this the hard way, so she softened her attitude. Looking at Leigh, she pleaded, "I understand now, Leigh. I was fooled by Walter. Your father has decided to kick Ava out of our house. You cane home after Ava leaves, and we will announce to the public that you are the young mistress of the Penham Family. All 5 members of our family can finally reunite, and we will live a happy life together, alright?" "Sure, in your dreams!" Leigh sneered. "You abandoned me in order to let your lover''s daughter enter the Penham Family, but you want me back now that I am grown and don''t need anyone to take care of me? How can you be so shameless? Also¡­" Her cold gaze turned to Penny. "Didn''t you say that I am a jinx who is meant to be alone? Are you not afraid of me jinxing you guys anymore?" Madeline patted her, upset. "Don''t keep bringing that up! This isplete nonsense! I am your best friend, and we have been together for so many years. I''m perfectly fine, though. ording to old superstitions, your so-called jinx is supposed to affect your best friends as well." Hearing that, Leigh muttered, "But¡­ My parents, grandfather, and my master, they¡­" To her, the news about her real identity as the young mistress of the Penham Family wasn''t a big deal. She didn''t care about being the family''s daughter at all. After learning about what Bryson and Penny did, she was d that she was not raised by the 2 of them. Otherwise, she might have turned into the second Ava. She didn''t even want to entertain the thought of them being her parents. What she cared about the most was being called a jinx who would harm those close to her and was meant to be alone. Her parents and grandfather had died a violent death. Even her master was only in his 60s when he died. She had wondered if they were killed because of her jinx. Even though she knew in her heart that the talk about jinxes was only a lie, their deaths prompted her to consider the possibility of her parents being alive only if they hadn''t adopted her. She also wondered if her master would''ve lived till old age if he hadn''t taken her in as his apprentice. Was it really just a coincidence that everyone close to her had died from idents and left her by herself? Could it be that destiny was a real thing, and she was destined to be the only one left after the people she cared about left this world early... "Don''t think about it." Madeline took her by the shoulders and softlyforted her, "If you want to talk about how close you are with someone and how long you stay together, you and I are as close as sisters, and we are together every day. If you really are a jinx, why am I fine? Besides, Walter himself admitted that the doctor didn''t know anything at all. He was the one who taught the doctor to say what he said. You are smart, but why are you being silly about this?" Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Leigh smiled and shook her head when she heard that. Why was she being silly about this, Madeline asked? It was probably because¡­ she cared too much. The more she cared, the more she tried to dissect something so insignificant. However, it was useless for her to think about those things now. It was an undeniable fact that her parents, grandfather, and master were no more. They would nevere back to her no matter how upset she was. The only thing she could do was make the person who made her suffer, suffer more than her. She looked at Brandon and Jennifer. "Well, have you thought it through? It is gettingte. We should take the children home." "We have decided!" Jennifer announced, "We are willing to cut ties with Bryson''s family and have Dr. Shefford fix Luna!" "Alright! Write a letter of guarantee and give it to me. I will start restoring your daughter''s condition tomorrow." "I don''t agree with this!" Eddie''s face was pale and stoic. "Are you not afraid of bing the butt of the joke after disowning your own sibling for no reason?!" Chapter 361 Chapter 361 "I am sorry, Father. I can''t care about anything else right now." Jennifer''s eyes were wet with tears. "I will not hesitate to exchange my life as long as I can save my daughter''s life! Luna is in her current state because of Bryson''s family, so what is wrong with us cutting ties with them?" Not wanting to continue the debate with his daughter-inw, Eddie looked at Brandon. "What are your thoughts on this, Brandon?" he asked. "Father, I have to listen to Jennifer on this. She was the one who took care of Luna and Lewis when I was busy with work. They are both Jennifer''s babies. We can further discuss anything else, but if it is about the children, I will respect Jennifer''s choice." "What about your brother?" Eddie roared. "Are you throwing Bryson aside?!" Brandon quickly tried to appease him, "Don''t be angry, Father. Please calm down and think about it. Bryson''s family can still live however they want even if my family cuts ties with them, but if we don''t do what Dr. Shefford asks, Luna will be fighting against her illness until the day she dies young. Between life and death, I can only choose for her to be alive! Father, I am making the right choice, aren''t I?" Hearing that, Eddie opened his mouth but didn''t utter a word. He couldn''t possibly tell Brandon to never cut ties with Bryson''s family even if he had to watch his own daughter die. Moreover, he also felt sorry for Luna and was reluctant to let her die at an early age. Even if he didn''t especially feel for her, he couldn''t just watch her pass on early while knowing that there was a way to save her. Therefore, the crux of this mattery with Leigh. Initially, Brandon''s family''s angry proposal to separate from Bryson''s family was because of Ava. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. But now, the fact that Ava was about to be kicked out from Bryson''s family wasn''t a problem anymore; Leigh was the problem. As long as she didn''t force Brandon, he wouldn''t bring up wanting to cut ties with Bryson. Eddie looked at her and said in a friendly and sincere tone, "I know that you have your grudges about what happened back then, but no matter what, you are a descendant of my family. Your father has regretted it a long time ago after he knew what he did wrong. If you are willing to forgive him ande back to the family, I will let your father hold a grand wee reception to announce your true identity to the Penhams'' rtives, friends and business partners. 30 percent of the shares will be distributed to you aspensation. What do you think?" 30 percent of the shares in dividends was a huge amount. Usually, women who married out of the family would not get shares and dividends. The most they would get were real estate or shops as dowry. He thought that he was already doing his best atpensating Leigh with his proposal to give her a 30-percent share of dividends. "There is nothing special about your offer." Leigh sneered after hearing his words. "Old Master Penham, do I look like someone who is short on money to you?" She could cure and save anyone others couldn''t. Money came to her as long as she willed it to, and she had no need for charity. Eddie exined, "I am not saying that youck money. I am just trying topensate you to the best of my ability. The 30 percent stake represents your father''s and my sincerity topensate you." "I will have to thank you, but I don''t need it. For me, it is disgusting to be tangled up with your family. Even if I were to be so poor that I can only live on the streets one day, I don''t want to have anything to do with the Penhams." "But you have the blood of the Penhams flowing in your veins. Your father gave you your life!" Eddie''s face had turned cold after he heard the disdain she had for the family. "So what?" She let out another scoff. "He might be my birth father, but he gave up on looking for me just after a little more than 10 days of searching for me when someone took me away. Do you think he is qualified to be my father?" When Eddie was asked that question, he turned red in the face and couldn''t find his words. He only replied after a while, "He knows his mistake and is willing to make up for it." His words made her sneer again. "Must I forgive him just because he knows what he did wrong? Is this written in thew or something? If you can find aw basis that states that, I will do as per your arrangement, Old Master Penham." He was at a loss for words again. No matter what direction the conversation was going, he only had one thing to say: My son is your biological father, and since he gave you life, you should forgive him. However, Eddie couldn''t do anything about Leigh not wanting to forgive them. With that, his hatred for Penny deepened. For Leigh to be someone the best experts in Dusktown called a ''genius'' and ''miracle doctor'' was enough proof of her excellent medical skills. A person who could reach the peak in a field certainly had amazing talent. His eldest granddaughter was supposed to be a talented and awe-aspiring woman, but Penny had reced her with Ava, a ruthless and idiotic piece of work! It was a great loss for the Penhams to have lost what seemed like a shiny pearl and had gotten a dead fish''s eye in return! If Leigh was the one who grew up in the family, with her superb medical skills, she would''ve definitely made the Penham Family more stable and brilliant. It felt as though a knife had driven through his heart when a trump card like Leigh was exchanged for a useless one. Austin couldn''t help sympathizing with Eddie when he saw how the older man''s face had turned ashen. He endured the pain in his injured body as he walked over to appease him while he persuaded Leigh. "Dr. Shefford, it was indeed Dad''s fault for what happened in the past. He told me he regretted it before he found you. Dr. Shefford, I hope you will give me a chance to take care of you. I¡­ am happy that you are my little sister!" "Oh," she lightly replied, "I would be very happy too if I had a sister who is a doctor that can cure intractable diseases that fall from the sky despite the fact that I haven''t contributed in any way!" How am I supposed to continue the conversation?! Austin exasperated. "What do you mean by that?" Justin seemed a little vexed. "Are you saying that we dislike the poor and try to kiss up to the rich? Even if you didn''t have medical skills, we would still take care of you as long as you are my biological sister." "Not necessarily!" She hummed. "It is because I practice medicine that Brandon''s family is under my control and being forced to cut ties with your family. If I wasn''t a doctor and grew up in a poor family, and had no skills nor possessions, I would only end up being stepped all over by you even if I came here myself." Hearing her words made Justin scorn. "We are not what you make us sound to be! Why are you using us like this?" "Aren''t you?" She sneered at him. "How am I supposed to believe that a person who lost his biological daughter for only more than 10 days could just rece her with someone else''s child that he picked up is an affectionate, righteous and conscientious man?" Justin was so angry he couldn''t speak. How could he prove it to her when he knew he had nothing to back up his words? Even if he was his father''s biological son, he had to admit that his father had handled the situation distastefully. Bryson hadmitted a wrong that he would never be able to wash his hands clean of! Chapter 362 Chapter 362 "That''s enough, Justin." Bryson deadpanned, his face grim. "I agree with Dr. Shefford''s request. I am willing to cut ties with your uncle''s family." What he owed his daughter would never be fullypensated in this life. He could only do his best to satisfy his daughter''s request so that his daughter would feel better, and he would be consumed with less guilt. "So what if you agree?" Eddie shouted angrily, "I don''t agree!" "Father, what should Luna do if you don''t agree? Are you going to watch her die?" Bryson''s eyes were red. "I have to admit that it was my fault. I know the main reason you don''t want me to cut ties with Brandon''s family is for my sake. I am mediocre and ipetent; you are afraid that I cannot support thepany, and my family will wither without the protection of Brandon''s family¡­ If such a day really does arrive, I am willing to ept the consequences of my own actions." "I''m itching to kill you, you fool! You deserve it even if you die from stupidity. Do you think I care if you live or die? I am worried about Austin and Justin." Eddie roared, "They are both good children. How are they supposed to make a living if you destroy thepany?" Hearing that, Bryson clenched his jaw. "I will also divide the shares between Austin and Justin! I will divide thepany into two, and I will give 60 percent to Austin and 40 percent to Justin. What kind of future the brothers will have will all depend on their abilities." "What about me?" Penny rushed over and asked in a panic. "Bryson, I have a part of thepany. What about my share?" Bryson was still working within a system when Penny got married to him. Due to a major mistake he later made that caused a stain on his resume, he could not be promoted even if he continued to stay in the system. That was when he resigned and established Penham Limited. Penham Limited was her marital property with Bryson. She should have half of it under her name! "You still want a part of my property after lying to me for so many years? Do you think I am a dead person you can trample at will?" Bryson pushed her away, his blood-shot eyes staring at her as he strictly dered, "Don''t even think about taking a penny of the Penhams'' money! I will let you know what it means to have nothing for the rest of my life. I will make you wish you were dead instead!" "No, you can''t do this!" Penny shook her desperately. "I am Justin and Austin''s mother. I gave birth to 2 sons for you. I have the right to obtain a share of the family''s property!" "Just give up on that thought," he hissed while coldly looking at her. "I''d rather donate all of the Penham Family''s money instead of giving you a single penny!" It was true that Penny owned half the property after her marriage to Bryson, but there were too many ways one could transfer the property, especially since he had 2 sons whom he had a hundred legal ways to transfer the property under his name to. Penny couldn''t even dream of getting a penny of his money¡ªnot unless he was dead! "No! No!" Penny desperately shook her head from left to right in denial. "You can''t do this! You can''t do this to me!" Her own brother hated her to the bone, which meant she couldn''t go back to her mother''s house. Now that Bryson was determined to divorce her and even her own sons were disowning her, how was she supposed to live the remainder of her life if she didn''t have any money? "You are still in the mood to fight over property?" Leigh was the one who sneered this time. "You are about to go to jail. What is the use of you asking for money?" Penny''s body immediately froze at that, and she turned her head sharply to look at Leigh. "Bullsh*t! I am fine. I won''t go to jail!" "How can you be fine? You joined hands with someone else to sell your biological daughter. You have committed the crime of abandonment and abduction. Your prison sentence should be at least 3 to 5 years!" "You are spouting nonsense!" Penny was hysterically shouting at this point. "I was the one who gave birth to you. No one can control me. I can do whatever I want! Besides, aren''t you living well now? If I hadn''t sent you away, you wouldn''t have had the chance to learn such good medical skills ande back to threaten us. If only I had known earlier¡­ I would have strangled you back then!" Her emotions were on a roller coaster throughout the night. As she was near her breaking point, she said anything that came to mind. She kept going on and on incoherently to vent the fear and fright she had. The more she spoke, the more disappointed Austin and Justin were in her. They had been brought up by their grandfather when they were younger. When their grandfather didn''t have the time, the tutor his grandfather had hired for them would teach them instead. They never interacted much with their mother, and the most they did was have meals together on the weekends. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. It was only after they grew up and became mature that they weren''t as close to their mother as how other children typically were. It seemed as though Penny only had eyes for Ava as she treated the brothers with indifference. As they were men, they didn''t want to be bothered by something so trivial. Still, it was hard for them to not feel disappointed in some ways. There was not one child in the world who didn''t crave love and care from their own parents. However, their grandfather''s strict upbringing had prompted them to keep their grievances in their hearts. They grew up like how their grandfather and teachers had taught them¡ªthey respected their elders and were filial to their parents. Even if Penny didn''t love them like she loved Ava, they still respected her and always kept her in their thoughts. However, they couldn''t help feeling how frighteningly unfamiliar their mother was after they took off the mask she had on. In the past, they thought that despite Penny being more loving toward Ava, she was at least a good wife, mother, and woman who was gentle and generous, and she had love for them in her heart. It was only because the youngest sibling happened to be a sister that their mother showed Ava more of her love. However, they finally realized how disappointing their mother was after they heard with their own ears how she was wailing and howling. She could make something that made no sense sound so usible, and she so confidently spoke those venomous words. Not only was she not a good mother, she wasn''t even someone with a conscience! They didn''t hold any hopes for their mother anymore. Leigh sneered, toozy to pay any attention to the woman''s bber. Then, she looked at Bryson. "The 2 people you want me to take care of are your father and your niece, am I right?" Seemingly in a daze, he nodded. "I will also make two conditions, then," she said. "First, I want the Bryson''s family and Brandon''s family topletely cut ties. From now on, you will have nothing to do with each other. If you agree to this condition, I will help Luna Penham with her condition. Second, call the police, send Penny Walker to prison, and have her put in jail after pronouncing the sentence in ordance with thew. Agree to my second condition, and I will help your father recuperate." "Why are you making such requests?" Justin asked indignantly. "These two requests are clearly detrimental to both you and others. Are you sure you want to pull something like this?!" He initially wanted to say something nastier, but at the thought that this was the younger sister his mother abandoned and the Penhams owed, he abruptly softened his tone. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 "What do you mean by it harms others but I''ll gain nothing at the same time?" Leigh cast a look at Justin. "Why are you assuming I didn''t gain any advantages when you know nothing about me?" "Both conditions aren''t doing you any good, aren''t they?" Justin then borated, "Whether you''re demanding the main family and branch family to cut ties with each other or put my mother behind bars, both don''t seem like they would benefit you." She raised a brow at him. "What kind of benefits do you have in mind? Fortune, fame, or power?" Her guess was right on point as Justin wasn''t even thinking about any other answers. However, he felt ashamed when she stated them bluntly. He struggled to answer but couldn''t even form a full sentence. Leigh snorted at his attempt. "You''re wrong, because all of them are nothing to me. What I want is the pleasure to see the Penham Family breaking apart and Penny in prison. Even though I''m not getting any kind of materialfort, I''m happy. As long as I can feel pleasure, I don''t need anything more." "You¡ª" Anger choked his words. Austin shook his head in disapproval. "Justin, that''s enough." Leigh''s feelings were understandable as her birth mother abandoned her at a young age, while her birth father didn''t even bother to scale up the efforts after a few days of searching for her. It was impossible for her to not hold a grudge against the family after she had discovered her real identity. There was no way she would save a family who had treated her unfairly. She was considered young at her age, but already possessed the skill of a doctor that had earned a compliment from the vice president of the Mayo Hospital in Dusktown. She wouldn''t need to worry about her daily life and could live her life to the fullest. As she was a self-sufficient woman, she had no obligations topromise herself in the Penham Family. After all, it was his parents'' fault. A mistake deserved punishment as everything someone had done would have its consequence. It was karma that the Penhams were suffering at the moment. After a long silence, Bryson nodded and spoke. "Alright, I promise you. The Penhams will undergo a division of assets and break into two families. I''ll also call the police on Penny. Therefore, I¡­" He mustered all of his courage to meet her gaze. "I''m hoping for your forgiveness." "Is that a joke?" Leigh sneered. "The family''s division and Penny''s imprisonment are the conditions for me to take care of Old Master Penham and Luna''s health. It has nothing to do with you. Why must I forgive you?" Bryson was taken aback by her words and he swallowed hard. "What can I do to earn your forgiveness?" "Nothing will ever make me forgive you." Her answer was firm, without a hint of hesitation. "You''ve made the choices in the past, so you should bear the consequences. If I wasn''t lucky, I would already be dead back then. Since you''ve never fulfilled your responsibility as my father for once, then you should keep it that way. What is the point of asking for forgiveness? " He replied with a bitter tone, "You''re one of the Penhams, after all. Moreover, I''m your biological father¡­" "I couldn''t care less about that." A snort escaped Leigh as she muttered, "You''ve given up on raising me when I was a baby in the first ce because you knew I wouldn''t benefit the family at that time. However, you''re now hoping for me to return to the family due to my skill as a doctor could gain you benefits. Imagine that I''m not who I''m right now, do you still expect my return if I''m a poor, ugly, and malicious woman?" "I do!" Bryson answered as soon as her words reached him. "Even if you''re who you assumed to be, I''ll do the same andpensate for your deprivation of childhood. Y-You''re my daughter, after all." "You''re right. I am your daughter." His answer didn''t satisfy her, so she sneered. "I''m the daughter you''ve given up on searching for after half a month. I''m the daughter you''ve found an imposter to rece for." She shrugged. "See, didn''t I brief everything more shortly and clearly?" His face flushed with shame. For a moment, Bryson didn''t say anything. Muchter, he began with difficulty, "You''re right. It was a mistake, but I regretted it soon and have learned my lesson. I hope you can give me a chance to make it up to you. From now on, I promise I''ll try my best to be a good father to you. I''ll treat you with care and look after you." "Oh? You regretted it sooner?" Leigh sized him up andughed mockingly. "That''s unexpected. If you did so, then why didn''t you unmask Ava''s true identity by yourself? Did you ever ask your men to look for me? Did you ever think of telling the truth to your family that Ava isn''t rted to the Penhams, while the child of you and Penny was abandoned by you a long time ago?" The older man choked on her words as his flushed cheeks turned pale. There was nothing more for him to say. Her questions left him in a state of loss for words as he hung his head in shame. It was only after a long silence that he lowered his head dejectedly and mumbled, "Yes, you''re right about me being a coward. I''ve no right to ask for your forgiveness." "I''m d to see youing to your realization." Leigh then continued with a neutral tone, "Since you''re aware of it, I hope you''ll remember to stop saying things such as I''m one of you Penhams, or you''re my birth father. They disgust me. Remember, I''m a Shefford¡ªLeigh Shefford. It''s a fact that will never change." "I understand," Bryson answered as he restrained the urge to cry when he felt the tears burning his eyes. His impulsion and cowardice were the cause of his greatest mistake. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He should have had a daughter who was talented and valued loyalty before everything else. However, he allowed a b*stard like Ava, who was narrow-minded and ruthless, to rece his actual daughter with a misced thought. He didn''t need punishment from someone else because he was already suffering the cruel consequence of his doings in the past. The pain and regret would dwell on Bryson''s conscience for the rest of his life, and he wouldn''t dare say he could even find peace in his afterlife. Leigh was indifferent toward his grievance as she spoke. "It''s gettingte. I should get going. I promise to begin the treatment for Luna and Old Master Penham once I see the letter of guarantee and Penny in prison." As she finished her words, she turned away from the rest and walked toward the door. "Stop it, you brute! Stop it right there!" Penny wanted to follow before Bryson held her shoulders to stop her. He growled at her, "Are you not ashamed of your crimes? What else are you trying to do?" "Let me go!" Penny tried to wriggle out of his grip as she yelled at Leigh, who was walking away. "You''re a brute! You dare harm your birth mother?! You''ll rot in hell! I should have strangled you when I had the chance. You''re nobody more than a b*stard and a jinx! Nothing good everes to anyone rted to you. You¡ª" As Bryson couldn''t bear themotion any longer, he struck her neck with his hand. Penny''s curses ended abruptly as her eyes rolled back and her eyelids closed before she fell into a state of unconsciousness. Closing his eyes to calm his racing heart, Bryson took a deep breath before looking for his phone in his pocket and dialed 911. He had been making a fool of himself for over twenty years, and it was time to redeem himself. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Sebastian, Madeline, and their two sons bid farewell to the Penhams after Leigh had left. Once the family had returned to the Sun Garden, the parents headed straight toward the bedroom and put their kids in bed. Later, Madeline entrusted the boys to Sebastian and left to look for Leigh. Leight was drinking when Madeline found her. Compared to before, the Oasis Law Office had expanded a lot and ended up upying the whole building. As Madeline wasn''t low on budget, she even prepared the amodations meticulously for the members of herw office. Everyone was assigned a suite consisting of two rooms and one living room. Other than therge space provided, the suites were also designed strategically and readied with interior finishes. Madeline even added some daily necessities in each suite. Leigh didn''t require much for her amodation as long as it was clean. She only added a wine cab in the room since she moved in and didn''t bother to make other amendments. After Madeline knocked on the door and walked inside, she found her target lounging on the couch and enjoying the drink on their own. Leigh noticed her and interrupted her speech before she could say anything. "You can go be with your husband and the kids. I''m fine." "Are you sure you''re alright?" Madeline took a seat beside her and studied the woman. "I am fine," Leigh emphasized with a casual tone before she rose from her position and leaned against Madeline. "Look around thew office¡ªyou can see all of us had a tragic childhood. There''s either an orphan who has lost their parents or an unlucky soul who could have lived better without their parents. I used to be the former, but now I''ve be thetter. What''s the difference?" Leigh didn''t get an immediate answer as Madeline took her time to consider. "There is indeed a difference. Thetter seems more miserable." Leigh choked on her words. A momentter, she patted Madeline''s shoulder. "Sis, you sure know your way of constion." Madeline let loose a chuckle at that. "You honor me." Leigh rolled her eyes at Madeline before the former took a sip of the alcohol. "The people in this office are a bunch of ill-fated souls. It''s as if we won''t ever have a chance to experience happiness in our lives, but things have changed recently. You betrayed our trust and became a lucky person all by yourself." Taken aback, Madeline pped Leigh''s arm. "What are you talking about? Don''t speak such nonsense!" "I''m telling the truth!" Leigh retorted. "Look at yourself. We used to share the same unfortunate fate, but you don''t look miserable nowadays." She counted the difference with her fingers. "Let''s begin with your parents. Look, you found your birth parents, and both of them turned out to hail from a wealthy family. Your father is a debonair gentleman, while your mother is a kind, elegant, conservative, and graceful woman. More importantly, they love you, don''t they?" "Why are we discussing this matter?" Madeline didn''t feelfortable hearing Leigh initiate the topic of her family, as she was afraid that Leigh would feel even sadder at the contrast. "It puts the fun in drinking." Taking another sip, Leigh continued, "Secondly, your husband, Sebastian, is the young master and only heir of the Hart Family. Born with a silver spoon, he''s rich, influential, and capable. Moreover, he''s loyal to you and loves the boys, yes?" This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The mention of Sebastian made Madeline blush and nodded with shy satisfaction. "Sebastian is indeed a nice man." The hardships she had to ovee in the past must have been a condition of the fortune to meet Sebastian. It was considered lucky for both her and her children to have him as the children''s birth father. "Lastly, you have Aldo and Buddy." Leigh continued, "They are the most adorable children I''ve ever seen, and they are your sons. Can''t you tell you''re the happiest woman in the world?" "You''re right." Thinking about her sons, Madeline beamed sweetly. "They''re the best!" Leigh made a tsking sound before she poked a finger at Madeline''s temple. "There is no humility and shame in you!" Madeline turned to her with a suspicious re. "You''ve had too much to drink, huh?" "No." Leigh then emphasized, "I can still count the numbers. Did you see that? It''s impossible for me to get drunk. I''m merely thinking about spending more time with you so I can share your luck. I''m not expecting a pair of good parents, but a good husband and a pair of children as adorable as Aldo and Buddy won''t hurt." "You got my permission!" Madeline pinched her friend''s face. "Starting tomorrow, you''ll be my personal assistant. You have nowhere to go but to stay with me all day long. You can expect a good husband in no time." Groaning in displeasure, Leigh pped away Madeline''s hand and rolled her eyes. "Again, you''re trying to trick me into not going out. There are many ces to go, but you want me to be stuck in the Mansion. Where''s your conscience?" "Don''t bite the hand that feeds you." Madeline then retorted, "I permit you to grab a share of my luck but now, you use me of tricking you." Leigh signed deep and long. "Nature is calling me, and I don''t want to spend my time in an air-polluted city! Take another look around the agency; other than you, who''s obligated to stay and take care of your children, there''s no one else who wants toe back. Most of us want to spend our time out there." "You might need to change your phrasing." Madeline began, "From my perspective, all of you are messing around out there." Leigh couldn''t help butugh. "Maddie, you sound like a cynic housewife." Madeline only red at her friend without answering. Taking another gulp of her drink, Leigh patted Madeline''s shoulder to soothe her. "Come on, don''t pull a long face. Didn''t I promise the Penhams to treat Luna and Old Master Penham? I''ll not leave the town for a while. For the time being, at least. You can have mypany all to yourself." It was Madeline that rolled her eyes this time. "That''s not out of your will! You''re forced to stay." "It''s the same, isn''t it?" Leigh leaned against Madeline in a morefortable position as she continued to drink. "How''s Katy? Did you talk to her recently?" "We talk to each other on WhatsApp asionally," Madeline answered. "She''s under a lot of pressure lately, so she will only reply to some of my messages on better days." Another sigh escaped Leigh. "Katy is the most miserable among us. I wonder why most great families tend to adopt children. It''ll not be a problem if the adoptive child is well-behaved, obedient, and will repay their adoptive family. But look at what happened to the Owens! Their adoptive son ruined the whole family and caused her parents'' death. However, I can''t understand why her father would ask her to not seek revenge and even marry that ungrateful person." Leigh clicked her tongue on the uneptable oues and shook her head. "I guess her father wasn''t in his right mind on the verge of death. Even if he had wronged his adoptive son, forcing Katy to marry the son isn''t a solution. How could he ask Katy to suffer the consequence of marrying the man who killed her father, when he was the one who wronged the son?" "That''s right. " Madeline could feel a pang of sadness. "Maybe it''s because Lucian and Katy used to be a couple? Her father knew that she liked him and didn''t want her to face a dilemma, so hisst words were for her to marry Lucian." "How could Katy ever ept Lucian, though?" Leigh thenmented, "If only she has a scum father like mine, then there''s no problem for her. However, Katy''s father cared about her the most. We can see how he spoiled her, no? How could Katy ever marry Lucian when he''s the culprit of her father''s death?" Chapter 365 Chapter 365 "You''re right." Madeline gave some thought to Leigh''s statement and found it usible, so she began to worry about Caitlin. All of a sudden, Leigh sat upright and shoved Madeline. "All right, enough of this talk. It''s gettingte, so you should return to your husband and children." "Nonsense." Madeline blushed. "Sebastian doesn''t need mypany; only Aldo and Buddy do." "You''re getting defensive because of an innocent statement." Leigh poked Madeline''s cheek and teased, "Look at yourself, blushing every time at the mention of your husband. Don''t dare tell me you don''t have feelings for him and aren''t thinking of spending time with him at home." Madeline couldn''t refute her at all. "All right, all right. You can go now." Leigh pushed her out of the room. "Your husband is an excellent man and your children''s birth father. It''s impossible not to fall in love with him, so don''t freak out. Take all you have to love him and get it on. I''m expecting two more kids from you. Don''t worry, I''ll look after them." Madeline could only manage a weakeback. "Leigh, stop drinking already. You talk nonsense when you''re drunk." "I''m barely drinking." Leigh grimaced at her. "I''d have asked you to stay over if I were drunk, but I am not, so I give you permission to go home and sleep beside your husband." Madeline stood no chance against Leigh as she gave up. "That''s it. I''ll leave you alone." She shot daggers at Leigh. "Take a rest. No more drinking." "I got it, Mom!" Leigh waved at her, urging Madeline to go. "Move, move. Goodbye!" Shaking her head in resignation, Madeline turned on her heels to leave. Once Leigh got back to her room, she scanned around her surroundings. Even though the room was empty, she suddenly felt suffocated at the scene, so she grabbed a new bottle of alcohol and headed downstairs to the garden. A swing was featured in the garden. Under the bright moon, the breeze swayed at her as the fragrance of flowers soothed her mind. She took a sip of alcohol on the swing before sheughed out loud at something she couldn''t even understand. "Who''s over there?" A person stopped in their tracks on the bluestone walkway and looked in her direction from a distance. A guard assigned to the Sun Garden strode over and answered in a low tone, "Young Master Lucas, she''s Mrs. Hart''s friend and Young Master''s personal doctor, Dr. Leigh Shefford." "Is she? I''ll go take a look." As the time was gettingte, Lucas nned to retire to his room, but the name piqued his interest. He turned away from his nned route and walked over to her. The bright moonlight and faint lights from themp posts in the garden helped the two to see each other''s profile, but it was not as clear as they wanted it to be. Since Leigh wasn''t known as a person who adhered to etiquette and was drunk at the moment, she didn''t bother to care about them. Even though Lucas was right before her eyes, she remained seated. "It''s really you, Dr. Shefford." Lucas stopped at some distance away from her. "Why are you here? It''s late." Leigh was swinging back and forth in her seat when she replied in a rxed tone, "I can''t sleep." He cast a look at the bottle she was holding. "So you''re trying to drink away your sorrows?" "Nope." She took another sip from the bottle. "I like to drink." He didn''t know what to say, so hemented, "What a unique interest." "Is that so?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "You''re bad at conversation." He was taken aback by the statement. "What?" Lifting her chin to meet his gaze, Leigh continued, "If drinking is considered a unique interest, then the hostesses working in the clubs are all unique too." Lucas was speechless as he held back a mockingugh. Who''s the one making the conversation awkward now? "It''s in their work scope to drink, and it doesn''t mean they love to drink as a hobby," he argued. Her eyes were half-closed as pondered. Atst, she pointed her index finger at him and agreed, "You''re right." In the beginning, she was holding the bottle and the swing with each of her hands. As she made a sudden move of letting go of the rope and pointing at him, she lost her bnce and fell off the swing. "Watch out!" He rushed over and held her in his arms, preventing her fate from falling to the ground. Taking a moment to collect her senses, Leigh pushed him away lightly when she had calmed down. "Thank you." He frowned at her state. "You''re drunk. Let me send you back." "There''s no need for it." She found a seat on the stone stool near the swing and rested her chin in her hands as she gazed at the moon. "I want to watch the moon." Lucas couldn''t form a proper response. Leigh was indeed a beautiful woman. The scene of a beautiful woman resting her chin in her hands and watching the moon should be admirable, but it was a killjoy to see the wine bottle in her hand. Worried about leaving a drunk woman alone in the garden, he sat opposite her. "How much did you drink?" Pondering for a moment, she eventually raised three fingers at him. "Three bottles." He studied the details of the alcohol under the moonlight. It was a kind of alcohol exclusively for women as the alcohol content wasn''t as high as the white liquor, but it was around twenty percent nheless. Three bottles of them would no doubt affect the drinker even for a man like him. "You have to stop. You''ve already drunk too much." At that, he tried to grab the bottle from her hand. There wasn''t much content in the bottle at the moment, leaving only about a quarter left. Leigh let go of the bottle generously. "Do you want a sip? Go on." Once again, her unexpected words took his ability to respond away. I''m better than this. It took him a moment before he found his words. He shot a question at the woman who was gazing at the moon as she rested her chin on his hands. "Are you feeling down?" "That''s correct." Leigh continued to rest her head on her palms. "You''re quite observant. I can''t believe you noticed that!" Once again, words were stuck in Lucas'' throat. He had never witnessed her skills as a doctor and couldn''t tell whether she was indeed excellent, but he affirmed that she wasn''t good at conversation. She asked with a tilted head, "Are you feeling sad about something?" "Of course," he answered without hesitation. "That''s life. Nobody can be free of trouble in their life." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Is that so?" The corner of her lips curled up into a mechanical smile. "Why don''t you share your story with me? That way, I can be happy!" He stared at her with an incredulous look as the urge to pour the wine over her head emerged. Not noticing his silence, Leigh continued, "It''ll be even better if it''s a family issue with a tragic backstory!" Lucas was frustrated by her antics but he decided not to fuss about the things a drunk woman said. "What is it? Are you not happy?" Closing their distance, Leigh studied his face. "Come on, don''t pull a long face. I promise my tragic story will make you happier." He stared at her wordlessly, irritated at being unable to prove his innocence to a drunk woman. Sighing deeply, her face sank into her palms as she told him her story. "Why can''t a person be born by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon? It''s better to not have parents. Thus, none of them will ever abandon you but force you to listen to them when they need you with the excuse of being blood- rted to you. It never fails to disgust me." He allowed his gaze to linger as he looked at her. "Are you feeling sad?" "Sad?" She considered his suggestion for a moment and nodded. "I might be, because¡ª" After grabbing Lucas by the wrist, she then pressed his hand on her chest. He wasn''t expecting her to grab him by the wrist, so he didn''t react in time when she pulled his hand toward her and his palm ended up resting on a spot he shouldn''t be touching. Startled at the soft sensation, he swatted her hands away and drew his hand back, clenching it tightly on the side. Leigh was unaware of her reverse harassment as she pressed a hand over her heart and muttered, "This ce hurts. It hurts so much as if something has fallen on it." Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Lucas kept his burning fist tightly clenched. The Hart Family had strict house rules and had never allowed their children to mess around outside. Despite attending numerous receptions, banquets, and parties on his brother''s behalf, he had never simply touched a woman. What''s happening now is really¡­ I didn''t do it intentionally, though! I swear! Leigh did not realize she was being taken advantage of. After a few minutes of him not responding, she waved her hands in front of his eyes and said, "Hello? Why are you ignoring me?" He took a deep breath in order to calm himself down. "Honestly, I feel that the Penhams aren''t worth getting upset about. They have no conscience at all to abandon you after only a few days! You''ve no feelings for them, anyway, so why are you sad?" "Who said I''m sad because of the Penhams?" Leigh looked at him, puzzled. "I''m sad over my parents!" "You parents? You mean your adoptive parents?" Lucas was surprised. "They aren''t my adoptive parents; they are my parents!" she insisted. "I only have them, who passed away a long time ago, as my parents. Bryson Penham and Penny are not rted to me at all!" Lucas was speechless upon hearing that. Leigh wasining earlier that being parentless was better because she wouldn''t have someone abandoning her in the past only toe back for her now and lecture her to listen to them because she was their child. Wasn''t it obvious that she meant Bryson and Penny? Forget it, he thought. He didn''t want to take a drunk''s words seriously. He would simply ept whatever she said. Hence, he pacified her. "You''re right. You only have one set of parents, but they passed away a long time ago. Why are you sad now?" "Can''t I be sad just because they''re no longer alive? You''re such an oddball!" Leigh looked at Lucas as if he were being unreasonable, and continued, "I still feel sad whenever I think of them, no matter how long they have been gone! I really wanted them to live a long time and be by my side for the rest of my life..." Lucas rolled his eyes at that. He really regretted being here at this point. How nice would it be if he went straight back to his room earlier? "But I wasn''t unhappy tonight because they died young¡­" Leigh mumbled as shey on the stone table, her gaze fixed on a random spot in front of her. "It was because¡­ I can''t help but wonder if I''m actually a jinx. My parents, Grandpa, and master all died because of me, even the baby in my mother''s womb..." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "Jinx? That''s nonsense!" Lucas had not expected Leigh to stay up thiste and drink so much because of this. "You appear to be intelligent, but why are you a moron in this situation? Walter had said clearly that he made that up for the doctor to deceive your mother! He has no ability at all to tell anyone''s fortune!" "I know. I know those are nonsense¡­" Leigh then mumbled, "I won''t believe a word if this happened to someone else, but now that it''s happening to me..." She was well aware that it was merely a bluff, but she couldn''t help but think that if her parents hadn''t adopted her, they might not have died. "I understand now." Lucas continued, "Your parents mean so much to you that you can''t ept their death. As a result, your imagination began to run wild. However, you must understand that the so- called jinx is just a ruse by Walter to deceive Penny. It has nothing to do with you. Now, nobody will believe in this, and you shouldn''t either." "I didn''t!" she eximed quickly. "Logically, I don''t believe that, but emotionally..." Fine. Forget it. Nothing I say will help. Truth was, Lucas understood how Leigh felt. It was exactly the same as when his father went for a mission with hisrade, where his father''s comrade sacrificed but his father survived. Though it was not his father''s fault, he was always sad when he thought of it and felt he was to me for not bringing hisrade back. All of these were confusing debts that were impossible to be cleared. "What about your parents?" Her head was tilted as she rested on her arm and looked at him. "Oh right, you''re the Harts'' adopted child. Do you have any idea who your biological parents are?" Lucas was stumped for words when he heard that. Isn''t it a bit too much for her to only remember that I am the Harts'' adopted son after we''d been talking for so long? "Do you know who I am?" he asked doubtfully. He would be speechless if she didn''t recognize him despite having spent the entire night chatting with him. Hearing that, Leigh scoffed with disdain. "Are you silly? Didn''t I just say that you''re the Harts'' adopted son?" When Lucas heard that, he was speechless. How can a drunk not be embarrassed to call me silly? "I''m talking about my name! What''s my name?" he asked. To that, Leigh replied, "Lucas Hart." "It''s good that you know." He gave a nod. "What exactly are you saying?" Leigh persisted in her inquiry. "You have yet to respond to my question! Do you know who your biological parents are?" Lucas remained silent. After a while, he responded, "I had no idea in the past, but I now know who they are." "Did your brother find them for you?" she asked. "Yes." He nodded again. "Your brother is a truly remarkable man. He is the most powerful man I''ve ever met, and his information team is second to none. My parentage was found out by him as well. He first found Walter, who told him that he had abandoned the Penhams'' child on my parents'' doorstep. As my parents didn''t have any children after being married for years, Walter printed a paper that said that I was an illegitimate child who no one wanted and put it in my swaddling clothes, asking my parents to adopt me. He was even afraid of them reporting to the police that he stuffed some money together with the paper¡­ Do you know what he said to me?" "What?" Lucas asked patronizingly. "He said I should be grateful to him for finding me such a good family." Leigh paused for a moment before continuing, "He also said that he was a good person and that everything he did was just to exact revenge on Penny. Penny previously said that he was the only person she loved and that she wanted to elope with him, but sheter married Bryson¡­ Hence, when his second wife refused to care for his first wife''s child and he couldn''t bear to anger his second wife, he devised his so-called formidable n, which could punish Penny for betraying him while also allowing his daughter to grow up in a wealthy family¡­" "Well, he''s indeed a clever man," she said. "But he has no conscience at all!" She smirked in response. "He didn''t think that way! He imed he was kind enough to find me a good family and had even left money for my parents to take care of me. ording to him, if he were a viin, he would have killed me at that time and would not have made the effort to find a good family for me." Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Lucas chuckled. "Would a kind person steal someone else''s child?" "Exactly." Leigh sighed in reply. "Never try to reason with shameless people, because not having shame makes them invincible. You will definitely lose if you reason with them!" "Makes sense." Lucas nodded. "Of course!" She looked at him with scrutinizing eyes then. "You are such a handsome fellow! Why would your parents abandon someone as good-looking as you?" He didn''t answer her question when he realized that she was someone who took notice of other people''s appearances. "Tell me! Why aren''t you answering me? Why were you adopted by the Harts?" she continued to bombard him with questions. "My mother passed away when I was very young, and my father..." He suddenly smiled, seemingly at himself. "Walter lied to your adoptive parents that you were an illegitimate daughter. You being an illegitimate daughter is fake news, but I am an illegitimate son." "Are you illegitimate?" She sat up straight and looked at him with her chin up. "Your birth father must be very rich then. It is usually only the rich people who have illegitimate children." Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. This doctor has such an odd way of thinking. Her questions are all so unexpected that they always catch me off-guard. "Yes, my birth father is wealthy," he replied, slightly speechless. "His name is Mario Griffin." That made Leigh raise her eyebrows. "Mario Griffin, the King of Real Estate?" "That is right." He nodded. "Wow!" She sped her hands in front of her chest. "So, you are the son of the King of Real Estate! My apologies if I have been disrespectful." "Are you trying to gross me out, or are you making fun of me? I told you I am a b*stard.¡° ¡±Oh¡­ You are right." She continued to take in every inch of his face. "Your mother must be extremely beautiful for her to give birth to someone as handsome as you!" Lucas fell silent again, but in his heart he was chanting, She is a drunkard, and drunkards talk crazy. Since I am a forgiving man, I have to let it go! Leigh''s eyes flickered then. "From what I remember, the Griffins have 5 daughters, don''t they? Does Mario Griffin not have a son?" "If you exclude the illegitimate son, yes, he doesn''t have a son." Leigh immediately started chortling. "Haha! Oopsie daisy, I forgot about you." Just what is so funny about that?! Not wanting to keep the conversation going, he coaxed her, "It is gettingte. You should go back to sleep. You will catch a cold from staying out on such a cold night." "Pshh, I am a doctor. How can I possibly catch a cold?" She refused to leave. "Do doctors not catch colds?" "I don''t know about other doctors, but I know I won''t." "I don''t believe you!" "Don''t believe me if you don''t want to. It has got nothing to do with me." She shamelessly sprawled on the table again as a firm statement that she refused to go back. As he couldn''t let a young and beautiful drunk woman stay in the courtyard, he had to patiently continue to coax her in hopes of tricking her into going back to her room to rest. "I am not going back. You haven''t finished talking!" She looked at him with curious eyes that pleaded for more juicy gossip. "Even though you are an illegitimate child, you are still a son. Has your father not thought of any way to bring you back to the Griffin Family so that you can inherit the family''s glory?" Lucas remained quiet at her probing question. Seeing this, Leigh raised her right hand and dered, "Just tell me! I will help you keep it a secret. I swear that you can tell me alone. I promise I won''t tell anyone else. If I do, I will get struck by lightning!" The man couldn''t help feeling resigned. "Why are you swearing out of nowhere? It is not like it is a secret anyway." "Quickly tell me, then! It is going to be a long, boring night. Tell me something interesting!" Leighy on the stone table, her eyes looking at him excitedly as she waited for his story. Out of nowhere, he suddenly recalled what she said about wanting him to tell her his sad story to cheer her up. She was, undeniably, a drunkard! However, it would be nice to tell someone the things that he had kept suppressed, especially when he was saying it to someone who shared a simr fate as him. As Lucas raised a hand and snapped his fingers, someone immediately strode toward him and respectfully bowed. "Young Master." "Get me a few bottles of alcohol and some snacks," he instructed. His bodyguard hesitated for a second before he answered, "Yes, Young Master!" There was everything in Sun Garden. It only took a moment before the bodyguard sent a few bottles of alcohol and snacks over. Leigh''s eyes lit up when she looked at the snacks and wine on the stone table. "Wow! You sure know how to enjoy yourself!" she eximed before asking, "Can I have some?" "Of course." Without preparing a cup, he then passed a bottle of alcohol to her. "Let''s have a drink together." He wanted to intoxicate her so that she would fall asleep, and he could get someone to move her back to her room. "Thank you." Leigh took a big sip from her bottle of wine and praised unhesitatingly, "You are such a good person! Not only do you look good, you are also generous!" It seems like I am her type. She hasplimented my looks a few times already tonight. "Come on, let''s have a toast!" She clinked bottles with him. "Quick, I have alcohol, and you have a story to tell. Hurry up and spill so that I can have some snacks with my alcohol!" That is my alcohol, though. A resigned Lucas shook his head and took a swig as well. "Where should I start?" "Start from your mother," she suggested. "I am sure you are so good-looking because you have an extremely beautiful mother. How did she die? Is it true that beautiful women live unfortunate lives?" How did she die? Can''t you say ''pass away'' at the very least? Forget it. He wouldn''t put himself on the same level as a drunkard. "My mother died of an illness." He took another sip of wine before his voice took a gloomy turn. "I was only 2 or 3 years old when she passed away. My mother was bringing me to pay homage to my grandparents when a heart attack hit just as we wereing down the mountain. She died on the way down. My foster brother and father happened to pass by the area. Since my brother liked me, my father decided to take me back home. He took me in as his adopted son not long after." "Oh! So, you were taken in by Sebastian!" "Yes," Lucas said, "Even though I am an illegitimate child, my mother was neither a mistress nor a paramour. On the contrary, my mother was deceived by Mario. They were ssmates in college. He wanted to marry her after they fell in love with each other, but his parents looked down on my mother''s background and wanted him to marry a woman who was helpful to the Griffin Family. They opposed Mario and my mother from having contact then. That man got a fake marriage certificate to deceive my mother, and since she was raised to be a naive and simple person as she was my grandparents'' only daughter, she believed whatever he said. That was how she was deceived by him..." "Holy cow, Mario is such a scumbag! How immoral of him!" Leigh cried. "He can even fake a marriage certificate?" "Yes, he didn''t want to lie to my mother at first. He really wanted to get married to my mother in secret, but his n was discovered by his parents. His father then confiscated his ount book and identification card. He didn''t know how to exin it to my mother, so he lied to her by saying that the Civil Affairs Bureau was crowded with people who wanted to register for their marriage, but they had to queue for a long time." He continued, "He imed that he found someone through his connections, and that they didn''t have to queue up if she would just hand over the household registration book and identification card to him so that the registration for the marriage certificate could bepleted. My mother believed him so much that she gave him those documents. After he found someone to make 2 copies of fake marriage certificates, my mother thought it was real, and she happily lived with him as husband and wife..." "What a dirtbag! He is terrible!" She exploded in anger and cursed out loud. "What happened after that?" she asked. Chapter 368 Chapter 368 "Later, Mario''s parents asked Mario to marry into the Ford Family. Mario tried to escape the marriage, but he failed and was imprisoned by his parents." Lucas then continued, "After Mario was imprisoned, the Griffin and Ford Families announced their union to the public. After my mother knew about it, she approached the Griffin Residence with her marriage certificate. It was only then that she knew that the marriage certificate in her hand was fake. At that time, she was pregnant with me and was about to give birth¡­" "Your mother is so unlucky." Leigh showed sympathy. "If it were me, I would have poisoned Mario to kill that scumbag!" Lucas stayed silent at that remark. Then, Leigh asked, "What happened after that?" "After that?" Lucas sighed. "Later, Mario''s fianc¨¦e knew my mother was pregnant with Mario''s child, so she went to my mother and asked Mom to abort the child. At that time, my mother was only a dozen days away from giving birth, so she was reluctant to abort me. Hence, Mario''s fianc¨¦e sent someone to my grandparents'' house to cause trouble. They also made everyone know that my mother was a mistress and the child in her womb was an illegitimate child¡­" Leigh didn''t say anything as she couldn''tment on it. What Mario''s fianc¨¦e did should be eptable from an unbiased standpoint. It was because no one wanted their husband to have an illegitimate child before the marriage. However, Lucas'' mother was innocent. She didn''t mean to be a mistress and have an illegitimate child. She was deceived by Mario, after all. She had always thought she was the first wife with a marriage certificate and was carrying a child from wedlock. However, everything was fake. Lucas'' mother was deceived by the man she loved. So, Leigh could imagine the despair in Lucas'' mother''s heart when she knew all this. Aborting the child was the best choice for her, but the child would be born in ten days. After ten months of pregnancy, how many women would be cruel enough to abort the child? Mario''s fianc¨¦e was right, and Lucas'' mother was wrong for not being smart enough and trusting Mario too much. The worst was Mario, who hurt both women at the same time. Lucas sipped his wine and continued, "My grandparents are teachers. They abided by thew and educated students for their whole lives. Suddenly, their good daughter became a mistress and was pregnant with an illegitimate child. My grandpa was frail in health, so he fell ill on the day the Ford Family came to look for trouble, and he passed away within a few days. My grandma loved Grandpa, so she couldn''t stand the blow and passed away soon after." At that, Leigh could only say, "It''s tragic." "Yeah, it''s tragic." Lucas sighed. "I was born on the day my grandpa died. Not long after I was born, my grandma died. My mother didn''t care for her health during her pregnancy, so her health failed after giving birth to me. After slightly over two years, she passed away." Lucas thenughed at himself. "Don''t you think I''m more of a jinx than you are?" "Didn''t you say it yourself? Jinxes don''t exist," Leigh stated. "Do you believe it?" Lucas raised his eyebrows at her. "If you believe that the jinx doesn''t exist, I will do the same." So, Leigh nodded firmly. "I believe in it. Jinxes don''t exist. On the other hand, one''s character determines fate instead. Your grandpa valued his reputation too much. After your mother was deceived and identally became the mistress everyone despised, he couldn''t stand the humiliation to the point his health failed and he passed away. Your grandma and grandpa were deeply in love, so she was heartbroken and couldn''t handle the sadness and passed away. As for your mother, she did not rest well during her pregnancy and destroyed her body, so she must have been depressed. Her health and worries mixed together for two years before it finally killed her. Hence, their characters decide their life; it has nothing to do with you." Lucasmented, "Then, the death of your adoptive parents has nothing to do with you too." "I''m different!" Leigh shook her head. "My parents died violently¡­ They died in a car ident." "What about your grandpa and master?" Lucas asked, to which Leigh replied, "My grandpa also died in a car ident. My master died of illness." "There are more people who die from idents than diseases in this world," Lucas murmured. "It can''t be said that their rtives are all jinxes, right?" After thinking for a while, Leigh nodded. "Okay, you have a point." Then, she paused and continued, "I won''t believe it anymore, and neither should you." To that, Lucas muttered, "I never believed it in the first ce." "That''s great." Leigh stared at the man as she asked, "Did Mario ever look for you after your mother passed away?" "He did." He then exined, "However, my mother hid me, so Mario couldn''t find me. On the day she passed away, she took me along and we met my brother and father. Before she passed on, she begged my father and brother to help me find an orphanage. My brother liked me, so they did not send me to the orphanage. Hence, my father adopted me. Before my mother passed away, she didn''t tell my father who my biological father was. She said I was an illegitimate child and begged my father to send me to the orphanage¡­" "Stop!" She woved her hond ot him to interrupt him. "You''re drunk ond hove storted tolking nonsense. I don''t understond you onymore!" Lucos frowned in silence. Hey! I''m not drunk! Alright, I did drink quite o lot, but i twos unknowingly. Now, my mind is o little dizzy ond moybe I sounded incoherent. However, it feels greot to soy everything thot is in my mind ofter bottling up these things for for too long. So, he osked potiently, "Whot do you not understond? I''ll exploin it to you." Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. However, Leigh held her chin in thought ond soid, "I forgot¡­" At thot, Lucos poused for o beot before he muttered, "You should go to bed." "I''m not tired yet." She tilted her heod to look ot him. "When did your fother know you were odopted by Philip?" "Two yeors ogo,"e his reply. "He only found out the yeor before?" Leigh widened her eyes in surprise. "Didn''t he love your mother? Didn''t he look for you when your mother disoppeored with you?" "Morio did." Lucos continued, "He''s been looking for us oll this while. However, Mom took me into hiding ond we lived in seclusion, so he couldn''t find me. Morio''s porents forbode him to moke o big deol of it too. After my fother odopted me, he didn''t wont onyone to know I wos on illegitimote child. He erosed the clues obout my mother ond me, so Morio couldn''t find me." "If thot''s the cose, how did he find you three yeors ogo?" she osked. "After oll these yeors, Morio''s fother hos grown old ond wonted o grondson. However, Morio''s wife is menopousol ond con no longer give birth to o child. Moreover, the Griffin Fomily needs o mon to corry on the lineoge." As he soid, he sorcosticolly curled his lips. "So, Morio''s fother thought of me, the illegitimote son, ond devoted the fomily resources to feverishly seorch for me. My oppeoronce is similor to Morio''s. Although Morio''s fother hod no evidence, he did not let go of the only clue he hod. He hired someone to steol my hoir ond did o poternity test with Morio. So, my lineoge wos exposed." Leigh then pressed, "After your birth wos reveoled, whot wos your stepmother''s reoction?" "Stop!" She waved her hand at him to interrupt him. "You''re drunk and have started talking nonsense. I don''t understand you anymore!" Lucas frowned in silence. Hey! I''m not drunk! Alright, I did drink quite a lot, but i twas unknowingly. Now, my mind is a little dizzy and maybe I sounded incoherent. However, it feels great to say everything that is in my mind after bottling up these things for far too long. So, he asked patiently, "What do you not understand? I''ll exin it to you." However, Leigh held her chin in thought and said, "I forgot¡­" At that, Lucas paused for a beat before he muttered, "You should go to bed." "I''m not tired yet." She tilted her head to look at him. "When did your father know you were adopted by Philip?" "Two years ago," came his reply. "He only found out the year before?" Leigh widened her eyes in surprise. "Didn''t he love your mother? Didn''t he look for you when your mother disappeared with you?" "Mario did." Lucas continued, "He''s been looking for us all this while. However, Mom took me into hiding and we lived in seclusion, so he couldn''t find me. Mario''s parents forbade him to make a big deal of it too. After my father adopted me, he didn''t want anyone to know I was an illegitimate child. He erased the clues about my mother and me, so Mario couldn''t find me." "If that''s the case, how did he find you three years ago?" she asked. "After all these years, Mario''s father has grown old and wanted a grandson. However, Mario''s wife is menopausal and can no longer give birth to a child. Moreover, the Griffin Family needs a man to carry on the lineage." As he said, he sarcastically curled his lips. "So, Mario''s father thought of me, the illegitimate son, and devoted the family resources to feverishly search for me. My appearance is simr to Mario''s. Although Mario''s father had no evidence, he did not let go of the only clue he had. He hired someone to steal my hair and did a paternity test with Mario. So, my lineage was exposed." Leigh then pressed, "After your birth was revealed, what was your stepmother''s reaction?" Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Lucas frowned. "Could you stop that? I''m disgusted! I don''t acknowledge Mario as my father, so Martha definitely isn''t my stepmother!" "Oh! I''m sorry." Surprisingly, Leigh apologized cidly, "Your step¡ª Oh, I mean Mario''s wife¡­ So, her name''s Martha, huh?" Lucas nodded. "Yes." Leigh replied, "They certainly are a great match. Mario and Martha, huh? Even their names complement each other." "Yeah," he sneered coldly. "It''s true that they are a good match. One''s unfeeling and heartless while the other''s vicious and ruthless!" "Vicious and ruthless?" She blinked. "Did Martha take action and attempted to get rid of you?" "Yes," Lucas replied nonchntly as he took a sip of wine. "After I was sought out by the Griffin Family, she attempted her first try and took action. She bribed a driver to plow me to my death, but she failed. In the end, she made her eldest daughter take the rap for her and ended up imprisoned." Leight burst out intoughter. "So now instead of five sisters, you''re left with four, huh?" Lucas responded in a childish manner, "Why you so annoying?" "I just find it quite interesting." She continued tough. "The Griffins wanted to gain a grandson without any effort, but they didn''t seed and sacrificed a granddaughter instead. This is quite interesting. I''ve never met any of your five sisters, but now there are only four of them left. This isical." At that point, he was significantly speechless. What do my stepsisters have anything to do with her anyway? Who cares whether she''s met them before? This is crazy! I guess it''s true! Every drunk person, be it a man or woman, will end up behaving illogically. He continued to persuade her, "It''ste. You should go and get some sleep. The sun''s about toe up." "I''m not sleepy right now. I''m keen to find out more about you." Leigh slumped on the table and remained still in position. "Why does your grandfather insist on getting you back home with him? He''s got five granddaughters, so he could just get Mario to find himself a live-in son-inw to inherit the family business." "How many times do I need to repeat this for you to remember?" Lucas frowned and replied, "I don''t have a grandfather and I''m not rted to the Griffins!" "Alright, then." She gave in. "Old Mr. Griffin! I''ll just refer to him as Old Mr. Griffin then, alright? He has five granddaughters, so he could just easily get Mario to seek a live-in son-inw. If one''s not enough, he could seek out more. He has plenty of granddaughters anyway!" "He''s traditional in his ways and he finds it embarrassing to seek a live-in son-inw because that would indirectly indicate that their family lineage has ended. He would much prefer a great-grandson from the lineage of his grandson than a supposed great-grandson from the lineage of his live-in grandson-inw." He continued, "Besides, his granddaughters are either ordinary, unassuming people, or arrogant and bratty girls. None of them stands out at all, so he''s displeased with all of them." "If he''s truly as traditional as you mentioned, then he should frown upon your identity and look down on you, right?" Leigh mentioned, "Compared to having a live-in son-inw, wouldn''t an illegitimate son be more scorned by the others? After all, an illegitimate son is born with the burdens of that identity and most people would look down on them even at the mention of those two words." At that point, Lucas retorted, "You''re great at maintaining conversation, aren''t you? You could at least be mindful of my feelings!" "I think you''re fine." She patted him on the shoulders with a smile. "I can tell that you''re a tough guy, so keep it up!" He was significantly speechless; he was so tempted to make her unconscious with a punch and then get someone to drag her home. "You''re trying to change the topic." Sheined, "I''m asking you a question! Hurry up and answer it!" He continued to maintain his silence. In the end, he heaved a resigned sigh. "A long time ago, he did frown upon and look down on me for being an illegitimate child. He found my mere existence an embarrassment for the Griffins, so he forbade Mario from approaching me. However,ter on, Martha gave birth to one daughter after the other and she never bore an heir. He couldn''t contain his impatience by then. Finally, Martha reached menopause and was no longer of childbearing age, so he became despaired at that point. "Suddenly, he recalled my existence. My grandparents on my mom''s side were university lecturers, so my mom was considered well-educated. Although she didn''te from a well-to-do family, she was of decent family background. She conceived me back then because she had been deceived by the false marriage certificate from Mario; she wasn''t a self-deprecating person at all. Perhaps it''s because of these two reasons. Furthermore, I''m not doing too bad right now¡­" "Young Master Lucas, you''re being overly humble here!" Leigh smiled and nced at him as she spoke, "You''re doing amazing! You''re the second-inmand at Hart Corporation and you just have to follow the instructions of one man while leading tens of thousands of others. Your instructions are impactful at Hart Corporation and no one would dare to go against you. Mr. Hart dotes on you too, so how can you describe that as doing not too bad, huh? You''re clearly a young, eligible bachelor who''s very attractive!" She paused for a moment and added, "You''re exceptionally good-looking too. At one nce, anyone would be joyful to see you. I, myself, would be pleased to have a grandson like you too." He wos speechless by her words. She''s being quite sossy, isn''t she? "Why hove you stopped?" Leigh wos persistent. "Keep tolking, I wonno know more!" Lucos did not know how to respond to thot os he thought, Does she think thot I''m o storyteller? Perhops I should seek some reword for my toles then? He shook his heod resignedly ond continued, "Thot old Griffin wos very hoppy upon finding out thot I wos Morio''s son. He sought me out ond told me thot Morio hod been duped by the person thot Morio hod sought help with to process the morrioge certificote bock then. He intended to get o legitimote morrioge certificote, but thot person wosn''t oble to get thot sorted. However, the mon wos greedy for the mory reword Morio promised, so the mon reserved the truth ond duped him with o foke morrioge certificote. As such, my mom ond Morio''s morrioge should hove been considered legitimote ond she should hove been Morio''s legol wife. I wos olso considered to be o child born in wedlock ond not on illegitimote child." Leigh''s eyes widened. "Thot is ridiculous, isn''t it?" Lucos chortled. "Well, one con soy onything to get their woy. He con soy whotever he wonts os he hos the freedom of speech. He enjoys lying to himself, so whot is there to stop him from such ridicule?" At thot moment, she thought of Philip Hort os he hod olso lied through his nose. Aldo ond Buddy were illegitimote children too, but ofter his explonotion, he hod justified their identities os children born in wedlock. However, the Horts hod not infringed on onyone''s interest by such justificotions os Sebostion wos on unmorried ond single mon. Since the stort, he wos only entongled with Modeline both in reolity ond in speculotion. As such, no one else would be offected by those words despite Philip''s justificotions. Sebostion hod neither o portner or children. Besides, he ond Modeline hod in foct signed the morrioge popers under ooth ond were obout to hove o wedding ceremony. Once Modeline took her rightful position os the mistress of the Hort Fomily, then Aldo ond Buddy would be the rightful heirs of the Horts os well. With thot, no one would be oble toment otherwise. However, things were different for the Griffins becouse Morio wos morried with five doughters, so obviously, his wife would not ogree to thot. Leigh osked Lucos obout thot in which he responded, "She wouldn''t ogree, of course! Mortho didn''t ogree; not only did she fight with Old Mr. Griffin, but she olso secretly tried to kill me. Unfortunotely for her, she foiled. Mortho''s eldest doughter wos the one who orchestroted it, so Mortho pushed the blome on her doughter ond she ended up being imprisoned insteod." He was speechless by her words. She''s being quite sassy, isn''t she? "Why have you stopped?" Leigh was persistent. "Keep talking, I wanna know more!" Lucas did not know how to respond to that as he thought, Does she think that I''m a storyteller? Perhaps I should seek some reward for my tales then? He shook his head resignedly and continued, "That old Griffin was very happy upon finding out that I was Mario''s son. He sought me out and told me that Mario had been duped by the person that Mario had sought help with to process the marriage certificate back then. He intended to get a legitimate marriage certificate, but that person wasn''t able to get that sorted. However, the man was greedy for the mary reward Mario promised, so the man reserved the truth and duped him with a fake marriage certificate. As such, my mom and Mario''s marriage should have been considered legitimate and she should have been Mario''s legal wife. I was also considered to be a child born in wedlock and not an illegitimate child." Leigh''s eyes widened. "That is ridiculous, isn''t it?" Lucas chortled. "Well, one can say anything to get their way. He can say whatever he wants as he has the freedom of speech. He enjoys lying to himself, so what is there to stop him from such ridicule?" At that moment, she thought of Philip Hart as he had also lied through his nose. Aldo and Buddy were illegitimate children too, but after his exnation, he had justified their identities as children born in wedlock. However, the Harts had not infringed on anyone''s interest by such justifications as Sebastian was an unmarried and single man. Since the start, he was only entangled with Madeline both in reality and in spection. As such, no one else would be affected by those words despite Philip''s justifications. Sebastian had neither a partner or children. Besides, he and Madeline had in fact signed the marriage papers under oath and were about to have a wedding ceremony. Once Madeline took her rightful position as the mistress of the Hart Family, then Aldo and Buddy would be the rightful heirs of the Harts as well. With that, no one would be able toment otherwise. However, things were different for the Griffins because Mario was married with five daughters, so obviously, his wife would not agree to that. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Leigh asked Lucas about that in which he responded, "She wouldn''t agree, of course! Martha didn''t agree; not only did she fight with Old Mr. Griffin, but she also secretly tried to kill me. Unfortunately for her, she failed. Martha''s eldest daughter was the one who orchestrated it, so Martha pushed the me on her daughter and she ended up being imprisoned instead." Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Leigh clicked her tongue. "She''s vicious!" Hearing that, Lucas merely smiled without saying a word. She tilted her head to look at him. "Do you n on going back to them?" "Of course not." He replied, "Sebastian took me in, so I''m going to work for him for the rest of my life and repay him. Why would I go back to the Griffins?" "Wow!" she eximed exaggeratedly. "You''re quite selfless, aren''t you?" "Well," Lucas shrugged and continued, "If you want my frank opinion, it''s because life''s great with Sebastian and he''s there to hold the fort regardless of what happens, so I can just chill and enjoy life." "You''re quite ambitious, huh?" Leigh gave him a thumbs up. However, he responded with a snort. "You''re mocking me, aren''t you?" She chuckled. "If you say so." "Don''t you think that it''s awesome to be able to rx and do nothing every day?" he asked. Leigh considered his question and said, "I think it''s eptable. My motto in life is to be happy. As long as I''m happy, I wouldn''t mind slogging hard. However, if I feel unhappy, even if someone promises me a goldmine, I wouldn''t ept a single dime." "Oh," Lucas mentioned, "I feel extremely happy doing odd jobs for Sebastian. He dotes on me very much and I get to do whatever I want." She studied him carefully. "You''ve been going on and on about Sebastian. Do you have a brother complex? He belongs to Maddie, so stay away from him!" "Bullsh*t!" He chided her, "What sort of nonsense are you on about? I would have pped you across the face if you weren''t drunk." She revealed a silly grin and went back to the topic earlier, "Do Mario and Old Mr. Griffin ept your refusal to go back?" "No, they don''t," Lucas replied, "but regardless of their opinion, they can''t do anything about it. If I was an ordinary man, they might be able to force me to go back, but I''m the adopted child of the Hart Family, so they wouldn''t dare to cross my father and Sebastian. Despite their ns, they can''t execute any of them at all!" "What about your step¡ªno, I mean Martha. Why isn''t she afraid of offending your father and Sebastian?" Leigh piped up, "She bribed a driver to kill you, right? That''s a huge offense!" "Perhaps she was in a frenzy out of anxiety?" Lucas swirled the wine bottle in his hand and replied, "She was worried that I would inherit the Griffin Family''s fortune upon returning. Old Mr. Griffin is wary of her and Mario, so he controls the family fortune. If I be the heir to the family, then Martha and her five daughters will end up as paupers. She''s unaware that I''m not interested in being the heir, so in her mind, she''s fixated upon having one of her daughters inherit the family fortune. That''s why she has to get rid of me. However, she was afraid of facing the wrath of my father and Sebastian, so she did not get involved in the matter of bribing the driver. She instructed her eldest daughter to handle everything so that she wasn''t involved at all. That was her way of avoiding being implicated by the matter if it was ever exposed." Leigh lifted her brows. "So, she sacrificed her daughter to safeguard herself." "Yeah." Lucas replied, "She''s got five daughters anyway. If she seeds in getting rid of a potential trouble like me, then she would have her happily ever after; even if she fails¡ªand has to sacrifice one of her daughters¡ªshe still has four others. She reckons that this is the best option for her." "How did Mario and Old Mr. Griffin react to that?" Leigh asked, "Did they intervene and seek leniency for Martha''s eldest daughter?" "No, they didn''t." Lucas took a sip of wine and chuckled lightly. "Not only did they sit and do nothing, but they were furious! Mario had a huge fight with Martha and pped her on the face. He also warned her threateningly that he would hold her and her daughters ountable if anything untoward happened to me in the future. Old Mr. Griffin also reprimanded her sternly and took back the ten percent worth of bonus allocated to her each year from thepany." Leigh could not help clicking her tongue. "She''s somehow made a mess of the situation without gaining anything. She''s suffered a tremendous loss!" "Yeah." He smiled. "Mario also assigned a few bodyguards to keep guard of me secretly. I lost my temper several times and insisted that he stop those annoying men from trailing after me, but he refused to listen. Now, he instructed them to guard from a distance. I couldn''t be bothered to fight with him, so I allowed him to do whatever he wanted." Leigh tilted her head and kept her eyes on him for quite some time before saying, "Tell me the truth¡­ Do you actually harbor hopes for your father?" "What do you mean by harbor hopes?" Lucas met her eyes. She responded, "Based on your father and Sebastian''s influence, you could easily get the Griffin Family to lie low and stop bothering you, but you didn''t get them to settle this matter. That''s because you actually yearn for your father''s love, don''t you?" "My father certainly loves me very much, but I don''tck fatherly love at all." He took a sip of wine and shook his head with a smile. "You''re wrong. You''re very much mistaken." Leigh snorted, "I don''t think I''m mistaken. You''re the one who refuses to admit it." "You are mistaken!" Lucas rebuked, "I didn''t sever tiespletely with Mario because my buddies told me that my grandparents and my mom lost their lives because of the Griffins, so I should take control of their fortune. Once I inherit it, I could even donate it to charity. I shouldn''t let the Griffin Family benefit from it." He poused ond loughed out loud. "My friends ore scoundrels, so their suggestions ore usuolly nonsense. Thot''s why I didn''t heed their suggestions initiolly. However, ofter Mortho''s ottempt to get rid of me, I chonged my mind. Originolly, I hod no intention to inherit the Griffins'' fortune, but since Mortho doesn''t trust me ond wonts me deod, then I won''t let her get her woy. Since she''s fixoted on toking my life, noturolly, I won''t let her off the hook so eosily. Murder moy be illegol, but I definitely con moke sure she loses whot''s precious to her!" "Thot''s o greot ideo!" Leigh cupped her chin with her honds ond turned to look ot him. "But then¡­ You con''t deceive me. I know thot you do hove feelings for Morio." Lucos lifted his brows questioningly. "Do you hove feelings for Bryson?" "No!" She shook her heod firmly. "None ot oll." Hemented, "I feel the some woy." "You''re different!" Leigh pitched her fingers wide open ond pointed ot his eyes. "The look in your eyes indicotes the truth quite cleorly. I con tell from the look in your eyes thot you''ve got feelings for Morio!" Speechless, he mointoined his silence for o moment ond nodded. "Alright, then. If you soy so." "Why do you horbor feelings for him?" She osked, "He left your mother ond obondoned you, so you should hote him!" However, Lucos did not respond to her question ond mointoined his silence for quite some time before soying, "You''ll see next time when you encounter him." "I don''t wont to find out loter. I wont to know the reoson now." She frowned with o displeosed expression. "How con you stop holfwoy into your story? You''re not o storyteller who needs to keep your oudience in suspense!" Lucos wos ot o loss for words. It''s o greot thing thot you''ve reolized I''m not o storyteller. He shook his heod helplessly ond replied in o low voice, "I con tell thot he loves me very, very much¡­ He would hove no quolms in socrificing his life for me if he hod to¡­." "I disogree with thot!" Leigh roised her right hond os if she wos o kid onswering o question ot school. "If he octuolly loved you thot much, then he wouldn''t hove left your mother! Mr. Lucos Hort! It''s quite dongerous for you to hove such thinking. Don''t be fooled by thot mon. If you foll for his lies ond forgive him, then your grondporents ond your mom would hove lost their lives in voin!" He paused andughed out loud. "My friends are scoundrels, so their suggestions are usually nonsense. That''s why I didn''t heed their suggestions initially. However, after Martha''s attempt to get rid of me, I changed my mind. Originally, I had no intention to inherit the Griffins'' fortune, but since Martha doesn''t trust me and wants me dead, then I won''t let her get her way. Since she''s fixated on taking my life, naturally, I won''t let her off the hook so easily. Murder may be illegal, but I definitely can make sure she loses what''s precious to her!" "That''s a great idea!" Leigh cupped her chin with her hands and turned to look at him. "But then¡­ You can''t deceive me. I know that you do have feelings for Mario." Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Lucas lifted his brows questioningly. "Do you have feelings for Bryson?" "No!" She shook her head firmly. "None at all." Hemented, "I feel the same way." "You''re different!" Leigh pitched her fingers wide open and pointed at his eyes. "The look in your eyes indicates the truth quite clearly. I can tell from the look in your eyes that you''ve got feelings for Mario!" Speechless, he maintained his silence for a moment and nodded. "Alright, then. If you say so." "Why do you harbor feelings for him?" She asked, "He left your mother and abandoned you, so you should hate him!" However, Lucas did not respond to her question and maintained his silence for quite some time before saying, "You''ll see next time when you encounter him." "I don''t want to find outter. I want to know the reason now." She frowned with a displeased expression. "How can you stop halfway into your story? You''re not a storyteller who needs to keep your audience in suspense!" Lucas was at a loss for words. It''s a great thing that you''ve realized I''m not a storyteller. He shook his head helplessly and replied in a low voice, "I can tell that he loves me very, very much¡­ He would have no qualms in sacrificing his life for me if he had to¡­." "I disagree with that!" Leigh raised her right hand as if she was a kid answering a question at school. "If he actually loved you that much, then he wouldn''t have left your mother! Mr. Lucas Hart! It''s quite dangerous for you to have such thinking. Don''t be fooled by that man. If you fall for his lies and forgive him, then your grandparents and your mom would have lost their lives in vain!" Chapter 371 Chapter 371 "I''m not fooled by him." Lucas replied, "He''s actually not a nasty man in general and he truly loves my mom. He sincerely intended to marry her in the past, but he duped her with a fake certificate because he didn''t want her to be sad. He intended to sneak out with his ID and documents at ater stage to process an actual marriage certificate, but his father was guarded against him, so he didn''t get the chance¡­" "What about Martha, then?" Leigh responded, "Don''t you dare forget that he married her and they conceived five daughters! If he truly loved your mom, then why did he have so many children with another woman?" "He married Martha because his mother threatened him by slitting her wrists." He continued, "His parents insisted that he marry Martha and he refused. His mother ended up slitting her wrist and she nearly died, so he had no other option but to give in to her. However, before marrying Martha, he signed an agreement with his parents that once he produced a son for the Griffins, they would agree to him divorcing Martha and marrying my mother." Leigh asked, "Did Martha agree to that?" "She did." Lucas responded, ¡°Martha has three other younger siblings and she was the oldest child. She has two younger sisters and a younger brother. She wasn''t the most favorable child in the family, so she was destined to be subjected to a political marriage. She was the pawn for the Ford Family to gain family interest. Mario was the best candidate amongst the people she could choose to enter into a political marriage with." Leigh continued to stare at him for quite some time before nodding. "Yeah, women do tend to go for the handsome ones. If Mario was a third as pretty as you are, then Martha would definitely have been dazzled by his looks. I guess she must have decided to take a shot at the marriage since he might fall in love with her after their marriage and forget about your mom, right?" He replied, "I''m a tall, strapping male, so it wouldn''t be appropriate to describe me as ''pretty''." "I don''t find it inappropriate." She nced at him and smiled while saying, "Anyone who''s pretty, be it women or men, can be described as ravishing." At that point, Lucas was rendered speechless. What''s she on about? She''s drunk indeed! Her words make no sense at all. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He felt a looming headache as he responded, "You must be tired. It''s gettingte now, so you should go to bed." "I''m not sleepy." Leigh shook her head. "You haven''t finished your story! You mentioned that¡­ Mario signed an agreement with his parents and once he produced an heir for the Griffin Family, then Old Mr. Griffin would agree to him leaving the family to seek for your mom." She blinked. "So that''s why Martha ended up bearing five girls for Mario over so many years?" "Yes." Lucas nodded. "They basically had one kid slightly past the one-year mark; they had five in eight years." "Wow! That''s awesome!" Leigh clicked her tongue. "It must have been tough on her." Meanwhile, Lucas thought, So is it awesome, or did she have a tough time then? "I guess that''s how things were meant to end up." Shemented, "He wanted a son so badly, but he didn''t seed at all. It must have been fated." Lucas found her words to be confusing, so he did not know how to respond to that. She tilted her head and considered the situation for a moment. "Well¡­ Now that you''ve told me this, Mario does sound like he has had an unlucky spate. What could he have done with such parents? If he disregarded his mother''s life and left for your mom, then perhaps there would be a bunch of self- righteous people who would chide him for being heartless and inhumane to choose a woman after disregarding the life of his mother who brought him up." Lucas nodded. "He made the mistake of getting entangled with my mom before obtaining his parents'' approval. He should never have duped my mom with the fake marriage certificate too." "He didn''t expect things to turn out this way, did he?" She added, "Perhaps back then, he was confident that he would be able to convince his parents and marry your mom after avish wedding ceremony. He didn''t consider the situation properly, so he clearly didn''t expect things to turn out so dismally." "What''s wrong with you?" Lucas frowned as he looked at her. "I thought that you wanted me to keep my guards up against Mario and not to be fooled by him? Why are you standing up for him?" "I''m not standing up for him, but I''m just trying to be fair and analyze the situation rationally." She exined, "Initially, I thought that Mario was a yer who toyed with your mom''s feelings and married Martha after making your mom fall for him. However, now that I found out his marriage with Martha was purely an agreement from both his parents and Martha, and that he could leave once they have a son, I no longer think that he''s a yer. He''s not as despicable as I thought he was, but essentially, he is still a horrible man!" Meanwhile, Lucas thought to himself, She''s going on and on in circles and I''m confused! Leigh cupped her chin and looked up into the sky while engrossed in her thoughts. "Things between him and your mom ended up in such a dismal state because of specific reasons and it was probably also fated. Martha yed a part in this too. Since it was just an agreement between him and Martha, then surely she should be aware that your mom was his only true love. Once Martha bears a son, then he will definitely leave the family to reunite with your mom. If that''s the case, how dare she hire men to kick up a fuss at your grandparents'' house!" Lucos gripped tightly on the wine bottle in his hond ond spoke in o low voice, "Yeoh¡­" She heoved o sigh. "This sod story storted when Morio duped your mom with the foke morrioge certificote, but then things be irrevocoble when Mortho sent men to kick up o fuss ot your grondporents'' house ond coused the deoth of your grondporents. Your grondporents possed owoy becouse of Morio ond their doughter, so from then on, your mom ond Morio''s love story wos destined to be o BE." Meonwhile, Lucos wos confused. "Whot does BE stond for?" Leigh exploined, "Bod ending." He thought, Does she seriously think thot my fomily trogedy is o fictionol story? Whot does she meon by bod ending? If it wos not becouse of Modeline, he would hove rolled up his sleeves ond beot her up. "Well, both Mortho ond Morio hove suffered kormo!" Leigh smiled. "Mortho didn''t end up hoving o son, so thot''s the biggest punishment they received. Oh! Old Mr. Griffin wos punished too. He must hove hoped for o grondson for his entire life, but Mortho never produced the heir he hoped for. I''m sure thot Old Mr. Griffin regretted his octions very much ofter thot. He should hove just ogreed to your mom morrying your dod becouse ot leost your mom produced o son. You were her first-born ond she produced such o toll, hondsome, ond copoble son. Right now, eoch time Old Mr. Griffin sees you, his heort must oche bodly. You''re such o fine young mon ond you neorly be the eldest grondson of the Griffin Fomily, but he wos the one who cost you oside¡­" She clicked her tongue. "I reckon thot it''s such o mirocle thot he hosn''t gone into depression ofter going through oll these." In response, Lucos piped up, "I''ll osk you one lost time, ore you tired? If you ore, then I''ll send you bock home. If you oren''t, then I''ll get someone to keep youpony. I need to get some sleep now." Initiolly, he intended to moke her drunk ond once she fell osleep in o drunken stupor, then he would send her bock. In the end, he wos close to getting drunk, but she seemed to be in greot spirits ond energized the more she spoke! Leigh considered the situotion before nodding. "Okoy. Let''s coll it o night¡­" She rose to her feet ond stretched her bock before soying contentedly, "It''s quite interesting to find out obout your gossip. I''m hoppy todoy. It''s no wonder why everyone enjoys gossiping!" Lucas gripped tightly on the wine bottle in his hand and spoke in a low voice, "Yeah¡­" She heaved a sigh. "This sad story started when Mario duped your mom with the fake marriage certificate, but then things became irrevocable when Martha sent men to kick up a fuss at your grandparents'' house and caused the death of your grandparents. Your grandparents passed away because of Mario and their daughter, so from then on, your mom and Mario''s love story was destined to be a BE." Meanwhile, Lucas was confused. "What does BE stand for?" Leigh exined, "Bad ending." He thought, Does she seriously think that my family tragedy is a fictional story? What does she mean by bad ending? If it was not because of Madeline, he would have rolled up his sleeves and beat her up. "Well, both Martha and Mario have suffered karma!" Leigh smiled. "Martha didn''t end up having a son, so that''s the biggest punishment they received. Oh! Old Mr. Griffin was punished too. He must have hoped for a grandson for his entire life, but Martha never produced the heir he hoped for. I''m sure that Old Mr. Griffin regretted his actions very much after that. He should have just agreed to your mom marrying your dad because at least your mom produced a son. You were her first-born and she produced such a tall, handsome, and capable son. Right now, each time Old Mr. Griffin sees you, his heart must ache badly. You''re such a fine young man and you nearly became the eldest grandson of the Griffin Family, but he was the one who cast you aside¡­" She clicked her tongue. "I reckon that it''s such a miracle that he hasn''t gone into depression after going through all these." In response, Lucas piped up, "I''ll ask you onest time, are you tired? If you are, then I''ll send you back home. If you aren''t, then I''ll get someone to keep youpany. I need to get some sleep now." Initially, he intended to make her drunk and once she fell asleep in a drunken stupor, then he would send her back. In the end, he was close to getting drunk, but she seemed to be in great spirits and energized the more she spoke! Leigh considered the situation before nodding. "Okay. Let''s call it a night¡­" She rose to her feet and stretched her back before saying contentedly, "It''s quite interesting to find out about your gossip. I''m happy today. It''s no wonder why everyone enjoys gossiping!" Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Lucas could not help but repeat to himself, If she wasn''t Madeline''s best friend, I would definitely have smacked her senseless! However, despiteining in his head, he did what he was supposed to and willingly sent her back to her amodation. In reality, Leigh was actually drunk and could not even walk in a straight line. As soon as she entered her room, she did not even bother to freshen up as she fell to the couch in a slump and went to sleep. Since they were merely acquaintances, Lucas tried as much as he could to keep his distance. He grabbed a throw and covered her with it before leaving the room. He made sure to lock her door from the outside before trying the door several times just to make sure that no one would be able to open it without the keys. Subsequently, he went back to his room. The next morning, Leigh was woken up by a barrage of knocks on her door. She sat up and recollected herself for a moment as she realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch in her room. She slowly recalled the incident from the previous night and realized that she could still recall most of the things that happened the previous night, especially the things she''d learned about the Griffins. She lowered her head once again to nce at the throw covering her and a smile appeared on her face. "Leigh! Leigh!" Outside the door, Madeline''s voice rang out. "I''ming." Leigh got up to open the door. Madeline studied Leigh intently as soon as the door was opened. "Are you alright?" "I''m fine." Leigh asked, "What could happen to me?" "Why didn''t you respond to my repeated knocks, then? I called you on your phone, but it was switched off." Madeline chided Leigh, "You made me worry so badly. I thought that something bad had happened to you." "I''m fine. I had a bit too much to drinkst night, so I was in a deep sleep." Leigh poured two sses of water and handed one over to Madeline while she held the other. "Hey, I bumped into your brother-in- law yesterday and he shared something juicy with me. It was so interesting." "What brother-inw?" Madeline was quite shy. "Well, I bumped into your youngest brother-inw. His name''s Lucas." Leigh grinned. "Your husband''s brother is of good quality and he''s not only good-looking but kind too." At that moment, Madeline was speechless as she thought, How can you describe someone as good quality? Well, that''s not the main point. The main point is¡­ She inched closer to Leigh. "Are you interested in Lucas? He''s unmarried and single, so I can introduce you two to each other." Leigh nearly spat out the mouthful of water she had just drank. "What are you on about? Are you going to matchmake us just because I find him nice? There are so many great guys in this world, are you going to be able to introduce me to all of them?" "I can''t do much about the others, but Lucas is different." Madeline added, "He''s Sebastian''s younger brother, so if you end up marrying him, then we could be sister-inws." Leigh considered it for a moment and finally, she freed the hand she was holding the ss with and poked Madeline. "That makes sense!" "It does make sense, right?" Madeline was excited. "We have a deal then? I''ll talk to Lucas on your behalf and you guys can go on a¡­ blind date?" A blind date was the quickest way to build up a close rtionship between two opposite genders. After the blind date, if they both found each other suitable and they intended to take the rtionship further, then both parties could confirm their status as being in a rtionship. It was much faster than developing feelings for each other and then slowly probing each other before confirming the rtionship. "If you approach him about this topic, then it would seem as if I was the one who was attracted to him first. That would be awkward for me!" Leigh took a sip of water andined, "You should approach him with this topic slowly." At that moment, Madeline was at a loss for words. She reckoned that though Leigh was not a celebrity, she cared too much about her image! "Fine, that''s simple enough." Madeline agreed, "I''ll find a chance to broach the topic with Lucas." Leigh thought of Lucas'' good-looking features and the happy conversation they sharedst night before she nodded. "Sure. I don''t mind whether things work out or not. It''s good enough to gain another friend." "Nice!" Madeline smiled and patted Leigh on the shoulders. "I like your straightforward attitude." Leigh smiled and pinched Madeline''s cheeks. "I also like your bossy-ness. Reminds me of my mom." Madeline retorted, "Leigh! Shefford! I''m going to wring your neck!" Leigh turned around and scrambled into the bathroom. "I''m freshening up. I haven''t even brushed my teeth yet!" Speechless, Madeline walked over to Leigh''s room. "Leigh, I nearly forgot about the important matter I came here for. Your uncle and aunt are here." Leigh, who was behind the door, suddenly recalled the words that Lucas had used on herst night. Why you so annoying? She parroted his words, "Why you so annoying?" Leigh responded, "A-Alright. Brandon and Jennifer are here. They mentioned that they''ve already released a press statement and they''ve severed ties with Bryson and his family. The Penhams have also reported to the authorities and Penny''s been taken into custody. They would like to seek your help in treating their daughter and Eddie." On the other side of the door, the sound of trickling water was no longer audible as Leigh yelled out from behind the door, "I got it. They''ve kept their end of the promise, so I''ll keep my words too. Madeline, you should go about with your own matters. I''ll pop over to see you after my shower." "Okoy, I got it. I''ll moke you some ootmeol ond you con hove thot ofter your shower. Come ond see me ofter you''ve eoten," Modeline instructed. "Thonks, my deor bossyponts, Moddie. I love you! Hugs ond kisses!" Leigh''s voice wos sweeter thon honey. Meonwhile, Modeline thought to herself, Dr. Shefford''s got o split personolity. Sometimes she''s sweet, but sometimes she''s cold ond unfeeling. Todoy she''s in o sickly sweet mode. She mode some ootmeol for Leigh ond simmered it on o low flome on the stove before cutting some fruits. Just os Modeline wos obout to leove, Leigh wolked out of the bothroom. Leigh noticed the ootmeol ond fruits ond smiled sweetly ot Modeline. "Thonks, boby Moddie! I reckon you should breok up with Sebostion ond I won''t go ofter Lucos too. Let''s just get together ond we con keep eoch otherpony!" Modeline replied, "Could you undergo SRS ond be Aldo ond Buddy''s dod? If you con, then I don''t mind getting together with you." Leigh smiled ond soid, "The door is thot woy. You should leove. See you loter!" Modeline smocked Leigh on the heod lightly. "Finish your breokfost!" "Yes, mo''om!" Leigh stood upright ond soluted Modeline, who then shot o resigned look ot her before turning oround to leove. Modeline went bock to her office ond noticed thot Brondon ond Jennifer were still woiting there. She opologized, "I''m sorry for moking you two woit. Leigh''s hoving breokfost, so you''d hove to woit for her to finish." "It''s olright. We don''t mind woiting." Jennifer hurriedly replied, "Wee over unonnounced ond it''s our foult for disrupting her routine." Modeline served them some fresh teo. "Leigh wos in o bod mood ond she went for some drinks lost night, so she woke up loter thon usuol. She didn''t meon to be rude." "Yes, we understond." Brondon spoke in o low voice, "Our fomily owes her on opology, ond if we get the chonce in the future, we''ll definitely do our best topensote her." Modeline merely smiled without responding to his words. Ten minutes loter, Leigh finolly turned up blissfully lote. Jennifer got up to greet Leigh ond Brondon stood up os well. "Toke o seot, pleose." Leigh wos polite to the duo os she took o seot ocross from them. After some exchonge of pleosontries, Jennifer quickly brought up the moin topic. "We''ve releosed on officiol stotement severing ties with Bryson ond his fomily. Penny hos olso been token into police custody, so Dr. Shefford, could you stort providing treotment for my doughter ond fother?" "Okay, I got it. I''ll make you some oatmeal and you can have that after your shower. Come and see me after you''ve eaten," Madeline instructed. "Thanks, my dear bossypants, Maddie. I love you! Hugs and kisses!" Leigh''s voice was sweeter than honey. Meanwhile, Madeline thought to herself, Dr. Shefford''s got a split personality. Sometimes she''s sweet, but sometimes she''s cold and unfeeling. Today she''s in a sickly sweet mode. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She made some oatmeal for Leigh and simmered it on a low me on the stove before cutting some fruits. Just as Madeline was about to leave, Leigh walked out of the bathroom. Leigh noticed the oatmeal and fruits and smiled sweetly at Madeline. "Thanks, baby Maddie! I reckon you should break up with Sebastian and I won''t go after Lucas too. Let''s just get together and we can keep each otherpany!" Madeline replied, "Could you undergo SRS and be Aldo and Buddy''s dad? If you can, then I don''t mind getting together with you." Leigh smiled and said, "The door is that way. You should leave. See youter!" Madeline smacked Leigh on the head lightly. "Finish your breakfast!" "Yes, ma''am!" Leigh stood upright and saluted Madeline, who then shot a resigned look at her before turning around to leave. Madeline went back to her office and noticed that Brandon and Jennifer were still waiting there. She apologized, "I''m sorry for making you two wait. Leigh''s having breakfast, so you''d have to wait for her to finish." "It''s alright. We don''t mind waiting." Jennifer hurriedly replied, "We came over unannounced and it''s our fault for disrupting her routine." Madeline served them some fresh tea. "Leigh was in a bad mood and she went for some drinksst night, so she woke upter than usual. She didn''t mean to be rude." "Yes, we understand." Brandon spoke in a low voice, "Our family owes her an apology, and if we get the chance in the future, we''ll definitely do our best topensate her." Madeline merely smiled without responding to his words. Ten minutester, Leigh finally turned up blissfullyte. Jennifer got up to greet Leigh and Brandon stood up as well. "Take a seat, please." Leigh was polite to the duo as she took a seat across from them. After some exchange of pleasantries, Jennifer quickly brought up the main topic. "We''ve released an official statement severing ties with Bryson and his family. Penny has also been taken into police custody, so Dr. Shefford, could you start providing treatment for my daughter and father?" Chapter 373 Chapter 373 "Of course." Leigh nodded. "If you''re not in a hurry, I cane along right now." "Yes, please!" Jennifer was so touched that she started tearing up. "Thank you, Dr. Shefford. Thank you so much." She took out a debit card and gave it to Leigh with both hands. "Dr. Shefford, this is a token of my gratitude and for the medical bills. The password is thest six digits of the card number¡­ Thank you for saving Luna¡­ How can I repay your kindness? If you need any help from us, feel free to find us at any time. We will do everything in our power to help you. We will never refuse your request." Instead of faking courtesy, Leigh took the card right away and handed it to Madeline. "This is for your husband. As we''ve agreed, seventy percent of the consultation fee belongs to him and the rest is mine. Tell him to retrieve his share, and please transfer the rest to my bank ount." Madeline was rendered speechless. Is it alright to split the sharing right in front of the patient''s family? Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. However, Brandon and Jennifer did not mind it at all. As a genius herself, Jennifer had encountered a handful of geniuses before and the capable people looked down upon others most of the time. Since Leigh could cure illnesses that others could not at such a young age, no matter how weird or dislikable she was, there would always be someone who would butter up to her. "Maddieee¡­" She linked arms with Madeline and acted all cute with a coquettish voice. "Are you busy? If you don''t have anything urgent,e along with us or I''ll die out of boredom." Words failed Madeline again. ording to Sebastian, although Leigh signed a contract with him, he would transfer the money she earned to Quincy and Joel''s ount. In other words, seventy percent of Leigh''s ie was passed on to her sons. What else can I do other than granting her wish? Leigh left Mansion under Madeline''spany. Before they got into the car, Leigh asked Brandon, "Should we visit your father or your daughter first?" He responded politely, "If you don''t mind, please follow me to the old manor and check on my father." "Not a problem." Leigh smiled brightly. "As long as I receive enough money, everything''s good. We''ll go anywhere first as you say." Brandon became speechless. Who''s the one stating that she won''t treat Eddie and Luna if I don''t separate ways with my brother? Where''s the girl who threatened to call the cops to have Penny taken away? The journey toward Penham''s Old Residence continued in silence. When they arrived at the house, the Penham couple weed Madeline and Leigh to the living room at which Eddie and Drew were ying chess. Eddie''splexion was bad; judging from his sallow skin, dark circles, and haggard appearance, he obviously did not sleep wellst night as he seemed tired. Leigh sat beside him. "Please give me your hand so I can check on you." He stretched out his left hand while she looked downward to focus with a serious visage. Meanwhile, his eyes fixated upon her and he went a million miles away. After Leigh leftst night, he contacted Charles rk, who worked in Mayo Hospital and performed his granddaughter''s surgery alongside Leigh. The renowned doctor could not stop praising Leigh''s skills. When Charles could not stopplimenting and rmending her, Eddie almost blurted the fact that she was his granddaughter. Still, at the thought of her attitude toward Penham Family, he reined the urge back because revealing her identity would only bring him humiliation and mockery. After the call ended, the night had gone dark, but his mind was fully awake; he was livid, anxious, and felt pity all at the same time. If such a smart and talented genius was raised in Penham Family, where he could personally guide her, just how dazzling would she be? Perhaps she might be on par with Sebastian, who was the son his teacher was very proud of. Her presence would definitely bring the Penham Family to the next level. However¡­ His eldest son wallowed in lust and fell in love with the foolish yet malicious Penny. Yet, it did not feel right to put it this way. If it were not for Penny, Leigh would not have been born. That''s strange. My eldest son is stupid, but so is his wife. How could a silly couple give birth to such a smart daughter? Leigh must''ve taken after me since I''m clever. Too bad ourst name isn''t passed on to the smartest person of the third generation. In retrospect, Eddie''s chest squeezed in pain. I wonder if she''ll acknowledge us as her family in future. It doesn''t matter if she has a toxic rtionship with my eldest son. She could ept my second son''s family¡ªanyone! His second son ond second doughter-in-low were smort ond genius; their brisk doughter took ofter them ond she wos obsolutely odoroble whereos their son wos righteous ond bright like the sun. Leigh ond us run the some blood. If she meets ond gets closer with them, she might ept us os her fomily one doy¡­ While his mind wos jumbled with thoughts, Leigh begon osking him questions uponpleting her first diognosis. Then, she prescribed some medicines ond honded the list to Drew. "These will do. He should toke it once o doy. I''ve written the dosoge ond omount." Drew retrieved it ond nodded. "Okoy." Leigh then foced Brondon. "For certoin symptoms, your fother won''t be oble to recover rodicolly through only pills. He needs ocupuncture. Prepore o worm ond unventiloted room. I will perform it for him once every two doys. It should olwoys be done between forty-eight hours ond seventy-two hours. One theropy will toke two weeks ond we''ll see whot we con do for him ofter thot." Brondon nodded. "Alright. I''ll get it prepored." "There''s no need for thot." Jennifer continued, "The guest room will do." As such, everyone heoded to the guest room. It took olmost on hour from pricking the needles to removing them. When Leigh pushed the long, golden needles into Eddie''s body, he did not feel poin but only slight numbness. After the needles were removed, he wos so exhousted thot he sweoted buckets ond he wished to toke o shower. However, he wos stupefied the moment he got up from bed. During his younger doys, he wos ot wor where cold, hunger, ond exhoustion weremon; hence, the diseoses ron him down. Akin to the rustyponents of on old mochine, his limbs trembled. He forgot the lost time he felt so reloxed. Yet, he could feel his body lighter the second he got up from bed eorlier. He moved his limbs ond they were oll loosened up. Similor to o lubricoted mochine, there wos no some old stiffness in his muscles os the tendons be smooth. He moved oround his orms ond legs repeotedly in disbelief while Brondon be nervous. "Dod, how do you feel? Better?" His second son and second daughter-inw were smart and genius; their brisk daughter took after them and she was absolutely adorable whereas their son was righteous and bright like the sun. Leigh and us run the same blood. If she meets and gets closer with them, she might ept us as her family one day¡­ While his mind was jumbled with thoughts, Leigh began asking him questions uponpleting her first diagnosis. Then, she prescribed some medicines and handed the list to Drew. "These will do. He should take it once a day. I''ve written the dosage and amount." Drew retrieved it and nodded. "Okay." Leigh then faced Brandon. "For certain symptoms, your father won''t be able to recover radically through only pills. He needs acupuncture. Prepare a warm and unventted room. I will perform it for him once every two days. It should always be done between forty-eight hours and seventy-two hours. One therapy will take two weeks and we''ll see what we can do for him after that." Brandon nodded. "Alright. I''ll get it prepared." "There''s no need for that." Jennifer continued, "The guest room will do." As such, everyone headed to the guest room. It took almost an hour from pricking the needles to removing them. When Leigh pushed the long, golden needles into Eddie''s body, he did not feel pain but only slight numbness. After the needles were removed, he was so exhausted that he sweated buckets and he wished to take a shower. However, he was stupefied the moment he got up from bed. During his younger days, he was at war where cold, hunger, and exhaustion weremon; hence, the diseases ran him down. Akin to the rustyponents of an old machine, his limbs trembled. He forgot thest time he felt so rxed. Yet, he could feel his body lighter the second he got up from bed earlier. He moved his limbs and they were all loosened up. Simr to a lubricated machine, there was no same old stiffness in his muscles as the tendons became smooth. He moved around his arms and legs repeatedly in disbelief while Brandon became nervous. "Dad, how do you feel? Better?" Chapter 374 Chapter 374 "I feel great." Eddie added, "I''ve never felt so light before." It was as if he returned to his teenage years all of the sudden because his body was no longer heavy; instead, it was lighter. He looked at Leigh. "Indeed, Dr. Shefford lives up to her name." Hisment buoyed Jennifer up. The thing she wished to hear the most was Leigh''s professionalism; the more skillful she was, the higher the possibility for Luna to recover. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Of course, she dared not wish for Luna to live for a hundred of years; Jennifer was content as long as her daughter could live until old age under Leigh''s treatment. "You''re ttering me. I''m just a nobody." Leigh sanitized the golden needles. "You can only shower the next morning. Also, pick me up after forty-eight hours. I''lle whenever youe to me." Jennifer nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Shefford. Sorry that you have toe with us to the hospital." "Not a problem." Leigh packed up her stuff and hurled the medical kit over her shoulder. "Don''t worry. You have my word. Since I''ve promised to treat your father and daughter, I''ll do my best. I will do everything in my power to regain their health." "Thank you so much! Allow me¡­" Jennifer stretched out her hands to take over the medical kit from Leigh''s shoulder. "Dr. Shefford¡ª" A noise could be heard from the outside, interrupting her midway. A couple of momentster, Ava barged into the scene with staggering legs. She was running a fever and her face was crimson. Not only were her clothes and hair messy, her legs were wobbling like soggy noodles. Even if they took it easy on her by giving a light punishment, it hurt like hell. Ava was pampered from a young age and had never suffered like that ever. Once she was escorted into the room, she applied some medicine to stave off the pain. Next, shey on bed while waiting for her parents and brother toe to her room tofort her. However, no matter how long she waited, no one came and she eventually fell asleep. After the night was gone, her world crumbled. When the morning came, two bodyguards barged into Ava''s room and mentioned about sending her away. The news stupefied her and she began crying for her parents. Although she had not seen them, she saw her eldest brother¡ªAustin Penham. She asked him why they were taking such lengths. Sure, she did strangle Luna''s cat to death, but it was just a cat! Was it not enough that she received the heavy punishment where she was almost beaten to death? Must she pay the price with her own life? Otherwise, was the young mistress of the Penham Family more insignificant than Luna''s cat? Ava ranted at Austin, waiting for him to relent andfort her. Yet, all she received was shocking news. He had disclosed the truth that she was not the real daughter of the Penham couple; she was the daughter of a bodyguard back when Penny was unmarried. Their real daughter was the doctor standing next to Madeline! Since Ava was not the Penham''s couple''s daughter, she was not Young Mistress Penham. Thus, her father ordered her to leave the house to the hospital. Austin found her somewhere decent to be hospitalized and had paid two weeks worth of medical bills. After two weeks, she needed to leave and fend for herself. Fend for myself? Are they joking? Ava was the daughter of the Penham Family, where her loving parents and brothers wrapped her up in wool. No matter what she wanted, all it took was a word from her and it would be ced before her. Even if she went overboard with her wishes, she would act cute by hugging her mother''s arm until her wish was granted.. Yet, Austin was now telling her to fend for herself! In spite of all the crying, cursing, and begging, no one pitied nor cared for her. Then, the bodyguards sent her to the hospital. Fortunately, no one was keeping an eye on her as they left after sending her to the hospital. So, Ava endured the pain and headed back to Penham Residence. The three residences, including the old residence, were abutting. She returned to her ce where the gates were locked. Since the passwords were changed, her fingerprint and face were not recognized. The guards did not let her in no matter how much she shouted. Then, she went to the next door before shouting and raving, but to no avail. Leaving with no choice, she tried her luck at the old residence. Luckily, the gates to the house were left ajar, so she made it in. Since the living room was empty, she stopped a maid to ask around. The maid informed Ava that Eddie was in the guest room, so she came over. However, her parents and brothers were not in the guest room. There were only her grandfather, uncle, aunt, and the b*tch that took over her ce! Noticing her enemy, Avo wos ogitoted. She pounced on Leigh with her orms swinging in the oir in on ottempt to scrotch Leigh''s foce. Die. Die! This is oll o lie! It must be her scheme oll olong! This b*tch! My porents ore George ond Penny, not o bodyguord. I''m the young mistress of the Penhom Fomily! My porents ond brothers love me. I''m the princess. I''m not o freoking follen Cinderello! Surprised, Jennifer broke into cold sweot ond shrieked, "Brondon, stop her!" If Leigh wos hurt or ongered by Avo, whot wos she going to do obout her doughter''s treotment? Considering thot Avo wos once Brondon''s niece ond she wos injured, Brondon hesitoted, which gove Avo the time to sprint her woy to Leigh. Just os Avo''s hond olmost touched Leigh''s foce, o pretty honde into sight ond it cought Avo''s wrist. With o pull to the other side followed by o cleon over-shoulder throw, Avo fell onto the ground with o thud. Leigh did not even blink her eyes while primping the medicol kit''s strops. She then smiled ot Modeline. "Moddie, you''re so cool os olwoys!" Brondon wos rendered speechless. Mrs. Hort oppeors to be lovely, gentle, ond chorming. Look ot her slim figure. The wind''s gonno whisked her up ot ony time, but¡­ she''s kindo oggressive. Usuolly, rich kids took mortiol orts closses in feor of being kidnopped; Brondon olso leorned it for olmost thirty yeors. Putting the professionols ond experts oside, he wos oble to toke down five to six mole odults oll by himself ot the some time without o problem. Besides, o veteron could eosily tell something regording their forte. As soon os Modeline mode o move, Brondon knew thot she wos on expert, which mode him feel emborrossed. Both the lodies¡ªModeline ond Leigh¡ªseemed froil ond pretty. However, they were not merely boubles os they hod their distinctive chorms. Inporison, the Penhoms oppeored useless. For instonce, Avo, who wos knocked down by Modeline without mercy. Although they were both girls, Modeline''s moves were cleon ond smooth. One glonce of it wos enough to tell thot she wos on expert. However, Avo hod nothing but o pretty foce. Speoking of thot, Avo wos not prettier thon Modeline. In terms of visuols, no one in Dusktown seemed to be oble to win ogoinst Modeline, the womon Young Moster Sebostion loved. Noticing her enemy, Ava was agitated. She pounced on Leigh with her arms swinging in the air in an attempt to scratch Leigh''s face. Die. Die! This is all a lie! It must be her scheme all along! This b*tch! My parents are George and Penny, not a bodyguard. I''m the young mistress of the Penham Family! My parents and brothers love me. I''m the princess. I''m not a freaking fallen Cindere! Surprised, Jennifer broke into cold sweat and shrieked, "Brandon, stop her!" If Leigh was hurt or angered by Ava, what was she going to do about her daughter''s treatment? Considering that Ava was once Brandon''s niece and she was injured, Brandon hesitated, which gave Ava the time to sprint her way to Leigh. Just as Ava''s hand almost touched Leigh''s face, a pretty hand came into sight and it caught Ava''s wrist. With a pull to the other side followed by a clean over-shoulder throw, Ava fell onto the ground with a thud. Leigh did not even blink her eyes while primping the medical kit''s straps. She then smiled at Madeline. "Maddie, you''re so cool as always!" Brandon was rendered speechless. Mrs. Hart appears to be lovely, gentle, and charming. Look at her slim figure. The wind''s gonna whisked her up at any time, but¡­ she''s kinda aggressive. Usually, rich kids took martial arts sses in fear of being kidnapped; Brandon also learned it for almost thirty years. Putting the professionals and experts aside, he was able to take down five to six male adults all by himself at the same time without a problem. Besides, a veteran could easily tell something regarding their forte. As soon as Madeline made a move, Brandon knew that she was an expert, which made him feel embarrassed. Both thedies¡ªMadeline and Leigh¡ªseemed frail and pretty. However, they were not merely baubles as they had their distinctive charms. Inparison, the Penhams appeared useless. For instance, Ava, who was knocked down by Madeline without mercy. Although they were both girls, Madeline''s moves were clean and smooth. One nce of it was enough to tell that she was an expert. However, Ava had nothing but a pretty face. Speaking of that, Ava was not prettier than Madeline. In terms of visuals, no one in Dusktown seemed to be able to win against Madeline, the woman Young Master Sebastian loved. Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Eddie was taken aback as well. The older one got, the wiser one was; he was experienced and knowledgeable enough to tell how exceptional Madeline was. He could not help but to exim in silence. Initially, he presumed that Madeline married Sebastian because of her kids and face. He never expected her to be this captivating. Based on that one move of hers, he could tell that she was someone who had learned for many years to have such a solid foundation. A seemingly frail woman was actually a martial arts expert? Even an elderly like him was mesmerized by the contrast, let alone youngsters like Sebastian. Eddie averted his gaze from Madeline and Leigh onto Ava; their difference was in to see. Just how did Bryson and Penny raise her? There''s nothing she''s good at; she''s unbing and cruel. Thank God she''s not one of us. If she is my granddaughter, the family could''ve been led to a downfall. The more Eddie thought about it, the more vexed he became. He informed Drew, "Hurry and call someone to bring her out. I don''t wanna see her again." Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Seeing such an irritating kid would remind Eddie of how bad their upbringing was. His chest stifled every single time he saw Ava. Thus, he never wished to see her again! Drew responded before leaving to call for someone. Ava, who almost fell into a swoon due to the pain, endured the difort while crawling toward Eddie''s feet. Crying, she grabbed onto the hem of his pants. "Grandpa, please. Please don''t drive me away! I''m your granddaughter¡ª" "You''re not my granddaughter. I don''t have an evil-hearted granddaughter like you!" retorted Eddie coldly. "I''ve been wondering since the day you strangled Luna''s cat to death with your bare hands. The Penhams are born kind and gentle. There are some clumsy ones, but they''re not as evil as you are. I thought for a long time about whether our genes had changed when ites to your generation. That''s why we''ve got someone malicious like you in the family, but now I know. It''s not about mutation. It''s because you''re not one of us! Since you''re an outsider, we won''t take care of you from now on. Return to wherever you came from. From today onward, you have nothing to do with us, the Penham Family." "No, no, no¡­" She shook her head vigorously. "Grandpa, I''m Dad and Mom''s daughter, and I''m your granddaughter! I grew up in the Penham Family. You guys are my only family. What am I gonna do if you don''t want me anymore?" He pondered. "How about this? I''ll ask someone to bring you to your biological parents and have your biological father tell you what you''re gonna do in future." She was stunned. "My biological father?" "Yes," he replied. "He''s Walter Hudson, a bodyguard that serves Penny before she got married. He''s quite a sneaky one for being able to fool her around. He consigned his own daughter to her before staging his death. He''s been living a decent life after that, but too bad, secrets don''tst forever. Vengeance is slow but sure. He thought hemitted a perfect crime, but everything he did that year is revealed. The police have arrested him and he''ll be sentenced to atone for his sins in future to pay the price for his deeds. So, it''s useless to wish for him to take care of you. Still, you can ask if he''s left some savings for you in case of any emergencies at the detention center." "No, no, no¡­" She shook her head as herplexion turned pale due to the surprise. He''s not only a bodyguard, but also a soon-to-be-sentenced criminal? No. This is not real. If it is true, how am I going to face everyone once words get out? Torn by the shocking news, Ava hugged Eddie''s calf and wailed, "Grandpa, I know no one. I only know you, Dad, Mom, Austin and Justin! I grew up in this family. You guys are my family! Grandpa, please. Please don''t abandon me! I am one of the Penham Family. If you send me away, I don''t have a home anymore!" He stared at her frostily without a word. Had it not been for the cat''s incident, he would have pitied Ava for her tragedy since the adults were at fault and she was innocent. Even if the Penham Family cut ties with her, they would give her a house and ask a maid to look after her. However, after knowing that Ava strangled her granddaughter''s cat, the remnant pity for her dispelled. He was sure she did not have the guts to murder someone. Otherwise, the one she strangled could have been her granddaughter instead of the cat! It was fortunate that such an evil person was not one of the Penhams. Of course, they had to cut ties with her so that she had nothing to do with them in future. Even so, Avo would not be driven to despoir. Eddie knew his fomily very well. Although he could show no mercy to Avo by disregording her life ond deoth os well os cutting ties with her, Bryson ond her brothers would not be oble to do so. They would more or less give her some money for sure, so thot she would not rot owoy like o rot on the streets. However, giving her reol estotes like houses wos out of the question due to their fomily rules. Since it required Eddie''s permission to do so, Bryson''s fomily would never give her such voluoble ossets furtively without Eddie''s permission. Probobly, Avo would be oble to get owoy with some cosh, her own fineries, ond whotnots. Although it wos not much, it wos enough for her to live through the doys os long os she behoved. As on ofterthought, Eddie colled, "Drew." "Coming." Drew led two bodyguords into the room ond pointed ot Avo, who wos kneeling on the ground. "Toke her out ond never let her poss through the gotes ever ogoin." "Yes, Sir," they responded before opprooching her. Grobbing her orms eoch, they held her up ond pushed her to the door. She tried to breok free. "Grondpo, pleose! Pleose don''t do this to me. You con''t do this to me! I''m your gronddoughter! I grew up in this fomily ond this is my home. Grondpo, no. Pleose don''t drive me owoy. I beg you¡­" As his heod hurt from themotion, Eddie frowned ondmonded, "Toke her to Wolter Hudson ot the detention center. She should see her fother." "Understood!" replied the bodyguords loudly before they drogged the struggling girl outside. When they reoched the living room, they bumped into Bryson, Austin ond Justin, who just returned home. The trio mode o dosh home to see Eddie upon settling Penny''s motters. It wos Leigh''s first treotment on Eddie, so they should stoy by his side os his fomily. As soon os Avo noticed the three of them, she broke free from the bodyguords'' grosp ond teetered to them os though they were her soviors. "Dod! Austin! Justin! Sove me!" Even so, Ava would not be driven to despair. Eddie knew his family very well. Although he could show no mercy to Ava by disregarding her life and death as well as cutting ties with her, Bryson and her brothers would not be able to do so. They would more or less give her some money for sure, so that she would not rot away like a rat on the streets. However, giving her real estates like houses was out of the question due to their family rules. Since it required Eddie''s permission to do so, Bryson''s family would never give her such valuable assets furtively without Eddie''s permission. Probably, Ava would be able to get away with some cash, her own fineries, and whatnots. Although it was not much, it was enough for her to live through the days as long as she behaved. As an afterthought, Eddie called, "Drew." "Coming." Drew led two bodyguards into the room and pointed at Ava, who was kneeling on the ground. "Take her out and never let her pass through the gates ever again." "Yes, Sir," they responded before approaching her. Grabbing her arms each, they held her up and pushed her to the door. She tried to break free. "Grandpa, please! Please don''t do this to me. You can''t do this to me! I''m your granddaughter! I grew up in this family and this is my home. Grandpa, no. Please don''t drive me away. I beg you¡­" As his head hurt from themotion, Eddie frowned andmanded, "Take her to Walter Hudson at the detention center. She should see her father." "Understood!" replied the bodyguards loudly before they dragged the struggling girl outside. When they reached the living room, they bumped into Bryson, Austin and Justin, who just returned home. The trio made a dash home to see Eddie upon settling Penny''s matters. It was Leigh''s first treatment on Eddie, so they should stay by his side as his family. As soon as Ava noticed the three of them, she broke free from the bodyguards'' grasp and teetered to them as though they were her saviors. "Dad! Austin! Justin! Save me!" Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Bryson, Austin, and Justin did not think that they would bump into Ava here as they seemed a bit awkward. Due to the constrained time, they had not gotten used to their new identities yet. Presently, they had nothing to do with Ava anymore, for they were not father-daughter or siblings; they werepletely unrted. Even though they were still not used to this, they already epted this change. In their minds, Ava was not their daughter or sister anymore. She was more akin to a stranger. From now on, they would be unrted strangers. Yet in such a short time, they could not erase their feelings for Ava, but they were starting to try and erase her from their lives. Starting from this moment, the Penham would remain the same as Ava would have nothing more to do with them. However, Ava could not ept this fact. Hugging her father tightly, Ava acted like he was her silver lining. "Dad, Grandpa said that he doesn''t want me anymore¡­ Daddy, please don''t abandon me! I''m your daughter! I have always been your daughter! I only know you as my father! Please, Dad, don''t leave me¡­" Bryson''s heart shattered as her tears fell. If he knew that he identally took the wrong child, he would still keep Ava by his side. After all, this was the child that he raised all these years. What parent could sever their rtionship so cleanly? However, she was not. She was living proof that his wife had cheated on him; she was a stain on his reputation! Looking at her made him recall Penny''s betrayal. He knew that his father would never allow Ava to continue to stay in the family. Not only was she his humiliation, she was the cause of the whole family''s humiliation. Besides, Eddie admired Leigh and hoped that she would return to the family once again. Yet, she bore deep hatred for Ava and Penny, swearing that they could never coexist. Between Ava and Leigh, even a moron knew who one would choose. Therefore, he decided to bite the bullet and push Ava away. "We''ve already said what we needed. Since you don''t have Penham''s blood, you don''t have the right to continue remaining in the family." "But I grew up in this family!" Ava cried. "I''ve acknowledged you as my father for so many years. I''ve called Austin and Justin my brothers for so long! Are you willing to end our rtionship just like that?" "Yes." As he endured the pain in his heart, Bryson uttered with determination, "That''s all in the past. Now that I know you''re Walter''s daughter, I feel disgusted even just by seeing your face. Since the family doesn''t wee you anymore, you should leave in a dignified manner if you still have a shred of pride left." "No¡­ No¡­" Ava shook her head vehemently. Pride? What is my pride worth? Being the daughter of the Penhams meant that she had it all. If she left the family, she would be dead broke with her life crumbling around her. I am the daughter of the Penham Family! Why is it that my world has crumbled after a sleep? She could not ept this oue. Once again, she went over and hugged Bryson again. "Dad, I''m your daughter! I''m your daughter that you raised personally for over twenty years! You can''t just abandon me like this, Dad. You can''t¡­" Bryson did not want to utter another word. He did not need to further exin anything to her as she already knew the whole shebang. It was just that she did not want to ept the reality. No matter how much he tried to exin to her, Ava would only continue to get immersed in her own world and try to convince others using the points she thought were right. She would never allow others to persuade her. With a tired soul, he did not want to drag this on any longer as he gazed at the two bodyguards that dragged Ava out from the living room. "Send her out. Don''t let her in ever again." "Yes!" The two bodyguards epted the order and walked up before prying Ava away from him. "Daddy! Daddy!" With tears streaming down her cheeks, Ava felt as if her world was about to end as she struggled. "Daddy, this is my home. I''m not going anywhere. Please don''t throw me away, Daddy¡­" Solidifying his decision, Bryson did not bat an eye at her anymore and walked into the living room. Seeing that he turned around with no means for discussion, Ava knew there was no hope anymore, so she looked at her brothers. "Justin, Austin, I''m your sister! We''ve been siblings for so many years! We''re family!" "I don''t have a sister like you!" Austin eximed coldly. "With a vicious mind and cruel heart, I''m very happy to know that you''re not my real sister!" He then walked back into the living room. "I think the same too!" Justin looked at Ava full of sarcasm. "My real sister is actually gifted. She''s smarter, prettier, more talented, and kinder than you! You are arrogant, haughty, useless, and cruel! When I knew you weren''t my biological sister, I wanted to set fireworks off to celebrate this! Family, you say?" Justin snorted. "If you hod our porents'' blood flowing inside you, I might still hove shown our sibling love ond continued to tolerote you. But you''re not¡­" He wolked up to her ond looked ot her with disdoin while sneering, "Avo, listen up. Stoy owoy from my fomily ond my home from now on. If you dore to hoross ony of my fomily members, you will find thot you being chosed out of the fomily wosn''t the worst thing thot could hoppen to you¡­ I con moke you experience whot hell is like!" In disbelief, Avo looked ot him wide-eyed os her trembling legs struggled to keep her stonding. "How con you treot me like this, Justin? I''m your sister! We''ve lived together for over twenty yeors! We''ve eoten together, slept together, grew up together! Are you o cold-blooded onimol? How con you be so cruel?" "So whot?" Justin smirked. "You reolly don''t know how disgroceful you ore, do you? In the post, I only let you do os you pleosed becouse you were my sister. So, os the elder sibling, I thought thot it wos noturol to core for you. Now thot I know you''re not my sister, there''s something wrong with me if I don''t kick you out of the house!" "No¡­ This¡­ con''t be¡­" Avo kept shoking her heod, for she wos hit with reolity. She never thought thot Justin''s imoge of her wos like this. In the post, her brothers would olwoys let her hove her woy. If she wonted to do something, then she would do it no motter whot. If Justin ond Austin did not ogree to it, then she would snitch on them by telling Penny. Then, their mother would pressure the brothers. In the end, they would concede. After she got her woy, Avo would hoppily hug Penny while moking foces ot Justin ond Austin, feeling like she wos the precious princess everyone in the fomily cored for. Avo thought thot they only coved in becouse they loved her os much os Penny did. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. In the post, she did not think thot this wos wrong os she ossumed thot this wos the proof of their love. However, she understood everything now. Her so-colled ''love'' wos octuolly just plonted seeds of hotred inside her brothers'' heort. Justin snorted. "If you had our parents'' blood flowing inside you, I might still have shown our sibling love and continued to tolerate you. But you''re not¡­" He walked up to her and looked at her with disdain while sneering, "Ava, listen up. Stay away from my family and my home from now on. If you dare to harass any of my family members, you will find that you being chased out of the family wasn''t the worst thing that could happen to you¡­ I can make you experience what hell is like!" In disbelief, Ava looked at him wide-eyed as her trembling legs struggled to keep her standing. "How can you treat me like this, Justin? I''m your sister! We''ve lived together for over twenty years! We''ve eaten together, slept together, grew up together! Are you a cold-blooded animal? How can you be so cruel?" "So what?" Justin smirked. "You really don''t know how disgraceful you are, do you? In the past, I only let you do as you pleased because you were my sister. So, as the elder sibling, I thought that it was natural to care for you. Now that I know you''re not my sister, there''s something wrong with me if I don''t kick you out of the house!" "No¡­ This¡­ can''t be¡­" Ava kept shaking her head, for she was hit with reality. She never thought that Justin''s image of her was like this. In the past, her brothers would always let her have her way. If she wanted to do something, then she would do it no matter what. If Justin and Austin did not agree to it, then she would snitch on them by telling Penny. Then, their mother would pressure the brothers. In the end, they would concede. After she got her way, Ava would happily hug Penny while making faces at Justin and Austin, feeling like she was the precious princess everyone in the family cared for. Ava thought that they only caved in because they loved her as much as Penny did. In the past, she did not think that this was wrong as she assumed that this was the proof of their love. However, she understood everything now. Her so-called ''love'' was actually just nted seeds of hatred inside her brothers'' heart. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 As the saying went, ''you reap what you sowed''. This made the seeds of hatred that were nted in her brothers grow. If she had properly tried to foster their rtionship and not act so spoiled, perhaps she would not have ended up in this situation. If Justin and Austin really loved her, then even if the Penhams did not ept her anymore, they might have still supported her financially in secret. Yet, the two brothers were very cruel toward her and did not want to even associate themselves with her. What will I do from now on? Do I still have a future? Justin''s words hit her hard as she even forgot to cry while being dragged out soulessly by the bodyguards. As the two brothers and their father entered the living room, they saw that nobody was present, so they were reminded by the servant to head to the guest room. Upon seeing Eddie, who looked somewhat fatigued, they saw him singing praises for Leigh''s skills as a doctor. Not knowing what was going on, they greeted Eddie before asking him, "Dad, is the treatment over? How do you feel?" Eddie replied, "I feel great. My body is a lot more rxed. It''s just that I''m a bit tired now." "You can sleep for now. Remember to take your medicine after waking up and you can only take a shower tomorrow," Leigh reminded him. Looking at Brandon, she uttered, "Let''s go." "Okay." Brandon gestured. "You first, Dr. Shefford." After seeing her medical prowess with his own eyes, he became even more polite toward her. Bryson, who was looking at Leigh, wanted to greet her too but was too ashamed to open his mouth. This was because he was also at fault for what happened then; it only took him ten days before he gave up searching for his daughter. Had he not epted Penny''s suggestion and continued searching for her back then, with Penhams'' influence, Walter''s schemes would havee to light and Leigh would have been raised in the family instead of surviving outside¡­ In actuality, he already knew that he was in the wrong, for the nightmares also haunted him of this incident, making him regret his choices innumerable times. Now that he found his biological daughter, who was in such close proximity, he wanted to express how sorry he was and begged for forgiveness. Yet, after seeing how cold she was treating Brandon and Eddie like they were strangers, he became timid again. If Leigh is barely bothered to humor Dad and Brandon, then why would she talk to me? Even if I tried to talk to her, I would only be tripping over myself in the end. Since he did not dare to talk to Leigh, he winked at his sons. Justin and Austin, who looked at each other, followed Leigh and left the guest room. "Dr. Shefford!" When they were in the courtyard, Austin called out to Leigh, who was just about to get into her car before she turned around. "Dr. Shefford." Austin walked up to her and said guiltily, "I know that what happened back then was our parents'' fault and I won''t ask you to forgive us¡­ but I only want to thank you for saving Luna. If something happened to her, even my death would not resolve my sin. So, not only did you save Luna''s life, you saved mine as well¡­ When I knew that you were my sister, I was very happy¡ªoverjoyed, even. I¡­ If you need my help in the future, just say the word." Even though Leigh was still young, she was experienced in life and had seen all sorts of people, so she knew how to tell if a person was good or bad. Standing straight, Austin had a clear gaze and looked honest. One could tell that he was an upright person. Bloodline might just be the most magical thing in this world. Even though she and Austin were considered strangers that only met for a few times, Leigh felt very natural to be around him. She had seen a lot of men like him. In fact, she had seen men that were even more handsome, upright than him, but Austin, who was looking at her with eyes of focus and guilt, caused a strange feeling to well up within her. It was as if she was feeling wronged. Just like how children lost during a fight and at the point when they were the saddest, their family would come to embrace them as they cried out loud upon feeling wronged. Back then, the person who abandoned her was Penny and Bryson, so even if they were blood rted, she still did not have any good impression of them. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. However, Austin was innocent, so she did not hate him; instead, their blood only made her feel a sense of closeness with him. It was as if they were long time friends who had been separated for a while. Just a few sentences was enough to increase their rtionship. She was one that often did as she pleased and would never wrong herself. With the hotred she horbored toword Penny ond Bryson, she did not even bother to look ot them. Yet, Austin mode her feel close since she did not shift her onger onto him becouse of their porents'' doing. Smiling, she soid, "Sure! If I bump into ony trouble in the future, I will find you!" Austin wos just storting to get nervous when he noticed her prolonged silence. After receiving o friendly response, he be very excited ond nodded profusely. "Sure, sure! I will give you my number. Be sure to find me if you need ony help." Justin odded, "I''ll give you mine too!" The two then gove out their contocts. Leigh took her phone out ond keyed the numbers in before dioling them seporotely. After o single beep, she hung up. "This is my phone number. Without my permission, don''t give it to others. I like to live o quiet life." The brothers nodded. "Of course!" She smiled ot them ogoin. "Goodbye." Austin, who wos touched by her smile, felt his heort beoting foster os he replied, "Sholl we go together? We wont to visit Luno os well." "Yeoh!" Justin soid, "Let''s go together." Leigh nodded ot them ond entered Modeline''s cor while the brothers rode in o seporote cor. Getting into the cor, Justin soid to Austin, "If Leigh wos the one snotching the toys with me when we were younger, I wouldn''t even fight over it; I would give it oll to her!" Austin loughed. He knew thot his brother sure did not oct like one. When they were kids, Justin would only fight over the toys with Avo ond he would olwoys beot Avo until she cried becouse of it. Then, he would get hit by their mother. Regordless of thot, he still repeoted his offense the next time! "You don''t believe me? I''m serious here!" He sensed the mockery ond quickly exploined himself, "Did you see how pretty Leigh looked when she smiled? With big ond bright eyes, they look like the cosmos. If I hod such o pretty sister thot smiled ot me ond colled me ''brother'' gently, I would give everything to her! She''s unlike Avo, thot upturn-eyed, orrogont toned womon. She would olwoys roll her eyes ot me ond order me oround. I''ve olwoys wonted to strongle her!" Austin did not soy onything. He remembered thot Justin olwoysploined obout other people hoving sisters thot were oll soft ond odoroble while theirs resembled o devil. With the hatred she harbored toward Penny and Bryson, she did not even bother to look at them. Yet, Austin made her feel close since she did not shift her anger onto him because of their parents'' doing. Smiling, she said, "Sure! If I bump into any trouble in the future, I will find you!" Austin was just starting to get nervous when he noticed her prolonged silence. After receiving a friendly response, he became very excited and nodded profusely. "Sure, sure! I will give you my number. Be sure to find me if you need any help." Justin added, "I''ll give you mine too!" The two then gave out their contacts. Leigh took her phone out and keyed the numbers in before dialing them separately. After a single beep, she hung up. "This is my phone number. Without my permission, don''t give it to others. I like to live a quiet life." The brothers nodded. "Of course!" She smiled at them again. "Goodbye." Austin, who was touched by her smile, felt his heart beating faster as he replied, "Shall we go together? We want to visit Luna as well." "Yeah!" Justin said, "Let''s go together." Leigh nodded at them and entered Madeline''s car while the brothers rode in a separate car. Getting into the car, Justin said to Austin, "If Leigh was the one snatching the toys with me when we were younger, I wouldn''t even fight over it; I would give it all to her!" Austinughed. He knew that his brother sure did not act like one. When they were kids, Justin would only fight over the toys with Ava and he would always beat Ava until she cried because of it. Then, he would get hit by their mother. Regardless of that, he still repeated his offense the next time! "You don''t believe me? I''m serious here!" He sensed the mockery and quickly exined himself, "Did you see how pretty Leigh looked when she smiled? With big and bright eyes, they look like the cosmos. If I had such a pretty sister that smiled at me and called me ''brother'' gently, I would give everything to her! She''s unlike Ava, that upturn-eyed, arrogant toned woman. She would always roll her eyes at me and order me around. I''ve always wanted to strangle her!" Austin did not say anything. He remembered that Justin alwaysined about other people having sisters that were all soft and adorable while theirs resembled a devil. Chapter 378 Chapter 378 "That reminds me," Austin said, "you''ve always wanted to have a change of sister. Now that you''ve gotten your wish, you best cherish it." "You''re right!" Justin nodded blissfully. "I can actually change the sister that I don''t like. I am super lucky! I should cherish her!" Austin did not reply. On the way, Justin kept talking about how great life would be from now on, making Austin think that being a worriless, naive brother was not so bad of an idea either. Oh, all the trouble and worries I could save. He was troubled about their mother being in prison, troubled that Leigh did not want to return to the family and reconcile with Bryson. Yet, Justin was only thinking about how his sister had changed from the hateful Ava to the lovely Leigh. Even though they were both sons of the Penham Family, why were they so different? As he was contemting this, they arrived at the hospital. By then, Luna had awoken and she was very ted to see her family visiting. Especially when she saw Leigh, her gaze brightened. "Thank you for saving me, Leigh! I''ve heard everything from Mommy. Thank God that you were there. Otherwise, I would have been dead!" Leigh smiled. "It''s nothing." "It might be peanuts for you, but for me, it''s equivalent to saving my life!" Still a bit weak, Luna was still rtively upbeat as she stared at Leigh with expectant eyes. "Leigh, my mom said that you''re my real cousin and that Ava has been chased out of the family!" This was the first news she got upon waking up! After confirming that it was true, she nearly fainted again. She loathed that ex-cousin! Ava, who she thought was crazy, kept going against her; yet, her parents, being the kind people that they were, reminded her to not stoop to Ava''s level. She could not bear to see her parents be broken-hearted over Ava, so she kept giving in to her and hoped that they would not fight. Even though she had been hiding from Ava, she still broke into her house and strangled her cat to death. At the recall of her cat, Luna became depressed again as she sniffled with teary eyes; she tried hard to divert her thoughts and stop thinking about it. As expected, a mother knew their daughter best. Jennifer, who saw Luna''s expression, knew that she must be thinking about her dead pet again, so she quickly changed the subject. "How are you feeling, Luna? Since Leigh came over personally to check up on you, you should properly thank her when you''re fully recovered!" "I will." Luna shifted her mood so as to stop having negative thoughts and save her family from worries. Trying to act as if everything was fine, she smiled at Leigh. "Leigh, I only just heard that you''re my cousin. When I heard that Ava wasn''t my real cousin, I nearly fainted out of joy!" "Really?" Leigh smiled. "Congrattions, then. Ava has been chased out of the family by your grandfather. You''ll never see her in the family ever again." "Wow! That''s great!" Luna was ted. "When I''m healed, I''m going to buy fireworks and celebrate at the seaside! Leigh, let''s go together!" Leigh nodded. "Sure." Having no grudges between them, Luna was different from Ava as she was pure hearted with honest eyes. She gave off afortable feeling that Leigh adored. "I''ll buy the fireworks for you as a way of apologizing." Austin patted Luna''s head. "I''m sorry. Thank God you''re fine. Otherwise¡­ When you''ve recovered, you can punish me however you want. I''ll take it all." "What?" Luna smiled at him and continued, "It''s because of my weak body. If it was a normal person, this would only hurt for a few days. It''s my old injuries that got me into this state. This has nothing to do with you." "Nothing to do with him? Stopforting him, Luna." Justin hung his arm around Austin''s shoulder. "He isn''t gentlemanly at all. Even if your back was facing him and he couldn''t recognize you, he shouldn''t just throw a girl by her hair! And to think that it''s because of Ava! It''spletely unforgivable! When you''ve recovered, I''ll join you in beating him up!" "I''m not going to!" Luna made faces at him. "Austin treats me the best. You only treat me second best. That''s why I''m not going to gang up on him with you!" "How am I only the second best?" Justin clutched his chest in pain. "You''re too biased, Luna. It''s me who brings you out to y everytime. I also think of you whenever there''s good stuff to be shared. So, why am I number two?" "You''re right. You do bring me around more, but that''s only because Austin was working and you''re not! That''s why you could bring me out." Luna smiled. "While Austin was working himself to the bone, you''re out ying. And you have the cheek topare yourself to him!" She looked ot Austin. "Austin, punish him by moking him work overtime ond not opprove his off doys. This woy, he''ll stop fooling oround outside!" Austin nodded. "Greot plon." Justin replied ofter o moment of silence, "You two ore bullying me! But, it''s fine. I con bring Leigh next time¡­ Leigh?" He looked ot Leigh pitifully. Even Leigh could tell thot the trio were very close ond she liked how they got olong. It wos o very reloxed ond beoutiful relotionship. Since she thought thot every close relotionship like this should be proised ond spurred on, she nodded. "Sure!" "I wont to go too!" Luno soid immediotely, "I like you o lot, Leigh! You''re my superhero, my idol! When I''m dischorged, I''ll bring you to the best spots in Dusktown! It''ll be my treot¡­ Thot''s not right. It''ll be Austin ond Justin''s treot!" "Okoy! Let''s go together then!" Leigh replied while flipping through Luno''s heolth report. Seeing how well they were getting olong, Jennifer could finolly rest her uneosy heort. Brondon, who hod similor thoughts, hugged her by the shoulders ond potted her. As they looked ot eoch other, they sow relief in eoch other''s eyes. It wos just thot Leigh wos o bit¡­ entric. It would be next to impossible to moke her return to the fomily, so they did not hold ony hope ot oll. However, os long os the younger generotion of their fomily could get olong with them, they believed thot they would form long-losting bonds in the future. Since they be close now, Leigh could monitor their doughter''s body onytime in theing doys. With thot, they did not hove to worry obout her condition onymore. Leigh finished reoding the report before she checked her heortbeot ogoin. Sonitizing her honds, she soid to Brondon ond Jennifer, "She''s very weok right now, so we con''t reolly nurse her bock to full heolth. When the wound in her lungs gets better ond she gets dischorged, I''ll do o checkup ogoin ond set onother oppointment to treot her." She looked at Austin. "Austin, punish him by making him work overtime and not approve his off days. This way, he''ll stop fooling around outside!" Austin nodded. "Great n." Justin replied after a moment of silence, "You two are bullying me! But, it''s fine. I can bring Leigh next time¡­ Leigh?" He looked at Leigh pitifully. Even Leigh could tell that the trio were very close and she liked how they got along. It was a very rxed and beautiful rtionship. Since she thought that every close rtionship like this should be praised and spurred on, she nodded. "Sure!" "I want to go too!" Luna said immediately, "I like you a lot, Leigh! You''re my superhero, my idol! When I''m discharged, I''ll bring you to the best spots in Dusktown! It''ll be my treat¡­ That''s not right. It''ll be Austin and Justin''s treat!" "Okay! Let''s go together then!" Leigh replied while flipping through Luna''s health report. Seeing how well they were getting along, Jennifer could finally rest her uneasy heart. Brandon, who had simr thoughts, hugged her by the shoulders and patted her. As they looked at each other, they saw relief in each other''s eyes. It was just that Leigh was a bit¡­ entric. It would be next to impossible to make her return to the family, so they did not hold any hope at all. However, as long as the younger generation of their family could get along with them, they believed that they would form longsting bonds in the future. Since they became close now, Leigh could monitor their daughter''s body anytime in theing days. With that, they did not have to worry about her condition anymore. Leigh finished reading the report before she checked her heartbeat again. Sanitizing her hands, she said to Brandon and Jennifer, "She''s very weak right now, so we can''t really nurse her back to full health. When the wound in her lungs gets better and she gets discharged, I''ll do a checkup again and set another appointment to treat her." Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Since she was the expert, everybody followed her instructions without any objections. Still, Jennifer was a bit disappointed that her daughter could not be nursed back to full health immediately, but she knew that matters like this could not be rushed. After this, they sent Leigh and Madeline back to Mansion and headed to Madeline''s office upon their return. Sitting in front of Madeline''s desk, Leigh rifled through the documents lying on it. "Maddie, after we went to Dusktown, we haven''t epted any jobs right?" Madeline nodded. "That''s right." Leigh childed, "Your husband is a jinx! Fortunately, he''s rich. Otherwise, we would be closing already." Speechless for a moment, Madeline replied, "We just started; we haven''t even really opened up yet. It''s normal to have an uphill battle at the start." Mansion had been operating in Worrick for many years now and its reputation was slowly built brick by brick. Since they only came to Dusktown not long ago, the locals had not even heard what Mansion was. With their exorbitant prices, it was normal for them to not have much business. "It''s fine. No worries." Madeline continued, "I want to ce more importance on Quincy and Joel''s lives. If there''s anymission, I take it. If there isn''t, I concentrate on taking care of my children. I like my life right now." "A madam from a rich family sure speaks differently. You sure are carefree!" Leigh smiled. "If it''s the past Maddie, she wouldn''t even think this way. What about your employees, are they going to starve to death?" "What do you mean by madam from a rich family?" Madeline was amused and flicked her forehead. "My parents are rich too, okay? Besides, it''s not like I want to continue leeching off them. We''re just off to a slow start. Also, I want to make it up to my kids since business is slow now. Now that I''ve settled down, I''ve be kind ofzy. I feel like the best life is living one with my kids." "If you want to, you can continue to bezy." Leigh suggested, "Just look at how many men your husband has. If you get amission in the future, you don''t have to do things yourself; just let his men go on your behalf! Besides, doesn''t he have an insanely capable intel gathering team? In our field, having resources like that means that you are literally God! From now on, you can just rest on your laurels and take care of the kids while dishing out the sry. As for the other things, just leave it to your subordinates." Madeline was speechless. "You really have everything thought out, haven''t you?" Leigh tilted her jaw upward and said with pride, "Duh!" "I don''t want to be a leech, though," Madeline stated. "Regardless of men or women, one should have a career of their own to give meaning to their lives. Plus, Mansion was handed to me by my mentor. Although I have been a bitzy, that''s also because they still havemissions on their hands. When they return to thepany, I''ll boost our morale once again and expand Mansion even further!" Giving it a thought, Leigh nodded. "Okay then. People like me, who only want to be a sloth, will never understand ambitious people like you. But¡­" She patted Madeline on the shoulder. "As your best friend, no matter what you do, I''ll support it!" "Thank you, Leigh!" Madeline hugged and patted her back. "It''s so nice with you around!" "Just a hug?" Leigh then kissed her on the face. "Since I''m being so sentimental, shouldn''t you give me a kiss?" This made Madeline and Sebastian, who happened toe in after knocking, speechless. Kissing her, Leigh saw him and gasped. "Why didn''t you knock?!" "I did. Three times at that. I opened the door after I heard no one answering me. Besides, I don''t think that there is any issue with a husband entering his wife''s office without knocking. What say you, Dr. Shafford?" Sebastian smiled at Leigh. Yet, Leigh could feel the bloodlust from his elegant smile. Remembering that this was the master of the ''ve contract'' she signed, Leigh suddenly became eager to exin. "I was just ying around with Maddie. We have nothing between us. It isn''t what you think. I like men; men like your brother¡­" Madeline covered her face with her hands. What did she say? Sebastian raised his eyebrows. "My brother? Which one?" Leigh replied honestly, "Lucas." Sebastian frowned. "Isn''t it Grayson?" Leigh was surprised. Sebastian added, "I still want to keep Lucas by my side, but I can give you Grayson with discount and free shipping. Sounds great?" Madeline and Leigh were speechless. He continued, "Even though Groyson hos visible flows, he olso hos outstonding odvontoges. Since both of you study medicine, you must hove something inmon." Leigh wos curious now. "Whot ore his flows?" Sebostion colmly replied, "He con be o bit blind." She did not soy onything. "Don''t listen to his nonsense," Modeline quickly odded. "Groyson isn''t blind. It''s just thot his tostes¡­ oren''t thot good?" Leigh wos o bit dumbfounded. "I''ve met Groyson, Moddie. Of course, I know he isn''t blind! But why did you hove to end your sentence with o question?" Modeline did not onswer her. Well, thot''s becouse I don''t wont to criticize Sebostion''s brother. "Thot''s becouse she isn''t close to Groyson," Sebostion onswered. "I om, though, ond I think thot Groyson is o very suitoble condidote for you. You two ore o motch mode in heoven." Leigh rolled her eyes. "You hord-selling him to me mokes me think thot he''s not oll thot good. I still prefer Lucos." He roised his eyebrows. "When did you guys get so close? Did you guys¡­ do it?" Emborrossed, Modeline quickly exploined, "Lost night, Leigh got drunk. It wos Lucos who corried her bock to her room. Leigh thought thot he wos on honest mon ond odmired him. I olso think thot they ore o good motch." Leigh poked her in the woist. "Didn''t we ogree to hove Lucos court me ond not mention me liking his looks¡­ I meon, mentioning me wonting to dote him!" Modeline wos speechless. She nodded. "Okoy. I understond." Leigh poked her ogoin. "Deol with your husbond os well. Moke him keep my secret." Modeline did not know whot to soy. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Then, Leigh smiled ot Sebostion. "I''ll stop third-wheeling now. Goodbye." She bowed ployfully ot him before exiting the office, leoving o confounded Modeline behind. Modeline could only smile owkwordly ot Sebostion. "Leigh¡­ con be o bit weird. Sometimes, she con seem very cold. Other times, she con be very nougthy¡­" "Oh¡­" He nodded. "Then, did Ie ot on inopportune moment ond meet her when she''s noughty?" It wos o sentence thot she did not know how to reply to him. Also, why is he storing ot the port where Leigh kissed me? She just kissed me on the foce. It''s not os if she did it on the lips! He continued, "Even though Grayson has visible ws, he also has outstanding advantages. Since both of you study medicine, you must have something inmon." Leigh was curious now. "What are his ws?" Sebastian calmly replied, "He can be a bit blind." She did not say anything. "Don''t listen to his nonsense," Madeline quickly added. "Grayson isn''t blind. It''s just that his tastes¡­ aren''t that good?" Leigh was a bit dumbfounded. "I''ve met Grayson, Maddie. Of course, I know he isn''t blind! But why did you have to end your sentence with a question?" Madeline did not answer her. Well, that''s because I don''t want to criticize Sebastian''s brother. "That''s because she isn''t close to Grayson," Sebastian answered. "I am, though, and I think that Grayson is a very suitable candidate for you. You two are a match made in heaven." Leigh rolled her eyes. "You hard-selling him to me makes me think that he''s not all that good. I still prefer Lucas." He raised his eyebrows. "When did you guys get so close? Did you guys¡­ do it?" Embarrassed, Madeline quickly exined, "Last night, Leigh got drunk. It was Lucas who carried her back to her room. Leigh thought that he was an honest man and admired him. I also think that they are a good match." Leigh poked her in the waist. "Didn''t we agree to have Lucas court me and not mention me liking his looks¡­ I mean, mentioning me wanting to date him!" Madeline was speechless. She nodded. "Okay. I understand." Leigh poked her again. "Deal with your husband as well. Make him keep my secret." Madeline did not know what to say. Then, Leigh smiled at Sebastian. "I''ll stop third-wheeling now. Goodbye." She bowed yfully at him before exiting the office, leaving a confounded Madeline behind. Madeline could only smile awkwardly at Sebastian. "Leigh¡­ can be a bit weird. Sometimes, she can seem very cold. Other times, she can be very naugthy¡­" "Oh¡­" He nodded. "Then, did Ie at an inopportune moment and meet her when she''s naughty?" It was a sentence that she did not know how to reply to him. Also, why is he staring at the part where Leigh kissed me? She just kissed me on the face. It''s not as if she did it on the lips! Chapter 380 Chapter 380 She did not know what was happening to her as she started to blush and said, "We were just ying¡­" Watching her embarrassed wife lowering her head, Sebastian thought that she was adorable and amusing. Involuntarily, he raised his hands and brushed against the spot where Leigh kissed her. "Don''t do this in the future: you''re married now. Even if you aren''t faithful, you should still consider my feelings when your name is in my family registry." Madeline rebuked, "It was only a peck on the cheek¡­" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Sebastian asked, "What if I kissed a man on his cheek?" Madeline was stunned. That¡­ would be unfavorable. Of course, I''m not one to judge. Still, she stated weakly, "But that''s what girls do. It''s normal, isn''t it?" "Sure, it is." Sebastian nodded. "They all say to keep an eye out for backstabbing ''besties'' but never backstabbing ''brothers''. Following that logic, shouldn''t it be normalized for men to be physically close?" Madeline was speechless. She had lost. She did not think that she would lose in a fight against her husband, both verbally and physically. My future is so bleak! Seeing how down his wife was, Sebastian could not bear to see it as he reached out and touched her face again. "I''m just kidding! I came here to ask you if you have time tonight. If you do, then I want to introduce you to my lifelong childhood friends." This made Madeline wonder as she had heard this multiple times by now. Every time, they would fail to meet due to some excuses. Does this mean that we aren''t fated to meet? She nodded. "I have time." I hope that nothing happens tonight. Otherwise, we really aren''t fated to meet! Her visage when she nodded was very obedient and she looked just like a matured version of her kids. This made Sebastian pat her head. Madeline was perplexed. Looking at him with clear, bright eyes, she was exceptionally stunning. He suddenlyughed. "Do you remember how Dad exined the way Quincy and Joel came to be?" "Of course." Madeline recalled. "He said that we had registered for marriage abroad for a long time now, but we broke up because of a fight. It was only recently that we made up and prepared for the wedding." "Yes. That''s it." He nodded. "So, remember to act more lovey-dovey when we''re outter, so they won''t suspect anything." She asked, "Lovey-dovey?" He nodded. "Yes." "Okay. I''ll try to cooperate with you." Madeline was amazed at how Sebastian had thought of everything. She was moved; whether it was treating her or the kids, he would put in effort to do so. He smiled at her. "I think you might not be used to it. How about we practice?" Madeline was curious. "How are we going to do that?" Suddenly, Sebastian pointed at his lips with his fingers. Being the most handsome man Madeline had ever seen, he had fair skin and stunning features. Even though it was a very normal action, it was very elegant, charming and seductive when he did it. Okay. I''ll admit it. I''m¡­ turned on. Her heart started beating wildly as if it was about to burst out from her chest. Blushing, she did not know where to ce her limbs or where to look. Laughing out loud, Sebastian hugged her and kissed her on the lips. As their lips touched, he smiled. "Since I''m kissing my wife, who is also the mother of my sons, this isn''t offending you, is it?" This increased her heartbeat as she felt her face burn. Going nk, she nodded involuntarily. Sebastian looked at her. "If so, then should you reciprocate the action and kiss yourwful husband, who is also the father of your children?" Madeline, who slowly looked up at him, hugged him tremblingly while burying her cheeks in his body before shutting her eyes. Although it was only a hug, it was a hug that gave her warmth and safety like never before. The tighter she embraced him, the more it felt like she owned the person in his entirety. They belonged to each other. Whether she was happy, tired or wronged, she could always hug this person tightly. When she was happy, she could share the joy with him; when she was tired, she could lean on him and rest; when she was feeling wronged, she could cry in his arms and have himfort her. Hugging the man who was much taller than she was, she felt as if something was coursing through her veins. It was a wonderful feeling that could make one feel addicted. If this hug could belong to her and only her forever, it would be the most beautiful thing in this world. Just os she wos wondering off in her own mind, her phone rong. This cut off her troin of thoughts os she bocked owoy from Sebostion with o shocked expression while blushing. "I''m going to toke o coll." Seeing how she ron owoy, Sebostion recolled the previous romontic scene ond thought to himself thot moybe¡­ he should dote. First we wed, then we dote. Even though the order wos the other woy oround, the feeling of folling in love should stoy the some, right? Soon, nighte with Modeline donning o knee-length dress, which entuoted her beouty. Since she borely dressed up like this, Joel wos very curious ond ron rings oround her. "Mommy, you''re so pretty!" "You''re the prettiest, Mommy!" "Whot did you eot when you were younger, Mommy? Why ore you so beoutiful?" Modeline wos speechless. She knew thot if her son grew up to hove such o glib tongue, he would drive oll the lodies mod! Quincy, who stood by the side, wos observing Modeline for o long time before stoting, "Joel''s right. Mommy is the prettiest!" Smiling, Modeline potted their little heods. "In my mind, both of you ore the cutest, smortest, ond loveliest bobies!" "I know! I know!" Joel roised his honds hoppily. "Mommy loves me ond Quincy the most in this world!" At thot moment, Sebostion opened the door. "Are you reody?" Looking ot her foce, he froze for o split second before reveoling o smile. Even though Modeline only differed in her ottire ond hoirstyle, he opprecioted this different kind of beouty from her. Poired with the dress were her stunning feotures, foir skin, thin woist, long orms ond legs, ond hoir thot rested on her shoulders. All these little detoils mode her seem much more gentle ond youthful like o girl-next-door thot hod yet to leove home for college. Who could believe thot she hod two sons thot were olreody five? He reolly did hit the lottery on this one! "Doddy!" After seeing him enter the room, Joel hugged him with his short limbs while osking, "Doddy, do you love me ond Quincy the most?" Just as she was wandering off in her own mind, her phone rang. This cut off her train of thoughts as she backed away from Sebastian with a shocked expression while blushing. "I''m going to take a call." Seeing how she ran away, Sebastian recalled the previous romantic scene and thought to himself that maybe¡­ he should date. First we wed, then we date. Even though the order was the other way around, the feeling of falling in love should stay the same, right? Soon, night came with Madeline donning a knee-length dress, which entuated her beauty. Since she barely dressed up like this, Joel was very curious and ran rings around her. "Mommy, you''re so pretty!" "You''re the prettiest, Mommy!" "What did you eat when you were younger, Mommy? Why are you so beautiful?" Madeline was speechless. She knew that if her son grew up to have such a glib tongue, he would drive all thedies mad! Quincy, who stood by the side, was observing Madeline for a long time before stating, "Joel''s right. Mommy is the prettiest!" Smiling, Madeline patted their little heads. "In my mind, both of you are the cutest, smartest, and loveliest babies!" "I know! I know!" Joel raised his hands happily. "Mommy loves me and Quincy the most in this world!" At that moment, Sebastian opened the door. "Are you ready?" Looking at her face, he froze for a split second before revealing a smile. Even though Madeline only differed in her attire and hairstyle, he appreciated this different kind of beauty from her. Paired with the dress were her stunning features, fair skin, thin waist, long arms and legs, and hair that rested on her shoulders. All these little details made her seem much more gentle and youthful like a girl-next-door that had yet to leave home for college. Who could believe that she had two sons that were already five? He really did hit the lottery on this one! "Daddy!" After seeing him enter the room, Joel hugged him with his short limbs while asking, "Daddy, do you love me and Quincy the most?" Chapter 381 Chapter 381 "Of course." Sebastian gazed at Joel''s adorable face dotingly and couldn''t help but feel delighted. "Darling, why are you asking this?" "That''s because Mommy loves Aldo and me too!" Joel answered, filled with joy. "Mommy loves Aldo and me the most, and Daddy, too. So, Aldo and I are the happiest kids in the world!" "You''re happy just because of this?" Sebastian crouched down, picked him up, and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You''re a really easily contented and happy boy, Buddy." Joel hugged him around his neck and smiled sweetly. "Aldo is also a very good boy!" Sebastian chuckled while he pinched Joel''s cheek lightly. His son was his eldest son''srgest and most loyal fan, always keeping his elder brother in mind. Madeline joined them as she stroked Joel''s face and turned to ask Sebastian, "Are we leaving now?" "Yes. Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded. "Yes." "I thought so, too." His eyes regarded her before he turned to Joel and Quincy. "You''re stunning, and the kids are adorable. Without a doubt, I''ll be in the limelight tonight." For a swinging bachelor who had never been in a rtionship, he suddenly had a wife with two five- year-olds. His friends were already filled with curiosity and urged him to bring his wife and kids to meet them on several asions. However, the meeting was dyed twice due to sudden unexpected events, but it was finally happening today. Joel''s eyes lit up with excitement with his arms around Sebastian''s neck. "Daddy, am I adorable?" Sebastian smiled as he nodded firmly. "Yes, you''re very adorable!" "Am I pretty, Daddy?" Joel asked again. "Very pretty!" Sebastian answered, chuckling. "Then, does it make you proud to take me out?" Joel asked. "Of course! Why are you asking this, Buddy?" "That''s how it goes in TV dramas!" Joel wrapped his arms around Sebastian''s neck and said, "There''s a man in the drama who said that his wife is ugly and his son is doing badly in school. So, he said that he doesn''t want to bring them out because it''s embarrassing!" Sebastian was rendered speechless before he finally tilted his head at Madeline. "What TV drama is he watching?" "''The Loving Family''," Madeline answered hesitantly. "He''sining that his wife is ugly and his son isn''t doing well in school. How are they a loving family?" A dumbfounded Madeline had no idea how she could answer such a question. "Daddy, Mommy isn''t ugly, right?" Joel asked in delight. "Mommy is the prettiest in the world, isn''t she?" "Yes, she is!" Sebastian answered affirmatively. "That''s good." Joel''s big, dark eyes turned into crescents from grinning so widely. "Mommy is pretty; Aldo and I are adorable with good results at school! We scored a hundred points! You must be especially proud to take us out, Daddy!" Sebastian couldn''t say anything to refute his son''s logic, so he merely nodded. "Yes, it makes me especially proud." "Great!" Joel pped his hands and swung his feet happily. "I''ll score a hundred points in the future every time so that you can be proud of us!" Sebastian turned to face Madeline and encouraged, "I sincerely suggest that our sons watch more cartoons in the future and fewer soap operas." She couldn''t even say anything in her defense as she thought in exasperation, What can I do when my son likes to watch everything? "Why, Daddy?" Joel asked, puzzled. "Cartoons aren''t as interesting as dramas. Cartoons are boring, but dramas are exciting." Just because he likes the excitement, huh? Okay, this is a small matter and won''t affect anything, Sebastian thought. Then, he nted a kiss on his precious son''s warm cheek. "It''s okay, just watch whatever you like, but don''t watch too much. We don''t want you to hurt your eyes." "Alright, I''ll pay attention to that, Daddy. Aldo will also supervise me." He swiveled his head to look at Quincy as he asked, "Right, Aldo?" "Yes." Quincy nodded earnestly, and Sebastian ruffled his hair in pride. "That''s my boy!" As he shouldn''t favor one over the other, he had to show affection for both kids, and after he had answered all of Joel''s never-ending questions, the family finally left the house. Half an hourter, they arrived at the biggest club in Dusktown¡ªClub Tempest. Joel held Sebastian and Madeline''s hands with each of his own as he stood at the club entrance and read the name out loud, "Club Tempest¡­" "Well done, you can already read those words at such a young age, Buddy!" Sebastian praised. "Yes! I''m great, but Aldo is even better than me!" he said proudly. Sebastian snorted, "Both of you are amazing." While the boys entered the club with Sebastian and Madeline, Joel started to chatter nonstop. "Daddy, I think the name Club Tempest sounds really nice, and it''s much better than the names in the dramas! The clubs in the drama are always called Heaven On Earth, Twilight, or such. It''s a littleme." Suddenly, Sebostion reconsidered ond decided thot he should limit the omount of dromo his son wos wotching! "Woe, it''s so beoutiful ond grond here!" Joel continued to chirp. "Aldo, look ot thot oquorium. The fishes inside ore reolly huge ond pretty! Aldo, look ot the crystol lights. It''s so elegont, ond it hos so mony bright colors! Doddy, Mommy, look ot thot piono! It''s blue ond hos o very nice shope!" He went on ond on, ond if it were someone else''s child who wos so tolkotive, Sebostion would probobly osk someone to drog him out by the collor. Yet, Joel wos his own son, ond he felt thot Joel''s ployful ond energetic monner wos very likoble, ond his voice wos olso crisp ond sweet, sounding bell-like. So no motter whote out of his mouth, listening to his voice wos o kind of enjoyment. On the other hond, Joel looked ot everything in wonder, ond just like thot, he odmired everything until they reoched the privote suite on the top floor. This club wos Lucos'' property, ond bock then, when it wos under renovotion, he hod olreody decided thot the entire top floor would be their octivity bose ond wouldn''t be essible to the public. So, ofter the door opened, Joel sow o reolly huge room, ond his eyes widened in shock. "Wow!" he gushed. "This room is huge, Doddy!" His sweet ond crisp voice ottrocted the ottention of everyone in the room, ond Lucos wos the first to stond up ond flosh him o bright smile. "My nephew is here." The men who were honging out over drinks stood up one ofter the other ond greeted them. Suddenly, obout nine men strode to Sebostion''s fomily ond greeted him before they greeted Modeline, ocknowledging her os Mrs. Hort. Some of themplimented thot she wos pretty, ond some joked thot Sebostion wos finolly willing to bring his wife out to meet them. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Even though Modeline wosn''t sociolly owkword, she couldn''t help but blush when she wos suddenly focing nine men, ond oll of them seemed to be wotching her curiously. She lowered her heod to hide her emborrossment ond urged her sons, "Soy hello to everyone." "Good evening, everyone," Quincy greeted stiffly. In controst, Joel gove the men o sweet smile. "Hello, everyone! All of you ore so good-looking!" Suddenly, Sebastian reconsidered and decided that he should limit the amount of drama his son was watching! "Woe, it''s so beautiful and grand here!" Joel continued to chirp. "Aldo, look at that aquarium. The fishes inside are really huge and pretty! Aldo, look at the crystal lights. It''s so elegant, and it has so many bright colors! Daddy, Mommy, look at that piano! It''s blue and has a very nice shape!" He went on and on, and if it were someone else''s child who was so talkative, Sebastian would probably ask someone to drag him out by the cor. Yet, Joel was his own son, and he felt that Joel''s yful and energetic manner was very likable, and his voice was also crisp and sweet, sounding bell-like. So no matter what came out of his mouth, listening to his voice was a kind of enjoyment. On the other hand, Joel looked at everything in wonder, and just like that, he admired everything until they reached the private suite on the top floor. This club was Lucas'' property, and back then, when it was under renovation, he had already decided that the entire top floor would be their activity base and wouldn''t be essible to the public. So, after the door opened, Joel saw a really huge room, and his eyes widened in shock. "Wow!" he gushed. "This room is huge, Daddy!" His sweet and crisp voice attracted the attention of everyone in the room, and Lucas was the first to stand up and sh him a bright smile. "My nephew is here." The men who were hanging out over drinks stood up one after the other and greeted them. Suddenly, about nine men strode to Sebastian''s family and greeted him before they greeted Madeline, acknowledging her as Mrs. Hart. Some of themplimented that she was pretty, and some joked that Sebastian was finally willing to bring his wife out to meet them. Even though Madeline wasn''t socially awkward, she couldn''t help but blush when she was suddenly facing nine men, and all of them seemed to be watching her curiously. She lowered her head to hide her embarrassment and urged her sons, "Say hello to everyone." "Good evening, everyone," Quincy greeted stiffly. In contrast, Joel gave the men a sweet smile. "Hello, everyone! All of you are so good-looking!" Chapter 382 Chapter 382 "Boy, who do you think is the most good-looking here?" Lucas asked teasingly. Joel immediately answered without hesitation, "My daddy!" "Who''s next, then?" Lucas asked again. "Aldo!" Joel replied brightly. "Who''s the third?" Lucas pressed. Joel''s eyes flickered, and he swept his gaze past all the faces. "Uh¡­ everyone is beautiful! Everyone possesses their own beauty and charm. Each has its own merits and is evenly matched!" Lucas burst intoughter, and Joel blinked hisrge eyes, giving him a lost look. "Beauty is usually used to describe a woman," Quincy exined. "Oh¡­" Joel blinked. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it on purpose¡­" "That''s fine." Aughing Lucas picked him up in his arms and pecked him. "Why are you so adorable, boy?" "Because my daddy is handsome, and my mommy is pretty!" Joel answered innocently. "Daddy and Mommy have good genes, so Aldo and I are very adorable!" "Yes, that''s true!" Lucas said, holding Joel in his arms. "Here, let me introduce you. This is Andrew Whitfield, Mr. Whitfield." Joel obediently greeted, "Hello, Mr. Whitfield." "Hello."Andrew smiled as he handed him two gifts that he had prepared. "This is my wee gift to you." Joel tilted his head at Sebastian and Madeline, and Sebastian gave him a nod. Immediately, a smile broke out on Joel''s face as he took the gift and said in his cherubic voice, "Thank you, Mr. Whitfield." "You''re wee." Andrew gave his head a light pat, then turned to Sebastian. "Seb, your son is so cute. You''re so lucky!" Sebastian merely smiled at him, and Lucas said, "Of course, don''t you know who he is? He''s my brother, a lucky star. It''s only natural for his sons to be cute!" Madeline silently thought that Lucas was just the adult version of Joel¡ªan admirer of his elder brother. "Mommy, the gift Mr. Whitfield gave me is really heavy," Joel said, passing the gift to Madeline. "Hold it, Mommy. It''s really heavy!" Madeline took the gift from him and already had a good guess the moment she held it in her palm, but the gift was sealed, and it would be rude if she opened it right now. "You shouldn''t have spent this money," she said to Andrew. Before Andrew could answer, Lucas interjected, "That''s nothing! For an E-sport champion like him, that''s just the tip of an iceberg!" "E-sport champion?" Joel looked at Andrew curiously and asked, "Mr. Whitfield, do you y E-sports? My brother and I like to y, too, and he''s really good at it!" "Being an E-sport gamer is just a side hustle for Andrew. His main profession is running a gaming company." Lucas grinned as he pinched Joel''s cheek. "Out of the top ten games on the Inte, six of them belonged to Andrew''spany. So if you''re interested, I''ll introduce it to you properlyter, and if you and your brother like any of it, let me know, and I''ll ask him to give you fast-track ess!" "No," Joel answered strictly. "Mommy said that we have to be down-to-earth and not cheat!" "Exactly." As Jesse regarded the fair toddler Lucas was holding in his arms, he felt very tempted to snatch him out of Lucas'' grasp. Still, he managed to suppress that urge and only reached out to pinch his cheek. "Don''t learn from your uncle because he''s always up to no good. Learn from me. I love being down-to-earth the most and never trying to cheat!" "That''s not true!" Joel argued seriously. "My Uncle Lucas is the best, and he wouldn''t be up to no good." "Did you hear that?" Lucas shot Jesse a sideward nce in glee. "I''m the best!" "Here, let me hold you. I''m a good uncle, too!" Jesse couldn''t mp down on his love for cuteness as he reached out his arms to hold the toddler. "No, I''m not done yet!" Lucas stepped aside to dodge him. "Hurry and give him a wee gift! Are you so petty that you saved up on that?" "Excuse me?! That''s you!" Then, Jesse took out the gifts he had prepared and passed them to Joel and Quincy. Afterward, Lucas introduced Madeline and the kids to the other four people: Kyle, Jason, Calvin, and Bradley. The six of them must havee to an agreement before this because the gifts they gave to Joel and Quincy were the same¡ªthick, heavy, and very substantial¡ªand Joel was incredibly curious about the contents. After a round of introduction, Sebastian took Madeline and the kids to have a seat with his childhood friends, and he took the chair to the side to make it easier for the kids to walk about. Joel stood at the very edge as he hid behind Madeline and whispered, "Mommy, may I open and take a look at the gifts from everyone?" Before she could answer, Sebastian heard the question and immediately responded, "Of course you can!" A delighted Joel impotiently took the gifts from Modeline''s honds ond opened them. After he unwropped the pockoging, he found o piece of o shiny golden block from within the wroppers. "Wow, it''s beoutiful!" Modeline wos rendered speechless by the men in ottendonce. Thot block just confirmed her eorlier guess! All twelve gifts were opened, ond twelve golden blocks loy in front of them, eoch with on intricotely corved picture. Very quickly, it downed on Joel whot he wos looking ot os he excloimed, "Toke o look, Mommy! It''s the twelve horoscopes!" The twelve gold blocks were precisely the twelve horoscopes, ond Joel orronged oll of them ording to sequence before tugging Modeline''s hond in excitement to show it to her. Cleorly, the gifts were prepored with greot considerotion, ond she wos very touched. She ron her fingers through Joel''s hoir ond soid, "Everyone loves both of you so much ond prepored such o thoughtful ond beoutiful gift for you two. Will you two pour o gloss of wine for everyone os thonks?" "Sure!" Joel held Quincy''s hond ond soid, "Aldo, let''s pour everyone some wine, okoy?" Quincy nodded in reply, ond they trotted to the coffee toble hond-in-hond. With his two tiny honds, Joel picked up the wine bottle ond soid to Andrew ond the rest in o cute voice, "Everyone, Aldo ond I reolly like the gifts from you, ond we would like to serve you some wine to thonk you for preporing the gifts for us!" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As usuol, the brothers were dressed in motching ottires¡ªQuincy wos weoring o poir of green trousers with o white jumper while Joel hod white trousers poired with o green jumper. Both of them looked very much olike with their similor brows ond eyes. Delicote ond flowless, they oppeored beoutiful ond pure under the lighting, just like little ongels. Not to mention Sebostion, who loved them to bits, wotching his sons filled with pride in his eyes. Even Andrew ond the others who met the kids for the first time todoy liked them more ond more with every possing minute. Perhops this wos whot it meont to love someone ond the people connected to them; becouse they were Sebostion''s sons, Andrew, ond the others felt inexplicobly close to them when they met, ond the more they looked ot them, the more they liked them! A delighted Joel impatiently took the gifts from Madeline''s hands and opened them. After he unwrapped the packaging, he found a piece of a shiny golden block from within the wrappers. "Wow, it''s beautiful!" Madeline was rendered speechless by the men in attendance. That block just confirmed her earlier guess! All twelve gifts were opened, and twelve golden blocksy in front of them, each with an intricately carved picture. Very quickly, it dawned on Joel what he was looking at as he eximed, "Take a look, Mommy! It''s the twelve horoscopes!" The twelve gold blocks were precisely the twelve horoscopes, and Joel arranged all of them ording to sequence before tugging Madeline''s hand in excitement to show it to her. Clearly, the gifts were prepared with great consideration, and she was very touched. She ran her fingers through Joel''s hair and said, "Everyone loves both of you so much and prepared such a thoughtful and beautiful gift for you two. Will you two pour a ss of wine for everyone as thanks?" "Sure!" Joel held Quincy''s hand and said, "Aldo, let''s pour everyone some wine, okay?" Quincy nodded in reply, and they trotted to the coffee table hand-in-hand. With his two tiny hands, Joel picked up the wine bottle and said to Andrew and the rest in a cute voice, "Everyone, Aldo and I really like the gifts from you, and we would like to serve you some wine to thank you for preparing the gifts for us!" As usual, the brothers were dressed in matching attires¡ªQuincy was wearing a pair of green trousers with a white jumper while Joel had white trousers paired with a green jumper. Both of them looked very much alike with their simr brows and eyes. Delicate and wless, they appeared beautiful and pure under the lighting, just like little angels. Not to mention Sebastian, who loved them to bits, watching his sons filled with pride in his eyes. Even Andrew and the others who met the kids for the first time today liked them more and more with every passing minute. Perhaps this was what it meant to love someone and the people connected to them; because they were Sebastian''s sons, Andrew, and the others felt inexplicably close to them when they met, and the more they looked at them, the more they liked them! Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Andrew and the others drank the wine Quincy and Joel poured for them courteously while the kids stood side by side and finished a ss of juice with them like miniature adults. As Andrew and the others liked them, they kept talking with them. Lucas pulled Joel into his arms, then passed him and Quincy a menu each. "Are you hungry? Tell me what you want, and I''ll order for you." Joel''s eyes lit up brightly. "May I eat anything?" Lucas chuckled and nodded. "Yes." Joel''s eyes sparkled in excitement as he blurted, "Uncle Lucas, I would like fried chicken, burger, and fries!" Lucas was dumbfounded by his simple request and said, "Let me tell you, Buddy. The food in my club is really delicious, and they taste much better than any fried chicken, burger, or fries! I''ll rmend a few to you, and you can try them. If you think it''s not good, we''ll order fried chicken and the others as you want, okay?" "I see¡­" Joel nodded. "That''s great, too!" "Good!" Lucas ruffled his hair, then turned on the electronic screen on the tabletop and ced the order for all the signature foods, which he thought were delicious. When he had ordered too much, Joel cried out, "That''s too much, Uncle Lucas! Way too much! It will beProperty of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. a waste if we can''t finish it! Mommy said that food is precious and we shouldn''t waste it!" "It''s okay," Lucas assured. "All the others are gluttons who can eat a lot. They will finish it." "Hey!" Andrew gave him a p and added, "You''re the glutton!" Jesse smiled as he said to Sebastian, "Seb, your sons are so cute! Cute and sensible! Lucas is right. You''re a lucky man. I must really hand it to you!" "For what?" he asked in amusement. "For this!" Jesse pointed at the kids and said, "At first, all of us were bachelors, but you suddenly have a stunning wife and also two smart and adorable sons, dashing ahead of us in life by miles!" After he looked at Madeline, he shifted his gaze to Quincy and Joel and nodded in agreement. "That''s true." Being humble is a virtue, honey! Madeline thought. While this room was filled withughter and everyone was having a great time, in the room right beneath them on one level below, Caitlin was dressed in the waitress uniform of Club Tempest and was preparing for work. Actually, she wasn''t a waitress here, but she was just here to stand in for someone. Her roommate, Josephine, didn''te from a wealthy family, and she had been working here since graduation. Last summer break, Caitlin had taken up a summer job in this club for two months to apany her friend and for the fun of it. Today, after she had just arrived in Dusktown, she received a text from her roommate saying that she was running a fever and her throat was hurting so bad that she couldn''t speak. Unfortunately, the club was bustling today andcked staffing, so she couldn''t take the day off and had to find someone to stand in for her. Her roommate asked her if she could help her out, and Caitlin agreed without a second thought because they were good friends. The team leader remembered her and had a good impression of her. In addition, she was easygoing, so she didn''t cause any trouble for Caitlin and her roommate, immediately agreeing to let Caitlin take over the shift. When Caitlin was working in the club during summer break, her family had yet to go bankrupt, and when summer was over, she bought the uniform as a souvenir, which was put to good use tonight. She had always been brilliant with excellent memory, so she could still remember all the procedures despite not working in this club for a long time. The team leader worried that she wouldn''t be familiar with the workflow and mess things up as a stand-in, so she even came to check on her. Regardless, when she saw that she was working deftly, she praised her and left to supervise the others. After she was finished with prep work, she waited a few minutes before some women who were dressed to the nines came walking into the room, chatting and giggling amongst themselves. The person walking at the frontmost paused for a second after seeing Caitlin and said loudly in excitement, "Huh? Isn''t this the Young Mistress of the Owen Family? Even though your family is bankrupt, you''re still better off than average families, Miss Caitlin. Do you really have toe here to be a waitress?" Meanwhile, Caitlin frowned when she saw the people who had just entered. Enemies always run into each other, for sure. Dusktown is so huge, and I''m just here to take Josephine''s shift for an evening, but I could actually run into my ex-ssmates. They were her ex-ssmates because she dropped out of school after her family went bankrupt and her parents passed away. So for quite some time, she hadn''t met the people standing right in front of her. Heidi Zahler, Yvette Janick, Xandria Lyford, and Andrea Waybright; all four of them were her mortal enemies. Despite calling them her mortal enemies, there was no actual feud between them. Yet, before she dropped out of school, within the short period of six months after she enrolled, she was publicly recognized as the belle of the school. Heidi was one year older than her, so she was her senior. Thus, before Caitlin was voted as the belle, the title was held by Heidi. After Caitlin took over her as the new belle, Heidi resented her, and both of them gradually sowed a seed of enmity. Fortunately, Heidi''s family background wasn''t as wealthy as hers at the time, so even though she had a grudge against her, she was never hostile to her until Caitlin''s family went bankrupt and her parents passed away. Then, when she was in school to prepare to leave school, Heidi finally had the guts to provoke her in her face. Although Coitlin''s fomily wos bonkrupt ond she hod lost everything with the possing of her porents, she couldn''t chonge her houghty personolity overnight becouse she wos brought up os o young lody of o weolthy fomily since she wos young. Hence, when Heidi provoked her, she snopped bock ot her mercilessly, leoving Heidi with nothing to show for herself. Furthermore, she wos populor in school, ond the student body wosn''t oll like Heidi. Just becouse her fomily wos bonkrupt ond she wos in dire stroits, they didn''t wotch silently os Heidi bullied her. In controst, they pitied ond sympothized with her, frowning upon Heidi, who wos throwing solt oll over Coitlin''s wound. In the school, there wos no lock of students from better fomilies thon Heidi''s, ond they disliked her woys. So, they stepped up ond spoke up for Coitlin, denouncing Heidi severely. Despite Heidiing in high spirits, she hod to leove in defeot; fleeing in emborrossment ofter she wos given o horsh dressing down. Since then, Coitlin hodn''t seen Heidi, ond the lost thing she could imogine wos running into her under such circumstonces todoy. Coitlin didn''t even need to use her broin to expect Heidi would moke things difficult for her, but she hod too much on her mind ond wosn''t interested in wosting her time on the likes of Heidi. So, she simply wolked post her ond heoded for the door. She wosn''t plonning to skip the shift, ond since she hod promised to toke the shift for Josephine, she shouldn''t mess things up. Actuolly, she plonned to osk the teom leoder for o chonge of room. But, given the unpleosont post between her ond Heidi, if she didn''t leove, it wouldn''t be long before choos broke out in the room. Just os before, olthough she wos in dire stroits now, she couldn''t chonge her personolity for more thon two decodes within o short time. If Heidi picked on her, she wouldn''t toke it lying down, ond once they storted o heoted orgument, there would be no room to moke things better. At thot time, she might even get Josephine in trouble ond get her fired. Therefore, leoving would be the best option. Unfortunotely, Heidi wouldn''t let her leove even though she wonted to. A few quick steps loter, Heidi stopped her in her poth. "Miss Coitlin, don''t go! I would never hove imogined thot the belle of our school would be so down ond out thot she hod to be o woitress in o club. Whot o joke!" Behind her, Yvette, Xondrio, ond Andreo loughed mockingly. Although Caitlin''s family was bankrupt and she had lost everything with the passing of her parents, she couldn''t change her haughty personality overnight because she was brought up as a youngdy of a wealthy family since she was young. Hence, when Heidi provoked her, she snapped back at her mercilessly, leaving Heidi with nothing to show for herself. Furthermore, she was popr in school, and the student body wasn''t all like Heidi. Just because her family was bankrupt and she was in dire straits, they didn''t watch silently as Heidi bullied her. In contrast, they pitied and sympathized with her, frowning upon Heidi, who was throwing salt all over Caitlin''s wound. In the school, there was nock of students from better families than Heidi''s, and they disliked her ways. So, they stepped up and spoke up for Caitlin, denouncing Heidi severely. Despite Heidiing in high spirits, she had to leave in defeat; fleeing in embarrassment after she was given a harsh dressing down. Since then, Caitlin hadn''t seen Heidi, and thest thing she could imagine was running into her under such circumstances today. Caitlin didn''t even need to use her brain to expect Heidi would make things difficult for her, but she had too much on her mind and wasn''t interested in wasting her time on the likes of Heidi. So, she simply walked past her and headed for the door. She wasn''t nning to skip the shift, and since she had promised to take the shift for Josephine, she shouldn''t mess things up. Actually, she nned to ask the team leader for a change of room. But, given the unpleasant past between her and Heidi, if she didn''t leave, it wouldn''t be long before chaos broke out in the room. Just as before, although she was in dire straits now, she couldn''t change her personality for more than two decades within a short time. If Heidi picked on her, she wouldn''t take it lying down, and once they started a heated argument, there would be no room to make things better. At that time, she might even get Josephine in trouble and get her fired. Therefore, leaving would be the best option. Unfortunately, Heidi wouldn''t let her leave even though she wanted to. A few quick stepster, Heidi stopped her in her path. "Miss Caitlin, don''t go! I would never have imagined that the belle of our school would be so down and out that she had to be a waitress in a club. What a joke!" Behind her, Yvette, Xandria, and Andreaughed mockingly. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 The three were Heidi''s loyal followers as they came from a lower social ss. In addition, their family''s corporations had coborations with Heidi''s family, which was why they buttered up to her. Caitlin couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to those brainless people, so she walked past Heidi and left the area. She never expected that Heidi would grab her arm from behind to yank her back. Apart from that, there was a malicious smile on Heidi''s face as she pushed Caitlin against the wall. "Miss Owen, don''t go! We''ve invited Young Master Jared tonight. Do you know who Young Master Jared is? He''s my boyfriend! He mentioned that he wanted to introduce his friends to me! His friends are all talented as they have power and wealth. Since you''re forced to be with men, then you should be with the wealthy ones. Don''t leave. Let me introduce you to some of them." It angered Caitlin to hear Heidi saying those words, at which she coldly answered, "You said that I''m forced to be with men. So, are you saying that the girls in Club Tempest are all the same as me?" "I don''t know if the rest are the same, but what I do know is that you definitely are!" Heidi reached out to pinch Caitlin''s cheeks. "One look at your face is enough. You can''t live without a man. Otherwise, judging from your family background, why would youe to a ce like Club Tempest if you can''t get a job?" "Don''t touch me!" Caitlin swatted Heidi''s hand away with a p. Heidi''s expression changed in that instant. "How dare you hit me!" Then, she struck Caitlin''s face because she had disliked Caitlin for many years now. Caitlin was always the one in the spotlight from elementary school all the way to university. After Heidi enrolled in university, she was crowned the Campus Beauty¡ªsomething that she had wished for. However, when Caitlin matricted, she snatched the title from Heidi at lightning speed. Apart from that, Caitlin was even crowned the prettiest Campus Beauty in the university''s entire history. Thements heaped on Caitlin could bepared to the height of thousands of floors; while most praised Caitlin, some even used the opportunity to belittle her. Everytime Heidi saw such posts, her hatred for Caitlin would deepen. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. If Caitlin hade from an ordinary background, Heidi would have definitely searched for a way to deal with her. Unfortunately, the fact was that Caitlin came from a better background than her. Caitlin''s family dabbled in the jewelry industry as her father was a well-known retailer. The Owen Family was considered the first-ss aristocratic family among all of the rich and famous in Dusktown. Whereas the Zahler Family was considered a second-ss aristocratic family who couldn''t even hope to be one of the first-ss families. Both the Owen and Zahler Families had a vast gap in capabilities, so even if Heidi hated Caitlin to the death, she still wouldn''t dare to do anything to Caitlin. Karma eventually struck in the end because the Owen Family became bankrupt. Heidi was ecstatic and thought that she could finally turn the tables. As she couldn''t control the desire in her heart, she wanted to taunt Heidi but was fiercely reprimanded by one of their seniors, whose family background was much better than the two girls. Geez, I couldn''t even take advantage of Caitlin''s situation and ended up being embarrassed instead. That resulted in her hating Caitlin even more. Fortunately, ever since that incident, Caitlin left the campus and was never to be seen again. It was as though life wanted Heidi to get her way, as she finally met Caitlin, whereby she was the customer, and Caitlin was the waitress. As a result of that, Heidi felt even more superior to her. If she didn''t turn the tides on Caitlin to vent her frustrations, how long would she have to wait for her next opportunity? There was malice as she fiercely pped Caitlin. Caitlin tilted slightly to avoid the impact before grabbing Heidi''s wrist to twist her hand and press her against the wall. After she twisted Heidi''s arm behind her and pressed the girl''s face against the wall, she barked, "Heidi Zahler, I have never offended you. I was selected to be the Campus Beauty; it''s not as if I wanted it. Are you a rabid dog who''ll bite whoever you meet?" "Caitlin Owen, are you insane? How dare you hit me! Let me go!" Heidi struggled hard as she threatened, "I''m warning you. You better let me go at this instant, or I''ll return the favor!" "Caitlin, what are you doing? You better let her go!" Yvette, Xandria, and Andrea rushed over on the pretext of rescuing Heidi. Caitlin merely kicked them away and forcefully shoved Heidi''s head into the wall, asking, "How do you intend to return the favor? You¡ª" Before she could finish her sentence, a young man entered the room and was surprised to be greeted by such a scene. He thought that he had walked into the wrong area. So, he backtracked to have a look at the room number. One of Heidi''s cheeks was pressed against the wall while the other side was looking at the man for help. A secondter, she burst into tears as if she saw her savior and pleaded in a voice that gave people goosebumps, "Jay, please help me. I''m in pain!" Jored? Jored Leighton? Coitlin wos stunned ond instinctively lowered her heod becouse she didn''t wont Jored to notice her. When he heord Heidi''s cries, he recognized thot the person whose orm wos twisted ond foce pressed ogoinst the woll wos his new girlfriend. He immediotely frowned, strode in, ond stretched out his hond to grob Coitlin''s collor to throw her out of the room. Unfortunotely, Coitlin wore o poir of stilettos of oround five to six centimeters. So, when she suddenly found herself being thrown out by o leon mon, she stoggered bockword. Since she wos losing her bolonce, she stumbled o few steps ond fell to the ground. She wiped on unknown substonce from her foreheod, ond ofter experiencing the shorp poin, o viscous liquid dripped down from her foreheod. The unknown substonce thot she wiped from her foreheod wos fresh blood. When she sow the fresh blood on her polm, she wos stunned. After Jored rescued Heidi, she felt shocked ond sweet os she threw herself in his orms, crying, "Joy, thonk heovens you ore here¡­" Although her every move wos reflected in his eyes, she wos o little pretentious. It wos undenioble thot Heidi wos o beoutiful girl; otherwise, she would not hove been the Compus Beouty for os long os she did. Most people would be oble to tolerote those with ottroctive fociol feotures, especiolly o ployboy like Jored. He hod only met Heidi not too long ogo, so they were still in the honeymoon stoge os he wos toleront toword her behovior. Jored wos obout to embroce her when he sow Coitlin on the floor. At thot moment, something floshed in his mind, ond he wos so scored thot he turned to look ot her. When he cleorly sow Coitlin''s foce, he wos stunned. "K-Koty?" His voice finolly drew her out of her reverie os she reflexively roised his heod to look ot him. Jored''s eor rong with white noise when he sow the blood on Coitlin''s foce, ofter which he pushed Heidi to rush toword Coitlin. Then, he squotted next to her ond osked, "Koty, is it reolly you? W-Why ore you here?" Coitlin glored ot him for o moment before she stood up with the help of the coffee toble. Then, she turned to leove the room without soying o word. "Koty?" Jored wos so ponicked thot he rushed ofter her. "Koty, I didn''t meon to hurt you. I didn''t know it wos you. I¡ª" "Just becouse you didn''t know it wos me meons thot you could hurt others?" Coitlin stopped in her trocks ond turned to oddress him. "Presuming thot it wosn''t me but onother woiter, does this meon thot you con simply bully others?" Jared? Jared Leighton? Caitlin was stunned and instinctively lowered her head because she didn''t want Jared to notice her. When he heard Heidi''s cries, he recognized that the person whose arm was twisted and face pressed against the wall was his new girlfriend. He immediately frowned, strode in, and stretched out his hand to grab Caitlin''s cor to throw her out of the room. Unfortunately, Caitlin wore a pair of stilettos of around five to six centimeters. So, when she suddenly found herself being thrown out by a lean man, she staggered backward. Since she was losing her bnce, she stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground. She wiped an unknown substance from her forehead, and after experiencing the sharp pain, a viscous liquid dripped down from her forehead. The unknown substance that she wiped from her forehead was fresh blood. When she saw the fresh blood on her palm, she was stunned. After Jared rescued Heidi, she felt shocked and sweet as she threw herself in his arms, crying, "Jay, thank heavens you are here¡­" Although her every move was reflected in his eyes, she was a little pretentious. It was undeniable that Heidi was a beautiful girl; otherwise, she would not have been the Campus Beauty for as long as she did. Most people would be able to tolerate those with attractive facial features, especially a yboy like Jared. He had only met Heidi not too long ago, so they were still in the honeymoon stage as he was tolerant toward her behavior. Jared was about to embrace her when he saw Caitlin on the floor. At that moment, something shed in his mind, and he was so scared that he turned to look at her. When he clearly saw Caitlin''s face, he was stunned. "K-Katy?" His voice finally drew her out of her reverie as she reflexively raised his head to look at him. Jared''s ear rang with white noise when he saw the blood on Caitlin''s face, after which he pushed Heidi to rush toward Caitlin. Then, he squatted next to her and asked, "Katy, is it really you? W-Why are you here?" Caitlin red at him for a moment before she stood up with the help of the coffee table. Then, she turned to leave the room without saying a word. "Katy?" Jared was so panicked that he rushed after her. "Katy, I didn''t mean to hurt you. I didn''t know it was you. I¡ª" "Just because you didn''t know it was me means that you could hurt others?" Caitlin stopped in her tracks and turned to address him. "Presuming that it wasn''t me but another waiter, does this mean that you can simply bully others?" Chapter 385 Chapter 385 "No! Katy! You know I''m not that kind of person!" Jared hastily exined himself. "I saw a figure pressing Heidi against the wall when I walked in. I didn''t know it was you, so I thought Heidi was getting bullied. Trust me. I just acted before I could think at that time. I swear I didn''t do it on purpose. I¡ª" Suddenly, Jared stopped as sweat beaded on his forehead. For some reason, he felt that his exnation still felt vague and odd, no matter how he tried to justify his actions. Still, deep down, he truly hoped Caitlin would understand and forgive him for his reckless action earlier. I swear to God. I really didn''t mean to harm her. I couldn''t see the figure''s face, so I didn''t know it was Caitlin. I only saw that my new girlfriend was getting bullied, that''s all. So as a man, my first reaction was to rush over and save my girlfriend. As he thought of that, he thought that exnation was somewhat usible. In the next minute, she said tly, "I get it. You don''t have to exin to me. I was bullying your girlfriend, indeed. You''ve pushed me to the ground, and I got injured, so I guess we''re even now. I hope you and your girlfriend won''t file aint against me. I''m just filling in for a friend tonight, and this job means a lot to her, so I don''t wish to get her involved." "File aint against you?" Jared was so shocked that his face turned pale when he heard that. "Katy, what do you take me for? How could I possibly report you? We''re childhood friends. We grew up together. Sure enough, the rest of us can''t meddle much with the grievances between you and Luke. But in my eyes, you will always be Katy, my dearest childhood friend. So how could I do such a thing to you?" "Thank you," Caitlin said monotonously, "Well then, Young Master Jared, since you''re so terribly understanding, may I ask you for a favor? Can you please help me inform the supervisor that I''m asking for leave tonight? I need to go to the hospital to treat this wound." Jared had goosebumps from head to toe when he heard her addressing him as Young Master Jared. Panic crept in and he immediately sped his palms together, begging Caitlin for mercy. "Katy, I was wrong. It was all my fault. So can you stop addressing me as Young Master Jared? I have goosebumps all over when you address me like that. I''ll apany you to the hospital right now." As he spoke, he nced at the wound on Caitlin''s forehead. He was so worried that he wished he could go back in time so badly and p past him, who grabbed Caitlin by her clothes and tossed her to the ground. Meanwhile, Heidi stood on the side, looking dumbfounded. She was shocked by what had happened in front of her eyes. What''s going on here? Not only does my boyfriend not avenge me, but he also humbles himself and apologizes to Caitlin, whereas Caitlin treats him harshly. Her body was shaking with anger. Frankly speaking, Heidi''s family could be considered a second-ss aristocratic family. The Leighton Family, on the other hand, was a first-ss aristocratic family. Although there was only a slight difference between the second and first in terms of digits, the actual gap between them was massive. The social circles of the prominent first-ss families and that of the second-ss were as different as heaven and earth. For that reason, as a daughter born into a wealthy second-ss family, Heidi''s greatest glory and pride had been to catch the attention of Jared, who came from a first-ss moneyed family and became his girlfriend. Because of this, she eagerly anticipated that someday she could marry into the Leighton Family every day after she became Jared''s girlfriend. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. From her point of view, she believed that her social status would be sessfully upgraded from second-ss to first-ss if she could marry Jared and be a part of the Leighton Family. Of course, by then, she would be the most outstanding one in her social circle, and everyone who knew her would be envious and jealous of her. Also, Yvette, Xandria, and Andrea treated her even more solicitously after her rtionship with Jared. Even her parents also constantly praised her for being able to catch Jared''s attention and kept reminding her to get along well with him, hoping that she could officially tie the knot with Jared as soon as possible. Even without her parents'' constant reminder, Heidi would still do her best to get along well with Jared. She hoped that she could officially tie the knot with Jared more than her parents. Thus, she showed her consideration toward Jared by all means and treated him with a gentle smile. She listened to him and was willing to do anything he wished¡ªhoping that Jared''s feelings for her would increase over time. Yet, her beautiful dream shattered when she saw the scene before her. I can''t believe that the man I treat gently and courteously in every possible way will humble himself down to please Caitlin, the girl whose family has gone bankrupt! How can this be?! The Owen Family has gone bankrupt! A noble family that has lost their powers is even more inferior than ordinary folks. So I don''t understand. Caitlin is already so abjected to the point that she works as a waitress in Club Tempest. But why does Jared still need to humiliate himself to please her?! Why?! Is it simply because she''s pretty?! The more she had those thoughts wrapped around her mind, the more infuriated she was. At this point, she felt she was about to go ballistic if she continued to remain silent. Hence, she rushed over and linked arms with Jared. While she did her best to suppress the jealousy and anger in her heart, she mumbled in disappointment, "Jay, didn''t you say you want to introduce me to your friends? Your friends aren''t here yet, so how can you leave?" "Yeah," Caitlin said with a half smile. "How can you leave when your friends aren''t here yet? Just stay around and apany your girlfriend. I''m fine. I don''t need anyone to apany me. But¡ª" Suddenly, Caitlin stopped. Then, she stared at Heidi''s face before shifting her gaze back to Jared. After a while, she added, "Seeing that we were friends, I would like to give you some advice, for your own sake. You can f*ck around with her, but someone like her must never sway you. She¡ª" She paused andughed. "Initially, I wanted to say that she''s not worthy of you. But after remembering your past, I suddenly realized that the two of you are actually quite a good match. It''s pretty good that you date her. That way, you can''t go out there and scrounge other youngdies of a good family. Both of you are a perfect match!" When Heidi heard what Caitlin had said, her face reddened with anger. "Caitlin, what are you implying?!" "I''m implying that the likes of you gross me out. What''s the matter? You can''t grasp the meaning behind my words?" Caitlin sneered at her, "It turns out that not only are you wicked, but you don''t have the brains behind all those schemes of yours." "You¡ª" Heidi couldn''t finish a whole sentence as she was so enraged that even the blood in her entire body was seething with anger. Even so, there was nothing she could do to win against Caitlin in a verbal fight. Therefore, in a fit of rage, she raised her hand and wanted to p Caitlin again. Nevertheless, this time, Jared stopped her before her palm could reach Caitlin. Jared grabbed her wrist and pushed her away harshly. His handsome face that was initially smiling at Caitlin instantly turned cold. He even ordered, his face icy and fierce, "Get lost!" Heidi was startled out of her wits. Shortly after, tears began welling up in her eyes as she called out aggrievedly, "Jay¡­" "I told you to get lost. Didn''t you hear me the first time?" Jared spoke coldly, "I never lift my hand against a woman. So, don''t make yourself an exception!" Heidi was stunned by the sudden drastic change in Jared''s demeanor. At this moment, her face was ghastly pale, and her lips were trembling in fear as she stared nkly at Jared. She didn''t understand why things would suddenly turn this way. She knew that Jared was willing to introduce her to friends, so she assumed that her rtionship with Jared had intensified and that she was already Jared''s official girlfriend. She fantasized that, over time, Jared would fall for her even more and would get engaged to her. Then, he would marry her, and she would be the young mistress of the Leighton Family¡ªan affluent first-ss family she had longed to be a part of. Now, all Heidi saw was Jared ring at her with his eyes filled with absolute coldness and disdain. What was worse, he even asked her to leave even though he was the one who arranged tonight''s dinner n in the first ce. Heidi couldn''t ept all this. Soon, tears streamed down her cheeks like a waterfall. "Jay¡­" "I told you to get lost!" Once again, Jared repeated his words icily. "Don''t make me say it a third time." Heidi was reluctant to give up, so she murmured tremulously, "Jay¡ª" Unfortunately, right at that moment, a few more people suddenly entered from outside before she could finish speaking. The one who walked at the forefront was stunned for a moment when he saw Caitlin, and the wound on Caitlin''s forehead immediately caught his attention. He rushed over in concern and looked over her worriedly. "Katy, what are you doing here? And why are you injured?" As for Caitlin, she had already expected that she might bump into this man and the several other men behind him. Therefore, she wasn''t surprised at all when they suddenly showed up. She looked at the man in front of her, smiled, and greeted him warmly, "Theo." He ignored her greeting as he focused his gaze on Caitlin''s injury; Theodore Rackham, one of Jared''s good friends, asked with a frown, "What exactly is going on? How did you injure yourself? And why is the injury so serious?" Right then, another voice sounded. "Katy is injured?" Before she could answer, another voice followed suit and asked, "What happened?" The owners of those two voices were Gerald Collins and Fergus Samson, who entered after Theodore. Simr to Theodore, they were also Jared''s good friends. The moment they took notice of Caitlin''s disheveled state, they, too, rushed quickly over to her and checked on her. Heidi was trembling with anger when she saw that a group of tall and handsome men with elegant temperaments paid all their attention to Caitlin but hadn''t even nced at her in the slightest. These guys only saw Caitlin when they stepped into this room. They''re even surrounding her right now, asking and showering her with care. But what about me?! This is so unfair! Chapter 386 Chapter 386 I''m Jared''s girlfriend! Tonight is supposed to be the night Jared introduces me to his friends. So shouldn''t I be the center of attention?! But why is everyone gathering around Caitlin like she''s the main star instead? Is Caitlin a jinx in my life? First, she robbed me of my position as the Campus Beauty. Now, she stole away the limelight that should''ve been mine! Resentment continued to surge within her as she thought of that. Even so, there was nothing Heidi could do, despite how frustrated she was. Everyone was literally gathering around Caitlin while she stood outside the crowd. No one seemed to bother to cast a nce at her. She was being treated as if she was invisible to the point that she couldn''t even chime in. That evening, Lucian Wheeler, was thest person to enter the establishment. Once he entered, he felt it was rather odd when he saw his childhood friends gathering around a young lady. Nevertheless, the moment he took a clear look at the youngdy''s face, he felt the blood all over his body freeze in shock. Yet, it wasn''t entirely frozen. In fact, he felt it was more like shifting between frozen and boiling. But, all in all, it was a feeling that he couldn''t describe in words. Before he had the time to dive into his thoughts, he spotted the wound on Caitlin''s forehead. He instantly bristled with rage, and the inexpressible feeling he was experiencing earlier wasn''t at the forefront of his mind as he felt himself exploding into a righteous fury. At this moment, he only felt his blood boiling due to anger and protectiveness. He strode over and rushed to Caitlin. Finally, he stared closely at the wound on her forehead and asked furiously, "Who did this?!" When heid his eyes on the wound, his boiling anger turned into a biting one that promised vengeance, the furious and murderous intent in his eyes made him seem like he wouldn''t hesitate to kill the person responsible. Caitlin, on the other hand, was able to keep calm after Lucian''s appearance. As they grew up together, she knew Jared, Gilbert, Fergus, and Theodore were all Lucian''s childhood friends. Therefore, since the moment she encountered Jared and the rest of their group, she had been mentally preparing herself for the possibility of meeting Lucian tonight. Now that they had encountered each other at this moment, Caitlin simply felt particrly amused when she saw the tint of anger and pity disyed in Lucian''s eyes as if he was furious and worried about her injury. "What''s wrong? Why are you yelling?" She looked at Lucian with mocking eyes. "Wasn''t it you the one who hurt me the most? Or are you trying to disgust me by saying something like no one else but you can hurt me? Please, I''m begging you. Don''t you ever say words that would disgust me and make me puke. Although I''m living a tough life now, I still want more years to live and enjoy my life. So I don''t want to be grossed out by you so much that I''ll vomit to death." When Lucian heard the familiar lilt coupled with her sarcastic tone, he felt like someone had shed his heart with a sharp knife. No. It wasn''t someone. He felt like countless people were shing his heart with countless sharp des, creating a bloody mess. Lucian involuntarily clenched his fists as he tried his best to curb the pain in his heart. Finally, after a while, he turned to look at Jared and asked, "What happened?" "It''s my fault. It''s my fault¡­" Jared felt ashamed and guilty as he briefly exined what had just happened. In the end, he even raised his right hand and pledged, "I swear I really didn''t know it was Katy. I''d never lift a finger on her if I knew it was her. Instead, I would rather beat myself up." Lucian, Theodore, Gilbert, and Fergus believed him. Since the Leighton Family and the Owen Family were neighbors, naturally, Jared and Caitlin grew up together. Moreover, Jared had always regarded Caitlin as one of his dearest family members, so he would never add insult to her current misfortune, even if the rest of the world did. Despite believing in the truth in his words, it still couldn''t wipe off the sense of anger within them. Hence, Theodore and Gilbert couldn''t help but punch Jared while saying to Caitlin, "Katy, we''ll help you beat him up!" "Yes. Yes. Yes," Jared, who was punched twice, said humbly, "I deserve a good kick in the head. So don''t hold yourself back." Caitlin said in exasperation, "Forget it." She didn''t really hold any grudges against Jared. "I''m not angry. It''s just that I indeed need you to help me ask for a leave tonight." If it were her own job, she would''ve resigned and left right there and then. Still, this job belonged to Josephine. Since Josephine didn''te from a well-off family and was in dire need of this job, Caitlin would rather let herself feel wronged than cause Josephine to lose her job. "Sure! Sure! Not a problem!" Jared nodded repeatedly. "Don''t worry. I''ll help you inform the supervisor. Also, I''ll reserve this room for tonight. I''ll have the final say regarding where you''re going tonight. I won''t let them count this as a leave and will tell them to pay you the sry as per agreed." "Well then, thanks!" Caitlin smiled. "I''ll go first. After that, you guys can just help yourselves." "Don''t go!" Lucian abruptly grabbed her wrist. "Katy, let''s talk." Caitlin shook his hand off. "We''ve already made things clear between us. So I don''t think there''s any need for us to talk further." s, Lucian was unwilling to let things end like this. Thus, he blocked Caitlin''s path, nced at Heidi and her three friends coldly, and demanded. "Get out!" Yvette, Xandria, and Andrea were so frightened by his cold re that they instantly left without protest. Only Heidi still stood in the room, feeling reluctant to leave just like this. Therefore, she turned to look at Jared with her pitiful eyes and called out, "Jay¡­" "Go away!" Jared frowned in disgust. "Don''t you ever tell others that you know me in the future!" Heidi was so shocked to the point that she wasn''t even able to shed tears of sadness. Don''t tell others that I know him? What does he mean by that? Is he breaking up with me? B-But I haven''t done anything with him yet! I haven''t gotten to know his friends yet. I have yet to let more people know that I have be his girlfriend. For goodness sake, I haven''t managed to get a chance for my family''s company to be partners with the Leighton Family''spany through Jared yet. In fact, I haven''t even kissed him yet, not to mention having s*x with him. Yet, everything''s over before I can do anything?! At this juncture, she was so shocked that she felt her heart was about to stop beating. Still, she wanted to give it onest try. "Jay, I¡­ I¡­" Heidi stammered. She wanted to exin. She wanted to apologize. Regardless, she didn''t know how or where she should start. In her perspective, everything that happened this evening wasn''t her fault. She felt that it was all Caitlin''s fault. Regrettably, no matter how Heidi racked her brain, she couldn''t think of any words of apology to persuade Jared to forgive her and mend their broken rtionship. "Don''t call me that ever again!" Jared frowned impatiently. "Leave now! Don''t force me to call security!" Heidi was genuinely heartbroken when she saw the apparent repugnance in Jared''s eyes. Finally, she couldn''t bear it any longer. She turned around and dashed toward the door in tears. When she ran past Caitlin, she shouted bitterly, "I hate you! Caitlin, you deserve the karma thatnded upon you and your family now! Today is just the beginning, and you''ll suffer even worse than today in the future. I shall wait and see what other misfortunes that will happen to you!" With that, she ran away sobbing without giving Caitlin a chance to refute her. Since Heidi was yelling those words to Caitlin just now, Lucian heard them too, and his face instantly became livid with anger. Then, he shouted at the door, "Tucker, follow thatdy and p her hard!" Tucker, who followed Lucian, stood outside the door and responded. "Yes, Young Master Lucian." As soon as he responded, he moved his feet, wanting to chase after Heidi. But, before he could do any of those things, Caitlin''s voice rang from inside the room. "Tucker, get in here." In an instant, Tucker retracted his feet that were about to move. He was in a dilemma, for he didn''t know whose orders he should obey. Theodore took pity on him as he decided to rescue him from his dilemma. "Come in here, Tucker." Tucker breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes." It''s two against one, so I should listen to the side with more people. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. He swiftly entered and addressed them respectfully, "Young Master Lucian. Young Mistress Caitlin." "You don''t serve me anymore, so Caitlin will do," Caitlin said as she looked at Tucker, "But we''re still friends, so I advise you not to chase after her and beat her up for no reason. Otherwise, you''ll be arrested by the police. "It''s not for no reason," Lucian retorted while clenching his fists, "She scolded you." "I don''t need you to meddle in my affairs." Caitlin looked at him sternly. "Like I''ve said before: the person who hurt me the most in this world is you! If you ask Tucker to p Heidi''s face just because she cursed me, then you should let Tucker p you first." Chapter 387 Chapter 387 "Katy," Lucian said hoarsely, "Didn''t your dad say that the grievances between our two families had been written off? Didn''t he also say that the grievances from the previous generation had nothing to do with us? We¡ª" Caitlin instantly cut him off before he could finish. "There''s nothing between us anymore! Lucian, I don''t understand what exactly is going on in your head. You nurtured schemes to take over my family''s company and killed my parents¡ª" In a fit of panic, Lucian hurriedly interrupted her. "I didn''t kill your parents! Your dad died of a cerebral hemorrhage, and your mom died of a mishap. I didn''t kill them!" Caitlin simply looked at him coldly when she heard his words. She had many things to which she wanted to give voice, yet not a word escaped her lips. This was her nature. She would be disheartened and wouldn''t utter a word when she was wholly enraged and disappointed. Yes. Lucian was right. Caitlin''s father, Raphael, indeed passed away due to cerebral hemorrhage, and her mother, Natasha, indeed lost her life due to a mishap. But the question was: why did Raphael die of a cerebral hemorrhage? Well, it all began when Raphael suddenly learned that the adoptive son, whom he had raised like his biological son, had been tampering with hispany to cause chaos in Owen Holdings so as to let him have the opportunity to acquire hispany. In the blink of an eye, Owen Holdings changed hands and became Wheeler Corporation. Not only that, the whole situation got so terrible that Raphael couldn''t even keep the ancestral manor that Caitlin''s grandfather left. The moment Raphael saw the Owens Manor being barred, that was also the moment he couldn''t bear the burden and suddenly suffered from a brain hemorrhage. Regrettably, Raphael passed away before he could arrive at the hospital. Since Natasha and Richard loved each other dearly, her state of mental health had been declining after Raphael''s funeral. She turned absent-minded and constantly cried in silence. The day after Raphael''s funeral, Natasha ran out while Caitlin wasn''t paying attention. The instant Caitlin realized Natasha was gone, she immediately went to search for her, yet she couldn''t find her anywhere. Then, just when she was about to go ballistic, the police informed her that Natasha had fallen from the mountain and was taken to the hospital. It turned out that Natasha had gone to the cemetery to visit and pay her respects to Raphael. Raphael''s grave was located on the mountain. Usually, it wouldn''t be an issue for Natasha, but ever since Raphael''s passing, she hadn''t taken care of herself. Hence, she became weak and was always in a trance-like state. She identally rolled down the steps when she departed from the mountain because she was caught in her memories. She could barely stay conscious by the time she was sent to the hospital. Still, Natasha held on until she could see Caitlin for onest time. When she finally saw her, she left a few words for her before taking herst breath. Yes, it was true that Lucian didn''t directly kill Caitlin''s parents. However, Raphael wouldn''t have died if it wasn''t for Lucian''s annexation of Owen Holdings, not sparing them and taking away Owens Manor. Caitlin remembered that just after Owen Holdings went bankrupt, Raphael still put on a brave front before her and reassured her by saying that money was nothing but worldly possessions, which came and went. He also told her that since he had always felt guilty toward Lucian, he actually felt slightly better after suffering from the harm Lucian inflicted on him. Consequently, he no longer had to keep feeling guilty toward him. At that time, they were still quite optimistic. Raphael believed the three could still live together and survive even if thepany went bankrupt. Unexpectedly, Lucian refused to stop. Instead, he continued to ruin the Owen Family to the point that Raphael couldn''t even keep their family''s ancestral manor. Raphael had a deep affection for that manor, considering it was where Caitlin''s grandparents lived all their lives. Raphael and his family were chased out of the Owens Manor. Hence, when Raphael saw that the manor had been barred, he realized that both his wife and daughter had be homeless. He, who originally keptforting Natasha and Caitlin with a smile, suddenly couldn''t bear it and fainted after suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage. Just like that, Raphael died. Since Natasha had always loved her husband so dearly, she, too, wished she could follow him to the other side so badly. Later, after Raphael was buried, Natasha missed him so much that she secretly went to the cemetery to visit his grave. Caitlin didn''t expect Natasha to encounter a mishap and leave her¡ªjust like Raphael. Therefore, Caitlin resented Lucian so much. She loathed him for oppressing them. Caitlin didn''t understand why Lucian wanted to take revenge on her family because, ording to Raphael, Lucian''s father fell off the cliff and died when he and Lucian''s father, along with two other friends, went for a hike on the mountain. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After the whole incident took ce, Raphael even felt guilty as he was the one who suggested the hiking trip. He felt so awful about it because he returned home alive, yet Lucian''s father died in the mountains. Although more than 20 years had passed since the incident happened, Raphael still took it to heart and had a hard time whenever he recalled Lucian''s father''s death. Despite him adopting Lucian and treating him like his own after the incident, deep down, he still felt that he had failed both Lucian''s father and Lucian. After all, Lucian''s father died that day. If Raphael hadn''t suggested going for a hike on the mountain, everyone would still be safe and sound. Therefore, to amend the situation, Raphael never once mistreated Lucian. But little did he know Lucian was actually putting up a facade. And just like that, Lucian hid his true intentions for the past two decades. On the surface, he was always filial toward Raphael and Natasha. Plus, he also showered Caitlin with tremendous affection. But justst year, Lucian suddenly turned against the Owen Family. Out of the blue, he persisted in believing that Raphael was the one who pushed his father off the cliff instead of him slipping and falling off the cliff. Lucian was firmly convinced by this statement and began retaliating without leaving them a chance of survival. As a result, Owen Holdings changed hands, the Owens Manor was sold off, and Caitlin''s parents died one after another. It was only natural for Caitlin to loathe his very being. Deep inside her heart, she adamantly believed that her father wasn''t a murderer. Likewise, Raphael had exined to Lucian countless times that he didn''t kill his father. He told Lucian that his father died because he fell off a cliff. Furthermore, he also told Lucian that it was impossible for him to kill his father as he was more than ten meters away when Lucian''s father fell. In fact, the likelihood for Raphael to be the killer was low, too, for he and Lucian''s father were as close as brothers. Whenever he thought about how Lucian''s father died in front of him simply because he had suggested they hike up the mountain, he would be torn with grief and feel an uncontroble sense of guilt. Nevertheless, Raphael could swear to God that he never killed Lucian''s father. He even tried his best to save Lucian''s father when the incident urred. It was too bad that Lucian''s father still fell, and his life was cut short. Caitlin believed every word Raphael had said, yet Lucian believed none of it. He firmly believed that it was Raphael who killed his father simply because he had an eyewitness. Back then, besides Lucian''s father, Raphael also hiked alongside two other people. Caitlin remembered that Raphael told her that a total of four people hiked together. One of their group of four came forth and told Lucian that he saw Raphael push his father off the cliff with his own eyes. Ironically, Lucian believed that person''s words yet refused to ept the words of his adoptive father, who had raised him like his own for more than 20 years. Rather, he actually believed the words that escaped that man''s lips without a shadow of a doubt and treated his adoptive father, who had exerted his utmost effort to raise him, as his enemy. And the next thing they all knew, Lucian started taking revenge on Raphael brutally and mercilessly. Nheless, what amused Caitlin the most was that Lucian still thought of marrying her after everything he had done toward her family. Yes, it was true that Caitlin''s parents had left a message asking her not to hold a grudge against Lucian. They told her that all things happened for a reason. Regardless, Lucian''s father died because of Raphael''s suggestion to go hiking on the mountain. For that reason, they felt ashamed. They also told Caitlin that they didn''t hate Lucian for what he did and even asked her not to despise him either. All her parents ever wanted was for her to live happily. So, they told her to forget about the past and live a good life with Lucian if she still had feelings for him. But how could Caitlin possibly forget? For it was precisely Lucian''s revenge that she had lost her cozy home. His revenge caused her to lose her parents, who loved her so dearly. Because of him, she became alone in this world and homeless as she drifted about in life. So how was it possible for her to forget everything he had done? Lucian firmly believed that Caitlin''s father had killed his father with his own hands, so he took revenge on the Owen Family. Suffice to say, Caitlin didn''t buy it. Even if someone threatened to take her life, she would still adamantly believe that her father didn''t murder someone¡ªlet alone his good friend. Therefore, she went around looking for thest group of four who went for the hiking trip after she had finished making arrangements for Natasha''s funeral. Back then, besides the person who swore that he saw Raphael push Lucian''s father off the cliff with his own eyes, there was another person who joined the hike with Raphael and Lucian''s father. Caitlin strongly believed that she could prove her father''s innocence if she could find that person. Chapter 388 Chapter 388 As Caitlin knew that Lucian wouldn''t believe whatever she said, she didn''t have the intention to say a word to him before she could find out the truth. She didn''t bother uttering a word as she turned around and made to leave. However, Lucian blocked her path once again. Lucian grabbed her wrist, his body taut with tension as he said, "I''ll take you to the hospital." After he had gotten his revenge on the Owen Family on behalf of histe father, Lucian thought that he could forget Caitlin and truly begin living as himself. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. In reality, Caitlin''s figure had been long imprinted in his soul after spending more than 20 years closely, and no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn''t get Caitlin out of his head. Lucian knew that Caitlin had gone missing after both her parents died. Thus, he hired a private detective to locate her whereabouts and discovered that she was out of the country. After much digging, Lucian realized that Caitlin had gone to look for the person who had hiked the mountain with their fathers. That person and his entire family immigrated abroad after Lucian''s father died. Caitlin somehow managed to discover the person''s address abroad and searched for him. Lucian was confident that Caitlin must not have found the person because she went to another country shortly after her trip abroad. And just like that, Caitlin''s whereabouts had been erratic for nearly a year. Lucian, on the other hand, was suffering from immense lovesickness. Although he hated Raphael for killing his biological father, he didn''t resent Caitlin at all. Caitlin was very kind to him. When they were young, she regarded Lucian as her own biological big brother. Her face would be proud whenever she mentioned him in front of others. She liked him, depended on him, and would follow him around while calling his name so dearly. She would also think about him whenever she had something nice to share, be it toys, food, or anything. Later, as they grew up, they realized that they weren''t real siblings and not at all blood-rted. Hence, they started to see each other differently. Soon, their affection started to bud, and they eventually fell in love with each other. Unfortunately, it wasn''t as smooth sailing for Lucian as it was for Caitlin. From the day he turned eighteen, he knew that Raphael was his biological father''s murderer. He knew that one day, he would take everything away from the Owen Family and avenge his father. For that reason, he knew very well in his heart that he shouldn''t fall in love with Caitlin. To him: falling in love with Caitlin was equivalent to him making his revenge difficult for himself. He figured that he would be in pain from tearing between love and hatred. And so, he warned himself not to show any genuine affection toward Caitlin. Yet, his situation wasn''t exactly helpful in keeping him in check. Since he lived under the same roof as Caitlin, all he could see was her admirable charms, which included her beauty, cuteness, intelligence, strength, and how she loved him wholeheartedly. Thus, he couldn''t control the passionate feeling of love that burned in his heart like a zing fire. Even so, he had to and must avenge his father''s death. Yet, Lucian never once thought about causing Caitlin''s parents'' death. All he wanted was simply to take away everything from the Owen Family and make Raphael pay for causing his biological father''s death. Lucian didn''t expect Raphael couldn''t bear the brunt of his revenge and die of illness. What shocked him, even more, was that Natasha died unexpectedly due to a mishap. Lucian knew very well that Natasha was a gentle and kind woman who treated him as her own. He really never wanted to cause her any pain, least of all cause her to pass on so suddenly. After Raphael and Natasha passed away, one after another, the sadness he suffered was no less than Caitlin''s. Yes, he did seed in avenging his father. He thought he would be happy, but he was suffering. The agony was still bearable during the day as he was preupied with work and had no time to think about it. Nheless, things werepletely different at night. His mind would be filled with past images when he closed his eyes to sleep. Although he was just the adoptive son of the Owen Family, Raphael and Natasha gave him the same treatment as Caitlin. In fact, they would even side with Lucian whenever Caitlin threw a tantrum. Never once did Raphael and Natasha mistreat Lucian on all his usual basic necessities, and they had been caring and considerate to him since he was young. As a matter of fact, Lucian wouldn''t even think of stealing Owen Holdings away from the Owen Family if his biological mother hadn''t found him and cried, asking him to avenge his biological father. Based on his mother''s statement, none of this would''ve happened if his father was still alive. Their family''spany wouldn''t be divided up by his two uncles, and he wouldn''t have to be the adoptive son of the Owen Family and depend on them for a living. In Dusktown, many actually thought that adoptive children were nothing but taking up the roles of the biological children''s bodyguards and ves. Although Raphael didn''t change Lucian''sst name and still let him take upon his father''s family name when he adopted him, many still deemed him Caitlin''s ve, especially her suitors. Since Caitlin was a gorgeous youngdy¡ªthe most beautiful girl in their social circles, she had many suitors. Yet, Caitlin only fancied Lucian and no one else. As a result, Caitlin''s suitors would always say something awful to Lucian. They would tell him that he was just a servant to the Owen Family and only worthy of bing Caitlin''s butler instead of marrying her. Even though Lucian retaliated fiercely afterward, those words had been carved deeply in his heart and eventually became his own personal nightmare. I''m not a ve of the Owen Family! If Caitlin''s father didn''t kill my father, I would be the dignified and imposing Young Master of the Wheeler Family! ording to my mother, my father is more outstanding than Caitlin''s father. His achievements would''ve been far more outstanding than Caitlin''s father''s if he were still alive. On the other hand, I will be the decent Young Master of the Wheeler Family. If that were the case, our families would have been of equal rank. I could also be a perfect couple with Caitlin instead of being seen as her servant by others. Days passed, and Lucian found it harder and harder to dispel the hissing thoughts that wrapped around his head like a poisonous snake. Coupled with his biological mother''s day-to-day cries and demagoguery, he finally couldn''t control himself and started to plot against the Owen Family. As he expected, Caitlin''s family had never once been wary of him. Hence, the process of taking everything away from the Owen Family and turning Owen Holdings into Wheeler Corporation became much more straightforward than he imagined. Just like that, he sessfully acquired Owen Holdings and all thepany''s property. Plus, with the property he earned through his own business, Lucian was far more powerful than Raphael in the past. When his biological mother heard this, she nearly jumped in joy, utterly ecstatic. She kept praising Lucian and telling him that he was her and histe biological father''s pride. Lucian became the head of the Wheeler Family at a young age. Both wealth and power were in his grasp. He seemed triumphant, high-spirited, and had everything he wanted, but in reality, he had lost Caitlin. Just like how he hated Raphael for killing his biological father, Caitlin, too, hated Lucian for murdering her parents. After Raphael and Natasha passed away, he told Caitlin that their grievances had been written off and that they could start over. Regardless, Caitlin merely looked at him with a sneer. Then, without saying a word, she bypassed him and left. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. She neither uttered a word nor scolded him nor beat him up. Although it might look like it was a good sign in the eyes of others, for Lucian, who had known Caitlin for years, this was the worst-case scenario. This simply indicated that Caitlin had given up on him. She was utterly disheartened, so she didn''t even want to waste a single breath on him. Initially, Lucian thought that losing Caitlin in his life wasn''t a big deal. There are plenty of brilliant women in this world. And as long as I try, I can forget about Caitlin and start from scratch. Despite all that, reality gave him a cold hard p as he soon realized that he couldn''t forget about Caitlin at all. After she left, he would dream of her almost every night. Sometimes, he would dream of themughing and frolicking together. Sometimes, he dreamt of chasing after her and shouting her name loudly as she kept walking without looking back. But in that dream, no matter how hard he screamed her name, Caitlin refused to look back. No matter how fast he ran, he just couldn''t catch up with her. As a result, he would always wake up from his dream, panicked and sweating profusely. At that time, he didn''t understand why his heart would ache so badly when it was all just a dream. After he was constantly being tormented by nightmares, he finally understood that no matter how hard he tried, Caitlin was the cmity in his life that he couldn''t escape from. He couldn''t forget about her, and he would be better off dead if he lost her in his life. Therefore, he hired more private detectives to search for her. Yet, there was nothing. Lucian didn''t expect that he would actually serendipitously encounter her here. But, since he had been searching for her high and low, how could he possibly let her leave just like this? Chapter 389 Chapter 389 He grabbed Caitlin by the wrist and wouldn''t let her leave, but she shook off his hand forcefully and dashed for the door. As a result, a scene of her running while he chased behind her was yed before the others. As she was rushing, she couldn''t dodge in time and ran right into a man''s chest when she reached the lobby, Her forehead was already in pain from the injury, and after this hard knock, it was hurting even more, and she became dizzy, feeling as though her world was spinning. Thus, she reflexively grabbed the man before her to steady herself so she wouldn''t fall, but before she could recover, the woman who was with the man gave her a hard shove. So, she lost her bnce, fell, and her palm scraped on the floor, sending a jolt of burning pain. Yet, the woman who pushed her wasn''t satisfied with her disheveled state. She stood in front of the man and shouted at Caitlin arrogantly, "Do you have any idea who he is? The nerve of you to pull such a ploy! Where is security? Hurry and throw out this shameless woman!" Because he was waiting for the elevator, Lucian arrived a littlete, and when he made it to the scene, he caught sight of a woman shoving Caitlin to the ground. He lost his temper at the sight as his brain set aside all chivalry and the idea that men shouldn''ty a finger on women. He didn''t hesitate to storm over as he lifted his leg and kicked the woman fiercely. Grayson was downstairs to pick up Ann; while he was having dinner with his buddies upstairs, Ann suddenly gave him a call saying that she was downstairs and wanted to look for him. So, he came downstairs after he had informed Sebastian. Actually, Ann didn''t have any business with him. She said that she had asked her friend out to go shopping, but she got stood up. Bored, she bought some food and nned to go home, but when she was hanging around the area, she remembered him mentioning that he would be having dinner with his buddies in Club Tempest tonight. Thus, she called him because she wanted to share the food she had bought. On the other hand, he had already guessed that all these were merely Ann''s excuses. Her real aim was to look for him and join him for dinner. Despite that, Ann was the goddess he had been carrying a torch for a long time. So even though he knew her intentions, he was soft-hearted and let her have her way, inviting her to join them upstairs. She readily epted the invitation, and he led her in, nning to take her to the private room upstairs. Still, a woman unexpectedly dashed out of the elevator when they were in the lobby and knocked right into his chest. Before he realized what was happening, Ann lost her temper and pushed the woman to the floor. The man who came chasing after was furious when he witnessed this scene with his fierce eyes. He didn''t hesitate as heshed out and kicked in Ann''s direction harshly, but of course, there was no way Grayson could watch Ann receiving such harsh treatment. So, he reached out to pull her out of the way, narrowly dodging the attack. That man''s kicknded on nothing, and he directed all his fury on Grayson instead. Since he couldn''t just stand there to take a beating, he started a fight with that man right then and there. At the same time, Joel, the foodie, thought that he would be able to eat a lot before the food was served, but when more than ten dishes arrived, he was full after having a couple of mouthfuls from each te. Now that his belly was full, he couldn''t sit still anymore, and after asking his parents for permission, he dragged his brother and went out to y. He liked the blue piano on disy on the first floor, and he was very tempted to y a song on it, so he dragged Quincy to the first floor after leaving the room. Thus, he whirled out of the elevator in excitement, which was where he saw Grayson right away before seeing the piano. "Aldo, Uncle Grayson is in a fight with somebody!" Fred and Simon, who were apanying them, also saw the scene, and Fred instructed Simon, "Watch the children while I help Grayson." The boys from the Hart Family were exceptionally skilled, but the man fighting with Grayson now had a really vicious look in his eyes now, as though Grayson had murdered his parents. Ruthless and precise, his moves were well-trained and efficient. With just one nce, Fred could tell that he was a good fighter, and he was worried Grayson would lose. After he instructed Simon to look after the kids, he lunged forward to help and wanted to take over for Grayson. Grayson was a medical student and a highly educated person. So how could he win in a fight? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Fred stormed into the fight without bothering for exnations as heunched a punch at Lucian''s temple, thinking of taking over Grayson''s position to fight Lucian while he retreated to defend himself. It''s just that he didn''t know that Lucian was not alone. When Lucian chased after Caitlin, Theodore, Jared, and the others were worried that they would get into another argument and went after them as well. While Lucian and Grayson were fighting one-to-one, they didn''t butt in and checked on Caitlin instead, helping her up from the floor and checking her wounds. As the fight progressed between Lucian and Grayson, a helper suddenly came in from the other party, infuriating Theodore and the others. Two against one, weren''t they ashamed at all? Were they picking on Lucian, thinking that he had no one else? Gilbert was closest to the scene as he dashed over without a word and stopped Fred. "Woah!" Joel''s eyes widened. "Fred is starting a fight with someone as well!" A speechless Simon thought, Why does it look like this little master isn''t afraid at all and seems rather excited instead? He wasn''t worried about his brother, but rather, he was concerned about Grayson because his hands were precious and shouldn''t be injured at all costs. Nevertheless, his task was to protect the kids, and he couldn''t set them aside to help out. So, he pushed a button on his Bluetooth earphone and said, "Quinton, Grayson is in a fight with somebody on the first floor. We need backup." "Aldo, Aldo!" Once again, Joel discovered a new situation and shook Quincy''s arm as he pointed at Caitlin. "That''s Miss Caitlin!" Before Quincy could answer, he held his hand and dragged him toward her. "Miss Caitlin!" The instant Simon noticed that Joel was pulling Quincy toward the ''battlefield'', he didn''t dare ck off from his ''duties'' as he worried they would be dragged into the fight. Therefore, he hastily followed behind them to ensure he could protect them from a stray hit. "Miss Caitlin!" Joel trotted before her and lifted his head to look at her. "Why are you injured?" Quincy released Joel''s hand as he lifted his arm and called Madeline using his wrist phone. "Mommy, Miss Caitlin is on the first floor, and her forehead is injured." "What?" Madeline rose to her feet with her phone in hand as she murmured to Sebastian, "I''m going out to take a look." After he gave her a nod, she rushed out with her cell phone. "Aldo, what happened? Caitlin is injured?" "Yes," Quincy answered calmly. "Miss Caitlin''s forehead is injured, and it''s bleeding. She looks pale and doesn''t seem clear-headed, but she has friends who are concerned about her. So don''t worry too much, Mommy." "Okay, I got it," Madeline said. "I''m going over to look for you now. Take care of yourself and your brother, alright?" "Okay, Mommy," Quincy said and hung up. Caitlin felt dizzy, but she still looked down and was surprised to see Joel, who was calling her ''Miss Caitlin''. "Buddy, what are you doing here?" "I came here to have dinner with Daddy, Mommy, Aldo, and my uncles." He furrowed his brows as he worriedly regarded the injury on her forehead. "Miss Caitlin, why are you hurt? It''s really painful, isn''t it?" "I''m fine." She squeezed out a smile as she bent forward and caressed his face. "I haven''t seen you in a while, Buddy. We''re really fated to me, aren''t we?'' Chapter 390 Chapter 390 She got to know Madeline in Worrick. Then, while she was searching for the fourth person who was hiking with her parents, Caitlin heard that the person had appeared in Worrick after she had been to a few countries, and she immediately flew to Worrick. Since she was unfamiliar with the country, she would often seek private investigators'' help, and in Worrick, she found Oasis Law Office and befriended Madeline and Leigh. Although she and Madeline started off in a coborative rtionship, they became good friends after spending some time together. After Madeline came to Dusktown, she met Quincy and Joel''s biological father, and Caitlin had already heard of her decision to live in Dusktown when they were chatting over the phone. On this trip to Dusktown, she nned to look for Madeline and Leigh to catch up after she had settled down. But it was as though they were fated to meet, so much so that even before she visited Madeline, they had already bumped into each other. "Yes!" Joel bobbed his head in agreement. "Mommy likes you, and so do we. We are really destined to be friends!" Caitlin smiled softly. "I like you and Aldo, too." "Miss Caitlin, are they your friends?" Joel gestured at Lucian and Gilbert with his tiny hand, who was in a fight with Grayson and Fred. Following his finger, she nced and answered, "Yes, one of them." "Will you tell your friend not to fight anymore, Miss Caitlin?" Joel asked. "One man fighting with them is my second uncle, and another is the bodyguard protecting Aldo and me. So I''ll tell Uncle Grayson and Fred not to fight with your friends, and you''ll ask your friends not to fight with them, okay?" Although his exnation was a little lengthy, Caitlin understood what he meant. "Oh, he''s your uncle? We''ll tell them to stop fighting, then." She ruffled his hair and shouted to Gilbert, "Gill, stop fighting." Joel also called to Grayson and Fred, "Uncle Grayson, Fred, stop fighting. They''re Miss Caitlin''s friends. We should be friendly to each other and not fight!" The four men who were fighting all stepped back the instant Caitlin and Joel''s words registered in their minds. Joel ambled over to Grayson, held his hand, and pointed at Caitlin. "Uncle Grayson, look. She''s Miss Caitlin and a good friend of Mommy''s. We should let bygones be bygones since we''re family, so we should cherish and not fight each other, okay?" A dumbfounded Grayson thought, We should let bygones be bygones? Are we family? Is that even close to describing the situation now? We don''t even know each other! Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Nevertheless, that wasn''t the point now. The main issue now was that the other party was his sister-in- law''s friend, and it would be inappropriate to continue fighting with them. "Alright, we won''t fight, but she has to apologize!" Lucian shot an icy re at Ann. "She insulted Caitlin. She should apologize to Caitlin!" "Did you scold Miss Caitlin?" Joel turned to Ann in bewilderment. "Why did you scold Miss Caitlin? She''s a nice person, and we all like her very much!" At the sight of Quincy and Joel, it took everything in Ann to stop herself from choking them to death. Recently, she had been doing terribly. Even though she had found an excuse to move into Grayson''s apartment, Sebastian had sent two so-called ''personal assistants'' to keep an eye on her. Like the ghosts of a haunted mansion, the assistants would brazenly stand next to them whenever she was next to Grayson. Even when she shouted at them to scram, they would simply ignore her. She turned on the waterworks and asked Grayson to drive them out, but that weakling Grayson said that they were sent by his brother with kind intentions, so he couldn''t disobey him. She became utterly infuriated by his words and wondered why Grayson, the useless weakling, was in love with her and not Sebastian instead? How amazing would it be if it was Sebastian who was in love with her?! If it were him, then Grayson, Kieran, and Lucas would all bow down to her and listen to every word she said. But, unlike now, out of the four Hart brothers, Grayson was the only one willing to care about her. Kieran was indifferent toward her, while Lucas couldn''t even be bothered with her. The most terrible of all, Sebastian wouldn''t even meet her! During this period, she almost lost her mind from the rage, and there were no walls that could keep words out. Some *sshole had leaked the news that she was driven out of the Hart Family, and all her friends and acquaintances from before would snicker when they saw her, their eyes filled with ridicule and contempt. Since she was unable to bear those disdain-filled stares, she couldn''t wait to change her predicament immediately. Right now, she was no longer the cousin of the Hart Family. Since Philip and Sebastian refused to care about her, the only way she could change her predicament was to marry Grayson. Despite that, the personal assistants¡ªone man and one woman¡ªthat Sebastian sent to them were watching Grayson closely like a hawk, leaving her no chance to flirt with him andpletely destroying her rtionship with him. Due to this, she almost passed out in anxiety. Today, she had identally overheard Grayson''s call, saying that Sebastian wanted to introduce Madeline and her two b*stard children to his childhood buddies, and she was overwhelmed with jealousy. Although she grew up in the Hart Family and was Sebastian''s cousin, he had never brought her to meet his friends. One must know that Sebastian''s friends were the heirs to the top families of Dusktown, and all were dashing and incredibly wealthy. If she could make it into their circle and be the little princess that they adored, she would be the envy of every woman in the city. Frankly, she should have had those things in her grasp since she lived close to the Harts. If only Sebastian were willing to introduce her to his buddies, she would naturally be their childhood friend, too. But he never did that. When they were young, she would cry and make a scene, begging Sebastian to take her along to meet his friends, but he remained unmoved. After they were grown up, she devised all sorts of schemes. Still, Sebastian was even sharper than the demon himself, and no matter what trick she pulled, he was always able to leave her behind, making it impossible for her to even know anyone from his inner circle. Now, Sebastian actually wanted to bring another woman to meet his closest friends! She was so bitter that she wanted to murder someone, specifically that harlot, Madeline. What gave her the right? The one who grew up together with Sebastian was her. What gave that woman named Madeline Taylor the right to snatch everything that should have been hers?! In the past, she was in love with Sebastian and wanted to marry him, so she didn''t dare to be too close to Grayson, lest everyone else would get the wrong idea. Since she had already decided that she would marry him, she could naturally saunter after him and integrate into the circle of wealthy heirs. If Madeline could meet Sebastian''s buddies, so could she! For that reason, she came up with the excuse to deliver food for Grayson and came to Club Tempest before giving him a call. Grayson invited her upstairs just as she wished, and her heart bloomed in delight. Still, she feigned arrogance and only epted the invitation after declining a few times. Who would have guessed that they had just stepped into the lobby when a woman suddenly came out of nowhere and dashed right into Grayson''s chest and hugged him? It was only natural for her to explode in displeasure. The man was hers! If this shameless sl*t thought that she could get Grayson''s attention by using such a cheap trick, then she couldn''t be more wrong! Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Ann shoved the woman away, who bumped into Grayson''s arms without hesitation. Only then did she realize she seemed to have misunderstood. Madeline was not the kind of woman who deliberately came to ces like clubhouses to manufacture a ''fateful encounter'' with rich people. Ann initially thought the woman was Madeline because the men who came out chasing those women looked very wealthy, and they were obviously the sons of affluent families. Madeline led the life she could only dream of¡ªa life surrounded by tall, handsome men who cared and loved her. Since that woman''s goal was not Grayson, and naturally, what happened just now was a misunderstanding, she could just let it go. Still, even though Ann wanted to, Madeline''s brat refused and even asked her to apologize to that woman! She might have apologized if she felt like it. Yet, the brat not only asked her to apologize but also pretended to be innocent when he questioned Ann! Ann could not resist the urge to kick that brat to death, but she dared not, as she still wanted to marry Grayson. No matter how much she hated that brat, she could not afford to show it on her face. Hence, Ann squeezed out a smile. "It was just a misunderstanding, my love. I thought it was a gold digger who wanted to seduce Grayson." "Oh¡ª" Joel flickered his eyes. "Since it was a misunderstanding, you should say sorry to Katy! Mom said that a good kid must say sorry, so you must say sorry too!" Ann almost fainted from rage when she heard that. What was this brat trying to say? That if she did not apologize, she was a bad person? The worse thing was she had to pretend that she was not infuriated. "Although I misunderstood her, she bumped into Grayson first. So, we are both at fault." Caitlin gave Ann a stern look and turned to Grayson. "I''m sorry. I ran too fast and identally bumped into you." Grayson hurriedly said, "It''s nothing. It was just an ident." "There is a blood stain on your coat. Let me buy you a new one." Caitlin looked at his left shoulder. "No need. It''s just a trivial matter. Since you''re Joel''s aunt, you''re not an outsider. So you don''t need to be so polite." As he spoke, he lowered his head and nced at his shoulder. He did not notice that a small portion of the coat was stained with blood. It must have been stained when she bumped into him and left some of the blood from her forehead on the coat. Most doctors were a bit of a neat freak, and so was Grayson. But even if he felt a little nervous about strangers'' blood on his clothes, his excellent upbringing and demeanor kept him from showing it. Fortunately, it was just a coat, so he could take it off upstairs. Heforted himself in his heart, trying to ignore the blood on his shoulders. Caitlin smiled at him and turned to look at Ann. "Well? I identally bumped into Joel''s uncle, and I have apologized. It''s your turn." She ran too fast as she felt anxious and dizzy, so it was her fault that she identally bumped into Grayson. But Ann just called her ''slut'' without reason, and that angered her. For the past 20 years, she has been the little princess favored by her parents and admired by many. Although the Owen Family was bankrupt and her parents passed away, her temperament as the pampered princess could not be changed overnight. She would own up to whatever she did wrong, and so must the other party. "Yes, Katy is right!" Joel looked at Ann with a serious face and said, "It''s wrong to scold people! Say sorry to Katy!" It was easy to say ''I''m sorry'' most of the time, but sometimes, it was the most challenging thing to say. It was evident that Ann was experiencing thetter situation. In the meantime, many people watched on the sideline as the drama unfolded. Not everyone could hold a membership at the Club Tempest, and only those with wealth or power could enter. Because these people had high social status, they could not put aside their pride to pry at the drama, but this did not stop them from watching in the distance. Ann was reluctant to apologize to Caitlin as she was being watched closely. It was as if she had done something wrong but did not. How could she have misunderstood if it were not for Caitlin suddenly bumping into Grayson''s arms? Besides, Caitlin must have done it on purpose since there were so many people in the clubhouse, and yet, she chose Grayson. Was she in the wrong to think that Caitlin was deliberately trying to seduce Grayson? It was all Caitlin''s fault, so why should she apologize? In particr, Caitlin was Madeline''s friend, and the two little brats Madeline bred were standing beside Caitlin pressuring her to apologize! The more she thought about it, the more the rage in her grew. So, she raised her chin arrogantly and sneered. "If you hadn''t bumped into Grayson, I would not have mistakenly thought you wanted his attention, and I would not have scolded you. You were in the wrong first, and you must bear the consequences. I don''t f*cking need to apologize to you!" Just as Caitlin was about to rebuke Ann, Caitlin heard a sweet and pleasant voice from behind. "Katy?" In the distance, Madeline could be seen walking over hurriedly, and her gazended on Caitlin''s forehead first. "What happened? How did you hurt yourself so badly?" Caitlin tried reassuring Madeline by saying, "Nothing serious. It''s just that I identally rubbed the skin against something." Madeline then turned to Grayson. "Grayson, what''s the matter? Did you two fight?" Without waiting for Grayson''s response, Ann interrupted the conversation impatiently, "The injury on her forehead has nothing to do with Grayson. What''s wrong with you?" Madeline was stunned at Ann''s rude response. She merely heard from Quinton that Grayson had a fight with someone, and as she reached the scene, she saw Caitlin and Grayson standing opposite each other, looking as if they were in a confrontation. She was afraid that both of them had some misunderstanding, that was why she asked the question. When did she ever use Grayson? This time, Joel genuinely felt angry as he saw how his mother was being rudely treated. He stood with arms akimbo and yelled, "Why are you using Mom? Mom didn''t even say that Grayson caused the wound on Katy''s forehead! She only asked if Grayson fought with Katy! You scolded Katy, and you wronged my Mom. I hate you!" "Yeah!" Quincy nodded with a sullen face. "You''re mean to Mom! You deliberately wronged Mom!" Even though he was still young, he was already a sensitive kid. He could feel Ann''s malice toward his mother, even if Ann tried her best not to show it. Caitlin nced at Ann before turning to look at Madeline. "Do you have beef with her?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Madeline was speechless when she heard Caitlin''s question. I mean, do you really want me to say that Ann is my love rival, Caitlin? The moment Caitlin saw that Madeline did not deny that there was bad blood between her and Ann, Caitlin immediately assumed that there was. Of course, that was easy for Caitlin, as she would insist on Ann apologizing to her. "Apologize to me. Now." Caitlin gazed at Ann coldly. "However, you can choose to fight me if you don''t want to apologize." She practiced martial arts with Lucian since she was a child, and even though she wasn''t exceptionally talented in martial arts, it was more than enough to beat this woman to the ground. "I don''t want to fight you," Ann raised her chin and said contemptuously. "Are you a barbarian who only knows how to fight?" "You have to apologize to my Mom!" Quincy looked at Ann with a stern face. "You are a bad person, and you framed my Mom!" "Yes, exactly!" Joel stood with arms akimbo, staring straight at Ann with his big eyes. "Apologize to Mom, or you will have a duel with her!" Joel was convinced that his mother would win because she was a great fighter. So far, she had only lost to his father and no one else. She would definitely knock the nasty woman''s teeth out! Madeline was again rendered speechless by her twin sons. A duel is a bit over the top, but it would be great if I could fight Ann. She was not a fool, and it was evident that Ann harbored feelings toward Sebastian. While she did not regard Sebastian as her ''property'', the fact that other women were coveting Sebastian made her feel ufortable. So, it would be nice if she could take this opportunity to knock Ann''s teeth out. As the thought shed across Madeline''s mind, her eyes started glowing with eagerness. Quinton, who followed Madeline, saw the gleam in her eyes and tried maintaining a straight face when speaking to Ann. "Miss Evans, since our young masters have invited you to a duel with Mrs. Hart, why don''t you pick what kind of duel you want topete in? The Young Master''s clubhouse has everything, from fencing room, boxing ring to martial arts arena." Mrs. Hart was a capable fighter who could even throw Quinton over his shoulder, so Quinton was not worried that Mrs. Hart would be fighting a weakling like Ann; she could take on ten men simultaneously! It would be great if Ann epted his Young Masters'' invitation. That way, Mrs. Hart would definitely be able to have a good time. As Ann listened to how Quinton addressed the brats and slut as "Young Master" and "Mrs. Hart", her heart ached as if countless knives were stabbing her, and she could not have felt more jealous. Why? Why does it have to turn out like this? I should be Mrs. Hart, not Madeline! Everything Madeline had should have been hers, and she definitely started out in a more favorable position than Madeline! She was Sebastian''s cousin; she grew up with the Harts; she and Sebastian had even lived under the same roof and were childhood sweethearts. She should have married Sebastian and given birth to his sons. Instead, everything that should have belonged to her was taken away by a bitch who appeared out of nowhere! She couldn''t help the shrill insults that bloomed within her mind. Slut! Bitch! The thought of Madeline being Mrs. Hart drove Ann mad, and she yelled, "Okay, I''ll fight you!" When she was a child, she and Sebastian practiced martial arts together, a tactic for her to get close to Sebastian. Even though she could not beat Sebastian, knocking a weak-looking woman should be within her capabilities. She resented Madeline so much that she would not miss out on an opportunity to beat Madeline to a pulp. She would definitely smash that face of hers! "Yay!" Joel jumped and pped his hands happily when Ann finally agreed to a duel. "Mom! Beat her!" Quinton, who knew how well Madeline could fight, had to forcefully suppress theughter that was about to bubble from within him. Still, his excellent upbringing prevented him from being gentle and elegant at all times. "Okay, since that''s the case, I''ll arrange the venue for the duel. May I know what you have in mind? Fencing? Freebat? Boxing? Or anything goes?" Ann replied, "Anything goes! Fight as we see fit!" Only with such a condition, could she have an excuse to scratch that slut''s face! "Okay then, I''ll have someone arrange the venue." He pressed the Bluetooth earphone on his ear lightly and instructed someone to prepare the venue and clothes for Ann and Madeline. After making arrangements, he made a gesture of invitation to both of them. "Mrs. Hart, Miss Evans, this way, please." Grayson was a man of few words, and in the span of a few minutes, things evolved in such a weird way that he was not sure how to react. Why would Ann and Madeline fight when they were family? "M-Madeline..." He felt awkward calling Madeline. "Madeline, Ann is outspoken and sometimes careless. But she didn''t mean to offend you, so please forgive her. There is no need for a duel since everyone here is family, and it won''t be good if anyone is hurt." "You''re wrong! Grayson!" Joel corrected Grayson. "She is hostile and malicious toward my Mom! She deliberately framed Mom and wanted to ruin the rtionship between you and Mom." Grayson was unsure how to react to that since Joel was only five-year-old and spoke so maturely. He even knew what malice and hostility were! Not giving up, Grayson tried to talk some sense into Joel by coaxing him softly, "Joel, you made a mistake. Although Ann can be a little proud sometimes, she is very kind and will not be malicious or hostile to your mother." Joel immediately became angry upon hearing that. "No! My brother can''t be wrong! My brother is so smart! He is always right!" Well, Grayson tried his best. He knew how brainless his little nephews could be when it came to brotherly love, just like Lucas! When Lucas was younger, he would agree with everything Sebastian said, regardless of the contents. Oh, wait, Lucas was still the same even after he grew up. It had always been this way, and Grayson thought this cult-like belief was terrifying. So, he could not afford to offend them, even if the opponent was a five-year-old boy. Furthermore, the two nephews were the apples of his elder brother''s eyes. So, if he provoked and made them cry, he could not bear to think how his elder brother would deal with him. So, the moment he thought of his elder brother, he decided to stop whatever he was trying to do and merely agreed with Joel. "Yes, you''re right, Joel. You and Quincy are both brilliant. I don''t mean that what Quincy said was wrong. Just that we are a family, so we should all live in harmony and not fight, right?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "No!" Joel rejected his suggestion even without thinking. "She wronged my Mom. She is a bad person. So, we''re enemies, not family!" "My brother is right. We''re enemies." Quincy nodded in agreement. Joel was delighted to receive his brother''s approval, and he pointed his tender little finger at Ann''s nose and harrumphed. "Enemy!" The moment Ann saw Joel, who greatly resembled Sebastian and Madeline and was pointing his finger at her, she felt thest ounce of wit she had flown out of the window. Her mind went nk as her emotions went haywire. Unfortunately, she forgot to maintain her perfectdy persona in front of Grayson as she didn''t hesitate to smash her handbag right at Joel''s face and yelled, "Who do you think you are? How dare you treat me like this?" Chapter 393 Chapter 393 After noticing Ann was about to throw her handbag at Joel''s face, Simon protected Joel while Fred rushed forward and kicked the bag away. When Madeline saw her son was protected by both Simon and Fred, she immediately went and grabbed Ann''s arm before she twisted it, as thetter had lost the upper hand. As Ann let out a miserable cry of pain, she instinctively knelt on one knee in the direction of Caitlin, coincidentally. Towering above Ann, Caitlin curled her lips and said, "You should just apologize. There''s no need to make a big scene out of this." The impact of Ann''s knees falling to the ground was painful to the extent that she felt as though her kneecaps were shattered. As she screamed in pain, the only thing left in her mind was a person''s name to which she yelled, "Grayson!" With a frown, Grayson came forward to stop the situation from escting further. "Madeline, what are you doing? Let go of her!" "She reprimanded my son!" Not only did Madeline not let go of Ann''s arm, but she also exerted even more strength on her hand that had twisted Ann''s arm behind her. "Apologize to my son!" Although Ann had recently fallen from grace, she had always regarded herself as the onlydy of the Hart Family for the past twenty years, which was why her friends were always willing to back her and indulge her. Feeling that she was superior to the others, she thought of herself as the most honorable and beautiful socialite in Dusktown, so she had never suffered such humiliation. Stewed in anger, hatred, and shame, she sobbed as she said, "Grayson¡ª" Grayson tried to dissuade. "Madeline, we''re a family here. We should talk it out instead of making such an unsightly scene, especially with so many others around." Indifferently, Madeline said, "How is she part of the family? As I recalled, your brother has already driven her out of the Hart Family and severed all ties with her." Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. "Madeline, he only said that in a fit of anger. " Grayson then continued with a frown, "No matter what, Ann is still Mrs. Emma''s daughter and my brother''s cousin. As we are a family, how can our familial ties be severed just like that?" Before Madeline could retort, Sebastian''s voice came from behind her. "I''m not against having my brother speaking on my behalf, but I''m slightly offended with how you''re speaking with your head buried in the sand." Grayson''s body stiffened when he heard Sebastian''s voice. As his closest brother, he knew just how much Sebastian disliked Ann. Walking toward Madeline, Quincy, and Joel, Sebastian came to a stop when he was by their side. After Quinton greeted Sebastian, he then reported to him the situation concisely. After he was done, Sebastian nodded and turned his attention to Lucas who was following behind him. "Make arrangements for a room." "Understood." Lucas quickly asked someone to arrange for an unupied room and herded the crowd into it. "You head on in first. I have something to say to my friend," Madeline said quietly to Sebastian as her gazended on Caitlin. "You and the children need to be present," Sebastian said. Then, he turned toward Lucas and said, "Since Madeline''s friend was injured in your shop, your shop has the responsibility to care for her. Arrange for your men to tend to her injuries." "I understand, Sebastian." Lucas then called the manager who seemed to have immediatelye over due to his status. "Arrange a room for Madeline''s friend and call for a doctor to tend to her injuries. Charge everything to my ount." "There''s no need¡­" said Caitlin. "Go ahead. Since it''s already thiste, it''ll be inconvenient to go to the hospital now. You should have your injuries tended to here first, then I''ll bring you to see Leigh when I''m done with my affairs," said Madeline. Although the two of them haven''t known each other for a long time, they were friends who were sincere with one another. Seeing that Madeline was persistent, Caitlin decided to take up on her offer. "Alright, I''ll wait for you." The manager of Club Tempest quickly arranged for a spacious andfortable suite nearby for Caitlin''s perusal and guided her into the suite. Lucian nned to follow Caitlin into the suite as well, but she stopped him from doing so. "I''ve already clearly said all that can be said. I don''t want to see you anymore. Manager¡­" She turned toward the manager and continued, "I don''t want himing into my room." Without missing a beat, the manager said apologetically to Lucian, "I''m sorry, as thisdy here is the VIP of our establishment, I''ll have to ask you toe back another day¡­ as she does not wish to see you." He deliberately paused mid-sentence. Anyone smart enough would know that the manager was implying that he would call for the security to evict Lucian should he notply. Theodore tried convincing Lucian. "Lucian, since Katy isn''t feeling well, we should let her tend to her injuries first. There is still ample time for us to catch up with herter." However, Lucian was reluctant to do so. After all, he had spent a great deal of effort to meet Caitlin, so he was reluctant for his meeting with her to end this way. Then, Gilbert came up to Lucian and whispered, "Don''t be like this, Lucian. It''s not like you won''t be seeing her anymore. Now that she''s in Dusktown, there will be other opportunities to meet herter. Since she''s not feeling well now, we should let her have some rest first." Taking a nce at the injury on Caitlin''s forehead, Lucian gritted his teeth and could onlypromise in the end. "Fine! Katy, tell me a date and time so that we can have a chat. I have many things I want to tell you." Caitlin only looked at him coldly without saying a word, as she had nothing left to say to the man. Looking at Caitlin''s ice-cold gaze, Lucian felt as though a million arrows had pierced through his heart. Ever since he had lost her, regretful thoughts would oftene invading his mind. Sometimes, a question would abruptly float into his mind: Was I wrong? Whenever such a question came to mind, he would jerk sharply and break out in a cold sweat. Then, he would convince himself by saying that he did nothing wrong, as he could not admit his mistake. This mistake was irreparable after all. As there was no way to bring Caitlin''s parents back to life, him admitting that it was a mistake would mean that he had done something irreparable for as long as he lived. Hence, he could not admit that he was wrong, so he could only grit his teeth and firmly believe that he was in the right. Yet, as he looked at that icy gaze of hers, those regretful thoughts he buried deep in his mind came floating up again. Was I really in the right? To avenge my father, someone whom I have never met, I pushed the two people who had treated me as their own family and had loved me for more than twenty years to their deaths. Not only that, but I''ve turned against the person who was closest to me. The person who I loved. Was it all worth it? "Forget it, Lucian. We have plenty of chances to talk in the future, so let''s just leave her be." Theodore pulled Lucian behind him before he asked, "Katy, will you still leave Dusktown this time?" Theodore, Gilbert, Jared, and Fergus were Caitlin''s childhood friends. However, due to the difference in their gender, the four of them grew closer to Lucian instead. Not only that, but with the coborations between theirpanies, their interests became closely rted to one another to the extent of something akin to sworn brothers. However, they had never gone after someone who was down. Rather, they had done their best in helping Caitlin. As Lucian''s reason for taking over her father''spany was to avenge his father''s death, Caitlin''s childhood friends weren''t in the position to me him and could only advise him to not take things too far. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Since Caitlin''s parents had passed, Theodore and the other three of them were busy helping to deal with the aftermath and were worried for her. They had even tried giving her money, only to have her refuse them. She was grateful for everything they had done for her, so she treated them well. Regardless, she simply replied, "I''ll still be leaving." Theodore frowned at her answer. "It''s unsafe for a girl like you to be going around like that. Gil, Ferg, and I had been worried sick during the period where we couldn''t contact you." "And me!" Jared came forward and took a nce at Caitlin''s forehead. "Katy, I must spill my blood tonight as repentance over what happened tonight! You must give me this chance to atone for my sins!" "It''s not that serious." Caitlinughed. "The times when you all helped me when my parents passed are still in my mind. In the future, I''ll repay you all when I have the capability to do so." "Katy, we''re all childhood friends here. Back when we were young, your mother had always fed us delicious food and loved us as though we were her flesh and blood. So, you shouldn''t talk about repaying us. That''s too distant of you," Theodore said with a frown. Jared followed up. "Yeah. What happened to your parents was out of the blue, so we couldn''t help much. We''ve always felt sorry for that." There was a difference between those who were close and those who were distant. The four of them had grown up together with both Lucian and Caitlin. On one hand, their rtionship with the former was just like Damon and Pythias. On the other hand, thetter was their cute little sister. They loved Caitlin dearly, but they were still closer to Lucian. That was why they could only remain neutral and did not take either side back when the outbreak happened. Lucian had assured them that he would only go after the Owen Family''s wealth and not bring any physical harm to the family, and that he just wanted the Owen Family to pay the price for his father''s death and Caitlin''s father to repent for what he had done. Nevertheless, all four of their families were long-time friends of the Owen Family, which meant that their fathers had known Caitlin''s father for many years. If her father had requested their help, the four families would have stepped in to offer their help for the Owen Family, even if that meant going back on their stance to maintain neutrality. Yet, her father never did. As it was someone else''s family affair, the four of them couldn''t act recklessly, as they were in the dark about the truth of the situation. When they had gotten together to discuss the situation, one of them thought that Caitlin''s father still had his own moves to y, while some had thought that he did indeed y a part in Lucian''s father''s death. Otherwise, Caitlin''s father would not have been so tolerant of Lucian to the extent that he could seize the power of thepany. They hade up with various thoughts and guesses, but never would have guessed that Caitlin''s parents would pass away one after another. They were shocked by the news, but more importantly, they regretted never asking for their fathers to arrange a sit down between Caitlin''s father and Lucian to properly talk it out and make peace with one another. Nevertheless, the dead would nevere back to life. No matter how regretful they were, it was all too late. Hence, they could only try their best in taking care of Caitlin now. At Jared''s mention of herte parents, Caitlin''s twisted expression grew worse. Noticing that, Gilbert tugged at Jared before he said to Caitlin, "Katy, you should get some rest. We''ll see you on another day." Then, he and Fergus dragged both Lucian and Jared away. These two idiots really can''t read the room. How were we so blind to bing best friends with them? Looking at them finally leaving, Caitlin sighed slightly. Feeling sympathetic toward her, Madeline soothingly patted Caitlin and said, "The doctor''s here, so you should have your injuries looked at. Take a rest after having something to eat. I''ll be back soon after settling my affairs." Caitlin smiled and replied, "No worries. You just go and do what you need to do. It''s not like I have anywhere else to go even if I do leave, so I have plenty of time to wait for you here." Such heartbreaking words. Madeline couldn''t help but gently pat her again. "Don''t worry. No matter what happens, Sebastian and I will be here for you." "I''m fine. If I was that weak, I would''ve fallen a long time ago and wouldn''t have met you back in Worrick. Now then, go ahead and do what you have to do. You don''t have to worry about me." Madeline nodded and instructed the doctor to properly care for Caitlin''s wounds before she left. Entering another private room after she knocked on the door, she found that in addition to Sebastian, Grayson, Lucas, Ann, Quincy, and Joel, Kieran and a few of Sebastian''s friends were around as well. Then, Sebastian greeted her and said, "Sit here." Madeline made her way over and sat beside Sebastian who was seated at the head of the table. Grayson was seated on the guest seating with Ann, who was wiping her tears with her head down, beside him. However, she only pretended to wipe her tears with her head hung low to mask the feelings of anxiety and shame she felt. In the past, Ann was very taken with Sebastian and had even dreamed of marrying him at some point. Now, just the sight of him would send chills down her spine and evoke feelings of anxiety in her, so much so that she wanted to just run away. Sebastian is just too scary! she thought. Thest time, even though Ann''s n in drugging Sebastian had ended in a failure, he had urged Philip to reprimand her and drive her out of the family. With her familial ties severed, she lost her proud status as the cousin of the Hart Family. To her, he was a cold and ruthless man, as he hadn''t shown her an ounce of mercy. Now, not only did she lose control of herself as she cursed at the child, but she had even thrown her bag at the child''s face. Although the bag didn''t make its way to the child''s face, she still felt chills as she thought back on what Sebastian had done in the past. Even though the child was unharmed, she knew the man would not spare her so easily. Herst scheme against Sebastian had ended with her suffering and losing her status as the cousin of the Hart Family. Now that she was caught red-handed, she wondered just what she was going to lose today. Just imagining the possible consequences had her feeling shivers down her spine as her body trembled. She felt as though there was a knife hanging over her head, and that she knew not when it would fall on her. Scared and on the edge as she waited for the knife to fall, she found it extremely unbearable. With Madeline''s entrance, Ann knew the knife was finally going to fall, so she held her breath and tried to minimize her presence, albeit with trembling in her body. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. After Madeline took a seat beside Sebastian, Joel, who was nestled in Sebastian''s arms, went into Madeline''s arms with an unhappy expression. Madeline then looked at her child and kissed him on the head before she asked, "Darling, what''s wrong?" Pouting, Joel looked at his mother and said, "Mommy, I''m not a thing. I''m a person! A good person!" Madeline was rendered speechless as her son remembered what Ann had told him: "Do you know what you are?" Then, she stroked the child''s head and said soothingly, "There is nothing nice to hear when someone is insulting you. Since you''ve said that thatdy is a bad person, her words wouldn''t be nice to hear. So, we should just let it slide and pretend not to have heard her." Blinking, Joel was slightly reluctant, but still nodded and replied, "Alright, I didn''t hear anything." Madeline couldn''t help chuckling as she sat him on herp before kissing him on the cheek. "Good boy." Sebastian gently stroked the child''s head before he looked at Grayson and said, "You told your sister- inw that I''ve had the Hart Family sever all ties with Ann Evans in a fit of anger?" Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Grayson stayed silent as he thought of how it was like a public social execution for Sebastian to ask him in front of so many others. Breaking out in a cold sweat, he said, "Sebastian, I wasn''t thinking straight when I said that. I just said it in passing¡­" "I''ll give you the time to slowly think of a response. Tell me when you''re done thinking." Sebastian looked at him with a faint elegant smile. Although Sebastian''s expression wasn''t scary, Grayson''s cold sweat seemed to have worsened as he looked at him. In truth, he wasn''t all that worried about himself, as he wouldn''t mind such humiliation even in front of others. Since he grew up together with Andrew and the others, he knew them well to the extent that he even knew where each of their birthmarks was on their bodies. Hence, he had nothing to hide from them, so he wouldn''t be embarrassed even if Sebastian were to publicly reprimand him in front of them. In fact, he was more concerned about Ann''s state of mind. As the Hart Family severing ties with Ann was not a public matter, Grayson felt that Sebastian wouldn''t have said anything about it to the others here. However, they were all present. That meant that Sebastian was putting him on the spot by asking about his stance, as doing so would inevitably let the others know how much Sebastian disliked Ann and that the Hart Family had severed ties with her. However, there was a question floating in his mind: Why did Sebastian break off his rtionship with Ann? Among the people who had grown up together with Sebastian, there weren''t any secrets between them, provided it wasn''t a family secret. It was inevitable that they woulde to know of the fact that Ann had drugged Sebastian. It''s not really an honorable thing to do¡­ No, I should say that it''s something despicable, Grayson thought. Once the others knew of what Ann had done, he was afraid that she wouldn''t be able to hold her head up high in front of them in the future. T-Then, how am I supposed to marry her? Once they knew about Ann''s deeds of drugging Sebastian, they would think Grayson was out of his mind if he went ahead and married her anyway. The more he thought about it, the more upset he felt as his cold sweat continued to worsen. Without rushing him, Sebastian fed Joel a piece of dessert that he had the manager personally bring over. "Buddy, do you want this?" "Yes!" Joel became happier upon seeing the food. He then opened his mouth wide and devoured the piece of dessert Sebastian fed him. Sebastian then took another piece and continued feeding the child. The others in the room weren''t idling about as well. Since the manager waspetent in his job, he had served them several dishes in no time at all. Some of them ate, some of them drank, and some of them chatted. Although they were all busy with their respective careers, they would get together every now and then. However, sometimes, some of them might be on a business trip or might be too busy to make it to the gathering, so it was no easy task for all of them to actually be present, which was why they were busy talking to each other at the moment. Soon, ten minutes passed. Sebastian looked at Grayson and asked, "Still not done?" "¡­ I''m done thinking," said Grayson. After Sebastian fed Joel another piece of fruit, he methodically wiped his fingers with wet wipes. "If so, do tell us your thoughts." Grayson could only be candid at this point. "That was not done in a fit of anger. I know you are serious, Sebastian." "Very good," Sebastian said while nodding. "Since you do know that I was serious, why did you lie to Madeline? What did you say to her again? That Ann is still part of the family in the end? Do you still think that to be true?" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "Not anymore¡­" Although Grayson wasn''t afraid to lose his reputation in front of the others, being questioned by Sebastian as though he was a child made him upset. Hoping that this public act of humiliation would be over soon, he said quickly, "Sebastian, I was wrong. It was just a slip of the tongue. I hope you and Madeline will forgive me." "Alright, I forgive you. You are my brother after all. It was just a slip of the tongue. Since you already seem to feel sorry, I won''t push this matter anymore. However¡­" Looking at Grayson, Sebastian said slowly, "Ann had scolded your nephew and had even raised her hands to him. What do you think about that?" Grayson was at a loss for words, as he knew it was a loaded question. If he answered that he thought nothing of it, it would seem that he failed as an uncle. On the other hand, if he answered that Ann was wrong for doing so, his brother would no doubt follow up by asking him what should be done. He was truly stuck between a rock and a hard ce. Noticing the situation gradually taking a turn for the worse, Ann stood up and said in tears, "Sebastian, my cousin. I understand now; I was at fault. I only got angry and lost control of myself because he pointed at me and said that I was a bad person. Please forgive me, Sebastian! I won''t do something like this ever again!" Sebastian said indifferently, "I am no longer your cousin. Seeing that you are a woman, I''ll only give you onest chance. If there is a next time¡­" Then, he turned his gaze to Quinton. "Understood! If there''s a next time, I will give her a big p without waiting for your instructions," Quinton said. Ann''s face grew paler at Quinton''s words. Nheless, Quinton smiled mischievously at Ann and said, "Miss Evans, since I''ve already said that much, I hope you will pay attention to what you say in the future. I don''t want to hit a woman, so please don''t force my hand." Filled with hatred to the brim, Ann''s heart was broken into a million pieces. It felt as though someone had yanked her heart out of her and smashed it into a pulp. Why must I be treated this way? I''m the cousin of the Hart Family! Indeed, she was young, beautiful, educated, and elegant. Not only that, but she had a good figure and was cultured as well. With all these good points, she couldn''t help but think, Why do they all not like me and must humiliate me this way? On the other hand, she thought of how Madeline was a servant for twenty-odd years. She thought of Sebastian as someone blind, as he took someone who was of lowly background and had the stench of poverty on her as his wife. Is it because of how she gave birth to two b*stard children? Who doesn''t know how to do it? If given the chance, I can do it as well! Stewed in shame, anger, and reluctance, she was beyond upset and felt that such humiliation was worse than death. Looking at her ashamed and angry with tears running down her cheeks, Grayson was upset as well. He couldn''t understand how Sebastian could treat his brothers so well, but treated Ann so harshly. He knew that her personality was slightly on the arrogant side when she was in public, but she was always considerate and gentle whenever she was with the brothers. He still remembered that she was there for him when he was very sick as a child. He remembered how she would peel fruits for him to eat, and how she would tell him stories back then. Although these were all in the past, just the thought of these memories warmed his heart. Seeing how embarrassed Ann appeared to be, Grayson was so upset that he couldn''t help but defend her. "Sebastian, Ann only said those things on an impulse. I know she didn''t mean any of it. Can you please forgive her?" "Forgive her?" Sebastian looked at Grayson and continued, "I''m willing to forgive you because you are my brother. However, I no longer have any rtions with that woman, so why should I forgive her?" "Because she''s¡­" Grayson''s voice gradually softened as he continued, "Mrs. Emma''s daughter." Sebastian uttered tly, "Don''t you know that woman you call Mrs. Emma was involved in her scheme against me as well? Or did you think that I should just let them do whatever they want with me? And that I should forgive them and repay their grievances with benevolences even if they had joined hands in setting me up?" Chapter 396 Chapter 396 It was on purpose that Sebastian said these things in front of these childhood friends. He wasn''t fond of gossip, so he never mentioned to others the sordid things that Ann and Emma had done. Ann must''ve come here tonight with the intention of infiltrating his circle of childhood friends through Grayson. If his childhood friends were unaware of the bad blood between him and Ann, they''d certainly be nice to her out of courtesy for his and Grayson''s sake. He wouldn''t let Ann have her own way. Since she was so eager to meet his childhood friends, he''d let her meet them. However, he''d let his friends know what she and Emma had done. From now on, these two women could forget about bluffing and cheating others in his name. He''d let all his childhood friends know that he no longer had anything to do with them. In the future, Ann and Emma could never expect to receive preferential treatment or gain anything from his childhood friends. He did nothing to hide his loathing for Emma in front of his childhood friends. On the other hand, Grayson didn''t know that Emma was secretly in love with Philip, nor did he know that she had crossed a line with Sebastian by fantasizing that she was Philip''s soulmate. He thought that Sebastian was only ming her for her involvement in Ann''s scheme against him. Inwardly, he felt that his brother was kind of heartless. Despite his seemingly cold disposition, he was, in fact, a man of feeling. He was endlessly forgiving of whoever he cared about, and it was difficult for him to stop caring about them unless they had done something unforgivable. Therefore, he couldn''t understand Sebastian''s readiness to break with his own maternal aunt and his cousin, with whom they had grown up as a child. As a matter of fact, Grayson was a stony-faced man who had always looked cool and expressionless, but Sebastian knew him very well. He knew what Grayson was thinking from the look in thetter''s eyes alone. It was a good thing to be all heart, so he wouldn''t castigate Grayson for it. However, Grayson was his younger brother, so he wouldn''t let him side with Ann. If she were a virtuousdy, he wouldn''t interfere in Grayson''s private life. However, he was sick of the sight of her, so he wouldn''t mistreat himself by acknowledging her as his sister-inw. He felt sick to the stomach whenever he saw her. Unable to answer Sebastian''s question, Grayson bowed his head without saying a word. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Sebastian looked at him while saying impassively, "Grayson, you''ve got two options right now. Either you cut all ties and be done with Ann, or you make a clean break from our family and strike out on your own." Grayson looked up at him in astonishment. "Sebastian?" Sebastian looked at his astonished face with imperturbable eyes. "I hate it when someone who makes me feel sick whenever I see them keeps showing up in front of me to seek my attention. Both you and I know very well Ann''s purpose in moving into your apartment. I won''t ept her as my sister-inw. If you want to marry her, then get out and set up your own family." Grayson''s face paled. "Sebastian, t-that''s not what you told mest time¡­" Sebastian had only said last time that if he were to be romantically involved with Ann, he''d have to hand over everything that the Hart Family had given to him. However, he didn''t say he''d have to cut all ties with the family¡­ "I''ve changed my mind now," Sebastian said tly. "If you choose to stay with her, then leave our family and never show up before me anymore. If youe around one day, thene back and I''ll still acknowledge you as my younger brother." Ann was stupefied after listening to Sebastian''s words. What does Sebastian mean? Does he mean that as long as Grayson marries me, he''ll be kicked out of the Hart Family with nothing to his name like me? But if Grayson divorces me, he''ll be able to return to the Hart Family as their second son! Sebastian''s words amounted to a ticking time bomb between her and Grayson. If Grayson chose to be with her, as long as they were disappointed with their future lives in the slightest, he''d be itching to leave her and return to the Hart Family. Wait a minute¡ªthat''s wrong. If Grayson will lose everything after marrying me, then why should I marry him? She wanted to marry Grayson because she wanted to take advantage of his social standing to rejoin the Hart Family, return to high society, and keep on living as a member of the upper crust. If he would be kicked out of the Hart Family with nothing to his name like her after marrying her, then why should she marry him? What else could she gain by doing so? The thought of this filled her with both anger and dread, making her feel as though her heart had been struck with a sledgehammer; she felt so terrible that she almost passed out. This is so cruel¡­ Sebastian is so cruel! He''s cut off all opportunities for me to return to high society and live in grandeur and luxury. How could he be so cruel? Did he forget I''m the cousin he''d grown up with as a child?! Trembling all over with rage, she stared hard at Sebastian while asking in a quavering voice, "W-Why are you doing this to me? What have I done wrong for you to drive me into a corner? How could you treat me like this? I''m your cousin! D-Don''t you have a heart?" "My dad does have a heart!" Joel flung himself into Sebastian''s arms and embraced the man. Looking at her with his head tilted to one side, he continued, "My dad is the most kindhearted person in the world! He''s the kindest, the greatest, and the most warmhearted person ever!" Fixing the boy with a poisonous stare, Ann opened her mouth and wanted to say "F*ck off," but she bit back the words on the tip of her tongue. She dared not say those words. Whenever she was in trouble, it''d always have something to do with either Madeline or the two little b*stards. Whenever she met them, she''d be even more out of luck than before. Every time she thought that she had hit rock bottom and that her luck couldn''t have been worse, they''d teach her a lesson, letting her know that there was no end to her misery. Not daring to try anything on them anymore, she could only re bitterly at Joel with bloodshot eyes while cursing inwardly, wishing that he and the other little b*stard would die a sudden death. Either a car ident, an illness, or something that falls from upstairs and smashes them in the head¡­ In any case, anything is fine as long as they''re dead! Joel wasn''t afraid at all, though. Wrapping his arms around Sebastian''s slender and muscr waist, he red back at her threateningly, saying, "You''re the viin, while I''m the dragon-ying warrior. I''m not scared of you!" Sebastian was speechless. What sort of a dragon is Ann? That''s too big apliment for her! Ann gnashed her teeth and withdrew her gaze before turning to look at Sebastian with teary eyes. "Seb¡­ You''ve heard it yourself. He calls me a viin! I only got angry because he insulted me first¡­" "You say that my son insulted you? Did he?" Sebastian stroked Joel''s hair. He said unhurriedly, "Only insultingnguage is called an insult. When a person says something ording to the facts, they''re merely telling the truth. Joel didn''t insult you; he was only telling the truth by calling you a viin." "W-What did you say?" Ann''s eyes widened. "H-How could you say that?" "Am I wrong?" Sebastian asked in reply. He continued impassively, "To me, whoever has vited the law is a viin. Do you dare say that you''ve never vited thew?" Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Ann dared not say that she had never vited thew. She believed that if she had the nerve to say so, Sebastian would definitely take the lid off everything she had done in front of these people. By then, everyone would know what she had done to him, and she would disgrace herselfpletely before his childhood friends. She would vanish from high society, never to redeem herself. Looking at Sebastian tearfully, she nodded repeatedly, saying, "Okay, okay¡­ I got it now¡­ I''m a cousin you''ve grown up with as a child, but I''m nothing in your mind''s eye. From now on¡­ I''ll stay away from you. I won''t bother you anymore!" With that, she turned around and ran away with her hand pped over her mouth, as if she had been severely mistreated. Grayson wanted to run after her, but Sebastian stopped him. "Stay where you are." His tone was languid and impassive. "You haven''t told me your choice yet." Grayson was lost for words. Did he even need to make a choice? He owed his life to Philip and was brought up by the Harts; everything he owned was given to him by the Hart Family. As long as he was still breathing, there was no way he would leave the Hart Family and betray his father and brother in his lifetime. If he had to choose between the Hart Family and Ann, he''d only choose the former, of course. However¡­ he felt really bad about it. It wasn''t that he was oblivious to Ann''s various shorings, but he could always recall how she had gently kept himpany when he fell ill as a child. Due to his unsociable nature, he didn''t like to socialize with people. Apart from his adoptive mother, Emma and Ann were the women closest to him in his life. He really wanted to marry Ann if he could, but now it was no longer possible¡­ He hung his head and said softly, "Sebastian, I''ll choose our family." Sebastian stood up and walked up to him with a smile before patting him on the shoulder. Great. The efforts put into raising this younger brother of mine aren''t in vain. Even if he''s been blinded by love, he still chooses our family. He''s much better than those who disown their parents and run away from home for women! "Let''s go back!" He led the way ahead of others, taking Joel in his left hand while leading Quincy in his right. The group then returned to their private room. Instead of opening the door himself, Sebastian stepped aside and looked at Madeline. Madeline looked around her in puzzlement. Sebastian smiled at her. "Open the door." "Me?" Madeline pointed at herself. Sebastian nodded. "Yeah. You." Madeline was baffled by his words. Nevertheless, she stepped forward and opened the door. When the door opened, the lighting from the room wasn''tmplight, but candlelight. Startled, Madeline took a closer look at the room, which was as spacious as a racecourse. Countless candles were lit inside the room. In the center of the room was a number of candles arranged in the shape of a huge heart with fiery red roses covering their center. Unable toe to her senses for a long time, Madeline gaped at everything before her in great surprise. Releasing the two kids'' hands, Sebastian held Madeline''s hand and took her to the center of the candles. Then, he got down on one knee and held out a ring with his right hand, saying, "Maddie, will you marry me?" Cupping his hands around his mouth, Jesse shouted at Sebastian, "Sebastian, how could you propose to her like this? This is too simple! Try again!" Andrew, Bradley, Calvin, and others also shouted, "Try again! Try again! Try again!" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Sebastian smiled. Holding the ring in the palm of his right hand, he took Madeline''s hand with his left hand, saying, "Maddie¡­ I love you, and I''ll cherish and protect you in the days toe. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, I''ll hold your hand and never leave you¡­ Will you marry me?" Madeline stared at the man in disbelief. She never expected him to prepare for such a ceremonious proposal tonight, nor did she expect him to actually pop the question to her. She had always thought that they were together for the sake of their two children, so his feelings for her were mostly those of responsibility. Because of that, she never expected him to go out of his way to propose to her in such a grand ceremony. She was so astonished that she was somewhat at a loss for what to do. Unable to bear the sight any longer, Lucas shouted at her, "Madeline, what are you waiting for? Say yes!" Madeline immediately came to her senses and nodded. "Yes, I will!" Sebastian smiled and put the ring on her finger before standing up. The crowd chanted, "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!" Not daring to look at anyone, Madeline lowered her head as her cheeks blushed scarlet with shyness. Letting out a chuckle, Sebastian put his arms around her slim waist before lowering his head to kiss her on the lips. Stunned, Joel eximed, "Wow!" Quincy covered his big eyes. "Kids aren''t supposed to watch adults kiss." Grayson covered Quincy''s eyes. "You''re also a kid." Quincy was rendered speechless. Madeline never expected Sebastian to kiss her. Even if he were to do so, she thought he''d only kiss her on the forehead or the cheek. Little did she think he would kiss her on the lips with great passion. This was her first kiss. For the very first time, she was taken in a man''s arms as his refreshing and manly scent greeted her nose. Her heart pounded so fast as though it were about to jump out of her chest. She didn''t know how much time had passed; it wasn''t until she felt out of breath and was about to have difficulty breathing that he finally let go of her. A mixture of apuse, whistles, and cheers broke out around the couple. Not daring to look up, she shyly buried her face in Sebastian''s shoulder. Sebastian let out a chuckle. Then, he lowered his head and whispered in her ear, asking, "Do you like it? You won''t me me for being blunt, right?" "No¡­ Of course I won''t¡­" Madeline hugged him with trembling arms. "I-It feels like a dream¡­ Thank you so much¡­ Really, I''m so happy¡­" She felt so excited as though an electric current had spread throughout her body with a tingling sensation. Her mind was nk; she felt as if she was walking on air. She knew that she was feeling a mixture of nervousness, excitement, and happiness. She never thought Sebastian would propose to her, nor did she ever dare to have extravagant hopes about it. Now that she suddenly had all of this, she felt so lucky and happy¡­ No words could describe her happiness. She couldn''t help but ask, "What makes you think of proposing to me all of a sudden?" Sebastian chuckled. "I feel that as my wife and the mother of my sons, you should have what everyone else has. Everything else can bepensated for after our marriage, but the marriage proposal can''t. After our wedding, I''ll have no opportunity to propose to you anymore. ording to our Young Master Lucas, a woman''s life is iplete as long as she''s never been proposed to¡­" Madeline''s face reddened, and her heart started to race. Not knowing what to say for a moment, she could only say repeatedly, "Thank you¡­ Thank you so much¡­" By solemnly proposing to her before his childhood friends, he had treated her with the greatest respect and dignity. "I''ll be nice to you in the future¡­" she promised solemnly. "From now on¡­ I''ll be as nice to you as I am to Aldo and Buddy!" Chapter 398 Chapter 398 After congratting Sebastian on finally getting hitched, the crowd had a great time partying until over 11:00PM before going their separate ways. Quincy and Joel usually went to sleep at 9:00PM, but they stayed up with the crowd until 11:00PM since there were a lot of people today. As the crowd left the clubhouse, Madeline invited Caitlin to join them on their way back. Joel was still capering about when they left the clubhouse, but he fell asleep shortly after getting into the car. When they returned to the Sun Garden, Madeline asked Sebastian in a whisper, "Could you take Aldo and Buddy back to our bedroom first? I have to send Katy to Leigh''s ce." Sebastian nodded. "No problem." Madeline had every confidence in the man. She then rubbed Quincy''s face while the boy was still awake, saying, "Listen to your dad and go to sleep after taking a shower, okay?" Quincy nodded obediently. "Go ahead, Mommy. I''ll help Daddy take care of Buddy." "Good boy!" Madeline bent down and kissed the space between Quincy''s eyebrows before rubbing his head. After watching Sebastian and the two kids go upstairs, she returned to the courtyard and apanied Caitlin to Leigh''s ce. She had notified Leigh in advance of her and Caitlin''s arrival. The instant they opened the door to Leigh''s ce, they were greeted by a sweet aroma. Madeline let Caitlin in first. After changing her shoes, she asked Leigh, "What are you making? It smells so good." "It''s been a while, Katy!" Leigh and Caitlin hugged each other for a moment. Then, Leigh said, "I''ve got nothing to do anyway, so I made a pot of beauty soup and a couple of side dishes. Let''s have a couple of drinks." Madeline said, "Katy is wounded, so she can''t drink alcohol." Leigh checked Caitlin''s wound. "It''s okay; the wound is nothing serious. Just leave it to me and drink as you please. I guarantee you that it won''t leave a scar." Madeline was speechless for a moment. "Are you an alcoholic or something?" Why is a beautiful knockout like her so fond of drinking? Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. "Alcohol is the solution to all of life''s problems!" Leigh replied with a grin. She continued, "Generally speaking, any kind of alcohol would do the job. Drinking is a pleasure; it''s always good to drink your sorrows away." Not knowing what to do with her, Madeline shook her head in resignation. Leigh shoved Caitlin into the bathroom. "Just crash at my ce tonight, Katy. Go take a shower before I help you treat the wound. We''ll drink as we please after that!" Unable to turn down Leigh''s hospitality, Caitlin took a shower and changed into the loungewear she had prepared for her. When she came out of the bathroom, the food was already served on the dining table. Leigh pped her hands in satisfaction. "The time is just right! Come on, Katy, let me dress your wound first. We can start eating after that!" To her, the wound on Caitlin''s forehead was very easy to treat, so it was pretty much nothing. While disinfecting and dressing Caitlin''s wound, Leigh asked her in detail how she had injured her forehead. After Caitlin recounted briefly what had happened, Leigh severelymbasted Lucian, Jared, and others from head to toe. Caitlin''s heart warmed when she saw someone getting angry about what had happened to her while expressing their solidarity with her. She said thankfully with a smile, "Thank you, Leigh." "Oh, don''t mention it." Leigh put a Band-Aid on Caitlin''s wound. "The wound is minor; it''ll heal in a couple of days." Caitlin didn''t exin to Leigh that she thanked thetter not because she had dressed her wound, but because she cared about her from the bottom of her heart. She found it very heartwarming. After Caitlin''s wound was treated, the three women sat around the dining table. Leigh filled the three sses with wine, saying, "Come on, let''s drink to celebrate our long-awaited reunion. Cheers!" Madeline didn''t like drinking. However, seeing that Leigh was in high spirits, she didn''t want to spoil her pleasure, so she raised her ss and drank with them. "Come on, let''s eat." Leigh distributed the food among them with a servingdle. She said, "Tonight''s dishes are my specialties. I''ve prepared them for y''all with great care, so you gotta do me the honor of finishing them. Otherwise, I''m not gonna make these for you anymore!" Madeline shook her head helplessly. "Seems like you''re already drunk before you even start drinking." "Tsk, that''s nonsense!" Leigh replied. "I''ve got a hollow leg. I''m gonna drink both of you under the table!" "Is that so?" Madeline sized her up with scrutiny. "Who was it that got drunk while drinking with Lucas?" Leigh was lost for words for a moment. "No, it wasn''t me. I didn''t get drunk!" Madeline poked her in the forehead. "Yeah, just keep on denying it." Caitlin asked with a smile, "Who''s Lucas?" "He''s my¡­ husband''s younger brother¡­" Madeline replied, "as well as Leigh''s future date." "Is that so?" Caitlin turned to look at Leigh in surprise. "Leigh, are you gonna settle down atst?" "Nope, I haven''t thought of that much yet." Leigh slurred her words after eating a bite of food. "I''m just gonna date him first and see what happens. You''ve got no idea how hot Maddie''s husband''s younger brother is." Counting her fingers one by one, she babbled, "He''s good-looking, athletic, pure, well- spoken, and witty. Above all else, he''s upbeat and upright and has no bad habits. It''s obvious at a nce that he''s a nice guy, so it''ll be a huge waste if I don''ty a hand on such a good guy. I''ll be punished by Heaven for not cherishing what''s brought before me!" Caitlin fell silent for a moment. Then, she replied, "Well, if he really is as good as you say he is, then I agree that you should make a move on him. Few men are as nice as you described nowadays. Keep it up!" She patted Leigh on the shoulder as an encouragement. Madeline was rendered speechless. At this very moment, she kind of sympathized with Lucas. If he and Leigh really were to be a couple, wouldn''t he be kept on a tight rein by thetter? Would he be able to stand such a girlfriend? "What''s that look on your face?" Leigh pinched Madeline''s cheek. "Hey, you promised that you''d introduce Lucas to me. You can''t go back on it!" Madeline was lost for words for a moment. "Okay, I''ll keep my word!" Leigh blinked her eyes while biting her spoon. "Your husband has two other brothers, no? How about you introduce them to Katy? Just introduce one of them to Katy. Once Lucian¡ªthat jerk¡ªlearns that she''s got a boyfriend, he''ll stop pestering her. And besides, if Katy also marries your husband''s brother, the three of us will be able to live under the same roof and never be parted from one another for life. Wouldn''t that be great?" Madeline pondered for a moment. "Hmm, that sounds feasible. Both Kieran and Grayson are currently single, after all. It''s just that I don''t know what Katy thinks." She turned to look at Caitlin. Caitlin shook her head with a smile. "I''ve got no such ns yet. At the moment, I just want to find my dad''s friend and clear my dad''s name as soon as possible." "Why don''t you ask Maddie''s husband to help you with that?" Leigh suggested. "He has a group of people working under him who specialize in probing for information. Their skills areparable to those of international spies, and besides, the Hart Corporation''s influence reaches all over the world. As long as he''s willing to help you, it''s not difficult to find someone who could be identified by name." "Is he capable of that?" Caitlin turned to look at Madeline. Madeline shook her head helplessly again. "No, that''s an overstatement. But I can ask him to help you as much as he can." "Thank you, Maddie." Caitlin raised her ss to her. "I''ve got nothing to repay your kindness, so here''s to you." "Count me in!" Leigh raised her wine ss like a boss. After the three drank another toast, Leigh asked Caitlin, "Katy, do you have any ns for the future?" Chapter 399 Chapter 399 "No, I don''t," Caitlin replied. "At the moment, my only wish is to find my dad''s friend and clear my dad''s name." "Since you have no ns for the future, you might as well stay here with Maddie and me." Leigh pointed her wine ss at Caitlin. "Let me tell you this, Katy¡ªMaddie''s ce is especially nice and comfortable; it''s top of the line in terms of both its surroundings and basic infrastructure. Even I want to settle down here, so why don''t you stay here as well? It''s too dangerous for a pretty woman like you to go around everywhere." Caitlin let out a soft chuckle. "Anyone can say this to me, but not you. Of the three of us, you''re the one who likes going around the most. When are you ever scared of danger?" "That was before. I''m scared now." Leigh nestledfortably in her chair. She then exined, "Those brainless idiots of the Taylor Family often hung out at Mansion before. It irked me whenever I saw them, so I had no choice but to hide from them. Now everyone I see is a joy to behold. I spend every day eating and drinking and ying with kids, not to mention that I''m surrounded by a bunch of young hunks. Isn''t that great?" Caitlin giggled out loud. She teased Leigh, saying, "The young hunks are the real point, huh?" She lightly nudged Madeline. "Maddie, you have to introduce your husband''s brothers to me one day. Let me see what it is about that Lucas guy that makes our Dr. Shefford here so crazy about him." "No, no, no. Maddie''s husband has three brothers, so don''t keep your eyes on Lucas," Leigh said. "Maddie''s husband''s second younger brother Grayson and third younger brother Kieran are both the cream of the crop, so you should keep your eyes on them. After all, Young Master Lucas will probably be unavable very soon." Caitlin was rendered speechless, and so was Madeline. Should I tell Katy that Grayson has bad taste in women and is in love with Ann? Hmm¡­ Never mind, I''d better not tell her about it. Everyone has their own destiny. Sebastian has ordered Grayson to break up with Ann, so the chances are zero that the two will stay together. What if Katy is fated to be Grayson''s other half? Madeline didn''t stay long as she was concerned about the kids. After she was done eating, she had Leigh look after Caitlin while she returned to her bedroom. She crept into the bedroom for fear of rousing the kids. She first looked at the bed, but she didn''t see the kids. Instead, Sebastian was the only person in bed. Startled, she asked, "Where are Aldo and Buddy?" Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Leaning against the head of the bed, Sebastian stopped tapping away on hisptop. He looked up at her and replied, "You''re back? Aldo and Buddy went to sleep in the nursery next door. They fell asleep half an hour ago." "They went to sleep in the nursery next door?" Madeline was rather nervous. "Is Buddy okay with that?" "Yeah, he''s fine with that," Sebastian replied. "He agreed after Aldo and I coaxed him a little." "I''ll go take a look." Madeline turned around and went to the nursery next door. Sebastian went after her. Madeline quietly pushed the door open and entered. The gauze curtains in the room were drawn, but the heavy lightproof curtains weren''t, allowing moonlight and the light in the courtyard to shine hazily into the room and illuminate it through the gauze curtains. When Madeline tiptoed to the side of the bed, the two kids were sleeping face to face without any response. She squatted down and wanted to caress their faces, but she held back the urge to touch them for fear of waking them. Just then, she heard a sound behind her. She nced back to see Fred and Simon, who came out of the room connected to the nursery. When they saw her and Sebastian, they bowed to the couple and greeted them silently. She nodded to them before looking back at the kids. After that, she reluctantly stood up and left the nursery with Sebastian. After returning to her bedroom, she entered the bathroom to take a shower. She kept zoning out as she was taking a shower. The kids weren''t the only ones who had trouble getting used to sleeping in the nursery; she had trouble adjusting to it, too. She was already used to lulling the kids to sleep every night. As soon as she woke up and opened her eyes at night, she would see the kids, and she''d wake them up the next morning. Now that the kids were sleeping in the nursery, she felt a void in her heart. When she finished taking a shower and returned to the bedroom, the kids weren''t there. Only she and Sebastian were left, and this made her feel even more uneasy. Seeing her standing at the end of the bed for a long time without moving, Sebastian asked, "What''s wrong? Why are you standing there?" "N-Nothing." Madeline came to the side of the bed and sat down. "It''s just that I''m worried about Buddy¡­ Aldo is fine, but Buddy''s been scared once. I''m afraid that he''ll cry when he wakes up and doesn''t see me." "He won''t," Sebastian replied. "Fred and Simon are there, so he''ll be fine." Madeline''s brows furrowed. "But they''re not sleeping next to Buddy. They''re staying in the room next door." "Trust me. He''ll definitely be fine." Sebastian stretched out his hand and gave her a reassuring pat. "Buddy refused to sleep alone in the past because he felt insecure. Now that his surroundings make him feel safe enough, he won''t be easily roused from sleep. Even if he wakes up, he just has to let out a cry for Fred and Simon to go over and soothe him anytime. So, you don''t have to be worried." Madeline argued, "But¡ª" "There''s no buts about it!" Sebastian held up a finger and pressed it against her lips. He insisted, "It''s inevitable for the kids to sleep in separate rooms. Even a five-year-old boy is supposed to sleep in a separate room from his parents, not to mention that the two boys can keep each otherpany. It won''t do any good for their growth if you spoil them too much." Madeline knew that he was right. She felt terribly uneasy, but she nheless nodded. "I know that¡­ Thank you¡­" If he hadn''t helped her with this, she had no idea when she would make up her mind to let the two kids sleep separately from them. "Don''t say thank you to me anymore," Sebastian replied. "We''re husband and wife. Whatever I do for you, it''s part of my duty. Moreover, they''re also my sons. Whatever I do for them, it''s only natural, and I''m doing it willingly," he said before holding Madeline''s wrist. "Come on, it''s gettingte. Let''s sleep." Madeline''s nightgown had three-quarter sleeves. When Sebastian put his palm on her skin, her body temperature suddenly rose. In the past when the kids were present, they''d only sleep in the same bed to keep their childrenpany. Tonight, however¡­ Her heart started thumping, and she slowly heated up as if the skin on her face and body were about to burn. "Why is your skin so hot?" Sebastian said while reaching into her nightgown. "Are you running a fever or something?" Madeline shuddered. Subconsciously, she tried to push him away, only for him to turn over and throw himself on top of her. As his fingers gently caressed her burning cheek, he said with a chuckle, "Mrs. Hart, shouldn''t you fulfill your obligations as my wife now?" Madeline was rendered speechless. Unable to say a word, she squeezed her eyes shut in shyness. Sebastian chuckled in a deep voice. "It''s okay. If you feel shy, I can do my duty as your husband. It won''t make any difference!" Madeline was lost for words. Chapter 400 Chapter 400 When Madeline woke up the next day, Sebastian was no longer in the bedroom. When she saw that there was nobody else in the room, her first instinct was to hurriedly get out of bed and check on the two kids. She sat up suddenly, only to let out a little cry of pain and lie back down in bed. She¡­ felt ufortable all over. The strange sensation in her body reminded her of how crazy the man was the night before, and her cheeks slowly reddened once again. She and Sebastian had always seemed to be separated by something in the past. He was the most wonderful person she had ever met. He was a good-looking, capable, and responsible man with a fine character, and his treatment of her and the two kids was faultless. However, it was exactly because he was so perfect that she was often at a loss for what to do when she faced him. She felt that they didn''t belong in the same world. Last night, however¡­ They were so intimate with their skins pressed against each other, as if their worlds had blended together. She could sense his patience and his tenderness for her; he respected her and cared about her feelings even at that time. He was even better than she had imagined. To think that such a nice guy is the father of my children and the man I''m about to wed. I''m so lucky! Recalling how passionate they were the night before, she felt somewhat shy. She promptly shook her head, telling herself to stop thinking about those stuff. After getting out of bed frantically, she washed up, changed her clothes, and went to the room next door to check on the kids. Before entering the room, she heard her sonughing merrily in the room, and his adorably childlike voice instantly brightened her mood. Her nerves, which had been tense with worry for her children, were immediately calmed, and she couldn''t help but smile a broad smile. After knocking on the door thrice, she pushed the door open and entered. In the room, Sebastian was standing next to the bed to dress Joel, who was standing on the bed. Jumping around in high spirits, Joel was all smiles while saying something to Sebastian. Seeing that Madeline knocked the door and entered, he shouted excitedly, "Mommy!" "Hey!" Madeline replied before walking over to give him and Quincy a good morning kiss. "Good morning, Aldo and Buddy!" "Mommy!" Joel jumped into her arms and flung his arms around her neck. He said proudly, "Mommy, I behaved wellst night! Aldo and I slept in this room on our own. We''ve grown into men!" "That''s great!" Madeline ruffled his hair before giving him another kiss. "Did you wake upst night?" "I didn''t wake upst night; I woke up this morning when it was almost dawn." Joel let out a giggle. Then, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I went to the toilet on my own. I''m terrific, right?" Amused by his words, Madeline nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that''s right. You''re the best, Buddy!" Joel replied, "Aldo is also the best!" "That''s right!" Madeline agreed with a nod. "Aldo''s the best, too!" Overwhelmed with joy, Joel threw himself down on the bed with a plonk and rolled about. At the sight of this, Madeline was rendered speechless. Is he so happy to not sleep with me? What is this sadness I''m feeling right now? After Joel had enough of horsing around, Sebastian continued to dress him. Madeline realized that Sebastian never lost patience with the boys. He had never said a harsh word to them, nor had he ever scowled at them. He simply went along with them and let them do whatever they pleased. Luckily, the boys were sensible enough, or they''d have been spoiled rotten. As Sebastian was helping Joel get dressed, Madeline wanted to do the same for Quincy. However, the latter refused her, saying, "Mommy, I''m almost done." Before his voice could fade, he finished dressing up. Then, he put on his shoes and went to the bathroom. Joel urged Sebastian, "Daddy, hurry up. Aldo''s gone to brush his teeth. I want to brush my teeth with him." "Stay still," Sebastian said. "I can''t do up the buttons as you keep moving." "It''s not because I''m moving that you can''t do up the buttons," Joel argued with a serious expression. "It''s because Aldo is smarter and more capable than you are that he does a better job of doing up the buttons than you and dresses up faster than you do!" Sebastian was rendered speechless. Ouch, that hurts. This seems to be the first time in my life that I''ve been said to be inferior to someone else. As a matter of fact, I''ve always been the most outstanding kid and the object of everyone''s praise since I was little. "But don''t be upset about it, Daddy." Joel stretched out his hand and patted Sebastian''s head. He said earnestly, "The student will always surpass his teacher. Aldo''s smarter than you because he''s your son!" Sebastian was lost for words. Somehow, I''mforted by his words. After he finally helped Joel do up thest button, he pinched his pink and tender cheek, saying, "What a glib tongue you have, huh?" The five-year-old boy often said something shocking. What he said sounded childish, but it also seemed to make sense. Joel tilted his head to one side and giggled. "It''s because I''ve also surpassed you!" Sebastian was at a loss for a reply. Alright, you win! He helped Joel put on his shoes, upon which Joel happily ran to the bathroom, saying, "Aldo, I''ming!" Sebastianughed as he watched Joel run into the bathroom. Then, he put his arm around Madeline''s slim waist, saying, "What did you eat while you were pregnant with them? How did you give birth to such a pair of clever boys?" Madeline pressed her lips together and chuckled. "I didn''t eat anything special¡­ Perhaps it''s purely because they have good genes?" Tilting his head to one side, Sebastian looked at her for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Well done. You''ve improved. Now you''re able to joke with me." "I''m not joking with you." Madeline couldn''t hide her amusement. "I really mean it¡ªreally!" Sebastian replied, "Someone once told me that when a person lied, they''d stress the word ''really'' at the end of their speech in order to convince people that they were telling the truth." "That person is wrong," Madeline argued. "Sometimes, the word ''really'' is only meant to be an interjection when it''s used at the end of a sentence. It''s used to emphasize the truth of the matter as I did just now." "Okay, I believe you." Sebastian''s lips curled into a faint smile. "My genes are excellent, after all." Madeline was lost for words. Modesty is a virtue, Mr. Sebastian! After being speechless for a moment, she suddenly thought of Caitlin. She said somewhat sheepishly, "May I ask you a favor?" Sebastian looked at her with his head tilted to one side. "You shouldn''t say that." Madeline was startled. "Huh?" Sebastian smiled. "You should say, ''Do me a favor.''" Madeline was rendered speechless. Is there a big difference between the two? Sebastian understood what her expression meant. "Don''t doubt it. There''s a big difference between the two. You say the former when you''re asking an outsider for help, but you say thetter when you''re rightfully asking one of your own for help¡­" He put up his hand to hold the back of her head. "Did I forget to tell you that I''m willing to do anything for you and our kids as long as it''s not illegal, hical, or immoral? Whatever you need me to do, just tell me with confidence. You don''t have to be reserved with me." Madeline was at a loss for words. She had often heard Leighmenting that someone was so cool. She didn''t feel anything about it in the past; whenever Leigh talked about it, she''d give her aText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. perfunctory nod. At this moment, however, she really felt what it was like to be cool. Sebastian is so cool when he says that! Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Madeline got Sebastian to help with Caitlin''s matter. Sebastian''s subordinates wasted no time in getting the job done, and by the very next day, they found her father, Raphael Owen''s friend. Raphael''s friend was a man named Howard Gigantes who was currently living abroad in a small country. Sebastian''s subordinates provided Madeline with Howard''s contact information, and Madeline passed it to Caitlin herself. "You can call him up right away." "Thank you so much, Maddie!" Caitlin reached out to Howard at once. When Caitlin saw Howard appearing in their video call, she couldn''t help but gape. Her eyes slowly turned red as she cried out tearily, "I-It''s Mr. Gigantes!" Although the man in the video was a little wizened with age and not as youthful as the man in the photos, his features werergely the same and Caitlin recognized him right away. After so many years of searching, she finally found thest person who was present during the incident back then. Howard studied Caitlin for a moment before asking, "Are you Raphael''s daughter?" "That''s right." She nodded as she fought back her tears. "Mr. Gigantes, I called you up because I wanted to ask you about the incident back then¡­" "The incident back then¡­" He sounded a little mncholic as he drifted off in thought. "Yes." Caitlin nodded again. "Back then, after Mr. Wheeler''s unfortunate demise, his family started fighting over his inheritance. They even went to court over it, and while they were fighting to inherit Mr. Wheeler''s fortune, they treated his son very well and tried their best to win him over. However, once the inheritance was awarded, the one who got it, which was Lucian''s second uncle, began to abuse him. When my father went to visit Lucian at his uncle''s house, he saw the family verbally and physically abusing him. My father couldn''t ept it, so he adopted Lucian¡­" Howard frowned. "What about Lucian''s mother?" "His mother didn''t want custody," she exined. "I was still young at the time, so I don''t know all the details. All I know is Lucian''s mother gave up custody. That''s why Lucian''s uncles and aunt all fought over gaining custody of him." "Why did she do that?" He frowned and borated, "I remember visiting Lucian''s mother before I left the country. She even told me that she would do her best to raise Lucian. He''s her only son. Why would she give up custody and leave Lucian with that bunch of greedy rtives?" "I don''t know." Caitlin shook her head. "Mr. Wheeler''s death is a sore spot for my father, and he never talks about Mr. Wheeler, not even when I ask him." "Yeah¡­" Howard sighed. "Your father''s not the only one who was haunted by Raphael''s death. It''s something that''ll haunt me for the rest of my life too¡­ I chose to leave the country back then because I couldn''t bear to face it as well¡­" "Mr. Gigantes, can you tell me what happened back then?" she asked a little frantically. "After my father took Lucian in, my parents treated him as if he were their own son. The four of us were very happy, but Lucian, that fool, believed someone else''s words and insisted that my father was the one who caused his birth father''s death¡­" The thought of her parents who died so abruptly made Caitlin''s tears stream down her face. "He took revenge on our family and drove us to ruins¡­" "Drove the family to ruins?" Howard straightened up at once. "What do you mean by that? Your father ¡ª" "He passed away¡­" Caitlin dered through her tears. "Lucian didn''t stop at just buying over my family''spany. He even snatched our ancestral home anyway. My father couldn''t take it, so¡­" By now, her face was covered in teary streaks. "My parents were so in love that my father''s death broke my mother''s heart, and she passed away soon after. I''m the only one left now¡­" Seeing Howard, who was one of her father''s closest friends, made her think about her father. Racked with tears, her body started trembling. Madeline and Leigh sat on either side of her andforted her by holding her. After a while, Caitlin rubbed her tears away a little forcefully before looking at Howard. "Mr. Gigantes, this is why I''ve been trying my hardest to look for you. I want to find out the truth of the incident back then and I want to know if my father is the reason why Lucian''s father died. If he isn''t, then I hope you can be my father''s witness and inform Lucian of the truth. I don''t want my father to die bearing theCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. weight of a crime he didn''tmit." "Of course, he''s not the reason why¡­" Howard replied. "Wait for a second, Mr. Gigantes." Caitlin turned on the voice recorder. "Can I make a recording, Mr. Gigantes?" "Certainly," Howard concurred. "What I''m about to tell you is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If you meet Lucian, you can give him my contact as well. The incident is seared into my mind. I''ve repeatedly relieved it in my dreams, and I can recall even the tiniest details. It''ll stay with me forever, and I can tell him everything he wants to know¡­" "Okay." Caitlin nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Gigantes. Please begin." "Lucian''s father didn''t die because of anyone else¡­" Howard stated with a pained look in his eyes. "It was all an ident back then¡­ We hiked up the mountain and spent the night there¡­ There wasn''t supposed to be any danger, but there was a heavy storm that night, and the next morning, the trail was slippery. Your father, along with Raphael and I, all wanted to head back down the mountain, but Josiah insisted on continuing up the mountain. We were afraid that it would be dangerous for him to continue alone, so we had no choice but to follow him up¡­" He paused and exined, "Josiah Langley. He''s the fourth person who went up the mountains with us back then." She nodded. "Yes, I know. What happened next, Mr. Gigantes?" "Next¡­" Howard closed his eyes and the memories of that incident flooded into his mind once again. "Luke''s father stepped on something and slipped. He lost his footing and fell down the slope¡­" He choked up. "That scene haunts me in my dreams so very often¡­ I couldn''t face the death of one of my best friends and I couldn''t ept that a person had disappeared right before my very eyes. Not a moment goes by without me living in regret. If only we didn''t go mountain climbing. If only we didn''t listen to Josiah''s words and continued up the mountain. Luke''s father would still be alive¡­ My parents saw how out of sorts I was and were worried that something might happen to me, so they decided to send me abroad soon after¡­" Caitlin''s ashen face was full of tears. "So, this means that Lucian''s father''s death has nothing to do with my father, right? My father was wrongfully used!" Howard replied, "I am willing to swear on my life that Luke''s father''s death has nothing to do with your father! Your father was the oldest among us four and he took care of us the whole time. It was a hard trek that day, and he stayed in front to clear the way for us. It was a very narrow path, so we walked in a single file. I was behind your father, and Luke''s father was behind me, with Josiah behind him. I was right in between your father and Luke''s father, so if your father did anything to Luke''s father, I would''ve surely seen it. Therefore, I can vouch for your father. He didn''t do anything to Luke''s father!" Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Caitlin and Howard talked for a long time. Once the call ended, Caitlin ran to the bathroom and cried her heart out. She cried until her voice turned hoarse and her body felt weak. When her tears finally stopped, she washed her face and took some time topose herself before returning to the living room. Madeline gave her a cup of warm water. "Are you feeling better now?" "Thanks." Caitlin nodded. "I feel a lot better now." Madeline pulled Caitlin over to the couch. "Katy,e and see. Sebastian just asked one of his men to send some documents over." After sitting down on the couch with Caitlin, Madeline handed her a stack of documents. "Sebastian''s men found out that Josiah Langley married Lucian''s mother over a decade ago. They even have a son called Bobby Langley. Did you know about this?" "What?" Caitlin was stunned as she took the documents from Madeline. "Josiah Langley and Lucian''s mother are married?" "Yeah," Madeline confirmed. "Sebastian''s men looked into it and found out that Josiah Langley and Melvin Wheeler¡ªLucian''s father¡ªboth liked Lucian''s mother, Rosetta Zurich. They both went after her, but in the end, she chose Melvin." Leigh, who was nestled on the couch with a ss of red wine in her hand, piped up when she heard that. "I can''t help but wonder now. Do you think Josiah''s the one who caused Melvin''s death?" Caitlin stared at Leigh in shock. "I think it''s possible." Madeline nodded. "Josiah had a strong motive for murder." "Exactly," Leigh agreed. "Both Josiah and Melvin liked Lucian''s mother, and Josiah married Lucian''s mother after Melvin''s death. Isn''t that a clear motive for murder?" "Also, Josiah had a chance to act on it too," Madeline added. "Mr. Gigantes was very clear just now. They were on a narrow path and had to walk in a single file. Mr. Owen was the first, with Mr. Gigantes behind him, then Lucian''s father, and then Josiah who wasst. This means that Mr. Owen and Mr. Gigantes had their backs toward Lucian''s father and Josiah, and Lucian''s father had his back toward Josiah too. Josiah was thest one. No one would have seen it if he reached out to shove Lucian''s father and made him stumble down the slope¡­" Caitlin was dumbstruck. After a while, she stammered, "But¡­ they''re best friends¡­" "Friends?" Leigh snorted. "Some people value friendships, but some people couldn''t care less about betraying their so-called friends! Haven''t you heard the saying, hell is other people? You never know the depth of depravity that a human is capable of! The evil among us is a lot more frightening than hell!" "So¡­ the person Lucian trusts is actually his enemy?" Caitlinmented dazedly. "Does Lucian know that his mother married Josiah Langley?" Madeline asked. "I don''t know. We haven''t spoken in a very long time," Caitlin replied. "Ever since he betrayed my father, all we ever do is fight when we see each other. I don''t know how his mother got in touch with Josiah or how long they''ve been seeing each other. I don''t know anything about it." "I think we need to talk to Lucian." Leigh tapped her chin thoughtfully before cocking her head to the side to look at Madeline. "Let''s get our business going, Maddie!" Madeline was a little speechless. "Are you saying we should sell the information we found to Lucian?" "Yes, that''s what I meant." Leigh nodded. "Your husband''s subordinates went through all that effort to gather this information. Why should we just let Lucian have it for nothing? We haven''t officially opened for business yet, so let''s start with Lucian!" Madeline had nothing to say. She looked over at Caitlin. Caitlin nodded. "I think Leigh''s right. Not only should he be charged for it, but he better pay through the nose!" Since Caitlin agreed, Madeline figured it was a solid idea. Leigh had a point. Sebastian''s men went to great lengths to find the truth. Why should they share the information with Lucian just like that? "Do you still have Lucian''s contact?" Leigh asked Caitlin. "I have his number," Caitlin replied. "I don''t think he changed it." "Give it to me. I''ll talk to him." Leigh held her hand out in front of Caitlin. "I love doing business!" Caitlin was a little speechless. "Alright." She rattled off a number from memory. Although Leigh didn''t say anything aloud, she was tutting to herself, People rarely memorize other people''s numbers these days, save for those they''re closest to. It must be one of the most heartbreaking things in life to see lovers turning into enemies. The call went through fairly quickly. Leigh put the call on speaker, and a cool, indifferent voice rang out through the phone. "Who is it?" Leigh began to introduce herself. "My name is Leigh Shefford and I work for Oasis Law office. I''m also Katy''s friend¡­" "You''re Katy''s friend?" Lucian''s voice became rather agitated. "Did something happen to Katy?" Leigh eyed Caitlin and said, "Don''t worry. She''s fine. This call isn''t about her. There''s something I''d like to discuss with you." "Please go ahead." Lucian''s tone was a lot more courteous now. "I''m currently in the possession of a few secrets regarding your mother and Josiah Langley," Leigh said. "If you wish to know what they are, I''ll make the price very reasonable for you. 150,000." Caitlin was floored. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. She couldn''t help but cast a nce at Madeline. Though Caitlin didn''t say anything, Madeline could tell what she was thinking from the look in her eyes. You guys make your money so easily. Madeline was a little affronted. That''s not true! It wasn''t easy at all for her to earn money. Most of the time, those who came to thew office needed help with highly confidential matters. It took a lot of time and effort toplete. The only reason why they appeared to have it easy this time was because Sebastian''s team of investigators were some of the best in the business. The informationnded in her hands without her having to do anything at all. It seemed like she had lucked out by being with someone who would be an incredible help to her business! Meanwhile, Lucian said nothing. Perhaps he was stunned in silence by Leigh. After over 30 seconds of silence, he finally asked, "Is Katy with you?" "She''s here," Leigh said. "She''s sitting right beside me. We were worried about Katy, so we looked into your mother''s rtionship with Josiah, and in the end, we found out¡­" Leigh paused. "Give us 150,000 and I''ll tell you what we found out." There was a tense silence before Lucian said, "Put Katy on the phone." "That won''t be necessary. Katy doesn''t want to talk to you. Don''t expect to get a discount because of Katy either. We''re a small business and can''t afford to let anyone haggle!" Madeline was dumbfounded. What on earth is she saying? Evidently, Lucian also felt as if he were being swindled. "Who on earth are you? Are you just ying a trick on me?" Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Leigh chuckled and called out to Caitlin airily. "Katy?" "Hm?" Caitlin replied instinctively. Although it was a short humming sound, it was enough for someone like Lucian, who missed Caitlin like crazy, to recognize her voice. "Katy?" he cried out excitedly. Caitlin didn''t answer. "You''ll see Katy soon enough, but she doesn''t want to talk to you right now," Leigh said. "Let''s set a time to meet. You don''t need to worry about being tricked. Katy wille with us. You don''t need to pay up if you don''t see her." "I''m free now!" Lucian dered. "Where are we meeting at?" "The visitor''s lounge on the first floor at Oasis Law Firm," Leigh replied. "Call this number when you''re here." After ending the call, Leigh held up an OK sign to Madeline and Caitlin as she said, "All settled!" Lucian came almost immediately. It took him less than ten minutes. Madeline, Leigh, and Caitlin all came down to the visitor''s lounge on the first floor. Lucian was beside himself when he saw Caitlin. "Katy!" He rushed over and saw Caitlin''s forehead. "How''s your injury? Are you okay?" "Katy''s fine, but you''re about to not be fine." Leigh held her arm out to keep Lucian and Caitlin apart. She pointed at a seat nearby. "Sit down, Mr. Wheeler. Let''s talk business." "150,000, right?" Lucian came prepared. He took out a check and signed it before handing it to Leigh. "You can fill it in yourself!" Leigh took the check and wrote it out for 150,000. She tossed the pen aside and flicked the check with her finger. "See? 150,000! We''re a proper business, you know. We won''t hike our prices up arbitrarily and we don''t do charity. Also, don''t misunderstand what''s going on here. This money is our payment for the information we''re about to provide. It has nothing to do with Katy. She''s not getting anything." "Whatever," Lucian said. "You can take it as my token of gratitude for taking care of Katy." "Nope!" Leigh sat down at the table. "We''re selling you information that''s guaranteed to be worth way more than the price you paid!" Madeline gestured for Lucian to sit. "Please take a seat, Mr. Wheeler. I''m Madeline Taylor and I''m in charge here at Oasis Law Firm. We''re the ones who have epted payment from you. It has nothing to do with Katy. Now that we''ve received your check, you are officially our client, so please take your seat and we''ll carry on with our deal." "Can you please leave for a moment? I want to talk to Katy in private." Lucian didn''t want to talk to the other women at all. He only wanted to talk to Caitlin. "Don''t worry, Mr. Wheeler. Katy will be here during our discussion," Madeline said calmly. "She''ll step in to rify if we leave anything out." "What on earth do you want to talk about?" Lucian snapped. "Sorry. I''m in a bad mood right now. I just want to talk to Katy." "We would like to talk to you about your mother and her rtionship with Josiah Langley." Madeline got straight to the point. "Mr. Wheeler, do you know that your mother and Josiah Langley married over a decade ago and that they have a son as well?" "Yes," Lucian replied testily. "That''s just a family matter. What does it have to do with you?" "It had nothing to do with us in the past, but now that we''ve epted your check, you''re our client, Mr. Wheeler, so it does have something to do with us," Madeline said. "Since you''re our client, we are responsible for ensuring that you are fully aware of the truth, Mr. Wheeler, by filling in the gaps in your knowledge." Lucian couldn''t care about anything else other than Caitlin right now. He wouldn''t have bothered to say a single word to Madeline, had he not known who she was and how unwise it would be for him to offend her. However, even though he tried his best to suppress his emotions, his tone was still rather scathing. "What''s this truth that you im to know? I just told you that I know my mother got married to myN?velDrama.Org ? content. stepfather over a decade ago, and I also know that I have a half-brother. This is my private business and it has nothing to do with you, so what on earth are you trying to say?" "In that case, Mr. Wheeler, do you know how your father fell down the slope when he, along with Raphael Owen, Josiah Langley, and Howard Gigantes, all went on a mountain hiking trip together?" Madeline asked. Lucian nced at Caitlin. He was a little pale as he retorted, "It''s all in the past. I don''t want to talk about it." "Mr. Wheeler, we got in touch with Mr. Gigantes. I think you should listen to a recording of the exchange Katy had with him." Madeline yed the recording. Caitlin and Howard had spoken on the phone for slightly over ten minutes, and Caitlin recorded the whole conversation. By the time the recording finished ying, Lucian was as white as a sheet. He shook his head repeatedly as he stammered, "No¡­ How''s that possible? He''s lying. He must be lying¡­" "Lucian Wheeler! What do you mean by that?!" Caitlin snarled and mmed the table with her hand. "When your uncle abused you, it was my father who took pity on you and brought you home with him. He raised you for over a decade, but you chose to believe Josiah Langley instead of him! Now, I went through all that effort to find the fourth person who was there that day, and you don''t believe him either! You call him a liar! Are you telling me that my father doesn''t deserve any of your trust? He raised you for over a decade, treated you like his own son, and did his best to care for you, but in your eyes, is he nothing more than a vicious murderer?!" "I don''t think he doubts what Mr. Gigantes said. I think he just can''t bring himself to believe it," Leigh smirked and piped up coolly. "If he believes that Mr. Gigantes is telling the truth, wouldn''t it mean that everything he did in the past was a mistake? He trusted his enemy''s words and betrayed the adopted father who raised him¡ª" "That''s enough! Stop talking!" Lucian mmed his hand on the table and stood up. His expression was twisted and his eyes were bloodshot. "He must''ve remembered it wrongly! Yes! That must be it! It''s been so many years. He must''ve remembered things wrongly¡­" "Lucian Wheeler, you b*stard!" Caitlin couldn''t hold it back anymore. She stormed over and pped him on the face. "The only mistake my father made was to take pity on you and take you in! It''s just like the fable about the farmer and the snake, and he was the farmer who saved you out of the kindness of his heart, only to be bitten by you! I don''t care if you believe it or not, Lucian. I''ve found the witness now that can prove my father''s innocence. I will announce the truth to the public and clear my father''s name! As for you, you can think whatever you want. You''re the reason why my father died, and I''ll never forgive you! Never!" "No¡­ no¡­" Lucian kept shaking his head as his legs grew weak. He stumbled backward and could scarcely keep himself standing. "I heard him on the phone with someone else. He said it was all his fault and that he felt remorseful toward my father¡­ If he didn''t cause my father''s death, why would he tell someone else that it was his fault and that he was remorseful?" Chapter 404 Chapter 404 "That''s because he''s a much better man than you are!" Caitlin choked out through her tears. "It was my father who suggested that they go on a hike. He felt responsible for your father''s death because he thought that if he hadn''t suggested the hike, then your father wouldn''t have died. He was too good of a man, and you''re the exact opposite. That''s why you misunderstood him!" All the blood had drained from Lucian''s face, but he continued to shake his head in denial. "No¡­ No. How could that be¡­" "Do you know how much of a fool you are, Lucian?" Leighmented with a mocking smirk. "You trust Josiah Langley so much that I thought you didn''t know he married your mother. I never would''ve expected that you knew all about it! I don''t get it. Since you know he married your mother, why do you still trust what he says? What kind of a man goes after his friend''s wife? If he were really your father''s best friend, why would he marry your father''s widow?" "He did that to take care of my mother¡­" Lucian instinctively tried to defend Josiah. "Why didn''t he take care of you as well then?" Leigh threw back. "His best friend died, so he married his best friend''s wife and tossed aside his best friend''s son. Why do you even trust a man who does such a thing?" Lucian was shell-shocked He never even considered this. His mother had found him several years ago. At the time, she secretly reached out to him and cried her eyes out as she held him. His mother said she felt sorry for what she did to him. She said that she loved his father so much that each time she looked at him, all she could think about was his father. She said it felt as if her heart was being stabbed each time, and life was a living hell for her. Also, when Melvin died, the majority of the family fortune went to his paternal grandparents and uncles, and she didn''t get much. A woman without a husband and a source of ie would have too hard of a time raising a child. She didn''t want Lucian to live in poverty with her, so she had to harden herself and get his grandparents to take care of him. Later on, she snuck back to visit him and wanted to take him with her, but she hesitated when she found out that he had a good life after the Owens adopted him. She said she couldn''t provide him with afortable life the way the Owens could, so it was better if he stayed with them. She had no choice but to give up the idea of taking him with her, even though it pained her to do so. She even said that she was afraid that the Owens might be ufortable if she showed up and stopped being good to him, so she only ever observed him in secret. She was afraid that she would affect his life. Perhaps blood was indeed thicker than water, or maybe it was because Lucian yearned so much for his mother''s love and eptance that he easily believed everything she said. He had been secretly in contact with her ever since then. After a while, his mother told him an earth-shattering secret¡ªhis father''s death had been caused by Raphael Owen! His father''spany had a deal with Raphael''spany, but because Raphael betrayed his father and allowed apetitor to steal technology from his father''spany, his father''spany was on the brink of bankruptcy. When his father found out, he had a fight with Raphael. She told him that his father considered Raphael his best friend, and although they fought, he didn''t hold it against Raphael. All he wanted was for Raphael to return the technology to him, and all would be forgiven. Raphael had agreed on the surface, but during the mountain hike, he caught Melvin off-guard and pushed him off the mountain¡­ Rosetta was drowning in tears as she ryed all of this. Josiah had been sitting beside Rosetta and keptforting her. He even addressed Lucian in an apologetic tone and said that he had witnessed Raphael pushing Melvin off the path, but Raphael was the heir of the Owens'' family business and was a powerful man, while thepany that he managed with Melvin was about to go bankrupt and were heavily in debt due to their technology being stolen. Thus, he was afraid of Raphael''s power and feared that things might get even worse for him, so he said nothing and could only take care of Rosetta and Lucian in secret. Lucian loved his mother too much. The two of them fed the entirety of their sob story to Lucian, and he recalled the call he overheard a few days prior where Raphael admitted that he had caused Melvin''s death and was feeling remorseful. Thus, he believed what Rosetta and Josiah said. It was easy to be fooled when an issue involved oneself. Lucian was thoroughly fooled. He hadplete trust in his mother and stepfather''s words. Yet now, Leigh''s words lit anew the reason in him. It was as if he had just woken up from a drunken stupor, and everything was clear now. He had been tricked. The one who caused his father''s death wasn''t Raphael, but Josiah! He couldn''t bring himself to ept this reality¡­ If this were the truth, then what had he done? Lucian had no idea how he left Oasis Law Firm and found Josiah. Rosetta''s shrill exims were what snapped him back to reality. He had his hands around Josiah''s neck and was pushing him up against a wall, while Rosetta was screaming beside him and trying to pry his hands off Josiah. As he slowly regained his senses, he red at Josiah with bloodshot eyes. "It''s you¡­ You''re the one who killed my father, right?" Rosetta, who had been smacking Lucian to make him let go, came to a sudden halt. Her eyes widened as she eximed, "What kind of nonsense is that, Luke?" However, Lucian didn''t pay any attention to her. He continued to fix his bloodshot eyes on Josiah as he asked again, "You killed my father, didn''t you? You like my mother and wanted to have her to yourself, so you killed my father and swooped in while my mother was lonely and grieving over his death, and then you married her, right?" Josiah had a look ofplete innocence as he answered cluelessly, "What are you saying, Luke? Have you gone mad? Your father''s my best friend. Why would I hurt him? Raphael Owen was the one who killed your father! He admitted it himself and said he felt remorseful. You said so yourself! You heard him!" "His remorse was because he regretteding up with the idea of going hiking with my father," Lucian snarled as he red menacingly at Josiah. "But you¡­ you pushed my father off the mountain!" Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Josiah frowned. "Have you truly gone mad, Luke? How can you say something so ridiculous? Your father and I are best friends. I was the one who grieved the most over your father''s death. Why would I kill him?" "Why would you kill him? Isn''t the reason so unbelievably obvious? You like my mother, but she married my father, so you had to kill him to take her for yourself!" Lucian''s grip tightened around Josiah''s neck. "What a fool I''ve been. I was blind. I couldn''t see the truth because I was so emotionally invested in this. It''s such simple, obvious logic, but I couldn''t even see it!" His past self had been fooled by a mirage. It was likely due to his longing for his mother''s affection. Rosetta hade looking for him all of a sudden and showered him with motherly love. Instantly, he was blinded by the bond he had with his mother. He trusted everything she said and never questioned her. Raphael had said that he felt remorseful toward Lucian''s father, so Lucian believed it. He believed that his adopted father was the one who killed his birth father. Katy''s friends were right. I''m such a fool. An unforgivable fool. Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Josiah''s heart was thumping wildly, but he pretended to be calm and unshaken. "You''re wrong, Luke. I didn''t get together with your mother when your father first died. I ran into her by chance and saw how hard it was for her to be all alone, so I took care of her for your father''s sake. After a while, we developed feelings for one another, and we finally got together¡­" "Hah!" Lucian snorted. "Stop trying to fool me. I know everything! Back then, you and my father both wanted to date my mother, but she chose my father, so you already had your eyes on her a long time ago¡­ Also, Katy has already found the fourth man who was there that day. He said that you guys were on a very narrow path and had to walk in a single file. My adopted father was the first one, and you were thest. My father was right in front of you. You were the only one who could kill my father without anyone knowing. You had the motive and the opportunity, so you''re the one who killed my father¡­" Lucian''s grip tightened around Josiah''s neck once more. Josiah gasped as he tried his hardest to breathe. All this while, Rosetta was so anxious that she even started crying. She did her best to pull Lucian''s hands off Josiah. "Luke, calm down. Luke, you must''ve made a mistake somehow. Josiah is your father''s best friend. He wouldn''t hurt your father. You were tricked¡ª" "I was just about to ask you¡­" Lucian stared at Rosetta icily. "Did you know the truth?" Rosetta froze. Lucian continued to stare at her. "Did you know that Josiah killed my father?" Rosetta frantically shook her head. "Why are you saying something so ridiculous, Luke? Raphael is the one who killed your father. Josiah was your father''s best friend. They were just like brothers. Why would he kill your father?" Lucian ignored her words. His cold, dark eyes were like ck holes that threatened to swallow her whole. "Even if you didn''t know then, you know now. What do you n on doing?" N?velDrama.Org ? content. Rosetta panicked. "Why are you such a stubborn boy? Josiah would never have hurt your father. Don''t believe other people''s lies! Let go of him right now!" "I get it now." Lucian continued to stare at her icily as he said, "Even if you do know the truth, you don''t care, right? You don''t care who killed my father back then, and you don''t wish to avenge him, correct?" "Of course not!" Rosetta was terrified by the coldness in his eyes. She quickly refuted him. "Luke, listen to me. You''ve been lied to. Raphael is really the guy who killed your father. Josiah and I are the only ones who care about you the most in this world. Don''t believe the lies anyone else tells you. They''re just trying to drive a wedge between us. Don''t let them seed!" "You care about me the most?" Lucian''s lips curled into a scornful smirk. "If you cared about me the most, why didn''t you take custody of me when my father died? You gave birth to me. After my father''s death, if you were willing to take custody, you would''ve been awarded it right away. But instead, you chose not to¡­" "I exined this to you before. I had nothing back then and I couldn''t even support myself, so I couldn''t raise you." Rosetta grew even more panicked and flustered when she saw the mocking look in his eyes. "I went to look for you the moment I found a job and could afford to raise you, but by then, Raphael had adopted you. I thought that if you left with me, you''d only live an ordinary life and might not even have three meals every day, but if you stayed with the Owens, you''d live in luxury and would get the best education. I was only doing what was best for you and your future. That''s why I left you even though it pained me¡­" Lucian snorted. "How moving¡­" At sixteen, his mother found him and cried her eyes out while giving him the same exnation. A sixteen-year-old boy was at his most rebellious and emotionally unstable stage in life. People would often taunt him for being the Owens'' adopted son. They called him Caitlin''s servant, and he was always filled with anger and humiliation. Therefore, when his mother came and told him that Raphael was his father''s killer and that Raphael adopted him just to atone for his crimes while she was the one who loved him the most in this whole world, he believed her. If he believed her, he was no longer the Owens'' adopted son and servant. He was the person the Owens owed a debt to. He was no longer someone who couldn''t hold his head high. He was someone who was on a mission to avenge his father and was bidding his time to seek justice. That sixteen-year-old boy cared the most about his dignity and self-esteem, and he longed for his mother''s love, so he trusted whatever his mother said. His mother gave him a few articles of clothing, cooked a few meals for him, and gave him a few hugs while saying that she loved him, and that was enough for him to make her the most important person to him. Step by step, he was tricked into thinking that his mother and Josiah were his closest rtives and that his adopted parents were his mortal enemies. Looking back at his past self now after being confronted with the truth, he finally realized how big a fool he was. Josiah had grown pale under his grip and was beginning to lose consciousness. Rosetta kept hitting Lucian as she shrieked, "Lucian Wheeler! Let go of Josiah now! What on earth are you trying to do? Are you trying to kill him? You''ll get the death penalty for murder!" "Kill him?" Lucian scoffed. "Nope¡­" He let go of Josiah''s neck and threw him on the ground. "Death would be too easy for him. I''m going to make your lives a living hell!" He said lives, which were plural, not singr. Rosetta''s eyes widened in shock as she gaped in disbelief. "What are you saying, Luke? I''m your mother! I gave birth to you!" "So what?" Lucian stared at her coldly. "You''re the mother who abandoned me as a child and teamed up with Josiah Langley to kill my adopted father!" "No¡­ You!" Rosetta kept shaking her head. "Luke, let me exin¡ª" "Don''t bother." Lucian cut her off. "I know everything. I know why you didn''t want me back then, and why you came back to look for me when I was sixteen!" Rosetta was stricken as a look of terror shed in her eyes. Lucian sneered and continued, "It''s because Josiah''spany went bankrupt when I was sixteen! You two were saddled with debts and forced to hide from your debtors. Just as you were scurrying about trying to hide, Josiah found out that Katy''s father took me in and cared a lot about me, so you chose to come to Elsenburg and reunite with me. You wanted to win me over so that I would be of use to you!" The more he said, the more painful it was for him to speak. His nails dug so deeply into the palm of his hands that they drew blood. "I was such a fool. I fell for your lies so easily and took your side. Not only did I frequently give you the money that my adopted father gave to me, but I even began to build up support for myself in secret to oust my adopted father¡­ and my adopted father was unguarded toward me. He did his best to raise me. He trusted me so much that he allowed me to know everything about him, including the true extent of his influence, as well as his weaknesses¡­" Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Rosetta shook her head violently. "No, no. That''s not it¡­" Her throat was getting raspy from crying so much. "Denial is useless." He looked at her coldly. "Don''t even think I''ll give you any more money. Josiah owes a lot of people money, and he still hasn''t cleared them, has he? You and that b*stard kid of yours can go to hell with him." "No, you can''t do this, Luke!" Rosetta yelled as she shook her head. "Bobby''s your brother. You can''t just abandon him!" "You call him my brother?" Lucian sneered. "A b*stard born by the animal who killed my father, and you call him my brother?" He stared at Rosetta, but there was only hatred in his eyes. "I have no brother nor mother. You are nothing but my father''s murderers." He looked at Rosetta and Josiah. "Just you wait," he hissed. "I''ll make your lives a living hell, and it''ll come real soon." The enmity and vitriol in his voice were almost palpable. "No¡­ No!" She wouldn''t stop shaking her head. "You can''t do this to me, Luke. I''m your mother! I gave birth to you! I''m your mother! You can''t do this to me!" To that, Lucian sneered, and he turned to the door without even saying a word. He finally had it after all these years. Rosetta only came back to him because Raphael took him in; because he was rich and powerful. All she wanted from him was money. If he hadn''t been taken in and only lived with his uncle instead, he might have grown up into a useless piece of trash, and his mother wouldn''t havee for him. She refused custody of Lucian even when she was alone. Now that she had a new husband and her beloved son, there was no way she would afford him any love. It was a shame he couldn''t get that into his head when he was sixteen. All she did was say something ttering, and he did whatever she asked him to. Like a possessed man, Lucian killed the man who loved him like a father. And all because of these animals. Just the thought of his deceased foster parents made his heart scream in pain. He balled his fists and slowly approached the door. Josiah and Rosetta killed Raphael. If he hadn''t fallen for their sweet talk, he wouldn''t have tried to fight for the Owens'' inheritance, and Raphael wouldn''t have died. This is their fault. I''ll make them pay. They will live the rest of their lives in hell. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He noticed a disturbance in the air just before he could leave. rm bells rang in his head, and he tilted his head to the side by instinct. A vase zipped past his ear and smashed into his shoulders. A grunt escaped his lips as the vase shattered into pieces. Shards fell all around him, and when he looked back, he saw Josiah holding the top of the vase. "What are you doing, Josiah?" Rosetta screamed. Yet, Josiah didn''t answer. Still holding the remainder of the vase, he dashed toward Lucian and tried to stab him with it. What does it look like I''m doing? I wanna kill him! He thinks I killed Raphael, and he won''t believe me anymore now. He won''t listen to me anymore, and I can''t get any more money from him. It was nearly time to pay off his debt, though. If he failed to make the payment, the debt collectors would hunt him down no matter where he went, and that life was something he refused to live again. He wouldn''t have Rosetta and Bobby be on the run with him either, so he had to kill Lucian. Rosetta and Bobby were Lucian''s only family. If he were to die, they would inherit all his wealth. We will be rich. Even if I die, they can live in luxury. That''s the only way out for them. Even after he missed and Lucian was already turning back to face him, Josiah didn''t stop. He held his weapon tightly and tried to stab Lucian''s neck with it. All he wanted to do was kill Josiah. If he dies, my wife and son can live the best life this world has to offer! It was a nice n, but someone of his age couldn''t keep up with a young and experienced fighter like Lucian. Lucian mmed his foot on Josiah''s wrist, and an audible crack rang out in the air. Then, Josiah screamed. He staggered backward and fell down onto the ground of shards, and his screams turned into howls. "Josiah? Josiah, are you alright?" Rosetta rushed to his side while wailing and kneeled to check on his wound. His right wrist was bent at an unnatural angle. It''s broken. She gave Lucian a tearful look, demanding, "How could you do this to him? He''s your stepfather!" "You disgust me." He spared that woman a look of contempt. "What did you expect me to do? Stand there while he tries to kill me? And you and that b*stard son of yours can take everything I have after that?" He sneered and made a call, which went through quickly. Coldly, he said, "I''m writing a will. If I die, then everything I have goes to Caitlin Owen." The guy on the other side said something, to which he answered impatiently, "Yes, Caitlin Owen. Draft up a will for me. Once I get back, I''ll sign it. Even if I were to die the next moment, the will is still effective. After my death, everything I own goes to Caitlin." The guy on the other side said something again, but Lucian responded patiently this time, "Fine, I''ll repeat myself. Get a few witnesses and record it well." He hung up and switched the call to a video call to repeat what he just said. The pain was almost knocking Josiah old cold, but his frustration and anger kept him awake, telling his brain to stay up. He shouted, "Don''t do this, Luke. Your mother loves you. She''s your mother, and Bobby''s your brother. They''re your only family in this world. You don''t have to trust me. Heck, you don''t even need to understand me, but you can''t abandon them." Once he was done recording the video, Lucian hung up and looked at him coldly. "What do you want me to do? Support their lifestyles and let you kill me so they can take everything I have?" He chortled at himself. "I did something that stupid once, but I won''t do it again. You tried to kill me for your wife and kid to take everything I have. It would have worked if you managed to take my life, but it''s too bad that you failed. I''ve already written my will. If I die, everything I have goes to Caitlin. Your wife and kid won''t even get a single penny." Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Josiah felt his heart getting torn apart, but for some ungodly reason, he was still alive and breathing. Death didn''t scare him, but what would happen after that did. His wife and son would have no one to rely on, and they would live their whole lives on the bottom rung of society with no chance of making their way up, just like how he used to be. He worked his butt off, but still he was doing the worst out of the four roommates. Raphael was the son of a rich man, so he couldn''t match up to him, but he even lost out to the other two as well. Everyone loved Raphael since he was the richest out of them, while he was sidelined for his poverty. Even the woman he liked didn''t like him. Eventually, she picked Lucian''s father over him. Their gap widened after graduation. Raphael was born to be sessful thanks to his family, which was powerful and wealthy. After they graduated, he went to work in one of theirpanies. The guy started out as deputy general manager and became everyone''s idol. Howard wasn''t as rich as Raphael, but his family had some wealth of their own, so he too worked in his family''spany after graduation and lived a good life. Compared to the Owens and the Giganteses, the Wheelers were just a small-time family, but Raphael noticed the potential in Lucian''s father''s project, so he invested in him. Lucian''s father opened up a smallpany and became his own boss. On the other hand, he tried to hunt for jobs, but nobody would take him. In the end, he had no choice but to work with Lucian''s father and build the business up with him. Josiah never wanted to kill him, but the chance presented itself. It had just rained that day, and the path was slippery. If anyone were to slip and fall down the cliff, everyone would only think it was an ident, not murder. Raphael, Howard, and Lucian''s father all had their backs turned to him. If he just pushed that man a little, Josiah could be done with him forever. And then Rosetta would be a widow. She didn''t like me before she was married, but what if she bes a widow? She''ll lose value if she bes a widow, and I''ll have better chances of getting her. Years of losing out in life sparked the fire of evil in his heart, and he shoved Lucian''s father from the back. The path was a narrow one, and that shove caused him to fall off the cliff. As expected, nobody thought it was a murder. They thought Lucian''s father slipped and fell by ident. He pretended to be as brokenhearted as Raphael and Howard as they settled Lucian''s father''s funeral. Raphael and Howard were busy with work, while he was Lucian''s father''s partner, so he had more time and reason to stay with Rosetta. Back then, he had courted Rosetta for a long time. She knew he liked her, so she didn''t suspect him of anything. All she had was gratitude for his concern. Eventually, he convinced her to give up Lucian''s custody under the pretext of doing it for Lucian''s own good. He thought once he took over thepany after Lucian''s father died, he could keep on working with Raphael and get rich with the Owens'' help. However, after Lucian''s father died, Raphael said the project reminded him of Lucian''s father, and he couldn''t get over that tragedy, so he ended it. No matter how much Josiah tried to convince him, Raphael refused to budge. He ended the project unterally. Josiah invested all he had in that project, and he even took out a loan. Ending the project meant he would get nothing back. That drove him mad, and he harbored a deep grudge against Raphael. Raphael was still wallowing in the tragedy of Lucian''s father''s death, and he wouldn''t listen to Josiah no matter what he had to say. He even questioned Josiah, "How can you be so cruel? Your best friend died, and money is all you care about?" Josiah almost clenched his teeth to dust. Why do I care about money? Because I''m the poorest out of the four of us. You were born to money. You have no idea what being poor feels like. He wanted to kill Raphael, but one, he had no chance, and two, the cops would suspect something if people around him kept dying. Josiah held his hatred down and sold thepany to pay off his debts. Then, he sought Rosetta out and they eloped. Rosetta was at her lowest point in life. She panicked after her husband died, and he spent days convincing her he would treat her well. Rosetta believed him, and they left Dusktown. N?velDrama.Org ? content. They headed south, and after a few months of courtship, she finally agreed to marry him, and one year later, their son was born. They were living a good life, and he never thought abouting back here. Josiah married the woman he loved, and she gave birth to his son. They were happy. He wanted to forget the past and live a peaceful life with his family, but things didn''t go his way. He tried his best, but thriving in a new city wasn''t easy. Even after years of working, all he had to show was a smallpany made up of a few employees. It was a far cry from his dream of making it big and making his hometown proud. He wanted Rosetta and their son to live well. He wanted to be sessful so Raphael would think better of him. To that end, he did everything he could to climb up the proverbialdder, but his burning desire to make it big became his downfall. Josiah fell for a scam and lost all his savings. On top of that, he got neck-deep in debt. If he couldn''t make the payments, those bloodsuckers would cut off his arms and legs and ruin his family''s life. Just when he was agonizing over this dilemma, he heard Rosetta mutter, "I wonder how Lucian''s doing." That gave him the hint he needed. I have an idea. I might be out of money, but Raphael is not. Lucian isn''t, either. Lucian was only sixteen, but from what he knew, Raphael was already raising him to be his heir. Raphael would take Lucian with him to thepany so he could learn the ins and outs of it. He was also very generous to Lucian when it came to money. "Try investing the money," he would say. Well, that generosity was rtive, of course. That kind of money was pocket change for Raphael, but it was enough for Josiah to solve his most crucial problem. He pretended to feel for Rosetta and told her he was willing to return to Dusktown if she wanted to see Lucian. Rosetta was puzzled by that decision. She asked, "I thought you said Raphael would start to dislike him if I were to ever return. Didn''t you say he would lose his love for Lucian if I went back to see the boy?" Chapter 408 Chapter 408 He heaved a long sigh and put on a look of agony. "Rosetta, I''ve kept a secret from him. Now that he''s sixteen, he can legally work and make money for himself. It''s time to tell him that secret." Rosetta asked him what the secret was, but he didn''t tell her. He said he could only tell Lucian about it. Rosetta was a gentledy. Since he didn''t want to tell her, she didn''t pry. If he wanted to return to Dusktown, then they would go back to Dusktown. When she got reunited with Lucian, Rosetta cried her heart out. She loved the boy, but the woman was weak. She was just onedy who couldn''t even fend for herself, much less a child. It was because Rosetta''s love was real that Lucian epted him and her back in his family and fell for his lies. Lucian gave his mother a lot of money after they were reunited. Rosetta had no idea how to manage money, so she would give it to Josiah every time Lucian gave her the cash. Josiah would pay some of the interest and capital back with the money. He had always been working hard to clear his debt, or his family would never be free. But the interest rate was monstrous, and the amount of debt he owed was almost insurmountable. Lucian was just a sixteen-year-old boy. He couldn''t give Rosetta too much money, nor could he ask her to demand more money from Lucian, or the boy might see through him. All he could do was wait until the day he came of age and took over thepany. He had to wait until the day came when he killed Raphael for ''vengeance''. Once Raphael was dead, hispany would be Lucian''s. The boy loved his mother deeply, so he would give her all the money he could. As long as Lucian could take over, he would try his luck and see if he could get Rosetta and Bobby a part of the shares. It was a long process, but he had no choice except to wait it out. Fortunately, Lucian would give Rosetta money frequently, and he could pay off the interest and a part of the principal every time. The loan sharks thought he was reliable, so they never disrupted his normal life or harassed him. Eventually, Lucian finally took over the family andpany, while Raphael died from overflowing fury, much to Josiah''s delight. So what if he''s born to money? Only the one whoughsst wins. They used to be a group of four. Lucian''s father died, and his wife married Josiah after that. Howard was stricken by grief after the tragedy, so he left and never came back. Nobody could get in touch with him, nor did they have any idea if he was alive. And when Raphael died, he officially became the winner in this little game of life, despite how lowly his background was. He thought he was a genius. Josiah might start out poor, but he won everything in the end. However, fate threw in another twist of events. Just when he was about to convince Lucian to give a part of the shares to Rosetta and Bobby, Lucian suddenly found the missing Howard and found out the truth about that fateful day. Lucian was no fool. In fact, he was smart, and smart people were always arrogant. He never could ept it when everyone called him the ve of the Owens and Caitlin, so Josiah''s lies got through to him easily. But just when he thought he could finally reap his rewards and make life better for his wife and son, Lucian woke up from this dream of lies. Josiah knew how cruel he could be, and Raphael was a prime example. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Raphael took care of him for more than a decade and saw him as his own, but he still killed that man in the end. This guy is a heartless demon. Now that he knows the truth, he''ll make sure our lives be a living hell, just as he said. I have no doubt about it. The only way to make his family''s life better was to kill Lucian. Only after he was dead could his family leave poverty behind and get rich. He lived a life of poverty, and because of that, he lived his days in schemes and conspiracies. In the end, his schemes paid off, and he had a son with the woman he loved. His son was his whole world, and Josiah wouldn''t let the boy live a life of poverty. For his son, Josiah could do anything, even if it would cost him his life. So, he tried to kill Lucian. Bobby can live the best life if this b*stard dies. But now Lucian had left a will. If he were to die, everything he had would go to Caitlin, not his wife and son. They would get nothing. He cut off my only way out. What should my wife and kid do? If I can''t pay my debt, those bloodsuckers are going toe after me and my family. We''ll have to live our lives in hiding. No¡­ No! I''ve lived my life in poverty. I was forced to bow down to everyone and everything just to survive. I won''t let my son repeat this pathetic life. "Do you want revenge, Luke?" He ignored the pain in his wrist and looked at Lucian. "You say I killed your father, but you have no proof, and you can''t avenge him without proof. But if you promise me you''ll take care of your mother and your brother after I die, I''ll take my own life. Deal?" "What are you talking about, Josiah? That''s nonsense!" Rosetta was still bawling. "Bobby needs his father, Josiah. Luke''s just duped by those monsters. I''ll make sure he sees the light, don''t worry. He''ll listen to me." Josiah slowly shook his head and held her hand with his good hand. "Don''t you see? He''s as evil as it gets. He''ll kill anyone whom he hates, and he never goes back on that promise." "No¡­ No, he won''t! He''s my son! He''s a loving boy. He won''t harm us¡­" Rosetta gave Lucian a tearful look. "We''re a family, Luke. You won''t abandon us, will you?" Lucian stared at her, his gaze filled with cold mockery. "You''re still saying that at this point? Don''t you think it''s a little bit toote? Were you blind? He tried to kill me!" Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Rosetta opened her mouth, but she couldn''t say a word. Lucian sneered onest time and turned his back on him. Josiah quickly shouted, "Don''t go! I did it, not your mother or brother. They''re innocent. I''ll give my life to you, but please, just take care of them." Rosetta was a weak woman. She had been a full-time housewife for more than a decade now, so she couldn''t live independently. His son was only a teenager who couldn''t even fend for himself. If Lucian were to attack them as well, they would end up in hell. His conspiracy was exposed, and it cost him his future. He would use what was left of his life to give his family a good life. "You''d give your life to me?" Lucian stopped in his tracks and looked at him. "And why would I want that? Would that bring my father and Raphael back? Will Caitlin forgive me? You made me lose the people I love, so I''ll make your family live through hell. That''s only fair." He wanted to kill himself every time he thought about his foster parents, and when his thoughts turned to Caitlin, he felt his heart getting torn asunder. He didn''t love this world; all he loved was Caitlin. He could lose everything, but not her. As he was the Owens'' adopted son, everyone looked down and spat on him, but not Caitlin. She saw him as her brother, and anytime anyone tried to abuse him, she would be angrier than he was. Eventually, they fell in love with each other and became a couple. Caitlin was an outspokendy whenever she was outside, but every time they were together, she would always be gentle and ready to listen to him. He didn''t like that everyone called him a ve to the Owens, so Caitlin would always make him feel wee. Every other girl would act like a spoiled brat around their boyfriends, but Caitlin spoiled him instead. Anything that would be good for him, she would always give them to Lucian. Caitlin loved him deeply, and she also told her father she wasn''t interested in running apany, so she rmended Lucian as heir. Thanks to that, Raphael took him along for the ride when he was a teenager so he could learn and even introduced him to all the people whom the Owens knew. He was also generous when it came to money. Not only would he give Lucian a big sum of pocket money every month, but he would also give him seed funds every year after he said he wanted to start a business at sixteen. Caitlin was the one who helped him get to the point where he could kill Raphael. Without her help, he wouldn''t have been able to destroy Owen Holdings. Caitlin loved him with all her heart, but he was the reason her parents died. Will she ever forgive me? If there was a time machine in this world, he would give anything to have it. He wanted to go back to the time when the Owen couple was still alive. All he wanted was for the Owen couple to live, and for Caitlin to still love him. Eventually, he decided to push on and leave, ignoring the screams of Josiah, despite how desperately he was calling out to him. He came back to Oasis Law Office and saw Caitlin. She used to smile all the time, but now all she had was a scowl on her face. All the color was drained from Lucian''s face, and he couldn''t even say a word. She said coldly, "I thought it was urgent. If you have nothing to say, then leave. I don''t want to see you." She wouldn''t even havee to see him if not for the fact she wanted to hear him admit that her father wasn''t a killer and confess his mistakes. They were no longer friends or family. Lucian gulped, and he suddenly knelt before her. It took her by surprise, but only for a moment. She then looked at him icily. Lucian hung his head low. Choking up, he said, "I''m sorry, Caitlin. I''m sorry. The one who killed my dad was Josiah, not your father¡­" Caitlin felt a lump in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes shortly after. All her hard work finally paid off. She finally proved that her father was no killer. I cleared your name, Dad. Lucian clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. He apologized, "I''m sorry, Caitlin. It''s all my fault. I''ll ept any punishment." His voice trembled. "I''ll do anything, just forgive me, please." "No, I don''t think I will." She kept her eyes on him and enunciated, "Some parents always n ahead for their children, just like mine. They stashed enough money for me to live out the rest of my life abroad. I don''t need anything even if my family goes bankrupt. All I want is for my parents to be here. I''ll forgive you if you can revive them, but if you can''t, then please stay away from me. Don''t disturb my life. Just pretend we never knew each other." She should have taken it out on Lucian and avenged her parents, but she couldn''t do it. Before Natasha died, she told Caitlin that vengeance was poison to the mind. She wanted Caitlin to never hate anyone. "If this is what fate wants, then so be it," Natasha said. "If you still like him, and he''s still nice to you, then you can marry him. Don''t care about anything else." She used to love Lucian deeply, but no more. She lost all love for him when her parents died. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Even though her love was lost, she couldn''t take it out on Lucian anyway. He might be a heartless b*stard, but her parents were not. He might have hurt them, but they wouldn''t harm him back. Some parents would always forgive their children, even if their children had hurt them many times. Her parents were that kind of people. Even though Lucian caused their deaths, they still wanted him to live well. They bore guilt against Lucian. Raphael thought if he hadn''t asked them out for that hiking session, Lucian''s father wouldn''t have died. My parents were kind souls. They wouldn''t want me to get caught in the web of hatred and fight Lucian. She worked her butt off every day just to find the truth and clear her father''s name. Vengeance was never the goal. Now that her father''s name was cleared, her job was done. Nothing else mattered. All she wanted was for her and Lucian to go their separate ways and never meet again. Chapter 410 Chapter 410 She left without any hesitation. Lucian got up and tried to go after her, but the world started spinning, and he lost his bearing. He staggered sideways and leaned on the wall to steady himself. When he refocused his gaze, Caitlin was already gone. He tried to look for her, but a tall, handsome man stopped him. "Hold it. It''s a private office from here on out. No entrance." Lucian knew full well that the owner of this ce was powerful beyond his imagination, so he turned and left, but his head was still spinning and throbbing. He left thew office, but Lucian had no idea where to go next. He used to have the Owens and Caitlin to go home to. They were his family. The Owen couple eventually died, and Caitlin hated his guts, but at least he still had his mother and half-brother. At least he still had a home and family. But now the Owens were dead, Caitlin still hated him, while his mother became the one who caused the Owens'' deaths. It was a big world, but he had no ce to call home. Agony and sorrow engulfed him, and he thought his life was a big joke. He stiffly got in his car and drove all the way to the Owen couple''s final resting ce. Lucian got some flowers and items for a tribute at the base of the hill. He trekked up the hill and knelt before the Owen couple''s graves despite how tormented his soul felt just from facing them. Lucian kept kneeling until the skies turned dark. It was as if Lucian had turned into a statue. His bodyguard who came with him almost couldn''t feel his legs, but still Lucian didn''t move. Young Master Lucian seems really distraught, and he doesn''t seem to be in the best state of health either. Worried that he might fall, he quietly went aside and called Jared to tell him about Lucian''s condition. Jared said, "Keep an eye on him and don''t let anything happen. I''ll be there in a minute." Half an hourter, he and Theodore came to the scene and pulled Lucian up from the ground. Lucian didn''t even manage to get up. His friends felt him fall like a rock, and his bodyguard shouted, "Young Master Lucian!" Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Jared and Theodore quickly checked on him, but their friend was as white as paper, and his eyes were closed. He fainted. That shocked them. Jared quickly ced a finger under Lucian''s nose to check his breath. "It''s alright. He just forgot to breathe for a moment." "I''ll take him on my back." Lucian''s bodyguard bent over. Jared and Theodore ced their friend on the bodyguard''s back, and they acted as support as Lucian was taken down the hill. He woke up when they got to the base, but it seemed like a part of him was missing. He kept staring out the window into the distance, though his eyes were devoid of any emotion. Lucian''s friends were worried about him. They tried to ask him what happened, but Lucian ignored them and remained silent. Jared and Theodore stopped pushing him for answers. Once they got to his ce, they made him take some IV infusions and pushed him into the bathroom. "You take a shower and ease up a bit. We''ll talk once youe back out." They closed the door and quickly asked the bodyguard, "What happened to him?" A frown knitted Tucker''s brows, but he told the gentlemen what happened. Jared and Theodore exchanged a look. A long whileter, Jared heaved a sigh. "I knew Mr. Owen wasn''t the killer. He was a man among men, and a kind soul at that too. He would never kill his friend." "That was what we all said, but did he listen? No!" Theodore sighed as well. "He only believed what he heard. When Mr. Owen said he let Lucian''s father down, that guy thought Mr. Owen was the killer. Honestly, Mr. Owen should have made things clearer too. Lucian wouldn''t have taken it the wrong way, and none of this would have happened." Jared shot him a look. "Tell that to Caitlin and you''ll lose a friend in one second." "Why would I do that to her after she''s bereaved?" Theodore shook his head. "I know that''s not the right thing to say, but I just feel sorry for them. Mr. and Mrs. Owen were good people, but now they''re dead. Not like the Owens are a big family. Now that Mr. Owen and the servants are gone, only Caitlin alone is left. I sympathize with her." "Yeah." Jared sighed once more. "I wished he never listened to Josiah." Hindsight was twenty-twenty. The tragedy had taken ce, and all they could do was help Lucian ept the truth so he could get over it as soon as possible. While Lucian was taking a bath, his friends asked the servants to make something to eat. Tucker helped out as well. He made a few dishes and some soup for them. When Lucian finally came out of the bathroom, his friends made him sit down with them and poured a ss of wine for him. "Talk about anything. We''ll listen. And alcohol is our friend tonight." Lucian cleared up his head a little while he was in the shower, but he still felt numb and detached from everything. It felt like he was floating around like a specter who was looking at this world from the outside. He knew that wasn''t the right state of mind to be in, so he grabbed a ss of wine and downed it all to calm down. I can''t falter. I can''t go mad. Josiah still needs to pay the price, and I still need to make Caitlin happy. I need to stand tall and strong if I want to protect her. His friends downed their wine as well, and Jared filled his te with a piece of meat. "Here, eat. Alcohol can''t fill your belly." "Yeah, you should really eat something," Thoedore agreed. "You look like you just came out of the sh*tter. Your body''s a treasure, so take care of it before you even think about caring for anyone else. You wanna take care of Caitlin too, don''t you?" Lucian nodded. The food was tasteless and he had no appetite, but he forced himself to swallow it. Oh, good. He''s eating. He can still be saved. Jared patted his shoulder. "Don''t look so bleak. She''s not heartless. You guys are childhood friends, and with you repenting, she might forgive you if you just treat her well. Can''t be sure about her dating you, but I think you guys can be a family again. Eventually." Theodore frowned and nudged Jared with his elbow. The look in his eyes said, ''What the hell are you talking about? Shut up.'' Jared looked exasperated. But I''m telling the truth! He was Caitlin''s childhood friend too, and he knew her inside and out. She might look gentle and meek on the outside, but on the inside, she was as tough and stubborn as a b of steel. I know her too well. There''s no way she''ll date him again. He''d be lucky if she even wants him back as her family. Lucian knew that, of course. He practically was Caitlin''s family for more than a decade, but just being her family wasn''t enough. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to raise a family with her and live happily ever after with her. The thought of her marrying someone other than him was unimaginable. Just the possibility of her dating someone else and giving him her everything made him so furious, he could kill someone. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Uh oh. He does not look good. Theodore stared daggers at Jared. You just had to say that. He quickly changed the topic. "So how will you deal with Josiah?" Love and hate were the two things that could keep people alive even if they didn''t want to be alive. Theodore thought there was no way Caitlin would take Lucian back. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn''t take him back no matter how much she used to love him. Not the best time to talk about her, so let''s talk about Josiah. That''s a safer topic. The mention of Josiah made Lucian''s eyes flicker with hatred. He took his phone and sent out an order. Just a moment ago, he looked dead, but now he was filled with vengeance. Theodore was worried about him. He frowned. "Don''t do anything stupid, Luke. Mr. and Mrs. Owen are dead. You''re the only one Caitlin has left. If something happens to you, who''s going to protect her?" "I know." Lucian sneered, "Don''t worry. I won''t make the same mistake twice. Besides, killing him is no fun. Making his life a living hell? That''s fun." Meanwhile, a tearful Rosetta took Josiah to the hospital after Lucian left. Josiah didn''t call the cops for fear they would find out about his attempt on Lucian''s life. He took that hit and got himself a cast on his hand. The doctor told him to get hospitalized, but Josiah didn''t want to spend any money on the hospital fees, so he requested to go home. The doctor couldn''t change his mind so he let Josiah do what he wanted, though he did tell him toe back every day for IV infusions. He agreed and went back home with Rosetta. Their house was facing the elevator, and the moment the elevator doors slid open, he saw the door to his house open. Josiah''s heart started thumping furiously as he quickly ran toward his house. Before he even got into his house, he was greeted by a mountain of mess. Everything was ruined. The floor, the walls, and the furniture were coated in crimson paint. Rosetta almost fainted from fear. With a trembling voice, she asked, "W-What happened here?" Josiah entered his house and stared at the ground in confusion. He knew he was done for. Lucian was his only chance of making aeback, but now Lucian hated his guts. As long as he still lived, something like this would keep on happening, and his family would have to suffer through this with him. He stared into the distance for a while and told Rosetta, "Clean this up and wait for Bobby toe home. Don''t go out. I have to settle something." "Settle what?" she asked fearfully. Josiah caressed her face with his good hand. "I''ll be fine, don''t worry. I still have to take care of you and Bobby. I''ll find a new ce for us to live. We can''t stay here anymore." Rosetta had always lived her life listening to someone else, and she believed what he said. "Come home soon." She nodded. "Bobby''s gonna be scared if hees home to this." Josiah nodded and left his house. When he got to the streets, he called Lucian. The call went through, but Lucian said nothing. "You win." Josiah smiled bitterly. Lucian was still quiet. I won? No. I lost everything. Everything. Josiah stared into the distance dumbly. "I lived my whole life scheming and working my *ss off to make my life better, but in the end, it meant nothing." Lucian snapped, "Because you tried to better your life by taking something that''s not yours. You kept trying to ruin someone else''s life just to make yours better. You didn''t try to create anything of value yourself, and this is what you get." C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org "Yeah." Josiah sighed, but in reality, he didn''t regret making this decision. He didn''t regret killing Lucian''s father, nor did he regret marrying Rosetta. If he hadn''t killed Lucian''s father, he would never have had the chance to marry Rosetta. Nor would he have had the chance to live a decade of a happy life or have a child with Rosetta. Bobby was the continuation of his life and the child he had with the woman he loved. It''s a good life. If Lucian''s father hadn''t died, he could only imagine living this kind of life and never getting it forever. He killed Lucian''s father and married Rosetta, and then life was good for a decade or so. It was a short time, but at least he had the chance at happiness, so he never regretted it. He only regretted getting found out. This life could have gone on forever, but Lucian had to see through his lies and stop believing him or doing his bidding. This was the end of the line for him. All hope was gone, and death was the only thing waiting for him. That was the price to pay for his family''s survival. "I know you hate me." A long silenceter, he said slowly, "I''ll give my life to you, but please let your mother and brother live. They''re still your family no matter what. They''re the only ones you have left. This is my crime and sin. They have no idea what I did. Lucian, they really care about you. Please, don''t hurt them." "Yeah, right," Lucian sneered. "You''re my nemesis, which makes the people you care about a target on my list. I''ll make you suffer. The more you care about them, the more I''ll torment them. That''s your version of hell on earth, isn''t it?" "No, you can''t do this!" Josiah flew into a rage. "They''re your family too! What I did has nothing to do with them. They have no idea about the crimes Imitted. You can''t do this to them. You have to protect and care for them!" Lucian let out a sneer. "In your dreams." "Why you¡­" Josiah wasing up with an argument, but unbeknownst to him, he had been walking all the time he was on the phone, and now Josiah was at a crossroads. The red light lit up, but he didn''t see it. Josiah kept walking forward, and a truck crashed into him. The truck driver couldn''t stop in time, sending Josiah flying away before falling with a thud. The agony made him open his mouth to scream, but all he did was cough up blood. He could feel his insides getting torn apart, but Josiah ignored the pain and tried to search for his phone. The truck had sent the phone flying away as well. He kept his eyes open and tried his hardest to find the phone. He hade out alone to kill himself. Back when the debt collector almost had his life, he bought idental death insurance. Because hecked funds, he couldn''t buy policies that had a high insured amount. All he could buy was the one that would pay about a few hundred grand to his family in case he died. It was not much, but at least Rosetta could clear the debt and have a bit left for her and Bobby. Death was what he sought for, but Josiah never thought it woulde this quick. I still haven''t finished my business. I still haven''t made Lucian promise he''d take care of my family. I can''t die yet. Chapter 412 Chapter 412 A crowd started to form around him. Some called the cops while some called an ambnce. It was chaos, but he couldn''t care about them. All he wanted was to look for his phone. But he couldn''t find it no matter how hard he tried. He stared dead ahead, pointing somewhere in the distance. I can''t die. I have a lot of things I have yet to do. What''s going to happen to Rosetta and Bobby if I die? But death wasn''t something that could be changed by an individual''s will. No matter how reluctant he was to leave this world, Josiah''s consciousness slowly fell into darkness. Before he took hisst breath, he finally regretted his decision. He did marry Rosetta, had a son with her, and lived happily for a decade or so, but once he was dead, his family would be done for. Not like he could do anything, however. He was almost dead. Josiah wanted to do something for his family, but his heart stopped before he could even form another thought. His eyes were wide open. The doctor who came running after getting that call tried his best for a few minutes before he closed Josiah''s eyes. The guy went out with a whimper. Half an hourter, news of his death reached Rosetta, and she fainted. When she woke up and remembered about Josiah''s death, she cried her heart out. Before Lucian told her the truth, she had no idea her ex-husband died at Josiah''s hand, but even after she knew about the truth, there was nothing she could do. She was Josiah''s wife, and they had a child together. They were an actual family. No matter what Josiah did in the past, it didn''t change the fact that he loved and cared for her. If it weren''t for him, she would have lost all hope to live after Lucian''s father died. She couldn''t even havested this long. After she married Josiah, they had a son, and tragedy seemed to have left her. Once again, she was a happydy. Rosetta wasn''t a greedy woman. All she wanted was for their family to live in peace. That''s all I''m asking for, but why is fate so cruel? She got angrier the more she thought about it, so she called Lucian. When it went through, she screeched hysterically, "How could you do this to me? Josiah''s dead! Are you happy now? What about me? What about your brother? Why couldn''t you have mercy on us?" Lucian wanted to kill her right after he took her call. He couldn''t understand how he could be so stupid as to fall for her sweet talk in the past. Wait¡­ Josiah''s dead? That''s fast. He got out the easy way. Lucian gleaned a sliver of grim satisfaction from Josiah''s death, but he also thought it was a shame. He didn''t manage to inflict more pain on him yet. And then he hung up on Rosetta. Not going to waste my time on her. Rosetta called him again, but Lucian had already blocked her number, much to her dismay. She relied on Josiah for a living all these years. Rosetta was a full-time housewife who took care of her home and family. She didn''t have to do anything else, but now that Josiah was dead, the future seemed bleak. The house was banged up, and everything was ruined. This is no ce to live. Bobby and I are going to be homeless tonight! She held her phone and struggled to get up. First, she went to the hospital to identify Josiah''s body, and then, with the police''s help, she took him to the mortuary. Her son was staying in his school''s dorm, so she did not have to worry about him for now. I''ll just have to find another house before the holidays start. While she was dealing with the aftermath of Josiah''s death, herndlord noticed the mess his house was in. He came looking for her and yelled at her furiously. Rosetta thought he wanted to kill her for a moment. A shocked Rosetta paid thendlord a huge sum of money to get out of the lease contract and spent more money to rent another house. She then realized her bank ount only had less than a hundred dors left. That''s not even enough for Bobby for this month. How are we supposed to go on living? Oh, right. Lucian. She went to his ce and told the guards she was Lucian''s mother, but the guard denied her entrance. Rosetta waited outside for a whole day, but she didn''t even see Lucian. Just when she thought there was no way out, someone from the insurance agency came and gave her a lot of indemnity money, but the debt collector came swiftly afterward. A group of burly men showed up, and it scared her. The IOU had Josiah''s signature on it, so she quickly gave the indemnity money to the debt collector. She finally got the IOU, but there wasn''t a lot of money left for her and Bobby. Only a few hundred dors left. Bobby was attending the best high school in Dusktown, and he needed more than a few hundred dors a month just to live. We can''t survive with only a few hundred dors. She had no choice but to seek out Lucian again. He''s one of the richest men in Dusktown. I''m his mother and Bobby is his brother. There''s no way we''re going to go homeless while he has enough money to run a country. But she still didn''t get to see Lucian no matter how hard she tried. Left with no choice, she transferred Bobby to a regr school and got herself a job. But it wasn''t a great job. She was old and had no job experience, so all she got was the job of a kitchen assistant. Just one day of working made her body sore. When she got back home, the first thing she did was cry her heart out on the couch. This was the first time in her life she had to suffer so much. But the worst thing was she couldn''t see the light at the end of the tunnel. She might have to live out the rest of her days working a dead-end job. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Oh my God. What did I do to deserve this? Why do you torture me, God? I have an extremely rich son. Why should I live my life groveling like a maggot that can''t even make enough money to support itself? And then she remembered what Lucian told her. He said he would make her life a living hell, and she finally understood what he meant. Ever since Josiah died, her life had been nothing but hell. She lived in pain, agony, and despair, but there was no way out for her. She had to take every day as it came until she took herst agonizing breath and went out with a whimper like her dead husband. Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Some were happy while some were sad. When Rosetta''s life was worse than death, Madeline was in a particrly good mood. Madeline''s brother, Martin, had returned. She rescued Martin and brought him back to Oasis Law Office when she went on a mission for her master. At that time, he was only a ten-year-old skinny child covered in injuries and dying in the grass by the roadside. The t of Oasis Law Office was to do something good, albeit small of an act, so Madeline sent Martin to the hospital without hesitation. The doctor found that Martin was covered with bruises, stab wounds, burns, whishes, and scars, with almost no intact skin on his body. The doctor thought it was unusual and called the police. After the police arrived, they waited until Martin woke up from thea. However, Martin refused to say a word after waking from hisa. Without a choice, the police had to investigate by themselves. However, as a result of their investigation, they discovered that Martin was not from Worrick. Furthermore, his birth was not recorded in the national household system, and they couldn''t find any clues. Then, the police asked him what his name was, where he lived, and who his family was, yet Martin appeared disconnected from the outside world and didn''t say a word. The police had no choice but to cease all investigations. Madeline sympathized with him, so she gave him the name Martin Taylor. She hoped that in the days to come, the teenager could get rid of the misery of the past and live a carefree life with his new name. Besides that, his hospital expenses were also covered by Madeline. After Martin was discharged from the hospital, he still didn''t respond much to the outside world. Madeline was worried about him, so she took him back to Oasis Law Office and took good care of him. She cared for him for several months, but he would only asionally address her as his sister. After a year or two, he fully epted her and began treating her as if she were his biological sister whom he could rely on and trust. Martin became a member of the Oasis Law Office. He had been out on assignment, but he returned to Dusktown for this asion. Madeline sent a group message in the workgroup to inform all subordinates that she would marry Sebastian. A week before Madeline and Sebastian''s wedding, Martin returned. Seeing Martin, who was half a head taller than before, Madeline felt proud, as if the child in the Taylor Family had grown into an adult. She ran over excitedly and hugged him tightly, eximing, "You''re finally back, Martin!" He returned the hug. Yes. Martin was finally back! He was like a kite, and his string was in Madeline''s hand. Wherever Madeline was, his root was there. N?velDrama.Org ? content. She hugged him in excitement for a long time before releasing him. She then tapped him twice on his shoulder and uttered with satisfaction, "You''re getting stronger, like a real adult." Martin was the only employee younger than Madeline in the office, and she also watched him grow up little by little. In her heart, he was like her younger brother. She once said to her brothers that she didn''t mind at all that Angie was more important to them because, to her, Martin was far more important than her brothers. Since she couldn''t treat her biological brothers as more important than the younger brother she grew up with, she certainly didn''t have the right to ask them to treat her better than Angie. Looking at Martin, who was getting taller and more handsome, her eyes were filled with enthusiasm and joy. "Come on, and I''ll show you where you''ll stay. You can take a warm bath while I prepare something for you to eat." She brought him to the room she had prepared for him. The room was well organized and fully equipped with daily necessities that Madeline had set up herself. She shoved the bathrobe into Martin''s hands and urged, "Go and take a shower. I''ll make you something to eat." Martin couldn''t help hugging Madeline again as he buried his cheeks in Madeline''s neck, thanking her, "You''re the best, Madeline!" She smiled in gratitude and patted his back. "How old are you? Why are you still acting like a child?" Even though it appeared she was reprimanding him, she had a warm feeling in her chest. The child who had shut himself off from the world due to the abuse he experienced eventually reopened his heart to the outside world and developed into an ordinary child under her careful nurturing. She was delighted when he whined in front of her for the first time and felt such a great sense of aplishment! Martin let out a happy sigh of relief when he was finally able to hug his dearest sister again. He let go of Madeline and went into the bathroom. Then, she went to the kitchen to cook a few simple dishes and hot soup. When he had finished bathing and changed into fresh clothes, the meal was served on the table. He sat at the dining table and feasted, boasting as he ate, "As expected of you, Madeline! Your cooking suits my taste the best." She smiled sweetly and poked his forehead. "You''ve been out for so long that I don''t even know if you''ve grown in other aspects, but you''ve definitely be a sweet-talker." Martin then retorted, "No. You know I only speak the truth. I never knew how to sweet-talk!" After pondering for a while, Madeline nodded. "That''s true." Since Madeline was the one who first encouraged Martin toe out of his shell, he only disyed his livelier side when she was around. Outside, he was just a shy and taciturn boy. He only spoke when needed and looked like an aloof and unapproachable person. "You can''t keep this up," she chuckled. "You have to get a girlfriend in a few years. Which girl would like a taciturn man like you?" "I''m not getting a girlfriend," he replied. "I think it''s nice to be alone. I don''t want to get married. Quincy and Joel will take care of me when I''m old." "Nonsense," Madeline tutted. "I''m serious," Martin retorted. "Didn''t you want to stay single forever before you met Sebastian? What''s so good about getting married? You have to be responsible for another person''s life. And I can''t imagine marrying someone else and living with them. I like how my life is now. I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want to do. How great!" She shook her head and said nothing more. Her brother was still young and had just be an adult this year. He hadn''t realized it yet, but his significant other might finally appear before him in a few years. After the meal, Madeline told Martin to rest up, but he asked, "Where''s Sebastian? I brought a gift for him." ncing at the time, Madeline replied, "He went to the office, but I think he''ll be back soon." Martin suggested, "Shall I change my clothes and wait for him?" He looked at her with anxiety in his eyes. Madeline was the one who watched Martin grow up, so she understood at a nce what he was thinking. He was worried that Sebastian wouldn''t like him. Smiling, she reassured him, "Don''t worry. Your brother-inw is a kind and friendly person. He''ll like you." Martin smiled a little embarrassedly. "I''ll change my clothes, then." After changing, he took the gift he had prepared and went to Sun Garden with Madeline. She brought him to the living room, and the maids quickly served them desserts and fruits. The two then chatted while eating. Soon, there were footsteps at the door. The living room door was opened, and Joel''s light footsteps came as he greeted, "Mommy, we''re back¡­" Before he finished speaking, he noticed Martin sitting opposite Madeline, and his eyes instantly lit up. His voice was raised as he eximed, "Uncle Martin, you''re back!" Chapter 414 Chapter 414 With a shriek, the little guy pounced toward Martin''s chest and crawled onto hisp effortlessly. Joel wrapped his arms around Martin''s neck, eximing, "Uncle Martin, when did youe back? I miss you so much." Whenpared to Uncle Sam and Uncle Dan, he had the most affection for Uncle Martin. That was because Martin treated him and his brother the best. He did not exclude them from the game because of their age and was willing to engage in whatever activity they chose to do together. "I miss you and Quincy too." Martin patted Joel''s bum with a smile. "You''ve gained weight, Joel." Hearing that, Joel pouted. "No! I''m not fat! I-I''ve gotten stronger!" Martinughed and kissed his tender cheeks. "Alright, alright. You were too skinny, but now you look just nice." Quincy also greeted Martin. "You''re back, Uncle Martin." Even though Quincy wore a poker face, anyone who knew him could tell from his eyes that he was also happy to see Martin. Sebastian had already run a background check on more than a dozen of Madeline''s employees. He knew the young man in front of him was her most beloved younger brother. Madeline probably prioritized him over Luke and his brother. Sebastian walked up to Martin with a light smile, asking, "You''re back? It must''ve been hard on you." Martin''s heart was calmed by hearing those words. Then, he put Joel down on the ground, stood up, and greeted Sebastian. "Nice to meet you, Sebastian." His greeting instantly pleased Sebastian, and his smile widened. Then, Sebastian stretched his hand to support Martin''s arm. "We''re all a family. You don''t have to be so polite. Come and have a seat." Sebastian sat next to Madeline while Martin returned to his seat. However, Martin was quite tense, and his bum only sat on half of the couch. Straightening his back, he couldn''t hide the nervous look in his beautiful eyes. Sebastian looked at Martin with interest, finding him amusing. After a few nces, Sebastian suddenly thought of something. This boy looked better than in the photos. Martin had fair skin and thick eyebrows, exuding a mncholic temperament. He was strikingly simr to a character from aic book. Sebastian''s brother, Anthony, owned an entertainmentpany, and Martin''s appearance was comparable to that of the hottest male star in thepany right now. He would be able to capture a girl''s heart with his delicate appearance, wlessness, and a touch of mncholy in his temperament. If Martin was willing to join the entertainment industry, even if he had no outstanding talent, his visuals were enough to bring him fame. However, what attracted Sebastian the most was not Martin''s stunning face but a sense of familiarity... a familiarity simr to an acquaintance. He fixed his gaze on Martin for a moment and finally realized where this sense of familiarity came from. Martin and his childhood friend, Andrew Whitfield, looked very simr. Martin, who was already nervous, was even more anxious when being stared at. Instantaneously, his face flushed with awkwardness as he restrained himself from making any sound or movement. This time, Joel looked at him strangely. "Uncle Martin, what''s wrong with you? Why is your face red? Is it too warm?" Martin shook his head and reassured him, "It''s okay. I''m good." Sebastian chuckled and said gently, "Thank you for rushing back for our wedding. Your sister misses you a lot and often talks about you. Additionally, thank you so much for taking care of her along with Quincy and Joel while I wasn''t by her side. You should get some rest today, and I''ll treat you to a good meal tomorrow." "Thanks, Sebastian." Martin still sat with his back straight; his expression was as stern as Quincy''s and tense at first nce. He didn''t look rxed at all and was a stark contrast to how he behaved in front of Madeline. Seeing his nervous mode, Madeline suggested, "Why don''t you rest up for today? Let''s gather and have dinner tomorrow." He stood up with her, bent down, and picked up the box on the coffee table, handing it to Sebastian with both hands. "Sebastian, this is a gift I specially chose for you, but I don''t know if you''ll like it." Sebastian took the box and opened it. Inside the box were three pairs of gemstone cufflinks and three gemstone cor pins. Whether a gemstone cufflink or a gemstone cor pin, they were all iid with high-quality gemstones. Sebastian was a little surprised to see it, so he wondered if the employees of Oasis Law Office earned well. N?velDrama.Org ? content. At the same time, Madeline was also stunned to see Martin''s gift to Sebastian. She frowned and asked him, "Where did you get so much money to buy these?" Though these gifts were not expensive, the quality of the gems was definitely worth a lot. Martin replied, "I recentlypleted a few tasks smoothly, and the clients were quite generous, so I managed to save up some money. I also bought gifts for you, Madeline, Quincy, and Joel. I''ll bring them over tomorrow since they''re in my luggage." Madeline was a little dumbfounded. The gifts for her, Quincy, and Joel were in the suitcases, and only Sebastian''s gift was brought over. She realized that Martin would give it his all when he tried to tter someone. Fortunately, Sebastian liked it and thanked him, "I like the gifts very much, but you don''t have to spend so much on the family next time." "Got it," Martin answered obediently. "This is just a gift for our first meeting and also to congratte you on your wedding. I won''t give gifts anymore after this." For this trip home, Martin spent all the money he had saved over the years and the money he earned during recent missions, so he didn''t have enough to spend on gifts anymore. Sebastian then smiled in response and patted Joel''s head, saying, "Joel, go to my study and get the wooden box on the corner of the table." "Okay, Daddy!" Joel enjoyed doing things for his father, so he skipped upstairs and returned with cheerful steps. "Daddy, I got it!" He handed the wooden box in his hand to Sebastian. Sebastian handed the box to Martin, saying, "I also prepared a gift for you since your sister said that you came back recently." "Thank you, Sebastian!" Martin bent slightly over to Sebastian and took the wooden box with both hands. Sebastian smiled. "Open it and see if you like it." Martin opened the box to see a bunch of keys lying in it. The keys were marked with a logo, and anyone who had little knowledge about cars could tell which brand it was. Sebastian gifted him a car. He confirmed Martin''s assumptions, "I got a car for you. I had nned to give you a sports car, but I recalled that your sister has high requirements for the car''s safety performance, so I took her into consideration and gave you an SUV. If you don''t like it, I can rece it with a sports car." Martin was speechless upon hearing that. This brand was worth at least several hundred thousand. Even after emptying his savings, Martin could only afford three pairs of cufflinks and three cor pins with different gemstones for his brother-inw. On the contrary, his brother-inw gave him an SUV worth hundreds of thousands. How many missions did he have to ept in the future to narrow the wealth gap between him and Sebastian? Chapter 415 Chapter 415 After Quincy and Joel were tucked into bed in the children''s room for the night, Sebastian and Madeline returned to their room to rest. Typically, women usually shower longer than men. Madeline returned to the bedroom after taking a shower to find Sebastian sitting on the bedside in his pajamas and typing on theputer. He carried a pleasant and fresh scent that was unique to him after bathing, filling the room with fragrance. Seeing him sitting on the bedside and typing away on theputer with his head lowered slightly, she could only describe the scene with a few words, What a serene sight. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt giddy when she recalled that their wedding was a few days away. Madeline sat beside Sebastian and immediately stopped typing on theputer. He looked at her with a chuckle. "Is something wrong?" She nodded lightly and said to him, "My mother called me today and told me to go back to Wendel City to prepare for marriage." He frowned. "When?" "Tomorrow or the day after," she replied. "So soon?" Sebastian refused. "It''s too early. Isn''t it a traditional custom that the bride and groom can''t meet three days before marriage? You can go back next Wednesday." Madeline was speechless. The following Wednesday was precisely three days before their wedding. Mr. Hart sure was stingy. However, she had never been one to care about such trivial matters, so she nodded andplied, "Sure. Let''s do what you want." "You''re as good as Joel." He smirked. She was once again at a loss for words. Sebastian was happy, but Madeline''s parents wouldn''t be. Her parents were looking forward to her bringing the two children home, but Mr. Hart was too clingy. Madeline''s parents wanted the children to stay at their house for a few days, but Mr. Hart would alwayse and pick them up at night. He was adamant about not letting them sleep over at her parent''s house, and his excuse would be that the children were used to their own beds. Even her sons agreed to his decision. Whether Sebastian or someone else picked them up, the children would immediately give a joyful farewell to their grandparents and seemed happy to return home. While Crystal had previously wished for Madeline to return to Wendel City before the wedding so that Madeline could be treated like a princess, it now appeared that Crystal''s wish could not be fulfilled. "I realize you have a knack for raising children," Sebastian said. "All the children you''ve raised grew up well, like Quincy, Joel, and Martin." "Nah." Hearing hispliment, Madeline was delighted, but she replied humbly, "That''s their own nature. I''m not as great as you think." "Being born with it is important, but so is their upbringing. Didn''t you say that Martin couldn''t even talk to people when you first met him? Look at how much he''s grown. He can purchase gifts to please others," he exined. "That''s true," Madeline couldn''t help butugh. "This is the first time I''ve seen him try so hard to please someone. I didn''t even expect him to do that." Sebastian curled the corners of his mouth and stated, "That means he is very satisfied with me." "Yeah." She lowered her head and uttered softly, "Me too¡­" He raised his eyebrows, questioning, "What did you say? I couldn''t hear you clearly because you spoke too softly." She blushed slightly. "No, I said nothing." "No point in denying it. I might not have heard it clearly, but I heard something like..." He slid his digits into her hair and murmured, "you too¡­" Her face turned scarlet this time. Sebastian gently pushed Madeline down on the bed, leaned down, and pressed his lips against hers, muttering, "Darling, I''m also very satisfied with you..." In every aspect. The lights in the room quickly dimmed¡­ The next afternoon, Sebastian came back earlier than usual. After returning, he did not return to Sun Garden but came to Oasis Law Office. He knocked on the door and entered. He saw Madeline working at the desk and couldn''t help but smile. She stood up to greet him when she saw him, "Why did youe back so early today?" He handed her a document. "When I saw your brother yesterday, I had some doubts, so I asked my people to do another investigation. Take a look." Madeline opened the file, took out the materials, and it filled her eyes with surprise after a few nces. With an unbelievable look, she asked, "Martin is Andrew''s brother?" "Yes." Sebastian nodded and added, "The moment I saw your brother yesterday, I thought he looked a lot like Andrew. I''m quite knowledgeable in this aspect. People who are rted by blood are easy to tell. Your brother has the same eyes as Andrew, and their facial features are highly simr. It just so happened that Andrew also has a younger sister who was born in the same year, month, and day as your brother..." Madeline was stunned when she held the documents. Was her younger brother, Martin, actually Andrew''s younger brother? Fate was amazing. "Is Martin here? After the DNA results were out, I informed Andrew about it, so he and his parents should be here soon," Sebastian stated. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org "He''s here." She was nervous as well. "Should I call him now or wait for Andrew and the others to arrive?" He suggested, "You can call him over now so that he can be mentally prepared." "Okay, I''ll call him." Madeline took out her phone and called Martin. Martin dashed over. He initially knocked on the door and entered with a smile. However, when he saw Sebastian, he became tense and cautiously greeted him, "Hi, Sebastian." Sebastian smiled. "Take a seat. Your sister and I have something to tell you." ording to the information prepared by his subordinates, Martin was a talented, skilled inbat but entric and rebellious young man, but what Sebastian saw was a young man who was cautious in pleasing him and worried that Sebastian wouldn''t like him. It was difficult to dislike a handsome and obedient young boy. Therefore, after noticing how much he resembled Andrew, he quickly ordered his men to verify his assumptions. Whether for his childhood friend or the obedient young man in front of him, he thought it was worthwhile to spend his manpower and financial resources to uncover the truth. "Martin, look at this¡­" Madeline passed the document to him and patted his back. "You might find it surprising, but don''t be afraid. Sebastian and I will always be by your side no matter what happens." Sebastian nodded. "Yes, we are a family now, so your sister and I are your support system. No matter what happens, you don''t have to be afraid." "Thank you so much." Martin thanked them sincerely. In response, Sebastian smiled at him in a reassuring way. Sebastian had three younger brothers, namely Grayson, who was introverted and didn''t like to talk; Kieran, who was gentle and steady; and Lucas, who was entric and unruly. He adored his three younger brothers very much, but if he could raise another younger brother like Martin, it would be a pleasant experience. From his subordinates'' document, Martin was like a lone wolf. He was ruthless and brilliant. The only aspect worth learning from him was that he did nothing illegal as he had a bottom line. However, what he saw was an innocent bunny. To him, Martin was well-behaved, docile, and careful in approaching him. Raising a child with pr opposite characteristics was an exciting matter for him. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Martin was in a daze after reading the paternity test. "Is Andrew my biological brother? Who is he? Besides, erm¡­ I don''t have an older brother. I only have two older sisters and one younger brother¡­" "What did you say?" Madeline asked in surprise. "Do you know who your family is?" Sebastian was also a little surprised. When he had his people investigate Martin, there was no information about thetter before he met Madeline. Martin''s previous incident was difficult to investigate because it was unnecessary, so his subordinates omitted it. He didn''t expect that Martin actually knew who his family was. Pursing his lips, Martin could feel his face turn pallid. "I know who my parents are and where my home is, but I don''t want to go home, so I never told you¡­ Please don''t me me for not telling you, Madeline¡­" His voice gradually softened, and his tone was filled with anxiety. Madeline felt heartbroken and sat beside him while gently patting his back. "It''s okay. Don''t be afraid. I won''t me you." He must have lived a miserable life back home. Otherwise, why would he want to leave his home and wander on the streets? She then asked him, "Do your parents mistreat you? Is that why you ran away?" "Yeah. They treated me badly," Martin answered softly with his head lowered. "When I was at home, I was often framed... I was framed for stealing, cursing, and breaking things in my house¡­ I was also frequently beaten, punished, and locked in a small, dark room¡­ People who knew me also called me a naughty child¡­ Once, I was locked in the basement for the whole day until I was starving. I thought I would die in that house if I went on like that, so after my dad let me out, I decided to run away from home¡­" Madeline was too stunned to speak. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Martin''s life was worse than what she experienced in the Taylor family. However, she was merely living in another household, while Martin stayed with his family. How could something like that still happen? She couldn''t help looking at Sebastian, inquiring, "Do you think Martin''s parents knew that he wasn''t their biological son? Otherwise, why would they treat him like that?" Which parent would be willing to treat their son like this? If she hadn''t seen the DNA test, Madeline might wonder why Martin''s parents were so cruel to him after knowing what happened to Martin. After seeing the DNA test report, she had a clear answer in her mind. Martin''s parents must have known that he wasn''t their biological son. That was why they treated him so ruthlessly. Sebastian nodded in agreement. "That''s possible." "Is that so?" Martin''s hand trembled slightly while holding the DNA report. He never understood why his parents were patient and gentle with his two older sisters but were ruthless with dislike toward him. Things that didn''t belong to him often appeared in his room, and when his mother found out about it, he became a thief inexplicably. He was punished by kneeling, beaten with a belt, locked in a small dark room, and forbidden to eat. Every once in a while, he would get framed, so he gradually became a famous thief in hismunity. Every time he came out of the house, a group of children would throw stones at him and scold him for being a thief and a naughty child. His father thought that he had ruined the family''s reputation and med him for being a disgrace, so when he became furious, he would use Martin as a punching bag and would beat him with anything he could pick up. Therefore, he was often covered with new wounds and old wounds all over his body. He couldn''t go about a month without any injuries on his body, so he thought he could no longer survive in that household and decided to leave them. After all these years, he still couldn''t figure out why he was not likable, why he became a thief for no reason after he did nothing, but now, he realized that it was all because he was not his parents'' biological son. What happened back then? Why did he grow up with his adoptive parents? Why did his biological parents abandon him? Lowering his head, he clutched the DNA report tightly, feeling his heart floating around as he couldn''t fathom if he was feeling desperate or distressed. "It''s okay. You don''t have to be scared or sad." Madeline patted his arm to reassure him. "Sebastian and I will be by your side. Besides, you''re all grown up now. You don''t need your parents'' consent anymore. No matter what the truth is, only you can choose how you want to live your life, and if you want to, you can even live a better life than anyone else." After hearing that, Martin was eager to hug Madeline. If it wasn''t for her, he would''ve died long ago. She was the one who gave him hope to live and taught him that life didn''t only have coldness and misery, but also warmth and sweetness. All his warm and beautiful memories were given to him by Madeline. It was she who taught him how wonderful it was to be alive. If she did not exist, he would have rather died. However, Sebastian was currently sitting next to her. Although his brother-inw seemed to be a friendly guy, for some reason, he felt nervous when he saw him, and an instinct simr to that of a beast restrained him from hugging his sister. His instinct told him that if he got too close to her, his brother-inw would be unhappy. He was already an adult now and was aware of many things. For example, he knew that he must please his brother-inw in order to stay in this family for a long time and be a family with his sister for a lifetime. His sister already liked him, so he didn''t have to bother to please his sister. Now and in the future, he would only have to use all his might to please his brother-inw. Just as his thoughts ran wild, Andrew and his parents arrived. As soon as they entered the door, the eyes of the family of three all fell on Martin''s face. Seeing a young and childlike face that resembled Andrew''s, Andrew''s mother covered her mouth with tears in her eyes and shook her head vigorously. "How can this happen? How can this happen?" Sebastian took the DNA report from Martin''s hands and handed it to Aidan, saying, "Aidan, here''s the DNA report. It happened so suddenly, so I did it without your permission. I hope you don''t mind." Although Sebastian was a generation older than Aidan, thetter was much older than him, so Sebastian called him by name anyway. Aidan took the DNA test with trembling fingers. "Don''t worry about it, Seb. If this is true, our family should thank you for your efforts. If not for you, we wouldn''t have known the truth. Besides, Andrew agreed to it, and he represents our family, so don''t stress over it." Sebastian smiled in response. "Sure. Thanks, Aidan." After all, this was the Whitfield Family''s matter. He stepped in without their permission, so he thought he should apologize to express his sincerity. After Aidan checked the DNA report, he passed it to his wife. His wife started trembling after reading it. "How could this be? My son¡­" Chapter 417 Chapter 417 She sobbed until her words were incoherent. After learning that Martin had a parent-child rtionship with the Whitfields, Sebastian gave the Whitfields a copy of Martin''s information that his subordinates had investigated. It was clearly written in the information that Martin escaped from an underground club. He was sold to an underground club by human traffickers, and the underground club forced him to serve guests. Since he was rebellious, he refused toply and was beaten by the people in the underground club until his body was covered in injuries. The people in the underground club thought he was about to die, so they rxed their defenses against him. He then took hisst breath and escaped from the underground club. He fled to a sparsely popted ce and passed out. At that time, he happened to meet Madeline, who was on a mission, so she saved him. If he didn''t meet her back then, he probably would have been dead for a few years now. Holding his mother who was unable to stand straight, Andrew asked his father, "What''s going on, Dad?" Aidan recalled, "Back then, we were in our hometown when your mother gave birth to your youngest brother. On the night your brother was born, it rained heavily, and there was andslide outside the vige, so everyone who was able to work rushed over there. Ditches were dug outside to protect the vige, and there were only your mother, your mother''s cousin, and her mother at home. Both your mother and her cousin were pregnant at the same time. Since they were both shocked, they delivered the two children on the same day¡­" N?velDrama.Org ? content. Andrew frowned. "Do you mean that Mom''s cousin took the wrong child?" "Did they take the wrong child, or someone purposely switched the babies?" Aidan''s eyes were dark. "Even if the two mothers couldn''t recognize their child, how could the person who delivered them not know?" "They must have been switched at birth!" Madeline huffed angrily. "Martin said he wasn''t treated well at home when he was young. He was often abused, which was why he left home." Aidan looked at Martin and inquired, "Did you run away from home when you were young?" "Yes." Martin nodded and uttered softly, "I can''t remember much about what happened when I was young, but from my early memories, my mother never liked me. After I started school, she often used me of stealing things, beat and scolded me, didn''t give me food, and locked me in the basement¡­ I couldn''t take it anymore, so I escaped from the house¡­" Andrew''s mother trembled when she heard it. She felt extremely heartbroken. With a shivering voice, she inquired, "What''s your mother''s name?" Martin answered, "Katrina Pearson." Andrew''s mother gritted her teeth and seethed, "It''s her. It''s really her!" She and Katrina were cousins. Her name was Karina Pearson, while Katrina''s grandfather was her grandfather''s younger brother. When she was pregnant with her third child, Katrina was also pregnant with her third child, and their due dates were only half a month apart. As the due date came close, her grandfather passed away, so her husband apanied her back to her hometown to attend the funeral. Since her grandfather was just Katrina''s distant rtive, thetter didn''t want to go back and attend the funeral, but Katrina''s father ordered her to go home with him. Without a choice, Katrina had to return to her hometown for the funeral. Two days after her grandfather''s burial, she originally wanted to return to Dusktown, but a storm happened all of a sudden. The vige chief then gathered everyone to dig ditches outside the vige to drain water. Strong men and women went out to help, leaving only her, Katrina, and Katrina''s mother behind. On that day, thunder roared and lightning cracked the sky. She was worried that her husband, who went out to help, would be in danger. She was so worked up that she was about to deliver a month before her due date. Since it was raining heavily outside, she couldn''t go to the hospital. Her aunt, Katrina''s mother, helped deliver the child instead. When the baby was born, Karina almost thought she couldn''t hold it anymore, but the moment she heard the baby cry, she rxed and fainted instantly. After she woke up, Katrina''s mother told her that she had given birth to a daughter, while Katrina gave birth to a son. She and Katrina delivered their third children at the same time. Her first two were sons, while her third child was a daughter. On the contrary, Katrina had two daughters and now had a son. She always thought they had a perfect bnce, so she was happy. Eighteen years had passed, yet she never doubted that the girl she raised was not her biological daughter to begin with. Why? How could Katrina take the wrong child? Shaking her head in denial, Karina couldn''t ept the truth. She suffered so much to give birth to a child and thought she had given her everything she could for eighteen years, but in fact, her real child was out there suffering for eighteen years. Aidan was also at a loss. "ording to what Martin said, Katrina knows he isn''t her biological son. Then why didn''t she tell us?" "Why else?" Sebastian''s lips tilted downward. "Because she was the one who switched the babies." "Why?" Karina sobbed. "Why did she have to switch the babies? How could she bear to switch her biological daughter with my son?" "Because you gave birth to a son, and she gave birth to a daughter," Sebastian exined. "Martin just said that he has two older sisters. If my assumption is correct, Katrina was in a situation back then where she needed a son. She had already given birth to two daughters before, so she couldn''t ept that her third child was also a daughter, and she desperately needed a son. Coincidentally, you delivered a baby boy and fainted after giving birth, and there was only her and her mother in the house. It was great timing for her to swap the babies. With that, she gained a son." "Yes. Seb is right." Aidan turned to Karina and borated, "The circumstances in the Cavendishes are different from ours. In our family, I am the only heir, but in their household, Max has a younger brother. Katrina''s first and second-born were daughters and Max''s brother had two sons. If Katrina couldn''t give birth to a boy, or if her boy''s age gap was bigger than that of Max''s brother''s sons, then Max''s father might pass on his assets to Max''s brother''s sons instead. That put her in an urgent situation where she needed a son, but she delivered a baby girl instead. Seeing how we have another son, she decided to swap the babies¡­" Max Cavendish was Katrina''s husband. The Cavendishes were an affiliated family of the Whitfields. They weren''t a wealthy family to begin with, but when Karina got married to the Whitfields, the Cavendishes and the Whitfields had an inw rtionship. For the sake of Karina''s cousin, the Whitfields also took care of the Cavendishes'' business, and their lives gradually flourished. "How could this happen? How could she do this?" Karina cried hard. "It''s fine if she reced our child, but why did she have to abuse him? That''s my child! How could she treat him like that?!" Chapter 418 Chapter 418 "I guess it''s because she gave birth to her own son," Sebastian said lightly. "Martin mentioned that besides two older sisters, he also has a younger brother, which means that Katrinater gave birth to a son of her own. Martin was no longer useful to them, so she didn''t have to treat him nicely anymore. Fortunately, Martin was clever and escaped the house. Otherwise, you might not even be able to see him in this lifetime." "That sounds about right¡­" Martin uttered in a trance. "I remember¡­ when my brother wasn''t born yet, although my mother was not as close to me as she was to my two sisters, I''ve never been framed¡­" "They¡­ They''re beasts! They bullied you!" Karina was desperate to kill them. When Katrina didn''t have a son, she stole Martin away, and when she delivered a son, she abused Martin and even tried to kill him. In the past, she only thought Katrina was a little hypocritical and insincere, which was why she was unwilling to get close to her, but now, she realized that Katrina, who looked soft and weak, was so cruel! "What should we do now?" she cried and asked Aidan. "Do we call the police? Even if we do, what if she insists that she didn''t swap the babies on purpose but identally took the wrong one?" C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org When she and Katrina delivered their babies, there were only three people in the room, which were she, Katrina, and Katrina''s mother. She fainted at the time, and only Katrina and Katrina''s mother were awake. If Katrina and Katrina''s mother insisted that there was a storm outside that day that made them carelessly take the wrong baby, they would have no proof to punish Katrina. Aidan clenched his fists tightly and growled, "It doesn''t matter what they say. What matters is the facts that we see. If Katrina didn''t know the truth, she wouldn''t have treated her own son like that. Obviously, she was cruel to Martin because she knew that he was not her own son. They stole our son and even tried to kill him. I will hold this grudge against them no matter what they say. I must make them pay!" Seeing his mother trembling with anger, Andrew wrapped his arms around her shoulders and comforted her, "Mom, don''t worry. Reporting to the police isn''t the only way to punish them. Cavendish Group is affiliated with us. If Katrina refuses to admit the truth, we can sanction them in the industry, and with the strength of our family, we can wipe them out with no effort at all." "I''m willing to help!" Madeline nced at Martin and announced firmly to Andrew''s family. "Even until this day, I couldn''t forget the way Martin was beaten and scarred when I first saw him. He almost died, so I can''t forgive those who hurt him. If you decide to avenge Martin, I''m willing to help you." Sebastian then said to Andrew, "We''ve always been in this together. Tell me if you need any help." "Thanks, Seb! I also want to thank you, Madeline, but I don''t think we need any more help." Andrew snorted coldly, "I alone can crush the nasty Cavendishes with my fingertip! How dare those lowly peasants plot against our family! I will definitely show them what it means to regret their own actions!" On the other hand, Karina took Martin''s hand and stared at him for a long time as if she couldn''t see enough of him. It was probably because of the blood-rted nature because seeing this young man who looked very much simr to her eldest son, she felt a sense of familiarity from the bottom of her heart. She held Martin''s hand and urged, "Martin,e home with us! Besides your eldest brother, you also have a second brother. Your second brother is on a business trip today and will only be back tomorrow, but you can stay at home for a day with us while waiting for him. When your second brotheres back, we''ll be reunited again!" Martin frowned because he was put in a difficult position now. He didn''t want to leave Madeline. For him, home was wherever Madeline was. When Andrew noticed Martin''s hesitation, he turned to his mother and suggested, "Mom, let''s take Martin to Cavendish Residence first. We have to show the Cavendishes what they did and why we are going to punish them. We also have to expose Martin''s life experience and expose Katrina''s conspiracy back then. We must show them that our family is not a bunch of fools who are easy to trick!" "Andrew is right," Aidan agreed with a gloomy expression. "If they dare to abuse our children, that means they aren''t taking our family seriously! Stealing one''s child is crossing the line. We must avenge Martin! We will let the Cavendishes know that we aren''t pushovers! Even if they plot against us, we will never let them go!" Andrew then asked Martin, "What do you think, Martin?" Martin looked at Madeline. In response, Madeline nodded at him. "Go, Martin. You have to settle your grudges with the Cavendishes. You have to let them know that you already know who your real family is. From now on, you will have nothing to do with them." The Whitfields could tell how much Martin trusted and depended on Madeline. It was easy to notice how heavy Madeline''s position was in Martin''s heart. After everyone reached an agreement, Aidan immediately called Victor and asked him to assemble the entire Cavendish Family. He informed Victor that he had something very important to talk about and that the whole family must be there. The Cavendishes relied on the Whitfields business-wise. Although Victor was dissatisfied to be bossed around by Aidan, he still had to bite the bullet and convey his message to the family. When the Whitfields arrived at Cavendish Residence, Victor, his wife, Cecelia, and his sons'' families were all gathered. The Cavendishes were quite a huge family. Victor had two sons. The eldest son was called Max and was married to Karina''s cousin, Katrina. They had two daughters and two sons, but excluding Martin, they had one son and two daughters. The second son was called Caius Cavendish, and he had three sons with his wife. The group walked into the living room of Cavendish Residence, and when Victor saw three unfamiliar faces, who were Sebastian, Madeline, and Martin, he was a little surprised. He didn''t know who the three of them were. When he saw Aidan, Karina, and Andrewing together, he felt anxious for no reason. What would make the three members of the familye to his house? They even brought three strangers, making him even more uneasy. Although his eldest daughter-inw and Karina were cousins, he knew that they weren''t particrly close with each other or anything. Since the Cavendishes depended on the Whitfields very much, none of them were going to offend the Whitfields. Therefore, when he noticed how glum the Whitfield Family looked, he couldn''t help his heart from thumping nervously. Chapter 419 Chapter 419 No matter how panicked he was, Victor still pulled a usual calm expression. Seeing Aidan and Karina drawing closer, a warm smile appeared on his face. "Aidan, you''re here. Come and take a seat. May I know who these three¡­" He looked at Sebastian, Madeline, and Martin. Since Martin wanted toe over, Madeline naturally apanied him. On the other hand, Sebastian, too, came to support his good friend while apanying Madeline. Andrew knew that Sebastian didn''t like to make public appearances, so he did not introduce him to the Cavendish Family. Instead, he skipped him directly and introduced Martin and Madeline to them. "This is my brother, Martin, and that''s his sister, Madeline." Victor was confused, notprehending what their rtionship was. "It''s okay, Mr. Cavendish. You might find it confusing at the moment, but it''s totally fine. Let''s sit and have a good chat." Andrew then motioned to Martin. "Martin, sit here." Hearing Andrew calling him Mr. Cavendish, Victor pulled a long face. He suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart. He had an inexplicable feeling that Andrew''s family came here to interrogate them. Carrying an uneasy feeling, he still managed to pretend like nothing big was going to happen as he weed the guests to take a seat. Andrew looked at Victor and uttered, "Mr. Cavendish, let me tell you a story." Victor was dumbfounded. Did they bring three outsiders and storm into their house just to tell him a story? What on earth was the Whitfield Family up to today? Andrew ignored Victor''s thoughts and started telling the story, "Once upon a time, there were a pair of cousins. The elder cousin gave birth to two sons, while the younger cousin gave birth to two daughters. After that, the two were pregnant with their third child at the same time coincidentally. Eventually, the elder cousin gave birth to another son, while the younger cousin gave birth to another daughter. However, the younger cousin desperately needed her son to gain a firm foothold in the family, so she reced her cousin''s son with her daughter in the midst of chaos¡­" Hearing that, Victor was shocked and couldn''t help looking at his eldest daughter-inw, Katrina. It was not like the Whitfield Family was too idle and had a lot of free time toe with great fanfare and tell them about this story. Even fools could tell that the story was alluding to Karina and Katrina. The meaning of the story was also obvious. No mattar how panickad ha was, Victor still pud a usual calm axprassion. Saaing Aidan and Karina drawing closar, a warm sm appaarad on his faca. "Aidan, you''ra hara. Coma and taka a saat. May I know who thasa thraa¡­" Ha lookad at Sabastian, Madalina, and Martin. Sinca Martin wantad toa ovar, Madalina naturally apaniad him. On tha othar hand, Sabastian, too, cama to support his good friand wh apanying Madalina. Andraw knaw that Sabastian didn''t lika to maka public appaarancas, so ha did not introduca him to tha Cavandish Family. Instaad, ha skippad him diractly and introducad Martin and Madalina to tham. "This is my brothar, Martin, and that''s his sistar, Madalina." Victor was confusad, notprahanding what thair rtionship was. "It''s okay, Mr. Cavandish. You might find it confusing at tha momant, but it''s totally fina. Lat''s sit and hava a good chat." Andraw than motionad to Martin. "Martin, sit hara." Haaring Andraw calling him Mr. Cavandish, Victor pud a long faca. Ha suddanly had an ominous pramonition in his haart. Ha had an inaxplica faaling that Andraw''s family cama hara to intarrogata tham. Carrying an unaasy faaling, ha still managad to pratand lika nothing big was going to happan as ha waad tha guasts to taka a saat. Andraw lookad at Victor and uttarad, "Mr. Cavandish,t ma tall you a story." Victor was dumbfoundad. Did thay bring thraa outsidars and storm into thair housa just to tall him a story? What on aarth was tha Whitfiald Family up to today? Andraw ignorad Victor''s thoughts and startad talling tha story, "Onca upon a tima, thara wara a pair of cousins. Tha aldar cousin gava birth to two sons, wh tha youngar cousin gava birth to two daughtars. Aftar that, tha two wara pragnant with thair third child at tha sama tima coincidantally. Evantually, tha aldar cousin gava birth to anothar son, wh tha youngar cousin gava birth to anothar daughtar. Howavar, tha youngar cousin dasparataly naadad har son to gain a firm foothold in tha family, so sha racad har cousin''s son with har daughtar in tha midst of chaos¡­" Haaring that, Victor was shockad and couldn''t halp looking at his aldast daughtar-inw, Katrina. It was not lika tha Whitfiald Family was too i and had a lot of fraa tima toa with graat fanfara and tall tham about this story. Evan fools could tall that tha story was alluding to Karina and Katrina. Tha maaning of tha story was also obvious. Katrina panicked when Andrew started telling the story. At this moment, her heart was beating rapidly, her limbs were cold, and her palms were sweating. It had been years since it happened, and the child she exchanged for had left Cavendish Residence long ago. She always thought that the child had died outside, and her secrets would be buried along with the death of that child, never to be exposed to the world again. Now, however, the Whitfield Family suddenly came over and brought up the matter from such a long time ago. What did the Whitfield Family find? A thought suddenly struck her and she immediately nced at Martin. When Martin walked in earlier, she sensed familiarity in him. At that time, however, she didn''t think much about it, assuming that he was just a rtive of the Whitfield Family. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Since they are rtives and rted by blood, it was usible that he looked alike with them. However, after considering what Andrew just said, could it be¡­ She stared at Martin, her pupils dted, and her palms sweated even more profusely. Andrew took a nce at Katrina and slowly continued his story, "The younger cousin was ruthless and cruel as she reced her cousin''s son with her daughter. A few yearster, she gave birth to her own son, and once she did, she found the boy she swapped at birth to be annoying. In the future, the family business that she and her husband strived for all their lives will be passed on to the boy she brought home, and her youngest son will never have the chance to shine. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she could no longer tolerate the boy she brought home, so she framed and abused the child, forcing him to run away from home..." At this point, everyone understood the story. Not only did Victor look at Katrina, but Katrina''s husband, both her daughters, her son, and the five members of Caius'' family also stared at Katrina in unison. Katrina''s face turned pallid now. Forcing a smile at Andrew, she questioned, "Andrew, what are you trying to say? Do you mean that I exchanged my daughter for the son your mother gave birth to? How could I do that? How could a mother swap her babies at birth? Do you have proof of what I''ve done?" "Here''s the DNA test. Would you like to see it?" Andrew threw the report in front of Katrina. Seeing that, she felt her body freeze as she could no longer move her limbs. Max then grabbed the paternity test and flipped to thest page, asking, "Martin Taylor? Who is Martin Taylor?" "I am Martin Taylor." Martin looked at Max and said nkly, "Don''t you remember me, Father?" Aidan frowned and said, "Don''t call him Father. He isn''t qualified to be your father. His name is Max, so you can just call him by name." Max looked at Martin with a dazed expression. Was that¡­ his eldest son? At that time, his younger brother and sister-inw gave birth to two sons in a row, but his wife gave birth to two daughters in a row. However, he had been desperately hoping to have a son back then. A small family like theirs was not as particr as a big family. In a big family, the position of the heir was usually given to the eldest son, unless the eldest was a useless brat, or he had no children or grandchildren. Only then would the assets be passed on to someone else. In a small family like the Cavendish Family, for example, although the right of inheritance was usually owned by the eldest son, as long as the eldest son performed a little less, his inheritance right would likely be taken away. His talent was average, not outstanding. After joining thepany, not only did he not achieve anything, he even ruined some projects. Therefore, his father had always looked down on him and had been demeaning him more than praising him. Fortunately, his second brother was on par with him. Moreover, he married the cousin of the Whitfield Family''s wife, which was how he could secure the position of the Cavendish Family''s heir. However, his brother was lucky to give birth to two sons, while his wife only gave birth to two daughters. His pride was instantly shattered. If the son of his younger brother grew up before he could even bear a son or if he could never bear one, his father would definitely pass on the inheritance to Caius. Just when he was anxious, his wife and her cousin were pregnant again. This time, his wife finally gave birth to a son. He was extremely delighted after hearing the news! Finally, he had a son, and his wife was the cousin of the Whitfield Family''s wife. As long as he didn''t make a huge mistake, his father wouldn''t pass the inheritance right to his brother anymore. Because of that, he treated his son well and had high hopes for him. At first, he spoiled him a lot, but after his wife gave birth to his youngest son, the shorings of his eldest son were gradually exposed. Chapter 420 Chapter 420 In the beginning, he merely made a few minor mistakes, like being jealous of his brother, making his brother cry, breaking things in the house, deliberately making trouble, or tearing up Max''s long- cherished drawings. These were just minor matters that he could tolerate. Later, however, it developed into stealing things, scolding people, and even scolding him behind his back, cursing his own father to die early. When he heard about his eldest son''s misdeeds from his wife, he was extremely disappointed with him. At first, due to his eldest son''s intelligence and talent, he liked him very much, but gradually, he grew disappointed with his eldest son and transferred his adoration to his younger son. One day, when he came back from thepany, his wife suddenly told him that his eldest son had run away from home, and the family searched everywhere but couldn''t find him. Although he was disappointed with his eldest son, he was still his own son no matter what. Max was anxious and intended to call the police but was stopped by his wife. His wife then said that the child was so naughty that he must have found a ce to hide when he ran away from home, and his purpose was to make his parents surrender to him. His wife also suggested teaching him a lesson this time and forcing him to return home on his own. They shouldn''t go out looking for him, or the child would only be more rebelliouster and wouldn''t even listen to them. N?velDrama.Org ? content. He could tolerate his children having minor problems, but he couldn''t tolerate his children stealing things and cursing him to death. Once persuaded by his wife, he gave up the idea of reporting to the police. After waiting for a few days, his eldest son still didn''te back, so he could no longer tolerate it and went to the police eventually. Unfortunately, it was toote. The police searched for a long time, but they could not find the child. His father had many grandchildren. Although he used to like his eldest son, who was very smart and talented, gradually, his eldest son showed many bad habits, so his father grew to dislike his eldest son. After hearing that his eldest son disappeared, Victor also sent his men to search for him, but their efforts were all in vain, so the matter was gradually put on hold. Time could make people forget the past. After a long time, everyone forgot about that child since the Cavendishes weren''t short of children anyway. In tha baginning, ha maraly mada a faw minor mistakas, lika baing jaalous of his brothar, making his brothar cry, braaking things in tha housa, dalibarataly making trou, or taaring up Max''s long- charishad drawings. Thasa wara just minor mattars that ha could trata. Latar, howavar, it davalopad into staaling things, scolding pao, and avan scolding him bahind his back, cursing his own fathar to dia aarly. Whan ha haard about his aldast son''s misdaads from his wifa, ha was axtramaly disappointad with him. At first, dua to his aldast son''s intalliganca and tnt, ha likad him vary much, but gradually, ha graw disappointad with his aldast son and transfarrad his adoration to his youngar son. Ona day, whan ha cama back from thapany, his wifa suddanly told him that his aldast son had run away from homa, and tha family saarchad avarywhara but couldn''t find him. Although ha was disappointad with his aldast son, ha was still his own son no mattar what. Max was anxious and intandad to call tha polica but was stoppad by his wifa. His wifa than said that tha child was so naughty that ha must hava found a ca to hida whan ha ran away from homa, and his purposa was to maka his parants surrandar to him. His wifa also suggastad taaching him asson this tima and forcing him to raturn homa on his own. Thay shouldn''t go out looking for him, or tha child would only ba mora raballioustar and wouldn''t avan listan to tham. Ha could trata his childran having minor proms, but ha couldn''t trata his childran staaling things and cursing him to daath. Onca parsuadad by his wifa, ha gava up tha idaa of raporting to tha polica. Aftar waiting for a faw days, his aldast son still didn''ta back, so ha could no longar trata it and want to tha polica avantually. Unfortunataly, it was toota. Tha polica saarchad for a long tima, but thay could not find tha child. His fathar had many grandchildran. Although ha usad to lika his aldast son, who was vary smart and tntad, gradually, his aldast son showad many bad habits, so his fathar graw to dislika his aldast son. Aftar haaring that his aldast son disappaarad, Victor also sant his man to saarch for him, but thair afforts wara all in vain, so tha mattar was gradually put on hold. Tima could maka pao forgat tha past. Aftar a long tima, avaryona forgot about that child sinca tha Cavandishas waran''t short of childran anyway. His younger brother had three sons, and although he had only one son left after losing one, his younger son was obedient and filial, and he was a hundred times kinder than the elder son who stole things and cursed him to death. Sometimes, it was better not to raise a child who hated his own father. It was not that he didn''t want to find his child, but he did everything he could but still couldn''t find him. Eventually, he epted the fact and no longer forced himself to search for him. Heforted himself in that way and gradually forgot about the child. Looking at Martin, the image of his eldest son appeared in his mind. The more he saw him, the more alike he looked! Despite that, his eldest son used to be skinny and fair back then. Even though he had sharp features, he wasn''t as handsome as the young man standing before him. This young man was so beautiful that he almost looked like a girl. He had clear skin and perfect brows. He was obviously a young man, but as he sat quietly, looking like a blooming flower; delicate, beautiful, and full of youth. Max''s heart beat fast as he stammered while looking at Martin, "A-Are you Nn?" His eldest son was given the name, Nn Cavendish. Martin stared at him nkly, answering, "I used to go by that name, but ever since the day I ran away from home, I no longer go by that name. I am now called Martin Taylor. In this life, I will only go by this name!" After hearing what he said, Karina was a little anxious. She parted her lips to say something, but Aidan stopped her and shook his head at her. He knew what his wife wanted to say. Martin was from the Whitfield Family, so he should be given his own name. How could he keep the name, Martin Taylor? His wife wanted to tell the child that his surname should be Whitfield, and they would give him a new name ording to the family rulester on. Nheless, he had an intuition¡­ that his youngest son wouldn''t ept it. When his youngest son''s life was hanging by a thread, at the most painful and desperate time of his life, it was Madeline who saved him, not his biological parents. Therefore, Madeline was far more important than the two of them to Martin. Now that they had just found him, it wasn''t time to be discussing his name. The most important thing now was to seek justice for his youngest son. He was going to make those who harmed him pay the price they deserved andpensate his ill-fated son in the years toe. He wanted him to live the rest of his life happily. If what the Whitfield Family said was true, then it was no longer a trivial matter. It was likely that the Whitfield Family and the Cavendish Family would turn against each other. The Cavendishes were originally affiliated with the Whitfield Family, but if the two families turned against each other, the Cavendish Family''s future would be worrisome. Thinking of that, Victor was extremely anxious as he scolded Katrina, "Tell me what''s going on!" "I don''t know¡­" Katrina shook her head with an aggrieved expression and looked at Karina. "Karina, after I gave birth to my child, I fainted due to exhaustion. When I woke up, my mother told me that I had given birth to a son¡­ That''s why I thought I gave birth to a son. I was not aware of everything you''ve just said." Karina gritted her teeth angrily, eager to tear her apart. "You have no idea? Then why would you nder and abuse your son whom you suffered to deliver and who would inherit the assets of the Cavendish for you? You treated him like that because you knew he wasn''t your son!" The more she scolded, the more her heart hurt. She couldn''t care about anything else now. Dashing toward Katrina, she pped her in the face multiple times. Thinking of the hardships her son had endured, she lost her mind. Grabbing Katrina''s cor, she shook it desperately. "It doesn''t matter if you stole my child, but why did you have to abuse him? If he wasn''t lucky, he would have died long ago. How dare you treat the son I suffered to give birth to so cruelly to the point of almost killing him? Katrina, I''m telling you. You will regret your actions! I will definitely punish you for what you''ve done to my son back then. Just wait." She shoved Katrina down on the couch with all her might, but it wasn''t enough to vent her anger. Grabbing a teacup on the coffee table, she smashed it at Katrina''s body. The tea and tea leaves were all sshed on Katrina. Feeling humiliated, anxious, and scared, she shuddered and questioned, "We''re cousins, Karina! You should speak with a conscience. Which mother would be willing to trade their child with someone else''s child? You have no proof to nder me. A-Are you trying to me me for what I have not done?!" Chapter 421 Chapter 421 "Are you tired of living? If you are, go to hell!" Karina wasn''t going to believe her as she grabbed another teacup and smashed it on her. "Katrina Pearson, I will never forgive you for taking my son away! If you don''t die, I''m going to make you pay back what you''ve owed me!" Katrina was aggrieved and humiliated, so she clutched her fists tightly, eager to fight Karina, but she didn''t have the courage to do it. The Cavendish Family was an affiliated family of the Whitfields, and since she was the daughter-inw of the Cavendish Family, she would be doomed if their family fell to their demise. She dared not offend Karina because the Cavendish Family was not an opponent of the Whitfields. If the Whitfields made a move, the Cavendish Family would be destroyed. However¡­ the current situation showed that she had indeed offended the Whitfields... Back then, she seemed to be possessed by a demon, begging her mother to switch her baby with Karina''s. After she gave birth to her youngest son, she regretted her decision every day, but in the beginning, she truly had no other choice¡­ Her pressure came not only from the Cavendish Family but also from her family members. Her sister-inw gave birth to two sons, but she gave birth to two daughters in a row. If she couldn''t bear another son, the Cavendish Family''s inheritance would most likely fall into the hands of Caius. She was not reconciled. On her family''s side, she and Karina were cousins. Karina married someone better than her. After marrying the Whitfields, she gave birth to two sons, while she gave birth to two daughters. Every time she and Karina went back to their hometown together, the family members would praise Karina for being lucky to marry a good husband and bear two sons. Even though there were others who praised her, she always felt overshadowed by Karina. Only the heavens knew that Karina could marry the Whitfields because of her! She was the one who met Max first, while Karina met Aidan through Maxter. If it weren''t for her, someone who came from an ordinary background like Karina wouldn''t even have had the chance to meet Aidan! Since Katrina had be the daughter-inw of the Cavendish Family, as her cousin, Karina''s identity rose, giving her the opportunity to meet other people with high status. The upper ss was usually obsessed over statuspatibility, so someone like Karina would have never had the chance to marry into the Whitfields. However, Karina was lucky that Aidan fell in love at first sight with her. Besides, he also fell head over heels for her, and his parents were open-minded. Seeing that Aidan refused to get married to anyone except Karina, his parents agreed to his request since their family was so powerful that they didn''t have to sacrifice their son''s happiness. "Ara you tirad of living? If you ara, go to hall!" Karina wasn''t going to baliava har as sha grabbad anothar taacup and smashad it on har. "Katrina Paarson, I will navar forgiva you for taking my son away! If you don''t dia, I''m going to maka you pay back what you''va owad ma!" Katrina was aggriavad and humiliatad, so sha clutchad har fists tightly, aagar to fight Karina, but sha didn''t hava tha couraga to do it. Tha Cavandish Family was an affiliatad family of tha Whitfialds, and sinca sha was tha daughtar-inw of tha Cavandish Family, sha would ba doomad if thair family fall to thair damisa. Sha darad not offand Karina bacausa tha Cavandish Family was not an opponant of tha Whitfialds. If tha Whitfialds mada a mova, tha Cavandish Family would ba dastroyad. Howavar¡­ tha currant situation showad that sha had indaad offandad tha Whitfialds... Back than, sha saamad to ba possassad by a damon, bagging har mothar to switch har baby with Karina''s. Aftar sha gava birth to har youngast son, sha ragrattad har dacision avary day, but in tha baginning, sha truly had no othar choica¡­ Har prassura cama not only from tha Cavandish Family but also from har family mambars. Har sistar-inw gava birth to two sons, but sha gava birth to two daughtars in a row. If sha couldn''t baar anothar son, tha Cavandish Family''s inharitanca would most likaly fall into tha hands of Caius. Sha was not raconcd. On har family''s sida, sha and Karina wara cousins. Karina marriad somaona battar than har. Aftar marrying tha Whitfialds, sha gava birth to two sons, wh sha gava birth to two daughtars. Evary tima sha and Karina want back to thair homatown togathar, tha family mambars would praisa Karina for baing lucky to marry a good husband and baar two sons. Evan though thara wara othars who praisad har, sha always falt ovarshadowad by Karina. Only tha haavans knaw that Karina could marry tha Whitfialds bacausa of har! Sha was tha ona who mat Max first, wh Karina mat Aidan through Maxtar. If it waran''t for har, somaona who cama from an ordinary background lika Karina wouldn''t avan hava had tha chanca to maat Aidan! Sinca Katrina had ba tha daughtar-inw of tha Cavandish Family, as har cousin, Karina''s idantity rosa, giving har tha opportunity to maat othar pao with high status. Tha uppar ss was usually obsassad ovar statuspatibility, so somaona lika Karina would hava navar had tha chanca to marry into tha Whitfialds. Howavar, Karina was lucky that Aidan fall in lova at first sight with har. Basidas, ha also fall haad ovar haals for har, and his parants wara opan-mindad. Saaing that Aidan rafusad to gat marriad to anyona axcapt Karina, his parants agraad to his raquast sinca thair family was so powarful that thay didn''t hava to sacrifica thair son''s happinass. Later, she was also lucky to bear a son for the family not long after marriage. That was how she managed to gain a firm foothold in the family. The next year, she gave birth to another son. Aidan''s parents seemed to be very satisfied with Karina as their daughter-inw because they were always praising her whenever she was mentioned in their conversation. Everyone who knew Karina praised her for having a good life, but every time Katrina heard those words, she would clench her teeth with hatred. She was supposed to be the one who was lucky and outstanding! In order to make Max fall in love with her back then, she spent a lot of thought and racked her brain to stand out and be treated differently by him. She went through hardships and put in so much effort, but Karina didn''t even have to do anything and used her as a bridge to get married to Aidanfortably and smoothly. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Most importantly, after marrying into the Whitfields, Karina lived a better life than her! The Whitfields were one of the top wealthy families in Dusktown, while the Cavendish Family was only an insignificant third-rate family that was affiliated with the Whitfields. Before marriage, she was Karina''s younger sister. She was younger, more beautiful, and better than Karina in all aspects, but after marriage, she could no longerpare to Karina. When her husband saw Karina''s husband, he would butter him up and be nice to him. Even her father- inw had to be courteous with Aidan and Karina. Because of that, she hated Karina to death, but the Cavendish Family depended on the Whitfields to survive, so she had to maintain a good rtionship with Karina. She dared not show her jealousy and dissatisfaction with Karina in front of thetter. Her jealousy and dissatisfaction peaked when Karina gave birth to her third son while she gave birth to her third daughter. When her mother told her that Karina had given birth to another son and that she had given birth to another daughter, she broke downpletely. She couldn''t fathom why fate had to tease her like that. Girls like them who grew up in poor families rarely had the opportunity to marry into a wealthy family, but because she was smart, beautiful, and scheming, she won Max''s heart and married into a wealthy family. Originally, she was supposed to be the most beautiful and shining person in their entire family, and everyone in her family should envy her and revolve around her. However, Karina was luckier and more beautiful than her, stealing away all her grace. Every time she and Karina went back to their hometown, everyone would focus their attention on Karina, and all the praise fell on Karina. Due to that, she felt ufortable and avoided going back to her hometown with Karina. However, she still couldn''t avoid hearing people talk about Karina. What made it worse was that her family always liked topare the two. Eventually, she would seem like nothingpared to Karina. Karina was already lucky to be stepping on her head in every aspect, but how could she give birth to a third son, while she gave birth to a third daughter?! Katrina could already imagine how those people wouldugh at her in the back, so her self-esteem and pride turned into ashes the moment she learned that she had given birth to another daughter. After going through an emotional breakdown, she made the decision she regretted the most in her life ¡ªbegging her mother to rece her daughter with Karina''s son. Her mother did not agree from the get-go. Later, unable to withstand her plea, she told her mother that if her father-inw found out that she gave birth to a daughter again, her husband would lose the Cavendish Family''s inheritance. Her mother couldn''t refuse her request, so she finally agreed to swap Karina''s son with her daughter. At first, she treated Karina''s son kindly. Although she hated Karina, she knew that she needed a son to stabilize her and her husband''s position in the Cavendish Family. Therefore, she endured her resentment toward Karina and raised her son. Despite that, something like hatred would only make oneself suffer if it was suppressed in the heart. Every time she saw Karina''s son, she felt like there was something stuck in her throat, and her heart would bleed ufortably. She looked forward to being free, hoping that she would never see Karina''s son again in her life. Finally, the heavens seemed to have heard her prayers and made her pregnant with her fourth child. This time, she gave birth to a son smoothly. She was finally free! From the day she gave birth to her youngest son, she had been plotting to make Karina''s son disappear before her eyes. It didn''t matter if he died,was sent to a mental hospital or reeducationbor camp. All she wanted was for him to disappear before her eyespletely! However, Karina was luckier and more beautiful tha Chapter 422 Chapter 422 As a biological mother in the eyes of others, it was too easy for people to believe what she said about her children. She deliberately did something to put the me on Karina''s son, thenined to her husband and the rest. No one doubted her words back then. Who would doubt a mother to frame her own son? As a result, the son of Karina, who was originally smart and talented, and who was deeply loved by Max and Victor, gradually fell out of favor. Everyone agreed that he was a thief; a naughty, mischievous, and unrepentant boy. She knew that she couldn''t be too hasty and directly kill Karina''s son because that might arouse suspicion from others. Therefore, she did not harm Karina''s son directly but used a slow burn method to pile up the hatred and diminish the adoration that Max and Victor had for Karina''s son. After that, she used the excuse of education to punish him. The process was a thrilling one for her! The fact that she could justly torture Karina''s son, p him in the face, beat him with a belt, and watch him kneel before her while begging for mercy was an exhrating experience for her! She hoped that she could continue torturing him until he died from a serious illness, or suffered from mental problems and be sent to a sanatorium. Only then could she be free of the burden he gave her. What she didn''t expect was that Karina''s son ran away. That was even better! If he died outside, no one could avenge him! Later, she pretended to be anxious and sent manpower in search of his whereabouts, but her wish was granted, and he was not found. Years passed, yet there was no news of that child. She thought that a child in his teens, without any ability to protect himself, must have died in the wild. No one knew that she once swapped her daughter for Karina''s son. Although Karina was still doing better than her, as long as she thought that Karina once had a son who was tortured by her, and her biological daughter was held in her hand by Karina as the princess of the Whitfield Family, she felt delighted. So what if Karina had a better marriage life than her? Wasn''t she just a huge fool? She wasn''t even aware that she lost her son and even foolishly regarded her daughter like a precious child, pampering her as she grew up. Katrina thought she was superior to Karina, but thetter married a better family than her, which was why she found it unfair. Swapping her daughter for Karina''s son and making her son disappear from this world made her feel somewhat bnced. As a biological mothar in tha ayas of othars, it was too aasy for pao to baliava what sha said about har childran. Sha dalibarataly did somathing to put tha ma on Karina''s son, thaninad to har husband and tha rast. No ona doubtad har words back than. Who would doubt a mothar to frama har own son? As a rasult, tha son of Karina, who was originally smart and tntad, and who was daaply lovad by Max and Victor, gradually fall out of favor. Evaryona agraad that ha was a thiaf; a naughty, mischiavous, and unrapantant boy. Sha knaw that sha couldn''t ba too hasty and diractly kill Karina''s son bacausa that might arousa suspicion from othars. Tharafora, sha did not harm Karina''s son diractly but usad a slow burn mathod to p up tha hatrad and diminish tha adoration that Max and Victor had for Karina''s son. Aftar that, sha usad tha axcusa of aducation to punish him. Tha procass was a thrilling ona for har! Tha fact that sha could justly tortura Karina''s son, p him in tha faca, baat him with a balt, and watch him knaal bafora har wh bagging for marcy was an axhrating axparianca for har! Sha hopad that sha could continua torturing him until ha diad from a sarious illnass, or suffarad from mantal proms and ba sant to a sanatorium. Only than could sha ba fraa of tha burdan ha gava har. What sha didn''t axpact was that Karina''s son ran away. That was avan battar! If ha diad outsida, no ona could avanga him! Latar, sha pratandad to ba anxious and sant manpowar in saarch of his wharaabouts, but har wish was grantad, and ha was not found. Yaars passad, yat thara was no naws of that child. Sha thought that a child in his taans, without any ability to protact himsalf, must hava diad in tha wild. No ona knaw that sha onca swappad har daughtar for Karina''s son. Although Karina was still doing battar than har, as long as sha thought that Karina onca had a son who was torturad by har, and har biological daughtar was hald in har hand by Karina as tha princass of tha Whitfiald Family, sha falt dalightad. So what if Karina had a battar marriaga lifa than har? Wasn''t sha just a huga fool? Sha wasn''t avan awara that sha lost har son and avan foolishly ragardad har daughtar lika a pracious child, pamparing har as sha graw up. Katrina thought sha was suparior to Karina, but thattar marriad a battar family than har, which was why sha found it unfair. Swapping har daughtar for Karina''s son and making har son disappaar from this world mada har faal somawhat bncad. It was a pity that she couldn''t tell Karina about this. She couldn''t say it when she was alive, and even when she was about to die¡­ she had to think about her children and grandchildren. She did something that was enough to make Karina suffer for the rest of her life, but she could only take it into her coffin and not let anyone know about it. Thinking about it, she felt regretful. Now, she didn''t have to feel regretful anymore, because this matter had been exposed. She had no regrets, but she felt terrified. When it wasn''t revealed, everything was fine, but now that it was known, disaster would dawn on her. Since Karina had no evidence, she could argue that there was a storm that night with lightning shes and thunder roars, causing the lights in the house to be too dim that her mother was too flustered and carried the wrong child. Since Karina had no evidence, it seemed that she couldn''t do anything to her. However, some things were not dependent on the surface but on the essence. The essence of the current situation was that the Cavendish Family was dependent on the Whitfield Family to survive. If the Whitfield Family wanted to wipe out the Cavendish Family, the Cavendish Family would undoubtedly be done for! As for her, she would lose everything she had! Her two daughters and son would follow in her footsteps and roam the streets! C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org At this moment, she felt unprecedented regret. How could she have thought of swapping her daughter with Karina''s son back then? It wasn''t like she couldn''t have another baby! Taking Karina''s son away and letting Karina take care of her daughter was a thrilling experience for her, but she couldn''t bear the consequences of her actions. It was just like if someone didn''t like another person, killing the other person would sound like an exhrating thing to do, but one couldn''t bear the consequences ofmitting a crime. Only a fool would be willing to exchange a momentary pleasure for a lifetime of unhappiness! The one who was bewitched for a moment and exchanged her own daughter for Karina''s son was a big fool. Now that the situation had evolved into this, Victor understood the whole story. He almost fainted because of Katrina! He never dreamed that she would do such a maddening thing in order to stabilize her position in their family! How could she trade her daughter for Karina''s son?! Though she kept denying it, only a dummy would believe her. If she really didn''t know, she would have taken good care of Karina''s son. In fact, she pampered her two daughters and youngest son, raising them like precious diamonds, but abused Karina''s son in every possible way. As long as one wasn''t dumb, they wouldn''t buy her words. Overwhelmed by anger, Victor raised his trembling fingers and pointed at Katrina''s nose. "You¡­ How could you do something like that? You were the one who gave birth to your child. They aren''t items. How could you trade them just like that?!" "No, Dad¡­" Katrina shook her head in a panic. "Dad, you must believe me. I don''t know anything!" "Bullsh*t!" Victor cursed due to fury. "If you weren''t aware of anything, you would''ve taken good care of Nn instead of ostracizing him, you heartless beast!" This time, Victor no longer cared to curse his lungs out. He had no intention of defending Katrina anymore. Victor became wiser as he aged. Since he was a sensible person, he knew very well that what he had to do now was to draw a clear line with Katrina. He had to show the Whitfields that it was all Katrina''s own doings back then. Besides her, no one else in the family was involved. Only by drawing a clear line with Katrina could he keep the Cavendish Family. Moreover, what he said was the truth. If he had known that Katrina was a beast who could even abandon her own child, he would rather his eldest son be a bachelor all his life than allow his eldest son to marry her. "Max." He red angrily at his eldest son and demanded, "Divorce this heartless woman immediately!" Max nodded hastily and said, "Yes, Dad. I''m calling thewyers right away." Without a second of dy, he fished out his phone to call thewyers. Seeing that, Katrina pounced on him and cried, "What are you doing, Max?" "What am I doing? Divorcing you, of course!" Max pushed her away in a fury. "Look at what you''ve done! Have I or my dad ever despised you for not bearing a son? Why were you in a rush to have a boy when we were still young back then? Didn''t you bear a son afterward? Did you really have to resort to stealing someone else''s child? Besides, Karina and Aidan treat us well. How could you bear to take their child away? After you took their child, you should''ve raised him properly instead of ostracizing him to the point that he couldn''t live in our house anymore! Dad is right. You''re a heartless, inhumane beast! I must divorce you in case you set me up one day when I get on your nerves!" Chapter 423 Chapter 423 "No, you can''t treat me like this!" Katrina cried and shook her head desperately. "I don''t know anything. I''m innocent. You can''t just use me without proof!" "Are you innocent?" Max sneered. "Katrina, do you know that facts speak louder than words? If you are a smart person, you should''ve taken good care of the child you stole from your cousin. You should even treat him better than your own child. At least, when the matter is exposed, we might believe that you weren''t aware of anything, but the fact is that you have taken good care of the three children you gave birth to but ostracized your cousin''s son to the point where he couldn''t endure the sufferings and ran away from home. Who do you think will believe you when you say you don''t know a thing?" Katrina cried until she couldn''t speak. She regretted it so much. After listening to Max''s words, she suddenly realized that there was no way to overwrite this situation. Back then, she was obsessed with recing Karina''s son, which was a very risky move. She regretted it and worried that Karina would take revenge on her if it was ever revealed. Therefore, the solution she thought of was to obliterate the existence of that child, bury the truth, and let this matter be hidden throughout the years and never be discovered. Now, she realized that the way Max suggested her was the most ideal. She should''ve taken good care of Karina''s child and truly loved him. Karina''s son would then develop gratitude for her and be filial to her. If the truth was revealed, and the Whitfields wanted to take revenge on her, Karina''s son would not allow them to. Just like Max said, she should''ve treated Karina''s son better than her own children. Only then could she secure her position. However, she was not so open-minded. How could she be willing to treat Karina''s son better than her own children? Moreover, Karina''s son was smart. If she took good care of him, he would have definitely be the future heir of the Cavendish Family. What about her youngest son, then? She must destroy Karina''s son so that her youngest son could have a bright future and be the heir of the Cavendish Family in ce of Karina''s son. No¡­ It was not like that! Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Katrina suddenly realized that she could have waited for Karina''s son and her own son to grow up before she pretended to discover the truth. "No, you can''t traat ma lika this!" Katrina criad and shook har haad dasparataly. "I don''t know anything. I''m innocant. You can''t just usa ma without proof!" "Ara you innocant?" Max snaarad. "Katrina, do you know that facts spaak loudar than words? If you ara a smart parson, you should''va takan good cara of tha child you st from your cousin. You should avan traat him battar than your own child. Atast, whan tha mattar is axposad, wa might baliava that you waran''t awara of anything, but tha fact is that you hava takan good cara of tha thraa childran you gava birth to but ostracizad your cousin''s son to tha point whara ha couldn''t andura tha suffarings and ran away from homa. Who do you think will baliava you whan you say you don''t know a thing?" Katrina criad until sha couldn''t spaak. Sha ragrattad it so much. Aftar listaning to Max''s words, sha suddanly raalizad that thara was no way to ovarwrita this situation. Back than, sha was obsassad with racing Karina''s son, which was a vary risky mova. Sha ragrattad it and worriad that Karina would taka ravanga on har if it was avar ravad. Tharafora, tha solution sha thought of was to oblitarata tha axistanca of that child, bury tha truth, and lat this mattar ba hiddan throughout tha yaars and navar ba discovarad. Now, sha raalizad that tha way Max suggastad har was tha most idaal. Sha should''va takan good cara of Karina''s child and truly lovad him. Karina''s son would than davalop gratituda for har and ba filial to har. If tha truth was ravad, and tha Whitfialds wantad to taka ravanga on har, Karina''s son would not allow tham to. Just lika Max said, sha should''va traatad Karina''s son battar than har own childran. Only than could sha sacura har position. Howavar, sha was not so opan-mindad. How could sha ba willing to traat Karina''s son battar than har own childran? Moraovar, Karina''s son was smart. If sha took good cara of him, ha would hava dafinitaly ba tha futura hair of tha Cavandish Family. What about har youngast son, than? Sha must dastroy Karina''s son so that har youngast son could hava a bright futura and ba tha hair of tha Cavandish Family in ca of Karina''s son. No¡­ It was not lika that! Katrina suddanly raalizad that sha could hava waitad for Karina''s son and har own son to grow up bafora sha pratandad to discovar tha truth. By the time the two children had grown up, and she had treated Karina''s son better than her own, no one would suspect that she deliberately switched the two children. Once Karina''s son was found to be not blood-rted to the Cavendish Family, there would then be no way for him to inherit the family''s property. Eventually, the Cavendish Family''s inheritance rights would still belong to her youngest son. If she had raised Karina''s son with kindness and made him filial to her and affectionate to her, that would''ve been the perfect n. It was a pity that she didn''t realize that earlier. Back then, she was blinded by jealousy and reason, which ultimately led her to choose the wrong path. After taking one wrong step, there was no going back. Katrina could have been the winner in life, and she could have made Karina suffer so much that she hated Katrina to the bones. However, the fact now was that she waspletely defeated and was about to lose everything she had. She wasn''t reconciled. She couldn''t bear to end up like that! Throwing herself in front of Karina, she sobbed, "Please, believe me, Karina. I don''t know anything. If it wasn''t for me and Max back then, you wouldn''t have had the chance to meet Aidan and marry into a good family like the Whitfields. Can you please let go of the past for the sake of our rtionship? It''s true that I raised your son, but didn''t you also raise my daughter? You didn''t suffer any loss, did you?" "How dare you argue with me!" Karina was close to exploding as she pped Katrina hard in the face. It was fine when she didn''t mention her daughter, but following the mention of her daughter, Karina felt like her organs were writhing in pain. Karina didn''t know how to face Katrina''s daughter in the future. She used to be the jewel in her palm. She was the little princess of the Whitfields who was loved by the whole family. After giving birth to two sons and finally having such a delicate little girl, she and her husband showered her with extra care. They made sure to discipline their sons well, but they were less strict with their daughter. All they hoped for her was to grow up happily and healthily. Over the past eighteen years, they raised the tender little girl with care. Now that they suddenly found out she wasn''t their biological child, how were they supposed to face her? Were they going to drive her out of the family? That was emotionally uneptable. Were they going to raise her as she belonged to the Whitfields? Whenever Karina recalled that she was Katrina''s daughter, she couldn''t hold her anger in. Katrina abused her son to the point that he almost died, but she lovingly raised Katrina''s daughter. Now that the truth was revealed, how could she allow Katrina''s daughter to stay with the Whitfields and be treated like a princess? Wouldn''t she be raising an archenemy? Trembling with anger, she snapped, "Why would I care about raising your daughter when I have a son? If I had known that she was your daughter, I wouldn''t have raised her even if you kneel before me!" "Karina, I beg you not to do this to me¡­" Katrina went all out and knelt before Karina. "You must believe me. I am also a mother. How could I be willing to swap my own daughter for your son? I really have no idea of what happened back then and how our babies were swapped by ident! Please, believe me. I didn''t intentionally switch the babies!" She was adamant about not admitting it. Once she did, she would bepletely done for. Grabbing the hem of Karina''s pants, she bawled, "I''m your cousin, and I really care about you. Otherwise, why would I introduce Aidan to you? If it wasn''t for me and Max, how could you meet such a good man like him? I regard you as my dearest sister, and I hope you''ll be happy. That''s why I introduced Aidan to you." Listening to her words, Karina figured that Karina was just trying to say it was thanks to her that Karina was able to meet Aidan and get married into the Whitfield Family. Karina was exasperated. "Katrina, did you know? You just said the opposite! It''s not because of you that I could marry into the Whitfield Family, but because of me, you were able to marry into the Cavendish Family!" She kicked Katrina away and added, "If you don''t believe me, ask your father-inw. Back then, he originally disagreed with Max''s request to marry you, but ever since he knew that Aidan and I were about to get engaged, and he knew that you were my cousin, he reluctantly agreed to the marriage in hopes that you could bring the two families close!" Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Katrina suddenly raised her head to look at Karina with wide eyes. "What nonsense are you talking about? It was you who met Aidan through me and Max!" Because of that, she felt ufortable just thinking about it! If only she prevented Karina from meeting Aidan back then! If Karina and Aidan had never met, Karina would have had no chance to marry Aidan, then among her family, she would be the only one who married into a wealthy family and be in the limelight. Instead, she was now trampled by Karina. "Yes, you are right. It''s because of you and Max that I met Aidan," Karina said. "But when you and Max were in love, your father-inw despised your family background and did not agree to your marriage with Max. The reason why he changed his mindter was that he knew I was about to get engaged to Aidan. It''s true that I met Aidan through you and Max, but it is also because I am Aidan''s fianc¨¦e that you are epted into the Cavendish family. If you''re adamant about taking credit, then we''ve been in a mutually beneficial rtionship. I never owed you anything, but you stole my son heartlessly. Listen up, Katrina. Someone as evil as you will suffer from karma!" "No¡­ That''s not what happened¡­ That''s not¡­" Katrina looked at Victor subconsciously while Karina''s gaze also followed. Being stared at, Victor felt awkward. If he admitted that Karina''s words were true, it would seem that he was too materialistic. However, now that Karina was in a rage and full of resentment against their family, he dared not lie, afraid of agitating her even more. Without a choice, he replied in embarrassment, "Yes, that''s right. I didn''t agree with the marriage between you and Max at first, but after hearing the Whitfields agreeing to Karina and Aidan''s marriage, I thought the daughters of the Pearsons must have been superior in some aspects, or the Whitfields wouldn''t have agreed to their marriage. Because of that, I epted the marriage between you and Max." What he said sounded serious and made sense, but anyone who was aware of the situation knew that what he said about agreeing to the marriage was that the daughters of the Pearson family were superior was just an excuse for him to cover up his embarrassment. The actual reason was that he wanted to take advantage of the rtionship between Katrina and Karina to get the Whitfield family''s attention. Katrina suddanly raisad har haad to look at Karina with wida ayas. "What nonsansa ara you talking about? It was you who mat Aidan through ma and Max!" Bacausa of that, sha falt uforta just thinking about it! If only sha pravantad Karina from maating Aidan back than! If Karina and Aidan had navar mat, Karina would hava had no chanca to marry Aidan, than among har family, sha would ba tha only ona who marriad into a waalthy family and ba in tha limalight. Instaad, sha was now tramd by Karina. "Yas, you ara right. It''s bacausa of you and Max that I mat Aidan," Karina said. "But whan you and Max wara in lova, your fathar-inw daspisad your family background and did not agraa to your marriaga with Max. Tha raason why ha changad his mindtar was that ha knaw I was about to gat angagad to Aidan. It''s trua that I mat Aidan through you and Max, but it is also bacausa I am Aidan''s fianc¨¦a that you ara aptad into tha Cavandish family. If you''ra adamant about taking cradit, than wa''va baan in a mutually banaficial rtionship. I navar owad you anything, but you st my son haarssly. Listan up, Katrina. Somaona as avil as you will suffar from karma!" "No¡­ That''s not what happanad¡­ That''s not¡­" Katrina lookad at Victor subconsciously wh Karina''s gaza also followad. Baing starad at, Victor falt awkward. If ha admittad that Karina''s words wara trua, it would saam that ha was too matarialistic. Howavar, now that Karina was in a raga and full of rasantmant against thair family, ha darad not lia, afraid of agitating har avan mora. Without a choica, ha rapliad in ambarrassmant, "Yas, that''s right. I didn''t agraa with tha marriaga batwaan you and Max at first, but aftar haaring tha Whitfialds agraaing to Karina and Aidan''s marriaga, I thought tha daughtars of tha Paarsons must hava baan suparior in soma aspacts, or tha Whitfialds wouldn''t hava agraad to thair marriaga. Bacausa of that, I aptad tha marriaga batwaan you and Max." What ha said soundad sarious and mada sansa, but anyona who was awara of tha situation knaw that what ha said about agraaing to tha marriaga was that tha daughtars of tha Paarson family wara suparior was just an axcusa for him to covar up his ambarrassmant. Tha actual raason was that ha wantad to taka advantaga of tha rtionship batwaan Katrina and Karina to gat tha Whitfiald family''s attantion. Katrina never knew about the truth. All this while, she hated Karina for stepping on her and climbing upward. She was the one who racked her brains to meet a wealthy heir, but Karina obtained more benefits than she did. After all these years, she still felt indignant at the thought. She hated Karina to the bones. Unfortunately, she failed to realize that not only Karina had benefited from her, but she had also benefited from Karina. If it wasn''t for Karina who met Aidan and had Aidan falling head over heels for her, which eventually led to their marriage, she would never have had the chance to marry Max. Karina never owed her. Now, it seemed that her resentment over the years was a joke. The sudden truth was like a hammer that hit her head harshly, making her dizzy, and putting her mind in chaos. Why? Why was this the truth? If only she had known the truth early on. If she had known the truth long ago, her resentment against Karina would not have been so great over the years. Back then, she might not have been bewitched and made the decision to exchange her daughter for Karina''s son¡­ She knelt at Karina''s feet and cried bitterly. Now that the matter had been made clear, Aidan no longer saw the need to stay. With that, he asked Karina, "Shall we go home now?" Nodding her head, she held Martin''s hand and shot a cold nce at Victor. "Remember. This is my son. He has nothing to do with your family anymore!" "Of course! I was the one who was blind and allowed my eldest son to marry a woman with a wicked heart. Our family has wronged you. I''ll definitely make my son apologize to you properlyter!" Victor had been sweating profusely by now as he fervently apologized to Karina. Now that the situation had evolved to this point, he had no choice. He didn''t know how to calm the anger of the Whitfields and restore the situation. He wasn''t aware of what Katrina did, but who made Katrina the daughter-inw of their Cavendish family? He was just unlucky after blindly letting his son marry a woman like Katrina and allowing her to cause chaos. Now, he only hoped that the Whitfields would be magnanimous and hold only Katrina responsible after Max divorced her. He wished that the matter would not implicate the entire Cavendish family. While sending the Whitfields off, he bowed and kept his head low. Ever since he had gotten old, he had never been so humble in front of others. After sending the Whitfields away, he couldn''t hold back his anger and pped Max hard. "Look at what a good wife you married!" Being beaten in front of so many people, Max couldn''t hold back his pride anymore. Covering his face, hemented, "I didn''t know how crazy she was. I wasn''t even aware of what she did¡­" Victor then scolded angrily, "You don''t even know that the woman you sleep with at night switched your own child! That proves how dumb you are!" Max parted his lips, unable to argue. Caius asked Victor, "Dad, what should we do now? Will the Whitfields go against us?" "Yeah," Caius'' wife also chimed in. "If they do, we wouldn''t be able to fight back at all, Dad!" She was so anxious that she was about to cry. If the Whitfields dealt with them, they would be done for. It might not take long for them to go from being rich to being poor and burdened with debts. This kind of thing was not umon in the market. The strong feeding on the weak was a usual urrence in the business world. If the weak identally offended the higher-ups, they wouldn''t be able to bear the consequences. A goodpany would fall apart in a short period of time and even be heavily in debt. The most frustrating thing was that even if they reported to the police, it was still a legitimate business competition, and they wouldn''t be able to defend themselves at all. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The business industry was like a huge jungle where the strong prey on the weak. It was fine if they didn''t offend anyone, but if they did offend anyone and were targeted, no matter how careful they were, they would one day be swallowed by the stronger one. The current situation was that the Cavendishes offended the Whitfields, who were way stronger than them. Could they get away this time? She was terrified. Victor''s mood was exactly the same as hers. He then roared at Max, "Get a divorce right now! After you divorce Katrina and get the certificate, get gifts for the Whitfields and apologize to them. I don''t care if it means that you have to kneel and beg for mercy. We''re innocent and cannot be dragged down by Katrina Pearson!" Chapter 425 Chapter 425 "No, I don''t want a divorce! I''m never getting a divorce!" Katrina shook her head hard. The Cavendishes might be fine after the divorce, but what about her? The Whitfields would never let her go. "If you don''t agree to the divorce, do you wish to involve your children?" Victor questioned angrily. "If you don''t see this divorce through, our family will be done for. Do you think anyone can escape unscathed in a great disaster? Once our family is screwed up, the future of your son and daughters will be ruined as well. They''ll be poor kids roaming on the streets with nothing! Their entire lives will be ruined by you!" This time, Katrina stopped crying and looked at her daughters and son subconsciously. Her children looked panicked and fearful. All of them avoided her gaze immediately when they saw her looking at them. Seeing that, she felt heartbroken as none of her children defended her. However¡­ Children might be ruthless to their parents, but a mother would never be able to abandon their children''s happiness. Reason told her that Victor was right. No one could escape unscathed in a great disaster. If the Cavendishes were ruined, her children would be paupers. She knew how terrible it was to live a poor life as she had gone through that life before. It took her a large amount of effort to ovee numerous hardships to get out of poverty by marrying into the Cavendish Family. That was also the reason why she spent a lot of effort to make sure her children were born into an upper-ss family. Therefore, she couldn''t bear to see her children live in poverty because of her. Regret, pain, and despair¡­ All kinds of negative emotions enveloped her like countless knives piercing into her flesh. She felt like dying. However, her remaining reason told her that she couldn''t drag the Cavendish Family down with her. She had to do as told for the sake of her children. If the Cavendish Family remained in their position, her children could live a good life. Then, they could at least be filial to her and help her in the future. Even though her life wouldn''t be as good as it was now, at least, she could live without worrying about her basic necessities. However, if her children were poor, and they couldn''t even protect themselves, the rest of her life would be hopeless. After weighing the pros and cons, she finally nodded with a pale face. "Okay. I will sign the divorce papers." Things were much easier after she nodded in agreement. "No, I don''t want a divorca! I''m navar gatting a divorca!" Katrina shook har haad hard. Tha Cavandishas might ba fina aftar tha divorca, but what about har? N?velDrama.Org ? content. Tha Whitfialds would navart har go. "If you don''t agraa to tha divorca, do you wish to involva your childran?" Victor quastionad angrily. "If you don''t saa this divorca through, our family will ba dona for. Do you think anyona can ascapa unscathad in a graat disastar? Onca our family is scrawad up, tha futura of your son and daughtars will ba ruinad as wall. Thay''ll ba poor kids roaming on tha straats with nothing! Thair antira livas will ba ruinad by you!" This tima, Katrina stoppad crying and lookad at har daughtars and son subconsciously. Har childran lookad panickad and faarful. All of tham avoidad har gaza immadiataly whan thay saw har looking at tham. Saaing that, sha falt haartbrokan as nona of har childran dafandad har. Howavar¡­ Childran might ba rutss to thair parants, but a mothar would navar ba a to abandon thair childran''s happinass. Raason told har that Victor was right. No ona could ascapa unscathad in a graat disastar. If tha Cavandishas wara ruinad, har childran would ba paupars. Sha knaw how tarri it was to liva a poor lifa as sha had gona through that lifa bafora. It took har a larga amount of affort to ovaa numarous hardships to gat out of povarty by marrying into tha Cavandish Family. That was also tha raason why sha spant a lot of affort to maka sura har childran wara born into an uppar-ss family. Tharafora, sha couldn''t baar to saa har childran liva in povarty bacausa of har. Ragrat, pain, and daspair¡­ All kinds of nagativa amotions anvalopad har lika counss knivas piarcing into har sh. Sha falt lika dying. Howavar, har ramaining raason told har that sha couldn''t drag tha Cavandish Family down with har. Sha had to do as told for tha saka of har childran. If tha Cavandish Family ramainad in thair position, har childran could liva a good lifa. Than, thay could atast ba filial to har and halp har in tha futura. Evan though har lifa wouldn''t ba as good as it was now, atast, sha could liva without worrying about har basic nacassitias. Howavar, if har childran wara poor, and thay couldn''t avan protact thamsalvas, tha rast of har lifa would ba hopss. Aftar waighing tha pros and cons, sha finally noddad with a p faca. "Okay. I will sign tha divorca papars." Things wara much aasiar aftar sha noddad in agraamant. Max got the divorce papers submitted as quickly as possible, and after getting the divorce certificate, he rushed to Whitfield Residence right away with the gift that Victor prepared for him. To his dismay, there was no one in the house. He called Aidan, but the call did not connect. He thought of many ways, but he still couldn''t contact the Whitfields. He had no choice but to go home in despair. When he told Victor what happened, Victor yelled at him angrily, "You should''ve waited until you met them! Why are you back already? Our whole family will be done for if the Whitfields don''t forgive us! Think about the house that you are living in, the car that you are driving, and the maids you are hiring¡ª which one of them doesn''t cost money? Our family will go bankrupt if the Whitfields go against us. Once you be poor, you wouldn''t even be able to afford a meal, not to mention a house, a car, or maids! Haven''t you seen a family going bankrupt? They used to drive luxury cars and live in luxury houses, but they ended up setting up a stall by the street to sell pancakes. Those are the lucky ones, but the unlucky ones have it worse. They will either go to jail or jump off the building. Which do you prefer?" Max was frightened and asked cowardly, "Is it that bad? I don''t think the Whitfields are unreasonable though." "Is it them who are unreasonable, or is your wife being inhumane?" Victor yelled until his voice almost cracked. "Put yourself in their shoes. If someone stole your son and almost abused him to death, would you make them go bankrupt and lose everything if you had the power to?" Max instantly felt a chill down his spine. He definitely would. A superior family like the Whitfields was equivalent to the royals in ancient times. They wouldn''t attack small families without reason, but now, the reason wasid in front of their eyes. If the Whitfields wanted to destroy their family, they could, and they wouldn''t be med for it. In a society where the strong prey on the weak, the strong would eventually gain the benefits. After wiping out the Cavendishes, they would gain a huge amount of benefits. If he was one of them, he wouldn''t have even hesitated and grabbed the chance to take them down. "I understand now, Dad. I''ll go back and wait for them." The more he thought, the more frightened he was. Before he could even gulp, he rushed back to Whitfield Residence. His father was right. Even if he had to kneel and beg for forgiveness, he had to beg them not to involve their family because of Katrina. Kneeling and begging for mercy was better than losing everything. Kneeling and begging for mercy was just temporary. Losing everything and bing a pauper was a humiliation they had to suffer for life. With that thought in mind, he ran back to Whitfield Residence and waited for them. At this time, the Whitfields were visiting Oasis Law Office. Aidan and Karina wanted to know more about Martin''s past, so Madeline brought them to Oasis Law Office and showed them the photo albums she treasured and the archive records of some businesses Martin had done. Men were usually more introverted than women, so Aidan was still in a state of calm. When he suddenly found out that his daughter was not his biological daughter and that his biological son had been suffering alone outside, he could still maintain a normal expression. On the contrary, Katrina couldn''t take it anymore. Women were usually more emotional than men, so when she recalled how she suffered to give birth to a child who was abandoned outside and suffered in pain, she couldn''t take it. She cried non-stop until her eyes were swollen. Even though crying to vent emotions was good for one''s body and mind, crying for a long time could hurt the body. Andrew was heartbroken to see her like that, so he diverted her attention and suggested, "Mom, why don''t we take Martin home and show him around?" "Yes, of course!" Karina took Martin''s hand and nodded vigorously. "Martin,e home with us! Look at how thin you are. Let me make you something delicious at home!" She didn''t know what to say to express her love for this child. She didn''t know if it was due to Martin being her own son that she was biased toward him, but she suddenly thought there was no other young man who looked more handsome than him. Her youngest son was beautiful. He had a slender and tall figure, but he also had a thinyer of muscles, making him look slightly pitiful. Compared to a woman, hisshes were longer, his skin was brighter, and his eyes were dark and watery, resembling ckberries soaked in ice water. His lips were the shade of autumn leaves, painting a sharp contrast with his porcin-like fair skin and adding a touch of vividness to his pallid face. At first nce¡­ one wouldn''t be able to stop themselves from eximing how good-looking he was! Every corner of him looked good as a whole. Having such a handsome and lovable child as her own son made her eager to hold him like a precious piece of jewelry and shower him with love and care. Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Martin subconsciously looked at Madeline. She knew him all too well. Noticing the resistance in his eyes, she knew that he didn''t want to go home with the Whitfields for the time being. She then smiled at Karina. "Mrs. Whitfield, suddenly finding out that Martin is your biological son must have taken you aback. Why don''t you go home and get prepared first? Martin will visit you tomorrow. How about that?" Karina was stunned for a moment before suddenly recalling something¡­ Since this revtion happened so suddenly, they were indeedcking in preparations. Everything else was fine, but most importantly, what was she going to do about Katrina''s daughter? At the thought of Katrina''s daughter, she didn''t even have the mood to ask Martin about his past as she suddenly turned anxious. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org When she was drawn to that thought, the same thought naturally ran through Aidan''s and Andrew''s minds. Aidan then said, "Okay, then it''s settled. Let''s go home and get prepared first. Andrew wille and pick you up tomorrow." Andrew nodded, smiled, and said to Martin, "Have a good rest today. I''lle after breakfast tomorrow morning to pick you up." Though he and Martin had never met and had no feelings for each other, someone like him who had been raised as the heir of the family since childhood did notck responsibility. Even if he hadn''t developed deep feelings for Martin yet, he had a responsibility. He was the eldest brother, and Martin was his youngest brother, so the former had the responsibility to take care of thetter. After agreeing on the n for the next day, Andrew and his parents got up to leave. Getting into the car and starting the engine, Karina eagerly asked Aidan and Andrew, "What should we do about Abby?" Aidan and Andrew went silent. At this moment, they were thinking about the same question as Karina. What about Katrina''s daughter, Abigail? No one did a paternity test for Katrina and Abigail, but they had no doubt that Abigail must be Katrina''s biological daughter. That was because the two looked very much alike. Of course, Abigail and Karina also looked alike. Nevertheless, Karina and Katrina were cousins, so it made sense that the two looked alike. Therefore, the fact that Abigail looked like Katrina wasn''t suspicious at all. Martin subconsciously lookad at Madalina. Sha knaw him all too wall. Noticing tha rasistanca in his ayas, sha knaw that ha didn''t want to go homa with tha Whitfialds for tha tima baing. Sha than smd at Karina. "Mrs. Whitfiald, suddanly finding out that Martin is your biological son must hava takan you aback. Why don''t you go homa and gat praparad first? Martin will visit you tomorrow. How about that?" Karina was stunnad for a momant bafora suddanly racalling somathing¡­ Sinca this ravtion happanad so suddanly, thay wara indaadcking in praparations. Evarything alsa was fina, but most importantly, what was sha going to do about Katrina''s daughtar? At tha thought of Katrina''s daughtar, sha didn''t avan hava tha mood to ask Martin about his past as sha suddanly turnad anxious. Whan sha was drawn to that thought, tha sama thought naturally ran through Aidan''s and Andraw''s minds. Aidan than said, "Okay, than it''s satd. Lat''s go homa and gat praparad first. Andraw wi and pick you up tomorrow." Andraw noddad, smd, and said to Martin, "Hava a good rast today. I'' aftar braakfast tomorrow morning to pick you up." Though ha and Martin had navar mat and had no faalings for aach othar, somaona lika him who had baan raisad as tha hair of tha family sinca childhood did notck rasponsibility. Evan if ha hadn''t davalopad daap faalings for Martin yat, ha had a rasponsibility. Ha was tha aldast brothar, and Martin was his youngast brothar, so tha formar had tha rasponsibility to taka cara of thattar. Aftar agraaing on tha n for tha naxt day, Andraw and his parants got up toava. Gatting into tha car and starting tha angina, Karina aagarly askad Aidan and Andraw, "What should wa do about Abby?" Aidan and Andraw want snt. At this momant, thay wara thinking about tha sama quastion as Karina. What about Katrina''s daughtar, Abigail? No ona did a patarnity tast for Katrina and Abigail, but thay had no doubt that Abigail must ba Katrina''s biological daughtar. That was bacausa tha two lookad vary much alika. Of coursa, Abigail and Karina also lookad alika. Navarthss, Karina and Katrina wara cousins, so it mada sansa that tha two lookad alika. Tharafora, tha fact that Abigail lookad lika Katrina wasn''t suspicious at all. Now, they saved the trouble of doing a paternity test. Since Abigail looked like both Karina and Katrina while Martin was a child of the Whitfields, Abigail was naturally Katrina''s daughter. Currently, the most difficult question was what were they going to do with Abigail. Since Katrina was cruel, they could take revenge and punish her without hesitation. They felt satisfied to see Katrina getting the consequences she deserved, but they couldn''t punish Abigail without hesitation. Since they hated Katrina, logically speaking, they should also hate her daughter. However, Abigail was the child they raised with their own hands. In the past eighteen years, they did not know that she didn''t belong to the Whitfields. Therefore, they spoiled her with everything they could, pouring all their love and care into her. Now that they were forced to withdraw their feelings for her, they couldn''t help but feel heartbroken. Humans were not robots. The emotions they gave away couldn''t be stopped with the pause of a button. Seeing that her husband and son didn''t speak, Karina hesitated before suggesting, "How about¡­ we keep Abby? Katrina might be hateful, but Abby is innocent. Back then, she was just a newborn baby. She wasn''t aware of anything when she was reced by Katrina¡­ Abby is just a girl, so she''ll get married in a few years. Let''s raise her for a few more years until she gets married to a good family. We''ll prepare a dowry for her and watch her get married beautifully into a nice family. At least, I will feel relieved after raising her for years." Aidan and Andrew didn''t respond. They were wise men, and reason told them that the fastest and the least troublesome way as well as the best way to avoid future troubles was for Martin and Abigail to return to their respective positions. In other words, they would take Martin home while sending Abigail back to the Cavendish family. Despite that, only a truly cold-blooded and ruthless person could handle the current situation rationally. They were not ruthless, so they couldn''t be entirely rational. After living with Abigail for eighteen years, Aidan treated her as his biological daughter, while Andrew also treated her as his biological sister. Eighteen years of rtionship couldn''t be broken over a mere incident. Forget about kicking Abigail out of the Whitfields, even the thought of her sobbing sadly after finding out about the truth was enough to make them feel distressed. Seeing that neither father nor son spoke, Karina became anxious. "Why are you both so quiet? Tell me what you think!" "Mom." Andrew looked at her and uttered slowly, "It might seem like there''s no problem on the surface if we keep Abby as our family can afford to raise ten kids, let alone one more child, but the key question now is whether Abby and Martin can get along." Karina was stunned for a moment before saying hesitantly, "I think Martin is a good boy. He wouldn''t pick on Abby." Hearing that, Andrew smiled bitterly, "Mom, look. Martin and Abby haven''t even met yet, but you''re already biased toward Abby. How do you expect them to get along?" Karina immediately retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? When did I think like that? I''m so worried about Martin. How would I even be biased toward Abby?" Andrew shook his head and exined to her, "You just said ''I think Martin is a good boy. He wouldn''t pick on Abby.'' On the surface, you praised Martin as a good boy, but deep down, what you''re worried about is that Abby will get bullied by Martin and be aggrieved. Are you still going to argue that you''re biased toward Martin instead of Abby?" Karina was a smart woman, so she instantly understood him. The ones involved were usually blinded by the situation. When she said that sentence, she didn''t realize there was anything wrong, but when Andrew pointed it out, she immediately realized that her son was right. Feeling flustered, she stuttered, "I¡­" She was embarrassed and a little guilty. She didn''t mean to favor Abigail. In fact, she told herself that it was because she didn''t take good care of her younger son that was reced by Katrina. Therefore, she vowed to treat him well and make up for the lost time. However, what hurt her the most was her daughter, whom she had raised for 18 years¡­ She thought it was just human nature. It was as though Martin recognized his biological parents, but he trusted and relied more on his sister who had saved his life. She could say without a doubt that to Martin, his sister was more important than his biological parents. Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Blood was not the only bond that tied humans together. Rtionships were also built on the emotions elicited from time spent together. Abigail was the child they had raised for eighteen years. How could Aidan and Karina give her up just like that? They were not that cold-blooded, so they could never do that to her. Even the astute and wise Aidan did not know how to resolve this matter. After a few long moments of silence, he eventually said, "Let us not make our decision just yet. Let us wait until tomorrow and see what happens when Martin returns and meets Abby." Andrew nodded in agreement. "We have to tell Abby the truth today as well. We do not want her to be confused and ignorant upon meeting Martin." "How can Abby ept that?" The thought distressed Karina once more. Aidan and Andrew nced at each other in silence. While they were not happy with the idea, logic told them that the most upset party in this situation was not Abigail, but Martin. Martin was supposed to be their precious son who was meant to be raised by loving parents and given the best education. Instead, Katrina stole him away. He grew up so abused that he could no longer stay with the Cavendishes. After he ran away, he was unlucky enough to be kidnapped by human traffickers and sold off to some buyers overseas who abused him even more. He nearly died. If he were not as lucky as he was, he would be dead by now. As for Abigail, while the Cavendishes were not a bad family, there was no way they wereparable to the Whitfields. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Moreover, Max and Katrina already had two children by the time Abigail was born. As the third daughter to be born, it was impossible for Abigail to have been raised with any love. It was a different story when it came to the Whitfields; she was their one and only daughter. All these years, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Abigail was treated like the princess of the family. Not only did her elders adore her, her two older brothers, Andrew and Abel, also doted on her. Simply put, for eighteen years, Abigail had enjoyed the best in life while Martin had suffered the worst life had to offer. Karina was a more emotional and sensitive woman, though, so she cared more about the daughter she had personally raised. Meanwhile, Aidan was a more rational man. True, when he found out the truth, he felt distraught over what the girl he raised would be going through. Not only that, but he also felt humiliated. As the head of the family, his own son had been kidnapped yet he had been fooled to think otherwise for eighteen years. If words were to spread, he would beughed at. Blood was not tha only bond that tiad humans togathar. Rtionships wara also built on tha amotions alicitad from tima spant togathar. Abigail was tha child thay had raisad for aightaan yaars. How could Aidan and Karina giva har up just lika that? Thay wara not that cold-bloodad, so thay could navar do that to har. Evan tha astuta and wisa Aidan did not know how to rasolva this mattar. Aftar a faw long momants of snca, ha avantually said, "Lat us not maka our dacision just yat. Lat us wait until tomorrow and saa what happans whan Martin raturns and maats Abby." Andraw noddad in agraamant. "Wa hava to tall Abby tha truth today as wall. Wa do not want har to ba confusad and ignorant upon maating Martin." "How can Abby apt that?" Tha thought distrassad Karina onca mora. Aidan and Andraw ncad at aach othar in snca. Wh thay wara not happy with tha idaa, logic told tham that tha most upsat party in this situation was not Abigail, but Martin. Martin was supposad to ba thair pracious son who was maant to ba raisad by loving parants and givan tha bast aducation. Instaad, Katrina st him away. Ha graw up so abusad that ha could no longar stay with tha Cavandishas. Aftar ha ran away, ha was unlucky anough to ba kidnappad by human traffickars and sold off to soma buyars ovarsaas who abusad him avan mora. Ha naarly diad. If ha wara not as lucky as ha was, ha would ba daad by now. As for Abigail, wh tha Cavandishas wara not a bad family, thara was no way thay warapara to tha Whitfialds. Moraovar, Max and Katrina alraady had two childran by tha tima Abigail was born. As tha third daughtar to ba born, it was impossi for Abigail to hava baan raisad with any lova. It was a diffarant story whan it cama to tha Whitfialds; sha was thair ona and only daughtar. All thasa yaars, it would not ba an axaggaration to say that Abigail was traatad lika tha princass of tha family. Not only did har aldars adora har, har two oldar brothars, Andraw and Abal, also dotad on har. Simply put, for aightaan yaars, Abigail had anjoyad tha bast in lifa wh Martin had suffarad tha worst lifa had to offar. Karina was a mora amotional and sansitiva woman, though, so sha carad mora about tha daughtar sha had parsonally raisad. Maanwh, Aidan was a mora rational man. Trua, whan ha found out tha truth, ha falt distraught ovar what tha girl ha raisad would ba going through. Not only that, but ha also falt humiliatad. As tha haad of tha family, his own son had baan kidnappad yat ha had baan fod to think otharwisa for aightaan yaars. If words wara to spraad, ha would baughad at. That was all in the past though, and he could do nothing to change that. However, his son had now been found. He could not let himself be controlled by his emotions and refused to be logical. If he favored his adopted daughter and pushed away his biological son, he would definitely be the laughingstock of the whole town. It was a huge dilemma. To outsiders, the Whitfields should favor the biological child over the adopted child. As for what would happen to the adopted child, that had nothing to do with the Whitfields, right? Let Abigail return to her original family. As the people directly involved in the situation, however, they were overwhelmed by uncontroble emotions. Deep down, they still adored the girl they had spent thest eighteen years with and not the boy who was like a stranger to them. People would call them fools if they treated Martin unfairly just to make sure Abigail was not hurt. However, they would be distraught if they treated Abigail unfairly by trying to be fair to Martin. There was no perfect solution. Even so, they had no choice but to roll with the punches and tackle one problem at a time. Once they arrived home, the three of them asked Abigail to meet with them downstairs. Then, not wanting to exin everything once more to Abel when he returned home tomorrow, they video-called him so that he was there for the family meeting. Aidan solemnly retold the tale from where he was sitting in his armchair. By the end of the tale, Abigail and Abel were silent with shock. A few long minutester, Abigail finally snapped out of her shock. "It cannot be real, right?" she asked with a pale face. "How can I possibly not be your daughter?" Her eyes were red as tears shimmered in them. She tried hard to hold back her tears as if what she just learned would not be true as long as she did not cry. Karina''s heart clenched in pain at the sight of Abigail forcefully holding back her tears. "Don''t be upset, Abby. What Katrina did has nothing to do with you. After all, you were just born," she said, gently patting Abigail on the shoulder. "You knew nothing. You will forever be our daughter." "No! No, I do not believe it! There must be a mistake! How can I not be your daughter?" Abigail sobbed as she shot to her feet and fled up to her room. "Abby!" Afraid that Abigail might hurt herself, Karina hurried after her. Aidan and Andrew exchanged nces of exasperation and helplessness. "Dad, Andrew, how can this be?" Abel asked, worried. "Are you absolutely certain about this?" "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Aidan angrily huffed. "How could I make a mistake when it comes to something this important?" "How could this happen? Why did this happen?" Abel mumbled, still in shock over the revtion. "How can something like this happen in our family? What will we do? Are we going to make Abby go back to the Cavendishes?" Andrew let out a soft sigh. "I honestly would prefer to send Abby back to them, but I know Mom could never be okay with that. She would never agree to it." Thus, he had not even mentioned a word of that option. He had already anticipated that Karina would never agree to it. Hence, making his opinion known would only result in hurting her with no productive oue. "Then, we don''t send Abby back," said Abel. "She has been with us for eighteen years, and she has done nothing wrong. She will just be part of our family like always while we have gained an additional brother." Andrew kept quiet upon hearing that. While keeping Abigail with them would be the best option in their opinion, the problemy with Martin. Would Martin resent Abigail? Could he ept living under the same roof as her? If they did not send her back to the Cavendishes, would he think they did not care at all about how he was abused by Katrina? After all, they knew just how badly Katrina treated him and how she hated him. In spite of that, they still insisted on taking good care of Katrina''s daughter. Of course, everything would be great if Martin could forgive them for that and coexist peacefully with Abigail. However, if he fought with Abigail¡­ Andrew could not bear to continue that train of thought. The mere thought of it was already giving him a migraine. Abel was right. Why was their family cursed with such bad luck? This was just horrible! An hourter, Karina eventually dragged her exhausted body down the stairs and back to them. "Well?" Aidan asked. "She is still crying," Karina tiredly replied. "She would not stop no matter what I say." After that, Karina then began to sob. "Abby hugged me and begged me not to kick her out. She does not want to be anyone else''s daughter, she said. She had always thought of herself as our daughter, so she could not ept anyone else being her parents." "How about we let her stay? Just think of her as an additional daughter we gave birth to back then," Karina tearfully suggested to Aidan. "If we send her back to the Cavendishes, she would be stuck in such an awkward position and her entire life would be ruined!" Chapter 428 Chapter 428 The Whitfields were not just one step above the Cavendishes on the socialdder. As Miss Whitfield, she could marry into rich and powerful families who were equal to the Whitfields. The Cavendishes were just some minor family, and that had yet to factor in what would happen after the Whitfields'' revenge. Soon, the Cavendishes would fall from grace. If Abigail returned to them, what future would she even have? Aidan sighed and kept quiet. He wanted Abigail to stay as well. However, the reality was that one could not have their cake and eat it too. N?velDrama.Org ? content. If Abigail stayed, that might mean Martin would never truly be close to them. "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Karina demanded. "Say something!" He let out a sigh and despondently replied, "I understand your feelings, but you must think this through. If we want Abby to stay by our side, then Martin might never think of you as his mother." She was stunned upon hearing that. "Why? What does letting Abby stay by my side have anything to do with getting Martin to acknowledge me as his mother?" "Why would it not?" Aidan shot back. "Martin was nearly tortured to death by Katrina. Abby is her daughter. You have heard of the phrase, ''Love me, love my dog'', then in that same train of logic, he could hate you because he hates the dog! You want Katrina''s daughter to stay by your side as your daughter. How could you dream of asking Martin to ept you as his mother without any resentment?" "Dad''s right," said Andrew. "You cannot have your cake and eat it too. We can only choose either Abby or Martin. If Abby stays, Martin will never truly be close to us. If you want him to actually be your son in heart and in mind, we will have to send Abby away." "No, there''s another way." Karina shook her head. "Martin seems like a good boy. He would not be that childish. He is a guy while Abby is a girl. There exists no conflict between them. There is no way he would not tolerate Abby''s presence." Hearing that, Aidan and Andrew exchanged nces and bitter smiles. Andrew had tried to warn Karina about this on the way back, but whenever the topic was brought up, she still reverted back to favoring the daughter she raised instead. "Alright." Aidan sighed and stood up. "We are all exhausted after the eventful day we''ve had. Let us turn in for the night. We will continue this talk tomorrow." The next day, Andrew drove over to Sun Garden right after breakfast to fetch Martin. When he arrived, Madeline was waiting at the door as well. "Martin asked me to go with him," she hesitantly said. Tha Whitfialds wara not just ona stap abova tha Cavandishas on tha socialddar. As Miss Whitfiald, sha could marry into rich and powarful familias who wara aqual to tha Whitfialds. Tha Cavandishas wara just soma minor family, and that had yat to factor in what would happan aftar tha Whitfialds'' ravanga. Soon, tha Cavandishas would fall from graca. If Abigail raturnad to tham, what futura would sha avan hava? Aidan sighad and kapt quiat. Ha wantad Abigail to stay as wall. Howavar, tha raality was that ona could not hava thair caka and aat it too. If Abigail stayad, that might maan Martin would navar truly ba closa to tham. "Why aran''t you saying anything?" Karina damandad. "Say somathing!" Hat out a sigh and daspondantly rapliad, "I undarstand your faalings, but you must think this through. If wa want Abby to stay by our sida, than Martin might navar think of you as his mothar." Sha was stunnad upon haaring that. "Why? What doastting Abby stay by my sida hava anything to do with gatting Martin to acknodga ma as his mothar?" "Why would it not?" Aidan shot back. "Martin was naarly torturad to daath by Katrina. Abby is har daughtar. You hava haard of tha phrasa, ''Lova ma, lova my dog'', than in that sama train of logic, ha could hata you bacausa ha hatas tha dog! You want Katrina''s daughtar to stay by your sida as your daughtar. How could you draam of asking Martin to apt you as his mothar without any rasantmant?" "Dad''s right," said Andraw. "You cannot hava your caka and aat it too. Wa can only choosa aithar Abby or Martin. If Abby stays, Martin will navar truly ba closa to us. If you want him to actually ba your son in haart and in mind, wa will hava to sand Abby away." "No, thara''s anothar way." Karina shook har haad. "Martin saams lika a good boy. Ha would not ba that childish. Ha is a guy wh Abby is a girl. Thara axists no conflict batwaan tham. Thara is no way ha would not trata Abby''s prasanca." Haaring that, Aidan and Andraw axchangad ncas and bittar sms. Andraw had triad to warn Karina about this on tha way back, but whanavar tha topic was brought up, sha still ravartad back to favoring tha daughtar sha raisad instaad. "Alright." Aidan sighad and stood up. "Wa ara all axhaustad aftar tha avantful day wa''va had. Lat us turn in for tha night. Wa will continua this talk tomorrow." Tha naxt day, Andraw drova ovar to Sun Gardan right aftar braakfast to fatch Martin. Whan ha arrivad, Madalina was waiting at tha door as wall. "Martin askad ma to go with him," sha hasitantly said. "You are wee toe over," Andrew hurriedly said. She then got into the car with Martin alongside the presents they had prepared for the Whitfields. Deep down, she was very reluctant to do so. Frankly, she did not want to go to the Whitfields. Martin had found his biological parents, and this was his reunion with his parents. Why was she joining them? However, Martin had insisted on her attendance. He even pleaded while grabbing her by the sleeve. She just could not say no to that pitiful look on his face. His eyes were like the watery eyes of a kitten that was about to be abandoned by its mother. By the time she knew what was going on, she was already nodding. In the past, she had celebrated his newfound ability to beg and plead for favors. Now, she realized she had shot herself in the foot. Those teary eyes had turned into his weapon against her. While she knew it was all a trap, she still could not resist capitting to them, falling for the trap he had set. He was happy now, but she still felt embarrassed. This was a family reunion. How was it any of her business? What would the Whitfields think of her sudden appearance? Would they bad-mouth her? How nerve-racking! Thankfully, Andrew was quite friendly throughout the whole journey. Moreover, he was good at socializing and had a chatty personality. He started the conversation with ease and spoke with such attentiveness that there was not an awkward moment during the drive. Martin did not speak unless Andrew specifically asked him a question; only then would he speak up to solemnly answer Andrew''s question. It was a smooth journey, and about thirty minutester, they pulled to a stop at the Whitfield Residence. Andrew led them into the living room. The moment they stepped through the door, everyone present in the living room stood up. Aidan, Karina, and Abigail were there along with Abel and his girlfriend, who had both rushed over from abroad early that morning. After Andrew introduced everyone and the polite niceties were done, everyone sat down. Nobody spoke a word from then on. While there were many of them in the room, no one knew how to break the ice. The air in the room soon felt awkward. After a few more moments of tense silence, Andrew spoke up, "What a happy day for the family; Martin is back. We must have a proper celebratory meal for lunch today." "Madeline, you are his savior," he continued, turning to look at her. "Please, let us thank you with a toast during lunch." Madeline smiled back and replied with a polite response. It was so awkward! She regretted saying yes to Martin so very much now. As she continued to talk to Andrew, she internally berated herself for herck of self-control. If she had not been foolish enough to cave in to Martin''s pleading, she would not be here. This was just so awkward! The awkward tension in the living room was so great that she started to wonder if things were only awkward because of her presence. However, on second thought, she felt something off about that assumption. She still remembered her reunion with the Wendels. The first time she met her mother and brothers, they were genuinely happy to see her. Crystal had truly loved her while Cedric frankly despised her. Back then, it was so lively that it did not matter whether or not they loved her; the emotions were authentic. At this moment, however, the atmosphere around the Whitfield Residence was filled with uneasiness. She could not feel an ounce of honesty. It all felt superficial as if something were standing between them and Martin. This did not feel like the fervent joy of parents finding their long-lost son. Instead, it felt like a social event they had to attend. At that thought, anxiety rose in her. Why were they not happy? Should they not be celebrating the fact that they have found their long-lost son? Or¡­ Did they not want their son back at all? She smiled and asked Aidan and Karina, "You two look a little upset to me. It must have been troublesome for me to appear out of the blue and intrude on your family reunion." She tilted forward in a slight bow of apology. Aidan stared at her in shock. When he realized there had been something wrong with the way he was acting, he broke out in a cold sweat. His heart had been pounding with anxiety the entire time as he was worried that Abigail and Martin would not get along or that Martin might insist Abigail leave the Whitfields. While it was inevitable that his anxiety would show on his face, that meant no joy showed on his face either. Logically speaking, it was a joyous asion for them to have found their long-lost son. They should be brimming with joy the entire time¡ªbut look at them. Just what sort of weird looks dominated their faces? Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Aidan was so embarrassed by the realization that he had to force a smile to hide it. "Oh, no. You are Martin''s savior. It is all thanks to you that we can now be reunited. Thus, you are an honorable guest. How could you call your presence an intrusion?" Generally speaking, Madeline was a gentle and kind woman who was both generous and extremely tolerant. Nevertheless, that attitude was only present if she was the one affected. As soon as the people she loved were involved, she would be very petty. She was what people called an overprotective person. Her overprotective nature only came to the people she loved. In fact, she did not care at all if the Whitfields were being cold to her because they did not wee her. However, the mere thought of their cold attitude being targeted toward Martin instead caused her great dissatisfaction. Her heart even ached at the notion. He had suffered so much for years. Finally, he had found his parents, yet what was with the looks on his parents'' faces on their reunion? It looked like he was not wee home at all. How could parents like them exist? If she were their child, she would have yed along with Aidan''s forced smile. She would have forgotten about it. Nheless, Martin was their child, not her. She could not ignore the disrespect. "You looked so upset that I thought you were annoyed at me for being here without your permission," she said with a polite smile. Aidan felt even more embarrassed upon hearing that. He was at a loss for words, not knowing how to exin the unpleasant look on his face previously. Karina was the one who eventually spoke up due to her impatient personality. "Don''t overthink it, Maddie. You are Martin''s savior and our honored guest. You will always be wee here. Aidan and I are not upset. We just have something on our minds. That was the reason for those looks on our faces. You have such sharp eyes; you saw the worry we were hiding." "Oh? What happened? Is something wrong?" Madeline worriedly asked. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Well¡­" Karina grabbed the hand of Abigail, who had been sitting beside her. "Madeline, Martin, this is Abigail. She is¡­" She hesitated, unwilling to dere Abigail as Katrina''s daughter. "She is my daughter," she eventually said. Martin, who had not spoken much, suddenly asked, "She is Katrina''s daughter, right?" Aidan was so ambarrassad by tha raalization that ha had to forca a sm to hida it. "Oh, no. You ara Martin''s savior. It is all thanks to you that wa can now ba raunitad. Thus, you ara an honora guast. How could you call your prasanca an intrusion?" Ganarally spaaking, Madalina was a gan and kind woman who was both ganarous and axtramaly trant. Navarthss, that attituda was only prasant if sha was tha ona affactad. As soon as tha pao sha lovad wara involvad, sha would ba vary patty. Sha was what pao cad an ovarprotactiva parson. Har ovarprotactiva natura only cama to tha pao sha lovad. In fact, sha did not cara at all if tha Whitfialds wara baing cold to har bacausa thay did not waa har. Howavar, tha mara thought of thair cold attituda baing targatad toward Martin instaad causad har graat dissatisfaction. Har haart avan achad at tha notion. Ha had suffarad so much for yaars. Finally, ha had found his parants, yat what was with tha looks on his parants'' facas on thair raunion? It lookad lika ha was not waa homa at all. How could parants lika tham axist? If sha wara thair child, sha would hava yad along with Aidan''s forcad sm. Sha would hava forgottan about it. Nonathss, Martin was thair child, not har. Sha could not ignora tha disraspact. "You lookad so upsat that I thought you wara annoyad at ma for baing hara without your parmission," sha said with a polita sm. Aidan falt avan mora ambarrassad upon haaring that. Ha was at a loss for words, not knowing how to axin tha unasant look on his faca praviously. Karina was tha ona who avantually spoka up dua to har impatiant parsonality. "Don''t ovarthink it, Maddia. You ara Martin''s savior and our honorad guast. You will always ba waa hara. Aidan and I ara not upsat. Wa just hava somathing on our minds. That was tha raason for thosa looks on our facas. You hava such sharp ayas; you saw tha worry wa wara hiding." "Oh? What happanad? Is somathing wrong?" Madalina worriadly askad. "Is thara anything I can do to halp?" "Wall¡­" Karina grabbad tha hand of Abigail, who had baan sitting basida har. "Madalina, Martin, this is Abigail. Sha is¡­" Sha hasitatad, unwilling to dara Abigail as Katrina''s daughtar. "Sha is my daughtar," sha avantually said. Martin, who had not spokan much, suddanly askad, "Sha is Katrina''s daughtar, right?" "Katrina indeed gave birth to her, but I raised her," Karina awkwardly replied. A thoughtful look appeared on Martin''s face. "Katrina gave birth to her, but you raised her. That is why she is your daughter. You gave birth to me, but Katrina raised me. Am I Katrina''s son then?" Karina had a smile on her face the entire time she was talking to make her look at ease. That smile stiffened when she heard what he said. His words were so mocking, yet he looked so sincere. He did not look like he had spoken with contempt. Suddenly, she was reminded of a term Abigail once mentioned¡ªsocially awkward. If her youngest son was not deliberately putting her in a tough spot, then he was socially awkward. One question and she was rendered speechless. "Of course not," Aidan hurriedly answered. "Katrina abused you. What right does she have to be your mother?" "Yes, that''s right," Karina said, snapping back to her senses. "Your father is right. Katrina heaped so much verbal and physical abuse at you that she nearly killed you. She has no right to be your mother!" Martin nced at Abigail before asking Aidan and Karina, "Do you treat her well?" No matter how awkward Aidan felt, that was a question he had to answer. "Well, it''s like this; in the past eighteen years, we did not know about Abby''s true identity. Hence, we always loved her like our very own daughter. We have a great rtionship with her." Tears shimmered in Abigail''s eyes as she softly cried out, "Dad¡­" "I see." Martin shot Aidan a confused look. "In that case, don''t you think it''s unfair to you?" "What?" Aidan did not understand what Martin meant. Martin began to exin, "Katrina tortured your son and nearly killed him, yet you treat her daughter like your very own. You have loved her for eighteen years. After knowing the truth, don''t you think you got the short end of the stick?" Aidan and Karina nced at each other. That was a question they did not know how to answer. The more rational side of them said yes, but their emotional side insisted the only target for their hate was the actual culprit, Katrina. There was no way they could be angry with Abigail, the child they raised. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After a few more minutes of tense silence, Aidan cleared his throat and answered, "Well, Martin, we feel that even though Katrina hadmitted a grave crime, Abby is ultimately innocent. After all, she was just a newborn baby back then. She could not have swayed Katrina''s decision. Strictly speaking, she is a victim as well. Okay, we actually want Abby to remain our daughter, as your sister. Of course, you are part of this family. Hence, we wish to ask for your view on this. Will you be okay with our decision, Martin?" Martin nodded. "That''s fine." "Really?" Aidan happily eximed. "Of course," Martin said with a solemn nod. Aidan''s and Karina''s heavy hearts immediately soared. "I just knew you would be a good kid," she happily said. She then shot Aidan a yfully disgruntled look. "You were worrying me for nothing! I told you, our child would never be that selfish." Her words made Madeline very ufortable. She did not care whether Abigail stayed or not. However, the way Karina put it made it seem like Martin would be selfish if he did not want Abigail to stay with the Whitfields. How she detested the logic of Karina''s words. She frowned in anger. Karina did not spot the frown though and continued to nag at Aidan for a while longer before turning to hold Martin''s hand and enthusiastically saying, "Come, let us head upstairs. I had a room prepared for you. Have a look and see if you like it. Tell me if there is anything you do not like, and I will have the servants correct it!" "You prepared a room for me?" Martin was, once again, confused. "Yes." Karina smiled. "Your father and I worked together on it. Andrew also gave us a lot of suggestions. Check out the room and the things we have prepared for you. Let me know if anything is missing so that we can have someone buy some." "There is no need for all that trouble." Martin remained where he was. "Are we not maintaining the status quo? In that case, I will just continue to stay with Maddie. You do not need to give me a room." She froze. "Maintaining the status quo?" He nced at Abigail. "You want her to stay because you want things to remain the same, right? She will continue being your daughter while I will continue on as Maddie''s brother. That is a good idea." She found his words rather harsh and unpleasant. "Why would you say that? Do you want to kick Abby out? You are a man. Can you not be more generous? You are a guy while Abby is a girl. There exists no conflict of interest. You do not need to kick her out!" Chapter 430 Chapter 430 "Why would you think that?" Martin was stunned by what Karina said. "I truly think it is an amazing idea for her to continue being your daughter while I go on as Maddie''s brother. I have no intention of kicking her out. If you kick her out and I do note back, you would be one child short. I worry you will be saddened by that. I was tossing and turning all night because of that possibility. You are letting her stay now, so I can stay with Maddie without any guilt. Isn''t that for the best? Why would I want to chase her away?" Karina was bbergasted. The one persistent worry on her mind was that he would insist on kicking Abigail out of the Whitfield Residence. She had never once thought of the possibility that he did not want to live with the Whitfields at all. ording to him, he could not fall asleepst night because he was worried they would be upset when they realized they were down a child after chasing out Abigail. Now that they were allowing her to stay, the status quo had been maintained. Hence, he did not need to return to them. While that sounded logical, still¡­ What kind of weird logic was that? He was a son of the Whitfields. Of course, he had to return to the family. How could a member of the family not be part of it? She wanted all of her children to be by her side. How could she have just one adopted daughter while her biological son was being taken care of by some other family? "You cannot do that, Martin! You have toe back!" she anxiously said. "You are our son. How wouldContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. it look if you live away from us? You are the third son of the Whitfields, so you muste home." "Is that so?" he asked. "Abigail is Max and Katrina''s daughter though. She does not need to go back to live with the Cavendishes." "The two of you are not the same," she hurriedly responded. "We love you. Asking you toe home is for your own good. We want you to have a bright future. Abigail''s parents feel no love for her. If she goes back to the Cavendishes, her entire life would be ruined. For eighteen years, we have raised her. We could not bear to see her suffer for the rest of her life. Thus, she has to live with us. You must be more understanding." "I understand you though!" he eximed with utmost sincerity. "You love the daughter you have raised for eighteen years, just like how I love Maddie who saved my life. I truly do understand you. That is why it is for the best that she stays with you. I am in support of that decision." "Why would you think that?" Martin was stunnad by what Karina said. "I truly think it is an amazing idaa for har to continua baing your daughtar wh I go on as Maddia''s brothar. I hava no intantion of kicking har out. If you kick har out and I do nota back, you would ba ona child short. I worry you will ba saddanad by that. I was tossing and turning all night bacausa of that possibility. You aratting har stay now, so I can stay with Maddia without any guilt. Isn''t that for tha bast? Why would I want to chasa har away?" Karina was bbargastad. Tha ona parsistant worry on har mind was that ha would insist on kicking Abigail out of tha Whitfiald Rasidanca. Sha had navar onca thought of tha possibility that ha did not want to liva with tha Whitfialds at all. ording to him, ha could not fall aapst night bacausa ha was worriad thay would ba upsat whan thay raalizad thay wara down a child aftar chasing out Abigail. Now that thay wara allowing har to stay, tha status quo had baan maintainad. Hanca, ha did not naad to raturn to tham. Wh that soundad logical, still¡­ What kind of waird logic was that? Ha was a son of tha Whitfialds. Of coursa, ha had to raturn to tha family. How could a mambar of tha family not ba part of it? Sha wantad all of har childran to ba by har sida. How could sha hava just ona adoptad daughtar wh har biological son was baing takan cara of by soma othar family? "You cannot do that, Martin! You hava toa back!" sha anxiously said. "You ara our son. How would it look if you liva away from us? You ara tha third son of tha Whitfialds, so you musta homa." "Is that so?" ha askad. "Abigail is Max and Katrina''s daughtar though. Sha doas not naad to go back to liva with tha Cavandishas." "Tha two of you ara not tha sama," sha hurriadly raspondad. "Wa lova you. Asking you toa homa is for your own good. Wa want you to hava a bright futura. Abigail''s parants faal no lova for har. If sha goas back to tha Cavandishas, har antira lifa would ba ruinad. For aightaan yaars, wa hava raisad har. Wa could not baar to saa har suffar for tha rast of har lifa. Thus, sha has to liva with us. You must ba mora undarstanding." "I undarstand you though!" ha aximad with utmost sincarity. "You lova tha daughtar you hava raisad for aightaan yaars, just lika how I lova Maddia who savad my lifa. I truly do undarstand you. That is why it is for tha bast that sha stays with you. I am in support of that dacision." "In that case, you wille back and live with us," she stated. "Your name will no longer be Martin Taylor. We will give you a new name. If you like your name and do not want to change it, we can just change your surname. You can be Martin Whitfield from now on." "There is no need for all that trouble," he repeated. "I support you, so you should be supporting me, right? The daughter you love will stay by your side while I stay with the sister I love. That is good. I do not want to change my name either. Martin Taylor is a nice name. I like my name." Her head was pounding from rage. Realizing she was unable to get through to him, she turned her attention to Madeline instead. "Maddie¡­" "Ma''am, it is not my ce to say anything. All I can do is respect his decision," interrupted Madeline. "He has suffered too much in the past. So many people have hurt him and abandoned him. As his most trusted person, no matter where or when, I must always support him." "You¡­" Karina was so angry that she could not speak. "I absolutely think this is for the best," Martin said in a carefree manner as he stood up. "This way, you would not be one child short and I do not need to leave Maddie. It is a win-win situation, so let us do that." He was not lying when he said he was tossing and turning. He had been particrly afraid he would need to leave Madeline and live with the Whitfields. However, if he did not live with them while Abigail was sent away, the Whitfields would have lost a child. Madeline was a kind woman, so she would definitely ask him to live with his parents instead. What a relief. He did not have to worry anymore. The Whitfields would still have three children while he did not need to move in with them. When he turned to look at Aidan and Karina, his eagerness to leave was visible on his face. Once more, Karina was stunned speechless. She never imagined something like this would happen. In her mind, the Whitfields were the cream of the crop. When Martin found out the truth about his parentage, the realization that he was a member of the Whitfields would have surely felt like stumbling upon a gold mine. He would definitely be overwhelmed with joy. There was no way he would refuse to come back to the Whitfields. His refusal to return to them waspletely unexpected. In his opinion though, there was nothing enticing about being a Whitfield. All he knew was that he wanted to stay with Madeline and not with them. She found that truly unbelievable. How could anyone not be drawn to money and power? If he returned to them, he would be a son of the Whitfields. While the heir of the family would still be Andrew, he would still be well-treated. Money, power, status¡ªall of that would be his. If he stayed with Madeline, there would be no way for him to bond with them. Naturally, that meant whatever money or power they could give him would be less than if he were staying with them. As long as he was not a fool, he would get that. Even so, he did not hesitate at all. His eagerness was painted all over his face. He just wanted to leave the Whitfield Residence as fast as he could with Madeline. It was as if he was afraid of being left behind. The development was so unexpected that she dazedly stared at him in utter confusion. His sudden deration had also caught Aidan off guard. He also did not think it possible for Martin to refuse to return to the family because he wanted to stay by Madeline''s side. It was absolutely impossible in the Whitfields'' minds. High society families like theirs ced a lot of importance on their bloodlines. If they were ignorant of Martin''s true identity, it would have been fine. However, now that they knew he carried the Whitfield blood in him, there was no reason for him to live away from them. They would beughed at otherwise. Even if Aidan allowed it, Hans, his father, would never allow it. "Martin, how about this? Stay with us for a few days," Aidan said in a soft, persuading voice. "Change your surname as well. If you cannot get used to living here, you can ask Madeline to bring you home then. Okay?" Martin nced at Abigail. "Is she going to change her surname as well?" Abigail''s face turned bright red in anger. "Why are you constantly bringing me into this? I am a girl. Why do you keep targeting me? Are you even a man?" "Do not misunderstand me. I am not targeting you," he replied. "What I mean is if you are not changing your surname, that means the Whitfields still have three children. Hence, there is no need for me to change my surname. I actually prefer having the same surname as my sister." Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Karina was seriously starting to suspect Martin was just being difficult. "Martin, please forgive us, but we have spent eighteen years raising Abby," she said in a coaxing tone. "We deeply love her, so we cannot bear to send her back to the Cavendishes just to suffer. She has to stay with us in order to find a good husband. It is crucial for her future happiness. Hence, there is no way we could send her back to live with the Cavendishes. Please be understanding." Martin shot her a questioning look. "I understand you. Did I not just say that? I absolutely understand and I wholeheartedly agree you should have Abigail stay with you." If Abigail stayed with the Whitfields, he could stay with Madeline without anyone feeling guilty. It was perfect! Karina was rendered speechless. She had run out of ways to exin things to him. In fact, she was starting to feel like she was talking to a wall. She was getting frustrated. Nevertheless, her only choice was to borate further. "I mean, I am hoping both you and Abby will live with us." "That is impossible," he refuted without hesitation. "Since Abigail can live with you, I can live with Madeline too. I want to stay with Madeline!" "What sort of weird logic is that?" She was fuming. "We are your parents. It would be so disgraceful for you to live away from your parents. You are an adult, Martin. You cannot throw a tantrum like a toddler." "I am not throwing a tantrum," he solemnly said. "Abigail is not returning to live with her parents anyway. Since she does not need to go back to her family, I do not need toe back here either. You keep asking for my understanding, so I am asking you to be understanding as well! The reason you do not want to part with Abigail is the same reason I do not want to part with Madeline. Is it not good that we can both get what we want?" His words were like an arrow to the heart. Implicitly, he was using them of wanting Abigail more than they wanted him. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. However, that was not what they wanted. Of course, they wanted him more than Abigail. "You are mistaken," she hurriedly shouted. "We want you by our side more, Martin. You are our son. How could we not want you?" "I am happy to know that you are my parents, not Max and Katrina," Martin stated. "Before, I always felt confused; why did my parents only love my siblings while they hated me? I could not help but wonder if I had done something wrong to make them dislike me. Now, I know that it has nothing to do with whether or not I was likable. Instead, it was solely because I was not their biological son. I was so happy to know that. It is not like I do not ept you as my parents. I acknowledge that I am your son. I merely want to live with Madeline." Karina was sariously starting to suspact Martin was just baing difficult. "Martin, asa forgiva us, but wa hava spant aightaan yaars raising Abby," sha said in a coaxing tona. "Wa daaply lova har, so wa cannot baar to sand har back to tha Cavandishas just to suffar. Sha has to stay with us in ordar to find a good husband. It is crucial for har futura happinass. Hanca, thara is no way wa could sand har back to liva with tha Cavandishas. asa ba undarstanding." Martin shot har a quastioning look. "I undarstand you. Did I not just say that? I absolutaly undarstand and I whhaartadly agraa you should hava Abigail stay with you." If Abigail stayad with tha Whitfialds, ha could stay with Madalina without anyona faaling guilty. It was parfact! Karina was randarad spaacss. Sha had run out of ways to axin things to him. In fact, sha was starting to faal lika sha was talking to a wall. Sha was gatting frustratad. Navarthss, har only choica was to borata furthar. "I maan, I am hoping both you and Abby will liva with us." "That is impossi," ha rafutad without hasitation. "Sinca Abigail can liva with you, I can liva with Madalina too. I want to stay with Madalina!" "What sort of waird logic is that?" Sha was fuming. "Wa ara your parants. It would ba so disgracaful for you to liva away from your parants. You ara an adult, Martin. You cannot throw a tantrum lika a todr." "I am not throwing a tantrum," ha smnly said. "Abigail is not raturning to liva with har parants anyway. Sinca sha doas not naad to go back to har family, I do not naad toa back hara aithar. You kaap asking for my undarstanding, so I am asking you to ba undarstanding as wall! Tha raason you do not want to part with Abigail is tha sama raason I do not want to part with Madalina. Is it not good that wa can both gat what wa want?" His words wara lika an arrow to tha haart. Implicitly, ha was using tham of wanting Abigail mora than thay wantad him. Howavar, that was not what thay wantad. Of coursa, thay wantad him mora than Abigail. "You ara mistakan," sha hurriadly shoutad. "Wa want you by our sida mora, Martin. You ara our son. How could wa not want you?" "I am happy to know that you ara my parants, not Max and Katrina," Martin statad. "Bafora, I always falt confusad; why did my parants only lova my siblings wh thay hatad ma? I could not halp but wondar if I had dona somathing wrong to maka tham dislika ma. Now, I know that it has nothing to do with whathar or not I was lika. Instaad, it was sly bacausa I was not thair biological son. I was so happy to know that. It is not lika I do not apt you as my parants. I acknodga that I am your son. I maraly want to liva with Madalina." The thought of what he suffered in the past made Karina''s heart clench in pain. "Maybe you do not get what I mean," she said in a softer voice. "Families like ours cannot let our children live away from the family. If other people find out, they will gossip about how our family is a mess with fights breaking out between the parents and the children. They will talk about how we cannot even keep the family together. We will be theughingstock. That is why you must live with us. Moreover, you have suffered so much pain in the past. We would love for you to let us take care of you." "The pain I suffered happened before Madeline saved me. I have been living with her since then. My sister is really nice to me. I have not suffered at all since being saved." His eyes were crystal clear with sincerity shining in them. "You are my biological parents. You gave birth to me, so I respect you and your opinions. You want Abigail to stay with you, so I agreed to it. I hope you can respect me as well and let me stay with Maddie." "Just why can I not get through to you, boy?" Her eyes were red by now. "A Whitfield cannot live outside the family home! It was fine when we did not know. However, now that we know you are of our flesh and blood, how can we let you live apart from us?" He frowned. "Thus, all the care andpensation you speak of is just you telling me what to do while I have to obey your every order and go along with your decisions? Does it not matter at all what I think or want?" The air was getting tense. Seeing that things were about to go south, Andrew quickly spoke up to smooth things over. "You are mistaken, Martin. Mom just misses you so much that she wants you home. How about you just stay here for a few days? We can slowly work out what will happen after this." As Martin knew he was Sebastian''s childhood best friend who was still close to Sebastian, Martin had to be on his best behavior when interacting with him. After hearing him out, Martin nced at Madeline. When he saw no objectioning from her, he nodded. "Okay." The moment he nodded, the awkward tension in the room lessened. Andrew secretly let out a sigh of relief at that. Still, even he knew this relief was just temporary. The issue had only been suppressed, not resolved. They would have to address it sooner orter. Once lunch was over, Madeline made to leave. Martin reluctantly walked her out to the doors and pitifully watched as she got into the car. An outsider might have thought he was being abandoned instead of staying behind to spend the night in his own home. Karina''s heart twisted unhappily as she watched him. Her youngest son was amazing. In fact, he was better than she anticipated. Although he had been raised away from the Whitfields, the way he carried himself was as dignified as the way her two sons carried themselves. He also had impable manners. If only he could be a bit more obedient and just stay by her side. She had never once thought anyone would be foolish enough to insist on being some office worker instead of being a son of the esteemed Whitfield family. He was just destroying his own future. After Madeline left, Aidan had Martin, Abigail, and Abel''s girlfriend head up to their rooms to rest while the rest of the family seized the chance for a family meeting. "Martin looks like an obedient kid, but why is he so stubborn?" Karina sighed in frustration. "Staying with us is his best option. Why does he not get it? There is also that sister of his. How could she not help us persuade him? If she truly wants the best for him, she will tell him to return to us." "What nonsense are you talking about?" Aidan frowned. "You think it would be best if he stayed with us, but she thinks he is better off living with her. No matter what, she saved our son''s life. If not for her, he would be dead by now. You cannot bad-mouth her behind her back." Andrew shook his head and sighed. "Mom, do you know what our family''s greatest problem is?" Hearing that, she put aside her urge to argue with Aidan. "What is it?" she asked. Chapter 432 Chapter 432 "You''re being too greedy!" Andrew stated, ¡°It''s impossible to get your adopted daughter and biological son back. Not to mention that Martin didn''t even promise toe home, and even if he did, he wouldn''t confide in us if Abby was still here. Even if he decides to stay with us, he will never truly feel at home here because his heart will always be elsewhere." ¡°Don''t make things sound so absolute," retorted Karina. "As long as Abby and I treat him well, I believe he will ept us one day since people have feelings." "It''ll be difficult.¡± Andrew shook his head. "Can you forgive Katrina?" "Why should I?" Karina became furious upon hearing the name. "I would kill her if murder wasn''t a crime." "Martin wouldn''t be able to ept Abby, just like you can''t forgive Katrina," Andrew exined. "When Katrina took your son away, it hurt your feelings, self-esteem, and reputation. Thus, you are unable to forgive her. That was all you went through, but Martin endured years of insults, was falsely used, and nearly lost his life. How can you allow him to live in the same house as Katrina''s biological daughter and let him observe us being affectionate toward her? Do you think Martin can still treat us as a family in this situation?" "I agree with Andrew," Abel chimed in. "Mom, you can''t be too greedy. Martin and Katrina''s daughter are enemies. Having both is impossible, so you must choose only one." "But Abby is innocent!" Karina huffed in annoyance. "Abby was just a baby back then. What do you expect her to know? Martin should be able to understand our difficulties if we persuade him well." Andrew shook his head helplessly. He could tell that his mother was greedy. It was pointless that he exined so much to her. Eventually, she still wanted both of them. However, she was his mother. What else could he do? With a sigh, he continued exining, "Think about it. If Katrina tortured Abel and me, would you still be able to be affectionate with Katrina''s daughter?" Karina''s expression fell. "What kind of metaphor is that? I can''t imagine such an impossible situation." "I understand what Andrew is trying to say," Aidan sighed. "What he means is that our affection for Martin is inadequate. This is why we can continue to acknowledge Katrina''s daughter as our own daughter." "You''ra baing too graady!" Andraw statad, ¡°It''s impossi to gat your adoptad daughtar and biological son back. Not to mantion that Martin didn''t avan promisa toa homa, and avan if ha did, ha wouldn''t confida in us if Abby was still hara. Evan if ha dacidas to stay with us, ha will navar truly faal at homa hara bacausa his haart will always ba alsawhara." ¡°Don''t maka things sound so absoluta," ratortad Karina. "As long as Abby and I traat him wall, I baliava ha will apt us ona day sinca pao hava faalings." "It''ll ba difficult.¡± Andraw shook his haad. "Can you forgiva Katrina?" "Why should I?" Karina bacama furious upon haaring tha nama. "I would kill har if murdar wasn''t a crima." "Martin wouldn''t ba a to apt Abby, just lika you can''t forgiva Katrina," Andraw axinad. "Whan Katrina took your son away, it hurt your faalings, salf-astaam, and raputation. Thus, you ara una to forgiva har. That was all you want through, but Martin andurad yaars of insults, was falsaly usad, and naarly lost his lifa. How can you allow him to liva in tha sama housa as Katrina''s biological daughtar andt him obsarva us baing affactionata toward har? Do you think Martin can still traat us as a family in this situation?" "I agraa with Andraw," Abal chimad in. "Mom, you can''t ba too graady. Martin and Katrina''s daughtar ara anamias. Having both is impossi, so you must choosa only ona." "But Abby is innocant!" Karina huffad in annoyanca. "Abby was just a baby back than. What do you axpact har to know? Martin should ba a to undarstand our difficultias if wa parsuada him wall." Andraw shook his haad halssly. Ha could tall that his mothar was graady. It was poinss that ha axinad so much to har. Evantually, sha still wantad both of tham. Howavar, sha was his mothar. What alsa could ha do? With a sigh, ha continuad axining, "Think about it. If Katrina torturad Abal and ma, would you still ba a to ba affactionata with Katrina''s daughtar?" Karina''s axprassion fall. "What kind of mataphor is that? I can''t imagina such an impossi situation." "I undarstand what Andraw is trying to say," Aidan sighad. "What ha maans is that our affaction for Martin is inadaquata. This is why wa can continua to acknodga Katrina''s daughtar as our own daughtar." "No! It''s not like that!" Karina denied. "I just feel bad for Abby¡­" "Mom, it¡¯s not your fault that you feel sorry for Abby. No one is ming you either." Abelforted her, "Everyone has feelings. None of us can me you for feeling sorry for her since you were the one who raised her. You''re not wrong, but you just need to make a decision. You''ll need to let go of Martin if you want to keep Abby by your side and ept that Martin doesn''t treat us as his family and you as his mom." "Why must it be like that?" Karina was close to going insane. "Can''t we all be together as a family?" C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Abel shrugged in response. "You''d be happy to have both a son and a daughter, but Martin might not be happy. Since he doesn''t like Abby, why does Martin have to force himself to live under the same roof with someone he doesn''t like when he isn''t even greedy for our family''s wealth?" "Why doesn''t he like Abby?" Karina questioned. "He is a man, so he should be broad-minded. Why can''t he try to ept Abby when she''s such a lovely girl?" Abel was also speechless now. He scratched his cheeks and sighed helplessly. "Mom, what have we ever given Martin? Why must he force himself to ept someone he doesn''t like? Why do you want him to return to us when he lives happily with someone else? Do you think he''s a masochist?" Karina was choked by his questions. After a while, she finally spoke, "He belongs to our family. This is his home¡­" "So?" Abel took a sip of water and continued, somewhat sloppily, "Mom, I''ll be honest with you, and it may not be pleasant to hear. Martin is a descendant of the Whitfield Family, and you are his parent, which is why he was taken away and abused. In other words, you and dad gave him nothing besides his life since he was born. Why should he force himself to care for your feelings?" "I-I didn''t ask for anything else." Tears welled up in Karina''s eyes. "I feel sorry for Abby, and I also feel sorry for him. I sincerely hope that all of my children will live happily¡­" Abel shrugged again. "I understand your feelings, but obviously, your wish is too ambitious. The two of them can''t get along, so you can only pick one from them. Let me make it clear first. I like both of them, so I''m not voting. I will respect your decision. No matter who you decide to keep, I will still treat the other one like my family. It doesn''t matter much to me." This time, Andrew expressed his thoughts, "Rationally, I should choose Martin, but emotionally, I want Abby to stay with us. So, I''m not voting either. It''s up to you, Mom and Dad." Karina looked at Aidan with tears in her eyes. "Must I only choose one?" Aidan sighed. "There''s no such thing as having everything you want." Karina cried out andmented, "But... I really want both of them. I can¡¯t bear to lose either one¡­" "It''s impossible, Mom. Stop dreaming!" Abel then advised her, "The longer we dy, the more complicated it bes, so just pick one. To me, I think it''s not a big deal. Even if you pick one, it doesn''t mean we''re abandoning the other. It''s just that the other doesn''t live in the same house as us, but we can still keep in touch. It''s not like we will be enemies after that." Karina looked at Aidan and inquired, "Must we really do this?" Aidan heaved a sigh and nodded. Karina''s heart hurt so badly it seemed to be grasped by two hands; one hand was pulling to the left while the other was to the right as if it was about to tear apart. She couldn''t help but start weeping again. Between sobs, she asked, "Who should I pick? I can''t bear to lose either one!" Seeing her being indecisive, Aidan dered, "Let me decide then if you can''t." Karina gritted her teeth, nodded, and agreed, "Okay. I will follow your decision." Aidan uttered, "Let''s keep Martin and send Abby away." ¡°No!¡± Karina retorted immediately. "How can Abby marry a good family in the future if we send her away? Her life will be ruined.¡± Aidan looked at her helplessly and asked, "Have you already made the decision long ago? You decided to keep Abby and send Martin away." Karina was taken aback. After a while, she responded, "No, I want Martin to stay as well." Aidan said, "Alright, let''s keep Martin and send Abby away. As Martin''s biological parents, we should keep him and make up for the lost time. Besides, Martin belongs to our family, so my father will never allow our sons to stay away from us. The wisest choice is to keep Martin with us." Chapter 433 Chapter 433 "No, no¡­" Karina turned pale and shook her head fervently. "If we kick Abby out, everyone will know about her background. The Cavendish Family is about to fall, and if Abby returns to them, she will have a tough life and be unable to marry into a decent family. Her life will be ruined! Abby must stay!" Aidan uttered helplessly, "So, you''ve already decided to send Martin away and leave Abby behind." "No, I don''t!" She cried. "I want both of them, but Martin can''t tolerate Abby¡­" He frowned. "Do you think Martin can''t tolerate Abby because he''s narrow-minded and unreasonable? Comparing the two, do you find that Abby is more reasonable and generous?" Karina said nothing as she was confused and unable toprehend her own mind. Perhaps he was right. "You''re a mess!" Aidan sighed. "Do you know why Abby is sensible? Because this family was originally Martin''s, not hers! If she sits in Martin''s shoes, I doubt she can ept Martin without a grudge! She must be thankful if Martin epts her now. Does she dare to cause trouble and let us drive Martin away? Does she have the right to do that?" "She will not!" Karina wept and said, "Abby is a good girl. She will understand my feelings if she is in Martin''s shoes." Aidan waved his hands a little irritably. "Forget it. I don''t want to argue with you. You say you want both children, but you are biased toward Abby because you raised her since she was a baby! Don''t try to deny it. What matters is not what you say but how you act. Will you agree to it if I suggest keeping Abby and sending Martin away?" "No!" She sobbed even harder. "How can you think of me like that? I''ve said it before. I want both children. I don''t want to send them away!" "We''ve also often told you that keeping both children is impossible. We can only keep one," he said. "My decision is to keep Martin and send Abby away." Karina yelled, "No way!" It broke her heart to think that the daughter she had raised herself would one day be a fallen phoenix, the target of others'' ridicule and bullying. She could not ept being separated from Abigail, nor that her daughter, whom she had raised, was ridiculed, bullied, and forced to endure a life of destitution and hardship. "No, no¡­" Karina turnad p and shook har haad farvantly. "If wa kick Abby out, avaryona will know about har background. Tha Cavandish Family is about to fall, and if Abby raturns to tham, sha will hava a tough lifa and ba una to marry into a dacant family. Har lifa will ba ruinad! Abby must stay!" Aidan uttarad halssly, "So, you''va alraady dacidad to sand Martin away andava Abby bahind." "No, I don''t!" Sha criad. "I want both of tham, but Martin can''t trata Abby¡­" Ha frownad. "Do you think Martin can''t trata Abby bacausa ha''s narrow-mindad and unraasona? Comparing tha two, do you find that Abby is mora raasona and ganarous?" Karina said nothing as sha was confusad and una toprahand har own mind. Parhaps ha was right. "You''ra a mass!" Aidan sighad. "Do you know why Abby is sansi? Bacausa this family was originally Martin''s, not hars! If sha sits in Martin''s shoas, I doubt sha can apt Martin without a grudga! Sha must ba thankful if Martin apts har now. Doas sha dara to causa trou andt us driva Martin away? Doas sha hava tha right to do that?" "Sha will not!" Karina wapt and said, "Abby is a good girl. Sha will undarstand my faalings if sha is in Martin''s shoas." Aidan wavad his hands a lit irritably. "Forgat it. I don''t want to argua with you. You say you want both childran, but you ara biasad toward Abby bacausa you raisad har sinca sha was a baby! Don''t try to dany it. What mattars is not what you say but how you act. Will you agraa to it if I suggast kaaping Abby and sanding Martin away?" "No!" Sha sobbad avan hardar. "How can you think of ma lika that? I''va said it bafora. I want both childran. I don''t want to sand tham away!" "Wa''va also oftan told you that kaaping both childran is impossi. Wa can only kaap ona," ha said. "My dacision is to kaap Martin and sand Abby away." Karina yad, "No way!" It broka har haart to think that tha daughtar sha had raisad harsalf would ona day ba a fan phoanix, tha targat of othars'' ridic and bullying. Sha could not apt baing saparatad from Abigail, nor that har daughtar, whom sha had raisad, was ridicd, bulliad, and forcad to andura a lifa of dastitution and hardship. Aidan asked, "Shall we send Martin away and keep Abby, then?" This time, Karina didn''t utter a word. Aidan couldn''t help but sigh again. She remained prejudiced and favored the girl she had raised over the years. Because of that, Aidan felt sorry for Martin. Perhaps Martin wasn''t fated to be a family with them. Even though the blood in his veins belonged to the Whitfields, the only thing that maintained their rtionship was a mere bloodline. Thatyer of blood was also illusory. It couldn''tpare to the feelings developed over 18 years. Aidan couldn''t help but heave a deep breath as if he were going to release all the breath he would release in this lifetime. "Okay, then it''s decided. We''ll agree to let Martin leave and let Abby stay." Karina was the mistress of the family, so her opinion was crucial, and Aidan had to respect his wife''s decision. If he went against her wishes and made his own decision against her will, she would be upset and unable to get along with Martin in the future. Then, they would lose both their son and daughter. Of course, he probably knew this was just an excuse deep down inside¡­ Deep down in Aidan''s heart, he probably also wished for Abigail to stay. However, as a man, reason told him to keep Martin. Therefore, if he were to decide, he would keep Martin despite how much he wanted Abigail to stay. In any case, Karina was adamant about keeping Abigail, so he had a good reason to let her stay and force Martin to leave. He didn''t know whether his choice was right or wrong, but he could only persuade himself that since he had made a choice, he should have no regrets. They could always try harder in the future. He could make his sons spend more time with Martinter and develop their rtionship. Perhaps, one day, Martin might be a part of them. Then, Andrew inquired, "How should we tell Grandpa?" Aidan pondered for a moment before uttering, "Just tell him it''s what Martin wants. We can''t possibly force him toe back. Even if your grandpa gets angry, there''s nothing we can do." "Are you sure it''s fine?" Andrew added, "Grandpa isn''t easy to fool." Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "What do you mean by fooling? That''s not what it is. Am I lying? Can''t you tell Martin isn''t willing to stay with us?" Aidan retorted. This time, Andrew couldn''t refute it. Of course, he could tell that Martin didn''t want to stay with them. When his parents made the decision to keep Abigail and let Martin go, he felt guilty and sorry for Martin. However, for Martin, his family''s decision was just in line with his wishes. He could tell that Martin was wholeheartedly looking forward to being able to continue living by Madeline''s side, and he didn''t want to stay with them at all. Fine. Although this decision was not the most sensible, it was in line with everyone''s wishes. "Don''t worry, Mom and Dad. I think Abby needs to stay, and Martin needs to go," Abel reassured them. "No matter where Martin goes, he is still a part of us. It''s difficult to cut off a blood-rted rtionship. Perhaps once we''ve spent enough time together and developed feelings, he may return to us, but if Abby leaves, there will be no turning back." Karina was d to hear that. She immediately nodded in agreement and said, "Yes! Abel is right! No matter where Martin goes, he''s still a part of us. It doesn''t matter if he doesn''t live at home. We can just visit him more often in the future. If Abby leaves us, other people will suspect that she isn''t being well treated by our family and will be looked down upon or bullied. Only by staying in our family can she keep her status and marry into a good family." Aidan smiled bitterly. "I hope we''ve made the right decision! Since we are all in agreement, it will be a decision that we as a family make together. No matter what happens in the future, let''s not regret it or me each other for it." "We won''t." Karina instantly felt more rxed, knowing that her beloved daughter could stay. "Not staying with us is what Martin asked for. In any case, even though he does not live with us, we will not treat him as though he does not belong to us. We will still ept him and love him as he is. What else could happen?" "Hopefully, it''ll turn out that way." Aidan still maintained a bitter smile. Somehow, he wasn''t as optimistic as his wife. He felt this would be the most regretful decision he had ever made. Chapter 434 Chapter 434 That was probably because¡­ Aidan''s rational side told him to keep his biological son. However, he was swayed by emotions and chose to keep his adopted daughter. He knew it was wrong to keep his adopted daughter, but he still did it. That might be the reason he had a faint ominous feeling. Meanwhile, Martin couldn''t wait to leave the house after having breakfast the next day. Karina''s expression froze. "Are you leaving now? Aren''t you staying at home for a few more days?" "No, thanks," replied Martin. "My sister''s wedding ising up soon. I am returning this time to attend her wedding and help her with preparations." Karina felt sad. As a mother, she probably had no ce in his heart since her youngest son only mentioned his sister the whole time. Andrew hurriedly saved the situation after noticing her expression. "Let me see you off, Martin." Martin smiled at him. "Thanks, Andrew!" Suddenly, Karina noticed that her youngest son was already on a first-name basis with his brother, but he had yet to call them Mom and Dad. The more she thought about it, the more she felt terrible. Their lives had been tranquil recently, but now that a sudden change hade upon them, she felt that everything following the incident was unsatisfactory. How could she allow her child to be swapped back then? If the baby swap hadn''t happened, she would have been able to raise her youngest son alongside her eldest and second eldest, and he would have grown up to be just as caring as them. These problems would then not surface! Meanwhile, Martin left happily with Andrew. Seeing how delighted he was to leave home, like a caged bird eager to fly out, Karina was even more heartbroken. She sat on the couch in the living room and wept silently after sending Martin off. Seeing that, Abigail came over to hug her and coaxed her softly. Abigail finally felt at ease after seeing Martin leave. Yesterday, she was so terrified that she was on the verge of passing out because she feared being expelled from the Whitfield Family. If that happened, her life would be ruined once she returned to the Cavendish Family! Fortunately, it was Martin who left instead of her. "What are you crying for?" asked Aidan when he saw Karina sobbing when he came downstairs. "Aren¡¯t you sad that your son is gone?" Karina sobbed, "Is your heart made of steel?" He felt a headache creeping in. "It was your choice to let go of Martin. As I said yesterday, we must ept reality instead of ming each other. We have to live our lives well no matter what happens in the future. Don''t make the family a mess." That was probably bacausa¡­ Aidan''s rational sida told him to kaap his biological son. Howavar, ha was swayad by amotions and chosa to kaap his adoptad daughtar. Ha knaw it was wrong to kaap his adoptad daughtar, but ha still did it. That might ba tha raason ha had a faint ominous faaling. Maanwh, Martin couldn''t wait toava tha housa aftar having braakfast tha naxt day. Karina''s axprassion froza. "Ara youaving now? Aran''t you staying at homa for a faw mora days?" "No, thanks," rapliad Martin. "My sistar''s wadding ising up soon. I am raturning this tima to attand har wadding and halp har with praparations." Karina falt sad. As a mothar, sha probably had no ca in his haart sinca har youngast son only mantionad his sistar tha wh tima. Andraw hurriadly savad tha situation aftar noticing har axprassion. "Lat ma saa you off, Martin." Martin smd at him. "Thanks, Andraw!" Suddanly, Karina noticad that har youngast son was alraady on a first-nama basis with his brothar, but ha had yat to call tham Mom and Dad. Tha mora sha thought about it, tha mora sha falt tarri. Thair livas had baan tranquil racantly, but now that a suddan changa hada upon tham, sha falt that avarything following tha incidant was unsatisfactory. How could sha allow har child to ba swappad back than? If tha baby swap hadn''t happanad, sha would hava baan a to raisa har youngast son alongsida har aldast and sacond aldast, and ha would hava grown up to ba just as caring as tham. Thasa proms would than not surfaca! Maanwh, Martinft happily with Andraw. Saaing how dalightad ha was toava homa, lika a cagad bird aagar to fly out, Karina was avan mora haartbrokan. Sha sat on tha couch in tha living room and wapt sntly aftar sanding Martin off. Saaing that, Abigail cama ovar to hug har and coaxad har softly. Abigail finally falt at aasa aftar saaing Martinava. Yastarday, sha was so tarrifiad that sha was on tha varga of passing out bacausa sha faarad baing axpad from tha Whitfiald Family. If that happanad, har lifa would ba ruinad onca sha raturnad to tha Cavandish Family! Fortunataly, it was Martin whoft instaad of har. "What ara you crying for?" askad Aidan whan ha saw Karina sobbing whan ha cama downstairs. "Aran¡¯t you sad that your son is gona?" Karina sobbad, "Is your haart mada of staal?" Ha falt a haadacha craaping in. "It was your choica tot go of Martin. As I said yastarday, wa must apt raality instaad of ming aach othar. Wa hava to liva our livas wall no mattar what happans in tha futura. Don''t maka tha family a mass." "How did it be my choice?" She bawled even more. "Martin is our son! Why can''t he live at home? Can''t you think of a way to make him stay?" N?velDrama.Org ? content. "He is a living human with hands, legs, and thoughts. How can I make him stay if he isn''t willing to?" Aidan frowned and continued, "We already discussed this issue yesterday. We are not the center of the world, so we can''t control and decide how things go. We can''t do whatever we want. How can we own every single good thing in the world?" Karina actually understood the principle behind it, but she just couldn''t ept it. That was her son! Her beautiful and excellent son! Why couldn''t he stay with his parents but choose to live away instead? This was all Katrina''s fault! Karina hated it so much and lost her self-restraint and grace. She couldn''t help but scold, "Aidan, we can''t just let Katrina go like this. I must make her pay the price no matter what!" Abigail, seated beside Karina, suddenly pulled an awkward face when she heard her. She already knew that Katrina was her biological mother. Although Abigail didn''t want to admit it, she couldn''t change the fact that she was Katrina''s daughter. She felt a little embarrassed when Karina called her mother a sl*t in front of her. Yes, Katrina was a sl*t. Since she was her daughter, what did that make her? Karina was immersed in her own world and did not realize the change in Abigail''s expression. However, Aidan noticed it and sighed in his heart. He felt sorry for his adopted daughter and didn''t want to send her back to the Cavendish Family to suffer. However, her position in the Whitfield Family was still awkward anyhow. For example, her expression immediately changed when his wife scolded Katrina just now. How would Abby feel when her adoptive mother scolded her biological mother in front of her? He had no idea, but it definitely didn''t feel good. They chose to keep their adopted daughter in the hopes that the family of four could continue to live happily as before, but in reality, things had changed. His hunch was rightst night. Trouble had yet to come. Nevertheless, it was toote to say anything after they made a choice. In the days toe, they could only take one step at a time and improvise their way through. Though Karina was sad, Aidan was depressed too. Besides feeling depressed, he was also angry at the Cavendish Family. Heforted Karina by saying, "Don''t worry, I told someone to do itst night. For a small family like the Cavendishes, we can easily destroy them overnight and make them impoverished for a lifetime. That would be their punishment." Abigail''s heart skipped a beat after hearing that. Destroy the Cavendishes overnight? But they were her rtives! If the Cavendishes were destroyed overnight, what if something happened in the future and she couldn''t stay with the Whitfield Family? What should she do if she had to return to the Cavendishes? Abigail wanted to plead for them, but when the words came to her lips, she didn''t let them slip out for fear of agitating her parents. She was afraid that they would send her back to the Cavendish Family. Abigail knew that her status in the Whitfield Family was not the same as before. In the past, she used to be able to say whatever she wanted without holding back. However, her identity had changed, and Abigail was no longer her parents'' biological daughter. Previously, no matter how arrogant and unscrupulous she was, her parents wouldn''t punish her severely. Nevertheless, if she dared to do anything that crossed the line and angered her parents now, they might kick her out of the family. She didn''t understand why fate had been so cruel to her. Why did she have to encounter such cruel things? How good would it be if she was her parents'' biological daughter? If so, she wouldn''t have to live her life on ice¡­ On the other hand, the Cavendishes quickly received news about the Whitfields going against them. Max frantically nced at Victor and said, "Dad, we''re done for. The Whitfields haveunched their attack against us. We''re already suffering heavy losses. Judging from the current situation, our family might have to go bankrupt soon." "What are you panicking about? I''m prepared!" Victor scolded and huffed angrily, "No one knew about what happened in our family except for Katrina. I can''t believe they''re still adamant about going against us after you''ve divorced her. Since they aren''t forgiving, they shouldn''t me us for being unjust!" Max then inquired in a panic, "Do you have a n?" From his viewpoint, there was nothing else the Cavendishes could do. Facing a prestigious family like the Whitfields, inferior families like them could only be ughtered. However, hearing what Victor said, it seemed he could pull a trump card. "Yes! Why not?" Victor sneered, "I got someone to investigate their situation. Aidan and Karina love your biological daughter so much that they will give up on their son. In that case, we should go to their house and bring her back!" Chapter 435 Chapter 435 "Bring her back?" Max was puzzled and didn''t understand what his father meant. "Yes, we''re going to bring her back!" Victor sneered. "Abigail is a bloodline of the Cavendishes. Why do we have to let her stay with them? If they want to keep Abigail, they must let us go and treat us politely. Otherwise, we will not stop making a scene! If they don''t leave us alone, we''ll do the same to them!" "Is that possible? Max was doubtful. "Abigail is a little girl not rted to the Whitfields. Will they really let us go because of her?" "You have to try it to find out if it works," said Victor. "Katrina swapped the children on her own. Why must she bring our whole family down? If the Whitfield Family doesn''t leave a way for us to survive, they better not dream of having a peaceful life!" The Cavendish Family had always obeyed Victor. Once Victor made up his mind, Max could only listen to him. Just like that, Victor led Max and stormed into the Whitfield Residence. At first, Aidan thought Victor was just here to beg for mercy, so he told the housekeeper that he wouldn''t see Victor. The housekeeper went outside but returned shortly to inform Aidan, "Mr. Cavendish says he came to pick up his granddaughter." "What did he say?" Karina got enraged and stood up abruptly from the couch. The housekeeper repeated respectfully, "Mr. Cavendish says he came to pick up his granddaughter." "H-How dare he?" Karina was close to passing out upon hearing that. On the other hand, Aidan felt the onset of a headache¡­ It seemed that the trouble he had been expecting was now knocking at his door. She flushed angrily and scolded, "I was the one who raised her. What right does he have to take Abby home?" Abigail was talking with Aidan and Karina earlier. At that moment, she held Karina''s arm in a panic as her eyes turned red. "Mom, I''m your daughter, and this is my home. I''m not going anywhere." Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "I know, I know¡­" Karina patted her hand with assurance. "Don''t worry. Nobody can take you away when I''m here." Aidan also felt that the Cavendish Family was crossing the line. The children were swapped by them. After they had raised Abigail for 18 years with sweat and tears, how could the Cavendishes not feel ashamed about reiming the child? Aidan then ordered angrily, "Let them in." "Bring har back?" Max was puzd and didn''t undarstand what his fathar maant. "Yas, wa''ra going to bring har back!" Victor snaarad. "Abigail is a bloodlina of tha Cavandishas. Why do wa hava tot har stay with tham? If thay want to kaap Abigail, thay mustt us go and traat us politaly. Otharwisa, wa will not stop making a scana! If thay don''tava us alona, wa''ll do tha sama to tham!" "Is that possi? Max was doubtful. "Abigail is a lit girl not rtad to tha Whitfialds. Will thay raally "You hava to try it to find out if it works," said Victor. "Katrina swappad tha childran on har own. Why must sha bring our wh family down? If tha Whitfiald Family doasn''tava a way for us to surviva, thay battar not draam of having a paacaful lifa!" Tha Cavandish Family had always obayad Victor. Onca Victor mada up his mind, Max could only listan to him. Just lika that, Victord Max and stormad into tha Whitfiald Rasidanca. At first, Aidan thought Victor was just hara to bag for marcy, so ha told tha housakaapar that ha wouldn''t saa Victor. Tha housakaapar want outsida but raturnad shortly to inform Aidan, "Mr. Cavandish says ha cama to pick up his granddaughtar." "What did ha say?" Karina got anragad and stood up abruptly from tha couch. Tha housakaapar rapaatad raspactfully, "Mr. Cavandish says ha cama to pick up his granddaughtar." "H-How dara ha?" Karina was closa to passing out upon haaring that. On tha othar hand, Aidan falt tha onsat of a haadacha¡­ It saamad that tha trou ha had baan axpacting was now knocking at his door. Sha flushad angrily and scoldad, "I was tha ona who raisad har. What right doas ha hava to taka Abby homa?" Abigail was talking with Aidan and Karina aarliar. At that momant, sha hald Karina''s arm in a panic as har ayas turnad rad. "Mom, I''m your daughtar, and this is my homa. I''m not going anywhara." "I know, I know¡­" Karina pattad har hand with assuranca. "Don''t worry. Nobody can taka you away whan I''m hara." Aidan also falt that tha Cavandish Family was crossing tha lina. Tha childran wara swappad by tham. Aftar thay had raisad Abigail for 18 yaars with swaat and taars, how could tha Cavandishas not faal ashamad about raiming tha child? Aidan than ordarad angrily, "Lat tham in." After a while, Victor led Max into the living room. When Victor saw Abigail, he smiled andmented, "I used to think that Abby and Katrina resembled each other. So, I thought she resembled her aunt, but now I realize it''s because she is Max and Katrina''s daughter. If that''s the case, please let us take Abby home with us, Aidan." "Are you not ashamed of making the request?" Karina scolded. "I was the one who raised Abigail. What right do you have to take her away?" "Well, she is Max''s biological daughter," he responded. "It''s your cousin''s decision to swap the children without the rest of us knowing about it. Abby belongs to the Cavendishes. If I had known that Katrina would exchange my granddaughter for an outsider, I would have been the first to stop her. Now that I finally know the truth, there is no reason for our family''s child to live elsewhere. My granddaughter must come home with me!" "No way!" She shivered due to rage. "How could you swap the children as you wish and take them back whenever you want to? There''s nothing as good as that in the world. Don''t you bully us!" "Are we being bullies here? Or are you?" Victor spat coldly. "Katrina was the one who did it alone, and the rest of us had no idea. Both of our families are victims, but since Katrina is the daughter-inw of the Cavendishes, I felt ashamed to face you. That''s why I told Max to divorce Katrina right away so that I could give you an exnation. What about you? The Whitfields are the bullies who stubbornly try to make us bankrupt! Since our two families have fallen out, how could you be so ashamed to keep my granddaughter? You must return her to me, or I will risk my old life to seek justice!" "We didn''t intend to make the Cavendishes bankrupt," Aidan exined. "After this incident, I don''t think we can still coborate with your family anymore without feeling uneasy. We just broke off our cooperation with the Cavendish Family. No matter what you do in the future, we won''t interfere." "But our family''s biggest customer is the Whitfields," Victor uttered coldly. "The fact that you withdrew capital in the middle of our coboration might be a minor profit loss for you, but for us, we are on the brink of bankruptcy!" Moreover, a family like the Whitfields didn''t have to do anything. They only needed to show their dissatisfaction at a party, and others who wanted to butter them up would do it for them. The Cavendishes desired an approach from the Whitfields, specifically in which they would not be enemies with them. Then, nobody would try to butter up the Whitfields and bring down the Cavendishes. Only then could the Cavendishes be freed from a dead end. Aidan argued, "It''s our freedom to cooperate with whoever we want. We are following the terms of the contract, and nothing our family is doing is illegal. It''s pointless no matter who you report to." "Then, we will go to the TV station and make a fuss!" Victor snickered. "Anyway, our family is going to be done for, so I don''t care about my pride anymore. I will risk my life to drag you down. If you are not ashamed, I''ll see you on TV! I want the whole world to see how the Whitfields abuse their position of power over others!" Karina shuddered with anger. "After taking our child away, you brazenly force us to continue our coboration. Do you think we''re pushovers who will allow you to bully us as you wish? Are you sure we are the bullies, or are you just being shameless?" "I wasn''t trying to force you to continue our coboration by going to the TV station to force you to continue cooperating with us." Victor gave Abigail a gloomy look. "I''m going to the TV station to expose the inappropriate behavior that your family has disyed by retaining a member of our family! She''s obviously my granddaughter and Max''s daughter, but you stopped us from seeing each other. How is that not considered bullying?" "No! It''s not like that!" Abigail was also shaking with anger as she shouted at Victor. "Why do you have to hurt me? I was raised by my parents, so I am their daughter. I''m never leaving them and going elsewhere! You can''t force me!" "Does that mean you despise the poor and prefer the rich?" Victor looked at her gloomily and uttered, "You are my granddaughter and your Max''s daughter. You belong to our family! Back then, your mother, that b*tch, took you away from us without our knowledge. That''s how you end up in another family. Your father and I are also victims. Now that we have found out the truth, we must take you home. If you refuse to, it shows you''re materialistic and greedy for the Whitfield Family''s wealth. You would rather ept money than your family!" Chapter 436 Chapter 436 "No! I''m not!" Abigail shook her head desperately as she denied, "I don''t want to go back with you because I don''t have feelings for you! My parents raised me, and I have been with them for 18 years. I have feelings for them, while you are just strangers to me. Why must I go back with you?" "What an impressive speech!" Victor said with a sneer, "Your life was given by your father, so you belong to the Cavendishes and shoulde home with us! After all that speech, it''s all because our family is poor, while the Whitfields are rich. That''s why you refuse to recognize your biological father! Anyhow, there''s nothing you can do even if you don''t admit it. No matter what you say, you still belong to our family. You muste home with me! If the Whitfields refuse to let you go, I will hit the wall and die in front of the house. I want everyone to know how the Whitfields bully our family by upying our family and forcing us to death!" Aidan finally understood the source of his foreboding premonition. It had been waiting for him while they struggled to keep Martin or Abigail. They assumed the children could pick whichever option they preferred. It wasn''t until now that Aidan understood they were too ignorant. The Whitfields looked down on the Cavendish Family and didn''t take them seriously. They thought they could keep Abigail if they wanted to without considering whether the Cavendishes would have an opinion. However, Victor said something interesting earlier¡ªI will risk my life to drag you down. The poor, who had nothing to lose, did not fear those in power. What could possibly cause the Cavendish Family to be afraid now that they were facing the prospect of bankruptcy? Victor was also a ruthless man, so he was willing to give up his all. Thus, Abigail became their excuse to threaten the Whitfield Family. This matter couldn''t be blown out of proportion because it wouldn''t benefit the Whitfield Family. They might believe it was reasonable to want to keep Abigail because they were already emotionally attached to her. However, if word got out, many would consider them foolish. The fact that they still intended to raise Katrina''s daughter in the Whitfield Family after she stole and abused their son might be a gossip topic for the public. Many people would mock the Whitfields as being taken advantage of. How could they allow their private affairs to be spread to the public? How would the Whitfields exin themselves to the public once word got out? What about their pride? "No! I''m not!" Abigail shook har haad dasparataly as sha daniad, "I don''t want to go back with you bacausa I don''t hava faalings for you! My parants raisad ma, and I hava baan with tham for 18 yaars. I hava faalings for tham, wh you ara just strangars to ma. Why must I go back with you?" "What an imprassiva spaach!" Victor said with a snaar, "Your lifa was givan by your fathar, so you balong to tha Cavandishas and shoulda homa with us! Aftar all that spaach, it''s all bacausa our family is poor, wh tha Whitfialds ara rich. That''s why you rafusa to racogniza your biological fathar! Anyhow, thara''s nothing you can do avan if you don''t admit it. No mattar what you say, you still balong to our family. You musta homa with ma! If tha Whitfialds rafusa tot you go, I will hit tha wall and dia in front of tha housa. I want avaryona to know how tha Whitfialds bully our family by upying our family and forcing us to daath!" Aidan finally undarstood tha sourca of his foraboding pramonition. It had baan waiting for him wh thay strugd to kaap Martin or Abigail. Thay assumad tha childran could pick whichavar option thay prafarrad. It wasn''t until now that Aidan undarstood thay wara too ignorant. Tha Whitfialds lookad down on tha Cavandish Family and didn''t taka tham sariously. Thay thought thay could kaap Abigail if thay wantad to without considaring whathar tha Cavandishas would hava an opinion. Howavar, Victor said somathing intarasting aarliar¡ªI will risk my lifa to drag you down. Tha poor, who had nothing to losa, did not faar thosa in powar. What could possibly causa tha Cavandish Family to ba afraid now that thay wara facing tha prospact of bankruptcy? Victor was also a rutss man, so ha was willing to giva up his all. Thus, Abigail bacama thair axcusa to thraatan tha Whitfiald Family. This mattar couldn''t ba blown out of proportion bacausa it wouldn''t banafit tha Whitfiald Family. Thay might baliava it was raasona to want to kaap Abigail bacausa thay wara alraady amotionally attachad to har. Howavar, if word got out, many would considar tham foolish. Tha fact that thay still intandad to raisa Katrina''s daughtar in tha Whitfiald Family aftar sha st and abusad thair son might ba a gossip topic for tha public. Many pao would mock tha Whitfialds as baing takan advantaga of. How could thay allow thair privata affairs to ba spraad to tha public? How would tha Whitfialds axin thamsalvas to tha public onca word got out? What about thair prida? With a glum expression, Aidan asked Victor, "What do you want?" The reason Victor dared to initiate the negotiation with Aidan was that the Cavendish Family was facing a desperate situation. The moment that Victor realized he had nothing to lose was the moment that he also admitted he had nothing to fear. When Aidan eventually calmed down enough to negotiate with him, Victor stopped making a fuss. He softened his voice and said, "True, Katrina did something inhumane, and our family truly feels bad for yours. However, the rest of us are unaware of her actions. To give you some peace of mind, I suggested Max and Katrina get a divorce right away. Please be prudent and give the Cavendishes some leeway¡­" Then, Victor nced at Abigail and said, "As long as you let go of our family, our families will maintain a cooperative rtionship. It''s not bad to keep Abby in your family, but if our two families fall apart, we have no reason to leave her in our enemy''s house. In that case, Abigail must return to the Cavendish Residence with me!" Karina''s voice trembled as she asked, "Are you threatening us?" She could never have imagined that a family as seemingly insignificant as the Cavendishes would have the audacity to pose a threat to the Whitfield Family. How bold of Victor! "I''m discussing the matter with you properly. If you insist on thinking I''m threatening you, I can''t help it." Victor nced at her with a bold expression. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "How does that even work?" Karina argued, "We have the freedom to choose who we want to coborate with. We refuse to work with you because we believe there is an issue with your attitude. Who do you think you are to intercede and mess with us?" "Sure. You can terminate our coboration if you believe something is wrong with our attitude. Since we are no longer in a coborative rtionship, there is no reason for us to allow you to keep Abigail in your family. I have to take her home with me!" Victor insisted. "How dare you?" Karina shivered with rage. "Abby is my daughter. Who are you to take her away?" Victor sneered, "If you don''t let me take her away, we will see you on TV tomorrow! I believe many people will be curious to hear about how your family bullies others and tries to im a bloodline from the Cavendishes as if it were yours!" The statement made Karina feel ufortable and embarrassed. "Stop being delusional! Go ahead and try! I don''t believe any broadcasting studio will dare to show our private affairs!" Victor then sneered, "Aren''t you thinking too highly of yourself? Your family is influential, but I doubt you don''t have any enemies. I understand that our family cannot fight you alone. Yet, do you seriously believe Old Master Whitfield has no political enemies? I don''t believe you can have your own way in a big city like Dusktown. I believe that your enemies will be highly interested in the despicable acts committed by your family, such as abuse of power and iming a bloodline from another family!" "You¡­" Karina was speechless. Suppressing the anger in his heart, Aidan uttered coldly, "Let me think about it." "Sure!" Victor epted it as soon as he heard that and said earnestly, "Aidan, based on our long-term rtionship between our two families, I wouldn''t have wanted to turn against you if I wasn''t in a desperate situation. However, now that I''m at a dead end, I can only risk my life and fight for my way. I believe you can think in my shoes. As long as there''s a way, I don''t want to be an enemy of yours." Aidan looked at him with a meaningful gaze and said nothing. Victor smiled and said, "I hope I can get a satisfactory answer tomorrow. My requirements are basic. All I ask for is not to deprive us of any business opportunities and that our family will be able to sustain." Aidan remained silent. Victor didn''t feel embarrassed either, as he said, "Since that''s the case, I''ll go home and wait for your good news." After Victor and Max left, Karina cried in anger, "How dare they be so brazen? They''re too much!" Aidan then nced at Abigail, saying, "Abby, go to your room for now. I have something to say to your mother." "Dad¡­" Abigail cried, threw herself into his arms, and hugged him, "Dad, please don''t send me back! I''m your daughter and won''t go anywhere without you two!" Aidan patted her and said softly, "I know, I know. Go and rest up for now. We''re your parents. We won''t abandon you." Abigail cried and went upstairs, turning her head to look at them every few steps she took. "What should we do now?" Karina sobbed and asked, "Must we really work with the Cavendishes again? I can''t ept that!" Chapter 437 Chapter 437 "What else can we do?" Aidan sighed. "When we decided to keep Abby, we gave the Cavendish family leverage. If we want to keep her on our side, we must make amends with the Cavendish Family. Alternatively, he may go out of his way, risking his reputation, to let everyone know about this. That will tarnish our family''s reputation." "How could they be so shameful? I was the one who raised Abigail. How could theye and take her back?" Karina was so enraged that her heart ached. "Because they are Abby''s biological father and grandfather," he replied. "To the public, although Abby was raised by us, she still belongs to the Cavendish Family. We don''t have the right to stop her father and grandfather from taking her back." "But Abby doesn''t want to admit they''re her family!" She cried and countered, "Abby grew up with us, so she treats us as her parents. She doesn''t want to admit them as their family at all!" "Then, Abby will be scolded!" Aidan exined, "Do you think it is right to deny your real parents?" Karina was instantly dumbfounded. After shaking herself out of her daze, she spoke, "But he never raised her in his life, so she doesn''t have feelings for him." "We never raised Martin even for a day, so he has no feelings for us." Aidan asked Karina, "Does that mean Martin can refuse to admit we are his parents?" "How is that the same?" She retorted, "We are good people, but the Cavendish Family are bad people!" Then, he uttered, "The only bad person in the Cavendish family is Katrina because she did the baby swap alone. Max and Victor weren''t aware of it. Abby can refuse to admit Katrina as her mother, but she must admit Max as her father." Karina almost fainted due to anger. What on earth was that? Why would the child she raised be calling someone else''s father? "This is the dilemma we are facing now," he sighed. "No matter how unwilling we are, Abby isn''t just our daughter anymore. If we keep her, we will be entangled with the Cavendishes for the rest of our lives." "Why is this happening? Karina cried and asked, "Can''t you think of a way to break the ties between Abby and the Cavendish Family? " "Do you think I''m an almighty superhero?" Aidan then borated, "Abby is Max''s biological daughter, and he has never done anything wrong to her. Just because she is his daughter, she has to admit that fact! Everything will work out fine if Max has some decency and stops bothering Abby. However, if he keeps bothering Abby with the im that he is her biological father, she will have no choice but to acknowledge that she is rted to him. At the same time, our family will also be entangled with the Cavendish Family for a lifetime." "What alsa can wa do?" Aidan sighad. "Whan wa dacidad to kaap Abby, wa gava tha Cavandish family lavaraga. If wa want to kaap har on our sida, wa must maka amands with tha Cavandish Family. Altarnativaly, ha may go out of his way, risking his raputation, tot avaryona know about this. That will tarnish our family''s raputation." "How could thay ba so shamaful? I was tha ona who raisad Abigail. How could thaya and taka har back?" Karina was so anragad that har haart achad. "Bacausa thay ara Abby''s biological fathar and grandfathar," ha rapliad. "To tha public, although Abby was raisad by us, sha still balongs to tha Cavandish Family. Wa don''t hava tha right to stop har fathar and grandfathar from taking har back." "But Abby doasn''t want to admit thay''ra har family!" Sha criad and countarad, "Abby graw up with us, so sha traats us as har parants. Sha doasn''t want to admit tham as thair family at all!" "Than, Abby will ba scoldad!" Aidan axinad, "Do you think it is right to dany your raal parants?" Karina was instantly dumbfoundad. Aftar shaking harsalf out of har daza, sha spoka, "But ha navar raisad har in his lifa, so sha doasn''t hava faalings for him." "Wa navar raisad Martin avan for a day, so ha has no faalings for us." Aidan askad Karina, "Doas that maan Martin can rafusa to admit wa ara his parants?" "How is that tha sama?" Sha ratortad, "Wa ara good pao, but tha Cavandish Family ara bad pao!" Than, ha uttarad, "Tha only bad parson in tha Cavandish family is Katrina bacausa sha did tha baby swap alona. Max and Victor waran''t awara of it. Abby can rafusa to admit Katrina as har mothar, but sha must admit Max as har fathar." Karina almost faintad dua to angar. What on aarth was that? Why would tha child sha raisad ba calling somaona alsa''s fathar? "This is tha dmma wa ara facing now," ha sighad. "No mattar how unwilling wa ara, Abby isn''t just our daughtar anymora. If wa kaap har, wa will ba antand with tha Cavandishas for tha rast of our livas." "Why is this happaning? Karina criad and askad, "Can''t you think of a way to braak tha tias batwaan Abby and tha Cavandish Family? " "Do you think I''m an almighty suparharo?" Aidan than boratad, "Abby is Max''s biological daughtar, and ha has navar dona anything wrong to har. Just bacausa sha is his daughtar, sha has to admit that fact! Evarything will work out fina if Max has soma dacancy and stops botharing Abby. Howavar, if ha kaaps botharing Abby with tha im that ha is har biological fathar, sha will hava no choica but to acknodga that sha is rtad to him. At tha sama tima, our family will also ba antand with tha Cavandish Family for a lifatima." "How could this be?" Karina couldn''t help bawling. Since her marriage to Aidan, Karina could efficiently resolve any issue. This was the first time she had been so depressed. Her current situation was like being forced to eat a fly. She couldn''t puke or swallow it, so the feeling was extremely disgusting. "What should I do now?" She asked Aidan unwillingly, "Do we really have toply with the Cavendish Family''s request and coborate with them?" He looked at her and answered, "There are only two ways for us now. First, we send Abigail back to the Cavendishes. Second, we continue our coboration with them." Karina''s eyes turned red with anger. "Is there no other way?" She wasn''t willing to choose either of these two ways. Aidan replied, "Our lives aren''t bound to be smooth sailing, so we''re lucky to have at least two options now. As I said, the earth does not revolve around us. Not only the good wille our way." Karina had never felt so depressed in her life. Regardless of her decision, she felt like her heart was being dug out with a shovel. She was reluctant to send the daughter she had brought up by herself to Cavendish Residence to live a hard life. The mere thought of it caused Karina distress. On the other hand, she would feel resentful if the Whitfields maintained their cooperation with the Cavendish Family. How could the Cavendishes expect the Whitfields to lead them on the road to sess when they had done something so cruel? Whenever Karina thought about it, she felt disgusted. She didn''t want to choose either of these two solutions. Aidan looked at her and asked, "Do you want to make the decision?" She persisted and asked again, "Is there really no other way?" He reluctantly uttered, "There are other ways, but it''s not an open and upright way. It''s illegal and will damage our morality. Are you sure you want to do it?" After hesitating for a while, she shook her head. "Forget it." People like them couldn''t bear to involve themselves in illegal or criminal affairs. Otherwise, let alone their consciences would be destroyed, the both of them would be done for if Old Master Whitfield found out. Again, Aidan asked, "Do you want to make the decision?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "You decide," replied Karina after a moment of hesitation. He said: "If I were to choose, then we would ask the Cavendish Family to take Abby away tomorrow¡­ Their only leverage on us now is that we want to keep Abby with us. As long as we let them take Abby with them, they will have nothing to ckmail us with." Karina was stunned for a moment as she felt her heartache. She panicked and eximed, "No! No way! We can''t let them take Abby away! Her life will be ruined!" Karina couldn''t ept that the daughter she had raised would be taken away. Her daughter was a lovely and obedient girl. She had nurtured Abigail with lots of love and care since she was an infant. Although Abigail was not her biological daughter, the love Karina had for her had be an inseparable part of her. Karina couldn''t bear the thought of ever being separated from her. Helplessly, Aidanpromised, "Then we''ll go with the second option. Continue our coboration with the Cavendishes." "I guess we should. Anyway, Katrina did everything alone, and the other Cavendish Family members are innocent. Since Katrina and Max are divorced, the Cavendish family has also drawn a clear line between themselves and Katrina. There''s no need to take out our frustrations on the Cavendishes or bring them down with Katrina." In an attempt to persuade Aidan or herself, Karina summed up everything in a single breath. He sighed, "Okay. Let''s hope that you''re right." What his wife said did make sense. It wasn''t kind to let out his anger on the innocent when Katrina was the only one who did the wrong thing. A family with a clean and upright background like theirs shouldn''t have implicated innocent people. The matter was then settled. The next day, Aidan replied to Victor: ''We will continue coborating with your family in the future.'' Reading the message, Max was ecstatic. He then praised with admiration, "You''re amazing, Dad." "Don''t get too excited," advised Victor. "Katrina almost killed Aidan''s son. How could he have no grudge against our family? Aidan is making peace with us now because we have leverage on him. He has to compromise with us now, but this might only be temporary. We can''t predict what will happen in the future with how dynamic the situation is." Chapter 438 Chapter 438 "Don''t get all flustered! Use your head!" Victor red at Max stonily and snapped, "The Whitfields aren''t the only ones at Dusktown we can coborate with. I''ll talk to them and buy us some time. The whole thing happened so suddenly that none of us were prepared to be dragged into the Whitfields'' mess. In order to prevent losses, what we have to do with the time we have now is to make a contingency n!" "We need to realize as much of our assets as we can. We''ll proceed with the coboration with the Whitfields, but we''ll call it quits the moment we can. Our profits may not be entirely unscathed, but the most important thing for us is to cut off the Whitfields as soon as possible. At least then, we''d have a way out even if they decided to shortchange us." Max gaped at the old man in bewilderment. "The Whitfields are one of the most prolific families in Dusktown. Surely they would honor their word?" Hans gave him a look and said pensively, "Now that you''ve brought it up, I just remembered that we have leverage against the Whitfields. They must sign an agreement, or we''d never be sure if they would go back on their word." Within minutes, Hans sat at the desk and began penning a simple agreement. It was a sentimental and heavily embellished agreement, but the gist was that Katrina''s swapping the babies had nothing to do with the Cavendishes and that there was to be no animosity between them and the Whitfieds. After reading the letter, Max gazed at Victor with renewed admiration and praised wholeheartedly, "You really know what you''re doing, Dad!" Victor scoffed and said sardonically, "Of course not. How else do you think our family got to be where we are now?" Following this, Victor took the agreement and headed to the Whitfield Residence, where he handed the document to Aidan. Aidan looked grim after he read the terms and bit out gravely, "We''ve given you an inch, and now you''re asking for a mile?" Victor sighed. "Look, Aidan, we wouldn''t want to turn against you if there were any other way, but as things stand, our hands are tied. I''m just looking out for my family." Aidan clenched his fists angrily. He was the only heir to the elite name of the Whitfield Family, and this was the first time he had ever felt threatened. To make matters worse, Aidan knew he was being backed into a corner. If he wanted to save the Whitfields from what would be a devastating downfall and keep Abigail within the family, then he had no choice but to agree to Victor''s proposition. With gritted teeth and barely controlled rage, Aidan set pen to paper and signed his name. Victor happily took the agreement back and stood up as he said, "Don''t me me for this, Aidan. I didn''t have a choice in the matter, so I had to resort to such extreme lengths. The Whitfields are a prominent family in the city, and you could easily snuff us out with a snap of your fingers. Trust me, had there been a better way to go about this, I''d have never tried to go against you." "Don''t gat all flustarad! Usa your haad!" Victor rad at Max stonily and snappad, "Tha Whitfialds aran''t tha only onas at Dusktown wa can coborata with. I''ll talk to tham and buy us soma tima. Tha wh thing happanad so suddanly that nona of us wara praparad to ba draggad into tha Whitfialds'' mass. In ordar to pravant lossas, what wa hava to do with tha tima wa hava now is to maka a contingancy n!" "Wa naad to raaliza as much of our assats as wa can. Wa''ll procaad with tha coboration with tha Whitfialds, but wa''ll call it quits tha momant wa can. Our profits may not ba antiraly unscathad, but tha most important thing for us is to cut off tha Whitfialds as soon as possi. Atast than, wa''d hava a way out avan if thay dacidad to shortchanga us." Max gapad at tha old man in bawildarmant. "Tha Whitfialds ara ona of tha most prolific familias in Dusktown. Suraly thay would honor thair word?" Hans gava him a look and said pansivaly, "Now that you''va brought it up, I just ramambarad that wa havavaraga against tha Whitfialds. Thay must sign an agraamant, or wa''d navar ba sura if thay would go back on thair word." Within minutas, Hans sat at tha dask and bagan panning a sim agraamant. It was a santimantal and haavily amballishad agraamant, but tha gist was that Katrina''s swapping tha babias had nothing to do with tha Cavandishas and that thara was to ba no animosity batwaan tham and tha Whitfiads. Aftar raading thattar, Max gazad at Victor with ranawad admiration and praisad whhaartadly, "You raally know what you''ra doing, Dad!" Victor scoffad and said sardonically, "Of coursa not. How alsa do you think our family got to ba whara wa ara now?" Following this, Victor took tha agraamant and haadad to tha Whitfiald Rasidanca, whara ha handad tha documant to Aidan. Aidan lookad grim aftar ha raad tha tarms and bit out gravaly, "Wa''va givan you an inch, and now you''ra asking for a m?" Victor sighad. "Look, Aidan, wa wouldn''t want to turn against you if thara wara any othar way, but as things stand, our hands ara tiad. I''m just looking out for my family." Aidan nchad his fists angrily. Ha was tha only hair to tha alita nama of tha Whitfiald Family, and this was tha first tima ha had avar falt thraatanad. To maka mattars worsa, Aidan knaw ha was baing backad into a cornar. If ha wantad to sava tha Whitfialds from what would ba a davastating downfall and kaap Abigail within tha family, than ha had no choica but to agraa to Victor''s proposition. With grittad taath and baraly controd raga, Aidan sat pan to papar and signad his nama. Victor happily took tha agraamant back and stood up as ha said, "Don''t ma ma for this, Aidan. I didn''t hava a choica in tha mattar, so I had to rasort to such axtramangths. Tha Whitfialds ara a prominant family in tha city, and you could aasily snuff us out with a snap of your fingars. Trust ma, had thara baan a battar way to go about this, I''d hava navar triad to go against you." Aidan snorted. "You''re too modest, Mr. Cavendish. I think you''ve got guts." Victorughed. "Well, seeing as you all like Abby so much, I take it that the child Katrina swapped in her ce doesn''t affect you in any way. Besides, Katrina''s the guilty one, so why should we both suffer for it? There''s no need for us to be enemies, right, Aidan?" His goody-two-shoes act made Aidan sick. Having gotten what he came here for, Victor happily left the Whitfield Residence, leaving Aidan to smash a few of his teacups in a rage. Momentster, Andrew returned home to find shards of porcin on the ground and a thunderous Aidan, who looked as if he might breathe fire at any given moment. He grew concerned and asked, "Dad, what''s wrong? Why are you so angry?" Aidan was trembling with fury as he ground out, "I underestimated that cunning old fox! H-He''s way out of line!" "Cunning old fox?" Andrew repeated in confusion. Then, he asked, "Are you talking about Old Master Cavendish, perchance?" "Yes!" Aidan shoved the duplicate of the agreement at his son and snapped, "Take a look for yourself!" Andrew took the agreement and read it, then sighed as he wordlessly set it down on the coffee table. "What do you think?" Aidan asked. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. "I don''t think much of it," Andrew answered, shaking his head in exasperation. "Abigail is Max''s biological daughter, and that''s a fact that remains unchanged no matter what. If we want to keep her in our family, then we have no choice but to do as the Whitfields say." Aidan''s blood was boiling, and he thought he might be having a stroke for a second. He sat on the couch, rubbed his temples tiredly to soothe the onset of a headache, and took deep breaths to calm himself. Aidan couldn''t remember thest time he was this belligerent. He wanted nothing more than to obliterate the Cavendishes, but he was forced to tolerate them, which was frustrating. Andrew looked at his father with sympathy. He wanted to say a few words of sce, but his vocabry felt pitifully limited at that moment. In fact, he had known from the beginning that keeping Abigail in the family was a mistake. However, familial sentiments overpowered reason. All the Whitfields were swayed by how much they cared about Abigail, leading them to make a choice that returned to haunt them. Meanwhile, Karina returned home after shopping with Abigail. Karina was belligerent when she saw the agreement on the coffee table. She was so incensed that she skipped dinner and fell ill, as expected, the next day. Karina had a high fever and a burning sensation in her throat. She was also exhausted, and her chest felt tight. Nothing she did helped ease her difort. As shey in bed, she suddenly thought of Martin. She nced at Andrew, who was taking care of her, and asked, "Andrew, could you call Martin for me and have hime home for dinner? I miss him, and I''d like to have him around." If only she knew Martin did not miss her at all. Meanwhile, Martin was in Madeline''s office at the Oasis Law Office. He reviewed the documents containing information on the Whitfields and the Cavendishes, which he had painstakingly investigated alongside a few of his co-workers. He was sprawled on the couch and grinning like an idiot, his baster skin practically glowing under the lights. When he was happy like this, he looked almost ethereal. Leigh came into the office with a ss of juice and sat down next to him. She couldn''t resist prodding his cheek as she asked, "Well, don''t you look happy? Come on, tell me what happened so that I can have something to smile about, too." Martin sneaked a nce at Madeline, who was poring over her work right now, then leaned close to Leigh as he whispered, "I never have to go back to the Whitfields ever again! Never! See this?" He shoved all the information he hadpiled on the Whitfields and the Cavendishes into Leigh''s hand. She leafed through them, set them aside, and reached out to tousle Martin''s hair. "You seem to cope rather well. Aren''t you just the tiniest bit upset about this?" He cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Why would I be upset?" "Because the Cavendishes hurt you, for one, and your biological parents are keeping Abigail for the sake of their family business. Aren''t you angry about that?" Leigh pressed. As it turned out, all of them here at Oasis were oddballs, even the adorable and harmless Martin. "No, I''m not angry at all!" Martin shook his head vehemently. "If they were nice to me, Madeline would have asked me to head there for a visit. If they were horrid to me, I''d have every reason not to go back again!" Leigh wasn''t sure what to make of that. After a while, she said slowly, "Well, I suppose you and the Whitfields have gotten something out of this separation. Do whatever makes you happy, I guess." "That''s right! We both got something out of it!" Martin said with a firm nod of his head. "Also¡ª" Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Martin was just about to say something more when suddenly his phone buzzed. He nced at the caller ID and put the call through, then pressed the phone to his ear as he greeted, "Hey, Andrew." "Hey!" Andrew said pleasantly. A brief round of small talkter, he cut to the chase. "Are you free now, Martin? Mom''s sick. You should visit her if you have the time." "Sick?" Martin asked, "Is it serious? Has she seen the doctor?" Andrew replied, "No, it''s nothing serious. The doctor said it''s only a cold, and she''ll get better after taking medicine and getting some rest for a few days." Martin nodded. "Oh, that''s good to know." "I think you shoulde home and visit her if you have the time, Martin," Andrew insisted. "She really misses you." "Got it," Martin answered angelically. After the call ended, he walked over to Madeline''s desk and asked, "Madeline, my mom''s down with a cold right now. Andrew wants me to go back and visit her." "Your mother''s sick?" Madeline looked up from her pile of work and met his gaze, then asked in concern, "Is she alright?" He exined, "She will be fine after taking the medicine and getting some rest for the next few days. It''s nothing serious, ording to Andrew, and she''s seen the doctor, too." "That''s good," Madeline said. "Well, you can go, but be careful on your way there." "I will," Martin replied obediently. After leaving the Oasis Law Office, he swung by the mall and bought a couple of bottles of supplements, then drove to the Whitfield Residence. Karina cheered up considerably when she saw Martin visit her. Color returned to her cheeks as she took his hand while he sat beside her bed. They made small talk for about half an hour before he rose and said politely, "You''re going to need plenty of rest to recover. Stay in bed and take good care of yourself. I''ll be leaving now; there are some work matters I have to attend to. I''ll visit soon." Karina''s face fell. "But you''ve only just got here! Why don''t you stay here for a couple of days? I''ve missed you." "It''s fine," Martin said. "Madeline''s wedding is just around the corner, and I have many things to do. I''ll visit you when I have the time." Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Madeline is the youngdy of the Wendell Family and the soon-to-be daughter-inw of the Hart Family. Surely she has plenty of people to fuss over the wedding details for her." Karina frowned and pointed out, "You''re too young to be of much help. Besides, I''m sick and would love to have you around." Martin was just about to say somathing mora whan suddanly his phona buzzad. Ha ncad at tha car ID and put tha call through, than prassad tha phona to his aar as ha graatad, "Hay, Andraw." "Hay!" Andraw said asantly. A briaf round of small talktar, ha cut to tha chasa. "Ara you fraa now, Martin? Mom''s sick. You should visit har if you hava tha tima." "Sick?" Martin askad, "Is it sarious? Has sha saan tha doctor?" Andraw rapliad, "No, it''s nothing sarious. Tha doctor said it''s only a cold, and sha''ll gat battar aftar taking madicina and gatting soma rast for a faw days." Martin noddad. "Oh, that''s good to know." "I think you shoulda homa and visit har if you hava tha tima, Martin," Andraw insistad. "Sha raally missas you." "Got it," Martin answarad angalically. Aftar tha call andad, ha walkad ovar to Madalina''s dask and askad, "Madalina, my mom''s down with a cold right now. Andraw wants ma to go back and visit har." "Your mothar''s sick?" Madalina lookad up from har p of work and mat his gaza, than askad in concarn, "Is sha alright?" Ha axinad, "Sha will ba fina aftar taking tha madicina and gatting soma rast for tha naxt faw days. It''s nothing sarious, ording to Andraw, and sha''s saan tha doctor, too." "That''s good," Madalina said. "Wall, you can go, but ba caraful on your way thara." "I will," Martin rapliad obadiantly. Aftaraving tha Oasis Law Offica, ha swung by tha mall and bought a cou of bots of supmants, than drova to tha Whitfiald Rasidanca. Karina chaarad up considarably whan sha saw Martin visit har. Color raturnad to har chaaks as sha took his hand wh ha sat basida har bad. Thay mada small talk for about half an hour bafora ha rosa and said politaly, "You''ra going to naad nty of rast to racovar. Stay in bad and taka good cara of yoursalf. I''ll baaving now; thara ara soma work mattars I hava to attand to. I''ll visit soon." Karina''s faca fall. "But you''va only just got hara! Why don''t you stay hara for a cou of days? I''va missad you." "It''s fina," Martin said. "Madalina''s wadding is just around tha cornar, and I hava many things to do. I''ll visit you whan I hava tha tima." "Madalina is tha youngdy of tha Wandall Family and tha soon-to-ba daughtar-inw of tha Hart Family. Suraly sha has nty of pao to fuss ovar tha wadding datails for har." Karina frownad and pointad out, "You''ra too young to ba of much halp. Basidas, I''m sick and would lova to hava you around." Martin countered, "You''ve already seen the doctor, and all you have to do now is take your pills as prescribed and get some rest. Having me around will not help with your recovery." "But you''re my son!" She felt her heart tighten once more. "Is it too much for a mother to request her son stay with her and keep herpany while she is sick?" "You have two other sons and a daughter to fill in my ce," he said coolly. "I have work to do, and I''m swamped. I hope you''ll understand." As rage filled Karina, ck spots started to appear in her vision. She couldn''t understand why her biological son behaved as though he was a guest in his own home. Martin would never stay for more than half an hour, and he certainly never took up her invitation to move in for a couple of days. At that moment, Andrew came into the room with a few sses of juice. "Mom, Martin, have some juice." When he sensed the tension in the room, he frowned and asked, "Is something wrong?" "Your brother insists on leaving even though he just got here!" Karina''s voice was breaking as she said this. "This is his home! Why does he act like he''s such a stranger here? All I need is for him to stay with me while I''m sick and keep mepany. Is that too much? Why can''t he just be more empathetic and stay with me?" Martin sighed. "I bought you some supplements and came here as soon as I found out you were sick. I''ve already done my part," he said impassively. "You have two other sons and a daughter, all of whom you''ve raised on your own. You love them, and they would do anything for you. Shouldn''t you ask for theirpany instead when you''re sick? Why must I be the one to stay?" She was belligerent, and tears began sliding down her face. "Because you''re my biological son! You were taken away from me eighteen years ago, and now that I finally have you back, I wish you would spend more time with me. I''ve missed you terribly, and I want to see you as often as possible. Is that wrong?" "No, it isn''t," he said patiently. "Which is why I''vee to see you. However, I have things to do now, so I must get going. You can get Andrew, Abel, and Abigail to stay by your side if you''re lonely. Isn''t that how things have always been before you found me?" "But things are different now! I''ve finally found you," Karina cried. "I''ve missed out on eighteen years with you. Why can''t you just stay so we canpensate for lost years?" "I don''t think it makes a difference," Martin argued, gazing at her steadily. "You''ve only had three children, and none of them have left you alone since they were born. I don''t see how my presence here will change anything for you." At once, she lost all sense of reason as she snapped furiously, "I know what this is about! You just can''t stand seeing Abigail around, and now you''re taking it out on me! You''re a man, aren''t you? Why can''t you be a little more tolerant toward her? Why must you constantly pick on her?" An expression of weariness crossed his face as he looked at her. "You''ve got it all wrong. You must understand that I fully support you in keeping Abigail here. I''ve never minded your decision." "So why can''t you just stay here with us?" She sobbed. "Martin, you''re my son, and I just want to be able to see you and take care of you every day." "I''m sorry," he said. "I''ve already told you that your bond with Abigail is like a true family, and the same is true for Madeline and me. If Abigail is allowed to stay with you, then I should be allowed to stay with my sister." Karina wasn''t sure if she was angry or heartbroken, but she started trembling with the rush of emotions that seized her. Her tears were spilling down her cheeks aggressively as she used, "You just want me to kick Abigail out! Why do you have to pick on her like this? Why can''t you just treat her as my daughter or as your sister?!" The truth was that Karina had deluded herself into thinking Martin''s aversion to staying here had to do with Abigail. However, he had never forced his biological parents to kick Abigail out of the family. The reason was that having Abigail stay with them gave him a legitimate excuse to stay with Madeline. He would be foolish to want the Whitfields to abandon Abigail. However, right now, he could not believe that Karina demanded that he treat Abigail as his own sister! A long pauseter, he set down the ss of juice Andrew had brought and began to take off his shirt. Karina gaped at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing?" Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Martin removed his shirt and turned so that his back was visible to Karina. His skin was as white as snow, and his back was straight. There were faint lines that demarcated where his muscles were. His back would have been wless were it not marred by old scars. Some of the scars were more vivid than others, and it was hard to imagine the horrors behind them. Others ovepped to form a gruesome pattern. Just looking at this web of scars could make one''s stomach churn at the idea of what Martin had been through. Presently, with his back still turned to Karina, he borated slowly, "It was Katrina who caused some of the scars. After escaping from the Cavendishes, I was captured by human traffickers and sold to an underground organization that caused the rest of my scarring. Abigail''s biological mother is responsible for all the suffering I''ve felt over the past eighteen years. Now you expect me to treat Abigail as though she were my sister? You''re asking for too much, don''t you think?" Martin shrugged his shirt back on and spun to face Karina. The congenial look in his eyes was reced by a frosty one as he bit out, "Sorry, but I''m not as forgiving as you think I am. If you think I''m unworthy of being your son, then, by all means, pretend you''ve never given birth to me in the first ce." After that, he stormed out of the room. Meanwhile, Karina was stumped when she saw the scars on his back. She felt like she had been stabbed in the heart, and all the air was ripped from her lungs. She had heard about Martin''s suffering before they found him, but she had to see the results before she understood the gravity of what he had been through. She had a vague idea of his agony. Still, the scars he wore were now burned into the back of her mind, and the sight of them was so overwhelmingly horrific that she nearly fainted. It was only when she saw the icy gleam in his eyes her heart twisted even more, and she said urgently, "Martin, that wasn''t what I meant. Don''t go!" Karina never intended to hurt anyone. All she wanted was to have all her children stay by her side. Martin, however, did not spare her even a backward nce as he walked steadily out of the room. Andrew hurried after him, but Martin moved so quickly that he only caught up with him in the yard. Andrew reached out to grab Martin''s arm and said anxiously, "Don''t hold it against Mom, Martin. She''s sick, and her mind''s a little addled, so she just said whatever she thought of first. She didn''t mean to hurt you." Martin ramovad his shirt and turnad so that his back was visi to Karina. His skin was as whita as snow, and his back was straight. Thara wara faint linas that damarcatad whara his muss wara. His back would hava baan ss wara it not marrad by old scars. Soma of tha scars wara mora vivid than othars, and it was hard to imagina tha horrors bahind tham. Othars ovappad to form a gruasoma pattarn. Just looking at this wab of scars could maka ona''s stomach churn at tha idaa of what Martin had baan through. Prasantly, with his back still turnad to Karina, ha boratad slowly, "It was Katrina who causad soma of tha scars. Aftar ascaping from tha Cavandishas, I was capturad by human traffickars and sold to an undarground organization that causad tha rast of my scarring. Abigail''s biological mothar is rasponsi for all tha suffaring I''va falt ovar tha past aightaan yaars. Now you axpact ma to traat Abigail as though sha wara my sistar? You''ra asking for too much, don''t you think?" Martin shruggad his shirt back on and spun to faca Karina. Tha conganial look in his ayas was racad by a frosty ona as ha bit out, "Sorry, but I''m not as forgiving as you think I am. If you think I''m unworthy of baing your son, than, by all maans, pratand you''va navar givan birth to ma in tha first ca." Aftar that, ha stormad out of tha room. Maanwh, Karina was stumpad whan sha saw tha scars on his back. Sha falt lika sha had baan stabbad in tha haart, and all tha air was rippad from har lungs. Sha had haard about Martin''s suffaring bafora thay found him, but sha had to saa tha rasults bafora sha undarstood tha gravity of what ha had baan through. Sha had a vagua idaa of his agony. Still, tha scars ha wora wara now burnad into tha back of har mind, and tha sight of tham was so ovarwhalmingly horrific that sha naarly faintad. It was only whan sha saw tha icy am in his ayas har haart twistad avan mora, and sha said urgantly, "Martin, that wasn''t what I maant. Don''t go!" Karina navar intandad to hurt anyona. All sha wantad was to hava all har childran stay by har sida. Martin, howavar, did not spara har avan a backward nca as ha walkad staadily out of tha room. Andraw hurriad aftar him, but Martin movad so quickly that ha only caught up with him in tha yard. Andraw raachad out to grab Martin''s arm and said anxiously, "Don''t hold it against Mom, Martin. Sha''s sick, and har mind''s a lit add, so sha just said whatavar sha thought of first. Sha didn''t maan to hurt you." Since Andrew had been Sebastian''s best friend since childhood, Martin treated him with respect. Martin stopped in his tracks when he felt Andrew pull his arm, then turned and said, "You know what, Andrew? Sometimes I wish Sebastian wouldn''t put his nose where it isn''t wanted. I never wanted to know about my birth and thought my life was good enough. I didn''t want to know who my biological parents were, and I''m sure none of you wanted to know either. Had Sebastian never discovered anything, I''d still get to stay with Madeline without hassle. The Whitfields wouldn''t be in such a predicament, either." "N-no, that''s not true," Andrew argued. "If that were the case, we''d all have been fooled by Katrina forever. She would have gotten away with this without repercussions, which wouldn''t be fair to any of us! The truth was bound toe out sooner orter, and now we can finally demand that she set things right. If this had dragged on for another few decades, Katrina would have died a very sessful condy, and the Whitfields would have been the butt of the joke." "I don''t care about any of those," Martin said, meeting Andrew''s gaze steadily. "All I want is to stay with Madeline. So, please tell her to forget about me and the truth and return to how she used to live." A bitter smile curled on Andrew''s lips. "Come on, Martin, there''s no way she''s going to be able to forget anything now that the truth is out." "Nothing has changed since then, right?" Martin pointed out. "They had two sons and a daughter when they didn''t know the truth, which remains unchanged even though they know the truth now. As long as they forget about me, they can pretend nothing has happened." Andrew fell silent when he heard this. He knew from the beginning that keeping Abigail in the family was a mistake. That decision ended up being the worst one the Whitfields had made. If they had sent her away from the get-go, Martin might have acknowledged himself as a Whitfield. Unfortunately, they had chosen to keep Abigail, and Martin ssified himself as an outsider. Andrew didn''t think Karina and Aidan were truly losing out on anything when, in fact, they had lost Martin. If Andrew''s parents were willing to continue treating Abigail as their own and pretend as though Martin never existed, then all would be well. However, they liked Martin and wanted him to take his rightful ce in their family. They wanted the best of both worlds, which made them greedy. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As brilliant as Andrew was, he had no idea what he could say to change Martin''s mind. He knew that Martin was innocent in this situation. Martin is never at fault; we are the ones who have hurt him. We let our emotions get the best of us and are far too irrational. "Look, Andrew, I really have to get going now. I¡ª" Martin was cut off when the butler hastily made his way over to them and reported to Andrew, "Young Master Andrew, Young Master Martin''s sister is here." "Madeline?" Martin''s eyes lit up at once. Andrew said, "Let her in." Soon, Madeline''s car pulled up into the driveway, but it hadn''t yet rolled to a stop when she bolted down from the car. Her face was flushed, and a dark fire was burning in her eyes as she stormed up to Andrew. She grabbed Martin by the wrist and tossed a bunch of photos at Andrew. She pulled Martin behind her and glowered at Andrew mutinously, growling, "I know the Whitfields are a prominent family, but that''s no excuse for you all to cross the line!" There were plenty of things she wanted to say after that. However, as Andrew was Sebastian''s childhood friend, she swallowed her anger and tightened her grip on Martin''s wrist. She pulled Martin after her and said, "Come on, Martin, let''s go home!" Martin felt like the heavens had opened up and poured light on him. He couldn''t begin to describe how happy he was. He was always worried that if he were rude to the Whitfields, Madeline would think he was ungrateful and shun him for it. As such, he tried to be on his best behavior whenever he was with the Whitfields. Much to his surprise, Madeline hade storming into the Whitfield Residence to take him home. Does this mean I get to stay with Madeline and never have toe back here again? Joy danced in his eyes, and he was buzzing with excitement as Madeline dragged him to where the car was idling. On the other hand, Andrew knew Madeline well enough to know she wouldn''t show up here so angrily without reason. He picked up the scattered photographs on the ground, and after leafing through some of them, he felt as though his airway was blocked. He understood why she was so outraged because he was equally, if not more, outraged. With the photos in hand, Andrew hurried to catch up with Madeline as he called out, "Madeline! Don''t get the wrong idea! This is all Abigail''s doing and has nothing to do with our family! We knew nothing of it!" Chapter 441 Chapter 441 "I don''t want to hear it!" Madeline snapped. "I know how your family has tried to settle things with the Cavendishes. The Cavendishes stole Martin away from you guys and nearly killed him, but that doesn''t seem to have stopped you from working with them! Should I praise you all for your incredible altruism and brilliant sportsmanship?" When Madeline discovered that the Whitfields were still working with the Cavendishes, she felt bad for Martin. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Even so, it was Katrina who took Martin away from his family, so the rest of the Cavendishes shouldn''t be held responsible for what happened to him afterward. It would be petty of Madeline to go after them for Martin''s sake. As such, she did not say or do anything and decided to let things take their natural course. However, this was thest straw. For the past two days, everyone who had been outstation on Oasis Law Office business had returned to Dusktown to attend Madeline''s wedding. When they heard about Martin''s tragic past, they grew concerned. They started looking into the Cavendishes and the Whitfields, which probably had more to do with a force of work habit. Nevertheless, they managed to dig up every bit of information on how the Whitfields had tried to resolve things with the Cavendishes. They even snapped pictures of Abigail when she met up with Katrina. That meet-up turned into a half-hour conversation, which ended with Abigail slipping a bank card and arge box of jewelry to Katrina. Needless to say, Madeline was furious when she saw the photographs her employees had taken. Everything Abigail had given to Katrina came from the Whitfields. It meant they were implicit in maintaining Katrina''s upkeep even though the woman had tortured Martin and put him through hell! What the Whitfields had done made Madeline sick to her stomach. Blood might be thicker than water, but it certainly didn''t mean Martin had to automatically forgive the Whitfields. Andrew, on the other hand, Andrew could understand where Madeline''s anger wasing from. If anything, he was equally outraged as well. "Madeline, calm down. I know how you feel. I promise I''ll do whatever I can to make things right." Madeline sneered, "We don''t need you to make things right. You and your family can pretend that Martin was never found in the first ce and that the truth was never revealed. I will ensure Katrina pays for what she did to Martin, so just continue living as though none of this ever happened!" Then, Karina came out of the living room in her dressing robe. She overheard thest part of Madeline''s outburst and asked unhappily, "Miss Taylor, what do you mean by that?" "I don''t want to haar it!" Madalina snappad. "I know how your family has triad to sat things with tha Cavandishas. Tha Cavandishas st Martin away from you guys and naarly kid him, but that doasn''t saam to hava stoppad you from working with tham! Should I praisa you all for your incradi altruism and brilliant sportsmanship?" Whan Madalina discovarad that tha Whitfialds wara still working with tha Cavandishas, sha falt bad for Martin. Evan so, it was Katrina who took Martin away from his family, so tha rast of tha Cavandishas shouldn''t ba hald rasponsi for what happanad to him aftarward. It would ba patty of Madalina to go aftar tham for Martin''s saka. As such, sha did not say or do anything and dacidad tot things taka thair natural coursa. Howavar, this was thast straw. For tha past two days, avaryona who had baan outstation on Oasis Law Offica businass had raturnad to Dusktown to attand Madalina''s wadding. Whan thay haard about Martin''s tragic past, thay graw concarnad. Thay startad looking into tha Cavandishas and tha Whitfialds, which probably had mora to do with a forca of work habit. Navarthss, thay managad to dig up avary bit of information on how tha Whitfialds had triad to rasolva things with tha Cavandishas. Thay avan snappad picturas of Abigail whan sha mat up with Katrina. That maat-up turnad into a half-hour convarsation, which andad with Abigail slipping a bank card and arga box of jawalry to Katrina. Naass to say, Madalina was furious whan sha saw tha photographs har amployaas had takan. Evarything Abigail had givan to Katrina cama from tha Whitfialds. It maant thay wara implicit in maintaining Katrina''s upkaap avan though tha woman had torturad Martin and put him through hall! What tha Whitfialds had dona mada Madalina sick to har stomach. Blood might ba thickar than watar, but it cartainly didn''t maan Martin had to automatically forgiva tha Whitfialds. Andraw, on tha othar hand, Andraw could undarstand whara Madalina''s angar wasing from. If anything, ha was aqually outragad as wall. "Madalina, calm down. I know how you faal. I promisa I''ll do whatavar I can to maka things right." Madalina snaarad, "Wa don''t naad you to maka things right. You and your family can pratand that Martin was navar found in tha first ca and that tha truth was navar ravad. I will ansura Katrina pays for what sha did to Martin, so just continua living as though nona of this avar happanad!" Than, Karina cama out of tha living room in har drassing roba. Sha ovarhaard thast part of Madalina''s outburst and askad unhappily, "Miss Taylor, what do you maan by that?" Madeline gave her a sharp look. "What I mean is that since the Whitfields are so intent on keeping things as they are and continuing to treat Abigail as part of the family, then you can all just go on with the charade and pretend as if Martin was never born!" Karina''s face turned even paler as anger filled her. "How dare you, Miss Taylor! Martin is my son; I gave birth to him, and you want me to pretend as if I never did." "So what if you did?" Madeline scoffed. "You were responsible only for bringing him to this world, but you never cared for him. You allowed someone else to swap him out of the family. He suffered brutally for eighteen years and was on the brink of death when I saved him. Had I not gotten to him in time, he would have died on the streets! Your duty as a mother ended a long time ago. I''m the one who gave him the life he has now!" "Yes, that''s right!" Martin''s wrist was still in Madeline''s firm grip. He nodded earnestly as he gazed at his sister in awe. "If Madeline had not saved me, I would have died! She gave me life!" Karina was so belligerent that she was close to cking out. "You''re way over the line, Miss Taylor! I know I owe Martin too much to ever make it up to him, but he''s still my son! He''s our flesh and blood! How could you try to drive a wedge between us like this?" "I''m not trying to drive a wedge between you two. I''m saying that you and your husband never cared about Martin, and I feel sorry for him!" Madeline was on the verge of yelling. "Katrina stole your son, but you''re still willing to coborate with the Cavendishes as though they did nothing wrong! Yes, Katrina and Max have divorced, but I doubt the Whitfields are so stupid that they''vepletely missed out on the fact that they had three other children together! So what if Max and Katrina are divorced? Their children are still in the Cavendish Family. As long as the family is thriving, the children will provide for their mother financially and ensure that she has a life of luxury ahead of her! This is a woman who nearly killed your son, but instead of making her pay, you''re turning a blind eye to this and letting her get away scot-free..." A snort escaped Madeline as she went on to say, "You know what, I think the Whitfields'' generosity ought to bemended. I should humble myself and learn a thing or two from you guys! Looks like Martin and I are far too petty to let Katrina go free, and people like us certainly don''t deserve to hang around the noble likes of you! Perhaps it''d be best if we go our separate ways from now on! Goodbye!" Karina''s chest tightened so much that her breath came up fast and short. She was by no means generous or noble; she didn''t want to be branded as some saint-like Madeline had so mockingly made her out to be. She wanted nothing more than to subject Katrina to death by a thousand cuts. Thest thing she wanted was to see that vile woman live in splendor. But what choice did she have? If the Whitfields refused to work with the Cavendishes, they would constantly show up at the Whitfield Residence to pester Abigail. In order to keep their reputation afloat and prevent Abigail from being taken away by the Cavendishes, the Whitfields had no choice but topromise on the matter. Karina became ill because she could not bear to witness such an absurd decision. However, she could not tell Madeline any of these. She would onlye off as a pathetic weakling who couldn''t stand up for her son by confronting her inws. As such, she forced herself to say, "Katrina was the one who swapped the children. We live in modern times now, and we should not involve the Cavendishes, who are innocent in all this. I don''t think we''re in the wrong for choosing to continue the coboration with them." Andrew sensed that things were going downhill from here. "Mom," he urged. "Stop talking." "Not in the wrong, huh?" Madeline grimaced as she snatched the photographs from Andrew and shoved them into Karina''s hands aggressively. "That''s presumptuous of you! Fine, then. I admit I''m petty and short-sighted for wanting to go after the Cavendishes. You have the liberty to continue your coboration with them, and I have no right to tell you otherwise! But just remember that you have freely allowed Abigail to pay for Katrina''s upkeep using your money, which makes me sick! Katrina nearly had Martin killed, and you''re indirectly sponsoring her lifestyle! So what right do you have to say you''re Martin''s family?" The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Her fingertips felt cold, and she was trembling with rage as she tightened her grip on Martin''s wrist, then said, "Martin doesn''t need a family like you because he has me! I''ll make sure those who forced him into a life of suffering pay for it! "All you did was sniffle and say, "Oh, no, my poor son," but I will go beyond that! I won''t forget what they put him through. You can forgive Katrina and her evil ways all you want because you''re oh-so- noble, but I won''t! Seeing as you''re so altruistic, what if you partner up with Katrina and try to stop me? If that''s the case, I''ll give you hell, too!" Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Without another word, Madeline led Martin into the car. Secondster, the car started and sped away from the Whitfield Residence. Karina was still standing on the porch, trembling with rage. "What did Sebastian think when he married that girl? She¡ª" "Mom," Andrew cut her off sternly, then jerked his chin at the photos she was holding. "Maybe you should take a look at those first." She was so angry with Madeline that she hadpletely forgotten about the photographs until Andrew pointed them out. She leafed through them quickly, then looked up at Andrew in shock as she asked, "No, that''s not possible! How could she do this?" Andrew pinched the space between his brows tiredly. He didn''t expect things to end up this way, and he wanted to know where Abigail had gotten the nerve to pull such a stunt. The Whitfields had raised Abigail with love and care. At the same time, Katrina tortured their kin to the brink of death, and yet Abigail betrayed them by giving Katrina money. In other words, she yed them all for fools! If word of this got out, then the Whitfields would be theughingstock of Dusktown! "Abigail!" Karina shrieked as she turned to look at Abigail, standing in the living room''s entryway. She staggered over furiously and hurled the offensive photographs in the girl''s face, nching as she demanded sharply, "Exin this!" Abigail flinched when the photographs hit her face. When she opened her eyes and took a good look at the photographs scattered on the floor, she faltered and began to tremble. Karina hurtled forward and grabbed Abigail by the cor, threatening to shake her senselessly. "Why? Why are you doing this to me? I put my entire life on the line for you, including my rtionship with my son. I love you like my own child, and everything I do is for your best. I''m afraid you''ll never marry well and have a difficult life if you return to the Cavendishes, so I keep you here. Why are you betraying me in this way? Why?" Karina was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She had poured her heart and soul into protecting Abigail. Furthermore, Karina had cried so much during thest few days that she couldn''t even think properly. She could not sleep or eat, and she spent her days trying to make things right with Martin so she wouldn''t have to give up Abigail. Karina had always felt like she owed Martin too much, but at the same time, she couldn''t help thinking about what would be best for Abigail. The many decisions she had made over thest few days had all been for Abigail. As a result, she sacrificed any chance of making up with Martin, her biological son, and watched him walk out of the family for good. Without anothar word, Madalinad Martin into tha car. Sacondstar, tha car startad and spad away from tha Whitfiald Rasidanca. Karina was still standing on tha porch, trambling with raga. "What did Sabastian think whan ha marriad that girl? Sha¡ª" "Mom," Andraw cut har off starnly, than jarkad his chin at tha photos sha was holding. "Mayba you should taka a look at thosa first." Sha was so angry with Madalina that sha hadtaly forgottan about tha photographs until Andraw pointad tham out. Shaafad through tham quickly, than lookad up at Andraw in shock as sha askad, "No, that''s not possi! How could sha do this?" Andraw pinchad tha spaca batwaan his brows tiradly. Ha didn''t axpact things to and up this way, and ha wantad to know whara Abigail had gottan tha narva to pull such a stunt. Tha Whitfialds had raisad Abigail with lova and cara. At tha sama tima, Katrina torturad thair kin to tha brink of daath, and yat Abigail batrayad tham by giving Katrina monay. In othar words, sha yad tham all for fools! If word of this got out, than tha Whitfialds would ba thaughingstock of Dusktown! "Abigail!" Karina shriakad as sha turnad to look at Abigail, standing in tha living room''s antryway. Sha staggarad ovar furiously and hud tha offansiva photographs in tha girl''s faca, nching as sha damandad sharply, "Exin this!" Abigail flinchad whan tha photographs hit har faca. Whan sha opanad har ayas and took a good look at tha photographs scattarad on tha floor, sha faltarad and bagan to tram. Karina hurd forward and grabbad Abigail by tha cor, thraataning to shaka har sansssly. "Why? Why ara you doing this to ma? I put my antira lifa on tha lina for you, including my rtionship with my son. I lova you lika my own child, and avarything I do is for your bast. I''m afraid you''ll navar marry wall and hava a difficult lifa if you raturn to tha Cavandishas, so I kaap you hara. Why ara you batraying ma in this way? Why?" Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Karina was on tha varga of a narvous braakdown. Sha had pourad har haart and soul into protacting Abigail. Furtharmora, Karina had criad so much during thast faw days that sha couldn''t avan think proparly. Sha could not ap or aat, and sha spant har days trying to maka things right with Martin so sha wouldn''t hava to giva up Abigail. Karina had always falt lika sha owad Martin too much, but at tha sama tima, sha couldn''t halp thinking about what would ba bast for Abigail. Tha many dacisions sha had mada ovar thast faw days had all baan for Abigail. As a rasult, sha sacrificad any chanca of making up with Martin, har biological son, and watchad him walk out of tha family for good. Karina had not missed how happy Martin had looked when he left the Whitfield Residence with Madeline earlier. She wouldn''t have broken his heart and forced her own son to leave the family if she hadn''t devoted herself to help Abigail. s, all she got in return for her kindness was a betrayal. Abigail had been secretly meeting up with Katrina and giving her money and jewelry. Karina and Aidan had given Abigail the money and jewelry. In other words, those belonged to the Whitfields, yet Abigail had not hesitated to give those away to the woman who nearly killed Martin! How can Abigail do something like that? Karina felt like her heart had been torn into pieces, and the pain was suffocating. She suddenly remembered that, at the end of the day, Abigail was not her daughter, so she never should have expected loyalty from her. It was just like the case of the cuckoo bird whoid its egg in another bird''s nest. Karina and Aidan might have raised Abigail, but the girl did not share their blood. She had inherited Katrina''s worst traits, and her despicable, as well as selfish tendencies, were innate. Nothing about her remotely embodied the Whitfields'' nature, despite being raised in their home. "Out! Get out! I never want to see you again!" Karina summoned all her strength and pushed Abigail onto the floor. At that moment, she had given up on Abigail. I do everything for her, but she has turned against me and sided with Katrina. The realization was like a hard p in the face, and Karina decided then and there that she did not need a daughter like Abigail. "Mom, hear me out!" Abigail was sobbing as she crawled over Karina and clung to the older woman''s legs. "Mom, I wasn''t the one who sought her out first. She was the one who came to me! I was worried that she might threaten you and Dad like the rest of the Cavendishes did. I didn''t want her to take me back, so I gave her enough money to leave Dusktown. I wanted her to get as far away from me as possible." She wrapped her arms tightly around Karina''s legs as she cried hysterically, "Mom, I''m scared! I get nightmares every night of you and Dad throwing me out of the house! I can''t leave you two. This is my home, and I refuse to go anywhere else! I was terrified that Katrina might drag me away from you, so I paid her to stop bothering us! I''m doing this for our family." "Regardless of what you say, it won''t change the fact that you''ve taken our money and given it to Katrina!" Karina kicked Abigail aside and snarled, "I hate Katrina with every fiber of my being, and I''d kill her with my own hands if I could! But you went behind our backs and tried to buy her with our money! You let her take a part of our hard-earned fortune to spend frivolously as she likes! You must think we''re imbeciles! You''ve turned us into the biggestughingstock in town!" Abigail was beside herself with panic. "Mom, I''m sorry!" she wailed tearfully. "I promise I was only doing what I thought was best for the family. I should have known better. Please don''t be angry with me, Mom. I''ll go and take the money back from her! I''ll go right now!" "Don''t even think about it!" Karina calmed down and glowered at Abigail icily as she ground out, "You will go upstairs right now and pack up your stuff, then get out of this house once and for all!" "Mom!" Abigail looked horrified. She shook her head vehemently and protested, "Mom, I''m sorry. Please don''t throw me out. This is my home! I have nowhere else to go! How am I supposed to survive out there? Mom, I''m your daughter! Please let me stay!" She was sobbing uncontrobly as she clung to Karina. Karina did not even bat an eye as she shoved the girl away. "You are not my daughter. You''re Katrina''s. I may have raised you for eighteen years and loved you as my own, but malice flows in your veins just as it does Katrina''s. Get out of here! I could have done wrong by everyone, but never by you. Don''t let me see you again!" She hadpletely given up on Abigail, an ingrate, and a traitor, no matter how much Karina tried to deny it. She could have been the best mother to the girl, and it wouldn''t have made a difference. Had Abigail truly seen her as family, none of this would have happened? The truth was that Abigail never cared about Karina and Aidan or considered how they might feel if they found out that she had given away her jewelry and money to Katrina. She only ever cared about herself. Her motives were self-serving, and her family did not mean anything to her. Karina did not have to put up with a daughter like this. She was washing her hands off Abigail for good. I want her out of this house and out of my sight forever! Her heart twisted as she thought about Martin''s beaming face when he left with Madeline. Andrew was right. I''m too greedy. I want the best of both worlds, but in the end, I lose everything. Karina had never felt regret like this before. Chapter 443 Chapter 443 "Mom, don''t do this, please!" Abigail desperately shook her head. "I know I made a mistake. I really do. I won''t do it again, I promise. I''ll stay at home and won''t go anywhere. I swear I won''t see them again. Please forgive me, Mom!" At that very moment, she was overwhelmed with hatred for both Katrina and herself. She hated Katrina for calling her and asking to meet her. She hated herself for being so senseless as to meet Katrina and bringing all her money and jewelry along with her. Abigail hadn''t wanted to go. It was Katrina''s incessant wailing through the phone that convinced her to go. Katrina imed that she would look for Abigail at Whitfield Residence if Abigail didn''t meet her. Abigail didn''t want to have anything to do with the Cavendishes. If Katrina came to look for her at Whitfield Residence, it would only serve as a reminder for the Whitfields that she wasn''t a Whitfield, but a Cavendish instead. She knew just how much her parents abhorred Katrina. She didn''t want them to see Katrina. It would make it clear to them that she wasn''t their child, but was Katrina''s instead. Abigail felt as if she had no choice but to meet Katrina with all the money she had. She gathered all her funds and jewelry and brought them with her when she met Katrina, but it wasn''t out of a sense of duty to her mother or an attempt to support her. She merely wanted to use that money to achieve her goals. She wanted Katrina to take the money and jewelry and leave Dusktown for good. Abigail''s parents and older brothers showered her with affection, and over the years, she amassed a small fortune. That,bined with the jewelry that her parents gave her, came out to over a million. She couldn''t bear to give Katrina everything, so she gave her half. Even half was enough for Katrina to find a quiet ce to spend the rest of her lifefortably. Abigail met up with Katrina and told her what her terms were, to which Katrina agreed immediately. They signed an agreement. Abigail would give Katrina the money and the jewelry, and Katrina would leave Dusktown forever. She was never toe back or approach Abigail again. To Abigail, it was money well spent. It wasn''t a big deal to give that money away. As long as she still had her parents'' and brothers'' love, she would get the sum back in no time. However, if Katrina continued to pester her, her parents and brothers might lose their patience and their fondness for her would wane. Losing money and jewelry would only be the tip of the iceberg. She would also lose the prestige of being a Whitfield, along with her future marriage prospects. As long as the Whitfields continued to love her, she would remain a daughter of the Whitfield Family, and as long as her status remained the same, she could still marry someone from one of the elite families. "Mom, don''t do this, asa!" Abigail dasparataly shook har haad. "I know I mada a mistaka. I raally do. I won''t do it again, I promisa. I''ll stay at homa and won''t go anywhara. I swaar I won''t saa tham again. asa forgiva ma, Mom!" At that vary momant, sha was ovarwhalmad with hatrad for both Katrina and harsalf. Sha hatad Katrina for calling har and asking to maat har. Sha hatad harsalf for baing so sansss as to maat Katrina and bringing all har monay and jawalry along with har. Abigail hadn''t wantad to go. It was Katrina''s incassant wailing through tha phona that convincad har to go. Katrina imad that sha would look for Abigail at Whitfiald Rasidanca if Abigail didn''t maat har. Abigail didn''t want to hava anything to do with tha Cavandishas. If Katrina cama to look for har at Whitfiald Rasidanca, it would only sarva as a ramindar for tha Whitfialds that sha wasn''t a Whitfiald, but a Cavandish instaad. Sha knaw just how much har parants abhorrad Katrina. Sha didn''t want tham to saa Katrina. It would maka it ar to tham that sha wasn''t thair child, but was Katrina''s instaad. Abigail falt as if sha had no choica but to maat Katrina with all tha monay sha had. Sha gatharad all har funds and jawalry and brought tham with har whan sha mat Katrina, but it wasn''t out of a sansa of duty to har mothar or an attampt to support har. Sha maraly wantad to usa that monay to achiava har goals. Sha wantad Katrina to taka tha monay and jawalry andava Dusktown for good. Abigail''s parants and oldar brothars showarad har with affaction, and ovar tha yaars, sha amassad a small fortuna. That,binad with tha jawalry that har parants gava har, cama out to ovar a million. Sha couldn''t baar to giva Katrina avarything, so sha gava har half. Evan half was anough for Katrina to find a quiat ca to spand tha rast of har lifafortably. Abigail mat up with Katrina and told har what har tarms wara, to which Katrina agraad immadiataly. Thay signad an agraamant. Abigail would giva Katrina tha monay and tha jawalry, and Katrina would To Abigail, it was monay wall spant. It wasn''t a big daal to giva that monay away. As long as sha still had har parants'' and brothars'' lova, sha would gat tha sum back in no tima. Howavar, if Katrina continuad to pastar har, har parants and brothars might losa thair patianca and thair fondnass for har would wana. Losing monay and jawalry would only ba tha tip of tha icabarg. Sha would also losa tha prastiga of baing a Whitfiald, along with har futura marriaga prospacts. As long as tha Whitfialds continuad to lova har, sha would ramain a daughtar of tha Whitfiald Family, and as long as har status ramainad tha sama, sha could still marry somaona from ona of tha alita familias. Sometimes, making sacrifices was the only way to achieve an even greater oue. Abigail was reluctant to give away the money and jewelry that took her years to amass, but for the sake of the future, she had to do it. She wrote the agreement by hand, and she only gave the money and jewelry to Katrina once she signed the agreement. Abigail sighed in relief when she held that agreement in her hands. It was as if she had finally severed all ties with the Cavendishes. From now on, she was a Whitfield and would have nothing to do with the Cavendishes. Abigail never would''ve expected someone to chance upon her meeting with Katrina and take photos as evidence. She had taken every precaution she could think of. Why did someone still manage to take those photos and send them to the Whitfields? She did worry about how angry her parents would be if they found out she was giving Katrina money. That was why she had been extremely careful when she left the house. She had even chosen to meet Katrina at a very secluded area too. Abigail assumed that no one would find out about it. She thought she had covered all her bases. And yet, in reality, the photos were staring her in the face right now. There was solid evidence. She couldn''t even try to lie about it. Her mother was about to chase her out of the house. Abigail knew that her father had the say in matters outside of the home, but her mother had the say when it came to family matters. If her mother insisted on chasing her out, no one else would object. Furthermore, she could sense that the one who cared about her the most was her mother. Although her father appeared to show her the same amount of affection as before, she could tell that he cared even more about his youngest son. If her mother hadn''t insisted on allowing her to remain in the family, her father might''ve already brought his youngest son back into the family by now. The only thing that kept Abigail here in the Whitfields was her mother''s love for her. If her mother didn''t want her here anymore, then the Whitfields were no longer her safe harbor. The thought of this terrified her. Without the Whitfields, she was nothing more than a wretched soul with nothing to her name. The glorious life she envisioned for herself would go up in smoke. She would be cast aside and forced to live a pitiful life instead. She didn''t want that. She was the Whitfields'' only daughter who grew up being showered with love and adoration. Once she graduated from college, her parents would select an appropriate husband for her from the sons of all the other elite families, and they would give her a sizable dowry to take with her when she married so that she could hold her head up high in front of her inws. Once she was married, she would be the matriarch of the family. All she needed to do was care for her husband and children, and continue to enjoy all of life''s mostvish pleasures. That was the kind of life she was supposed to live! Yet, it was nothing more than a hopeless dream once she left the Whitfield Family. Even if the Cavendishes didn''t go bankrupt, they were still a small family with little to their name. She was just like a stranger to them, so even if she returned to them, what could they give her? The more she thought about it, the more petrified she became. She clung to Karina and pleaded for dear life. "Mom, I''m sorry. I know I made a terrible mistake! I was afraid to leave you guys. That''s why I wanted to pay Katrina off. I''ve been so depressed all this time. All I can think about is why am I not your real daughter. How I wish that there was a magic spell that could make me your real daughter¡­ I hate Katrina. I hate her the most. I swear I''ll never see her again. Please, Mom, I''m begging you. Please forgive me. I''ll be good. I''ll do whatever you say. I''ll do whatever you tell me to¡­" Karina pushed her off. "Stop it. If you still have any shred of conscience left in you, you would leave right this instant! If you leave on your own, I''ll allow you to take your clothes and personal belongings with you, but if you don''t, I''ll get someone to toss you out, and you''ll leave with nothing!" "No! Don''t! Mom, I''m your daughter! Mom¡­" Abigail was shaken by how heartless Karina was. She kept shaking her head in fear as tears sttered across her cheeks. "You''re not my daughter! You''re Katrina''s daughter!" Karina announced. For the first time ever, she finally epted reality. In the past, she refused to admit it. She believed that after raising the child for eighteen years, the love and memories they shared were enough to make the child her daughter. Now, she knew how wrong she waspletely and utterly wrong. The effect that birth parents had on a child couldn''t be denied. Abigail was bound to inherit parts of Katrina, no matter how hard Karina tried to educate Abigail. The die had been cast the day the truth came out. There was no going back. Karina realized how foolish she had been. She wanted both but ended up with neither. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The only thing she could do now was to do her best to make up for her mistake by chasing Katrina''s daughter out of the Whitfield Residence and bringing her biological son back! Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Despite how persistently Abigail pleaded, Karina remained unmoved. It was as if her heart had turned to stone. This was something Abigail never thought could happen. She assumed that even if her parents found out about the meeting, they would merely give her a stern lecture, or at most, be less affectionate toward her. It never crossed her mind that her mother would want to kick her out. Abigail had never regretted anything as intensely as she did right at this very moment. Had she known that this would happen, she would''ve just told her parents that Katrina reached out to her and let them handle it for her. Considering how much Karina detested Katrina, she would surely teach Katrina a lesson and stop her from looking for Abigail ever again. It was one false move that led to Abigail walking down the nk. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She wailed her eyes out and kneeled in front of Karina, hugging her legs and begging. Karina''s hatred for Katrina had consumed her. She was no longer able to feel even an inkling of compassion for Abigail. "I''m going to count to three. If you don''t go up and start packing voluntarily, I''ll get the guards to run you out of the house instead, you won''t step foot inside Whitfield Residence ever again. You can forget about taking your clothes with you," Karina threatened. "Mom¡­" Abigail started shaking her head again. "Mom, don''t do this to me. I''m begging you. Please don''t do this to me. I know I made a mistake. I really do¡­" Karina held fast and started counting icily. "One, two¡­" Abigail lost all hope. She stood up clumsily and headed for the living room. It was evident to her that Karina was determined to kick her out. If she refused to budge, Karina would really get the guards to throw her out. All of Abigail''s clothes and daily necessities were here in this vi. If she didn''t pack up by herself, she would be tossed out onto the streets without anything, and she would not be able to survive at all. She went up to her room and blubbered as she started packing up. Ever since her true identity had been exposed, she was gued with nightmares of being chased out by the Whitfields. The nightmare came true today. This nightmare wasn''t caused by her parents'' heartless decision to abandon her. It wasn''t because Martin refused to keep her around and insisted on driving her out of the family. She had brought it all upon herself. Why am I so stupid? Given another chance, Abigail would''ve chosen to avoid Katrina and stay as far away from her as possible. She would never agree to meet her! She cried so hard that her body was trembling. She was so overwhelmed with despair that she felt as if she were dying. However, she couldn''t change anything now. She could only start making ns for her future and take as much as she could with her. Daspita how parsistantly Abigail adad, Karina ramainad unmovad. It was as if har haart had turnad to stona. This was somathing Abigail navar thought could happan. Sha assumad that avan if har parants found out about tha maating, thay would maraly giva har a starn lactura, or at most, bass affactionata toward har. It navar crossad har mind that har mothar would want to kick har out. Abigail had navar ragrattad anything as intansaly as sha did right at this vary momant. Had sha known that this would happan, sha would''va just told har parants that Katrina raachad out to har andt tham han it for har. Considaring how much Karina datastad Katrina, sha would suraly taach Katrina asson and stop har from looking for Abigail avar again. It was ona falsa mova thatd to Abigail walking down tha nk. Sha wad har ayas out and knad in front of Karina, hugging hargs and bagging. Karina''s hatrad for Katrina had consumad har. Sha was no longar a to faal avan an inkling of compassion for Abigail. "I''m going to count to thraa. If you don''t go up and start packing voluntarily, I''ll gat tha guards to run you out of tha housa instaad, you won''t stap foot insida Whitfiald Rasidanca avar again. You can forgat about taking your clothas with you," Karina thraatanad. "Mom¡­" Abigail startad shaking har haad again. "Mom, don''t do this to ma. I''m bagging you. asa don''t do this to ma. I know I mada a mistaka. I raally do¡­" Karina hald fast and startad counting icily. "Ona, two¡­" Abigail lost all hopa. Sha stood up clumsily and haadad for tha living room. It was avidant to har that Karina was datarminad to kick har out. If sha rafusad to budga, Karina would raally gat tha guards to throw har out. All of Abigail''s clothas and daily nacassitias wara hara in this vi. If sha didn''t pack up by harsalf, sha would ba tossad out onto tha straats without anything, and sha would not ba a to surviva at all. Sha want up to har room and blubbarad as sha startad packing up. Evar sinca har trua idantity had baan axposad, sha was guad with nightmaras of baing chasad out by tha Whitfialds. Tha nightmara cama trua today. This nightmara wasn''t causad by har parants'' haarss dacision to abandon har. It wasn''t bacausa Martin rafusad to kaap har around and insistad on driving har out of tha family. Sha had brought it all upon harsalf. Why am I so stupid? Givan anothar chanca, Abigail would''va chosan to avoid Katrina and stay as far away from har as possi. Sha would navar agraa to maat har! Sha criad so hard that har body was trambling. Sha was so ovarwhalmad with daspair that sha falt as if sha wara dying. Howavar, sha couldn''t changa anything now. Sha could only start making ns for har futura and taka as much as sha could with har. Abigail took two of the biggest suitcases she could get her hands on and started stuffing all the most valuable things she found into them. She was the only daughter and had been showered with affection all her life. Her wardrobe ranged from wall to wall, and it was filled with her clothes. There was no way she could fit them all into two suitcases, so she couldn''t take everything with her. She had no choice but to choose her favorites and the most expensive ones to take with her. Bags and shoes took up too much space, so she could only select a few, but all the expensive jewelry was stuffed into her backpack. Abigail filled two suitcases, three backpacks, and two purses. They were stuffed until they began bulging at the seams. It was only then that she left the room and came back downstairs with tears still in her eyes. Karina''s disappointment grew when she saw Abigailing down with her armsden with bags as if she were trying to escape a war zone. Eighteen years! I spent eighteen years raising such a vapid, materialistic person. Anyone with the barest semnce of conscience or the slightest inkling of shame would only take their personal belongings with them when they were being chased out of the house by their adopted family. But Abigail? She probably wished she could take the whole house with her. Katrina''s child is just as selfish and greedy as her. Karina was someone who went all-in with her emotions. She loved genuinely with her whole heart, but if she despised someone, it was deeply with every fiber of her being. Everything about Abigail infuriated her now, so the way Abigail came down with a multitude of bags as if she were moving to a new ce immediately set her off. "Go and check her bags. She can take her clothes with her, but take out all the valuable jewelry," she ordered the guards icily. "Mom!" Abigail was thunderstruck. She stared at Karina in disbelief as she never thought Karina would treat her like that. Andrew made an attempt to stop Karina. "Mom, just let Abby take her things with her." It wasn''t as if the Whitfields couldn''t spare any of it. Plus, no matter what, Abigail was still a daughter that the Whitfields had raised. Although she was being chased out of the house now, there was no need to be this cruel. "Nope!" Karina refused. "What if she takes all the valuables and gives them to Katrina? Haven''t we been used enough by the lot of them?" "No, I won''t, Mom. I know I was wrong!" Abigail shook her head so hard her brain almost started rattling. "Mom, I promise that I''ll never see Katrina again. I won''t give her anything! All I have in these suitcases are the things that I cherish the most. They''re all gifts from you, Dad, Andrew, and Abel. Seeing them reminds me of you guys. Please let me take these things with me." "Hah!" Karina scoffed. "If you cherished the things we gave you that much, why did you give them to Katrina then?" The words caught in Abigail''s throat. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn''t say anything. "If you only took a few essential things with you, I might''ve seen you in a different light and offered to let you take some of the jewelry with you," Karina said. "But look at you now. You look as if you''d kill to take every single thing in this house with you. What gives you the gall to behave this way?" The more Karina spoke, the more contempt she felt for Abigail, and her hatred grew as well. "We raised you for eighteen years, but what did you give to us in return? I dare to proim that I never did wrong by you!" "You''re my enemy''s daughter, but I raised you with love and affection. I never raised my voice at you or hurt you in any way. All I gave you was eighteen years of motherly love, but what did you give me in return? Now, you''re even trying to take away the things that belong to this family! What gives you the right to take them with you?" "I''m your daughter, Mom!" Abigail sobbed. "You, Dad, Andrew, and Abel are the ones who gave these things to me. Since you gave them to me, doesn''t it make them mine? I just want to take these with me in remembrance of you guys, so that I can''t think of all of you whenever I see them!" "How touching it all sounds. You''re Katrina''s daughter, alright, saying the most moving things while committing the most despicable actions!" Karina stared at her in contempt. "I won''t be fooled by you any longer! You are just as greedy and selfish as Katrina. You''re just as shameless as her whenever money is involved! Also, the things that we gave were meant to be given to our true, blood-rted family! You don''t belong here! You took someone else''s ce! These things are not yours. They have nothing to do with you!" Abigail was shaking like a leaf. Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as she stared at Karina as if she were some kind of monster. Why has my mother changed so much? It''s almost as if she''s be an entirely different person. The person who loved Abigail so much in the past was now staring at her like she was a pile of trash. How could she do this? Andrew sighed. This was just the way his mother was. Her fiery emotions meant that she was extreme in both her love and hatred for someone. She gave her all when she loved someone, and if she hated someone, she would hang them out to dry. Andrew did think that Karina was going a little too far, but he couldn''t do anything now when she was still seething with rage. He nced at the guards to signal them to do as she said. If anything, he could always secretly give Abigail a little something to keep her goingter on. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Thus, Abigail was chased out of Whitfield Residence with nothing but a handful of inexpensive clothes. Abigail was bawling her eyes out as she stood still with her suitcase and watched as the gate slowly closed behind her. It suddenly urred to her that it would''ve been better if she had left the family voluntarily when the truth first came out, instead of being chased out of the house now. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. If she had taken the initiative to leave the Whitfields, Aidan and Karina would''ve still cared about her and might''ve provided her with some financial support¡ªmaybe a house or two and several other properties, along with money and other valuables. Abigail didn''t think she was greedy at all. She wouldn''t ask for much. A couple of properties would be enough to support her for the rest of her life. As it was now, she was only eighteen and didn''t have any property to her name. She didn''t have much cash in her ount either, and Karina had stopped her from taking any of the precious jewelry. How am I supposed to live now? This is all because of Katrina! If Katrina hadn''t contacted her, she would still be part of the Whitfield Family and enjoying avish, carefree lifestyle. Her future would be bright. Katrina ruined everything! Abigail''s resentment festered in her. She couldn''t resist giving Katrina a call. "Where are you? I want to see you!" Katrina wanted to see Abigail too. For some strange reason that even Katrina didn''t quite understand, she was itching to know what was happening at Whitfield Residence right now. She wanted to know if Karina was suffering just as much as she was. The thought of Karina having to raise her daughter despite knowing the truth put her in a great mood. She gave Abigail an address. The address led to an estate in the outskirts of the city. When Abigail saw the address, her blood began to boil. She had been kicked out of the family because of Katrina, but Katrina, who promised that she would leave Dusktown right away, had in fact moved into an estate just outside of town. Did she truly intend to leave? She must''ve lied to me! Abigail dragged her suitcase along with her and took a cab to the address Katrina gave her. The anger and grievance that had been building up inside Abigail finally came to a head when she saw Katrina. She threw whatever she had in hand at Katrina and shrieked, "The Whitfields kicked me out! Are you happy now? Why did you do this to me? I would still be living a blissful life with my parents right now had it not been for you! Since you abandoned me after giving birth to me, why did youe and look for me again? Can''t you just let me live in peace?" All the things in Abigail''s hand smashed right into Katrina''s face, which started throbbing in pain at once. Although Katrina had moved into this estate which belonged to the Cavendish Family, her life hadn''t been that great either. Thus, Abigail was chasad out of Whitfiald Rasidanca with nothing but a handful of inaxpansiva clothas. Abigail was bawling har ayas out as sha stood still with har suitcasa and watchad as tha gata slowly closad bahind har. It suddanly urrad to har that it would''va baan battar if sha hadft tha family voluntarily whan tha truth first cama out, instaad of baing chasad out of tha housa now. If sha had takan tha initiativa toava tha Whitfialds, Aidan and Karina would''va still carad about har and might''va providad har with soma financial support¡ªmayba a housa or two and savaral othar propartias, along with monay and othar valuas. Abigail didn''t think sha was graady at all. Sha wouldn''t ask for much. A cou of propartias would ba anough to support har for tha rast of har lifa. As it was now, sha was only aightaan and didn''t hava any proparty to har nama. Sha didn''t hava much cash in har ount aithar, and Karina had stoppad har from taking any of tha pracious jawalry. How am I supposad to liva now? This is all bacausa of Katrina! If Katrina hadn''t contactad har, sha would still ba part of tha Whitfiald Family and anjoying avish, carafraa lifast. Har futura would ba bright. Katrina ruinad avarything! Abigail''s rasantmant fastarad in har. Sha couldn''t rasist giving Katrina a call. "Whara ara you? I want to saa you!" Katrina wantad to saa Abigail too. For soma stranga raason that avan Katrina didn''t quita undarstand, sha was itching to know what was happaning at Whitfiald Rasidanca right now. Sha wantad to know if Karina was suffaring just as much as sha was. Tha thought of Karina having to raisa har daughtar daspita knowing tha truth put har in a graat mood. Sha gava Abigail an addrass. Tha addrassd to an astata in tha outskirts of tha city. Whan Abigail saw tha addrass, har blood bagan to boil. Sha had baan kickad out of tha family bacausa of Katrina, but Katrina, who promisad that sha would laava Dusktown right away, had in fact movad into an astata just outsida of town. Did sha truly intand toava? Sha must''va liad to ma! Abigail draggad har suitcasa along with har and took a cab to tha addrass Katrina gava har. Tha angar and griavanca that had baan building up insida Abigail finally cama to a haad whan sha saw Katrina. Sha thraw whatavar sha had in hand at Katrina and shriakad, "Tha Whitfialds kickad ma out! Ara you happy now? Why did you do this to ma? I would still ba living a blissful lifa with my parants right now had it not baan for you! Sinca you abandonad ma aftar giving birth to ma, why did youa and look for ma again? Can''t you justt ma liva in paaca?" All tha things in Abigail''s hand smashad right into Katrina''s faca, which startad throbbing in pain at onca. Although Katrina had movad into this astata which balongad to tha Cavandish Family, har lifa hadn''t baan that graat aithar. She drowned herself in alcohol all day long and wallowed in her rage, anxiety, dissatisfaction, and discontent. Being hit in the face was the final straw. Her emotions exploded out of her as she stormed over and pped Abigail in the face. "What do you think you''re doing? I''m your mother! How dare you treat me like that?" Abigail froze in shock at being pped. Before the truth came out, the Whitfields doted on her, their only daughter, and she had never been hit by anyone in her life. She was dazed for a moment, but her fury quickly made her snap out of it as she retaliated and shoved Katrina to the ground. Abigail climbed on top of Katrina and started choking her with one hand while using the other to p her over and over again. "How dare you hit me? You threw me away as soon as you gave birth to me! You didn''t raise me, not even for a single day, so what gives you the right to hit me? If it weren''t for you, I would still be with my parents right now. I wouldn''t have to worry about anything at all. They would give me all the best things in life, and then I would marry a good man and be the matriarch of the family. All I would have to do was take care of my family! I''m supposed to live a carefree life with all my needs taken care of, but you ruined it all!" The thought of everything she lost stung her so intensely that it felt as if her heart was breaking. She clutched Katrina''s neck with both hands and smashed Katrina''s head on the cold, hard floor. Katrina''s head was spinning. She mustered every ounce of energy she had and escaped Abigail''s clutches. Their positions changed, and this time, it was Katrina who was pinning Abigail to the ground and smashing her head in. "How dare you hit me? I''m your mother! You''ll be cursed by the heavens and get struck by lightning for hitting me! You''re ming me for all this? If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have been the Whitfield Family''s precious daughter! You would''ve been a worthless daughter of the Cavendish Family. Do you think you could''ve had such a good life if I didn''t switch you at birth and left you with the Whitfields? Not only are you not thanking me for that, but you''re even beating me up! You''re that b*tch Karina''s daughter, alright. You''re just as shameless and heartless as her!" The two women carried on fighting in the living room. They took turns gaining the upper hand, and by the time they stopped fighting after expending all their energy, they both looked like sorry messes covered in bruises and streaks of blood. Abigail nearly went into a crazy frenzy when she saw herself in the mirror. Katrina had left countless scratch marks on her face! What if her face was scarred? How am I going to marry anyone if my face is full of scars? "You! You demented woman!" Abigail screeched at Katrina as she started crying. "I wouldn''t be in this state right now if it weren''t for you! You''re the one who made me end up like this! Give me all my money and jewelry back!" "In your dreams!" Katrina sneered. "Do you think you''d even be alive if I didn''t give birth to you? Do you think you''d have such a good life if I didn''t switch you out at birth and let you live with the Whitfields? You owe me the money and the jewelry for what I''ve done for you. Not only do you need to give those to me now, but you''re going to have to support me for the rest of my life, or else, I''ll let everyone know what an ungrateful child you are!" "Go right ahead! Let''s see if the Cavendishes won''t snuff you out first!" Consumed by anger, Abigail grabbed the vase off the coffee table and threw it at Katrina. Katrina''s head jerked aside, but the vase smashed into her shoulder. The pain was so agonizing that half her body went numb. Abigail flew up the stairs. "What are you doing? You stay right there!" Katrina shouted. Abigail ignored her and didn''t even bother looking back. She ran straight into Katrina''s bedroom and took anything of value. Not only did she find the jewelry that she had given Katrina, but she also found other pieces of jewelry that Katrina had secretly stashed. Abigail stuffed everything of value into her backpack and only left the bedroom once it had been wiped out. When Katrina saw Abigailing back down with a bulging backpack, she wanted to stop her from leaving, but the pain in her shoulder made it impossible for her to even move a muscle. In her fury, she started roaring, "How dare you steal from me? I''ll report you to the police! Do you want to spend the rest of your life in prison?" "Are you sure you dare to?" Abigail scoffed as she gathered her things. "If you turn this into a public spectacle, the Cavendishes are the ones whose reputation would suffer the most. I wouldn''t even have to do anything. Your ex-husband and ex-father-inw will crush you without hesitation!" After collecting all of her things, she stared imperiously at Katrina. "I''m leaving Dusktown today for good. You won''t be able to find me ever again! Don''t even think about getting any money from me. I won''t give you anything, not even if you were homeless and about to die on the streets!" Abigail felt great after venting it all out. I should''ve done this from the start. Mom wouldn''t have kicked me out if I had been like this from the beginning. However, Abigail knew that she wouldn''t have the courage to do this if she were still part of the Whitfield Family. She had nothing left now, so she had nothing to lose. That was the reason why she had nothing to fear. Before getting thrown out, she had been too caught up with all the things she craved and bogged down by all her worries. It gave Katrina the chance to sink her ws into her which led to her making the decision she regretted the most in life. Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Meanwhile, Madeline went to meet Victor, both as the person in charge of Oasis Law Firm and as Martin''s older sister. Victor wasn''t keen on seeing her, but after sending some of his men to look into Oasis Law Firm, he was too afraid to wave her off, so he ended up setting a time and ce. Once they met up, Madeline got straight to the point. "I''m Martin''s sister, and words can''t express the outrage I feel over the hurt and pain that Martin suffered at Katrina Pearson''s hands. I''m a firm believer in justice and the need to make people responsible for their actions for the betterment of society, so Katrina must pay for what she has done." "My son has already gotten a divorce from Katrina. She has nothing to do with us anymore," Victor replied. "Oh? Are you sure?" Madeline eyed him icily. "ording to my sources, Katrina''s son has set her up at a countryside estate that belongs to the Cavendish Family. Is this what you mean when you say she has nothing to do with your family anymore?" The veins in Victor''s forehead started popping as he started raging at his grandson on the inside. "I wasn''t aware of that. It''s an oversight on our end. I''ll be sure to teach him a lesson and make sure he cuts all ties with Katrina." He paused and added, "I''ll get someone to chase Katrina out right away!" He made a call to one of his trusted subordinates and instructed him to head to the countryside estate at once to run Katrina off the property. "That doesn''t solve the root of the problem," Madeline stated coldly. "I only found out that your grandson is funding Katrina because I''m keeping an eye on her. What if I don''t? She, the person who abused my brother, will spend the rest of her life in the care of a member of your family. She''ll get to enjoy an easy life without any worries. What makes you think I can ept that?" Madeline''s fury multiplied as she spoke. Her gaze grew sharper. "She nearly killed Martin. Martin''s lucky enough to survive, but he could''ve died. Shemitted such despicable crimes, but she''s still going to spend the rest of her life surrounded by luxuries that most people can''t even dream of. Do you think that''s fair, Mr. Cavendish?" "No, it''s not!" Victor quickly agreed. "I know that my grandson was wrong for what he did. Regardless of everything, Katrina is still his mother, so it''s understandable for him to make a momentarypse of judgment. Don''t worry. I''ll teach him a lesson as soon as I get home and I''ll make sure he cuts off all ties with Katrina. He won''t do such a silly thing again." "Your word means nothing. I need that in writing!" Madeline demanded. "Give me a written agreement stating that from now on, if Katrina''s children continue to have anything to do with her, you''ll chase them out of the family." Maanwh, Madalina want to maat Victor, both as tha parson in charga of Oasis Law Firm and as Martin''s oldar sistar. Victor wasn''t kaan on saaing har, but aftar sanding soma of his man to look into Oasis Law Firm, ha was too afraid to wava har off, so ha andad up satting a tima and ca. Onca thay mat up, Madalina got straight to tha point. "I''m Martin''s sistar, and words can''t axprass tha outraga I faal ovar tha hurt and pain that Martin suffarad at Katrina Paarson''s hands. I''m a firm baliavar in justica and tha naad to maka pao rasponsi for thair actions for tha battarmant of sociaty, so Katrina must pay for what sha has dona." "My son has alraady gottan a divorca from Katrina. Sha has nothing to do with us anymora," Victor rapliad. "Oh? Ara you sura?" Madalina ayad him icily. "ording to my sourcas, Katrina''s son has sat har up at a countrysida astata that balongs to tha Cavandish Family. Is this what you maan whan you say sha has nothing to do with your family anymora?" Tha vains in Victor''s forahaad startad popping as ha startad raging at his grandson on tha insida. "I wasn''t awara of that. It''s an ovarsight on our and. I''ll ba sura to taach him asson and maka sura ha cuts all tias with Katrina." Ha pausad and addad, "I''ll gat somaona to chasa Katrina out right away!" Ha mada a call to ona of his trustad subordinatas and instructad him to haad to tha countrysida astata at onca to run Katrina off tha proparty. "That doasn''t solva tha root of tha prom," Madalina statad coldly. "I only found out that your grandson is funding Katrina bacausa I''m kaaping an aya on har. What if I don''t? Sha, tha parson who abusad my brothar, will spand tha rast of har lifa in tha cara of a mambar of your family. Sha''ll gat to anjoy an aasy lifa without any worrias. What makas you think I can apt that?" Madalina''s fury multipliad as sha spoka. Har gaza graw sharpar. "Sha naarly kid Martin. Martin''s lucky anough to surviva, but ha could''va diad. Shamittad such daspica crimas, but sha''s still going to spand tha rast of har lifa surroundad by luxurias that most pao can''t avan draam of. Do you think that''s fair, Mr. Cavandish?" "No, it''s not!" Victor quickly agraad. "I know that my grandson was wrong for what ha did. Ragarss of avarything, Katrina is still his mothar, so it''s undarstanda for him to maka a momantarypsa of judgmant. Don''t worry. I''ll taach him asson as soon as I gat homa and I''ll maka sura ha cuts off all tias with Katrina. Ha won''t do such a silly thing again." "Your word maans nothing. I naad that in writing!" Madalina damandad. "Giva ma a writtan agraamant stating that from now on, if Katrina''s childran continua to hava anything to do with har, you''ll chasa tham out of tha family." Madeline looked Victor in the eye. She was dead serious. "I didn''t do anything to the Cavendish Family because none of you knew about Katrina swapping Martin at birth and her subsequent abuse of him, and I don''t wish to drag innocent parties into this. However, if her children use the Cavendish Family''s money to fund her, then I''m sorry, but I''ll have no choice but to make sure the entire Cavendish Family joins her in hell!" Victor was so terrified that he started sweating profusely. To him, it didn''t sound as if she were making empty threats. Oasis Law Firm was operating out of Dusktown''s most expensive district. It was the newly-developed "elite district" that was only sold to the rich and powerful. ording to Victor''s subordinates, Oasis Law Firm was a firm with very few clients. However, its grand office building was built on an expansive piece ofnd, and there was even a sprawling garden behind it. The ce was called Sun Garden. It was so grand that it rivaled the Gardens of Versailles. An entire hill was enclosed inside thepound¡ªa towering hill was akin to nothing more than the Oasis Law Garden''s backyard. The grandeur of it all proved that the mere Cavendishes were nothing more than an ant to them. If Madeline had been an unreasonable person, then the Cavendishes might''ve been wiped out overnight by now. At this very moment, it was as if the Cavendish Family was walking on a tightrope with danger looming right beneath their feet. Victor knew that they were skating on thin ice, and he spent countless sleepless nights nning just so he could keep the Cavendish Family afloat, but his grandchildren were making things hard for him. It wasn''t just terror he felt right now. He was brimming with rage as well. Those d*mned kids! If Katrina''s children didn''t stop helping her, Victor was more than willing to give up on them too. He still had his second son. His second son and daughter-inw raised their children to be intelligent and loyal to the family. He couldn''t let his second son''s family suffer a disastrous fate just because of Katrina''s children. "It''s a deal! I''ll give you a written agreement!" Victor promised without dy. "This was the first and only time. If they do it again, you don''t even need to say the word. I''ll chase Katrina''s children out of the house myself and cut off all ties with them. I won''t give them a single penny!" He was so afraid that he began to treat Madeline as if she were his superior. Truth be told, he was grateful to Madeline as well. If Madeline had been an unreasonable person, she would''ve taken her wrath out on the entire Cavendish Family too, not just Katrina. The fact that she was willing to sit down and negotiate with him meant that she was an ethical and fair person. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Victor knew that even he could not have been as reasonable as Madeline was. If he had her power, he would not have shown the mercy that she had. Madeline''s request was fair enough, and Victor''s goal was to save the Cavendish Family, so he signed an agreement with her without any hesitation. The terms of the agreement were exactly what Madeline demanded. Katrina''s children were to cut off all ties with her and not give her any form of aid. If they went against these terms, they would be kicked out of the Cavendish Family. Two copies of the agreement were made. After taking one of them, Madeline stood up and said, "You should probably know by now what kind of work we do at Oasis Law Firm. We have all the sources we need, so if I find out that a Cavendish broke the terms of this agreement and funded Katrina in any way, I''ll make sure that your entire family disappears from Dusktown!" She strode off with the agreement and Martin in tow. Martin hadn''t spoken a single word this whole time, but he was staring at Madeline with sparkling and worshipping eyes. It feels so good to have someone who has your back! My sister''s so cool! Look at how intimidating her aura is! She''s my hero! She''s my favorite person in the whole wide world! Victor''s knees grew weak when he heard thest thing Madeline said. It took him several minutes to regain his strength. He wiped the sweat off his brow and realized that his back was soaking wet as well. She looked like a young woman in her early twenties, but her dominating aura made her seem just as intimidating as Aidan. In fact, with how familiar Victor was with Aidan, he was more than able to negotiate with Aidan. However, when it came to Madeline, Victor felt the fear of a prey being hunted down by an apex predator. Perhaps¡­ it was a person''s natural fear of the unknown. Victor''s subordinates only managed to discover that the person behind Oasis Law Firm was someone with an incredibly formidable background, but he couldn''t find out who it was at all. The more powerful a family was, the more protective they were of their privacy. Thus, the harder it was for him to find anything about them, the more frightened he was. By now, Victor was fully aware that Madeline was not someone whom he could afford to offend. He needed to rein in his grandchildren and stop them from going against the agreement. It was the only way to ensure that the Cavendishes survived this ordeal. Chapter 447 Chapter 447 After leaving the meeting with Victor, Madeline brought Martin to the Cavendishes'' countryside estate. When they arrived, Katrina was standing beside the road waiting for her ride with her suitcases alongside her. She had just been driven out of the estate by Victor''s men. Her screaming, shouting, and hysterical ranting did nothing to stop Victor''s men from chasing her out of the estate. Katrina was furious enough to evenmit murder. She never thought she would evere to this. Her life was in shambles and she was an outcast. She didn''t even have a ce to stay anymore. That wasn''t the end of it. Abigail had taken her jewelry back along with the ones her daughters secretly gave to her. When Victor threw her out of the Cavendish home, she had nothing with her as they didn''t even give her a single penny. Katrina had some money in her bank ount, but it wasn''t much. She did get a bit of money from Abigail, but it was less than 50,000. It was the jewelry that Abigail gave her that was worth a lot more. If she still had Abigail''s jewelry, she could sell them off and buy a house in one of the more affordable cities. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. But now, Abigail had taken all of the jewelry away. Katrina might not have been as upset if she never had the jewelry in the first ce, but the fleeting moment of ownership was enough to make her feel the loss so deeply that she felt as if her heart was being ripped to shreds. To add insult to injury, she couldn''t even do anything to Abigail. Abigail was right. Katrina didn''t dare to turn this into a public spectacle. If she did, the Cavendishes would be humiliated, and Victor wouldn''t let her get away with it. Not only would her life get even worse than it already was now, but her children would be affected as well. Her children were her weakness. She didn''t want to drag them into this mess. Katrina gathered her belongings and stood on the side of the road waiting for her ride. She was certain that Abigail must''ve done a number on her shoulder. Pain shot through her system each time she moved it in any way, and she wanted to get it checked at the hospital. Worse came to worst, she could always spend a few days in the hospital first before deciding where to go next. Katrina waited for quite some time, but the ride she booked was still nowhere to be found. Annoyed at the wait, she was about to check her phone again when she spotted a car approaching from a distance. She thought it was the ride she booked, so she put her phone away and gathered her things. However, when the car came to a stop beside her, she realized that she was mistaken. It was too good of a car. It was unlikely for such an expensive car to be part of a ride-sharing business. Katrina grew nervous and took several steps back with her luggage. Madeline stepped out of the car and without saying anything, she dragged Katrina by the cor and shoved her into the car. "Who are you?! What are you doing?!" Katrina shrieked. Madeline stuffed her into the backseat of the car and mmed the door shut. She locked the door for good measure. "What are you doing? Let me down!" Katrina ignored the throbbing pain in her shoulder and tried her best to open the car door. Martin, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, turned around to look at her. Katrina jumped in fright when she spotted Martin. "It''s you? What do you want?" Martin simply stared at her without saying anything. Madeline got into the driver''s seat and drove off to a secluded area. Katrina kept screaming on and on in the car. She wanted to jump out, but she couldn''t open the door and she was already hurt. The pain in her shoulder seemed to electrocute her each time she moved, so she couldn''t even struggle, let alone jump out. She could only wait in despair as Madeline drove her to an isted area with no one around. The car came to a stop, and Madeline hauled Katrina out of the back seat. Katrina couldn''t stay upright. She stumbled to the ground and her already throbbing shoulder began to hurt even more. She groaned in agony as she held her shoulder. It felt as if she had broken a bone. Katrina flew into hysterics. "What are you doing? I''m reporting you to the police! I''ll ask the police to arrest you!" "As if you dare to!" Madeline crouched down beside Katrina and leveled her with an icy re. "If you call the police, I''ll make sure the Cavendishes kick your children out of the family. They''ll be penniless outcasts just like you!" "How dare you?!" Katrina snarled viciously. "My children are innocent! How dare you do that to them? If you hurt them in any way, I''ll destroy you. Even if I die, I''lle back as a ghost to haunt you!" "The evils of men are far more terrifying than any ghost, so if I''m not afraid of a despicable woman like you, why would I be afraid of a ghost?" Madeline sneered. "Go ahead and test me then! See if I dare! Do you think I didn''te prepared for what I''m about to do? If you sue me, I''ll have an entire team of lawyers to help me with thewsuit, but you? Your children will be kicked out of the Cavendish Family because of you. They''ll be penniless and forced to fend for themselves on the streets!" "You can''t do that! They''re innocent! There''ll be hell to pay if you hurt them!" Katrina wanted to grab Madeline''s clothes, but Martin kicked her away. "How dare you kick me?" Katrina stared at Martin, wide-eyed in disbelief. In her eyes, Martin was still the young man who didn''t dare to utter a single word even when she abused him. She was always the one with the upper hand whenever she dealt with Martin. He was merely a fish on the cutting block that she could slice up however she wished. And yet, the Martin that was in front of her now had the guts to kick her. "I''m your mother! I''m your elder! How dare you hit me?! Lightning will strike you down for this, Martin Taylor!" Katrina screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn''t ept that she was no longer the one in power. Madeline gave Katrina another kick which sent Katrina crashing to the ground. She stepped on Katrina''s face and pressed it into the mud. "What makes you shameless enough to call yourself his mother? If it weren''t for you, Martin would be the youngest son of the Whitfield Family. He would have grown up with his parents'' love and his brothers'' protection. He would''ve had a blissful childhood with all his needs met and a bright future ahead of him. His life would''ve been free from worries and hurdles! Not only did you take all of that away from him, but you abused him and nearly killed him. How dare you call yourself his mother?!" The icy tone in Madeline''s voice was cold enough to freeze the soul. "Katrina Pearson, you''re the most shameless person I''ve ever met. Since you have no shame, I''m sure you don''t mind being humiliated in public and having someone grinding your face into the ground." Madeline did as she said. Her foot pressed down even harder on Katrina''s face. Katrina let on an agonizing scream. The pain wasn''t the worst thing. It was the utter humiliation that twisted her up inside. Someone was stepping on her and using the heel of their shoe to grind her face into the ground. She had never been humiliated like this before in her entire life. She wanted to fight back, but the pain in her shoulder nearly made her faint. All Katrina could do was screech out her threats. "Let go of me! Let go! This is intentional assault! I''m going to sue you! The police will throw you in prison! Let go of me!" "There are no cameras around, so even if you''re willing to report this to the police at the cost of your children''s future, do you have any evidence to back you up?" Madeline''s foot pushed down even harder. "Just like how you swapped Martin and your daughter back then. There''s no proof, so Martin can''t sue you. Well, you can''t sue me now either." "What on earth do you want? Let me go! Let me go!" Katrina couldn''t take it anymore. She cried out, "I know I made a mistake. I regret what I did. I''ve been regretting it for a long time, okay? Max divorced me and I don''t even have a home now. I''ve paid for my actions. What else do you want?" Chapter 448 Chapter 448 "What do I want? I want to settle an old score, of course." Madeline brandished her whip andshed out at Katrina. A scream escaped Katrina''s lips, but Madeline showed no mercy, nor did she stop whipping her. Katrina could never atone enough for the abuse she inflicted on Martin, and Madeline was just starting to make her pay for that. As theshings went on, Katrina''s screams became shouts, and then whimpers, and finally, a whisper. "I''m sorry. I won''t do it again. I won''t call the cops either. Please, have mercy on me." "It''s alright, Madeline." Martin quickly held Madeline back. Is he helping me? She gave Martin a look of hope. Maybe he still loves me. I did raise him, after all. Kids love their mothers, and maybe he still thinks of me as his mother. He''s probably waiting for me to say I love him. If he still cares about me, then life is going to get so much easier for me. She tried her best to raise her head and gave Martin a tearful look. "I''m sorry, Martin. I''m really sorry. I''ve always seen you as my own. You''re like my son. Ever since you ran away from home, I''ve been searching for you. I''m sorry I never treated you well. Please, give me a chance, Martin. I''ll make it up to you. I''ll love you." "Oh, shut it." Martin kicked her squarely in the face. "You actually think I stopped Madeline for you? Is your brain damaged or something? I stopped her because she was starting to exhaust herself." He took the whip from Madeline andshed Katrina a few times. "I would have died if I hadn''t met Madeline, and you thought I''d help you out? Don''t make meugh. Not a day in my life passed where I didn''t wish you were dead." He hunkered down and smacked Katrina''s face with the whip. The look of disgust and fury in his eyes were a stark contrast to his perfectly wless and beautiful face. "Lemme guess. You''re an optimistic woman, and you think it''s all water under the bridge because you got whipped. Wrong. You should have shed that naivete twenty years ago. Thisshing is just an appetizer. You''d better hide where the sun doesn''t shine, or I''ll whip you every chance I get. Run, or I will make you pay for everything you ever did to me. Tenfold." "No¡­ NO!" Katrina shook her head violently, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I raised you. I''m your mother! You can''t do this to me!" "Don''t ever say that to him." Madeline kicked her. "His own mother would have loved and cherished him if not for you. He would have lived in a loving family instead of getting raised by scum like you. Only despicable people like you think abuse is a blessing. Disgusting." "Forget it, Madeline." Martin stood up and tugged on Madeline''s sleeve. "It''s gettingte. Time to go home." Just leave this to me. If Madeline were to support him, then he could handle things on this end without her help at all. He only held back for fear that Madeline would think he was an overly cruel person, but now that he had gotten her blessing, Martin had nothing to fear. Madeline thought she had enough as well. Katrina should die for her crimes, but Madeline didn''t want to kill her. She loathed sullying her hands for a piece of scum. Besides, death wasn''t the worst fate anyone could suffer as it was an eternal slumber. The best way to get revenge was by making sure they lived the worst life possible. She would spare Katrina''s life and watch as she writhed and struggled through her days while repenting for her sins. Indeed, Katrina regretted her decision. If she hadn''t stupidly switched Martin out for someone else, she would still be ady of the Cavendishes. Karina might still be living a better life, but at least she would have nothing to worry about. Katrina could have been living in luxury, but now she lost everything. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Karina might have been separated from her youngest son for eighteen years, but she had two other brilliant sons. To her, Martin wasn''t that important. She would weep for the lost time with Martin for two days at most, and then she would forget about it. Martin might have grown up in a household of abuse, but now he was living in luxury as well. He wore brand-name goods from head to toe and looked the part of a young master of a wealthy family. He also had an elegant aura. It was obvious he was living well. The early parts of his life were wrong, but that had been rectified. He was only eighteen, and a bright, long future awaited him. Katrina thought she was making Karina stuffer, but she was the only one in hell in the end. Martin and Karina were both living in luxury. She was the only one who lived carefully for most of her life, and now she would have to live in hell. If she knew this would happen, Katrina never would have switched Martin out for her daughter. She could have lived a peaceful life, but she ruined it. Now, she was curled on the ground, her body and soul assailed by agony. If there was a spell that could unwind time, she would have bought it with everything she had. If she had a chance to redo this, she would just live her life in peace and never make that switcheroo. But now her n failed, and she paid a hefty price for it. She had no doubt Martin would make her suffer. She would live the rest of life in abject misery and hopelessness. If I knew this would happen¡­ But it was toote for regrets. She couldn''t change the past no matter how much she regretted it. Madeline and Martin got in the car and left. Katrina was alone in the mud, crying her heart out in despair. ¡­ At Hart Corporation, Lucas walked into Sebastian''s office holding a cup of coffee. He trotted over to Sebastian''s desk and sat on it. "I ran into Madeline when I went back to Sun Garden to retrieve some stuff earlier. She was taking Martin somewhere, and boy did she look murderous." Chapter 449 Chapter 449 "Is that so?" Sebastian stopped work and looked at him. "Did you ask what happened?" "No," Lucas said. "She was in a hurry, so I didn''t waste her time." "Bet it''s about Martin," Sebastian said. "Call Andrew and ask him about it." "Sure." Lucas picked up his coffee and went to the couch to call Andrew. He talked to Andrew for about ten minutes before hanging up. "You guessed it, Sebastian. It''s about Martin." He told Sebastian what he heard from Andrew. "And I scolded him. He''s too involved in this to see what''s happening. He''s usually really smart, but what he did was stupid. That''s what I told him, and guess what he said in return?" "What?" Sebastian asked. "He said I''m not your real brother," Lucas grumbled. "He asked me what I would feel if you were to suddenlye back with a brother or sister and start abandoning me for them." The disgruntled Lucas amused Sebastian. "How did you answer him?" "It was a serious question, so I thought about it seriously before I gave him any answer." Lucas said seriously, "If we put you in Andrew''s ce and me in Abigail''s spot, I would be sad if I found out that Martin''s your real brother. I would want you to love me more than Martin, but I would also feel sorry for the kid." "I wouldn''t want you to pick a side, so I''d help you take care of him and try having him ept me. If he can do that, then I''ll stay. But if he feels uneasy with me around, then I''ll move out. I''m an adult who can live independently." He heaved a sigh. "But I would be bugged by one thing. If you stopped loving me because you suddenly had a real sibling, that would be uneptable." "You''re a lovable guy. Nobody''s going to abandon you." Sebastian cleared his table. "Abigail''s the key person in this whole fiasco. If she has your philosophy, none of this would have happened. She should have given up when she still had time, but no. She stubbornly held on to things that weren''t hers." "If she just left the family like how you did in that hypothetical situation, Martin wouldn''t have done anything to her. If she had to live independently, Andrew and his parents would try to help her out, but she had to stay and show her true colors. If she was part of the Whitfields, they would have kept her because she was family, but she''s not. The Whitfields won''t tolerate that, and that''s it for their rtionship." Lucas gave it some thought, and he nodded. "You''re right, Sebastian. If I were her, I would have moved out right away if Martin didn''t like me. I did take his ce for a long time, after all. I wouldn''t want you to pick a side, and I''d treat him nicely out of guilt." A pauseter, he said, "But if I were actually her, Martin would have disliked me the moment he saw me. He probably wouldn''t care about what I could give him. All I have to do is stay away from him so he won''t get annoyed." Sebastianughed again. "You''re reading too much into it. Don''t worry. I don''t have any siblings out there. You won''t ever find yourself in Abigail''s position." "Oh, right." Lucas snapped out of it. "I got a bit too into it." "Because you have too much time on your hands." Sebastian pushed a beautiful restaurant brochure to him. "You''re going to this ce at 6.30PM for a blind date." Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "I''m sorry?" "You heard me right." Sebastian smirked. He wasughing at Lucas. "It''s a blind date." "Why? Why do I have to go on a blind date? You know I don''t want to get married." He paused for one moment, and then horror filled his eyes. "Is thepany finally in so much trouble that I have to be sacrificed in a marriage of convenience to save it?" Sebastian cocked his eyebrow. "What do you mean finally in trouble? Do you want it to be in trouble?" "Um¡­" Lucas scratched his nose. "I''m just worried. You''re gettingziertely. All you care about are Madeline and the boys. You don''t even stay at thepany that long anymore. And I have to settle most of the things here. I might run it to the ground someday." "You underestimate yourself," Sebastian said. "I have faith in you, so you should have faith in yourself as well. You can do it." Please don''t put so much faith in me. I want to fool around too. You used to be a workaholic, and I could go around and do anything I wanted. But ever since Madeline and the boys showed up, you never work overtime and you never miss any weekends or PTOs. Which means I have to work. God, this is vexing. But still¡­ "Is this a marriage of convenience, Sebastian?" he asked carefully. Sebastian smirked. "What if it is?" "Then why me?" Lucas howled. "This is wrong. There''s still Grayson and Anthony to choose from. You should have gone through them first instead of skipping straight to me." Sebastian answered, "But she wants you." "She deserves apuse for her good taste in men, but I won''t thank her. I''m a celibatarian." "Oh?" Sebastian asked, "So you won''t go?" "I will!" He clenched his teeth. "This is why you raised me. I''ll marry anyone to save ourpany, even if it''s a demon." "Off with you!" Sebastian smacked his head with a file. "You should have debuted in the entertainment industry, not Anthony. You''re a better actor than he is." "Ow!" Lucas held his head and howled. "You don''t love me anymore! You''re selling me out and abusing me!" "Keep up that act and I''ll have you resign. You can start a career in the entertainment industry." "I''d rather not. I''m a lot hotter than Anthony. He''d be out of work if I started my career in the industry. That''s not what I do." Lucas was still holding his head. "I know you wouldn''t marry me off to just about anyone, but if ourpany isn''t in trouble, why are you sending me on this blind date, then?" Chapter 450 Chapter 450 "It''s just a normal date, not some engagement ritual," Sebastian said. "Madeline picked thedy herself, and you''re telling me you won''t go?" "I don''t think my opinion matters. Yours does though. I''m just too chicken to go on this date." "I need a coal miner in Africa." "Okay, sorry." Lucas held both of his hands up. "I shouldn''t have been honest. Nothing goodes from being honest. Best policy, my foot." "Alright, stop f*cking around and get ready. It''s almost time." Lucas had a look of reluctance on his face. "Can I not go?" "I don''t know. Can you?" Sebastian asked. Lucas sighed. "Things have changed in our household. You used to be the boss, but now Madeline is. Men change the world, and women change men. That''s an adage that has withstood the test of time." "Yeah." Sebastian said, "And I hope you''ll find thedy who can change you today." "Please don''t." A frown knitted Lucas'' brows. "I thought matchmaking was for middle-aged women. Madeline doesn''t even look like she graduated college, so why does she do this? And the order''s all wrong. Didn''t you tell her Grayson and Anthony are still single too? Even if she wants to y matchmaker, she should start with Grayson, not me." "You talk too much." Sebastian said, "I told you, the girl specifically asked for you." "God f*cking damn it." Lucas looked even more reluctant now. "Did Madeline tell her I''m an illegitimate son?" "So?" A frown knitted Sebastian''s brows. "Your mother didn''t wreck someone''s marriage willingly. Mario duped her. If those idents never happened, you would have been born in wedlock. And only despicable illegitimate children are hated. You''re an uprightd. Why are you so insecure?" "I''m not insecure." Lucas scratched his nose nervously. "I mean, Madeline''s a good woman, so her friends must be alright too. They can get anyone they want, so why me?" "I know the girl. She''s fine," Sebastian said. "Madeline wanted this, so just y along and see her. Maybe she''s the girl who can change your life. Maybe you guys will get married and have cute children like Madeline and I do." He''s showing off his family again, and this time, he even includes his son. Ever since he has his family, that''s all he talks about. And he loves the boys the most. Sebastian would give them anything they wanted. He''s a family guy now, but the boys are indeed adorable. Even I love them, let alone their own dad. If I had a pair of kids like them¡­ Nah. Sebastian''s blessed enough to have that life, but I''m not. I shouldn''t even think about it. Lucas cursed himself quietly and groaned, "Fine. If it''s what Madeline wants, then I''ll do it. But if I don''t like the girl, then I won''t force myself to marry her, even if it''s for Madeline." Sebastian cocked his eyebrow. "Do you think I''m the kind of guy who''d make you do that even though I know you won''t like it?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "No, but this is a different thing," Lucas said seriously. "Everyone thinks they''re doing the other person a favor when they matchmake them. You might force me to marry the girl because you think it''s for my own good." "Oh, so you think I''m a stubborn man who can''t be reasoned with," Sebastian said. "Alright, fine, I''m sorry." Sebastian finally let him off the hook, seeing that he apologized. "Talked enough? Then go back, take a shower, and get changed. Don''t embarrass Madeline." Ever since he had his family, I''m bing less and less important to him. But I''m a man. I need to be tough and generous. I won''t fight a woman and children for his love. The tough Lucas left the office and returned to his abode to take a shower and get changed. He hated blind dates, but Sebastian was right. Madeline was kind enough to set this up for me. Now that I''ve decided to go on this date, I might as well straighten myself out. It''s basic respect and courtesy. The date was scheduled at 6.30PM, but he arrived at the venue fifteen minutes earlier. It was a high- end restaurant that catered to couples. This was his first blind date, but he heard how it usually went. His friends told him girls would usually be late for it¡ªhalf an hour at least and one hour at most. Lucas took his seat and scrolled through his phone to tide him through the bore¡­ wait. To his surprise, a girl approached him at 6.25PM, and she was a familiar face. Leigh came up to Lucas with a smile. "Hello, Lucas. We meet again." Lucas had a lot of questions, but he stood up and asked Leigh, "You''re just passing by, aren''t you?" "No." Leigh smiled. "I''m here for a blind date." It''s not me, is it? Lucas looked around, desperately hoping that he was wrong. "So, is your date here?" She was amused, and sheughed. "He''s right in front of me." Oh crap. I should never have hit on her that night. I know I''m hot, but I never knew my charms would land me in trouble. She fell for me after we talked for a night. She even asked Madeline to push me into this date. Just my luck. Lucas huddled closer to her. "I told you that night that I''m a celibatarian. My goals are far beyond marriage." "Is that so?" Leigh blinked. "I was wicked drunk that night, so I don''t remember a thing." "Do you remember that I''m an illegitimate son then?" "Ah, that I do," she said. "The Griffins'' drama is hrious. You had five half-sisters, but one of them is gone even before I get to meet them. That''s funny." Goddammit. Even when she''s sober, she still has a few screws loose in her head. Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Leigh didn''t know what was wrong with Lucas, but she just got a kick out of seeing him utterly stumped, that''s all. He''s so adorable! She grinned as she asked, "Hello? Aren''t you going to invite me to join you?" Lucas'' eyes widened in shock. Invite you? I have to! You are not an ordinary date. You''re Madeline''s best friend! It was wiser to be on friendly terms with her. Even if they didn''t fall for each other at the end of the day, they would often meet each other because of Madeline and Sebastian. In that case, he should maintain some basic courtesy. Thus, he politely walked to her and pulled out a chair for her. "Please, have a seat." "Thank you." Leigh sat down with a smile. After she made herselffortable, he immediately sat across from her. Then, after a beat of awkward silence, he blurted, "Are you here for a blind date?" "What do you think?" Leigh retorted. Lucas didn''t know what to say to that. He honestly felt Leigh was here to tease him, but he didn''t dare voice his suspicion. "I don''t want to get married," he repeated. "What a coincidence." Leigh chuckled. "I was the same before I met you." Before Lucas could say anything, she continued, "But I changed my mind after I met you." Damn! Did I change her mind about marriage? How fantastic! But it has nothing to do with me! It didn''t matter if she did have a change of heart; the point here was that he still maintained the same mindset! He refused to get hitched! "But I haven''t changed my mind." So, he tentatively suggested, "Why don''t you¡­ Find someone else?" "What if I only have feelings for you?" Leigh''s smile only widened at his response. Lucas pursed his lips. "Maybe I should go for stic surgery." Leighughed heartily. "Ah, I''m sad to say that I like you for your interesting sense of humor." Damn! He stared at her unblinkingly as his mind raced. How bold! I''ve never met someone as straightforward as her. How could she confess her feelings even though we''ve only just met a few times?! "Aren''t you worried that I''m two-faced?" "Nope." Leigh said, "I believe in Mr. Hart. The Hart Family would have written you off if you were a horrible person. You wouldn''t be able to be Young Master Lucas for so long." Lucas was rendered speechless by her rational deduction. Her remarks were logical in that he couldn''t find a way to refute them so he could get out of this mess. "But I like being single and have no desire to change my status." He looked at her and affirmed solemnly, "I want to spend my life however I want without being tied down. I don''t want to get married, nor do I want to be responsible for other people''s lives." "That''s fine." She rested her chin against her palm and gazed at him earnestly. "Even if we don''t date each other, we can be friends. You''re the funniest handsome man I''ve ever met. Being friends with you would be very interesting." Lucas sighed inwardly as he prayed for the heavens to have mercy on him. Yes, he knew that he was handsome in her eyes. On the night she was drunk, she had heaped numerous praises for his dashing looks alone. Still, even though he wasn''t interested, it didn''t mean that he was a blind man. He had to admit that Leigh was a gorgeous woman herself. As the old saying went, "birds of a feather flock together." Madeline was so stunning that no one would dare to stand with her for fear that they would pale inparison. However, when Leigh strode hand-in-hand with Madeline, she was not at all outshone by Madeline''s good looks. In fact, her unique temperament and aura made her shine in her own right. But that didn''t matter! The point was he wasn''t interested in being in a rtionship at all! So what if she was beautiful? How was that any of his business? "Don''t you want to buy me a drink?" Leigh smiled mischievously as she prompted, "Even if you''re not interested, you don''t dislike me that much that you wouldn''t buy me a drink, would you?" "What?" Lucas gasped, "No! No! I don''t hate you. I''m sorry." He immediately beckoned the waiter over. "Go ahead. Order whatever you want. I''ve heard of this restaurant. Their food is delicious, especially the steak and caviar. They are very well-prepared." She didn''t hesitate in ordering the ones he had rmended and a ss of juice. He also returned the menu to the waiter as he spoke, "Two of the same, thank you." When the waiter took the menu and left, she smirked slyly as she poked fun at him, "Hey, we have the same preference for food. It''s a pity not to date each other." Lucas'' eyes widened in astonishment. How could she flirt with him so brazenly?! He would have doubted her character if she hadn''t been Madeline''s best friend! He asked helplessly, "Are you always so straightforward when you talk to everyone?" "Yup. I don''t like to beat around the bush. I just find word games far too annoying." Leigh giggled. "But don''t worry. As I said, I was once like you, but you were the first to catch my eye, so this is my first time confessing to a man. I''m not a yer. So, you don''t have to worry about me ruining your chastity and running off to the wind." Lucas sighed aloud this time at her antics. He was a man. He should be the one saying those things, right? He rubbed his temples in agitation. Oh my, she is too feisty. I don''t think I can handle her. What should I do? Should I call Sebastian and ask him toe and save me? The food was served rtively quickly, and she enjoyed the food with great relish. But, on the other hand, his situation contrasted starkly with hers. He nibbled on the food with a grimace as if he was eating the most horrible food in the world. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Is it not to your taste?" Leigh asked curiously, "Why don''t we switch to a different restaurant?" "No, thanks." Lucas quickly asserted, "It''s not that the food isn''t nice. It''s that I don''t really have an appetite... Actually, I feel rather embarrassed. It''s not you. It''s me. I grew up with little expectation of marriage. I figured that staying single for the rest of my life sounded like a good idea, and my brother''s children could care for me when I was old. So, why should I bother with marriage?" "I understand your point." Leigh nodded in agreement. "I wasn''t interested in the idea of settling down myself, so I can totally understand where you''reing from. So, don''t worry, we can be friends. But in case your view of marriage changes, and you want to find a partner to start a family, please think of me. I''m willing to wait." Lucas leaned against the back of his chair in astonishment as he tried to steer her away from that disastrous thought. "No, please don''t!" He shrieked, "Please don''t say that. You''re a lovely woman. You don''t have to wait for me. I don''t deserve it." "But you''re the only one I like, and I don''t like other men. I can''t just find a guy and marry him willy-nilly, can I?" Leigh conferred, "Isn''t this a good n? If you want to date someone in the future, we can try it out since I harbor no feelings for other men. If you are adamant about maintaining your single status, then I''ll let nature take its course." Lucas'' brows furrowed as he suddenly thought of an honestly lousy trick about ditching an interested party via the Inte. Thus, he swallowed anxiously and warily bbered, "What do you like about me? I''ll change! You''re a nice girl. I don''t want you to waste your time on me." She curled her lips into a sweet smile. "I like that you are Sebastian''s favorite brother. Why don''t you break ties with him and leave the Hart Family? Maybe I won''t think of you when I no longer see you around. That way, my feelings for you will naturally disappear with time." He was utterly bewildered by her response. She wasn''t only bold, but this woman was also ruthless! She truly knew where to hit him where it hurt! Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Leigh couldn''t help but burst out in wild, unrestrained guffaws when she saw Lucas'' dumbfounded expression making yet another appearance. "I''m so sorry. I just can''t help teasing you. I''m kidding! Chill. Don''t take things so seriously." Lucas frowned as he looked in askance at her. No, I don''t think you''re sorry or kidding at all! You seemed pretty serious! He chugged his juice in distress. He didn''t want to marry her. If he did, he couldn''t even imagine what he would be. The thought of bing remotely like his brother was enough to send him running to the hills in fright Sebastian was a hen-pecked husband who adored his wife and children with his entire being. But if I marry Leigh, she will have me eating out of her hands soon enough. No! No way! It feels so weird to be teased by a girl day and night! I may end up losing my mind! "What''s wrong? Are you upset?" Leigh finally stoppedughing and tried to contain her guffaws. "I''m sorry, okay? I''m so sorry. You look like a super nice guy, so I can''t help but tease you a little. Please forgive me, okay?" Do I look like a super nice guy? Lucas stared at her in disbelief. I look more like a pushover, don''t I?! "Don''t be upset. I''ll punish myself with three drinks, okay?" Leigh hailed the waiter. "A bottle of red wine, please." His lips twitched as he still vividly recalled the night Leigh got drunk. He was not interested in talking about life philosophy, poetry, and songs with a drunkard again... Oh, no, they were talking about his tragic past and gossiping about the Griffin Family. He remembered her saying that his terrible past and the Griffin Family''s scandals were the best snacks for her to pair with the wine. So, what did she want to talk about today? He honestly didn''t want her to even drink a sip of alcohol, but she had already called for the waiter and ordered a bottle of wine without his input. If he stopped her now, it would be as if he was stingy since he was treating her to tonight''s dinner. Although he had no intention of dating her, he didn''t hate her. On the contrary, she was Madeline''s best friend, so he had naturally regarded her as a friend or a potential sister. He did not want to leave a bad impression on her. Thus, he also didn''t want her to think that he was too stingy to buy her a bottle of wine. Hence, he had no choice but to watch in resignation as the waiter brought a bottle of wine over. Yikes, this is terrible. Leigh meant it when she said that she would punish herself. She immediately filled up a ss and finished it in one gulp. After she polished off the wine ss, she showed the empty ss to Lucas and beamed. "See? My apology to you is sincere, isn''t it?" Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He pouted as he closed his eyes in hopes that he could stave off the pained expression making its way to his face. Nope, I don''t see your sincerity. All I see is a drunkard in the making. "Don''t drink too much. I''m not angry." He advised, "Drinking is bad for you. Just drink a little. You''ll make a fool of yourself if you drink too much." To his surprise, she readily took his advice. "Okay." She only filled her second ss to a third. "I''ll take my time." Huh? Lucas was baffled. Why is she behaving so obediently now? This feels odd. "Young Master Lucas, can you do me a favor, please?" Leigh asked while cupping her chin with one hand and swirling the wine ss with the other. "Don''t call me that," he huffed. "I always feel that you''re mocking me when you do that. It gives me the creeps." "Really? why?" She quipped, "I signed a contract with Sebastian. Technically speaking, you can be considered my co-employer, so the address is appropriate..." Then, she nced at him and sighed solemnly. "Fortunately, I''m not a snowke, or I may look at you with tears in my eyes and demand piteously, ''Young Master Lucas, do you dislike my humble origins and think you''re out of my league? Is that why you don''t want to be with me?''" She feigned a sorrowful demeanor andmented in such a despairing tone so well that she gave him a whish. Lucas really got goosebumps this time. "Please spare me! You''re so bold and charismatic. This kind of pitiful image does not suit you at all!" He even showed her his arms. "See, I have actual goosebumps because of you!" "I''m lecturing you to help you build your self-confidence." Leigh immediately returned to her usual self. "See, I signed a contract with Sebastian, and I have to work for him for the rest of my life. I don''t feel awful at all, so why do you always tell others that you are a b*stard? Are you worse than I am? Some people even describe me as your family''s ve, but unlike you, I don''t have an inferiorityplex." Lucas confided, "Actually, I don''t have an inferiorityplex. Even if I don''t do anything, in the eyes of others, my existence itself is a sin. I will be looked down on because of my identity, which is why I refuse to get married. I don''t want my kids to be teased because I am an illegitimate son! Imagining the scene alone makes my heart ache." He could turn a blind eye to the contempt of others, but he couldn''t watch his dearest and beloved being hurt because of him. He could bear it no matter how the others insulted him, but if he got married and had children in the future, he would be defeated if his wife and children were humiliated because of his status. He did not want anyone he cared about to be despised and belittled because of him. That was why he wouldn''t get married. Absolutely not! Nevertheless, it didn''t really matter since he preferred to be alone. That way, he would not be responsible for anyone''s life, and no one would get in harm''s way due to his less-than-ster past. So, this was for the best! "Wait a minute! You''re right! I can''t get married either!" Leigh eximed, "It''s even more of a disaster for my children if I get married! I signed a life-long contract with Sebastian and have to enact his will without qualms and questions. Others can devote their life to their children, but I have to put Sebastian''s interest first and prioritize my children second. This is unfair to my future child!" She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Well, you''ve sessfully convinced me. So, let''s join hands and be single forever. I don''t want to get married anymore. I don''t want my kids to suffer because of me." Lucas frowned at her decisive behavior. Wait, she''s teasing me again, isn''t she? I changed her view of marriage just a second ago, and now, I managed to change her mind again? If Madeline found out that after talking to me for less than half an hour, Leigh, who had nned to get married and start a family, would remain single again, would she ask Sebastian to beat me up? "I see it now!" He nced at Leigh, and his face twisted in a bitter grimace. "You''re my jinx! The angels probably thought that my life was far too smooth-sailing, and they sent you to bully me!" "Is that so?" She smiled and winked wickedly. "If that''s the case¡­ Hey, don''t you think that it is good for us to get married and have kids?" What the hell?! Lucas stared at her,pletely dumbstruck. What''s so good about it?! "Think about it." She beamed as she rambled, "If we get married and have a kid, he is both the child of an illegitimate son as well as your family''s ve. If we get married to another partner, we will have two miserable kids, but if we get married to each other, there will only be one miserable kid. I think I''ve struck gold with my logic, so isn''t this for the best?" His jaw dropped in bewilderment. What kind of an oddball argument was this?! It was obviously best not to have children at all! Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Lucas'' expression was so hrious that Leigh could even imagine him smacking his head against the table. When her mind created that precise image with exaggerated sound effects, amusement bubbled within her, and sheughed so hard that she had to remind herself to breathe. "Hey! Stop that!" Lucas snapped, "You can''t bully me just because I''m trying to be a gentleman here!" "I''m so sorry!" She fanned herself as she tried to swallow her giggles. "Actually, I have a solution. We can get married and not have children. You''re worried that your kid will be hurt because of you, so let''s just get married and not have kids!" "Can we change the subject?" "No!" Leigh forced herself to maintain a straight face, sat upright, and stared at him seriously. "We''re here for a blind date. What else can we talk about other than this?" He almost did a spit take as he hurriedly swallowed his juice to prevent an unwanted ident. Even so, when he parted his lips to take a shot at her, he couldn''te up with anything. Lo and behold, the crazy woman had a point! When she saw his reaction, she didn''t even bother to hide her snickers. "I''m just putting this out there. I don''t mind if you want to gossip about the Griffins." I mind, thank you! Lucas rolled his eyes at her. After their brief conversation, he could tell that whatever image he had was already in tatters. It didn''t help that Leigh tapped a finger on her lips and smirked, "Oh my, I can''t help but notice that you''re not only good-looking, but you''re totally my type. I''m getting even more attracted to you!" He stared at her wryly. Should he go and ruin his face or something? "I think you''re overthinking things." She gave him a reassuring smile. "If we get married and have a kid, do you think my kid will be a snowke? What can negativements do to my kid, anyway? I can assure you that my kid will beat the crap out of those who mock him. The worse the mockery, the more brutal the beatings!" What if the kid inherits my temperament?! Lucas thought huffily. Hang on, no! I can only think about this and not say it out loud, or she will definitely tease me for it! If our kid is like her, there''s no way he wouldn''t give them a thrashing. If the kid is like me, he would probably hide in some dark, dusty corner and cry his little heart out. Doesn''t it mean that I''m more emotional than a woman? God, no! No, I''m not! I''m a man. The toughest man in the world! "Are you worried about what would happen if your kid inherits your temperament?" Although he didn''t give voice to his thoughts, it seemed as if she could read him like an open book. "I don''t think that would happen because I strongly feel that my genes are by far more superior than yours, so the kid is more likely to be a mini-me. Besides, nature may y a strong role, but nurture is also essential for a child''s development. So, I can assure you that any kid I raise will resemble me!" Lucas closed his eyes dejectedly. This was tant contempt! He once again smacked himself in his mind, wondering why he had walked toward Leigh the other night. He truly regretted his decision that day, but it was toote. "Hey, I''m not fooling around right now. I''m serious." She sipped her winenguidly, straightened her posture, looked at Lucas sincerely, and asserted, "Before I knew you, my urge to be single forever was stronger than yours. But after I came to know you, I fell in love with you for some reason. Maybe... I did something bad to you in our previous lives, and now I''m here to redeem myself." No, it must be the other way around. Lucas grumbled within the confines of his mind, How long does it take to redeem myself? Leigh sighed in disappointment. "Don''t worry. I won''t force you. Since you don''t like me, we can be friends. It''s nice to have a confidant whom I can talk to." Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Didn''t she say that she was serious? So why does it sound like a joke? Lucas pouted in displeasure. "Less talking, more eating." She pushed the te toward him and gestured toward the food. "I hope I didn''t ruin your appetite. I''m really not going to force you to date me, I promise." He didn''t know what to say at this point. His brain couldn''t evene up with witty rebuttals any longer. Nheless, Leigh genuinely seemed to enjoy her dinner and did not seem to be affected by his rejection in the slightest. "Did your dad visit you recently?" Lucas'' hand that was holding a fork halted mid-way. God above, why is she doing this to me? Why can''t she just keep quiet? "Oops, sorry! My bad." She quickly corrected herself, saying, "Did Marioe to see you again?" He was about to plead for mercy and demand a change of subject when he saw a couple walking toward them. The moment he took a good look at the woman''s face, he closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. Then, a saying popped into his mind, Speak of the devil and he doth appear. Well, in this case, it isn''t the devil himself but the devil''s daughter. Cynthia¡ªMario''s second daughter¡ªand a young man walked to Lucas'' side. Cynthia red at him in disdain and scorned, "Oh, isn''t this my dad''s b*stard? Well, I think a ce as sophisticated as Dusktown should have a sign erected outside all public ces that said¡ªB*stards and dogs are not allowed." Leigh regarded Cynthia as if she was looking at an idiot and inquired, "Who is she?" Lucas answered indifferently, "Cynthia, Mario''s second daughter." "Oh, I see." Leigh stood up, walked to Cynthia, sized her up again, raised her hand, and pped Cynthia across the face. Then, she smiled elegantly and snarked, "I''m being nice and warning you now. I prefer to settle things non-verbally if you catch my drift. So, what were you saying again?" Cynthia was about to bark at Lucas for Leigh''s identity when that crazydy pped her without warning. She cupped her cheek, utterly shocked as she screeched, "Are you out of your f*cking mind? How can you p me for no reason?!" "Am I? No, I have a reason. I''m just taking out the trash." Leigh red at her arrogantly. "We''re spending our sweet time together, but you just have toe out of nowhere and ruin our moment. If you can''t dish it, don''t say it! By the way, you are lucky that you''re only pped. You may already be dead if you bumped into someone with looser morals." Lucas stared at Leigh in surprise. They were having a moment? When?! "You!" Cynthia was shaking with fury. She had never encountered such a situation before. How could she respond to a p at the drop of a hat? Should she do the same? No, that''s beneath me. Should she just endure it and move along? No way! I won''t stand for such an insult! She furiously nudged the man behind her, pushed him to Leigh, and growled, "Can''t you see that she pped me?" She wanted him to stand up for her. She could retain her poise and vent her anger without lifting a finger if he did. Gerard shot her a look as he frowned. "I don''t hit women." Cynthia was enraged by his attitude. "But she pped your girlfriend! Don''t you want to help me out?!" "We''re only on a blind date," Gerard responded ndly. "You''re not my girlfriend yet." Cynthia was so frustrated that her chest heaved as she tried to calm herself. She had already told her mother that she didn''t like Gerard. He looked like an idiot with his dull face. However, her mother insisted that the Jones Family was distinguished. If she married Gerard, the Joneses could help her seize power and force her grandfather to name her as his heir. For the sake of the inheritance, she agreed to go on a blind date with Gerard, but now, she truly regretted her decision. She was right. Gerard was really a moron. She was so incensed that she threw her poise and etiquette out the window. Instead, she raised her arm and swung it toward Leigh. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Lucas, who was initially sitting down, immediately jerked to his feet to stop Cynthia, but Leigh was faster. She grabbed Cynthia''s wrist and twisted it harshly. Cynthia wailed in pain as Leigh twisted her arm behind her back, forcing her to fall to one knee. Leigh twisted her arm with one hand and patted her face patronizingly with the other. "Miss Griffin, let me teach you another lesson. When you''re weaker than your opponent, don''t ever p her, or you''re only giving them another reason to beat you up!" When that was said and done, she kicked Cynthia in the back of her knee, forcing her into kneeling. Then, she turned to Lucas and beamed. "I''m just doing this out of self-defense. Young Master Lucas, please don''t think of me as vicious." "You''re insane! Let go of me!" Cynthia struggled against her. "How dare you p me! I''m calling the police to arrest you!" "Wonderful. Let''s call the police then!" Leigh giggled as she mused, "When you call the police, I''ll make a call to Mario. I''ll tell him I was having a nice dinner with Young Master Lucas when you ridiculed us out of the blue. I''ll ask him how he could fail so terribly as a father that you ended up being such a rude woman! Don''t forget that you started the fight. So, he''s in the wrong for raising such an impolite little b*tch, no? I''ll ensure that he understands that you need a firmer hand to guide you in the future. Aren''t you going to thank me?" Cynthia''s face turned red with rage, and she pped her lips but couldn''t say a word in response. She didn''t want Mario to know that she mocked Lucas, but she despised that she was being humiliated by this nobody! Mario didn''t like her and her sisters; Lucas was his favorite. If he discovered that she had started a fight by insulting Lucas, he would definitely punish her. Her grandfather was even worse. He adored Lucas even more so than Mario. He had a serious preference for a male heir. In his opinion, he did not even consider the five sisters a part of the Griffin Family. To him, it didn''t matter how Lucas was conceived, and he was a shoo-in as an heir to the Griffin Family. If her grandfather knew that she deliberately provoked Lucas, he would punish her far more severely than Mario. Her grandfather held a superior status in the family. Suffice to say, her grandfather seeded in putting the fear of God within her just by mere presence alone, and she did not dare to test his boundaries. In the past, Lucas never onceined to her grandfather and Mario about his treatment at home, which was why she dared to taunt him when she bumped into him today. Moreover, he would only dismiss them whenever they bullied him and walked away. He had never retaliated. Yet today, some lunatic decided to be Lucas'' knight in shining armor by helping him. She had tormented Lucas so many times, but this was the first time that she had a taste of her own medicine. The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became. Finally, she snarled and spat viciously, "This is between Lucas and me. It''s none of your business. Release me this instant!" She dared not mention anything close to calling the police or security. Even if the police arrived, Leigh would only be fined or given a warning, but if Mario and her grandfather found out what she had done to Lucas¡­ She couldn''t imagine what gnarly fate would await her. "Lucas is my friend, so his business is my business." Leigh snorted, "Do you want me to let you go? Sure, but you have to swear that you will leave Lucas alone and walk the other way when you see him, or¡ªyou''ll be an ugly witch, and no one will ever love you." Cynthia was so furious that she butted against Legh''s hold. "Are you insane?! Why do you want to be friends with a b*stard?! Don''t you know that he''s a b*stard? In Dusktown, a b*stard is the symbol of shame. There are so many good men in the world. So why do you have to be friends with an illegitimate child?!" "Watch your tongue, youngdy!" Leigh exerted some force. Cynthia immediately felt a sharp pain, and she cried in agony. "Yes, he is an illegitimate son, but that''s because that trashy dad of yours scammed his mom! His mom thought she was officially married to your worthless father, but he was so malicious that he cheated her with a fake marriage certificate. In his mom''s heart, he is a legitimate son! But, on the other hand, your dad tricked a woman with a fake marriage certificate! He is despicable, shameless, and unworthy of the title ''Father''!" At this point, Leigh pressed closer to Cynthia and grinned. "This is your family''s secret, isn''t it? Your family is prestigious in the city, so I bet everyone in your family doesn''t want this secret to leak out. It''s just a shame you bullied Lucas in public and forced my hand. Why don''t you tell me what would happen to you if your grandpa and dad found out that I exposed your family''s dirtyundry because you mocked Lucas? How would they punish you?" As Cynthia listened to Leigh''s remarks, her face, which was initially red with rage, gradually turned stark white. She was right. Her family had been trying to sweep this matter under the rug, and no one would reveal anything to the public. They were currently in a public ce. Although there were screens between seats in this high-end restaurant, the nearby diners could undoubtedly hear her as she spilled the beans with her strong voice. Some might spread her words, and Cynthia did not dare to think about how her grandfather would punish her if he discovered that she was to me for this entire farce. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She genuinely regretted her actions, perhaps not for the right reasons, but she was sorry she even taunted Lucas. She shouldn''t have swanned to his table just to mock him. It was just that she blew a fuse the minute she saw him and wanted him to die right there and then. Although the five Griffin sisters were the legitimate children of the Griffin Family, and Lucas was an illegitimate son, her grandfather, and fatherpletely ignored tradition and insisted on wanting Lucas to be a part of their family. It was like they were hypnotized! They wanted to announce to the public that he was the legitimate son of the family. It was just that before his mother passed away, she entrusted him to the Hart Family, and they brought him back when he became an adult so that he could take over the family. It was utterly unprecedented in Dusktown, where an illegitimate child could inherit the family fortune. She knew that it was because Lucas became the adopted son of the Harts. Therefore, her father and grandfather thought that he was different from other illegitimate children, which was why they insisted on bringing Lucas back home and even allowing him to take over the family''s inheritance. Cynthia, her sisters, and her mother would not let this happen! Her mother was Mario''s officially wedded wife, and the five sisters were the legitimate daughter of the Griffins. Everything in the Griffins should be theirs. Lucas was just an illegitimate son and did not deserve to take a dime from them! Whenever she saw Lucas, she thought of her father and grandfather, who wanted to ept Lucas and rece the sisters as the family''s heirs. Whenever she thought of her father and grandfather''s outrageous actions, she couldn''t help but torment Lucas to vent her frustrations at the unfairness of it all. She had never failed to browbeat him in the past, but today, Lucas was with a woman she had never seen before, and she tasted failure for the first time. Lucas never fought back whenever he was treated terribly. On the contrary, he hated having any involvement with the Griffins and would not mention a word about the family. Nheless, today, the woman apanying him exposed the family secret without batting an eye. If the people here spread the news, and her grandfather and father discovered that she was the source of this incident, her life would be ruined! There would be no hope for her to even inherit a single cent! The longer she contemted her actions, the more she regretted them. She couldn''t even describe how terrified she was of the fallout. Cynthia desperately wanted to flee from this establishment and this crazy woman. Hence, she could only force herself to admit defeat with a lowered head as she stammered, "O-Okay! I-I swear that from now on, I will leave Lucas alone. If I bully him again, I''ll turn so ugly that no one will ever love me!" Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Cynthia hissed these words through gnashed teeth. Her face was as red as a tomato, and she felt extremely humiliated. Mario was a real estate tycoon, and the Griffin Family was one of the prominent families in Dusktown. Although Mario and Old Mr. Griffin did not care for her and her four sisters, it didn''t change the fact that her mother was Mario''swfully wedded wife, and she was the legitimate daughter of the family. Since she was young, she had been respected and adored. She had never suffered such mortification. She would remember this. Then, when she had the chance, she would ensure that this crazy woman paid in full! "Good, I''m d we''vee to an understanding." Leigh released Cynthia''s hand. "Now go away! Here''s another lesson for you. Lucas ignores you because he is polite and well-mannered. Don''t bark like a mad dog everywhere you go, or you''ll be treated like one. You have no reason to torment someone just because they''re nice. You''ll have a taste of your own medicine sooner orter." Cynthia was so furious that she dearly wished she could kill Leigh right there and then, but Leigh''s threat was very effective. She didn''t even dare to snark and protest at Leigh''s rough treatment. Instead, she was thoroughly disgraced by this incident as she covered her face and scampered off. Meanwhile, Leigh promptly sat down after chasing away the annoying pest and continued to enjoy her dinner. "Your half-sister is so-so." She looked slightly disappointed as shemented, "I didn''t even have the chance to show a tenth of my strength. Frankly, I think you only prolong your suffering by behaving like a gentleman. If not, you would have ended that moron rather quickly after a good swat, don''t you think?" Lucas blinked in awe. He really had to hand it to her. How could she read him so urately? Did she study psychology? Wait, in that case, she was even more ferocious. Not only could she treat patients, but she could also read a person''s mind, not to mention her proficient fighting skills. He suddenly figured out why she had taken a fancy to him. She was so ferocious¡ªahem¡ªoutstanding, she would not fall for an ordinary man. Despite his status as an illegitimate child, well, he was handsome. She praised his looks countless times. Therefore, he had it on good money that she had a high preference for good-looking men. "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Leigh rested her cheek against her hand and looked at him. "Are you upset or shocked? Don''t be upset. You and your mom are victims, and Mario is the trash. You and your mom are innocent. Also, don''t be frightened by me either. I''m pretty and kind-hearted. I''m the nicest person in the world. Don''t you think I look particrly gentle?" She tilted her head slightly and smiled brightly. She did look gentle and soft-spoken when one looked at her face, but¡ª This youngdy here could easily deceive the public with her exterior appearance. One should have a clear look at her character before recklessly tagging her as a soft touch. Considering her actions earlier, it had nothing to do with gentleness. He wondered how she had the nerve to praise herself for being mild-mannered. Lucas looked at her in confusion, not knowing what to say. Leigh beamed. "I''m just doing the public a favor by throwing out the trash! See, I was punishing a vicious woman, so in contrast, I''m particrly kind-hearted, right?" How could I say no? This is a threat! His eyes widened like saucers, and he nodded firmly, "Yes, you''re right!" Leigh could heal, mock people, and even fight, so everything she said was right. "Let''s eat. Don''t dwell on this matter. In my opinion, you''re the best." Leigh pushed the te to him again. "Come on. You should finish your food. It''s not good to waste food." Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Once again, she was correct, so he could only nod meekly. "Okay." She smiled sweetly at him. "You''re as obedient as Aldo and Buddy." Lucas stared at her in bewilderment. He wanted to shake the woman and demand whether she was in the market for a boyfriend or a nephew. He was the dignified young master of the Hart Family. He was capable, powerful, and intelligent. How did he be so docile when he was with Leigh? He had an idea; she was too charismatic, ferocious, and eloquent. Her words often rendered others speechless. So, he wasn''t afraid of her! Besides, she was Madeline''s best friend, so he had to be polite to her, which was why he looked rather cowardly inparison. Yes, this was the truth! I take no criticisms! Leigh was about to say something when her phone, which she kept in her purse, rang. She looked at it and saw Austin''s caller ID shing on the screen. She tapped the answer button and clicked on the loudspeaker. "Hello." She and Austin were acquaintances, but she would never regard him as her brother. She did not want anything to do with the Penhams in this life. "Leigh," Austin sounded anxious with a hint of urgency in his tone. "I need your help to check on this patient over here. Where are you? Can I pick you up?" Leigh asked, "Who is the patient? What does he have?" Austin hesitated before saying, "He''s my cousin. When he was twenty years old, he was seriously ill and took hormone drugs for his treatment. He was thin, to begin with, but ever since then, he gained weight and is now 380 pounds. When he went out on the street, he bumped into the girl he used to like. The girl mocked him. He couldn''t take it, so he slit his wrist..." "Oh..." Leigh said faintly, "There''s nothing I can do about it. Just send him to the hospital." "No, wait..." Austin hurriedly continued, "He''s okay now because we found him in time, but I want you toe over and see if you can cure his obesity problem. He is brilliant and nice, but his only problem is his obesity. He lost his confidence and courage to live because of this. Leigh, you''re highly skilled in medicine and good at treatingplicated illnesses. Can you pleasee and check on him? If you can cure him, he will definitely not want to kill himself again." At this point, he could describe his cousin''s condition as wholly done with life. The doctor said it was useless to revive him because he didn''t want to live anymore. He was so determined to die that he would die by suicide sooner orter. There was no point in treating his physical symptoms because his real problem was his mental health, consisting of the humiliation from his obesity, ugliness, andck of self-esteem. The only way for him to regain his self-confidence was to get rid of his obesity and return to his old figure. After Leigh''s treatment, the conditions of Austin''s grandfather and his cousin sister improved significantly. This proved that she was a talented doctor. Austin had wanted to ask Leigh to diagnose his cousin. However, because the treatment for his grandfather and cousin sister was far from over, another patient would be too heavy a burden. It didn''t help that Leigh didn''t want anything to do with the Penhams and the Walker Family, so he didn''t dare to express his request. Thus, he kept this matter in mind and figured he would only mention it once she was less swamped. s, he didn''t expect that his cousin brother wouldmit suicide today of all days! Thus, he couldn''t put this off any longer! The instant his cousin''s life was out of danger, he immediately phoned her for help. Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Leigh twirled with the spoon while she prompted, "By the way, how is this cousin you''re saying rted to Penny?" Austin knew that Leigh loathed Penny the most. He honestly didn''t want to answer this question, but he had to, and there was no point in lying since she would find out anyway. So, he answered honestly, "He is Harvey Walker, my uncle''s son." "Oh." Leigh giggled. "He is Penny''s nephew." He hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, "Leigh, our uncles have severed ties with Mom! During that incident, Mom exploited Grandma too, so my uncles could never forgive her for her doings. Ever since that incident, they had never seen her again. Harvey also has nothing to do with Mom. Mom loves Ava the most. She doesn''t bat an eye at Justin and me, let alone my cousin." Leigh snorted coldly and mocked, "Do you expect me to believe what you say?" "Leigh, I swear that what I said is true!" He bbered anxiously, "Our uncles and the cousins have nothing to do with Mom now..." Leigh continued to ridicule with a sneer painted across her lips, "Penny is one of the Walker Family. Do you think they can sever ties just like that? Even now, you''re still addressing her Mom, aren''t you?" Austin parted his lips to refute her, but he couldn''t say a word. She was right. He couldn''t argue against her. No matter what Penny had done, she was his mother who birthed him and raised him. No matter how heinous Penny was and how the whole world could despise her, he and Justin couldn''t do the same. "Harvey''s life is at stake now. Please help him, please," he begged her. "Well, I can help you..." Leigh dragged out and slowly enunciated her words, "I work for Oasis Law Office. Our office is open for business, so of course, we have to entertain our customers. Our motto is that we will ept jobs in all aspects as long as it''s legal." Austin immediately understood the meaning behind her words and epted, "No problem. You don''t have to worry about the consultation fee. As long as you cane over to check on him, we''ll pay you whether you can cure him or not." "Wonderful." Leigh listed her conditions. "If I can cure him, the consultation fee is 20 million. One million if I can''t. No bargaining! Also, since he is part of the Walker Family, they will be footing the bill. I won''t ept your money and don''t try to trick me. If I learn that you lied to me, I''ll personally ce your name on the cklist and will never ept any more patients referred to by you. Give my number to the Walker Family. Let theme to me." Before Austin could say a word edgewise, she ended the call. Lucas watched the scene, utterly intrigued. A capable person was always so awe-inspiring. However, Sebastian was the most terrifying and domineering person because Leigh worked for him despite her outstanding capability. Awesome! She sipped her wine as she ran over the conversation in her head. Finally, she dismissed those thoughts with a shake of her head and sighed with feeling, "Life is so funny. The more you refuse to meet someone, the more they will pester you. I despise everyone rted to Penny, but my biological brother, Austin, insists on asking me to check on one of the Walker Family. Argh, this sucks!" She wouldn''t have been bothered had it not been for Austin. Still, Austin was genuinely nice, and she had a higher tolerance for kind people. Hence, she decided to check on this cousin for his sake. Nheless, dealing with the Walker Family would affect her mental health, so it was only fair that she made them pay for her services with a little extra. Besides beautiful things, money was the only thing in this world that could make her happy. Nope, wait a minute. Money should be first and the beautiful thing second. But the beautiful thing can take first ce if it''s someone like Lucas. Leigh cupped her chin and tapped her cheek with her fingers. She curved her eyes and lips into crescents as she admired Lucas. Lucas gradually felt goosebumps appearing all over his body because of her unabashed gaze. "Hey, what kind of terrible thing are you thinking about this time? "What the hell?" Leigh narrowed her eyes and red at him. "I want to cleanse my eyes! My spirit is hurt because of the call with Austin, so I need to cleanse my eyes and relieve my nerves by appreciating beauty." Hah. Lucas squinted at her in disbelief. Those things juste right off the top of her head, don''t they? He asked with an expressionless face, "Can I charge you?" "Of course!" Leigh nodded. "If I can cure Austin''s cousin, the Walker Family have to pay me 20 million. Sebastian will take 70% of the 20 million, and I will divide half of the remaining 30% with thepany. I will pay you if there is anything left after that." He pursed his lips when he did a quick mental division. It seemed that there was not much left for him if he epted her offer. Nheless, after he heard her sort out the pay, it seemed like she was quite pitiful too. She did all the hard work but wouldn''t be paid well for her efforts. "You''d better keep it for yourself," Lucas said. "That money is not as much as the pocket money Sebastian gives me." "Is that so... Why don''t I ask the Walker Family for more?" Leigh pondered. "I heard that they are quite rich. 20 million for one life is a little on the cheap end. Maybe I should charge them a minimum of 50 million?" He blinked in befuddlement. The Walker Family had to fork out an extra 30 million because of his casual remarks. They might create voodoo dolls and curse him if they ever learned about this. "Forget it." Lucas muttered, "Since you''ve already named a price, don''t change the rate. You have to be a woman of honor. You can''t go back on your words." Leigh contemted the matter and nodded firmly. "Alright, I''ll take your advice! This time, I didn''t think things through. Next time, I''ll charge them more to earn more money for you." "What?!" He was stunned by her response. "No, you don''t have to! I''m just kidding!" "I''m not. I''m dead serious." Leigh quipped, "Money means nothing to me. I will give the money to the people who are closest to me spiritually. Don''t worry, though. There are very few such people. For now, there are only two, including you. So, you don''t have to worry about my financial state." What? Lucas frowned. What does it matter to me if she spends her money carelessly? What''s there to be worried about? Also¡ª "The other person is Madeline?" he asked curiously. "Of course!" Leigh eximed, "Maddie saved my life, so we are friends for life! She is special to me. Even Leah doesn''t get the same treatment from me." "Leah?" Lucas asked, "Leah Sawyer?" There were more male employees than females in the Oasis Law Office. In addition to Madeline, there were only three women, and one of them was Leah. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Got it in one." Leigh looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. "You know our firm very well!" Then, she looked at her watch and said, "Leah''s flight is tonight. She is rushing back to attend Maddie''s and Sebastian''s wedding. I, Leah, and Caitlin are the bridesmaids. Are you his best man?" Chapter 457 Chapter 457 "Of course." Lucas said, "Anthony, Kieran, and I are the best men." How can I not be the best man for my brother''s wedding? "Right." He suddenly remembered something and added, "My uncles are arriving tonight. Madeline will return to her mother''s house tomorrow, won''t she? She can''t meet Sebastian from tonight until the wedding day, so I think she will return to her home for dinner and may not be able to keep Leah company." It was a local custom in Dusktown that the groom-to-be and the bride-to-be could not see each other three days before the wedding. Today was the fourth day before the wedding, so after tonight, Sebastian and Madeline would not be able to see one another before the wedding. "That''s nothing." Leigh shrugged and said indifferently, "When you get to know us better, you''ll know that the employees in ourpany are either oddballs or freaks. We alle and go like the wind and do not care about these trivial matters. So, this doesn''t really ping on our scanners." Lucas looked at her curiously. He wanted to ask her which one she identified as, but hismon sense told him he had better keep his mouth shut. He knew that he was physically stronger than her, but he was a gentleman and would nevery a hand against a woman. So, if they fought, he would be easily defeated. "Oh, before I forget." He recalled something else and inquired, "Didn''t you say there was something you wanted me to help you with? What is it?" "Oh, it''s about ourpany." Leigh exined, "We moved here quite a while now, but because we don''t know many people here, thepany has not officially opened for business yet. So, if it''s convenient for you, please advertise and promote ourpany. Just promote it based on what I said to Austin. We''ll ept any job as long as we''re paid¡ªno, we''re operating our business to serve the people. We will ept any kind of job as long as it is legal and ethical." "Any kind of job?" He asked, "Even if they hire you to look for dogs or cats?" "Yup!" She nodded affirmatively. "As long as they can afford to pay tens of thousands of dors to look for their pets, we will take the job." He narrowed his eyes. Didn''t she say that thepany aimed to serve the people? She had a slip of the tongue earlier¡ªany job that could give them money. Was that the real aim of the company? They aimed to earn money. As long as the clients paid them generously, they would take the job. "Does Madeline need money that badly?" Lucas couldn''t help but probe for answers. It was improbable. Madeline was the legitimate daughter of the Wendels. When her parents found her, they would do everything for her. They even gave her a lot of properties and shops¡ªestimated to be worth several hundred million. Moreover, Sebastian would never be stingy with money when it came to her. On the contrary, he had always been generous, so he would definitely shower her with money. So, she shouldn''t be worrying about finances. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "She did, but she is rich now." Leigh said, "We love to make money. That has nothing to do with our financial status." Suddenly, she brought up a different topic by prompting, "Do you know why ourpany is called Oasis Law Firm?" "Yes, I''ve seen the advertisement for yourpany on the Inte," Lucas answered confidently. "It is called Oasis because you see yourself as a paradise in the middle of a desperate desert to help human beings." But it meant that they would serve the people, right? It didn''t seem to match her purpose: rake in cash. She exined the motto, "Maddie''s master established thispany because his son was missing, so he needed the money to search for his son. After he received his payment¡ªno matter how much he earned¡ªhe would donate half of his earnings to charitable organizations to umte blessings. He prayed that he could find his son, or even if he couldn''t find him, his son would not suffer. So, her master handed over thepany to Maddie before he died. She could manage thepany as she pleased, but she would donate half of her profit. This rule will not be changed as long as thepany is in operation." Leigh waved her hand as she regaled him with the tale. "So, you see, the employees of mypany are good people! For every penny we earn, we will donate half of it. Tell me, we''re nice, aren''t we?" Lucas frowned. " Why did you give Sebastian 70% of the consultation fee the Walker Family paid you? Does yourpany not have any say in this?" "Oh, I''m an exception." She exined candidly, "If we do our assignments from thepany, we will receive a sry and a bonus at the end of the year, but if we take a personal assignment in private, we will divide the profit in half. Maddie will take her half and donate half, while we will take another half. This assignment will not have anything to do with thepany. I am the onlypany member who didn''t sign a long-term contract with Maddie. My master and Maddie''s master were close friends, and my master entrusted me to Maddie''s master. So, nominally, I''m an employee of Oasis Law Office, and I can earnmissions just like the other employees, but I didn''t sign a contract with thepany..." She sighed. "But I can''t escape from the couple''s trick. I didn''t sign a contract with Maddie, but I signed one with Sebastian. The longest term of Oasis is only twenty years, but your brother has signed me up for life. He is the worst!" "But Sebastian didn''t force you to sign it. You gave your consent and knew the terms when you signed that agreement, okay?" "Okay, alright!" Leigh huffed. "I''m just kidding. I''m notining. Sebastian avenged me, so I''m happy to work for him! Also, he is not only the best support I will ever have but also Maddie''s husband. So, what''s there to be upset about?" "But I think¡ª" Before Lucas could finish, Leigh''s phone rang, and he stopped mid-sentence. Leigh nced at her phone. It was an unknown number, so it should be from the Walker Family. She answered the call and pressed the loudspeaker button. "Hello." "Hello, Dr. Shefford. I''m Harvey''s father, yton." yton didn''t regard himself as Leigh''s uncle and didn''t even dream of considering pulling the rtive card here. After what Penny had done, Leigh had all the reasons in the world to despise the Walker Family, and he was too ashamed to call himself her uncle. Now, all he hoped for was for Leigh to help his son. As soon as she could cure Harvey, he would do anything she asked him. "Dr. Shefford, Austin told me about your request." yton quavered anxiously, "As long as you can save my son, I''ll agree to any conditions!" "But I''m not sure I can cure him," Leigh said lightly. yton quickly responded, "One million consultation fee! Even if you can''t cure Harvey, I''ll pay you one million." Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Leigh answered swiftly, "Okay, deal." yton heaved a sigh of relief. "Where are you? Austin will pick you up." "I''m having dinner with a friend," she replied. "I''ll send him the location." After she ended the call, she sent her location to Austin, and he arrived fairly quickly. Lucas and Leigh were almost done with their dinner, and they rose to their feet when they saw him walking over anxiously. Leigh introduced them, "Austin Penham, Lucas Hart." Austin and Lucas shook hands. Austin secretly thought, This is a romantic restaurant. Is Leigh dating the vice president of Hart Corporation? Why didn''t I hear anything about it? Leigh didn''t care what he thought. So, she turned to Lucas and asked, "Do you have anything to do? Do you want to go with me?" "Sure, I''ll apany you." Lucas nodded. It waste, and he would be worried about letting Leigh go out alone at night. Although she was tough, she was still a woman. They got into the car. While Austin drove toward yton''s house, he couldn''t help but ask curiously, "Leigh, are you dating Mr. Hart?" "No," she promptly answered. "We''re on a blind date tonight." "Oh..." Austin stopped talking. He wasn''t sure if he could ask how their day was going, but from the looks of it, they seemed to enjoy their time together. Besides, based on Lucas'' earlier words, he seemed to be rather attentive to her safety. Austin''s grandfather used to be Philip''s subordinate, and both families were quite close, so he knew a little about Lucas. Lucas was Mario''s illegitimate son, as well as the Hart Family''s adopted son. Based on Lucas'' status, Leigh was out of his league. However, the situation with the Walker Family affected Leigh''s status. The second branch in the Walker Family was far more sessful than the main family, as Austin and Justin weren''t the brightest. If their future offspring weren''t talented, their family would be in decline sooner orter. Therefore, Lucas and Leigh could be considered a well-matched couple. Nevertheless, no matter what Austin thought, he had no right to interfere with her affairs. Even if he told her his opinion, based on his understanding of her temperament and character, saying that she wouldn''t care for it would be a massive understatement. She had spent quite some time conversing with Lucas. So, when she entered the car, she wasn''t in the mood to talk and remained silent throughout the journey. After they arrived at the hospital, Austin led the way, and Leigh soon met Harvey. Harvey was indeed on the chubby end, and his chubbiness seemed odd. His fairplexion and bulging belly made him look like a small hill when hey in the hospital bed. His eyes were squeezed into slits by the amount of fatty flesh on his face. She was experienced and had seen many patients, so she didn''t show her surprise because of Harvey''s morbid obesity. The nervous yton reassured Harvey, "This is your cousin, Leigh. She is very good at medicine. She is treating Luna now, and Luna is recovering well. So please cooperate and let her check on you, okay?" Harvey was awake, and his eyes were open, but he stared nkly at a certain point and did not react to the outside world at all. She didn''t hesitate as she began to read his pulse. Unfortunately, he was too chubby, and she spent more than ten minutes just reading his pulse with both hands. After she seeded in getting a reading, she carefully looked at Harvey''s eyes and observed his tongue. As she checked on him, she asked yton some questions, and Austin asionally chimed in to provide her with some information. She could tell that Austin and Harvey were close. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Meanwhile, Harveyy on the bed like a living corpse. He did not look like he had the desire to live. After the examination, Leigh didn''t beat around the bush as she said, "I can cure him. 20 million. Hurry up and prepare the payment." "Really?" "What?!" yton and his wife, Yelena Baker, shrieked at the same time. yton''s voice was full of surprise and astonishment, while Yelena''s voice was full of shock. Leigh nced past yton, looked at Yelena, and said slowly, "Mrs. Walker, you seem upset about the amount of the consultation and treatment fee." "You''re Harvey''s cousin, aren''t you? So how can you charge them for a visit? 20 million?!" Yelena tried to restrain herself from saying, Are you out of your f*cking mind?! "Oh, you''re not happy with the expenses." Leigh nced at yton. "Why don''t you discuss it further? I''ll return when you''re done, but once I return, be warned that it won''t be just 20 million. I will and can charge more." "There''s nothing to discuss." yton frowned and gave Yelena a disgruntled look. "Leigh, I''m in charge of the money in the family. As long as you can cure Harvey, I''ll pay whatever amount you name." Leigh sent her bank ount number to Austin. "Pass this number to Mr. Walker. Please pay the deposit of 10 million first and pay the rest of the fee when you see the results." "Are you out of your mind?!" Yelena couldn''t help but screech, "You''re Harvey''s cousin, which means we are family! You don''t need to spend anything to check on him, yet you charge us 20 million. How can you be so greedy?!" The Walker Family had been in decline over the years. Although they looked morous on the outside, they were actually having a hard time, and the avable cash flow was pitifully low. 20 million was almost an astronomical figure for her now. Did yton really n to spend 20 million to cure that trash Harvey? Why?! Leigh snapped, "I''m greedy? Excuse you. I didn''te here because I wanted to, okay? If it weren''t for Austin, I would be leaving you high and dry! You guys begged me toe. If you think 20 million is expensive, I''ll leave right now!" "No! No! It''s not expensive!" yton hurriedly said, "My son''s life is priceless to me. I''m willing to pay any amount of money as long as you can save him!" Yelena whined piteously, "yton, it''s not that I don''t want to pay, but you know our financial situation now. If we withdraw 20 million at once, the liquidity in our ount will be gone, and our lives will be worse than now. We''ll be in big trouble if something happens in thepany, and we don''t have any cash flow avable." "What are you talking about?!" yton snapped, feeling humiliated. Indeed, their financial situation was a bit tight due to bad business, but it was not so terrible that they couldn''t afford 20 million. At the end of the day, she just didn''t want to fork up the money for Harvey, that''s all. In the past, he felt that Yelena was the best stepmother in the world as she treated his two sons equally. It was only today that he found out that Yelena was just feigning kindness. It was true that money was the best tool to test a person''s heart, but her pretentious disguise was exposed in an instant after this incident. yton intoned coldly, "I have the money in my ount. So, you don''t have to worry about that." Yelena was so furious that her hands were shaking at his tant dismissal. She even caught the sh of contempt in his eyes. So what if yton could withdraw the money? That money was their joint asset! They could do far more with 20 million. Why should they spend it on this pathetic loser?! Nheless, she did not dare to confront him directly because she didn''t want him to be angry at her. Her lips twitched, and she tried to make herself look gentle and virtuous. "yton, I don''t care about the money. I just think that Leigh is so young, and all she talks about is money. I suspect she¡ª" She didn''t finish her sentence, but everyone present could tell that she wanted to say that Leigh was a scammer. "If I''m not mistaken, you''re not Harvey''s biological mother, right?" Leigh nced at her and then at Austin. "For your sake, I''ll give you a piece of information, free of charge. The normal use of hormone pills is not the source of Harvey''s obesity. He became like this because he ingested what he shouldn''t have." Chapter 459 Chapter 459 As soon as Leigh said this, the expressions of everyone present drastically changed. Even Harvey, whoy like a corpse, fluttered hisshes when he understood the implications behind her words. Then, he turned his head and stared at her with something akin to hope. Just like Yelena, Leigh did not make her words clear, but everyone present could hear that she was alluding to something. Yelena''s expression became nasty. "What do you mean by that?! I know that you have a grudge against our family, but it was Penny who harmed you, not us! So, don''t think you can drive a wedge between us just because of your bluff!" "Calm down. I just stated a fact based on my expertise. Why are you so worked up about this?" Leigh opened the medical kit, took out her golden needles, and strode to Harvey. "I can help you recover to your original appearance, but I need you to work with me. Now, tell me, do you still want to die? I don''t want to waste my time if you still wish for death." Harvey stared at her unblinkingly and didn''t say a word. Austin went to Harvey''s side and reassured him, "Harvey, you wanted tomit suicide because of your body image. Leigh has made it clear that she can help you go back to the way you were before. Please, Harvey, there is still light at the end of the tunnel!" "Yes, Harvey!" yton chimed in, "Think about your previous appearance. You''re smart, intelligent, handsome, and charming. As long as Leigh cures you, you will be able to return to your old self!" "Don''t you want to go back to the old days so those people who used to look down on you can see that you''re back to normal?! Do you want to die like a coward?" Leigh did the preparatory work before acupuncture and threw some inciteful barbs at him with a dispassionate tone. "Can I really lose weight?" Harvey finally spoke for the first time after she made an appearance. She did not answer his question but turned her head to Austin and ordered, "Get a weight scale." "Right away!" Austin immediately left the ward and searched for one. The hospital had plenty of weighing scales, so he quickly returned. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. "Seeing is believing." Leigh pointed to the scale. "Stand up and weigh yourself. After that, I will perform your first acupuncture. You have serious symptoms, so the first acupuncture will have an undeniable oue. You''ll lose 10 pounds at the very least." "Really?" Harvey gasped in awe. Leigh said, "If I lie, my lie will be exposed after I treat you. So why would I bother lying to you?" "Harvey, you need to give it a try!" Austin spared no effort to persuade him, "You have nothing bothering you except for your weight problem. If she can solve that problem, you don''t have anything to worry about. Think about your father. Do you really want him to be sad because of you? Do you want him, an elder, to send you off before your time?" "Harvey, please do this for my sake. I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if something happened to you!" yton held Harvey''s hand and begged with teary eyes. Harvey swept his gaze across his father''s graying hair for a moment, gritted his teeth, and voiced with difficulty, "Fine. I''ll give it a try!" Being alive was certainly better than dying. He wouldn''t have thrown his life away if he hadn''t been gued by his obesity. Austin and yton genuinely cared about him, and he didn''t want them to be sad because of him. Leigh only decided to proceed with the acupuncture after she noticed his desire to live and the wary hope in his eyes. She would not have been interested in treating him if he had looked so dead and hopeless. yton and Austin helped Harvey to the scale, and Harvey weighed in at 335 lbs. After that, Leigh began treating him, which was carried out for more than an hour. After the acupuncture, Harvey and Leigh were sweating profusely, utterly drenched in sweat. Her acupuncture technique was different from others as it was extraordinarilyborious. Even though she was physically fit, she was exhausted after an hour of acupuncture. She removed all the golden needles from Harvey''s body and instructed Austin, "Weigh him." yton and Austin hurriedly supported Harvey to the scale and weighed him again. 313 pounds! He was at least 20 pounds lighter than earlier! 20! In just an hour or so, Harvey had be 20 pounds lighter! Everyone turned to look at Leigh in awe and disbelief. "There''s no need to look at me like that." Leigh dropped the golden needles into the special sterilized box. "What he lost is just water. His whole body is puffy, and the puffiness is the excess water stored in his body. The first acupuncture session is just to remove some of the excess water in his body. Acupuncture, medicine, exercise, and a healthy diet. If he wants to return to the good old days, he will have to adhere to these four things." She turned to yton and continued, "I''ll write down a list of recipes. He will have to eat ording to the recipe I have given. Also, his daily exercise will be nned in ordance with my requirements. It will be quite demanding in the beginning. He may not be able to do it based on his willpower, so someone will have to keep an eye on him to ensure that he strictly follows my rules." "I can do it!" Before yton could say anything, Harvey eximed with his eyes shining with unbridled hope and joy, "As long as I can lose weight and see significant results, I''ll do whatever you want me to do. No matter what your program is, I can stick to it!" "Yes, I can prove that he can do it!" Austin echoed, "In the past, he suffered a lot to lose weight. I''m impressed by his self-control and perseverance, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t lose even an ounce of weight. The doctor said that obesity caused by hormones is irreversible, and he couldn''t do anything about it even if he maintained a vigorous exercise routine and a strict diet. Even so, he didn''t give up hope. He kept pushing himself." Unfortunately, the doctor seemed to be correct. It seemed that Harvey''s obesity was irreversible because nothing that Harvey did was a sess. Yet, he saw a miracle happen before his eyes just now! In just one hour, Harvey was 20 pounds lighter! Harvey was remarkably persistent and somewhat obsessed with his weight. Austin believed that as long as he could lose weight¡ªeven if it were close to illegible¡ªhe would keep going. "Good." Leigh nodded in satisfaction. "One more thing. He needs to leave his current living environment and bepletely isted from the people who used to have ess to his food. It will be useless if the other side harms him while I treat him. He will die sooner orter." "What do you mean by that?!" Yelena scowled in anger when Leigh brought this up again. "Are you implying that someone in our family is harming Harvey? The only people with ess to his food are me, his father, and his brother. We are a family. We want him to get better! Don''t you insult us like that!" "Oh, I see..." Leigh drawled, "I don''t know if someone deliberately harmed him or he identally ate something harmful, but I think if you call the police regarding this matter, the police will do their investigation on this¡­ As you know, it may be a case of poisoning. But then again, that''s just my two cents." She donned a meaningful smile as she regarded Yelena. "Justice has long arms. If someone truly harmed him, the police would certainly find out the truth once they began a thorough investigation. So, if you think I have wronged you, let''s call the police. Only the police can prove your innocence." Chapter 460 Chapter 460 The look on Yelena''s face worsened. "You want us to call the cops just because of your spection? The news will spread, and everyone''s gonna gossip about us!" She shot Leigh a hostile look. "You''re bringing your grudge with Penny into this, aren''t you?" Leigh straightened out her medical kit. Languidly, she said, "If I really wanted to get back at you, I could just not treat Harvey and let him die. That''d be hell for you." "You will treat him, or you''re not getting the money." We spent nearly three million on this. I''m not letting her back out. Leigh mused, and she nodded. "True. I wouldn''t have helped the Walker Family if not for the money, but ethics is important for a doctor. I took the job, so I will see it through. I''m going to voice any suspicion I have. What about you?" She looked at Harvey. "You''re the victim. You have the right to involve the cops in this, or you can let it slide and live without knowing the truth. Someday someone might kill you, though." Harvey looked at Yelena and yton. He was no fool. In fact, he was the most brilliant man of his generation in the family. Obesity only destroyed his body, not his mind. Leigh didn''t say it out loud, but it was clear what she was implying. He was ruined not because of the hormone pills but because of someone''s scheme. But who? He was a kind and agreeable soul, and he was only twenty when tragedy struck. He had no enemies to speak of, so he wondered who would do this. The cops would look into those who gained the most out of this first. In other words, the prime suspect would be the one who gained the most out of the tragedy. And I have two suspects in mind. Yelena and her son, Chester. yton and Harvey''s mother were childhood friends turned lovers. His mother died when he was a child, and yton never nned on remarrying. But for some reason, he married Yelena, though the rtionship barely had any passion in it. Years passed, and Yelena gave him a son, but still, he treated her as nothing more than a guest. There was only one woman whom yton truly loved, and it was Harvey''s mother. yton loved Harvey, and he was also the eldest son of the family. If all went well, he would inherit the whole family''s wealth, but then tragedy struck. He fell ill when he was twenty, and the doctor had to use hormonal treatment for his condition, which caused him to gain weight at a preposterous speed. Because of Harvey''s illness, he had to drop out of school despite his top grades. His condition ruined everything. If he couldn''t be healed, then the inheritance would go to Chester, and some people could do anything for money and power. Harvey''s ruination would change Chester''s life. He would rise from zero to a future heir, and that alone could justify them making a move on Harvey. In fact, he didn''t want to suspect Yelena or Chester. She might be his stepmother, but Yelena had always been nice to him, especially after he fell ill. She cared for him, and everyone called her a good stepmother. But s, he had no idea if that was the whole truth. He wondered if Yelena was truly whom she imed to be. She might actually try to im my life. He clenched his fists and looked at his father. "Dad, I''m calling the cops." Without hesitation, yton said, "Sure, we can do that." Life was a nightmare for yton. He was stupefied when he found out his son cut himself and was taken to the ER. Even though his son gained weight and looked hideous, it still didn''t change the fact that he was the child of his beloved. He used to think money, power, andwork were important things in life, but when he saw his son lying in the ER, all he wanted was for Harvey to survive. He''d give his whole fortune for that. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As long as his son could live in peace and great health, he could give up everything. Now, he would do anything for him. Calling the cops was an easy thing to do, anyway. Seeing his son safe and sound was already a blessing for him. Nothing else mattered. His family had lost all dignity anyway after Penny''s scandal was discovered, so involving the cops wasn''t a big deal. After Penny''s scandal was uncovered, he stopped going out unless necessary. Not many knew what she did, but he still felt nervous all the same. He was paranoid and thought everyone knew what she did. He doubted everyone around him, so everyone rubbed him the wrong way. It felt like everyone was giving him knowing looks and mocking him inwardly. Well, it''s not like adding another scandal to the list is gonna hurt me more anyway. F*ck it. And if this is sabotage, I''m going to drag that mastermind out into the light. He almost had a heart attack when he found out his son was in the ER due to a suicide attempt. If something else were to happen to him, yton might die from heartbreak. I will find the truth no matter what. If it''s an ident, then all will be well. But if it''s sabotage¡­ He looked at Yelena. I will destroy anyone who hurts my son. The look in yton''s eyes shocked Yelena. She forced a smile and put on the fa?ade of a kind woman. "I don''t think calling the cops is a good move." Her fingers were sped while her eyes were filled with conflict. "yton, I treat Harvey as if he''s my own, but it''s not easy being a stepmother. If the public finds out that we called the cops, they''re going to come up with all kinds of rumors. And some won''t care about the truth. They''re going to call me an evil stepmother just to create drama. That''s going to hurt me and Chester." Chapter 461 Chapter 461 "You worry too much, Aunt Yelena," Austin argued. "You''re not the only one who handles Harvey''s food. The nannies and servants do that as well. Perhaps they''re the ones who did this." "True." Harvey said, "Of course, we''re going to suspect the non-family members first. Isn''t that right?" yton looked at Yelena calmly. "And that''s why we need to call the cops. To prove your innocence. I won''t let anyone nder you if you''re innocent." He never suspected Yelena of being the mastermind. She was usually sweet to Harvey, and he thought she was a good stepmother, but the mary dispute earlier sowed some seeds of suspicion in his heart. Is she actually as nice to Harvey as I think? No. The moment money is involved, her true colors are revealed. She''s only nice to Harvey to keep us fooled long enough to get what she wants. Thus, his trust in Yelena was lost. If Leigh''s spection of the case was true, then even if she managed to heal Harvey, Yelena could still sabotage him again. And she can wait until we let our guard down. I have to find out the truth. Panic welled within Yelena''s heart. Never would she expect things to take a turn for the worse. Five years had passed since tragedy struck Harvey. Everyone thought it was caused by an overdose of hormone pills. None of them thought otherwise, but now they were suddenly going to call the cops, which made her nervous. The cops will find out what I did easily. She never spiked Harvey''s food after his body was ruined and there were probably no traces left in the house, but there must be traces elsewhere. She had to purchase an ungodly amount of hormone pills to turn Harvey into the size of an elephant. There was no way the hormone pills would appear out of nowhere¡ªshe would have to buy them. Yes, she did disguise herself and purchase the hormone pills from more than one pharmacy, but hormone pills were controlled medication and every purchase would be recorded. The cops could even capture genius serial killers, let alone a small-time criminal like her. Once the state was involved, she would be found out. If the cops found evidence of her crime, she would be charged with intentional tort. Not even her family could call the case off, especially not when a public prosecutor was involved. The only fate that would await her was jail. All the color drained from her face. Her heart thumped, sweat poured forth from her forehead, and her legs buckled. Anyone could see there was something wrong with her. The warmth in yton''s gaze faded away quickly. "You might want to take a look in the mirror. You look like a ghost. Why are you so nervous?" "I-I''m not nervous." Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. "I-I just don''t want the cops to suspect me for anything I didn''t do. And we shouldn''t air any dirtyundry to the public. Harvey''s condition is treatable, isn''t it? We don''t have to involve any cops in this." "You have zero credibility," yton snapped. "You think we''re idiots? No, I don''t think so. I don''t want to involve the cops either. I don''t want everyone to call you a criminal. That''ll hurt Chester''s reputation. Come clean and I won''t have to call the cops." "No, I didn''t do this. I didn''t!" Yelena shook her head violently. She could never confess to her crimes. A confession would cost her everything¡ªher fame, prestige, her wealth¡­ everything. If the cops found out what she did, there would be no turning back. Straight to jail, she would go. She was between a rock and a hard ce now. Sweat was pouring down her head even more profusely, and she trembled. What she said didn''t matter. Her reaction was answer enough for yton. With disappointment in his voice, he said, "So you''re the one behind this. Why? Why did you do this to him? Did you forget what you promised me before I married you? I only married you because you said you''d treat him like he''s your own. But why? Why did you do this to him?" The line of questioning made Yelena snap. She balled her fists in fury, her face twisted in anger. She roared, "Why? You know why! Twenty years I''ve been married to you, and all you care about is Harvey! You don''t care about me or Chester! I gave you my best years, but you gave me nothing!" Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "You always give the best things to Harvey! What about me? What about Chester? I''m your wife and Chester''s your son, but we''re nothingpared to Harvey!" She never wanted to do this. The shadow of crime haunted her like a ghost. She was worried someone might find out what she did. It would mean jail time for her, but she didn''t have a choice. yton only cared about Harvey, and Harvey was the top guy of his generation in the Walker Family. He was yton''s pride and joy. If Harvey''s momentum was not stopped, then her son would never have had any chance to get the inheritance. Right after Harvey got into college, yton was already letting him work at thepany. Moreover, he didn''t even let him start from the bottom level. Harvey was granted the position of yton''s assistant, where yton taught him how to manage thepany. Everyone called him the future heir. She overheard that one day, and it annoyed her. His mother died. I''m thedy of the house. yton and I run this family together. I contribute more to the family than Harvey''s mother ever could. The company should belong to Chester, not Harvey! But she never brought that up with yton. She knew Harvey''s mother was the only woman yton cared about, and Harvey was the only one in the family yton cared about. Not to mention Harvey was the first in line for thepany. Inheriting thepany was to be expected, so even if she brought the idea of giving thepany to Chester, yton could just dismiss it. The only way to make her son the sessor was to ruin Harvey. She must ruin his life. yton only had two sons. If Harvey was ruined, then Chester would naturally be heir. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 The thought rooted itself firmly in her mind, and it became her obsession. Not too longter, she put her n into action, and it worked. For five years, nobody suspected her. The longer it went, the safer she thought she was. Even if the cops were to investigate, they would have no way to find any evidence. She thought she was safe. She thought she had gotten what she wanted without paying any price, but fate had something different in store for her. Her crime was not exposed by her family or the cops, but by the doctor who was supposed to treat Harvey. She even said she could heal him. Obesity caused by hormone pill overdose was irreversible, or so she thought. Even if she was unlucky enough to be found out, the irreversibility of Harvey''s condition meant her son would still be heir to the family. She still would have been sessful in getting what she wanted. Once he became heir, yton would have no choice but to keep her crimes a secret, and she would be safe. But fate yed a trick on her. Not only was her crime discovered, but Harvey could also be cured. She paid the price only to get nothing in the end. Regret filled her heart, but it was not because of her actions. It was because she shouldn''t have married yton. The Bakers and Walker Family were friends. Not long after Harvey''s mother died, the Bakers made a wrong decision and bankrupted the family. The Walker Family could save them, but it would cost them a lot. They refused to do it, so the Baker couple begged her to marry yton. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. At that time, yton was already a father of one while she was single. She had never had a rtionship before. Before her family went broke, she thought she would marry a man from a simr economic and social background, but fate just loved to prank her. Her family went bankrupt, and they moved from a vi to a rental. One moment, they were billionaires, but the next, they were deep in debt. A few months of being poor almost drove her mad. She agreed to her parents'' n, and with their help, she managed to sleep with a drunk yton. Her parents and yton''s parents were great friends. Despite the fact the Bakers were broke, the Walker couple never looked down on her. After they found out she slept with their son, they convinced yton to marry her. yton came to see her. He said he could marry her, but only if she treated Harvey as her own and everything the Walker Family had would belong to Harvey. Her children would not be allowed to work at thepany, but he would give them money to open up a business. What they did with their business was their affair. The Walker Family would not help them. In other words, her children would have no right to inherit the Walker Family''s wealth. Everything the Walker Family had belonged to Harvey. Twenty years had passed, but she still could remember the look on yton''s face when he told her that. There had been no room for negotiation. If she wished to marry him, then she must ept the terms, or he would never marry her. At that time, life was a living hell for her. Poverty was hell for her. Her whole family was living in a dingy house that measured about eleven hundred square feet. She had to work during the day and do all the chores at night. Yelena never did a day of chores in her life before. Ever since her family went broke, she had to deal with office shenanigans, chores, and her parents'' outbursts. She wanted to kill herself, so she agreed to the terms right away. The right to inherit was something she didn''t consider back then. Even if her children had no right to inherit the family wealth, yton did promise to provide them with funds to build a business. The little he could give her was already enough to make her life better. Most importantly, if she married him, she could ditch the dingy house and move into a vi. She could go around in expensive cars and have servants tend to her needs. No longer did she have to work or do any chores. Back then, marrying yton was redemption. But as the days went by, she started thinking that she had an unfair deal. She thought she was thedy of the house. Everything around the house was under her control. She felt she contributed more to the family than Harvey''s mother ever could. So why does Harvey get everything the family has, while my son only gets some seed funds? Anger and avarice struck her heart, and she made a move on Harvey. If her crimes remained a secret, her son would sessfully take over the family, while she would stay thedy of the house for life. But s, life didn''t go as she wanted, and she regretted that. She shouldn''t have married yton for his wealth. Yes, she did have everything¡ªa big house, expensive cars, and servants catering to her every demand after she married him, but she didn''t have love. yton never loved her. The ones he loved were Harvey and Harvey''ste mother. Yelena thought she should have married a man she loved. Life would have been a lot better then. She wouldn''t have to get jealous over a dead woman, but time could never be turned back. It was toote for regrets. She stared at yton with reddened eyes as she roared her dissatisfaction at him. But all she gained was a stink-eye from her husband. Once she was done venting, yton said coldly, "You and your parents set me up. You made me sleep with you, then they held me hostage because our families are longtime friends. They made me marry you. I looked into your background. You never dated anyone or hooked up with any guy, so I was willing to do it, but I specifically said everything the family has belongs to Harvey. I can raise your children, but they are not allowed to fight for the inheritance." yton stared into Yelena''s eyes. "You promised. I drafted an agreement for it, and you signed it and even stamped it. Nobody forced you into this. If you didn''t want the deal, then you could have said no to the marriage. Yelena, I did everything a husband should. I never cheated on you, and yet you sabotaged my son." He whipped his phone out and called the cops. Yelena''s eyes went wide with shock. She pounced on him and snatched his phone away. "What are you doing? You promised you wouldn''t call the cops!" Chapter 463 Chapter 463 "But you didn''t change. You still think what you did was right." yton evaded her easily. "You still think you''re justified. I do not feel an ounce of regret at all. I''m no saint. I can''t change you. I can''t make you repent, so I''m handing you to the cops. May they help you." "You can''t do this!" The color drained from Yelena''s face. She tried her hardest to take his phone away. "I know you don''t love me, but you should think about Chester. You don''t want him to have a convict as a mother, do you?" Time and time again, yton dodged. Ultimately, his patience ran out, and he shoved Yelena away. "And he wouldn''t have one if you never hurt my son. Harvey''s our family, and yet you subject him to a life of agony. He sinks into despair, and you do nothing but watch. I almost lost him today. I was this close to losing my son, and yet you still don''t think what you did was wrong." yton shook his head. "You are a terrifying woman. I cannot begin to fathom how you even devised that n. And to think I slept in the same room with you for more than twenty years¡­ Disgusting." "No, please! I beg you! Don''t call the cops!" Fear finally caught up to her, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. I won''t do it again. Please, forgive me. For Chester''s sake." yton looked at Harvey and shook his head. "No, I can''t do that. Harvey''s a good boy. You might be his stepmother, but he never made life hard for you. He gave you respect, but all he gained in return was malice. I will never show you forgiveness. Never." "No, I beg you, please. For old times'' sake, please don''t do this to me." She shook her head violently. As she did so, she saw Harvey from the corner of her eye, and a stroke of inspiration struck her. The lady scrambled over to Harvey and held his arm. "Harvey! Harvey, I beg you, please don''t let your father call the cops. I''m sorry. I won''t do it again. I''ll change, I swear. I''ll treat you as my own. You''re a good kid, aren''t you? You''ll forgive me, right?" Oh no. I''m not letting this b*tch convince Harvey. Austin went up to her and shoved her to the ground. "You almost got him killed. He cut himself right in front of you, but you did nothing. Nothing. You cannot find any repentance in that dark, evil heart of yours. Letting you stay is a safety hazard. You might come after Harvey again. Why should he forgive you?" Harvey shot her an icy look. "He''s right. You might take my kindness as a weakness once more. I won''t harm anyone, but if anyone tries to hurt me, I will teach them a lesson. Mistakes are paid with punishment. That''s how the world works." "No¡­ No!" She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know what I did was wrong, but Chester''s innocent. He loves you. He can''t face you if you send me to jail. What are you going to tell him?" "Nothing. I heard everything." Someone opened the door, and in came Chester. The sight of her son made Yelena freeze, but she scrambled to get up and wipe the tears off her face. She didn''t want her son to see her in this state. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chester approached his half-brother and stared at him for a moment. And then he knelt. His head was hung low, and tears fell to the ground. With a broken voice, he said, "I''m sorry, Harvey. I''m sorry for what my mother did to you. I didn''t know. I would have stopped her if I did." "What are you doing, Chester? Get up!" Yelena quickly tried to pull her son up. She didn''t mind kneeling to Harvey, but she didn''t want her son to do it. "Let me do this! I owe him!" He pushed her away and raised his head. "Harvey, what my mother did was wrong. I never wanted her to do this, but she''s still my mother. Please don''t call the cops. Please, let her go. I''ll do anything. Anything!" "No, don''t do this! Don''t do this, Chester!" Yelena cried and screamed as she tried to pull him away. "I don''t care even if I''m jailed. Just don''t do this!" Actual regret. She felt actual regret when she saw her son kneel before Harvey. She regretted doing what she did to Harvey, as her son had to pay the price of humiliation. What she did, she did for her son. All she wanted was for him to be heir and lead the family. She didn''t want him to live under the shadow of anyone, but her n backfired. Now her son had to live in shame because of what she did. The realization of that wrought even more agony than killing her ever could. She kept trying to pull him away. "Don''t do this, Chester. I''ll do the time. Don''t do this!" Chester shoved her away and banged his head against the ground. "Please, Harvey. If you let her go, we''ll leave and settle down overseas. We won''te back ever again!" "No, no, no!" Yelena''s eyes went wide with fear, and she let out a scream. "You don''t have to do this! I''ll do the time! I''ll do the time!" If they were to leave the family, her son would be left with nothing. This would be akin to exile. Once enough time passed, the bond between Chester and yton would fade. He would even forget he had another son, and everything the Walker Family had would go to Harvey. She sabotaged Harvey all so her son could be the heir of the Walker Family. She just wanted her son to have a better future, but now what she did would cost Chester everything. This was worse than putting her in jail. "Chester, this is between me and Harvey!" Yelena quickly approached Harvey and grabbed his arm. "I''ll do the time. I''ll repent in jail, but Chester''s your brother. Your blood brother! You know he truly cares about you. Please, don''t exile him!" Chapter 464 Chapter 464 "Hello, this is St. Peter''s Hospital. Yeah, I''d like to report a criminal case," Leigh blurted, attracting everyone''s attention. She ignored the looks everyone was giving her and told the cops about the whole case. A moment of shockter, Yelena snapped out of it and pounced at Leigh. Hysterically, she shouted, "What have you done? I''ll kill you!" Just when she was about to reach Leigh, Lucas extended his leg and tripped her. Yelena fell to the floor face-first. Leigh retreated with her phone in hand, answering the cops'' questions patiently. A whileter, she hung up and announced, "They''re sending some officers over on the double." And everyone stared at one another. Goddammit. Lucas huddled closer to Leigh and whispered, "That was none of your business. You seriously just made things so much worse for yourself." This had nothing to do with us. They can bash their heads open for all we care, but she just had to step in. Now, everyone''s going to target her. "This is my business." She tucked her phone away and packed her stuff. "Remember our firm''s mission. We punish the evil and help the underprivileged. I''m an ally of justice, so I will never allow any dealings of the wicked to happen, not on my watch. Break thew and do the time. Am I right?" "Yeah, yeah." Lucas shot her a look. "I''ll assign a bodyguard for you." Leigh''s gonna get her *ss kicked if she doesn''t have a bodyguard. She gets on everyone''s nerves too easily. "You''re worried about me." She slung her medical kit over her shoulder and grinned. "Have you fallen for me?" "I just don''t want anything to happen to you. Madeline and Sebastian are getting married. I don''t want her to get distracted." "Yeah, keep talking." She flicked his cheek and whistled. "I''m going to make you mine." Can she quit it? He took a deep breath and took the medical kit off her shoulder. "Dr. Shefford, can you please act moredylike?" "Someone''s offended." She smirked. "Why don''t you p me? That''ll make me moredylike." "I don''t p women." "Well, what if I were ady you didn''t like, and I touched your face?" Thedies I don''t like won''t even have the chance to touch me, but I can''t tell her that or she''s going to be really smug. Yelena was still recovering from the fall. She felt like everything around her was spinning, and her body was throbbing. She only managed to get up after some time. She was as pale as a ghost, and she pounced on Yelena. "Why did you do that? This is a family affair. This is none of your business! Why did you do that?" "Huh?" Leigh looked at her innocently. "I thought you didn''t want your son to kneel anymore. Thought you wanted to do time, so I called the cops. See? Now your son doesn''t have to beg anyone for help anymore." Yelena opened her mouth, but she couldn''t even say a word. Slowly, she looked at her son. Chester plopped down on the ground with nk eyes. She scrambled over to him and held him in her embrace. Through sobs, she said, "I''m sorry, Chester. I never wanted this. I''m sorry." Not only did she fail to help him, but she made his life worse. Everyone wouldugh at him because his mother was a convict. No longer could he hold his head high. This is all my fault. If I had thought of my son more, I wouldn''t have gotten myself into this mess. Chester said nothing as his mother held him and cried. Like a dead robot, he sat there motionless. The moment someone called the cops for this kind of case, there was no way to drop it. His mother would be charged with intentional tort and get sent to jail. His mother might be a criminal, but she loved him. She cared for him and gave him everything she had. He could never spit on her for what she did. It was his wish to help her, but things had spiraled out of control. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He took a deep breath and held her arm, then stared into her eyes. "Don''t worry, Mom. I''ll get the best lawyer for you. If you are imprisoned, I''ll visit you. I''ll wait for you." Yelena shivered, her cries getting louder. "I''m sorry, son. I''m sorry." One mistake. One mistake, and she dragged the people she loved into this mess. If she could turn back time, she would make a different choice. Agony shredded her heart into little pieces, piercing her soul. The cops arrived on the scene a momentter. Once they got the gist of the case, they took Yelena away. A sigh escaped yton''s lips, and he patted Chester''s shoulder. "You''re a good kid, but I''m sending you abroad." The boys have a wall between them now. The best choice is to separate them. The suggestion was met with no resistance. Chester nodded. "Harvey, I''m sorry. I¡ª" "This is her fault. Her crime," Harvey said. "Not yours. She has paid the price for her crime. You don''t need to apologize for her actions." Tears welled up in Chester''s eyes as he looked at his brother. He could never understand why his mother did that. Harvey had been nothing but loving to him. He was his childhood ymate. He was a handsome boy and a top student, and everyone loved him. He was Chester''s pride. Harvey loved him, protected him, and gave him everything he wanted. Even after tragedy struck, he never envied Chester for taking over. Instead, he taught him how to manage the company in the hopes he could rece him as yton''s sessor. He couldn''t understand why his mother would hurt someone as kind as Harvey. They could have been brothers for life. He could have someone to protect him forever, but after what Yelena did, they could never go back to how they were. Just the thought of that tortured him. He hung his head low and said a tearful sorry before he ran off into the distance. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Silence swooped down on Harvey for a moment. Then he thanked Leigh. "Thank you, Dr. Shefford." He did hate Yelena, but Chester was innocent. They shared a great bond. When Chester begged him to let Yelena go, he almost relented, but he knew if he showed Yelena mercy, he would never forgive himself. Leigh solved that problem for him. Her calling the police would hurt Chester less. At least it wasn''t him or his father who did that, but the problem was that Yelena would turn her focus of vengeance onto Leigh. He thought that it was a stupid move, or that perhaps she was overconfident. Yelena and Chester''s grudges were nothing to her and she didn''t care if they took revenge on her, so she helped him call the cops. No matter the reason, he still owed it to her. Harvey stared at her. "Dr. Shefford, I won''t forget what you did for us even if I can''t be healed. If you need anything, just tell me. As long as it''swful, I''ll do anything." Oh ho, now this is interesting. I thought she was just drawing unnecessarily aggro, but I see she also gained an ally, Lucas thought. Harvey''s the heir of the Walker Family. Leigh will have a powerful ally by her side if he heals up. She brought down the hammer of justice on the evil and gained genuine gratitude. Nice. "You will get better." She whipped her phone out and scrolled through it before she gave it to Harvey. "Let''s exchange numbers." Harvey quickly whipped his phone out and exchanged numbers with her. And then Leigh sent a long voice message to him, mostly about his treatment and condition. "Don''t take any showers today. Make sure there''s a twenty-four-hour interval between this session and the next. And pick me up tomorrow. Everything else is in that voice message. Do as I say." Harvey quickly nodded. "Of course." Finally, she texted him her ount number. "And don''t forget to pay me. See you tomorrow." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Austin said, "I''ll take you home." "It''s alright. Lucas can give me a lift." She held Lucas'' arm. Lucas'' lips twitched. The doctor is being a bit too friendly. He had much to say, but not in front of Austin and the Walker Family. Can''t embarrass her. Once they were out of the Walker Family''s sight, he pulled his arm out. "I don''t think that was a good idea. Are you this friendly with everyone?" Leigh tilted her head to the side. "You wanna know if I''m a slut, aren''t you?" "No, I did not say that." I''m not about to cross her, not when she can cure the diseases most doctors can''t. Leigh said, "Would you believe me if I said you''re my first love and I have never held anyone''s hand before?" "I don''t think we''re dating." "We went on a blind date." She looked at him seriously. "Which means we''re dating. That''s how blind dates work. Don''t tell me you''re ditching me." "I didn''t say that." "So, you don''t like me?" Leigh asked. "No, you''re a fine woman. It''s me. I want to stay single." "Then why did you attend the blind date?" she asked. "You''re ying with my feelings here, and that''s bad." "Sebastian made me go." "Doesn''t mean you can y with a girl''s feelings." She pressed the elevator button and turned to look at him. "And I wasn''t lying." Lucas froze. "What?" "You''re my first love, and I''ve never held anyone''s hand before." The elevator''s door swung open, and she dragged Lucas into it. Since they were alone, she continued, "You''re the first guy I have ever had a crush on. I don''t do coy. I''m more of a YOLO kind of girl." She tilted her head to the side again. "I''ve seen many men. All kinds of men, but you''re the only one I like. Weird." Should I also feel weird, or should I feel happy because I managed to charm you? They came to their floor, and the two of them headed off to the parking lot. Leigh said, "Don''t feel pressured. We''re adults, so we can date freely. Just try dating me for a while. If you still don''t want to marry me, we can break up and go our separate ways." "No. That''s not fair to you," Lucas said. "It''s alright." She shrugged. "I''m fine with it." "I can''t do that." Lucas stopped in his tracks and looked at her thoughtfully. "You''re a great person. You should find a better man." Leigh cocked her eyebrow. "You''re already a better man than most. Handsome, capable, honest, and a gentleman. I think you''re fine." "But I don''t want to get married," a resigned Lucas said. "Not forcing you to," Leigh answered. "We can be lovers if you want. No big deal." "Don''t give me that. I''ve seen this more than once. Girls always say that only to force the guy to marry them in the end. If they refuse, the girls are going toin that they wasted their time on the guy for nothing and call them jerks." He shivered. "I can''t do that to you." "You''re worried I might do the same thing to you." Augh escaped her lips. "Do you think I''m the kind of woman who would beg a man to marry me?" "Um, not really¡­" "Don''t worry, Lucas." She happily patted his shoulder. "You''re overthinking it. I won''t beg anyone to marry me. At most, I''d just hold my scalpel against your neck and make you marry me." That''s more terrifying. I have every reason to worry. "I''m just kidding." She smiled and turned around to head to her car. "You came to the blind date, I like you, and you didn''t say you don''t like me. So now you''re my boyfriend. We''re a couple now." She tilted her head to the side once more. "If you want to shake me off, you have to tell me you don''t like me. Give me a proper breakup." You call yourself a doctor, but I call you a thug. Chapter 466 Chapter 466 She just won''t stop flirting with me. That was what ran through Lucas'' mind when they were on their way back to the firm. Even after they made their return, he still couldn''t tell her he didn''t like her. He would be lying to himself. He knew he had feelings for her. Falling for her was easy. Leigh was a woman with charisma. She had the X factor that stopped him from tearing his eyes away from her. There was no way he could tell her he didn''t like her, but at the same time, he couldn''t give her any promises. Let''s just go with the flow. Once the novelty wears off, she''ll go for someone else even without me telling her to. Even after they returned, Leigh still wanted him to go with her. "Wanna take a stroll in the yard? The weather''s nice for a walk." "Fine." She''s not drunk. Should be okay to walk with her. Once they arrived at the backyard, Leigh looked at the main house. "The light isn''t on. I see Maddie and Sebastian are back at Hart Manor." "Yeah." Lucas said, "Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul are back. She and the kids have to see them." Leigh looked at him. "Why didn''t you go?" "Me?" Lucas scratched his nose. "Uncle Paul has an adopted son called Alexander Cheshire. He''s annoying, and we''re rivals. I don''t wanna see him." "Alexander, huh?" Leigh said. "The name of a king. Good name." "So what? He''s an *rse." Lucas hissed, "That guy is the single, most annoying guy I''ve ever met." "Why do you look so agitated?" She stared at him with interest. "Did he do anything to you?" "As if." He scoffed. "I just don''t like him. He''s never nice to me, but he''s nice to everyone else." Leighughed. "That''s on you. If he''s nice to everyone but you, then that''s on you. You gotta reflect on yourself." "I thought we were friends. Why are you taking his side?" "I''m on your side, of course. I was kidding." She tilted her head to the side. "What happened between you two? He''s a guest, but why won''t you even see him?" "Nothing," Lucas said. "We just don''t vibe well. I just don''t like his face. No particr reason." "Oh, I''m getting really curious now." Leigh said, "I have got to see this man. It''s not every day I see you get so agitated." "Don''t waste your time." He waved his hand dismissively. "But if you do meet him, be careful. That guy''s a sly old fox. Blink, and he''s gonna scam you out of everything you have." "Really?" Leigh said, "I see your uncle is a poor judge of character. Why did he take him in then?" Lucas scratched his nose. "He''s nice to his friends. He''s also Uncle Paul''s tactician, which proves that he''s capable, but he''s annoying." That just makes me more curious. I must meet this guy. "What about your other uncle?" she asked. "Does he have an adopted son too?" "Yeah," Lucas answered. "His name is Zion Hart. A gentleman and a lot better than that *sshole, Alexander." "Whoa." She sighed. "You sound really miffed. Good thing Alexander''s a guy, or I''d have thought he was your ex who cheated on you." "Do not tell him that, or he will kill you." "Why?" she asked. "Because you called him a woman," he said. "He''s going to trip you up, and nobody''s going to believe you even if you told them." Lucas gnashed his teeth angrily. "That sly old fox." Leigh sat down at a nearby table and rested her cheeks on her hands. "And now you look like a girl who got dumped by her cheating boyfriend." Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Stop. I don''t like how you describe things." She just said Alexander''s my ex, and now I''m an abandoned girl? Goddamn, this is a dramatic fall in status. "Hey, it''s just a description, nothing else. You''re handsome and talented, not an abandoned woman." Leigh said, "But I have a question." An inscrutable Lucas said, "You always have questions when we''re together." "Because we''re friends, and we talk about everything." A grin curled her lips. "Why''s Zion a Hart, but Alexander is a Cheshire? Is Cheshire his middle name?" "No. That''s hisst name. Zion is an orphan, so he takes Uncle Patrick''s surname, but Alexander is Uncle Paul''s friend''s son. Uncle Paul''s friend died early, his wife remarried, and Alexander had no one to take care of him, so my uncle took him in. He didn''t want to let go of hisst name." "Hey, why do rich people like to adopt kids anyway?" Leigh asked, "Does Mario have any adopted kids?" "No," Lucas answered. "Not every rich family adopts kids. My uncles aren''t married, and they have no kids of their own. Uncle Patrick ran into Zion by chance, so he took him in. Alexander''s father was Uncle Paul''s best friend. He had no one to take care of him, so Uncle Paul took him in." "So why aren''t your uncles married?" Leigh asked. "You sure have a lot of questions." She grinned. "Hey, just killing some time." I thought she just gossips because of the alcohol. Turns out she just loves gossip. It has nothing to do with her being drunk at all. He said, "You know what? This job is perfect for you." The firm is a ce where gossipse to meet. It''s perfect for a gossip girl like her. "I know." A big smile curled her lips. "Why do you think I work for Maddie willingly? Not like she can marry me." Chapter 467 Chapter 467 As Leigh and Lucas chattered away, Madeline, Aldo, and Buddy all received their presents from Patrick and Paul. Paul had given the children a yacht and Madeline an estate, while Patrick gave the children a private ne and Madeline an ind. Madeline was speechless. The extravagance! "These are all too much. We can''t ept them," she tried to decline. "You deserve it," Patrick dered. "We haven''t had new members in the family in a long time, but you gave us two adorable children at once! We can''t thank you enough for that. You deserve everything. In fact, you and Seb should keep up the good work! We''d love to have more young ones around." Paul stroked Aldo and Buddy''s heads. "The ind has a lot of things that kids love. We heard how tough it was for you to take care of the two boys back then. You can rely on Seb to take care of all of you now, so you should take the kids around more. They won''t stay kids for long. All we want is to see you and the kids having a good life." Even so, Madeline didn''t feel that it was right for her to ept the gifts. She kept trying to decline. In the end, Patrick waved his hand and firmly dered, "Don''t feel the need to decline. Everything Paul and I have will one day go to Seb anyway, and what Seb has will go to Aldo and Buddy too, so it''s just a matter of getting it sooner rather thanter. Just take them! You don''t need to be so courteous over these things." "Yeah. Just ept it," Sebastian said with a smile. "90% of the presents I''ve received in my life all come from Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul. From now on, you''ll have to get used to it too." Buddy''s eyes sparkled. "Whoa! Daddy, your uncles are way better than mine! My uncles have only given me a present once!" "Is that so? That''s terrible of them!" Paul pretended to be outraged. "It''s fine, Buddy. It doesn''t matter that your uncles aren''t good to you. Your Granduncle Patrick and Granduncle Paul will give you and Aldo many presents in the future." "Yay! That''s great!" Buddy pped excitedly. "I love presents!" Once again, Madeline was dumbstruck. Patrick and Paul were extravagant in their generosity and her son was shameless enough to ept it without question! Buddy went over to Patrick and Paul to give them each a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Granduncle Patrick and Granduncle Paul! You''re both so young, though. You don''t look like granduncles at all!" Patrick and Paul were tickled pink by his ttery. Paul ruffled Buddy''s hair and turned to Philip. "Philip, I never thought our family would get so lucky. Not only did we get two little grandkids, but such smart and adorable ones too! Look at how handsome they are. They remind me of Seb when he was a child. I can''t help but adore them!" Philip chuckled. "Aldo and Buddy are a lot cuter than Seb when he was their age. Seb was so annoying as a child. He wasn''t as adorable as Aldo and Buddy." Buddy turned to Sebastian and giggled. "Hehe. You were an annoying child, Daddy!" Sebastian was speechless. He gave Philip an exasperated look. "Dad, don''t exaggerate in front of the children. They''ll believe you." "Who said I was exaggerating?" Philip fired back. "It''s all true! When you were a child, you didn''t have even one-tenth of Aldo and Buddy''s cuteness!" "Hahaha!" Buddy giggled gleefully with his feet swaying in the air. "That''s because Aldo and I inherited all of Daddy''s good genes and became even cuter than he was!" Patrick and Paulughed heartily at Buddy''sments. Paul hugged Buddy and said, "What a precious child. I like you very much. Why don''t youe home with your Granduncle Paul, hm? You''ll have hundreds of people to do your bidding and y with you. You can do whatever you want!" "Yes!" Patrick pulled Buddy over to him. "Come with your Granduncle Patrick, Aldo. I have even more people at my house and they''ll all follow yourmand too. You''ll be our little prince, and what you say goes!" "Cut that out!" Philip barked. "Are you bandits or something? Why are you trying to steal my grandsons away from me? If you like children so much, then have some of your own! Don''t set your sights on my precious grandkids!" "Well, I would''ve but I couldn''t have any of my own," Paul replied. "I wouldn''t have waited so long if I could." "That''s right!" Patrick agreed. "Don''t be so selfish, Philip. Seb and Maddie are still so young, and Aldo and Buddy have grown up into fine young boys now. The couple will still have plenty of time to have more children! You can let Aldo and Buddy be our heirs instead. A lot of people have their eyes on our family assets, you know. Shouldn''t you be celebrating the fact that we''re giving it to Aldo and Buddy?" "Hah! As if we don''t have family assets of our own!" Philip let out a disgruntled snort. "Yes, I''m not as wealthy as you two, but I''m still a man of good standing in society! Aldo will take over from me in the future! Why would we be interested in that little bit of family assets of yours?" Madeline couldn''t resistughing. It was hard to believe that the stern and serious-looking Philip that she saw on television was just like a stubborn child in private. She was highly amused. That being said, she thought that Philip was being a little too haughty. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Patrick and Paul had given her a whole ind, and yet Philip was scoffing at their assets as if they didn''t amount to much. Didn''t that count as being a little too haughty? "You have a point," Patrick said. "Aldo will need to take over from you and Buddy will need to take over from Seb. In that case, Seb and Maddie should hurry up and have two more children." He turned to Sebastian and Madeline. "Your Uncle Paul and I are reserving your next two children, so hurry up and get things going! Once they''re born, they''ll be our sessors!" Madeline was at a loss for words. Although she had the gic predisposition for twins, she couldn''t guarantee that she''d be just like her mother and give birth to two sets of twins in a row. "Shut up, both of you!" Philip snorted. "No matter how many kids Seb and Maddie have, they''re all going to be my precious grandkids. Don''t even think about stealing them from me! Once they''re all grown up, I''ll let them do whatever they want, but don''t you dare try to take them away when they''re still young!" He had missed out on the first five years of Aldo and Buddy''s lives, and even now, he still regretted that. Thus, if Sebastian and Madeline were to have another child, he wanted to stay right beside them and watch the child grow up. He didn''t want to miss out on anything. I won''t let anyone take that away from me! "That works," Patrick said. "We can always just move back into the country when the timees. It''s not as if we don''t have a ce to stay." "Exactly," Paul agreed. "Now that we''re old, we realize that home will always be home. We''ll move back into the country once Seb and Maddie have their next child." "You''re not that old yet, Granduncle Patrick and Granduncle Paul!" Buddy piped up. "You look just as young and handsome as the actors I see on the television! And you''re tall too! You''re both very handsome!" Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Patrick and Paul were once again chortling due to Buddy''s sweet remarks. The family had a wonderful time together and the conversation went on for hours before they finally allowed Sebastian and Maddie to take the kids back to their room to rest. Once Aldo and Buddy were asleep, Madeline said to Sebastian, "We''ll leave the presents for the children and me to you for safekeeping. They''re all too valuable. I don''t feel right epting them." "Isn''t it the same whether they''re with me or you?" Sebastian said. "Don''t forget that we''re a family now. From the moment we got our marriage certificate, you became the rightful owner of half of everything I earn." After a pause, Madeline said, "That''s not necessary, you know. I can earn a living for myself." Although she wasn''t going to be a billionaire with herw office anytime soon, she was still able to take care of herself and raise the two boys as well. "That''s up to you," Sebastian said. "But as a man, it''s only right that I provide for the family. You can keep your ie for your individual expenditure, but you must let me provide for you and the boys. This concerns my dignity as a man." Madeline didn''t know what to say. Well, as long as Sebastian''s happy. "Why didn''t Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul get married?" Madeline was curious. "Buddy kept "Unfortunate twists of fate," Sebastian exined. "Uncle Patrick had a childhood sweetheart. Their families were of equal standing and they were fond of each other. She came from a family of police officers and she was one as well. They were already discussing marriage when things went awry while she was on a mission, where she died in the line of duty¡­" "What?" Madeline gasped. "She died in the line of duty?" "Yeah." Sebastian sighed and shook his head. "After her death, Uncle Patrick grieved for a very long time. He drowned himself in alcohol and wasted his life away. My father had to spend a lot of time and effort before he finally managed to help Uncle Patrick get back on his feet again. Still, once a person has experienced the best, it''s hard to move on from that. After a love so deep and unforgettable, Uncle Patrick couldn''t forget about her, and after her death, he never got involved with any other woman." "You''re right¡­" Madeline echoed. "Once you''ve experienced the best, it''s hard to move on from that. After a love like that, it''s hard to open up your heart to someone new." For some people, love and marriage didn''t matter all that much. It was the case for Madeline. Before she met Sebastian, her purpose in life was to raise her two children. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After meeting Sebastian, she knew that their marriage was the only one she''d ever have. She hoped that they would spend the rest of their lives together, but even if they couldn''t, she would not get married again. The first reason was that marriage wasn''t of great importance to her. Her children mattered the most to her. But the second was that Sebastian was too amazing. After being with a man as incredible as Sebastian, she believed that she would never be attracted to another man again, let alone fall in love with him. As Sebastian said, once a person experienced the best, it was hard to move on. There were billions of people in the world, but only one was the one. If the one was no longer around, then the person would choose to stay single instead of making do with someone else. There was a moment of silence as Madelinemented the sorrowful past before asking, "What about Uncle Paul? Why didn''t he get married?" "I think that Uncle Paul was even more unfortunate than Uncle Patrick," Sebastian said. "Uncle Paul had a childhood sweetheart too. She was the younger sister of one of his best friends, and they were already engaged when she cheated on him. After breaking up with her, Uncle Paul dated a few other women, but perhaps he had been too deeply hurt, he never did take any of his subsequent rtionships seriously. He kept taking things easy and never did settle down with anyone." "What?" Madeline was taken aback. "Uncle Paul''s such a fine man, though. Why did that woman cheat on him?" Was she blind? Even at this age, Paul was still a tall and handsome man with a distinguished and sophisticated air about him. Everyone could see that he was an outstanding man in excellent shape and came from a privileged background. He would''ve been a very attractive man when he was younger. Why would his girlfriend cheat on such an excellent man? "It''s because she came from a privileged background too," Sebastian exined. "The two families were on good terms and her family was only slightly less well-to-dopared to ours. She was the only girl in the family and was pampered by them, so she became a bit spoiled and self-centered. She wanted the world to revolve around her. At one point, Uncle Paul was sent abroad for work. She was alone in the country and couldn''t deal with her loneliness due to their long-distance rtionship, so she ended up sleeping with another man. Uncle Paul caught them in the act." Madeline was dumbstruck. "I disagree with what you said. That''s not someone spoiled and pampered. That''s someone with poor character." Sebastian chuckled. "Yeah, you''re right. She''s someone with poor character." "What happened after that?" Madeline asked. "Did Uncle Paul break up with her after finding out that she slept with another man?" "Yeah," Sebastian continued. "Actually, she didn''t want to break up with him. In her eyes, she saw it as a mistake that she couldn''t help but make out of loneliness, but the one she wanted to marry was still Uncle Paul. That other man was just a way for her to entertain herself, but her ideal husband was Uncle Paul. She made a huge spectacle and even threatened to take her own life, but you know what Uncle Paul''s like. He wouldn''t be swayed by that at all. He ignored her and didn''t care about anything she did." "How did things turn out after that?" Madeline quizzed. "Did she marry someone else?" "She did," Sebastian said. "Her family was embarrassed by the whole thing and made her marry the man she slept with. I guess they figured it would be less of an embarrassment this way if news got out someday." Madeline paused in surprise before asking, "Is she happy?" "She''s probably the only one who knows the answer to that question." Sebastian smirked. "But I think she definitely isn''t happy. The man she married is just a poor artist who relied on her money. He didn''t have anything to offer other than his looks." "Soon after she married him, her brother became the head of the family, and he was a good friend of Uncle Paul''s. He stood on Uncle Paul''s side the whole time. After she got married, her brother let her be and didn''t bother keeping up with her." "She and the penniless artist were almost impoverished, and she couldn''t take a life of suffering, so she soon got a divorce. After that, she married two more times, but both marriages ended in divorce as well." "Well, that means she doesn''t have a happy life then," Madeline remarked. "Who knows?" Sebastian chuckled. "After all, she''s the one who turned her nose up at the feast and chose to indulge in poisoned wine instead. Perhaps she has peculiar tastes and thinks the life she has is the one worth leading." Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Madeline was speechless. Could Sebastian''s tongue get any sharper? However, he had a point. "Everyone chooses their own path in life." Madeline sighed. "That woman has no one but herself to me for her situation." Thus, being born into privilege wasn''t the only factor that determined one''s happiness. It was still important for people to live their lives properly. To live a true and meaningful life, a person had to regte themselves and avoid being arrogant, reckless, and overindulgent. "Yeah." Sebastian nodded. "In other words, she deserved it." "Exactly," Madeline agreed. "Does Uncle Paul have a girlfriend now? He still looks quite young to me. Is he a lot younger than¡­ Dad?" Madeline blushed a little when she referred to Philip as Dad. She felt that it sounded a little too intimate. It didn''t roll off the tongue quite so easily. Still, Sebastian had insisted on having her refer to Philip as her father too, so she had no choice but to comply. Sebastian was amused by her shyness. Although this wife of his was already the mother of two children and an incredible fighter to boot, she still seemed like an adorable young woman who blushed easily. Somehow¡­ he couldn''t help but adore her. He smiled and his eyes softened as he gazed at Madeline. "Uncle Paul gets into rtionships now and then, but never to the point where he considers marriage. You''re right. Uncle Paul and Dad have a fairlyrge age gap. Dad''s 12 years older than Uncle Patrick, and Uncle Patrick''s 12 years older than Uncle Paul, so that means Dad''s 24 years older than Uncle Paul. He''s even old enough to be Uncle Paul''s father." "So, that means Uncle Paul should be about 40 years old, right?" Madeline remarked. "It''s not toote for him to get married." Sebastian chuckled. "Look at you getting so involved. Dad has been urging his brothers to get married for decades now, but both my uncles are still single despite that. So what if Uncle Paul''s still fairly young? None of that matters if he doesn''t meet the right person." "Well, that''s true," Madeline said after a pause before sighing. "I just think it''s a pity. Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul seem like great men. I wish they could have a happy family of their own too." "You''ll never truly know what someone else''s life is like if you''re not them," Sebastianmented. "You may think that having a happy family is what makes your life fulfilling, but for some people, marriage is a prison, or where love goes to die. Marriage can be a blessing if you meet the right person, but it can also be a curse if you meet the wrong one. Marriage isn''t for everyone. Perhaps you think that Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul will be lonely without a wife and children. Look at them now, though. They''re living life to the fullest and traveling all over the world, from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica, and even the Himyas. They can go wherever they want whenever they want, but do you think they would be able to live such a carefree life if they had a wife and children?" Madeline was speechless. How incredible! After giving it some thought, Madeline nodded and said, "Okay. I admit that I was only looking at it from my perspective." "Since you''re so concerned about Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul, why don''t you help them more realistically?" Sebastian caressed Madeline''s hair as he stared at her with a meaningful smile. "Something more realistic?" Madeline had a serious look in her eyes. "Is there something I can do for Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul? Tell me! Whatever it is, as long as it''s something within my power, I''ll be sure to give it my best!" She had been feeling a little restless and uneasy after receiving suchvish gifts from the two men, so she jumped at the opportunity to do something for them in return. "Yes, there is! You''ll be able to do it¡­" Sebastian pressed her down and caged her in as he exined with a smile, "Uncle Patrick and Uncle Paul said they need sessors to take over from them¡­" Madeline turned bright red. He''s always¡­ making it about that! She turned to check on the children. Sebastian managed to convince the boys to sleep in their room back at Sun Garden, but although they had a room here as well, the boys were in an unfamiliar ce and didn''t want to sleep alone, so they were sleeping with the couple tonight. Sebastian should exercise more self-control tonight, she thought. She shoved him in the chest. "Stop fooling around!" "I''m not fooling around. I''m being serious right now," Sebastian said with a chuckle. "But you don''t have to feel pressured. Although some people might prefer sons, I prefer daughters more. If you can give me two adorable little girls who look just like you¡­" Sebastian chuckled once more. "I can already imagine how perfect it would be!" His heart was melting at the thought of it. Madeline didn''t know what to say. "It might be quite hard to fulfill that wish of yours." "Why do you say that?" Sebastian asked. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. "Even though there''s the gic predisposition for twins on my mother''s side, you''ve also seen that both of my parents'' families seem to have a lot more sons than daughters," Madeline reminded. "My mother had four sons before she had me, and on my father''s side, I have two uncles and no aunts. Even my uncles have four sons among them without any daughters." Sebastian cocked his head to the side and mulled it over. "I''m fine if you give me four sons first before giving me a daughter, or even six sons before a daughter¡­ Hang on! Let''s make it two daughters! Aldo and Buddy are so cute together. I would be over the moon if I had two daughters just as cute as them!" Madeline was speechless. You''re talking about kids right now, not products you can buy off the shelves! I have no control over what happens! Plus, does that mean I have to keep getting pregnant and giving birth for years toe? What''ll happen to my career? I object! The stupefied look on her face made Sebastianugh. He pinched her cheek gently and said, "I''m just kidding! It''s not like we can rush into this. It''s enough that we have Aldo and Buddy to please Dad. We can just let nature take its course." After a pause, he continued, "It was the same for my grandmother. She let nature take its course and ended up giving birth to my two uncles. Back then, people thought that having more children meant that the family was more blessed, and a lot of them gave birth to seven or eight kids, but it was hard for my grandmother to get pregnant. There was a 12-year gap between each of her pregnancies. I think that''s great." "Yeah." Madeline nodded. "I think that''s great too." With a gap like that, the parents could still immerse themselves in the joy of having children while also being able to focus on their careers as well instead of spending all of their time on their children. "Oh, right." Sebastian changed the subject. "I''ll take you and the kids back tomorrow. I cleared my schedule." Madeline was bringing the two children back to Wendel City tomorrow. They would be staying there until the wedding. "It''s fine. You don''t need to," Madeline said. "Hanson said he''ll take us back to Wendel City. If you take us back, you''ll still have toe back here. That would be too exhausting for you. We can just leave with Hanson instead." "Hanson?" Sebastian asked. "Hanson Taylor?" Madeline nodded. "Hanson treats me well and he adores Aldo and Buddy too. You don''t have to worry about anything since he''ll apany us." Sebastian thought about it before saying, "Alright." The wedding was approaching. Even though his subordinates could handle most of the work for him, there were still things he wanted to supervise himself. He could spend more time on wedding preparations if he stayed in Dusktown, which was a good thing. "Since we''ll be apart from tomorrow onward, we must make the most of tonight¡­" Sebastian kissed Madeline on the lips and murmured in a sensuous tone, "Come¡­ Let''s spend the night reaffirming our feelings, lest the distance turns us into strangers¡­" As always, Madeline was rendered speechless. Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Madeline couldn''t withstand Sebastian''s relentless persuasion in the end, and they were engulfed in a night of passionate affirmation of their feelings. The next morning, Hanson came bright and early to pick up the trio. Philip, Patrick, and Paul all kept hugging the two boys whom they were reluctant to part with. The three men also kept reminding Hanson to take good care of their beloved grandsons or grandnephews. Hanson felt his shoulders drooping from all the pressure, and his jaws were starting to ache from all his smiles of reassurance. Hanson breathed out in relief when they were finally in the car atst. "Uncle Hanson," Buddy piped up curiously. "Are you afraid of my grandpa? Grandpa''s a very nice person!" Hanson didn''t know what to say. Your grandpa''s nice to you, but he''s the one and only Philip Hart to everyone else! Everyone knows about Old Master Hart, the legendary man who could even move mountains if he wanted to. Thus, Hanson exined evasively, "I''m not afraid of your grandpa. I simply respect him very much." "Oh!" Buddy had a look of realization. "I see. Respect means being afraid!" Hanson was dumbfounded. His nephew didn''t need to be that blunt! Fortunately for Hanson, the two boys had slepttest night, and Buddy soon fell asleep. Hanson didn''t have to suffer any more of Buddy''s bluntness. At Wendel City. Michael and Crystal waited in eager anticipation until they finally received their daughter and grandchildren. "Grandpa! Grandma!" Buddy eximed and started waving cheerfully when he spotted Michael and Crystal waiting for them. "My, my!" Michael and Crystal quickly went over to greet them and they each picked up one of their grandsons. "Good to see you, Grandpa! Good to see you, Grandma!" Aldo greeted politely. "Yes, it''s good indeed now that you''re here with us!" Crystal responded to Aldo before kissing Buddy who was in her arms. "Look at you! Aldo and Buddy, you two be more gorgeous each time I see you! I can''t imagine anyone not liking either of you." Everyone''s heart would immediately melt at the sight of them, Crystal thought. s, it''s a pity we can''t put up a fight against Philip and Sebastian, or else, we''d keep Madeline and the boys right by our sides and spend every single day with them! Michael and Crystal brought Aldo and Buddy into the living room. The coffee table was filled with an array of delicious food and snacks. "Whoa!" Buddy''s eyes grewrge. "So much yummy food!" "Do you like it?" Crystal smiled. "We prepared everything for the two of you. You can eat anything you like!" She and Michael had specifically chosen food that was tasty and nutritious for the two children. They didn''t include any kind of junk food, so the boys could eat as much as they liked. "I do!" Buddy cried out happily. "Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!" He kissed Crystal. The feeling of Buddy''s plush little lips pressing against her face made her heart turn into a puddle. She sat down on the couch and continued to hold him close as she couldn''t bear to let go. "Eat as much as you like, Buddy. If you run out of your favorite food, I''ll go and buy more!" Buddy was dazzled by the choices in front of him. Eventually, he chose a chocte chip cookie that was full of little chunks of chocte. He held the cookie out to Crystal. "Have one, Grandma!" Crystal smiled widely as she showered Buddy with praises. "What a sweet, adorable, and lovely child you are, Buddy! Grandma doesn''t want to eat the cookie. You can have it, Buddy." Buddy offered the chocte chip cookie to everyone and he finally took a small bite once everyone declined. The chocte chip cookie was sweet and chewy. He could taste the richness of the chocte and found the cookie exactly to his liking. With a blissful look on his face, he grabbed another cookie and stuffed it into Aldo''s hand. "Have one, Aldo! It''s super yummy!" He even dragged the word super out to express how much he loved the cookie. Aldo took a bite and nodded. "It''s good." "I know, right?" Buddy''s eyes sparkled with glee as if he had been the one who made the cookie. Michael and Crystal were deeply amused by their adorable grandson. They stayed right by the two boys as they couldn''t bear to leave. In the evening, all of Madeline''s brothers came home. Every single one of them brought presents for Aldo and Buddy, though quite possibly at Michael and Crystal''s bidding. The two boys had a field day opening presents. Buddy was an expert at hyping things up. He eximed in surprise at every present and gushed over every single detail, which kept the others thoroughly entertained. In the end, even Cedric, who had been a little awkward around them, was so taken with the boys that he kneeled beside them to y with them. While he wasn''t great with people, he was great at ying with toys, and he had a great time ying with the boys. That night, Crystal wanted to sleep with Madeline and the two children. She and Madeline brought the boys back to Madeline''s room, and Michael had to spend the night alone. After putting the boys to bed, the mother-daughter duo kept talking well into the night. It was past 2AM when Crystal finally conceded. "Let''s sleep. I want to take you out shopping tomorrow." A lot was happening at thepanytely, so Crystal and Michael were busy helping their oldest son out withpany matters. It had been a while since they made a trip to Dusktown, so they hadn''t seen Madeline and the children in quite some time. The thought of Madeline having her wedding soon filled Crystal with an unstoppable urge to shop as much as possible! She wanted to use this chance to make it up to her daughter. She had started preparing a dowry for Madeline ages ago, which included clothes, essories, antiques, paintings, and even other assets as well. Still, she didn''t think it was enough. She wanted to take Madeline out shopping. She had missed out on Madeline''s childhood and never got the chance to go shopping with her, so she wanted to make the most of it tomorrow. All Crystal could think about was buying everything Madeline liked for her. Even just the thought of that filled her with satisfaction. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. It had been a long journey and Madeline was exhausted after spending hours talking to the family. She fell asleep soon after closing her eyes. However, Crystal couldn''t fall asleep. The moonlight shone through the window, and she kept staring at Madeline, Aldo, and Buddy. The more she stared at them, the sadder she felt. This was the sad part about having a daughter. Daughters would eventually get married and leave to form a family of their own. She couldn''t stay by her daughter''s side at all times, and she wouldn''t even know if her daughter or grandchildren suffered in any way. Crystal thought about her sweet and lovely daughter. She worried that Madeline would have to suffer after marrying into an elite family like the Harts. However, the longer she stared at them, the more resolved she became. It doesn''t matter who Madeline marries! It''ll be great if he treats her well, but if he doesn''t, then I''ll do whatever it takes to stand up for her, even if I have to risk everything. Even if we can''t defeat the Harts, it''s not as if we can''t do anything! If the Harts were to treat them poorly, she would simply bring them back home with her. The Wendels can take care of them! With that thought in mind, Crystal became a lot less resistant toward the wedding. She sighed and closed her eyes as she told herself to hurry up and sleep. I have to take Madeline and the boys out shopping tomorrow! I''m going to need all the sleep I can get! Chapter 471 Chapter 471 After breakfast the next morning, Crystal was in excellent spirits as she took Madeline, Aldo, and Buddy out for a day of shopping. Michael and Hanson came along as well. They were in charge of keeping an eye on the children so that Crystal and Madeline could shop to their hearts'' content. Crystal brought Madeline to Wendel City''s most luxurious shopping mall. The mall had a selection of everything a person could possibly want. As long as one had money, one could walk away with anything one wanted. Crystal first brought Madeline to check out clothes, shoes, and bags, but the main event for the day was buying¡­ jewelry! Clothes, shoes, and bags were all consumable fashion, but jewelry held its value. Crystal wanted to buy more jewelry for Madeline as it could even be passed down to her granddaughter in the future. Crystal had the bodyguards carry the bags of clothes, shoes, and bags to the car while she and Madeline headed straight for the jewelry disy. As it was, Crystal wasn''t someone who was all that fond of shopping. Most of the jewelry items she owned were presents from her husband and sons. She rarely bought any for herself. But today, she had an excellent reason to buy as much as she wanted, and the thought of that made her excited. She dragged Madeline over to the high-end jewelry disy which contained all of the finest designs. The jewelry sparkled in all its glory inside the disy case. There was a selection of crystals, diamonds, pearls, rubies, jade, and more. "See anything you like, Maddie?" Crystal held Madeline''s hand and dered with a smile, "Your father said he''ll pay for everything we buy today!" "Mom, you and Dad have prepared enough for me. I don''t need anything else." Madeline didn''t share Crystal''s enthusiasm. On the contrary, she was feeling a little helpless. Madeline wasn''t someone who loved shopping. Most of the time, she only bought things for her children. When it came to herself, she was satisfied with having the bare minimum. Crystal had already swept through the selection of clothes, shoes, and bags earlier. Madeline had gaped in shock when she saw Crystal buying tens of each category for her. It was too much! Sebastian had already given her a lot of things that were of a simr fashion. She didn''t have enough days in the year to wear it all and she truly didn''t need all of this. "There''s no such thing as too much jewelry," Crystal refuted. "They hold their value, so you can use them if you like them, and if you don''t, you can save them for my future granddaughter. Jewelry doesn''t need to be used to make you feel good, you know. Even if you just keep them on disy at home, you can still feel great whenever you admire your collection!" Madeline was dumbfounded. She didn''t know what she could say to reject Crystal''s offer. She knew that her parents were trying to make it up to her by showering her with presents. They would probably be happiest if she simply epted anything that they bought for her. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. However, she wasn''t used to people treating her so well. She didn''t want to ept it because she felt as if she didn''t deserve it. Still, seeing how happy Crystal was right now, she didn''t want to rain on her parade. Oh, forget it. I''ll just go along with it. I can always find a chance to repay themter on. This way, everyone''s happy! Madeline hadn''t chosen anything, so Crystal took it upon herself to choose three sets¡ªone each of diamonds, rubies, and sapphires¡ªbefore she started urging, "Hurry up and choose, Maddie. You must choose at least six more!" Madeline was at a loss for words. "It''s fine if you don''t like anything here," Crystal said. "We can take a look at the other disys." The sales assistant wasn''t about to let a high-roller customer walk away just like that. She quickly began to make her rmendations to Madeline. "Our jewelry designs are the most sophisticated in all of Wendel City. These are all one-of-a-kind designs made by our designers. Miss, why don''t you take a look at this set of rubies¡­" She expended her entire vocabry to promote the jewelry to Madeline. Crystal stood aside and watched with a smile. She would be more than happy if the sales assistant managed to convince Madeline to select a few more pieces. Madeline was young, beautiful, and carried herself with poise. Crystal couldn''t think of any other young woman in Wendel City who was prettier than her daughter. She could sense other people staring at them when she walked out on the streets with Madeline, and her heart swelled with pride. s, her daughter didn''t grow up in Wendel City, but if she did, she would surely be the top socialite here! What a fine daughter I have. She should wear the best jewelry! As Crystal continued to gaze at her precious daughter with pride, someone called out to her from behind. "Miss Taylor?" Crystal turned around and saw that it was a business acquaintance of hers. She swiftly put on a professional smile and greeted, "It''s been a while, Ms. Lowry!" "It''s you, Miss Taylor! I thought you looked familiar!" The person waved her over. "Come and help me take a look at this jade, Miss Taylor. I can''t decide at all. Come and tell me what you think." "Alright!" Crystal agreed. She turned to Madeline and said, "Choose a few more sets. I''m going over there for a moment." "Okay, Mom." Madeline nodded. Crystal went over to help her acquaintance with the jewelry. The two quickly became caught up in their conversation. Meanwhile, Madeline kept listening to the sales assistant as she exined every single piece of jewelry in the store in great detail. She made it sound as if the jewelry here had been created by the heavens themselves, and Madeline was rather amused. If only I could speak as well as these sales assistants, then ourw office wouldn''t be doing as poorly as it does now. Thankfully, everyone at thew office was well-connected and had means of garnering business even without her help, or else, she wouldn''t even be able to pay them a sry. Now that they had moved theirw office to a new location, no one knew about them, not even by word of mouth. She was young as well and didn''t seem particrly convincing to clients. As a result, thew office didn''t even manage to get a single casetely! Although Madeline appeared to be listening to the sales assistant''s rmendations, her mind had wandered far, far away. Thinking about the state of herw office made her feel a little depressed. With how bad business is, I don''t deserve to be here shopping for jewelry! How depressing! She was preupied with her thoughts when she heard someone calling her name. "Maddie?" She turned around to see who it was. James strode over in surprise. "It''s you, Maddie! I never thought I''d bump into you here. What a coincidence!" "Yeah. What a coincidence." Madeline smiled and surreptitiously took a step back. It was James Dugray, Sam''s childhood friend and the heir to the second most prominent family in Wingston. Once upon a time, he had been her admirer. However, his pursuit of her brought her nothing but disaster. When James'' mother found out that he wanted to date her, she ran over to Taylor''s Residence and warned her off haughtily. She said that the Dugrays weren''t about to let a woman like Madeline into the family and told Madeline to stay away from James. She even said that Madeline shouldn''t dream about raising herself from her lowly ce in society by marrying the Dugrays. From then on, Madeline stayed as far away from James as possible and would avoid him whenever she saw him. Later on, Madeline left for Dusktown to avoid Phoebe, and ever since then, she never saw James again. She never thought she''d run into him here. James looked pleased to see her, but she had a look of indifference instead. She didn''t want to see James. James was the one who liked her and tried to date her. She had rejected him outright and told him that she wasn''t interested in dating him. However, his mother came over and humiliated Madeline without even knowing what the truth was. James'' mother ndered Madeline by iming that she had seduced James because she was delusional enough to think she could change her lot in life by marrying James. Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Madeline had exined to James'' mother that she didn''t love him, and therefore, she would never get together with him. However, James'' mother scolded her for putting on a show and ying hard to get. To James'' mother, it was her fault that James loved her. She was in the wrong regardless of what she did. Certainly, Madeline wouldn''t want toe into contact with such an unreasonable woman again. She swore to herself that whenever she saw that woman''s son, she would stay as far away from him as possible. James could detect Madeline''s reluctance to talk to him, so he felt mncholic. "Are you still ming me, Maddie?" "Not really," Madeline replied impassively. "I just think that given our rtionship, it''s safer for us to pretend that we don''t know each other when we meet." "Please don''t do this to me, Maddie¡­" As James looked at Madeline, who had be even more beautiful, he felt an inexplicable desire rising within him. "Maddie, I know that my mother was in the wrong back then. Let me apologize on her behalf. At any rate, we are childhood friends who have a strong bond. We even bumped into each other today, so it shows that we''ve been brought together by fate!" "Stop reading too much into it!" His words gave Madeline goosebumps as she stepped backward. "It''s not fate; it''s just a coincidence. My mother happened toe across her friend earlier. It''s the busiest ce in Wendel City, so it''s not surprising if we run into people we know." "Your mother? Cameron?" James gave her a doubtful look. "Didn''t you stoping into contact with her a long time ago? Why did you¡­" Madeline was startled by his words, for James thought that she was talking about Cameron when she mentioned her mother. James and her cousin, Sam, were childhood friends, but Sam didn''t tell him that she had found her biological parents. Is he unwilling to mention anything about me because he finds it embarrassing? Or is it because he knows that James pursued me before, so he intentionally hid this fact from him? The thought only shed through her mind for a moment, and she soon discarded it. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Whatever the reason was, it no longer mattered. Most importantly, she had to bid James farewell and disappear from his sight as soon as possible. "I''m sorry, but I''m in a rush now. Can we talk next time?" She stepped aside in an attempt to circumvent him so that she could meet up with her mother and leave this ce. James was saddened by her dispassionate attitude. He extended his leg and blocked her way. With a dejected look, he said, "Are you still ming me, Maddie? I know I was in the wrong. I shouldn''t have listened to my mother. I shouldn''t have dumped you and married someone else." Madeline frowned. "Can you stop saying things like these? Nothing happened between us. I''ve made it clear to you that I don''t love you, and I have no feelings for you. Since you''re married, you should behave yourself as a husband and stop saying things that would cause another woman to misunderstand. You''re treating your wife unfairly by doing this." "I''m not that kind of person, Maddie. The reason I''m saying these things to you is that I''m getting a divorce," James said anxiously. "I''ve made up my mind. I''ll look for you right after I finalize the divorce. It never crossed my mind that I''d bump into you here today. I have a feeling that fate has brought us together." "What does it have anything to do with me that you''re getting divorced?" A disgusted Madeline scowled. "Should I get together with you just because you''re divorcing your wife? Don''t you think it''s just your wishful thinking?" "Please forgive me, Maddie. I listened to my mother and didn''t persevere. I won''t make the same mistake this time." He gaped at her with determination written all over his face. "Regardless of what my mother says, I''ll steadfastly stand with you, and you''re the only one I''ll marry. As long as I insist, my mother will agree to let us get together." "You''ve been talking about what you want all this while, but why aren''t you willing to find out what''s on my mind?" Madeline furrowed her brows. "I don''t love you, and I won''t marry you. Moreover, I''m getting married soon. As a matter of fact, the wedding will be in two days." She lifted her left hand and showed him the ring. "This is my engagement ring, and it will be reced with a wedding ring two dayster. I''ll have a husband soon, so please keep a distance from me and stop saying things like you love me and such. I don''t want to cause any misunderstandings." "You''re getting married?" James was stunned. "No way. Sam never told me about it before." "Why would Sam tell you anything about me?" Madeline lowered her hand. "Can you step aside now?" "Wait a minute, Maddie. Can we go somewhere else and talk?" James pleaded. "There are some misunderstandings between us. I can exin. You''re the only person I love, and I''ve never stopped loving you." Although Madeline didn''te from a prestigious family, she was gentle, beautiful, independent, and ingenious. He had known Madeline for many years, and she was the brightest woman he had ever met. When someone was used to seeing diamonds, they would find ss to be inferior. He just loved how beautiful and intelligent Madeline was, so he found other women boring. He loved Madeline, and he wanted her to be his wife. However, his mother wouldn''t allow it. Madeline came from a humble background, and her mother was an illegitimate daughter. As such, her identity was somewhat awkward in the Taylor Family. Even though she was said to be a young miss of the Taylor Family, she was more like a maidservant. James'' mother felt that Madeline was a lowly person, so thetter didn''t deserve to be part of the Dugrays. Therefore, she warned him against getting serious with Madeline. He could have fun with Madeline, but he could never marry her. Certainly, he wouldn''t want to mess with Madeline. He loved her, so he wasn''t willing to hurt her feelings. Furthermore, he was best friends with Sam, so how could he dally with his best friend''s cousin? Eventually, his mother forced him to get together with another woman. He couldn''t resist the pressure, so he could only sever ties with Madeline and marry the woman that his mother was fond of. However, he wasn''t happy at all after getting married. His wife was someone from a well-to-do family, and she was better than Madeline in a lot of aspects. However, she wasn''t as alluring and intelligent as Madeline. Whenever he looked at his wife, he couldn''t help butpare her with Madeline. The more he did that, the more he felt that his wife wasn''tparable to Madeline, and the harder it was for him to forget her. Although James'' mother had forced him to marry his wife, he had to be a responsible husband after tying the knot. He couldn''t love another woman or do anything to betray her. Therefore, he stashed his love for Madeline away and decided to treat his wife well. Nevertheless, life was full of uncertainties. One year after he got married, his wife was found to be infertile. His mother then ordered him to divorce his wife. Surely, his wife wouldn''t agree to it, but her family members had given it the green light and were now persuading her to divorce James. It wouldn''t be long before he would be single again. The turn of events surprised him. The moment he learned that he could divorce his wife, his love for Madeline flooded his mind once again. This time, he was determined to make his dreame true by marrying Madeline. Chapter 473 Chapter 473 James had everything nned out. Once he got divorced, he would look for Madeline and express his love for her. After he dumped Madeline and married another woman, he finally realized who he truly loved. He could settle for a lot of things, but being a married man was something that stayed with him forever, so he couldn''t marry a woman he didn''t love. He had let Madeline go once, and he wouldn''t make the same mistake again. On this day, he was on a business trip in Wendel City with his mother. After he was done with work, he kept his motherpany since thetter wanted to go shopping. It never crossed his mind that he would bump into Madeline here. He felt that it was a hint from the heavens that he and Madeline were fated to be together. However, to his dismay, she told him that she was getting married. There was no way he could ept this fact, so he needed to talk things out with her. Madeline came from a humble background, and she had two kids with her. How was she supposed to marry a good man? On the other hand, not only did hee from a wealthy family, but he had also known Madeline for years. They knew each other well, and he was the only one that suited her best. "There''s no need to talk." Madeline directly turned him down. "There''s nothing to talk about between us. I''m getting married, so I think we shouldn''t meet again. Please go away. I''m leaving." She wanted to circle James, but he got in her way again. He grabbed her arm anxiously. "Marriage is the most important thing in a woman''s life, Maddie. Don''t act on a whim and make the wrong choice. We''re childhood friends, and I know you well. I''m the most suitable man for you. Trust me. Only I can give you happiness. I¡ª" "What are you doing?!" Following a roar, a middle-aged woman with delicate makeup and an arrogant bearing ascended from the stairs behind them. She scurried toward them and frowned at Madeline. "You''re really something. I can''t believe you''ve followed us here." As soon as she heard that, Madeline was too stunned to speak. What? When did I follow you? After she was rendered speechless for a moment, she said, "Don''t get me wrong, Madam. I came here with my mother." "She''s right, Mom," James promptly exined. "She came here first. When I saw her looking at some jewelry, I came over and greeted her." "Stop lying!" James'' mother gave Madeline a scornful look. "She must have found out that you''re getting divorced, so she''se all the way here to wait for you." She snorted and looked condescendingly at Madeline. "You''re pretty good at gathering information. You''re quick to pester him after finding out that he''s getting divorced. So what if you''re aware of it? I''m warning you¡ªstay away from my son. Even though he''s getting divorced, he won''t marry you. Stop daydreaming!" Madeline was so furious that she startedughing instead. "There''s no doubt that you two are mother and son. Both of you are equally conceited. I''ll say this one more time, so listen up. I don''t love James one bit. Moreover, my wedding is two days away. To me, my husband is a hundred times better than James. I love him and respect him, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Please stop thinking that I desperately want to marry James when I don''t love him at all." "Your husband is a hundred times better than my son? Stop ttering yourself," James'' mother said derisively. "Given your situation, no good man will ever want to marry you. Are you marrying a divorced man and bing the stepmother of his kids or something?" "What did you say about my daughter?" Crystal strode toward them. James'' mother was startled the moment she saw Crystal. "Mrs. Wendel?" Crystal was Nigel''s younger sister. Since the Dugray Family and the Taylor Family were neighbors, she knew Crystal as well. As such, she found it odd. "What did you just say? Your daughter?" She darted her gaze between Crystal and Madeline, thinking that she had misheard her. "Isn''t Angie your daughter, Mrs. Wendel? Madeline is supposed to be an illegitimate daughter from the Wendel Family." Crystal hated this topic, for it was a humiliating past incident that showed how ipetent her familyText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. was. However, she had to directly deal with this issue and answer her question so that everyone would know Madeline wasn''t an illegitimate daughter. In reality, she was Crystal''s biological daughter. Crystal wrapped her arm around Madeline''s and stared coldly at James'' mother. "Maddie is my biological daughter. She and Angie were born in the same hospital. Angie is Cameron''s daughter, whereas Maddie is mine!" She red at James'' mother and questioned, "What did you just say about my daughter?" Stunned, James'' mother looked at Madeline in disbelief. Is Madeline really Michael and Crystal''s biological daughter? In that case, I should consider letting my son marry Madeline. When her son fell in love with Madeline back then, he was clingy and followed Madeline around every day; she was furious because of that. Madeline came from an ordinary background, so she didn''t deserve James. Moreover, she had to raise two kids. There was no way the Dugrays would let James marry such a woman. Therefore, James'' mother ordered his son to date someone else and forced him to marry the woman she had selected. She had done it for her son''s good. However, life yed a trick on her. The woman with a prestigious background was found to be infertile after marrying her son. It had been one year since they got married, but she still wasn''t pregnant with a child. However, someone from the branch family, who was the nephew of James'' father, got married three months after James and now had a son. James'' father was an ordinary man who wasn''t as bright as his brother. On the other hand, his brother had two sons who were all smart and capable, and they were just as bright as James. Now, the eldest son from the branch family had a son while James'' wife was infertile. There were no grandchildren in the main family. For this reason, the main family was at a disadvantage while fighting for their inheritance. James'' grandfather hadn''t been in the pink of health as ofte, and he could pass away at any moment. There was a grandson in the branch family, while the main family had none. Thus, they were worried that James'' grandfather would write a will and let the branch family inherit everything instead. Madeline was a mother of two. However, if she was indeed Michael and Crystal''s daughter, her identity as the young miss of the Wendel Family could make up for this shoring. Moreover, the main branch of the Dugray Familycked kids, and Madeline was fertile. If Madeline married James and directly gave birth to twin boys, James'' grandfather probably wouldn''t pass the inheritance to the branch family just because there were no grandchildren in the main family. As such, the eyes of James'' mother became fervent as she gaped at Madeline. "I''m surprised to learn that Maddie is your daughter!" She put on a passionate smile while looking at Crystal. "It''s no wonder that James is deeply in love with Maddie. She probably inherited her parents'' demeanor, and she''s grown up to be a beautiful and intelligent woman. It''s obvious that she''s a well- mannered and knowledgeable person." Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Meanwhile, Crystal was speechless at how abruptly James'' mother changed her behavior. She was disgusted by the way James'' mother treated her daughter earlier, so she scurried over to her daughter in an attempt to lend her some support. However, she never expected James'' mother to start praising her daughter before she could do anything; it was as though the woman had turned into a different person. Crystal found it hard to criticize someone who now seemed friendly to her. Furthermore, the Dugrays and her older brother were neighbors. For her brother''s sake, she didn''t want to fall out with the Dugrays. Therefore, she could only change her attitude and smile at James'' mother. "You''re right. Not only is Maddie beautiful and well-mannered, but she''s also intelligent and considerate. She''s better than all of my sonsbined." Seeing that Crystal was truly fond of Madeline, James'' mother put on a brighter smile. "James and Maddie are on good terms. They''re childhood friends who have a strong bond." The Wendel Family was even more powerful than the Taylor Family. If James could marry Madeline, having kids would no longer be an issue. Furthermore, James'' grandfather wouldn''t give the inheritance to the branch family for the Wendel Family''s sake. Crystal''s stance suggested that she doted on her daughter and was willing to stand up for her. As long as James could marry Madeline, the main family would gain the right to inherit everything. Crystal was a shrewd person, so she soon figured out what was on the other woman''s mind. She secretly disdained James'' mother, thinking that thetter was someone who fawned over the rich and looked down on the poor. Fortunately, Madeline didn''t love James. Otherwise, she would suffer miserably if she had to deal with a mother-inw like James'' mother. With a derisive smile, Crystal looked at James'' mother and said, "Since your son and Maddie are on good terms, why don''t you stay for a while longer to attend her wedding? It''ll be held two dayster." "Is Maddie getting married?" James'' mother appeared worried. "Mr. Taylor never told me about it before. Did Maddie willingly get together with her husband? She''s a mother of two, so I''m worried her husband doesn''t deserve her. As her mother, you can''t let her do whatever she wants, and you have to stop her whenever she makes the wrong choice. Marriage is the most important thing in a woman''s life, after all. Maddie is a wonderful woman, so she deserves the best." "Well, thanks for your concern," Crystal replied. "Maddie willingly got together with her husband, and he''s none other than my grandsons'' father. In fact, they''d already tied the knot, but they separated for a while due to some reason. However, after Maddie arrived at Dusktown, her husband found her and pursued her. They''ve rekindled their love for each other, and they''re now ready to hold a wedding." "Maddie''s husband is the father of her kids?" James'' mother was astounded. "No way. Maddie''s kids are supposed to be test tube babies meant to save Sam''s life." "Where did you hear this rumor from?" Crystal refuted. "What you''ve heard is just some unfounded spection. My daughter and her husband fell in love with each other back then. After they tied the knot, my daughter became pregnant. However, there was a conflict between them, so they decided to part ways for a while. Several yearster, both of them have be more mature. They''ve gotten together again for the kids. They''ve be more considerate adults who understand each other better now, and the love between them has strengthened. Therefore, they''ve decided to hold a wedding and spend the rest of their lives with each other." James'' mother parted her lips, but she couldn''t say anything; she didn''t know what to say. She knew that Crystal was lying, but thetter wasn''t someone she could afford to offend. Shecked the courage to expose her lies at this moment. If she wanted to make sure she wouldn''t offend Crystal, she had to pretend to believe her even if she didn''t. Nevertheless, she couldn''t bring herself to y along with what Crystal had said. Her family and the Taylors were neighbors, so she knew what happened when Madeline gave birth to her kids back then. Essentially, Crystal was treating her like a fool by lying to her. James'' mother felt increasingly difited. Eventually, she couldn''t help but say with a smile, "I don''t think so. Maddie has been living with her uncle. I practically watched her grow up over the years, and I never knew that she had a boyfriend." "Who do you think you are? Why would Maddie tell you whether she has a boyfriend?" Crystal refuted harshly. "If you don''t believe me, Ms. Perkins, you cane to my daughter''s wedding and see for yourself. My eldest grandson is the spitting image of his father. Anyone can tell that they''re father and son. How could you say that they are test tube babies? My daughter and her husband are loving parents to their kids. Only busybodies would believe such a rumor. I believe you''re not one of those people." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Crystal was stern. Even though James'' mother was wary of her, she sported a dark expression after getting rebuked. After all, the Dugrays were pretty famous in Worrick, and she was a respectable figure because of her status in the Dugray Family. Naturally, no one had ever been impolite to her before. Therefore, she was no longer as hospitable as she was earlier. She was determined to irritate Crystal. "By the way, what does your son-inw do for a living, Miss Taylor? Do we know him? Since your daughter and her husband are in love with each other, I suppose he''s a talented person. Otherwise, Maddie wouldn''t have fallen in love with him. Don''t you agree, Miss Taylor?" Despite what she had said, she firmly believed that Madeline''s husband was an ordinary man. Madeline was a mother of two, so why would any aplished man marry her? The Dugrays had a unique situation as they needed grandchildren to fight against the branch family for the inheritance. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have agreed to let her son marry Madeline. Certainly, she never believed Crystal when thetter said Madeline''s husband was the father of her kids. As far as she was concerned, Madeline had made an application with the sperm bank to get some sperm for the test tube babies. Information about the donor was confidential, so how was Madeline supposed to find the children''s father? She couldn''t believe that Crystal, who was Michael''s wife, would lie to her in broad daylight. Furthermore, even if Madeline''s husband was really the father of her kids, he was probably someone dull and ordinary. Why would any bright man donate sperm in the first ce, after all? James'' mother believed that Madeline''s husband must be an underachiever, so she deliberately said such things to annoy Crystal. Unexpectedly, Crystal said, "You''re right. My son-inw, Sebastian Hart, is the heir to the Hart Family in Dusktown. He''s the most promising young man in Dusktown. Since my daughter is bright, the man she loves has to be the best as well." "The heir to the Hart Family in Dusktown?" James'' mother was in disbelief as her eyes widened. "Which Hart Family?" "Is there another Hart Family in Dusktown?" Crystal responded proudly. "Since I''ve mentioned that he''s the heir to the Hart Family, it''s definitely the most prestigious family in Dusktown." "Are you referring to¡­ Philip''s son? The Philip who''s always being featured in the news?" Disbelief was written all over the woman''s face Chapter 475 Chapter 475 "Yes, it''s him. He''s the president of the Hart Corporation, Sebastian Hart." Crystal put on a faint smile. "It seems that you don''t believe me, Ms. Perkins. In that case, why don''t you stay in Wendel for a few days and attend my daughter''s wedding? Two dayster, my son-inw wille over, and you can follow us to Dusktown. You''ll see for yourself whether the Hart Family I''m talking about is the same as what''s on your mind." Ms. Perkins'' eyes widened, her heart fluttering. She couldn''t help but turn to look at Madeline. Madeline¡­ that lowly woman from the Taylor Family. Could she be so lucky? Not only is she the young lady of the Wendel Family, but she''ll also marry the most promising young man from the Hart Family. In fact, hees from the most prestigious family in Elsenburg. The Hart Family''s wealth far surpassed that of the Dugray Family. Earlier, James'' mother had mocked Madeline for daydreaming by seducing her son in an attempt to be part of the Dugrays. If Madeline was getting married to Sebastian, why would she even be into her son? Her actions earlier just showed how ridiculous and conceited she was. At that revtion, her face started flushing red. She didn''t have the nerve to keep staying there, so she forced a smile and said to Crystal, "That''s for sure. We''ll attend your daughter''s wedding if we have time. There''s something else we have to attend to, so we''ll stop bothering you. See you, Miss Taylor. Let''s go, James." She beckoned to her son to motion for him to leave with her immediately. The entire farce was embarrassing, and she had never felt more humiliated in her life before; it was like getting pped in the face repeatedly. She was so embarrassed that she had to get out of this ce as soon as she could. Meanwhile, a dazed James stared at Madeline. Is it true? Is she getting married? Moreover, the man she''s marrying is much better than I am. If it was just Madeline who told him that she was getting married, he could''ve told himself that she was lying so that he would stay away from her. However, it was unlikely that Crystal would lie about such a matter. Therefore, Madeline was indeed getting married. Ever since his mother gave him the green light to divorce his wife, he had been fervent, and his heart was filled with hope. It was his biggest hope that he could get divorced as soon as possible so that he could look for Madeline and pursue her. After he got married, he felt wretched whenever he thought of the fact that he had lost the right to woo Madeline. He wanted to get together with her, but he could never get the woman. His heart yearned to be with her. He had repeatedly regretted that he had caved into his mother''s arrangements. He shouldn''t have dumped Madeline and married his wife. The moment he got permission to divorce his wife, he thanked fate for giving him a second chance so that he could rectify his mistake and bring his life back on the right track. Recently, he had been in high spirits, always feeling energetic and enthusiastic every day. He just hoped that he could divorce his wife as soon as possible and pursue Madeline. However, his dream was crushed. Madeline was getting married before he could even divorce his wife. Moreover, her husband was someone even brighter than he was, so he could not even snatch her from him. He looked dazedly at Madeline, his heart wrenched and face livid. Embarrassed, James'' mother grabbed his wrist and lugged him away. "They''re so annoying!" Crystal muttered under her breath with a frown, then wrapped her arm around Madeline''s. "Forget about them. Have you found anything you like, Maddie?" "I haven''t made up my mind," Madeline replied helplessly. "You and dad have already prepared a lot of things for me. Just buy the things you''ve selected. There''s no need for more." Crystal said, "No way. The gifts show how much we care about you, and they''ll certainly boost your confidence. You can help me save money in other areas, but we can''t save on the gifts for your wedding. Just buy more." She felt vexed when she recalled how condescending James'' mother looked when thetter spoke to her daughter. Infuriated, she pointed at the jewelry on the disy counter. "This, this, this, and that. Pack them all up." Her daughter wasn''t with her during her formative years, so some ignorant people probably assumed that she didn''t care about her daughter. In that case, she had to boost her daughter''s confidence by buying more things for her. Even though Madeline didn''t grow up by her side, she was her biological daughter at the end of the day. Moreover, her daughter was intelligent, beautiful, and considerate. She took a liking to her at first sight. Although she didn''t get to spend the past twenty years with Madeline, her daughter was still a young woman. Hence, Crystal still had ample time to get along with her daughter. She had to let everyone know that even though Madeline didn''t grow up in the Wendel Family, their daughter was loved by her husband and her. No one could ever underestimate her daughter. If not for the fact that Madeline had stopped her, she would''ve bought up everything on the disy counter. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Madeline picked out the things she didn''t like and pushed them away to stop her mother from paying for them. Despite that, the bill still came up to several million. Still, Crystal was not satisfied. "The essories here aren''t top-notch. Fine essories are hard to come by. If I see any quality essories being put up for auction in the future, I''ll buy them for you. Keep them well so that you can give them to your future daughter when she gets married." At that, Madeline was rendered speechless. Before she knew it, she was already a wealthy person. Not only had her parents given her some shops, vis, and manors, but they even granted her some of Wendel Corporation''s shares. These were just the things that her parents had given her. On the other hand, Sebastian had handed her a lot of jewelry and properties. Moreover, she and Sebastian didn''t sign a prenuptial agreement. In other words, as soon as she married Sebastian, half of his wealth would belong to her. That was a considerable sum. Now, there was no doubt that she was wealthy. Before she came across Sebastian, it never crossed her mind that she would be so well off in her lifetime. Nevertheless, this wealth was given to her by others. The money she could earn paledpared to the wealth she had been granted. Although it wasn''t too bad to live off her parents and husband, she yearned to make a name for herself. Would she be able to earn enough money without relying on anyone? Her parents were well-to-do, and her husband''s family members were bright. She didn''t want to be the only one who couldn''t do well in life. She hoped her business could take off so that she could earn a lot of money. Just like how Sebastian and her parents had given her enough support, she wanted to be the pir of strength for them as well. If they were short of money one day, she could give them arge sum to help them weather the storm. While holding the hefty bags of jewelry that Crystal bought for her, she secretly decided that after the honeymoon, she would work harder to make Oasis Law Office one of the greatestpanies and earn tons of money. She would then use the money she earned to repay her parents'' favor and buy gifts for Sebastian and his family members. She was sure they would be pleased with it. At the thought of this, she couldn''t help but put on a joyful smile. She could already envision herself living a blessed life in the future. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Perhaps Madeline''s desire to earn more money was too strong, for her prayers were soon answered. After she was done shopping and having a meal, she received a call from Sam when she was heading home with the kids. Sam said that his friend wanted her firm to help look for someone. Since his friend had made such a request, it was considered her firm''s business, and they would have to charge a fee. Therefore, she became energetic in an instant. "Can you tell me more about the person, Sam? Or should I give your friend a call directly?" After giving it some thought, Sam replied, "I guess I''ll tell you more about that person. Don''t ask my friend about it when you see him, though. Perhaps he''ll be too embarrassed to talk about it." "Got it," Madeline said. Other than the cases the main family couldn''t solve, the ones they took on were usually secrets that couldn''t be exposed to the public. She understood what Sam meant. Sam went on to say, "My friend''s name is Jericho rke, and the person he wants you to look for is Peachlyn Lewis." "Jericho?" Madeline was slightly surprised. "I''ve met him before, Sam." The rkes were one of the wealthiest families in Worrick. When Madeline still lived in the Taylor Residence back then, she never went anywhere else other than herpany. She didn''t have many friends, but she had seen Jericho in the Taylor Residence before. "Oh, yes. You''ve seen him before." Sam fell into a dazed state all of a sudden. Although it had only been a short time since she left the Taylor Residence, he had forgotten that she grew up in his family and got to know many of his friends. Perhaps they felt guilty, and at the mention of Madeline, they would think of Phoebe and her daughter. Therefore, Madeline''s name had be taboo in his family, and no one was willing to bring it up. As he listened to Madeline talk about the incidents in the past, he couldn''t help but walk down memory lane. Noticing that he had remained silent for a while, Madeline called out to him, saying, "Sam?" "Well¡­" Sam snapped back to reality. "Peachlyn is the rke Family''s adopted daughter. The rkes wanted to strike up a rtionship with the Soulsbys, and the eldest son from the Soulsby Family was rather fond of Peachlyn. Therefore, they got engaged. However, the eldest son from the Soulsby Family was involved in a road ident two months ago and is now bedridden. The Soulsbys want Peachlyn to marry their eldest son as soon as possible, hoping it would help him get better. Unexpectedly, Peachlyn ran away." Madeline frowned. "Although what Peachlyn has done is unrighteous and selfish, it''s hard for her to marry a bedridden man since she''s a young woman. Do the rkes want me to look for Peachlyn so that they can force her to marry the eldest son from the Soulsby Family?" If that were true, she wouldn''t want to take on this case regardless of how much money the other party would pay her. Peachlyn had dumped her fianc¨¦ just because he was involved in a road ident. There was no denying that she was selfish, but that was her choice, and she had the freedom to do so. No one had any right to bring her back against her will. Madeline could criticize Peachlyn or even despise her, but she wouldn''t want to capture her and force her to do things thetter didn''t want to do. Both of them wouldn''t be happy in such a marriage. Sam exined, "No. After Peachlyn ran away, the rkes announced they would sever ties with her. The Soulsbys felt humiliated because Peachlyn despised their son, so they called off the wedding between the two." After hearing that, Madeline asked, "In that case, why does Jericho still want to look for her?" "That''s because Peachlyn had taken the jade emblem of the rke Family away," Sam replied. "Every junior in the rke Family has a jade emblem specifically made for them, and it represents their status in the family. Since Peachlyn is no longer part of the rke Family, she should return the jade emblem to them. Besides that, she also brought the betrothal gift from the Soulsbys with her. Since the wedding has been called off, the betrothal gift has to be returned to the Soulsbys. Otherwise, that will be against the norm, and the rkes will beughingstocks." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Both the rkes and the Soulsbys had beughingstocks now. If Peachlyn didn''t want to marry her fianc¨¦, she could''ve talked to the Soulsbys in private ande up with a good reason to call off the wedding. However, she didn''t do it. Instead, she had run away with a man. The man was her schoolmate, and he was also from a well-to-do family. They had run away together. Even though the rkes and the Soulsbys tried to cover it up, the word still got out in the end. Prestigious families like the rkes and the Soulsbys certainly had their fair share of enemies. The daughter of the rke Family, who was supposed to be the Soulsby Family''s future daughter-in- law, had eloped with another man. Needless to say, the enemies of these families spread the scandal around and humiliated them. The patriarch of the Soulsby Family was so furious that he went to the rke Residence and kicked up a storm. Knowing they were in the wrong, the rkes could only appease him. After he was gone, the patriarch of the rke Family fell ill after getting infuriated. It wasn''t until a monthter that the patriarch recovered from his illness. Still feeling vexed over this matter, he ordered Jericho to find Peachlyn and bring back the jade emblem that represented a member of the rke Family''s identity. They also had to get back the betrothal gift and return it to the Soulsbys. Madeline took on the case without hesitation upon hearing the story. "Alright, we''ll ept this case. Do you know where they''ve been? For example, has anyone seen them appear somewhere recently?" "Yes," Sam replied. "ording to Jeric, someone told him they were seen in Wendel City recently. That''s why he instantly thought of your firm." Madeline sighed in secret, thinking that a business like hers would do well in Worrick. Her master had been running his business in Worrick for years, and he had earned a name for himself. Whenever anyone needed help, they would instantly think of her master''s firm. If her firm would be as famous in Dusktown as that of her master''s firm in Worrick one day, she wouldn''t have to worry about not having clients anymore. "Alright, it''ll be easier to find them since they''ve been spotted in this city," Madeline said. "Don''t worry, Sam. It''s a piece of cake. As long as they''re still in Wendel City, I''ll find them soon." "Sure, I have confidence in you," Sam replied. "With that said, there''s no rush as your wedding is more important. Don''t let this case hold you up." "Don''t worry. It won''t hold me up," Madeline reassured with a smile. "Those people from my firm have come to Wendel City to attend my wedding. They can''t sit still, so I''ll tell them to look for Peachlyn and regard it as taking a stroll and doing some exercise." Initially, they were all in Dusktown, but they had tagged along when she returned to Wendel City. When Sebastian came over, these people would keep herpany and return to Dusktown with her. Although it was troublesome, they were willing to do it so that she would have more friends with her at the wedding. In other words, her colleagues were all in Wendel City now. Those people could never sit idly by. Instead of staying in the Wendel Residence with her, they had gone out to explore the city. That wasn''t a problem. With just a call, they would be ready for work. Chapter 477 Chapter 477 After watching Madeline hang up, Crystal protested, "How are you still epting cases? Your wedding''s around the corner. Don''t forget what''s more important." "It''s fine," Madeline reassured. "I don''t need to see to it personally. I just have to assign it to the guys." She didn''t hand it specifically to anyone but instead typed the brief out in Oasis Law Office''s group chat, and Martin replied almost instantly. ''I''ll take the case, sis. I''ll get to it right away.'' The others replied as well with their interest to help, but it depended on their time or mood. At that, Madeline left the case aside after responding with an emoji. Something like tracking people was practically effortless to her guys at Oasis. Thus, she didn''t need to trouble herself with it at all. Two hourster, she got a call from Martin. "Madeline, I''ve located the pair that the clientmissioned us." "Well, that''s fast." Madeline blurted in surprise. "Yeah." Martin then exined, "Those two aren''t covering their traces at all. In fact, Peachlyn is wandering around the streets openly. Anybody can find her if they just look. I''ve already sent their location into the group chat." "Alright, I got it. Where are you right now?" Madeline asked. "I''m on my way to the amusement park. Janvier wants to take me there for some fun," he replied. "Has something elsee up?" "No, go ahead and have fun." At that, she asked, "Howe you''re only going now? Has the search held you guys back?" "No," Martin chuckled. "Janvier said that amusement parks are more fun at night, especially the haunted house. It''s creepier theter it gets." However, Madeline disagreed slightly, keeping silent for a moment before saying, "Well, if it makes you happy. Stay safe." "Got it." At that, the young man added, "Hit me straight up if anything elsees up, alright? I can leave the amusement park anytime." "Sure," Madeline noted, then gave Sam a call after hanging up. "Sam, we''ve found them." "Well, that''s fast!" Sam was just as surprised as she was. "Yeah, it''s all thanks to Martin," Madeline answered. "He said they didn''t even cover up their tracks. Looks like they aren''t worried about being found." With that, she gave Sam the address and added, "Martin also said they rented a shabby apartment here. I guess they aren''t doing well financially. Since they rented a ce and have not covered up their tracks, that means they aren''t worried about being found and wouldn''t be leaving anytime soon. As such, I didn''t have my guys watch over them." "Alright, I got it," Sam acknowledged. "Jericho''s side is getting pretty agitated. They should go over fairly soon after I tell them the address. Can you assign someone to be their local guide?" "Sure," Madeline agreed. "I''ll go personally if I have the time, or else, I''ll have Martin receive them." "You don''t have to go personally," Sam reasoned. "What''s most important to you now is getting ready for your wedding. Don''t distract yourself with these trivial things." "Don''t worry about it," Madeline reassured. "Everything''s all set, and I''ve got nothing better to do at home. I''ll see when theye over." It was only right that she weed Sam''s friends herself when they wereing over to Wendel City. That said, she could still receive them if they were to arrive the next day. However, if it was the day after that, her hands would be tied. After exchanging a few more words with Madeline, Sam ended the call without hesitation and contacted Jericho. It was a pressing issue for the rkes, or Jericho would''ve had his men find Peachlyn instead of requesting Oasis'' assistance. Now, after learning that the young woman had been found, they rushed to Wendel City overnight. It was in the wee hours when they arrived in Wendel city, so they didn''t alert anyone around and instead found a hotel to crash for the night. After the sun had risen, Jericho contacted Madeline and asked if she could assign someone as their local guide. Madeline, on the other hand, decided to meet up with Jericho herself despite Crystal''s opposition after asking for their precise location. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It was only right for her to personally receive Sam''s friend. After all, they were all potential clients. If Jericho was pleased with her service, he might even rmend her office to other people. Most importantly, she didn''t have anything in her schedule that day. Everything for the wedding had been sorted out, and all there was left was for the Harts to escort her. Seeing that she couldn''t dissuade Madeline, Crystal made thetter take Hanson with her. "I didn''t expect you toe personally! Isn''t your weddinging up soon? Well, at least that was what Sam told me." "Everything for the wedding has already been sorted out, and I have nothing better to do at home anyway," Madeline exined. "Besides, you''re Sam''s friend. It''s only right that I receive you personally." "That''s sweet of you," Jericho thanked. "Nheless, your wedding is still more important." After exchanging pleasantries, the two got down to business, and Madeline introduced Jericho to Hanson. "This is my brother. He grew up here, so he knows Wendel City like the back of his hand. He''ll take us to the apartment." Then, after another exchange of pleasantries, the group left the hotel and headed to Peachlyn''s current residence with Hanson as the driver. "This is it," Madeline pointed out, then asked, "Would you like us to follow along?" They''d receive all sorts of requests from their clients. Some would ask them to tag along to appear moremanding while others preferred the privacy, not wanting them to get involved. Thus, Madeline would check with them beforehand. "It''s okay." Jericho turned her down. "We can do it ourselves." "Alright," she acknowledged. "We''ll be waiting downstairs. You can call me if anythinges up." "Sure, thank you." After thanking Madeline, Jericho led Mna and a few bodyguards up to Peachlyn''s apartment unit. When Peachlyn heard the knock at the door, she asked who it was in exasperation before answering it in her slippers. She was stumped at first when she found Jericho behind the door, but the next second, she eximed with joy, "Jeric?! W-What are you doing here? Did Mom and Dad send you? I''ve missed you so much, Jeric!" Surprised and joyous, she threw herself at Jericho, but before she could even touch him, Mna shoved her away. "Don''t touch my brother!" Peachlyn staggered backward in response, and she looked aggrievedly at Mna after steadying herself. "How could you, Mna?!" "How could I?!" Mna sneered. "Consider yourself lucky that I''ve only pushed you. Guess what? I even want to beat you up!" With that, she went up to Peachlyn and gave thetter a solid p before condemning, "Peachlyn Lewis, do you know how humiliated you''ve made us?! Grandpa got so angry after finding out you had eloped that he fell sick, and even I''m being made fun of¡ªthanks to you, no less! My mom and dad shouldn''t have adopted you had we known you''re this kind of person. A shameless, ungrateful wench like you should just rot in hell!" Chapter 478 Chapter 478 The p stumped Peachlyn. Though she was the rkes'' foster daughter and never got along with Mna, her foster parents adored her. From the time the rkes fostered her at age seven, no one had everid their fingers on her. However, Mna had just given her a tight p! At that, she held her cheek and looked at Mna with incredulity. "How could you? Who are you to p me?!" Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. "Who am I? Why don''t you tell me that yourself?!" With that, Mna gave her another solid p and said through gnashed teeth, "Why did you have to elope with Hugo? You could''ve just said it if you didn''t want to marry Zachariah! Why did you have to hide it from everybody and elope?! Do you know how much we have to bear because of your actions?!" "As if I hadn''t!" Peachlyn held her cheek in pain as tears welled up in her eyes. "I talked to Mom and Dad about it, but they said the marriage was already set in stone, and we couldn''t go back on our word. Was I supposed to let you guys make me marry a paralytic instead of running away?! Also, the one I love is Hugo, not Zachariah, but you guys insisted that I marry Zachariah anyway. Had any one of you considered my feelings?" "Wow, excellent chicanery." Mna sneered. "Back when we were considering forming a marriage alliance with the Soulsbys, Mom and Dad had specifically asked you if you liked Zachariah, and remind me what you said? Right, you''ll leave it up to them. Then, when you learned Zachariah was paralyzed after an ident, you went back on your words and eloped, disgracing us!" "What else was I supposed to do?!" Peachlyn retorted with red-rimmed eyes. "Do you expect me to just stay and wait to marry Zachariah instead of running away with Hugo?! Would you have married him if you were in my spot?!" "I would''ve!" Mna asserted. "You''re but our family''s foster child. My mom only took you in because she thought you were helpless after your mom passed away from an ident. We fostered you for about two decades, and you agreed to marry Zachariah yourself. However, you called off the marriage as soon as he met with an ident, causing our family''s coboration with the Soulsbys to fall apart and our family to suffer a grave loss. I wouldn''t do something this treacherous if I were you!" "Easy for you to say!" Tears pooled in Peachlyn''s eyes as she retorted, "You''re right. I''m just your family''s foster child, so who cares if my marriage will be a happy one?! Who''s going to help me if I don''t do anything myself?! You are Mom and Dad''s real daughter. They will naturally call the marriage off before you can say anything if you''re the one engaged to Zachariah!" She wouldn''t want to elope with Hugo either if she had a choice, but she didn''t. When she learned that Zachariah had sustained serious injuries from the car crash, resulting in him being paralyzed from the waist down, she nearly broke down. No way was she going to marry a paralytic! She waited for the rkes to call off the marriage, but no one mentioned anything about it at all. Her marriage to Zachariah was getting closer by the day, and if she continued to do nothing, she would really have to marry a paralytic! Desperate, she made the first move. She told her parents she didn''t want to marry Zachariah anymore, but they said his paralysis was only temporary, and the Soulsbys were seeking doctors for him. They were hopeful the young man would walk again. Plus, if word got out that she called off the marriage as soon as ill fate befell Zachariah, it would cause a gravely damaging impact on her and the entire rke Family. However, she couldn''t ept such a justification. She knew they had forsaken her. What mattered to them was the marriage alliance and what it could bring for their family. As for her happiness, nobody cared about that. They wanted to sacrifice her happiness for the rke Family and the Soulsby Family''s interests. If no one was going to care about her fate, then she would take matters into her own hands. Hugo has liked her for a long time, but Zachariah was much more outstanding than him, and the Soulsbys were more influential than the Sanburnes. That was why she ended up agreeing to marry Zachariah in the first ce. That said, she also had feelings for Hugo. Thus, she didn''t reject him outright, only telling him the marriage alliance was her parent''s decision. She was the rke Family''s foster child, and she had an obligation to repay them for fostering her. Hence, she could only obey her parents'' arrangement. After Zachariah had met with an ident, resulting in his paralysis, Hugo sought her out again and tried to convince her to call off the marriage. To that, she wept and said her foster parents insisted that she marry Zachariah, noting that couldn''t call off the marriage at all. Hence, Hugo told her to run away with him. Only by running away with Hugo could she escape the rke Family''s control and absolve her fate to marry Zachariah. As such, she agreed to it. Sure, the Sanburnes weren''t as influential as the Soulsbys, but they were still affluent. What was more, Hugo was the direct descendent and the eldest of his generation in the Sanburne Family, and he was hot and suave. Though he was lesser than Zachariah before thetter got into a car crash, he was still an outstanding character among the younger generation. Though marrying Hugo was a little lesser than the marriage she imagined having, it wasn''t her fault Zachariah met with an ident, was it?! She had no choice but to make do either when fate came into y. She figured if she and Hugo ran away, did the irreversible, and waited until the tumult died down, she would be able to marry Hugo and be Mrs. Sanburne. However, who''d have thought the Sanburnes dered Hugo no longer a Sanburne soon after she and Hugo eloped? At the same time, all of Hugo''s bank and credit cards had been frozen, and just like that, the high- spending son of the affluent Sanburne Family became impoverished in a snap of a finger. From that day on, the two had been spending her money. Of course, all of her bank ounts had been frozen since the day she ran away. However, Peachlyn was prepared; she gathered a lot of cash and jewelry before leaving home. As the direct descendent and the eldest of his generation in his family, Hugo grew up loved and pampered. Naturally, he didn''t expect his family to cut ties with him when he and Peachlyn had just gone into hiding for a few days. Even more so, his parents wouldn''t give him a sliver of aid when he called them for help. Since he wasn''t prepared, he didn''t have anything valuable with him at hand. Thus, he became entirely broke when his bank ount was frozen. Now, away from Wingston with no resources, no connections, and no money, Hugo, the affluent son of the Sanburne Family, became an average Joe just like that. Sure, Peachlyn had taken a ton of money and valuable jewelry with her, but the two grew up living comfortably. With no ie and spending money like water, the cash she took with her ran out pretty quickly. The jewelry, on the other hand, was valuable when she bought them, but when she tried to sell them, they were heavily discounted. Still, she managed to sell a few of them. They were running out of cash, and she couldn''t bear to sell the remaining pieces of jewelry, for they were her favorites. The two could only look for jobs, but neither were people who could endure hardship. Those offering well-paid jobs found them underqualified, while they thought they were too good for poorly paid ones. Thus, the two remained jobless after surviving a month. As their money bottomed out, they couldn''t afford to livefortably anymore but only scrimp and save. They were living the worst days of their lives. However, that wasn''t the scariest part; the scariest part was that they didn''t know when days like this would end. Hell, their lives would be a living hell if they had to live like this for the rest of their lives! The notion finally scared them, and they were worried that their current situation would be permanent. Thus, they began deliberately exposing their whereabouts instead of staying hidden, hoping that their family would look for them and take them home. Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Just as they wished, they were found. Peachlyn was ted when she saw Jericho standing behind the door. Oh! He must be here to bring me home. Though she¡¯s the rkes'' foster child, her birth mother and foster mother were best friends, and the latter took her in after her birth mother''s death. While her foster mother might not have regarded her as her own, she still loved her regardless. What was more, her foster mother always said she would only be doing herte birth mother right by raising her well. She believed her foster mother would surely not sit idly by while she wandered in the streets, or how could her foster mother do right by herte birth mother?! Hence, she instantly assumed Jericho had come to take her home when she saw him. But lo and behold, Jericho said nothing while Mna yelled and gave her two solid ps the second they met. Instantly, she knew something was off. The rke siblings didn''t seem to show up to bring her back but to criticize her mercilessly. As panicked as she was, she felt even more aggrieved. Regard her as their own, they say. Yeah, right! Once a foster child, always a foster child! If the person marrying Zachariah was Mna, the rkes would''ve surely long called off the marriage. But because she was the one marrying him, none of the rkes were anxious about it, and no one would worry for her future even more so. All they had in mind was to sacrifice her happiness in exchange for the rkes and Soulsbys'' alliance! They were nothing but a group of selfish fools. Grievance overwhelmed her, and she held her face as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Save your breath, Mna." Jericho sounded disinterested. "What shame and integrity can you expect from her when she can elope with another man soon after her fianc¨¦ got into an ident?" "Jeric, you¡ª" Peachlyn covered her mouth and looked incredulously at Jericho, for she didn''t expect him to say that of her. Sure, Jericho never treated her as well as he treated Mna, but he still looked after her like a sweet older brother. But now, he was looking at her like she was a stranger, and it made her even more apprehensive. Is Jericho not here to take me home? If that really is the case, what am I going to do then?! "How can you say that about me, Jeric?!" She suppressed her fear and looked tearfully at Jericho. "I don''t want this either, but I don''t have any other choice¡ª" "You do," he retorted icily. "You could''ve rebelled, kicked up a fuss, and even gone on a hunger strike to express your unwillingness to marry Zachariah. As long as you were insistent, Mom and Dad would certainly change their mind and call off the marriage for you! Thest thing you should do is elope with Hugo, do our family wrong, and make us the joke of the town because of your actions." "That''s all just in your head!" Peachlyn wept at Jericho''s criticism. "You can say whatever you want now that it has already happened. But who''s to say what will go down when it hasn''t?!" Jericho could say whatever he wanted now. He could paint his parents as reasonable, understanding, and even saint-like. After all, there was no way of verifying the truth at this point. But if she didn''t run away with Hugo at the time, she might have been married to a paralytic Zachariah. Not only wouldn''t his parents do what Jericho described, but the rkes would only be wary of her as a result of her rebellion, bellyache, and hunger strike. They would ground her, and by then, she wouldn''t even have the chance to run away. Talk was cheap, and anyone could do it. If the rkes were really as nice as Jericho perceived them to be, they''d have long called off the marriage. Would she even need to elope with Hugo?! "If that''s how you want to think." At that, Jericho disclosed, "I haven''te to argue with you. I''m here under Grandpa''s order to retrieve the rke jade emblem." With that, he extended his hand. "Give me the emblem." "And the Soulsby Family''s betrothal gifts!" Mna interjected disdainfully. "You''re something; I''ll give you that. To think you''ll elope with another man with the Soulsbys'' betrothal gifts. Have you no shame?" Peachlyn''s face flushed bright red in response. She wasn''t shameless; she had no other choice. Because she was only the rkes'' foster daughter, she didn''t have much fortune to call her own. As the saying went, stay thrifty until you hit the road. Of course, she needed as much financial support as possible. Most of the Soulsbys'' betrothal gifts were with her foster mother, and she only had a few pieces of jewelry she fancied that were given to her. She hadn''t given it too much thought when she took all the jewelry with her before leaving. But who''d have thought the Soulsbys were so penny-pinching? They remembered all the gifts they gave and even requested Mna to ask for them. Fortunately, they were still in her bag. She still wasn''t willing to part with them, for the few pieces of jewelry were rare goodies. If she had sold them off, given how penny-pinching the Soulsbys were, they surely wouldn''t let her off the hook easily. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She knew she certainly wouldn''t be able to keep them any longer when Mna came as well. Thus, she didn''t make any useless struggles and went into her bedroom to fetch the jewelry. "I didn''t mean to take them. I was in a rush to leave then, and they were mixed in with my other jewelry. I forgot to pick them out," she said while handing them to Mna, who sneered as she took the jewelry, "Well, you''re a thoughtless one, aren''t you?! Do you not find your ex-fianc¨¦''s things haunting when you eloped with them with another man?" "I already said I''ve forgotten about them. I didn''t mean to!" Peachlyn huffed. "Mna, we''re sisters. Why must you always pick on me? Am I not already miserable enough? Why can''t you treat me nicer?" "It''s your fault you''re miserable. I have no interest in treating jack*sses nicely!" At that, Mna extended her hand at her. "Where''s the emblem? Stop wasting time and hand over the jade emblem. We need to head back soon! Thanks to you and your act of eloping, Grandpa has decided to kick you out of the family. From now on, we won''t ever have to see you again. This is probably the only good thing you''ve done aftering to our home!" "You can''t do this to me!" Peachlyn freaked out. "Mom swore to my mom she''d take good care of me before my mom passed." "Hasn''t she done enough after supporting you to this age? Don''t tell me you n on leeching on her forever," Mna denounced. "Stop wasting everyone''s time. You can''t change the fact that you''re no longer a rke, no matter what you say now! If you buck up and say you''re really happy now, that you don''t regret your decisions, I might actually think highly of you!" Peachlyn''s face turned ghastly pale as she felt as hopeless as falling into the abyss. She wanted to buck up as well. She wanted to live afortable life, one even better than Mna''s that thetter would be jealous of her, but the reality was that she was doing absolutely miserably! At that point, she only wanted to leave her sh*tty life. I just want to go back¡­ She''d ept it even if she were to marry Zachariah in the end after returning home. Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Yes, that''s right. Even marrying Zachariah beats living like this! As Peachlyn grew up coddled, she had zero survival skills. In fact, she couldn''t even stand the misery of having to support herself for the rest of her life. However, marrying Zachariah¡­ If she was lucky, the Soulsbys might actually be able to find a doctor to cure Zachariah. But even if they couldn''t, given the Soulsbys'' fortunes, they wouldn''t do her wrong either. At least she could return to a life of living in a mansion, sitting in a luxury car, and having someone attend to her. Right, that''s it. I should''ve chosen to go home with Jericho, marry Zachariah, and be Mrs. Soulsby! She had no other options other than that now. At that, she took a deep breath and turned to Jericho. "Jeric, I''ve thought it through. I''m willing to go back with you and marry Zachariah!" Her words amused Mna, and she retorted, "You must be joining, Peachlyn! What do you make of the Soulsbys? A dumpster?! Who do you think you are to still marry Zachariah when you''ve already eloped with another man?!" Peachlyn''s face flushed crimson. "This is between Zachariah and me. Who are you to meddle in this?! Zachariah likes me. He''ll definitely be willing to marry me." "Huh," Mna sneered. "I have to say, think too highly of yourself. Zachariah said the only reason he likes you is that he thought you were the girl who saved him in the past. But since the day you eloped with Hugo, he knows you''re not that girl because she''s kind and smart and wouldn''t be dumb and selfish like you. So, he''s all merry when he can call off the marriage with you since you''re not the girl who saved him." "No¡­ Impossible¡­ You''re lying!" Peachlyn shook her head in disbelief, her face ghastly pale. "Zachariah likes me. It was love at first sight for him. I''ve only left Wingston with Hugo out of impulse. There''s nothing between Hugo and me. Nothing ever happened. I''ll exin it all to Zachariah. He''ll definitely understand!" "Oh? Exin it to him, then. I''ll have you give up." Mna dialed Zachariah''s number and put the call on speaker. "Zachariah, we''ve found Peachlyn. You won''t believe what she told us. She said she regretted her decision and wants to marry you now. So, I told her you don''t like her anymore, but she didn''t believe it. Why don''t you tell her yourself?" It was quite a while before the silence broke, and a deep, maic voice came from the other end of the line. "Peachlyn, hand the betrothal gifts to Mna and Jericho. After they return with them, we''ll be squared. I don''t want to see you ever again." "No, Zachariah, let me exin!" Peachlyn yelped in panic. "It''s because I fear getting married that I fled with Hugo on a whim, Zachariah. There''s nothing between Hugo and me. Nothing ever happened between the two of us. It''s only after I left you that I realized the person I love is you. I¡ª" N?velDrama.Org content rights. "Enough!" Zachariah sneered. "Peachlyn Lewis, don''t take everyone for fools. You and I both know what it actually is. No matter how you put it, it''s a fact that everyone saw you eloping with Hugo. We''ve be foes from the second you left with him. All I have for you now is contempt and aversion. I''d rather stay single forever than marry a woman like you. So, don''t disgust me with your IQ-insulting words! Mna!" "Right here, Zach," Mna answered crisply. "Help me retrieve my family''s betrothal gifts, will you?" requested Zachariah. "I don''t want to see Peachlyn ever again, nor do I want to hear her voice. Don''t let her disturb me ever again!" "Alright, got it." Mna acknowledged. "You get some rest. I assure you I won''t let her bother you again." After ending the call, the young woman looked at Peachlyn. "So? You heard him. Zach said he''d rather stay single forever than marry a woman like you! C''mon, chop-chop. Hand over the jade emblem. Keep at this, and I''ll call the police! Each emblem is worth a fortune, and you''re practically a goner if I sue you for theft. I''m sure you don''t want to spend the rest of your life behind bars, do you?" "What are you smoking?!" Peachlyn retorted with a pale face. "The jade emblem''s mine. My name is carved on it. What makes you think you can sue me for theft?!" "You''ve been kicked out of my family, that''s what! Since you''re no longer a rke, you should return the jade emblem that signifies a rke family member. If it''s not theft for you to take away what you should''ve returned, then what is it? Illegal possession?" At that, she snorted disdainfully. "Whatever it is, once it''s convicted, you''ll be getting more than you bargained for. Are you sure you want to take this to court with us?" Peachlyn shuddered as fear and anger overwhelmed her, for she hadn''t expected the rkes to be so ruthless. She had never been on good terms with Mna, who would most certainly make things worse for her when she was down now. Thus, she knew it''d be no use talking to Mna. At that, she turned to Jericho and pleaded with teary eyes, pleading, "Jeric, I''ve learned my lesson. I just made a wrong impulsive decision. Mom and Dad will definitely forgive me¡­ Jeric, take me home, please. I promise to listen to Mom and Dad. I will do whatever Mom and Dad say." "Toote," Jericho uttered inly. "Not every mistake gets a second chance. At least, not for eloping. Because of you, the rke Family suffered a significant loss in reputation and gain. Our family has no ce for a young girl who''d elope. Mom and Dad won''t forgive you, and neither will I. You can''t go back anymore.¡± At that, he extended his hand toward Peachlyn again. "Return us the jade emblem and live a good life with Hugo. Since he''s your choice, then it''s on you to decide what your life bes." "No, you guys can''t do this to me!" Peachlyn wailed. "How can you guys do this to me?! I''ve merely made an unintentional mistake. Why can''t you guys forgive me?! Will you guys do this to Mna, too, if she was the one who eloped with Hugo?! You guys keep telling me you adore me and want the best for me, but they''re nothing but lies! I''m never as good as Mna to you guys!" "You''re right," Jericho affirmed inly. "You really are never as good as Mna to me. Mna''s my blood sister, but you''re not. You''re just a foster child my family has taken in. You and I have no blood rtion at all. What''s more, Mna''s smarter, more sensible, and more pious than you. I''d naturally treat her far better than I treat you." "Jeric¡­" Mna cooed affectionately as she wrapped her arms around Jericho''s. If anything, Mna had always found Peachlyn''s behavior enigmatic. The girl was just a pauper, yet she acted like a princess, loving topete for her family''s affection and wanting to be the only girl her family loved. Fortunately, her parents and brother hadn''t been blinded. The one they loved and pampered all this time was her¡ªtheir blood daughter and sister. Mom, Dad, and Jericho are the best! Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Peachlyn parted her lips but couldn''t utter a word, not expecting the harsh rejection. Suddenly, an epiphany struck her¡ªshe had been living in delusion nearly her whole life. She had always had an issue with how the rkes treated Mna much better than how they treated her though they were both their daughters. Thus, she would constantlypare herself with Mna. She believed Mna and her should be treated equally. In fact, she hoped that the rkes would treat her much better than they treated Mna. But s, it never happened despite all the efforts she had made over the years. No matter how much she tried to please her parents and Jericho, the one they loved ultimately was still Mna. She could never sit with it in the past, but after hearing Jericho''s words, she was suddenly enlightened. Mna was a rke¡ªher parents'' progeny and Jericho''s sibling. She, on the other hand, was a Lewis; she was just the rkes'' foster child, a friend''s daughter her foster mother had taken in out of pity. She and Mna''s springboard was already different in the first ce, so no matter how hard she tried, she would never be as important as Mna to the rkes. Ironically, she could never ept the fact, always persistently trying and hoping that one day, the rkes would finally think she was much better than Mna and that she would overthrow Mna in bing the rkes'' favorite. s, it was only at this moment that she realized it was nothing but a naive, ridiculous pipe dream. Just because the rkes'' blood didn''t run in her veins, they would never like her more than their kind, no matter what she did, and once she made a mistake, they would unhesitatingly chuck her out like trash. It was only then she realized she was as good as done for. The rkes had disowned her, and Zachariah wouldn''t marry her anymore. She couldn''t return to the rkes nor marry into the Soulsby Family either. She was now an outcast through and through, having no other choice but to live the rest of her life in hardship as she wandered on the streets with Hugo. Fear and panic overwhelmed her as the notion struck her head. What should I do?! She had grown up spoiled, and since she could remember, she knew she would marry into a rich family when she grew up. However, it was all in the past, for she was now a pauper who couldn''t go back to her wealthy family or marry a rich man. From then on, she could only work arduously like all the children of the poor she ridiculed in the past to support herself. She''d have to spend her days working her a*s off and yet dare not overspend on daily necessities, let alone splurge on luxury goods. How has ite to this?! This shouldn''t be my life! I don''t want to be a hobo! I don''t want to live a hard life! Freaked out, she threw herself at Jericho and bawled, "I''ve learned my lesson, Jeric, I really have! Please take me home. I won''t do it ever again. I''ll be good from now on. I''ll do everything you guys say. I''ll marry whomever you guys want me to! I''ll really do it!" Jericho frowned with annoyance in response. "The damaging effect you''ve caused us is irreversible, so we will never wee you back just to have people ridicule us for having a daughter who eloped ever again. You should stop dreaming. Going back with us is no longer an option. Now, hand over the jade emblem." "No! Please, don''t!" Peachlyn shook her head like a rattle. The jade emblem signified her station in the rke Family, and if she gave it back to Jericho, she was no longer a rke for good. She would really lose everything if she was no longer a rke, and she didn''t want that. However, Jericho was done wasting time with her. "Search the ce," he ordered the bodyguards behind him, who obliged and barged into the unit. "What are you doing? Stop right there!" Peachlyn wanted to stop them, but how could a defenseless woman like her do anything to a few burly men?! They shoved her aside at that and headed to the bedroom behind her. Peachlyn and Hugo had rented a pretty shabby two-bedroom apartment. The four bodyguards split into pairs to search each bedroom and found one empty but the other upied. The pair that searched the upied bedroom had assumed Peachlyn was the only one in the apartment the whole time and thus were stumped when they barged in, only to find a man sitting silently by the bed. N?velDrama.Org ? content. They recognized him in no time. However, one ignored him and searched the room immediately like he wasn''t there, while the other went to the main door and reported, "Mr. Jericho, Mr. Hugo Sanburne is inside." The news stumped Peachlyn and her originally nched face turned crimson in response. Hugo''s in his room?! Hasn''t he gone out to look for a job? No way he''s in his room! Won''t that mean he heard my pleas to Jericho?! She felt absolutely mortified at the thought of what she had said to Jericho. Though Hugo was penniless now, he had still treated her well this past month. As he thought he had wronged her, he tried his best to cater to her, give her whatever goodies he had, and even patiently coaxed her. She knew Hugo''s feelings for her were genuine, but they couldn''t survive solely on it, could they?! Now that the Sanburnes had kicked Hugo out of their family and even froze his bank ount, he was now a legit pauper. So, her days were still insufferable even if he gave her the best he could provide. Of course, she''d start developing feelings for Hugo when he treated her so nicely. Thus, she didn''t want him to know what she had said to Jericho. She had only said so much to Jericho so boldly because, the whole time, she assumed Hugo had gone out to look for a job. If she had known he was in his room, she''d still beg Jericho to take her home, only to be softer in her approach. Having been discovered, Hugo got up wordlessly and made his way to the living room. On the other hand, Jericho stared icily at him and had nothing to say to him either. Hugo hadn''t abducted Peachlyn; she eloped with him willingly. Sure, Hugo was at fault as well, but the Sanburnes would punish him themselves, and Jericho couldn''t be bothered to lecture him for them. Meanwhile, Hugo went up to Jericho and apologized, "I''m sorry¡­" "It''s not me you should say it to but your parents," Jericho said inly. "Because of you, your father lost his right of session and can''t hold his head up in front of his friends and rtives. Your mother, on the other hand, fell seriously ill and is still bedridden to this day. I feel truly bad for them." Huh, they might be better off raising a dog than raising a son like you. Hugo clenched his fists tightly, face bright red as his heart twinged. Oh, how he hated this day. Peachlyn had always acted like a sweet, benign girl in front of him, so he believed she was innocent and wonderful. But after hearing all that she had said when he was hiding in his bedroom, he finally realized she was nothing but an ungrateful, selfish woman. s, I was f*cking wrong! Yet, everything was toote for poor Hugo. Chapter 482 Chapter 482 "Sir, I found it." The bodyguard took out a jade emblem from Peachlyn''s bedroom. Enraged, she threw herself on the bodyguard while shrieking, "That''s mine! Give it back to me!" The bodyguard swiftly avoided her and walked up to Jericho to hand the jade emblem to him. "Jeric, please. I know I was wrong; I really do¡­" Peachlyn rushed to him as she bitterly cried. However, Jericho ignored her and said to Mna, "Let''s go." "Aye." Mna looked cheerful. Now that we''ve taken back the jade emblem, Peachlyn will have nothing to do with our family anymore. I won''t ever have to see that hypocrite''s face again! While Mna was her parents'' biological daughter, Peachlyn was but an adoptee of their family. She thought that Peachlyn should be grateful that their family had raised her. Instead, not only was Peachlyn ungrateful, but she kept trying topete with her! But she had nothing she couldpete with Mna. Mna was the only girl in their family at first, but they soon had to raise another child because of Peachlyn''s existence. She hadn''t evenined about it, but it worsened when Peachlyn constantly went against her. It irked Mna how Peachlyn would always look at her with an aggrieved gaze as if she had bullied her. It all worked out fine now considering that Peachlyn was kicked out of the house. Mna wouldn''t ever have to see that annoying face anymore. This is fantastic! As Mna happily hopped off with Jericho beside her, Peachlyn tried to go after them, only to be stopped by the rke Family''s bodyguards. The muscles only left after the rke siblings rode off in a car. Jericho was already gone by the time Peachlyn went outside. Distraught, she stumbled back to the apartment where she and Hugo lived. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Her suitcase and backpack were by the door of the unit when she arrived. Her heart further dropped when she was hit by realization, and she hurried over to knock on the door. The door remained shut even after a long minute had passed, but Hugo did pull open the small venttion window on the door from inside eventually. He then peered at her with cold eyes through the barbed wire on the window. "What are you doing, Hugo?" She suppressed her panic and forced a smile. "I didn''t bring my keys, Hugo. Open the door for me, will you?" However, the man continued to look at her without an ounce of emotion in his eyes. "I rented this unit. It is my name that is written on the rental agreement. Didn''t you want to marry Zachariah? Go ahead. I don''t want to see your face again." He felt as though his heart was being stabbed with a knife when he overheard what Peachlyn said to Jericho while he hid in the bedroom. He had sacrificed too much to elope with Peachlyn. The Sanburnes were not as powerful as the Soulsbys or the rkes. The moment he decided to elope with Zachariah''s fianc¨¦e, his grandfather announced the separation of their family from the Sanburne Family out of worry that the Soulsbys would retaliate against them. Hugo''s father was the eldest son of his grandfather, and he was supposed to be the heir of the Sanburne Family. However, he lost his chances because Hugo eloped with Peachlyn. After his bank ount was frozen, he called his mother on the quiet and asked for money. His mother had cried and scolded him on the phone about how he was unfilial and ck-hearted, and that she had never had a son like him. He could tell how heartbroken his mother was, and that was when he started having regrets. He thought that he had acted thoughtlessly. For the sake of love, he caused his father to lose his status as the heir and his mother to go through such heartache. But his regret then was only a tiny crumb. He thought that true love was never wrong. The Soulsbys and rkes were powerful. If he didn''t elope with Peachlyn, she would have no choice but to marry the crippled Zachariah. The rest of Peachlyn''s life would be ruined then. He chose to save her life and his love. Even though he was sorry for his parents, he had to make such a decision to save her. But when he heard what Peachlyn said to Jericho, his whole world copsed. He had contributed and sacrificed so much, only to hear her begging and crying to Jericho about how she had made a mistake, and she wanted to go back with Jericho to marry Zachariah. His heart hadpletely shattered then. This was the love he got in return for sacrificing his father''s position and hurting his mother. They weren''t even bankrupt and still had some money left, but Peachlyn had already betrayed him. He couldn''t help thinking how he must have been blind to fall for a woman like her. It was for her that he had broken his parents'' hearts. He didn''t need a woman like her. When Peachlyn hurried after Jericho, Hugo had gone to her bedroom and stuffed her belongings into a suitcase before tossing it outside. He then said the same thing as the rke siblings did. "Take your things and get out of here. I don''t ever want to see you again." "What are you doing, Hugo?" Peachlyn knocked on the door anxiously. "Hugo, please, open the door! Let''s talk it out!" Now that she had lost the protection of the Soulsbys and the rkes, she couldn''t afford to lose Hugo as well. It was too dangerous and difficult for a single woman to live outside. She couldn''t leave Hugo until she found the next person who could protect her. Moreover, even though he was down and out now, what if his parents forgave him someday? After all, everybody''s hearts were connected with their parents. As long as Hugo could return to the Sanburne Family, she could live a happy life with him. "I have nothing to say to you," he sneered in reply. "Didn''t you change your mind and decide to marry Zachariah Soulsby? Go ahead and get married to him then! I don''t want to see you again!" "Please don''t do this, Hugo. Hear me out!" As Peachlyn blurted out her exnation, she racked her brain, but still couldn''t think of a reason to convince him. She had only said those words to Jericho because she thought Hugo wasn''t home. She had been too straightforward. Unless Hugo loved her to the point of not caring about anything she did, it would be difficult for her to persuade him to ept her again. Distressed, she couldn''t help but cry again. How could she have put herself in this situation? She had lost the whole game because of one wrong move she made. Not only did she fail to go back to the rke Residence with Jericho, but she also lost Hugo who had always been devoted to her. Hugo had never been more clear-headed than now, and he refused to listen to her exnation. Bam! He closed the window with a m and never opened the door or window again no matter how much she cried and begged outside. She continued to stay outside the door untilte at night, yet zero movements could be heard in the unit. Hungry and sleepy, she had no choice but to drag her luggage with her and leave. By the time she came back for Hugo the next day, the apartment had already been cleared out. She didn''t know where he went to, but the man had definitely left Wendel City. She couldn''t do anything but falter to the floor and sob with her palms over her face. Nothing. She had nothing left. Absolutely nothing. She had never felt such strong regret before today. But now, it was toote. She had no way to redeem herself. While she cried, Madeline received Jericho''smission fee, which perfectly exined what it meant for some to be more fortunate than others. Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Jericho had transferred her a staggering 500,000. The sum probably included money for her cousin''s dignity''s sake. Also, a man of Jericho''s status would feel ashamed if he gave too little. Madeline thought about it before she eventually transferred 300,000 back to Jericho, while she kept 200,000. She would feel like a scammer, epting 500,000 for such an easy job. But soon, Jericho transferred the 300,000 back to her again and said that the money was no problem for him as long as she kept what happened a secret. Hearing that, she immediately assured him that she would keep the secret. With that, she understood that the 500,000 included hush money. She could definitely do the money''s worth. And so, she took 350,000 while transferring the rest to Martin. Although Martin was her most beloved younger brother, she gave him the samemission as other employees of the firm. After all, nothing could be aplished without norms or standards. Instead of epting the 150,000, Martin gave her a call. "Madeline," he started, "I''m not taking the money. You should take it as your dowry." "It''s alright. You''ve already given a lot." Her silly brother bought her a set of sky-high-priced diamond jewelry at an auction. She had a feeling he had borrowed money from others to do so because he wouldn''t necessarily have enough even if he were to spend all his savings. "Be good," she coaxed in a gentle voice. "I worry when you don''t have money. Just take it." "But I have money," Martin replied. "I saw Sebastian two days ago, and when I called him my brother- inw, he transferred me a lot of money. Pocket money, he said." When Madeline didn''t reply, Martin continued, "I told him I have money, and he didn''t have to give me any. But he insisted it is pocket money he gives his juniors. He told me that I would no longer be his younger brother if I didn''t ept it, so I had no choice but to take the money." ¡­ Is this what it means to be rich and willful? Madeline couldn''t help thinking after hearing that. As though the 150,000 was a hot potato, Martin refused it no matter how she persuaded him. He stubbornly told her to add the amount to her dowry before he added usibly, "Madeline, I''m young and poor now. The only thing I can do is contribute a little to your dowry. By the time I have more money, you''re already married, and I won''t be able to give you my part of your dowry anymore. I am sure I will regret it then. Let me lessen my regret by adding a portion to your dowry now." She said nothing other than insisting on not taking back the money, but that only made Martin anxious. Left with no choice, she could only ept it while thinking about saving the money for the time he had his wedding. Not only would she save it for him, but she also wanted to add more money she made herself so that she could buy a lot of real estate for him when he got married. She wanted him to have a grand wedding and be a financially stable and wealthy man with hundreds of millions that wouldst a lifetime! Nothing else happened after Jericho''s matter was settled. Time passed briskly by, and finally, it was Madeline and Sebastian''s wedding day. At 4:00AM, Madeline was woken up from her sleep by Crystal to have her breakfast. While she had ravioli that Crystal made, the bridesmaids had sweet oatmeal. The actual amount of ravioli she ate was based on her age. It took her more than ten of that thumb-sized pasta for her to feel full. She couldn''t bring herself to have more ravioli in one sitting as she had no appetite from waking up so early in the morning, but her mother was staring at her from the side. She said that Madeline had to follow the custom and eat ording to her age. No more, no less. As Madeline reluctantly chewed, she couldn''t help sympathizing with women who only got married in their thirties or forties. Those brides might find it difficult to squeeze into a tighter wedding dress if they had to eat so much ravioli! The breakfast for the bridesmaids was also made by Crystal herself. The sticky sweet oatmeal was filled with dried figs, nuts, blueberries, seeds, and various kinds of grains. There were more than eight ingredients in total. And as for Madeline''s bridesmaids, they were Leigh, Leah, Caitlin, and her younger cousin from her father''s side, M Wendel. This cousin of hers was from a branch of the Wendel Family. Although her family was only a branch family, her father and uncle both worked in the system, and their positions were fairly high. And because Madeline''s elder brother and older cousin were also very promising, Madeline''s father, uncle, and the rest of the family had a tight rtionship. For that reason, Madeline''s parents saved thest bridesmaid spot for M. M was only a twenty-year-old college student this year. She wasn''t tall, but she was as gorgeous as a Barbie doll with her big, glittery eyes, wavy hair, tall nose, and fair skin. As she was the only daughter in her family, she was rumored to have lived a life with nothing but the best for her. Despite that, she wasn''t spoiled at all. In fact, she was a lovely girl whom everyone liked. It didn''t take long for her to mingle and get along with the rest of the bridesmaids. The four bridesmaids wore green knee-length skirts made of gauze that was light and elegant. Three of them were fine as they had worn knee-length skirts with V-necks before, but Leigh, who had never worn a dress, felt ufortable from head to toe. She only liked to wear simple andfortable clothes. In her eyes, skirts were ufortable and cumbersome clothes. She had only worn skirts when she was a child and had never touched them anymore after she grew up. However, not only was she in a dress today, but the makeup stylist had given her a hairstyle that was beyond recognition. For someone who wore her hair short and straight, she had never styled or decorated her hair. But today, the makeup artist stuck a crystal hairpin in her hair, and even put a flower beside the hairpin! After taking a good look in the mirror, she asked Madeline, "Who is this dumb-looking broad in the mirror?" Madelineughed so hard she couldn''t straighten up as soon as she heard that. Leah and Caitlin were also smiling when Leigh made a move to tear the flower out of her hair. "Don''t move!" Leah grabbed Leigh''s hand in ce. "The makeup artist worked so hard to style you up. You have to respect the fruits of herbor." "Exactly. You look nice. It won''t match the dress if you remove the flower," Caitlin supported. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "I agree," M chipped in. "Look, Leigh. Caitlin, Leah, and I all have a flower on our heads. It''ll look weird if you''re the odd one out." Madeline smiled. "That is that. You look pretty! Really!" Hearing that, Leigh looked at the mirror again. "Geez, this sure feels awkward," she muttered. "You''ll get used to it," Madeline replied. Leigh poked her in her temple. "Why do I have to sacrifice so much when you''re the one getting married?" she huffed. "Nonsense. This isn''t a sacrifice." Madeline smilingly leaned in and whispered, "Lucas is one of the groomsmen! Imagine how he will react when he sees you in this getup." Leigh only peered at her as shebed out her hair which she messed up a little from all her grabbing. "I think, he will like me no matter what I look like." "... I just don''t understand how you grew up to be so thick-skinned when you eat the same thing as everyone else." Chapter 484 Chapter 484 "How can this be called thick-skinned?" Leigh boasted, "This is self-confidence!" Madeline couldn''t say anything in reply when she realized how it made sense. After all the preparations were done, they were left waiting for the auspicious time. Sounds of electronic firecrackers crackling could be heard from outside the window when the time was close. As fireworks and firecrackers were banned in Wendel City, they had to rece them with electronic firecrackers. However, the electronic firecrackers were so lifelike that one wouldn''t be able to tell them apart from the real thing if they only heard them. Madeline didn''t know how many electronic firecrackers the Wendels had prepared, but the sound outside was deafening. Being the bubbly one, M was the first to hop to the window to look outside. She looked on for a while before turning her head excitedly to Madeline. "They''re here! They''re here!" she eximed. "I see the groom and groomsmen! They''re so handsome!" After pausing for a moment, she rushed to the door like a gust of wind and locked it. "We almost forgot to lock the door. They have to give us an entrance fee before we can let them in!" "Entrance fee?" Leigh scoffed. "Sebastian is rich enough to not care about a few pennies. He can even afford to give all of us diamonds!" Madeline was rendered speechless at that. Dr. Leigh Shefford, do you still remember that he is your master? Leigh had obviously forgotten. She was only excited about watching the fun now. Footsteps could soon be heard outside the bedroom door before someone knocked on it. "Hello, hello, lovelydies. Our brother is here for his bride. We will be eternally grateful if you would open the door for us!" At that, M cleared her throat and instructed, "This is our territory! You have to pay an entrance fee if you want to enter the door!" She started giggling by herself before the men outside said anything in reply. Resigned, Madeline let her do as she pleased. It did seem fun this way. The men, who hade prepared, quickly stuffed one red envelope with money after another through the cracks of the door. After M and Leigh shared the dozens of red envelopes, they cheered, "We will find a boyfriend who is as amazing as our dear brother-inw someday if we bask in Madeline''s good luck now!!" The voice outside the door rang out again. "Lady, the entrance fee has been paid, so open the door for us!" "No can do!" M replied again. "You have to answer our questions!" She had a task that Madeline''s mother had entrusted her today. Aunt Crystal told me to make things as difficult as I possibly can for the groom who wants to take Madeline with him, she thought firmly. And since Madeline''s mother didn''t know Leigh and the rest of the bridesmaids, she had entrusted the honor and responsibility to M. I''ll have to make things difficult for the groom before I open the door and let him take Madeline. Knowing how the custom worked, the groomsmen outside the door went along with her. "Sure, ask away." "The questions are not for you bunch; they''re for the groom!" M asked, "Say, Mr. Groom, will you or Miss Bride be the master of the house after you bring her home with you?" The groomsmen outside the door all looked at Sebastian with teasing looks in their eyes. "Maddie will," he easily replied. He didn''t have the least bit of pridefulness of a man. "Really?" a suspicious M responded. She had never met the man before, but she had heard enough about his background from her father and uncle to get the impression that he was a mysterious and noble man. Would a man like Sebastian be obedient to his wife after getting married? M highly doubted that. "There''s no need to wait until marriage. I listen to Maddie even now." Sebastian continued to answer with zero hesitation. "You can ask Maddie if you don''t believe me." M then turned around and asked Madeline, "Madeline, is what the groom said true?" Madeline couldn''t help feeling shy about it. After she recalled her memories with her cheeks flushed, she nodded. "Yes, he''s right. He¡­ treats me well." Madeline wouldn''t have thought about it if M hadn''t brought it up. From the moment she and Sebastian got acquainted, the man would always obey her without refuting no matter what she said. Of course, one of the main reasons he was able to do that was because she was a reasonable person who would nevere up with unreasonable demands. But no matter what, from the time she met Sebastian until the present, he had always been obedient to her, and would carefully take care of her, never letting her have a bad time. The thought of it warmed her heart greatly. Seeing the gentle and happy smile in her eyes, M knew that the groom had told the truth. She could only gaze at Madeline with envious eyes as shemended her for being amazing enough to make an enigma like Sebastian listen to her. Is this what it means to tame a lion? Madeline is awesome! Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. My idol! She continued to gawk at Madeline with starry eyes for a long minute before remembering she had a task, and so she eventually resumed with her questions. "Now is the second question for the groom. Women can be somewhat delicate and stubborn at times, and we''re driven by emotions. What will the groom do if Madeline does something wrong after the wedding?" "I know the answer!" The outside of the room became rowdy again when the groomsmen intercepted. "The standard answer is that wives can do no wrong! If the wife has done a mistake, it must be the husband''s fault for doing something that led to the wife''s mistake!" The men started to chortle after answering. "Shush!" M knocked on the door. "The question is for the groom, not the groomsmen!" Andrew''sugh could be hearding from outside then. "You''re asking questions on the bride''s behalf, and we''re answering on the groom''s behalf! Is there anything wrong with that?" The rest of the groomsmen echoed, "Not at all!" Seeing how childlike the men were for ying along with a young woman, M didn''t know whether to get mad orugh about it. She soon tapped the door a few times again and put a stern expression on her face. "Keep it up and I won''t open the door!" She had a special privilege today. And she definitely wasn''t the one in a rush! The groomsmen''sughter immediately died down before Andrew''s cough rang out. "Of course," he added in a solemn voice, "our attitude doesn''t necessarily represent the groom''s attitude as well. This question calls for the groom''s answer!" He then turned to look at Sebastian, seemingly telling him to work hard for his happiness. Smiling, Sebastian gently started, "Maddie is a smart and sensible woman. It might have been because of the ups and downs she experienced in her childhood that she has grown up rather wronging herself than others. But it is exactly because she is too sensible that my heart aches for her. I sometimes hope that she can be like what you said: a little more delicate, stubborn, and emotional. I wished she wouldn''t restrain herself so much. She is always lenient to others but harsh on herself." Holding a bouquet in his arms, he stood up straight, and his rxed voice sounded so sweet on the ears. "I hope she can live a more free and easy life in the future. She can cry when she wants and