《The Barrister's Love in Town》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 She¡¯s Pregnant, so Let¡¯s Get a Divorce At the Winters Residence. ¡°Elias, when are youing home? I have something to tell you.¡± A sweet smile appeared on Amanda Bailey¡¯s face while she looked at the two lines on the pregnancy test. The male voice on the other end of the call replied, ¡°I¡¯m already home. In the living room.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll be right down.¡± She hung up the call and rushed out of the room with the pregnancy test strip in hand, eager to tell the man the good news. She sprinted down the stairs but suddenly remembered her pregnancy and slowed down. Clutching the test strip in her hand, she wondered what Elias Winters¡¯ reaction would be once he heard the news. Yet, when Amanda was halfway down the stairs, she saw two figures in the living room¡ªElias and a sexy woman. Slowing down her steps, she held the handrail tightly and felt her heart sink. That was because she saw her husband and the woman behaving affectionately as though they were a smitten couple. The smile on Amanda¡¯s face froze, and her thoughts were a mess. Both her legs felt heavy as she slowly made her way down the stairs. ¡°Elias¡ª¡± As she finally made her way to the living room, she called him but was coldly interrupted. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, so let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± Amanda stayed silent. The way he spoke was so straightforward and impatient, as though he had been eagerly waiting to break the news. That woman affectionately hugged his arm and smiled. ¡°Mrs. Winters, I¡¯m sorry to tell you, but it¡¯s time you make room for me.¡± With her eyes fixed on the woman¡¯s hand, Amanda felt like her heart was being ripped apart. Her eyes gradually dimmed, and she began welling with tears. She clutched the pregnancy test and proffered it to him. ¡°What about our child? How could you be so heartless?¡± After ncing coldly at the pregnancy test with two lines, Elias snorted. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re pregnant. I¡¯ve never slept with you, so don¡¯t think you can fool me with this.¡± In reality, he would not have agreed to marry Amanda if his grandfather had not been seriously ill and threatened Elias with his life. However, who knew Howard Winters would miraculously recover right after Elias and Amanda married? There were times when Elias would suspect Amanda and Howard had been in a ploy to force him into marriage. His words shocked his wife, who retorted with wide eyes, ¡°You did sleep with me! During thepany¡¯s celebratory dinner, you were drunk¡ª¡± ¡°That celebratory dinner was held abroad, and you weren¡¯t with me. How could I have slept with you? Let¡¯s make things easy for us. You know I detest clingy women the most.¡± The man was merciless, and his eyes med with a slight impatience. ¡°I¡­¡± She wanted to exin she had gone to the celebratory dinner and cared for him while he was drunk. One thing led to another, and they slept together, impregnating her without knowing. However, his indifference prompted her to keep those words to herself. Wow. I give up. Forget it. What¡¯s there to say to a sc*mbag who abandons his wife and child? ¡°Mrs. Winters, just agree to the divorce. Elias doesn¡¯t love you, so there¡¯s no meaning in prolonging this matter.¡± That woman daintily leaned onto his shoulder and grinned like a winner announcing her victory. Drawing a deep breath, Amanda held back the pain in her heart and gazed at the man before her. ¡°Let¡¯s get a divorce, then. You can pick whenever you want to go through the procedure. I¡¯m always free.¡± Once she finished, she left the vi without looking back. Tears fell the second she turned around, not wanting to let the man see her crying again. Meanwhile, surprise shed across Elias¡¯ handsome face as he was not expecting her to agree so quickly. He wondered if she had always been this easily provoked. At first, he thought she would be ovee by greed and refused to discard her position as his wife because she was broke when she married him. ¡°Hurray! Elias, your wife agreed to the divorce! So, when will you marry me?¡± the woman asked with anticipation. Flinging her arm away, Elias nced at her with disdainful eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t marry you even if you¡¯re thest woman on Earth.¡± The woman was dumbfounded, unable to ept his sudden change in attitude. ¡°Elias¡­ How could you say that? I¡¯m pregnant with your child, and I¡ª¡± ¡°The hell you are! Don¡¯t you know whose child you¡¯re bearing? Get out!¡± he roared at the woman before storming up the stairs. How could he let such a woman get pregnant with his child? What a joke. ¡­ After leaving the vi, Amanda headed straight to the hospital and underwent a series of checkups to prepare for her abortion. ¡°Miss Bailey, you¡¯re already seven weeks in. The baby is attached to your womb and has a heartbeat. Are you sure you want to abort it?¡± While looking at her abdomen, she caressed it and thought, Baby, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t bring you into this world. Then, she nodded determinedly. ¡°Yes, please schedule the surgery for me. The faster, the better.¡± Coldly, the doctor administered a surgery form. Since people wereing in every day to get an abortion, the doctor was used to it and did not find it strange. ¡°Come back tomorrow for your procedure. Remember to fast.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Amanda then took the receipt and left the doctor¡¯s office. Right after she left, she received a call from Howard. After a brief hesitation, she answered the call. ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Amanda,e over for dinner tonight. I asked the kitchen staff to prepare your favorite food, and Elias would be joining as well.¡± As Howard was aware of the couple¡¯s distant rtionship, he deliberately created a chance for them to be together. She was about to refuse, saying, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m busy this evening¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. I don¡¯t care what you have to do. Both of you must apany me for dinner tonight, and that¡¯s final.¡± Once he finished, he immediately hung up without letting Amanda reply, leaving her in a daze while staring at her phone. The couple would not have gotten married had it not been for Howard¡¯s insistence. Even then, she had no idea why he was so determined for them to get married. ¡­ That evening, night fell, enveloping the entire city in a bustling dark shadow. When Amanda arrived at the Winters Manor, she took onest look at the building, afraid it would be herst chance. The butler, Rn Keen, immediately noticed her arrival and approached her with joy. ¡°Mrs. Winters, you¡¯re finally here. Old Mr. Winters has been waiting for you.¡± ¡°Mr. Keen, sorry I¡¯mte.¡± She gave him a listless smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. All that matters is you¡¯re back. Old Mr. Winters was afraid you won¡¯t being.¡± Amanda strode into the dining room and saw Elias had arrived but did not spare her a nce. Only Howard rose to his feet and weed her. ¡°Amanda, take a seat. The food¡¯s getting cold.¡± She went over, intending to sit beside Howard, but he forcefully pushed her onto the seat beside Elias. ¡°You married couple should sit together. Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡± At the sight of them seated together, he finally smiled in satisfaction. On the other hand, Elias remained focused on eating, unwilling to look at her.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 I Find Them Dirty Amanda sat beside Elias, feeling no sense of happiness like she used to. When she recalled the woman he brought home that morning, she could not help but gag. The words he said remained ringing in her ears¡­ ¡®She¡¯s pregnant, so let¡¯s get a divorce.¡¯ Screw this. I¡¯ve lost my appetite. Howard piped up, ¡°Elias, you guys have been registered for a year. When are you going to give Amanda a ceremony? It¡¯s unfair to her.¡± She stayed quiet while Elias half-heartedly replied, ¡°Not now.¡± Once they were divorced, a wedding ceremony would be redundant. Howard¡¯s smile instantly disappeared as he snorted. ¡°Not now? How long are you going to wait? When will I get a great-grandchild?¡± This time, Amanda looked up and smiled before Elias could say anything. ¡°Grandpa, your great-grandchild will be coming soon.¡± Elias tensed up and looked at the woman beside him with a cold, vicious gaze as if warning her, You¡¯re dead if you dare to spout any nonsense! However, she ignored him. Isn¡¯t that woman pregnant? Grandpa will soon have a great-grandchild that way. As for mine, I¡¯m aborting it tomorrow. Ha. How ironic. ¡°Really? You guys have nned it? That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll get someone to create a name for my great-grandbaby.¡± Howard was grinning from ear to ear. After dinner, Amanda and Elias left the manor together, and he stopped to mock her once they were outside. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to get yourself pregnant so you can manipte Grandpa into maintaining our marriage.¡± She calmly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Then, why did you say those words to him?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell him your lover is pregnant?¡± That rendered Elias speechless as he thought Amanda would try something, but it turned out he was overthinking things. After sneering, he retorted, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to tell Grandpa. I¡¯ll get mywyer to bring the divorce papers to you tomorrow. I can give you any compensation you want, including the vi you¡¯re currently living in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you. Please get everything done tomorrow morning. I have other things to attend to.¡± Though she seemed calm on the surface, her heart was bleeding because she had to visit the hospital for her abortion once she signed the papers. She could not help but wonder how her life became like this. ¡°Whatever,¡± he replied tly and left. ¡­ The next morning, Elias sent hiswyer to the vi to finalize his divorce with Amanda. Thewyer handed her a divorce agreement to sign. ¡°Mrs. Winters, just sign your name here.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Also, these properties, vehicles, and bank cards arepensations from Mr. Winters. He said you may do whatever you want with them.¡± Without skimming them, Amanda readily signed her name on thest page. ¡°Please tell Elias I won¡¯t ept these things. They¡¯re too dirty to my liking.¡± Stunned, thewyer nodded. After seeing thewyer out the door, she packed her bags and took onest look at the vi she had lived in for a year. Her traces were everywhere, and she was a little reluctant to leave. Perhaps, she would never return here ever again. While she stood in the living room, she recalled the scene of Elias and his lover and felt her stomach churn. Elias Winters, our rtionship ends here. Goodbye forever. ¡­ Amanda arrived at the hospital as scheduled and prepared for her abortion procedure. ¡°Amanda Bailey, it¡¯s your turn. Come inside.¡± Hearing that, she was startled and jumped to her feet. She touched her t abdomen and felt guilty because she was about to end a tiny life. While lying on the cold operation table, she heard the surgeon coldly instruct her, ¡°Get on the table, take off your pants, and spread your legs¡­¡± She stiffly followed the doctor¡¯s orders. Unsure whether she was hallucinating, Amanda suddenly felt her abdomen move. But I¡¯m only seven weeks in, so how can there be fetal movement? Nah. I¡¯m hallucinating. When she shut her eyes, the scenes of her past with Elias uncontrobly appeared, filling her heart with hatred. Suddenly, she heard a cute voice calling her, ¡°Mommy!¡± Her eyes widened frantically, and she looked at the blinding surgical lights as a thought emerged. Then, she shot up from the table and ran out of the operating theater¡­ ¡­ Four yearster, at Imperia Airport. ¡°Are you out? There¡¯s not much time left. We still have to meet with our client to discuss the details. This time, it¡¯s a huge client, so we¡¯re gonna make a lot.¡± ¡°Okay. I understand. Come and get me.¡± Amanda donned a pair of ck sunsses that concealed most of her face, and she was pushing a suitcase with a yawning child on top. The child was her son, Aiden Bailey. He was three years old and resembled a certain sc*mbag the older he grew. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m tired¡­¡± ¡°Aiden, I have to meet a clientter, so I can¡¯t send you home and have to bring you with me. Be good, and I¡¯ll get you something delicious after,¡± she cajoled the child like she was coaxing a baby. However, the child rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Come on, Mommy. I¡¯m already three. I can understand if you speak properly. What¡¯s more, I have always been good.¡± Speechless, Amanda sometimes felt that not only did her son look like that sc*mbag, but he also inherited the sc*mbag¡¯s personality. ¡°Amanda! Over here!¡± Helean Connor, who was responsible for picking her up, waved at them. The smilingdy walked toward him with her luggage, which he then took and loaded into the car. ¡°Let¡¯s head over and talk about the case with our client. They seemed quite anxious.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Half an hourter, the car slowly stopped at the entrance of a skyscraper. ¡°Aiden, you must stay close, or else I¡¯ll get angry and punish you!¡± Amanda exhorted the excitedly jumping child beside her. ¡°Okay, okay. You nag too much, Mommy.¡± The two then entered the building. However, since it had been four years, she had no idea that the skyscraper before her was the new location for Winters Enterprise. In other words, Elias was inside this skyscraper at that moment. Helean went straight to the reception table and was greeted by a smiling receptionist. ¡°Wee. Do you have a reservation?¡± ¡°We do. It¡¯s under Helean Connor from Justice & Associates,¡± he informed her. It was only then that Amanda noticed the stylish words behind the receptionist¡ª Winters Enterprise! She instantly paled, and her eyes filled with surprise as she turned to Helean. ¡°So, our new client is Winters Enterprise?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He was clueless as to how serious the matter was about to get. At that point, she had an urge to wheel around and leave. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Nearly Exposed That was what Amanda thought and did. She grabbed the child beside her and was about to flee the scene, not wanting to stay another second. The frantic Helean saw that and seized her slim wrist. ¡°Hey¡­ What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t we agree that you¡¯d take on this case?¡± ¡°If you had told me it was Winters Enterprise, I wouldn¡¯t have taken on this case.¡± They only told her a big client suddenly decided to change barristers but did not inform her it was Winters Enterprise. Even standing here made her feel uneasy. Just as Amanda was about to lead Aiden away, Helean immediately knelt on the ground. ¡°My dear Amanda, I¡¯m begging you. This is a task from Simon. Do you think I can return to the law firm if I can¡¯t even deliver this itty-bitty task?¡± As he begged, the seven-foot man attracted the attention and strange nces of the passing employees. She stopped him. ¡°Can¡¯t you man up a little? How can you kneel so easily?¡± The child noticed Helean¡¯s aggrieved expression and added, ¡°Mr. Helean, men should only kneel when they do something wrong.¡± That rendered Helean speechless, while Amanda resignedly asked, ¡°Are we going to discuss this case with that person?¡± ¡°Who?¡± He looked confused. Though it had been four years, she still refused to utter Elias¡¯ name, for her stomach would churn whenever she thought of him. She wanted nothing to do with that sc*mbag! ¡°The heir to Winters Enterprise! Is he the one we¡¯re meeting?¡± If it is, I¡¯m leaving without any care of the world! Helean replied, ¡°You mean the young master of Winters Enterprise, Elias Winters? No, he¡¯s busy with day-to-day work, so we¡¯re meeting the vice president.¡± Though the information came as a relief to Amanda, the sound of the sc*mbag¡¯s name remained revolting to her. Her beautiful eyes tinged with complexity, but disgust soon took over. ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m only staying for thirty minutes, no more, no less.¡± Once she finished, she pulled Aiden¡¯s hand and headed for the elevator. Helean watched the mother and son from behind and immediately felt relieved to have stopped her from leaving. Otherwise, he could kiss his job goodbye. ¡­ The three arrived at the higher-ups¡¯ meeting room on the sixteenth floor. Suddenly, the kid made a request. ¡°Mommy, I want to pee! I can¡¯t hold it in!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring Aiden to the bathroom while you head inside to talk to them. They¡¯ve been bugging me about this for a long time. Please, help me.¡± Helean picked Aiden up from the ground and ran toward the bathroom. Feeling resigned, Amanda shook her head and entered the meeting room. She did not anticipate Imperia¡¯s drastic shift during the four years she left this city; even Winters Enterprise had moved. As nned, she spent precisely thirty minutes in the meeting room. When she came out, her cold expression immediately turned into a gentle smile after seeing her baby. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s grab something delicious.¡± ¡°Yay! Mommy, you¡¯re the best!¡± A plump, tiny hand grabbed hers, after which she reciprocated with a firmer grip. Aiden had been her mental support for all these years, sustaining her through the endless darkness. Truth be told, she was relieved she did not abort him but chose to keep him on a whim. ¡°Aiden, what would you like to eat?¡± ¡°I want¡­ ramen.¡± In the meantime, at a corner down the corridor, a group of people surrounded Elias while he strode over. He seemed to be heading to the meeting room while the people around him werepeting to make their reports. Amanda smiled dearly while listening to her son¡¯s words, but when she arrived at a corner and looked up, her smile froze in trepidation. It¡¯s him¡ªElias Winters. Guess I have no choice but to run into him after four years. What I dreaded the most finally happened. Instinctively, she retreated a few steps and hid herself. Then, she took out the sunsses from her bag, confusing Helean. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take the stairs.¡± She picked up her son and turned around, heading straight for n B. Although she wore eight-inch heels, she still managed to pick up her kid and walk away effortlessly. ¡°Why are we taking the stairs when there are elevators? Also, you¡¯re wearing heels. Isn¡¯t that tiring?¡± Helean was bbergasted but still hopelessly followed behind her. ¡°Mommy, I want to take the elevator. Taking the stairs is exhausting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry you.¡± She was determined not to let Elias discover her child¡¯s presence. Atst, the man arrived among the crowd of higher-ups. It had been four years, and Elias donned a ck, perfectly tailored suit. He looked as elegant and handsome as always, but there was also a trace of maturity on his face. Unexpectedly, he heard a cute voice yelling, ¡°Mommy!¡± It caught his attention, so he looked in that direction and was slightly shocked. A woman¡¯s figure appeared before his eyes like a blinding light. Though the sight of a woman was nothing surprising, she looked strangely familiar to the point that reality started to ovep his memories of his ex-wife, whom he had not seen for four years. Amanda? However, that woman seemed to be worried and nced anxiously behind her. The problem was that her sunsses were so huge that they covered most of her face. Elias reflexivelyThis content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. took a step forward with his long legs, creating a distance between himself and the surrounding crowd. ¡°Mr. Winters! The meeting room is over here!¡± his secretary yelled behind him, but the man paid no heed. He followed the familiar figure to the stairs but did not discover anyone. Frowning, he wondered, Was I mistaken? He stared at the empty stairwell for a few seconds before leaving. When he thought about it, he found it ironic. That woman has disappeared for four years, so how could she appear here? During these four years, he had tried looking for Amanda, but she seemed to have vanished without a trace. His grandfather even nearly severed their rtionship because of that. Unbeknownst to Elias, Amanda was covering the child¡¯s mouth with her hand while hiding behind the stairwell¡¯s door at that precise moment. Even Helean was hiding beside her quietly. It was such a close call. If that man had walked two more steps, he would have discovered them. Meanwhile, the child in her arms blinked his large eyes, creating an adorable sight. Once Amanda heard the footsteps retreating, she removed her hand from his mouth and apologized, ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Did I hurt you?¡± He hugged her like a grown-up and soothed her. ¡°I will always forgive you, Mommy.¡± Hisforting words elicited a stunned smile on her face. Yep, that¡¯s my baby. Since Helean was clueless regarding the hide-and-seek, he questioned, ¡°Amanda, why are we hiding? Even if we did bump into Elias, can¡¯t we just greet him and get done with it? Do you have a social phobia or something?¡± Toozy to exin, she replied, ¡°Yeah, sure. Yes.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Getting Caught The night soon fell, weing the banquet. ¡°Mr. McCalister, about Winters Enterprise¡¯s infringement case, I think it¡¯d be better if anotherwyer takes over. I might not be the best candidate for this case.¡± Amanda went straight to the point and told her supervisor. After settling Aiden down, she came to the banquet, wanting to look for Jackson McCalister, her supervisor, to talk about handing her role to someone else. She dreaded handling Winters Enterprise¡¯s case, or Elias might discover her. Meanwhile, Jackson had a ss of red wine in his hand and was surprised to hear that. ¡°Why? Infringement cases are your specialty, so this shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± ¡°I¡­ I have my reasons. I hope you can understand,¡± she replied. His eyes swept across her exposed shoulders as she spoke. Jackson was a crude man in his forties, and from what Amanda heard, he liked getting handsy with the women at thew firm. ¡°Oh, yeah? What would that be? You can tell me¡­¡± He ced his hand on her ivory arm. Subconsciously pulling away, Amanda insisted, ¡°Mr. McCalister, anyhow, I can¡¯t take this case.¡± At the same time, Elias arrived at that very banquet. His ck suitplemented his upright posture, but his handsome face seemed encased in ayer of thin ice. Just as he took a ss of wine from the waiter, his phone began ringing. He nced at it and saw it was a call from Howard. Frowning, he answered the call and took a sip of his wine. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Grandpa?¡± ¡°You b*stard! I¡¯m warning you! As long as I¡¯m alive, that clown, Grace Murphy, can never join our family! The only granddaughter- inw I acknowledge is Amanda!¡± Right after answering the call, Elias heard his grandfather¡¯s angry roar. He could not help but pull his phone away and wait for Howard to finish his angry rants before cing his phone back to his ear, frustratedly asking, ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s all this about?¡± ¡°Today, that clown revealed to the public that she¡¯ll marry you soon. Where did she get the courage to do that? If you dare to get married behind my back, mark my words that I will break your legs!¡± With that, the old man hung up in a fit of pique. Looking at the darkened screen, Elias let out a frown. It had been four years since then, but his grandfather only acknowledged Amanda as his granddaughter-inw. That left him bbergasted as he wondered what was so great about her that she could get all the Winters Family¡¯s elders to ept her. At that moment, he heard a gentle female voice. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re finally here. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Grace Murphy wore a white halter dress and smiled sweetly as she approached him and hugged his arm. Her gaze alone revealed that she was looking at her world. The man hummed and asked, ¡°Did you tell the press we¡¯re getting married?¡± The blushingdy whined, ¡°Those reporters kept asking me, so I identally made a slip of the tongue. I¡¯m sorry, Elias. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it next time. Grandpa won¡¯t agree to it as of now.¡± Then, he finished his red wine in one go. At that, Grace¡¯s sweet smile stiffened. What does he mean by next time? I¡¯ve worked so hard to persuade Elias to marry me and even used all kinds of means and tricks, but now, he says we¡¯ll talk about it next time? Even after getting rid of that worthless ex-wife of his, I still can¡¯t get Old Mr. Winters¡¯ approval. Tears began pooling in her eyes. At that moment, Elias inadvertently looked at the opposite side of the pool and was stunned once again. It was Amanda! The ex-wife that had been missing for four years! A touch of surprise and shock appeared in the man¡¯s eyes because he had a clear view this time. That woman was indeed Amanda Bailey. His gaze was pinned onto that slim figure as though afraid she would disappear the next moment. ¡­ ¡°Amanda, how abouting home with me tonight? Then, we can discuss why you refuse to take on this case.¡± The obscene Jackson kept trying to trick Amanda into going home with him. By then, she was fed up with him. She knew going home with that pervert was no different from treading dangerous ground. In that sense, she would rather take on the Winters Enterprise case! With a polite smile, she retreated a step. ¡°Mr. McCalister, I¡¯ll take the case. I have something to do, so I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± The second she wheeled around, she was stunned in ce. Elias was passing through the crowd and storming toward her in rage. That¡¯s right¡ªstorming toward me. Why does the universe hate me? What did I do to deserve this?! Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in fear, and she could not help but take two steps back,nding straight inside Jackson¡¯s arms. After helping her find her footing, he asked, ¡°Amanda, have you thought it through? Are you willing toe home with me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken. I was just walking this way!¡± She pushed the lewd man away and hurriedly left in the other direction. No, no, no! Please don¡¯t let me get caught! While pleading inside her heart, she picked up her pace, but her high heels stopped her from fleeing in sess. ¡°Ahh¡ª¡± She twisted her ankle and screamed in pain. The next moment, Elias¡¯rge hand seized her shoulder before his deep, sexy voice came from behind her. ¡°Amanda! Stop rightProperty ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. there!¡± She froze, not even having the courage to look back. Her heart raced as a thinyer of sweat appeared on her forehead. As despair dawned upon her, she closed her eyes in utter loss for action. Then, she heard a loud plop from the pool, followed by someone screaming, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the celebrity, Grace Murphy? How did she fall into the pool?¡± The man released Amanda¡¯s shoulder and ran toward the pool. As soon as the devil¡¯s grip vanished, she finally opened her eyes in shock and turned around, only to see Elias walking away. Phew! With that, she left the banquet and headed for the parking lot without turning back. It was a painful journey stumbling to her car as her sprained ankle consumed every bit of her motivation. Just as she was about to open the door, a man¡¯s arm suddenly banged the door shut oppressively. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Raising her head, Amanda gazed into Elias¡¯ obsidian eyes. Their proximity allowed her to sniff the clean minty scent of his body. Although her heart raced, she pretended to be calm. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. Please excuse me.¡± My gosh. Just go away. He sneered and pinched her chin with his long fingers. ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t recognize my ex-wife? You¡¯re questioning my intelligence!¡± Being pushed against the car, she struggled while screaming, ¡°Elias Winters! What do you want from me?¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Why Did You Stop Pretending? ¡°Why did you stop pretending not to know me? If you keep up with the act, I might believe you¡¯ve lost your memory.¡± Her futile struggle elicited an inexplicable sense of satisfaction in Elias. ¡°You b*stard! Scoundrel! We don¡¯t talk, and we don¡¯t greet each other after the divorce! Don¡¯t you know that simple rule of thumb?¡± Amanda red at the shameless man before her. His well-defined features and perfect jawline seemed better than ever. Meanwhile, he carefully studied the woman¡¯s face and noticed she seemed different from four years ago. She had exquisite and light makeup on her pale, tender skin. Even the movement of her red lips seemed seductive. Back then, he had never taken a good look at her because he rarely went home. While he was in a daze, she shoved his tall frame away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! You have no right to do that!¡± For some reason, the words ¡®no right¡¯ angered him, and his brows raised at the sound of that. ¡°I have no right to touch you, but that sleazy old man does? You didn¡¯t take a penny when you signed the divorce papers, saying they were dirty, but you¡¯re now seducing old men? Isn¡¯t that dirty?¡± When thewyer informed him Amanda did not take a penny and said his money was dirty, he was so furious that he lost his appetite the whole day. Seduce? Those words are too exaggerated! she thought. ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± Looking at the work of art that was Elias¡¯ face, she felt pity for him because under that handsome face was a sc*mbag! He scoffed. ¡°What does it have to do with me? You used to be my wife, but why did your taste change so much after we divorced? How could you take a fancy to greasy old men?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m warning you. If I see you hanging out with those old men again, you won¡¯t be able to stand what I¡¯ll do.¡± Sheughed in anger. ¡°What will you do?¡± They were divorced and had nothing to do with each other. What else could he do to her? Unexpectedly, the man replied, ¡°I¡¯ll move your mother¡¯s ashes to a new spot.¡± Shocked, she did not resist roaring at him, ¡°Elias Winters, you¡¯re a monster!¡± How cruel can he get? This is inhumane! Once she finished screaming, she was about to p him, but Elias stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. Don¡¯t anger me because those who anger me will not have a good ending.¡± ¡°B*stard!¡± Amanda pulled her wrist back. Elias ordered, ¡°Come with me tomorrow to visit Grandpa. Exin that we broke up on good terms so he can stop reminiscing about you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you at the manor tomorrow. If I don¡¯t, you know what I¡¯ll do.¡± He was ready to leave, ignoring her refusal. While looking at the man¡¯s cold back, Amanda felt like going up there and biting him. He is such a bully! At that moment, a man resembling a bodyguard approached her. ¡°Miss Bailey, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know you and don¡¯t need you to send me anywhere.¡± She was about to open her car door, but the bodyguard stopped her and announced, ¡°Mr. Winters sent me to protect you until you safely arrive at the Winters Manor tomorrow night.¡± Speechless, Amandained, Elias is such a shrewd! It seems like I can¡¯t avoid meeting Old Mr. Winters, but I can¡¯t let the bodyguard send me home, or else he will notice my baby. Then, she called Helean and deliberately walked away before the call was answered. His voice came from the other end, and she quickly instructed, ¡°Helean, I need to trouble you to take care of my son. I might not return tonight, so please take care of him.¡± ¡°Would you mind if I brought your son home with me tonight?¡± ¡°Sure. You just have to keep him company. He¡¯s very obedient and would go to bed after drinking his milk.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Elias returned to his car and was relieved when he saw Amanda entering the bodyguard¡¯s car after making a call. As for Grace, sitting in the passenger seat, she had witnessed everything that had happened and was bursting with jealousy. She deliberately fell into the swimming pool, thinking she could attract his attention. However, she did not predict he would still chase that woman to the parking lot. With a towel wrapped around her body, she put on a pitiful expression and sobbed, ¡°Elias, are you going to get back with your ex-wife? Have you forgotten about that night at the ceremonial banquet four years ago? I even gave you my virginity. You said you would take responsibility and promised Yn before he passed away¡­¡± Elias used his long fingers to massage his forehead, seemingly frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, and stop mentioning that night. I know what happened and will take responsibility for my actions.¡± That was why he did not believe Amanda when she said she was pregnant because of that night four years ago. When he awoke the next day, he saw Grace lying beside him with her clothes all messed up. There was even a patch of red on the snow-white bedsheets. At that moment, he was stunned. However, Grace was Yn Murphy¡¯s younger sister, and Yn was his most trusted bodyguard, who died a tragic death to save his life. Back then, he begged Elias to take care of Grace with hisst breath¡­ Hence, despite not having any feelings for her, he had to abide by his promise.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Grace noticed there seemed to be a trace of frustration on Elias¡¯ face, so she quickly exined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elias. It¡¯s because I was too afraid to lose you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring you home.¡± He turned on the engine and left. She wanted to stay a little longer, but when she saw his cold countenance, she decided to save it for next time. ¡­ In the evening of the following day¡­ Throughout the day, the loyal bodyguard Elias assigned to Amanda followed her around until he safely escorted her to the Winters Manor. She descended the car unwillingly and saw Elias standing outside the manor, waiting for her. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey has arrived.¡± Elias hummed in response. ¡°Good. You may leave now. I¡¯ll send her home later.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± Noticing the bodyguard had left, Amanda wanted to slip away, but Elias grabbed her slim wrist. ¡°Amanda, do you think you can escape?¡± ¡°Let go of me! I can walk on my own!¡± She struggled to free her wrist, but the man kept a tight hold on her. ¡°Grandpa had taken great care of you when you were his granddaughter-inw. Can you stand watching him so upset? He¡¯s been hospitalized several times because he was worried about you. Don¡¯t you want to visit him?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She felt a lump in her throat. When she was still married to Elias, Howard was the nicest person to her, and she did feel sorry to leave without informing him back then. So, why not take this opportunity to exin everything to him? ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. Grandpa is getting old, so let¡¯s not make him worry about us.¡± Then, he pulled her toward the manor¡¯s entrance. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Make Sure You Get Back Together Having not stepped foot in this manor for four years, Amanda found herself inexplicably sad. Her brows involuntarily tightened as she recalled many events from the past. In the meantime, Elias tugged her into the garden. When she saw Howard¡¯s hoary back from afar, she felt tears welling up in her guilty eyes. Hearing the footsteps, he turned around only to see his b*stard grandson and snorted. ¡°Why are you here? Scram!¡± Since Elias¡¯ tall figure was covering Amanda, he moved to the side and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me, but I bet you want to see her, right?¡± Hearing that, Howard turned around again, shocked at whom he saw. ¡°Amanda? Is that you?¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­ It¡¯s me.¡± Her voice sounded choked. He was ecstatic and strode over with his walking stick, but he pulled a long face and reprimanded, ¡°Where have you been all these years? I¡¯ve looked everywhere for you! I need to know why you guys divorced! Didn¡¯t you promise you wouldn¡¯t divorce him no matter what happened?¡± When Elias saw how worked up Howard was, he was at a loss for words. It was as though Amanda was the Winters Family¡¯s real granddaughter while he was picked up from somewhere. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I let you down.¡± Back then, she had promised him that she would not divorce Elias no matter what happened, but the sc*mbag had gotten another woman pregnant! What was she to do besides divorcing him? ¡°Amanda, tell me the truth. Did this b*stard force you into divorce? You¡¯re a good child, and I know that brat¡¯s character very well, so tell me the truth!¡± Howard looked at her anticipatingly because he refused to believe she would renege on her words. Elias narrowed his eyes at her as if warning, ¡°Watch what you say!¡± Since she did not want anything to do with him, she did not want to agonize the innocent Howard either. ¡°Grandpa, we broke up on good terms. I don¡¯t love him anymore, nor does he, so we divorced. None of us forced the other.¡± She smiled while saying that, hoping he could find peace with this information. Unexpectedly, he suddenly roared, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Have you forgotten your promise to me? You said you¡¯d love Elias forever and will still love him even if he doesn¡¯t love you back. How could you change your mind so suddenly? I don¡¯t believe you! That brat must¡¯ve forced you into getting a divorce. Did he tell you to say that too?¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­ That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Amanda, have you begun lying to me as well? You¡¯re not like that. You loved Elias to death, so why would you change your mind soCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. quickly?¡± He could not ept Amanda¡¯s exnation because it was a lie. At his boiling point, Elias argued, ¡°Grandpa, can you be more reasonable? You didn¡¯t believe me when I said we broke up on good terms. How are you still so stubborn after Amanda told you the truth?¡± ¡°You b*stard! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to! Unless you anger me to death, that clown will never join the Winters Family! The only daughter-inw we acknowledge is Amanda!¡± He did not forget to pat her hand, adding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He can¡¯t do anything to you with me here. I will get you guys back together someday.¡± Amanda was at a loss for words when faced with Howard¡¯s stubbornness. Tired of pretending, she decided to tell the truth. ¡°Grandpa, we can¡¯t get back together anymore. The child he and that woman had should be turning three soon, and you can¡¯t expect me to be a stepmom, right? I can¡¯t do that, so I¡¯m sorry.¡± Remembering when Elias brought that woman home with the pregnancy news, she did a rough estimation and assumed the child might be the same age as Aiden. When Howard heard her, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. Simrly, Elias¡¯ face instantly fell, and he pursed his thin lips. ¡°A child? What child? Where did thate from? Did you and that clown have a child?¡± Howard nced at Elias, unconvinced. Elias denied it, but his helpless visage sold him out. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You b*stard! I¡¯ll ask you again. Did you have a child with that woman? How could such a woman bear the heir to our family?¡± Howard screamed his usation, pointing his walking stick at his grandson. Suppressing his rage, Elias attempted to defend himself again. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a child together!¡± ¡°If you dare to get that clown pregnant, I¡¯ll never forgive you. I¡­¡± Howard only spoke half his sentence before losing his footing and falling to the ground. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Elias¡¯ obsidian eyes filled with shock as he ran over to catch Howard¡¯s body. On the other hand, Amanda¡¯s mind went nk at the unfolding scene. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± ¡­ Outside Howard¡¯s bedroom, the private doctor exited and stood before Elias and Amanda after thirty minutes. ¡°Old Mr. Winters was exasperated, causing his blood pressure to surge. I gave him medication to control his blood pressure, so he¡¯s fine now. Let him rest, and don¡¯t provoke him again.¡± After listening to the doctor¡¯s exnation, Amanda instantly felt relieved. Elias pushed the door open and peeked inside before closing it again upon confirmation that Howard was asleep. Turning to look at her, he offered, ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡± She did not respond and led the way. Now that she had calmed down, she suddenly remembered what Howard had said earlier¡­ So, it turns out that Grandpa didn¡¯t know about the child, but why did Elias deny the child¡¯s presence? The clown Grandpa was talking about was called Grace. Could she be the woman Elias brought home years ago? A clown¡­ Is she a celebrity? Fishing out her phone, Amanda searched her name and soon found results on Grace Murphy. Her eyes widened in shock because Grace was not the woman he had brought home four years ago! Abruptly, she halted her footsteps and turned to look at the tall man behind her. ¡°So, the woman you brought back four years ago wasn¡¯t pregnant. Am I right?¡± There was never a child. Was all that just a ploy to push the divorce narrative and make way for Grace? Elias coldly replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Yes?! How could he be so calm? So, he made up a fake child and divorced me for the love of his life? And I had no idea about who my love rival was! Was he so in love with Grace that he would use such a despicable trick to end our marriage? I almost went and aborted my baby boy! At that instant, Amanda was ovee with rage and swung her hand at the man¡¯s handsome face. Unsurprisingly, he effortlessly stopped her and roared, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Elias Winters! You will never know about his existence!¡± After that, she stormed away, vowing that she and her baby would never forgive him. The stranded man stood in his spot, staring at the furious figure. Whose existence? Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Here Comes the Love Rival Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Amanda stormed away from the Winters Manor onto the deep, dark road. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Elias did not deserve to know about her child because he would never be a good father. Suddenly, a sense of chill enveloped her. She looked around, and not a single soul was present. This was Imperia¡¯s known wealthy corner, so there were rarely any cabs since the city center was far away. She would have to walk until dawn to get there. As such, she fished out her phone to call for help when she was interrupted by the honk from a car behind her, followed by the blinding car lights. A ck Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped before her. The window rolled down, revealing Elias¡¯ handsome but shameless face. ¡°Get in.¡± Without sparing him a nce, Amanda continued forward. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. Someone wille to get me.¡± He stopped the car and pushed the door open before approaching her. Then, he carried her on his shoulder and returned to his car. Feeling her body in midair, she was taken aback and subconsciously grabbed onto his suit. ¡°Elias! Put me down! Why do you even care about me? Don¡¯t you remember we¡¯re divorced?¡± She kept mming her fists on his body. Unfazed, Elias ced her onto the passenger seat and leaned forward to buckle the seatbelt for her. At that moment, they were so close that Amanda could see the man¡¯s thick eyshes. ¡°I brought you here, so I should bring you home safely. You¡¯d better be good, or else I might move your mother¡¯s ashes.¡± After that threat, he closed the door and went to the driver¡¯s seat. Her eyes widened in disbelief, baffled that he was using her mother to threaten her again. She looked at the man beside her and chastised, ¡°Elias! I¡¯ll never forgive you if you move my mother¡¯s ashes!¡± However, the unperturbed man merely nced at her. ¡°That depends on your behavior.¡± When her mother passed away, Amanda could not afford to give her mother a burial. It was Elias who arranged everything and helped her mother rest in peace. Thus, it was outrageous how he used a dead person against her for his convenience. What a sc*mbag. Buzz¡ª Buzz¡ª Elias¡¯ phone disyed Grace¡¯s iing call on the screen. Noticing the name, Amanda felt a pang in her heart. This is the woman Elias has in his heart¡­ He did not hesitate and answered the call. Then, he heard Grace¡¯s gentle voice from the other end. ¡°Elias, I had dinner with the film crew tonight and drank some wine, so I can¡¯t drive home. Can you pick me up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not avable right now. I can get someone to send you home, though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that. I want you. I¡¯m drunk. How could you feel assured to let someone else take me away¡­¡± He stayed silent before instructing her, ¡°Send me your address and wait for me there.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± After the call ended, Elias continued to drive. Since it was dead silent inside the car that one might even hear a pin drop, Amanda naturally deduced the caller¡¯s voice belonged to Grace. Her voice was gentle and sweet, like a woman in a happy rtionship. Huh. I guess this is the stark difference between being loved and tolerated. He makes it so clear with his patience with Grace, but he barely made an effort to return home during our one-year marriage. Just thinking about it depressed her. She looked out the window and bit her lower lip, letting her thoughts go wild. The man behind the wheel suddenly asked, ¡°Whose existence were you referring to earlier? Who is ¡®he¡¯?¡± ¡°What?¡± Amanda was momentarily stunned and looked at the man¡¯s perfect, chiseled side profile. ¡°You said I will never get to know his existence. So, who is he?¡± She fixed her gaze on the fleeting scenery outside. ¡°No one.¡± Curiosity did not get the best of him, so he halted his follow-up questions. Fine. I don¡¯t care. At that moment, Amanda¡¯s phone rang. She looked at it and saw it was from Helean. She answered without hesitation but soon regretted it when she heard Aiden¡¯s voiceing from her phone. ¡°Mommy! When are you coming to get me? Did you forget about me?¡± She reflexively covered the phone¡¯s speaker and nced at the man, afraid he would overhear the child¡¯s voice. OK. No fluctuations. Eyes still on the road. Phew. She turned her back to him and whispered into the phone, ¡°I¡¯ming to you now. See you later.¡± Once done, she decisively hung up, not giving the child any chance to speak. That action piqued the interest of the man in the driver¡¯s seat. Is she seeing someone? ¡°Was it a man or woman?¡± he asked. With a cold expression, she retorted, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Then, she received a message from Helean. It was an address for a restaurant, probably where he was having dinner with Aiden. ¡°Sorry to trouble you, but please send me to Nycinth.¡± I wonder if my baby has been good tonight. Meanwhile, Elias was intrigued. Nycinth? The address Grace sent me was also this restaurant. What a coincidence. ¡­ Half an hourter, the two arrived outside a restaurant named Nycinth. Amanda half-heartedly thanked him. ¡°Thank you.¡± She utched her seatbelt and alighted from the car before heading into the restaurant without turning back. The man could not help but scoff as he found her to be more arrogant after the divorce. She used to be nice and never pulled a long face at me. After parking his car, he made his way toward the restaurant as well. When Amanda entered, she began looking for her baby, but before she could find Helean and Aiden, she noticed Elias in the same space as her. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± she questioned in a panic. Oh my, oh my. Why is he here?! Did I make a slip-up earlier? Did he catch anything suspicious? He was displeased. ¡°Me? I¡¯m here to pick someone up.¡± It was then a voice rang out. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Like a butterfly fluttering its wings, Grace threw herself into the man¡¯s embrace and wrapped her arms around him. However, Elias did not have much of a reaction and calmly hummed in response. When she noticed Amanda out of the corner of her eye, her smile instantly disappeared. ¡°Elias, you¡­ Why are you here¡­ with your ex- wife?¡± Tears immediately welled up inside her puppy eyes. When Amanda saw that, all she wanted to do was burst intoughter. So, she knew about my existence long ago, but I was the only e on the memo. Elias immediately felt a headacheing because he hated exining things the most. ¡°It was just a coincidence. We met each other at the entrance.¡± That white lie rxed Grace a little. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry I misunderstood you. You almost scared me to death. I thought you guys were contacting each other again.¡± So¡­ How was that not implying that Amanda was trying to seduce her man? Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 The Witty Young Child Oh my gosh. Look at her. Fake as stic. Turning around, Amanda wanted to find her son because they were now in a treacherous situation. It would be catastrophic if Elias found out about Aiden. However, Grace suddenly stopped her. ¡°Amanda, would you mind joining us for dinner?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you eaten already?¡± Elias frowned. She smiled sweetly. ¡°But you haven¡¯t. You never eat on time, and that will cause stomach problems. Since Amanda is here, why don¡¯t we have a meal together? Even though you¡¯re divorced, you can still be friends.¡± Wow¡­ The best of the best among fake b*tches. She¡¯s as bold as brass, Amandained inside. Then, she rejected her without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no. I don¡¯t want to have dinner with you guys.¡± ¡°Amanda, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still holding onto the old story? You should know that rtionships can¡¯t be forced. What¡¯s the point of forcing a man who doesn¡¯t love you to be with you?¡± Grace reasoned. At that point, Amanda was beyond speechless. She suppressed her anger and smiled. ¡°Miss Murphy, what makes you think I¡¯m not over it?¡± Then, she spotted Aiden¡¯s small figure! Seeing his mommy from afar, the kid happily ran toward her and parted his lips, ready to shout the forbidden M-word. With disaster dawning upon her, the franticdy immediately hinted at Aiden with her eyes, warning him not to say it. No, no, no, no, no! ¡°Mo¡ª¡± He had only yelled half the word when he received his mother¡¯s signal, so he improvised. ¡°Motherf*cker!¡± After that, he turned around and hid somewhere Elias could not see. That cute-sounding curse attracted everyone¡¯s attention, but Elias merely heard it without seeing the owner of that adorable ¡®motherf*cker¡¯. Whose ill- mannered brat was that? How ridiculous. Amanda immediately stood before the man, stopping him from searching for Aiden at all costs. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have dinner with you!¡± she suddenly announced. A surprised Grace stopped looking for the kid and asked, ¡°For real? Since Amanda agreed to eat with us, will you agree too?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Elias replied half-heartedly. He did not have much appetite, but he thought it would be nice to steal a few more nces at his ex-wife. ¡­ The atmosphere inside the private room was awkward. Amanda asionally looked at the time on her phone, wondering if Helean had brought the ¡®ticking time bomb¡¯ away. She picked up her phone and texted Helean, telling him to send Aiden home and that she would be back soon. When Elias noticed her uneasiness, he asked, ¡°Whom are you texting?¡± Has this woman stooped so low that she¡¯s seducing those old men? He had noticed her strange tone when talking on the phone earlier, and it sounded like she was doing something unseemly in secret. ¡°No one. Why hasn¡¯t the food arrived? Let¡¯s get this over with and go home.¡± She put away her device. In the meantime, Grace smiled as she poured Elias a cup of tea, suggesting, ¡°I think Amanda might be seeing someone and is texting him.¡± His brows furrowed in displeasure as he retorted, ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a woman, and a woman¡¯s sixth sense is always right. Am I spot on, Amanda?¡± That¡¯s such a fake smile¡­ Amanda was toozy to argue, so she went with it. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m texting my boyfriend.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the old man from the banquet. I warned you to leave those old men alone!¡± Elias ordered. That made Grace, sitting by the side, subconsciously grip the hem of her dress. She reasoned gently, ¡°Elias, don¡¯t be so mean. Amanda can like any man she wants, and she¡¯s your ex-wife, so it¡¯s not your ce to order her around.¡± Without saying anything, he felt a rage of fire burning inside him, and he downed his cup of water in a huff. ¡°I need to head to the bathroom. Excuse me.¡± Suddenly, Grace rose to her feet with a courteous smile before leaving the room. In actuality, she wanted to know the unfiltered situation between Elias and Amanda, so she left her recording phone in the room, knowing that those two would not let on anything in her presence. Hence, she excused herself to let them talk it out. As expected, Amanda looked at the man before her once the door was closed. ¡°How long have you known her?¡± Pouring himself another cup of water, Elias took a sip before answering, ¡°Many years.¡± Her bright eyes had a trace of surprise. Many years¡­ How many years is that? Did they know each other since they were young? Did they grow up together? If that was the case, does it mean he didn¡¯t cheat on me because they¡¯d been together for years? While she was lost in thought, her eyes dimmed, feeling a sense of bitterness. ¡°Since you love her so much, why did you agree to marry me and not her?¡± ¡°Grandpa forced me to.¡± That answer was straightforward but hurtful. His tone was filled with resignation and void of any emotion. When Amanda recalled how Elias pushed her to agree to the divorce, she felt endless hatred filling her heart. He had kept Grace so well protected and pampered her like a princess that she did not have to take part in all that fiasco. She suddenly taunted, ¡°Do you think she would cry if I tell her you brought me home to Grandpa?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make her cry!¡± He mmed his cup onto the table, making a loud bang. God, no. Her cries are annoying. Who knows how long she¡¯s gonna whine about it if she finds out? No, I¡¯m not dealing with that. Yet, in Amanda¡¯s eyes, his strong reaction froze her heart. He¡¯s so protective over that woman, so kind and gentle. With me, though, he was always angry, oppressive, and cold. Perhaps, this is the difference between love and tolerating. At first, she thought she would have forgotten about these feelings after four years, but the pain caught her by surprise. Drawing a deep breath, she rose and reprimanded, ¡°Please don¡¯t ever appear before me again. Seeing the two of you makes me want to puke!¡± With that, she took her bag and left the room. Bang! The door was closed again, leaving Elias alone in utter silence. Finally, Grace returned. When she noticed Amanda¡¯s absence, she asked, ¡°Elias, where¡¯s Amanda? Where did she go?¡± ¡°Something came up, so she left. Let¡¯s go, too.¡± The man stood up and exited the room. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°No.¡± Grace grabbed her bag and nced at her phone before turning off the recorder.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Grace Fainted In Her Office After arriving at Lotus Waterfront, Amanda opened the door and saw her son sitting on the couch while watching television. Upon her return, he ran over to her and yelled, ¡°Mommy!¡± Hugging her cute son, she let out a genuine smile. ¡°Aiden, were you a good boy at Mr. Helean¡¯s housest night?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± She caressed his tiny face and praised, ¡°Good boy, Aiden. I¡¯ll prepare your milk.¡± ¡°Mommy, did I do a great job just now?¡± His face filled with pride as though he had done a brilliant job. Recalling her son¡¯s quick reaction at Nycinth, Amanda gave him a thumbs up. But¡­ Where did the little brat learn to curse like that? Thus, she put on a stern face and questioned, ¡°Aiden Bailey, when did you learn to curse? And who taught you to say that?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Mommy, let¡¯s not dwell on this matter, alright?¡± The kid began to avoid her gaze and pretended to be focused on the television. She cupped her son¡¯s chubby little face and lectured, ¡°Don¡¯t ever curse again, understand? It¡¯s not polite, and I don¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Aiden observed his mother¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°Mommy, about the man we encountered just now, did he bully you?¡± The man? Is he talking about Elias? Sheughed. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°I think that man¡¯s a bad guy, so you should leave him alone.¡± His puppy eyes were filled with seriousness. Hearing that, Amanda could not take it anymore and burst outughing. Is this what he thinks of his biological father? ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay away from him, and you should too. Turn around and walk away whenever you see him, alright?¡± He nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay. Then, you should get closer to Mr. Simon.¡± Simon Nicholson¡­ This little brat loves Simon so much that he wants him as his daddy. Feeling helpless, she changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare your milk, and you should go to bed after drinking it. Stop watching the TV. It¡¯s bad for your eyes.¡± ¡­ At the same time, Grace had returned home, and the first thing she did was search for the recording earlier, desperately wanting to know what Elias and Amanda had talked about. Then, she hit y and listened to the entire recording. Once the recording ended, her expression was as dark as soot. Just like she thought, those two secretly kept contact with each other, and Elias even brought Amanda to visit Howard! What does that mean? Old Mr. Winters hates me and still refuses to acknowledge my existence after four years. He insists that he only epts Amanda as his granddaughter-inw. Now that she¡¯s back, will my chances of marryingCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Elias be even slimmer? Old Mr. Winters will certainly try to get them back together! No way! That can¡¯t happen! She bit her lip in dissatisfaction, vowing to win Elias¡¯ heart and be the Young Mistress of the Winters Family! ¡­ Early the next morning at Justice & Associates, it was Amanda¡¯s first day at work since her return. Just as she was about to enter her office, a secretary approached her and informed her, ¡°Miss Bailey, Miss Murphy said she had made an appointment with you and is now waiting for you in your office.¡± ¡°Miss Murphy?¡± Amanda was confused. She had just returned to the country, and the only case she had on hand was Winters Enterprise¡¯s case, so where did this Miss Murphye from? ¡°Okay, thank you. I¡¯ll go check her out.¡± When Amanda entered her office, she saw a woman in sunsses sitting on the couch. ¡°Excuse me, but you are¡­¡± The woman removed her sunsses and raised her head, revealing a heavily made-up face. Grace. Amanda¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. ¡°Why are you here? Are you looking for trouble?¡± ¡°Why did you leavest night? I had so much I wanted to talk to you about.¡± With a fake smile, Grace looked pure and innocent. Sitting on the opposite couch, Amanda put on a serious attitude. ¡°Miss Murphy, is there anything I can help you with? Since it¡¯s office hours, we¡¯ll only talk about work.¡± Without Elias, Grace could not care less to put on her harmless front. She took out a card and ced it on the coffee table. ¡°Amanda, I don¡¯t know why you returned, but if you¡¯re here for money, I can give you however much you want as long as you stay away from Elias.¡± ¡°How much is in here?¡± Pfft. Grace thought she had sessfully tempted Amanda. ¡°1.5 million.¡± ¡°Do you think you can get rid of me with only 1.5 million? Is Elias only worth this much to you? You must know that the Winters Family is extremely wealthy.¡± Amanda¡¯s tone was overflowed with mockery. Widening her eyes in shock, Grace did not expect Amanda would say such a thing. ¡°Elias doesn¡¯t love you. Otherwise, why would he divorce you? The Winters Family¡¯s riches have nothing to do with you, so you¡¯d better not be too greedy! 1.5 million is a lot!¡± Amanda chuckled. ¡°If that¡¯s how it is, why are you so afraid?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Grace¡¯s guilty conscience was unconceble as she feared Elias would remarry Amanda. ¡°What¡¯s with this money, then? Are you afraid we¡¯d get back together?¡± By then, Grace was so pissed that her nails dug into her palms. She sternly demanded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you pester Elias and affect our rtionship! I hope you can disappear from his world!¡± ¡°I hope the two of you can disappear from my world even more. If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave. I¡¯m busy.¡± The fake b*tch had consumed all of Amanda¡¯s patience, prompting her to stride toward her desk. Meanwhile, Grace shot up from her seat in a fury. ¡°What you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯ll continue to bother Elias and use Old Mr. Winters¡¯ fondness for you to get back with him?¡± I give up. Why does Grace keep thinking that I¡¯m clinging to Elias? ¡°So what if I am? If I win his heart, I can still get the extremely wealthy Winters Family. Why would I be interested in that 1.5 million you¡¯re offering? Take your card and scram! Elias can pamper you all he wants, but I have no obligation to spoil you!¡± Then, Amanda sat down and was prepared to look through her documents when Grace suddenly seemed out of breath. She clutched her chest and stammered while pointing at Amanda, ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± The next moment, she fell to the ground with a loud thump and fell unconscious. When Amanda saw that scene, she was dumbfounded. The hell? Is she for real? A few secondster, she went over and called out to Grace, ¡°Miss Murphy?¡± Her visage was pale as a sheet, and her bodyy still on the ground like a rock. OK. She¡¯s out. Flustered, Amanda hurriedly took out her phone and dialed 911 before contacting Elias. Surprisingly, he was still using the same number from four years ago. The call went through after a few rings. ¡°Who is this?¡± The man¡¯s deep and cold voice came from the phone. ¡°It¡¯s me. Grace fainted inside my office. I¡¯m sending her to the hospital now, so you should hurry up and meet me there.¡± She was at a loss for words. What on earth is happening right now? As expected, the angry man started questioning her, ¡°Why would she faint inside your office? And why are you two together?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this at the hospital.¡± Amanda hung up the call because this was not something she could exin over the phone. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Come At Me With Your Grievances Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Outside the emergency room at the hospital, Amanda waited by the bench on the side. Suddenly, a series of rushed footsteps echoed in the hallway, prompting her to look up and see Elias approaching her. He had a gloomy expression and barked, ¡°What did you do to her? She has a heart condition!¡± Huh. Such unconditional trust for Grace. He doesn¡¯t even know the whole truth, and he¡¯s already using me of provoking her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask why your girlfriend woulde to my office and cause such amotion during working hours?!¡± She had had enough and was fed up with these two, but Grace just had to show up at her doorstep! At that moment, the ER door opened, emerging a doctor who asked, ¡°Family of Grace Murphy?¡± Elias went forward. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°She has congenital heart disease and might¡¯ve been triggered, causing her emotion to surge and eventually faint. I¡¯ll keep her for two nights and observe her situation. Remember, do not trigger her again.¡± Once the doctor left, Elias furiously turned to re at Amanda. ¡°What else do you have to say? What exactly did you put her through?¡± ¡°You can ask your lover once she wakes up.¡± She turned and was ready to leave. Moreover, how could she have known that Grace had a heart condition? Whye to myw firm stirring up trouble if her heart can¡¯t take it? ¡°Ahh¡ª¡± Just as she turned around, she was tugged back and pressed onto the cold wall. The man¡¯s long fingers pinched her chin while he screamed, ¡°You cane at me with your grievances, but don¡¯t provoke Grace! Her condition can¡¯t handle it!¡± When her body mmed into the wall, she felt immense pain in her back. ¡°Elias, how dare you use me of provoking her when you don¡¯t even know what happened? Let me reiterate that she was the one who appeared at my office. I¡¯m not the one harassing her!¡± ¡°What was she there for?¡± He stared into her eyes while questioning. ¡°To shove money in my face so that I¡¯ll stay away from you! Do you think I was provoking her now? Be a man to your woman so that she¡¯ll stop interrupting my work!¡± She pushed him away and stormed out of the hospital. The solemn man sent a heavy punch into the wall. ¡­ Inside the VIP ward, when Grace opened her eyes, she saw Elias¡¯ back while he stood before the French window. Smiling, she called out to him weakly, ¡°Elias¡­¡± When he heard that, he turned around and approached the bed. ¡°Amanda and I are divorced, so you have no reason to confront her.¡± She was taken aback. ¡°Elias¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Are you mad at me?¡± He seemed displeased. ¡°What do you think? Don¡¯t you know about your condition better than anyone?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to contact each other anymore, but Amanda said she wants to get back with you and pester you. She wants to break us up. That¡¯s why I was so worked up¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Elias denied. Grace was shocked because she discovered that he had subconsciously believed in Amanda over her. She struggled to get up and acted like she was looking for something but was too weak to do so. Pushing her shoulders down, he asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m lying? I have a recording as proof! Amanda said those words herself and vowed to use Old Mr. Winters to aplish her goal of getting back with you!¡± She grabbed her bag and took out her phone before ying the recording. She had expected Amanda¡¯s reluctance to take the money and disappear, so she recorded their conversation in advance. With a skeptical attitude, Elias watched as she yed the recording of their conversation, especially the part where Amanda said, ¡°So what if I am? If I win his heart, I can still get the extremely wealthy Winters Family. Why would I be interested in that 1.5 million you¡¯re offering? Take your card and scram! Elias can pamper you all he wants, but I have no obligation to spoil you!¡± His expression altered slightly as he frowned in displeasure. Then, she embellished the matter. ¡°Did you hear that? That¡¯s what Amanda said! I wasn¡¯t telling lies!¡± Without saying anything, the man frowned deeply, lost in thought. Did Amanda return to remarry me and get back her ce as Mrs. Winters? ¡­ Back at Lotus Waterfront, Amanda returned home after a busy day but could not find her son anywhere in the room. When the nanny saw her, she greeted Amanda. ¡°Miss Bailey, I¡¯ll get going since you¡¯re home.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Aiden? Why don¡¯t I see him anywhere?¡± ¡°Aiden is in his room, making a call, and he doesn¡¯t want me to listen. Your child is so adorable. He¡¯s like a little adult,¡± the nannymented happily. Amanda could not hold back her smile either because her son indeed liked pretending to be a grownup. When she approached Aiden¡¯s room, she heard his cute voice saying, ¡°Uncle Simon, I missed you!¡± Uncle Simon? Is that little brat on the phone with my boss? Pushing the door open, Amanda saw Aiden, hiding in the corner with the phone, suddenly spring to his feet and quickly dash toward the balcony with his phone. While running, he yelled, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t take away my phone. I wanna talk to Uncle Simon!¡± She was rendered speechless as she wanted to stop Aiden from disturbing Simon¡¯s time. It was already tiring for him to work the whole day and still have to make time to chat with the little brat. Since the phone was on loudspeaker, they heard a man¡¯s gentle and low chuckle. ¡°Aiden, be good and give your mommy the phone. I need to speak with her.¡± The child pouted and muttered, ¡°Alright. To let you and Mommy bond, I¡¯ll put up with it just this once.¡± Boy, what? Is it just me, or my baby knows a little too much? Aiden proffered Amanda the phone. ¡°Here, Mommy. Uncle Simon wants to talk to you.¡± She felt resigned and ced the phone to her ear. ¡°Mr. Nicholson.¡± ¡°Your son calls me ¡®Uncle Simon,¡¯ but you call me ¡®Mr. Nicholson.¡¯ Do we have to be so estranged?¡± The man¡¯s voice from the other end was attractively gentle. She smiled. ¡°Aiden¡¯s young and insensible. Don¡¯t mind him. He just dreams to have a father figure in his life.¡± Sometimes, she felt sorry for her baby, always having to admire other children for having fathers. A low chuckle came from the speaker. ¡°I think Aiden¡¯s quite sensible. He knows you¡¯re having a hard time caring for him, so he wants to get a father to help you.¡± When the man described it that way, Amanda felt warm and inexplicably touched. That brat is indeed obedient, but sometimes he¡¯s a pain in the butt. ¡°You¡¯re right. My son is quite sensible.¡± She chuckled. ¡°How are you coping over there? I still have two months of work here. You can ask me for anything.¡± Simon was the real boss behind Justice & Associates. Moreover, she was content enough to be able to join the country¡¯s topw firm right after returning, so she could not ask for anything more. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Close Call Inside the Conference Room ¡°I¡¯m doing well, and everything¡¯s going fine. Baby and I will personally wee you when you return.¡± ¡°Sure. Wait for me.¡± After hanging up the call, Amanda saw her son standing before her. He was looking up and grinning at her. ¡°What¡¯s with the silly grin?¡± The child was ecstatic, smiling charmingly while asking, ¡°Mommy, do you think Mr. Simon¡¯s a great guy too? Did you bond with him?¡± This kid¡­ ¡°What are you talking about? Go take a bath and go to bed early. You¡¯re going to the kindergarten tomorrow!¡± Then, she picked up her son and headed for the bathroom. Aiden was unconvinced and continued asking, ¡°Mommy, is your heart made of stone? Mr. Simon is such a great guy. You should capture his heart quickly, or he¡¯ll be another kid¡¯s father!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s continue after your bath, okay?¡± She couldn¡¯t win against her stubborn son, but on the other hand, she felt quite sorry for him. It seemed like he really wanted a father¡­ ¡­ Early morning the following day, Amanda sent her son to kindergarten and got ready to head to thew firm. When she got into the driver¡¯s seat, her phone rang. It was a call from Helean. ¡°Hello? I¡¯m about to head to thew firm.¡± ¡°Wait, Amanda. Come straight to Winters Enterprise. There¡¯s something we need to discuss about the infringement case.¡± Another trip to Winters Enterprise! Amanda didn¡¯t want to take on this case, but when she remembered the perverted Jackson, she thought it would be better to make that trip. ¡°Fine. I understand. You should get there soon, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already here. I¡¯m currently inside thepany¡¯s high-level conference room. Come over, quick.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Amanda drove her car toward Winters Enterprise. ¡­ On the other hand, Elias was working at his desk in the president¡¯s office at Winters Enterprise. At that moment, the secretary entered and informed him, ¡°Mr. Winters, do you want to sit in during the infringement case¡¯s negotiation session? Thewyer responsible for this case, Amanda Bailey, will be¡­¡± Before the secretary finished speaking, Elias¡¯ pen tip stopped at the signature line, and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s thewyer¡¯s name again?¡± The secretary was terrified. She didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong, so she carefully repeated, ¡°Amanda Bailey from Justice & Associates.¡± Amanda again! A sh of surprise appeared inside Elias¡¯ obsidian eyes as he wondered, Amanda became awyer after four years? He faintly remembered Amanda graduated from the Imperia University of Political Science and Law. However, could it be a coincidence that she was thewyer responsible for this infringement case? At that moment, he seemed to recall the words Grace said yesterday and the recording he heard there. Did Amanda really return to get back with him and regain everything she lost? Putting his pen down, he instructed the secretary, ¡°Make the arrangements. I¡¯ll be sitting in during the negotiation.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Winters.¡± The secretary was almost scared to death. She thought she had made a rookie mistake. Luckily, everything was fine, and she brought the documents Elias signed and quickly exited the president¡¯s office. ¡­ In the high-level conference room. Amanda rushed all the way here and entered the conference to find the other party¡¯swyer and the person in charge had already arrived. A taboo during legal negotiations was beingte, but Amanda just happened to get stuck in a traffic jam on her way here and got dyed. Afterposing herself, she sat beside Helean and exined herself, ¡°My apologies. I got caught in a traffic jam just now.¡± The opposingwyer smiled without saying anything, indicating that it was fine. Helean whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Winters Enterprise hopes we can achieve a preliminary result after the first round of our first negotiation.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Amanda took out her documents and got ready to start working. But at that moment, the conference room door suddenly opened, and someone came in. Since Amanda was busy organizing her documents, she had no time to look. Unexpectedly, everyone stood up in unison and respectfully greeted, ¡°Mr. Winters.¡± Mr. Winters! Amanda, who was organizing her documents, was so surprised that her eyes widened. Could it be¡­ The moment she turned around, she felt like dying. It was Elias! She got up unwillingly and shot Helean a death stare before whispering in a voice only they could hear, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Elias was busy with day-to-day work and wouldn¡¯t participate in this case? What is he doing here then?¡± Feeling wronged, Helean shrugged as if saying he didn¡¯t know what was happening. Meanwhile, Elias immediately spotted Amanda. This was the first time he saw her in a professional suit, and he discovered she seemed more charming. She wore exquisite but light makeup, and her waist-long hair was worn down. As for her attire, she wore a nude pink chiffon shirt with a white skirt that hugged her hips and a pair of ck heels. Her waist was so slim that it seemed like he could break it with a slight pinch, and her long, beautiful legs were very attractive. That woman¡­ seemed to have changed a lot in the past for years. To be more precise, she became more beautiful. Back then,Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Amanda never wore any makeup and only wore tacky clothes. It waspletely different from now. Elias withdrew his gaze and sat in an empty seat before saying, ¡°Please continue. I¡¯m just sitting in.¡± He was exuding a majestic aura, and the chair he was sitting in didn¡¯t seem like a chair but a throne. His strong temperament felt suppressive to everyone present. Meanwhile, Amanda was a little out of it. How could she focus on her work with Elias sitting there? She wanted the floor to swallow her up, but she still forced herself to get into working mode. Looking up at thewyer opposite her, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡­ An hourter. The negotiation processsted an hour, and Elias¡¯ gaze was glued to Amanda¡¯s side profile the entire time. After the negotiation session ended, the other party¡¯swyer and the person in charge left. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey and I will also make our leave,¡± Helean announced respectfully. Unexpectedly, Elias smiled and ordered, ¡°You head outside. I would like to have a private conversation with Miss Bailey.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Sure.¡± Helean nced at Amanda and left. Meanwhile, Amanda ignored Elias and exited the conference room after packing her things. The man suddenly stood up and blocked her way. At the same time, he pulled her into his embrace and pinned her to the conference table. Amanda¡¯s eyes widened as she panicked. ¡°Elias, are you crazy? What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± She struggled to get up but couldn¡¯t move because the man had pinned her to the table. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you¡¯re after? Didn¡¯t you want to get my attention? Why are you acting innocent now that you have it?¡± Elias held her slim waist and caressed it. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Kissing Amanda Amanda tried to break free while hitting Elias¡¯ shoulders, screaming. I think you¡¯ve gone mad! Why would I want to get your attention? Are you sure? You didn¡¯t want a penny from me when signing the divorce papers, but now you¡¯re here earning my money. Don¡¯t you find that intriguing?¡± Elias punitively tightened his grip on her slim waist. Looking at Amanda¡¯s face in such a close range, Elias discovered she had clear, bright doe eyes and snowy-white skin that was delicate and smooth. In addition, her moving lips seemed very tempting. ¡°Do you think I did this willingly? I never wanted to take on this case. It was¡ª* Before Amanda could finish her words, Elias sneered and took out his phone to y the recording Grace showed him yesterday, Amanda instantly turned ashen while her eyes were filled with shock at the fact that Grace had recorded their conversation. Observing the changes in her expression, Elias was a little disappointed and mocked, ¡°Why did you stop? Surprised that Grace recorded everything? Are you trying to deny the words you said?¡± Those those were words of anger! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Amanda turned her face to the side, embarrassed. She didn¡¯t expect Grace to record their conversation, and everything she said was spoken out of anger. There was no way she would get back together with Elias! Then, Elias pulled her face back and asked, ¡°Do you think I would believe that?¡± ¡°What will it take for you to believe me? I told you. Those were words of anger, and I never wanted to remarry you. I¡¯ve finally escaped a living hell, so why would I return to that situation?¡± Living hell? Elias was pissed. Countless women didn¡¯t even have the chance to get in his bed, but Amanda described him as a living hell? Rip- Amanda¡¯s shirt was ripped open, and her eyes widened in shock while she silently screamed, ¡°Elias Winters!¡± Td like to see whether your body is more honest or if you are just being stubborn. Aren¡¯t you looking to remarry me? I¡¯m giving you a chance to let me see what you¡¯ve got.¡± Right after he finished, he unexpectedly lowered his head and forcefully sealed her lips. He had been staring at her lips for a long while, and they seemed fatally attractive, evoking his desire to taste them. The moment Elias kissed Amanda, he discovered he seemed to have fallen for her. Those lips were soft and sweet¡­ He was a little reluctant to let her ¡°Uhm¡­ you b*stard!¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes were wide as saucers. Her whole body felt like being electrocuted, and she bit down hard. Then, she heard the man groan in pain and tasted blood inside her mouth before she was finally. released. p! Amanda pped Elias, creating a loud sound that echoed inside the giant conference room. The force of the p turned Elias¡¯ face to the side and woke him up from his trance. There was trance. also a blood stain at the corner of his lips. ¡°Elias Winters! You¡¯re a jerk! Don¡¯t you worry. I won¡¯te to you even if you¡¯re the only man in the world!¡± Once she was done screaming, she held her ripped clothes together and hurriedly fled the conference room. Her frantic figure was obviously filled with terror. She didn¡¯t expect Elias would dare to make such an oundish move inside the conference room! On the other hand, Elias plopped onto a chair and sneered while gently wiping the blood from the corner of his lips. Had he gone mad? How could he suddenly have the urge to take Amanda right here? That p came at the right moment, or else he didn¡¯t know what he might do. The conference was dead silent, and no one dared to enter without his consent. In the meantime, Helean was pacing outside the conference room and asionally checked the time, wondering what Amanda and Elias might be talking about inside. ¡°Why isn¡¯t sheing out¡­¡± Helean muttered and then heard the door behind him opening. He turned around happily but saw Amandaing out in a disconcerted state. She was covering her chest like she had been taken advantage of, and her hair was messy. ¡°Amanda¡­ W-What happened? What were you and Mr. Winters talking about inside?¡± With a paleplexion, Amanda headed straight for the elevator, not wanting to say another word. ¡°Amanda, talk to me. What happened?¡± By now, Helean felt a little panicked. He promised Simon he would care for Amanda before his return¡­ ¡°Nothing happened. I just want to go home. I¡¯ll head to thew firm in the afternoon.¡± Since that se*mbag had torn her clothes, she had no choice but to return home and change her clothes. However, it was a small world indeed. Amanda didn¡¯t expect to see Grace standing before her when the elevator doors opened. Grace stared at Amanda standing outside the elevator with a shocked expression. ¡°Amanda¡­ Why are you here? What are you doing here?¡± Since she found this ce, it¡¯s clear that she¡¯s trying to get back with Elias! Suddenly, Grace noticed Amanda¡¯s messy hair, swollen lips, and blood at the corner of her mouth¡­. What does that mean? Why does she look like she has been kissing someone? At that moment, another elevator opened. Amanda didn¡¯t want to speak a word with Grace and only wanted to go home. She turned around and entered the other elevator while Helean quickly followed. ¡°Amanda! Exin to me why you¡¯re here!¡± Wanting to know what had happened. Grace chased after them, but the elevator doors had already closed. What the heck is happening here? Confused, Grace decided to ask Elias about it and went straight to the conference room. Back inside the conference room, Elias had his arms propped on the table while massaging his temples with his fingers, seemingly resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, the conference room doors were opened again. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Elias opened his eyes and saw Grace in front of him, asking. ¡°Elias, I just bumped into Amanda. Why does she-¡± Before she finished, she noticed the same blood stain at the corner of Elias¡¯ lips. Her eyes contracted suddenly, and her mind went nk. Amanda also had a blood stain on the corner of her lips, so what did that imply? The scene of two people kissing appeared in Grace¡¯s mind! She suddenly lost her bnce and stumbled backward. Then, she lost her cool and loudly used. ¡°What¡­ What were you guys doing just now?¡± ¡°Why are you screaming?¡± Elias seemed frustrated as hezily rose to his feet. Tears streamed down Grace¡¯s eyes as she sobbed. ¡°Elias, you told me you never had feelings for her, so why did you kiss her? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for her?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°Then why did you kiss her?¡± Grace felt overwhelmed with pain. It was like her heart was being ripped into pieces. Elias avoided her question. ¡°Why are you here? You¡¯ve just gotten discharged, so shouldn¡¯t you be resting at home? I¡¯ll send you back.¡± While he spoke, he turned to leave the conference room. But Grace pulled his arm. ¡°You won¡¯t abandon me, will you? You promised Yn you would care for me. He even sacrificed his life for you!¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Grandpa Invited Her to The Birthday Banquet ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me again. I¡¯ve never forgotten about it! I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d abandon you!¡± A wave of irritability surged into the man¡¯s heart. He never ignored Yn¡¯s entrustment before he died, but he hated her repeated reminders. Grace panicked upon seeing Elias¡¯ state, trembling as she said, ¡°Elias, don¡¯t be upset. I have no other intentions; I¡¯m just too afraid of losing you¡­¡± He looked back at the girl behind him. This was Yn¡¯s only sister, and he could not let him down no matter what. After all, he died too tragically, and he died for him. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll take you back. You just got discharged and need some rest,¡± said Elias. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you. Don¡¯t be upset. Please don¡¯t abandon me.¡± Grace nodded obediently. It was rare for this man to behave so nicely because everyone knew how bad his temper was. She walked out of the meeting room while following behind the man. Yet, when she thought of the hickeys on the corners of Elias and Amanda¡¯s mouths, she felt as ufortable as a bug sting on her heart. Wait for this, Amanda! Don¡¯t ever try to take Elias back or remarry him! Over at the parking lot, when Helean saw Amanda like this, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°Amanda, are you okay? There¡¯s no one here. Can you tell me what happened in the conference room just now? Did Mr. Winters do something to you?¡± Anyone with a keen eye could tell that she had been humiliated based on her appearance. Still, he could not figure it out as Elias did not look like that kind of person. How could this be? ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please apply for a leave on my behalf. I¡¯m not feeling well and wanna head home to rest. I¡¯ll go to thew firm in the afternoon.¡± She sat in the driver¡¯s seat and drove away immediately after that. She was frustrated throughout the journey as her thoughts reyed the scene where she was under the man on the table back in the conference room. The kiss¡­ After returning home, she took off her torn clothes before heading into the bathroom to turn on the shower. She shut her eyes and felt the cold water pour, hoping it would wake her up. Suddenly, she yelled out irritably, ¡°Argh!¡± How could I still feel something when that sc*mbag kissed me in the conference room? This cannot be! The same mistakes cannot be repeated! The thought of the man ripping her clothes and kissing her passionately sent her blood pressure sky- high. After flushing herself with cold water, she exited the bathroom and changed into a new set of clothes. With some light makeup on, she was ready to return to thew firm. Can¡¯t have people talking when I¡¯ve just joined, right? When Amanda arrived at Justice & Associates, she received a call from the nanny. ¡°Hello, Miss Bailey. Something came up at home today, and I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t pick up Aiden. Would you be able to do it? I won¡¯t be taking the wages for today. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Amanda looked through the day¡¯s schedule and realized she could leave work on time in the afternoon, so she agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pick him up.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Thank you, Miss Bailey. You¡¯re such a nice person.¡± After hanging up the phone, she continued her work. She had to speed up that day to pick up her kid from school. Before the end of school time, the preschool called, saying that Aiden had fought with another child at school. Consequently, she hurried to the kindergarten and stopped at the gate when she saw Howard standing there. Why is he here? Is he picking up his kids too? Whose child is he picking up? Just when she was wondering how to sneak in, he turned around with a lonely face and saw her figure at a nce. Instantly, he smiled and shouted, ¡°Amanda!¡± Her n to hide from him failed, so she had no choice but to walk over with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Grandpa, why are you here?¡± On that topic, Howard became angry. ¡°I want to see some lively children. If you hadn¡¯t divorced, my little great-grandson would have gone to school by now,¡± heined like a grumbling Woman. Amanda could onlyugh awkwardly. ¡°Why are you here? This is a kindergarten. Did you give birth to Elias¡¯ child four years ago?¡± He suddenly became emotional, as if he wanted to see through her at a nce. ¡°No! I¡¯m going there to¡­ do something!¡± She was so frightened that she almost stuttered and pointed to the office building opposite. Wow. He¡¯s spot on. Her little heart was about to jump out, hoping he would not question her further and render her in a tough spot. Hearing her answer, Howard sighed in disappointment and answered, ¡°I thought you secretly gave birth to my little great-grandson.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you, Grandpa.¡± He waved his hand and replied, ¡°Forget it. You¡¯ll give birth sooner orter when you guys remarry. By the way, I¡¯ll be having my 70th birthday in a few days. See you there.¡± ¡°Grandpa, I can attend your birthday banquet, but let¡¯s forget about the remarriage. We have our separate lives now.¡± She took the chance to destroy his fantasy. Why is he always insisting we remarry? ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about the remarriage. You muste to my 70th birthday. Since you promised me, you must not back out! I must see you that day! Otherwise, I¡¯ll send someone to tie you up! That¡¯s it! I¡¯m leaving!¡± As soon as Howard gave the order, he left without waiting for her reply. This domineering and powerful attitude isparable to Elias. It¡¯s no wonder that the grandfather and grandson are alike. It turns out that their temperaments run in the family. Anyway, Amanda finally breathed a sigh of relief as she could pick up her son after seeing Howard escorted into the car by the bodyguards. Then, she hurriedly paced toward the school. Inside the ssroom, Aiden¡¯s small body stood against the wall, pouting in grievance with his puppy eyes full of defiance. Meanwhile, the teacher was holding another little boy, trying to appease him. When Amanda came in, she saw the scene and immediately went over to hug her son, anxiously asking. ¡°Baby, are you okay?¡± The teacher, however, was harsh. ¡°Aiden¡¯s mother, your son hit another child, so how could he not be okay?¡± Amanda ignored the teacher and patiently asked her son, ¡°Why did you hit him?¡± The little boy pouted and said in an aggrieved tone. ¡°That¡¯s because he said I don¡¯t have a dad and. that I¡¯m a wild child. Mommy, am I a wild child?¡± Hearing that rendered her speechless. The pitiful tone of her baby left her stunned, feeling at sharp pain in her heart. She stood up indignantly and looked at the teacher beside her. ¡°Excuse me. Did you teach them to use the word ¡®wild child¡¯ against my son?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± ¡°Then, why did you only punish my son while coaxing the other in your arms?¡± Amanda¡¯s anger surged. I cannot believe this. ¡°Since he was the one who started it first, and they couldn¡¯t be separated, I had to- Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Can You Be Mommy¡¯s Husband? The teacher had not finished speaking when Amanda picked up her son and angrily eximed, ¡°If all the teachers at this school have your work ethic, I¡¯ll have to consider switching my son to a different one. I didn¡¯t pay for him toe here and be humiliated.¡± She left with Aiden in her arms. Amanda carried her son outside the school gate and ced him on a bench by the roadside. She gently rubbed his little head and said, ¡°Aiden, it¡¯s wrong for them to call you a wild child, but it¡¯s also wrong for you to hit someone. Do you understand?¡± He sat on the bench, swinging his short little legs adorably. The pouting kid did not respond and merely turned his head away. She smiled helplessly and concluded, ¡°Alright, I know you¡¯re upset. Are you hungry? Mommy will take you to eat something delicious.¡± ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to return to that ce!¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy will find you a new school tomorrow, okay?¡± Aiden finally smiled and nodded happily, then jumped off the bench and shouted, ¡°I wanna eat steak!¡± She felt a twinge of pain in her heart as she watched her dear son. He must¡¯ve felt awful when others called him a wild child. Is it time for me to find him a¡­. dad? After returning home that night, Amanda bathed and changed her son into his pajamas before putting him to bed. ¡°Baby, read your book for a while. Mommy will go take a shower.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He obediently took out his picture book and started reading, but as soon as she entered the bathroom, he secretly dialed Simon¡¯s phone number using her phone. The call was quickly answered before a man¡¯s gentle and charming voice came through. ¡°Amanda, why are you still up sote?¡± ¡°Uncle Simon, it¡¯s me!¡± Upon hearing the adorable voice, the man chuckled and asked, ¡°Little guy, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet? Don¡¯t you have school tomorrow?¡± ¡°Uncle Simon, can you be my mommy¡¯s husband?¡± Aiden asked seriously into the phone. Simon had long been the perfect candidate for his father, but his mommy was not making things happen! How frustrating! The man¡¯s voice was full of indulgence as heughed and asked, ¡°Little guy, do you want me to be your dad?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you marry my mommy, you can be my dad, and we¡¯ll all be perfect. Besides, you don¡¯t have a baby or a wife.¡± Aiden blinked his big eyes and felt that he had a valid argument. At that moment, Amanda walked out of the bathroom and overheard his words. ¡°Aiden Bailey, what are you talking about?¡± She walked over and snatched the phone away from him. The kid looked at her with a pitiful expression and shouted, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Go to sleep! Mr. Simon is very busy. Why do you keep bothering him with phone calls?¡± she scolded him. Embarrassed, she took the phone to the balcony and awkwardly exined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this little brat keeps bothering you with his calls.¡± ¡°It was nothing, so don¡¯t be angry at him.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Well¡­ Don¡¯t take to heart what he said earlier. You know how children can be,¡± she said. She knew she was not good enough for Simon and had never thought otherwise. He was so outstanding while she was a divorcee with a son. How could she be worthy of him? On the other end of the phone, he surprisingly said, ¡°What if I told you that I did take it to heart?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She was stunned and did not know how to react for a moment. What does that mean? ¡°You should go to bed. Goodnight. I¡¯ll get back to work.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Amanda hung up the call, still confused. Sheughed in resignation as she did not believe Simon was serious. I¡¯m way out of his league. Soon, it was the day of Howard¡¯s birthday banquet. Before Amanda had even finished work at thew firm, he phoned her, after which she answered, ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Amanda, today is my birthday banquet. Since you promised toe, you must be here. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± ¡°Grandpa, I- ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses! Can¡¯t you even attend my birthday banquet? I¡¯ve doted on you for nothing.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She was rendered helpless andughed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there on time, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Good! I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± After hanging up the phone, she opened her office drawer and took out a ck velvet box. It was ¨¤ birthday present she had prepared for Howard four years ago, but she never got the chance after her divorce. This was the perfect opportunity to deliver the gift to him, but that was all-she nned to hand over the present and leave right away. What she did not know, though, was that he had set a trap for her and was determined to get her back together with Elias! Night fell, and Amanda handed her kid over to the nanny. She changed her clothes and set off for Howard¡¯s birthday banquet. As she arrived at the hotel banquet hall, she saw Elias and Grace in attendance. This is awkward¡­ I can neither walk nor back off. Luckily, Howard spotted her immediately and walked over with a smile. ¡°Amanda! You finally made it. I¡¯ve been waiting for you. I thought you weren¡¯ting.¡± She smiled and said, ¡°Of course, I came, Grandpa. I always keep my promises. Happy birthday to you. I wish you a long and healthy life.¡± She took out the birthday gift she had prepared long ago and handed it over. ¡°Grandpa, this is a rare Moldavite pendant I sourced for you. I hope you like it.¡± When Elias saw her, a hint of displeasure crossed his handsome but frowning face; he did not expect her to show up. Meanwhile, Grace¡¯s face was even uglier. Amanda¡¯s presence felt like a deliberate attempt by Howard to embarrass her. He was cold to her but warm to Amanda, clearly trying to make her look bad in front of the other guests. Howard epted the gift and opened it, revealing a pleasantly surprised expression. ¡°Amanda knows me best.¡± Grace nced at it with disdain, thinking it was just a piece of rock. What¡¯s so special about it? She could not help but chime in. ¡°You know, Grandpa, the Kashmir sapphire I gifted you were sold for four million at the auction. I¡ª¡± As soon as she spoke, Howard became unhappy and retorted unkindly, ¡°Did you buy it with your own money? Wasn¡¯t it bought with money from Elias? Why not just say that it was a gift from my grandson?¡± Her face instantly turned pale, and she was speechless in response. Elias roared, ¡°Grandpa!¡± ¡°Am I wrong? She spent our family¡¯s money on a piece of sapphire. Do I not know how to spend my money? Do I need her to do it for me?¡± His words were full of sarcasm, and hepletely looked down on her. ¡°Elias, stop it. It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± uttered Grace as she grabbed the man¡¯s arm, her face as pale as paper. Amanda was a little frightened when she saw the scene, not expecting Howard to be this good at pissing someone off. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Amanda and Elias Got Locked In (1) She didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter, and she could sense that it wasn¡¯t safe to stay around for too long. I¡¯ve already received the gift, so I shoulde up with some excuse to leave now. Amanda pretended to nce at her phone before looking up at Howard. I¡¯m afraid I have some matters to handle at work, Grandpa. I think I should- Howard cut her off before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Are you going to leave now? How could I allow that? Whatpany is this-how could they take up your personal time now that it¡¯s past working hours?¡± Howard wasn¡¯t about to let Amanda off just like that. He had to go on with his initial n for the night. ¡°I just started this job a while ago, so it¡¯s a little more hectic, Grandpa, I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Amanda uttered in an awkward tone. Howard, on the other hand, spoke in a much firmer tone. ¡°Who¡¯s your leader?¡± Jackson¡¯s voice came out of nowhere. ¡°I¡¯m Jackson McCalister from Justice & Associates, Old Mr. Winters. I have the authority to let Amanda off work for today, so she can spend your birthday with you. She won¡¯t have to work overtime.¡± She was too stunned to speak after she turned around to see Jackson stepping out of the crowd. I can¡¯t believe Mr. McCalister is at the party too! Howard grinned with satisfaction when he heard Jackson¡¯s words. ¡°Look at that, Amanda. Your leader gave you his orders! You can stay since you don¡¯t have to work overtime,¡± he said. ¡°I¡­¡± Amanda could no longer find another excuse to leave. I can¡¯t say I have a baby at home to care for, can I? ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay around to spend Old Mr. Winters¡¯ birthday with him, Amanda?¡± Jackson could tell that something was up when he saw how much the Winters Family cared for Amanda. Thew firm happened to be targeting Winters Enterprise as one of its legal clients, so Jackson saw this as the perfect opportunity. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amanda had no choice but to nod in agreement. ¡°Come here and take a seat beside me. It¡¯s been a while since west had a chat.¡± Howard led Amanda to take a seat at the table with him. Grace happened to witness this scene, and she felt extremely aggrieved at the sight of what was going on. She bit her bottom lip so hard that it nearly bled. ¡°I need to use the washroom, Elias.¡± With a sullen look on her face, Grace walked over to the washroom. She had the urge to walk over and start an argument with Howard, but she could only force herself to keep it all in because of where they were at. Elias had his usual icy look on his face as he shot the woman a nce before he quietly shifted his gaze back to Amanda. Amanda was dressed in a light blue dress that showcased her slim figure and her curves. She had slender, fair thighs that caught everyone¡¯s eyes and soft silky curls that went down to her waist. She gave off a feminine but sexy aura, especially with her makeup that enhanced her clear, bright eyes. One would find it hard to tear their gaze away after looking at her. Meanwhile, Grace quietly sobbed to herself in one of the cubicles in the washroom. Her tears were ones of resentment and sorrow. Right then, she overheard a conversation that was going on outside. ¡°What a joke. Did you see the look on Grace¡¯s face earlier? She looked utterly furious! Old Mr. Winters doesn¡¯t seem interested in her at all, and he even ced all his focus on some other woman just to make things awkward for Grace,¡± someone said. ¡°Exactly! It was hrious. If I were Grace, I would have been too embarrassed to even stay around and just left,¡± another person said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Grace will never be a part of the Winters Family!¡± ¡°There¡¯s really nothing special about her. I have no idea why Elias chose her! She¡¯s just some rookie celebrity in the entertainment industry, and she only got to where she is because of all the money Elias invested in her.¡± All of a sudden, a loud m filled the washroom as Grace threw her cubicle door open. ¡°What are you guys talking about? Do you think I¡¯d be afraid to p all of your faces?!¡± she cried. The two women who had been chatting let out a shrill scream when they turned and saw Grace. They were so terrified that they scrambled out of the washroom immediately. At the same time, Amanda was seated in a tense posture beside Howard in the dining hall. She felt especially uneasy as she could sense Elias¡¯ gaze on her. Is he mad because I showed up and took the spotlight away from Grace? I didn¡¯t want to do this! Amanda subtly turned her body sideways just to avoid the man¡¯s sinister re. Then, she pulled her phone out to send the nanny a text, telling the nanny to stay a little longer with the baby as she might be homete that night. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. While Amanda was on her phone, one of the bodyguards walked up and whispered something into Howard¡¯s ear. Howard nodded and gave the bodyguard a look that told the bodyguard to stand down. A comcent grin formed on the old man¡¯s face, and momentster, she let out a loud gasp. ¡°Ah!¡± Howard had identally spilled a ss of red wine all over her dress. ¡°Oh, gosh. I¡¯m so sorry, Amanda! I didn¡¯t mean to do that. Are you okay? You should get changed.¡± He wore an innocent look on his face as he repeatedly apologized to the woman. Amanda wiped off some of the wine with a napkin. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°Please bring Amanda over to the guest room where she can get changed.¡± Howard called for the bodyguard toe over, and a burly man stepped forward ¡°This way, Miss Bailey.¡± A huge section of her dress was stained, so Amanda had no choice but to get changed. Elias frowned as he watched the woman walk off. ¡°You did that intentionally, didn¡¯t you. Grandpa?¡± he muttered in a deep voice. He had witnessed the entire scene, and he saw how his grandfather had intentionally tipped the ss while he was holding it earlier. Howard¡¯s expression was calm as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m getting old. Isn¡¯t it normal for my hands to tremble a little?¡± Howard took a nce at Elias¡¯ wine as he spoke. Elias was almost done with his ss. After a short while, Howard spoke again. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Amanda back yet? Why don¡¯t you go check on her, Elias?¡± Elias was speechless, Isn¡¯t Grandpa being a little too obvious with his intentions? He¡¯s clearly trying to give me and Amanda a chance to be alone. ¡°I don¡¯t want to check on her. Women take forever to get changed, anyway.¡± Howard fumed at Elias¡¯ words. ¡°You little brat! Are you going to make me mad even on my birthday? Do you want to give me a heart attack? My blood pressure is getting higher nowadays¡­¡± Elias was silent for a moment before he lifted his wine ss and finished the rest of his drink. Then, he got up and left the table. Howard couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when he saw Elias¡¯ empty ss. Once Amanda got to the presidential suite, she froze at the sight before her eyes. Gosh, Old Mr. Winters sure leads a luxurious life, but¡­ I just need to get changed. Why did he take me to the presidential suite? And¡­ where is my change of clothes? Amanda waited for a while more, but no one brought her clothes at all. She wanted to head out to ask around, but she then realized that she couldn¡¯t open the door! Her eyes widened in shock. What does this mean? And why does my head feel like it¡¯s spinning¡­ That¡¯s weird. At that moment, the guard was keeping watch by the entrance. Elias showed up at the end of the corridor before he walked over. ¡°Isn¡¯t she out yet?¡± Elias nced at the bodyguard. ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± the guard replied. Elias frowned at this, a hint of confusion in his gaze. Regardless of how slow a girl can be, she should be done by now. What¡¯s going on? He wanted to go in to take a look, so the guard pulled out the keycard and tapped him in. Elias was suspicious for a brief moment, but he ended up walking in anyway. The moment he entered the room, he heard the door closing behind him, and a loud click sounded as the door Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Amanda and Elias Got Locked In (2) Elias didn¡¯t think much about it at first-he simply walked into the room. However, he then noticed that Amanda seemed to have fallen asleep on the bed. Did she really fall asleep here? No wonder she¡¯s been gone for so long. Elias walked over to nce at the sleeping woman, and he realized how her cheeks seemed rather flushed. She was mumbling something in her sleep¡­ ¡°Amanda? Wake up,¡± he called. Amanda still seemed rather drowsy as she mumbled a few words. ¡°Switch on the air-conditioning. It¡¯s too hot¡­¡± Hot? Elias looked around the room to realize that he was in a presidential suite. Grandpa put in this much effort, huh? The man patted the woman on her cheeks as he gave her orders in a stern voice. ¡°Wake up right now!¡± Amanda seemed to sober up a little after that. She weakly pushed herself into a sitting position before she took a good nce at the man before her eyes. ¡°When did youe in?¡± she gasped. ¡°I came to check on you because I was afraid that you might sleep through the night here.¡± The man¡¯s tone was harsh, and his demeanor was as cold as ever. All of a sudden, Elias realized how warm the room was. He loosened his tie with a frustrated sigh before he turned to leave the room. He wanted to step out for some fresh air. However, when he got to the door, he realized that the door had been locked from the outside. This is a hotel, so for the door to be locked from the outside¡­ It has to be one of the staff members who did it. Does this mean that all of this is¡­ part of Grandpa¡¯s n? At that thought, Elias couldn¡¯t help but curse to himself. ¡°F*ck!¡± Amanda dragged herself over to the man before she addressed him in a weak voice. ¡°Is it locked from the outside? I couldn¡¯t get out earlier-that¡¯s why I was so surprised when I saw you in the room.¡± Elias was speechless for a while. It seems like Grandpa nned this whole thing out. Elias sensed that there was something wrong with the way his body felt, and he then recalled the ss of red wine he drank in the hall earlier. Could Grandpa have drugged us? The man lost his temper immediately. How could Grandpa drug his own grandchild? He sure is a reckless man! ¡°Open the door. Open the door now!¡± Elias kicked the door hard, but the guards outside didn¡¯t respond to his protests at all. Amanda only realized what was going on then. Was this all part of Grandpa¡¯s n? ¡°Is Grandpa the one who locked us in?¡± she asked. Elias tried his best to contain what he was feeling. ¡°He even drugged us!¡± he hissed through gritted teeth. What?! Amanda widened her eyes in shock before she stumbled a few steps backward. She couldn¡¯t believe that Howard would do such a thing to them. He¡¯s really trying to get us back together! That exins why I¡¯ve been feeling so dizzy and uneasy. I can¡¯t even describe how I feel now. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Elias! Don¡¯t you daree near me! You can take a cold shower if you feel unwell. Just don¡¯t touch me!¡± she cried. Then, Amanda took a pillow and held it in front of her chest as if it would shield her from the man. The man turned around with a dark gaze in his eyes. A look of disdain formed in his expression when he saw how cautious and alert Amanda seemed. ¡°I neverid a finger on you, even when you were my wife. What makes you think that I would touch you now? You think too highly of yourself?¡± he hissed. ¡°Have you forgotten how you bit me like a wild animal back when we were in the meeting room?¡± she snapped. A wild animal? Elias felt rage building up in his chest as he stormed over and reduced the gap between Amanda and him. ¡°How dare you call me a wild animal, Amanda? You sure gained some courage, huh!¡± The more he looked at the woman¡¯s pink cheeks and her moist, soft lips; the more he felt like kissing her. Eventually, he pushed her back down to sit on the bed. She figured that it was best if she kept her lips sealed. Elias had also been drugged, after all-Amanda knew that she would be no match for him if he were to lose his cool and sumb to the effects of the drug. Grace was beyond puzzled when she returned to the dinner party. Where did both Amanda and Elias go? Did they just disappear while I went to the toilet? Grace started feeling rather anxious after waiting around for a while more. She called Elias, but she couldn¡¯t get through to him at all. ¡°Where did Elias go, Old Mr. Winters? Did he have something to do?¡± she asked Howard with an awkward smile on her face. Howard felt annoyed just at the sight of the helpless and meek look on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Do you expect him to stay by your side all the time? He¡¯s a man, and he¡¯s the heir of Winters Enterprise!¡± Howard replied sternly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa. I was just curious,¡± Grace muttered. She had intended to ask about Amanda¡¯s whereabouts as well, but she stopped herself after seeing the way Howard responded to her. She had no choice but to continue calling Elias. However, her call still didn¡¯t get through, and even when it did, no one picked up the call. What is Elias up to? Why isn¡¯t he picking up his phone? Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. The guests began to leave after the party ended, but even then. Elias and Amanda were still nowhere to be seen. Grace was close to panicking at this point, and she couldn¡¯t contain her worry for much longer. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Elias back, Old Mr. Winters? Everyone¡¯s about to leave. Also, where¡¯s Amanda? Has she left?¡± Grace asked Howard. ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re handling some business,¡± Howard replied with a serious tone. However, a rather sinister smirk then formed on his wrinkled face. Judging by how long they took, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re feeling the effects of the medication, he thought. Grace froze upon hearing the old man¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean? What business do they have to deal with?¡± ¡°You should give up on your dreams of marrying Elias. You won¡¯t get to do that as long as I¡¯m around. I¡¯ve already arranged for Elias and Amanda to share a room tonight, and I want them to give me a grandchild before remarrying each other.¡± Howard was transparent with his wishes. He no longer felt the need to hide anything-he wanted to make it clear that he didn¡¯t like Grace. Grace felt as if an explosion had just gone off in her head. She looked shocked and felt her legs. turning weak. They¡­ They¡¯re sharing a room¡­ Amanda and Elias?! Tears started gushing down Grace¡¯s cheeks as she wailed. ¡°How could you do such a thing. Grandpa? I¡¯m the one that Elias loves! Why would you force him to marry a woman he doesn¡¯t like? Why would you force him to have a child with someone he doesn¡¯t love?¡± Upon finishing her sentence, Grace turned and hurried off. She had to find Elias-she didn¡¯t want him in the same room as Amanda. ¡°Stop her and send her home! I don¡¯t want her to roam around!¡± Howard gave orders to his bodyguards. The two bodyguards immediately rushed over to hold Grace back. She couldn¡¯t escape their grip, so all she could do was cry and wail frantically. ¡°This is unfair, Grandpa! How dare you ruin my rtionship with Elias? How could Amanda do this? Elias doesn¡¯t even love her! Elias belongs to me! I¡¯m the one he should marry!¡± ¡°Stop dreaming. I¡¯d never let some actress like you into the Winters Family.¡± Howard could no longer be bothered to deal with Grace, so he simply turned to leave the hall. The bodyguards hauled Grace out of the hall, and she couldn¡¯t free herself no matter how hard she tried. Hatred surfaced in her eyes as she stared at the old man and her cheeks were stained with tears. That damned old man! I won¡¯t be able to enter the Winters Family as long as he¡¯s around. What if I kill him? A sinister idea began to form in her mind. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Let¡¯s Go Along With Grandpa¡¯s Wishes Meanwhile, the air in the presidential suite was warm and filled with sexual tension, although both Amanda and Elias were silent. Amanda had gotten back into bed and wrapped herself tightly with the sheets while Elias sat on the couch. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he eventually took his tie off as he felt too suffocated by it. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you dare remove your clothes!¡± Amanda assumed that he was about to start stripping when she saw his actions and her eyes widened with fear. They were starting to feel the full effects of the drugs, and they were both clinging to their final bit of sanity. Elias had finished his entire ss of red wine, so he was feeling a lot more of the effects. The horrible sensation spread across his entire body, and he eventually got to his feet before walking over to the bed. When he saw Amanda, who was all wrapped up in therge,fortable bed, he couldn¡¯t help but let out augh. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just go along with Grandpa¡¯s wishes?¡± What?! Amanda was stunned. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Elias bent down to press his arms against the bed and edged his wless face a little closer to Amanda as he spoke in a seductive tone. ¡°You were once my wife, yet we¡¯ve never slept together. Come to think of it, it¡¯s a pity,¡± he whispered. Amanda was speechless for a while. I don¡¯t understand. Why won¡¯t he admit to what happened during the celebration four years ago? If we never slept together, then where did the babye from? We only slept together that one time, and I got pregnant immediately after that, she thought. She couldn¡¯t contain her frustration when she saw the shameless look on Elias¡¯ face. ¡°A pity? What nonsense are you talking about? F*ck off!¡± she hissed as she sent a kick toward his groin area. At that moment, he lurched forward and pulled her over to lie on top of him. His six-foot-tall figure seemed especially powerful and domineering at that moment. ¡°Elias!¡± Amanda let out a scream. Elias seemed to have lost his mind at that point, and he leaned in to give Amanda a kiss. His sharp jaw and the veins on his neck made him look especially sexy then. Amanda quickly turned away before growling at him. ¡°You can look for Grace if you¡¯re that horny! Aren¡¯t you deeply in love with her? I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to sleep with you!¡± The man¡¯s expression changed immediately. ¡°Shut up!¡± he shouted directly in Amanda¡¯s face. Then, he sat upright before storming over to the washroom with a hard, cold look on his face. He no longer looked at the woman on the bed after that. Soon enough, Amanda heard the sound of the shower being turned on in the washroom. After all the wrestling that happened in bed earlier, ayer of sweat had formed on Amanda¡¯s smooth, pale forehead. She was still dazed after Elias shouted at her-she had no idea how she had triggered him. Meanwhile, Elias turned on the cold shower right after he got into the washroom. He stood still as the icy water sshed all over him. For some reason, his head ached whenever he recalled the whiny look on Grace¡¯s face. He could hear her wailing and begging for him to take responsibility. She¡¯s probably going to cry to me again after tonight. Just the thought of it made him frustrated. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Elias spent about half an hour in the shower before he stepped out of the washroom in a bathrobe. Amanda was alert from the moment she heard soundsing from the washroom, and she quickly sat upright even though her entire body felt weak and shaky. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the couch. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lay a finger on you, Elias muttered in his deep and raspy voice. Then, he walked toward the couch before lying down. When he pulled his phone out to take a look, he realized that there was no signal on his phone. Well, Grandpa sure is one heartless man. Is he trying to get himself a great-grandchild by tonight? Amanda, who was still on the bed, stared at the man¡¯s figure for a long while. She only heaved a sigh of relief after the man was motionless for a long while. Then, she mustered herst bit of energy to bring herself to the washroom to take a cold shower. However, she simply couldn¡¯t stand on her own two feet-she felt like her whole body was being eaten up by tiny ants at that moment. Without warning, she fell onto the ground. Amanda could no longer bring herself to move-she didn¡¯t have the strength to even crawl into the washroom. Upon hearing the noise, Elias walked over to check on her. ¡°Do you need help?¡± His figure towered above her. ¡°No¡­ Go away¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t have the energy to shout, so her voice was soft and weak. The very next second, Elias bent down and picked her up before bringing her to the washroom. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amanda was close to panicking. I know my Grandpa well-he probably used really strong drugs in our drinks. Your body can¡¯t handle it. You need to take a cold shower.¡± Elias helped her into the bathtub before he began to fill up the tub. She felt much better after lying down in the tub. It felt as if she had finally found an oasis after being in the desert for days. Elias made sure that the tub was filled up with water before he gave her instructions. ¡°You can stay for about half an hour. I¡¯ll help you out after that,¡± he uttered before turning to leave the washroom. Amanda felt rather puzzled then. Why does Elias lookpletely fine? Did the drugs wear off for him already? However, outside the washroom, sweat continued Stream down Elias¡¯ face. Only the heavens knew how much he had been controlling and restraining himself when he carried Amanda into. the bath earlier. He felt as if his entire body was about to combust into mes. He could feel himself heating up and was desperate to get himself inside of her. The next morning, Amanda slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying in bed. She gazed toward the couch to realize that Elias was no longer there. With a look of confusion on her face, she sat upright in bed. She couldn¡¯t recall how she got into bed the night before. Elias was probably the one who helped me to bed. But¡­ Can we open the room door now? Amanda threw the sheets aside and walked over to try the door handle. As expected, the door was no longer locked. They had survived the long night. All of a sudden, Amanda was reminded of her child! I wasn¡¯t home the whole night. I bet that little baby threw a tantrum! Meanwhile, Grace was seated on one of the couches in the president¡¯s office of Winters Enterprise. She had arrived earlier that morning with a pale look on her face and dark circles under her eyes. She hadn¡¯t slept at all the night before, but she kept her gaze fixed on the door as she waited for Elias to show up. All of a sudden, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Grace shifted her gaze up to see Elias walking in. Tears streamed down her cheeks immediately and she threw her arms around Elias the moment he stepped into his office. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Elias! I stayed up the whole night for you! Why did Grandpa have to do that? I don¡¯t understand. Why does he have to torture me?¡± Grace wrapped her arms tightly around Elias as she cried her heart out. ¡°Alright. Stop crying.¡± Elias stroked the back of Grace¡¯s head. When Grace thought about how Amanda and Elias might have slept together the night before, she pushed him away from her. ¡°Last night, did you and Amanda¡­ have any¡­¡± ¡°Nothing happened between us,¡± Elias exined. Then, he walked toward his table as if he was no longer interested in discussing this matter. ¡°How could that be? Don¡¯t lie to me! You guys were drugged, so how could you guys have controlled yourselves? Elias!¡± Grace shouted like a mad woman. She was acting just like how Elias had expected her to-she showed up to cause a fuss early in the morning. He massaged his brows before speaking in a rather annoyed tone. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Do you think I¡¯d lie about sleeping with a woman?¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 I¡¯m Angry! I¡¯m Sad! When Grace noticed the look of frustration on Elias¡¯ face, she panicked a little. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll trust you! But¡­ Wasn¡¯t it hard for you to hold yourself backst night, Elias? How did you control yourself?¡± Grace asked in a cautious tone. She didn¡¯t want to make him angry. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust him-it was simply that she couldn¡¯t trust Amanda! That was the perfect chance for Amanda to reconnect with Elias. Why would she give up on such a good opportunity? ¡°I took a cold shower, Elias muttered tly. Grace felt a lot more relieved after hearing his exnation. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn¡¯t bother to exin himself if he had slept with Amanda-he would¡¯ve just admitted to it instead. Elias wasn¡¯t a man who liked exining himself, after all. A smile surfaced on Grace¡¯s face as she walked over to Elias. ¡°Do you still feel the effects of the drugs now, Elias? Do you feel better¡­.?¡± she asked bashfully. ¡°Yeah.¡± Elias sat down on his office chair to prepare for work. He had a meeting with higher managementter that day. ¡°If you need anything, I¡­ I can help you feel better, Elias. I¡¯m your girlfriend, and I¡­¡± Grace was too shy to even look him in the eyes. Elias had never onceid hands on her, and she couldn¡¯t seem to get him to do it no matter how hard she tried. Up until then, Grace was still lying to him about the night of the celebration four years ago. Would Elias still feel responsible for me if he found out that he didn¡¯t sleep with me at all that night? Grace was too afraid to imagine how Elias might react if he ever found out. So, she knew that she had to sleep. with him before he found out about the truth. Otherwise, she would be at risk of getting dumped. by him. Grace¡¯s fists were clenched as she waited anxiously for the man¡¯s answer. Elias, who was signing some documents with a pen, halted his movements for a second. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m fine.¡± An awkward silence filled the air after that. A look of disappointment and shame appeared on Grace¡¯s face. It was embarrassing enough for a woman to be the one making such suggestions, and it was worse to be rejected! In an attempt to deal with the awkwardness, Grace changed the topic. ¡°Are you busy this afternoon? Can you spend some time with me? I need you.¡± Amanda hurried back to her house in Lotus Waterfront to find the nanny and her baby having breakfast together. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that the nanny had stayed the night. ¡°Why are you only home now, Miss Bailey? I nearly called the cops! The baby was crying for you, and I didn¡¯t want to leave him alone.¡± The nanny couldn¡¯t help butin when she saw Amanda. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Aiden¡¯s big, round eyes lit up when he saw his mother, but he then turned his head away grumpily. He didn¡¯t want to look at her. Amanda gave them a helpless smile. I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯te homest night as something came up. Thank you for staying around to care for the baby. I¡¯ll give you an extra allowance for it, she told the nanny. ¡°It¡¯s not about the money. I was just worried about you! I¡¯m d you¡¯re back. I guess I should leave now-I have a bunch of things to do at home, too, the nanny uttered. ¡°Alright. Thank you forst night. Goodbye. After sending the nanny off, Amanda came back to the dining table to find Aiden stuffing his face with breakfast. The young boy hadn¡¯t met her gaze since she came home, and it was obvious that he was angry at her. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but giggle when she saw her son¡¯s chubby and smooth cheeks. ¡°Why won¡¯t you look at me. Aiden?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The young boy grunted at his mother before he went back to eating his breakfast. He didn¡¯t want to speak to Amanda at all. ¡°Aiden? Are you really going to ignore Mommy?¡± Amanda tried her luck again. The child was throwing a pretty bad tantrum as he was persistent in ignoring her. ¡°Baby? Don¡¯t ignore me. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d always forgive me?¡± Amanda knew that the boy had every reason to be mad at her, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel amused at how adorable he looked when he pouted. In the end, she couldn¡¯t contain herughter, and she chuckled while pinching the young boy¡¯s chubby cheeks. Aiden responded with an impatient cry. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m angry! I¡¯m sad!¡±¨C ¡°What do I have to do to make you happy again? Should we go to the theme parkter today?¡± Amanda offered. Upon hearing her suggestion, Aiden¡¯s round eyes sparkled with interest, but he forced himself to put on a nonchnt look right after that. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wants to bring me there. I don¡¯t really fe like going at all,¡± he mumbled. Amanda burst intoughter. The young boy¡¯s cuteness was simply irresistible. ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s forcing you to go to the theme park, right? For my sake, would you let me bring you there?¡± she asked. The young boy¡¯s spirits lifted after that. ¡°Let¡¯s go right after I¡¯m done with my meal!¡± He grinned. excitedly. ¡°Alright. You should finish your meal now, then. I¡¯ll go get changed,¡± Amanda replied. ¡°Okay!¡± Amanda spent a few hours under the hot sun, and she felt like her legs were about to give way at any moment. She had brought Aiden to the theme park for some fun, but Aiden made it his mission to try out every ride at least once. ¡°Mommy¡¯s going to use the washroom for a while, Aiden. Can you stay here and wait for me?¡± Amanda uttered. ¡°Sure. Hurry up, Mommy. I¡¯m hungry, and I want some food,¡± Aiden replied. ¡°I got it¡­¡± It was a nightmare to spend a day out with a young boy like Aiden-Amanda was physically drained to the point where she felt like puking. Meanwhile, Grace happened to be on the phone in the washroom. ¡°Where are the reporters that you¡¯ve hired? Are they all prepared and in their positions?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re all in their spots, and they¡¯ll upload the pictures after they snap themter. I¡¯ve contacted the other magazines and entertainment media as well,¡± the person on the other end. of the call said. ¡°Great.¡± A cunning smile formed on Grace¡¯s face after she ended the call. I want the rest of the world to know who Elias is really dating! Unfortunately for Grace, Amanda happened to walk into the washroom at that moment. Grace wiped the smile off her face when she saw Amanda. ¡°Amanda?¡° ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Amanda froze when she saw Grace. She hadn¡¯t expected an actress like Grace to show up at a public space like the theme park. When Grace recalled how Amanda and Elias had shared one whole night together, she couldn¡¯t help but feel hatred toward Amanda. ¡°Hmph! I bet you were disappointedst night, Miss Bailey. Elias didn¡¯ty a finger on you even when you guys were in the same room. How embarrassing is that? Do you think you¡¯ll get to remarry Elias just by getting on Grandpa¡¯s good side? Elias doesn¡¯t like you at all!¡± Grace cried. Amanda stared at Grace as if Grace were an idiot. Amanda had no intentions of speaking about what happened the night before, but she figured that she had no reason to hold herself back since Grace was being so pushy. ¡°How are you sure that he didn¡¯t touch me?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°Elias told me about it, of course! He didn¡¯t touch you at all!¡± Grace was firm with her tone as she had complete trust in Elias. Amanda let out an icy scoff. ¡°Do you believe everything that he says? We were locked up together the whole night! The drug took effectter that night. Do you think he managed to hold himself back?¡± ¡°What do you mean?! Elias would never lie to me. Stop trying to ruin our rtionship!¡± Grace cried. She felt as if her mind was about to explode at that moment. Just the thought of Amanda and Elias messing around in bed gave Grace a mental breakdown. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 A Lesson Taught ¡°Oh,e on. Do you think I have nothing else better to do than drive a wedge between you both? Keep your man in line and tell him to leave me alone. Amanda shuddered at the thought of Elias¡¯ shameless act of forcing a kiss upon her in the meeting room the night before. When everything is over, I¡¯m going to take Aiden with me and head to somece abroad once Simon is back, thedy thought to herself. She was determined to cut ties with Elias. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Elias will leave you alone. If Old Mr. Winters hadn¡¯t gotten in our way, we would have gotten married a long time ago. Hmph!¡± Grace turned around and left the bathroom. In the meantime, the little boy was waiting for his mother outside the restroom, and he caught sight of Grace walking out the door angrily. When Grace left, she nced at the boy beside her and stopped in her tracks for a while, finding him somewhat familiar. Have I seen this brat somewhere before? For some reason, he reminds me of someone. When Aiden realized thedy was staring at him, he only grunted coldly and looked the other way. Meanwhile, Grace didn¡¯t dwell on it any longer as she quickly moved on and made her way toward Elias, but little did she know that the child was the son of the man she loved. A few secondster, Amanda came out of the restroom and saw her son waiting for her obediently. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aiden. We¡¯re going to grab something to eat at the cafeteria over there.¡± ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m not having a kid¡¯s meal.¡± The boy looked at Amanda with a skittish expression on his face, acting like someone arrogant yet familiar to his mother. Suddenly, Amanda stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar silhouette. It turned out that she had spotted Grace walking into the cafeteria with a man who looked like Elias. In that instant, her eyesConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . widened in disbelief. Damn it! That¡¯s Elias. What am I going to do now? What if he sees my boy? ¡°Mommy, can we hurry up? I¡¯m getting hungry now.¡± Aiden seized Amanda¡¯s hand, his stomach growling desperately after ying for a few hours. ¡°Baby, why don¡¯t we dine somewhere else? Let¡¯s call it a day for now. I¡¯ll promise to bring you back here again.¡± The only thing that Amanda had in mind was to leave the ce with Aiden, for she knew it would be over for her if Elias saw her son. After all, she would be no match for him in court due to the Winters¡¯ influence and power. Aiden was angry as he pouted bitterly. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re making empty promises, Mommy. You said we¡¯d be here until night, so I¡¯m going to eat here and continue ying after that. I haven¡¯t had enough yet!¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve already yed for hours, and I¡¯m getting tired.¡± ¡°Well, you can rest in the cafeteria, Mommy.¡± Aiden was adamant and determined to do what he wanted, reminding Amanda of his father. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t change her son¡¯s mind, Amanda came up with an idea. ¡°Alright. Wait for me outside the cafeteria while I get some takeaway for you. We¡¯ll dine elsewhere, okay?¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± ¡°Good boy. Wait for me right here until Ie back, okay?¡± Amanda then entered the restaurant alone, thinking she would just let her son y for a bit after lunch and take him home. Well, what are the odds of us running into each other? The theme park is packed with people, after all. She decided to take her chances, though she didn¡¯t want to risk losing custody of her son to Elias. Nevertheless, it would appear that fate liked to prank her as she bumped into Elias and Grace almost immediately after she stepped into the cafeteria. What a small world! ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Elias paused when he saw Amanda. After all, he didn¡¯t take her for a woman who liked spending her time in a theme park. While the man wasn¡¯t implying anything with his brief response, his words somehow made Grace feel jealous, reminding her of the same thing Amanda said to her in the restroom earlier. Seriously? This is too much of a coincidence. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here¡­ to have some fun, just like everybody else. Amanda walked toward the cashier briskly, wanting to ce an order before getting out of there. Nevertheless, Grace tried to y on Elias¡¯ sympathy and said. ¡°Elias, there is something I want to talk to you about. I ran into Amanda in the restroom earlier, and she told me what happenedst night was not like what you said. Are you hiding something from me?¡± When Elias heard that, he felt helpless, wondering why she had to give him a headache. Oh, boy! Here she goes again. ¡°What did she say?¡± He turned to look at Grace, ¡°Amanda said¡­ that you guys¡­ did itst night!¡± Grace pretended to look sympathetic. Elias knitted his eyebrows and looked at Amanda, asking in a deep voice, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Seriously? Do you really want me to tell you what we didst night? Are you sure about that?¡± Amanda was disgusted by Grace¡¯s pretense. Goodness, how did this b*tch get so good at acting?! She can be such an innocent little girl in front of Elias but act like a b*tch when I¡¯m around. At Amanda¡¯s words, Grace was overwhelmed by disappointment, feeling as if she was about to fall apart. Did Elias lie to me earlier? Did they sleep with each other? ¡°Amanda!¡± The man gritted his teeth, thinking he would have choked thedy right away if they hadn¡¯t been in a public area. ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, and I don¡¯t have time to waste on your nonsense.¡± Amanda made her point and headed toward the cashier. ¡°What are her words supposed to mean, Elias? What did you do with her? What did you guys talk about?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes were filled with tears in that instant. Elias eventually grew tired of Grace¡¯s fuss and snapped at her. ¡°Do you trust her or me?! Because if it¡¯s her whom you trust, you should stop asking me stupid questions!¡± He turned around coldly and headed toward a table by the window. In the meantime, Grace was left behind with her eyes fixed upon the indifferent man as her heart was filled with rage and bitterness, but even so, she was forced to suppress her emotions. Meanwhile, Aiden, who was watching through the window from the outside, witnessed the entire confrontation between his mother and the duo. Although he had no idea what was going on, he could tell that the two adults were bullying Amanda. Hmph! How dare you both bully Mommy?! I¡¯m going to teach you guys a lesson now. He then opened the door and sneaked behind Amanda, who was busy ordering food, making his way toward the window. At that moment, Elias was already seated while Grace was just heading his way to grab a seat. Then, Aiden quickly sneaked behind thedy and pulled her chair away just when she was about to sit down. ¡°Ah!¡± Grace immediately fell to the ground and copsed on her butt, but Aiden had already run away with a cheeky chuckle. At the same time, her loud screech instantly drew the attention of all the patrons in the cafeteria. ¡°Wait a second! Isn¡¯t that Grace Murphy, the celebrity?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her! How did a grown adult like her fall on her butt? Haha¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she concerned about her image? By the way, the man sitting opposite her is so handsome. I wonder who he is¡­¡± Hearing those murmurs, Grace got up from the ground in a clumsy manner just as the other tourists started to take pictures of her. She felt embarrassed. Oh, this is humiliating! I wish I could just dig a hole and bury myself in the ground! On the other hand, Amanda hurriedly left the cafeteria upon retrieving her orders out of fear that Elias would discover Aiden¡¯s existence. Therefore, she didn¡¯t notice what Grace had just gone through moments ago. Soon, she exited the cafeteria and saw her son chuckling, wondering what was so funny. ¡°Why are youughing, Aiden?¡± Aiden pretended as if nothing happened when he saw his mother. ¡°Nothing, Mommy. Let¡¯s go. I want to have my lunch and continue ying after that. I don¡¯t want to waste more time because time is precious. Isn¡¯t that what you always say?¡± The boy then seized Amanda¡¯s hand and walked away. Not long after that, two people happened to walk out of the cafeteria while gossiping about Grace¡¯s embarrassing situation. ¡°The woman who fell onto the ground earlier was Grace Murphy, the celebrity, right? It was hrious, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw a boy sneaking behind her back before he pulled her chair away. Kids are naughty. aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°By the way, the man sitting opposite Grace Murphy looked so handsome. Is he the wealthy boyfriend she¡¯s said to be dating?¡± Amanda¡¯s face darkened when she overheard their conversation. Needless to say, Aiden, who noticed his mother¡¯s expression, quickly tried to change the subject. ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry, Mommy. I want to eat now. Let¡¯s go over there.¡± Amanda grabbed her child and questioned, ¡°Hold it right there. You were the naughty boy who pulled the chair away, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No!¡± Then, Amanda pretended to be mad and pointed at the boy¡¯s head. ¡°What have I always told you? Never lie to me!¡± Aiden immediately gave in and pouted. ¡°Fine, it was me, but I just wanted to teach them a lesson. since they were bullying you.¡± Although Amanda was supposed to be angry, she felt touched and amused by her son¡¯s response. Unable to bring herself to lecture the boy, she took Aiden elsewhere and gave him the hamburger and coke she bought earlier. ¡°You mustn¡¯t do that again, Baby. That isn¡¯t the right thing to do.¡± Deep down, Amanda was more afraid that Elias would discover Aiden¡¯s existence, thinking her innocent, cheeky son was ying with fire. Phew! Fortunately, Elias didn¡¯t see him at all, or things would have gotten ugly. ¡°Alright, Mommy. I heard you, and I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Someone Else i¡­ ¡°Good boy! Once you¡¯re done with your food, you can y for a while longer before we head back, alright? I¡¯m getting really tired now.¡± Amanda was too worried to stay there any longer, fearing that Elias would run into Aiden by ident. Despite Aiden¡¯s desire to continue ying, he reluctantly nodded when he noticed the tired look on Amanda¡¯s face. ¡°Alright, then¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s my boy! I¡¯ll bring you here again next week, okay?¡± ¡°Mommy, why does that man keep bullying you?¡± Aiden suddenly asked while taking a bite of his hamburger, staring at his mother while waiting for her answer. Amanda was stunned for a second before she realized Aiden was referring to Elias. She then chuckled and said, ¡°Nah, he wasn¡¯t bullying me. We were just having a conversation. Don¡¯t worry. Your mommy is strong, and no one dares to mess with me.¡± Aiden grunted coldly and asked, ¡°Mommy, are you trying to make that man your husband? No, I will not have it that way! I want Mr. Nicholson as my daddy.¡± What¡¯s this little guy thinking? What makes him think I was trying to make Elias my husband? Amanda speechlessly thought to herself. ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it. I won¡¯t let that man be your father.¡± At that. Aiden let out a sigh of relief and took a bite of his hamburger. ¡°That¡¯s great, Mommy! I want Mr. Nicholson to be my daddy. You guys are a perfect match.¡± A perfect match? What is this boy thinking? He¡¯s way more mature than he should be at his age now, isn¡¯t he? Ring! Ring! Amanda took a look at her phone and realized that Howard was calling. However, shecked the courage to speak to him when she thought about what he had done to her and Elias the night before. You took it too far, Grandpa. After hesitating for a while, she decided to answer the call. ¡°Hey there, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Amanda, I¡¯ve booked a table at a restaurant. Why don¡¯t you join us for dinner tonight? I¡¯d like to have a word with you.¡± Great! I¡¯ve been looking for a chance to tell Grandpa about my stance. Amanda wanted Howard to quit ying matchmaker for them, and she was determined not to remarry Elias. ¡°Alright, send me the address, Grandpa. I¡¯ll be there tonight.¡± When evening came, the entire city was lit up with beautiful streetlights, and it presented a spellbinding night view. Upon arrival at the restaurant where Howard had booked a lounge, Amanda opened the door, only to feel a sudden urge to turn around and leave. What is Elias doing here? ¡°Here you are, Amanda. Finally! Come on in and have a seat.¡± Howard was seen with a long face until Amanda¡¯s arrival put a smile on his face. Amanda slowly walked into the lounge, feeling reluctant. ¡°Grandpa,¡± she called out to Howard and sat beside him. When Elias saw Amanda, his eyes were slightly filled with surprise, but even so, he was quickly able to fathom what his grandfather was up to. ¡°So, what¡¯s next for the two of you?¡± Howard ced a teacup in front of Amanda and asked. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Amanda and Elias responded simultaneously and looked at the old man at the same time. ¡°Well, you guys are reacting in sync. It looks like you both must have had a great timest night.¡± Howard chuckled, amused by the duo¡¯s synchronized movements. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m talking about you both getting remarried. What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you want to be responsible for what you didst night?¡± The old man spoke threateningly while fixing his piercing gaze on Elias. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things, Grandpa. Nothing happenedst night.¡± Elias grabbed a teacup and guzzled the liquid down his throat.. As the air stiffened around the two men, Howard stared at his grandson and questioned, ¡°Come on, are you a real man? How can you not do what you¡¯re supposed to with her even when you¡¯ve been drugged? How useless of you!¡± When Amanda heard what Howard called his grandson, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Come on, Grandpa! Are you seriously proud of what you did to us? You drugged us! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?!¡± Elias grew furious at the thought of Howard¡¯s cheeky n the night before. Howard became even angrier as he smashed the teacup onto the ground. ¡°How dare you talk to me like that?! Whom do you think I did that for?! I did that for both of you! Why must you make me worry all the time? I created such a perfect opportunity for you both, yet you did nothing at all! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!¡± Elias was helpless, unable to talk sense into Howard¡¯s head at all. While the conflict appeared to escte further and further between the two men, Amanda. coughed and replied, ¡°Can you hear me out, Grandpa?¡± Only after she started talking did Howard. calm down a bit. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m listening, Amanda.¡± Howard gasped for breath and looked at Amanda with a tender look on his face. ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯ve done for us, Grandpa. I also know you love me, but Elias and I have divorced. We can never be together again, and I don¡¯t want to remarry him either. He has someone else in his heart, whereas-¡± ¡°What about you? Is there someone else in your heart too? Are you in love with another man?* Howard¡¯s heart pounded rapidly. Is there someone else? Likewise, Elias felt his heart skipping a beat, overwhelmed by an unspeakable sense of disappointment. He then fixed his gaze on Amanda and waited for her answer. Why does it hurt so much to think that Amanda is in love with someone else? . Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Out of Jealousy If admitting that will make Grandpa stop what he so doing no 1 dly do it. At the thought of that, Amanda took a deep breath and replied. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m in love with sceneone else? When Howard heard Amanda¡¯s words, his face was filled with dubeled. At the same time he was stunned and unable to react. Meanwhile, Elias only stared at Arunda without blinking, seemindy trying to see through her soul. Deep down, he was overwhelmed by a stab of pain that he couldest exin why While the two men fell silent in a preupied manner. Amanda seemed a little shocked by their reactions, wondering what was going on. This creepy. Say something fes. Stop staring at me in eerse silence. Feeling ufortable, she probingly said. ¡°As you can see, Grandpa, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to remarry each other. Thus, I¡¯d like you to stop wasting your time.¡± Suddenly, Howard mmed the table with his palm and grunted. ¡°Unless you show me the man you¡¯ve fallen in love with. I won¡¯t believe you. I want to see how he managed to rece s in your heart. Don¡¯t tell me the feelings you had for Elias were all fake. How did you move on so easily!! I don¡¯t buy your story!¡± Amanda was speechless at Howard¡¯s stubbornness, wondering where she could find a man to y along with her. ¡°I. He is a busy man, Grandpa. He¡¯s now somewhere abroad, and it¡¯s probably going to take him a while until hees back.¡± She came up with an excuse to convince Howard. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll wait for him toe back. I will only believe you when I see him in person. Otherwise. I¡¯m convinced you¡¯re lying right now,¡± Howard answered. On the other hand. Elias squinted before grabbing his teacup to take a sip of tea, wanting to question Amanda like he was interrogating a criminal. He asked. ¡°What¡¯s his name and job? How much do you know about his family background? How old is he? Is he a disciplined man who doesn¡¯t mess around with women?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Amanda became annoyed with Elias interference. What are you doing!! Are you out of you something? It¡¯s bad enough that Grandpa doesn¡¯t buy my story, yet you¡¯re trying to make things more dificul than they already are. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! Who do you think you are? A police officer interrogating a suspect? What does it concern you?¡± Amanda wished she could just tape the man¡¯s mouth and shut him Elias grunted in response. ¡°You¡¯re in love with a man whom you barely know anything about. Where is your brain? Do you still think you¡¯re an 18-year-old or something?¡± ¡°Elias!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth up!¡± The man sniggered. ¡°Your mom would probably die twice if she knew about this,¡± What¡¯s with the abusive words?! Is it necessary to bark at me like a crazy dog. Elias?! All I did was just say that I¡¯m in love with someone else. It¡¯s not like I messed with you or something. Fine, I¡¯ll just stay away from you, knowing I can¡¯t mess with you. Amanda left the lounge angrily without even saying goodbye to Howard. Not long after that, Elias rose from his seat and grabbed his vest, whereupon he headed toward the door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Howard, who witnessed the duo¡¯s reaction, asked. ¡°I have a dinner appointment to attend, so help yourself to the food. The guards will take you home when you¡¯re done.¡± Elias left the lounge as soon as he finished speaking. Howard was the only person left in the lounge, but after seeing Amanda and Elias arguing, he chuckled happily, believing it wouldn¡¯t end so easily for the duo. After all, Howard knew his grandson so well that he could tell Elias was insulting Amanda out of jealousy. Amanda was still furious when she walked out of the restaurant, but even so, she had nowhere to release her frustration, especially when she couldn¡¯t g down a cab. Suddenly, a white sedan pulled up right in front of her, whereupon the car window was rolled down. Then, Elias¡¯ annoying face came into view. ¡°Get in.¡± Nheless, Amanda ignored the man and continued to walk forward. Elias followed behind her in his car with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the window, propping his face. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of holding up traffic, carry on with what you¡¯re doing.¡± As soon as he finished his words, loud honks began echoing throughout the street from behind. When Amanda turned around, she began to realize why traffic was holding up. Elias cruised. slowly on the narrow street, worsening the traffic even more. As the cars behind him continued to honk, she was quickly overwhelmed by the noise pollution. Then, she shifted her gaze to the man sitting inside the car through the window, noticing his shamelessness as though he had no qualms about creating the traffic jam. Fine, I¡¯ll put up with it! It¡¯s not worth my time fighting with him. I have better things to do, after all. With that, Amanda took a deep breath and suppressed her anger, opening the car door before she sat in the passenger seat. Seeing Amanda¡¯s annoyed look somehow put a smile on Elias¡¯ face. He then curled his lips and elerated, leaving the narrow street. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Paradise Night Club!¡± Amanda answered in frustration. Elias furrowed his eyebrows as surprise shed across his face. What a coincidence! That¡¯s where I¡¯m heading as well. ¡°I¡¯m going there too. Why don¡¯t I give you a ride?¡± Amanda red at the man coldly without saying a single word. Deep down, she was reluctant to ept Elias¡¯ ride, thinking she would resign from her job and disappear with her son as soon as Simon returned from overseas. I mustn¡¯t let the Winters discover Aiden¡¯s existence, or they will take him away from me. Upon arriving at Paradise Night Club, Amanda immediately unfastened her seatbelt and opened the car door, walking off without looking back as Elias watched speechlessly. ¡°Mr. Winters, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so punctual. How rare!¡± Aiden ran into his friend, Lazarus, who greeted Aiden sarcastically the moment he stepped out of his vehicle. Then, Lazarus walked up to Aiden and smiled cunningly, his eyes fixated on Amanda¡¯s back. ¡°It looks like you have a new target, Mr. Winters, but I would give up on her if I was in your ce. After all, she is promiscuous, and who knows if she¡¯s carrying any sort of disease?¡± Elias knitted his eyebrows and gazed at Lazarus, baffled. ¡°What are you talking about?! Do you want me to rip your mouth apart?¡± Although Amanda was his ex-wife, he didn¡¯t allow anyone to degrade her like that. He had kept it a secret when he married Amanda back then, so not many people were aware of their marriage. Nevertheless, Lazarus didn¡¯t seem surprised. Instead, he acted as if he knew Elias¡¯ secret. Then, he said in a hushed voice. ¡°Thisdy may be a beauty, but a few years ago. I saw her at the hospital. Back then, it seemed like she was preparing for an abortion. Can you imagine how messed up her personal life must be? We¡¯re all people who have great things to inherit, so women like her are not worth it¡­¡± Elias squinted in shock and asked, ¡°Wait, did you just say abortion? Are you sure she was the one you saw?¡± An abortion? Amanda? A few years ago? His mind was overwhelmed with confusion as his old memories came back to haunt him. At that, he had a shback to when Amanda presented him. with a positive pregnancy test the moment he asked for a divorce. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Were You Really Pregnant? I¡¯m certain! Back then, I saw her at the hospital, thinking she was really hot. It¡¯s a pity she went in for an abortion. Do you think I¡¯d forget such a hottie? But it seems like she¡¯s even hotter than before. Although she¡¯s beautiful, she¡¯s toxic We can¡¯t get involved for the sake of our well-being¡± Lazarus was completely immersed in his world as he talked to himself. At this moment. Elias mind was filled with the scene from four years ago. What about our child? Are you that heartless? The woman¡¯s pitiful and sorrowful voice echoed in his mind, but he paid zero attention back then, only wanting to pressure Amanda into signing the divorce agreement quickly. Was Amanda really pregnant back then? But I¡¯ve never touched her, so where did the childe from? Was it mine! ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Lazarus had been going on for a while, only to realize that Elias wasn¡¯t concentrating. The next second, Elias turned around and rushed into the club. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m still talking here. Where are you going?!¡± No matter how he shouted, Elias didn¡¯t even look back. The way he sprinted anxiously seemed as if he had something more important than life itself. On the other hand, Amanda was walking toward a private room, for she had a meeting with a client tonight. After ncing at the time, she thought to herself, I¡¯ll try to finish the meeting within an hour so that I can go home and put Aiden to sleep. Just as she was about to enter the private room, a figure rushed toward her and pulled her aside. unexpectedly. ¡°Ouch!¡± Her body was forcefully pressed against the wall, causing her back to ache. She looked up while furrowing her brows, only to realize it was Elias. Immediately, her anger red up. ¡°What are you doing? Are you crazy?!¡± While pressing her against the wall, he stared at her eyes intently and gasped for breath as if he had run all the way. However, he simply stared at her without saying a word. What the hell?! She struggled to push him away, but he held her firmly against the wall, rendering her unable to move. ¡°What the f*ck do you want? Are you trying to annoy me? Is this your way of seeking revenge because I let Grace misunderstand us? You-¡± Before she could finish her words, he suddenly asked. ¡°Were you really pregnant four years ago?¡± She froze in ce upon hearing that, her eyes widening. How did he know? At once, she panicked. Her palms turned sweaty, and every nerve in her body tensed up. Does he know about the child? Is he going to take my baby away? Noticing her silence, he angrily shouted at her, ¡°Speak up! Did we have a child four years ago Were you really pregnant? Did you go to the hospital for an abortion?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you refuse to believe me? Why are you asking me this now? She wanted to push him away, but he seemed possessed at that moment, desperate to seek an answer. ¡°Answer me! This is thest time I¡¯ll repeat my question. Were you really pregnant four years ago? Was it mine?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Amanda was slightly startled, feeling that if she didn¡¯t say anything, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get through tonight. As such, she pretended to remain calm and countered, ¡°Whose child could it have been?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t remember ever touching you, so how did you be pregnant with my child?¡± Elias couldn¡¯t seem to figure this out. No matter how he searched his mind for any recollection of when he had touched her, he couldn¡¯t remember anything at all. When she heard his words, a bitter and desteugh escaped her lips. After four years, he still hasn¡¯t changed one bit. He¡¯ll never admit that he has touched me. ¡°I just want to know why you¡¯re suddenly so hung up on this question now, Elias. You doubted me like this four years ago, and now you¡¯re doubting me again. We¡¯ve already divorced, so why are you asking me this?¡± As she recalled everything from four years ago, she wanted nothing more than to rip the man in front of her to death. He was incredibly heartless for using all sorts of despicable tactics to force me into getting a divorce. As he held her slender shoulders tightly, a glimmer of anticipation appeared in his ck eyes. ¡°So¡­ where is the child?¡± At this moment, she couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously. As expected, he was asking about the child. Although she was extremely nervous, she remained calm on the outside, afraid that he might see through her. ¡°I aborted it. When you forced me to divorce, I went to the hospital and had it done.¡± For a slight moment, she seemingly saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes, and he appeared to be hurt. Suddenly, Elias felt his heart wrench. I had a child four years ago, but it was aborted. Not only that, I was the one who forced Amanda to do it. I never knew that she would get pregnant. When Amanda saw his despondent expression, she thought, Did he believe me? Gradually, he released his grip on her shoulders and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Did it hurt¡­¡­ during the surgery?¡± Hearing his question, she couldn¡¯t help butugh sarcastically. ¡°What do you think? Did you think. it would befortable?¡± ¡°Do you hate me?¡± She was momentarily taken aback, then replied. ¡°To the core¡± His emotions were incrediblyplex at that moment. I indirectly caused the death of my own child. Had he survived, he would probably be in preschool by now¡­. Suddenly, Elias lost control of his hot temper again. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you exin it to me back then? Why didn¡¯t you show me the ultrasound? How am I supposed to believe you with just a pregnancy test?¡± Hearing his words, she nearlyughed out of anger. Is this se*mbag ming me now? Where did he find the confidence to be so self-righteous?Smack! Amanda mercilessly pped the man¡¯s handsome face, and he turned his face to the side. ¡°Elias Winters! What right do you have to say such things to me now? How dare you me me! You brought another woman home and told me she was pregnant, asking me to divorce you and get lost. Do you know how I felt at that time?¡± He had noeback. As he closed his eyes, he regretted yet another matter in his life. ¡°You told me to stop pestering you and to be dignified, so how could I exin anything to you? You never believed I would get pregnant. How could I have exined it? Tell me, how was I supposed to do that?¡± The tall figure of the man standing in the corridor looked as though it was overwhelmed by loneliness and destion. ¡°The child has been aborted, and there¡¯s no point in talking about this now.¡± After she regained her composure, she adjusted her emotions and turned to enter the private room. She still had to meet with her clients and return home to be with her baby tonight. She couldn¡¯t afford to waste even a single second. As the door closed, the entire world seemed to descend into a profound silence. Elias mmed his fist forcefully against the wall. It emitted a muffled sound, and blood soon. flowed from his knuckles. It hurts! Of course, it would hurt! That was my child! He never imagined bing a father briefly four years ago, but he simply abandoned the child. How did she feel when she went to the hospital alone to get the abortion? She must hate me to the core¡­. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Drunkenly Calling For Amanda In one of the private rooms at Paradise Night Club, Elias cat in a corner as he drank himself ally. downing one ss after another with a solemn expression. His group of brothers couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this ¡°Why are you drinking alone here. Mr. Winters? What¡¯s weighing on your mind?¡± ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t usually join us when we invite you. Now that you¡¯re finally here, you¡¯re just drinking alone in a corner. What¡¯s the matter?¡± After observing him for a long time, Lazarus walked over to him sneakily and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you still thinking about that hottie? I¡¯ve told you-you can¡¯t touch her She¡¯s toxic! What if you catch a disease?¡± Suddenly, Elias red at him with a death stare and bellowed, ¡°Shut the f*ck up!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll shut up. Go ahead and drink. Lazarus realized that Elias was quite drunk, so he didn¡¯t want to argue with him. After all, Elias¡¯ temperament was well known within their circle-he was violent, cruel, and cold-blooded. Just then, the phone beside Elias started vibrating, and Grace¡¯s name shed across the screen. Elias nced at it indifferently and had no intention of answering her call. Instead, he poured himself another ss of wine and continued drinking. ¡°You¡¯re not even answering Grace¡¯s call, huh? Are you really enchanted by that hottie?¡± Lazarus couldn¡¯t help butment. Everyone knew how important Grace was to him. No matter how Elias¡¯ pals convinced him to stay, a call from Grace would typically make him leave. What¡¯s happening to him today? He isn¡¯t even answering Grace¡¯s calls. The phone kept vibrating, but Elias refused to answer, only drinking ss after ss of wine. As Lazarus looked at the man drinking excessively, he shook his head helplessly and got up to walk to his side. On the other hand, Grace was almost going crazy, for she had been unable to reach Elias all night; it was as if he had vanished into thin air. She could only keep dialing his number over and over again. After some time, Elias was still drinking, and he seemed intoxicated at this point. When Lazarus walked over, he noticed that the phone on the table was still vibrating, disying Grace¡¯s name. ¡°These two are persistent,¡± he murmured. One is persistent in bombarding Elias with phone calls, while the other is persistent in refusing to answer. He couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, so he picked up the phone to answer the call. However, even before he could speak, Grace¡¯s breaking voice came from the other side of the phone. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering my calls, Elias? Where are you? Why won¡¯t you answer my calls? Have I done something wrong?¡± Her series of questions left him dumbfounded. After he cleared his throat, he said, ¡®Umn, Miss Murphy, this is Lazarus, Elias is drunk. You shoulde and pick him up. Otherwise, he¡¯ll keep drinking until the next day.¡± ¡°What? Okay, I¡¯lle right away. Please send me the address¡± Half an hourter, Grace arrived at the club with red-rimmed eyes. It was clear that she had been crying for a long time. As she pushed open the door to the private room, she found only Elias inside as hey on the single couch, still holding a square-shaped ss in his hand. There were even several empty bottles on the table. How much did he drink? At once, she walked over and snatched the ss from his hand. ¡°Elias? Why are you drinking so much? I¡¯ve been calling you, but you won¡¯t answer. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± At this moment, Elias¡¯ vision was blurry since he waspletely intoxicated. ¡°Give it back,¡± he uttered in a deep and ominous voice. ¡°No! How long do you want to keep drinking? You¡¯re already drunk. You can¡¯t drink anymore. Let¡¯s go home.¡± She tried to pull him up, but he pushed her away and picked up a bottle, directly pouring the wine into his mouth. Grace was stunned by the sight before her, for she had never seen him like this. Even though he would asionally drink, he always maintained the image of a wealthy young gentleman and never went overboard. As such, seeing himpletely intoxicated like this was a rare sight; it was something she had never witnessed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Elias? Why are you drinking so much?¡± When Elias looked at the woman in front of him, he seemingly saw multiple silhouettes belonging to Amanda. ¡°Please stop drinking. I beg you. You¡¯ll get GI bleeding if you keep drinking like this!¡± Grace cried. as she tried to snatch the bottle from his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± he roared all of a sudden, identally dropping the bottle to the ground and shattering it. Shocked by that, Grace screamed and was unable to contain her tears anymore since she was already feeling upset the entire night. The moment he saw her cry, his ck eyes paused slightly. Amanda¡­ He gently touched Grace¡¯s check with hisrge palm, stunning her for a second. However, to her surprise, he said, ¡°Amanda¡­¡± At once, she froze in ce. Amanda? Is he calling out for Amanda in his drunken state? Before she could react, he forcibly pulled her into his embrace. As he caressed her head with his big palm, he said in his deep and seductive voice. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that we had child four years ago? If I had known earlier, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to get a divorce..¡± When she heard that, her eyes widened in shock, and her mind was inplete chaos. The information was too overwhelming, and she had trouble processing it. What does this mean? Was Amanda pregnant with Elias¡¯ child four years ago? It felt like a bolt from the blue to hear this piece of information. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Instantly, anger surged within her, and she tried to push Elias away. However, he held her tightly. in his arms, and he even whispered, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you persist with me until the end, you fool? Why didn¡¯t you exin it a few more times to me? Our child was aborted just like that. How much pain. he must have felt¡­¡± Meanwhile, her heart was torn apart after being mistaken for Amanda, and she listened to Elias¡± deep remorse in his embrace. How did hee to know about the child? Did Amanda tell him on purpose? Is she trying to make Elias feel guilty, then use this opportunity to reconcile? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting her do that! Grace felt that she couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait anymore. If things continue to progress like this, Amanda will have his heartpletely. They once had a child, after all. Elias is a man with a strong sense of responsibility. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have done so much for me based on Yn¡¯s dying wish, I can¡¯t lose Elias. Absolutely not! At the same time, Amanda walked out of another private room. Well, my hopes of ending the meeting within an hour failed because of that b*stard, Elias. She nced at the time and hurriedly made her way toward the elevator. As she passed by the private room named ¡®Dream Room, she noticed that the door was open. Inadvertently, she caught a glimpse of what was happening inside, causing her actions toe to a halt. She saw Elias holding Grace tightly in his arms, looking so loving and affectionate. At that moment, her heart seemed to skip a beat, and her gaze flickered for a moment. Although she had already anticipated this scene, seeing it with her eyes still caused momentary pain in her heart. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help feeling slightly disgusted. He had just been pressing her for answers about their child a moment ago, seemingly full of guilt toward the baby, but now, he had another woman in his arms. I want to tear open his heart to see what he¡¯s truly feeling. Does he even have a heart at all? Every additional second of watching this scene made her heart wrench, so she quickly turned around and left. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Elias Is at the Door and She¡¯s Extremely Nervous! The following morning, Elias slowly opened his eyes to find that he was lying on the club¡¯s couch. a crystal chandelier hanging above his head. He suffered from a splitting headache due to the hangover. He sat up while propping his forehead against his hand before shaking his head, but the headache didn¡¯t go away. Just then, Grace¡¯s voice rang out from beside him. ¡°Here you go, Elias. Something to cure your hangover.¡± The man looked up and found Grace holding a cup of liquid. When did shee? ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked while leaning against the couch. The splitting headache made him frown. ¡°I called youst night, but Lazarus answered it. He said you were drunk, so I came to take care of you.¡± ¡°Busybody.¡± Elias muttered with displeasure. At that, he took the cup from Grace and took a few sips before cing it on the coffee table. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the office. Should I send you home or¡­¡± he asked while grabbing his suit jacket. and wearing it in one swift move. ¡°I¡¯d like to go to the office. I have a variety show to record.¡± Elias grunted in agreement as he headed out. What he didn¡¯t know was that Grace¡¯s smile disappeared the second he turned around. ¡°Get me a cemetery plot now,¡± Elias ordered over the phone as soon as he stepped out of the room. A cemetery plot? Grace was baffled. Why would he need a cemetery plot? He¡¯s not finding one for the baby Amanda gave up, is he? But is it even necessary?! That fetus wasn¡¯t even fully formed when he was taken out! It can¡¯t even be considered a human, yet Elias wants to give him a proper burial?! The young woman grew panicked by the second, as she could tell Amanda still meant something to Elias. It was just that he didn¡¯t realize it yet. I¡¯ll have to do something before he¡¯s aware of his feelings toward Amanda! At that, Grace pulled her phone out and sent a text. Initiate the operation!¡± Meanwhile, in Lotus Waterfront, Amanda found her child was still asleep when she went into his room. She came in to awaken Aiden half an hour ago before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast She did not think that her little munchkin would still be asleep even after she returned. ¡°Aiden, you¡¯d better wake up or you¡¯ll miss kindergarten!¡± However, Aiden was having the sleep of his life, lying on his little tummy. But I¡¯m sleepy. Mommy. I don¡¯t want to go..¡± he mumbled. ¡°No way. Get up, or you¡¯re really going to bete!¡± At that, she picked him up and dressed him up before carrying him to the bathroom. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Amanda assumed the nanny had arrived. Hence, she squeezed some toothpaste onto the toothbrush and handed it to Aiden. ¡°Here, be a good boy and brush your teeth. I¡¯m going to open the door for Mrs. Colette. When Ie back, I want to see that you¡¯re done with brushing your teeth.¡± ¡°Okay..¡± Aiden slurred groggily, brushing his teeth half-heartedly. Meanwhile, Amanda went to answer the door. Sure enough, it was the nanny, Colette. ¡°I got Aiden some breakfast, Miss Bailey. He hasn¡¯t eaten, has he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s really sweet of you, Mrs. Colette. The breakfast I made happened to be a little simple and I was worried he wouldn¡¯t be full,¡± Amanda replied with a smile. She was pretty pleased with Colette, for the older woman did a great job at caring for Aiden. After entering the house, Colette went to Aiden, and Amanda was about to get changed when the doorbell rang again. Huh? Who could it be this time? Meanwhile, the doorbell rang ceaselessly. Whoever it was, they seemed to have a bad temper, and it seemed that they were hell-bent on pressing the bell until it broke. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Amanda froze the moment she opened the door, and her heart nearly stopped when she realized who it was. Bam! She closed the door at once. What is Elias doing here?! What does he want?! Aiden¡¯s at home right now. My lie will be exposed if he finds Aiden!Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Elias hadn¡¯t even said a word when the door was mmed in his face. Understandably, he was grim. That said, he wasn¡¯t giving up. He pressed the doorbell for a long time again before Amanda finally answered it, and she looked pretty nervous. What is she so nervous about? Is she hiding a secret lover in the house? Amanda had gotten changed at this point and after answering the door, she stepped out, having no intention of letting Elias in. ¡°What are you doing here? How did you find my ce? What the heck do you want, Elias Amanda was freaking out right then, for only a door separated the father and son s would learn of Aiden¡¯s existence as soon as he barged in, which exined why she was a nervous wreck. ¡°What are you so nervous about? Are you not going to invite me into your house?¡± he asked, causing Amanda to stand her ground, making sure he couldn¡¯t go inside. ¡°W-What are you talking about? I¡¯m not nervous. Why do you want to go inside? I¡¯m in a hurry to get to work now. If you have something to say, say it now.¡± Meanwhile, Elias scrutinized her expression and couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she was hiding something. ¡°Come with me. We¡¯ll talk downstairs. It won¡¯t be good if the neighbors see us.¡± At that, Amanda grabbed Elias¡¯ arm and dragged him to the elevator. Talking at the door would only make her even more nervous. Elias, on the other hand, simply let her take him to the reception room in the lobby via the elevator. Finally, Amanda heaved a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°What are you doing here? Make it snappy. I¡¯m pressed for time.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°What? Are you hiding a secret lover in your house? Why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°What is wrong with you? Do you have something to tell me or not?! I¡¯m leaving if you don¡¯t!¡± With that, Amanda turned to leave, but Elias grabbed her hand. ¡°Clear your schedule for the day ande with me.¡± With that, she was dragged out of the building. ¡°Where are you taking me? I have a case to get to!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a day off.¡± Amanda fell silent at that. She was indeed working on the Winters Enterprise¡¯s case, and she would have to head to thepany for negotiationter. An hourter, they arrived at a graveyard in Imperia, and she was stupefied when she got out of the car. Why has Elias brought me here? The ce is so eerie and lifeless. ¡°Why have you brought me here?¡± Suddenly, a thought urred to Amanda and she snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you actually moved my mother¡¯s grave?!¡± After all, the man had threatened to move her mother¡¯s grave a few times. ¡°Am I that evil to you?¡± he asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°You were the one who threatened to move my mother¡¯s grave a few times. Why would you bring me here if you hadn¡¯t done it?¡± At that, Amanda couldn¡¯t help wanting to visit her mother. However, she hesitated, worried she would cry. Meanwhile, Elias said nothing and only headed into the graveyard. At that, she followed him, her mind filled with questions. What in the world is this sc*mbag trying to do? Suddenly, he stopped in front of a grave, and so did Amanda. She found a picture of her mother smiling on the tombstone, looking gentle and amiable. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Elias Erected a Tombstone for His Son ¡°Mom¡­.¡± Tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes when she saw her mother¡¯s tombstone. At that, she looked up to force her tears back. She didn¡¯t want to shed any tears in front of Elias. She didn¡¯t want him to see her vulnerable side. ¡°Cry if you want, Elias murmured when he saw her holding her tears back. ¡°It¡¯s just you and me here. ¡°But you¡¯re here!¡± she retorted before asking, ¡°Why in the world have you brought me here?¡± Elias did not say anything. He only walked over to the adjacent grave and stood there, his tall, handsome figure shrouded in loneliness. Baffled, Amanda followed him and when she saw the words engraved on the tombstone, she was dumbfounded. Here lies the beloved son of Elias Winters¡¯ The corner of Amanda¡¯s lips twitched in response. This¡­ He¡­ What sphemy is this?! How can Elias curse my son?! ¡°W-What is the meaning of this? Why erect a tombstone? Is it even necessary?¡± Despite being awyer, Amanda was at a loss for words and her thoughts were scattered. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel anymore. I can¡¯t possibly tell Elias that our son is still alive and that he¡¯d only be cursing the little one by erecting a tombstone in his name, can I?! ¡°This is proof that my child existed,¡± Elias muttered as he fixed his profound gaze on the empty tombstone, rendering Amanda speechless. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! She, on the other hand, didn¡¯t like this idea. After all, the little brat was alive and kicking at home. You¡­ This¡­ He¡­ Amanda cleared her throat and attempted to dissuade Elias as she looked at his handsome side profile. ¡°Um¡­ Hear me out, alright? I was only a little over a month into my pregnancy back then. The fetus wasn¡¯t even fully developed yet. If anything, it was only the size of a blueberry at most. It technically couldn¡¯t even be considered a fetus, so you don¡¯t have to do this. You¡¯ll have other children in the future. ¡°So what?! It won¡¯t be the same! They won¡¯t be this little one, no matter how many other children. I have! You¡¯re his mother. How can you be so heartless? How can you not stand seeing a tombstone erected for him?! Elias hit the roof, suddenly thinking that the woman before him was rather ruthless. Why haven¡¯t I noticed it before? Amanda, on the other hand, was stumped by Elias¡¯ usation. Me? Heartless? Who was it who refused to believe we had a child together and led me to nearly give up on Aiden?! But the key now us that Aiden is alive and kicking, and an adorable little munchkin at that! How rude of Elias to erect a tombstone in Aiden¡¯s name! ¡°What does this have to do with me being heartless or not? Why did you have to erect this tombstone? Aren¡¯t you just upsetting people? Does it not make you upset when this constantly reminds you of the child you gave up?¡± Amanda nearly blurted out the fact that Arden was still alive. Thank goodness¡­. ¡°Being upset is good. It¡¯ll remind me to never make this mistake ever again,¡± Eliasmented with great remorse as he continued totch his gaze on the empty tombstone. Why did I refuse to believe Amanda was really pregnant? Why didn¡¯t I question it? Even for one second¡­ Amanda fell silent at that. It seemed that there was no way around this unless she told him the child was still alive. Whatever. If having Elias live under the illusion that the child was lost four years ago means that I can keep Aiden by my side forever, so be it. It will be good for everyone too. Ring! Ring! Just then, her phone rang, and she found it was a call from Howard. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Amanda greeted, drawing Elias¡¯ attention. With that, he fixed his gaze on her. Suddenly, she turned shocked and repeated with incredulity. ¡°You want to set me up on a blind date? Please tell me this is a joke, Grandpa. W-What are you doing? I told you I already have someone I like. He¡¯s away on a business trip¡­ No, I¡¯m not lying to you, I swear¡­¡± Amanda felt beyond exasperated. First, Elias set up a tombstone for their ¡®dead¡¯ son and now, Howard wanted to set her up with some man! What is with all this hubaloo?! I swear these two Winterses are sent by the heavens to torture me! Out of the blue. Elias snatched her phone and caterwauled furiously to the phone. ¡°What kind of mischief are you up to again. Grandpa? Who said you could set Amanda up with other men?!¡± ¡°Why are you with Amanda?¡± Howard asked with displeasure when he heard Elias voiceing from the other end of the line. ¡°Last time I checked, you two have divorced. What are you doing. badgering her?!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? What are you thinking, setting Amanda up with other men?¡± Never had Elias thought his grandfather woulde around overnight when the elder still wouldn¡¯t give up keeping him and Amanda together just the day before. Set Amanda up with another guy? What is this old man up to?! Suddenly, a bodyguard¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Old Mr. Winters? Old Mr. Winters, are you okay? Wake up!¡± At that, the bodyguard said directly to the phone, ¡°Mr. Elias, Old Mr. Winters has fainted. Please ¡°Passed out? Send me the address!¡± Anxiety overcame Elias at once. Howard wasn¡¯t always in the best shape and he would suffer from high blood pressure now and then. Amanda, too, became anxious when she heard Howard had fainted. ¡°What are you standing here for? Go to your grandfather!¡± she stated as she retrieved her phone. With that, the two left the graveyard in two shakes, leaving the empty tombstone behind, looking oh-so- ridiculous¡­. Meanwhile, a certain child having fun in kindergarten sneezed several times in a row. On the other side of the town, in Bamboo Hall, Howard gave his bodyguard a thumbstter ended the call. ¡°Good acting up after the Lo and behold, the elder was doing just fine. It was just a plot tricking the two intoing over. However, the bodyguard felt somewhat worried. ¡°Will this really work, Old Mr. Winters? What if the two separate for good because of this?¡± Howard, on the other hand, was confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is called going against the tide. I¡¯ve figured it out. The more I force them together, the more they resist me. It¡¯s time to try a different approach.¡± ¡°But Mr. Elias¡¯ temper.¡± ¡°I figured it outst time. That rascal still cares about Amanda and is very jealous. Hmph! Let him worry, or he¡¯ll really think no one else other than him would want Amanda.¡± Howard smiled smugly with his hands behind his back. Things will be easy as long as that rascal still has feelings for Amanda. I¡¯d like to see him remain calm when hispetition really shows up. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Sometimeter, Elias and Amanda arrived at the private room Howard had booked. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Amanda shouted once she entered, thinking the elder had passed out. To her surprise, Howard was sipping his tea leisurely. Elias, on the other hand, blew a fuse and couldn¡¯t help storming, ¡°Do you think this is funny? How can you be at this again?!¡± ¡°How is this not funny? Will you twoe obediently if I don¡¯t fake it?¡± Howard retorted with the teacup in his hand. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Howard Set up a Blind Date for Amanda to Intentionally Provoke Elias ¡°Grandpa¡­ You¡­.¡± Howard¡¯s behavior left Amanda at a loss for words, unsure of what to do with him. I really shouldn¡¯t have left home today! Why has this grandfather-grandson duo decided to screw with me today!! On the contrary. Howard was in seventh heaven as he got up and led Amanda to the dining table ¡°Come, Amanda. You really are a sweet child,¡± At that, the elder gazed disdainfully at his grandson and muttered, ¡°Go on! Your business is done here. Go back to whatever you were doing and don¡¯t be an eyesore. Amanda and I have something to discuss.¡± Bewildered. Amanda looked to Elias, who was behind her. He then sat directly opposite her with seething rage. ¡°Why have you tricked us intoing here?¡± ¡°Correction, I only asked Amanda toe. You invited yourself. I already said it over the phone, haven¡¯t I? I want to set Amanda up with a fine young man,¡± Howard announced, deliberately aggravating Elias and making thetter frown in response. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous!¡± he snapped. Someone¡¯s getting feisty¡­ Howard chuckled inwardly. He knew his grandson still cared about Amanda; he was just unaware of it. That said, Howard remained in on the surface. ¡°How is this ridiculous? I handed Amanda to you a few years ago, thinking you were a decent, responsible man, but look at what you¡¯ve done to her! Look at how you bullied her! I¡¯ve resigned to fate now. It¡¯s fate that you two can¡¯t be together, and I won¡¯t force it on you two anymore. Since you can¡¯t give Amanda the happiness she deserves, I¡¯ll find her the man who can. It¡¯s only then I can be at ease.¡± While Elias was rendered at a loss for words, Howard turned to Amanda. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like him and have no intention of remarrying him. I won¡¯t force you anymore, but I also know you¡¯re lying when you say you have a boyfriend. Do you think I can¡¯t tell? That¡¯s why, my dear, I have to find you a good man you can rely on for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Grandpa, I¡­ It¡¯s fine, really. I can look for one on my own. These things depend on fate.¡± Amanda genuinely felt defeated. She couldn¡¯t believe Howard did a one-eighty overnight. How can the elder want to set me up on a blind date now when he was still doing everything to have me and Elias remarry yesterday?! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll just have a chat with him. If you think he¡¯s not the one, we¡¯ll move on to the next one. I have many fine men here, and I promise we¡¯ll eventually find someone better than that rascal,¡± said Howard, not forgetting to roll his eyes at his grandson. Meanwhile, Elias gazed silently at his grandfather with a tense expression, waiting to see what the elder had up his sleeve. Amanda, on the other hand, just wanted to escape this situation. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m kind of busytely. I don¡¯t have the time-¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon,¡± Howard murmured. ¡°Give him a chance, okay? I think this young man is pretty decent. He¡¯s outstanding in many ways. At that, he turned to Elias. ¡°What are you still sitting here for? Shoo! Don¡¯t bother Amanda on her blind date. Go back to whatever you were doing.¡± ¡°Do you think this is fun, Grandpa? Setting up a blind date for someone without their consent?¡± Though Elias had nothing to do with Amanda anymore, he still felt inexplicably vexed to see her on a blind date. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Howard snorted disdainfully. ¡°What? Do you still have feelings for Amanda? Does it upset you to see her on a blind date?¡± ¡°No!¡± Then shut up and get out! Don¡¯t interfere with our business!¡± Howard would like to see how long Elias could remain obstinate. Just then, the door opened, and a gentleman in a suit came in. No doubt he was the man Howard had set Amanda up with. ¡°Sorry for beingte, Old Mr. Winters.¡± ¡°Brooklyn,e,e!¡± Howard greeted the man with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re notte. We¡¯re just early. Let me introduce you to Amanda Bailey. She¡¯s gorgeous, isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s awyer too. I¡¯m sure you two have a lot inmon, seeing that you¡¯re bothwyers. Amanda was dumbfounded, unsure of how to react. Grandpa went to great lengths this time. He even found a fellow attorney for this blind date! ¡°Amanda, this is Brooklyn Wrenn, a grandson of my friend. He¡¯s one of the partners at aw firm. and a pretty outstanding young man,¡± Howard mentioned while observing Elias¡¯ expression. At that point, Elias was thunderous. Elias scrutinized the man before him judgingly and came to a conclusion-unworthy. This man is unworthy of Amanda. Meanwhile, Amanda smiled awkwardly, then gazed toward Elias for help as though asking him to do something about his grandfather. Elias wanted to interject as well. However, given Howard¡¯s current state, nothing he said would get through to the elder. Sometimeter. Howard suddenly suggested, ¡°Now that you two have gotten to know each other, you should go out for a stroll and spend some alone time.¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­ very well.¡± Amanda felt so awkward at this point that she wished she could bury herself in a hole. Still, she obliged and just like that, she headed out of the private room with Brooklyn. Howard, on the other hand, sipped his tea leisurely while observing his dear grandson¡¯s reaction. Suddenly. Elias got up and got ready to leave. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Sit down and don¡¯t cause trouble!¡± At that, Elias nced over his shoulder and snarled, I¡¯ll go be the chauffeur!¡± As if I¡¯ll let Amanda be alone with that man! Amanda wanted to leave after following Brooklyn out. However, she couldn¡¯te up with a good excuse. Just then. Elias¡¯ deep, alluring voice rang out from behind her. ¡°Amanda, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes lit up at once and she turned to look at Elias, who pulled her behind him and said to Brooklyn. ¡°She already has a boyfriend. You¡¯ve lost your chance.¡± Then, he dragged Amanda toward his vehicle, leaving a shouting Brooklyn behind. ¡°But Old Mr. Winters asked me toe on a blind date!¡± ¡°And now, I¡¯m asking you to go back,¡± Elias said without looking back. Amanda was then shoved into the front passenger seat. Looks like this b*stard is as overbearing as ever! With that, Elias ignited the engine and mmed on the gas, leaving the wretched ce. All this while, Howard continued to sip his tea leisurely. ¡°Sir, Mr. Elias forcefully took Miss Bailey away.¡± the bodyguard came in and reported, causing Howard to guffaw. It seemed that he had foreseen the situation as he mumbled to himself, ¡°I knew he still has feelings for Amanda. He just doesn¡¯t know it! This reverse psychology trick will soon be effective.¡± ¡°You truly are amazing, Old Mr. Winters. The bodyguard was genuinely impressed. ¡°You still know Mr. Elias best.¡± At that, Howard fiddled with the teacup in his hand smugly. ¡°I watched that rascal grow up before my eyes. As if I can¡¯t tell what he thinks!¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Simon Is Finally Returning Later, the vehicle slowly came to a stop outside Lotus Waterfront. Just as Amanda was about to get out, El¨ªas asked, ¡°Have you really gotten yourself a boyfnend?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± His question caught Amanda off guard. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is if you have really gotten a boyfriend, you can bring him over to Grandpa and put an end to his attempts to set you up on blind dates,¡± said the man who secretly hoped Amanda didn¡¯t actually have a boyfriend. In fact, Elias wanted her to personally deny it ¡°Got it. Amanda opened the car door, then suddenly recalled the wretched tombstone. At that. she turned around. ¡°Is the tombstone really set in stone? No room for negotiations?¡± ¡°No.¡± Amanda said nothing more. She got out of the car and headed straight into thepound while Elias stared at her retreating figure for a long time from inside his car. Why would Amanda reject the tombstone so strongly? Can it be that she thinks our child doesn¡¯t deserve a proper burial? But little did Elias know that said child was never forsaken. In fact, he was already three. When Amanda arrived home, she found that Colette had already sent Aiden to kindergarten. As such, she decided to take a nap before heading to thew firm. Just then. her phone rang, and she checked it out to find that it was an international call from Simon. She answered the call immediately. ¡°What can I do for you, Boss?¡± A gentle chuckle escaped Simon and he asked, ¡°It¡¯s nearly 12.00PM back home, isn¡¯t it? Have you had your lunch?¡± As if she had the time to eat, thanks to the morning episode. Still, Amanda lied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve eaten. Have you called me for something?¡± ¡°I may being back early. Someone will take over the things on my end.¡± ¡°Really? Congrattions!¡± ¡°As we agreed, you and Aiden will wee me back when I return. You haven¡¯t forgotten, have you?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Amanda chuckled. ¡°How could I forget? When are youing back? Aiden and I will pick you up at the airport.¡± ¡°My flight is the day after tomorrow. I should arrive at around 8.00PM.¡± Simon is finally returning, which means I can flee this ce once I¡¯m done with the work at hand! ¡°Alright. Aiden and I will pick you up the day after tomorrow, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. See you in two days.¡± ¡°See you.¡± An idea struck Amanda after she hung up. If Grandpa forces me into another one of his blind dates, can I ask Simon to pretend to be my boyfriend? Either way, Simon will being back in two days. If I leave Grandpa be, I certainly won¡¯t get peace of mind during my time in the country. No way did Amanda want another episode from the Winterses like this morning again. At the thought that Elias erected a tombstone for their ¡®dead¡¯ son, she couldn¡¯t help feeling both amused and frustrated. Yet, she couldn¡¯t speak the truth. Oh, how I wish I could just tear that tombstone apart in the middle of the night! Seriously, what father curses their child like that? As shey on the couch and scrolled aimlessly through her phone, a viral headline popped up on her screen, titled, ¡®Grace Murphy¡¯s wealthy boyfriend revealed! It¡¯s actually him!¡± Amanda didn¡¯t even need to click on it to know it was Elias. Yet, she still did, and sure enough, the news article described in great detail the power and wealth of the Winters Family and how Grace would marry into wealth soon. The question was whether this was Elias¡¯ doing or Grace¡¯s. At that, Amanda recalled how Elias and Grace fell into a deep embrace. Ha! How could I have forgotten that Elias is deeply in love with Grace?! That man can do anything for her. No doubt the tombstone for Aiden is merely a pretentious act to appease his consciousness of being with Grace. At the same time, Grace also saw the entertainment news that popped up on her phone. This was her operation. She wanted the whole world to know Elias was hers, and if Amanda ever dared to interact with Elias in private, she could just call Amanda out as a homewrecker who wanted to take her ce. By then, the public would be on her side for sure, and there was no way Amanda could withstand public criticism. Just then, Grace¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Elias. Upon seeing the caller ID, the young woman burst intoughter and answered the phone after collecting herself. ¡°Elias!¡± ¡°Are you free tonight? Let¡¯s go out for dinner.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve got time. I¡¯ll make time for you even if I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at home.¡± Grace was on top of the world after hanging up. I knew it! Elias still loves me. Amanda is only intentionally getting in our way! On the other hand, Elias wanted to make it up to Grace because he thought he had neglected her a littletely. Before long, night had fallen. Grace deliberately donned a sexy strap dress and some morous makeup before being escorted by Elias¡¯ bodyguard. After delivering her to a hotel, the bodyguard said, ¡°Please take the elevator directly to the rooftop. Miss Murphy. Mr. Winters is waiting for you there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Grace smiled gently before heading into the hotel. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She was surprised that Elias was beginning to show some interest and had chosen a romantic rooftop restaurant with a view of the whole city. When Grace arrived at the rooftop, she looked around and sure enough, the man was sitting in a corner. At that, she walked over to him with a smile and purred. ¡°What¡¯s the asion, Elias? To think you¡¯d pick such a romantic restaurant.¡± ¡°You call this romantic?¡± Elias asked with a frown after turning away from the night cityscape. His secretary had rmended this ce. It was his first time here. ¡°Yeah. Women love dining in this kind of ce.¡± Grace had a feeling she could get Elias to stay over for the night, and the thought of it excited her. An attendant came over with the menu while Elias asked casually after checking his phone. ¡°Did you leak our rtionship to the press?¡± The news stirred the entire showbiz, so he naturally received a push notification. At that, Grace stopped flipping the menu for a second and feigned innocence. ¡°Was it not you? I would never release that kind of news without your consent, not to mention I want to leave a good impression on Grandpa.¡± After a moment of silence, Eliasmented, ¡°Let¡¯s order.¡± Just then, his phone, which was on the table, vibrated. The voice of Howard¡¯s bodyguard came as Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 1 Already Have a Boyfriend! He¡¯ll Be Returning in Two Days! Anger consumed Elias after the call ended and he immediately got up to leave. ¡°Elias, where are you going? Didn¡¯t we agree to have dinner together?¡± Grace couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°My grandfather¡¯s forcing Amanda into another blind date. I¡¯m going to check it out. You go ahead and cat. I¡¯lle back as soon as I¡¯m done.¡± With that, he left without looking back. What? He did not just leave me here! We have already agreed on having dinner together! Amanda Bailey, it¡¯s you again! Grace sank her nails deep into her palms. You¡¯d better not be doing this on purpose! At that, she grabbed her bag and chased after Elias. ¡°Elias, wait! I¡¯ming with you.¡± At the same time, inside the car. Howard sat in the back seat with his eyes closed as he rested. The bodyguard in front turned to him after making the call. ¡°Mr. Elias sounded pretty agitated over the phone.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Howard guffawed. ¡°Let¡¯s put on a good show tonight and let them realize their feelings. for each other.¡± The elderly man refused to believe Amanda had moved on. No way would the girl stop loving Elias just like that! Soon, the car slowly came to a halt in front of a corporate building. One of the offices inside was the law firm Amanda worked for. Howard had long monitored everything and knew Amanda would being out soon. Sure enough, the young woman came out of the lobby and headed toward the parking lot as soon. as Howard¡¯s car pulled up. On the other hand, Amanda found Howarding out of the vehicle right as she came out of the building. No way! She widened her eyes in shock. What is Grandpa doing here? Is heing toward me? ¡°Amanda!¡± Howard called out with a chuckle, and Amanda replied with an awkward smile. ¡°What are you doing here, Grandpa?¡± I¡¯m worried for you, of course. I heard your date with Brooklyn in the morning was a no-go,¡± Howard commented with feigned innocence. Even the bodyguard was wholly impressed. You have to hand it to Old Mr. Winters foring up with such believable acting! The night breeze blew gently, tousling Amanda¡¯s soft long curls, yet it couldn¡¯t conceal the embarrassment on her cheeks. ¡°Grandpa¡­ you can¡¯t force love¡­¡± ¡°I know, and that¡¯s okay. I have plenty of fine young men on my list. You¡¯ve gotten off work now, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯ll take you to another one. I promise you this one will be a keeper!¡± Again? Amanda felt distressed. Goodness! Somebody save me! Why do I have to go on another blind date? ¡°Grandpa, please spare me¡­¡± She was genuinely on the verge of begging. Just then, another luxury car pulled up nearby, and one nce was all it took for Howard to know it was Elias¡¯ car. Sure enough, Elias mmed the car door shut and strode over angrily, with Grace following right behind. ¡°Just what are you trying, forcing Amanda into another blind date, Grandpa?¡± Elias raged. ¡°Will it please you more if she marries right here and now?!¡± Of course, Howard was pleased to see his grandson infuriated. However, when he saw Grace standing behind Elias, he snorted disdainfully. ¡°What¡¯s it to you? I didn¡¯t force you into a blind date, did 1? I just don¡¯t want to see Amanda live out her life alone. What¡¯s more, you¡¯re such an irresponsible man- ¡°Grandpa, please don¡¯t talk about Elias like that, Grace interjected in a whisper. ¡°He has his reasons. Love isn¡¯t something that can be forced.¡± ¡°Shut up! You have no right to speak here!¡± Howard roared angrily, and Grace shut up at once. After all, the elder never liked her. ¡°Please watch your attitude, Grandpa!¡± ¡°If you have a problem with my attitude, take this clown away with you! I didn¡¯t beg you toe here!¡± Howard was vexed at this point, and seeing his grandson and Grace together made him feel ufortable all over. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Tears pooled aggrievedly in Grace¡¯s eyes, and she looked piteous. Amanda, on the other hand, thought her head was going to explode. How did the Winterses end up arguing again? ¡°Grandpa, stop it! That¡¯s enough!¡± Amanda finally spoke up. ¡°I already have a boyfriend, and he¡¯ll be coming back in two days. I¡¯ll bring him over for dinner the night he returns if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± At that, the entire world fell into silence, and Elias and Howard both stared silently at her for what felt like a century. Amanda, on the other hand, felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It looks like I really need Simon¡¯s help, or the blind dates will never end! Then again, why have these two frozen over? ¡°Grandpa? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± At that, Howard shifted his cane and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s busy with work overseas? Howe he¡¯sing back in two days? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you? You¡¯re never one to lie!¡± A hint of guilt arose within Amanda at once, but this was herst resort. She would not be able to stand it if Howard were to force her into a series of blind dates. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not lying to you, Grandpa. His flight willnd the night after tomorrow. I¡¯ll bring him to you then. How about that?¡± However, Howard didn¡¯t believe her at all. ¡°Very well, then. Bring your so-called boyfriend over to my ce the day after tomorrow. I¡¯d like to see who you have gotten as a boyfriend! I will know if he¡¯s just an actor. Don¡¯t think you can fool me.¡± With that, the elder turned to his vehicle. Just then, Elias let out a disdainful sneer before mocking. ¡°You really spare yourself no mercy. Whom do you n on bringing to be your actor?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you? Am I not allowed to have a boyfriend?!¡± Amanda snorted, then headed toward the parking lot, leaving Elias behind to fall into a deep thought as he watched her retreating figure. Is she telling the truth? No¡­ That¡¯s impossible! There¡¯s no way she will have found a man in just a few days! ¡°Elias, maybe Amanda has really gotten herself a boyfriend. After all, she is a bombshell and awyer at that. She has many chances to interact with the rich and powerful. Who knows, someone might have wooed her.¡± Of course, Grace wanted nothing more than for Amanda to get herself a boyfriend and stay far away from Elias, whose dashing face was currently enveloped in grimness, growing increasingly upset at Grace¡¯s words. Amanda was indeed a bombshell. In fact, she could survive in the entertainment industry with just her looks alone, and she would have a better chance of bing popr than Grace. ¡°Enough!¡± ¡°Elias¡­¡± His exasperation startled Grace. Does it upset him so much to hear Amanda being wooed by other men? Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Are you still hungry? Let¡¯s go back to the restaurant,¡± Elias muttered as he headed back to his car. Grace, on the other hand, fell silent for a few seconds before catching up to Elias. However, her sense of crisis was growing stronger by the day, as she was certain Elias still had feelings for Amanda. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 An Awkward Dinner Later, Amanda returned warily to Lotus Waterfront and found Colette making dinner while Aiden¡¯s chirps came from inside the bedroom. He seemed to be on the phone with Simon again. Why does this little brat call Simon whenever he gets the chance? At that, she tip-toed to the doorway and quietly pushed the door open, only to find the little one giggling over the phone. She leaned closer, wanting to hear what the two were talking about. ¡°Will you really being back the day after tomorrow, Mr. Simon? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you? Why didn¡¯t Mommy tell me anything about it?¡± ¡°Really. Maybe she wants to give you a surprise.¡± ¡°Wow! What a surprise! Will you treat me to yummy food when youe back, Mr. Simon? Mommy won¡¯t let me eat any of them. Hmph!¡± ¡°Sure thing. Your mommy and I will take you out for yummy food. You can eat whatever you like; I¡¯ll back you up.¡± ¡°Yay! Thank you, Mr. Simon!¡± After hearing their conversation, Amanda had to admit that Simon had a way of coaxing a child despite never having been a dad himself. How does he have so much experience? Is he gifted at it? With that, she entered the bedroom and deliberately cleared her throat. Instantly, Aiden jumped out of bed like a startled bunny and said to Simon, ¡°Mommy¡¯s home! She doesn¡¯t like it when I interrupt your work. I¡¯ll see you in two days, Mr. Simon. Bye!¡± At that, the boy speedily hung up and chucked the phone to the armchair aside. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve only talked to Mr. Simon for a few minutes. I definitely didn¡¯t interrupt his work. I called during his break,¡± Aiden exined solemnly with eyes filled with innocence. ¡°Really? How do you know that he¡¯s on a break?¡± Amanda feigned sternness. ¡°I calcted it. The time difference between here and Esmos is such that it¡¯s Mr. Simon¡¯s break time now,¡± said the little one as he calcted with his tiny hands. It seemed that he had indeed taken a lot of time to get to the result. Tsk¡­ This little devil is quite smart. At that, she ruffled his hair and sighed. ¡°Do you like Simon that much?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Aiden looked up at his mother with twinkling eyes, thinking she was finally struck with an epiphany. ¡°I¡¯ve done the calctions, Mommy. Mr. Simon suits you very well. He¡¯s the epitome of a perfect man!¡± Amanda was rendered speechless. Perfect man? Where did this child learn all of that from? ¡°Alright, enough ying. Just look at the time. Go wash up and go to bed now!¡± She turned the boy¡¯s tiny body around and led him to the bathroom. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. However, Aiden was still going at it. ¡°Mommy, you really have to think about it! A fine man like Mr. Simon is very popr with thedies. You¡¯ll be doomed if someone else gets to him first!¡± he said over his shoulder. ¡°And how will I be doomed? There are plenty of men in this world.¡± ¡°But none of them are Mr. Simon! They¡¯re different. Different, I tell you!¡± Amanda had noeback to that. Suddenly, it hit her that her little boy had grown up and was beginning to develop his own ideas. He could no longer be deceived so easily. Very quickly, it came the day Simon returned to the country. After work, Amanda went to the airport to pick him up before heading to Winters Manor for dinner. She needed to quickly stop Howard from arranging further blind dates for her. Amanda waited at the airport exit for a long time until she finally saw Simon approaching her with a luggage cart. He had a handsome face with a gentle smile. He wore a beige windbreaker. standing tall and elegant like a noble gentleman. As Aiden put it, he was the epitome of a perfect man. ¡°Have you been waiting for long. Amanda?¡± he asked gently, to which Amanda shook her head. ¡°I just got here too.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Aiden along? I thought you two were supposed to wee me together, no?¡± She felt a little embarrassed and didn¡¯t know how to put it to him. Simon, too, noticed her difort and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has something happened?¡± ¡°Can you do me a favor tonight? It¡¯s really urgent and I can¡¯t find anyone suitable, so¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Simon turned solemn at once, thinking Amanda had encountered great difficulty. At that, she smiled awkwardly and rubbed her wristwatch while stuttering. ¡°Well, can you¡­ maybe¡­ pretend to be my boyfriend for the night? To get through this situation I¡¯m in.¡± Pretend to be your boyfriend? Surprise overcame Simon before a chuckle escaped him. ¡°Sure thing. It¡¯s not a problem.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why I need you to be my boyfriend?¡± She looked up in astonishment. ¡°You must have your reasons. I¡¯d like to hear it out if you¡¯re willing to share, but it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t.¡± Amanda was touched. Simon really was gentle and considerate. He would certainly be a perfect husband who doted on his wife and children. But the next second, insecurity washed over her again. I guess I don¡¯t deserve him. Whatever. Enough overthinking, Bailey. ¡°Thank you so much, Boss! I shall work hard to repay you.¡± Amanda would take up more cases for Simon while she was still in the country and make some achievements to repay him. ¡°Sure.¡± Simon chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the kind of employee I need.¡± At that, the two exchanged a smile. With that, Amanda drove them to the Winters Manor, where Howard was pacing around anxiously like an ant on a hot griddle. Inside the Winters Manor, Howard paced back and forth anxiously, still having troubleing to terms with the fact that Amanda already had a boyfriend. Has Amanda really gotten a boyfriend? He wished she didn¡¯t and that she wouldn¡¯te over. That way, Elias would still have a chance. But what would he do if Amanda came over with her boyfriend? That would mean the chances of Elias and Amanda ever remarrying would bepletely gone. Just then, the butler approached Howard. ¡°Old Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey has arrived. She has brought a man over, and the way I see it¡­¡± ¡°What did you see? Tell me!¡± Howard felt nervous and ufortable. It was like a massive boulder was weighing down on him. ¡°They look like a pretty good match and very much in love too¡­¡± the butler revealed, disheartening Howard as thetter slumped onto the couch like a deted balloon. ¡°Grandpa. I¡¯m here!¡± Amanda and Simon arrived in the living room to find a devastated Howard, who looked toward them in response, only to resignpletely after seeing Simon for himself. ¡°Oh, Amanda¡­. Is this¡­ your boyfriend?¡± Howard asked as he slowly got up. The longer he sized the young man up, the more heartbroken he was, for Simon didn¡¯t appear any lesser than Elias in terms of appearance. It waspletely reasonable that Amanda would fall for a man like him. ¡°Hello, sir. I¡¯m Simon Nicholson of Justice & Associates. I work alongside Amanda.¡± Simon introduced himself politely, briefly, and modestly, and Amanda couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°He¡¯s one of the founders of ourw firm too, Grandpa. I guess you can say he¡¯s my boss.¡± Howard chuckled wryly in response and felt a heart attacking on, for the two genuinely looked perfect together. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to the dining room. I¡¯ve got dinner ready for you guys.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandpa!¡± Amanda even took the initiative to wrap her arms around Simon¡¯s while he smiled gently at her. Naturally, Howard¡¯s blood pressure skyrocketed when he saw their interaction. After everyone had taken their seats at the dining table, the servants brought out the food. Just then, the butler approached Howard again. ¡°Old Mr. Winters, Mr. Elias and Miss Murphy have arrived.¡± As if showing up now can salvage anything! Howard sighed glumly. That b*stard rascal ultimately pushed Amanda to another man! ¡°Sure. Whatever.¡± The elder wasn¡¯t even in the mood to talk anymore. He just wanted to finish this dinner quickly so that everyone would go home. Just looking at Simon made him ufortable. Meanwhile, Amanda frowned. Elias hase too? What is he doing here? Just then, footsteps were heard approaching, and Elias and Grace showed up in the dining room to instantly find Simon, who sat next to Amanda. For a moment, an inexplicable aura filled the space. ¡°So, this is your boyfriend?¡± Elias asked as he sized Simon up with squinted eyes that exuded intimidation. ¡°Yeah. This is Simon Nicholson.¡± ¡°Hello. Simon dipped his head calmly at Elias, who eventually sat across from Amanda. Grace, too, followed Elias, and the servants added another set of cutleries. ¡°I wonder what your job is, Mr. Nicholson?¡± Elias asked with his gaze boring into Simon. Simon¡¯s gaze bore into Elias as well, and the intense stare-off was like a silentpetition. ¡°Justice & Associates.¡± Simon smiled. ¡°I¡¯m awyer too.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Elias sneered, seemingly disdainful, and it pissed Amanda off. ¡°He¡¯s my boss, one of the founders of Justice & Associates,¡± she retorted. Justice & Associates was one of the topw firms in the country, and Simon had won many awards from the Monterrey Lawyer Association, far surpassing Elias, a libertine scion. ¡°So what?¡± Elias asked with a slightly quirked brow, unimpressed. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Elias Is Jealous. Not wanting to entertain him, Amanda snorted under her breath before taking a sip of the ice Water. Howard was beginning to feel troubled. He just wanted to finish this meal and go to bed. The original n was to have Amanda and Elias remarry eventually. Now, however, it was a different ball game. Amanda wasn¡¯t lying when she said she had gotten herself a boyfriend! Is there really no more hope between the two? Howard still didn¡¯t want to resign to fate. However, he couldn¡¯t find any faults with Simon when he looked at the fine young man. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, the elder announced absentmindedly. Meanwhile, Elias continued to stare at Simon, and his gaze was one of staring at his love rival. ¡°Mr. Nicholson, have you known Amanda for long?¡± Grace initiated a conversation to ease the atmosphere. ¡°About four years,¡± Simon replied. Four years? Elias frowned slightly. Amanda and I divorced just four years ago, and these two have already known each other for four years?! ¡°In other words, you two were already acquainted before we even divorced. Amanda, are you sure you haven¡¯t cheated on me?¡± Jealousy filled Elias¡¯ tone. Howe I never caught any anomaly from her four years ago? Livid, Amanda snapped, ¡°Elias Winters, don¡¯t make trouble out of nothing! I met Simon abroad after divorcing you!¡± Meanwhile, Simon smiled silently and put a shrimp on Amanda¡¯s te after peeling it for her. ¡°Here, have the shrimp while it¡¯s hot,¡± he cooed. However, his tenderness only made Elias scoff, for the way he saw it, Simon was being pretentious. As if you need to put on a show for others just to please a woman! ¡°Thank you.¡± Amanda beamed when she saw the peeled prawn. Naturally, Howard only felt even more upset when he saw the interaction between Amanda and Simon, not to mention Elias¡¯ arrogance. Does this rascal even know how to court a woman? How can his emotional intelligence be so low?! Unable to resist the urge to help his grandson, Howard spoke up, ¡°Were you ever married, Mr. Nicholson?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The elder¡¯s eyes lit up at once. No way would Simon¡¯s family allow him to marry a divorcee when he had always been an eligible bachelor! ¡°Will your family ept Amanda, then? Our Amanda might be a divorcee, but I¡¯ll have you know that I won¡¯t allow her to be treated unfairly.¡± Amanda¡¯s expression stiffened at that, and she suddenly lowered her head meekly. However, Simon was very calm as he held Amanda¡¯s hand with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Mr. Winters. My family is very open. The only thing that matters to them is that we¡¯re happy. Besides, Amanda is amazing. I don¡¯t want to miss out on a girl like her.¡± At that. Howard couldn¡¯t help sighing in disappointment. With an attitude like Simon¡¯s, Howard would choose the young man too if he were a woman. Suddenly, the elderly man lost all his appetite. ¡°It¡¯s hard to stay upte when you¡¯re my age. You kids go ahead and eat. I¡¯m going back to my room,¡± he announced while slowly getting up, feeling uneasy. ¡°Rest well. Grandpa,¡± Amanda said. Howard turned around and took a gander at her. As reluctant as he was, he could only sigh and say, ¡°You should eat more. You probably won¡¯t get the chance to eat here anymore in the future.¡± With that, he left the dining room. He walked away with the help of his cane, painting a frail and lonely figure. Meanwhile, Elias leaned back against his seat, shrouded in grimness. ¡°Are you sure your family will allow you to marry Amanda?¡± he asked icily, his chin slightly raised. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you like about this woman? What else does she have other than beauty? I can¡¯t find anything else good about her.¡± Elias deliberately debased Amanda, hoping to get her attention, for she barely spared him any nces since he showed up. Her eyes were only ever on Simon. ¡°And that¡¯s why you two would divorce, huh?¡± Simon smirked, infuriating Elias, ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°I said, you can¡¯t seem to appreciate Amanda¡¯s qualities, but I can. I can see all her strengths, as well as her efforts and sacrifices.¡± Simon¡¯s words sure were pleasant to hear, and Amanda couldn¡¯t help beaming at him. However, her smile was an eyesore to Elias. At this point, jealousy had swallowed him, overriding all his senses. ¡°Does it not bother you even if Amanda gave up a child for me?¡± Elias asked out of the blue, causing the space to fall into an eerie silence. A hint of surpriseced Simon at that. What? What does he make of Aiden, then?! Isn¡¯t the child alive ¡°Not yet.¡± The elder¡¯s eyes lit up at once. No way would Simon¡¯s family allow him to marry a divorcee when he had always been an eligible bachelor! ¡°Will your family ept Amanda, then? Our Amanda might be a divorcee, but I¡¯ll have you know that I won¡¯t allow her to be treated unfairly¡± Amanda¡¯s expression stiffened at that, and she suddenly lowered her head meekly. However, Simon was very calm as he held Amanda¡¯s hand with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Mr. Winters. My family is very open. The only thing that matters to them is that we¡¯re happy. Besides, Amanda is amazing. I don¡¯t want to miss out on a girl like her.¡± At that, Howard couldn¡¯t help sighing in disappointment. With an attitude like Simon¡¯s. Howard would choose the young man too if he were a woman. Suddenly, the elderly man lost all his appetite. ¡°It¡¯s hard to stay upte when you¡¯re my age. You kids go ahead and eat. I¡¯m going back to my room,¡± he announced while slowly getting up, feeling uneasy. ¡°Rest well, Grandpa,¡± Amanda said. Howard turned around and took a gander at her. As reluctant as he was, he could only sigh and say, ¡°You should eat more. You probably won¡¯t get the chance to eat here anymore in the future.¡± With that, he left the dining room. He walked away with the help of his cane, painting a frail and lonely figure. Meanwhile, Elias leaned back against his seat, shrouded in grimness. ¡°Are you sure your family will allow you to marry Amanda?¡± he asked icily, his chin slightly raised. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you like about this woman? What else does she have other than beauty? I can¡¯t find anything else good about her.¡± Elias deliberately debased Amanda, hoping to get her attention, for she barely spared him any nces since he showed up. Her eyes were only ever on Simon. ¡°And that¡¯s why you two would divorce, huh?¡± Simon smirked, infuriating Elias. ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°I said, you can¡¯t seem to appreciate Amanda¡¯s qualities, but I can. I can see all her strengths, as well as her efforts and sacrifices.¡± Simon¡¯s words sure were pleasant to hear, and Amanda couldn¡¯t help beaming at him. However, her smile was an eyesore to Elias. At this point, jealousy had swallowed him, overriding all his senses. ¡°Does it not bother you even if Amanda gave up a child for me?¡± Elias asked out of the blue, causing the space to fall into an eerie silence. A hint of surpriseced Simon at that. What? What does he make of Aiden, then?! Isn¡¯t the child alive and kicking? Is it me, or is Elias unaware of Aiden¡¯s existence? Amanda, on the other hand, stood up and mmed the table in anger. ¡°What¡¯s the point of bringing this up, Winters? Do you want the whole world to know that I used to be pregnant with your child?!¡± She began panicking, for Simon waspletely unaware of the situation. If he identally mentioned Aiden, then all her efforts to hide the truth would be in vain. ¡°Elias¡­ why bring that up?¡± Grace couldn¡¯t help but tug on Elias¡¯ arm too. Meanwhile, Elias snorted disdainfully at his livid ex-wife and mocked, ¡°What? Did I burst your little bubble? Don¡¯t you think your boyfriend has the right to know about this? What if he despises and abandons you when he only learns about this after marrying you? Won¡¯t youe crying to me by then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will never bother you and your happily married life!¡± Amanda was beside herself with fury at this point. She couldn¡¯t believe how much of a d*ckhead the man was. If there. weren¡¯t so many people around, she would¡¯ve jumped on him and mangled him. Simon, too, stood up and held Amanda¡¯s arm. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mr. Winters. I will ept all of Amanda since I¡¯ve decided to be with her.¡± Elias sneered in response and took a few sips of the ice water in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t a very pleasant dinner. Amanda and I will take our leave now. You two enjoy your meal.¡± With that, Simon grabbed his suit jacket and took Amanda away. Naturally, the young woman left the dining room without a backward nce, believing she would really mangle Elias if she stayed there one second longer. ¡°See yourselves to the door.¡± Fury engulfed Elias as he watched Simon take Amanda away, and he mmed his ss onto the ground, making a loud noise that startled Grace. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Ah!¡± she screamed in fright. ¡°Elias, are you okay? You¡­¡± Of course, Grace knew Elias was being jealous. Suddenly, he shot up from his seat and left the dining room, his towering figure filled with anger. At that, Grace hurriedly got up and followed him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ve had enough!¡± He was indeed fed up because of Amanda. And back then, she said that I¡¯m the only man she¡¯ll ever see, that I¡¯m the only man she will ever love. Lies, all lies! Now, she¡¯s unting her love for another man right in front of me! Absolutely disgusting! Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 You¡¯re Home Alone? In the front passenger seat of Simon¡¯s car, Amanda grew increasingly enraged as she looked out the window at the passing nightscape. That son of a b*tch will really do anything to humiliate me! Simon, who was driving, saw her anger and chuckled. ¡°Still mad?¡° ¡°What?¡± It was only then that Amanda snapped out of her thoughts. ¡°No, I just feel embarrassed that you had to see that.¡± She just wanted Simon to help her get through an awkward situation. Never in a million years would she have thought that Elias would show up and even humiliate her at every chance he got. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised he¡¯s your ex-husband.¡± Never had he expected Elias to be Amanda¡¯s ex-husband, for it seemed to him that the two had no connection whatsoever. At that, sheughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°You¡¯re wondering how the Winterses ever took an interest in a woman like me and why Elias would agree to marry me when we¡¯re from two different worlds, no?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Quite the contrary, Simon refuted, causing Amanda to look quizzically at him. ¡°Elias is a known libertine scion in the circle. I¡¯m just surprised you¡¯d marry him. Is he your type?¡± All this while, Simon thought Amanda was into mature men, but to think she would marry a libertine scion like Elias, His question stumped Amanda for a second. Is he my type? Maybe. She still remembered how her face flushed crimson and her heart raced wildly when she first saw Elias. He was in a suit and tie, and he was displeased with Howard¡¯s forced marriage arrangement. Still, he married her for Howard¡¯s sake. ¡°Did you two marry out of love?¡± Simon rephrased, seeing that she didn¡¯t answer him. ¡°No.¡± Amanda looked out the car window and answered casually. ¡°He doesn¡¯t love me. It was a forced marriage by his grandfather.¡± Does he not? Looking at the way Elias behaved, Simon didn¡¯t think that was the case. Also, it seemed that Elias was unaware of Aiden¡¯s existence. Simon wanted to voice his query but thought he was being nosy, so he kept it to himself. Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s phone rang, breaking the awkward atmosphere in the car. She answered the phone, and a voice filled with anger came from the other end of the line. ¡°Mommy, you lied to me again! You said Mr. Simon woulde back tonight and that you would take me to see him! Where are you now?! You big fat liar! I will never ever talk to you again¡± As the car was silent, Simon heard the little munchkin¡¯s raging protest as well. Amanda, on the other hand, was rather speechless. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him,¡± Simonmented with a chuckle. At that, she handed her phone helplessly to him, then gazed at his dashing side profile. ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m right next to your mommy. My flight was dyed, so please don¡¯t me her. How about we make a deal? You go to bed early tonight, and I¡¯ll take you out to y tomorrow. How does that sound?¡± Simon coaxed with a smile. However, the little one grumbled upsettingly when he heard Simon¡¯s voice. ¡°You and Mommy aren¡¯t lying to me, are you? Have you two secretly gone out to y behind my back?¡± ¡°Of course not. The flight was dyed and it¡¯s toote now. Little kids need to go to bed early to grow tall. Be good, and I¡¯ll pick you up from school tomorrow on time, hmm?¡± ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll trust you this once. I¡¯m only doing this for you. I¡¯m still mad at Mommy: tell her I won¡¯t talk to her tonight. Hmph!¡± With that, Aiden hung up without saying a word to his dear mother, disheartening Amanda. That ungrateful little rascal! Simon, on the other hand,ughed and stated, ¡°Looks like he¡¯s pissed. We¡¯ll have to make it up to him tomorrow.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to do with him anymore. He makes nothing of me nowadays.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. That boy is doing everything to find you a husband. Don¡¯t be so hard on him.¡± Simon murmured with a smile, rendering Amanda speechless. By the time Amanda arrived home, Colette had already bathed Aiden and even tucked him in. Now, she was just waiting for Amanda toe home. ¡°You¡¯re back, Miss Bailey. I¡¯ll be off, then. Aiden¡¯s already asleep.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Colette. Take care on your way back.¡± After seeing Colette off, Amanda went to the bedroom and couldn¡¯t help chuckling when she saw the child sprawled in bed. She thought her baby boy looked adorable no matter what. Just then, the ringtone sted and nearly woke the boy up. With that, she hurriedly covered her phone and left the bedroom. It turned out to be a call from Elias. Why would he call at this hour? Then, what happened at the dinner table earlier returned to her, and anger washed over her once more. You really have the guts to call at this time, Winters. You asked for it! ¡°What do you want?!¡± Amandashed out right after answering the call. ¡°Are you going to continue to humiliate me? Do you not have anything better to do? What business do you have with me introducing my boyfriend to Grandpa? I don¡¯t recall anyone forcing you to go back to the manor.¡± However, in the face of her tirade, Elias only icily asked where she was, stumping her. ¡°What do you care?! Why the hell have you called?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m in my office. Come over. I have work to talk to you about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really asking for a fight, aren¡¯t you?¡± Amanda nearlyughed in anger. ¡°You want to talk to me about work at this hour? Talk tomorrow!¡± ¡°No. Right now. Immediately. Elias demanded, giving her no chance to negotiate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m already home, in my bathtub, taking a bath. I can¡¯t go right away.¡± I won¡¯t go! What are you going to do about it? However, much to Amanda¡¯s surprise, Elias fell silent for a few seconds before asking, ¡°You¡¯re home alone? Are you not with Nicholson?¡± ¡°Are you nuts! Just what do you keep in that head of yours? He¡¯s already gone home. He hasn¡¯t even had the chance to adjust to jetg, having juste back.¡± ¡°All good, then. Rest early.¡± With that. Elias ended the call, leaving Amanda reeling in bafflement while the busy signal echoed. Speechlessness overcame her as she gazed at her phone, and she couldn¡¯t help thinking Elias had called only to make sure she wasn¡¯t with Simon. Sometimes, she really couldn¡¯t understand what this man was thinking or what he wanted to do. Meanwhile, darkness filled the CEO¡¯s office of Winters Enterprise as Elias stood behind the floor- to- ceiling windows, overlooking the cityscape. He had a cigarette between his lips, and the burning red tip flickered in the darkness. The smoke might have blurred his handsome features, but it couldn¡¯t conceal the profoundness. in his eyes. Of course, he didn¡¯t ask Amanda toe over for work. He just hated the idea of her possibly spending the rest of the night with Simon. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 An Unfortunate Coincidence, Running Into Elias. With Aiden Elias returned to his desk and snubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray filled with cigarette butts. Suddenly, heughed self-deprecatingly. What has gotten into you, Winters? You two have been divorced for four years. Why does it upset you so much that your ex-wife has gotten herself a boyfriend? Is it because Nicholson looks absolutely unreliable? Yes, that must be it. Amanda used to be my wife, in any case. I can¡¯t just sit back and watch as she falls into a pit, can I? Thinking back now, Elias was a bit impulsive at the dinner table. No doubt Amanda felt humiliated when he revealed her abortion in front of Simon. However, his jealousy and anger had taken over at the time, and his sanity was no longer in check. Ring! Ring! It was his phone. He looked at the caller ID and found it was Grace. However, he didn¡¯t feel like answering it. Even so, the ringtone continued sting, urging him to pick it up. Eventually, Elias answered it, impatience evident in his voice. ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°Are you still in the office, Elias? Are you not done with work yet?¡± At that, he sat in the swivel chair with his long legs crossed on the desk. ¡°Yeah, I have to work. overtime tonight. I¡¯ll be here for a while. You go to bed first.¡± ¡°Alright. I want to visit my brother at the cemetery tomorrow. You¡¯ll go with me, won¡¯t you? It¡¯s been a while since youst visited him too.¡± Elias knew Grace was deliberately reminding him not to forget his promise, and he massaged his forehead, saying. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow. Rest early.¡± ¡°Alright. You don¡¯t stay up toote, either. Try and take a nap when you can.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After ending the call, he switched the phone off and chucked it onto the desk. He had never forgotten, and would never forget, Yn¡¯s exhortation to him. However, Grace¡¯s constant reminders annoyed him. The following day, Amanda went to thew firm right after dropping Aiden off at the kindergarten. She got a call from Simon right as she arrived at her desk. She had thought it was an emergency. Lo and behold¡­.. ¡°What do you say to picking Aiden up after school and taking him to the amusement park before having dinner?¡± ¡°We can do another day if you¡¯re busy¡± Amanda chuckled helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re still getting over your jetg as well. I should let you know entertaining the little brat is an exhausting job-¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not break my promise,¡± Simon interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯s no big deal just because he¡¯s a child. You¡¯ll lose his trust over time, and it¡¯ll be toote by the time you want to make amends.¡± Amanda suddenly felt ashamed for even she, Aiden¡¯s biological mother, hadn¡¯t regarded the boy¡¯s feelings. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. We¡¯ll entertain him to his heart¡¯s content, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to your work now. We¡¯ll pick him up after school in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. After hanging up the phone, Amanda quickly focused on her work, wanting to finish the day¡¯s work as soon as possible so that she could spend the afternoon with her child without any distractions. Soon, it was time to get off work, and Amanda headed to the parking lot to get her car after packing up, only for a ck Maybach to pull up in front of her. The window rolled down. revealing Simon¡¯s face. ¡°Get in. We only need one car.¡± She smiled and dly obliged. Half an hourter, Simon pulled up in front of the kindergarten, and the two went inside to pick. up Aiden. Immediately, Amanda found the boy trotting in her direction, and she couldn¡¯t help beaming in response as she crouched down with open arms to embrace her child. Lo and behold, Aiden ran straight into Simon¡¯s arms behind her, who easily picked him up. Amanda¡¯s smile froze as she stood up helplessly. ¡°You heartless little rascal. You won¡¯t even spare me a nce. You only have eyes for Simon now,¡± sheined, patting Aiden¡¯s bottom gently. ¡°It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Simon in a long time, but I see Mommy every day,¡± Aiden said as he wrapped his arms around Simon¡¯s neck, looking very much Simon, on the other hand,mented with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller and heavier since Ist saw you a month ago.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a little man!¡± said the boy smugly as he threw his fist into the air. ¡°Good boy. Let¡¯s head to the amusement park before we grab some good food. What do you say?¡± ¡°Yay! You¡¯re the best, Mr. Simon! Mommy, you have toe too! We¡¯ll go together!¡± Aiden whooped. Nothing but helplessness washed over Amanda right then. She could tell her son genuinely liked Simon. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised Elias would be beside himself with rage if he found out. Then again, he did erect a tombstone for his living son. Serves him right! With that, the three of them yed in the amusement park for two hours before getting dinner. They picked a table by the window and when the attendant brought over a high chair, a certain. toddler refused to sit in it. ¡°Sweetie, please sit in the high chair. It¡¯s safer for you.¡± However, the boy continued to despise it. ¡°Tm a big boy now, Mommy. I don¡¯t want to sit in that. Those are for babies.¡± His words rendered Amanda speechless and she mused, Dear, you¡¯re only three yourself. How big do you think you are? At that, she cajoled Aiden with a smile. ¡°Look at how fun this chair is, Aiden. I promise you¡¯ll enjoy your food more if you sit in the high chair.¡± ¡°Mommy, I keep telling you not to talk to me like that. Do you know how childish you sound?¡± Aiden grumbled as he gazed at his mother like she was an idiot. Childish? I can¡¯t believe my son just called me childish! At that, she resisted the urge to beat the little rascal up and gave up making him sit in the high chair. ¡°Fine, whatever. Do what you like but I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°I know, Mommy. Stop nagging!¡± Aiden sat there like a little adult, studying the menu carefully as if he could really read. ¡°Can you even read? Give it to Simon,¡± Amanda muttered and took the menu away from him. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to learn!¡± Aiden retorted, pouting in exasperation. Meanwhile. Simon chuckled at the interaction berween me and ann Just then, a couple of r?viding diners came into the restaurant and Ananda gamed inadvertende only to be tuned Elies and Grace? This is bad? What now? I can¡¯t possibly desde ander the table new 1 Panic overcame Amanda, and she turned to Simon, requesting. Can we eat elsewhere Simon took a gander at the entrance and instantly understood why she looked so panicked. ¡°Sure¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Is He a Love Child? Unfortunately, Elias had noticed them just as they were about to get up and leave, for he was approaching their direction. Amanda was hastily packing up and by the time she turned around, she froze as Elias was only a few feet away from them. Shoot¡­ This is it. He¡¯s going to learn about Aiden! At that, countless possible scenes of the Winterses fighting her for the right over Aiden rushed to her head. What should I do? Meanwhile, Simon pulled Aiden into his arms and concealed his face under his jacket. ¡°Aiden, don¡¯t look back,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you out tomorrow to y again if you lean quietly on my shoulder for a while.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes lit up at once. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Mr. Simon!TM ¡°Shh¡­¡± He pressed Aiden¡¯s head on his shoulder, making it impossible for Elias to see the child¡¯s face. At this point, Amanda¡¯s face had nched, and a thinyer of sweat also gathered on her forehead. She was beyond apprehensive and her heart was racing wildly. ¡°Amanda, what a coincidence. Have you guyse to eat as well?¡± Grace asked after arriving in front of them. However, Amanda said nothing and only fixed her gaze on Elias, thinking the man would explode. the next second and flip the table. Much to her surprise, Simon interjected, ¡°I brought my son out to eat with Amanda.¡± Amanda turned around reflexively and gazed toward him and the child in his arms in shock. From her angle, she couldn¡¯t see Aiden¡¯s face at all. All that was visible was a fuzzy little head. ¡°You have a son?¡± Elias asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°Is he a love child?¡± The atmosphere turned incredibly eerie, and Amanda couldn¡¯t help gulping and clenching her hands nervously. Simon smiled in response. He didn¡¯t admit nor deny Elia¡¯s usation, merely patting Aiden¡¯s head. Even Grace was somewhat shocked that Simon would have an illegitimate child. F*ck! Elias hit the roof. I knew Nicholson was trash! No wonder he doesn¡¯t care whether Amanda is divorced or had even given up a child! He has a love child himself! ¡°Did you know about his son?¡± Elias stared at Amanda like he was interrogating a criminal. ¡°I did, and I don¡¯t mind.¡± Amanda tried to remain calm even though she had trouble looking straight into Elias¡¯ eyes. Don¡¯t mind? She doesn¡¯t mind being a stepmother? Is she out of her mind? Does she think being a stepmother is fun?! Elias suddenly had the urge to take her away by force. ¡°Elias, let¡¯s not bother them anymore. We should find another restaurant.¡± Grace wanted to take Elias away, unable to bear his lingering gaze on Amanda for an extra second. But much to her dismay, Elias enunciated as he stared at Amanda. ¡°We¡¯ll eat right here!¡± With that, he turned and headed to another corner of the restaurant, and Grace had no choice but to follow him, for she knew just how obstinate the man was. He would never listen to her. Seeing that the couple had finally left, Amanda heaved a sigh of relief. She nearly broke out in a cold sweat. Meanwhile, Simon put Aiden on the chair opposite him, with the back of his head facing Elias. ¡°Let¡¯s go to another restaurant, Amanda requested while grabbing her bag, getting ready to leave. However, Simon thought otherwise. ¡°We should just stay. Leaving now will only make you look guilty, and I bet he will chase after you.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . At that, Amanda sat back down. However, she couldn¡¯t eat at all with Elias nearby, especially having to worry that he would discover Aiden¡¯s existence at any second. ¡°Did I do well, Mr. Simon?¡± Aiden exulted. ¡°Of course. You were great, Aiden.¡± ¡°In that case, you have to take me out to y tomorrow! Adults should keep their promises. Pinky promise.¡± Aiden even extended his pinky at that, looking incredibly adorable. ¡°Pinky promise.¡± Simon hooked his finger with Aiden¡¯s as he smiled affectionately. On the other hand, Amanda was so nervous that she had trouble breathing, and it wasn¡¯t until she turned around and found Elias and Grace sitting far away that she finally eased a little. ¡°Take it easy. We¡¯ll leave right after we¡¯re done with dinner. Being agitated will only ignite their suspicion, Simon tried tofort her as he took his time reading the menu. Finally, Amanda nodded and collected her emotions. At the same time, Elias downed the ss of ice water the attendant had just poured for him like he was drinking liquor, and he couldn¡¯t help cussing as he stared at Amanda¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Elias¡­ I think Mr. Nicholson¡¯s pretty gentlemanly, no?¡± Grace begged to differ. ¡°Gentlemanly? What gentleman has a child out of wedlock and even expects Amanda to be a stepmother?!¡± Yet that idiot looks very happy and ready to be a stepmother. ¡°But this isn¡¯t Amanda¡¯s first marriage either¡­¡± Grace couldn¡¯t help mumbling. ¡°So what? Do you have a bias against divorced women? Do divorce women have to be stepmothers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that. I just think¡­ What matters is that they like each other. What do outsiders like us have anything to do with their happiness?¡± The situation was bing bleaker for Grace, for she believed Elias was bing more in love with Amanda. In fact, they might get back together if she continued to let this be. Meanwhile, Elias fell silent, finally calming down. Grace is right. Who am I to have a finger in their pie?Then again, Amanda is so dumb that I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Can¡¯t she tell Nicholson is a d*ckhead?! Is she so desperate to be a stepmother?! However, an unexinable feeling arose within Elias as he gazed at the child¡¯s back and suddenly, sadness overcame him. Hmm¡­ Our child would probably have been around his age if Amanda hadn¡¯t had the abortion, right? Back at Amanda¡¯s table, the young woman hastily finished her meal and urged Simon to leave the restaurant with Aiden. She was relieved that Elias did not follow them. She only let her guard down when they returned home. Later, while Simon tucked Aiden into bed before leaving the bedroom, Amanda fell briefly into a trance when she saw his tenderness and care. She brewed him tea when he returned to the couch in the living room. ¡°Thank you so much for tonight, or Elias would¡¯ve really caught me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Simon was gentle as always. It was as if he didn¡¯t have a temper at all. Amanda found the atmosphere a little awkward as she sat there, and she knew Simon had many questions. She had been waiting for him to ask. However, he never did. Not only that, he even helped her out during every crisis. ¡°Actually, Elias isn¡¯t aware of Aiden¡¯s existence,¡± she finally revealed after a long hesitation. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Thanks for Your Concern, Mr. Elias Simon looked at Amanda without saying anything. She had a helpless smile and exined, ¡°He thought that I got the child aborted four years ago, so he has no idea the child is still around. I don¡¯t want him to find out because I¡¯m worried he¡¯ll snatch the child from me.¡± Simon had helped her a lot over the past four years, so she had to confess everything. The man remained silent while listening to her patiently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I asked for your help, but I didn¡¯t tell you anything. You also witnessed such a farce at the Winters Manor yesterday. I¡­¡± Amanda felt sorry at the mention of the embarrassing dinner the day before. Finally, Simon parted his lips and said, ¡°I understand you¡¯re in a difficult situation, but do you want to hide the child from Elias forever? You won¡¯t be able to do that, for he¡¯ll find out sooner or ¡°You have a point. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to resign once the cases on hand are settled and head abroad with my child so that the Winterses will never discover his existence.¡± She told Simon her ns in the hopes that he would support her. Much to her surprise, the man said with a smile, ¡°It took me a lot of effort to make youe back, and now you¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no other choice¡­¡± If Amanda stayed in Imperia, the Winterses would discover the child sooner orter. When that happened, she would fall into a predicament. She believed the Winterses would snatch the child from her no matter what. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Simon picked up his cup and took a sip of tea. ¡°Marry me and make Aiden my son. Start a new life. You can¡¯t keep hiding the child forever.¡± Instantly, Amanda was rooted to the spot, thinking that she had misheard him. It never crossed her mind that Simon would tell her to marry him. ¡°Stop pulling my leg.¡± An embarrassed Amanda picked up her cup and looked away from the man. ¡°I¡¯m not pulling your leg. My mom has been urging me to find a woman, and I¡¯m mature enough to get married. We¡¯ve been friends for four years and we know each other pretty well. You know that we¡¯re compatible,¡± Simon exined with a serious expression as the atmosphere turned. awkward all of a sudden. At that moment, Amanda was disappointed as her gaze turned dim. She merely regarded Simon as a business partner. Marriage wasn¡¯t something that she had in mind. She married Elias not long after they got to know each other, but things didn¡¯t work out in the end as they were forced to divorce. Therefore, she didn¡¯t know what would happen if she married Simon without careful consideration. She was still traumatized by the previous marriage, so she didn¡¯t want to take a risk. With a smile, she replied. ¡°Thanks, Simon. However, I¡¯m a divorcee, so marriage isn¡¯t something on my mind now. You deserve a better woman.¡± Given Simon¡¯s status and wealth, he could easily find a decent woman. On the other hand, she was a divorcee with a child, so she didn¡¯t deserve a man like him. Without dwelling on the topic, Simon looked at his wristwatch and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll take my leave now. Good night.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Amanda rose from the couch to see him off. When the man left the house, he murmured, ¡°You should consider my suggestion. We can get married without any love, and it¡¯s the best solution for both of us.¡± With that, he turned around and entered the elevator. After closing the door, Amanda leaned against it and fell deep into thought. What did he mean that we can get married without love? I truly loved Elias when we got married, but I was hurt in the end. Will a marriage without love be any better? Her phone started ringing just then, and she snapped back to reality. She fished out her phone and realized it was a call from Elias. With a frown, she connected the call and snapped, ¡°Why are you calling me at this hour? Do you want to humiliate me again?¡± ¡°Come out. I¡¯m outside your apartment. Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about between us apart from work.¡± Just as she was ready to hang up, Elias threatened her by saying. ¡°Sure, just stay right inside your house. I¡¯ll go looking for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te here! I¡¯ll go downstairs!¡± When Amanda heard that Elias wanted toe to her house, she was flustered. Ten minutester. Amanda left the apartment¡¯s entrance and saw a white Aston Martin. She instantly recognized that it was Elias¡¯ car, At that moment, Elias sat on the hood and crossed his arms with a dispassionate expression. He looked so sulky that it was as though he would re up at any moment. Realizing that something was off, Amanda decided to be careful. ¡°What are you here for?¡± After registering the woman¡¯s presence, Elias straightened up and said frankly. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into Simon¡¯s background. He had a girlfriend for many years, but the woman got married all of a sudden. He also has an illegitimate child. You¡¯d better stay away from such a man whose private life is a mess¡± Simon had a girlfriend for many years and she got married suddenly¡­ No wonder he said we can get married without love. There¡¯s someone he still can¡¯t forget about. With an impassive expression, Amanda questioned, ¡°Did you make mee here just to tell me this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s not easy being a stepmother, so you¡¯d better think twice,¡± Elias stated solemnly. ¡°Alright. Thanks for your concern. Mr. Elias. I got it. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back now.¡± The man was irritated by her attitude. The moment Amanda turned around, he pulled her back and roared. ¡°Did you hear what I just said? I told you to stay away from Simon! He¡¯s a terrible guy!¡± Amanda looked straight at him and countered, ¡°Are you a good person, then? Just like Simon, you also have a lover in your heart. Both of you are birds of a feather. I suppose all men in the world. are like this. In that case, why would I mind it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any lover! Who told you all men in the world are the same? Are you out of your mind?!¡± Elias felt that he would pass out from getting annoyed by the woman sooner orter, for she loved contorting everything he said. How can shepare me to Simon? How are we even the same? I don¡¯t have a lover in my heart. I only take care of Grace out of responsibility. I don¡¯t love her! Amanda sneered at that. ¡°You don¡¯t have a lover, huh? You¡¯ve done many horrible things for Grace and you even gave up your child. You¡¯ve even set up a tomb for the child. Stop pretending to be a loving person. I¡¯m not interested in watching your act.¡± At the mention of the empty tomb, she was furious. It was like cursing her son to go to hell. sooner. She had the urge to head to the tomb and tear it down. Faced with the woman¡¯s wrath, Elias was so exasperated that he startedughing. ¡°You can¡¯t even distinguish good from evil. It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re easily conned. You just can¡¯t see what¡¯s good for you.¡± With that, he turned around and entered the car before stepping on the gas. Amanda snorted as she watched the vehicle leave. Just mind your own business, will you? Just as she was ready to enter the apartment, a familiar but horrifying voice sounded from behind. ¡°Is that you, Amanda? I¡¯ve finally found you. That¡¯s wonderful!¡± She stiffened as her face turned pale in an instant. Her pupils dted in horror and she didn¡¯t dare to turn around and look at the man. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 nning on Kidnapping Amanda Amanda decided not to turn around and quickened her pace. All of a sudden, she felt someone grabbing her arm. Tm your father, Amanda! Why are you running away from me? Do you know how much effort it has taken me to find you? Why are you so callous?¡± Amanda was forced to turn around and look at the middle-aged man before her eyes. He was her terrible father, Dick Leans. At that moment, she recalled what happened when she was a kid. Back then, Dick cheated on his wife and chased the two of them out of the house. He didn¡¯t even. pay for their living expenses. Over the years, he had never been concerned about Amanda and her mother. However, after she grew up and married Elias, Dick started harassing her. He shamelessly asked Amanda to demand money from the Winterses. Then, she divorced Elias four years ago and left the country. That was when she got rid of her horrible father. Much to her chagrin, Dick found her again. ¡°Get lost!¡± Despite her wrath, she didn¡¯t have anything to say to the older man. With that, she turned around and left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m your father. Do you think you can get rid of me after you¡¯ve married Elias? My blood runs in your veins and that¡¯s a fact you can never change!¡± Dick barked. Amanda sneered in response. ¡°You¡¯re here for money, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you, but I divorced Elias four years ago. I have nothing to do with the Winterses now,¡± ¡°What? Did you get a divorce? No wonder I couldn¡¯t find you for the past four years. The Winterses even chased me away when I went to them! How could you divorce Elias just like that? Do you think no one can teach you a lesson just because your mother is dead?¡± Dick was flustered when he learned that his daughter was divorced. This came as a surprise to him as he was hoping Amanda would pay off his debts. ¡°You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you? If you¡¯re divorced, why did Eliase looking for you? I saw everything.¡± ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t have money.¡± With that, Amanda quickly entered the apartment and told the security guard that she didn¡¯t know the man. ¡°Don¡¯t let hime in.¡± Dick wanted to follow her, but the security guard stopped him from moving forward. ¡°You can¡¯t go in, sir. The homeowner said she doesn¡¯t know you.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? She is my daughter, so, of course, she knows me! Let me in!¡± Dick insisted on barging into the ce, but the security guard stopped him from doing so. After struggling for a bit, he had no choice but to give up. Just then, two tattooed burly men came over with furious expressions. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your daughter is married to a wealthy man? Where¡¯s the money? If you can¡¯t pay up, we¡¯ll kill you. Your wife and son will go to hell with you as well.¡± Dick hunched his back and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, sir. My son-inw is extremely wealthy. The woman you just saw is my daughter. You can kidnap her and demand money from her husband. He¡¯s rich, so he can give you however much you want. He was the one who helped pay off my debts in the past.¡± The thugs exchanged nces and felt that it was a good idea. Furthermore, the apartment was a high-end one, so the residents were surely wealthy. Meanwhile, Amanda had no idea that her father had betrayed her and started nning on kidnapping her. When Amanda reached home, she pushed the bedroom door open and saw that her child was sound asleep. Instantly, she became at ease. Then, she headed to the living room and found a real estate agent¡¯s contact number. She wanted to look for a new house, for she could no longer stay there. Since Dick had discovered her residence, he woulde harassing her again. Once that happened, it would be hard for her to get rid of him. Four years ago, she ended up in a terrible state because of her father, and she could never be confident whenever she was with the Winterses. Every time she asked Elias for money, she felt ashamed. At that time, her mother was still alive. When Dick couldn¡¯t get any money from her, he would go harass her mother, which caused her mother¡¯s illness to exacerbate. Therefore, Amanda was resentful of her father. She would never want to see him again, let alone give him any money. Her phone started ringing just then. She took a look and realized it was Helean¡¯s call. She picked it up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Helean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll go to court to deal with the Winters Enterprise¡¯s infringement case tomorrow. Have you prepared everything?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. By the way, can you take care of my son tomorrow? There¡¯s a private matter I have to deal with.¡± ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t have any work tomorrow.¡± After the call ended, Amanda let out a breath and leaned against the couch. What if Dick still finds me after I move to another ce? I have to finish off the current cases as soon as I can and settle down in another country. My son and I had been living a peaceful life for the past four years without worrying about Dick harassing us. She couldn¡¯t help but think that she had to leave this ce no matter what. There was nothing in this ce that she missed. Not only was she constantly reminded of her terrible past, but there were also people she hated here. The next afternoon, Amanda sent Aiden to Helean¡¯s house and headed straight to the court, Unbeknownst to her, a car had been tailing her. In the vehicle, when Dick saw Amanda bringing a child to another residential area, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder whose child it was. We haven¡¯t met for four years. Did Amanda give birth to a child? It must be Elias child, then. He¡¯ll save Amanda for the child¡¯s sake! ¡°Why is your daughter heading to court? How are we supposed to make a move? There are people everywhere!¡± ¡°Dick, go and lure your daughter into the carter. If we can¡¯t kidnap her today, we¡¯ll cut off your son¡¯s limbs tonight.¡± Dick instantly turned pale when he heard that. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that! My son is still very young, so he can¡¯t lose his limbs. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get her into the carter!¡± They followed Amanda¡¯s car to the court. Since there were many people around, it was difficult for them to make a move. Therefore, they decided to wait for the woman toe out. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Meanwhile, a secretary entered the president¡¯s office of the Winters Enterprise and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, the court session for the infringement case willmence today. Would you like to go over?¡± When Elias recalled Amanda¡¯s attitude the night before, he replied angrily. ¡°No.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult for Amanda to win the infringement case, so he didn¡¯t need to be present. Furthermore, the woman would likely give him the cold shoulder again. His phone started ringing all of a sudden. He picked it up and heard Grace saying. ¡°Elias, I heard you¡¯re going to attend the charity dinner tonight. Why don¡¯t we walk the red carpet together? Everyone knows we¡¯re in love anyway.¡± Elias hesitated upon hearing that. If Howard found out about it, he would surely be mad. However, Howard was already agitated after Amanda brought Simon back to the Winters Manor the other day, so he likely wasn¡¯t in the mood to pay attention to such matters. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Amanda Kidnapped Amanda finally left the court two hourster. Just as she expected, she won the infringement case easily. She already made an appointment with the real estate agent. Since Helean was taking care of Aiden, she didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. After leaving the court, she drove straight to the first house that the real estate agent had rmended. A car started tailing her, but she didn¡¯t notice it. Seeing that Amanda drove into a quiet road, the car elerated and crashed into her vehicle from behind. Amanda immediately stepped on the brakes and left the car in a fury. She was ready to reprimand the driver who rear-ended her car. Little did she know that she was getting closer to danger. She approached the car behind her and knocked on the window. ¡°Come out! Do you have a driver¡¯s license? How did you even rear-end my car on such a road?¡± The car door opened all of a sudden, and she instantly saw Dick seated in the back seat. Her eyes widened. Realizing that she was in danger, she turned around and ran. Before she could flee, a tattooed man forcefully pulled her into the vehicle. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Come in right now!¡± After Amanda was dragged into the car, the thug tied her up with ropes. ¡°Release me! What are you trying to do?¡± She tried to struggle out of the restraints but to no avail. Then, she glowered at Dick. ¡°How could you partner up with them to kidnap me? You¡¯re a monster!¡± A terrified Dick said, ¡°I have no other choice. I need to pay off my debts¡­¡± ¡°We mean no harm, miss. Since your husband is wealthy, he can afford to pay for his father-in-w¡¯s debts. If he doesn¡¯t pay up, we¡¯ll cut off your half-brother¡¯s limbs. Do you have the heart to see him suffer?¡± ¡°Go on and do that! It has nothing to do with me! Even if you cut off Dick¡¯s limbs, I won¡¯t object to it. Let me go now!¡± Amanda was exasperated. What have I done to deserve a father like him? He even told these thugs to kidnap me and demand money from Elias. Since Amanda was uncooperative, the thug took her phone out of her bag and held her face still to unlock the device. Then, he covered her mouth with duct tape to ensure that she was silent. ¡°Mmph! Mmph!¡± Amanda tried to struggle out of the ropes and speak, but her efforts were futile. The thug scrolled through her contact list but couldn¡¯t find Elias¡¯ number. He questioned, ¡°Where¡¯s your husband¡¯s number? Don¡¯t you call him hubby or something? Are you on bad terms with him?¡± When Dick caught sight of Elias¡¯ name, he said, ¡°That¡¯s him! That¡¯s her husband. Call him right now!¡± Amanda struggled hard to snatch her phone back. Irritated by the woman, the thug sprayed some liquid at her face, after which she lost consciousness. Everything that happened on the red carpet of the charity dinner would be broadcast on a live stream. Theizens had already heard that Elias and Grace would be walking down the red carpet together, so they had been waiting eagerly. The female celebrities who attended the charity dinner were all displeased. Grace was only a D-list actress. Despite having all sorts of resources, she still couldn¡¯t make it in showbiz. What right did she have to have a boyfriend like Elias? The car slowly arrived at the venue. Grace was wearing an expensive custom-made dress and delicate makeup so that she could walk down the red carpet with her arm in Elias She believed she would be the brightest star that night, for she could finally stand beside Elias in public. When the car door was opened, she was the first to get out of the vehicle. She waved her hand at the reporters and shed a smile at them. Just as the man was ready to leave the car, he received a call. Initially, he didn¡¯t want to pick it up, but when he realized it was Amanda¡¯s call, he couldn¡¯t help. but connect it. It was inconceivable that the woman took the initiative to call him. Much to his surprise, after the call connected, he heard a man saying in a hoarse voice, ¡°We¡¯ve kidnapped your wife. If you want her to be safe, bring 400,000 ande looking for us. This is the money your father-inw owes us, so you should pay up for him. You¡¯d better not call the police. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even find her corpse.¡± With that, the call ended. Elias¡¯ expression changed as a hint of shock shed across his dark gaze. He called the person back, but the other party didn¡¯t pick it up. ¡°Damn it!¡± Elias was infuriated. It¡¯s her horrible father again! Elias and Amanda were married for about a year. During that period, she borrowed money from him thrice to pay off her father¡¯s debts.. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Now, she¡¯s kidnapped. Why is she so unlucky? At that moment, Grace was waiting outside the car. Seeing that the man remained in the car, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong; Elias? Hurry up. We¡¯re supposed to walk down the red carpet.¡± Elias nced at her and said, ¡°Go on. I have something to deal with, so I can¡¯t go to the charity dinner with you. Don¡¯t wait for me.¡± Then, he looked at the bodyguard in the passenger¡¯s seat and ordered, ¡°Locate Amanda¡¯s phone right now!¡± The next moment, the driver drove the car away, Grace was left there on her own, not knowing what to do. How could Elias leave me here just like this? What matter does he have to deal with? Moreover, he told the bodyguard to locate Amanda¡¯s phone. The woman must have told Elias to go looking for her! Grace balled up her fists and clenched her teeth. Her gaze was filled with resentment. Amanda ims that she doesn¡¯t want to get back together with Elias nor does she want to have anything to do with him. However, she has never stopped contacting him. What a liar! She¡¯s such a b*tch! Inside the car, Elias repeatedly dialed Amanda¡¯s number, his expression gloomy. When the call finally connected, the thug mocked him by saying, ¡°Have you gotten the money ready, Mr. Winters? Why did you keep calling me?¡± Instantly. Elias red up and roared over the phone. ¡°If you dare hurt her, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll go to hell!¡± ¡°Well, that depends on how quickly we receive the money. After all, your wife is beautiful, so we might not be able to contain our desire. We¡¯ll only let her go home when we get the money¡± With a serious expression, Elias growled, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if I find even a scratch on her. I mean it!¡± This time, he hung up first. I have to find out Amanda¡¯s whereabouts as soon as I can. He looked at the bodyguard and snapped, ¡°Have you found anything?¡± ¡°Please be patient, Mr. Winters. I¡¯m still trying to locate Miss Bailey because her phone connection is unstable. I suppose she¡¯s in the suburbs,¡± ¡°You¡¯re so useless! Hurry up!¡± Then, Elias made a call to thepany¡¯s Finance Department. ¡°Get me 400,000 in cash as soon as you can.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Cut the crap. Just do as I say right now!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 I¡¯ll Save You In a groggy state, Amanda opened her eyes and realized she was in an abandoned building. Everything around her was a mess. Not only was she tied up, but her mouth was also covered with duct tape. She couldn¡¯t think straight. Suddenly, she heard her terrible father talking to the kidnappers. ¡°Are you sure your son-inw is wealthy enough to get 400,000 in cash in a short time? If you dare lie to us, we won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± The thug pretended to hit him. A terrified Dick hunched his back and covered his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare lie to you. My son-inw is rich. He paid off my debts for me in the past.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for him to send us the money, then. If we don¡¯t receive the money by today, we¡¯ll cripple all of you,¡± threatened the thug with a hideous expression. Amanda glowered at Dick, wondering why such a jerk even existed in this world. He dumped his family when he was young and now that he was older, he kidnapped his daughter and demanded money from her ex-husband. There was no doubt he was shameless. Just then. Amanda¡¯s phone rang again. She couldn¡¯t help but make some noise to attract their attention. However, the thug ignored her. and picked up the call. ¡°How is it? Have you gotten the money ready? What? You want to hear your wife¡¯s voice, huh? you worried we¡¯ve already killed her, Mr. Winters?¡± The thug took a look at the woman in the corner and went over impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t say any nonsense. Otherwise, even if your husband gives us the money, we¡¯ll still kill you.¡± Then, he removed the duct tape from her mouth and ced the phone beside her ear. The man¡¯s familiar voice was heard over the phone. ¡°Say something, Amanda. Are you all right? Are you injured?¡± For some reason, when Amanda heard the man¡¯s voice, she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from streaming down her face. She was aggrieved and afraid. ¡°Amanda!¡± When the man couldn¡¯t hear her voice over the phone, he was flustered. The thug barked, ¡°Say something! Otherwise, your husband will think that we¡¯ve hurt you!¡± Despite her dry throat, Amanda mumbled slowly. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Elias finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll save you. Don¡¯t talk to them and leave the rest to me. Alright, let the kidnapper talk to me.¡± Elias reminded her patiently and calmed her down. Amanda looked at the thug and said, ¡°He told you to talk to him.¡± The thug then retracted his hand and ced the phone beside his ear. The next moment, he heard Elias ordering coldly. ¡°Give her water and food. Don¡¯t speak to her. I¡¯ll send you the money.¡± ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take care of your wife. After all, we¡¯re only after money. It¡¯s never been our intention to hurt her. While the thug was on the phone, Dick stealthily approached Amanda with a bottle of water. ¡°Drink some water. When your husband gives them the money, we¡¯ll be safe- Before he could finish his words, Amanda bellowed, ¡°Get lost! What right do you have to make Elias pay off your debts? Do you think he¡¯s your son? Is torturing my mom and me your sole purpose in life? Do we owe you anything?¡± If not for the fact that she had been tied up, Amanda would¡¯ve strangled Dick to death. ¡°Since your husband is loaded, he can afford to help pay off my debts. They¡¯ve threatened to hurt your brother. Don¡¯t you feel heartbroken at all? Why are you so unfeeling? Is this what your mother taught you?¡± Dick didn¡¯t feel guilty at all. He even felt that since Amanda was his daughter, she was supposed to settle the debts for him. ¡°Don¡¯t bring up my mom. You don¡¯t have the right to do that. Also, I don¡¯t have a brother. I¡¯m my mom¡¯s only child. Don¡¯t call him my brother when he¡¯s your child with some other woman. Get lost now. Your presence is revolting!¡± Amanda looked away from the older man. She was worried she would be too exasperated. Why is Eliasing to save me? We¡¯re divorced, so we have nothing to do with each other anymore. Why would hee when he doesn¡¯t love me? Moreover, he already has Grace. Why would he want to save me? Initially, Amanda thought that Elias would ignore the thug. After all, four years ago, whenever she borrowed money from him to pay off her father¡¯s debts, he was always impatient and even called her family a bunch of leeches. However, Elias¡¯ tone over the phone earlier almost made her feel they were still married. The sky gradually turned dark. Elias was driving to the suburbs on his own as per the thug¡¯s request. They kept making him change destinations, as though they were messing with him. His patience was running out. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Just then, his phone started ringing. It was a call from the thug. He connected the call and bellowed, ¡°You¡¯ve wasted one hour of my life! What on earth do you want?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Mr. Winters. We¡¯re just trying to find out how sincere you are. You¡¯ll reach your destination soon. Just put the money in the abandoned factory and drive back to the city. When we receive the money, we¡¯ll let your wife go.¡± With that, he hung up the call. On the other hand, Elias called someone else and ordered, ¡°Locate my phone right now and send some people over.¡± ¡°We¡¯reing over, Mr. Elias.¡± Just then, Elias received another call. He picked it up and realized it was Grace. He said frankly, I¡¯m busy now, Grace. I don¡¯t have time to talk to you. Why don¡¯t I contact you tomorrow?¡± Following that, he ended the call. At the charity dinner, before Grace could say anything, the man hung up on her. She felt her fury rising within her as she held her phone. Everyone was expecting Elias and her to walk down the red carpet together, but the man ditched her at thest minute and didn¡¯t even pick up her calls. When the call finally connected, he hung up on her after speaking briefly. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Grace was anxious and infuriated at the thought that Elias might get back together with his ex-wife. ¡°Well, that¡¯sughable! Didn¡¯t she im she would walk down the red carpet with Elias? Where is he?¡± ¡°I think she was the one who fabricated the story of the two of them falling in love. Why would Elias want to get together with her when she¡¯s just a D-list actress?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Elias is handsome and wealthy. He can get any girl he wants, so why would he fall in love with a certain someone?¡± When Grace heard the women snickering and mocking her from behind, she felt humiliated. Amanda is the one who has caused all this humiliation! Grace rose from the chair and left the venue in a fury. Since Elias wasn¡¯t around, she would be the laughingstock for everyone. Therefore, there wasn¡¯t a need for her to stay. In the abandoned building, the thugs brought Amanda many drinks and food. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t have the appetite to eat anything. She wondered what Elias was doing. In her heart, she didn¡¯t want the man to pay off Dick¡¯s debts. Since she and Elias were divorced, he wasn¡¯t obliged to do such a thing. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Grace Has Learned of the Child Amanda was most worried about Aiden. It was night now, and this was the time when the boy would stick to her, pestering her to coax him to sleep. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was crying about wanting her¡­ After Grace left the charity dinner, she went about different ways to inquire about Amanda¡¯s current address. She wanted to know the reason Elias went to see Amanda. After spending an hour making calls, she finally got Amanda¡¯s address. Grace didn¡¯t waste another second as she drove her car at top speed to the housing area. When she got there, she stormed into the elevator while barely holding her anger in. Her head was filled with fantasies about what she would seeter. Would she see Amanda bugging Elias, preventing him from leaving? Or would the two be having a romantic dinner together? Everything she imagined made her so angry she could explode. Ding! The elevator doors finally opened upon arrival at Amanda¡¯s floor. Right then, Helean and Aiden were standing outside the door, waiting for Amanda¡¯s return. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mommy home yet? She is not even picking up our calls. Did something happen to her?¡± the child muttered with a worried look on his face. He might bicker with Amanda a lot, but there was no doubt that his love for his mother ran deep. Helean also thought it was odd how his calls to Amanda¡¯s phone would go through, although they would end up unanswered. ¡°I wonder why your mommy isn¡¯t picking up the phone. How strange¡­ Grace walked in their direction. She noticed the adult and child standing together at a nce. Helean, who seldom paid attention to the entertainment industry, didn¡¯t recognize Grace even though she was a celebrity. Grace went past them and pressed the doorbell. To her surprise, a fierce but adorable voice called out to her from behind. ¡°Why are you pressing our doorbell? Do you need Mommy for something?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Helean then exined, ¡°Amanda is not home.¡± Hearing that, Grace turned to them in shock and repeated, ¡°Mommy? Amanda is your mother?!¡± The boy huffed. ¡°So what if she is? It¡¯s none of your business. Now tell us why you are looking for Mommy!¡± Aiden had a feeling that this was an evil woman who was here to give his mother a hard time. Helean, on the other hand, had a nk look on his face. He had no idea what was going on. Grace¡¯s mind went nk when she stared at the child in front of her. For some reason, she thought he looked familiar. I think I have seen him before! Realization suddenly dawned on her. I remember now! This is the rascal I saw when I came out of the washroom at the theme park! She immediately grabbed him by the shoulders and carefully observed his small face. Grace¡¯s face fell and by the time she spoke again, her whole face waspletely white as if she had seen a ghost. She muttered to herself, ¡°No¡­ No, how is this possible¡­ He looks like Elias the more I stare at him! She then had a scary thought. Is this child¡­ Elias? Just the thought of the possibility made Grace tremble all over. Even her grip on the boy got tighter. The boy frowned from the pain. ¡°Let go of me, you witch! It hurts!¡± Seeing this, Helean hurried forward and pushed Grace away before picking the boy up. are you sick in the head? Why are you bullying a child?¡± ¡°Woman, He immediately turned around and left with Aiden in his arms after throwing that out. Since he didn¡¯t know how much longer he would have to wait before he got in contact with Amanda, he decided it would be better to bring Aiden back home with him for now. Grace was left to dazedly stand in the same spot for some time. I won¡¯t stand a chance to marry into the Winters Family if the boy is Elias¡¯ son. But didn¡¯t Elias say Amanda had an abortion four years ago? I¡¯m sure I heard that brat calling Amanda his mommy¡­ that At the same time, the kidnapper had sessfully gotten the 400,000 in cash. ¡°Haha! Your son-inw sure is rich, you old fart. It¡¯s really 400,000 in cash. He must be really rich to have so much cash in such a short time.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Dick put on an apologetic smile and persuaded the kidnapper, ¡°Sir, you have received the money. Please let us go. I have a wife and children. You said you would let us go as soon as you got the money.¡± The kidnapper was smiling from ear to ear as he looked at the cash. He then waved dismissively. ¡°Shoo! You can go, but your daughter has to stay.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°How can we just let our cash cow go? Four hundred thousand isn¡¯t even enough for us to wipe our ¡°sses with. Now, piss off! We¡¯ll keep you here if you don¡¯t scram now¡± The man didn¡¯t hold back his threat. Dick could only cower and scramble off. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°My wife and children¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re all trash anyway. You¡¯ll see them when you get home. Your daughter here is our trump card.¡± Hearing that, Dick turned to Amanda andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Amanda. Elias won¡¯t ignore you- ¡°Go away! Get out of my sight! I don¡¯t need a se mbag of a father like you!¡± Amanda was shaking from the anger. It truly disgusted her that the blood of a scum like Dick was flowing in her body. The kidnapper promptly pulled her up from the floor. He wanted to move her to a different location before demanding another sum from Elias. ¡°Oh, prettydy, you can¡¯t me us for being greedy. It¡¯s your husband¡¯s fault for being rich and giving us the money too soon. Hahaha!¡± Amanda only fell into despair as the kidnapper forcefully dragged her out of this abandoned. building. If she could, she wanted to tell Elias that he only had to take good care of their child. She didn¡¯t need him to save her. The kidnapper took out his phone and gave Elias a call again. He could tell how anxious Elias was from the way thetter epted the call within a second. As soon as the call got through, the kidnapper boldly asked for more money. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Winters. You have been a man of your word too. We have decided to borrow another 1.5 million from you, and we are giving you seven days this time. We want it in cash like before, yeah? And we will be taking care of your wife for the time being.¡± ¡°Elias, can you hear me?¡± Amanda took the chance to shout into the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t give them the money, and don¡¯t save me! They will just keep using me to ask for ransom instead of letting me go!¡± p! The kidnapper suddenly pped Amanda so hard that her head turned and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. ¡°F*cking hell! How dare you try to mess things up, you sl*t? Do you want to die?!¡± Amanda ignored the pain in her cheek as hatred filled her eyes. At the same time, Elias couldn¡¯t even utter a word after he took the call when the call suddenly ended. However, he did hear thatst sound when the kidnapper¡¯s palm met Amanda¡¯s cheek. His temper started to boil in that instant. Hurling his phone on the floor, he roared. These b*stards are trying to walk all over me!¡± He abruptly got up and ordered the bodyguards behind him, ¡°There is no need to be gentle anymore. I want those trash found right this instant, and I want them dead tonight!¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Elias¡¯ Misunderstanding of Her ¡°Ah!¡± With her hands bound and a blindfold on her eyes, Amanda was shoved into a room before the door behind her mmed shut. After she fell on the carpet, she slowly moved her body until she touched what felt like a bed. She only saw the room she was in when she managed to shake the blindfold off of her. It looked like the pleasure room of a nightclub. Is this the kidnappers¡¯ territory! She could do nothing but wait there. When she suddenly noticed a window in the room, she stumbled onto her feet and hopped over to look out the window. However, she was sure she would either end up handicapped or dead if she jumped out from this height. She wondered if Elias would pay the ransom to save her. Truth was, she felt a little conflicted. As much as she didn¡¯t want Elias to waste the money, she also had hopes that someone would rescue her. Suddenly, the room door was kicked open. Amanda instinctively moved backward as the kidnapper walked over with her phone. ¡°Say something to your husband,¡± the kidnapper instructed. ¡°He is worried about you and wants to hear your voice.¡± The man forcefully dragged her over and pressed the phone to her car. However, Amanda only stared at the man in front of her without saying a word. ¡°Speak up! Do you want me to beat you up?!¡± the man threatened aggressively. ¡°Say something. Amanda!¡± Elias¡¯ voice came from the phone. ¡°Let me hear your voice!¡± Tm¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know what to say. She actually wanted to tell Elias not to spend more money. These people¡¯s greed knew no end. They would surely want more money after getting their 15 million. After hearing her voice, the man on the phone sounded calmer. ¡°Wait for me. I wille to save you. Just hold on for a few more minutes.¡± A few minutes? she thought. Chapter 39 Elias¡¯ ¡­ Is he joking? Or is he trying tofort me so that I don¡¯t feel scared? The kidnapper took the phone away. ¡°Alright, you can rest assured now that you¡¯ve heard your wife¡¯s voice. Mr. Winters, you should hurry home and prepare the money, or your wife might really have to suffer.¡± Meanwhile, Elias was outside searching room by room with a group of bodyguards. Although they had located Amanda¡¯s phone, they could not pinpoint which room she was in. ¡°Mr. Winters, we¡¯re getting closer. She seems to be in one of these few rooms!¡± A bodyguard suddenly came over with a tablet, showing that they were getting closer to Amanda. In fact, they were only a dozen meters away. Amanda should be in one of these two rooms in front of him now. Elias hesitated for a moment as he looked at the two doors, and he eventually kicked the door on the left open. The next second, he saw Amanda with her hands and feet bound. She also had a red palm print on her cheek. The kidnapper was standing next to her, looking stunned. He couldn¡¯t react to the situation for a while. Even Amanda was frozen in ce as she thought that she was hallucinating. Did he reallye and rescue me in a matter of seconds? I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? ¡°Elias¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but say his name. Elias was so angry when he saw Amanda¡¯s appearance that he went over to kick the kidnapper to the floor without missing a beat. His bodyguards then quickly came in and stepped on the kidnapper, prompting the kidnapper to let out a blood-curdling scream. ¡°Gah! Are you Winters?!¡± The kidnapper hadn¡¯t even figured out who this man was when he was pinned to the carpet. Elias couldn¡¯t be bothered with answering the kidnapper. Instead, he walked straight toward Amanda and untied the rope on her as he soothed her in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all over now, I¡¯ll take you out of here.¡± The woman only looked back at him in a daze while letting him help her untie the ropes.. When Elias finally saw the palm print on her cheek, his expression turned into one of extreme displeasure.. He turned around and stalked toward the kidnapper on the floor, stomping on his arm. He then roared. ¡°I told you not to touch her!¡± The kidnapper screeched again when there was a crisp sound of his bones shattering. Even Amanda was startled by what was happening. She had always known that Elias had a bad temper, but she had never seen him physically attack someone, let alone do something this brutal. After Elias was done, he grabbed Amanda¡¯s hand and looked at the bodyguards. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you. Remember, the money is yours if you can get it back.¡± He wasn¡¯t going to give those se*mbags his money for nothing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Winters. We¡¯ve got this covered.¡± Elias then took off his coat and draped it over Amanda before guiding her out of the room. As expected, this was a nightclub. The noise was so loud that it hurt her ears. The man held her hand as they went out. He kept escorting her until she was sitting in the passenger seat of his car. However, he was about to drive away when Amanda suddenly remembered something and shouted, ¡°Wait! I need to go back and get my phone!¡± As she opened the door, the man grabbed her wrist to stop her. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± he yelled. ¡°Why would you go back? It is just a phone. Is it that important?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand this woman. Any normal woman would be sobbing uncontrobly after being kidnapped and yet, Amanda wants to go back for a damn phone! Is she craving to suffer more? She struggled against his hold. ¡°No, there is something urgent I need to do. I need to call my baby to let him know that I¡¯m safe. He must be very worried about me¡­¡± The moment she realized that she had had a slip of the tongue, she quickly covered her mouth. Her panic was written all over her face. This put a frown on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Baby? What baby?¡± Amanda wanted to p herself in the face. How could she forget that the man in front of her was Elias, the biological father of her child? ¡°L..¡± ¡°Say it! What baby? Whose baby are you talking about?!¡± he kept asking as he stared into her eyes. Amanda thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest at this point. Her palms, too, were wet with sweat from her nerves. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. I-I mean¡­ Simon¡¯s baby¡­¡± A lightbulb went off in her head when she suddenly remembered Simon hugging Aiden at the restaurant. When Elias heard that, he grumbled to himself, Simon Nicholson? It¡¯s always about that man! The first thing she does after a kidnapping is to call and let Simon¡¯s son know that she is safe, huh? What a dedicated stepmother! She sure is determined to marry Simon, isn¡¯t she? Elias was suddenly hit by disappointment, and he let go of her hand while he mockinglyughed at himself. ¡°You¡¯re ruthless, Amanda. I did so much to save you, and now all you can think about is letting Simon¡¯s son know that you¡¯re safe! Do you already consider yourself his wife? You aborted your own pregnancy, but you want to be some other child¡¯s stepmother, eh? Unbelievable! Get out! Get out of my sight!¡± This was the first time in his life Elias had ever felt heartbroken. Suffocation, anger, and heartache were just some of the emotions swirling around in his heart. He couldn¡¯t even begin to describe what he was feeling. ¡°Elias, I¡­ Amanda wanted to exin herself, but she didn¡¯t know what to tell him. ¡°Get out, I said! I don¡¯t want to see you ever again!¡± Elias stared ahead while he bellowed. She felt her heart skip a beat. It still shocked her to hear him say things like this. It was even disheartening, She kept mum for a few seconds before opening the car door and getting out. As soon as she did that, the man unhesitatingly stepped on the gas and sped away. This may be for the best, she thought to herself. We will be out of each other¡¯s lives. I don¡¯t have to worry about him finding out about our child. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Are You Sure She Had an Abortion? When Amanda returned to the room, she saw that the bodyguards had already beaten the kidnappers to a pulp. She didn¡¯t dare look at them a second longer as she immediately left after she took her phone. As she walked out of the nightclub, she hailed a cab and began to make a call to Helean when her phone rang. It was a call from Simon. Seeing this, she unhesitatingly epted the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Amanda, where are you? Helean said he couldn¡¯t reach you all night, and Aiden has been with him the whole time. What¡¯s going on?¡± Simon¡¯s voice sounded urgent. It seemed like he had been trying to reach Amanda for a long time. ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter. I can¡¯t exin everything now. I¡¯m going to pick Aiden up now. Please tell Helean to wait for me at home.¡± She hung up the phone immediately after saying that. She didn¡¯t have time to exin everything. All she wanted to do was to see her baby as soon as possible. Half an hourter, Amanda arrived at Helean¡¯s house and rang the doorbell. As soon as the door opened, her son greeted her in an excited voice. ¡°Mommy!¡± The little guy was the one who opened the door. He must have been really worried about her. Amanda quickly crouched down and hugged her son¡¯s fragrant body. She could feel the sense of security washing over her in that instant. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte.¡± The child hugged her and patted her on the back. However, he seemed to have noticed. something all of a sudden, and he caressed her cheek. ¡°Mommy, what happened to your face? Why is it so red? Did someone hurt you?¡± The boy¡¯s expression suddenly grew solemn. Embarrassed, she turned her head and tried to brush it off with an exnation. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I identally got sunburned. It was a hot day today and I didn¡¯t put on sunscreen. So- ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to go see a house? Howe I couldn¡¯t reach you all night? Aiden and I even thought something had happened to you. We almost called the police,¡± Helean said as he leaned against the doorframe behind the mother and son. Amanda stood up while holding her son¡¯s small hand and apologized. I¡¯m sorry. Something came up today, but everything¡¯s okay now. I¡¯ll take Aiden home. You should rest up.¡± She was about to turn around and leave when another man¡¯s voice came from inside the house. ¡°You didn¡¯t drive over here, did you? Let me take you guys home. It was Simon who was speaking. Amanda stiffened upon hearing that. What is Simon doing here¡­ ¡°That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ll leave them to you, Boss. I can finally get some good sleep.¡± Helean chuckled. Simon picked up his jacket and walked over. With one arm, he easily scooped Aiden up as he told Amanda, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She then quietly followed behind the man. When they got to the parking lot, Simon gently ced the child in the back seat of his car and closed the door. He then turned to Amanda and asked, ¡°What happened tonight?¡± He had immediately noticed the injuries on the corner of Amanda¡¯s mouth and the red palm print on her cheek. It looked as though she had been abused. ¡°I was kidnapped, but someone saved me. I¡¯m fine now,¡± Kidnapped? There was a hint of surprise in Simon¡¯s eyes. Why is she talking about being kidnapped like it is just a minor inconvenience? ¡°Did your ex-husband rescue you?¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± Amanda was surprised that he guessed it correctly. Simon smiled. ¡°Who else in Imperia can rescue you within a few hours after you were kidnapped? Not to mention he would surely have received help from a lot of people to save you in such a short time. Even I heard about it. It¡¯s clear how anxious he was to save you.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t say anything, but she suddenly felt somewhat guilty. She pissed Elias off just now. Not only that, it was the first time she had seen him so angry that he said he never wanted to see her again. I must have really hurt him. Elias sped off to Winters Estate. As he was the only one living in this vast estate, the ce exuded a noble yet lonely atmosphere. The sound of his car¡¯s sudden and violent braking shattered the tranquility of the estate. Hearing that, the steward hurried over to greet him. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Winters.¡± Elias mmed the car door shut and stalked straight to the vi without saying a word. The steward kept following him as he asked, ¡°Do you need dinner, Mr. Winters? Have you eaten?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . His mind was filled with thoughts of how anxious Amanda looked as she urgently wanted to let Simon¡¯s son know that she was safe. It was ironic that he had worked so hard to save her, but all she could think of now was Simon and his son. ¡°By the way, Miss Murphy is here, Mr. Winters. She is waiting for you in the living room.¡± ¡°Tell her I¡¯m not here and that I won¡¯t being home tonight.¡± Elias had no time to deal with Grace when he was filled with anger he couldn¡¯t vent. ¡°I told her that, but she insisted on waiting for you. She has been waiting in the living room for over two hours. You should go see her, Mr. Winters, the steward uttered as though he had been put in a tough spot. Elias finally stopped and turned around to re at the steward. ¡°You useless fool!¡± he barked. ¡°Why can¡¯t you handle something so small?!¡± Grace was currently sitting on the couch in the living room, feeling uneasy. At this moment, she could only think of the boy she had seen at Amanda¡¯s doorstep and how he looked like Elias the more she looked at him. She didn¡¯t know what she should do if the child was really Amanda¡¯s and Elias¡±. She definitely couldn¡¯t let Elias find out about the child. However, she couldn¡¯t confirm if the child was really Elias¡¯ just yet. She needed to find a way to get Elias and the child to do a DNA paternity test. Grace was in the middle of her thoughts when she suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching. She looked up, only to see Eliasing in. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re home!¡± She stood up. Meanwhile, he strode to the single-seat couch in front of him and sat down with a fierce expression. ¡°It¡¯ste. Why aren¡¯t you home sleeping?¡± he threw out. Grace hesitated before speaking. ¡°What happened to you today? Why did you leave me there on the red carpet? Do you know how embarrassed that made me¡­..¡± Elias¡¯ eyebrows furrowed and he replied in a low voice, ¡°Something happened to Amanda. I had to leave to deal with it. I apologize. I¡¯ll make it up to you next time.¡± ¡°What happened to Amanda? Is she okay?¡± I knew he went to Amanda! Grace was so mad she was about to blow her top, but she put on that gentle and charming mask of hers. ¡°It¡¯s all right now¡± Elias massaged his forehead. Just the thought of that heartless woman filled him with endless rage. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Grace thought for a while before asking indirectly. ¡°Elias, Amanda carried your child before, didn¡¯t she? Are you sure she had an abortion?¡± Elias raised his gaze and squinted slightly. ¡°Why are you asking me this?¡± Or what? Does it seem possible for her to keep the child? He never thought about the possibility after Amanda told him that she had an abortion. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to know if she really got pregnant. I hope she didn¡¯t lie to you¡­.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t. There is a witness who saw her go to the gynecologist to have an abortion.¡± Elias¡± expression darkened slightly as he spoke. After all, that was his flesh and blood. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Collecting Hair for Paternity Test Grace began to have doubts after hearing Elias¡¯ words. Did someone really see Amanda go to the gynecologist to have an abortion? Does this mean that the little boy I sawst night is not Elias¡¯? But his facial features and expression are very simr to Elias Still, Grace didn¡¯t dare jump to conclusions. She had to do a paternity test to feel at ease. ¡°Um¡­ Elias, I want to go to your bedroom for a moment. I think I lost an earring thest time I went into your bedroom. It was an earring I borrowed from the brand, so I need to return it. Can I go in and look for it?¡± Grace made up a random excuse to enter the man¡¯s bedroom and collect some hair for the test. Elias, who was annoyed and distracted at the moment, did not care much about what she had in mind. He simply muttered, ¡°Do as you please.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± She then turned and walked toward the elevator, as the man¡¯s room was on the fourth floor. After entering the elevator, Grace secretly nced at the man in the living room. I should have enough time to find what I need, as he seems to be lost in thought and may not return to his room anytime The elevator door opened with a ding. Grace quickly walked toward the bedroom and closed the door behind her after entering. She then put on some gloves and took out an evidence bag that she had prepared in advance before she began to collect hair samples in the room. It was not easy to collect Elias¡¯ hair in the Winters Estate. After all, there were servants who cleaned the ce every day. Elias¡¯ obsession with cleanliness further made sure that it was spotless everywhere. Grace searched around the bed but did not manage to find even a strand of hair. She proceeded to go to the bathroom and look around until she finally found a hair in an inconspicuous corner. Carefully, she picked it up and put it in the evidence bag. The next, and most difficult thing she needed to do, was to get a hair sample from the boy. The truth would be out in the open as soon as they did a paternity test. Aiden had fallen asleep on their way back to Lotus Waterfront. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. When they got home, Simon carried the child into the house Amanda helped Simon open the bedroom door. After the two gently ced the child on the bed, they quietly left the room. Amanda couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward after that. Naturally, Simon could understand her embarrassment. He slowly stated, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to marry me, we are still colleagues and friends. There is no need to be so distant, is there?¡± Amanda gave a small smile and nod in return. ¡°I heard from Helean that you are looking for a new ce. Did something happen? Is this not a nice ce to live?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just some personal reasons. I want to move to a new ce since I can¡¯t live here anymore.¡± She didn¡¯t want to bring up what had happened with Dick, nor did she want anyone to know that she had a se mbag for a father. Simon probably guessed her concern. ¡°How about this? I have a vi in Gxy Bay that is currently vacant. You can stay there temporarily until you find a suitable ce to move to. What do you think?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. It was a good idea, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to trouble him again. Noticing her silence, Simon added. ¡°If you feel awkward about it, you can pay the rent. My vi is just sitting there. It would be nice for me to earn some money.¡± ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t hold back, then. However, you must ept the rent when I pay you.¡± ¡°Okay. That¡¯s settled, then. I¡¯ll leave first. You should get some rest.¡± He promptly turned around and left. Amanda¡¯s smile gradually disappeared after the sound of the door closing rang out. She leaned against the door and slowly slid down onto the carpet before she hugged her knees. It had been an exhausting day. She had gone through so much, and even her mind was a mess. Everything seemed to be back to normal the next morning. After waking up, Amanda freshened up before making breakfast for her son. Since the nanny took the day off today, Amanda was responsible for taking her son to kindergarten. ¡°Aiden Bailey, can you please hurry it up? We¡¯re going to bete.¡± She had already put on her shoes, but the boy was still leisurely chewing on his bread at the table. He didn¡¯t look like he was in a hurry at all. ¡°Got it. Mommy.¡± He hopped off his chair and waddled to the entrance. After he put on his shoes and backpack, he was ready to go to kindergarten. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m done!¡± Amanda then held his small hand and walked out of their house. She soon drove her son out of the residential area. Unbeknownst to her, a car waiting for her outside the area was quickly catching up to her. They were at the kindergarten in no time. Amanda carried her son out of the car and brought him into the kindergarten before she felt reassured enough to leave. It was a day just like any other day. The only thing that was different was that Elias had said he never wanted to see her again. yesterday. Perhaps, he wouldn¡¯t bother himself with her again, now that she had hurt his lofty self-esteem. This might be the best oue. Isn¡¯t this the life I want? But why do I feel empty inside? After Amanda drove off, the door of the car parked next to her opened, and Grace stepped out of the vehicle. Grace was here today to collect a hair sample from Amanda¡¯s son. The problem was that she didn¡¯t know how she could get her hands on Aiden¡¯s hair. The kindergarten definitely wouldn¡¯t let her in just like that. So how am I supposed to get to the child? Right when she was thinking hard, a big crowd of children suddenly walked to the yground to y. Grace¡¯s eyes immediately lit up because she happened to see the very child she was looking for. Right then, Aiden was ying on the slide in the yground and having a great time with his friends. He waspletely unaware of the strange woman outside the fence. Grace leaned over the fence and kept waving at him, but he didn¡¯t notice her at all. This won¡¯t do. The teachers will notice me soon, she fumed when she suddenly had an idea. ¡°Amanda? Amanda!¡± she shouted. As soon as he heard his mother¡¯s name, Aiden whipped around and saw the strange woman shouting his mother¡¯s name. He walked over with a curious expression. ¡°Who are you? Why are you calling Mommy¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Amanda is your mommy, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯m her friend. I just happened to pass by, so I came to see you. Grace squatted down and cooed,pletely treating him like a child. The one thing Aiden hated the most was adults talking to him in that stupid and immature voice. But she looks familiar¡­ Aha! Isn¡¯t she the woman who was in front of our house yesterday? ¡°Hold on! You¡¯re lying! You are the evil witch from yesterday, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Grace wasn¡¯t expecting the brat to have such a good memory. With sharp eyes and quick hands, she reached out and pulled out a few strands of hair from his small head before turning around and running away. The teachers will notice me if I stay a second longer! The boy almost cried from the pain. Pressing his palms on his scalp, he pouted and thought, She is definitely an evil witch! I must tell Mommy to stay away from her! Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Father and Son¡¯s First Conversation The nanny saw Amanda packing up when she brought the boy back to Lotus Waterfront. ¡°Are you going on a business trip. Miss Bailey?¡± The nanny thought Amanda was going on a business trip as Amanda was packing a lot of clothes. Amanda stopped what she was doing and stood up upon hearing that. ¡°No, Mrs. Colette. We are moving tonight. Please help me pack up. Just a few pieces of clothing will do. The ce we will be moving to has everything.¡± At least, that was what Simon told her. The vi in Gxy Bay had everything that Amanda would ever need, and she could move in any time she wanted. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Colette nodded. Right then. Aiden ran over and grabbed Amanda¡¯s hand. He was eager to tell her what had happened at school today. ¡°Mommy! Mommy! Let me tell you something! There was a strange woman at school who called your name today.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Suddenly feeling anxious, Amanda sat down on the couch with her son. She wanted to ask him. for all the details. ¡°There was this strange woman who called your name. She¡¯s an evil woman! She even pulled my hair.¡± ¡°Huh? Did it hurt? How can anyone do something like that?¡± Amanda worriedly touched her son¡¯s small head and checked if he was injured. No matter how precocious Aiden was, he was just a three-year-old child, after all. He couldn¡¯t speak clearly with his limited ability to express himself with words. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt now.¡± He shook his head bravely. Amanda felt as resigned as she was heartbroken. Is this new kindergarten the wrong choice after all? How did something like this happen? I¡¯ll have to look for a new kindergarten again. But who is this strange woman Aiden¡¯s talking about? she wondered. Just who is it? Colette had finished packing up by then. ¡°I¡¯m done packing up. Miss Bailey. Would you like to check if there is anything else you want to bring to the new ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all. Please bring Aiden to the parking lot first and wait for me in the car, Mrs. Colette.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± And so, Colette left for the parking lot with the child in her arms. Amanda also started to leave with the luggage when she received a call from Simon. After she picked up the call, she informed him, ¡°I¡¯m done packing, Simon. We¡¯re leaving now. We¡¯ll be there in about an hour.¡± ¡°Should I go pick you up? I¡¯m heading to Gxy Bay now as well.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. You can just wait for me there. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± She then hung up and left with the luggage in tow. Elias had just finished a meeting with the high-level executives at Winters Enterprise. When he finally got off work, he came to the outside of thepany where the car was parked. He wore a suit and leather shoes as he walked out of the lobby. Just as he was about to get in the car, a middle-aged man ran over and stopped him. ¡°Elias! It¡¯s me, your father-inw. You can¡¯t just ignore me when I¡¯m in trouble!¡± Dick appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Elias by the arm. Seeing this, the bodyguard immediately stepped forward and dragged him away. Elias¡¯ disgust was written all over his handsome face as he frowned at his father-inw. Not wanting to deal with the older man, he started to get into the car. To his surprise, Dick wailed out loud. ¡°My son-inw! You have to help me for Amanda¡¯s sake. You saved her and got the money back. Those people areing after me again. What am I supposed to do? I don¡¯t have the money to pay them back. If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll have to go back to Amanda¡­¡± Elias couldn¡¯t help butugh from the anger that washed over him. As he turned around and saw that shameless look on Dick¡¯s face, he warned, ¡°Are you using Amanda to threaten me? Did she not tell you that she and I are already divorced? Since we are divorced, my helping her is a matter of goodwill. It¡¯s my duty even if I don¡¯t help her. You going to her has nothing to do with me.¡± With that, Elias got in his car and left without looking back. He was already angry in the first ce, and Dick had to threaten him with Amanda now of all times. Just thinking of Amanda filled him with rage. No matter how many people he involved to save her, the only person she cared about was Simon. Sitting in the car. Elias suddenly felt worried as he looked at his spineless ¡®father-inw¡¯ from the rearview mirror. If this scum really goes after Amanda¡­ Out of moral obligation, I should probably warn her. It won¡¯t be easy to get her useless father off her back once hetches onto her. At the thought of that, Elias took out his phone and looked up Amanda¡¯s number. He hesitated for a long time before deciding to press the number. What he didn¡¯t know was that Amanda and Simon were together right now, and his own son, Aiden, was secretly on Amanda¡¯s phone. The vis of Gxy Bay After Amanda arrived at the vi, Simon took her and Aiden inside and began to cook dinner for them. ¡°Baby, y with the phone here, and don¡¯t run around. Mr. Simon and I will be cooking. We can have dinner soon.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¨C Amanda wanted to put her luggage away and go to the kitchen to help. She didn¡¯t feel right just waiting for the food to be served. After all, Simon was like herndlord now. ¡°Okay!¡± Aiden held the phone tightly in his chubby hands and fiddled around intently. Usually, Amanda only allowed him to y for about half an hour, for fear he would be short- sighted at such a young age. Looking at her baby being so engrossed in her phone, she shook her head helplessly and walked. to the kitchen. She was surprised by how good Simon¡¯s cooking skills were when she entered the kitchen. As she watched the man elegantly and skillfully prepare a fish, he turned around and immediately noticed her. ¡°Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon,¡± he announced. ¡°Let me help you with it.¡± Amanda then walked over to the kitchen countertop and washed the remaining vegetables. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a good cook. I thought¡­¡± ¡°That instant noodle is the only thing I can cook?¡± He chuckled. Amanda had noeback. Truth was, she did think that when Simon said he was going to cook dinner for her and her son. After all, Simon was a busy man who managed a bigw firm. Amanda didn¡¯t think he would have time to learn to cook. What an outstanding man, she thought. At this moment, Aiden was lying on the couch, ying games on Amanda¡¯s phone when a phone call came in. However, he didn¡¯t know who was calling since he couldn¡¯t read well yet. He went ahead and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± he greeted in a childish voice. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Elias, who was on the other end of the call, remained quiet for a long minute before asking in return. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Why do you care? Just tell me who you are looking for.¡± Elias asked again. ¡°Are you Simon Nicholson¡¯s son?¡± ¡°Are you looking for him? He doesn¡¯t have time to answer your call. He and Mommy are cooking dinner for me. Bye-bye.¡± Aiden hung up the phone right after saying that and went back to ying his game, not letting anyone disturb him. Meanwhile, Elias was on the verge of losing his temper. Little did he know that the little brat who took the call was his son. He even almost crushed the phone in his hand! Mommy? The boy is calling her Mommy? It seems that she has sessfully filled in the stepmother¡¯s position. I must have been crazy to worry about her safety! Why should I care about her when she already has Simon? Fine! She sure is determined to be the stepmother of Simon¡¯s child, huh? That heartless woman¡­ I hope she doesn¡¯t regret her decision! Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Elias Deliberately Made Things Difficult Meanwhile, Amanda was busy washing vegetables in the kitchen when she vaguely heard her son talking to someone. After she turned off the tap and walked to the living room, she asked, ¡°Aiden Bailey, who are you talking to? Did I get a call?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The child shook his head. ¡°I was talking to myself.¡± Did I hear it wrong? I must have been so tired thesest two days that I¡¯m imagining things. She eventually turned around and went back to the kitchen with a look of puzzlement on her face. The child breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his mother go back to the kitchen. He wouldn¡¯t let a strange man disturb Simon and Amanda from getting closer. It would be best if Simon could marry Amanda quickly so that no one could bully her again in the future. Aiden had always thought that Simon was both the best man and father there was in the world. Back in the kitchen, Simon turned around and nced at Amanda. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did someone call?¡± ¡°No, I misheard it. I must have imagined it. It¡¯s been tiring these days, after all.¡± She cocked her head and smiled as she continued washing the vegetables. Simon also smiled when he suddenly remembered something. ¡°By the way, I got a case involving the son of a rich wealthy household. Hemitted indecent assault. Do you want to take it? I¡¯m a little too busy to handle it, so I¡¯ll let you do it if you can.¡± Amanda immediately agreed without hesitation. ¡°Sure! It is my honor to help my boss.¡± Simon had helped her too much, and he had taken care of her and her child for the past four years. Because of that, she would definitely help if Simon needed her to. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m relieved now. Otherwise, I¡¯ll surely have a headache dealing with several cases at once. ¡°Why are you working so hard right after youe back? Are you making money for your future. wife?¡± Amanda casually joked. Unexpectedly, Simon responded in a low voice, ¡°Unfortunately, the person I want to marry doesn¡¯t want to marry me¡­¡± The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Not knowing what to say, she could only lower her head and continue washing the vegetables. Dinner was finally ready after half an hour and the trio began to cat together. Aiden, who was the happiest among them, did something he had never done-he helped the adults with the food. ¡°Have some shrimp, Mommy. And he¡¯s some fish for you, Mr. Simon!¡± The boy leaned over the table and put food on the adults¡¯ tes. Amanda was so touched she could cry. It suddenly felt like her son had grown up. Thank you, Baby. It¡¯s delicious!¡± Simon alsoughed as he patted Aiden on the head. Of course, he knew exactly what the boy was up to. In the following days. Amanda and Aiden gradually got used to living in the vi. She hadn¡¯t heard from Elias either. After that incident, she and Elias were probably free of any entanglements with one another. Howard had also given up after Amanda brought Simon back to the Winters Manor. Just like that, Amanda¡¯s world seemed to have regained its peace. She could only hope that these quiet days wouldst until the day she resigned. At Justice & Associates. ¡°What?!¡± Amanda almost spewed out the water she was drinking. ¡°We are the defensewyers for the rich son whomitted indecent assault?¡± She thought she would represent the woman who was taken advantage of for thewsuit. Helean helplessly sighed when he heard that. ¡°Miss Bailey, are you out of touch with reality? We work for the country¡¯s topw firm. How can an ordinary person afford the attorney¡¯s fees here? The woman who was assaulted is only a student from a third-rate university.¡± Amanda did not know what to say for a moment. She wouldn¡¯t have agreed to take the case if she had known. Not only did she despise cases like this, she now had to defend a sc*mbag who assaulted a poor woman. ¡°You need to meet the litigant tonight and talk to him about the uing trial, Helean added. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Where should I meet him?¡± ¡°He is super arrogant, though. He is still out having fun every day even after what happened. Actually, he¡¯s having a pool party tonight. That is where you¡¯ll have to go¡± ¡°Who exactly is the guy?¡± Amanda spat. ¡°What an embarrassment to his family However, she did not know that she would soon meet Elias, whom she had not seen in a long time. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. It was soon nighttime. Amanda drove to the luxurious vi in the suburbs where the pool party was held and walked in. with an invitation card Helean prepared for her in advance. She could see beautiful men and women in sexy swimsuits everywhere she looked, Amanda, who was dressed in a professional suit, caught the curious gazes of many because of how out of ce she looked. She quickly grabbed a server and asked, ¡°Excuse me, may I know where I can find Mr. Carlisle London?¡± ¡°He¡¯s that way, miss. The server pointed in a direction. ¡°Thank you.¡± Amanda then went in the direction the server pointed. As she weaved through a crowd of beauties. in bathing suits, she finally saw a man with women in both his arms. He was leaning back on a lounge chair like a fatuous and self-indulgent ruler. So, this is Carlisle London. I can tell he is a good-for-nothing, but¡­ Why do I feel like a strange gaze fixated on me? With a frown, she turned her head to look, only to end up frozen on the spot. Leaning against a lounge chair several seats away was Elias who held a champagne ss. He wore a ck shirtsleeve with two buttons undone, and his sleeves were casually rolled up, revealing a silver wristwatch. The man¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were narrowed as he stared at Amanda. Why is Elias here?! Is he actually friends with a b*stard who took advantage of a college student? Despite her thoughts, Amandaposed herself and introduced herself to Carlisle. ¡°Mr. London, I am your attorney. Do you have time to talk about the case with me now?¡± ¡°Ah, a beautifulwyer! I thought you were here for the party. I was wondering why you aren¡¯t in a swimsuit.¡± Carlisle looked at Amanda from head to toe, his expression lecherous. ¡°You would look great in a swimsuit.¡± However, Amanda only responded calmly, ¡°Mr. London, please have some respect for yourself. I am your attorney, not one of those women you are talking about.¡± She would have pped the sleazy man on the face if it wasn¡¯t because he was a client. Seeing that she was angry, Carlisle smilingly offered apromise. ¡°Okay, okay. Have a seat, Miss Bailey, and we will talk. I can¡¯t help feeling nervous. After all, this is my first time talking about a case with a beautifulwyer.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t answer him. She was tempted to just turn around and walk away. Elias¡¯ gaze was on Amanda the entire time. After he took a sip of champagne, he suddenly said in a low voice. ¡°Do you have to talk about work now? It is a pool party. Either you talk about work another day, or you can talk now but in swimwear.¡± He was intentionally making things hard for her because of the deep grudge he held against her. Many of Carlisle¡¯s friends started to kick up a fuss as well. ¡°He¡¯s right! This is a pool party. You have to follow the rules if you are here. Why would you be here without swimwear?¡± Shocked, Amanda stared wide-eyed at Elias. This b*stard is deliberately trying to make things hard for me! ¡°You are not in swimwear, are you?¡± Amanda bit back. She wanted to charge at the son-of-a-b*tch and chew him up if she could. ¡°Pffi! Who are you topare yourself to me?¡± Elias sneered. She had noeback to that. It took her all her might to rein in her emotions. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Fine! I¡¯ll Put On Swimwear! ¡°It is true that I am not worthy of beingpared to you. However, I am not here for you¡± Amanda smiled and looked at Carlisle, hoping that the useless man would cooperate and let her talk about work before letting her go. Her indifference thoroughly irked Elias, who then lifted the champagne in his hand and emptied its contents in one gulp. ¡°Mr. London, can we talk now? Or we can talk privately somewhere else. I won¡¯t take much of your time. Just ten minutes will do.¡± However, Carlisle had a perverted smile on his face as he countered, ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Winters say that this is a pool party? It¡¯s not appropriate for you to dress like this and talk to me. Miss Bailey, why don¡¯t you consider changing into swimwear?¡± She couldn¡¯t stand it anymore at this point. Why do I have to defend a human scum like him? Unable to stand the sight of the trash, she would have turned around and left if it wasn¡¯t for Simon. ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s talk tomorrow. I¡¯ll make an appointment with you,¡± Amanda uttered as she turned around to leave. Unexpectedly, the man next to her stood in front of her, blocking her. ¡°You are refusing even though Mr. Winters and Mr. London are inviting you to the party? You don¡¯t know what¡¯s best for you, do you? Do you even want to make it far in the legal industry?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a spoilsport, Miss Bailey. Changing into swimwear isn¡¯t a big deal. Besides¡­¡± Carlisle commented. ¡°You have a nice body.¡± Amanda was looking at that slob when he spoke, and she soon nced at Elias, who was seated beside him. He didn¡¯t seem like he was going to help at all, with how he remained motionless in his seat. Although she felt a little disappointed, she understood that the man wouldn¡¯t speak up for her when he hated her so much. ¡°If you are going to treat your defensewyer this way, Mr. London, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t work together. Please get someone else to defend your case.¡± Carlisle smiled at that. ¡°Are you quitting? Very well, then. I¡¯ll go to thew firm you work at and comin about this tomorrow. I¡¯ll also expose thepany and let everyone see the quality ofwyers at Justice & Associates.¡± What the hell? He is a bully! How is he any different from a gangster?! Amanda did not know what to do at this point. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Elias again. However, his head was lowered as he yed with his champagne ss, lookingpletely detached. Clearly, he wanted to see her defeated as she humbly begged him. There was no other way out of this for her. She couldn¡¯t afford to bring down thew firm¡¯s reputation. Thew firm was the result of Simon¡¯s years of hard work, and it had always had a good reputation. She couldn¡¯t ruin it with her own hands. Still, she was unlikely to leave unscathed tonight after dealing with this group of se*mbags, She could have left if only Elias would say the word. And yet, the man only kept to himself. The rest of the men were also egging this on because they wanted to curry Elias¡¯ favor. Even they could tell that he was intentionally making things hard for Amanda. She turned around and looked at the unconcerned Elias when she suddenly announced, ¡°Fine! I will put on swimwear!¡± Everyone was astonished to hear that. Even Elias suddenly looked up at her with a hint of surprise in his dark eyes as he didn¡¯t think she would agree to it. Knowing Amanda, she wasn¡¯t someone who would say yes to requests that were out of line, such as this one. ¡°But it will only be for ten minutes. I will leave after we are done discussing work. I¡¯m just a pitiful desk jockey. I don¡¯t have time to party with you rich men.¡± As she spoke, her eyes were fixated on Elias. She knew that he was deliberately making things difficult for her. I¡¯ll just let him indulge in this perverted hobby he has. ¡°Where is the swimwear? And where can I get changed?¡± Amanda appeared indifferent and looked as if she didn¡¯t care at all. As though trying to see through what she was up to, Elias stared at her with his jaw tightly clenched as he continued leaning against the chair. Everyone was waiting for him to react. After all, they were all trying to get on his good side. Despite that, he stayed quiet. Carlisle was stunned at first, but he soon smilingly cheered, ¡°You over there, take Miss Bailey to somewhere she can get changed. I¡¯ve never seen a beautifulwyer in swimwear before. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± As soon as he said that, a youngdy walked up to Amanda. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t even look at Elias as she followed the woman. Elias, on the other hand, almost crushed the champagne ss in his hand. Is the deliberately going against me? Why would she be in swimwear in a ce full of wolves? What a fool! ¡°You are amazing, Mr. Winters. You made such a fun suggestion. I can¡¯t wait to watch the show the beautiful swimsuit-dwyer is about to put on, someone said. Elias finally broke his silence with a roar. ¡°To hell if you¡¯re watching anything!¡± He then angrily got up and stormed to the vi, leaving Carlisle with a frozen smile and a look of bewilderment on his face. Feeling wronged, Carlisle bitterly grumbled, ¡°Geez! Why are you yelling? You were the one who wanted to see her in swimwear, so why are you getting mad now?!¡± After Elias entered the vi, he randomly grabbed a maid and demanded, ¡°Where is thewyer changing her clothes?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Mr. Winters, she seems to have gone to one of the guest rooms upstairs to change. I¡¯m not sure which room she is in.¡± He went straight upstairs the moment he heard that. He might actually choke that idiot of awyer if she changed into a swimsuit here. Since he didn¡¯t know which room Amanda was in, he started searching from guest room to guest room upstairs. At the same time, Amanda was in one of the rooms, worrying about the bikini in front of her. Do I really have to wear it? She had never worn swimwear that exposed so much skin. Unfortunately, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of this today. And I¡¯ll never let Elias underestimate me! It was only now that she realized that the petty, overbearing, unreasonable sc*mbag was someone who enjoyed bullying women! After debating over it for a while, Amanda finally made up her mind and put on the bikini. Bam! All of a sudden, the door to the room was pushed open at full force. Amanda instinctively turned her head. As her eyes widened in panic, she screamed, ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t say you coulde in!¡± She quickly covered her chest with her arms and stepped back. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Elias was now frozen in ce outside the door, his hand on the doorknob. He didn¡¯t think he would see something like this the moment he opened the door¡­ Amanda was wearing a sexy, extremely revealing white bikini. In fact, she almost looked like she wasn¡¯t wearing anything. She had a graceful figure covered in snow-white skin, long and slender legs, soft wavy hair down. to her waist, and a flustered expression¡­. Elias¡¯ throat bobbed as his dark eyes gazing at her grew unbelievably possessive. He closed the door and locked it behind him before he stalked straight toward her, howling. ¡°You actually changed into it! Are you stupid?!¡± The woman never stopped retreating. ¡°Stay away! I didn¡¯t say you coulde in!¡± What the hell is wrong with the woman who brought me here? She said she would be standing guard outside. Why did she let Elias barge in?! Looking at the extraordinarily stunning woman, Elias couldn¡¯t help losing his temper. ¡°Put on your clothes! You are not going out there in this!¡± ¡°Are you schizophrenic? You told me to change into swimwear, and now you are telling me to put on my clothes? What exactly do you want? You are picking on me because you hate the sight of me, right?¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Do Not Reject Me! Amanda raised her chin defiantly and looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes. Even though the atmosphere in the room was increasingly ambiguous, she was too angry to notice the change. Elias tried hard to restrain his impulse as he took in her current appearance. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again,¡± he growled. ¡°Put on your clothes, or bear the consequences.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I would like to see what you are going to do to me! What makes you think you can say and do whatever you want? Don¡¯t forget that we have nothing to do with each other now. You have no right to tell me what to do!¡± Amanda had had enough of this man¡¯s arrogance as if the whole world revolved around him. Hearing that, Elias stared at her and repeated his question. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes! So, what are you going to do?¡± She was not afraid of him now that they were already divorced. Within the next second, Amanda let out a shriek as she was suddenly pushed down onto the soft bed. She stared at Elias¡¯ handsome face as he suddenly approached her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she shouted. ¡°Get up!¡± The manpletely pinned her down and held her chin with his slender fingers. ¡°I gave you a chance to put on your clothes, but you refused. I have lost control now. I want to do what I want to do.¡± What? What does he want to do? Even an idiot would know what was going to happen from this intimate position they were in. ¡°Elias, you b*stard! No! You can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Amanda struggled to escape, but it was in vain. The difference in strength between a man and a woman was too great. ¡°Yes, I can, and I will!¡± He arrogantly held onto her slim waist. ¡°Do not refuse me!¡± Isn¡¯t he just a bully who uses force to get his way? Amanda could only resort to provoking him with her ultimate weapon. ¡°Take a look at me clearly! I am not the one you love! I am Amanda, not Grace Murphy! Aren¡¯t you afraid that Grace will throw a tantrum?¡± The man¡¯s pitch-ck eyes stared fiercely at her face. His gaze was hot and persistent; it was as if nothing could change his mind. ¡°I have not been drugged. I¡¯m sober, and I know you are Amanda. Still, I want to do this. I have wanted to do this for a long time.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. This b¡¯stard is unshakable! Suddenly, Elias¡¯ phone vibrated, breaking the tense atmosphere. ¡°Go ahead and answer it. We will see after you are done with the call¡± Amanda wanted to take the opportunity to escape. She could never let Elias seed. Annoyed, the man reluctantly took out his phone and nced at the caller ID. He debated whether to answer when he saw that it was a call from Grace. Amanda, who saw the opportunity to push the man away, immediately did so before she rushed. toward the door. To her surprise, right as her hand touched the door handle, she was forcefully tugged back by a powerful force. ¡°Gah!¡± Elias pulled her into his arms. ¡°Where are you going? Do you think you can run away?¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Are you mad, Elias Winters?! I won¡¯t hold you ountable now because you are out of your mind. Let me out of here. The two of us need to calm down!¡± Amanda huffed. She was actually starting to get scared. Judging from how possessed he was acting, she had a feeling that Elias wasn¡¯t going to stop until he got what he wanted tonight. ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not toote! You can still turn back!¡± The man chuckled disdainfully. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to turn back. I want to keep doing the wrong thing.¡± As he said that, he tossed his vibrating phone aside. He was unaware that the call identally connected when itnded somewhere, and there was an active call showing on the screen¡­ Amanda was thrown on the big bed again. Her long hair was spread on the white sheet like sshed ink, and her pair of clear eyes looked like that of a frightened and rmed deer. ¡°Elias Winters!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. What is it?¡± She was on the verge of breaking down as she cried, ¡°Please¡­. Let me go¡­. We are divorced. We can¡¯t do this¡­¡± ¡°But I want to. I can¡¯t control myself.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help wondering just what she did to deserve being taken advantage of at this pool party! Meanwhile, Grace had been calling Elias for a long time, but none of her calls got through. I know that he is at a party tonight. Still, he can¡¯t possibly be so busy he can¡¯t answer the phone, right? Although she had already collected hair samples from Elias and Aiden to run a paternity test, she wasn¡¯t sure if the hair she found in Elias¡¯ room belonged to him. It would be better for her to collect hair samples in person. Because of that, she called him to ask him out. She was going to give up when he did not take her calls. However, her call eventually got through. There was a hint of pleasant surprise on her face as she greeted, ¡°Elias! Are you still at the party?¡± However, no one answered her from the other end of the call. Instead, she heard a conversation between a man and a woman. She recognized the man¡¯s voice as Elias¡¯ immediately. But the woman¡­ It¡¯s Amanda! Grace crumbled in that instant. Why are they together? Hearing the conversation that followed only further broke her heart. ¡°Elias!¡± she shouted into the phone. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you with Amanda? What the hell are the two of you. doing?!¡± But no matter how much she yelled, there was no response from the other end of the line. Elias and Amanda seemedpletely unaware that the call was connected. What made Grace even more devastated were the intimate moans and breaths she heard from the phone. Her heart, which felt like it had dropped, was torn apart as she listened to the live broadcast on the phone, and her tears flowed down her cheeks. Elias has never concerned himself with how I feel, she concluded.. She finally decided she had heard enough. The sounds stopped when she mmed her phone on the floor, shattering the screen. However, she knew that the man and woman had not stopped whatever they were doing. ¡°Elias Winters, you promised to take responsibility for me. You promised my brother to take care of me. How can you do this¡­¡± Grace cried out in pain as the sat on the floor like a helpless child. Her hatred continued to grow deeper I¡¯m going to make Amanda pay with her life? She needs to know the consequences of her taking my man from Grace was determined to make Amanda pay for the humiliation she had had to suffer tonight After the wiped away her tears, she went to the living room and picked up the hair samples sh? collected She had decided to send them to a paternity text orniter If the child ended up being Elise she would make sure that the boy disappeared from this world so that he would never have the chance to appear in front of s ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being a heartless b2uch Amanda Tcan¡¯t live without Flixx.¡± Grace tightly held the trand of hair the collected. She wanted nothing more than to know the test results immediately Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 I Despise Your It waste at night when Amanday motionless on the bed. Her long hair was in disarray as it covered her delicate face. As if her bones hade apart, she felt like she was about to die. It seemed as though Elias wanted to kill her from the way he refused to let her go until she begged him to stop while she cried. She could now hear the sound of flowing water from the bathroom where the man was taking a shower. Feeling overwhelmed with shame, she let out tears she couldn¡¯t hold back. Why do I have to endure such humiliation from Elias even after our divorce? Who does this jerk think he is? Why does he feel entitled to do whatever he wants? The bathroom door opened suddenly, and Elias emerged looking refreshed and energized. He was wearing a bathrobe that exposed his sexy chest and abdominal muscles. ¡°You sweated buckets. Should I carry you to take a shower if you don¡¯t have the energy to?¡± His deep voice slowly resounded in the room. The woman weakly red at him and struggled to get up. ¡°No, thanks!¡± She then looked at the scattered bikini on the carpet, wondering what magic it held that could instantly turn Elias into a beast. As she reached for her clothes, he said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t wear those. I¡¯ll have someone send you a new set of clothes. Hearing that, she sneered and lifted her chin to look at him. ¡°I don¡¯t need that sh*t! Stop pretending like you are doing me a favor. I¡¯ll always remember how you acted like a savage tonight.¡± Amanda hurriedly put on her clothes and tried to leave, but her legs were so weak that her knees buckled. Elias caught her before he sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve just had a vigorous workout. You don¡¯t have to rush to get up. Have some rest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The more she thought about what had happened in the past few hours, the more she wanted to bite the jerk in front of her to death. After she shook off his hand, she sarcastically mentioned, ¡°You¡¯d better start thinking about how you are going to exin to your beloved Grace, you se mbag!¡± Amanda had finally confirmed that Elias was a yer. Despite being Grace¡¯s man, he still gave Amanda his everything tonight¡­ Elias suddenly fell silent upon hearing that. He did owe Grace an exnation. Since he didn¡¯t love her, he shouldn¡¯t hold her back for the remainder of her life. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her and make it clear that we¡¯re not suitable for each other. She should find a man who will take care of her.¡± Amanda stopped in the middle of getting dressed and looked up at him. ¡°You don¡¯t want her anymore? Are you going to break up with her?¡± Did I hear him right? Is that what he means? ¡°Yes. We are not a good match.¡± ¡°But she will not agree to it!¡± Amanda knew Grace too well. There was no way Grace would just let go of the man she considered her lifeline. ¡°That¡¯s my business. I¡¯ll handle it. What about you? Are you still going to be the stepmother to Simon¡¯s son?¡± Elias felt angry just mentioning Simon and the brat who took the call. Amanda¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head to the side out of guilt. ¡°Why do you care? I want to do that!¡± She then picked up her bag and started to leave when Elias grabbed her by her wrist. ¡°You must have forgotten what happened the past few hours. The woman I bed can only be my woman!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t understand where this was going. ¡°We will have a remarriage as Grandpa wants us to.¡± ¡°Never!¡± she blurted out. ¡°I won¡¯t agree to it! So what if we slept together? We already did it four years ago. I¡¯ll just consider myself bitten by a dog!¡± Elias gritted his teeth and asked threateningly, ¡°Whom are you calling a dog? Does it not matter to you that someone took you to bed? When did you be such an easy woman, Amanda? Have you slept with Simon Nicholson?¡± The thought of this possibility made Elias boil with anger. If she dared to say yes, he might really lose control and ravage her again. ¡°You sick pervert! Do you think everyone is as obsessed with sleeping around as you are? Let me go!¡± When Elias heard that, he suddenly felt relieved and his frown gradually smoothed out. He then held her chin and reminded her in a deep voice, I¡¯m warning you-don¡¯t even think about bing the stepmother to Simon¡¯s son, or I won¡¯t let you off easy¡± He has always been an arrogant man who thinks that everyone has to obey hismands. He wanted me to scram as far away from him as possible when he didn¡¯t want me. But now that he wants me again, I have to obedientlye back to him? Bah! I¡¯ve had enough! ¡°I despise you!¡± Amanda suddenly uttered, startling the man. ¡°What?¡± She removed his hand from her and snarled, ¡°I said I despise you. Who do you think you are? You didn¡¯t want me four years ago, so you got a woman to put on a show with and got rid of me. Now that you are in a better mood and find me slightly pleasing to the eye, I¡¯m supposed to obedientlye back to you like a dog? Elias, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a se mbag? What do you take me for?¡± An endless, deadly silence filled the room. Elias knew she held a grudge against him, but he didn¡¯t expect such deep hatred from her. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Amanda¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say my name! You are a sc*mbag through and through! Don¡¯t forget we had at child that you abandoned. You didn¡¯t want both me and our child. Do you have any idea how scared I was when I went to the hospital to have an abortion four years ago?¡± Her heart ached when she talked about her baby. These four years, starting from the time she got pregnant to after she gave birth, hadn¡¯t been easy on her. She had had to endure tons of hardships while being taken advantage of by others. Elias would conveniently get a son if they were to remarry. He can dream on! Although Elias didn¡¯t know that their child was still alive, Amanda didn¡¯t think he was fit to be a father, not to mention a good one at that. The man¡¯s gaze dimmed a bit and his handsome face was thunderous. He almost forgot about the aborted pregnancy¡­ Amanda proceeded to pick up her bag and leave the room without looking back. Elias was left standing there in silence, his handsome face tense. Suddenly, it seemed as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on his chest, suffocating him. Does she despise me?She¡­ despises me¡­ Amanda left the pool party and drove away. She didn¡¯t want to take on this case anymore. In fact, she didn¡¯t want to be here even a second longer. However, her entire body was sore. She didn¡¯t have any strength left in her legs that felt like they were jelly. Her mind was in chaos as she sat in the driver¡¯s seat, looking at herself in the rearview mirror. With her flushed cheeks and messy hair, she looked like she had had some thorough loving. She hated Elias, but she hated herself even more. She couldn¡¯t believe how her body reacted when the man took advantage of her. Amanda thought that she didn¡¯t love him anymore. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for her to still love him after how badly he hurt her four years ago. However, the way her body reacted was true. She hated how spineless she was. ¡°How shameless can you be, Amanda Bailey? Grow a backbone, will you? Why would you love a jerk like him? He is not the only man left on this!¡± She kept scolding her reflection in the mirror as she tried to bring herself back to her senses. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Why Is His Bad Temper Exactly Like a Certain Someone¡¯s? The vi area in Gxy Bay Amanda¡¯s head was a mess throughout her drive back home. She somehow managed to make the 30- minute drive into an hour today. After she parked her car in the garage, she dragged her exhausted body into the vi. She was trudging past the living room when she saw a scene that made her stop in her tracks. Simon and a woman were sitting on the couch in the living room, whereas Aiden was ying with puzzles beside them. What is going on? Simon rented this ce to me, didn¡¯t he? Why would he bring a woman back here? When she was quietly wondering what was happening, Aiden immediately caught sight of her. and he shouted excitedly. ¡°Mommy! You¡¯re home!¡± He then dashed over and lunged at her. Amanda was immediately brought back to her senses by the child¡¯s voice. Instinctively, she opened her arms to her baby who smelled like sweet milk. Simon and the woman on the couch turned their heads to look at the mother-son duo at the same time upon hearing that. Simon got up slowly and walked toward her. ¡°Why are you back sote, Amanda? I was just about to go and pick you up. Aiden insisted that he will only go to bed after you tell him a bedtime story.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­ ah¡­ was in a jam.¡± The atmosphere in the living room felt strange for some reason she couldn¡¯t pinpoint. And as Amanda spoke, she finally took a good look at the woman on the couch. Thetter had a cold demeanor, exquisite facial features, and ck, long hair so straight she looked like art itself. Like a flower that grew on a high mountain, she wasn¡¯t someone ordinary men could get their hands on. ¡°Your hair is a mess! Was it windy?¡± Simon smiled and smoothly tugged a lock of Amanda¡¯s hair behind her car. Amanda, who had no idea what was going on, only wore a stupefied expression. Seeing this, the man lowered his head and whispered in her car, ¡°Help me out a bit. She is my ex.¡± Oho! Realization suddenly dawned on Amanda. So, this goddess-like woman is Simon¡¯s er? Elias said that Simon and this ex of his were in a rtionship for many years, but she ended up suddenly getting married to someone else. It seems that Simon was the one who took the brunt of the breakup. Is he trying to show her that he is living a good life? Regardless of the circumstances, Simon did help her lie to Howard. She knew she had to help him in return. ¡°It was alright. I see you have a guest¡­¡± Amanda pretended to not know who the woman was. Before Simon said anything, the woman stood up and walked over with a smile. She had a ck spaghetti-strap dress on. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Nicholson. I am Lunabelle Gowen, a friend of Simon¡¯s. She then extended her hand for a polite handshake, but her eyes held a glint like she was peering at her rival in love. Amanda also reached out and lightly shook her hand. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Amanda Bailey ¡°You look happy, Mrs. Nicholson. Simon takes good care of you and the child.¡± Lunabelle had been sizing up Amanda from the moment thetter had walked in. She wanted to see what kind of woman Simon had chosen to marry and have a child with. Those are words a b*tch with an angel¡¯s face would say. Why would shee to Simon¡¯s house if she is his ex- girlfriend? And what is the point of sounding so jealous? Amanda thought. She couldn¡¯t help but remember herself from four years ago. She detested men who secretly had someone elusive in their hearts. It didn¡¯t make sense to her why they would get involved with anyone else if they were in love with someone else. ¡°That goes without saying. Why would anyone get married if they¡¯re not happy?¡± Amanda replied. with a smile. Those words seemed to prick Lunabelle right in the heart, and her expression changed subtly. Amanda quickly noticed her reaction. It seems like she doesn¡¯t have a happy marriage. I hope she isn¡¯t trying to get back with Simon because something happened to her marriage. She soon picked up Aiden and looked at Simon. I¡¯m going to put the baby to sleep. You should have a chat with Miss Gowen. Let me know if you need me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± And so, Amanda went upstairs with the child in her arms while the boy kept ring at Lunabelle with a look of disdain. To him, any woman who wanted to take Simon away from them was an evil person. When Amanda returned to the room with Aiden, the boy immediately urged, ¡°Mommy, I can sleep by myself. You have to go downstairs and watch over Mr. Simon!¡± ¡°Why should I do that? He is having a conversation with that prettydy. I¡¯ll tell you a story instead.¡± Aiden grumpilyined. ¡°She¡¯s not pretty at all. She¡¯s not as pretty as you are, Mommy! You have to keep your eyes on Mr. Simon, or that evildy will take him away from us!¡± Why is this little brat always trying to match Simon and me up? Amanda wondered, amused as she lightly reprimanded the boy, ¡°Aiden Bailey, I¡¯m telling you right now that Mr. Simon will not be your father, so we don¡¯t have to worry about whichdy he talks to. Also, you can¡¯t just call thedy evil. It¡¯s rude.¡± Besides, Simon and Lunabelle obviously had feelings for each other. Amanda wouldn¡¯t want to squeeze herself between the two. Aiden was so infuriated he started bawling. As he grabbed his mother¡¯s hand and swung it around. he cried, ¡°Mommy, can you please have better taste in men?! Why don¡¯t you want a man as wonderful as Mr. Simon? Some other woman will take him away if you don¡¯t want him!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. How about you go to sleep, hmm? Aren¡¯t you sleepy? Let¡¯s talk when you wake up.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know how she could exin to a three-year-old that feelings couldn¡¯t be forced. The brat was too stubborn in wanting Simon as his father. ¡°I¡¯m angry! Hmph! I can go to sleep by myself. Mommy, go downstairs and watch Mr. Simon, or I won¡¯t talk to you ever again!¡± Aiden huffed and puffed and turned his back toward her, his lips forming a small pout. A speechless Amanda was baffled by how his temper was exactly the same as a certain someone¡¯s. As expected of Elias¡¯ son, Aiden was domineering and needed to make what he wanted into reality. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She felt her anger boil when she recalled the incident at the pool party tonight. And now, her child was bullying her! Am I a pushover? Furthermore, the more she looked at Aiden getting mad, the more she thought he looked like Elias. In the end, she could onlypromise as she patted her son¡¯s small head. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go down and watch Simon. You be good. Now sleep.¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. He turned to her with a happy face and cheered, ¡°Yay! I¡¯ll sleep now.¡± After he said that, he struggled to climb into the big bed with his short legs and got under the covers. He then closed his eyes tightly and chirped, Tm asleep, Mommy! Go downstairs quickly! Go, go!¡± Little brat¡­ She helplessly shook her head and left the room wordlessly. After heading to the railing on the second floor, she looked down at the handsome man and beautiful woman in the living room. Amanda had no intention of going down and being their third wheel. Instead of heading downstairs, she turned to the balcony and went there for fresh air. Standing on the terrace, she looked up at the night sky as she involuntarily thought of what happened in the past few hours. She could feel her cheeks warming up as they turned pink. I was pretty into it¡­ She quickly shook her head. What am I thinking? Elias and I won¡¯t work out. I¡¯m sure of it! She wouldn¡¯t go down that road again after she was hurt so badly by that sc mbag four years ago. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Mommy, You Lied to Me The atmosphere was already strange in the first ce as Simon and Lunabelle sat on the couch in the living room, but it got worse after Amanda¡¯s return. Some time must have passed before Lunabelle started, ¡°You have a beautiful wife, and your son is adorable. But he doesn¡¯t really look like you, does he?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because boys usually take after their mothers. Lunabelle nodded with a somewhat bitter smile hanging on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you living a happy life.¡± ¡°How long will you be here for?¡± When Lunabelle suddenly got married without warning years ago, Simon was left to suffer for a long time. However, that didn¡¯t change anything. This was the woman who had hurt him deeply. ¡°I¡¯m not nning to leave the country this time. I had a divorce,¡± she calmly told him as though she was talking about the weather. Simon was somewhat shocked. They had a divorce? Was it not a happy marriage? Lunabelle then took a nce at the time before she stood up. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go now. You probably have to spend the night with your wife, so I will be out of your hair.¡± Simon swiftly stood up as well. ¡°I¡¯ll see you off,¡± he offered. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I came by car. You should go be with your wife. Women are rather sensitive. Don¡¯t let her get suspicious.¡± After Lunabelle said that, she turned and left. Simon didn¡¯t go after her. After all, they were only friends now. Amanda was still on the terrace when she looked at the time and noted that some time had passed. Simon and Lunabelle must have left. As the night wind blew, she couldn¡¯t help but rub her arms because of the chill. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She turned around to go back then when she unexpectedly saw Simon walking toward her. He didn¡¯t leave with her? Amanda then calmly said, ¡°I thought you would go and see your ex- girlfriend off.¡± ¡°She is an ex-girlfriend. What is there to see off? Besides, she drove here.¡± Simon walked to her side. ¡°Simon, you don¡¯t understand women. If she was happy, she wouldn¡¯t havee back to you.¡± Simon didn¡¯t say anything to Amanda¡¯s urate guess. Lunabelle was clearly unhappy for her marriage to end up in a divorce Amanda suddenly thought of something, and she looked at the man beside her. ¡°You said that the drove here? It means she¡¯s familiar with this vi. Was this your secret hideout when you were together?¡± Simon admitted to it tacitly with hisck of response. Amanda suddenly felt a little awkward when she got her answer. Why are men so good at making things ufortable for others? I will have to find a better ce to move to as soon as possible. ¡°Since you both have feelings for each other, you should get back together. It is meaningless to get married to someone you don¡¯t love.¡± Simon smilingly answered, ¡°You mean I should let here back now because she wants to, even though she left on her own ord back then? Things like that don¡¯t happen in real life. What¡¯s in the past is in the past. I don¡¯t want to dwell on it.¡± Amanda only put on a faint smile upon hearing that. It didn¡¯t matter much to her. It was not like it had anything to do with her, anyway. ¡°If you say so. The woman you end up marrying someday despite not loving her will be the one who suffers from the marriage.¡± The night wind blew her long hair and covered her exquisite face, adding a vagueness to her beauty. Simon was stunned for a moment as he stared at her side profile. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m trying to marry you despite not having impure intentions? Do you think I¡¯m a yboy?¡± What an active imagination! Amanda thought as she quickly denied it. ¡°No, you¡¯re thinking too much. I just don¡¯t want you to regret your choices. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to sleep now. You can do whatever you want. This is your home, after all.¡± After saying that, she yawned and turned to walk back into the vi. As she was turning around, Simon noticed the hickey on her neck. A hickey¡­ Does she have a man? No wonder she didn¡¯t ept my proposal to a loveless marriage. But why am I upset? Seeing the mark on her neck put him in a terrible mood. Amanda passed by the child¡¯s room when she was on her way to her room. She couldn¡¯t help but push the door open to see if Aiden was asleep. As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw the little brat lying on the bed with his small butt sticking up. He seemed to be asleep. Still, Amandaughed when she saw the sleeping position her child was in. She then walked over to properly cover her baby with the nket. She had just gotten in front of the bed when Aiden suddenly crawled up from bed and gazed at her expectantly, ¡°Mommy, did you do it?¡± Amanda was rather speechless at his reaction. The little brat pretended to be asleep just to have me go check up on Simon, eh? What a naughty child he is! ¡°You¡¯re still up? Ha! You even are lying to Mommy now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lie! I listened to you, but I wasn¡¯t asleep. I was waiting for you, Mommy!¡± Amanda narrowed her eyes. ¡°Children should be sleeping at this time. Why were you waiting for me? Were you waiting for me to whoop your butt?¡± ¡°I wanted to know if you managed to keep Mr. Simon in check! He was staring at thatdy the whole time before you came home, and thatdy kept touching his hand. Hmph!¡± Aiden looked insanely adorable as he vividly described what he saw. Seeing this, Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡°Where did you learn these things at such a young age? Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Besides, Simon is single. He has the right to date other women. Why do you worry about it so much?¡± ¡°Oh, Mommy, you¡¯re going to give me a heart attack! I told you I want Mr. Simon to be my daddy. He can¡¯t be with any other women!¡± Aiden began to freak out. He could burst into tears because of his mother¡¯s nonchnt attitude.. Amanda sighed helplessly andy on the bed as she held the irritable baby in her arms. ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t be mad. Listen to Mommy, okay? Simon is not the right fit for us. I will find you a better daddy, hmm?¡± The small figure lying in her arms grumbled. ¡°But I think Mr. Simon is the best. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still young. You have only met a few men my age. There are tons of men. who are more suitable to be your daddy than Mr. Simon.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t believe you, Mommy. You¡¯re lying!¡± ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t lie to children, really.¡± Amanda pinched her son¡¯s face and let augh slip. She sometimes thought he was quite a filial child for worrying about finding her a man she could. share her burden with. ¡°I¡¯ll only believe you if you bring me to them!¡± Aiden insisted with a serious expression. ¡°Okay, I promise I will let you meet your future daddy when I find him. Now, let¡¯s go to sleep, okay! Children need to sleep well to grow tall.¡± Amanda had just finished nagging her son when she saw him yawn and close his eyes as he slowly fell asleep in her arms. She was amazed by the child¡¯s ability to fall asleep within a second. Smilingly, she pecked him on the cheek and got up to leave the room. I should wash up and hit the sack soon too, but¡­. She turned back to look at her sleeping baby. It is about time I got him a father. I don¡¯t really need a man to rely on anymore, but Aiden seems to really want a father. I don¡¯t want the other kids at the kindergarten to make fun of him for not having a father either. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Brace Yourself It waste at night at the Winters Estate. Elias tossed and turned in bed as thoughts of having his body wrapped around Amanda¡¯s earlier filled his head. He couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter how hard he tried to. And for some reason, he kept recalling her saying that she despised him. However, he didn¡¯t find her revulsion all that surprising. It was impossible for her to not feel hatred toward him after the way he treated her four years. ago. He even ended up killing their biological child due to his cold-bloodedness. But after tonight, Elias seemed to have grown more certain that he didn¡¯t love Grace. He hadn¡¯t developed any feelings for her even after all these years. Even if he did, it was only the love a brother would feel for his sister. I¡¯ll end the rtionship with Grace and make everything clear tomorrow. It was a sleepless night for the man. He went straight to thepany the moment the sun came out. His early arrival stunned everyone because he had nevere to work this early before. He went and sat on the couch in the meeting area of his office. After spending a long time hesitating, he eventually made a phone call. ¡°Cancel all of Grace¡¯s appointments today and tell her to spend the day with me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Alright, I¡¯m on it.¡± Although it wasn¡¯t professional to cancel work at thest minute, Elias¡¯ words were thew. He was too powerful and influential a benefactor for anyone to go against. At the same time, Grace had just sent the hair sample to a DNA paternity testing center. She was on her way back to thepany to begin her schedule for the day when her manager unexpectedly called her. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, Goldie!¡± Grace greeted her after epting the call. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are there any changes to today¡¯s schedule?¡± ¡°Yup, but it was ordered by Mr. Winters himself. He has booked you for the whole day today. You only have to spend the day with him.¡± Grace frowned in confusion when she heard that. ¡°You mean he canceled all my appointments. today?¡± ¡°Yeah, so hurry up and go see your rich boyfriend. We can¡¯t afford to upset him,¡± her manager urged before hanging up. Grace was as confused as could be. What is Elias up to? He is not acting like himself¡­ He has never interfered with my work before. However, her hatred kept growing when she thought of the phone call fromst night. She didn¡¯t even notice the pain when she clenched her fists so tight her nails dug into her palms.. Could it be that he is trying to make it up to me today because he knew he did something wrongst night? The corners of her mouth curled upward unknowingly when she thought of the possibility. And so, Grace had her driver drive her to Winters Enterprise. But when she was there, she didn¡¯t see Elias in his office. His secretaryter told her that he was in a meeting. She continued to wait in the office for a whole day until the man returned at 6.00PM. Grace was dripping with grouchiness at this point, but she didn¡¯t lose her temper. When she saw the man walk into the room, she smiled and asked, ¡°Elias, did you cancel my ns today just to make me wait for you in your office?¡± ¡°Sorry. I had too many meetings to attend.¡± He walked over to the couch in the reception area and uttered in a deep voice, ¡°Come with me to a dinner party tonight.¡± A dinner party? Is he going to introduce me as his woman to the world? Grace¡¯s annoyance was quickly reced by happiness. Is he going to announce our rtionship to the public? ¡°But I don¡¯t have a dress. I can¡¯t wear this, can I?¡± ¡°I had someone prepare it for you.¡± He picked up his phone and called his secretary. ¡°Bring the dress in.¡± Grace couldn¡¯t be more surprised than his. It was the first time Elias voluntarily helped her prepare a dress. After a while, the secretary walked in with a gift box. ¡°Miss Murphy, this is the dress that Mr. Winters picked for you. Let me help you put it on.¡± ¡°Sure. Grace got up and walked to the suite behind the office. The man sat alone on the couch, his handsome face dark and brooding as a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. Grace had changed into the dress Elias prepared for her when the two of them entered the banquet hall arm-in-arm an hourter. The couple got everyone¡¯s attention as they strode in. Grace had a proud smile on. This was a feeling she only got when she stood beside Elias. It felt great how it gratified her vanity, Being able to stand next to him meant that she could get anything she wanted. What she had was only a dream of countless women out there. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Elias, why did you want me to apany you to the dinner party tonight? Is there something you want to announce?¡± She wanted him to announce their rtionship to the public. Also, she loved her high-end custom-designed dress from a famous designer. Elias nced at her. ¡°I do have something to announce. Better brace yourself.¡± Brace myself? Grace¡¯s heart was in her throat. Is he really going to announce our rtionship at an event like this? This was a charity dinner that was being live-streamed to the whole Inte to watch. Not only that, there were many reporters here as well. As expected, a group of reporters surrounded them at the entrance, wanting to interview them. ¡°Mr. Winters! There are rumors about you and Miss Grace Murphy being in a rtionship. Are you officially announcing your rtionship today?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, are you and Miss Murphy really in a rtionship? How long have you been. together? Do you n to get married?¡± ¡°Miss Murphy, how long have you been with Mr. Winters? Was the previous press release about your rtionship to test the public¡¯s reaction?¡± A series of questions were thrown at them, and Grace only smiled as she looked at the man next to her. It would be most persuasive to have Elias answer in this situation. She could justifiably rise in the entertainment industry that way. She looked at the man¡¯s profile with a sweet and cheerful smile as she waited for his announcement to give her the status of his woman. However, something no one expected happened instead. In front of the cameras and microphones of the media reporters and live broadcast audience, Elias announced. ¡°Everyone. I need to rify something today. Miss Grace Murphy and I only have a professional rtionship. We are not lovers. Miss Murphy is a contracted artist under Winters Enterprise¡¯s film and television subsidiary. That is all. Thank you¡± After saying that, the man turned around and walked to where the banquet was held, leaving Grace behind as her smile gradually stiffened. Countless shes of light were pointed at her. capturing the lost and surprised look on her face. ¡°Miss Murphy, is what Mr. Winters said true? Do you only have a professional rtionship with one another? Why were there so many photos of you both having a secret rendezvous?¡± ¡°Miss Murphy, do you really only work together?¡± Despite being bombarded with questions by the reporters, Grace couldn¡¯t hear a single word they said. Her mind was filled with Elias¡¯ rification just now. Is this why he brought me to the dinner party? To humiliate me in front of everyone? Not only does he not feel guilty about what he didst night, but he is even casting me aside now, huh? She abruptly turned around and dashed into the hall as tears filled her eyes. Who does he think he is? He has no right to abandon me! Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Positive Results At Gxy Bay, Amanda came out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel. She turned the TV on and sat down before the dressing table, ready to go through her skincare routine. The TV was airing the live recording of the charity ball, and Elias was on screen, borating on his rtionship. ¡°Grace and I are just colleagues, not lovers.¡± The exnation surprised Amanda. She swiveled around, her eyes wide with disbelief. She was then reminded of what Elias told her that night. Is he really going to dump her? She quickly got up and huddled closer to the TV, then she turned the volume up to listen to what Elias had to say. After she heard what Elias had to say, she felt awkward and sorry for Grace. When she saw the look of disbelief on Grace¡¯s face, she knew this was Elias¡¯ n, and one he did not talk to Grace about. What does he want? Amanda picked up her phone and called Elias. A few beepster, the call went through. ¡°Elias!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± he asked calmly. ¡°Are you really going to dump her? What do you want? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re serious about getting back together.¡± Amanda was panicking. If Elias really did want to remarry, she would be entangled in a heap of mess again. Elias was silent for a few moments. ¡°Whatever happens between us won¡¯t affect my decision. I don¡¯t want to waste any more of her time.¡± It wasn¡¯t only because his grandfather was stopping him; he didn¡¯t want to marry Grace either. His refusal was even more adamant than the time his grandfather forced him to marry Amanda. He realized that he didn¡¯t hate Amanda that much, or he wouldn¡¯t even have given in to his grandfather¡¯s demands. ¡°Calm down, Elias. You¡­¡± Before she could finish, Amanda heard Grace¡¯s cries. ¡°Why did you say that? Why did you say that. Elias?¡± And then the call ended. At the banquet, Grace searched for a long time before she finally found Elias on the balcony. Her makeup was a mess due to all her crying. ¡°Why did you say that? Why did you do that to me? You promised my brother you¡¯d take care of me. She dashed toward Elias and hugged him, refusing to leave him. The night breeze brushed across her face, and it froze her tears, but not even the coldpared to the chill she felt in her frozen heart. Elias looked at her and pushed her away. ¡°Even if we¡¯re not lovers, I can still take care of you. As a brother, I mean. I¡¯ll do anything you ask of me.¡± Grace shook her head violently. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want to just be your sister. We¡¯re good as lovers, aren¡¯t we? I can¡¯t just be your sister.¡± She couldn¡¯t watch him falling in love with another Woman ¡°Listen to me. I don¡¯t love you. If we got married, our marriage would be a mess. I don¡¯t want to waste your time. You¡¯ll find someone who truly loves you.¡± Elias thought she was a hassle, and he massaged his forehead. He hated it when Grace cried. She wouldn¡¯t stop until she got what she wanted, and it annoyed him. ¡°What? Why do you think it¡¯ll be a mess before we even get married? I might be a better wife than Amanda ever was!¡± Grace thought Elias would fall for her if they were married. He was only wavering because of thements the public was making about them and his grandfather was stopping him. Elias couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and finally snapped. He sternly said, ¡°Stop lying to yourself, Grace. There¡¯s no love between us. Don¡¯t evenpare yourself to Amanda. At least I was willing to marry her. I don¡¯t even feel like marrying you. Not one bit.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Silence fell between them. Grace stared at him in disbelief and hurt. He doesn¡¯t even want to marry me? She sneered. ¡°So, you weren¡¯t that reluctant to marry Amanda, were you? And you aren¡¯t actually hating your grandpa for trying to stop our marriage?¡± Elias said nothing, but his silence was tacit agreement. Sheughed bitterly as she couldn¡¯t understand. What did I do wrong? Why won¡¯t he love me even after all I¡¯ve done for him? She slowly turned around, tears streaming down her cheeks. She trudged along to the other side of the balcony, all life sucked out of her. Elias saw her off. He said, ¡°Get the driver to take you home.¡± ¡°I can go home by myself, thanks.¡± She left, but Elias thought that would be even more of a hassle. Is she really all right? He chuckled. again. Guess I have another woman hating me now. Grace arrived home, though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she made it. All she could feel was pain and all she could think about was the hurtful words Elias said just now. I worked so hard and got so far, but in the end, it doesn¡¯t even matter. I can¡¯t ept this! Just then, her phone started ringing, but she was in no mood to take it. What if it¡¯s from Elias? What if he¡¯s taking back his word? She picked up her phone, but it was an unknown number. Disappointing. She tossed the phone onto the couch, refusing to look at it, but her phone wouldn¡¯t stop ringing. Going mad from the incessant ringing, she answered the phone and roared, ¡°What do you want? Piss off!¡± A man said awkwardly, ¡°Um. Miss Murphy? I¡¯m from the DNA testing facility. Um¡­¡± Oh, so the results are out? Grace calmed down and gripped her phone tightly. ¡°So, what¡¯s the result? Are they rted?¡± Her heart was thumping furiously, afraid that the answer might be the one she feared. ¡°Yes, 99.99% rted. We¡¯ll send you the detailed report in two days. Since you were really eager to know the results, so¡­¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Howard and Aiden. They¡¯re rted? Grace felt her world shatter, and her phone fell to the ground. The caller was still saying something, but she couldn¡¯t care less. So, the boy I saw that night is really Elias son That b*tch had his son! She plopped down onto the couch, shivering in disbelief. Why didn¡¯t the tell him about * Why did she make him think the aborted the boy? Wait, can it be that she¡¯s going to use the child at a trump card to take back everything That makes sense. With the child in hand, she can do anything she wants, but I won¡¯t let her. I did my best for years, but he won¡¯t even sleep with me, yet that b*tch has his son? 17 kill that boy. I¡¯ll make sure to get rid of him so she can never have what she wants Morning came. Amanda hadn¡¯t slept well the whole night. She got up and washed herself up, theni she got changed and waited for the nanny toe by before she went to work. At work, she couldn¡¯t seem to concentrate. Notifications about Elias¡¯ statement during the ball kept popping up. I bet Grace is taking a big hit. It¡¯s been her dream to marry a rich guy like Elias, but now her dream is shattered. The Inte was merciless to her too, mocking her for fantasizing about marrying a rich man. Just then, someone called Amanda. She noticed that it was the Winters Residence¡¯s number. Oh my God, I hope it¡¯s not Howard again. She was reluctant to take the call, but Howard was nice to her. so she took it after a few moments of hesitation. Before she could say anything, the butler hurriedly asked. ¡°Miss Bailey, is Old Mister Winters at your ce?¡± Huh? Confused, Amanda asked, ¡°No. What happened to him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s missing! Been missing since this morning. The surveince camera showed him driving out of the house. We have no idea where he went and we¡¯re searching for him. We¡¯ll talkter. The call ended. Amanda got worried. Grandpa¡¯s missing? How? She quickly called Elias, and it went through in a few moments. ¡°What is it, Amanda¡± Elias asked. There were a lot of sounds around him. Amanda wondered if he was looking for Howard. Howard¡¯s gone missing, hasn¡¯t he? What happened? Where are you? I¡¯ll meet up with you, and we¡¯ll search for him together.¡± She got up, took her handbag, and got ready to leave. A few moments of silenceter, Elias said, ¡°Central Park. That¡¯s where Grandpa¡¯s car wasst seen.¡± Tll be right there.¡± Meanwhile, a luxury car stopped by the kindergarten. An old man with a walking stick stood right outside the fence, smiling at the ying children within. Ever since Amanda took Simon back to the residence, Howard had been miffed. He knew that he couldn¡¯t get Elias and Amanda to remarry anymore, so he went around for a stroll himself. He stood outside the kindergarten staring at the kids, and then he sighed. He muttered, ¡°If they hadn¡¯t gotten divorced, their kid would be in kindergarten now, I guess.¡± Just then, a ball rolled over to the fence, and Aiden came to pick it up. Howard noticed him.. Hm¡­ There was a weird look in Howard¡¯s eyes. He seems familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen him before. He looks like someone I know. Aiden picked the ball up and realized an old man was staring at him. He asked, ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± ¡°You look familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± Howard walked forward to get a closer look. He looks like Elias when he was a kid. No, I must be imagining things. Man, I really want a great-grandchild. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before, though. You got the wrong person,¡± said Aiden. Howard nodded. ¡°Maybe, but you look like my grandson. He was reminded of Elias when the boy was a child. He was cheeky and often got smacked by Howard. And now he¡¯s married and divorced. Aiden stared at Howard and held the fence. ¡°Is your grandson here too? Is he in the same ss as me?¡± Howard chuckled. He¡¯s so cute. ¡°My grandson¡¯s a big boy now. He¡¯s no longer a kindergartener. Just saying you look like him when he was a weed, Howard felt like there was a connection between him and the child. It felt like they had known each other for a long time. ¡°I see. Was he in this kindergarten when he was a kid?¡± ¡°He was a cheeky boy who wouldn¡¯t y with anyone else, so we made a kindergarten just for him.¡± Odd. Why am I talking to him so much? And to think I¡¯m answering his questions. He smiled, shaking his head. Yeah, I¡¯m getting old and lonely. ¡°Your grandson must have been a happy kid.¡± Howard scoffed. ¡°He was adorable as a kid, not so much when he¡¯s an adult. I don¡¯t even feel like talking to him now.¡± Amanda ran into Elias the moment she came to Central Park. He was sitting on the bench dejectedly, so it was obvious he still hadn¡¯t found Howard after all this time. She took out a bottle. of water and handed it to him. ¡°Here. Let¡¯s search for him slowly. He¡¯s probably just out for a stroll.¡± Elias looked at her and froze for a moment, then he took the bottle of water. ¡°Honestly, he¡¯s an adult. Can¡¯t he just let us rest for a bit?¡± Elias grumbled. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Konuts ver forced him. Tieto do the two Buy age at du f vyh. Thai rapirisisat the Nettle pout nuk i tij pos of agiten. 196 druled of ameting Khond v Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Looks Just Like You Juste with me. Not sure if he¡¯s there, but there is a possibility. Amanda¡¯s guts told her Howard might be there. She had even forgotten that Aiden was in the kindergarten too. She just wanted to find Howard. They arrived at Royal International Kindergarten where Aiden went to school. Elias slowly stopped the car and looked at the kindergarten¡¯s entrance, then he frowned. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s here?¡± ¡°No. Just a hunch. I¡¯ve seen him here before. He told me he often came here to watch the kids. y. She unbuckled her seatbelt. Elias was silent for a while. ¡°Why did youe here anyway?¡± Amanda froze for a moment and awkwardlyughed. ¡°I-I just passed by. Had some business in the company across.¡± Sh*t. Aiden¡¯s still in there now, if I¡¯m right. How could I have forgotten? What if Elias runs into him? Please don¡¯t let that happen. Please. Please don¡¯t let him realize Aiden¡¯s there. Elias unbuckled himself and was ready to get out of the car when he noticed Amanda spacing out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Huh? Nothing. We should find Howard now.¡± Amanda was really nervous and it showed on her face. As she got out of the car, she prayed that her boy was in the ssroom instead of outside. Suddenly, Elias held her wrist, making her shiver. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡± Elias looked at the fence before them darkly, and he approached Howard, feeling mad. Amanda followed, her heart thumping furiously. Howard was staring over the fence, but the children had long since gone back to their ssrooms, leaving the empty swings swinging. Behind him, Elias coldly asked, ¡°You think it¡¯s funny to go out without telling anyone?¡± Howard turned around. ¡°Well, look who found me. How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°Howard, you should¡¯ve told the butler you wereing out,¡± Amanda said as she approached Howard. Oh, I see why. ¡°Knew you couldn¡¯t have found me alone. I see you got yourself a helper.¡± Elias¡¯ patience had run out, and he angrily said, ¡°Why did you do this? Why did youe here?¡± Howard pointed at the kindergarten with his chin. I¡¯m here to see the kids. If you hadn¡¯t gotten that divorce, your kid would¡¯ve been old enough to be a kindergartener. I¡¯d have so much fun with him.¡± Is that all?Whew. Amanda looked at the kindergarten. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the children¡¯s free time, and she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯ll take you home, Howard. It¡¯s time for lunch. You should be hungry now¡± Amanda smiled. Howard scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite. I¡¯m angry enough. He then turned and walked to his car. Howard stubbornly wanted to drive back home himself, so Elias and Amanda followed him slowly. It took them more than an hour toe back, and Amanda was asked to stay for lunch. The air was feeling a bit weird. It had been a while since they had lunch together. Howard sighed. ¡°I saw a boy who looked just like you when you were a kid. He even talked like you. Was a lot better than you were, though. Called me grandpa quite a few times. Oh, my heart just melted. Wonder if I¡¯d have the chance to see my own great-grandchild.¡± Elias¡¯ hand stopped in mid-air for a moment, but he continued eating his lunch without a word right after that. Amanda started getting nervous. He couldn¡¯t have met Aiden, could he? No. There¡¯s no way. She smiled awkwardly. ¡°You will, Howard. You will.¡± Howard sighed. ¡°Nah. You already have a boyfriend, and this brat is entangled with that clown-¡± Before he could finish, Elias said, I¡¯ve cut ties with her.¡± Howard was in disbelief. ¡°Really? Would she let you go that easily? Are you sure you¡¯ve cut all ties. with her?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Elias. Amanda¡¯s phone rang at this moment and she put her cutlery down. ¡°Sorry, Howard. I have to take this call.¡± She left the dining room. Once she was gone, Howard whispered, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°T¡¯d like to remarry Amanda,¡± said Elias. Howard¡¯s eyes went wide with disbelief, and he was at a loss for words. Could it be? Did he finally have an epiphany? I couldn¡¯t even make them remarry previously, and now he wants to do it himself? Am I hearing things? ¡°A-Are you for real? But she has a boyfriend. Do you think you can do it?¡± Don¡¯t worry, I have ns.¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± Howard wanted to say something but Amanda came back, so he stopped himself. ¡°Sorry I have to leave, but work calls. We¡¯ll have lunch together next time.¡± She took her bag and left in a hurry. ¡°Oh, Elias can give you a lift.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have my own ride. See youter, Howard.¡± She left the dining room in a hurry. seemingly going to settle some important matters. Howard shot his grandson with a look of disappointment, ¡°You can¡¯t remarry her like this. At least give her a lift. Calmly. Elias said, ¡°She¡¯s still wary of me now. Give her some time. He still remembered how she said she hated him. If he pushed his luck, she would run further away from him. ¡°You¡¯d best deal with Grace, or she¡¯s going to trip you up in this journey,¡± snapped Howard. ..T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Let Her Hate Me Amanda went back to the firm in a hurry because her deadbeat father had gone there, and he was causing a ruckus. What an embarrassment. She stormed into the office. When Helean saw her, he stood up and approached her. ¡°That old git¡¯s your father? Damn, he¡¯s bossy. Came and straight up told you to see him, or he wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll handle this, Amanda was in no mood for small talk. She walked into her office and closed the door, then she hung a ¡®Do Not Disturb¡¯ sign on the door. She saw Dick sitting in her chair and rummaging through her drawers. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my stuff! Get out. Now!¡± Fury red in her heart. She couldn¡¯t believe the b*stard was brazen enough toe, not after that kidnapping incident. Dick stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that. I¡¯m your father.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to call yourself that, you scum. You tried to kidnap your own daughter, you piece of sh*t.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to see this worm at all. It nauseated her. Dick sneered. ¡°I¡¯m the one asking questions here. Why did you divorce Elias? After he busted you out, he took back all the money. The b*stards took Tanya and my son away. Of course, I¡¯m here. You need to take responsibility for this.¡± ¡°Not my problem, honestly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to leave them for dead? Please, I beg you. Just give me some money. I promise I won¡¯t gamble again. I won¡¯te for you again, I swear. I¡¯ll live my life with my family in peace.¡± He went on his knees and put on a pitiful look. I don¡¯t trust gamblers, especially deadbeats who¡¯d throw away their dignity at the drop of a hat. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money, and even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t give it to you. Now scram and don¡¯t ever let me see you again.¡± She¡¯d love to tear her father limb from limb. There was no way she would give him. money. ¡°Then ask Elias for some money. I think he still loves you. Just ask him for some, will you? You have his son. He will help you.¡± Dick grabbed Amanda¡¯s hand. Amanda¡¯s eyes went wide with disbelief, and she turned to look at Dick. ¡°Who told you I had his son?¡± She was panicking. He knows of Aiden¡¯s existence? ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. Those people tailed you the whole morning before they took you. I saw you going into a neighborhood with a boy in your arms. He¡¯s your and Elias¡¯ son, isn¡¯t he? Please, I beg you, ask for some money from him. He¡¯ll help. For his son, I know he will.¡± Amanda wanted to scream. After she came back, she had kept her son¡¯s existence a secret as best as she could, but Dick still found out. She denied. ¡°That¡¯s not his son. I never had his son.¡± ¡°Lies. That boy was only three years old or so. The timeline fits. I know you. You¡¯d never betray Elias, so that must be his son.¡± Dick was sure about it. The timeline was right and Amanda would never cheat on Elias, so that son must be Elias¡¯ ¡°I said he¡¯s not Elias¡¯ son¡± Amanda refused to waste any more time on this. Dick stood up. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll see him myself. When I tell him about his son, I bet he¡¯ll help me out.¡± ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Amanda shouted. Dick turned around, wondering why Amanda was so agitated. ¡°Why are you stopping me? And why the overreaction? Oh, he doesn¡¯t know about the boy, does he? You gave birth to him in N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. secret!¡± ¡°I did not!¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯m telling him, then.¡± Annoyed beyond toleration, Amanda snapped, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you money. Now stop harassing me or Elias¡¯ family. I don¡¯t want to lose what remains of my dignity. I¡¯m divorced, and I have no right asking them for help.¡± Oh, finally. Dick grinned. ¡°Of course. Your dignity is worth much more than those b¡±stards. You should¡¯ve just given me money from the start. You think I like talking to those people?¡± There was nothing but exasperation in Amanda¡¯s eyes. She really wished that her father would disappear from this world. After she sent her deadbeat father off, Amanda plopped down on her chair, spacing out. Her mind was a mess. She was sure Dick would keeping back for more money. I have to finish my cases, take Aiden, and move abroad. That¡¯s for the best. Her phone rang, and Amanda took a look. It was from Elias. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Grandpa thought you would want more food, since you barely ate anything. The driver has given. the lunch box to the receptionist. Don¡¯t forget to take it.¡± Exhausted, Amanda closed her eyes. ¡°Tell him I said thanks.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He was going to hang up, but Amanda suddenly asked, ¡°Did you really cut ties with her? Grace, I mean. ¡°Yes.¡± Amanda smirked. ¡°Cruel and heartless as they say. You cut me off four years ago, and now you¡¯re doing the same thing to someone else. I wonder if you¡¯ll be loyal to any woman. Or do you see women as nothing but trash you can toss away anytime you want?¡± Elias was silent for a few moments. ¡°I never loved her. I took responsibility because I owe her. That¡¯s all What does he owe her? ¡°What do you owe her? You¡¯ve done a lot, so it must be huge.¡± She wondered. about it. ¡°I owe her my life.¡± That¡¯s heavy. What happened between them must be huge. ¡°Can you ever repay what you owe her?¡± ¡°Unless I sacrifice my own life, no,¡± said Elias, sounding dejected. Amanda calmed down. She asked again, ¡°What will you do?¡± She regretted asking that, seeing as it was none of her business. Elias chortled. ¡°I¡¯ll take all of her hatred if that¡¯s what she wants.¡± ¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Abduction n Grace arrived at Global Entertainment with dark circles under her eyes. The Inte wasughing at her broken dreams. She felt like she had be the whole world¡¯sughingstock. Even when the janitor only looked at her for one second longer, she thought the janitor was mocking her. ¡°What are you looking at? Get back to work!¡± Grace hissed like a snake. The janitor quickly got back to work lest she incurred any of Grace¡¯s wrath. Once Grace was gone, the janitor and her colleague started gossiping. ¡°Can¡¯t believe her attitude. I¡¯d rather stay at home if I were her. I mean, Elias t out rejected her on national TV. What an embarrassment.¡± ¡°Yeah. She tells everyone she¡¯s Elias¡¯ wife, but he shot it down fast. Now everyone knows they¡¯re just colleagues. What a joke.¡± Grace walked to her boss¡¯ office. She was in no mood to work, but her manager told her toe. After she knocked on the door, he told her toe in. She did and said, ¡°You called, Mr. Worcester?¡± ¡°Sit Grace took a seat in front of the desk, looking at the man before her. ¡°Guess this is it for your rtionship with Mr. Winters, but he did tell me you¡¯re still going to receive the best thepany has to offer. We invested in a few big movies, and he¡¯s reserved the female lead roles for you. He even signed a few endorsements for top-tier luxury brands for you.¡± Grace clutched the hem of her skirt. She knew that Elias was just trying topensate for what he did, but this wasn¡¯t what she wanted. Career wasn¡¯t what she had in mind. She just wanted to be with Elias. She wanted to be his wife; someone all the otherdies envied. Before Phineas could finish speaking, Grace stood up. ¡°Mr. Worcester, tell him I don¡¯t need these. He knows full well what I want.¡± She left without saying a word, but she was as white as a sheet and her heart was thumping furiously. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, ¡°I won¡¯t give up on you just like this. You will be mine. Mine.¡± With a trembling hand, she called Elias, but he wouldn¡¯t answer his phone. Tears streamed down her cheeks and humiliation filled her heart. Is he avoiding me? Is he going to hide from me from now on? At the same time, Elias was in his office leaning in his chair. He had a cigarette between his lips, and tendrils of smoke obscured his face. He looked at his vibrating phone, but he wasn¡¯t going to pick it up. Instead of giving Grace any hope at all, he would crush her delusions right away. Eventually, the phone stopped vibrating, and he called his secretary. ¡°From now on, Grace is not allowed to enter my office.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He would cut every single tie he had with her and back out of her life, but he would still make sure she was safe from the shadows. Night fell. Amanda was done with her work, and she stretched her arms. It was time to clock out. I¡¯m making fish tonight. I¡¯ve promised Aiden for a while now. She took her bag, turned the lights off, and left the oflice. Just as she did, she ran into Simon. ¡°Oh, you¡¯rete. Did you do overtime?¡± Amanda smiled. ¡°Yeah, I had some work left. I have to go home and make dinner now. Aiden¡¯s been wanting some fish for a while now.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Simon looked at the time. ¡°Do you need any help? Fish prepping can be a hassle, and it¡¯s alreadyte. You can be done faster with my help. ¡°I can do it. I prepped it before I came to work. It¡¯s sitting in the chiller right now. I just need to cook it a bit. She didn¡¯t want to bother Simon anymore, especially not after the love of his life just returned to the country. Since she refused, Simon didn¡¯t insist. He teased, ¡°Are you avoiding me? You won¡¯t even let me see Aiden now,¡± Amanda froze for a moment and denied, ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that. I just don¡¯t want to bother you. You deserve some private hours. I¡¯ll cook for you though, someday. I¡¯m not as good as you are, but I think I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it. Simon cocked his eyebrow. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± She waved him goodbye and walked to the elevator. Simon saw her off, his eyes twinkling. Amanda went back to Gxy Bay, Unbeknownst to her, a ck car started tailing her the moment she left the firm, and the driver was none other than Grace. She tried looking for Amanda in Lotus Waterfront, but she had moved, so Grace staked out the firm to find out where she was living. She slowly stopped the car and hid in the darkness of the night. Grace watched Amanda. The moment she got out of the car, a boy came out of the vi. It was the same boy she had seen. Amanda held the boy in her arms and kissed his cheek, then she went into the vi, Grace clutched the steering wheel tightly, her eyes filled with hatred. Sitting on the passenger seat was a paternity test result. A gust of wind blew into the car, flipping. the result until thest page, where it wrote, ¡®99.99% rted. Grace made a call. ¡°Don¡¯t go home tonight. Stay in the house. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow, and you¡¯ll take the boy to me.¡± ¡°You can only take him for a day and he must be back by sundown, or I¡¯ll have a lot of exining to do,¡± Colette, the nanny Amanda hired, answered. ¡°I know. I told you I¡¯m the boy¡¯s aunt. I just want to see him, that¡¯s all. Amanda¡¯s my brother¡¯s wife. She got in a fight with him and left the house.¡± ¡°No wonder she kept telling me the kid¡¯s father is dead.¡± Grace got into acting mode and lied, ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s throwing a tantrum. She can¡¯t just up and leave with the child, and she won¡¯t let my brother see his son. That¡¯s just heartless.¡± Colette was fooled. ¡°Sure. Once she goes to work tomorrow, I¡¯ll take the boy to you. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll pay you after that. Just let me see the boy. My brother¡¯s been looking everywhere for him.¡± ¡°Poor guy. Miss Bailey¡¯s gone a bit too far.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, then.¡± Grace hung up, and a dark smile curled her lips. Once the boy and Amanda are gone, Elias will fall for me again. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Aiden Is Missing. Inside the mansion, Amanda was busy making fish stew, and it tasted a little nd when she took a spoonful, so she asked Colette for some salt. However, no response came from the woman. She turned around and found Colette was no longer in the kitchen. Where has she gone? She was still here helping me with dinner a second ago¡­ ¡°Mrs. Colette?¡± Amanda called out again, and it was only then the nanny hurried back into the kitchen. ¡°You called, Miss Bailey?¡± ¡°Where were you?¡± she couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Could you please pass me the salt? The soup tastes a little nd.¡± At that, Colette handed her the seasoning, then smiled guiltily. ¡°I went to answer a call and also checked on Aiden. I¡¯m surprised by how quiet he is. He¡¯s been sitting in the dining room the whole time, waiting for you. I said he could watch some cartoons, but he insisted on being the first person you see when you serve the food.¡± Amanda pulled a relieved smile in response. Her precious baby boy had always been her pride. and joy, after all. ¡°He¡¯s been pretty attached to me since he was a baby.¡± At that, Colette couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Miss Bailey, please don¡¯t mind me being nosy, but thepany of a father is also important to a child¡¯s growth. Are you not nning to reconcile with the father? Boys especially need their father, you know.¡± Amanda¡¯s smile gradually disappeared, and it was soon reced by displeasure. This is a private issue, Mrs. Colette, and it¡¯s not within your job scope. You just need to take care of Aiden.¡± ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯m just curious as to why you¡¯ve never talked about Aiden¡¯s father, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°The stew should be ready in another ten minutes or so. Bring the dish outter, will you? I¡¯m heading out,¡± said Amanda as she left the kitchen, not wanting to continue the conversation with. Colette anymore. Although she was a decent nanny, she was very inquisitive and would often ask her about Aiden¡¯s father. If anything, she reminded Amanda of a busybody. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she took great care of Aiden, Amanda would¡¯ve long fired her. It was pretty annoying when one¡¯s nanny constantly pried into one¡¯s privacy. After leaving the kitchen, Amanda went to the dining room and found the little one sitting quietly. at the table, waiting for dinner to be served. His actions were already in high regard toward her cooking. A chuckle escaped her as she went up to Aiden and patted his fuzzy head. ¡°Hungry?¡± I¡¯m famished, Mommy. When can we eat?¡± Aiden asked as hey feebly on the table, looking absolutely adorable. ¡°Very soon. The stew will be ready in another ten minutes. Hang in there.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Just then. Amanda¡¯s phone rang. She checked to find it was Elias. After taking a gander at Aiden, she answered the call. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did you move just to avoid me?¡± Elias¡¯ husky, alluring voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°You can put it that way,¡± Amanda answered. ¡°Did you go to my ce? What for?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to see you.¡± She felt somewhat speechless. The man was truly stuck in his ways, ever so overbearing. Plus, her patience was beginning to wear thin. ¡°If it¡¯s nothing important, I¡¯m going to hang up. I¡¯m kind of busy.¡± ¡°What are you busy with? Desperately ying the role of a stepmother? Have you forgotten how much you enjoyed being under me? Does Nicholson know about it?¡± Mockery and jealousy filled. Elias¡¯ tone. ¡°Must you make it sound so ugly? F*ck off!¡± Amanda ended the call at once, enraged. The b*stard spoke so rudely and bluntly that she wanted to sew his mouth shut. All he did was anger people. ¡°Mommy, who made you angry?¡± Aiden asked, blinking when he saw his mother getting enraged. At the same time, Colette came over with the fish stew. With that. Amanda smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. They just called the wrong number. Let¡¯s eat.¡± The next day, Amanda headed to thew firm bright and early and left Aiden under Colette¡¯s care. Before leaving, she even deliberately took a gander at the adorable sleeping piglet, whom she gave a peck on the cheeks. However, soon after she left, Colette woke Aiden up, got him dressed, and proposed not to go to school after he was done washing up. Instantly, the little one widened his eyes with excitement. ¡°Okay! Are we going out to y, Mrs. Colette? I promise I won¡¯t tell Mommy. It¡¯ll be our little secret.¡± It was within a child¡¯s nature to y, so it was only normal that Aiden would be over the moon. after hearing he didn¡¯t have to go to school. ¡°Sure. You must keep this a secret, okay?¡± Momentster, Colette took Aiden out of the mansion after receiving a call, then shoved the child. into a caT. As Colette watched the vehicle drive into the distance, she couldn¡¯t help mumbling. Tve done good, right? After all, there isn¡¯t anything wrong with a child meeting his aunt.¡± ¡°Where are you taking me to y, mister?¡± Aiden asked from the back seat as he gazed at the driving elder. However, thetter didn¡¯t entertain him at all. Later, a ringtone sted, and the elder answered it. It was Grace. ¡°Have you picked the kid up?¡± she asked. ¡°I have, so don¡¯t worry. What next?¡± ¡°Wait for my instructions. For now, just drive out of the city. Keep a close eye on the kid, and you will get your money as promised.¡± ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry, I can still handle a small matter like this. As if I can¡¯t even keep an eye on a kid.¡± After hanging up. Dick guffawed, ted at the fact that he¡¯d earn almost 300,000 for nothing after this job. That said, never would Grace have imagined the man she hired would be Amanda¡¯s father, and little did Dick know that the child he was asked to kidnap would be his grandson! Meanwhile, Aiden thought the elder behaved and spoke bizarrely. If anything, he looked like a bad guy to the little one. Amanda had many things to handle at thew firm that day. She had a few clients to meet, and by the time she was free, it was already near dusk. After returning to the office, she thought about giving Simon the day¡¯s update before getting off work, but the man was on the phone when she entered his office with several folders in her arms. At that, he signaled her to wait for a while on the couch, to which she smiled and obliged with at nod. The phone call ended several minutester, and Simon approached her sternly, all business-like. ¡°So, how did it go with the clients?¡± Amanda frowned. ¡°One of them was rather difficult to deal with, so I n on meeting them again Just then. Amanda¡¯s phone rang. She hung it up, deciding to reply to it after she was done reporting. However, her ringtone yed again, indicating some kind of emergency. ¡°Answer it,¡± Simon urged. ¡°I¡¯ve got time. Besides, it¡¯s time to clock off. There¡¯s plenty of time.¡± ¡°Thanks for your understanding, Boss.¡± Amanda smiled helplessly, then nced at her phone to realize the call was from the kindergarten.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Bizarre Demand Typically speaking. Colette would¡¯ve taken Aiden home by then. Why would the kindergarten be calling at this time? Baffled. Amanda answered the call. ¡°Hello, Amanda Bailey speaking.¡± ¡°Hi, Miss Bailey. This is Miss Zimmers from kindergarten. May I know if something happened at home? Why hasn¡¯t Aidene to school today? I don¡¯t think I received a note either.¡± What?! The news came like a bolt from the blue, and Amanda widened her eyes with incredulity. Did Aiden not go to kindergarten?! How is that possible?! Didn¡¯t Colette bring him over in the morning?! ¡°W-What did you just say. Miss Zimmers? Has Aiden not been to school all day? How is that possible? The nanny should¡¯ve brought him over in the morning.¡± Amanda stuttered anxiously as she spoke. Where could Aiden be if he hadn¡¯t gone to kindergarten? Was he at home all day? An ominous feeling rose within her. ¡°Have you not seen Aiden the whole day, Miss Bailey? He hasn¡¯te to kindergarten at all¡­¡± Amanda could no longer hear the teacher, and she ended the call right away to phone Colette. Meanwhile, Simon, who had been sitting across from her, turned solemn after hearing her conversation, knowing something bad had happened. I can¡¯t get through to Colette¡¯s phone! Sweat began gathering on Amanda¡¯s palms. What does this mean?! Her heart began racing wildly, and it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t call anymore, Amanda¡± Simon grabbed his suit jacket and pulled Amanda up from the couch at once. ¡°Let¡¯s check the mansion. Don¡¯t scare yourself just yet.¡± At this point, Amanda¡¯s mind was nk, and she waspletely disoriented, not knowing what to do other than allowing Simon to lead her out of the office just like that. While Simon sped through the streets, he nced at Amanda. She sat in the passenger seat with a nched face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Perhaps Aiden and Colette are just ying at home. You know how much he doesn¡¯t like going to school, so Colette might have given in to him,¡± he said, trying to-fort her. ¡°But I can¡¯t get through to Colette¡¯s phone¡­.. Tears had gathered in Amanda¡¯s eyes at this point, and she had a terrible feeling. Could it be¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s check the mansion first.¡± Simon tried many ways tofort her throughout the journey, but nothing seemed to work. Upon pulling up at the mansion, Amanda immediately dashed inside, only to find it empty. Plus, Colette was unreachable. What does this entail? A kidnapping? But I didn¡¯t receive any ransom calls, Could it be a child trafficking incident? At that, Amanda dropped to the floor in devastation and burst into tears, whereas Simon, who followed in closely, hurriedly helped her up. ¡°Let¡¯s call the cops, Amanda, Simon suggested, finally realizing the severity of the situation. After all, it was no good omen if both the child and the nanny had gone missing. ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s call the cops!¡± Amanda pressed 9-1-1 at once, but the next split-second, an unknown number came in, and she answered it at once. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Your son is in my hands,¡± said an evidently treated voice. ¡°Do as I say if you want him back alive.¡± ¡°What do you want?! I¡¯ll give you anything. Please don¡¯t hurt my son!¡± Amanda choked with sobs, feeling like she was losing her mind. ¡°I will tell you thatter. Now, do not call the cops, or you will find your son¡¯s fingers at your doorstep tonight.¡± With that, the call ended. As it was deadly silent in the mansion right then, Simon heard the conversation loud and clear. ¡°Hello? Hey!¡± Amanda shouted into her phone several times, but the call had already ended. ¡°Calm down. Amanda. Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re awyer!¡± Simon kept the devastated young woman in check and helped her to the couch. Meanwhile, Amanda forced herself to calm down. Her voice had turned raspy at this point. ¡°Don¡¯t call the cops. They¡¯ll hurt Aiden if we call the cops¡­¡± There was no doubt she¡¯d pass out right away if she saw Aiden¡¯s tiny fingers at the door. ¡°Simon, please help me check this number!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Simon, only to deliver bad news after taking a gander at the phone number. ¡°This looks like a virtual number. When a call is made with a phone simtor, it probably can¡¯t be traced/ ¡°What do we do now? Are we going to sit back and do nothing?¡± No, she couldn¡¯t do that, especially when she was clueless as to Aiden¡¯s current situation. Is he injured? Even if he isn¡¯t, he¡¯s certainly scared. Simon tried many ways tofort her throughout the journey, but nothing seemed to work. Upon pulling up at the mansion, Amanda immediately dashed inside, only to find it empty. Plus, Colette was unreachable. What does this entail? A kidnapping? But I didn¡¯t receive any ransom calls. Could it be a child trafficking incident? At that, Amanda dropped to the floor in devastation and burst into tears, whereas Simon, who followed in closely, hurriedly helped her up. ¡°Let¡¯s call the cops, Amanda,¡± Simon suggested, finally realizing the severity of the situation. After all, it was no good omen if both the child and the nanny had gone missing. ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s call the cops!¡± Amanda pressed 9-1-1 at once, but the next split-second, an unknown number came in, and she answered it at once. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Your son is in my hands,¡± said an evidently treated voice. ¡°Do as I say if you want him back alive.¡± ¡°What do you want?! I¡¯ll give you anything. Please don¡¯t hurt my son!¡± Amanda choked with sobs. feeling like she was losing her mind. ¡°I will tell you thatter. Now, do not call the cops, or you will find your son¡¯s fingers at your doorstep tonight.¡± With that, the call ended. As it was deadly silent in the mansion right then, Simon heard the conversation loud and clear. ¡°Hello? Hey!¡± Amanda shouted into her phone several times, but the call had already ended. ¡°Calm down, Amanda. Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re awyer!¡± Simon kept the devastated young woman in check and helped her to the couch.. Meanwhile, Amanda forced herself to calm down. Her voice had turned raspy at this point. ¡°Don¡¯t call the cops. They¡¯ll hurt Aiden if we call the cops¡­¡± There was no doubt she¡¯d pass out right away if she saw Aiden¡¯s tiny fingers at the door. ¡°Simon, please help me check this number!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Simon, only to deliver bad news after taking a gander at the phone number. ¡°This looks like a virtual number. When a call is made with a phone simtor, it probably can¡¯t be traced.¡± ¡°What do we do now? Are we going to sit back and do nothing?¡± No, she couldn¡¯t do that, especially when she was clueless as to Aiden¡¯s current situation. Is he injured? Even if he isn¡¯t, he¡¯s certainly scared. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something. At that, Simon walked away and made a call. Meanwhile, a certain someone popped into Amanda¡¯s head-Elias Winters. The man merely took hours to pinpoint her location and even sessfully saved her thest time she was kidnapped. Elias had a vastwork in Imperia and could go in and out of anywhere as he pleased. Plus, he was an IT genius himself and could locate phones via satellite. As far as Amanda knew, Elias even developed many tracking systems independently, which exined why he managed to find her so easilyst time. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . His family background and looks weren¡¯t the only reasons he was such adies¡¯ man-his talent and charm yed important roles as well. That said, Aiden¡¯s existence would bepromised if she asked for Elias¡¯ help, and the Winterses would certainly fight her for Aiden¡¯s custody. Nheless, only by relying on the Winterses forces could they locate Aiden quickly, or the little one would only suffer further if they relied wholly on the kidnapper¡¯s instructions to save Aiden. Amanda fell into a tough dilemma at that. Sometimeter, the phone rang again, and Amanda answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t call the cops. Very good. That means we can cooperate. Follow my instructions, and your son will be returned to you very soon.¡± ¡°What do you want? Money? I¡¯ll give you as much as you want. Please don¡¯t hurt my son. He¡¯s only three! Tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes at the thought of her three-year-old child suffering at the hands of the kidnappers. The thought that Aiden might be shrouded in fear and crying out for her broke her heart. ¡°I don¡¯t want money. I want you to book a fight and leave the country. You can go anywhere you want. After you arrive, I will send your son to you. Understand?¡± The kidnapper¡¯s demand stumped Amanda, for instead of asking for money, they asked her to leave the country before returning Aiden to her. The bizarre demand baffled her greatly. ¡°Why? I don¡¯t get it. Why do I have to leave the country?¡± ¡°Another question and you can get ready to see your son¡¯s cute little fingers.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, no more questions. I¡¯ll do as you say, but I need time to leave the country. I need to get my visa and everything else done, after all. It won¡¯t be that quick!¡± She dared not provoke the kidnapper for fear that they would harm Aiden. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Let Me Hear My Son¡¯s Voice! The call ended abruptly again, but Amanda couldn¡¯t understand why the kidnapper didn¡¯t ask for ransom but demanded that she leave the country instead. ¡°Amanda, let¡¯s check the mansion¡¯s surveince footage and see if we can find any clues,¡± Simon suggested, inspiring Amanda, who immediately stood up and headed upstairs. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s check the surveince!¡± Simon had installed several cameras on the outside of the mansion alone. They would¡¯ve certainly captured something. With that, the two went to the monitoring room and scrutinized the day¡¯s footage, and sure enough, they found Colette shoving Aiden into a ck sedan, which drove away but never returned. Colette, on the other hand, stayed inside the mansion the whole day before leaving frantically at night. Coupled with the fact that she was now unreachable, she must¡¯ve fled. Tll have someone check the license te right away,¡± Simon said before turning around to make the call. Although Amanda was grateful for his help, to be honest, that was too slow¡­ She was worried they might drug her son with sleeping pills if this kept up. After all, Aiden hadn¡¯t always been the calmest child. The kidnappers would certainly put him to sleep if he kicked up a fuss and aggravated them. ¡°It¡¯s already veryte, Amanda. My friend told me he might only be able to find Aiden in the morning. Take it easy, alright?¡± Simon was well aware of how anxious and desperate Amanda was right then. However, his connections were just that slow. ¡°I know, Simon. Thank you¡­¡± She slumped lifelessly onto the couch, imagining what Aiden could be doing right then. At the same time, she wondered if he was suffering any torment from the kidnappers. ¡°Amanda, let¡¯s call the cops. They have better ess and can sort out the clues more clearly.¡± Simon suggested after pondering. After all, he believed that bringing the cops into the picture was the safest and most effective solution. However, Amanda dared not risk it. ¡°Don¡¯t! The kidnapper said I would receive Aiden¡¯s fingers if I called the police! I can¡¯t call them. I can¡¯t risk it!¡± How dare she make such a big gamble? What if the cops failed to locate Aiden on time, and the kidnapper found out she had called the police? The consequences would be unimaginable. Still, Simon thought bringing the cops into this was the best solution. ¡°I get how you¡¯re feeling. right now, but we¡¯ll only be sitting ducks if we don¡¯t call the cops¡­¡± ¡°Please, Simon, I beg you. Don¡¯t call the police. Go home. I¡¯ll wait for the call here and let you know as soon as I have any updates. Her slightly reddened eyes made her look pitiful and helpless. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t call the cops, but I can¡¯t leave either. I¡¯ll stay here with you. How could he leave with peace of mind right when Amanda was on the verge of breaking down?! ¡°Fine. I. I¡¯m spent. I¡¯m going to rest for a while. Make yourself at home. Well, this is your home, after all¡± With that, Amanda dragged her feet upstairs. Simon, on the other hand, frowned grimly as he gazed at her disheartened figure. After seeing Amanda enter the bedroom, he ultimately called 911 after much deliberation. It was normal for Amanda to yield to such a threat and not call the cops at this time. However, as a spectator, he had to remain clear-headed, and he believed only by getting the cops involved could they rescue Aiden quickly. Meanwhile, Amanda slid down the door, leaning against it, and broke down in tears after returning to the bedroom. Never did she imagine Aiden ever experiencing such danger. She already thought Colette behaved suspiciously the night before, but she didn¡¯t think much of it, and it paved the way for the kidnapping. You are an ipetent mother, Bailey! Aiden was still having the sleep of his life when you left in the morning, but now¡­ Just then, her phone rang again, and Amanda stopped crying at once. At this point, she thought every call from an unknown number could be from the kidnappers. ¡°Hello? Is that you?¡± she answered with choking sobs. ¡°How dare you call the police?! Do you not care about your son¡¯s little fingers? Looks like his life means nothing to you. I¡¯m even beginning to doubt if he¡¯s your son!¡± The eerie and terrifying treated voice came from the speaker once more. What?! Amanda widened her eyes with shock and incredulity. ¡°I didn¡¯t call the cops! I really didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie! Look at the police cars outside your mansion and the police in your living room! They¡¯ve already begun setting up. How dare you still lie to me?!¡± At that, Amanda mbered up and looked out the window. Sure enough, there were several police cars parked right outside. Then, she rushed out of the bedroom and looked toward the living room. It was just as the kidnapper said: several officers had begun setting up, seemingly waiting for the kidnapper¡¯s next call. ¨C The discovery stunned Amanda. Did Simon call the cops? But I had already begged him not to do it! ¡°You have to trust me. I didn¡¯t call the cops! My friend did it on his own ord. Please don¡¯t hurt T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. my son. I¡¯ll do anything you want. You want me to leave the country, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll leave tomorrow!¡± She was going crazy. Why did Simon have to act on his own? She already said not to call the cops, after all. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you anymore. Just wait to receive your son¡¯s fingers,¡± said the kidnapper. ¡°No! Don¡¯t! Please, I beg you. Don¡¯t!¡± Amanda screamed as she trembled, her face pale. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance, then. Flee the mansion. Make sure the cops can¡¯t find you. I¡¯ll call you back in three days. I¡¯m getting pissed now.¡± With that, they hung up, not giving Amanda the chance to respond. ¡°Wait! Wait! Let me hear my son¡¯s voice!¡± Amanda clutched her phone, but the call had already ended. What responded to her was only the busy signal. Meanwhile, the police arrived at the mansion and began setting up their monitoring equipment in the living room, ready to monitor Amanda¡¯s phone at any time. Just then, Simon nced at the bedroom and felt that Amanda was being strangely quiet. Could she be asleep? But the thought was quickly dismissed, for he thought Amanda couldn¡¯t have fallen asleep during a moment of crisis. ¡°Mr. Nicholson, please ask thedy of the house to work with us, or we won¡¯t be able to monitor her phone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and get her.¡± Simon was prepared to face Amanda¡¯s wrath. After all, she didn¡¯t want to gamble with Aiden¡¯s safety. However, he had also deliberated for a long time before deciding that calling the police was their safest option. At that, he knocked on Amanda¡¯s door. However, the young woman never answered it. Is she really asleep? Simon entered at once to find an empty bedroom. He searched high and low, but Amanda was nowhere in sight. However, the window was wide open¡­ Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Begging Elias on Her Knees It took Simon a second to register what he saw, and he immediately went up to the window and found a piece of fabric of women¡¯s clothing hung on the window. It must¡¯ve gotten caught in the window when Amanda jumped. I hope she didn¡¯t injure herself in the process. At that, he pulled his phone out to call Amanda. s, her phone was turned off. Has she gotten upset and left because she found out I called the police? Amanda scraped her ankle after jumping out of the second-floor window, and blood oozed out continuously. However, she had no time to think about the pain. It wasn¡¯t until she was out of the Gxy Baymunity that she saw a cab. At that, she hailed it and called Elias at once after getting in. He was the only one who could help her at this point. The kidnapper said they would call her back in three days, but there was no way she could take not hearing anything for three days, let alone three minutes, nor could Aiden. The phone kept ringing, but no one answered it, and Amanda was beginning to break down. ¡°Please pick up!¡± she pleaded in a whisper. Kids these days¡­ The cab driver shook his head and sighed, thinking she was a girlfriend desperately trying to win her boyfriend back. Finally, the call went through, and a hint of brightness finally returned to Amanda¡¯s eyes. ¡°Elias, where are you?!¡± she called out excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ming to you!¡± ¡°You¡¯reing to me?¡± Elias repeated after a moment¡¯s silence. ¡°Yes! Where are you? Tell me! This is important!¡± How she wished she could teleport to him right. away. ¡°I¡¯m at the estate. Are you sure you want toe to me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Should I get the guys to pick you up?¡± Elias didn¡¯t seem convinced Amanda would go to him. ¡°No. I¡¯m already in a cab. Wait for me!¡± Elias was in the outdoor hot spring of Winters Estate, surrounded by mist and enjoying his leisure time with his eyes closed when a servant brought him his phone, telling him he had a call from Amanda. A call from Amanda! That woman usually avoids me like I¡¯m some gue. No doubt she wants something from me. After hanging up, Elias recollected the worry in Amanda¡¯s tone and couldn¡¯t help wondering what had happened. With that, he got out of the hot spring and wrapped a towel around his waist with a grim frown. before heading to the living room to await Amanda¡¯s arrival. Let¡¯s see what that woman wants from About an hourter, the butler brought a disheveled Amanda into the living room while Elias scrolled through his phone mindlessly, leaning leisurely against the couch in his loungewear. ¡°Sir, Miss Bailey is here.¡± Elias took a gander at her reflexively, only to be slightly taken aback by what he saw. ¡°Have youe to seek refuge?¡± he asked. Amanda was in a wretched state right then. Her clothes were torn from jumping out of the window, and her ankle was injured because of it. Plus, her hair was aplete mess, and her usually deer-like eyes were red. It looked like she had been bullied.. ¡°I need your help! Please, Elias, I beg of you! I¡ª¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Go upstairs, get a shower, and get changed. Elias interjected mercilessly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to help. you in your current state.¡± How is she still not willing toe back to me when she¡¯s already in this sorry state?! When had she ever looked like this when she was my wife?! But now, she looks like a fallen princess¡­ Amanda saw the unadulterated despise in Elias¡¯ eyes, but she was in no mood for a shower or a change-not when her precious baby boy¡¯s life was on the line. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that. Please help me find someone. I beg of you. Only you can find him quickly. I ¡°No deal, then,¡± Elias interjected again. ¡°See to it yourself.¡± With that, he ambled to the elevator, seemingly no longer wanting to entertain her. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll shower and change.¡± Amanda yielded at once. ¡°Please don¡¯t go. You have to help me! Only you can do it!¡± She wanted to tell him his son was in danger, but she still dared not let the Winterses know of Aiden¡¯s existence. She wasn¡¯t ready. Elias smirked and turned to the butler in response. ¡°Show her the way.¡± At that, he shifted his gaze to the young woman. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the bedroom. You¡¯d better make it quick. I¡¯m getting sleepy, and I have a whole day of meetings tomorrow.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Amanda replied through gnashed teeth, wanting to bbor the hateful b*stard. Half an hourter, Amanda rushed to Elias¡¯ bedroom, where the man savored a cup of coffee on the armchair. Though her hair was wet, she had changed into a set of fresh clothes. ¡°Elias! Can I ask you to help me now?¡± She genuinely couldn¡¯t take it anymore.. Elias, on the other hand, nodded pleasingly now that she looked fresher. ¡°Mm¡­ Much better. Tell me. What do you need me to do?¡± It infuriated him that she would only voluntarilye to him when she needed his help, or he would nevere to her mind. As such, he decided to take this chance to punish her. ¡°Please help me save a child. He¡¯s been kidnapped. The sooner, the better! Can you do it in a few hours? Just like when you saved me.¡± Amanda went up to him and gazed expectantly at the man. ¡°A child?¡± Elias squinted. ¡°You¡¯re not asking me to save Nicholson¡¯s son, are you?¡± What other children does she know of nowadays?! This woman is so desperate to be the boy¡¯s stepmother that she¡¯s even more dutiful than his birth mother! Amanda hurriedly nodded after taking a second to process what he said. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him! Can you help me? I¡¯m sure you can find him quickly with your connections and high-tech methods! Please, I beg of you!¡± She believed she would be able to see Aiden by sunrise if Elias was willing to help. To her dismay, the man sneered disdainfully. ¡°Amanda Bailey, are you trampling all over my dignity because you know I¡¯m trying to win you back? Why should I help Nicholson find his son? What does his kidnapping have to do with me?! If that¡¯s all you havee for, leave! I don¡¯t have time for that!¡± With that, Elias shot up from the armchair and headed toward the bed. It appeared he was getting ready to go to sleep. ¡°Elias, please, I beg of you! The child is innocent and very pitiful.. And¡­¡° And he¡¯s your son! She couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell him the truth, not even in this dire state. ¡°And?¡± Elias¡± nced icily at her from the bed. ¡°And you¡¯ve met him before. Besides, saving a life is of boundless beneficence! Can¡¯t you pity the child? You clearly are able to help!¡± ¡°Last time I checked, I met the back of his head!¡± Elias was beside himself with fury, so livid that he laughed. How devoted she is to Nicholson. She even sees his son as her own! Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 If You Don¡¯t Agree, Then There¡¯s No Point in Discussing Amanda was in a great dilemma. Should I tell Elias the truth? He will save Aiden if I tell him that¡¯s his son, right? But¡­ Sometimeter, Amanda looked up at the infuriated man and asked, ¡°If¡­ I mean, if that¡¯s your child, would you refuse to save him as well?¡± Her words enraged Elias for good. He shot up from bed, strode to her, and mped her jaw as he snarled: ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about this! There is no ¡°if¡±! My child died four years ago, and you know it! I won¡¯t save this child no matter what you say!¡± At that, tears rolled down Amanda¡¯s cheeks and onto Elias¡¯ arm before falling onto the carpet. Is she crying?! Elias¡¯ eyes widened slightly with incredulity. She¡¯s crying because I refuse to save Nicholson¡¯s son, and she¡¯s crying so devastatingly at that! His possessiveness and jealousy brewed at once, and he mped Amanda¡¯s jaw even harder. ¡°Did you cry when you gave up our child?! Were you this sad?!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret this!¡± Amanda flung his arm away with unadulterated malice. This b*stard is just as heartless as he was four years ago. Nothing can change his mind once he¡¯s decided on it. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Elias enunciated. ¡°Very well. I shouldn¡¯t havee in the first ce!¡± Amanda¡¯s tears were like beads of a broken. string at this point, rolling one after another down her cheeks as she left his bedroom without even looking back.. Meanwhile, Elias pressed his lips into a thin line as he looked at her obstinate back, and the knuckles of his clenched fists popped by his sides. ** ¡°Mr. Elias is hot-tempered like that, Miss Bailey. You just have to talk to him,¡± said the butler as he followed the teary-eyed woman out of the estate. ¡°Say no more. He¡¯s just a d*ckhead. I don¡¯t want to see him ever again.¡± ¡°Let me arrange for a car to send you back, then. You won¡¯t be able to hail a cab here,¡± the butler advised. The Winters Estate was located in the suburbs. It was impossible to hail a cab there, and the butler noticed Amanda hade in one earlier. ¡°No, thanks! Don¡¯t follow me anymore!¡± Amanda was feeling her worst, and she couldn¡¯t think about anything else other than Aiden right then. s, she realized how wrong she was when she left the estate, for there wasn¡¯t even a bus stop in sight, let alone a ghost of a cab. What else can I do? She wouldn¡¯t ept any more help from the Winterses. She¡¯d crawl back to the city if she had to this night.. Must I wait three days for the kidnapper to contact me again, though? How would Aiden survive the next three days?! We¡¯ve never been away from each other as long as three days! Devastation overwhelmed Amanda at this point, and she thought the world had fallen on her. She hadn¡¯t even felt this devastated when Elias divorced her so mercilessly four years ago. It was pitch-ck all around, and only the streemps illuminated her path. Because she injured her ankle while jumping out of the window and showered with cold water to cut time, her head now felt woozy. I must¡¯ve caught a cold¡­ Amanda sneezed as she hugged her arms, covered in goosebumps. The next second, she cked out and dropped to the ground, gradually losing consciousness. Sometimeter, a car slowly approached her direction from afar while its headlights shone on her. The door opened, and Elias went up to her with heavy, urgent footsteps, attempting to shake her awake, ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± However, no matter how he woke her up, she was a lifeless lump. At that, he picked her up and put her in the back seat. Her scorching temperature made him. frown with displeasure as he cursed under his breath. ¡°Idiot!¡± At 3.00AM, Amanda woke up groggily with a dry throat. ¡°Water¡­ Thirsty.. With that, a ss of water was brought to her mouth. She was even propped up and fed, but because she drank too quickly, she nearly choked. Cough, cough¡­ ¡°Slow down. No one¡¯s rushing you,¡± said a husky, alluring voice. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Huh? Doesn¡¯t this voice belong to¡­ Elias? Amanda widened her eyes and finally saw who was supporting her. ¡°How did I get here¡­ After realizing it was Elias, she struggled out of bed. She didn¡¯t have time to rest when she still had a child to rescue! 2 ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere! Where do you think you¡¯re going with a fever?! You sure are Cludan¡¯s number-one stepmother! Just what spell has Nicholson put you under to make you so devoted to him?! The man¡¯s words were full of sarcasm, and his tone was sharp and acerbic. Amanda couldn¡¯t help supporting her groggy head as she fell back against the bed while gazing icily at the man before her. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Move!¡± At that, she lifted the covers to get out of bed, but Elias pressed her back down and pinned her under him, scolding. ¡°Don¡¯t be ungrateful! You¡¯d have died of a high fever out there if I hadn¡¯t brought you back!¡± ¡°Did I ask you to bring me back? You could have just left me there!¡± ¡°Has a dog eaten your conscience away, you heartless wench?!¡± Elias wanted to strangle her. She was so gentle and considerate to Simon but only ever sharp-tongued and obstinate with him. Seeing that Amanda continued to fight him like a ferocious wildcat, Elias finally gave in and made her an offer, saying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help you find the child, but on one condition.¡± Sure enough, Amanda stopped struggling andy quietly under Elias. Even her gaze turned from malice to surprise. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you? What condition?¡± Seeing how quickly her expression changed, Elias snorted disdainfully and stood straight, looking down at the young woman in bed. ¡°Sever ties with Nicholson after the child has been retrieved, and stop dreaming about ever bing that child¡¯s stepmother!¡± Sever ties? How can I do that when Simon has helped me out so much in thest four years?! Wouldn¡¯t that make me the ungrateful b*stard, then?! ¡°There¡¯s no point in discussing if you don¡¯t agree to it.¡± Elias saw through her hesitation. ¡°Alright, deal!¡± The most important thing now was to rescue Aiden. Everything else could be dealt with after that. ¡°When will you start looking for the child, then?¡± Amanda gazed firmly at Elias. ¡°He¡¯s been missing for a day. Any longer, and I worry he¡¯ll have a meltdown.¡± their ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Since it¡¯s a kidnapping, they won¡¯t do anything to the child before they get ransom,¡± said Elias as he sat on the bed and handed her the remaining ss of water. ¡°Finish it.¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 You¡¯re Not My Grandpa! You¡¯re a Bad Guy! ¡°Do you need me to provide you with any information? Like the kidnapper¡¯s phone number or something.¡± Amanda probed gingerly. After all, she needed him right now. ¡°Any surveince footage or license te number will work,¡± Elias answered professionally. ¡°We have footage! I don¡¯t have it with me right now, though. I do remember the license te number in the footage. Will that do?¡± She stared at him. The more prudent Amanda behaved, the more pissed off Elias was. Why are you so concerned about someone else¡¯s son?! ¡°Yes!¡± Elias snarled through gritted teeth. ¡°Give me the number!¡± At that, he chucked her a pen and paper, and she quickly wrote the license te number down. ¡°I still remember the car model. Do you need a description of it?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll find it out myself!¡± Elias took the paper away furiously and headed out of the bedroom. Amanda got out of bed at once, wanting to stay informed, but Elias¡¯ scolding came the next second. ¡°You¡¯d better stay in bed! Move, and I will walk away from this!¡± The young woman already had a foot down on the carpet when she hurriedly jumped back into the bed upon hearing Elias¡¯ words. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stay. Please go quickly. Please!¡± Elias turned beyond grim at this point. Winters, you useless son of a b*tch! To make this woman stay away from Nicholson, you have to help that b*stard look for his son!Bam! The door closed, and Amanda coughed involuntarily before heaving a sigh of relief. She didn¡¯t have to worry too much anymore now that Elias was willing to help. Aiden will be found soon. In fact, he mighte back by sunrise. As she had taken fever-reducing pills, Amanda felt groggy, and she gradually fell asleep while waiting for updates from Elias. At the same time, Dick had taken Aiden away from the city and into a nearby town, and he decided to find a nearby hotel to crash for the night. Right as he parked the car in the parking lot, Grace¡¯s call came, and Dick answered it while unbuckling the seatbelt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m already out of Imperia and in Calcheth. I n on crashing here for the night before heading back on the road the next morning.¡± ¡°Very good. There¡¯s a slight change in our n. Continue to head south with the kid. Drive as far as you can. Remember, no nes or trains. Don¡¯t leave any traces behind.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± After hanging up. Dick opened the back door and carried the sleeping child out. ¡°Why does this kid look so familiar?¡± Dick couldn¡¯t help mumbling as he looked at the boy in his arms. ¡°Where do I know him from¡­¡± He knew he had seen the child from somewhere; he just couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. Suddenly, Aiden opened his eyes and bit Dick¡¯s arm fiercely, making the elder scream in pain. ¡°Why, you little rascal! Let go!¡± Dick whacked the child¡¯s butt, and Aiden took the chance to jump away from Dick¡¯s arms to flee. Nheless, how could a three-year-old outrun a middle-aged man? ¡°Come back here, you little rascal!¡± He yanked the child back into his arms. ¡°Ah! Let go of me! Help! Police, help!¡± Aiden screamed and struggled in Dick¡¯s arms, drawing the attention of many onlookers. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us. He¡¯s my grandson. He just doesn¡¯t want to go home,¡± Dick exined to the crowd with an awkward smile.. Just then, it hit Dick where he had seen the child. Isn¡¯t this the boy Amanda was carrying the other day?! Dick was gob-smacked, unable to speak for a long time. Could he really be Amanda¡¯s boy? ¡°Help! Help! Police, save me!¡± Aiden continued to wriggle and screech. Amanda had taught him to scream and shout in crowded ces if he ever encountered such a situation. It would be even better if he could attract the police¡¯s attention. However, there wasn¡¯t even a police officer in sight after he looked around. Just then, Dick covered his little mouth. ¡°Who is Amanda to you, kid? Is she your mother?¡± Aiden quieted down instantly and gazed at the bizarre elder. ¡°How do you know my mommy?¡± he asked. ¡°Mommy? Is Amanda your mother?! That makes you my grandson, and I¡¯m really your grandpa!¡± Dick was bbergasted. Never would he have thought he would one day kidnap his own grandson. What is this sphemy?! ¡°What?¡± Aiden frowned in disgust. ¡°Mommy said I don¡¯t have a grandpa. He¡¯s long dead!¡± ¡°What did she say?! She told you I¡¯m dead?! That wretched wench, how dare she curses her father?!¡± Dick hit the roof. He couldn¡¯t believe Amanda imed he was dead when he was alive. and kicking. At that, he said solemnly to the child in his arms, ¡°Listen, I¡¯m your grandfather, and I¡¯m very much alive! I¡¯m not dead!¡± ¡°You call yourself my grandpa, but what proof do you have? Why should I believe you?¡± Aiden snorted and looked away with his chin held high contemptuously. This rascal truly is the son of awyer, Dick mused while gazing at Aiden. He¡¯s already talking about evidence at such a young age. ¡°Proof is that your mother is my daughter, and I¡¯m your grandfather!¡± ¡°Why would you kidnap me, then? You¡¯re not my grandfather! You¡¯re a bad guy!¡± Aiden snorted again. He refused to believe the elder was his grandfather. You¡¯re clearly a bad guy! Dick was rendered at a loss for words, for he had indeed kidnapped his own grandson. Who in the world is that woman? Why would she want to abduct my grandson? ¡°No. I haven¡¯t kidnapped you. I¡¯m just bringing you out to y. Let¡¯s have fun for a couple of days. before I bring you back to your mommy, okay?¡± Dick decided at once that he would bring Aident right back to Amanda once he got the money from Grace. Either way, it was very wrong of him to kidnap his own grandson. Besides, the child looked pretty. smart and cute. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± In actuality, Aiden didn¡¯t trust the elder at all. He just wanted to quickly return to his mother. Mommy must be worried sick about me.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m your grandfather! Why would I ever lie to you?¡± Dick affirmed. ¡°In that case, do you know what my mommy likes to eat, what she hates the most, and who she loves?¡± Aiden fired three questions at Dick. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 I¡¯m Going to Take a Bath. Are You joining Me Dick was inspirin Aber dunking stiver ? The replied Yep them ex drawberry th before sure shear in reghts for what the hares thethes hence mies and is extreme timed Thirdly the person the the best is her mother¡± While listening to Dick Cunever den ponned si ke began contemting. Dick¡¯s antwers were schuurally correct, especially the ter nee. His mother did seem no like his maternal grandmother die most. Although be had never met her, his mother frequently mentioned her The following morning Amanda did not expect to sleep through the night and thought it might be her dever mediation he was metanih fostered when she woke up to the bright morning om. After throwing away the envers the dashed nut of the bedroom pot in time to encounter a servant approaching her Grabbing the servant she questioned. Where Where he ar One whole night had passed and she wo his progres ¡°M+ W rers is in the study. He hasn¡¯t slept all right,¡± the servant replied. He pulled an all-nighter. That instantly made Amanda feel somewhat guilty, so she thanked the servant and headed toward the study When she arrived, she pushed the door open and was met with a collection of books from around the globe. After stepping inside the saw a man behind the desk, looking seriously at theputer screen while typing on the keyboard s did seem like he had not slept all night because his face seemed slightly tense, and his deep eyes showed he was tired At that moment, a servant came over with a cup of coffee Amanda gestured for the servant to hand her the cup at which the servant nodded before exiting the study, leaving them alone. She ced the coffee cup before the man¡¯s desk, and heard hun order without looking at her. ¡°Get out. Don¡¯t bother me Once that was over, he picked up the cup and drank his coffee but noticed the person beside him had not left so he impatiently nced over When he saw it was Amanda, he frowned ¡°Why are you here Are you here to check my progress ¡°No that¡¯s not why I came I only wanted to seeDeep inside, she was worried Elias might not take this seriously ¡°Stop exining I know what you¡¯re thinking¡± He was annoyed and even more irritated as he looked at her. Is this nurssary? The kid is not even her own Why does she have such a strong rtionship with him? 1 Fine I just came to ask what you found Have you discovered any clues?¡± Leaning against his chair. Elias massaged his temples and replied. ¡°The car has left Imperia and is most probably in Calcheth. I¡¯m nning to head over and search there. They might change locations if we¡¯re I¡¯m Going to Take a Bath, Are You Joining Me? bonusT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Once he finished, she eagerly eximed, ¡°Tlle with you!¡± The man looked at her without saying anything. Seeing how enthusiastic she was, he immediately felt the urge to quit. That was because he could not figure out why he should help his love rival find his son Had he gone mad? Amanda realized she might havee off too strongly and exined, ¡°Bring me along, please. I can¡¯t rest assured if I stay here, and I¡¯ve already recovered from my fever. I can take care of you!¡± The man grunted. ¡°Take care of me? Are you sure you have the mind and effort to take care of me?¡± It was hypocritical to him because she had the words ¡®I want to find my child¡¯ written on her face. ¡°I can do it!¡± She promised. ¡°Fine. You can go if you want to.¡± Elias got up, deciding to take a shower before heading out. Since she wanted to go with him, he would bring her along. He did not feel safe leaving her here anyway. Afterward, Amanda tailed him back to his room. When he opened the door to the bathroom, she was event ready to head into the bathroom with him. Suddenly, the man stopped walking, causing her to crash into his firm back nose-first. It was in so much pain that she covered it and whined, ¡°Ouch¡­ That hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower. Are you joining me?¡± Elias looked at the pitiful scene of Amanda holding her nose with tears in her eyes. It seemed like the force of the collision was quite impactful. ¡°Uhm¡­ My apologies. I didn¡¯t realize that. I thought you were¡­¡± She thought he was about to leave, and since she was so eager to find her son, she did not overthink it. He turned around to look at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to call Simon? We¡¯re looking for his son, after all. Shouldn¡¯t hee with us?¡± Those who don¡¯t know might think that kid¡¯s mine. I seem more eager to find him than Simon, the real dad. F*ck this! ¡°I¡­¡± She felt somewhat conflicted because Simon had chosen to go to the cops, which was what drove her to escape. Was it necessary to ask Simon to help her? Unexpectedly, Elias interrupted her before she could continue. ¡°Forget it. He¡¯s not allowed toe with us. I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± If he let Simone with them, he might regret that decision every second of the day. Therefore, he closed the bathroom door with a bang, leaving Amanda at a loss outside. However, she felt relieved that he had changed his mind because she could not put herself through asking Simon. Over ten minutester, Elias finished his quick shower and exited the bathroom with wet hair that covered his eyes, giving him a mysteriously attractive look. ¡°Are¡­ Are you done?¡± Amanda suddenly began to stutter. While looking at the man¡¯s appearance, she could not help but recall the day he forcefully slept with her I¡¯m Going to Take a Bath, Are You Joining Me? multiple times, and when she did, she felt more embarrassed the more she thought about it. ¡°I need to change. If you¡¯re anxious, you can wait for me inside the car.¡± He knew why Amanda was impatient and wanted to leave immediately, but the more she behaved like that, the longer he wanted to take because jealousy kept surging inside him. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ that anxious. I can wait, so please change. I¡¯ll wait here. By the way, do you want breakfast? You haven¡¯t slept all night, so you must be tired. Have some breakfast to replenish your energy.¡± She behaved. very humbly because she was asking him for a favor. Moreover, Elias had been awake all night, and it would take at least two hours to get to another city. Could his body hold up to that? Although he had always had a healthy body, staying upte was still harmful to his health. ¡°No, thank you. I can sleep on the way.¡± While speaking, he entered the closet and removed the towel. around his waist before appearing naked before her. ¡°Oh, my God! What are you doing?¡± She did not expect him to strip naked and quickly turned around. When he saw her immediate reaction, he let out a disdainful scoff. ¡°Why are you so worked up? It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen it before.¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 How About You Feed Me That rendered Amanda unable to retort, wondering how shameless that man could be. What does he mean by It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it before? Frustrated, she grumbled. ¡°Hurry up and change. I¡¯ll wait in the car Just as she came out of the room, she saw a female servant ready to head inside. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go inside. He¡¯s changing.¡± She stopped the servant. The servant stopped and informed her, ¡°Oh, I came to ask Mr. Winters if he would like some breakfast. The kitchen staff has finished preparing the food.¡± ¡°Help me pack some sandwiches and milk. I¡¯ll bring it with us so he can have it while we¡¯re on the road.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Bailey.¡± Amanda waited in the car for over half an hour before Elias came and opened the door. She suspected he might have deliberately stalled for time because he knew she was in a hurry. Once inside the car, he put on his seatbelt before ordering the driver, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Drive steadily. I need to take a nap. The driver looked at Elias from the rearview mirror and nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± However, Elias seemed to have no intention of talking to her because he lowered his lids, preparing to catch some shut-eye. Amanda looked at the packed breakfast and poked the man¡¯s firm arm. ¡°I had the servants pack your breakfast. Why don¡¯t you have some? You haven¡¯t slept all night, and your stomach might feel ill if you didn¡¯t eat anything. After slowly opening his eyes, he nced at her and gave a mocking remark. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re great at ttering people, but unfortunately, you¡¯re ttering me for someone else.¡± Speechless, she thought Elias was ungrateful because she was concerned for him, yet he spoke such hurtful words. In the end, she could not stand it anymore and rolled her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it. fine. You deserve it if your stomach hurts.¡± Seeing her all riled up made him scoff. ¡°Is this how you treat the person helping you?¡± She surrendered. If it were not to find her baby, she would not be here to suffer such treatment. Forcefully suppressing her anger, she shed him a fake smile. ¡°Are you going to eat or not? If you don¡¯t feel like cating. I¡¯ll keep it until you¡¯re hungry.¡± . When Elias noticed how annoyed she was but still had to force a smile, heughed as an evil thought appeared in his mind. ¡°Who says I¡¯m not going to eat that? But I¡¯m tired after pulling an all-nighter and can¡¯t move my arms. How about you feed me?¡± That rendered Amanda baffled. What ame excuse! She could tell he did it on purpose to make things difficult for her, but since she wanted to find Aiden, she had to endure it! How About You Feed Me Taking out the sandwich, she ced it beside the man¡¯s lips. ¡°Here. Open up.¡± A smile appeared on his lips as he slowly opened his mouth to take a bite of the sandwich, enjoying her service. At the same time, in Calcheth, Dick was prepared to leave early to continue his journey with Aiden. He nned to trick the culprit into giving him the money and then return the child to Amanda. As the child¡¯s real maternal grandfather, he could not hurt his grandson. ¡°Kid, eat up. The sooner you finish breakfast, the sooner I¡¯ll bring you somewhere else to y.¡± Aiden was obediently drinking his chicken soup. Although he seemed epting of Dick as his grandfather, he still did not trust him. ¡°Grandpa, I want to go home to Mommy. I miss Mommy¡­ Sob¡­¡± The child pretended to feel aggrieved and pouted his lips, rendering anyone who saw him heartbroken. Sessfully, Dick felt his heart almost melting when he saw that, especially because he knew this was his biological grandson. Hence, he coaxed Aiden. ¡°Oh, sweetie, we¡¯ll y around for a little longer before sending you back to your mommy, okay? I promise I¡¯ll bring you to see her.¡± While blinking hisrge, round eyes, Aiden nodded. ¡°Okay! But you can¡¯t lie to me! The one who lies is the sore loser!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I promise I won¡¯t. Dick thought he was getting along quite well with his grandson. The more he looked at Aiden, the more he liked the kid. It seemed like they had a solid bond. Ring! Ring! It was then he received a call from Grace. He went to pick up the phone at the side and even warily snuck a peek at the child behind him. ¡°Are you still in Calcheth?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m about to leave with the kid. Didn¡¯t you say to keep heading south?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°There¡¯s a change of ns. I¡¯ll give you every penny I promised, but when you get to the next destination, find somewhere without reception or traffic and get rid of the boy.¡± ¡°Get rid of him? Aren¡¯t you counting on the kid to get the ransom?¡± When Dick received instructions to get rid of the boy, he was shocked and wondered what that woman was up to. Is she crazy?How can she ask me to leave my grandson in a deserted area? Doesn¡¯t that mean Amanda would never see her child again? Wasn¡¯t this just a simple kidnapping situation? This is getting stranger by the second¡­ Grace¡¯s voice was firm as she ordered, ¡°Stop with the nonsense and do what I say. Otherwise, you won¡¯t get a penny from me, and the cops will immediately find out about you.¡± ¡°Okay. Fine. I¡¯m just doing my job. I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡± ¡°Good. Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t stay there any longer. By the way, leave this phone at the hotel and get your hands on a new one.¡± Confused, Dick asked, ¡°And why should I do that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions you shouldn¡¯t be asking and just do it. I¡¯ll send you a portion of the money tonight¡± Once Grace said that, she hung up, leaving Dick dumbfounded. He had no idea what that woman was trying to do, and he first thought this was just a simple kidnapping case that would end with no harm and the ransom paid. Now, it felt like it had almost turned into child trafficking. Turning to look at the child with food all over his face, Dick eximed, ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have encountered me. Or else, you would never be able to see your mother again¡± If someone else took this job and kidnapped that kid, would that not mean Aiden would be stranded in a rural area? He, however, naturally would not leave his grandson in a ce like that. As such, he decided he would send Aiden back to Amanda once he received the money tonight and give up on the rest. Meanwhile, Grace stood on the balcony after hanging up the call, feeling the gentle early morning breeze as her eyes filled with viciousness. In reality, she would rather kill the child and make him disappear from this world but dared not do so. It was unlikely for the child to be found after being left in a rural area. ¡°Amanda, don¡¯t me me for this. Elias, I just don¡¯t want to lose you¡­ she muttered. She could not afford to lose Elias because she had waited for this for so long; she was so close to seeding! How could she be willing to let that go? Moreover, no one in the world would love him more than her. But¡­.. No matter how hard she nned, she did not expect the kidnapper to be Amanda¡¯s biological father. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Spending the Night with Him. It was the afternoon when Elias and Amanda arrived in Calcheth. He had someone start a detailed search ording to the coordinates from the location tracker. Meanwhile, she hoped to join the search party but could only stay with him and wait. After a few hours of looking, it was almost dark, and they finally found the hotel Dick was at this morning. all thanks to the phone he had left there. Suddenly, Elias¡¯ phone began vibrating, and Amanda immediately sat upright while looking at the phone, hoping they had found her son. He nced at her with his cold eyes and answered the call. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, we found something, but it¡¯s just a phone. The kidnapper is quite sly and seems to have found out we were tracking his location, so he deliberately left his phone in the hotel. ording to all the hotel¡¯s security footage, that car has left toward the highway. So, they might be in another city by now. He¡¯s just toying with us.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move. ¡°Yes, sir! After he hung up, Amanda looked at him expectantly. ¡°What happened? Did they find him?¡± ¡°They did.¡± She immediately felt relieved and smiled but did not expect the man to dampen her spirits the next second. ¡°They found a phone, and that car is probably headed to another city. We have to move now.¡± Her smile froze as she almost broke down uncontrobly. ¡°What is that kidnapper trying to do? He didn¡¯t call to ask for a ransom or even try to contact us. Instead, he brings Aiden everywhere. What is the meaning of this?¡± She could not wrap her head around what the kidnapper was thinking. Don¡¯t kidnappers abduct people for ransom? But this kidnapper is bringing Aiden everywhere and says he will contact me in three days. What is he up to? Elias narrowed his eyes. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t about the ransom.¡± ¡°Are you saying¡­¡° Amanda seemed to have realized something, but she was unsure if they were thinking about the same thing. Then, he exined, ¡°How many cases have you and Simon done, and how many people have you offended? Maybe it¡¯s someone out to get back at you. All the signs the kidnapper is showing don¡¯t seem like he¡¯s out for money.¡± What he said was true, and it shocked Amanda so much that she turned ashen. She had epted countless cases throughout these years and offended many rich and powerful people. There were even some that vowed to kill her. It was even so for Simon because he had sent many convicts to jail, and if those people thought Aiden was Simon¡¯s son, it was reasonable for them to want to kidnap him. The more she thought about that, the more she became terrified and began following Elias¡¯ idea, thinking of possible suspects who would want revenge against her. Little did they know that the person who Spending the Night with Him kidnapped Aiden was the seemingly weak Grace. ¡°Come on. It¡¯s gettingte¡± Elias looked at his watch and did not finish his dinner before grabbing his coat, ready to leave. Amanda followed suit, feeling somewhat sorry for him. He had not slept sincest night and was constantly worried, ordering the bodyguards to search for Aiden Though he said he would sleep on the way here, he did not catch a wink and merely closed his eyes. Once they got inside the car, he seemed tired and massaged his temples, but his eyes were still focused on theptop on hisp as he tapped on the keyboard. Amanda sat beside him and fastened her seatbelt. There were several times when she wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she could not help but ask, ¡°Are you tired? Why don¡¯t you take a nap if you are? You haven¡¯t slept sincest night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Elias¡¯ eyes remained focused on the moving target on his screen. He had already tracked down the car¡¯s movements, ¡°Okay¡­¡± Maybe it was because she took the fever medicinest night and had a night¡¯s sleep that caused her to stay energized. However, he had not caught a wink. Could his body stand it if this persisted? Suddenly, she heard the sound of even breathing beside her and looked over. She saw Elias¡¯ eyes were closed while leaning against the chair, seeming to have fallen asleep immediately, exhausted. Like father. like son, that was something he had inmon with Aiden. The kid could also fall asleep immediately, which she was thankful for because it saved her the time and effort to coax him to bed. The car shook slightly, and Elias¡¯ head slowly fell onto her frail shoulder. She lowered her head to nce. at his handsome face inches from his and noticed his beautiful nose and sexy lips. From her angle, she noticed Aiden looked like a miniaturized Elias and was growing to be more simr to him. That realization struck a faint smile on her. She then used her head to steady Elias¡¯ head on her shoulder so he could sleep morefortably. Then, she turned to look outside the window, praying and hoping the universe would protect Aiden from harm. Also, she wished she would be able to see her baby soon. Three hourster, they finally arrived at the city where the car was. The vibration from the phone woke Elias up. When his eyes shot open, he saw a snowy-white neck before him and smelled the familiar sweet scent belonging to Amanda. He sat up straight and answered the call. ¡°Speak.¡± The bodyguard who called told him something, and she heard him mention a few areas in the city before letting the bodyguards continue their detailed search. Then, he hung up. As he had a headache after waking up, he rubbed his temples, asking. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± ¡°You were exhausted, so I didn¡¯t want to.¡± ||| Spending the Night with Him ¡°Let¡¯s wait at the hotel Elias nced at the driver in front. The driver replied. Okay, Mr. Winters¡± Amanda seemed confused. ¡°We¡¯re going to a hotel?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and they need time to search. They might be able to find him before dawn, so let¡¯s wait at the hotel¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­¡± He was right. It was almost 9.00PM, and a detailed search was tedious, so the driver drove them to a national chain hotel under Winters Enterprise. When they arrived at the hotel, the receptionist told them. I¡¯m sorry, but there aren¡¯t any double rooms left. There is a VIP suite, though.¡± Since Winters Enterprise was popr in every industry they were involved in, it was not surprising that their hotels were fully booked as well. Then, we¡¯ll have that. Elias spoke, but Amanda muttered something, feeling quite uneasy because she was slightly scared to stay in the same room as that man. He had forcefully slept with her at the pool party that night¡­ but there was no other option because that was the only room left. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. When she and Elias arrived at the VIP suite via the elevator and entered the room, they froze after hearing a woman¡¯s affectionate groaning from next door. The atmosphere between them instantly became more awkward. The woman¡¯s moans rose and fell, seeming to be enjoying herself¡­. Amanda looked at the man beside her and noticed his helplessness as well. How¡­ was she going to spend the long night with him? Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 A Strange Atmosphere N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower. You can rest for a while.¡± Elias took off his coat, making his way toward the bathroom, not wanting to listen to that woman¡¯s heinous howling. Amanda nodded and sat on the bed somewhat helplessly. Then, she took out her phone, which had been switched off for a full day. She wanted to turn it on and see if the kidnapper had contacted her but felt disappointed after seeing no calls from them. However, there were dozens of missed calls and numerous text messages from Simon. Biting her lip, she knew he was worried about her, but she could not help but feel angry when she remembered how he chose to call the cops. Suddenly, her phone began to ring. It was a call from Simon, but it was toote for her to turn off her phone. It continued to ring as though it would not stop until she picked up the call. After hesitating. Amanda answered the call and ced it to her ear. Before she could say anything, she heard Simon¡¯s anxious voice yelling, ¡°Amanda! Where have you been? Why did you run away like that? Is it because I called the cops? My rationality told me we should call the cops because that¡¯s the quickest way to find Aiden. His voice sounded tired and raspy as if he had not slept all night. ¡°Simon, I¡¯m fine. We might be able to find Aiden soon, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Amanda, where are you? Pleasee back. I¡¯m worried something might happen to you¡­¡± Since she could not reveal too much to Simon, she waited until he finished and hung up before deciding to keep her phone turned off. At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Elias came out with a white towel around his hips. His wet hair was stuck to his forehead as he looked at her sitting on the bed. ¡°Your turn.¡± Amanda was silent, thinking, why do I feel like the atmosphere¡¯s a little strange? Now that Elias had finished his shower and asked her to take hers, what would happen next? Would the appropriate progress not be that they sleep together? It was then the woman¡¯s moan sounded from the room beside them again in crescendo. It was¡­ simply outrageous. ¡°F*ck this¡­¡± Elias could not help but curse. How was anyone going to sleep tonight? Meanwhile, Amanda bowed her head, wanting the floor to swallow her whole. That was the only room left, so there were no other options. How were they going to get past tonight? Suddenly, she noticed the television on the wall and went to grab the remote. Then, she turned it on and increased the volume, sessfully covering most of the moaning from the room next door. ¡°Here. You can¡¯t hear it anymore, right? You can go to bed now.¡± Elias nced at her and retorted, ¡°How am I going to sleep like this?¡± He leaned against the bed and began making calls, arranging for his men to search specific ces. After looking at the busy man, Amanda quietly entered the bathroom. It had been a tiring day for her as well, and since it was a hot summer day, she felt ufortably sticky and needed a shower. After carefully locking the door, the stood behind it for a while, worried that Kitas might barge in again likest time. Though she thought he might not do it again, she had indeed witnessed how ruthless he could be back at the pool party. Despite her cries, he did not care about ber feelings and forced himself on her She stood at the door for a long while waiting When it sounded like Elias was not moving around, she felt relieved and began removing her clothes. Then, she stood under the shower, letting the warm water hat her body Outside the bathroom, Eliasy in bed after hanging up the phone, listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, and began imagining the scene of the woman¡¯s body under the shower Her curvy figure and snowy-white skin. Then, he could not help but be reminded of the night from the pool party Four years ago, he could not remember when he dept with Amanda or how she got pregnant with that child. However, he remembered how her reluctance transformed into enjoyment while lying under him. This time, he knew who he had slept with and remembered every detail of it. A smile smeared across his lips, drowning in utter reminiscence.. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened. Amanda came out wearing a bathrobe wrapped tightly around her while staring vigntly at Elias on the bed It was like she was entering dangerous territory. Her gaze annoyed him. What¡¯s the meaning of this? Does she think I¡¯m a pervert or something? Td suggest you stop looking at me like I¡¯m a pervert. I don¡¯t like that.¡± She was taken aback and stammered, ¡®I I¡¯m not. You¡¯re being oversensitive.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I slept with youst time? Is sleeping with your ex-husband something difficult to ept?* Is that something a sane human would say? Amanda did not want to argue with the scmbag because he was unreasonable. However, she needed his help, so she could only endure it. Just go to sleep. I¡¯ll call you if a calles in.¡± She wanted to coax him to sleep like how she would with Aiden. This man was simply annoying I can¡¯t sleep. Elias replied. about to ask why, the woman next door began moaning again. It was growing louder with was unfathomable. The television could not get any louder, yet they could still hear her. it that much? softly, ¡°Is it that good? We can still hear her through the loud TV¡­¡± that, Elias scoffed and teased her. ¡°You screamed even louder than herst time. Was it that good?¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened as her face instantly turned pink. Does this sc*mbag have to be so direct? With an angry expression, she gnashed her teeth, demanding. ¡°Elias! Shut up now!¡± Once she finished speaking, they heard screamsing from the room next door again. It was so aying that she felt her head was alonut to exploate While looking at her angry expression, Elias smiled even brighter. He theny on the bed and closed his eyes, speaking slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me I¡¯m going to bed Remember to wake me up it there¡¯s a call Afterward, he fell asleep instantly again. Amanda looked at the sleeping man, whose handsome face disyed his vivid exhaustion She kept quiet and tucked the man in the bed before sitting quietly on the couch and staring at the phone, afraid she might miss a call. At the same time, Dick brought the child and found a hotel for the night, and Grace¡¯s call arrived as promised. Hello, Miss Murphy. Yes, we¡¯re here in a city called Folkshield and heading toward a rural area. You must know that it¡¯s hard to drive at night, right? But I¡¯ll get rid of him before sunrise, so don¡¯t worry¡± She ordered from her end, ¡°Remember. You must leave him in the poorest and most secluded vige, where no one would think to look.¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 This Little Brat Has Quite a Temper ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. You can count on me, but shouldn¡¯t you send the first payment? I¡¯ve been on the run with the child for nearly two days and a night. It¡¯s getting more difficult for me to afford fuel after covering so much distance. This child has been quite troublesome throughout the journey. You have no idea how much risk I¡¯ve taken. I came close to involving the cops several times.¡± Dick was not expecting any further payment at this point. His sole intention was to earn some money and leave. Besides, he would never abandon his grandchild in such a remote mountain ditch. ¡°Alright, just wait. The money will be transferred soon.¡± He smiled foolishly and repeatedly agreed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll wait. I¡¯m running low on fuel, so please hurry up, Miss Murphy.¡± With that, he ended the call and nced at Aiden, who slept like a piglet in the back seat. Ding! A notification from the mobile banking app appeared, indicating that the money had been sessfully deposited: Dick eagerly unlocked his phone and gazed at the seven-figure amount in his ount. Augh escaped his lips uncontrobly. ¡°Haha¡­ Finally, it¡¯s mine. Our cooperation ends here. I¡¯d never abandon my grandson. If anyone should be med, you¡¯ve made the wrong choice.¡± Without hesitation, he blocked Grace¡¯s number and threw the phone out the car window. At that moment, Aiden in the back seat woke up groggily, calling out in an innocent and gentle voice, ¡°Grandpa¡­ I need to use the restroom.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ll pull over for you. Hold on. You have to hold it. Dick pulled the car over to the side of the road and lifted Aiden out of the car seat. ¡°Grandpa, when will you take me to see Mommy? I miss her. I want her to tell me stories and tuck me in bed.¡± Aiden rubbed his eyes and gazed at Dick next to him. Dick patted his head. ¡°Good boy, I¡¯ll take you to see your mom soon. Everything is taken care of. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?¡± The blood rtionship between them was remarkable. Dick had an unconditional fondness for Aiden and desired to provide him with all the wonderful things in the world. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat. I want Mommy. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen her¡­¡± Aiden pouted and appeared like a deeply upset child, with tears ready to fall at any moment. ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t cry. Hold back your tears! I¡¯ll take you to see Mommy, I promise. Please don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m not very good atforting kids. Dick was taken aback when he saw Aiden on the verge of tears. He had no experience inforting children. At that, Aiden¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Let¡¯s go now, Grandpa! Hurry up!¡± With excitement, he turned around and climbed into the car¡¯s backseat to sit obediently and even fastened his seatbelt. Dick found it both frustrating and amusing to witness this scene. What a clever kid. He even fastens his seatbelt. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Aiden¡¯s round, grape-like eyes darted around as if he had thought of something. He suddenly acted. adorably and eximed, ¡°Grandpa, can I call Mommy? I miss her so much¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ Maybe it¡¯s not a good idea. I brought you out without telling your mommy, and she would be angry if she found our Dick could not possibly call Amanda now. If she found out he had kidnapped. Aiden, he would likely be sent straight to jail. Pouting, Aiden said sweetly, ¡°Grandpa, I won¡¯t tell Mommy that you took me out. I just want to let her know that I¡¯m safe. It¡¯s been a long time, and I¡¯m sure she misses me too.¡± Tsk¡­ This little brat is surprisingly sensible for a three-or-four kid. Dick took out his phone and handed it to Aiden. ¡°Alright, go ahead and make the call. But I can¡¯t remember her phone number. Do you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± With his chubby little hand, Aiden dialed a string of numbers-the ones Amanda had taught him to memorize. However, after he dialed, it prompted that the recipient¡¯s phone was switched off. He let out a grumpy snort and tossed the phone aside. ¡°Why did you throw the phone? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dick picked up the phone. ¡°Mommy turned off her phone. She doesn¡¯t care about me at all. Hmph! I¡¯m angry!¡± Aiden turned his head. away, his little face filled with unhappiness. Dick muttered, ¡°This little brat has quite a temper. Just like someone I know¡­¡± At 4.00AM, the buzzing of a vibrating phone startled Amanda, who was dozing off. She abruptly woke up and grabbed Elias¡¯ phone, eximing, ¡°There¡¯s a call! There¡¯s a calling!¡± The man asleep on the bed jolted awake, sat up abruptly, and brought the phone to his ear. ¡°Did you him?¡± find With anticipation, she stood beside him and closely observed his facial expressions, hoping to glean some information from them. He ended the call and turned to the nervous woman by his side. In a deep voice, he informed her, ¡°We located the car. They¡¯re on the highway to Imperia, and the men are attempting to intercept them. If all goes well, the child should be in that car.¡± ¡°Really?! That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s go right away!¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, and she felt a sudden wave of relief wash over her. She realized that reaching out to Elias had proven to be the quickest method, even faster than she had anticipated. In other words, if they could intercept that car, I can see Aiden right away! Looking at her joyful expression, he sneered. ¡°You can go by yourself. I don¡¯t want to see that child. I have an important meeting today. I¡¯ll take a flight back first.) That little brat has nothing to do with me! Why should I bother seeing Simon¡¯s son? Even a glimpse of that child irritates me. Why does his son receive her care while my child was aborted? He stood up and began changing his clothes, seemingly oblivious to anyone else in the room. He grabbed a shirt and started buttoning it up. Amanda instinctively turned her head away, her heart feeling a slight pang. ¡°You really¡­ don¡¯t want to meet him?¡± Don¡¯t you want to meet your biological son? She even secretly told herself that if Elias discovered Aiden¡¯s existence, she would confess¡­ This Little Brat Has Quite a Temper Unexpectedly, he heartlessly refused without hesitation. ¡°No, I won¡¯t go.¡± Amanda¡¯s gaze dimmed as she realized this was the most probable chance for them to recognize each other as father and son. After swiftly changing his clothes, he made a phone call and issued an order. ¡°Prepare the car for the airport.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me. Come to the estate tonight, or I¡¯lle to you myself. And when I find you, I might not be as forgiving¡±. With those words, he left the room without ncing back. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 It¡¯ll Affect Everyone if He¡¯s Upset At 5.00AM, Dick decided to avoid the highway, fearing it would attract the cops¡¯ attention. However, he could not shake off the feeling that several cars were tailing him. At first, there was only one, which he dismissed as his over-sensitivity. However, he realized something was amiss as more cars appeared and slowly surrounded him. Driving the car onto a secluded road, he nced at Aiden in the back seat. ¡°I need to use the restroom. You stay in the car and behave, okay?¡± He spected that the cops must have caught up with him. If they apprehended him, it would spell trouble, and Amanda would spare no effort to ensure he ended up in jail. Since the cops are here, it should be rtively safe to entrust Aiden to their care. As such, Dick deliberately steered the car into a nearby cornfield and swiftly exited the vehicle, leaving behind the innocent Aiden, who believed he had simply stepped out to use the restroom. Meanwhile, Amanda watched from one of the cars in the back as Dick¡¯s car drove off the road and disappeared into the cornfield. She instantly panicked. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Driving, the bodyguard spected. ¡°They must have realized we were tailing them and attempted to evade us.¡± He then parked the car by the side of the road, and the entire team disembarked, rushing into the cornfield. She pushed the car door to exit, but the bodyguard quickly intervened. ¡°Miss Bailey, please remain in the car. Let us handle the situation.¡± ¡°I need to see-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the bodyguard interrupted her. ¡°It could be dangerous. If the kidnappers have brought the car to a ce like this, there¡¯s a possibility they intend to use someone as a hostage. It¡¯s safer for you to stay here.¡± Seeing the highly trained bodyguard, Amanda nodded in agreement. Considering they are under Elias¡¯ command, I can trust their skills. As sheplied and remained in the car, her forehead became covered in a thinyer of cold sweat due to nervousness. She could not help but wonder if they could rescue Aiden sessfully. Her fingers tightly clutched her skirt, every passing second feeling like an eternity. Through the car window, she anxiously watched as the bodyguards disappeared into the cornfield, but they did not emerge for a long time. Could they have encountered some danger? Amanda¡¯s heart was in her throat, her nerves on edge. Anxiously checking the time, she realized that only ten minutes had passed. She had never experienced time moving so slowly before¡­ As the sky gradually brightened, Amanda¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the cornfield. She was afraid to divert her gaze, fearing that she might miss the pivotal moment when they emerged. Lappeared from the cornfield with a small figure in his arms. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she could not help but smile. Her fingers trembled with excitement as she pushed open the car door and stepped out. ¡°Aiden!¡± At that, he immediately turned his head from the bodyguard¡¯s arms to nce at her. He let out a dismissive snort and turned away, burying his face in the bodyguard¡¯s broad shoulder. It was clear that he was intentionally ignoring her presence. She was a bit confused. Why is this brat ignoring me? What¡¯s with this attitude? Even so, she could not contain her joy as it had been two days since shest saw him. Amanda reached out and caressed Aiden¡¯s little face, saying, ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m talking to you. Why are you ignoring me?¡± ¡°Hmph! You didn¡¯t answer my callst night. Mommy, you don¡¯t care about me at all. We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long, and you didn¡¯t answer my call, he voiced his grievances straightforwardly like someone else she knew well. She was taken aback. My phone was turned off the whole time. But then, this little brat called me? Are the kidnappers these days so considerate? ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have ignored your call. How about a hug? I missed you so much¡­¡± Looking at Amanda¡¯s pitiful expression, Aiden finally stretched out his little hand and dove into her embrace. She embraced her son, a genuine smile lighting up her face. As she held him tightly, she made a silent promise to never lose him again. The thought of him vanishing had been too distressing- Yacob, the bodyguard standing nearby, was rendered speechless. Having served as Elias¡¯ bodyguard for seven years, he had witnessed Amanda and Elias¡¯ marriage. With the task of finding Aiden this time, he found himself unable to bear witnessing the emotional reunion. Why do they appear more intimate than some blood rtives? She has gone above and beyond as a stepmother. It¡¯s no wonder Mr. Winters was so furious that he refused toe. If he did witness this scene, it would surely enrage him even further. ¡°Miss Bailey, it¡¯s not advisable to stay here for long. Let¡¯s return to Imperia as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Amanda got into the car with Aiden in her arms and carefully checked if he was injured anywhere. He seems to be perfectly fine. Thank goodness¡­ Starting the car, Yacob observed her actions through the rearview mirror and could not help but offer a gentle reminder. ¡°Miss Bailey, forgive me for being nosy, but it might be wise to set some boundaries in your attachment to this child.¡± She was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡± For a moment, she could not grasp the intention behind his words. He started the car and drove slowly, exining, ¡°The more attached you are to this child, the more it may displease Mr. Winters. It¡¯ll affect everyone if he¡¯s upset, including yourself.¡± She remained silent and simply held Aiden tightly in her arms. A few hourster, they arrived in Imperia. After dropping off Amanda and Aiden at Gxy Bay, Yacob instructed, ¡°Miss Bailey, once you hand over the child to Mr. Nicholson, please proactively approach Mr. Winters. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have toe and pick you up again.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± She stepped out of the car with the sleeping Aiden in her arms and nced at Yacob inside the vehicle before entering the vi. As she pushed open the door and stepped into the living room, she discovered Simon lying on the couch, seemingly asleep. She was startled as she wondered if he had been waiting there all along. Hearing footsteps, he snapped out of his dreams and abruptly sat up. He saw her standing there with Aiden in her arms and questioned whether he was dreaming. ¡°Amanda?¡± He could not believe his eyes to see them standing here so perfectly fine. ¡°Simon, we¡¯re back¡­¡± ¡°You found Aiden?¡± He looked at Aiden in her arms with a face full of disbelief. ¡°Let him in the room to sleep. Please wait for me.¡± Amanda nced at the sleeping Aiden and He put gestured for him to lower his voice. He nodded and watched her carry Aiden upstairs. She found Aiden¡­ How did she manage to find him? Did she locate him on her own so quickly? Could it be¡­ Elias¡± doing? He was willing to help find Aiden. Has he already discovered Aiden as his biological son? At the thought of this possibility, Simon felt an indescribable sense of suffocation. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 As if He Could Not Get Enough After a while Antada came downstairs booking womewhat thed 2 have he the past days Simon had prepared a cup of tea on the coffee table and pushest i toward her ¡°Take a few sips to relied yourself You look exhausted ¡°Thank you¡± She lifted the reap and sipped. Although tired, the exhaustion disappeared the moment she saw Asten. Arden was found so quickly I guess Elias was involved It was not a question but a statement. Amanda nodded in respon Sumon asked. ¡°So does has already know the shild is his Ocherweise rely old he gerve to help find Aident He doesn¡¯t seem like such a magnanimONS MAN N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he made a condition What condition Simon was genuinely curious. What condition could make Elias willing to help another man find hax wont to her least consider tiden. Amanda said. ¡°He asked me to cut off contact with you.¡± ¡°Hah Simon sneered 7 knew it. How could Ehas be magnanimous? Those who navigate the businew world always prioritize their interests. ¡°And you agreed to it?¡± However, what shocked him the most was that she had agreed to cut off contact with him. She felt somewhat troubled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much at the time. I was desperate to find Aiden as soon as possible, so- You could¡¯ve told Elias that Aiden is his biological son Whether he wants to find him or not is his choice Why did you have to agree to that condition¡± Simon was a bit angry. Am I really that misignthoant to hert & our rtionship so easily disposable ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡°Are you determined to keep Aiden¡¯s true identity a secret from Elias forever?¡± He sensed a wavering in Amanda¡¯s determination. She tightly held the teacup. Tm conflicted. There are times when I see Elias¡¯ remarkable capabilities and think that Aiden may have a better life with him, but then. I remember his cruelty in the past and feel resentment toward him I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± If Aiden were to be with the Winters Family, he would undoubtedly have the best of everything in the world. However, she could not forget or forgive how s heartlessly abandoned her when she way pregnant four years ago. TR Chapter 67 As if He Could Not Get Enough Simon slowly stood up I can give you some advice¡± Amanda looked up at him, seemingly seeking his opinion as she knew he was always a man who prioritized rationality ¡°Give Aiden back to the Winters Family and live your own life. After all, it seems safer for him to stay with them¡± He nced at the time Tm relieved to see you¡¯ve returned safely I need to head to thew firm now It¡¯s been two days since I wasst there¡± With that, he turned and left She sat alone on the couch. her mind in chaos like a tangled mess Through this incident. Amanda witnessed the power of the Winters Family and Elias ability to protect his loved ones. On the other hand, she had made many enemies in the years of being awyer That made her wonder how she would handle a simr situation in the future Despite that, the thought of giving Aiden back to the Winters Family or reconciling with Elias was unbearable for her. The humiliation she had experienced four years ago lingered in her mind. As night descended, the entire city was enveloped in shimmering neon lights. Amanda arrived at the Winters Estate to fulfill the promise she had made earlier. She understood that failing to do so might result in Elias sending someone after her, and she knew his response might not be as forgiving as before. ¡°Miss Bailey, please follow me.¡± The butler led her to Elias¡¯ bedroom, only to find it empty. She was perplexed as to why they were in Elias bedroom and wondered where he could be at that moment. ¡°Why are we here? Where is Elias? Isn¡¯t he in the estate?¡± The butler smiled and replied, ¡°Miss Bailey, please change into the clothes Mr. Winters has prepared for you. He¡¯s attending a charity auction tonight, and you are expected to apany him¡± Amanda was speechless about his decision. He¡¯s as domineering as ever. When did I agree to apany him to a dinner party? This doesn¡¯t make any sense! After speaking, the butler exited the bedroom and closed the door. Looking at the clothes in the gift box, she felt ack of interest in wearing them. However, when she thought about Elias¡¯ relentless search for Aiden in the past few days, her heart softened slightly. She picked up the dress from the gift box and was instantly captivated. It was a breathtaking starry-sky dress, a high-end limited edition from a renowned brand. Amanda hesitated for a few seconds before finally deciding to put on the dress. However, she could not reach the zipper behind her and walked over to the mirror in the dressing room. The moment she saw herself in the reflection, she froze. The dress was breathtakingly beautiful as if she had the entire gxy delicately woven around her. She could not help but reveal a sweet smile Wanting to reach the zipper behind her, she could not grasp it, no matter how hard she tried. Even as the bedroom door was pushed open and the deep footsteps of a man approached, she remained oblivious. O < Chapter 67 As if He Could Not Get Enough ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this zipper¡± she muttered softly, growing increasingly annoyed. Her arins were getting tired, yet she could not reach the ripper Unexpectedly, a pair ofrge hands belonging to a man firmly grabbed Amanda¡¯s slender waist, with the other hand effortlessly pulling up the zipper from behind She stood still as if struck by lightning and looked at the man who appeared in the mirror. Unable to contain herself, she quippest. Are you a ghost Can¡¯t you make any sound when you walk?¡± The atmosphere in the dressing som gradually became ambiguous Elias handsome features were enveloped in a mischievous smile as he gazed at her reflection in the mirror Ofcourse, there was sound. You just didn¡¯t hear it. Amanda ¡°What?¡± she responded in annoyance and took a small step to the side, not wanting to be in such proximity to him. His sexy and deep voice slowly sounded. ¡°It¡¯s been four years, and you seem to have be even more attractive¡± As he spoke, his pitch-ck eyes fixed on her chest. Amanda¡¯s eyes widened instantly as she looked at her chest and instinctively covered it with her hands. ¡°Elias¡¯ Your pervert! Where are you looking?!¡± With that, she turned around, intending to leave the dressing room. Unexpectedly, he swiftly pulled her back. With his firm grip on her cheek, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply. ¡°MmMme Amanda struggled to break free, but the man seemed even more engrossed in the kiss as if he could not get enough. She realized things could spiral out of control if they continued like this. She managed to push him away, gasping for breath as she asked. ¡°Are you attending the auction or not?¡± A faint smile appeared on his lips. ¡°I almost forgot about that. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll deal with youter. She was speechless by his response. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Red Wine Poured Over Her Head +15 Bonus At the auction, Amanda followed Elias into the grand hall. It was a prestigious event exclusive to wealthy and privileged individuals. She sat beside him but was absent-minded. The auction and. mmenced with an emerald bracelet from Deskolor, emanating an air of vintage elegance nious allure. The auctioneer introduced the bracelet¡¯s origin. ¡°This bracelet is the creation of the renowned Fliaria jewelry master, Larina. She dedicated three years of craftsmanship to design it, bestowing it the name aralleled.¡¯ It¡¯s a symbol of perfect love, believed to bring happiness and fulfillment to its recipient. We¡¯ll begin the bidding at 10.5 million.¡± 10.5 million? She did not pay attention to the auctioneer¡¯s lengthy exnation but did catch the number of the price mentioned. This is ridiculously expensive. Who in their right mind would spend 10.5 million on such a bracelet? Elias¡¯ pitch-ck eyes fixed on the bracelet disyed in the showcase as if he were staring at his prey. He nced at Amanda¡¯s wrist as if noting the absence of a bracelet as an essory. On the other hand, she only hoped to endure this tedious auction and could not bear to stay for another second. Unexpectedly, the man beside her raised his paddle, capturing the auctioneer¡¯s attention. ¡°Excellent! The gentleman at Table 6 has made a bid. Starting at 10.5 million, do we have any higher bids?¡± She was dumbfounded as she gazed at the handsome profile of the man beside her. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why are you bidding on this?¡± Does he intend to give it to me? Amanda could not fathom where her sudden confidence came from as the thought crossed her mind until Elias¡¯ cold voice cut through. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Besides, it¡¯s not for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She felt relieved. She believed he might be the only one interested in that ordinary bracelet, and no one wouldpete with him. In the next moment, the auctioneer announced, ¡°Thedy at Table 10 has ced a bid. 10.65 million for the first time!¡± Amanda could not help but turn her head and look. At Table 10 was an elegant and noble-looking woman who appeared to be a youngdy of means. Why does this woman look so familiar? Where have I seen her before? Without sparing a nce backward, Elias promptly raised his paddle to increase the bidding. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . The woman at Table 10 also persisted with her bids as if they were determined to outdo each other, neither willing to concede. Amanda could not bear to watch anymore. The price of the ordinary bracelet keeps rising closer and closer to 15 million with each bid. Is it truly worth that much? ¡°Are you nning to raise the bid to 15 million?¡± Elias fixed his gaze on the emerald bracelet in the showcase andzily replied, ¡°When I want something, I O < Chapter 68 Red Wine Poured Over Her Head make sure to get it. No one canpete with me.¡± Speechless, she realized she should not have asked. The world of the wealthy is truly beyond my understanding ¡°The gentleman at Table 6 has ced a bid of 15 million! 15 million for the first time 15 million, second time! 15 million, the third time! Sold¡¯ The Unparalleled bracelet will now belong to the gentleman at Table 67 Amanda felt speechless and cast a disdainful nce at the man beside her. What a spendthriji, spending 15 million on such an ordinary bracelet. To whom is he nning to give it to Bat home could that mysterious teeman at Table 10 give up now when the bidding for the bracelet has reached 15 million? She could not help but turn her head for another nce at the woman. Although she was quite far away and could not see the woman¡¯s face, she could not shake off the strange sense of familiarity. Two hourster¡­. The auction was ongoing, but Amanda and Elias left as she made the excuse of being hungry. So, he took her to an open-air restaurant located on the rooftop of a hotel. From there, they could enjoy the cityscape at night and gaze at the starry sky. It was a romantic dating spot that any woman would love. They settled in a corner, where a gentle breeze brushed against them. From their vantage point, she could turn her head and see the bustling night view of the entire city. ¡°Do you like it here?¡± While flipping through the menu, Elias nced at Amanda¡¯s serene profile. She smiled faintly. ¡°You must¡¯ve brought Grace here before.¡± He fell silent, realizing he had been exposed. She knew she had hit the mark, and a flicker of surprise in his eyes almost made her burst into laughter. She exined, ¡°I know traditional masculine men like you wouldn¡¯t be familiar with ces like this. You must¡¯ve brought a woman here before, and Grace¡¯s positive reaction made you assume that all women would enjoy it here- Before she could finish her sentence, Elias frowned in displeasure and ced the menu before her. ¡°Enough with the nonsense and order your food.¡± Amanda chuckled and picked up the menu to browse through it. ¡°Miss, what would you like to eat?¡± The waiter smiled beside them, ready to take her order. She opened the menu and quickly skimmed through the options. The prices listed were quite high, and just looking at them made her feel full. However, since Elias was the one paying, she did not have to worry about the cost. ¡°Well¡­¡± She was about to speak when suddenly, a person rushed toward her and deliberately poured a ss of red wine over her head. It happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that no one had a chance to react, not even Elias, who was sitting across from her. Chapter 68 Red Wine Poured Over Her Head 15 Bonus ¡°Ah!¡± Amanda let out a cry of surprise and looked up, taking a few seconds to recall who the woman was that had poured wine on her. It was Lunabelle, Simon¡¯s ex-girlfriend. She seemed to instantly understand why Lumabelle was so angry. She probably thought I betrayed or cheated on Simon as his wife. It seems that his ex-girlfriend cares a lot about him. Lunabelle posed with an indifferent attitude as she looked at Amanda¡¯s disheveled appearance. In the next moment, Elias abruptly stood up and pushed Lunabelle aside. He walked to Amanda¡¯s side, taking a napkin to wipe off the wine from her face. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you called the cops? Useless!¡± he scolded the waiter nearby. The waiter was stunned as it was the first time he had encountered such a situation since he started working. ¡°Call the cops! I¡¯m going to sue him for assault!¡± Lunabelle eximed angrily, holding her forehead as shey on the ground. Amanda turned her gaze toward Lunabelle and noticed that she had hit her head on the sharp edge of the table, resulting in a bleeding wound on her eyebrow. Blood was trickling down her eyebrow. Curious nces filled the restaurant as spections about a possible love triangle spread through the air. Elias did not even nce back at Lunabelle and snorted. ¡°If you can win thewsuit, fl acknowledge your abilities.¡± ¡°You despicable couple!¡± Lunabelle watched the scene and felt pity for Simon, questioning his choice of Amanda as a partner. She even doubted if Aiden was his biological son, wondering whether Amanda had been cheating on him and betraying his trust all along. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Elias! You¡¯re Crossing the Line! +15 Bonus Despicable couple? No shame? These sensitive words hit Elias¡¯ sore spot, instantly infuriating him. He grabbed an empty ss before him and threw it directly at Lunabelle. ¡°Ah!¡± She let out a painful scream the next second. It struck her head again. Not only was the cut bleeding, the ss shards were also embedded in her skin. giving a horrifying sight. It was evident that Elias¡¯ strength was too much for a woman to bear. This man¡¯s temper was known to be extremely violent within the wealthy circle of Imperia. Seeing this, Amanda immediately got up and hugged the man. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± After all, Lunabelle was just a confused outsider, merely standing up for her ex-boyfriend, Simon. Elias looked down at the woman in his arms, and his anger subsided slightly. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. ¨C Simon received a phone call and quickly rushed to the hospital. He ran to the inpatient department and found the ward where Lunabelle was staying. As soon as he entered, he saw a bandage wrapped around her forehead. Her eyes seemed swollen from crying. ¡°Luna, what happened?¡± He walked over, his face filled with concern. ¡°Simon! There are some things I must tell you today. Even if you don¡¯t wish to listen or believe, I still have to tell you. I¡¯ve made up my mind about being the viin.¡± She also felt that she should not interfere in the affairs of a married couple, especially as his ex- girlfriend. However, she could not bear it any longer. Why is such a good man being treated like this? What did Simon do wrong to Amanda? Why did she betray him? ¡°What happened exactly? Please tell me who caused you to get hurt like this. I can be your defense lawyer. I¡¯ll make sure they pay the price.¡± Simon was extremely anxious when he saw blood seeping through the bandage on Lunabelle¡¯s head. He just wanted to understand what had happened. Sheposed herself and slowly began speaking, ¡°I saw your wife having an affair. That man injured me. I know I shouldn¡¯t interfere in such matters, but I couldn¡¯t bear to watch it. They were very intimate, and it seems they have known each other for a long time. I think you must go back and have a paternity test done. It¡¯s possible that the child¡­ Midway through her words, she noticed Simon seemed unfazed, even somewhat calm. Does he already know? ¡°You knew?¡± Lunabelle¡¯s face filled with shock. When did the Simon she remembered be so generous? ¡°Rest up. Leave the rest to me.¡± He seemed reluctant to bring up the matter and turned to leave. She grabbed his arm. ¡°You can tolerate your wife betraying you? Simon, when did you be so generous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because of my mistake that you got hurt. I¡¯ll give you an exnation.¡± After Chapter 69 Elias! You¡¯re Crossing the Line! saying that, he removed her hand and turned to leave the ward. Lunabelle was left in confusion,pletely unaware of what was happening. She felt like her moral principles had been ruined. 15 Bonus Simon arrived at the emergency surgery department as he heard that the other party was getting stitches. here. Upon entering the emergency surgery department, he indeed saw Amanda and Elias. This exceptionally handsome and beautiful couple always stood out, catching one¡¯s attention effortlessly; they were irritatingly matching. At that moment, she had cleaned herself up and stood by, watching the doctor stitching her wound. Elias¡± hand was also sttered with ss shards from the restaurant. A few small pieces had embedded in his skin, requiring wound cleaning and stitches. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She casually looked up and saw Simon standing there. Her emotions becameplicated. This situation could be said to have been caused by both herself and Simon. Lunabelle would n been so angry if she had not cooperated with Simon¡¯s lie. ¡°Alright. Remember not to wet the wound for seven days. Avoid eating spicy and stimting fool don¡¯t drink alcohol. The doctor finished stitching and gave some precautions before turning to le Only then Simon approached and straightforwardly said, ¡°As a man, it¡¯s disgraceful toy hands on woman. Elias lifted his head at the sound and nced at the person. Then, he calmly andposedly stood up t raise his chin slightly. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°Woman? Are you referring to that lunatic? She suddenly came over and sshed wine on Amanda before cursing at us, calling us a despicable couple. You should be grateful that I didn¡¯ty my hands on her. If I had, that lunatic would be lying in the ICU now instead of a regr ward.¡± ¡°Elias! You¡¯re crossing the line here! There¡¯s a reason behind Lunabelle¡¯s actions. She mistakenly believed. that Amanda cheated on me. She didn¡¯t know the truth!¡± Simon¡¯s anger surged, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as if he could throw a punch at any moment. ¡°So what? It¡¯s none of my damn business!¡± After saying that, Elias took Amanda¡¯s hand, preparing to leave the hospital. However, Simon extended his arm to block their path and said. ¡°You must apologize to Lunabelle. Otherwise, she will press charges against you for intentional injury.¡± ¡°Are you herwyer? What¡¯s up with the both of you? Why did she stand up for you?¡± Elias narrowed his eyes. His intuition told him that these two people had a special rtionship. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. In any case, you need to apologize, or we¡¯ll see you in court.¡± Elias pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Is she your ex-lover?¡± Simon remained silent, and Elias let out a coldugh. ¡°Your ex-lover knows about your rtionship with Amanda, so she thought Amanda cheated on you and stood up for you?¡± Amanda was speechless. This se mbag is quick in his reactions. His guess is almost spot on. Chapter 69 Elias! You¡¯re Crossing the Line! Elias nced at the woman beside him, who had been silent the whole time. ¡°Amanda, you broke your promise. You didn¡¯t fulfill what you agreed to. I¡¯m mad at you¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her mind was in chaos, and she was momentarily puzzled. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you cut ties with him? Are you waiting for me toe and break you two apart? Do you want me to be the bad guy?¡± He looked at her innocent expression and wished he could strangle her. After saying that, he turned to Simon. ¡°A man who can¡¯t even find his son, relying on his love rival to save the day, so ipetent. Yet, you still have the leisure to protect your ex-lover. Don¡¯t you feel pathetic? What right do you have to speak to me?¡± ¡°You¡± Simon was about to say something, but Amanda gestured to him as if pleading for him not to reveal the truth. After all, Elias was still clueless that the child was his biological son. Simon finally held back his words. Meanwhile, Elias forcefully pulled Amanda away from the hospital. He could not help but feel nauseated whenever he looked at Simon. Frankly, he did not understand what Amanda saw in this man. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 All Because of You Amanda was forcefully pulled away from the hospital by the man. As they returned to the car, the atmosphere became tense. Elias was still angry, his slender fingers tugging at his tie, his handsome face filled with displeasure. He could not help but pipe up. ¡°Tell me the truth. What are you thinking?¡± She remained silent and looked at the man¡¯s beautiful face, unsure how to respond. The man became even more infuriated when she did not reply. He firmly grabbed her chin, pressing hard on it as he stared into her innocent eyes. ¡°You just wanted to use me to find the child. You never intended to cut ties with Simon, did you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve known Simon for four years. He¡¯s helped me a lot during that period. It would be heartless of me to cut ties with him like this- Before she could finish her sentence, the man impatiently interrupted her. ¡°It¡¯s none of my busin then asked, ¡°Do you have feelings for Simon? Truly?¡± Just as she was about to answer, the man cut her off harshly. ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t say anything. I don¡¯t hear it!¡± He was afraid to hear an answer he disliked, which would make him explode with anger. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you like, but you must cut ties with Simon. You cane to me if you want a chi although¡­..¡± He paused, reminiscing about the child they lost four years ago. He continued, ¡°Although lost our child, I¡¯m still fertile. Why be a stepmother to someone else¡¯s son? I can make you pregn again, and we¡¯ll have another child. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Who would want to have another child with you?!¡± Amanda¡¯s emotions instantly became somewhat uncontroble. I can¡¯t believe this sc*mbag dared to say such things. She was alone and helpless in a foreign country just to give birth to Aiden. She had to endure a day and a night of pain and excessive bleeding, even contemting suicide. Now, he wanted her to have another child? Furthermore, if he did, she had to bear it. If he did not, she had to abort it. Why was he still so domineering and oblivious to his own mistakes? Elias was taken aback for a moment. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll have another child with you. If you want one, find another woman to bear it!¡± After speaking, she turned around, pushed the car door open, and was about to get out. The man forcefully pulled her back, raging with anger. ¡°Amanda, you will pay the price for what you said tonight!¡± ¡°What are you doing? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Seeing Elias suddenly angry, she felt rather panicked. After all, it was well-known that this man had a vtile temper and could do anything when he lost control. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you what I¡¯ll do tonight!¡± He gritted his teeth and helped her fasten her seatbelt. Then, he stepped on the elerator and drove away from there. That was the way back to the estate. ||| O Chapter 70 All Because of You +15 Bonus He drove recklessly, speeding rapidly, rendering Amanda terrified. ¡°Can you slow down a bit? Are you in at hurry to die? Elias, slow down!¡± She had never seen him drive so fast before. It was nerve-racking as if he was heading toward his death. He kept his eyes on the road ahead and continued to elerate. ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry to make a son.¡± ¡°What?¡± She was too nervous to understand what he meant by that. In this manner, it only took them half an hour to race back to the estate. Amanda could not help but gasp for breath as soon as the car came to a stop. She felt like she had come back to life, having been on edge the whole way, afraid they would crash at any moment. Before she could catch her breath properly, Elias unbuckled his seatbelt, mmed the car door, and walked around to her side. She looked at the man outside the car window in terror. What is he going to do now? He opened the car door and released her seatbelt, forcefully lifting her out of the car before carrying her toward the vi. ¡°Elias, let me go! What are you doing? Are you going crazy again?¡± ¡°I am going crazy, all because of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess around! I warn you, let me go, or I¡¯ll get angry!¡± She struggled and squirmed, but it was futile. How was it possible for her to ovee the strength of a man, especially someone like Elias, who stood 6 feet tall? Several servants passed by on the way, greeting him, but he ignored them and carried Amanda straight. into the elevator. With a ding, the elevator doors slowly opened. The man carried her back to the bedroom. Her eyes widened when she saw the bedroom door open, and she struggled even harder. ¡°Elias, I warn you once again. Let me go, or I¡¯ll bite you to death! If you don¡¯t believe me, just watch, I¡¯ll do it!¡± She had sensed the danger and seemed to anticipate what would happen next. He threw her onto the soft and fluffy bed before locking the bedroom door. Just as she was about to struggle to get up, the man forcefully pressed her down, kneeling on both sides of her body, holding her tightly so she could not move. Shey on the bed, watching as the man took off his suit jacket. He then tossed his tie onto the carpet and began unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time. At that moment, the man exuded a wild and intense aura, like a predator pinning down its prey, eager to indulge in pleasure, full of desire. ¡°Do not touch me!¡± Amanda screamed in a high-pitched voice, writhing her body. The next second, the man¡¯s sexy chest and abs came into her view, presenting an absolute visual feast. Elias suddenly leaned in, gripping her chin firmly, his tone forceful and dominant. ¡°Look at me! I want you to see who I am clearly and remember me tonight!¡± Intimidated by the man¡¯s aura, she stared at him nkly. ¡°Mmm!¡± O Chapter 70 All Because of You The next moment, her lips were forcefully pried open, and she barely had time to react. #15 Bonus The man rudely tore off her starry sky dress with spaghetti straps. She struggled with all her might. ¡°Stay away from me! Don¡¯t touch me! Believe me. I¡¯ll bite you to death!¡± ¡°Bite me if you want. Even if you bite me to death, it won¡¯t stop what¡¯s going to happen tonight.¡± Elias had a resolute expression as if no one could persuade him otherwise. She bit down on the man¡¯s shoulder, wishing she could bite it off and hoping it would sober him up even a little bit. The man let out a muilled groan, but he had no intention of stopping. He whispered in her ear, ¡°You¡¯re tough, but I still won¡¯t stop. Amanda, I¡¯m going to own you tonight.¡± She felt hopeless, for this man was so stubborn. Once he set his mind on something, he would go through with it, and no one could stop him.. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed with sadness, without understanding why. Meanwhile, Grace was at home, about to call Dick. She wanted to see if he had seeded. That little boy would¡¯ve been abandoned in some remote mountain valley if everything went smoothly. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 I Will Not Give Birth for You +15 Bonus A wicked smile crept up on her lips. If that were the case, Amanda and Elias could never find the child. Without the kid¡¯s existence, Amanda would no longer be a threat to her. However, gradually, Grace¡¯s face turned unpleasant. It was because she could not reach him on the phone. It just would not connect, no matter how many times she dialed. Had they lost contact? She frowned. #hat¡¯s going on? Why can I not reach him?Is he caught by the cops? I only gave him the first installment, while the final payment isn¡¯t settled yet. How can this person just disappear like that? Most likely, he has been apprehended. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of this. If that were the case, would she not be soon discovered? Suddenly feeling anxious, Grace tremblingly dialed the phone number and quickly got through. ¡°How is the surveince on your end? Are the cops still guarding the vi?¡± ¡°It seems they dropped the case. They said they found the child, so the case¡¯s dropped.¡± They dropped the case. They found the child. Grace felt like she had been struck by lightning, unable to react for a while. She hung up the phone and slumped onto the couch. They found the child. Amanda had such great ability that she managed to find the child in just two days. No wonder she could not contact the kidnapper. At that moment, her phone received a news notification with the headline, ¡®Elias¡¯ Secret Late-Night Meeting with a Beauty, All for the Sake of Love. Grace nced at it, annoyed, but her eyes could not look away. She immediately opened the news article. It depicted an eyewitness capturing him taking a hottie to a restaurant but encountering troublemakers. He even resorted to violence, disregarding his image to protect thedy. In the video screenshot, the so- called ¡®beauty¡¯ was Amanda! The news was published half an hour ago, and it happened tonight! Grace¡¯s state of mind instantly copsed. While she was here gleefully thinking the child had been abandoned, Amanda had already found the child long ago and was even on a date with Elias! How does Amanda possibly have the ability to locate the child? Could it be Elias who helped? ¡°Oh my¡­ He knew about the child¡¯s existence?¡± She could not help but mutter to herself. Otherwise, why would Elias agree to help find the child? She suddenly felt like she was falling into an endless abyss and had no hope left if he already knew about the child. There was no way she could grab Elias¡¯ attention anymore! She cried out in despair, screaming. ¡°How can this happen? Even God is not on my side! Why is this happening to me? I¡¯ve tried so hard! I was about to attain happiness. Why¡­¡± Chapter 71 I Will Not Give Birth for You The night was long- Amanda felt like she was tormented to death. When she opened her eyes, she realized it was already 3.00AM She nced at the satisfied man sleeping beside her, the nket covering his waist, but his chest had several marks that looked like scratches from cat ws. Four yearster, she was forced to sleep with this ran again. She endured the soreness throughout her body as she slowly sat up to nce at the moonlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She wanted to return and see Aiden after experiencing those thrilling moments; she wanted to be by his side every moment. However, her body was in so much pain that even the slightest movement hurt. She looked at the red marks on her fair skin and could not help but curse in her heart, What a se ¡°mbag! She lifted the nket, intending to get up. Yet, as soon as her feet touched the ground, her legs gave w and she fell directly onto the carpet. Just as she raised her head, she was startled when she saw the man handsome face right before her. ¡°Ah! You scared me!¡± Moonlight streamed in through the French window, making Elias¡¯ face appear sharper under the glow, lik a sculpture. ¡°Why are you not sleeping in the middle of the night? What are you trying to do?¡± The man reached out his long arm and effortlessly pulled her back onto the bed, trapping her in his embrace. Once again, her cheeks could not help but blush from being close to the man¡¯s scorching hot skin. It was because her mind was reying the intense and lingering moments with him. He kept repeating. ¡°Amanda, you are mine¡­ Only mine¡­ You¡¯re not allowed to like anyone else¡­ You¡¯re not allowed to be another man¡¯s stepmother¡­¡± She thought this man was simply unreasonable-a madman demanding as if he wanted to brand her body with his exclusive mark. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± She was speechless because it was impossible to argue with a fool. So, she harshly said, ¡°Obviously!¡± ¡°Well¡­ How about applying some ointment?¡± ¡°Save it! Just do me a favor and bring me a contraceptive pill. Thank you!¡± She suddenly remembered that the man had not taken any safety precautions. What if she got pregnant? She did not want to have another child. It was too painful. Once those words fell, the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold. The man¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If you take the pill, won¡¯t all my efforts tonight be in vain?¡± He had worked hard all night, so there was no way he would let her take the pill. Chapter 71 I Will Not Give Birth for You +15 Bonus ¡°Elias, let me make it clear to you. I was pregnant with your child four years ago, and that¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t want to bear another child for you. If you didn¡¯t want it back then, you can forget about having it forever!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Amanda admitted she was being stubborn, but thinking about what happened four years ago made her angry. She could never let go of it. ¡°But I want it now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote! Some things won¡¯te back once they¡¯re gone! You can only wish for it no matter how much you want it!¡± She would never get pregnant again, at least not for him. He stared at her intensely. ¡°Do you have to be this ruthless?¡± ¡°Yes! If you still want to be with me, be prepared to never have children in your lifetime. I won¡¯t bear any children for you. Otherwise, find another woman. Plenty of women would want to do that for you.¡± She was deliberately making things challenging, hoping this man would eventually give up. She understood very well that Elias had to have children as the sole heir of the Winters Family. In other he relied on his offspring to inherit the family business. He remained silent for a long time without saying a word. At that moment, his phone vibrated. He was in no mood to answer the call, but the phone kept buzzin he angrily picked it up. ¡°For f*ck¡¯s sake, why are you calling in the middle of the night? He immediately started getting angry as soon as he answered the call. It was unclear what the person on the other end said, but the man¡¯s expression changed abruptly. ¡°What? She shed her wrist? I¡¯m coming!¡± He hung up the phone, got up, and quickly changed into a new set of clothes in the walk-in closet. What? Who attempted suicide? Amanda sat on the bed, utterly confused about the situation. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Don¡¯t Go, Elias! Stay With Me 15 Bonus After a few minutes, the man emerged from the walk-in closet looking neat andposed. He seemed to be in a rush, quickly putting on his coat and ring at her with fierce eyes. ¡°Dare to take the pill and see what happens! I won¡¯t spare you!¡± The bedroom door mmed shut with a bang. Suddenly, a cold silence filled the room. Amanda sat on the bed, still pondering over the phone call the man had just received. She only caught four keywords-she shed her wrist! Who could¡¯ve attempted suicide to make Elias so panic? Suddenly, she thought of someone. Grace? Did she really do that? Her face turned slightly pale, her small face filled with shock. It took her a while toe back to her senses. In the hospital. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Elias arrived at the hospital and headed straight to the operating room. Outside the emergency room, a middle-aged couple anxiously waited. They immediately stood up and approached him upon seeing his figure, demanding answers. ¡°Mr. Winters, why did you break up with Grace? Why? It¡¯s because of this blow that she attempted suicide. When we found her, she had been lying in the bathtub for a long time, losing so much blood. We don¡¯t even know if she can be saved.¡± The woman cried insincerely while the man reprimanded her, ¡°What are you saying? Grace will be fine. She¡¯s lucky and strong. Nothing can happen to her!¡± This couple was Grace¡¯s uncle and aunt, who benefited greatly from relying on Elias. Now, they were going crazy knowing their niece had been broken up. ¡°Shut up!¡± Elias could not bear the incessant nagging from the couple any longer and angrily shouted at them. Instantly, silence fell, with only the aunt shedding a few fake tears on the side. Of course, the couple did not want anything to happen to Grace. Without her, their source of ie would be gone, losing the guarantee of a worry-free life in theirter years. After an unknown period, the door of the operating room slowly opened. A doctor walked out and removed his mask. Elias immediately approached him, asking, ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Had it been a few minutester, she could¡¯ve had excessive blood loss and died. She¡¯s safe for now, but she¡¯ll be under observation for a few days.¡± At that, the man breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she was okay, everything was fine. Grace¡¯s uncle and aunt simrly heaved a sigh of relief as their source of ie remained untouched. Chapter 72 Don¡¯t Go, Elias! Stay With Me +15 Bonus In the VIP ward, Grace finally regained consciousness an hourter. Her wrist was wrapped in pristine. white bandages, with traces of blood seeping through. Her face was pale as paper, devoid of vitality as though she had just returned from the gates of death. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the tall and handsome figure of a man standing in front of the French window. Is that Elias¡­Is this a dream? He¡¯s been avoiding me these days, and I couldn¡¯t even enter his office. How is he here in the hospital? ¡°Elias¡­ Is that you?¡± Grace¡¯s voice was weak, struggling to sit up. She was afraid that this was all a dream. At that, Elias turned around and walked toward the hospital bed. He helped her sit up and ced a pillow behind her. ¡°It¡¯s really you!¡± She grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with tears. This isn¡¯t a dream. This is him! However, his words were hurtful as they came out. ¡°Grace, what you did was foolish. No man would like a woman who threatens tomit suicide.¡± Grace looked somewhat embarrassed, biting her lip, not knowing what to say. Elias pulled back his arm and sat on a nearby chair, looking directly at her on the hospital bed. He said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s just a breakup. There¡¯s no need to threaten me bymitting suicide. There are many things you can do in your life. Do you need a man to survive? Are you deliberately trying to make me feel guilty?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that! You want me to divert my attention, but I can¡¯t do it. You¡¯re all I think about! I¡¯ve always revolved around you. You¡¯re my dream, and now, you¡¯ve shattered it. How am I supposed to ept that?¡± Grace cried with a sense of grievance, She needed to vent, to express herself, and she might go crazy if she continued to suppress her feelings. She did not wish to give up on him after waiting for so many years! I just can¡¯t! ¡°Then, learn to ept reality.¡± His voice was cold and ruthless, leaving her no trace of hope. Tears could not resist flowing from her eyes, skating down her cheeks and onto the nket. ¡°Are you suddenly so heartless because you discovered about the child?¡± It must be because he found out about him. Otherwise, why does his attitude change so drastically? Elias frowned slightly, his pitch-ck eyes filled with confusion. ¡°What child?¡± Grace was taken aback. How can Elias not know? ¡°The child by Amanda¡¯s side. Didn¡¯t you break up with me. because of that child?¡± He did not react much, feeling disdainful inside. It was probably Simon¡¯s son again, and Grace misunderstood and thought it was Amanda¡¯s child. ¡°Grace, that child has nothing to do with us. Besides, he¡¯s not mine.¡± She looked puzzled and started to doubt in her mind. The paternity test confirmed that the child is Elias¡± biological son. Does he not know about the child¡¯s existence? This child is truly a trump card. Why hasn¡¯t Amanda told 16:3/ Tue, Chapter 72 Don¡¯t Go, Elias! Stay With Me Elias? What is she thinking? She could not understand Amanda¡¯s intentions. 15 Bonus He continued. ¡°Also, don¡¯t mention that child to me again. He has nothing to do with me.¡± There was a strong sense of disgust in his tone as if he truly detested that child¡¯s existence. Is hepletely unaware? ¡°You rest well. I¡¯lle to see you again tomorrow. Don¡¯t do anything foolish. I don¡¯t like it,¡± Elias said as he stood up, preparing to leave. Grace quickly threw off the nket and removed the IV needle from her hand. Then, she hopped off the bed and hugged the man¡¯s tall figure from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Elias! Stay with me. I¡¯m really scared.¡± ¡°Scared of what?¡± He stood still, his tone icy. Her eyes darted around as she deliberately mentioned her brother. ¡°I¡¯ve been having dreams about my brother these days. I dreamed that he was covered in blood, calling me for help, but I couldn¡¯t save him. I was terrified.¡± Needless to say, Elias would always fall silent whenever Yn was mentioned, agreeing to whatever sh asked for. It had always been the case. She felt anxious because she was unsure if it would work this time. After all, his attitude was firm. indicating aplete desire to cut ties with her. Sure enough, the man fell silent again. He remained quiet for a long, long time. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Go Ahead and Try Elias did not waste a moment. He gently released the woman¡¯s grip around his waist, calmly stating. ¡°Please go ahead and rest. I¡¯ll find my ce on the couch.¡± +15 Bonus Grace¡¯s face brightened instantly, and she responded with a soft affirmation. She obediently returned to her spot on the hospital bed, observing as he settled himself on the couch, and closed her eyes. As he took his seat on the opposite couch, his mind delved into a haunting recollection of a vivid, blood- soaked scene from years past while looking at the girl sleeping on the bed. It was a sight of unimaginable horror-Yn had valiantly sacrificed himself, descending into a pool of blood to protect Elias. When Elias finally arrived, Yn¡¯s grasp on life was tenuous at best. Within that crimson pool. Yn clung to Elias¡¯ hand, his voice trembling as he pleaded, ¡°Mr. Winters, I implore you, take care of my sister¡­¡± At the grand Winters Estate. The first rays of morning light painted the sky with delicate hues. As Amanda roused from her slumber, a surge of determination spiked through her. She slipped out of bed, exchanged her sleepwear for a fresh ensemble, and adorned herself with confidence. Today, she had made up her mind to leave this ce behind. The matter of birth control pills loomed over her thoughts. Elias had callously refused to provide them. leaving her with no option but to venture out and obtain them herself. She understood the urgency, aware that taking them promptly would prevent any potentialplications if she were to conceive. However, the moment she swung open the bedroom door, an unexpected sight greeted her-Yacob stood in stoic stillness as if crafted from unfeeling machinery. His right arm formed an impervious barrier, obstructing her path with unwavering resolve. ¡°Miss Bailey, Mr. Winters has instructed that you cannot leave until he returns.¡± A ball of anger erupted within Amanda, fueling her fiery response. ¡°Why should I wait for him? He¡¯s not even here, and we¡¯re already divorced! What gives him the right to keep me captive?¡± It was clear that Elias, the sc*mbag, was intentionally preventing her from buying the birth control pills. Yacob remained stoic, his expression unchanging. I apologize, Miss Bailey. I am simply following orders. I have no choice.¡± His unwavering obedience, irrespective of themand¡¯s nature, further ignited Amanda¡¯s fury. ¡°Im going out today! Let¡¯s see what you can do to stop me!¡± With a determined force, she forcefully pushed his arm, believing that a grown man like him would not darey a hand on her. However, her expectations were shattered as Yacob calmly uttered, ¡°My apologies.¡± ¡°Hey! What are you doing!¡± Amanda had made her way to the elevator, her finger inching closer to the button when he suddenly sprang into action. Swiftly, he approached her, his grip firm as he forcibly dragged her back into the bedroom, ensuring the door closed with an authoritative thud. She stared at the tightly shut bedroom door and could not contain her frustration any longer. Laughter bubbled up from within her, a mixture of incredulity and exasperation. Chapter 73 Go Ahead and Try Does he have to be so unswervingly loyal? +15 Bonus With a mix of determination and frustration coursing through her veins. Amanda reached for her phone and dialed Elias¡¯ number. After a few rings, he answered, but she wasted no timeunching into a fiery tirade. ¡°Show some decency, will you? What gives you the audacity to imprison me like this? Do I have nothing else to do with my day? I still need to work and earn a living, you know. Why should my time be wasted because of your whims?¡± Elias¡¯ voice, on the other end, remained infuriatinglyposed. ¡°I¡¯llpensate you for any lost ie. Just be obedient and wait for me to return home.¡± Well. He certainly has deep pockets! An overwhelming resentment flooded her. ¡°Stop unting your wealth! I don¡¯t need your money! Let me out! Don¡¯t you dare think you can prevent me from getting those pills. And let me make this crystal clear, even if I were to be pregnant, I will never keep it!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Her frustration reached its peak as if her lungs were ready to burst from the sheer weight of her anger. This man was relentless in his authoritarianism, caring only for his satisfaction in every decision he made. ¡°Then, go ahead and try,¡± he retorted before abruptly ending the call. Amanda stared at the disconnected line, rendered speechless by the extent of his despicability and contempt. What a despicable man! Determined not to be thwarted, she swung open the bedroom door, only to find Yacob standing outside. like an impregnable gatekeeper, blocking her every step. Undeterred, she forcefully mmed the door shut, causing it to resound with a thunderous crash, as if she intended to shatter it into a million fragments. Returning to the bed, shey down, her anger intensifying with each passing thought. Is this wretched man nning to confine me for a full twenty-four hours? Even emergency contraception will be futile after that time. Yet, as she calcted her menstrual cycle, a flicker of reassurance illuminated her mind. She was currently in her safe period, reducing the likelihood of pregnancy.. With this newfound reassurance, she finally let her guard down, relishing in the fact that Elias¡¯ scheme had backfired. He has brought it upon himself! However, the stifling monotony of being trapped within the confines of the room grew unbearable for Amanda. Summoning her inner resolve, she rose from the bed and approached the door once more, pushing it open. Yacob, in his unwavering dedication, appeared somewhat resigned to her persistent attempts. ¡°Miss Bailey, I implore you not to waste your effort. You can only remain here and patiently await the return of Mr. Winters,¡± he advised. Interrupting his words, she asked curiously, ¡°Has Grace attempted suicide by cutting her wrist? Is Elias attending to that matter?¡± He offered no response, refusing to engage in idle gossip or involve himself in Elias¡¯ personal affairs. His silence spoke volumes, leaving Amanda to draw her conclusions. ¡°Your silence speaks volumes, huh,¡± she remarked. Chapter 73 Go Ahead and Try 15 Bo Meeting her eyes briefly, he responded, ¡°Miss Bailey, it would be best for you to remain within the confines of the bedroom. If you require anything, please inform me. If you¡¯re hungry. I will ensure the kitchen prepares a suitable meal for you.¡± ¡°I have a present need. It¡¯s rather dull being alone in this room. How about keeping mepany and engaging in conversation?¡± She leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms, projecting an air of nonchnt contentment. ¡°I don¡¯t possess a natural inclination for casual conversation, and I¡¯m not well-versed in it,¡± he exined. his demeanor characterized by reticence and reserve. ¡°That¡¯s not a concern. Simply address my queries. I am curious about the connection between Elias and Grace. He ims that he owes her a life. What does that signify? Did Grace save his life?¡± Her curiosity was piqued. What magnitude of debt could prompt Elias tovish such indulgence upon Grace, forsaking his wife and child in the process? Yacob responded as he furrowed his brows. ¡°It was not Grace who saved Mr. Winters¡¯ life; it was her brother.¡± ¡°Her brother? What¡¯s the rtionship between her brother and Elias? Are they close friends?¡± Her m began to wander, conjuring various conjectures about how Grace¡¯s brother could have saved Elias¡¯ li Yacob seemed reluctant to delve into the matter but did not want Amanda to specte wildly. There he offered a concise response with a touch of creativity. ¡°Yn was Mr. Winters first bodyguard who remained by his side, protecting him for ten years. They were like brothers, and he treated Yn exceptionally well, better than us.¡± At least, they had observed that Elias treated Yn as a brother in the past. She continued to ask as her curiosity piqued. ¡°So¡­ How did Yn save his life to the extent that Elias would sacrifice his love for it?¡± That was because Elias had confessed to her multiple times that he did not love Grace and that his action were merely driven by guilt. Yacob fell silent for a few seconds before speaking, ¡°Yn sacrificed his life to save Mr. Winters. In his dying moments, he entrusted Mr. Winters with the care of his sister, as they had no parents. Mr. Winters was only fulfilling his promise.¡± ¡°He sacrificed his life?¡± Amanda was genuinely shocked. She thought Yn had only saved Elias¡¯ life, but she had not expected him to die in the process. She then nodded with a look of understanding. ¡°I sec..¡± No wonder Elias doted on Grace so much; his guilt must run deep. Unable to hold back, he added, ¡°Miss Bailey, Mr. Winters isn¡¯t the scoundrel you imagine him to be. He simply has an overwhelming sense of responsibility. Yn¡¯s death was a tragic and gruesome affair, and that¡¯s why Mr. Winters continues to carry the burden in his heart.¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 The Pain in Elias¡¯ Heart +15 Bonus Amanda had initially not wanted to ask, but Yacob¡¯s words sparked her curiosity. ¡°May I ask how Grace¡¯s brother died? How gruesome was it, exactly? Of course, if it¡¯s inconvenient for you to talk about it, forget what I asked.¡± She was not intentionally prying into someone¡¯s privacy; she was simply curious. Yacob seemed reluctant to bring it up, so she decided not to push further and prepared to turn around and get some more sleep. After all, she could not leave anyway. Suddenly, his voice sounded behind her.. ¡°When Mr. Jensly Winters¡¯ enemy wanted to kidnap Mr. Winters, and we were living in constant danger. Mr. Jensly came up with a n for Yn to disguise himself as Mr. Winters, to be his substitute until the officers captured that deranged enemy. But¡­¡± Amanda stopped in her tracks, slowly turning her body and continuing his words, ¡°But before the officers. could catch the culprit, Yn was kidnapped and treated as Mr. Jensly¡¯s son. He suffered unimaginable torture, didn¡¯t he?¡± He nodded, and her expression became somewhat sorrowful. ¡°It was more than just torture; it was a level of cruelty beyond imagination. By the time we arrived, he had been broken beyond recognition. His fingers were cut off, both feet severed. His eyeballs were gouged out, and his ears were sliced off. He was barely clinging to life, waiting for Mr. Winters toe, hoping to entrust his sister to him for care¡­ Amanda could not help but cover her mouth, her eyes filled with horror. Just hearing these descriptions was so painful that she could not help but feel like crying. How did Yn endure until they arrived? It¡¯s so tragic¡­.. Yacob forced a bitter smile. That¡¯s why Mr. Winters feels indebted to Yn. During that time, Mr. Winters often had nightmares. That¡¯s why he tries to make it up to Grace for everything because it was truly horrifying¡­ She seemed to have a faint understanding of the pain in Elias¡¯ heart. He continued, ¡°Because of Yn, Mr. Winters has a strained rtionship with his parents. He believes that his father¡¯s decision led to Yn¡¯s demise, and he doesn¡¯t even consider Yn¡¯s life as a human life.¡± Amanda fell silent. Indeed, it seemed that way. To be so ruthless, there had to be deep-rooted hatred. Now that she had thought about it, she had not met his parents and had only seen his grandfather since she and Elias married. ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen my parents-inw since entering the Winters Family. Only his grandfather has been with him all along. Where are his parents?¡± This topic made Yacob fall silent for a long time, and he said, ¡°You should save this question for Mr. Winters in the future. We¡¯re not at liberty to disclose that.¡± Chapter 74 The Pain in Elias¡¯ Heart Is there some earth-shattering secret hidden within again? It was almost dark when Elias finally returned. +15 Bonus Amanda had been confined to the bedroom all day, not stepping outside for a moment. The servants would bring her meals when it was time to eat. The moment the bedroom door flung open, she thought she was phantom listening. Until she saw his figure, she sat up in surprise from the bed. ¡°You¡¯re finally back. Can I leave now?¡± She stood up without a word and attempted to leave. As she passed by the man, he grabbed her arm firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any questions for me?¡± he asked. ¡°Questions?¡± She looked puzzled but soon understood his meaning. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ve already figured it out. There¡¯s no need to ask. Grace couldn¡¯t bear the blow of being abandoned by you, so she attempted suicide by cutting her wrist. By the way, how is she? Is she okay?¡± Her sincere concern for Grace¡¯s well-being made the man furrow his brow. ¡°You care about her life and death?¡± Amanda burst intoughter as she was unable to contain herself. ¡°Even if I dislike her, I wouldn¡¯t wish for her to lose her life. It¡¯s a matter of life and death, not to be taken lightly.¡± The man fell silent for two seconds. ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s under observation in the hospital. She¡¯ll probably have to stay there for a few days.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Take good care of her,¡± she said, ready to leave. However, the man still held onto her. Amanda gazed down at her wrist tightly grasped by him. ¡°Is there something else? You¡¯ve kept me here the whole day. What more do you want?¡± ¡°Do you not want to see me? Does every second you spend with me suffocate you?¡± He had kept her with him the entire day but had not even seen her once. Every time she saw him, she wanted to leave without hesitation or reluctance. ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t want to see you at all. I don¡¯t want to spend even a second with you. Are you satisfied now?¡± She forcefully shook off his hand and turned around, leaving the bedroom without looking back. This time, Elias did not try to restrain her. Instead, he let her go. Watching as the door mmed shut, he felt like his world had also plunged into darkness. He walked over to the soft, fluffy bed and copsed onto it heavily. As he closed his eyes, the horrific image of Yn¡¯s final moments kept haunting his mind, refusing to fade away. It was a constant reminder that taking care of Grace was his responsibility, one he could not escape. At Gxy Bay After returning home, Amanda quickly rushed upstairs to check on her baby. She discovered that Aiden, that little rascal, was secretly making a call to Simon again. Why can¡¯t this little rascal let go of him? Feeling helpless, she went downstairs to prepare milk for him. When she saw the bodyguard sitting on the couch in the living room, she instantly felt a sense of security. He was provided by Elias for her use. Chapter 74 The Pain in Elias¡¯ HeartT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She had only borrowed the bodyguard from him for a week. After that, she would have to find her bodyguard to protect Aiden. ¡°Um, you can go upstairs and choose a guest room to sleep in tonight,¡± she awkwardly said to the bodyguard in the living room. +15 Bonus The bodyguard replied. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, Miss Bailey. I can sleep on the couch in the living room at night. It¡¯s convenient for me to keep an eye on the surroundings and protect you all.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Thank you for your hard work. I¡¯ll find a suitable bodyguard as soon as possible, and you can be free to leave.¡± The bodyguard did not say anything and just nodded. Of course, he wanted to return to Elias¡¯ side as soon as possible. After all, he was employed by the Winters Family. Back in her room, Amanda discovered that Aiden was still on the phone. She walked over with the milk bottle, forcefully put it in his mouth, and snatched the phone from his ear. ¡°You should apany Miss Gowen properly at the hospital. Kids don¡¯t understand things and shouldn¡¯t bother you. I apologize on his behalf.¡± Just as she was about to hang up, she heard Simon¡¯s voice from the other end of the line. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t hang up!¡± ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± ¡°Amanda, Lunabelle spilled wine on you without knowing, and I¡¯ve already exined it to her. She understands everything now.¡± She responded, ¡°So what? Are you going to defend her against Elias? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I just want to say that there are misunderstandings among the three of us that need to be cleared up.¡± 33 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Parent-child Sports Event +15 Bonus Amanda¡¯s gaze fell to the floor as she stole a nce at her son, who sat peacefully drinking milk from his bottle. With a wistful smile, she addressed Simon over the phone. ¡°Simon, it¡¯s not right to deceive Miss Gowen. If there¡¯s genuine affection between you two, let fate take its course.¡± Before Simon could utter a word in response, she abruptly ended the call, denying him the opportunity to exin himself further. ¡°Mommy!¡± She then turned her attention back to Aiden, cradling his bottle, and inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be kinder to Uncle Simon?¡± He defended his favorite stepdad candidate, and his voice tinged with indignation. He genuinely believed that Simon was a good person. ¡°Since when am I not kind? Finish your milk quickly, and then we¡¯ll take a bath and go to sleep. It¡¯s been too long since you¡¯ve been to kindergarten.¡± She then urged her son to finish his milk promptly. As Aiden continued to sip his milk, he suddenly let out a frustrated huff and tossed the bottle aside. ¡°I was just telling Uncle Simon about the parent-child sports event at kindergarten tomorrow. I wanted him toe with us, Mommy.¡± Parent-child sports event¡­. Amanda feigned a light-hearted tone as she wanted to spare her son any disappointment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mommy will be right there with you. It¡¯s a fun event where parents and children team up. And let me tell you. Mommy¡¯s got some serious athletic skills!¡± However, he responded with a knowing look, challenging her words. ¡°Mommy, you always say lying is bad. It makes your nose grow longer, remember?¡± She was left speechless and let out a bittersweet chuckle. ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t lie. Just wait and see tomorrow. I will surprise you, I promise.¡± In truth, her athletic abilities were far from impressive. Physical education had always been a struggle for her during school days. However, how challenging could the sports activities at the kindergarten be? She clung to a glimmer of confidence, hoping to prove herself. Aiden paid no heed to her words, swiftly finishing his milk and urging her toward the bathroom. ¡°All done. Let¡¯s go take a bath!¡± Without waiting for her, he darted into the bathroom, his excitement palpable. Left alone in the hallway, Amanda could not help but smile at her son¡¯s spirited demeanor. He just doesn¡¯t believe me, does he? Inside the bathroom, he yed with the bubbles in the bathtub, his mind preupied with thoughts of the uing parent-child sports event. Worry etched onto his little face, reflecting the weight of his anticipation. Observing his demeanor, she leaned against the doorway, her smile taking on a yful edge. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Always trying to act like a grown-up.¡± Chapter 75 Parent-child Sports Event +15 Bonus ¡°Mommy, will all the other kids¡¯ mommies and daddiese to the parent-child sports event tomorrow?¡± His question pierced through the air, and his voice tinged with a mix of hope and uncertainty. The question struck a chord within Amanda, erasing the yfulness from her face. Nodding gently, she replied, ¡°Most likely..¡± His gloom deepened as he stared down at the toy in his hands, lost in his thoughts. Witnessing his despondency, she felt her heart sinking in tandem. A sudden realization washed over her. Am I being too selfish?Does he honestly need his father¡¯s presence? Growing up with only a mother, will heck the influence of masculinity he yearned for? Moreover, he longed for paternal love. The envy in his eyes when he saw other children calling out for their dads tore at her heartstrings. Should she reveal the truth to Elias, acknowledge their child, and let him know about Aiden¡¯s existence? Her mind was in a dilemma, Uncertainty loomed over her, leaving her at a loss for what she could d There would be many more asions like parent-child sports day in the future. Could she continu fake her way through each one of them? ¡°Baby, do you wish you had a daddy?¡± She gently touched Aiden¡¯s head. He nodded. ¡°Yes. Why does everyone else have a daddy except me?¡± His words pierced through her heart once again, stirring a painful ache within her. Yes. Why does every oth child have a father while mine doesn¡¯t? The belief that she could raise Aiden on her own, without the presence of a man, was beginning to crumble before her eyes. The next morning, Amanda arrived at the kindergarten with Aiden, prepared to participate in the parent- child sports event. As expected, all the children were apanied by their parents, with only a few grandparents in attendance. She was the only single parent there. She was taken aback, grappling with a mix of emotions that rendered her speechless. Was she the sole divorcee in this vast kindergarten, or was it merely an unfortunate coincidence? ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Aiden suddenly seemed insecure, tightly holding onto his mother¡¯s hand. It was then Amanda understood how he felt in these situations. It must have been awkward every time, yet there was nothing he could do. ¡°Aiden, cheer up!¡± ¡°Mommy, I want to go home. Let¡¯s not participate in the sports event. It¡¯s not fun anyway. He was already starting to show avoidant behavior. Her heart skipped a beat, her concern deepening. Why is he starting to withdraw from such asions? Will this pattern impact his developing psyche?¡± Just when she found herself at a loss for words, a familiar male voice,ced with genuine remorse, emerged behind them. ¡°Aiden, Amanda, I apologize for beingte.¡± Chapter 75 Parent-child Sports Event 15 Bonus That voice! It¡¯s Simon! Both she and Aiden turned to face the unexpected source of the voice-Simon. She had not anticipated his presence. Aiden¡¯s face transformed, a radiant smile recing his earlier insecurity. Releasing his mother¡¯s hand, he darted toward Simon, his excitement evident. This ungrateful little guy. She worried for nothing. Simon swept Aiden into his arms, closing the distance between them and Amanda. ¡°There was traffic on the way, so I got dyed. Hasn¡¯t it started yet?¡± ¡°Not yet. I think it¡¯ll be another half an hour.¡± Although she did not want to trouble him, she had to admit that he arrived just in time to save the situation. Aiden seemed to regain his confidence instantly. He jumped down from Simon¡¯s arms and started showing off to the other children. Amanda could not help but sigh. It seemed that children understood more than adults imagined and also had a sense of pride. The little rascal seemed proud, holding onto both her and Simon¡¯s hands, looking like the happiest kid in the world. A whirlwind of emotions stirred within her, defying description and leaving her at a loss for words. Following a morning filled with the parent-child sports event, Amanda found herself utterly drained. She had underestimated the physical activities at the kindergarten. At noon, Simon whisked them to a charming restaurant, where they settled at a cozy table by the window. Aiden¡¯s face radiated uncontainable joy, his excitement palpable throughout the entire morning. Meanwhile, a Rolls-Royce slowly stopped at a traffic light intersection on the bustling street. Grace insisted on being discharged from the hospital today, so Elias had no choice but to drive her home. As their car happened to stop at the intersection outside the restaurant, she caught a glimpse of the harmonious and blissful scene through the window disy. Intentionally, she pointed it out to him and said, ¡°Elias, is that Amanda? She looks familiar¡­ Who is the man and the child with her? I can¡¯t see it clearly.¡± Upon hearing her, he immediately turned and looked over, confirming it was indeed Amanda. As for the man and the child next to her, there was no need to guess-it was undoubtedly Simon and his son. In the next second, the man muttered, ¡°F*ck!¡± He angrily mmed his hand on the steering wheel. Witnessing this scene, he felt his anger welling up, but he was unable to stop it. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 I Can¡¯t Give Up on You .15 Bonus Observing Elias¡¯ contorted visage, Grace innocently queried. ¡°Elias, what troubles you? Are you alright? Perhaps we misunderstood, and that woman may not be Amanda after all.¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t her, who else could it be?¡± His tone exuded intense hostility. Eventually, after stealing onest glimpse of Amanda¡¯s tender smile through the boutique window, he firmly pressed the elerator, propelling the vehicle forward. This woman has never bestowed upon me such a gentle smile. Does she truly find sce in thepany of Simon and his son? Witnessing the frightful expression etched on the man¡¯s face, Grace found her uneasiness heightened, causing her to clutch her seatbelt tightly. ¡°Elias, please slow down. I¡¯m scared¡­¡± In that instant, the man¡¯s mind was consumed by the idyllic and joyful tableau they had just witnessed, rendering him impervious to her pleas. Half an hourter, the car gradually halted outside the residential area. Grace¡¯s uncle and aunt stood there, eagerly anticipating her arrival. Ever since she ascended the social hierarchy, they had relocated from a squalid slum to an affluentmunity. As the car door opened, her uncle and aunt put on hypocritical expressions and approached to wee them. ¡°Be careful, Grace. You just got discharged. Don¡¯t exert yourself.¡± Her uncle supported her as she got out of the car. Her aunt, on the other hand, was even more exaggerated; it was as if she wanted to kneel and serve as a steppingstone. ¡°Uncle Grant, I¡¯m not that weak.¡± Grace was well aware of the couple¡¯s motives. Elias carried the luggage, and they entered the residence together. The man ced the suitcase in her bedroom and turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Get some rest.¡± Unexpectedly, she stepped forward and closed the bedroom door, locking her uncle and aunt outside. They exchanged puzzled nces, looking utterly confused. ¡°Why did she close the door? We¡¯re here; we could¡¯ve helped persuade him.¡± Her aunt also wanted to help her hold onto the man¡¯s heart. Otherwise, they would have no hope for their future, considering Grace¡¯s sess in the entertainment industry relied on Elias. Her uncle waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t worry about it. Grace must have her reasons for doing this, and she wants to keep Mr. Winters more than we do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Her aunt nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Grace leaned against the door. ¡°Elias, I¡¯m telling you. I can¡¯t give up on you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business. I¡¯ve already made it clear. We can have any kind of rtionship except developing feelings.¡± He remained cold and indifferent, showing no intention ofpromising. Feeling desperate at his aloof attitude, she grew anxious. ¡°If you insist on this, don¡¯t bother about my life Chapter 76 I Can¡¯t Give Up on You and death. My suicide has nothing to do with you!¡± +15 Bonus ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. I¡¯m not interfering with you; I¡¯m simply disciplining you on behalf of your brother. If your brother saw you like this, did you think he¡¯d let it slide?¡± After all these years, it was the first time he had brought up Yn¡¯s name voluntarily because he never liked to mention him. She stood still, unable to speak for a long time. If her brother had seen her cutting her wrist and attempting suicide because of love, he would have scolded her awake. Elias opened the door and was greeted with the sight of his uncle and aunt pressed against the door. cavesdropping. They awkwardly chuckled. ¡°Uhm, Mr. Winters, why don¡¯t you stay and have lunch with us? I¡¯ve asked my wife to buy the groceries. As long as you¡¯re here, Grace will behave- Before Grace¡¯s uncle could finish his sentence, Elias mercilessly interrupted. ¡°No need. I have work to attend to at mypany. Keep an eye on her, and don¡¯t let her do any more foolish things. With that, man left without looking back. The uncle and aunt hurriedly entered the room. cautiously observing Grace¡¯s expression. ¡°Is everything going well, Grace? Did you manage to capture his heart?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When Mr. Winters came to the hospital yesterday, he seemed anxious. He still has feelings for you.¡± the Faced with relentless questioning from her uncle and aunt, Grace felt her head was about to explode. She was fed up! In an irritable tone, she shouted, ¡°Get out, all of you! I¡¯m sick of it!¡± After having lunch, Amanda and Simon dropped off Aiden at the daycare center and went to work at thew firm together. ¡°Amanda, I heard that you were bullied by Carlisle at the pool partyst time. If you find it difficult, you can hand this case back to me,¡± Simon spoke slowly as he was driving. She was taken aback and immediately recalled the time when she was forcefully. It made her angry just thinking about it. Moreover, Carlisle was nothing more than a prodigal who hadmitted such acts without any sense of crisis, relying on his power and influence. ¡°That¡¯s good. I really can¡¯tmunicate with him. I¡¯ll hand it back to you. Besides, he doesn¡¯t value women at all. I don¡¯t understand why ourw firm took on his case.¡± She wanted to stand on the side of justice. Defending the girl who was sexually harassed would be eptable, but defending such a sc*mbag would truly trouble her conscience. The scenery outside the car window rapidly retreated, and the wind tousled her hair. Simon smiled. ¡°Even criminals have the right to hire awyer for their defense. You and I are well aware of that.¡± She remained silent. Of course, she was aware, but it disgusted her. ¡°Leave it to me, so you don¡¯t have to worry about this case anymore.¡± Simon also noticed her resistance T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. 23 Chapter 76 I Can¡¯t Give Up on You and no longer pressured her to take on the case. Amanda nodded, feeling much relieved. After returning to thew firm, they went to their respective offices to work. Yet, as soon as Amanda entered her office, she froze in ce. The professional smile she had just greeted her secretary with became stered. #15 Bonus A man sat with his back facing her on the couch in the reception area. Just seeing his back made her feel an immense sense of pressure. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Regaining herposure, she closed the office door and walked toward the reception area. Her office was designed in a low-key style, but because of this man¡¯s presence, it felt somewhat oppressive. Elias lifted his head slightly, looking at her delicate face, and could not help but chuckle self- deprecatingly. ¡°You¡¯re so unhappy just seeing me, but you¡¯re all smiles when you¡¯re with another man. Am I a monster? Do I scare you so much?¡± The thought of seeing Amanda and Simon dining harmoniously together filled him with uncontroble jealousy. ¡°Did youe to my office just to mock me? Don¡¯t you have anything better to do? Is Winters Enterprise going bankrupt?¡± Amanda¡¯s anger rose as well. Why is this man always so inexplicable, leaving people puzzled? With her attitude, Elias¡¯ mood became even worse, and he forcefully pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Ah! What are you doing? This isn¡¯t your territory. It¡¯s my office!¡± She was indeed flustered because she knew too well about this man¡¯s temper. In any situation, he was capable of doing anything. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Let¡¯s Date 15 Bonus As Elias leaned closer to Amanda and his handsome face loomed before her, he spoke in a deep and cold voice. ¡°So? Are you afraid of what I might do?¡± ¡°Me? No! I¡¯m just reminding you to watch your words and actions!¡± She struggled to retract her hand, but the man¡¯s grip only tightened. His anger was uncontroble now as he growled through gritted teeth, ¡°Amanda, are you ignoring my words? I told you to stay away from that father and son. And what do you do? Not only do you not stay away, but you also get closer to them. Are you just using me for your own gain? You are going to turn your back on me now that you¡¯ve found the kid?¡± With how terrifying Elias looked, Amanda felt as if he was going to get violent anytime now. Suddenly, she desperately tried to retract her hand out of fear. ¡°When did I turn my back on you? Stop using me!¡± ¡°Then stay away from that father and son! Do you hear me? Do you think I¡¯m someone you can u throw away? You will die horribly if you y games with me.¡± The man made a point with his w pitch-ck eyes were locked on her. She suddenly felt a chill down her spine. This man was terrifying when he lost his temper, suffocating her as if she were plunging into the boundless darkness. ¡°Elias, don¡¯t you think you are asking for too much? You want me by your side, but you don¡¯t want to up taking care of Grace. No woman can tolerate that!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. After saying this, even Amanda herself was somewhat surprised. I¡­ care about these things? I thought I didn After all, I don¡¯t even know what rtionship it is I have with Elias now. He forced me to sleep with him a few times four years ago, but why am I starting to care that he is taking care of Grace? Elias¡¯ pitch-ck eyes flickered slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you jealous? Do you Then, why don¡¯t you speak up? Why are you acting like you don¡¯t give a sh*t about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± She turned her head away, not wanting the man to see the look in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that I don¡¯t love Grace. I just owe her, that¡¯s all.¡± mind? The man exined once again even though he used to dislike exining himself. Although he hadn¡¯t realized it yet, it seemed that he had somewhat changed because of Amanda. After hearing Yacob¡¯s narrativest night, Amanda had a rough idea of why Elias treated Grace with such care. However, she just couldn¡¯t ept the fact that there was an entanglement between Elias and Grace. What he did for Grace far exceeded what love was supposed to be. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. After all, we¡¯re already divorced. I seriously don¡¯t understand you. Grace is beautiful, she loves you very much, and she is obedient to you. Why can¡¯t you just try to live a life with her?¡± Amanda voiced her doubts. Does he only want what he can¡¯t have? Chapter 77 Let¡¯s Date ¡°There is no particr reason. I just don¡¯t love her.¡± +15 Bonus ¡°But you didn¡¯t love me either four years ago. You wouldn¡¯t have been so cruel to me otherwise, no?¡± Amanda reminded him earnestly. Four years ago, Elias showed no affection for her, or he wouldn¡¯t have been so indifferent to her feelings and treated her with such ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness. Elias stared at her with a gloomy expression for a while. ¡°Looking back now, I might have loved you then.¡± bbergasted, Amanda thought that she heard him wrong. ¡°What did you say?¡± The man fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°I thought I didn¡¯t love you four years ago, but now I realize that I must have loved you. Why would I have married you if I didn¡¯t? I have no intention of marrying Grace now. Even though there are many reasons for me to marry her, my heart is against it.¡± A speechless Amanda was almost amused by his logic. What kind of reasoning is this? She thenmented, ¡°You married me four years ago because your grandfather forced you, didn¡¯t you? It seemed like you didn¡¯t want to marry me back then. You did it just to fulfill your grandfather¡¯s wish in case you regret it if he passed away.¡± The man sneered. ¡°No one can force me to do something I don¡¯t want to do. Even if my grandfather was on the verge of death back then, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to such an absurd request. By agreeing to it, it meant that I didn¡¯t dislike you back then. I even thought it was possible for me to marry you.¡± Amanda was stunned as she silently stared at the man¡¯s handsome face, unsure of how to react or what to say. After a moment, Elias released her slender wrist, which had turned red from his grip. While he stood up straight, she also straightened her posture. The height difference between the two seemed oddly harmonious. The two of them together were like a beautiful oil painting when the sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. ¡°I know you resent what I did to you four years ago. I can make it up to you. As for our child. If fate allows, I will do whatever it takes to protect him when hees looking for me.¡± Elias didn¡¯t look like he was joking at all with that serious expression on his face. Amanda only watched him without saying a word. She was on the verge of being swayed. ¡°Amanda, let¡¯s date. We had no emotional foundation four years ago, and we even went straight to getting. married without having a proper wedding ceremony. I know you¡¯ve been wronged, so let¡¯s date like a normal couple and work our way to our wedding. What do you think?¡± Date, huh? She couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud at how the man kepting up with ideas. It was as though the whole world revolved around him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to! Why should I repeat the same mistake?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t know if you¡¯re repeating a mistake until you try. If I disappoint you again this time, you can block me whenever. I won¡¯tin.¡± Elias felt that he missed out on Amanda because he didn¡¯t truly understand his own heart four years ago, Chapter 77 Let¡¯s Date Now, he had to do his best to win her over. The office fell into silence. 15 Bonus Amanda looked at the man in front of her. Deep down, she was somewhat wavering. She remembered how insecure Aiden was during the recent parent-child sports event, where other kids had their parents apanying them. Perhaps boys needed the presence of a father when they were growing up. She should let Aiden know who his biological father was, but could Elias really turn over a new leaf? Could a heartless and ruthless scoundrel who stops at nothing be a good father? ¡°Say something. Amanda.¡± Elias grew increasingly impatient when he received no response from her. Amanda snapped out of her thoughts and calmly walked towards her desk, her expression cid. ¡°It¡¯s my decision to reject you, but I can¡¯t stop you from doing whatever you want.¡± She was clearly telling Elias that she would see what he was capable of. Meanwhile, Elias furrowed his brows slightly. I¡¯m not good at pursuing women, but I¡¯ll do as you don¡¯t reject me.¡± He still had a shot as long as Amanda stopped rejecting him emotionally. Amanda smiled at that. ¡°First of all, there¡¯s something you can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°And what is it?¡± my best ¡°Get rid of your foul temper and stop interfering with my personal social circle. Can you do that? If you are charming enough to make me fall in love with you, I will naturally stay away from other men. There¡¯s no need for you to get angry.¡± Elias suppressed his burning anger. ¡°I will make you fall helplessly in love with me and voluntarily distance yourself from those men!¡± With that, he turned around and left the office. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Is This Your Idea of Dating? +15 Bonus After the door was mmed in Amanda¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. It was somewhat amusing to her. Elias was still as arrogant as ever, not having changed one bit since four years ago. However¡­.. Were Elias¡¯ words just now sincere? When we got married four years ago, he actually did have feelings for me¡­. Amanda sat in her office chair and burst intoughter.. She couldn¡¯t understand why she was always so soft-hearted to this man. Deep down, she always seemed to want to give him another chance. ¡°I just wanted Aiden to have a normal childhood. Yes, that¡¯s the only reason¡­¡± she whispered in an attempt tofort herself. After Elias left. Amanda couldn¡¯t focus on work for the entire afternoon. Her head was a mess. She was contemting whether to give him another chance even in the meeting. Simon looked up at Amanda then. ¡°Amanda, do you have any opinions on this case?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Huh? What did you say just now?¡± Amanda only came back to her senses after having her name called. She waspletely unaware of what Simon had said. It was the same as drifting off in ss and getting called upon by the teacher to answer a question. Seeing how absent-minded she was, Simon frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something bothering you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. Sorry, I just got lost in thought. She straightened up, shook her head, and tried to get into work mode. Soon, it was time to leave work Amanda nced at her wrist to check the time. She had arranged to meet with a client regarding the case, but this person was too busy during the day to meet up in the morning. After she packed up her things, she grabbed her bag and left the office. As she walked out of the office building through the elevator to go to the garage, a white Bentley suddenly stopped in front of her. Elias¡¯ handsome face appeared when the window slowly rolled down. He asked in a deep and sexy voice, ¡°Where are you going? Let me give you a ride.¡± Chapter 78 Is This Your Idea of Dating? She smiled. ¡°Is this your idea of dating?¡± +15 Bonus The man pulled his eyebrows together into a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t couples normally do this? Isn¡¯t it a basic thing to have the man pick up the woman from work?¡± Amanda did not know what to say. Well, it is the most basic thing in a rtionship. However, it seems strange when Elias is the one doing this. She didn¡¯t bother thinking about it and walked straight to the garage. ¡°Thanks for the kind offer, Mr. Ex- husband, but it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m going to meet a client. I¡¯ll just drive there myself.¡± The car slowly caught up with her pace. ¡°What if I hire you a driver? Is that still a no? Also, you¡¯re bad at driving and it¡¯s rush hour now. You are going to get your head chewed off if you get on the road now,¡± She instantly stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the man in the car. This despicable man and his low EQ! Did he really expect to have a normal rtionship like this? I bet no woman would want to date him if it weren¡¯t for the Winters Family¡¯s influence and his handsome face. There is no saving his insensitivity! ¡°Amanda, get in the car, the man said again. Feeling a bit annoyed, she sighed and opened the car door. After she sat in the passenger seat, she fastened her seatbelt. ¡°Take me to the World Trade Center, please. Thanks, Mr. Ex-husband.¡± She intentionally emphasized the way she addressed him just to make him ufortable. Displeased, the man furrowed his brows. ¡°I don¡¯t like that name. Change it.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the truth. Mr. Ex-husband. Is there something you are not happy about? Should I show you the divorce certificate to help you remember how you forced me to sign the divorce agreement back then?¡± Elias didn¡¯t say anything further. It seemed that this woman was deliberately making things hard for him. It¡¯s alright, he told himself. I won¡¯t argue with women, especially since she is my woman. Furthermore, I owe her too much back then. I have to make it up to her. Amanda waited for a long time, but the man didn¡¯t retort. She was somewhat surprised at that. Did his temper improve? As expected, the streets were packed like crazy because it was rush hour. When she drove through this intersection, she would always get cut off or honked at by drivers behind her, leaving her a nervous and flustered wreck. Her car had been scratched many times. But today, with Elias driving her, they smoothly passed through this intersection. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her driving skills were really that bad. Maybe I just drive a bit slower¡­. Finally, Elias¡¯ car entered the underground parking lot when they arrived at the World Trade Center. Amanda unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to send him away. ¡°You can go if you have something to do. I Chapter 78 Is This Your Idea of Dating? might take some time to discuss work. I¡¯ll take a cab backter.¡± +15 Bonus To her surprise, the man also unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, his tall figure walking behind her. Amanda stopped in her tracks and looked back at him with a face filled with confusion. ¡°Why are you following me? You¡¯re not nning to meet my client with me, are you?¡± ¡°No worries. I won¡¯t get in your way. I¡¯ll just sit at the table next to you,¡± Eliasmented. Amanda was speechless from disbelief. Is this still the irritable demon I know? Is he really going to sit at the next table and wait for me quietly? ¡°What if it takes a few hours?¡± She couldn¡¯t say for sure how long she would take. It would definitely take a long time if she couldn¡¯t reach an agreement with the other party. The man seemed unbothered. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you. I have nothing else going on today anyway.¡± Amanda narrowed her eyes slightly. This was the future heir of Winters Enterprise they were talking about. There was no way he would be so free to waste his time. His daily schedule was supposed to be packed. However, Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him anymore. She was already runningte for her appointment. She then hurriedly stepped into the elevator, determined to reach the agreed-upon location before the client. It was a matter of proper etiquette. She identally stumbled when she rushed into the elevator. Luckily, the man behind her caught her before he scolded her, ¡°Walk properly! How can awyer be so careless?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at him. ¡°I got it!¡± It was strange. Even though Elias was the one pursuing a rtionship with her, she felt as if his imposing presence was weighing her down. Ding! When they arrived on the 15th floor, Amanda walked into a cafe and chose a seat by the window. Elias, being considerate, took a seat next to the aisle. However, his gaze remained fixed on Amanda like he was her bodyguard. She felt herself bing ufortable under his intense scrutiny. She helplessly looked at him and begged, ¡°Will you stop staring at me?¡± She needed to get into the right mindset to discuss work with the clientter. A faint smile appeared on the man¡¯s lips. ¡°Alright.¡± At that moment, a waiter approached Elias to take his order. 34 Chapter 78 Is This Your Idea of Dating? After waiting for a few minutes, Amanda¡¯s client finally arrived. He was the CEO of an advertising company, and he needed Amanda¡¯s assistance in dividing marital assets for his divorce. #15 Bonus Amanda stood up, extending her hand with a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Jensen. I¡¯m Amanda Bailey from Justice & Associates.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Hello, hello, youngdy. I¡¯m surprised by how young you are. I thought you would be an older woman when Simon highly rmended you.¡± Zayne Jensen shook her hand and took a seat across from her. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 I¡¯m Currently Pursuing Miss Bailey Somehow, this simple handshake made Elias, who was sitting there, feel very displeased. +15 Bonus He picked up his coffee and took a sip. Instead of savoring the taste of the coffee, he treated it like alcohol. Amanda¡¯s way of shaking hands with clients always made him feel uneasy. He wondered how he managed to turn a blind eye to Grace¡¯s intimate scenes, including sex scenes, with male celebrities. He had always thought he didn¡¯t care about things like that. But now that he thought about it, he probably didn¡¯t care about whom Grace got intimate with. Amanda, on the other hand¡­. The burning and possessive gaze made Amanda feel ufortable. She had to send signals to Elias with her eyes to not stare at her. Zayne, who was sitting opposite her, noticed her sending knowing looks to someone with her eyes and couldn¡¯t help but follow her line of sight. And in the next second, Amanda was ignored by the client right there and then. ¡°Oh my, Mr. Winters! What are you doing here?¡± Seeing Elias sitting next to the aisle, Zayne stood up in surprise and went over to shake his hand. Elias maintained an air of superiority and casually returned the handshake without standing up. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Miss Bailey.¡± Elias replied while staring at Amanda. Zayne, being an astute person at his age, could see what was going on at a nce and pretended to be surprised. ¡°So, you and Miss Bailey know each other, Mr. Winters? Are you two¡­ in a rtionship?¡± He had already seen this morning¡¯s news about Elias and that actress breaking up. It seems he has a newe target. Amanda red at Elias as if warning him. Don¡¯t shoot your mouth off, or I¡¯m going to block you right away! Elias chuckled softly when he saw her re. ¡°No, but I am pursuing Miss Bailey. It all depends on whether she epts me or not.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see. You have great taste, Mr. Winters! Are you by yourself? Why don¡¯t we sit together?¡± Since Zayne didn¡¯t normally have a chance to meet Elias, today was a great opportunity for him. He wanted to y up this man of power and influence. If he could cooperate with the Winters Enterprise in the future, his advertisingpany would be famous overnight. Amanda sighed and rubbed her forehead in frustration. Wherever Elias went, he always stood out the most. No one could ignore him. And now, he had stolen the limelight again. Does Mr. Jensen still care about the divorce or is he only focused on business? With that, Elias sat down next to her. ¡°Let¡¯s get started, Miss Bailey. Let¡¯s wrap it up quickly so that we don¡¯t dy Mr. Winters¡¯ appointment. with you. I can¡¯t afford to take responsibility for that.¡± Zayne¡¯s words were as sweet as honey as he hoped to leave a good impression on Elias. ¡°Mr. Jensen, work is important to me. I take every case seriously. I heard you have many concerns regarding the division of property and I have drafted a new divorce agreement. Would you please check if the agreement is reasonable? Can you agree to it?¡± Amanda then handed a document to the man across from her. Zayne quickly scanned through the document and looked up. ¡°I think it¡¯s great,¡± hemented. ¡°I have no questions. I will leave this case to you, Miss Bailey. I feel assured now.¡± As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Elias as he observed thetter¡¯s reaction. Amanda was speechless. Zayne had been constantly reading Elias¡¯ expressions. As such, he was being oddly agreeable despite rejecting her drafts time and time again in the past. Meanwhile, Elias appeared indifferent while he leisurely sipped his coffee in a calm andposed manner. ¡°So, should I hand this divorce agreement to your ex-wife¡¯swyer? Do you truly have no other questions?¡± Amanda asked again, not convinced that Zayne wouldn¡¯t change his mind once she was back at work tomorrow despite hispliant behavior today. ¡°Mhm. I have none. I¡¯ll entrust you with everything, Miss Bailey. I trust your abilities.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Amanda suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. Zayne tactfully smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s wrap up the work. Everything is going smoothly. You two should go on your date. I won¡¯t keep you any longer. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After saying that, he stood up to leave. Elias was quite satisfied with the man¡¯s actions and spoke up. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters¡­ Is something the matter?¡± Zayne was slightly startled, thinking he had done something wrong or said something amiss. He wanted to leave a good impression on Elias whenever and wherever ¡°Please give me your business card,¡± Elias uttered in a deep voice. ¡°For future coboration.¡± ¡°Sure, sure! I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Zayne was dumbfounded. He hadn¡¯t expected Elias to ask for his business card on his own. He took out a business card from his briefcase and handed it over carefully with both hands. After Elias epted the business card, he gave Zayne one of his own. ¡°Here¡¯s my card. We¡¯ll get in touch for any potential coborations.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ll be at your service anytime!¡± Zayne couldn¡¯t stop grinning after he received the business card. Chapter 79 I¡¯m Currently Pursuing Miss Bailey Amanda got up to see Zayne off. 15 Bonus Before he left. Zayne nced at Elias sitting behind her and whispered to Amanda, ¡°Miss Bailey. I¡¯m really grateful for you. You¡¯re truly my benefactor. Do you know how badly I want to cooperate with the Winters Enterprise? My advertisingpany would immediately establish itself in the industry if we could work on a deal together.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that, Mr. Jensen. You¡¯re still my client.¡± ¡°No, no. You truly are my benefactor. Thank you, Miss Bailey. I¡¯ll take my leave now and not disturb your date.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but sigh when she saw the CEO of the advertisingpany off. Just what was that? She didn¡¯t even have to persuade him. It is all thanks to Elias, the revered man sitting there, that today¡¯s work came to a smooth end. As Amanda returned to her seat, she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. ¡°Are you upset? Didn¡¯t it go well?¡± Elias couldn¡¯t understand why she had that expression. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes and replied to him without any emotion, ¡°He was being so agreeable because of your presence, not because of the divorce agreement I drafted.¡± ¡°Does that really matter? What¡¯s important is that things went smoothly and you can finish your work early today.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ex-husband. I can leave work now, all thanks to you.¡± Amanda grumpily packed her things and started to leave. Elias also stood up. ¡°Have dinner with me.¡± ¡°I want to go home. I don¡¯t want to eat with you.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go home with you and you can cook for me.¡± Elias shamelessly suggested. He vaguely remembered Amanda¡¯s wonderful cooking when he had tasted her cooking four years ago. Confused, Amanda asked, ¡°Mr. Elias Winters, is this how you date someone? You are pursuing me now, not the other way around. Why should I cook for you?¡± The man proceeded to reply matter-of-factly, ¡°I would love to cook for you, but I don¡¯t know how.¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 This Is All Karma +15 Bonus ¡°Can¡¯t you learn? Is it so difficult to learn to cook for the woman you love? Or is this the extent of your sincerity in pursuing me?¡± She was deliberately making things hard for Elias in an attempt to let him have a taste of his own medicine. Knowing that Amanda was filled with resentment, the man remained silent. When she got up and left, he stood up as well, offering. Then let me send you home.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I want to take a cab back. You promised to fix your temper, remember?¡± In reality, she was worried that they would run into Aiden if Elias sent her home. The man fell silent once again. He did promise to fix his bad temper. Suppressing his dissatisfaction, he followed Amanda out of the World Trade Center and watched her g down a cab and leave. He then drove his car out of the parking lot and followed the cab, wanting nothing more than to ensure her safe arrival home. In truth, he understood why Amanda treated him this way. He deserved such treatment for all the wrongs he had done. After following Amanda all the way back to Gxy Bay, Elias parked his car in a dark corner and stayed there for a long time. As he recalled the various wrongdoings he hadmitted against Amanda four years ago, he couldn¡¯t help realizing that each one of them was quite excessive. His phone vibrated all of a sudden. Frowning, he only nced at it as he didn¡¯t feel like answering the call. However, he quickly picked up the phone when he saw that it was from the nursing home. ¡°Did something happen?¡± The voice of the attending doctor came from the other end of the line. ¡°Mr. Elias, your mother¡¯s condition seems to be deteriorating. She keeps asking to see you. Do you have time toe over?¡± Elias¡¯ expression changed abruptly. ¡°What happened to her?¡± His parents had always been a mystery, having disappeared for many years. No one in his circle knew the whereabouts of his parents; it was as if they had disappeared from the face of the earth. Howard might have imed to the public that his son and daughter-inw had settled abroad, but that was not true. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say for sure, but your mother¡¯s condition has been getting worse. I¡¯m sure you are aware Chapter 80 This Is All Karma of that. It might be a good idea toe and see her if you have the time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± 15 Bonus After hanging up the phone, Elias immediately turned his car around and headed toward the nursing home. Come to think of it, it seems like I haven¡¯t visited my mother in half a year. It wasn¡¯t that Elias didn¡¯t want to go, but every time he went, his presence would always trigger his mother and cause her mental state to deteriorate even further. Elias arrived at the South Hill Care after nearly an hour¡¯s drive. Either due to thete hour or its inherently lifeless atmosphere, the ce was eerily quiet. After parking the car, he made his way to the upscale ward where his mother resided. As he entered the room, he saw his mother¡¯s frail figure in a patient¡¯s gown as she sat in a rocking chair. muttering incessantly, ¡°Waldo, all of this is retribution¡­ Why do you still not believe in karma?¡± Waldo Winters was the name of Elias¡¯ father. Elias walked up to his mother and kneeled slowly, observing her exhausted appearance. ¡°Is that you, Elias? Son.. Is it really you? Am I dreaming?¡± His mother looked at the handsome man before her and hesitated to believe what she was seeing. After all, she hadn¡¯t seen her son in a long time. In a deep, resonant voice, Elias replied softly, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Elias, you¡¯ve finallye! I was so scared!¡± Jennifer Morales embraced him tightly right after she said that. She seemed to have been genuinely frightened, seeing as how tears poured out of her eyes. Elias gently patted his mother¡¯s back. ¡°What are you afraid of? Are you unhappy staying here? I can find another nursing home for you.¡± Jennifer shook her head vigorously and broke away from his embrace. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯m afraid. retribution will fall upon you again. I¡¯m really scared.¡± ¡°Mom, stop imagining things!¡± His face darkened the moment he heard the word ¡®retribution Elias despised that word. However, his mother grabbed his arm in a firm hold. ¡°Have you forgotten how your father died? It was all retribution. How could he do something as cruel as making someone else¡¯s son be tortured to death in his ce? And then he died in a car ident after he was crushed to a pulp. What is this, if it¡¯s not retribution?!¡± Ever since Yn¡¯s tragic death years ago, strange events had gued the Winters Family. Chapter 80 This Is All Karma +15 Bonus Waldo consecutively got into car idents, ultimately tragically dying in thest one. Since then, Jennifer had suffered a mental breakdown and had to be sent to this nursing home. The worst thing was that Waldo had passed away on Elias¡¯ birthday. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Because of that, Elias never celebrated his birthday again. Four years ago, Amanda took the initiative to celebrate Elias¡¯ birthday, only to have him leave her pale with fear when he exploded in a fit of anger. ¡°Stop it!¡± Elias roared in frustration,pletely silencing his mother, who then stared nkly at him. Impatiently, he stood up. ¡°I thought you wanted to see me. If you¡¯re only going to talk about these things, I¡¯ll leave. Take care and rest well.¡± He was fed up with his mother¡¯s belief in retribution every time he visited her. It gave him splitting headaches. His mother grabbed his arm. ¡°Son, even if it¡¯s for the sake of your future children, you need to be careful. Aren¡¯t you afraid that your children will be hit by karma?¡± Children¡­ Elias tall figure froze in ce and a hint of shock appeared in his pitch-ck eyes. Did I lose my child because of¡­ retribution? Noticing his silence, Jennifer continued, ¡°Hurry up and marry Grace. Yn will leave us alone once you marry her. The only thing he was concerned about was his sister. As long as you marry his sister, everything will be fine!¡± Elias¡¯ annoyance was visible on his face. Even though he couldn¡¯t bear to listen to another word from his mother, he didn¡¯t want to upset her, considering her fragile state of mind. He managed to muster a response, albeit insincere. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it. With that, he retracted his arm and turned to leave the ward. As the door closed, the bathroom door creaked open and Grace emerged from inside. Jennifer gazed at Grace and sighed in a tearful voice. ¡°I hope he listens to me. Grace, you mustn¡¯t leave Elias. You really mustn¡¯t. Nothing must happen to him; he¡¯s the sole heir of the Winters Family.¡± Grace feigned a meek demeanor as she kneeled before Jennifer. ¡°Mrs. Winters, please rest assured. I will never leave Elias. I don¡¯t want to be apart from him. He¡¯s the one who doesn¡¯t want me¡­¡± ¡°Grace, my dear. I believe Elias wille around. He said he will consider it, so he definitely will. After all, you¡¯re the only daughter-inw I ept.¡± Jennifer gently caressed Grace¡¯s head. She was utterly convinced that Grace was the key to breaking this karmic cycle. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Winters. I will be a supportive partner to Elias.¡± Even though Grace nodded with a smile, Chapter 80 This Is All Kattesa axiner glow disappen the ones of her m 23 Ne way he wa en it is held pende Mix de moll undoubo boot house wo Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Can¡¯t Get in Touch with Elias Gxy Bay ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to wash my hair. I hate how it feels¡± ¡°No can do. You didn¡¯t wash your hair yesterday, so you have to wash it today. You need to when you go to kindergarten so that other children will like ying with you. No one will want to pr close to you if you smell vucky¡± Standing in the bathtub, Aiden constantly dodged the showerhead in his mother¡¯s hand as he refused to wash his hair. However, Amanda was determined to wash the little brat¡¯s hair tonight Last night, the boy got away when he started acting cute with her. It¡¯s not going to work even if he tres again tonight! ¡°Baby, be good ande over here. We¡¯ll watch cartoons after washing your hair, alright?¡± However, Aiden¡¯s face was dripping with disdain when Amanda started her tactics of persu ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re lying again. You never let me watch cartoons before bedtime. You always use this track to fool me. Hiph This little brat has really grown up. It¡¯s getting harder and harder to deceive him, she mused before stating. Tm serious this time. I absolutely won¡¯t trick you! Come here!¡± She quickly pulled the child in front of her and swiftly aimed the showerhead at his small head. Amid Aiden¡¯s screams, she eventually finished washing his hair. She wrapped the boy in a towel and carried him back to the bed in the bedroom She was just about to tell him a bedtime story but just as she turned around to get a storybook, she found that the little bundle on the bed had already obediently fallen sound asleep when she looked back. His small lips were slightly parted as he slept with his limbs sprawled. She couldn¡¯t help smiling at the sight of his posture. After she tucked him in, she turned off the bedsidemp and left the bedroom. Amanda then returned to her bedroom to take a shower and go to sleep. This had been an exhausting day for her. Her phone suddenly rang. She nced at it and saw that it was a call from Elias Has he decided to be annoying after all? Is this what he thinks he should do when pursuing a two Instead of answering the call, she put her phone on silent and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Half an hourter, she walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, wiping her hair while ncing at her phone. r Chapter 81 Can¡¯t Get in Touch with Elias To her surprise, she saw seven or eight missed calls-all of which were from Elias-on the screen. Is it an emergency? She wondered as she picked up her phone. 15 Bonus Right when she was hesitating whether to return his call, she unexpectedly received another call from Elias. She answered the phone and held it to her car. ¡°Why are you calling me sote at night when you should be sleeping?¡± A deep and hoarse voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°I just wanted to hear your voice.¡± The man sounded like he was intoxicated. Does he really have to be so cheesy? she quietly wondered before asking. ¡°Mr. Elias Winters, is this how you date? Do you really think this is how you should date?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach me, then? I haven¡¯t had much experience with women.¡± Amanda let out a snicker. ¡°Are you kidding me? You¡¯ve never been in a rtionship, you say? There are rumors all over about your romantic escapades.¡± That¡¯s why they call them rumors.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time arguing with you. It¡¯s been a long day. I¡¯m tired and I want to sleep.¡± After saying that, Amanda was about to hang up the phone when Elias stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t hang up. There is something I want to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My birthday is on the day after tomorrow. Will you celebrate it with me?¡± Birthday? Elias¡¯ birthday was like a nightmare for Amanda. She still remembered how she wanted to surprise him with a birthday surprise and made him a birthday cake four years ago. However, when she presented the cake to Elias, he became so furious that he smashed the cake on the ground and warned her never to celebrate his birthday again. Amanda started crying out of shock then. She had no idea what was going on. And now Elias has the audacity to bring up his birthday? What a sc*mbag¡¯ ¡°Are you seriously bringing up your birthday? Have you forgotten how you destroyed my cake four years ago? You warned me never to celebrate your birthday again. Have you forgotten all about it? I¡¯ll have you know that it¡¯s etched in my memory. Whenever she thought of that scene, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of humiliation. She couldn¡¯t understand why Elias hated her so much. The man on the phone remained silent for a long, long time. < Chapter 81 Can¡¯t Get in Touch with Elias After what felt like an eternity, Elias replied slowly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ +15 Bonus Amanda was somewhat surprised when she received the unexpected apology from the man. Not only that, it sounded sincere too. Is this the same Elias who is arrogant and never thinks he is in the wrong? ¡°Am I allowed to reject your apology?¡± She believed that the Elias from back then didn¡¯t like her at all, or he wouldn¡¯t have treated her so badly. ¡°Of course, you have the right to do that. Still, I want to spend the day after tomorrow with you. I¡¯ll pick you up. It will only take two hours of your evening.¡± After saying that, he hung up the phone without giving her a chance to refuse. Amanda looked at the disconnected call and found it somewhat ridiculous. This jerk ims he wants to fir his terrible temper and yet, he is still as domineering and forceful as ever. It seemed that a leopard couldn¡¯t change its spots. Two dayster, Amanda had a full schedule for the day. It was already 7.00PM after she had her meeting. Since she hadpletely forgotten that it was Elias¡¯ birthday, she drove back to Gxy Bay, intending to make dinner for Aiden At around 8.00PM, lightning started shing outside before there was a downpour. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s thundering. I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Aiden quickly nestled in her arms and held her tight. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, sweetheart. It¡¯s just thunder. I will go and close the windows.¡± Amanda then got up to shut the windows. As she took a nce at the raindrops as big as beans outside, she muttered, ¡°Why is it suddenly raining so heavily.. ¡°Go y with Mr. Bodyguard in the living room. I¡¯m almost done preparing dinner.¡± Amanda nced at the bodyguard who had indeed been dutifully taking care of the child these days. However, she still needed to get new bodyguards and nannies as soon as possible. ¡°Aye!¡± Aiden wiggled his bottom and ran to the living room. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. past few At that moment, Amanda¡¯s phone rang right when she was about to serve the food and have dinner. Looking at the unfamiliar number on her phone, the puzzled woman answered the call. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Miss Bailey, this is Boris Jones speaking. I wanted to ask if Mr. Winters is with you. He whipped up a feast and said he wanted to pick you up for his birthday. However, he¡¯s been gone for a long time and I can¡¯t ||| O Chapter 81 Can¡¯t Get in Touch with Elias reach him on his phone.¡± It turned out to be a call from the butler at Winters Estate. The birthday! +15 Bonus Amanda hadpletely forgotten about his birthday, Elias, too, hadn¡¯te to find her or called her. ¡°No, he hasn¡¯te to see me and he didn¡¯t call me either. He probably went to celebrate his birthday with his friends, no?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Mr. Winters has never cooked before. He spent the whole afternoon with the chef today, and then he went to personally pick you up for his birthday. But now we can¡¯t reach him and it¡¯s raining so heavily. I¡¯m a bit worried¡­ The butler¡¯s concern was not unfounded, since driving in heavy rain like this could be especially dangerous. ¡°I¡¯ll try calling him.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Miss Bailey. Mr. Winters was in a good mood before he left today, and he seemed like he really looked forward to you tasting his cooking. That¡¯s why I¡¯m afraid something might have happened to him, now that we can¡¯t get in touch with him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll try to call him.¡± After hanging up the phone, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of unease. ?? O Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Broken Headlights Amanda found Elias¡¯ phone number in her contacts and dialed it, but no one answered She kept trying a few more times but to no avail. The rain outside was pouring harder and harder. Where could Elias be? Why can¡¯t I reach him? For some reason, even she started to worry about Elias disappearance. Although he was a grown man and there was no reason for him to go missing, she couldn¡¯t be certain about anything at the moment. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m hungry! Is dinner ready? I¡¯m starving!¡± Aiden couldn¡¯t bear the hunger any longer and ran to the kitchen, whining adorably. ¡°Oh.¡± Amanda snapped back to reality when she heard that. ¡°It¡¯s done. You and Mr. Bodyguard can have dinner at home. I have something to do, but I will be back soon.¡± As she ced the dishes on the table and filled two tes with pasta, she went outside and instructed the bodyguard, ¡°Please eat with Aiden. I have something to take care of.¡± The bodyguard had no objections and simply replied. ¡°It¡¯s raining outside, Miss Bailey. Pleasee back Thank you. Please take good care of Aiden. Don¡¯t let him out of your sight for even one second,¡± she emphasized once again. The bodyguard nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Mommy, where are you going? I want to go too! Don¡¯t leave me at home. I want to go too!¡± Aiden hugged Amanda¡¯s slender legs like he was a ko. Feeling a little helpless, Amanda kneeled and patiently exined. ¡°I have an urgent matter to attend to. What about I apany you when Ie back, hmm? I¡¯m not going out to have fun.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Fine. I¡¯m hungry now, anyway. I don¡¯t have time to go with you!¡± Aiden huffed before obediently getting on a chair at the dining table to eat his dinner. Amanda nced at the bodyguard in the dining room and felt somewhat reassured. She then returned to her bedroom upstairs, changed into a different outfit, and grabbed an umbre before leaving the house. Once she drove out of Gxy Bay, she had a bewildered look on her face. She had no idea where she should start looking for Elias. Amanda continued dialing his number, but she couldn¡¯t get through since no one answered. She called the Winters Estate again, and the butler quickly answered and eagerly asked. ¡°Miss Bailey! Are there any updates? Did you manage to contact Mr. Winters?¡± ||| O < Chapter 82 Broken Headlights From the sound of it, it seemed that even the butler had no clue where Elias might be. ¡°No. You still haven¡¯t found him? Where could he possibly be when it is raining so heavily outside?¡± .15 Bonus ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know. All I know is that Mr. Winters was busy whipping up a feast to celebrate his birthday. I don¡¯t know why we suddenly can¡¯t reach him. It has been five to six hours. I¡¯m really worried. that something might have happened to him.¡± ¡°Stop thinking negatively. I¡¯m sure he is fine. Maybe he got caught up with something at the veryst minute. I¡¯ll go to thepany and check.¡± That was what Amanda thought. After all, considering how Elias was always upied with work, he might have some business to attend to. But the butler on the other end of the line exined, ¡°I already called thepany earlier. They said that he is not there. I¡¯m genuinely worried that Mr. Winters had a car ident on the way. If something did happen right when it was raining so heavily, it would be difficult for anyone to notice him. Just like what happened to the chairman years ago¡ª¡± Boris abruptly stopped mid-sentence when he realized that he had said the wrong thing- However, Amanda found out something important from Boris words. Was Elias¡¯ father in a car ident? However, she had no time to worry about things like that now. All she wanted to do was find Elias as quickly as possible. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go and look for him again while I keep calling him.¡± After ending the call, Amanda decided to retrace the route from here to Gxy Bay. If something had really happened to Elias¡¯ car halfway, she would surelye across it. She kept calling, but not once were her calls answered. The rain that grew heavier poured onto the windshield like a cascade of water, making it almost impossible to see the road ahead. Fortunately, the Winters Estate was located in a suburban area, and there weren¡¯t many vehicles on the road. Amanda deliberately slowed down the car, both for safety reasons and to check if Elias¡¯ car was anywhere along the way. There was no one in sight on the road she drove. In fact, it would make more sense for there to be no one who drove in this terrible weather. Her confidence started to falter when she had almost reached the entrance of the estate and still hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual. Can a person just disappear like this out of the blue? It doesn¡¯t make sense! And so, she decided to go back to where she came from. I must have missed some ces because of how heavy the rain is Amanda turned the car around and started heading back the same way. This time, she went slower than before as she scanned the surroundings. Atst, she noticed something amiss. She slowly stopped the car and carefully examined a tree by the side of the road. It seemed to bear signs of impact as there were fallen leaves and branches scattered on the III O < Chapter 82 Broken Headlights. ground. With an umbre in her hand, she opened the car door and strode toward the tree. +15 Bonus Upon reaching the tree, she touched the fresh scratch marks on its trunk. It was definitely recent, likely from today. A wave of uneasiness washed over her. Did he really get into a car ident? Her anxiety also rose as she looked at the fresh leaves on the ground. Even if she despised Elias and was against remarrying him, she didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him. Amanda held the umbre and walked into the woods, hoping to find the man¡¯s car, as finding the car would lead her to him. Even though she had already prepared for the worst-case scenario, which was that Elias might truly be in trouble¡­ The constant pitter-patter she heard from the umbre above her head sounded like they were beating against her heart, each drop making her tenser than before. She spent some time walking deep into the woods, but there was no sign of the car. She even had to use a shlight to illuminate the path ahead. The further she went, the more fearful she became. In truth, she was slightly afraid of the dark, especially in a deserted forest like this. Just as Amanda was about to retreat and turn around to leave, she suddenly felt something under her feet. Startled, she shone the shlight on the ground and discovered a shattered car headlight all over the ce. This means that Elias¡¯ car is nearby! Amanda swept her shlight around and searched for his car in the vicinity. Finally, she spotted a Rolls-Royce on the left, but it was in a horrible state as it had been overturned. The headlights and bumper were scattered on the ground. Tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes as she cried and hurriedly approached the scene. Her heartbeat elerated with each step. She couldn¡¯t bear to imagine the condition inside the car right now. What happened to Elias in the crash¡­ Is he¡­ dead? She suddenly had an emotional breakdown. As she stared at the overturned vehicle before her, her steps grew heavy and she hesitated to go closer. But if Elias was seriously injured, she couldn¡¯t afford to dy getting him to the hospital. It could cost him his life. Amanda rushed forward and shone her shlight into the car, only to find it empty with the windows open. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ||| O < Chapter 82 Broken Headlights ¡°Elias, where are you? Elias!¡± She turned around and called the man¡¯s name out loud. However, the sound of rain hitting the leaves drowned her voice, covering itpletely. ||| Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Be Good and Listen to Me, Okay? ¡°Elias? Elias! Where are you? Can you hear me?!¡± Amanda held her umbre and looked around while shouting, hoping the man could hear her. It was perplexing to her how the car had overturned in the woods, but the driver was nowhere to be found. 15 Bonus Amanda couldn¡¯t quite understand what had happened at that moment. How can the car be so wrecked while the driver has disappeared? Did a kind passerby rescue Elias and take him to the hospital? That seems to be the most logical exnation. After all, a person can¡¯t just vanish into thin air, right? With that thought in mind, Amanda abruptly turned around, intending to drive to the hospital and look. for Elias. Perhaps Elias was lying in the hospital right now, which was why he hadn¡¯t been answering the phone. ¡°Ah!¡± Amanda tripped and stumbled because she was in such a hurry. Fortunately, she grabbed hold of a nearby tree. She would have fallen onto the muddy ground otherwise. However, it was this stumble that allowed her to spot a figure in the distance amidst the darkness. When she saw a shadow leaning against arge tree in the distance, she shone her shlight in that direction and shouted, ¡°Elias? Is that you?¡± She wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to go and take a closer look. With that, she started approaching that figure. As she approached, she realized that it was indeed Elias. He was currently leaning against the tree trunk with blood pouring down his forehead. His head seemed injured, but his eyes were empty as they looked ahead soullessly. ¡°Elias? What happened to you? Say something! What are you doing here all alone? Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone? If you had an ident, why didn¡¯t you call for help? What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Amanda suddenly felt anger welling up within her. Just what is this man doing? Everyone was worried about him searching for his whereabouts, and here he was, hiding without answering any calls despite looking as awake as ever. Elias¡¯ clothes were soaked through, and his disheveled short hair gave him a touch of wildness, especially in such a primitive environment. When he finally showed a reaction, he nced at her indifferently and breathed, ¡°If only I died.¡± Thinking she had misheard, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was hearing such pessimistic words from him. What is going on? Did he hit his head too hard? Is it a concussion? ||| Chapter 83 Be Good and Listen to Me, Okay? +15 Bonus ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s just a car ident. It¡¯s not a big deal as long as you¡¯re okay. Why would you have such thoughts? Do you think it would be better if you died? People can only dream of being you. and yet you want to die!¡± Amanda crouched down and covered Elias from the rain with her umbre. She noticed how the man exuded an air of destion when she saw his handsome but pale face and his lips which were devoid of color. Surprisingly, he put on a despairing smile and began slowly. ¡°Do you believe in karma¡­¡± Karmal¡¯ Amanda was confused. Why is he bringing that up out of nowhere? ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± ¡°Do you remember what I did to you four years ago when you celebrated my birthday?¡± Elias voluntarily brought up his birthday four years ago. It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t mentioned it, as Amanda couldn¡¯t help but get angry. However, she let it slide at the sight of Elias in such a pitiful state. She asked in return, ¡°Yeah. What about it?¡± Elias let out a deep sigh and lifted his chin to gaze into her clear eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to get angry with you. It¡¯s because my birthday coincides with the anniversary of my father¡¯s death¡± The anniversary of his father¡¯s death?! Amanda¡¯s eyes were gradually filled with astonishment. Has the father-inw I haven¡¯t met passed on? She had never met her mysterious inws. Howard did say that they have settled abroad, so how¡­.. Not knowing what to say, she could only quietly listen as the man poured his heart out. ¡°My birthday is an unlucky day. My father was crushed to pieces and died in a car ident on that very day. There was no chance to save him. Now, I want to forget the past and start celebrating my birthday anew. And yet, I ended up in a car ident again.¡± With a bitterugh, Elias continued, ¡°It¡¯s probably karma. I should never expect to celebrate my birthday. I don¡¯t deserve it.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart melted and she couldn¡¯t help but pat the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How can you say such things? What does it have to do with karma? It was just a coincidence that your father had an ident on your birthday. It has nothing to do with you or karma.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand what really happened!¡± The man erupted in anger. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my father¡¯s decision, Yn wouldn¡¯t have died such a horrible death! His death was the retribution, and now it¡¯s my turn. Ever since I crawled out of my car. I¡¯ve been wondering why I didn¡¯t die. Does my death signify the end of everything¡­ Stunned, Amanda was unsure of how to react. She didn¡¯t know how to console Elias because everything did seem eerily simr to retribution. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital to have your injuries treated first.¡± ||| Chapter 83 Be Good and Listen to Me, Okay? She then tried to help him up, but Ehas pulled her into his arms and tightly embraced her Her umbre fell to the ground as she was forcefully held by him, unable to break free. In a low, husky voice, the man whispered into her ear, ¡°The reason we lost our child was probably because of retribution too.¡± Amanda¡¯s body stiffened and her eyes widened in disbelief. He has lost his mind! How can he think about something so terrifying? Our child is living well. Karma yed no part in this! ¡°Elias, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. You¡¯re not being rational now. Let¡¯s deal with your wounds first!¡± Amanda insisted. She didn¡¯t want to say too much to Elias, who seemed disoriented after the ident. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. The man only ignored her words and continued, ¡°Amanda, if I were to die, would you be sad? When the timees, please ce my tombstone next to our child¡¯s Amanda did not know what to say in response. He is mad. He has gonepletely mad. He must have a concussion for him toe up with nonsense like this. ¡°Be good and listen to me, okay? Let¡¯s go to the hospital now. In what way is your ident retribution? It¡¯s because of the rain. And if it were truly retribution, you would have died instantly. You wouldn¡¯t have come out alive.¡± Amanda broke free from Elias¡¯ embrace and helped him stand up like she was coaxing a child. They then slowly walked toward the roadside outside the woods. Seeing the seemingly severe injury on Elias¡¯ forehead drenched in rain, she began to worry about the risk of infection. They needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Elias only remained silent as he allowed her to help him out of the forest. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll take our time if you¡¯re in pain. No need to rush,¡± Amanda reassured him. She noticed that Elias¡¯ gait was off, possibly indicating an injury to his leg as well. After all, the car had overturned. It was unlikely that he only sustained an injury to his head. She wasn¡¯t even this patient toward Aiden. However, the child hated it when she cooed at him. Elias¡¯ face suddenly fell when heined, ¡°Can you not talk to me like you are speaking to a child?¡± Hearing that, a speechless Amanda couldn¡¯t help thinking that both Elias and their son were a pair of stereotypical macho men. Like father, like son! ||| Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Don¡¯t Fall Asleep, Elias 15 Bonus Amanda no longer uttered another word as she helped the man out of the woods. The rain had subsided significantly by now. Finally reaching her car, she opened the passenger door and helped Elias get inside. When she returned to the driver¡¯s seat, she noticed the man struggling to fasten his seatbelt. It was then she realized that Elias had also hurt his arm. It should have been obvious to her that he had more injuries than one. Even the car was wrecked, so how could he possibly walk away with only minor injuries? ¡°Let me help you¡± They were immediately close to one another when Amanda leaned over and buckled him up. Elias could even see the fluttering of her thick, long eyshes. A faint smile appeared on his lips then. It was as if he could only experience her momentary tenderness during situations like this. Meanwhile, raindrops outside the car window resumed their fierce assault on the ss, creating an unsettling pitter-patter. Amanda started to drive toward the city. She wanted to pick up the pace since Elias had sustained multiple injuries and had been drenched in rain for a considerable amount of time. However, it seemed as if the rain deliberately trapped her here, prolonging their journey and preventing her from elerating. Sensing her thoughts, Elias reassured her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Take it slow. I can manage.¡± A surge of anger coursed through Amanda when she heard those words, and she couldn¡¯t help but lose her temper. ¡°What do you mean by ¡°you can manage? Your car was flipped over and you have so many wounds. You¡¯ve been sitting in the rain for so long. Do you even realize that your injuries could get infected an inmed? Let¡¯s see how you are going to manage that when your condition worsens!¡± Elias had been observing her profile all along. Seeing herining put a smile on his face. ¡°Do you worry about me?¡± he asked. Unaware of the peculiar look in Elias¡¯ eyes as she continued to drive, Amanda replied in a slightly annoyed tone. ¡°What do you mean by that? Even if a random stranger had witnessed the ident, they would have helped you. That¡¯s called human decency! Besides, are you stupid? You didn¡¯t report the ident immediately or call emergency services. Instead, you sat in the rain, wondering about retribution and. whatnot. Are you too bored or¡­¡± Despite being bombarded with Amanda¡¯s continuous grumbling. Elias found great enjoyment in listening to her. In a way, this was her way of showing her concern. Afterining for quite some time without receiving any response from the man, Amanda finally nced at him and caught him staring at her in a daze. ||| Chapter 84 Don¡¯t Fall Asleep. Elias She frowned. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Do you find my nagging annoying? I¡¯ll have you know that if I hadn¡¯te here to find you, you would have been stuck in the rain all night. I checked the weather forecast. The rain will continue until tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± Amanda did not know what to say in response. The car fell silent in that instant. It felt so unfamiliar to her. Recently, Elias had been acting like he had both changed and remained the same old him. It was strange. He even started thanking and apologizing to her. The old Elias wouldn¡¯t have done something like that. Amanda didn¡¯t speak anymore. She quietly drove, hoping the rain would get even a little lighter so that she could speed up and go to the hospital. She was genuinely afraid that Elias would pass out in the car. When she let him lean against her earlier. she felt his higher-than-usual body temperature. ¡°Why are you not talking?¡± Elias consciousness started to blur. He felt like sleeping. Amanda nced at him. ¡°It¡¯s raining cats and dogs. I need to focus on driving. I can¡¯t even see the road properly.¡± ¡°Just say something. I¡¯m getting sleepy¡­¡± The man¡¯s gaze became unfocused as he leaned against the car seat, his mind feeling hazy Sleepy Amanda turned her head and carefully observed the man¡¯s condition. He did seem a bit off. Noticing this, she couldn¡¯t help but step on the gas and drive faster. ¡°Elias, don¡¯t fall asleep. Please don¡¯t fall asleep. We¡¯ll be entering the city soon. You can continue talking to me once we reach the hospital. It¡¯s really dangerous for you to sleep now¡± Right then, Amanda noticed that the passenger seat next to her was stained with a lot of blood. Is he losing too much blood She started feeling anxious then. Elias might go into shock if this goes on! ¡°Okay¡­ Got it. Just talk to me.¡± ¡°W-What should I say? I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Amanda was on edge now. Not knowing what to say anymore, she started to speak incoherently. Elias no longer responded. His face was as pale as paper as he leaned against the car seat. ¡°Elias! I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t fall asleep. Don¡¯t sleep! Oh, right, weren¡¯t you thinking about karma in the woods earlier? Let me tell you something that will make you not believe in karm Amanda had a clever idea. She decided to tease him a bit and stimte his mind to keep him awake. Drowsy and weak, Elias replied in a feeble voice, ¡°What is it¡­¡± He is still awake! Perfect! ||| Chapter 84 Don¡¯t Fall Asleep, Elias. ¡°That is.¡± Amanda¡¯s inner turmoil grew. Should I tell Elias about the child? At this point, nothing is more important than his life. ¡°What is it..¡± Elias¡¯ voice grew weaker as if he could copse at any moment. His face also became paler. With beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead, Amanda tightly gripped the steering wheel. ¡°IO 106¡± Elias no longer responded then. After his eyes slowly closed, darkness enveloped his vision. ¡°Elias Winters! Don¡¯t fall asleep! What I wanted to tell you is that your child is alive. There¡¯s no karma or retribution. Don¡¯t believe in those, okay?¡± Having fallen into a deep slumber, the man remainedpletely unresponsive. Unfortunately, not a single word of the most crucial information reached him. Amanda abruptly mmed on the brakes and reached over to tap Elias¡± face. ¡°Elias? Elias, wake up! Don¡¯t fall asleep!¡± Tears welled up in her eyes as she desperately tried to wake him. She had no choice but to quickly drive to the city center. She couldn¡¯t believe how he passed out when they were almost there! It waste at night by the time they reached the city center. As the streets were devoid of pedestrians and vehicles, they didn¡¯t have any trouble getting to the hospital. With the support of doctors and nurses, Elias was swiftly taken into the operating room. Amanda finally felt a slight sense of relief as her heart eased slightly. What followed was a lengthy wait. She watched as the operating room¡¯s sign lit up, and it felt like her heart was in her mouth again. She quietly prayed, please, please let everything be all right¡­. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. After all, Elias was Aiden¡¯s biological father. Amanda genuinely didn¡¯t want anything to happen to the man. She paced outside the operating room for what felt like an eternity as the doors remained shut. She had no idea what was happening inside. Her phone rang at that moment. It was a call from the estate. Thinking that it was Boris who called to ask about the situation, she answered the call and reassured the caller. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask anymore. I have found him. He did get into an ident along the way, but I¡¯ve already brought him to the hospital. Do send someone to take care of him as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What?! Something really happened? Alright, I¡¯ll send someone right away!¡± Just then, the lights in the operating room finally went out, and the lead surgeon took off his mask after he emerged from the room. ? Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 He Needs Your Amanda hurried over and asked with an anxious expression, ¡°Doctor, how is he? Is he okay? ¡°He¡¯s out of critical condition now. We¡¯ve finished stitching him up and he¡¯ll be transferred to the ward for 24-hour observation. Remember that he shouldn¡¯t eat anything during these 24 hours. The only thing he can have is water. The doctor gave her some postoperative instructions. ¡°Alright, doctor. I will keep that in mind.¡± As the doctor was about to leave, he remembered something and added, ¡°By the way, if the patient regains. consciousness after the surgery, don¡¯t say anything that might upset him to avoid reopening the wound.¡± Amanda nodded and at that moment, the door to the operating room opened and Elias was pushed out in a wheelchair. He was still under anesthesia and he looked weak wearing an oxygen mask. However, she was relieved that he was out of danger. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. An hourter, Amanda sat by the bedside in the ward and gazed at the man as he slept. She couldn¡¯t help. recalling the words Elias had said in the woods. It was something about karma. So, the people from the Winters Family believe that my enigma of a father-inw¡¯s fatal ident is due to karma? Is this rted to Elias indulging Grace? I have never thought that Elias is a superstitious person¡­ But it is a bit creepy that he got into a car ident on his birthday. Then again, I finally understand why he got so angry at me on his birthday four years ago. It turns out that there is such a tragic story behind everything¡­ All of a sudden, someone pushed the door to the ward open. Amanda turned around, only to see Elias¡± grandfather hobbling in with a cane, his expression as dark as could be. ¡°Elias, Elias¡­¡± Howard, who had always been hostile toward his grandson, was now shedding tears as he shakily approached the bedside while his bodyguard helped him up. ¡°Grandpa, the doctor said Elias is no longer in critical condition. He¡¯ll wake up once the anesthesia wears off. Please don¡¯t worry Amanda also stepped forward to help Howard steady his feet. Hearing that, Howard looked at Amanda and suddenly asked, ¡°Were you the one who found Elias? You found him by yourself?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes. I thought of searching along the roadside and finally noticed some scratches on a tree trunk. I was just checking when I walked into the woods to take a look, but I actually found him. I brought him to the hospital after that.¡± Amanda proceeded to give Howard a rough summary of the incident. However, she decided not to mention the talk about retribution that Elias had brought up. She didn¡¯t want to further upset Elias¡± grandfather. Chapter 85 He Needs You 15 Bonus Ovee with emotion, Howard swiftly held Amanda¡¯s hand and eximed. ¡°You wonderful child! That astrologer wasn¡¯t wrong at all. You are Elias¡¯ lucky star! You are the only one who can save him!¡± ¡°Astrologer? What astrologer?¡± Amanda looked utterly bewildered. She couldn¡¯t understand what Howard was saying. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Elias being safe and sound is all that matters. This happened on his birthday again, huh? Is this really retribution?¡± Howard unknowingly muttered to himself. Amanda had heard that word so many times today that she probably had callous on her eardrums. It seemed like everyone in the Winters Family was starting to believe in the concept of retribution. Elias getting into an ident on his birthday only further solidified the notion But is this really retribution? Amanda began to ponder this question that she didn¡¯t have an answer to ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had a long night, Amanda. Go home and rest. I¡¯ll stay here with him. I¡¯ll call and let you know as soon as he wakes up¡± Howard then sat on a nearby chair as she prepared to keep his beloved grandsonpany throughout the night. ¡°That won¡¯t do, Grandpa. How can you stay up all night at your age? Let me do it. I¡¯ll be fine-¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t bear to let an elderly man stay up all night like this. Before she could finish her sentence, Howard looked into her eyes and exined, ¡°Elias¡¯ father also died in a car ident on Elias¡¯ birthday.¡± The entire ward fell silent at those words. As the old man nced at the bodyguard standing behind him, thetter tactfully exited the room and closed the door, granting them privacy for their conversation. Amanda, on the other hand, quietly looked at Howard. The elderly man slowly recounted the past. ¡°Elias¡± birthday is the most dreaded day for the Winters Family. I know that you were wronged four years ago. He even made you cry on his birthday, but we can¡¯t me him. His birthday is a huge burden for him.¡± Amanda did not reply as she looked at the man still in a deep slumber in the hospital bed. Even she thought that he had to shoulder immense pressure. ¡°Amanda, do you understand how I felt back then? To have my son go before an old man like me.. He was evenpletely crushed to the point where we couldn¡¯t even see his body. That feeling.¡± As Howard spoke, he started to cry and his voice choked with emotion. It was heartbreaking to hear an elderly man sob and tell the tragic story of his son. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know what else to say, but her voice was also choked with tears. Howard continued, his voice filled with sorrow, ¡°Elias¡¯ father was the pride of my life, but he died before me! How was I supposed toe to terms with something like that? Waldo¡¯s body couldn¡¯t even be pieced ||| Chapter 85 He Needs You together!¡± +15 Bonus The old man gently pulled up the covers for his beloved grandson. ¡°Since then. Elias¡¯ mother went insane and was sent to a nursing home. I¡¯ve been telling everyone all these years that my son and daughter-inw settled abroad but in reality- Ha!¡± ¡°Grandpa, I understand why you did what you did-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, my dear. Everything I¡¯m doing now is to protect Elias and preserve the bloodline of our family. Elias is the sole heir of the Winters Family, but he doesn¡¯t even have a child. If something were to happen to him and if he were to meet an untimely death, then the Winters Family would truly come to an end.¡± Growing increasingly agitated, Howard forcefully hit the floor with his cane. Amanda¡¯s tears welled up and trickled down her face as she sobbed. That won¡¯t happen, Grandpa. Don¡¯t think like that. Nothing will happen to Elias. You can see how well he is today. He¡¯s incredibly fortunate. The ident scene where his car flipped over was so terrible that I thought. But I found Elias and he¡¯s alright. He¡¯s perfectly fine!¡± That¡¯s because you were there to protect him. If someone else had gone looking for him today, they might have found his lifeless body!¡± Howard sighed heavily. ¡°How could that be.¡± Amanda¡¯s voice grew weaker for she, too, wasn¡¯t certain if someone else would have found him. It was raining heavily at the time and if she hadn¡¯t carefully scrutinized that particr tree by the roadside, she would never have thought the car could have veered into the woods. And if she hadn¡¯t entered those woods and instead only searched along the way, she would never have found Elias, especially when it was raining so heavily. Howard looked up at Amanda, his gaze fixed on her. ¡°Amanda, please don¡¯t leave Elias, alright? He needs you. I can feel more at ease when you are by his side¡± Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 If There Are Too Many Coincidences, It¡¯s No Longer One Amanda¡¯s emotions were in a mess right now. At the sight of her hesitance, Howardughed bitterly. ¡°Now that I think about it. Elias not having any children may be a form of karmic retribution as well. Is it fated that the Winters Family will die out?¡± ¡°Grandpa, how can you think that? You¡¯re overthinking this. It¡¯s not karmic retribution at all!¡± Amanda was taken aback by the fact that Howard had started to believe in karma. Elias¡¯ father¡¯s death must have been too much of a shock to the family and made everyone lose their common sense! ¡°Go home. I¡¯ll stay here for the night. Let me apany my grandson for a while. It¡¯s been a long time since I can look at him quietly like this¡± Howard¡¯s eyes were fixed on the bedridden man the entire time. She didn¡¯t know what to say and could only nod. ¡°Grandpa, call me if you need anything. If you can¡¯t stand it, just take a break.¡± ¡°Go on. I know Howard finally smiled. Amanda¡¯s phone rang at that moment, causing some sudden noise in the quiet hospital ward. Quickly, she pressed on the mute button and retreated from the room. She picked up her phone as soon as she was outside. It was a call from Aiden, who probably was asking her to go home. Sure enough, a cute yet angry voice came from the other end. ¡°Mommy, you lied to me. Didn¡¯t you say you wille home soon? Why aren¡¯t you home yet? Hmph! You liar!¡± ¡°Baby, be good. Mommy ising home now. I was dyed, plus it¡¯s raining heavily, so I have to drive slowly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! You must have gone out alone to y without me! Hmph! I¡¯m very angry!¡± Amanda chuckled helplessly. ¡°How about I go home now and bring you your favorite chocte cake?¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll forgive you. Come home quickly, Mommy! Luckily there¡¯s chocte cake or I would have gotten really angry.¡± Aiden hung up immediately after that. She eyed her phone and shook her head with a smile. After all, he was still a child who could be easily reassured with cake. She had just turned around when she saw Yacob who had rushed there and was breathing quickly. He seemed to havee to the hospital as soon as he received the message. ¡°Miss Bailey, is Mr. Winters okay now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s out of danger and is now under observation,¡± she reported truthfully. He sighed in relief. ¡°Mr. Winters insisted on personally picking you up to celebrate his birthday. I didn¡¯t think¡­ Oh, where did you find him? We¡¯ve looked along the road so many times but did not see any traces¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I identally saw the marks of a car collision on a tree, so I took a chance and went into the woods. I didn¡¯t expect to really find him. Amanda felt that she had been lucky since not everyone would have noticed such detail when it was raining so heavily, O Chapter 86 If There Are Too Many Coincidences, It¡¯s No Longer One Yacob frowned deeply and muttered to himself, ¡°On his birthday, and a car ident no less. Is it truly karmic retribution?¡± Those wonds again. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yacob, do you believe in karma?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about it. A lot of things happened by chance. If there are too many coincidences, it¡¯s no longer one.¡± He looked into the hospital room and decided to remain outside when he saw Howard inside. Amanda opened her mouth to say something but hesitated. ¡°If Elias wakes up, you have to call me. I¡¯ll head home first.¡± She turned and headed for the lift at the end of the corridor. It was already 1.00AM when Amanda arrived home. Her entrance into the living room woke the bodyguard sleeping on the couch. She did have to admit that Elias bodyguards were all martial arts experts and highly alert to the point that they could detect even the slightest movement. ¡°It¡¯s me. Everything¡¯s okay. Just go back to sleep.¡± The bodyguardy back again when he realized it was her. ¡°The boy is now asleep but was angr went to bed.¡± She smiled in embarrassment and nced at the chocte cake she was holding. She would have in the refrigerator. Amanda headed to her son¡¯s bedroom on the first floor and opened the door gently, unable to help when she saw her darling son sleeping soundly with his rear in the air. Kissing him softly on the check, then turned and left the room. She returned to her room and took a hot shower to warm herself up. She had nearly gotten a cold from being in the rain for so long while in the woods. Shey on the bed and quickly fell asleep, falling into a dream where Elias knew of their son¡¯s existence and became furious. She also dreamed of her father-inw whom she had never seen. Her dreams were all jumbled together, and it was already daytime when she awoke in shock. However, the sky was still gloomy outside and the rain hadn¡¯t stopped, though it had be lighter. Amanda picked up her phone to look at it, not finding any phone calls from the hospital. Is Elias not awake yet? But that isn¡¯t possible, since the effects of the anesthetic have probably gone away, She tried calling Yacob, who quickly picked up. ¡°Yacob, has Elias not woken up yet?¡± Amanda felt anxious for no reason. If Elias wasn¡¯t awake, it might mean something was wrong. She didn¡¯t expect to hear Yacob say, ¡°He just woke up and is being fed water right now. I was about to call you.¡± ¡°Oh.. that¡¯s good then. I¡¯ll head to the hospital right now.¡± She ended the call and washed herself up. She nned to make breakfast and send Aiden to kindergarten before going to the hospital. III O < Chapter 86 If There Are Too Many Coincidences, It¡¯s No Longer One In the luxurious hospital ward, Howard was sitting on the couch with a dark expression while Eliasy against the bed where Grace was feeding him water. The elderly man was infuriated by this since he didn¡¯t like her at all, especially when there was Amanda topare her to. ¡°Elias, do you still want water? I¡¯ll pour another ss for you, alright?¡± Grace asked carefully. Howard snorted and said mockingly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the nurse¡¯s advice? He isn¡¯t allowed to eat within 24 hours and shouldn¡¯t drink too much water either.¡± ¡°Sorry, I nearly forgot.¡± She ced the ss on the cab next to her. Elias frowned slightly. ¡°Go home if you have nothing else to do here. There are nurses here and I¡¯m fine.¡± She remained silent for several seconds, seemingly hurt. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me that much? I was just worried about you and will go hometer-¡± ¡°No,¡± Elias merely replied coldly while Howard snorted scornfully from the couch. Grace stated again quietly, ¡°Elias, it was your birthday yesterday. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too coincidence ¡°What do you mean?¡± He felt irritated suddenly, knowing that karma was about to be men ||| < Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Have You Come to Anger Me +15 Bonus ¡°I just thought it was too much of a coincidence. Why is it always on your birthday? It¡¯s my fault since I should have reminded you not to go out yesterday- Elias¡¯ eyes were filled with impatience. ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t keep taking the me for everything¡± ¡°But¡­. I¡¯m scared that my brother is really haunting you. Did he see that I tried hurting myself recently and thought you were bullying me so- Grace tried directing their conversation with a mysterious tone toward her brother Yn so everyone would think it was karmic retribution and his spirit had returned for revenge. As soon as she mentioned him, the ward became deathly quiet. Howard, who had been scornful, suddenly turned pale as he thought of something, and his expression becameplicated. The bedridden man suddenly snorted. ¡°Are you implying that Yn is taking revenge on me? Why didn¡¯t he just kill me yesterday? It was an amazing chance because it would¡¯ve taken days for anyone to discover I had died there.¡± Elias was already tired of everything being connected to karma. No matter what happened help thinking about it involuntarily. ¡°Yn knows I fancy you, so he would never do that!¡± Grace looked extremely certain. He was speechless. Meanwhile, Howard stood up abruptly while leaning on his walking stick. ¡°I¡¯ll get a master fortune divine your future. Rest well and I¡¯lle back to visit you again tonight.¡± He then walked out with the help of his cane. The elderly man hadn¡¯t been so superstitious before this bu after his son had died and his daughter-inw became mad, he had begun to believe intensely in those sorts of things. He started asking around for protective amulets and praying for Elias¡¯ safety as well. Elias¡¯ expression was freezing as he looked at his grandfather¡¯s stooped figure before ncing at Grace. ¡°You should go too. I want to rest.¡± Hey back on the bed, refusing to look at her anymore. ¡°Then you should rest, Elias. I¡¯lle to see you again tomorrow.¡± Her hands clenched at her sides in reaction to his frigid attitude, though she had to suppress the feeling. The man didn¡¯t reply but closed his eyes instead, pretending to sleep. Grace was extremely furious but couldn¡¯t do anything, so she turned around and left. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take my time. I¡¯m not impatient. Besides, she knew his temper well. He would never change his decision quickly. As soon as Grace left the hospital, she received a call. After looking around cautiously to check that no one was around, she found a corner to take the call. She didn¡¯t expect Amanda to have arrived at the hospital ||| O Chapter 87 Have You Come to Anger Me at that very moment and walked past behind her. Amanda hade to the hospital after sending her son to kindergarten. She had just parked her car and was about to enter the ward. When she passed the corridor, she saw a familiar-looking woman talking on the phone. She nced at the talking woman for several moments before realizing it was Grace. Amanda was about to walk directly past Grace since they didn¡¯t have any love lost between them. I highly doubt we¡¯ll be greeting each other with false courtesy. However, as she walked past Grace quickly, she heard a strange conversation. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Have you cleaned everything up? Will the police trace things back to me?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t. Don¡¯t worry. I have dealt with everything nicely so no matter how the police investigate the ident, they will only find that it was due to the brakes malfunctioning but not that it was deliberate.¡± Grace¡¯s mouth curved into a smile. ¡°That¡¯s good. Leave quickly before the policee. There are no closed-circuit cameras along that stretch of road anyway.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t hear what was being said on the other end, just Grace mentioning the police and camera footage before she left the hospital. Amanda muttered to herself as she watched Grace¡¯s frail silhouette. ¡°What did that all mean?¡± The words ¡®police¡¯ and ¡®camera footage didn¡¯t seem to have any connection to Grace and felt like something was being kept secret. Amanda couldn¡¯t understand it for now and instead prepared to go to Elias¡¯ ward to see how he was. When she arrived outside the ward, Yacob stood up at the sight of her. There you are. Miss Bailey¡± ¡°Hi. I¡¯m going in to see him.¡± She knocked on the door but didn¡¯t get any response from the man inside, so she decided to push the door open and enter the room. However, she saw that the man had his back on her as hey on the bed. seemingly asleep. Suddenly, the man spoke coldly. ¡°Get out.¡± She was surprised since she thought he had fallen asleep. ¡°So, you weren¡¯t sleeping¡± Elias cold expression turned warmer after he heard her voice and he turned to look at her, his eyes brightening somewhat. However, he then looked moody again. ¡°Why did youe sote?¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m here. Why are youining that I¡¯mte? 1 must have allowed such a bad habit to develop.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t believe this. He had said he would change his temper but that was utterly impossible. She walked toward him, nning to pour him a ss of water since the doctor had said he could only have water and not food. However, she noticed the half-empty ss of water on the cab which hadn¡¯t been finished. Recalling that she had seen Grace who was taking a call outside, she now understood what ||| O < Chapter 87 Have You Come to Anger Me had happened. Amanda settled on the chair. ¡°I was about to pour you a ss of water, but it looks like Grace has already fed you some. That saves me some effort.¡± ¡°How do you know she came?¡± He frowned. ¡°I saw her coincidentally.¡± Her smile was fake and emotionless. Elias didn¡¯t know what to say to that and tried to exin. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her toe but she insisted on coming. I didn¡¯t even tell her about the ident-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself since I can imagine it already. She must have called the butler and heard what happened. She fancies you a lot, so she would definitelye to the hospital to see you.¡± Amanda¡¯s unbothered attitude annoyed Elias and he couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°Have youe to anger me?¡± ¡°You are so ungrateful. I¡¯m here to visit you, aren¡¯t I? How have I angered you? If I really wanted to do that, why did I go out into the heavy rain to find youst night?¡± He replied after recalling something. ¡°Oh, yes. You wanted to tell me something before I fell unconsciou in your car. I didn¡¯t hear it, so can you repeat it?¡± He could recall indistinctly that she wanted to tell him something. He had tried to remain awake but couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. She froze upon hearing that. So, was her courage in saying the truthst night all wasted? Did the man not hear a word of it? She didn¡¯t really have the bravery to repeat it in front of an alert-looking Elias though, feeling that he might lose his temper after knowing the truth just like she had dreamedst night. He might even be so furious that he would choke her to death. Besides, it currently wasn¡¯t the right time. She would have to see how Elias behaved after this.. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to attract your attention so you could remain awake.¡± ||| Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Amanda¡¯s Anger Elias narrowed his eyes slightly. He might not have known what Amanda had said, but he sensed that it was extremely important. ¡°Really? Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I¡¯m not. The situation was so urgent, and I was in a mess, plus you were bleeding so much. I was afraid that you might faint again which would make you lose a lot of blood, so I had to think of a way to keep you awake all the way to the hospital.¡± She tried hard to maintain a sincere expression, but he still looked suspicious, so she changed the subject instead. ¡°Oh, where¡¯s Grandpa? He stayed here the entire night, insisting on watching you wake up. Why has he left?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Elias refused to say that his grandfather had gone off to see a fortune teller again. Amanda looked at her watch. ¡°Rest well, then. I have to go to work. I¡¯m nearly one hourte already.¡± She was about to get up when he caught her wrist, and she turned to nce at his hand. ¡°What? Do you want anything else? Just call Yacob since he¡¯s been waiting outside the entire time. You should give him a pay raise since he¡¯s so loyal to you.¡± Elias stared at her for a long while as if hesitating ¡°Are you going to say anything? If there¡¯s nothing. I have to go to thew firm since I¡¯m running very late.¡± Amanda was about to remove her hand, but he held it tighter. There was a conflicted look in Elias¡¯ eyes before he eventually spoke. ¡°I just wanted to check something with you. I hope that you will answer honestly,¡± It might not have been so important to him anymore, but he had always been curious. Amanda¡¯s curiosity was piqued as well and she looked confused. ¡°What is it?¡± He considered it again, knowing that she would get angry if he mentioned it, though he really wanted to know about it. ¡°I just want to know something. When did we¡­. sleep together four years ago? When was that child conceived?¡± Elias had always been curious about this. While the child was already lost, he had continued to ponder it. numerous times but couldn¡¯t recall when he had slept with Amanda and allowed her to sessfully conceive. Sure enough, she became furious and pped his hand away. ¡°Do you still not believe what I said four years ago? Stop asking then!¡± She turned and left the hospital room in a rage, mming the door violently behind her, which caused a loud bang. Eliasy against the bed, bing immersed in his thoughts. The room was deathly silent and felt even colder than the morgue. His memory returned to the night of the celebratory party four years ago, which was when Amanda had Chapter 88 Amanda¡¯s Anger *15 Bonus repeatedly insisted it had happened, However, the party had been held outside Imperia and she hadn¡¯t gone there with him at all. Plus, he had gotten extremely drunk after being coaxed into drinking. By the time he woke up the next morning, he found that it was Grace who was lying beside him while half- dressed. The most terrifying thing had been the splotch of virgin blood on the pure white sheets. Amanda, however, had imed that she was the one who had fallen into bed with him. Whom should I believe? One of them has to be lying. If Amanda really had aborted a child, then Grace is lying. But how can I exin what had happened that night? I did not see Amanda when I woke up, just Grace. Besides, Amanda was already home when I returned to Imperia. What exactly happened? Elias felt a sudden yet intense headacheing on and he shouted angrily while holding his forehead, ¡°Yacob! Get in here!¡± Yacob, who had been waiting outside, immediately came in with a solemn expression. ¡°Mr. Winters, how can I help?¡± ¡°Can we still get the hotel footage from the celebratory party in Flimwood four years ago?¡± Elias knew that it would be difficult, but he really wanted to know what had happened that night and whether Amanda had shown up or not. Yacob was stunned for about three seconds before he uttered. ¡°T-that may be impossible. It has been four years, plus the hotel would only store it for one to three months before recing it with new footage-¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! Of course, I know that! Never mind. Just pretend I never asked. Eliasy on the bed, feeling his head throb painfully as he reyed the night of the party inside his mind. He had been so drunk that he didn¡¯t even know how he had gotten back to the hotel, never mind. remembering what had happened that night. Was there a possibility that Amanda was the one he had actually slept with that night? But why had it been Grace who hady beside him while half-dressed? Elias¡¯ head hurt the more he thought about it. Coupled with the concussion he had suffered due to the ident, he felt like his head was about to explode. ¡°Mr. Winters, are you okay? I¡¯ll call the doctor!¡± Yacob turned away to summon the doctor when he saw how much pain Elias was in. ¡°Come back! I want to ask you something else!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Yacob was surprised, not understanding why Elias was suddenly so invested in what had happened four years ago. Elias covered the wound on his forehead and asked seriously while suppressing his pain, ¡°Who was the one that helped me back to the hotel? Were you there at the time? Did you see Amanda go inside my room that night?¡± The string of questions confused Yacob momentarily as he began to recall the party four years ago. After at while, he said, ¡°Mr. Winters, I was on leave that day and someone else took my ce, so I¡¯m not so sure.¡± Elias was bbergasted and red at Yacob coldly, sounding annoyed as he growled, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yacob had no choice but to retreat outside the room again in puzzlement, not knowing what had happened. After all, he really hadn¡¯t been there at the party since he had apanied Howard to a forum that day. ||| Chapter 88 Amanda¡¯s Anger +15 Bonus The ward was quiet until nightfall, with no other visitors besides the doctors doing their rounds and the nurses applying medication. Elias had been waiting for Amanda to show up, not expecting her to be so cruel. As a result, he felt gloomy and filled with emotions that had nowhere to go. He desperately wished he could fly to Flimwood right now to look into the momentous night four years ago, but he was confined to the bed and couldn¡¯t move. Suddenly, footsteps that belonged to a woman sounded outside the room. His eyes brightened slightly as he stared at the door, eagerly waiting for it to open. As the door was pushed open with a creak, Elias¡¯ eyes dimmed again. It was none other than Grace. ¡°Elias, I havee to see you again. Do you feel better?¡± She had brought along some in porridge this time. ¡°It¡¯s toote. You should go home and rest. Elias¡¯ tone was freezing. She couldn¡¯t take the sudden change in attitude. Before this, he would have been gentler toward her even though he had been faking it, but now it seemed like he hadpletely dropped the pretense. O ? Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Have You Ever Lied to Me? ¡°It¡¯s still okay since it¡¯s not thatte. I just wanted to visit you because I¡¯m afraid you might be lonely¡± Grace ced the thermal sk beside her anddled out a small bowl of porridge, intending to feed Elias. ¡°Elias, I¡¯ve already checked with the doctor. The 24-hour observation period is over so you can have some in porridge to replenish your energy. You haven¡¯t eaten for an entire day¡± She took a spoonful of porridge and blew at it gently before moving it toward his mouth. However, he turned away slightly and took the bowl from her. ¡°I can do it myself.¡± She froze awkwardly before eventually handing the bowl over to him. The atmosphere felt oppressive as Elias silently ate his porridge,pletely absorbed in wondering who had lied between Amanda and Grace. He stared at the woman before him. He had always considered her to be a weak girl who needed protection from others, cried easily, and was frail enough to be knocked down by a gust of wind. That was probably why Yn had asked him to help take care of her. Grace noticed the strange look he was directing her way and smiled slightly. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Don¡¯t you recognize me anymore?¡± Elias put his bowl to one side and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. Even though he was covered in injuries and d in a hospital gown given to all hospital patients, he still carried a strong aura that made others feel threatened. ¡°Have you ever lied to me?¡± he suddenly asked sternly. Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was frozen to the spot for a long while, not knowing how to respond. After some time, sheughed in order to conceal her anxiety. ¡°Why are you saying that? Why would I ever lie to you? I have never done that.¡± Meanwhile, she was panicking internally while wondering why he had asked that question. Does he know something? Elias kept staring at her while observing the minute changes in her expression, refusing to miss even the tiniest detail. ¡°That¡¯s good. Just answer one question from me honestly. Don¡¯t hide anything. ¡°Fine. Ask away. I will answer honestly with the best of my knowledge.¡± Grace appeared calm on the surface but was panicking inside since she didn¡¯t know what he actually knew. He spoke carefully. ¡°Do you remember the celebratory party in Flimwood four years ago?¡± There was a sh of puzzlement in her eyes as she wondered why he was suddenly asking this and what he wanted. Her heart sped up involuntarily. Has he found out something? Swallowing hard, she replied, ¡°Of course. What is it? It was my first time, so I will never forget it.¡± Elias asked once more, ¡°I was drunk rotten and couldn¡¯t remember what happened, only discovering you < Chapter 89 Have You Ever Lied to Me? were beside me after I woke up. I just want to know whether I really did sleep with you that night since I can¡¯t remember anything.¡± So, he is really investigating that night. Grace¡¯s breathing became uneven as her mind raced, wondering what she could say in order to avoid suspicion, though she maintained a submissive demeanor. ¡°Elias, do you think I¡¯m lying to you? Do you think a girl would ever joke around about this? Plus, you saw the blood on the sheets as well. That proves it.¡± ¡°It may have been left behind by someone else. I didn¡¯t see you when I returned but saw you after waking up, so I¡¯m just wondering about how you managed toe in. After all, I was too drunk back then and couldn¡¯t possibly open the door for you.¡± He kept studying her eyes and expression in search of clues. After all, the hotel footage from four years ago couldn¡¯t be found anymore. If he had been able to check it, the truth would have been revealed. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Grace was feeling frantic now. Elias had believed her after waking up to see her as well as the bloodstain on the bed without looking too much into it. Why was he investigating it so earnestly after four years had passed? She had been hiding in the hotel the night of the party, looking for a chance to approach him. he shone as brilliantly as the sun all night and she couldn¡¯t get near him at all. She had wanted to find a chance to knock on the door and confess her feelings to him afterwar couldn¡¯t find the courage. However. Amanda had received the news of her mother being severel early hours of the morning and left so hurriedly that she didn¡¯t close the door properly. Grace had gone toward it and be brave enough to knock, yet she had found the door utche as such sneaked inside. She had burst into enraged tears after finding the mess on the bed, the smell o alcohol in the room, and the bright bloodstain. However, an evil thought had appeared inside her mind too. If shey on the bed while half-dressed, then Elias would mistake her for the woman he had slept with. That had been her intention and she carried it out daringly, allowing her to sessfully close the distance between them and be the person he held dear. As she returned to the present moment and watched how closely he was observing him, she bit her lip hard. Her tears began to fall in the next instant, making her look pitiful. ¡°Elias, I know that you don¡¯t like me, but you don¡¯t have to use this to shame me. No girl would ever take her first time as a joke! Do you suspect that nothing happened between us that night and I have been lying to you? Fine, just continue thinking that if that makes you feel better. I acted of my own volition that night and don¡¯t regret it!¡± Grace then turned and left the room in tears, looking as if she bore the me from the entire world. Her acting was truly skilled. Elias frowned deeply while watching the closed door. Grace¡¯s act of dejectedness was enough to trick any man, including a rigid man like him. He felt his head hurt more intensely. Grace had said her piece, so was Amanda the one who lied? It was impossible since Amanda hadn¡¯t looked like she was. However, he couldn¡¯t find any ws which revealed. that Grace was lying. So, which one of them should he believe? Chapter 89 Have You Ever Lied to Me? Frankly, Elias was more inclined to believe Amanda. It had been four years, so she didn¡¯t have to lie to him anymore. After all, she hadn¡¯t troubled him tirelessly even once upon returning after four instead. she avoided him and distanced herself from him. Thump! years. He knocked over the thermal sk beside him, causing the porridge to spill all over the floor. His head hurt so badly and was filled with way too many thoughts. He had to find out exactly what happened the night of the party-it was extremely important to him. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Elias Blocked Her Car For the next few days. Amanda was nowhere to be seen at the hospital. No matter how many times Elias tried calling her, his calls were always met with a busy tone. He began suspect that she had intentionally blocked his number. As Elias gazed out of the window, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the perpetually gloomy sky. The rain had been pouring relentlessly, mirroring his own somber state of mind. As the ward door creaked open, he turned around without a hint of emotion on his face. It was none other than Yacob. ¡°Mr. Winters, did you need me for something?¡± Yacob asked. ¡°Help me with the discharge process. I can¡¯t stand being cooped up in this hospital any longer, Elias muttered. Each day felt stagnant and he found it impossible to aplish anything. Yacob hesitated and replied, ¡°But your injury hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. The doctor rmended at least two more weeks of hospitalization.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll recover just fine at home, and tomorrow is the anniversary of Yn¡¯s death,¡± Elias insisted. Time seemed to fly by and once again, it was the anniversary of Yn¡¯s death-a day Elias always reserved. for visiting the cemetery. At the mention of Yn, Yacob fell silent and quietly left the ward. Elias pushed aside his nket, got up, and walked over to the window. He stared at the sky outside, which was covered in dark, ominous clouds. Gradually, tiny raindrops started appearing on the ss. It was raining again. Undeterred, he summoned his resolve and dialed Amanda¡¯s number once more, only to be met with the same disappointing oue-her phone remained stubbornly out of reach. Without a shred of doubt, he concluded that she had indeed blocked him. Afterpleting her evening shift, Amanda eagerly looked forward to returning home and spending time with her son. Today, there would be a new nanny in ce as well. It had taken a long search through the domestic service center to find someone who fit her criteria. Initially, people at the agency found her request for a young and martial arts-skilled caregiver entric and unusual. Amanda was aware that her requirements were somewhat peculiar, but she had be frightened after the incident with Aiden being kidnapped. Little did she expect to actually find a caregiver who perfectly matched her specific criteria. The caregiver, possessing a ck belt in Taekwondo, was not only remarkably young but also willing to O < Chapter 90 Elias Blocked Her Car provide round-the-clock care for the child. Perfect! It¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been searching for, Amanda thought to herself. Anticipation filled her as she couldn¡¯t wait to go home and meet the caregiver. She wondered how well the caregiver would get along with her little brat. Just as Amanda¡¯s car approached Gxy Bay, another vehicle suddenly intercepted and blocked her way. Fueled with anger, she swung open her car door and marched toward the vehicle, forcefully tapping on the window. As the window gradually rolled down, Amanda found herself frozen in a state of disbelief. Why is Elias here? ¡°Elias! Are you out of your mind? Why did you block my car?¡± Her anger surged. After not seeing him for a few days, she felt his presence only intensified her fury. She pondered how he had managed to escape from the hospital. Elias flung open the car door and stepped out, his imposing figure casting a shadow over her delicate frame. ¡°Why did you block my number?¡± he demanded. She was momentarily rendered speechless. Did he run out of the hospital just to confront me about this Taking a deep breath, sheposed herself and suppressed her anger. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like picking up you calls and you just wouldn¡¯t stop dialing, so I decided to block you. What do you have to say about that?¡± ¡°Very well done!¡± Amanda seethed through gritted teeth. The overwhelming urge to throttle her coursed through him. How dare she act so self-righteous?! ¡°Why on earth did you leave the hospital while you¡¯re supposed to be recovering? Oh, and to top it off, it¡¯s raining outside. I suppose your wound not getting infected and oozing pus must be breaking your heart. hubi¡± At this moment, the night sky drizzled with gentle rain. Although the rain wasn¡¯t heavy. Elias carried numerous lingering injuries from the car ident that hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet. It would be strange if getting soaked didn¡¯t aggravate his condition. Under the streetlights, his figure was stretched and elongated. Elias fixed his gaze on her delicate face and that razor-sharp mouth. He felt an impulsive urge to kiss her forcefully, but he restrained himself. ¡°Do you even care?¡± ¡°Who cares about you? You don¡¯t even care about your own well-being, so who would waste their time on you? I just feel sorry for your grandfather, having to be in the hospital and keeping youpany all night long at his age!¡± Amanda deliberately averted her gaze, unwilling to witness the expression in his eyes at that very moment. For some inexplicable reason, she sensed a wave of destion emanating from him. It evoked a tinge of sympathy within her, especially as she noticed blood seeping through the pristine bandage on his forehead. From the car, Elias took out a small ck velvet box and handed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± O Chapter 90 Elias Blocked Her Car ¡°What is this?¡± She looked at the man with a puzzled expression as she received the delicate ck velvet jewelry box. When she opened it, she found the emerald bracelet that had been auctioned off the other day and raised her gaze to meet his cold, handsome face. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°I initially nned to give it to you on my birthday, but I got into a car ident, he replied in a deep voice. The thought of it seemed almost absurd. Elias wanted to present Amanda with a gift on his birthday. because he had never bestowed her with any tokens of affection, despite being married for a year. On that fateful day, he had believed he would perish in the wreckage. However, against all odds, Amanda had found him. In the pitch-ck forest, when he heard her calling out his name, his heart felt as if it had been revived. It only deepened his resolve to marry her once again. Suddenly, the atmosphere grew tense. Amanda stared at the bracelet in a daze. It was worth a staggering 15 million. With a cold demeanor, she returned it to him, uttering, ¡°I don¡¯t want it. Take it back and give it to whomever you please.¡± ¡°Once I give it to you, it¡¯s yours. Do whatever you want with it. Keep it or discard it, I can¡¯t care less,¡± With those words, Elias prepared to make his way to the car and depart. However, before he could take a step. Amanda tightly grasped his arm. Tve already made it clear that 1 don¡¯t want it. Take it back. This isn¡¯t how you pursue a woman anyway. Besides, I can¡¯t even understand why you¡¯re so determined to win me back. You never believed a word I said four years ago. You even doubted the existence of the child I miscarried, so why bother chasing after me?¡± She genuinely couldn¡¯tprehend his motives. ¡°I never doubted the existence of the child. I believe you truly had a miscarriage, Elias replied, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty. ¡°But the timing of the night you mentioned seemed a bit off. I wouldn¡¯t have had any doubts if you had said any other day. Could it be that you remembered the wrong timing? Given that both Grace and Amanda weren¡¯t lying, the only logical exnation was that Amanda had recalled the timing incorrectly. Amanda was momentarily taken aback before her anger resurfaced. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that I remembered the wrong time? You still don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°No. I believe you!¡± Although Elias hadn¡¯t yet pieced together the events of the night of the celebration banquet, he believed every word that Amanda spoke. He wanted to investigate what truly transpired on that night. Narrowing her eyes, she pressed. ¡°What else happened that night to make you doubt my words?¡± A fleeting glimpse of panic flickered in his dark eyes. If Amanda were to find out that Grace had slept with him, there would be no hope for them to reconcile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I simply can¡¯t recall the details of that night. Perhaps I had indulged in too much alcohol,¡± he responded hastily, attempting to downy the situation. ||| O Chapter 90 Elias Blocked Her Car +15 Bonus Amanda let out a scornful snort. It was more than just excessive drinking-Elias had beenpletely intoxicated. She had been present to take care of him, intending to prepare a sobering cup of tea. However, he forcefully held her down and made her sleep with him the entire night. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Are You Trying to Tell Me How to Do My Job? Seizing the opportunity, Elias tentatively asked, ¡°How long did you stay that night? Why didn¡¯t I see you when I woke up?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org He simply wanted an exnation for why he found Grace by his side instead of Amanda upon awakening. Impatiently, Amanda replied, ¡°I received a phone call about my critically ill mother, so I had to leave early.¡± ¡°So, you left while I was still unconscious?¡± Elias memory started piecing together the puzzle. A few days after the celebration banquet. Amanda¡¯s mother passed away and she asked for his assistance in organizing the funeral. Suddenly, it all clicked into ce. That was the reason. At that very moment, Amanda¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Aiden. She nced at it but didn¡¯t dare to answer in front of Elias, so she ended the call. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to discuss this with you. I have things to take care of. I¡¯m heading back.¡± Amanda nced at the time, realizing she needed to hurry home to check on the little brat, or he would pester her relentlessly on the phone. With that, she made her way back to her car and drove off toward Gxy Bay Elias stood alone beneath the streetlights, deep in thought. Can it be that Grace had been deceiving me? Honk, honk! Amanda pressed the car horn twice and directed her words to the man standing outside the car window. ¡°Get back to the hospital quickly! If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t answer your calls ever again, and you can forget about me unblocking you!¡± With those words, she drove off, leaving the man behind. Elias chuckled softly. Despite Amanda¡¯s stern words, he understood her underlying concern. It was evident that she still cared for him. As Amanda arrived back at the vi, she was immediately greeted by a whirlwind of joy as she stepped into the living room. ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± ¡°Aiden, are you trying to knock me over? Why have you be so heavytely?¡± Amanda¡¯s body stumbled backward from the impact, but she managed to catch the little bundle in her arms wlessly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a man, Mommy. It¡¯s only natural that I keep getting heavier.¡± Chapter 91 Are You Trying to Tell Me How to Do My Job? She couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. What a delightfully innocent perspective! ¡°Mommy! Mommy, let me tell you how amazing Miss Selina is. She knows Taekwondo! I want to learn it too, so I can protect you!¡± Aiden¡¯s chubby hands formed a circle around her ear as he leaned in and whispered excitedly. ¡°What do you mean you can protect me? I¡¯m strong too, you know. Do you like the new nanny?¡± Amanda¡¯s mood brightened as well. This little brat seemed to be getting along well with the new caregiver. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice interrupted their conversation. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Selina Yaleman,¡± the woman introduced herself and Amanda looked up, frozen in ce. Selina was equally stunned after seeing Amanda¡¯s face. ¡°Selina? What a coincidence that it¡¯s you!¡± At that moment, memories flooded back to Amanda, taking her back to her childhood when her father hadn¡¯t yet kicked her and her mother out of the house. They used to live in a vibrant alleyway, filled with laughter and the lingering scent of smoke. Every day, she would y hopscotch with her best friend, Selina. However, after her father kicked them out, Amanda never saw Selina again. Selina was also overwhelmed with astonishment. ¡°Oh, my goodness, Amanda! I never expected to see you here. I thought I would nevery eyes on you again in this lifetime.¡± To Amanda¡¯s surprise, the caregiver assigned to her by the domestic service center turned out to be her long-lost childhood friend. This brought her great relief. She could now confidently leave Aiden in the care of her childhood friend, knowing that he was in good hands. Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Amanda, you¡¯ve blossomed into such a beauty and you¡¯re living in such a luxurious house. Did you marry a rich guy? And look at this adorable baby of yours. You¡¯re definitely winning at life! Selina commented, her eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and envy. They used to be childhood ymates, but she never anticipated such divergent paths in their lives. Amanda¡¯s expression turned slightly awkward. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll fill you in gradually. It¡¯s not exactly what you imagine.¡± The following day, Elias¡¯ car came to a gentle halt outside the cemetery as the rain drizzled incessantly. Yacob held a ck umbre and opened the car door. Elias, with his tall figure, stepped out and made his way toward the cemetery. His gait was slow and somewhat feeble, clearly indicating that his wounds hadn¡¯t fully healed. The gloomy weather further exacerbated his difort. With the umbre in hand, Yacob walked behind him and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, let¡¯s return to the hospital in the afternoon. If Old Mr. Winters finds out you left without permission, he¡¯ll surely start lecturing again.¡± ?? Chapter 91 Are You Trying to Tell Me How to Do My Job? Howard remained oblivious to Elias unsanctioned departure from the hospital. If he were to discover it. his temper would surely reach its boiling point. ¡°Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?¡± Elias shot him a cold nce. Yacob bowed his head in resignation. ¡°No¡± As they gradually approached Yn¡¯s tombstone, they noticed Grace standing in front of it from a dozen meters away Both of them stopped in their tracks and didn¡¯t move forward. Standing before the tombstone was Grace with a ck umbre in her hand. Tears cascaded down her face as she fixed her gaze upon her brother¡¯s photo engraved on the stone. She continuously brushed away the tears, unable to contain her sorrow Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Elias figure, which made her cry even harder. cing the bouquet of flowers she held before the tombstone, she gently touched her brother¡¯s photo. ¡°Yn. I¡¯vee to visit you. I¡¯ve been so upiedtely and haven¡¯t been here for a while. You won¡¯t hold it against me, will you?¡± Ever since Grace entered the entertainment industry, her first lesson was acting. She didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself in front of Elias, who had provided her with opportunities in film and television. Although she possessed a talent for acting, her poprity struggled to soar despite being recognized for her exceptional acting skills. ¡°Yn, Elias had a car ident. It happened on his birthday. Are you punishing him for me? I beg you, Yn, please don¡¯t hurt him. My hurting myself had nothing to do with him. I truly love him. If anything happens to him. I won¡¯t be able to go on. I beg you. Yn. Even if he doesn¡¯t believe me, doesn¡¯t like me. or wants to abandon me. I don¡¯t want to see him get hurt because I really like him.¡± Grace put on a convincing disy of sincerity that could deceive anyone. The raindrops gradually grewrger, sttering into droplets on the ground. Standing behind Elias, Yacob was deeply moved as he listened to Grace¡¯s heartfelt words. Elias stared at her figure with an emotionless expression for a long while. Eventually, he didn¡¯t approach her but turned away and left the cemetery. Yacob was momentarily stunned and almost couldn¡¯t keep up with Elias footsteps, causing thetter to get drenched in the rain. Meanwhile, as Grace remained kneeling before the tombstone, she watched Elias¡¯ retreating figure. A faint smile appeared on her lips, while tears continued to flow down her cheeks, giving her a somewhat eerie feeling She raised the umbre slightly and watched the tall and handsome figure of Elias. Under her breath, she whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you have a heart of st Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Suspicion. Elias returned to the car with troubling thoughts in his mind. He stayed in silence as he processed the thoughts. Yacob didn¡¯t dare interrupt Elias¡¯ train of thought, so he waited in the driver¡¯s seat without speaking up. There was no other sound in the car other than the sound of the rain beating against the windows. A long whileter, Elias began in a low voice. ¡°What do you make of Grace? Can I trust her words?¡± Yacob pondered for a moment before answering. ¡°As far as I remember, Miss Murphy is pure and innocent. At worst, she prioritizes her beau over everything. She has no ambition other than staying by your side. I believe that you can trust her words.¡± Yacob remembered Grace as a little girl who wasn¡¯t worth their time. Elias watched the raindrops slide down the window. Theplex situation gave him a headache, so he used his slender fingers to massage the bridge of his nose. If Amanda and Grace speak the truth, then I slept with both women during the dinner. That¡¯s not possible. The thought only worsened his headache. Yacob noticed Elias difort andmented in concern. ¡°We should go to the hospital, Mr. Winters. Pushing yourself too hard won¡¯t do you good. Old Mr. Winters will me me if anything happens to you.¡± He could imagine the scene in which Howard went mad when he discovered that Yacob helped Elias to be discharged from the hospital. What if the discovery sends Old Mr. Winters to the hospital this time? ¡°Shut up. Just drive me home.¡± Elias continued to massage his forehead as he leaned against the seat with his eyes closed. He didn¡¯t seem well to Yacob. ¡°Please listen to me. Mr. Winters. It was a serious car ident. Besides, I think somebody is behind the ident.¡± Yacob spoke his mind. His words put Elias on alert. ¡°Come again?¡± he asked with his eyes wide open. Yacob hesitated. A frown formed between his brows. ¡°It¡¯s just a guess, but I think somebody must¡¯ve nned it¡± ¡°And what proof do you have?¡± Yacob didn¡¯t answer as Elias¡¯ words got him thinking. At first, he didn¡¯t n to trouble Elias with his guesses without solid evidence. However, the details in the crash site suggested otherwise. ¡°There are no cameras to monitor the situation in the section. Besides, ording to the films in the drive recorder, you lost control of the car before the ident. Therefore, I gave the car a thorough inspection and found that the steering wheel and brake weren¡¯t in good condition. However, one usually won¡¯t pay attention to them.¡± Elias narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall the details before the ident. ||| O Chapter 92 Suspicion It rained heavily that day. He had always been ming himself for not watching the road with attention. which resulted in him running the car off the road and into the forest. However, Yacob¡¯s words allowed him to see things from a new perspective. With Elias¡¯ driving skills, he shouldn¡¯t have overturned his car in the forest. There should only be a few scratches here and there. I can¡¯t even remember what made the car turn over, ¡°Mr. Winters, I don¡¯t have solid evidence for the time being, so I shouldn¡¯t me anyone, I might be imagining things.¡± Yacob did not want to jump to conclusions. Elias watched the rain running down the window in silence. His thoughts remained unknown to Yacob. It was raining again. The rainy spell frustrated Amanda. She slept in because it was a weekend and woke up when it was almost 12.00PM. Meanwhile, Selina had taken Aiden to the amusement park and the gesture eased Amanda¡¯s burden. She was d to have some alone time to herself on the weekend. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled. She went downstairs and turned to head to the kitchen, intending to make noodles for brunch. She was meeting up with a client in the afternoon for business, so she decided to grab a light meal. Her phone rang when she was cooking the noodles. She picked up her phone with one hand while she continued to stir the noodles in the pot with adle. Simon¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°What are your ns for the weekend?¡± ¡°Enjoy it, of course. What¡¯s the matter? Boss, is it a call from work?¡± Amanda teased ¡°It isn¡¯t. Are you freeter? I want to treat you and Aiden to lunch. The fish I ordered has arrived and it is very fresh. Aiden loves having fish, so I¡¯ll make lunch for you¡± Amanda giggled. It¡¯s okay. That little brat is having a fun time with his babysitter in the amusement park.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. What about you? Do you have any ns for lunch? Why don¡¯t you join me? Cooking for myself is demotivating. She felt bad for turning him down not once but twice. However, she insisted on her stance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. You can ask Miss Gowen to join you for lunch, though. I¡¯m making noodles for brunch. I¡¯m going to meet up with a client this afternoon. ¡°There¡¯s one thing you need to know, Amanda. What happened between me and Lunabelle is all in the past. I¡¯m not interested in picking up where we left off.¡± ¡°Whatever. You¡¯re not obliged to exin to me, you know? It¡¯s none of my business. If you don¡¯t have feelings for her anymore, you should move on to another woman. After all, you¡¯re at the age to find the woman of your life.¡± Amanda recognized the undertone in Simon¡¯s words. However, she didn¡¯t see a future with him even if Lunabelle didn¡¯t exist in the first ce. ||| Chapter 92 Suspicion Simon Nicholson was an excellent man, but Amanda was a divorced woman with a child to take care of. Moreover, he proposed a marriage without love, and she couldn¡¯t agree with him on that term. She could tell he hadn¡¯t moved on from his ex-girlfriend. I guess he can¡¯t get over the fact he got ditched by her back then, which exins why he rejected her suggestion to rekindle the me. Amanda didn¡¯t need more words to get her point across. Simon understood them and he changed the topic to lighten the mood. ¡°By the way. I heard that Elias was involved in a car crash. Aren¡¯t you going to visit him?¡± His words put a frown between her brows. ¡°Words sure travel fast, huh? Even you have heard of the news.¡± ¡°People in our social circle have been talking about the ident. I heard that it almost killed him. Is he all right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine overall but needs some time to recover. ¡°It seems like you did visit him.¡± Simon¡¯s disappointment was evident in his tone. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t pull that trick on me, Mr. Nicholson. You won¡¯t hear the answer you expect. Visiting him in the hospital doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s anything between me and him. After all, he found my child and brought my child back to me. I¡¯m grateful for that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I was told that there were no cameras in the certain section, let alone capturing what happened. The police couldn¡¯t find anything at the crash site.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the innocent statement. Her smile froze on her face as she recalled eavesdropping on Grace¡¯s call at the hospital. The thought deepened the frown between her brows as she recalled the situation. She remembered that Grace was talking to somebody on the phone in the hospital that day. Grace mentioned that there weren¡¯t any cameras around the section, alongside exuding confidence that the police wouldn¡¯t suspect her. Now that he mentions it, something was not right with Grace. Is someone responsible for the ident and the person is none other than Grace? Besides, it was Elias¡¯ birthday that day. Everyone calls it karma and it can be traced back to Grace¡¯s brother, Yn. Does it have anything to do with Grace? Is she behind all this nonsense of trying to make people believe that Elias had iting? C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. O r Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 A Test The possibility urred in Amanda¡¯s mind and gave her goosebumps. She couldn¡¯t help a shiver. If my guesses are right, then Grace is a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Why did Grace do that? Did she do it for Elias¡± attention? Is she trying to turn his head? Lost in her thoughts, she wasn¡¯t aware that the soup boiled over. Simon heard the noise over the call, so he spoke up to remind her. ¡°Amanda, are you watching the pot? I can hear it boiling over. His reminder snapped her out of her trance. ¡°Ah! I¡¯ve got to go. I almost ruined my food. Bye.¡± After hanging up the call, she turned off the stove and added some cold water to the pot before pouring the noodles into a te. However, her food was ruined and no longer edible, She had long lost the mood to make another meal for herself after the call. Besides, it was almost time to meet up with her client. Therefore, she returned upstairs to change her clothes and put on some light makeup. After pac her things, she left home for the meeting ce. Amanda was meeting up with the client in Brownie Cafe. She arrived early at the cafe. She chose somewhere conspicuous to sit so the client could see her amon the guests. And the seat itself allowed her to take her surroundings in. She found Grace sitting in the corner at one nce. What is she doing here? A man in a strange outfit sat opposite Grace. He looked like a faceless person in the outfit as it aimed to conceal his facial features. The ck sunsses, ck mask, and ck cap made Amanda ponder. Today¡¯s a rainy day. Does he have to wear such outfits? He looks like a fugitive in them. ¡°Miss Bailey?¡± The arrival of her client interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Amanda. Please take a seat.¡± She had no choice but to withdraw her gaze and focus on her work. She spent the next hour talking to her client, not paying attention to what Grace was doing in the corner. After she finally saw her client off, she found that Grace was no longer sitting in the corner. Amanda purposely scanned her surroundings, looking for Grace. Is she gone? But I sit facing the entrance the whole time. I should¡¯ve seen her if she left earlier. She walked over to the counter to pay her bills with a frown on her face. Chapter 93 A Test To her surprise, she saw Grace walking out of the washroom and was about toe across her. Grace was surprised to see Amanda in the cafe, but she refused to let it show on her face. ¡°Fancy meeting you here. Grace thought Amanda just arrived at the cafe. She didn¡¯t think Amanda had seen her meeting up with somebody. Amanda¡¯s reply was unrted. ¡°I thought you cared about Elias. He got in an ident. Aren¡¯t you supposed to look after him in the hospital?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. That¡¯s uncharacteristic of her. She should¡¯ve been around him all the time. Amanda remembered Grace¡¯s conversation with another person in the hospital that day. I wonder if she¡¯s responsible for the ident, ¡°TIl look after him without a doubt. I¡¯m on my way now,¡± After that, Grace began to walk toward the door. Watching the woman walk over to the exit, Amanda slowly began, ¡°How did you manage to stay calm after learning that Elias got in an ident? Perhaps you have something to do with the ident?¡± Grace immediately stopped in her tracks at the words, a faint smile remaining on her face. What does that mean? Has she discovered anything? How much does she know? Grace didn¡¯t dare to expose herself. After all, she couldn¡¯t tell how much Amanda knew, ¡°Those are some strong words, Amanda. You¡¯re using me of a crime. Are you implying that 1 caused the ident? However, I heard from the butler that Elias was on his way to see you before he got in the ident.¡± Taking the preemptive approach, eh? She¡¯s clever. The feeling that Grace was responsible for the ident grew stronger within Amanda. Grace doesn¡¯t look as innocent as other people perceive her to be. ¡°Everyone agrees that your brother¡¯s ghostes back to haunt Elias. He specially chose to strike on Elias¡¯ birthday.¡± Amanda emphasized, gauging Grace¡¯s reaction to the mention of Yn¡¯s ghost. Grace dismissed the im with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re awyer. Amanda. You should know that karma doesn¡¯t exist. My brother is loyal to Elias and will remain so even after he passes away. There¡¯s no such thing as karma.¡± Amanda began as if she was interrogating a suspect, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you celebrate Elias¡¯ birthday with him? Knowing you, you must look forward to celebrating his birthday with him.¡± ¡°Are you trying to make fun of me? I don¡¯t want to look for him, only to watch him cook for you.¡± The mention of Elias¡¯ birthday irritated Grace. At first, she didn¡¯t n to take such extreme measures. However, Elias disappointed her. Not only did he cook for Amanda, he even tried to go and get her to celebrate his birthday with him. Grace had been by his side during his birthday every year in the past. She supported him with her mere existence without making his birthday a scene as she always knew that he wasn¡¯t a fan of his birthday. 111 O < Chapter 93 A Test To her surprise, Elias eventually got over the experience that bothered him for years. But it was for Amanda¡¯s sake instead of her. +11 Bonus Grace was green with envy and nned the ident as a result to teach Elias a lesson. She wanted to remind him about Yn¡¯s death and hisst words. Amanda narrowed her eyes. ¡°So, you did go to his ce, or else you wouldn¡¯t know he cooked for me.¡± ¡°I-I learned it from the call. The butler told me!¡± Grace was frustrated as she btedly realized that she willingly jumped into the trap Amanda set up for her. It has to stop now. I don¡¯t want her to find out the truth. ¡°Forgive me, but I can¡¯t stay for chit-chat. I¡¯ve got things to do.¡± After that, Grace turned around and left the cafe. As she spun around, blood drained from her face. I¡¯ve said too much. I hope I didn¡¯t raise suspicion. Amanda trailed behind Grace in leaving the cafe. She watched as thetter left in haste. The sight confirmed her guess. She¡¯s somewhat rted to the ident. Pursing her lips into a thin line, Amanda headed to the parking lot. She started the car, about to head out to the crash site again. The bad weather during the ident deprived her of the opportunity to look up details at the crash site. Elias eventually gave in to Yacob¡¯s reminder and visited the hospital even if he wasn¡¯t pleased about it Once the doctor guaranteed that Elias was fine, Yacob finally sent him back to the manor. Elias was quietly sulking in his mind on their way back to the manor. His gloomy expression indicated that he wasn¡¯t happy- Yacob kept his eyes on the road without trying to initiate a conversation. Suddenly, a car parked on the roadside caught his eye. Even more, it parked near the crash site. Yacob took his time to study the situation before he brought it up to Elias. That is Miss Bailey¡¯s car. I wonder why she¡¯s here.¡± A glint of anticipation shed across Elias¡¯ dark eyes at the mention of Amanda. He lowered the window and looked out the car. As expected, he saw Amanda¡¯s car. ¡°Stop the car here.¡± Yacob parked the car on the roadside as told. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 The Listening Device +10 pearls Before Yacob could get out of the car to open the door for Elias, thetter already pushed the door open and walked toward the forest. What is Amanda doing here? It¡¯s getting dark. Elias walked into the forest with questions in his mind. He began to look around for Amanda. ¡°Mr. Winters!¡± Yacob tried to follow Elias. He didn¡¯t dare to let Elias out of his sight even for a moment. However, Elias coldly ordered, ¡°Stay where you are. Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Yacob did not answer and did as was told. He didn¡¯t try to move after Elias made his words clear. In the forest, Amanda had arrived at the crash site. The police had cleaned up the site, so she couldn¡¯t find anything useful around other than the marks the car left when it flipped over. She knew something was wrong when she saw the crash site at first sight. Why did Elias drive into the forest? How did the car flip over? It more or less has to do with the steering wheel, which caused the driver to lose control over the direction. Was there something wrong with the car? Knowing Elias, his luxury cars must go through regr car maintenance. Such a fault is unlikely to happen unless somebody is behind She remembered the call Grace had in the hospital. The other details also suggested that the ident was nned. I wish Elias was here. At least I can ask him what happened during the ident. A man¡¯s deep voice came from behind without a warning. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The unexpected voice startled her. Amanda turned around in the direction of the voice with. widened eyes. She sighed in relief and patted her chest to soothe her heartbeat when she found Elias standing there. ¡°You nearly scared me to death! Don¡¯te up behind me without making a sound!¡± Elias took a few steps forward and stopped before her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to hide the sound of my footsteps when I walked here. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re preupied with your thoughts.¡± His honesty left her speechless as she indeed wasn¡¯t paying attention to her surroundings earlier. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Elias repeated. Amanda tilted her chin at the area. ¡°I came here to check on the site. By the way, I have a question for you. What exactly happened that day? Why did you drive the car into the forest?¡± Chapter 94 The Listening¡­ +10 pearls Her question put a slight frown on his face. What made her start investigating the ident? Does she know something? ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°Oh. There¡¯s nothing so far, but it gives me a strange feeling. After all, I know you¡¯re a skillful driver. Knowing you, you wouldn¡¯t have driven off the road into the forest during a rainy day. Since Amanda hadn¡¯t found solid evidence, she kept her answer vague. ¡°I lost control over the steering wheel that day, Elias mused out loud. When the ident happened, he tried to grab the steering wheel, only to find he didn¡¯t have control over it. Therefore, his car ran straight into the forest. He couldn¡¯t remember what happened afterward. ¡°I see. There¡¯s one more thing. You studiedputer science at university, right? I remember that you invented a mini listening device in the past. Do you still have it? Did youunch it into the market?¡± Amanda remembered finding out about the products Elias researched four years ago, and it made him a genius in her mind. A listening device, which was as thin as paper, he was developing four years ago came to her mind. She dared to call it the pinnacle of listening devices. However, she no longer paid attention to its development, so she was wondering if he hadunched it into the market or not. Elias was taken aback by her question. I didn¡¯t expect her to remember it after all these years. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. It takes a high cost and a long time toplete, so Grandpa advised against putting it on the market.¡± ¡°I see. Fine, then.¡± Amanda was disappointed to hear that. After all, she was somehow fond of the product. The disappointment on her face didn¡¯t go unnoticed by him. He prompted, ¡°Are you interested in it? Even though it¡¯s not in the market, I have a few samples with me.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Can I have one?¡± ¡°Who are you going to use the device on?¡± Elias squinted his eyes unhappily. Not only was his curiosity bugging him, he felt jealousy rooted in his mind. Who is the person that is worth Amanda¡¯s attention? An excuse urred to her. ¡°Awyer always needs to gather evidence. I need to collect the evidence for a case. Can I borrow the device from you?¡± Even though her excuse didn¡¯t convince Elias entirely, he decided to lend her the bug. ¡°Sure. You need my help to install it, though. Where are you going to install it? At home or on a Chapter 94 The Listening¡­ +10 pearls phone?¡± ¡°On a phone, obviously.¡± Amanda nned to install the device on Grace¡¯s phone, so she could learn whether the woman was responsible for the ident or not.. ¡°I left them at home. You have toe home with me to take it,¡± Elias exined in a low voice. ¡°Lead the way.¡± Amanda gave him a curt answer. The reason for her urge to find out the truth. remained unknown to herself. Amanda returned to the manor with Elias. The pair went into the study room. Elias took out the micro listening device before reaching out his palm to her. ¡°Give me the phone.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± She immediately gave him her phone. The next moment, he brought her phone and the device to hisputer before he inserted a bunch of commands into theputer. He slowly began. ¡°Now the device is bound to your phone. You can stick it to the other phone. When the owner gets a call on their phone, you¡¯ll receive a notification on yours as well. From that time on, you can listen to their conversation.¡± Elias¡¯ exnation was mesmerizing. She had to admit that he was a charismatic person. Moreover, he was wealthy and talented. She could see why women threw themselves at him. ¡°I understand. Thank you.¡± She took the listening device and studied it as if it was a treasure. He¡¯s a genius to create such an unassuming device. People would never catch it. Elias studied her side profile and he couldn¡¯t help but shoot her a question. ¡°Who are you intending to use it on? Is it a man or a woman?¡± ¡°A man¡± His curiosity would only get in her way. Therefore, Amanda gave him the opposite answer. It put a scowl between his brows. ¡°A man?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The words drove him mad. Is she tapping a man¡¯s phone? Who is it? Is it Simon? Amanda lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°A female client of mine¡¯s husband cheated on her. She asked me to gather evidence of her husband¡¯s affair. The bug wille in handy.¡± Her words smoothened the creases between Elias¡¯ brows and somehow eased his mind. Chapter 94 The Listening¡­ +10 pearls ¡°Remember to tell me once you put the device on your target¡¯s phone. I¡¯ll turn on the permission to tap their phone when they¡¯re on a call.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ve got to go. And you¡¯d best take care of yourself.¡± After that, Amanda turned to leave. At that moment, a thought urred to her. She turned around to watch the man sitting behind the desk. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to stay in the hospital for recovery? Why did youe back here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s boring to stay in the hospital. It¡¯s the same staying at home.¡± ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t run around like that with an injury, alright? Your wound might reopen and get an infection. With that final reminder, she finally left for the door. Elias wanted to ask her to stay, but her receding figure sent a pang of pain through his heart. She¡¯s a heartless and ungrateful woman. The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in ¡­ Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Perfect Timing +10 pearls The butler saw Amanda off. He followed her until both of them stopped in front of her car. ¡°Miss Bailey, you shoulde to visit Mr. Winters when you¡¯re free. He needs somepany.¡± He could tell Amanda was the only person to make Elias talk. ¡°All he needs to do for the time being is recover. He should stop running around. I¡¯ve seen the weather forecast. It¡¯ll continue to rain these few days.¡± She then opened the door to get into the car. The man couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Mr. Winters cooked for you on his birthday. He was going to pick you up to celebrate his birthday. Who would¡¯ve known it would end up in an ident¡­¡± If everything went smoothly that day, Elias could¡¯ve brought Amanda back to the manor for his birthday celebration. Furthermore, it would also break the ice between Elias and Amanda. The words took Amanda aback. ¡°Since when did he learn to cook? I never once saw him do so.¡± The butler had many stories to share with her. ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Winters never cooked, but he had a different idea in mind during his birthday. He woke up early and sought advice from the chef at home. He whipped up a feast with the chef¡¯s help, but he cut his fingers many times in the process. I¡¯ve never seen him being that serious about something.¡± Amanda burst intoughter after hearing the story. Elias, of all people, cooked? After learning the story from the butler, she felt a pang of sadness within her. Elias had long since abandoned celebrating his birthday. Just when he finally made up his mind to move on, his life gave him something bad in return. I need to find the truth, or else he¡¯ll see it as karma. The thought will traumatize him and he will be strongly against the thought of celebrating his birthday for the rest of his life. The butler sighed one more time. I guess Mr. Winters would never want to celebrate his birthday after this. It¡¯s never a pleasant thought for him. After all, his father passed away on the same day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll fix everything. He could have a normal birthday from next year on A hint of determination was shown in Amanda¡¯s tone. After that, she closed the door. Even though the man had no idea what she was talking about, her determined look convinced. him. Meanwhile, Elias¡¯ tall stature was standing before the French windows on the third floor. He fixed gaze on Amanda¡¯s car until he could no longer see it as she drove out of the manor. his He stated to Yacob, ¡°Yacob, there¡¯s something I need you to do for me.¡±¡° Chapter 95 Perfect Timing +10 pearls ¡°What is it, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Get me the staff list for the dinner I had in Flimwood four years ago, including those who had resigned.¡± ¡°All right, Mr. Winters.¡± Even though Yacob didn¡¯t understand the reason for Elias¡¯ attention to the dinner four years ago, he did as told. After all, I¡¯m just a bodyguard. It¡¯s not my ce to intervene in my higher-up¡¯s business. The door shut with a thud, leaving Elias alone in the room in silence. Looking out of the window, he allowed his eyes tond on where Amanda parked her car earlier. His fathomless eyes gave off nothing. He was determined to find out what happened during the dinner no matter what. Little did he know, he was biased toward believing Amanda¡¯s words. Amanda returned home to find Selina apanying Aiden in building toy blocks. She had to admit that Selina¡¯s presence eased her burdens and allowed her more time to focus on her work. ¡°Mommy, look at this! Miss Selina made me a Superman with the blocks!¡± Aiden shot her a joyful smile upon seeing her. Amanda approached them with a smile mirroring his. That¡¯s amazing! You can count on Miss Yaleman for a good time. She has a lot of tricks up her sleeves.¡± Humming a response, the boy nodded his head vigorously. A few exchangester, the toy blocks once again caught his attention. ¡°Did you have dinner?¡± Selina asked. ¡°I can heat the leftovers for you. Aiden and I ate earlier. He had quite the appetite tonight. Do you know he finished the meal on his own?¡± ¡°He must really like your cooking. He never finishes his meal when I¡¯m the cook The statement surprised Amanda. The little brat finished his meal? That¡¯s new. ¡°I just made some simple food. Nothing too fancy. I¡¯ll heat them for you.¡± Selina stood and walked toward the kitchen. Amanda shot her a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll go and change in the bedroom. After that, Amanda went into the bedroom and changed into something casual. Then, she took out the listening device and studied it. How am I supposed to stick it to Grace¡¯s phone? Even though it¡¯s Chapter 95 Perfect Timing +10 pearls not easy to spot it, I need to find a way to stick it to her phone in the first ce. Just when she was brainstorming for a solution, her phone rang. She nced at the screen. It was an anonymous number. After a moment of hesitation, she answered her phone, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Grace here. Are you free to meet up tomorrow? I¡¯ve got something to tell you.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she thought of something. Perfect timing! Just when I¡¯m worrying about finding a way to put the device on her phone. It¡¯s like the opportunity is handed to me on a silver tter. I don¡¯t know the reason, but I¡¯m d she suggested meeting up. Even so, Amanda pretended to be annoyed. ¡°Is it something important? I¡¯m busy with work these days. There are a lot of cases to deal with.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°It won¡¯t take you long. We can meet up after work tomorrow. It¡¯ll only take about thirty minutes.¡± Grace remained calm on the phone. Amanda eventually agreed with her. ¡°Fine. See you tomorrow.¡± After that, she hung up her phone. It¡¯s a good thing she made it easy for me, but something¡¯s not right. What does she want to tell me? Meanwhile, Grace stared at the dark screen of her phone after the call ended. She was looking forward to discovering something during the meeting with Amanda tomorrow. She had a feeling that Amanda knew something from their conversation in the cafe earlier that day. I need to bait her into giving me the information tomorrow. I need to know how much she knows, Besides, there¡¯s another question. Why didn¡¯t she tell Elias about their child? The second day was a busy day for Amanda. At night, Grace called her as soon as she finished work. Grace proposed to meet up with Amanda at Brownie Cafe, where they ran into each other yesterday. The server brought Amanda to a private room once she arrived at the cafe. She chose a private room. What kind of secret is she going to tell me? Amanda pushed the door open and walked inside, Grace was taking a sip of her coffee as she nced in Amanda¡¯s direction. ¡°Take a seat, Amanda.¡± Chapter 95 Perfect Timing +10 pearls Amanda took a seat on the couch opposite Grace before turning to the server. ¡°One coffee, please.¡± Sqon, the server served her order and closed the door for them. It was a soundproof room. Their conversation would remain a secret to the guests outside since nobody could hear them. Seeing no point in beating around the bush, Amanda cut to the chase. ¡°Be honest, what are you on about? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re friends who can hang out after work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I sought you for some rification. You have the answers to them. Grace studied Amanda¡¯s expression meticulously. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Do I Have to Do That? Meanwhile, Amanda waited for Grace to finish her sentence. However, Grace leisurely sipped her coffee before she opened her mouth. ¡°It seems that you have some misconceptions about me. Maybe you can speak up, and I¡¯d like to defend myself too.¡± Huh? What is she up to? At that thought, Amanda asked, ¡°What are you talking about? What misconceptions do I have about you? Why can¡¯t I understand what you¡¯re saying?¡± Grace held the coffee cup and inquired inquisitively. ¡°I cannot fathom why you would believe that Elias¡¯ car ident has anything to do with me. Did someone tell you that?¡± Oh¡­ So, she¡¯s still bothered by the probing yesterday. Is she feeling guilty? Doesn¡¯t that prove there¡¯s something wrong? At this realization, Amanda chuckled and asked, ¡°Why are you so bothered by this? I was merely joking and making a passingment when I said that.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t joke about such serious matters, Amanda! You have no evidence to say such things about me. It¡¯s an insult to my character! As awyer, you should know that this constitutes defamation!¡± She doesn¡¯t appear to have any evidence and is unlikely to know any inside information, so she probably uttered those words without much thought. As Grace pondered this, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. In the meantime, her unusual behavior confirmed Amanda¡¯s suspicions and doubts, but she still needed to find a way to nt the bug in Grace¡¯s phone. So, upon noticing Grace¡¯s phone on the table, she discreetly removed the paper-thin bug from her bag while pretending to sip her coffee. Then, she said, ¡°Miss Murphy, there¡¯s no need to get so worked up. I was just speaking casually- The next moment, as she was about to put down her coffee cup, she deliberately knocked it over, and the coffee spilled directly onto Grace¡¯s phone. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m sorry! It was an ident! Let me help you clean it!¡± she apologized while wiping Grace¡¯s phone with a tissue. After that, she took off the phone case, discreetly slid the bug inside, and reattached the cover. I¡¯m so sorry. I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­ Let me clean it for you.¡± With a contrite expression on her face, she kept wiping the phone. On the other hand, Grace looked annoyed that Amanda had removed her phone case, so she quickly retrieved the device and said, ¡°No need! I¡¯ll clean it myself!¡± Phew¡­ The bug has been ced inside the phone case. Hopefully, everything will be fine. Amanda looked at Grace, who was giving her phone a final, thorough wiping with a tissue. Then, Amanda smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was too careless with my coffee. If your phone is damaged, I can pay to have it repaired or buy you a recement.¡± After hearing this, Grace slid her finger across her phone screen and noticed it was functioning properly. Fortunately, the spilled coffee was quickly cleaned up, and my phone was not damaged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The coffee did not get into the phone,¡± Suddenly, her phone rang; she grimaced as she looked at the caller, as if the call were highly confidential, jumped to her feet hastily, and said, ¡°I have something to take care of, so we¡¯ll talk another time.¡± Chapter 96 Do I Have to Do ¡­ +10 pearls After saying that, she grabbed her bag and left the private room. She just lefi like that? Amanda felt confused. Yet, she is quite astute and appears to have picked up on my suspicions about her. Who is the caller? She seems a little on edge, though. While thinking about this, she took out her phone and dialed Elias¡¯ number, and the call was connected after a few rings. Still, she was taken aback by how quickly the man responded to her call; she reasoned that he must be sitting around doing nothing while he recuperated from his injuries at home. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± His deep, seductive voice emanated from the other end of the line. After hearing that, she said, ¡°Quick, I¡¯ve nted the bug. Help me set up the permissions for call monitoring. ¡°Okay, give me a few minutes.¡± She could hear his footsteps on the other end of the phone, presumably toward the study. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t rush him and waited patiently. Later, she overheard the man at his desk. clicking the mouse and typing on the keyboard¡­ After approximately two or three minutes, Elias picked up his phone from the desk. ¡°All right, now your tapped phone will receive iing calls, and you can listen to all the conversations.¡± ¡°Great, thank you,¡± Amanda replied. She was about to end the call when he asked. ¡°Are you going to hang up just like that? Do you still need anything? Have you had dinner? I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Join me for dinner.¡± ¡°I¡­ Fine, then wait for me at home. She had initially nned to decline, but after recalling that he had assisted her in nting the bug, she agreed to have a meal with him. ¡°Really?¡± The man on the phone seemed somewhat skeptical of her swift response. ¡°I¡¯ll drive over right now. After all, I¡¯m hungry too. Didn¡¯t Mr. Jones say you learned to cook? Why don¡¯t you cook for me tonight? I really want to taste your cooking,¡± she said as she grabbed her bag and headed toward the private room¡¯s exit. ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as he said that, he hung up the phone. However, Amanda found it odd that he had hung up so quickly, as she knew him well enough to know that this was not his typical behavior. Meanwhile, at Winters Estate, Elias dashed out of the study and shouted, ¡°Mr. Jones! Mr. Jones!¡± Then, he took the elevator to reach the first-floor living room. When Boris heard this, he rushed over to inquire, ¡°Mr. Winters, did you call for me?¡± Chapter 96 Do I Have to Do¡­ +10 pearls ¡°Prepare the kitchen. I want to cook¡± Elias said striding toward the knchen. Boris was dumbfounded upon hearing this. He has been moody these past jetz den, and note he suddenly wants to cook? At this thought he couldn¡¯t help but ask. Mr. Winters & Miss Baileying over?¡± Elias paused and stared at him. ¡°How did you know? Did she call you? Boris was speechless by this. He wouldn¡¯t have an imprompra arge to cook if she wasn¡¯ting. ¡°TI inform the kitchen to prepare ingredients, but what dishes would you like to make?¡± On the other hand, this question prompted s to contemte deeply. Instead of acting wher dishes I wanted to make he should have asked what dister I could make ther all I have long forgotten the few recipes I learned on my birthday L Forget it: I¡¯ll talk to the cook Mr Jones can¡¯t even cook, so there is no point in speaking with him. Following this he went straight to the kitchen, where he found the head cook and the other cooks standing in line, awaiting his instructions The estate¡¯s cooks were known to be some of the best in the country; in fact, some had even cooked at state banquets. Even though they were undeniably talented cooks, it was difficult for them to teach Elias how to cook N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Quick, teach me how to make two dishes. They have to be delicious and not tasteless Elias eximed as he surveyed the fresh ingredients and realized he was overwhelmed by the thought of cooking because he knew he had little talent for it Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Watch a Movie with Me +10 pearls The head cook hesitated and suggested. ¡°Mr. Winters, why don¡¯t we prepare two simple dishes? Learningplicated dishes might take some time.¡± After hearing this, Elias red at the cook. ¡°Do you expect my woman to eat just sd? Do you think you¡¯re feeding rabbits?¡± The head cook was speechless and silently thought to himself. If only he could make a sd properly¡­ On the other hand, it took Amanda nearly forty minutes to reach the estate, and it was already dark when she arrived. She had to hurry through her meal so she could get back home to her child. While knowing that Selina was keeping an eye on Aiden helped ease her mind, she knew that, as his mother, she had to be present for him. When she exited her vehicle, Boris greeted her, ¡°Miss Bailey, you¡¯ve finally arrived. Mr. Winters requested that I bring you to the dining room so you could wait for him.¡± ¡°Wait for him? What is he busy with?¡± After hearing this, he answered truthfully. ¡°Knowing you wereing for dinner, he decided to learn to cook in the kitchen. It won¡¯t take long, so kindly wait in the dining room.¡± ¡°Now? He¡¯s learning to cook?¡± Amanda was astonished. I made a passing reference to it, and I do not expect Elias to cook. Considering that he is still recovering from his illness, how could he possibly cook? Boris then led her to the dining room, where three dishes had already been set on the table. She wondered how they tasted because they appeared to have been prepared with the assistance of the head cook, as they smelled and looked delectable. After that, he said, ¡°Mr. Winters is preparing one more dish. Please wait a little longer. If you¡¯re hungry, you can start eating¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him,¡± she replied. How can I eat first? Ten minutester, she heard heavy footsteps approaching and looked up to see Elias tall figure. She observed that he looked refined and noble in his all-ck top and off-white bottoms. He did not look like he had been cooking in the kitchen but had returned from a fashion show. Afterward, the maid behind him ced thest dish on the table before leaving the dining room in silence with Boris, leaving the pair alone. Elias pulled out a chair and sat next to her, saying. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. You haven¡¯t had dinner either, right?¡± After saying this, he took a bite of one of the dishes with his fork. Then, a grin spread across his face, and it became clear that he was pleased with his efforts in preparing this meal. ¡°I never expected that you could cook¡­¡± Amanda was surprised that he had learned to cook, given. that he had been pampered since childhood and livedvishly. Chapter 97 Watch a Movie ¡­ +10 pearls ¡°I prepared more dishes that day, but you didn¡¯t get to try them¡± On her birthday, he had spent the entire day cooking in preparation for an evening celebration with her, but things didn¡¯t go as nned. Even though there were only four dishes on the table today, the fact that he could eat with her was a blessing. Eventually, she reached for her fork and sampled a morsel of fish. How should I describe it? It¡¯s quite unexpected. The dish has an exquisite vor that recalls the cook¡¯s touch. The cook most likely guided Elias through preparing this dish, but it is a bit too salty¡­ Yet, considering that he is just starting out, it is already quite remarkable. ¡°How is it?¡± Elias¡¯ dark eyes held a hint of expectation as he waited for Amanda¡¯s evaluation of his cooking. She nodded and replied. ¡°It¡¯s very good and quite delicious. I¡¯m famished!¡± Then, she tried the other dishes but still found them too salty. Is this man a supertaster? Can¡¯t he taste the saltiness? Why would he put so much salt? ¡°Then, eat more. He had already eaten earlier and simply fabricated an excuse to see her. He then observed her eating with great interest. Never before have I noticed how gracefully she eats; she takes small, careful bites and chews them slowly, even when starving. When I first married her, I assumed a girl from the slums would have no table manners and might even chew with her mouth wide open. This is why I rarely ate with her in the past and never paid attention to her eating habits. Eventually, Amanda had two bowls of rice to bnce out the saltiness of the food. Tm full. I¡¯m going home now. Rest early,¡± she stated as she nced at her wristwatch. Time to head home, or else the little brat would start calling if I lingered any longer. After hearing this, Elias¡¯ face turned cold, and he looked at her, saying, ¡°Do you think this ce is a restaurant? You just eat and leave like that?¡± ¡°What do you want then? It¡¯s alreadyte, and it¡¯s dark outside. It won¡¯t be convenient for me to drive, and the weather these days isn¡¯t good. It might rain anytime.¡± ¡°Watch a movie with me. I¡¯ll have the driver take you hometer.¡± Elias rose to his feet and grabbed Amanda¡¯s wrist before leaving the dining room. Nheless, she struggled to free herself from his grip. ¡°No, I have something to do. Let¡¯s do it another day. I really don¡¯t have time now.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What do you have to do? Are you going on a date with another man?¡± His anger red at the prospect of her hanging out with Simon. ¡°I-I have to work overtime. I¡¯m busy with work.¡± Every once in a while, Amanda would look at her phone out of nervous anticipation that her son would call. ¡°You should only be busy with work at thew firm. Who allowed you to bring work home? Is that how Simon acts as a boss?¡± At that instant, Elias¡¯ tone was full of mockery and disdam. 16.43 Chapter 97 Watch a Movie¡­ +10 pearls Ultimately, she had no choice but topromise when she realized she couldn¡¯t refuse him. ¡°Then, let me call the nanny at home just to let her know not to enter my study.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± He agreed readily upon hearing this. Hence, she picked up her phone and walked to the side, dialing Selina¡¯s number. However, the man seemed displeased when he saw her walk away. ¡°Do you have to hide when you make the call? Is your nanny a man?¡± ¡°Could you give me some personal space? Didn¡¯t we agree on giving me freedom? Didn¡¯t we agree that you would change your lousy temper? What have you changed?¡± sheined because she could no longer tolerate his behavior. This man¡¯s arrogance has not diminished at all. No words were left in Elias¡¯ vocabry, so he said nothing. On the other hand, Amanda waited for a while until Selina answered the call. Then, Amanda cast a sneaking nce at the man behind her in case he came over to eavesdrop. ¡°Selina, is Aiden asleep? You should put him to bed first. I may returnte, so please do not wait for me.¡± After quickly providing instructions, she hung up the phone, feeling nervous, as if she hadmitted a crime. Then, she turned to him and said, ¡°Okay, hurry up, and let¡¯s go watch your movie. Once it¡¯s over, I can go home. Her tone was extremely perfunctory, as she doubted she could focus for even a second. However, Elias didn¡¯t like her dismissive attitude and said. ¡°If you¡¯re going to watch a movie with me, watch it seriously. Don¡¯t try to brush me off. Il test you on your thoughts about the movieter.¡± Huh? He wants to test my thoughts on the movie? Why does it feel like I¡¯m being assigned homework by an elementary school teacher? ¡°Elias! Don¡¯t push it too far. I remember you were the one pursuing me, not the other way around, right?¡± ¡°So, what?¡± Elias retorted, maintaining his arrogance without feeling any guilt. It seemed like this haughtiness was ingrained in him from birth. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 How to Pursue Women Amanda snorted angrily and asked, ¡°So, this is your approach to pursuing women? Can you win a woman¡¯s heart like this? Do you even know how to pursue women?¡± When Elias heard this, he seriously considered it before responding, ¡°No.¡± She was speechless by his reply. Indeed, how often does he pursue women? There are always women waiting in line to climb into his bed. How could he ever stoop so low as to go after women? Meanwhile, inside the estate, they started watching the movie under the stars from the wicker chairs in the garden. This scoundrel has some sense of style by choosing to watch a movie outdoors like this. Amanda suddenly realized it had been quite some time since she had devoted her full attention to a movie. Since there was a hint of floral scent in the air tonight, she decided it would be the perfect time to watch movie outside in the garden, where she could enjoy the fresh air and the scenery while unwinding from her busy day. They were watching Titanic,¡± a movie she liked, and even though she had seen it many times, it still made her shed tears. On the other hand, Elias pretended to watch the film while leaning back in his chair and asionally gazing at the woman sitting beside him. He just wanted an excuse to spend more C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org time with her. In the past, she was the one who went out of her way to find opportunities to spend time with him; however, the roles now appear to have reversed. As the movie¡¯s most touching scene of parting and farewell yed out, Amanda¡¯s eyes reddened, and tears began to trickle down her face. However, Elias was speechless upon seeing her tears. Is this scene so touching? Is it worth crying over? Consequently, he pulled out a tissue and gave it to her. She gave him a quick nce before grabbing a tissue to wipe her tears. During a particrly heartbreaking segment of the movie, he said faintly. ¡°It¡¯s all an act and nothing more. There¡¯s no need to be sad about it.¡± After hearing this, she stared emotionlessly at the man beside her, no longer experiencing sadness at the most heartbreaking scene. ¡°Do you even know what it¡¯s like to be fully immersed in the moment? This movie is well-made, and that¡¯s why it can move me to tears. You, as a typical man, understand nothing.¡± A typical man¡­ Elias face immediately darkened upon hearing those words. Do I deserve to be called a typical man? Half an hourter, the movie ended, but Amanda¡¯s tears continued to flow. This time, he was more considerate and didn¡¯t say anything to ruin the atmosphere. Instead, he silently handed her tissues. Chapter 98 How to Pursue¡­ +10 pearls Then, she took a deep breath, calmed down, and slowly stood up. ¡°The movie is over now, so I can leave, right?¡± After saying that, she was about to turn and leave, but this time, the man didn¡¯t forcefully stop her but stood up. T¡¯ll send you home.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll send me home? You¡¯re still recovering from your injury, so how can you do that? Are you honestly nning to drive?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had a grudge against her. He can¡¯t even walk properly, and now he insists on sending me home. ¡°I¡¯m not that frail, and it¡¯s too dark now. It¡¯s unsafe for a woman to drive alone,¡± Elias replied. He had his reasons, and it was indeed somewhat risky for a woman to drive home at this hour, especially considering how far away this location was from the city center. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll drive carefully. You should get some rest,¡± Amanda insisted. She had frequently driven home alone at night over the previous four years, and nights abroad were even more chaotic, so she reasoned that she could handle anything. said I¡¯ll send you home. The driver will drive,¡± he said firmly, not allowing her to refuse. ¡°I also told you it¡¯s not necessary. It has been four years, and I often go home alone at night. You should know the nighttime situation abroad, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Elias was speechless upon hearing this. So, Amanda had such a difficult life for thest four years? It seems as though she¡¯s been putting in a lot ofte-night hours. Then, why did she not ept the money I offered her during the divorce? I can¡¯tprehend this woman¡¯s behavior, as she seems adamant about maintaining her tough exterior. At this realization, he said. ¡°During these four years, I was absent from your life. Now that I am around, I will no longer permit you to return homete at night. His resolute tone prevented her from refusing his offer. Afterward, she sighed, realizing that he still hadn¡¯t changed. He is still so domineering and assertive. ¡°What about my car?¡± ¡°The driver will have it delivered to you tomorrow.¡± Ultimately, Amanda said nothing and could onlyply with Elias¡¯ arrangements. After a while, the driver drove the pair toward the city center. Nheless, the atmosphere inside the car was unusually subdued, and nobody spoke while the driver intently concentrated on the road. At that moment, Elias remembered her words from earlier and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Were the past four years good for you?¡± He had wanted to ask this question for some time but had never gotten the chance. Although he was aware that what had happened to Amanda over the past four years had nothing to do with him, he was nevertheless responsible for it. He figured that if they hadn¡¯t gotten a divorce back then, she would have been living happily by his side for the years, and their child would be about three years old now. past four Chapter 98 How to Pursue¡­ +10 pearls She was stunned for a moment when she heard this, then smiled. ¡°How should I put it? It was bad and tough, but I made it through.¡± He felt as though he were being suffocated by her ostensibly casual reply. Eventually, the car stopped in front of Luminance Vi, and Amanda unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and exited the vehicle. Then, Elias viewed her slender form through the car window as he pondered. How could I make up for those four years and start anew with her? Nheless, he was unaware that he owed her more than just those four years; he also owed a well- behaved, understanding three-year-old named Aiden Bailey. Meanwhile, at home, Amanda discovered that Selina and Aiden were already asleep. As usual, she went to the nursery to kiss the sleeping child before returning to her room for a quick, hot shower. She was so worn out that she didn¡¯t bother with her usual bedtime skincare routine, instead of lying on the bed and sleeping until morning. Then, she nced at her phone. Why hasn¡¯t Grace called anyone all night? At this moment, her phone abruptly rang, showing that it was a call from Grace¡¯s phone. This is it! Amanda sat bolt upright as she connected the call, pressed the phone to her car, and heard Grace¡¯s voice on the other end. Unfortunately, she was disappointed because Grace was merely chatting with her manager, and the conversation revealed nothing of interest. Despite this, Amanda listened attentively because she hoped to hear something useful. After ending the call. she fell asleep due to sheer exhaustion. The following morning, she sat up and stretchedzily after being roused from her sleep by the sound of Aiden, that little brat, ying downstairs. Hence, she showered, changed into morefortable clothes, and went downstairs, where she found her son dancing joyfully to the television. Meanwhile, Selina was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Amanda went to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. That smells so good. Did you pour the milk?¡± She took a sip of water and couldn¡¯t help but sniff the fragrant aroma of the congee. Selina smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s congee cooked with milk. You and Aiden don¡¯t eat properly most of the time, so I¡¯m here to feed you both with nutritious food.¡± Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 How Could She Be So Evil? ¡°You¡¯re the best, Selina,¡± Amanda said. ¡°I am already embarrassed by how much you had to take cale of me years ago. Now, you¡¯re taking care of my son in the same way. Thank you so much, Selina.¡± Suddenly, Amanda thought Selina was just like a mother with her kind and warm aura. ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you this; who is the boy¡¯s father? Are you¡­ divorced? The question had been bothering Selina the entire time, but she just could not find a chance to pop the question. Amanda¡¯s smile slowly faded away and she sighed. Yes. We¡¯ve been divorced for four years. Aiden had never seen his father before, but he is always yearning for one. Sometimes, I feel guilty for what I¡¯ve done to him.¡± She nced out of the kitchen into the living room where Aiden was intently watching his cartoons. Sympathy shed in Selina¡¯s eyes. ¡°I see. Well, children all need a father. If it¡¯s possible, let him meet his father. Over the past few days, whenever I dropped him off at kindergarten, he would always stare in envy at the other children¡¯s fathers.¡± That tugged at Amanda¡¯s heartstrings. Aiden had recently stopped talking to her about looking for his father. He had also started to avoid telling her she had to make Frederick his father. She thought it was just a phase like most children would go through. She did not expect to hear him¡­ admire others for having fathers. Selina continued, ¡°Aiden is such a considerate young man. When I asked him why he doesn¡¯t tell you he wants a father, he replied that you are going through your own difficulties as well, that it¡¯s hard to be a mother. He said that no man alive was a good match for you. Once, he had a suitable candidate in mind, but you didn¡¯t like the man. Since you don¡¯t like the man, he wouldn¡¯t like the man either. He only wants you to be happy.¡± Tears swelled in Amanda¡¯s eyes by the time Selina finished speaking. Her son was very considerate and mature. Her love for him had not been in vain. ¡°I suddenly feel immature. How is a child more considerate than I am?¡± She felt a lump in her throat Selina smiled and ced a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You have such an amazing son, making me Chapter 99 How Could She¡­ +10 pearls C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org green with envy. Your rtionship with him is literally two hearts united in love.¡± She sighed. Two hearts united in love? Amanda could not resist chuckling- He had certainly given her hope in the darkest moments of her life. In the past four years, she had only lived because of him. She headed to the couch in the living room and wrapped her arms around Aiden. ¡°What are you doing, Mommy? I¡¯m watching cartoons!¡± Aiden shoved at her with a look of disdain on his face. His eyes remained trained on the television. His response did not irritate her, and she ducked her head down to kiss his chubby cheek. ¡°What present would you like. Aiden? I¡¯m free to go shopping with you today.¡± ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you dare lie to me, Mommy!¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes lit up with glee. ¡°Of course! When have I ever lied to you?¡± Then, themercial break started, making him panic. ¡°I want cartoons, Mommy! I don¡¯t want ads!¡± As she moved to the remote control to skip the advertisement, she grumbled under her breath, ¡°Why are there advertisements? I paid for membership. What a scam¡­. Suddenly, he pointed at the person showing up on the television screen and screamed, ¡°That¡¯s her, Mommy! That¡¯s the evil woman!¡± She turned to look at the advertisement being yed. It was a skincare brand advertisement featuring Grace. Confused, she asked, ¡°Evil woman? Do you mean the woman in the advertisement? Why is she evil?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the woman who shouted your name outside the kindergarten gates and pulled on my hair. Mommy! Amanda was shocked. At that moment, there was a ringing sound in her ears as her mind went nk. She felt her head going numb as if a bomb had exploded in her mind. ¡°Wait. Do you mean the woman in this video shouted my name outside the kindergarten and pulled on your hair? Why would she pull on your hair?¡± She suddenly recalled that Aiden had told her about a mean woman who had pulled on his hair in Chapter 99 How Could She¡­ +10 pearls kindergarten. She had assumed he was making up a story back then. After all, who would pull ar his hair for no reason? It might have just been a fight between the children. She had not expected. it to be Grace! His ck eyes solemnly stared at the television as he continued to point at it. ¡°That¡¯s the woman. She said she knew you. I don¡¯t know why she pulled my hair, though. She ran away soon after.¡± Grace ran away after pulling Aiden¡¯s hair. Why would she do that? Why did Grace¡¯s weird actions sound so horrifying when he spoke of them? Amanda¡¯s hair was standing on its ends. Did this mean Grace knew about Aiden? Suddenly¡­ Her heart skipped. Did Grace grab some of Aiden¡¯s hair for a paternity test? Was Grace trying to confirm if he was Elias¡¯ child? As she felt even more certain of her guess, her heart began to race. Just then, her phone rang. She had nned to end it since she was not in the mood for a phone call. However, one nce down at the phone screen revealed that it was a call from Grace. After a few moments of hesitation, she answered the call and held her phone up to her ear. What she heard was Grace talking to a man. ¡°I¡¯ve paid you, so go away! Even if they do pinpoint you as the ultimate culprit behind the car crash, you are not allowed to betray me, Grace said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will never happen. I cleaned up after myself. You know how good I am,¡± the man said. ¡°Hmph! Yeah, right! Remember the trash you hiredst time? I told him to kidnap the child and abandon the boy in the mountains. In the end, the child returned safe and sound. Meanwhile, the guy disappeared! Of course, I would worry!¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ I didn¡¯t expect him to be so unreliable either. He was already in the designated area. He just needed to abandon him there. The people who forced him to hand over the boy must have been hired by someone very powerful. He is also a well-known gambler. He would never turn away from more money.¡± ¡°Enough with the excuses! Disappear from my sight right now. Do not let anyone know you were involved.¡± Chapter 99 How Could She¡­ +10 pearls Doot. Doot¡­ By the end of the call, Amanda¡¯s hands were trembling, and her face went stark white. What she had just learned was just too overwhelming. Did this mean Grace was behind Aiden¡¯s kidnapping as well? She abruptly felt the urge to charge over to Grace and tear her apart. How could she be so evil? Grace was going to abandon Aiden in a remote mountainous region only upied by the poorest viges in the nation. Did she want Amanda to lose Aiden forever? Grace Murphy! How could she be so very sinister? Amanda¡¯s breathing began toe out in harsh pants as her fingers curled into fists. Currently, hate shed in her eyes. Since Grace had grabbed a few strands of Aiden¡¯s hair for a paternity test, then she knew the rtionship between Aiden and Elias. That was why she hired someone to kidnap Aiden. That meant Grace would continue to target Amanda and Aiden. She was certainly capable of anything and everything just so she could marry into the Winters Family to gain Elias¡¯ love. The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in ¡­ +10 pearls Chapter 100 Tearing Into the ¡°Innocent¡± Maniptor Chapter 100 Chapter 100 The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in¡­ +10 pearls C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to look at that evil woman¡¯s face anymore!¡± Aiden cried, shaking Amanda¡¯s arn and snapping her back to reality. Amanda nced down at her precious son. If Elias had not found him in time, then Aiden would have been lost forever. He might even have died. The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. The only thought in her mind was the urge to immediately charge over to confront Grace. She was able to ept the de-esction of a situation through talk, but she could never tolerate anyone hurting Aiden. Just then, breakfast was done. Selina ced the dishes on the table and called out to them, ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Aiden, bring your mother over for breakfast.¡± Amanda calmed herself down and carried Aiden over to the dining room. ¡°How about you go with Miss Selina to the theme park after breakfast, Aiden?¡± she suggested. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we were going shopping for my present? You lied to me!¡± He was very unhappy upon realizing she had lied to him once more. She ruffled his hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I would never lie to you. We¡¯ll be going shopping in the afternoon. I have something to do in the morning¡± Selina chimed in to help argue Amanda¡¯s case. ¡°Let¡¯s watch a movie after going to the theme park, Aiden. The cartoon you love has released a movie. ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re the best, Miss Selina!¡± He grinned and obediently began to eat his breakfast. Amanda could not resist smiling as well. ¡°You¡¯re better with kids than I am. Is that a talent of yours?¡± ¡°It means there¡¯s a connection between Aiden and me. We are destined to get along.¡± Selina proudly stated. After shooting her another smile, Amanda turned her attention to her breakfast and distractedly picked at it while her mind continued to ponder on the conversation she overheard. Her entire being was seething with anger at Grace. After breakfast, Amanda headed to Grace¡¯s home at Regal Gardens. Chapter 100 Tearing Into th¡­ +10 pearls Apparently, Regal Gardens was an area so luxurious that every unit was worth tens of millions. There was no way Grace could have afforded a unit there. Hence, Elias must have paid for it. Due to how high-end the neighborhood was, the security of the area was very strict. Amanda was only allowed in after Grace had been notified several times by the security guard. From the moment she arrived, she had been prepared for a battle. There was a stormy look on her face. Ding-dong. She stepped up to the door to Grace¡¯s home and rang the doorbell. Past the door, Grace was confused by her unexpected visitor. When she saw Amanda standing outside her door, her face twisted into an extremely fierce and ugly look. She hesitated for a few seconds before opening the door. She wanted to know why Amanda was there. ¡°Amanda, why¡­¡± she spoke as soon as the door swung open. A loud noise echoed through the air as Amanda pped Grace across the face. The force of the p forced Grace¡¯s face to turn to the side. She was shocked. What had she done wrong? Her cheek was burning hot, and she could even feel it swelling up. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you hit me?¡± Grace shrieked as she held a hand up to her stinging cheek. Instead of responding to Grace, Amanda entered Grace¡¯s home and closed the door behind her. She then pped Grace across the other cheek in one hard swing. ¡°Ouch! Have you gone mad? What are you doing?¡± Grace stumbled backward as both her cheeks turned red from the pain. There was even a speck of blood on the corner of her lips. Still, she did not know what she had done to deserve the ps. ¡°This is yourst warning, Amanda! One more p and I¡¯ll call the police! What right do you have to hit me? Why have youe all the way here to attack me for no reason?¡± Grace screeched. Amanda flung her bag to the side and rolled up her sleeves as though she was about to attack Grace once more. ¡°Call the police then! Tell them how you kidnapped my son, Grace Murphy!¡± she roared. Grace¡¯s mind went nk. The air seemed to have exploded. Grace¡¯s eyes widened in shock as fear was painted all over her Chapter 100 Tearing Into th¡­ +10 pearls face. She was rendered speechless, ¡°Well? Cat got your tongue? Are you wondering how I found out? I could never have imagined how evil you could be. After you found out about Aiden, the first thing you did was try to leave him in a remote mountain so that I could never find him instead of telling Elias about Aiden and exposing my lie. Do you think that¡¯s all you need to do to keep Elias ignorant of Aiden¡¯s existence?¡± As Amanda shouted and screamed at Grace, she slowly stepped closer as her entire being radiated with the urge to tear Grace into pieces. Grace¡¯s face was deathly pale as she stumbled backward until she fell onto the couch. Thinking to put up onest struggle, she put on a face of innocence. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. When did you have a child with Elias? I didn¡¯t know about that. I know nothing. Why are you going after me?¡± Amanda let out a spine-chillingugh as she pped Grace once more. ¡°You don¡¯t know about him? If you didn¡¯t know about Aiden, would you have gone all the way to his kindergarten just to steal a few strands of his hair? Must I spell it all out for you? You had a paternity test done, right? If you didn¡¯t know about him, would you have hired someone to kidnap him? I heard every word you said in the phone call this morning. You disgust me. Grace Murphy. Are you too afraid to own up to what you¡¯ve done? What¡¯s the point of putting on an act now?¡± Amanda pulled Grace up by the hair and angrily pped her once more. The more she thought about it, the angrier she was. If Aiden had not been found, he might have died all alone in the middle of the mountain. Grace¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You bugged my phone!¡± ¡°What if I did? Could I have heard something so interesting if I hadn¡¯t? You act as innocent as a baby rabbit when Elias is watching. Who could have known you¡¯re secretly a snake?¡± ¡°You have no right to monitor my calls. This is an invasion of my privacy! I¡¯ll sue you! I¡¯ll report you to the police!¡± Grace felt like she was going mad. Amanda had listened in on her calls. That meant Amanda also knew of the car ident she had arranged for Elias. If Amanda told the truth about the car crash to Elias. his impression of her would be absolutely destroyed. ¡°Go on! I¡¯ll be waiting for your police report. I¡¯m warning you; if you dare target Aiden once more, I¡¯ll kill you! Also, if anything ever happens to my son, I¡¯ll definitely go after you first.¡± Grace roared back, ¡°What? Are you going toe after me if he¡¯s hit while crossing the road? Chapter 100 Tearing Into th¡­ +10 pearls Where¡¯s the logic in it?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! No matter what happens to him, I¡¯ll suspect you first, so stay far away from him!TM Amanda let go of Grace¡¯s hair. Strands of long hair were left behind between her fingers. With a look of disdain, she dusted them off her hands. She then picked up her bag and got ready to leave. Every moment spent in this home revolted her. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Twisting the Facts +10 pearls Amanda had only taken a few steps toward the door before turning over to look at Grace who was sprawled out on the floor. I thought you loved Elias, but it seems like you don¡¯t really love him. You would actually hire someone to sabotage his car. Is his life worth nothing to you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! Elias would never believe you! I love him. I would never hurt him!¡± Grace¡¯s face was white with fear, afraid that Amanda might actually tell Elias all about this. ¡°Love him? Did you try to kill him because you love him? Did you know that if the ident was any worse, he might have died right then and there?!¡± Amanda shot back. Amanda pulled open the door and got ready to leave. Suddenly, Grace called out from where she was on the ground. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Elias about the boy? What are you afraid of? Since the boy is his, why won¡¯t you tell him?¡± As there was no way to salvage the situation, it was time for her to just ask all the questions in her mind. She had always wondered about it. The boy was clearly a trump car Amanda could use to remarry into the Winters Family. Why did she refuse to use it? She even went through so much effort to hide the boy¡¯s existence. ¡°I never nned on telling him. After all, I don¡¯t want to remarry him, nor do I want to give him the child. It looks like I have no choice now. With an evil snake like you around, only Elias can protect his child. That won¡¯t be all I¡¯ll be telling him. I¡¯ll also tell him about how ident. I want him to know just how evil you are!¡± you caused the Amanda had made up her mind. She would rather tell Elias the truth than constantly worry about Grace. While she knew that meant the Winters Family would try to steal her son away from her, nothing was more important than Aiden¡¯s life. She wanted Aiden to live a good life. That was all. If she kept Aiden a secret, Grace would find another chance to target him in the future. However, the next time it happened, Aiden might actually die. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. After shooting Grace an icy look of warning, Amanda walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. The moment the door clicked shut, Grace¡¯s face was deathly pale like a huge boulder was pressing down on her heart, making it impossible for her to catch her breath. If Elias were told about everything that had happened, she would be doomed. 1 Chapter 101 Twisting the¡­ +10 pearls No!! can¡¯t allow that to happen! She nced at her phone. Then, as swift as an exploding bomb, she flung it out of the window. She had not noticed her phone was bugged. She then turned to look at the fruit knife on the coffee table¡­. A sinister idea struck her. Perhaps that was her only way to salvage the situation. She could not hold back any longer. She was willing to do anything as long as it meant she could avoid ruining Elias¡¯ impression of her. She walked over to the couch and picked up the knife. In one cruel swoop, she stabbed it into her arm, causing blood to drip onto the carpet. No¡­ This was not bad enough. It would not make him pity her. She pulled out the knife and stumbled through the pain into the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror as she struggled with what she was about to do. Finally, she raised the knife and slit. a deep gash below her chin. The sight of blood made tears flow down her checks as she caved into the urge to sob. After all, no one was willing to ruin their own beautiful face with ugly scars. Still, she had no other choice. She had to harden her heart if she wanted to get what she desired. Meanwhile, at the Winters Estate, bored of resting at home, Eliasnguidly sprawled out on the rattan lounge seat in the garden as he sipped on a cup of coffee, Howard hobbled over and snatched away his cup of coffee. ¡°How can you drink coffee during this time? Do you want to ruin your sleep schedule? You need to focus on eating and sleeping well so that you can get back to full health soon.¡± Elias frowned in annoyance. ¡°I know, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Do you? Also, keep this on. It¡¯s a good health charm I got just for you. You must have it with you. all the time and not lose it. You also can¡¯t let it get wet. Got it?¡± Howard held out a good health charm. Elias was rendered speechless. He had been wondering why Howard had been missing for a few days. It seemed like Howard had gone off to pray. 16.45 Chapter 101 Twisting the¡­ +10 pearls While Elias did not believe in charms, he would never turn down a gesture of kindness from Howard. Hence, he dismissively replied, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°What kind of attitude is that? Put it away now! Remember to keep it with you every single day! I¡¯ve ordered Yacob to keep a close eye on you,¡± Howard admonished. Elias stared back in silence. Just then, Yacob walked over to them with a look so grave that it was as if something bad had. happened. ¡°Mr. Winters, Sir,¡± he greeted. After greeting the two men, Yacob stood behind Elias as though he had something urgent to say. However, he did not speak as Howard was there. ¡°Just tell me,¡± Elias eventually said. Yacob leaned in and whispered into Elias¡¯ ear. Elias¡¯ face nched with horror. The sudden change in expression caught Howard¡¯s attention. While he knew that meant something bad had happened, he did not say a word. Since thepany was now in Elias¡¯ har he would not worry about it anymore. Still, he could not resist saying, ¡°Is it thepany? Don¡¯t panic. Remain calm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, Grandpa. It¡¯s something personal. I have to go deal with it now,¡± Elias said. Elias shot to his feet and strolled out of the garden at an urgent pace. ¡°What on earth happened? Why would Amanda sh Grace¡¯s face? How did they get into a fight?¡± Elias immediately demanded as he stomped toward the car. Yacob, who was following close behind, replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. I only know what Miss Murphy said over the phone. She is now in the hospital. I¡¯ve also had someone look into the surveince footage. Miss Bailey did willingly go into Miss Murphy¡¯s home and pped Miss Murphy while they were standing in the doorway. Soon after, Miss Bailey left while Miss Murphy was injured.¡± ¡°Show me the surveince footage now!¡± Elias did not believe what Yacob had told him. Amanda was never an impulsive woman. Why would she go after Grace for no reason? He had already broken up with Grace and reduced his interactions with her. Why would Amanda do this then? What happened? ¡°Yes, sir!¡±. 16.46 Chapter 101 Twisting the¡­ +10 pearls Sitting in the back of the car, Elias waited with a severe look on his face. A few minutester, Yacob handed him a tablet with the surveince footage disyed on it. Elias¡¯ face turned uglier and uglier as he watched the footage. It was true that Amanda had visited Grace unprompted, and that Amanda had pped Grace. When Grace eventually walked out of her home, her entire body was covered in blood and there was a bleeding gash on her face, His hands clenched into fists as he pursed his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± He would first check out the situation at the hospital. There was no way he could wholeheartedly believe Amanda could be that cruel. The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in¡­ +10 pearls Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Why Is She Suddenly Like This? On the contrary, the atmosphere inside the car was tense throughout the journey. Yacob was too terrified to speak up as Elias repeatedly yed the surveince footage in the backseat. Then, Elias carefully observed every subtle expression on Amanda¡¯s face before she entered the house. She seems angry. Why is she so furious? In the meantime, he went directly to the ward upon his arrival at the hospital. After the wound was attended to, Grace was admitted for observation. He could hear her sobbing as he approached the door. ¡°Doctor, can I recover from this? If I don¡¯t get better soon, my career is over. I don¡¯t want that-¡± ¡°Miss Murphy, please calm down. Your agitation could cause the wound to reopen. We will do everything possible to improve the follow-up treatment n, but you will unlikely recoverpletely.¡± ¡°What? How can this be? Isn¡¯t your hospital the best at treating scars? Are those advertisements an borate hoax?¡± ¡°Miss Murphy, please calm down. Look, your wound has already reopened. It will affect your recovery. Soon, the room¡¯s noise volume rose sharply, and the door swung open. Grace¡¯s sobbing stopped as she stared at Elias, who had just entered the ward. ¡°You can leave first,¡± he said to the doctor. After hearing this, the doctor quickly exited the ward, and Yacob quietly closed the door from outside. After that, Elias walked to the bedside and was shocked by her appearance. How did she get injured like this? He saw a deep wound on her fair arm and a long scar on her cheek covered with blood- stained gauze. He knew the wound on her cheek would inevitably leave a scar and likely end her career in the entertainment industry. After all, the entertainment industry was heavily reliant on appearances. ¡°Elias¡­ I don¡¯t want to be like this. I want to be my old self. I don¡¯t want this- She grabbed the man¡¯s arm, crying in pain. Her suffering wasn¡¯t feigned, but rather, it was genuine. After all, she had ruined her own face. Aside from being concerned about her future in the entertainment industry, she was also concerned that he would dislike her. She was well aware that all men were naturally lustful about appearances¡­. Grace started to regret her impulsiveness. Why did I sh my cheek so ruthlessly? Even so, I know Elias won¡¯t care if I¡¯ve hurt other parts of my body. Then, she clung desperately to his arm, crying and screaming in agony. She eventually kept wailing for a while until he became impatient. Chapter 102 Why Is She ¡­ +10 pearls ¡°What happened? Why did Amanda hurt your face like this? What happened between you two?¡± he asked. Why would Amandamit such an act? I find it hard to believe she would be so vicious. Furthermore, as awyer, wouldn¡¯t she be aware of the consequences of such actions, especially with surveince cameras present? Such a malicious act could result in imprisonment. Then, she stifled her voice and sobbed through her words. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she did this. As soon as she entered, she started hitting me. I feel like she has gone crazy! She has been ming me for yourN?velDrama.Org holds this content. divorce, and she even imed that her child wouldn¡¯t have died four years ago if it weren¡¯t for me! Then, she kept hitting me and used me of seducing you and bewitching your mind. She used me of being a vixen and said she nned to disfigure me so I could no longer seduce you¡­¡± She disyed exceptional acting skills while fabricating a story about Amanda¡¯s mental instability. Moreover, all that mattered to her was establishing herself firmly in Elias¡± affections. Elias¡¯ dark eyes were filled with astonishment upon hearing this. How could Amanda do this? Then. he asked, ¡°Why did she suddenly act like this?¡± Nevertheless, it¡¯s true that four years ago, Grace was the reason I divorced Amanda and cruelly abandoned her, leading to the death of her unborn child, but¡­. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Elias. I¡¯m so scared. I feel like she has truly gone insane. She has gone as saying she wants to tell you that the child is alive, but she won¡¯t tell you where the child is that you¡¯ll be tortured forever without ever being able to find the child-While Grace was talking, her eyes darted nervously as if she were afraid he would catch on to her fibbing. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! The child was aborted four years ago. She has already told me!¡± he said, pushing the woman on the hospital bed away. The Amanda she describes sounds like someone who has completely lost their mind. From what I saw yesterday. Amanda seems fine andpletely normal. How did she have a mental breakdown out of the blue and start acting so irrationally? After hearing his remark, she hysterically shouted at the man. Then, why did she treat me like this? Do you think I¡¯m lying to you? Didn¡¯t Yacob show you the surveince footage? She came to my house on her own ord, and as soon as she entered, she started hitting me, cursing at me, and eventually using a fruit knife to ruin my face! Do you think I¡¯m stupid enough to sh my own face? I¡¯m still a celebrity! How can I survive in the entertainment industry like this?¡± After speaking, she broke down mentally and cried out loudly, filling the entire hospital room with her pitiful wails. Elias remained silent upon hearing this. I had viewed the surveince footage and can confirm that Amanda struck Grace in the face when the door opened. Still, I don¡¯t get why Amanda would do this or why she would have such a sudden and intense dislike for Grace. Even if Amanda¡¯s suffering from those years ago was directly attributable to Grace, I am no longer in a rtionship with her. So, why¡­ Then, Grace grabbed his arm tightly and said, ¡°Amanda also stated that she wishes to sully your memory of me. She wants to tell you that the car ident was also caused by me. Elias, don¡¯t believe her. Please don¡¯t believe her¡­ How could I harm you? How could I cause a car ident to kill you? This woman has truly gone insane!¡± However, he took one look at the bloodied bandage on her cheek, frowned, and then walked away. Chapter 102 Why Is She¡­ +10 pearls ¡°Elias! I beg you not to believe her words. I had no idea what happened four years ago, nor was 1 aware that you had a child together. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have let you divorce her- She knew this was herst chance, so she wailed at the man¡¯s indifferent back. As soon as Elias was out of sight, her sobbing stopped, and she wiped away her tears. Ha¡­ I¡¯ve already inocted him against Amanda¡¯s words, so I don¡¯t think her words would affect him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll just brush this off because he¡¯s always felt bad about me and my brother, especially note that my face is ruined. Then, she looked at the tightly closed door and whispered, ¡°Yn, please watch over me through this trial. Otherwise, I won¡¯t have another chance anymore. I can¡¯t lose Elias¡­ Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 pped by Elias. +10 pearls In the meantime, Amanda agreed to apany Aiden to the shopping mall in the afternoon, so she took Selina and the child there and bought a lot of gifts. After shopping, she asked Selina to take her son home while she went to thew firm. Despite her resolve to be honest with Elias, she struggled to put her thoughts into words. She had just arrived at thew firm and was walking to her office when her secretary noticed her and immediately stood up. ¡°Miss Bailey.¡± She nodded with a smile, but unexpectedly, the secretary said. ¡°Miss Bailey, Mr. Winters from Winters Enterprise is waiting for you in the office. He doesn¡¯t look too happy. It seems like something important is going on.¡± Elias? Howe he showed up so quickly? Is he seeking revenge on behalf of Grace? Ha¡­. Amanda sneered inwardly. Doesn¡¯t he im not to love that woman? Yet, he couldn¡¯t bear to see a single scratch on her. He know better than to put faith in a man¡¯s word. Let¡¯s see how he ns to avenge Grace. Then, she nced at her secretary and said, ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t let anyone disturb us without my permission.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Afterward, sheposed herself and headed in the direction of her office. She hesitated briefly, then opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind her. As she entered her office, her eyes. fell upon the man sitting on the couch in the reception area with his back facing her. However, his overpowering aura made the entire office feel suffocating. He exuded such a strong sense of animosity that it appeared he hade to settle ounts with her. Tsk tsk¡­.. There¡¯s no doubt that she holds a special ce in this vile man¡¯s heart. Amanda walked toward the reception area, approaching the man. Looking at his dark expression, she spoke disdainfully. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you so eager toe and settle scores with me? Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t love Grace? Can¡¯t you handle it when she gets a few ps from me?¡± After hearing this, Elias stood up, his tall figure enveloping her delicate frame. ¡°A few ps? How dare you say it was just a few ps? Do you not, as a woman, feel like you¡¯ve crossed the line here?¡± His volume increased as he roared at her. Grace has suffered facial disfigurement. So, where does she go from here? She couldn¡¯t stay in the entertainment industry, and it would be difficult for her to find a man, but Amanda treats these with apparent indifference. Initially, I hesitated to believe Grace¡¯s assertions, but note Amanda admits it and does not even regret her malicious actions. I¡¯m still baffled as to how she¡¯s suddenly turned into this¡­.. She was stunned by his outburst, and it took her a second to gather her thoughts before she retorted, ¡°Crossed the line? Were her actions not excessive, considering she is a woman? Am I going too far by pping her? Do you even know what she has done? You know nothing!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to know! I know you admitted to physically assaulting Grace and causing facial disfigurement! Do you know how important her face is to her?¡± Elias shouted angrily and even kicked over the coffee table before him. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Chapter 103 pped by Elias +10 pearls Amanda looked at the overturned table and then at the man¡¯s raging expression. She almost doubted her own eyes. ¡°Elias, are you sure you don¡¯t love Grace like you said? You¡¯ve already. reached this level of indignation simply because I gave her a few ps. How can a few ps possibly disfigure her? Is her face made of paper? I think her face is thicker than a city wall! After all the shameless things she has done- However, her words were interrupted by coldughter from the man. ¡°Amanda! In addition to pping her, you sh her face with a knife! She¡¯s scarred for life. She¡¯s a celebrity, and do you know what it means for her future if her face is scarred? I know I wronged you four years ago, but you didn¡¯t have to disfigure her. This will bind me to her for the rest of my life, as I will have to care for her, and I also find it extremely annoying!¡± Amanda nced at Elias, perplexed by his words. What does he mean that I shed her face with a knife? When did I use a knife? When did I give her a scar? Then, she asked, ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t falsely use me. I didn¡¯t sh her face! Besides, she has done so many disgraceful things, so what does she need her face for?¡± Her anger clouded her judgment, and she spoke without thinking. Soon, he became irritated by her response and developed a severe headache. ¡°Are you trying say that my ident was caused by her? Let me tell you, that¡¯s impossible. She couldn¡¯t have targeted me.¡± Since I am the person who knows Grace the best, I can say that she is a timid and shy woman who, after the passing of her brother, is trying to find sce in mypany by clinging to me. ¡°Did you find out? How can you say it wasn¡¯t her? Do you have evidence? Besides, she didn¡¯t just do that. What she did is enough for me to strangle her!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe he trusted Grace so much and had no doubts about her. After hearing this, his expression darkened as his eyes lingered over her delicate face, and his hands tightened around her slim shoulders. ¡°Amanda, it¡¯s all my fault. You¡¯ve been through so much pain because I didn¡¯t believe your words four years ago, but Grace has no idea what I did. So, you took revenge on the wrong person. You should have targeted me!¡± Amanda pushed away Elias¡¯ hand upon hearing his exnation. ¡°What if she harmed our child? What if our child is alive? Would you still defend her if she tries to murder our child?¡± The man was taken aback as he stared at her. Grace¡¯s earlierments stuck with me: Amanda does indeed bring up the prospect of our child still being alive. Is she going crazy¡± ¡°Amanda, there¡¯s no ¡®what if Stop making these hypothetical scenarios up, okay? Our child is dead because you aborted it four years ago! Why can¡¯t you move on?¡± After uttering those words, he felt a severe headache approaching. The head trauma he had sustained in the car ident had already caused him to have a concussion, and additional mentalbor and emotional stress would only worsen the condition. Nheless, she hadpletely lost control of her emotions and yelled at the man. ¡°I never thought Grace held such a high position in your heart! Well, let me tell you, she¡¯s the one who caused your car ident. She almost killed your son and nearly denied you the chance to see with him! Do you hear me? After all of the nefarious things that she did, there was nothing wrong me pping her a few times. So, how can a few ps disfigure her face? Even if she dies, it won¡¯t Chapter 103 pped by Elias +10 pearls relieve the hatred in my heart!¡± Suddenly, the man¡¯s hand struck Amanda¡¯s face with a loud p, and he shouted, ¡°Shut up! Stop talking!¡± Due to the impact of the p, her face cocked to the side, and the silence that followedsted long enough to hear a pin drop. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 She Was Too Dumb This man actuallyid his hands on her-because of Grace. Even though his attitude toward her was so terrible four years ago, he had neverid a hand on her. Amanda¡¯s emotions erupted in an instant. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her fists were clenched tightly at her sides. After Elias pped her, he immediately regretted it. I actually hit Amanda¡­ ¡°Amanda¡­ I¡¯m sorry. L The man reached out to touch her cheek, but Amanda pped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Elias had a severe headache. He slumped on the couch, his breathing bing rapid. The figure of the woman in front of him seemed blurred. ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m sorry¡­ But you really shouldn¡¯t have ruined Grace¡¯s face. You know how important looks are to a woman¡­¡± Before the man could finish his sentence, Amanda interrupted him again, ¡°Elias! From now on, we¡¯re done! Neither of us should bother each other anymore! Since you don¡¯t believe me, then nevere to find me again! I don¡¯t need you! I never want to see you again! I hate you! I loathe you!¡± After saying that, Amanda turned around and left her office, mming the door heavily. The sound of the door mming was like a heavy stone crashing into the man¡¯s chest, suffocating him and leaving his face as white as a sheet. Elias leaned against the couch, wanting to get up and chase after her, but he had no strength at all. He felt heavy and his head felt like it was about to explode. Amanda walked out of the office in tears. The secretary, who was making a phone call, immediately stood up upon seeing her. ¡°Miss Bailey, what happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± The secretary had also noticed the red handprint on Amanda¡¯s cheek. Was she pped? Did Mr. Winters do it?No way? How could that be? The secretary¡¯s heart burned with curiosity, and as Amanda headed toward the elevator, she turned around and whispered to another secretary. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How could Mr. Wintersy his hands on a woman? Did you see it? Miss Bailey has a handprint on her face. Chapter 104 She Was Too ¡­ +10 pearls . ¡°I saw it, definitely. Miss Bailey came out crying too. These wealthy people are so despicable. Did he make some inappropriate demands that Miss Bailey rejected?¡± Just then, Simon walked over with a folder, preparing to discuss a case with Amanda. Unexpectedly, he encountered the two secretaries gossiping. Simon tapped the table with the folder. ¡°Gossiping during work hours? Should I give you both a day¡¯s leave so you can find a cafe to chat?¡± The two secretaries immediately straightened up, and one of them reported to Simon, ¡°Mr. Nicholson, it seems like Miss Bailey has been bullied.¡± ¡°What? Who dares to bully her? What happened?¡± Simon¡¯s expression immediately changed. ¡°Mr. Winters from Winters Enterprise came here. Miss Bailey went in for a while and then came out crying. It seems she was pped. We don¡¯t know exactly what happened¡­.¡± ¡°What?! Where is Amanda?¡± Simon couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Elias actuallyid his hands on Amanda? ¡°I don¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t say anything when we asked her. She just left crying. On the other hand, Mr. Winters is still in the office. He hasn¡¯te out yet¡± As soon as the secretary finished speaking, Simon, full of anger, rushed into the office. How could a many his hands on a woman? Simon kicked open the office door and indeed saw the man sitting on the couch in the reception arca. He charged forward, his voice filled with anger. ¡°Elias! What do you think you¡¯re doingying your hands on a woman? You¡­¡± Simon approached the couch but was stunned by the scene in front of him. Elias was slumped on the couch, unconscious. He had a pale face and arge pool of blood around him¡­ How could this happen? Simon truly hadn¡¯t expected to witness such a scene. Could it be that his internal injuries from the car ident hadn¡¯t healed at all? He tried to calm down for a few seconds, then immediately took out his phone and called emergency services. If Elias continued to be unconscious here, his situation could really be life- threatening. As for what happened between him and Amanda, it would have to wait until Elias had received emergency treatment at the hospital. Chapter 104 She Was Too ¡­ +10 pearls Meanwhile, Amanda cried all the way as she walked to the underground parking lot, which was empty. She opened the car door, sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and sobbed against the steering wheel, overwhelmed with grievances. I was wrong; I was truly wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have harbored any illusions about that scumbag. I even wanted to tell him about the child. I had been truly insane¡­ Completely insane. Amanda changed her mind then, she would never, ever tell Elias about the existence of the child. A man like Elias, who couldn¡¯t distinguish right from wrong, wasn¡¯t worthy of having custody of the child. As long as Elias still believed in Grace, the child wouldn¡¯t have a good life in the Winters Family. She wouldn¡¯t allow her child to face the risk of being killed by Grace every day. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She no longer wanted any connection with Elias. She had been dumb during this time. To be frank, she had been pitifully dumb to believe in someone like Elias! From now on, she would keep a clear mind and never fall into Elias¡¯ deceitful traps again. Amanda hated herself the most! Every time Elias showed even a little kindness, she couldn¡¯t help but give the scumbag a chance in her heart. She was always thinking he might really change for the better. Sigh¡­. Reality had proven that she was just being delusional, to begin with! A scumbag would always be a scumbag! Even if he faced all sorts of difficulties, he was stillplete scumbag who was not worthy of sympathy! She didn¡¯t know how long she had been in the parking lot until her car window was suddenly knocked upon. At that moment, she snapped out of her messy thoughts. Amanda rolled down the window and found that it was Simon. She wiped away the tears on her face, not wanting Simon to see her in such a miserable state. Simon opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, handing her a bottle of chilled mineral water to apply on her face. ¡°Apply this to your face; it¡¯s not good for your child to see you like this. Amanda paused for a moment, then took the bottle and pressed it against her cheek, quickly reducing the swelling and relieving the pain. She had forgotten that Aiden was smart and could immediately notice the handprint on her face. Chapter 104 She Was Too ¡­ +10 pearls He would definitely ask incessant questions. ¡°I won¡¯t ask what happened between you two. I know you don¡¯t want to talk about it. However, I want to tell you that when I went to your office just now, I saw him in aa and blood was all around him. I¡¯ve already had him sent to the hospital.¡± Although Simon couldn¡¯t stand everything Elias did, he still truthfully reported the situation. A flicker of astonishment shed in Amanda¡¯s teary eyes, and then she spat out a harsh curse, ¡°Serves him right!¡± ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Simon looked at her swollen cheeks and asked softly. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Amanda looked at Simon¡¯s mature andposed demeanor, realizing how much stronger he was compared to the emotionally vtile Elias. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 cklisted C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Suddenly, Amanda remembered Simon¡¯s proposal of a ¡°marriage without love, and thought that it Inight be a good idea. She had always pursued so-called love, but it had only left her battered and bruised. Perhaps, it was better to try a marriage without love. A loveless marriage should be much more comfortable. She wouldn¡¯t have to care so much or feel so exhausted. Amanda stared at Simon for a long time. Under her gaze, he felt puzzled. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°Simon, does your proposition of a marriage without love still stand? Do you still want it?¡± she asked. As she was met with endless silence, she thought that he was going to refuse. She withdrew her gaze and smiled, saying. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything¡± Some things were just like that. Once an opportunity was missed, there would be no second chance again. Moreover, Simon was so outstanding and handsome, so he deserved a better woman. Suddenly, he spoke up. ¡°Of course, it still stands, but have you thought it through? If you really agree to it, you can¡¯t go back on your word. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what I might do. I¡¯m also a man; I also have my own brand of possessiveness and desire to win.¡± Amanda looked up at the man¡¯s eyes with a nk expression. She didn¡¯t know if her decision was right or wrong. However, Elias had disappointed her so much today, and she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him anymore. She had to find a man quickly to end her single life; otherwise, Elias would never give up on her. Even if she escaped abroad. Elias would surely find her. ¡°Well, then¡­ Let me think about it,¡± she hesitated. In truth, she hadn¡¯t made up her mind. She just wanted to escape from her current predicament as soon as possible. Seeing Amanda¡¯s indecisive expression, Simon didn¡¯t say anything more. He sat with her for a while and said, ¡°Let me take you back. Your face looks better now, and Aiden probably won¡¯t be able to tell.¡± ¡°I can manage on my own. Aren¡¯t you attending a banquet tonight? Don¡¯t worry about me. I can handle it myself,¡± Amanda replied. She didn¡¯t want to waste any more of Simon¡¯s time as she had already wasted enough. Simon didn¡¯t insist anymore. ¡°All right then, if you need anything, call me. Don¡¯t struggle on your own. Remember, you still have Aiden, so you have to stay positive.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Why would I not stay positive? I was just in a bad mood for a moment. I¡¯m fine now.¡± She couldn¡¯t help butugh. Did Simon think she would be so depressed that she would contemte suicide? Chapter 105 cklisted +10 pearls ¡°Alright then. After you¡¯ve arrived home, send me a message so that I¡¯ll know you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Simon pushed open the car door and got out, watching her drive away before sighing deeply. ¡°Did I say too much to you just now? You finally agreed, so why did I end up scaring you away?¡± At that moment, Simon¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from his ex-girlfriend, Lunabelle. Since Lunabelle found out that he wasn¡¯t married, she aggressively pursued him, hoping to rekindle their past rtionship. Despite her efforts, some things were meant to be left in the past and couldn¡¯t be brought back. Simon hesitated for a few seconds before answering the call. Lunabelle¡¯s voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Simon, can we have dinner together tonight? Your mother¡¯s birthday ising up. and I bought her a gift. Can you give it to her?¡± ¡°Sure. You decide the time and ce.¡± After some emergency treatment at the hospital, Elias was taken to a hospital room. He slept for four hours and gradually regained consciousness. The first person he saw when he opened his eyes was his grandfather, followed by Grace, who had a worried look on her face, and his mother. He didn¡¯t expect so many people to be gathered around his hospital bed, but the one person he wanted to see the most was conspicuously absent. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re awake! Are you okay?¡± Grace was the first to speak with tears shimmering in her eyes. Howard couldn¡¯t hold back his tears either. ¡°You disobedient boy! I told you to rest at home, but you were running around everywhere. Look at you; you¡¯re coughing up blood! Do you really not care about your life? Do you want our Winters Family to end with you? You unruly brat!¡± Jennifer grabbed Elias¡¯ hand, crying, ¡°Elias, take care of yourself. How could you be so reckless? I can¡¯t live without you¡­¡± With all the crying voices around him, Elias felt a headacheing on. He didn¡¯t want to say a word; he just wanted to rest quietly for a while. It would be better to close his eyes and pretend to sleep because at least he could have some peace and quiet. Grace broke down in tears in front of his hospital bed. ¡°Elias, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all because of me that you ended up like this¡­. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± She knew that Elias had gone to settle the score with Amanda, but she didn¡¯t expect it to turn out like this¡­ Did Amanda make Elias cough up blood? Were theypletely at odds with each other now? Chapter 105 cklisted +10 pearls Looking at Elias¡± current state, it was evident that they had a big fight and an irreconcble misunderstanding had arisen between them. He felt annoyed, so, in a voice low and hoarse, he growled, ¡°Everyone, leave. I want some peace and quiet.¡± ¡°Okay, sure; we¡¯ll leave. Rest well. The doctor said you mustn¡¯t get agitated. Your internal injuries from the car ident haven¡¯t healed yet. You have to stay in the hospital and cooperate with the treatment. Elias, please, don¡¯t push your body to the limit again, Jennifer cried, turning into a sobbing mess. However, she didn¡¯t want to disturb her son¡¯s rest, so she covered her mouth and left the hospital ward. Howard also added, ¡°Rest well. If there¡¯s anything wrong, call someone. Don¡¯t get angry again, and don¡¯t run around recklessly. Otherwise, we¡¯ll tie you to the bed this time!¡± Elias had suffered quite serious injuries in the car ident, and if he didn¡¯t receive proper care and rest, there might be long-term consequences. After everyone left the hospital ward, Grace was the only one left. She didn¡¯t want to leave. ¡°Elias, can I stay here with you? I won¡¯t say anything; I¡¯ll just stay quiet¡­¡± ¡°Leave, please.¡± The man closed his eyes and seemed unwilling to talk. She had no choice but to stand up and wipe away her tears. ¡°If you need anything, make sure to call us. Get some good rest. Reluctantly, she left the hospital ward and closed the door. Once everyone had left the room, Elias struggled to sit up. He leaned against the bed, looking at the night sky outside the window. Looked like it was already dark¡­. His memory went back to before he lost consciousness. He remembered pping Amanda across the face as well as Amanda running away in tears. After that, he didn¡¯t remember anything. There was a tinge of heartache in his pitch-ck eyes as he picked up his phone and dialed Amanda¡¯s number, but he couldn¡¯t get through no matter how many times he tried. Elias¡¯ handsome face tightened as he realized that he had most likely been cklisted by Amanda this time. He threw off the nket and tried to get off the bed. Right now, he wanted to look for her to exin himself, but as soon as he got out of bed, he couldn¡¯t help but cough up blood again. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 We¡¯re Through, I Guess A fit of dizziness forced Elias to lie down again. As he leaned back on his sickbed, panting, he sank into deep regret. Why was I so impulsive back then¡­ Staring at his phone¡¯s screen, he couldn¡¯t help but dial Amanda¡¯s number again and again, but he couldn¡¯t get through to her at all. Blood stained his chin red, making him look even paler. In the Gxy Bay vi area, Amanda was bathing Aiden in the bathroom. Aiden, on the other hand, had been studying her expression. He couldn¡¯t help feeling that something was odd about his mother, for she spoke very little today. ¡°Mommy, are you unhappy today?¡± After hearing her son call her, she returned to her senses and summoned up a smile. ¡°Hmm? No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just a bit tired from work, probably.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You should go to bed early, then. You don¡¯t have to tell me bedtime stories tonight, Mommy. I can go to sleep by myself.¡± Seeing how sensible her baby boy was, Amanda broke into a grateful smile. ¡°What a good boy you are, Baby! Come on, stand up and dry yourself before we blow your hair dry.¡± He stood up to let her towel him dry. After that, she wrapped him in his own little bathrobe and lifted him up in front of the bathroom sink. Looking at her son¡¯s little face, which resembled a certain man¡¯s more and more, Amanda got a bit worried again deep down. Tentatively, she asked, ¡°Baby, do you really want a father?¡± She knew how the father yed a crucial role in the upbringing of a little boy, but she got thoroughly disappointed with Elias after today¡¯s incident at her office. There was no way she would let her son return to the Winters Family. Aiden fixed her with those adorable puppy eyes of his. For a long while, he didn¡¯t say a word, as if there was something on his mind. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Just go ahead and say it.¡± ¡°Mommy, do you want me to tell the truth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s of course. I don¡¯t like kids who lie, so you have to tell the truth.¡± Amanda wiped the water droplets from Aiden¡¯s hair. Aiden pondered for a while. ¡°I do wish to have a father, but if you don¡¯t like it, then I don¡¯t like it either. I just want you to be happy. Mommy.¡± Amanda was at a loss for words. Although these words had been ryed to her by Selina before. Chapter 106 We¡¯re Through,¡­ +10 pearls C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org her heart still melted into a puddle when she heard her son say so himself. She sometimes thought it was a burden for a child so little to be this mature. Aren¡¯t kids supposed to live a carefree life doing whatever they like? ¡°Aiden Bailey¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aiden was taken aback at suddenly hearing Amanda call him by his full name. Did I say something wrong? She looked dead serious. She promised her son, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find you a reliable father, okay?¡± He looked at her with a deep frown, though. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯ve said this a million times before. You¡¯re lying to me again, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I¡¯m absolutely not lying to you this time. I¡¯m gonna start getting serious about getting you a father.¡± Amanda used to still have a bit of fantasy about Elias before, but now, she wouldn¡¯t anymore. She would never choose this man again, even if all the other men in the world. were dead. Aiden was skeptical, though. ¡°Is that so? Well then, I¡¯ll believe you one more time. By the way. Mommy, you know Tina from my kindergarten? Her dad is great, and he¡¯s single, too. Would you like to meet him?¡± All at once, Amanda was rendered speechless. So, this little brat has been looking for a new father in kindergarten already, huh? He really wants a father more than I thought. Sigh¡­ It¡¯s understandable, though. Baby has never had a father to keep himpany since he was born. He keeps calling Simon Daddy,¡± this poor thing. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to sleep. I¡¯ll take care of looking for a daddy for you, so don¡¯t worry about it. Just have fun with the kids in kindergarten.¡± She picked up her son-who smelled good like a baby-and carried him to bed in his bedroom, putting the bottle of reconstituted powdered milk in his hand while she was at it. ¡°Be good and finish your milk before you go to sleep. I won¡¯t be telling you bedtime stories tonight. Now that you¡¯ve grown up, you have to learn to sleep by yourself, him ¡°Alright, Mommy, I got it. Stop nagging already. Good night.¡± Aideny in bed holding his milk bottle, drinking from it with his legs crossed in afortable posture. At the sight of this, Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh. He¡¯s so good at enjoying himself. Leaving his bedroom, she came downstairs to find Selina still busy in the kitchen. She entered the kitchen and looked at the woman, who was washing the kitchen utensils. ¡°It¡¯s sote already. Why don¡¯t you go to bed early and leave them until tomorrow?¡± she urged with a smile. Selina looked back at her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll be done in a second. I overheard your conversation with Baby when I passed by his room just now. What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯vee around and decided to go to your ex-husband?¡± She thought Amanda had realized theck of fatherly love for her child and might want to go to her ex-husband to get remarried. Amanda was startled for a moment. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m nning to get a new father for Baby, actually. My ex-husband and I¡­ We¡¯re through, I guess. Recalling the scene at her office today. she just felt that she and Elias were growing further and further apart. Maybe they weren¡¯t Chapter 106 We¡¯re Through,¡­ +10 pearls suitable for each other at all. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have ended up getting divorced. Perhaps divorce is the best ending for us. I shouldn¡¯t get entangled with him anymore. Selina replied with a faint smile, I don¡¯t know what happened between the two of you, but you must have your own reasons for making such a decision.¡± Amanda smiled. ¡°Thanks for your understanding. It really means a lot to me.¡± Selina said, ¡°You¡¯ve got to keep your eyes open this time. A woman can never be too careful when it comes to choosing her second husband. Don¡¯t worry about your kid; I¡¯ll take good care of him for you. Just go to work and look for a husband with peace of mind.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Selina.¡± Amanda felt really relieved leaving Aiden in Selina¡¯s care, which felt like leaving her child in the care of her own sister. For the next few days, everything seemed to return to normal. Amanda went to work at thew firm as usual, and Elias didn¡¯te after her again. He was probably still recuperating in the hospital. The elevator door slowly opened with a Ding! Amanda stepped out of the elevator and was about to turn toward her office. Unexpectedly, the door of the elevator next to hers opened as well, and Lunabelle stepped out of it. ¡°Amanda!¡± she called out to Amanda. Amanda looked back at the woman before her, whom she recognized after a few seconds as Lunabelle Gowen, Simon¡¯s ex-girlfriend. ¡°Hi, Miss Gowen.¡± Lunabelle walked up to her with a smile. She apologized, I¡¯m really sorry for what happenedst time. I didn¡¯t know anything, and it was all a misunderstanding. Simon told me everything. afterward, so I know everything now.¡± Only then did Amanda realize that Lunabelle was referring to the previous incident where Lunabelle had caught her and Simon ¡®cheating She replied. That¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t your fault, actually; it was Simon¡¯s fault for not telling you the truth and making you get the wrong idea.¡± In fact, she could tell that Simon and Lunabelle obviously still cared about each other. It was just that Simon was unable to put the past behind. him. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Is She That Thirsty for Men +10 pearls Lunabelle took her hand. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you to think so. I¡¯m really sorry for being so presumptuous by embarrassing you and Simonst time. Can you apologize to him for me?¡± God knew how pleased she felt when she learned that there was nothing romantic between Simon and Amanda and that the child wasn¡¯t theirs. She had cruelly broken his heart back then, choosing to abandon him-her long-time love-to marry a wealthy foreigner. She honestly never expected. the man to be still single when she got divorced and returned to her home country. This was simply a second chance given to her, so she had to get hold of it. Amanda shook her head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, but I could tell that Simon still cares about you deep down. He nearly got into a fight with Elias for your sake at the hospitalst time, you know.¡± Lunabelle¡¯s face had a look of disbelief. ¡°Is that so? But he¡¯s been rejecting me so far¡­. I don¡¯t understand.¡± She thought Simon¡¯s feelings for her had already cooled off. Otherwise, why would he keep distancing himself from her? Amanda let out a soft sigh. ¡°Perhaps he has his own issues that are guing him. After all, your breakup with him back then wasn¡¯t an amicable one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m the one who has let him down¡­¡± The light in Lunabelle¡¯s eyes dimmed as she recalled the past. Just then, Amanda¡¯s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ve got to answer the phone. ¡°Oh, sure! Please go ahead.¡± Amanda answered the phone. ¡°Hi, this is Amanda speaking. What can I do for you?¡± On the other end of the line was the dating agency. ¡°Hi, Miss Bailey, we¡¯re calling from Eternal Love, the dating agency. We¡¯ve arranged a meeting for you this evening with a gentleman who meets your requirements. Are you free to meet him then?¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll be there on time this evening, replied Amanda. After hanging up the phone, she turned to look at Lunabelle. ¡°I have to get ready for work now. You¡¯re looking for Simon, right? His office is over there. Just go straight that way and you¡¯ll find him.¡± ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t keep you then. Just go ahead with your work.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s chat again some other time.¡± Amanda nodded with a polite smile before turning to leave. The moment she turned around, however, Lunabelle¡¯s face screwed up into a puzzled expression. I think I just heard the caller say something about them calling from a dating agency. Is Amanda looking for a boyfriend? Doesn¡¯t she already have Mr. Winters? That¡¯s Elias Winters, the fabulously rich president of Winters Enterprise! Is he not good enough for her requirements? Why would she go to a dating agency Chapter 107 Is She That¡­ +10 pearls instead? Puzzled, she turned toward Simon¡¯s office, knocking on the door when she arrived outside. Seeing the man in there buried in his work, she instantly smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Come in,¡± said Simon without even looking up. Lunabelle walked in and sat down across his desk. You¡¯re so busy, huh? Mr. Nicholson?¡± Hearing the woman¡¯s voice, Simon looked up with a slight frown. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Ie here to see you? I just want to see how busy you are at work. You keep turning me down when I ask you out. Since I can never get a date with you, I have no choice but toe to you at your law firm, thought Lunabelle. Simon put away the few documents before him. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been kind of busy.¡± ¡°By the way, I saw Amanda just now. Is she going on blind datestely?¡± asked Lunabelle. Simon frowned slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Amanda is going on blind dates? Why would she do that? Seeing the man¡¯s clueless expression, Lunabelle recounted to him what she had seen and heard a while ago. ¡°I saw her on the phone with a dating agency just now, and she said she¡¯d be there on time in the evening. Doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s going on a blind date?¡± Simon fell silent for a long time. Amanda is hesitant about me courting her, and yet she goes to a dating agency to look for blind dates? Just what is going on in her head? Elias had been recuperating in the hospital over the past few days. He couldn¡¯t go anywhere; his grandfather and mother had been taking turns keeping a close watch over him 24/7. Not only that, he had been unable to get through to Amanda on her phone. He tried calling her using a different number, but once she answered the phone and heard his voice, she would immediately hang up on him. If this were to continue, she might detest him more and more, thus driving them further and further apart. Leaning back on his sickbed, he looked out the window at the gray, cloudy sky outside. It had been cloudy and drizzly these days, just like how his mood had been nothing but gloomy. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Looking back toward the sound, he said, ¡°Come in. However, the moment the door opened, a hint of disappointment flickered across his ink-ck eyes. It wasn¡¯t the person he wanted to see. Yacob came in. ¡°Mr. Winters¡± Chapter 107 Is She That¡­ +10 pearls ¡°What is she doing?¡± Elias sounded quite downcast, perhaps because of his long stay in the hospital. Anyone would be gloomy in such a dreary environment. ¡°Uh, Miss Bailey¡­ She¡­ Yacob was having a hard time telling the truth. He feared that this news would be too much for his boss to handle, but he couldn¡¯t lie either. ¡°Just what the hell is she doing?! Spill it! Cough¡­¡± Elias couldn¡¯t help getting angry again, which tore at his insides and sent him into an involuntary coughing fit. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing him get so emotional, Yacob had no choice but to admit, ¡°Miss Bailey is going on blind dates- ¡°What?!¡± Elias had a look of disbelief on his face. Then, flying into a rage, he knocked over the ss next to him, causing it to shatter into pieces on the floor. Blind dates! She¡¯s actually going on blind dates! She¡¯s ignoring me, not answering my phone calls, oring to visit me in the hospital. And she¡¯s going on blind dates! This woman is an absolute ingrate! Feeling a surge of anger, he decided that he had had enough; he threw back the covers and was about to get out of his sickbed. However, Yacob stopped him. ¡°Mr. Winters, your health is of greater importance right now! Please stay here and recuperate until your injuries are healed. And besides, it¡¯s not like Miss Bailey will find a good match anytime soon¡­¡± That was his opinion. Even blind dates take time; there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll get lucky on her first blind date, no? ¡°Get out of my way! Who gave her permission to go on blind dates?! Is she that thirsty for men?!¡± Pushing Yacob away, Elias pulled the door open and was about to storm out of the ward violently. At this moment, however, his mother Jennifer Morales and Grace happened toe in unexpectedly and were startled to see the man looking so furious. ¡°What are you doing. Elias?! You¡¯re not well yet! Where are you going? Go back and lie down on your bed!¡± Jennifer quickly. grabbed hold of him. ¡°Get lost! Leave me alone!¡± Elias had already lost his head at this very moment. All he thought about was that Amanda was going on blind dates with other men, and not even his mother could stop him. Grace burst into tears while looking on anxiously. ¡°Please, Elias, I¡¯m begging you, please go back and lie down, okay? Your health will fall apart if you keep on like this. Did you forget how you¡¯d coughed up blood? Please. With that, both she and Jennifer started crying. In an instant, Elias felt that his head was going to split. It annoyed him most when women cried in front of him, and now, there were two of them crying in front of him at the same time! That¡¯s enough! Stop crying! I¡¯m not dead yet!¡± Furiously, he turned back andy down in bed, looking like he didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone. The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in¡­ Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 The Blind Date The instant he yelled, Jennifer and Grace quieted down. Jennifer shot a look at Yacob, ordering. ¡°You go outside for a moment.¡± Yacob nodded. With that, he stepped out of the ward and guarded the door. Jennifer came in front of her son¡¯s sickbed. After tucking him in, she began persuading him earnestly, saying, ¡°Elias, stop acting like a child already, will you? The Winterses are depending on you, so it¡¯s important to take care of your health, not only for yourself but also for the whole Winters Family! Your dad¡¯s already- ¡°Cut it out! Enough of it already!¡± Feeling thoroughly annoyed deep down, Elias was in no mood to listen to those words anymore. Tears sparkling in her eyes, Jennifer swallowed her grievance. ¡°I¡¯m going out to let Grace keep you company for a while. Don¡¯t let her down anymore. She¡¯s been taking care of you all this time- she said, only to be silenced mid-sentence again by the impatient look in the man¡¯s eyes. Without saying another word, she turned around and left the ward. Grace had already had the gauze removed from her face. The doctor said her wound needed to breathe to heal better, but this made the gash left by the fruit knife all the more conspicuous, which was too much for any woman to cope with As her tears slowly ran past the scar.. Elias frowned in displeasure. ¡°What are you crying for?! Do you not want your face anymore?¡± you Grace hurriedly wiped her tears away, saying. ¡°Elias, I don¡¯t know what happened, but I know must¡¯ve gone to Amanda for what happened to me. Please. I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t go to her anymore. I¡¯m really scared. She¡¯s already insane, and I don¡¯t want to lose you. It really freaked me out to see you coughing up bloodst time. Despite her concern for Elias¡¯ well-being, she was happy that he and Amanda had finally broken up for good. ¡°She said she didn¡¯t gash your face,¡± replied Elias in a grim voice devoid of emotion. Upon hearing this, Grace was startled for a moment. What does that mean? Does that mean he¡¯s still going to believe Amanda¡¯s words? She protested with a look of disbelief, ¡°What do you mean by that, Elias? Are you suspecting me? Would I hurt myself like this? Do you think I¡¯m insane? I work in the entertainment industry for a living! How am I gonna work in showbiz with a face like this?!¡± Elias didn¡¯t say a word. He simply didn¡¯t want to believe this was Amanda¡¯s doing; he couldn¡¯t help feeling that she wasn¡¯t such a wicked woman. Tears instantly sprang to Grace¡¯s eyes. ¡°Elias Winters! I know you neither love nor care a damn about me, but you shouldn¡¯t think of me that way either! Do you think I¡¯m smearing Amanda? Would I pay the price of having my face disfigured just to sling mud at her? That¡¯s so insulting of you!¡± she wept. With that, she turned around and ran out of the ward in tears, leaving Elias to lie alone on his sickbed in an endless silence. Chapter 108 The Blind Date +10 pearls He let out a self-deprecating sneer. Yeah, she¡¯s right. Would any woman want to pay the price of having her face disfigured just to smear someone? Moreover, Grace is a celebrity. In the evening, Amanda arrived at the dating agency as she had promised. This was an upper- ss dating agency; not only did it rigorously fact-check the profiles of the blind dates of their clients, but it also provided a venue for dates. She came to a private room on the third floor. When she came in, her blind date had already arrived. She only asked for a cup of coffee and sat down across from him. She eyed the man in front of her. Her first impression of him was pretty good; he looked gentle and refined in a suit and tie. From what she had read in his profile, he seemed to be in the field of finance and was divorced with kids, which made him quitepatible with her. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Amanda Bailey. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve read my profile, so I¡¯m not going to introduce myself.¡± She extended her hand. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The man reached out and shook her hand gently. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Bailey. I¡¯m Nathan Abney, and I¡¯ve read through your profile. You¡¯re a remarkable woman.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Amanda thanked the man awkwardly. This was the first time she ever went on a blind date, and for some reason, she thought something was strange about it. The man before her was pretty good, but she didn¡¯t feel anything about him, nor did she feel any desire to spend the rest of her life with him. She had never had a blind date before, so she didn¡¯t know if blind dates were all like this and if they were supposed to bond over time. After chatting with her for over half an hour at the dating agency, Nathan suggested that they go out to dinner. At first, she was going to refuse, but then, she decided to have a go at it, recalling how much her son yearned for a father¡¯s love. As a result, she ended up having dinner with the man. They had a fairly pleasant conversation, but it felt awkward and distant. In the end, Nathan suggested. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Miss Bailey. Where do you live? Let me give you a ride home.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary. I drove here, so I¡¯ll just drive home by myself. I suppose you also drove here, Mr. Abney?¡± said Amanda. Nathan nodded. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s drive home separately. We have kids waiting for us at home, after all.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stay in touch on WhatsApp, then.¡± With that, they drove home separately. After getting back in her car, Amanda instantly heaved a sigh of relief. Blind dates really aren¡¯t for ordinary people. It¡¯s so formal and suffocating. It was Selina who had suggested that she go on a blind Chapter 108 The Blind Date +10 pearls date, saying this was the fastest way for her to get into a rtionship. After all, she was only looking for a good father for Aiden. She had agreed to it for some reason that she couldn¡¯t fathom, but now that she had really gone on a blind date, she thought it wasn¡¯t what she had thought it to be. Can a marriage really be this casual? When she returned to the vi in Gxy Bay, Selina had coaxed Aiden to sleep and was watching TV in the living room while waiting for her toe home. Seeing here in through the door, she couldn¡¯t help but ask inquisitively. ¡°So, how did it go? Did it work? Did you hit it off with the guy?¡± Amanda broke into a helpless smile. After changing into her slippers, she slumped onto the couch with a sigh. ¡°How should I put it? It didn¡¯t really work, but it¡¯s not otherwise either. Perhaps that¡¯s the way blind dates are. Maybe we need to take time to get along?¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got no feelings for him. It¡¯s okay, just go on to the next one. Men are plenty. anyway.¡± Selina said tofort her. Amanda replied with a shrug. There¡¯s nothing wrong with this guy, but I can¡¯t help feeling that he doesn¡¯t seem like the one whom I can spend the rest of my life with.¡± The man didn¡¯t give her a sense of belonging, so she couldn¡¯t help but think that he was a stranger. Back when she firstid- eyes on Elias, she had been hit by a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. For some reason, she felt very close to the man, as though she had met him in their previous lives. Is that what¡¯s called a heart-fluttering moment? Well, perhaps now that I¡¯ve been through a lot, I don¡¯t have that kind of feeling anymore, which is why I feel so dull. ¡°Which means there¡¯s no chemistry between you two. Just go for the next one, then. There¡¯s no hurry, anyway. By the way, have you eaten? Would you like me to fix some supper for you? I¡¯ll go make some pasta for you, Selina said while getting up to go to the kitchen. Amanda was just about to stop her, but her phone rang before she could do so. She nced at the caller ID, which was a phone number she didn¡¯t know. Who is this? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Elias again? She answered the phone, upon which Yacob¡¯s anxious voice rang. ¡°Miss Bailey, did Mr. Winters go to see you? He¡¯s gone missing from the hospital again, and we¡¯re going around looking for him.¡± Huh? He¡¯s gone missing again? + The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in¡­ +10 pearls Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 It¡¯s Me, Don¡¯t Hang Up Yet Why is this guy always as troublesome as a child? thought Amanda. However, recalling the p she had received across her face, she instantly boiled with anger. She retorted sharply, ¡°Just call the police if he¡¯s missing! What¡¯s the use of calling me? He didn¡¯te to me, and even if he did, I wouldn¡¯t see him either! Then, she hung up the phone right away. Standing up to take a look at Selina in the kitchen, she said, ¡°Selina, you don¡¯t have to fix it. I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve started cooking already. Just eat a little, okay? Or you¡¯ll get hungry after midnight.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m going upstairs to take a shower.¡± Since Selina had started cooking, she had no choice but to eat it in order not to waste the food. She headed upstairs to take a quick shower and get changed. After entering her bedroom, she was going to pick up the remote control and close the curtains. Inadvertently, however, she caught sight of what seemed to be a ck car parked under a tree out there. She walked over to take a closer look, but as she was unable to make it out in the darkness, she thought she was only seeing things. After closing the curtains, she entered the bathroom to take a bath, soon after which the sshing of the shower could be heard. Meanwhile¡­ A ck luxury car was lurking in a dark corner outside the vi. The man in the car was smoking one cigarette after another, his eyes fixed steadily on Amanda¡¯s bedroom window upstairs until he saw the curtains being closed. He had been sitting here for two hours, though even he had no idea what he had been sitting here for. After getting out of the hospital, he drove straight to Gxy Bay. Since then, he had been here waiting for Amanda¡¯s car to return. But now that she was finally back, he wasn¡¯t happy at all. Is she back from her blind date? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He felt as though his lungs were going to explode, and the most ridiculous thing was that he didn¡¯t even have the right to be angry right now. He called her using another number that she didn¡¯t know. This time, nobody answered the phone for a long time. He couldn¡¯t help but look up at the second-floor window. The light was still on. which meant she wasn¡¯t asleep. Why isn¡¯t she answering the phone? Atst, the phone was answered, and the sound of running water could be heard. Is she in the bathroom? ¡°Hello? Who am I speaking to?¡± Amanda¡¯s voice rang through the phone. Elias was somewhat afraid to speak at this very moment, though. He knew that he might get cut. off as soon as he spoke. Chapter 109 It¡¯s Me, Don¡¯t¡­ +10 pearls ¡°Speak, or I¡¯m gonna hang up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t hang up yet.¡± Amanda fell silent for a long time on the other end. After that, she finally spoke. ¡°What¡¯s the point. of you doing this? Why are you running around instead of staying in the hospital? Yacob even called me to ask about you, you know? Can¡¯t you spare all of us the headache? Do you think the whole world has to revolve around you?¡± It had been a long time since Eliasst heard her voice, let alone heard her speak so much. He found it rather curious, even though she was scolding him. ¡°I was bored to death in the hospital, so I came out to get some fresh air. ¡°Do whatever you like. That¡¯s none of my business. We¡¯ll have nothing more to do with each other, anyway.¡± Elias let out a snort ofughter. ¡°You just epted me a couple of days ago, and now you want nothing more to do with me? Is that why you¡¯ve started going on blind dates? You want to marry yourself off as soon as possible to cut off my feelings for you?¡± Amanda was obviously startled for a moment on the other end. ¡°You¡¯re quite well-informed, ch? You even know that I went on a blind date. Yeah, I did go on a blind date. Only then did I realize there are so many good guys on Earth. It was really blind of me to have been crazy about you back then!¡± ¡°Why you!¡± Infuriated, Elias started coughing violently. This woman really goes all out to piss me off? Amanda replied, ¡°What about me? You know what, that p from you brought me to my senses. I shouldn¡¯t have had any expectations of you, let alone epted your courtship! A leopard never changes its spots, and you¡¯ll always be the high and mighty Elias. We never belong to the same world.¡± We never belong to the same world? Elias nearlyughed in anger. ¡°It was my fault for raising my hand against youst time. But you and I don¡¯t belong to the same world? What do you mean? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re an alien?¡± Amanda said, ¡°Say what you will. In any case, let¡¯s not stay in touch anymore. We¡¯ll go our separate ways and mind our own business. Also, go back to the hospital and rest, will you? Or 1 won¡¯t shed a tear if you die from getting pissed off.¡± With that, she hung up right away, not wanting to argue with the man anymore. Looking at the disconnected phone, Elias started coughing again in anger, and his face turned pale as a result. He dialed her number again, but this time, he couldn¡¯t get through to her at all. ¡°Cough Cough¡­¡± Getting agitated, he began coughing nonstop. He wiped his mouth with a tissue, only to realize that he had coughed up blood again. This is bad. I have to get back to the hospital. Otherwise, won¡¯t Amanda get off easily if I really end up dying from getting pissed off? Am I gonna watch her marry another guy and live a life of happiness? Chapter 109 It¡¯s Me, Don¡¯t¡­ +10 pearls Feeling some difficulty breathing, he willed himself to start the car and drive out of Gxy Bay toward the hospital. Amanda came out of the bathroom. She was going to the balcony to let the wind blow her hair dry, but she happened to see a car slowly drive away. Hmm? I didn¡¯t see this car just now. Where did ite from? Just then, Selina came upstairs and called out to her. ¡°Amanda, the pasta¡¯s ready to eat!¡± ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± replied Amanda before she turned back in puzzlement. The car looked familiar. She seemed to have seen it before, but for a time, she couldn¡¯t remember when. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Elias didn¡¯t know how long it had taken him to drive back to the hospital. When he finally arrived, he was in a cold sweat and exhausted. After returning to the ward, he instantly threw himself down on his sickbed. Everyone thought he was missing and was still out there searching around for him. Just then, the nurse on duty passed by the ward and found him lying on his sickbed. Immediately. she ran to tell the doctor on duty and called his family. Soon after that, Yacob and Howard arrived at the ward together. Seeing the man dozing in bed. they both heaved a sigh of relief. No matter how long he has disappeared, it¡¯s fine as long as he knows to come back on his own. They were afraid that he would go missing, his fate unknown, like he had during the previous car ident. ¡°Alright. Yacob, you keep watch outside and stay close. Don¡¯t let him take a step out of the ward again,¡± said Howard. ¡°Roger that, Old Mr. Winters.¡± Yacob stepped out of the ward in silence. Howard looked at the man on his sickbed before letting out a sigh. ¡°I know you¡¯re suffering inwardly. You have too much responsibility on your shoulders, and you have no choice but to take it upon yourself¡­ Sometimes, he felt really sorry for his grandson, especially now that all the burden was ced on him after his father¡¯s death. That was why he had done everything he could to keep Amanda by his side. Tue, Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Getting Closer to the Truth Letting out a deep sigh. Howard sat in a chair and began talking to himself, thinking that the man was already asleep on his sickbed. ¡°I wonder if I was wrong to make the decision for you. Four years ago, I coerced you into marrying Amanda. You seemingly consented to it, but I could tell that you were inwardly seething with resentment. I thought you woulde to like Amanda over time, for she was such a good girl¡­ Now that I think about it. I¡¯m the one to me for what¡¯s happening right now. That astrologer matched your birth date with Amanda¡¯s, saying that she could ensure your safety. Even now, I¡¯m still convinced of this, but¡­ Sigh, he mumbled to himself, immersed in his own world. Unbeknownst to the old man, Elias slowly opened his ink-ck eyes while lying on his sickbed with his back to him¡­ Turns out Grandpa actually coerced me into marrying Amanda back then for such an absurd reason. It¡¯s just because an astrologer matched our birth dates? How ridiculous! If Amanda learns about this, she¡¯ll probably get even angrier so that she won¡¯t talk to Grandpa anymore. After sitting in front of his grandson¡¯s sickbed for a long time, Howard stood up and left the ward. As soon as the door closed, Elias sat up on his sickbed with a sullen expression. The thought of Amanda going on a blind date pissed him off. What sort of man is worth her going on a blind date with? Just then, there was a knock on the door, followed by Yacob¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you up, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Come in Elias had fretfulness written all over his brow. After entering the ward, Yacob came straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Winters, I tracked down the staff involved at the celebration party in Flimwood back then, including some who have retired or resigned after that.¡± Elias looked up at him. Impatiently, he asked, ¡°Where are they? Yacob exined, ¡°I tracked them down in secret, so I have all of them gathered at the Winters Estate. I¡¯d suggest that we go back and interrogate them now, which shouldn¡¯t take you too long.¡± After all, it would be unrealistic to call all of them to the hospital. Immediately, Elias threw back his nket and got out of his sickbed. As he strode out of the ward, he ordered, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t let anyone know about this.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± The two tall men walked down the hallway of the hospital. It was deep in the night now, and only their muffled footsteps could be heard. Meanwhile, after pondering for a long time, Grace decided she should go to Elias again to exin herself. She mustn¡¯t arouse his suspicion. Although it was ruthless enough of her to cut her own face with a knife, she could never be too cautious. Chapter 110 Getting Closer¡­ +10 pearls As soon as she reached the ward, however, she saw Elias in the hallway. Where is he going this time? She couldn¡¯t help but go after him, shouting. ¡°Elias! Where are you going?! You can¡¯t run around anymore!¡± At the sound of her voice, Elias shut his eyes irritably. He shot a look at Yacob. ¡°You take care of her in ten minutes. Don¡¯t let her follow us.¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Roger that.¡± Grace wanted to go after Elias, but Yacob stretched out his arms and blocked her path. ¡°What are you doing? Step aside!¡± She looked at the arms before her before turning to gaze anxiously at the man¡¯s receding figure. However, Yacob stopped her again and dragged her back to the ward. ¡°Miss Murphy, please stay in the ward and don¡¯t go anywhere else.¡± Grace answered back, ¡°What right have you to order me around?! I have to go after Elias! Where is he going? He just returned to the hospital, so why is he going out again right now? Doesn¡¯t he know that he needs to recuperate in his condition?¡± She tried to rush out of the ward. Yacob held her down on her sickbed by force, though. ¡°Miss Murphy, Mr. Winters knows what he is doing. And besides, I¡¯m going with him this time. I¡¯ll get him back to the hospital on time, so please rest assured,¡± he said before leaving the ward. Not only that, he instructed two of his men to stand guard outside to keep her from leaving- ¡°Yacob Mills! What right have you to lock me up in here?!¡± Grace tried to walk out of the ward, only to be stopped by the outstretched arms of the two bodyguards. The car slowed to a stop in front of the Winters Estate, upon which Mr. Jones, the butler, came out to greet them. Getting out of the car. Yacob opened the door for Elias, who stepped out with a ck overcoat draped around his shoulders. He strode straight into the house, asking. ¡°Is everyone in there?¡± Mr. Jones followed behind him. ¡°Yes, and they¡¯ve been waiting for two hours now. Many of them wanted to leave in advance, but I stopped them.¡± Elias walked into the living room to find a group of various people sitting in a circle. All of them looked worried, not knowing what was going on. They had all been gathered here for a couple of hours now, but they had yet to see the young boss of the Winters Enterprise. One of them asked, ¡°We¡¯re not being held captive, are we? Why did they call us all the way over here?¡± Another replied. ¡°I hear that they seem to be looking into what happened at the celebration party back then. But what¡¯s there to look into? I think I¡¯ve forgotten almost all about it.¡± ¡°Who knows? I wonder when this guy¡¯s going to arrive. I¡¯m getting sleepy already.¡± Chapter 110 Getting Closer¡­ +10 pearls The conversations went on as those gathered here whispered among themselves. Suddenly. Elias stepped into the living room. Hearing his footsteps, everyone looked up at him simultaneously. Following behind the man, Yacob said. ¡°This is my boss, and today he¡¯s got something to ask all of you about. All you have to do is answer truthfully, after which you can go to Mr. Jones over there to receive a cash payment. All at once, everyone perked up at the words ¡°cash payment.¡± At least we didn¡¯te here for nothing! We¡¯ll get paid as long as we answer some questions. Elias observed these people before him. He, too, had forgotten almost all about the celebration party in Flimwood four years ago, so he didn¡¯t remember these people at all. Just tell me as much as you remember about the celebration party four years ago and answer my questions truthfully.¡± One of them-a man-bowed and scraped to him in a deferential manner. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Mr. Winters, please go ahead and ask us questions. We¡¯ll answer if we know anything.¡± Elias narrowed his eyes and eyed the man before him with scrutiny. ¡°You are?¡± The man replied, ¡°Mr. Winters, I was the manager of the hotel where you stayed back then. Well, I¡¯m not anymore, but I was there at the celebration party back then. Elias asked. ¡°In that case, do you remember who apanied me when I left at the time?¡± He just wanted to know how he had gotten back to his hotel room back then. Who had helped him back into his room, and why would both Amanda and Grace show up there? The ex-hotel manager answered, ¡°I don¡¯t remember much about this, but I remember that you were very drunk at the time, and it seemed that a man helped you out of the party. Yeah, that¡¯s right. It was your bodyguard.¡± A bodyguard helped me out of the party? ¡°Where is that bodyguard?¡± Elias looked around the room. If the bodyguard from back then was here, all the truth woulde out. Much to his dismay, Yacob whispered in his ear. ¡°The bodyguard who was on duty back then quit afterward to work as someone else¡¯s bodyguard. Unfortunately, he then died from a gunshot.¡± Speechless, Elias then asked, ¡°Did any of you pass by my room that night and see anyone enter my room?¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 You¡¯re Still Lying to Me Even Now +10 pearls Suddenly, a middle-aged woman spoke up. T¡­ I think I saw a girl enter your room. I was one of the hotel¡¯s janitors back then.¡± This woman instantly caught Elias¡¯ attention. He took out his phone, found Amanda and Grace¡¯s photos, and showed them to the woman. ¡°Was she one of these two?¡± The middle-aged woman studied the photos for a long time before identifying Amanda. She pointed to Amanda¡¯s photo, saying. ¡°I think it was this girl. I remember that she seemed very anxious at the time.¡± Amanda Elias¡¯ heart clenched for a moment. It really was Amanda! So, she did enter my room after all. He then asked, ¡°Do you still remember when it was?¡± The middle-aged woman thought about this for a long time. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t quite remember this anymore, but it was probably just after 10.00PM. It was normally around this time when I got to cleaning the 16th floor.¡± 10.00PM, huh¡­ That was when the celebration party ended. So, Amanda came after I got escorted back to my room? Elias handed the phone to Yacob before looking at everyone in the room. ¡°Does any of you still remember thisdy? Does anyone remember having seen her that night?¡± Everyone looked at Amanda¡¯s photo and began searching their minds for any memory of her. After all, she and Elias had married in secret, so no one even knew that she had been his wife. Even if she had shown up at the celebration party back then, no one would have recognized her. Atst, someone recognized Aman. All of a sudden, a female ex-employee of the hotel said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen thisdy before. Yes, I do remember her. She came looking for you at the celebration party at the time, but I told her you were drunk and had gone back to your hotel room, so she left. I thought she was the new secretary or something¡± Light sparkled in Elias¡¯ eyes. So, Amanda really was in Flimwood when the celebration party took ce? Doesn¡¯t this along with the ex-janitor¡¯s testimony-mean that she did enter my room that night? But why was Grace sleeping next to me when I woke up? Who can exin it? Just when he was confused, the ex-hotel manager spoke again. ¡°Mr. Winters, I wonder if I should tell you something about the other girl¡­¡± The other girl? Elias took the phone and swiped to Grace¡¯s photo before showing it to the man. ¡°You mean her? What do you want to say about her! Spill it!¡± The ex-hotel manager tried to remember that particr night¡¯s situation. He replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know if this will be of any use to you, but at around 6.00AM on the next day, I went up to the 16th floor to deal with something-a guest who checked into their hotel room and found that the sheets were dirty, I think. When I passed by your room, I noticed that the door to your room was ajar. Just when I was wondering why, I saw this girl enter your room.¡± Chapter 111 You¡¯re Still Lyin¡­ +10 pearls Alerted, Elias and Yacob immediately exchanged a brief look. This is a key piece of information! ¡°Are you sure this girl was the one you saw? Could you be mistaken?¡± Elias asked. After all, Amanda and Grace looked totally different from each other. The ex-hotel manager studied Grace¡¯s photo several more times before he replied, ¡°No, there¡¯s no mistake about it. I¡¯m sure this was the girl I saw. She looked so sweet and gentle, I despised her in my heart at the time, thinking it disgraceful of her to start prostituting herself at such a young age.¡± Elias fell silent. So, Grace entered my room at around 6.00AM, while Amanda did so at around 10.00PM the night before. Did Amanda leave early in the middle of this? Was that how Grace took advantage of the opportunity? This seems to be the only way to exin how they had both entered my room back then, which means that I did sleep with Amanda that night. As for Grice¡­.. He was almost half awake at around 6.00AM that day. If he had done anything to Grace, he would surely have some memory of it, but he didn¡¯t. He remembered that it was 7.00AM when he opened his eyes.. And row, these testimonies were enough to prove that Grace was lying. He sat on the couch, his arm resting on the armrest as he propped up his forehead with slender fingers. Finally, he closed his eyes and said impassively, ¡°All of you may leave now.¡± Seeing that he had spoken, Yacob said, ¡°Alright, everyone, that¡¯s all about it. All of you may now go to Mr. Jones to get your payment. Our chauffeur will send all of you home.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Everyone thus slowly left the living room. Standing beside the man, Yacob ventured after everyone else was gone, ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Murphy has probably lied.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm¡­¡± Elias honestly never expected Grace to have lied. He had been inclined to believe Amanda until now; however, now that he had found out that Grace might actually be lying, he had mixed feelings about it. I slept with Amanda on the night of the celebration party, so the positive result on the pregnancy test strip in her hand was real tohen I asked for a divorce. She was really pregnant back then¡­ Resentment swelled in him at the thought that he had lost his own child. Grace was on tenterhooks tonight. She was confined in the ward, unable to take even one step out of it. She didn¡¯t know where Elias had gone or what he was doing, but she felt an inexplicable feeling of panic, as though something was going to happen. And now, it was already close to midnight. She didn¡¯t know if the man had returned, nor was she able to get through to him on the phone. Just then, the door to the ward was suddenly kicked open in a fit of deep, murderous rage. Grace swung around to look at the door. Seeing that it was Elias, she immediately wore a look of delight. ¡°You¡¯re back atst, Elias! Where have you been? I was really worried about you¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Elias shut the door and interrupted her in a grim, icy voice, Chapter 111 You¡¯re Still Lyin¡­ +10 pearls ¡°Youd 1 beerrexin to me what happened at the celebration party four years ago. It¡¯s not toote if you tell the truth right now.¡± Gapeezeenee. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Why are you mectomie tie party all of a sudden? What do you want me to exin?¡± Inwardly, she was panicking zat is notment. Could he have found out something? No, I have to stand my ground and deny inosaurrari wont be able to exin myself. The next staat, nowver, the man kicked over the chair next to him, yelling furiously. ¡°You¡¯re still lie to me even now! Grace trembled su over with fright. She asked with a sheepish smile. ¡°What did I lie to you about? Are you sull doubtine Teether you did deep with me that night? Why¡ª¡± ¡°You only entered mouth i zoom at about 6.00AM the next day, didn¡¯t you? I was already half awake at the timel 1heerwasno way I could¡¯ve done anything to you, or I would¡¯ve felt it!¡± the man prowled funousives center the anger and resentment he had been repressing over thest few years. to Who Grace was stupened. How cute that? Who told him that? There¡¯s no security footage from that night anymore, and it¡¯s bom person then! How can he still manage to find out ab said that? Who told you that She sante i getting agitated as well. + The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in ¡­ +10 pearls Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Do You Need Me to Call the Witness Over to Say It to Your Face? However, what Grace felt more than anything was guilt. What exactly did Elias find out? There¡¯s no way he found out what happened during the night of the celebration party, sheforted herself. I have to stay calm. Don¡¯t panic now. ¡°How can you nder me like that, Elias? When did I lie to you? Wasn¡¯t I the woman you saw after you opened your eyes? How is that a lie?¡± Elias was filled with disappointment by her bullheaded behavior. He never would¡¯ve thought that girl who once seemed so innocent in his eyes would lie to him. ¡°Do you need me to call the witness over to say it to your face? Grace, you better tell me the truth! If not, I won¡¯t forgive you, not even for your brother¡¯s sake!¡± Elias was at his limit. All these years, he was filled with guilt toward Yn, and that feeling of guilt only intensified when he assumed that he had mistakenly slept with Grace four years ago and even lost his son. However, even though the truth had already been unveiled, Grace was still digging her heels in the ground and refusing to admit to her wrongdoings. How could he remain calm in a situation like this especially when he never had a good temper? Grace widened her eyes in horror. Witness? He found a witness? Did someone see me that night? Why can¡¯t I remember? I only know that there wasn¡¯t anyone in the hallway when I went into Elias room at 6.004M! All of a sudden. Grace¡¯s eyes bulged as a memory surfaced in her mind. When she entered his hotel room that day, she could faintly recall a staff member walking past. Did Elias manage to find that person? No, it¡¯s impossible. It can¡¯t be that easy to find them when it¡¯s been so long. However, from how furious he looked, it didn¡¯t seem like he was making things up without any evidence. Even so, she continued to insist. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you feel whether you slept with someone that night? The person you saw after you woke up was me, and were those blood stains on the bed fake? Can¡¯t you tell for yourself?¡± The blood stains on the bed sheets were the real deal and couldn¡¯t be faked. However, she had no idea who Elias had slept with before she entered his room. Eliasughed, his tone full of mockery. His eyes bore into Grace¡¯s as he said. ¡°Someone saw you entering my room at around 6.00AM. In that case, do you know who was in my room before you. went in?¡± Grace fell silent, meeting his gaze. An ill premonition rose in her at his question, and her heart began to drum in her chest. Chapter 112 Do You Need ¡­ +10 pearls ¡°It was Amanda! And, our child that died was from that night! If you hadn¡¯t interfered, that child would¡¯ve been three years old now! Grace, do you think I can forgive you?!¡± Eljas grabbed her neck in a vice-like grip, wanting nothing more than to choke the life out of her. Whenever he thought of the child he had lost, he was filled to the bone with resentment and hatred. After all, his child wouldn¡¯t have died if it weren¡¯t for Grace¡¯s little tricks. Meanwhile, Grace was dumbfounded as if she had been struck by lightning, leaving him to strangle her neck until she began to cough from losing her breath. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Let go of me! Let go of me now! My brother will be devastated if he knows you¡¯re doing this to me! Did you forget what you promised him? Cough¡­¡± Grace¡¯s face turned red, and it seemed that she was about to give in. Meanwhile, Elias, who had completely lost all his sense and reason, recalled the tragic state that Yn was in before his death, as well as his final request. In an instant, he released his grip, but the rage in his dark eyes remained as he gritted out, ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you again, or I won¡¯t hold back next time!¡± Upon saying that, Elias left the ward without taking a single nce behind, leaving her neck and coughing violently on the ground. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Her brain was still filled with Elias¡¯ words. So, the woman who went inside before me was could that be? How?! C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Grace was still unable to ept the reality of the situation, and that the crimson blood on sheets had belonged to Amanda. Weren¡¯t they married for a long time by then? Why was she still a virgin? bing A barrage of questions flooded her mind, but the worst of them all was the fact that not only had her lies been exposed, it was Elias who had personally done so. Was she about to lose all of the love and affection she gained from him by taking advantage of the incident during the night of the celebration party? Now, no matter what she said, he would never believe her again. Elias returned to his ward, frustrated and restless. He couldn¡¯t wait to go to Amanda so that he could apologize to her and plead for her forgiveness, but he knew that she wouldn¡¯t be willing to meet him. The p in thew firm must¡¯ve thoroughly hurt her, and now she felt nothing but resentment toward him, so nothing he did would be right in her eyes. His towering figure copsed on the bed heavily as he stared at the white ceiling. Memories from four years ago filled his mind, including Amanda¡¯s face when she held the pregnancy test strip Chapter 112 Do You Need ¡­ +10 pearls before him, telling him that she was pregnant. She must¡¯ve felt hopeless from his behavior, and that was why she went to the hospital to abort the baby alone. He closed his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from imagining what Amanda had looked like as she got rid of their child. His handsome features were pulled tight, and his strong hands clenched tightly into fists. s, time would not turn back for him no matter how much he regretted the past. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± His low and hoarse voice reverberated in the dark ward. And yet, he couldn¡¯t tell if he was apologizing to Amanda or his child. At the same time. Amanda was just about to head to bed when she suddenly sneezed. Is someone talking about me? Shaking her head with a smile, she peeled the covers back andy on the bed, taking a book to read before retiring for the night. Just then, her phone vibrated on the nightstand. She usually put her phone to vibrate mode before sleeping. After taking a look and seeing that it was a call from Simon, she answered the call while her other hand continued to flip through the book. ¡°Why are you calling me at this hour, Boss? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to make me work overtime at this hour,¡± she asked teasingly. However, the man on the other end sounded solemn. ¡°I heard you went on a blind date today, and you even signed up with a dating agency?¡± I just went on a blind date, so why do so many people knote about this? Who exactly couldn¡¯t keep their mouth shut? All of a sudden, she remembered that she had seen Lunabelle earlier that day and wondered if she had heard her talking to the dating agency on the phone. She never thought that Lunabelle would have a nosy side to her. She continued to flip through the book. ¡°Did your ex-girlfriend tell you that? I didn¡¯t think that she¡¯d be so worried about me. Tell her not to worry. I won¡¯t take you from her.¡± Just from her womanly instincts, she could sense that Lunabelle viewed her as a rival, most likely afraid that she would steal Simon away. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 I Did It on Purpose ¡°Amanda, do you have to do this? I¡¯ve exined to you many times that there¡¯s nothing between Lunabelle and me anymore. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Simon demanded through the phone, clearly sounding a little peeved. Strange, why is he angry? Amanda wondered, perplexed. ¡°What does me going on a blind date have to do with whether I believe you or not? Regardless of your rtionship with Lamabelle, I¡¯m still going to go on blind dates.¡± This should make things clear enough, right? She had alreadypletely abandoned any thought of considering Simon¡¯s idea of a loveless marriage, and she would much rather marry a stranger she had no feelings for than consider him as a candidate. There was a long pause on the other end before he said, ¡°Are you implying that you won¡¯t consider me no matter what? That you¡¯d rather marry an untrustworthy stranger than try things out with me? Am I really that unworthy of you just because I have an ex-girlfriend?¡± Simon had no idea where he had gone wrong to make Amanda so against marrying him. However, Amandaughed. She closed her book, nning to make things clear with him. ¡°Simon, it¡¯s not what you think. I just think that the two of us know each other too well, so we aren¡¯t suited for marriage. Besides, you and Lunabelle clearly still haven¡¯t let go of each other, so why are you tormenting each other like this? It isn¡¯t easy to find true love in life, so don¡¯t let your happiness go just for a moment of spite. I¡¯m telling you this as someone who¡¯s been through this before.¡± ¡°What do you mean, know each other too well? Isn¡¯t that the point of marriage? Can you marry someone you don¡¯t know at all?¡± Simon had no idea what she was thinking, or how her mind worked. ¡°No, well¡­ I can¡¯t exin everything to you in such a short amount of time. Anyway, don¡¯t think about only marrying me when you don¡¯t love me. I¡¯ve had a divorce and a child, while you, on the other hand, have a chance at finding happiness, so why would you sabotage yourself like that?¡± Deep down, this was a fact that displeased her. Simon¡¯s suggestion of a loveless marriage was just like telling her he was nning to give up on himself, and he settled for her just so the people around him would stop urging him to get married. However, why should she be the target of his self-sabotage? Was it because she was a divorced woman with a child? Despite that, she was still a person with self-respect, and she refused to bow down. Hearing that, Simon finally understood what was going on. ¡°Amanda, you misunderstood. I never thought of settling for you¡­.¡± ¡°None of that is important anymore. Let¡¯s just be colleagues; I think that this is what suits us the most. All right, I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯m going to bed. I have a court case tomorrow.¡± At that, Amanda immediately hung up. Simon looked at his phone, feeling both helpless and frustrated. If Lunabelle hadn¡¯t returned, would Amanda still think this way? Amanda wasn¡¯t wrong. He still had feelings for Lunabelle, but he was hesitant to drop everything and marry her. It wasn¡¯t because they had divorced in the past, but rather the fact that too many things had changed since four years ago. Although he couldn¡¯t find the right words for it, he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that his rtionship with Lunabelle felt strange andcked the passion they used to have. In the next few days, Amanda went to thew firm to work as usual. Elias never showed up to bother her, and Simon did not mention their previous conversation to her either. Meanwhile, the dating agency continued to introduce candidates that were of high quality to her, and while she had no interest in blind dates, she was still willing to work hard for Aiden. After all, he was a young boy who deeply craved fatherly love. As Selina was on leave today, she went to pick Aiden up from school before returning to thew firm to continue working overtime. ¡°Baby, stay here and watch your cartoons. I¡¯ll take you home and make you something yummy to eat once I¡¯m done with work, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard, Mommy. I¡¯m not in a rush. There are a lot of episodes in this show,¡± Aiden chirped obediently. Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh, caressing his fuzzy hair. Although he was usually quite a frustrating child, he was still filial toward her, so all of her love and affection hadn¡¯t been in vain. ¡°Okay! There are fruits and drinks over there, and you can have them if you want. Remember, don¡¯t drink too much fruit juice, or I¡¯ll spank your butt,¡± she warned teasingly, raising her hand as a threat. However, Aiden fearlessly dered in his high voice, ¡°Mommies who hit little kids are wrong. The police are going to catch you.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, smarty-pants. Just be a good boy and stay quiet. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡± With that, Amanda devoted herself to her work while Aiden obediently watched a cartoon on his tablet, and neither of them bothered the other. Just then, Amanda¡¯s phone began to vibrate. Tapping on the keyboard with one hand, she picked up her phone with the other and ced it by her car. ¡°Amanda speaking. Who is this?¡± Helean¡¯s voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Are you still at work? Do you have to work that hard!¡± ¡°Cut the crap. What do you want?¡± She had no time to be chit-chatting with him, for all the wanted was to quickly hurry home to make dinner for Aiden. ¡°I heard on the grapevine that Winters Enterprise is nning to hire you as their legal advisor Are you going to ept it?¡± The sound of Amanda typing on the keyboard came to a sudden halt, and she leaned back on the chair. ¡°Legal advisor? Why would they look for me? Wouldn¡¯t Simon be a better fit for a job like this? It hasn¡¯t been long since I came back.¡± An international corporation like Winters Enterprise had no reason to pick her, someone who had just returned from abroad, as their legal advisor. Besides, she had no experience in this area of expertise either. ¡°Who knows? Either way, that¡¯s what the rumors are saying. It seems like that rich guy asked for you specifically. Okay, tell me the truth. Does that man like you? Are you two secretly dating ¡°You¡¯re going too far with the gossip. I need to make a call, so I don¡¯t have time to waste with you. I¡¯m hanging up. After ending the call, Amanda was just about to call Elias for an exnation when she realized that his number was still blocked. Hence, she first unblocked his number before giving him a call. It took a long time before the call went through, and a familiar yet self-deprecating voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Finally willing to unblock my number?¡± Expressionless, Amanda demanded coldly, ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t I tell you that we¡¯re through? Why would you hire me as your legal advisor? Are you doing this on purpose?¡± ¡°You can say that. Yes, I did it on purpose.¡± ¡°Why?¡± His unabashed attitude gave Amanda the urge to head over and punch him, even if she was no match for him in a fight. ¡°Because this is the only way you¡¯ll call me on your own.¡± His low and sultry voice carried a trace of brazenness. ¡°Elias, do you have no shame?¡± Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Just You Wait, Elias! Elias let out a chortle. ¡°What does a man need shame for? Achieving our goals is what¡¯s important.¡± Amanda was thoroughly rendered speechless. Knowing that there was no way for her to However, the man on the other end suddenly piped up, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be my legal advisor,e and reject the offer to my face or I¡¯ll insist on my decision.¡± ¡°Just you wait, Elias!¡± ¡°What time are youing over? I¡¯m working overtime at the office, so I can wait a little longer for you.¡± ¡°Wait until I¡¯m free. It may even be midnight. If you can wait for me in the office until midnight, I¡¯ll definitely go over to see you.¡± At that, Amanda immediately hung up. She didn¡¯t believe for a second that Elias would wait for her in thepany until it was midnight, and she resumed her work after hanging up. Sitting opposite her, Aiden blinked hisrge eyes at the sight of her fuming appearance. ¡°Mommy, who are you angry at?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯ll be done after you finish one more episode, and then we can go home.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but smile at his adorable voice. At the end of the day, only this young boy was capable of drawing out a smile from her in an instant. Hence, she had to keep him firmly by her side, and she would never give up his custody to a deadbeat father like Elias. He didn¡¯t deserve it! In fact, he could go back to a fake b*tch like Grace all he wanted! After finishing her work for the day, Amanda took Aiden back to Gxy Bay. Then, she made a simple meal and helped him take a shower once they were done with their meal. By the time she coaxed him to bed, it was nearly 10.00PM. Amanda headed downstairs to get a bottle of water to drink from the fridge, and it was then that she heard a sound from the door, most likely signaling Selina¡¯s return.. Twisting the cap open and taking two sips of water, she walked toward the living room and called out, ¡°Selina, you¡¯re back- However, before she could finish, she was met with the sight of Selina¡¯s face covered in wounds. She hurriedly strode over and asked, ¡°What happened to your face? Did someone hit you?¡± She looked at Selina¡¯s bruise-covered face and her swollen forehead, and it appeared as if she had been abused by someone. Then, Amanda recalled that Selina had said that she was married. Could it be a case of domestic violence? Selina subconsciously covered the injuries on her face with her hands, wanting to return to her room immediately. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I just bumped into something by ident. I¡¯ll be fine after I put some ice on it. You should go to sleep soon.¡± Amanda tugged her hand downward and inspected her wounds. She was quite badly hurt, and it seemed that the culprit was nning to end her life. ¡°Tell me, what exactly happened? Did you run into a robber on the way back, or is it¡­ domestic violence?¡± Despite her questioning tone, Amanda could tell at a nce that Selina¡¯s wounds were a result of domestic violence. Upon hearing her final question, Selina couldn¡¯t help but let out a wail and jumped into Amanda¡¯s arms. ¡°Amanda, you¡¯re the only one who brought up domestic violence with me. They all | say! that it¡¯s just a couple¡¯s dispute, that it¡¯s normal for a husband and wife to fight and things will be fine soon, but I really can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ ¡°What kind of couple¡¯s dispute would put you in this state? You can file a case with this! Tell me what exactly happened. Don¡¯t forget what I do for a living. I can help you!¡± Amanda led her to the couch and sat her down so that she could give her a thorough examination. She noticed that Selina¡¯s body was covered in bruises as well, and it was clear that it was a ssic case of domestic violence. Not only that, she could tell that Selina¡¯s husband wasn¡¯t nning to spare her life at all. ¡°Amanda, I wanted to stay there for a night, but I just couldn¡¯t spend another second in that ce, so I came back¡­ I don¡¯t feel like saying anything now. Don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything right now. I¡¯ll go get the first aid kit to treat your injury. It looks quite serious.¡± Then, she left to look for the first aid kit, only to realize that its contents were iplete as it hadn¡¯t been long since she moved houses, so there was no way for her to treat Selina¡¯s wound. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go out and get some medicine. Aiden is sleeping upstairs, so help me take care of him.¡± With that, Amanda was just about to leave when Selina hurriedly shot to her feet and stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll be fine in no time after I put some ice on it.¡± ¡°What do you mean, you¡¯ll be fine? Look at how bad your injury is. This isn¡¯t something that can be solved with ice alone. It¡¯s going to get inmed. Wait for me at home.¡± With a frown, Amanda turned around and left the house. She had always assumed that Selina had married a good man, but she never expected him to be someone who would hurt his wife, and it disgusted her. Amanda drove away from Gxy Bay and had just started to look for a 24-hour pharmacy when her phone began to ring. The call was from Elias, but she immediately picked up and ced her phone to her ear without taking a look. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°How long are you nning to make me wait in the office?¡± All of a sudden, Amanda remembered telling Elias that if he waited for her until it was midnight, she would go to see him. She probed tentatively. ¡°Are you still in the office?¡± If the president of Winters Enterprise was staying in his office at this hour, would the other staff dare to leave work before him? Thepany must be brightly lit that night. ¡°So, you¡¯re trying to back out of your promise?¡± His voice carried a trace of displeasure, and it seemed that he was peeved. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Coincidentally, Amanda just so happened to be driving past Winters Enterprise, and the building was brightly lit as she had expected. Did that mean that many innocent staff members were forced to work overtime just because of something she said in passing? At that thought, Amanda was instantly filled with guilt. ¡°Who said I¡¯m going to back out? I¡¯m already parking my car now. I¡¯ming up soon, so wait for me.¡± Upon saying that, she ended the call, filled with guilt. She genuinely had not expected Elias to have the patience to wait for her at the office for such a long time. After parking her car, Amanda walked into therge building and took an elevator to the 19th floor, where she headed straight in the direction of Elias¡± office. As she walked past the secretary department, she noticed that the secretaries were yawning one after the other, each of them seeming listless. After all, how would they have the nerve to get off work when Elias was still in his office? When she arrived at the president¡¯s office, Amanda knocked on the door, and a male voice sounded from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Hearing that, she pushed the door open and headed inside. The office was pitch-ck, with only a lonely beam of moonlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as the heavy stench of tobo that lingered in the air. Elias was sprawled on his office chair in a ck button-down shirt, his tie loosely hanging under his cor, but his disheveled appearance did not take away his sultriness at all. In front of him, an ashtray was piled full of cigarette butts. It seemed like he really had waited for an extremely long time, and he only called her because he was growing impatient. In an attempt to alleviate the tense atmosphere, Amanda coughed lightly. ¡°Ahem¡­. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d wait this long. It seems like you¡¯re quite sincere about hiring me to be your legal advisor.¡± ¡°So, are you going to take the job?¡± Elias¡¯ striking features were further entuated under the moonlight, as perfect as a sculpture. Amanda scoffed coldly. ¡°I won¡¯t! I already told you. I don¡¯t want anything to do with you anymore!¡± The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in hares were unclear in the darkness, but anyone could clearly feet the air around him cot the picked up another cigarette and ced it between his lips before lighting it the red glow from the fame tickering in the air as a cloud of smoke swirled around the room Amanda disliked the smell of cigarettes and couldn¡¯t help but wave a hand before her man The Cup Can you stop smoking? I hate it Hejohed for a moment before putting the cigarette out in the ashtray. Then, he slowly got to his Reet and walked out from behind the desk,ing to a stop before her. ¡°Then, how can I make you ept a I will never ept it no matter what you do, but you can force me if you want. After all, I can¡¯t win over you, so I have no choice but to follow your orders obediently Though the two seemed to be discussing work-rted matters, there were many underlying connotations behind their words Ehas picked up a remote and pressed a button, and in the next second, all of the lights in the office turned on. Having not adapted to the sudden brightness, Amanda ced a hand over her eyes when she suddenly jolted upon seeing his handsome features in clear view ¡°I can force you, but I want you to be willing He stared deeply into her clear eyes. It had been days since hest saw Amanda, and it took all of his self-restraint to stop himself from pulling her into his embrace She scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ve already pped me back to my senses that day. There are no more second chances between us anymore.¡± Tim sorry. Does it still hurt?¡± Elias raised his left arm, his slender fingers reaching out to caress her face. Because his head was bursting with pain that day and he was extremely frustrated, he must have failed to hold back his strength. It must be hurt¡­. However, Amanda pped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me?¡± He fell silent ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being really phony? You clearly care more about Grace, so why are you acting like a Casanova now? Elias, don¡¯t tell me you want to keep two women by your side. Do you think you¡¯re a king choosing his concubines?¡± Whenever Amanda recalled how Elias had lost his temper for Grace¡¯s sake, she felt a wave of anger surging within her ¡°Amanda! I¡¯ve told you that I don¡¯t like Grace, not one bit! I just owe her too much. Besides, you Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Do You Believe¡­ ruined her face this time¡­¡± Although it was true that Grace had lied on the night of the celebration party, it did appear that Amanda was the one who ruined Grace¡¯s face. Meanwhile, Amanda stared at him in perplexity. When did she ruin Grace¡¯s face! She couldn¡¯t understand how a few ps would ruin her face. Surely her ps weren¡¯t that heavy? ¡°If you feel bad for your little girlfriend, just say it to my face! I only pped her a few times, so how did I ruin her face? Is her face made of gold? I even got a p from you, but is my face ruined?¡± She couldn¡¯t stand how Elias would always firmly protect Grace no matter the situation and even believe her words without a single doubt. Elias fell silent for a moment before he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hurt her with a knife? She has long wounds on her face and arms from a kitchen knife, and her face is ruined. She might sue you and make this incident public because of that.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Since when did I harm Grace with a knife? Do you think I won¡¯t know how bad it is to use a knife when I¡¯m awyer?¡± He furrowed his brows slightly. After Grace lied on the night of the celebration party, he no longer believed her as much as he used to. However, the surveince footage clearly showed that not long after Amanda left Grace¡¯s house, she walked out with a face covered in blood. What other exnation was there? Elias slowly exined, ¡°But the cameras outside Grace¡¯s house showed that not long after you left, she walked out with a face full of blood¡­ Besides, the footage shows that you¡¯ve alreadyid your hands on her before going inside. If she posts this video online, it¡¯ll be bad for you. Moreover, her status as a celebrity could very well ruin your reputation and prevent you from making a living in the country. Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh, her voice filled with mockery. She couldn¡¯t believe that Grace would pull off such a cruel and dramatic feat, willingly ruining her face just so that she could frame her. How could a woman as vicious as her exist? Not only was she hard on others, but she refused to let herself off easy as well. She looked at the man in front of her and asked, ¡°Then, do you believe her or me?¡± Elias pursed his lips tightly and stared at her, but he did not reply. Men were rational beings, and they were unable to form their judgment just by relying on their intuition. Hence, he could only speak ording to the evidence, and now the footage showed that there was a bigger possibility that Amanda had been the one to hurt Grace. However¡­ At the sight of seeing him struggle to make a decision, Amanda felt her heart turn cold. Although they had not spent much time with each other, did he have no idea what kind of person she was? Did he genuinely think that she was capable ofmitting such a vile act? ¡°All right, enough of this. It seems that you still believe in Grace more, and you think that I ruined her face.¡± ¡°Amanda!¡± Elias reached out and grabbed her thin wrist with a solemn expression. ¡°No matter whether you did it or not, I will cover for you. I won¡¯t let her ruin your life.¡± At that, Amanda froze in shock for a moment. What on earth was he saying? Wasn¡¯t he simply implying that she was the one who ruined Grace¡¯s face? Where did he get the nerve to think that way? ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be touched by that? I don¡¯t need you to cover for me because I believe that the truth will always prevail. Why should I be scared of something I haven¡¯t done?¡± Besides, she could look for evidence to prove that she was innocent instead of using the Winters Family¡¯s influence to bury this incident from the public eye. Just as Amanda was about to leave, he forcefully grabbed her hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just don¡¯t want to see you¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking. I can handle my own matters. I don¡¯t need you to pretend to be a saint!¡± Amanda shook his hand off viciously and turned around to leave the office. As soon as she stepped out of his office, Elias was just about to stand up and chase after her when his phone rang. When he picked up, a voice on the other end reported, ¡°Mr. Winters, Grace has made her move. She¡¯s posted pictures of her in the hospital and even the surveince footage, and people are already talking about it now.¡± ¡°Cover it up! Cover it all up!¡± Elias returned to his desk. He had been staying back in the office just for this moment-he knew that Grace would not give up so easily. Meanwhile, Grace watched as the candid photos of her receiving treatment in the hospital were deleted instantaneously, and all of the rumors they had prepared were silenced. She angrily threw her phone on the ground. She knew that this was Elias¡¯ doing. If she wasn¡¯t able to drive Amandapletely out of the country, wouldn¡¯t her face have been ruined for nothing? How could she let Amanda off so easily after paying such a hefty price? She would never allow it! This time, she swore to chase Amanda out of the country, or she would never have a chance to be with Elias. At that thought, she picked up her phone and made a call, roaring furiously, ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Keep posting, and don¡¯t stop even if they delete the posts! Post it on that forum! That¡¯s where news spreads the fastest on the Inte!¡± The Lawyer¡¯s Romance in ¡­ Chapter 116 You¡¯re Just Jealous That Grace Is Prettier Than You The next day, Amanda woke up early in the morning before washing up and getting dressed. Not even having time for breakfast, she hurried downstairs and was ready to go to thew firm. At the sight of Selina and Aiden eating breakfast downstairs, she put on her shoes while saying, ¡°I¡¯m gonna skip breakfast, so go ahead and eat without me. By the way, Selina, stay home and don¡¯t go out. If your husbandes to you again, just call the police and then call me!¡± Although she had a lot on her te these days, she had to care about Selina¡¯s domestic violence situation. which was also pretty important. Selina was looking at her phone in the dining room. Then, she stood up and walked up to Amanda. ¡°Amanda, is that you in this video?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± Amanda looked puzzled. Totally unaware of what was happening, she took Selina¡¯s phone and saw a piece of security footage, which was none other than the security footage of her going to Grace¡¯s ce that night. It captured her raising her hand as soon as she entered the house, and shortly after she had left, Grace came out with a bloodied face. It went without saying that this security footage caused a public uproar. Everyone was led to believe that Amanda had stormed into Grace¡¯s house like a shrew and disfigured her face before leaving.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org In an instant, Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. She tapped on thement section below the video, and all thements were generally cursing her. One of them read, ¡®Rumor has it that this woman is the new lover of the Winters Enterprise¡¯s young boss. Look at this! She wasn¡¯t even afraid to disfigure an actress right away. She really thinks she can do whatever she wants with Elias Winters covering her back!¡± Another read, This video shows how this woman disfigured Grace Murphy¡¯s face in such a short time. How cruel! The thirdment read, Just what the heck is wrong with Elias Winters¡¯ taste in women? Why would he fall for such a shrew instead of Grace Murphy? Grace is an actress, after all. Are actresses so worthless nowadays?¡± Anotherment read, ¡®Here¡¯s a little tidbit: this new lover is awyer. She has deliberately vited thew! Grace Murphy, please go ahead and sue her so that she goes to jail! Amanda¡¯s hand trembled while holding the phone as she read thements. Why would things turn out like this in the eyes of theseizens? She looked at Grace¡¯s bloodied face in the footage. She honestly never expected this woman to be so ruthless as to actually hurt herself! ¡°Mommy, what are you looking at?¡± Having eaten half of his breakfast, Aiden jumped out of his chair and walked up to her, wanting to snatch the phone to take a look. Only then did Amandae to her senses and hand the phone back to Selina. ¡°Just finish your breakfast before going to kindergarten. I¡¯ve got work to do, so I¡¯m going to work now,¡± she replied. Then, she took Selina aside, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t let the kid see these things. I can¡¯t exin it to you Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 You¡¯re Just¡­ right now, but the only thing I can tell you is that I didn¡¯t disfigure her face.¡± Selina nodded. ¡°I believe you. The Amanda I know isn¡¯t such a person.¡± Amanda replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± At a time like this when she wasing under attack by the public, it was really touching to have someone who trusted her unconditionally. She turned around and left the vi, intending to make a trip straight to the hospital. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Grace¡¯s wound was still in the healing stage. Thanks to the ugly scar, she loathed looking in the mirror every single day. The doctor instructed her, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t let the wounde into contact with water- Grace couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, though. ¡°Just when can I get this scar fixed? How much longer do I have to go around with a face like this?!¡± She began to regret having wounded her own face so badly back then. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The doctor hesitated to reply. ¡°It¡¯ll take at least two months for the wound on your face to heal. It¡¯s rather deep, after all.¡± Two months! Unwilling to give up, Grace asked again, ¡°Just tell me the truth-to what extent can this scar get fixed in the end?¡± Of course, she hoped that her face would be restored back to its beauty, but¡­ In a professional attitude, the doctor replied truthfully, ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t say it for sure. It also depends on the individual¡¯s healing ability and the effects of treatment. But what I can tell you is that there¡¯s no way your face can be restored back to its original state. At best, it¡¯ll heal to about 60 to 70 percent and that¡¯s the best-case scenario.¡± ¡°What¡­ only 60 to 70 percent?¡± Grace stared at the doctor in disbelief with shock written all over her face. Just 60 to 70 percent? ¡°What a lousy hospital this is! I¡¯m going to seek treatment abroad! I¡¯m going to another hospital¡­¡± She turned around and left the doctor¡¯s consultation room in tears. She didn¡¯t want this to happen; she still wanted to be Elias¡¯ beautiful bride. At this very moment, she was overwhelmed with regret. Why would I make such a stupid decision that night? Why would I disfigure my own face¡­ Tearfully, she returned to her ward, only to find Amanda there. As soon as she heard Grace¡¯s footsteps, Amanda turned around and saw Grace as expected. However, she was really startled to see Grace¡¯s face at this very moment. She had to admit that this girl was really ruthless. ¡°Amanda! What are you doing here?¡± Grace was angered to see Amanda at this moment. I wouldn¡¯t have be like this had it not been for her! Looking at the deep scar on Grace¡¯s face, Amanda said, ¡°I really never thought you¡¯d be so cruel to yourself just to frame me. How could you do this to yourself? Do you really not want your face anymore?¡± Grace retorted, ¡°You¡¯re the one who caused my face to end up like this! How dare youe in front of me and mock me right now?! What gave you the cheek to do that, you wicked woman?!¡± Amanda replied, ¡°You know full well in your heart whether I¡¯m the one who caused that scar on your face. I¡¯m here to tell you that I won¡¯t take the fall for you for no reason. I¡¯ll find evidence to prove my innocence!¡± With that, she turned around and left the ward.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Grace sobbed behind her, ¡°You b*tch! Had it not been for you, my face wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this! How could you be so wicked?! I¡¯ll make you pay for it! Amanda Bailey, I hate you forever!¡± Raising her voice on purpose, she drew the attention of many doctors, nurses, and patients. She wanted everyone to see this so that they would capture this on their phones and upload this to the inte. Amanda saw those people pointing fingers at her as she walked down the hallway. Having noticed Grace¡¯s intentions, she put on her sunsses and quickened her pace toward the elevator. She had to admit that Grace was truly an actor whose acting was really perfect. Upon entering the elevator, she heaved a sigh of relief, but how was she supposed to find evidence to prove her innocence? It was obvious in that night¡¯s security footage that Grace¡¯s face was bloodied after she had left. Normally, people wouldn¡¯t suspect that Grace had disfigured her own face, so they would take it for granted that it must be her doing. What should I do about this? The elevator door slowly opened with a ding! Amanda stepped out of the elevator and was about to go to the parking lot. But suddenly, a group of Grace¡¯s fans swarmed around her and threw things like eggs and rotten vegetables at her. One of them yelled, ¡°How could a wicked woman like you exist on earth? You actually disfigured Grace¡¯s face! You¡¯re just jealous that she¡¯s prettier than you!¡± ¡°Come on, everyone, check out what this shrew looks like!¡± ¡°We have to seek justice for Grace Murphy!¡± All at once, Amanda was nearly smothered by the mor and the rain of rotten eggs and vegetables. Not expecting to be faced with these things one day, she was at aplete loss for what to do. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Elias Shows Up These brainless fans don¡¯t even have a clue about what really happened! thought Amanda. At this very moment, however, she had no way to exin herself. She couldn¡¯t even produce any evidence to prove her innocence. Suddenly, someone picked up a rock and flung it at her. Amanda simply wasn¡¯t able to get out of the crowd surrounding her. ¡°Ah!¡± she cried out in pain. After all, it hurt to get hit by a rock. ¡°That¡¯s enough, all of you! You all are throwing false usations at someone here without knowing anything!¡± Unable to put up with this anymore, she tried to defend herself. Only then did she realize how feeble her words were. The mob of fans swore at her at the same time. One of them swore, ¡°How dare you cry foul despite the concrete evidence, you shameless slut! I wonder how someone like you got into the legal profession!¡± Another yelled, ¡°Only you entered Grace¡¯s house in that security footage. Who else could it be if not you? Would Grace be so insane as to disfigure her own face?¡± A third fan chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re really wicked. Does Elias Winters know you¡¯re so cruel? Isn¡¯t he afraid that you might poison him to death?¡± Amanda thought this was all going to push her over the edge. It wasn¡¯t like she was a public figure. Her mind went into a whirl, what with the verbal abuse by these obsessive fans and the wall of phones continuously aiming at her. And now, she couldn¡¯t leave at all. Like amb waiting to be ughtered, she had no choice but to let these fans insult her and hurl things at her. She had never felt so aggrieved before-not even when Elias had bullied and humiliated her four years ago. Just then, a path was suddenly cleared through the crowd, upon which she heard Yacob bellow furiously, ¡°Get out of the way, all of you, or we¡¯re going to call the police! What you¡¯re doing now already constitutes a crime!¡± Is that Yacob¡¯s voice? Amanda¡¯s head was dizzy at this moment. She watched Yacob push those fans out of the way before Elias emerged from behind him. In just a few steps, the man strode up to her with long, attractive legs, and his tall figure enveloped her completely in his shadow. He was d in a ck shirt with two buttons undone at the cor, and his sleeves were rolled up casually to reveal a silver watch he was wearing. Not only that, he exuded such a noble air through his every pore that one couldn¡¯t help but feel humbled in his presence. Striding up to her, he took her hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Amanda subconsciously retracted her hand, though. It was dirty, with the rotten eggs that had been thrown at her just now¡­ Even she was somewhat disgusted with how disheveled she looked at this very moment. Elias frowned slightly. After darting a nce at her hand, he took it again, sping it tightly while taking her out of here. Recognizing Elias, those fans instantly went into a bigger frenzy. Putting themselvespletely in Grace¡¯s shoes, they cried and screamed bitterly. One of them screamed, ¡®Mr. Winters! What¡¯s the matter with your judgment?! Why would you fall for this kind of shrew instead of the simple and kindhearted Grace?¡± Another cried, ¡°Elias Winters, you¡¯re being blinded by this shrew! Are you still going to defend her now that she¡¯s disfigured Grace¡¯s face? Just what the hell is possessing you?!¡± A third person threatened. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get murdered by this woman sooner orter if you keep being with her!¡± Another person swore, ¡°Just what has Grace done to you to deserve this?! In any case, you two have been together before! Do you have to be so heartless to her?! How could you still protect this shrew at a time like this?!¡± Someone cursed, ¡°They¡¯re simply a pair of cheaters, a perfect match! However rich you are. you¡¯re not good enough for Grace, who is so kindhearted. You¡¯re loaded, but you¡¯ve got sh*t for brains! You deserve getting fooled by a shrew!¡± Their insults sounded more and more offensive. Even Amanda couldn¡¯t stand listening to them anymore, but Elias acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard them. He quickly dragged her away from this scene of trouble, leaving it to Yacob and others to stop the mob. After pushing her into the back seat of his car, he ordered the chauffeur in a cold voice, ¡°Drive home.¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± The chauffeur immediately started the car before slowly driving out of the hospital. Elias handed her a towel. ¡°Here, use this to wipe yourself. Take a shower when we get home.¡± Amanda was too mentally and physically exhausted to say anything right now. Without saying a word, she merely wiped the foul-smelling egg liquid from herself; there was even some of it on her hair. She dared not imagine how awful she must look at this moment. I probably look like a scavenger right now. Then, she saw Elias make a phone call. He ordered in a harsh voice, ¡°Get all those things deleted from the inte at once! Also, sue every website that made a buzz out of this! Don¡¯t give me that f*cking crap! I¡¯m not going to listen to a word of them. All I want to see are the results!¡± With that, he hung up the phone right away. This guy has a hot temper, and everyone knows it. But¡­ Just when Amanda wanted to say something, Elias dialed Grace¡¯s number and said in an emotionless voice, ¡°Grace Murphy, stop it already.¡± Grace yelled hysterically on the other end, ¡°What do you mean, telling me to stop it? Do I deserve to get my face disfigured like that?! I want Amanda to pay for this, and I won¡¯t stop until I get my justice! She¡¯s the one who made me like this! Elias, you can¡¯t be so unfair! My brother would be upset if he were to learn about this! And besides, you promised him that you¡¯d take good care of me. Is this how you¡¯re taking care of me?!¡± Thanks to the silence in the car, Amanda heard Grace¡¯s voice very clearly through the phone. She looked up at the man¡¯s tautened face in profile. After falling silent for a few seconds, he hung up the phone without saying a word. He¡¯s probably in a dilemma right now. On one hand, he feels that he has betrayed Grace, but on the other hand, he wants to save me. Even Amanda found it exhausting for him. Why bother? ¡°Don¡¯t you feel tired doing this?¡± she asked suddenly. Elias looked at her. ¡°This is my business, and besides, I don¡¯t feel tired doing this.¡± To tell the truth, he didn¡¯t feel tired at all, though it would be better if Amanda could ept his courtship. At least whatever he did wouldn¡¯t be in vain. Right now, he was the only one making an effort, whereas Amanda ignored himpletely. The car slowly entered the Winters Estate. After Mr. Jones opened the car door, Amanda stepped out of the car, followed closely by the man. He said to her from behind, ¡°Go take a shower and get changed. Don¡¯t go to thew firm in the next few days. Just stay home and leave this to me.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary. I think I can find evidence to prove my innocence. I didn¡¯t do it, so I¡¯m not gonna take the fall for this.¡± Amanda sounded very certain. Elias fell silent for a moment. Then, he replied, ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t want to admit it. After all, everyone has times when they get emotional and lose control of themselves. That being said¡­ Amanda, no one¡¯s going to believe that it was Grace who disfigured her own face with a knife.¡± Amanda was lost for words. Indeed, no one would believe such an absurd fact. And yet, only she knew that this was the truth-that it was Grace who had disfigured her own face. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me either. You also think it was my doing.¡± Speechless, Elias frowned with a conflicted look in his eyes. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to believe Amanda. But being an actress who relied on her looks to make a living, how could Grace possibly ruin her own future? Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Unless You Kneel Down in Front of Me Seeing that he said nothing, Amanda let out a sneer and turned toward the guest room. I¡¯ll just take a shower, get changed, and get out of here as soon as possible. While she was showering and getting changed, Elias stood outside the room, smoking one cigarette after another. In reality, he wasn¡¯t entirely skeptical about what she said. He did seriously ponder if she was telling the truth. The door opened with a click. Amanda came out of the room, having changed into clean clothes. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said to him expressionlessly before walking to the elevator without even looking back. She didn¡¯t want to stay here even for a second. Catching up with her, the man suddenly said, ¡°You couldn¡¯t resist hitting Grace when you went to her that day. I can understand that.¡± After all, had it not been for Grace, Amanda wouldn¡¯t have lost her baby for no reason back then. Amanda replied, ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. To this day, you still don¡¯t understand why I hate Grace so much. But now, I don¡¯t want your understanding anymore.¡± Standing before the elevator, she looked at the man next to her, who looked so much like Aiden. They¡¯re truly father and son. She had to admit that the idea of reuniting Aiden with this guy had sprung up in her mind many times during this period, but now, she had abandoned this idea altogether. I¡¯d better let Aiden grow up by my side. It goes without saying that he can enjoy a life of wealth and high society once he returns to the Winters Family, but countless women are eyeing the position of the wife of the future head of the Winters Family. It¡¯s hard to imagine what they¡¯ll do to Aiden in order to get this position, and besides, Elias can¡¯t even tell when a woman is only pretending to be pure and innocent. This is too dangerous. I¡¯ve brought Baby up well over thest four years; surely, I can raise him to adulthood in the future. Elias replied, ¡°In that case, you should tell me about it. How am I supposed to know if you¡¯re not saying anything?¡± He was getting more and more puzzled as to what this woman was trying to say. She always spoke ambiguously, as though there was more to it than what she said. The elevator door opened with a Ding! However, Amanda ignored the manpletely and was about to get into the elevator. Elias took her hand at once. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Stop going on blind dates, okay? You won¡¯t fall for those men, so stop wasting your time. It¡¯ll only make me fret, I know you¡¯re sincerely trying to get on my nerves, and you¡¯ve achieved your purpose. You don¡¯t have to go on blind dates anymore.¡± Knowing that Amanda had gone on a blind date with a man, he felt so awful as though his heart were being gnawed at by thousands of ants. Amanda¡¯s voice was chilly, as if she didn¡¯t give a damn about this guy. ¡°You had no right to ask that of me before giving me that p across the face, nor do you have the right to ask me after that. Please understand your present circumstances, Mr. Winters.¡± Elias¡¯ good-looking face turned sullen. He asked in a stern voice, ¡°Amanda, what do you want so that you¡¯ll give me a chance?¡± He honestly wanted to know what it would take to get her to open up and ept him. Right now, she chose to ignore him no matter what he did. She wouldn¡¯t ept him at all, which put him at a loss for what to do. Looking sideways at him, Amanda replied with a calm expression, ¡°You want to know how?¡± Elias waited for her answer, his eyes fixed on her fine features. ¡°Unless you kneel in front of me.¡± Kneel down¡­ A hint of shock flickered across Elias¡¯ pitch-ck eyes. He had never knelt down in front of anyone before-not even his own grandfather and father. And now, Amanda was asking him to kneel down before a woman¡­ Amanda removed his hand from hers and entered the elevator, upon which the elevator door slowly closed. Needless to say, she knew there was no way Elias could do so. How could a proud golden boy like him easily kneel down in front of a woman? Even if he were to be reduced to poverty, he probably wouldn¡¯t kneel down in front of anyone either. That was exactly why she asked him to do such a thing that he couldn¡¯t possibly do-to embarrass him and make things difficult for him so that he would give up. He¡¯d rather be dead than kneel down in front of someone. She knew this man very well. There¡¯s no way he can do it; he wouldn¡¯t be caught dead doing that. Standing in front of the French window upstairs, Elias watched Amanda get in the car before the chauffeur drove her out of the estate. His pitch-ck eyes had vexation written all over them. This woman is determined to cut all ties with me. She¡¯s asking me to kneel down¡­ There¡¯s no way I can do that! I am Elias Winters! Did I ever kneel in front of anyone? No, no one has ever deserved to have me kneeling before them! Just then, his phone began vibrating. He darted a look at it; it was a phone call from Grace. He had no desire to answer the phone whatsoever, but the phone kept ringing, as if she were going to keep calling until he answered the phone. In the end, he answered the phone with an irritable expression, asking. ¡°What else do you want to say?¡± Grace screamed, ¡°Elias, you¡¯ve gone too far! You actually had all thosements in favor of me deleted from the inte, and you even sued those tabloid magazines and entertainment news websites that helped me set the record straight! Do you hate me that much, or do you love Amanda that much? Are you still gonna defend her like this even after she did something wrong? Didn¡¯t you see my face? The doctor said there¡¯s no way for it to be restored to the way it was! What should I do?! What¡¯s going to be of me?!¡± She sounded very devastated over the phone. She was almost mad with rage; none of her borate ns could be carried out because of the man¡¯s suppression! Elias replied in a grim voice, ¡°Had it not been for you, she wouldn¡¯t have lost her baby four years ago. Had it not been for you, she wouldn¡¯t have had to lead a wandering life over the past four years!¡± Stupefied, Grace was startled for a long time on the other end. ¡°So, you mean that I deserve to get my face disfigured? Do I deserve to end up like this now? Elias Winters, are you even talking sense?!¡± In an instant, Elias felt a headacheing on. He pinched the space between his eyebrows with slender fingers, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted medical specialists from abroad to hold a consultation to remove your scar as much as possible. All you have to do now is stay cheerful and wait for them to arrive.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Grace retorted, ¡°It¡¯s useless! It¡¯s impossible; there¡¯s no such technology to remove scars 100 percent yet! With a face like this, no man would want to marry me. What am I going to do for the rest of my life? Amanda ruined the rest of my life! All I wanted was to set the record straight for the public, and yet you stopped me in every possible way! You simply can¡¯t tell right from wrong. and you¡¯re so unfair! Elias, I¡¯m so disappointed with you!¡± With that, she hung up the phone right away. Looking at the disconnected phone, Elias couldn¡¯t help butugh sorrowfully. He repeated, ¡°Unfair, huh¡­¡± Just who am I being unfair to? Amanda thinks I¡¯m biased in favor of Grace, while Grace thinks I¡¯m biased in favor of Amanda. After returning to the vi in Gxy Bay, Amanda found the house empty. Hmm? This is odd. Why aren¡¯t Selina and Baby home? Didn¡¯t I tell her to stay put here lest her wife-beater of a husbandes to pick on her? Why is there no sign of them? ¡°Selina? Aiden? Where are you?¡± she shouted around the house, but she didn¡¯t find the two. Sitting on the couch, she dialed Selina¡¯s number, which was answered almost immediately. ¡°Where are you, Selina? Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay home?¡± ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m taking the kid out to the movies. Aiden¡¯s been asking to see a movie, saying that other kids have seen it.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? Well then, I¡¯lle and pick you up. Which movie theater are you at?¡± She took a look at the time. I¡¯d better pick them up myself, or else I¡¯ll get really worried. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 I Only Believe You, Mommy Amanda waited outside after driving to the movie theater where Selina and Aiden were. Supposedly, the movie would end in about 15 minutes. Feeling a little thirsty, she decided to buy a bottle of drink from the automatic vending machine nearby. She got out of the car, walked up to the automatic vending machine, and paid for the drink with her cell phone, after which she waited for her drink toe out. Just then, several young girls walked past her. First, they stared at her peculiarly; then they started whispering among themselves. One of them asked, ¡°Is that the wornan who disfigured Grace Murphy¡¯s face? She looks very much like the woman in the video.¡± Her friend replied, ¡°Yeah, she seems to be that woman. She looks just like the woman in that security footage!¡± Consequently, more and more people stopped to look on, and all of them were talking about Amanda behind her back. Amanda had just uncapped her drink and taken a sip from it when she noticed arge crowd gathered behind her. These people were of all ages and both genders; one who had no clue what was going on would think they were watching some actors in the middle of shooting a film. She looked back at these people with a confused expression, feeling puzzled as she couldn¡¯t make out what they were talking about. Just when she wanted to walk away, a middle-aged woman suddenly stopped her, saying, ¡°Hey, are you the woman who disfigured Grace Murphy¡¯s face? How could you be so cruel at such a young age? Don¡¯t you know how important the face of an actress is? Is it worth doing that for a man?¡± Amanda changed color instantly. It¡¯s really the age of information now. After the security footage got uploaded to the inte, almost everyone in the country could watch it on their phone, and they could even recognize me on the street! She didn¡¯t say a word since it was pointless to say anything in such a situation. She walked toward her car, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. Much to her dismay, these people surrounded herpletely, preventing her exit. One of them shouted, ¡°It¡¯s her! She looks just like the woman in that security footage!¡± Another yelled, ¡°We must condemn this kind of people! This woman must be brought to justice, or else there¡¯ll be more and more of this kind of thing in the future!¡± Just then, someonemented, ¡°What a shameless woman who would do anything for the sake of a man! What¡¯s more, it¡¯s rumored that she seems to be awyer herself.¡± Another replied, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s good at exploiting legal loopholes? All hell¡¯s gonna break loose if she gets away easily this time!¡± Amanda felt her head was going to explode as she listened to their mor. Perhaps I really shouldn¡¯t go out these days, I should hole up at home instead and wait until I find evidence to prove my innocence. She had Elias to help her out back in the hospital, but now, there was no way the man would show up, so she had only herself to depend on. Suddenly, she pointed in a direction and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s the police!¡± All at once, everyone¡¯s eyes looked in the other direction. Seizing the opportunity, Amanda quickly slipped out of the crowd, spraining her ankle as she walked in high heels. Despite the acute pain, she ran toward her car. Realizing what had happened, those people even ran after her while swearing angrily along the way. One of them yelled, ¡°Stop right there, you wicked and vicious mistress! Not only did you steal someone¡¯s boyfriend, you even disfigured her face! You¡¯re an absolute disgrace to all women!¡± Another chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! You should get condemned in public, you shameless mistress!¡± Running up to her car, Amanda opened the car door just in time to see Selinae over while holding Aiden¡¯s hand. She shouted, ¡°Get in now!¡± Selina instantly understood what was going on. Picking up the boy, she quickly opened the car door and got in the car. Amanda started the car and swiftly drove out of this crowded shopping mall. Watching those people gradually disappear in the rearview mirror, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. The tension in the car slowly eased. Suddenly, Aiden clung to the back of her seat and asked in a whisper, ¡°Mommy, what is a mistress? Why did they call you a mistress?¡± Amanda¡¯s heart did aplete somersault. Baby heard what they said just now¡­ She was lost for words. For a while, she didn¡¯t even know how to exin it to the boy. Luckily, Selina smoothed things over by pulling the boy into her arms. ¡°Aiden, will you be good and sit tight? Your mom can¡¯t get distracted while driving, or she¡¯ll be fined by the traffic police.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Aiden obediently shut up and said nothing else. For some reason, however, Amanda felt a wave of the blues. If she couldn¡¯t find evidence to prove her innocence, even Aiden might get affected in kindergarten. But how was she supposed to prove her innocence? She wouldn¡¯t be able to clear her name unless Grace also had security cameras installed inside her home. After they returned to the vi in Gxy Bay, Selina went to make dinner, whereas Amanda stayed in the living room with Aiden. Aiden had been watching cartoons obediently. He didn¡¯t make a fuss, nor did he ask again why those people had called her a ¡°mistress¡± just now. Amanda stared at him for a long time before stroking his head. ¡°Baby, if someone says bad things about me in front of you, will you believe them?¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes were still glued to the cartoon, but he replied earnestly, ¡°Of course not. I spend every single day with you, and I know you better than anyone else.¡± Once again, Amanda was moved by his reply. As expected of my own son! She swept him into her arms and kissed his tender little face. ¡°I¡¯m gonna reward you for this. Well, you¡¯ll get to eat a lollipop tonight.¡± Aiden pouted his lips, though. ¡°Mommy. I¡¯ve stopped liking lollipops ages ago ¡°Hmm? What do you like, then? I remember that you liked orange-vored lollipops very much,¡± asked Amanda. Am I not caring enough about my sontely? I don¡¯t even know that his preferences have changed. All of a sudden, she felt somewhat guilty. Suddenly, Aiden turned to look at her and replied in a childlike voice, ¡°I don¡¯t like lollipops anymore these days. Mommy, I want you to be happy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I think you¡¯ve been unhappy these days.¡± Aiden¡¯s puppy-dog eyes had sincerity written all over them, and only his mother was reflected in the eyes of this currently three-year-old boy. Amanda was stunned. The world of adults was full of daily troubles, but the world of a three-year- old kid only consisted of their parents, whose every move they observed every single day. She let out a chuckle, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. It¡¯s just some problems at work, so don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± Aiden climbed up onto the couch, jumped into Amanda¡¯s arms, and clung tightly to her. ¡°You¡¯re lying; you¡¯re not unhappy when you¡¯re working. Mommy, is it really hard to find a daddy? If it is, then I don¡¯t want a daddy anymore. I just want you.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Amanda replied, ¡°What are you thinking about? Aren¡¯t you tired of worrying so much as a little kid? Your only duty is to have fun at kindergarten every day.¡± Sometimes, she really thought Aiden and Elias had many simrities in their characters. Both of them were hot-tempered worrywarts with a great sense of responsibility. Aiden wrapped his fleshy little arms around her neck while whispering in her ear, ¡°Mommy, I love you. I won¡¯t believe anyone if they say bad things about you. I only believe you, Mommy.¡± Tsk, tsk¡­ What a sweet little boy! That¡¯s totally different from his jerk of a father. Elias is just an insensitive dunce who doesn¡¯t know how to please women, but Aiden, this little brat, is very sweet and very good at making women happy. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 I Want to Tell You a Secret Besides, this little brat is handsome. He¡¯s sure to get girls when he¡¯s older. ¡°Mommy.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Everyone has a dad when they are born, right?¡± Aiden blinked his huge eyes as if he was asking a serious question. Even though Amanda didn¡¯t want to answer that question, she had to admit it. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, where¡¯s my dad? Do you have his picture, Mommy? Can I see?¡± Amanda¡¯s heart constricted as she looked at the anticipation on Aiden¡¯s face. ¡°Why do you suddenly want to see your dad¡¯s picture? Don¡¯t you hate him?¡± For some reason, Aiden had always hated his father. It might be due to her telling him that his dad didn¡¯t want them anymore. Aiden jumped down from her embrace and said, ¡°Today at kindergarten, the teacher told us that everyone was born because Daddy loved Mommy. But Mommy said Daddy didn¡¯t want us anymore. If Daddy didn¡¯t love Mommy, how did you give birth to me?¡± Amanda was speechless and didn¡¯t know what to say. Did Elias love her? At least he didn¡¯t even when she was pregnant with Aiden. ¡°Baby, Daddy¡­ he¡­¡± She wanted to exin but didn¡¯t know how to. Aiden stared at her and got impatient as she was hesitating for a long time. ¡°Mommy, I just want to see Daddy¡¯s picture. Just let me take a look, please?¡± ¡°Then, can you tell Mommy why you must see his picture?¡± Aiden had never asked for this. This was out of the blue. ¡°Erm¡­ because the teacher said I don¡¯t look like Mommy. So, I probably look like Daddy. I want to see what Daddy looks like to see if I look like him or not.¡± His answer made Amanda fall silent once again. She was at a loss as to what to do. Could she really let Aiden see Elias¡¯ picture? Aiden looked very much alike to Elias; it was as if he was replicated. But she didn¡¯t want Aiden to return to the Winters Family. So, there was no point in letting Aiden see Elias¡¯ picture. So, she lied, ¡°Baby, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have your father¡¯s picture. So, I can¡¯t let you see it.¡± Disappointment painted Aiden¡¯s small face after he listened to her words. His bright eyes lost their light as he pursed his lips. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t see it.. Daddy doesn¡¯t love us at all. He didn¡¯t even leave a picture behind. I hate him more!¡± Then, Selina walked into the living room and called, ¡°Aiden. Amanda. It¡¯s time to eat. Come over.¡± Aiden pursed his lips as he stormed off into the dining hall but turned around to call for Amanda after a few steps. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s eat.¡± Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s heart ached even more as she looked at Aiden¡¯s somber back. He only wanted to see his father¡¯s picture, yet she couldn¡¯t fulfill such a simple request. She got up and went to the dining hall. It felt like something was stuck in her throat as she saw Aiden sitting obediently on the dining chair. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale?¡± Selina served thest dish onto the table and realized something was off with both Amanda and Aiden. Amanda smiled and shook her head in response. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± After eating, Selina showered Aiden and put him to sleep while Amanda went to the balcony for some fresh air.. Many things had happened this couple of days and her mind was in a whirlwind. The only thought in her mind now was to prove her innocence. But how was she going to do that? It was impossible. Suddenly, her phone rang. Amanda took a look and saw that it was a call from Simon. I didn¡¯t go to the law firm today. Sheposed herself and answered the call. ¡°Hi, Simon.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Simon didn¡¯t ask why she didn¡¯t go to thew firm or what happened. ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t the one behind Grace Murphy¡¯s incident, right? You¡¯re not that dumb in my eyes. You won¡¯t do something like that no matter how much you hate her.¡± Amandaughed. ¡°Of course, it wasn¡¯t me. I will find the evidence to prove my innocence.¡± Simon on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds then said. ¡°That surveince footage is the best evidence. You can¡¯t find anything else reliable enough now.¡± The smile on Amanda¡¯s face gradually disappeared. She knew that. Then, Simon¡¯s voice came through again. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, I can help you.¡± ¡°How?¡± Things were like a dead game in chess. How was he going to help her? She was just asking for too much. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I have my ways. If I helped you prove the truth, can you promise me one thing? Amanda looked up at the sky. She couldn¡¯t figure out what Simon wanted. But she desperately needed to rify this incident before it dragged on as it would affect her. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll promise you if you help me find the truth.¡± ¡°Then, wait for my good news. Good night.¡± After hanging up the phone, she fell into deep thought about what Simon would do. On the other hand, Simon was sitting in the car downstairs. After getting Amanda¡¯s confirmation, he stepped on the gas and went to the hospital. At the hospital, Simon hid a recording device on his body before walking toward the inpatient department. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. He walked to Grace¡¯s ward and knocked before hearing her voice calling, ¡°Come in.¡± He pushed the door and entered. Grace was in a low mood because of her face. She had not perked up once since she was hospitalized. ¡°Why are you here? To help Amanda? You want me to let her go?¡± Grace looked up to see Simon and turned spiteful. However, Simon acted very professionally and entered before sitting on a chair by the side. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk and to see you.¡± He ced the bouquet of fresh flowers in his arms on the side. Grace just harrumphed, ¡°I don¡¯t need your fake kindness. You¡¯re just here to talk for Amanda. I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t even think of trying to frame me or record anything. I know youwyers like doing that a lot. She destroyed my face. How dare she send you here?!¡± Simon raised a brow. ¡°You seem to know a lot aboutwyers, Miss Murphy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve yed awyer role and experienced what it¡¯s like being one. What else do you have to say? I know all your tricks, so don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Grace only wanted to be alone now. She didn¡¯t want anyone to see her face. Then, Simon cleared his throat before saying, ¡°I actually wanted to tell you a secret. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Simon¡¯s n Simon¡¯s words sessfully caught Grace¡¯s attention as she looked up at him. ¡°What secret¡± As awyer, Simon was well-versed in the art of speaking. He was nning to use psychological tricks to get Grace to speak, but she was way more alert than he expected. ¡°Do you know why Amanda was so sure she could find the evidence to prove her innocence, Miss Murphy!¡± Grace was momentarily stunned but snickered soon after. ¡°You¡¯re just using yourwyer tricks to make me talk. She won¡¯t find any evidence because she did this! The footage proved it!¡± The ward was silent, and they could hear each other¡¯s breathing. He gave a small smile. ¡°Miss Murphy, I¡¯m just here to tell you the news because I got to know some insider news. That¡¯s the whole reason I came looking for you.¡± She couldn¡¯t figure out Simon¡¯s intentions. So, she was careful to not let her guard down and harrumphed, ¡°Everyone knows you are close with Amanda. You work in the samew firm. So, you must want to protect her name because it¡¯ll protect yourw firm too. I won¡¯t believe anything you say. Leave now.¡± It seems like Miss Murphy¡¯s very vignt. Simon smiled softly and exined to her slowly with patience, ¡°Actually, my aim is the same as yours. I don¡¯t want Elias and Amanda together. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± Grace didn¡¯t speak and quietly regarded the man before her because she couldn¡¯t tell if he was being sincere. However, it seemed like she started to believe him as Simon continued, ¡°I know Amanda has proof that you¡¯re lying. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. If she took out the evidence, I don¡¯t suppose you can continue living in the country. Besides, Elias will lose all trust in you.¡± At this point, Grace started to feel her heart beat quicker because Simon didn¡¯t look like he was lying, but she still tried to act calm. ¡°I have nothing to be afraid of. I didn¡¯t lie. The footage got it all down clearly!¡± Simon had sensed her panic as his lips curved up slightly. ¡°But are you going to bet on it? Amanda¡¯s nning to take out the evidence tomorrow night. By then, the tables will be turned. You¡¯ll never be able to have Elias and your career will be over. You won¡¯t have anything left except that scar on your face. Do you dare bet on that?¡± Grace was scared but still wanted to appear tough. ¡°Why won¡¯t I dare to? She destroyed my face. Why would I be afraid of her? Can she show evidence that I destroyed my own face?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Grace¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she stared at Simon. What is the meaning of that? Simon exined, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this. We,wyers, have a habit of carrying recording devices and a pinhole camera to take evidence. When Amanda went to you that day, she just so happened to have visited a crime scene with those on her body. So..¡± Grace¡¯s eyes widened as she grasped the nket tightly. So, Amanda recorded everything with the camera that night? If that was true, she would be done for once Amanda posted the footage online. She wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the country and Elias would never look at her again! Simon caught on the panic in her eyes and sort of guessed the truth. ¡°So what? She filmed what happened that night? Make her take out the evidence, then. I¡¯m not scared! I didn¡¯t lie!¡± Despite being in a panicked state, Grace still stood her stance. Then, he took out his name card and ced it aside. ¡°Amanda¡¯s going to post the evidence tomorrow night. We can still stop it. Call me once you¡¯ve made up your mind. I¡¯m telling you that we must work together to destroy the evidence in her hands.¡± I¡¯m confused. Don¡¯t you like her? Why don¡¯t you want her to prove her innocence?¡± She couldn¡¯t figure Simon out. Simon looked at her seriously. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want her to get back with Elias. Even if her name is ruined, I can still take care of her. Then, she¡¯ll be all mine and no one will take another gander at her.¡± Once he finished, he turned around to leave the ward. Grace stared at his leaving back as a chill coursed through her at his scary intentions. He was willing to destroy Amanda just to have her. She picked up the name card with her lips pursed tightly. To be honest, she started to feel nervous. If Amanda really posted the evidence tomorrow night, she would be done for. She would have nothing left except a face of scars. Outside the hospital, Simon smiled at the inpatient department sign. If everything went well, Grace would call him in the morning because she had started to believe his words. Suddenly, his phone rang with a call from Lunabelle. Simon had been entangled with her for quite some time and he had made up his mind. After he picked up the phone, Lunabelle¡¯s sweet voice rang, ¡°Simon, can we have dinner tonight? You¡¯ve been rejecting me a few times now.¡± ¡°Lunabelle, don¡¯t you get why I¡¯ve been saying no? I don¡¯t want to get back together. Stop wasting time on me. Sorry¡± Then, he hung up the phone without letting her speak. He wanted to use this opportunity to make Amanda his because Elias wouldn¡¯t give her up. Coincidentally, he didn¡¯t want to either. Amanda was fidgeting at home. She didn¡¯t dare go to thew firm and was afraid of bumping into angry citizens on the streets. She actually looked forward to seeing how Simon was going to rify this incident. It seemed like she really had no other option. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for her, as well as Elias, who was far away in the Winters Estate, He was smoking cigarette after cigarette as Amanda¡¯s cruel words filled his mind. Unless you kneel down in front of me. Elias would do anything except kneel before her. However, Amanda just had to make it hard for him with that demand. The room was pitch-ck and Elias sat on the single couch with a cigarette hanging off his lips as he stared at the moon with solemn eyes. He couldn¡¯t help butugh mockingly at himself. I brought this onto myself. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. However, he couldn¡¯t let Amanda go at this point, but it was also tough for him to disregard Grace since Yn died a horrible death because of him. The man picked up his phone and tried to search for the security footage of Amanda online. After searching numerous sites, he finally rxed when he couldn¡¯t find any as he confirmed that the videos were all deleted. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Let¡¯s Get Married, Amanda It was 4.00PM when Simon was sitting on his bed waiting for a phone call. He had not slept at a wink throughout the night. Suddenly, his phone rang, and a confident smile crept up his face. At expected, Grace was probably feeling utterly tormented throughout the night before she finally decided to call him So, he picked up the phone and started the recording Miss Murphy¡± The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. ¡°How did you know it me ¡°Because I feel the same way as you do and couldn¡¯t rest until I¡¯ve received the answer I want. Im afraid that Amanda and Elias will mend their rtionship. Then, all my hard work for the past four years will go down the drain.¡± ¡°Fine. Tell me, then. How are we going to destroy the evidence in her hands? She finally admits to her wrongdoings. Simon felt his smile widen. ¡°You¡¯re going to pretend to apologize to Amanda and beg her to not post the evidence online. I¡¯ll act as if I was going to ask her about work while you start a fight with her. Then, I¡¯ll pull Amanda away and you can run upstairs to look for the thumb drive. I remember that she hid it in the study. I¡¯ll try my best to stall for time. Once you find it, destroy it immediately. She might have a copy somewhere as well. So, you need to find that and delete any evidence Amanda might have.¡± ¡°Okay. Sure. I¡¯ll head over in the morning. You should get ready, then. ¡°Miss Murphy, remember that you are an actor. So, you have to stay in character and can¡¯t let Amanda see through your schemes. She¡¯s very vignt now and nobody can go near her study, especially during such a crucial point of time. Also. I don¡¯t have to remind you that no one else can know about our little arrangement, do I?¡± On the other end of the phone, Grace wholeheartedly believed Simon. ¡°Of course, I know that. But have you seen that video? Is it bad for me?¡± I got you. Simon tried to suppress the glee in his voice as he exined, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen it. It¡¯s not looking good for you. She¡¯s only seen pping you in the video and she isn¡¯t anywhere near the knife. The timestamp is also pretty clear that your face was fine before she left. But your face was cut 10 minutes after she was gone. So, if this video was leaked, it¡¯s enough to refute your ims.¡± Then, get on with it. We¡¯ll move when the sun rises. I can¡¯t wait any longer. That video can¡¯t be posted, or else my life will be utterly ruined!¡± ¡°Okay. Give me a call before you head out. I¡¯ll make sure to cooperate with you.¡± After Simon ended the call, he checked the phone call recording and got up to walk to the study. The two foxes that had their schemes to execute weren¡¯t the only ones unable to sleep as Amanda was also unable to fall into slumber. Regardless, she started to feel sleepy when it was close to sunrise and slept for two hours before Selina¡¯s shout caused her to jolt awake from her impromptu nap. Amanda! Amanda!¡± Selina¡¯s hurried footsteps could be heard thumping up the stairs as she started frantically knocking on Amanda¡¯s bedroom door. Amanda, who was still groggy, heard the knock and slowly rolled herself off her bed. After a few moments, she went to open the door with her mind still in a daze. So, it was with half-lidded eyes that she grumbled wearily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is Aiden refusing to wake up again?¡± ¡°No! Look at this! You¡¯re proven innocent!¡± Selina was excited as she shoved the phone toward Amanda¡¯s face, eager to show Amanda the good news. Amanda took the phone with a confused expression and saw that it was a piece of news about Grace¡¯s injured face. The title wrote. The truth behind Grace Murphy¡¯s injured face. She did it herself!¡¯ Amanda immediately felt sober by that astounding title. She widened her eyes at it before she had the sense to scroll down to read the article. The content of the article stated that Grace was possibly the one who cut her face and med it on someone else. There was even a recording of a phone call in the article. Amanda yed the recording and was dumbfounded when she heard Simon and Grace¡¯s conversation. Huh. Would you look at that? Simon actually did it? Now that they had the recording as proof, Grace¡¯s words could be considered as her admitting that she deliberately disfigured herself and that she was lying. Therefore, she ced the entire me on Amanda to ruin Amanda¡¯s reputation. Then, Amanda eventually arrived at thement sections below. Thements were heated, to say the least. ¡®Oh, my God¡­. what have I heard? This recording is such a bombshell. So, it means that after Amanda left, Grace¡¯s face was still fine, but ten minutester, her face was all cut up. If nobody was at home at that time, does that mean that Grace cut up her own face? I can¡¯t believe that someone would go so far as to mutte themselves to appear like the victim?¡± This recording is clear as day. Grace is guilty. That¡¯s why she¡¯s so flustered! So, she wanted to look for the evidence in that woman¡¯s home because she knew thatwyer was innocent!¡¯ I¡¯m totally shocked at the turn of events. I have to say that Grace is really brutal, even to herself. She ruined her face just to use someone else!¡± This¡­ This¡­. is such a shocking revtion. I didn¡¯t expect Grace to be this kind of person Amanda saw how thements were condemning Grace for her brutality. It was apparent that the people were starting to side with her. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Simon really did her a big favor this time. She didn¡¯t expect him to do this as his efforts would be to no avail if Grace didn¡¯t fall into his trap. Nheless, Simon had years of experience as awyer. So, his skill at making people talk was top- notch. Coupled with his great acting skills, she honestly had no reason to worry. Still, she had to admit that she didn¡¯t think that he could trick Grace with his acting. Well, as for the mice caught in the trap¡­ Grace was probably in a breakdown right now as her ns were falling all over her like a house of cards. Selina looked at Amanda who was in a daze and called out to her, ¡°Amanda? Amanda!¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°This is great. Who is this person? He¡¯s so good at making Grace talk!¡± Selina listened to the whole conversation in awe. Simon was truly amazing as every word he said made it seem as though he was truly siding with the person he was fishing for information from. ¡°He¡¯s my friend and my boss. He is pretty good.¡± Amanda sighed to herself. Simon really helped me out this time. I don¡¯t even know how to thank him¡­.. She never wanted to trouble him, but things kept cropping up and she had no choice but to keep asking him for help when shended herself in trouble. Suddenly, her phone rang. Amanda returned Selina¡¯s phone to her. ¡°I have a call to answer.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll wake Aiden up for kindergarten.¡± Selina was in a good mood as she went down the stairs humming a jaunty tune. Amanda returned to her room and saw that it was none other than Simon calling her phone. She answered the call, saying gratefully, ¡°Thank you so much, Simon! I really don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± She was a little worked up and she was touched as he helped her in her hour of need. Simon, who was on the other end of the phone, simply smiled. ¡°Do you remember saying that you¡¯ll owe me a favor? It¡¯s time for you to repay me now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree to anything you want!¡± Amanda was still immersed in the joy of the truthing to light. ¡°My request is-let¡¯s get married, Amanda.¡± Suddenly, the smile on her face froze as she held the phone, rooted in ce. She didn¡¯t expect Simon to make such a request. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 As Humble as a Lamb When the silence stretched on, Simon couldn¡¯t help but ask from the other end of the line, ¡°Why! Do you regret it now?¡± Amanda was sitting on the bed as she agitatedly ran a hand through her hair. ¡°It¡¯s not about that, but why are youing up with such a request? I don¡¯t remember you as-¡± ¡°A dominant and bossy man, right? But I want to be dominant and bossy just this once, only then can we get married as soon as possible.¡± This time, Simon was determined and didn¡¯t want to miss his chance anymore. The situation was getting better now, and he was worried that he would not have even a sliver of a chance if this dragged on. He feared that Elias would win Amanda over with time; after all, they had a child to bridge the gap between them. ¡°Simon, you and Lunabelle__¡± Still, Amanda had a feeling that Lunabelle wouldn¡¯t let go of her rtionship with Simon so easily. Furthermore, she had just ended her marriage and it was obvious that the reason she returned to the country this time was to patch things up with Simon. ¡°Amanda, I¡¯ll tell you onest time. It¡¯s impossible between me and Lu. It was over between us the day when she chose to marry another man. Besides, try looking out for yourself for a change. Isn¡¯t it better that you marry me instead of some other man? At least we know each other and I have a good rapport with Aiden. Will another man dote on him as I do?¡± Amanda fell silent. His words rang true as she was indeed afraid that her future partner, if she ever decided to re-marry, couldn¡¯t find it in his heart to take in Aiden as his own. That was precisely why she was so cautious. ¡°Amanda, just say yes and marry me.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She couldn¡¯t find the words to describe the struggle between her emotions and her pragmatism. Since I¡¯m not pinning any hopes on Elias, why don¡¯t I choose Simon instead? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll marry you.¡± Whenever she recalled how Aiden longed for fatherly love, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from impulsively agreeing to his proposal. I can¡¯t allow my son to feel abandoned and be deprived of fatherly love his whole life, right? From the other end, she heard Simonughing heartily. ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you. I¡¯ll see you at the officeter!¡± After she hung up, she felt not a single trace of joy. Instead, she felt odd-even a little disappointed-but she couldn¡¯t fathom why. After she freshened up, she changed and went downstairs for breakfast. She found Selina and Aiden having breakfast together in the dining room. ¡°Good morning, Mommy.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± She caressed Aiden¡¯s cheek tenderly as she slipped into a seat next to him and picked up a sandwich. After she took a bite, she turned to him, saying, ¡°Baby, are you going to be happy if Mr. Simon bes your father?¡± ¡°Really? Of course, I am! Mr. Simon is an amazing guy!¡± Aiden eximed in surprise and delight. Although she had already expected his reaction, she was still startled by his gleeful shrieks. ¡°Yeah, if everything goes as nned, Mr. Simon will be your future father.¡± Then, she took another bite of the sandwich and wolfed it down with a sip of milk. Simon is quitepetent as a father, I guess. Plus, he¡¯s been getting along well with Aiden for the past four years; even though they aren¡¯t blood-rted, their rtionship is better than true father and son, she mused. ¡°Amanda, have you found Aiden a father so quickly?¡± Selina asked, unable to suppress her curiosity. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the guy you were singing praises about.¡± ¡°Huh? That guy who helped you find the evidence and who¡¯s also your superior? That¡¯s fantastic! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll treat you well in the future if he¡¯s willing to spend all that effort on you.¡± Amanda smiled. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a good man and has treated me well in the past, too. There was denying that Simon was a responsible and good man. In addition, he was calm and committed, which made him the perfect husband material. At Winters Estate, just when the man, who had been gued by insomnia, nned to take a short nap, he received a call from Yacob. So, he picked up the call with a frown, rightfully annoyed by the interruption. ¡°Mr. Winters, check out the news I just sent you. There¡¯s new evidence for Miss Murphy¡¯s case!¡± Elias ended the call without another word and checked his WhatsApp. He immediately saw that Yacob had sent him a link to a piece of tabloid news. After he skimmed through the contents and listened to the voice recording avable online, the look on his face twisted into a snarl. Did Grace make up the story about herself getting disfigured when the truth was she had disfigured herself? This woman had been lying to him since the beginning, ying him like a fiddle. Now that he thought about it, she deliberately caused a misunderstanding back at the celebration party. This time, she even lied to his face about getting disfigured! Why does a person as upright as Yn have such a malicious sister who is nothing but lies? Meanwhile, in the hospital, Grace was on the verge of insanity, howling with rage, ¡°Ah! B*tch! Scumbag! They¡¯re all in cahoots!¡± She was utterly hysterical as she thrashed everything in the hospital ward, and the doctors and nurses who rushed over at the sound of themotion couldn¡¯t stop her no matter how hard they tried. ¡°Miss Murphy, calm down or you¡¯ll aggravate your injuries. This is bad for your recovery. A nurse went and attempted to calm her down, trying to stop her. s, she was brutally shoved aside. ¡°Get off me! All of you are working together. You¡¯re all se*ms!¡± The phone call with Simon kept reying in her mind, and when she read the overwhelmingments and reports on the Inte calling her a crazy, malicious woman, she felt that she had fallen into the depths of Hell. This news is spreading like wildfire. So, has Elias already seen it as well? That thought popped into her mind and caused her to screech like a banshee. My life is over! She had nothing left except this disfigured face. She had nothing! Simon and Amanda hadpletely ruined her life. How did this happen? Why did she choose to trust Simon when she knew that he was carrying a torch for Amanda? Why did I believe him? She wished that she could go back in time more than ever, but unfortunately, there was nothing she could do. ¡°Where¡¯s my cell phone? Where is it?!¡± She started searching for her phone frantically like a madwoman because she wanted to call Elias. She had to smooth things over. If she didn¡¯t, there was a high chance that he would despise her as well. The nurse picked up her cell phone from the floor and gingerly passed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s here. Here you go. Please calm down, Miss Murphy. The stitches on your face have opened up and we¡¯ll have to re-do your stitchester.¡± But Grace couldn¡¯t care less about anything else right now as she snatched the phone from her and dialed Elias. s, the line remained busy no matter how many times she called, and her calls couldn¡¯t get through at all. After that, she tried Yacob¡¯s number, which he picked up surprisingly quickly. ¡°Yacob, pass the phone to Elias. I want to speak with him. Why didn¡¯t he answer my calls? Why is his line busy all the time?¡± she demanded, clutching the phone tightly. ¡°Miss Murphy, Mr. Winters has no intention of answering your calls and will not be doing so in the foreseeable future. I suggest that you cease and desist.¡± ¡°Please, I can exin. I¡¯m begging you, please pass the phone to him.¡± Tears fell down her cheeks in her panic and her tone was so humble. It was vastly different from her previous attitude; it made it seem as though she had no dignity left. ¡°Miss Murphy, Mr. Winters is furious right now. Why would he bother epting your calls when he¡¯s so close to killing you? Just give it up,¡± he said and hung up on her without further ado. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Elias Went Down on His Knees?! Grace slumped onto the bed, her face pallid as tears flowed down her cheeks. He saw it and heard that recording, too. That¡¯s why he wants to kill me now¡­ Her entire being seemed to have fallen into a deep abyss, and she could no longer hear the medical staff around her who were urging her not to cry because it would cause inmmation to her wound. A loud boom echoed; a bolt of lightning shed outside the window followed by thunder. The sky was covered in dark clouds and looked like it was about to rain soon. Grace shook out of her stupor as her eyes darted to the window, where she caught sight of the cloudy sky which reflected her current mood. Even if she had her brother as a trump card, Elias would never ce his trust in her after this. She was also certain that he would do everything in his power to avoid her like the gue unless he could personally send her to Hades himself. It started pouring a few minutes after Amanda arrived at work at thew firm. ¡°Why did it rain all of a sudden¡­¡± she muttered as she stepped out of the elevator and stared at the pea-sized raindrops pelting the windows. Suddenly, Simon¡¯s voice came from behind her, saying, ¡°Maybe the skies are celebrating my sessful proposal. It¡¯s crying tears of joy.¡± Amanda jumped in surprise and spun around. When she saw that it was only Simon, she sighed in relief. ¡°You didn¡¯t even make a sound when you walked.¡± ¡°You were too focused. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t notice me.¡± He had a cup of coffee in his hand that. he had just bought. Then, he passed it to her. She epted the coffee with a quirk of her lips. Thanks.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank your future husband for this. His tone was amorous, as though they were already married. Yet, for some unknown reason, the more he acted this way, the more ufortable it made her feel, and the more she wanted to flee from him. When she didn¡¯t answer, Simon thought that she was just shy and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s pick up Aiden together in the afternoon and take him out for dinner. I haven¡¯t seen him in a while and kinda miss him. We can also discuss the wedding in the meantime.¡± ¡°What? Wedding?¡± Amanda gasped loudly and quickly covered her mouth when she realized that she was being too loud. He chuckled and couldn¡¯t help but find her astonished reaction utterly adorable. ¡°Why are you shocked? You didn¡¯t have a proper wedding in the past because it was a secret marriage. This time we¡¯ll have a grand wedding so you can have a taste of the happiness of being a bride.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart wrenched at the mention of this. Back then, she hoped day after day that Elias would hold a wedding for her. She would be content even if it was just a simple ceremony because she merely wanted to experience a blissful wedding with him. Sadly, Elias kept putting it off with various excuses until she was pregnant and presented her with a divorce settlement instead. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to discuss the wedding now? Are your parents aware of this? Have they given their blessings?¡± Her gut feeling told her that his parents wouldn¡¯t agree to this wedding. Their son was outstanding and good-looking, so whyever would he marry a divorcee with a child? He took her hand in his. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of my parents and bring you to meet them once we¡¯ve settled our wedding-rted matters. They¡¯ll like you, and Aiden as well.¡± There was nothing she could say, and she simply smiled in reply. Her chest felt stuffy, but she couldn¡¯t describe the strange emotions swirling within her heart. Just then, thunder boomed through the sky outside, and she looked outside. Why does it sound like the thunder is warning me against my sudden marriage to Simon? Or am I overthinking things? Regardless, they had their careers to get back to. So, they were both busy with their work for the rest of the day, and the rain didn¡¯t stop throughout the day. After work, they went to the kindergarten to pick up Aiden and nned to take him to the amusement park. Unfortunately, it was still raining cats and dogs and Simon had no choice but to send the mother and son home. ¡°Let me drop you off. I¡¯ll leave the car here ande back for it tomorrow,¡± he suggested. The rain was so heavy that he didn¡¯t feel assured to let Amanda drive home herself. Nevertheless, she insisted on driving. ¡°I can drive home by myself. I just bought this car less than two months ago and I can¡¯t possibly leave it here. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just drive slowly.¡± Right then, Simon¡¯s cell phone started ringing, and he picked up the call. She had no idea what the person on the phone said, but he looked troubled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead and get your stuff done. I¡¯ll be fine driving home by myself. Furthermore, the rain is probably stopping soon. Look,¡± she said. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. He raised his head and noticed that the rain had indeed turned into a drizzle. He nced at his cell phone. It was Lunabelle who had called him earlier. Then, he turned to Amanda and Aiden. ¡°Then, please be careful when you¡¯re driving. Aiden, remind your mother not to speed, okay? And give me a call once you¡¯re home,¡± he said in resignation. Aiden nodded obediently. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯d better stop talking. Let¡¯s go before it starts pouring again.¡± Amanda picked Aiden up and ced him in the child seat in the backseat before getting into the driver¡¯s seat. Then, she rolled down the window, bid her goodbyes to Simon, and slowly drove away. Simon¡¯s phone rang again, and he picked it up with a sigh. ¡°Lunabelle, it¡¯s impossible between us I¡¯ve already proposed to Amanda, and she said yes ¡°Simon, if you don¡¯te over today. I¡¯ll keep waiting here until you show up.¡± Suddenly, thunder struck again, and the rain started to get heavier. Amanda drove back to Gxy Bay with Aiden. ¡°This is annoying¡­ Why did it start raining again? And it¡¯s so heavy¡­¡± she grumbled to herself. She steered the car into the porch next to the garden and was shocked to find the view that greeted her ¡ªa man was kneeling in the rain, drenched to the bones while Selina stood under an umbre in a corner and did not dare to approach him. The wipers swept across the windscreen nonstop, which made it hard for her to identify the person kneeling in the rain. ¡°Mommy!¡± Aiden called out suddenly. She turned around at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I would like some water. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be home soon, and I¡¯ll ask Miss Selina to get you some water,¡± she said, opening the car door. Then, she saw the man kneeling in the rain, and her eyes widened in shock. The next second, she mmed the door shut. Is that Elias Winters? Why is he on his knees? And he¡¯s even kneeling in the garden. That proud man actually went down on his knees? This is unbelievable. It¡¯s a miracle! No. Wait. Rewind. He¡¯ll run right into Aiden if I get out of the car with him now. So, she hastily turned her attention to Aiden, who was still in the backseat, and said gently, ¡°Be good and stay in the car, Aiden. Don¡¯t get out without me. I¡¯m just going down for an umbre and we¡¯ll be home in a minute, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Remember, you can¡¯t get out until I open the door for you,¡± she reminded him again. ¡°I got it, Mommy. You¡¯re such a nag. Hurry up and go,¡± Aiden grumbled as he yed with his game console while he remained seated in the child¡¯s seat. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Unless You Die Kneeling Here Amanda inhaled deeply and got out of the car. Selina hastily rushed to her side with an umbre Amanda¡­ I¡¯ve persuaded him for a long time, but he refuses to get up: Who¡¯s this guy?¡± When Elias saw her while kneeling in the rain, his dark eyes lit up. She simply stared at him as she said expressionlessly, ¡°He¡¯s my ex-husband.¡± ¡°What? Is he your ex-husband? I thought he was one of your admirers. But he¡¯s really cute¡­¡± This was Selina¡¯s first and only impression of this man. The man was undeniably tall and handsome and his entire being exuded an extraordinary elegance. Frankly, it was the first time she had seen such a beautiful man in real life. Amanda could help but roll her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s not that cute. You only think that because you haven¡¯t seen that many cute guys.¡± She didn¡¯t want to admit that Elias was a gorgeous man even though he was definitely stunning. If he wasn¡¯t born into a rich family, he would be discovered by a scout and debuted as a celebrity. ¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡± When Selina caught sight of the affectionate expression on Elias¡¯ face as rain poured down on him, she felt a little sorry for him. Amanda took the umbre from her hands. ¡°Run along now. Let me handle this.¡± ¡°Okay. Is Aiden in the car? I¡¯ll bring him into the house since it¡¯s raining so heavily.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She twirled around and started toward the car when Amanda grabbed her. ¡°No, I¡¯ll bring him back in a few minutes. Go home and wait for us in the house.¡± Although Selina didn¡¯t understand why Amanda was behaving so strangely, she nodded and turned into the vi. The rain fell like a deluge of water, and it was extremely terrifying as thunder roared and lightning cut across the night sky in frightening shes of light. Amanda held the umbre firmly as she came to a stop in front of Elias and looked at his beautiful face. Even though he was soaked, he was still as sexy as ever. ¡°What on Earth are you doing? How is this behavior worthy of your status as the young master of the Winters Family? Get up.¡± In all honesty, it was a rather shocking sight to see this man kneeling in front of her. Moreover, this guy was none other than Elias Winters, and he actually hung his head, set aside his arrogant pride, and prostrated himself before her. Although he was clearly on his knees, his aura was still so powerful that no one would dare to suggest that he was down and out. ¡°Why are you silent? Do you n to kneel here forever?¡± Raindrops pelted on the umbre that she was holding unforgivingly, causing their conversation to be somewhat disrupted by the heavy droplets. Elias raised his head and gazed at her beautiful face. Then, he said in his husky voice, ¡°You said that you¡¯ll forgive me and give me a chance if I kneel before you. I¡¯ve done it. What about you Amanda was at a loss for words as her ears were filled with the pitter-patter of the heavy rain Her heart was in a mess as she thought, What should I do? I¡¯ve already agreed to Simon¡¯s proposal, but Elias is doing this now¡­ Even if Elias finally knows the truth, it¡¯s already toote. Everything¡¯s toote ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Elias, Go home. It doesn¡¯t matter whether I forgive you or not, and neither do I want to forgive you because I¡¯ve already agreed to Simon¡¯s proposal.¡± After the words left her lips, Elias¡¯ head snapped up and his eyes were filled with shock as he shouted angrily, ¡°What did you say? Who allowed you to agree to that?¡± Amanda jumped in bewilderment in the face of his furious reaction. Even though this man was kneeling before her and utterly humbled, his aura was still as terrifying as ever. ¡°Why can¡¯t I say yes to him? I¡¯m just your er-wife. If we¡¯re going to be specific about it, I¡¯m an ex-wife that you had never once favored before today. Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re stepping out of line?¡± She immediately lost her temper when he started being all bossy and demanding. Does he think that he¡¯s the center of the universe! ¡°Turn down his proposal,¡± he growled. ¡°Why should I reject him? Go home, Elias. You can get any type of woman you want. Now that you¡¯ve seen Grace for who she is, your tastes should be marginally better.¡± She felt that she should draw a clear line with him now. After all that she had been through-the disappointments that happened time and again-thest thing she wanted was to repeat the same mistakes. ¡°Don¡¯t make decisions for me. I know what I want!¡± Elias held his fists so tightly that his knuckles were crackling loudly. How dare that scumbag get ahead of me and propose to her? Does he think that he¡¯s good enough? If he wasn¡¯t kneeling right here trying to get into Amanda¡¯s good graces again, he might actually beat Simon up. Proposing to my ex-wife¡­ How dare he! ¡°What do you want, then? You just can¡¯t stand to see others doing well, can you? I begged you to love me in the past, but you wouldn¡¯t even take a look at me. Now that we¡¯re already divorced and therefore, not rted to each other, you want me back so desperately. What do you take me for? I¡¯m a human with opinions and feelings of my own!¡± ¡°I know that you still hold a grudge against me for that p. I¡¯ll stay on my knees until you forgive me. You should head in. Don¡¯t catch a cold. You don¡¯t have to be bothered with my existence here.¡± His voice sounded so determined even though the sound of rain falling on the asphalt interspersed his deration, as though he really nned to kneel here until the end of time. ¡°What¡¯s the point of you doing this, Elias? I¡¯ve already agreed to someone else¡¯s proposal. Why will I ever forgive you? Do you think that that p was the only wrong you did to me? There are so many more things listed on that list!¡± Frankly, she was close to losing her mind at this rate. If this man spent the night here, he would definitely fall sick tomorrow. Why is he so obstinate? she thought in frustration. Suddenly, her lips twitched into a cold sneer as she hissed, ¡°Unless you kneel to your death here, neither 1 nor my dead baby will ever forgive you!¡± Baby¡­ Instantly, Elias felt that he had fallen into a bottomless abyss. The baby was the only topic he had no courage to bring up because he was the one who caused its death. If only I had trusted her back then and brought her to the hospital for a blood test. If only. Then, the child is probably three years old He could plead for her forgiveness for everything else, but he couldn¡¯t lift his head high when it came to the baby. He had no right to ask for her forgiveness. So, he gradually lowered his head. and stared at the ripples on the ground caused by the sttering rain. His jaw tightened, and his fist balled up tightly. Meanwhile, in the car, Aiden was bing unsettled because he really needed to use the bathroom urgently. Unfortunately for him, his mother was off doing something and still hadn¡¯t picked him up after such a long time. Eventually, due to his desperation, he decided to toss caution to the wind and unlocked his seatbelt. After he maneuvered himself out of the child¡¯s seat, he immediately opened the door. While the air between the two adults slipped into a dead silence and all they could hear from this world was the sound of the rain, a baby voice broke the silence in Elias¡¯ dark world, remarking in confusion, ¡°Mommy, why is this man kneeling here?¡± A stupefied Amanda widened her eyes, looked down, and saw her son wrapping his arms around her legs. Why Why did hee out? She instinctively snapped her head toward Elias, trying to gauge his reaction. Elias jerked his head up the instant he heard a child¡¯s voice. When he saw the scene before him, especially the little boy standing before him, his eyes were filled with unspeakable shock. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 You¡¯re Amazing, Amanda Bailey W-What¡¯s going on? Mommy? Didn¡¯t she say that she had aborted the baby! Then, whose child is this? Elias stared at the boy¡¯s face for a few seconds. His body turned rigid and time seemed to have stopped moving. This brut looks exactly like a mini version of me! Aiden hugged Amanda¡¯s legs tighter when he caught sight of the shock in Elias eyes and said in his baby voice, ¡°I need to pee. Mommy. I can¡¯t hold it anymore. I can¡¯t possibly wait in the car forever! I really can¡¯t hold it in anymore.¡± Right now, no words could describe how awkward Amanda felt, but the first thing she had to do was to take care of her son¡¯s situation. ¡°Do you need to pee? Go in quickly and look for Miss Selina. Don¡¯t pee in your pants.¡± She shoved him gently toward the steps, and he nced at her. ¡°What are you ying with this man here? Aren¡¯t youing in together? Who¡¯s this man? He looks so familiar- ¡°Oh, for goodness¡¯ sake, child. Aren¡¯t you in a rush for the toilet? Run along now. If you wet your pants, I¡¯ll tell your teacher about it tomorrow.¡± When she saw the stunned and dazed look on Elias face, all she wanted to do was get Aiden into the house as quickly as possible. s, her son was clearly the human form of the question mark with his endless nattering. My god, this is so embarrassing¡­ ¡°Okay!¡± Aiden took a look at Elias on the ground and dashed up the steps leading into the house. Elias sprang to his feet, his eyes never leaving the child¡¯s retreating figure. However, he staggered because his legs were numb from kneeling too long. Amanda instinctively reached out and helped him steady himself. He raised his head and met her guilty eyes. ¡°Amanda, you¡¯d better f*cking exin to me what¡¯s going on! Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s Simon¡¯s child because he looks exactly like me!¡± Regardless, she had no intention of allowing Elias into her home as she jerked her head to the side and stopped him from barging into the house. ¡°Don¡¯t go in. You¡¯ll scare him.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Then, tell me what¡¯s going on! Whose child is he?¡± Although he already knew the answer, he still wanted to hear it from her lips. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s just as you saw,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t abort the baby back then and gave birth to him.¡± He was so furious that he red at her so fiercely that he was about to swallow her whole with his eyes alone. A mix of emotions swelled in his chest-excitement, surprise, and most of all, rage. This woman actually fooled him for such a long time, and after her return to the country, she even lied to him that she had aborted the baby, making him so sad that he set up a tombstone for his unborn child. But now, it hit him that Amanda was a heartless woman, and it was all he could do to stop himself from crushing her to pieces. You¡¯re amazing. Amanda Bailey. How can you lie to me for such a long time, telling me that you¡¯ve aborted the baby? Are you worried that I¡¯ll fight for his custody from you! You made me look like an idiot setting up an empty tombstone for my child! How did you manage to visit your child¡¯s tombstone with me and still feel nothing?¡± He had the urge to choke her to death, thinking How can this woman be so heartless? At the mention of that empty tombstone, Amanda felt her temper re as she snarled, ¡°The checks of you to bring that up! Get that tombstone removed right away! You¡¯re just cursing my son with it, aren¡¯t you? I told you not to set up the tombstone, but you refused to listen to me. Whom are you ming now? Just the thought that the tombstone was still standing in the cemetery made her uneasy because her beloved son was hale and hearty. Meanwhile, he simply chuckled and shouted in frustration, ¡°me? Should I be the one to me, then? Would I have set up that tombstone if you had told me that the child is alive? You¡¯d bettere clean right this instant. How long do you n to keep me in the dark if I haven¡¯t seen him with my own two eyes today?¡± Tve never wanted you to find out about hi- Then, he cut her off mid-sentence as he couldn¡¯t suppress his ire any longer, ¡°Amanda! Do you n to let my son acknowledge Simon as his father? So, the child you asked me to look for during those days isn¡¯t his child but mine, actually. You still refused to tell me that he¡¯s mine even when you begged me to save the child! How many times have I missed meeting my child? How could you be so evil?¡± Evil? Did he just call me evil? she thought andughed out loud; herughter was anything but mirthful. ¡°I¡¯m the evil one, huh? You¡¯ve definitely lost all your conscience by using me of such ims, Elias Winters! You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t want this baby back then, and I did n to abort him, but I regretted it right before the surgery and kept him instead. Furthermore, I went to the checkups, gave birth, and raised him alone for the past four years. How is he rted to you? What gives you the right to take him from me so easily?¡± She was filled with nothing but grievances whenever the topic of how she waded through life as a single mother for the past four years. There was no way she could ept it if she returned Aiden to the Winters Family just like that when she had gone through all those trials and tribtions just to raise her son alone. Suddenly, Elias calmed down and seemed a little heartbroken to see how mad and aggrieved she was. Time passed by, and the rain gradually lightened, which rendered the umbre useless. ¡°Thank you for keeping this child,¡± he said solemnly. When he saw that brat earlier, he thought that he was dreaming. How could a little boy look just like me?This is how my child will look if I have one, he thought. All of a sudden, he thought that he was hallucinating until he saw that brat hugging Amanda¡¯s legs and calling her ¡®Mommy. His heart was galloping so fast in his chest that he could hardly breathe. The affectionate expression he was wearing made her soft-hearted again. I¡¯ve been soft-hearted toward him too many times in the past. Not anymore! she warned herself. ¡°Stop apologizing because you won¡¯t be able to change my mind. I won¡¯t ever allow you to have custody of my child, so you can stop dreaming about & Also, I¡¯ve already agreed to Simon¡¯s propod and my baby is very fond of him and wants Simon to be his father. So, ngh- She wanted him to give uppletely, but halfway through, he suddenly pulled her into his arms forcefully and took her lips into his own, stopping her from finishing her sentence As she was not expecting that he would kiss her forcibly, she widened her eyes in shock and stared at his gorgeous face, which was just inches away from hers, pping his chest with her palms ¡°Eliss Winters, let me go! What are you doing? Get off me!¡± Unfortunately, he merely deepened the kiss, and it got more passionate over time, as though he wanted to make her part of him. He eventually released her when they were both breathless and panting from the kiss. Then, he rested his forehead against hers, uttering each word seriously. ¡°You should be the one who should stop dreaming. Amanda. I won¡¯t let another man have my woman and my child. You know how I am¡± Tve already given him my word and there¡¯s no other choice now. Everything is toote!¡± Although her cheeks were flushed and she was still gasping for air after the kiss, she tried to shove him away. s, her strength was nothing in the face of his as he merely tightened his arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s useless. You can forget about marrying Simon as long as I¡¯m alive. Try me if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± He held the back of her head with his palm, forcing her to stare into his resolute yet domineering eyes. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Who Are You, Sir? ¡°Did you forget that we¡¯re already divorced, Elias Winters? You have no right to control me!¡± ¡°I do, and I¡¯ve made up my mind that I will! You lied to me for such a long time and I haven¡¯t decided what I¡¯m going to do with you yet.¡± Elias¡¯ heart was filled with excitement at knowing that his son was alive, but also fury that he had been denied ess to his son for so long. Although he wanted to dash into the house and tell Aiden that he was his father, he stopped himself because he was worried about frightening him. His words stunned her. ¡°You? Punishing me? Who do you think you are? If I hadn¡¯t kept the child, he would already be dead because of your heartlessness!¡± Meanwhile, in the house, Selina and Aiden stuck themselves to the window, watching the argument happening outside. ¡°Miss Selina, why do you think Mommy is arguing with that man? Is he bullying her?¡± Although Aiden didn¡¯t understand theplicated rtionship that existed between adults, he could sense that Elias was far from a nice man. That man? Selina repeated in her head, turning to him in confusion. So, he doesn¡¯t know his father. ¡°Don¡¯t you know this man, Aiden? Haven¡¯t you seen him before?¡± she asked inquisitively as she had no idea what had happened between Amanda and Elias. Did they have a grudge so deep that Aiden has never met his father? Aiden shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never seen him before, Oh no, he¡¯s bullying Mommy! I have to save her!¡± he eximed and turned around, heading toward the hallway to save his mother. ¡°Hey, Aiden! Come back here!¡± Selina immediately rushed ahead, grabbed him, and patiently exined to him. ¡°He¡¯s not bullying your mommy. They¡¯re just having a rather¡­ heated discussion, that¡¯s all. Why don¡¯t we finish up the jigsaw puzzle upstairs while we wait?¡± Meanwhile, Amanda was exhausted from arguing with Elias and had set the umbre aside since it had stopped raining. ¡°Just go home. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to meet him now because you¡¯ll just scare him. Furthermore, he doesn¡¯t know that you exist and doesn¡¯t know you, either.¡± She knew that this man wanted to barge in and meet his son, but that would only frighten the little brat. The muscles on the handsome man¡¯s face turned stiff as he tried to suppress his fury at the fact that he missed out on four years of spending time with his child. ¡°I know that, so I won¡¯t act recklessly, but I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. Go home and sleep with him tonight. I¡¯ll stand guard outside.¡± He nned to stay here in his car tonight because he couldn¡¯t sleep even if he went home, anyway. She blinked at him dumbly before blurting, ¡°Hold on a minute. What on Earth are you thinking? Standing guard? Do you think you¡¯re on guard duty?¡± ¡°That goes without saying! My son was kidnapped from this ce, wasn¡¯t he? Of course, I¡¯ll have to stay here in case something like that happens again!¡± When he recalled that his child had been abducted from his very home, Elias wanted to move Amanda and Aiden to another house with better and more rigid security policies right away. The security measure of this ce is sh*t. Any Tom, Dick, and Harry can juste and go as they please. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Will you stop cursing my son? Since you have all the time in the world, why don¡¯t you get that tombstone removed? Just the thought of it makes my blood boil.¡± After Amanda said her piece, she twirled around and marched into the house, ignoring him. Elias immediately whisked out his phone and called a number, ordering sternly, ¡°Remove that tombstone right now! Cut the crap! It¡¯s raining and dark? Do I sound like I care about your problems? Stop quibbling and just do as I say!¡± On the other hand, Selina and Aiden turned their heads toward the creaking door at the same time. ¡°Mommy! That man- Before he could finish his sentence, Amanda held his hand, interjecting, ¡°We¡¯re just discussing some issues regarding work. It¡¯ste. So, it¡¯s time to stop ying and go to bed.¡± Selina could roughly guess what had happened and didn¡¯t say anything as she kept the toys away silently. ¡°But Mommy, I saw that man biting you earlier. Did he bully you?¡± Amanda¡¯s face instantly turned bright red, and she shot a look at Selina, who failed to stifle her laughter. Then, she cleared her throat awkwardly as she patted Aiden¡¯s head. ¡°What does a boy like you know? Hurry up and shower before going off to bed. You have an early day tomorrow. Did you forget that you¡¯re going to the museum with your teacher tomorrow?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I almost forgot about it.¡± Hence, she took her boy upstairs, leaving Selina behind to put away the toys into their boxes. However, Selina couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek outside through the window. When she did, she noticed that Elias was no longer kneeling in the rain, but neither did he leave as he was in his car. After a while, Amanda came downstairs. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you retiring for the night, Selina?¡± ¡°Amanda, your ex-husband is still in the car outside. Is lie nning to stay?¡± ¡°Ignore him. He can do whatever he wants. That crazy, obstinate man. She nced at the car which was parked in the garden outside. Does he really n to stay here the whole night? Initially, Selina wanted to bombard Amanda with more questions to sate her curiosity, but she quickly. stopped the words from tumbling out of her mouth. I¡¯d better not try my luck since it¡¯s clearly a private matter. All I can say is, each family has their own set of problems. ¡°I¡¯m turning in for the night, then. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Selina went upstairs, Amanda paced to the window and stared at the white Bentley parked outside, looking thoughtful. A few minutester, she, too, went to bed upstairs and all the lights in the house went out. Elias was sitting in the car as he watched the lights slowly fade one after another. He didn¡¯t know how he could possibly describe his feelings tonight, but it was as exciting as a roller-coaster ride. He found his son by chance! The son whom he thought was aborted a long time ago actually survived and was already four. He had imagined what his child would look like countless times if it had survived, and now that he had seen it for himself, he couldn¡¯t stop the adrenaline rush coursing through his veins. So, he shakily lit a cigarette and held it between his lips as he recalled the way Aiden addressed him earlier and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Even he himself had never once imagined that he could put on such a tender smile. Early the next morning, Aiden changed into his uniform, ate his breakfast, and was ready for kindergarten. Nheless, Amanda was still washing up and Selina was busy in the kitchen, so he secretly slipped into the garden to take a look at that strange car parked outside his home. A sports car was perhaps the dream of every little boy, and Aiden was excited when he caught a glimpse of it. Thus, he dashed to the front of the car and saw that the front window was rolled down. When he moved closer to get a better look, he saw that the weird uncle from yesterday had fallen asleep on the seat. The man felt something stroking his face while he was sleeping and frowned, thinking that he was dreaming. But soon enough, he felt a tiny finger poking his face and groggily opened his eyes. What entered his view was a tiny face that greatly resembled his. A pair of dark, bright eyes blinked as the boy poked his face with his finger. Elias was still rather bleary although his eyes were open and thought. that he was still dreaming. Aiden giggled adorably when he saw that the strange man was finally awake. ¡°Who are you, sir? Why are you sleeping out here?¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Doting Father Sir? Elias just realized Aiden was referring to him and that it wasn¡¯t a dream. Even though he was a little angry. he also understood that Aiden didn¡¯t know who he was. Besides, he was already shaping up to be a polite boy by calling him, ¡®sir¡¯ rather than, ¡®Hey, you! ¡°I am¡­ your mother¡¯s friend. You can call me Mr. Winters if you¡¯d like.¡± Elias slowly straightened his spine and answered him seriously as he regarded Aiden, carefully observing his features. Aiden was indeed his child as he looked exactly as he was when he was little. ¡°Oh¡­ Mr. Winters, is that your car? It¡¯s so cool. It¡¯s different from the presents Mommy buys for me. The ones Mommy buys are so small.¡± Aiden was curiously checking out the sports car before him and really wanted to climb inside to have a look. Elias smiled at his excited eyes, finding it amusing that Aiden was as interested in sports cars as he was. ¡°You like it? Come in and have a closer look,¡± Elias lured the little boy before him. Aiden¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Can I really? But Mommy said I can¡¯t touch people¡¯s stuff without asking. permission.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t. I¡¯m inviting you to take a quick peek. So, it¡¯s all right.¡± The car door opened as the man got out of the car. He nced at Aiden before inviting the child in a low voice, ¡°Get in.¡± Aiden immediately had an excited smile painted on his lips. Thank you, Mr. Winters. But don¡¯t tell Mommy. She¡¯ll nag me.¡± Then, he hopped onto the car and used his arms in order to climb onto the driver¡¯s seat. His face was filled with delight as he grabbed onto the steering wheel with his chubby hands. ¡°Wow! Your car¡¯s so cool. I want to buy the same car when I grow up.¡± A smile graced Elias¡¯ face as he looked at the enthusiasm on Aiden¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but touch his head. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Aiden Bailey.¡± Aiden Bailey¡­ Elias repeated his name in his heart. So, his name is Aiden and we¡¯ve crossed paths so many times before this. Thest time, when he bumped into Amanda and Simon eating, the little boy in Simon¡¯s arms was his son. Yet, he only saw the back of his child¡¯s head. Another time was when Amanda begged him to save Aiden. He seeded but didn¡¯t even spare Aiden a look. If only he had set aside his prejudice and taken a look at Aiden, he probably could have recognized that Aiden was his child with just a nce. Regret filled his heart as he recalled the chances that he had allowed to slip past his fingers, but luckily, he finally saw Aiden¡¯s facest night. They resembled each other so greatly that no one could say that Aiden wasn¡¯t his! Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s voice rang. ¡°Aiden Bailey! You¡¯re going to bete for school and you¡¯re still ying!¡± Elias¡¯ thoughts were instantly pulled back to reality. Amanda walked to the car with a frown as Aiden obediently got down from the car with his lips puckered while muttering, ¡°Mommy¡¯s so fierce. Hmph!¡± ¡°What are you muttering now? Hurry up! You¡¯re such a slow poke. You¡¯re not three anymore. Amanda grabbed his hands. However, Aiden had no qualms in retorting hotly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m four because I¡¯m still not a grown-up.¡± Elias couldn¡¯t help butugh at them bickering. It was a heartwarming yet adorable scene. However, he had missed many such moments for four years. As Amanda was about to carry Aiden to her own car, he grabbed onto her wrist. ¡°What?¡± Amanda looked at him in confusion. Elias offered, ¡°Let me send you both.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can¡ª¡± Unfortunately, Aiden shouted before she could finish her sentence, ¡°Mommy! Let Mr. Winters send us! I want to sit in his car. It¡¯s very cool!¡± This little brat is surely fond of the fancy stuff. How could he be bribed so easily? By a car no less! I couldn¡¯t help but feel like an idiot for assuming that he would spurn Elias instead¡­. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Aiden grabbed her hand and swung it around as he pleaded cutely, ¡°Mommy. Mommy. I want to sit in that car. Just one time, please?¡± Then, Elias picked up him and said, ¡°That¡¯s decided, then. You¡¯re going to school in this car today. ¡°Awesome!¡± Aiden jumped with joy as he immediately mbered onto the backseat, clearly fearing that his mother might say no if he didn¡¯t take a stand now. Amanda was quite speechless. This was her son whom she had raised for four years. The little boy who warmed her heart numerous times was bought over by Elias, the sc*mbag father¡¯s car. ¡°Elias¡­¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you say you were runningte? Hop in.¡± Elias got in the driver¡¯s seat and put on the seat belt. Both he and Aiden looked up at Amanda at the same time waiting for her to get in. Is this their father-and-son telepathy? They even look so alike¡­. She was left without a choice and begrudgingly made herselffortable in the passenger seat. After she wore her seat belt, she nced at Aiden in the back and said, ¡°Aiden, you¡¯d better behave. Otherwise, we¡¯re getting out of this car this instant.¡± ¡°Okay. Okay¡± Aiden immediately sat down obediently and stopped moving around. Elias had a doting smile on his face throughout the whole interaction as he started the car and slowly drove out of Gxy Bay. | Aiden suddenly leaned against Elias¡¯ car seat and asked in his childlike voice, ¡°Mr. Winters, what¡¯s the price tag for this car? I¡¯m going to buy this. It¡¯s too cool.¡± ¡°You like this? I¡¯ll just give this to you.¡± Elias looked at Aiden¡¯s innocent face through the rearview mirror. ¡°Really? Will you, really? You¡¯re so generous, Mr. Winters!¡± Aiden almost vibrated off his seat with joy. I¡¯m so lucky. Mr. Winters is an angel! s, Amanda frowned unhappily as she red at Elias¡¯ side profile. ¡°What are you doing, Elias? You¡¯re teaching Aiden that it¡¯s okay to take something without working for it. You can¡¯t spoil him like this.¡± Elias nced at her with a doting smile. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t! I worked hard to raise him in the past four years and ensure that he¡¯ll cultivate good habits, but he¡¯s going to forget them all with you spoiling him rotten like this!¡± Amanda didn¡¯t agree with Elias¡¯ parenting style one bit. Aiden would be a spoiled brat at the rate Elias was doting on him. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. He¡¯s still young. We can still teach him.¡± Elias wasn¡¯t concerned. It might be due to the sudden discovery that he had a child, so he couldn¡¯t help himself from showering all the love he had for his surprise baby. She didn¡¯t reply as she didn¡¯t want to argue with him in front of Aiden. After they dropped Aiden off at the kindergarten, they watched as he entered the door as if they were a pair of loving parents who were not divorced. Then, Amanda turned toward Elias and snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t n on letting Aiden know you¡¯re his father. So, don¡¯t even dream about it.¡± Elias simply curled his lips into a cold smirk as he said tauntingly, ¡°I won¡¯t need to dream because he is my son.¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Otherwise, I¡¯ll Jump Out of the Car Right Now ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s useless to try andmunicate with you. I don¡¯t even know why I still bother. Just do whatever you want.¡± Amanda was about to leave when she suddenly recalled something and turned around to point at him. ¡°Did you remove that empty tombstone? Stop cursing my son!¡± A hint of embarrassment shed across Elias¡¯ face. ¡°It was removed a long time ago.¡± That was probably the dumbest thing he has done since he was born. Then, Amanda turned around to hail a cab. Unfortunately, before she could even start waving, he grabbed her arm. ¡°Let me. It¡¯s the rush hour right now. You won¡¯t be able to get a cab.¡± She was well aware of that, but she didn¡¯t know how to face him as she was ufortable after Elias found out about Aiden¡¯s existence. Suddenly, she received a call from Simon. He was probably wondering why she wasn¡¯t at thew firm yet. Amanda nced at Elias before walking to the side to answer the call, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m on my way. I¡¯m just stuck in traffic at the moment. I¡¯ll be there soon. Don¡¯t wait for me. You guys should start the meeting without me.¡± Elias knew immediately who she was talking to and a hint of jealousy filled his eyes. After Amanda hung up the phone, she got in his car and urged, ¡°Can you drive faster? I¡¯m going to be late for work. I have an important meeting to get to.¡± Elias didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he silently got in and started the car, departing from the kindergarten. After he left the residential area, he deliberately drove slowly and took the longer route. Amanda didn¡¯t notice it at first but when she felt they were getting farther from thew firm, she inquired. ¡°Why did you take a longer route?¡± ¡°Because of the jam.¡± Elias kept his gaze forward like a focused driver. Yet, he kept detouring. It was obvious he didn¡¯t want her to go to work. Then, Amanda narrowed her eyes as she looked at his side profile before demanding. ¡°Elias, are you doing this on purpose? You don¡¯t want me to see Simon at work, right?¡± ¡°So what if I don¡¯t?¡± He didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°You can¡¯t interfere with my job. Send me to work right this instant! My career is at stake. She took a look. at the time. The meeting had already begun, and she wasn¡¯t even there yet. ¡°I won¡¯t drive you to thew firm unless you give me your word that you¡¯ll reject Simon¡¯s proposal. Besides, if you really want to be awyer, I can open aw firm tailored to suit your needs. His nonchnt statement made Amanda¡¯s blood boil as she retorted hotly. ¡°Are you threatening me? Is this how you¡¯re begging for forgiveness? Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll get back together with you just because we have a child.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He knew that Amanda wouldn¡¯t return to his side so easily. But he just couldn¡¯t stand the thought of her working with Simon in the samew firm. ¡°Send me to thew firm since you¡¯re aware that nothing has changed between us. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll jump out of the car right now.¡± ¡°How dare you?!¡± Elias furrowed his brow. Is this woman crazy? How could she say that? However, Amanda simply snorted, ¡°Try me!¡± He was rendered speechless by her remarks. Even though he knew it probably wouldn¡¯t happen, he still drove toward thew firm. He couldn¡¯t bet on her life, especially since they had a son. Soon, the car came to a stop before the office building. Amanda undid the seat belt and pushed open the door. She was really going to bete. However, before she could scurry into the lobby, Elias said, ¡°I can pick Aiden up if you¡¯re busy this afternoon C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°No. I hired a nanny. She¡¯ll pick him up from school. Amanda shot him a nce before striding into the building without another word. Elias watched as she hurriedly entered the building before driving off. In the CEO¡¯s office of the Winters Enterprise, a man sat in the office chair with his long legs gracefully crossed on the table. The smoke wafting from a cigarette hanging on his lips blurred his handsome features. At that moment, a knock could be heard, and he said, ¡°Come in.¡± The secretary entered and saw the man¡¯s rxedposure before asking. ¡°Mr. Winters, will you join the morning meeting? It¡¯s going to start in ten minutes.¡± Elias didn¡¯t have the heart to work as he just found out about Aiden¡¯s existence. He removed his legs from the table and snuffed out the cigarette. ¡°No. Ask Mr. Briggs to attend in my stead.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Then, the secretary exited the office and closed the door behind him. Suddenly, Elias¡¯ phone rang, and it was a call from Grace. She had been calling him nonstop from the day before, but he didn¡¯t want to answer her call at all. He didn¡¯t want to look or speak to this serial liar anymore as he just realized she had been ying him like a fiddle all these years. So, he hung up the phone and blocked her number immediately. Then, he immersed himself in the joy of discovering he had a son as a smile crept up his face when he recalled Aiden¡¯s clever face. Soon, it was time for the kids to return home from kindergarten. Even though Amanda told him that he wasn¡¯t needed, he still wanted to see Aiden being picked up with his own two eyes. The worry in his heart wouldn¡¯t cease until he was certain that his son made his way home safely. Thus, Elias parked his car under a tree by the roadside and rolled down the window. He watched the main entrance of the kindergarten as children were being picked up by their parents one after another. At the same time, Selina arrived promptly at the entrance and saw Aiden, who was making his way to the entrance, calling out, ¡°Aiden! Here!¡± ¡°Miss Selina!¡± Aiden dashed toward her happily. She held his hand and walked in the other direction. Elias, who was sitting in the car, witnessed the scene and a content smile appeared on his face. This kid smiles like me too. Just when he was feeling bemused, he noticed that Aiden had his eyes set on the cotton candy stall and was begging Selina to buy one for him. Elias was fascinated by the adorable look on his face. He was just like any other parent that would find their children the cutest little creatures in the entire world. Suddenly, a man appeared before Selina and Aiden. To make matters worse, it didn¡¯t seem as though he was here for a friendly conversation. The warm smile on Elias¡¯ face vanished immediately as he shoved the car door open and decided to go over to them just in case. On the other hand, Selina eventually caved to Aiden¡¯s puppy eyes and bought the cotton candy for him. The child held the sweet treat like a prize and was munching on it joyfully, probably ruining his appetite later that day. Suddenly, a burly tall man appeared before them. ¡°Selina Yaleman, how dare you cheat on me?! You even have a child!¡± Selina saw the man and immediately carried Aiden in her arms while taking a step back in panic. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve f*cking looked for you for so many days, but you won¡¯t leave that stupid house. Now, I¡¯ve finally got you. Who¡¯s this child? You cheated on me and even have a kid with your lover?!¡± The man roughly grabbed onto Selina¡¯s arm to prevent her from running away. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Am I Not a Person ¡°Let go of me! The child¡¯s not mine! I¡¯m just a nanny for someone living around this area. This is my employer¡¯s child!¡± Selina struggled, wanting to leave but could not escape the man¡¯s grasp. Although she was a great mixed martial artist, her husband was a kickboxer who was no weaker than her. They first got together because they shared simr hobbies, but who would have guessed their rtionship would be the beginning of her suffering. Who would have thought that she would receive beatings from her husband almost every day after her marriage? ¡°Miss Selina, he¡¯s a bad guy. We need to call the police. Aiden looked at the angry man before him, feeling scared. After all, there was a tremendous height difference between them. When the man heard Aiden¡¯s words, he immediately barked, ¡°Whom are you calling a bad guy, brat? How am a bad guy? Do the children living in this residential area have no manners? How can you simply use someone of being a bad guy?¡± Aiden was clearly frightened by the tall, burly man, so he hugged Selina¡¯s neck tightly. ¡°Miss Selina, I¡¯m scared. There, there, Aiden. Don¡¯t be scared. Selina gently patted Aiden¡¯s back tofort him. Then, she looked at her husband. ¡°Come at me if you have anything to say, but don¡¯t vent your anger on a child. This is my employer¡¯s child. He has nothing to do with us, so let me send him home.¡± ¡°Get on with it, then. I¡¯ll send the brat home with you. He¡¯s such a nuisance. The man shoved Selina. It was clear that he would keep badgering her until he received what he was looking for and wouldn¡¯t leave a second before that happened. Meanwhile, Selina felt the blood draining from her face, and her eyes seemed horrified as she wracked her mind to devise a n to get rid of her abusive husband. Aiden threw his cotton candy at the man, angrily chastising. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bully Miss Selina, you bad guy!¡± ¡°Shut up, brat, or I¡¯ll beat you up! What an ill-mannered brat. Do you think you¡¯re better than everyone else because you get to live in a vi?¡± The man kept cursing, utterly uncouth. At that moment, Elias¡¯ tall figure suddenly appeared like a knight in shining armor as he threatened coldly, ¡°I dare you toy your hands on that child. Whom are you calling ill-mannered?¡± That voice! Selina turned around, and her eyes lit up with relief when she discovered it was Elias! Isn¡¯t that Amanda¡¯s ex-husband, Aiden¡¯s father? ¡°Mr. Winters?¡± Aiden was so shocked to see Elias that his eyes widened as he eximed in surprise. As Selina did not want to implicate the child in her personal matters, she handed the child to Elias. ¡°Sir, please take Aiden away. This is my family affairs. I can handle it myself. But Elias did not take the child. Instead, he nced at her and instructed, ¡°My car is over there. Bring Aiden to the car and leave this to me.¡± Then, he tossed Selina the keys before turning his attention back to the burly man before him. Selina was slightly hesitant because this was, after all, her private affairs, so how could she trouble someone else to help her? Moreover, this man was also Amanda¡¯s ex-husband! The man was extremely annoyed when he saw Elias trying to y the hero, so he growled, ¡°Who the f*ck are you? Trying to be the hero? What? Are you that b*tch¡¯s new boyfriend? That¡¯s great. You brought this on yourself!¡± ¡°Sir, I think it¡¯s best if you leave with Aiden. I don¡¯t want to bring you into this, or Aiden either¡­ Amanda has been so nice to me, so I can¡¯t let you guys get in harm¡¯s way.¡± Selina still insisted that Elias take Aiden away and let her deal with this matter alone because this had absolutely nothing to do with them. On the other hand, Elias was clearly annoyed by the man and repeated his order, ¡°Wait in the car and leave this to me. Your responsibility is to protect the child.¡± Once he finished, he swung his fist at the man¡¯s face. That seemingly tall and burly man fell to the ground with just a punch. Even Selina did not see that coming, and she looked at Elias with admiration. The child in her hands could not help but gasp in astonishment, ¡°Mr. Winters is awesome!¡± ¡°Wait in the car. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself the third time!¡± Elias demanded sternly. Selina finally reacted and clutched the keys with a desperate grip before hastily bringing Aiden to the car. The eman on the ground was stupefied by the blow. He had never assumed that a seemingly nobleman like Elias would behave so violently and even dare to punch him! ¡°You¡¯re f*cking dead! How dare you punch me?!¡± The man wanted to get up and return Elias¡¯ attack with a blow of his own. s, he did not expect that Elias would kick his chest and send him sprawling to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s really your unlucky day today. I¡¯ve been in a bad mood and have no ce to vent it. Since you¡¯ve delivered me your entire self as a punching bag, how could I let such an opportunity slip through my fingers?¡± Elias snarled as he stepped on the man and loosened his tie. His actions made it seem as though he was about to truly deliver a violent beatdown to the man that had dared to threaten his son. Meanwhile, Selina quickly hid in the car with Aiden. After she ensured that Aiden was no longer scared and fully settled, she intended to call the police but felt dumbfounded when she turned around and saw the scene ying before her eyes¡­. Her husband had always been the one beating someone else up for some imagined slight, but now, he was pinned down by Elias¡¯ foot, unable to move. She almost thought that her eyes were ying tricks on her when she noticed such a bizarre scene. Aiden had his face squished against the window as he watched the fight and even apuded, ¡°Good luck, Mr. Winters! Beat up the bad guy!¡± Suddenly, Selina¡¯s phone began ringing as a call from Amanda came in. She couldn¡¯t stop gaping in utter bewilderment while her husband was being severely beaten by someone half his size. Still, she answered the call, where she heard Amanda¡¯s voice, inquiring, ¡°Selina, is Aiden with you? Why aren¡¯t you back yet?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, right. Amanda, you need toe over right now! I bumped into my husband while I was picking up Aiden!¡± ¡°What?! That abusive dumpster fire? Where are you? I¡¯lle over immediately!¡± Amanda¡¯s tone immediately changed when she heard that Selina¡¯s se¡¯mbag of a husband had made an appearance. Selina was so focused on the situation that she almost forgot she was speaking to Amanda on the phone. When she noticed that her husband wasn¡¯t about to make a nuisance of himself, especially now that he was in a very one-sided fight and losing, she assured Amanda, saying. ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush. Fortunately, we encountered your ex-husband. He has helped us out of that situation, so we¡¯re fine now. Don¡¯t worry. Drive safely.¡± ¡°Elias? He¡¯s there as well?¡± Strangely enough, Amanda instantly felt assured after hearing Selina mention her ex-husband. It seemed like Selina and Aiden were safe because Elias was there. Selina nodded. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s amazing. I have to say that I did not expect him to be so capable of fighting since he looks like such a gentleman.¡± ¡°Send me your location. I¡¯m heading over right now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Not long after that, Elias returned to the parking lot, leaving the man all battered and bruised and unable to get up without assistance. Selina and Aiden were both bbergasted as they did not expect the scene to be so¡­ violent. At that moment, Amanda raced her way here and parked her car in the parking spot behind them. Then, she anxiously got out of the car and approached them. ¡°Selina! Aiden! Are you alright?¡± Amanda instantly felt relieved when seeing the two were safe and sound inside Elias¡¯ car. Meanwhile, Elias stood to the side with a few drops of blood staining his white shirt. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but lose his temper when Amanda refused to pay a single attention to him. ¡°Am I invisible to you?¡± Elias grumbled through gritted teeth. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Amanda replied, ¡°Uhm. What about you? Are you alright?¡± Honestly, she had almost forgotten about this devil in her panic. Then again, when she recalled Elias¡¯ glorious fighting streak, she was certain that he was fine. Everyone in this ce could be dead but Elias would definitely remain standing. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Mommy, Mr Winters Saved Us Elias snorted. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hurt.¡± Why is this man so childish? He¡¯s even acting up in front of his own son. This is ridiculous! Amanda still patiently asked, ¡°Where are you hurt? Do you need me to send you to the hospital?¡± She decided to give him a break since he did save Aiden this time. Besides, he was a noble young master, after all. Yet, Elias shamelessly demanded, ¡°I¡¯m tired from fighting and hungry. Buy me something to eat.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes just about popped out from her eye sockets as she rebuked, ¡°Are you kidding me? Go home if you¡¯re tired and hungry. You have so many professional chefs at your estate. Can¡¯t they satisfy your stomach?¡± At that moment, Aiden, who was leaning on the window, suddenly suggested, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Winters saved us. Don¡¯t you think we should at least treat him to a meal in thanks?¡± Amanda was at a loss for words. Oh, Baby, please keep your words at a minimum. However, the child paid no heed to her silent pleadings as he added, ¡°Mommy, didn¡¯t you tell me I should repay other people¡¯s kindness? If Mr. Winters hadn¡¯t saved us, the bad guy might have taken us away? With no other option, she forced a smile as she said in resignation, ¡°Right, we have to repay other people¡¯s kindness, but¡­ Mr. Winters has other things to do. We¡¯ll treat him to a meal some other day, okay?¡± She patted her son¡¯s head gently as she turned to hint at Elias with her gaze to y along with her. Unfortunately, Elias refused toply. Instead, he smiled and drawled ndly, ¡°I¡¯m not busy. Do you want to buy me something to eat? I¡¯m always avable.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal. Why don¡¯t youe to our house? Miss Selina is a great cook,¡± Aiden offered excitedly. The smile on Elias¡¯ face brightened further. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m famished.¡± Amanda was rendered wholly speechless. Was this the tacit understanding between father and son? Never would she have guessed these two would get so familiar with each other so quickly and get along so well. Could this be what they call the magic of being blood-rted? ¡°You lead the way.¡± Elias looked at her. Amanda could not hold back her urge to roll her eyes in exasperation. Then, she faked a smile. ¡°Would you settle for excrement?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org A smile appeared on his face. ¡°I would if you offered it to me.¡± Amanda scoffed before looking at her baby inside the sports car. ¡°Baby, how about you and Selina get in my car?¡± ¡°Mommy, I want to sit in Mr. Winter¡¯s car. It¡¯s so cool. Aiden had no intention of getting out of the car and even looked like he wanted to live in it. Elias offered, ¡°I can send them home. You drive your car.¡± She felt like biting the man¡¯s head off. Why do I suddenly feel like I¡¯m not Aiden¡¯s favorite anymore? My child only has eyes for a godforsaken sports car! What an ungrateful kid Selina suddenly chimed in, ¡°About that¡­ Why don¡¯t you guys head over without me? I need to buy some ingredients because we¡¯re running out of groceries.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± Amanda proposed. ¡°I have no objections,¡± Elias remarked. In the back seat, Aiden yelled enthusiastically. ¡°I have no objections too!¡± Therefore, the bunch drove to a grocery store where Selina and Amanda were responsible for buying groceries while Elias and Aiden shopped in front of them. Their figures seemed so harmonious that any discerning person could tell they were father and son because they looked very simr. In the meantime, Selina and Amanda were behind the two while pushing the shopping cart. Amanda looked at the two with slight jealousy. ¡°Amanda, has Aiden never met his father?¡± Selina asked. Amanda retracted her gaze and seemed conflicted as she answered, ¡°Yes. We got a divorce while I was pregnant, so the father and son have never seen each other.¡± ¡°But your ex doesn¡¯t look like an irresponsible man, so why did you get a divorce? He can¡¯t be a violent. b¡±stard like that husband of mine, right?¡± Selina continued pressing for answers. ¡°No, he¡¯s not. Though he has a temper, he would never beat a woman. What kind of man would he be if he did that?¡± Selina¡¯s expression turned slightly bitter. ¡°You¡¯re right. What kind of man would beat up their wife?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I keep persuading you to make a report. I can be your defense attorney, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Fury overcame Amanda when she thought about Selina being a victim of domestic violence. Meanwhile, Selina looked at Elias¡¯ back and then thought about her wimpy yet violent husband. It was true that sometimesparisons shouldn¡¯t be made unless you want to face hard truths that one wouldn¡¯te close to the other. ¡°Okay! I want a divorce. I¡¯m fed up with being beaten all the time!¡± She finally mustered her courage to file for a divorce. Amanda could not hold back herughter. ¡°Atta girl. Domestic abuse is not a small issue. It¡¯s also illegal.¡± ¡°Amanda?¡± Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice interrupted their conversation. Simon pushed his cart over to them, smiling gently. ¡°It¡¯s such a coincidence. Are you here to buy groceries. as well? I was just about to buy some fresh produce and bring them to Gxy Bay to have dinner with you. guys. A shocked Amanda¡¯s eyes widened as she screamed silently, Oh, my God! This has to be some sort of punishment! ¡°Simon, tonight might not be¡­¡± Amanda muttered, not knowing how she would reject him and suddenly feeling like she had betrayed him. However, at that moment, Aiden came running with a box of chocte, cutely eximing, ¡°Mommy, 1 want to buy this chocte!¡± Following behind Aiden was none other than Elias. Simon was still smiling when he saw Aiden, but his smile instantly disappeared from his face when he saw Elias slowly approaching them. The two men met each other¡¯s cold gazes. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but panic inwardly as she caught sight of the two men staring daggers at each other. This is not good. Not good¡­. She thought she could even hear lightning zapping between them. So, she gulped and put on a stiff smile. ¡°Baby, do you have anything else you¡¯d like to buy? Go and grab some.¡± It was better not to let her child see what might happen next as it was unsuitable for children. ¡°Can I really? Why are you being so nice today, Mommy? Something¡¯s not right.¡± Aiden looked at his mother curiously. She was a firm advocate for team no junk food, but why was she suddenly being so generous? It was then that he finally noticed Simon¡¯s presence and excitedly screamed. ¡°Uncle Simon!¡± Uncle Simon? That scream caused everyone¡¯s expression to change slightly. Of course, Simon was smiling at that form of address as it was also a kind of deration of his identity. Meanwhile, Elias turned gloomy after hearing that. Uncle Simon? Aiden refers to me by myst name, but he¡¯s on a first-name basis with that trash? ¨C Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Simon Is Called Uncle Simon, and I¡¯m Mr Winters? Elias¡¯ gaze was as sharp as a sword when he stared at Amanda. The fierce look in his eyes seemed to say, ¡°Amanda! Is this how you¡¯re teaching my son?!¡± At this moment, Amanda just wanted to find a hole to hide in. How could she resolve this awkward situation? ¡°Uncle Simon, what a coincidence to see you here.¡± Aiden approached Simon as if they were old. acquaintances. On the other hand, Simon ignored Elias¡± angry gaze and smiled as he patted Baby¡¯s head. ¡°Well, I n to buy groceries ande over to have dinner with you and your Mommy tonight. I¡¯ll be making a fish dish for you, alright?¡± ¡°Yayyy! Mr. Winters will also be having dinner at our house tonight. The more, the merrier!¡± Aiden¡¯s round eyes sparkled, and he looked adorable with his joyful smile. Elias will be joining as well? Simon smiled meaningfully. Is that so? Mr. Winters is also freeloading tonight. huh?¡± ¡°Mind your own f*cking business!¡± Elias couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. If it weren¡¯t for being in front of the child, he would have thrown a punch long ago. She red angrily at him. ¡°You¡¯re swearing in front of the child! Do you want him to learn that from you? It¡¯s not easy for him to learn good things, but it¡¯s definitely too easy for him to learn bad things!¡± Elias was at a loss for words upon hearing that. Selina chuckled and couldn¡¯t hold back herughter. From what she could tell, Amanda and her ex- husband seemed more suitable for each other, especially considering they already had a child together. By the time they had returned to Gxy Bay, the sky had turned dark. Selina and Simon were busy cooking dinner in the kitchen, while Amanda assisted on the side. Since Elias had never been skilled in cooking, having relied on the guidance of the Winters Family¡¯s chef in the past, he had no idea how to cook. So, he could only apany Aiden in the living room, ying with toys. ¡°Mr. Winters, what¡¯s your full name? I¡¯m Aiden, Baby asked curiously. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Elias answered earnestly, ¡°Remember, my name is Elias Winters. Also, why do you call him Uncle Simon?¡± He really wanted to know where he had lost to Simon. Why would Aiden call Simon ¡°Uncle Simon¡± but refer to him as Mr. Winters instead? ¡°Because he is Uncle Simon. He will be my daddy and Mommy¡¯s husband in the future,¡± Baby answered while ying with a puzzle. Although Mr. Winters was a nice person and had saved him, Uncle Simon¡¯s position was unshakable. He was the most suitable man for Mommy. Elias¡¯ expression changed drastically. ¡°What? Daddy?¡± He really wanted to yell at the little brat, 7 am your dad!¡± But he couldn¡¯t. How could this kid recognize a random dude as his own father? ¡°Yeah, Uncle Simon is the best. He¡¯s most suitable to be Mommy¡¯s husband,¡± Aiden said without even looking up, as he was busy ying with the puzzle. At that moment, Elias felt antsy, anxious, and agitated. It seemed that Aiden had beenpletely brainwashed by Simon. If this little brat didn¡¯t take his side, what hope did he have of pursuing Amanda? ¡°Aiden, aren¡¯t you afraid of hurting your dad¡¯s feelings by saying that? Don¡¯t you want to go back to your daddy¡¯s side with Mommy?¡± He knew Aiden had never seen his biological father since childhood, and there might be some resistance. So, he had to take things slowly. He wasn¡¯t in a rush, but he absolutely couldn¡¯t let Simon have a chance to get ahead. Aiden immediately looked up at Elias upon hearing his words, and his little face was filled with grievances. ¡°Daddy won¡¯t be sad. He doesn¡¯t love Mommy or me. Mommy said he didn¡¯t want us, so I don¡¯t want him either. I want to find a good man and a good husband for Mommy.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Who told you that?¡± Elias instantly became angry. Who taught Aiden all this nonsense? When did he not want Amanda or the child? No wonder the child affectionately called Simon ¡°Uncle Simon. It turned out he resented his biological father. in the Aiden set aside the puzzle he was holding, took a quick nce at his mommy, who was busy kitchen, stood up, and approached Elias. He whispered, ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret. I asked Mommy for Daddy¡¯s picture, but Mommy said she didn¡¯t have any, so Daddy definitely hates us. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t he leave a single picture for us?¡± Once again, Elias was at a loss for words. Indeed, he failed to fulfill his role as a father. It had been four years, and only now did he discover the existence of his son. And during these four years¡­ it was unfathomable how greatly Amanda despised him, to the point where she never mentioned him to Aiden or even showed Aiden a picture of him. The mere thought of it ached his heart. Elias scooped up Baby and settled him on his ownp, patiently exining. ¡°Aiden, maybe your dad has his reasons. Because why wouldn¡¯t he want you? He has been searching for you all this time, but he just couldn¡¯t find you.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t Daddy find us?¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity. How should he exin this? Elias fell silent for a moment, sighed, and replied, ¡°Because he didn¡¯t know you were born. If he had known, he would definitely have found you and Mommy. Daddy is yours and Mommy¡¯s, alright?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, how do you know all of this? Do you know Daddy?¡± Baby suddenly became alert. He found Mr. Winters quite strange because Mr. Winters seemed to know many things. ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°Do you really know Daddy? Can you take me to meet him? I¡¯ve never seen Daddy before, and I want to meet him.¡± Aiden instantly became excited. He had always been curious about what Daddy looked like, but he couldn¡¯t tell that Mr. Winters and he looked alike. Elias felt a pang of regret for iming to know the father. ¡°Well, your daddy is currently away on a business trip. Let¡¯s wait until he finishes his work,¡± he responded, realizing it wasn¡¯t the ideal moment to disclose the truth and acknowledge Aiden since he needed to give Aiden some time to adjust. ¡°Oh¡­ then, Mr. Winters, does Daddy really love Mommy? My teacher said Daddy loves Mommy, and that¡¯s why I was born.¡± Elias let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Absolutely, he does. That¡¯s indeed why you were born.¡± ¡°So, what the teacher said is true¡­¡± Aiden seemed to be lost in thoughts. Selina briefly stepped out of the kitchen to retrieve something, leaving only Amanda and Simon behind. The atmosphere became incredibly awkward, and Amanda couldn¡¯t even bring herself to meet his gaze. After Simon finished cleaning the fish he was holding, he turned toward her. ¡°Amanda?¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter?¡± She seemed flustered as if she had done something wrong. ¡°What were you thinking? The water is boiling.¡± He nced at the pot of boiling water and walked over to turn off the stove. Only then did she snap back to reality. ¡°Sorry, I was lost in thought just now.¡± ¡°Be more careful next time. It can be dangerous.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Then, he tried to ask in a rxed tone, ¡°Are you considering giving Elias another chance? It seems like he already knows that Aiden is his son.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! He¡¯s the one who keeps bothering me!¡± she denied firmly. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Elias! Why Are You So Childish? When Simon saw the way Amanda reacted, he smiled. ¡°What do you have in mind, then? Elias certainly won¡¯t let Aiden go once he learns Aiden is his son.¡± Sure enough, Amanda knew that Simon was right. However, there was nothing she could do to stop fate from doing its work. Just likest night, she wasn¡¯t expecting Elias to be right in the garden and bump straight into Aiden. Simon felt slightly sorry for Amanda when he saw her in a dilemma. ¡°Amanda, I want you to be truthful with me. Do you still love Elias? Do you have the intention to return to his side with Aiden?¡± Now that Elias is avidly courting Amanda, what¡¯s the point of me proposing to her if she harbors any thoughts of remarrying Elias? After all, the two already had a child together. ¡°To be honest, no.. After going through so many things, I feel Elias and I really aren¡¯t a good fit for each other. Although we have cleared the air this time, and Elias realized that he had wrongly used me, what about in the future? Frankly speaking. I bet Elias would still doubt me and not believe me if such an incident happened again. Simon breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her reply. At least Amanda¡¯s words proved he still had a chance to be with her, and if truth be told, he felt that he was sure to lose when he witnessed the scene of Elias and Aiden standing together in the supermarket tonight. ¡°Is my proposal still valid, then?¡± Simon asked. He pretended to sound rxed to cover his uneasiness, Amanda instantly coughed awkwardly as she muttered, What other choices do I have when I have already said yes?¡± He smiled and said nothing. He could finally set his mind at rest now that he heard her words of assurance. Leastwise, it was clear to him that Amanda didn¡¯t intend to return to Elias¡¯ side. Dinner was served half an hourter. This moment, at the dining table, was where the real battle took ce. Elias and Simon sat opposite each other. Their gazes shed, wittingly or unwittingly, especially Elias, whose gaze was full of murderous intent. Meanwhile, Aiden sat next to Elias. There was undoubtedly an inexplicable contrast between the two despite having the same facial features, especially when one looked as malicious as a devil while another resembled an innocent angel, ¡°Mr. Winters, I want to eat that fish. Serve some to me!¡± Aiden requested as hey on the dining table, trying to reach the fish with his petite arm but failing in every attempt he made. Elias only withdrew his murderous gaze when he heard his son¡¯s voice. His cial eyes instantly turned gentle. Then, he picked up his cutleries and said, ¡°Okay.¡± However, as soon as he did so, Simon swiftly ced a piece of fish on the te in front of Aiden. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Thank you, Uncle Simon,¡± Aiden thanked him politely. -As for Elias, even though his jealousy was mounting up, he still cut a piece of the fish, picked it up with the fork, brought it near to Aiden¡¯s mouth, and instructed. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Aiden didn¡¯t have a chance to reject Elias at all. He obediently opened his mouth and ate the fish that was fed to him. At the same time, Elias was mindful of grabbing the opportunity to indoctrinate Aiden. ¡°Tell me¡ªAiden, is Simon rted to your mommy by blood? He isn¡¯t, is he? So, why is he Uncle Simon while I¡¯m Mr. Winters? Also, we are both your mommy¡¯s friends, so you can¡¯t give him special treatment. You can only give your special treatment to the man who has registered as your mommy¡¯s legal spouse in the marriage certificate. Got it?¡± As soon as these words escaped Elias¡¯ lips, the facial expression of those present at the dining table took a turn. Amanda was utterly exasperated. What the hell is this sembag teaching Aiden!? Meanwhile, Simon remained silent. Nheless, one could notice that he was somewhat holding back his temper through his gaze and his somewhat tightened grip on his fork and knife. Only Selina couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw Elias brainwashing Aiden. What an interesting father-and- son duo. Meanwhile, Aiden looked at Elias with curiosity written on his face as he asked, ¡°What does it mean by a man who has registered as Mommy¡¯s legal spouse in the marriage certificate?¡± ¡°It means the man who officially marries your mommy. In short, your rightful Daddy. Only he deserves. your utmost special treatment, okay?¡± Elias exined with a serious demeanor while Aiden listened attentively. ¡°Oh.. I get it. So, that¡¯s what it means. Aiden nodded and continued to enjoy his dinner. When Amanda saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but re at Elias. ¡°Elias! Why are you so childish? Why are you telling Baby these things? He¡¯s so young. Do you think he can understand your words?¡± Plus, Aiden is already far more mature than he should be. Yet, Elias is teaching him such nonsense! ¡°It¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t understand that I decided to exin things to him, giving him a general idea in his head.¡± Elias answered solemnly. His attitude almost made Amanda blow her top right in front of her precious son. At this moment, Selina interrupted, ¡°Amanda, I want to take a few days off to go through my divorce settlement. I don¡¯t want to live with that man who abuses me any longer! ¡°Sure, go ahead. It¡¯s just that-will you be fine by yourself, though? Will that man go easy on you?¡± Amanda was a little worried about Selina¡¯s safety. After all, judging by the way the man showed up in front of their doorstep today, Amanda could tell that he didn¡¯t seem like a person who would say yes to divorce without making a huge racket about it. Selina hesitated for a moment upon hearing her concerns. Then, she smiled and replied, ¡°I will try to talk things out first. And if it doesn¡¯t work, I can only seek your help. ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± Amanda agreed readily. Just when Amanda and Selina thought that the matter was solved, Simon raised the most critical question, ¡°Who will take care of Aiden if you take a few days off?¡± ¡°That is precisely what I want to discuss with you. Who will look after Aiden while I¡¯m gone these few days?¡± Selina looked at Amanda and asked. Likewise, Amanda was caught in a dilemma. I would have to bring Baby to work with me if Selina took a few days off. I will never allow some stranger to look after him. ¡°Leave Aiden to me.¡± Suddenly, Elias put down his tableware and looked up at the conflicted Amanda. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about taking him to work with you. It¡¯s troublesome.¡± ¡°But will it not be troublesome to leave Aiden with you? Aren¡¯t you busy every day?¡± As the president of Winters Enterprise, how is it possible that Elias¡¯ days are more rxed than mine? I was his wife. So, I am well aware of how hectic his daily schedule is. Elias turned his attention to the little guy beside him as his lips pulled into a doting smile and said, ¡°I can take a few days off. Come to think of it-I haven¡¯t taken any days off this year yet. I can use this as an opportunity to rest. Plus, I want to make time for him. He was absent from Aiden¡¯s life for the past four years, so he naturally wanted to make up for it. the Amanda couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything. Honestly, I really don¡¯t want Elias to get in touch with Baby too often, especially now that Aiden is quick in epting Elias¡¯ presence. In fact, he has already barreled past unfamiliarity phase and treats Elias like an old acquaintance. Yet,st night was clearly his first time seeing Elias¡­ Such is the charm of kinship, I suppose. Although it would be endearing if it were any other father and son, Elias in the picture just makes it seem all the more frightening, I guess? ¡°Still, we have to ask if Aiden is willing to have you as his babysitter. Amanda ced her entire hope on Aiden as she shouted in her heart, Say no to him, son! I can apany you! At the same time, Elias looked at the little guy beside him. ¡°Aiden, why don¡¯t you pay me a visit? I have a yground at my house, so¡­ Do you want to go?¡± ¡°Really!? Okay! Mr. Winters, do you have lots of cars at your house? I want to have a ride!¡± Aiden eximed, still remembering the fabulous Bentley outside. Elias felt his smile deepen when he saw just how excited Aiden was. ¡°Of course. I have plenty of cars. In fact, I have an entire garage filled with cars. Just take your pick. You can choose whichever car you like, and I will take you to school in it, okay?¡± ¡°Okay! Mommy, don¡¯t worry! I will behave myself and y nicely with Mr. Winters. You can pick me up again after Miss Selina returns from her days off!¡± Delight was written all over Aiden¡¯s face as he looked forward to touring the garage full of sports cars. Simon¡¯s facial expression was a little somber, and he clenched his fists under the dining table. As for Amanda, there was more heartache and less relief in her heart when she heard Aiden agree to follow Elias back to the Winters Estate. I can¡¯t believe this is the son whom I raised for four years! How can he easily be bribed with a garage of sports cars? Then again, Aiden is still a child, after all I can¡¯t really expect him to understand the grudge between me and Elias. After dinner, Selina was in charge of washing the dishes. Meanwhile, Simon and Elias sat in the living room. Neither of them had any intention of leaving. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Stay Away From My Woman and Child Amanda nced at the time. It¡¯s alreadyte, yet what are these two still doing here? Are they nning to sleep here tonight? ¡°Are you two not getting ready to go home? It¡¯ste. Baby is already asleep. Are you guys nning to watch TV here all night?¡± Then again, neither of them seemed to be watching TV. Elias had his arms crossed as he looked at Simon and said indifferently, ¡°Why are you still not leaving? Only two women and a child are in this house. As a grown man, do you not feel awkward staying here if I leave?¡± There is absolutely no way I will allow Simon and Amanda to be in the same living area! Simon smiled. ¡°What about you? Why aren¡¯t you leaving? Besides, this is my vi. So, I can stay for as long as I like.¡± ¡°Your vi?¡± Elias questioned. His tone was filled with nothing but suspicion as he looked at Amanda. ¡°It¡¯s his house. I¡¯m merely a tenant,¡± Amanda answered truthfully. The atmosphere in the room turned tense once more as Elias¡¯ jealousy roused from its slumber. What are my woman and child doing living in Simon¡¯s house!? As soon as this thought crossed Elias¡¯ mind, he turned to look at Amanda and ordered, ¡°Move out Tomorrow. You can choose to live in any house owned under my name or live with me in the Winters Estate.¡± Amanda was stunned by Elias¡¯manding tone as she retorted, ¡°Do you still take me as your wife? Please! We¡¯re divorced, so why should I listen to you? Hurry up, go home, and get some sleep. I¡¯m so sleepy that I can barely keep my eyes open.¡± After that, Amanda involuntarily yawned and continued waiting until the two left. Oh! I should take a warm shower and head straight to bed immediately after they leave. Elias stood up and looked at Simon when he noticed that she was genuinely tired. ¡°Let¡¯s leave together. I have something I want to say to you.¡± ¡°Sure. I happened to want to have a chat with you too. A gleam of joy surfaced in Amanda¡¯s eyes. Finally, these tivo bosses are leaving! Otherwise, they would have stayed until dawn. ¡°Goodbye, and take care. I¡¯ll go back to my room. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± With that, Amanda got up, preparing to see Elias and Simon off. Elias and Simon left Gxy Bay on their respective ride. Shortly afterward, both cars gradually stopped on the road with their windows lowered. Elias stared straight into Simon¡¯s eyes as he threatened in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Stay away from my woman and child. ¡°Funny. I seem to recall that Amanda is no longer your woman. And as for your child, does Aiden even know you are his biological father?¡± Simon said with a nd look, sessfully igniting Elias¡¯ fury with his words. Elias clenched his fists tightly, cracking his knuckles. Then, he retorted through his teeth, ¡°Is stealing another man¡¯s wife your fetish? Why are you so fond of stealing what belongs to others?¡± ¡°Tch¡­ As far as I know, you were the one who abandoned your wife and child back then. Yet now, you speak as though you are innocent of the wrongdoings you havemitted. Get your facts straight! It¡¯s Amanda who has struck you off her list of suitors. It¡¯s pointless to keep talking about this with me, no? You¡¯re the one who wronged her, so own it.¡± With that, Simon shed Elias a contemptuous smile, started his car, and drove away. Only Elias was left sitting in his car. Every muscle on his handsome face stiffened as his mind kept reying Simon¡¯s parting words. He smacked the steering wheel, fuming mad. This f*cking lowlife! Meanwhile, inside the vi, Amanda came downstairs to pour herself a ss of water after taking her shower and happened to bump into Selina, who was cleaning up the kitchen. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Selina, why don¡¯t you continue doing the chores tomorrow? It¡¯ste, so get some rest. Please don¡¯t wear yourself out.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but say. Selina raised her head and smiled when she saw Amanda. ¡°I was thinking-since I will be off for few days. I shouldplete more chores. By the way, have Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Winters left yet?¡± ¡°Yeah. How else are we supposed to get our sleep when those two grown-up men stick around and waste the rest of their evening here?¡± she grumbled softly. Selina dropped the chores on her hands and walked up to her. Tell me the truth, Amanda. Do you still have feelings for your ex-husband?¡± Amanda, who was pouring the ss of water, paused for a moment. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ As I see it, the three of you seem to get along quite harmoniously, though.¡± ¡°Harmonious? In what sense do you think we get along harmoniously? Elias hasn¡¯t even seen Aiden since he was born. Do you honestly think he will be a good father? If it were you, would you leave Aiden with him unsupervised?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t restrain her agitation at the mention of Elias and what happened tonight. As for Selina, she gave Amanda¡¯s words a thought. Then, she expressed her view, ¡°Well¡­ from what I¡¯ve seen tonight, he¡¯s pretty patient when ites to Aiden. Besides, Aiden should have his biological father as his daddy if you want to find him one. After all, they cre blood-rted.¡± Amanda was momentarily tongue-tied. It¡¯s exactly because Aiden is Elias¡± kin that he seems quick to ept Elias into his life. Otherwise, he is usually very wary of strangers. Still, she snapped out of her thoughts and asked, ¡°Selina, if it were you, would you still choose to remarry your ex-husband even if he abandoned you and your child?¡± Selina furrowed her brows and fell into a dilemma. This is pretty bothersome, indeed¡­ Or you can test your ex-husband before making a decision.¡± ¡°Do you not think that Simon is good husband material? He is highly conscientious and never dodges his responsibility.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask for Selina¡¯s opinion again. Selina smiled and shook her head. ¡°He does look like a perfect fit for a husband now. But Mr. Nicholson has never been married and never had a child of his own. So, you will face many challenges if you want to start a family with him. For example-his parents. I think it¡¯s pretty hard to get his parents¡¯ blessings. And knowing Mr. Nicholson, I presume he doese from a well-off family. Am I right?¡± Amanda also was aware that she would have to face many obstacles if she wanted to marry Simon. Still, she really didn¡¯t intend to return to Elias¡¯ side and repeat the same mistake she had made in the past. Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s phone rang. It was Simon calling. She picked up the phone, and Simon¡¯s voice sounded from the phone, saying, ¡°Amanda, can you free some time from your schedule tomorrow or the day after tomorrow and have a meal with my parents? They would like to meet you.¡± It¡¯s true when they say worrying about things that might never happen increases their chances of happening in reality. Selina and I were just touching on the topic regarding Simon¡¯s parents, and now Simon is calling, informing me that we are going to his parents. No way! That¡¯s too soon!! Amanda froze upon hearing his words. Then, she hesitated for a few seconds and answered, ¡°Uh¡­ Is it not too soon to meet your parents now? I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. My parents are rtively open-minded. It¡¯s just a simple meal. They are more determined in urging me to get hitched.¡± ¡°Okay. I will leave you to make the arrangements.¡± ¡°Okay. Get some sleep. Goodnight.¡± After she ended the call, she looked helpless. ¡°What should I do? Simon¡¯s parents want to have a meal with. me. Now I¡¯m nervous¡­.¡± ¦§ ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid since Mr. Nicholson will be there with you. Rx. His parents won¡¯t embarrass you on the spot. Selina disapproved of what Amanda said. Selina is right. With Simon around, I have nothing to be afraid of. But it is going to be so awkward. Amanda gave Selina¡¯s words a thought. ¡°Stop thinking about it. Go and have your beauty sleep. That way you don¡¯t have to worry about looking bloated when you meet Mr. Nicholson¡¯s parents, Selina said as she patted Amanda on the shoulder, attempting to cease Amanda¡¯s anxiety. Amanda smiled and said nothing. A white Aston Martin unexpectedly stopped in front of Amanda and Selina just when they nned to drive Aiden to his kindergarten early morning the next day. Aiden was the first to scream with excitement. He sneaked out of the car and eximed, ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so cool! Mommy, look! This car is so cool!¡± The door of the Aston Martin gradually swung open, revealing none other than Elias. ¡°Aiden, get in the car. I will take you to school today.¡± ¡°Hooray! Mr. Winters, this car is amazing! Do you have more cars in your garage? Can I visit your garage?¡± Aiden bounced up and down with glee. He couldn¡¯t wait to visit Elias¡¯ garage and feast his eyes on all the awesome rides. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Elias Instantly Blew a Fuse ¡°Sure, but after you finish school.¡± The corner of Elias¡¯ mouth curled into a doting smile. As expected, everything my son does is lovable in my eyes. Aiden immediately bounced on the spot with excitement upon hearing Elias¡¯ agreement. ¡°Yahoo! Fantastic! I want to go to school. I need to go to school right now and visit your garageter!¡± Meanwhile, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes in exasperation when she caught sight of Aiden¡¯s reaction. Then, she could only watch helplessly as her beloved sonpletely ignored her and bounded. straight into the passenger seat of Elias¡¯ car. In fact, she even suspected that Aiden would jump sky high and immediately acknowledge Elias as his Daddy if she told him that Elias was his biological father. ¡°Aiden, how can you get in Mr. Winters¡¯ car so easily? Don¡¯t you have anything you want to say to me?¡± Amanda came near the car window with her arms crossed as she stared at her mischievous son in the car. ¡°Goodbye, Mommy. I will behave and y nicely with my friends in the kindergarten. Aiden was completely attracted to Elias¡¯ sports car to the point that he didn¡¯t even look up at Amanda when he said these words. This made Amanda even more frustrated. Selina, who was on the side, could tell Amanda was a little angry. ¡°It¡¯s just children¡¯s nature, especially boys. It¡¯s a universalw that all male species love sports cars,¡± she said, attempting to calm Amanda down. In the meantime, Elias walked up to Amanda. ¡°I will take charge of picking up Aiden to and fro these few days. I will also drive him over to your ce once you get home from work. Of course, if circumstances allowed, Elias wanted to make Aiden stay in the Winters Estate for a few days. However, he knew Amanda would certainly not agree to it. Thus, he decided to take things slow. Amanda shot him a disgruntled re as she warned, ¡°Elias, I¡¯m warning you. Do not drill strange ideas into Baby¡¯s mind these few days. Otherwise, I won¡¯t spare you from my wrath!¡± I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let Elias look after Aiden if I wasn¡¯t swamped with cases recently. ¡°What do you mean by strange ideas?¡± Elias raised his eyebrows slightly. Amanda harrumphed and borated, ¡°Do not feed Baby¡¯s ego, and do not spoil him. On top of that, do not talk about those strange things such as getting a marriage certificate with him. Elias¡¯ smile intensified as he listened to Amanda while Ins gaze constantly followed the little guy in the car. ¡°Okay, got it,¡± he agreed with aid-back voice. Then, Elias got into the car, closed the door, started the engine, and drove off slowly. On the other hand, Amanda stood in ce as she watched Elias¡¯ car leave her sight. Her heart ached dully, and she involuntarily breathed out a sigh. ¡°Why do I feel that Baby is growing more and more apart from me? I shouldn¡¯t have let Elias learn of Baby¡¯s existence. Yet, this is something that¡¯s beyond my control¡± Just like that night-everything was so coincidental that it looked as if it was God¡¯s arrangement. ¡°Stop overthinking things. You were the one who raised Aiden, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll forever be his favorite parent,¡± Selinaforted her. Later that day, Amanda was busy with her work in thew firm and even met several clients in between for the whole day. Night fell in the blink of an eye. By the time Amanda had the mind to nce at the time, she noticed that it was just in time for her to clock off. Since I¡¯m done with everything, I might as well head straight to the Winters Estate and pick up Baby. Amanda couldn¡¯t help being jealous at the thought of letting Aiden spend a second longer with Elias. Just as she finished packing her stuff, picked up her bag, and was about to leave the office, Simon unexpectedly was just about to knock on the door. ¡°Hey, all done with your work?¡± ¡°Yeah. I have just finished and am now getting ready to get off work, Amanda replied. Simon smiled. ¡°Just in time to follow me to have dinner with my parents, then. They have made a reservation tonight. Plus, I¡¯m done with my work too.¡± ¡°Huh? Tonight? But I am unprepared. Plus, I don¡¯t even have a decent dress to change into. Amanda nced at her formal wear. Can this attire even be passed off as an appropriate dress to meet his parents? ¡°It¡¯s okay. My parents aren¡¯t overly fastidious about these things. They understand the nature of our work. Plus, it¡¯s just a simple dinner.¡± Amanda was slightly conflicted. Honestly, her heart wasn¡¯t entirely set on the idea of meeting Simon¡¯s parents. She didn¡¯t want to go but¡­.. ¡°Okay¡­ Then, I will call Baby and tell him I will be homete.¡± I should check in with that little brat in case he throws tantrums at Elias¡¯ ce. ¡°Sure.¡± To be honest, Simon didn¡¯t want to stop Elias from taking this opportunity to bond with Aiden. I don¡¯t mind Elias fighting for Aiden¡¯s custody. In fact, it would be best if Elias won. After all, Aiden is his biological son. Not to mention, Amanda and I will have our own children once we get married in the future. Still, I can¡¯t possibly let Amanda know I have such thoughts. Because if she does find out, she will definitely hesitate to marry me. At the same time, in the Winters Estate, Elias was taking Aiden to check out the cars in his garage. The little guy was so thrilled that he ran around the garage like a wild horse. Elias couldn¡¯t get hold of him at all. ¡°Wow! Mr. Winters! Your garage is so cool! There are so many cars here. Will I have cars like these too when I grow up?¡± Well, one couldn¡¯t me Aiden for getting an adrenaline rush upon setting his sights on so many sports cars at once. After all, Elias¡¯ garage was literally every man¡¯s dream. Even a three-year-old toddler was no exception. ¡°Of course. All these cars will be yours in the future.¡± Elias leaned against the front hood of one of the sports cars. He felt an inexplicable sense of contentment as he watched the little guy¡¯s figure running around in the garage. This is probably what fatherhood feels like. Suddenly, his phone started vibrating. Elias nced at the screen and saw that it was Amanda who was calling. Is she really this worried about me looking after Aiden? He answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you doubtful of my capability to take care of Aiden?¡± Amanda¡¯s voice sounded from the phone, ¡°Of course, I am. You have no experience in looking after a child. Do you know when to feed him? Do you know what¡¯s the time to take him to the bathroom? Do you know what time he goes to bed?¡± Elias furrowed his brows slightly in the face of those sharp questions. I seriously have no idea about all of those! So, he coughed slightly to hide his embarrassment and added, ¡°Do tell, then. I¡¯m all ears. ¡°Forget it. You won¡¯t understand even after I told you about it. Just leave it to the nanny. She will know what to do. Alright. Pass the phone to Baby. I want to say a few words to him.¡± Elias let out a snort and then began to call out to the little monster that couldn¡¯t stop running around, ¡°Aiden,e here! Your mommy is asking for you.¡± Aiden immediately stopped running around the instant he heard the word ¡®Mommy. Then, he dashed toward Elias and snatched his phone away. ¡°Mommy! There are so many cars in Mr. Winters¡¯ garage! They are all so cool! I¡¯m having a lot of fun!¡± He eagerly shared what he saw with Amanda the instant he had a firm grip on Elias¡¯ phone. As for Elias, he leaned on the car hood and watched as the little guy chatted with Amanda on the phone. After approximately a few minutes, Aiden handed him the phone and said, ¡°Here you go, Mr. Winters.¡± Elias took the phone and realized that the call had ended. What? Amanda hung up just like that? ¡°What did your mommy tell you?¡± Elias inquired. Aiden was touching the rearview mirror of a sports car when he answered absent-mindedly. ¡°Mommy asked me to behave myself and said that she wille homete because she is going to have dinner with Uncle Simon¡¯s father¡­¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°What?!¡± Elias instantly blew a fuse. F*ck!! How dare you, manda! Asking me to look after Aiden while you and Simon are going to meet Simon¡¯s parents!? Aiden was startled by Elias¡¯ wrath. His voice turned meek as he repeated, ¡°Mommy said she¡¯s going to have dinner with Uncle Simon¡¯s father. So, she wille homete.¡± Only then did Elias realize that he might have scared Aiden. Therefore, heposed himself and bent down on one knee, asking, ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go have our dinner, okay?¡± ¡°Okay! Can wee back to your garage and y after dinner?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Elias promised. Why is this kid so obsessed with cars? He¡¯s definitely my son. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Causing Trouble With His Son In the dining hall, Elias asked the kitchen staff to prepare a children¡¯s meal for tonight, so all the food served tonight catered to most children¡¯s tastes. ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s so yummy! Mr. Winters, your chef is so amazing.¡± Aiden¡¯s mouth was full as he spoke. He was ted, for the food tasted different from those in restaurants. When Elias sat at the side to watch the little guy cat, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Help yourself.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, your house is so big. Can you show me around your house tonight? Aiden thought that Elias¡¯ home just had a theme park, but he never thought that it was a whole manor. It was so huge¡­ ¡°Sure, but I don¡¯t have time tonight. Maybe tomorrow. I¡¯ll be picking you up from school these days, anyway.¡± Elias had something more important to attend that evening. If Aiden hadn¡¯t gotten hungry, Elias would¡¯ve headed straight toward the restaurant Amanda and Simon were dining at. Aiden looked up, his mouth smeared with cream as he asked curiously, ¡°Why can¡¯t we do it tonight? Are you busy?¡± ¡°Your mom called. She wants me to send you back as early as possible. She¡¯s worried, so you should eat faster When Aiden finished his meal, Elias would stir up some trouble with him in tow. Elias would never allow Amanda to get married to Simon. Aiden frowned, confused. ¡°But Mommy said over the phone that she¡¯ll be going homete tonight because she¡¯s having dinner with Uncle Simon. She told me to be good and listen to you-¡± ¡°Really? She called me just now and said that she¡¯s done and that she wants to see you as soon as possible.¡± The man lied to his son without batting an eye. Children were easily fooled. Aiden believed him and nodded obediently. ¡°Oh. All right, then. I¡¯lle back to tour your house tomorrow, Mr. Winters.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± Elias couldn¡¯t help but pat his son¡¯s little head. Elias himself wasn¡¯t as obedient when he was a child. He remembered his grandfather saying that he was extremely naughty in his childhood, and his antics would get out of hand if no one lectured him. As he was having a trip down memoryne, his phone¡¯s vibration brought him back to reality. He wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, then took his phone and answered the call. Yacob¡¯s voice sounded over the phone. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey is dining at Red House on South Street tonight.¡± ¡°Red House?¡± Elias frowned. ¡°Yes, the location they settled on was Red House. It¡¯s quite the coincidence.¡± ¡°All right, got it.¡± Then, Elias ended the call. Red House was a specialty restaurant that was also part of the Winterses¡¯ property. Elias never thought that such coincidences could ur. Not many people knew about this, but Red House was his grandmother¡¯s favorite restaurant when she was alive, so Elias purchased the restaurantter on. A wry smile crept onto the man¡¯s lips. Meeting with a parent, huh? I guess I can cause the ruckus of the century tonight! Anyone who dared to snatch his wife from him deserved death! ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m done!¡± Aiden picked up a small bowl of soup and downed everyst drop. However, his tiny face was specked with bits of food. Elias looked at the small empty bowl, nodding in satisfaction. Amanda had taught the child well. ¡°Good. Follow Mrs. Colette to the bathroom, wash your hands and face, and then I¡¯ll take you to see Mommy.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± At the side, Colette carried Aiden off the seat and then walked toward the bathroom. Just then, Elias¡¯ phone rang again. This time, it was a call from Howard. Elias answered the call. ¡°Grandpa¡ª¡± The man had just greeted his grandfather when the old man shouted over the phone, ¡°You brat! I heard you took the child home, is that right? You¡¯re kidnapping children now? If you want a child so much, go and have one of your own!¡± Elias nced coldly at Rn, who was standing at the side. That bbermouth must have reported it to Howard. Rn lowered his head guiltily, not daring to look Elias in the eye. Elias said, ¡°Grandpa, I only like my child.¡± ¡°Then, why did you bring someone else¡¯s child home?¡± ¡°Rn wasn¡¯t telling the whole truth. Did he not tell you that this child looked a lot like me?¡± On the other end of the line, Howard was furious as he said, ¡°What? What do you mean, he looks a lot like you? Do you have illegitimate children now? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not acknowledging any child that didn¡¯te from Amanda!¡± Elias was a little exasperated, and he was tempted tough amid the anger. ¡°The child¡¯s mother is Amanda, and I¡¯m the father. Do you understand now? I don¡¯t have time to chat right now; I have to take care of the child¡± The other end of the line fell silent for a while. Then, Howard suddenly said in a calm voice, ¡°Are you seriously out of your mind? Do you believe what you¡¯re saying right now?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, juste over tomorrow and take a look for yourself.¡± With that, Elias ended the call. He didn¡¯t have time to waste on Howard, because the caretaker was already taking Aiden out of the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m done, Mr. Winters.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s set out and find your mommy.¡± Forty minutester, Elias¡¯ car pulled up in the parking lot of Red House. He had just stepped through the main entrance with Aiden when the manager of the restaurant walked up to him. Yacob had already informed the restaurant of Elias¡¯ arrival beforehand. ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± ¡°Yacob told you everything, right? Which private room are they in?¡± Elias cut to the chase. The manager bowed and answered respectfully, ¡°Oh, yes, Mr. Mills told me about it. Miss Bailey and Mr. Nicholson had booked the Elegance Room¡± Elias thought for a few seconds, then gestured for the manager toe nearer. The manager instantly understood as he leaned in to listen. Elias said something to him, and the manager looked a little troubled, but he still nodded. Standing at the side, Aiden had no idea what the adults were doing. After the manager left, Aiden asked in his adorable voice, ¡°Mr. Winters, aren¡¯t we going to see Mommy? Why are we here?¡± ¡°Your mommy is here, and she wants us to wait for her a bit. Let¡¯s y at the children¡¯s corner, shall we?¡± Elias had noticed that there was a children¡¯s corner at the restaurant. Even though it wasn¡¯t as grand as the theme park in the manor, it should still be enough to keep boredom at bay. ¡°No, that¡¯s so childish. It¡¯s for babies. Can you lend me your phone? I want to y games. Aiden nced at the children¡¯s corner with a look of disdain. Elias silently looked at his son. Did this kid know what he was talking about? How mature could a three-year-old be? He even said those things were childish! He quietly took out his phone and passed it to Aiden. ¡°Do you know how to y games on the phone?¡± Elias regretted asking the question right away. As soon as Aiden got his hands on the phone, he skillfully downloaded a game, his chubby fingers tapping swiftly on the screen. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Elias was speechless. Just as expected of his biological son. Aiden uttered, ¡°I secretly y on Mommy¡¯s phone every day. Don¡¯t tell her; she¡¯ll hit me if she finds out. She¡¯ll nag at me forever.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Humiliated Meanwhile¡­. In the Elegance Room, Amanda and Simon waited at the dining table for a long while, but Simon¡¯s parents still hadn¡¯t arrived. Amanda couldn¡¯t help feeling a little nervous as she constantly picked up her cup to drink tea. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my parents are quite easygoing. They¡¯re the ones who wanted to dine with you, after all.¡± Of course, Simon noticed Amanda¡¯s nervousness, ¡°I know.¡± Amanda smiled awkwardly. Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open. A middle-aged couple walked in, and Amanda stood up without thinking. They must be Simon¡¯s parents! ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson. In her nervousness, Amanda identally knocked over the cup in front of her. As the tea spilled onto her clothes, the awkwardness she felt skyrocketed. Amanda¡¯s face was burning. She wished she could just disappear. Simon, however, was calm as he got some tissues and wiped the mess for her, saying, ¡°Look how nervous you are! Rx, my parents aren¡¯t monsters¡± Simon¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t help chuckling when they saw the scene. Tm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson. I was too nervous.¡± Amanda hastily took the tissues from Simon and wiped herself dry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous, Miss Bailey. Have a seat. We¡¯re just going to eat. Simon¡¯s father, Frederick Nicholson, spoke up to case the atmosphere. Amanda sat on the chair, smiling stiffly. She looked subconsciously at Simon beside her. Simon made the introductions. ¡°Dad, Mom, this is Amanda Bailey, my girlfriend. She¡¯s also an outstandingwyer.¡± With that, he turned to Amanda. ¡°Amanda, meet my mom and dad. They¡¯rewyers too.¡± Ah! So, they¡¯re both in the legal field. No wonder Simon¡¯s parents look so stern, yet elegant as well. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson.¡± Amanda smiled as she greeted them again. Frederick looked at the time. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so everyone¡¯s probably hungry. Let¡¯s call the waiter here to take our orders.¡± Just then, the waiter came in with two menus. Unbeknownst to them, Elias¡¯ pranks were already underway. Frederick flipped through the menu, then ordered a fish dish for a start. The waiter, however, replied with a troubled look, I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not avable.¡± ¡°What?¡± Frederick was slightly surprised. They frequented this restaurant, and they knew that any guests. who made reservations could order whatever dishes they wanted. Amanda felt even more awkward, so she focused on drinking even more tea. Simon ordered another dish. ¡°We¡¯ll take a steamed grouper, then.¡± The waiter said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but we¡¯re out of groupers too. We received more reservations than usual today, so- ¡°More reservations than usual? Are you kidding me? Red House only epts reservations for 15 tables every day, and I reserved the seventh one. What do you mean, you¡¯re out of ingredients?¡± Simon felt that something was off, so he stood up and said to his parents, ¡°Dad, Mom, stay put. I¡¯ll talk to the manager and see what¡¯s up.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to be alone with Simon¡¯s parents, for she didn¡¯t know what to talk about. She had just stood up when Simon¡¯s mother, Isabelle Thompson, said, ¡°You should wait here instead of running around with him; the weather is so hot today. Or are you scared that we might eat you up?¡± Amanda smiled awkwardly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Stay here with my parents. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Simon stood up and left the private room. Amanda was left alone with Simon¡¯s parents in the private room, and the atmosphere turned extremely awkward. ¡°Have some tea, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson.¡± Amanda kept pouring tea for the two. Meanwhile¡­ Elias sat in another private room, listening to all the goings on via the listening-in device attached to the waiter. He couldn¡¯t help but put on a wry smile. Aiden was enjoying himself, ying games on Elias¡± phone. Elias swore that he would ruin Amanda¡¯s rtionship with Simon. He poured out a cup of tea and swirled it in his hand, muttering, ¡°Count yourself unlucky to have run into me.¡± It was Simon¡¯s fault for picking this restaurant out of all the restaurants in the area. However, the next conversation Elias heard through the listening-in device made him clench his fists, for Amanda was being bullied. In the private room, before the waiter left, he hid the listening-in device behind a vase on purpose. Isabelle studied Amanda for a while, then said, ¡°I heard that you got divorced and even had a child, Miss. Bailey.¡± In an instant, the atmosphere in the private room turned cold. Amanda¡¯s smile froze on her lips. She knew that she would face this situation, but she didn¡¯t expect Isabelle to be so straightforward about it. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Frederick asked her in the tonewyers always used in court, ¡°Can you tell us the reason? Did he cheat on you, or was your rtionship broken?¡± Amanda felt as if she were being interrogated. Still, she would have to face this sooner orter. She could only grit her teeth and reply, ¡°Our rtionship was broken¡­¡± Isabelle queried, ¡°Did the father not fight for the child¡¯s custody? You have to know that if a lone woman raises a child and a young boy at that, it¡¯ll be very difficult for her to start another family. She¡¯ll also face a lot of pressure.¡± ¡°I¡­ want the child to stay with me.¡± Frederick and Isabelle exchanged nces. He chose to drink his tea and stay silent, leaving the rest to Isabelle. Isabelle advised Amanda in a very logical tone, ¡°You¡¯re very pretty and outstanding, Miss Bailey. I heard that your mother passed away early, and your father is a gambler. Our family has always been in the legal field, and we¡¯re always just and pure. We may not be able to ept a gambler as our inw.¡± The few simple sentences brought Amanda¡¯s self-esteem to an all-time low. She subconsciously lowered her head, not willing to say another word. Tears even started pooling in her eyes. This is the naked truth. She was far too inferior to Simon, so it was reasonable for the Nicholsons to look down on her. But did they have to be so blunt about it? Seeing that Amanda had fallen silent, Isabelle said slowly, ¡°Our son has always been innocent in love, and he hasn¡¯t been in many rtionships. He never got married before, but now that he has to be someone¡¯s stepfather, it saddens us a little.¡± + By the looks of it, the meal wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Simon¡¯s parents were here to turn her away. Amanda suddenly raised her head and looked at the man and woman sitting opposite her. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson, I¡¯m very sorry. Indeed, I¡¯m not quite on par with Simon, but I cannot choose my life experiences. Since you cannot ept me, I won¡¯t bother you any longer. Simon is an outstanding man, and I believe he¡¯ll find someone better. Forgive me, for I¡¯m not in the best of moods right now. I¡¯ll have to excuse myself from the meal. Please inform Simon for me. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± With that, she got up and took her purse, then turned to leave the private room without a care for the tea stains on her clothes. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Why Are You Here? Amanda had just opened the door when she was startled by the person standing in front of her. Her eyes. were filled with surprise as she asked. ¡°Why are you here?¡± In the private room, Simon¡¯s parents were also shocked when they saw the man standing at the door. Elias nced at Simon¡¯s parents in the room, then took Amanda¡¯s hand as he said coldly, ¡°Serves you right to be given the cold shoulder.¡± ¡°You!¡± What is this b¡±stard here for? And what¡¯s with the insults? ¡°Mr. Winters, fancy seeing you here!¡± Frederick recognized Elias first, and he stood up to greet the latter. However, Elias simply ignored him and dragged Amanda out of there. eyes were In the corridor, they bumped into Simon who had just returned. When Simon saw them, his instantly filled with confusion and rage. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Elias, are you causing trouble on purpose?¡± Simon interrogated the manager with some tactics and learned that this was all Elias¡¯ idea. ¡°Get your ¡®ss back there and eat with your parents. I¡¯ll pay for everything you order today.¡± Elias turned to leave with Amanda in tow. Amanda¡¯s mind was in a mess, and she didn¡¯t want to say anything. She just wanted to leave the ce as soon as possible. She might need a few days to digest the humiliation she endured in the private room just now. ¡°Are you leaving with him, Amanda? Why would you do this?¡± Simon couldn¡¯t understand. He was furious at first, but when he saw the scene, his heart froze. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today, Simon, so I¡¯ll leave first. Enjoy your meal with your parents.¡± Amanda lowered her head, not willing to look up at Simon. Simon was mad at Amanda¡¯s behavior. ¡°Do you have to be like this, Amanda? You promised me, and you told me yourself that you don¡¯t want to return to Elias. What do you mean by this? You know my parents took time off to dine with you, and this is how you treat them? You¡­ Do you enjoy toying with men like this? I don¡¯t want to think of you as a flirty. woman.¡± Simon couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, and he spoke harshly. However, he was clueless about what had transpired in the private room. His words were so mean that Amanda burst into tears. However, before Amanda could say anything. Elias suppressed the fury in his heart as he spoke up next to her. ¡°You should ask your parents what they did before you say these things. Amanda isn¡¯t at fault for getting divorced and having a child, but you¡¯re humiliating her right after your parents did the same thing.¡± With that, he pulled Amanda along as he walked to the end of the corridor without looking back. This time, Amanda neither struggled nor retorted. Instead, she followed him obediently and never spared Simon another look. Simon was left standing where he was, confused. Humiliation? Did Mom and Dad say something to Amanda while I was away? Simon turned around and quickly went back to the private room, noticing his parents discussing something with odd looks on their faces. ¡°Dad, Mom, what did you say to Amanda just now? Didn¡¯t you promise to respect my choice in a partner. and that you won¡¯t cause her trouble?¡± Frederick was upset to hear his son talking in that tone. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk to your parents like that. We didn¡¯t say anything mean; we just asked her some simple questions about her family background. She¡¯s raising a child alone after going through a divorce, her mother passed away early, and her father is a gambler. Who could endure having such a woman in their home? We raised you to be an outstanding man, and this is the sort of daughter-inw youe back with? Are we not allowed to say no?¡± When Frederick finished speaking. Simon instantly realized why Amanda would leave just now. He never thought that his parents would be so cruel and say such horrible things while he was gone. ¡°Dad! Mom! Since when have you be so vulgar and mean? Do you feel proud for bullying a woman while I was gone?¡± Isabelle couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. ¡°Simon, why did you turn out like this for a woman¡¯s sake? We worked so hard to raise you, but now we¡¯re even lesser than some woman? How could you talk to us in that tone?¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Simon was sick of moral ckmail from his family. They always behaved like this ever since he was young. ¡°Mom. I¡¯ve exined the situation to you before. If you can¡¯t ept her, why did you agree to this dinner? Did youe here just to humiliate Amanda in person?¡± He regretted leaving them alone just now. He should¡¯ve brought Amanda with him. He never thought that his so-called noble parents would do such a thing. Frederick was shocked. ¡°Did the girl tell you that we humiliated her? That¡¯s too serious a term; we were just getting her to back off. No one humiliated her!¡± Isabelle agreed. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Also, why is the young master from the Winters Family here? They seem to know each other. What¡¯s going on, Simon?¡± Simon was utterly disappointed in his parents. They didn¡¯te here to have a meal in earnest; instead, they came just to make things difficult for Amanda. Without another word, Simon turned around and left the private room. In the car, Aiden sat in the backseat, wholly focused on ying games. He didn¡¯t even notice his mothering. She instantly felt much calmer when she saw her son in the car. That was how she pulled through all those years. Every time she encountered trouble, she would feel much better as soon as she saw her precious son. She looked at Elias and said. ¡°You took the kid here on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± She wouldn¡¯t believe it if he told her it was just a coincidence. The man didn¡¯t deny it, which meant he admitted to it. He leaned against the car door of the front seat, asking in azy voice, ¡°Do you still want to get married after his parents talked to you like that?¡± ¡°They have a reason to behave like that. If your sones back with a divorced woman who even has a child, will you be able to ept that?¡± Amanda could understand Frederick¡¯s and Isabelle¡¯s feelings, but she still felt quite self-conscious when she heard those words. Elias was nonchnt. ¡°He¡¯s the one who¡¯s going to live with his wife, not me. I¡¯m fine as long as he¡¯s happy. I won¡¯t nitpick that much.¡± The man¡¯s words changed Amanda¡¯s impression of him. ¡°You¡¯re quite open-minded.¡± Elias scoffed proudly. ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± Wait. Something isn¡¯t right. ¨C How did Elias know about my conversation with Simon¡¯s parents? We were in a private room, after all¡­ Amanda walked up to the man. ¡°Elias, how did you know what Simon¡¯s parents said to me? You know so many details as if you were hiding under the table or something.¡± An awkward look shed across Elias¡¯ dark eyes as he coughed twice. This ce is part of the Winterses property. It¡¯s too easy for me to find out what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Amanda was speechless. What sort of coincidence is this? Of all the restaurants in the area, they had picked one the Winterses owned. Amanda remembered something. ¡°So, when we were ordering food just now, you made it so that they¡¯ll say they¡¯re out of ingredients? You¡¯re here just to cause trouble?¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Elias the Tyrant also Elias sneered contemptuously, ¡°So, those sarcastic and derogatory words spoken by Simon¡¯s parents were my instruction?¡± Amanda remained speechless as Simon¡¯s parents¡¯ words made it clear that they looked down on her, deeming her unworthy of their son. In that case, regardless of whether Elias caused trouble tonight, this dinner would end on a sour note because Simon¡¯s parents didn¡¯te to have a meal with her, but they came to make her back down. ¡°Take me home, Amanda said as she headed straight to the passenger seat and got in. Noticing her, Aiden looked up and said, ¡°Mommy, why did youe sote? Mr. Winters and I have waited for a long time.¡± ¡°Sorry, Mommy got held up with something. Let¡¯s go home, alright? Did you have dinner at Mr. Winters house? Are you hungry?¡± Since she hadn¡¯t eaten anything either, she could cook a simple meal at home. But Aiden¡¯s face lit up with excitement as he said, ¡°Mommy, the cook at Mr. Winters¡¯ house makes really delicious food. I ate a lot! Can I go to Mr. Winters¡¯ house for dinner every day?¡± Amanda was speechless upon hearing that and thought that this little brat must have been won over by Elia¡¯s cook. At this moment, Elias got into the car and sat in the driver¡¯s seat before responding. ¡°Of course, you can. Come to my house for dinner every day from now on. Our family cook can make a lot of tasty dishes.¡± ¡°Baby, Mommy has been busy these past few days, and Miss Selina is on leave. So, Mr. Winters will take care of you at his house. You have to be well-behaved and not cause any trouble or mischief, okay?¡± Amanda looked at her son and spoke up. ¡°Ok, Mommy. You¡¯ve nagged about it so many times,¡± Aiden replied before lowering his head and immersing himself in the fun of ying with his phone as his little palms tapped on the screen skillfully. Elias smiled upon seeing that as Elias temper was quite simr to his when he was young. He had always been impatient. Soon, the car engine was started, and the car was driven away. Just then, Simon happened to catch up, but all he saw was the back of the car. So, he drove directly to Gxy Bay Meanwhile, at Gxy Bay, Elias apanied the mother and son back home, but Amanda had no intention of inviting him in for a cup of tea. ¡°Well, you should go back now. You¡¯ve had a long day taking. care of the child,¡± she said. With that, she picked up Aiden and swiftly retrieved the phone from Aiden before handing it back to Elias. Seeing that, Elias epted the phone with a light chuckle. ¡°You truly are heartless. Do I look like a free chauffeur and nanny to you?¡± ¡°What else do you want to do? It¡¯ste already, and we need to go to bed,¡± she replied. She was so exhausted that all she wanted was to return, put the child to sleep, take a rxing bath, and rest. However, Elias disregarded Amanda and turned his attention to Aiden. ¡°Little rascal, since I¡¯ve invited you over to dinner, can you please get me a ss of water?¡± ¡°Mommy bought me some juice. Mr. Winters, would you like some? It¡¯s really delicious. Aiden blinked his doe eyes and looked at him innocently. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m a little thirsty.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Winters invited me to dinner, and I want to offer him some juice too. Aiden hugged Amanda¡¯s neck and requested. Hearing that made Amanda speechless. Consequently, Elias entered their house, and Amanda had to go and pour some juice for him. Aiden, on the other hand, quickly fell asleep due to exhaustion. Just then, the doorbell rang. Amanda walked over and saw Simon standing outside. However, Simon was thest person she wanted to see at that moment, not because of what his parents said, but because she didn¡¯t know how to face him or know what to say. Simon continued to ring the doorbell persistently as he knew that Amanda was home. Elias had just taken a sip of the juice, but it was excessively sweet that he furrowed his brow. He wondered why children liked such sugary stuff. Noticing that she hesitated to open the door, he stood up and walked over. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you opening the door? Is your foe standing outside?¡± After ncing at Simon standing outside the doorbell camera, Elias instantly grasped the situation. ¡°Do you want me to help you get rid of him?¡± ¡°This is his house. How could I bring myself to chase him away?¡± Amanda shook her head. *I¡¯ll help you find a new ce to live. It had always bothered Elias that his wife and child were living in Simon¡¯s vi. It just didn¡¯t sit right with him. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. In the past, she would have definitely refused, but now Amanda nodded. ¡°Just to make things clear, I don¡¯t need you to buy me a house. Help me find a ce, and I¡¯ll pay the rent.¡± After all, Simon¡¯s parents had made their stance clear. There was no point in entangling herself further. Even if she didn¡¯t want to return to Elias side, it was unlikely for her to be with Simon. ¡°Up to you,¡± he answered. In reality, he desired for Amanda and the child to stay at the estate together, but he knew Amanda would undoubtedly refuse. However, the persistent Simon kept ringing the doorbell as he was determined to see her today. If he continued pressing it, he might wake the slumbering Aiden upstairs. With that thought in mind, Amanda grabbed her phone and dialed Simon¡¯s number. It connected swiftly, and the doorbell abruptly ceased. ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m sorry. I genuinely had no knowledge of what my parents said to you. I apologize on their behalf. I¡­ Simon sounded anxious over the phone. Amanda took a moment to calm her emotions and replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Their actions were justifiable. They were thinking about your best interests. I understand.¡± ¡°Can you please open the door? I want to exin. You haven¡¯t eaten anything tonight, have you? Are you. hungry? Let me prepare supper for you.¡± ¡°No need, it¡¯s veryte. You should go back, and please refrain from ringing the doorbell. Aiden is already asleep. After conveying her message, she intended to end the call, but Elias swiftly snatched the phone away. After taking hold of the phone, he spoke with amanding and overbearing tone, ¡°Stop being concerned. I¡¯ll take her out for supper if she¡¯s hungry. Don¡¯t ring the doorbell again and disturb my son. Understood?¡± Following that, he abruptly ended the call. Amanda was dumbfounded. How could this despicable man be so unreasonable? ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Elias gazed calmly at her, seemingly unaware that his words were inappropriate. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but erupt in anger, yelling. ¡°How can you behave like this?! You¡¯re currently in his house, yet you treat them so rudely. Are you nning to be a tyrant?!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you paid the rent? So, it¡¯s legal,¡± Elias snapped back with a sneer. Hearing that made Amanda speechless. Despite being awyer, conversations with Elias always left her speechless. ¡°Have you finished your juice? If you¡¯re done, go home. I want to sleep. I¡¯m tired!¡± ¡°Are you sure you want me to leave? What if that scum barges in after I left? I¡¯m responsible to ensure my son¡¯s safety.¡± Elias narrowed his gaze slightly, ¡°So, you intend to stay here tonight and not leave?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about staying here; it¡¯s about protecting my son.¡± Elias defended himself confidently before returning to the couch and having the sickeningly sweet juice. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 An Inappropriate Scene Meanwhile, Simon stared at his phone furiously after the call was cut off as he stood outside the vi. So. everything that his parents didst night had eventually pushed Amanda into Elias¡¯ arms? Otherwise, why would Elias be inside the house when he couldn¡¯t even enter? At that moment, Simon¡¯s mother called again. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Can¡¯t you leave me alone? Must you make me detest you?¡± Simon impatiently answered the phone. After speaking, he hung up the phone. This was probably the first time he had ever been angry at his mother, and it was because of Amanda. His parents must have been shocked and angry. The next morning, when Amanda woke up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, she discovered Elias lying on the couch. She had gone to sleep upstairs after failing to get through to him last night. Hadn¡¯t he leftst night? Amanda walked up to the couch and called out, ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± The man lying on the couch didn¡¯t respond, and he seemed to be in a deep sleep. With her arms crossed, she then nudged Elias¡¯ arm with her knee, and there was a cold expression on her face. ¡°Elias, wake up! Stop sleeping!¡± The next moment, he abruptly opened his eyes and grabbed her slender right leg. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but let out a scream. ¡°Ah!¡± She then fell onto the couch and into his embrace. Fortunately, Elias reacted quickly enough and managed to hold on to her body tightly. Just like that, the two of them embraced intimately. Elias lowered his head and looked at the woman in his arms with a mischievous smile. His voice was lazy and seductive. ¡°You¡¯re already throwing yourself into my arms so early in the morning. Are you that impatient?¡± Hearing that, Amanda quickly pushed him away and tried to get up, but he held onto her waist so tightly that she couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Let go of me! Don¡¯t be so presumptuous. Who said I was throwing myself at you? I came to check if you had fallen into a deep sleep!¡± Elias, who was embracing her tenderly, leaned in close to her ear and whispered, ¡°Not only did I not fall into a deep sleep. I even had an erotic dream, but you woke me up, and now I¡¯m a little annoyed. Her face flushed instantly. This despicable man is teasing me! Amanda struggled to get up, but Elias held onto her waist, which stopped her from doing so. ¡°You¡¯ve disturbed my sweet dream, and now you want to leave just like that?¡± He spoke in an ambiguous tone. ¡°What else do you have in mind?¡± Just at that moment, footsteps suddenly sounded from upstairs, and Aiden¡¯s cute voice was heard. ¡°Mommy, I want some water. I¡¯m so thirsty¡­¡± With that, Aiden ran downstairs and witnessed this inappropriate scene. ¡°Mommy, what are you guys doing?¡± he asked while blinking his eyes. At this moment, Amanda, who was lying in Elias¡¯ arms, turned her head and looked at her bewildered son ¨Cfor a moment before quickly getting up from the couch. This time. Elias didn¡¯t try to stop her and also sat up. The most awkward thing was letting the child see this scene. Amanda even had the thought of killing Elias since it was all his fault. ¡°Baby, are you thirsty? Mommy will take you to get some water. Let¡¯s go.¡± Amanda forced a stiff smile and walked over to hold Aiden¡¯s hand as she led him toward the kitchen. Meanwhile, Aiden asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, what were you and Mr. Winters doing? Why were you lying together on the couch? Did you sleep on the couchst night?¡± ¡°No, Mommy slept in the roomst night. I identally fell when I tried to wake Mr. Winters just now. You shouldn¡¯t concern yourself with this.¡± Amanda realized that the more she exined, the more confusing it became. She poured a ss of water and handed it to him before saying, ¡°Drink your water quickly. You talk too much.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I thought Mr. Winters was mistreating you. If he dares to do that, I¡¯ll help you get revenge,¡± Aiden said while clutching the mug. Amanda was once again deeply touched when she heard that he still cared about her. Unexpectedly. Aiden¡¯s next words nearly made her explode with anger. ¡°If Mr. Winters lets me drive his cars when I grow up. I¡¯ll forgive him. There was a look of anticipation on his face, and his mind was filled with images of the sports cars in the garage. If only he could drive them for fun. Amanda was speechless when she realized that Aiden was captivated by those sports cars in the garage and that his devotion was unwavering. With that, Amanda lightly tapped his head and said, ¡°Go wash up by yourself today. Mommy will make breakfast for you. Hurry up.¡± Hearing that, Aiden touched his own forehead and replied, ¡°Oh¡­ okay.¡± Aiden then hurried off to the living room and saw Elias sitting on the couch, seemingly on the phone. When Elias noticed him, he ended the call. ¡°Mr. Winters, will you take me to schoolter?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Elias replied. ¡°Can I sit next to you? I want to sit next to you!¡± Aiden looked expectant. ¡°Your Mommy won¡¯t agree. You need to sit in the back with the child¡¯s car seat.¡± Elias didn¡¯t want to indulge the child in this matter. However, Aiden pouted and started whining. ¡°Please, Mr. Winters, just don¡¯t tell Mommy. She won¡¯t find out.¡± Neither Amanda nor Elias was the whiny type, so it made Elias wonder where Aiden learned such skills. Is it innate to children? Soon, Elias came up with a solution. ¡°Alright, how about this? When I pick you up from school today, we¡¯ll go to my house, and you can sit in the front seat. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Yay! Mr. Winters, are we going to drive the red car from the garage today? That¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Wow, Mr. Winters, you¡¯re the best!¡± Aiden happily ran upstairs to wash up. After finishing breakfast, Elias drove and took Aiden to school while Amanda drove to thew firm. As soon as Amanda arrived at thew firm, she felt unprecedented pressure. She knew Simon would come to talk to her, especially after the unpleasant dinner they hadst night. Sure enough, as soon as she entered the office, she saw Simon holding a tray with a big breakfast while sitting on the couch in the waiting area. ¡°Amanda, have you had breakfast? I bought some for you,¡± Simon turned around when he heard the door open and stood up. Seeing Simon now reminded her of what his parents saidst night, and she really didn¡¯t want to continue getting involved with him. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten. Do you have something to discuss with me? I have a court hearing today.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t dare to look into Simon¡¯s eyes and went straight to her desk as she pretended to search for documents. Simon could tell she was avoiding him. ¡°Amanda, I want to talk to you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it another day. I¡¯m busy these days. I have a court hearing and need to meet with clients¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to avoid him but didn¡¯t know how to approach the conversation with him. Before she could finish her sentence, he interrupted, saying, ¡°About the hurtful things my parents said to you yesterday¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t expect them to behave that way. I thought they genuinely invited you to dinner.¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 I Have Boundaries. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I understand how your parents feel. Actually, I think they have valid concerns. I just didn¡¯t give enough thought to the situation¡­ Hearing this, Simon felt a tinge of disappointment. ¡°So, are you giving up then? I¡¯ll talk to my parents and persuade them. You don¡¯t need to worry about that. All you have to do is just stand firmly by my side.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Simon, a rtionship without the blessings of parents won¡¯t lead to happiness. I advise you to heed your parents¡¯ advice. I thought about itst night, and we truly aren¡¯t suited for each other. She believed that Simon¡¯s parents wouldn¡¯t change their minds, and she didn¡¯t want to face such difficult inws, so it would be better to let it go. With that, Amanda gathered a few file folders and nced at Simon who was standing there. ¡°I have to attend a court hearing now. We can talkter if you have time.¡± Following that, she turned and left the office. Simon felt powerless as he stood there and wondered why Amanda couldn¡¯t be more resolute about their rtionship. Soon, the sun began to set. In order to pick up his son, Elias abruptly left a high-level meeting, which left a group of executives dumbfounded. He brought Elias back to the estate and carried him out of the car. He was preparing to take him for dinner. As he entered the vi, he spotted Howard, who was sitting in the living room. Howard, who initially had a stern expression, was about to scold him when he looked over and saw the child in Elias¡¯ arms, which surprised him. Aiden eximed upon seeing Howard, ¡®Grandpa, what a coincidence! Why are you here too?¡± Howard was even more shocked and approached with his cane. This¡­ This child¡­ How is he here? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s from our family?¡± ¡°What? Have you met him before?¡± Elias furrowed his brow as he asked. At that, the bodyguard standing nearby exined, ¡°Mr. Elias, Old Mr. Winters used to visit the kindergarten frequently to see the children, and he saw this child. He even thought the child resembles your younger self.¡± Elias was momentarily stunned, then chuckled lightly, ¡°Grandpa, this little guy not only looks like me, but he¡¯s also my biological son.¡± ¡°W-What? This child is really yours? Howard couldn¡¯t have imagined that the child he casually encountered at the kindergarten would turn out to be his great-grandchild. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s Amanda¡¯s child. She was pregnant four years ago, but I didn¡¯t believe her and chose to divorce her. Later, she gave birth to the child on her own, and I only found out recently.¡± Elias briefly exined the child¡¯s background, fearing that Howard might faint right then and there if he provided too many details. ¡°You scoundrel!¡± As expected, Howard¡¯s blood pressure rose, and he swung his cane at Elias. ¡°You didn¡¯t believe your wife when she said she was pregnant! Instead, you believed those seductresses! You even let my great-grandson wander around for four years! I¡¯ll beat you to death, you worthless thing!¡± Elias didn¡¯t dodge as he believed he deserved to be hit. How could he have let his biological son wander around abroad for four years? Meanwhile, Aiden, who was in his arms, was clearly frightened and pouted. His eyes were welling up with I Have Boundaries. tears. ¡°I want Mommy¡­¡± Seeing him cry instantly made Howard stop. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. Great-Grandpa was wrong. Did I scare you?¡± ¡°Grandpa, he hasn¡¯t eaten yet. Let me take him for a meal first. Would you like to join us?¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll have a meal with my little great-grandson.¡± Howard beamed. Despite being angry and shocked, he considered it a blessing from heaven to have a great-grandson suddenly appear out of nowhere. In the restaurant, Aiden sat obediently on the dining chair, but his eating habits were adorable, as he was a messy eater with food on his face. Elias and Howard sat on the side while watching the little one cat. Howard, who grew fonder of Aiden the more he watched, said, ¡°Oh, this kid really knows how to eat. He looks so much like you when you were little. The more I look, the more he resembles you. But you weren¡¯t this well-behaved when you were young. You were quite mischievous.¡± A smile appeared on Elias¡¯ face as he looked at his son, who waspletely engrossed in his meal. At that moment, the butler approached, seemingly having something to say. ¡°If you have something to say, speak up. There are no outsiders here,¡± Elias said while scooping a bowl of soup for his son. The butler reported truthfully, ¡°Recently, the sanatorium informed us that Madam¡¯s condition has improved significantly, and they suggest she returns home for recuperation as it will be more beneficial to her recovery. Madam insists oning back and wants Miss Murphy to apany her. Elias paused his action of feeding Aiden the soup. ¡°Grace? How dare she show up in front of me?¡± ¡°Miss Murphy has been trying every means to see you. I believe she has also influenced Madam¡¯s thoughts. Madam has a great deal of trust in her and insists on having her stay together. I have amodated them in the Southview Vi,¡± the butler replied. At that, Elias responded indifferently, ¡°Fine, do as you wish. Just don¡¯t let me see her. Then, he asked again, ¡°How¡¯s the injury on her face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not recovering well, and it¡¯s likely to leave a scar. Foreign experts have also consulted on the matter, stating they can help with scar restoration, but it can only recover to about sixty to seventy percent. Miss Murphy may not be able to return to the entertainment industry in the future, the butler answered truthfully. ¡°Understood. You may leave and attend to your duties.¡± Elias¡¯ expression turned grave after hearing that. After the butler left, Howard spoke up. ¡°Are you still nning to get involved with Grace? If you continue like this, even if you have a child together, you have no chance with Amanda.¡± Howard had long figured it out. As long as there was a glimmer of hope for Grace, she would surely obstruct the remarriage of Amanda and Elias. ¡úGrandpa, I have my boundaries. I will fulfill my responsibilities but won¡¯t have any personal feelings for her. Besides, there was never much affection between us, to begin with,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t have much attachment to Grace, as he was only being nice to her out of respect for Kennedy. Moreover, he now understood that he hadn¡¯t slept with Grace as he had mistakenly believed before, so there was no need to feel guilty anymore. Grace¡¯s true nature was quite different from the innocent and pure image he had imagined. Moreover, he never expected her to be so scheming. ¡°You better handle it properly. Otherwise, if you anger Amanda to the point where she leaves again, you won¡¯t be able to find her anymore, and no one can help you.¡± Howard snorted coldly. Elias remained silent and continued to feed Aiden his meal. The little one was truly obedient when it came to eating as he had one mouthful after another. Of course, Elias knew all of this. This time, he would never disappoint Amanda. No matter what happens, he will firmly choose to believe in her. Howard looked at Aiden again and couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°My great-grandson looks so handsome. He looks much better than you did when you were little. And he eats so obediently. You weren¡¯t this well-behaved when you were young. A nanny had to chase after you during every meal.¡± Hearing that made Elias speechless. Just how naughty was he when he was little? Why did he remember his grandpa always praising him back then? Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Aiden Freaked Out In the meantime, at Southview Vi, Jennifer was having dinner with Grace. In reality. Jennifer was never crazy. She hid herself at the nursing home because she couldn¡¯t ept the harsh reality. ¡°I heard that Old Mr. Winters is here too. He is having dinner with Mr. Winters and a child,¡± Rosanne said out of the blue. ¡°A child? What child?¡± asked Jennifer as she put down her utensils, looking confused. On the other hand, Grace¡¯s heart almost stopped. After all, she was the only one who knew where the child came from. She had tried everything to stop Elias from knowing the child¡¯s existence, yet he still found out. Thinking about it, she gripped her utensils tightly and frowned. If Elias knew about the child¡¯s existence, he wouldn¡¯t give up on Amanda. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I heard that it was Mr. Winters who brought the child back,¡± added Rosanne. ¡°What is he doing? Why did he bring a child back?¡± Jennifer mumbled. Grace slowly drank the soup and said, ¡°I dreamed about Ynst night, Mrs. Winters.¡± Jennifer¡¯s expression changed drastically when she heard Grace mention Yn, causing her to sit up straight instantly. ¡°What was the dream about?¡± ¡°He was lying in a puddle of blood while mumbling something. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t hear what he was talking about¡­ Grace lied without batting an eysh. She knew this was the only way to control Jennifer, which was also the only person she could use. In the meantime, Jennifer¡¯s face was pale. She put a hand over her chest and said, ¡°No wonder I feel unsettled for the past few days. Elias¡¯ car ident is already a lesson. I won¡¯t let anything happen to him again. ¡°I think there is something wrong with what happened back then. After all, everything seems too perfectly inclined.¡± Grace feigned innocence, seemingly as if she knew nothing about it. Jennifer looked at Rosanne and said, ¡°The priests areing soon. Hurry up and tell them to do the exorcism. I feel like Yn¡¯s ghost is following me.¡± Jennifer wanted to stay with Grace because she felt that it would be safer. Rosanne looked at the time and replied, ¡°They are almost here. You can see them after finishing your meal¡± ¡°No. Let¡¯s go now. I don¡¯t feel like eating anymore.¡± Jennifer stood up and left with a crazed look. On the other hand, Grace smirked viciously and followed her. In the meantime, Aiden had finished dinner and wanted to y with cars in the garage. With that. Elias could only oblige. Howard had already left since he had errands to run. However, he was reluctant to leave Aiden¡¯s side. ¡°Bring the kid to the manor tomorrow. I¡¯ll be waiting for you guys. If you dare not toe, I will teach you a lesson¡± As Howard spoke, he looked at Aiden adoringly. It felt unbelievable since he had never expected a grandson to appear out of nowhere suddenly. Elias had already had enough of it. After all, Howard had mentioned it multiple times. Old people are love to nag he thought while saying, ¡°Okay. I will¡± After watching Howard enter the car and leave, Elias carried Aiden and walked toward the garage. ¡°Are you going to drive the car, Mr. Winters? I want to y.¡± Aiden looked at him with bright eyes. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Yeah! You are the best, Mr. Winters. Hearing his words, Elias chuckled. Up until now, he had not yet returned to his senses that Aiden was his son. He couldn¡¯t believe that he was a father. Suddenly, Aiden noticed a spark not far away. ¡°Look! Fireworks!¡± he eximed.. Confused, Elias looked over and saw sparksing from Southview Vi. What is Mom doing again? He frowned. Next, he heard chantinging from there. ¡°What¡¯s that noise, Mr. Winters? It¡¯s so noisy¡­¡± Aiden covered his ears. He didn¡¯t know what the chanting was about and felt it was noisy. Elias looked at him and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and take a look?¡± Initially, he could tell the servants to take Aiden away. However, he didn¡¯t want to leave Aiden¡¯s side even for a second. ¡°Okay.¡± Aiden nodded. Thus, Elias carried Aiden and walked toward Southview Vi. As they walked closer to the vi, Elias could hear the chanting clearer. His expression turned grim when he realized what was happening. As soon as he entered the house, he saw Jennifer and Grace kneeling while a group of priests was performing an exorcism. ¡°What are you guys doing?!¡± Elias barked. Immediately, Jennifer and Grace turned to look at him. ¡°Be quiet now, Elias. They are performing a ritual,¡± replied Jennifer as she prayed wholeheartedly. Grace stood up and smiled happily. ¡°Elias¡± It had been a long time since she hadst seen him. She couldn¡¯t get a hold of him, nor could she see him in the office. Now, she could finally meet him This is ridiculous! Get out!¡± Elias scowled at the priests. He could tell that they were imposters at first nce. He never expected someone to be bold enough to trick his family. At this moment, Aiden was frightened by Elias¡¯ sudden outrage. He cried aloud through the room. In the meantime, Jennifer noticed Aiden and approached them. ¡°Who is this child? How could you simply bring a child back?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright now. I¡¯m sorry I scared you?¡± Elias gently patted Aiden¡¯s back when he realized he had frightened thetter. As he walked out of the vi, he said to the butler, ¡°Get those imposters out of here!¡± ¡°Yes¡± Aiden was still crying nonstop. After all, this was his first time seeing such an angry Elias. Elias took Aiden to the garden and put him on the chair. Then, heforted him, saying, ¡°Stop crying now, Aiden. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have been so fierce.¡± Aiden Freaked Out Aiden cried miserably and said, ¡°I want Mommy. I want to go home.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to y in the garage? I¡¯ll send you back to Mommyter, okay?¡± Elias looked at the time and saw that it was still early, which meant that Amanda hadn¡¯t got off work yet. Hearing his words, Aiden pouted and said sadly, ¡°No! I want Mommy now. I want her¡­ Give me the phone. I want to call Mommy!¡± Elias was speechless and didn¡¯t know how tofort Aiden. After all, he wasn¡¯t used to it. Just as he was about to call Amanda, a servant approached him and said, ¡°Miss Bailey is here, Mr. Winters. She said she had returned from work early and was here to pick up Aiden.¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Aiden saw Amanda¡¯s figure and immediately stopped crying. He jumped off the chair and rushed toward her. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 The Ex-Daughter-In-Law That You Never Met Elias stood up and looked at Amanda, who was approaching them. Seeing that Aiden had flung himself into Amanda¡¯s embrace, one would assume he was torturing the kid. ¡°Mommy Aiden cried. Amanda hugged him and panicked when she heard him crying, wondering what had happened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Mr. Winters hurt you? Why are you crying?¡± Aiden wrapped his arms around her neck and cried. ¡°No, it¡¯s not Mr. Winters. I am afraid of those weird people. They were wearing very strange clothes,¡± Huh? Weird people that wore strange clothes? Thinking about it, she hugged him and said softly. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t cry¡± After some time, Aiden fell asleep on her shoulder. Amanda knew that he must have yed happily to be so worn out. ¡°Let¡¯s put him on the couch,¡± said Elias when he saw Amanda wearing high heels. Her legs would hurt if she carried Aiden in those heels. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can carry him.¡± ¡°Are you trying to hurt your legs?¡± Elias said mercilessly. Hearing his words, Amanda lowered her head and looked at her high heels. To be honest, it was tiring for her since Aiden was getting heavier as he grew older. Thus, she gently ced Aiden on the couch. At this moment, Jennifer¡¯s voice rang behind them. ¡°Why did you throw them out of the house. Elias? They are the priests I hired for the exorcism. Recently, I¡¯ve felt like Yn¡¯s ghost is following me. Did you forget about the car incident? Yn is avenging himself! He even chose to kill himself on your birthday! Don¡¯t you learn from your mistakes?!¡± ¡°This is outrageous, Mom!¡± Elias felt his heart throbbing as he looked at Jennifer. Amanda turned around and saw Jennifer for the first time. When she and Elias secretly married, she never saw Jennifer, only ever meeting Howard. This was the first time she had seen her mother-inw. Although it was already in the past, she still eyed Jennifer up and down. Although she dresses like a rich person¡­. Thinking about this, she cleared her throat and said, ¡°The car ident was not a coincidence, Mrs. Winters. Rx, this doesn¡¯t have anything to do with ghosts. Then, she saw a group of priests leave Southview Vi. Are they the people Aiden is talking about? she thought. To be honest, any child would get scared if they saw such a thing. Moreover, Aiden had been living abroad since he was little and had never seen anyone dressed as such. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And you are?¡± Jennifer looked at the beautiful woman who seemed to be awyer. Amanda smiled and said, Tm the ex-daughter-inw you haven¡¯t met before.¡± In that split second, Jennifer¡¯s eyes widened. Is this Elias¡¯er-wifer ¡°Are you the poor woman Old Mr. Winters forced Elias to marry?¡± The Ex-Daughter-In-Law That You Never Met Poor woman? Pffi¡­ I can¡¯t believe how harshly she addresses me, thought Amanda. However, I was indeed poor when I got married to Elias. Moreover, I had a father who was a gambler, as well as a mother who was severely ill. ¡°Yes. However, I am now his ex-wife, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me ruining your son¡¯s future,¡± Amanda said calmly with a stoic expression. Hearing Jennifer¡¯s harsh words, Elias frowned and said. ¡°You are the mistress of the Winters Family. How can you be so rude?¡± ¡°The truth hurts the most, Elias. Although I have never seen your ex-wife, I have heard things about her. She has a father who gambles and a severely ill mother who also needs your money. Plus, she had been relying on you when you guys got married. Thus, there¡¯s nothing wrong with calling her a poor woman.¡± Amanda smiled bitterly and realized she used to be so pitiful. No wonder Elias used to despise me. I guess he is impressed with me now since I¡¯m able to earn money without relying on others, thought Amanda. She felt that women should be financially independent. That way, only others would not underestimate them. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± replied Amanda. Elias frowned and looked at Jennifer. ¡°Go home!¡± However, Jennifer suddenly remembered Amanda¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean the car ident was not a coincidence? Do you have any proof?¡± At this moment, Grace approached them. She was surprised to see Amanda since she didn¡¯t expect thetter to be here. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Mrs. Winters. I¡¯m sure Elias knows his limits.¡± Even then, she pretended to be kind and tried to drag Jennifer away Jennifer swatted Grace¡¯s hand away and looked at Amanda. ¡°Is there anything to prove that the car ident was man-made?¡± She still believed that this was revenge from Yn. Looking at Grace¡¯s innocent appearance, Amanda smirked coldly and said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Grace about it? She knows exactly what happened. After all, she was the one behind it.¡± ¡°Nonsense! You don¡¯t have any evidence!¡± Grace barked. Hearing their conversation, Elias kept quiet. After all, he couldn¡¯t trust Grace anymore after everything she had done. He recalled how Amanda had always used Grace of being the culprit when they fought in the office. Could it really be¡­ Grace! ¡°You¡¯ve done so many horrible things in the past, so there¡¯s nothing strange if you were the one behind it. Plus, I have evidence. I heard your conversation entirely, but I didn¡¯t record it. Also, do you think Elias would still believe you? I feel pity for you, Grace. What else can you do other than ruining your face?¡± Amanda chuckled and carried Aiden from the couch. Then, she looked at Elias and said, ¡°TIl be heading back. I can¡¯t stand here any longer.¡± Elias didn¡¯t stop her since he didn¡¯t want Aiden to be frightened again. I¡¯ll send you back. Get in the backseat with Aiden. You need to take care of him.¡± Amanda¡¯ didn¡¯t refuse and nodded her head. Then, she carried Aiden and walked the other way. In the meantime, Jennifer was confused. She stepped forward and grabbed Elias¡¯ arm, asking. ¡°What does she mean by that, Elias? What does this have to do with Grace? What is going on?¡± ¡°You have to trust me, Mrs. Winters. I would never do anything to hurt Elias. Never!¡± Grace cried. Hearing her words, Elias red at her coldly and said, ¡°I will look into this matter. Before the truth is out, stay here and don¡¯t try to leave. I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± ¡°Elias! Don¡¯t tell me you believe her. How could I hurt you when I love you so much?¡± Grace panicked. Never did she expect that Elias wouldn¡¯t believe her at all. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 There Is Still a Long Road Ahead Before Elias Can Win Amanda¡¯s Heart Elias ignored her and followed Amanda. Grace¡¯s heart dropped when she saw Elias ignoring her. Do I really not stand a chance? Jennifer looked at Grace suspiciously, still thinking about what Amanda had said. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Do you believe her too?¡± Tears fell from the corner of Grace¡¯s eyes as she spoke. ¡°Impossible.¡± Jennifer quickly denied it. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I trust, Grace. I believe that you are the one who truly loves Elias. I will never believe that poor woman¡¯s words.¡± Hearing her words, Grace hugged Jennifer as she cried helplessly. ¡°I love Elias so much, Mrs. Winters. I would never do anything to hurt him.¡± Amanda sat in the backseat with Aiden while Elias drove the car. On their way home, none of them said anything, seemingly as if they were afraid of disturbing Aiden¡¯s slumber. Still, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You refused to listen to me when I told you that Grace was behind the ident. You even pped me. Yet, why are you so calm now? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± She wondered if Elias truly believed her. Elias looked at her through the rear mirror and said, ¡°Although I don¡¯t have solid evidence, Grace can¡¯t be trusted either.¡± Hearing his words, Amanda didn¡¯t know what to say. The duo stayed quiet as they drove back to Gxy Bay. When they arrived, Elias exited the car and opened the door for Amanda. Then, he carried Aiden from Amanda¡¯s arms. In that split second, Amanda thought as if they were still married; it was as if they had a happy life and a cute child. Elias carried Aiden to the bedroom upstairs and put him to bed, covering the little one with a nket before leaving the room. Downstairs, Amanda had brewed him a cup of tea. Elias sat on the couch and asked, ¡°When will you be moving out? I have already prepared a new ce for you. You can pay as much rent as you want. I don¡¯t mind.¡± After all, he didn¡¯t need the money, nor did he need it for a living. However, he knew Amanda wouldn¡¯t leave if he gave her the ce for free. Amanda thought momentarily before saying. ¡°In another two days, perhaps. I need to be at the court tomorrow, and I have a party to attend. Also, I need you to help take care of Aiden tomorrow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask. Aiden is also my son. It is my responsibility to take care of him,¡± Elias replied in a low voice. Although he also had to be at a party tomorrow, he wouldn¡¯t mind taking Aiden with him. After all, he didn¡¯t want to miss any more time with Aiden when he had already lost four years with his son. Amanda said nothing more. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to help you with your stuff when you move,¡± said Elias. There Is Still a Long Road Ahead Before Elias Can Win ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing much to take since I only have a suitcase with me.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving, then.¡± Elias stood up and acted as if he was about to leave. Amanda stood up with him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to the door.¡± Looking at her, Elias said nothing. How heartless of her. I¡¯m worried about her and Aiden, yet she doesn¡¯t seem to want me to stay. Elias walked to the entrance and turned to look at Amanda. ¡°Will you and the kid be safe tonight? Should I apany you two?¡± he asked. ¡°You think too much. We are safer if there are only two of us. Hurry up and leave. Thank you for taking care of Aiden. Goodbye.¡± Amanda opened the door and gestured for him to leave. Elias had a grim expression as he turned and exited. With a loud bang, the door was closed shut. Looking at the closed door, Elias was upset. It seems like Amanda still isn¡¯t giving me a second chance. How will I be able to get back with her if she refuses to let me be near her? As he thought about it, he felt that he still had a long way to go before being able to win Amanda¡¯s heart. The next day, since Elias had a party to attend, he brought Aiden to have dinner before taking him to the party. ¡°Stay here with Mr. Mills. I¡¯ll be back real quick. We¡¯ll y with your cars at home after this, okay?¡± Elias decided to leave after being there for mere formality since tonight¡¯s organizer was his friend. ¡°Okay. Be back soon, Mr. Winters.¡± Aiden nodded his head. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Elias ruffled his head and smiled at him adoringly. However, when he raised his head and looked at Yacob, his expression had turned cold. Looking at his expression, Yacob couldn¡¯t help but mumble inwardly that Elias was quick to change his mood. After all, he looked at Aiden affectionately while looking at others as if they were his nemesis. ¡°You can take him around. However, do not let him leave your side even for a second. Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Elias looked at A onest time before entering the party. He felt assured since Aiden was with Yacob. Initially, Amanda didn¡¯t want to join the party tonight. However, one of her clients had organized it, so it would be inappropriate for her to be absent. However, she never thought she would encounter Simon¡¯s mother. It can¡¯t be such a coincidence, can it? Amanda thought as she quickly turned around. She knew it would be awkward if she went to greet Isabelle, but thetter had already seen her. Thus, she didn¡¯t know what to do Just as she was thinking about how to leave, her client approached her with a smile. There you are, Miss Bailey. I have been looking for you. I thought you wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°Mrs. Anderson, Amanda greeted with a smile. She had helped Mrs. Anderson, also known as Donia Reese, to win a massive sum after the divorce. Thus, Donia treated her as a benefactor and wanted to befriend her. At this moment, Isabelle was approaching their way, seemingly as if she had seen Amanda, ¡°I was just going to look for you, Mrs. Nicholson. I must say, your son¡¯sw firm has a wonderful lawyer.. She helped me win my court case. Say, isn¡¯t Simon single? Miss Bailey is single too. Why not think of getting them together?¡± Isabelle¡¯s expression changed drastically upon hearing Donia¡¯s words. After all, she wanted to separate them, yet Donia was trying to hook them up. Just as Amanda was about to say something, Isabelle beat her to it. ¡°Although Miss Bailey is indeed an outstanding woman, I don¡¯t think she is suitable for my son. Plus, it would be troublesome if they work together while dating¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? After all, firste, first serve.¡± Donia smiled. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t refuse Donia¡¯s proposal, Isabelle said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Miss Bailey is divorced and has a son. I don¡¯t think her child would be happy if Simon bes his stepdad.¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Who Do You Think You Are?! As soon as Isabelle¡¯s words fell, the atmosphere became tense. Donia¡¯s smile stiffened, for she didn¡¯t expect Amanda to have started a family at such a young age. On the other hand, Amanda had a grim expression. She couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said to Isabelle coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t like your son anymore, Mrs. Nicholson. Do you think it¡¯s necessary to spread around the fact that I¡¯ve been through a divorce and have a child?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not spreading stuff around. I¡¯m just exining it to Mrs. Anderson. After all, she knows nothing about this.¡± Isabelle didn¡¯t think what she did was wrong. Donia would keep insisting Amanda and Simon get together if she didn¡¯t exin clearly. While suppressing her anger, Amanda looked at Donia and said, ¡°Please excuse me, Mrs. Anderson. I still have some ces to be. Goodbye.¡± Since she didn¡¯t know anyone at the party, she felt it was enough since she had already arrived. Thus, she immediately walked away after informing Donia. Tm Donia chased after her and apologized, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Bailey. I didn¡¯t know you had gone through that. I.. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mrs. Anderson. I get it.¡± Amanda smiled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the mood when it¡¯s getting nice. I¡¯ll be going home, then.¡± Just as she turned around, she saw Simon. Why is he here? thought Amanda. The people she hated were all at today¡¯s party. ¡°Amanda!¡± Simon approached her as soon as he saw her. However, Amanda walked past him and said, ¡°I still have some things to do. I¡¯m leaving.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Hang on, Amanda. I need to talk to you about something.¡± Before Simon could chase after her, Isabelle grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Where are you going? Can¡¯t you see that she doesn¡¯t want to talk to you?¡± ¡°Can you please leave me alone? Also, why does Amanda look like she¡¯s in a bad mood? Did you say anything to her?¡± Simon looked at her impatiently. ¡°How can you talk to your mother like this? Everything I do is for your own good. I can¡¯t see why you¡¯re in love with her when she¡¯s a divorcee and has a child. Why can¡¯t you choose someone else instead?¡± Simon looked at her with disdain and said, ¡°When did you be so vulgar and cruel?¡± With that, he swatted her hand away and left the party. Isabelle wanted to chase after Simon, but Donia stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s best if we let them be, Mrs. Nicholson Plus, being divorced isn¡¯t a big deal. It¡¯s nothing if they truly love each other.¡± Isabelle was furious when she heard that ¡°Look who¡¯s talking. Would you be happy if your son is in love with a woman who has a child? Stop sticking your nose in my business when you know nothing¡± She turned around and left, leaving Donia standing there upsettingly. ¡°How rude of her!¡± Donia scolded. Amanda took the elevator to the first floor. As soon as the door opened, so did the other elevator. She was startled when she saw Elias. What a coincidence. Why is everyone here? The door slowly opened, and Elias walked out. He was also surprised to see Amanda in the other elevator. ¡°Are you attending a party here?¡± Amanda nodded as she exited the elevator. ¡°I see. I have a party on the fourth floor,¡± replied Elias. Suddenly, Amanda thought of something and asked, ¡°If you are here, where¡¯s Aiden? Did you leave him at the vi? If I had known this sooner, I would have brought him with me. I asked you to take care of Aiden because I didn¡¯t want you to leave him! Don¡¯t you understand?!¡± At this moment, her heart was racing wildly since Grace was now staying at Southview Vi. She couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if Grace decided to hurt Aiden again. On the other hand, Elias was dissatisfied with Amanda¡¯s attitude. After all, she acted as if he was an irresponsible father who would abandon his child without reason. ¡°Do I look like that kind of person? ! was just going to greet them and leave. Yacob is staying with Aiden,¡± replied Elias grimly. Amanda breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that. After all, Yacob was a skillful bodyguard. Thus, she would be reassured if he was by Aiden¡¯s side. ¡°Okay. Just don¡¯t let him stay with Grace,¡± Amanda reminded once again. Elias frowned and asked, ¡°Does that mean Grace long knew about my son and didn¡¯t tell me about it?¡± He could understand that Amanda didn¡¯t want to tell him about Aiden¡¯s existence since she was afraid he would take Aiden away. However, Grace had always confessed her love to him, yet she never told him about Aiden¡¯s existence. At that moment, Elias was disappointed in Grace. After she had used Amanda of ruining her face, he had lost trust in her. Amanda huffed coldly and said, ¡°You can never tell who is a b*tch. I can¡¯t believe you kept her by your side and treated her like a gem.¡± Elias said nothing since Amanda was right. Ding, dong! Suddenly, the elevator opened again and out came Simon. ¡°Amanda!¡± Hearing Simon¡¯s call, Amanda and Elias turned their heads toward him simultaneously. Only then did Simon notice that Elias was there too. He wondered why, but he had no time to think any further. He approached them and said. ¡°Amanda, please don¡¯t listen to my mom if she said anything hurtful. Her words aren¡¯t mine.¡± Elias snorted. ¡°What are you? A mommy¡¯s boy? You only talk about her¡± Simon ignored him and looked at Amanda. ¡°Do you have some spare time? I need to talk to you. I have been meaning to talk to you, but you keep saying that you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time tonight. Speaking of which, I¡¯m moving out. I¡¯m not going to stay at Gxy Bay Who Do You Think You Are?! anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re moving out?¡± Simon¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Where will you be staying? Do you really want to end things between us?¡± At this moment, he suddenly realized how serious this was. If Amanda started to distance herself from him, they would be strangers the next time they met. Elias couldn¡¯t stand it and stood in front of Amanda. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. She¡¯s just informing you that she is leaving¡± ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go and find Aiden.¡± With that, he grabbed Amanda¡¯s hand and left. Simon gripped his knuckles tightly and bellowed, ¡°Who do you think you are, Elias?! Why are you pretending to be a good husband when you previously abandoned them?!¡± Simon couldn¡¯t understand why Amanda would easily forgive Elias when he was the one who took care of her for four years. He wondered if Amanda was a fool and wanted to make the same mistake again. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Mr Winters Is Scary Elias was furious at Simon¡¯s words. He already loathed Simon, yet thetter still tried to push his luck. In that split second, Elias punched Simon in the face, causing the other to sway to the side with blood in his mouth. ¡°This is none of your f*cking business! I dare you to say it again!¡± Simon smiled as he wiped off the blood at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Why? Are you afraid of the truth? You were the one who did those things!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to regret your words!¡± As Elias spoke, he loosened his tie and was prepared to fight. Meanwhile, Amanda was startled as she stood next to him. ¡°Stop. Elias! Don¡¯t do it! We¡¯re outside!¡± Amanda tried to drag him away but was pushed aside. ¡°Step out of this, Amanda. This is a war between men.¡± ¡°Do you have to get hurt again to learn from your mistakes, Amanda? Do you really want to be with him again? Have you forgotten how he treated you and Aiden? You can¡¯t change him for what he is!¡± As Simon spoke, he grunted when Elias punched him again. This time, Simon fell to the ground. At this moment, Elias was enraged. ¡°You are digging your own grave for trying to stir trouble between us!¡± Then, he was about to step on Simon. ¡°Stop it, Elias!¡± Amanda screamed. She knew Elias well. As soon as he was riled up, he would beat his opponent to death. Simon looked thinpared to Elias, so there was no way he could survive the beating Unfortunately, no one could stop the two men as they were already riled up. Simon got up and was about to fight back, but Elias beat him to it. After all, Elias had learned boxing for many years, so his body was ustomed to it At this moment, Aiden, who was walking toward them, saw the scene. ¡°Mommy!¡± He froze on the spot and grabbed Yacob¡¯s hand tightly. Seeing the injuries on Simon¡¯s face and how fierce Elias was, Aiden cried out loud. Tears brimmed his eyes as he looked at the scene. When Elias heard Aiden¡¯s cries, he stopped and looked back. ¡°Aiden.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Baby¡± Amanda walked toward Aiden, who looked like he was about to cry, then hugged him. Simon hadn¡¯t expected Aiden to show up either. In that split second, he didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°Is Mr. Winters a bad guy, Mommy? Why did he beat Mr. Simon? Mr. Winters is so scary.¡± Aiden choked back a sob. Elias was heartbroken when he heard that. Now, he was the bad guy in Aiden¡¯s eyes. However, there was no way he could exin what had happened. to Aiden. Half an hourter, Elias drove Amanda and Aiden back home. Simon had left because he was afraid he would scare Aiden. Still, it was evident that Aiden had distanced himself away from Elias He didn¡¯t say Mr Winters Is Scary anything and leaned against Amanda with a scared look on his face. Soon, the car stopped at Gxy Bay ¡°Say goodbye to Mr. Winters, Baby. We¡¯re home.¡± Amanda looked at Aiden. Yet, Aiden said nothing and stared at Elias. Then, he opened the door and quickly ran out, seeming to be hiding from the bad guy. Once again, Elias was distressed. He couldn¡¯t believe that Aiden was refusing to talk to him. At that moment, he pushed open the door and walked toward Aiden, blocking the little one¡¯s path. However, before he was able to say anything, Aiden screamed, Hel Why is he calling for help? Elias looked at him in confusion. me, Mommy!¡± Hearing Aiden¡¯s call, Amanda quickly exited the car, and Aiden immediately hid behind her, looking at Elias as if he was a monster. ¡°Why are you calling for help? I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Elias was confused. ¡°You hit Mr. Simon, so you are a bad guy. Mommy once said that I need to stay away from them,¡± exined Aiden as he hid behind Amanda. Hearing his words, Amanda didn¡¯t know what to say. After all, she had told Aiden to stay away from bad people. Yet, she never expected that this would happen to Elias. Mr. Simon¡­ It¡¯s always him! He calls Simon by his name, yet he addresses me by my surname! Thinking about this, Elias felt the urge to beat Simon up again. Nheless, he slowly kneeled before Aiden and exined patiently, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Aiden. Also, don¡¯t simply call others by their name. You got that?¡± ¡°You are a bad guy! You hit Mr. Simon, and he is a good man!¡± At that, Aiden rushed back into the vi like he was fleeing for his life. Elias stood up and was about to chase after Aiden. He needed to teach his son not to sp an enemy to his bosom. ¡°Forget it. He won¡¯t listen to you now.¡± Amanda grabbed his arm. ¡°Is this how you teach him? To have a stranger as his father? Why does he address us differently? I am his father!¡± Elias couldn¡¯t suppress his jealousy anymore. ¡°What does this have to do with me? Plus, what are you talking about? Simon took care of us for the past. four years when we stayed abroad. There¡¯s nothing wrong if Aiden thinks of him as his father. Also, who told you to beat Simon in front of Aiden?!¡± Amanda thought that he was being unreasonable. As Simon said, she couldn¡¯t change who he was. Thus, she couldn¡¯t expect him to be a loving father when he was such a temperamental man. Elias didn¡¯t say anything as Amanda kept quiet. It was wrong for him to hit someone else in front of Aiden since it would leave a bad impression. He had spent so much time and effort to bond with Aiden, yet all his efforts were gone. Now, he had to think of a way to mend their rtionship. Seeing that he was quiet, Amanda said. ¡°Go home. It¡¯ste.¡± Mr Winters Is Scary ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow,¡± Elias said abruptly. ¡°I know. I will pack my bags tonight.¡± She nodded. Simon¡¯s parents¡¯ attitude had stopped her from wanting to marry Simon. Moreover, she felt that it was ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you guys for a few days. I want to mend my rtionship with him,¡± said Elias. Amanda¡¯s eyes widened at his words. She couldn¡¯t believe that he would make such an unreasonable Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. request. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Elias¡¯ Trick ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d agree to it?¡± Amanda gave him a look of ridicule. ¡°I¡¯ll let you stay there for free.¡± This b*stard. Amanda took a deep breath and said, ¡°I would rather pay double the rent than have you staying with us! No!¡± With that, she stormed back into the house without sparing him a nce. Elias was upset since he couldn¡¯t get Amanda to say yes. After all, if he let this be, Aiden would hate him even more. Thus, he had to think of a way to solve this! Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, and he smiled. Tomorrow, they¡¯ll definitely ask me to stay the night, thought Elias as his smile widened. Then, he entered the car and drove away. The next day, Elias went to Gxy Bay to pick them up. Since Aiden was afraid of him, Elias didn¡¯t pick him up at the kindergarten, which caused him to break his promise to Howard about taking Aiden to the manor. Thus, Howard called him and scolded him. ¡°If you dare make my grandson cry, I will kick you out of the house! Why did you have to fight in front of him? You¡¯re already a father, yet you still act like a child! You must fix this!¡± Yacob parked the car in front of the vi and noticed Elias¡± annoyed expression. Elias pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. ¡°I know, I¡¯m trying to think of a way. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± As soon as he hung up the call, he felt peace. Grandpa sure is getting annoying as he grows older, ¡°We¡¯re here, Mr. Winters,¡± said Yacob. Elias exited the car and pressed the doorbell. He adjusted his expression since he had to act kind to Aiden, Otherwise, the boy would be more afraid of him. After some time, the door opened, and out came Amanda. She held a suitcase in one hand with Aiden in the other. When Aiden saw who was by the door, he hid behind Amanda quickly, seemingly as if he had seen a ghost, Looking at his reaction, Elias had a grim expression and wondered if he looked terrifying. Elias grabbed Amanda¡¯s suitcase and said, ¡°Get in the car.¡± Amanda nodded and ruffled Aiden, who was evidently nervous. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are going to our new house.¡± Aiden grabbed Amanda¡¯s clothes tightly and looked at Elias warily. Elias frowned at his reaction. I have to fix this quickly. Otherwise, our rtionship will only worsen. After Amanda and Aiden got into the car, Elias entered too, Just as he was about to sit beside Aiden, thetter crawled over Amanda to get to the other side. In that split second, Elias was upset. Do I look like a monster? Why is he so afraid of met Amanda ruffled Aiden¡¯s hair and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit with Mr. Winters. I want to sit with you,¡± Aiden said truthfully. Sometimes, children said the most hurtful words since they were straightforward. Elias¡¯ expression darkened when he heard Aiden¡¯s words, but he could only suppress his emotions since he had scared Aidenst night. Thus, Aiden saw him as the most vicious person in the world. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. After all, she knew he had brought this upon himself. If anyone could go against Elias, it would be Aiden. On their way to the new ce, none of them said anything. Aiden grabbed Amanda¡¯s hand and snuck the asional nce at Elias. When Elias looked at him, Aiden immediately turned away, pretending to look at the window. On the other hand, Amanda smiled since she knew Elias was going crazy. After all, Aiden treated him like a monster. Soon, they arrived at their destination. As the car slowly drove into the entrance, Amanda saw themunity¡¯s name-Northern No. 1. This was one of the wealthiestmunities in Imperia. It had a great location and was close to thew firm, which would only take her about ten minutes ofmute. Plus, only those who were rich or had authority could stay in this apartment. After all, it cost several million per house. However, Amanda wasn¡¯t surprised that Elias had a home here since it was very convenient The car stopped at Building Five, and Yacob got out of the car to unload their luggage. When Aiden exited the car, he was still keeping his distance from Elias, which made thetter very angry. Forget it. He¡¯s only a child, he thought. They took the elevator to the 12th floor. Yacob dragged the luggage and opened the door for them. ¡°After you, Miss Bailey.¡± ¡°Thank you, Yacob,¡± replied Amanda as she and Aiden entered the unit. Elias looked at Yacob and instructed, ¡°Wait for me in the car.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Yacob. Then, he walked toward the elevator. After that, Elias entered the ce. Whenever he had a busy schedule, he would stay here since it would only take a few minutes to get to thepany. He entered the living room and went straight to the couch while Amanda and Aiden looked around. The interior spanned across 3,000 square feet, and the house looked sparkling clean. ¡°Have you stayed here before?¡± asked Amanda. ¡°Yes, I stay here whenever I¡¯m in a hurry. After all, it¡¯s close to thepany,¡± Elias replied. In the meantime, Aiden was nowhere to be seen as he looked around the house. ¡°Don¡¯t run around, Aiden! Do you hear me? Don¡¯t fool around!¡± Amanda shouted. ¡°I know that, Mommy! You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Aiden¡¯s voice came from somewhere else. Suddenly, Elias said, ¡°Do you and Aiden believe in the supernatural?¡± At that moment, Amanda was startled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s probably just a rumor,¡± said Elias. ¡°By the way, the password is your birthday. You can also use your fingerprint. Do you want me to set it up for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just unlock it with the passcode. What were you saying about the supernatural, though?¡± Amanda was curious. After all, she was afraid of ghosts and monsters. Even a horror movie was enough to scare her to death. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Is it Really Haunted? Elias deliberately maintained a calm demeanor. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Someone jumped off the rooftop of Building Five, and there have been rumors of supernatural events since then. However, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t believe in those things, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± When Amanda heard that, she became speechless instantly. Why didn¡¯t this jerk mention it earlier? If he had told me earlier, I would have found another ce. Now that we¡¯re already here and it¡¯s getting dark, it¡¯s toote for us to find another house. At the very least, we will have to stay here tonight. Why do I feel like I¡¯ve been fooled? She then cleared her throat. ¡°As awyer, I don¡¯t believe in those things. Supernatural events are just a product of people¡¯s fears. Nheless, she was genuinely afraid of those things. Meanwhile, Elias could see through her facade of pretending to be strong. A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he slowly stood up. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving now. Call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll be working overtime at the office tonight, but I cane over within minutes.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± She found it strange that he didn¡¯t insist on staying. Has he really changed? As she followed closely behind him, she saw him off at the door. When Elias arrived at the door, he seemed to remember something all of a sudden, so he turned around and said, ¡°By the way, there are fresh ingredients in the refrigerator. You should cook dinner for Aidenter instead of ordering takeout. They¡¯re not hygienic.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± She nodded. As he left the house and closed the door, Amanda felt a sense of relief. She had been constantly moving houses during this period, and it had made her mentally exhausted. I hope we can stay here a little longer this time. At that moment, Aiden, who had finished exploring the entire house, finally came out. ¡°This ce is fun. Mommy. Can we stay here forever?¡± His face was full of anticipation, for he also hated moving houses. It took him a long time to adapt each time. Amanda plopped on the couchzily and said, ¡°Baby, what do you want for dinner? I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I want spaghetti,¡± he replied after considering it seriously for a moment. This little brat loves eating spaghetti. It¡¯s something we have inmon. She thought spaghetti was the simplest to make and easiest way to get full. ¡°Okay, let me rest for a bit before making spaghetti for you.¡± After that, Aiden picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, searching for an anime series to watch. ¡°Mommy, is this Mr. Winters¡¯ house?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly, she thought about something and sat up. ¡°Baby, are you not going to talk to Mr. Winters anymore? Even if his house has an amusement park and cars in the garage, do you not want to talk to him anymore?¡± He nodded. ¡°Mr. Winters is scary, I don¡¯t want to talk to him. He¡¯s so fierce! For some reason, she felt a little happy deep down. If that¡¯s the case, it will be difficult for Ehai to compete for custody, and my baby¡¯s attention will solely be on me. ¡°Okay. Enjoy your anime. Don¡¯t sit too close to the TV, alright? I will make some spaghetti for you now¡± She smiled as she got up and walked toward the kitchen. Meanwhile, in a car downstairs, Elias was seated in the backseat, closing his eyes as if he were resting. ¡°Are we really going to do this, Mr. Winters? I¡¯m afraid it will scare Miss Bailey and Aiden.¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t help but speak up. Although Elias imed it was to improve their father-son rtionship, this n seemed excessive. ¡°I can¡¯t worry about that anymore. Have you taken care of everything I asked you to do?¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s all been taken care of. Everything has been set up, and it will start once the switch is activated.¡± Yacob handed a tablet to the man in the backseat. Last night, he had already set up the house ording to Elias¡± instructions, all for the purpose of staging a heroic rescue of Amanda and Aiden tonight. After Elias took the tablet, he saw the live surveince feed of everything happening inside the house. At that moment, Aiden was watching TV on the couch while Amanda prepared dinner in the kitchen. He nced at the time on his wrist and realized it was still early; it was only a little past 8.00PM. It isn¡¯t time yet. ¡°I¡¯ll take a nap. Wake me up around 11.00PM¡± He then put the tablet aside and leaned back against the car seat, closing his eyes. Yacob responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Yet, he sighed deep down. Why go to such lengths? If we really scare Miss Bailey and the child, they will be traumatized. I just don¡¯t understand what Mr. Winters is thinking After the mother and son finished their spaghetti, Amanda bathed Aiden and got ready for bed, intending to put him to sleep, It was already past 10.00PM when she finally managed to lull him to sleep. He always had trouble sleeping whenever they moved to a new ce, and it took a long time for her to settle him down. Seeing him sound asleep, she quietly got up and prepared to take a hot bath herself before going to sleep. Inside the bathroom, she soaked herself in the bathtub and added some essential oils for rxation: When she closed her eyes, she felt so rxed that she nearly fell asleep. At this moment, it was almost IL00PM. Suddenly, she heard faint noisesing from the house, disturbing her drowsiness. She leaned against the bathtub, thinking she must have misheard, but the sounds gradually became clearer. She couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous and woke uppletely. After she got out of the bathtub, she wrapped. towel around herself. The house, which was over 3,000 square feet, seemed quiterge. Her first instinct was to check on the sleeping child in his room. When she pushed the door open and found him sleeping peacefully, she heaved a sigh of relief. Just then, another round of strange rattles came from the living room. Amanda was on tenterhooks once again. The moment she arrived in the living room, the sounds disappeared. This made her start to doubt her own cars. Why do I keep hearing thingst Just as she thought they might be auditory hallucinations due to fatigue, the strange sounds returned. Rattle, rattle, rattle¡­.. She turned around sharply and looked at the floor-to-ceiling windows. The curtains were tightly drawn. and the sound seemed to being from behind them. When she noticed that, she couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Show yourself!¡± Her heartbeat elerated, and she didn¡¯t dare approach or open the curtains. Suddenly, the sound stopped. Just then, she heard another sounding from the direction of the dressing room. It seemed like a woman humming! Terrified, every hair on her body stood on end. How could a woman be humming in this house? There¡¯s only me and Aiden here. She quickly remembered what Elias had said about a suicidal incident and asked if she was afraid of any supernatural events. Is this ce actually haunted? Her legs were trembling now, and she didn¡¯t have the courage to look inside the dressing room. What if there really is a woman in there? She felt her sanity crumbling. However, the woman¡¯s humming from the dressing room grew louder. It was extremely eerie and terrifying. She clutched the towel around her chest tightly and stood still in fear, her face pale. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Mr Winters¡¯ Sessful Scheme. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Show yourself!¡± shouted Amanda while trembling in fear. Yet, the sound persisted. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her fair forehead. What should I do now?Aiden is still sleeping in the room next to the dressing room. I have to go and see what¡¯s happening. After she took a deep breath and mustered her courage, she held a nearby vase tightly and slowly walked toward the direction of the dressing room. As she walked closer, the woman¡¯s humming voice from the dressing room grew closer. When she was two steps away from the dressing room, she stopped in her tracks. At this moment, her heart was pounding so quickly that it seemed as though it would pop out of her chest. She held the vase tightly and thought, If someone is inside, I¡¯ll smash them with this immediately. At this thought, she took a sudden step forward, bursting into the dressing room. Yet, the woman¡¯s humming stopped abruptly, and the dressing room was empty. She stared at the empty dressing room while breathing heavily. Am I hallucinating!! Just then, Aiden¡¯s voice came from the room next door. ¡°Mommy, help!¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened instantly. She put down the vase and turned around, rushing back into the room. When she opened the door, she saw Aiden hiding under the covers, trembling as if he had seen something. terrifying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby? What happened? She approached the bed and turned on the bedsidemp before taking Aiden from under the covers into her arms, ¡°The curtains moved, and sonicone was behind them. I¡¯m scared, Mommy¡± The little one clung to her tightly. The curtains? As she looked at the curtains, she tried to reassure Aiden in her arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s nothing there. You were probably half asleep and imagined the curtains moving¡±, ¡°It moved! I saw it! It¡¯s so scary. There¡¯s a ghost here, Mommy. I¡¯m scared.¡± Aiden held onto her tightly with a frightened expression, refusing to look back at the curtains as he was deeply terrified. ¡°Okay, you stay here. I will go and take a look. Don¡¯t worry, there aren¡¯t any ghosts. You must have had a bad dream.¡± After saying that, she got up and walked toward the curtains. To be honest, she was a little scared herself, especially after hearing the woman¡¯s humming earlier. However, she had to set a good example for her child, or he would be too scared to sleep tonight. She approached the curtains and prepared herself mentally before pulling the curtains aside abruptly. There was nothing behind them, only the dim moonlighting through the window, Seeing that, she let out a sigh of relief, then turned to look at Aiden on the bed. The little one had buried his face into the pillow, refusing to look. ¡°Aiden, look, there¡¯s nothing behind the curtains¡± Only when he heard her voice did he gather the courage to look up. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, right? There aren¡¯t any ghosts here.¡± However, the little one widened his big eyes and suddenly screamed, ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a ghost! A ghost?¡± He Mr Winters¡¯ Sessful Scheme buried himself in the covers, wrapping himself tightly without leaving even a small gap. When Amanda saw his reaction, she was stunned. What¡¯s going on? She looked back at the window, but there was nothing. Why is he so scared? She let go of the curtains and returned to the bed to pull the covers off Aiden. ¡°You¡¯ll suffocate yourself like this, Aiden. There¡¯s nothing behind the curtains. What are you afraid of?¡± As he nestled into her embrace, he cried helplessly, saying, ¡°I¡¯m so scared, Mommy. There¡¯s a ghost here. I don¡¯t want to stay in this room.¡± Feeling somewhat helpless, she carried him out of the room, but she didn¡¯t dare return to her room either. As such, she brought him to the living room, and the two of them huddled on the couch with the TV turned on to create some atmosphere and alleviate the fear in the house, Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Aiden listened to the noisy sound of cartoons on the TV and fell asleep while leaning against her leg We can¡¯t go on like this. Are we going to sleep on the couch tonight? At this moment, she remembered Elias telling her that he would be working overtime tonight, and his office was just a few minutes away by car. However, she didn¡¯t want to trouble him. At this moment, in a car downstairs, Elias held a tablet and watched the surveince footage of Amanda¡¯s pale face which was filled with fear. A mixture of sympathy and anger welled up within him. He couldn¡¯t help but curse in a low voice, ¡°Idiot! You¡¯re so scared, yet you don¡¯t even think of calling me. Isn¡¯t your ex- husband also your husband? Why don¡¯t you use me when you can?¡± I told her that I would be working overtime today, but I coulde over in just a few minutes. Yacob, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, shook his head helplessly. Why does Mr. Winters have this hobby of scaring his wife and child like this? If something truly dreadful happens due to the scare, let¡¯s see how he¡¯ll handle it. Suddenly, Elias raised his voice. ¡°Who asked you to tamper with Aiden¡¯s room? The curtains were moving so violently, and it scared him to tears!¡± Seeing Aiden hiding under the covers in fear made Elias¡¯ heart. wrench. No matter how twisted he might be, he never intended to scare a little child. Besides, if the three- year-old child were to be scared to the point of harm, it would be toote for regrets. Yacob felt wronged and said, ¡°That room is where Miss Bailey sleeps, Mr. Winters. I didn¡¯t expect Aiden to sleep there.¡± ¡°How dare you argue with me? I¡¯m telling you this-if anything happens to my son because of this, you won¡¯t be able to escape the consequences.¡± Elias looked at the crying child and furrowed his brows in distress. I can¡¯t wait to go up and give them a sense of security, but Amanda hain¡¯t called me for help yet. If I go up now, wouldn¡¯t I be admitting to this prank? Hearing that, Yacob was speechless. You were the one who wanted to y a prank on them. Why is the me falling on me now? As Elias looked at the surveince footage and saw the two of them pitifully huddling on the couch in the living room, he muttered under his breath. ¡°Stupid woman, hurry up and call me now. Quick!¡± He had been waiting for this moment, but Amanda would rather sleep on the couch with Aiden than call him. At this moment, he looked up at the brightly lit window upstairs. Let¡¯s see how long she can hold out. What if she manages to hold out the entire night without calling me, though? He fell into contemtion. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. A glimmer shed across his dark eyes as he looked at the phone ced aside, showing Amanda¡¯s number on the screen. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he casually picked up the phone, deliberately not answering it immediately. Instead, Yacob was the anxious one. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering the call, Mr. Winters? It¡¯s Miss Bailey.¡± Elias, however, looked disdainful. ¡°Why the rush? Have you ever seen anyone working overtime answer a call so promptly?¡± I need to y the role to the fullest. Otherwise, any ws will expose me Hearing that, Yacob was speechless once again andined to himself, Just do whatever you want. Mr. Winters. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Is This Really Happening? With his phone in hand, Elias waited for ten seconds before calmly answering the call. He pretended to be busy and spoke in a low voice. ¡°What¡¯s up? Is something wrong?¡± When Yacob saw Elias excellent acting skills, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It¡¯s a shame his acting talent is being hindered by his status and position. It¡¯s a great loss for the entertainment industry. If he were in showbiz, he would be an award-winning actor. Meanwhile, Amanda¡¯s slightly awkward voice came through the phone. ¡°Um, are you busy? Are you still working? If you¡¯re busy, forget it. It¡¯s not anything important.¡± At that, Elias furrowed his brows. Tm almost done. Go ahead if you have something to say. I¡¯m about to leave.¡± I need to put on aplete performance, but I shouldn¡¯t overdo it. ¡°Well, it¡¯s alreadyte, and it¡¯ll take you a while to get back to the estate. Since the office is just a few minutes away from here, why don¡¯t youe over and stay for the night? We have plenty of rooms.¡± He smiled at her well-justified excuse. It¡¯s clear that she¡¯s afraid and wants me toe quer and apany them during the night, but she came up with such an excuse to make it sound more legitimate. Although he knew her intentions, he didn¡¯t expose her. He replied in a deep voice, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes. ¡°Okay. Can you hurry up? You said it¡¯s very close.¡± Her voice sounded urgent, indicating that she was mentally exhausted from the fear. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be quick. Five minutes. His smile grew even brighter, satisfied that his n had worked perfectly. Amanda continued to exin, ¡°Also, Aiden is asking for food. When you pass by the 24-hour convenience storeter, could you bring something for him? I can wait.¡± At her words, Elias chuckled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave now¡± After that, he hung up the phone. Once the call ended, he turned to Yacob and said. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go to the convenience store to buy some food.¡± Only then did Yacob react and say, ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll go now,¡± Luckily, there was a 24-hour convenience store in the neighborhood, or he would have had to go outside the neighborhood. After hanging up the phone, Amanda felt relieved. At least I¡¯ll feel more secure with a man at home. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to s tonight. She nced at Aiden in her arms, who had an extremely insecure sleeping posture. It seemed like he had a nightmare as he furrowed his brows and whimpered. At the sight of that, she gently patted his body tofort him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Mommy¡¯s here.¡± As for the unexinable strange sounds, she couldn¡¯t believe it was just her imagination. I don¡¯t think Aiden and I hallucinated at the same time. When she recalled the eerie humming sound from the dressing room carlier, it still sent shivers down her spine. It was truly terrifying Not long after, the doorbell rang, disturbing the sleeping Aiden. The little guy opened his eyes in Is This Really Happening? confusion and burrowed into his mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Mr. Winters will be with us tonight, so everything will be fine.¡± As she patted his head gently, she could feel that he hadn¡¯t slept well, as his forehead was covered in cold sweat. ¡°Really?¡± He looked up. ¡°Of course. Mr. Winters is ringing the doorbell now. I will get the door. Once he¡¯s here, we won¡¯t be afraid anymore. Even if there are ghosts, Mr. Winters will chase them away, okay?¡± She finally realized the importance of a father figure in her child¡¯s life. ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded, but his face still showed fear. When Amanda walked to the entrance and opened the door, she saw Elias¡¯ tall figure standing outside as he held a bag from the convenience store. That¡¯s fast.¡± At her remark, he lifted the convenience store bag in his hand. ¡°You said Aiden was asking for food, so I was afraid he would get hungry,¡± he said while entering the house. The moment she saw Elias, she instantly felt a sense of unprecedented peace. Is this the sense of security brought about by a man¡¯s masculinity? Before the doorbell rang, the house was shrouded in fear. Yet, as soon as Elias entered, the terrifying atmosphere vanished instantly. It can¡¯t be denied that his strong presence seems to have the power to ward off evil spirits. He hadn¡¯t even entered the living room yet when he heard the loud soundsing from the TV, seemingly as though Amanda wanted the noise to reach every corner of the house. It looks like they¡¯re really frightened. Have I gone too far with this prank? When he walked toward the couch, he saw his pitiful son nestling there. ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡± He ced the convenience store bag on the coffee table. Aiden was initially scared of him. However, after being frightened by the moving curtains in the room, he no longer found Elias scary. He shook his head and deliberately leaned closer to Elias as if being close to the man would make him less afraid of ghosts. ¡°Are you scared of ghosts?¡± Just then, Aiden asked in all seriousness. Surprised by his question, Elias chuckled. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Are you?¡± The little one nodded earnestly. ¡°In that case, will you protect Mommy and me tonight? There¡¯s a ghost here. I saw it¡± Amanda, who was sitting on the couch, felt slightly awkward. This little brat changes his tune quickly, huh? Just a few hours ago, he was hiding from Elias as if he were avoiding a ghost, but he¡¯s not leaning against him, being all gentle and obedient. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll protect you two, but what did you see? Are you sure you didn¡¯t mistake it for something else?¡± Elias asked, for he didn¡¯t want to instill any supernatural ideas in his son¡¯s mind. Setting up that room was a bad idea. It seems to have scared this little one quite a bit. At his question, Aiden¡¯s eyes widened, and he said seriously, ¡°No, listen to me. I really saw it. I saw the curtains moving, and there was a ghost outside the window. It was terrifying. I¡¯m scared¡± Elias reached out his big palm and gently caressed the little boy¡¯s fluffy head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not Is This Really Happening? afraid of those things, alright?¡± ¡°In that case, Mr. Winters, can you stay awake tonight?¡± At that, Elias was speechless. Wow, he¡¯s bolder than I am. He¡¯s actually asking me to stay up all night, eh? ¡°What for?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°If Mr. Winters falls asleep, he won¡¯t be able to protect us anymore. I¡¯ll be scared if he¡¯s asleep,¡± Aiden replied. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. When she heard his answer, she had noeback. This little brat is quite thoughtful. Elias, on the other hand, was amused by his son¡¯s innocent words and readily agreed. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t sleep tonight. I¡¯ll protect you. There¡¯s no need to be scared anymore. Are you okay with sleeping now?¡± ¡°Yes, I can rx and sleep well now.¡± Aiden seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He rxed and was no longer as tense and scared as before. However, what he said next left both adults stunned. ¡°Mommy, can Mr. Winters sleep in the same bed as us tonight? I don¡¯t want him to be too far away from us. At this moment, both Amanda and Elias didn¡¯t know what to say. Is this really happening? he thought. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 What a Heartwarming Sight Elias replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. It¡¯s up to your mom.¡± He passed on the question directly to Amanda, as if she would be a sinner if she were to refuse. Aiden thus looked at Amanda with anticipation. ¡°Mommy, is that okay? Can we let Uncle Elias sleep in the same bed with us? That way, he can protect us at all times. Please!¡± he pleaded, not forgetting to tug at his mother¡¯s hand like a pampered child. She was utterly speechless. This little brat spends every moment looking out for the interests of his scumbag of a father. As expected of Elias¡¯ own son! Seeing the faint smile curving the man¡¯s lips, she shot him a re, chiding. ¡°What are you smiling at? You intended this from the start, didn¡¯t you?¡± Elias replied with a mask of seriousness in an extremely shameless manner, ¡°It¡¯s Aiden who wants us to sleep in the same bed. Did I say anything? And besides, it¡¯s normal for a kid to be afraid, so we should satisfy his demands.¡± Amanda was lost for words for a while¡­ ¡°Alright, it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re not afraid that way.¡± She smiled at Aiden. When she turned her gaze to Elias, however, her face wore a different expression, with eyes that seemed to say. Look how I¡¯m gonna kick you out of bed once Baby is asleep! ¡°Yay! Mommy, you¡¯re amazing! Let¡¯s go to sleep, then! I¡¯m so sleepy, and I want to sleep in bed. It¡¯s not Comfortable sleeping on the couch, Aiden said, jumping from the couch to the rug before boldly trotting toward the bedroom, as if he had nothing to fear anymore in the presence of Elias. Nevertheless, he stopped at the bedroom door to look back at the man. ¡°Come over here, Uncle Elias. You go in and lie in bed first.¡± Elias frowned at his timid demeanor. Is it even proper for a man to be so afraid of ghosts? Slowly, he stood up and walked toward the boy. Amanda had to admit that her frayed nerves had rxed a lot since the man arrived. She felt as though even if the sky came crashing down, Elias would be there to hold up the sky for her. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Elias walked into the bedroom. Seeing the boy stand at the door, he said, ¡°Come on in, it¡¯s okay. Ghosts don¡¯t exist in the world. I¡¯m not afraid, and you don¡¯t have to be afraid either, hmm?¡± Aiden was still standing outside, seemingly frightened by the fluttering curtains. ¡°Uncle Elias, can you please lie down in bed? Please.¡± Still afraid toe in, he hid behind the door. Elias felt rather helpless. Seems like I have to teach this kid a lesson to instill some ideas into him. How is he gonna be a grown-up man in the future if he¡¯s so afraid of ghosts? He had no choice but to lie down first on one side of the bed in resignation before looking at Aiden. ¡°Alright,e over now.¡± Seeing that the man was lying in bed just fine, Aiden finally stepped into the bedroom in relief. Climbing onto the soft and spongy bed, he burrowed under the covers and then shouted at Amanda, ¡°Come over here, Mommy! Lie down here. I¡¯m not scared if you and Uncle Elias sleep on each side of me.¡± ¡°I got it!¡± Amanda reluctantly walked up to the bed and was pissed off to see Elias lyingfortably on the other side. After lying down on Aiden¡¯s left side, she pulled the covers off his head. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not afraid anymore now, are you? Just be good and go to sleep. Uncle Elias and I are here with you, so no ghosts or demons can hurt you.¡± Finding himself between Amanda and Elias, Aiden now felt extremely safe, and he closed his eyes contentedly. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m telling you, both of you are gonna stay here tonight. You two have to keep staying with me like this¡­ Or I¡¯ll have a nightmare¡­¡± he said. Before he finished his sentence, he fell asleep. in an instant once again, his breathing even. Seeing him fall asleep at once, Amanda smiled with amusement. What a little piglet who falls asleep as soon as he wants to! As she watched Aiden, Elias stared at her with a tender smile on his lips. This was probably the scene. every man would dream of having in their life. Seeing his wife and son lying beside him, he thought it was worth doing whatever it took for this to happen. Sensing the man¡¯s intense stare, Amanda looked up and happened to meet his pitch-ck couldn¡¯t help but re at him, whispering, ¡°What are you looking at?! Come out now!¡± eyes. She She tried to get out of bed as she spoke, but Elias grabbed her before she could. For fear of waking the child, he said under his breath, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. He¡¯s not soundly asleep yet.¡± Also fearing that Aiden wasn¡¯t sleeping well, Amanda had no choice but to stay with him for a while longer. After half an hour or so, she made sure that Aiden was in a deep, peaceful sleep. Only then did the two adults get out of bed and leave the room. After they entered the living room, Amanda could finally raise her voice. ¡°I¡¯m telling you; Aiden is only so clingy to you because he feels a bit ufortable in a new environment tonight. Once he gets used to it in a couple of days, he won¡¯t even want to talk to you!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous at seeing her son cling to Elias.. Elias let out a chuckle. ¡°Have you gotten used to it now? Aren¡¯t you the one who called me over?¡± Amanda retorted, ¡°I called you over? That¡¯s because I thought it would take you a long time to go back to the Winters Estate at this hour, plus this house is yours in the first ce, so it¡¯s better for you to stay nearby for the night! And besides, it was your son who cried for you to keep himpany, not me, okay?!¡± She would never admit that she was the one who wanted him toe over because she was also scared to death. Elias asked, ¡°Well then, where am I going to sleep tonight? If Aiden wakes up and finds that we aren¡¯t lying. next to him, he¡¯ll probably cry with fright again. Are you sure you want him to get scared over and over again?¡± In reality, he had his own intentions despite the seemingly justified excuse. He really wanted to experience what it was like to have his wife and son sleeping next to him. It¡¯ll probably feel very reassuring, as if having the whole world to oneself. Amanda frowned. He¡¯s right. Baby¡¯s psychologically vulnerable right now. If he gets scared again, he might really get traumatized. ¡°You go shower now, then. I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re gonna sleep on Aiden¡¯s right side, while I¡¯ll sleep on his left. You¡¯re not allowed to do anything.¡± She fiercely pointed at the man¡¯s chest. Elias smiled helplessly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll sink to that level? What can I do in front of our kid?¡± Amanda turned around without saying another word and went to the closet to fetch pajamas for him. This was his house in the first ce, so there were plenty of men¡¯s clothes in the closet. A fond smile curved Elias¡¯ lips as he watched her from behind. Well, it¡¯s a long night, but I feel quite happy. He took a quick shower in the bathroom before changing into his pajamas, ready to go back and sleep next to his son. When he returned to the room, he found that Amanda was already lying asleep next to the boy. What a heartwarming sight this is¡­ He slowed down and gentlyy down on the other side, watching Amanda and their son¡¯s sleeping faces. for a long time¡­ Then, he turned off the lights. As darkness enveloped the whole bedroom, he slowly closed his eyes and wrapped his long arms around Aiden and Amanda, his lips curling into a smile. Soon after that, he entered into a deep sleep. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Fever Tonight was probably the first night on which Elias had a very peaceful sleep. He had a long, long dream, in which he traveled back to four years ago. Amanda told him she was pregnant and produced the pregnancy test strip showing a positive result. This time, he believed her without a doubt and apanied her to the hospital for a pregnancy checkup. Just when he dreamed of apanying her to undergo a color Doppler ultrasound scan, he suddenly awoke from his dream. In a sleepy haze, he felt a small hand touching his face all over. After knitting his brows for a moment, he slowly opened his eyes to see Aiden¡¯s little face. The boy was staring at him like a curious baby while continuing to poke him with his little hand. Aiden was apparently startled to see the man open his eyes. ¡°Mommy! Uncle Elias is awake!¡± Elias then saw Amandae over with a rather serious expression. ¡°You¡¯re up atst? You had a fever in the middle ofst night. We were scared to death and wanted to send you to the hospital, but we couldn¡¯t wake you up no matter what, so we had no choice but to try to cool your body temperature.¡± Only then did Elias notice that he had an iced towel on his forehead. So, this little brat is poking my face to see if my fever has gone down? He wanted to say something, only to find that his throat was dry and sore, making it hard for him to speak. ¡°You want to drink some water?¡± Amanda turned to look at the boy. ¡°Baby, go pour a ss of water for Uncle Elias, okay? He¡¯s ill right now, so he can¡¯t get up on his own.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Aiden climbed out of bed and ran out of the bedroom as fast as his little legs could carry him. Amanda came over and removed the iced towel from his forehead. After touching his forehead for a moment, she said, ¡°Good thing that your fever has finally gone down a little. Now get up and take the fever medicine.¡± As she spoke, she struggled to help him to a sitting position with his back against the headboard. Seeing how she took care of himself, Elias felt that it touched a soft spot in his heart. Just then, Aiden entered the bedroom holding a ss of water. He said in a childlike voice, ¡°Mommy, here¡¯s the water.¡± Amanda took the ss of water without forgetting to praise him. ¡°Thank you so much, Baby. What a good boy.¡± Elias couldn¡¯t help but smile at how mature his son was. Before going to sleepst night, he had felt happy to see his wife and son sleeping before his eyes, but the scene right now made him even happier-so happy that he was willing to do whatever it took to freeze this moment in time. Amanda handed the water and medicine to him. ¡°Here, take the fever medicine. If it doesn¡¯t reduce your fever, you¡¯ll have no choice but to go to the hospital.¡± Elias washed down the pills in one gulp with most of the water. Aiden looked on while asking in a childlike voice, ¡°Mommy, is Uncle Elias gonna die from his illness?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Elias¡¯ lips twitched involuntarily for a moment. Is this little brat hoping that I¡¯ll die young? Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh in amusement. ¡°Why would he die from that? He just has a fever, so he¡¯s not going to die from that. It¡¯s like when you got put on a drip in the hospitalst time, remember?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that hurts a lot. It hurts to be put on a drip.¡± Aiden turned to look at Elias. ¡°Are you scared?¡± The man patted his head with a smile. ¡°No, I¡¯m not scared.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very brave, Uncle Elias. I got put on a dripst time, and it hurt when the nurse put the needle in my arm. I even cried, you know.¡± ¡°You cried?¡± Elias asked with augh. ¡°Yeah!¡± Aiden replied in all seriousness. ¡°My arm bled when that nurse put the needle in it. It hurt a lot.¡± Elias¡¯ lips curled into a smile. Patiently, he listened to his son¡¯s story of his stay in the hospital. Amanda said, ¡°Let Aiden stay with you while I make some congee. You probably don¡¯t have much appetite for food, but you should eat a little to get something in your stomach.¡± She stood up and was about to leave. Elias couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to work at yourw firm today?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s my day off,¡± replied Amanda before stepping out of the bedroom. And besides, I¡¯ve moved out of the vi in Gxy Bay. If I go to thew firm, I¡¯ll get pestered by Simon again, which I honestly have no idea how to deal with. Let¡¯s run away from all of this for the time being, she thought to herself. Meanwhile, Aiden fetched his picture book over, suggesting, ¡°Uncle Elias, let me tell you a story, okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The boy thus began to tell the story ording to the picture book. He told the story in such an incoherent way that no one could understand what he was talking about, but Elias nheless listened very seriously. He felt as though he had gotten addicted to this tender ce, unwilling to go anywhere now that he had his beloved woman and child with him. After about an hour, Amanda entered the bedroom to get them to eat breakfast. ¡°Aiden, go eat your breakfast. And you, can you move? Would you like me to bring your breakfast in for you?¡± She spoke to him gently, which was rare. This was because she thought she had something to do with the man¡¯s fever. She and Aiden had snatched the nketst night, leaving him to sleep for most of the night without a nket, which was how he caught a cold and had a fever. Elias was quite unused to her being so gentle toward him. Tll eat in the dining room.¡± Throwing back the nket, he stood up and walked out of the bedroom. The three of them ended up sitting at the dining table ready for breakfast. This made them look very much like a family of three. Amanda served Aiden a small bowl of congee. ¡°Hurry and finish it.¡± Then, she filled another bowl with congee and ced it in front of Elias, saying, ¡°Eat more if you have an appetite. If you don¡¯t, you can eat less of it Elias narrowed his eyes while studying her facial expression. Amanda felt somewhat uneasy under his stare. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you staring at me like this? Do I have something on my face?¡± Elias asked with a solemn face, ¡°I can¡¯t help feeling that something¡¯s wrong. Why are you so gentle toward me all of a sudden? Did you do something wrong to me?¡± He couldn¡¯t help feeling that Amanda¡¯s gentleness at this moment had a hint of guilt about it. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m not being gentle all of a sudden. You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Amanda lowered her head and ate her breakfast, not wanting to talk to him again. To her surprise, Aiden, who was sitting between them, answered innocently. ¡°Uncle Elias, Mommy said you got ill because we snatched your nketst night, so we have to be nicer to you.¡± ¡°Aiden Bailey! Can¡¯t you eat instead of talking?!¡± Amanda picked up a piece of garlic bread and stuffed it in his mouth while shooting him a re. Seeing how angry his mother was, Aiden ducked his head and ate breakfast obediently, not daring to speak anymore. Atst, Elias understood what was going on. ¡°Oh¡­ So that¡¯s it. I wondered why it was so coldst night. So, it turns out that you two snatched my nket, huh?¡± He let out a chuckle. Watching the guilty-looking mother and son before him, he found them very adorable. Amanda replied stubbornly, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. You caught a chillst night by throwing off the nket yourself. And besides, that nket isn¡¯t big enough for the three of us in the first ce.¡± Elias narrowed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. It¡¯s because of you two that I have a fever now, so you two have to take care of me. There¡¯s no way I can go to work today, so I¡¯m staying here for a good rest.¡± Amanda was speechless. This jerk has started acting shameless again! Arden blinked his puppy-dog eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m a kid. How am I supposed to take care of you? I need somebody to take care of me, too.¡± Elias replied, ¡°You can pour me some water to drink.¡± Aiden was stupefied. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Don¡¯t Make Me Do It Amanda really couldn¡¯t stand this anymore. How can this jerk be so unforgiving? ¡°You¡¯re really something. Elias! You¡¯re not even sparing the kid?¡± Elias leisurely ate his congee. ¡°He¡¯s part of the reason why I got a cold. Had he not been afraid of ghosts. and insisted that I sleep with him, I wouldn¡¯t have had my nket snatched away, nor would I have caught a cold,¡± he argued, not forgetting to tickle Aiden¡¯s nose with his finger. ¡°What do you think, kiddo? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Aiden stared at him before nodding. ¡°Yeah, it seems so Amanda was speechless. Oh, why are you so obedient to him, my dumb son? ¡°Your fever has almost gone down, and you took fever medicine just now, so you¡¯ll be fine in the afternoon. Don¡¯ttch onto us! I¡¯m taking Baby to the movies this afternoon. He¡¯s been asking to see a movie for a long time,¡± she said. Taking a bite of garlic bread, Elias replied, ¡°What should we do, then? I feel like my fever¡¯s not going away today, so I need somebody to take care of me. How about this? I¡¯ll go with you two to the movies. If I get really unwell, you can send me to the hospital anytime.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Aiden nodded vigorously. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go with us, Uncle Elias! ¡®PAW Patrol¡¯ is a fun movie to watch!¡± PAW Patrol? Elias frowned; he had hardly watched any children¡¯s movies before. He had disliked children before having a son, nor had he felt any desire to tease other people¡¯s kids when he saw them. Seems like L have to pay more attention to children¡¯s preferences from now on. Amanda was lost for words. This jerk really has no sense of shame! In the afternoon, Amanda brought Aiden to the movie theater, apanied by a tall and handsome ¡®bodyguard-Elias-from behind. They looked like a family of threeing to the movies, causing many to cast envious nces at them. After Amanda took the tickets, Aiden nagged her for popcorn and drinks, so she could only head to the counter to buy them. ¡°Tell thedy what you¡¯d like to drink,¡± she said while lifting him up. Aiden just wanted Coke. ¡°Madam, I¡¯d like Coke with lots of ice! Thank you so much, madam.¡± ¡°Okay! What a good boy you are, little boy. The three of you are so good-looking,¡± said the movie theater attendant to Amanda with a smile while getting the Coke for Aiden. Feeling embarrassed, Amanda smiled without saying a word. The three of us, huh¡­ She looked back at Elias, who was standing beside her. Indeed, if they hadn¡¯t divorced, they would¡¯ve been a family of three now. Many times she wondered what if they hadn¡¯t divorced and if Elias had believed Aiden¡¯s existence back then. Would the three of them be living a happy life as a family now? ¡°Thank you.¡± Elias naturally took the popcorn and Coke when they were handed over. Seeing that the movie was about to start in five minutes, he turned to look at Amanda, saying, ¡°Let me carry him instead. You take these.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t refuse either, for she was really tired of carrying Aiden in her arms right now. This brat is really getting heavier, she thought. On the contrary, Elias effortlessly picked the boy up with one arm. Amanda followed behind them, but when they arrived at the ticket entrance, an awkward situation happened¡­. Amanda couldn¡¯t believe they would actually bump into Simon and Lunabelle here. They¡¯reing to the movies together? So, Simon professed his faithful love for me while maintaining such a rtionship with Lunabelle? All of a sudden, she felt like she had been cheated. She thought she was very important to Simon, but in reality, he could never get over Lunabelle. At this instant, many thoughts crossed her mind until they were. jumbled together. Aiden, on the other hand, called out naturally, ¡°Uncle Simon!¡± Simon was also surprised to see the three of them; he also never expected Amanda woulde to the movies with Elias in such harmony. ¡°You two-¡± he began, but just when he wanted to speak, Lunabelle interrupted, ¡°Simon, let¡¯s go in. The movie¡¯s about to start.¡± Amanda ignored Simon and merely greeted Lunabelle with a smile, saying, ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Lunabelle was apparently cold toward Amanda, perhaps because she was offended by the latter. meeting Simon¡¯s parents with him earlier. Elias said nothing throughout, nor did he bother to speak. He only wanted to punch Simon at the sight of this guy. However, Aiden had gotten quite a fright when he did sost time, so he learned to keep silent. now After showing their tickets, he walked toward Hall No. 7 with the boy in his arms, and Amand¨¤ caught up with them. Simon couldn¡¯t help but call out to her, ¡°Amanda, Lunabelle has been showing signs of depression lately. so I came here with her to help her rx.¡± Amanda pondered for a moment, but she had no idea how to answer. All she could say was an impassive ¡°Uh-huh,¡± before she turned toward Hall No. 7. Needless to say, Simon and Lunabelle weren¡¯t here to see a children¡¯s movie, so they went to Hall No. 5. Lunabelle was very displeased with the man¡¯s exnation, and she felt bitter deep down. ¡°Simon, if you care that much about how Amanda feels, just go to her instead. I¡¯m not important. I can watch the movie alone.¡± Simon replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The movie is about to start. At this moment, he was angry deep down. He didn¡¯t understand why Amanda had always been inseparable from Eliastely. She had agreed to marry him, and yet she was so iffy about it. Is she giving up just because of what my parents said to her? Does she really have no feelings for me? For the past four years that they had spent abroad, Amanda had been incredibly dependent on him, and Aiden had made many attempts to bring them together. He had thought several times that he and Amanda would end up being together, but he never thought things would turn out like this after they returned to their home country. A movie generallysted about two hours. After the movie ended, Amanda walked out of Hall No. 7, praying deep down that they wouldn¡¯t bump into Simon and Lunabelle again. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as she wished. The movie Simon and Lunabelle watched seemed to have ended as well, and they came out at just the same time. Aiden had fallen asleep when the movie ended, so Elias had no choice but to carry the boy out of Hall No. 7. Running into Simon and Lunabelle again, he also chose to ignore them. Lunabelle was the first to speak. ¡°What a coincidence. Your movie has ended as well?¡± Elias couldn¡¯t answer that, so only Amanda nodded, saying, ¡°Yeah. Well, we gotta go. The kid¡¯s asleep.¡± Seeing how the three of them looked like such a happy family, Simon finally snapped. He stepped forward. and grabbed Amanda¡¯s wrist, asking, ¡°Amanda, are we strangers from now on? Don¡¯t you forget that. just said yes to my marriage proposal! Are you giving up just because of a few harsh words from my parents? Am I so unimportant to you?¡± Amanda was at a momentary loss for,how to deal with Simon¡¯s sudden verbal attack. you On the other hand, Elias strode over and wrenched Simon¡¯s hand away. He warned through clenched. teeth in a grim voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get into a fight in front of my kid, so don¡¯t make me do it. Get lost!¡± With that, he took Amanda by the hand toward the elevator lobby. Just then, Aiden let out a moan, seemingly roused from sleep by the altercation. Elias patted him on the back, soothing him back to sleep. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Cat and Mouse ¡°Elias!¡± Simon roared angrily. He had finally reached hisst straw after losing to Elias time and time again. Why was he still being stopped by Elias even after his proposal was a sess? ¡°Enough, Simon, don¡¯t do this in front of Aiden. You¡¯ve already scared him that night.¡± Amanda stopped. him, her head aching at the thought of another fight breaking out between the two men. What hurt Simon the most was Amanda¡¯s behavior-she was clearly favoring Elias. Was she still unable to forget him? At that, she began to pull Elias away with her as a crowd had already begun to form. Simon was about to chase after them when Lunabelle held him back. ¡°Simon, I¡¯m feeling a little unwell. Can you send me back home?¡± As he was the cause of Lunabelle¡¯s depression, Simon had no choice but to give in. He couldn¡¯t just throw away his responsibility, after all. Meanwhile, Amanda sat in the back seat with Aiden in her arms while Elias took the wheel. No one said a word throughout the entire journey, causing the atmosphere to turn frigid. Amanda remained silent as she did not know what to say, while Elias was too lost in his thoughts to speak, wondering how he could make Simon fully give up. He couldn¡¯t stand Simon pestering his wife and son all the time. Besides, he hadn¡¯t been able to get Amanda back to his side yet, and this was a dangerous. factor. Upon returning to Northern No. 1, Amanda ced Aiden back in the bedroom and carefully covered him with a nket. After leaving the room, she noticed that Elias was smoking a cigarette on the couch in the living room, giving a rough edge to his striking features. This man did not seem like Aiden¡¯s father at all; if anything, he was more like his elder brother. Besides, he did not act like one either, and his temper was still as horrendous as before. When he noticed her emerging from the bedroom, Elias immediately straightened his posture out the cigarette. and put ¡°Do you still have a fever? You should go back to your room and get some rest if you¡¯re tired,¡± Amanda- said. However, Elias refused, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Come here, let¡¯s have a talk.¡± As they were the only two people in the living room, the air was filled with tension yet awkward at the same time. After a moment of hesitation, she took a seat on the couch as well. ¡°What do you want to talk about? If it¡¯s about our remarriage, then forget it. I really don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for us to repeat the same mistakes.¡± He hadn¡¯t even had the chance to speak, but Amanda casily forced his words back into his chest with just a single sentence. As Elias fell silent and stared at her for a long while, she raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°Go on, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to talk to me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to say anymore; you blocked off all of my chances.¡± Hearing that, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but let out augh. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never been able to understand why you want a remarriage so badly. You didn¡¯t like me back. then, but do you like me now? Are you sure that you will spend the rest of your life with me if we get. married again? Or, do you only want it because of our child?¡± ¡°I wanted to marry you again even before I knew about our child.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Amanda remained silent, realizing that he was right. Back then, although Elias was still unaware of Aiden¡¯s existence, he was still extremely determined to remarry her. She couldn¡¯t figure out if his desire to take her back was just a moment of impulse or if he hade to terms with his own feelings. Had he really fallen for her? She couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe this fact at all. That evening, at Paradise Night Club, Elias holed himself up in an isted corner, drinking his sorrows away. Seeing that, Lazarus walked over and took a seat next to him, saying in a deliberately mocking tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Elias? Troubled by women again?¡± Elias spat out without bothering to spare him a nce. ¡°Get lost!¡± Lazarus let out a cheeryugh. ¡°Come on, tell me what troubles you have. Who knows? I might be able to help you out.¡± At his words, Elias lifted his gaze and looked at him. Lazarus was a Casanova who was well-versed in the ways of love, so he might be able toe up with a solution for his problems. Hence, Elias spoke up in hisnguid yet sultry tone. Tell me, how can I make a woman change her mind?¡± ¡°Change her mind? That means she¡¯s an ex-girlfriend, right? When did you get an ex-girlfriend without me knowing? Do you miss her?¡± Lazarus instantly bombarded him with a string of questions, causing his head to hurt. Elias turned peeved. ¡°I came here for your help to solve my problems, not for you to add to them. You¡¯re annoying.¡± Besides the Winters Family, his secret marriage with Amanda was hidden from everyone, including Lazarus. Moreover, as he was extremely against being forced into an arranged marriage by Howard, he had never brought it up to any outsiders. Lazarus cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, you lovesick fool, but you have to tell me who that woman is, and what kind of person she is. I have to get a basic understanding of her before I can make a proposal.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± Elias¡¯ eyes were filled with confusion. Since when was a proposal needed to pursue a woman? Lazarus replied with a nonchnt expression, ¡°Of course! Do you think it¡¯s easy to pursue a woman? It¡¯s simple if you don¡¯t like her, but pursuing a woman you like is practically impossible.¡± Elias fell silent, agreeing with his words. Then, he took out his phone and showed a picture of Amanda to him. ¡°This is her. She¡¯s awyer, and as for her personality¡­ she used to be meek and timid, but it seems like she¡¯s changed now.¡± Four years ago, Amanda was just an ordinary girl who didn¡¯t stand out in any way, but she grew into a woman with character after bing awyer. Upon seeing Amanda¡¯s picture, Lazarus jolted in surprise. ¡°Her again? Didn¡¯t I tell you that she¡¯s bad news? I saw her getting an abortion at the hospital four years ago, so why are you still Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Elias. ¡°That kid was mine! Her first love, first kiss, and first time were all mine. What else do you want to know?¡± In an instant, Lazarus fell silent. He blinked his eyes, then shook his head before finally giving Elias a thumbs-up. ¡°Your Highness, I no longer have any questions.¡± ¡°Stop wasting my time. Hurry up and tell me how you think I can make her change her mind.¡± However, Lazarus pressed relentlessly as if he were a curious student, ¡°So you want to get her back? I¡¯m really curious about how badly you hurt her. How could she not change her mind about your family, looks, and qualifications? This woman is quite the determined one.¡± Elias¡¯ face darkened as he gritted out, ¡°Can you just get to the point?!¡± At the sight of his annoyed expression, Lazarus let out augh. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. This lady really does seem difficult to deal with unless she¡¯s willing to cooperate. However, I still have a proposal- you need to take a different approach.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Elias narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what Lazarus meant by a different. approach. Lazarus leaned on the couch. ¡°It¡¯s called ying cat and mouse.¡± ¡°ying cat and mouse? That¡¯s the proposal you came up with?¡± Elias was genuinely moments away from emptying his drink over Lazarus¡¯ head. What kind of rubbish proposal is that? y cat and mouse? How would I have the nerve to y cat and mouse with the way Amanda is right now? Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Almost Like a Changed Man Upon seeing his look of fury, Lazarus slowly said, ¡°Calm down and let me exin. There¡¯s a reason behind. these things. How would someone who has never pursued a woman like you understand?¡± This was the truth-Elias had never pursued any woman as they had always been the ones doing the chasing. ¡°Out with it already!¡± Elias growled, suppressing the ball of fire in his chest. Lazarus poured himself a ss of wine, which he took a small sip from before slowly exining, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any point in forcing her like this? Is she giving you the slightest chance? The more you chase after her, the more firmly she rejects you, right?¡± Elias didn¡¯t reply. It seemed that that was indeed the case; either way, it was true that Amanda refused to give in. Elias¡¯ silence told Lazarus that he had hit the nail on the head. Clearing his throat, he began to speak with the tone of a seasoned master. ¡°That¡¯s why you should change your tactics in a time like this. Women are all the same; she¡¯ll get annoyed if you chase her too much, but she won¡¯t feelfortable if you stop all of a sudden. If you still have a ce in her heart, she might even pursue you instead. ¡°If I still have a ce in her heart?¡± Elias repeated. ¡°Four years ago, perhaps, but now¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± He had hurt her heart, and now he didn¡¯t have a clue if he still held a ce in her heart. Despite that, Lazarus said, ¡°That makes things easy. If you had a ce in her heart before, you still do. She¡¯s just scared from the hurt you caused her and doesn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again.¡± definitely Elias listened to his confident speech, unsure if he actually understood. However, at a time like this, he could only make do with what he had. ¡°Hurry up and tell me your n. Stop beating around the bush and act like a man,¡± Elias said disdainfully. He disliked Lazarus¡¯ ramblings the most; it would always take him ages to get to the point. ¡°Are you believing me atst? You have to hand it off to me when ites to things like this. I definitely know women better than you. Let me tell you, women are all¡­¡± Lazarus began to boast. Unable to bear with his antics anymore, Elias threatened, ¡°Another word of nonsense from you and I¡¯ll pour this bottle of wine over your head.¡± ¡°Look at that temper of yours. Do you think she¡¯d dare to change her mind? What if you hurt her again?¡± Elias let out an angryugh. He was nearly losing his mind from frustration, but Lazarus had yet to get to the point. He held his anger in and clenched his fists tightly, biting out through gritted teeth, ¡°Are you going to f*cking tell me or not? If not, I¡¯m leaving.¡± As soon as he finished, he stood up to leave when Lazarus suddenly held him back. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll tell you. Why are you still so aggressive? I¡¯ll tell you my n now¡­¡± Elias¡¯ expression finally eased at his words. He returned to his seat to patiently listen to Lazarus¡¯ instructions, and he was so focused it was almost as if he was about to retrieve a pen and paper to start taking notes. At the same time, back in Northern No. 1, Aiden¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Amanda was spacing out in the living room when Aiden suddenly woke up and left his room with a bleary-eyed look. ¡°Hungry? What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll make some for you.¡± She nced outside the window and noticed that the sky had already turned dark. Aiden had been sleeping ever since they left the movie theater without eating anything, so it was about time for him to start getting hungry. After a moment of heavy deliberation, Aiden finally dered, ¡°I want to have noodles.¡± ¡°Noodles again? Okay, I¡¯ll make some for you. Just y in the living room for a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hence, Amanda headed to the kitchen alone and opened the fridge to retrieve some noodles and other ingredients, deciding to make a simple te of spaghetti for dinner. However, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Elias, who had yet to return since he left, wondering if his fever had gone down yet. After some time, she shook her head, muttering to herself, ¡°He¡¯s an adult. He doesn¡¯t need you to worry about him. Stop thinking about these things and take good care of your child.¡± Had she been too harsh earlier? As soon as she said she would never remarry, Elias stared at her in silence for a long moment before leaving the house, and she had no idea where he went either. After washing some vegetables, Amanda was just about to start preparing dinner when the doorbell rang. Then, Aiden¡¯s voice sounded from outside. ¡°Mommy, someone¡¯s ringing the doorbell!¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± She turned around and left the kitchen to open the door. When she arrived at the foyer and looked through the doorbell camera, she saw that Elias was standing outside the door. He came back? After a moment of hesitation, she opened the door, only to see that Elias had his hands piled high with takeout boxes. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°You two haven¡¯t eaten anything yet, right? I brought some food back. Let¡¯s eat it before it turns cold.¡± As if he were a changed man, Elias seemed to have forgotten Amanda¡¯s rejection as he strode into the C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. house. Something¡¯s strange¡­ After closing the door, she soon heard Aiden¡¯s excited shrick. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s fried chicken! I love fried chicken!¡± Elias rubbed the kid¡¯s head with an affectionate smile. ¡°Eat more if you like it so much. It¡¯s all for you.¡± As if rubbing salt into her wounds, Aiden immediately said to Amanda, ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want noodles. anymore. I want this.¡± She fell silent. This little brat really is realistic. She returned to the couch and took a seat and couldn¡¯t help butugh as she watched Aiden stuffing his face. ¡°Slow down, no one¡¯s going to take it from you.¡± However, Elias smiled. ¡°He¡¯s just like me when I was a child. Grandpa said I ate exactly like this when I was hungry.¡± ¡°Then, were you this realistic as a child?¡± Amanda supported her chin with both hands, watching Aiden eat. Elias narrowed his eyes. ¡°Realistic?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s very realistic? He likes sports cars and mansions, and he likes good food too. All of the things he likes are materialistic.¡± She was afraid that if Elias continued to spoil Aiden like this, she would have a hard time bringing him up. However, Elias disagreed. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. All children are like this. Besides, it¡¯s not like we aren¡¯t capable of letting him enjoy these things. Are we supposed to let him suffer?¡± Hearing that, Amanda fell silent. As a matter of fact, she was extremely conflicted. It was fine if the Winters Family were unaware of Aiden¡¯s existence, but they would definitely fight for custody once they. found out. While she would never give up custody of Aiden to Elias, she feared that it would be extremely difficult to win the case. After Aiden had his fill, he became filled with energy as he had slept the entire afternoon away and refused to go to bed. Hence, Amanda and Elias were subjected to a long period of ytime before they finally managed to coax him to bed. Amanda immediately flopped onto the couch in exhaustion, all of her strength sapped from taking care of Aiden. The two sat on the couch in the living room, the sound of the cartoon ying on the television. filling the room with neither of them saying a word. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but sneak a nce at the man next to her. He seemed to have be extremely calm as he stared at the television, though she was unsure if he was actually watching it. ¡°Why did youe back?¡± Elias shot her a look. ¡°What else? Where would I sleep? I haven¡¯t settled down anywhere yet, so shouldn¡¯t you take responsibility?¡± Amanda was immediately rendered speechless. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Have You Really Made Up Your Mind? Amanda continued, ¡°Do you understand anything I said?¡± She expected him to act as if he had lost his memory and begin to beg her to remarry him again without. caring about her wishes. However, Elias finally moved his gaze from the television onto her face. ¡°I do. I respect your wishes, and I won¡¯t force you to do things you don¡¯t like anymore.¡± Amanda was dumbstruck. Did this b¡±stard change personalities? Since when was he capable of saying something so reasonable? Is this still the same bossy and aggressive Elias I know? She froze for a second before saying, ¡°Are you sure? Have you really made up your mind? So, you won¡¯t force me to remarry, and you won¡¯t fight for Aiden¡¯s custody anymore?¡± Why was it so hard for her to believe that? After all, this was Elias she was dealing with. How would the most tyrannical man of Imperia be so amiable? Did he suddenly have a change of heart? don¡¯t Elias¡¯ expression remained unchanged as he said, ¡°Yeah. Since you¡¯re so against remarriage and you want to raise Aiden in the Winters Family, I¡¯ll respect your wishes. Besides, he grew up by your side since. he was a child, so he probably can¡¯t leave you either. However, I have a condition.¡± See, what did I say? Elias could never be so reasonable all of a sudden. Let¡¯s see what condition he has. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°What condition?¡± Amanda assumed that he would deliberatelye up with a condition that would put her in a difficult spot, but he unexpectedly said, ¡°I can give up on fighting for Aiden¡¯s custody, and I can stop forcing you to remarry as well, but you have to let Aiden know that I¡¯m his biological father. Moreover, I have to be able to visit him anytime; in other words, you can¡¯t stop us from spending time together.¡± That¡¯s it? Amanda was dumbfounded. This feels so unreal. Am I dreaming? ¡°Is that it? Are those all your conditions?¡± she asked, still unable to believe her eyes or her ears. Elias nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been thinking about a lot of things in the few hours I was out, and I realized that things like feelings can¡¯t be forced, and there isn¡¯t any point in doing so either. Perhaps you loved me four years ago, but after all that time has passed¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t say anything, only silently listening to him speak. ¡°I don¡¯t have any other requests now. I just hope that you¡¯ll tell Aiden that I¡¯m his father and allow me to come to y with him anytime. I don¡¯t want him to miss out on a father¡¯s love while he¡¯s growing up.¡± His tone was earnest and sincere with no trace of a lie to be found in his words, and Amanda was beginning to believe him. It seemed that he had really reflected on many things during the few hours he was away. And yet, she was unaware that all of this was a part of Lazarus¡¯ idea, and she was stepping right. into their meticulously nned irap. She became unsure of how to respond to Elias¡¯ sudden sensibleness. ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t stop you froming to see Aiden since he is, after all, your son. As for whether he¡¯ll acknowledge you as his father, that will depend on you. After all, he¡¯s still young, so he doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± Elias replied solemnly, ¡°Yes, I know, and I understand that too. I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± All of a sudden, Amanda felt inexplicably downcast by his sudden change. She couldn¡¯t exin the feeling, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel odd. Just then, Elias lifted his wrist to check the time and saw that it was nearly midnight. Picking up his coat, he said, ¡°It¡¯ste now, so I¡¯ll be leaving first. If you and Aiden need anything, just give me a call. Even though¡­ we might not be able to be husband and wife in the future, I¡¯ll still do my part since I¡¯m still his father.¡± Amanda froze for a moment before she followed suit and stood up as well. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to stay here just now?¡± Elias chuckled. ¡°I was just joking with you. I¡¯m not that dislikeable, you know. Since you don¡¯t want any ties with me, I will respect your boundaries.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Be careful on the way back, then.¡± It seemed that this was all she could say. All of a sudden, she felt extremely awkward. Elias turned around to give her a look, as if his gaze were boring through her soul. Then, without another look backward, he said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Without lingering around or any sign of hesitation, he immediately pulled the door open and left. It was only after hearing the sound of the door closing that Amanda realized everything Elias said was true. Did he mature overnight? Why did it seem like he hadpletely changed from an aggressive tyrant to an honorable gentleman? Outside the door, as soon as Elias walked out, the nonchnce on his handsome face dissipated into thin air as he immediately dialed Lazarus¡¯ number. ¡°I¡¯ve already done what you told me to. I won¡¯t let you off easily if it doesn¡¯t work!¡± he threatened fiercely. The voice on the other end was rxed andid back. ¡°Why are you so nervous? This is a long process, and you¡¯re already thinking about the results when you¡¯ve just taken the first step. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll ensure that you get the woman of your dreams. As long as you do as I say, nothing will go wrong.¡± Elias walked into the elevator and pressed on the first floor as he scoffed disdainfully. ¡°I won¡¯t allow any failures. If not, you better give me my wife and son back.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, it¡¯s my fault if you fail. Since you¡¯re all alone now, you should juste over and drink with me. Remember, you have to pretend that you¡¯ve let her go, and you can¡¯t let her sense that you have any desire to remarry her.¡± Elias¡¯ brow was furrowed tight with impatience. ¡°I know!¡± Upon saying that, he immediately hung up. Although he disapproved of Lazarus¡¯ wooing proposal, he had to admit that he didn¡¯t know how to pursue a woman either, so he had no choice but to listen to him. After all, Lazarus was a master in the ways of the heart. Early the next morning, after Amanda dropped Aiden off at kindergarten, she headed to thew firm and was predictably stopped by Simon again. As soon as she walked into the office, she spotted Simon waiting for her on a couch in the lounge. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, he immediately shot to his feet and turned to look at her, diving straight to the point. ¡°Amanda, are you sure you want to remarry Elias? Aren¡¯t you scared of the same things happening again? Why are you- Before he could finish, Amanda cut him off. ¡°No, I¡¯ve already talked things through with Elias. From now on, we¡¯ll only be friends and raise Aiden together. We won¡¯t remarry, and he won¡¯t fight for Aiden¡¯s custody either.¡± Simon¡¯s face was filled with disbelief as he asked dubiously. ¡°Elias said that? Why would he agree to it?¡± With Elias¡¯ temper, how was it possible for him to agree to let go of the custody? Besides, anyone with a pair of eyes could easily tell how much he cared about Amanda, so could he really let her go that quickly? ¡°Yes, I talked to him for a long timest night. He might¡¯ve realized that feelings can¡¯t be forced either, and he said that he¡¯ll respect my wishes and he won¡¯t force me to do anything anymore.¡± Although Amanda found the change in Elias a little strange as well, it was how things had turned out in the end, and she had managed to achieve her goal. Still, Simon found it hard to believe that Elias would make such a hugepromise for her. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Cold Attitude ¡°With my understanding of Elias, he would never give up so easily. Are you sure he isn¡¯t up to any tricks?¡± Amanda jolted slightly before she immediately furrowed her brow. ¡°He has already made things very clear to me. All he wants is for Aiden to know that he¡¯s his father and nothing else. His request is still reasonable.¡± ¡°Is it that simple? Would someone like Elias who never had to bow down to anyone settle for such a simple request?¡± Simon pressed, still unable to believe her words. Amanda circled to the back of her desk and began to arrange her documents while replying, ¡°Maybe he just decided that he doesn¡¯t want me anymore. I¡¯m not gentle and obedient, and I¡¯m always pissing him off by going against him, so what would he get out of remarrying me? A hard time?¡± Simon didn¡¯t reply, and the two remained silent for a long moment as Amanda continued to tidy her documents behind her desk for a court caseter that afternoon. However, when he continued to stand in ce, she couldn¡¯t help but raise her head. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do now?¡± ¡°Amanda, what about you and me? What about us?¡± Simon asked, his eyes searing yet determined So, we¡¯ve stille back to this topic. Amanda rubbed her pen between her fingers, as if deep in thought. A momentter, she slowly replied, ¡°Let¡¯s just go back to being friends. Neither of us will be able to win. your parents over, and you can¡¯t get past your ex-girlfriend either. To be honest, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any point in a loveless marriage. You clearly still can¡¯t let go of Lunabelle, but you¡¯re still insisting on marrying me. Are you nning to make me watch as you continue to keep in contact with Lunabelle?¡± Instantly, Simon was rendered speechless. He had indeed lost most of his feelings for Lunabelle, but if she had any requests to ask of him, he knew that he would most likely extend a helping hand to her. However, he never thought that Amanda would be bothered by this fact. ¡°Does it bother you? Weren¡¯t you fine with it? Lunabelle and I are just friends now. Besides, she¡¯s been a little depressedtely, so I¡¯ve been taking care of her just as a friend¡­¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Before he could finish, Amanda had lost her patience and interrupted, ¡°Then you can continue taking care of her. I just think that it¡¯s better for us to remain as friends.¡± ¡°Amanda¡­¡± time.¡± Simon was still about to exin, but she didn¡¯t want to hear another word. ¡°Enough, Simon. It¡¯s working. hours, so you should go back to work. There¡¯s been a lot of cases at the firmtely; don¡¯t waste your Upon seeing her cold and determined attitude, he could only give up and turned to leave the office. As soon as she heard the sound of the door closing, Amanda inexplicably felt a weight lifting off her shoulders. Moreover, she was even a little relieved that Simon¡¯s parents disagreed with their marriage, or she would not know what to do if she had actually married him. In fact, she got along perfectly fine with Simon as colleagues and friends, but only the idea of being his wife sent goosebumps all over her skin. Perhaps it was because neither of them held any feelings for the other. Soon, night fell. As Selina¡¯s divorce had been fully settled, she was set to return that night to continue taking care of Aiden, freeing Amanda of much of her burden. After dialing Elias¡¯ number, the call quickly went through, and his low voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Yes?¡± Ever since they had talked things through the previous night, he had be much colder, and she found it hard to get used to all of a sudden. Amanda coughed before saying, ¡°Selina¡¯sing back today, so you can go back to your work instead of picking Aiden up from school from now on. If you¡¯re free, we can arrange a time for you to meet him.¡± If this were any other day in the past, Elias would¡¯ve definitely lost his temper. However, he only replied. coolly, ¡°All right, I got it. Give me a call if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay. Then¡­ I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± With that, Amanda hung up the phone, thinking that his overnight switch in personality was truly difficult for her to get used to. At that thought, she raised her wrist to check the time. As she had a banquet to attend that night, she had to change her clothes, so she decided to take a trip back home. When Amanda arrived at Northern No. 1, Selina was making dinner for Aiden while he was busy putting at puzzle together. Upon hearing the door opening. Selina emerged from the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re back, Amanda. I¡¯ll make some more food for dinnerter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going to a banquetter. Just make enough for you and Aiden,¡± she hurriedly said. Selina smiled. ¡°All right. Aiden was wailing about how hungry he is.¡± Amanda walked toward Aiden and caressed his head. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you greeting Mommy? Where are your manners?¡± Normally, when she returned home, he would always greet her in his adorable voice. However, Aiden¡¯s attention waspletely devoted to his puzzle, and he even avoided her touch impatiently. ¡°Mommy, I have to finish this. Uncle Elias said that he¡¯ll take me to Universal Studios once I¡¯m done.¡± Amanda¡¯s smile froze at the corners of her lips. No wonder he was so serious-Elias had given him a mission. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter to herself, ¡°This b*stard is getting my son¡¯s hopes up again. I don¡¯t even know if he actually has the time to go.¡± However, Selina said with a smile, ¡°I think that his way of teaching is not bad. Not only is he training Aiden¡¯s concentration, he also gave him a promise. Besides, he¡¯ll definitely do as he says¡± ¡°Why do you believe in him that much? Do you really think he¡¯d do what he says?¡± After all, she had known Elias much longer than Selina. Selina let out an awkward chuckle. ¡°I just feel like he would. He personally came over to give this puzzle to Aiden this afternoon. He¡¯s quite caring.¡± Amanda froze. ¡°He¡¯s been here?¡± ¡°Yeah. He came over after I picked Aiden up and gave him this puzzle, but he only yed with him for a while before he left. He seemed quite busy,¡± Selina reported. I never knew Elias was here¡­ Amanda fell silent at that thought. Upon seeing Aiden¡¯s serious expression, she smiled lightly before heading to her room to change. Around 8.00PM, Amanda changed into a ck sleeveless dress that presented all of her curves perfectly, painting her in a cheeky but seductive light. Soon, she arrived at the banquet venue. These events had only one purpose, and that was to get to know influential figures in the business industry as well as build connections with them in order to establish an opportunity to work with them in the future. Simon was present as well, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to show up with Lunabelle by his side. At the same time, Simon noticed her, and he walked over to greet her. ¡°Hey, Amanda.¡± With a ss of red wine in her hand, Amanda sent him a small smile. ¡°Boss, you¡¯rete, you know.¡± Next to him, Lunabelle piped up. ¡°Sorry about that, I was the one who dragged Simon behind. I tend to change quite slowly, so it took a while.¡± Amanda only smiled without replying. Either way, she was not nning on advancing her rtionship with Simon, and she was not curious about how the two ended up arriving together. However, Simon couldn¡¯t help but exin, ¡°Lunabelle was feeling a little down, and I was worried about her being alone at home, so I took her here for a distraction.¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Are You Sure She¡¯ll Get Jealous? Amanda took a small sip of her wine and said, ¡°This is your private affairs, and it has nothing to do with me. Mr. Lennard is here; I¡¯m going to go and speak to him.¡± She deliberately came up with an excuse and left, not wanting to waste any more of her time with Simon and Lunabelle. However, as soon as she turned around, she spotted a tall and eye-catching figure by the entrance. Her heart stopped at the sight. Why is¡¯ Elias here? she wondered. She knew that he would often attend banquets like this, but she never expected him to show up tonight. However, since hiding was no use, she decided to go along with the flow. Moreover, she had not nned. on hiding from him in the first ce, and she watched as he walked inside. Elias seemed to have noticed her as well, but his brow was furrowed as if he was displeased by her presence. Seeing that, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. Is that really necessary? Even if he suddenly made up his mind and doesn¡¯t want me anymore, he doesn¡¯t have to frown as soon as he sees me, right? Clearly, it was a smart choice of hers to not agree to a remarriage. After all, this was the kind of person Elias was-unpredictable and fickle, someone who would give up on his feelings without any reason. Tonight, Elias was dressed in a ck tuxedo that was perfectly tailored for his body, and his every move exuded an elegance that only belonged to people of nobility. His attire made him seem more mature and stoic instead of his usual belligerence. The moment he entered the hall, he came across Amanda and her skimpy dress. What the hell is she wearing? Why is it so revealing? His possessiveness began to erupt at the sight of Amanda, and he wanted nothing more but to rush over and cover her up with his suit jacket. What is she wearing in a ce with so many men around? Who even designed this dress? He was apanied by Lazarus, who followed his line of sight and spotted Amanda. Seeing that Elias was moments away from losing control, Lazarus pressed on his shoulder and hissed under his breath, ¡°Calm down, calm down! Don¡¯t forget our n. If you still want to get the girl you want, you have to listen to me. Remember, act cold. Don¡¯t bother her or cling to her. Make her lower her guard against you. That¡¯s the only way you can find a way into her heart!¡± Elias felt as if his head were about to implode from Lazarus¡¯ nagging in his ear. However, in order to get Amanda back to his side as soon as possible, he had no choice but to hold it in and listen to his advice. Even so, he couldn¡¯t help butin to Lazarus, ¡°Look at that, who even designed that dress? Isn¡¯t it lingerie? Can it be worn outdoors? What was the designer thinking? They definitely didn¡¯t have their mind. in the right ce.¡± Hearing that, Lazarus burst outughing. ¡°Mr. Elias, aren¡¯t you being too controlling? Do you have to care about what she wears? No wonder she doesn¡¯t want to go back to you. Are you her husband or her father?¡± Elias fell silent, his face darkening. He was aware of how possessive he was, but he never expected Lazarus to take things that way. Not wanting to speak to Lazarus anymore, Elias headed into the banquet hall and took a ss of red wine. from a waiter¡¯s tray, taking a few sips to quell his anger. However, whenever he set eyes on Amanda¡¯s dress, within him reignite. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Lazarus came to his side. ¡°Remember, you have to stay nonchnt. Make sure she can feel that you don¡¯t care about her, or all of our previous efforts will be wasted. Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you then. ¡°I know! Enough with the nonsense!¡± Just then, a woman walked over and greeted Elias. Normally, there was always a crowd of women falling over themselves to establish a connection with him, and Elias hated these desperate women the most. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Winters.¡± A gorgeous woman with a voluptuous figure and a fiery red lip strutted over, dripping in sultriness. Elias was just about to lose his temper when Lazarus suddenly leaned into his ear and whispered, ¡°Interact with this beauty. Do you see that? Amanda is looking at you, so you have to make her jealous. Don¡¯t forget about our game of cat and mouse.¡± ¡°Are you sure she¡¯ll get jealous?¡± He was extremely dubious that this would work. After all, Amanda did not. even spare him a nce. However, Lazarus replied with a look of conviction, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no woman can escape from my tactics. It¡¯ll work as long as she loves you.¡± Elias fell silent, realizing that he couldn¡¯t win against Lazarus¡¯ confidence and his determination to remarry Amanda. Hence, he tugged the corner of his lips upward and said dismissively to the woman, ¡°Have we met before?¡± Though she said that it had been a long time since they met, he could not remember where he hadst seen her at all. The woman clearly expected Elias to ignore her, and she was shocked by his reply. ¡°Mr. Winters, we met at a party before, and I introduced myself to you. Can¡¯t you remember? You must¡¯ve forgotten because of how busy you are.¡± She was clearly a little excited that she was finally able to get a word in with Elias. Meanwhile, the envious gazes of many wealthy youngdies around them were trained on her. Elias nodded. ¡°Oh¡­ I don¡¯t remember.¡± He had been to too many parties and banquets to remember, much less every single person who introduced themselves to him.. Despite his nonchnt response, she was still greatly pleased as she stared at him passionately, admiring every detail of his striking and perfect features. Amongst their circle of wealthy families, he was most definitely at the top of the pyramid, whether it was his looks, elegance, or his figure. At the same time, Amanda stood in a corner and swirled the wine in her ss as she watched Elias talking andughing with a sultry woman, unable to shake off the strange feeling in her heart. So, this is how Elias talks to women at banquets¡­ So, he looks that charming while he¡¯s talking and laughing with other women¡­ So, he always looks that affectionate when he¡¯s looking at every woman¡­ All of a sudden, she felt as if her chest had been stuffed with cotton. She was the one who rejected the idea of remarriage with him and pushed him away, so why did she feel her heart tighten at the sight of him. conversing with another woman? Her emotions were inexplicable, even to herself. At that thought, Amanda let out a helpless sigh and headed toward the balcony, deciding to get some fresh air to clear her groggy head. Then, she muttered to herself under her breath, ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Amanda. Since you rejected him, he has the right to interact with other women. What right do you have to be disappointed?¡± Yes, what she was feeling could only be described as a disappointment, although she had no idea what she was disappointed about. Wasn¡¯t this what she wanted? Elias was now indifferent toward her and no longer clung to her, no longer begging her to remarry him. Wasn¡¯t that a good thing? However, why did she feel so downcast? As it was gettingte, Amanda decided that it was about time for her to leave, and she was also beginning to grow tipsy from the few sses of wine she partook. However, as soon as she turned around, she bumped into a firm chest by ident. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± The moment she lifted her head, she immediately met Elias¡¯ dark eyes. Why is he here? ¡°Are you drunk?¡± he asked, eyeing her dazed expression and unsteady gait. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Is This the Sh*tty n You Came Up With? After steadying herself, Amanda finally saw the man before her clearly and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. By the way, why are you here?¡± As soon as her question left her lips, she immediately realized how nonsensical it sounded. It was not strange for Elias to show up at any banquets in the slightest; there were too many people who wanted to invite him to their events. Elias replied in a low voice, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s for work. Do you want to¡­¡± As a matter of fact, he was about to ask if she wanted him to take her home. After all, Amanda was not only wearing such a revealing dress, but she seemed a little tipsy as well. If a man with ulterior motives. noticed this, the oue would be unthinkable. However, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Lazarus, who had suddenlye over to their side. ¡°Is this the famous Miss Bailey? So, all of thewyers at Justice & Associates are gorgeous.¡± Amanda looked at the man who had suddenly appeared. Hemanded a yful and charming air, but she did not seem to know who he was, ¡°You are¡­¡± Lazarus extended a hand. ¡°You don¡¯t know me, but I¡¯m friends with your superior, Simon, and a childhood friend of Elias¡¯. We grew up together. Childhood friend? Amanda blearily reached out and gently shook his hand. Meanwhile, Elias¡¯ gaze was fixed intently on their sped hands, and he let out a small cough. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Lazarus retracted his hand and ced it on Elias¡¯ shoulder, saying into his ear, ¡°Did you listen to anything I told you? Remember, be indifferent, and don¡¯t make the first move. If you want all your previous efforts to go to waste, just forget what I said.¡± Elias was rendered speechless. He hadn¡¯t done anything at all. Even if it was as a friend, there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with taking Amanda home since she was drunk, was there? Were things that serious? He had no idea why Lazarus was acting this way. N?velDrama.Org content rights. However, Lazarus said, ¡°Are you drunk, Miss Bailey? You can ask your superior to take you home. It¡¯s dangerous for a pretty girl like you to be drunk at a ce like this. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not drunk. I just slipped a little just now. I can go back on my own,¡± Amanda hurriedly refused. She was trying her best to avoid Simon, not to mention that Lunabelle was present as well. Meanwhile, Elias was about to explode from anger. Is this idiot here to help or to cause more trouble? How can he push Amanda to Simon¡¯s side? He shot a furious re toward Lazarus, but Lazarus continued to force a gentle smile on his face as he held onto Elias¡¯ shoulder while saying to Amanda, ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Well, Elias and I have some matters to attend to, so we¡¯ll be heading over there. Let¡¯s talkter.¡± ¡°All right, please go ahead.¡± Amanda smiled lightly, watching as Lazarus forcibly dragged Elias to at different ce. With a helpless shrug, she turned around and leaned on the balcony railing in an attempt to sober up. The wine here was a little strong, but she was also at fault for drinking a little too much. She nned to head home once she recovered, not wanting to remain at the banquet any longer. The man named Lazarus was right about something-it was quite dangerous to be drunk in a ce like this as there was a risk that she might be taken advantage of On the other hand, as soon as Lazarus pulled Elias into a corner, he shook off his hand disdainfully. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that Amanda is drunk? Do you know how dangerous it is to be drunk in a ce like this? Even if it¡¯s as a friend, what¡¯s wrong with me taking her home?¡± Elias growled, venting his anger on him. However, Lazarus remained unfazed as he crossed his arms, patiently listening to him rambling angrily. Then, he saidnguidly. Taking her home is fine, but it can¡¯t be you who does it. Did you see how she reacted when I suggested looking for Simon?¡± Elias¡¯ anger was immediately fueled at the mention of this topic. ¡°Whose side are you even on? I told you to help me pursue Amanda, so why are you pushing her to Simon¡¯s side?¡± ¡°Calm down and listen to me, all right? Did you see how she reacted when I told her to go to Simon? She immediately refused.¡± Elias scoffed coldly. ¡°If she really went to him, I¡¯ll skin you alive.¡± Lazarus nudged him with his elbow. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you notice that Amanda is starting to be bothered? Especially when you were talking to that hot chick earlier.¡± Elias was confused-he had been focused on dismissing the woman earlier, and he didn¡¯t have the time to notice Amanda¡¯s reaction. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± She was still as cold toward him as ever. If things went on like this, he was afraid that Amanda would genuinely give up on him, and that would be the end of Lazarus¡¯ life if things really came to that point. ¡°Tch¡­ Well, I did. When you were talking to that beauty, Amanda kept staring at you, and her eyes looked bitter like she feels awkward and ufortable, you know? Do you know what this means? This means that she still has feelings for you. As long as you interact with other women, she¡¯ll still feel bitter about it.¡± Elias narrowed his eyes, shooting him a suspicious look. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Does this b*stard have X-rays for eyes? How can he tell what Amanda is thinking? Why does it sound iffy? ¡°With my years of experience, you won¡¯t go wrong from listening to me. You¡¯ve already hit a dead end now, so who will you listen to if not me? If you really want to tell what Amanda is truly thinking, you have to provoke her. If you keep spending all your time around her, how would she feel threatened? She would only hate you more and more, and your journey to get her back wille to a standstill¡­¡± As Elias listened to his spiel, he suddenly thought that Lazarus had a point and fell silent for a short pause. ¡°Then, how should I provoke her?¡± A sly smile bloomed on Lazarus¡¯ lips. ¡°Do you know what women are most afraid of?¡± ¡°What?¡± Elias asked, genuinely clueless. ¡°A first love whom you can¡¯t forget. Any woman would be stirred by this.¡± Elias stared at him silently, not understanding a single word he had just uttered. Seeing that, Lazarusughed. ¡°Look at your face. I knew you won¡¯t even know what first love is. How are you supposed to woo a woman like this? Better thank the heavens for gracing you with such looks, or you¡¯d be spending the rest of your life as a bachelor.¡± ¡°If you waste any more of my time. I will punch you in the face.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. This is what I¡¯m thinking-we¡¯lle up with a first love for you to provoke Amanda, and she definitely will be angry. By then, you¡¯ll know if she cares about you or not,¡± Lazarus mused aloud as he rubbed his chin. Elias¡¯ face darkened. ¡°Is this the sh*tty n you came up with?¡± Amanda was already thoroughly disappointed in him just from Grace¡¯s existence. If he had a first love now, he might even lose his visiting rights in the future. ¡°Just tell me if you¡¯re brave enough. As long as you dare to do it, the results will definitely be good. If you don¡¯t want to listen to me, you can go back to where you started-you chase while she rejects, and the two of you can continue that way for eternity. I won¡¯t waste my time on you.¡± While Lazarus pulled a chair over and took a seat, Elias fell into a long silence. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Protecting Her in the Dark When Lazarus noticed the indecisive look on Elias¡¯ face, he said, ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s better to retreat in order to progress, and the results will be better. Think it over As the saying went, never hire someone you didn¡¯t trust, and trust the person you hire. So, Elias made his decision. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you, but if things go south or there¡¯s no more hope between me and mydy, then it will be the death of you.¡± Lazarusughed heartily. ¡°You got it. Don¡¯t you worry because that¡¯s impossible. I can tell that the prettywyer is still in love with you. Unfortunately, you have hurt her so terribly that she doesn¡¯t dare to return to your side so easily, scared that you¡¯ll disappoint her again.¡± Elias had no words to say but thought that was very close to the truth. There were many times when he felt that Amanda wanted to give him a chance but was very hesitant and timid to ce her trust in him. again. Maybe she¡¯s scared that she¡¯ll be disappointed again, but what should I do so that she¡¯ll trust me completely? Nheless, he could only ce his hope in Lazarus¡¯ hands now. He didn¡¯t want to give up his woman and children and he definitely had no intentions of giving away his chance of happiness to someone else. It was already 9.00PM and Amanda thought that it was about time to head home. So, she ced the wine ss aside and was just about to leave when she bumped into Simon and Lunabelle, who were also Heaving. She smiled at them and wanted to walk past them, but Lunabelle suddenly said, ¡°Are you leaving as well? Let¡¯s go together. You look a little tipsy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can call a cab for myself and don¡¯t want to be a third wheel.¡± She figured that she had already made herself very clear and she desperately hoped that they wouldn¡¯t insist on leaving together with her because it was very awkward for the three of them to be in the same room together. Amanda nced around the room and saw no signs of Elias anywhere. Has he left already? she wondered. Maybe. He¡¯s such a busy man, after all. Maybe he has other business meetings to attend. They were by the elevators when Simon said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I¡¯m a little worried that you¡¯re leaving alone.¡± He couldn¡¯t deny that he was concerned, especially when she was dressed so beautifully. Although Lunabelle could feel her rising disgruntlement, she forced out a smile when she noticed Simon¡¯s genuine concern. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go together. It¡¯s dangerous for a woman to be alone at night.¡± Frankly, she didn¡¯t want anyone to disturb their private time at all, especially not Amanda. N?velDrama.Org content rights. As a woman herself, Amanda could read her mind like a book. So, this time she didn¡¯t bother to reject. them nicely and decided to take a more straightforward approach. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I really don¡¯t want to leave with you guys. Have I made myself clear? I¡¯m sorry, but I really don¡¯t want to. So, it¡¯s best if we leave on a good note, yes?¡± Ding Dong. The doors of two elevators slowly rolled open, and Amanda stepped into the one at the side to make it obvious that she didn¡¯t even want to share an elevator with them. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you two around. Goodbye.¡± Then, she smiled, pressed the button, and the doors slowly slid. to a close. A stunned Simon stood there like a statue for a few seconds, and before he could say anything, the lift doors had already closed. He didn¡¯t even bother disguising his crestfallen look as he took the lift in front of him with Lunabelle. Lunabelle naturally noticed the look on his face as she asked, ¡°Are you okay? Are you mad because of what Amanda said?¡± In all honesty, Amanda¡¯s words were quite hurtful when she told them directly in their faces that she didn¡¯t want to leave with them. Furthermore, she even sounded a little haughty. Simon simply squeezed out a smile. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± After Amanda returned to her ce at Northern No. 1, she found Aiden and Selina already in bed and decided to take a quick break on the couch. However, unbeknownst to her, a car was tailing her cab when she was on her way home, and it escorted her all the way to her building and only drove. away when she was home. The driver of said car was none other than Elias, who didn¡¯t leave early but was secretly observing her the whole time. When he saw her walking together with Simon, he almost couldn¡¯t stop himself from dragging her away. In the car, he raised his head and saw that the lights on the seventeenth floor were on, which set his mind. at ease. At least, she was back home safely. Then, he fished out his phone and wanted to call and ask her how she was doing, but the things Lazarus said popped up in his mind-he had to be calm, composed, and indifferent. Therefore, he controlled his desire for the sake of sessfully wooing his wife and tossed his phone on the passenger seat. In the end, he decided to go home and sleep so that he wouldn¡¯t have to think about anything else, but his phone suddenly vibrated on the passenger seat. He shot a nce at his phone and saw Amanda¡¯s name on the screen. Light danced in his eyes. Amanda is calling me! Did something unexpected happen? He didn¡¯t even hesitate as he grabbed the phone and picked up the call. ¡°What happened? Are you feeling. unwell? Or, is it Aiden who¡¯s feeling unwell?¡± He reckoned that something had happened. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have called him. The Amanda four yearster appeared as though she didn¡¯t need him in her life at all, which gave him a sense of defeat that he had never felt before. On the other end of the call. Amanda was silent for a few seconds before saying. ¡°Nothing. I called the wrong number. Bye, and good night. Sorry that I interrupted your sleep. Then, she hung up right away without giving him the chance to say anything. He stared at the words ¡®Call ended¡¯ written on the screen in bewilderment and called Lazarus. When he answered, Elias immediately demanded, ¡°Amanda just called me earlier but said that she called the wrong. number. What does this mean? Is she okay or not?¡± Lazarusughed on the other end. ¡°You¡¯re such a nerd. It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s missing you and called you unintentionally. But she didn¡¯t know what to say so she quickly ended the call. If she had spoken another word, she¡¯s going to expose herself for missing you.¡± Elias frowned in confusion as he thought, Is that true? Why is it that I don¡¯t feel that at all? Meanwhile, Amanda was on the couch, staring at the ¡®Call ended¡¯ screen with a racing heart. She had absent-mindedly opened her call records, tapped on Elias¡¯ number, and slipped into a daze. To her surprise, she had called him instead. This is so embarrassing¡­ she thought as she stepped into the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom and looked at her face in the mirror. It was burning brightly, and she could help but feel it with her palm. It is burning hot. Why am I so weak? Just like back then when I first met Elias, I still blush like this¡­ Elias had picked up the call at the speed of light when it was connected and sounded very nervous, as though he was worried that something had happened to her and Aiden. A smile spread across her face at the thought of this. I guess we have a ce in his heart, and it seems like he cares a lot about us, she thought. As soon as the thought shed across her mind, she shook her head violently and reprimanded herself, ¡°What are you thinking about, Amanda? You don¡¯t want to get married to him again and have chosen to stay away from him. So, what are you doing now? Just go to bed already!¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Are All Men So Fickle? Amanda sat at her dressing table after her shower and did her skincare routine before climbing into bed for sleep. However, she wasn¡¯t sleepy at all, and her mind was filled with images of Elias in a conversation. with the stunning woman who had a sexy figure. Maybe he had changed his target. After all, she had already rejected him so thoroughly. Are all men so fickle she wondered. No, I think only Elias is so fickle because he dumped me just like that back then. She fell asleep while she was brooding over this and had a very long dream, where she dreamed that Elias was having his wedding. Never did she expect that she would attend his wedding, an event more luxurious and grander than word could describe. In the dream, she stood in the wedding venue and saw Elias in a ck wedding suit. He was standing in front of the pastor as he waited for his bride to walk to him. The smile on his face was filled with love, and the bride was a woman she had never met. Although she couldn¡¯t make out her looks, she could tell that the bride was graceful and so gorgeous that she made. heads turn. The elegant woman was dressed in a white wedding gown as she approached Elias step by step. The pastor started conducting the wedding and asked for their vows. When Elias answered, ¡®I do¡¯, Amanda suddenly shouted, ¡°I object!¡± Then, she woke up from her dream in shock, springing upright and gasping for air. After she surveyed the room in front of her eyes, it dawned on her that she was dreaming earlier. Tiny beads of sweat had broken out on her forehead, and she released a long sigh. She ran her hand. through her hair and was about to return to sleep when she caught Aiden looking at her next to the bed with a milk bottle in his hands. ¡°Did you have a nightmare, Mommy?¡± Nightmare? Is it a nightmare for me if Elias gets married? Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯ve always wanted? That way, he¡¯ll stop pestering me, which he already did. She smiled at him. ¡°No. Why did you wake up so early? Where¡¯s Miss Selina?¡± ¡°She¡¯s preparing breakfast now,¡± he answered. ¡°You¡¯rete today, Mommy. You woke upter than me!¡± She instantly rummaged for her phone and checked the time. She couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes in shock when she saw that it was already past 8,00AM. Usually, her biological clock would wake her up around 7.00AM, but what was wrong with her today? Not only did she have a weird dream, she even woke upte! Her eyes widened in surprise as she shoved the sheets away from her person. ¡°I¡¯mte¡­ Oh, God! I¡¯m late! Miss Selina will be dropping you off at the kindergarten today because I¡¯m runningte.¡± Then, she hastily dashed into the bathroom to wash up so she could go to the office as soon as possible. There were a few meetings scheduled for today and Simon would be leading them. If she didn¡¯t arrive on time, he would let her off without any punishment and that would cause tongues to wag again. Aiden watched as she rushed to get ready and said, ¡°Mommy, my teacher said that we¡¯re going camping with our parents this weekend¡­ Are you going alone? May I ask Mr. Winters to join us?¡± Suddenly, her head poked out of the bathroom. ¡°Why would you like to invite him?¡± In the past, it was always Simon who woulde into his mind, but somehow, Elias was the only one he spoke about recently. ¡°Uhm¡­ That¡¯s because Mr. Winters is better, and he even promised to bring me to Universal Studios. So, I would like to take him camping, too.¡± Sure enough, only a three-year-old coulde up with such childish reasoning. She thought it over and answered, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Mr. Winters is busy with work, and we shouldn¡¯t keep bothering him.¡± As a result, Aiden sulked and pouted his tiny lips. ¡°Okay.. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re the only one going with me, but my teacher said that we¡¯ll have to start a fire for cooking during the camping. Have you been camping before, Mommy?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t answer that question because she had never been camping and didn¡¯t even know how to set up a tent. Never mind. I can¡¯t waste my time thinking about this and just wing it when the timees. I can also ask other parents for help, she thought. In thew firm, Amanda managed to make it to the morning meeting after rushing all the way there. After the meeting, she wanted to return to her office in preparation to meet a client in the afternoon so they could discuss a case. Simon walked toward her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night? I¡¯m seeing dark circles under your eyes and you seemed absentminded during the meeting.¡± An awkward chuckle escaped her lips. ¡°I think I didn¡¯t sleep well because of a dreamst night.¡± Hence, her mind started to recall the dream about Elias¡¯ wedding, and she felt an uneasy feeling squirming in her chest. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Simon could tell that she had something on her mind. Regardless, she snapped back to reality and frantically changed the topic, saying, ¡°Oh, nothing. By the way, do you have experience in camping? Or could you share some knowledge on surviving in the wild with me?¡± ¡°Why? Are you going camping?¡± ¡°Aiden¡¯s kindergarten is organizing a camping trip and I¡¯m going with him. I might have to set up a tent and such at that time.¡± He wanted to tell her that he could apany them if needed but reckoned that she would reject his offer. So, he could only say, ¡°I know a person who is knowledgeable about such matters, and I can introduce you to him so that he can teach you how to set up a tent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Thanks.¡± This was more useful than looking up a video online. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Then, an awkward silence fell over them and it seemed like there was nothing else they could talk about anymore. They went separate paths when they were at the end of the corridor and returned to their own offices. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my office, then.¡± Simon nodded, but something suddenly popped into his mind. ¡°By the way, have you decided whether you¡¯re going to be the legal consultant for Elias¡¯pany? Do you need me to turn them away?¡± Legal consultant¡­ She thought that Elias wouldn¡¯t take this seriously and was simply picking on her, but as it turned out, he did extend the request. Well, he¡¯s not interested in me anymore, so it doesn¡¯t matter whether I¡¯m taking up the job or not. She pondered over it and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t turn down any business. I¡¯m going to ept the offer. Furthermore, there¡¯s nothing between me and Elias anymore and we¡¯re just friends.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Simon frowned in displeasure and thought that she hadpletely let her guard down. against Elias. ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t be so naive. Elias is a wily person and may just renegade on his word in the future.¡± Amanda grinned. ¡°You overestimated my importance. He was forced to marry me in the past and doesn¡¯t love me at all. Four yearster, the only reason he wants us to remarry is because of Aiden, but it seems like he haspletely lost interest in me.¡± When she recalled just how happy he seemed when speaking with the prettydyst night, she was sure that he was no longer interested in her and walked toward her office. Simon didn¡¯t move an inch, watching her from the back as he clenched his fists, unable to let this go. His phone started ringing again, and he lowered his head to see that it was Lunabelle calling him. Recently, she had been using depression as an excuse to seek him out. There was no doubt that he knew. exactly what she was up to, which was to reconcile with him. He was losing his patience with the woman and her incessant need to bug him. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 My First Love? Meanwhile, Amanda sat behind her desk in the office, studying some case files. Suddenly, the phone rang. She nced at it and saw it was Elias calling. That¡¯s weird. Elias rarely calls me recently. Or, should I say he doesn¡¯t call me at all? So, why is he calling me out of the blue? As the thought of her identally calling Eliasst night made her feel exceedingly awkward, she hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to answer the phone. Instantly, Elias¡¯ deep and familiar voice sounded, ¡°Are you busy?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m at thew firm. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Amanda asked. Why do I feel somewhat nervous talking to Elias now? What the hell is wrong with me? Elias cut to the chase and stated his purpose, ¡°I will take Aiden to Universal Studioster in the afternoon, and I will send him back right after the trip.¡± ¡°I thought you said you would go there with him after hepleted the puzzle. It¡¯s not good to spoil Aiden like this. He will make it a habit in the future. He will think that you will say yes to any request of his as long as he butters you up-¡± Elias abruptly interrupted Amanda before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Aiden haspleted the puzzle. Didn¡¯t you see it?¡± What? Aiden haspleted the puzzle!? Amanda was dumbfounded after she heard what Elias said. When did that little brat be so strong-willed? Usually, he would procrastinate whenever I asked him to tidy up his toys. Yet, he actuallypleted the puzzle in two days! Amanda couldn¡¯t even find the words to describe what she was feeling right now. ¡°Aiden can be very focused onpleting his task if you grasp the right approach.¡± Frankly, she was at a loss for words. She didn¡¯t understand why she felt that Elias, who had never raised a child, was more experienced than her. ¡°Okay, then. You can take Aiden to Universal Studios, but don¡¯t get too carried away to the point of forgetting the time.¡± ¡°I know, I know,¡± Elias hummed. Just when he seemed to be about to hang up the phone, she suddenly asked, ¡°Are you surprised that I intend to ept the offer as a legal consultant?¡± He was momentarily stunned upon hearing those words before replying, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to ept the job offer. I won¡¯t force you to do anything you dislike again.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. However, Amanda giggled. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what makes me ept this job offer. Moreover, I need money to raise Aiden. Winters Enterprise won¡¯t be stingy with my annual sry, right? ¡°Of course. Still, you don¡¯t have to be worried about raising Aiden. I will take up my responsibility as his father.¡± To Elias, raising a child was no big deal at all. In fact, he could support countless orphanages if he wanted. ¡°I know. Then¡­ remember to send Aiden home early this evening. Otherwise, he will sleep in again tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Elias hummed agreeably. Beep! Beep! After Amanda hung up the phone, she leaned on the swivel chair, her mind in utter mess. Why does it feel like Aiden is getting more and more used to spending time with Elias? If things continue at such a rate, Aiden likely will identify Elias as his biological father in no time. As for Elias, he is indeed gradually trying to win the little guy¡¯s favor. Soon, the night fell. Amanda was ready to go home after a busy day at work. While she packed up her things, she wondered if Elias had taken Aiden home. That little brat has definitely enjoyed himself. I can already imagine himughing his head off even though I¡¯m not by his side. After she was done, she grabbed her bag and left her office. Then, she walked toward the elevator and bumped into Simon again. She simply smiled slightly as she pressed the down button for the elevator. Simon wanted to say something to her. However, he received another call from Lunabelle. It was as if she was persistently urging Simon to pick up her calls, Simon felt himself losing his temper as he answered, saying, ¡°Can you stop urging me?! I got it, okay!? I got it! I¡¯ming over right now!!¡± He sounded slightly irritated. As for Lunabelle, she obviously didn¡¯t expect that Simon, who was always cultured and gentlemanly, would have such a testy side. I had loved Simon for years, but he had never treated me so harshly. But now, he actually¡­ ¡°Simon, you have misunderstood my intentions. I¡¯m not urging you. I¡¯m just worried something has happened to you while you are on your way. I¡¯m sorry Even Amanda, who stood beside Simon, was shocked by his demeanor. I have never seen Simon act this way before. Why does it feel like Simon is the one who is actually depressed? Ding Dong! The clevator door slowly slid open. Amanda twitched her lips into an awkward smile and said, ¡°I-I shall get going first. See you tomorrow.¡± Simon still wanted to say something, but it was too late as. Amanda had already made a break for it in the direction of the elevator. Amanda breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she stepped foot in the elevator alone, without Simon. Phew! Thank God the elevator arrived just in time. Judging from Simon¡¯s state earlier, I say-it¡¯s pretty unsafe to be around him. Poor Simon. He seems a little miserable from getting tormented by Lunabelle. When Amanda got home, she saw Selina making dinner in the kitchen. To her surprise, there was no sign of Aiden anywhere in the house. Amanda felt it was rather odd, so she asked, ¡°Is Baby not home yet? Is it just you at home?¡± Selina poked her head out from the kitchen and replied, ¡°Yeah. Since Mr. Winters probably will take Aiden to dinner, I¡¯ve only made food for the two of us. Oh, dear. Don¡¯t tell me you have eaten as well!¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Goodness, just what time Elias will send that little brat home¡­¡± For some reason, I will miss Aiden a great deal every time Elias takes him away. Yet, I don¡¯t feel this way when Aiden is by my side. Ding Dong! Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Aiden¡¯s lovely voice rang out, ¡°Mommy, open the door! We¡¯re back! Mommy! Mommy, open the door!¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes lit up, and her mood instantly brightened. Aiden is home! She abruptly turned around and dashed to open the door. After she opened the door, she saw both Elias and Aiden standing outside. Aiden was even dressed up as Harry Potter. It only took one look and she could already tell Aiden had fun at Universal Studios. Aiden was enthusiastically waving around his magic wand as he eximed, ¡°Mommy, Mommy, that ce is so cool! Let¡¯s go there and y together next time. It¡¯s so exciting!¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t refrain fromughing when she saw Aiden¡¯s excited state. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll go together. Have you had your dinner?¡± ¡°I already ate, but Uncle Elias hasn¡¯t!¡± Aiden said as he bounced into the house. She stared at Elias, who was standing outside the door, and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat? Do you want to join us for dinner?¡± Elias raised his wrist and checked the time as he said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go home and have my dinner. I shall take my leave for now. You should tuck Aiden in early tonight. Otherwise, he won¡¯t be able to wake up on time tomorrow.¡± Amanda nodded. Either way, considering how Elias had helped her look after Aiden all afternoon, she figured it wasn¡¯t right for her to let him leave with an empty stomach. Therefore, she persuaded Elias to stay. ¡°Just stay and have dinner with us. Dinner is ready anyway. So, let¡¯s eat.¡± Elias stopped, hesitating for a moment. Eventually, he nodded and entered the house. As a result, Amanda, Elias, and Selina sat at the dining table while Aiden had fun with himself in the living. room. Selina quickly noticed that the atmosphere was slightly awkward, so she got up and said, ¡°You guys go ahead and dig in. There¡¯s still a pot of soup cooking in the kitchen, so I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on it.¡± After Selina left, the atmosphere became even more weird. Amanda shot a nce at Elias before clearing and saying, ¡°Here, have some more food. You¡¯re probably exhausted from taking care of Aiden today. That little brat is full of energy, so looking after him can be pretty tiring-¡± Elias¡¯ phone rang halfway through her speech. ¡°Sorry, I have to answer this,¡± he said in a deep voice. Amanda smiled and nodded. Elias ced down the tableware and took the call. When he heard the contents of the call, he frowned and asked, ¡°Who is looking for me? My first love?¡± Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Her Curiosity First love? Amanda¡¯s hand paused mid-air while she was eating when she heard the words. Elias¡¯ first love? Her head twirled over unwittingly as her curiosity got the better of her. Elias had a puzzled look on his face as he retorted, ¡°When did I-¡± up Halfway through his sentence, something popped up in his mind. Is this the character Lazarus has made for me just to make Amanda jealous? He stole a look at Amanda at the dining table, and she seemed rather curious, too. As he had already handed his path to win back his wife into Lazarus¡¯ hands, he had to follow through with his ns. After a few seconds of hesitation, he said to Boris, ¡°Tell her to wait for me at home. I¡¯ll be backter.¡± Then, he hung up and continued eating at the table. However, the atmosphere had turned even weirder, and Amanda couldn¡¯t take another bite of food anymore because her mind was filled with his call earlier. Does he have a first love? The whole time, she thought that his first love was Grace, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case now. On the other hand, he already told her a long time ago that he didn¡¯t love Grace and never did. All he had for her was that damned sense of responsibility. Is his first love someone else? From the way he instructed his butler, it looked like he knew who it was, she thought, her curiosity growing with every passing second, She took another bite of food as she sneaked a look at his face and broke the silence at the dining table. ¡°Your¡­ first love is here to look for you?¡± He raised his head at her, and she added with augh, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m just curious because I thought that Grace is your first love but it seems I¡¯ve gotten it wrong. How old were you when you had your first love? Did it happen abroad?¡± She remembered that he had studied abroad for years, Did his first love ur abroad? Her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach at the thought of this. The food in her mouth turned tasteless and was even a little bitter. In the meantime, Elias recalled Lazarus¡¯ guess, which was not far off from the truth. Lazarus had told him. that Amanda would be curious about his first love and how he should answer if she asked about it so that he could make her jealous. Even though he had scoffed at it, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from giving it a try to test out her reaction. So, he ced his cutlery down and said in his husky voice, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that I don¡¯t love Grace and merely felt indebted to her. As for my first love, it¡¯s already in the past and there¡¯s no point mentioning it now. I was young and impulsive.¡± His answer took her by surprise. Generally, women would like to know what the object of a man¡¯s impulses looked like when he was young. What kind of person she was and what was it about her that made him fall madly in love with her? The rtionship one had when one was young was the sincerest and the purest, and she was a little curious about what kind of girl Elias liked when he was young. He was probably an attention-catching senior in school when he was young, and there were probably a lot of girls who liked him¡­ Thus, she pretended to relish the dish in front of her as she tried to ask nonchntly, ¡°Do you still like the same type of girl as you did when you were young? Did your taste change? You probably had a preference for fresh-faced girls when you were young, didn¡¯t you? Or did you prefer sweet girls? Or maybe a cool, aloof girl?¡± Again, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from bombarding him with questions, and immediately after. regret washed over her. I¡¯ve already cut off all ties with him and also rejected his proposal. Why do I still care about what kind of girl he liked when he was young? Do I have nothing else on my mind? Nevertheless, her curiosity would only grow if she didn¡¯t find out about this, and even though she was This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. aware that she shouldn¡¯t care about any of this, she still wanted to know. Elias could read the curiosity on her face and thought. Who would have thought that Lazarus¡¯ tactic is working? A mischievous thought started to sprout in his mind as he began making up stories. ¡°I don¡¯t know. how I should describe it. Maybe a fresh-faced girl, but with a proud personality. I was young and ignorant, so I didn¡¯t have that many requirements when it came to the first girl I fell for. All I knew was, I fell for her and that was it. There was nothing such as a certain type.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart wrenched painfully. The first girl he fell for¡­ The biggest taboo for a woman was a man¡¯s first love. Moreover, the first girl that he fell for came from the most primitive impulses a man had for a woman and she really wanted to know how that girl looked. Judging from the call earlier, she reckoned that she was now waiting for him at Winters Estate. Suddenly, he raised his arm and checked the time. Then, he set aside his fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, ¡°Enjoy your meal. I have something else to attend to and gotta go now, but you can call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll visit Aiden again in a few days.¡± He got up and wanted to leave, but she stopped him, calling, ¡°Hey, you-¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked, twirling his head at her. She wanted to say something but soon recalled that she wasn¡¯t in any position to ask him questions. So, she simply smiled and shook her head. [Nothing. Go ahead and get your business done, then.¡± Elias didn¡¯t say anything else as he grabbed his jacket and headed to the living room to say goodbye to his son, and she followed behind to send him off. In the living room, Aiden was still wearing the Harry Potter costume and waving the wand in his hand as he danced around the room in delight. ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m leaving now. You should go to bed early tonight or you¡¯ll bete tomorrow.¡± Aiden nodded his head obediently. ¡°Bye-bye, Mr. Winters. Be careful when you¡¯re driving¡± Eliasughed. This brat is rather considerate. It would have been amazing if he was a little girl. He ruffled Aiden¡¯s hair and couldn¡¯t wait for the day when he would call him ¡®Daddy¡¯ and wondered when that day would arrive. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll visit you next time and take you somewhere fun again.¡± After that, he spun around and nced at Amanda. ¡°You should turn in early as well since you have to go to mypany tomorrow. You can go to my office directly if you encounter any issues, but I have more meetings tomorrow. So, you can wait in my office if it¡¯s nothing urgent.¡± As Amanda had epted the position of legal consultant in Elias¡¯pany, she had to go to his company tomorrow to go through the files needed. She gave him a nod. ¡°I got it.¡± However, her mind was brooding over his first love. Is he rushing back to meet her? After all, she¡¯s waiting for him at the Winters Estate¡­ She watched as he walked out the door before returning to her meal at the dining table with dejected eyes, her appetite had all but evaporated into thin air. Selina entered the dining room with a bowl of soup in her hands but discovered that Elias had already left. ¡°Where¡¯s he? Why did he leave?¡± she asked. ¡°I just made this soup¡­¡± Amanda sighed softly. ¡°Never mind. He¡¯s busy with his private affairs.¡± Her mind kept wondering what would happen after Elias met up with his first love. Would they rekindle their spark and spend the night together? The next second, she shook her head to rid herself of that nonsense. What¡¯s this? Why are my thoughts so filthy? Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Jealousy Back at Winters Estate, the first thing that Elias wanted to do was to soak in the hot spring. A satisfied smile hung on his face as he recalled Amanda¡¯s reaction from tonight, finding it interesting because it showed that she cared about him, at least. Then, Boris approached him. ¡°Mr. Winters, your first love is waiting for you in the guest lounge. Are you going to meet her now?¡± Elias stopped in his tracks and turned to Boris in bewilderment, asking, ¡°First love? I don¡¯t have a first love.¡± If Lazarus hadn¡¯t made up a first love for him, he wouldn¡¯t know what love was, and neither did he need something like first love. ¡°Ady by the name of Miss Knox is here to look for you, iming to be your first love,¡± Boris answered truthfully. How did a person really appear out of nowhere? Miss Knox? Elias repeated, and no matter how he racked through his brains, he couldn¡¯t remember ever knowing anyone by that name. A few seconds passed by quietly before he headed toward the guest lounge, where a woman in a beige-colored dress was patiently waiting for him on the couch. Elegant with a dignified temperament, she had skin as wless as a baby¡¯s and appeared a little anxious as she browsed her phone. When he stepped into the room and saw the woman¡¯s back silhouette, he frowned. Who¡¯s this? Regardless, he couldn¡¯t recall who this was and strolled to the front of the couch. So, he stared at the unfamiliar face as he asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± The woman rose to her feet and appeared fearful when she looked at him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Winters. My name is Natasha Knox, and Mr. Lazarus Harvard told me to look for you so that we can put up a performance together.¡± All of a sudden, his face turned livid, and he went to a corner, whisked out his phone, and called Lazarus number. The call rang for a long time, so he hung up and called Lazarus¡¯ other number before he finally reached him. There was a lot of noise from Lazarus¡¯ end, and Elias was sure that he was partying somewhere. ¡°What the f*ck are you doing?¡± he hissed angrily. ¡°Who¡¯s this Natasha and what¡¯s she doing here? Am I really going to have a ¡®first love¡¯ out of nowhere?¡± From the other end, Lazarus sounded as frivolous as he always did. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s about time you change this temper of yours. If you want to reach your target, of course, you¡¯ll have to use all means and ways and put up a perfect show. Otherwise, it¡¯s only a matter of time until Amanda senses something amiss.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± When he was about to hang up, Lazarus unexpectedly said, ¡°Let me tell you. Amanda is probably at a loss and running around like an ant on a hot te now, but there¡¯s nothing she could do. Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll be the first to ask you out in less than two days.¡± ¡°Are you sure something so miraculous will happen?¡± he asked with a look of doubt. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe it. Now, Amanda was apletely different person from whom she was four years ago; she wasn¡¯t madly in love with him and didn¡¯t need him at all. Would she ask him out because of a made-up first love? When he asked to reinstate their marriage, she didn¡¯t even so much as look at him. Would a ¡®first love¡¯ even work? ¡°My dear Mr. Winters, just wait and see if you don¡¯t believe me. Don¡¯t call her in the next couple of daysThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. and don¡¯t look for your son, either. Keep your dignity and don¡¯t meet her. Instead, a pleasant surprise is waiting for you if you just bide your time. Go to bed early. I already arranged a big show for you to participate in tomorrow.¡± A big show? Elias disliked a few things and one of those just happened to be having things out of his control. Even though he was the male lead in the show, he didn¡¯t even know how the script would be going. ¡°As the main character of this grand show, don¡¯t I have the right to know how the script goes? What are you nning again this time?¡± He was almost at the end of his patience, thinking, Why does this rascal always have so many weird and bad ideas? However, Lazarus simply chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not fun if I tell you beforehand. Just wait for the show tomorrow and watch how Amanda¡¯s walls crumble,¡± he said and hung up. Elias stared at the screen of his phone and turned to the woman in the guest lounge, not knowing what would happen tomorrow. Recently, he felt that he could already be an actor as his part-time job. The next morning, Elias arrived at work as usual. There were a lot of meetings to attend today and there was one with the higher management at 9.00AM. After he arrived, he wanted to wait for Amanda who would be reporting for work and taking over the job, but he had to leave for the meeting because there wasn¡¯t any time left. Just when he was about to head toward the conference room, a woman caught his attention; she was his ¡®first love¡¯ who showed up at his housest night! What¡¯s this woman named Natasha doing here? Natasha was dressed in professional attire as she carried a stack of documents in her hands and stopped in front of him, looking as though she truly belonged here. ¡°Mr. Winters, the meeting will start in ten minutes. You can head over there now.¡± Elias stared at the woman in front of him as surprise shed past his eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡± Last night he asked her the same question because he really had no idea who she was, but he asked this question now because he had no idea what she was up to with Lazarus. Both of them were so secretive and mysterious that they had told him absolutely nothing. She simply answered with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m your new secretary, Mr. Winters.¡± Secretary? he repeated in his head speechlessly, gaping at her for a long time before he finally headed toward the conference room with Natasha trotting behind him. All of a sudden, a rumor started to spread in the office. ¡°Do you know anything about that new girl. Natasha Knox?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that? Is she some rtive of a higher management staff?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re absolutely wrong! She¡¯s Mr. Winters¡¯ first love! Why else do you think her first job here is as his secretary? Tsk¡­¡± ¡°What? Mr. Winters¡¯ first love?! That¡¯s unexpected. I would have never imagined that! Why did he give her the position of lead secretary? Does he intend to pursue her? Why do first loves have such a strong influence on men that they can never forget about them?¡± ¡°Who knows? But that¡¯s just how men are. Just the thought of it is exciting. Imagine having your first love as your secretary now¡­¡± Ding Dong! The clevator doors slowly rolled open, and Amanda stepped out. She was here to take over the job, but the moment she entered the building of Winters Enterprise, she heard all sorts of gossip about Elias. Did I just overhear them saying that Elias¡¯ first love is working here now? Once again, her curiosity was piqued. Did they really rekindle their lovest night and he gave her a position to work here the next day? Can¡¯t Elias Winters wait at all? Did he already forget about his son? Out of the blue, she felt a tinge of jealousy in her heart, which made her inexplicably uneasy. ¡°¡±sshole,¡± she muttered under her breath. Why are so many women involved with him? They keeping one after another like zombies, but this first love¡­. Her heart sank. Is she his favorite? What¡¯s going on now? Are they patching things up? She wanted to find out what this woman looked like more than ever, and ording to the gossip¡­. It seems that this very woman she was curious about was in the conference room with Elias now. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Secretly Rejoicing Amanda¡¯s instinctively feet started to take her toward the conference room for higher management, but the task she had at hand now was to take over the job from the legal department of thepany. So, she stopped in her tracks and walked toward the legal department after contemtion, thinking that she was being utterly ridiculous. Why should I care what my ex-husband¡¯s first love looks like? What has that got to do with me? Meanwhile, in the conference room, Elias sat at the end of a long desk, listening to the reports from various departments as Natasha stood next to him. He still couldn¡¯t figure out what Natasha was doing here, and neither did he know what Lazarus was up to. He also said that there¡¯s going to be a grand show today, but where is it? Why haven¡¯t I seen anything of the sort? Just like that, the two-hour meeting ended, and Elias left the conference room while Natasha followed closely behind, going wherever he went and as annoying as a fly. Elias whisked out his phone and called Lazarus as he hissed in annoyance, ¡°Is this your so-called grand show? All you did was get a woman to follow around me like a fly! Do you have tofu for brains?¡± Behind him, Natasha felt a little embarrassed when she heard that, but she continued to follow him closely. From the other end, Lazarus answered nonchntly, ¡°Have some patience. It¡¯s happening soon. Did you just finish your meeting? I think Amanda will either be waiting for you in your office or run into you when you¡¯re on your way back to your office.¡± ¡°When did you be a fortune-teller?¡± He had a look of indifference on his face as he thought, Did this guy start fortune-telling? He¡¯s making guesses and predictions all the time. However, at the next corner, he caught sight of Amanda standing in front of the elevators, not knowing whether she was leaving or going to his office. Lazarus guess is actually correct. On the phone, Lazarus continued bbing, ¡°Just wait and see if you don¡¯t believe me. I¡¯ve been ying. the field for years and know how a woman¡¯s heart works. I¡¯m telling you-¡± Unfortunately, Elias only had his eyes on Amanda as he abruptly ended the call. ¡°Shut up. I see her now.¡± At that moment, Amanda was waiting for the elevators. When she raised her head, she saw Elias walking toward her, a coincidence she wasn¡¯t expecting. She wanted to look for him at his office to discuss work. In the meantime, she could also check out what his first love looked like, fulfilling her selfish curiosity. Almost immediately, she saw the tall woman behind Elias. She was wearing a set of ck office attire. revealing a pair of beautiful, long legs. Her features were deep-set and petite, and she carried an air of elegance with her. Frankly, she didn¡¯t seem like a simple secretary at all. -Amanda¡¯s instincts as a woman told her that this woman was Elias¡¯ so-called first love. Nevertheless, she kept chanting to herself to focus on work as she watched Elias approach and greet her. ¡°Are you done with taking over the job?¡± he asked, standing next to her and waiting for the elevator. She nodded. ¡°Yeah, I wanted to discuss the work with you in your office when I ran into you here. What a coincidence¡­¡± Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but dart toward Natasha behind him, and Natasha smiled and gave her a nod. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk in my office, then.¡± Of course, Elias had also noticed that she was looking at Natasha behind himself. ¡°Mr. Winters, there¡¯s another meeting in an hour,¡± Natasha announced suddenly. +5 Bonus Although it was just a normal reminder about work, it sounded as though she was trying to assert her dominance in Amanda¡¯s eyes, and she pursed her lips. Just then, the elevator arrived with a ding and the doors opened slowly. ¡°Got it,¡± Elias said and walked into the lift. Amanda went in as well-the same time as Natasha did-and maybe it was by ident, they bumped and squeezed into each other a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Amanda. Please, after you,¡± Natasha offered before Amanda could open her mouth, and the air turned still. All Amanda could do was smile and say, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I was careless.¡± Elias witnessed the invisiblepetition between the women and pressed his lips together. The exchange of blows between these two women waspletely lost on him. When they were in Elias¡¯ office, Natasha went to prepare coffee, hence leaving both Elias and Amanda in the room. Amanda was seated before Elias as she watched him reading and signing the documents with a serious. look on his face. She couldn¡¯t help but find him charming for just a moment. ¡°That secretary earlier¡­ Is she your first love?¡± she asked. N?velDrama.Org content rights. He turned to her and said in a husky, low voice, ¡°Who told you that?¡± How did she find out so quickly? A smile spread across her face. ¡°I made a guess based on my instincts as a woman.¡± This rumor was spreading like wildfire the moment she walked into thepany, and everybody was aware of it. How could he be so ignorant as the president of thepany? On the other hand, why would the president high above care about the gossip which was spreading among the employees? He paused mid-action before admitting, ¡°Your guess is rather urate.¡± In fact, he wanted to say that Lazarus¡¯ guess was even closer to the mark, and he had to admit that the other man could embark on a career in fortune-telling; Lazarus could even predict that Amanda was coming to his office, a prediction that made Elias shocked and speechless. For a moment, Amanda didn¡¯t know what she should say, and that was when Natasha came in with two- cups of coffee. After she ced them in front of Elias and Amanda, she said in a soft, amorous voice, ¡°Mr. Winters, I didn¡¯t add any sugar to your coffee. I remember that your blood sugar is a little high, so it¡¯s better for you to take less sugar.¡± Her statement was meant as a disy of her closeness with Elias; they were the ones who were genuinely in love, and the small seed of jealousy in Amanda¡¯s heart started sprouting silently. For some inexplicable reason, Amanda opened her mouth out of reflex and said, ¡°By the way, Aiden¡¯s school is organizing a camping trip this week and wants the parents to join. Are you free? If you don¡¯t have the time, I¡¯ll go with him by myself.¡± The reason she said this was because she was sure that he would join. Just as she expected, he answered with a frown, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier? Of course, I¡¯m going camping with my son.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let Aiden know about this. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be delighted because he always wanted you to go with him,¡± she replied with a smile. When she received his answer, she immediately felt better. Somehow her win was made sweeter after she stole a look at Natasha to observe her reaction. When she saw the puzzled look on Natasha¡¯s face, a beautiful smirk tinged the edges of her lip, but the next second, she asked herself, Why do I feel like a mean person for feeling happy to see the surprise in Natasha¡¯s eyes? What¡¯s so great about being his first love? I¡¯ve even married Elias before and have a child with him! She had slowly fallen into the trap of Lazarus and Elias inaking. While she had yet to notice her change in her feelings for Elias, everything was changing like the shift of the tides, including her attitude toward Elias. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Is She Jealous? Elias nced at Natasha impatiently. He was talking to Amanda and wished that woman would actually catch the hint and leave them be. Where did Lazarus find this actress? She¡¯s so dense. He looked at her and said, ¡°You can leave if there¡¯s nothing else. I have matters to discuss with Miss Bailey.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Winters.¡± Natasha didn¡¯t seem to want to leave. She definitely didn¡¯t want Amanda to be alone with Elias, but he had given her orders. So, she had to leave. Of course, Amanda noticed the unwillingness in Natasha¡¯s eyes and looked at Elias across the table. ¡°Your first love doesn¡¯t look pleased.¡± Elias furrowed his brows in displeasure. ¡°Are you hinting at something?¡± Is she jealous? It definitely seems like it. Amanda answered him, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t have other thoughts by letting your first love work as your secretary. Just to be clear, I¡¯m not jealous or a busybody. I¡¯m just curious. Are you nning on rekindling your rtionship with her?¡± She was indeed curious about Elias¡¯ intention for doing that. Is this man pining for his past? Has he fallen for the trap that what one can¡¯t get is the best? He keeps trying to reconcile with someone. I didn¡¯t agree to marry him once more and now he¡¯s getting close to his first love. A small smile crept up Elias¡¯ face when he heard her questions. She took the bait! She obviously still cares. He pretended to stay calm and answered in a deep voice, ¡°This had nothing to do with you. You¡¯re nobody¡¯ to me anyways. I don¡¯t need to tell you what I want to do.¡± Amanda was rendered speechless. Still, he had a point. She wasn¡¯t in any ce to question Elias¡¯ reasons for hiring Natasha as his secretary. So, she let out a subduedugh, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m nobody. Right. That infringement case is about to go to court. Do you have anything you want me to take note of? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll settle it my way.¡± She quickly turned the subject onto work as she didn¡¯t want to receive any more ridicule from a man like him. Elias saw her turn of attitude as his smile deepened and nodded. ¡°Nothing from me. I believe in your ability. I¡¯ll leave everything in your capable hands.¡± Then, Amanda slowly got up and grabbed her bag before saying, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll take my leave, then. Goodbye, Mr. Winters.¡± After that, she turned around to leave. When Elias caught sight of her awkward stance, he chuckled softly and instructed, ¡°Remember to bring some mosquito repellent for the camping this weekend. Nature isn¡¯t the friendliest sometimes.¡± Amanda stopped in her tracks but didn¡¯t turn her head around. ¡°Got it.¡± The moment she exited the office, she started to feel utter regret in telling Elias about Aiden¡¯s camping trip. She had given in to her impulsiveness when she saw Natasha exchanging nces with Elias earlier because it made her ufortable. Soon, the weekend arrived at their doorstep, and Amanda packed for the trip. As she was about to leave. with Aiden to his school, the doorbell rang. Selina ran to open the door to find Elias standing at the door. It was clear that he hade prepared and was here to pick up Amanda and Aiden. Aiden jumped with joy when he knew Elias was going camping with him. ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Winters really coming with us? Is he really?¡± In Aiden¡¯s eyes, Elias was invincible. ¡°Yes. Yes. Now, run along and wear your clothes and stop jumping around! Your teacher and friends are already waiting for us. We¡¯ll bete for the bus if you keep dawdling.¡± Amanda picked up Aiden¡¯s jacket. and put it on him. Elias also carried a tiny piece of luggage that lookedical in his hands considering his tall figure. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the use of such small luggage?¡± ¡°This is for Aiden. He should have his own luggage.¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes lit up at his words and ran toward that cool, miniature luggage. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so cool, Mommy. This is my luggage. I want to bring it with me!¡± Amanda had no choice but to agree to his childish whims. ¡°Okay. Okay. You can bring it.¡± This man sure knows how to spoil his son. Somehow, he has a good sense of what Aiden likes. So, the three of them arrived at the school and got on the school bus to depart to the camping site. After a few hours, everyone arrived at the camping site. It was beautiful as an earthy scent filled the air from the rain and the leaves were bright. It was the best opportunity for children to be exposed to nature. Each family started to set up the tent which was also the part Amanda was worried about the most as she hadn¡¯t learned how to do it. Well, to be precise, her eyes knew how to do it, but her hands couldn¡¯t follow the steps that were ying in her brain. Suddenly, Elias appeared behind her. ¡°Look after Aiden, I¡¯ll set up the tent.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. She was taken aback. ¡°You know how to?¡± This pampered young master has everything handed to him on a silver tter. Does he truly know how to build a tent? She found it hard to believe. Meanwhile, Elias unpacked the tent with a look of pure concentration and ced it on the ground before saying, ¡°Yes. Go with Aiden and pick some branches for the fire. Try to find dry ones.¡± ¡°Alright, then. You can always ask for help from the other parents if you face any problem pitching the tent.¡± That was her original n. With so many parents around, some of them should know how to pitch the tent. Yet, Elias merelyughed. ¡°Oh, ye of little faith. Just go. You can rest in the tent by the time you¡¯re back.¡± Amanda didn¡¯tment on this particr matter any further upon seeing how confident he was acting. Instead, she led Aiden into the forest. Although the school had picked a considerably safer spot as children were in attendance, she still had to ensure he was by her side at all times since it was better safe than sorry. s, Aiden was far too enthusiastic for her tastes as this was his first time camping. He kept running around like a wild animal on the loose, making it challenging for Amanda to take care of him. ¡°Aiden! I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t go further than three feet from me. Otherwise, we¡¯re going home immediately. No more camping.¡± Unfortunately, Aiden wasn¡¯t afraid of her empty threats at all and even made a silly face at her. ¡°Bleh. Mommy¡¯s no fun. I¡¯m going to look for Mr. Winters. I want to sleep in the tent.¡± Then, he ran toward Elias¡¯ direction. Elias was focused on pitching the tent when Aiden looked up at him. ¡°Mr. Winters, when can we go inside the tent? I want to sleep in the tent tonight.¡± ¡°Soon. Be patient. I¡¯m still setting it up. Why don¡¯t you apany your mommy?¡± Aiden promptly replied, ¡°Mommy¡¯s an adult. She doesn¡¯t need me to apany her. She won¡¯t go missing.¡± He tweaked Aiden¡¯s nose gently before coaxing gently. ¡°She could go missing. Run along now. It¡¯ll be hard to find her if she goes missing.¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 No Man Can Resist the Temptation of Their First Love Aiden nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he turned around to go look for Amanda, but saw her walking back with a bunch of branches in her hands. ¡°Mommy!¡± She coldly threw the branches to the side and looked at Elias, ¡°How could you talk behind my back with my son?¡± Elias was pitching the tent as he answered with a smile, ¡°Did I?¡± It was the truth that Amanda went missing for four years, in which Elias tried all he could to look for her but found nothing. Amanda harrumphed as she retorted hotly, ¡°I¡¯m an adult. How can I go missing?¡± Suddenly, Elias¡¯ phone rang, and he answered it with a frown, ¡°I¡¯ll head over in a couple of days. Look for Mr. Briggs if anythinges up. Tell him that I sent you.¡± Then, Natasha¡¯s gentle voice could be hearding through the phone. ¡°Okay.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to listen in, but still heard it. Natasha¡¯s voice made her ufortable and she couldn¡¯t resist but ask, ¡°Is that your first love calling you? Are you at the stage where you can¡¯t bear to part with each other?¡± She didn¡¯t even realize how sour her tone was. Elias nced at her. ¡°Can¡¯t you change how you address her? She has a name. It¡¯s Natasha.¡± Tsk. Tsk. He¡¯s protecting her now? Amanda was filled with contempt for Elias. This se*mbag sure had many romantic rtionships. Regardless, she could care less about the man and simply snorted, ¡°What¡¯s the use of me to remember her name? You¡¯re the only one who has to. I¡¯m not the one spending my life with her.¡± However, Elias looked at her with utter bewilderment as he exined seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not doing that. I¡¯m still single in the eyes of thew.¡± Amanda piled the branches up and acted as if she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Law, scws. You¡¯ve started something with her. It¡¯s obvious you two still have feelings for each other. So, there¡¯s a high possibility of the both of you getting back together.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but continue to tease her when he saw how jealous she was. ¡°Natasha couldn¡¯t find a job, so I gave her one. Besides, she is qualified for this job. It¡¯s not asplex as you think this is.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Can¡¯t she find her own job? I found mine on my own. How hard can it be?¡± When Amanda didn¡¯t have a job, she didn¡¯t go to Elias for help. Yet, Natasha did. She even came looking for Elias on her own. As a fellow woman, Amanda was well aware of just what Natasha was thinking. It was as clear as day that she wanted to get back together with Elias. Elias could feel his lips curling into a smirk as he tried his best to remain impassive. ¡°Is that so? Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re more independent and Natasha¡¯s more cowardly. She has gone for several interviews and No Man Can Resist the Temptation of Their First Love failed. So, she was disheartened. She probably won¡¯te to me if she had a choice.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ No man can resist the temptation of their first love. And here I thought you were different from the others, but it seems men all the same,¡± Amanda¡¯s tone was full of resentment like a woman whose husband had cheated on her. Elias chuckled as he gazed at her figure. She wasn¡¯t aware of the looks he was shooting at her as she was trying to preupy herself by arranging the branches she had brought. ¡°You¡¯re like a bitter wife whose husband had cheated on her. You speak as though I am your husband.¡± Amanda looked up with widened eyes as she tried to refute, ¡°No! That¡¯s not it. Pitch the tent. I¡¯m just afraid that when you reconcile with your first love. If you do, Aiden will be in danger. After all, there was that entire incident with Grace that I have no intention of ever going through again.¡± Elias immediately answered, ¡°No. That won¡¯t happen ever again.¡± He was willing to stay single rather than let Aiden be in danger again. Besides, he knew that he wasn¡¯t interested in any woman besides Amanda. It was just that the woman he desired, the very same woman right in front of him, refused to ept him. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice rang behind him, ¡°Um¡­ Sorry. Aiden¡¯s father, could you help us with the tent? I really don¡¯t know how to fix it up¡­ Amanda and Elias turned around at the same time to see a little girl¡¯s mother who they heard seemed to be a single parent. Elias wasn¡¯t bothered by her request and said, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll help you when I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you! I¡¯ve tried setting it up myself, but I could barely make heads or tails over it. This is giving me a headache.¡± The woman was genuinely grateful. However, Amanda muttered on the side, ¡°Does he think he¡¯s some superhero trying to save everyone? Sc*mbag¡­¡± She realized that Elias was really popr with women and beautifuldies would flock to him wherever he went. For example, this single parent was gorgeous, Any man would fall for her. So, if she asked for help, no one would reject her, and she just had toe to Elias for help. Elias noticed her murmuring and asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Amanda got up and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m just saying you¡¯re a great person helping everyone here. Finish pitching the tent. You need to help others with theirs too.¡± Elias was taken aback by her acerbic words. However, he immediately snapped back to his senses with a lighthearted chuckle, ¡°I can say no to her if you aren¡¯t happy about it. Just tell me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be unhappy about? It¡¯s good to help others. You should do it.¡± ¡°Then, why do you seem angry?¡± He teased her on purpose. Then, Aiden eximed loudly, ¡°Mommy is angry, She¡¯s like that when she¡¯s angry.¡± Amanda was rendered speechless. The very child she had raised on her own lonesome had betrayed her for a father he hadn¡¯t even acknowledged. Is this what betrayal feels like? ¡°Shut your mouth, Aiden Bailey. Otherwise, you can forget about dinner tonight!¡± She red at Aiden. No Man Can Resist the Temptation of Their First Love Aiden immediately covered his mouth and turned around to run somewhere else. Elias furrowed his brow. ¡°Don¡¯t threaten him like that. He¡¯ll hate you if you keep doing that.¡± ¡°I¡­ Can¡¯t I joke around with him? Besides, I¡¯ve never let him go hungry.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Amanda felt wronged. She had taken care of Aiden for four years, but Elias was questioning how she taught Aiden now while he had not taken part in Aiden¡¯s life in thest four years. Why pretend to be a good father now? Tsk. ¡°The tent¡¯s done. You should head in and get some rest. I¡¯ll go over there to help them. We can start the fire once I¡¯m back.¡± Then, Elias turned around and walked toward that single parent whose tent looked like it was just taken out of the bag. Amanda actually didn¡¯t want Elias to go, but she didn¡¯t stop him. Instead, she stomped inside the tent to rest. After a while, Aiden ran into the tent and whispered in her ear, ¡°Mommy, I think Yvonne¡¯s mom likes Mr. Winters. Huh? Amanda looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re just a kid. What do you know? Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 I¡¯ll Help Keep This a Secret Aiden acted like a little spy as he made a circle with his small hands around Amanda¡¯s ears, ¡°I saw Yvonne¡¯s mom touch Mr. Winters¡¯ hands!¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes immediately widened. What is this little brat talking about?! ¡°Aiden, you¡¯d better not be spewing nonsense! This isn¡¯t good behavior.¡± However, Aiden forcefully tugged her out of the tent. ¡°Come, Mommy. I¡¯m not lying! Yvonne¡¯s mom is really touching Mr. Winters¡¯ hands. It¡¯s true!¡± Aiden dragged Amanda toward the other tent,pletely disregarding the displeasure on his mother¡¯s face. ¡°Mommy, see. I wasn¡¯t lying! She¡¯s really touching Mr. Winters¡¯ hands.¡± Aiden said it out loud and it made the situation really awkward for the adults. Amanda realized that Elias was actually teaching Yvonne¡¯s mom how to set the tent up, but Aiden had mistaken it as touching hands. Yvonne¡¯s mom immediately released the tent and lowered her head in embarrassment as a hint of blush covered her cheeks. Meanwhile, Elias frowned unhappily as he reprimanded sternly, ¡°Aiden! Don¡¯t say nonsense!¡± He didn¡¯t expect Aiden to misunderstand him like that. What do you mean by touching hands? Am I someone who would let just anyone touch me? ¡°Aiden, I didn¡¯t touch your father¡¯s hands. He¡¯s just teaching me to pitch the tent.¡± Yvonne¡¯s mom smiled and exined. However, Aiden blurted, ¡°Mr. Winters isn¡¯t my fa- Amanda covered his mouth immediately and carried him in her arms. She let out an awkward smile. ¡°This child likes to say nonsense. We¡¯ll head back. Dear, hurry up with their tent. Aiden and I are waiting for you to cook the food,¡± She told Aiden¡¯s teacher that Elias was his father. That was why Elias coulde with them as no one in the kindergarten knew she was a single mother. Aiden was bullied by the other children in his previous kindergarten because they knew she was a single mother. So, she hid that information this time, but he almost blew her the entire ruse with his loose lips. Back at the tent, Amanda released Aiden and said sternly, ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t just tell people everything. I told your teacher that Mr. Winters is your father so that he could apany you on this camping trip. Do you understand?¡± s, Aiden frowned, ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re lying. Didn¡¯t you tell me that it¡¯s not good to lie?¡± Amanda had no idea what to say in response. She was indeed going against her own word and teachings. She always taught Aiden to be honest, yet she was lying all for the sake of his happiness. Still, she wasn¡¯t exactly lying as Elias was indeed Aiden¡¯s biological father. It was just that he wasn¡¯t aware of it just yet. She grabbed onto his shoulders and urged earnestly, ¡°Baby, have I not told you to care for a sick person¡¯s feelings?¡± I¡¯ll Help Keep This a Secret Aiden nodded obediently. ¡°What about it?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. What about it? Amanda suddenly felt a huge pressure from him. Aiden was truly Elias¡¯ son with that commanding aura of his. She quickly came up with a perfect story in her mind and told him, ¡°The thing is Mr. Winters always wanted to go camping since he was young, but no one coulde with him. So, I used this opportunity to bring him here. We should be nice to people, right? I¡¯ve told you that helping others is a good deed.¡± Unfortunately, Aiden stared at herpelling face with skepticism. ¡°Mommy, are you trying to lie to me again? Mr. Winters has a huge garden. He can camp there whenever he wants.¡± The intelligence of a three-year-old was still limited, so he couldn¡¯t connect the dots yet. So, Amanda continued to convince him, ¡°Mommy¡¯s not lying. It¡¯s exactly because of that huge garden that Mr. Winters¡¯ parents won¡¯t let him do what he wants. He¡¯s very pitiful and begged me for a long time before I agreed to bring him here. So, you can¡¯t just say things like that. If his parents find out, they¡¯re going to spank him.¡± Aiden blinked his eyes innocently. ¡°Will Mr. Winters¡¯ parents spank him too? They¡¯re so fierce¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. Do you think every parent is as gentle as I am? Some people¡¯s parents will spank them.¡± Amanda was satisfied at the conviction on Aiden¡¯s face, Children are so gullible. ¡°Okay¡­ I understand now.¡± Aiden nodded obediently. ¡°Good. Go y with your friends. I want to rest for a bit.¡± She patted his head before lying down in the tent. Then, Aiden walked out of the tent and bumped into Elias who had just returned. Elias asked him, ¡°Where¡¯s your mommy?¡± ¡°Mommy¡¯s sleeping in the tent.¡± ¡°Are you hungry, then?¡± Elias took a look at the time. A few hours had passed, so Aiden was probably hungry. Just as he expected, Aiden nodded. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start the fire and cook some spaghetti for you, alright?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Elias smiled before walking to the side to start the fire. Aiden suddenly recalled Amanda¡¯s words and pitied Elias. He walked over to him and squatted down before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Winters. I won¡¯t say anything. You can y here, and your parents won¡¯t know.¡± Elias furrowed his brows in confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand what Aiden was getting at. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let your parents know you secretly came to camp with us. Then, they won¡¯t spank you. Mommy told me. You¡¯re so pitiful¡­ Your parents are so fierce.¡± Aiden looked sympathetic at his plight as he sighed. Elias was bewildered. I¡¯m being pitied by a child? What¡¯s pitiful about me? ¡°Is that what your mommy told you?¡± His face darkened. Even if Amanda wanted to persuade Aiden, she didn¡¯t have to ruin my image, right? realize your Aiden nodded. ¡°Mommy said it was your dream to go camping since young. Now that you dream, you¡¯re probably really happy. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help keep this a secret, so you don¡¯t get spanked.¡± Elias could feel his exasperation and frustration for this mother and son growing with each word that fell from Aiden¡¯s lips. Although he was annoyed that his image in his son¡¯s eyes had been tarnished, there wasn¡¯t a thing he could say about it as they were his son and hopefully, his future wife. Therefore, he gritted his teeth as he forced out a fake smile, saying, ¡°Thank you for helping me keep this secret.¡± Aiden grinned widely at him. ¡°You¡¯re wee. You treat me and Mommy very well too. Even though you. could be really scary, you are never like that with me and Mommy.¡± Even though Aiden was a little afraid of Elias due to the fighting incidentst time, he also noticed that Elias had always tried his best to be gentle with him and Amanda. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 I Am His Father Elias looked at the little guy in front of him. He recalled how he said, ¡®Uncle Elias, you¡¯re not my father,¡± and he felt a little upset about it. He wondered when he would hear this kid finally call him ¡®dad. He knew it would take time, but wasn¡¯t it about time for such a joyous thing to happen? you feel So, Elias shot a nce at the kid beside him as he started the fire before asking, ¡°Aiden, how would if I were your father?¡± The hidden meaning of the question clearly went over the boy¡¯s head. He blinked be my dad? Mommy his big eyes naively and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you know my daddy? How could you said my dad was a se mbag who didn¡¯t want us. Uncle Elias, you don¡¯t seem like a sc*mbag.¡± Elias was at a loss for words. Then, he tentatively brought up the topic, ¡°How would you feel if I were your father? Would you be happy or disappointed?¡± Aiden pondered the question for a while before replying. ¡°If you¡¯re my dad, then you could drive me around in those cars in your garage, right?¡± A smile curled up on the man¡¯s lips. ¡°Of course, I could even give them to you.¡± The little brat giggled happily, ¡°Then¡­ if you¡¯re my dad, will your mommy and daddy scold me like how they scold you?¡± Children¡¯s logic truly knew no bounds. It was fascinating how his mind wandered so far. Elias responded, ¡°No, of course not. I would never let anyone scold you.¡± He would never let anyone lay a finger on his son. How could he ever give someone leave to punish his son? Aiden widened his adorable eyes at his promation before finally announcing for all sundry, ¡°Then, I will be happy to have you as my father!¡±N?velDrama.Org content rights. A gentle smile appeared on the man¡¯s face as his voice became softer. ¡°Really?¡± Aiden nodded profusely while babbling in excitement, ¡°Uh-huh! I can ride in all those cars you own! It will be awesome!¡± Elias muttered to himself, ¡°All he thinks about are the cars in my garage.¡± s, how could he exin to Aiden that he truly was his biological father? Elias continued coaxing gently. ¡°What if I were your dad? I should be more than qualified to be your dad, right?¡± Whenever he thought about how his son had been calling Simon ¡®dad¡¯ for such a long time¡­ Well, it would be an understatement to say that it made him upset. It almost made him feel like going over and beating up Simon again. To his dismay, Aiden hesitated as he stammered, ¡°It¡¯s different¡­ Uncle Simon is suitable for Mommy. Uncle Elias¡­¡± Elias asked, ¡°Am I not suitable for your mommy?¡± How could this little brat, who was only three years old, determine who was good or bad? He had really underestimated his precious son. ¡°Mommy¡­ She doesn¡¯t seempatible with you. She seems morepatible with Uncle Simon.¡± Aiden had made up his mind. Although he liked the cars in Elias¡¯ garage, Elias had a bad temper. What would happen if he bullied Amanda in the future? On the other hand, Simon was different. He was calm and always gentle. He seemed like a better partner for Mommy. Elias¡¯ mouth twitched at his son¡¯s unwittingly hurtful remarks. Did this brat even understand the concept ofpatibility? He wanted to ask the boy just why he wasn¡¯tpatible with Amanda. Was it his appearance? Or, was it his family background? He carried the little boy and ced him on hisp; a serious expression was painted on his face. ¡°I want to know, what makes me unsuitable for your mommy? Why am I no better than Simon?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand why this little brat was so devoted to Simon. Aiden looked at him, feeling a bit scared by his grave demeanor. Regardless, he said weakly, ¡°Uncle Simon is very gentle, but Uncle Elias, you can be quite aggressive sometimes¡­ What if you bully Mommy? She needs a man to protect her, and I want to find someone to protect Mommy¡­¡± Elias had no idea what to say in regard to his son¡¯s logic. He had truly underestimated just how sensitive his son was. Nheless, Elias quickly realized that Aiden, although young, was quite filial and worried about a great number of things. He possessed a maturity that most of his peerscked. Thus, Elias cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness. ¡°Have I ever been aggressive with you or your mommy? Do you remember when I got angry? There was a reason behind my rage. I don¡¯t get angry without a reason, do you understand?¡± Aiden seemed to recall something and asked, ¡°Then, why were you angry?¡± He couldn¡¯t forget the scene of Elias fighting. It was so scary. To be fair, Elias¡¯ anger was indeed terrifying, any man would take a step back when faced with his wrath, let alone three-year-old. The man fell silent for a few seconds before finally saying, ¡°Some conflicts are between adults and aren¡¯t something you can understand right now, okay? You¡¯ll understand when you grow up. What you need to know is that I¡¯m not someone who would lose his temper for no reason, and I would never hurt women, okay?¡± Aiden looked at the man¡¯s earnest expression and nodded, ¡°Okay, but you¡¯re not my dad. You said it yourself; it¡¯s just an ¡®if.¡± Elias fell into silence again, contemting how to make the child ept the fact that he was his father. If he just told him bluntly, the child probably wouldn¡¯t be able to process the fact. ¡°You should be hungry. Let me cook something for you. With that, Elias ced his son down and continued prepping the fire. Then, he set up the utensils and ced the pot to cook the noodles. At that moment, Amanda walked out of the tent, stretchingzily as she asked, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± She had overheard the conversation between the father and son, but she couldn¡¯t make out their conversation clearly, so she decided to check things out. He replied sullenly, ¡°Nothing¡­ Unfortunately, Aiden immediately sold him out. ¡°Uncle Elias asked if I would be happy if he were my dad.¡± Elias looked at his son in exasperation. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was his biological son; he was so young, yet he already knew how to throw his father under the bus! Amanda widened her eyes and nced at the man cooking noodles. Didn¡¯t she tell him to take it slow? Why was he in such a rush to tell Aiden the truth?! She forced a smile and crouched down beside her son. ¡°Well, will you be happy?¡± Aiden innocently replied, ¡°Yes, I would be happy! I can sit in all of Uncle Elias¡¯ cool cars.¡± Was that all? Amanda was stunned by Aiden¡¯s response and decided to wave him off, grumbling in resignation, ¡°Go y with the other kids.¡± To which her son happily responded with a chirp, ¡°Okay!¡± She watched her little child run away in the distance before rounding on Elias. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to take it slow? Why are you in such a rush? Do you really want to im him as your son this badly?¡± Elias scoffed, ¡°What else should I do? Listen to him calling someone else ¡®Daddy¡¯ every day? I want him to call me Daddy when he¡¯s with me. I¡¯m his father.¡± This possessiveness was something any man would feel. Who could tolerate their own child calling someone else ¡®Daddy¡±? Amanda lowered her voice as she warned, ¡°He won¡¯t be able to ept it right away if you suddenly blurt things out just like that. For the past four years, whenever he asked about his father, I told him that his father didn¡¯t want us. He¡¯s already old enough that the thought that his biological father has abandoned him has taken root¡­¡± Her voice gradually grew softer. She had been tarnishing his father¡¯s image for four years since she didn¡¯t want Aiden to hold on to any false hope for his biological father to suddenly reappear in their lives. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 It Feels Like We Are a Family Elias¡¯ facial expression turned increasingly somber. He gazed at Amanda deeply as he questioned, ¡°So, why did you want to tarnish my image in front of our son? When have I said anything about casting you and Aiden off? I was not at all aware of Aiden¡¯s existence. If I was, I wouldn¡¯t have possibly abandoned him!¡± Elias had been dwelling on this matter since the day he found out that Aiden was his biological son. If Amanda could juste out and tell me that she was pregnant four years ago, I would certainly never go through with the divorce. Amanda fell silent as she wondered, Why are we arguing over this matter again? Then, she looked away and nced at the water in the pot, which was already boiling and was about to bubble out. ¡°The water is boiling.¡± Only then did Elias turn his attention to the pot of boiling water. He lifted the lid, poured some cold water, and started cooking the noodles. Thus, the two worked together to make the noodle dish instead of continuing their conversation. The teacher hade over to their tent earlier and informed them that everyone would gather at the campsite¡¯s focal point to y some games after their meal. ¡°Mommy, is the noodle ready? I¡¯m so hungry.¡± Aiden suddenly ran back to the tent. He was sweating profusely, and his cheeks were rosy from ying with his friends. Amanda smiled. ¡°It¡¯s done. Come and help yourself.¡± Elias didn¡¯t make one for himself after filling two bowls with noodles and passing them to the mother and son. Instead, he simply watched them eat from the side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Amanda asked, feeling slightly curious. However, Elias replied, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I just ate before we departed.¡± In truth, Elias discovered that the portion of noodles Amanda brought was only enough for one person. Since he knew that Aiden wasn¡¯t a big eater, the noodles were enough to feed her and Aiden. Elias came to realize that he seemed to have indeed changed quite a bit. He would have never been this considerate of others if it was in the past. For that reason, Howard oftenbeled Elias as a selfish and spoiled brat. Still, his personality seemed to have gentled after discovering that he was a father. A smile appeared on Elias¡¯ lips as he watched the little guy enjoy his meal with relish, even in such an environment. Then, he reached out and ruffled Aiden¡¯s little fluffy head. There was a surge of compassion in his heart. Even though everything was fine now, Elias couldn¡¯t refrain from feeling distressed by the life Aiden had to go through in the past four years. He wondered how Amanda managed to bnce her work while raising Aiden well in the past four years. He wondered if Amanda had entrusted Aiden to someone¡¯s care when she couldn¡¯t be there. Just the thought of it aroused Elias¡¯ sympathy. Elias and Amanda took Aiden to gather at the campsite¡¯s focal point after their meal. To their surprise, the kindergarten teachers had everything ready, and the bonfire set up for a bonfire party. All the children were jumping up and down in excitement as this was their first time having such a close commune with nature. Aiden had one hand holding Amanda and another holding Elias when he suddenly raised his head and said, ¡°Mommy! It feels like we are a family.¡± Both Amanda and Elias fell silent at his observation. Actually, son, we are indeed a family. Tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes without warning. She wasn¡¯t sure if it It Feels Like We Are a Family was due to the fire or Aiden¡¯s words. As for Elias, he bent over and effortlessly carried Aiden up with one arm. ¡°How about I be your daddy in the future?¡± he asked with a gentle and doting tone. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t lose my temper again. Okay?¡± One had to know it was difficult for Elias to make such a promise. His bad temper was well-known, yet he was willing to make such a promise for Aiden¡¯s sake. Aiden raised his head and stared into Elias¡¯ eyes as he asked earnestly, ¡°But you have to marry Mommy if you want to be my daddy. So, are you going to marry Mommy?¡± Although Elias and Amanda knew a child said what they liked, they fell silent immediately after they heard the words that escaped Aiden¡¯s lips. To sum up, the current situation was aplete mess. Elias turned to stare at Amanda¡¯s face. Of course, I have thought of remarrying Amanda. After I learned that Amanda had returned to Imperia, the only thing that has been upying my mind is to remarry her. It¡¯s just that Amanda rejects the idea¡­ The shine in Elias¡¯ eyes dimmed a little as he thought of that. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Amanda was tongue-tied in the face of Elias¡¯ deep gaze and Aiden¡¯s innocent ones. In reality, the two grown-ups hadid this topic to rest, and Elias had given up the thought of remarrying Amanda. Yet, both fell into deep thoughts because of what Aiden said. Eventually, Amanda simply smiled slightly as she took Aiden¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Uncle Elias has a woman he likes, so he can¡¯t marry me.¡± Elias furrowed his brows slightly upon hearing those words. If circumstances allowed, he really wanted to yell ¡®Nonsense¡¯ in Amanda¡¯s face. An apparent tint of disappointment painted across the little guy¡¯s face as he pouted and uttered, ¡°Oh¡­ He can¡¯t be my daddy, then. Because to be my daddy, he has to marry you, take care of you, and protect you.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help smiling proudly after hearing Aiden¡¯s sincerity. My big boy, indeed. Always thinking about me. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Elias immediately denied Amanda¡¯s statement. However, Amanda refuted, ¡°You clearly have a crush on Natasha. Otherwise, how would you be willing to keep her by your side? Stop deceiving yourself and others. I don¡¯t want a man whose heart belongs to someone else¡¯s. Moreover, I never thought of remarrying you.¡± On the other hand, Elias¡¯ face twisted into a scowl. Currently, he wanted to go back and beat Lazarus up. That ¡°sshole, Lazarus! It was his idea to make up a story about a first love! Now that sh*t has literally be an obstacle in my n to remarry Amanda! Thanks to him, I can¡¯t even express my difort right now! Aiden¡¯s big, round eyes shifted back and forth between Amanda and Elias, and he asked, ¡°What is remarry? What is it?¡± Since the word remarry was still unfamiliar to a three-year-old toddler like Aiden, it was natural that he couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡°It means happiness. Now run along and y with the other children. Look! The teacher is choreographing a dance for you guys,¡± Amanda said, diverting Aiden¡¯s attention. Then, she took him from Elias¡¯ arms and ced him on the ground. The little guy, sessfully distracted, ran to join the other children. The flickering mes of the bonfire shone gently through Elias and Amanda¡¯s faces, creating an indescribable sense of harmony. Suddenly, Elias spoke, ¡°Perhaps we should remarry for Aiden¡¯s sake. After all, he needs to grow up in a healthy environment. He needs the presence of both parents in his life.¡± s, Amanda¡¯s heart was filled with nothing but disdain at this moment. Does this man want to be like Simon, who only cares about marriage but not love? Are all men this sh*t-faced? Amanda had a smile on her face as she shook her head and dismissed the offer, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. It is also a form of suffering for the child when parents who don¡¯t love each other insist on living under the same roof.¡± Parents who don¡¯t love each other? Elias felt a slight pain in his chest when he heard these words. Is Amanda implying that she doesn¡¯t love me? Elias couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Amanda had fallen out of love with him. After all, Amanda only had eyes for him four years ago. Yet, the Amanda now only thought of ways to escape from him. The bonfire party was still going on, and Amanda was ying games with Aiden. Meanwhile, Elias stood alone in a far corner with a cigarette between his lips. He gazed into the distance, utterly lost in his thoughts. Is this y-hard-to-get trick by Lazarus seriously going to work? Why do I feel that Amanda is getting further and further away from me? By the looks of it, she still doesn¡¯t have even the slightest sign of pursuing a rtionship with me, especially after I heard her saying the words, parents who don¡¯t love each other¡¯ just now. It makes me feel so powerless to the point of suffocation. To the outside world, I am the mighty Elias. Everyone listens to me. However, when ites to my wife and children¡­ Well, I can¡¯t exactly force Amanda to reciprocate my affection for her, can I? Elias looked at the mother-and-son duo by the bonfire. The expression on his face turned cold as a gleam of possessiveness simmered in his eyes. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 A Sleepless Night After the bonfire party ended, everyone returned to their tents, ready to retire for the night. Even though Aiden was already in the tent, he didn¡¯t forget to call the two grown-ups, ¡°Uncle Elias! Mommy! Come and sleep together!¡± Sleep together? Amanda¡¯s facial expression turned slightly awkward as soon as she heard that. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but look up at the man standing beside her. Elias could tell Amanda was in a difficult situation. Therefore, he exined, ¡°Go to sleep with your mommy. I will protect you outside because there will be many unlovely little critters here at night.¡± ¡°Unlovely little critters? What are those? Uncle Elias, I want to be outside with you too! I want to see them!¡± the little guy said innocently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Amanda frowned. ¡°Do you like snakes? Do you like mice? Do you like bugs?¡± Elias questioned in a threatening tone. Aiden instantly widened his big, round eyes and shook his head violently. ¡°I don¡¯t like them! Mommy, are there mice and snakes here? I don¡¯t want to stay here! I want to go home!¡± He was so frightened that he almost cried as he snuggled into Amanda¡¯s arms and hugged her tightly. That¡¯s why you should be a good boy and stay in the tent with your mommy. I will stay outside and protect you. Okay?¡± Since Elias¡¯ solemnity didn¡¯t seem the least bit deceitful in a child¡¯s eyes, Aiden was utterly convinced. Thus, he obediently nodded and refused to leave the tent. Meanwhile, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw this. The teachers in the kindergarten were the ones who chose this campsite. I¡¯m sure that this ce is the safest spot possible. Then again, I can¡¯t deny what Elias said either. After all, encountering critters such as snakes, ants, and mosquitoes is unavoidable when camping outdoors. Still, Aiden has always been a fearless little guy. It seems that Elias truly has a way when ites to dealing with difficult children. Hence, Amanda and Aiden slept in the tent while Elias stayed outside. Everything seemed so harmonious¡± when suddenly, Aiden looked up at Amanda and asked, ¡°Mommy, do you like Uncle Elias? Do you want him to be your husband?¡± Since Amanda didn¡¯t expect Aiden to ask her such a grown-up question out of the blue, she smiled and retorted, ¡°Why are you asking? Do you want Uncle Elias to be your daddy, then?¡± Aiden replied sensibly, ¡°Mommy, I like anyone you like. Amanda was slightly surprised by his words. Still, she couldn¡¯t deny that his words melted her heart as she lowered her head to kiss his soft cheek. ¡°There, there. Don¡¯t overthink things. You just have to spend every day of the rest of your life happily.¡± ¡°But Mommy, I think you like Uncle Elias¡­¡± Her heart skipped a beat as her eye fluttered in panic. Then, she lowered her head and looked at Aiden, whoy in her arms. She couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered, it was as though Aiden had spilled her secrets. ¡°You¡¯re still a kid, so what do you know? I like him? When?¡± Amanda blustered. When she parted her lips. to rant, she immediately shut her jaws with a click when she realized there was no point in exining this matter to Aiden. ¡°Oh, I know, I can feel it, Mommy. I can feel that you like Uncle Elias. You treat Uncle Elias differently than Uncle Simon.¡± Amanda was stunned. Really? How did I treat Elias? And how did I treat Simon? Is there really a difference? Why can¡¯t I see it? ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Aiden thought it over carefully for a few seconds before answering. ¡°You treat Uncle Elias like a family but treat Uncle Simon like a friend.¡± She kept quiet, unable to respond. Is it really as what Aiden said? Is it truly so obvious? It was 1.00AM, and Elias sat by the fire, staring at it while immersed in his train of thought. Just then, an unzipping sound came behind him as Amanda left the tent. Elias swiftly snapped out of his thoughts, raised his head, and looked at her. ¡°Why are you out? Are you not sleeping?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take over for a while, so you can go in and sleep for a moment. We still have to take Aiden mountain climbing tomorrow, so Elias will be dead on his feet if he doesn¡¯t get some rest tonight. So, Amanda walked up to Elias, sat beside him, and poked the fire with a branch. Nheless, Elias declined her offer, ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy. Besides, I¡¯m a man. Just go to sleep. I don¡¯t know how to coax children.¡± ¡°So, what if you¡¯re a man? Men can also get tired. Just go into the tent and sleep. After all, I can¡¯t sleep right now. Indeed, Amanda only came outside for some fresh air because she was having trouble sleeping after hearing Aiden¡¯s astute observation. She couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward around Elias whenever her mind. strayed to her conversation with Aiden earlier. Do I really treat Elias like a family? ¡°Then, I¡¯ll stay with you for a while. I can¡¯t sleep either. Elias couldn¡¯t sleep because of the pain he felt from hearing Amanda¡¯s hurtful remarks while Amanda couldn¡¯t sleep because of Aiden¡¯s words. Either way, tonight was bound to be a sleepless night for Amanda and Elias. The others were sleeping soundly in their tents. Only Amanda and Elias were sitting by the fire. Only the sound of cicadas chorusing and the light and hurried footsteps of some little critters crawling were heard in the quiet night. Suddenly, Elias said, ¡°Tell me about your life abroad in the past four years. Were you nervous when you. gave birth to Aiden?¡± Besides his misunderstanding of Amanda, there was one more thing Elias regretted. That was he wasn¡¯t by Amanda¡¯s side when Aiden was born. Was there anyone by Amanda¡¯s side when she gave birth? Could it be Simon again? He felt his heart wrench at that thought. It was my woman who gave birth, yet it was another man who stayed by her side. Such a feeling is indescribable. Amanda smiled faintly and said, ¡°Frankly, I was quite nervous. I was very anxious throughout my pregnancy. Since I was abroad and couldn¡¯t ess home-cooked meals often, I was constantly afraid that Icked nutrition. Baby was born when he was about 38 weeks old and weighed less than 8 lbs. At that time, I kept ming myself for not eating well. Fortunately, my worries were for naught as it turned out that he was pretty healthy. I made sure he ate well and slept well after he was born. Sure enough, he gained weight. rather quickly.¡± ¡°Then, who apanied you to the hospital when you gave birth?¡± Since Elias knew howplicated the healthcare system abroad was, he naturally knew giving birth abroad was very troublesome, ¡°It was all thanks to Simon, I suppose. He helped me a great deal. He helped me make the hospital appointment. He sent me to the hospital when I went intobor in the middle of the night,¡± Amanda. answered truthfully while feigning nonchnce.. There was an apparent hint of despair in Elias¡¯ eyes. My guess was right on the money. It was indeed Simon who was by her side. At that moment, Elias genuinely felt that he failed terribly as a father. I can¡¯t believe I was unaware of my son¡¯s birth! ¡°Really? I would have shown up by your side promptly and kept youpany in thebor room if you had informed me earlier.¡± Elias sounded jealous. ¡°Unfortunately, there is no if. At that time, I thought you were long married and had children of your own. After all, you had already shown me that you liked that woman a great deal. Amanda felt her blood boil whenever she remembered the scene from four years ago. She could never get over it, no matter how hard she tried. Elias had no words to say in his defense. He also knew that it was all his fault. He was the one who pushed his wife and child into the abyss of despair, and he even nearly killed his own son due to his actions. The silence dragged on as their discussion brought back terrible memories. Suddenly, Amanda heard something rustling through the leaves. She followed the source of the sound, and to her horror, a snake had crawled to her foot. It was even flickering his tongue, as though it was scenting her as prey. ¡°Oh, my God! A snake!¡± she yelled instantly in fright. He got up and pulled Amanda to stand behind him quickly. Unfortunately, due to the ruckus, the snake seemed to have been frightened as well, for it bit Elias ankle. Elias grunted in pain. Then, he immediately pulled the snake up and tossed it into the woods. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Are You Trying to Murder Your Own Husband? Amanda instantly caught sight of the bite mark on his ankle as blood oozed out of the wound. ¡°You¡¯re injured! Was it a venomous snake?¡± She grew anxious upon seeing that. What if it was indeed a venomous snake? The hospital was quite far from their current location. It would be toote by the time they rushed there for help. Elias couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit delighted when he saw her getting nervous. He even deliberately. pretended to be in pain and replied, ¡°It does seem like the bite of a venomous snake.¡± As soon as he spoke, her eyes widened in fear. ¡°Really?! What should we do? We need to call an ambnce quickly! Wait, will theye here? What do we do now?¡± Amanda was at a loss, unsure of what to do. Was Elias going to die? The thought of him dying made her burst into tears, and her hot, panicked tears fell onto his palm. He looked at her sobbing for him and felt a strange sense of pleasure, so he decided to prolong his enjoyment just a little longer. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a cobra,¡± he added, deliberately scaring her again. ¡°Cobra?¡± She became even more agitated upon hearing those words. Cobras were truly deadly! She needed to hurry and take him to the hospital to treat the wound! Quick, make a call for Yacob to pick you up! Cobras are deadly! We should hurry to the hospital!¡± She grabbed Elias¡¯ hand and was about to leave, even forgetting that Baby was still sleeping inside the tent in her worry. He held her wrist. ¡°What about the child? He¡¯s still sleeping inside the tent.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, how could I forget about Aiden? I¡¯ll wake him up now.¡± She was in a state ofplete terror, and her mind was unable to think clearly. Her thoughts were consumed with the fear of what would happen if he died. He couldn¡¯t bear to tease her any longer upon seeing her in such distress. So, he pulled her into his. embrace andforted her, ¡°I lied to you. I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to panic.¡± Amanda cried even harder, but this time she didn¡¯t push him away; she knew he was physically hurt. Nheless, her tears were mixed with anger as she eximed, ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re fine? That was a venomous snake! A cobra! It¡¯s deadly! What if you die? The hospital is so far away. Can you even make it to the hospital? Should I ask Howard to send a helicopter to pick you up?¡± As she spoke, she reached for her phone, intending to call Howard. Once again, Elias stopped her. ¡°Amanda! Amanda! Calm down. I lied to you. It¡¯s not a venomous snake. There won¡¯t be any venomous snakes here. It¡¯s just an ordinary snake, and the wound isn¡¯t deep. It doesn¡¯t hurt. We can just clean and disinfect it casually.¡± ¡°How do you know it¡¯s just an ordinary snake? It¡¯s dark, and we can¡¯t see clearly. What if it really was a venomous snake?¡± she questioned sharply. He couldn¡¯t help butugh. Then, he gently touched her cold cheeks with hisrge hand to soothe her anxiety. ¡°This is a camping location chosen by the kindergarten. How could there be venomous snakes here? Just think about how many children are here. The kindergarten would be cautious since they¡¯re afraid of such idents befalling the children.¡± Finally, her sobs quietened as she looked at him dazedly. Her eyes slowly cleared as if she had regained her senses. Well, what he said made sense. The kindergarten¡¯s choice of location would undoubtedly be the safest with so many children around. ¡°Then, why did you say it was a cobra earlier? Why did you lie to me?¡± Her expression changed instantly. even though tears still streaked her cheeks. He wiped away her tears and spoke slowly, ¡°I felt a little happy seeing you worry about me, so I wanted to enjoy it a little longer.¡± Was this man losing his mind? He lied to her about being bitten by a venomous snake just to relish in her worry. Amanda looked at the man in front of her incredulously. ¡°Are you sick? Are you asking for a punch in the face?¡± She even fiercely pinched the area on his skin where he was bitten by the snake. This time it genuinely hurt. Elias let out a pained groan, barely enduring the difort and gritting his teeth. ¡°Are you trying to murder your own husband?¡± She sneered. ¡°Ex-husband, you mean!¡± For some strange reason, he couldn¡¯t help butugh in response. It certainly didn¡¯t seem like she had no feelings for him at all, especially after witnessing her worry and panic earlier. Could it be that she was genuinely afraid of history repeating itself and was trying to avoid him to prevent herself from getting hurt again? He looked at her as she angrily wiped away her tears and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you avoiding my pursuit because you¡¯re afraid of history repeating itself? Is that why you¡¯re trying to stay away from me?¡± Amanda paused in her actions and looked up but found herself unable to escape his intense and focused. gaze. ¡°No!¡± she firmly denied, but her heart raced as if she feared he could read her thoughts. s, Elias wasn¡¯t about to let things slide so easily as he pressed on. ¡°Then, why is it?¡± Her mind was a jumbled mess at that moment. ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®why.¡± I just don¡¯t love you anymore. Is that not allowed? You didn¡¯t love me when I loved you. Now that you want to love me, you expect me to reciprocate. What kind of rule is that?¡± He remained silent, continuing to stare at her. His dark eyes held many unspoken thoughts, intriguing anyone who dared to delve. She avoided meeting his eyes as she felt flustered under his unwavering gaze. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? I already told you I don¡¯t love you anymore. Don¡¯t ask for an exnation. It¡¯s irritating. You¡¯re such a liar; you deceived me four years ago, and you¡¯re still deceiving me now. Is getting bitten by a snake. something to be proud of? Let me tell you, my concern for you earlier wasn¡¯t because I still love you. It was because I was afraid it would be my fault if something happened to you. After all, I was the one who invited you to join the camping trip.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. She exined all of this to prevent him from misconstruing her feelings. Regardless, the truth remained that she had always reserved a ce for him in her heart-the most significant ce where no one else. could enter, and he had remained there for a long time. Sometimes she despised herself for being so weak. Despite all the wrongs Elias had done to her, she still held a ce for him in her heart. The thought. brought her to tears once again. Hence, she rose to her feet and stomped back into the tent. She didn¡¯t want to be alone with him right now, fearing that her true emotions would be exposed if she lingered. s, he became flustered upon seeing her leave. So, he quickly rose to his feet and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you. I was only trying to tease you. I didn¡¯t expect you to take it seriously. He thought she could see through his intentions. He honestly didn¡¯t anticipate her falling for his trickery and immediately worrying about whether he would die from the snakebite. ¡°Please, stop fooling around. We¡¯re not in that kind of rtionship anymore. I genuinely fear that something has happened to you, and I can¡¯t bear that responsibility. I¡¯m just your ex-wife now.¡± She turned and walked into the tent without any hesitation, paying no heed to the man behind her. He was left standing alone, gazing at the tent illuminated by the fire¡¯s faint glow. Although he wanted to retort, all those words shriveled up in his throat and died when he thought just how things had gotten this far. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Mommy, Uncle Elias Is Bleeding As the first light of dawn painted the sky the next day. Elias found himself unable to sleep, keeping a vignt watch throughout the night. Yvonne¡¯s mom emerged from her neighboring tent, awakening to the sight of him sitting beside the extinguished campfire. ¡°Hey, Mr. Winters. Why are you up so early? Did you not get any rest?¡± she inquired with genuine concern. Having received Elias¡¯ assistance in setting up her tent the previous day, she felt a sense of gratitude toward him. He looked up at the sound of her voice, his countenance unchanged, and responded calmly, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. Oh. There might be serpents, ants, mosquitoes, and insects lurking about during the night. I suggest you exercise caution and ensure the tent is securely zipped.¡± ¡°Really? This location was selected by the kindergarten, so I presumed there wouldn¡¯t be any creatures of that nature¡­¡± She suddenly became anxious. Just then, Amanda awakened and unzipped her tent, catching sight of Elias engrossed in conversation with Yvonne¡¯s mother. Her eyes filled with disdain as she muttered, ¡°Flirting so early in the morning and behaving like a peacock unting its feathers. Heartless man¡­ Yvonne¡¯s mother was the first to notice Amanda¡¯s presence and courteously nodded and greeted fier, ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning,¡± she replied, maintaining a vencer of politeness, although she felt a tinge of displeasure. She responded with a sweet smile and stepped out of her tent. ¡°I must say, you are truly fortunate. Your husband remained outside all night to protect you and the children from snakes, ants, and mosquitoes, Yvonne¡¯s mother remarked, finally understanding why Elias had forsaken sleep. He had done so to ensure the safety and peace of mind of his wife and child, a realization that stirred a sense of envy within her as a single mother. Amanda paused,prehending Yvonne¡¯s mother¡¯s sentiment, and cast a nce at the faint dark circles beneath Elias¡¯ eyes. With a smile, she uttered a heartfelt thank you. Yvonne¡¯s mother proceeded to fetch water for their morning ablutions while Amanda turned her gaze toward Elias, weariness etched on her face. ¡°How do you n to apany the children on the mountain in this condition? Rest in the tent for a while, and I can take Aiden climbing instead.¡± Her concern centered mainly around the snake bite on Elias¡¯ ankle. Even if the snake had not been venomous, the wound must still have been painful. Hiking with only one fully functional leg would undoubtedly be arduous. However, he furrowed his brow and replied, ¡°No, I must apany you.¡± The ascent up the mountain held its dangers, and should an unforeseen event ur, he needed to be by their side at all times. He could not afford to be absent once again. ¡°Are you sure your injury will permit hiking?¡± She nced at his wounded ankle. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It has already scabbed over. I tended to itst night. Just a minor inconvenience,¡± he assured her. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± she relented. She contemted saying more but thought better of it, choosing to turn and collect water, preparing to rouse Aiden. As Amanda walked away, Elias cast a downward gaze at his injured ankle. In truth, the snake had delivered a rather deep bite, and he had not properly tended to the wound. Yet, he was determined to apany her and Aiden on their mountain trek. After breakfast, the kindergarten organized a hiking trip for everyone. As they were all children, the trail they followed was not perilous, allowing them to enjoy a gentle immersion in nature. With Elias¡¯ injured. ankle, each step he took felt like treading on a knife¡¯s edge. Nevertheless, he silently trailed behind. Amanda and Aiden. ¡°Mommy, look! A butterfly! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Aiden eximed, pointing at a delicate blue butterfly gracefully fluttering through the air. She followed the direction indicated by her son¡¯s tiny hand and spotted the marvelous creature. It had been quite some time since she hadst seen such beauty. Meanwhile, Elias settled on a nearby boulder, maintaining an outward appearance of tranquility. However, his wound had reopened slightly due to the strain of walking, and fresh blood began to trickle forth. Aiden turned back to him, brimming with happiness, and pleaded, ¡°Uncle Elias, catch the butterfly for me! I want to catch one too!¡± Just as he was about to rise and fulfill the child¡¯s request. Aiden¡¯s innocent eyes caught sight of the blood staining Elias¡¯ ankle, a few droplets marking the ground. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The kid was startled by the sight, fear gripping his heart as his adorable voice tinged with panic. ¡°Mommy,¡± Uncle Elias is bleeding! It¡¯s blood¡­¡± Amanda instinctively looked toward Elias¡¯ ankle and witnessed the seeping blood, which left its mark on the ground. Worry instantly took hold of her. Is the wound reopened? Elias stood up, his tall figure andrge hand gently patting his son¡¯s head tofort him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I identally scraped it just now.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Aiden asked, tilting his head. ¡°Not at all. Men shouldn¡¯t cry out in pain. Amanda retorted coldly, ¡°Can you not instill such thoughts in him? What do you mean men shouldn¡¯t cry out in pain? Are men not human? Pain is pain. He remained silent. She crouched and patiently exined to her son, ¡°Aiden, Uncle Elias hurt his foot. Let¡¯s go back to the city and take him to the hospital to have the wound treated, alright? We can go camping again when we get another chance, okay?¡± Although Aiden initially resisted, the sight of bloodstains on the ground softened his heart, and he obediently nodded. ¡°Good boy. Next time, we¡¯ll take you to an even more exciting camping spot, and you can even try fishing.¡± she assured, hugging her son. Once again, she was moved by his thoughtfulness. She could tell he did not want to leave, but seeing Elias bleeding scared him. Thus, she informed the teacher before they left early, returning to the city. Upon arriving at the hospital, a sense of relief washed over Amanda as the doctor tended to Elias¡¯ wound, assuring her that it was not a severe issue. ¡°The wound became infected due to dyed treatment, likely from bacteria in the wilderness. There¡¯s some pus, but now that we have treated the wound, all you need is to rest and avoid excessive walking. Remember not to consume seafood or alcohol¡­¡± The doctor provided instructions while Amanda. attentively jotted down notes. However, Elias appeared indifferent as he yed with Aiden, their bond resembling that of a loving father and son, especially due to their striking resemnce. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home and rest. Did you hear what the doctor said? Don¡¯t exert yourself, and take it easy. Otherwise, the wound may reopen,¡± Amanda nagged, her concern evident. Yet, he merely responded with a faint hum.. Just as she was about to send him home, the sound of Howard shuffling with a cane reached their ears, emanating from the corridor. ¡°You mischievous rascal, what trouble have you gotten into now? Did a snake bite you again?¡± he bellowed as he entered the room, but his expression swiftly changed upon catching sight of Amanda and Aiden. ¡°Oh, Amanda, you¡¯re here too! Oh my, my adorable great-grandson is here as well,¡± he eximed, a wide smile spreading across his face. He approached, gently sping the chubby little hand of the child, unable to resist the affection that welled up within him. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Who Said I Have to Take Care of You? ¡°Grandpa, Elias joined us on a camping trip and got bitten by a snake. I¡¯m terribly sorry. I had no idea there were snakes in that area¡­¡± Amanda¡¯s heart sank, weighed down by guilt. After all, Elias was Howard¡¯s beloved grandson, a treasure in his eyes. ¡°Well, things happen. Don¡¯t fret. It¡¯s just a minor inconvenience to endure for the sake of his woman and child,¡± Howard reassured, his voice carrying a soothing tone. As long as Elias could reconcile with Amanda and bring their child back to the Winters Family, this minor injury would seem insignificant. She stood there, momentarily stunned, as Howard took Aiden¡¯s hand without dy, addressing her directly. ¡°Amanda, take care of Elias. After all, he got injured because of you. I¡¯ll take care of the child in your absence. Is that agreeable?¡± ¡°1¡± Before she could utter a word, he had already taken Aiden¡¯s hand, ready to depart,pletely unaware of the purpose of his visit. ¡°Aiden, would you like toe and y with me? My house is a big yground!¡± ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go, Great-Grandpa!¡± Aiden¡¯s face lit up at the mention of something fun, eagerly clutching Howard¡¯s hand and leading the way to the door. Amanda was left speechless. This little brat only cares about ying. With Howard and the kid gone, she and Elias found themselves locked in a silent gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll help. you find a wheelchair,¡± she offered, breaking the silence. However, he promptly rose to his feet without hesitation. ¡°No need. I¡¯m not that delicate.¡± Defiantly, he started walking toward the door, but she swiftly caught hold of his arm. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the doctor said? They told you not to exert yourself too much. Why are you so stubborn?¡± ¡°The doctors enjoy scaring people like you, who are easily frightened. The wound has been treated, so it¡¯s not as serious as you think,¡± he countered, determined to push forward. With his long strides, he attempted to proceed, but Armanda walked beside him, draping his lengthy arm. around her shoulders, bearing his weight on her slender frame. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll support you,¡± she muttered, her mood tinged with annoyance. Elias smiled in response, choosing to remain silent. Leaning on her fragile body, they painstakingly made their way outside, step by step. Little did they know, Howard had inadvertently done them a favor this time. Instead of returning to Winters Estate, Amanda brought Elias back to Northern No. 1. As they arrived home, Selina hurriedly opened the door, her surprise evident upon seeing their current state. ¡°What happened to you two? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be camping with Aiden? Why have you come back so soon?¡± Mr. Winters is leaning on Miss Bailey, their posture so intimate. Have they reconciled? ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let use in first,¡± Amanda requested, feeling the strain of supporting Elias¡¯ weight. It almost seemed as if he purposefully burdened her. N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°Oh, oh. Understanding dawned on Selina, and she quickly stepped aside, allowing them to enter. Amanda took a deep breath and helped Elias settle onto the living room couch. She slumped down beside him, slightly panting and oveing with weariness. Observing her gasping for breath, he could not help but let out a light chuckle. ¡°Already exhausted? How do you n on tending to me?¡± ¡°Who said I have to take care of you? Now that we¡¯re back home, just rest properly. When it¡¯s time to eat, Selina will call you. You won¡¯t starve.¡± She rolled her eyes at him, rising to return to her room. Having spent a restless night during their outdoor camping trip, she desperately needed to make up for lost sleep. However, Elias grasped her hand firmly and remarked, ¡°Did you forget what my grandfather said at the hospital? I got injured because of you, so it¡¯s your duty to look after me¡± ¡°What do you mean you got hurt because of me? It was clearly for your son. What¡¯s the big deal, sustaining a minor injury for your child? You¡¯re a man; men shouldn¡¯tin about pain. Amanda smiled faintly, using his ideology to render him speechless. He froze there, unable to rebut. Just as he was about to respond, his phone buzzed, breaking the tension. She nced at the screen and saw the caller ID disying ¡®Natasha.¡¯ Another call from his first love? Elias nced at the phone screen, a hint of impatience etching across his handsome face. Must this ¡°actress¡¯ be so persistent? Calling me every day as if she is truly my first love. Is it that necessary? Isn¡¯t she just in it for the money? Hasn¡¯t Lazarus paid her enough? He answered the phone with an impatient tone, ¡°Can you say everything at once? Didn¡¯t I tell you to find Mr. Briggs?¡± Amanda was taken aback by the man¡¯s attitude. Is this how he treats his first love? She did not know what Natasha said on the other end of the line, but she noticed a slight change in Elias¡± expression. Speaking in a deep voice, he stated, ¡°Hmm, understood. I¡¯ll give you a week off. Handle your matters ande back to work.¡± After ending the call, Amanda asked curiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± Though she did not want to pry, Elias shifting expression sessfully piqued her curiosity. He nced at her and replied, ¡°Nothing significant. Natasha¡¯s grandmother passed away, and she requested some time off. ¡°Then¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to her grandmother¡¯s funeral? People in such situations are usually fragile and need someone to lean on.¡± She understood that feeling all too well. When her mother passed away, not a single rtive on her side was willing to step forward, and her deadbeat father was nowhere to be found. She could only rely on her so-called husband, Elias, who handled every aspect of her mother¡¯s funeral. During that year of their secret marriage, she was grateful, despite his mistreatment, because he provided. support during her most difficult and helpless moments, bing the sole ray of light in her darkness. Elias sneered. ¡°Right now, she¡¯s just my subordinate, and I¡¯m her boss. There¡¯s no need to be excessively. friendly.¡± Amanda deliberately prodded, ¡°Oh? Are you frustrated that the reconciliation is taking too long? If Natasha were to fall into your arms now, would you handle everything for her just like you did with my mother¡¯s funeral¡± Regret filled her immediately after saying those words he did not want to act this way, but her resentment seeped into her speech, making her sound like a scorned wife in a melodramatic affair He was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by her words. Then, a ift chuckle escaped his lips. ¡°Can I interpret this as jealousy on your part) Bevdet. I have to intention of getting back together with her, so why are you so antroir?¡° Judging from her earlier remarks, it was evident that Amanda was growing increanmely anxious. Her gaze started to evade him, and she replied, I¡¯m not jealous. You¡¯re overthinking. Since you¡¯re to irritated and injured, why don¡¯t you find your first love and let her take care of you? To¡¯d be a perfect oppe you to bond¡° At that a displeased frown creased Elias face. He asked To that truly what you believe? for He felt genuine frustration building within him as the persistently pushed him toward other women. Er ide truly resting me in this manner? Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Why Is He Angry? Why is he angry? Amanda could notprehend the reason behind this man¡¯s persistent anger. In a flustered state, she stood up and dered, ¡°I¡¯ve always held that belief. No matter how many times you inquire, my response. will remain unchanged.¡± After uttering these words, she hastened toward the room, her departing figure resembling a desperate escape. Surprisingly, Elias did not halt her this time. He silently sat on the couch, sulking, and his handsome face tensed. What infuriated him the most was not her attitude, but the foolish idea concocted by Lazarus. Is this what he calls effective? Why did he sense that Amanda was growing more resistant toward him, even driving him toward other women now? ¡°Damn..¡± He could not contain his frustration and cursed, feeling an impulse to confront Lazarus physically. At that moment, Selina emerged, carrying a cup of tea, and noticed Amanda¡¯s absence. Awkwardly, she ced the cup before the man and asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, would you like some tea? Where is Amanda?¡± His voice turned icy cold. ¡°She went back to her room. Selina swallowed nervously, for the man¡¯s cold tone nearly froze her. Forcing a smile, she turned and walked toward Amanda¡¯s room. If she stayed any longer, she felt as though she would freeze to death. That man disyed an indulgent look whenever Amanda was present, but in her absence, he transformed into a terrifying figure. Inside the bedroom, Amanday on the bed, burying her head in the pillow, consumed by shame over her recent behavior. What¡¯s wrong with me? She had agreed to be friends with Elias, yet she could not help but be concerned about his first love. What is happening to me? Am I seriously experiencing jealousy? Suddenly, she removed the pillow and began talking to herself, ¡°Amanda, pull yourself together. You have no right to be jealous. What are you thinking? Even if they were to reconcile, it would have no bearing on you- Before she could finish her words, Selina entered the room without knocking, startling her. Amanda sat up abruptly and was relieved upon seeing Selina. She could not help butin, ¡°Selina, why did youe in without knocking? You scared me.¡± After closing the door, Selina walked to the edge of Amanda¡¯s bed and sat down. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s scared, not by you but by your ex-husband.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Did he scare you again?¡± Amanda wondered. ¨C She replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that he was sitting on the couch with an expressionless face, looking very scary. noticed that your ex-husband is only gentle when you¡¯re around; he has apletely different attitude toward others.¡± Amanda remained silent. She knew all too well that Elias had always possessed a fiery temper, but gentleness in front of her? What a joke. After their marriage four years ago, he woulde home and treat her coldly. Yet, she could not fathom where her enthusiasm came from at the time, as she continuously tried to forge a connection despite his frigidity. ¡°By the way, you haven¡¯t told me why you both came back so suddenly. It seems like your ex-husband injured his foot. What about Aiden? Why did only the two of youe back?¡± Selina asked with confusion. Amanda sighed and leaned against the headboard. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. While camping, he got bitten by a snake on his ankle. The wound got infected, so we had toe back early, Grandpa took Aiden with him. and I¡¯ll pick him up tomorrow. I¡¯ll let him spend a day with Grandpa.¡± Howard had eagerly anticipated the arrival of his little great-grandson for a long time. He was overjoyed when the little treasure suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Understanding the situation now, Selina nodded. ¡°So, is Mr. Winters going to stay here for the next two days? Should I prepare a guest room for him?¡± ¡°No need to fuss over him! Let him make do with the couch for one night. I¡¯ll take him home tomorrow and bring my son back.¡± Why does it feel like they are exchanging hostages? Selina hesitated. ¡°Is that¡­ appropriate? After all, we¡¯re living in someone else¡¯s house¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it?¡± Amanda huffed. As night fell, it was time for dinner. After preparing the meal, Selina hesitated to call Elias to eat. Instead, she went to inform Amanda first. When Amanda exited the bedroom, she noticed he was still sitting on the couch. She was unsure if it was because his foot hurt and he did not want to walk or if he was sulking there, but he seemed to have remained in the same position for the entire afternoon. She walked into the living room and intentionally coughed twice. ¡°Can you get up and walk? Come and have dinner. I wouldn¡¯t want Grandpa to use me of mistreating you.¡± Elias looked up at her and nced around. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Who else would I be talking to besides you?¡± She smiled, realizing that this scoundrel was trying to provoke her again. ¡°Don¡¯t I have a name? I remember Grandpa gave me a name.¡± She was speechless, skeptical of what this scoundrel was up to. So, she responded with a touch of annoyance. ¡°Elias! Come and have dinner!¡± After speaking, she walked directly toward the dining room. She was not going to cater to him anymore. He had been resting the whole afternoon, so he should be feeling better by then.. The man did not say anything further and got up to walk toward the dining room, although his gait looked a bit peculiar, and he was slower than usual. He intentionally sat next to Amanda and said, ¡°Serve me a bowl of soup.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°I recall you injured your foot, not your hand. Her rebellious nature burst forth. We¡¯re already divorced, so why should I still serve him? He looked at the side of her face. After four years of bing awyer, she had indeed be more articte. ¡°And I got injured because of you, so you must take care of me.¡± ¡°I-¡± Before she could speak, he interrupted her. ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say, ¡®Don¡¯t pester me. Don¡¯t ask to remarry! I¡¯ve already told you we¡¯re just friends now. I don¡¯t have any other intentions toward you. I¡¯d rather go after my first love than bother you anymore. Rest assured.¡± She blinked, momentarily unsure of how to respond. As such, she suppressed her anger, served him at bowl of soup, and ced it in front of him. Sitting across from her, Selina could not help butugh at the scene. She did not know why, but she felt. these two were a quarreling newlywed couple, mismatched but somehow perfect. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Amanda asked, looking at her holding back herughter. Selina raised her head, feigning innocence. ¡°Huh? Nothing¡­ I just identally choked a bit¡± Elias gracefully lifted his porcin bowl and sipped the soup as though he was a patient there to recuperate. ¡°Pass me some vegetables,¡± the man said again. Amanda¡¯s mind overtook with bewilderment. Did Elias see her as nothing more than a maid, commanding her around like this? When he had pursued her to reconcile and remarry, he knew how to treat her with kindness and care. With no interest in her now, he resorted to treating her poorly. It seemed that his true nature had finally surfaced. He nced at her again, seemingly unfazed by her confusion. ¡°Pass me some vegetables. I¡¯m hungry. How can I heal if I don¡¯t eat enough?¡± Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Assisting in a Bath Amanda shot him a sharp re, suppressing her anger, and reluctantly picked up some vegetables to ce. in his bowl. Observing her sulky demeanor, Elias could not help but let a satisfied smile curl up at the corner of his mouth. After finishing their dinner, Selina went to the kitchen to tidy up, leaving the couple alone in the living room. The television yed an animated series that was Aiden¡¯s favorite. ncing at his wristwatch, Elias realized it was gettingte and inquired. ¡°Where should I sleep?¡± ¡°Just make yourselffortable on the couch. It¡¯s cozy, Amanda replied with a faint smile. He raised an eyebrow and stayed silent for a moment. Sleep¡­ on¡­ the¡­ couch¡­?Well, this woman truly has a heart of steel. Feeling a sense of displeasure, the man clenched his jaw and fixed his gaze on her wless profile. ¡°I want to take a bath. Help me,¡± he stated, standing up and heading toward her bedroom. Her smile froze as she hesitated for a moment. ¡°How can I help with your bath? Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be shy about? It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen it before. We¡¯ve already had a child, so can¡¯t you help out? Come on, hurry up.¡± He forcefully pushed open her bedroom door and walked Am¨¢nda watched helplessly as the man entered her bedroom. Instinctively, she stood up and shouted, Hey! Why are you going into my room? Go wash up in the guestroom. Stop right there!¡± In the kitchen, Selina heard her cries and could not help but poke her head out and ask, ¡°What are you shouting about? Are you calling me?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I wasn¡¯t calling you. Just keep busy.¡± Amanda waved her hand, then hastily made her way into her bedroom. This man simply could not sit still even for a moment. Even with an injured foot, he continued to be restless. As she stepped into her bedroom, her eyes were immediately drawn to the sight of the man undressing. revealing his enticing chest and abs. Reflexively, she turned away and even covered her eyes, just like she did the first time sheid eyes on him, so innocent and naive. Noticing her reaction, the man could not help but chuckle. ¡°Is that necessary? It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t been intimate before.¡± She grew furious and quickly turned around. ¡°You¡¯re shameless! Act like a father, please- Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed Elias unfastening his belt, striking a seductive pose. ¡°What are you doing? Are you seriously nning to bathe in my bathroom? Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten that we¡¯re divorced? I have no obligation to take care of you!¡± She was losing her patience. What exactly does this despicable man have in mind? 0 However, he had already discarded his clothes and confidently made his way toward the bathroom, shooting her a nce. ¡°Help me. You¡¯re no longer obligated to take care of me, but I got injured because of you, so I have the right to ask for your assistance.¡± Amanda pointed at herself in disbelief. ¡°Me? I think you¡¯ve lost your mind, Elias! Get out of there! I¡¯m not helping you!¡± She approached the bathroom door and yelled inside, but unexpectedly, a long arm suddenly reached out and pulled her into the bathroom. In the following moments, screams echoed from the bathroom. Selina, standing outside the bedroom door, hurried over with concern. ¡°Amanda, are you alright? What happened?¡± After a few seconds, aposed voice emerged from the bedroom. Tm fine. Just go to sleep.¡± Selina was with a puzzled expression, looking at the closed bedroom door Since Amanda had said everything was fine, she could not push for more answers and could only turn around and leave. However, this was what actually happened¨CAmanda stood in the bathroom, staring at the man standing in front of herpletely naked, shamelessly disying himself without a trace of modesty ¡°Ehas, what on earth are you trying to do? Have you gone insane?¡± she asked through gritted teeth, deliberately avoiding looking at his abdomen, but she could feel her cheeks growing warm, her heart racing. The man pointed toward the bathtub with his arrogant thin. ¡°Help me fill the tub. I want to take a bath.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you take a shower instead? Why do you have to be so troublesome?¡± Her eyes inadvertently nced at his waist before she quickly turned her head away. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He observed her reaction, and the smile on his lips grew even more intense. ¡°My foot is injured. Taking a shower would involve water sshing on it. Hurry up and fill the tub.¡± Hold it in, hold it in, hold it in! Amanda reminded herself he was currently an injured patient; she had to endure. Suppressing her anger. she walked over and filled the bathtub with water. At that moment, it was just the two of them in the bathroom, and Elias remained undressed. They seemed like a real couple, so natural together. Still, she found the atmosphere a little strange. After some time had passed, the bathtub was filled with water, and the temperature was just right. ¡°Alright, wash yourself. I¡¯m leaving.¡± She turned around, unable to stay a moment longer. However, just as she took a couple of steps, the man pulled her back again. ¡°Is this how you treat someone who saved your life? I asked you to help me take a bath. How am I supposed to do it now that I¡¯m injured?¡± She was utterly perplexed; she distinctly remembered that the snake had bitten the man¡¯s ankle, not his hand. So, why can¡¯t you just take your damn bath?! ¡°Elias, you must be doing this on purpose. Your foot is injured, not your whole body. Why can¡¯t you wash yourself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient. Lay me down in the bathtub and assist me.¡± Her face turned cold as she stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re going too far! I¡¯ve endured you for far too long!¡± ¡°Is this going too far? Am I going too far?¡± Elias turned and got into the bathtub himself, lying in a comfortable position with his injured foot resting on the edge of the tub. ¡°I should be asking you how I¡¯ve gone too far She had absolutely no idea what she did wrong. ¡°It was you who insisted that I apany you and our son on the camping trip, and I ended up getting bitten by a snake while trying to protect you. And now, when I ask for a little care, you¡¯re unwilling to do so,¡± the man spoke in a serious tone, but there was a hint of resentment in his voice. Amanda was utterly baffled, blinking in confusion. It seemed like he was ming her as if it were her fault. Reluctantly, she walked over and squatted in front of the bathtub, firmly grabbing his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t move around. If you make a single move, I¡¯m leaving immediately.¡± The man looked at her and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± She inwardly mocked. You¡¯re behaving like a good little boy now? Normally, you¡¯re as fierce as a Tibetan mastiff. Throughout the process, Elias remained still, not making any sudden moves. He seemed to be enjoying this experience. It was not until Amanda¡¯s little hand reached into the bathtub that the towel identally. fell into it. She originally wanted to fish it out but did not expect to touch somewhere sacred. At that moment, both of them froze, neither making a move. Her face turned bright red, unsure of what to do. As she lifted her head, her gaze met the man¡¯s dark eyes. Their eyes locked in a moment of awkwardness, spreading through the air. The bathroom fell into such silence that one could hear a needle dropping to the floor. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Face Flushed, Heart Pounding Elias¡¯ handsome face flushed with embarrassment, his brows slightly furrowed as he gazed at Amanda¡¯s delicate face. His voice was deep and hoarse as he said, ¡°Are you still not letting go? How long are you nning to hold it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She quickly released her grip and withdrew it from the bathtub. She looked at her hand, still tingling. from the heat. ¡°You know what¡­ You cane out on your own.¡± With that, without even turning back, she swiftly left the bathroom. If she stayed longer, she felt like her face would turn completely red. This time, Elias did not trouble her further and closed the bathroom door after she left. He casually leaned against the bathtub edge, using his hand for support, and stepped out of the tub. He picked up a nearby towel and wrapped it around his waist. As he lowered his gaze to his waist, the spot Amanda had touched just moments ago, a smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. In the bedroom, Amanda sat in front of the vanity, her heart racing. She caught a glimpse of her reflection and noticed her incredibly flushed face, resembling a ripe tomato. Did Elias notice how red my face was just now? It¡¯s so embarrassing¡­ She reminded herself that she was not inexperienced, having given birth to a child. There was no reason. to blush over identally touching him in that area, right? Right? Even Amanda could not understand why she blushed like a young, innocent girl. There was always someone in this world who could make her red and her heart race, just like a young girl in love. That person was probably Elias. Frustration crept into her expression as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. When will I be able to move on and find a new life? When will I find another man? If I can¡¯t forget Elias and move forward, how can I start anew? Meanwhile, the man walked out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel around his waist. He noticed her still-red cheeks and reddened eyes and could not help but ask, ¡°Why are your eyes red? Are you crying?¡± ¡°You jerk! Were you doing it on purpose?¡± She was filled with anger and had no outlet for it. Elias looked somewhat innocent. ¡°I was just following your instructions. I didn¡¯t move at all. You identally touched it yourself. How is that my fault? ¡°I¡­ You! Get out! I told you to sleep on the couch! Get out, get out, get out!¡± Amanda stood up and tried to push him toward the door. At that moment, she realized the vast difference in physical strength between a man and a woman because she could not move him at all! He turned to look at her. ¡°You want me to go out like this? The nanny is still outside.¡± She nced down at his waist, only covered by a towel, and her eyes seemed to have X-ray vision, imagining what was beneath the towel. She shook her head, snapping out of her fantasy. I¡¯ll go get your clothes!¡± She walked toward the walk-in closet. Since she was sleeping in Elias¡¯ bedroom, many of his clothes were still around. He stood there, watching her enter the closet. After a few seconds, she casually grabbed a set of pajamas and walked out, tossing it into his embrace. ¡°Put it on and get on the couch.¡± He looked at the pajamas in his arms, frowning. ¡°Can I have a different set? ¡°You¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing! It¡¯s just a set of pajamas. As long as you can put them on and sleep, it¡¯s fine!¡± Now, Amanda did not have time to argue with him. She only wanted to get him out of there quickly because she could still feel her cheeks burning. ¡°Fine.¡± The man reluctantly agreed. He lowered his head and intended to untie the towel around his waist and change into the pajamas right there and then. At that, she eximed in shock, ¡°Hey, what are you doing?! Change somewhere else!¡± However, he calmly looked at her and asked, ¡°Are you sure? Should I go out and change?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. She silently turned away and said. ¡°You have one minute to change and get out. Then, she heard the sound of the man tossing the towel onto the carpet after taking it off, followed by the ruffles of him changing into pajamas. Those sounds were enough to stimte her imagination and set her mind racing, with thoughts of the scene in the bathroom earlier when her hand reached into the bathtub and touched it. She desperately. wanted to forget that moment, but no matter how hard she tried, the image became more vivid. I¡¯m done. You can turn around now. The man¡¯s deep voice interrupted her thoughts, snapping her back. to reality. Amanda turned around and saw the man wearing the ck pajamas, his short hair still dripping with water, giving him a mysterious and sexy look. These pajamas look good. Why doesn¡¯t he like them? Unable to resist, she asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you like this set of pajamas?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m going out now. You should get some sleep too. Let¡¯s pick up our kid together tomorrow.¡± After saying that, he left the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Hearing the door closing, she found her heartbeat finally calmed down. She sat in front of the dressing table and took another look at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were indeed as red as tomatoes. How embarrassing. Then, shey on the bed but could not fall asleep. It was another sleepless night, with her mind filled with thoughts of the scene in the bathroom. What should I do? Her rationality told her that she could not go back. to Elias¡¯ side and that she could not repeat the same mistake. However, her body seemed to be more honest. She was still attracted to this man, her heart beating fast, her face turning red. The next day. Amanda slept in until noon. She had taken a few days off from thew firm to go camping with her child, so she decided to make use of the day. When she opened her eyes, it was already past noon. Selina hade knocking on her door several times. to call her for lunch. She opened the bedroom door in a drowsy state and walked out with her messy hair, only to find that Selina and Elias were absent. They both left? She yawned and returned to the bedroom to freshen up and change clothes. When she exited the bedroom again, she suddenly saw Elias reappear on the couch as if by magic. ¡°You didn¡¯t leave? Where¡¯s Selina?¡± she asked. ¡°She went to buy groceries,¡± the man replied. She nodded and sat on the couch. ¡°I thought you¡¯d left.¡± ¡°I just went out to smoke. We¡¯ll head over together this afternoon to pick Aiden up.¡± Amanda did not understand and could not help but ask, ¡°Why do you insist on going with me? It¡¯s just picking up a child.¡± The man sneered and chuckled. ¡°Without me, you wouldn¡¯t be able to get him back. My grandfather isn¡¯t that easy to deal with.¡± He knew his grandfather best, and once Aiden ended up in his grandfather¡¯s hands, he would not easily let go. If she went to pick up the child alone, there was a high chance she would not even get to see his face. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Howard Refuses to Hand Over Aiden. Amanda was slightly startled. What do you mean? Grandpa wouldn¡¯t go to such extremes, would he? ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. I don¡¯t believe he would stoop to that extent- Her words abruptly halted as Elias sneered contemptuously. ¡°Do you think youprehend my grandfather better than I do? When it concerns the Winters Family lineage, he¡¯s more ruthless than anyone else.¡± She fell silent. Although she had always known that Howard was eagerly awaiting Aiden¡¯s birth, she contemted whether he could be capable of such actions. *** As night descended, Amanda and Elias nned to go to Winters Manor to pick Aiden up. Since the man had injured his foot, she took the driver¡¯s seat this time, with him sitting beside her as a passenger. While driving, her mind was consumed with thoughts of what to do if Howard refused to let her take Aiden home. Lost in her contemtion, she nearly ran a red light. ¡°Amanda, red light,¡± Elias indifferently reminded her. She snapped back to reality and quickly stepped on the brake. ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus while driving. It¡¯s dangerous. Remember, it¡¯s not just your sake but also Aiden,¡± he advised sternly. She humbly epted his advice and nodded in agreement. Although she was well aware of the dangers of losing focus while driving, she found it difficult to prevent her mind from wandering. After forty minutes, the car gradually stopped outside Winters Manor. Amanda unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Elias. ¡°Do you need any assistance getting out of the car?¡± Unfastening his seatbelt, he pushed open the car door and exited. ¡°No need. I¡¯m not that weak.¡± After a night of rest and recovery, he showed noticeable improvement, and his walking appeared to be back to normal. She trailed closely behind him as they stepped into the Winters Manor. The butler, Oscar Pate, noticed their arrival and greeted them with a smile. ¡°Mr. Elias, Miss Bailey, wee.¡± ¡°Where are Grandpa and Aiden?¡± asked Elias. ¡°Old Mr. Winters is digging soil in the garden with Aiden.¡± Elias¡¯ expression turned to one of disgust. ¡°What? Bring Aiden over immediately. He must be all dirty from digging.¡± For him, a clean freak, digging soil was exceptionally filthy. The thought of being covered in dirt all over was far from enjoyable to him. Smiling, Oscar replied, ¡°I¡¯ll inform Old Mr. Winters right away. Please wait in the living room.¡± Elias and Amanda went to the living room and settled on the couch. Shortly after, the servants brought. them two cups of hot tea. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overthinking this? Would he intentionally hide Aiden from us?¡± she questioned. She believed that Howard was not the kind of person who would engage in such behavior, considering his consistent disy of kindness and rationality. Elias sneered. ¡°Never speak too soon.¡± As soon as he finished speaking. Howard¡¯s voice came behind them. ¡°Why did youe so soon? I was hoping to have more time with Aiden.¡± She turned around and called out, ¡°Grandpa.¡± However, even after searching for a while, she could not spot Aiden. That brat isn¡¯t still out digging soil in the garden, is he? ¡°Amanda, have you had dinner? Join me for a meal. It¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°Well, we¡­¡± She wanted to decline politely since she intended to bring Aiden back home. Unexpectedly, he resorted to emotional maniption. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t despise me and refuse to share a meal with me, would you?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it.. Alright, we¡¯ll have dinner with you. We don¡¯t have anything urgent to attend to either. Amanda quickly agreed, not wanting to hurt Howard¡¯s feelings. Observing her soft-heartedness, Elias could not help but chuckle. Seems like she still doesn¡¯t fully grasp Grandpa¡¯s character. In the dining room, the three sat at the dining table with a variety of delicious delicacies. However, Amanda still did not see Aiden¡¯s presence and could not help but look at Howard. ¡°Grandpa, where is Aiden? Call him to join us for dinner. We always have dinner together.¡± He smiled and responded, ¡°No worries, children are yful. He¡¯s still enjoying himself in the garden. Let¡¯s go ahead and have our meal. Don¡¯t worry about him getting hungry. If he¡¯s hungry, the kitchen can prepare something for him anytime. Besides, these dishes might be too strong for him to handle.¡± Smiling in response, she fell silent and shifted her gaze to theposed figure beside her. She gradually sensed Howard¡¯s intentions, realizing he was deliberately trying to stall for time by any means necessary. In response to her pleading gaze, Elias calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat. The chef here is skilled.¡± Amanda¡¯s anxiety grew, and she ate without much appetite. After the meal, Howard showed no sign of allowing them to see Aiden. Instead, he engaged in conversations about unrted topics. He started to reminisce about Elias¡¯ childhood. ¡°I remember you. were quite mischievous when you were a child, even more so than Aiden. He¡¯s more well-behaved than you were at his age. He always addresses me as ¡®Great-Grandpa¡¯ and is incredibly polite.¡± When it came to Aiden, Howard could not contain his sinile. His mind waspletely upied with thoughts of ying with Aiden as soon as possible. Amanda forced an awkward smile and could not help but interject, ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s gettingte. Could you please bring Aiden here? It¡¯s time for him toe home. He has school tomorrow.¡± ¡°No need to rush. Let him y a little longer. I can also take him to school.¡± Howard¡¯s actions left her utterly speechless. Now, she understood the reason why Elias had insisted on apanying her. If she hade alone, she would not have even caught a glimpse of Aiden. Feeling helpless, she turned to Elias beside her and pleaited for his help with her gaze once again. This do you think Aiden should stay here with Greslps teen¡¯t seem very practical, does for s be Her gaze and tone nabaly conveyed the urgency for Fe to intervene and bring Aiden bark with them of Of course he understood her intentions and looked firmy Hot Grandpa sugh with the games and hand. Aiden over. It¡¯s time for us to take him boete ¡°You insolerit brat how dare pro sparik en ese Nike char ¡°What do you mean by kantine tiden invvel ter you implying that I¡¯m me kind of the treat grafom Hot free y angry and tapped the ground with hic cane Amanda sat quieth on the vide even during in spiralk vaputty ke forer Grandpa hand Iden is t handene face privested trace of tiparience reste don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you procen nning Bring Aiden om He¡¯s grown up with Amanner childhood he can¡¯t live without her for to Jong It¡¯s fine for one right but he¡¯ll try tonight. You wht be able tofort him Understand?¡± Howard fell silent. After a moment, he grumbled. Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to console him? Chiltern se casily amused. I can provide him with delicious food ajal entertainment, and he can day content wherever he ¡± He was determined not to let them take Aiden back This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Amanda grew aricious. ¡°Grandpa, Aiden has been with me since he was a child. He can¡¯t deep without by his side. Please let me take him back. You can vist him anytime.¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Aiden Is Hidden Howard became slightly unhappy. ¡°Aiden isn¡¯t that fragile. He didn¡¯t cry for longst night and fell asleep obediently. It¡¯s not that difficult to calm him down¡­¡± As soon as Amanda heard that Aiden had criedst night, her heart tightened. ¡°Did he cry? Was he looking for me?¡± Although fearless during the day, he still needed her tofort and tuck him in at night. After all, he was only three years old. Howard waved his hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s normal for children to cry¡ª¡± Without waiting to hear the rest of his words, she swiftly turned around and left to find Aiden in the garden. He won¡¯t easily let Aiden leave with me. No matter how much I try to reason with him, it would be futile. After she left, Elias sat on the couch and gazed at the resolute Howard across from him, asking in a serious tone. ¡°He¡¯s not in the garden, is he?¡± Howard maintained his silence, lifting his teacup and sipping from it. His demeanor could be interpreted as an acknowledgment. With a sneer, Elias mmed his hand on the coffee table, causing a loud noise. ¡°Grandpa! Do you find it meaningful to act this way? Don¡¯t you realize that you can¡¯t hide Aiden forever? He needs his mother, don¡¯t you understand? Besides, Amanda isn¡¯t refusing to let you see him. Is this necessary?¡± Furious, he had anticipated that Howard would go to great lengths but never imagined it would be this extreme. It was clear that Howard had no intentions of reuniting Aiden with Amanda but also had ulterior motives of iming the child as his own. ¡°You can say that, but Amanda refuses to remarry you and return to the Winters Family. Do you know what that means? She could vanish with Aiden at any moment. I¡¯ve been waiting for him for so long. I can¡¯t allow her to take him away for another four years. How many more years do I have left? I can¡¯t¡ª¡± As one aged, they became more stubborn, and Howard had reached a dead end. He believed everything would eventually work out on its own by keeping Aiden by his side and preventing him from meeting Amanda. Elias urged, ¡°Grandpa, hand Aiden over. By doing so, there¡¯s a chance for Amanda toe back to me. If you insist on doing things your way, they may end up drifting further away from us.¡± ¡°Nonsense! He¡¯s with me right now. How could he possibly drift away from me?¡± Howard did not take it seriously. He firmly believed he had the final say as long as Aiden remained in his custody. Seems like reasoning with Grandpa is pointless. Realizing that further discussion was fruitless, Elias stood up and shouted, ¡°Oscar!¡± At that moment, Oscar swiftly responded to the call and promptly arrived. ¡°Mr. Elias, I¡¯m here. How may 1 -assist you?¡± Elias gazed at him with a cold expression and inquired. Where is Aiden? Take me to him.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Oscar looked somewhat hesitant and nced at Howard. Seeing his evasive behavior, Elias realized he would not obtain any information and decided to find Aiden himself. He turned around and exited the living room, determined to search each room. ¡°Elias!¡± At that moment, Amanda rushed in anxiously and collided with him, falling into his embrace. Holding her in his arms, he steadied her body and looked at her distressed expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no sign of Aiden in the garden. I searched everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found. They won¡¯t tell me where he is. What should we do?¡± Her voice trembled with tears, capable of evoking a deep sense of pity from anyone who saw her. He held onto her shoulders tightly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go search for him now.¡± With that, he took hold of her hand and exited the living room. Before leaving, he cast a piercing cold gaze back at Howard. After their departure, Howard turned his attention to Oscar by his side and inquired, ¡°How is Aiden? Has he been hidden properly?¡± ¡°You can rest assured. He isn¡¯t here at all. Even if Mr. Elias were to turn this ce upside down, he wouldn¡¯t find him.¡± Oscar whispered to Howard. Howard smiled contentedly. At this point, he did not concern himself with the details. As long as he could. maintain the Winters Family¡¯s bloodline, he believed any means employed should be justified. Elias searched through each room in the Winters Manor but could not find a single trace of Aiden. ¡°What should we do¡­. What if Aiden isn¡¯t here?¡± Amanda¡¯s panic escted, and tears welled up in her eyes. She had anticipated that Howard might be hesitant to let her take Aiden away, but she never expected that he would go as far as to hide him! Elias¡¯ face grew dark. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible that he¡¯s not here. Grandpa must¡¯ve hidden him somewhere.¡± She gripped his arm tightly. ¡°What do we do now? If Aiden doesn¡¯t see me soon, he¡¯ll cry and can¡¯t eat or sleep properly. He might even get sick¡­ Holding her close in his embrace, he gently patted her back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find him. There are only a few ces where he can be hidden. I¡¯ll search every one of them.¡± At that moment, Howard and Oscar stood at the end of the corridor, silently observing them. Noticing Howard, she hastily distanced herself from Elias and wiped away her tears. She could not help. but approach Howard, her expression filled with nervousness, ¡°Grandpa, you can¡¯t do this. Aiden has never been separated from me since he was born. He relies on me to soothe him to sleep at night. If he doesn¡¯t see me for several days, he won¡¯t eat or sleep properly. What if he falls ill¡­¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Howard remained silent, just looking at Amanda. Elias stepped forward and positioned himself between her and Howard. ¡°Don¡¯t bother reasoning with him. He won¡¯t show anypassion.¡± Salt cascaded from her eyes and glistened like shattered pearls as theynded on the floor. Seeing her ery, Howard did feel a twinge of heartache but maintained his indifference, determined to safeguard the Winters Family¡¯s lineage. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s best to have someone report on Aiden¡¯s well-being every half an hour. He can¡¯t be kept apart from Amanda. If any harm befalls him, do not me me for severing ties with you. Even you wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences,¡± Elias warned Howard firmly. With that, he held Amanda¡¯s hand and departed from the Winters Manor without ncing back. Howard stood momentarily in a daze before shouting at Elias¡¯ retreating figure. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? What can you possibly do to me? Do you think you can harm your grandfather? Imph!¡± However, a tinge of guilt crept into his heart. He turned to Oscar beside him and issued his instructions. ¡°Keep me updated on Aiden¡¯s situation every half an hour, and if anything out of the ordinary happens, bring him to me immediately.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°By the way, go over now and see how he¡¯s doing. Check if he¡¯s eating and sleeping well and how his overall condition is.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Oscar acknowledged, nodding before leaving. Inside the car, Amanda sat in the driver¡¯s seat, discreetly wiping away her tears. She felt a deep sense of distress, reminiscent of when Aiden was kidnapped. She could notprehend how the orice kind and amiable Howard could transform into someone so tyrannical and unreasonable.. Elias sat in the passenger seat, uncertain of how to console her. All he could offer was a tissue. ¡°Here, wipe away your tears.¡± Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 She Is Breaking Down Amanda took the tissue and wiped her tears. ¡°Where should we go now to find Aiden? I¡¯m really worried about him¡­¡± ¡°You drive back home and wait for me there. I¡¯ll search. Grandpa can only hide him in a few ces, and if you think about it, he¡¯s still in his hands. He¡¯s his great-grandson, and his love for him is no less than ours.¡± Understanding that Amanda was emotional, Elias decided to search for Aiden alone. Therefore, he believed it would be more appropriate for her to wait at home. ¡°No! I¡¯m going with you!¡± She could not bear the thought of staying at home while her mind was consumed with worries about Aiden. ¡°Hey-He wanted to respond but was interrupted by her. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking, but I wanna go with you. I can¡¯t bear to stay at home. I¡¯m too worried. about Aiden.¡± ¡°Alright. You drive, and I¡¯ll navigate.¡± After all, he still had an injury on his foot, which made it inconvenient for him to drive. Nodding, sheposed herself and started the car, slowly driving away. ¡°Where should we go now?¡± He leaned back in the seat, pondering the properties registered under Howard¡¯s name. Where would he hide Aiden¡­ After a moment of contemtion, he spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s head to the hotel first.¡± Amanda was taken aback. ¡°Would Grandpa hide Aiden in a hotel?¡± Why would he think that? Why would Grandpa hide Aiden in a hotel? It doesn¡¯t make sense. Elias exined, ¡°You can¡¯t guess or understand Grandpa¡¯s thinking. Sometimes the most dangerous ce can also be the safest, and a hotel isn¡¯t a ce where we can freely search.¡± She was rendered speechless. Is Grandpa¡¯s thinking really that intricate? As Amanda pondered, she realized that someone capable of upholding the legacy of the Winters Family could not possibly be a mere ordinary old man. Without uttering another word, she drove directly to the Chateau Hotel, one of the properties owned by Winters Enterprises. Arriving at the hotel, she quietly trailed behind Elias. It was the Winters Family¡¯s territory, so she believed he was better equipped to handle the situation. They went straight to the manager¡¯s office. When the hotel manager noticed Elias, he promptly rose from his seat and respectfully greeted, ¡°Mr. Winters, what brings you here today? How may I assist you?¡± Elias sat on the couch in the guest area. ¡°Has my grandfather given you any instructions or requests lately?¡± The manager appeared utterly confused, not understanding the situation. He nced at Amanda standing nearby before looking at Elias. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t received any calls from Old Mr. Winters in a long time. The Elias coldly nced at the manager. ¡°Are you sure? If you dare to withhold any information from me and I discover it, you¡¯ll be dismissed from your position. You¡¯ve got to know I hold the ultimate authority within Winters Enterprises now.¡± The manager swiftlyprehended the gravity of the situation. He understood that the Winters Family was now under Elias¡¯ authority as the future heir. Any offense toward him would undoubtedly result in severe consequences. ¡°Mr. Winters, how could I dare to do such a thing? I assure you; I haven¡¯t hidden anything from you. I haven¡¯t seen Old Mr. Winters or received any orders from him. If I have, I shall be struck by lightning.¡± He was on the verge of swearing to God, his face disying unwavering loyalty. Elias stood up slowly. ¡°If my grandfather contacts you, ?ill me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, absolutely. If he contacts me, I¡¯ll report it to you.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Elias did not spare another nce at the manager and turned to leave. Amanda wanted to say something. but he had already left, so she hurriedly followed him: Watching their departing figures, the manager breathed a sigh of relief. He initially thought Elias had come specifically to cause him trouble and had been terrified. Walking out of the hotel, Amanda stood alongside Elias and could not help but ask, ¡°Are we just going to leave like this? Shouldn¡¯t we search inside the hotel? What if Aiden is hidden in one of the rooms?¡± He stopped in his tracks. ¡°He¡¯s probably not here. It¡¯d be pointless for that manager to deceive me. With hundreds of rooms in this hotel, it would take us an eternity to search each one.¡± She remained silent, feeling unwilling to leave aftering all this way. ¡°Where should we go next, then?¡± Elias walked toward the car, deep in thought for a few seconds. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the Chalster Vi District. It was the ce Grandma loved to stay the most. Since her passing. Grandpa hasn¡¯t visited there again, probably to avoid stirring up memories. ¡°Then, let¡¯s not waste any time!¡± Amanda swiftly opened the car door and settled into the driver¡¯s seat, securing her seatbelt. And so, the two arrived at the Chalster Vi District. As she exited the car, her gaze fell upon the vi standing before her. It appeared deste and unupied for quite some time. Grandpa wouldn¡¯t be hiding Aiden in here, would he? As soon as Elias stepped out of the car and caught sight of the vi¡¯s condition, he swiftly returned to the vehicle. ¡°Get back in the car. There¡¯s no need to search. He¡¯s not here.¡± Without hesitation, she also entered the car. The vi appeared deste and emanated an unsettling atmosphere. ¡°Where should we go next?¡± She started to grow impatient. At this rate, when will we ever find Aiden? He sensed her frustration and nced at her profile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll surely find himtonight.¡± She was on the verge of breaking down and could not help but vent her frustrations. ¡°I understand, but how long will it take to find Aiden by searching like this? I want to see him right away!¡± After speaking, she realized her outburst and quickly regained herposure. I¡¯m sorry. I got a bit carried away. So, where should we go next?¡± Elias leaned back in the car seat and replied slowly, ¡°Let me think¡­ You¡¯re right. We can¡¯t continue searching aimlessly like this.¡± Where would Grandpa hide Aiden? He closed his eyes and entered a contemtive state, trying to put himself in Grandpa¡¯s shoes. If I were Grandpa, where would I hide Aiden? Amanda observed him lost in thought, reluctant to interrupt his train of thinking. After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°I got it! To the estate!¡± The estate? Would Grandpa have hidden Aiden there? But isn¡¯t that where Elias lives? ¡°Why do you think Aiden would be hidden there?¡± She could not help but ask. Elias¡¯ handsome face grew serious as he exined, ¡°Because that¡¯s the true home of the Winters Family. Grandpa believes that his son¡¯s spirit resides there, and if his grandson is there, his great- grandson should. be there too. That ce is the continuation of my family¡¯s bloodline.¡± Bloodline¡­ Amanda suddenly found the idea usible, considering how much importance Howard ced on bloodlines. She started the car and steered it toward the Winters Estate, filled with eagerness to reunite with Aiden as soon as possible¡­ Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 A Secret Room Arriving at the Winters Estate, Amanda was taken aback by its sheer size. She realized that searching for Aiden within such a vast property would require time and effort. She could not help but ask, ¡°What do you guys do with such an enormous estate? It¡¯s gonna be challenging to locate someone within its vast grounds. You¡¯re not suggesting we search every nook and cranny, are you?¡± Elias sensed the resentment in her voice but chose to remain silent, quietly enduring it. Boris approached them. ¡°Mr. Elias, how may I assist you?¡± Since Elias had the advantage in his territory, he issued a directmand. ¡°Search every corner of the entire estate, both inside and out. We must find a person.¡± Boris looked puzzled. ¡°Whom are you looking for?¡± Finding someone in such a vast estate was no easy task, and even he had not explored every corner. ¡°Aiden. Make sure to check the surveince footage as well.¡± Though filled with doubt, Boris nodded. ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll get on it right away. By the way, should I also check the Tranquil Residence where Mrs. Winters resides?¡± Do that!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Later, Elias and Amanda headed toward the surveince room to review the footage thoroughly. She asked, ¡°Could Aiden be with your mother? But she doesn¡¯t seem particrly fond of him¡­¡± If Aiden were hidden there, would he be mistreated? He exined slowly, ¡°If Aiden is truly there, my mother won¡¯t mistreat him. Despite her dislike for him, he¡¯s still a descendant of the Winters Family.¡± Hearing his words, she felt relieved. Now that I think about it, it does make sense. After all, Aiden is the bloodline of the Winterses. Mrs. Winters wouldn¡¯t dare to mistreat her grandson, right? Meanwhile, Boris had taken action. Amanda and Elias arrived at the surveince room to meticulously examine every piece of footage, not letting any clue go unnoticed. After over an hour, she pointed at the monitor disying the garden and eximed, ¡°Look! That person looks suspicious. It¡¯s the middle of summer, yet he¡¯s wearing a coat. Maybe he¡¯s hiding a child underneath it!¡± She had a nagging feeling that she had a wild imagination, but her intuition insisted that there was something peculiar about the man in the coat. Yacob pressed the pause button and zoomed in on the screen. Indeed, a suspicious man was captured on the screen, tightly wrapping himself with a thick coat despite the scorching weather. Elias furrowed his brow slightly. ¡°Who is that man?¡± Yacob carefully examined the footage and shook his head. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be one of our men. He might belong to Old Mr. Winters¡­¡± Elias¡¯ expression changed abruptly. ¡°Find out where he went!¡± Yacob continued to retrieve the surveince videos along the garden path to determine the destination of the man in the coat. Amanda¡¯s heart pounded with excitement as they were on the verge of uncovering the whereabouts of Aiden¡¯s hiding ce. Ever since the previous kidnapping incident, she had been haunted by the memories. Although she knew Aiden was safe now, she could not help but feel anxious. After searching for a while, Yacob finally made a breakthrough and reported, ¡°I found it! The person in the coat entered a secret room. After half an hour, he emerged with the coat unbuttoned. If I¡¯m not mistaken. something was hidden inside the coat.¡± ¡°A secret room?¡± Elias furrowed his brow. How am I not aware of the secret room in the estate? Yacob replied, ¡°The secret room was built by Old Mr. Winters in the past. Very few people have entered it, and I haven¡¯t been inside either, so I¡¯m unaware of its contents.¡± ¡°Forget about its purpose or whatsoever. Let¡¯s go check it now!¡± As Amanda¡¯s primary concern was to find. Aiden, she wondered if he had cried or not. Elias turned and followed behind her. Watching her anxious figure, he could not help but feel sorry for her. His brow furrowed in distress as he realized Howard had crossed the line this time. Soon, they arrived at the location of the secret room built by Howard. Yacob knew the secret room was located here but was unsure how to ess it. ¡°Mr. Winters, I know the entrance to the secret room is located here, but I¡¯m not familiar with the method of essing it.¡± Elias gazed at therge tree before him. Could this be the entrance? He never anticipated that Howard would have a hobby of building a secret room within the estate. The purpose of this room remained a mystery to him. ¡°Is this tree the entrance? How do we get in?¡± Amanda approached the tree, examining it from different angles. No matter how she observed, it appeared to be an ordinary tree. It was difficult for her to believe that such a tree could serve as the entrance to a secret room. Elias gazed at the imposing tree before him, and a rush of childhood memories flooded his mind. It felt as though he had recalled something¡­. ¡°I think I remember this tree. Grandpa brought me here when I was a child¡­¡± However, his memories from then were hazy since he was too young. He suspected Howard had taken him inside the secret room. A glimmer of hope appeared in Amanda¡¯s eyes as she turned to look at Elias. ¡°Really? So, you know how to get in?¡± ¡°I remember that it¡¯s somewhere around here¡­¡± He approached the tree and explored the trunk with his hands. Eventually, his fingers came across a button hidden at the back. As he pressed it, a faint sound of shifting stones could be heard nearby. N?velDrama.Org content rights. The three turned their heads in unison. To their confirmation, it was indeed the entrance to the secret room. ¡°This is it! This is the entrance!¡± eximed Yacob. Elias furrowed his brow as he suddenly remembered that Howard had brought him into the secret room when he was young. They had stayed inside for several days before finally leaving. Is this some sort of hobby that Grandpa has? Unable to contain her excitement, Amanda entered the secret room with Elias and Yacob closely trailing behind her. Inside the secret room, they discovered a long corridor with dim lighting, creating an eerie and creepy atmosphere. ¡°Aiden must be scared being locked up here, but why can¡¯t we hear any sound?¡± She felt that the corridor stretched on endlessly. Finally, they reached a corner. Smiling, she walked over and soon discovered a door that required. fingerprint authentication. ¡°What should we do?¡± she asked. Yacob was simrly clueless. After all, fingerprint authentication meant that only specific individuals could. gain ess. Unexpectedly, Elias approached the door and ced his fingerprint on the sensor. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the door opened automatically with a beep. Amanda and Yacob were taken aback by the fact that Elias¡¯ fingerprint could unlock the door, especially considering that he was unaware of the secret room¡¯s existence. Elias muttered to himself, ¡°I must¡¯ve been here with Grandpa when I was young. I didn¡¯t expect my fingerprint would work after all these years¡­¡± When he entered as a child, his grandfather had taken his fingerprint.. After stepping inside through the door, they discovered a small vi-like space that was fully equipped. The interior decoration followed a Cludan style and exuded a dignified atmosphere that perfectly matched Howard¡¯s aesthetic preferences. Amanda¡¯s attention was drawn to a slightly ajar bedroom door. Just as she observed it, a nanny emerged with a milk bottle. ¡°Ah! The nanny was startled by the sudden intrusion. She paid no attention to the nanny¡¯s surprise. Noticing the baby bottle in the nanny¡¯s hand, she promptly entered the bedroom. Sure enough, she found Aiden fast asleep on the bed with traces of tears on his little face and a pout at the corner of his mouth as if expressing his sense of grievance. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Let Go of Your Hand! It was obvious he had just cried. When Amanda saw this scene, her heart tightened, and she immediately walked to the bed and picked up the child. The nanny rushed in and shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t take the child away. I¡¯ll die!¡± Howard had ordered that she could bid goodbye to her life if the child was taken away. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Elias forcefully pulled the nanny aside and walked into the bedroom. He saw his son in such a pitiful state and instantly became furious. He took out his phone and dialed Grandpa¡¯s number. It quickly connected before he started yelling into the phone, ¡°Grandpa! Are you turning into a kidnapper now? The child has been crying like this, so how long do you n to keep him hidden in this secret room? If you continue like this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to send you to a nursing home.¡± Howard¡¯s voice sounded puzzled on the other end of the phone. ¡°How did you find the child? How did you know about this secret room?¡± Elias did not have the patience to talk to Howard now, so he hung up the phone directly. Then, he took the child from Amanda¡¯s arms and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The moment when she saw the child, she could not hold back her tears anymore. She stood up and followed the man, preparing to leave the secret room. The nanny wanted to step forward to stop them, but Yacob pulled her aside and angrily whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any eyes? Offending Old Mr. Winters means death, but offending Mr. Winters means annihtion of your generations! Step aside quickly!¡± At that, the nanny froze and obediently stood aside without saying another word. Elias carried the child and walked out of the secret room, his expression extremely grim. He had never felt such disgust toward his grandpa before. Howard had always been the person who doted on him the most, but this time, he had indeed gone too far. Just as they exited the secret room, they ran into Jennifer and Grace walking toward them. Amanda felt a somewhat distant feeling when she saw these two. She was starting to forget about them as she had not seen them for a while. Especially Grace, whom Amanda would feel an itch of hatred for no matter when she saw her. ¡°Elias, what¡¯s going on? This child¡­¡± Jennifer looked at the child in his arms and felt a little doubtful. Is this the heir of the Winters Family? Elias was in no mood to talk to his mother now. He coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Just go back and rest. He intended to brush past Jennifer after saying that. Grace, wanting to make her presence felt, could not help but say, ¡°Elias, the child seems sick. Should we call the doctor? Dr. Smith just came to see Mrs. Winters and hasn¡¯t left yet. Why not bring the child over to have a look?¡± She wanted to reach out and touch the child¡¯s forehead as she spoke. He quickly moved away while holding the child and shouted. Take your hand off! Stay away from the child! You¡¯re never allowed toe one step near him! Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± This shout frightened everyone present, including Amanda, who stood by the side. She never expected Elias to yell at her in front of so many people. Suddenly, the kid in the man¡¯s arms started crying, seemingly startled by him as well. He tightly grasped onto the man¡¯s clothes and softly whimpered, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Amanda hurriedly walked over and held the baby¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy is here. Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s okay.¡± Elias also realized that he had frightened his kid. His voice turned gentle and indulgent as heforted his son. ¡°Aiden, be good. Daddy is here. Everything¡¯s fine now. No one will lock you up again.¡± He walked away while carrying the child without looking at his mother or Grace. Amanda nced at them, wanting to say something, but then decided not to. The most important thing now was the child, so she followed closely behind the man¡¯s steps. Thedies were left standing there. Jennifer was shocked by her son¡¯s behavior, for she had never seen. him so harsh toward Grace. Meanwhile, Grace¡¯s face filled with embarrassment. She clenched her fingers, nails sinking deep into her palms without feeling any pain. She red at Amanda from behind with resentment. ¡°Grace, why is Elias so cold toward you now? Not to mention no signs of affection; he even seems to hate you. Has he misunderstood something about you?¡± Jennifer asked. Grace immediately put on a pitiful look. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but ever since Amanda returned, she¡¯s been constantly bothering Elias. Over time, he became distant from me. I did nothing wrong. He always suspects that I kidnapped that child. You know me, I¡¯m scared of bugs and ants. How could I possibly do such a thing?¡± Jennifer became furious instantly. ¡°Is there even a need to think? Amanda must¡¯ve been spreading baseless rumors in front of Elias. How could he be so confused, believing the words of a woman? Besides, it¡¯s still unclear whether that child is one of the Winters. We need to conduct a paternity test.¡± ¡°Mrs. Winters, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t be your daughter-inw anymore. Elias doesn¡¯t care about me now, nor does he care about my brother anymore.¡± ¡°No! I have to talk to him. He can¡¯t be this selfish. Has he forgotten how his father died?¡± Jennifer turned around with a worried expression and walked away. Grace¡¯s face of grievances instantly disappeared, reced by hatred. She would never be able to stay by Elias¡¯ side or even approach him as long as Amanda and the child were still alive. She did not want to be this way, but Amanda and that child were simply too annoying. She could only find true happiness and peace when this mother and childpletely vanished from the world. At this point, Grace had already entered a state of madness. She could not allow herself to be abandoned so miserably. At Northern No. 1 Elias and Amanda returned to Northern No. I with the child. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Aiden was gently rocked back to sleep in the man¡¯s arms in the bedroom. His little hands tightly gripped. the man¡¯s tie. ¡°Let¡¯s put him on the bed. You¡¯ve been holding him for a long time. You must be tired,¡± Amanda said. The man acknowledged and walked to the bedside, preparing to put the child on the bed. However, the little hands holding onto his tie refused to let go. Aiden pouted and made a grumbling sound as if still. restless in his sleep. He was even insecure in his dreams, Elias¡¯ heart softened, so he sat on the nearby couch, still holding him. ¡°Let me hold him a little longer. It¡¯s rare for him to rely on me like this.¡± He did not usually have this opportunity, and it was the first time this little brat had shown such reliance. on him. It truly made him feel the responsibility of being a father. She nodded, looking at the kid in his arms with tenderness. She did not know what Aiden had experienced that night. However, it was unsettling to see him so afraid and dependent, as it was something he rarely showed. Even sleeping seemed to be a fearful experience for him. That secret room must have caused some significant psychological trauma to the child. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Living in That Photograph Elias sat on the couch, holding the baby for two hours without moving a muscle. Amanda even felt ufortable watching him. ¡°It¡¯s been two hours. He should be in a deep sleep by now. Let¡¯s put him on the bed,¡± she suggested again. The man lowered his head and looked at his son in his arms, gently holding onto his tiny hand, trying to take his tie out from the chubby little hand. However, the little guy¡¯s hand remained gripping, event tightening a bit. Elias smiled helplessly and looked up at her. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can turn in first. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you n on holding him like this all night? Your arm will get sore.¡± Besides, Elias¡¯ foot was injured, and he needed rest too. Holding Aiden all night was no joke. Now that this little guy was getting heavy, holding him all night would strain his arm. The man looked down at his son and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. This fatherly love is four yearste already. Holding him for one night is nothing. I am his father. It¡¯s my duty.¡± Amanda had nothing to say. It was rare for him to take on the responsibilities of a father so wholeheartedly, so she could not stop him. Still, how could she sleep with the two of them like this? I can¡¯t sleep either. I¡¯ll keep youpany. Are you hungry? Should I make you something?¡± After all, he hardly ate a few bites when they were in Winters Manor, probably losing an appetite. A hint of helplessness was on his handsome face as he nced at the precious kid in his arms. ¡°Do you think I can eat ate-night food like this?¡± She chuckled and said. ¡°I can feed you.¡± Just like how I usually feed Baby. However, she regretted saying that as soon as the words left her mouth. The man smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Please cook me a te of spaghetti.¡± She was speechless and wanted to p and scold herself for being meddlesome. Selina sat on the living room couch, ncing toward Amanda¡¯s bedroom asionally. She did not know what was happening inside but was worried when she saw Aiden in a bad state. Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and Amanda walked out. Selina immediately stood up. ¡°Amanda, what happened? Is Aiden okay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s still in his father¡¯s arms, but Elias can¡¯t let go of him. He seems to have been frightened. Just need more cooing.¡± Amanda finished speaking and walked toward the kitchen. Selina followed along. ¡°What are you doing? Are you hungry? Let me make you something.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m cooking a te of spaghetti for Elias. He didn¡¯t eat much at night, and he¡¯s injured too. Holding the child for so long is physically exhausting.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see. In that case, you should cook it yourself. After all, it¡¯s a te of love-filled spaghetti.¡± Selina smiled and turned around, preparing to return to her room and sleep. Amanda wanted to exin but then thought it was not worth it. She could not be bothered to exin. After a while, she returned to the bedroom with a te of spaghetti, only to find that Elias had put the baby on the bed. She looked surprised. ¡°Did he let go of your tie?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think he fell into a deep sleep. Maybe he found a sense of security in his own home.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll put this te of spaghetti on the dining table for you. She turned around, ready to take it. out. However, he blocked her way, lowered his head, and looked at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to feed me? Now that Aiden is asleep, am I not entitled to such treatment?¡± ¡°Yeah? Now that your hands are free, you can eat on your own. Why should I feed you?¡± She walked out while holding the te of spaghetti. A tinge of regret appeared on his handsome face as he murmured, ¡°I should¡¯ve held on to you all along.¡± She suddenly turned around and looked at him. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m hungry,¡± he said, walking out of the bedroom. She watched his tall, handsome figure from behind and could not help but chuckle softly. The next day, Aiden woke up early but obediently hid under the covers without making a fuss. If it were any other day, he would have started moring for milk by now. Elias had another sleepless night, leaning on a single couch all night, apanying the child, afraid that he would be scared if he woke up in the middle of the night. Now, drowsiness overcame him. He dozed off on the couch for a while. Amanda went to freshen up. In the meantime, Aiden woke up, his big and round eyes looking somewhat empty. The bedroom door was pushed open gently as she did not want to wake the child. However, to her surprise, she found her baby had already awakened. She walked to the bed, looked at Aiden¡¯s innocent eyes, and smiled. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re awake? Why didn¡¯t you call for Mommy? Are you hungry? Do you want breakfast or some milk?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go get some milk for you. After saying that, she turned around and walked out of the bedroom. She thought something was strange with Aiden, who had be much quieter. At that moment, Elias seemed to have heard Amanda¡¯s voice. He slowly opened his eyes, and his dark gaze shifted to the bed, noticing that the child had awakened. He stood up, walked to the bed, and sat down. Hisrge hand gently caressed the child¡¯s head. ¡°Awake?¡± Aiden did not react at all. He merely stared at him with his eyes wide open, and there seemed to be fear in his gaze. He noticed that the child¡¯s reaction was off and frowned. ¡°What did your great-grandpa tell you yesterday? Or what did he show you? Are you scared?¡± It was as if Elias understood the baby¡¯s concerns. Aiden¡¯s gaze flickered, and he nodded, finally speaking up, ¡°Great-Grandpa took me to see Grandpa. There was only one photo, and Great-Grandpa said Grandpa was living in that photograph and that he could nevere out. Uncle Elias, why does Grandpa live in the photo? It¡¯s so scary.¡± The man¡¯s face turned grim as he suppressed his anger. If he were not facing the child right now, he wanted to call Howard and give him a piece of his mind. Howard became more absurd as he got older, telling such nonsensical things to such a young child. Living inside a photograph? A young child¡¯s understanding could easily interpret it as something supernatural! It could cause psychological trauma for the child! At that moment, Amanda entered with a milk bottle and saw the father and son seemingly engaged in conversation. She smiled and asked, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Elias gently stroked the child¡¯s fluffy bead and said in a deep voice, ¡°No need to be afraid. Great- Grandpa was just joking with you. Grandpa is away on a business trip.¡± ¡°But why did Great-Grandpa scare me? It¡¯s so scary.¡± The baby seemed genuinely frightened, his eyes showing a hint of timidity. On the other hand, Amanda was utterly confused, unable to understand what they were discussing. Elias fell silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°Because he¡¯s bored.¡± He got up and walked toward the terrace. ¡°You stay with the child. I¡¯ll go make a phone call outside.¡± She looked at Aiden on the bed and could not help but ask, ¡°Baby, what¡¯s so scary? Did you have a nightmare?¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Escape n Aiden earnestly said, ¡°Great-Grandpa took me to see Grandpa and said he lives in that photo. It¡¯s so scary¡­¡± Amanda¡¯s expression wentplex. Why would Howard say such things to a little child? Aiden is only three years old and doesn¡¯t understand the concept of death yet, only finding it terrifying. She handed the milk bottle to the kid. ¡°Good boy, drink your milk.¡± Then, she walked toward the terrace as well. On the terrace, Elias could not bear it any longer. He dialed Howard¡¯s number once again, and when the call connected, he did not wait for the other person to speak and started yelling, ¡°Howard Winters, what are you trying to do? Why are you telling a three-year-old child all that nonsense? Are you trying to scare the child and make him sick?¡± He called out Howard¡¯s full name directly, something he had never done before. Howard, on the other end, was taken aback. After a long pause, he shouted back into the phone, ¡°You little brat, have you grown tired of living?! How dare you address me by my full name! Is it even your ce to do that?!¡± Even he did not expect that his grandson would one day address him by his full name. That left him. stunned for a while. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far? Children are naturally timid. Why would you scare him like that?!¡± Elias was genuinely angry. Previously, he believed it was for his good no matter what Howard did, but now, he was furious. ¡°Am I scaring him by introducing him to his grandpa? Shouldn¡¯t he know who his grandfather is?¡± Elias listened to Howard¡¯s stubborn tone over the phone and decided to hang up. There was simply no way tomunicate. He could not let the child go to Howard¡¯s ce anymore. Otherwise, that man would asionally instill strange thoughts in the child and scare him half to death. Since it was quiet there, Amanda, who hade to the terrace, overheard the conversation. She realized how frightening Howard could be when he became stubborn. If this continued, she feared that he might kidnap Aiden one day. Next time, she might not be so fortunate to find her baby again. Her fingers clenched tightly by her sides, and a sudden thought emerged. I need to escape with Aiden. She regretted bringing him back to the country. It would have been better to stay abroad, where the Winters Family knew nothing about the child¡¯s existence. Then, they would not try to take him away from her. Amanda stared at the man¡¯s figure briefly before returning to the bedroom. Meanwhile, Elias stood on the terrace, feeling frustrated. Amanda and the child might never return to me if things continue to be like this. Besides, how can I handle the rtionship between them with Howard being so stubborn? He lit a cigarette, holding it between his lips, and gazed into the distance, lost in thought. Evening came, and Aiden gradually recovered and forgot about the ordeal with Howard. He soon resumed his lively and energetic behavior. Meanwhile, an urgent matter urred at thepany, requiring Elias. ¡°There¡¯s something urgent at work. I have to leave. Call me if you need anything.¡± Amanda nodded. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± However, in her heart, she was thinking about escaping abroad with her baby. He noticed her calm expression and felt strange, unable to describe what it was exactly. He continued, ¡°I may not be able toe over in the next couple of days. Call me if anything happens. And don¡¯t leave the child alone for a moment. Don¡¯t go to the kindergarten for now. Grandpa might try to snatch him away.¡± Her heart skipped a beat, but she had already anticipated this. Howard would not give up easily. After all, stay home the child was the bloodline of the Winters Family. ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll take a few days off and with him. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, he left with a sense of relief. However, he did not realize Amanda was already concocting an escape n. As soon as the door closed, the smile on her face vanished. She took out her phone and started booking ne tickets, not bearing another second and wanting to take her baby and leave. If Howard tried to hide Aiden again, she might seriously have a mental breakdown. Selina left the kitchen and asked, ¡°Amanda, what do you want to eat tonight?¡± When she approached and saw Amanda booking a flight abroad, she was puzzled. Amanda, are you going on a business trip?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°No, I want to escape from here with Aiden,¡± she replied without looking up, quickly tapping the screen with her fingertips to book two ne tickets. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Selina asked, confused. Amanda looked at her and said, ¡°Selina, I might need to bring Aiden and settle abroad. Please forgive me for not disclosing the reason, but I must leave.¡± Selina was at a loss for how to react. She did not ask for a reason, although she felt a bit reluctant. ¡°Well, I believe you have reasons for doing this, just like me divorcing. However, are you sure you can leave? 1 feel like your ex-husband won¡¯t agree to let you go, especially with the child.¡± She expressed her concern. That was precisely what Amanda was worried about. She smiled lightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I said. ¡®escape. Remember not to tell anyone. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to get away.¡± She felt that her chances of sessfully escaping were slim by using this way. However, she had to give it a try. What if it worked? ¡°In that case, you must be careful.¡± Selina could not help but worry. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll also need your cooperation. Otherwise, Elias will soon notice something amiss. Although he has a hot temper, he¡¯s meticulous. He can sense even the slightest hint of abnormality.¡± ¡°Of course. You helped me out of a difficult situation back then, so I¡¯ll do my best to assist you,¡± Selina replied. For the next two days. Elias was busy withpany matters and back-to-back meetings that kept him upied without a break. Whenever he had a moment, though, he would call Amanda to inquire about their well-being. Hearing her and the little brat¡¯s voices was the only thing that could relieve his exhaustion and allow him to work with peace of mind. Natasha approached him inside the meeting room, holding a stack of documents. ¡°Mr. Winters, here are the documents for this meeting. Your eyes look a bit red. Did you not get enough rest? Do you need-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the man¡¯s voice turned stern. ¡°Lazarus only had you y a role. There¡¯s no need to take it so seriously. Amanda isn¡¯t here these days, so you can take a break.¡± He regarded thisdy as a hired actress paid by Lazarus to do her job, but he did not consider that she had ulterior motives. For a moment, Natasha was startled. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± She left the meeting room, and he let out a sneer as he watched her slender figure walk away. Lazarus sent thisdy to test me as well. Right? Haha¡­ How naive. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 To The Airport Late at night, finally, after a grueling five-hour meeting, everyone stretched themselves out and left the conference room. Elias also stood up, and one of the executives proactively invited him. ¡°Mr. Winters, would you like to join us for supper?¡± ¡°No, thanks. I have something to take care of. You all can go ahead and eat,¡± Elias replied. His heart was already at home. He just wanted to return to Amanda and their child. Not seeing them for two days made him truly miss them. With a smile, he walked out of the conference room and headed toward the elevator. Yacob, who was waiting outside, had fallen asleep. Hearing the footsteps, he instantly opened his stood up. ¡°Mr. Winters, where are we going now?¡± eyes and ¡°Northern No. 1. I want to see Amanda and Aiden. ¡°Yes.¡± Yacob nced at the time; it was already close to midnight, and his mind was starting to feel drowsy. He pped his cheeks to stay awake since he had to driveter. However, what Elias did not know was that at this moment, Amanda was packing her suitcase and preparing to take her son to the airport. Over at Northern No. 1. ¡°Why are you packing the suitcase, Mommy? Are we going on a trip?¡± Aiden asked while holding his bottle. He had noticed that Amanda had been packing the suitcase for an hour. Are we going on a trip? Busy and flustered, she nced up at her son squatting in front of her. ¡°We¡¯re going to the airport. Hurry up and have Selina change your clothes. Quick, or we¡¯ll miss the flight.¡± ¡°Are we going on an airne? Where are we going?¡± he asked curiously. ¡°Yes, an airne. Hurry up and change your clothes, she replied without lifting her head. Her mind was full of thoughts about whether she had forgotten anything important. Selina walked in while holding clothes and carrying the kid. ¡°Aiden, let me help you change your Don¡¯t drink milk anymore, good boy.¡± clothes. Amanda finally finished packing and breathed a sigh of relief, feeling exhausted as shey on the bed. Suddenly, she thought it might be appropriate to call Simon before leaving without a word. She hesitated, then dialed his phone number. The call was quickly connected. His voice sounded slightly surprised through the phone. ¡°Amanda? To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± It had been many days since she had proactively contacted him. She had even been avoiding him at thew firm. ¡°Simon, I need to tell you something. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m leaving this ce.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Leave this ce? Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m returning to Esmos with Aiden. If I leave this time, I may nevere back. I¡¯m sorry, I might have to break my contract with the firm.¡± Simon, on the other end of the phone, grew anxious. ¡°Why do you want to leave? Did something happen? Where are you now? Let¡¯s meet up. We still need to hand over the work even if you¡¯re leaving. You have a lot of cases on your hands, and you just became the legal advisor for the Winters Enterprise. How can you just say you¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°I know, I know all that. I can¡¯t handle it all right now. There are some unavoidable reasons. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I have to go. I have no choice.¡± She knew she was letting him down. He had hired her with a high sry from abroad, and now, she was leaving thew firm without creating any value. She felt ashamed. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ming! ¡°No need. My mind is made up. I¡¯m sorry.¡± After saying that, Amanda hung up the phone directly. She knew it was wrong, but she cared more about her child. There was nothing more she wanted than to keep him by her side. With a new terrifying grandpa in the picture, an abduction did not sound fantastical. At this moment, Selina had finished changing Aiden¡¯s clothes. ¡°Amanda, it¡¯s almost time. You should leave quickly. I won¡¯t go to the airport with you to avoid attracting attention. I¡¯ll stay here,¡± she said. Amanda suddenly felt like crying. She stepped forward and hugged Selina, tears welling in her eyes. There were still people who made her feel the warmth on this trip back to Cludan, like Selina. ¡°Selina, if I escape sessfully, we might not see each other again. I hope you live a happy life.¡± Selina also held her tightly, her voice choked. ¡°Then, I hope we don¡¯t see each other again. I hope you escape sessfully.¡± She could not help butugh. ¡°That¡¯s truly a beautiful wish. Alright, we should leave now. I¡¯ll video call you often.¡± ¡°Okay. Be careful along the way and take care of Aiden and yourself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Amanda took onest look at the house. This was Elias territory, so there were always traces of him. everywhere. She could not describe how she felt about him at that moment. However, no matter what she felt, it could notpare to the importance of her baby. Four yearster, she did not want anything else. She just wanted to keep the most precious person, Aiden, by her side. She held his hand and grabbed the suitcase. ¡°Let¡¯s go, baby.¡± ¡°Mommy, why are we going on a ne? Where are we going? You¡¯re not telling me anything.¡± He kept babbling while she held his hand, looking adorable. She did not bother to respond to him since she could not exin anyway, so she pretended she did not hear The mother and son arrived outside the residential area and took a cab to the airport. Elias¡¯ house was located in a bustling area, so it was easy to hail one. As such, they could see a cab within-minutes. After she stuffed the suitcase into the trunk, she suddenly saw Elias¡¯ car entering the residential area. HerN?velDrama.Org content rights. heart skipped a beat, and her facial expression changed abruptly. He had returned! ¡°Aiden, get in the car quickly! Hurry, hurry!¡± He was still dawdling when he was forcefully squeezed into the car by her. Then, she got in the car and told the driver, ¡°Sir, airport, please!¡± She did not know why, but her heart was pounding with anxiety. Will Elias notice anything? I already instructed Selina before leaving. If hees over, she should say that Aiden and I have gone out to watch a movie, deceive him for these few hours, and let us board the ne smoothly. Then, everything will be fine. However, she was feeling extremely anxious. She had a feeling that Elias would not be fooled so easily. Inside the cab, Aiden looked at his mommy¡¯s worried expression and asked, ¡°Mommy, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No, maybe I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. I¡¯ll take a nap at the airportter and will feel better.¡± ¡°Okay An hourter, they arrived at the airport. Amandapleted the procedure and checked in their luggage, and only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. The mother and son sat in the waiting area of the airport lounge. The flight would board in an hour, and everything would go smoothly as long as Selina could hold him up for another hour. Her heart was racing, and she kept turning her head back to look from time to time, feeling as if Elias might suddenly appear. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 She¡¯s the Safest Around Me Aiden noticed something off with Amanda, so he asked, ¡°What are you looking at, Mommy? You still haven¡¯t told me where we¡¯re going¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯ll know when we get there. Are you thirsty? I¡¯ll buy you something.¡± ¡°Mommy, I want juice.¡± She nodded. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go get some.¡± With that, she got up and walked toward the convenience store at the side. She even nced worriedly at Aiden, who was left sitting alone. ¡ª Meanwhile, at Northern No. 1. When the doorbell rang, Selina, sitting in the house, instantly froze and subconsciously gulped. She stiffly walked up to the door, then looked through the peephole to see Elias and Yacob standing at the door. Her heartbeat instantly hastened. Why are they here so soon? Did they sense that Amanda was running away? She tried her best to calm her emotions and hide her guilt. She put on a smile, then got ready to open door. The man waiting outside seemed to have lost his patience as he frowned and rang the doorbell again. It sounded urgent. She was so startled that she shuddered, gripped the door handle, and opened the door with a nervous smile. the Elias, outside the door, looked at Selina and asked in a low voice, ¡°What took you so long?¡± With that, he walked straight into the house, and Yacob followed suit. Faced with that man, she was more or less intimidated by the strong aura that emanated from him. Still, she went all out so that Amanda and Aiden could escape without a hitch. ¡°I was working in the kitchen, so I didn¡¯t hear the bell¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Winters.¡± He looked around the house but did not catch sight of Amanda and their son. He turned around and looked at Selina. ¡°Where are Amanda and Aiden? Are they out?¡± The question was finally asked. Ayer of cold sweat appeared on Selina¡¯s forehead. She felt like she was beginning to forget the excuse. Amanda had taught her to say before they left. Her voice was shaky as she stuttered, ¡°Um¡­ Oh, right, Amanda took Aiden to the movies because he was making a fuss about it. They called just now and said they would be eating outside, so there¡¯s no need to make dinner for them.¡± Elias did not seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. He sat on the couch and took out his phone to call Amanda. However, her phone was off, so the call did not go through. The man frowned and looked up at Selina. ¡°Her phone is off. Is it necessary to turn off your phone at the cinema?¡± ¡°Amanda said that Aiden didn¡¯t want her to work when watching a movie. Whenever she watched movies with him in the past, she always left halfway through to answer calls, and he was mad about it. So, she might have turned off her phone this time,¡± Selina answered quickly. This was also an excuse Amanda taught her. She could not help but be amazed at how well Amanda knew her ex-husband, so much that she could even predict what questions he would ask. However, Yacob noticed a little detail and asked, ¡°Are you nervous? Why are you sweating?¡± Elias also noticed the cold sweat on her forehead. Cold sweat? What does that mean? Did she lie or commit a crime? The man slightly narrowed his eyes. ¡°Did Amanda say when she¡¯ll be back?¡± Oh¡­ Amanda did not teach her how to answer this question, rendering her at a loss for words. She said hesitantly, ¡°She didn¡¯t say for sure. If Aiden refuses to go home, Amanda will have to y along with him. The movie probably hasn¡¯t ended yet, so when it¡¯s over, she might turn on her phone by then. Please be patient, Mr. Winters.¡± Elias began to sense that something was off. He took his phone and dialed Amanda¡¯s number again, but no one answered. Wait a minute¡­. How could awyer turn off their phone without a proper reason? They would keep their phone on 24/7, in case an important call came in. Amanda had been working for a few years, so she should know better than that. She turned off her phone, so¡­ What did that mean? Was she avoiding him? The man¡¯s gaze was dark as he made a call to Justice & Associates. Someone picked up soon enough. ¡°Hello, this is Justice & Associates. How can we help you today?¡± ¡°I want to know if Miss Bailey came to work today.¡± ¡°Sorry. She didn¡¯te to the firm today. I can give you her number so you can call her up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, thanks.¡± Elias was staring at Selina throughout the entire call. Cold sweat poured out of her pores as she stood there, her gaze avoidant. After hanging up, he looked at her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Amanda go to the firm today?¡± ¡°Um¡­ She said she wanted to spend time with Aiden.¡± He repeated. ¡°Let me ask you again. Where exactly did they go?¡± ¡°To the movies, of course. You can call herter and ask. Selina picked up her phone and nced at the time. She wondered if they had boarded the ne by now because she could not hold on any longer! As she spoke, beads of sweat appeared on her face¡­ As the man watched the sweat roll down her face, he sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not good at acting, so why put on an act around me? She didn¡¯t go to the movies; that¡¯s just an excuse she taught you to say, right? You¡¯re stalling me so that she can have more time¡­ Let me guess. She ran away with Aiden, didn¡¯t she?¡± It seemed to make perfect sense. After the outrageous deed Howard did, Amanda finally lost her patience. She feared he would snatch the child again, so she decided to just escape with him. Selina instantly widened her eyes, for the man had hit bullseye. She could barely keep it together but could not admit to it either. Moreover, she had to buy a little more time for Amanda. She screamed in her heart, Get on the ne! Get on the ne! Yacob¡¯s expression turned grave as well. He was prepared to go out and look Amanda is such a troublemaker. I didn¡¯t expect her to run away with the child. She should¡¯ve known that after Mr. Winters learned about the child¡¯s existence, he would never allow her and the child to escape his clutches. Elias suddenly stood up. His tall figure approached Selina before he said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not too late for you to tell me where she went. I know she¡¯s angry and scared; I won¡¯t me her, but she cannot leave. She¡¯s the safest around me.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. She looked at the man before her, wondering if she should tell him. His gaze looked quite sincere, but- No! I won¡¯t say anything even if it costs my life. I must let Amanda leave with the child. ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know, Mr. Winters. Amanda told me she took Aiden out for a movie. I don¡¯t know anything else¡­¡± By the looks of it, it was impossible to glean any other useful information from this woman. Elias refused to waste his time here, so he looked at Yacob and said, ¡°Check the surveince cameras in the community, then look for them at train stations and the airport. Check the harbor too. Don¡¯t miss any detail.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± With that, the two turned around and left the house. When Selina heard the door close, her legs gave way as she fell onto the floor, taking inrge gulps of air. Geez! My heart¡­. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 The Escape n Failed Selina suddenly remembered that she had to inform Amanda about this as soon as possible, or Elias. would find her in no time. She dialed Amanda¡¯s other private number, and the call went through soon. enough. Her voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Selina? I¡¯ll be boarding the ne in thirty minutes.¡± ¡°Amanda, get out of there! Your ex-husband came just now, and I¡¯ve already told him what you taught me to say, but he quickly sensed something was wrong. I didn¡¯t spill anything, but he already deduced you were running away. He¡¯s now sending people to the train station, the airport, and the harbor to look for you!¡± Amanda fell silent for a few seconds on the other end of the line. ¡°All right, got it. I should turn off this phone too, or he¡¯ll find me right away.¡± ¡°Okay, be careful.¡± At the terminal. After Amanda ended the call, her face turned a little pale, and her fingertips even began to tremble subconsciously. Elias had already caught on and sent his people to look for her everywhere¡­ She knew how capable this man was. If he wanted to look for a person, he could find them in the blink of an eye. She looked at the boarding port, wishing she could board the ne sooner. Still, it would take almost forty minutes to drive from the city to the airport, so he probably would not be here in time. Amanda nced at her watch. She would be boarding in thirty minutes, so she might be able to make it¡­ She gripped Aiden¡¯s tiny hand beside her. No matter what, she would not be separated from her son. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mommy?¡± He was drinking from the juice box he held in his arms when he felt her taking his hand, his small face tilting upward. She smiled bitterly. ¡°Nothing, Aiden. No matter what happens, you¡¯ll choose to side with Mommy, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I love Mommy the most.¡± When she heard his determined reply, she could not help but chuckle. He was such a sweet child. Time ticked by, and Amanda kept looking anxiously at the number, every second feeling like an eternity. She chanted in her heart, Hurry, let us board the ne now¡­. She dared not turn to look behind her because she feared she would see Elias¡¯ figure as soon as she did. It was even scarier than encountering a ghost in a haunted house. Meanwhile, Elias¡¯ bodyguards were looking high and low for the mother and son. ¡°Yacob, check the train station, and I¡¯ll go to the airport. Elias gave his orders in the car. Yacob nodded, then pulled up by the road and said, ¡°I just checked the surveince cameras in the community. When we drove in, Miss Bailey and the kid had just gotten into a cab. Judging from the direction they went to, they might be headed for either the airport or the train station. The harbor isn¡¯t quite probable, so we can scratch that.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take the airport.¡± Hence, the two got out of the car before Elias got into the driver¡¯s seat and sped to the airport. An aggressive and domineering look filled his dark eyes. He would never allow Amanda and the child to disappear from his sight. Four years ago, he did not know anything, but things were different now. He understood his heart and finally recognized the most important things in his life. Amanda, don¡¯t ever think of escaping¡­¡± He set his gaze ahead and floored the gas pedal, muttering to himself. It would usually take forty minutes for him to arrive at the airport, but he took only thirty minutes. After getting into the terminal by special means, he began looking for the mother and child. However, the airport was huge, and there were too many people, so it was tricky to find someone. Elias looked around him; every woman who had a child with them looked like Amanda, He stepped forward and grabbed a woman¡¯s shoulder, and when she turned around, it was an unfamiliar face. ¡°Are you all right, sir?¡± The woman looked at the tall, handsome man in front of her, bewildered. She thought he was flirting and wanted to get her number. The expectation in his eyes turned into disappointment again. ¡°Sorry. I got the wrong person.¡± The woman also looked a little disappointed as she turned around and left. The man continued walking in the sea of people, looking for Amanda and their child. There were almost a hundred boarding ports at the airport, so if he kept searching like this, he had no idea when the search. would end. He gradually began to feel annoyed. Would Amanda be here? I have no idea either, but my sixth sense tells me she might be at the airport. Also, ording to his analysis, she no longer had any friends or rtives in this country. Her only rtive was that gambler of a father, but she did not miss him anyway, so she might take her child abroad again. Meanwhile, the boarding process had finally begun, and a smile appeared on Amanda¡¯s face. She even felt like sighing in relief because they had finally started boarding the ne. Since she did not see Elias anywhere, he probably would not be here before she boarded the ne. However, Elias happened to stride past nearby. He would have caught sight of the mother and son if he had just altered his path a little bit¡­. Amanda took Aiden¡¯s hand as she queued up to check in their boarding passes. ¡°Mommy, where exactly are we going? Uncle Elias promised to take me- Before he could finish speaking, she interrupted him. Tll go with you wherever you want to in the future, but let¡¯s not trouble Uncle Elias anymore.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Be good and line up. Aiden. Hold on to your boarding pass. The pretty woman will check itter.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± He felt his mommy¡¯s emotions were a little off, but he dared not ask more questions. It would be their turn soon; only two people were in front of them in the line. Yet, at that moment, Aiden was looking around him and suddenly noticed a familiar figure in the crowd. He frowned as he studied the tall figure before realizing who it was. He excitedly waved his little arm at Elias, who was some distance away, then shouted, ¡°Uncle Elias!¡± In an instant, Amanda¡¯s expression turned stiff, Uncle Elias?Elias is here? She froze on the spot, her face pale, and her pupils constricted as she turned to look. Just as expected, she spotted Elias in the crowd-radiant, tall, handsome¡­ and furious.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°What a coincidence, Uncle Elias! Are you here to board a ne too?¡± Aiden was still waving his little arm at Elias. Amanda had the urge to cover Aiden¡¯s mouth, but it was toote. Oh, shoot¡­ Our escape n¡­ failed. How do I even get out of this?It¡¯s impossible. When Elias heard his son¡¯s adorable voice, he whipped his head around and spotted his targets. In a few seconds, he experienced the joy of recovering something he lost and the relief resulted from a near miss. The man¡¯s anger exploded in an instant. He suppressed the rage in his chest as he walked toward them. Aiden, however, was waving at him innocently. The child was truly meless, for he did not know anything, not even where he was heading. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 What Right Do I Have to Be Mad? Amanda could only watch as Elias walked toward her, step after step. She almost held her breath and saw the murderous intent in the man¡¯s eyes. However, Aiden was still present, so he probably would not lose his temper¡­ Meanwhile, it was her turn to get her boarding pass checked. The staff smiled and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please show me your boarding pass.¡± The boarding pass? How can I possibly board now¡± Elias would never let me leave. ¡°It¡¯s okay. They can go first.¡± She pulled Aiden to the side, and the long line behind them proceeded ordingly. Elias¡¯ tall figure walked up to her, but he did not look at her. Instead, he gazed at the adorable child beside her. ¡°Aiden, what are you doing at the airport? Where are you going?¡± Every single word the man uttered was a heavy hit on Amanda¡¯s heart. She could not help but grip Aiden¡¯s hand tighter, prompting him to look up. ¡°Mommy, my hand hurts. Why are you pinching me?¡± Elias also frowned as he finally set his gaze on her pale face. ¡°Why are you pinching him? He¡¯s too fragile to be pinched.¡± At that, she subconsciously let go of the small hand. Then, she lowered her head and looked at her son in remorse. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll always forgive you, Mommy.¡± Aiden put on a sweet smile. She instinctively smiled as well, almost forgetting about her current predicament. People were bustling about in the airport, and her name was repeated in the announcements, urging her to board the ne. Amanda lowered her gaze awkwardly, not daring to look the man in the eye. She feared that his looks would kill her right away. When Elias heard Aiden¡¯s words, he suddenly felt his heart constrict. He did not say more as he bent down and picked up his dainty body. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Yes, but Mommy said she¡¯ll bring me to eat after the nends,¡± he answered. Subsequently, Elias carried his son in one arm with great case, saying, ¡°Your mommy won¡¯t have to go on a business trip anymore, and neither does she have to get on the ne. She can take you to eat right now. What do you want?¡± With that, the man turned around and left with his son in his arms. Amanda silently followed the man, knowing she should not say anything because none of them would sound right. Elias probably wants to choke me to death right now. Hence, after putting the child down in the back seat, he opened the door to the passenger seat for Amanda. He nced at her, signaling for her to get in. She hesitated and got in, knowing she had nowhere else to escape. No one said anything throughout the journey, including the couple. From time to time, she would peer out the window guiltily, with only Aiden chattering in the back. Elias would respond asionally as he drove, ying along with his son as he listened to his childish stories. Atst, Elias brought Amanda and Aiden to a restaurant for dinner. Then, he prepared to send them. home. The kid felt sleepy as soon as he finished eating. As Elias carried him, hey on Elias¡¯ broad shoulder and fell asleep. His tiny mouth was slightly open, and his breaths were eve!!. Amanda panicked even more now. Aiden was around earlier to bnce out the atmosphere, but now that he fell asleep, the air seemed to freeze around the two, Elias tenderly ced his son in the back seat and gently closed the car door. He turned around and looked at the woman standing there. I¡¯ll send you two home. It¡¯s gettingte, so you should sleep soon,¡± he uttered lowly. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Once again, the man opened the car door in a gentlemanly manner. She did not get in this time and merely stared at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything you want to say to me?¡± This isn¡¯t right. This man can¡¯t be the Elias I know. Under normal circumstances, he would lose his temper and even try to choke me to death. He replied, ¡°No. You should head back as soon as possible. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± Amanda grabbed his arm. ¡°You¡¯re mad. Of course, you are, when I ran away with your son. You¡¯re exploding with anger and even want to choke me, so why are you so calm right now? Aiden is sleeping, so you can release whatever anger you have.¡± Elias stayed silent as he frowned slightly. Is this how she pictures me in her mind? Have I always been unreasonable and violent? He suddenly smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what your son said? He will always forgive you. Since he did, what right do I have to be mad?¡± She was stunned. What sort of logic is this? Am I pardoned on ount of our son? Gazing at Amanda¡¯s bewildered expression, Elias continued, ¡°If you genuinely don¡¯t want to separate from your son, you¡¯d better stay by my side. Only when you¡¯re with me can I ensure that you get to stay with him. If you managed to escape abroad, it¡¯d be difficult to guarantee that.¡± ¡°You mean, Grandpa- Her eyes glinted in a slight panic. ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if you run to another country, Grandpa can still find you. When that happens, the situation will turn into something out of your control. He will take away the child, and you¡¯ll be left alone abroad. How are you going to find him then? You should know that if you stay here, I can ensure the child stays with you forever.¡± She snorted in dissatisfaction. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t remarry, will Aiden stay with me forever? Will Grandpa allow it?¡± The man¡¯s face darkened, looking rather angry as he said, ¡°Is this how much you despise remarrying me? Is it that awful of an idea?¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯d rather end myself!¡± To be honest, she was sulking as well. Moreover, she wanted to get rid of any thoughts in her head that would lead to self-insult. Elias stared at her for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not remarry, then. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t live without you.¡± With that, he stuffed Amanda into the passenger seat, then turned around and walked to the other side of the car. For a moment, she could not understand what he said, What did he mean by that? Why did it sound so upsetting? When she saw the man entering the car, she sneered and mocked, ¡°Yes, of course, you can say these now. Your first love is back, and you have a new candidate for you to remarry.¡± At that moment, the man was furious as well. He started the car and uttered coldly, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s exactly the way you imagined, so don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bother you anymore, and you can stay here peacefully.¡± Hearing that, Amanda was so pissed that she could not say a word. She decisively looked away and snorted, then watched as the night scene passed by swiftly outside the car window. Twenty minutester, the car pulled up at Northern No. 1. Elias got out of the car and carried the child in his arms. He walked ahead and did not even spare her a nce or open the car door for her. She muttered, ¡°Just as expected, he¡¯s no gentleman. He can only put on the act for three minutes at most.¡± The man carried the child into the elevator, where Amanda went after them. Ding! N?velDrama.Org content rights. The elevator doors slowly opened, and Elias carried Aiden toward the door. Hearing the doorbell, Selina ran over to open up. The first thing she saw was Elias with Aiden and a sullen Amanda behind the man. What? Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 You¡¯re Not the Only One for Me ¡°Mr. Winters! Why are you here-¡± Selina was truly shocked when she saw Elias carrying the child. What does this mean? Is the escape n a failure? The man sneered when he saw Selina¡¯s shocked expression. ¡°Are you surprised, or are you disappointed? Sorry, but I found them.¡± With that, the man carried the child into the house right away. Selina stood where she was, stunned. She had no words to say. Amanda went into the house as well. When she passed by Selina, she sighed in exasperation and patted thetter on the shoulder. ¡°Cook some noodles for me. I didn¡¯t eat my fill just now; I didn¡¯t like the food.¡± ¡°Oh, all right.¡± Selina closed the door, still unable to recover from her shock as she walked toward the kitchen. Elias headed for the bedroom while Amanda sat on the couch. There was a look of disappointment on her face as she held her forehead with both hands. A momentter, the man walked out of the bedroom. A pair of gleaming leather shoes appeared in her field of vision. Amanda slowly raised her head and met Elias¡¯ dark gaze. However, she couldn¡¯t read the emotions behind. his eyes. The man sat on the armchair and asked, ¡°Was it that you didn¡¯t eat your fill just now, or did that restaurant not match your preferences?¡± ¡°Both. Can¡¯t I just have some noodles at home?¡± Amanda was pissed for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the failed n, or it might be due to the man¡¯s attitude. The man didn¡¯t say anything as he simply took out his phone. He seemed to be replying to messages. She noticed him typing away, so she thought that he inust be very busy. She hadn¡¯t met him for the past. few days, and when he finally found some time to visit her, she was on the run with the child. He was probably fuming inside, but he suppressed it. She wondered if the suppression might have. physicalplications.. After 10 minutes, Selina came out with a bowl of noodles. She ced it on the coffee table, then said, ¡°Amanda, eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± Selina wanted to talk to Amanda, but Elias was sitting right next to them, so she didn¡¯t dare speak a word. Amanda caught Selina¡¯s drift, so she smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wash the dishes when I¡¯m done, turn in earlier for the night. You have to take Aiden to the kindergarten tomorrow, after all.¡± so you should To the kindergarten¡­ By the looks of it, escape was impossible. Selina couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed as she nodded, then turned around and went back to her room. Only Amanda and Elias were left in the living room. She picked up the fork and started twirling the noodles. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t in the mood for food at all. However, the more annoyed she felt, the more peckish she was. She wanted to vent her dissatisfaction by eating. Elias noticed that she ate like she was taking medicine, so he said, ¡°Is it that nasty? Don¡¯t eat it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Mind your own business. If you have nothing to say, just leave. I can¡¯t stomach any food whenever I look at you.¡± She was pissed. Immensely pissed. Her head was filled with the words Elias had said just now. You¡¯re not the only one for me. The words circled the top of her head, giving her a headache. It felt like an incantation. Elias frowned a little, but he didn¡¯t say anything as he stood up. Amanda continued eating without looking up. She didn¡¯t know what he was going to do. Unexpectedly, the main door closed with a heavy thud, and the living room regained its silence. The man¡¯s low footsteps were out of earshot. Amanda looked up at the door. Did he seriously leave?, On the first floor, Yacob parked his car, and then adjusted the seat a little. He thought that he would be spending the night, or he would have toe over at 6.00AM tomorrow to send Elias to a meeting. This is an easier n. However, just when Yacob was about to fall asleep, he noticed Elias walking out. He hastily adjusted the seat back to its usual position, then opened the car door and got out. ¡°Why are you out here, Mr. Winters? Are you not staying here for the night?¡± Elias turned around to look at the lit window on the 17th floor, his handsome face tense. ¡°If she can¡¯t even cat with me around, how can she handle sleeping under the same roof as me?¡± With that, he opened the door and got into the car. Yacob was stunned, and then he instantly fumed. ¡°Amanda doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her. She- Elias gave him a look, so Yacob could only shut up and suppress the rage in his heart. Then, Yacob went back to the driver¡¯s seat and asked, ¡°Where are we going now, Mr. Winters?¡± They wouldn¡¯t make it if they went back to the manor. They had a lot of agendas on the schedule tomorrow, and there was an executive meeting early in the morning. ¡°To thepany.¡± Yacob was speechless. He wanted to say something but decided against it as he started the car and slowly drove away. That woman is truly something. She took over his home and even chased him out so that he could only sleep in the office. How bold! However, he only dared to vent in his heart. After all, Elias was completely smitten with Amanda right now, so no one was allowed to say anything bad about Amanda in his presence. Hence, Yacob sent Elias to thepany. Yacob slept on a couch in the reception area of the office while Elias went to the suite in the office to rest. The many on the bed, gazing up at the chandelier on the ceiling as he recalled the scene at the airport. When he spotted Amanda and the child, it was true that he had the urge to choke the woman to death. However, when he heard Aiden¡¯s words¡­ It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll always forgive you, Mommy. A three-year-old boy seemed to be even more gracious than an adult man like him. He would always forgive her, hm? Elias said that he fell for Amanda, but would he always forgive her mistakes? After thinking about it in detail, he felt as if he couldn¡¯t do it. He suddenly felt that it was time for him to change, or Amanda would never return to him. The next day, everything seemed to have returned to normal. Aiden was sent to kindergarten while Amanda snoozed at home. After all, she told Simon that she would resign, so it would be weird if she went to thew firm now. When Selina went home and found Amanda still sleeping, she couldn¡¯t help but wake thetter up. Knock Knock. Knocks sounded on the bedroom door, apanied by Selina¡¯s voice saying, ¡°Amanda, it¡¯s time to get up. It¡¯s almost 10.00AM.¡± Amanda was woken up from her slumber as she sat up in a daze. She stretched, then responded, ¡°Got it.¡± Then, shey back down again. A few minutester, she opened her eyes and looked around for her phone. When she grabbed her phone, she realized that it was still turned off, so she turned on the phone. As soon as she turned it on, she saw dozens of missed calls from Simon. She was bewildered. Why did he call me so many times? Suddenly, her phone rang again. It was yet another call from Simon, and the call finally went through. Amanda pped her cheeks to perk herself up, then answered the call. Simon¡¯s anxious voice sounded from the other end of the line. ¡°Amanda! Where are you? Where are you. right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at home. I didn¡¯t get to escape, so¡­¡± Her voice soundedzy. He seemed to immediately sigh in relief. ¡°So, you¡¯re still in the country right now, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still here.¡± ¡°Good. Are you free today? Can youe to thew firm? Or I can go visit you. Let¡¯s talk.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Someone Took Aiden Away! Amanda wanted to decline, but after some thought, she eventually agreed. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go see you at thew firm in the afternoon. After ending the call, Amanda went to wash up in the bathroom. She changed her clothes, and then finally. walked out of her bedroom. The breakfast Selina had made for her had gone cold, so Selina reheated it. Amanda sat at the dining table, looking at the reheated breakfast as she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to reheat it for me. I¡¯m not hungry, and I¡¯ll be having lunch soon.¡± At that moment, they were the only ones left in the house, so they could finally have a proper talk. Selina sat down beside Amanda and asked, ¡°Amanda, did you seriously give up on leaving? How did your ex-husband find you so quickly yesterday?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to his biological son. I think there¡¯s some telepathy going on between a father and his son, or Elias wouldn¡¯t have arrived at the airport so soon. How could he be sure that I was at the airport, anyway? And even when he arrived at the airport, he didn¡¯t find me, but that little kid Aiden shouted straightaway, then¡­.¡± Amanda looked at Selina helplessly, then shrugged. ¡°Then he found you¡­¡± Amanda nodded as she sipped the chicken soup. ¡°What do we do now? Are you going to give up just like that? Aren¡¯t you going to escape again?¡± Selina asked. Amanda drank the chicken soup from time to time as she cocked her head, looking at Selina. ¡°What point is there in escaping? Did you see how quickly Elias reached the airport? Can I escape that? Even if I did by some stroke of luck, if Aiden shouts again, we¡¯ll get found out again, won¡¯t we?¡± Selina smiled in exasperation. They truly are father and son. They¡¯re rted by blood, after all.¡± ¡°Oh, right, I¡¯ll be away on some business in the afternoon, so please pick Aiden up from schoolter,¡± Amanda said. Selina nodded. ¡°Will you being home tonight for dinner?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Soon, it was time for the kindergarten children to go home. Aiden lined up obediently as he waited for someone to pick him up. Just then, a middle-aged man appeared in front of him. ¡°Hey, little guy, do you remember me?¡± The teacher looked at the unfamiliar middle-aged man, knowing very well that she mustn¡¯t let him take the child away. She asked, ¡°Who might you be, sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯m his grandfather. Can¡¯t grandfathers pick up the children?¡± Aiden looked at the older man in front of him, pondering with his tiny brain. Then, he seemed to remember. The teacher, however, was being very responsible as she took out her phone and got ready to make a call. ¡°I¡¯ll call Aiden¡¯s mother to ask, then. We cannot allow strangers to pick up the children.¡± ¡°What are you saying, child? How can I be a stranger? I¡¯m the kid¡¯s grandfather. If you don¡¯t believe me, just ask him.¡± Dick began to get unreasonable. He absolutely mustn¡¯t let the teacher call Amanda. The teacher crouched down, saying in half-doubt, ¡°Aiden, tell me, is this your grandfather? If you don¡¯t know him, just tell me.¡± Aiden stared at his grandfather for a while, then said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Grandpa.¡± When Dick heard Aiden admitting that he was Aiden¡¯s grandfather, heughed heartily, ¡°See? I told you I¡¯m his grandfather. As his grandpa, I can pick him up from school, right? Let¡¯s go, Aiden.¡± With that, Dick carried Aiden in his arms. The teacher felt that it would be inappropriate to say anything else, but she was still a little worried, so she dialed Amanda¡¯s number. However, she quickly realized that the call couldn¡¯t go through. Dick held Aiden in his arms, ted. After the kidnappingst time, Dick had always been hiding in the shadows. Now that the security was gettingx, he made his way back, but he missed his grandson terribly for some reason. ¡°What would you like to eat, kid? I¡¯ll take you there. Or do you want to y somewhere?¡± Dick never expected that he could be this sort of grandfather. In the past, he never imagined what he would do if he had a grandson. Aiden pouted as he thought for a bit. ¡°I want to eat hamburgers. Mommy never lets me eat hamburgers; she said they¡¯re junk food.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s get some hamburgers, then.¡± At thew firm, Amanda arrived at thew firm after work hours. She did it on purpose because she didn¡¯t want to run into too many people. She went straight into Simon¡¯s office. Simon was waiting for her in his office. He had waited a long time, and he was thinking that she wouldn¡¯t show up after all. Amanda knocked on the door, but she didn¡¯t get any response from the man within. She thought that Simon was away. She was about to leave when the door unexpectedly opened. Simon stood at the door, his eyes bloodshot as if he had stayed up for the entire night. ¡°What¡­ happened to you? Did you stay up all night?¡± Amanda was shocked. Simon grabbed her and pulled her into the office, then closed the door. Amanda was stunned as she turned to look. Simon, however, shouted in anger, ¡°Amanda! Were you messing around with me?! You said you¡¯d be leaving, and then you turned off your phone. I couldn¡¯t contact you no matter what I tried, but today you. told me you didn¡¯t leave and you didn¡¯t n to leave anymore. I didn¡¯t sleep for an entire night, and I looked everywhere for you, but you-¡± ¡°You looked for me for an entire night?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Yes! I looked in all the ces I could, but I never found you. Turns out, you never left in the first ce. Am I a joke to you?¡± Simon was truly furious now. He thought that Amanda was messing with him on purpose. Amanda was stunned.N?velDrama.Org content rights. They were both looking for me. Elias found her in less than an hour, but Simon spent the entire night looking fruitlessly for her. How did it turn out like this? Could it be that Elias was somehow connected to her, and he could sense that she was at the airport? She felt as if this was fate, and she could never run away from it. Am I destined to be involved with Elias forever? ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. What are you thinking about?¡± Simon was even more furious when he saw Amanda in¡¯ a daze. Amanda recovered her senses. ¡°Huh? What did you just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you what exactly you are trying to do. Did you want to resign just to get away from me? Is that why you made up a lie like that?¡± It was the only exnation from Simon¡¯s point of view. Amanda wanted to get away from him, so she came up with an excuse and said she wanted to leave the country. He wouldn¡¯t have a reason to decline then.. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°How can you think that? I was seriously trying to leave yesterday, but for various reasons, I couldn¡¯t seed.¡± ¡°Why did you want to leave, and why did you stay in the end?¡± ¡°Can you not ask me that? I don¡¯t feel like talking about it.¡± Amanda felt her head aching from the interrogation. Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Selina. She didn¡¯t want to answer the call, but Simon¡¯s interrogation was suffocating her, so she chose to answer the call to relieve the heavy weight on her heart. Amanda had just walked to the side to answer the call when Selina sobbed over the phone, ¡°Amanda! Someone took Aiden away! When I went to the kindergarten to pick Aiden up, the teacher said that his grandfather took him home.¡± ¡°What?! How can that be?¡± Amanda¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and her eyes were as big as saucers. Without waiting for Selina¡¯s next words, she hung up and turned around to leave. Simon, however, grabbed her hand. ¡°Where are you going? We¡¯re not done yet!¡± ¡°I have something to deal with. We can continue the conversation tomorrow.¡± Amanda broke free from the man¡¯s grasp, an anxious look on her face. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Why Did You Take the Initiative to Call Me? Amanda¡¯s anxious expression gave Simon the impression that she was avoiding him again. ¡°Is there any point in running away, Amanda? Are you trying to avoid me all your life?¡± Amanda was panicking at that moment, so she wasn¡¯t in the mood to debate such things with him. She flung the man¡¯s hand away and yelled, ¡°Quit bugging me! I have to deal with an emergency! Let me go!¡± She turned around and went to the door, but Simon stopped her again. ¡°What emergency? Tell me!¡± ¡°Aiden is missing!¡± Amanda roared, finally losing her patience. Then, she threw the door open and went OUL The man stood where he was, stunned. A few secondster, he finally registered Amanda¡¯s words. He hastily ran after her, but she was long gone. Amanda quickly went back to Northern No. 1. Once she made it home, she saw Selina crying on the couch. When Selina saw that Amanda was back, she immediately stood up. ¡°What do we do, Amanda? Aiden is missing! The kindergarten teacher said that his grandpa came and took him away, so why don¡¯t you call your father¡ª¡± Before Selina could finish speaking, Amanda said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. That useless gambler of a father must be goofing off somewhere. He can¡¯t possibly pick Aiden up from kindergarten. Who can it be¡­?¡± ¡°But I looked at the surveince footage. It truly was a middle-aged man who picked up the child, and he looked very much like your father. I hadn¡¯t met him in years, so I can¡¯t remember what he looked like. I recorded some of the footage, so you can see if it¡¯s your father or not.¡± Selina took out her phone and yed the surveince footage, showing it to Amanda. She had met Dick once when she was very young, and now she almost couldn¡¯t remember his face. Amanda nced at the surveince footage in the video, then immediately fumed. It truly was Dick, that sc*m! Still, she stopped panicking when she recognized the man. However, she didn¡¯t have any way of contacting Dick. She only had his number from a long time ago, and she didn¡¯t know if it was still in service. Amanda dialed the ancient number, surprised that it had gone through. What a miracle! The gambling addict never changed his phone number after so many years. After a long while, the call was picked up. Dick¡¯s voice sounded on the other end of the line. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Give the child back to me! If you¡¯re using the child to threaten me so that I can give you money, stop dreaming. Let me tell you this: he is your biological grandson, so if you truly are that hopeless, we¡¯ll see if you can hurt him.¡± She was betting that Dick wouldn¡¯t hurt his biological grandson. Dick feigned ignorance on the other end of the line. ¡°Amanda? Did you call me just to insult me? When have I threatened you with a child? What child? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Hah¡­ Sc*m would always be sc*m. He was still pretending that he didn¡¯t know anything at this point, He wasn¡¯t just a sc*m; even his intelligence was concerning. Amanda said in a cold voice, ¡°Quit acting. I¡¯ve seen the surveince footage. Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± The other end of the line fell silent. Dick was simply stupid. He didn¡¯t know that there would be surveince cameras even when children were picked up from school these days. He couldn¡¯t escape even if he wanted to, ¡°I just wanted to y with my grandson. What¡¯s wrong with that? I¡¯ll send him back to your ce after we¡¯re done eating, all right? How annoying. What can I possibly do to my biological grandson?¡± With that, he hung up as if fearing that Amanda would insult him even more. Amanda was even more furious as she looked at her phone with the abruptly ended call. She dialed Dick¡¯s number again, but the call never went through again. Good. She would be pulling out all the stops as well. She dialed Elias¡¯ number straight away. Elias was the best man to go to if she wanted to look for someone; he could do it in no time. Just as expected, the call was quickly answered. The man¡¯s low and slightly tired voice rang out over the phone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why did you take the initiative to call me?¡± Elias knew that Amanda wouldn¡¯t call him of her own ord if she didn¡¯t have anything to ask of him. When Amanda heard the fatigue in the man¡¯s voice, she suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to bother him, but she was out of options. She could only grit her teeth as she voiced her request. ¡°Can you help me look for someone?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°My dad took Aiden away. Please help me locate their current location. I¡¯m a little worried about him taking care of the child. He said that he was just taking Aiden out to y, but- Before Amanda could finish speaking, the man said with an emotion that bested hers, ¡°What? Your dad took Aiden away?¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes.¡± Amanda could feel the man¡¯s fury already. ¡°Send me his phone number.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Then, she hung up and sent Dick¡¯s phone number to Elias. Elias was probably on the move, but did she have nothing to do except wait? Selina silently listened to the conversation from the side. When she saw Amanda ending the call, she couldn¡¯t help but scoot closer as she asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not a big issue. Now that Elias has taken action, we should be able to find them soon. Still, I can¡¯t just sit here and wait. I¡¯ll pay a visit to Winters Enterprise. Go on and have dinner without meter.¡± With that, Amanda got up and left. Selina instantly sighed in relief. She would feel guilty for the rest of her life otherwise. At Winters Enterprise, in the president¡¯s office, After Elias hung up, he instantly burst out in anger. How dare that se*m of a father-inw take Aiden away without permission? Does he have a death wish? Elias hastily keyed the phone number into the system, and then started analyzing the location. This was right up his alley. He could determine Dick¡¯s whereabouts in around half an hour. Since Dick wouldn¡¯t answer calls right now, it might be a little difficult to track him. Half an hourter, Elias obtained Dick¡¯s exact location. Dick was at an amusement park. By the looks of it, he must have taken the child out to y. Elias grabbed his jacket and got ready to look for them. Unexpectedly, the door of his office opened to reveal Amanda walking in. ¡°Why are you here?¡± A hint of surprise appeared in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t sit still at home, so I decided to go with you. Also, I want to have a proper talk with Dick this time. If he takes the child away without permission again, I¡¯m not letting him off the hook so easily.¡± Amanda was furious at the thought. Her sc*mmy gambling father had always been a failure, so why was he pretending to be a good grandfather now? Elias gave a low chuckle as if he were mocking himself. True enough, if it weren¡¯t for the child, Amanda couldn¡¯t possibly visit him in the office. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want Aiden to spend even a second longer with that sem,¡± Elias said in a low voice. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything, but she shared the same sentiment. They were on the same page when it came to this aspect. Elias drove, headed for the amusement park with Amanda. The atmosphere in the car was tense throughout the journey, and no one was in the mood to talk. the past?¡± more as she spoke up. ¡°Did my dad always ask you for money in She even heard that Elias would give Dick some money for her sake, but after the two divorced, he refused to see Dick anymore. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Say That Again! Elias frowned slightly. ¡°Why did you suddenly think of that? It¡¯s in the past now, so let¡¯s forget about it.¡± Amanda could only smile as a reply. ¡°I just feel ashamed. All my father ever did was either ask you for money or take your child away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, so why would you be ashamed?¡± The man¡¯s tone was calm. He never thought that Amanda was to me for this. Elias had a point, but Dick was her father, after all. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything more until he pulled up in the parking lot near the amusement park. The two hurriedly entered the amusement park and looked around. There were children everywhere, so they would have a hard time finding Aiden. Amanda looked at the man next to her. ¡°Let¡¯s split up and search. I¡¯ll go this way, and you¡¯ll go that way.¡± With that, she got ready to turn around and leave. Elias, however, grabbed her hand and held her back. He took out his phone and checked the GPS, which indicated that the target was nearing them. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The GPS says that he¡¯s less than half a mile from us. Come with me.¡± Elias walked to the left. Amanda walked a little slower because of her high heels, so the man gripped her hand and pulled her along as they walked through the crowd. Amanda¡¯s foot bent a little, and she almost fell among the crowd. The man held her arms securely and pulled her into his embrace. Even though Amanda didn¡¯t want to be too close to him, she lost her bnce, so she subconsciously hugged the man¡¯s tall body. The man protected her in his arms as they painstakingly made it out of the crowd. Amanda looked at the throng of people behind her, instantly feeling relieved. ¡°How much further?¡± The man nced at the indicator on the map on his phone. ¡°Around 300 yards to go. They¡¯re very near. Looks like they¡¯re on some ride.¡° Amanda was looking everywhere for Dick¡¯s figure as well. It would be too difficult to spot Aiden in a ce like this, so she decided to look for Dick instead. Elias followed the GPS indicator and slowly walked toward the target. The two arrived at the merry-go-round, but they didn¡¯t see any trace of Dick and Aiden. At that moment, Amanda grew a little anxious as she stood on tiptoe, scanning the ce. ¡°Where are they? Howe I don¡¯t see them?¡± Elias was confused as well. The GPS indicated that they are right here, so why aren¡¯t they in sight? What is going on? Did some error ur in the system he developed himself? The man lowered his head and tried to figure Amanda took out her phone, trying to dial Dick¡¯s number again. It might go through this time. Beep¡­ beep¡­ The phone kept ringing, but no one answered. Amanda suddenly heard a familiar ringtone, and she wondered why it sounded so familiar. It sounded like Dick¡¯s ringtone from many years ago. Amanda looked toward the source of the ringtone and caught sight of a middle-aged man. He was standing right outside the fence of the merry-go-round. At that moment, Dick took out his phone. When he saw that it was Amanda, he answered the call. ¡°Why are you calling me again? I told you I¡¯ll send the child backter. Why are you so impatient?¡± As Dick spoke, he looked everywhere in search of someone. In reality, he was even more panicked than Amanda and Elias at that moment because he identally lost Aiden again. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Dick was gravely anxious at that moment. If Amanda knew about it, she would kill him. That was why he had to find Aiden as soon as possible and send thetter home! However, in the next second, two figures appeared in front of Dick, blocking his way. Amanda and Elias stood in front of Dick with cold looks on their faces. Dick was stunned. What a terrifying coincidence¡­ ¡°Amanda, Elias¡­ What a coincidence! Are you here to y too? I won¡¯t bother you anymore, then. I¡¯ll be leaving-ah!¡± Dick turned around to escape, but Elias grabbed him and forcefully dragged him back. ¡°Do you think you can escape? Where¡¯s the child?¡± Elias wasn¡¯t interested in the sc*m¡¯s motives, but he was anxious when he couldn¡¯t see the child anywhere. Amanda didn¡¯t spot the child, either. Her heart skipped a beat as she said, ¡°Dick! Where did the child go?! Who allowed you to just take the child away?!¡± ¡°Is this how you talk to your father? How can a daughter call her father that¡­¡± Dick began to change the topic, feeling extremely guilty. He canpletely picture the reaction these two would have if they learned that he had lost the child. They might just kill him right then and there. Dick stuttered, ¡°Aiden went to the toilet¡­ W-Wait for him.¡± Elias was furious as he grabbed Dick¡¯s cor and roared, ¡°He¡¯s a three-year-old, but you didn¡¯t apany him to the toilet? You let him go to the toilet alone?¡± ¡°I wanted to apany him, but he said that he wanted to do everything on his own¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, Amanda growled at her sc*mmy father, ¡°Which toilet is it? Take me there! I¡¯ll look for him!¡± Dick was dumbfounded. Where would they look for Aiden? He could only grit his teeth and lead the way toward the toilet furthest away from them. Elias was furious. He lost his patience as he said, ¡°My son went to a toilet so far away, but you didn¡¯t wait for him outside? How nonchnt can you be?¡± ¡°I¡± Dick had nothing to say in return. He couldn¡¯t make up tales any longer. He was racking his brains for the most eptable way to break the news to them. Amanda sensed that something was wrong. ¡°You¡¯re not pranking us, are you? Did you hide the child somewhere?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! I¡¯ll just tell you the truth so that we can look for Aiden as soon as possible. I took him to the merry-go-round, but then he said that he wanted to eat ice cream, so I went to buy some. When I came back, he was gone from the merry-go-round, and I¡¯m looking everywhere for him too, but I couldn¡¯t find him¡­¡± As Dick watched Elias¡¯ and Amanda¡¯s faces turn from shock to anger, his voice grew even smaller. He knew he was done for. Elias grabbed his cor and threw him against a wall at the side. The impact sent searing pain down Dick¡¯s back. ¡°What the hell did you just say? You lost him? Say that again!!¡± Elias¡¯ eyes widened in fury as he seethed. Amanda was stunned as well, and she recovered herself after a long while. When she aw her useless father getting thrown against the wall, she walked over and asked, ¡°What did you just say? You lost him? How did you lose him, anyway? Who allowed you to take him away just like that? What right do you have to lose the child?! I¡¯m going to kill you, Dick Leans!¡±, Amanda truly wanted to kill this sc*m of a father. How could he lose her precious darling? She strangled Dick with both her hands, but she wasn¡¯t strong enough to choke a man to death. Elias pulled her aside. ¡°Ignore that sc*m for now; our utmost priority is to look for the child. Let¡¯s check. the surveince cameras.¡± It was only then that Amanda recovered her wits. She nodded and said, ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go and check the surveince.¡± Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Disappointment Welling Up ¡°Let me have a look too¡­¡± Dick wanted to go with them. He was genuinely anxious as well, and he wanted to find Aiden as soon as possible. Amanda, however, whipped around to look at him. When she recalled everything that happened in the past, she gathered all her fury in her words and yelled, ¡°Get lost! Get as far away from me as you can; I don¡¯t want to see you ever again!¡± Not just Dick, even Elias was a little startled. Dick said in a slightly pleading tone, ¡°What¡¯s up with you? I didn¡¯t want this to happen, either. I just wanted to take the kid out to y; how would I know this might happen? If I knew that I might lose the child, I would never bring him here even if it cost me my life- Before Dick finished speaking. Amanda¡¯s tears poured out of her eyes as she shouted furiously, ¡°How can a father like you exist in this world? You spend every waking hour thinking ofmitting crimes. Have you ever done a decent thing in your entire life?!¡± Dick was dumbfounded. Then, he said angrily, ¡°How can you talk to your biological father like that?!¡± ¡°Biological father?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She even felt a little disgusted. Amanda scolded amidst the tears, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re my biological father? You worked with ruffians to kidnap me as ckmail material so that you could save your wife and children. You threatened me with Aiden so that you could get more money to waste on gambling. You even asked your son-inw for money over and over again. Have you ever considered my feelings?! What sort of biological father are you?! You¡¯re sc*m, through and through!¡± As she roared at the top of her lungs, the people around her couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at her. Dick felt as if his pride was all but gone. He wished he could just disappear into thin air. When the passersby heard Amanda¡¯s usation; they started pointing fingers at him. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. You¡­ You¡­.¡± Dick wanted to retort, but he couldn¡¯t, for everything she said was true. Amanda added, ¡°Were any of those things false? How can you call yourself a grandfather? Get lost! I don¡¯t want to see you for the rest of my life.¡± With that, she turned around and left. Dick wanted to go after her, but Elias pushed him aside and demanded with a vile attitude, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear her? Get lost.¡± ¡°Wait, Elias. You can¡¯t believe her nonsense. I¡¯m her father, after all. How can I possibly be someone she made me out to be? I-¡± Dick wanted to defend himself, but Elias was already losing patience. He knew more about this father- in-w of his than Amanda did; he knew a lot of things Amanda didn¡¯t. ¡°I know more about your horrible deeds than Amanda does.¡± Elias¡¯ expression was cold. Dick was instantly speechless. If this wealthy son-inw of his wanted to investigate all the deeds he had done, it would be a walk in the park. Elias couldn¡¯t be bothered to spare Dick another nce as he turned around and went after Amanda. The onlookers began pointing fingers at Dick and criticizing him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this sort of person exists in this world. He¡¯s nothing but sc*m for getting someone to kidnap his biological daughter. Unbelievable!¡± ¡°The daughter must have suffered a lot. I think he just lost track of his grandson too. Howe people like him are still alive?¡± ¡°Useless people like him will only cause trouble for others. What a failure.¡± Gravely insulted and scorned by the passers-by, Dick snarled at the people, saying, ¡°What do you know? Shoo! Get lost, all of you!¡± Hence, he ran away in shame. However, he still wanted to find Aiden. The kid was his grandson, after all. He also felt terrible for losing the kid. Amanda arrived at the bumper car arena. She paused in her tracks as tears rolled down her cheeks. Elias followed behind her and said in a low voice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°This is Aiden¡¯s favorite attraction. He would have a go every time he went to the amusement park. Where has he gone¡­¡± Amanda was breaking down a little. She went through so much and finally found Dick, thinking the child would be with him, but she never expected that Aiden would go missing. Elias pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here. Have you forgotten? I¡¯m good at looking for people. Let¡¯s check the surveince cameras first and see who took him away, all right?¡± Amanda wiped her tears and nodded. She didn¡¯t have time toment these things right now. Her utmost priority was to find the child. Hence, the two arrived at the monitoring room of the amusement park, then checked the surveince footage with the staff. They finally spotted Aiden¡¯s figure, but to their despair, they saw him sitting on the horse, waving his tiny hands happily one minute, but in the next minute, when the merry-go-round stopped, the child was suddenly gone. They couldn¡¯t figure out who had taken him away. ¡°How can this be? What do we do now?¡± Amanda looked at the man beside her helplessly. Her baby seemed to have vanished into thin air. It was terrifying. The man fell into deep thought. How could Aiden go missing just like that? When the merry-go-round stopped, many people rushed forward, so I really can¡¯t make out who took Aiden away. Noticing that Elias hadn¡¯t said anything, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but shake the man¡¯s arm. ¡°Say something. Elias!¡± ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll think of a way. Keep watching the surveince footage; I¡¯ll go make a call.¡± Elias seemed to have suddenly remembered something as he turned around and walked out of the monitoring room. Amanda wasn¡¯t in the mood to look at surveince footage anymore. Crowds were everywhere in the surveince footage, so it was simply too difficult to spot a three-year-old in that mess. Amanda went out of the monitoring room as well. She caught sight of the man on the phone. She was about to ask the man to look at surveince footage from other angles when she overheard the man¡¯s conversation. Elias¡¯ tall figure was facing away from Amanda. He said coldly to the person on the other end of the line, ¡°Grandpa, did you take the child away again?¡± Amanda was startled. Could it be Howard again? She stared at the man¡¯s figure, awaiting his next words. Right after that, she heard Elias say to Howard over the phone, ¡°Grandpa, send the child back by tomorrow morning, or I won¡¯t go easy on you. You have one night to consider. I¡¯ll keep it a secret from Amanda for now.¡± With that, he ended the call. Amanda subconsciously hid herself. She was in surprise, then felt disappointment welling up in her heart. They were a family, after all. No matter how furious Elias was at Howard, he would still take thetter¡¯s side. Elias went back to the monitoring room and saw Amanda sitting dejectedly on a chair at the side, sighing. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Elias just thought that it might be Howard, so he called to interrogate thetter. However, Howard swore over the phone time and again that he didn¡¯t take the child. Howard might be lying, or he might not be. He didn¡¯t have confirmed information yet, so he couldn¡¯t tell Amanda for now. When Elias walked up to Amanda, thetter looked up and asked tentatively, ¡°Did you think of any ideas?¡± ¡°Not yet. Let¡¯s go back first. I¡¯ll keep looking.¡± Amanda sneered in her heart. Hah¡­ Just as expected, Elias wasn¡¯t nning to tell her that Howard had taken the child. When would Elias stop condoning Howard¡¯s actions? Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 I Know He¡¯ll Find Aiden Amanda suddenly calmed down, for she thought that Howard had most probably taken the child away. ¡°When will you have an answer?¡± The man fell silent for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Tomorrow morning, probably.¡± Tonight, he had to figure out if the child was truly taken away by Howard. I¡¯ll give him time. Amanda felt that one night was eptable. She could stop worrying if Aiden was with. Howard. ¡°I¡¯m getting tired, so I¡¯ll go back first. I await your news.¡± Amanda got up and prepared to leave. Her sudden calmness caught the man by surprise. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Amanda said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let your bodyguard send me home, and you can keep looking for Aiden. I¡¯ll wait for your updates at home. After all, I can¡¯t help with anything here; I¡¯d just get in the way,¡± She didn¡¯t want to disturb Elias¡¯ search for the child. It was obvious that Elias didn¡¯t want her to know that Howard had taken the child away, for he wanted to maintain Howard¡¯s reputation. She decided that she would just y along and pretend she had no idea. She would be fine with it as long as Aiden was back. She didn¡¯t care how it was done; she just wanted a good ending. ¡°I¡¯ll get Yacob to send you back.¡± Elias didn¡¯t say more. If Amanda wasn¡¯t around, he would have had more time to negotiate with Howard. Amanda smiled tiredly and nodded, then turned around and walked out of the monitoring room. As the man gazed at her lonely figure, he felt his heart ache. In the car, Amanda supported her chin as she stared at the night scene outside the window. Her gaze was vacant. Yacob, who was driving, nced in the rearview mirror. When he saw Amanda behaving like that, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Bailey, we¡¯ll find Aiden.¡± Yacob just wanted tofort her. Amanda however, smiled weakly. ¡°I know he¡¯ll find Aiden. I even know that he¡¯ll find Aiden by tomorrow morning. It¡¯s just a matter of willingness.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Why did she talk as if Elias knew who had taken the child away? Could it be that Elias wasn¡¯t looking for the child on purpose? Yacob felt that Amanda was referring to something implicitly. Amanda, however, just smiled and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Can you go faster, please? I¡¯m a little tired, so I want to go back and rest for a bit.¡± She just wanted to go home and sleep, for she wouldn¡¯t have to keep worrying once she went to sleep. Maybe when she woke up the next morning and opened her eyes, she would see Aiden standing next to the bed, holding a milk bottle as he drank his milk. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Yacob felt that something was off about Amanda. After sending Amanda home, he dialed Elias¡¯ number. The call was quickly answered. ¡°Did you send her back?¡± ¡°Yes, but Mr. Winters, I feel as if Miss Bailey is behaving weirdly. Don¡¯t you think so too? She looks very rxed, as if she isn¡¯t worried or anxious anymore.¡± The man was quiet for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Got it. Come back here. There¡¯s something else I want you to do.¡± Ding- The doorbell rang. When Selina saw that Amanda was back, she hastily opened the door. However, she was greeted with the sight of Amanda walking dejectedly inside. ¡°Amanda, where¡¯s Aiden? Why did youe back alone?¡± Selina thought that Elias would find the child in no time, and Amanda woulde back with Aiden. Amanda took a deep breath as if she were exhausted. She sprawled on the couch. ¡°They¡¯re still looking. I¡¯ll wait and see if they have any updates tomorrow. I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯ll go back to my room to sleep now. Don¡¯t get me supper; I want to sleep through the night.¡± ¡°Understood¡­¡± Selina watched as Amanda got up weakly as if she had lost her soul, then went back to her room and closed the door. In the room, Amanday on the bed, pulling the covers over her head. She hoped that when she woke up from her sleep, Aiden would be sent home already. She wished that Howard would have mercy. Meanwhile, after Amanda was sent home, Elias told Yacob to continue checking the surveince cameras in the amusement park to see if he could pick up any clues. Then, Elias went straight to the Winters Manor, ready to have a proper talk with Howard. His car slowly pulled up in the garage. Elias got out of the car and walked into the Winters Manor. When the butler saw Elias, he immediately forward and weed thetter. ¡°Mr. Elias, what brings you here? Old Mr. Winters is practicing calligraphy in the study. You can go see him.¡± Elias scrutinized the butler in front of him, then said in a low voice, ¡°Be honest with me. Is the kid here or not? Did Grandpa hide him again?¡± The butler replied earnestly, ¡°Mr. Elias, Old Mr. Winters isn¡¯t involved in this. It was true that he hid the childst time, but this time, he didn¡¯t do anything at all. He was so enraged by what you said over the phonest time that he never took a step out of Winters Manor since then. He couldn¡¯t be bothered about his great-grandson, either. He simply spent all his time practicing calligraphy and saying that he missed. your father.¡± Elias fell silent. Had he guessed wrong, after all? Who else in Imperia was capable of making someone instantly disappear without a trace? He thought for a moment, but the most usible suspect was still Howard. After all, Howard¡¯s bodyguards were exceptionally skilled, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to grab a child in public while steering clear of the surveince cameras. Elias walked straight toward the study. He stopped outside the study and peered through the door that was left slightly ajar. He could see Howard working with brush strokes at the desk. Elias knocked on the door out of courtesy. Howard¡¯s voice rang out from within. ¡°Come in.¡± After opening the door and walking in. Elias sat on a mahogany chair at the side. He watched Howard practicing calligraphy as he said in a low voice, Grandpa, I heard that you haven¡¯t left the house in days.¡± Howard looked up and nced at him, then snorted. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! Why do you care so much about me now? You wish I were dead, don¡¯t you? Also, did you hear what you shouted over the phone just now? How are you so sure that I was the one who took the child away? Also, what sort of parents are you two? Can¡¯t you even keep an eye on your child? And you suspect me as soon as the child. goes missing!¡± Elias said, ¡°I¡¯m not suspecting you, but your behavior is a little unusual. He¡¯s the great-grandson you¡¯ve been waiting for all these years, but now that I told you we lost him, you don¡¯t look worried at all¡­ Unless. he¡¯s right in your hands.¡± ¡°How can I not worry? I¡¯ve already sent my men to look for him, but what use is there if I panic? You¡¯ve already pissed me off, so if I add worry into the mix, I¡¯ll be dead by now.¡± Howard was genuinely sad this time. He never thought that his grandson, whom he had raised since he was young, would say such things to him. He was so saddened by it that he couldn¡¯t even care about his great-grandson. Elias still couldn¡¯t believe Howard as he narrowed his eyes and said suspiciously, ¡°Is the child truly not. with you? If I find him somewhere in your territory, things might get awkward for you.¡± With a ck, Howard threw the brush onto the floor as he raged, ¡°Go and look for him, then! If you can Id him anywhere in my territory, that¡¯d be a miracle. I said he¡¯s not with me, and that¡¯s all there is to it! Your child went missing but look at you! You still have the leisure toe here and piss me off! Go and look for the child right now! If you can¡¯t find him, you¡¯re banished from the Winters Family) Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Aiden Went to the Police Station Elias looked at Howard¡¯s furious behavior and stayed silent. Sometimeter, he slowly got up. Without another word, he turned around and left the study. Howard watched Elias leave, then snorted in anger and sat back in his chair, panting heavily. Elias stood in the yard of the Winters Manor, turning back to nce at the window of the study upstairs. At that time, he couldn¡¯t determine if Howard had hidden the child. He felt a migraineing on when he wondered how he should tell Amanda about this. The man¡¯s slender fingers pinched between his eyebrows. He had no idea where he should start looking. He should probably start from the amusement park. Thus, Elias¡¯ sleepless night began¡­ Early the next morning, at North No. 1, Amanda slowly opened her eyes. She didn¡¯t dare check the time. If it were still night, she would have a long and torturous wait ahead of her. She looked beside the bed, her eyes filled with disappointment. There was no Aiden sprawling on the bed looking at her. Can it be that Howard refused to give the child back? Hasn¡¯t Elias convinced his grandfather yet? She was beginning to suspect that Elias was in cahoots with Howard and that they were working together to take the child away from her. Amanda closed her eyes again, but she couldn¡¯t go to sleep. So, she grabbed her phone and nced at it. surprised to see that it was already 8.00AM. Why hasn¡¯t Aiden appeared in front of my bed? Amanda sat up and found Elias¡¯ number in her contacts list. She hesitated, wondering if she should call him. She knew that if she called him right now, the man would only give her excuses, but she couldn¡¯t help it as she dialed the number¡­. Beep¡­ Beep¡­. When the call went through, the man¡¯s low voice sounded over the phone. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°How is it? Do you have any news about Aiden?¡± She was slightly looking forward to Elias¡¯ answer. Would he tell her the truth or continue lying to her? Just as expected, the man answered, ¡°No, we¡¯re still looking.¡± Hah¡­ Between Amanda and Howard, Elias still chose to defend Howard and continued lying to Amanda. Amanda asked, ¡°Then when will you find him? I miss him so, so much. I couldn¡¯t sleep well at allst night.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amanda, but I¡¯ll do my best. We should find him soon.¡± ¡°All right, got it.¡± After hanging up, Amanda shoved the nket aside, then went to the bathroom to wash up. She stood at the washstand and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like she had slept the whole night away, but her slumber was riddled with nightmares. She even seemed a little haggard. ¡°Aiden, do you miss Mommy?¡± She posed the question to her reflection in the mirror. Elias looked at his phone, which was still disying the ended call. Amanda¡¯s emotions seemed off somewhat. After investigating the whole night, he realized that the child truly wasn¡¯t with Howard. Where else would Aiden be? After racking his brains through the night, he still couldn¡¯t figure out how a three-year-old would disappear in the surveince footage. He looked through all the surveince cameras from all sorts of angles in the amusement park, but there was no trace of the child ever since the merry-go-round stopped. Yacob went back to the office with some breakfast he bought. ¡°Mr. Winters, you should take a break. You¡¯ve been checking the surveince footage all night.¡± Yacob ced the food on the couch in the reception area. Elias put a hand to his forehead as he leaned against the office desk, closing his eyes to rest. He had a splitting headache. After staring at surveince videos for the whole night, his vision was getting blurry. ¡°Did you get any news on ¡°Side?¡± Yacob didn¡¯t say a word, which meant that there was no news. A hint of disappointment shed across Elias¡¯ dark eyes. His phone rang again. It was a call from Howard this time. He looked at the iing call on the screen. unwilling to answer the call. In the end, however, he still picked up. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± ¡°You b*stard, have you found the child?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What? It has been a whole night, but you still haven¡¯t found a mere child? enemies again and see if it might be revenge kidnapping.¡± ook through the 1 ¡°Interses¡¯ ¡°Got it! I¡¯m still looking, so I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± On the other end of the line, Howardined again, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the manor! Tell me as soon as you get any news. You can also ask me for help if you need a particr connection.¡± ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡± Elias can now confirm that Aiden truly wasn¡¯t with Howard, or Howard wouldn¡¯t be so anxious. But where did Aiden go? Meanwhile, at the police station, an adorable boy sat on a chair, sucking on a bottle of yogurt in his hands. as his short legs swung in midair. ¡°Are you still hungry? Do you want some more?¡± A policewoman crouched down patiently. The little guy looked upset, however. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m already three years old. Please don¡¯t talk to me in such a childish tone.¡± The policewoman was a little speechless. This kid has quite a temper. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve asked me the same thing for the whole night. My name is Aiden Bailey, and my mommy is Amanda Bailey. My dad¡­ I don¡¯t know what his name is,¡± Aiden repeated earnestly. Last night, Dick took him to the amusement park. After the merry-go-round ride, he snuck away and managed to find a police station nearby. Amanda once taught him that if he got lost outside, he could ask the police for help. The policewoman asked, ¡°Do you know your house address? There are too many women with the same name as your mommy, so we can¡¯t narrow it down. Do you remember any buildings near your house?¡± Aiden remembered everything except for the address. They had moved quite a few times aftering back, so he had no clue about the address of the new house they had recently moved into. ¡°I don¡¯t know the address¡­. I thought I only had to remember my mommy¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Then do you remember your mommy¡¯s phone number?¡± The policewoman asked again. She couldn¡¯t get any findings after enquiring for the entire night. Instead, the little guy freeloaded in the police station all night and even made all sorts of unreasonable requests. Aiden said, ¡°Yes, but I only remember the number of that phone. My mommy has a lot of phones, so I don¡¯t remember the other ones.¡± The policewoman sighed in exasperation. ¡°But darling, that number you remembered is empty.¡± The confused child had recited the phone number confidently, but the number was no longer in use. still trying to pinpoint the Too many women had the same name as his mother, and the police wer correct person. The phone number was invalid, and Aiden couldn¡¯t remember the address. It truly was a difficult task to help him find his parents. The policewoman looked at an old policeman at the side. ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t we post a photo or a video online and ask for help? The news can spread wider that way. If we can¡¯t find the child¡¯s parents, we can only hope that the parentse to us.¡± The old policeman had been ying with the kid for the entire night, so he was sleepy as well. He yawned. and said, ¡°Go ahead, then. I can¡¯t hold out any longer; this kid is too energetic.¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Soon, the female police officer reached for her own phone and began recording a video of the boy. Then, she uploaded the video onto a website whereizens published search notices for missing people. ¡°Can I call Mr. Simon?¡± The child kept his eyes fixed on the phone in the female police officer¡¯s hand and asked. Deep down, Aiden could still remember Simon¡¯s phone number, having memorized it over time because he always called him behind Amanda¡¯s back. Mr. Simon? Thedy officer exchanged gazes with the other senior police officer as their eyes brightened up. After that, the senior police officer crouched down and looked at Aiden. ¡°Is that your father? Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier? We could have saved all the trouble looking for your mother for you.¡± Aiden waved so adorably that the adults wished they could just peck his cheek. ¡°No, you can¡¯t call Daddy. Mommy is going to get mad about that. She won¡¯t even let me call Daddy because she said I¡¯d disturb him that way.¡± The two police officers had no idea what was going on, wondering whether Aiden¡¯s mother was a single parent. Then, the older police officer patiently said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give him a call and get him to pick you up, okay? Your mother must have been worried since you were missing all night. For that, I think she will understand, knowing this is an exception.¡± After that, he took his phone and gave it to Aiden so that he could dial Simon¡¯s number. As soon as Aiden got the phone, he immediately inserted Simon¡¯s phone number and dialed it. On the other hand, Simon, who was also busy looking for Aiden, didn¡¯t notice his phone ringing until a few momentster. His frustrated voice could be heard from the other end of the phone. ¡°Who is this? If there isn¡¯t anything important today, don¡¯t bother calling me again. Contact my secretary¡­¡± Before the man could finish his words, Aiden shouted with the phone still in his hand. ¡°Mr. Simon, it¡¯s me, Aiden!¡± ¡°Where have you been, Aiden? I¡¯ve been searching for you everywhere. Why didn¡¯t you call me? You should have told me where you were ahead.¡± Before Aiden could respond, the senior police officer quickly snatched the phone away, thinking it was better for him to talk to Aiden¡¯s parents. ¡°Hello, we¡¯re from the Northern Police Department. Are you Aiden Bailey¡¯s father? He went missingst night and came to us for help. Nheless, he couldn¡¯t remember his mother¡¯s number or his residence address until he told us your phone number a few moments ago. Would it be convenient for you toe pick him up right now?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯lle right now.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°After the child hung up the call, the police officer heaved a sigh of relief while looking at him. ¡°Finally, father ising to pick you up. You¡¯ll be free to go home. Phew! You have no idea how tiring it was for me to go through so much trouble looking after youst night.¡± your ¡°No, he¡¯s not my father. He is just Mommy¡¯s colleague instead,¡± Aiden answered sternly, whereupon the two police officers exchanged gazes in a confused manner once more. Meanwhile, Amanda was ready to leave home after she went through her morning routine and finished her breakfast without disying too much emotion on her face. ¡°Where are you going, Amanda? You don¡¯t seem too well.¡± Selina expressed her concern. to the office, Amanda answered and left home, but she seemed so preupied that she could have an outburst anytime soon. Nevertheless, instead of returning to her office, she decided to head straight to Winters Manor to talk to Howard. After all, she couldn¡¯t stand Howard¡¯s action of taking Aiden away from her without a good reason because that always misled her into thinking her child was kidnapped. Upon her arrival at Winters Manor, Amanda was told by the butler about where she could find Howard. ¡°Old Mr. Winters is in the estate. He didn¡¯t tell me why he went there, but you could definitely find him. there.¡± The estate? Amanda didn¡¯t respond with a single word as she turned around and walked away, feeling determined to discuss her issue with Howard. On the other hand, Howard was pacing back and forth anxiously in Winters Manor as he started calling his men to search for Aiden¡¯s whereabouts. Despite his eagerness to participate in the search, his physical condition didn¡¯t allow him to do that. Furthermore, his health was further affected by Elias, who had beent at odds with himtely. ¡°Find the child. He shouldn¡¯t be suffering so much out there at this age.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Mr. Winters. We¡¯re working on it. I believe we¡¯re going to find what you¡¯ve been looking for really soon.¡± Upon hanging up the call, Howard let out a sigh and murmured to himself. Why won¡¯t everyone listen to me? I wish they could understand that it¡¯s the safest way for them to leave Aiden with me. If he had been with me, there was no way he could have gone missing. s, why do they always have to make me so worried?¡± Howard restlessly paced and forth in the corridor, but as he was about to head downstairs, he noticed Elias bedroom door that was left ajar. Why is his bedroom door left open even though he is not around? Piqued by his curiosity, he walked closer and pushed the door open, only to notice no one inside the room. Could the maid have forgotten to close the door or something? Just when he was about to turn around and walk away, a silhouette emerged from behind the bathroom door. The moment the two of them exchanged gazes, Howard was scared for a few seconds before he was able to finally take a closer look at who that person was. ¡°Grace Murphy? What the heck are you doing in my grandson¡¯s room? Who gave you permission to use the bathroom?!¡± Howard couldn¡¯t fathom the purpose behind Grace¡¯s action of sneaking into the room. At that moment, Grace was seen holding an empty bottle in her hand, standing still like a frozen statue because she didn¡¯t expect to run into Howard. After all, she had spent numerous days observing the people in the Winters Manor, knowing there shouldn¡¯t be anyone in Elias¡¯ room at that time, which was why she sneaked in there. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Grace stammered anxiously. ¡°What are you holding?¡± Howard noticed the empty bottle Grace was holding and snatched it, skimming through thebels written on it. Due to the small fonts, it took him quite a while until he finally understood what it was. Then, he lost his temper and questioned Grace. ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned your lesson, you wicked woman?! How dare you try to drug my grandson! Where is your sense of shame?! Do you seriously think you still deserve to be with my grandson?! Take a look at yourself!¡± ¡°You could have put your words nicely, couldn¡¯t you, Grandpa? Furthermore, I only ended up like this because of your grandson!¡± Grace was traumatized by the event that devastated her pride and ego. ¡°How funny! How dare you have the cheek to use my grandson! You were the only person to me for your disfigurement! Don¡¯t you dare drag Elias into this?! Moreover, I know you¡¯ve always guilt- tripped Elias into doing what you want him to with your brother¡¯s death; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even haveid his eyes on you!¡± Howard didn¡¯t like Grace at all due to her wicked and scheming personality. Because of that, he was reluctant to let her be his granddaughter-inw. ¡°I seriously beg to differ, Grandpa. My brother didn¡¯t die for anything. You guys only treat me well because you¡¯re afraid of karma, don¡¯t you? Now, I don¡¯t want to waste time arguing with an old man like you, so beat it.¡± Deep down, Howard was the person Grace hated the most as he was the one who got in her way of bing Elias¡¯ wife. Therefore, as soon as she finished her sentence, she snatched Howard¡¯s empty bottle and made a run for it. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Down the Stairs Howard immediately gave chase, seizing Grace¡¯s arm just when she was about to make a turn at the corner. ¡°Stop right there! I¡¯m going to expose your true nature to Elias so he will never fall for a woman like you ever again.¡± Upon saying that, Howard reached for his phone to call his grandson. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Howard¡¯s words immediately sent Grace¡¯s emotions down a thought spiral of hopelessness, filling her with despair, as she didn¡¯t want Elias to see her true nature. Although Elias already had a bad impression of her, she didn¡¯t want him to hate her even more because that would not end well for her. If Elias found out who she really was, not only would he refuse to see her, but he would also send her away to some ce where she would be trapped forever. ¡°Let me go! I didn¡¯t do anything! Now, let me go!¡± Grace struggled to free herself from Howard¡¯s grasp, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. At the same time, Howard was searching for Elias¡± number through his contact list with the other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away! I must make Elias see through your hypocrisy. If you hadn¡¯t interfered back then, Elias wouldn¡¯t have divorced Amanda, and neither would my great-grandson have to be away from me for four years. All this is your fault¡­¡± Before Howard could finish his words, Grace hit his hand, causing him to drop his phone as it fell down the stairs. ¡°Grace!¡± Howard angrily called out to that woman. ¡°Somebody! Oscar! Capture this woman! She infiltrated Elias¡¯ room and tried to drug him, yet neither of you noticed her. Are you guys blind or something? Or are you tired of keeping your jobs?!¡± Panicky, Grace struggled even harder in a desperate attempt to escape, but Howard showed no signs of letting her go. ¡°Let! Me! Go!¡± Grace used all the energy from her body to shake the older man off, whereupon she fled down the stairs. The next moment, Howard slipped and lost his footing, falling forward as his eyes widened in horror on his face. In the meantime, Grace, who was making her escape, turned around and took a quick glimpse of what happened behind her, only to see Howard rolling down the stairs. While the sight of that left her stunned and frozen in ce, Howard continued to roll down the flight of stairs until he hit the ground and bled from his head. Looking at the unconscious old man, Grace nched in her face without knowing what to do. A minuteter, she slowly approached Howard while trembling uncontrobly, gently nudging him. ¡°Um. Grandpa¡­¡± Nevertheless, Howard simply continued to lie down there in the stillness, just like a dead man. At that moment, Grace¡¯s heart raced like a jackhammer, as if it was going to burst out of her chest. As her eyes widened, she shivered from head to toe, sticking out her finger right in front of Howard¡¯s nostrils. When she didn¡¯t feel his breath, she nervously retracted her arm, her face turning even paler. What? No way! No way! At her wits end, Grace went weak in her knees and copsed onto the ground, backing away from Howard in fear. If Elias finds out I¡¯m the one who¡¯s responsible for Grandpa¡¯s death, he is going to kill me! Haunted by her wild imagination, Grace didn¡¯t dare to think about the ways that Elias would use to torture her. No! No! No! She struggled to get on her feet and stepped back in horror, unable to take her eyes off Howard, who was lying in the pool of blood. Shortly after that, she ran away without looking back. Meanwhile, Amanda arrived at Winters Estate and learned from the butler that Howard was waiting for her inside the house. However, after entering the house, she still didn¡¯t see any signs of the old man. Just when she was about to search for him elsewhere, she noticed what seemed like bloodstains on the floor. Seeing that, she knitted her eyebrows and curiously followed the trail that led her all the way to the stairs. before she started seeing more blood on the ground. The sight of that put a worried look on Amanda¡¯s face. As she slowly conto follow the bloody trail, she saw Howard lying in a pool of blood. Stunned with her eyes wide open, she froze for a few seconds before she headed over to Howard and crouched down to hold his head. ¡°Grandpa! Wake up, Grandpa! Wake up!¡± Despite Amanda¡¯s desperate effort to wake Howard up, Howard remained silent and still, his face still looking pale. Due to profuse bleeding from his head. Howard looked nothing much different from a dead man. ¡°Help! Somebody! Grandpa fell off the stairs! Help!¡± Amanda shouted in tears. As Amanda¡¯s cry drew the butler¡¯s attention, thetter followed the voice and rushed to the scene, which left him stunned. ¡°What happened to Old Mr. Winters?! How did he end up like this?! This¡­¡± ¡°Cut the crap now! We need to rush him to the hospital! Can¡¯t you see he is bleeding profusely?!¡± Amanda demanded while holding the back of Howard¡¯s head with one hand. Sensing the urgency of the situation, Oscar quickly prioritized Howard¡¯s condition by taking him to the hospital without spending too much time thinking about how he fell off the stairs. Was Amanda the first person who found Old Mr. Winters in that state? This is too much of a coincidence, isn¡¯t this?¡± Meanwhile, Elias was unhappy after receiving a call from Oscar, who told him about Howard¡¯s condition. Upon hanging up the call, he got into his car and sped to the hospital without wasting too much time. On the other hand, Amanda waited outside the operation theater, shuddering at the sight of the bloodstains on herself. After all, she was still haunted by the sight of Howard¡¯s gory scene because it looked like he was already dead. ¡°No! No! That¡¯s not going to happen¡­¡± Amanda shook her head and tried her best to put a stop to her wild imagination. Grandpa is going to be fine! He¡¯ll be fine! Despite her desperation for Howard to recover from his injury, she was soon overwhelmed by her pessimism. Grandpa is pretty old, and falling from a flight of stairs must have hurt him pretty badly. While Oscar was anxiously waiting aside, hasty footsteps could be hearding from the other end of the corridor. Nevertheless, Amanda didn¡¯t hear that because she was too disturbed by the thought of Howard lying in a pool of blood earlier. When the butler turned around and saw Elias, he quickly walked up to him and greeted him. ¡°Mr. Winters. However, Elias was seen with a pair of bloodshot eyes, which suggested that he might have suffered a sleepless night from the night before. At the same time, he was radiating an unfriendly aura, speaking with an unfriendly tone. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what happened. All I heard was Miss Bailey shouting for help and saying Old Mr. Winters falling off the stairs. By the time I got there, he was already lying in a pool of blood¡­¡± Elias stood there and fixed his gaze on Amanda. Dispirited and disappointed, he walked closer to her and mped his hands on her shoulders. ¡°What happened, Amanda?¡± It wasn¡¯t until Amanda heard the man¡¯s voice that she snapped out of her trance and stared nkly at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Grandpa was already lying down on the floor when I got there.¡± Oscar expressed his doubt. ¡°Miss Bailey, did you get into an argument with Old Mr. Winters and identally push him down the stairs?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Amanda lost her cool. ¡°Shut up!¡± Elias responded almost at the same time as she did. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 We Did Our Best Faced with such strong reactions from the two individuals, Oscar could only choose to remain silent, although he truly doubted the truth behind Howard falling down the stairs. Amanda and Elias exchanged a nce. Her eyes were filled with panic as she feared that she would be misunderstood by Elias, but it was indeed difficult to exin clearly. Elias¡¯ gaze was somewhatplicated. He seemed to have suspicions but also felt that he should firmly believe in her and stand by her side. Suddenly, the signboard light outside the operating room went out, and the door opened. A doctor came out while taking off his mask. The doctor¡¯s expressionless face made them unable to guess the situation inside. Elias stepped forward and asked, ¡°How is it?¡± The doctor nced at the three people present and shook his head helplessly, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We tried our best. When he was brought in, he was already suffering from severe intracranial hemorrhage and asphyxiation. It was toote.¡± Elias¡¯ pitch-ck pupils suddenly contracted, and his tall figure froze in ce. Oscar was shocked on the side, while Amanda only heard a booming sound as if the whole world had copsed. Her legs went weak, and she approached the doctor. Her voice was trembling as she asked, ¡°Doctor, what do you mean by that¡­ What do you mean by ¡®We tried our best¡¯ and ¡®It was toote? Can you exin to me what this means?¡± Her mind was nk, and her fingertips were trembling. The doctor knew that many family members couldn¡¯t ept such an oue, but there was no other way. Sometimes, life was just so helpless. The person was already ustomed to such scenes, so he patiently repeated, ¡°What I mean is that Old Mr. Winters is already brain-dead, which can be dered dead in medical terms.¡± Dead¡­ These two events felt like a mountain pressing down on Amanda and it was hard for her to breathe. Her face turned as pale as a sheet. Her body became unsteady, and she took a step back. ¡°How could this happen¡­.¡± She had been prepared to confront Howard in anger, but she never expected to see his lifeless body instead, and she would never have the chance to talk to him again. Elias remained silent throughout while taking heavy steps toward the operating room. He didn¡¯t even get the chance to see his grandfather onest time. Moreover, he had been angry at his grandfather these past few days, which caused his grandfather to stay home and not want to leave. He entered the operating room and saw his grandfather¡¯s body lying on the bed and covered in a white sheet. Elias¡¯ tears instantly welled up as he saw his grandfather at the most peaceful moment in his entire life. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± His voice was hoarse and deep as he called out, but his grandfather, who was beneath the white sheet, would never respond to him again. Elias slowly approached the bedside. Even though it was just a few steps away, it felt so distant. He lifted the white sheet and saw his grandfather¡¯s bloodless face. The wound on his forehead had already congealed and his body was stiffening. Justst night, his grandfather was perfectly fine. How did he end up lying lifeless here¡­ Elias couldn¡¯t ept this reality for a moment. Justst night, he had angered his grandfather to the point of breathlessness, but now his grandfathery here with no response at all. Shortly after, Oscar and Amanda also entered the room. Oscar broke down in tears and cried out upon seeing Howard, ¡°Old Mr. Winters, please wake up. How could this happen¡­ How am I supposed to exin this to Mr. Jensly? Why did you leave us like this¡­¡± As for Amanda, her legs gave out, and tears streamed down her face when she saw the body. Although she had been prepared to have a big argument with Howard before going to see him, now seeing his lifeless body lying there, she felt so desperate and helpless¡­ ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± she murmured as she was filled with guilt. Even she didn¡¯t know why she felt guilty. It wasn¡¯t her fault. When she saw Howard, he was already lying in a pool of blood. Amanda walked step by step to the bedside, looking at Howard lying there peacefully. Her tears flowed one after another. The man standing beside her held Howard¡¯s hand, his voice hoarse. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± At this moment, Amanda¡¯s phone rang. It rang in the deathly silence of the operating room and it sounded so discordant. She had no intention of answering the call and wanted to silence it, but identally pressed the answer button. It was a call from Simon. Simon¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Amanda, I found Aiden at the police station. He came to the station by himself to seek helpst night. Don¡¯t worry, the child has been found¡­¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He said something else afterward, but she couldn¡¯t hear it. She only heard the words ¡°The child has been found.¡± She had misunderstood Howard. It wasn¡¯t him who took the child away.. Tears poured down Amanda¡¯s face even more after she thought about it. She cried in deep sorrow while wondering why she hadn¡¯t trusted him. In the Winters Family, Howard had always treated her well. Even if he had ulterior motives earlier and wanted to hide the child, it was only because he was afraid she would take the child away. Amanda looked at the man beside her. He stood in front of his grandfather as if he had returned to the role of the obedient grandson. His eyes were now upied by grief and no longer filled with hostility. She heard Elias repeatedly calling out to his grandfather emotionlessly as if he could hear his grandfather¡¯s response in the next second, ¡°Grandpa¡­ don¡¯t you want to scold me? Get up and scold me.¡± He wished so much to hear his grandfather scold him again, rather than lying here motionless. Tears fell from his eyes onto Howard¡¯s hand. Why did he have to arrange a funeral for his grandfather after arranging a funeral for his father? Why¡­ Why did he have to bear all of this alone? He could be willful because his grandfather was there as his spiritual support in the past. However, the entire Winters Family relied on him alone now. His grandfather would never stand behind him again to give him advice and worry about him¡­ ¡°Elias, don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Amanda felt her heart breaking after hearing his voice. She had never realized that Elias was also a man who could evoke feelings of pity. The usually domineering Elias appeared somewhat fragile now, like a child in need of protection. ¡°Grandpa, you were supposed to supervise me in ce of my father. How could you leave first? I don¡¯t want to arrange a funeral for you. I don¡¯t want to.. He vividly remembered when he and his grandfather arranged the funeral for his father. His grandfather mourned for his father and was unable to hold back his tears. Now, Elias had to arrange a funeral for his grandfather¡­ ¡°Elias¡­¡± Amanda sobbed while holding onto his arm. He persisted in calling out to his grandfather, ¡°Grandpa, wake up. Didn¡¯t you want to hold your great- grandchild? You¡¯ve been eagerly waiting for this moment, and you¡¯ve only seen him twice. How is that enough? It¡¯s far from enough.¡± ¡°Elias, please don¡¯t do this¡­¡± She held onto his body and cried as her emotions crashed. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Mr Winters Is Your Father At the Winters Estate.. The bedroom was pitch ck, with tightly drawn curtains blocking out any trace of light. The tall figure of a man leaned in the corner with a pile of empty wine bottles surrounding him. He had been drowning his sorrows in alcohol all day. He shut himself off in this dark world, neither eating nor drinking, using alcohol alone to numb himself. Elias feltpletely useless¡­. His father was gone. His grandfather was gone, and now the entire Winters Family relied on him alone. He had to confront the entire board of directors. Yet he still had to handle his grandfather¡¯s funeral, and he felt that he could no longer shoulder these responsibilities. At that moment, amotion could be heard outside. Elias furrowed his brow impatiently. Now, any sound he heard would only irritate him. ¡°Mr. Elias, please open the door. I have something to say to you. Please open the door!¡± Oscar¡¯s voice echoed from outside the bedroom. He had been loyal to Howard for many years and was unwaveringly devoted to him. Now that Howard was gone, Oscar¡¯s grief was probably no less than his own. However, he had no mood to see anyone now, not even Amanda if she were toe. The knocking on the door continued incessantly. Each knock felt like a hammer striking his head, causing it to ache as if it were about to explode. Oscar kept calling from outside and asked him to open the door¡­. Elias¡¯ headache was intense. He struggled to get up, walked to the door, and opened it. He recked of alcohol and angrily shouted, ¡°Get lost! Go as far away as possible! Now that Grandpa is gone, why are you still lingering in the Winters Family? Go live your own life! There¡¯s no one here for you to serve every day anymore!¡± When Howard was alive, Oscar practically revolved around him every day. Oscar had followed Howard for most of his life, and their bond was no less than that of a grandson. Tears streamed down Oscar¡¯s face as he pleaded, ¡°Mr. Elias, I want you to investigate this matter thoroughly. Old Mr. Winters couldn¡¯t have inexplicably fallen down the stairs!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elias looked at him with a deste gaze and sensed that he had something more to say. Oscar wiped away his tears and sobbed. ¡°I always felt that something was amiss with this incident. Today, Old Mr. Winters was still looking for people everywhere to help you find the child. In the middle of it, Miss Bailey came to the manor looking for him. I told her that he was at the estate, and she went there. However, the estimated time of death determined by the autopsy coincides exactly with the time when Miss Bailey arrived at the estate. She was also the first person to discover Old Mr. Winters¡¯ body. How could such a coincidence happen-¡± Oscar wanted to continue exining his suspicions, but Elias couldn¡¯t listen any longer and angrily interrupted, ¡°Enough! Shut up! Get out!¡± With a loud m, the door was shut. Oscar continued banging on the door from outside while passionately sharing his viewpoint that the incident where Howard fell down the stairs was definitely not that simple.. Elias stared at the closed door, his mind in chaos. He didn¡¯t want to entertain these thoughts at all. It was impossible. He knew Amanda. It couldn¡¯t be. After turning around with the stench of alcohol on him, he returned to the pile of wine bottles. He picked up a half-empty bottle and guzzled its contents. He neither wanted to stay sober anymore nor wanted to face the gruesome reality. Suddenly, another round of knocking sounded from outside. This time, it wasn¡¯t Oscar¡¯s voice, but a cute little voice. ¡°Uncle Elias, it¡¯s Aiden. I¡¯vee to see you.¡± Elias abruptly turned his head and was stunned for a moment. Then, he walked over and opened the door without thinking. Sure enough, his son stood outside while holding hands with Amanda. Elias had locked himself in the room for a full day and night, so seeing this mother and son again gave him a feeling as if they had been separated for a lifetime. Amanda looked at the man before her. It had only been a day since theyst saw each other, but how did he be so haggard? His eyes were filled with destion, and a stubble had grown on his chin. It felt like he was encapsting himself in a dark world where no one was allowed to enter. ¡°Uncle Elias¡­¡± Elias, who had always appeared as a well-dressed and elegant gentleman in Aiden¡¯s eyes, now looked so deste that it scared Aiden a bit. ¡°Baby, go and hug Uncle Elias. He¡¯s not feeling well. Let¡¯s keep himpany, okay?¡± Amanda squeezed her son¡¯s small hand. Aiden looked up at his mommy, then opened his arms and hugged the man¡¯s long legs while saying in a childish voice, ¡°Uncle Elias, everything will be okay. I¡¯ll always support you. Cheer up¡­¡± These words were clearly taught by Amanda. A smile tugged at the corners of Elias¡¯ mouth. He slowly knelt on one leg and looked at this little boy. Aiden looked just like himself. Apart from him, this boy was the only bloodline left of the Winters Family. Fate had been kind to him. At least he still had his son by his side¡­. Tears welled up in his eyes. He had always believed that men shouldn¡¯t easily shed tears, but these past few days, he had shed quite a few. It was because his pir of strength had left¡­ Elias asked, ¡°Aiden, can you call me ¡®Daddy¡±?¡± He had been looking forward to this day. At first, he thought there was no need to rush as his son would gradually recognize him as his father. He had thought that Howard would get to witness this scene, but¡­. Aiden blinked his round, grape-like eyes. ¡°Why?¡± He didn¡¯t want to call just anyone ¡°Daddy.¡± It took him a long time to consider Simon as someone suitable for his mommy after all. Before the man could say anything. Amanda also crouched down and gently stroked her son¡¯s furry little head. ¡°Aiden, Uncle Elias is your daddy. You can call him ¡®Daddy, okay?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Elias¡¯ gaze turned toward her. His expression wasplex and it conveyed a wealth of unspoken emotions. Even Amanda hadn¡¯t expected herself to say such an important thing in such a casual tone as if she werementing on the weather. As expected, Aiden widened his eyes. ¡°Mommy, are you serious? Uncle Elias is my daddy? Didn¡¯t you say that Uncle Elias knew Daddy?¡± Amanda continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t been honest with you. Uncle Elias is your daddy. I selfishly wanted to keep you all to myself. I was afraid that your daddy woulde and take you away, so¡­¡± ¡°Mommy, I understand.¡± He understood? Could a three-year-old really understand? She was a bit surprised. Did this little guy really know what she was talking about? Aiden earnestly stepped forward and hugged Elias¡¯ neck, pressing his small face against his shoulder. He solemnly called out, ¡°Daddy.¡± Elias¡¯ body trembled, as if a ray of light had finally pierced through the darkness of his world. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He tightly embraced his son in his arms while inhaling the scent that belonged exclusively to Aiden. He really called me Daddy¡­ With this little guy anchoring him in this world, how could he just fall like this? Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 You Jinx! Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Elias held Aiden in his arms and was overwhelmed with emotions. He suddenly felt that his responsibilities had be even greater. still many Amanda, who was beside him, spoke slowly. ¡°Elias, you need to pull yourself together. There are things that require your attention. Grandpa loved you so much, and you must personally handle his funeral.¡± Tears shimmered in her eyes when she mentioned Howard. She knew that Elias was currently the one suffering the most in the whole world. His beloved grandfather had passed away, leaving him struggling to ept it. Especially with his father also gone, he was the only man left in the Winters Family. All the heavy burdens. fell upon his shoulders. She heard that he had locked himself in his room for a whole day and night, not eating or drinking and just numbing himself with alcohol. Amanda could empathize with that feeling. It was like when her mother passed away¡­ Elias released his hold on his son and gently touched the soft little face while saying, ¡°Good boy. I¡¯ve failed you as your father.¡± Aiden didn¡¯t say anything. He just quietly looked at Elias. He felt that his mommy was lying to him, She was just trying tofort Elias. ¡°Take the child back to rest. I will pull myself together. I know how heavy my responsibilities are.¡± Amanda hesitated for a moment but nodded while taking her son¡¯s hand. ¡°Say goodbye to Daddy. We¡¯re going back.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Daddy.¡± Aiden waved his hand. The rotten heart in Elias¡¯ chest seemed toe back to life. He reached out and gently rubbed his son¡¯s little head. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Amanda led her son out of the vi, but the little guy didn¡¯t show any joy in recognizing his father. She found it strange. Even if there was no joy, why was there no surprise or rejection? Could this little rascal have such a strong ability to ept new things? ¡°Aiden, I told you that Uncle Elias is your daddy. Aren¡¯t you surprised at all? You seem to have known already.¡± This three-year-old kid is tooposed. Aiden looked up at his mommy and said, ¡°Nope. I knew you were lying. We were justforting Uncle Elias. You told me before we came here that Uncle Elias is not in a good mood.¡± Amanda was startled speechless. So, this little brat thinks it¡¯s an act. She was son. unsure of how to exin to her She crouched down while looking at her son¡¯s innocent face. ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m telling you the truth. I¡¯m not joking orforting Uncle Elias. Uncle Elias is really your daddy. He¡¯s the one you¡¯ve been asking me about. Do you understand?¡± Aiden stared at his mommy nkly. It took him a long time to react. His little mind was processing something, but she didn¡¯t know what it was. Amanda started to panic. ¡°Baby? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Suddenly, Aiden pouted while looking very aggrieved. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re lying to me again. You told me that Daddy didn¡¯t want us and that he disliked us, which is why he left. However, Uncle Elias doesn¡¯t seem to dislike us. Instead, he likes us a lot¡­¡± She was once again speechless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. I said bad things about your daddy because I was afraid that he would take you. away, but now that he is facing the most difficult time, we should be there for him, right?¡± She knew that she was delving into deep waters by having this conversation with a three-year-old, but she had no other choice. Aiden stared at her for a while, said nothing, and quietly walked toward where the car was parked. Amanda stood up and followed behind her son¡¯s small figure. This must be his true reaction. He couldn¡¯t easily ept that Elias was his biological father. Three dayster, at Howard¡¯s funeral. The sky was gray and overcast, with dark clouds looming as if a heavy rainstorm could break out at any moment. Everyone¡¯s mood was heavy, and the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive. Elias was dressed in a ck suit, with a white chrysanthemum pinned to his chest, He looked gloomy and expressionless. He bowed to each person who came to pay their respects. Jennifer stood to the side. Her face was pale as she wiped away her tears. She felt that retribution had come again. First her husband, now her father-inw¡­ She worriedly looked at Elias standing nearby. She was afraid that her son would be the next. Grace also appeared at the funeral. She approached the altar and bowed three times. Then, she looked at Howard¡¯s body lying there, and her face turned pale with fright. She couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene from that day¡­. Nobody knew that she did it. Nobody would ever know. There were no witnesses present at the time. The only person who knew was Howard, but now he was dead. There was no evidence at all. It was as if fate was helping her. As long as she didn¡¯t admit it, no one would ever know that she pushed Howard down the stairs. She straightened her chest and walked up to Elias. She was about to speak but was immediately. interrupted by him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me at Grandpa¡¯s funeral. I don¡¯t want to waste my words with you.¡± After speaking, he simply bowed in courtesy and then looked expressionless at the next mourner. Grace swallowed her words because Elias¡¯ expression at the moment was truly unpleasant. It was filled with hostility. Suddenly, there was a sh of lightning and the rumbling of thunder outside, apanied by the sound of raindrops falling. Grace trembled in fear and turned her head abruptly to look at the sudden downpour as if it was sounding an rm for her. She turned around and fled in panic. Coincidentally, she ran into Amanda and Aiden who came to pay their respects. Grace left in a flustered manner, while Amanda held her son¡¯s hand and bowed three times in front of Howard¡¯s altar. Aiden looked at the photo of the old man and asked curiously, ¡°Mommy, why is the old man also in the picture? Does that mean he will forever live in this photo?¡± She tightened her grip on her son¡¯s small hand and said, ¡°Be good and go say hello to Great-Grandpa, Aiden. He loved you the most.¡± Unfortunately, he had only met Aiden two or three times in total. Thinking of this, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of sadness. If she had known this day would come, she would have let Aiden spend more time with Howard. ¡°Hello, Great-Grandpa. I¡¯m Aiden. Mommy brought me here to see you,¡± Aiden greeted the photo of Howard seriously. After hearing her son¡¯s sweet voice, Amanda truly wanted to cry. She pulled her son to stand in front of Elias. In just a few days, Elias had lost much weight. Although he didn¡¯t look as deste as before, he still exuded a heavy aura, like a cold and emotionless robot. He still followed the etiquette and bowed in return to Amanda. ¡°Elias, are you all- Before Amanda could finish her sentence, her words were cut off by Jennifer, right with you around! You jinx!¡± Jinx? Amanda was startled. Sharled. ¡°Nothing is all Elias furrowed his brow and his gaze was sharp as he looked at his mother. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to kick you out, then shut up and don¡¯t cause a scene at my grandfather¡¯s funeral!¡± Jennifer immediately shut her mouth and continued to cry incessantly. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 You Murderer! ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys go back first?¡± Elias suggested, after which Amanda nodded and bent over to pick up the child. She understood what Elias meant and didn¡¯t want to cause him any trouble. Under such a circumstance, she had no choice but to leave with the kid first. Anyway, she had only wanted to attend Howard¡¯s funeral to pay her respects, but much to her surprise, Aiden suddenly shouted at Jennifer, ¡°My mom is not a jinx! You are the jinx!¡± The kid¡¯s high-pitched voice attracted the attention of everyone present at the funeral. Amanda was startled as she didn¡¯t expect the young kid to stand up for her. Does he even know what a jinx is? Jennifer was astounded for a moment before bellowing. Is that what you¡¯ve been teaching your son, Amanda?! Oh, why would I even be surprised when you¡¯re just a rude and mannerless woman? If he were indeed a Winters, he would¡¯ve been ruined by you!¡± Her words were harsh as she looked down on Amanda and her family. ¡°Please mind yournguage, Mrs. Winters! There are minors around.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to argue with the older woman in front of Aiden, so she decided to turn around and leave. Nevertheless, a relentless Jennifer ran after her and snapped. ¡°You¡¯re just a lowly woman. What right do you have to give birth to a son for the Winterses? Why would we believe you when you im the kid is a -Winters without providing any evidence?¡± No longer able to take it, Elias ordered, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Get her out of here, Yacob!¡± Yacob, who was watching a good show, was shocked. He soon came to his senses and replied, ¡°Right away.¡± Then, he walked up to Jennifer and said, ¡°Pleasee with me, Mrs. Winters.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you dare touch me! Get lost!¡± Jennifer bellowed with contempt written all over her face. Now, she looked just like a maniac. Everyone present at the funeral started believing that she was out of her mind. Ignoring the older woman¡¯s resistance. Yacob dragged her out of the funeral. ¡°Elias! I¡¯m your mom! You can¡¯t do this to me! How could you side with an outsider? I¡¯m your mom!¡± Regardless of how loud Jennifer shouted, Elias remained unfazed. Just as Yacob was about to lug Jennifer out of the door, Elias said, ¡°Send my mom to the nursing home as soon as possible. She¡¯s been slightly mental as ofte, so please forgive her for causing trouble. I apologize to all of you on her behalf.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± When Jennifer heard her son was going to send her to the nursing home, her eyes widened with fear. She had just left that ce, but now she was forced to return. She madly shook her head and yelled, ¡°No, Elias! I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t send me to that ce!¡± The man ignored her regardless of how hard she shouted. All the people at the funeral started whispering among themselves. ¡°I heard that Mr. Jensly and his wife have been living in a foreign country. Why does it look like Mrs. Winters is slightly mental? Has she been staying in a nursing home? What about Mr. Jensly?¡± ¡°Shh¡­ You¡¯d better not inquire about the Winterses¡¯ affairs. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get into trouble!¡± ¡°All the Winterses are mysterious. I wonder why Old Mr. Winters passed away all of a sudden. Did he die from an illness? Or was it an ident?¡± ¡°Who knows? Also, who¡¯s the young woman carrying a child?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think the young boy looks like Mr. Winters? Could he be Mr. Winters¡¯ illegitimate son?¡± As Amanda listened to their discussions, she held the young boy tighter and hastened her pace to leave as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Elias clenched his fists as he watched them leave. Since they didn¡¯t announce their marriage at that time, no one knew he and Amanda were married. As such, no one understood why there was a kid at the funeral all of a sudden. Elias decided that he was going to announce his son¡¯s existence to the public after the funeral. He wouldn¡¯t want his son to be called an illegitimate child. Just as Amanda was about to step out of the door, Oscar appeared suddenly and bellowed, ¡°You murderer! How did you have the nerve to attend Old Mr. Winters¡¯ funeral?¡± Upon hearing that, all of them broke into amotion. Given the Winterses¡¯ influence in society, the attendees of the funeral were all powerful people as well. Nevertheless, they were still shocked upon hearing Oscar¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did he just call the woman a murderer?¡± ¡°I know him. He¡¯s been Old Mr. Winters¡¯ butler for many years. Whenever I visited Old Mr. Winters in the past, it was this butler who greeted me.¡± ¡°My goodness! Is it a murder case now? Does it mean Old Mr. Winters didn¡¯t die from an illness or old age?¡± When Amanda heard the older man¡¯s words, she was rooted to the spot. The murmurs around plunged her into a state of distress. Aiden looked at the old butler, whose hair and beard were all white. ¡°My mom is not a murderer!¡± the child snapped, standing up for what he believed was the truth. Little did he know that his mother was on the brink of tears because of his defense. Only her son would steadfastly stand by her, and he wouldn¡¯t believe whatever others said about her. ¡°Do you have any evidence? How could you call me a murderer? I understand that you must be distraught after Old Mr. Winters passed away, but you can¡¯t just call me a murderer without any evidence.¡± Amanda only wanted to leave with Aiden. She didn¡¯t want to make a fuss at Howard¡¯s funeral so that he could rest in peace. ¡°Are you sick of living, Mr. Pate? I wee you if you¡¯re here to pay respects to my grandfather. However, if you¡¯re here to make a scene, get lost right away!¡± Elias was enraged. He didn¡¯t want to kick up a storm at Howard¡¯s funeral, but everyone seemed determined to go against him.. All of a sudden, his head started aching terribly. Why would I get a headache at this point? The man ced his hand on his forehead and shook his head. He couldn¡¯t copse at such a moment. However, an agitated Oscar yelled, ¡°Mr. Winters! Why are you unwilling to look into Old Mr. Winters¡¯ cause of death? It¡¯s not as simple as that, nor is it a coincidence. This woman went looking for Old Mr. Winters that day, and he soon rolled down the stairs and passed away. Aren¡¯t you supposed to look into it? Old Mr. Winters always doted on you, so how could you not get to the culprit for him?¡± All of their jaws dropped when they heard that. ¡°Did Old Mr. Winters roll down the stairs and pass away? The Winterses imed that he died of an illness.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who is this woman? Is the child in her arms the illegitimate son of Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°I guess the woman gave birth to Mr. Winters¡¯ son and used the child as a bargaining chip to be of the Winterses. Old Mr. Winters didn¡¯t agree to it, so she decided to kill him.¡± part ¡°In that case, Mr. Winters is supposed to call the police. Does he love her so much? He doesn¡¯t even care about Old Mr. Winters¡¯ death. Is he determined to protect the woman and her child?¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who knows? The Winters men are all Casanovas. Mr. Winters¡¯ father almost severed ties with his family for a mistress back then.¡± Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 I¡¯ll Give You the Courage Elias¡¯ headache worsened as he listened to the discussions around him. He turned to look at a bodywood and ordered, ¡°Get him out of here! ¡°Yes¡± With that, Oscar was lugged away from the funeral by the bodyguard He bellowed at Elies, ¡°Is this here you repay Old Mr. Winters for doting on you? His cause of death is still not identified, so how condd you bury him without getting to the culprit first? Don¡¯t you think about why he rolled down the stairs all ed sudden? How are you supposed to lead the Winters Family? All his love for you was for nothing¡± Oscar¡¯s harsh words deeply hurt Elias. How was it possible that Howard¡¯s love for his grandson was all for nothing? Elias wouldn¡¯t let the cause of his grandfather¡¯s death remain a mystery forever, but he was afraid that if he looked into the matter, Amanda might turn out to be the culprit. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t doubt Amanda, but the incident was too coincidental. Although his rational mind told him he should get to the truth, his instincts told him he should trust Amanda uncondition Faced with the older man¡¯s usation, Amanda looked around and realized everyone was ncing at her in a way as if she was indeed the murderer. If she didn¡¯t make herself clear, everyone in Imperia would get wind of the rumor that she had killed. Howard by the very same night. She turned to look at Elias and said, ¡°You have to get to the truth so th? Old Mr. Winters will truly be at peace in heaven, and idl also prove my innocence. Since I¡¯ve done nothing wrong, I¡¯m not afraid of anyone looking into the matter With that, she left the funeral with her child. Elias was startled for a moment before feeling ashamed that he even doubted Amanda in the first ce, He had repeatedly told himself that he had to trust the woman, but still, he couldn¡¯t help but suspect that she might have killed his grandfather. Behind the door, Grace had been hiding the entire time. When she saw what was going on, she was anxious. If Elias looked into the matter, he might find some traces and get to her. I can¡¯t let that happen! I have to twist the evidence so that it¡¯ll point to Amanda! Moreover, she¡¯s the prime suspect now, for she was the one who discovered Old Mr. Winters¡¯ death. As a sinister glint shed across Grace¡¯s eyes, she turned around and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless, Amanda. You were unlucky to be present at the scene at that time.¡± Rain was pouring down on the cemetery. The clouds appeared so heavy that it was as if the sky was about toe crashing down. One would feel depressed just by staying under such weather conditions. Elias held a ck umbre and stood in front of Howard¡¯s grave while looking at his photo. He had been standing in the rain for a long time. Somewhere near him, Yacob had been keeping himpany with an umbre. He had been Elias subordinate for years, so he understood his temperament very well. Elias didn¡¯t need any constion at that moment. As a subordinate, he just had to stay by his side in silence. Elias had to sort out his emotions, and no one except himself could do that. While standing in front of Howard¡¯s grave and ncing at his photo, Elias finally said, ¡°I have to take my leave, Grandpa. I can¡¯t keep youpany anymore, for I have to deal with many things. I have to find out the truth of your death and manage Winters Enterprise. By the way, I¡¯ve sent my mom back to the nursing home. I hope you won¡¯t me me for it. She¡¯ll be better off staying there, and it¡¯s a way of protecting her as well.¡± Regardless of what Elias said, the hot-tempered Howard would never reply to him again. Only the endless silence and the sounds of pouring rain responded to him. Elias felt his heart getting twisted. He was in so much pain that he could no longer say anything. Despite young age, he had experienced the pain of losing the people closest to him twice. his After standing in front of the grave for a while longer, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll visit you again.¡± Then, he turned around and left. When he passed by his father¡¯s grave, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh, for he found everythingughable and ridiculous. He didn¡¯t believe that curses existed in this world, but there was no way it was a coincidence that he repeatedly lost his family members. He wondered if his grandfather and father would reunite in the other world. After his father passed away, Howard always said he dreamed of his son and missed him very much. When Yacob saw Elias leaving, he quickly followed him. ¡°Where are we going now, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°To the club.¡± ¡°Are you going to meet up with anyone?¡± Yacob was instantly ready to get to work, thinking that Elias was going to look into the cause of Howard¡¯s death. Much to his surprise, Elias replied impassively, I¡¯m going to drink.¡± What?! Yacob was startled, thinking that he had misheard him. Hasn¡¯t he pulled himself together already? Why is he going to drink again? Yacob let out a cough. Although he knew he shouldn¡¯t interfere in Elias¡¯ affairs, he had a duty to give him a reminder in such a situation. ¡°Mr. Winters¡­ After Old Mr. Winters passed away, the board of directors practically became a mess. All of them want to get more power for themselves. As such, you have to pull yourself together. If you still go to the club and drink, all of your shares will be snatched from you. When Old Mr. Winters sees that in heaven, he¡¯ll be mad.¡± Upon finishing his words, Yacob realized he had crossed the line. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Winters¡­¡± Elias stopped in his tracks and shot Yacob a look before saying, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m oblivious to the things. you already know? Yes, I¡¯m going to the club to drink, but I¡¯m not trying to get myself drunk. I¡¯m going to retrieve my grandfather¡¯s shares.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He had been dejected for a few days. During that period, his aunt Anna snatched Howard¡¯s shares and even partnered up with thewyer to alter the will. Although he had been doing nothing, it didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t aware of what was going on. In the past few days, Anna had been boasting that Howard loved her the most and even gave her all the shares. Everyone was puzzled as to why such a thing even happened. Yacob said with a smile, ¡°Way to go, Mr. Winters! You have no idea how haughty your aunt has been over the past few days. Not only has she pulled a dirty trick to snatch all the shares, but she has also been spreading rumors about you.¡± While walking forward, Elias asked, ¡°What has she been saying about me?¡± ¡°She¡­¡± Yacob didn¡¯t have the nerve to tell him about it, for the woman¡¯s words were too mean. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the courage. Tell me everything.¡± Yacob cleared his throat and told him about the rumors Anna had been spreading. ¡°She said you might not be your father¡¯s son, which was why Old Mr. Winters wasn¡¯t willing to give you the shares. He had been doting on you just to put on a show for the outsiders. She also imed that you were a jinx. Your father and grandfather passed away because of you. Also- Elias bellowed, ¡°Enough! Say no more!¡± Anna had been spreading false rumors about Elias as if he was a monster. If she wasn¡¯t taught a lesson, she would likely kick Elias out of the board of directors. When Howard was still around, Anna had beenining that he was partial toward Jensly and Elias. Now that he passed away, she started fabricating rumors. After Elias got into the car, he said, ¡°Go to the club now and tell my good-for-nothing cousin toe and see me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yacob got into the driver¡¯s seat and drove the car out of the cemetery. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 A Domineering Elias Presently, Amanda was at her home in Northern No. 1. She didn¡¯t go to thew firm in the past few days, nor was she in any mood to head out. The door was pushed open. Selina had picked up the child and returned. When she saw Amanda spacing out on the couch, she said to the child, ¡°Go and y with your toys, Aiden. I¡¯ll go to youter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Aiden obediently went to y with his toys so that Selina and Amanda could have a talk. Selina put down her purse and sat down on the couch before calling out, ¡°Amanda?¡± The woman didn¡¯t react to her. She seemed engrossed in her own little world. Selina wondered what was on her mind. ¡°Amanda!¡± she called out again. ¡°Yeah?¡± Amanda finally came to her senses. Upon registering Selina¡¯s presence, she asked with a smile, ¡°When did youe back? I didn¡¯t hear the door opening. By the way, where¡¯s Aiden?¡± A helpless Selina shook her head. ¡°You were just deep in thought. Aiden is ying with his toys now. Are you alright? You¡¯ve been muddle-headed for the past few days. Did anything happen?¡± Amanda replied calmly. ¡°Elias¡¯ grandfather rolled down the stairs and passed away.¡± ¡°My goodness! How did that even happen? Mr. Winters must be distraught now.¡± It was imaginable how tough it must have been for someone like Elias, who was proud and unwilling to show his weaknesses. Amanda put on a dejected smile. ¡°I was the first one who discovered his death.¡± Selina stared at her with disbelief for a moment before asking tentatively. ¡°Does Mr. Winters you pushed his grandfather down the stairs?¡± suspect that Amanda shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not him. It¡¯s other people. However, I feel that he¡¯s doubting me as well, but he¡¯s forcing himself to trust me. That¡¯s because all the signs show that Old Mr. Winters¡¯ death has something to do with me. It was too coincidental. As I recall the incident that day, I even start suspecting myself¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words, Selina took her hands and said, ¡°Amanda! Stop imagining things. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d do such a thing. You¡¯re awyer, so you understand the consequences of murdering someone. You¡¯re clever enough not to do that. Moreover, you¡¯ve been saying that when you were in Winters Manor, Old Mr. Winters always took good care of you. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d ever kill him.¡± Amanda was startled as she looked at Selina and asked, ¡°Why do you trust me so much? Perhaps I committed a crime on a whim. When a person is agitated, they would do anything. Moreover, I thought. Old Mr. Winters was hiding Aiden from me at that time.¡± ¡°You still wouldn¡¯t do that. You¡¯re not that kind of person. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d ever do such a thing.¡± Selina -replied steadfastly. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but put on a smile, her eyes welling up with tears. It felt wonderful to have a friend who trusted her unconditionally. However, when she recalled Jennifer calling her a jinx and Oscar iming her to be the murderer at the funeral, she felt awful. Even though she was awyer, she felt powerless to refute them. In fact, she also felt there was something fishy about Howard¡¯s death. Why would he roll down the stairs out of nowhere? Inside the club, Danny Parsons sat down on the couch with his legs crossed and looked arrogantly at the bodyguard beside him before saying, ¡°Why did Elias ask me toe here? Is he going to apologize to me? Haha. He must be afraid because he knows that we¡¯re the biggest shareholder now. Is he going to submit to us?¡± Elias¡¯ bodyguard had asked Danny toe to the club, and he had been listening to his nonsense for the past 30 minutes, which was why he was annoyed. Seeing that the bodyguard ignored him, Danny snapped. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you! Are you deaf? Why did Elias even hire a bodyguard like you? It¡¯s like talking to a dead person! Damn it!¡± All of a sudden, the door was pushed open. Elias entered the room and said, ¡°Since you find it frustrating to talk to my bodyguard, do you want to rece him and be my bodyguard, then?¡± Following that, he unbuttoned his jacket and sat down on the couch. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Yacob entered the room as well and stood beside Elias, taking over from the bodyguard. He sent a signal to the bodyguard, who nodded and left before closing the door. It had to be said that Elias was naturally imposing. He was always intimidating to the people around him, not the other way around. Danny subconsciously straightened up and ced both feet on the ground. He had always been afraid of Elias. The fact that Howard was impartial toward Elias made him feel aggrieved. Now that Howard was gone and his mother had acquired all the shares, he could finally be confident in front of Elias. At the thought of this, he realized there was no longer any reason for him to be afraid of his cousin. As such, he leaned against the couch again and crossed his legs, looking haughty. I¡¯m worried you can¡¯t afford to hire me to be your bodyguard, Elias. After all, Grandpa¡¯s shares are all given to my mom. Haha!¡± Elias squinted and looked at the clown in front of him before saying grimly, ¡°Do you think I have no idea. how your mother even obtained those shares? You guys even had the guts to alter the will. Are you sick of living?¡± The smile on Danny¡¯s face froze in an instant as he nced anxiously at him. ¡°W-What nonsense are you spouting? We didn¡¯t alter the will. You can¡¯t use us of something we¡¯ve never done. It was a will created by Grandpa. Mr. Glover is the witness, and everything is in ck and white. Do you want to y any tricks. or something?¡± Elias sneered and ced a cigarette between his lips before lighting it. ¡°I¡¯m not only going to y tricks, but I¡¯m also going to snatch everything that¡¯s rightfully mine back. I¡¯ve asked you toe here to tell you all this so that you¡¯ll go home and tell your mother to give me back. things that don¡¯t belong to her. I won¡¯t settle the score with her since we¡¯re rtives. However, if she doesn¡¯t repent, don¡¯t me me for going hard on her.¡± With that, he put out the cigarette in the ashtray and got to his feet before leaving the room. Danny fell into a dazed state for a moment. When he saw the man leave, he continued to y dumb. T have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Fliss What do you mean when you say things that don¡¯t belong to us? Are you talking about the shared? They were given to us by Grandpa. We didn¡¯t force him to give the shares to us. Stop spouting nonsense, will you? He still wanted to reason with his domineering cousin. But Elias was so out of tight as the door closed behind himi. In the corridor Flim ended to another on with an experedele fare The nest person he was going to meet the erreind ergre chareholder on the bead of directors Jack Alleges Yacob followed him and scked purely Mr Winter don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re going to meet Mr Allegra He doesn¡¯t really interfere in thepany¡¯s ars. All he cares about is thepany e performance¡± Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 I¡¯ll Agree to the Marriage Elias said, ¡°He¡¯ll interfere, but there¡¯s a price to pay.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yacob recalled Jack being oblivious to everything. The older man would attend the board meetings, but he usually wouldn¡¯t have a hand in thepany¡¯s affairs. As such, it was difficult to know what was on his mind. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± When they arrived at the room, Yacob opened the door. Jack had been waiting for them, and there was a hint of impatience on his face. Nevertheless, he remained calm and collected. Yacob closed the door while Elias sat down across from the older man and said politely, ¡°I¡¯m being one minutete, Mr. Allegra.¡± sorry for Jack picked up his cup and took a sip of tea. ¡°If you came anyter, I would¡¯ve left. You know I hate waiting for people. Regardless of who the person is, I won¡¯t wait for one more second.¡± ¡°But you still waited for me. It shows that I¡¯m worth the wait because there¡¯s something I can do for you. Am 1 right?¡± Elias curled up his lips. He had always been sedated in the business world, which was unlike how hot-tempered he was in private. That was something his grandfather and father had taught him-to remain calm in the business world. Otherwise, he would only screw things up. The smile on Jack¡¯s face widened as he fiddled with the delicate porcin teacup in his hand. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re well-prepared. In that case, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I know what you want, and I¡¯m sure you also know what I want.¡± Yacob frowned, not understanding what the two of them were talking about. He couldn¡¯t figure out what Jack wanted. Worried that he might miss out on some important details, he listened to them attentively. After a moment of silence, Elias nced at the shrewd older man before his eyes. His face stiffened as if he had made a difficult decision. I¡¯ll agree to the marriage. Since my grandfather and father are no longer around, you¡¯ll take charge of the wedding. I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± Upon hearing that, Yacob plunged into disbelief. A marriage? Is this what Mr. Allegra wants? Does he want his daughter and Mr. Winters to marry? What about Amanda and Aiden? Yacob was dumbfounded at that moment. He turned to look at the expressionless Elias, wondering what was on his mind. Is he really going to betray Amanda by marrying Mr. Allegra¡¯s daughter? After getting a definitive reply, Jack put on a smile. ¡°It¡¯s decided, then, my future son-inw. Marriage is the best decision for both of our families. I¡¯m aware of your previous marriage, but it¡¯s no big deal. Sessful businessmen tend to have interesting private lives. My daughter and I won¡¯t mind it. What we want is coboration and mutual sess. Keep that in mind and don¡¯t let your love affairs ruin your future.¡± ¡°I know, so there¡¯s no need to remind me. I¡¯m fully aware of the situation after the death of my father and grandfather. I have to take back control of the Winters Enterprise before any good-for-nothing ruins it.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He had to retrieve the shares that Anna snatched as soon as possible. Jack nodded with satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re indeed a clever young man.¡± He then took a look at the wristwatch and said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m going to meet my friends, so I¡¯ll take my leave now. Come over tomorrow to talk about the wedding. By the way, my daughter is returning to the country in two days. Help me pick her up and also get to know her better.¡± With that, Jack got to his feet and left. When the door was closed, thest bit of politeness on Elias¡¯ face disappeared. As a sense of exhaustion swept over him, he closed his eyes and pressed his hand against his forehead. Yacob eagerly sat down beside him. ¡°Are you really going to marry Mr. Allegra¡¯s daughter and be his son-inw, Mr. Winters? You¡¯ve never seen her before. Is that even okay?¡± ¡°Do you have a different solution, then?¡± Elias shot him a look. Yacob was rendered speechless. Previously, Howard made Elias marry Amanda, and now, he was forced to marry a woman he didn¡¯t know just to get his shares back. Elias continued, ¡°Jack only has one daughter, so he wants her to marry a reliable man. Moreover, he doesn¡¯t want to pass on the business he has worked so hard to build to a poor man. As far as I¡¯m concerned, his daughter is deeply in love with a poor man. They¡¯re inseparable.¡± Yacob replied, ¡°I see¡­. Since they¡¯re inseparable, will she even agree to marry you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s thest of my concerns as long as I can achieve my goal. As for whether his daughter wants to marry me, that¡¯s none of my business.¡± He didn¡¯t care about what Jack¡¯s daughter looked like or what her temperament was like, nor was he interested in finding the poor man she was in love with. His most important task at hand was to save the Winters Enterprise. After his father and grandfather were gone, he didn¡¯t have many he could trust. As the secondrgest shareholder on the board of directors, Jack was immensely useful. ¡°What about Aiden?¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°He¡¯ll always be my son. That will never change. ¡°And what about Miss Bailey?¡± Yacob asked. Elias¡¯ expression changed slightly when Amanda was mentioned. After a moment of silence, he replied, ¡°As for Amanda¡­ it¡¯s time I set her free. She doesn¡¯t like me. It could even be said that she hates me. She has made a huge concession by letting Aiden acknowledge me as his father. I can¡¯t keep forcing her to do things she doesn¡¯t want to do.¡± He had made up his mind, and he wasn¡¯t ying hard to get. The death of his grandfather had a huge impact on him. Moreover, he felt that he couldn¡¯t bring happiness to Amanda. Instead, he would only cause her to suffer endless grievances. If Amanda became his wife again, she would go through a lot of hardship. Furthermore, she had never promised that she would get back with him. At the thought of this, Elias appeared downcast. It was pointless to keep pestering the woman, and he didn¡¯t have any time to continue doing that. There were many things he had to deal with, including taking control of the Winters Enterprise. Upon hearing his words, Yacob, too, fell into deep thoughts. He had no idea if Elias had indeed pulled himself together or was ying hard to get. Nevertheless, Elias didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to y any games. Thepany was a mess, and those from the board were trying to make things difficult for him bypeting for dominance. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Elias got up from the chair., Yacob asked, ¡°Where to?¡± Im going to see my son. I haven¡¯t seen him for a few days, and I miss him.¡± In fact, he also wanted to see Amanda because he missed her too. Without saying anything, Yacob left the room with Elias. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Cold and Distant At their home in Northern No. 1, Amanda and Aiden were having their meal around the table. The young boy was pigging out on the food as he found it delicious. On the other hand, Amanda didn¡¯t have much appetite. Her mind was upied by the usations of Jennifer and Oscar. It was just then that Selina came over with a bowl of pumpkin soup. ¡°Hurry up and eat it. The food won¡¯t be as delicious when it¡¯s not warm.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Amanda forced a smile and started having her food. The doorbell rang just then, so Selina took off her apron and said, ¡°Go on having your food. I¡¯ll answer the door.¡± Then, she shuffled toward the door. When she registered Elias¡¯ presence through the monitor, she was surprised. She turned to look at Amanda and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s your ex-husband. Do you want to open the door?¡± Perhaps Amanda doesn¡¯t want to see him now. Amanda froze for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes, please do.¡± Upon hearing that, Aiden stopped having his food and looked awkwardly at Amanda before saying, ¡°Mommy, I need to use the bathroom.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Aiden put down his spoon and leaped away from the chair before running toward the bathroom. It wasn¡¯t certain if he was trying to avoid seeing Elias and really needed to use the bathroom. Selina opened the door and saw Elias standing outside. His ck suit made him look gloomy. Amanda work?¡± put down the cutlery and walked over to greet him. ¡°Why are you here? Are you done with The man entered the house with a dark expression. ¡°Yes. Where¡¯s Aiden? I¡¯m here to take a look at him.¡± Is he here to see Aiden only? Amanda was disappointed, but she didn¡¯t tell him what was on her mind. ¡°He¡¯s in the bathroom.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The atmosphere between them turned awkward. Selina had no idea what to do and had the urge to go somewhere else and hide. The man sat down on the couch and remained silent, seemingly waiting for the young boy toe out of the bathroom. In turn, Amanda sat down beside him and said nothing. The air seemed to have solidified. A long time later, she asked, ¡°Did you have your dinner? Why don¡¯t you eat with us? It might take Aiden some time. You know, he¡¯s always dilly-dallying.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯m only here to see Aiden.¡± Meanwhile, Aiden refused to leave the bathroom. No one knew what he was doing inside. The man¡¯s phone kept vibrating the entire time. Since the living room was so quiet, Amanda could hear it clearly. Ten minutester, the young boy still didn¡¯t leave the bathroom. Elias frowned with displeasure and took a look at his wristwatch before asking grimly, ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s in the bathroom? It¡¯s taking too long.¡± Indeed, Aiden had been staying in the bathroom for far too long as 30 minutes had passed. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see what he¡¯s doing. He¡¯s been staying inside the bathroom for too long.¡± Amanda announced. She rose from the couch and headed to the bathroom while the man followed her. His towering figure was in stark contrast to how petite the woman looked. Outside the bathroom, Amanda knocked on the door. ¡°What are you doing inside, Aiden? Mr. Winters¡­ Your dad is waiting for you. Elias furrowed his brows, realizing that something was amiss. It seemed that the young boy didn¡¯t want to see him, which was why he was trying to avoid him. Elias hoped he was just overthinking things. Regardless of how hard Amanda knocked on the door, Aiden, refused to open it. He came up with an excuse and said, ¡°I have to poop, Mommy. Don¡¯te in!¡± But it¡¯s taking him far too long- Amanda nced at the man and saw a hint of doubt behind his gaze. ¡°What are you doing, Aiden? Come out right away!¡± Amanda realized that the young boy was lying. ¡°I¡¯ll go outter. I¡¯m busy!¡± His words wereughable. What could a young boy be busy doing in the bathroom? Realizing what was on the young boy¡¯s mind, Elias stopped Amanda from knocking on the door. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll visit him another day. Give him some time.¡± The man looked at the door and said solemnly, ¡°Aiden, it¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t want to call me Dad. You can still call me Uncle Elias. Come out and eat your food. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be hungry and can¡¯t sleep at night.¡± With that, he turned around and left without even saying goodbye. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to stay there any longer. There were many things he had to deal with, and he was going to meet some smaller shareholders. When Amanda saw how dispassionate and exhausted he looked, she ran after him and called out to him. ¡°Elias¡­¡± The man stopped in his tracks and turned around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Anything else?¡± Amanda wasn¡¯t used to the man acting so cold and distant, which was unlike how he used to treat her. Even when his first love Natasha became his secretary back then, she didn¡¯t mind it because she knew that Elias was in love with her. But now, she could clearly feel that he had seemingly decided to let go of her. ¡°You¡­ How have you been doing for the past few days? Is everything on the right at thepany?¡± Upon finishing her words, Amanda realized she could only ask such unimportant questions as she had not idea what to say. Elias replied impassively, ¡°I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯m dealing with everything. It¡¯s quite troublesome, so I¡¯ll have less. time to visit Aiden. Please take good care of him during this period.¡± His voice sounded so distant that it was terrifying. It was as if he was treating her like she was an outsider, even though they used to be a married couple. ¡°Yeah, sure. It¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± Amanda had no idea how else she could reply to him. Elias put on a faint smile and opened the door to leave. When Aiden heard the door closing, he quickly left the bathroom. It seemed that he was indeed avoiding Elias. On the other hand, a doubtful Selina approached Amanda and asked curiously, ¡°Your ex-husband was acting strangely. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s no longer interested in you. He said he was only here to see the child. Does it mean he doesn¡¯t love you anymore?¡± Amanda looked dazedly at the door. ¡°Perhaps he thinks that his grandfather¡¯s death has something to do with me.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. If he never doubted her, he wouldn¡¯t have treated her coldly. Perhaps his grandfather¡¯s death has also taken his love for me away. Or, he was only wooing me because of his grandfather. Now that Old Mr. Winters is gone, there¡¯s no need for him to keep acting. Is that the real him now? She had no idea what was on the man¡¯s mind. ¡°Amanda¡­¡± Selina suddenly felt sorry for her, thinking that the woman was giving herself too much pressure. Elias entered the car and ordered, ¡°Go back to thepany now.¡± Yacob was about to doze off when he heard Elias¡¯ voice. He immediately came to his senses and rubbed his eyes. Then, he straightened up and revved up the car. I thought Mr. Winters would be staying over at Miss Bailey¡¯s home. Why did he leave her house so soon? Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 A Divorcee ¡°Mr. Winters, why aren¡¯t you keeping Aidenpany tonight? Since you¡¯ve just reunited with him, you¡¯re supposed to spend more time with him.¡± When Yacob caught sight of Elias¡¯ sharp gaze through the rearview mirror, he kept his mouth shut, knowing he shouldn¡¯t be such a busybody. Instead of replying to him, Elias looked out the window with a hint of dejection behind his gaze. He couldn¡¯t help but put on a self-mocking smile. Perhaps I¡¯ve demanded too much from a three-year-old kid. He needs more time to digest this kind of matter. Since Aiden was aware that Elias was his father, that was enough. Elias decided to let nature take its course. When he was done retrieving all his shares, he would make more time for his son. Elias slept over in his office. The next day, he freshened up and headed straight to Jack¡¯s house. Since he needed the older man¡¯s help, he couldn¡¯t afford to be negligent. When he arrived at the Allegra Vi, the butler invited him to have a seat in the living room. After Elias was served coffee, he started waiting for Jack. He had woken up early to show Jack that he was sincere. Since the matter of getting back his shares was of utmost importance, he had to be meticulous in everything he did. In the past few days, he had been relying on lots of coffee to keep him awake. Just then, he heard a series of footsteps from behind, but he reckoned the person wasn¡¯t Jack because it sounded like the footsteps of a woman. Moreover, she was stealthy. Elias pretended not to notice her presence and continued drinking coffee. When the woman was close enough to him, she was ready to scare him. Much to her surprise, the man turned his head all of a sudden, causing her to exim in shock. ¡°Ah!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Elias took a look at the woman and reckoned that she was in her early twenties. She was beautiful, and the way she carried herself showed that she was a wealthy youngdy. Is she Jack¡¯s daughter, Stephanie? ¡°Why did you scare me? I almost jumped out of my skin!¡± Stephanie covered her chest. She was so shocked that her face turned pale. Elias put down his cup and refuted impassively, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been shocked if you hadn¡¯t tried to scare me.¡± Stephanie snorted and sat down on the couch across from him before examining the man. Is he Elias Winters, the man my father wants me to marry? I heard Elias was an ugly man with a bad temper, but this man looked nothing like it. When she finally made out the man¡¯s face, she fell into a dazed state. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Despite the fact that he sported an impassive expression, his face was chiseled and attractive. I didn¡¯t expect Elias Winters to look like this¡­ Jack came down the stairs just then. ¡°Why are you so early, Elias? I just woke up.¡± Jack came over slowly. When he caught sight of his daughter, he was surprised. ¡°Why are you here, Steph?¡± Elias rose from the couch and asked, ¡°Mr. Allegra, didn¡¯t you tell me your daughter would being back tomorrow?¡± ¡°I did, but I didn¡¯t expect she¡¯de back in advancest night. She said she wanted to give me a surprise. Elias put on a faint smile without saying anything else. ¡°Have a seat. Steph,e and sit down beside me. There¡¯s something I need to talk to you about.¡± Jack took his daughter¡¯s hand and sat down on the couch across from Elias. ¡°Steph, I¡¯ve decided that you and Elias will get engaged next month, and the wedding will be held by the end of the year. Don¡¯t go anywhere else. Just stay here and get prepared for your wedding- Before he even finished his words, Stephanie stood up straight in fury and bellowed, ¡°Dad! How could you make such an important decision for me without my permission? I told you there¡¯s a man I love. I won¡¯t marry anyone else!¡± Elias only looked at them with a smile and continued having his now-not-so-warm coffee. It¡¯s great that she doesn¡¯t want to marry me. I don¡¯t want to marry her either. It would be best if the woman could sessfully dissuade her father. In that case, not only could Elias get back his shares, but he also didn¡¯t have to marry the woman. He had nothing against Stephanie, but he just found her to be noisy. He got a headache just by listening to her. If he married such a woman, he would be frustrated every day. Jack took a look at Elias before making Stephanie sit back down on the couch. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You have to marry Elias. Your taste for men is terrible. How could you find a poor man to snatch my wealth? I¡¯ve been working hard all my life, so I¡¯m not going to pass on everything to a poor man like him. No way that¡¯s going to happen!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so unreasonable, Dad! I told you Crisp isn¡¯t that kind of person. We can sign a prenuptial agreement. He¡¯s not after our wealth!¡± Stephanie believed that she had found the right man. However, Jack had been in the business world for years, so he could easily see through Crispin¡¯s mind. ¡°Elias is way better than Crispin. Why don¡¯t you try spending time with him? You¡¯ll soon realize that Crispin isn¡¯t worth your time.¡± ¡°No! No one isparable to Crisp. Why would I marry a divorcee? I don¡¯t want him!¡± Stephanie nced at Elias with disdain. A divorcee? Elias couldn¡¯t help but smile when he heard that. It was the first time anyone ever called him a divorcee. With an awkward expression, Jack said, ¡°Please forgive her, Elias. She¡¯s still a willful young woman¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Since she¡¯s still very young, I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t say it intentionally.¡± Elias didn¡¯t mind anyone calling him a divorcee, for that was the truth. Not only was he a divorcee, but he was also a father to a child. For the next 30 minutes, he watched the father and daughter arguing with each other. Jack made time to talk about business-rted matters with Elias before thetter left. He even made Stephanie see him off. A displeased Stephanie walked alongside him and hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t even dream about marrying me, Mr. Winters. I will never marry you. There¡¯s a man I love, and I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life with him.¡± ¡°Then you have to try harder to make a fuss, Miss Allegra. This kind of intensity can¡¯t make call off the engagement.¡± your father Stephanie was dumbfounded upon hearing that, thinking that she had misheard him. Why did he even say that? Doesn¡¯t he want to marry me? ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elias stopped in his tracks and nced dispassionately at her. ¡°I¡¯m not only a divorcee, but I also have a three-year-old son. If you don¡¯t want to be a stepmother, kick up a bigger storm. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have no choice but to marry me.¡± With that, he turned around and left, leaving Stephanie in shock. What?! Not only is he a divorcee, but he also has a three-year-old son! Is my dad out of his mind? How could he make me be someone else¡¯s stepmother? No! There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll allow that to happen! She immediately returned to the living room, ready to argue with her father again. There was no way she would be a child¡¯s stepmother. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Visiting His Ex-wife Stephanie arrived at her father¡¯s study and saw him on the phone. Still, she shouted, ¡°Dad! Are you out of your mind? How could you let me be someone¡¯s stepmother?¡± Jack¡¯s back was against her when he heard her voice. Shocked, he quickly hung up the call and thought that his daughter was too willful. She didn¡¯t even care that he was on the phone. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see I was talking to someone? Couldn¡¯t you wait for a while longer?¡± Jack put down his phone. on the table and sat down on his chair. He already knew what his daughter was going to say. Stephanie furiously ced her hands on the table and bellowed, ¡°Dad! I¡¯m not going to be someone¡¯s stepmother. Not only is Elias a divorcee, but he also has a three-year-old son, How could marry him?¡± make me you However, Jack was unfazed. He leaned against the seat and said calmly. ¡°It¡¯smon in the business. world. You¡¯re my only daughter, so please stop being short-sighted. He¡¯s from the Winters Family, so why would it be surprising that he has an illegitimate son? Didn¡¯t you see his face? Do you think no woman would want to hook up with a handsome man like him? Even if they¡¯re not after his money, they¡¯ll still woo him for his handsomeness. When you be his wife, you don¡¯t have to be worried about the son of his ex-wife kicking up a storm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hopeless, Dad.¡± Stephanie found it impossible to reason with her father. For some reason,, - insisted on making her marry Elias. Jack A disappointed Stephanie turned around and left the study before mming the door shut. Suddenly, a solution came to her mind. She decided to visit Elias¡¯ ex-wife to glean some information from her. After she found out all of Elias¡¯ shorings, she would let her father know that the man was unreliable. She then fished out her phone and dialed a number. ¡°Hello? Help me find out who Elias¡¯ ex- wife is. I have to visit her.¡± At their home in Northern No. 1, Selina said, ¡°Amanda, why don¡¯t you prepare dinner and invite Mr. Winters toe over? I can see that he has lost some weight. I suppose he¡¯s exhausted from dealing with the funeral and his work. He¡¯s Aiden¡¯s father, after all.¡± Presently, Amanda was killing time by watching the television in the living room. When she heard the woman¡¯s words, she turned to look at her. Perhaps it¡¯s because of his grandfather¡¯s death that Elias has been treating me coldly. When he came overst night, he indeed looked thinner than before. I heard that his aunt had snatched all of Old Mr. Winters¡¯ shares from him. I suppose he must be trying very hard to solve the problems now. Why would I even be bothered by his attitude toward me at this point? That¡¯s so childish of me. At the thought of this, Amanda straightened up and replied, ¡°Alright. Why don¡¯t you buy some ingredients for me? I¡¯ll prepare dinnerter and ask him toe over so that he¡¯ll get to spend some time with Aiden.¡± It was apparent that Aiden had been trying to avoid Elias, so she had toe up with a way to help ease. off the tension between them. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get going now and also pick up Aiden from school.¡± Selina got changed and headed out. leaving Amanda alone at home. Amanda fished out her phone, ready to learn some recipes on the inte. Since his grandfather is no longer around, I shouldn¡¯t be concerned about his attitude toward me Finding herself ridiculous, Amanda shook her head with a helpless smile. All of a sudden, the doorbell started ringing. Amanda put down her phone and walked toward the door. She could see a young woman standing outside through the monitor, but she didn¡¯t know her. She was hesitant to open the door because the young woman was still impatiently pressing against the doorbell, making her look like she was ill-intentioned. Amanda tried to recall who the woman was. Is she one of my clients? But I don¡¯t remember seeing her before. Out of curiosity, she opened the door and saw a young woman in her earlier twenties. Given the luxurious clothes she was wearing, it was apparent that she was from a wealthy family. ¡°Hi, who are you?¡± Stephanie examined Amanda and thought, Is she Elias ex-wife? From what I¡¯ve gathered, she¡¯s supposed to be a poor woman, and she has a father who is a hopeless gambler. I was wondering why Elias would marry such an ordinary woman. However, the woman before her eyes was elegant, well-mannered, and beautiful. Although she was also a woman, she couldn¡¯t help but be attracted to her beauty. Seeing that the woman remained silent, Amanda asked again, ¡°May I know who you are, miss?¡± Stephanie came to her senses and replied, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Stephanie Allegra. Hi, Miss Bailey. I know you¡¯re a lawyer, so I¡¯m wondering if I could ask you about somew-rted matters.¡± Is she here for some legal advice? However, I haven¡¯t gone to thew firm for a few days. Why would Simon rmend me to any clients? Amanda couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening, but it wasn¡¯t the right time to think about it. She put on a polite smile and motioned for the woman to enter her house. ¡°Yeah, sure. Pleasee in.¡± Stephanie nodded and entered the house. As she looked around, she felt that the interior was nicely decorated. The house is costly, and this neighborhood is the most expensive in the area. Can awyer make so much money? Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but think that Elias might¡¯ve given the house to his ex-wife/After all, they had a three-year-old son. ¡°Would you like any drink, Miss Allegra?¡± Amanda asked. Stephanie sat down on the couch and replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯d like a cup of coffee, please.¡± Amanda smiled and headed to the kitchen. That woman is so strange. How did she even find my address? Suddenly, she recalled that not even Simon was aware of her address. When she was done preparing the coffee, she returned to the living room and put it down in front of Stephanie. Then, she asked tentatively, ¡°How did you find my address, Miss Allegra?¡± ¡°Well, I have my own way of achieving that, so please ask no further, Miss Bailey. Can we cut to the chase? There¡¯s something I have to attend to after the discussion.¡± Amanda replied, ¡°It so happens that I¡¯ll be busy soon. Let¡¯s talk about it right now.¡± After giving it some thought, Stephanie felt she had to put on an act. What should I tell her? ¡°I¡¯d like to talk about the division of property after a divorce.¡± Another divorce? Amandamented in secret. She had dealt with far too many divorce cases that year. Is the divorce rate so high these days? Amanda said with a smile, ¡°Go ahead, Miss Allegra. Do you have a specific area you¡¯d like to discuss? 1 didn¡¯t expect you to be married, considering how young you are.¡± She looks like she has just graduated from university, but she¡¯s already getting a divorce. Stephanie smiled awkwardly and started beating around the bush. ¡°My husband is having an affair, so I want to divorce him. By the way, Miss Bailey, I heard you¡¯re a divorcee with a three-year-old son. How did you deal with the division of property with your ex-husband at that time?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Amanda was rendered speechless upon hearing that. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 This Former Wife of Elias¡¯ Is Quite Fierce Amanda felt somewhat speechless. How in the world did we end up talking about me?! Also, this client is rather strange¡­ She cleared her throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for a penny from my ex-husband, so there¡¯s no property division. The child belongs to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really awful. He¡¯s so wealthy, yet he didn¡¯t give you a single penny and even gave you the child?!¡± Stephanie was shocked. She couldn¡¯t believe Elias could be so despicable to do such shameless things. Stephanie mentally noted down all the details, nning to tell her father about Elias¡¯ crimes after she returned. I¡¯m going to tell Father all of this. Let¡¯s see how he can continue to defend Elias! Hmph! ¡°How do you know my ex-husband is wealthy?¡± This girl is really strange. Amanda began doubting the true purpose of her visit. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Realizing her faux pas, Stephanie forced augh and argued, ¡°Um, well, I noticed that the house you¡¯re living in is expensive. This is a pretty wealthy neighborhood, so I thought maybe your ex-husband gave it to you as part of the divorce settlement. After all, you still have a son, so I assumed- ¡°Miss Allegra, let¡¯s talk about your matter instead. Mine is not important,¡± Amanda interjected, redirecting -the conversation. ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s talk about my matter. Look at me being all gossipy. I can¡¯t help getting curious when I hear gossip. I¡¯d like to know how much of my husband¡¯s property can I get after divorcing my husband? By the way, Miss Bailey, does your ex-husband provide child support after the divorce? He wouldn¡¯t be so stingy as to not give any child support, right? Oh, and how did you two get divorced in the first ce? Who was at fault?¡± Stephanie was still too eager, and her rapid-fire questions raised suspicions in Amanda¡¯s mind. ¡°Miss Allegra, aren¡¯t you here for a divorce consultation? Why are you so interested in my personal matters?¡± ¡°Well¡­ um, I am here for a divorce consultation. I was just curious about how much property awyer like you would get in a divorce¡­ Haha.. Stephanieughed awkwardly while averting her gaze. Finding the situation increasingly suspicious, Amanda slowly stood up and said, ¡°Miss Allegra, I think it would be better for you to consult with otherwyers at the firm. I¡¯ll be honest with you that I¡¯m currently on vacation, so I¡¯m not responsible for any clients.¡± ¡°Wait, what? But I specifically wanted you to handle my case. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re the best at handling divorce cases.¡± Amanda narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, ¡°Miss Allegra, let me ask you, what¡¯s the name of our law firm?¡± Stephanie was stupefied. The name of thew firm¡­ Shoot! It was written in the investigation materials. Something Associates, was it? Shoot, why can¡¯t I recall the name?! She had only taken a careless nce at the time. ¡°It¡¯s called¡­¡± Stephane muttered. ¡°It¡¯s something Associations. It¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t remember exactly, but they rmended you to me, saying you¡¯re the best at-¡± s, before she could finish her words, Amanda stood up, her expression cold and distant. ¡°Please leave. You¡¯re not here for a consultation but to pry into my privacy.¡± ¡°But 1- ¡°Please leave. Or I¡¯ll call the security!¡± Amanda said, looking at the girl in front of her with a sense of inexplicable annoyance, unsure of what the girl¡¯s intentions were. Call security? Elias¡¯ former wife is quite fierce. Stephanie had no choice but to stand up and leave. After all, she didn¡¯t want to escte the situation. She left dejectedly. After closing the door, Amanda leaned against it with furrowed brows. She pondered for a moment, then walked over to the couch, picked up her phone, and dialed Elias¡¯ number. The call was answered swiftly, and Elias¡¯ voice, deep and somber, came through. ¡°Amanda, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Elias, I find something strange, and I¡¯m not sure if I should tell you.¡± ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m listening¡± Amanda deliberated and ultimately decided to tell Elias about it. After all, Aiden was still residing here, and she had to consider his safety, even if not her own. ¡°Just now, a girl came to see me iming to seek advice on divorce. However, she kept asking why I got divorced, how much property I received, who got custody of the child, and whatnot. I found it strange, so I promptly sent her away.¡± The man on the other end of the phone fell silent for a few seconds before saying. ¡°Do you remember her name?¡± Amanda tried recalling. ¡°I remember the girl said her name was something Allegra. What was it again Steph¡­ ¡°Stephanie Allegra?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! It¡¯s her! How do you know her name? Do you know her?¡± Amanda grew even more curious. Does Elias know this girl? ¡°I know now. Leave it to me. You don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. She won¡¯t bother you again.¡± With that, Elias intended to end the call, but Amanda quickly stopped him. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t hang up yet!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something else?¡± Amanda struggled to find the words. After hesitating for a while, she finally awkwardly spoke up. ¡°You¡¯ve been so busytely that you¡¯ve lost weight. Come over for dinner if you¡¯re avable tonight. It¡¯s a good opportunity to bond with Aiden. Aiden is just having a hard time adjusting for now, but if you spend more time ying with him, he¡¯ll gradually ept the fact that you¡¯re his biological father.¡± Silence filled the other end of the line for a few seconds before Elias¡¯ deep, husky voice returned. ¡°Alright, see you tonight.¡± Amanda actually felt relieved when she heard his agreement and couldn¡¯t help but smile. After hanging up the phone, she started thinking about what dishes to prepare for dinner. In the president¡¯s office of Winters Enterprise, after hanging up the phone, Elias¡¯ face turned extremely grim. He directly threw the document in his hand onto the floor. Stephanie Allegra! How dare she go to Amanda, that mad woman! He picked up his phone and dialed a number. ¡°Send me Stephanie Allegra¡¯s phone number.¡± Momentster, his phone vibrated, and a message came in with Stephanie¡¯s phone number. He dialed the number, and the call connected in two shakes. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this? Speak up, or I¡¯ll hang up. Stephanie didn¡¯t like answering unfamiliar numbers. Elias stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the bustling scene below. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°Stephanie Allegra, why did you go to my ex-wife? If you bother her again, I¡¯ll tell your beloved Crisp about your uing engagement.¡± ¡°What?! Elias, how dare you?! Don¡¯t you dare go to him! At that, he sneered disdainfully. ¡°Huh, why can¡¯t I approach him when you went to my ex-wife? Who are you to have double standards? You cane to me if you want to know anything. You don¡¯t need to pry around with my ex-wife. I will tell you everything I know.¡± With that, he hung up the phone. On the other end, Stephanie sat in the car, staring at the disconnected phone, lost in thought. The thing she feared most now was Elias going to find her beloved Crisp. What should I do?! Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 What¡¯s the Use of Having a Dad? Later, in the kitchen of an apartment unit in Northern No. 1, Amanda was busy washing and preparing the ingredients for dinner. It¡¯d be toote if she waited for Selina toe back with groceries. So, she got to making dinner after finding some simple ingredients in the fridge. Just then, the main door was pushed open, and Selina returned with groceries, apanied by the little one¡¯s voice. ¡°Mommy, I want to eat shrimp tonight! I want shrimp! Miss Selina said she would make shrimp for me.¡± Amanda, who was busy in the kitchen, replied without turning her head, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make shrimp for tonight.¡± you ¡°Aiden, you go and y for a bit while I help your mommy make dinner, okay?¡± Selina said while taking off her jacket, and Aiden nodded obediently. With that, Selina entered the kitchen with the groceries she had bought, only to find that Amanda had already started washing and preparing the ingredients. ¡°Why did you start without me?¡± ¡°I got bored waiting alone,¡± Amanda replied. ¡°So, I looked through the fridge for some ingredients and decided to start ahead with one dish. By the way, have you gotten shrimp? Aiden wants to eat shrimp.¡± ¡°Of course. Have you told Mr. Winters? Is heing over for dinner?¡± Selina assumed that was the case, or Amanda¡¯s mood wouldn¡¯t have shifted so quickly. She was still frowning earlier, but now she was beaming. ¡°Um¡­¡± Even Amanda herself didn¡¯t realize how sweet her smile was. I knew it! A chuckle escaped Selina as she continued, ¡°You¡¯re feeling much better now, aren¡¯t you? No more overthinking?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Amanda answered subconsciously while washing the vegetables, taking a second to realize what she had just replied to. She looked up and frowned upon meeting Selina¡¯s enigmatic smile. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Is it not evident? Don¡¯t you think your mood is being influenced by Mr. Winters? Only when you deeply. love someone can they affect your emotions.¡± At that, Amanda retorted at once. ¡°No way! Who said I still love him? That¡¯s all in the past. I stopped loving him after our divorce! It¡¯s not because of him that I¡¯m in a bad mood. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s?¡± Selina asked with a yful smile. s, Amanda couldn¡¯t find the words to argue. It seemed that the reason for her bad mood was Elias¡¯ indifferent attitude. ¡°Enough of that. Let¡¯s start cooking: it¡¯s gettingte. Aiden¡¯s hungry.¡± Selina smiled but said nothing. It¡¯s so obvious you have nothing to base your argument on. An hourter, dinner was ready-a sumptuous feastid out on the table. Little Aiden climbed onto the dining chair and looked at the array of delicious dishes in front of him. His big, round eyes widened as he gushed, ¡°Wow! This is amazing, Mommy! We¡¯re having a feast tonight!¡± s, little would the little fe know he would soon face the person he least wanted to see-Elias Winters. Ding-dong! The doorbell rang, and Amanda quickly got up to answer the door. Her response was so sudden that even Selina was startled. She shook her head with a helpless smile and muttered under her breath. ¡°Sure, you don¡¯t love him. But you rush to the door immediately after hearing. the doorbell.¡± In the entryway. Amanda looked at the man standing outside the door through the peephole, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. Sheposed herself and cleared her throat before finally opening the door. Elias stood outside, dressed in a ck suit, a pristine white shirt, and a ck tie. He exuded an air of a business elite. He seemed to have just gotten off work. ¡°You¡¯re here. Come in. Dinner is just ready. ¡°Sure,¡± Elias said with a smile. Elias and Amanda entered the dining room and saw Aiden happily biting into a shrimp. Despite the fact that his little face was covered in grease, he still looked absolutely adorable. ¡°Aiden, look who¡¯s here. It¡¯s Daddy.¡± Amanda deliberately guided the child. But Aiden was engrossed in his meal. When he looked up and saw the man, his little face instantly stiffened, and the shrimp in his mouth fell onto the table. Elias would be lying if he said Aiden¡¯s reaction hadn¡¯t hurt him. I might as well remain as Uncle Elias. At least Aiden used to smile cheerfully when he saw him. But now, the little guy behaved as though he had encountered a bitter enemy, feeling awkward, stiff, and even wanting to stay away from him. Amanda, too, felt somewhat awkward, and she stepped in to defuse the situation.\Come, Elias, sit down. Hurry up and eat. The food will get cold soon.¡± Though Elias¡¯ countenance turned somewhat sour, he still sat down next to Aiden. Aiden, noticing Eliast sitting beside him, instinctively tried to move away, but the man noticed his intention. ¡°Do you really not want to see me that much, Aiden? Weren¡¯t you happy when I was Uncle Elias before? Why is it like this now?¡± He wanted to understand why his son was behaving this way toward him. Aiden let out a soft hum, turned his head, and continued to eat his shrimp, ignoring him. Feeling awkward, Selina stood up and suggested that she check on the soup, which was still cooking. With that, the family of three was left in the dining room. ¡°Can you tell me the reason?¡± Elias, however, asked with great patience. ¡°Did I do something wrong? I can correct it until you¡¯re pleased.¡± Aiden stared at ¡®Uncle Elias¡¯ for a long time before saying, ¡°Mommy said you didn¡¯t want us anymore, that you hated us. So why do you want to be my daddy now? If you hate us, I don¡¯t want to call you ¡®Daddy¡¯ either. You don¡¯t want us anymore, so I don¡¯t want you either.¡± Aiden¡¯s words rendered both Amanda and Elias speechless. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Amanda¡¯s silence stemmed from a sense of shame. These were the thoughts she instilled in her child since he was little because she never thought she would re-encounter Elias, let alone have him recognized as the father. Elias, too, fell into silence out of shame. He felt inadequate, realizing that if he had trusted Amanda a bit more from the beginning, this dyed fatherly love wouldn¡¯t have arrived four yearster. Dyed affection is worth nothing. Elias remained silent for a long time before speaking to Aiden with utmost sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault But I didn¡¯t hate you, nor did I not want you. I just didn¡¯t know about your existence. Everything is Tm my fault. Daddy will never not want you or Mommy. You two will always be the dearest to Daddy, hmm?¡± One had to admit that no one could resist Elias¡¯ affectionate gaze. Even three-year-old Aiden was starting to believe him. Pouting his little mouth, he said with a sense of grievance, ¡°When I started kindergarten, the other kidsughed at me for not having a dad. They called me a b*stard. Why didn¡¯t you appear then? What¡¯s the use of having a dad? It¡¯spletely useless.¡± Amanda was taken aback by his words. It now dawned on her that even a three-year-old had their own self-esteem, and a three-year-old child couldn¡¯t be easily appeased. It wasn¡¯t as simple as giving them two pieces of candy to sessfully acknowledge the title of ¡®father. She was grateful that she had given birth to Aiden back then and had been raising him by her side all this time. In actuality, she had considered giving him to the Winterses andpletely starting anew herself, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t bear to part with her little bundle of joy. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 The Feeling of Heartache As Elias listened to his son¡¯s words, his chest tightened as if a hand reached into his chest and gripped his heart, causing aching pain. It turned out that Aiden had suffered so much grievance in kindergarten. But at that time, he didn¡¯t know anything and couldn¡¯t do anything. This little guy must¡¯ve been very disappointed in me, his birth father, in many moments, huh? No wonder he doesn¡¯t want a father and thinks a father is useless¡­ At that, Elias¡¯ eyes turned red-rimmed with oing tears. He lowered his head slightly and let out a sigh, his eyes filled with aching tenderness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I promise such things will never happen again. Please forgive me for only showing up now, for missing your life for the past four years. I really¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean it.¡± He sincerely repented to a three- year-old. Even though Aiden was just a child, it didn¡¯t mean he should be brushed off casually. One shouldn¡¯t think a child could be easily fooled and that their feelings didn¡¯t matter. Elias could genuinely sense the trauma he had toward his birth father, and he believed the little guy had likely heard even nastier words in school; he just didn¡¯t bring them up. Just how useless am I to let Aiden suffer such humiliation in school, to let him be tantly called a b*stard?! Elias mused. If only I had been curious enough to learn about Amanda¡¯s situation and searched for her whereabouts seriously, I would¡¯ve learned about Aiden one way or the other. But¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ Aiden gazed with wide eyes at Elias¡¯ sincere expression and contemted for a long while before finally saying, ¡°Hmm¡­ okay then. I¡¯ll believe you for now, but now, I¡¯m hungry. I want to eat.¡± With that, the little munchkin returned to his food. Meals were no joking matter to him, and Amanda never had to worry when it came to eating. He was always a well-behaved child who ate his meals without any fuss. A chuckle escaped Elias as he picked up his cutleries. But instead of eating, he grabbed some shrimp and ced them on the te. With patience, he peeled the shrimp and then fed them to Aiden, who graciously opened wide and ate them all. The dinner ended up quite pleasant. After finishing their meal, Elias spent some time ying with Aiden, Although there was still a hint of awkwardness between father and son, it was much better than before. It was definitely an improvement over their previous avoidance. Later, Elias received a phone call that required his immediate attention. It seemed to be an important matter. So, Amanda escorted him downstairs, taking advantage of the moonlit night for a leisurely stroll. Under the moonlit sky, the silhouette of this handsome couple walked without uttering a word, their backs -resembling a beautiful oil painting. Finally, Elias broke the silence. ¡°Are you still nning to go abroad? Do you want to take Aiden with you?¡± Amanda was taken aback. What is he trying to say? ¡°Well.. Now that Grandpa has passed, no one can control us anymore,¡± he continued. ¡°If you really want to live abroad, I won¡¯t stop you. After hearing what Aiden said about the mistreatment he endured at kindergarten, I agree that a change of environment would make him feel better.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. He paused for a moment when he mentioned ¡®Grandpa. It was an address he never wanted to bring up again. Now, the Winters Family was under his control. No one could oppose him anymore. Hence, if Amanda wanted to leave now, no one would stop her either. Amanda¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why did Elias suddenly change so quickly? Before, he was desperate to keep me from leaving, wanting to keep Aiden and me in Cludan, but now he¡¯s voluntarily suggesting that we go abroad. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re a bother?¡± She couldn¡¯t help asking. She¡¯d be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t upset. After all, it sounded like Elias was chasing her away. Stumped that Amanda would react that way, Elias exined solemnly, ¡°No, of course, I want you and Aiden to stay. That way, I can see Aiden whenever I want. But I also respect your wishes. If you¡¯re not happy staying here, there¡¯s no need to force it.¡± Aiden grew up abroad, so he naturally wasn¡¯t ustomed to the lifestyle in Cludan. As for Amanda¡­ being constantly criticized andbeled as a jinx or a murderer, she wouldn¡¯t be happy staying either. Besides, she didn¡¯t have anyone here worth staying for. Elias knew he didn¡¯t mean much to Amanda. She wouldn¡¯t stay for him. Meanwhile, Amanda fixed her gaze on Elias for a long while. Elias had changed; she thought so but couldn¡¯t tell what exactly. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Hmm, let me know when you¡¯ve made up your mind. If you want to go abroad. I¡¯ll sort everything out for you. If you decide to stay, I¡¯ll sort everything out for you too.¡± With that, Elias walked toward his car, saying, ¡°Go on, go back upstairs. It¡¯s gettingte. Rest early.¡± Amanda watched helplessly as the man got into the car and slowly disappeared into the night until even the taillights were no longer visible. She tried every possible way to escape when she was held back, but now that no one was stopping her anymore, and even Elias had respected her wishes, she suddenly felt reluctant to leave. She slowly lifted her head, gazing at the night sky, the bright moonlight, and the few scattered stars twinkling. To go or to stay¡­ She closed her eyes slowly and sensed a slight pang in her heart. She didn¡¯t know why she felt this heartache or what exactly was causing it. Inside the car, Elias looked impatiently at his vibrating phone. It was a call from Jack. He really didn¡¯t want to answer the call, for he was certain it was about Stephanie. However, he had to pick up the call if he wanted Jack¡¯s assistance in retrieving Anna¡¯s shares. With that, he pulled over to the side of the road and grabbed his phone, which had been vibrating incessantly as if it was waiting for him to answer, staring at it for a long time. Finally, he swiped the screen and put it to his ear. ¡°Mr. Allegra, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jack¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Elias, hurry and stop Stephanie. That girl is really acting recklessly. She said if I force her to marry you, she¡¯ll elope with Crispin Coyote. She even said she would give herself to him tonight. Quickly go and stop her! We can¡¯t let her do something foolish!¡± Exasperation was written all over Elias¡¯ face, but he held back as much frustration as he could as he leaned. back in his seat. ¡°How do you expect me to stop her, Mr. Allegra? If your daughter truly loves that man, I¡¯m willing to let them be.¡± ¡°Yeah, right, true love! Do you think I don¡¯t know what that slumdog wants?! Stephanie is still young and naive. I must protect her interests now, or she will regret it in the years toe. Elias, you go and stop her. The engagement ceremony next month will proceed as nned, and you two will get married at the end of the year. After your marriage, our n will be set in motion.¡± Beep Beep Elias¡¯ face tensed up as the call disconnected. This sly old for sure has some tricks up his sleeves. Sounds like he¡¯ll only help me retrieve Aunt Anna¡¯s shares after I marry his daughter. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Test Ping! A notification sounded after that. Jack had shared Stephanie¡¯s location with Elias, and thetter chucked his phone to the front passenger seat after taking an inpatient gander. Then, he turned the car around, preparing to look for Stephanie. He genuinely didn¡¯t want to bother himself with such trivial matters. However, to regain the shares that were once his grandfather¡¯s, he had to suck it up. Half an hourter, Elias arrived at a rundown rental house in a slum after following the location Jack gave, He parked his Aston Martin nearby, attracting the attention of many people. Seeing such a world-ss luxury car in a ce like this was unimaginable, and the dirty streets seemed to taint its noble temperament. The people around even gave Elias strange looks when he stepped out of his car. They wondered why a mysterious big shot would appear in such a ce, for he didn¡¯t fit in at all. Whispers filled the air¡­.. ¡°I¡¯ll be a monkey¡¯s uncle if one of us knows a big shot like him. That car looks super expensive¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that car is worth about a billion. It¡¯s even a limited edition worldwide make. What¡¯s going on? What is a super rich doing in our slum?¡± ¡°Tell me about it. Do you think he has a crush on a girl here?¡± ¡°What age do you think we live in? How can you still believe in those fairy tales? Real princes won¡¯t fall for dirty wenches but real princesses.¡± Elias ignored the gossip and walked toward the dark alley. As soon as he entered the narrow alley, a foul smell from the sewer hit him, and he instinctively covered his nose, frowning in displeasure. It was the first time Elias, who had been privileged his whole life, had evere to a ce like this. Following the house numbers one after another, he finally found number 343, which was where the slumdog lived ording to Jack. He had to hand it to Stephanie for being able to tolerate such living conditions; even he was beginning to believe this was true love. The rusty door had no doorbell, so Elias knocked on it twice, but there was no response from the inside. Who knew what was happening behind that door¡­ However, Elias refused to stay for even a second. He wanted to grab Stephanie and return her to her father With that, he knocked on the door again, and this time, a man¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Who is it?¡± Elias didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he continued knocking on the door. Then, he heard hurried footsteps from inside, and the door opened. It was a seemingly handsome young man dressed in a short-sleeved t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, looking very down-to-earth. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. Elias looked at the young man before him with nothing but disdain. Is this the so-called ¡®Crisp¡¯ Stephanie keeps talking about? Huh¡­ He looks so calcting. No wonder Jack, that old for, adamantly opposes their rtionship. If Stephanie¡¯s my daughter, I wouldn¡¯t approve of him either! ¡°Hey, who are you? I¡¯m asking you a question here. How do you know I¡¯m living here? Who are you looking for? Crispin asked with a puzzled expression. However, Elias didn¡¯t waste time talking to him but instead walked straight into the house. Original from N?velDrama.Org. As he entered the house, disgust became more apparent on his face. He couldn¡¯t believe someone could live in a two-hundred-square-foot house! There was a tiny bathroom that he couldn¡¯t even fit into, a hardboard bed, and mosquitoes buzzing everywhere. He had only been standing there for a minute, but he felt several mosquitoes whizzing past his cars. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and Stephanie emerged while wearing a seductive nightgown and sexy makeup. Is she¡­ seriously going to offer herself.tonight? He suddenly remembered what Jack had told him on the phone, that Stephanie nned to elope and offer herself tonight. Stephanie stood staring at him for a few seconds in stupefaction, then screamed, ¡°Ah, Elias, you sicko!¡± She quickly covered her upper body with both arms and rushed to the bed, pulling up the nket to cover herself. Crispin finally came around and remembered Elias had barged in. He approached thetter, grabbing his arm while threatening. ¡°Who do you think you are, breaking into my house? Get out!¡± Lo and behold, Crispin dropped to the ground after Elias simply flung his arm. Elias couldn¡¯t be bothered with this couple. He covered his nose and looked at Stephanie, who was huddled in the bed. ¡°Are you offering yourself? I¡¯ll give you half an hour, then. But looking at how weak he is, half an hour is already generous. Go home with me after you¡¯re done. Your father insists that I take you home. Hurry up, time waits for no one.¡± With that, Elias turned to leave. Half an hour?! That was an absolute insult. Any man would find it unbearable. Crispin mbered up from the floor and grabbed Elias by the cor. ¡°What did you say?! Watch your mouth!¡± Has disdamfully pushed Crispin¡¯s hand away and spoke coldly. ¡°Take your dirty hands off me. I¡¯m already. being generous by giving you half an hour. A guy your condition will onlyst ten minutes at most. Hurry up. I¡¯m not that idle.¡± With that, he turned to the door. On the other hand, Stephanie¡¯s face was flushed, feeling furious. She threw the nket covering her aside. and shouted angrily at the man¡¯s back, ¡°Elias Winters, you madman! Get lost! Who gave you the right to control me?! Just because my father asked you to take me home doesn¡¯t mean that you actually have to listen to him! Why are you being so obedient to him anyway?¡± The PRESIDENT sneered and replied without turning his head around, saying, ¡°I naturally have my reasons. Otherwise, why would he behave like Jack¡¯spdog?! ¡°Stephanie Allegra, I¡¯m giving you only half an hour. I be waiting outside. If you don¡¯te out by then, don¡¯t me me for being impolite. Also, forget about running away or cloping. Don¡¯t you know your father¡¯s methods? Do you think you can escape from his grasp? How naive.¡± With that, Elias Winters left the janky rental house without looking back. He didn¡¯t want to stay for even a second longer. Crispin lookedpletely bewildered, having no idea what had just happened. He was still immersed in the joy of attaching himself to a wealthy woman. If I can sessfully marry Stephanie, I can inherit the Allegra Family¡¯s billions of assets! Then again, who was that man who barged in? He felt a tremendous sense of crisis from the stranger. ¡°Who was that, Stephanie? Do you know him? Did your father send him to take you home?¡± Seeing the suspicious look on Crispin¡¯s face, Stephanie quickly fabricated a lie, saying, ¡°He¡­ our family¡¯s bodyguard. My dad found out about our n to elope, and he sent him to bring me back.¡± Elope? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! Crispin was still dreaming about marrying into the Allegra Family as their son-inw! Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Present a Public Front While Secretly Preparing a Hidden n Crispin persuaded, ¡°Steph, it¡¯s hard for us to be happy if the elders do not bless our rtionship. That¡¯s why it¡¯s better for us not to take this step unless we¡¯re absolutely sure of our rtionship. After all, that¡¯s the man who raised you since birth.¡± These were clearly the words of a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, but Stephanie was utterly moved by his hypocritical words. Crisp is so sensible and gentle, unlike my father, who is a domineering *ss. Crispin looked at the pajamas that Stephanie wore and immediately knew what it meant. It was just that he currentlycked the courage to sleep with her. If Jack found out that Crispin bedded Stephanie, the older man¡¯s impression of him would ultimately be ruined. And so, he feigned chivalry as he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Steph. I like you solely because I like you. I want to be your boyfriend, and I want to do it openly. I¡¯ll do everything that I can to persuade your father to ept me. Why don¡¯t you return home with your bodyguards? Don¡¯t let your father worry. ¡°Crisp. I¡­ Stephanie felt guilty upon hearing that. Crisp is such a kind person, but I¡¯ve lied to him. The group of people with her weren¡¯t bodyguards; they were actually marriage candidates that her father had assigned to her! However, she did not have the heart to break Crisp¡¯s heart by telling him the truth. ¡°Steph, don¡¯t be willful. I¡¯ll find a way to get your father to ept me and let him see my sincerity in giving you happiness.¡± Stephanie burst into tears at that. She felt that she did not choose the wrong person to be her life partner. Crisp wasn¡¯t that ungrateful, greedy viin that everyone made him out to be. It was such a pity that her father was stubborn and did not want to get to know Crispin even better. Elias stood in front of the car and lit a cigarette. He felt that Stephanie would magically appear as he smoked a few cigarettes. He was halfway done with one of the sticks when he saw her in the alley. He then raised his eyebrows at how much faster she was than he thought she would be. Stephanie had a long face when she approached him and rudely instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll give you the report!¡± Elias threw the cigarette butt into the bin as he uttered with a hint of ridicule in his tone, ¡°As I thought, this won¡¯t do. You came out faster than I expected.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Elias Winters! Who permitted you to locate Crisp¡¯s house? I¡¯m warning you-I won¡¯t let you off the hook if he finds out about us!¡± She was most worried that Crispin would misunderstand the situation because she would not be able to exin the matter clearly. Meanwhile, Elias sneered and retorted, ¡°Then, why the hell did you look for my ex-wife? I¡¯m also warning you. If my ex-wife finds out about us, I¡¯ll make sure that your little toy boy will die a horrible death. I mean what I say, so you are more than wee to try me.¡± With that, he entered the driver¡¯s seat. Stephanie also sat in the passenger¡¯s seat and coldly snorted before she looked out the window. And so, he drove her back to Allegra Vi.. Since it was a silent ride, Stephanie was so bored she couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth. ¡°Hey, why are you scared that your ex-wife will know about us? In my case, it¡¯s because I like Crisp. How about you? Don¡¯t tell me you still have feelings for your ex-wife?¡± Elias only stared at the road ahead of him and ignored her as if she did not exist. It was because he felt that she was too boisterous and noisy to the point where his head ached. When she noticed that he didn¡¯t speak, she asked again, ¡°Say something. Why are you quiet? Why are you scared that your ex-wife will know about us? I¡¯m really curious.¡± The man ignored her again. After that, Stephanie retreated into her own world and recalled the first impression she had of Amanda. ¡°I remember my first impression of your ex-wife was that she¡¯s drop-dead gorgeous. She wasn¡¯t the poor Cindere like how they had her written in the information. She¡¯s a ssydy and a famous lawyer! And mind you, she is good at what she does- A secondter, the piercing sound of a car braking was heard as the car came to a stop at the curb. Stephanie was startled when she was thrown forward due to inertia. ¡°What the hell?! Are you trying to kill me?¡± The sudden stop had terrified her, and she still struggled to calm her racing heart. As she opened her eyes. wide, she turned to the man beside her. However, at this moment, Elias¡¯ handsome face had a tense, expressionless look as he growled, ¡°You got someone to investigate my ex-wife.¡± Stephanie was taken aback. Did I let the cat out of the bag? Sure, she had indeed hired someone to investigate Amanda. How would she have known where Amanda lived and those private things otherwise? ¡°I-I only wanted to understand your past- ¡°You want to find a weakness from my past so that you canin to your father to cancel the engagement,¡± Elias interrupted and finished the sentence for her. Stephanie was left ashamed because he had hit the nail right on the mark. Now that Elias has said it, it makes me look despicable, right? ¡°I¡­ Well, you also don¡¯t want the marriage, right? I¡¯m not the only one. If you wanted the marriage, would you have let me stay over at Crisp¡¯s house while you acted indifferent? We have the same purpose, so why can¡¯t we cooperate?¡± Eliasughed at the girl¡¯s innocence. ¡°Listen up, if you really don¡¯t want the marriage, then don¡¯t make it so goddamn obvious. The more you resist, the sooner the engagement ceremony will be held. Always remember: present a public front while secretly preparing a hidden n,¡± he said with a serious expression. Stephanie looked at him with a dazed expression and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What do you mean by that? Can you be more specific?¡± Elias¡¯ speechlessness was written all over his face. ¡°How is yourprehension so poor when you are a graduate of Corynthean Studies? You¡¯re a hopeless case. If you want to be with your Crisp, listen to me from now on, or you won¡¯t be with him ever. You¡¯ll end up bing the unloved wife of a rich man. I won¡¯t like you because I already have someone in my heart.¡± At that, he started the car again and floored the gas in the direction of Allegra Vi. Stephanie couldn¡¯t react at that moment, but she understood what Elias meant. For some inexplicable reason, she felt her heart thump before she suddenly asked out of curiosity. ¡°Is it your ex?¡± Elias, who was currently driving, responded coldly, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. You shouldn¡¯t ask about things that have nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t need me to tell you what to say when you meet your fatherter, right? If you keep being stubborn, not being able to have a clean cut with this will be the least of your concerns. Even Crispin might be pulled down by your father to the point where he can¡¯t rise again in this lifetime.¡± At that, Stephanie was frightened because she knew that her father was capable of what Elias had mentioned. Her father ruining Crispin was as easy as stepping on an ant Somewhere in the midst of their conversation, the car stopped at Allegra Vi¡¯s entrance. Both of them unfastened their seatbelts and got out of the car to enter the vi. At this moment, Jack was waiting for them in the living room. The housekeeper promptly came to give a report. ¡°Mr. Jack, Miss Steph and Mr. Winters are back.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. A smile then appeared on the corners of the old fox¡¯s lips. Jack merely wanted to test Elias¡¯ sincerity tonight, and, as it turned out, Elias¡¯ feelings were genuine. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Do I Address Uncle Elias as Daddy From Now On? When Jack turned his head, he saw that the duo had returned home together. Elias was stoic, whereas Stephanie had a long face. It was obvious that she was furious with Jack. ¡°Dad, did you ask Elias to bring me back?!¡± Even though Stephanie had long guessed it, she still wanted to hear the answer from the horse¡¯s mouth. Jack nodded upon hearing that. ¡°Obviously. Was I supposed to watch you elope with that poor boy? I¡¯ll have you know that from today onward, you are grounded to prepare for the engagement ceremony next month. Just watch me break your legs if you dare to leave the house!¡± ¡°Dad, you are being unreasonable! I¡¯m also telling you right now that I won¡¯t get married if my partner is not Crisp! I¡ª¡± Stephanie had once again lost control of herself and expressed her true thoughts. The man beside her forced a cough as if to remind her what she was doing. Stephanie soon understood his signal and immediately shut up. She then cleared her throat before, mumbling, ¡°I¡­ I am a little sleepy. I¡¯m going upstairs to sleep.¡± With that, she nned to head upstairs. Jack could see that the two youngsters seemed to have a secret, so he narrowed his eyes and boomed at his daughter. ¡°Stop right there! What was it that you wanted to say just now?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to say anything. I¡¯m only begging for you to spare Crisp, or I¡¯ll make sure the ceremony doesn¡¯t go smoothly. You know what I¡¯m capable of!¡± engagement At that, Stephanie turned and headed upstairs without a backward nce, leaving the rest to Elias to exin to Jack. She was dumbfounded when Elias told her of his ns while they were on the road earlier. For the time being, she would regard him as a scheming man because no one was as shrewd as her father. Presently, Jack looked at Elias. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Mr. Allegra. The engagement ceremony next month at Port Der will go as nned, but I¡¯m trying to drag it out with her. She trusts me now because she thinks that I can deceive you.¡± Elias sat on the one-seater couch, acting like he was in his home. Jack¡¯s expression changed from one of doubt to a faint smile. ¡°Huh. So, you promised her that she¡¯ll be with that poor boy without letting anything get in her way.¡± ¡°Of course. Otherwise, she will rebel against you. You know her character the best.¡± Jack immediately smiled meaningfully. He had already known long ago that there was more to Elias than met the eye, but he never expected that the young man could convince Stephanie.¡± How Elias did so was not important because the most important thing was that Stephanie had agreed to the engagement. Once the engagement ceremony wasplete, Jack would ensure that everything would be executed ording to his n. ¡°You did a good job, Elias. It seems that your grandfather was right to have favored you so much. He kept saying that you were his most promising sessor, but you were careless this time. How could you have allowed your aunt to snatch all of the shares from your grandfather? Remember, no matter what kind of difficulties you encounter in the future, you can¡¯t hesitate for too long. The resources in your hands wait for no one, alright?¡± Jack warned again. Lips pursed, Elias only raised his gaze to look at Jack, who was seated opposite him, without saying a word. He knew that the older man did not fully trust him. After all, Stephanie was his only daughter. It was understandable that Jack wanted someone trustworthy and capable to be Stephanie¡¯s husband. However, once Jack had full faith in him, Elias¡¯ n to regain all the lostpany shares could officially begin. The next day. Feeling bored at home, Amanda decided to send Aiden to kindergarten. ¡°Mommy, Uncle Elias¡­¡± Aiden looked awkward after addressing Elias as such and couldn¡¯t continue with the rest of his sentence. She patiently waited for the boy to pick up from where he left off. ¡°Baby, what do you want to say? I¡¯m listening.¡± The child frowned and thought for a while before he continued, ¡°Do I have to call Uncle Elias ¡®Daddy¡¯ from now on? I¡¯m not ready to do that.¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯ll wait until you are. Didn¡¯t Uncle Elias tell you that he¡¯s not in a hurry? He can wait for you.¡± Aiden pouted and thought for a long time before he said, ¡°Does that mean he won¡¯t want us again in the future? If such a dayes, it¡¯s better not to have a daddy. It¡¯s pointless anyway.¡± It seemed that Amanda¡¯s thoughts were deeply ingrained in Aiden¡¯s mind, so he thought Elias would never genuinely like them. Amanda suddenly felt guilty. This was all her fault. Even if there are deep conflicts between adults, children should not be involved and exposed to such ideas. ¡°It won¡¯t happen. Your daddy will never ever ditch you.¡± Aiden looked at Amanda for a second. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll believe him, then.¡± At that, he released her hand and headed in the direction of his ssroom. It was only then did Amanda realize that they had arrived in front of the ssroom. And the brat didn¡¯t even look back to tell her goodbye! Why does it suddenly feel like he is all grown up? She was reluctant since she wanted Aiden to be by her side all the time. s, he still had to grow up and be an adult in the end. Now, the only people who could apany her were only Aiden and¡­ Elias. Those two were her closest, even though Elias was still considered as her ex-husband. Ring! Ring! It was the phone ringing. Amanda whipped her phone out and saw that it was Simon calling. She hesitated for a while before deciding to take the call since she had already guessed what he wanted to say. ¡°Hello¡­ Simon¡­¡± ¡°Amanda, can we have a chat? Are you really going to resign and not return to thew firm?¡± She looked at the busy street in front of her and answered, ¡°Well, I need a break. I¡¯m too exhausted.¡± Not to mention that she was not in the right state of mind to work. Even if she returned to thew firm, she was worried that she would not be as efficient as before and might make mistakes. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to rest. There¡¯s no need to resign, though. Didn¡¯t you decide to remain in town? Why don¡¯t we meet up for a talk? We¡¯ll continue with where we left off thest time, alright?¡± ¡°Simon, I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. If it¡¯s about work, we can do it over the phone. If it¡¯s about personal rtionships, save your breath, We¡¯re only colleagues, friends, and business partners. Don¡¯t disappoint Lunabelle. I can see that she has made up her mind to be with you. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll betray you again, so why don¡¯t you give her another chance?¡± Simon was silent on the other end of the line. It wasn¡¯t long before he disconnected the call. Amanda couldn¡¯t helpughing when she saw that he hung up on her. Even she herself had no idea what was so funny about it.N?velDrama.Org content rights. What are you trying to do by hanging up on me? Are you going to ignore me? Or have you decided on reconciling with Lunabelle? I¡¯ve no idea, but I¡¯m not interested to know since it¡¯s no longer my business. She hadpletely removed Simon from her list of potential candidates since they were only suited to be colleagues, friends, and business partners. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Jack¡¯s Daughter Is Marrying Elias?! Amanda was walking toward her parking space when she passed a bus stop with a huge billboard. The billboard featured a female celebrity endorsing a jewelrypany. Now why does the female celebrity look so familiar¡­ As such, she took a closer look and suddenly, realized that the celebrity looked exactly like the woman who came yesterday-Stephanie Allegra. Stephanie?! She¡¯s a celebrity? Amanda never paid much attention to the entertainment industry, so she did not know who the current hottest female celebrities were. It was at this moment that two high schoolers came over to wait for the bus and happened to notice the billboard with Stephanie on it before they sighed. ¡°Tsk! Isn¡¯t it great having money? She receives better treatment than a celebrity even though she isn¡¯t one herself. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to have Stephanie Allegra¡¯s life? She lives a fairytale and is forever spoiled like a princess.¡± ¡°Exactly! I heard that the jewelrypany is the Allegra Group¡¯s subsidiary, which is why they looked for his daughter to endorse the product. Stephanie easily earned the endorsement even when many of the women in the industry would kill to get their hands on it.¡± I¡¯m really envious. We only have our births to me. Ha¡­ We should do good things in this lifetime. Maybe we¡¯ll have a better life in our next lives.¡± The bus came then, and the two girls boarded it. Amanda was left standing there staring at Stephanie on the billboard as surprise shed in her eyes. Stephanie is the daughter of the Allegra Group, huh? And the princess who is loved by thousands of people?! The more Amanda thought of it, the odder it felt. Why would Stephanie, the daughter of the Allegra Group,e to poke her nose into Amanda¡¯s personal matters under the pretense of consulting for a divorce? What is going on? Elias seemed like he knew Stephanie too, which made Amanda suddenly remember that he had identally blurted out the woman¡¯s name when he was on the phone. Amanda¡¯s phone rang again at this time. When she looked at it again, she realized that this was a client from one of the cases that she was involved in. Whether she liked it or not, she had to answer whenever a client called. As such, she took the call and collected her thoughts. ¡°Mr. Worcester, it¡¯s been some time since west spoke. Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Miss Bailey, I¡¯d like to invite you to attend a banquet tonight since a friend who got involved in something wants to consult you for legal advice. Do you have time?¡± ¡°Ah, the thing is, I¡¯m actually on my break. Maybe I can refer you to otherwyers in the firm?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯d prefer to consult you instead. You can juste and sit for a few minutes since we¡¯re only discussing legal matters.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t extricate herself from the situation, so she could only force herself to agree. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll be there tonight.¡± ¡°Awesome. That¡¯s about it. I¡¯ll wait for you tonight, but don¡¯t bete.¡± Soon, night fell. Since Amanda was attending the banquet, she still needed to dress up a little. She was in a gown that was the color of the sea, and her long, slightly curly hair reached her waist while her face was adorned with light makeup. After she produced the invitation card, the staff allowed her into the reception area. She nced at the scale of the reception and understood that the guests tonight were somewhat influential in their own name. When she entered the reception, she searched for Phineas but could not locate him. She merely wanted to finish her task quickly and head home to sleep. I never fancied this type of event in the first ce because everyone feels fake. It¡¯s like everyone is wearing a mask. Instead of finding Phineas, she eventually spotted a familiar figure. A handsome, tall, and charming man¡­. It was none other than Elias. Why is he here too? Amanda immediately wanted tough at herself because she must have spent too much time at home. Elias already had a lot of social events to attend, so he would be exceptionally busy at this time. Whenever he needed to employ people, he was forced to attend social events to expand hiswork. At that point, Phineas finally showed up. ¡°There you are, Miss Bailey. I have been looking for you,¡± he eximed as he approached with a ss of red wine. Amanda greeted him with a smile. ¡°Mr. Worcester, I was also looking for you. By the way, didn¡¯t you say that a friend wanted to consult me for legal advice?¡± She wanted toplete the task quickly and leave before Elias spotted her. Thest thing she wanted to do was to exchange greetings with Elias at such an event. ¡°Oh, yes. He¡¯s over there. Come, let me take you to him. As Phineas brought her toward the crowd, Amanda¡¯s expression soured when they got closer. Why is he taking me in Elias¡¯ direction? Don¡¯t tell me Mr. Worcester¡¯s friend is where Elias is¡­ Can I tell Mr. Worcester to tell his friend to arrange for another ce for the consultation? This is too awkward. Yet, in the end, Phineas stopped behind Elias and said. ¡°Jack, I¡¯ve brought over mywyer, Miss Bailey. She used to represent me in a litigation matter and secured a beautiful victory for me. You can ask her if you have any questions.¡± Several people in front of them wereughing and chatting when they heard Phineas¡¯ words and turned around. This included Elias. The moment Elias saw Amanda, there was a trace of surprise in his dark eyes, but he remained silent as he observed her. Since it was a formal event where not everything could be said, Amanda merely responded with a smile. ¡°Miss Bailey, let me introduce you. This is Jack Allegra, the chairman of the Allegra Group, Phineas announced. Amanda¡¯s expression changed slightly after the introduction because the first thing that came to her mind. was Stephanie on the billboard at the bus station. This is Stephanie¡¯s father? Why am I seeing all these strange people for no reason? These few days have been really weird. Jack regarded the woman in front of him before he offered a handshake. ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Miss Bailey. I¡¯m Jack Allegra.¡± Amanda froze for a second, but she still smiled and took the proffered hand. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Elias, who was standing aside, was extremely upset at the sight of such a scene and lowered his head to take a sip of the red wine. She then politely asked. ¡°Which aspect of the legal issues do you need consultation on, Mr. Allegra? I need to know everything about it.¡± There was a strange atmospherebined with an unspoken sense of mystery as if everyone had ulterior motives. Jack nced at the calm Elias before he exined. ¡°The thing is, my daughter is getting engaged next month, and I would like for a prenup to be drafted. I don¡¯t know much about this, so I wanted to have a consultation for this.¡± Elias frowned in surprise, after which he looked at Jack angrily. It was as if to question, What do you mean by doing this? This old for is not someone easy to deal with, considering that he¡¯s being deliberate with his words. However, Amanda had no idea what was going on. She was about to answer when Phineas interrupted. ¡°Jack, you are not being kind. Do you think Mr. Winters is eyeing your properties? Does your daughter really need a prenup to marry him?¡± When Amanda heard that, her smile froze, and she looked as if she had misheard. What did Mr. Worcester say? Stephanie is marrying Elias?! Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 I Won¡¯t Cry for an *ss Like You! Amanda thought that she had misheard what was said and looked at the man standing there, disbelief written all over her face. However, Elias was stoic, as if this matter was unrted to him. She stared at him for the longest time possible without detecting any change of expression in him. So¡­ Is his silence his way of admitting to it? The atmosphere suddenly became awkward since no one dared to speak. Amanda was still recovering from the shock, while Elias was full of anger with nowhere to vent his frustrations, which left him with no choice but to endure it. As for Jack, he had nned for this encounter tonight. He knew that Elias still wanted his ex-wife, which was why Elias refused to inform Amanda about the uing engagement. As such, Jack wanted to let tonight¡¯s event shatter Elias¡¯ dreams of reconciling with her. At the sight of such an embarrassing atmosphere, Phineas couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with everyone? Why are you all quiet? Miss Bailey?¡± Amanda only came back to her senses when she heard her name being called. ¡°Huh? Did you call me?¡± ¡°I sure did. How do I say it? You should be familiar with prenups, right?¡± She averted her gaze from the man¡¯s face and forced a smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite familiar with it. If you need it. Mr. Allegra, I can help you draft a prenup.¡± At that moment, she felt a myriad of emotions wash over her. Elias is getting engaged to the daughter of the Allegra Group, huh? Heck, I didn¡¯t even know about it and even stupidly went for dinner with him yesterday! Can I be any stupider than this? No wonder Stephanie came to look for me yesterday to ask about the divorce. It¡¯s because she wants to know Elias in a better light. At this thought, Amanda wanted to p herself. How can I have been so stupid? No wonder they wanted me and Aiden abroad. It looks like we¡¯re in the way of their marriage. Ah, how pathetic¡­. Amanda looked at the man standing before her. It felt like they were so close yet worlds apart. At her words, Jack raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. We can discuss the details when we are free. The engagement ceremony is next month, with the marriage being scheduled for the end of the year. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± The engagement ceremony is next month¡­ Marriage is scheduled for the end of the year¡­ Ha! Amanda felt like blood was dripping from her chest. She didn¡¯t even know why it hurt so badly. It was as though her heart was being torn apart. Elias was now her ex-husband, who was also someone whose remarriage had nothing to do with her. Still, it hurt. It hurt so bad no words could be used to describe the pain. She felt like a joke. Amanda felt that she couldn¡¯t stay for even a second longer and tried to hold back her tears. ¡°Mr. Worcester and Mr. Allegra, I have something urgent to attend to. Why don¡¯t we discuss it further next time? If you need a prenuptial agreement to be drafted, feel free to contact me then.¡± Phineas had no idea what was happening and tried to stop Amanda from leaving. ¡°Miss Bailey, you¡¯re already leaving even when you just arrived? Please stay a bit longer. I have other friends to introduce to you. You guys might even have a coboration in the future. They are quite generous.¡± He had always wanted to introduce his contacts to Amanda so that she could make more money for herself. ¡°I really have something on. We¡¯ll chat another day.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Amanda felt that she could no longer control her tears, so she quickly fled the scene. ¡°Miss Bailey? Miss Bailey!¡± No matter how Phineas screamed, Amanda never once looked back. As Elias watched Amanda leave, he grabbed his wine ss for dear life while the displeasure was expressed on his handsome face. Jack, who was standing next to him, had a satisfied smile. Now that Amanda was aware of Elias¡¯ engagement, they were bound to argue. Once they quarreled, they would go their separate ways, and that was what Jack wanted. Elias gritted his teeth and queried. ¡°Mr. Allegra, what is the meaning of this? You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± This old fox had definitely done it on purpose to give him hell so that all the obstacles blocking his daughter¡¯s marriage would be removed. Jack swirled his ss and slowly denied, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. What¡¯s the matter? You know Miss Bailey? I saw that she was staring at you and looked as if she was about to burst into tears. You didn¡¯t even say hi! Tsk!¡± Elias had no answer to that, and without saying a word, he set aside his wine ss and rushed out of the banquet hall. Jack watched Elias¡¯ angry retreating figure and whispered, ¡°Go on. This is life. Some quarrels are meant to happen. You can only start over once you have quarreled.¡± He looked at his wine ss and chuckled. Since Elias wanted to be the son-inw, he obviously had to perfect his personal life. Jack would not be as stupid as to allow his precious daughter¡¯s happiness to be threatened by Elias. Amanda arrived at the parking space and walked toward her car. Her tears still streamed down her face uncontrobly as she swiped at them and quickened her pace. ¡°Ouch!¡± She sprained her foot, and she almost fell t on her face. She looked down and noticed that the heel of her shoe was broken, so she removed it and held it. All she wanted to do now was get out of this ce quickly. I must be out of my mind! Why the f*ck did I agree toe? I¡¯m just setting myself up for shame. Even though only Elias knows that I¡¯m his ex-wife, I still feel ashamed. Suddenly, there was the sound of a man¡¯s footsteps behind her, and she heard Elias¡¯ voice. ¡°Amanda.¡± As soon as she heard the voice, she froze a second before she jogged toward her car. Although the ground was cold, she didn¡¯t feel the chill. In fact, what she felt was nothing but heartache. When Elias saw that Amanda did not look back, he quickly reached out to her and grabbed her slender wrist to pull her back. ¡°What are you doing? Let go! You should apany your father-inw. Why did youe after me?¡± Amanda did not even want to look at the man as she felt disgusted when he appeared in her sight. She already noticed that there was something strange in Elias¡¯ behavior for the past few days. At first, she detail involving thought she was thinking too much, and maybe he was merely being insistent on every his grandfather¡¯s funeral. It turned out that he was getting married. That was why he rushed to send her and Aiden out of the country. What a hypocritical man. On the other hand, Elias was shocked when he saw her tear-streaked face. Is she really so upset to hear that I¡¯m getting engaged? ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I got sand in my eyes! I won¡¯t cry for an ¡°ss like you!¡± Amanda shoved the man¡¯s hand away and was about to leave. However, she was once again pulled back. forcefully by Elias. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Listen to Me, I¡¯m Engaged to Stephanie ¡°Amanda! Listen to me!¡± Elias shouted angrily. However, Amanda was in no mood to entertain a single word from him. ¡°What else do you want to say? I¡¯ve no interest in listening! Save your sweet words for your soon-to-be-engaged fianc¨¦e and future father- inw!¡± Although pleased to see her angry, Elias felt a twinge of heartache. He gently held her cheeks, causing her to be still. ¡°Please, calm down. Things aren¡¯t as they seem! Can you let me exin?¡± She was stunned, and her gaze fixed nkly on the man.. ¡°Listen to me, alright? I¡¯m engaged to Stephanie, but it¡¯s not what you think! I-¡± He was about to exin. his n to her when the sound of the elevator doors opening in the underground parking garage interrupted them. Looking up, he saw Jack walking out, and he decided to stay silent. ¡°You want to say something? Then, say it! What exactly is going on? Say it! Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you a chance!¡± Amanda¡¯s anger grew as she noticed Elias abruptly falling silent. Meanwhile, Jack was here to witness how Elias would handle the situation. Aware of his cunning. intentions, Elias released his grip on her hand. Losing her bnce, she took two steps back before looking at the man standing before her in bewilderment. ¡°I¡¯ll be engaged next month, so stop bothering me. I¡¯ll provide child support, and there¡¯ll be no rtionship between us apart from our child. It would be preferable if you¡¯re willing to entrust Aiden to me, but if not, I won¡¯t insist. The decision is yours to make.¡± As Elias spoke, he felt a suffocating sensation in his chest, as if a heavy stone were crushing him. However, he knew he had to say that to gain Jack¡¯s trust. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Amanda widened her eyes, finding it hard to believe what she had heard. Did hee all the way to the underground parking garage just to tell me this? She was utterly furious. ¡°Elias! You are pushing the limits! Did you chase me all the way here just to tell me this? When did I ever bother you? Did I prevent you from remarrying? Is it necessary to humiliate me like this? No wonder you¡¯ve been trying to get me and Aiden out of the country these past few days. So, it seems the one who came to see you is Stephanie, your fianc¨¦e, huh? Ha¡­ I¡¯m such a fool! I even called you. for help. How could I be so stupid¡­¡± Recalling her actions from yesterday, Amanda found it incredibly ridiculous. Jack stood on the side, thoroughly amused as he watched the heated argument unfold, and keenly observed every expression on Elias¡¯ face. Amanda¡¯s pitiful voice echoed through the empty parking garage. She sounded as if she had been abandoned by the entire world. Witnessing her tearful state. Elias, too, felt a pang of anguish, and his fists involuntarily clenched tightly at his sides. However, to reim Howard¡¯s shares, he knew that he had to make a sacrifice. Suppressing his inner conflict, Elias put on a facade of ruthlessness and stated coldly, ¡°Yes, Stephanie is my fianc¨¦e. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t provoke her. Avoid her, if possible. She seems to be bothered by my past marriage, so I expect you to be sensible and not cause any trouble for me. With that, he turned and left. Meanwhile, Amanda¡¯s face was streaked with tears, each drop shattering as it hit the ground. With despair, she shut her eyes tightly and yelled at the man¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Leave! I never want to see you again! I won¡¯t give you Aiden! I won¡¯t let you find a stepmother for him, and I won¡¯t leave this ce! Why should everything be your decision? I want to take control of my own life!¡± Elias knew he had to leave quickly. Otherwise, he would not be able to resist the urge to rush over and embrace her, as well as reveal the truth. At that moment, ayer of tears shimmered in his dark eyes. His heart was also aching, but it was not the right moment to reveal the truth to her. He had to earn Jack¡¯splete trust to reim the shares from Anna. Therefore, he suppressed his urge to turn back and hastened his steps, leaving the garage. On the side, Jack smiled with satisfaction. It seems this kid haspletely given up on his ex-wife. It should be safe to entrust my precious daughter to him, then. He nced at Amanda several times, casting sympathetic nces. Shaking his head with a smile, he turned to leave the underground garage. Left alone in the expansive garage, Amanda stood there in solitude, tears cascading down her face like raindrops, As she tried to head back to her car, she unintentionally stepped on something sharp. The anguish overwhelmed her, and she broke down, copsing in tears and despair. She could not hold back her tears and let out a sob. However, she did not want anyone to witness her pitiful state and silently stifled her sobs by pressing her hand against her mouth. Why does it have to be like this? Was Elias always like this?I knew it all along, so why did I have hope for this sc*mbag? I¡¯m such a fool! ¡°Stupid! Such a fool! You¡¯ve brought this upon yourself, Amanda Bailey!¡± She cried out in pain as she scolded herself in the garage. Amanda realized she had never truly learned her lesson and questioned why she had allowed herself to believe Elias¡¯ words once again, despite the immense pain she had endured from that man four years ago. Late at night, Amanda found herself alone in a bar. She sat at the counter, continuously asking for drinks from the bartender. Dressed in an alluring outfit for the party and with her back provocatively exposed, she captured the attention of numerous men at the bar. Men approached her one after another, attempting to strike up a conversation, but she impatiently shooed. them away. ¡°Another one, please.¡± She handed the empty ss to the bartender. Her eyes were already hazy and showed signs of intoxication, yet she still craved the burn of alcohol.. The bartender poured her another drink and could not help butment, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re already drunk. Why don¡¯t you have someonee and pick you up? It might be troublesome if you get too drunk.ter on. Being a man himself, the bartender understood all too well the intentions of the men eagerly waiting for Amanda to get intoxicated so they could take advantage of her. She slurred her words, her speech bing incoherent as she mumbled, ¡°Who are you? Why do you care? Just give me the drink when I ask. Quit the nonsense and hurry up. Men¡­ always talk too much!¡± The bartender shook his head helplessly at her state and resumed attending to his duties. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, there isn¡¯t a single good man in this world. They¡¯re all full of empty wards and deceit. Why don¡¯t you be an actor? The entertainment industry is truly missing out without you¡­. Ha¡­¡± Amanda vented her frustrations toward the bartender, her words fueled by intoxication. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Did a Man Hurt You? Looking at her devastated expression, the bartender asked, ¡°Did you get hurt by a man?¡± Amanda sensually leaned against the counter and snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t get hurt by a man. I hurt myself. I got hurt by my stupidity and was thinking, why am I so stupid? It¡¯s no wonder why I was yed by him four years ago.¡± When the bartender heard that, he eximed, ¡°7! Another beautifuldy heartbroken because of a man¡­ ¡°I told you, a man didn¡¯t hurt me; my stupidity did. I¡¯m angry at myself for being so stupid¡­¡± While speaking, she began to sob. ¡°Alright, alright. I was wrong. Please don¡¯t cry.¡± The bartender was shocked to realize the drunk woman was not to be messed with. At that moment, the men waiting around all came to flirt with Amanda because they saw she was quite drunk and could easily be brought away. ¡°Miss, are you drunk? Why don¡¯t I send you home?¡± ¡°Miss, let me bring you home. I would very much like to get to know you¡­¡± Seemingly drunk, Amanda looked at the two men and demanded weakly, ¡°Who are you? Do I even know you? Why would I go with you? Go away.. Looking at the two men standing on both sides of her, the bartender shook his head helplessly. He had expected this because it was hard for beautiful women not to attract men with ill intentions. At that moment, a gentle but deep voice interrupted them. I¡¯ll take her home.¡± Amanda looked in the direction of the voice and saw a blurry face. No matter how hard she tried to look. there seemed to be several figures ovepping each other. She weakly asked, ¡°Who¡­ are you? Go away¡­ The two men could not help but question the man too. ¡°She¡¯s right. Who are you? How can you cut our line? We came here first!¡± Unexpectedly, the man helped Amanda to her feet and replied, ¡°I¡¯m your boss. Is there a problem with. that?¡± The two men looked at each other, speechless. Then, they sensibly left. My boss? After being helped to her feet, the dizzy Amanda wondered, My boss? Who is that? Why don¡¯t I remember? With a grim expression, Simon helped Amanda leave the bar. He wanted to see her for several days now but could not find the chance. When he came to the bar with his friends and saw Amanda in such skimpy -clothes and with other men hovering over her, he was instantly furious and stormed over. After leaving the bar, he discovered she wasn¡¯t even wearing shoes, and she seemed injured because there was blood on her feet. So, he picked her up into his arms and carried her to his car. ¡°Who are you? Why are you taking me away¡­¡± Amanda repeated the question again and again as though. she was not tired of it. Looking at her flushed cheeks, Simon patiently replied, ¡°I¡¯m your boss.¡± ¡°My boss¡­ What¡¯s that? Is it edible? Wait, I have to buy strawberry shortcake home for my son. He likes that¡­¡± At the mention of her son, Simon became even angrier and chastised, ¡°You still remember Aiden, huh? You know he¡¯s waiting for you at home, yet you came to the bar to get drunk. Amanda, how did you end up like this? What has got you so worked up?¡± Simon wanted to coax out the truth while she was drunk, but all he heard was her even breathing. She had fallen asleep¡­ Looking at her, he felt hopeless and ced her in the back seat beforeing to the front and driving. away. Meanwhile, at Gxy Bay, since Simon did not know where Amanda was staying, he had no choice but to bring her to his home. He ced her on the soft bed and went to make her some peppermint tea to sober up. When he returned, he saw she was still sleeping and mumbling constantly ¡°Why am I so stupid¡­ Why¡­¡± ¡°So, Stephanie is the youngdy of the Allegra Group¡­ ¡°Elias, you sc*mbag. You¡¯re a b¡¯stard. Get¡­ get away from me. I would never surrender Aiden to you¡­¡± ¡°B*stard¡­ Sc*mbag¡­ Serves you right, Amanda Bailey. You deserve it. Why are you so stupid? Why did you believe him¡­¡± Listening to her drunken mumbles, Simon could not guess what had happened, but he did hear her say a name, Stephanie. Stephanie Allegra from the Allegra Group? Does Amanda know her? It was said that Stephanie kept a low profile and was pampered by her father like a princess. He basically isted his daughter from the outside world, afraid she might get tricked by others. Amanda finally fell silent, seeming to have fallen asleep. Meanwhile, Simon sat on the side of the bed with the peppermint tea. He helped her sit up in bed and fed her some tea, hoping she would sober up a little or at least not have a headache when she woke up tomorrow. Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s phone began ringing. However, the frustrated Amanda had switched her phone to silent mode, so Simon did not notice the phone and missed the call. It was a call from Selina. + At Northern No. 1, after having called Amanda several times but could not reach her, Selina had no idea. what was going on. Didn¡¯t she say she was attending a banquet? Why isn¡¯t she home¡­. Selina was inexplicably worried and nced toward the sleeping Aiden in the kid¡¯s room. After thinking about it, she was still worried and dialed Elias¡¯ number, which he answered after a long while. The man¡¯s tired voice was heard from the phone. He had returned to hispany for an emergency meeting after the banquet. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, Amanda said she was going to a banquet and would be home soon, but she hasn¡¯t returned. I¡¯m rather worried. Can you help me look for her?¡± Elias was silent for a moment. ¡°She hasn¡¯t returned home?¡± ¡°Yes, so I was hoping you could help me search for her ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go look for her.¡± After hanging up, Elias instantly felt his tiredness disappear. Was he too harsh with his words back at the basement parking lot and hurt Amanda too hard? Why hadn¡¯t she returned home? The man quickly thought of ces Amanda might be and where to look¡­. ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯ll send you home to rest, Yacob offered. Since the emergency meeting had ended, he thought they could finally head home to rest. Much to his surprise, he heard Elias say, ¡°I¡¯m not going home. I have to find Amanda. She¡¯s gone missing.¡± Yacob was rendered speechless. What? Amanda disappeared again? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He was breaking down inside because it seemed like tonight was yet another sleepless night for him. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Otherwise, I¡¯ll tten This ce Tonight! Yacob drove Elias around in search of Amanda, as they still needed some time to pinpoint her location via her phone. Elias¡¯ expression waspletely serious. All he could think about was how pitiful Amanda seemed while crying in the parking lot, and he wondered if he had been too harsh with his words. But if he weren¡¯t harsh with Amanda, the cavesdropping Jack,would not believe him, and he would not be able to use Jack like how he nned. Elias looked out the window at the quiet street. It waste at night, so where could she be, and why did she not return home? Could she be hiding somewhere, crying her heart out? With his knowledge of Amanda, that seemed to happen quite frequently. At that thought. Elias felt a pang in his heart, and his thick eyshes trembled. When Yacob saw his boss¡¯ worried expression through the rearview mirror, heforted, ¡°Mr. Winters, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already begun tracking her phone, so I¡¯m sure we will get the results very soon.¡± Just as Yacob was speaking, his phone rang, and he answered it with a serious expression. It seemed like they had found where Amanda¡¯s phone was located. After hanging up. Yacob turned the car around and headed in another direction. ¡°We¡¯ve found her. They say she was at a bar an hour ago, and her current location is at Gxy Bay,¡± Yacob exined. Gxy Bay? Elias¡¯ expression instantly turned grim as he realized that was where Simon was living. Could they be¡­ With his fists clenched, Elias pursed his lips and ordered. ¡°Faster. Drive faster!¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± Yacob stomped on the elerator. Since Amanda was with Simon, it was natural for Elias to be anxious, but what confused Yacob was that his boss had previously mentioned letting go of Amanda, so why was he so worked up about which man she was with now? Yacob felt at a loss for words. At Gxy Bay. Simon watched Amanda sleeping and listened to her mumbling. When he saw her frown, he could not hold back his desire to hold her hand. ¡°I said I can protect you, but why won¡¯t you give me a chance to do so? Why don¡¯t you believe that I like you?¡± The truth was that Simon discovered he seemed to have fallen in love with Amanda at some point. Saying they could get married and develop feelingster was just an excuse back then. He wanted to marry Amanda and live a life with her. That was it. Suddenly, the sleeping Amanda began talking in her sleep again while tightly clutching Simon¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t go, please¡­ Don¡¯t go, Mom. Don¡¯t leave me alone. Don¡¯t go. Mom¡± She was like a helpless child, softly mumbling as tears flowed from the corner of her eyes. The sight of her took Simon by surprise because he did not expect her to start crying. He grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears. At that moment, the sound of the doorbell ringing came from outside, causing him to frown. Who would come at such ate hour? The doorbell rang again, sounding more anxious than the previous time like it was rushing the person inside. Frowning, Simon headed downstairs to the entrance and looked through the video doorbell to see who was outside. Elias Winters? How did he find out Amanda¡¯s here so quickly? Ha¡­ However, Simon chose not to open the door and instead used the inte. ¡°Go home. Amanda¡¯s drunk and can¡¯t go home now. She¡¯s sleeping. I¡¯ll send her home tomorrow.¡± Outside, Elias was suddenly infuriated and mmed his fist on the door, roaring. I¡¯m warning you! Return Amanda to me, or I¡¯ll tten this ce tonight!¡± Simon, however, was unfazed. He chuckled and stated, ¡°So be it. Let me see how strong you are.¡± Elias went straight toward the car, nning to drive it through the door. Unexpectedly, he heard Simon¡¯s voiceing through the inte. ¡°I wanted to ask what you did to Amanda to make her this way. She¡¯s having dreams tonight, scolding you and asking you to leave. She says she never wants to see you again and called you a se mbag. I knew you were a sc*mbag long ago, but she seemed very sad. What did you do to her?¡± The man¡¯s footsteps stopped as his tall figure froze in his spot. After almost an eternity, Elias ordered. ¡°Send Amanda home tomorrow. If you dare to touch her tonight, I¡¯ll kill you tomorrow.¡± Once he was done, he headed for the car with Yacob following behind him, calling. ¡°Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home, the man coldly instructed before getting in the back seat. Yacob was stunned for a moment. Why are we suddenly leaving now that we have found Amanda? But as Elias¡¯ bodyguards, it was not his ce to say anything. Yacob had to do as his boss said, so he got in the driver¡¯s seat and slowly drove away. Back inside, Simon watched Elias leave and could not help but feel curious about what happened between the two and what made the furious Elias suddenly calm down and actually leave without doing anything. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. If it had been in the past, it was impossible for Elias not to start a fight, and he might even drive the car into the door, but now¡­. Simon unconsciously nced upstairs, guessing an irrevocable conflict must have broken out between the two. It was past 10.00AM the next day when Amanda woke up with a migraine from being drunkst night. Fortunately, she had drunk some peppermint tea, so her headache was less severe. While sitting up in a daze, she looked at the decor around her. This¡­ does not look like home. Is this a hotel? But it looks familiar. It was until the room¡¯s door was pushed open and Simon came in with some peppermint tea that she finally realized where she was. So, this is Gxy Bay ¡°Simon? Why am I here?¡± She could vaguely remember getting drunk at a barst night but could not remember anything that transpired after that. After giving her the tea, Simon exined, ¡°Drink this. It¡¯s peppermint tea. Your headache will get better after drinking this.¡± Stunned, Amanda took the tea and finished it in one go because she was quite thirsty. ¡°Thank you. Simon sat on the side. When he saw she had sobered up. he asked, ¡°What happenedst night? Why did you go to the bar and get drunk? I saw you when my friends and I went there to have something to drink. You were already drunk then, so I brought you home.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ So that¡¯s what happened¡­¡± Amanda¡¯s gaze suddenly dimmed again. That was because she unconsciously recalled the things Elias said at the parking lot. Every word was harsher and more hurtful than thest. Her eyes could not help but be filled with tears. It was as if she had returned to the suffocating parking lot fromst night. Seeing that she kept quiet and even had tears in her eyes, Simon could not help himself and asked, ¡°Amanda? What are you thinking about?¡± Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 I Would Rather Aiden Does Not Have a Father Amanda came back to her senses then. ¡°N-Nothing. I¡¯m fine. I want to go home. It¡¯s gettingte, and I didn¡¯t return homest night, so Aiden¡¯s probably worried about me¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. While speaking, she grabbed her phone and saw there were countless missed calls from Selina, who was probably anxious after being unable to reach her all night. Meanwhile, Simon said nothing and just watched her from the side. Amanda dialed Selina¡¯s number and heard her worried voice. ¡°Amanda, where are you? Why didn¡¯t you answer any of my callsst night? Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that I got drunkst night. I¡¯lle hometer. Has Aiden gone to school?¡± ¡°Yes, I sent him to school, and he kept asking why his mommy wasn¡¯t home. I lied, saying you have work today and left early.¡± Amanda r¨¤n a hand through her hair upon hearing that. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be home soon, so don¡¯t worry.¡± After she finished speaking, she hung up and pulled the covers off her. Then, she went to the bathroom to wash up. Since she previously stayed here, she was familiar with the ce. In the meantime, Simon had arrived outside the bathroom, waiting for Amanda toe out. A whileter, when Amanda came out of the bathroom after washing up, she was startled to see Simon standing outside the door. ¡°Why are you standing there? You gave me a fright!¡± At that, Simon asked, ¡°Are you going to leave now? I have something to ask you. What happenedst night between you and Elias? Why did you get drunk at the bar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I need to go now. We¡¯ll talk next time.¡± She was in no mood to discuss this topic and wanted to hurry home. However, just after Amanda took a step away, Simon blocked her way and seemed like he would not let her leave until he received the answer he wanted. ¡°Did you and Elias get into a fight? What was it about?¡± ¡°Who told you we fought? It¡¯s nothing. I have nothing to do with him, nor would I fight with him.¡± At the mention of Elias, Amanda unconsciously recalled what happened at the parking lotst night. She gritted her teeth in anger, wanting to kill that sc mbag. Every word he said back there was an insult to her character. Simon chuckled and asked, ¡°Are you sure? Last night, you kept scolding Elias and calling him a sc*mbag in your dreams. Does that sound like nothing to you? Also, how did you get acquainted with Stephanie Allegra? Why were you talking about her in your sleep too?¡± Amanda frowned. Did I really say that much while drunk? It seems like I must restrain myself from drinking in the future. My tolerance is not good, and I seem to like spouting nonsense after getting drunk. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know who Stephanie Allegra is, or perhaps the Stephanie I know is different from the one you. know. There are many people with the same names all around the world.¡± Once she finished, she wanted to leave again, but Simon continued to block her way. ¡°What else do you want to say?¡± Amanda was starting to feel irritated. ¡°Elias came looking for youst night and asked me to return you. I didn¡¯t open the door, but then he suddenly left. I thought he would drive the car in and force the door open.¡± The expression on Amanda¡¯s face stiffened, and she was stunned for a long time. ¡°Elias? Why did hee here?¡± How dare that sc*mbage to ask for me? What right does he have toe here? On what basis?! At this point, Amanda felt like she could not understand Elias anymore. He was like a schizophrenic. One moment, he was cold and indifferent, and the other moment he was affectionate. It was simply confusing. ¡°He came to get you. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know he wants to get back with you. How could he rest assured when you¡¯re in my home? But he suddenly leftst night, which was quite surprising.¡± Simon exined. Amanda suddenly lost it and bellowed, ¡°What¡¯s there for him to worry about? He¡¯s about to get engaged and is going to get married at the end of the year. What right does he have to care which man I am with? Who does he think he is? Does he think he can woo every woman on the? That b*stard!¡± Since she had nowhere to vent her anger, she took it all out on Simon. But she immediately regretted it because this had nothing to do with Simon, so why was she taking out her anger on him? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got a little carried away. I¡¯ll be leaving now. Let¡¯s talk again next time.¡± Just as she grabbed her bag and was about to leave, Simon grabbed her wrist and asked, ¡°You said Elias is getting engaged to another woman. Who is he going to marry? Is it the Stephanie you mentioned in your sleep?¡± Amanda knew the man was smart, but she did not expect him to react so quickly, rendering her speechless. On the other hand, Simon thought he had guessed wrong. Afterbining all the hints together, he was confused. Is Elias going to marry Stephanie Allegra? His eyes were filled with shock, and he was bewildered for a long while. What is Elias up to? Why is he marrying Stephanie? Isn¡¯t he trying to get back with Amanda? Then there¡¯s also Aiden¡­.. What¡¯s going on? ¡°How can Elias do that? Is he going to abandon Aiden too? I¡¯ll reason with him!¡± Feeling suffocated, Simon turned around, wanting to find Elias and reason with him. This time, it was Amanda who stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t go. Why are you going to look for him? He can marry whoever he wants, and it has nothing to do with me. I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Stop lying. Do you really don¡¯t care? Would you get drunk if you didn¡¯t care? You never liked drinking liquor!¡± Simon exposed her there and then. Amanda had noeback, and she turned her head. ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have believed him. He hurt me so much four years ago, but I still haven¡¯t learned my lesson four yearster. I deserve this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on in Elias¡¯ brain. Was everything he said all lies? How can a man be so irresponsible and spout lies?¡± Even Simon could not help but curse. Being awyer, he rarely cursed as he was usually a gentleman. That made Amandaugh, but herugh seemed somewhat pitiful ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. and it¡¯s hard to change someone¡¯s behavior. Perhaps Stephanie sparked something in his heart. Also, don¡¯t men generally like younger women? I¡¯ve seen Stephanie before, and she is indeed beautiful. A pretty nobledy and a wealthy young master. They¡¯re a match made in heaven, much more suited for each other than me.¡± ¡°What about Aiden? Does Elias not want his son anymore?- Aiden Amanda sighed. ¡°He can still have a child with Stephanie after they get married. By then, would he remember the child he had with his ex-wife? Moreover, I will never let Aiden return to the Winters Family. I would rather my child have no father than let him have a stepmother!¡± She swore that she would never give Aiden to the Winters Family, ¡°Amanda¡­ Are you sure? Is he really going to marry Miss Allegra?¡± Based on the Winterses¡¯ abilities, they did not need to marry to establish connections, so Simon could not figure out what Elias was doing. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chastised by Your Ex-wife¡¯s Boyfriend? Amanda was in no mood to talk about this matter. With a frustrated expression, she shouted, ¡°Yes, yes, and yes! The president of the Allegra Group has already approached me toe up with a prenuptial agreement. Does that tell you it¡¯s real or not?¡± Simon fell silent. Is Elias serious about this? Didn¡¯t he seem like he had deep feelings for Amanda? Didn¡¯t he vow to get back with her? Why did he change all of a sudden? There must be a reasonable exnation. The next moment, Amanda walked past Simon and exited the bedroom. He turned around and called after her, ¡°Amanda¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m begging you to leave me alone. I¡¯m tired.¡± Her tone sounded helpless, like she refused to say another word. Since it was not appropriate to say anything else, Simon let her leave. Once he heard the vi door being closed, he took out his phone and hesitated for a while before deciding to call Elias. Meanwhile, Elias was meeting a client in the conference room when his phone suddenly rang. He took a look and saw it was from Simon. Since Simon rarely called him, it meant he must have called about something very important. After thinking about it, the man answered the call with a swipe of his finger and ced his phone beside his ear. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Simon¡¯s confused voice came from the other end. ¡°Nothing much. I just want to ask what you have up your sleeve. Don¡¯t you like Amanda and want to get back with her? Don¡¯t you want to get Aiden back? What the heck are you doing? Why are you getting involved with the Allegra Group?¡± Listening to the strain of questions from his phone, Elias frowned in frustration. Why was everyone asking him for a reason when whatever he was doing could not be revealed to others? Jack was a sly fox, s¨® if he told anyone his n, Jack would definitely find out about it. Therefore, he had to keep this a secret. from Amanda, let alone Simon. The man held his forehead with his long fingers and spoke in a frustrated voice. ¡°It does not concern you. Don¡¯t you understand a man¡¯s true nature? With my identity, how could I be willing to stay with only one woman? As for a child, any woman would be willing to bear my child. Since you like Amanda, you can freely pursue her. I won¡¯t bother.¡± ¡°Elias, will you take responsibility for what you said today?¡± Simon sounded a little angry on the phone, like he wanted toe over and punch Elias. As for Elias, he said those words because Jack and his secretary had entered the door a moment earlier. Meanwhile, Jack pretended he did not care while eavesdropping on the phone call. The meeting room was extremely quiet, so much so that one could hear a pin drop. Elias watched as the cunning old fox sat on the couch, seemingly looking at the document in his hand when he was actually listening to his answer. Therefore, Elias could only resolutely reply, ¡°Of course, I will take responsibility for my words. I am no longer interested in Amanda, and if you¡¯re interested in providing for my son, I can give Aiden to you. Stephanie will bear me a child after we get married, anyway.¡± ¡°Elias Winters, do you hear what you¡¯re saying? It seems like you made Amanda quite furiousst night, or else she wouldn¡¯t have been so angry. You¡¯re such a se mbag! Not only did you hurt her four years ago, but you still haven¡¯t changed four yearster. I didn¡¯t expect you to still act this way. Since you¡¯ve decided to give up on Amanda and Aiden, you¡¯d better not go anywhere near them again!¡± Once Simon was done, he immediately hung up. Elias listened to the beeping of the phone and felt his heart ache. He remained calm on the surface because he knew that once he said that, he would never be able to get Amanda and Aiden back. However, the burden on his shoulders was too crucial, so he could only give up his feelings. When Jack saw Elias putting away his phone, he spoke up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Got chastised by your ex- wife¡¯s boyfriend?¡± After snorting. Elias replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s my ex-wife, so we will never have anything to do with each other ever again. Also, I¡¯m getting engaged next month. Let¡¯s forget about this. By the way. Mr. Allegra, I heard my aunt say that she has begun acquiring some small businesses?¡± Jack nodded upon hearing that. ¡°Yes. Your aunt isn¡¯t easily reckoned with. Since she shamelessly took away your grandfather¡¯s shares, she is afraid you might want to take them back, so she is now trying all she can to buy supporters to resist your attack whenever it may be.¡± Frowning, Elias thought he might have indeed underestimated Anna. She had disliked him since he was young and always said his grandfather was biased toward him and doted on him until he behaved lawlessly. But her spendthrift son was also doted on till the point that he behavedwlessly as well. That young man was indeed immoral because he had gotten several women pregnant and lost quite a lot of money. It seemed like he had to elerate his ns. Elias pretended to look serious. ¡°By the way, Mr. Allegra, where are we going to hold the engagement party next week? I¡¯ve already started preparing the invitations. I have quite a number of friends and family. How about you?¡± Jack was happy to hear Elias mentioning the engagement on his own and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯ll take care of everything, and you will only need to attend the party with Steph. You youngsters shouldn¡¯t waste time on those matters. Just focus on whatever matters you have on hand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I have three projects running at the same time, so I am quite busy. Thank you for stepping in, Mr. Allegra.¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to be a family. Why are you still calling me Mr. Allegra?¡± Jack teased. A hint of displeasure appeared in Elias¡¯ eyes, but he stillplied. ¡°Thank you, Jack. You¡¯ve worked hard on this matter.¡± ¡°Good. Steph and I recently had a conflict again. If you have the time, please apany her. After all, she¡¯s my only daughter, and I would not want her to suffer any grievances. Moreover, feelings are developed, so I¡¯m sure Steph will gradually forget that poor man and fall for you. Our families are a good match for each other.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Elias nodded. ¡°Tll go to her tonight. No matter how busy I am, I must make time for my fianc¨¦. She is the most important.¡± ¡°Very good. It¡¯s great that you understand that a harmonious family is the key to prosperity.¡± Jack was growing more satisfied with his future son-inw. However, he never had a chance or reason to get the Winters Family to propose marriage to his family before, so he had to seize this chance to do so. ¡°Your aunt will also attend the board of directors meetingter, so you have to prepare yourself and control your anger. We still have bigger matters to attend to, so don¡¯t get too emotional, alright?¡± Jack reminded Elias. With a slight frown, Elias stated, ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t mess up at such an important moment. I¡¯ll listen to your orders.¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Aiden Is Struck With a Fever After leaving Gxy Bay, Amanda headed to the cemetery instead of going home. She had to see her mother, for she hadn¡¯t done so in a long time. On the way to her destination, she bought some lilies, which were her mother¡¯s favorite flowers. She ced them in front of her grave. As she looked at her mother¡¯s smiling face in the photo, her into crescents as well. eyes curved ¡°How are you doing. Mom? I haven¡¯t visited you for a while because I¡¯ve been swamped with work.¡± Amanda sighed and crouched down before touching her mother¡¯s photo. As she looked at her mother¡¯s smile, she felt downcast. ¡°Mom, why have I fallen for the same man twice? Why am I so foolish? I don¡¯t hate him or anyone else. I only me myself for being unwise.¡± Her eyes welled up with tears. As she nced at her mother¡¯s photo, she recalled what had happened in thest moments of her life. Before her mother passed away, Elias fulfilled his duty as a son-inw. Although Elias didn¡¯t love Amanda, he never evaded his responsibilities. The man stood in front of the woman¡¯s deathbed and listened to herst words patiently. Although he was merely putting on an act, he appeared serious. At that time, Amanda was grateful that he was willing to y along so that her mother could leave for the other world in peace. As she recalled the scene back then, her tears slid down her cheeks and fell onto the lilies. This time, she was more sorrowful than how she felt four years ago. She remained standing there until all her tears dried up. Then, she looked up at the endless sky, feeling. that her life was hopeless. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, Mom. I¡¯ll visit you again. I¡¯m sorry for always talking about myself whenever I come here. I hope you¡¯re not pissed at me.¡± She put on a listless smile. All of a sudden, her phone started ringing. She fished it out and realized it was Selina calling. She quickly pulled herself together and connected the call before cing the phone beside her car.. Before she could even say anything, Selina¡¯s anxious voice was heard over the phone. ¡°Amanda! A teacher from the kindergarten gave me a call and told me that Aiden is down with a fever. I¡¯m heading there right. now. Pleasee over as well!¡± ¡°What? A fever? I¡¯ll be going over right away! Please hurry up.¡± Amanda¡¯s expression changed as she turned around and left without bidding her mother farewell. Why is Aiden struck with a fever out of nowhere? Thest time he came down with a fever wasst year. Unbeknownst to her, Selina didn¡¯t only call her but also her ex-husband, Elias. He was the child¡¯s father, after all. Aiden had been listless the entire morning since he arrived at the kindergarten. When it was lunchtime, he didn¡¯t have much appetite. The teacher noticed his anomaly and took his body temperature, only to discover that it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When Selina arrived at the kindergarten, she saw the teacher trying to cool Aiden down. ¡°What¡¯s going on, miss? Why does he have a fever all of a sudden?¡± Selina walked over and took the child from the teacher. ¡°I have no idea. Aiden has been lethargic the entire morning, and he didn¡¯t have much appetite during lunchtime. I took his body temperature just now and discovered his fever.¡± A minute after Selina entered the ssroom, Amanda arrived as well. When she saw that Aiden was asleep, she felt her heart getting twisted. She went over and held the child in her arms, forgetting that she was still wearing the stilettos from the day before. She gently pressed her face against the child¡¯s forehead and realized it was scorching. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital right away.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Selina followed her closely. A fever was noughing matter as it might damage a child¡¯s brain. As soon as they left the kindergarten, Amanda lost her bnce and fell forward. Seeing that Aiden was about to fall to the ground as well, Selina eximed, ¡°Amanda!¡± She wanted to save them, but it was toote. Just then, a man appeared and wrapped his arm around Amanda¡¯s waist. At the same time, he held the child in his other arm. Amanda almost jumped out of her skin. When she regained her bnce, she looked up before her eyes widened with disbelief. That was because the man was none other than Elias! Presently, the man was holding the child in one arm while supporting her weight with his other. When Amanda looked at his face, she couldn¡¯t help but recall what had happened in the garage the other day. She pushed the man away and snapped. ¡°Let go of me! What are you doing here? Give my child back to me!¡± She tried to snatch the child before she even stabilized herself. As such, she lost her bnce again and crashed into the man¡¯s embrace. Elias hugged her tightly, but the woman forcefully pushed him away again. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Who told you toe here?!¡± She recalled Elias saying he didn¡¯t want her and the child, so what was he doing there? Was he trying to annoy her? When Selina saw that, she was puzzled as to what was going on. She said cautiously, ¡°I was the one who told Mr. Winters about it. He¡¯s the child¡¯s father, after all. I¡­¡± Selina appeared aggrieved, for she had no idea why Amanda was mad. The woman had prepared dinner for Elias a few days ago, but they fell out so soon, Elias held the child tightly and frowned. ¡°Stop talking and send the child to the hospital right now. He¡¯s sick.¡± With that, he turned around and headed to his car with the child in his arms. Amanda wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with him as the child had to be treated immediately. His illness was severe, after all. After they arrived at the children¡¯s hospital, the doctor examined Aiden and put him on a drip. Amanda had finally calmed down at this point. As she looked at the sick child, she felt heartbroken. However, when she caught sight of the man beside her, she couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists, wondering what he was doing there. Is he trying to tell me I¡¯m not even qualified to be a mother because I almost fell down while carrying the child? On the other hand, Elias was being monitored by Jack¡¯s assistant as if he was a prisoner. Jack imed that the assistant would help Elias out and obey his orders. Elias had received Selina¡¯s call during the board meeting earlier. When he learned that the child was down with a fever, he immediately left the meeting room, His unusual behavior caught Jack¡¯s attention. Left with no choice, Elias lied that his ex-wife was threatening him with the child. As such, the shrewd Jack sent his assistant to follow Elias.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He had to find out if Elias was still in love with Amanda and how close the young man was to his child. If Elias was inseparable from the child, Stephanie¡¯s future kids with him would probably be at a disadvantage. Jack was a far-sighted person who even thought about his future grandchildren. Either way, he wouldn¡¯t let his daughter and his future grandchildren suffer any grievances or face any threats. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Forgetting About His Ex-lover Ignoring the fact that Jack¡¯s assistant was still around. Amanda bellowed, ¡°What on earth are you doing here? You¡¯re getting engaged soon, and your wedding will be held by the end of the year. What are you trying to achieve? Do you want to annoy me so badly? You humiliated me in the garage the other day, but you¡¯re pretending to be a good father now. Don¡¯t you find yourself revolting? As she recalled what happened in the garage, she had the urge to murder Elias. If not for the fact that Aiden was down with a fever, she would ve pounced on the jerk and destroyed him. Elias remained silent and took a nce at Jack¡¯s assistant. Elmer Walsh. He knew that he had to keep on acting Otherwise, if Elmer returned and told Jack about it, the older man¡¯s suspicion would be aroused. Elias said grimly. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m Aiden¡¯s father. I¡¯m trying to fulfill my responsibilities, and it has nothing to do with you. What on earth did he just say? I was the one who gave birth to Aiden, but this man is telling me it has nothing to do with me. Amanda was so exasperated that she had the urge tough. Tm Aiden¡¯s mother, yet you¡¯re telling me it nothing to do with me. Elias, are you so used to getting treated like a prince? Is that why you think one in this world has to revolve around you and obey your orders?¡± Elmer had been observing their interactions so that he could go back and report everything to Jack. Seeing that the two of them were about to argue, he tried to calm them down with a smile. ¡°Miss Bailey, you and Mr. Winters used to be married, and you guys have a kid together. There¡¯s no need to fall out with each other. Just like what Mr. Winters said, he¡¯s the child¡¯s father, so he has his responsibilities to fulfill¡± ¡°Who are you? What right do you have to butt in? Will you please get out of here? This is a private matter between us, so why have you been listening to our conversation the entire time? Are you monitoring someone?¡± Amanda inadvertently exposed Elmer¡¯s motives. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Elias couldn¡¯t help but frown. Elmer was startled for a moment before replying with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m here to help. If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know.¡± ¡°Sure, there¡¯s something I need you to help me with right now. Please get out of this room and close the door. Thanks.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t understand why this man couldn¡¯t read the room at all. Can¡¯t he see that I¡¯m having a discussion with Elias? Why is he listening to our conversation? How does such a tactless assistant like him survive in thepany? Elmer was dumbfounded upon hearing that. Is she trying to chase me away? On the other hand, Elias snorted, totally agreeing with Amanda¡¯s actions. He had been meaning to tell Elmer to get lost. However, he had no choice but to let Elmer follow him since thetter was Jack¡¯s assistant. Elmer still wanted to say something, but Amanda bellowed, ¡°Get lost!¡± A shocked Elmer immediately turned around and left the ward before closing the door. ¡°His ex-wife is so fierce. It¡¯s no wonder Mr. Winters fell out of love with her,¡± he muttered under his breath. Inside the ward, Elias curled his lips. He was d that he had finally gotten rid of Elmer, who had been monitoring him like a human surveince camera and reporting everything to Jack. However, his faint smile made Amanda think that he was mocking her. ¡°Why are you smiling? Do you think I¡¯mughable? Yes, I¡¯m such aughingstock. No former wife of a wealthy man in this world would fare as badly as I do. After the divorce, I got nothing and was even humiliated by you!¡± Amanda regretted falling in love with a jerk like him back then. Despite knowing he was a terrible guy, she couldn¡¯t pull herself out of it. When she came back four yearster, she still hoped that the jerk would treat her with sinc¨¨rity. She couldn¡¯t think of anyone as foolish as she was. Seeing how agitated she was, Elias asked, ¡°Do you hate me so much, Amanda?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you at all, and I don¡¯t even care about that. I hate myself for falling hard for you repeatedly. It¡¯s entirely my fault.¡± Everything Amanda said was a reminder to herself. Elias felt sorry for the woman. Just as he was ready to say something, he took a look at the door. Even though the door was closed, he knew Elmer was eavesdropping on them. As such, he decided to remain silent. Nevertheless, Amanda hated it when the man stayed silent in a situation like this. She lost her cool and yelled, ¡°Say something! Why are you silent? Do you think I¡¯m unreasonable?!¡± All of a sudden, Elias¡¯ phone started ringing, which was untimely in the quiet ward. He took a look and realized it was Stephanie calling. Certainly, he wouldn¡¯t pick up the call at a time like this, and he rejected the call at once. Aiden was on a drip. While lying on the bed, he was aggrievedly saying something in his dream. His face was all red due to the fever, making him look pitiful. ¡°Mommy¡­ Will we stay together with Daddy forever? Daddy¡­ I finally have a father now¡­ Daddy¡­¡± When the two of them heard the child talking in his sleep, they were astounded.. Amanda¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as she covered her mouth so that she wouldn¡¯t wake the child up if she cried. On the other hand, Elias balled up his fists and frowned. Looking at his son, he felt heartbroken. Although the child appeared to be resisting him, he was secretly d that he was reunited with his father. However, Amanda didn¡¯t want the jerk to stay there and stare at the child, acting like a loving father. She took the man¡¯s arm and dragged him out of the ward. The moment she opened the door, she saw Elmer almost losing his bnce as he pressed his ear against the door to eavesdrop on them. Elmer straightened up in embarrassment. Just as he was ready to exin, Amanda yelled at Elias, ¡°Stay away from Aiden and me! Since you¡¯ve decided to marry another woman, stop interfering in our affairs. I¡¯ll never thank you, and I¡¯ll even find you revolting.¡± Elias hesitantly parted his lips to speak, but his phone rang again. This time, Elmer noticed it was Stephanie calling. As such, he reminded Elias by saying, ¡°Miss Allegra is calling. Mr. Winters.¡± Elias appeared displeased. He rejected the call earlier because he didn¡¯t want to pick it up. However, since Elmer had seen it, Elias had no choice but to answer his phone. Otherwise, the assistant would report the incident to Jack. With a dark expression, he picked up the call and held the phone beside his ear. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He was trying hard to suppress his fury. However, when Amanda noticed his attitude, she thought he was being gentle to the other woman. Pffi, a man tends to forget about his ex-lover when he finds a new one. Stephanie was heard sobbing over the phone. ¡°Where are you, Elias? I have to see you right now! It¡¯s an urgent matter. Come to me now!¡± Elmer was pretending to be nonchnt, but he had been listening attentively to their conversation. Elias took a look at Elmer and said grimly. ¡°Send me the address. I¡¯ming right now.¡± Despite the man¡¯s curt reply, Amanda felt like her world was falling apart. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Falling in Love With Someone Else Has Elias fallen in love with the youngdy from the Allegra Family? Amanda felt her heart breaking into pieces. After Elias hung up the call, he appeared displeased, but he had no choice but to leave. However, his son was still on a drip in the ward. Just then. Elmer coughed and reminded him by saying, ¡°Miss Allegra must have something important to tell you, Mr. Winters, so you¡¯d better not let her wait. She has been the center of attention since a young age, and she mustn¡¯t suffer any grievances.¡± Amanda had the urge tough. He sounds like other people deserve to suffer grievances. Unable to take it anymore, Elias shot him a re. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m some nobody?¡± Elmer was rendered speechless upon hearing that. Though Stephanie had been the center of attention, Elias had always enjoyed a life of prestige. They had been treated like a princess and a prince since young, so they wouldn¡¯t give in to each other. All of a sudden, Elmer felt like he was the clown, but he was just trying to do his job. After all, he was Jack¡¯s executive assistant. ¡°Run along. We don¡¯t need you here. I¡¯ll take care of Aiden on my own,¡± Amanda said icily. Just as she was ready to enter the ward, Elias grabbed her wrist and said, ¡°You¡¯d better put on a different pair of shoes. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even be able to carry the child.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Amanda shook him off. In actuality, Elias was just concerned about her because he saw that the woman¡¯s ankles were swollen. However, Amanda felt that he was mocking her for being a terrible mother who couldn¡¯t even take care of her child. Just as Elias was ready to speak, his phone rang again. It was Stephanie. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He could hardly suppress his fury anymore. After connecting the call, he spoke in an impatient tone, ignoring the fact that Elmer was still around. ¡°What on earth do you want?¡± Elmer was shocked by the man¡¯s voice. Why is he so fierce? Do I have to report it to Mr. Allegra? However, it¡¯s only natural that a couple would bicker with each other from time to time. I guess Miss Allegra must have found her true love this time. She¡¯s even willing to put up with his bad temper Over the phone, Stephanie said through choked sobs, ¡°Pleasee to me right away. Please¡­ I urgently need your help. Pleasee looking for me now¡­¡± An unfazed Elias replied coldly, ¡°I got it. I¡¯m busy now, so I¡¯ll meet you a whileter.¡± Just as he was ready to hang up, Stephanic seemed to be flustered as she threatened him by saying. ¡°If you don¡¯te now, I¡¯ll tell my dad about our n. I¡¯ll let him know that you¡¯re only making use of him to get back your shares!¡± At that moment, Elias had the urge to kill Stephanie, but he suppressed his wrath and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Right away!¡± After the call ended, Elias turned to look at Amanda, seemingly wanting to exin the situation. However, she didn¡¯t give him a chance to exin as she entered the ward and closed the door. Elias stared at the door for a moment before turning around to leave, bringing a sense of ferocity with him. Elmer followed him without having the guts to say anything. He even tried to lower the volume of his breathing. Meanwhile, Amanda stood in front of the bed and nced at her son while thetter was on a drip. As she recalled how Elias prioritized Stephanie earlier, she felt disappointed. While feeling despondent, she closed her eyes and tried to remove all the memories of Elias from her mind, but she was unable to do that. That jerk is going to get married, so he wants to send Aiden and me abroad. What right does he have to decide where we should go? I¡¯m not going anywhere! Her tears slid down from her eyes. In the parking lot outside the hospital, Elias entered the car with fury. Elmer followed him and remained silent the entire time. Just then, he received a message from Jack telling him to ask Elias about something. ¡°Mr. Winters¡­¡± A displeased Elias snapped. ¡°Call Stephanie and ask her where she is!¡± He sounded like he was ordering a dog to do something Elmer shuddered and wondered if this man would get along well with Stephanie. Since when did Miss Allegra be a mild-tempered person? ¡°Yes¡­¡± Stephanie had been confined to Allegra Vi. Earlier on, she received a call from Crispin saying that her father was about to send him somewhere else. She was so anxious that she was on the brink of tears. Even if she couldn¡¯t get together with Crispin, she didn¡¯t have the right to change his life. Crisp is such a kind-hearted guy. I can¡¯t let his future get destroyed because of me! ¡°Please eat something, Miss Allegra. You haven¡¯t eaten anything for the entire day. Just now, Mr. Allegra gave us a call and said that if you still refuse to eat, he¡¯ll deduct a year¡¯s worth of our sries. Please do us a to beg Stephanic. The outside. He was on the brink of falling to his knees Meanwhile, Stephanie was sobbing in her room, ignoring how the butler and servants kept begging her to eat something. ¡°Get lost! I only want to see Elias! I¡¯ll only open the door when he¡¯s here!¡± No one else could help her. She could only hope that Elias woulde here and get her out of this ce. A momentter, the butler was heard saying, ¡°Mr. Winters is here, Miss Allegra!¡± ¡°Stop lying! I¡¯m not going to open the door unless Elias is here!¡± Stephanie knew that the servants and butler would lie to her just to keep their sries. Suddenly, a man¡¯s masculine voice sounded from the outside. ¡°Open the door. It¡¯s me.¡± Upon hearing Elias¡¯ voice, Stephanie turned to look at the door, and her eyes brightened. She dashed toward the door and opened it to see Elias standing outside. At that moment, she had the urge to hug him, for the man was no different from a savior to her. Before she knew it, she wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s towering figure. The servants were dumbfounded, not expecting Stephanie to be so proactive. They believed that the woman was loyal to Crispin, so they were surprised to see her falling in love with someone else. Nevertheless, Stephanie couldn¡¯t be med for it; Elias was indeed a brilliant man. An annoyed Elias pushed the woman away. ¡°What on earth do you need from me?¡± When Stephanie saw the butler and servants looking at them with prying eyes, she pulled the man into the room and closed the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why did you make mee here?¡± The man sported a dark expression, seemingly not wanting to stay there for another second. An apprehensive Stephanie exined, ¡°I want you to help me find out where Crisp is. I think my dad has hidden Crisp somewhere. He won¡¯t release him until the engagement party is over.¡± Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Don¡¯t Go, Elias! Elias sported a gloomy expression and asked unenthusiastically, ¡°Did you make mee here only for this?¡± Do I look like I have nothing better to do? My son is on a drip in the hospital, and this woman is asking me to look for her boyfriend. Unable to take it anymore, he red up like a volcano eruption. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? My son is on a drip, but I left the hospital and came looking for you, thinking that you needed urgent help. However, you just want me to search for your boyfriend. Do you think I have all day?¡± With that, he turned around and left. His son was on a drip while calling out to him subconsciously. If he wasn¡¯t even by his side, he wouldn¡¯t be qualified to be a father. Just like what Aiden said, it was no use having a father if Elias couldn¡¯t even fulfill his duties. He was supposed to stay by his son¡¯s side so that when Aiden woke up, he would immediately see his father. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Elias!¡± Stephanie held on to the man like he was a lifesaver. Elias growled and urged, ¡°Let go of me!¡± Presently, Stephanie desperately needed to find out where Crispin was. She had just received a call from Crispin, and he sounded like he was in a terrible state. ¡°Elias, if you dare leave, I¡¯ll tell my father about our n. I¡¯ll also go and harass your ex-wife and your son!¡± She knew she acted like a shrew, but she had no other choice. Only Elias was able to find Crispin in the shortest time possible. Elias squinted and examined the woman, who was parting from sobbing for a long time. ¡°Are you trying to threaten me?¡± ¡°I have no other choice. Crisp is in danger, so I have to save him. I can¡¯t let my dad destroy his future. You¡¯re only making use of my dad to get back your grandfather¡¯s shares. You won¡¯t marry me or love me. If my dad finds out about it, he won¡¯t lend you a helping hand. Try me!¡± Stephanie grabbed the man¡¯s arm tightly, worried that he would turn around and leave the next moment. Needless to say, Jack wouldn¡¯t help Elias out if he found out about their secret. Elias glowered at her, suppressing his urge to kill the woman before his eyes. Even if they were in a rtionship, he would never marry Stephanie, not to mention that they were merely putting on an act. The woman was annoying and unreasonable. They went on to stare at each other for around ten minutes. Stephanie would never give in, for she was determined to save Crispin. On the other hand, Elias was worried about his son. As a father, he had no choice but to make a concession. He said, ¡°Give me your boyfriend¡¯s contact number and your phone.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Stephanie was startled, not expecting the man to agree to it so soon. She thought Elias would turn her down again. ¡°Oh, okay. Right away.¡± She quickly looked around for her phone. While she was throwing a tantrum at the butler moments ago, she had tossed it away. That¡¯s odd. My phone is supposed to be in this room. She got down on all fours to look for her phone. All of a sudden, the man¡¯s leather shoes came into her sight. He showed her the phone and said grimly. ¡°It was on the bed.¡± Stephanie lifted her head and thought she was looking at a savior. The man had just picked up her phone from the bed, and his back was against the lighting in through the windows. It was as if he had just stepped out of the light. ¡°I was too anxious, so I forgot about it¡­¡± An impatient Elias said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you settle this, but you have to promise that you¡¯ll never expose the secret. Otherwise, I¡¯ll take you with me even if I fall into hell.¡± ¡°I understand. It¡¯s not like I want to harass your ex-wife. As long as you can help find Crisp, I won¡¯t make a fuss.¡± Elias shot her a re. ¡°If I had a daughter like you, and she was going crazy over a terrible guy, I would¡¯ve severed ties with her.¡± With that, he whirled around and left. That was indeed how he felt. If he had a daughter like Stephanie, who was bawling her eyes out for a poor man, he would¡¯ve cked out from his anger. Stephanie was rooted to the spot. When she came to her senses, the man had already left the room. She ran after him and saw the man¡¯s towering figure at thending of the staircase. ¡°What do you mean, Elias? Are you saying I¡¯m a foolish woman? How could you say that Crisp is a terrible guy? He¡¯s just in love with me. Even if I wasn¡¯t Jack Allegra¡¯s daughter, he would¡¯ve still loved me!¡± When Elias heard that while walking down the stairs, he snorted. Whatever. I don¡¯t care about her, and the matter has nothing to do with me. The moment Elias left Allegra Vi, Jack was informed of the incident. Upon entering the car, Elias told someone to find out Crispin¡¯s whereabouts. . Just then, he received a call from Jack. He already knew what the older man was going to say, for he had just left the ce. Stephanie was like a well-protected fool, for she wasn¡¯t even aware that her father had been keeping an eye on her. With a dispassionate expression, Elias connected the call and held the phone beside his car. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Allegra?¡± ¡°Why are you helping my daughter look for that poor guy? She¡¯ll be your fianc¨¦e soon. Aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± His voice sounded doubtful and probing. Without hesitation, Elias replied, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m jealous that I have to help her look for that man. Her mind is upied by that piece of trash, so how is she going to get engaged to me wholeheartedly? We can¡¯t rush things over when ites to love, and I¡¯m not in a rush. After the engagement, I¡¯ll have plenty of time to win her heart. One day, I¡¯ll make her loyal to me only. Upon hearing that, Jack was pleased. ¡°You¡¯re pretty charismatic, Elias. Sessful people don¡¯t fuss over small matters. That poor man will never be a match for you, for you¡¯re an aplished man. Steph will realize you¡¯re the best partner for her one day.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Elias pressed his hand against his forehead while suffering a headache. There¡¯s no need to search for Crispin. I¡¯ll pass him to you, and you can do whatever you want to him. However, I want you to make sure Steph will stop loving that poor man.¡± Elias closed his eyes and replied lethargically, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Allegra. I¡¯ll give you a satisfying oue.¡± With that, he hung up the call. That cunning old man has been trying to find out if I¡¯m sincere to Stephanie, and he¡¯s also forcing me to work harder to win her heart. After the call ended, Elias instructed Yacob, ¡°Go to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aiden was still on a drip, so Elias had to stay by his side. He wanted to make sure his son would immediately see him upon regaining consciousness. Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Since Elmer was no longer around to keep an eye on him, Elias felt at case. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 I Want Daddy However, when they entered the ward, it was empty. Elias frowned and stood silently in the room. Just then, a nurse happened to pass by the room, and Yacob called out to her, asking, ¡°Miss, may I ask where the patient in this room is? The child with a high fever and was receiving an IV drip.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the nurse replied. ¡°The child¡¯s mother took him home. The child woke up and couldn¡¯t find his father. He cried and refused to cooperate, so we prescribed some fever-reducing medication for them to take home.¡± Worry filled Elias¡¯ eyes upon hearing that. Was he asking for me when he woke up? He suddenly turned around, preparing to go directly to Northern No. 1 to visit Aiden. Yacob also had a hunch about Elias¡¯ intentions and followed him without hesitation. After returning to Northern No. 1, Amanda poured a ss of water and prepared to trick little Aiden into taking the fever-reducing medicine. However, the little boy kept crying and insisted on wanting his father. He seemed to still have a fever and was somewhat delirious, speaking incoherently. ¡°Daddy¡­ I want Daddy. Daddy¡­¡± Aiden curled up on the couch as tears clung to his longshes, looking very pitiful. Amanda felt helpless and decided to stick a fever patch on Aiden¡¯s forehead first. ¡°Daddy is busy with work. He¡¯lle and visit youter. Let¡¯s take your medicine first, okay? Be a good boy¡­¡± The little one was never this clingy to Elias, but for some reason, he kept wanting his father this time. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Daddy toe back before taking my medicine, then,¡± said the little guy obstinately. ¡°I want to wait for him.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know what to do at this point. She looked back at Selina, and both of them were at a loss. However, asking her to call Elias and beg him to keep the childpany was impossible now. She grew increasingly pissed at the thought of how Elias left without ever looking back after receiving Stephanie¡¯s call. If she had known it would turn out like this, she should have told Aiden from the beginning that his father was dead and that he didn¡¯t have a father. That way, they wouldn¡¯t be in this situation now. She had only recently made up her mind for the child to recognize Elias, but now, she regretted it because that sc*m of a man didn¡¯t deserve to be Aiden¡¯s father. ¨C Selina also noticed Amanda and Elias¡¯ strained rtionship back at the hospital, sensing some resentment. Though she didn¡¯t know what had happened between them, she suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we have Mr. Winterse over and apany Aiden? As busy as he is. Aiden is important too¡­¡± However, before Selina could finish her words, Amanda scoffed. ¡°Him? Busy with work? Huh, more like busy preparing for the engagement with his new fianc¨¦e. He has no time for his ex-wife¡¯s child.¡± ¡°What? Is Mr. Winters getting married? I thought he wanted to reconcile with you and raise Aiden!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention this ever again. Just hearing it makes me sick, and I will never reconcile with him. Let him marry whomever he wants. My child doesn¡¯t need hispany. He was never around in the past four years, from the first pregnancy test to the prenatal check-ups to childbirth. I survived just fine without him. What use is he?!¡± Resentment filled and surged within Amanda, and her anger wasn¡¯t directed only at Elias but also at herself. She was angry at her own weakness, for she was repeatedly hurt by this se m of a man. However, looking at her feverish baby, she couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken. Suddenly, a certain someone popped into her head, and Amanda gently suggested to Aiden, ¡°Baby, Daddy is really busy right now, and we don¡¯t know when he¡¯lle. How about I ask Mr. Simon to come and keep youpany?¡± ¡°No¡­ I want my own Daddy. I have a Daddy, don¡¯t I? I want Daddy¡­¡± Before, when his birth father was still unknown to him, Simon seemed like the best choice, but now that Elias had appeared, Aiden insisted on his birth father being by his side. Both Amanda and Selina were at a loss. The little one refused to take the medicine, so they could only keep applying the fever patch and using physical methods to lower his temperature, but it was too slow. Einally, Amanda made up her mind and looked at Selina, saying, ¡°Selina, hold him down. I¡¯m going to force the medicine down his throat. We can¡¯t wait any longer. If the fever continues like this, it could damage his brain.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Selina felt a twinge of uneasiness. Wasn¡¯t it too cruel to force such a young child to take his medicine like that? Amanda also hesitated, but she had no choice. They couldn¡¯t allow Aiden to continue being so willful, after all. At that, Selina sat on the couch, holding Aiden tightly and gripping his little face while Amanda forcefully stuffed the pill into his mouth and tried to pour water in¡­ ¡°No, Mommy! I don¡¯t want it! I don¡¯t want to take the medicine¡­ No!¡± The little guy resisted fiercely, spilling water all over the floor and spitting out the pill. Selina was taken aback as she held the struggling boy in her arms. To be honest, it looked quite heartbreaking. ¡°Hold him down and continue to give it to him. We can¡¯t let him have his way anymore.¡± Amanda steeled. herself. In truth, it pained her deeply. After all, he hade out of her. How could she not feel heartbroken? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Just then, the doorbell rang. Inside the house, Aiden¡¯s cries and screams echoed everywhere as if he were being killed. Amanda and Selina couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer the door. They just wanted to get the medicine down his throat first. Outside the door, Elias and Yacob rang the doorbell, but no one answered. They could hear Aiden¡¯s screams from inside, sounding like he was being ughtered. Elias¡¯ face turned pale, and Yacob thought something had happened inside. ¡°Let¡¯s go straight in, sir. Something seems to be wrong.¡± With that, Elias unlocked the door with his fingerprint and entered the house. He was stumped upon entering the living room and seeing what was happening, but very quickly, he hit the roof. ¡°What are you all doing?!¡± The sight of his son crying and suffering pained him. Amanda and Selina both turned their heads in surprise at the sound of the voice to find Elias appearing in the house. ¡°What are you doing here?! Get out!¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help shouting in anger. Meanwhile, Aiden took the opportunity to break free, jumped off the couch, and pounced into Elias¡¯ arms while crying loudly, ¡°Daddy, save me.¡± Elias lifted his son, gently patting his back andforting him. He said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Daddy¡¯s here. Don¡¯t cry anymore.¡± The little guy sobbed on the man¡¯s broad shoulder as if he had suffered immense grievances. ¡°Why are you guys still torturing him when he¡¯s already crying so badly?¡± Elias frowned with displeasure as he held his little boy closer. Livid, Amandashed out with extreme hostility. ¡°Torture him? Am I supposed to leave him with his fever and not feed him medicine, then?! Are you going to take responsibility if his brain gets damaged?!¡± Suddenly, dead silence filled the room. No one said a word. ¡°Aiden.¡± Elias looked at the little one in his arms and asked softly, ¡°Why won¡¯t you take your medicine? You have a high fever, so you need to take the medicine to bring it down.¡± Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Good Boy ¡°I wasn¡¯t refusing to take my medicine. I said I would wait for Daddy toe before taking it,¡± Aiden argued with a pout, holding Elias¡¯ neck tightly. Elias was deeply touched. He finally realized what it felt like for his son to cling to him. It was an indescribable feeling of happiness. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you the medicine, then, alright?¡± said Elias as he sat on the couch with Aiden in his arms. He reached a hand out to Amanda, gesturing for her to bring the medicine. She handed over the pills reluctantly, and Selina quickly poured a ss of water and ced it on the coffee table. At that moment, Elias transformed into a gentle father, coaxing the little bundle of joy in his arms. ¡°Be at good boy and take your medicine, or you¡¯ll continue to feel ufortable.¡± Sure enough, the little one obediently opened his mouth and swallowed the medicine, then picked up the cup and took several sips of water. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Amanda and Selena were stupefied. No matter how they tried to coax him earlier, it was of no use. That was why they had to forcefully administer the medicine. Now, with just a few words from Elias, he obediently took it. It was ironic for her as a single mother. ¡°Why did you insist on only taking the medicine after Ie back?¡± Elias asked. After all, the little guy usually never clung to him so badly. Something must¡¯ve happened for him to be so clingy all of a sudden. Aiden pouted aggrievedly, hesitating to speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it a secret? Can¡¯t you tell me? How about you tell Mommy, then?¡± Elias looked at Amanda as he spoke, intending to figure out what was up with Aiden if he had been bullied in school or something. At that, Aiden leaned close and cupped Elias¡¯ ear, whispering, ¡°That¡¯s because I told Waylen you would take me to kindergarten tomorrow.¡± A child¡¯s logic could be so random that their words wouldn¡¯t match up. Still, Elias understood him.. He chuckled and yed with Aiden¡¯s little hand. ¡°So, you want me to agree to take you to school before you¡¯d finally take your medicine, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The little guy gazed innocently at him. ¡°You¡¯ve already taken your medicine, though!¡± Elias teased the little guy, who stared nkly at his father in turn and said, ¡°I only took one pill. I still need to take another one.¡± This little rascal is quite clever. Elias was both stumped and impressed. ¡°Alright, I promise you, so take your medicine now, and I will take you to kindergarten tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yay! Okay!¡± Aiden opened his hand, revealing a pill that he had hidden earlier, and put it in his mouth. He then picked up the cup and took a few sips of water. ¡°Why do you want me to take you to kindergarten?¡± Elias asked while stroking Aiden¡¯s hair. ¡°Waylen¡¯s daddy sends him to school every day, and Waylen says his daddy is more handsome than mine, but that¡¯s not true! My dad is the most handsome of all, hmph!¡± The little guy snorted proudly, eagerly wanting to show off his father at school the next day. Suddenly, Elias felt guilty¡­ He had been so busytely that he hadn¡¯t spent much time with Aiden, let alone taken him to school. ¡°Good boy. I¡¯ll take you to school every day from tomorrow onward. How does that sound?¡± Elias decided that no matter how busy he got, he would make sure to take Aiden to school on time. ¡°Really? Mommy said you¡¯re very busy, though. Do you really have time? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you? Adults cannot lie too. Aiden seemed skeptical. Elias¡¯ heart suddenly ached at the sight of Aiden¡¯s reaction. It was apparent that the little one had been brushed off by adults too many times, so he no longer trusted. anything an adult said entirely. I won¡¯t lie to you. Now that you¡¯ve taken your medicine, go to sleep. I¡¯ll take you to kindergarten tomorrow if your fever has broken.¡± ¡°Okay! You can¡¯t lie to me, okay? Pinky promise!¡± said Aiden as he reached his pinky out. Elias chuckled. helplessly and hooked his pinky with Aiden¡¯s. ¡°Alright, go on. Follow Miss Selina to bed. Elias patted Aiden¡¯s head. Selina tactfully approached and reached her hand toward Aiden, suggesting, ¡°Come, Aiden, let¡¯s go to sleep. That way, your fever will break sooner.¡± Doing so would also give space for Amanda and Elias. Since the little guy¡¯s needs were met, he obediently followed Selina back to the room to sleep. The sound of the door closing filled the living room before returning to silence. The atmosphere was extremely tense, with only Amanda and Elias remaining. Neither of them spoke. ¡°Your job is done here. You can leave now,¡± Amanda said icily, not even bothering to spare him a nce. ¡°By the way, this house is yours. Aiden and I will find time to move out. We won¡¯t cause your new wife any trouble or let her misunderstand you.¡± Elias parted his lips in response but hesitated to speak. Just then, his phone vibrated. It was Stephanie again. He was certain it was to urge him to find Crispin quickly. Without thinking twice, he declined the call, but within a second, the phone vibrated again. ¡°Go ahead and answer it. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t answered her call in front of me before. Besides, couples during the honeymoon phase are always lovey-dovey like this. I get it,¡± Amanda said, her words dripping. with sarcasm, but as she said them, her heart was bleeding. She couldn¡¯t understand why people changed so easily; why could others easily move on from a rtionship while she was still stuck in it even after four years? Elias, with his hand ready to decline the call, paused for a moment, then unlocked the screen and answered the call, cing it against his ear. As expected, Stephanie urged him at once, ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Did you find him? Can¡¯t you be faster, for God¡¯s sake? Crisp will get scared since he¡¯s quite timid.¡± Timid? Elias couldn¡¯t help wanting tough. What¡¯s with this couple and their never-ending problems?! ¡°What use do you have for him if he¡¯s such a chicken?¡± ¡°Please, help me find Crisp. You promised me. How can you back out?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already found him,¡± Elias said impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ll send him over to youter.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! I- Not wanting to listen to Stephanie¡¯s bber, he hung up the phone directly. ¡°She¡¯s a rich girl who has practically lived a princess-like life since she was a child. Is this how you should treat her? Do you think she can take it?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore. She thought Elias had found true love and would be gentler to his soon-to-be wife. At the very least, he had been gentle toward Aiden just now. ¡°That¡¯s her problem,¡± Elias retorted icily. ¡°I¡¯m off. I still have matters to attend to.¡± With that, he stood up and got ready to leave, but he had taken only a couple of steps before stopping and turning back to look at Amanda. ¡°This house is yours. Consider itpensation for the divorce. You didn¡¯t take anything I gave you back then. Now that my son¡¯s around, he¡¯ll need it even if you don¡¯t.¡± With that, he left without looking back. Only the sound of the door closing remained, and Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh. It wasughable. He was as domineering as ever, unchanged. He always liked tomand others, not giving them any chance to refuse. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 A Good Show At Allegra Vi, Jack kept his word and handed Crispin directly to Elias for disposal. On the other hand, Elias brought Crispin to the Allegra Vi, wanting to silence Stephanie quickly. Now, he felt beyond troubled upon receiving the young woman¡¯s calls. As the car came to a gradual stop outside the vi, Yacob opened the car door, and Elias stepped out of it. Another car slowly pulled up, and the car door opened. Crispin emerged from inside and immediately charged toward Elias, berating angrily, ¡°You! Who are you to lock me up?! Go back and tell Mr. Allegra I will find a way to escape even if he locks me up. I must be with Steph!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my problem,¡± said Elias as he took a disdainful gander at the young man. ¡°This is Allegra Vi. Go in and tell him yourself.¡± What? Is this Steph¡¯s home?¡± Crispin was stumped. He turned around and gazed at the vi before him¡­ He was bbergasted. Is this really Stephanie¡¯s house? It¡¯s massive, just like those rich estates portrayed on TV Elias took the lead and walked ahead. When the Allegras¡¯ bodyguards saw him, they politely nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Winters.¡± Crispin was rendered baffled. Didn¡¯t Steph say this guy is her family¡¯s bodyguard? Why are they addressing him as ¡°Mr. Winters with such high regard? ¡°Get a move on. Yacob shoved him rudely from behind. ¡°What are you waiting for? Don¡¯t you want to see Jack Allegra?¡± ¡°F*ck, I¡¯m moving! Why push me?¡± At that, Crispin couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why do the Allegras¡¯ people call him Mr. Winters? Isn¡¯t he the family¡¯s bodyguard? How does a bodyguard receive such high treatment?¡± Yacob nearly rolled his eyes upon hearing Crispin¡¯s words and retorted, ¡°Who told you he¡¯s a bodyguard? What are you, blind? What bodyguard has Mr. Winters temperament?¡± Elias¡¯ demeanor was a far cry from a bodyguard¡¯s. If anything, he exuded an air of a business elite. Mr. Winters will probably flip out if he knows he has been mistaken as a bodyguard. ¡°Steph told me, of course!¡± Crispin argued bewilderedly. ¡°She said that he¡¯s her family¡¯s bodyguard. Is he not?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Unbelievable! Yacob grumbled inwardly. So be it that we waste so much time helping her find her lover; how dare she say Mr. Winters is a bodyguard?! Stephane Allegra, that wretched woman! Not bothered to entertain the young man further, he urged, ¡°Go and ask Stephanie yourself. Now, go inside. I¡¯ve wasted an entire afternoon looking for you. I could¡¯ve done so many things within that time!¡± Moreover, Elias didn¡¯t like Stephanie at all, so Yacob thought his afternoon was wasted even more so. After arriving in the living room, Elias went to the couch and waited for Stephanie toe down. Yacob and Crispin followed from behind. As Crispin entered the vi, he looked around like a country bumpkin entering the great city, marveling at everything as if he had never seen the world before. Then again, he had only ever seen such luxurious homes on TV; he had never visited one in real life. After entering the living room, Crispin noticed Elias sitting leisurely on the couch like he owned the house. As such, he couldn¡¯t help wondering just who in the world Elias was, for he certainly wasn¡¯t as simple as a bodyguard. Just then, hurried footsteps came from upstairs, and Crispin looked up to find Stephanie descending the stairs. ¡°Crisp! Are you okay? Did my dad do anything to you?¡± Stephanie ran down the stairs and rushed straight into Crispin¡¯s arms. Yacob and Elias looked on without any reaction,pletely unmoved. ¡°Stephanie Allegra, have you no sense of decorum?! How dare you embrace another man in front of your fianc¨¦?! A youngdy should have some sense of propriety!¡± Jack¡¯s voice came suddenly from behind. Stephanie and Crispin immediately separated, but Stephanie opened her arms and shielded him, saying, ¡°Dad, it was my insistence to be with him. If you want to punish someone, punish me. Don¡¯t hurt him. He¡¯s innocent.¡± Crispin, on the other hand, was filled with shock upon hearing the word ¡®fianc¨¦.¡¯ ¡°Fianc¨¦? Whom are you getting engaged to?!¡± ¡°Crisp. I.. I don¡¯t want to either. My dad forced me into the engagement. I¡­¡± It finally dawned on Crispin that the man referred to as Mr. Winters earlier was Elias sitting on the couch. He pointed at him angrily and said, ¡°It¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it? Steph, are you going to marry him? Your household staff greeted him with high regard. He¡¯s not just a bodyguard like you said he is, is he?¡± After all, the man¡¯s appearance and demeanor were nothing like a bodyguard¡¯s but more like that of a wealthy heir. ¡°A bodyguard?¡± Elias furrowed his brows, repeating those words with a tone of disgust. Huh, this Stephanie is really something. She lied to her lover and told him I was just a bodyguard. Stephanie was rendered speechless. No exnation could rectify her lie, for the facts would speak for themselves. Likewise, Jack frowned in displeasure. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, Steph. How dare you say Elias is a bodyguard?¡± ¡°Mr. Allegra, I know you don¡¯t like me, but love is a matter of mutual affection. How can you force your daughter to marry someone she doesn¡¯t love? Do you think Steph will be happy this way?¡± Crispin gathered his courage and questioned Jack. As much as he wanted to make a good impression in front of his future father-inw, at this moment, keeping Stephanie¡¯s heart was more important than anything else. He couldn¡¯t worry about anything else anymore. Stephanie, seeing Crispin¡¯s bravery, felt even more touched and became determined to be with him. Meanwhile, Elias sat on the couch and sipped his tea with amusement, eagerly anticipating the unfolding of this good show. Jack looked at Elias, unsure of what the young man was pulling. He had handed Crispin directly to Elias, thinking that he would send Crispin to a ce where he would. never return. However, who¡¯d have thought he would bring the young man directly to Stephanie?! What kind of game is this kid ying? Then, Jack turned his gaze to Crispin, who looked tantly cunning yet pretended to be a hopeless. romantic. ¡°Drop the romantic act, kid. I¡¯ve been where you are, and I know exactly what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t go around thinking you can live your life worry-free just because you married my daughter. I will never let her marry you. Stop dreaming. Steph will be engaged at the end of the month. From then on, she will be someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦e. You¡¯re not allowed to bother her anymore.¡± Jack spoke frankly. He truly disliked Crispin, for the young man¡¯s insincere nature was almost transparent. yet his foolish daughter couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°Dad! Please don¡¯t be like this! Don¡¯t hurt his self-esteem!¡± Stephanie intervened, trying to prevent her father from saying anything further to avoid hurting Crispin¡¯s self-esteem. ¡°Does he have self-esteem?¡± Elias, who was watching the show,mented. ¡°If he really has self- esteem, he shouldn¡¯t be overreaching.¡± ¡°Shut up, Elias Winters! Stop adding fuel to the fire!¡± Stephanie roared angrily. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 I Won¡¯t Let You Off ¡°Elias is right. Why silence him? You¡¯re the only fool here who can¡¯t see through this slumdog¡¯s intentions. He just wants to marry you so that he can live the rest of his life in wealth and luxury¡­¡± However, before Jack could finish speaking, Stephanie interjected, retorting. ¡°No, don¡¯t say that, Dad! It¡¯s not like that! Crisp didn¡¯t know I was an Allegra when he first met me. He knew nothing and just genuinely liked me!¡± Crispin, too, defended himself, saying. ¡°You can dislike me all you want, Mr. Allegra, but you can¡¯t insult my character like that. I- ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t go around thinking I¡¯m oblivious to your intentions!¡± Jack didn¡¯t want to hear another word from the arguing slumdog. s, her daughter remained oblivious. On the other hand, Elias checked the time on his wristwatch; his time to watch the drama unfold had run out. He spoke in azy and alluring voice while standing up. ¡°Mr. Allegra, I¡¯ll move away from your family affairs for now. After all, I¡¯m not your son-inw yet. I still have matters to attend to at the office, so I¡¯ll be off now. Call me if anything¡± With that, Elias walked out of the house, but Stephanie impeded him, grabbing him by the arm when he walked past her. ¡°Elias, don¡¯t go! You promised me you¡¯d save Crisp.¡± ¡°Have I not done that?¡± Elias questioned, ncing icily at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t your beloved Crisp right in front of you? What else do you want?¡± ¡°Yes, you saved him, but why did you bring him here? You knew my dad was at home!¡± Stephanie believed Elias had deliberately brought Crisp over to Allegra Vi. At that, Elias pulled his arm back and retorted expressionlessly, ¡°Why should I care? You¡¯re the one who likes him, not me. Why should I be so considerate? Should I also feed him, then?¡± With that, he left without looking back, and Yacob followed closely behind. ¡°Elias Winters! Come back here, you son of a b*tch! You have no integrity!¡± Stephanieshed out, having nowhere else to vent her anger. She didn¡¯t have the ability to save Crisp at present. Her father would definitely send Crisp away again. ¡°Don¡¯t yell anymore, Steph. I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry about me. I won¡¯t give in even if they want to separate us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Crisp. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ve caused you trouble¡­¡± Jack watched this scene of melodrama before him and suddenly felt a headache. ¡°Enough! Stop ying this foolish romantic drama in front of me. Kid, let me tell you, my daughter is getting engaged at the end. of the month. If you¡¯re any sensible, leave at once, and I won¡¯t pursue anything. Also, don¡¯t contact her anymore.¡± ¡°Dad, are you letting Crisp go?¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing her father¡¯s words. ¡°Are you not going to send him away anymore?¡± ¡°As long as you two stop contacting each other, and you obediently get engaged at the end of the month and get married at the end of the year, I won¡¯t do anything to him. I have no interest in him. You need to understand that I just want you to marry into a good family.¡± Jack felt heartbroken. Everything he did was for his daughter¡¯s own good, yet she saw him as the viin. s, when would she finally see his good intentions? ¡°Thank you, Dad. I¡¯ll do as you say. I promise. I will get engaged and married as long as you let Crisp go¡± Stephanie had no other requests at this point. All that mattered now was that she wouldn¡¯t affect Crisp anymore. As for everything else, they could figure it outter. ¡°No! I won¡¯t give in, Mr. Allegra. I love Steph, and Steph loves me too. Why should we be separated? Why do you have to marry your daughter to someone she doesn¡¯t like?!¡± Crispin panicked when he heard. Stephanie¡¯s willingness topromise. If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t his dream of marrying into a wealthy family be shattered?! He still wanted to be the perfect son-inw. He couldn¡¯t believe Stephaniepromised so easily. However, Crispin¡¯s bravery moved Stephanie, and tears streamed down her face. ¡°Crisp, don¡¯t do this. You should leave for now. We¡¯ll figure things outter.¡± ¡°No, Steph, I don¡¯t want to deceive your dad. I want to tell him that no matter what, I won¡¯t stop loving you, I can¡¯t watch you marry someone else. I¡¯ll fight for our marriage!¡± Fight for your marriage? Jack hit the roof at once. ¡°How dare you?! In that case, don¡¯t ever think about walking out of this house! Steph, I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t me me for this anymore. I¡¯ll have to wait until after your engagement and wedding before I let this kid go. I can¡¯t let him ruin your lifelong happiness.¡± With that, Jack ordered, ¡°Someone, take this kid away and send him to that ce ording to the original n.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, Dad!¡± Stephanie tried to stop him, but the bodyguards intervened and forcibly pulled her away. Crispin, too, was forcibly taken away by the bodyguards, unable to break free. ¡°Steph, wait for me. I will definitely rescue you!¡± ¡°Crisp¡­ Crisp¡­¡± Their star-crossed lovers¡¯ act amused Jack. Is this really necessary? You two make it look like I¡¯m some heinous viin. After Stephanie was forcibly taken away, she projected all her resentment onto Elias, swearing through gnashed teeth as she shrieked, ¡°You have no integrity, Elias Winters! I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Since the scoundrel had no integrity, she could throw it out the window as well. I will harass your ex- wife and your son! I will make sure they pay for what you¡¯ve done! The next day, little Aiden woke up, got dressed, and had breakfast bright and early. He was ready, waiting for Elias to take him to kindergarten. He could finally show off his father to Waylen. Daddy¡¯s much cooler than Waylen¡¯s daddy. ¡°Mommy, why hasn¡¯t Daddy arrived yet? He hasn¡¯t forgotten, has he?¡± Aiden asked his mother, who was waiting at the entryway alongside him with his backpack in her hand. The little guy seemed to have gotten impatient, worried that his father had forgotten his promise. ¡°He won¡¯t. He¡¯s probably on his way right now. Morning traffic can be pretty bad sometimes, you know that.¡± Amanda tried to reassure him. In reality, who knew what was happening with Elias? Maybe he did forget. However, just then, the doorbell rang. Aiden¡¯s eyes lit up, and he let go of Amanda¡¯s hand, answering the door ecstatically. Sure enough, Elias was standing behind the door. ¡°Daddy!¡± the little guy eximed. ¡°You¡¯re finally here! I thought you¡¯d forgotten all about me.¡± ¡°How could I? There was some traffic on the way. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to school. Are you ready?¡± Elias bent down and effortlessly scooped up his son with one arm. ¡°I¡¯ve been ready for a long time!¡± Aiden chirped with a nod. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Elias Winters Is Your Father, Yes? ¡°We should go now.¡± Elias held his son tightly and looked at Amanda. ¡°I¡¯m going to take Aiden to school.¡± With that, he turned and walked away, while their little bundle of joy happily clung to the man¡¯s neck. while chattering incessantly. Amanda¡¯s heart was filled with endless emotions as she watched the retreating figures of the father and son. How did ite to this¡­ She wanted to cut off all contact with Eliaspletely, but she couldn¡¯t possibly do that since she had to consider Aiden. Aiden had just started to develop a sense of dependence on his biological father. How could a three-year-old boy handle being told that Elias wasn¡¯t his father any more? After the door closed, Selina couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Amanda, what exactly happened between you two? Why are you suddenly acting like enemies? Seriously, I still don¡¯t understand why Mr. Winters suddenly decided to marry someone else. I definitely see the love for you and Aiden in his eyes- ¡°You must be mistaken, then. Don¡¯t delude yourself. He¡¯s about to get engaged. The other person is a wealthy heiress who is younger, prettier, and more useful than me. He has no attachment to me whatsoever.¡± Amanda sat back on the couch with a cold expression as she stated these facts without any emotion. ¡°But- ¡°That¡¯s enough, Selina. You can go on with your tasks. I want some time alone. I¡¯m feeling a bit tired. Seeing how bothered Amanda was, Selina didn¡¯t know what else to say and could only nod. As Selina had barely taken a few steps, the doorbell rang. She was about to go and-answer it when Amanda stood up. ¡°You go on with what you need to do. I¡¯ll answer the door.¡± Selina then nodded and went into the kitchen. Amanda arrived at the entrance and furrowed her brows when she saw the person on the video doorbell. It was none other than Stephanie, the heiress of the Allegra Group. What does she want now? Amanda took a moment topose herself before she opened the door. Stephanie was standing outside with a smile on her face. ¡°Hi, Miss Bailey. We meet again.¡± ¡°What are you here for? Another attempt to pry into Elias¡¯ privacy? If you really want to know something. why don¡¯t you ask him directly? This is getting annoying.¡° N?velDrama.Org content rights. With that, Amanda started to close the door, only to have Stephanie block it with her hand and enter the house. ¡°Seems like you already know everything. Miss Bailey. I won¡¯t beat around the bush, then. I am Elias¡¯ soon-to-be fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°And? Did someone let you in?¡± ¡°I came in by myself. What can you do about it? Besides, this isn¡¯t even your house. I checked, and it belongs to Elias.¡± Stephanie strutted into the living room and sat on the couch. ¡°Amanda, who is it? Do they need something to drink?¡± Selina asked from the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Amanda declined directly. She had no intention of preparing drinks for Stephanie. Meanwhile, Stephanie sat on the couch, feigning innocence. ¡°Why are you being so stingy? You won¡¯t even give me a drink. Are you upset because I¡¯m Elias¡¯ fianc¨¦e? Are you angry? Do you still have hopes about your ex-husband?¡± Stephanie didn¡¯t initially n to disturb this mother-son duo, but she wanted revenge on Elias. The image of Crispin being forcibly taken away yesterday infuriated her. She thought that Elias was a scoundrel who intentionally brought Crispin to the house. Given that, she wouldn¡¯t me herself for harassing this pitiful mother and son. ¡°Are you okay in the head, Miss Allegra? Please go to a mental hospital for a diagnosis if you¡¯ve gone crazy. Stop acting out here. Find something to do if you have too much energy to spare. Don¡¯t bother me. I won¡¯t disturb your rtionship, nor will I cause you any trouble. Why are you even here causing a scene?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t understand the reason Stephanie repeatedly came here to humiliate her. Am I relentlessly pursuing Elias? Did I interfere in their rtionship? Stephanie was taken aback by Amanda¡¯s questioning for a few seconds before sheughed. ¡°Impressive, as expected of awyer. You¡¯re eloquent. I¡¯m just curious how you ended up being abandoned when you¡¯re also quite beautiful and good with words. Even your son was abandoned. Tsk! I really feel bad for you.¡± She understood now that this was purely an act of provocation. Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to her. She coldlyughed. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to leave, then stay here alone. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to sleep in my room.¡± Without looking back, she walked toward her room. At that moment, Selina came out of the kitchen and saw Stephanie on the couch. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who is she- ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s like a beggar. We can¡¯t chase her away out of humanitarianism. Let her stay until she wants to leave.¡± Amanda then pulled Selina into her room and closed the door. Stephanie was left alone in the living room after the door closed. She couldn¡¯t help butugh at how Elias¡¯ ex-wife wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. Still, she would go find Elias¡¯ son. If she couldn¡¯t handle the adult, she could still handle the child! In any case, she wouldn¡¯t let Elias live in peace. In the afternoon, after ss, Stephanie arrived at the kindergarten based on the information she had gathered. As soon as she saw that school was over, she walked into the ssroom where Aiden was. She had originally nned to ask the teacher which one was Aiden, but to her surprise, she immediately spotted a face among the group of children that was an exact replica of Elias. The boy was like a mini version of Elias. This has to be Elias¡¯ biological son, no doubt about it. ¡°Aiden Bailey?¡± Stephanie called out. The little boy¡¯s face was filled with confusion when he looked over. ¡°Who are you? How do you know my name?¡± Stephanie nced at the teacher, who was busy with other things, and beckoned to Aiden. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The little one stubbornly huffed. ¡°No way! Mommy said I shouldn¡¯t go near strangers, and Daddy said he¡¯ll spank me if I talk to someone I don¡¯t know.¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She found the boy quite adorable. Not only that, but his features bore a striking resemnce to Elias. As expected of Elias¡¯ own son, no? Even their temperaments are somewhat alike. Will our children look this adorable if Elias and I are to get married? But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Stephanie shook her head to dismiss it. Have I gone crazy? How can I entertain the idea of marrying him and having children together?! Yet, Stephanie knew she couldn¡¯t escape the undeniable reality of marrying and having children with Elias if his n didn¡¯t seed. ¡°Aiden. Elias Winters is your daddy, right?¡± ¡°How do you know Daddy¡¯s name? Who are you?¡± Aiden looked cautious. ¡°Not only do I know your daddy¡¯s name, but I also know your mommy¡¯s name. Aren¡¯t you curious to know who I am?¡± Stephanie spoke like a kidnapper trying to lure a child. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Stephanie, Are You Wishing to Die? Children were always curious, Aiden couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and discreetly moved a few steps forward. ¡°Who are you? How do you know my parents? Why do I not know you?¡± ¡°I am¡­ Well, why don¡¯t you take a guess? Your father and I are friends.¡± Stephanie struggled for a while in her heart. For such a young child of about three years old, would telling him about his parents¡¯ divorce trigger him? Should I tell him that I¡¯m Elias¡¯ new wife? Will the child ept it? At the sight of Aiden¡¯s cute eyes, Stephanie¡¯s heart suddenly softened. Matters between adults should never concern children. Original from N?velDrama.Org. However, when she thought of Elias¡¯ indifference and heartlessness, she was furious. If it had not been for Elias, Crispin could have escaped instead of being locked up by her own father again. ¡°Are you Daddy¡¯s colleague?¡± The naive Aiden asked after thinking for a long time. It was always because Amanda had introduced Simon as her colleague. Stephanie smiled because the child knew the word ¡®colleague, so she couldn¡¯t help but pat his little head. ¡°I¡¯m not your father¡¯s colleague. I¡¯m-¡± Before she could even finish speaking, a man¡¯s sullen voice suddenly rang in the air from behind. ¡°Stephanie Allegra, what are you doing?! Stay away from my son!¡± Stephanie¡¯s body froze as her expression fell. This¡­ This is Elias¡¯ voice. Aiden looked behind her with a bright smile and rushed over. ¡°Daddy!¡± She rose to her full height and turned to see Aiden happily pouncing on Elias¡¯ legs. Elias effortlessly carried the child in one arm and revealed his gentle, doting side while addressing the child. It was a side that Stephanie had never seen before As it turns out, Elias has a gentle side¡­. Stephanie liked Crispin because of his gentle nature. She disliked Elias¡¯ cold, heartless behavior. However, it seemed that it was not just indifference. She was just not the subject of Elias¡¯ enthusiasm and care. ¡°Daddy, let¡¯s go home and ask Mommy to eat,¡± Aiden said as hetched onto the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Okay. Go and y with Mr. Yacob. I¡¯ll quickly join you guys. Let me have a word with thatdy, alright?¡± Elias instructed while maintaining a doting expression toward his son. Aiden nced at Stephanie, who was standing there, before saying, ¡°Daddy, are you well-acquainted with her? Don¡¯t you like Mommy the best? Why do you still know otherdies?¡± Elias couldn¡¯t help butugh and lightly flicked his son¡¯s nose. ¡°Sneaky child, have you been spying on your father? I don¡¯t know her that well. We¡¯re just colleagues.¡± ¡°But she says that she knows you. She even knows Mommy¡¯s name! She asked me to guess the rtionship. that you have with her.¡± Children never lied; they merely told the truth. When Elias heard this, his expression suddenly changed before he promptly smiled at his son. ¡°Go and y with Mr. Yacob. I¡¯lle over in a short while.¡± Then, he handed Aiden to Yacob, who was behind them. Yacob took the child, and he cast Stephanie a helpless nce. Stephanie has finally crossed Mr. Winters limits. Aiden is a hard limit, and no one dares to cross it. After Yacob took the child and left, Elias¡¯ expression became solemn as he approached Stephanie. Meanwhile, Stephanie remained where she was. She felt frightened at the sight of Elias¡¯ expression. He had a strong aura, as if he could control everything. She couldn¡¯t help swallowing her saliva due to her nervousness, and she grabbed her skirt tightly. However, when she thought of the imprisoned Crispin, she became so angry that she even had the urge to kill Elias. ¡°Stephanie, are you wishing for death?¡± the man growled through gritted teeth. She smiled instead. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am wishing for death. Since you refuse to keep to your promise, then I don¡¯t have to keep mine either.¡± ¡°You even dare to talk about promises? What right do you have? I didn¡¯t rescue Crispin for you, huh? Go and f*ck yourself!¡± Elias resisted the urge to strangle Stephanie at that moment. No one was allowed to touch his son. ¡°How dare you mention it, Elias?! I asked you to locate Crisp and rescue him. Who asked you to send him over to my house? You know that my dad wants him to get lost. You-¡± Before she could finish her words, he interrupted her, ¡°I did not locate Crispin. He was personally handed over by your father. Do you know why he did this?¡± Stephanie froze, and it took her a long while before she could recover herposure. What? Did Dad hand Crisp over to him? ¡°Why did he do this? Why?¡± She could not understand her father¡¯s rationale for doing so. Elias exined, ¡°Your father looks down on Crispin, but he doesn¡¯t want to break your heart. That¡¯s why he asked me to take care of Crispin. Since the man is with me, I can only return him to you. Otherwise, if I say that I have sent him to a safe ce, would you believe me?¡± Stephanie fell silent. Does this mean that Elias is a good person and I have wronged him? She noticed how easily he could coax her. The man sneered. ¡°Save your own man yourself. I don¡¯t have that obligation. I¡¯ve already done my best to send you to him. What do you mean by approaching my son now? I¡¯ll have you know that if you let my son know about my divorce from his mother, I¡¯ll definitely make you pay for it. When the timees, I¡¯ll just end Crispin¡¯s life.¡± ¡°How dare you? You are sadistic!¡± Although it was merely a harsh sentence, Stephanie felt that Elias had the ability to do what he said. Elias was a cruel person, especially when it came to protecting his own son. ¡°Then, don¡¯t overstep the boundaries again. Remember, once our n is executed, I¡¯ll take my shares back, and you can go ahead to marry Crispin. We won¡¯t owe each other anything. However, if you continue to cause trouble for no apparent reason to the point where we can¡¯t achieve our goals¡­ I¡¯m not joking around. Your father is an experienced fox who will notice even the slightest mishap.¡± At that, Elias left without looking back. Stephanie watched the tall, handsome man¡¯s retreating figure as he left, and she was suddenly confused. Should she continue to listen to Elias, cooperate well with him, and ensure that the n is perfectly executed? Or should she tell her father about Elias¡¯ n? ¡°Elias, I want to know where Crisp is being imprisoned now.¡± She rushed over and asked the man. Elias still did not look back as he announced, ¡°You have to remember that your father is a businessman, not an assassin. So, he won¡¯t hurt Crispin. That¡¯s the bottom line.¡±¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 A Witness Northern No. 1. Amanda was not feeling happy because Stephanie came to ask about her sry. She was close toughing in anger because Stephanie was an interesting person who always asked what to do. Doesn¡¯t she know that Elias doesn¡¯t care about my feelings at all? ¡°Why isn¡¯t Aiden back¡­¡± Selina nced at the clock and figured that Aiden should be back by now, Only did Amanda realize that Selina didn¡¯t pick Aiden up from school. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick him up from school? It¡¯s been hours since school ended, no? Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask. Selina answered, ¡°About that¡­ I forgot to inform you that Mr. Winters called to inform you that he¡¯ll pick Aiden up from school and bring him out for a meal before sending him home.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ He still wants to pretend that he¡¯s showering the child with love while his fianc¨¦e harasses me. Geez! He is pretending to be a good father when he¡¯s merely being hypocritical.¡± ¡°So, the girl who came today is Mr. Winters¡¯ fianc¨¦e? She actually came to provoke you? Is she out of her mind?!¡± ¡°Otherwise?¡± The doorbell rang at that point. Amanda wanted to open the door, so she went to the entrance, only to see from the video doorbell that Elias was carrying Aiden in his arms. They looked like a loving father-son duo, but the man was about to be engaged at the end of the month, which made the situation really ironic. She opened the door stoically, after which Aiden happily called out, ¡°Mommy! I had a lobster! It was so huge!¡± She perfunctorily smiled in response. ¡°Mhm, Hurry up to have a shower and sleep, or you won¡¯t be able to wake up on time tomorrow.¡± The man put the child down, after which Aiden ran like a horse into the house as he couldn¡¯t wait to share his interesting stories with Selina. Amanda nced at the child behind her and turned toward the man coldly. ¡°Thanks. You can leave. If you are busy tomorrow, you don¡¯t have to pick him up from school. I¡¯m free these days. The moment she closed the door, she heard Elias saying, ¡°I will be sending him to school every day from now on.¡± The door then mmed with a bang while Amanda sneered. Outside the door was Elias, who looked at the closed door, feeling lost. His phone vibrated at this time. He looked at it and noticed that it was Jack calling him. He couldn¡¯t help frowning as a look of irritation appeared between hus brows. However, he still answered the phone Mr. Allegra Fliase over tomorrow to have your measurements taken with Steph. I¡¯ve found a designer to custom-make the attire for you. Don¡¯t bete, as it¡¯s not easy to schedule an appointment with this designer ¡°Right I got it¡¯ ¡°Bring your mom over as well so that both families can have a meal together. It seems that only your mom can be a witness to your happy day.¡± Elias frowned in displeasure as it felt satirical since there was no one else in his family. In actual fact, the Winters Family still consisted of his mother, who was the evil elder of the house, as both his grandfather and father were deceased ¡°Mr. Allegra, I¡¯ll make my own decisions. There¡¯s no need to look for my mother. I¡¯m now the person in charge of the Winters Family, so I have the final say on everyt ¡°An elder would still need to attend the ceremony as a witness, though. After all, marriage is a matter between two families. I really hope your mother can attend the engagement ceremony.¡± Elias started to feel irritated when he replied, ¡°You are making things difficult for me, Mr. Allegra. You know that my father and grandfather passed away one after another, and my mother¡¯s not in a good state of health. If you insist on inviting her, then please look for her in the nursing home yourself. I¡¯m guessing that she won¡¯t want to see me now since she will lose her sanity if she sees me¡± On the other end of the line, Jack fell silent. He merely thought that it would make things more formal il Elias¡¯ mother could attend the ceremony, but since she was insane, he had no choice but to strike down that idea. Otherwise, if she threw a fit at the engagement ceremony, both families would surely be the joke of the town. ¡°Do as you please, then, considering that you are the person in charge now?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Elias was suddenly upset after the phone call. He looked up at the closed door in front of him and turned to walk toward the elevators. He had barely taken two steps when his phone rang again, but it was his grandfather¡¯s butler, Boris Jones, calling. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. He could even guess what Boris wanted to say. The butler surely suspected that Amanda was Howard¡¯s murderer and wanted Elias to investigate the old man¡¯s death. Elias never doubted Amanda in this matter and also felt that she had no reason to harm Howard, which was why Boris¡¯ insistence started to make his head ache. On the one hand, Boris had been his grandfather¡¯s butler for years, so it could be said that the man watched Elias grow up. That was the reason why Elias respected Boris a lot. On the other hand, Boris was also the person whom Howard relied on the most in life, so he couldn¡¯t possibly lie about matters that involved Howard. After repeatedly thinking about this, Elias still answered the call. The moment the call was connected. Boris said, ¡°Mr. Winters, you finally answered my call. I have found a new witness and would like to schedule a meeting with you. Is that okay?¡± Witness? Now that Elias¡¯ curiosity was sessfully aroused, he replied indifferently. ¡°Wait for me in the office.¡± Then, he ended the call and entered the elevator. Over at the president¡¯s office in the Winters Enterprise. As there were too many things going ontely. Elias had been camping out in the office. So, as soon as he returned there, he saw Boris leading a woman to the couch in the reception area. When they heard the sound of the door being opened, they both rose to their feet and called out, ¡°Mr Winters. ¡°Take a seat. Why are you looking for me? What did you mean by a witness in the phone call?¡± Elias regarded the woman from head to toe, thinking that she looked extremely familiar. Is she a helper at home? An emotional Boris exined, ¡°Mr. Winters, I have been investigating what happened on the day that Old Mr. Winters fell down the stairs. I finally found some clues.¡± Elias frowned as he waited for the butler to continue. ¡°Old Mr. Winters was extremely worried about Aiden¡¯s situation that day,¡± Boris continued. ¡°So, he went to the Winters Estate to wait for some news. I heard from the helpers there that he went to your bedroom, and Miss Bailey emerged. She said that she was looking for him before he was pushed down the stairs. I know that these intermittent guesses can¡¯t prove that Miss Bailey is the murderer, but I found a witness. This is Ally.¡± As Boris spoke, he looked at the servant seated beside him. The woman named Ally introduced herself to Elias. ¡°Mr. Winters, you might not know me. I¡¯m a helper over at the Winters Estate and responsible for the household chores.¡± ¡°Ally, tell Mr. Winters everything you saw and heard that day. Don¡¯t withhold any valuable information whatsoever. Quick.¡± The butler looked impatient as he wished he could tell Elias the entire story, but he knew that Elias would not believe it if he said it, which was why this witness-Ally-was extremely important. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 All Signs Point To Amanda Ally nodded timidly. ¡°I was cleaning the railing of the stairs that day when I saw Old Mr. Winters entering your bedroom. After that, I went to another part of the house. I didn¡¯t see anything, but I heard that he was talking to a woman before they argued, and Old Mr. Winters fell down the stairs. I recall that the woman seemed really young. I have no idea if it was Miss Bailey, but I did hear a woman arguing with him.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, did you hear that? It¡¯s all true!¡± Boris burst into tears. At the thought of the helplessness Howard felt as he was pushed down the stairs, Boris couldn¡¯t help but cry. Elias¡¯ expression darkened as he stared at the helper named Ally. ¡°Are you sure you heard Grandpa. arguing with a woman?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you remember what they were quarreling about?¡± Ally began to recall the scene of that day. After she wiped the banister, she then went to clean the vase. Although she had no idea with whom Howard was arguing, she had heard it. ¡°I seem to have vaguely heard Old Mr. Winters say something about letting Elias know her true colors. Ah, yes, I also heard that he would not let that woman join the Winters Family.¡± Elias was even more confused when he heard those keywords because Howard had always taken a liking to Amanda, so how could he say those words to her? Not to mention, Grandpa had always wanted me and Amanda to remarry. The test tube babies were a last resort since they felt that we wouldn¡¯t remarry, so they wanted to continue the family¡¯s bloodline. The man then frowned. ¡°Are you sure the woman is Amanda?¡± Ally shook her head in confusion. I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure, Mr. Winters. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t even know Miss Bailey well, so I can¡¯t fully remember her voice. I only know that Old Mr. Winters was with a woman that day. They quarreled before he fell down the stairs. By the time I found him. Miss Bailey was next to me. That¡¯s all.¡± The helper shared all of the information that she could think of. Elias only had one question. Why didn¡¯t she say anything back then? Why did she wait until now? Could it be that she is colluding with Mr. Jones? ¡°Just answer what I have asked.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Elias had an interrogative attitude as he continued, ¡°I have another question. Why didn¡¯t you say something back then? Why are you onlying forward now to testify for this person? Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s toote since Grandpa has already been cremated?¡± For a moment, Ally was at a loss for words as she did not know how to answer him. Boris, however, reacted strongly and responded, ¡°Mr. Winters, are you suspecting that I asked her to give a fake testimony? Mr. Winters, I did not do that! These are all facts!¡± ¡°Mr. Jones, don¡¯t be agitated. I know that you mean no harm. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m curious as to why she didn¡¯t tell you earlier. At least I could have started the investigation carlier.¡± Boris wiped his tears away as he felt wronged. As Howard¡¯s most trusted person in his lifetime, Elias was now suspecting him. Ally quickly exined, ¡°Mr. Winters, I would not dare to spew nonsense because I am afraid. This is matter of life and death, plus I didn¡¯t see who it really was. I can¡¯t just say anything I like. When Old Mr. Winters fell down the stairs, I was traumatized, and I had nightmares for days. I always wanted to forget about this incident, but I can¡¯t. I only said it when Mr. Jones came to investigate us. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Elias fell into silence. Boris added, ¡°Mr. Winters, I really hope you can investigate Old Mr. Winters¡¯ real cause of death. The woman who quarreled with him holds the key, as she must have pushed him down. I suspect Miss Bailey. but I¡¯m not so sure either. Please look into this.¡± Do I need to investigate it? Elias was caught in a dilemma because he did not want to investigate the matter, but he had to because he couldn¡¯t let his grandfather die in vain. Who was Grandpa arguing with before he fell down the stairs? This woman is the key, but all signs point to Amanda. Amanda happened to be dissatisfied with Howard that day and wanted to argue with him. Before the elderly man fell down the stairs, he was indeed arguing with a woman. Is there such a coincidence in the world? Even so, Elias believed that Amanda would not do such a thing since she respected Howard a lot. ¡°Mr. Winters!¡± When Boris saw Elias¡¯ hesitation, he had to be cruel to be kind. Elias was slightly irritable at this. ¡°Alright, alright. I know, I will find out the true cause of Grandpa¡¯s death. Not only will I give you an exnation, I¡¯ll do the same for Grandpa so that he can rest in peace.¡± ¡°Alright! Thank you, Mr. Winters. Old Mr. Winters¡¯ death isn¡¯t that simple. We need to find the woman who quarreled with him before he fell down the stairs!¡± Boris was pleased to receive such a response; at least it proved that Howard was still an important person to Elias.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Elias wanted to work overtime at thepany tonight, but he chose to return to the Winters Estate after he met Boris. He walked alone in the estate in the dark night. As he recalled the bits and pieces of his grandfather¡¯s life, it seemed that Elias was always scolded by him every time they met. Now that no one scolded him, he was not used to it. He looked at theke in front of him and smiled. I don¡¯t know if Grandpa is used to it since he has no grandchildren to scold any more. Ally¡¯s words rang in his ears again. Grandpa fought with a woman before he fell down the stairs. Who is this woman? Although Amanda had a high probability of being the murderer, there was no concrete evidence to nail her as the perpetrator. Elias wanted to head to the crime scene again, but after walking for a few steps, he found that he was being followed. He pretended not to notice and continued to walk forward. The rustling footsteps behind him followed suit. As Elias approached the next corner, he deliberately stopped and hid in an attempt to catch the person behind him. Unexpectedly, the footsteps continued to catch up to him, and he suddenly stepped out, only to cause the person to scream in shock. ¡°Ah!¡± It was only at that moment that he noticed who was following him. It was Grace. What is she doing here? ¡°My mom¡¯s already in a nursing home, so why are you still here?¡± Thest time he came to the Winters Estate, he was taking care of his mother pretentiously. His mother was now in a nursing home, but Grace was still around. ¡°I¡­ Elias, I¡¯m worried about you, so I decided to stay back to take care of you. Yet, you never returned.¡± In fact, Grace was worried that Elias would discover something. If he discovered that she pushed Howard down the stairs, he would definitely send her to prison. Elias replied coldly, ¡°Grace, are you still obsessed with me? I¡¯ll have you know that even without Amanda. ? still won¡¯t choose you. Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m getting engaged at the end of the month?¡± He no longer wanted to be entangled with Grace, even for Kennedy¡¯s sake, so he wanted to set her free. Grace¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re getting engaged? With whom?¡± ¡°Stephanie Allegra.¡± Elias said the name without any hesitation. Stephanie was technically a third party, so if Grace had too much free time, she should go to Stephanie and cause trouble. In short, he did not want Grace to hate Amanda any longer and try any means possible to exact revenge on Amanda. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 I¡¯m Not Sure if I Should Say This ¡°Stephanie? The same Stephanie, who¡¯s the youngdy of Allegra Group? Jack Allegra¡¯s daughter¡± Elias replied. ¡°That¡¯s right¡± After he was done, he turned around and left, leaving Grace alone with a shocked expression. She wondered how things could change so quickly. Did Elias not say he wanted to get back with Amanda did he suddenly have a change of heart and decide to marry Jack¡¯s daughter, Stephanie? If she could not even deal with Amanda, how was she going to deal with Stephanie¡¯ Stephanie was youngdy from a wealthy family, which meant she was a great match with Elias. real ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ He can¡¯t change his mind so quickly. What¡¯s more, they have a child together¡± Grace could not figure it out because Elias was not an irresponsible person. He had previously stayed with her for many years despite not having any feelings for her, so how could he abandon Amanda and marry Stephanie after having a child with Amanda? It was so confusing that she had forgotten about Howard¡¯s ident. Elias arrived at the scene of the incident alone and began recalling how his grandfather rolled down the stairs ording to the butler¡¯s description. He fell into deep thought while looking at the top of the stairs, seemingly able to see how much despair his grandfather felt when tumbling those steps. At that moment, a woman¡¯s voice suddenly appeared. ¡°Mr. Winters, you¡¯re back.¡± The voice interrupted Elias¡¯ thoughts, and he turned to see it was Lexi, the servant who used to care for his mother. Lexi had been free since his mother was admitted to a nursing home. At the sight of Elias, she seemed somewhat shocked, and her eyes filled with fear. To be fair, though, barely any servants at the Winters Residence were unafraid of him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m now responsible for cleaning and need to clean the railings. I didn¡¯t know you were here. I¡¯lle backter.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Lexi was about to leave, but he stopped her. ¡°Wait.¡± She turned around. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± ¡°When Grandpa fell that day. Were you at home?¡± he asked. That question shocked her because she thought he was suspicious of her, so she involuntarily felt nervous. ¡°Yes, I was Seeing how nervous she was, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why are you nervous?¡± At that point, her voice began to tremble. 1. I¡¯m a little nervous because you might suspect me of something. There have been rumors about Old Mr. Winters arguing with a woman before he fell, and you¡¯re looking everywhere for that woman now. I¡¯m afraid you might think it¡¯s me.¡± He frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the news to spread so quickly. But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t suspect you of anything. I just want to know if you remember anything peculiar from that day.¡± At the mention something strange, 1. auddenly recalled matter but was unsi ¡°Mr Winters, Fi ¡°Tell me Elias stared at her, waiting for her to speak. After looking around like she was trying to avoid anyone eavesdropping, she lowered her voice to say. ¡°When you mention that, something strange did happen that day, and I even thought I was hallucinating That very day, I was responsible for cleaning your bedroom, but I kept having a hunch that someone was inside. I even checked around but found no one, but I swear I could hear movementing from inside Then, I left the room and heard about Old Mr. Winters¡¯ ident. I heard he went into your bedroo day, so I suspect¡­¡± The more he listened, the more mysterious the story became, ¡°What do you suspect? ¡°I suspect¡­ Perhaps a female ghost? The first person to discover Old Mr. Winters was Miss Bailey, but she said it wasn¡¯t her. So, could it be a ghost? That day, I kept feeling that someone was in your bedroom, and Old Mr. Winters had been inside as well¡­¡± As Lexi continued to speak of her suspicions, the topic gradually became more mysterious. However, what she said seemed nonsensical to Elias, who could not stand it anymore. She had begun talking about supernatural theories! ¡°Alright. That¡¯s all. You may continue your job. He was in no mood to continue listening to her nonsense. Therefore, she could only nod and leave. His gaze returned to the top of the stairs, but Lexi¡¯s story had made him suspicious. Could someone be hiding inside his bedroom? But who would dare to do so? He had made clear orders that besides cleaning his room, no one was allowed to stay there or touch anything. Therefore, who in the Winters Residence would dare enter his bedroom without permission? After searching his mind, he still could not figure out who it was, Could it be an outsider? Who could it be. though? The following evening at the Allegra Vi, after Elias came to the vi and had his measurements done, he and the Allegra Family sat down for dinner. It was also the first time he met Stephanie¡¯s mother and grandmother. Both seemed like they were not ones to mess with. He sat beside Stephanie and focused on eating his food and did not once serve her anything. When Jack saw that, he was even more satisfied with his future son-inw because he supposed those on top should not pay heed to insignificant details. Anyway, Elias was many times better than the poor kid. Meanwhile, Mrs. Allegra, Edith, was the opposite. She thought Elias did not care about her daughter. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re getting engaged by the end of the month. Will your elders be attending the ceremony?¡± she asked. Since Stephanie was the Allegras¡¯ only daughter, an elder from the Winters Family should attend the ceremony to witness the asion. Elias put down his utensils and replied, ¡°Mrs. Allegra, I¡¯m sure you know about my family¡¯s situation, so I¡¯m not nning on having any elders present at the ceremony. I can decide my matters on my own¡± Old Mrs. Allegra, Cassandra, was unhappy about that, mming her utensils on the table. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Is Stephanie an embarrassment to you? An engagement only happens once in a lifetime. How can you not let one of your elders th event Suppressing his frustration. Elias patiently exined again. ¡°My grandpa and father have passed away an my mother is in a nursing home. Whom would you like me to invite Cassandra was instantly speechless, while Edith also looked displeased. It felt like they were being looked down on. At that moment, Jack came forward to mediate the situation. ¡°Alright. You women are so troublesine As long as the children are happy, there¡¯s no need to abide by the rules. Aren¡¯t we his elders as well ¡°But this is not how we do things! If that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t attend the ceremony You guys Edith threatened. How could she allow her daughter¡¯s engagement party to happen so casuall ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with this n. I am the decision-maker of this household, so it doesn¡¯t whether you attend the ceremony or not. Do you think we can¡¯t hold the ceremony without you?¡± ja tone was extremely harsh. When Edith heard that, she lost it and reprimanded, ¡°Jack Allegra! You¡¯re always so full of yourself and think you can make all the decisions! Don¡¯t you forget that it was your fault that we lost Amelia for twenty years! I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s dead or alive, and now, you wish to dictate your daughter¡¯s life¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 The Other Daughter From the Allegras N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Meanwhile, Elias sat there and frowned. Amelia? Lost for twenty years? Does that mean the Allegras have another elder daughter but lost her! Jack nced at him and felt humiliated, so he mmed his hand on the table and roared, ¡°We¡¯re about Steph, so why are you mentioning Amy? What does her disappearance have to do with me? Do you dare say that it has nothing to do with you? We only have Stephanie now, so of course. I must find someone reliable for her to spend her life with? At that point. Edith was sobbing She could never control her tears whenever Amelia was brought up ¡°1 miss Amy so much. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s still alive or doing well. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t you find it embarrassing to argue in front of Elias¡± Cassandra could not stand it either and chastised the old couple. At that moment, Stephanic could not hold back her emotions any longer. ¡°Enough! Can the two of you stop mentioning my sister¡¯s name before me? Is it my fault that she¡¯s gone? Why do you have to put pressure on me because she disappeared? What have I done wrong to deserve this?¡± Ever since Amelia disappeared, her mother had been devastated, and her father had never stopped looking for her. He had thought of many ways and searched for twenty years but found nothing There were times when Stephanie felt like she was Amelia¡¯s recement. It was because Amelia disappeared that her parents gave all their love to her. Would she need to return the love once her elder sister returned? ¡°Steph. Edith stopped crying and stared dazedly at her daughter, who ran away with her face in her hands. Meanwhile, Elias seemed to see an opportunity. He narrowed his eyes, thinking that Jack was an ipetent father for not being able to find his daughter after twenty years. However, if he could locate Amelia Allegra, then Jack might be willing to hasten their n. Otherwise, if Jack waited until they finished their wedding to take back the shares, Anna might have already transferred all those assets to offshore ounts. Elias slowly rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll look for her.¡± Soon, he left the dining room as well. Stephanie cried while she ran. While standing in the garden, she looked at the sea of flowers but could not stop crying. A whileter, a tall man appeared behind her. She looked behind and thought Elias was here tofort her, so she chastised him. ¡°Don¡¯t try tofort me! Leave me alone!¡± The man sneered before taking a seat on the wooden bench. ¡°You must be mistaken. I have no intention offorting you.¡± He did not care whether Stephanie was feeling down because he just wanted some useful information. Puzzled, she thought she had misheard. Was it not natural for a man to take the initiative tofort a ad woman? ¡°Then, why are you here?¡± The man replied, ¡°I just want to ask you about your sister. You have an elder sister, right? Is her name Amelia? ¡°Why do you care? She¡¯s been missing for twenty years. Don¡¯t tell me you can find her. Stephanie rebuked. Smiling. Elias offered, ¡°What if I can? It¡¯d be a good deed for your family When she heard that, she wiped her tears and turned to stare at the man. ¡°If you can find Amelia, my father will take away all the effort he put into me, and everyone will be able to rx¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I want. By then, you can live the life that you want too¡± ¡°Then, do it! She¡¯s been gone for twenty years, so where are you going to look My father has been looking for twenty years but found nothing.¡± She did not believe Elias could seed. He asked again, ¡°So, you gotta tell me something about Amelia. Give me a picture or something ¡°Amelia was 6 when she disappeared. If she were still alive, she would be 26 this year, so I don have picture of what she looks like now.¡± ¡°I meant when she was younger. I can use modern technology to estimate what she looks like now¡± he exined. Slowly, Stephanie realized the serious man radiated an air of reliability, causing her to spill all the detai naturally. ¡°I do have a picture of when we were young, but it¡¯s hard to be sure whether Amelia is still alive_ ¡°Then, we can only hope she is. As long as she¡¯s alive, she can save us.¡± Elias smiled slightly. After a while, Stephanie led Elias to her room to get the picture while Jack watched everything from the side. He believed he did not choose the wrong man for his daughter. It was almost impossible for someone to calm the crying Stephanie, but Elias did with just a few words. ¡°Steph. I hope you can understand my good intentions.¡± He sighed. He had lost one of his daughters, so he could only rest assured once he ensured his other daughter had settled down. Inside the bedroom. It was the first time Stephanie brought a man into her bedroom, so she was somewhat uneasy. She sat on her bed and grabbed a picture frame with a photo of Amelia and her before giving it to the man. ¡°Here, this is the only photo I have with Amelia. I was three, and she was six, which was the year she disappeared.¡± After receiving the picture frame and taking a look, Elias felt his heart skip a beat. He felt the girl in the picture seemed familiar for some unknown reason like he had seen her eyes before¡­ Standing under the sun, the girl in the picture had cute ponytails and an ice cream in her hand. Her smile was bright and adorable. Why does this face look familiar? Have I seen her before? But I can¡¯t remember where¡­.. ¡°Can I have this picture? So that it¡¯s easier for me to find someone to reconstruct her face.¡± ¡°Sure, take it. If you can find Amelia I admit that you¡¯re a brilliant man Stephanie wore a look of disbelief. She did not believe Elias would be able to find Amelia. After all, it had been twenty years He replied. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try¡± Therefore, he brought the picture frame when he left, but Jack¡¯s voice uddenly came behind him ¡°s what are you doing with that? Sropping in his tracks Elias looked at Jack and answered, Litle Steph looked adorable, so I¡¯m taking thas for my desk¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide the truth from me. You wish to find Amy right Jack emiled This cunning old man. Nothing gon part kim, thought Elias Jack added, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your efforts. You won¡¯t find her. I¡¯ve already searched for twenty years) ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. Perhaps there will be a miracle s then left with the picture frame However, Jack watched him leave and sighed heavily Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 How Pretentious! Back inside the car. Elias put on his seatbelt and could not help but take another close look at the picture. The girl remained utterly familiar to him. ¡°Where have I seen you before¡­¡± he muttered. Since he still had no recollection, he ced the frame on the passenger seat and drove away. Suddenly, his phone began vibrating, so he nced at it and saw it was from Amanda. How astonishing was it that she was still willing to call him despite their situation? He hesitated momentarily before picking up the call. As he expected, the voice that sounded was not hers but Aiden¡¯s. ¡°Daddy! What are you doing? Hearing his son¡¯s voice, the man unconsciously smiled. Tm driving. I¡¯m heading home to sleep¡± ¡°Home? Are youing back to Mommy¡¯s home?¡± The child¡¯s voice was filled with excitement The man smiled somewhat resignedly. ¡°No, I¡¯m busytely, so I¡¯m sleeping at the office.¡± ¡°But you said you are going home to sleep. Is your office also your home? Imph N?velDrama.Org holds this content. When Elias heard the child¡¯s angry retort, he smiled even brighter. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep? Don¡¯t you have school tomorrow?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t! You don¡¯t care about me at all. Tomorrow¡¯s the weekend, so I don¡¯t have school. Can you y with me tomorrow? I don¡¯t want to stay home.¡± That made Elias frown. He had to meet a few clients tomorrow, so he might not have the time to apany Aiden, but.. he did not want to reject his son¡¯s request either. After all, he had already missed four years of his son¡¯s life, so why waste any more time? ¡°Alright, you be good and go to bed. I¡¯ll be there to bring you out once you wake up. How about that?¡± ¡°Yay! You¡¯re the best, Daddy,¡± ¡°Go to bed now. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night, Daddy.¡± Once the call ended, the man smiled happily. Everything that happened recently was troublesome, and only hearing the kid¡¯s voice could elicit a genuine smile on his face. After returning to the office, Elias ced the picture frame on the side and dialed a number. ¡°Come over to get the photo and restore the girl¡¯s face twenty yearster. Give it to me as soon as you can.¡± Once he hung up, his thoughts fell onto the picture again. Stephanie did not look much simr to her sister, and Amelia looked utterly familiar to someone he seemed to know. He stared at the picture for a long time, thinking the little girl was somehow close to him¡­.. The following morning at Northern No. 1, Aiden woke up and obediently washed up to change himself. Then, he went to have breakfast and sat in the living room waiting patiently. Selina was shocked by the scene and wondered what happened to the little fellow to make him suddenly so obedient. The bedroom door opened, and Amanda came out, yawning. Just as she was asking what was for breakfast, she noticed the neatly dressed Aiden sitting on the couch and was shocked for seconds. Then, she turned to Selina, asking, ¡°Why did you wake him up so early? He doesn¡¯t have school today. Selina shrugged, looking like she had nothing to do with this. ¡°Not on me. Aiden woke up early and prepared all on his own. He¡¯s been this way since he finished his breakfast. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either.¡± What¡¯s this kid up to? Amanda narrowed her eyes and sat on the couch, eyeing the child. And he specially worr his tiny suit? It¡¯s like he¡¯s going on a date or something. Is there a need to be this formal? The suit he was wearing was the one she had previously forced him to wear because he looked handsome in it. The kid was reluctant toply back then and even vowed never to wear it again. What¡¯s up with him today? Why did he obediently wear this suit? He does look cute and handsome in it, but he¡¯s so tiny¡­ ¡°Aiden Bailey, what are you up to? Why are you wearing a suit? Are you going on a date or something? ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re annoying me. Eat your breakfast. Miss Selina worked hard to make it.¡± Then, he looked at Selina. ¡°Miss Selina, what time is it? Is it still morning?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Of course, it¡¯s still morning. It¡¯s only past 7.00AM.¡± ¡°Then, why isn¡¯t he here?¡± The kid clearly remembered his father saying he could bring him out in the morning, but it was already time, so where was he? Amanda asked, ¡°Whom are you waiting for?¡± Feeling aggrieved, the kid pouted his lips and was in no mood to talk to her. He now suspected that his father had forgotten about him, just like his mommy always forgot what she promised. The kid angrily mumbled, ¡°Hmph! Adults are always like that. They don¡¯t keep their word, and he said he woulde to pick me up when I opened my eyes this morning. Liar!¡± ¡°What are you mumbling about? What about grownups? Aiden, I demand that you make things clear!¡± Amanda was confused as she watched the kid change from being happy to being excited and then bing disappointed and aggrieved. Why is he acting up? And he¡¯s wearing his suit. What special day is it? Just as she was wondering, the kid dejectedly got off the couch, seemingly not in the mood to entertain anyone, and even seemed like he was about to cry. Noticing something wrong, she approached her son and embraced him. ¡°Baby, tell me, what¡¯s the matter? Did someone give you a hard time?¡± Right then, the doorbell rang. Aiden suddenly jumped off his mother¡¯sp and ran toward the door with glistening eyes. He then opened up with his tiny hands. ¡°Daddy! You¡¯re finally here!¡± His screams almost scared Amanda and Selina, who both shot up and discovered it was Elias. Instantly, Amanda looked grim as she realized her son was all dressed up and woke up early for his arrival. It¡¯s just Elias. Does he need to dress up so nicely? Truth be told, she was somewhat jealous. Especially when she remembered how Elias, the se*mbag, said he did not want his son at the parking lot back then. Now he was pretending to be a loving father, lying to Aiden. When Elias saw Aiden opening the door, he smiled and bent over to pick him up. ¡°Let me take care of Aiden today. You guys can rest for the day,¡± he informed the two women. Amanda initially wanted to say something but stopped because she did not want to argue with him in front of their child. Meanwhile, Selina smiled and replied. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. He left with the child in his arms. ¡°Where are we going. Daddy?¡± ¡°First stop is mypany. That¡¯s where I work.¡± While listening to the conversation between the two, Amanda unhappily plopped onto the couch and crossed her arms, muttering. ¡°How pretentious of him! Acting like a loving father.¡± Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Chapter 236 That Nasty Woman Again. Selina wanted to head over and tell Amanda not to get angry but did not know what to say, so she returned to the kitchen. Not long after, the doorbell rang again. Frowning, Amanda guessed Aiden had probably forgotten something ande back for it. The kid could get forgetful, after all When she arrived at the door, she saw a strangely dressed woman from the inte. The woman was wrapped tightly in her clothes and wore ck sunsses that covered most of her face. Also, she had scarf wrapped around her head, as if afraid that someone would recognize her Who can it bet Amanda opened the door out of curiosity but did not expect to receive a scolding to her face right after. ¡°Amanda, why are you so useless? You¡¯ve already given birth to his son, yet you still can¡¯t capture his heart. How can you be so useless? Tell me, loser, what the f*ck are you good at?¡± That instantly made her furious. ¡°Who are you to criticize me, you crazy b*tch?? Just as she was about to close the door, it was forcefully pushed open as the woman barged inside her home. Looking at the bizarrely dressed woman, Amanda kept wondering which asylum did she escape from and had the urge to call the cops. Then, the woman removed her scarf and sses, revealing her face. At that moment, Amanda recognized the woman and scoffed. ¡°So, it¡¯s you, Grace.¡± The scary scar on her face kept reminding Grace about how stupid she was. Why did she have to hurt herself yet still fail to capture Elias¡¯ heart? He was growing further from her and could even be said to no longer care for her. ¡°So what if it¡¯s me? I¡¯m here to scold you for being a loser!¡± All the criticism from before made sense to Amanda now. It turned out Grace was chastising her for pushing Elias toward Stephanie. After all, Stephanie was a tougher opponent than her. Smiling sincerely. she rebuked. ¡°Look at how angry you are. Why didn¡¯t you go to Miss Allegro? The woman Elias will marry isn¡¯t me, so why are you here? I¡¯m no longer Elias¡¯ target, so I shouldn¡¯t be a threat to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I came to you. How can you be so useless? You bore his son, yet he still ran away from you!¡± Grace shot Amanda a disappointed gaze because it was more difficult to deal with Stephanie; they were not on the same level. Amanda naturally knew what Grace was thinking and was not bothered by it. She smiled and mocked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You think I¡¯m easier to reckon with than Stephanie, so you¡¯re more willing to deal with me, right? You¡¯re afraid of Stephanie.¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m afraid of her? Don¡¯t think that everyone is a pushover like you!¡± ¡°Then, hurry up and think of a way to get your Elias back. They¡¯re getting engaged at the end of the month. Why are you wasting your time with me?¡± Amanda turned around and returned to the couch. sitting with her legs elegantly crossed and looking ready to send her guest away. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless. You don¡¯t deserve to be with Elias because I was right! You¡¯re a coward?¡± Once Grace was done, she left and mmed the door after her. The smile on Amanda¡¯s lips instantly disappeared. Coward? Am I a coward? Do I have to fight Stephanie to the death to be brave? I don¡¯t give a damn! It¡¯s just a man, and he¡¯s not even worth fighting with them. At that moment, Selina came out and gossiped, ¡°Amanda, who was that woman? Why did she yell at you? So absurd Amanda replied angrily. ¡°Who else can she be? One of my ex-husband¡¯s admirers-a crazy one at that Why do you think she yelled at me?¡± ¡°That makes things even more peculiar. If that¡¯s the case, why is she scolding you? Isn¡¯t he getting engaged with someone else? Why doesn¡¯t she yell at the other woman?¡± Amandaughed. ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe she thinks I¡¯m a pushover.¡± Selina could not help butin, ¡°She must be crazy. No wonder Mr. Winters doesn¡¯t like her. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t bat an eye on her either.¡± Winters Enterprise. It was Aiden¡¯s first visit to thepany. He looked around with his wide eyes while eximing. ¡°Wow¡± This ce is huge, Daddy¡­ Is this where you work?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The tall man held the child¡¯s hand, their tall and short figures in harmony. ¡°Then, can you let Mommy work here? I want Mommy toe here too.¡± Aiden raised his head to look at his father. Elias smiled as he thought the kid was quite filial. ¡°Your mother does work here but doesn¡¯te here often. Reasonably speaking. Amanda was still thepany¡¯s legal consultant, so she was considered ant employee here. At that moment, the secretary came to inform Elias, ¡°Mr. Winters, the meeting will start at 10.00AM. Would you like to push it back?¡± ¡°No need. Prepare for the meeting ¡°Okay.¡± The elevator doors opened with a ding, and Elias led his son toward the office to grab something before heading straight to the meeting room. ¡°Daddy, is this your office?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you sleep in your office every day?¡± ¡°Yes¡± The child was curious and kept asking questions while he patiently answered all of them. Original from N?velDrama.Org. When the man opened the door to his office, he instantly frowned and even wanted to leave with his son because¡­ Stephanie was sitting on the couch in the lounge, looking bored as though she had been waiting for him. ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s that nasty woman again!¡± screamed Aiden as he pointed at her. Nasty woman? Stephanie frowned. How could that little brat call her a nasty woman? How so? However, Elias did not stop his son or criticize him. Instead, he led his son into the office. ¡°Aiden, there are marks there Go and have some ¡°Okay Daddy, don¡¯t talk to that nasty woman.¡± Aiden reminded him with a serious face, but Elias uniler thout saying anything and touched Aiden¡¯s head. Once the kid left. Elias sat on the couch and faced Stephanie. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Although they were about to get engaged, his voice had no trace of happiness but sounded like he was talking to a strange ¡°You think I want to? My dad made mee and ask you out for lunch. Then, we¡¯ll have to try on clothes for our engagement ceremony. My dad has the designers work overtime to finish them,¡± she exined. He frowned unhappily. ¡°Another day. I¡¯m busy today.¡± ¡°Are you going to spend the day with your son? And don¡¯t get me started on what he said. How could you let him call me a nasty woman? What kind of endearment¡¯ is that?¡± She was furious by that name Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Bringing Aiden to the Meeting Elias frowned. Is he wrong? Aren¡¯t you nasty?¡± ¡°You¡¯ How could you say that, Elias? If I¡¯m nasty, you¡¯re even worse! Why would I be in this situation if it weren¡¯t for you? You said you¡¯d help me look for Amelia, so, where is she? Huh? You¡¯re only good at making empty promises!¡± She discovered she could not win against the man in a tongue fight and would always end up speechless. ¡°It has only been a few days, and I haven¡¯t received a facial reconstruction. What is there to search for? If you¡¯re going to behave unreasonably, I have no time to entertain you. Once Elias was done, he headed for his desk and grabbed a document. After that, he looked over and saw the child eating his snacks with crumbs all over his face. The scene made him smile. He grabbed a wet wipe and approached his son, helping him wipe away the leftover food from his face. ¡°Aiden, let¡¯s stop eating. Come with me to the meeting. ¡°Elias, watch your words! Who¡¯s being unreasonable? You told me you would find Amelia!¡± Stephanie felt aggrieved but also wondered if she was being unreasonable. At some point in time, she seemed to have begun caring about Elias¡¯ feelings, which was strange. Why should I care about his feelings? Why should that se mbag¡¯s feelings be important to me? She could not figure out that feeling. Meanwhile, the man ignored her screams and carried his son with one arm before walking out the door. Aiden did not forget to make faces at her. ¡°You nasty woman, don¡¯t youe near my daddy. My daddy likes my mommy and not you. My mommy is gentle and elegant. You¡¯re just an ugly and nasty woman¡± Hearing that, Stephanie pointed at herself with wide eyes and scoffed. ¡°Do I look like I need your dad to like me? Little brat, I¡¯m telling you. I don¡¯t like your dad either! Also, who are you calling ugly? You¡¯re the ugly one!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The child snorted back. She also childishly snorted, both unwilling to give in to the other. Feeling speechless, Elias used the document to pat his son¡¯s butt. ¡°Aiden, stop messing around.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The child reverted to obedience and leaned against his father¡¯s broad shoulders. On the other hand, Stephanie was about to burst from anger. In all her years, this was the first time she had been so infuriated by a three-year-old that she felt like exploding. Inside the executive meeting room. Elias brought his son to the meeting room, shocking all the executives. Questions filled everyone¡¯s mind, wondering what he was doing. Why did he bring a child to the meeting? Whose child was that? ¡°Whose child is that? Could the rumors be true? Does Mr. Winters have an illegitimate child?¡± ¡°Duh. He¡¯s already brought the child to this meeting. Do you picture Mr. Winters as someone who likes children? Would he bring a child that isn¡¯t his to a meeting?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Old Mr. Winters can rest in peace now. At least the Winters Family has an heir.¡± knew about that because he would urge Mr. Winters to have a child in every press interview he did¡± Everyone was busy whispering in each other¡¯s ears, discussing this matter, while only Jack remained silent and looked gloomy. He had not begun sending out the invitations yet because he wanted the engagement at the end of the month to be both a shock and a surprise. However, Elias, that brat, had brought his son into the meeting room. What was the meaning of this? Was Elias trying to disgust him? During the entire meeting, several kept casting curious nces at Aiden, who looked utterly simr to Elias, almost identical. The kid behaved quite well during the two-hour-long meeting and stayed on his father¡¯sp while holding his hand. After all, he was intimidated by all the people who were looking at him with strange gazes. Moreover, Elias had his secretary bring snacks and juice boxes to keep Aiden¡¯s lips sealed. Once the meeting ended, the executives left the meeting room one after another. As for Aiden, he had fallen asleep in his father¡¯s embrace. Elias gently held his son in his arms and motioned for his secretary to bring a tarp to cover Aiden. Then, he prepared to leave as well. However, Jack suddenly called him. ¡°Elias, wait. I have something to say to you. His voice was loud, as though he deliberately did it to wake the child. Since only a few were in the spacious meeting room, they could hear the voice echoing. Feeling the child in his arms tremble, clearly startled by the voice, Elias frowned unhappily and passed him to Yacob. ¡°Bring him to my office. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yacob gently took over the kid and left for the office. Even the way he walked seemed slower. Elias watched until Yacob left the meeting room before feeling assured because Yacob was the only person he trusted with the child. Once his assistant was gone, he sat back on his seat, and his voice returned to its original volume. ¡°Mr. Allegra, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Jack felt upset seeing Elias doting dearly on his and Amanda¡¯s son. Doesn¡¯t that mean his and Steph¡¯s child in the future would get less love? ¡°Why did you bring the child here? Do you want everyone to know that you have a son? Will you value the child you have with Stephanie after she marries you?¡± His words were fueled with anger. He was eager to lose his temper but endured it for the sake of his daughter¡¯s marriage. Elias maintained calm and replied, ¡°Mr. Allegra, you must be mistaken. My ex-wife and I have agreed to raise our son together. He¡¯s mine for the weekend, and I have work today, so I can only bring him with me. After all, he¡¯s still young and can¡¯t be left alone.¡± ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m mistaken? How will you go on a date with Steph when you have a child with you? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯ve already given you an opportunity here?¡± Elias knew that, and he could even feel how much Jack wanted to send his daughter onto his bed so they could sleep together and get married quicker. Smiling, he exined emotionlessly, ¡°Mr. Allegra, I will return my kid home in the afternoon, so it will not disrupt your ns. Also, Stephanie is a kind woman, so she will understand me. Although this child was an ident, I have to be responsible for him.¡± ¡°Be responsible for him? Then, who will be responsible for Steph? Will Steph¡¯s child have to fight for the inheritance?¡± Jack was most worried about that, but he had no idea Elias did not intend to marry Stephane or even have a cluld with her ¡°Mr Allegra, you¡¯re overthinking this. My ex-wife and I have signed an agreement, so your concerns are redundant¡± Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Taking What One Needs. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Elias always responded coldly regardless of what Jack said, leaving him helpless. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t care about your matters, but you better handle your affairs properly. Please don¡¯t miss your date with Steph today¡± Jack finished speaking and stood up to leave. He was displeased with Elias but had to endure it since it hade to this point. Otherwise, what will happen to the engagement banquet at the end of the month? My close friends in the circle are already aware of the nned union between the Allegra and Winters Families. However, most people don¡¯t know it yet. I¡¯ll be aughingstock if it falls apart and the wedding is canceled. Elias watched Jack¡¯s departing figure and let out a mockingugh. He not only teased Jack but also himself. His phone started vibrating, so he nced at it and saw a call from Oscar. He answered the phone, and Oscar reported, ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Murphy refuses to leave. I told her it was your wish, but she refused to go and said you should drive her out yourself.¡± A trace of annoyance appeared between Elias¡¯ brows, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Alright, I understand. Go about your duties. Grace is so troublesome, like a piece of gum that I can¡¯t shake off. After hanging up the phone, a person suddenly came to his mind. Perhaps this person could help him eliminate the trouble caused by Grace. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile as he slowly stood up and left the meeting room toward the office. When he pushed open the door to the office, he saw Yacob putting the child to sleep on the couch with a nket and keeping an eye on him while Stephanie was sitting on the opposite side. She looked bored as she flipped through a finance magazine and asionally rolled her eyes at the sleeping child. When Yacob saw him enter the office, he immediately stood up. Elias gestured for him to sit down. ¡°Stay with the child. I¡¯m going out to talk to Miss Allegra. Miss Allegra, let¡¯s have a cup of coffee. He then turned and walked out after saying this. Stephanie was also restless, so she dropped the finance magazine in her hand and slowly left the office. after a stretch. If it weren¡¯t for my father¡¯s insistence on waiting for Elias to finish the meeting and try on clothes with him, I wouldn¡¯t be foolishly waiting here. The two arrived at the cafe on thepany¡¯s third floor and sat in a window seat. The weather was lovely today, and the gentle sunlight reflected against Elias¡¯ facial features. Such a scene made him look like he was from aic series because of how wless and impable he looked. For a brief moment, Stephanie was captivated by the man¡¯s appearance. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he asked coldly. He did not like being stared at like that. He found it annoying when someone gazed at him nkly. After hearing his voice, she returned to her senses and averted her gaze. ¡°Oh, nothing. Why did you choose this table? The sunlight is so strong that it¡¯s blinding¡± ¡°Just letting some light into your brain,¡± he retorted mercilessly. His rudement left Stephanie stunned as she did not expect his straightforwardness. ¡°Who are you insulting? Did you call me here just to say that, Elias?¡± She noticed that he always managed to provoke her and get furious easily Elias picked up his coffee and took a sip. ¡°Back to the point, we can coborate again for our benefit.¡± Coborate? What do you mean by coborating?¡± she asked. ¡°You help me get rid of someone, and I¡¯ll help you find Crispin and arrange a meeting for you.¡± He believed that the conditions he offered were tempting enough or even sufficient to entice Stephanie. Indeed, her eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious? Deal! You can just tell me who you wish to get rid of A smile crept onto his lips. ¡°You truly have deep feelings for that man. It¡¯s touching¡± ¡°Enough with the nonsense. Tell me!¡± She simply did not want to drag Crispin down. Her father was intentionally punishing her by targeting Crispin. Elias replied, ¡°Yacob will take youter. Once you finish the task, I¡¯ll take you to meet Crispin in the evening.¡± ¡°So, you know where Crispin is being held?¡± She thought Elias had no idea, but it seemed she underestimated his capabilities. The man remained silent and gave her a meaningful nce to let her interpret it herself. Winters Estate. Elias took the children to the amusement park. At the same time, Yacob drove Stephanie back to the Winters Estate and was ready to execute their n. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Winters Estate to be so grand and massive,¡± she remarked. She believed the Allegra Family¡¯s mansion was already impressive since it was created with billions of dors by her father. She never imagined the Winters Family estate to be even more extravagant. Yacob remained silent and led her to Grace¡¯s residence. Jennifer had been sent to a recuperation facility. Still, Grace continued to linger there, iming to wait for her to return. At that moment, she was watching a movie in the cinema room. She had grown ustomed to life there and was even willing to spend her whole life at Winters Estate. Since Grace¡¯s appearance was ruined, she would only be subject to ridicule by everyone if she went outside. It was better for her to hide here since the ce was isted from the world, where no one dared to mock her. Yacob pushed open the doors to the theater, and the movie abruptly stopped. Stephanie walked in and saw Grace sitting in the seat. Before she could say anything. Grace angrily shouted, ¡°Who are you? Get out! Leave!¡± Then, she hurriedly covered her cheeks to avoid anyone seeing the scar on her face. She increasingly felt like a clown and did not want to see anyone. ¡°Afraid of facing people? How dare you meet my fianc¨¦! Do you think he would like you in your current state? What are you doing here clinging on?¡± Stephanie was being sarcastic, and even Yacob could not help but chuckle. Perhaps only Stephanie could handle Grace Murphy. ¡°What did you say? Say that again: I dare you! I used to be much prettier than you! Do you think Elias would like you?¡± Grace did not believe he would be interested in this daughter of the Allegra Family Compared to my appearance and Amanda¡¯s, who isn¡¯t more substantial than this b*tch? That was the reason for her anger. How could Elias¡¯ taste have downgraded so much? What made Grace even more furious was that although Stephanie was not as beautiful as she and Amanda, her family background was something they could never catch up to in several lifetimes. I can stillpete if Elias pursues beauty, but I cannot win if he seeks power. Stephanie crossed her arms and mocked, ¡°So what? He chose me and not you in your current state. Do you even dare to call yourself beautiful? Perhaps I should buy you a mirror¡± Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Mr Winters Has Nothing Besides Wealth! Mirror¡­ Grace touched her cheeks to trace the gruesome scar that severely affected her self-esteem. This was the harsh reality that had truly shattered her inner world. Stephanie was indifferent to Grace¡¯s feelings and approached her, saying. I¡¯m about to get engaged to Elias, and we¡¯ll be married by the end of the year. Your presence here is affecting my mood. I might mess with him when I¡¯m not in a good mood. Can you bear that if you truly love him?¡± ¡°You! Elias doesn¡¯t like you. He won¡¯t be interested in someone like you. What do you have to be so proud of? I used to be much prettier than you. I¡ª Grace tried to find an excuse for herself. ¡°Enough! Why are you bringing up history? You¡¯re not as beautiful as me or close to being pretty, and you still think you can hold Elias¡¯ heart? What do you have to hold onto? Just leave and stop wasting time here!¡± Stephanie¡¯s sharp and hurtful were striking at Grace¡¯s fragile heart. ¡°Enough! Shut up! Just shut up!¡± Grace covered her ears as tears streamed down her face. She was about to give up since her intense insecurity was overwhelming. She knew she was unworthy of Elias in her current state, but it was unbearable to ept this harsh truth. The promise of happiness within her reach had slipped away and left her in an empty voice. ¡°Are you leaving or not?¡± questioned Stephanie. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This isn¡¯t your home; your words don¡¯t matter! I want Elias to kick me out personally!¡± Grace would be able to give up entirely only if the man himself chased her away. ¡°Ridiculous! I¡¯m about to be the woman of the house, so how is it not my home?¡± Stephanie turned to Yacob, standing outside the door, and said, ¡°Yacob! Get her out of here! She¡¯s so annoying.¡± He did not respond to Stephanie and went straight to Grace. ¡°Miss Murphy, pleasee with me. Mr. Winters has arranged a new ce for you to start a new life. There¡¯s no need to be trapped in the past.¡± ¡°How can I start a new life in my current state?¡± she screamed in desperation. He replied. ¡°That¡¯s not something we should be concerned about. Everybody has to take responsibility for their actions in this world. Besides, Mr. Winters has to move on even if you don¡¯t want to start a new life. You two are never destined to be together, so please don¡¯t try to force it.¡± Never destined together? Those words weighed heavily on Grace¡¯s heart. He gently grasped her frail wrist and pulled her away when seeing her unresponsiveness. After Grace was sent away, Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Yacob when he was driving. Im done with my business. When will Elias fulfill his end of the deal?¡± she asked. ¡°Mr. Winters is currently taking Aiden home. He will join us soon for a meeting. Don¡¯t worry about it. He¡¯ll arrange a meeting for you and your boyfriend,¡± he replied. She nodded as she finally found some peace of mind. Suddenly, a sense of boredom crept in and rekindled her curiosity. ¡°Yacob, may I ask you something?¡± she inquired. He nced at Stephanie through the rearview mirror while driving and responded, ¡°Miss Allegra, feel free to ask. I¡¯ll provide answers based on my knowledge and apologize if I cannot answer them.¡± This bodyguard is quite cautious, She proceeded after clearing her throat. ¡°Who does Mr. Winters truly prefer-his ex-wife or that starred actress?¡± ¡°Miss Allegra, isn¡¯t it obvious? He assigned you to drive away Grace, yet he prevented you from bothering Miss Bailey. Isn¡¯t that a clear indication?¡± Yacob pointed out as he believed the signs were quite apparent even to a fool. ¡°Oh¡­ Well, he did have a child with his ex-wife, but at the same time, Grace seems quite devoted. I must say that Mr. Winters seems to attract women effortlessly, and I just can¡¯t fathom what these women tee in him or find appealing,¡± she scornfully remarked. Yacob took offense to her words. Isn¡¯t it normal for Mr. Winters to be popr with women? Why wouldn¡¯t they be drawn to him? On the other hand, I fail to grasp what Miss Murphy finds so appealing about Crispin, whom she has set her eyes on. I can¡¯t discern any redeeming qualities in that man either! ¡°Miss Allegra, if you consider Mr. Winters¡¯ family background, appearance, and knowledge, why wouldn¡¯t women like him? As for Crispin, whom you¡¯ve taken an interest in, what makes him special?¡± He defended his master implicitly. Stephanie was momentarily taken aback but quickly retorted, ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to speak ill of Crisp. He¡¯s gentle, kind, and far superior to Mr. Winters in every way. Mr. Winters has nothing besides wealth!¡± He felt a surge of indignation. How could she im that Elias had nothing besides money? ¡°What does Crisp have, then?¡± he asked in a challenge. That fired her up. ¡°Crisp graduated from a prestigious university in Cludan and is currently pursuing a PhD- Yacob interrupted her, ¡°Mr. Winters holds a master¡¯s degree from MIT!¡± Stephanie pondered momentarily and pressed on after observing his prideful expression. ¡°Crisp secured schrships through his outstanding academic achievements and is tirelessly dedicated to his studies!¡± He retorted, ¡°Mr. Winters entered university at sixteen and skipped several grades. Do you know why? It¡¯s because he¡¯s intelligent and has a remarkably high IQ!¡± She was speechless. Taking note of her silence, he boasted once more, ¡°Moreover, Mr. Winters has been voted the most handsome individual among the second-generation wealthy elite. His looks rival those of male celebrities. in the entertainment industry. He could easily be a top-tier star if it weren¡¯t for his family¡¯s wealth.¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 She was speechless once again. With aparison like this, it bes evident that Elias possesses an irresistible charm for women and an abundance of advantages. The sheer unfairness of it all is striking! Why does fate shower him with such bountiful blessings? And what grants him the privilege? He effortlessly acquires the things that others strive for throughout their lives. It¡¯s an undeniable disy of injustice¡­ At Northern No. 1, Elias spent the entire day ying with Aiden and then apanied him back home. After opening the door, Aiden rushed into Amanda¡¯s arms, his face coated in ayer of sweat. ¡°Mommy, I went to Universal Studios today. It was so much fun! Let¡¯s go there together next time.¡± ¡°Got it. I can see you¡¯ve worked up a sweat¡± Amanda said, bending down to touch his cheek. Elias was outside the door, seemingly not intending toe in. ¡°I won¡¯te in as I already took Anden out for dinner. He had a rough time today and sweated a lot, so please bathe him.¡± She responded coldly with a single word, ¡°Oh. Then, I¡¯ll close the door.¡± As she spoke, she intended to shut him out. However, to her surprise, Aiden grabbed the doorknob and waved at Elias. ¡°Goodbye, Daddy Don¡¯t forget about our promise, okay?¡± me to this c Elias countenance turned cold as he guided her inside the factory. I brought him here. Not even your father knows about this.¡± ¡°What Why¡¯d you do that?¡± she questioned. At that moment, Crispin came out and questioned, ¡°Stephanie! Why are you here? How could you venture into such a dangerous ce?¡± She rushed over, her eyes welling up at the sight of his disheveled appearance. I¡¯m sorry, Crisp. It¡¯s my fault you ended up imprisoned like this.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. We made a wager. If I win, he will hand you over to me,¡± he exined. What? What wager? Stephanie turned to Elias. ¡°Huh? What wager?¡± Crispin replied, ¡°I made a wager that if I could stay here until the end of the month, he would cancel the engagement and let us be together.¡± She was shocked. What is Elias up to? Can he cancel the engagement? Although she was long aware that Elias had no intention of marrying her, she never expected that her father only nned to make a move after the marriage to help Elias regain control of the lostpany shares. Things could only progress after their ceremony. ¡°Are you out of your mind? How can anyone live here? It¡¯s cold, deste, and dark. How can you stay here for a whole month, Crisp?¡± Stephanie was moved by his willingness to endure such hardships for her. Crispin saw her reaction and felt satisfied. After being poor for over twenty years, I finally have a chance to change my destiny. I can¡¯t let it slip away since staying here for a month is nothingpared to the endless wealth and glory I will have in the future.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He envisioned a bright future where he could have anything he wanted. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Steph. I can handle it. It¡¯s nothing like back in my hometown; there wasn¡¯t much difference except for an extramp Besides, it¡¯s not easy to encounter a soulmate in one¡¯s life. I don¡¯t want to miss you¡­¡± Stephanie was deeply touched as her tears streamed incessantly. On the other hand, Yacob could not help but feel a shiver down his spine. This guy may not have any other skills, but he has a knack for cheesy lines. What¡¯s even more impressive is how he manages to make Miss Allegra, who carries herself with great poise, be swoon. Elias watched the scene unfold with an emotionless expression. Suddenly, she turned to him. ¡°Is what you said true? I won¡¯t forgive you if I find out you¡¯re toying with him!¡± She simply thought that Crispin was being naive. What if Elias was just joking? After all, he had lived a pampered life and never experienced hardships. He would never understand the pain that Crispin. suffered in his heart. Elias smirked. ¡°A gentleman always keeps his word.¡± As the three walked out of the factory, Stephanie could not help but discreetly wipe away her tears. Elias remained expressionless; he knew what Crispin was thinking and felt no trace of sentiment. ¡°Elias, if Crisp seeds, will you cancel the engagement and give up your shares?¡± She had yet to figure out this man¡¯s intentions. He nced coldly at her and replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I have my ns) Once I digitally emte Amelia¡¯s face today, Jack will have no choice but to owe me a favor for locating his long-lost daughter! ¡°What are you thinking? Don¡¯t toy with Crisp, he¡¯s very innocent and takes things to heart!¡± Stephanie cautioned. ¡°I¡¯m serious too. I don¡¯t want to break you two apart,¡± Elias said. She was taken aback. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Rest assured. I don¡¯t love or want you. I have no interest in seizing you. Just seems pointless,¡± he stated. Every word he spoke was urate, and both Stephanie and Yacob could sense it. They sounded no wrong. but they were awkward and made her ufortable. She could not understand where this feeling came from¡­ When she heard Elias say he did not love her, her heart felt a mix of emotions, which caused a suffocating sensation. ¡°That¡¯s fine! I don¡¯t love you either and won¡¯t let you have me! I belong to Crisp!¡± she stated, but it was more for the sake of her pride. However, after speaking it, she felt a tinge of regret and realized how childish she sounded. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Encounter in the Elevator At Northern No. 1, Amanda lounged on the couch and felt bored to the core. She did not want to return to Simon¡¯sw firm anymore, so it felt like she was wasting her life away. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Amanda, aren¡¯t you nning to return to the firm?¡± ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t feel like going back. There were people she did not want to face anymore, and she could not either. Suddenly, Selina suggested, ¡°Amanda, I think you should start your own firm.¡± A spark of interest ignited within Amanda upon hearing this idea before she turned to her. ¡°Start my own firm?¡± I¡¯ve thought about having myw firm before, but in the past few years, due to myck of experience, I needed to fulfill the requirements to start mypany. Running a firm would have brought in limited clients. But things are different now. Over the past few years, I¡¯ve fought many impressive cases and gained some recognition. Maybe it is a suitable opportunity now. ¡°Yeah, I searched your name online yesterday and realized how sessful you are now. You¡¯re famous and so capable. Why not start your own firm?¡± Selina encouraged her. Amanda smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t have the courage before, but now I¡¯ve grown. I can¡¯t work under someone my whole life.¡± Moreover, Elias wants to drive me and our child out of the country, which I refuse to do. I want to stay here and show him what I¡¯m capable of ¡°Yeah! Go for it! I believe in you!¡± Selina looked at the woman before her. Amanda was no longer the little follower she used to be in their childhood days; she had be a well-known and beautiful lawyer. Selina could not help but grin. After all these days, Amanda finally showed a gentle smile. It seemed like she had found a new direction in her life. Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s phone rang, showing an unknown number. She answered the call. ¡°Hello? Miss Bailey? I¡¯m from Winters Enterprise¡¯s Legal Department. We need you toe over for something. Can you make it?¡± She initially wanted to refuse, but she remembered she was still the appointed legal advisor for Winters Enterprise. ¡°Alright, give me a moment. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± She maintained her professionalism, and it was only during work that she could forget all her worries. Winters Enterprise. Amanda changed into a professional suit and drove to thepany. The sky was dimming, and she did not expect people to work overtime in thepany. Is there an ongoing project? She went to the Legal Department, where the department head personally received her. ¡°Miss Bailey, pleasee to my office for a chat.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She smiled and followed him into the office, where they talked for two hours. It had been a while. since shest came, and lots of work had piled up. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I informed about all these pending contracts?¡± Since she was an external team member, she would onlye to thepany if someone had notified her to do so. The department head smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Winters himself instructed not to disturb you if there wasn¡¯t anything pivotal.¡± She felt speechless as she might as well quit this position if that was the case. Many people in the seemed to have a big problem with her just receiving money without working. ¡°Well, I better take leave. Thank you for your hard work,¡± she said. my ¡°Okay. We thought getting along with you would be difficult; unexpectedly, you¡¯re easygoing. We wouldn¡¯t dare to call you without a valid reason. Not sure why Mr. Winters said that.¡± The department head had a hidden meaning in his words, implying that she had been trying to use her privilege and that it was time for her to do some actual work. Amanda¡¯s expression stiffened momentarily, and she awkwardly smiled. ¡°Feel free to call me if you need. anything. I¡¯m at your service.¡± She turned around and headed toward the elevator. She was lost in her thoughts about the conversation with the head of the Legal Department. Ding! The elevator¡¯s door opened. She entered without lifting her gaze and wondered why it was empty when it should have been crowded like usual. Ding! The elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor. Then, she heard Yacob¡¯s voice from outside the elevator. ¡°Mr. Winters, Mr. Allegra invited you for dinner again tonight. Do you want toe up with an excuse to decline? I¡­¡± His words came to a halt as he saw the person inside the elevator and was instantly dumbfounded. What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t this the president¡¯s exclusive elevator? Why is Miss Bailey inside? At the same time, Elias remained motionless and stared intently at the person inside the elevator as if trying to see through her. Amanda looked up and noticed the hesitation of the people outside the metal doors. She realized that Yacob and Elias were standing there. Why did fate have to y tricks on her like this? How could she coincidentally meet the sc*mbag in an elevator? She maintained a cold expression and was about to press the button. ¡°You can take another elevator. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± Before Elias could speak, Yacob pressed the button, preventing the doors from closing. ¡°Miss Bailey, this is the president¡¯s exclusive elevator!¡± She froze. The president¡¯s exclusive elevator? So, that¡¯s why no one dares to ride it?No wonder it¡¯s so empty. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll take another one then. After saying that, she prepared to walk out, but to her surprise, Elias stepped into the elevator and cornered her. She frowned. ¡°What are you doing? Let me out. This is your exclusive elevator, right? It¡¯s all yours!¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m also in a hurry.¡± The man pressed the button for the third-floor basement: Seriously? How much time will I waste to walk out of the elevator? Why does this se ¡°mbag always have to create so much trouble? Yacob stood silently by the side while watching the two of them. At times, he experienced deep frustration on behalf of his boss. Despite his enduring love for Amanda, Elias knew he could never be with her. He could only helplessly observe as she gradually fell in love with someone else. The elevator ridested a few seconds, but it felt like a century. Ding! Amanda was the first to leave, exuding impatience when the elevator door opened. Elias looked at her slender figure and followed suit while silently watching her back without saying a word. It will be rare to have the opportunity to watch her like this. He knew this time he had pushed her completely toward Simon¡­. with his own hands at that. The woman did not even nce back and walked directly to her car. Then, as if something crossed her mind, she turned and looked at Elias. ¡°Find someone else for the legal counsel position. I¡¯m not suitable and wish to quit.¡± ¡°Suit yourself. His attitude was cold, with no attempt to convince her to stay. Suit me? Your colors are showing, sc*mbag!! You couldn¡¯t wait to give me your whole world while pursuing me, but I¡¯m nothing more than someone you wish to avoid now that you¡¯re engaged to her! Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Warding off the Sulfuric Acid for Her Amanda snorted and got into the driver¡¯s seat without uttering a word. Just as she was ready to close the door, she heard Elias saying, ¡°Since you¡¯ve decided to stay in the country, quit working for Simon, and not stay with me, do you have any ns?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s none of your business. You¡¯d better take good care of your fianc¨¦e and make sure she doesn¡¯te harassing me again. Thanks, Mr. Ex-husband.¡± With that, Amanda closed the door. Elias frowned. Did Stephanie go looking for Amanda again? Wait a second¡­ Mr. Ex-husband? The way the woman called him put a smile on his face as he repeated it in a small voice, saying. ¡°Mr. Ex- husband¡­¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you happy just because she called you that?¡± The smile on Elias¡¯ face disappeared as he shot him a re. ¡°You have a lot to say, don¡¯t you? Do you want to work overtime today?¡± ¡°No, no, no! Please forgive me, Mr. Winters. I haven¡¯t had any proper sleep for the past seven days. I¡¯ll die from overworking, Yacobmented. All of a sudden, they heard a bang from the parking lot. They exchanged nces and sported solemn expressions. What¡¯s going on? Amanda just went over there. Did she crash her car into something? Following that, Amanda was heard eximing, ¡°Help!¡± The next moment, Elias charged forward, leaving Yacob behind. Yacob looked at the man¡¯s figure and sighed. ¡°He said he no longer loves her, but he¡¯s so anxious when she calls for help.¡± Despite that, Yacob also dashed forward as something serious might¡¯ve happened to Amanda. What happened was that Amanda crashed her car into a column because someone appeared in front of her vehicle out of nowhere. As such, she had no choice but to turn her steering wheel. Her forehead crashed into the steering wheel, causing her to see stars. Then, she heard someone knocking on the window like crazy. She unfastened her seat belt and opened. the door while feeling dizzy. Before she could make out the person in front of her, she felt some liquid getting sshed on her. She subconsciously closed the door to ward it off, but the liquid still came into contact with her sleeve. Soon, she felt a burning sensation on her arm. Is it¡­ sulfuric acid?! Only then did she realize she hade across a lunatic. As such, she opened the door and ran away in a particr direction, knowing that Elias and Yacob were still over there. The men could probably help subdue the lunatic. ¡°Help!¡± She didn¡¯t even dare turn her head and take a look at the lunatic. ¡°Ah!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She was running too fast while wearing stilettos, so she twisted her ankle and fell to the ground. Amanda wanted to get up, but her ankle was in so much pain that she was unable to do so. I must¡¯ve twisted my ankle¡­ Then, she crawled backward and looked at the fully covered lunatic. ¡°Who are you?!¡± ¡°Who am I? I¡¯ve be so ugly. Everyone despises me, and Elias dumped me. On the other hand, you¡¯re still so beautiful. It¡¯s so unfair! I want you to be as ugly as me! I¡¯ve fallen into such a state because of you!¡± When the lunatic took off her veil, Amanda finally realized it was Grace. Her agitation made the scar on her face look even more hideous; it was as if she was a demon who had just crawled out from hell. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Grace? Your suffering has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s entirely your fault!¡± Amanda refuted. After giving it some thought, she realized she was supposed to prioritize her safety instead of provoking the crazy woman. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! It¡¯s all your fault! If you never returned to the country, I would¡¯ve married Elias, and he would never have met Stephanie. It¡¯s all because of you!¡± Grace broke down mentally and bawled her eyes out. Her eerie cries reverberated across the underground parking lot. She still had some sulfuric acid in the bottle in her hand. If she sshed it on Amanda, the consequences would be dire. ¡°Calm down¡­ We can go somewhere else and talk things out.¡± Amanda wanted to get up, but she couldn¡¯t exert any force on her legs. She stared fixedly at the bottle of sulfuric acid in Grace¡¯s hand. A sense of horror swept over her as her eyshes trembled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about between us. I want you to be as ugly as I am. It¡¯s all your fault. Why did you evene back? Why did you destroy the happiness that belonged to me?¡± she wailed and shuffled forward. Amanda had no choice but to keep crawling backward, for her ankle was in so much pain that she was unable to get to her feet. Moreover, her ankle seemed to be swollen. All of a sudden, Grace lifted the bottle in her hand and sshed the liquid on the woman. ¡°I hate you, Amanda!¡± Upon seeing that, Amanda subconsciously closed her eyes, feeling that her life was ruined. Much to her surprise, a powerful force pulled her up from the ground the next moment. Someone protected her and warded off the sulfuric acid on her behalf. Amanda opened her eyes. When she realized that Elias was in front of her, her eyes widened in disbelief. After Elias fended off the sulfuric acid with his back, he turned around and bellowed, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Grace!¡± The bottle in Grace¡¯s hand fell to the ground and broke into pieces. She was despondent as tears slid down. her face. ¡°Why, Elias¡­ Why did you do that for her¡­ You¡­¡± Amanda was flustered as tears welled up in her eyes. Even her hands were trembling. She said anxiously, ¡°Take off your clothes now! That¡¯s sulfuric acid!¡± Elias felt a burning sensation on his back as he glowered at Grace. ¡°Are you out of your mind? How could you ssh sulfuric acid on anyone?¡± Following that, he quickly took off his coat. Although his coat was thick, it couldn¡¯t withstand the sulfuric acid¡¯s corrosion. He tossed the coat to the ground. The acid had prated his white shirt, which was now dyed red with blood. When Amanda saw that, tears rolled down her cheeks. She wanted to touch his back with her trembling hands, but she didn¡¯t dare do so since it was covered in blood. Yacob arrived just then and subdued Grace before bellowing, ¡°You¡¯re insane, Grace! How could you use sulfuric acid? You¡¯ll go to jail!¡± ¡°Send her to the police station. I don¡¯t want to see her ever again, Elias ordered impassively without sparing Grace a nce. Yacob replied, ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ll ask Travis to send you and Miss Bailey to the hospital.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Elias! I love you, and you know that. You promised my brother that you¡¯d take care of me. How could you do this to me?¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 He¡¯s My Ex-husband Grace was lugged away by Yacob. While growling, she stared resentfully at Elias. I suppose he loves Amanda the most. He¡¯s even willing to fend off the sulfuric acid for her. If that¡¯s not love, I don¡¯t know what is. However, the more affection Elias showed for Amanda, the more resentful Grace felt. Soon, Amanda was getting her wound treated in the hospital. Her injury was minor as only a few drops of sulfuric acid came into contact with her sleeve and burned her arm. While treating her wound, the nurse said, ¡°How did the two of you get wounded by sulfuric acid? It¡¯s hard to get exposed to such a substance in daily life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Amanda replied briefly as she wasn¡¯t in the mood to exin anything. She wondered how Elias was doing. His back was covered in blood. Is arge area of his back wounded? Seeing that the woman was unwilling to talk, the nurse stopped asking and focused on treating her wound. A momentter, another nurse entered the room and said, ¡°The man whose back was wounded by sulfuric acid is your husband, isn¡¯t he? Although he¡¯s injured, he¡¯s very tough. When we were treating his wound, he didn¡¯t even flinch. He¡¯s quite resilient.¡± Amanda felt her chest tightening. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is his wound serious, miss? Will he be left with scars on his back?¡± After all, Elias¡¯ back was covered in blood earlier, and it was hideous. Why does fate keep ying tricks on me? Whenever I¡¯m about to give up on him, I end up owing Elias a favor I can never repay. The nurse replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that severe, but arge area of his back has been affected. He¡¯ll only be able to sleep on his stomach for an entire month, and he might evene down with a fever. As such, we have to pay extra attention to his wound¡¯s aftercare.¡± With that, the nurse turned around and left. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The nurse treating Amanda¡¯s wound said, ¡°When you go home, you have to sterilize your husband¡¯s. wound. Also, don¡¯t let ite into contact with water. Abstain from spicy food and sleep early. He¡¯ll recover in no time, and there won¡¯t be any scars left. I¡¯m sure the wound on his back will heal. Amanda nodded. ¡°Alright, thanks. I¡¯ll pass on your advice to his family members. I¡¯m not his wife, after all. He¡¯s my ex-husband.¡± The nurse¡¯s curiosity was aroused when she heard that. ¡°Is he your ex-husband? He still loves you very much, though. You¡¯d better remarry him, then.¡± Since the man was willing to ward off sulfuric acid for Amanda, the nurse felt it would be a shame if they didn¡¯t. remarry. Amanda said, ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. He¡¯s getting engaged to someone else.¡± The nurse was rendered speechless and didn¡¯t have the nerve to keep asking, thinking that their love life was quite strange. It was puzzling that a man who was about to get engaged would still fend off sulfuric acid for his ex- wife. After getting her wound treated, Amanda headed to Elias¡¯ ward. He was supposed to stay in the hospital for two days, and he mighte down with a fever. Amanda stood outside the door, hesitant to enter. He¡¯ll be fine since so many people will be taking care of him. Moreover, they¡¯ll get private doctors to help him recover. I won¡¯t be of any help even if I stay here. She wanted to turn around and leave, but she couldn¡¯t convince herself to do so. After all, the man was wounded because of her. Just as she was hesitant to enter, Yacob, who had just returned from sending Grace to the police station, arrived. When he saw how conflicted she was, hesitating between entering the ward and leaving, he said, Mr. Winters got injured because he tried to save you. You¡¯re not going to leave just like that, are you? At the very least, you should pay him a visit.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think he needs me to visit him, and he probably doesn¡¯t want to see me.¡± She still couldn¡¯t get over the incident of Elias hurting her feelings in the garage the other day. Since he had made his stance clear, it would be shameless of her if she continued pestering him. She wanted to leave, but Yacob took her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and see him. He¡¯s in pain, but he¡¯s not willing to tell us about it. You¡¯re the only one he can talk to. After all, you used to be his wife, and you two have a child together.¡± After a moment of silence, Amanda turned around and entered the ward. Presently, Elias was lying on his stomach without a shirt on. His back was covered in ointment, which looked hideous. It was no wonder his shirt was soaked in blood during the incident. Just by looking at his wound, Amanda could feel the pain he was going through. Elias seemed to be getting some rest, and his face was pale. When he heard the door opening, he opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure. She was the woman he wanted to see the most. Following a moment of silence, both of them spoke at the same time. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°How are you?¡± They were startled, not expecting to tacitly ask the same question. Amanda said, ¡°I¡¯m fine as only several drops of the acid came into contact with my arm-I¡¯ll recover in a few days. Since your injury is more severe, you have to take good care of yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine as well. I¡¯m only required to sleep on my stomach for a few days. The man sounded calm as if he was talking about some unimportant matter. Amanda frowned. ¡°The nurse told me your injury is quite serious, and you mighte down with a fever, so you¡¯d better be cautious-¡± The man interrupted her before she could finish her words. He said, ¡°The nurse was only trying to scare. you. It¡¯s not that serious, and I¡¯ll recover in a few days. If you¡¯re busy, you can go back first. Aiden needs you by his side when he sleeps.¡± ¡°Alright. The doctors and nurses will take care of you. If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me She caught herself before she finished speaking, for she realized what she was about to say was unnecessary. Even if there was anything Elias needed, he was supposed to call Stephanie instead of her. She couldn¡¯t help but put on a smile, mocking her wishful thinking. ¡°Just get more rest. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± It was time for her to leave. If Stephanie arrived and bumped into her, the situation would be awkward. If she saw Elias defending Stephanic again, she would ck out from exasperation. She wasn¡¯t jealous, though-she just felt that she was too foolish. With that, she whirled around and left the ward. When Elias saw her leave, he wanted to say something, but he realized that he no longer had any right to make her stay. As such, he could only let her go. After Amanda was gone, Yacob entered andmented, ¡°Miss Bailey is pretty heartless. You fended off the sulfuric acid for her, but she only kept youpany for five minutes.¡± Without replying to him, Elias closed his eyes and got some rest. He hadn¡¯t had any proper sleep recently, so he decided to get some shut-eye. There were many things he had to attend to the next day. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t stay in the hospital. When Yacob saw that the man was asleep, he stopped talking and took a look at the wound on his back. Mr. Winters is indeed no ordinary man¡­. How does he even endure the pain? Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 I Have to Visit Him Yacob walked toward the bed. When he saw the man¡¯s back that was covered in blood stains, he had the urge to touch it. As soon as he extended his hand, Elias warned grimly. ¡°If you dare touch it, I¡¯ll cut off your hand!¡± Yacob immediately retracted his hand and caught sight of Elias opening his eyes. He looked like a beast whose sleep had been interrupted with displeasure written all over his face. Then, Yacob coughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out now. Grace is in the police station and under investigation. I suppose she¡¯ll be staying in the police station for a while. After all, shemitted assault.¡± Then, he observed Elias¡¯ expression for a moment before continuing, ¡°Mr. Winters, it depends on whether you press charges against her. If you do, she¡¯ll stay in the police station. If you don¡¯t, she¡¯ll be released.¡± He had a feeling that Elias would go easy on the nasty woman for Kennedy¡¯s sake. Elias treasured his friends, but they couldn¡¯t cross the line. Otherwise, they would be doomed. Amanda and Aiden were the most important people to Elias. He would never allow anyone to harm them. After a moment of silence, Elias said solemnly, ¡°Release the woman and send her somewhere else. I don¡¯t want to see her again.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Alright, I see you¡¯ve decided to go easy on her.¡± Yacob knew Elias would make such a decision. Grace should be grateful that she had a wonderful brother. Otherwise, Elias would¡¯ve destroyed her long ago. However, she was too naive to think that Elias had been conniving at her wrongdoings because he loved her. The next morning, Yacob went to the police station and bailed Grace out, ready to send her away from Imperia. At present, Grace was mentally unstable. She believed that everyone was trying to harm her. When the police questioned her, she almost got into a fight with them. ¡°This is thest time Mr. Winters lets you off, so you¡¯d better behave yourself from now on. You can¡¯t me anyone for what happened to you. It¡¯s all your fault, Yacob said impassively. Grace was walking dazedly behind him when she heard that, and she red up instantly. ¡°Shut up! What right do you have to lecture me? When Elias was deeply in love with me back then, he would do anything to please me. At that time, you had to obey my orders. Even though I¡¯ve lost his favor, it doesn¡¯t mean you can mock me. You don¡¯t have the right to do that. You¡¯re just Elias¡¯ckey!¡± Yacob frowned, thinking Grace was mad and would target anyone. ¡°Mr. Winters has never been in love with you. I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you that Mr. Winters has repeatedly let you off for your brother¡¯s sake. You could¡¯ve relied on your brother and lived the rest of your life without any worries. However, you stubbornly wanted to marry Mr. Winters. To be honest, you¡¯re too greedy. You crave things you can never get.¡± Yacob had been putting up with her for a long time. In the past, Grace believed that Elias doted on her, so she was arrogant and treated Yacob harshly. Since the woman had fallen from grace, he could finally vent his anger. Devastated by his words, Grace snapped. That¡¯s impossible! Elias loves me, and it¡¯s not just because of my brother. Whenever he looks at me, I can tell there¡¯s love behind his gaze!¡± She felt Elias had nothing but love whenever he looked at her, so it was impossible that it was all because of her brother. Yacob decided to deal another blow to her. ¡°Come on. Every woman thinks Mr. Winters looks lovingly at them. It¡¯s all in your mind.¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense! That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go right now. I don¡¯t want to waste any more time on you.¡± Yacob stuffed the woman into the car and found the entire conversationughable. It was ridiculous that he even tried to argue with a lunatic. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Grace asked. Yacob got into the driver¡¯s seat and closed the door. I¡¯m taking you to a ce where you won¡¯t see Mr. Winters forever. That¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t want to see you anymore.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Grace tried to get out of the car, but the doors had been locked. ¡°Let me go! I want to get out of this car! I¡¯m not going anywhere. You don¡¯t have the right to send me somewhere else. I¡¯ll stay right in this city!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better stop making a scene, Grace! It¡¯s different now. Mr. Winters won¡¯t protect you again. If you keep making a fuss, no one will help you, and you¡¯ll end up on the streets. You used to be a beautiful celebrity, but you¡¯re just a woman with a scarred face now. If you don¡¯t mind the reporters harassing you while you sleep on the streets, carry on with your tantrum.¡± Grace instantly fell silent and subconsciously touched her face. If Elias refused to help her, the reporters would destroy her by taking photos of her deformed face and reporting on her miserable life. By then, everyone in the country would find out she was in such a terrible state. She felt that she would truly go mad simply by imagining what would happen to her. As such, she stopped making a fuss and remained silent in the car. In their home in Northern No. 1, Aiden appeared aggrieved and said with a pout, ¡°Miss Selina, why didn¡¯t Daddy pick me up today? He promised he¡¯d pick me up from school every day.¡± Selina had no idea how to exin it to him, so she could only say, ¡°Perhaps your daddy is swamped with work. You know, he has a business to run.¡± Just then, Amanda left the bedroom. She had changed into a dress and put on some makeup, looking like she was going on a date. Selina asked, ¡°Are you heading out, Amanda?¡± ¡°Yeah. Since I¡¯m going to start my ownw firm, I have to attend some cocktail parties and get to know some big shots so that I¡¯ll secure more clients. Since I¡¯m on my own now, I have to work harder.¡± ¡°Can Ie, Mommy?¡± Aiden dashed forward and wrapped his arms around his mother¡¯s legs. Amanda bent over and cupped the young boy¡¯s face. ¡°No, kids are not allowed to enter. I¡¯ll take you to such parties when you grow up, alright?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Aiden released her. ¡°Get Daddy toe over and pick me up, then. I want him to go out with me. He promised he¡¯d pick me up from school every day, but he didn¡¯te today. He¡¯s such a liar.¡± Amanda was startled, not knowing if she should tell the child about it. After giving it some thought, she decided to tell him the truth. She crouched down and nced at the child, who looked like the mini version of his father. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be honest with you. Your dad is injured, so he¡¯s in the hospital now. That¡¯s why he can¡¯t pick you up from school.¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Is Daddy in the hospital? How did he even get injured? I have to visit him!¡± Amanda was rendered speechless, thinking that Aiden truly loved his father. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s visit him tomorrow. He needs more rest since his injury is quite serious. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Aiden appeared unhappy, but he could only agree to it. When Amanda arrived at the cocktail party, she took the initiative to talk to the big shots so that she could secure more clients for herw firm.. Since she wanted to make herw firm sessful, she had to do everything herself. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Almost Exposed ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so young. Miss Bailey. I thought you were a middle-aged career woman. I¡¯m blown away.¡± Upon hearing thepliment, Amanda replied with a smile, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not that young, and I¡¯m a mother.¡± ¡°What?! Are you a mother? Are you married? I see you¡¯ve been taking good care of yourself. You don¡¯t look like a mother at all. The other party was surprised as he sized Amanda up. Amanda didn¡¯t mind telling them she had a child to avoid any unnecessary attention. ¡°Yes, I was married and gave birth to a kid, but I¡¯m a divorcee now. My child is three years old.¡± The person clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s so surprising. Your life seems pretty interesting, Miss Bailey.¡± Without responding to him, Amanda smiled and took a sip of wine. I suppose I won¡¯t bump into any familiar people at this cocktail party. For example, Elias¡­ Wait a minute. He¡¯s injured, so he¡¯s supposed to be in the hospital. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d show up at this party. When Amanda looked around, she realized she was wrong. Even though Elias wouldn¡¯t show up, his fianc¨¦e and future father-inw would be there. She saw Stephanie hooking her arm around her father¡¯s as they entered the venue. The world is pretty small, huh? Why do I keep bumping into Stephanie and Jack? She immediately put down her wine ss, ready to leave. Getting provoked by Stephanie was thest thing she wanted. Just as she was ready to sneak out of the venue, Stephanie discovered her presence. ¡°I see a friend over there, Dad. I¡¯ll go and greet her.¡± With that, Stephanie released her father¡¯s hand and shuffled toward Amanda. Jack hummed and looked in that direction, only to see Elias¡¯ ex-wife over there. Has Stephanie found out about his ex-wife? He was ready to watch how his daughter was going to deal with Elias¡¯ ex-wife. ¡°Why are you leaving so soon, Miss Bailey?¡± Stephanie blocked the woman¡¯s way. Amanda stopped in her tracks. When she saw how provocative Stephanie looked, she knew what the latter was going to do. ¡°I have no time for your nonsense. Bye.¡± She wanted to circle around Stephanie, but the woman got in her way again. ¡°You were leaving as soon as I arrived. Can I assume that you¡¯re eager to leave because of me?¡± ¡°So what if that¡¯s true?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s some exining I need to do.¡± Stephanie felt that if Elias could help Crispin and her get together, she didn¡¯t mind lending him a hand as well. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Amanda was puzzled, not knowing what the woman was up to. Stephanie took a look at her father in the distance and realized he was staring at her. As such, she took Amanda to the balcony, making them out of her father¡¯s sight. ¡°Why did you take me here, Miss Allegra? Will you please cut to the chase? I¡¯m in a hurry¡± Stephanie said sincerely, ¡°I want to tell you that you¡¯d better not give up on your ex-husband just yet. I believe he still loves you¡­. Wait a minute. He definitely loves you. We¡¯re just in a partnership. We- Before she could finish her words, she caught sight of Jack walking up to them. As such, she immediately kept her mouth shut. Amanda was astounded, not understanding what the woman was trying to say. Is she confessing Elias¡± love for me in his stead? Jack approached them and took the initiative to greet Amanda. ¡°What are the odds, Miss Bailey? Let me introduce my daughter to you. She¡¯s going to get engaged by the end of the month.¡± ¡°Hi, Mr. Allegra,¡± Amanda replied politely. She wasn¡¯t in any mood to talk to the two of them. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s something I need to attend to, so I¡¯ll stop bothering you. See you¡ª¡± Before she could finish speaking, Jack said, ¡°Please stay for a while longer. Since we¡¯ve bumped into you, I¡¯d like to ask for your advice on the prenuptial agreement. My daughter is getting engaged soon, after all. I want to know what¡¯s legally valid and what¡¯s not.¡± Amanda realized that the older man was just ying dumb. He was aware that Amanda was Elias¡¯ ex-wife, but he still wanted her to deal with the prenuptial agreement. It was apparent that he was trying to embarrass her. In that case, there was no need for her to keep putting on an act. She smiled and nced at the two of them before saying. ¡°You and your daughter are pretty interesting. Mr. Allegra. You want me to draft a prenuptial agreement for your daughter, but do you know what she just said to me?¡± Stephanie turned pale in an instant. If Amanda exposed her, their n would be ruined. No! Don¡¯t tell my dad what I just said! Regardless of how anxious Stephanie was, she was unable to stop Amanda from speaking. Jack took a look at his daughter¡¯s expression before shifting his attention to Amanda. ¡°What did she just say?¡± ¡°Your daughter told me not to give up on my ex-husband because he still loves me, and they¡¯re only in a partnership. Haha, I have no idea what the two of you are up to. You know that I¡¯m Elias¡¯ ex-wife, but you¡¯re still ying dumb. What¡¯s the point of it?¡± Ignoring the fact that Jack was shocked and furious, Amanda turned around and left upon finishing her words. Stephanie was so apprehensive that she was drenched in sweat. The shock behind Jack¡¯s gaze turned into wrath as he glowered at his daughter. ¡°Stephanie! What are you. doing?! What was that woman saying? What¡¯s the n between you and Elias?¡± Just as the n was about to be exposed, Stephanie came up with a solution and said, ¡°Can you stop acting rashly, Dad? You¡¯re a shrewd businessman, after all. Don¡¯t you want to hear my exnation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all cars! You¡¯d better exin everything!¡± Jack said through clenched teeth. Stephanie picked up a ss of wine and chugged it down before continuing. ¡°You don¡¯t understand women at all. I¡¯m already displeased that you¡¯re forcing me to marry a divorcee, so don¡¯t I have a right to give him a test? To be honest with you, I did that intentionally to find out if Elias is still in love with his ex- wife. If they still talk to each other in secret, that would make the two of us fools.¡± Jack frowned. ¡°No, Elias is not that kind of person. He no longer loves his ex-wife.¡± He had heard what Elias said to Amanda in the underground garage the other day. There was no doubt his words were harsh and hurtful. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Dad, nothing is certain when ites to love. Are you sure you can see through Elias? As you can see, Amanda is beautiful. What if Elias can¡¯t resist her charm? Moreover, they have a kid together. Not only is he a divorcee, but he also has a son. I can¡¯t ept that!¡± Stephanie pretended that she was on the brink of breaking down mentally, fooling her father with her acting skills. After giving it some thought, he realized Stephanie¡¯s considerations were valid. It was understandable that she wanted to give Elias a test. O Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Please Help Mr Winters With the Dressing After seeing the unquestioning look in her father¡¯s eyes, Stephanie finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Stephanie,¡± said Jack, patting his daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I will watch over him for you. I will only give him what he wants when he wholeheartedly loves you, or he can forget about getting anything.¡± I¡¯ve deceived him, right? Phew¡­ Stephanie couldn¡¯t help breathing a sigh of relief inwardly while appearing impatient. ¡°Do you really think this will work, Dad? Even if you can control him for a while, can you control him forever? Are you going to wait until he¡¯s old to give him what he wants? Do you think he has that patience? If you fulfill the promise after we get married, do you think we can stop him from keeping other women outside?¡± It would be perfect if she could persuade her father to call off the engagement. At that, Jack pondered for a long time before he slowly said, ¡°Just focus on preparing for the engagement. ceremony. Leave the rest to me. Elias Winters must be my son-inw. He has no choice. The Winters Family now depends solely on him. With such arge family business, he needs assistance. As such, he won¡¯t dare betray us for the next ten years at least.¡± Stephanie was somewhat speechless. She couldn¡¯t figure out why her father was so persistent. Suddenly, she thought of Crisp, who was still living in that dark, cold, abandoned factory. She wondered what would happen at the end of the month. If Crisp could hold on, would Elias be able to fulfill his promise? Amanda felt an inexplicable ball of rage surging within her after returning home. I swear, the Allegra father and daughter were deliberately finding faults and embarrassing me! She believed that Stephanie said those things just to test her, wanting to see if she and Elias had really ended things. If that was the case, Amanda would be even angrier. It was simply unfathomable. Fed up with Stephanie¡¯s unwarranted harassment, she grabbed her phone and told Elias to keep his fianc¨¦e in check. However, at the thought that he might still be suffering in the hospital right then, she put the phone down. It was sulfuric acid, after all. His entire back was covered in wounds. How could it not hurt?! I wonder what he¡¯ll do with Grace and if she¡¯ll continue to pop up in the future¡­ Little did she know that at this very moment, Elias wasn¡¯t recovering in the hospital at all. He was in the company, attending a high-level meeting. After a three-hour-long meeting, Elias returned to his office at Winters Enterprise. Having sat forcefully for three hours straight, unable to lean back in the chair, his back was now burning in pain. ¡°Mr. Winters, shall I call a private doctor to apply the medicine for you? A clumsy man like me can¡¯t do this properly.¡± Yacob said, looking at the pile of ointment and disinfectant, feeling a headacheing on. How could he, an uncouth man, handle such a task?! If he identally hurt Elias, he would be the one getting scolded. However, Elias unbuttoned his suit jacket and shirt before saying curtly. ¡°It¡¯s already toote. You do it.¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously. Elias was asking the impossible of him. He¡¯d take being ordered to stay up all night over this any day. s, Elias was already shirtless, sitting on the side, and waiting to be treated. Yacob nced at the wounds on his back, which were truly distressing. His boss sure had paid a heavy price for saving the damsel in distress. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Elias was starting to be impatient. ¡°Oh, yes, right away.¡± Yacob picked up the disinfectant and cotton swab, looking worried. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Suddenly, the office door was pushed open, and Natasha entered, only to be stumped by what she was seeing. Elias instinctively picked up his shirt and put it on. He disregarded the pain from his wounds, frowning as he buttoned his shirt up. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re Mrs. Winters,ing in without knocking?¡± Elias scoffed. Natasha lowered her head in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Winters. There¡¯s an urgent document that, requires your signature, and I forgot about it. I really didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯ll go out and knock again.¡± With that, she turned around to leave, but Elias said impatiently, ¡°Forget about it. Give it to me.¡± Natasha could only give Elias the document. Then, he picked up his pen and signed his name with swift strokes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ll make stire to knock next time,¡± said Natasha, preparing to leave with the document. Unexpectedly, Yacob called her back and said, ¡°Miss Knox, please wait. Um, can you help Mr. Winters with the medicine? An uncouth man like me can¡¯t handle this task. I¡¯ll deliver the document for you.¡± At that, Yacob took the document from Natasha and left without looking back, for he didn¡¯t dare look at Elias¡¯ expression. He wouldn¡¯t doubt it looked ugly. However, he really couldn¡¯t handle a task like applying. medicine. He¡¯d ept it even if he¡¯d be punishedter. The office door closed, leaving only Natasha and Elias in the room. ¡°Are you injured, Mr. Winters?¡± Natasha suddenly remembered seeing blood stains on Elias¡¯ back when she entered earlier. ¡°I¡¯m warning you-don¡¯t talk about it to anyone, or you can say goodbye to your job.¡± Elias¡¯ gaze turned cold. He was surprised the actress Lazarus sent remained in thepany when he had long instructed HR to dismiss Natasha using whatever reason. Natasha nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Let me dress your wound, Mr. Elias. I promise I won¡¯t say a thing.¡± Elias hesitated for a moment, debating. It was difficult for him to apply the medicine himself, and he didn¡¯t have time to go to the hospital. Yacob, that b*stard, had slipped away too. If the wounds weren¡¯t hey might get infected. ¡°Hurry up. I have another meeting to attend,¡± the man said and took off his shirt. Natasha¡¯s eyes were drawn to his sexy chest muscles and abs. In that instant, she was truly astounded, her heart pounding. Elias turned around to show a brutally wounded back. Were they burns? Scalds? They weren¡¯t severe, but they were everywhere. ¡°How did you get your injuries, Mr. Winters?¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°What happened- ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions. Just do your job, apply the medicine, and leave, remarked Elias as he closed his eyes, no longer wanting to answer any of her questions. Natasha could onlyply and carefully disinfect and apply the medicine, afraid of causing Elias any pain. After spending ten minutes applying the medicine, Elias opened his eyes and quickly put on his shirt and suit jacket. ¡°Mr. Winters, keeping the wounds covered like this may hinder the healing process!¡± Natasha couldn¡¯t help reminding him. ¡°You should take a few days off-¡± ¡°You can leave now.¡± Elias returned to his desk and picked up some documents, flipping through a few pages. Natasha nodded and reluctantly turned to leave. Unfortunately for her, Elias suddenly asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you to resign? What are you still doing here?¡± ¡°I really need this job, Mr. Winters. Please let me stay. Natasha turned around, looking pitiful and helpless. Her vulnerable appearance would tug at the heartstrings of any man, but not Elias. ¡°Resign, and I will rmend you to otherpanies where your sry will be twice what you earn here,¡± he said. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 I Want to Give This to Daddy Natasha panicked, and tears streamed down her face. ¡°Please don¡¯t fire me, Mr. Winters. I don¡¯t want to go. I like the work atmosphere here, and I¡¯ve gotten used to working here¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not firing you; I¡¯m just sending you to a morefortable position. Know your chalk from cheeses.¡± Elias leaned back, annoyed by Natasha¡¯s sobs. He detested women crying the most. To his dismay, the young woman went up to him and begged on her knees, showing barely any humility. ¡°Please, Mr. Winters, I really don¡¯t want to leave. I have gotten used to everything here. I won¡¯t listen to Mr. Harvard anymore, I promise. I will work diligently. Please¡­¡± Natasha¡¯s sobs gave Elias a severe headache. Coupled with the fiery pain in his back, he became increasingly frustrated. ¡°Enough, just leave. Stop bothering me.¡± He waved his hand, urging her to leave at once. Her sobs put his head on the edge of exploding. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters.¡± Natasha stood up gratefully. ¡°I will work hard. Thank you, Mr. Winters.¡± With that, she left the office immediately. Once the door closed, the whole office finally returned to peace, and Elias stared at the door with tightly pursed lips. F*ck, this is like being stuck to a piece of chewing gum. No matter how much I try, I can¡¯t shake it off. At that, he grabbed his phone and called Lazarus. After a few rings, the call connected. ¡°To think I¡¯d receive your call. Has the busy man finally gotten some free time?¡± Lazarus boomed. He seemed to be in a bar of sorts, for the background was rather noisy. Of course, Lazarus knew how busy Elias had been recently, so he didn¡¯t bother Elias from reiming what was his. Elias snorted coldly in response. ¡°Withdraw that actress you arranged for me. She¡¯s no longer useful. She¡¯s like chewing gum that can¡¯t be rid of. You handle it personally. I don¡¯t want to see her again.¡± He thought Natasha¡¯s gazes at him were odd, and it annoyed him. ¡°What actress? Are you talking about Natasha? What, do you not n on winning back your ex-wife?¡± Elias stared at the desktop for a while and responded indifferently, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Have you changed your mind again? Well, thank goodness she didn¡¯t say yes, or she¡¯d be abandoned again. Tsk, tsk, what a se mbag you are, Winters.¡± Elias frowned in response and couldn¡¯t help cursing. ¡°F*ck off!¡± After that, he ended the call, slowly stood up, and picked up the documents on his desk, preparing to head to the next meeting. Two projects were about to start simultaneously, so these days were filled with endless meetings to confirm each department¡¯s duties and ensure that nothing went wrong. Right as Elias exited his office, Natasha, who was sitting in the secretary area, stood up and nodded toward him. ¡°Mr. Winters¡­¡± Seeing that she was about to follow him to the meeting room, Elias looked at another secretary. ¡°Jean, come with me to the meeting.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± The other secretary stood up and followed behind Elias, not forgetting to smile smugly at her colleagues as if saying, ¡°Finally, it¡¯s my turn.¡± Natasha stood there, her face full of defiance, biting down on her lower lip. ¡°Aw, is someone falling out of favor? So much for being Mr. Winters¡¯ first love. The treatment isn¡¯t any different.¡± ¡°Tell me about it. The way I see it, Mr. Winters has been avoiding someely. What¡¯s the use of being a first love? The bestester. Men don¡¯t care about their first love; only women can¡¯t forget theirs.¡± Two secretaries mocked deliberately beside Natasha in loud voices, who nced at them icily in response. She wanted to retort but decided to hold back in the end. The most important thing now was to stay in Winters Enterprise, or there was no way she could maintain her rtionship with Elias. Where there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. No rush. I¡¯ll take it slow. The following evening. Aiden, having returned home from school and eaten his dinner, insisted on visiting his father at the hospital. Amanda initially thought that the little guy would¡¯ve forgotten about it after one night, but who¡¯d have thought he hadn¡¯t?! At this moment, she had to admit the importance of blood rtions. The little guy¡¯s heart had begun to ache for his father; what a loving son he was. ¡°Hurry up, Mommy. Daddy will fall asleep soon. By then, I won¡¯t be able to see him.¡± Aiden rushed into the elevator, urging Amanda behind him. ¡°Okay, okay. Why the rush?¡± Amanda reluctantly entered the elevator with displeasure. It wouldn¡¯t look nice going to the hospital empty-handed. I should get some fruit and flowers. Besides, he got injured because of me. With that, Amanda drove to a local florist and bought a bouquet of lilies, then went to the adjacent fruit shop and got a basket of fruits. Meanwhile, the impatient Aiden kept urging her, ¡°Hurry up, Mommy, hurry up! It¡¯s getting dark.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I know,¡± Amanda came out with a helpless expression while holding the bouquet of lilies. She swore the little devil would drive her crazy with his impatience. After that, Amanda drove to the hospital with Aiden, who held therge bouquet while she carried the basket of fruit as they approached Elias¡¯ ward. Lo and behold, it was empty, looking as though Elias had never been there. Aiden blinked. ¡°Mommy, where is Daddy?¡± What¡¯s going on? Have I mixed up the room number, or have I mixed up the hospital? Why isn¡¯t anyone here? Coincidentally, a nurse happened to pass by, so Amanda asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you please tell me where the patient in this ward is?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean Mr. Winters? He left the same night.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°He left?! Isn¡¯t he supposed to be observed in the hospital for another two days? Why did he leave?¡± Amanda remembered the doctor saying Elias¡¯ wound needed to be observed for two days. ¡°We tried to persuade him, but Mr. Winters insisted on leaving,¡± said the nurse helplessly. ¡°We had no choice but to provide him with some medication and let him dress his wounds.¡± With that, the nurse walked away with a medical tray. This is ridiculous! It was a sulfuric acid attack, for goodness sake! How could he leave just like that?! What if the wound gets infected and starts oozing pus?! Amanda felt speechless. Why can¡¯t this man listen for once?! How can he not listen to the doctor?! I swear to God, he¡¯s a man-child sometimes. ¡°Mommy.¡± Aiden held the bouquet tightly and looked up at his mother. ¡°Can¡¯t we see Daddy anymore? Has Daddy left the hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah, you heard the nurse, didn¡¯t you? He already left! ¡°Let¡¯s go to Daddy¡¯s home, then. I want to give him the flowers. They¡¯re for Daddy.¡± Aiden was equally persistent. Like father, like son, one more persistent than the other. At that, Amanda sighed. ¡°Must you see him today? How about tomorrow?¡± ¡°No! It has to be today. I want to give these flowers to Daddy.¡± Aiden held the bouquet tightly in his arms. Left with no other choice, Amanda pulled her phone out and called Elias to ask for his whereabouts. After all, he might not even be at the estate. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 I¡¯ll Come to You Guys The call was made, but nobody answered even after ringing for a long time, for right then, Elias was in a meeting with his phone on silent mode. Amanda said to Aiden helplessly, ¡°He¡¯s not answering. He¡¯s probably busy with something. How about we try again tomorrow?¡± ¡°The flowers won¡¯t look good anymore tomorrow, though¡­¡± said little Aiden dejectedly, looking at the big bouquet. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do. We can¡¯t reach Daddy if he doesn¡¯t answer his phone.¡± Frankly speaking. Amanda thought it was better if they didn¡¯t meet up, for she didn¡¯t know how to face him at the moment. She already wanted topletely cut ties with Elias, but lo and behold, Grace showed up, and Elias shielded her from the sulfuric acid attack, leaving her conflicted. Should she hate this man now or treat him like an old friend? Little Aiden grumbled wordlessly, seemingly upset. Hepromised in the end, for he knew there was no other way around this. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amanda could tell that the little guy was worried the flowers would wither by tomorrow. At that, she ruffled her hair and said, ¡°Cheer up, alright, bubba? I know how to keep the flowers fresh.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Of course. When have I ever lied to you? It¡¯s still early. How about we watch a movie before going home?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She decided she shou take the little guy to the movies lest he grumbled all night. ¡°Okay!¡± Aiden instantly perked up, his attention sessfully diverted. Amanda smiled, took his little hand, and left the hospital. After arriving at the parking lot, Amanda ced the fruits and bouquet on the back seat, then strapped Aiden into the child safety seat. Just then, her phone rang. Amanda froze for a second upon seeing the caller ID-it was Elias. To answer or not to answer? ¡°Mommy, your phone¡¯s ringing. Why aren¡¯t you answering it?¡± Aiden asked, seeing that she still hadn¡¯t answered the call. ¡°It¡¯s your father.¡± As much as she wanted to lie to Aiden, she still told the truth, and sure enough, the little guy beamed brightly. ¡°Daddy?! Mommy, answer the phone quickly!¡± With that, she swiped ¡®answer¡¯ and handed the phone to Aiden. ¡°You answer it. You miss him, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s me!¡± Aiden chirped without a second thought. On the other end, Elias¡¯ heart melted after hearing the sweet, childish voice. ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy, Aiden?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°Why did you suddenly call?¡± ¡°Mommy said you¡¯re hurt, so we came to the hospital to see you, but you were gone. I even bought flowers and fruit. Why aren¡¯t you in the hospital?¡± Aiden questioned, sounding somewhat upset. ¡°Sorry, I already left. Are you guys still at the hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy said we¡¯ll visit you again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tell Mommy to wait at the hospital. I¡¯lle to you guys.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The little guy beamed. ¡°The flowers I got you are really pretty, Daddy. They¡¯re for you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love them.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll love anything you give me. Alright, hand the phone to Mommy. I want to talk to her.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Aiden returned the phone to Amanda. ¡°Mommy, Daddy wants to talk to you.¡± Amanda genuinely didn¡¯t want to answer the phone, but she had no other choice at this point and reluctantly took it from Aiden. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Wait for me at the hospital. I¡¯lle to you guys right away,¡± Elias reiterated. ¡°How can you misbehave like a child and even discharge from the hospital on your own ord? Don¡¯t you know you have to listen to the doctors in the hospital? ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we meetter. Wait for me at the hospital.¡± Elias was about to hang up when Amanda heard his secretary¡¯s voice on the other end, reminding him that he had a meeting in an hour. As such, she said, ¡°If you have a meetingter, don¡¯te. We can visit tomorrow,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I still have an hour in between.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t run around, or your wound might get infected. You know what? Forget it. We¡¯ll go to you.¡± With that, she ended the call, not giving Elias any chance to refuse. I¡¯m not concerned about his well-being. I just feel bad because he took the injury in my ce. However, why would he shield me from the attack? That was still something that puzzled Amanda to this moment. Half an hourter, Amanda and Aiden arrived at Winters Enterprise, and after exining it to the receptionist, they were ushered to take the president¡¯s exclusive elevator upstairs. Little Aiden continued to hold the big bouquet, almost exhausting his tiny body. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, I can hold it for you.¡± ¡°No! I want to give it to Daddy myself!¡± The little guy was determined. In fact, his frown resembled a certain someone¡¯s. Amanda shook her head helplessly and nced at her wristwatch, realizing there was only half an hour left. In half an hour, Elias would have to attend another meeting. Ding! The elevator door opened slowly, and the mother and son exited the car, heading straight to the president¡¯s office. As they passed the secretary area, Jean came to receive them. ¡°Miss Bailey, Mr. Winters instructed me to escort you. This way, please.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Amanda nodded to express her gratitude, As she looked up, she saw Natasha sitting there. Isn¡¯t she¡­ Elias first love? What is she doing here, working as his secretary? Amanda thought Elias had hidden his ex-girlfriend away long ago, but here she was, working as a secretary. Then again, he would be engaged to Stephanie soon. It¡¯s likely he still remembers his first love is still here. Evidently, Stephanie was much more attractive to Elias than Natasha.. Meanwhile, inside the office, Elias sat at his desk and received an email. He opened it and found that it contained the reconstructed appearance of the elder Allegra daughter twenty yearster. He downloaded the attached image and prepared to take a look at how Amelia Allegra would look twenty yearster. Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Jean entered with Amanda and Aiden. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey is here, Jean announced before turning to Amanda. ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m good. Please give Aiden some vored milk,¡± Amanda said, to which Jean replied with a smile, ¡°Certainly. Please wait a moment.¡± With that, she headed out, closing the door behind her. Elias, on the other hand, turned off theputer screen upon seeing the two. ¡°Daddy!¡± the little guy called out excitedly with the bouquet in his hands. Upon hearing Aiden¡¯s voice, Elias smiled affectionately, kneeled, and spread his arms. ¡°Come here. Let me hug you.¡± With that, Aiden ran toward his father, nearly stumbling to the ground. Elias caught his son and the bouquet steadily. ¡°Is this for me?¡± he asked with a doting smile.. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for you.¡± Aiden nodded. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Misunderstanding Meanwhile, Amanda moved to the couch, watching the father and son bond. She seemed rather unnecessary¡­. She propped her chin on her right hand and leaned against the armrest, watching Aiden follow Elias wherever he went with beaming eyes like a little shadow. At that, she sighed helplessly and leaned back on the couch, finally asking. ¡°Can you tell me now why you left the hospital on your own ord? You know full well that your injury needs to be observed for two more days, and you could receive better care at the hospital.¡± Elias, who was engrossed in indulging his son with snacks, spoke slowly. ¡°There¡¯s too much work at thepany. I can¡¯t afford to stay in the hospital.¡± ¡°Daddy, I want more,¡± Aiden requested, pointing at the snacks in the man¡¯s hand.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Elias took another one and fed it to Aiden. Meanwhile, Amanda frowned with displeasure. ¡°That¡¯s your excuse for disregarding your well-being? Forget it. I¡¯m in no ce to boss you around. Still, thanks for saving me. I won¡¯t bother you anymore, nor will I appear in your sight again.¡± She believed it was what Elias wanted. After all, he had already made it clear in the basement parking. Elias was stumped, and his smile froze. ¡°Here, eat it yourself. Drink this water if you get thirsty, okay?¡± he said to Aiden, handing the snacks in his hand to the boy, ¡°Okay. Daddy, are all these for me?¡± Aiden asked, looking at the pile of snacks before him with twinkling eyes. He had the secretary get them on the spur of the moment, knowing that Aiden liked eating them. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all yours.¡± Elias nodded with a smile. Take them home if you can¡¯t finish them.¡± With that, he went to the couch and sat across from Amanda. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. This country is not mine. You can be wherever you want. Just make sure to protect yourself and Aiden in the future,¡± he said. Amanda looked at the man before her. He still looked somewhat pale, likely still unwell. Well, he had been. sshed with sulfuric acid. A minor injury was already painful enough, let alone the fact that a large area of his back suffered from the attack. ¡°I get it. You don¡¯t have to say anything. You¡¯re pretty helpless yourself. After all, your father-inw isn¡¯t a simple character. You have to show him due respect.¡± Amanda knew that though Elias¡¯ feelings toward Stephanie remained disputable, there was nothing to argue about him wanting to marry Stephanie, for Jack could help him secure the position of power in the Winters Family. She understood that people aspired to climb higher. In a prominent marriage, matching backgrounds. were crucial. As for herself, she could consider her marriage to Elias as an unrealistic dream. It was already incredible enough for her to marry him, even in a secret marriage. Elias attempted to exin but hesitated in the end. Forget it. There¡¯s no need for it. Amanda nced at Aiden, who was still munching on snacks, and casually asked, ¡°Why do you still have your first love as your secretary? Knowing you, you would¡¯ve long sorted the rest of her life out.¡± Wasn¡¯t that the case with Grace?! Because Elias felt indebted, he sorted everything out nicely. However, the fact that his first love remained his secretary seemed off A chuckle escaped Elias in response. ¡°That¡¯s not my ex. I never admitted it verbally.¡± Confused, Amanda pressed on with furrowed brows. ¡°You¡¯ve admitted it before, though. I asked you if she was, but you didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°That was acquiescence, not admitting. Now, I verbally deny that she¡¯s my first love. Rumors aren¡¯t to be trusted.¡± Amanda was rendered speechless. This man is seriously unbelievable. Come to think of it, it made sense. If Natasha was truly Elias¡¯ first love, she wouldn¡¯t just be working as his secretary. At that, Amanda chuckled. ¡°I knew it. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d treat your first love so indifferently. If she really were to show up-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a first love.¡± Yeah right! Amanda mused. As if a guy like you with an affluent background didn¡¯t have any crushes back in the day! Then again, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to pursue further. If he said he didn¡¯t have one, then he didn¡¯t have one. She checked the time, and it was seemingly time for his next meeting. At that, she grabbed her bag and said, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time for your next meeting. We¡¯ll make a move. By the way, Aiden insisted on getting you fruits. It¡¯s still in the car. I¡¯ll leave it at the receptionter. Have them bring it up for you.¡± After that, she stood up gracefully and beckoned at her little man. ¡°Aiden, we have to go. Daddy has to attend a meeting Aiden was eating cake with cream smeared all over his mouth, looking reluctant to let go. ¡°Mommy, this cake is really good. Can we bring it home?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Amanda chuckled. ¡°If you like it, we¡¯ll pack some for home. After all, your father got it for you.¡± She didn¡¯t have to guess to know that it was specifically bought for Aiden. Elias went to his desk and pressed the inte button. ¡°Pleasee in and pack the cake.¡± Soon after, Jean entered and packed the cake for them to take away. ¡°Miss Bailey, let me walk you out,¡± Jean said. ¡°Sure.¡± Amanda held Aiden¡¯s hand and prepared to leave. Just then, a knock came at the door, and everyone looked toward it reflexively. ¡°Come in,¡± Eliasmanded, only to regret it the next moment, for he wouldn knew who was behind the door. have However, Stephanie entered, wearing a disgruntled expression as sheined. ¡°Elias, when are you. going to apany me to try on the engagement dress?! My dad has been reminding me several times-¡± Stephanie saw the scene before finishing her words, and she froze in ce. What is Elias¡¯ ex-wife doing here? The little rascal too! Meanwhile, Aiden screamed upon seeing Stephanie, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that nasty woman, Daddy! Tell her to go away!¡± That nasty woman? Amanda was puzzled. ¡°Have you met her before, Aiden?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw her at kindergarten.¡± The kindergarten?! Amanda was shattered. She couldn¡¯t believe Stephanie had gone to the kindergarten to harass her baby boy. ¡°What are you trying to do, Allegra?! Why did you harass my son at the kindergarten? Do you really have to involve children in adult affairs?!¡± Amanda thundered angrily, unable to bear it any longer. Meanwhile, Stephanie stood rooted to the ground, unsure of how to exin herself. Yes, she had gone to the kindergarten, but she didn¡¯t seed, for Elias showed up. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Elias, on the other hand, felt another throbbing headacheing, and he ordered gravely, ¡°Wait outside. Whatever it is, we¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± ¡°I¡­ Okay.¡± Stephanie exited his office at once. Meanwhile, Amanda held Aiden¡¯s hand tightly, furious. ¡°Amanda- Elias wanted to exin, but Amanda interjected, ¡°Say no more. It¡¯s our fault for bothering you. and Stephanie. We¡¯ll leave. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t cause you any more trouble.¡± Thinking back, Amanda realized she had been foolish. No wonder Elias wanted to go to them instead of having theme to his office¡­ Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Did You and Daddy Argue? ¡°Amanda, I do not mean that.¡± The man frowned. Amanda coldly snorted. ¡°I realized that you guys really are something. What are you, your fianc¨¦e, and your future father-inw up to? He asked me to draft a prenup, but she told me that you guys have a n. and that you love me. If I hadn¡¯t seen her look for you to try on the attire and thought about the way you protected me, I honestly would have believed everything.¡± The man was speechless, and he couldn¡¯t help but think that Stephanie was causing issues for him by doing stupid things. As the tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes, she continued, ¡°Elias, I really don¡¯t know what the hell. What do you want? Is there something valuable within me?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. you want. She never expected that the man could still find something valuable within her; otherwise, why would he continuously torture her by giving her hope and disappointing her? ¡°Mommy¡­ Are you and Dad arguing?¡± Aiden looked up at her and asked softly. Only then did Amanda realize that her son was still with her and that she should not argue in front of him. ¡°Nope. Daddy is busy with work, so let¡¯s head back first, At that, she carried Aiden and left without even looking back. Jean also quickly rushed up. When Elias saw that the door was closed, he wearily closed his eyes. It wasn¡¯t long before the office phone rang. He answered it, after which Jean¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Mr. Winters, it¡¯s time for the meeting. Please head. over to the meeting room. Also, I¡¯ll send Miss Bailey off.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Elias couldn¡¯t help but lean against the chair because the pain he felt caused him to grunt and frown. He sat up straight again. He never thought about using the sulfuric acid matter to force Amanda to ept him, but he merely reacted subconsciously. Maybe Amanda was more important than he thought. However, Elias had forgotten about the email in his inbox that contained the stimted portrait of the Allegra Family¡¯s second daughter twenty yearster. Since he was not in the mood to read the email, he gathered the documents and materials before heading out of the office. At this moment, Stephanie was outside the office, ying on her cell phone. The moment she saw him exiting, she quickly put her phone away and asked, ¡°Your ex-wife¡­ She¡¯s not mad anymore, I hope?¡± I saw her face earlier. She looks terrible. Elias did not bother responding, so he walked straight for the elevators and prepared to head to the meeting room. When Stephanie saw that he ignored her, she rushed after him. ¡°Say something. I¡¯m talking to you. Are you deaf or something?¡± Suddenly, the man stopped in his tracks. She also followed suit and almost collided with him. ¡°You have forgotten what you promised me a long time ago.¡± ¡°What did I promise you?¡± Stephanie was dazed since she couldn¡¯t think of anything after being frightened by his anger. At the sight of her expression, Elias was furious and sneered in disdain. ¡°Looks like you have forgotten everything. It seems Crispin can forget about having a good life!¡± His expression was dark as he entered the elevator after speaking. Stephanie was taken aback before she realized, Why does he want to trouble Crisp again? She hurried into the elevator, to which Elias scolded, ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°No!¡± She then pressed the close button before the elevator closed its doors. So, there were two of them in the elevator. She stared at his wless side profile. ¡°What do you mean by that? What does this have to do with Crisp? Why are you looking for trouble with Crisp?¡± ¡°Why?! Then, who permitted you to harass my ex-wife? Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave her and the child alone? Have you lost your mind?¡± Elias was furious and became even more annoyed at the sight of the woman in front of him. If it had not been for his grandfather¡¯s lostpany shares, he would not even have spared Stephanie a nce, let alone have anything to do with the Allegra Family. ¡°When did I harass your ex-wife? I haven¡¯t even spoken to her after that incident!¡± Stephanie felt that she had been wronged. Why does he have such a bad temper? I really give Amanda the kudos for enduring his temper! ¡°Really? In that case, who told her that we had a n and that I still loved her? If it¡¯s not you, then who could it be?¡± Only then did she remember about the banquetst night and fell speechless. That happened by ident at the banquet. I didn¡¯t even go looking for her on purpose. ¡°Do you remember it now? You have nothing to say, huh? That¡¯s why Crispin can forget about surviving tonight.¡± The elevator doors slowly opened with a ding. ¡°Our encounter was by ident. I didn¡¯t go looking for her on purpose, and I wanted to help you too. I wanted to help you exin the situation to her so that she won¡¯t misunderstand you. You still love her, so why do you want to pretend that you don¡¯t give a shit? I-¡± As she followed him, she continued speaking until he could no longer stomach it and interrupted, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± She was so stunned that she froze on the spot. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about my affairs. Who do you think you are? Stop meddling. With that, Elias turned and entered the meeting room. Stephanie was left all alone as the tears swam in her eyes. Even as a little girl, no one had been this fierce toward her¡­ I feel so wronged. I just wanted to help Elias exin the matter¡­ She initially wanted to say something, but when she saw that Elias had entered the meeting room, she didn¡¯t want to interrupt his meeting. At that moment, Amanda drove herself and Aiden back to their ce. Selina didn¡¯t cook dinner for them because she knew that they were out, so she only prepared herself a bowl of noodles. When they arrived home, they saw Selina eating. As Amanda was in quite a state, she weakly instructed, ¡°Selina, I¡¯ll need to trouble you to give Aiden a shower after your meal.¡± ¡°Sure, but what happened? You look so pale. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Amanda crashed on the couch as her mind reyed the scene of Stephanie asking Elias to try on the attire earlier. She almost forgot that it was almost the end of the month, which meant that Elias would be getting engaged to the Allegra Family, and the marriage would soon be announced publicly. Argh! Now that I think about my secret marriage, I¡¯m really frustrated. We could only have a secret marriage when I married him, but the whole world knows about his marriage to Stephanie. Do I really deserve to be left in the shadows? After all, it was still a case of being in unequal social positions, which was the reason why Amanda was in such a situation. She thought, Just treat it as a dream. It¡¯s quite beautiful, though. It¡¯s just incredible that someone who had no rtionship with me in the past could marry and have a child with me. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Amanda¡¯s Blurred Identity N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Late at night. The meetingsted three hours before Elias emerged from the meeting room. ¡°Elias, you¡¯ll have to keep a close eye on the project. Otherwise, your aunt will make a move.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Jack emerged from the meeting room with Elias but never expected to see his daughter waiting for them outside. ¡°Steph, what are you doing here? Waiting for Elias, are you?¡± Elias also stopped and noticed Stephanie¡¯s nervous look. He didn¡¯t need to ask to know that she was worried he wouldy a hand on Crispin. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Elias, Dad. You can head home first. We still need to try on the wedding attire. If we don¡¯t, we really will be pressed for time, Stephanie replied. Jack nodded upon hearing that. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll head off first. Come back once you guys are done with the trying. At that, he left. Seeing that it was just him and Stephanie, Elias didn¡¯t spare her another nce and headed in the direction of the elevator. She hurried toward him and said, ¡°If I have caused your ex-wife trouble or any misunderstanding between you two, I can exin things to her. I really didn¡¯t mean it, so please don¡¯t cause Crisp any trouble. He¡¯s already going through hell at his ce¡­¡± ¡°You have underestimated the endurance of those like him. In the name of wealth and power for eternity this suffering is considered nothing.¡± The man sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t gauge his chivalry with your own measure. Crisp is not such a man. He loves me.¡± Stephanie was so naive that she thought there was true love between her and Crispin. Meanwhile, Elias could not be bothered to talk to her anymore since it did not even bother him. The elevator doors slowly opened with a ding, and he walked inside. ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me. I¡¯m not in the mood toy a hand on your man, but I¡¯m warning you once more-don¡¯t look for my ex-wife again. I also won¡¯t need you to poke your nose in my matters. If you ever run into her, just step aside and leave her to enjoy her peaceful life.¡± At that, he pressed the close button. Before Stephanie could even say anything, the elevator doors closed. Does that mean he won¡¯ty a hand on Crisp? At that, she exhaled in a sigh of relief. Back in the office, Elias sat on his chair, but he couldn¡¯t fully lean back because of his injured back. He ced his right arm on the table and squeezed his brows before he tiredly closed his eyes. Although he really wanted to sleep, there were too many things to do, which left him with no time to sleep. Elias suddenly remembered that he had not opened the email he received before Amanda entered the office. It was a simted portrait of the Allegra Family¡¯s second daughter, Amelia Allegra, twenty yearster. So, he opened his eyes and gently shook the mouse to light up theputer screen. He clicked on the web page and saw that the picture of the stimted portrait had been downloaded, so he proceeded to open it. Shock enveloped his features when he opened it because¡­ There was a hint of astonishment in his eyes. This simted portrait of Amelia Allegra looks so familiar¡­ It looks like someone I know¡­ Elias immediately opened the drawer and yanked the photo frame to have a careful look again. The Stephanie in the photo frame was standing aside giggling, while her sister, Amelia, was smiling cutely, but they did not share any facial resemnces. If he had to be honest, Amelia was much prettier than Stephanie ever since they were young. What is going on? Elias had stared at the little girl in the picture many times. His first impression was that she looked familiar, as if she was someone whom he knew, but he couldn¡¯t ce it. Now that he saw the simted picture of her twenty yearster, he was taken aback. Isn¡¯t this¡­ Amanda? Although it was not one hundred percent simr, it still had a resemnce of about seventy to eighty. percent to the current Amanda. Does this mean that Amanda is the lost daughter of the Allegra Family and has been missing for more than twenty years? Is it even possible? Isn¡¯t her father the gambler Dick Leans? Moreover, her mother never mentioned whether Amanda was her biological child or not. Elias stared at the simted portrait on theputer screen. The eyebrows, eyes, and demeanor are about seventy to eighty percent simr to Amanda¡¯s. The longer he stared at it, the more he felt that these two people shared simrities to the point where the portrait almost ovepped with Amanda¡¯s face. He took his cell phone and called Yacob, who answered quickly. ¡°What is it, Mr. Winters? I¡¯m actually catching up on sleep now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sleep yet. Help me with something.¡± ¡°Do you still have some humanity left in you, Mr. Winters? I haven¡¯t even slept properly for the past week, so can¡¯t you wait until I wake up before instructing me?¡± Elias responded in a serious tone, ¡°No can do. In fact, it has to be done right now since it¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Alright. Your wish is mymand.¡± ¡°Help me locate Dick Leans. I need to see him before dawn.¡± At that, Elias ended the call and could already imagine how Yacob would curse at him on the other end of the line, but he could not care that much. He desperately wanted to know the truth. It would be interesting if Amelia was really the oldest daughter of the Allegra Family¡­ Elias stared at theputer screen while waiting for Yacob to bring Dick over. It was already 2.00AM, which meant that dawn was just around the corner. At 5.00AM, there was a knock on the office door. Elias, who was taking a nap, regained his energy instantly and straightened his posture. ¡°Come in.¡± The office door was pushed open to reveal Yacob with Dick in tow, who looked timid and scared. ¡°Eli-no, Mr. Winters, why are you looking for me? I haven¡¯t done anything bad recently and didn¡¯t look for the child either, so why the sudden call?¡± Dick was worried that Elias would cause trouble for him, so he did not dare to look for Elias for fear of being beaten into a pulp. Dick¡¯s heart was in his throat thest time that he lost Aiden. When he learned that the child was found safe, he was relieved and did not dare to look for Aiden again. Meanwhile, Yacob looked like he had not slept for days, so he leaned against the couch in the reception area. It was as if he could fall asleep at any moment. Elias slowly rose to his full height and walked toward Dick. At the sight of Elias approaching him, Dick kept retreating with a timid expression. ¡°What on earth do want, Mr. Winters? I was in the wrong. I¡¯ll never look for Amanda and her son anymore. 1- you Before Dick could even finish speaking. Elias asked in a deep voice, ¡°Is Amanda your biological daughter?¡± The older man was taken aback for a second. ¡°What do you mean? Of course, she¡¯s my daughter. Otherwise, who else could it be?¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Naturally. Otherwise, would her mother have really cuckolded me? It¡¯s impossible! Even her mother lacks. the guts to do so when I¡¯m the only one who can!¡± At the sight of Dick¡¯s confident expression, it was obvious that he felt that Amanda¡¯s mother would never betray him. Elias felt so sick to his stomach that when he saw Dick¡¯s response, only one word appeared in his mind. Sc*mbag. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 How Could You Treat Your Savior Like This? ¡°Do you feel honored? What are you being proud of?¡± Elias asked in a deep voice. Dick hesitated for a moment before he smirked. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m just telling the truth. Amanda is my child. Her mother surelycked the courage to betray me. Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m suspecting that she¡¯s not your daughter. How could you have such a daughter with your virtues?¡± When Elias thought of it, he realized that Amanda and Dick did not share anything inmon. Not only did they not look alike, but they also had different personalities. In short, they did not seem like they were a father and a daughter at all. ¡°Mr. Winters, you are going overboard now. Amanda is my child. It is an iron-d fact.¡± Elias did not bother to talk to Dick any longer and turned to Yacob. ¡°Call Dr. Smith over. Yacob nodded and walked out of the officezily. Christopher Smith was the Winters Family¡¯s private doctor and had served the family for many years. He had excellent medical skills and spoke very little, which was why the Winterses fancied him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Winters!¡± Christopher greeted as he entered the office. Elias signaled with his eyes, to which Christopher nodded and walked toward Dick. ¡°What are you going to do? Why is the doctor here, Mr. Winters?¡± When Dick noticed that Christopher had taken a syringe and a blood collection tube, he was horrified. ¡°What is this? Please forgive me, Mr. Winters! I really have done nothing badtely. Christopher then exined, ¡°Please stretch your arm out. It¡¯s just a blood test, so we don¡¯t need much blood from you.¡± ¡°Is it that simple?¡± Dick couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Yacob walked over and straightened Dick¡¯s arm for Christopher. ¡°What¡¯s with the nonsense? You can leave once your blood is drawn. Why are you making so much noise? You¡¯re so annoying.¡± Dick became obedient the second he was yelled at and had no choice but to let Christopher take his blood. In less than a minute, two tubes of blood were drawn. Then, Elias told Yacob, ¡°Ask the driver to send him back ¡°Yes,¡± At that, Yacob took Dick and left, leaving Christopher in the office.. ¡°Dr. Smith, how long will it take for a DNA test?¡± ¡°A week at the earliest.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll provide you with another blood sample as soon as possible.¡± Yacob returned to the office after Christopher left and asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Winters, why did you need that gambler¡¯s blood? Do you want to give him a physical examination or something?¡± Dick is no longer his father-inw, so why is he so caring toward that gambler? Elias had a thoughtful expression as he muttered, ¡°I suspect that he¡¯s not Amanda¡¯s biological father.¡± Yacob, who was originally sleepy, suddenly woke up in that instant and almost lost his bnce. ¡°What?! Although it is true that she did not inherit that gambler¡¯s inferior genes, what basis is there to say that she¡¯s not his daughter?¡± Elias turned theputer screen to Yacob. ¡°Based on this.¡± Yacob looked at the simted picture on the screen and blurted out, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Miss Bailey¡¯s portrait? What do you mean?¡± Sure enough, anyone who saw this would subconsciously think of Amanda. The corners of Elias¡¯ lips curled upward, after which he said slowly, ¡°This is based on the of the eldest daughter of the Allegra Family who went missing. This is how she would look Do you think she resembles Amanda?¡± d photos yearster. Yacob was shocked to hear that. ¡°What you mean to say is that Miss Bailey could be the daughter of Jack, that cunning old fox?¡± He felt that his mind was about to be shattered. It is such a crazy world. I don¡¯t know what the situation would be like if it was really true. If Amanda is Jack¡¯s daughter¡­ Oh goodness¡­.. The sun shone brightly in the afternoon. Today, Amanda intended to look at the office spaces for rent. She wanted to rent an office building at a prime location, but she did not want to spend too much money either. As a result, she had to go through a lot of hassle. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to start your own business¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but sigh under her breath. Office buildings situated at prime locations were expensive, while the cheap ones were remote. This is really difficult. At this time, her phone rang. She swiped her screen to answer the call. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s Amanda Bailey. Who is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Elias.¡± When she heard the man¡¯s voice, her expression darkened. ¡°What is it? Why aren¡¯t you apanying your fianc¨¦e to try on the wedding attire? Why are you calling me?¡± Even Amanda herself was not aware that her tone wasced with acidity. ¡°My wound hurts a little. I¡¯m going to get some medicine from the hospital, but since Yacob has to run errands and I can¡¯t drive, can you pick me up?¡± This¡­ Something¡¯s weird about this. Amanda did not think too much about it and immediately refused. ¡°Do you only have Yacob as a bodyguard? I remember that your family has many of them, so you can just easily ask one of them to send you home.¡± She felt that Elias was being intentional with his words. At that, Amanda was about to hang up the phone but never expected to hear Elias¡¯ response. ¡°No matter what, I was injured because of you, so how can you treat your savior like this?¡± He did not even mention me repaying him before, and now he ims that he¡¯s my savior.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Amanda chuckled as she muttered, ¡°But I never asked you to get hurt for me.¡± ¡°You are being a bit heartless here, Miss Bailey. No matter what, I¡¯m the one who blocked the acid from being sshed on you. Even if you never expected to be grateful to me, I¡¯m sure you still can agree to a small request of sending me home, right? Otherwise, who would dare to fight for injustice in the future?¡± Miss Bailey? When Amanda heard how Elias addressed her, she was about to blow a gasket. ¡°Fine. You wait at the hospital. I¡¯lle now!¡± she growled through gritted teeth. ¡± Meanwhile, at the hospital, Elias and Yacob had settled everything. They were now waiting for Amanda, so no matter what, they needed her blood to be extracted today. If the DNA test results illustrated that she was not Dick¡¯s daughter, then it was likely that she was Amelia Allegra, the Allegra Family¡¯s eldest daughter. Amanda arrived at the hospital about half an hourter. As she walked toward the elevator, she couldn¡¯t help but curse in a low voice, ¡°Sc*mbag, why can¡¯t you ask Stephanie to pick you up? Am I destined to suffer at your hands since you always look for me to settle such a matter?¡± The elevator doors opened, so she just walked into it. What she never expected was that Yacob had followed her in as well. Just as Amanda was about to turn around, Yacob covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, causing her to lose consciousness. Then, he carried her into his arms.. ¡°Please don¡¯t me me for this. If you want to me someone, me Mr. Winters. It was his idea. The elevator doors then opened with a ding. Yacob walked out of the elevator with Amanda in his arms and headed for Christopher¡¯s office. After what seemed like an eternity, Amanda regained consciousness, only to realize that she was already on a hospital bed, feeling rather groggy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me¡­¡± She slowly sat up as she supported her head. Then, she saw the man standing in front of the windows. Elias turned around and replied, ¡°You fainted in the hospital. You have anemia.¡± Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Are You Intentionally Messing With Me? Anemia?! Amanda supported her dizzy head and sat up. She might have been slightly anemic, but her health had been all righttely. How can it be so bad that I copsed? ¡°So, I passed out in the hospital?¡± I really know how to choose the ce because I was immediately warded after it happened. ¡°Yeah. Go back and rest. Don¡¯t exhaust yourself,¡± came the man¡¯s reminder. Amanda shook her head to regain some rity. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m fine now. Let¡¯s go. I still have things to deal withter.¡± ¡°What kind of things?¡± ¡°None of your business. Let¡¯s leave now.¡± Amanda wore her heels and grabbed her purse in preparation to leave the ward. Elias then solemnly said, ¡°Forget it. I guess it¡¯s better for you to leave first since Yacob will be done with his errands soon and will arrive any minute now.¡± She was speechless upon hearing that. Did this sc*mbag just trick me? She sneered. ¡°Is it that interesting to intentionally mess with me?¡± She really wanted to pry open this man¡¯s head to see what went through his mind on a daily basis since he always thought about torturing people! She nced at the man coldly and left the ward, but he did not stop her from leaving this time. After she left, Yacob entered the ward and spotted Amanda¡¯s angry figure in the corridor. ¡°Mr. Winters, I think it¡¯s okay for you to tell Miss Bailey about this. Who knows? She might even look forward to the DNA test results. ¡°It¡¯s better not to tell her when we don¡¯t have the results yet,¡± Elias countered. ¡°Not everyone can endure the suspense.¡± Yacob remained silent as he nodded. Elias¡¯ cell phone vibrated again. For the past two days, Stephanie had been calling him for dear life to the point where he was getting irritated by her. However, it was not Stephanie this time. On the other hand, it was that old fox, Jack Allegra, who was calling. Elias hesitated for two seconds before he answered, ¡°Hello, Mr. Allegra. What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already going to be the end of the month. When are you going to try on the clothes with Steph? Why didn¡¯t you guys gost night?¡± Jack had no choice but to personally make the request when he noticed that his daughter had failed to try on the wedding attire several times. ¡°I¡¯ll go now,¡± Elias responded. ¡°We didn¡¯t do it because it was way toote, and I didn¡¯t want Steph to feel drained. That was why I sent her home first. Since I have some time now, I can pick her up if she¡¯s at home now.¡± ¡°Yes, she is. You¡¯d best go over quickly. There¡¯s not much time left. We still have a lot to settle after this.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Allegra.¡± After ending the call, Elias informed Yacob, ¡°Go rush Dr. Smith and ask him for the report.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elias and Stephanie arrived at the designer¡¯s office in the evening. The attire had been designed a long time ago, but the two of them were reluctant to try it on. With the assistance of the staff, Stephanie put on the silver mermaid-shaped gown. After they zipped her up, they adjusted her long hair behind her. Stephanie walked to the mirror, surprised when she saw her reflection. The designer, whom her father had his eyes on, was talented. The dress was suitable for Stephanie as entuated her assets and covered any shorings in her figure. It gave her a shapely figure and portrayed her as a little woman with a sensual appeal. She felt that she was mature because she had always dressed in the style of a young girl. ¡°Miss Allegra, this dress has really made you beautiful as it suits your qualities.¡± The staff standing off to one sideplimented Stephanie, but she was rooted to the spot in astonishment. If she was really engaged, she could wear this gown. However¡­. At this time, the curtain on the other side was also pulled open to reveal Elias, who had changed into his attire. Everyone there was amazed, including the designer, who had perfectly interpreted what the wedding attire stood for. ¡°Whoa! Your fianc¨¦ looks so handsome in this suit. It¡¯s my first time seeing such a handsome man.¡± Only then did Stephanie notice the man behind her in the mirror, leaving her speechless for a few seconds. She slowly turned to see a man in a ck suit in her vision. He was intently buttoning up his cuffs with an indifferent expression, as if he was not the slightest bothered about the suit. Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but gulp. If she had to be honest, the man would look good in any attire, but the design and the sewing of the suit were exceptionally perfect, effectively entuating his figure. Elias is the epitome of what it means to be wealthy. Elias¡¯ gestures and temperament were that of a nobleman. The designer took the initiative to ask, ¡°Mr. Winters, what do you think about the suit? Is the size suitable? Do we need to amend it?¡± Elias nced upward and replied perfunctorily, ¡°No. It¡¯s alright.¡± After all, he did not need this suit. If the DNA test results were inconsistent, th wear this suit at the end of the month. he would not be able to The designer then turned to Stephanie. ¡°How about you, Miss Allegra? Do you need any amendments to your gown? Are you satisfied with the dress?¡± Stephanie was staring at the man,pletely immersed in how he looked. When she heard the designer¡¯s voice, she finally regained herposure and responded, ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s pretty good. I don¡¯t need any amendments,¡± The designer then politely replied, ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m grateful for the beauty that you two have because it perfectly interprets the design of the attire. It suits both of you and goes together well too. I believe you¡¯ll be the focus of the audience with this attire on the day of the engagement ceremony.¡± All of a sudden, Stephanie subconsciously fantasized about the day of the engagement ceremony. If she were really to be engaged to Elias, she would be wearing this mermaid-shaped gown, and he would be in his suit. The two of them standing together would definitely look like a match made in heaven. At the thought of it, a sweet smile appeared on the corner of Stephanie¡¯s mouth. Shepletely forgot about Crispin, who was still living at the abandoned factory. ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s get changed. We need to rush as I still have a dinner to attend.¡± After he said those words, Elias turned and prepared to head into the changing room to change out of the Owned by N?velDrama.Org. suit. On the other hand, Stephanie was dumbfounded and wanted to stop him from changing since his attire was really eye-catching. At the sight of Elias in this suit, she could envision beautiful pictures in her mind, but unfortunately, the woman whom he still loved was Amanda, his ex-wife and the mother of his child. Stephanie frowned and shook her head to bring herself back to reality. Gosh, what on earth was I thinking about being engaged to Elias? This is madness. I still have Crisp! Crisp treats me so well, so how can I forget about him? Is this me betraying him on an emotional level? In that instant, Stephanie was condemned by her own morality as she quickly gathered her thoughts and had a change of clothes too. seat belt When they emerged from the designer¡¯s office, Stephanie entered the man¡¯s car and buckled her while curiously stating. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the engagement ceremony. Will you be able to keep the promise?¡± ¡°Sure. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. You just have to worry whether your Crisp can endure it or not.¡± Elias then started the car engine and left the ce. At this, there was a look of disappointment in Stephanie¡¯s eyes. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Amanda? It¡¯s Really You! So, Elias never intended to marry her. He did so just to get what he wanted. That realization instantly ruined Stephanie¡¯s mood. Original from N?velDrama.Org. It was not because she liked Elias but because she felt like her ego was being stepped on. Was she not excellent or pretty at all? Why was Elias so infatuated with his humble ex-wife? She could not wrap her head around that¡­. Stephanie averted her gaze to look at the scenery outside the window. She pretended not to be bothered. by it before asking calmly. ¡°Elias, if Crisp managed to hold on and we sessfully canceled our engagement, will you choose to get your ex-wife back?¡± Then, she turned to look at the man¡¯s side profile, anticipating his answer. But she did not know what answer she was anticipating. Was she hoping Elias to say no? While looking in front, Elias held the steering wheel with one hand and thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it next time.¡± Stephanie instantly felt relieved that Elias did not say ¡°Yes¡± but then thought she was being ironic. What did it have to do with her if Elias had decided to get back with his ex-wife? What was she relieved about? There were seven days until their engagement, but Stephanie was getting even more unsure about her feelings. She seemed less willing to make Crispin stay and was even somewhat eager to see Elias wearing. that particr suit during their engagement. Her thoughts were everywhere during the rest of the way, and the car finally arrived at the Allegra Vi after who knew how long. ¡°We¡¯re here. Get out.¡± Elias ordered. Stephanie took a look at the familiar door and finally realized she was home but was slightly reluctant to return home. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She unfastened her seatbelt and slowly got out of the car. Just as she had closed the door and was about to wave goodbye, Elias drove away without even looking at her, leaving her with the sight of a pair of taillights moving further away. Has that man always been so unromantic? Does he treat thatwyer the same? I wonder how Amanda would be willing to bear a child for that man. The following week, everyone was busy with their own matters, and Amanda never met Elias again. Elias still transported his son to and from school every day, but whenever he arrived at Northern No. 1, Amanda either had already left or was yet to return. ¡°Daddy, tomorrow¡¯s the weekend. Why don¡¯t you bring me out to y? Mommy won¡¯t be home tomorrow.¡± Aiden sneakily informed the man. While holding his tiny hand, Elias led him to the door and pressed the doorbell. ¡°Is she now? What has your mommy been busy withtely?¡± I never see her whenever Ie. Is she busy, or is she deliberately trying to avoid me? Aiden frowned. ¡°Mommy mentioned something about establishing a legal firm. Anyway, she¡¯s even busy on weekends and has no time to apany me.¡± A legal firm? Is Amanda thinking of opening her own office? Indeed, she can open her own firm with her current ability and reputation. Elias smiled. ¡°Sure. I¡¯lle pick you up tomorrow. Where would you like to go?¡± ¡°Universal Studios! I went therest time, and it was fun! I want to go there again!¡± Aiden looked excited because he knew his father had never rejected his requests. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring you there tomorrow At that moment, Selina opened the door. ¡°Mr. Winters¡± ¡°Bring Aiden to take a bath. He¡¯s sweaty from ying ser just now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he asked, ¡°Is Amanda going to open her ownw firm? Is she not returning to her previous one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it either, but Amanda¡¯s been busy with matters about thew firms. She wants to open her ownw firm and has the qualifications to do so. I rmend she do so, too,¡± Selina replied, The man said nothing more and gave her the child before leaving. After sending Aiden home, Elias went straight to the club for a dinner reservation tonight. He had never participated in these dinners before, but now that his father and grandfather had passed, he had to support the entire Winters Family on his own and was now on his own. When he arrived at the private room, it seemed like everyone hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so he took out his phone and hesitated for a bit before dialing Amanda¡¯s number. The call rang for quite some time before he heard Amanda¡¯s voice. She seemed very busy. ¡°Mister, please deliver these office supplies to the building at Rugfolk. I¡¯ll send you the specific addresster.¡± Once Amanda was done ordering office supplies, she asked the man on the phone, ¡°Why did you call? If you have anything to say, keep it short. I¡¯m kinda busy right now.¡± ¡°Are you going solo?¡± He did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. ¡°So what if I¡¯am? What¡¯s the matter? Are you nning on rmending me some clients?¡± Elias replied, ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. But have you really thought about it? You might get very busy if you start your own business. You were busy in the past, but you¡¯ll be so packed that you won¡¯t have time to take care of Aiden.¡± He knew how much she would be taking on her te if she opened her ownw firm, as that would mean several business meetings in one day and no time to care for her child. ¡°Can I take this as you trying to fight me for our son¡¯s custody?¡± Amanda seemed to have misunderstood. his words entirely. Elias wanted to exin himself but then decided not to. Everything would have to wait until the DNA. results were out. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You should get back to work. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± On the other hand, Amanda stared at the ended call and sneered. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into him?¡± Then, she continued to busy herself with her matters because she hoped to establish herw firm smoothly at the end of the month. Suddenly, she remembered that Elias was going to get engaged at the end of the month too, but then felt her thoughts were ridiculous. What did that have to do with her? The other side had already rified that he wanted nothing to do with her. ¡°Amanda? It¡¯s really you!¡± Who¡¯s calling me? Turning around, Amanda was shocked to see who it was. It was Simon, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. She felt like they hadn¡¯t seen each other for centuries. Simon approached her and asked, ¡°What are you doing here? You haven¡¯t been taking my calls recently.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m buying office supplies.¡± Looking at her shopping list, Simon saw she had boughtputers, desks, chairs, and many more. Is she nning to open her own firm? ¡°Are you opening your own firm?¡± Amanda did not n to hide it from him and nodded. ¡°Yes. I want to open my ownw firm.¡± They were bound to meet again sooner orter, and she could not hide that she was opening her own firm from Simon. Moreover, she would have more interaction with Simon in the future. Meanwhile, Simon was slightly taken aback but not surprised. He had noticed that Amanda would not be satisfied with working for others and woulde out to start her own business sooner orter. ¡°Congrattions. If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t force you to return to Justice & Associates anymore.¡± Simon smiled. Amanda replied, ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry. I was selfish.¡± One could say she was selfish or unreasonable, but she thought it would be better for everyone if she stayed away from him. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Hurry Up and Tell Me the Results Simon shook his head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I feel assured seeing you doing well.¡± Amanda smiled as well but did not speak. Then, Simon asked, ¡°By the way, do you know that Elias engagement ceremony ising soon? He even sent me an invitation because I used to coborate with Mr. Allegra.¡± ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that. That¡¯s great news, but I don¡¯t care. She pretended like she did not care about it. In fact, Simon did it on purpose because he wanted to test and see what Amanda¡¯s current feelings for that man were. That way, he could tell if he stood a chance, But just as he was about to speak, Amanda cut him off. ¡°Simon, I know what you¡¯re doing and understand your feelings for me, but it¡¯s impossible between us. I¡¯ve already told you. Stop wasting your time on me. Lunabelle is a better match for you because you two have feelings for each other. No matter what, you should choose her.¡± Her words were resolute and gave Simon no room for argument. On the other hand, Simon silently gazed at her. He wanted to say something but could only look her. He did not want to give up on her, but she did not give him the slightest chance. ¡°I still have something to do, so I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Amanda smiled and nodded at him before leaving. Then, Simon spoke to her back. ¡°You¡¯d rather go on a blind date and marry aplete stranger than ept me?¡± Even though she and Elias were done, she was still unwilling to ept him, so he did not know where hecked. Amanda¡¯s figure gradually stopped, and she replied, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already seen through it all. No matter what, we aren¡¯t fit for each other, so there¡¯s no need to waste our time.¡± Once that was said, she left without looking back. Simon wanted to ask why, but she was already gone. Then, while pursing his lips, he mmed his fist hard. on the desk beside him. It was soon the end of the month and the day Jack had nned for the engagement ceremony. Elias sat at his desk while rhythmically knocking his fingers on his desk, seemingly waiting for something. Beside him was the engagement suit the designers had tailor-made for him. Two hours were left until the engagement ceremony, yet he hadn¡¯t even changed his clothes. The Allegras were probably already at the hotel looking everywhere for him. His phone was switched off, so no one could reach him. But he left another phone switched on and patiently awaited Dr. Christopher Smith¡¯s DNA test results. Suddenly, the phone began ringing. The man took a look and was slightly disappointed because it was not Christopher but Yacob called. He calmly answered the phone and put it on speaker. ¡°Mr. Winters, where are you? The Allegras are about to go crazy looking for you. Jack is about to explode from anger and is taking it out on me.¡± ¡°Then endure it.¡± The man smiled wickedly. Yacob, on the other end of the line, was about to go mad. ¡°How can you still have the effort to tease me? What are you nning? The engagement ceremony is about to start, and what if the DNA results show that Miss Bailey isn¡¯t the Allegras¡¯ missing daughter? How are you going to settle this mess? You would be losing more than what you paid for!¡± It was clear that Yacob was worried and anxious, but his boss was not the slightest bit anxious. As the bystander, he was more worried about this matter than the person involved. Elias replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll attend the engagement ceremony.¡± ¡°Will you be able to make it in time, and are you sure Jack will show you a good attitude? You¡¯re not even here yet, and I can already see Jack fuming. It seems like he is quite angry.¡± ¡°I have my ns.¡± Since he did so, it meant he had thought about how he was going to exin things to Jack. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just have to continue stalling. By the way, doesn¡¯t Stephanie know about our n? Why does she look anxious as well? She seems like she doesn¡¯t hope this engagement flops.¡± Elias scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t care about her feelings. I just want to get what I want.¡± ¡°Yes. Understood!¡± In the meantime, Yacob hung up and nced at the anxious family behind him before continuing his innocent act. ¡°How is it? Have you found that Mr. Winters of yours? Jack asked rudely. Yacob shook his head. ¡°No. I tried to call all three of his cells. I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s gone. I clearly sent him back home yesterday.¡± Standing beside them, Stephanie seemed worried while leaning against her grandmother¡¯s embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Steph. Elias won¡¯t run away. Our darling is such a nice woman. How could he bear to abandon you? He¡¯s probably busy with something and forgot about this. Let¡¯s wait a while longer.¡± But Jack roared, ¡°How could someone forget their own engagement? Mom, stop causing more trouble and find somewhere to rest!¡± Looking at his daughter¡¯s aggrieved expression, Jack assured her, ¡°Dad¡¯s here, so don¡¯t you worry now, Steph. If Elias dares to miss this engagement ceremony, I¡¯ll make sure he pays!¡± Stephanie did not speak but leaned into her grandmother¡¯s arms. What¡¯s going on with Elias? How could he not show up? Is he nning to cancel the engagement like this? But wouldn¡¯t that mean I¡¯ll be humiliated? If word gets out about this, it¡¯ll be that Elias does not like me and decided to skip the engagement. My reputation will be ruined! While thinking of that, Stephanie felt that Elias did not arrange this properly because she would end up being theughingstock of her social circle for at least a year. On the other hand, Jack approached Yacob because he had seen through Elias¡¯ thoughts. Jack pulled Yacob to the side and gritted his teeth, threatening, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you two are nning. Tell Elias that if he doesn¡¯t show up anytime soon, he can kiss the shares his aunt took goodbye. Also, he will have a new enemy-me! Besides that, I will withdraw my shares from Winters Enterprise and let him have a taste of what it means to hurt like hell!¡± Putting on an innocent expression, Yacob argued, ¡°Mr. Allegra, what are you proposing? I have no idea where Mr. Winters is, and I¡¯m also trying to look for him. It¡¯s no use venting your anger on me. I¡¯m innocent too¡­ ¡°Scram! Hurry up and search for him!¡± Jack bellowed. Then, Yacob turned around and left. He did not want to stay here any longer because he was a bad actor and might slip up. Inside the president¡¯s office at Winters Enterprise. Elias leaned against the back of his chair, waiting for Christopher¡¯s call. Last night, Christopher called him. telling him he would have the results today.. Suddenly, a phone started ringing inside the quiet room; it sounded harsh on the ear. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Without any hesitation, Elias answered the phone with a serious expression. ¡°Hurry up and tell me the results!¡± Christopher replied, ¡°Mr. Winters, the DNA test results between Amanda Bailey and Dick Leans show that they are ipatible, which means Amanda is not Dick¡¯s daughter.¡± Elias¡¯ dark eyes were filled with anticipation. ¡°What about Amanda and Jack Allegra? What¡¯s the result of that?¡± Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Your Ex-wife Is My Daughter? Christopher was silent for a while before answering, ¡°Amanda and Jack Allegra¡¯s DNA test results show that they are blood-rted.¡± Once that was said, Elias¡¯ eyes were filled with shock. Although he had anticipated such a result, he was still surprised to hear Christopher admit it. ¡°Which means Amanda is Jack¡¯s daughter?¡± Elias asked, Christopher concurred, ¡°Real as it can be. I¡¯vepared it several times and received the same results.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. Send me the test results. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in my office¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Winters. I¡¯m bringing them over now.¡± After the call ended, the man seemed quite relieved as this would save him a lot of trouble. At the very least, he would have less difficulty exining this situation to Jack. At that moment, Yacob called again. Elias answered the call, but before he could say anything, he heard Yacob¡¯s anxious voice exining. ¡°Mr. Winters, how is the situation on your side? Have you confirmed it or not? The old fox is growing more restless. He thinks we¡¯ve nned this and keeps interrogating me. Also, he asked me to tell you that if you don¡¯t show up anytime soon, you will have a new enemy, a new roadblock, in business, and he will withdraw his shares from Winters Enterprise. What are we going to do?¡± If Jack were to withdraw his shares at such a crucial moment, Winters Enterprise would soon be divided up, especially when Anna was still holding onto Howard¡¯s shares. At that moment, a knock came from the door. It must be Christopher with the DNA test results. Elias instructed Yacob. Tell him I¡¯ll be there in twenty minutes, and ask him to wait for me in the waiting room. I have something to tell him.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± In the meantime, once Yacob received his instructions, he immediately knew that Christopher must have the results, and judging from how confident Elias sounded just now, the results might be what they expected. Then, Yacob turned to face the Allegra Family and informed the anxious Jack, ¡°Mr. Allegra, Mr. Winters says he¡¯ll be here in twenty minutes and asks that you wait for him in the waiting room. There¡¯s something important he needs to discuss with you.¡± Jackughed. ¡°Is he finally going to show up? Sure. I¡¯ll wait for him in the waiting room. I¡¯m eager to see what tricks that brat has up his sleeves.¡± No matter what exnation Elias gave him, Jack was determined not to forgive Elias that easily and teach him a hard lesson, or else Stephanie might have to suffer after marrying him. After letting out a cold snort, Jack made his way toward the waiting room. Meanwhile, Edith and Cassandra followed him, leaving Stephanie, who watched them go. Then, she approached Yacob and asked, ¡°What is Elias doing? Does he think he can ease my father¡¯s anger with a few simple exnations! She thought Elias was quite foolish to think so. How could a man, who seemed quite intelligent, make such a foolish decision? ¡°Just wait for him in the waiting room. Mr. Winters has his reasons.¡± Yacob remained expressionless as he replied calmly. Unable to get anything from Yacob, Stephanie scoffed coldly and left as well. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Yacob finally felt relieved that Elias was about to arrive. Otherwise, he might be unable to handle this situation alone, especially when Jack wasshing out at him. That was something no one could withstand. Twenty minutester, inside the waiting room. Jack was pacing around the room, feeling anxious. He couldn¡¯t help but ask impatiently, ¡°When will he be here? Don¡¯t tell me that kid is ying with me?¡± ¡°Please be patient, Mr. Allegra. Perhaps Mr. Winters is stuck in traffic. He always keeps his word,¡± Yacob assured Jack. Right then, the door to the waiting room was pushed open, and Elias came in with a document in his hand. However, he wore casual clothes, not the engagement suit they had prepared. What is the meaning of this? Jack was about to lose it as he roared, ¡°Elias Winters! In all my years of doing. business, this is the first time I got yed by an immature brat like you! What are you thinking of doing? What is the meaning of this? You know it¡¯s your engagement ceremony today, yet you came late. Now that you came, you¡¯re not even wearing your engagement suit? What are you trying to do? Are you regretting your engagement?¡± With a calm expression, Elias took a seat on the couch and replied, ¡°Yes. I am regretting this engagement.¡± Once he said so, everyone at the scene looked shocked except Yacob. Stephanie looked at her father¡¯s dark expression and then at Elias¡¯ calm expression. She couldn¡¯t help but.in inside, What¡¯s this man trying to do? Why is he still trying to anger Dad at this moment? Is this a part of his n? ¡°You-¡°Jack was about to p Elias, but Stephanie stopped him. ¡°Dad, calm down. Don¡¯t act rashly.¡± ¡°Move away, Steph. I¡¯m going to help you get even today. I will not allow my precious daughter to suffer such grievances!¡± Jack pushed his daughter away. Elias, at this moment, handed Jack the document in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve already found your missing daughter, Amelia Allegra.¡± Hearing that, Edith was the first to stand up with a happy and shocked expression. ¡°What? Did you find Amelia? You found the daughter we¡¯d lost for twenty years?¡± She could not believe her ears. Not only Edith but even Jack and Stephanie also seemed bewildered. He found her? How is that possible? Rising to his feet, Elias gave Jack the document. ¡°This is a DNA test report. After reading it, you¡¯ll know why I¡¯m calling this engagement off. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to marry Stephanie, but because I can¡¯t.¡± Stephanie was dumbfounded. What is he saying? What does he mean by can¡¯t¡¯? Jack received the document and took out the DNA test report. He flipped to thest page and saw the last line, which read, ¡®Parent-child rtionship established!¡± Then, he looked at the name on top and saw ¡®Amanda Bailey, Amanda Bailey? Isn¡¯t that Elias ex-wife? She¡¯s the daughter we¡¯ve lost for twenty years? How could that be? How can there be such a coincidence? ¡°How can this be? This can¡¯t be real. Your ex-wife is my daughter?¡± Jack felt like he was being told a huge joke. He could not ept that. But Elias remained calm. That is the truth. So, I can¡¯t marry Stephanie, no matter the reason.¡± Meanwhile, Stephanie was shocked and grabbed the DNA test results from her father. She quickly flipped through the contents and gradually turned pale. Amanda is my biological sister. How¡­ How is that possible? Suddenly remembering how she kept looking for trouble with Amanda, Stephanie turned mortified. Amanda was actually her sister, Amelia Allegra? Meanwhile, Edith had broken down in tears while holding onto the DNA test results. ¡°Is she really Amelia? I¡¯ve finally found Amelia¡­ It¡¯s really Amelia.¡± Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Don¡¯t Tell Me You Fell For Me Elias looked at the sobbing Edith and exined, ¡°Not only have I found her, but she also gave birth to a cute grandson, my son. His name is Aiden, and he¡¯s an active child.¡± Listening to his words, Edith smiled. ¡°Aiden, that¡¯s a great name¡­ My daughter¡­ Where is Amelia now? I want to meet her.¡± However, Jack was still skeptical about it. ¡°What daughter? It¡¯s been twenty years. Do you possibly think that Elias could find her in such a short time frame? That¡¯s outrageous! Perhaps Amelia has already. These years, Jack had been constantly searching for his daughter and had resorted to all sorts of methods. but failed. Therefore, he thought his eldest daughter might have already passed away. ¡°Mr. Allegra, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can have a DNA test done yourself. That¡¯s something easily achievable for you, and I¡¯m sure you can also easily find out where my ex-wife lives,¡± Elias reasoned. we Once that was said, Edith hugged the DNA test results to her chest and bellowed, ¡°Were you about to say that Amelia¡¯s dead? That¡¯s impossible! I have always believed that Amelia is still alive, and have the DNA results here. What other proof do you want? Don¡¯t you want our daughter toe home?¡± Jack remained silent. Of course, he did want to get his daughter back, but he was unwilling to admit that Elias yed him. Also, who knew whether Elias, that brat, was ying tricks or not? At that moment, Cassandra spoke up. ¡°Mr. Winters, are you saying Amelia, our family¡¯s eldest daughter, is your ex-wife? And she has given birth to your child?¡± Elias answered, ¡°Yes¡± Frowning, Cassandra announced, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t that make you Steph¡¯s brother-inw? How can you two get engaged? That can¡¯t be done!¡± Cassandra finally figured it out. Meanwhile, the dumbfounded Stephanie also realized that fact. That meant Elias was her brother-in- law. Although he got divorced, he was still her brother-inw. Also, the kid she went to harass at the kindergarten was her nephew. Everything suddenly became strange for her. She was having mixed feelings about all this and couldn¡¯t put them into words. If that was their rtionship now, wouldn¡¯t it be impossible for Elias and her to get together anymore? For some reason, that thought made Stephanie inexplicably frustrated. But she was unsure whether she was frustrated at the fact that she could not be with Elias or the stupid things she did. Why are the heavens torturing me? How did things be like this¡­. Elias looked at Cassandra and seriously remarked, ¡°Yes, Old Mrs. Allegra. That is why I took so long to come here. I was waiting for this DNA test result. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to marry Stephanie, but rather, I can¡¯t.¡± Deep down, Stephanie sneered. She had a feeling that the man had known about this early on. Otherwise, how else would he be so sure that their engagement would get called off? He probably already knew about this earlier, yet pretended he was the aggrieved victim here. Stephanie finally discovered how scheming this man was. His shrewdness was unfathomable. The engagement was called off perfectly, leaving Jack with nothing to argue because Elias could not marry Stephanie. When Elias was about to leave the hotel, Stephanie went after him. ¡°Stop right there, Elias!¡± The man gradually came to a halt. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Are you nning to leave just like that? There are so many guests outside waiting for our exnation. Don¡¯t tell me you intend to have my family clean up this load of mess?¡± The more Stephanie thought. about it, the angrier she became as she wondered what the man was here to do. Before, she did hope that he could find Amelia sooner; that way, her family would not focus all their attention on her. But now that it was revealed that her sister was Elias¡¯ ex-wife, she suddenly felt reluctant to let Ameliae home¡­ Elias rebuked, ¡°Is there something wrong? Are you hoping that I will help you exin things? It was your family who wanted this marriage. I never wanted this.¡± ¡°Why you- What is the meaning of that? Are you saying that my family forced you to marry me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that true?¡± Elias had no intention of speaking to her. All he wanted now was to see Amanda and tell her about this. ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t!¡± Elias frowned. ¡°Now that the engagement is off, shouldn¡¯t you be looking for Crispin? Why are you wasting your time talking to me? Don¡¯t tell me you fell for me.¡± Stephanie felt her heart skip a beat as though her inner thoughts were exposed. She quickly denied, ¡°Of course not! I would never fall for a sly man like you! Never!¡± The more she tried to deny it and the louder she screamed, the more guilty she seemed. Meanwhile, Elias had no intention of guessing her thoughts, so he rebuked, ¡°That would be the best. I would never fall in love with you anyway, so go and find your poor man. He¡¯s probably still there, waiting for you. The temperature will drop tonight, so you should stop wasting time here if you don¡¯t want him to die from hypothermia.¡± ¡°You- Stephanie still wanted to say something, but the man had already left without turning back, seeming like he wanted nothing to do with her. While looking at the man¡¯s cold back, she muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything for me? Am I that unattractive¡­¡± At Northern No. 1. Amanda had finished taking a bath and was about to get in bed. She had to recruit staff for her neww firm tomorrow. After starting her own business, she discovered howplicated it was to establish her ownw firm. She was so busy that she did not even have time to eat. When her phone rang, she nced at it and saw it was a call from Elias. Then, she hung up without answering. She thought she and Elias had nothing to talk about. What other topic could they discuss besides their child? Moreover, it was obvious that Elias¡¯ call was not to talk about their child. Hence, she still resolutely hung up when the call came again. On the other hand, Elias looked at the declined call with a frown, thinking that she might be asleep or was refusing to pick up. Seeing that it was quitete, Elias decided to forget it and try again tomorrow. However, he did not expect the Allegras to be one step ahead of him. Morning the next day. Amanda was still asleep when she heard Selina¡¯s voiceing from outside. It seemed like she had guests, so Amanda dazedly got up, wanting to quickly wash up so that she could go outside to see who it was. In the meantime, Selina looked at the bunch of strange people before her, wondering what they were doing there. ¡°May I know why you¡¯re looking for Amanda? Is it about awsuit?¡± Selina innocently thought they were Amanda¡¯s clients. Jack looked around the house and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. We have something to discuss with her. Please call her out.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Selina felt the atmosphere seemed strange and oppressive, but just couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 I Am the Allegra Family¡¯s Daughter Selina had no choice but to make her way to Amanda¡¯s room. She was going to knock but noticed the door was not locked, so she headed inside. In the meantime, Amanda had washed up and wasing out of her closet after changing her clothes. ¡°Hey, why did youe inside? Is there a problem outside? Who is it?¡± Selina approached Amanda and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they seem strange. An entire family came looking for you. At first, I thought they were here to ask you to represent them as theirwyer, but they denied it and asked that Ie to get you.¡± That made Amanda frown as she wondered who it could be and why therge lineup. Since they weren¡¯t here to ask her to be theirwyer, then why were they here? Could it be her enemies? After all, she had made quite a lot of enemies while working in this line of work. At that thought, she couldn¡¯t help but feel wary as she contemted on whether to call for security. Then, Selina added, ¡°The middle-aged man said his name is Jack Allegra and that you know him.¡± Jack Allegra? Amanda instantly felt relieved because it was not her enemy. However, why did the Allegra Familye looking for her at her home this early in the morning? Wasn¡¯t yesterday Stephanie and Elias¡± engagement ceremony? Why were they gathered at her home so early today? Amanda then left her bedroom to see what the old fox wanted. Inside the living room. The entire Allegra Family was sitting on the couch, waiting for Amanda toe out. Besides Stephanie, everyone else was looking forward to it. In the meantime, Stephanie was unsure how she would face Amanda and was even unwilling to ept that Amanda was her sister. ¡°Mr. Allegra, why did you bring your entire family to my home so early in the morning? Did here to use me of something?¡± youe Amanda crossed her arms and put on an overbearing expression. No matter what unreasonable request. that family might ask of her, she would never give in. Edith stared at Amanda¡¯s face while trying her best to recall her eldest daughter¡¯s face when she was young. When the two faces gradually ovepped, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. At the same time, Stephanie was also staring at Amanda¡¯s face. That was because she was trying to figure out why she did not make the connection that Amanda was Amelia when she had seen Amanda several times before. Jack was the first to react and reprimanded, ¡°That¡¯s not how ady should speak! Watch your manners!¡± Hearing that, Amanda could not hold back herughter. Had Jack been apany president for too long and thought everyone should revolve around him? How could he reprimand her like he was her elder? Then, Amanda clicked her tongue and sneered. ¡°I understand now. You find me living here a nuisance, right? After all, Elias bought this ce with his money. Here I am, living in the house your to-be son-in- law bought, and I even had his child. Does that make your family feel ufortable? But there¡¯s nothing I can do about it because this is a fact.¡± She knew Jack was here for trouble. They must be here to chase her out of this house and get rid of all the dangerous obstacles hindering Stephanie from having a happy married life. At that moment, Edith finally broke down and sobbed, ¡°Amelia, you shouldn¡¯t talk to your father like that. We¡¯re ¡± Confused, Amanda looked bbergasted. What¡¯s this? Did theye to the wrong house, or have they gone insane? Is this some sort of new y? ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡­ What are you talking about? Who¡¯s Amelia? What father? Mrs. Allegra, are you still dreaming? My name is Amanda Bailey, not Amelia. Also, my father is not the high and mighty Mr. Allegra. My father is a gambler who is always in debt and has abandoned his wife and children.¡± Hearing that, Jack frowned even deeper. So, this was how her daughter had been living all these years? A father who was a gambler and abandoned his wife and children? How good could such a life be? Edith sobbed even harder after listening to that. Meanwhile, Amanda watched the scene before her and felt skeptical as she wondered what this family was up to. ¡°Mr. Allegra, can¡¯t you be more frank about why you¡¯re here? What¡¯s with the act? Do you find this amusing?¡± Just as Jack was about to speak, Stephanie beat him to it. ¡°I didn¡¯t get engaged to Elias, and you are the missing eldest daughter of the Allegra Family. So, you are my sister, and I can¡¯t get engaged to Elias. Do you understand now?¡± Amanda was silent for a moment as the amount of information thrown at her was so huge that she could not process them all at once. What do they mean by I am the missing eldest daughter of the Allegra Family? After staring at the bunch for a long time without knowing how to react, Amanda pointed at herself as her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Are you saying that we are biological sisters? Am I the Allegra Family¡¯s daughter as well?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Even though Stephanie was reluctant to admit that, she still nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s the truth. So. Elias and I can¡¯t get engaged.¡± Whenever Stephanie thought about how she could not get engaged to Elias, she could not help but feel displeased. But she did not know what she was displeased about. She did not like Elias, so why did she feel disappointed when she could not get engaged to him? At that moment, Aiden rubbed his eyes and came out of his room in cute pajamas while whining. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m hungry¡­ When he arrived before Amanda, he finally realized the bunch of strangers in the living room, but he immediately spotted Stephanie sitting on the far side. Aiden immediately screamed, ¡°Ahhh! It¡¯s the nasty, ugly woman! Mommy, chase her away! I don¡¯t want her in our house!¡± The kid¡¯s scream angered Stephanie. ¡°Who are you calling ugly, huh? Who¡¯s ugly? You¡¯re looking to be taught a lesson, brat!¡± Edith stopped her. ¡°Why are you arguing with a child? What¡¯s more, he¡¯s your nephew.¡± In the meantime, Amanda took Aiden into her embrace and turned to Stephanie. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to lecture my son.¡± However, Jack angrily mmed his hand on the table. ¡°Look at how you brought up your son. Why aren¡¯t you letting Stephanie criticize him? How can you let your son call someone ugly? What will be of him in the future?¡± Then, Jack finally looked at the kid¡¯s appearance and concluded that Aiden was indeed Elias¡¯ child. They looked almost identical. ¡°Do you think that you¡¯re my parents just because of a few words you said? You have no right to tell me what to do! I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave this instant, or else I¡¯ll call for security.¡± Amanda¡¯s mind was in a mess, and she needed time to rearrange her thoughts. ¡°You! How could you speak to your father this way?¡± Jack was so angry that he shot up from his seat. At that moment, Amanda¡¯s phone began ringing, which was quite inappropriate in such a situation. At first, Amanda had no intention of picking up, but when she saw it was from Elias, she quickly answered the call. ¡°Elias, get your *ss up here now and take your father-inw away! They¡¯re driving me crazy! I can¡¯t stand them anymore!¡± When Elias heard that, he said nothing else but, ¡°I¡¯m downstairs right now. Will be there in a minute.¡± After hanging up, Amanda sighed in relief. At the very least, Elias would get rid of these people because she was his ex-wife and had his child. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Don¡¯t You Lecture My Son! ¡°Why is Elias here as well, Dad?¡± Stephanie turned to look at her father. Jack frowned, wondering what Elias was doing there when he was about to reunite with his long-lost daughter. A minuteter, Elias pushed the door open without even knocking on it first. Even though he knew the passcode, he would usually press the doorbell before entering, but he directly stepped into the house this time. Amanda sneered, wondering if the man was there to stop them from arguing or worried that she would ruin his n. After all, if Elias could marry Stephanie, the Winterses would be unrivaled in the business world. There was no way the man would let the chance slip through his fingers. Amanda felt that someone had fooled the Allegras into believing that she was their daughter in an attempt. to ruin the marriage. When Elias entered the living room and saw everything he frowned in displeasure as he didn¡¯t expect Jack toe looking for Amanda with his family members. ¡°You¡¯ve acted on a whim, Mr. Allegra,¡± he said grimly. Then, he walked up to Amanda and took Aiden from her before cating the young kid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Daddy is here.¡± ¡°Daddy, I don¡¯t want to see that ugly woman again. Please chase her away.¡± Aiden pointed at Stephanie. How dare he call me an ugly woman again?! Stephanie was enraged. ¡°Do you even know how to discipline your son, Elias? He¡¯s so rude!¡± She hated anyone calling her ugly. She had always been the center of attention since a young age, but the kid kept calling her ugly. As such, she felt humiliated. Elias snapped. ¡°You have no right to lecture my son. Mind your own business.¡± Jack and Stephanie were rendered speechless, thinking that Elias and Amanda were indeed a couple as their way of speaking was simr. Amanda shot him a nce and demanded, ¡°Chase them away right now. Even though your engagement is a failure, it has nothing to do with me. How dare theye to my house in the morning and cause a scene? Do you know what they said? ording to them, I¡¯m Stephanie¡¯s older sister as well as the eldest daughter of the Allegra Family. How funny is that?¡± All of them fell silent, including Elias. After all, everyone was aware of the truth except Amanda. She continued, ¡°Perhaps your enemies have fabricated such a ridiculous story. Not only do you believe it, but you¡¯ve alsoe all the way here to im that I¡¯m your daughter. Are rich people so easily fooled? How did you even make your fortune?¡± Her voice was filled with mockery and disdain. She didn¡¯t believe their story, nor was she interested in bing their daughter. Moreover, Jack had been acting all high and mighty as if bing his daughter was the biggest honor one could ever achieve. Damn it! It¡¯s not like I want to be his daughter! Without uttering a word, Jack turned to look at Elias, who was the best person to exin the situation. While carrying Aiden, Elias gently rubbed his hands and said, ¡°What they¡¯ve said is true. You¡¯re their daughter as proven by the paternity test result.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, thinking she had misheard him. What the heck?! The man gave her a firm look and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Dick isn¡¯t your biological father. Mr. and Mrs. Allegra are your parents. Although it sounds preposterous, the paternity test result is the best proof.¡± The next instant, Jack fished out the paternity test result and ced it on the table. When Amanda saw the document on the table, she fell into a dazed state, not knowing what to do. It was mind-blowing to hear such shocking news early in the morning. She stepped forward and picked up the paternity test result with trembling hands before going through it. She didn¡¯t understand much of what was written, but the bottom of thest page clearly stated that she and Jack were biologically rted. There was also the seal of theboratory that conducted the test, so it didn¡¯t look like a sham. With the document in her hands, Amanda nced at Jack before shifting her attention to Elias. She had tons of questions to ask, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°Is the test result credible? Have you looked into it?¡± Elias replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that because I asked someone to conduct the test. Do you remember when you passed out in the hospital the other day? Well, you didn¡¯t ck out. I asked Yacob to make unconscious so that he could collect a blood sample. you Upon hearing that, Amanda red up and hurled the document at the man. ¡°How could you do a paternity test without my permission? Who gave you the right to do that? Also, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? You made me look like a clown!¡± What¡¯s wrong with this world? How is it possible that I¡¯m their daughter? Elias let the woman vent all her fury before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to get to the truth before telling you about it. After all, I was uncertain at that time.¡± Seeing how cool-headed the man was, Amanda soon calmed down. She touched her head, feeling like her mind was a mess. ¡°Tell them to go away. I need to be alone. I don¡¯t want to hear whatever they have to say.¡± When Aiden saw his mother acting like that, he thought she was furious. As such, he yelled at Stephanie, ¡°Get out of my house now, you ugly woman! I hate you!¡± Elias nced at his son and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like this, Aiden.¡± Without responding to her, Elias turned to look at Jack. ¡°Please go home first, Mr. Allegra. I¡¯ll talk to her. Please give her more time to digest everything, considering how shocking the matter is.¡± Just as Jack was ready to say something. Edith took her husband¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Elias has a point. Give Amelia some time. Let¡¯s go home first, Jack, Steph. We¡¯ll take our leave.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Jack stared fixedly at Amanda for a moment before turning around to leave, and Stephanie followed suit. Meanwhile, Edith walked up to Amanda in an attempt to take a closer look at her daughter after being separated for such a long time, As she approached the woman, tears slid down her face. Then, she said through choked sobs. ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re all grown up now. Thank goodness your life wasn¡¯t taken away. We¡¯ve been searching for you over the years. After such a long time, we thought you might be¡­ gone for good. I¡¯m truly happy that you¡¯re still alive.¡± When Amanda looked at the older woman, she felt a sense of familiarity for some reason. Is she really my mother? Even though there was the paternity test result as evidence, she still couldn¡¯t believe. Edith continued, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m sorry for losing you. If I had been more careful at that time, you wouldn¡¯t have gone missing, and you wouldn¡¯t be looking at me like a stranger now¡­ Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 You¡¯ve Taken Great Pains Amanda looked at the sorrowful woman before her eyes, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. Edith wiped her tears off and turned to look at Aiden. ¡°You¡¯re so cute, and you¡¯re also protective of your mom.¡± She wanted to touch the child¡¯s hands, but Aiden quickly dodged it. Embarrassed, she retracted her hands and turned around to leave reluctantly. When the door was closed, Amanda shuffled toward the couch and took a seat. Elias ced his son on the floor and said, ¡°Go and look for Miss Selina. I need to talk to your mom.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Aiden reluctantly turned around and went looking for Selina. The man sat down on the couch. When he detected her conflicted gaze, he knew she must be flustered. He kept herpany without saying anything. A long timeter, Amanda turned to look at him. ¡°Why did you make a decision without my permission? Why did you do the paternity test? Even if it was true, I don¡¯t want to be part of their family, nor do I want -to find out about it.¡± Elias exined, ¡°That¡¯s because I want you to be proud. I want you to stop feeling self-abased because you. have a gambler father. Your father isn¡¯t Dick. He¡¯s the shrewd businessman Jack Allegra, and your mother is the demure Mrs. Allegra.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t refute him. For a very long time, she¡¯d had low self-esteem because of her gambler father, but she wasn¡¯t any happier upon finding out about her identity. That was because her adoptive mother had always treated her well. She believed that the woman was her biological mother, but now, she was told that she was adopted. ¡°So what? It¡¯s been more than 20 years, and they¡¯re no different from strangers to me. If not for our rtionship, Jack would¡¯ve wanted to destroy me. That¡¯s because he believes that I¡¯m the obstacle to Stephanie¡¯s happiness, Amanda said. The atmosphere in the living room was gloomy. Even though it was morning, there wasn¡¯t much sunlight as the curtains were drawn. After a moment of silence, Elias said, ¡°Amanda, I identally discovered that you were the daughter of the Allegra Family. I¡¯m sorry for not getting your permission in advance.¡± ¡°Tell me how you discovered that.¡± Amanda was more curious about this. She and the Allegras had nothing to do with each other. No one would¡¯ve thought that she was their long- lost daughter. ¡°I saw a photo in the Allegra Vi. It was a photo of Stephanie and her older sister. As such, I took the photo and did a simted image of the older sister to find out what she¡¯d look like in 20 years. When I saw the simted image, I realized the woman looked simr to you. Therefore, I spected that you were their daughter and secretly did a paternity test. If it turned out that you were not their daughter, I Original from N?velDrama.Org. wouldn¡¯t have told you that I even conducted the test.¡± Upon hearing his exnation, Amanda smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve taken great pains to do all this, but at the same time, you¡¯ve also shot yourself in the foot.¡± Elias frowned, looking puzzled. Amanda exined, ¡°Even though you¡¯ve proven that I¡¯m their daughter, you¡¯ve also ruined your engagement party with Stephanie. In that case, how are you going to marry her?¡± ¡°Well, I married their eldest daughter, and we have a son together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but so what? We¡¯re divorced, so I¡¯m only your ex-wife. Do you think Jack would help his daughter¡¯s ex-husband?¡± Elias smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to fate. Perhaps it¡¯s the heavens telling me to rely on myself.¡± ¡°Are you really willing to let the chance slip through your fingers? You¡¯ve been nning everything for a long time. Can you give it all up?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t think the man would give up easily. He was a domineering and obstinate man, after all. As long as he wanted something, he would get it at all costs. Elias smiled without responding to her. Certainly, he wasn¡¯t willing to give up. It hade to a point where he was determined to achieve his goal no matter what. Moreover, if he didn¡¯t retrieve his grandfather¡¯s shares, his aunt and his good-for-nothing cousin would. ruin everything. By then, the Winters Enterprise would be sold off. Elias wouldn¡¯t let the business his grandfather had spent his entire life building be gone for good. ¡°Amanda, I told you the truth because you have the right to know. As for whether you¡¯re going to acknowledge them as your family, it¡¯s up to you, and I won¡¯t interfere. I know you need time to sort things out. Please get some rest.¡± With that, he got to his feet and was ready to leave. If Amanda was unwilling to lend him a helping hand, he had to start everything from scratch. As such, there was a lot he had to do. As Amanda looked at the man¡¯s towering figure, she said suddenly. ¡°You seem to have lost some weight. Are you busy retrieving your grandfather¡¯s shares?¡± Elias stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. ¡°Yes.¡± She found out that the man had been busy getting back his shares. He became downcast after his grandfather¡¯s death. As such, his aunt took the chance and snatched the shares away from him. Now that he had pulled himself together, he certainly had to take back what was rightfully his. ¡°Were you happy when you found out I was Jack¡¯s daughter? If I ask Jack for help, he¡¯ll help you get back those shares. Is that your n, Mr. Winters?¡± That was the Elias Winters she knew. A man who was intelligent and merciless. Elias remained silent for a long time before he walked up to her and said solemnly. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d be lying if I told you that never crossed my mind. I hope you¡¯ll lend me a hand, but if you¡¯re not willing to do so, I won¡¯t force you. That¡¯s because matching back the shares is my matter, and it¡¯s not your duty. I understand that ¡° ¡°How righteous you are. In that case, why did you showack the paternity test result first instead of me! Don¡¯t you want him to owe you a favor? Her voice was filled with disdain. The man fresered. I¡¯m never going to marry Stephanie. Are you happy with this exnaties madt Il hat the heck! Hom dere he be mai An enraged Amanda had no ides what right the man had to be furious. He made many decisions without her knowledge, after all She stood up from the couch and sneered. ¡°Why dont you want to marry Stephanie? Not only is the young and beautiful, but the can also give you a hand. Why did you even try to search for her long-lost sister? Turns out that I¡¯m her older sister, and your ns are ruined.¡± ¡°Amanda. I¡¯ll say it one more time. I¡¯ve never wanted to marry Stephanie. I don¡¯t love her? ¡°Why did you say that to me in the garage a while back, then? Was it all an aer?¡± Amanda was furious when the thought about the incident in the garage. Elias replied, ¡°Yes, it was just an act. That was because Jack was hiding somewhere near us, so I didn¡¯t want to arouse his suspicion. I needed his help to help me retrieve the shares, after all. At that time. I didn¡¯t know that you were the other daughter of the Allegra Family Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Scandal Amanda remained silent and watched the man blow his top, barely remembering thest time she saw him mad. They stared at each other for a while before Elias¡¯ phone rang all of a sudden, breaking the dead silence. He answered the call. ¡°Speak.¡± Upon hearing what the other party said, he uttered, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll be there soon. No one is allowed to speak to the reporters or say nonsense!¡± After hanging up the call, he turned to look at Amanda, who had calmed down. ¡°I told you I only wanted. to get to the truth, and you¡¯ll deal with the rest. No one can force you to acknowledge the Allegras as your family. If they make you do that, you can tell me about it, and I¡¯ll protect you. That¡¯s it. I have to take my leave now. There¡¯s something I need to attend to.¡± With that, he turned around and left, leaving Amanda alone in the spacious living room as she plunged onto the couch. She didn¡¯t mean to vent her anger on Elias, but she couldn¡¯t control her emotions. It was. difficult for her to ept such shocking news, after all. While sitting on the couch, she felt fidgety and had no idea how to calm herself down. Just then, she received a notification of thetest news on her phone. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to take a look, so she picked up her phone and wanted to toss it away. However, when she caught sight of the news on the screen, it instantly grabbed her attention. The Secretary of Winters Enterprise¡¯s President Committed Suicide by Jumping off the Building. What?! The Winters Enterprise? Amanda quickly switched on her phone and took a look at thetest news, only to discover that everyone was talking about the incident. It was no wonder Elias had left in a hurry, for such a serious incident had happened at thepany. She clicked into a news article and realized that the deceased was Elias¡¯ first love, Natasha, though the man had never admitted to it. What¡¯s going on? Out of curiosity, she went through the news article and learned that the secretary hadmitted suicide. by jumping off thepany building. It was suspected that she had been troubled by love affairs. The writer of the article spected that the secretary had hooked up with Elias and wanted to marry him, but the man turned her down straight away. As such, she was dejected and decided to end her life. After reading the article, Amanda found itughable. This is ridiculous. She supposed Elias¡¯ enemies had hired the writer to produce such an article to demonize the man. He was described as a jerk who messed with women. Besides that, he was also framed as a psychopath who tortured the secretary, causing her tomit suicide. Amanda wondered how Elias was going to deal with the matter. As awyer, she would suggest Elias not making a statement for the time being. Instead, he should observe the incident development and deal with the case first. After all, a life was lost. She opened her contact list, ready to call the man. Nevertheless, after giving it some thought, she decided. not to do it. There were many people on the Winters Enterprise¡¯s PR team, so her advice was likely redundant. Meanwhile, Elias arrived at the underground parking lot of the Winters Enterprise and entered the elevator. Yacob, the assistants, and the secretaries had been waiting outside the elevator. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The moment the door was opened, the man stepped out of it, after which a group of people surrounded him and reported everything to him. ¡°What should we do, Mr. Winters? The corpse is still outside thepany, and the police are looking into the matter. Many reporters and passers-by have taken countless videos and photos and posted them. online. We can¡¯t stop everyone from talking about it.¡± Yacob followed him and seemed to be on the brink of tears. ¡°Mr. Winters, many reporters would-like to interview you. They¡¯ve been asking the employees questions. The older employees know they shouldn¡¯t say anything, but the newer ones are not so restrained.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, Natashamitted suicide because her parents came to thepany and forced her to give them money. They evenid a hand on her. Many people pulled them away from Natasha and chased them out of thepany. I believe that was the reason she jumped off the building¡± Elias finally heard something useful. He stopped in his tracks and nced at that secretary. ¡°Are you saying that she ended her life because her parents demanded money from her?¡± I think so. Her parents had humiliated and abused her in thepany. It must be embarrassing for her. No one could ever ept such humiliation- Before the secretary even finished speaking, Elias told Yacob, ¡°Find out who Natasha¡¯s parents are. Also, get the surveince footage and take screenshots of her parents hitting her. Post the images online when it¡¯s necessary.¡± Yacob replied, ¡°Yes, right away.¡± Then, Elias nced at his assistant. ¡°Chase the reporters away and ask the PR Department to take down the news articles.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± All of them left the ce one by one, following Elias¡± orders. He entered his office and stood in front of the windows before looking down at the crowd. The police had cordoned off the area, and Natasha¡¯s corpse had been put inside a body bag. Everything looked dismal. Life was full of uncertainties. Natasha had prepared coffee for Elias the day before, but she was a dead body now.¡± Is that why Natasha never wanted to leave thepagy? The Winters Enterprise had prepared amodation for employees who needed it, and everyone had a room to themselves. As such, Natasha had always stayed in the hostel and refused to return home. It seemed that she had been avoiding her parents. Although Elias didn¡¯t love the woman, he let out a sigh as he had seen too many corpses over the years. A young woman was gone for good, after all. Exhausted, he closed his eyes to get some rest. ¨C It seemed that he had been unlucky recently. Before he even settled the problem at hand, another one arose. By the same evening, the discussions about Natasha¡¯s death on the inte had intensified. Some people even started spreading rumors that Elias had killed Natasha and pushed her off the building to make it look like suicide. Amanda had been following the incident on Twitter. As she went through the unfounded rumors, she had the urge to argue with thoseizens. ¡°All of them are ridiculous. Do they think they¡¯re detectives or something? How could they spout nonsense like this?¡± Amanda muttered as she read thements online. Selina couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are thements about?¡± Amanda got to her feet and passed her the tablet. ¡°See it for yourself. They¡¯ve even started creating rumors.¡± Selina took the tablet and skimmed through thements, which were so nasty that she became furious. instantly. I suspect that Natasha was killed because of love affairs, and the murderer is Elias. That¡¯s why he has been. hiding since the incident happened. He doesn¡¯t even have the guts to say anything about it. ¡°She was quite beautiful. Did Elias force himself on her or something? That¡¯s why she felt humiliated and killed herself. ¡°I saw a rumor saying that the secretary was impregnated by Elias, but he refused to take responsibility. The woman was unwilling to get the child aborted because she wanted to marry Elias. But now, she¡¯s dead. The more I think about it, the more terrified I feel: ¡®I have a rtive who works at the Winters Enterprise. It¡¯s said that the woman was Elias¡¯ first love.¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 You Shouldn¡¯t Have Come Selina¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she read the unfounded rumors. These people have crossed the line. How could they spread and even create rumors when they know nothing? A woman¡¯s life is lost, so how could they do such a thing?¡± Amanda sneered. ¡°That¡¯s thest of their concerns. They believe that since they¡¯re anonymous on the inte, they can spout nonsense as they please, and there won¡¯t be any consequences. If Elias dares to press charges against them, they will boycott the Winters Enterprise¡¯s products and call him narrow- minded.¡± ¡°The more I read thesements, the more furious I feel. I don¡¯t want to see it anymore. A vexed Selina put down the tablet. Just then, an excited Aiden rushed over and asked, ¡°It¡¯s the weekend, Mommy. Is Daddying over to head out with me?¡± Well, Elias is probably busy dealing with the scandal right now. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll have time toe over and have fun with his son. At the thought of this. Amanda exined patiently, ¡°Baby, your daddy is swamped with work today, so we have to be considerate. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Upon hearing that, Aiden hung his head low. Despite feeling unhappy, he pouted and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have fun on my own today.¡± Amanda touched his face with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re such a good boy. Miss Selina and I will prepare shrimp for you tomorrow as a reward.¡± ¡°Yay! That¡¯s great!¡± Aiden turned around and ran back to his room with a joyful expression. ¡°Amanda, do you think Mr. Winters might have an affair with the secretary? Otherwise, why did she commit suicide all of a sudden?¡± Selina was interested in the real reason behind Natasha¡¯s death. ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Amanda replied without hesitation. Her response was resolute, as if she understood. the man fully well. ¡°I¡¯m saying what if-¡± ¡°There¡¯s no what-if.¡± Amanda cut her off. ¡°I understand Elias, and he¡¯s not that kind of person. Since he said Natasha wasn¡¯t his first love, that¡¯s definitely true. I¡¯m not saying that he¡¯s righteous. It¡¯s just that he can¡¯t be bothered to lie. That¡¯s because he has the money to bear all sorts of consequences. If the rumors were true that Natasha was indeed impregnated with his child-he could¡¯ve let the woman give birth to it. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s too poor to raise a child. As such, your what-if doesn¡¯t hold water? A convinced Selina dipped her head. ¡°You have a point. It seems that your ex-husband is pretty righteous. and reliable.¡± Amanda sneered. ¡°That¡¯s true. Even if he wants to mess with women, he¡¯ll make it clear and won¡¯t let them have any hope.¡± Presently, she was watching the television because the news channel was reporting the incident. It seemed that she had to head to thepany the next day. Regardless, she was still the legal consultant of thepany on paper. Since such a scandal had broken out, she couldn¡¯t just stay at home and do nothing. The next morning, Amanda put on a suit and headed to the Winters Enterprise. After entering the lobby, she saw an elderly couple holding a banner that imed Elias had killed their daughter. She stopped in her tracks and looked at them. Are they Natasha¡¯s parents? Under normal circumstances, the rtives would deal with the funeral first before they went looking for the culprit. Natasha¡¯s parents came to thepany the next day after she passed away, so it was apparent that they were after money. Just then, a security guard came over and said, ¡°Please hurry up and don¡¯t look at them, Miss Bailey. They¡¯ll catch anyone and use Mr. Elias of killing their daughter.¡± ¡°Why do you guys let them stand there?¡± Amanda asked. The security guard replied, ¡°We have no other choice. We¡¯d asked them to head to the reception room to have a talk, but they turned down the suggestion. They insisted on staying here and putting on an act.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The security guard continued in a hushed voice, ¡°This elderly couple is pretty interesting. On the day their daughtermitted suicide, they hade to thepany and demanded money from Natasha. They scolded and hit her in front of many people. After they were gone, Natasha ended her own life. How do they have the nerve toe here and demand justice?¡± Upon hearing that, Amanda finally understood what was happening and figured out why Natasha committed suicide. She took another look at the elderly couple, no longer having any sympathy for them. Then, she was ready to walk toward the elevator. The security guard said politely, ¡°Are you going to see the president? He¡¯ll probably need your legal. advice. Please use the elevator on the left as the one on the right is under repair.¡± Thanks, Amanda said and headed toward the elevator. When the elderly couple heard the word ¡®legal, their eyes brightened as they dashed forward and stopped. Amanda. ¡°Are you awyer, miss? Can you help get justice for our daughter? She was killed by the president of thispany!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. A helpless Amanda was pulled back to the lobby. She gazed at the two of them and exined, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awyer, but I¡¯m the legal consultant of thispany.¡± The man asked, ¡°What does a legal consultant dq? Can you get justice for my daughter? I don¡¯t care what your title is as long as you can stand up for our daughter.¡° The security guard rushed over and pulled Amanda away from them before standing in front of her. ¡°What are you doing, sir and madam? She¡¯s the legal consultant of ourpany, so she¡¯ll only defend our rights. If you need awyer, hire one yourself.¡± ¡°What? Are you saying she¡¯ll only defend thispany? Elias had killed my daughter, so how could you still help him? You¡¯re a terrible person as well!¡± The man stared resentfully at Amanda. Then, the elderly couple lifted the banner again andmented to the employees about how miserable they were. ¡°Please leave in a hurry, Miss Bailey. Otherwise, they¡¯ll pester you again,¡± suggested the security guard. Amanda nodded and entered the elevator. Elias was dealing with work in the president¡¯s office when he heard someone knocking on the door from the outside. Without lifting his head, he said, ¡°Come in.¡± Amanda pushed the door open and saw the man signing a document. Even when she sat down in front of him, he was still unaware of her presence. It wasn¡¯t until he was done with work and lifted his head that he was met with the woman¡¯s clear gaze. He was startled for a moment, but he soon pulled himself together. ¡°Why are you here? You shouldn¡¯t havee at this point. There are reporters everywhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the legal consultant of thispany, so I have to help deal with the crisis as well.¡± Elias was rendered speechless. To be honest, he didn¡¯t want Amanda to be dragged into this matter. She leaned against the chair and cut to the chase by saying, ¡°Have youe up with a way to deal with it? The elderly couple is putting all their effort into it. I¡¯ve heard from the security guard that they¡¯ve been. standing in the lobby for more than ten hours, even though they are old and frail. They¡¯ve been crying andmenting, but they don¡¯t seem exhausted at all.¡± The man snorted. ¡°If they can get exorbitantpensation, their effort will be worth it. They certainly hope to stand there for a longer time to get more money.¡± Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Miss Bailey Makes Her Move After that, Elias received another call. There seemed to be some new developments in Natasha¡¯s case. He gazed at Amanda and said, ¡°You should go back. Thepany is in chaos right now, and I don¡¯t have time to deal with you.¡± ¡°Go back? Where to? Have you fired me? I don¡¯t recall submitting my resignation letter either so that still makes me thispany¡¯s legal advisor. How can I not be present when something like this happens?¡± Amanda crossed her arms and gazed inly at him. Elias fell silent at that. Just like that, the former husband and wife stared at each other for a long, long time. as if they had cast aside all distractions and obstacles around them. Suddenly¡­ ¡°Mr. Winters, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± Yacob rushed into the office frantically, only to freeze the next second. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯lle backter. He instinctively wanted to retreat. Yacob¡¯s voice broke the endless gaze between the two, and Amanda averted her gaze. Elias, on the other hand, called him back. ¡°Come back. What happened? Shoot.¡± Yacob obediently returned and walked up to the desk, his face serious. ¡°I don¡¯t know who gave those two the idea, but they invited a group of inte celebrities to live stream the scene. Everyone online is watching, and we¡¯re being heavily criticized. Natasha¡¯s parents are still there, crying and sobbing. They¡¯re still going strong.¡± ¡°What the hell are they waiting for?¡± Elias frowned. He had someone go and negotiate early on, asking the elderly couple toe to the conference room for negotiations, but they tly refused and continued standing there, holding their banner. ¡°Who knows?!¡± Yacob grumbled. ¡°Who knows who¡¯s giving ideas behind them, but it¡¯s obvious they want to ruin Winters Enterprise¡¯s name.¡± At that, Amanda snorted. ¡°Do you even need to guess? It must be one of your enemies. This is the best time to ruin yourpany¡¯s reputation, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡± Yacob pped the table anxiously. If this went on, their image would be completely ruined, though it was already in jeopardy. Suddenly, Amanda stood up and walked out of the office, saying. ¡°I¡¯ll go and meet with this mastermind.¡± Yacob and Elias exchanged a nce, seemingly not quite understanding her intentions, but they followed her nheless. Meanwhile, in the lobby of the first floor, the Knox couple grew increasingly addicted to their act, and several inte celebrities were live streaming with their phones.. Many employees of thepany were gathered, discussing and gossiping. After all, no one would have the mindset to work properly, given the situation. Everyone came to watch the excitement. Elias and Amanda stood behind the crowd, observing the absurd andical scene, and Yacob stood behind the two, saying, ¡°See how the elderly couple is distracting our employees from work. Our many clientsing in for business discussions can¡¯t even enter.¡± Elias squinted his eyes slightly. He was genuinely at a loss for what to do with the couple at this point. However, he couldn¡¯t let them spread garbage either. A chuckle escaped Amanda at that. ¡°Whatever you guys say or do will be wrong, and this is the time for us.wyers to step up and sort everything out for you. Also, this will help you realize how worthwhile it is to hire awyer.¡± Both men looked at Amanda. It seemed that this was indeed her area of expertise. Meanwhile, Amanda walked into the crowd and approached the elderly couple, and the man became alert and pulled his wife aside as soon as he saw Amanda, ring daggers at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the lawyer who only handleswsuits for thispany? What are you doing here?¡± Immediately, the inte celebrities who were live streaming quickly turned their cameras toward Amanda¡¯s face and started filming, adding variousmentaries. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Look, guys, this is the Winters Enterprise¡¯swyer. Let¡¯s see what she has to say. This regards a person¡¯s life, folks!¡± ¡°She actually defends this unscrupulouspany. Does she have any conscience while earning this dirty. money?!¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered by the mockery and ridicule from these inte celebrities. It was the perfect opportunity to use these live-streaming cameras to make the public see certain things clearly. ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, is Miss Natasha Knox your biological daughter?¡± Her question shocked everyone present. They couldn¡¯t believe Amanda would ask such a question. She was just rubbing salt on the elderly couple¡¯s wound, wasn¡¯t she?! The live stream chat rooms, too, were filled with curses, using Amanda of earning dirty money. ¡°What is she doing, Mr. Winters?!¡± Yacob was dumbfounded. Does she think we haven¡¯t been badly criticized enough? How can she ask such a question?!¡± However, Elias didn¡¯t say anything but only calmly observed. He¡¯d like to see what Amanda had in mind. The elderly man was taken aback by Amanda¡¯s question, but he quickly reacted and berated, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, Natasha is our birth daughter! Are you even human, to ask such a question at a time like this?!¡± *Please don¡¯t get me wrong, Amanda saidposedly. ¡°I just want to know, since you are her biological parents, do you know where Natasha¡¯s body is right now? Have you identified her body to the police? But ording to the police, they notified the family to identify the body, yet they never showed up. I assumed you guys have been too busy, but now, seeing that you two have been here all this while, you¡¯re not too busy yourselves. So, how about going to the police station and seeing your biological daughter onest. time? Do you not want to do that?¡± The next second, the crowd erupted. Even the viewers in the live stream burst into an uproar. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did the elderly couple not identify their daughter¡¯s body at the police station at all? Did theye here with their banner directly?!¡± ¡°Are they really parents?! How can they treat their own daughter like that?! Are they really not going to see her onest time?¡± ¡®Good Lord, what kind of weirdo parents are they?! They¡¯re crying their hearts out here but wouldn¡¯t even bother to identify the body!¡± Even the inte celebrities who were live streaming were dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. They could only stare in disbelief. The Knox couple, on the other hand, turned mortified upon hearing the criticisms, and Mr. Knox shouted. at Amanda, stuttering, ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s because we couldn¡¯t bear to see it. W-We¡­ We want to seek justice. for our daughter! F-For her life! If we don¡¯te here now, the public will forget about this very quickly. Will this heartlesspany take responsibility, then?! You truly are a heartless lawyer. G-Go away! We won¡¯t talk to you!¡± The elderly couple realized they would easily fall into thiswyer¡¯s trap if they talked to her, for she was constantly trying to manipte their words. ¡°In that case,¡± Amanda asked innocently, ¡°I still want to know why did youe to scold and berate Natasha the day she jumped? Do you not care about your daughter¡¯s reputation in thepany?¡± The live-streaming inte celebrities were even more dumbfounded in response. They initially stood by the ¡®defenseless¡¯ Knox couple¡¯s side, but now, after hearing Amanda¡¯s questions, they began suspecting the couple was just trying to extort money. ¡°No, wait, mister, do you reallye and cause a scene the day your daughter died? Why did you physically assault your daughter in front of so many people in thepany?¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Do You Care? Inte celebrities thought their values had been shattered. Shocks overcame them as they suddenly thought they might have chosen the wrong side. Even the viewers on the live stream chat rooms began. raising doubts. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are they really the victim¡¯s parents? How can they do this to their daughter?!¡± ¡®It seems that Natasha Knox jumped off the building purely because her parents caused a scene in the company. Who wouldn¡¯t be mortified in that situation?! I know I will! I put myself in her shoes, and to be scolded and berated by my parents in front of my colleagues in the office, I believe I would want to¡­ Goodness, what scary parents. ¡®Guys, until now, this elderly couple hadn¡¯t gone to the police station to identify their daughter¡¯s body! Instead, they went to protest at Winters Enterprise with their banners. Why is that? It¡¯s definitely for money! Realizing that public opinion was no longer in their favor, the elderly couples decided to leave quickly. seeing there was no benefit in staying ¡°You really are a heartlesswyer! How can you always speak up for thispany? Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution? What¡¯s wrong with using to thepany to find our daughter? What¡¯s wrong with hitting our daughter? We didn¡¯t make hermit suicide! It was thispany that drove our daughter to jump off the building! Why not question thispany but suspect us instead?! Are you trying to say that we forced our own daughter to death?!¡± Mr. Knox berated Amanda while dragging his wife out of the lobby with their banner. They didn¡¯t know what other unfavorable words thewyer might say if they stayed any longer. So, amid a chorus of questioning, the elderly couples left thepany. The Inte celebrities, too, left, feeling that the situation was no longer interesting. Meanwhile, Amanda looked around at the surrounding employees and said, ¡°Alright, everyone, get back to work. Go on. Run along now.¡± After that, she turned and approached Yacob and Elias with a quirked brow. ¡°Here you go, peace and quiet.¡± Yacob finally realized the abilities of awyer and was dumbfounded. ¡°Hats off to you, Miss Bailey. The two of them had been causing a scene here for dozens of hours, but nobody could get rid of them. You, on the other hand, handled it effortlessly. As expected from a top-notchwyer.¡± ¡°So¡­.¡± Amanda looked at Elias. ¡°Do you think thiswyer¡¯s fee is worth it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a raise,¡± Elias said with a smirk. ¡°Pift, as if I care. I¡¯ll probably be even busier after myw firm establishes. No need to bother me with minor issues in thepany, but you have to notify me regarding major incidents like this.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Elias nodded, staring at her. She was no longer the submissive Amanda who revolved around him four years ago. Now, she had her own career, thoughts, and personality, and she could even stand on her own. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. An inexplicable sense of crisis suddenly arose within him, and he began believing that Amanda didn¡¯t need his protection as much anymore. What would he do if it came a day when Amanda found someone she genuinely loved, and they also loved her back?! Elias couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Amanda¡¯s feelings toward him had faded. Now, they were just two people co-parenting their child without any other emotional investment. At noon, the two ate their lunches in thepany cafeteria. Amanda wasn¡¯t particrly hungry and ate absentmindedly, while Elias seemed to be eating seriously but didn¡¯t appear hungry. ¡°Are you really hungry? I remember you used to dislike the food in thepany cafeteria,¡± Amanda said. ¡°I have to eat even if I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Elias looked up and replied to her. ¡°There are still many things I need to handle. If I wait until I¡¯m hungry to eat, I might not have the time.¡± Amanda fell silent at that. That seemed to be the case. Ever since Howard passed, all the burdens fell solely on Elias¡¯ shoulders, He had to bear them even if he didn¡¯t want to. Every day, various matters needed his attention as soon as he opened his eyes. He had no choice. ¡°How is the wound on your back healing? Did you go to the hospital to have it treated?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t go,¡± Elias replied. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time. I can apply the medication myself, and it should be recovering fine.¡± Since the day Natasha dressed his wound, he decided to do it himself. Even if it was an area he couldn¡¯t reach, he wouldn¡¯t ask Yacob for help, for that dumb¡¯ss would only ask a female secretary to apply the medication. He might as well do it himself. Amanda frowned in response. Isn¡¯t he neglecting his own well-being too much?! As busy as he gets, he should still pay attention to his wound. That was sulfuric acid, for goodness sake! ¡°Are you pushing yourself too hard? You have so many employees. Is it necessary to do this? It¡¯s sulfuric acid, after all. You should pay attention to the progress of your wound¡¯s recovery!¡± Amanda became inexplicably angry, even though she wasn¡¯t sure why she was angry. Seeing how upset she was, Elias asked with a smirk, ¡°Do you care?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Amanda quickly denied it after recovering from her stupefaction. ¡°Why should I care? That¡¯s your body, not mine. Besides, we¡¯re already divorced. You¡¯re just my ex-husband. I don¡¯t care about you.¡± Elias looked at his food, seemingly contemting something, before speaking up, ¡°Amanda¡­ I¡­¡±. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s eat. After that, I¡¯ll have Yacob send you back. I have several meetings in the afternoon.¡± He thought it over and decided it was better to drop it. He thought he was no longer worthy. Amanda thought she had guessed what he wanted to say, but at the same time, she didn¡¯t. In the afternoon, Amanda continued to be busy with herw firm, which had entered the renovation. phase. She nned to decorate it in a minimalist style and was ready to find a renovationpany to outsource the work. She didn¡¯t have time to worry about these things anymore. Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was Selina, she answered it. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m picking Aiden up from school, but the people from this morning are also here. They also want to pick Aiden up. What should we do?¡± The Allegras?! Amanda instantly put the documents down and said gravely, ¡°Wait there. I¡¯ll be right over.¡± She sped to the kindergarten and saw Selina holding Aiden¡¯s hand, with Jack and Edith standing across from them. To her relief, Stephanie wasn¡¯t there. Little Aiden clung to Selina¡¯s hand, looking timidly at the two elders in front of him, pouting with a sense of grievance. ¡°I want Mommy.. ¡°Mommy will be here soon.¡± Selina ruffled his little head. Amanda, livid, immediately charged up to them. ¡°What do you people want?! Are you trying to force us into acknowledging our rtionship?!¡± Meanwhile, Aiden rushed to his mother immediately and wrapped his little arms around her legs tightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mommy¡¯s here.¡± Amanda soothed him, picking him up. ¡°What with that attitude?!¡± Jack reprimanded with a frown. ¡°Your mother just wanted to see the child. We didn¡¯t do anything. Must you have such hostility?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to see? Aiden doesn¡¯t even know you two. Do you think a child would like two strangers?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t understand why the Allegras were in such a hurry. Can they not give me time to ease into the situation?! Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Any Other Instructions, Miss Bailey? Jack wanted to argue further, but Edith held him back and exined to Amanda patiently. ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken. Your father and I aren¡¯t here to take your son away. We¡¯re just here to see him. We¡¯re worried that you don¡¯t want to see us if we go to your ce. So, we thought about taking a peek=¡± However, before Edith could finish her exnation, Amanda interrupted her mercilessly. ¡°You call this ¡®taking a peek? You¡¯re already standing right in front of Aiden!¡± With that, Amanda handed Aiden to Selina and said, ¡°You two get to the car first.¡± Selina nodded in acknowledgment and took Aiden to Amanda¡¯s car. Edith was instantly speechless, realizing that there was indeed nothing left to exin. When they came, they genuinely just wanted to take a peek at Aiden, but when they saw how happy he was, they couldn¡¯t help wanting to get closer to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s our fault¡­¡± Edith apologized. Jack couldn¡¯t help feeling upset, seeing how humble his wife was behaving toward their long-lost daughter. They were her elders, her parents; why should they act so subservient?! ¡°We¡¯re your parents, not your enemies. Must you treat us like this?¡± Jack reprimanded. Amanda sniggered, herughter filled with mockery. ¡°My parents? Thest time we saw each other was over twenty years ago. And might I remind you, Mr. Allegra, of the way you treated me on our first meeting. Was it any different from treating an enemy?¡± She still remembered it like it was just yesterday, Jack had asked her to prepare a prenuptial agreement for Stephanie. It was evident he knew she was Elias¡¯ ex-wife and wanted to humiliate her. Jack fell silent. He¡¯d be lying if he said it was unintentional. That said, he didn¡¯t know she was his dear Amelia at the time. Edith, on the other hand, was confused,pletely oblivious to the past incident. ¡°What does Amelia. mean? Have you already met her before this? Did you give her a hard time?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know she was Amelia at the time!¡± Jack argued impatiently. At that, Amanda sneered mercilessly. ¡°So, are you saying you can disparage me just because I¡¯m not your daughter? Do you think it¡¯s right to humiliate someone else¡¯s daughter on the basis of your daughter¡¯s happiness? Well, I don¡¯t really want to acknowledge parents like you. Besides, I don¡¯tck maternal or paternal love.¡± With that, she turned to leave, but Edith grabbed her arm before she could walk away. ¡°Amanda! I know we¡¯ve wronged you. It was our fault that we lost you back then. But you can¡¯t say such hurtful things. It really saddens your father and me.¡± However, Amanda shook Edith¡¯s hand off while looking at her pitiful gaze. ¡°You still have Stephanie, don¡¯t you? She grew up by your side.¡± ¡°You¡¯re both my daughter, not one less, Amelia-no, Amanda! Please give Mom and Dad a chance to make amends!¡± Edith choked up, her face full of grievances. ¡°Stop it! Do you know how embarrassing you look right now?!¡± Jack pulled his wife back at once. ¡°Well, you sure can see the bigger picture, Mr. Allegra, mocked Amanda, her words filled with sarcasm. But Jack didn¡¯t argue with her and instead asked bluntly, ¡°Why did you and Elias divorce back then, and why did you raise your son alone? Was it because he didn¡¯t want to take responsibility?¡± That said, it was clear to Jack that Elias didn¡¯t shirk any fatherly responsibilities, at least not that he could tell. In fact, he was a very responsible father. ¡°That¡¯s between us and us only. You, on the other hand, shouldn¡¯t you be worried about the major ongoing trouble in Winters Enterprise since you¡¯re one of the major shareholders?¡± She was genuinely curious as to what Jack had in store. After all, he wouldn¡¯t benefit from Winters Enterprise¡¯s copse. He was relying on Winters Enterprise to make money, was he not? At that, Jack snorted contemptuously. ¡°How can I expect Elias to support the entire Winters Family business in the future if he can¡¯t even handle such a small issue?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not nning to help him regain his shares either?¡± ¡°I will, but he has to suffer a little, Harrogant, looking down on everyone. He will stumble big time in the future if he doesn¡¯t experience some setbacks.¡± It then dawned on Jack that Elias would be his son-inw eventually, just that this time, he was a former son-inw. It seemed that he and Elias were destined to be inws. No wonder he felt a special closeness to Elias before and insisted that he be his son-inw. By evening, the online voices had temporarily shifted in Winter Enterprise¡¯s favor. The Knox couple didn¡¯t remain idle either. They began seekingwyers to negotiate with Winters Enterprise, striving for the maximum benefit. Right then, Elias was talking to Amanda on the phone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his office. The industry is now waiting to take on this case. After all, it can bring fame and increase thew firm¡¯s reputation. I bet manyw firms are lining up to talk to the old couple,¡± said Amanda on the other end of the line. ¡°I know,¡± Elias replied, pinching his brow. ¡°Don¡¯t release the surveince footage online unless absolutely necessary. Releasing them too early will backfire, and people will use you of being heartless and evading responsibility.¡± Elias smiled in response. ¡°Got it, Miss Bailey. Any other instructions?¡± It was a very normal sentence, yet it carried a different kind of romantic ambiguitying from him. Amanda was taken aback for a moment before responding. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m going to sleep. I¡¯ll let you know tomorrow if I remember anything ¡°Alright, good night. The man¡¯s tone remained gentle and indulgent. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Amanda didn¡¯t respond but hung up the phone directly. At that, a yful smile appeared at the corners of Elias lips as he looked out at the bustling streets filled with shimmering neon lights. Just then, a knock came at the door, and he instantly tucked his smile away, returning to his usual aloof self. ¡°Come in.¡± The door was pushed open, revealing Jack. Elias¡¯ frown deepened at that. Why has hee looking for me at this hour? ¡°Do you need something from me, Mr. Allegra? Have a seat,¡± he said, gesturing toward the couch. Jack obliged, sitting down but remaining silent. Elias didn¡¯t rush him either and simply sat there with him. He even asked his secretary to brew them some tea. However, Jack remained silent even after the secretary ced the tea before them and left, closing the door behind. Elias smirked, but he continued to wait patiently. In the meantime, he fiddled with his phone, looking through Aiden¡¯s pictures, which he had taken during their trip to Universal Studios. The little guy had a st that time. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jack suddenly asked. ¡°Aiden¡¯s pictures,¡± Elias replied, handing Jack his phone. Jack took a second to register Elias¡¯ words, and he took the phone from thetter. Seeing the innocent and cheerful little boy in the pictures, he couldn¡¯t help smiling too. This was his eldest daughter, Amelia¡¯s boy My dear grandson¡­ In an instant, he felt a myriad of emotions. Amelia was still just a child when she was lost, and now, her child could even already greet him as ¡®Grandpa.¡¯ Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Is Reconciliation Impossible for You Two? Jack looked up at Elias and asked, ¡°Will you give me a call the next time you take the little guy out? Edith and I will join you.¡± They usually had no chance to be alone with Aiden, plus Amanda wouldn¡¯t agree to it either. It suddenly felt quite sad. So what if his career was sessful?! The daughter he lost twenty years ago now looked at him like a stranger. It was because he and his wife were too busy with work that they identally lost their eldest daughter. Fortunately, they found her eventually, or they would regret it for the rest of their lives. Late at night, in his dreams, he would often dream of Amelia being mercilessly harmed, unable to even find her body. So, he found the DNA test surreal when he first saw it, unable to believe that their daughter had returned. Elias nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take Aiden out to y every weekend, and the weekend ising again in two days. I¡¯ll let you know then.¡± Jack hummed a response, then reluctantly returned Elias his phone before saying, ¡°I have a question for you.¡± What is it?¡± Though he already had a rough idea of what it could be. ¡°Why did you and Amanda divorce, and why did you let her raise Aiden alone? Do you know how tough it is for a woman to raise a child on her own?¡± Jack questioned Elias entirely from a father¡¯s perspective. Elias remained calm and spoke up slowly. ¡°I did some messed up things back in the day, and I had selfish reasons for divorcing her. But regarding Aiden, I didn¡¯t know she was pregnant with him at the time, let alone the fact that she was raising him alone. That¡¯s why I¡¯m making amends as much as I can.¡± For a moment, it seemed that they were in a simr situation; both fathers had been missing from their children¡¯s lives and now were trying to make up for lost years as much as possible. However, unlike Jack, Elias could still make amends since Aiden was only three. Amanda, on the other hand, was already 26. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Jack didn¡¯t want to inquire about the past anymore, for it was meaningless at this point. ¡°I have a proposition for you. Help me mend my rtionship with Amanda, and I¡¯ll help you regain your grandfather¡¯s shares.¡± Elias¡¯ raven-ck eyes flickered slightly, and a chuckle escaped him. ¡°Sounds reasonable, but after thinking about it, how can I help you when even I haven¡¯t mended my rtionship with her?¡± He had been trying so hard for such a long time, but Amanda wouldn¡¯t give him any chances to turn things around, let alone Jack, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in thest twenty years. ¡°You¡¯re already in a much better position,¡± said Jack. ¡°You can at least see her and your child openly while Edith and I have to sneak around but are still unable to see Aiden. Not only that, we even have to bear Amanda¡¯s hostile gaze. We didn¡¯t mean to lose her either. It¡¯s not like we wanted to go twenty years without seeing her!¡± Now that Elias looked at it, he seemed to really have the better end of the stick. At least he could still see Aiden and meet with Amanda. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± He didn¡¯t have much confidence either, for Amanda was no longer the young woman she was four years ago. Now, she had her own opinions. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your good news. It¡¯s best if you can have her bring the little one over for a meal. I¡¯ll be waiting to hear from you.¡± With that, Jack got up to leave, but he had taken only a couple of steps before turning his head around. ¡°Is it really impossible for you and Amanda to reconcile? The boy¡¯s already three, and he shouldn¡¯t be without a father.¡± Elias fell silent, and Jack said nothing more and left. After Jack left, the office was empty, with only Elias alone, and it felt hollow in every corner. The following day, Amanda arrived early at Winters Enterprise, for the Knox couple and theirwyer had arrived. It seemed that they were prepared to strike big. When she arrived at the meeting room, Elias was already seated in the observer¡¯s seat, seemingly not intending to participate in the negotiations. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Miss Bailey. This way.¡± The head of the Legal Department gestured toward her. At that, she sat at the conference table with her briefcase in hand, facing the Knox couple and their lawyer. ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to it. How do you want to bepensated? Let¡¯s hear it out,¡± Amanda said while looking. at the case files. The opposingwyer wasted no time and directly presented a series ofpensation demands. ¡°This is the list ofpensation we require, totaling 15 million.¡± 15 million? These two sure are ruthless, asking for such arge sum. Amanda was taken aback by the list but remained impassive on the surface. Suddenly she sniggered. ¡°Why is a house also listed here? And we¡¯re also responsible for Mr. and Mrs. Knox¡¯s retirement after Natasha¡¯s death?!¡± ¡°Naturally. Natasha is Mr. and Mrs. Knox¡¯s only daughter. Now that she¡¯s gone, and they have no one else to rely on, the responsibility should fall on Winters Enterprise, debated the opposingwyer. Amanda tossed the list onto the conference table and leaned back. ¡°But even when Natasha was alive, they didn¡¯t have a ce to live. Moreover, considering Natasha¡¯s sry, even if they starve for thirty years, they couldn¡¯t afford the property you¡¯re targeting in this prime location worth 700 thousand. Isn¡¯t this going too far?¡± She suspected that the elderly couple had been deceived by theirwyer. It was normal that they would wantpensation, but their exorbitant demands made it feel like they were feeding off their own daughter even after her death. Upon hearing Amanda¡¯s words, Natasha¡¯s father became agitated again. ¡°You, you¡¯re a very annoying girl. You¡¯re the one causing trouble every time. If it isn¡¯t that you¡¯re thewyer of thispany, I¡¯d really want to give you a p. What kind of heartless child did your parents raise? Shouldn¡¯t children take care of their¡± parents in their old age? Now that my daughter is gone, who will take care of me in my old age? You? Why shouldn¡¯t we ask for money?¡± ¡°Please, calm down, sir,¡± Amanda said with a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you can¡¯t ask forpensation, did I? But you can¡¯t ask for everything from us. Should we also find you a young and beautifulpanion while we¡¯re at it?¡± This time, it was Natasha¡¯s mother¡¯s turn to be upset. ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± she berated. ¡°Get another lawyer to negotiate with us! You¡¯re a fake!¡± but ¡°Oh, but I¡¯m more genuine than yourwyer,¡± Amanda sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s told you. either way, the amount is impossible. It¡¯ll be the same even in court. Besides, you two caused a major scene in thepany before Natasha ended her life. I strongly suspect that it was because of you two that. she chose to do the extreme.¡± ¡°What?! You¡¯re bullsh*tting! That¡¯s our daughter! Could we force her to death?!¡± Natasha¡¯s father flipped out again, even mming the table repeatedly as if he wanted to smash it. Meanwhile, Elias remained seated in the observer¡¯s seat without expressing any opinions, just silently watching Amanda. It was his first time watching her do her job with such seriousness. She had truly grown a lot. But just when Natasha¡¯s mother was about to hit Amanda, Elias stood up and pulled Amanda behind him. He gripped the elderly woman¡¯s hand firmly, warning. Are you guys resorting to violence? Did you used to hit your daughter like this?!¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 You Like the Little Me? ¡°What are you going on about?! I never hit my daughter! I never did! Shouldn¡¯t you be held ountable. when my daughter died in yourpany?! Instead, you bring in awyer to bully us! You people are unbelievable!¡± Intimidated by Elias¡¯ imposing stature, Natasha¡¯s mother began behaving unreasonably. After all, they were elderly; no one would dare to do anything to them. At that, Elias released the elderly woman¡¯s hand and demanded sternly, ¡°Do you really think no one saw or heard what you two did here?¡± The Knox couple was indeed quite naive. They probably thought public opinion would continue to lean in their favor. Immediately, Natasha¡¯s father shielded his wife behind him. ¡°What are you saying?! What have we done? We are only a helpless couple seeking justice. Why is it so hard?!¡± ¡°No need to trouble yourself with this matter, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ll handle it,¡± said Amanda, fearing Elias might mention the surveince footage and give the opposingwyer a new line of thinking. Complying with her request, Elias returned to his seat. ¡°Get physical again, and I will have you You won¡¯t receive a single penny either. We will bring this to court.¡± thrown out. This time, not only the Knox couple but even theirwyer somewhat panicked, for Winters Enterprise had a formidable team ofwyers who might not necessarily lose even if the case went to court. At that, the opposingwyer pulled the Knox couple aside for a hushed discussion. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Knox, it¡¯s best we don¡¯t go too far, or you really might not get a single penny in the end. After all, some evidence currently avable is highly unfavorable to our side.¡± Natasha¡¯s parents exchanged a nce and finally realized the severity of the situation. All they wanted was marypensation and not to bring the issue to court. After all, the case would take a long time to resolve if it was presented to the court, and it would be ages before they receive any compensation. Amanda crossed her arms and squinted her eyes slightly as she watched the Knox couple and their lawyer whisper to each other. They had been discussing for almost half an hour, and she didn¡¯t know what they were saying. At that, she checked the time on her wristwatch. Seeing it was approaching noon, she couldn¡¯t help but turn to the opposingwyer. ¡°Mr. Waltham, how about you and your clients go back and discuss it among yourselves beforeing back to negotiate? It¡¯s almost noon, and I have things to attend to this afternoon.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I think we can consider reducing the amount in question. After all, the deceased should be given due respect, and we don¡¯t want to see Natasha Knox leave in such a disgraceful manner and have the matter go to court, the opposingwyer said. Amanda smirked in response. She knew it woulde to this. The elderly couple was simply feasting on their daughter¡¯s tragic fate while portraying themselves as pitiful. After spending the morning negotiating, the elderly couple still insisted on an exorbitant amount, reducing it from 15 million to 12 million-still an astronomical amount. As a result, Winters Enterprise decided to leave it to the court. Upon having lunch in thepany cafeteria, Amanda prepared to attend to her ownw firm matters. As she wiped the corners of her mouth, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, catching Elias¡¯ attention. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he asked. ¡°I feel quite dedicated these days, clocking in to work on time.¡± Elias chuckled as well, then remembered Jack¡¯s request. With that, he asked, ¡°Do you have time this weekend? Are you willing to join the Allegras for a meal at their ce and bring along Aiden as well?¡± Originally, he wanted to persuade her more tactfully, but he realized it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate. It was better to be straightforward and let her decide for herself. The smile on Amanda¡¯s face vanished instantly. She fell silent for a while before asking, ¡°Did Jack ask you to be the mediator?¡± ¡°Sort of, but I only intend to be a messenger. He didn¡¯t want to be involved in this matter, especially considering Amanda¡¯s aversion to it. A chuckle escaped Amanda as she lowered her head. She had been avoiding that mattertely, not wanting to bring it up or hear anyone mention it. But she would have to face it eventually. The truth was that she was indeed Jack¡¯s biological daughter, proven by a DNA test. Seeing that she remained silent, Elias spoke up. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to recognize them as your parents, so be it. Either way, you now know Dick Leans isn¡¯t your father. That¡¯s all that matters, and you don¡¯t need to feel ashamed or guilty about anything Leans did. It has nothing to do with you.¡± He knew Amanda had always felt inferior because of her gambling-addict father. Now, she could finally stand tall. Amanda let out a deep sigh. ¡°But Mrs. Allegra seems pitiful. They didn¡¯t want to lose their daughter either. These past few days, I sometimes wonder, would we have still inexplicably gotten married if I hadn¡¯t been lost back then? Would we have a child as adorable as Aiden? It seems like everything is destined.¡± Elias¡¯ eyes flickered slightly, and he chuckled. ¡°Of course not, but I might have known you twenty years earlier.¡± Amanda looked up and met the man¡¯s sober gaze, her expression slightly puzzled Elias smiled and said, ¡°Jack joined Winters Enterprise a year after they lost you. He brought his entire family to the annual dinner. If you hadn¡¯t been lost, we might have already known each other at that time.¡± For a moment, Amanda¡¯s heart fluttered. If she hadn¡¯t been lost, she and Elias would¡¯ve been childhood sweethearts, wouldn¡¯t they? But very quickly, she found the thoughtughable. Even if they had known each other that early, Elias might not have liked her. ¡°You¡¯re wondering if there would have been a spark between us if we had met that early, aren¡¯t you?¡± I swear this man can really read minds, Amanda mused with panicked eyes and quickly evaded her gaze. ¡°No.¡± Heughed, his hands in his pockets as he looked ahead at the greenery. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t like me four years ago. What makes you think you¡¯ll like the little me from twenty years ago?¡± Amanda scoffed, showing her disdain. I¡¯m definitely not buying it. However, Elias stared at her side profile, incredibly serious and affectionate. ¡°In that photo I saw, the little you was quite charming. At least you looked more attractive than Stephanie.¡± In the photo, although Amanda and Stephanie stood together, they had very different looks. ¡°Are you saying you like the little me?¡± Amanda had almost forgotten what she looked like as a child. She hadn¡¯t taken many pictures, as her gambling-addict father, Dick, couldn¡¯t even provide enough food, let alone nice clothes. Elias nodded in affirmation. ¡°I do. You had a lively and spirited appearance.¡± Amanda had also seen Elias¡¯ childhood photos back at the Winterses¡¯ ce. He was an aloof kid, exuding a handsome aura at such a young age. However, his expression was always sour, making him appear unapproachable and difficult to deal with. At that, she couldn¡¯t help bursting intoughter. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Elias frowned. ¡°What are youughing about now?¡± ¡°I remembered your childhood photo. You looked very unapproachable.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Elias smiled. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Dining at the Allegra Vi ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Although Amanda raised her voice on purpose just to oppose Elias, he didn¡¯t say more as he decided to see her off. When they arrived at the basement car park, Amanda suddenly spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal at the Allegra Vi this weekend. You have toe with me; I don¡¯t really know Jack, and Aiden may not like it either. You have to be around to maintain order.¡± The man was stunned for a moment. ¡®He didn¡¯t think that Amanda would agree so quickly. He initially thought that Amanda would reject him. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll pick you guys up when the timees.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Amanda opened the car door and got into the driver¡¯s seat. She started the car and slowly drove away. The man stood where he was, watching the taillights of the car gradually disappear into the distance. He let out a deep sigh. Amanda probably didn¡¯t want this, but shepromised. He didn¡¯t know what Amanda waspromising for, either. Soon, it was the weekend. In the evening. Aiden kept asking for food, but Elias still hadn¡¯t shown up. ¡°Come on, stop shouting. When Daddyes, I¡¯ll take you to get nice food, all right?¡± ¡°But when is Daddying? Why isn¡¯t he here yet? I¡¯m so hungry.¡± Aiden put a piteous look on his face. He was almost losing it. Amandaforted her son. ¡°I just called to ask, and he said there was a slight traffic jam on his way here. He¡¯ll be here soon, so please hang in there. Here¡¯s a cookie to snack on.¡± Ding-dong- The doorbell finally rang. Aiden tossed the cookie in his hand and dashed over to open the door. Amanda shook her head in exasperation, then said to Selina, ¡°We won¡¯t be having dinner at home tonight, so remember to eat on time. We mighte homete, so you don¡¯t have to wait for us.¡± Selina smiled as she nodded. ¡°All right, got it.¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Aiden excitedly leaped into the man¡¯s arms. Elias picked his son up and looked at Amanda. ¡°Are you ready? Let¡¯s go.¡± Amanda took her purse and went out the door. After that, they got into the car. Amanda sat on the passenger seat, gazing at the profile of the man next to her, who was focused on driving. She asked. ¡°Have you told Jack about it? He knows we¡¯re visiting, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay with you two. It¡¯s just a meal.¡± Elias sensed how nervous Amanda was. ¡°I¡¯m not worried¡­¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± The man¡¯s lips curved into a smile. The car slowly drove into the garden of the Allegra Vi. Aiden peered at the scenery outside as he leaned against the back of the man¡¯s seat. ¡°Daddy, where is this ce? I¡¯m so hungry, I want to eat.¡± ¡°Come on. We¡¯re going to eat.¡± After entering the vi of the Allegra Family, Amanda was seriously nervous. Is this supposed to be my home? If I weren¡¯t abandoned 20 years ago, would I have grown up in this ce? Amanda undid her seatbelt as she looked around at her surroundings with an unfamiliar yet curious gaze. Just then, the butler came over and led them to the dining hall for dinner. The Allegras were already waiting in ce. Amanda took Aiden¡¯s hand as she passed through the garden, headed for the Allegra Vi. Meanwhile, in the dining hall, the Allegras sat at the dining table, all lined up. The table was filled with sumptuous delicacies, and everyone was waiting for Amanda¡¯s arrival with her child. Mrs. Allegra, Edith, was a little anxious. ¡°Why are they not here yet? Did they change their minds at the last minute?¡± She was ted when Elias called and said that Amanda agreed to have a meal here. But now, Amanda still hadn¡¯t shown up, so she was both anxious and nervous. Jack frowned. ¡°What are you saying? Amelia is an adult now, how can she not keep her promises? Also, we just called to confirm, right? They encountered a slight traffic jam, that¡¯s all. You just had to choose to have dinner, and it¡¯s the rush hour too.¡± ¡°I just thought it would be more rxed at night. We could have some tea after the meal, too¡­¡± Edith was extremely nervous, for she feared that Amanda wouldn¡¯te. Seated at the side, Stephanie had mixed feelings about this. Her emotions were quite a challenge to describe. Just then, the butler came over. ¡°Mr. Allegra, Miss Bailey and Mr. Winters are here.¡± As soon as the butler said that, Jack and Edith beamed as they hastily raised their heads to look. Their eyes were filled with anticipation. Amanda led Aiden into the dining hall. When Aiden caught sight of Stephanie, he couldn¡¯t help but point at her as he shouted, ¡°Ah! The nasty ugly woman! Moinmy, I don¡¯t want to be here. I want to go home.¡± Aiden reached his arms out to be picked up. Amanda carried him in her arms as she said patiently, ¡°Aiden, you cannot say that. That¡¯s not right, understand?¡± Stephanie suppressed the rage in her heart as her motherforted her, ¡°Forget it, he¡¯s just a child. Don¡¯t hold it against him.¡± Jack was still d that Amanda could make it. At least she was here now, and she came with her child. They would take it one step at a time. Things would get better. ¡°Have a seat. You must be hungry. There are still some dishes in the kitchen, and I told them to serve those dishes only after you¡¯ve arrived. With that, Jack looked at the butler at the side. ¡°Get the kitchen staff to serve the food.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The butler turned around and left the dining hall. Amanda ced Aiden on a dining chair, coaxing him, ¡°You¡¯re hungry, right? Look, there¡¯s so much delicious food here. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to eat, ask Daddy to get some for you.¡± She sat down next to Aiden while Elias sat on the other side of the child. Aiden was sandwiched between his parents so that he wouldn¡¯t feel unfamiliar or scared. Edith adored Aiden very much. He was her biological grandson, after all. She said in a coaxing manner, ¡°Aiden, what would you like to eat? Let me take some for you. The food is all prepared for you. Or would you like to have something else? Whatever it is, I¡¯ll get the chef in the kitchen to make it for you, all right?¡± Aiden picked up his spoon and said, ¡°I can do it myself Aiden was truly hungry, for he had beenining about his hunger ever since he was at home. Now that a whole feast wasid out on the table before him, he couldn¡¯t help but gulp. Amanda said calmly, ¡°He can eat by himself, so you don¡¯t have to feed him. He might dirty the table, though.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°It¡¯s okay, children are all like that.¡± Jack looked at the stubborn child and couldn¡¯t help but put on a smile. He had always been looking forward to seeing his daughter get married and have children so that he could have grandchildren to pamper. Now, he not only found his eldest daughter, but he was also able to hold his very own grandson. Edith looked awkwardly at Amanda. ¡°Amelia-I mean. Amanda, you should eat too. You must be hungry as well.¡± Edith was very careful about Amanda¡¯s emotions, fearing that if Amanda was upset, she might leave without warning. Amanda nodded, and then began to cat slowly. However, someone was staring at her so intently that she felt uneasy. She looked up to see Old Mrs. Allegra, Cassandra, staring at her with tears in thetter¡¯s eyes. Cassandra wiped her tears from time to time. ¡°Grandma, you- Amanda suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Jealousy Cassandra smiled as she wiped her tears. ¡°Please excuse me. I was just too overwhelmed. I haven¡¯t seen you in so many years, and it¡¯s a surprise to see Amelia all grown up. You¡¯ve be so beautiful.¡± ¡°Mom, what are you doing? She¡¯s back already, so there¡¯s no need to cry.¡± Jack frowned. Cassandra said smilingly, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s back now, so why am I crying? Old people tend to cry easily, so please excuse me. Elias didn¡¯t say a word throughout the process. He just silently took care of Aiden and kept putting food on thetter¡¯s te. Aiden was quite obedient, too. His small mouth was constantly chewing, and he stopped making any fusses. Another person at the dining table was also quiet throughout the meal: Stephanie. However, when Stephanie saw the harmonious scene, she felt upset. In the past, everyone¡¯s attention would be drawn to her and her only. She was pampered by everyone in the house. Now that her sister was back, her family seemed to have forgotten about her. She was ignored as if she had turned into air. ¡°Mom, can you not be so biased? I want to eat fish too!¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Edith had. ced a lot of food on Amanda¡¯s te, and her gaze seemed to be glued to Amanda. Edith, however, was a little annoyed. ¡°Stop being so childish. Your sister has juste back, and I haven¡¯t seen her in so many years. Are you going to get jealous just because I put food on her te?¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t believe that Edith, who usually pampered her the most, could say something like that. The others seemed to find it reasonable as well. aroun Stephanie couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She put down her utensils and turned around to leave the dining hall. Cassandra called out, ¡°Stephanie, sit down. I¡¯ll get some food for you.¡± Unexpectedly, Jack said, ¡°Mom, ignore her. She¡¯s just throwing a tantrum.¡± Amanda and Elias exchanged nces. They knew it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for them to say anything, so they could only lower their heads and eat. Stephanie heard their conversation from her position outside the dining room. Amanda hadn¡¯t officially returned yet, but Stephanie was already losing favor. Stephanie sobbed as she went to the garden, her heart filled with injustice. Would she be ignored like this forever? Just then, a maid walked over to her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Steph?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Stephanie hastily wiped her tears, not wishing her unsightly appearance to be witnessed by servants. She would always be the proud youngdy of the Allegra Family. The maid said, ¡°Well¡­ Crispin is here, and he¡¯s looking for you.¡± Crispin? Stephanie almost forgot about that man. The engagement banquet was canceled, so of course, Elias had let Crispin off the hook. Amanda¡¯s real identity was exposed as well, so her family couldn¡¯t be bothered about Stephanie. In other words, Stephanie could be together with Crispin just like she wished, but why wasn¡¯t she happy about it? They were both daughters of the Allegra Family, but why did Amanda, who was abandoned for 20 years, manage to find the excellent and rich Elias, whereas Stephanie found the impoverished Crispin, with whom she was even obsessed? Stephanie was beginning to suspect that there was something wrong with her head. She was brought up in a wealthy family, so why did she have poorer taste than Amanda, who grew up in poverty? Could it be that she truly was too far behind Amanda? But why could Amanda get Elias, but she got Crispin instead? Comparison truly did hurt. With Amanda as a contrast, Stephanie now felt that the man she fell for was completely useless, and there was nothing to like about him. ¡°Miss Steph, are you meeting him or not?¡± The maid couldn¡¯t help but ask again. After all, they could barely hold Crispin off at the gate. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Stephanie frowned. ¡°No! Tell him I¡¯m not in the mood She had just finished speaking when Crispin¡¯s voice sounded behind her. ¡°Steph! Why don¡¯t you want to see me? You know how much I miss you!¡± ¡°Hey, how did you get in here? That¡¯s not allowed. The maid went up to stop Crispin, but he shoved the maid aside. When Stephanie saw Crispin¡¯s insistent behavior, she found it annoying. She wondered how she managed to be so infatuated with him in the past. Perhaps the things she couldn¡¯t get were always the best ones. ¡°Fine, just leave for now,¡± Stephanie said to the maid. The maid nodded and left. Only Stephanie and Crispin remained in the garden. Crispin looked around at the luxurious vi of the Allegra Family, his heart itching. He had gone against all odds and stopped the engagement banquet, but why was Stephanie so indifferent. about him? What happened? Did she have a change of heart? ¡°Steph, what¡¯s wrong? Did you change your mind? Why didn¡¯t you want to see me?¡± Stephanie¡¯s gaze was avoidant. She didn¡¯t know what to say as she stuttered, ¡°Nothing, I was just down in the dumps these days.¡± ¡°Why? Tell me, maybe I can help you.¡± ¡°I told you I had a sister who was lost for 20 years. You remember, right? Now, she¡¯s back, and everyone is focusing on her. I feel abandoned.¡± Stephanie sighed as she tossed a green leaf away. When Crispin heard that, his expression subconsciously shifted. The daughter who has gone missing for 20 years is back now? That meant he wouldn¡¯t be the only son-inw, so even if he married Stephanie in the future, he wouldn¡¯t be able to inherit all the property of the Allegra Family. Why did shee back at this time? How annoying. Crispin was already eursing in his heart, but he had to put on a calm expression as he said, ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, right? You should be happy about it. I remember back when you told me how much you looked forward to your sister¡¯s return.¡± ¡°I said that, but now that she¡¯s back for real, I feel weird¡­ The love that fully belonged to me is now split in half to be given to my sister.¡± ¡°Steph, don¡¯t think that. Your sister was missing for 20 years, and you¡¯ve also enjoyed the love all to yourself for 20 years, right?¡± Now, Crispin¡¯s head was filled with questions of whether this newly returned sister intended to inherit the family property. Stephanie didn¡¯t say anything. She just sighed. He asked tactfully, ¡°Your sister must be 26 years old now. Is she married? Does she have children now?¡± Those were all tools to get more family property. He had to know about these things. She replied, ¡°She not only got married, she got divorced too. Her son is 3 years old already.¡± ¡°What? Does that mean she might just stay in the Allegra Family forever?¡± Shock colored Crispin¡¯s face. Two morepetitors had shown up in the race for the family property: One of them was even a kid! If Jack was overjoyed, he might give all his property to his grandson instead. Under these circumstances, Crispin knew he had to marry Stephanie as soon as possible. Then, they had to have a child so that they could keep things under control. ¡°Of course. My parents wished that they could take her and her son home and pamper them every day.¡± Stephanie¡¯s voice was filled with jealousy. Crispin suddenly said, ¡°Steph, let¡¯s get married.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Stephanie hadpletely returned to her senses now, and she looked at the man in front of her in disbelief. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Eased Rtionship Stephanie couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing for a moment. They were just chatting, so why did the topic of marriagee up all of a sudden? She did want to get married to Crispin in the past, but now¡­ She wasn¡¯t quite willing to go through with it. ¡°I said, let¡¯s get married. Now, Elias has fulfilled his promise, the engagement banquet was canceled, and your sister is back. Everyone¡¯s attention is elsewhere right now, so it¡¯s the perfect chance to get a marriage certificate in secret.¡± Crispin couldn¡¯t wait any longer. If this went on, everything he was working for would be gone. ¡°But¡­ That¡¯s not appropriate, is it? My dad would be mad if he knew, and¡­¡± At the moment, she wasn¡¯t raring to get married anymore. More specifically, she was no longer so enthusiastic about marrying Crispin. ¡°And what? Steph, do you not want to be with me anymore?¡± That¡­ That¡¯s not true! I just-Things are a mess at home, so I truly have no time to think about such personal matters at the moment.¡± She was reluctant to admit that she had a change of heart, but that seemed to be the case.. Just then, footsteps sounded nearby. Someone seemed to havee to the garden for a walk. Stephanie panicked. ¡°You have to leave, Crispin. My dad and the others are here. Go, go! My dad will get mad if he sees you again.¡± ¡°Steph, I-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk over the phone. Just go now, please, Crispin!¡± Stephanie pleaded as she instinctively turned back to look. They truly were walking toward her. In the past, she would pit absolutely everything against her father and be with Crispin. Yet, she was scared now. She feared that her father would be furious and truly ignore her forever. Crispin also wanted to leave a good impression on Jack, since he would be thetter¡¯s son-inw in the future. So, he could only retreat for now as he quietly turned around and left.. ¡°This is our garden. You especially loved the camellia when you were young, so your mother refused to move the tree. She kept it intact for the day of your return,¡± Jack said. Amanda looked at the beautiful scenery before her, unable to remember anything. She couldn¡¯t quite remember the memories she had before she was five. Just then, Edith spotted Stephanie, who was standing there. Then, she spoke up of her own ord, ¡°Steph, why are you here alone? Are you still mad? Your sister has just returned, and I was just too happy about it. I didn¡¯t mean to ignore you.¡± She had given birth to both of them, so how could she love one more than the other? Edith walked up to Stephanie and patted thetter on the shoulder. Stephanie¡¯s eyes were red as she said stubbornly, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Mommy, why did she cry? Even her eyes are red.¡± Aiden stared at Stephanie for a while, then looked up and asked Amanda. Amanda was slightly stunned as she said. ¡°I wonder why.¡± Stephanie snorted in her heart. At least this little kid had some conscience and recognized that she had been crying. While everyone was amazed at the child¡¯spassion, Aiden suddenly said, ¡°She¡¯s probably crying because of her ugliness.¡± As soon as he said that, everyone froze on the spot. Meanwhile, a smile crept onto Elias¡¯ lips. Just why did the kid harbor such strong enmity toward Stephanie? ¡°Watch your mouth, kid! Whom did you say was crying at their ugliness? You! That¡¯s who!¡± Stephanie felt like she was about to explode from anger. Did Heaven send this little kid here just to make her miserable? ¡°Why are you so childish? We shouldn¡¯t have spoiled you,¡± Jack reprimanded his daughter. Stephanie felt even more aggrieved. Her tone wasced with injustice as she said, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®childish? Are children allowed to say that other people are ugly? Why don¡¯t you lecture your grandson for being rude instead?¡± Amanda coughed lightly as she stepped in. ¡°Aiden is at fault here. He shouldn¡¯t say such things about _people.¡± She lowered her head and red at Aiden, but thetter only stuck out his tongue mischievously. There wasn¡¯t even an ounce of fear in his eyes. Elias caressed his son¡¯s head as he said patiently, ¡°Aiden, you can¡¯t say things like that. You might hurt them, understand?¡± ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s her fault for tying to take my daddy away. Nasty woman! Everyone who tries to snatch Daddy from Mommy is nasty!¡± Aiden put on a spoiled expression, refusing to admit that he was wrong. Nheless, everyone fell silent when they heard that. They finally understood why Aiden hated Stephanie so terribly now. Stephanie had no words to say, either. She probably left a bad impression on the child when she caused a huge ruckus in kindergarten. Amanda lifted her wrist and checked the time on her watch, then swiftly changed the topic, saying, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so we should go home now. Aiden has to go to kindergarten tomorrow.¡± Jack wished that he could convince her to stay the night when he saw that Amanda was about to leave with Aiden. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t dare to push his luck in case it ruined the beautiful moment. Edith was equally reluctant to part with her long-lost daughter. ¡°It¡¯s already sote, so why don¡¯t you stay for the night? We have a lot of empty rooms here, anyway.¡± This was the first time after a long time she had gotten so close to Amanda. So, she sincerely didn¡¯t want Amanda to leave so soon. s, Amanda smiled and declined. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll be busy tomorrow as well. Maybe next time. Aiden is a little fussy when ites to his bedtime.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. With that, she nced at Elias, deciding to toss the problem to him.. Elias quickly understood as he exined, ¡°We¡¯ll have all the time in the world. I¡¯ll take Aiden to the amusement park tomorrow, so, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra, let¡¯s apany Aiden tomorrow.¡± He was creating a chance for Jack and Edith, and the two were more than willing to do it. Regardless, they didn¡¯t dare to pounce right at the chance as they looked at Amanda beseechingly, fearing that the latter would decline. Nheless, Amanda didn¡¯t say anything. It seemed that she had given her silent approval. Edith looked at Amanda carefully. ¡°Amanda, may we? May we spend some time with the child tomorrow?¡± ¡°If you have time, I don¡¯t see why not.¡± When Jack and Edith heard that, they exchanged nces and smiled. They could finally have some intimate interactions with the grandson they longed for. Hence, Elias and Amanda left with Aiden. The Allegras stood at the entrance, watching the car drive off into the distance before turning back to their home. Edith was excited. I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to make preparations. We¡¯ll make some snacks and food for the child for tomorrow. It¡¯s going to be tiring for him if he spends the entire day ying in the amusement park, after all. We have to bring some juice too.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t this enthusiastic when you were raising your children.¡± Jack was in a great mood, but he didn¡¯t expect hisment to identally hurt his wife. Edith fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°That¡¯s precisely how Amelia went missing. We¡¯ll keep our eyes on the child tomorrow at all times. We won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.¡± ¡°What are you saying? We¡¯ll take bodyguards with us tomorrow, okay? We can¡¯t possibly lose Aiden like this.¡± Stephanie walked behind them, watching her parents bicker, leaving her all alone. Her heart was filled with resentment and jealousy. Had she been reced so easily? Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Reluctance Amanda recalled the dinner during the ride home, she felt that the atmosphere was quite peaceful. It had been a while since she enjoyed that feeling; it was veryfortable. Meanwhile, Aiden sat in the back of the car, nodding off. He no longer had the energy to bounce around. Elias nced at the reflection of his sleeping son in the rearview mirror, then at Amanda, who was in the passenger seat. He asked in a low voice, ¡°How are you feeling tonight? Are you happy? ¡°Not bad.¡± She nodded, a faint smile gracing her lips. The man smiled as well. He could sense that Amanda quite liked this home, and the father¡¯s love she lacked was slowly being made up for. All those years, because of her gambler of a father, she felt so ashamed that she couldn¡¯t even hold her head up high amongst her peers. Now that she had discovered that her biological father was Jack, she probably felt a little better. Elias wanted to say something else, but when he opened his mouth, he hesitated. Never mind, now was not the time to ask such things. ¡°Are you trying to ask if I would return to the Allegra Family?¡± The man nced at her, then answered truthfully, ¡°Yes, I did. Still, it¡¯s fine if you probably don¡¯t want to answer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to answer right now, either. We¡¯ll see. She was alreadypromising a lot, for she truly yearned for the warmth of a family. Ever since her foster mother passed away, Amanda never experienced the warmth of a family. She might as well scratch out the sc¡±mbag Dick from her list, for he only ever asked Amanda for money. The less said about him, the better, really. The car slowly drove into themunity and pulled up at Building Seven at Northern No. 1. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Amanda and Elias got out of the car, one after the other. The man picked up the little guy sleeping in the back seat, then the two entered the building. However, unbeknownst to them, a ck Maybach was parked in front of them, and Simon was in it.. Simon originally wanted to talk to Amanda, but he was caught off guard at the sight of this scene. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that veins started bulging, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sneer. Hah¡­ What was this? Did the two reconcile already? Then, what about him? Afterward, Elias came downstairs again and drove away. When he got into his car, he seemed to be in a wonderful mood. Simon fiercely punched the steering wheel. He couldn¡¯t ept this! Could he do nothing but sit by and watch Amanda and Elias reconcile? Wasn¡¯t Elias about to establish a marriage with the Allegras? Why did he cancel it all of a sudden? What was he doing?! Simon thought that as soon as Elias married Stephanie, everything would be set in stone. Yet, the sudden turn of events made Simon wonder if Elias had done it on purpose. He took out his phone and dialed Amanda¡¯s number. It only went through after a long while of waiting. Amanda¡¯s cold voice sounded over the phone, ¡°What is it, Simon?¡± ¡°Nothing. Can we meet tomorrow?¡± ¡°Is there something you want to say to me?¡± It was obvious that Amanda didn¡¯t want to agree to his invitation, and she was even trying to decline politely. Still, Simon said stubbornly, ¡°Can youe out tomorrow? I want to chat with you. I don¡¯t feel so great these days.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Fine.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow, then.¡± After Simon ended the call, there wasn¡¯t any hint of a smile on his face, because he could feel that Amanda was distancing herself from him. Simon couldn¡¯t understand how Amanda¡¯s ex-husband, who hurt her so greatly, could have such a powerful charm that even Aiden had changed his mind. On the other hand, Amanda was still in the bathtub when she ended the call. She never thought that Simon would still call her; she thought that she had made things clear enough. This time, she would spell it out for Simon. She couldn¡¯t let him harbor any more hope for her. When she was dining at the Allegra Vi, her heart was beginning to yearn forpromise. Nheless, her pragmatism told her not to rush into things. Suddenly, her phone rang once more. Amanda nced at it. It was an unfamiliar number. So, she warily answered the call, saying, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lunabelle.¡± Lunabelle? Simon¡¯s ex-girlfriend? Why would Lunabelle call her all of a sudden? How odd. Amanda said, ¡°Oh, hello. What¡¯s the matter?¡± What was wrong with those two? Why did both of them call her tonight? Did Lunabelle also want to have a chat with her? Just as expected, Lunabelle said, ¡°Do you have time tomorrow? Can I ask you out for a chat?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I may not be free tomorrow. I¡¯m busy with myw firm. Why don¡¯t we meet another time?¡± ¡°Do you have time now? Can I visit you? I honestly want to talk to you.¡± Lunabelle¡¯s voice sounded urgent on the other end of the line. She seemed to have something important. to ask Amanda. ¡°Come over, then. I¡¯m at home. I¡¯ll send you the address.¡± As Amanda spoke, she got out of the bathtub with a ssh. ¡°All right.¡± Amanda took a towel and wrapped it around herself after ending the call. Her mind was filled with questions. What exactly was going on? Sometimeter, the doorbell rang. That was probably Lunabelle. Selina and Aiden had gone to sleep, so Amanda ran to get the door. When she opened the door, she found Lunabelle standing at the entrance, looking frail. She seemed to have undergone an ordeal. ¡°What did you- ¡°Can I go in? Please.¡± Lunabelle¡¯s eyes were red. She looked like she had just gotten out of an argument. ¡°Sure. Come in.¡± Amanda looked at Lunabelle¡¯s pitiful appearance, and she couldn¡¯t help but guess what had happened as she poured out a ss of water for Lunabelle. Amanda didn¡¯t want to wake Aiden and Selina, so she took Lunabelle to the balcony for a chat. ¡°Sorry, my son and my friend are asleep now, so I don¡¯t want to wake them up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I get it.¡± Lunabelle sat on the outdoor couch, keeping her head low throughout the entire. interaction. Amanda sat opposite her, letting the breeze y with her hair. ¡°Lunabelle, are you okay? What happened. to you?¡± ¡°Amanda, do you think that people who have made mistakes aren¡¯t worthy of second chances?¡± Lunabelle¡¯s tears slowly flowed out. This startled Amanda greatly. Why was Lunabelle crying all of a sudden? ¡°Perhaps. Criminals have to pay the price of their actions.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve honestly repented. Why am I not forgiven yet?¡± Lunabelle said, sobbing. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What exactly happened? I¡¯ve already distanced myself from Simon. I have even deliberately gone out of my way to avoid both of you. Your rtionship should be going well. I even thought you guys are getting married soon.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you Items fresh | Samet ? parents, anel dhary Lunabelle didn¡¯t want to kej mu But my devnETE No wonder Sommacan 4 pir TayPiki£¤ ¡°What chil Kimran ezi shuur in he shle anything where its citiem memtinn af Ruen Immobette ontbaut pora hand she want fer reses with a jemne si dhe mumbled Simein: 1 Aon¡¯s been know what he¡¯s shitale fake. I feel that he allt loves me because he could help me to mess when pend to the You Wemaks his shit our rtionship he perante dhe no matter fupponed Tra like Tim the onde nine who djelko Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 He Can¡¯t Get Over You ¡°That¡¯s¡­ A problem.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know what to do now. She didn¡¯t want to get involved in Lunabelle¡¯s and Simon¡¯s mess. Lunabelle sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for visiting you out of the blue today. I don¡¯t have many friends in this country. I wanted to vent to someone, but then I realized that I don¡¯t have any friends,¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± Amanda knew more than anyone what it felt like to be left alone,pletely. helpless. Lunabelle seemed to have cleared her mind after enjoying some time under the breeze. Then, she wiped her tears. ¡°What about you? Are you reconciling with your ex-husband?¡± Amanda¡¯s smile froze for a moment. I¡¯m not sure about that. There doesn¡¯t seem to be a need to reconcile. I can never be his type, or he wouldn¡¯t be so cruel to me four years ago. I cannot believe that he earnestly fell for me now, either. I think we¡¯ll just keep things as they are, and we can raise our son together.¡± She honestly didn¡¯t know how to deal with her rtionship with Elias, and with the Allegras added into the mix, her mind was a mess. ¡°You have to follow your heart. Why bother about so many things? If your ex-husband wants to reconcile, and you want to reconcile as well, then just do it. After all, you have a child too,¡± Lunabelle said. Amanda fell silent. Could things be so simple? She didn¡¯t dare imagine it. } Also, Howard had just passed away, and Elias was swamped withpany matters. Elias probably didn¡¯t have the time to think about these things. In reality, Lunabelle had ulterior motives for saying that. She felt that as long as Amanda hadn¡¯t found a man of her own, Simon would never turn his focus back on her. Lunabelle wasn¡¯t as confident as she had been back then. In the past, she could confidently tell everyone that Simon would only marry her. Now that things had changed, she had lost that confidence as well. Amanda sighed lightly. ¡°Are you convincing me to get a man and settle down?¡± She seemed to have understood Lunabelle¡¯s thoughts. Lunabelle thought that it was Amanda¡¯s hesitation. that caused problems between Simon and her. Simon couldn¡¯t settle down knowing that Amanda is still up for grabs. Hence, Lunabelle and Simon still couldn¡¯t reconcile after all this while. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t mean it like that. I just want everyone to have a good ending.¡± Amanda scoffed, her voice filled with mockery, ¡°A good ending? Then, why would you make the wrong choice in the beginning? When you decided to get married, you should have known that you made the wrong choice. Now that you¡¯re trying to turn back, you realized that Simon didn¡¯t wait for you like you assumed he would.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. When Lunabelle heard Amanda¡¯s words, she was forced to face just how cruel she had been. ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that. I had my reasons when I got married all those years ago. I was forced to do it,¡± Lunabelle suddenly shouted defensively. Amanda crossed her arms and leaned back. ¡°Sure. However, you shouldn¡¯t have left without saying. goodbye. In those years when I met Simon overseas, he was in a horrible state. He looked like he was still gued by sorrow after being abandoned by you. He took a long while to get over this failed rtionship. Yet, here you are now. You came back and suddenly wanted him to ept you unconditionally. You didn¡¯t even give him time to recover from the shock. Do you think this is fair to him?¡± For a moment, everything was quiet. Lunabelle was at a loss for words. Of course, she knew that she was being unfair to Simon right now. Plus, she was also a divorcee. She had no other choice, so she could only go to Simon. If she didn¡¯t, the rest of her life would be in ruins. Lunabelle was all worked up as she refuted hotly, ¡°What about you? Was it fair for you to be with Simon? You got divorced and even had a child, so you¡¯re better off being with your ex-husband!¡± Hah¡­ This woman finally revealed her truest thoughts. Amanda said with a smirk, ¡°You finally said it. You¡¯ve been holding it in for long enough, haven¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t want to vent to me; you wanted to convince me to reconcile as soon as possible so that you wouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about in the future, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I truly wanted to vent- Amanda was losing her patience. She stood up and said, ¡°Miss Gowen, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson looked down on you, and Simon has no intention of reconciling with you, but I¡¯m not at all rted to these things. It¡¯ll still be the same if I weren¡¯t part of the equation.¡± Lunabelle shot to her feet as well. ¡°Impossible! If it weren¡¯t for you, Simon wouldn¡¯t still be so hung up over you. He can¡¯t get over you.¡± ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t me, he would still fall for someone else. Did you think that Simon wouldn¡¯t fall for anyone but you? You¡¯ve gotten married and then divorced, so what right do you have to forbid Simon from liking another woman?¡± Amanda¡¯s tone was filled with disdain. ¡°You!¡± Lunabelle wanted to say more, but Amanda interrupted her. ¡°If you still insist on wasting my time with nonsense, then I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to hear more of it. I have to go to sleep now because I have a lot of matters to attend to tomorrow. Please go home.¡± Lunabelle looked at her, hesitant. Then, she could only leave in anger. She thought that Amanda could understand her circumstances and work with her, but she didn¡¯t expect. things to turn out like this. Amanda went to the location Simon specified to meet the following day. It was a cafe. The waiter led her to a seat by the window. Simon was sitting there alone, drinking coffee. He even ordered atte for her. ¡°Amanda, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled, then took a seat at the side. She picked up the coffee and took a sip. Simon looked at her joyful expression, then couldn¡¯t help but tease her as he said, ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. Did something nice happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m probably happy that things are going well these days.¡± She was truly quite happy to learn who her biological parents were. When she knew that the gambler wasn¡¯t her father, she even felt relieved as if a huge burden was lifted from her shoulders. Only Amanda knew the meaning behind her words. So, to Simon, it was painful to hear. Simon asked, ¡°Elias was getting engaged with Stephanie, right? I was preparing to attend the engagement banquet, but I was informedst minute that the engagement was called off. Do you know what happened?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I probably do.¡± Amanda took a sip of coffee. ¡°Why?¡± Simon¡¯s gaze was filled with anxiety. He wanted to know if the reason was the one he had in mind. Could it be that the two wanted to reconcile? Was that the reason why Elias called off the engagement? Simon couldn¡¯t help but clench his fist under the table at that thought. Regardless, Amanda didn¡¯t want to make the reason known to the public. She didn¡¯t want more people to know that Jack was her biological father, so she chose to keep it a secret. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I have a vague idea. I don¡¯t know the details, though. They seemed to have reached that conclusion after some negotiation.¡± ¡°No, you definitely know something. You just don¡¯t want to tell me.¡± Simon felt his heart turning cold. Perhaps it truly was as he had feared, the two were reconciling. After all, he could see the happiness radiating from Amanda¡¯s eyes. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything else. She simply lowered her head and drank some coffee. Her actions were akin to a silent admittance. Still, she didn¡¯t expect Simon to overthink matters. She just wanted to keep her identity a secret for a longer time. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Aiden¡¯s Nosebleed Won¡¯t Stop ¡°What about you? Do you still not intend to give Lunabelle a proper position next to you? She has been waiting for a long time.¡± Lunabelle again. An annoyed look appeared on Simon¡¯s face. Lunabelle had been bugging him recently. It had gotten so annoying that he had the urge to just avoid herpletely. ¡°Why should I give her that? She was the one who left me back then. I didn¡¯t abandon her; she was the one who abandoned me!¡± Simon sounded a little irritated. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything. She simply picked up the coffee and took a sip. Simon suddenly realized he had lost his cool. So, he downed the rest of his coffee before saying, ¡°Sorry, I lost my calm there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She smiled faintly. ¡°Amanda, are you truly thinking of reconciling with him?¡± In the end, Simon still posed the question. He truly couldn¡¯t find,it in himself to be happy for them just like that. Amanda was stunned for a moment before she realized that he was talking about Elias. She was about to speak when her phone rang. She nced at it and saw that it was a call from the kindergarten. She instinctively frowned at the screen. Did something happen to Aiden again? Amanda answered the call, saying, ¡°Hello, Miss Zimmers. What¡¯s the matter?¡± In the next second, her expression shifted as she stood up. ¡°What?! Okay, I¡¯ll be right there. Please send him to the hospital.¡± Amanda grabbed her purse and was about to leave right there and then after hanging up the call. ¡°The kindergarten teacher said that Aiden¡¯s nose started bleeding, and they¡¯re sending him to the hospital now. I¡¯m going to the hospital to have a look.¡± With that, she moved to leave. Simon also rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you. Let me drive you there.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Hence, the two arrived at the hospital the teacher mentioned. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but wonder, Everything looked fine before, so why did Aiden suddenly have a nosebleed? Could it be that he had eaten too many fried foods these days? But his phone had been rather light recently. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. Let¡¯s hear what the doctor had to say.¡± Simon noticed her anxiety, so he couldn¡¯t help butfort her. She nodded and followed Simon into the hospital. Miss Zimmers was apanying Aiden to get hist laboratory sheet. ¡°Aiden!¡± Amanda shouted as soon as she saw her son. Aiden¡¯s nose had just stopped bleeding, and he seemed listless. When he heard Amanda¡¯s voice, he instantly sprung back up, letting go of his teacher¡¯s hand as he dashed toward Amanda. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run. This is a hospital. Amanda walked toward her son as well, not forgetting to remind him to slow down. Miss Zimmers came over with theboratory sheet. ¡°Miss Bailey.¡± ¡°Miss Zimmers, what did the doctor say? Why did Aiden suddenly have a nosebleed?¡± Amanda was extremely nervous. Simon stood at the side, looking at Aiden. He wanted to touch the child¡¯s head, but thetter dodged his affections. The little kid would call him ¡®Daddy¡¯ every time they met, but now Aiden was avoiding him. Had Aiden changed his target of affection to Elias? At that thought, Simon clenched his fists, which were hanging on either side of his body. Miss Zimmers said, ¡°Miss Bailey, I suddenly noticed that Aiden¡¯s nose was bleeding, and I couldn¡¯t stop it at all. So, I sent him to the hospital. They had just done an examination on him, but they didn¡¯t seem to find anything. Perhaps the medical facilities here aren¡¯t advanced enough, so I suggest that you go to other hospitals for a checkup. The child¡¯s health takes priority.¡± ¡°All right, thank you, Miss Zimmers. You can leave him to me. So, you can return to your work.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, I have no reason to worry anymore. I¡¯ll make sure to inform the school that Aiden. will be taking two days off. That way, he can rest for two days. You can send him back to school once he¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After Miss Zimmers left, Amanda checked Aiden¡¯s nose. There were still traces of blood around it, and her heart ached when she saw it. Simon suggested, ¡°I know a friend in a private hospital, so why don¡¯t you get him a checkup there? Miss Zimmers is right, the child¡¯s health takes priority.¡± ¡°Can we go now?¡¯ Amanda couldn¡¯t wait to let Aiden go through a checkup. She wanted to know why exactly his nose started bleeding. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go. Private hospitals aren¡¯t crowded, and the service is better there. The results should be out sooner, too.¡± ¡°Mommy, my nose hurts¡­¡± Aiden leaned against Amanda¡¯s shoulder as he whimpered softly. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Amanda hugged her son tightly. ¡°Be good. Just sleep for a bit, and the pain will go away when you wake up.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ I want to drink milk.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± With that, Amanda looked at Simon. She could only ask Simon for help now. Simon smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it, then. You guys can wait for me in the car.¡± Then, Simon turned around and left. Amanda carried Aiden as she walked out of the hospital. ¡°Mommy, why didn¡¯t Daddye? Why is it Uncle Simon?¡± Aiden seemed a little disappointed. He thought that Amanda woulde with Elias. Amanda patted her son lightly on the back. ¡°Daddy is busy. Mommy identally ran into Uncle Simon on my way here, so he sent me here.¡± ¡°Mommy. I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry¡± Aiden could see that Amanda was anxious, so heforted her like a considerate kid. Amanda smiled. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re fine. It¡¯s probably all those fast foods you¡¯ve been eating recently. Did you eat junk food behind my back?¡± ¡°No, Miss Selina won¡¯t let me eat any Aiden shook his head. ¡°Good boy¡­¡± Even though nothing serious happened, Amanda could see that the child wasn¡¯t his usual self. He used to be lively and active, but now, he was listless and droopy! Amanda and Simon took the child to a private hospital and had a series of medical examinations performed on him. They were informed that the results would be out in a few hours. Amanda decided to just wait in the hospital. That was because she would still be anxious even if she returned home right now. ¡°Wait here while I go see if the results are out. My friend should be keeping an eye out.¡± ¡°Okay, please thank that friend for me.¡± Amanda carried Aiden, who had fallen asleep, in her arms. She spoke in whispers. Simon smiled and nodded, then turned around and walked toward the doctor¡¯s office. Simon arrived at the consultation room and knocked on the door. ¡°Dr. Smith, are you free?¡± Christopher Smith, who was looking at theboratory sheet, raised his head. ¡°Juste here and quit pretending to be nice.¡± Simon smiled, then walked over to him and asked, ¡°How is it? Are the results out? Is the kid okay?¡± ¡°First of all, tell me about the rtionship between you and the child. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s your illegitimate son! We haven¡¯t met in just a few years, but you¡¯ve already gotten yourself into a mess!¡± Christopher asked, a gossipy expression on his face. ¡°What are you talking about? He¡¯s my friend¡¯s son. Examinations take too long in public hospitals. That¡¯s why I brought him to your ce. How is it?¡± Christopher sighed, looking slightly disappointed. ¡°Oh I thought there was some scandal going on. After some initial tests, he seems to be fine, but we may need to take advanced tests to see if there are any illnesses in the blood, like leukemia.¡± ¡°Leukemia? It¡¯s that serious?¡± Simon¡¯s expression shifted drastically. He always felt that such diseases would never happen to people around him. Christopher exined in a professional tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just saying that we¡¯re going to take more tests. He seems to be fine, but a ceaseless nosebleed can¡¯t be a good sign. It¡¯s better to take more tests as a safety precaution.¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Like Losing One¡¯s Soul ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell her,¡± Simon said before leaving the consultation room. When the door closed, a wicked thought suddenly came to Simon¡¯s mind. If Aiden truly had leukemia, and only he could be a bone marrow match¡­ Would Amanda lean toward him? He knew that harboring such thought was despicable and vile, but if he continued to wait and not do anything, Amanda would inevitably reunite with Elias, and he would lose all hope. Meanwhile, in the rest area, Amanda smiled as she cradled the peacefully sleeping Aiden in her arms. It was a mother¡¯s smile that came from the depths of her heart. Just then, Simon approached her. Amanda raised her head when she caught sight of him and asked anxiously, ¡°How did it go? What did the doctor say about the test results? Is it serious?¡± Although she believed there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues, she couldn¡¯t help but seek out some form of reassurance. Simon furrowed his brow and kept quiet for a few seconds before finally saying. ¡°There¡¯s nothing major, but¡­¡± Amanda heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that but her heart instantly sank at the word ¡°but. ¡°But what? Tell me! What exactly happened?¡± Amanda could feel her heart leap to her throat. ¡°My friend mentioned that there aren¡¯t any major concerns for now, but nosebleeds aren¡¯t a good sign. We -need to take this seriously and conduct another blood test to confirm if it¡¯s leukemia or a simr condition. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s merely a precautionary examination to put our minds at ease, Simon made a show out of the exnation, deliberately making it sound even worse than it was. Amanda couldn¡¯t find sce even after hearing his words. It was as if her heart plunged into an abyss, and she looked at him with widened eyes. ¡°Leukemia¡­ How can it be so serious?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it; it¡¯s not that serious. My friend mentioned it¡¯s just a routine check-up for our peace of mind.¡± Amanda attempted to calm herself and suppress her agitation before saying. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it. Regardless of the oue, we need to do it to put our minds at ease.¡± However, the thought of putting Aiden through another blood draw pained her deeply. During the previous blood draw, she had spent a considerable amount of time coaxing him to help him. endure the pain. Amanda could clearly feel the child¡¯s fear during the procedure. She was in utter dismay as she held the little one tightly in her arms. When Simon noticed Amanda¡¯s distress, he gently patted her shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a routine check-up.¡± The wicked thoughts that Simon harbored earlier disappeared upon witnessing Amanda¡¯s troubled expression. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her. Aiden was the person she cherished with her entire being, and hurting Aiden would be equivalent to hurting her. Let it be. Let things unfold naturally. Rtionships are not something that can be forced. After that, Simon apanied Amanda for the child¡¯s blood test before driving them back home. Throughout the entire process, Amanda¡¯s face turned increasingly grim as she considered countless horrendous possibilities. ¡°Amanda, try not to be too anxious. Let¡¯s wait for the test results,¡± Simon advised. ¡°I know, I¡¯ll be fine. Thank you. I¡¯ve taken up a lot of your time today, and I apologize for that.¡± Amanda Original from N?velDrama.Org. lifted the still-slumbering Aiden as she exited the car. Simon attentively opened the car door for her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve taken care of you in the same way during the past four years we were abroad.¡± It was a casual remark, but it made Amanda think that he was reminding her about it. ¡°Thank you,¡± she expressed her gratitude before heading upstairs with the child in her arms. As Simon stood in ce while watching her figure, he suddenly felt a pang of heartache for what she was going through. Amanda wilted the instant she was in the confines of her home. She was like a nt that was about to endure the first bite of winter. Selina, who was cooking in the kitchen, rushed out to greet them upon hearing their voices. ¡°You¡¯re back! The food is almost ready. Wash your hands, and we can cat.¡± However, she became startled when she saw just how pale Amanda¡¯s face was. ¡°Amanda, what¡¯s wrong? Did Aiden fall asleep?¡± Selina reached out to take the child from Amanda¡¯s arms, but Amanda held the little one even tighter and murmured. ¡°It¡¯s fine, let me hold him a little longer.¡± ¡°Okay, but what¡¯s going on? You look as if you¡¯ve lost your soul.¡± Amanda gazed at Aiden in her arms and spoke in a quavering voice, ¡°Selina, do you think I haven¡¯t devoted enough time to my child? Should I spend more time with him?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you crying? Please don¡¯t cry.¡± Selina hastily got a tissue before gently wiping. away the tears that were about to roll down Amanda¡¯s face. She was genuinely surprised by how distressed Amanda was. Amanda kept her head lowered and her voice quavered as she spoke, ¡°Today, Aiden had a nosebleed at school, and we couldn¡¯t stop it no matter what we tried. We went to the hospital for an examination, and while they didn¡¯t find any najor issues, they suggested further tests to investigate the possibility of leukemia¡­ ¡°What! That¡¯s impossible! Aiden is usually so healthy so it can¡¯t be true. Don¡¯t think that.¡± Selina¡¯s heart sank as she was shocked by the sudden revtion. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s hope it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± ¡°It will be fine. So, there¡¯s no reason for you to worry your head over it. Aiden has always been well taken care of. How could he suddenly have leukemia? Children having nosebleeds is quitemon. Perhaps he¡¯s been drinking less watertely and the weather is hot. I¡¯ll make him some herbal tea to help cool him. down.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Amanda nodded gratefully. ¡°No need to thank me. Are you feeling hungry? Go ahead and eat something. Let¡¯s wake Aiden up and have him eat too. I¡¯ll prepare some cooling tea for him. As Amanda watched Selina walk away, an inexplicable sense of distress gnawed at her, leaving her unable to pinpoint the exact reason.. Throughout that sleepless night, Amanda anxiously awaited Simon¡¯s call with the test results. Unfortunately, the hospital had informed her that the results wouldn¡¯t be avable until the afternoon due to theplexity of the tests. The next morning, Aiden woke up earlier than usual, washed up, and finished breakfast obediently, as he cagerly anticipated Elias¡¯ arrival to take him out to y. Although he appeared excited, Amanda could sense that he seemed a bit tired andcked his usual energy, which intensified her anxiety. Ding-dong! The doorbell suddenly rang. Aiden rushed to the door, knowing that it was Eliasing to pick him up. When the door swung open, Elias stood there, apanied by Jack and Edith, all donning hopeful expressions. After all, they had finally found their long-lost daughter and now had a grandson. They were genuinely ted. Only Amanda had a grim expression on. Elias was quick to notice that something was amiss. So, he inquired as he furrowed his brows, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look well. Have you been tired recently?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Perhaps I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. Take Aiden out to y. Oh, and make sure he drinks plenty of water today. The weather has been getting hotter these past few days, and he had a nosebleed yesterday.¡± Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 How Could This Happen! Elias frowned upon hearing Amanda¡¯s words. ¡°Nosebleed? Didn¡¯t you go to the hospital for an examination? Nosebleeds shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°We did. However, the test results aren¡¯t out yet. We have to wait until this afternoon.¡± ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll leave first. Take care of yourself and get some rest. Elias effortlessly carried Aiden with one hand. Jack and Edith, who were concerned about her condition, spoke up, ¡°Should I take you to the hospital for an examination? You don¡¯t look well.¡± Edith chimed in worriedly, ¡°Yes, your health is important. It¡¯s better to get yourself checked. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night and caught a cold. I¡¯ll have some ginger tea later. I¡¯ll go to the hospital if I don¡¯t feel well after that. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m all grown up and can take care of myself.¡± Amanda forced a smile to reassure them. Then, she sat alone on the couch while sighing heavily as she clutched her phone tightly after bidding them farewell. Soon, Selina approached her. ¡°Amanda, would you like something to eat?¡± ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t have an appetite. By the way, Selina, have you noticed that Aiden seems less energetic today¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s rted to the nosebleed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Children can be like that sometimes. Maybe he¡¯s just tired from waking up early in the morning. Selina tried to reassure her. In fact, Selina had also noticed that Aiden seemed a bit off today. He wasn¡¯t as lively as usual. Just then, Amanda¡¯s phone rang, She instinctively picked it up and nced at the screen-it was Simon. She answered the call almost instantaneously. ¡°Hello, Simon. What did the doctor say? What are the results?¡± Simon was left momentarily silent after being bombarded with so many questions which made Amanda even more anxious and her fingertips trembled involuntarily. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? What happened?¡± She was so agitated that she almost lost her mind. Finally, Simon spoke on the other end of the line, ¡°You¡¯d bettere over. Let¡¯s talk in person. I¡¯ll wait for you at the hospital.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming right away!¡± Amanda hung up without exining anything to the bewildered Selina. Instead, she grabbed her coat before rushing out. Amanda raced to the hospital. At that moment, Simon and Christopher were in Christopher¡¯s office. Simon wasn¡¯t sure how he was going to deliver the news to Amanda. ¡°Just tell her the truth. Dying the diagnosis won¡¯t help. The earlier we start treatment, the better,¡± Christopher advised when he saw how torn Simon seemed. ¡°I understand, but I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡± Simon nced at the test results with a frown. so deep that it seemed as though it had been etched on her face. ¡°Let me handle it, then. I can soften the blow, exin it in simpler terms, and make it less terrifying. This disease is treatable. It¡¯s just a littleplicated.¡± Just then, Amanda arrived at the office. She was panting and it was apparent that she made it all the way to the hospital in a hurry. ¡°What¡¯s the situation? What do the results say?¡± She was on the verge of a mental breakdown as her mind raced with endless terrifying possibilities. Simon exchanged a nce with Christopher, signaling him to speak. Christopher sighed in resignation and stood up, before patiently exining. ¡°The test results are out. The child may have astic anemia, a type of bone marrow failure caused by various factors. We need to perform a bone marrow transnt as soon as we find a suitable match¡­¡± Amanda felt like her world was spinning upon hearing Christopher¡¯s words. The news hit her like a sledgehammer that she became so dizzy that she was about to lose her bnce. In fact, she nearly fainted. ¡°Amanda, are you okay?¡± Simon rushed to support her. Amanda couldn¡¯t hear what the doctor was saying after that as her mind was filled with nothing but white noise. Her eyes widened as she looked at Christopher, unable to believe what she had just heard. ¡°Doctor, did you just say that my son has astic anemia? And he needs a bone marrow transnt?!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll spare you the technical details, but your child does require a bone marrow transnt. It¡¯s crucial to get as many of your rtives and friends tested for a match as soon as possible. The chances of sess are higher with direct rtives.¡± Amanda stood there tearfully with a pale face after hearing such dreadful news. How could this happen? Why is this happening? Why is it happening to my Aiden¡­ Amanda was in a daze as she stumbled out of the hospital, with Simon remaining by her side, as he was afraid that she might copse. She felt numb as she staggered through the crowd and she didn¡¯t even realize it when she bumped into a passerby. ¡°Amanda? Amanda?¡± Simon tried to bring her back to reality. His heart broke when he saw how lost and miserable she looked. He was saddened that she had to bear the weight of her suffering and was genuinely concerned that she might crumble under it. ¡°Simon, I¡¯ll be okay. I have to be strong. The more hardships we face, the stronger I have to be. Aiden still needs me.¡± She understood the situation, but she needed time to take it in and couldn¡¯t bear to see her child suffer. ¡°Given the circumstances, you should get Elias to perform the bone marrow match at the hospital. Reach out to your rtives and friends for the tests without any dy.¡± Simon sighed. ¡°I know¡­¡± Amanda wiped away her tears and took out her phone before dialing Elias¡¯ number, but no one answered. the call. Considering the current circumstances, she refused to wait any longer and decided to go to the amusement park since she wasn¡¯t sure about Aiden¡¯s condition. ¡°I¡¯ll look for my baby. You should get back to your work,¡± Amanda said to Simon as she got into her car before driving away slowly. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to wave him goodbye.. Simon couldn¡¯t help but let out another sigh as he watched her car¡¯s taillights fade into the distance. Just yesterday, he had casuallye up with such a thought, never imagining it would be a reality. He even questioned himself, wondering if his negative thoughts had somehow contributed to the child falling ill. What is this? Are the Heavens on my side? As soon as Amanda arrived at the crowded amusement park, she tried to look for Aiden among the crowd. Amongst theughter and cheer of countless children, tears streamed uncontrobly down her face. She sat on a bench in an empty corner and couldn¡¯t stop weeping. Amanda began to reflect on whether she had been too free-spirited since returning to the country, whether she had neglected her child, and whether that¡¯s what led to her child¡¯s illness¡­ She cried alone for a long, long time, and the tears that fell onto the ground formed a puddle. Suddenly, she heard a child¡¯s voice calling her, ¡°Mommy!¡± It was Aiden. Amanda hastily wiped away her tears and forced a smile before looking up. The next moment, Aident darted toward her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to run, I¡¯m here,¡± Amanda got up and went to meet her child halfway. She couldn¡¯t bear to see him suffer any ailments, Elias followed closely behind Aiden and sensed that something was wrong when he noticed her teary eyes. ¡°Did you cry?¡± he asked. Amanda avoided his gaze and replied, ¡°No, I just got some sand in my eyes.¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 A Bone Marrow Transnt Is Needed Elias could easily see through this perfunctory remark, but he chose not to expose her. ¡°Why are you crying. Mommy? Did someone bully you?¡± Aiden sensibly helped her wipe away the tears. ¡°No, like I said, it¡¯s just some sand in my eyes. Did you have fun? Did you drink water?¡± Amanda said while forcing a smile. ¡°I did drink. The grandpa and grandina that I don¡¯t really know kept making me drink water, but I don¡¯t like it.¡± Aiden pouted with an aggrieved expression. Amanda gently tapped his nose and said, ¡°It was Mommy who asked them to make sure you drink water, so you have to be a good boy.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± He huffed and turned his head away. At that moment, Jack and Edith approached as well. As they were getting on in age, they couldn¡¯t keep up with the little guy and could only slowly head over to them. Amanda nced at everyone present and suddenly spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight at our ce. My friend is an excellent cook.¡± Jack and his wife were quite surprised as they didn¡¯t expect Amanda to invite them for dinner, but they agreed without hesitation. ¡°Sure, that sounds good. We¡¯re free tonight,¡± Edith said as she beamed. It was the first time Amanda had taken the initiative to invite them for a meal. Jack also nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. I haven¡¯t spent enough time with this little guy.¡± Meanwhile, Elias remained silent. He sensed that Amanda seemed to have something weighing on her mind. When they arrived at Northern No. 1, Amanda continued to behave strangely, as she seemed absent- minded. On the other hand, Aiden immediatelyined about being tired and wanted to go to bed. No one knew what was going on, except Amanda, who understood that there was something genuinely wrong with his health. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m tired¡­¡± ¡°I know. Should Mommy carry you to bed?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ With that, Amanda picked Aiden up and headed toward the bedroom. Edith couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°But the child hasn¡¯t eaten yet. Let him have something to eat before sleeping. It¡¯s not good for him to go to bed on an empty stomach¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Jack nced at her and signaled her to keep quiet. Amanda ignored them and carried the child directly to the bedroom. Elias frowned as he felt that something was amiss, so he nned to find an opportunity to askter even though Amanda might not necessarily tell him. After the bedroom door was shut, Jack looked at his wife and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not interfere with how others. raise their own children. They know how to take care of their child. She had raised him for four years, and the child has grown up well without us meddling in their affairs.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m just concerned¡­¡± Edith sighed. Their concern seemed unnecessary since Amanda hadn¡¯t agreed to recognize them as her parents yet. After some time, Amanda walked out of the bedroom. At that moment, Selina had finished preparing dinner and came out to call them to eat. Thus, everyone gathered in the dining room. Edith was still worried about the child and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Did you leave food for the child? He¡¯ll definitely be hungry when he wakes upter¡­¡± Jack immediately cut in with a cough and reminded his wife to be quiet. Amanda merely responded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I left food for him. Let¡¯s eat. He¡¯ll probably be asleep for a while.¡± This time, Elias finally said something. ¡°You still don¡¯t look well. Have you seen a doctor?¡± ¡°No.¡± Amanda responded indifferently as she pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there after dinner. It¡¯s on the way anyway¡­ Elias persisted. Before he could finish his sentence, Amanda calmly interrupted, ¡°If any of you have free time in the coming days, it would be good to go to the hospital for a bone marrow match. Aiden is sick and needs a bone marrow transnt.¡± When those words were spoken, the three of them at the dining table, including Selina, who was serving the food, were stunned. Jack was the first to react. ¡°What did you just say? What happened to Aiden? A bone marrow transnt? Is it that serious?¡± They had only just reunited with Amanda and their little grandson, and now the situation had escted to requiring a bone marrow transnt. Edith, who was still trying to process the situation, was teary as she stared at Amanda. Finally, Elias murmured tremulously, ¡°Wh-What did you just say? A bone marrow transnt? What happened to Aiden?¡± Elias had never lost control of his emotions like this before. He struggled to gather his thoughts, feeling as if his words were failing him. Amanda had already anticipated their reaction as she was in their shoes just moments before. Thus, she dared not look up to see their response as she would lose whatever grip on her emotions while speaking. fearing that she might lose it and start crying as well. She couldn¡¯t afford to break down at such a critical moment because she still had many tasks to attend to. So, she squashed whatever distress and sorrow she felt as she repeated, ¡°The hospital has released the test results. They diagnosed Aiden with astic anemia and confirmed the need for a bone marrow transnt. The sess rate is higher with direct rtives, so I¡¯m asking all of you to undergo a matching test. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± The next moment, Edith burst into tears, sobbing. ¡°My poor child, how could this happen¡­¡± Jack fell into silence while sitting there in shock. He had lost his appetite. Now, Elias finally understood why Amanda had been so troubled earlier. So, this is the reason¡­ He struggled to regain hisposure and his dark gaze filled with astonishment. His mind was flooded with memories of his son, picturing how happy he looked at the amusement park. Even though he would asionallyin of tiredness and ask to be carried. He had merely teased the boy for being delicate. It turned out that his son was genuinely ill. He regretted not immediately picking him up when Aiden said he was tired and wanted to be carried. Why did he mock his son instead? How could he, as a father, not realize that his child was suffering? Elias sat quietly as tears slowly streamed down his face. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. It was the first time Amanda had witnessed him shedding tears, as he didn¡¯t cry when his grandfather passed away. Amanda couldn¡¯t hold back her own tears either. She lifted her head and tried to hold them. back. Still, she reassured them with a quavering voice, ¡°Let¡¯s not lose hope. The doctor said Aiden¡¯s condition was discovered early, and as long as we find a suitable bone marrow match for transntation, he will be fine. Children recover quickly. So, our immediate task is to hurry to the hospital toplete the matching process.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, your father and I will go tomorrow. We¡¯ll go¡­¡± Edith¡¯s voice cracked as she burst into ugly tears. once more. Jack sat next to them and sighed heavily while reflecting on the unfairness of fate. His eldest daughter had already endured a great deal of suffering. Why did his little grandson have to face such a trial now? When Amanda noticed just how distressed Edith was, she raised her hand and gently ced it on her shoulder. ¡°Please¡­ Don¡¯t cry. Things will get better.¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 No Suitable Match Although Amanda reckoned she was technically the most heartbroken person by this news, she had no choice but to pull herself together, in order tofort Edith. Even though she would desperately like to ovee her mental hindrance and call Edith ¡®Mom¡¯, she could tell that Edith was indeed upset over Aiden¡¯s poor health. Jack and his wife made their way to Aiden¡¯s bedroom to take a look at him as they had utterly lost their appetite and had no desire to finish their dinner. Their eyes filled with tears as they gazed down at his peaceful face. Still, they did their best to suppress their emotions so that they wouldn¡¯t wake him. up. In the meantime, Elias stood beside Aiden¡¯s bed and gazed at his son, gently caressing the child¡¯s cheek. His lips were pursed, and his eyes were closed. He had no choice but to endure the pain of watching his son. suffer, keeping it all to himself. Later, Elias sent for Yacob and had thetter see Jack and Edith out of the house when they left. Then, he stood in the moonlight with Amanda as neither of them said a single word, but even so, it still seemed as if they could understand what each other was having in mind. Eventually, Elias made the first move and said, ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get a second opinion. I¡¯ll arrange another check-up for Aiden in another hospital tomorrow. Perhaps it¡¯s just a misdiagnosis.¡± ¡°Td love to believe that, but our boy is starting to show the symptoms. So, let¡¯s not waste any more time on the check-up and diagnosis. Instead. I would rather spend our time finding apatible match for Aiden. I don¡¯t want him to wait too long.¡± Amanda smiled bitterly. After that, a long silence ensued between the couple until Elias decided to break the silence a few momentster. ¡°I¡¯ll get a check-up tomorrow and see if I¡¯m apatible match for Aiden, but you shouldn¡¯t tell him anything just yet, alright?¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯m not nning to tell him either because I doubt he is going to understand it anyway.¡± I¡¯m going to put everything aside and keep himpany. Nothing else is more important than Aiden,¡± Elias said solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want your grandfather¡¯s shares back? I know you¡¯re worried about Aiden, but you shouldn¡¯t forget about your priorities. After all, you¡¯re not only fighting for yourself but also for Aiden.¡± Elias fell silent upon hearing her reminder because he was genuinely too distracted by his son¡¯s dreadful condition to work. The following day, the Allegra Family sent everyone possible to do a bone marrowpatibility test while Elias had many of his family rtives do the same thing. Nevertheless, his mother was staying in an asylum. He also hadn¡¯t bothered to request some of his quarrelsome rtives because there was a chance that they would make the situation even messier. As the people from the two families were busy doing the test in the hospital, they were kind enough to hope that they could finallye across one suitable match among them to save Aiden. When Jack didn¡¯t see Elias¡¯ mother, he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell your Mom toe along? After all, you and your mother are the only people who can boss everyone else in the Winters Family. Furthermore, the doctor also said a direct match from the next of kin would be effective.¡± ¡°I know, but my mom is mentally unsound. Even if she is a suitable donor, is she going to agree and cooperate?¡± Furthermore, Elias knew just how reluctant Jennifer was to treat Aiden as her grandson. Meanwhile, Jack didn¡¯t say a single word as he only paced back and forth, wishing he could just learn about thepatibility test result right away. ¡°Mr. Allegra, why don¡¯t you wait for the result at home? Desperation and anxiety won¡¯t change or speed up the result.¡± Elias turned around and walked away slowly. For the next few days, Elias would spend his time apanying Aiden while Amanda decided to shove all her work aside and stayed by her son¡¯s side as well until his condition was treated. At the same time, Jack. and his wife would also visit Aiden every day. While the adults actively made time out of their busy schedules to apany Aiden, the smart child quickly sensed something wrong, finding it strange for them to always be by his side. ¡°Mommy, why are you guys ying with me every day? Didn¡¯t you say adults had to work?¡± Aiden curiously asked while having his breakfast. Amanda, who was busy peeling off the eggshells, paused and said. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re just too adorable, and everybody likes you, which is why they want to be around you. Maybe they¡¯re recently on a vacation or something.¡± ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m also taking a break? But the teacher didn¡¯t say anything about that, Mommy. I haven¡¯t been to school for days, and I want to y with my friends.¡± Amanda responded with silence upon hearing that. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t dare to let Aiden y by himself because she was worried that he would end up getting himself hurt. Thus, exacerbating his already precarious condition. Therefore, all she did was to keep him at home with her, but at the same time, she also knew that was not good for a child¡¯s curious and inquisitive nature to be locked up like this. My boy is going to be hospitalized in a few days. What should I tell him by then? ¡°Aiden, if you really want to y, your grandparents and Dad could y with you. Don¡¯t forget about me too.¡± Amanda did her best tofort Aiden. Aiden knitted his eyebrows in a dissatisfied manner. ¡°No way, Mommy. Didn¡¯t you always say that kids should go to kindergarten? I haven¡¯t been to school for days, and the teacher is going to lecture me about that.¡± ¡°No worries. I told your teacher that you¡¯d be taking the day off.¡± ¡°Why? I want to y with my friends. Grandma and Grandpa have been making me drink water all the time while Dad kept carrying me around everywhere. So, I want to y with my friends. I can¡¯t wait to have fun with them.¡± Aiden had long grown bored of ying at home. Despite his initial dislike for going to school, he was beginning to miss ying with his friends. While Amanda was scratching her head trying to figure out an exnation, Elias arrived home. He unlocked the door with his thumbprint instead of ringing the doorbell and entered the house straight away. ¡°Aiden, look what I got you-it¡¯s your favorite chocte cake. The man walked closer to his son with an appetizing cake, which sessfully distracted the boy¡¯s attention as he retreated to a corner to enjoy his food. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She heaved a sigh of relief, feeling grateful that her son didn¡¯t press on with his question. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It was just Aiden who wouldn¡¯t stop asking me why every one of us was apanying him. all the time and why we wouldn¡¯t allow him to go to school. I had no idea how to answer his questions, not to mention the fact that he will be staying in the hospital for the next few days. What should I tell him then? I totally forgot about that, and I doubt we can figure out a good cover story to fool him.¡± Amanda felt hopeless, thinking Aiden would know that he was sick if he saw her wearing a hospital gown. ¡°Let me talk to him once we¡¯re there. Don¡¯t worry. Thepatibility test result will be out at the earliest by tonight or thetest by tomorrow. Let¡¯s keep our fingers crossed that we could find a few suitable matches among the people who did the test,¡± Elias said in a soothing tone. ¡°Let¡¯s keep our fingers crossed.¡± Amanda nodded, praying hard that they would find apatible match. since there were so many people who went to have themselves tested to see if they could be a suitable. match. Nevertheless, the couple was about to be disappointed because they would soon learn how cruel and grim fate could be as there was actually nopatible bond marrow match for Aiden. Suddenly, Elias¡¯ phone. rang. He shook off his jacket and took a look at his phone. When he realized it was a call from the hospital, his face was written with excitement and hope. s, as soon as he heard the news, his face darkened like there was a storm brewing behind the dark clouds in the sky. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Elias sat on the couch. in silence without saying a single word after ending the call. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who called?¡± Amanda could tell that something was not right. Elias wasn¡¯t about to lie to Amanda either as he honestly answered, ¡°The hospital called back and told me that I¡¯m not a suitable donor, but they¡¯re currently looking for a suitable match in their bone marrow storage¡­ Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Amanda¡¯s Emotional Breakdown In that instant, it was as if the whole world went silent while Amanda simply stared at Elias without any other response. However, her tears began rolling down her cheek from her eyes. At the same time, the man sank onto the couch in a dejected manner with his head lowered in defeat as he clenched his fingers. tightly around his cell phone like he was about to crush it. ¡°No! How is it possible that there isn¡¯t a suitable match out of so many people? How can that be?!¡± Amanda wailed in despair, finding herself on the verge of an emotional breakdown. No, that¡¯s impossible! How is there not a suitable match for Aiden even after so many people from the Winterses and the Allegra Families went for thepatibility test?! In the meantime, Elias only closed his eyes helplessly, asking himself the same question that Amanda did. to herself. He then began to wonder who else had not done thepatibility test until his mother came to his mind. What about my mom? But¡­ Is she going to cooperate? At the thought of his mother¡¯s mental condition, Elias had doubts about her willingness to cooperate even if she was discovered to be a suitable match for Aiden. Amanda was at her wits end as she seized Elias¡¯ arm and cried, ¡°Think! Do something! My baby¡¯s condition can¡¯t go out like that without a suitable donor. How long is their search going to take? I don¡¯t want my baby to wait that long!¡± ¡°I¡¯m figuring out a way, Amanda. Just calm down.¡± ¡°Hurry up, then! My boy can¡¯t wait much longer!¡± Amanda sobbed uncontrobly, refusing to let Aiden waste any more time waiting for a suitable donor. Deep down, she wished she could just donate her own. bone marrow to her son but was dismayed by the fact that the child had to wait for someone with compatible bone marrow. Soon, Aiden, who was eating a cake, heard Amanda¡¯s cry and came scurrying, whereupon he shoved Elias away and shouted angrily. ¡°Why are you bullying Mommy, Dad?! Look what you¡¯ve done! She is crying!¡± Aiden acted like a protective guardian as he buried himself in Amanda¡¯s arms andforted his mother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I¡¯ll protect you and keep him from hurting you.¡± On the other hand, Elias, who was shoved aside by Aiden, instantly felt tears rolling in his eyes because only he himself knew just how desperately he wished his son didn¡¯t have to wait until a suitable donor appeared. What a prank that fate is pulling on me! Despite his disparaging thoughts, he did his best to fight back his tears. He had to be tough enough to shoulder a true man¡¯s responsibility. As soon as Amandaid eyes on Aiden¡¯s face, she cried even louder,pletely letting her emotions get the better of her. Why? Why is this happening to my boy, Aiden? He is such a good boy, and he certainly doesn¡¯t deserve to be tormented like this! Why does Aiden have to suffer from this illness?! ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mommy. I¡¯ll teach Dad a lesson for you, Mommy¡­¡± Aiden started to feel a little panicked because he had never seen Amanda act like this. He also knew that his mother had never cried in front of him before. Amanda wanted to speak, but the words that were forming at the tip of her tongue couldn¡¯te out of her lips. After all, the more mature Aiden appeared to be, the more heartbroken she felt about her son¡¯s misery. ¡°Why are you bullying Mommy, Dad?! Look at what you did to her! She is crying non-stop!¡± Aiden red. at his own father like an angry kitten. Although he was short in stature, he was still able to demonstrate a slight sense of manliness that a brave boy should have. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have made your mommy cry¡­¡± Elias stuck out his hand and tried to caress Aiden¡¯s cheek. ¡°Hmph!¡± Aiden hit his father¡¯s hand and responded with a cold grunt before he turned around and wrapped his arms around Amanda¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. Dad is such a bad guy. I promise I won¡¯t talk to him ever again because anyone who bullies Mommy is a bad person.¡± When Amanda heard her son¡¯s response, her tears began to gush out like a waterfall. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Baby. Your dad didn¡¯t bully me. I was watching TV earlier and was touched by the drama¡­¡± Amanda wiped her tears while trying to calm herself down so that Aiden wouldn¡¯t see through her sadness. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Aiden gazed at the television and said, ¡°But the television has been off all the while.¡± She was rendered speechless that she somehow stopped crying. Then, she caressed Aiden¡¯s fair cheek and forced a smile on her lips. I¡¯m really fine, and your dad didn¡¯t bully me. I was just too¡­ Stressed out! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll make you a lot of money when I grow up.¡± Aiden eximed confidently with his little chest puffed out, ¡°You¡¯re just giving me some lip service.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at his response. ¡°No, Mommy. I¡¯m a kid who never breaks his promises. Aiden intoned solemnly, as if he was afraid that Amanda wouldn¡¯t trust him. ¡°Alright, I trust you, my boy! I¡¯ll wait until you grow up, alright?¡± It was then that Amanda found the determination to get her son treated because she was motivated to watch him grow up healthily. At the same time, Elias was sitting aside, watching their interaction as his heart twisted itself in his agony. I just want to protect and love my simple family, but why is that so hard?¡± Later that night, Elias paid a visit to the asylum upon leaving Northern No. 1. In the meantime, Jennifer was locked up in the VIP room, always seen to be talking to herself as her mental impairment seemed to have worsened.. ¡°Mrs. Winters hasn¡¯t seemed to be welltely. She¡¯s been talking to herself all day like that, shouting out loud like a madwoman that karma is going to catch up to her. At the same time, she wouldn¡¯t stop saying that it was time for her to meet up with Mr. Winters.¡± The hospital¡¯s dean talked about Jennifer¡¯s condition to Elias, who was standing outside the ward and watching his insane mother through the window. ¡°Can she go for a bone marrowpatibility test in her condition? If she is proven to be a suitable donor, can she donate her bone marrow?¡± Elias asked, thinking he didn¡¯t have any time to waste. The dean responded with a frown on his face, ¡°Well, it has nothing to do with her mental and hematopoietic conditions, so I suppose it is possible, but the only thing that I¡¯m not sure about is the question of whether she would give her consent.¡± ¡°You could have just answered my question with either a ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no. So, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m going to figure out a way soon.¡± Elias gazed at his own mother, deciding right then and there that he would take her to the hospital at the thought of Aiden¡¯s failing health. Suddenly, Elias opened the ward¡¯s door, whereupon his arrival left Jennifer in a state of shock. After that, when she finally took a closer look at Elias, she smiled happily. ¡°Damn you, my son! How long has it been until you have finally decided toe get me? Come on, get me out of this ce! I¡¯m tired of staying there because everyone else seems mentally ill, so I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore.¡± Jennifer held Elias¡¯ arm tightly, as if he was her only hope. ¡°I¡¯m here to take you away, but I¡¯ll need you to do me a favor in return. You¡¯re not going to say ¡®no¡¯, are you?¡± In fact, she had never turned Elias down so long as fulfilling her son¡¯s request was within her power. ¡°Take me away from this ce. Please just take me with you.¡± Jennifer kept urging Elias to take her away, not paying any attention to what he said. In the meantime, he was sad and heartbroken at the sight of his mother¡¯s miserable state. Ever since his father passed away, Jennifer¡¯s mental health had been unstable as she always mentioned the word, ¡®karma. When Elias¡¯ grandfather passed away, the news only added to her terrible condition. Nheless, Elias took his mother away from the ward while the dean stood aside and watched them go with a sigh of relief. ? Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Taylor Momsey The next day, Elias sat restlessly in the president¡¯s office of Winters Enterprise, having spent the entire night without sleep and anxiously awaiting the matching results. The overflowing ashtray in the room. testified to his anxiety, even though he appeared calm on the surface. As he watched the sky brighten, he sighed deeply and put out his cigarette. He leaned back in his chair,pletely forgetting about the injuries on his back. Why is there no news yet? He frowned as he impatiently picked up his phone and nced at the time. It was almost 6.00AM. Suddenly, the oflice doorwas shoved open, and Yacob rushed in, panting. When Elias saw him, he sat up straight and eagerly asked, ¡°How is it? Are the matching results out?¡± Yacob walked to the desk after catching his breath and shook his head. ¡°Mrs. Winters is not a match either.¡± Disappointment reced the anticipation in Elias¡¯ dark eyes, followed by anger. He swept everything on the desk to the ground, causing a loud crash. Unable to hold back his frustration, he cursed, ¡°Damn it! How can there not be a single match?¡± Is this really karma, as Mom said? Dad has already passed away; Grandpa died without a clear cause, and now Aiden has this illness. Is it really karma? But why didn¡¯t it fall upon me instead? Why let the innocent three-year-old child suffer? Yacob then continued, ¡°However, they actually found a match.¡± ¡°Who?!¡± Elias¡¯ head snapped up, and he fixed a piercing stare on Yacob, eager to know who it was. He quickly searched through his mind but couldn¡¯t think of anyone. ¡°It was found in the bone marrow registry, but¡­ I¡¯m afraid he might not agree,¡± Yacob said, sounding. somewhat discouraged. Elias angrily eximed when he heard that, ¡°Since it was found in the bone marrow registry, why wouldn¡¯t he agree? If he won¡¯t agree, why did he even register in the first ce?¡± ¡°Calm down, Mr. Winters. He registered in the bone inarrow registry, so he¡¯ll definitely agree to donate, but he might not donate to us.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°As soon as I received this news, I had the hospital contact him. Normally, the donor and recipient are kept unaware of each other¡¯s identities, but the donor insisted on knowing the recipient¡¯s identity, and after hearing it, he refused¡­¡± Before Yacob could finish speaking, Elias snarled in fury, ¡°Can you please get to the f*cking point? Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Taylor Momsey.¡± Taylor Momsey? When Elias heard the name, his face was filled with shock. How can it be Taylor? Is this really karma? Of all people, it just has to be the person who hates me the most in this world to be a match for my son¡¯s bone marrow. Yacob wasn¡¯t surprised at his reaction at all because it was impossible for this donor to agree on the bone marrow donation. The grievances between Taylor and Mr. Winters are simply irreconcble. We can only wait for new candidates in the bone marrow registry. However, Taylor is currently the most suitable candidate. If he agrees to donate his bone marrow, the kid can undergo the transnt right away. For this illness, the sooner the bone marrow transnt, the better. Otherwise, the kid will continue to suffer Meanwhile, Elias sat there for a long time, lost in thought. After a while, Amanda¡¯s phone call came in. Yacob had to remind Elias to answer the call. ¡°Mr. Winters, it¡¯s Miss Bailey¡¯s call.¡± Only then did Elias finally snap out of his daze and answer the phone. He simply said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m coming right away.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital. Aiden is being admitted today! After that, he picked up his suit jacket and walked out of the office, with Yacob following behind. At the hospital, Amanda had been patiently exining to Aiden why he needed to stay in the hospital and wear a patient gown. Yet, Aiden might be a child, but he wasn¡¯t a toddler and couldn¡¯t be easily fooled. Therefore, he didn¡¯t believe any of her exnations. ¡°Mommy, why isn¡¯t Daddy here yet? I want to hear it from Daddy. You¡¯re lying to me.¡± ¡°Daddy will be here soon. And I¡¯m not lying to you, baby. It¡¯s a homework assignment from your teacher, asking us to experience what it feels like to be a patient in the hospital.¡± Although she also felt like her lies were simply too ridiculous, she had no other choice but to continue spouting such nonsense. She couldn¡¯t possibly tell him that he was sick, and it was so serious that it required a hospital stay and a bone marrow transnt. ¡°Hmph!¡± He looked disdainfally at the oversized patient gown he was wearing, constantly itching to take it off, but she wouldn¡¯t allow him to do so. At that moment, Elias arrived, pushing open the door to the ward. They had chosen a VIP ward, so it was a single room. Only Aiden would be staying in the room, which had been warmly decorated and filled with toys to keep him entertained. ¡°Daddy! Why do I have to stay in the hospital? Mommy said it was a homework assignment from the teacher. Is that true? I don¡¯t believe a word she¡¯s saying.¡± child The moment Elias walked into the ward and saw his little son wearing therge patient gown, it felt like a hand reached into his chest and tightly clenched his heart, causing him unbearable pain. Such a young has to wear a patient gown¡­. He stood still for a few seconds and then walked over, saying, ¡°Mommy is telling you the truth. We¡¯ll complete the assignment here and go home after that, alright?¡± ¡°What? But it will take so long. Mommy said we have to stay for a long time.¡± Aiden looked disappointed. Elias shot a nce at Amanda before lowering his head with a smile and gently ruffling his son¡¯s little hair. ¡°Not for long. We¡¯ll be able to go home very soon.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± As soon as Aiden heard that they could go home soon, a smile tugged on his lips, and he happily ran to y with the toys on the side. She immediately got up and pulled Elias outside of the ward. She even made sure she closed the door so Aiden wouldn¡¯t overhear their conversation. ¡°Why did you tell him we can go home soon? We haven¡¯t found a bone marrow match yet. How can he be discharged soon? I¡¯ve already told him so many lies. I don¡¯t want to lie to him anymore. What will I say if we can¡¯t go hometer? Should I continue lying to my son?¡± She looked at him angrily. Yacob remained tight-lipped as he stood by silently, Mr. Elias has to tell her himself. We found a bone marrow match, but the match refused to donate. This can be heartbreaking to say. ¡°We¡¯ve found a suitable bone marrow match. I¡¯m going to talk to the donor tonight,¡± Elias said in a deep voice. ¡°What? So soon?¡± Amand¨¤ looked surprised and couldn¡¯t help butugh heartily. ¡°You¡¯re going to go talk to the donorter? Take me with you. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Yacob, on the side, looked up in astonishment at Elias. What is Mr. Winters doing? Taylor would never agree to donate his bone marrow. Wouldn¡¯t telling Amanda about this only make her more hopeless once she learns about Taylor¡¯s refusalter? However, Elias continued saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go alone; you should stay here with Aiden.¡± ¡°No, I want to go with you. I want to thank the donor properly and meet him in person.¡± She stubbornly insisted on tagging along.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 You¡¯re Not Guests, Just Two Dogs Elias fell silent, unsure of what to say. Yacob, who was merely an audience, grew anxious as well. If Mr. Winters is going to see Taylor tonight, he will surely be given a hard time, and even after that, it is unlikely that Taylor will agree. Amanda will witness Mr. Winters¡¯ embarrassment if she tags along. No man would want to lose his pride in front of his woman. At this thought, he couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult for Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey. He doesn¡¯t know the oue of tonight¡¯s meeting yet. You should let him handle it.¡± As soon as those words were spoken, Elias bellowed, ¡°Yacob! Shut up! No one will think you¡¯re mute even if you don¡¯t say anything At this moment, Amanda was stunned. What does he mean? Wasn¡¯t the match found in the bone marrow registry? Why would the donor refuse to donate? If he doesn¡¯t want to donate, why would he even be in the registry database? ¡°What are you guys talking about? Is the donor refusing to donate bone marrow? But it was found in the registry, right?¡± She looked confused, unable toprehend the situation. Yacob didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore, and Elias spoke slowly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Just take care of Aiden. Leave the bone marrow matter to me. I¡¯ll end this quickly.¡± With that, he turned and left, heading toward the elevator. Meanwhile, Amanda remained rooted in ce. When arm and inquired sharply, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Was about to follow Elias, she grabbed his ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t ask. Just take care of Aiden and leave the bone marrow matter to Mr. Winters, as he said. Although it¡¯s extremely difficult-almost impossible-to get Taylor to donate his bone marrow. Unfortunately, she tightly grabbed his arm and angrily demanded, ¡°Tell me. What¡¯s going on? Who is the donor? Why does he refuse to donate his bone marrow?¡± He was getting annoyed by the questioning, so he simply answered, ¡°Because the donor is Mr. Winters¡¯ enemy. Get it now? Don¡¯t ask any more questions, What¡¯s the use of knowing?¡± Enemy¡­ Her eyes widened in shock. How can Elias¡¯ enemy be a match? This is absurd. When Yacob saw that Elias had disappeared from his sight, he wanted to leave immediately, but she forcefully held him back. ¡°How difficult is it to persuade the person to donate his bone marrow? Does Elias. stand a chance in the negotiation tonight?¡± If the donor is an enemy, it¡¯s unlikely that any amount of money would convince him to donate. How will Elias seed in his negotiation tonight, then? How? After a few seconds of silence, Yacob replied, ¡°It¡¯s harder than reaching the heavens, but Mr. Winters is willing to give it a try. I¡¯ll go with him. My task is to protect him.¡± ¡°Take me with you tonight.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± He was starting to lose his patience. Why is she so stubborn? I already told her that the donor is Mr. Winters¡¯ enemy, someone who wouldn¡¯t show him respect. Does she think she will get special treatment? Nheless, she looked at him sincerely and said, ¡°Please take me with you. I¡¯m begging you.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything further and just nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll text you tonight. I¡¯ll send you the address after Mr. Winters and have arrived.¡± ¡°Thank you, Yacob.¡± Then, he turned to walk down the corridor after shooting her a look. Tears slowly streamed down Amanda¡¯s face as she covered her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs. Why are things so difficult? None of our rtives or friends were a match. When we finally found a match in the bone marrow registry, it turned out to be Elias¡¯ enemy. Why does God want to torment my baby like this? My baby has done nothing wrong! In the evening, after Elias finished his work, he and Yacob arrived outside the Momsey Residence. They waited outside for the butler to inform Taylor of their arrival. Unfortunately, they waited for a long time but the entrance never opened for them. To be honest, Taylor¡¯s response was actually within their expectations. Yacob couldn¡¯t help but blurt, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Winters. Let¡¯s find another bone marrow match. Taylor will never agree to this. He won¡¯t even let us in. He hates you with every fiber of his being. There¡¯s no chance he will agree.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Elias was resolute since there were no other options now. This is the fastest way to save Aiden. Yacob fell silent and waited by Elias¡¯ side, for he understood Elias¡¯ feelings at this moment as well. After more than two hours, the butler finally came out and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, pleasee in. Mr. Momsey has just woken up. He said you can only meet him in Pudding¡¯s living area.¡± ¡°Who is Pudding?¡± Yacob asked. The butler¡¯s face remained stoic as he replied, ¡°Pudding is Mr. Momsey¡¯s pet. A Dogo Argentino.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Elias pressed his lips tightly together at his words. This is clearly intentional. Yacob was the one who snapped, ¡°What? Your Mr. Momsey wants Mr. Winters to meet him in a dog¡¯s living area? Is he a dog? Does he live with his dog every day? Can¡¯t he leave his dog for a second? Why is he meeting his guest in a dog¡¯s living area?¡± This is clearly an insult! Although there are unresolved grievances between Taylor and Mr. Winters, it wasn¡¯t Mr. Winters fault! The butler continued, ¡°Mr. Momsey said that you¡¯re not guests, just two dogs.¡± ¡°Say that again? I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart!¡± Yacob waspletely enraged. How dare this lowly butler be this arrogant? He needs to be taught a lesson! When he grabbed the butler¡¯s cor, fear finally appeared on the butler¡¯s face. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! Let go¡­ At this moment, Elias finally spoke, ¡°Release him. It¡¯s just a dog¡¯s living area. Our purpose is to meet Taylor, not to care about these things.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Yacob had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. After he calmed down, he realized that he had indeed been impulsive. We came here to persuade Taylor to donate his bone marrow. I have to restrain my anger. Then, he followed Elias through the gate of the Momsey Residence. The butler led them to a luxurious house. Still, it was a house specially built for Taylor¡¯s beloved dog. ¡°What a show-off. Building such a house for a dog. He might as well marry his dog.¡± Yacob muttered under his breath. When Elias entered the house, he saw a man sitting on the couch, ying with a Dogo Argentino. Woof, woof, woof, woof? Suddenly, the dog named Pudding barked wildly at them. These dogs usually had a bad temper and were quite ferocious. They could bite off a chunk of flesh with one bite. ¡°Hey! What are you barking at?¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t help but growl at the dog. Just then, the man sitting on the couch called his pet back with just a hand gesture, and Pudding obediently returned to his side andy down. This man was none other than Taylor Momsey, Elias¡¯ enemy. ¡°You¡¯ve alreadye to a dog¡¯s living area, so why do you still want to act so tough? It seems that our Mr. Winters knows how topromise when necessary,¡± Taylor taunted. Elias wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk nonsense with him, so he went straight to the point. ¡°So, tell me. What conditions can make you donate your bone marrow?¡± Definitely not money. Although the Momsey Family¡¯s wealth couldn¡¯t bepared to that of the Winters Family, they definitely weren¡¯tcking in money. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 I Will Use My Way to Make You Agree Taylor gently ran his hand through his pet¡¯s fur with one hand. When he nced at Elias standing there, he couldn¡¯t help but snicker, ¡°What conditions do you think I will propose?¡± Elias remained silent, just looking at him, waiting for his next response. Meanwhile, Yacob, who was standing on the sidelines, couldn¡¯t restrain his anger any longer. Mr. Winters has never endured such humiliation. Back then, even when Taylor was so furious that he was going to explode, he couldn¡¯t do anything to Mr. Winters. Note that he finally has the opportunity to do so, he will definitely torment Mr. Winters to the fullest. ¡°No matter what conditions you propose, as long as you say it, I can do it.¡± Elias¡¯ tone was extremely firm because he knew had no way out of this, Suddenly, Taylor¡¯s eyes turned fierce. He sat up straight and bellowed, ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying these things to me now, huh? My sister has gone insane! It¡¯s all because of you! Back then, when I begged you to save her, did you bother to listen to me? You didn¡¯t even let me in the gate. I experienced your cold- heartedness firsthand. I¡¯ve already given you better treatment. I let you through my gate.¡± When he recalled the past, he wished he could just kill Elias right now. How could I possibly be that kind to donate my bone marrow to his son? In his dreams! I want to see him kneel before me and beg me, and even then. I won¡¯t agree with his wishes. I want him to forever be immersed in regret and pain. Elias lowered his gaze slightly, his expression emotionless, as he said in a deep voice, ¡°Saying that I regret it now will only make you feel disgusted, so I don¡¯t want to waste my breath on it. Just tell me what want me to do.¡± you He¡¯s the one in need, but he still acts so arrogantly? This displeased Taylor. He suddenly stood angrily, ¡°You¡¯re the one in need of me now! Why are you still acting so high and mighty? Since you don¡¯t up, roaring regret your decision back then, why are you here now? Let me make it clear to you. I won¡¯t donate my bone marrow. I want you to suffer and experience the pain I went through. Get out! Stefan, show them the way out! After that, he turned around to leave. At this moment, Elias called out to his retreating figure. Your sister is still in the asylum. If I say I can make her normal again, would you agree to donate your bone marrow?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Taylor stopped in his tracks at his words but didn¡¯t turn around. Meanwhile, Yacob¡¯s face showed surprise as he looked at his boss. What nonsense is he spouting? Miss Momsey has been insane for several years. How can she be cured just like that? Mr. Winters is digging a pit for himself! ¡°If I say I can make your sister normal again, would you agree to donate your bone marrow? Answer me,¡± Elias asked again. In the next moment, Taylor abruptly turned around, took a few steps, and grabbed Elias by his cor. ¡°Elias Winters! How dare you say such a thing to me? Have you forgotten who caused her insanity? How can you have the audacity to use this as a condition to exchange with me? Are you even human?¡± Elias freed himself from Taylor¡¯s grip, still wearing a cold expression. ¡°Just tell me if you agree to those terms or not. At this point, I can only push forward. I need to save Aiden. There¡¯s no turning back. I have to remain indifferent and use everyone I can to my advantage. ¡°Elias, you inhumane beast! At this point, you still dare to use my sister? I don¡¯t understand what she saw in you all those years ago. She was willing to die for you, even severing ties with our family!¡± ||| The more Taylor thought about the past, the angrier he became. He had witnessed his sister¡¯s descent into madness, all because of the man standing before him. How dare he use Rosie as a condition to make me donate my bone marrow? He¡¯s f*cking shameless! Before Elias could say anything. Yacob, who was standing by, couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°Mr. Momsey, back then, your sister was the one who clung onto Mr. Winters relentlessly. Mr. Winters had repeatedly rejected her advances, but she cried, threw tantrums, and even attempted suicide by cutting her wrists or overdosing on sleeping pills. In the end, she drove herself insane. What does it have to do with Mr. Winters? How can you me him for everything? All he did was reject her advances from start to finish. He didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Back then, Rosie Momsey was like a sticky piece of gum. Mr. Winters never agreed to be in a rtionship with her, but she would go to great lengths to sabotage any woman who interacted with him. She relentlessly pursued him, only to be rejected again and again. There was even once when she threw herself into his arms, only to be forcefully shoved away. Then, she completely lost her sanity, pressuring Mr. Winters to be with her or she would die in front of him. She ultimately drove herself into madness with her extreme behavior. How can it all be med on Mr. Winters? He truly couldn¡¯t understand the Momseys for their hostility. The Momsey Family ispletely unreasonable, acting like mad dogs. Instead of owning up to their own mistakes, they pushed all the responsibility onto Mr. Winters. ¡°Shut up! Do you have the right to speak here? Why isn¡¯t he responsible? He clearly knew that my sister liked him, so why did he keep rejecting her?¡± Taylor snarled in fury. Yacob couldn¡¯t help but let out a cold chuckle. ¡°He didn¡¯t like her, so why can¡¯t he reject her? Will you be happy if he ys with your sister¡¯s feelings? Isn¡¯t this responsible behavior? What if your sister was hurt by Mr. Winters and suffered emotional damage? Is that the result you want to see?¡± ¡°When my sister attempted suicide again and again, why did he choose to be indifferent? Doesn¡¯t he know it¡¯s a matter of life and death? If he had justforted her a little, she would have been fine, but he pretended not to. When my sister ended up going insane, he never came to see her even once. Shouldn¡¯t someone without humanity like him pay the price? Now that I¡¯m a match for his son¡¯s bone marrow, isn¡¯t it a punishment from God for him? I won¡¯t donate my bone marrow. I¡¯m telling you right now that I will never do it!¡± Taylor emphasized once again. His tone was as apathetic as that of a doctor delivering a death notice. All this time, Elias had been staring at him, and his gaze turned even icier when he heard those words. ¡°If you agree to donate your bone marrow, I¡¯ll cure your sister. If you don¡¯t, I will use my way to make you agree.¡± He didn¡¯t look at Taylor after saying that and walked straight toward the exit. Yacob followed him, leaving Taylor standing there, utterly bewildered. Who is begging whom now? He still acts all high and mighty even at a time like this! The thing he despised most was Elias¡¯ arrogant demeanor. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 I¡¯m Elias¡¯ Ex-Wife Outside of the Momsey Residence, Yacob tagged behind Elias. ¡°Mr. Elias, what are your ns now? It doesn¡¯t seem like Taylor will help us out willingly.¡± This situation was exactly what he expected. Back then, Elias had ignored Taylor when was outside the Winters Residence for hours, begging to meet him so he could save his sister. So, it was only to be expected that Taylor would spurn Elias now and refuse to donate his bone marrow. Elias walked toward the car with a stoic expression on his face and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll do it by force, then. I could care less about everything else. All I want is for my son to be safe and healthy.¡± Yacob said no more. Given his understanding of Elias¡¯ personality, he knew that he was capable of something like that. It would be best if Taylor would give his consent to donate his bone marrow because Taylor would be forced to if he remained unwilling. However, unbeknownst to them, Amanda arrived at Taylor¡¯s ce after they had hopped into their car. Yacob had almost forgotten about her after giving her Taylor¡¯s address. Initially, he thought she would apany them to meet Taylor. Thus, he didn¡¯t that she wouldeter. expect Amanda pressed the doorbell by therge entrance, and the butler promptly came to answer the door. ¡°Whom are you looking for, madam?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ 1. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what she should say because she couldn¡¯t simply tell him that she was here to beg Taylor for his bone marrow. On the other hand, she wondered whether Elias was still here. Maybe he¡¯s still inside¡­ She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m Elias Winters¡¯ ex-wife and here to look for him. He told me that he¡¯s here. A knot appeared between the butler¡¯s brows as he looked at her from head to toe. ¡°Are you Mr. Winters¡± ex-wife? Mr. Winters just left a minute ago.¡± ¡°He left already?¡± That was quick, or maybe I came a littlete. Disappointed at the turn of events, she twirled around and wanted to leave when the butler stopped her. ¡°Wait a minute. Let me inform Mr. Momsey. Somehow, he had a feeling that she was useful to Taylor. Hence, after Amanda waited outside the door for about ten minutes, he came trotting back. ¡°Pleasee in, madam. Mr. Momsey would like to meet you.¡± The person with the matching bone marrow that Yacob mentioned is probably this Mr. Momsey, she thought, her eyes lighting up with a glimmer of hope. ¡°Great!¡± She wanted to meet him as well to ask him to donate his bone marrow, and hopefully, she could convince this stranger. s, he was an enemy of Elias. Just the thought of this made this seem like an impossible task. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The butler led her to the spot where Elias stood earlier-the same dog room. As Amanda stood there, she couldn¡¯t help but notice dog toys and other assortments strewn everywhere. Is this a room made for dogs? ¡°Where is Mr. Momsey?¡± she inquired. The butler took a look behind her. ¡°He¡¯s here. Right behind you.¡± Slowly, she spun around and the first thing she saw was the fierce Dogo Argentino, which gave her a fright. and she jumped a couple of steps backward because she was terrified of dogs. Meanwhile, the dog barked loudly at her a few times the instant she met its gaze, and she trembled in fear. Amused by her reaction, Taylorughed and stroked his beloved dog. ¡°Pudding, don¡¯t frighten this prettydy. Go on and y over there while I speak with her.¡± Hence, the dog turned and trotted off into a different corner, and Amanda breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, her tightly wrung nerves rxed. Taylor took a seat on the couch, his eyes glued on the woman in front of him as he gave her a once- over. Elias wouldn¡¯t fall for his sister, Rosie, no matter what she did but had a child with this woman. Was this the type of woman he liked? What type of woman is she? he wondered. While he was silently judging her and trying to guess her personality, she opened her mouth and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Momsey. I¡¯m Amanda Bailey.¡± ¡°Did you say that you¡¯re Elias¡¯ ex-wife? So, are you the mother of that child who needs a bone marrow transnt?¡± Taylor¡¯s voice had a tinge of doubt because Amanda looked nothing like a mother. Instead, she looked a little childlike, more like a young girl who had just started joining the workforce. Amanda nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the mother of that child. Are you the match for his bone marrow, Mr. Momsey?¡±, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one, but I have no ns of donating my bone marrow.¡± The smile that just appeared on her face turned stiff right away. Although she already expected this, she mustered her courage and said, ¡°I know that there¡¯s a personal feud between you and Elias, but the child is innocent and he¡¯s only three years old. It isn¡¯t easy for him to find a match and I really don¡¯t want to miss this opportunity. I hope you¡¯ll reconsider and donate your bone marrow. I¡¯m begging you. No matter what conditions youe up with, I¡¯ll agree to it. As long as you name it, I¡¯ll get it done.¡± He burst intoughter at her words. ¡°You sure sound like his ex-wife, even the things you said are as sickening as his. You said any condition, eh? What about spending the night with me? Will you do that?¡± She was rendered speechless by his daring and was certain that he was saying this on purpose to spite her. Thus, she held back the revulsion she was feeling as she said with a forced smile, ¡°Mr. Momsey, a divorced woman like me isn¡¯t good enough for a fine gentleman like you. Why don¡¯t you name another condition? ¡°Tsk¡­ Didn¡¯t you just say that you¡¯ll agree to any condition? How can you say that you¡¯ll get anything that I said done when you can¡¯t even do such a simple request? What are you doing? You¡¯re the one asking me for help but expect me topromise instead. Every word he said was filled with sarcasm and deep hatred. ¡°Are you serious, Mr. Momsey?¡± ¡°Of course, I am. Why don¡¯t you tell me how you managed to seduce Elias back then that he married you. and even had a child with you? After that, why did he divorce and dump you in the end?¡± He was rather curious about this because he wanted to know why the heartless Elias would marry, have a child, and then divorce the woman before him. So, she stood rooted to the spot as she answered humbly, ¡°I didn¡¯t seduce him. We were married upon our parents¡¯ orders, and he didn¡¯t want to marry me, but he couldn¡¯t defy his grandfather, and that¡¯s why we divorced soon afterward. After the divorce, I found out that I was pregnant. So, he didn¡¯t know about the child.¡± Taylor was almost fascinated with her story and stared at her with a straight face, sighing. ¡°Phew¡­ You¡¯re a strong woman, aren¡¯t you? All alone, you had the guts to give birth to a baby, and Elias¡¯ child at that. Yet, the child is suffering from this illness now. Do you know what this is? It¡¯s retribution! Why did you give birth to his child? A person like him isn¡¯t fit to have one and this is a reminder from the universe. I think you shouldn¡¯t waste your efforts and just let the child die. Will he be happy to be that sc¡±mbag¡¯s child? No. he won¡¯t, and only no end of miserable experiences aware him.¡± ¡°You shut your mouth, or I¡¯ll shut it for you! Finally. Amanda couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and it was all she could do to stop herself from ripping his mouth of Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Why Did You Go to the Momsey Residence? By now, Amanda was clear that Taylor would never donate his bone marrow and was merely making a fool out of them. Taylor roared withughter upon seeing her ire. ¡°Are you mad because of this? Weren¡¯t you willing to do anything for your child? You can¡¯t even take this little bit of insult, so don¡¯t talk about having motherly. love. That¡¯s what I¡¯d expect of a woman that Elias liked. You¡¯re just like him-heartless and cold-blooded, all you do is pretend!¡± His eyes were filled with indifference, and because he hated Elias, he hated everything that had to do with that man. ¡°You know nothing! Have you been married? Are you a father? How can you say that we¡¯re pretending?¡± Eventually, she lost all her patience as she turned around and wanted to leave. Yet, he suddenly sprang to his feet and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°I may not be married, and neither do I have a child, but I have family, too. I¡¯ve seen my family suffering with my own eyes, and it¡¯s all because of Elias! That¡¯s why I want him to experience the pain I went through. I want him to watch in vain as his family. suffers!¡± she jerked her head to the despicable Taylor and red at the man with daggers in her eyes, as though she wanted to shred him to pieces. Then, curiosity crept over her, and she started to wonder exactly what kind of feud was hatched between him and Elias. A few seconds passed by as she ferociously red at him. before she slowly said, ¡°Mr. Momsey, I¡¯ll ask you onest time. You¡¯re not going to donate your bone marrow no matter what we offer, are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t donate my bone marrow to Elias¡¯ child. Never,¡± he said, making his stance clear. All her hopes were dashed, and she didn¡¯t intend to waste her time here. Her tears slowly streamed down her face. Then, she wiped them away and left without saying another word. Taylor didn¡¯t move an inch as he stared at her back, a little impressed by her guts. First of all, she dared to meet him alone. Secondly, instead of pestering him after he rejected her, she decided to seek other options instead. To be more urate, she had sessfully piqued his interest. His eyes never left her retreating figure as he instructed his butler, Stefan, ¡°Run a background check on Elias ex-wife.¡± Even if Elias didn¡¯t want to marry her back then, it wasn¡¯t an easy task to have Elias woman, and he needed to find out all the details. ¡°Okay, Mr. Momsey.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. marry a Amanda climbed into her car with reddened eyes and received a call from the hospital after she departed from Taylor¡¯s abode. ¡°Where are you, Mommy? Why aren¡¯t you here with me? I¡¯m so bored.¡± In the call, Aiden sounded so sad and pitiful. Her lips curled into a stic smile as she faked a rxed tone, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy a chocte cake for you and will be back soon. Wait for me, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy. My nose was bleeding again earlier, and the nurse helped me to stop the bleeding. I didn¡¯t even cry. Aren¡¯t I brave?¡± Amanda¡¯s heart fell into the pits. Was he bleeding from the nose again? What does this mean? Panic overwhelmed her as she clutched her phone tightly. ¡°Wait for me, Aiden. I¡¯ming over right now,¡± she said and hung up before driving straight toward the hospital. Amanda sped to the hospital and burst into the ward breathlessly, only to see that Elias was reading at storybook to Aiden. When she pushed the door open, she happened to hear Elias patiently telling Aiden. the story from the book. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she gasped for air, and Aiden immediately saw her from the bed, eximing in surprise, ¡°Where¡¯s my cake, Mommy?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry but I forgot. I¡¯ll buy it for you tomorrow, okay?¡± Elias remained seated on the chair as he kept the storybook away. The moment he caught sight of her disheveled state, he asked, ¡°What were you doing? Did you cry?¡± Aiden immediately forgot about his cake. ¡°Why did you cry, Mommy? Why do you keep crying in the past. few days? Was someone mean to you?¡± To him, it didn¡¯t seem like Elias was the one who was mean to her because he was always by his side the whole time. So, he honestly couldn¡¯t figure out just what was bothering her. eyes All of a sudden, Amanda didn¡¯t know how she should exin herself, but Yacob happened to return to the room. ¡°Mr. Winters, that side- Right after he opened his mouth, he saw her standing before his and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss Bailey, where did you go? Mr. Winters has been looking for you.¡± When she remained silent, something dawned upon him, and he gaped at her in surprise. ¡°Did you really go to the Momsey Residence? You-¡± ¡°What? You went to the Momsey Residence?!¡± Elias sprang to his feet, anger all over his handsome face. Amanda shot Yacob a look with a scowl on her face, hinting at him to shut up. Thetter understood her message and Elias nced at his son on the bed. Thus, he threw Yacob a nce before leaving the ward. ¡°Come out with me, both of you.¡± ¡°What are you guys doing. Mommy? I wannae along, too!¡± On the bed, Aiden bounced upright. ¡°Be good and stay here. We¡¯re going out to discuss something¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± Therefore, he continued flipping his storybook, not even bothering to conceal the look of disappointment on his face. Amanda and Yacob went outside the ward and found Elias standing there, danger lingering in the air around him. When he heard their footsteps, he turned around and snapped at Yacob, ¡°Why did you tell her?¡± Then, he turned to Amanda and added, ¡°Why did you go to the Momsey Residence? I told you to leave this matter to me!¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with Yacob. I was the one who forced him to tell me because I was anxious, but I didn¡¯t know that things were that bad. Now, it looks like Mr. Momsey is never going to donate his bone. marrow. Let¡¯s look for a new donor. I don¡¯t want to waste my time on him, Amanda said resolutely. Yacob hung his head without a word. He was well aware that he should keep his mouth shut right now, or else he would be caught in the crossfire. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. All you have to do is stay with Aiden. I have ways to make Taylor agree to this,¡± Elias said and turned to Yacob. ¡°Inform the doctor that we¡¯ve found a suitable donor and to prepare for the transnt next month.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, this¡­ Taylor is obviously not going to cooperate. Do you really think that he¡¯ll agree to your terms? What will you do if it doesn¡¯t work out even when you force him?¡± ¡°Just do as you¡¯re told and stop asking questions! Do you think that I don¡¯t have enough to deal with?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± In the end, Yacob could only head for the doctor¡¯s office, leaving Elias with Amanda, who saw how frustrated the former was. She unconsciously clenched the hem of her shirt in her anxiety. He¡¯s definitely very frustrated right now, she thought. There are a bunch of stuff to deal with at the company and he still has to care about the transnt. How many issues can a person juggle at one time? Elias had to go to work during the day and apany Aiden in the evening. Truth be told, she was afraid that this man would break down from exhaustion. ¡°Are you sure you want to force Mr. Momsey¡¯s hand? Isn¡¯t this illegal? Your reputation will be in tatters if he brings this to the courtter.¡± Amanda was worried that Taylor would seek revenge on Elias after the surgery if he was forced to donate his bone marrow. Considering the disturbingly unhealthy amount of resentment he already harbored for Elias, there was no doubt that his revenge would be bloody and cruel. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Chapter 284 A Story From the Past Yacob nodded in agreement and faced Elias with a grave look on his face, waiting for him to make his decision. s, Elias¡¯ mind was made. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Both of you, please just do what you¡¯re supposed to do and don¡¯t cause more trouble for me if you¡¯re really serious about saving Aiden.¡° Amanda and Yacob shared a look, slipping into silence as they watched Elias returning into the ward to continue reading the storybook for Aiden. Amanda stood outside the ward as she watched as Elias expression turned gentle in an instant. He had shifted to the role of a loving father in the blink of an eye as he patiently told a story to his son as though the person who berated them earlier wasn¡¯t him but someone else instead. Then, Yacob dragged her to a corner. ¡°Lord, you really went to the Momsey Residence! I thought that you¡¯d leave when you found out that we weren¡¯t there, but you actually went in after we left. This is as good as rocking the boat!¡± ¡°I¡­ Just don¡¯t want to miss out on this chance.¡± She merely wanted to give it a shot, thinking that she could convince Taylor with her charisma. s, judging from Taylor¡¯s reaction, it seemed that she had underestimated how dire the situation was between Elias and Taylor. Yacob was hopping mad. ¡°Did you think that you could convince Taylor with your words? That¡¯s impossible! You have no idea what kind of feud existed between Mr. Winters and him, and it was a feud that can never be reconciled. That¡¯s utterly out of the question.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s about his sister. Why does he hate Elias so terribly?¡± A curious Amanda couldn¡¯t figure out what could have happened that made Taylor despise Elias so badly. Initially, Yacob didn¡¯t want to speak about this, but seeing how reckless she was, he had no other choice but to tell her about it. Therefore, he stole a peek at Elias in the ward and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± So, she tentatively closed the ward door and followed him to the hospital garden. In the garden, they chose a secluded corner without anyone, and Yacob started to tell her a story from the past, ¡°I didn¡¯t n to bring this up, but I think it¡¯s better for me to tell you so that you won¡¯t keep going to the Momsey Residence and do something dumb. Once I finish telling you everything, I can rest easy knowing that you won¡¯t do anything idiotic.¡± Is it really that serious? Amanda thought, feeling a tight squeeze in her heart. In all honesty, she was still carrying a small glimmer of hope that Taylor would donate his bone marrow. He sighed wearily as he slowly began, ¡°This happened many years ago, and actually, it had nothing to do with Mr. Winters. It was Rosie Momsey that pushed herself off the edge.¡± ¡°Rosie Momsey? Is she Taylor Momsey¡¯s sister?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the one I¡¯m talking about. Back then, this girl was courting Mr. Winters very aggressively and everyone in the circle knew about it. She was crazy about him, but he wasn¡¯t interested in her at all. She started to pester Mr. Winters ever since they were in high school, and he had always ignored her. Later, when he went abroad for studies, she insisted on following him abroad, too.¡± Amanda was stunned to silence that she was so obsessed with Elias, and Yacob continued, ¡°This girl¡­ Even though Mr. Winters had rejected her countless times, she kept bothering him. If anydies got into contact with him, or even spoke to him, she would make life hell for the women. In the end, no women dared to approach Mr. Winters, and it was all because of Rosie. Then, when he returned to the country after graduation, she continued with her ways and wouldn¡¯t let him out of her sight. Once, he rejected her in public and totally embarrassed her, hoping that she¡¯d give up, but guess what happened after that?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She attempted suicide by threatening to leap off a building! That woman created a really huge scene at that time, creating such a stir that it even hit the headlines. If Old Mr. Winters hadn¡¯t suppressed the news, I think the entire country would know about it until this day.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock. ¡°Suicide? Leaping off a building? So, she died because of that?¡± Yacob waved his hand. ¡°Let me finish. This was considered the first time she made such a big scene and Taylor came looking for Mr. Winters to help resolve the situation. Because it concerned a life, he went and saved her. After that, things should have cooled down and she should have given up, but she didn¡¯t and kept bugging Mr. Winters. She wanted nothing but to be his wife and used all sorts of means, even going as far as spiking him. Do you think this is love? This is purely an obsession.¡± ¡°It is truly messed up, but then what? What happened afterward?¡± She couldn¡¯t wait to find out what happened to Rosie and why Taylor hated Elias with every fiber of her being. ¡°After? After that, Mr. Winters kept rejecting her nonstop, and finally, he couldn¡¯t tolerate her anymore when she stole his dirtyundry and pped him. Then, she started crying and making a scene again. threatening to kill herself. But this time, she didn¡¯t jump off a building and chose to take sleeping pills instead.¡± Amanda balled her hands into fists in astonishment and thought. This girl is really tough on herself. ¡°She finished a bottle of sleeping pills and almost lost her life from it. After she was sent to the hospital, she was under emergency treatment for a few days and finally managed to stay alive. Unfortunately, her mind snapped after that incident. And now, she¡¯spletely mad and locked up in a mental hospital.¡± Now that Amanda was aware of the full story, all she could think was that Rosie was a perverted person. who lost her mind due to her decisions. ¡°So, Taylor hates Elias because of this?¡± ¡°Yeah. When Rosie was taking the pills, she threatened her family to get Mr. Winters to see her. If they didn¡¯t, she would finish the entire bottle. So, Taylor went to look for Mr. Winters again, but Mr. Winters was truly annoyed because he was already overwhelmed with work after taking over thepany and didn¡¯t have the time to waste onforting Rosie. Hence, he didn¡¯t even let Taylor into the house at that time. Taylor waited outside the house in vain for hours, begging him to save Rosie, and still, Mr. Winters didn¡¯t agree to meet her. In the end, she kept to her word and finished the pills. She almost died from her actions and ended up losing her mind. Of course, Taylor bears a grudge against Mr. Winters for this.¡± Finally, she understood the situation. ¡°In other words, if Elias had agreed to meet Rosie that time, there is a chance that she wouldn¡¯t have taken the pills and be as mad as a hatter. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°She definitely wouldn¡¯t have taken the pills because that was just her means to threaten Mr. Winters to meet her. It¡¯s an old trick of hers, always ying the pitiful card. On the other hand, Mr. Winters couldn¡¯t possibly allow himself to be threatened by her his whole life, could he? He doesn¡¯t even like her. Why would he spend any time on her? Furthermore, if that continued, he would be wrapped around her little finger.¡± Yacob himself couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth in frustration when he recalled Rosie¡¯s face and everything she did. Amanda nodded in agreement, imagining that Elias was most definitely thoroughly annoyed at that time because a woman he didn¡¯t like pestered him to that point. When she fell silent in her contemtion, Yacob sighed helplessly. ¡°Now you know everything. Taylor¡¯s sister lost her mind because of Mr. Winters and Taylor had always been a very protective elder brother. There¡¯s no way that he would donate his bone marrow to Mr. Winters¡¯ son. You can forget about such a notion.¡± Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Potential Worsening ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can allow Elias to act aggressively. It¡¯s illegal, and if Taylor decides to press charges against him, he could end up in jail. In that case, Elias¡¯ whole life will be ruined.¡± Amanda immediately. expressed the seriousness of the situation, which would destroy Elias¡¯ entire life. Yacob fell silent. He certainly knew that, but he couldn¡¯t dissuade Elias either. Amanda continued, ¡°So, we should quickly search for a new bone marrow donor. We can¡¯t let Elias resort to extreme measures that would harm others and himself!¡± ¡°But¡­ Where do we even begin to find a suitable donor in such a short time? You should know that both the Allegras and the Winterses have mobilized all their rtives and friends forpatibility tests, but none of them turned out to be a match. Who would have thought that in the end, Mr. Winters¡¯ enemy. Taylor, would be the one with a sessful match?¡± Yacob disagreed with Elias¡± approach, but he also had to acknowledge the difficulty in finding a suitable bone marrow donor. Amanda lowered her gaze, bit her lip, and made up her mind. She continued, ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult, but we will eventually find one. Even if Elias¡¯ method leads to Aiden¡¯s recovery, he will spend the rest of This life in prison. Will Aiden really be happy when he grows up? We shouldn¡¯t be so extreme. There will definitely be a suitable donor. I believe so!¡± Yacob remained silent, not because he believed Amanda¡¯s words, but because he felt that speaking further would be futile. After all, he couldn¡¯t stop Elias. In the evening. Amanda stayed with her son, engaging in their usual bedtime routine of storytelling. ¡°Mommy, the story you told wasn¡¯t interesting at all. Daddy tells more exciting stories.¡± ¡°Really? What story did Daddy tell you?¡± She used to be the one telling these stories, so she wondered why the baby no longer enjoyed them. Could it be that he has grown up? Aiden wore a mysterious expression as he covered his mouth with his tiny hands and whispered into Amanda¡¯s ear, ¡°Daddy tells scary stories about ghosts. He even said that if children don¡¯t sleep after hearing those stories, ghosts wille and take them away.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. She thought in the silence, Why would this man tell such things to a child? ¡°Aiden, it¡¯s time to take your medicine. We¡¯ll go to bed soon, and the nurse wille for a check-up.¡± Amanda took out the pills and a cup of water while gently coaxing the baby to take the medicine. ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to take these medicines. They taste so bitter. When can we go home? When will I finish the homework given by my teacher?¡± Aiden had only been in the hospital for two days, yet impatience had already begun to set in. Throughout these two days, not only did he resist taking the medicines properly, but he also spat them out secretly. Amanda didn¡¯t want to deceive her baby or give false hope about when they could return home, so she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, baby. We¡¯re waiting for an update. Can you be a good boy and take the medicine?¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m not even sick. Why do I have to take medicine? I don¡¯t want to¡­ Aiden pushed away the offered pills with a disgusted look. The medicines were undeniably quite bitter. Even adults found them unpleasant, let alone children. s, there was no other choice¡­ ¡°Aiden, do it for Mommy¡¯s sake. It¡¯s good for your health and can help you grow tall, just like Daddy.¡± Aiden became slightly intrigued, but a hint of doubt lingered in his eyes. ¡°Really? Can I grow as tall as Daddy?¡± ¡°Of course! When has Mommy ever lied to you?¡± Amanda showed a sincere smile. Aiden snorted, ¡°Mommy always lies to me.¡± Nheless, he had a strong desire to grow as tall as Elias, so he grabbed all the pills and swallowed them with several sips of water. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but smile at how obedient her baby truly was; every day at the hospital, she witnessed the heart-wrenching scenes of critically ill children crying and resisting treatment, even refusing to take their prescribed medications. Her only wish now was to swiftly find a suitable bone marrow donor for her baby¡¯s transnt and be discharged as soon as possible. It was evident to her that Aiden genuinely disliked staying in the hospital. Just as Amanda ced the cup down, Aiden regurgitated all the ingested pills right at the next moment, apanied by a significant amount of blood¡­ Blood! A horrifying sight of blood! Amanda was left stunned for a full three seconds, until she heard her baby cry out, asking, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m vomiting blood. Why¡­¡± Why? Right! Why is this happening? Amanda finally snapped out of her trance and cradled Aiden. ¡°There, there, don¡¯t cry, Mommy is here. It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t be scared¡­¡± He clung tightly to Amanda¡¯s body, frightened by the red liquid that emerged from his own mouth; he couldn¡¯tprehend why he was vomiting blood. While Amandaforted her son, she pressed the call button and within less than a minute, a nurse rushed into the room. ¡°What happened? Is something wrong?¡± Tears streamed down Amanda¡¯s face as she tightly held her child, pleading, ¡°Please help me examine why he¡¯s vomiting blood. He just took the medicine, and then he vomited it along with blood. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡± Amanda¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks as she cradled her baby close. Her heart was on the verge of shattering as she noticed the bloodstains around his tiny mouth. After the nurse contacted the doctor, they examined the situation andforted the crying child. Sometimeter, he cried himself into slumber, perhaps due to the iprehension of his condition or perhaps due to his waning strength day by day. Amanda apanied the doctor to the corridor and asked with anxiety etched on her face, ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°This illness has a sudden and severe onset. It¡¯s progressing rapidly. That¡¯s why I suggested a prompt bone marrow transnt. It¡¯s evident that the child¡¯s condition is advancing rapidly, and it may worsen. You have to remain vignt to prevent further harm, as controlling the bleeding will be challenging.¡± The doctor continued speaking, but Amanda seemed to have gone deaf at that moment; all she registered were the doctor¡¯s words of potential worsening- Horsening¡­ Those words weighed heavily on her heart, making it difficult to breathe like she was being suffocated. After the doctor departed, Amanda returned to the hospital room alone. As she gazed at her slumbering baby, she stifled her sobs with a hand over her mouth. Yet, the tears persisted as she wondered just what other suffering her baby would endure if the situation worsened. A prompt bone marrow transnt was imperative, but Taylor would never willingly donate his bone marrow. Not to mention, finding a new suitable donor would require time. Does my baby have to continue enduring such agony during our bitter search for a donor? As these thoughts gued her, she felt her heart being torn apart. This baby was the result of enduring ten months of excruciating pain. How could it not hurt her? If she could, she would willingly bear all the suffering in ce of her baby. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Meeting Taylor in the Lift Amanda stayed at Aiden¡¯s side throughout the entire night, never leaving even for a moment till dawn. She was so exhausted in the middle of the night that she eventually fell asleep in front of the bed. Nevertheless, she continued to grasp her son¡¯s tiny hand in fear that she might miss any changes in his condition. In the morning, Elias arrived at the hospital and witnessed this scene. He sighed softly as he took off his coat gently, trying not to make any sound, then draped the coat over Amanda¡¯s shoulders. He had no intention of waking her. s, she suddenly opened her eyes after being awakened by the unexpected warmth on her shoulder. Then, her gaze first fell upon her baby who was sleeping soundly in the hospital bed. Sheter turned her head and saw Elias and the coat she was wearing, finally letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°Why did youe in the morning? Don¡¯t you usuallye at night?¡± Amanda took off the coat, stood up slowly, and asked in a low voice. Elias also lowered his voice, saying, ¡°I cleared my schedule for the day and wanted toe here to apany him. How is he? Is he okay sleeping here?¡± As Amanda recalled the events of the previous night, she still carried a lingering fear in her heart. So, she didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she remained silent as she stood beside the bed and gazed at her son, while tears slowly welled up in her eyes. Elias immediately noticed that something was amiss as he furrowed his brows and pressed for answers. ¡°What happened? Did something ur?¡± ¡°Last night, Aiden vomited blood when he took his medicine. The doctor said that his condition may worsen.¡± Her voice choked with sobs, as if she could burst into tears at any moment. Vomited blood!? Elias dark eyes were instantly filled with shock as he gazed at Amanda for what felt like an eternity; his fists tightly clenched by his sides. ¡°The doctor stressed the urgency of a bone marrow transnt, but finding a suitable donor is really challenging, Tears continued to cascade down her face as she continued. Elias¡± gaze shifted towards his son. No wonder he looked so pale. I¡¯d already sensed something was amiss when I arrived. Time stretched on before he finally spoke, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± ¡°At that moment, everything was so rushed that I couldn¡¯t find the time. Later, the baby cried and insisted. on being held until he fell asleep, so I stayed with him. He stood beside the hospital bed for a while, then leaned down to gently nt a kiss on his son¡¯s forehead before carefully tucking him in. ¡°I have an urgent matter to attend to. Stay here with Aiden, and if anything changes, don¡¯t hesitate to call me immediately.¡± Amanda inquired, ¡°Didn¡¯t you clear your schedule for the entire day to be with him? Why now?¡± are you leaving Elias preferred not to disclose his ns, so he simply replied, ¡°An unexpected situation has arisen. I¡¯ll return as soon as I¡¯m finished.¡± With that, he turned and made his way toward the exit of the hospital room. Suddenly, Amanda called out to him, ¡°Elias.¡± He halted his steps and turned back to face her, waiting for her to continue. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. After a few seconds of hesitation, Amanda finally said, ¡°We can consider other options. Let¡¯s not pursue Taylor any longer, and let¡¯s not force him.¡± Elias remained silent and simply said, ¡°Stay with the child. Never leave his side for even a moment. He needs you now,¡± Then, he merely turned on his heels and exited the hospital room, leaving behind the echo of the closing door that woke the peacefully sleeping child. He tearfully called out, ¡°Mommy.. Amanda swiftly approached the bed and cradled the baby in her arms, saying in a soothing tone, ¡°Mommy is here. What¡¯s the matter? Are you feeling ufortable? Or, do you want some water?¡± The little one shook his head and sought sce by burying her head in Amanda¡¯s embrace, promptly drifting back to sleep. Sincest night¡¯s episode of blood vomiting, Amanda noticed that her baby had be increasingly anxious, causing him to crave a sense of security that could only be fulfilled by being held. She gazed at her baby in her arms; her heart breaking as she could do nothing but witness his suffering. In the afternoon, Aiden insisted on having a chocte cake, so Amanda had to request Selina to stay with him in the hospital room while she went to purchase the cake. Ding! The elevator doors opened gradually. As Amanda stepped inside, she found herself in the company. of an unexpected individual, someone she both dreaded and yearned to see. Taylor, appearing somewhat drowsy, stood inside the elevator with a genuinely surprised expression upon. spotting Amanda. He wore a teasing smile as he remarked, ¡°Well, well, what a coincidence to find you in this hospital.¡± Amanda paid him no mind, only standing in a corner of the elevator as she awaited her arrival at the desired floor. ¡°I¡¯m speaking to you. Why are you ignoring me? Has the cat got your tongue? I thought you were a lawyer. Shouldn¡¯t you be quite the talkative type?¡± Taylormented casually. Still, Amanda refused to acknowledge him. She longed to seize this man andpel him to donate bone marrow for Aiden, but it was an impossible desire. The haunting image of her baby vomiting blood last night shattered her heart and there stood a solution right before her, yet it was far from her grasp. Nobody could fathom such an overwhelming sense of resignation. Taylor intentionally ordered his butler to investigate Amanda¡¯s background and uncover her unfortunate past-a gambling addict for a father, a deceased mother, and a childhood spent in poverty. Tsk tsk¡­ how pitiable. Unfortunately, he had yet to discover Amanda¡¯s true identity. Once he uncovered her authentic. ||| J background, he would no longer view her as pitiful. He still couldn¡¯t fathom how Elias had fallen into the clutches of this she possessed captivating beauty and a distinct temperament. She was cool man. Is it because of her beauty? Sure, pure. Nheless, in this world, there are countless beautiful women. Especially for someone of Elias status and position, he should have encountered countless of them throughout his entire life. Why is the elevator so slow? It stopped several times along the way, as the hospital was naturally crowded. Yet, as they ascended and descended, they ended up being the only two people left in the elevator. Taylor continued to scrutinize Amanda, making her ufortable under his gaze. Finally, she mustered the courage to speak, ¡°Mr. Momscy, could you please stop staring at me? It¡¯s rude.¡± Taylor snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing her voice. ¡°What¡¯s rude about it? This world isn¡¯t just about you. Why can¡¯t I look? I simply want to discover where your charm lies and why Elias sumbed to you.¡± ¡°Has he truly sumbed to me? Then, why did we get divorced?¡± Amanda retorted with an icy expression. Taylor chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t he really concerned about your child now? You have to understand that a man has to first have affection for the woman before he can develop a fondness for the child she bears.¡± ¡°What nonsense. The child is his own flesh and blood. Of course, he cares. After all, it is the Winters. Family¡¯s lineage. Taylor clicked his tongue. ¡°It appears you still don¡¯t understand Elias¡¯ character. He is not a man who can be restrained by societal norms. If he doesn¡¯t like a woman, he wouldn¡¯t let her conceive or give birth to a child, let alone allow the child to survive until now.¡± Amanda remained silent, too fatigued to engage in an argument. Finally, the elevator arrived, and the doors slid open, followed by Amanda walking out without casting at nce back at Taylor. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Chapter 287 This Woman Is Really Fearless! As for Taylor, he nonchntly followed Amanda. ¡°How¡¯s your son? His condition is getting critical, isn¡¯t it? How much time does he have left before he dies? I can attend his funeral if I¡¯m free.¡± Amanda abruptly turned around and pped Taylor without hesitation after she heard him talk about her son¡¯s death. The loud p resounded through the hall, causing the passersby to stop and look at them. Despite the hard p, Taylor burst outughing. He caressed his cheek that had just gotten pped and looked at the enraged Amanda. ¡°Your son is still alive, yet you are already so furious. What if he actually dies? Are you saying that you will die with him?¡± This guy is scum! How is it that every word spoken by him sounds like a knife to my heart!? Amanda, once again, raised her arm. This time, she wanted to p the other side of Taylor¡¯s checks. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. To her surprise, Taylor grabbed hold of her hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Do you honestly think I will just stand here and let you p me as you wish? Who do you think you are? You are merely a woman who wished to im ties with Elias but got abandoned by him. Not to mention, you had to raise your child alone so piteously.¡± She withdrew her arm and red at the man in front of her. ¡°Who do you think you are, then? You are nothing but a lowlife who can¡¯t even protect your own sister and only knows how to persistently demand. Elias take responsibility for what happened. What have you done to help your sister? What right do you have to ridicule me? At least, I have never harassed you to donate your bone marrow for my son. What about you, huh?!¡± ¡°What about me? Damn it! F*cking make yourself clear! Amanda¡¯s words hit right at Taylor¡¯s vulnerable spot, sessfully infuriating him. He was right about one thing. She was awyer, so naturally, she was more than qualified in dissing people. Amanda sneered, disdain written all over her face as she added, ¡°You dare ask me what about you? Elias. doesn¡¯t fancy your sister. He doesn¡¯t give a damn about her. In fact, he isn¡¯t even interested in toying with¡± her. Yet, here you are, constantly begging him to save your sister. What? Is he obligated to do so? That¡¯s your sister, not his. So, why do you me him for all your grievances after something happened to your sister? What were you doing when your sister swallowed the sleeping pills? Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± Every word that escaped Amanda¡¯s lips caused Taylor¡¯s anger to intensify. Finally, he erupted and roared, ¡°Shut the f*ck up! What do you know?! What makes you think you have the right to spew such things?!¡± ¡°Then, what makes you think you have the right to curse my son?! What did my son do? Is he in the wrong just because he is Elias¡¯ son? What does your enmity with Elias have to do with my son? You are a grown man, yet you don¡¯t even have the slightest sense. You are just as worthless as a piece of trash.¡± After that, Amanda turned around and left the hospital without sparing him a nce. Only Taylor was left standing there looking furious as he received a peculiar look from the passersby. Ha! This woman is really fearless! Excellent! Truly excellent! Just wait! I will make here crying and begging me to forgive her! In the meantime, an elderly passerby was staring at him as if he was looking at a freak. Taylor sensed this as he yelled at the elder, ¡°What the hell are you looking at?! F*ck off!¡± With that, the elder cursed under his breath before leaving the scene. Taylor clenched his fists tightly, wishing so badly that he could strangle Amanda to death. ||| r Meanwhile, Aiden and Selina were ying with toy bricks in the ward. Aiden looked so happy that it was as though he had forgotten that he was hospitalized. Such was the scene Amanda stumbled upon after returning from buying a cake. She unconsciously smiled along when she saw how happy Aiden was. Then, she sat on the couch on the side and quietly watched as Aiden yed with Selina. Amanda sat there for a long while when suddenly, a nurse came and knocked on the door. When Amanda went to open the door, the nurse said, ¡°Are you Aiden Bailey¡¯s family members? Dr. Smith is asking for you in his office. He has something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Amanda involuntarily tensed up. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s bad news again. In truth, Amanda¡¯s nerves were strung taut during her stay in the hospital these few days. She feared the doctor would tell her more bad news regarding Aiden¡¯s condition in the next second. Unfortunately, the nurse didn¡¯t enlighten her as she simply turned around and left. Amanda stood still, but her heart couldn¡¯t help but start pounding against her ribcage. She was on tenterhooks as she arrived at Christopher¡¯s office. Christopher, who was filling out the medical records, saw her and beckoned, ¡°Please take a seat, Miss Bailey.¡± ¡°Dr. Smith, is there something wrong with my son? What is it that you want to tell me?¡± Although Amanda feared the answer she would be receiving, she still had to know just why Christopher was looking for her. Christopher ced the medical record in his hands down as he smiled and exined, ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m looking for you this time because I have some good news to share with you. We have found another suitable bone marrow match for Aiden from the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program¡¯s list of donors. Moreover, this donor is quite young. Hence, we can arrange Aiden¡¯s bone marrow transnt procedure as soon as possible.¡± Amanda widened her eyes in shock. She was so stunned and didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment. She wanted to burst into tears andughter at the same time. I can¡¯t believe the hospital managed to find another suitable bone marrow match for Aiden! ¡°I-Is this true? Can you tell me the identity of this donor? I want to thank them in person.¡± Amanda was so exhrated that she started to stammer a little. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. We don¡¯t know the donor¡¯s information as well. It is the rule and the donor¡¯s privacy. Plus, the donor has requested to be anonymous. So.. I can¡¯t help you with this. In addition, the donor doesn¡¯t want a reward.¡± Amanda had no idea how to describe her current mood. It was as if a bright light suddenly shone upon her, who was in an abyss. That light shone her way straight to heaven and even the usually blue sky seemed particrly special today. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but burst out into chuckles while she headed back to Aiden¡¯s ward. Every cloud has a silver lining, indeed. Finally, there is hope! The doctor has found a matching bone marrow. Baby is saved! She took out her phone and called Elias. Soon, the call went through, and Elias¡¯ low-toned voice sounded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to Aiden?¡± ¡°No, no. Everything is fine. Dr. Smith called me to his office just now. He told me they had searched through the list of donors in the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program and found a suitable bone marrow match. What¡¯s more, the donor is willing to donate for free! This is such great news! We can proceed with ||| Aiden¡¯s bone marrow transnt procedure without dy!¡± Amanda excitedly gripped her phone tightly, unable to suppress her joy. As for Elias, he was the opposite. Not only was he not as happy as Amanda, but he also raised another question. ¡°Do you know any. information regarding the donor?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Dr. Smith said that the donor doesn¡¯t want to expose their privacy and has requested to remain anonymous.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. I will drop by the hospital after settling all affairs. Just stay with Aiden in the hospital and don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Amanda hummed. Regardless, she felt that there was something a bit off with Elias¡¯ emotions after she ended the call. We have finally found a suitable bone marrow match for Aiden, but tohy isn¡¯t Elias feeling even the slightest joy? Instead, he is somewhat oddly indifferent. Come to think of it, what exactly is he so preupied with? Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Chapter 288 A Bolt From the Blue At the same time, Elias, who was on the other side, fell silent as he stared and listened to the beeping. sounding from the phone. How is it that the hospital manages to so coincidentally find a matching bone marrow for Aiden at such a moment? Are we truly this lucky? Elias turned his attention to Yacob, who was standing beside him, and instructed, ¡°I want you to go and look up the donor¡¯s information. At the same time, ask the hospital to arrange the bone marrow transnt. with the least dy.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters. Yacob swiftly acquiesced, turned around, and left. Even though Elias wasn¡¯t quite convinced that the hospital could find a suitable bone marrow match in such a short time, he also didn¡¯t want to give up such a good opportunity at the same time. Amanda apanied Aiden in the hospital throughout the whole evening. When the sky turned dark, Jack and Edith dropped by the hospital to visit Aiden. In truth, they had been wanting to visit Aiden in the hospital. However, they dared not to as they feared that they couldn¡¯t help but shed tears of sadness in front of the little guy. Eventually, they decided to momentarily drop by and check on Aiden while he was asleep thatte evening. Just as they expected, Aiden was asleep when they entered the ward. Still, Jack and Edith couldn¡¯t hold back their tears upon seeing the slumbering Aiden. ¡°Aiden is still so young. How can he endure such pain?¡± Edith covered her mouth to prevent herself from crying out loud, for fear of waking Aiden up. Meanwhile, Jack kept sighing from the side, reluctant to let go of Aiden¡¯s tiny hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Today, the doctor told me that they had found a new match. Baby can undergo a bone marrow transnt soon. He will recover in no time. An irrepressible smile formed at the corner of Amanda¡¯s mouth as she shared this news with Jack and Edith. The couple seemed to have instantly revived when they heard the good news. Jack was stunned for a few seconds before bursting out withughter of happiness. Is this true? In that case, I have to express my utmost gratitude toward this donor. Money isn¡¯t a problem. The most important thing is that they must proceed with my grandson¡¯s bone marrow transnt procedure.¡± Likewise, Edith wiped away her tears and echoed with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. They need to proceed with Aiden¡¯s bone marrow transnt procedure. Aiden is so young. It pains me to see him suffer so terribly. Ask the hospital to quickly arrange the procedure before problems are incurred by a dy.¡± With that, Amanda hummed, ¡°I¡¯ve already discussed with the doctor to arrange the surgical procedure as soon as possible.¡± Jack and Edith didn¡¯t want to disturb Aiden¡¯s rest, so they left the ward shortly after. Nheless, the couple regarded their short visit to the hospital as worthwhile after receiving the good news. Finally, they, too, could breathe a sigh of relief now that the hospital had found a suitable bone marrow match for Aiden. Elias arrived at the hospital slightly past 11.00PM. He even helped Amanda bring supper, for he knew she certainly didn¡¯t have a good sleep and proper meal from having to look after Aiden. I¡¯ve brought you. supper. Here, have some. Otherwise, who will take care of Aiden if you fall sick?¡± As she watched Elias ce the packed supper on the coffee table, she smiled slightly before walking over. ¡°Alright.¡± ||| r Elias went to Aiden¡¯s hospital bed as he nced at his sleeping son and caressed his face gently. The indifference in his eyes instantly turned slightly warmer. Indeed, Elias, who treated outsiders apathetically the whole time, only reserved all his love for Amanda and Aiden. ¡°ording to the doctor, Baby can undergo the bone marrow transnt at the end of this month, and they will have to help him prepare for the surgery these days. They mentioned something about injections, but I have no medical background, so I don¡¯t quite understand these medical terms. Anyway, they will arrange the bone marrow transnt procedure soon.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help beaming with joy whenever she brought up this good news. On the contrary, Elias remained silent. After a while, he sat beside Amanda and gradually said, ¡°Don¡¯t get too carried away just yet. Let me look up the donor¡¯s information.¡± Amanda, who was picking up her cutlery, paused for a second. Her smile froze at the corner of her lips as she looked up at Elias and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing. Perhaps, I¡¯m merely paranoid. But¡­ It will make me feel more at ease if we look up the donor¡¯s background.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably overthinking things. The hospital found this donor from the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program¡¯s list. There is no way Taylor can tamper with it. Amanda felt that Elias was being a little oversensitive. Still, Elias furrowed his brows tightly. ¡°Maybe.¡± After a while, Yacob called. He probably had found out the donor¡¯s information. Elias answered the phone with a solemn expression on his face, ¡°Tell me, what have you found?¡± Amanda, who stood aside, involuntarily turned stiff as she listened to the conversation quietly. As the ward was too silent to the point that even the sound of a needle dropping to the ground could be heard, she could hear everything clearly. On the other end of the phone, Yacob reported, ¡°Mr. Winters, I have found out that the donor is a woman. around 24 years old and a normal office worker. Elias finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Yacob¡¯s words. It seems that the hospital has indeed found a suitable bone marrow match for Aiden. Next to him, Amanda also slightly eased up her tense nerves after she heard what Yacob reported. Then, she couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°Told you! It¡¯s you who overthinks. There are numerous donors in the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program¡¯s list, so there¡¯s bound to have one that matches Aiden¡¯s.¡± ¡°In that case, ask the hospital not to wait any longer and arrange the bone marrow transnt procedure as soon as possible. Simr to Edith, Elias feared that there would be a chance ofplications arising from their undue dy. Furthermore, he was afraid that the donor would have a sudden change of mind. After all, such events did ur to some patients before. ¡°Okay,¡± Amanda hummed. Thus, the hospital was preparing for the surgical procedure the following week. Everyone was looking forward to the day of the surgery. Although Aiden was very uncooperative, he would still obediently take his medicine and injections under Amanda¡¯s coax. |||N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Finally, it was the day before the surgery. Everything was all set, and all that was left was tomorrow¡¯s surgical procedure. Amanda was truly d that she could finally tell Aiden they could go home soon. ¡°Mommy, are we really going home soon? I really want to go home. I don¡¯t like staying here!¡± ¡°Yeah. We can go home soon.¡± Amanda wished that tomorrow could arrive quickly, and Aiden could get his bone marrow transnt so badly. Just then, a nurse came to the ward and said, ¡°Aiden Bailey¡¯s family members? Dr. Smith is asking for you.¡± ¡°Coming¡± Amanda didn¡¯t give it much thought. She turned to look at Aiden and said, ¡°Baby, stay here and wait for me, okay? I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Since there wasn¡¯t a single sign of impending doom, Amanda thought Christopher wanted to brief her on some things that she needed to watch out for Aiden¡¯s surgery. ¡°Dr. Smith, are you looking for me?¡± she knocked on the door and asked. Christopher was in the midst of looking up some information when he heard the knock on the door. He turned around and beckoned, ¡°Oh, yes. Please take a seat, Miss Bailey. I have something I want to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s uh¡­ I know Aiden will undergo his bone marrow transnt tomorrow, but the donor has a sudden change of mind and refuses to donate no matter what At once, the smile on Amanda¡¯s face froze, and her heart instantly sank to the bottom. Sure enough, this news came like a bolt from the blue. How can this be!? ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it because it¡¯s for free? Tell the donor we will pay them. Money really isn¡¯t a problem.¡± Christopher shook his head upon hearing that. ¡°No, no, It¡¯s not because of money. It¡¯s because the donor¡¯s family refuses to give their consent. Anyway, the donor did leave a phone number and an address, saying that she will donate her bone marrow if you can convince her family.¡± After that, Christopher handed Amanda a piece of paper with a phone number and an address written on it. ¡°It says here, St. Helen. This donor lives in a sanatorium?¡± Amanda had a puzzled look on her face. ¡°ording to the donor, her family lives there. Miss Bailey, this is a golden opportunity. If possible, please try to convince the donor¡¯s family. That way, we can proceed with tomorrow¡¯s surgery without any problems, Christopher borated earnestly. *111 go there right away.¡± Amanda took the paper, turned around, and left Christopher¡¯s office. When she noticed that the sky was about to turn dark soon, she decided not to dy even a second. In fact, she had no time to call Elias and ry this to him. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 I¡¯m Giving You a Chance Now Amanda followed the given instructions and drove to St. Helen. The moment she entered the premises of the rehabilitation center, an overwhelming sense of ecriness washed over her. There was an inexplicable strangeness in the air, creating a chilling atmosphere that seemed to envelop her. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she stepped out of the car and gazed at the center before her. She lightly touched her arms, attempting to soothe the prickling sensation. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of being watched from somewhere for some unknown reason. Yet, she couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious when she nced around warily. She retrieved her phone from her pocket and dialed the number written on the slip of paper. After a few rings, the call finally connected. A soft. gentle voice greeted her on the other end, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, are you the bone marrow donor? I¡¯ve arrived at the rehabilitation center. Can we meet?¡± There was a brief pause before the woman on the phone responded, ¡°Come to the third floor of the inpatient department. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the corridor.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but find the situation even more peculiar after ending the call. The woman¡¯s calm demeanor seemed detached as if she bore no concern for the matter at hand. Meanwhile, a woman standing in the hospital corridor handed her phone to the man next to her. Tve followed your instructions and made the call.¡± The tall man stood before the window, observing Amanda, who was standing near her car in the distance. Her delicate silhouette exuded fragility. He released a kind ofughter filled with malicious glee as he remarked, ¡°Very well, it¡¯s none of your concern anymore. Carry on with your business.¡± ww Amanda reached the deserted third floor of the inpatient department. As she passed by the wards, the sounds of heart-wrenching cries echoed through the air. She took a step back, feeling startled. This ce was called a rehabilitation center, but it was nothing more than an asylum. Then, she caught sight of a man¡¯s silhouette at the far end of the corridor. The dim lighting obscured his features, but she could see that he stood sideways, gazing out of the window toward the rehabilitation center, as though he was anticipating her arrival. Why was there a man? The person who called her earlier was clearly a woman. She hesitated and felt reluctant to approach, but she couldn¡¯t afford to give up now, not when the bone marrow transnt was scheduled for the following day. Hence, she summoned her courage and cautiously made her way toward the man. Before she could utter a word, he turned around, revealing his true identity. In an instant, her eyes widened in shock, and she remained unable to regain herposure for quite some time. It was Taylor! A sense of unease washed over her. Could it be¡­ She dared not delve further into her thoughts. He wore a satisfied smirk, clearly pleased by her astonishment, and chuckled. ¡°Surprised to see me? Don¡¯t doubt yourself. Your guess was right. I am the bone marrow donor.¡± Him again! Anger surged through her, reaching its peak. She marched up to him, unable to contain her frustration any longer, and delivered a resounding p right across his face. ¡°Are you out of your mind?! ying with people¡¯s emotions repeatedly! What do you truly want?¡± r Taylor rubbed the spot on his face where she had pped him, hisughter growing more audacious. ¡°Well, all I wanted was to witness your downfall. But this time, it¡¯s not me who¡¯s a match for your son. It¡¯s Rosie. Isn¡¯t it ironic? The Winterses and Allegras searched high and low for a matching donor, yet both my sister and I turned out to be a match.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened, her bnce wavering. How could this be? She couldn¡¯t fathom how things had taken such a horrific turn. The Winterses and Allegras had exhausted every avenue in their search, but these siblings were perfect matches! He reveled in the satisfaction of watching her spiral into a mental breakdown. ¡°Go on, persuade me. Wasn¡¯t that what you wanted? To convince the donor¡¯s family? If you can persuade me, I¡¯ll let my sister donate the bone marrow. Come on.¡± His mocking tone trampled over her, relentless in its assault. She clenched her fists, trembling uncontrobly. She bit her lower lip and came close to drawing blood. She knew he wouldn¡¯t donate the bone marrow for Aiden, and he wouldn¡¯t allow Rosie to do so either. She struggled to hold back her tears and turned to walk away, but he grabbed her, pulling her toward one of the rooms. ¡°Do you see that? That¡¯s how my sister is right now. Don¡¯t try to tell me that Elias isn¡¯t to me. If that¡¯s the case, why should we care whether your child lives or dies? It¡¯s not our responsibility to donate our bone marrow.¡± Amanda nced through the ss on the door and saw a disturbed girl inside, osciting between crying andughing. The girl incessantly uttered Elias¡¯ name, as if bound by an unbreakable curse. Taylor lowered his gaze, observing her side profile. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance now. I can donate bone marrow, but I have one condition.¡± Amanda swiftly snapped her head toward him upon hearing his words, locking eyes with him. He was momentarily stunned, as it was the first time he had seen her eyes up close. He couldn¡¯t help but admit that they were remarkably beautiful-bright, clear, and imbued with a hint of innocence and a touch of naivety. Anyone who gazed at them for too long would unintentionally be ensnared by her spell. She didn¡¯t waste a moment and demanded, ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡± Before he could respond, she quickly added. ¡°If it¡¯s something like sleeping with you, forget it. I won¡¯t do it, and it¡¯s absolutely disgusting.¡± She was about to turn and walk away, but he tightly gripped her wrist. ¡°Take care of my sister for the next ten days, starting today. If you do, I¡¯ll donate bone marrow to your son. Also, during this time, you¡¯re not allowed to contact Elias or anyone else.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Did this sc¡±mbag suddenly have a change of heart? She couldn¡¯t fathom that the only condition was to care for Rosie for ten days in exchange for him donating his bone marrow to Aiden.. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°That¡¯s all. Still, I highly doubt you¡¯ll be able to endure these ten days,¡± he remarked in a snarky manner. Amanda was not aware of how severe condition his sister¡¯s condition was. She scoffed. ¡°If I agree, will you honor your word?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll honor it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame that I don¡¯t trust you at all.¡± She had no trust in Taylor whatsoever. Hence, she freed herself from his grip and was prepared to leave. After all, how could someone who despised Elias so easily offer his bone marrow for Aiden just like that? This time, he made no effort to stop her from leaving. Instead, he casually slipped his hands into his pockets and spoke from behind her, ¡°Whatever. If you want to leave, go ahead. But remember, you finally found a suitable bone marrow match. It won¡¯t be so easy to find another one. By the time you find another match, your son could be critically ill, teetering on the edge of death. There is even a high chance that the transnt might not be effective anymore. Do the math yourself.¡± Her steps gradually faltered upon hearing his words. Her back tensed, and she hesitated. It truly was a daunting task to find a suitable bone marrow match. Moreover, Baby¡¯s condition was visibly deteriorating, and if she couldn¡¯t find another match in time, what would she do? Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Chapter 290 She Didn¡¯t Dare Risk Her Child¡¯s Life At the sight of her hesitation, Taylor spoke again. ¡°Please consider it carefully. The clock is ticking, so I don¡¯t want to waste time with you here.¡± He prepared to leave and slowly walked past her. Amanda nced at his retreating figure and eventually made up her mind after a brief internal struggle. ¡°Wait! I agree!¡± I don¡¯t really trust him, but what if he fulfills his promise? It would only take up to ten days, but finding another.patible bone marrow donor would take an indeterminate amount of time if she turned him down. She didn¡¯t dare risk her child¡¯s life and could only take a leap of faith. Taylor paused in his stride, an evil smile appearing on his face. He knew Amanda would agree because she was at her wits end. He turned around to face her. ¡°For ten days starting today, you must care for my sister without contacting the outside world. If you can survive it, then I will donate my bone marrow.¡± Ten days without contacting Elias or my baby¡­ How is that possible? What if Aiden misses me? He will surely throw a tantrum if he doesn¡¯t see me for an entire day. ¡°But what about my child? He will throw a tantrum if he doesn¡¯t see me for one whole day. Besides, how can I be reassured enough not to talk to him, especially in his current condition?¡± Taylor, however, looked unbothered. ¡°It¡¯s not something I should worry about. That¡¯s my condition-don¡¯t contact anyone or let them know you are here with me, and I will donate my bone marrow after ten days, I will ept nothing else. Plus, it will be for ten whole days. Any shorter than that, and I won¡¯t fulfill my promise, even if it¡¯s just a second.¡± Amanda clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. There wasn¡¯t enough time, and she couldn¡¯t wait anymore, so she could only agree to it. ¡°I know!¡± She bit out, thereafter brushing past him to face him. A victorious smile appeared on his face as if his n had worked. He intended to teach this proud, ignorant woman a lesson in the next ten days and let her know what Elias had done back then. Amanda emerged from the nursing home and got into the Momseys¡¯ car, waiting for Taylor to bring Rosie out. There were already countless missed calls on her phone from Elias, Selina, as well as Jack, but she didn¡¯t take any of them and merely switched off her phone silently. The car door opened suddenly, and she looked up in shock just to see a woman with long, mussed hair being stuffed inside the car. Oh, my!¡± Amanda eximed in surprise. Taylor¡¯s expression was scornful. ¡°Why are you so surprised? You will have to look at her for the next ten days, but you can¡¯t bear the sight of her already?¡± So, this was Rosie Momsey. Amanda swallowed and studied Rosie from a close distance. However, she felt that something was off. Rosie¡¯s expression was terrifying and gloomy as she stared at Amanda fixedly before saying abruptly, ¡°Do you want to steal Eli from me too? Say something!¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know what to say to that, now sensing how insane Rosie was since thetter saw every woman as her enemy. Taking a deep breath, Amanda smiled. ¡°No. I don¡¯t know him.¡± ¡°Nonsense! How can that be? How can you not know him? I remember you hugging him before this! I saw it!¡± Rosie screamed while pointing at Amanda, seemingly remembering something. Amanda pushed Rosie¡¯s hand down. ¡°You¡¯re mistaking me for someone else. I¡¯m not her.¡± ¡°Really? But you look so alike. It¡¯s definitely you¡­.¡± Rosie began doubting herself since time was completely messed up inside her mind. It had been like this for six years, and she couldn¡¯t leave the nursing home. Taylor had wanted to take her home to be looked after several times, but it would cause chaos after just a few days. This gave him no choice but to send her back to the nursing home. Rosie kept muttering throughout the journey, but Amanda ignored itpletely since she didn¡¯t know what Rosie was saying. After arriving at the Momsey Residence, Amanda immediately opened the door and got out, but Taylor alighted from another car and asked mockingly. ¡°Is that how you take care of my sister? Are you going to spend the next ten days like this? If so, I will never donate my bone marrow, even if you suffer for a year. Amanda red and turned to pull Rosie out of the car without saying anything else. ¡°Come along, now. I¡¯ll take you to get something to eat.¡± Amanda felt that Rosie¡¯s delirious behavior made thetter seem like a stubborn yet temperamental child. However, Rosie brushed off her hand with disgust. ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want to listen to you. All of you just want to steal Eli from me. I don¡¯t want to look at you.¡± Amanda had no words. Rosie was definitely crazy since only a crazy person would think everyone would want to steal Elias from her. Suppressing her annoyance, Amanda smiled. ¡°No one is stealing him from you. Let¡¯s go eat something, okay?¡± ¡°Go invite Eli too, and I¡¯ll do as you ask.¡± Rosie was insistent on seeing Elias. Amanda now understood how irritated one could be after being constantly threatened in order to attain someone else¡¯s aims and thus be less cooperative, but she swallowed her feelings for the sake of her son¡¯s bone marrow transnt. ¡°Rosie, eat something, and I¡¯ll ask your Eli toe.¡± ¡°Really? You aren¡¯t lying, are you? My brother keeps lying to me by saying that Eli wille, but he never does. You aren¡¯t lying, right?¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes widened in a childish expression. ¡°Of course, Isn¡¯t that your brother? He can prove it.¡± Amanda nced at Taylor. Rosie turned to Taylor. Taylor, is she speaking the truth? Will she really ask Eli toe?¡± Taylor, who had been enjoying the show, came over as soon as Rosie talked to him and stroked her head affectionately. ¡°Of course. So, let¡¯s go eat something, alright?¡± ¡°Yay! I¡¯ll go eat something now. I will get to see Eli after that. That¡¯s great! I¡¯m going to take a bath and change my clothes afterward since he likes pretty women, and I have to dress up.¡± Rosie then ran off excitedly into the house.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He looked at his sister¡¯s retreating figure and then at Amanda. ¡°You¡¯re lying to her already when she just arrived home. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to resolve this afterward. Don¡¯t let her throw a tantrum, or I¡¯ll consider it a failure as well.¡± Amanda ignored him and went toward the house. Taylor smiled at how proud she still acted. She¡¯s quite something. How can she still behave so arrogantly in such a situation? Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Chapter 291 You Will Be Back Sooner or Later I¡¯ll Be Here When Elias rushed to the hospital, he could not find Amanda. Aiden¡¯s crying for her made. him even more anxious, and after asking about the situation from Christopher, Elias went to St. Helen. However, he did not gain anything from it since everyone had alreadye to an agreement with Taylor and wouldn¡¯t give him any information. ¡°Check the camera footage. I refuse to believe that she will disappear into thin air.¡± Elias red at the nursing home before him. The signal from Amanda¡¯s phone had disappeared. from this ce, yet the entire staff had denied seeing her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get to it now. I just feel puzzled as to why she came here alone without calling to inform you. Did she encounter something?¡± Yacob had his own suspicions. Elias looked around. It didn¡¯t seem to be a normal nursing home. ¡°We¡¯ll know once we find her.¡± Yacob didn¡¯t say anything after that. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, Elias¡¯ phone rang. He picked it up to see Selina¡¯s number on the screen, which meant it probably was Aiden calling. His cold expression changed instantly. In the Momsey Residence, Amanda was currently watching over a sleeping Rosie, though her thoughts had already wandered to the hospital. She didn¡¯t know if Aiden was already crying. for her, and the thought of it made her tear up involuntarily. Plus, her son was now sick and couldn¡¯t see his mother, which had to make him sad. Suddenly, Rosie opened her eyes and screamed, ¡°Argh! I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Before Amanda could understand what was happening, Rosie abruptly got off the bed and rushed toward Amanda, strangling her with a bloodthirsty expression as if she really wanted. to kill Amanda. Amanda struggled violently but couldn¡¯t push a crazed Rosie away. ¡°L-Let me g-go!¡± Amanda tried prying Rosie¡¯s hands away, but the woman held on tightly. ring at her, Rosie gritted out, ¡°Do you want to steal Eli from me? You b*tch! You dared to hug him too. Who allowed you to do that? I¡¯ll kill you! He¡¯s mine and mine only!¡± Amanda coughed, her face already red from being strangled. At that point, she really felt that she was really about to die from suffocation. However, the door opened at that moment. Taylor, who had originally intended to see how his sister was, immediately rushed over after seeing this and pulled her away, thus rescuing Amanda. ¡°Rosie? Rosie! Look at me. It¡¯s okay.¡± Taylor pulled Rosie into his arms as she screamed and struggled. However, he kept consoling his raving sister quietly to calm her down while a red-faced Amanda coughed violently. She really had felt like she was about to die and had to stagger out of the room to catch her breath. When she reached the door, she closed it quickly in fear that Rosie woulde out raving once again. Amanda leaned against the wall of the corridor, coughing continuously. She eventually recovered after some time, her color returning to normal though her neck had marks from Rosie¡¯s attempted strangtion, which wouldn¡¯t fade away within the next couple of days. It was far too terrifying, and the thought of experiencing this for ten days gave Amanda the urge to leave. Rosie wasn¡¯t just delirious but would also harm others. Plus, she was so strong that Amanda couldn¡¯t push her away at all. What if Rosie does it again and Taylor does not show up in time? Will I be killed just like that? If that happened, Rosie was still considered mentally unsound and didn¡¯t have to bear any responsibility ording to thew. Am I going to die so meaninglessly? It¡¯s not worth it! Amanda. might be able to find a suitable donor, but if she died just like that, it wouldn¡¯t be worth the risk. She straightened up and turned around, preparing to leave. She had just arrived at the stairwell when Taylor came out of the bedroom andughed after seeing her. ¡°Giving up already? You can¡¯t evenst one night, huh?¡± Amanda paused upon hearing that. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that your sister was this mentally. unsound? She¡¯s not just insane, but she might even kill someone. Plus, she doesn¡¯t have to bear any responsibility for it. That¡¯s why I want to leave!¡± With that, she hurried downstairs. Meanwhile, Taylor sauntered toward the banister and leaned against it, watching her. ¡°Your don¡¯t want your son to have a bone marrow transnt, eh? Are you just going to leave? Are you going to spend more time looking for a donor? You might not be able to find one, though.¡± Amanda looked up at his mocking expression and snorted coldly. ¡°If I get killed by your sister within the next ten days, that transnt would be dyed even longer. My son needs me. I cannot die, much less at the hands of people like you.¡± At that, she headed downstairs without a backward nce. People like us? Her words infuriated Taylor. What does she mean by that? As Amanda arrived at the ground floor and left without any hesitation, he called out after her. ¡°You will be back sooner orter. I¡¯ll be here. I¡¯m the most convenient option for your son to have his bone marrow transnt, so I¡¯ll be waiting¡± His arrogant tone gave her the urge to head back and hit him, but she missed her son very much and eagerly wanted to head to the hospital to check on him. Taylor¡¯s smile faded as he stared at the deserted living room after she had gone. She will be back, right? Right?¡± He really hoped Amanda would return because he wanted to see her begging him on her knees. He wanted to take revenge on Elias and hurt him. But what if Amanda doesn¡¯te back! I can¡¯t kidnap her, can I? He became conflicted. If she didn¡¯te back, he wouldn¡¯t get his satisfaction from revenge and could never torment Elias. Taylor punched the banister angrily, unable to express his rage in another way. His sister¡¯s howling came from the bedroom behind him at that very moment, which only made his heart ache. He would never let Elias live peacefully. He would make Elias experience the feeling of watching his loved ones suffer while unable to do anything. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 I Knew You Would Come Back After leaving the Momsey Residence, Amanda wasted no time and hailed a cab to rush to the hospital. Upon her arrival, she discovered an empty ward, save for Aiden sleeping there alone. Shouldn¡¯t Selina be by his side during this critical time? With a frown, Amanda entered the ward and walked up to the side of the bed. As she looked. at her son¡¯s pale face, her heart instantly tightened. Taking a seat, she gently held Aiden¡¯s tiny hand and brought it close to her face. Suddenly, the boy slowly opened his eyes and recognized his mother. Then, he happily sat up and eagerly threw himself into her warm embrace while wrapping his arms tightly around her neck. ¡°Mommy, where did you go? I¡¯ve been searching for you for so long. Mommy!¡± He clutched onto her tightly as if afraid that his mother might vanish in the blink of an eye. Amanda¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn¡¯t hold them back. Holding her baby close, she murmured, ¡°I had to go out to take care of something, my sweet boy. Have you been good and taken your medicine? By the way, where is Miss Selina? Did Daddye to visit you?¡± As Amanda had been gone the entire afternoon, she anxiously hoped that Elias hadn¡¯t noticed her absence yet. Aiden held onto her tightly. ¡°Miss Selina promised to make me something delicious. Daddy went to find you because I was missing you¡­¡± His voice choked with sadness, and he looked utterly pitiful. With a heart filled with anguish, Amanda gazed down at her son. ¡°Baby, what¡¯s wrong? I am here now.¡± Aiden¡¯s voice trembled as he said, ¡°When my nose started bleeding earlier, I really needed. you, Mommy. You weren¡¯t here, so Daddy went to find you. He told me that if he found you, both of you woulde back together.¡± A heavy silence hung in the air as Amanda absorbed his words. It became clear that Elias had discovered her absence and was desperately searching for her since he couldn¡¯t reach her. Instinctively, Amanda held Aiden tightly in her arms. He looked into her eyes and asked, ¡°Mommy, are you sad? Why are you crying?¡± ¡°I am fine, sweetheart. It¡¯s just that my eyes feel a bit ufortable. How about you? Do you feel any difort anywhere? If something doesn¡¯t feel right, you have to let the nurse know, okay?¡± Amanda carefully inspected her son¡¯s body for any signs of injury. For the time being, everything seemed fine. However, suddenly¡­ ¡°Cough¡­ Ugh!¡± Aiden began coughing violently and vomited a mouthful of blood, sttering it across Amanda¡¯s clothes and face. She was dumbfounded. It wasn¡¯t until she heard his cries of pain that she snapped back to reality. Hastily, she tried tofort him by saying, ¡°Aiden, I¡¯m here! Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Boohoo¡­ Mommy, I don¡¯t feel well¡­¡± Aiden continued crying while clutching onto her, his tiny mouth stained with blood. Tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes as fear gripped her. Still sobbing uncontrobly, she hurriedly grabbed tissues to wipe her son down. Yet, at this very moment, Aiden expelled yet another mouthful of blood. Amanda felt a surge of panic, and she was unsure of what to do. All she could do was quickly seek out the doctor and nurses for help. She urgently pressed the call button and shouted, ¡°Doctor! Nurse! Pleasee quickly!¡± After a while, the doctor and nurses arrived at the ward and swiftly escorted her outside to wait. The distressed cries of her baby from inside pierced her heart like needles, yet she couldn¡¯t do anything. If a suitable bone marrow match couldn¡¯t be found, Aiden would continue to suffer, and his condition would only worsen. In the silent hallway, Amanda stood in front of the ward and couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. How much more could her precious child endure? Time seemed to blur as she remained stationed outside the ward. Eventually, the door opened, and the doctor and nurses emerged. With a grave tone, the doctor said. ¡°This is the reality of the situation, and there¡¯s no other way. Make sure the child takes medication. punctually every day and cooperates with the treatment. The best course of action is to secure a bone marrow transnt as soon as possible.¡± Amanda lowered her head, and her gaze fell upon the tears that had pooled on the floor. With a determined resolve, she wiped away her tears and stepped into the ward. There, she saw Aiden lying on the bed, peacefully asleep but visibly drained. ¡°Mommy, I coughed up blood again just now¡­¡± Aiden extended his hand toward her. Amanda walked over and gently held his tiny hand as she tried to calm her emotions. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my dear.¡± ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re lying to me again. Am I sick? Is that why I have to stay in the hospital?¡± Aiden¡¯s words hung heavy in the air. Amanda fell into silence, unsure of how to respond. It hade to this point where even her three-year-old son could perceive the truth. Finally, she nodded. ¡°Yes, the doctor said you have to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but you¡¯ll be able to go home soon.¡± ¡°Mommy, being sick doesn¡¯t feel good.¡± Aiden¡¯s once lively and adorable voice now carried a frailty that pierced Amanda¡¯s heart with even greater intensity. She held back her tears and said, ¡°Aiden, be good and wait here for Miss Selina and Daddy. I need to talk to the doctor about something, okay?¡± ¡°Mommy, how long will you be gone? I want you to sleep with me tonight.¡± Aiden looked panicked, as if fearing that Amanda wouldn¡¯t return.. ¡°I¡¯ll be back very soon,¡± she assured him. Although it pained her to tell yet another lie, there was no other choice. Amanda could only steel herself and let go of Aiden¡¯s little hand. Without a backward nce, she left the hospital. She had made up her mind and left. Amanda hailed a cab and headed straight to the Momsey Residence. As she sat in the rear seat, tears streamed down her face without restraint. An overwhelming sense of helplessness and sadness engulfed her. Why did they force her into such a desperate situation? The Momsey Residence. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Taylor sat on the couch, surprised by the news of Amanda¡¯s return. He had never expected her to return, and a sneer of disdain immediately crossed his face. Without sparing him a single nce, Amanda entered the living room and headed directly. upstairs to Rosie¡¯s bedroom. Taylor watched her miserable figure and mocked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you proudly dere that you would never come back? Why have you returned now? Did you finally realize that this is the easiest way out?¡± Amanda paused for a moment before turning to nce at him. ¡°You better keep your word. or I¡¯ll make sure to exact revenge on youter.¡± ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯m far more reliable than that sc*mbag, Elias. As I¡¯ve mentioned, every minute of the ten days is crucial, and not a single second can be spared. If not, I won¡¯t hesitate to break my promise, ¡± Taylormented coldly. With trepidation, Amanda approached the door to Rosie¡¯s bedroom. The fear lingered. within her as she was reminded of the memories of being choked. After mentally preparing herself, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Watching Amanda enter the bedroom and close the door right before his eyes, Taylor slowly rose from the couch and slipped his hands into his pockets. A cold snort escaped his lips as he muttered to himself, ¡°I knew you woulde back. There¡¯s no escaping it. You have to return and serve my sister obediently.¡± Meanwhile, Elias tirelessly conducted an extensive search for Amanda, but she remained elusive, leaving no traces behind. With no other option left, he reluctantly returned to the hospital to be by his son¡¯s side. Upon his arrival at the ward, Selina was diligently feeding Aiden soup. The little one was rtively well- behaved, obediently sipping spoonsful under her attentive care. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Being Particr Despite Going Mad ¡°Daddy!¡± Aiden eximed happily upon spotting Elias. A flicker of tenderness softened Elias¡¯ cold and handsome face as he approached the bed and gently patted his son¡¯s head. ¡°Good boy. Finish your soup first, and then we can talk.¡± With that, Selina patiently fed another small bowl of soup to Aiden until he finished it. Once done, she picked up the thermos and left, granting them some precious alone time. ¡°Daddy, Mommy came to visit me just now,¡± Aiden said earnestly. ¡°She said she¡¯ll be back soon to keep mepany.¡± Elias immediately frowned upon hearing that. ¡°Your mommy came back? Where is she now?¡± Having searched every nook and cranny without finding Amanda, and with her phone remaining unreachable, he was surprised to learn that she hade to the hospital. What is Amanda doing? Why did she turn off her phone, sneak into the hospital, and then vanish without a trace? What on earth is she up to? During this critical moment, Elias was already at his wits¡¯ end, and the thought of something. happening to Amanda threatened to push him over the edge. However, upon hearing Aiden¡¯s words about Amanda¡¯s visit, he felt a sense of relief. At the very least, it indicated that Amanda wasn¡¯t in immediate danger. He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Mommy said she wanted to talk to the doctor about something and promised toe back soon, but she hasn¡¯t returned yet. Daddy, do you think she is lying to me?¡± ¡°How could that be? Your mommy would never lie to you. Just wait here for a moment. I will go find the doctor,¡± Elias replied. ¡°Daddy, I want you and Mommy to stay with me.¡± Aiden held tightly onto his hand. Elias gazed down at his son¡¯s upturned face and smiled reassuringly. ¡°Okay. Be a good boy and wait for me.¡± Walking out of the ward, he coincidentally ran into Selina, who had just returned. ¡°Stay by Aiden¡¯s side, and don¡¯t leave even for a moment,¡± he instructed. ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters,¡± Selina responded dutifully. Elias arrived at the doctor¡¯s office and knocked on the door. ¡°Pleasee in, came the response. As he entered, Christopher promptly rose from his seat. ¡°Mr. Winters, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Dr. Smith, I heard that Amanda was at the hospital earlier. Did you happen to see her?¡± Elias inquired. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see her. The nurse on duty mentioned that she arrived at the hospital, spent some time in the ward, and then left,¡± Christopher replied. Elias furrowed his brows. Did she leave again? Why did shee back only to leave? Where could she have gone? Exiting the office, he dialed Amanda¡¯s phone number once again, but it remained. unreachable. The uncertainty onlypounded as he realized he was also unable to locate the donor who had suddenly changed their mind. He was left wondering if Amanda had found the person. or if there were other circumstances at y. At this moment, Yacob rushed to the hospital, panting as he approached Elias. After regaining his composure, he reported, ¡°I¡¯ve checked it. The surveince at that nursing home. has been tampered with. There is no footage avable, and they im it¡¯s due to maintenance. I suspect Miss Bailey did visit the ce and may have gone missing there. Otherwise, it¡¯s too much of a coincidence for the surveince to suddenly malfunction.¡± It became clear that they needed to investigate the nursing home further, as it held potential. clues to Amanda¡¯s whereabouts. Elias¡¯ foremost concern revolved around whether Amanda had been deceived or abducted. by the supposed bone marrow donor. He worried that someone might be taking advantage. of her vulnerable state to extort more money. A sudden realization struck him, and he turned to Yacob. ¡°Find out which psychiatric hospital Rosie Momsey is in. Is it the same one?¡± Yacob appeared puzzled upon hearing that. ¡°The donor this time is a woman. It doesn¡¯t seem to have any connection to Taylor Momsey. Why should we investigate Rosie?¡± He couldn¡¯t quiteprehend the reasoning behind it. However, Elias had a chilling suspicion forming in his mind. If his hunch was urate, Amanda might be in Taylor¡¯s clutches at that very moment. ¡°Just get it done! No more questions!¡± Elias eximed impatiently. ¡°Yes, understood!¡± Yacob replied hastily before turning to leave. As Elias closed his overwhelming sense of exhaustion settled between his brows. eyes, an At the Momsey Residence, Amanda was overwhelmed with exhaustion and desperately craved a moment of rest. However, a dilemma arose as Rosie upied the only bed in the room. The thought of sharing a bed with Rosie was out of the question. What if Rosie suddenly sumbed to madness and strangled her to death? With that thought in mind, Amanda approached a nearby single couch and settled herself to get some rest. Shey down for barely three seconds before Rosie, who was lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Maria, I want to take a bath. I want to wear beautiful clothes. I want to see Eli.¡± Amanda found herself speechless. Despite Rosie¡¯s descent into lunacy, Elias remained the focal point of her thoughts. It was as if her love for him had seeped deep into her very bones. After gathering herself, Amanda rose from the couch and approached the bed. Facing Rosie, who was lying there, she said, ¡°Get up. I¡¯ll take you for a bath.¡± Rosieplied without resistance, getting up from the bed and slipping on her shoes. Following Amanda¡¯s lead, she obediently made her way to the bathroom. After Amanda adjusted the water temperature, she helped Rosie undress. As Rosie¡¯s clothes. came off, Amanda was taken aback by the multitude of self-inflicted scars on her arms. It became apparent that Rosie had a history of harming herself. Amanda guided Rosie into the bathtub, absentmindedly tending to her needs. However, her mind was preupied with thoughts of her son at the hospital. ¡°Maria, didn¡¯t you say Eli woulde to see me? When will he arrive? Which dress should I wear to meet him?¡± Rosie¡¯s expression turned bashful, as if she was deeply in love. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The predicament now surfaced. Who is Maria? Perhaps it¡¯s Rosie¡¯s former maid who used to attend to her. Amanda didn¡¯t press for more information. It was futile to expect coherent answers from omeone in a state of lunacy. All she could do was offer reassurance. ¡°Miss Rosie, you look beautiful in anything you wear. Eli will like it, no matter what.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Rosie pped her across the face. Enraged, Amanda demanded, ¡°Why did you hit me?¡± She felt an overwhelming urge to retaliate, but she suppressed it for the sake of Aiden¡¯s impending bone marrow transnt. Holding back her fury, she reminded herself to stay. focused on the bigger picture. ¡°Who permitted you to call him Eli? That¡¯s my exclusive title for him. No one else is allowed. to address him that way! Who are you to call him that?¡± Rosie retorted. Amanda found herself at a loss for words. Rosie¡¯s madness had reached its zenith, and reasoning with her seemed futile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Rosie.¡± Amanda refused to engage in an argument with the deranged woman. She just wanted to get through these ten days as swiftly as possible. Even if Rosie hadn¡¯t descended into madness, Elias would never be interested in her because of her terrible temperament.. The man was known for his notoriously short temper, and he wouldn¡¯t tolerate such arrogance in his presence. ¡°It¡¯s good to know your mistakes. And one more thing!¡± Rosie¡¯s voice took on a threatening. tone as she added, ¡°When Eli arrivester, you are forbidden to even nce at him. If you dare, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyeballs! Do you understand?¡± Amanda had no choice but to ept defeat. She maintained her silence, simply nodding in acknowledgment. ¡°Miss Rosie, it¡¯s time toe out now. You¡¯re done bathing.¡± Amanda made several attempts. to coax Rosie out of the bathroom, feeling the urge to pull her out. Taking care of this unpredictable and vtile woman had be an immense challenge for Amanda. However, Rosie appeared dissatisfied andined, ¡°I¡¯ve only been in for a few minutes. I¡¯m going to meet Eliter, so make sure to wash me properly! Add some milk to the bathwater. I want my skin to absorb all the nourishment and be fair and supple!¡± Amanda found herself utterly speechless. She¡¯s gone mad, and yet, she¡¯s still being particr over such trivial matters. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Just an Act ¡°Fine.¡± Amanda got up reluctantly to get Rosie the milk. Upon leaving the bathroom, she got frightened by the man standing outside. The words left her before she could process them. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Are you peeking at your bathing sister?¡± She was well aware that it wasn¡¯t Taylor¡¯s intention. He¡¯s probably worried about his sister, so he came to see whether I was doing my job of taking care of her. Crossing his arms, Taylor remained rooted to the ground. He scoffed at Amanda, who was visibly scared by his presence. ¡°Here I thought you¡¯re the one bathing. What a killjoy.¡± Is he implying that he wants to see me bathe? He¡¯s so shameless! Amanda decided that talking to him was a waste of time. All she wanted was to make it through the promised ten days. Then, her son could undergo a sessful bone marrow transnt. After that, she would never need to cross paths with the Momsey siblings again. She walked past him and left the bedroom. Taylor remained standing outside the bathroom. His eyes were fixed on the door as a stern look fell on his face. After all these years, he had been suspecting that Rosie wasn¡¯t really suffering from a mental disorder. Instead, she was merely putting up a front so she didn¡¯t have to face reality, which was that Elias didn¡¯t return her feelings. Taylor had been trying to expose Rosie, but she was good at feigning. She never once gave herself away. Therefore, he thought he was just being paranoid. He wished that Rosie could move on with her life without running away from reality. She deserves a normal life. He nned to use Amanda against Rosie to test whether thetter¡¯s hysteria was just an act. At the same time, Amanda returned to the room with a pail of milk, which was prepared by the helper. Just when she was stepping into the bathroom, Taylor began, ¡°You¡¯re good at your job. Must¡¯ve gained the experience from serving Elias, eh? However, he still divorced you. even though you did a great job tending to his needs.¡± He nced at the bathroom door when he talked, hoping Rosie could hear their conversation. Amanda¡¯s gaze fell on the man who stood before her. What does he want? He¡¯s being ridiculous! ¡°You¡¯re no different from your mad sister. Why don¡¯t you stay in the sanatorium as well? It might do you good.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t bother making small talk. She sidestepped him and walked into the bathroom with the pail. To her surprise, Taylor grabbed her by her arm. ¡°Who does your child resemble? Does your child look like you or Elias?¡± The moment the sentence left him, the bathroom door flung open. Behind the door stood Rosic, rage written all over her face. ¡°What are you doing out there? I¡¯m waiting for a bath!¡± Rosie had a towel wrapped around her body at the moment. ¡°Your brother is keeping me from going inside. He sure has a lot to say.¡± Amanda¡¯s face was. stered with impatience. She swatted Taylor¡¯s hand away and walked into the bathroom. Taylor watched his sister. Her behavior cemented his suspicion. Rosie is pretending. ¡°Taylor! Why are you keeping Maria? I¡¯m taking a bath and will see Eli after that. Go away.¡± After that, she shut the door with a thud. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. In the bathroom, Amanda poured the milk into the bathtub, but a question was throbbing in her mind. I was told Rosie had gone mad. Howe she remembers to wrap a towel around herself when she came out earlier? It¡¯s only normal for a patient like her to rush outside without anything on. Is she aware of the concept of shame even after she lost her mind? Does she still care about that? Rosie¡¯s mood turned sour all of a sudden, and she pped Amanda for it. ¡°Why are you zoning out when you¡¯re supposed to pour the milk? How dare you disobey me?!¡± The p spoke of her resentment for Amanda. The gesture took Amanda aback. For a moment, she stood there without a visible reaction. She then raised her head to watch Rosie, who returned her gaze with an angry look and tossed the pail away. Amanda refused to let Rosie take advantage of her carelessness. She has no right to p me as she pleases! Amanda then walked away to open the door and poked her head out of the bathroom. Taylor had left some time ago. There wasn¡¯t anybody in the bedroom. Behind her, Rosie continued to yell. ¡°Maria, get back here now! I¡¯m asking you to help me bathe. Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Her words fell on deaf ears. Amanda walked further away to lock the bedroom door. Then, she returned to the bathroom. She stood before Rosie and watched her. The next moment, she pped Rosie without holding back her hatred. The momentum sent Rosie staggered backward, and she fell into the bathtub, water sshing everywhere. Rosie was shocked to find that Amanda had shoved her into the bathtub. She didn¡¯t that, so she threw a tantrum. expect ¡°Eli, help me! Maria is trying to kill me! Help! Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?¡± Judging from her response, Amanda was more confident that Rosie was off her rocker. She walked over to Rosie and pulled her out of the bathtub. Then, she studied the woman¡¯s expression closely. ¡°Rosie, are you perhaps pretending to be sick?¡± However, Rosie kept screaming at the top of her lungs. She yelled for help, not paying attention to Amanda¡¯s words. Her shrill cry was torturing Amanda¡¯s ears. She¡¯s loud! ¡°Stop it! Stop crying! Aren¡¯t you going to bathe? Later, El-¡± Amanda didn¡¯t finish her sentence. The nickname stuck on her tongue. No. I won¡¯t give this mad woman another chance to p me. At that, she gave Rosie a strained smile. ¡°Come on. You have to bathe. You¡¯re seeing Elias.ter, remember? Don¡¯t you want to see him in your most beautiful dress? Behave, then.¡± Rosie immediately stopped wailing upon hearing that. Even more, she chuckled out loud. ¡°That¡¯s right! Is Eli here? I want to see him! He likes to see women in dresses. I¡¯ll wear a red one today.¡± Elias likes to see women wearing red dresses, huh? I didn¡¯t know that. Amanda couldn¡¯t help a bitterugh. That¡¯s right. I never had the chance to familiarize myself with him during our secret marriage. It was impossible to learn his preference. Rosia had long since forgotten Amanda pped her earlier. She grabbed Amanda by the wrist and asked, ¡°Maria, do you think Eli will like the softness of my skin? After all, I bathed in milk.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± How would I know? Besides, Elias was never fond of her What¡¯s with the attitude? I want a positive answer!¡± A shadow instantly fell across Rosie¡¯s face, and her eyes were glued to Amanda¡¯s face. Amanda was worried that Rosie would jump at her again. It was exhausting to deal with Rosie. Amanda had no choice but toply with her. ¡°Right. He likes you. You are the only one he likes. Are you happy now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s better! Eli likes me. Nobody could turn his head, not even you. Eli won¡¯t fall for you.¡± At that, Rosie leaned against the bathtub and began to ssh water everywhere. Her words sounded normal for a patient with a mental disorder, but something was troubling Amanda. What does she mean by ¡®not even you¡±? The words struck Amanda, giving her the idea that Rosie remained a little sane despite everything. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Chapter 295 I Can Help You With That After the bath, Rosie pulled Amanda to the closet room with her, so she could try on her outfits. Amanda finally got to see the red dress Rosie mentioned earlier. After helping Rosie to get dressed, she waited on the side. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, Rosie kept throwing questions at Amanda. ¡°How do I look? Will Eli like it? How do I look from the left? What about from the right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s perfect. You look wonderful.¡± Amanda gave Rosie perfunctory answers to prevent thetter from throwing a tantrum again. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re seeing Eli. Come on. You told me he¡¯s here, so where is he? I want to see him!¡± Rosie dragged Amanda out of the bedroom. Amanda¡¯s heart leaped into her throat as she mused to herself, What am I supposed to tell her? There¡¯s no way I can call Elias over. Meanwhile, Taylor was enjoying a cup of coffee in the living room downstairs, looking as if he couldn¡¯t wait to see Amanda embarrass herself. At the same time, Rosie dragged Amanda all the way to the living room. She couldn¡¯t help her excitement as she let Amanda¡¯s hand go. Then, Rosie approached her brother. ¡°How do I look, Taylor? Eli likes to see women wearing red dresses. What do you think?¡± ¡°Yes, you look beautiful.¡± He nodded his head as he set the cup on the coffee table. Then, he slowly stood up. Amanda stood next to Rosie, but she avoided making eye contact with him. ¡°Can I go now? I¡¯m meeting up with Eli.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Taylor¡¯s t tone betrayed no emotion. After that, he turned to Amanda. ¡°How are you going to end this? Mind you, Rosie is way scarier when she¡¯s having an outbreak.¡± As soon as he finished the words, Rosie wasted no time in dragging Amanda out of the vi. Her joyousughter rang in their ears. ¡°Maria, you said Eli is here. Where is he? I can¡¯t see him anywhere.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s in the garden. Let¡¯s go look for him there. He¡¯s been here for a while to see you, but you were bathing earlier.¡± Afhanda had to make up an excuse to keep Rosie¡¯s emotions at bay. Otherwise, she¡¯d be dead tonight if Rosie went out of control. Rosie walked around the vi to search for Elias, but not without dragging Amanda along. At the same time, Taylor trailed behind them. He wanted to intervene in time if Amanda was taking advantage of Rosie. Besides, he wanted to test whether Rosie¡¯s hysteria was just an act. The trio went to the garden, and Rosie walked around to search for Elias but to no avail. Enraged, she spun around and red at Amanda. ¡°You lied to me! Where is Eli? Where is he? Where is he?!¡± ¡°Miss Rosie, Elias dide. However, you were bathing around that time. He had to go after. waiting for a long time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! He won¡¯t do that to me!¡± At that, Rosie raised her hand, wanting to p Amanda. At that, Amanda quickly grabbed Rosie by the wrist. ¡°You know Elias. There¡¯s no way would wait for a woman. If my words don¡¯t convince you, you can ask your brother.¡± Better throw the problem back at him. It¡¯s his sister, after all. he Rosie snapped her head in Taylor¡¯s direction and burst into tears. ¡°Taylor, is Maria telling the truth? Was Eli here?¡± Taylor nced at Amanda before looking down to caress his sister¡¯s hair. ¡°That¡¯s right. He was here a while ago, but he left some time ago. You¡¯ll see him next time. He¡¯ll be around Imperia for the time being.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡± Rosie lowered her head dejectedly as she walked back to the vi. She looked so aggrieved, as if she was a child deprived of the promised sweets. Watching Rosie¡¯s retreating figure, Taylor began, ¡°Do you know who ¡®Maria¡¯ is? Do the reason why she kept calling you by that name?¡± you know ¡°Pray tell.¡± Amanda barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Paying no mind to her attitude, he exined, ¡°Maria was her maid who served her for years. However, back when Rosie first got sick, she lost control and pushed Maria off the stairs. Maria fell to her death. Since then, Rosie couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave the sanatorium.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, shock written all over her face. So, she killed a person before. No wonder her illness is so serious. After all, she wouldn¡¯t have gone mad just because Elias wouldn¡¯t return her feelings. Taylor turned around to face her before continuing, ¡°However, I feel like she¡¯s faking it. Maybe I¡¯m imagining things. Is she faking it? ¡°How can you tell she¡¯s faking it?¡± He must have some evidence to say such words. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have made such a bold assumption out of nowhere. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s just a hunch. Maybe she¡¯s afraid to face her sins and take over the responsibility of murdering Maria. Therefore, she acts mad to escape reality¡± The answer left Amanda speechless. If what he says is true, then Rosie is a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Otherwise, one couldn¡¯t simply fake illness for years to avoid punishment. Besides, based on her family¡¯s influence, they can shield her from being punished by thew. Even so, she¡¯s taking such an approach. Amanda frowned. ¡°Remember, with the madmen around her for years, even a sane person could go crazy at any moment.¡± ¡°I know, but Rosie¡¯s case is different. She never asked me to take her home every time I visited her. She¡¯s even afraid of going home. What in our home could possibly scare her?¡± The same question had been troubling Taylor for years. Why is she afraid ofing home? There¡¯s only one reason holding her back from going home. She has Maria¡¯s death on her conscience, so she¡¯s afraid to go home. ¡°It proves nothing. Did you ask the doctor to run a check-up on her?¡± ¡°Of course I did. The doctor told us that she was traumatized, resulting in her having a persecutory complex, a delusional disorder, and many other diseases. I can¡¯t remember their names. Repeating the names of the disease somehow irritated him. Rosie¡¯s reaction in the bathroom suddenly urred to Amanda. Therefore, she pointed it out. ¡°By the way, I noticed something strange. It was back when we were in the bedroom. Hadn¡¯t you noticed it? Rosie left the bathroom with a towel around her. Judging by her usua behavior, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s sane enough to make herself look presentable.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah. I noticed that as well¡± Amanda narrowed her eyes. ¡°So, you only asked me to look after her for ten days because you want me to test her, or be a trigger, so she can return to normal ¡°I just want to know if she¡¯s pretending. I want to move on Taylor¡¯s gaze dimmed at the thought After all, Rosie was still young. She can¡¯t hide in the sanatorium forever After a moment of pondering, Amanda answered, ¡°I can help you with that. However, you need to ensure my safety. I don¡¯t want to get killed in the process, or else nobody will look after my son.¡± ¡°I understand. Once ten days are over, you will either expose Rosie¡¯s n or prove she is sick. At that time, I¡¯ll donate my bone marrow no matter the result. You don¡¯t have to worry. A promise is a promise.¡± Taylor¡¯s gaze fell on Amanda¡¯s face. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Chapter 296 He Has A Strong Premonition. Amanda snorted coldly. ¡°There is no proof for whatever you have said. Why don¡¯t we put it. in writing?¡± ¡°So professional, eh?¡± Taylor raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Of course. Otherwise, how would I dare to trust someone like you?¡± Taylor was speechless as he had always considered himself someone with integrity. Someone like me? What kind of person am I? In the study, Amanda took a pen and flicked the paper to quickly write a note before she signed her name. Then, she passed the same paper to Taylor. ¡°To show your sincerity, sign it. Here¡¯s to a happy cooperation.¡± Taylor took the document and scanned through it before he smiled. ¡°This is as expected of awyer. You¡¯re professional enough. Okay, then.¡± He took the pen and signed his name as well. ¡°Let¡¯s have a happy cooperation,¡± Amanda said as she took the document and stored it away. with the intention of leaving. aggravate her consequences since Taylor, however, stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t be too obvious in front of Rosie, and don¡¯t too much. If she bes insane, I¡¯m worried that she can¡¯t endure the we don¡¯t know what she will do.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­ Forget it. Let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± Amanda wanted to say something to him, but she held herself back when she was about to speak because it was pointless now. If it could be proven that Rosie was not insane, then she would definitely point some things. out to him. Over at St. Helen, the dean of the sanatorium was on the phone, reporting the situation to Taylor. your ¡°Mr. Momsey, Mr. Winters came to look for ady named Amanda Bailey. I followed. instructions and told him that I had not seen her, but he came again today. What should I do? They want to check the surveince too. I told them that it was broken yesterday, but they don¡¯t seem to believe me-¡± Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Taylor, who replied coldly, ¡°Alright. I got it. If they want to check the surveince, then let them do so. Just delete the surveince footage that has Amanda and me in them.¡± ¡°Mr. Momsey, what if they continue their investigation at the sanatorium?¡± After all, there were many secrets at the ce. If Elias managed to uncover all of it, the consequences would be disastrous. ¡°I know what to do. Even if he finds out, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± The dean ended the call and sighed helplessly. The director was still by the side, waiting for an answer. ¡°What do we do now? Mr. Winters wants to see the surveince. Is Mr. Momsey willing to let him see it or not?¡± ¡°Let them see it. Even if they have discovered something, so what? By then, let that Taylor kid know the truth. If he¡¯s not afraid, then we shouldn¡¯t be either.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Over at the surveince room, Elias and Yacob watched the surveince footage carefully, but they couldn¡¯t see any picture that showed Amanda whatsoever. ¡°How is this possible? Miss Bailey came here after receiving the address from Dr. Smith. Why isn¡¯t there any sign of her in the footage?¡± Yacob was puzzled. Elias had been keeping an eye on the time in the upper left corner of the footage and found that there was a discrepancy of an hour. And SO, hemented in a deep voice, ¡°Why is there an hour missing from the footage? Is this footage edited by your dean?¡± As soon as he said those words, there was silence as no one dared to speak up. Only then did Yacob notice the discrepancy of time on the footage, as it was suddenly an hourter. ¡°Say something! Did your dean edit the footage?¡± Yacob pped the monitor on the back. ¡°I¡­ I am not sure. They said that it was shut down for maintenance, and that¡¯s it. I have not clue, so I think you should ask the dean yourself.¡± Elias could also tell that there was nothing to ask the folks in the surveince room, so he had to personally visit the dean¡¯s office. As such, he turned and left the surveince room with Yacob in tow. While they were walking toward the dean¡¯s office and passed by those words, they thought. they heard sounds of ghosts crying and wolf howling inside, which attracted their attention. Elias frowned because he felt that there was more to this sanatorium than met the eye. Yacob made a bold guess. ¡°Mr. Winters, this ce looks mysterious. The people locked up here are all lunatics, so do you think they are conducting human experiments?¡± ¡°Mind your own business,¡± came the man¡¯s reply as he walked directly toward the dean¡¯s office. At the same time¡­. The dean was calling Taylor to report on the recent updates in his office, but Taylor only said. ¡°Tell the truth.¡± After that, Taylor hung up the phone on him. The dean stared at the phone with a dull expression, having no idea how to answer. There was also a knock on the door at the same time, which pulled the dean back to the present. He set the phone aside and said in the direction of the door, ¡°Come in.¡± Elias and Yacob entered, which caused the dean to gulp. After all, Taylor and Elias were the two bosses whom he did not dare to mess with because either one of them could send him to his grave. ¡°You should know what I want to ask,¡± Elias said.. The dean paused for a while before he replied, ¡°The Momsey Family owns this sanatorium, so it is really inconvenient for me to reveal anything more. If you really want to know anything else, you are better off asking Mr. Momsey personally.¡± At this moment, Yacob suddenly remembered something and added, ¡°By the way, I also discovered that Rosie Momsey is staying here too!¡± ¡°You just remembered that information?!¡± Elias roared. Yacob kept silent. He had forgotten about it because he was busy with other matters and also because he felt that Taylor was not rted to this matter, but he never expected¡­ Elias mmed both hands on the desk and stared at the trembling dean. ¡°Tll ask more time-have you seen Amanda Bailey here?¡± you one ¡°I really did not. As for whether others have seen her, I don¡¯t know either. You should really ask Mr. Momsey. Besides, he was here for two hours yesterday.¡± Elias was reminded by the dean¡¯s behavior that the dean wanted to shift the me to Taylor. The dean no longer wanted to shoulder any responsibility because it would be dire if he had. offended Elias. Without saying anything else, Elias turned to leave the office. Yacob gave the dean a thumbs up. ¡°Good job. At least you¡¯ve avoided physical pain.¡± At the sight of them leaving, the dean finally exhaled in relief because he no longer had to deal with the vicious Elias Winters. Once they were inside the car, Elias ordered, ¡°Go to the Momsey Residence.¡± ¡°Yes! I thought that it was Taylor too! This Taylor Momsey is really evil. Could it be that he bribed the donor?¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening, so he never expected that the sessful bone marrow match was actually Taylor. Elias leaned against the back of the seat and closed his eyes while responding in a low voice, ¡°You will know once we arrive there.¡± He had a strong premonition that Amanda was somewhere in the Momsey Residence. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Locate Amanda Over at the Momsey Residence. After finally coaxing Rosie to sleep, Amanda nned to grab something to eat from the kitchen. When she first arrived at the kitchen, she was frightened by the sight of a man following her and almost cried out before she could even open. the fridge. ¡°Can you stop following me? Did you know that scaring people might lead to their demise?¡± Amanda rolled her eyes, after which she opened the fridge to take toast and milk to fill her stomach. Taylor crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame, looking as if he was watching at y. However, when he saw her taking milk and toast, he frowned in displeasure. ¡°You are eating just this? If you are hungry, you can just ask the chef to cook you something. Will this be filling?¡± He merely felt that she had a rough life by treating her stomach like this. Amanda dismissed his suggestion. ¡°You should take good care of your sister, regardless of whether she is insane because she is being troublesome. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll lose more weight sooner orter after ten days, so is what I eat even important?¡± Taylor was speechless. He pulled out a dining chair and sat opposite Amanda. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± ¡°Mr. Momsey, don¡¯t be impatient. It¡¯s not even been a night since I arrived, so how can I find something for you so quickly?¡± After she finished speaking, she took two sips of milk and nned to head upstairs. Although Amanda did not want to stay in the same bedroom as Rosie, she had no choice but for the sake of Aiden¡¯s bone marrow transnt. The butler then came over and reported, ¡°Mr. Momsey, Mr. Winters is here. He said that he came over to look for his ex-wife, Miss Bailey. What should I do?¡± Amanda froze upon hearing that. She knew that Elias would eventually locate this ce, just not at this speed. Taylor had an impatient expression as he muttered, ¡°Tell him that she¡¯s not with me. Ask him to search elsewhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said that, but there¡¯s no use. They have insisted on entering, so what should I do?¡± the butler asked again. Amanda looked at Taylor, as if waiting for his decision. At that, he responded indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You must not tell Elias that are here, or the agreement between us is null and void, and your son will be dead.¡± Amanda¡¯s fists hanging on both sides of her body clenched tightly as she really wanted to punch him. Then, Taylor left the ce without a backward nce. you At the garden in the Momsey Residence. As Elias and Yacob drove over directly, even the bodyguards of the Momsey Family could not stop them. ¡°You can try to stop us, but I¡¯ll beat you to a pulp!¡± Yacob threatened the circle of bodyguards. who were afraid toe forward. At this moment, the butler and Taylor approached them. ¡°Is someone looking to be beaten. by speaking so loud?¡± Taylor passed the bodyguards and arrived in front of Elias and Yacob. ¡°Oh, as it turns out, it¡¯s the young master of the Winters Family. It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s being so arrogant. Yes, you have the capital, but why are you two here? Or do you want to be a guest in my kennel? Don¡¯t tell me you are addicted after the experiencest time?¡± Such a mocking tone caused Yacob to step forward to argue, but Elias pulled him aside. ¡°You know that the donors and St. Helen are all your work. Hand Amanda over; otherwise, I¡¯ll be in a bad mood and might really demolish the Momsey Residence tonight.¡± ¡°Are you working with the demolitionpany? Or is it the Winters Family¡¯s newpany? Mr. Winters, this isughable. Why are you here to look for your ex-wife? You mean to say that I have kidnapped her and refuse to return her to you?¡± Taylor sneered. Elias narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°It seems that we¡¯ll have to resort to violence, then.¡± At that, he looked at Yacob, who was on the side. ¡°Look for Amanda.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After the order was given, Yacob was about to bring his own men to look for Amanda in the Momsey Residence. The Momsey Family¡¯s bodyguards immediately surrounded him, to which he growled, ¡°Whoever dares to approach me will die!¡± They were scared again, which caused Taylor to almost pass out when he saw their reaction. What kind of idiots did he hire? He only dared to retreat because he expected such a group of idiots to defend him in such a situation, but now? N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°You b*stards! Go after him! What¡¯s the point of hiring you?¡± Taylor snapped. The bodyguards had no choice but to bite the bullet, but they were all knocked to the ground by Yacob and his men. At the sight of such a scene, Taylor was left slightly speechless, and he had the urge to drive this group of idiots out of the house. At this time, Yacob already brought his people to search the Momsey Residence for any sign of Amanda. Truth be told, Taylor felt a little flustered, but he was betting on the fact that Amanda would hide herself well. For the sake of the bone marrow, he believed that she would not let herself be found by Elias. That was the reason why he remained calm. ¡°You have encroached onto private property to conduct an illegal investigation. I can sue you.¡± ¡°Be my guest,¡± Elias replied coldly. Taylor couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I never expected you to have such deep affection for your ex-wife. Can I ask? If you guys love each other so much, why did you divorce? What kind of love is being portrayed here now that you guys are divorced? Don¡¯t you feel disgusted?¡± ¡°What is it like to have a sister like Rosie, who can¡¯t love herself and drives herself insane instead? Someone who loves performing? She¡¯s never been loved by a man, yet she can¡¯t help herself. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s just as disgusting?¡± Elias¡¯ words were enough to turn the smile on Taylor¡¯s face into anger. Then, the man continued to fan the mes. ¡°I¡¯ve never been able to understand why you would send your sister to a sanatorium. Her illness is not the kind that can be healed by simply recovering. Or is there another purpose for doing so? Could it be that she¡¯s not crazy and she¡¯s only there to deceive others?¡± F*ck! Your guess is f*cking urate, Elias Winters! Whether Rosie was insane or not, even Taylor, who was her biological brother, could not confirm this fact. However, he did have other ns by sending her to St. Helen-it was for a shady purpose. Meanwhile, Yacob and his men searched the entire Momsey Residence, but they could not locate any trace of Amanda. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s really not here, huh? But how is this possible?¡± Yacob mumbled to himself because, logically speaking, Amanda should be here. If not, it meant. that Taylor had moved her to another ce. On the other hand, Amanda was hiding in the wine cer of the Momsey Residence. There was barely anyone who woulde to this part of the house. Only when there was a need to get some wine that the helpers woulde over to get the wine. She also wanted to leave, but she had to endure the difficulties for the sake of her son¡¯s bone marrow transnt. I don¡¯t know whether Elias has left or not, but I have to find a way to inform Yacob. Otherwise, Elias will keep looking for me. Suddenly, there were footsteps outside. Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in fright as she covered her mouth. Have they found me? She sat in a corner and covered her mouth for fear that she would be discovered if she made a sound. Yacob went to the wine cer to take a look. Since the temperature here was low, most people would not be able to stay here for long. He nced around briefly and left, not thinking that Amanda was actually there. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Don¡¯t Come! When Amanda saw Yacob and his people leaving, she breathed a sigh of relief and lowered the hand that covered her mouth. Then, she identally knocked into the bottle of wine next to her, and it almost fell to the ground. She quickly held the bottle and kept it away, but she also made a small sound at the same time. Yacob unexpectedly heard the sound and stopped suddenly. ¡°Wait!¡± He frowned and retreated, as if he heard something. Is someone here? He turned around and began to search the wine cer, but it was arge area, and it took him. a few steps to reach the end. Amanda hid in the corner and held her breath while she listened to Yacob¡¯s approaching. footsteps. She was so nervous that she was about to break out in cold sweat. If Yacob found her, there would be no way for her to persuade Taylor to be Aiden¡¯s donor. She repeated silently, Please don¡¯te! Don¡¯te over! Yacob, I¡¯m begging you! Do note over! At this moment, someone yelled, ¡°There is a locked room over there. No one is allowed to enter, so I¡¯m wondering whether Miss Bailey is inside.¡± At this, Yacob quickly turned and left the wine cer. When Amanda heard the sound of their footsteps leaving, she breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the cold wall behind her as she rxed her initially tensed body. They have left, right? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll return¡­ Amanda had waited for ages without even daring to leave, so after a while, she stood up and walked out. Because she had been hiding in the corner, her limbs were numb, and she couldn¡¯t even properly walk when she stood up. On the other side were Yacob and his men, who arrived in front of a bedroom. He looked at the butler beside him and said, ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This door cannot be opened. You can search everywhere, but not here,¡± the butler replied. ¡°Not here? There¡¯s nothing that I can¡¯t do. If you refuse to open it, then I just kick At that. Yacob kicked open the door, causing a hole to appear. The butler, who was at the side, was dumbfounded as he never expected Yacob would be so rude and violent. The butler was stunned for a moment and stepped forward to stop Yacob. You really can¡¯t enter! Don¡¯t disturb the person staying here! If you scare her, you can¡¯t bear the consequences!¡± Yacob coldly responded, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be kicked, then get out!¡± Once he said those words, he pushed the butler aside and entered the bedroom. It was dark inside, and he wanted to ask the butler why there were no lights. Yacob was about to ask the butler, who was waiting outside, for amp, but he never expected a woman to grab his arm and bite on it, as if she was trying to chew on his flesh. Yacob couldn¡¯t help but scream before he threw the woman onto the ground in causing her to shrick. ¡°Ah! Eli, help! Help. Taylor! Someone wants to kill me! Help! Dad! Mom¡­¡± anger, Her words made Yacob forget the pain in his arm as he froze in ce. He tried hard to see who the woman on the ground was in the dark, but it was just too dark for him. However, it sounded like it was Rosie Momsey. The butler quickly entered and switched on the light before he helped Rosie to her feet. ¡°Miss, please get up.¡± The moment that the lights were turned on, Yacob was stunned because Rosie, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for many years, had turned into this woman before him. He was only aware that she was insane, but he didn¡¯t know how insane she was. At this point, she looked like she was a lunatic. ¡°Stefan, shoo him out. He bullied me! Where is Taylor and Elias? Where are they?! They will avenge me!¡± Rosie hid behind the butler fearfully, not daring to look at Yacob. Only then did Yacobe back to his senses. ¡°Why did you lock Rosie up here?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°As if I care about you guys.¡± Yacob gave Rosie a final look and left to continue to search the other ces. However, what he did not realize was that there was an evil smile on Rosie¡¯s face the moment. he turned his back. No one knew what her evil smile meant. At that moment, Elias and Taylor, who were in the garden, faced each other. Yacob brought his men back to the garden. When Taylor saw their expressions, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°How did it go?¡± Elias asked. Yacob shook his head. ¡°We couldn¡¯t locate her, but I did see Rosie Momsey. She¡¯s really gone insane.¡± Rosie Momsey? Elias frowned and looked at Taylor, who was opposite him. You actually took Rosie home, huh? The recent events then led him to think that the donor might actually be Rosie. ¡°So, the donor is Rosie, which is why she had a temporary change of heart and said that her family disagreed and all that nonsense. You are the one messing with us just to let us down again, right? Taylor Momsey, do you have nothing better to do?!¡± Elias was exasperated. However, he kept suppressing his temper and told himself to calm down because there were still many things that he needed to deal with. He has gone overboard. He must think I¡¯m a wimp since he¡¯s been trying to mess with me again and again! of Taylorughed upon hearing that. ¡°You just realized it, but God is never blind. So many you failed to be a match, and yet my sister and I are a sessful match. Isn¡¯t this annoying? The point is that my sister has no cognitive ability to live now, so I¡¯m the one making all the decisions on her behalf. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s even more annoying?¡± After that, heughed louder, and it was in such a tone that warranted a punch. Yacob couldn¡¯t help but step forward, wanting to punch Taylor, but he was stopped by Elias. A secondter, however, Elias rushed forward and gave Taylor a blow in the face. Taylor was knocked to the ground, after which his nose instantly started bleeding. Elias was still unrepentant as he punched Taylor twice more in the face. The moment he looked up. he saw Amanda¡¯s figure in the corridor at a distance. He thought he was hallucinating and wanted to take a closer look, but that gave Taylor a chance to immediately turn over and fight back by punching Elias to the ground. When Elias looked in that direction again, Amanda had disappeared. It was as if she had. never appeared. Of course, Yacob couldn¡¯t stomach the sight of his boss being punched, so he immediately. stepped forward. ¡°How dare you punch Mr. Winters?! I finally have a reason to beat you into a pulp!¡± He pulled Elias to his feet as he rushed forward. Elias never cared about being punched and rushed toward the corridor that he saw earlier. Yacob was now in charge of punching Taylor.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Did He Say He Will Protect You? Elias arrived at the corridor and searched everywhere, but there was no sign of Amanda. Was I hallucinating just now? But that¡¯s impossible! Amanda has to be in the Momsey Residence, but Yacob said that he couldn¡¯t find her. Is she being hidden somewhere? In the end, he returned to the garden and saw that Yacob and Taylor were still fighting with each other. Elias had no intention of wasting any more time since his son was still in the hospital and needed someone to be with him, not to mention that Amanda could not be located, and there were still many things in thepany that needed his decision-making. ¡°Yacob, let¡¯s leave.¡± After that, he left without looking back. Yacob was confused. Are we just leaving like that? You haven¡¯t even found Amanda, but you¡¯re leaving? However, since Elias had already said the word, Yacob had no choice but to obey as a bodyguard. And so, he threw Taylor aside. ¡°Consider it your luck. If we ever run into each other again, I¡¯ll end you.¡± ¡°Pffi!¡± Taylor spat out a mouthful of blood and wiped off the blood from his nose. He straightened his posture before he panted. ¡°Yacob, you refused to follow me and chose at violent man like Elias back then. Sure enough, you¡¯ve been influenced by him.¡± Yacob snorted coldly. ¡°There¡¯s no future if I were to work for you. On top of that, you are not an intelligent man. I advise you to stop causing trouble. If you continue doing this, you¡¯ll probably end up ruining the Momsey Family.¡± Although Elias had a lot of things on his te and his position in thepany was unstable, it was more than enough to trample a small family like the Momseys to their death. Taylor looked at Yacob and Elias leaving before he turned to the bodyguards of the Momsey Residence and growled, ¡°Look at you idiots! Why should I hire you? You can¡¯t defeat others. and don¡¯t even know how to protect me. I¡¯m better off having a dog! At least it will be more useful! From now on, get the hell out of here. The lot of you are not allowed to set foot here anymore from today onward!¡± At that, he turned and entered the residence. Taylor felt emotionally off. Why can¡¯t I do such a simple thing as having a group of good bodyguards? Am I so blind that I chose a gang of idiots? Yet, Yacob, whom Elias chose, was loyal and would go through hell for the man. Outside the Momsey Residence, Elias walked toward his car while Yacob followed him. ¡°Mr. Winters, what should we do if we can¡¯t locate Miss Bailey? Did Taylor really send her into hiding?¡± ¡°I actually found her. She¡¯s in the Momsey Residence.¡± ¡°What? I searched around just now, but I couldn¡¯t locate her. I ended up finding Rosie.¡± Yacob was puzzled. Elias opened the door and looked at Yacob, who was next to him. ¡°I saw her. She¡¯s free and not being imprisoned, so if you can¡¯t locate her, it means she is in hiding.¡± ¡°Why would she go into hiding? Doesn¡¯t she know that Aiden needs her a lot? How could she hide at this time?¡± This was what Yacob couldn¡¯t figure out-a mother hiding her child when he was sick and refusing to allow anyone to locate her. What kind of psychological trick is she ying? ¡°That¡¯s because Taylor most likely is holding something over her head, so she has to remain obedient. In fact, she really misses Aiden and wants us to find her.¡± Yacob¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Could it be that he slept with her?¡± As soon as he said those words, it earned him a re from Elias as the man growled, ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Then, why else would she avoid us? I really can¡¯t think of any other reasons.¡± In Yacob¡¯s mind, Taylor sleeping with Amanda was the worst possible oue. Otherwise, she would not have evaded reality. Elias entered the car. ¡°We¡¯ll know when we find her. Until then, let¡¯s head back to the hospital. Aiden should be awake now.¡± The current Aiden was sensitive and weak, on top of needingpany all the time. As such, Elias did not want Aiden not to see either his mother or father when he opened his eyes. At the same time, Amanda hid in the bedroom and cried. When she saw Elias being punched violently in the corridor earlier, tears swam in her eyes. She thought that she would never feel any heartache or anything about the man¡¯s injury, but her heartache could not be described. Am I still in love with him¡­ Just when Elias looked up and met her gaze, she turned around and fled in fright. Amanda had aplicated feeling. On the one hand, she wanted him to locate her, but on the other hand, she didn¡¯t want him to find her. I suddenly feel that Elias is pitiful. He must be in distress, considering that he has to deal with the company, head to the hospital to apany Aiden, and still carve the time out to look for me. Even if a person has eight hands, there still won¡¯t be enough time. Aiden, who couldn¡¯t see her, would definitely rely more on Elias, which made Amanda cry even more when she thought about it. How can these ten days be so difficult and long? She merely wanted the ten days to fly past and take Taylor to donate his bone marrow to Aiden. The bedroom door was suddenly pushed open. She looked up and saw that it was Taylor walking in with a bruised face. When Amanda saw the wound on his face, she guessed that he had been severely punched. earlier and felt better immediately. She thought only Elias had been punched, but at the sight of Taylor¡¯s injured face, she knew that Elias should be all right. She wiped away her tears and stood up. Taylor looked at her tear-stained face and asked, ¡°Why? Did seeing your ex-husband being punched make you so distressed? Do you want to return to him? I mean, he tried his best to find you.¡± She refused to answer him and stood up to search for Rosie. ¡°Where are you going?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to do what I have to do. I¡¯ll have you know that everything I do is for my son¡¯s bone marrow transnt. You better keep your promise, or I¡¯ll really end your life.¡± Amanda turned and left, not wanting to spare Taylor another nce. Back in the bedroom, Amanda saw Rosie hiding in the corner and shivering as she hugged her pillow. It was as if she had been frightened by something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so scared. Someone bullied me just now. I was so scared, but Eli did note. He said he would protect me,¡± Rosie responded with innocence. Elias said that he would protect her, huh? Amanda was stunned for a while. ¡°He said he would. protect you?¡± ¡°Yes. Eli said that he would protect me.¡± Immediately after that, sheughed again because a lunatic¡¯s words could never be treated seriously. On second thought, what if Rosie is only pretending to be insane? Up until now, I don¡¯t know whether she is really insane or just putting on an act. ¡°Did you know that Elias is married?¡± Amanda tentatively asked as she observed Rosie¡¯s expression. At this, the smile on Rosie¡¯s face disappeared as she asked angrily, ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible! Whom did Eli marry? It¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Not only is he married, but he also loves his wife a lot,¡± Amanda continued. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Chapter 300 I¡¯m Sorry, It¡¯s My Fault Rosie¡¯s face was filled with shock as she subsequently let out an angry roar, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Eli loves me. He was going to marry me. How could he marry someone else and fall in love with another person?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, so stop going on about Elias. You should wash up and get ready for bed.¡± Amanda stood up and was about to go to the bathroom when Rosie grabbed her arm. ¡°Say it again! Who exactly did Elias marry? Who?!¡± Her logical reasoning was clear, and she didn¡¯t seem like a lunatic. Amanda only watched the woman lose control of her emotions. ¡°You didn¡¯t lose your mind, did you?¡± she asked calmly. Rosie froze for a moment before she shouted again, ¡°You¡¯re the one who has lost your mind! I¡¯m not crazy! Tell me, who did Eli marry? Who?¡± But her behavior now truly resembled that of a mad woman. Amanda suspected that Rosie was pretending to be insane. ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you who he¡¯s married to. It¡¯s not you, anyway. Besides, how would I know who he got married to?¡± Rosie¡¯s emotions surged, and her face turned red with anger. She wanted to grab Amanda¡¯s throat, but this time Amanda caught her hand and warned, ¡°You must think that lunatics can kill without facing legal consequences; that¡¯s why you keep pretending to be insane. You have no idea how the world has changed while you were locked up there for so many years.¡± ¡°Ah! Help! Eli, help!¡± Rosie covered her ears, not wanting to hear anymore. She seemed on verge of a breakdown. the However, Amanda stepped forward and removed Rosie¡¯s hands from her ears while looking into her eyes. ¡°Do you think a man as high quality as Elias would remain single forever? And what, wait for you? He nevercked women by his side the whole time you were confined to a sanatorium.¡± ¡°Stop talking! Stop talking! I don¡¯t want to hear it! Eli is mine! Mine alone! No one can take him away!¡± Not wanting to hear another word that felt like a stab to her heart, Rosie wanted nothing. more than to strangle Amanda, who was right in front of her. ¡°Then, continue pretending to be crazy. If you choose to keep acting like a madwoman, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be long before Elias¡¯ triplets are born.¡± Amanda¡¯s tone was casual as if she were discussing someone else¡¯s affairs. And these words had the power to calm Rosie, who had been kept at a sanatorium for Rosie had no idea what exactly was going on with Elias now. ¡°Triplets?¡± The shock was written all over Rosie¡¯s face. Whose triplets? Elias¡±? years. Amanda feigned innocence by saying, ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Hasn¡¯t your brother told you? Elias¡± triplets are due at the end of the year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­ No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Rosie kept shaking her head, unwilling to believe Amanda¡¯s absurd words. At that moment, Rosie didn¡¯t seem mentally disturbed at all. Instead, she appeared to be genuinely mentally broken. During Rosie¡¯s stay in the sanatorium, she often sent people to inquire about Elias¡¯ situation. in the outside world. They reported to her once a month, but she had never heard about. Elias getting married and having children. Amanda must be lying to me to prove that I¡¯m sane. Rosie quietly told herself to stay calm and not to fall for it, or else all her previous efforts would be in vain. She was currently biding her time, as she was about to reach the end of the prosecution. period for Maria¡¯s murder case. If she could make it past the prosecution period, she wouldn¡¯t have to go to jail and could return to living a normal life. ¡°It¡¯s your choice whether to believe it or not. I¡¯m going to sleep. I¡¯m tired.¡± Amanda theny down on the nearby armchair and closed her eyes. Meanwhile, Rosie was still absorbed in this shocking revtion. Elias is going to be a father! For Rosie, it felt like a bolt from the blue. She was struggling to let time go by so that she could stand before Elias again after the prosecution period. However, she hadn¡¯t expected. that he would already be married and would soon have children. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. It was in the middle of the night. Amanda was half asleep when she heard a faint noise. eyes to She slowly opened her eyes, and since her vision was slightly blurry, she rubbed her see more clearly. That was when she noticed the window beside her slowly opening. What¡¯s going on? Is it a ghost? Amanda nced at Rosie, who was sleeping on the bed, before focusing on the window. After a while, the window was fully open, and a shadow broke in. Before Amanda could see who it was and scream, a man covered her mouth and whispered in her ear. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± That voice! Her eyes went wide as she turned to look at the man who was lowering his mask. ¡°Elias? Why are you here?¡± Or rather, why did hee at this time in the night like a thief? Elias nced coldly at the sleeping Rosie on the bed, then pulled Amanda into the bathroom. and closed the door. ¡°me yourself for going off the grid with me.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She lowered her head in shame. ¡°Will you please consult with me before doing anything? Just tell me why you chose to stay with the Momseys. I had Yacob search for you, but he couldn¡¯t find you anywhere. I knew you were intentionally hiding. What are you doing here?¡± Elias couldn¡¯t understand Amanda¡¯s reasons for doing this, nor could he fathom the agreement between Amanda and Taylor. After giving it some thought, Amanda decided to tell him the truth. ¡°Taylor made a deal with me. If I can take care of Rosie for ten days, he will donate his bone marrow to Aiden. I don¡¯t want to wait anymore. Who knows how long it will take to find a suitable bone marrow match? We can wait, but Aiden can¡¯t!¡± The man silently stared at her for a long time. He eventually pulled her into his embrace. Pressing her head against his chest, he uttered in a deep voice that resonated above Amanda¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m useless.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What does it have to do with him again? No one wants anyone to be ill. ¡°It¡¯s not something you can control.¡± She then pushed herself away from the man¡¯s embrace. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll handle the rest. You don¡¯t have to worry about the bone marrow transnt.¡± After saying that, Elias was about to take Amanda away when she broke free from his grip. ¡°I can¡¯t leave. I just have to endure it for ten days. Besides, I¡¯ve discovered¡­¡± ¡°Discovered what?¡± Amanda leaned closer and informed in a hushed voice, ¡°I found out that Rosie seems to be faking her insanity. Taylor promised me that if I can prove that Rosie is faking it, he will immediately go with me for the bone marrow transnt surgery.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous for you to stay by the side of such a lunatic.¡± What if Rosie was truly insane? It could be risky when she had episodes. ¡°Elias, our son can¡¯t wait any longer. It will take a long time to find another suitable bone. marrow match!¡± They quietly stood there looking at each other. They didn¡¯t know how long they were in a deadlock, but unbeknownst to them, Rosie had. already woken up and had been standing outside the bathroom, listening to their entire conversation. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Never Do That Again ¡°You¡¯re taking the long route. There¡¯s a simpler way to prove she¡¯s not insane,¡± said Amanda¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What is it? Tell me!¡± She didn¡¯t want to stay at the Momsey Residence anymore. She was only doing it for her son¡¯s bone marrow transnt. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Easy. I¡¯ll confront Rosie. I¡¯m the reason she went mad, right ¡°You have a point, but what if she is actually mad? If you show up, it might make things worse.¡± Elias sneered and looked at the bathroom door. ¡°If she¡¯s not mad, then I bet she¡¯s eavesdropping right now. If she knows we are trying to prove she¡¯s not mad, then, well, she¡¯s not mad, is she?¡± Amanda looked at the bathroom door, and she shivered. Just the thought of Rosie outside listening in spooked her. She approached the door and hesitated for a few moments, then she swung the door open, but there was no one outside. She then looked at the bed, and Rosie was still there, sleeping soundly. Elias and Amanda went back into the room and looked at the sleeping Rosie. Sounds of footsteps came from outside, causing panic to sh in Amanda¡¯s eyes. She then looked at Elias. ¡°Hide in the garden. I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡± Elias nodded and darted out the window, disappearing in a sh. The bedroom door creaked open, and Amanda looked at it nervously. Taylor came in, and Amanda reflexively looked out the window to notice that Elias was gone. She heaved a sigh of relief. Curious that she was so nervous, Taylor asked, ¡°Why are you so nervous? It¡¯s just me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡®s exactly why I was nervous. It¡¯s the dead of the night. Are you here to keep an eye on me? Worried I might torture your sister in her sleep?¡± Amanda snapped impatiently and plopped down on the couch. Just passing by, so I wanted to check. What¡¯s with the temper? Taylor found it odd that she was so mad. This was his house. He had the right to check on things, but since Amanda wasn¡¯t keen on talking to him. he left thereafter and closed the door right after he checked on his sleeping sister. After he was gone, Amanda came to the bed and nudged Rosie, but she didn¡¯t move. She then tiptoed out of the bedroom and closed the door. Amanda had been searching for Elias in the garden for a while, but she still couldn¡¯t find him. She couldn¡¯t call out to him either, or the Momseys might be rmed. In the end, she meowed in an attempt to get Elias¡¯ attention. From the bushes, Elias said, ¡°Here.¡± She whirled around and darted into the bush. They then huddled closer and spoke in a whisper. I heard that Rosie is involved with one of the maids¡¯ deaths. Maybe that¡¯s how she went mad.¡± Amanda was taken aback for a moment, then she snapped out of it. ¡°Yes. Her name was Maria. Rosie pushed her down the stairs when she had an episode, and she became insane after that.¡± ¡°So that means I¡¯m not the reason she went mad. The whole thing started because shemitted manughter,¡± said Elias shrewdly. Amanda nodded. ¡°I think she¡¯s faking insanity to get out of jail,¡± ¡°Okay, then this just made things easier for us. We¡¯ll get the maid to prove that she¡¯s not mad,¡± said Elias calmly. ¡°But she¡¯s de-¡± Realization struck Amanda, and her eyes went wide. ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean. A bit of jolt to her head should knock some sanity back into her.¡± She was a little hesitant. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Wow. She might be mad for real, you know. What if this makes things. worse?¡± ¡°Things are already bad enough. How much worse can it get? If we don¡¯t do this, she¡¯s either going to live her life out as a madwoman, or she¡¯s going to get back at us sooner orter.¡± Elias realized that Rosie was a hazard. If he couldn¡¯t deal with her well, she might drag everyone down to hell. Even before going to the rehab center, Rosie never did let go of her obsession with him. If she were to regain her sanity one day, she woulde to him right away. If Elias had a happy family of his own, then that woman would stop at nothing to destroy it, so he wanted to deal with her once and for all. Even though he said nothing, the look on his face told Amanda that he was nning something. He was a smart man, and she could never see through him. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. See you tomorrow,¡± said Elias. ¡°So, you¡¯re going with my n as well?¡± She thought Elias would object to it. Elias looked into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m taking you away tomorrow. Just bear with it one more night. Do not get near Rosie. Stay far away from her, and take this.¡± She looked at the thing he was holding, confused. What is this? ¡°Is this a taser?¡± ¡°Correct. If she tries to get near you, tase her. And lock your door at night. Do not let Taylor in,¡± said Elias. ¡°How did you know he¡¯de into my room at night? That¡¯s a good guess. Taylor does suddenlye into my roomte at night. Elias¡¯ face fell. ¡°I see he has done it before. Hold on to this taser. If anyone tries toe near you, tase them. And take my phone. I don¡¯t want you to go dark again, alright?¡± He had had enough of theck of news from Amanda. The loss of contact almost drove him mad and the search alone was hell.. ¡°I know.¡± Touched for some reason, Amanda nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t stay for long. I need to go back to Aiden. He wouldn¡¯t stop crying when you were gone. I have to take you away tomorrow. He can¡¯t be separated from his mother right now.¡± Amanda felt for her son, and tears glistened in her eyes. ¡°Is he alright? Has he been taking his medications?¡± She was worried her son might ask for her, so she had been trying to distract herself. Every time she thought about Aiden, she wanted to cry. ¡°You¡¯ll get your answer when you see him tomorrow. This wille to an end tomorrow.¡± Elias got up and slid into the darkness of the night, then he left the ce Holding the taser tightly. Amanda went back to Rosie oom Surprisingly Rosie was still in her bed, asleep. As per Elsas reminder. Amanda locked the room and went back to the couch. She would stay up all night since she couldn¡¯t sleep anyway Chapter 302 Chapter 302This chapter is missing , we will fix it soon ! Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Hold His Arm That shut Taylor up. A whileter, the butler came in with Elias and Yacob. Noticing Amanda, Yacob chastised, ¡°So you¡¯re indeed here. We searched high and low for you. Can you talk it out with us before. you do anything next time?¡± Elias coughed. Yacob shut up and moved aside, but he still looked upset. He had been working to the bone just to search for Amanda thesest few days. Amanda gave him an apologetic look. Taylor couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and he stood up, staring at Elias. ¡°Now tell me how you¡¯ll find my sister. She¡¯s been missing for a whole day.¡± Elias sat down on the couch and looked at the worried Taylor. ¡°I have my terms. If I find your sister, you¡¯ll help my son with his bone marrow transnt.¡± Taylor¡¯s face fell. He¡¯s making it sound like a transaction. Amanda froze for a moment, surprised that Elias would bring that up. Taylor said, ¡°You¡¯re trying to cut a deal? Even now you¡¯re trying to use my sister for your own gain. How heartless can you be, you b¡±stard?¡± ¡°As heartless as you can imagine. I don¡¯t care what it takes as long as I get what I want. Elias shrugged the Taylor gnashed his teeth angrily. He wanted to tear Elias apart, but his sister took priority. ¡°Fine. You find my sister, and I¡¯ll save your son.¡± He had no choice but to give in. He must find Rosie as soon as possible. If Rosie was actually driven insane, she mightmit suicide while they were searching for her. It would be toote for them to do any saving if that were to happen. Elias sneered and looked at Yacob. ¡°Did you record the entire thing?¡± Yacob held up the voice recorder. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Taylor red at the voice recorder and clenched his fists. He hissed, ¡°You f*cking recorded the conversation? What for?¡± ¡°In case you deny everything. You kept my ex-wife hostage in your house for ten days because you wanted her to take care of your sister, but I know what you actually want,¡± said Elias coolly. ¡°Then tell me what I actually want, I. Beg. You.¡± Taylor was getting agitated, and it was all thanks to Elias. He couldn¡¯t believe the man was talking terms when his sister was still missing. He doesn¡¯t care about Rosie, but Rosie is head over heels for him. ¡°Your sister¡¯s gone missing long enough, but if you want to have a chat, I can do that. I¡¯m not in any hurry.¡± Elias held his wrist up and looked at the time. Taylor calmed down, but he was still frowning. ¡°We need to find Rosie right now.¡± ¡°Not before you sign this agreement. Remember, I¡¯m not forcing you to do anything. Elias looked at Yacob. Yacob took out an agreement and ced it before Taylor. Taylor picked it up and then he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re one greedy motherf*cker, Elias. He picked up his pen and signed the Kimmed through it. agreement. He had a feeling Elias and Amanda just sprung a trap on him. He signed a contract with Amanda and did so again with Elias. Guess I¡¯ll have to help the boy one way or another now. ¡°Alright, Now find my sister. With how unstable she is, she¡¯s going to die if shemits suicide again.¡± Taylor hurled the contract back to Yacob. Yacob caught the contract. ¡°Of course, Mr. Momsey. Mr. Winters hase up with a n to find her, and I think your sister isn¡¯t as mad as she looks,¡± he mocked. Surprised, Taylor whirled around and looked at Amanda. He had only told her of his suspicion that Rosie. wasn¡¯t mad, so how did Yacob find out? Amanda noticed the question in his gaze, and she answered calmly. ¡°Yes, I told them about it. You want their help, so they must know more about the case. ¡°Man. I am stupid. 1 forgot you guys were once married. Even if you¡¯re divorced now, you still have a kid to bind you together. Of course, you two are a team.¡± Taylor thought he had been too naive. He couldn¡¯t believe he thought Amanda wouldn¡¯t trust Elias that much after the divorce. It wasughable. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Amanda said nothing and turned to look at Elias. Aiden¡¯s fate is in your hands now. There was anticipation in her eyes. The anticipation was not lost on Elias. Slowly, he said, ¡°The fact that she hid herself so well that no one managed to find her is proof that she is not mad. She doesn¡¯t want to face reality just yet. To be exact, she¡¯s scared of it.¡± It¡¯s very possible that she heard everything we saidst night. Still, he didn¡¯t expect Rosie to escape reality like this. A bizarre disappearance might sound imusible, but it was a simple matter of Rosie refusing to be found. Midnight struck, and Elias told the butler to install speakers all around the house, Taylor and Amanda were confused, wondering what he had in mind. Turn the main switch off.¡± ¡°What? How are we supposed to find her without any light?¡± Taylor was fuming. He¡¯s not trying to buy time, is he? ¡°Listen to me and turn it off. If you want to find your sister, that is,¡± Taylor was speechless, but he held his anger back and looked at the butler, signaling him to do as Elias said. The butler was perplexed as well, but he did as he was told and turned the main switch off. Darkness swooped down on the house, robbing everyone of their sight. Amanda was a little scared standing in the dark. She was afraid of the dark. She retreated a little, but then she found herself leaning against something warm. It felt safe. She caught a whiff of a familiar scent, and she knew who it must be behind her. Elias leaned down, whispering. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here. She felt an arm wrapping around her waist, and it dispelled her fear. In the darkness, Elias said, ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yacob went away and pressed a button on the remote control. The air was starting to be filled with the sounds of an eerie cry. It was sad, sorrowful, and incongruous. Amanda felt goosebumps all over her body, and she grabbed Elias¡¯ arm tightly. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Elias held her even tighter as if telling her not to be afraid. Even though they were in the dark, for a moment, Amanda felt like the world around her was filled with light. ¡°What kind of sound is that?¡± Amanda blurted. Before Elias could answer, Taylor flew into a rage. He wanted to hit Elias, but the darkness prevented him from seeking the guy out, so he roared. ¡°What the hell are you doing? You hurt my sister badly enough, so stop this right now!¡± Nobody was sure that Rosie was just faking her madness. If her madness was real, she might faint from fear just from hearing these sounds alone. Taylor whirled around and stormed off. He wanted to tell the butler to turn the switch on. The whole ce is like a dark dungeon. There¡¯s no tay Rotie is going toe out. She might trip and fall. The ce is filled with staircases, after all. If she were to fall from the stairs. Taylor didn¡¯t finish that thought. It was too terrifying to even think about. Elias, however, was unbelievably calm. He was waiting for the rest of the recording to be yed. Amanda aked, ¡°It¡¯s a bit too far, don¡¯t you think? What if we actually drive her insane with this?¡± Just then, a woman¡¯s voice started ying. Like a hurt little doe, the voice said, ¡°Miss? It¡¯s me, Maria_¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes went wide. Even in the darkness, Elias could feel her freezing with shock. The loudspeakers were installed all around the house, so no matter where anyone was hiding, they could not escape the usation of this ecrie voice. ¡°You.¡± Amanda raised her head. Even at this distance, all she could make out was an outline, but the air he radiated was filled with icy cruelty. Elias held her waist tighter. Darkly, he said. ¡°We have no choice. I only care about the oue.¡± At the same time. Taylor was scouring the house, summoning the butler. He wanted the butler to turn on the switch and switch off the loudspeakers. I don¡¯t want Rosie to get madder than this. He then heard Maria¡¯s voice, and his eyes were filled with shock. How does he even know about that? When did Amanda tell him that? ¡°Get over here right now, Stefan! Where in the good lord¡¯s name are you? Turn the switch on!¡± Rosie hid herself in this house¡¯s secret chamber. Only she and her father knew of this chamber. Not even Taylor had any idea of it. She did hear the conversation between Elias and Amanda the night before, and she couldn¡¯t believe that Amanda and Elias did consummate the marriage and had a son. For a moment, she was seized by the impulse to charge inside and kill Amanda, but she couldn¡¯t. The case of Maria¡¯s murder was still in its limitation period. She couldn¡¯t regain her sanity out of nowhere. At the very least, she must wait two years. She must hide and keep herself out of everyone¡¯s eyes. However, the sudden ckout shocked her. A ckout in this household? How is that possible? And then, a woman¡¯s cries echoed in the air. Eventually, the woman¡¯s voice said, ¡°Miss? it¡¯s me, Maria¡­¡± Rosie broke down. Her whole head was filled with the memory of her pushing Maria down the staircase by ident, and Maria¡¯s voice was ying out over her head. Maria had been by her side for many years, carrying out her every order. She adored Maria, but Elias¡¯ continued rejection and neglect drove her to the brink of a breakdown, and she was annoyed by everyone she saw. She didn¡¯t mean to kill Maria. That was an ident, but when she hurried down to hold her up. Maria was no longer breathing. She held the body of her steward, shivering and at a loss. Eventually, the butler found them and took Maria to the hospital. She went through a night of treatment, but the doctor said it was toote. Maria¡¯s family wanted to take Rosie to court. If she didn¡¯t feign madness, she would have to face jail time, and she didn¡¯t want that. If she was convicted, she would no longer be worthy of Elias. He would only look down on her more. Only one thought filed her head at that time. I must not go to jail. She started feigning madness, and years went by since then. Sometimes she thought she was actually going insane. There are only two years left. Once the limitation period is over, I can go back to my old life. However, she had no idea that Elias had gotten married and had a child. She screamed. I didn¡¯t mean it! Don¡¯te closer! Stay away from me! Why did youe back? I was nice to you, wasn¡¯t I? I treated you like a good friend. I didn¡¯t mean to kill you. Why won¡¯t you let me go?¡± The darkness was suffocating. Rosie couldn¡¯t see anything, and yet she could feel Maria¡¯s presence everywhere. Back at the rehab center, she would see Maria every time she closed her eyes. Her dead steward would be covered in blood, calling out to her over and over again. Fear was chipping away at Rosie¡¯s mind. She kept feeling Maria¡¯s presence around her, and the woman¡¯s cries were still drifting along in the air, calling out to her. Rosie finally had a breakdown. She stumbled out of the chamber, crying and shouting. ¡°Get away from me! Get away from me!¡± Elias was listening closely so he could figure out where the voice wasing from. Once he was sure of the direction, he told Yacob. ¡°Turn on the switch. I hear her.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yacob heard the voice of a woman as well, and it didn¡¯t belong to the one in the recording. Sounds like she¡¯s saying. Get away from me? Amanda followed along. She didn¡¯t want to stay in the darkness alone. It was overwhelming and filled her head with a lot of horrific imagery. A momentter, light returned to the household. Blinded for a moment, Amanda covered her eyes with her hands and took them off after a few moments. Still, the woman¡¯s cries were still ying out, and Rosie¡¯s screams were getting nearer and nearer. What do they call this? Ah, yes, entrapment. Man, Elias can be cruel when he wants to Rosie¡¯s screams came from somewhere nearby. Elias and Taylor looked in that direction at the same time. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Taylor felt for his distraught sister. He darted forward and pulled her into his embrace. With a reassuring voice, he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here, Rosie. It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Taylor, help me. There¡¯s a ghost. A ghost!¡± Elias stood beside them. Calmly, he said, ¡°You¡¯re not actually insane, Rosie.¡± Now he was sure Rosie wasn¡¯t insane, or at the very least, not totally cuckoo, or she wouldn¡¯t havee out so easily. Rosie said nothing this time. She held her brother tightly, stealing nces through the corner of her eye. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Chapter 305 I Miss Mommy The cries in the air came to an abrupt halt, and everything went back to normal. Amanda caught up to them a momentter and saw Rosie shivering in her brother¡¯s embrace, fear gripping her heart. Perhaps she was still shaken by her fear of Maria and the dark. Taylor held his sister tightly and roared at Elias, ¡°Enough! Stop pushing her!¡± Rosie fell limp in Taylor¡¯s embrace. Taylor looked at her and tightened his grip. ¡°Rosic?¡± He shouted her name, ¡°Rosie! Wake up!¡± Yet, no matter how much he shouted, she wouldn¡¯t wake up. Panicked, he called. for the butler. ¡°Stefan? Stefan! Get us a car and take Rosie to the hospital! She fainted!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The butler quickly turned around and made a call. Rosie was taken to the hospital. She was still unconscious, but the doctor had checked on her and said she would be all right. She only fainted because she was in a state of great shock. She would be fine after some rest. Taylor felt relieved hearing that. He tucked his sister in and left the ward. The first thing he saw was Elias and Amanda standing outside, ready to take him to the operating room for the bone marrow transnt. Yacob approached them, looking grim. He told Amanda, ¡°Miss Bailey, you might want to see Mr. Aiden. He¡¯s unwell.¡± Unwell? The look on Amanda¡¯s face changed. Yacob might have made it sound simple, but there was no way Aiden was simply unwell. She turned and charged to her son¡¯s ward, tears streaming down her cheeks. Elias stared at Taylor coolly. Time for you to fulfill your promise. Get the bone marrow transnt over with as soon as possible. I don¡¯t want my son to suffer any longer.¡± ¡°Are you stupid, Elias? Now that I¡¯ve found Rosie, I¡¯m not scared of you anymore. Why would I listen to you? You might have found my sister, but the method you used was too extreme. Do you really think I¡¯ll help your son? In your dreams.¡± Taylor had relented. He would donate his bone marrow as per the promise, but he wanted to rile Elias up and see him getting angry while unable to do anything. He was disappointed, however. Elias wasn¡¯t even fazed. Instead, Eliasughed. He knew this would happen. ¡°So, you¡¯re going back on your word?¡± asked Elias calmly, like he didn¡¯t care about this matter at all. ¡°Yeah, and so what? You think that flimsy contract can make me do anything? In your dreams! What do I care about your son¡¯s life?¡± Taylor was running his mouth. Since he could never win in a fair fight, he wanted to piss Elias off. He wanted to see the angry expression on Elias¡¯ face when Elias realized he couldn¡¯t do anything about him. Elias didn¡¯t get mad, however. He stayed calm, and the smile on his lips turned wider. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. If you¡¯re going to work with us, then everyone¡¯s going to be happy. But if you¡¯re not going to work with us, then, well, things might get a little ugly,¡± said Elias a little too calmly. He then slowly made his way to the end of the corridor. Taylor stood around, bemused. He wondered what Elias meant by that, then he looked at Yacob. ¡°What was that supposed to mean? He¡¯s going to use force?¡± Yacob smiled and met Taylor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mr. Momsey, if I were you, I¡¯d go along with this. The child did nothing wrong, and the procedure won¡¯t hurt you. You¡¯re a healthy man and will probably heal very quickly. If you won¡¯t do as you promised, then I will have to carry out my employer¡¯s orders. I¡¯m just an employee, after all.¡± ¡°Get to the point already, you.¡± Taylor had no patience for all this drivel. Yacob cleared his throat. ¡°In other words, my employer has more than one way to make you donate your marrow willingly. He might not use force, but he can always attack your family¡¯s business. His position in the family might not be established, but he can easily take you guys out, Momsey Group¡¯s profits have been dippingtely, haven¡¯t they? Aren¡¯t you the least bit worried about it, being its heir?¡± Shock shed in Taylor¡¯s eyes, and he gulped. Momsey Group was embroiled in a crisis, and his father was toiling away raising funds for a project. ¡°Think about it, Mr. Momsey. You know the kind of man my employer is. No one can stop him from doing what he wants. Not to mention his son¡¯s life is on the line. Do you really think he¡¯s going to hold back? He might get rid of your family this time. You do know that we¡¯re the partner for many of your family¡¯s projects, don¡¯t you? And he only gave you guys a chance because Rosie got mad. Now that he knows she¡¯s not actually mad, he¡¯s going to get back at you. Do you have any idea how annoyed he is because of all the usations pointed at him because of your sister¡¯s ¡®madness¡±?¡± Yacob took out a cigarette and tried to smoke. A nurse came over. ¡°No smoking in the hospital.¡± Yacob tucked his cigarette away and looked at the stunned Taylor. ¡°Think long and hard about it. Now that Mr. Elias has given you a hint, that means he¡¯s ready for anything.¡± Yacob then left as well. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Taylor was alone, petrified, and deep in his thoughts, the words of Yacob ying in his head. He was furious, but everything Yacob told him doused that fire of fury. Meanwhile, it had been two days since the boy saw his mother. He kept calling out for his mother, lying in Selina¡¯s embrace like a hurt kitten. Selina wept for the poor boy. He looked so weak, and she wondered why Amanda was missing. She had no idea what happened. Amanda loved her son dearly. There was no way she would disappear without a reason and neglect the boy. ¡°Miss Selina, why isn¡¯t Mommy here yet? You lied to me. All of you did.¡± Everyone told him Amanda. would show up soon, but it had been two days and she still didn¡¯t show up. Selina held the boy tightly, gently assuring him, ¡°We weren¡¯t lying. Your mother is busy at work, but she¡¯lle soon. She loves you the most, don¡¯t you know that?¡± The boy puckered his lips, tears falling down his cheeks. He buried his head in Selina¡¯s embrace and broke out into a cry. ¡°I miss Mommy.¡± Selina cried as well. Aiden¡¯s cries tore her heart into pieces as if a tormentor was slicing it up without mercy. Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Willing Donor Suddenly, the door swung open, and in came a panting Amanda. The first thing she heard was her son¡¯s cry. She too cried, and she ran to his bed, huffing and puffing. Selina turned around. The sight of Amanda sent her into ecstasy, and she was at a loss for words. ¡°Look who¡¯s here, Aiden. Your mommy didn¡¯t lie to you. She came.¡± An excited Selina shook the crying- boy. The mention of his mother delighted the boy. He looked up, a smile curling his lips. His vision was blurry, but he could make out his mother¡¯s outline, and it made him cry harder. It was a heartbreaking cry. Amanda too shared in the sadness and joy, and tears fell down her cheeks without stopping. She approached the bed and pulled the boy into her embrace. With a trembling voice, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Aiden. Mommy¡¯s here. Mommy¡¯s here for you. I¡¯m sorry, I was a bit busy, so I couldn¡¯te.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommy¡­ Don¡¯t leave. Please stay with me. Mommy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave, I promise. I¡¯ll be with you, baby.¡± Amanda held the boy, reassuring andforting him for a long, long time. Eventually, the boy stopped crying and fell asleep. She took the boy in her arms and plopped down on the couch, her eyes filled with worry for him. It¡¯s only been two days. Why does he have so many bruises? Is his condition worse now? Noticing the question in her eyes, Selina answered, ¡°The doctor said his condition got worse. If he can¡¯t get a transnt, he¡¯ll have to go through chemo, or it¡¯s going to get even worse.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Amanda looked at Selina, her tears falling on Aiden¡¯s face. Elias was right outside, and he saw everything. His jaw was tense, his lips were pursed, and his hands were balled into fists. There isn¡¯t a moment to lose. He left a whileter. Amanda never left the ward ever since she came. The boy clung to her for dear life, like she would leave the moment he let her go. At the same time, Rosie was slowly regaining her consciousness. Taylor had been by her side all this time. When Rosie opened her eyes, he sat up. ¡°Rosie! You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Taylor¡­¡± Rosie rasped weakly, and she coughed. Taylor poured her a ss of water and held her up, then he fed her the water. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. I was worried sick.¡± ¡°Taylor¡­¡± Rosie didn¡¯t bother keeping up the act. Elias had exposed her, so there was no point pretending to be mad anymore. Still, the public must not know about this. You¡¯re not mad, are you, Rosie?¡± Taylor could see that his sister didn¡¯t look the least bit mad. Rosie said nothing, but the silence was an answer in and of itself. She coughed again. Silence reigned, and eventually, things got awkward, but neither sibling said a word. Both of them had things weighing down on their minds. All of a sudden, Rosie blurted, ¡°Is Elias really married? And he has a son?¡± Taylor was reluctant to answer lest he agitated his sister, but in the end, he said, ¡°Yes. That woman you saw back at home was his ex-wife. The boy needs a bone marrow transnt to live, but only our marrows match his. This is honestly karma. He chortled. ¡°The irony.¡± Rosie ignored everything he said, everything but two points. ¡°Wait. She¡¯s his ex-wife, and their child needs. a bone marrow transnt?¡± This is good for me. So, Elias is divorced, and his son needs a bone marrow transnt. Moreover, Taylor and I are the only matches. This must be divine providence. ¡°Yeah, why do you ask?¡± ¡°Nothing. Taylor, I need you to meet with Elias and tell him I want to see him. I have something to say,¡± requested Rosie. A frown furrowed Taylor¡¯s brow. ¡°Is that a joke? Do you think he¡¯s going to see you? He wants nothing to do with you, and that will never change. It hasn¡¯t changed since the beginning. I asked him to look for you and he set up a whole haunted house just to spook you into showing yourself, but you want to see him? Are you mad? If you still love him so much, you¡¯re better off mad.¡± He was speechless. What should I do with her? She¡¯s beyond saving. Rosie shrilly said, ¡°Just go and tell him I will donate my marrow to his son.¡± ¡°What? He ditched you and pulled a wicked prank on you, and yet you¡¯re going to help his son? Yeah, you¡¯re mad. You should be taken back to rehab and stay there.¡± Taylor was about to leave, but Rosic held him. ¡°Please, you have to help me. Taylor. I want to see him, just this once. I promise I won¡¯t ever ask you to do this again. I¡¯ll deal with my problems myself, and I won¡¯t ask anyone to seek him out for me.¡± Because this time. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll win. Taylor looked back into his sister¡¯s eyes. Seeing the sincerity in her gaze, he relented. He could never say no. She was his only sister, after all. Dusk came, and Taylor told Elias everything Rosie told him. Elias was surprised, but he came to Rosie¡¯s ward alone to see her anyway. The moment the knocking came, Rosie perked up and quickly fixed her hair. Gently, she said, ¡°Come in.¡± The door slowly creaked open, and Rosie felt her heart thumping. It had been seven long years since she met Elias face to face. God knew how long she had been waiting for this moment. Elias came into the room, radiating an air of iciness. He stood far away from the bed, asking. ¡°You¡¯re willing to donate your marrow to my son?¡± He gets into that right away? Rosie was a little sad. He has never cared about me. Not even now. Yet, she nodded. with a smile. ¡°Yes. The child is innocent. I don¡¯t mind saving his life, and besides, only Taylor or I can help him out. This is fate, and I wish to save him.¡± Elias stared at her for a while, then he said, ¡°On behalf of my son, thank you. I¡¯ll tell the doctors to arrange the surgery as soon as possible. My boy¡¯s getting worse. ¡°Is that so? Then, we should really start the procedure. He must be in pain. Rosie put on a look of genuine concern; it was as if she wasn¡¯t in it for something she wanted. Elias had no idea what was going through her head, but since she was willing to donate her marrow, then that was for the best. At least he would not have to deal with too many problems. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said genuinely this time. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Can I See Your Son ¡°It¡¯s alright. The fact that my marrow¡¯s a match means this must be fate. Rosie asked, ¡°Can I see your son, Elias?¡± Elias frowned, wondering what Rosie was up to this time. She was a fanatic of his back then, and everyone knew the lengths she went to just to court him. He was reluctant to let his son near a madwoman like her. Well, she was not medically mad, but she was an extreme woman who did things without even considering the repercussions. The hesitation did not escape Rosie. She put on a pout that showed she was hurt. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t do that. I just want to see what he looks like. I mean him no harm.¡± Elias said nothing, staring at her in silence. Tears glistened in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not the old me anymore. I won¡¯t hound you like I used to, because I¡¯ve paid a huge price for that. Now I just want to live in peace. That¡¯s why I want to help your son. To do good and somehow atone for my past. I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble I¡¯ve caused you.¡± Most men could not tell that a woman was faking it, Elias included. He didn¡¯t realize Rosie was acting. A long silenceter, he said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take you to him once the surgery is done. He¡¯s not in the best state right now, so he¡¯s quite feisty. He doesn¡¯t want to see any strangers.¡± Elias was not in the mood for anything aside from the dealings of the transnt. A smile curled Rosie¡¯s lip. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do it as soon as possible. He must be suffering right now.¡± ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll be going now. Call the nurse if you need anything. You can also call Taylor or me.¡± ¡°Sure. Go back to your son, Elias. He needs you by his side.¡± She looked so genuinely concerned, and it was almost worthy of sympathy how she cared so much while she was hurt. However, Elias was on guard around her as usual. The moment the door swung shut, the smile was wiped off Rosie¡¯s face, and she clutched her nket tightly. Elias and Amanda met up in the corridor. ¡°What did you say? She¡¯s going to donate her marrow to Aiden?¡± Amanda was in disbelief. She must be mad. Why else did she decide to do that? Aiden¡¯s the son of Elias and me, the same Elias she¡¯s so madly in love with. There¡¯s no way she would help Aiden. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Amanda wanted to say something, but Elias interrupted. ¡°No buts. Either one of them can donate their marrow. I don¡¯t particrly care who it is.¡± ¡°Why not Taylor, then? He¡¯s a healthy man, and he can heal up fast. Besides, he promised he would help out if we found his sister. Amanda still didn¡¯t trust Rosie for some reason. Her gut told her that. She would rather have Taylor do it instead. Elias frowned. ¡°He¡¯s reluctant, so he might sabotage the whole thing. A bone marrow transnt is not a small matter. We would be better off with someone willing. Maybe that¡¯ll help with the healingter.¡± He was being a little superstitious, but he wouldn¡¯t leave anything to chance when it came to his son¡¯s condition. He wanted to make sure everything was fine. Amanda was reluctant to have Rosie as the donor, but she couldn¡¯t argue with that. That was the best n they had. She too was worried that Taylor might pull something evil. They couldn¡¯t waste any more time with Aiden being in this state. The transnt must happen as soon as possible. Over the next few days, Rosie spent her time preparing for the surgery. She would have to take a week¡¯s worth of medications and injections. Amanda didn¡¯t leave the hospital after that either. On a certain day, Selina was feeding Aiden his lunch, and Amanda came out to get some fresh air. She was so, so heartbroken seeing her baby in so much pain, and yet she had to force herself to smile every day. Just get the surgery over with. I can¡¯t take this anymore. Just then, a silhouette appeared at the end of the corridor. The sound of its footsteps was weird, and Amanda turned around to see who it was. Oh, Taylor. Probably here to see Rosie. She wasn¡¯t nning to acknowledge him. Just when she was about to go back to her son¡¯s ward, Taylor blurted, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How did Elias manage to bewitch youdies into doing everything for him? Even when your lives are at risk.¡± Amanda stopped and turned around. She sneered, ¡°Ask your sister. She¡¯s his biggest fan. I¡¯m a normal person, actually. If I can¡¯t have him, then so be it. I won¡¯t force myself to get him.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°So, he¡¯s courting you instead?¡± ¡°Really? And what makes you think that?¡± Ever since Elias¡¯ grandfather died, she felt that Elias had been. focusing on his career. He had no time for rtionships. Taylor chortled derisively. ¡°Because he¡¯s concerned about your son. If he doesn¡¯t love you, he would ignore even your son. The fact he cares about his son means he cares about you. Honestly, you don¡¯t even get that? How did he even fall for you?¡± Amanda said nothing. She stood quietly, musing over Taylor¡¯s exnation. Taylor went past her and gave her a nce. ¡°But if you do get back together with him, it¡¯s going to be hell for you.¡± Amanda turned around to look at him. She was confused about what he said just now. Finally, it was time for the surgery, and everyone was waiting outside the operating room. Amanda was nervous, worried that something bad might happen. Fortunately, everything went well on Rosie¡¯s side, and they went into the operating room. The transnt would take about two hours. Amanda and Elias waited outside. The moment the sign over the doors lit up, their hearts started to race. Jack and Edith were outside too. Even Stephanie was told to show up. After all, she was Aiden¡¯s aunt. ¡°Calm down, Dad. The sess rate for bone marrow transnts is really high in this country. There¡¯s nothing to be worried about.¡± Stephanie just wanted to calm her parents down, but Jack snapped. ¡°Shut it! What do you know? He¡¯s just a boy. No matter how smooth the surgery is, it¡¯s still going to be painful for him.¡± ¡°Surgery¡± It¡¯s not like he¡¯s getting cut open. I reckon there¡¯s no pain at all. It¡¯s just an injection,¡± said Stephanie nonchntly, as if the surgery was just some regr wound cleaning ¡°And you call yourself Aiden¡¯s aunt? You don¡¯t even care about him, and now you¡¯re talking smack like the surgery¡¯s nothing! What if you were the one down world his condition?¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Just for a Hot Spring Jack was furious. He couldn¡¯t believe his youngest daughter would be so callous and insensitive. This is fault. I should¡¯ve been stricter on her. my Edith patted his shoulder. ¡°Calm down. We¡¯re at a hospital. Be quiet. There¡¯s an operation going on inside.¡± Jack held back his fury and plopped down on a chair beside him. Edith took Stephanie into a corner and whispered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go home for now? Everyone¡¯s tense, and it¡¯s normal given the circumstances. You were a bit insensitive back there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did wrong. I just wanted everyone to rx. The surgery is already underway. Getting nervous is not going to help.¡± Stephanie still thought she did nothing wrong. In fact, she thought she was treated unfairly, and she left. Edith wanted to stop her, but she gave up and heaved a sigh. She then turned around and saw Amanda staring at the operating room, as still as a statue. The poor girl. Edith approached her and patted Amanda on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Amanda, but she didn¡¯t look at Edith. Her eyes were glued to the operating room. Taylor was sitting around, waiting for his sister toe out. He too was worried about her. If he had known waiting would be so arduous, he would have gone in Rosie¡¯s ce. Two hours went by, but it felt like an eternity with every moment a torture for the people waiting outside. Finally, the doors slowly opened up, and out came the doctor. Everyone stood up and huddled closer. Amanda asked, ¡°So, how did it go?¡± Everyone else waited for the answer anxiously. The doctor was used to this scene. Calmly, he took his mask off. The transnt went smoothly. Now it¡¯s time to see how the patient¡¯s body reacts to it.¡± Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, thanking God for a smooth operation. Touched and relieved, Amanda. shed tears. The other doctors pushed a sickbed out of the room and made their way to the ward. Quickly,¡± she went after them. Elias followed suit. They wished to see how their son was doing. When Rosie was pushed out, only Taylor was waiting for her. She looked at her brother and weakly said, ¡°The transnt went smoothly, Taylor.¡± Taylor stayed by her side and helped the nurse push her toward the ward. With sarcasm dripping in his voice, he said, ¡°Yeah, it was, and all they care about is the brat even though you¡¯re the one who helped him. If it weren¡¯t for you, the kid would have been dead by now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Taylor. The child is innocent.¡± Rosie was upset, actually. She thought that Elias would at least wait for her. Taylor scoffed. ¡°Not Elias, however. He¡¯s the reason you look like a mess, and you helped his son after all that. Don¡¯t tell me you fell out of love with him. There¡¯s no way you have.¡± Rosie said nothing. ¡°This is in masochism, sister. Did your stay in the rehab center mess your brain up? So what if you granted them their wish? No one¡¯s going to thank you, you fool. Taylor was disappointed in this part of his sister. If I had known, I would have taken her ce.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. When they went past the ward, Rosie noticed that Elias and Amanda were inside, looking like a loving couple. If she didn¡¯t know better, she¡¯d have thought they had gotten back together. The sight of this scene infuriated Taylor even more, and he pushed his sister away quickly. If she sees that for a moment longer, she might go mad. All she had to face was rejection, but now she has to watch them being in love. There¡¯s no way she can take this. Once back at the ward, Taylor changed the subject. ¡°What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll get the chef to make some soup for you. You need to heal up.¡± Taylor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Unbeknownst to him, Rosie was going to start her n now, and he would be her pawn again. ¡°I feel weak, and I¡¯d like to soak in a hot spring. Do you know anywhere quiet, natural, and private?¡± Um¡­ Taylor fell into silence. Yeah, that¡¯s practically Winters Estate. The hot spring at Winters Estate was designed by a famous designer. It was open-air, uniquely designed, and very natural. It was said to be good for the body too. So that¡¯s what she was gunning for to their ¡°And you want me to bring this up to him? You went through so much just for a hot spring trip ce?¡± Taylor could guess what she was up to. She could only get close to Elias if she was at his ce. Using her favor to his son as a reason to approach him was effective too, since he couldn¡¯t refuse or run away. ¡°Just go. Taylor. I¡¯m not feeling well, and I need that hot spring trip.¡± Taylor heaved a long sigh and left the ward. He closed the door, thinking that his sister still hadn¡¯t let go of her obsession with Elias yet. I wonder what she¡¯s up to this time. Dusk came. Elias was nning to go home to get a file and ask the chef to make some soup for Aiden. Just as he was about to get in his car, Taylor stopped him. ¡°A minute, Elias.¡± Elias turned around, and Taylor slowly approached him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Going home?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°Yes. I have something to do, and I need the chef to make some soup for Elias. I¡¯ll tell them to make one for your sister too.¡± She did save Aiden¡¯s life, so Elias didn¡¯t want to be too callous. ¡°No need for that. Our chef can cook something for her. However, I have something else I need your help. with. Only you can do this,¡± said Taylor. Elias looked at him curiously. ¡°What is it? Out with it.¡± ¡°My sister¡¯s really weak now, so can she stay at your ce for a bit? She needs the hot spring there. Everyone knows your estate¡¯s hot spring is one healing well, and it¡¯s going to help her big time.¡± Elias couldn¡¯t say no, or he would be heartless. Taylor got impatient. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple request, and you still need to think about it? Not like I¡¯m asking you to marry her. She just wants to use the hot spring. She saved your son¡¯s life, and she can¡¯t even have a hot spring session at your ce?¡± ¡°Alright, she can. Tell her toe to the estate after she¡¯s discharged.¡± Elias got into his car and revved it up, then he left. Taylor saw him off. As the taillights disappeared into the distance, he muttered, ¡°This is as far as I can help. you, sis. You¡¯re on your own now.¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Provocation Two dayster, Rosie was discharged from the hospital. Elias and Taylor came to pick her up. When Elias arrived at the ward, Rosie had changed into a fresh set of clothes and was waiting for them. She looked at Elias with a smile. ¡°Elias.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to Winters Estate right away. Taylor has told me about your condition. You need a hot spring, and we have one at our home,¡± said Elias. He thought Rosie had no idea about this, but it was actually part of her n. ¡°Since I¡¯m leaving soon, can I see your son before that? You promised we could meet. Please? Just for a little while.¡± Rosic still had her innocent smile on. Elias hesitated for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to him right now, but only for a bit. He needs to rest.¡± ¡°Sure. Just for a bit.¡± Elias led her to the boy¡¯s ward and knocked on the door, Amanda said, ¡°Come in.¡± Thinking it was a nurseing for a checkup, Amanda stood up and turned around. When she saw Elias leading Rosie in, her smile froze. ¡°What are you¡ª¡± Elias answered, ¡°She¡¯s here to see Aiden. Just for a bit, and she¡¯ll leave. She¡¯s discharged.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t say no. This woman did save her son, so she agreed tacitly. Rosic approached the bed with a smile. She noticed how simr the boy and Aiden were, and her heart sank. He¡¯s obviously Aiden¡¯s son. They look so alike. There¡¯s no need for a paternity test. The nurse knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Aiden¡¯s family? The doctor wishes to see you.¡± ¡°Yeah, right away.¡± Amanda looked at Elias. ¡°You stay with Aiden. I¡¯ll see the doctor. She was about to leave, but the nurse said, ¡°Both parents need to be present. Doctor¡¯s orders.¡± Both? That was a dilemma. If they were both gone, then Amanda would be alone with the boy. That was not eptable. Yacob came back to the ward. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you guys, so this is where you¡¯ve been. Let¡¯s go. The paperwork is done.¡± Yacob was surprised to see Amanda here. Yacob, you stay here with Aiden. We¡¯ll have to see the doctor,¡± said Elias. ¡°Huh? Oh, okay. Understood.¡± Yacob paused for a moment, then he understood why his employer wanted him to do this. Yacob¡¯s presence eased Amanda, and she left with Elias. Still, she was a bit worried. Even when she was walking with Elias, her mind was still on her son. ¡°I wonder if Rosie¡¯s going to do anything to him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. She wouldn¡¯t dare. If she wanted to hurt him, she wouldn¡¯t have donated her marrow,¡± said Elias. That was a good point. Amanda had no idea why Rosie would help Aiden. She couldn¡¯t fathom what was going on in her head. Back in the ward, Rosie was staring at the boy. He looked just like Elias, and that fact made her jealous. Why am I not the mother of this child? She had a smile on her face, but her nails were digging into her thumb, yet she felt no pain. Only jealousy was burning within her. ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy? I¡¯m Rosic.¡± ¡°Who cares? I¡¯m not telling you my name.¡± Looking at Rosie, Aiden felt a strong sense of dislike welling up within him, so he refused to tell Rosie his name, Yacob didn¡¯t realize how odd this conversation sounded, so he didn¡¯t stop it. Did she really change? Has she really let go of Mr. Elias? I mean, she donated her marrow and came to see the boy. It¡¯s like she really likes kids. Just then, Yacob¡¯s phone rang. It was from his subordinate. He looked at Rosie and went into the bathroom to take the call, but he left the door ajar so he could keep an eye on Rosie. Rosie knew that, so she kept her innocent smile on. ¡°I know what your name is, Aiden.¡± Shocked, the boy asked, ¡°How did you find out? Who told you?¡± What an idiot, Rosic thought. The nurse announced your name when she came in. ¡°I just know. I¡¯m getting discharged today, and if you¡¯re good, you¡¯ll be discharged in no time too.¡± ¡°When can I get out of this ce? Why are you allowed to leave?¡± the boy asked naively. He couldn¡¯t. understand why he wasn¡¯t allowed to leave. The conversation was normal, and nothing out of the ordinary popped up. Yacob had been keeping a close eye, but the banality of the conversation bored him, so he focused on the call and got distracted. from the conversation. Rosie turned around to look at Yacob for a moment. Realizing he was immersed in his call, she huddled closer to the boy and whispered, ¡°Because your father let me. I¡¯m going to his house and dip in his hot spring. It¡¯s awesome. You and your mother have never tried it before.¡± It sounded gentle, but that answer hit the boy hard. It was a clear provocation even for the boy. ¡°Wait, howe you get to go? I want to go too! The boy was fuming. Hey, why does this weirddy get to go while Mommy and I don¡¯t get that chance? Rosie smiled. ¡°Tell your father about it. He loves you so much, so I bet he¡¯ll say yes. Tell him to let your mommy stay at the estate. You can soak in the hot spring all you want after that.¡± you and ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do!¡± The boy stomped his foot and turned around, refusing to talk to this weird. woman. For some reason, he found Rosie to be despicable. Yacob¡¯s call ended, and he came out of the bathroom. Noticing Aiden¡¯s tantrum, he asked, ¡°What is it, Mr. Aiden? You seem angry with someone.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Rosie smiled. ¡°Elias¡¯ son is so adorable.¡± ¡°When can I leave this ce? I want to leave the hospital too,¡± Aiden protested. Yacob looked at Rosie and patiently told the boy, ¡°In a few days, Mr. Aiden, so be good now.¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Not Staying the Night Elias and Amanda came back to the ward looking happy. The doctor must have told them some good. news. Elias said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Rosie. I have a tight schedule. There¡¯s something I have to settleter in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Sure, Elias. Let¡¯s go.¡± Rosie got what she came here for, so she had no reason to stay. She turned around to look at the boy. ¡°Goodbye, Aiden. I¡¯m going now¡± She then smiled politely at Amanda and left the ward. Amanda still had no idea that Rosie was going to Winters Estate. ¡°Stay here, Aiden. I¡¯ll see you at night, alright?¡± Elias approached the bed and patted the boy¡¯s head. Aiden still looked angry. ¡°I want to leave the hospital too. Daddy. I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore.¡± ¡°You can leave soon. The doctor talked to us about the same matter, you see. All you have to do is stay put for a few days, and then you can leave.¡± A loving smile curled Elias¡¯ lip. ¡°Come here, Daddy. The boy beckoned at his father, at which Elias huddled closer. Aiden leaned on his face and whispered, ¡°Daddy, I want to go to the estate. I want¡­ I want to take a bath.¡± He wanted to say ¡°hot spring session, but he couldn¡¯t remember that term, so he told his father the only other thing about baths he knew. A bath? Elias frowned. What is he talking about? He can take a shower anywhere, so why the estate? Amanda heard everything too. She held the boy in her arms and said, ¡°You should send her off. I¡¯ll y with Aiden.¡± Elias nodded and patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯ll talkter at night. Eat your meals.¡± Then, he left. Yacob followed him and closed the door. Once they were gone, Amanda ced the boy on the bed and ced her hands on the bed around him. ¡°Aiden, why did you want to go to the estate for a bath? You can do it at home.¡± ¡°No. I want to do it in the estate. If that weirddy can go, why can¡¯t I? That¡¯s my daddy, and that¡¯s his home. He said his home is my home too.¡± Aiden was firm about wanting to go to the estate. That confused Amanda even more. ¡°What weirddy? That woman earlier. She said she¡¯ll be bathing in Daddy¡¯s estate. I wanna go too. We haven¡¯t even gone to his estate, and we need to go.¡± Aiden was getting stubborn, and he would not budge on this matter. The woman earlier? Rosie? Rosie¡¯s going to the Winters Estate? Amanda¡¯s eyes went wide. And Elias let her? Why? She had no idea what Elias was thinking. Dusk came. Amanda had put the boy to sleep, and Elias came to watch over him. He came into the ward. and saw his son and Amanda asleep on the bed. He walked toward them and patted Amanda¡¯s shoulder to wake her up. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Groggily, Amanda raised her head. She turned around and rubbed her eyes. ¡°You get some sleep. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him.¡± Amanda stood up and stopped Elias before he could sit. ¡°Come with me. We need to talk. Aiden¡¯s asleep. and he won¡¯t wake up for a while.¡± They walked out to the corridor and Amanda closed the door carefully. ¡°So, what are we talking about?¡± Elias looked at Amanda, who had her back turned to him. Once the door was closed, Amanda slowly turned around. A long hesitationter, she asked, ¡°Rosie moved into your house?¡± A few moments of silenceter, he said, ¡°Yes. He didn¡¯t want to ask how she found out. She would find out sooner orter anyway. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in a weakened state, and the hot spring there can help with recovery, so she¡¯s staying there for a bit. She¡¯ll leave once she feels better, exined Elias. I see. Still, it sounds preposterous. Rosie must¡¯vee up with that herself. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s going Amanda asked. EHas said nothing for a long while. ¡°No idea, but she did donate her marrow and save our son¡¯s life. She just wants a hot spring session, so she can have it.¡± He¡¯s always so upright. Amanda knew that Elias would be grateful toward Rosie forever if she offered to donate her marrow. Grace abused the favor of her brother¡¯s sacrifice to gain all of Elias¡¯ love, after all. Wonder what Rosie¡¯s up to this time. Still, I can¡¯tin, not after she donated her marrow and saved Aiden. A sigh escaped Amanda¡¯s lips. ¡°Aiden wants to move in as well. He won¡¯t take no for an answer, so what now?¡± ¡°Then he may move in. The estate¡¯s a better ce for his recovery.¡± Elias didn¡¯t mind. Of course, his son could stay in his estate. ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? I¡¯m worried Rosie might hurt him. I mean, she was obsessed with you. She had more to say, but she kept quiet. It was just a guess, but it was enough to worry her. Elias quickly calmed her down, ¡°Calm down. She won¡¯t hurt Aiden. If she wanted to, she would never have donated her marrow. She has probably let go of her obsession with me. It¡¯s been so many years, and she¡¯s embroiled in a murder. If she wishes to lead a normal life, she muste up with a way to clear her name.¡± Elias thought Rosie wanted to move into the estate so she could live under his protection. Since Elias thought so, Amanda had nothing else to say, nor was there any need to keep the conversation going. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll chalk this up to overthinking. We¡¯ll talk about this once Aiden is discharged. I can¡¯t do anything if he insists on moving in.¡± Elias said, ¡°You should move in too. He can¡¯t live without you. He needs your care.¡± ¡°Yeah, dream on. I left that ce, so I have no intention of ever going back. I¡¯ll go for visits every day, but I won¡¯t stay the night. That¡¯s all.¡± She went into the ward without looking back. Elias watched her. She was resolute about this, and he sighed before he followed her inside. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Moving In Even with Elias around, Amanda stayed in the ward the whole night. She wasying down on the couch getting ready to sleep, but then she saw Aiden clinging onto Elias. He was holding Elias¡¯ hand and asking him to tell a bedtime story, and it made her jealous. Alright, I¡¯m not going to watch this. I don¡¯t want to frustrate myself. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She had stayed upte for a few days, and it was taxing. Upon arriving at Winters Estate, Rosie looked around. She dreamed of moving into this ce in the past, and now she could finally stay here. There was no way she could evere into this ce in the past. Elias wouldn¡¯t even give her a single look, but now she coulde and go as she pleased. Well, the donation was worth it. At least he trusts me and cares for me now. The butler came. ¡°Hello, Miss Momsey. The hot spring is ready. You may use it now.¡± ¡°I see. Rosie nodded and followed the butler to the hot spring. She asked, ¡°Has Elias ever used the hot spring here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The answer made Rosie¡¯s heart skip a beat, and she smiled. So, we¡¯ll be using the same hot spring. The butler thought she found it disgusting, so he said, ¡°We changed out the water. Everything¡¯s new. Mr. Elias is a bit of a clean freak, so you don¡¯t have to worry about hygiene.¡± The butler had no idea what Rosie was thinking. Rosie said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to change. I¡¯m the guest here, so I¡¯ll do whatever the host does. I can¡¯t ask you guys to cater to me. I¡¯m just borrowing the ce for a bit. The butler said nothing. Once he brought Rosie to the hot spring, he left, and only one maid was left behind to take care of Rosie. Looking at the open-air hot spring, a smile curled Rosie¡¯s lip. I wonder what goes on in Elias¡¯ head when he soaks in this ce. Slowly, she stepped into the hot spring, enjoying its warmth as the steam covered her face. She leaned on the stone wall and looked up at the starry sky. She started imagining that Elias was right. beside her, enjoying this hot spring with her. ¡°Does Elias use the hot spring a lot?¡± The maid froze for a moment. Confused, she pointed at herself. ¡°Are you asking me, miss?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone else around.¡± The maid mused for a moment. ¡°Not frequently. He doesn¡¯te back a lot. This ce is a bit far from thepany. He usually stays somewhere near his workce.¡± Rosie frowned. I see. Then egging the boy into moving into the estate was a smart move. Even if Elias refuses toe back, he has to return for the boy. She continued, ¡°So when did he get married and have a son? The boy¡¯s already a toddler, so I guess about five years ago?¡± The maid¡¯s eyes went wide, and she shook her head. ¡°Mr. Elias is married? We have no idea. And he has a son? No one told us that. I¡¯ve only been here for a year or so, so there¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know. No one around told me that he¡¯s married.¡± She¡¯s been here for more than a year, and she has no idea he was married? So, it was a secret marriage? That would exin why no one knows of it. The Winterses are so famous, the whole world would be reporting Elias¡¯ marriage. ¡°Get my phone.¡± The maid handed her phone over, and Rosie called her brother. It went through easily. ¡°So, finally decided to quit? Do you want toe back? I¡¯ll tell the driver to pick you up. Taylor thought. his sister wanted toe back. ¡°No. Taylor, do you know about Elias marriage? Did any news outlet report it?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°No. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that his son needed my bone marrow, I wouldn¡¯t have found out about it. He had to bring it up after all.¡± So, it was indeed a secret marriage. Rosie hung up and fell into silence. A whileter, sheughed. So, he doesn¡¯t love her that much. He probably got married because she was pregnant. That exins the divorce. A few dayster, Aiden was allowed to leave the hospital, but he needed to rest at home. He insisted on moving into the estate, so they took him there. Amanda didn¡¯t want to live there, so she said she would stay during the day and go home at nightfall. I wanna bathe, Mommy. Bathe!¡± Aiden requested. ¡°But you can¡¯t. In a few days, alright?¡± Elias patiently cajoled his son. Aiden held his mother¡¯s hand and said. ¡°No. I wanna do it right now. Right now,¡± The car drove slowly into the manor and stopped by the path. The butler weed them. Once they got out of the car, the butler reported, ¡°Everything is as usual, sir. Well, Miss Momsey¡¯s daily hot spring session aside. And we have to change out the water every it-¡± Before he could finish, Elias said calmly, ¡°Let her do what she wants. She won¡¯t be here for long.¡± He thought she would only stay for a few days just to heal up. She did save his son¡¯s life, so letting her use the hot spring was no big deal. The mention of the hot spring jogged the boy¡¯s memory. He piped up. ¡°I wanna use the hot spring. Daddy. Hot spring!¡± Hot spring? Amanda and Elias exchanged a look. What is he up to? First a bath, and now a hot spring? ¡°Hot spring? Not now. Maybe when you¡¯re more grown up,¡± said Amanda patiently. However, Aiden threw a tantrum. ¡°I want to bathe in the hot spring too! If that weirddy can, why can¡¯t I Mommy and I have never bathed in a hot spring before.¡± Amanda froze for a moment, then she asked, ¡°She told you she was going to use the hot spring?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even asked me if I had experience. I don¡¯t. Mommy, I want to bathe in a hot spring¡­¡± No one could stop Aiden once he started throwing a tantrum. Amanda stood up and looked at the silent Elias. ¡°Can you figure out what she¡¯s trying to do?¡± ¡°Maybe it was an innocent question,¡± said Elias, her for two days, and she knew how perfectly Rowie arqat che a feeling c life. She had no idea mad wema. There Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Both the Child and You At Winters Estate. ¡°Are they back yet? Will that Amanda woman be sleeping here?¡± Rosie asked as she sat at the vanity table. The maid beside her replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s only here during the day and leaves at night! Rosie chuckled. How pretentious. She obviously wants to stay but keeps using this method to get Eli¡¯s attention. Does Eli like this sort of fake and pretentious woman No! Eli just hasn¡¯t seen her true colors yet. Rosie was beginning to suspect that Amanda got pregnant because she drugged Elias, or otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been interested in her at all. In Rosie¡¯s eyes, Elias was the most exalted Prince Charming that she couldn¡¯t even touch, and yet Amanda was able to jump in halfway and bear his child. Meanwhile, Aiden was brought to the room that had been prepared for a child a long time ago. When Amanda walked into the room, she was startled by the interior. It looked as if a lot of time and effort had gone into setting it up-certainly not within a couple of days. ¡°Whoa¡­.. It looks so cool, Daddy,¡± ¡°Do you like it? You can sleep here.¡± Elias, who was carrying his son, could see the boy¡¯s sparkling eyes and gaping mouth. ¡°I do! I like it!¡± Aiden nodded fervently and struggled to get down. Elias set Aiden down on the carpet. Aiden began scampering all over the room in joy. Amanda looked at the man beside her. ¡°Did you start preparing this room when you found out you had a child?¡± That was what her gut was telling her.. Elias didn¡¯t respond, but his silence served as his tacit acknowledgment. Amanda scoffed. ¡°I knew it. You still haven¡¯t given up yet. You still want to snatch him away.¡± She thought Elias would remain silent, but this time, he spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I want to snatch both him and you back here.¡± What? Amanda¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°In your dreams!¡± Elias let out a self-deprecatingugh. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was dreaming, and now that I¡¯m awake, I don¡¯t want. anything else, except to see that you and Aiden are doing well.¡± After the loss of so many family members, he gained a new understanding. There were people that he didn¡¯t need to keep beside him. He was willing to distance himself from them if their lives were better off without him. Amanda fell silent. She didn¡¯t know what to say. Just then, Aiden ran over and threw himself at Amanda. His arms were wrapped tightly around her slender legs. ¡°I like it here, Mommy. Let¡¯s sleep here tonight! I want you and Daddy to sleep beside me!¡± Amanda had no words. She truly didn¡¯t want to return to this estate. For some reason, she felt deeply ufortable. She slowly crouched down and looked at her son¡¯s innocent face. ¡°You can sleep here tonight, Aiden. I have things I need to do so I¡¯ll be going home tonight. Do you want to go home with me?¡± In all honesty, she didn¡¯t feel inclined to leave Aiden in the same ce as Rosie. She kept getting a strange feeling about Rosic. ¡°Don¡¯t, Mommy. Stay here with me. I want to stay here with both Daddy and Mommy.¡± Aiden began to cajole once more. He got a taste of sweet sess before. His mother always gave in to him whenever he pouted and acted like a baby, but he was too young to know that everyone went along with his wishes because he was ill. Amanda felt helpless, but she couldn¡¯t exin the situation to Aiden, so all she could do was smile and agree. ¡°Okay then.¡± ¡°Yay! You¡¯re the best, Mommy!¡± Aiden turned around and threw himself onto therge bed. Elias was a little surprised to see that Amanda agreed to it. He cocked his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re sleeping here tonight?¡± ¡°In your dreams! I¡¯m just humoring the child. Are you a child too? I¡¯ll go home once Aiden falls asleep. Lend me a car.¡± Amanda red at him. The light faded from Elias¡¯ eyes. ¡°Oh¡­ They¡¯re all in the garage. You can pick whichever one you want.¡± Pick whichever one I want, huh¡­ What a high-sounding thing to say. Well, he does have the right to say that. Elias once indulged in a hedonistic lifestyle, so his garage was filled with all kinds of sports cars. At dinnertime. On this rare asion, Elias sat at the dining table to eat with Amanda and Aiden. However, Rosie came over with a fake smile and asked, ¡°Eli, can I have dinner with you guys? It¡¯s so lonely over there. I don¡¯t want to eat all by myself.¡± Elias nced at her and replied coolly, ¡°Fine.¡± Rosie sat down opposite Aiden and greeted him. ¡°Good evening, Aiden. You need to eat your meals. properly so that you can grow up all big and strong.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Aiden turned his head away. He didn¡¯t want to bother with Rosie. Rosie instantly looked hurt. ¡°Did I say something I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± From the way things yed out, it was Aiden who was being impolite, which meant that Amanda failed to teach him how to behave. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Amanda had no choice but to pretend to chide Aiden. Aiden, that¡¯s a little impolite of you. Miss Rosie here just saved your life. We need to know how to be grateful, right?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Aiden refused to listen. He simply continued eating. Rosie chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Forget it. Kids are all like that. I won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± This only made Aiden seem even ruder. Elias¡¯ expression grew stern. ¡°Aiden, you need to be polite to others, do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Aiden was forced topromise under the pressure that Elias was exerting, but he pouted aggrievedly. Amanda felt bad to see her son looking so glum. She stroked his head and said, ¡°Hurry up and finish your dinner. When you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll take you back to your room and tell you a story. When can we go for a dip in the hot spring, Mommy? She can do it. I want to do it too.¡± Aiden still. remembered what Rosie said at the hospital about the hot spring. Aiden frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to watch some cartoons first before we go to the hot spring?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Then, you better not forget, Daddy.¡± Elias didn¡¯t know what to say. He wanted to distract Aiden so that thetter would forget about the hot spring. Rosie smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re too young so you can¡¯t soak in the hot spring, plus you only just regained your health. You need to wait for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sick! Hmph!¡± Aiden stabbed his food with his fork with a long face. Elias continued piling food onto his son¡¯s te. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re not sick. Be a good boy and eat up. and once you¡¯re done with dinner, we¡¯ll watch cartoons together.¡± For the next ten minutes, all was peaceful around the dining table. Everyone ate their own food without disturbing each other. Aiden was the only one who constantly spoke, asking his parents to give him a bite of this and a spoonful of that. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 A Match Made in Heaven Rosie took careful bites and chewed slowly like a prim and properdy. While Aiden¡¯s parents tended to his meal, Aiden¡¯s eyes remained fixed on Rosie. No one knew what he was staring at. Rosie lifted her eyes and saw the little boy staring at her. She smiled gently and said sweetly, ¡°Why are you staring at me, Aiden? Is there something on my face?¡± Aiden asked earnestly. ¡°Do you not have a home, Miss Rosie? Why are you staying at my daddy¡¯s house? Aren¡¯t Mommy and I the only ones who can stay at Daddy¡¯s house?¡± All was silent around the dining table. Rosie¡¯s smile froze awkwardly. She didn¡¯t know what to say. Amanda quickly stuffed some food into Aiden¡¯s mouth. Have some soup. Why are you talking so much?¡± Rosie didn¡¯t think that he would say such a thing. Where did he learn how to say such things? Evidently, Rosie directed her hatred at Amanda. She didn¡¯t think those words woulde out of a three- year-old¡¯s mouth. It must have been his mother who taught him to say that. ¡°It¡¯s because-¡± Rosie was about to respond when Elias cut her off. ¡°Aiden, Miss Rosie¡¯s health is a little frail right now because she saved your life, so she needs to rest and recuperate. She¡¯s only staying here for a while. She¡¯s not moving in. Understand?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Aiden listened in all seriousness and asked, ¡°That means she¡¯ll leave after a while, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Elias replied without hesitation. Rosie felt a little hurt. He doesn¡¯t want to keep me around at all. It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s eager to chase me out. Aiden brightened up and pped cheerfully. That¡¯s good. Only Mommy and I can stay at Daddy¡¯s house, right?¡± Elias chuckled and answered patiently. ¡°That¡¯s right. You and Mommy are the only ones who can stay here forever if you want to.¡± Amanda was speechless. What is this man doing? He knows full well that the child is just saying nonsense, so why is he agreeing? Meanwhile, Rosie felt as if she were sitting on needles. She felt like an outsider observing the happy family of three. She couldn¡¯t take another bite, so she found an excuse to leave. ¡°You guys carry on, Eli. I feel a little dizzy all of a sudden so I¡¯m going back to my room for a nap.¡± Rosie got up without waiting for Elias to respond. Though to be fair, Elias didn¡¯t even bother looking at her. He simply continued to feed his son. ||| It was Amanda who sensed what Rosie was feeling. She watched as Rosie left before asking, ¡°Do you really think that Rosic doesn¡¯t have her eyes on you anymore ¡°I don¡¯t know, but either way, I¡¯m not interested in her, Elias replied indifferently. Amanda kept reading stories to Aiden. It was quitete at night before the little boy finally fell asleep. Elias was lying on the other side of the bed and Aideny between the two adults. Aiden clutched both their clothes with his fists as if to lock them up beside him. Once he was finally asleep, Amanda exhaled in relief. She set the book down on the bedside table and gently pulled away from Aiden¡¯s grip before slowly climbing out of bed. Elias also nudged his shirt out of Aiden¡¯s grasp and gave the boy a toy to cuddle with instead. Amanda crept out of the bedroom and Elias followed her out. Once they were out of the room, Amanda piped up. ¡°Why did you follow me out? Stay with Aiden. I¡¯ll drive home by myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Must you go back? Why don¡¯t you just stay here for the night?¡± Elias stuck his hands in his pockets. He wanted her to stay but he didn¡¯t want to force her. Amanda rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of principles. I said I¡¯m leaving so I¡¯m leaving. They walked out of the house and waited for the driver to bring the car around. Elias stood behind Amanda and stared at her thin frame. She was knackered out by everything that happenedtely. She stayed with Aiden all day and night. Neither one of them knew that Rosie was standing on the balcony of a bedroom on the third floor and staring down at them. Under the night sky, the attractive man and woman looked like a match made in heaven. They looked like the subjects of an oil painting. Rosie kept staring until her fists clenched tightly. She bit her lip and marched back inside the room. She was afraid that she would feel the urge to rush down and p Amanda if she remained out there looking. at them. Atst, the driver brought the car around. Amanda was waiting to leave. As soon as the driver got out, Amanda quickly swooped into the car. However, she didn¡¯t drive off at once. She lowered the window and looked at the man outside. ¡°Make sure you stay beside Aiden the entire night,¡± she reminded worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave his side. I¡¯lle over first thing in the morning.¡± ¡°Why bother? You can just stay here. Isn¡¯t it tiring for you to travel back and forth?¡± Elias was concerned about her health. She barely got any rest throughout all those days at the hospital, and she was still running around right now. Her body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can take it.¡± The window went back up and Amanda drove off. Elias stood and watched as the lights from the car disappeared into the distance. His heart fell hollow. He didn¡¯t know when it happened, but Amanda held an important ce in his heart now. It pained him to see her leave. He slowly turned back around and headed into the house. He needed to stay with Aiden who would probably be upset if he woke up and found Amanda gone. ¡°Argh! Die! Just die!¡± Rosie flew into hysterics again. She shoved all the things off the vanity table, and they all shattered loudly. A maid heard themotion and rushed in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Momsey? What happened? ¡°Get out! Get out! I don¡¯t need you!¡± In the dark room. Rosie was acting as if she had gone mad. She lashed out at the maid. The maid wanted to switch on the lights but she was trembling in fear thanks to Rosie¡¯s furious screeching. She didn¡¯t know what to do, so she turned around and fled the dark room. Rosie used the moonlight that came in through the window to look at herself in the mirror. Her reflection looked a little eerie and terrifying. ¡°After all these years, you¡¯ve gotten uglier. Eli is even less interested in you now. You need to think of something! Are you just going to sit by and let everything slip away?¡± Rosie shrieked at her reflection. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 You¡¯re Being Unreasonable, Daddy! Amanda made her way to Winters Estate in the morning, but she ran into some traffic. Aiden was already awake, so the household staff had to lie and say that Amanda was in the shower. They made him some milk to keep him distracted. He sat on the couch in the living room and drank his milk while watching cartoons as he waited for Amanda. ¡°Slow down, Mr. Aiden. Don¡¯t choke on your milk. Miriam Waby stayed with Aiden. She didn¡¯t dare to leave his side for even a second. It had been a clear order from Elias. Just then, Rosic came in. Miriam saw Rosie and instinctively wanted to take Aiden away. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to your room and wait for your mommy,¡± she murmured to Aiden. ¡°Come quickly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I want to stay here and watch cartoons! Aiden pouted and remained seated on the couch with his milk. He refused to leave. Miriam felt helpless. She couldn¡¯t force him to leave. Why do you want to leave as soon as Ie over? Are you trying to avoid me, Mrs. Waby?¡± Rosie had a smile on her face, but a rather frightening one. Miriam didn¡¯t even dare to look up as she shook her head and said, ¡°You misunderstood me, Miss Momsey. Mr. Aiden needs to get changed.¡± ¡°His clothes look fine to me. There¡¯s no reason for him to get changed. Rosie sat down beside Aiden. Aiden was so caught up in his cartoons that he didn¡¯t notice Rosie sitting beside him. Rosie slowly reached out and took the milk bottle from him. That instantly got Aiden¡¯s attention. He whipped his head up and looked at her. ¡°Why did you take my bottle?¡± He reached out to take it back. Miriam found it strange too. Why did Rosie try to take the bottle from Aiden when he was still drinking? She was snatching food from the tiger¡¯s mouth! Despite Aiden¡¯s annoyance, Rosie smiled gently and said. ¡°Why don¡¯t I feed you? You should pay attention when you¡¯re drinking. You shouldn¡¯t drink and watch cartoons at the same time.¡± Aiden red up at once. This strange woman is so nosy! Mommy wouldn¡¯t have said anything. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, you ugly woman!¡± Aiden snatched the bottle back from Rosie. Ugly? Inertia made Rosie¡¯s body tilt forward, but the word ugly shot through her like a bolt of electricity, Did this brat just call me ugly?! In just a split second, Rosie decided to allow her body to continue sliding forward. She even made sure to bang her forehead against the edge of the table. All at once, she started bleeding. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Rosie¡¯s shriek made Aiden jump in fright. He immediately started crying. Miriam quickly pulled him into her arms and patiently coaxed him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mr. Aiden. Don¡¯t cry. Everything¡¯s okay.¡± The sounds drew the butler¡¯s attention. He came over and saw Rosie sitting on the ground with a face covered in blood, as well as Aiden who was still crying his heart out. He instantly became rather flustered. ¡°Miss Momsey! Are you¡­ alright?¡± Rosic looked up with an icy expression. ¡°What do you think? Why don¡¯t you try getting your head hit?¡± The butler had nothing to say to that. He hurried over to help her out, but just then, Elias walked out of the elevator. Rosie saw Elias walking over while on the phone, so she shoved the butler away and stumbled back onto the ground before gasping in pain¡­. Thanks to all the noise, Elias hung up the phone and rushed over to see what was happening. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elias snapped. He marched over to Miriam and took his son from her. He didn¡¯t even notice that Rosie was still sitting on the floor and bleeding. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Aiden was still hugging his milk bottle as he leaned against Elias¡¯ shoulder and wailed as if he had suffered the greatest grievance in the world. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you?¡± Miriam held out a tissue and Elias used it to wipe Aiden¡¯s tears as he patiently coaxed the boy. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t cry. Daddy¡¯s here. Listen to Daddy and don¡¯t cry anymore, okay?¡± Elias kept consoling Aiden for quite some time until he finally stopped crying, but his eyes were still red and he continued sniffling. He looked incredibly upset. Before Aiden could say anything. Rosie seized the chance to twist the truth. She stumbled back onto her feet and said, ¡°Don¡¯t me the child, Eli. It¡¯s not his fault. I was just careless¡­¡± Atst, Elias noticed the bleeding Rosie and frowned. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a scratch. Don¡¯t me Aiden. We were just ying around. He got a huge fright too. You shouldfort him.¡± Miriam was stunned. Rosie was clearly using Aiden of being the reason why she got hurt! Miriam had seen it all just now. Rosie had been the one who banged her own head against the table. A child didn¡¯t have the strength to do that. She was just about to exin when she saw the vicious look in Rosie¡¯s eyes and quickly lowered her head. She was too afraid to say anything. Elias frowned and nced between Aiden and Rosic. The atmosphere turned a little chilly. Elias set Aiden down and questioned sternly, ¡°Are you the one who caused Miss Rosie¡¯s injury?¡± Aiden was frightened by Elias¡¯ sternness and took a step backward. He pouted and shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t! She did it to herself.¡± He turned around in an attempt to run off. However, Elias caught him and crouched down. He did feel bad when he saw how upset his son was. That being said, he still felt the need to teach his son proper manners and values. He had to do it now, or else it would be toote if he waited until his son was older. Rosie was secretly pleased by this, but she pretended to try and stop Elias. ¡°Don¡¯t be so fierce with Aiden, Eli. He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. We were just ying. He didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Elias saw Aiden¡¯s tears welling up again, so he sighed and said dotingly, ¡°Aiden, apologize to Miss Rosie, okay?¡± He didn¡¯t want to be hard on Aiden who had only just been discharged from the hospital. ¡°Why do I need to apologize to her? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! You¡¯re being unreasonable, Daddy! Why do you trust that ugly woman and not me?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Aiden struggled away from Elias and tossed his bottle onto the floor in a rage. The milk spilled everywhere. Ugly woman? Once again, the words triggered Rosie. She would¡¯ve pped Aiden right away if Elias wasn¡¯t here. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 I Don¡¯t Like Daddy Anymore! This time, Elias was genuinely furious. Why does he have such a bad temper? It¡¯ll only get worse when he grows up. What a nasty temper for a little child! ¡°Aiden Bailey!¡± Elias berated. ¡°Who taught you to throw tantrums and throw things around? Pick it up!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna! I don¡¯t wanna¡­¡± Aiden cried as he retreated. His father terrified him. It was Elias¡¯ first time being this fierce with his son. Even though he hadn¡¯t truly lost his temper yet, it was enough to scare a three-year-old boy. ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this onest time! Pick it up!¡± Elias slowly straightened up. He felt bad to see his son standing there looking so hurt and aggrieved, but he felt the need to rein in his son¡¯s temper. Aiden began to wail again. ¡°You¡¯re a meanie, Daddy! I don¡¯t like you anymore! I¡¯m not going to pick it up!¡± Just then. Rosie pressed her hand against her wounded forehead and stepped in front of Aiden. Just forget it, Eli. He¡¯s still a child. You shouldn¡¯t be so fierce toward him¡­¡± Aiden was already feeling aggrieved, and the fact that Rosie was acting all fake by pretending to defend him made him even angrier. He pushed her away as hard as he could and once again, she cried out weakly as she fell. ¡°Aiden!¡± Elias roared. Aiden froze in fear. He stared at his father in terror before he began to cry again. Both Miriam and the butler were too afraid to go over andfort him. ¡°Ouch¡­ My head¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Rosie clutched her head and cried out as shey on the floor. Elias helped her up and took her hand away. Her wound looked quite deep and was still bleeding. ¡°Get the car ready,¡± Elias instructed the butler. ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters!¡± the butler said with a nod. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Elias carried Rosie out of the living room. ¡°I feel so dizzy¡­ Do you think I got a concussion, Eli?¡± ¡°Stop talking. I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± Aiden was left all alone, crying at the top of his lungs. Once Elias was gone, Miriam hurried over to Aiden and tried tofort him. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mr. Aiden. It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Elias carried Rosie out of the house and waited for the driver to bring the car around. This was Rosie¡¯s first time being carried by him. She didn¡¯t care about the injury or the pain. All she wanted was to stay in his arms for a little longer. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, afraid that he would toss her aside at any moment. Just then. Amanda drove into thepound and the car came to a stop. When Amanda got out, she was greeted by this sight and didn¡¯t know how to react. She never thought she would see Elias carrying Rosie, and Rosie seemed to be sporting a fairly serious. injury. Upon seeing Amanda, Rosie tightened her arms around Elias and nestled even closer to him. She wanted. to let Amanda see this. Elias spotted Amanda as well, just as the driver brought the car over. Before Amanda could say anything, Elias exined, ¡°Rosie¡¯s injured. I¡¯m taking her to the hospital. Go and tend to Aiden. He¡¯s crying.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he eased Rosie into the car and got in. Amanida was still staring in a daze as she watched the car leave. All of a sudden, she recalled what Ehas said. just now. Aiden¡¯s crying? Her eyes widened and she immediately shot into the house. ¡°Daddy¡¯s a meanic! I don¡¯t like him anymore. I want to go home. I want Mommy¡­¡± Aiden sobbed. ¡°You can¡¯t say that, Mr. Aiden. That¡¯s your father. You can¡¯t talk about your father like that.¡± Back in the living room, Miriam was still trying to get Aiden to stop crying, to no avail. As soon as Amanda entered the living room and heard Aiden¡¯s heart-wrenching cries, she felt as if her heart was breaking. ¡°Aiden!¡± The sound of Amanda¡¯s voice stopped Aiden¡¯s crying. He looked around for his mother. Once he saw her, he began to wail even harder. ¡°Mommy¡­ I want a hug.¡± Amanda went over and pulled Aiden into her arms. They held each other tightly as if they had been separated for decades. She kept trying tofort Aiden but he only cried harder and harder. He clung to her and refused to leave her arms. Amanda¡¯s legs were beginning to go numb, so she had to bring Aiden over to the couch and sit down. As she wiped his tears away, she patiently continued tofort him. ¡°Do you still feel like crying. Aiden? Can you tell Mommy what happened? Why are you crying?¡± ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t like Daddy. Daddy¡¯s a meanie. Daddy scolded me¡­¡± ¡°He scolded you? What did he do?¡± ¡± Amanda recalled Rosie¡¯s bleeding wound. Did it have something to do with Aiden? ¡°Aiden. Mommy wants to ask you a question. Do you know why Miss Rosie was bleeding? What happened. just now?¡± The very mention of Rosie made Aiden agitated again. ¡°Mommy! I don¡¯t like that ugly woman!¡± he cried out angrily. ¡°She¡¯s a bad person! She made Daddy scold me! I wasn¡¯t the one who injured her, but Daddy scolded me!¡± Although Aiden¡¯s story jumped around a little. Amanda got the gist of it. Rosie¡¯s head was injured and Elias thought Aiden did it, but it wasn¡¯t his fault, so he felt deeply hurt and upset because he thought Elias didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Okay. I believe you. I know you definitely didn¡¯t hurt Miss Rosie, right?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! I didn¡¯t do it but Daddy scolded me! That ugly woman lied to Daddy! She¡¯s a bad person!¡± Aiden found Rosie utterly detestable, and since Elias took Rosie¡¯s side, he hated Elias too. All of a sudden, Amanda heard Aiden¡¯s tummy rumbling. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had your milk yet? Did no one prepare it for you?¡± Amanda became a little angry. She told Elias countless times that Aiden had to have his milk once he woke up. Aiden pouted. ¡°I was mad at Daddy so I threw the bottle on the floor. I didn¡¯t get to finish it. I¡¯m hungry.¡± Amanda finally noticed the broken bottle on the floor that Miriam was cleaning up. ¡°Prepare another bottle of milk for Aiden, Mrs. Waby ¡°Okay.¡± Miriam stopped cleaning up and went off to get the milk. Amanda kissed Aiden¡¯s little face. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t cry. Once Daddy gets home, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson, okay? He shouldn¡¯t have scolded you.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Aiden was finally appeased enough to calm down and stop crying. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Argument At the hospital, once Rosie¡¯s injury was taken care of, the doctor instructed Elias, ¡°Once the patient goes home, make sure the wound doesn¡¯te into contact with water. She can¡¯t have any alcohol, seafood, or spicy food.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Also, it will be a little itchy when the wound scabs over, but she must not scratch it. All that¡¯s left is to come to the hospital and change the dressing when it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Elias patiently responded to the nurse. Just then, another nurse came over to pass the medical invoice to Elias. ¡°Hi. You¡¯ll need to pay on the first. floor.¡± Elias took the invoice and left. Once he was gone, the nurse tending to Rosie¡¯s bandagemented, ¡°Is that your boyfriend? He¡¯s so handsome. I¡¯ve never seen someone as handsome as him.¡± Rosie smiled blissfully. It was her first time hearing someone mistake Elias for her boyfriend, making her feel all giddy inside. If only it were real. She didn¡¯t say anything, but the sweet smile on her face made the nurse assume that they were indeed a couple. ¡°You should seize this chance to order him around a bit more,¡± the nurse suggested teasingly. ¡°He looks rather stern and reserved.¡± ¡°I wish, but I can¡¯t bear to do that¡­¡± Rosie lowered her head bashfully. If Elias were indeed her boyfriend, she couldn¡¯t possibly bear to order him around. She would be the one who fawned over him and worshiped his every move. The nurseughed. ¡°He has you right under this thumb. You shouldn¡¯t give in to a man so much, you know. As long as he has you in his heart, you can always throw a little tantrum sometimes.¡± That wiped the smile off Rosie¡¯s face. It just so happened that she didn¡¯t have a ce in his heart at all, so what could she do? The moment she threw a tantrum, she would have even less chance to be near him. Elias came back and saw that her wound was all bandaged up, so he helped her up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Eli, you won¡¯t scold Aiden anymore when you go back, right? He¡¯s still so young. He would be very scared. if you kept scolding him all the time.¡± Rosie looked so kind and sweet as if she genuinely felt worried for Aiden. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Elias replied. Rosie froze. He¡¯s not going to?He¡¯s not going to care that the little brat made me bleed? She kept up her fake smile. ¡°That¡¯s good. Aiden¡¯s a very good boy. Maybe he¡¯s just not used to a new environment.¡± ||| O Elias didn¡¯t say anything. Back at Winters Estate, Rosie was brought back to her room and Elias didn¡¯t stay for even a second longer. He turned and left right away. As soon as he had his back to Rosie, her innocent smile disappeared without a trace. She knew Elias would be biased toward Aiden, but she didn¡¯t think he would be this biased. Meanwhile, Amanda had only just managed to coax Aiden into taking a nap. He had only just gotten the surgery and still needed a lot of rest. All of a sudden, the bedroom door opened. Amanda turned around in displeasure. She was even more displeased to see Eliasing in. Seeing that Aiden was asleep, Elias slowed down his footsteps. He closed the door and came over to the bed. She was seething with rage over the fact that Elias had berated Aiden until he cried, and all because of Rosie. After tucking the covers around Aiden, Amanda stood up and gave Elias a look that meant she wanted to talk out on the balcony. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The two went out to the balcony and closed the ss door behind them. Elias knew what Amanda wanted to say, so he sat down on the chair and quietly waited for Amanda to lash out at him. He felt bad about scolding his son, but Rosie did save Aiden¡¯s life, so he didn¡¯t think it was right for Rosie to suffer such grievances. ¡°You took Rosie¡¯s words without even rifying what happened first! Or, is this your way of doubting the way I raise my son? Do you think my son would do such a thing?¡± This was what angered Amanda the most-the fact that Elias assumed Aiden hurt Rosie without even finding out what happened first. Elias looked down. He was silent for a while before he finally said, ¡°Aiden has the habit of throwing things when his temper res up. That needs to be corrected, or else, it¡¯ll be hard for him to change once he gets older. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to change the subject! If it were you, you would¡¯ve thrown things around too! Why wouldn¡¯t he be furious at the way you epted those false usations against him?¡± Elias looked into Amanda¡¯s eyes. ¡°But Rosie was indeed injured. I saw Aiden pushing her to the floor. No matter what, she did save Aiden¡¯s life. It¡¯s not good for him to repay her kindness with such behavior.¡± ¡°What a joke! Do you think Rosie¡¯s made of paper? How can a three-year-old boy push her to the floor? She was faking it, okay?! Can¡¯t you see that?!¡± Amanda was well and truly pissed off. I knew it! Rosie¡¯s up to no good! ||| O In the beginning, she didn¡¯t want to let Rosie be the donor, and true enough, as soon as she donated her marrow, she was starting to stir up trouble. Rosie seemed to have a good read on Elias¡¯ personality. As long as he feels guilty, he¡¯ll show never-ending tolerance for her behavior. He¡¯ll even let her do whatever she wants. Amanda felt like she was going to explode, and Elias didn¡¯t want to argue with her. He didn¡¯t think she was in the right mood for any kind of discussion. The conflict would only get worse. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s not talk about this right now. You¡¯re too emotional. We¡¯ll talk once you calm down.¡± s, Elias has no clue that he had just stepped on andmine. ¡°Calm down? Are you saying that I¡¯m not calm right now? No matter how uncalm I am, I would never set up a three-year-old child. If this is the attitude you¡¯re going to take, I¡¯m taking Aiden back home tonight.¡± She truly didn¡¯t want Aiden to be in the same ce as Rosie. She kept getting the feeling that Rosie was. going to cause trouble. True enough, they had only been here for a day and something like this happened already, even though she didn¡¯t know what Rosie was really after. Upon hearing these words, Elias stood up. He reined in his irritation and said grimly, ¡°He needs to stay here. It¡¯s good for his recovery. The environment here is clean and the air is fresh,¡± ¡°So what? The most important thing when someone¡¯s recovering is to be in a good mood. How is Aiden going to get any better if he sticks around and gets framed with all kinds of nonsense every day?¡± Elias had nothing to say to that, so he took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have scolded him. today. It was a tense situation and he has a bad temper. I just wanted to rein it in a bit.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you rein Rosie in instead? It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s here to stir up trouble. Can¡¯t you see that? She purposely told Aiden that she wasing here to soak in the hot spring so that he would get jealous. Can¡¯t you tell what she¡¯s doing?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know what to say. He seemed genuinely unable to tell when a woman was being a fake b*tch. Elias remained quiet. It was true that he couldn¡¯t see anything wrong with Rosie¡¯s behavior. Rosic wasn¡¯t being clingy with him. She even volunteered to donate her marrow, which was why he couldn¡¯t think of a justifiable reason to get her to leave. Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Chapter 317 I¡¯m Crazy, but You Can Save Me In the meantime, Rosie was lying on the bed with a look of extreme boredom on her face. ¡°What¡¯s Mr. Winters up to?¡± she asked. ¡°It seems like he¡¯s having an argument with Miss Bailey. I heard that the argument got pretty intense, the maid, who was massaging Rosie¡¯s legs, replied. ¡°An argument, huh?¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing that Elias and Amanda were having a fight. She sat upright as she asked more about it. ¡°Give me more details. What have they been arguing about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I heard that the argument first started in Aiden¡¯s room. It was so loud that the maids who were cleaning the corridors could hear their voices,¡± the maid exined. Rosie could barely contain her laugh-she was very invested in the story. ¡°What else?¡± she asked. Upon recognizing how pleased Rosie seemed, the maid continued to tell Rosie about the gossip she had been hearing. They left the room when their fight got too intense-they didn¡¯t want to wake Aiden up. I¡¯m not sure what happened after that. I only heard about this when I went down to get you some porridge carlier, the maid exined. ¡°They left? Where would they have gone to have the argument?¡± Rosie muttered. The maid tried to recall what she had heard from the conversation earlier. ¡°I think they went to Mr. Winters¡¯ bedroom,¡± she replied. ¡°What?¡± Rosie let out an astonished cry and her eyes widened in shock. Did they bring the argument to the bedroom? Is that still an argument? Are they just looking for a private spot without Aiden so that they can flirt with one another? All Rosie could think about then were images of Elias and Amanda getting intimate with one another. The more she thought about it, the more emotional she felt. She felt like she was about to lose her mind! ¡°Argh!¡± Rosie couldn¡¯t help but let out a loud cry. The maid was stunned by her sudden outburst, and she stumbled backward before she turned and hurried out of the room. Rosie looked like a crazy witch then- the expression on her face was an extremely dark and eerie one. Rosie couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer! She got out of bed and threw a jacket over her shoulders before she rushed out of the room. No one knew where she was headed off to. The maid had been standing outside the room, but she didn¡¯t have the guts to ask Rosie anything when Rosie stormed out. The maid had no choice but to quietly tag along behind Rosie. ¡°You¡¯re being so irrational, Elias! You have no right to be Aiden¡¯s father!¡± Amanda was so furious that she wanted to get physical with the man. If it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that their loud voices might have. disturbed Aiden, Amanda would¡¯ve never allowed the man to drag her out of Aiden¡¯s room. When she came to her senses and scanned her surroundings, she realized that she had ended up in Elias¡¯ room. How did I end up here? I was too angry just now, and I didn¡¯t even realize that this b*stard dragged me back to his own room. Elias let out a deep chuckle when he saw the look of fury on Amanda¡¯s face. ¡°What are we to do, then? I¡¯m his biological father.¡± ¡°You-!¡± Amanda was too furious to say anything, yet this only widened the smile on the man¡¯s face. ¡°I think it¡¯d be best if we never fight in front of the boy in the future. It¡¯s a bad influence on him,¡± Elias uttered. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t say? Why were you so fierce to my son, then? Anyway, Aiden was asleep earlier, so he didn¡¯t ||| hear anything!¡± Amanda hissed. ¡°What if he was just pretending to be asleep?¡± Elias asked. Amanda was silent for a while after that. Why didn¡¯t I think of this? What if Aiden just pretended to be asleep because he was too scared? Amanda and Elias finally calmed down a little after that, and Amanda ran her fingers through her hair as she tried topose herself. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Aiden home after he wakes up, and you and Rosie can stay here,¡± Amanda said after a while. She was about to turn and walk out of the room when the man held her arm. ¡°Rosie and me? What do you mean?¡± Elias felt revolted whenever he was associated with Rosie in any way-he felt the same disgust even in the past. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Amanda shouted. Elias could tell that she was trying her best to contain her anger, so he let out a smirk as he challenged her. ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll beat you up if you don¡¯t! I¡¯ve been holding my anger in for a long time!¡± With that said, Amanda held. her arm up and sent a hard p across the man¡¯s cheek. Smack! The crisp and loud sound filled the room. Elias tightened his grip on the woman as he used his other hand. to feel the spot where Amanda had just pped him. ¡°You¡¯re not too bad. You can even get violent with others now, huh?¡± he uttered with a chuckle. There was obvious sarcasm in his tone. Amanda tried her best to pull her arm out of his grip after that, but the man simply wouldn¡¯t let her go. ¡°Let me go! I want to leave!¡± Amanda started shouting at him once more. Her rage died down a little just now, but she could feel it burning in her chest again. Elias held firmly onto her slim wrist as he knitted his brows a little. It seems like this woman lost some weight again. Amanda got even angrier when Elias didn¡¯t respond to her. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to let go of me, Elias! I want to go out! I don¡¯t want to be in the same room as you!¡± All Amanda could think about then was how Elias had been hugging Rosie with a grim look on his face when Amanda first arrived at the estate earlier. The thought of that scene made Amanda nauseous! However, when Elias saw Amanda parting and closing her attractive lips, he felt a sudden urge to take action. ¡°Ah!¡± All of a sudden, Amanda felt herself being pulled into the man¡¯s arms. He lowered his head and forced his lips against hers while pressing his other hand against the back of her head to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t pull away. Amanda¡¯s mind went nk for a moment as she widened her eyes in shock. All she noticed was the man¡¯s thick, ck eyshes. What is this b*stard doing? Amanda tried to wriggle her way out of the man¡¯s grip, but the man simply pushed her back until she landed on therge and soft bed behind her. Their kisses were continuous and passionate, and before Amanda knew what was going on, her jacket had already been stripped off of her and thrown onto the ground. That was the moment she snapped back to her senses. What is going on? How did I end up in bed with this man? Amanda sank her teeth into the man¡¯s lips, only to hear the man let out a painful grunt. She took this chance to push Elias off of her before shouting at him. ¡°You¡¯re such a rude and useless man! How dare you take advantage of me at a time like this? You¡¯re hopeless!¡± He was just lying when he said that he wouldn¡¯t get involved with me again. I can¡¯t believe he even yed it cool when he said all of that. For some reason, Elias found Amanda gorgeous even as she was cursing at him. He had lost his mind at that point, and his instincts told him to push her back onto the bed. ¡°What are you doing? Are you crazy? Let go of me!¡± Amanda noticed a look of greed in his eyes-she could tell that no one would be able to stop him from what he wanted. ¡°I am crazy, and you¡¯re the only one who can save me¡­¡± Elias edged himself closer to her face and pinned r her down before he pressed his lips against hers once more. ¡°Mmm¡­ Mmm¡­ Mmm¡­!¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t escape his grip at all. After all, there was a huge difference between the physical strength of a man and a woman. All Amanda could do was watch as the articles of clothing on her body were removed and thrown onto the ground one after another. The man gradually took full control of her body. ¡ª Meanwhile, the two maids who were cleaning the corridor outside the bedroom lowered their heads and chuckled after hearing the noisesing from the room. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s some excitement going on between Mr. Winters and Miss Bailey!¡± one maidmented. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. They started getting passionate after arguing with one another for a while, haha¡­¡±¡° another maid whispered. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a skill in itself! A woman has to switch between being hot and cold if she wants to capture at man¡¯s heart. This applies especially to men like Mr. Winters, who has probably met all of the prettiest girls in the world. Miss Bailey would need some new tactics to be able to fully win his heart over,¡± the maid said. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Shameless and Mean Rosic stormed up the stairs with a burning rage in her chest. She was halfway up the stairs when she heard. Amanda¡¯s passionate screamsing from inside the room. Goosebumps formed all over Rosie¡¯s skin. when she heard Amanda¡¯s screams. What is going on? The maids were quick to notice the issue, and they dropped their cleaning tools before hurrying over to hold Rosie back. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to enter Mr. Winters¡¯ room without permission, Miss Momsey. Mr. Winters has clear rules for this-only the cleaningdies are allowed to enter his room. No one else is allowed inside, especially when he¡¯s home.¡± Rosie shot a re at the two obstacles before she shoved them away. ¡°Step aside! I want to talk to Elias!¡± The maids reached over and held onto Rosie¡¯s arms once more. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t go in, Miss Momsey. Mr. Winters hates it the most when others barge into his room. He¡¯s going to be really mad.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Amanda in there now?¡± Rosic cried. Both the maids exchanged nces with one another, but neither one of them responded to Rosie¡¯s words. They simply clung tightly onto Rosie¡¯s arms. ¡°Let me go! Get your hands off of me!¡± Rosie protested. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Momsey. You really shouldn¡¯t go in there. Mr. Winters will punish us otherwise. Please don¡¯t make things hard for us, alright?¡± Both the maids used all their might to drag Rosie away from the room. The housekeeper, who had heard themotion, rushed over with two bodyguards. ¡°You guys should bring Miss Momsey back to get some rest. She seems rather emotional, so you should keep an eye on her,¡± the housekeeper ordered. The bodyguards were efficient in their movements, and they quickly grabbed Rosie before taking her away. They didn¡¯t allow her any chance to even get close to Elias¡¯ room. Rosie felt like she was about to lose her mind at that point, and she kept screaming and shouting at the top of her lungs. ¡°F*ck off! You b*stards! How dare you guys stop me? Let go of me! You guys are just b stars of the Winters Family! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Rosie kept looking up at the man¡¯s bedroom door, but the door only grew smaller and smaller as the bodyguards dragged her away. The housekeeper felt like he was about to get a headache just from listening to Rosie¡¯s screams. She¡¯s so noisy. It¡¯s no wonder Mr. Winters isn¡¯t interested in her at all. He wasn¡¯t interested in the past, he isn¡¯t interested now, and he probably won¡¯t be interested in the future. ¡°You guys did a good job. If anyone else ever tries to enter Mr. Winters¡¯ room, please make sure that they are kept out of it. Only the cleaningdies are allowed to enter. The housekeeper nced at the two maids. as he praised them for their actions earlier. The maids were secretly celebrating in their hearts. Since the housekeeper is praising us, this probably means that we¡¯re going to get a pay raise next month. ¡°It¡¯s our job after all!¡± one of the maids replied. The housekeeper nodded with a satisfied look on his face. ¡°Great. You guys will definitely get a pay raise next month. For now, please grab your tools and head off to clean the other stairway. You don¡¯t have to clean this area for now.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The two maids were excited to hear that they were getting a pay raise. They grabbed their cleaning sponges and buckets before they hurried back to work. The housekeeper, on the other hand, took a nce at Elias¡¯ room before he beamed and walked off. The noises in the room died down as the skies turned dark. The blinds were drawn in the room, so it waspletely dark inside. Right then, the man reached his long arm over to turn on the bedside lamp. Dim rays of the yellow light spread across the room, illuminating the surroundings of the bed. Amanda was lying on her side without a singleyer of clothing on her. The sheets were only pulled up to her waist, ||| O and her frail body was limp and motionless. There was a thinyer of sweat covering her skin, and there was a romantic and passionate aura that filled the room around them¡­ The woman¡¯s cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was still rather uneven. She didn¡¯t feel like talking at all-she didn¡¯t have the strength to scold the man after all that had happened. All she wanted to do now was to get some sleep, but the thought of what the man had done made her furious! That b*stard! That jerk! Amanda tightened her grip on the sheets as she hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°You shameless and mean guy¡­¡± The man beside her nced in her direction before he sat upright in bed and rested his back against the headboard. He ced a cigarette between his lips and lit it up-this action felt especially pleasurable after he had done the deed. A yful, naughty look formed on the man¡¯s perfect face as wafts of smoke circled the air around him. Amanda only felt angrier when she noticed the cigarette smell in the room. She coughed as she felt the smoke irritating her throat. ¡°Get out of the room if you¡¯re going to smoke!¡± she hissed between coughs.. She already disliked him, to begin with, and his actions now only made her despise him even more. Elias immediately stubbed out his cigarette before getting out of bed to pour Amanda a ss of water. ¡°Here, have some water to soothe your throat. Your voice sounds really raspy,¡± he uttered. What? How dare he make thatment? Amanda felt herself blushing, and she could tell that her cheeks were as red as tomatoes. With everyst bit of her energy, Amanda pushed herself up in bed before she knocked the ss onto the carpet on the ground. ¡°F*ck off! I want you out of this room!¡± The man didn¡¯t seem mad at all-he even let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not thirsty? You should have a drink if your throat feels dry. ¡°How shameless can you get. Elias? How could you say such a thing? You¡¯re such a liar. Didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t force me to do things that I don¡¯t want to do? What are you doing right now? You were on top of me for hours¡­ Amanda felt too embarrassed to say much more. They had been in bed for hours, and she was close to her breaking point by the time the man let her go. For a moment, she had thought that she would die in bed. Elias sat on the edge of the bed for a while before he parted his lips to speak. ¡°I did say that I wouldn¡¯t force you to do things you don¡¯t want to do,¡± he stated.. ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t! What did you just do, huh?¡± Amanda was fuming. She could feel her legs trembling, and there was a sharp pain in her dry throat. The manughed once more. ¡°Well, my desires took over my rational mind, and I lost control of myself. I¡¯m sorry. Perhaps I was too attracted to the angry look on your face, so I¡­¡± So¡­? Amanda felt the urge to p the man in his face. This guy is such a pervert! How could he get turned on by my anger? He¡¯s the definition of a crazy pervert! ¡°You¡¯re just a pervert, Elias. You shouldn¡¯t bother to exin. your actions at all. You¡¯re just a pervert.¡± Amanda was too furious-she could barely find the words to express herself. She forced herself to sit upright in bed, and she figured that she would grab her clothes. and leave the room after that. However, at that moment, she heard a child¡¯s voiceing from outside the room. ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommy! I want my mommy! I don¡¯t care, I want to go in. I want my mommy¡­ Go away!¡± Amanda could hear the young boy¡¯s hand fumbling for the doorknob, and she widened her eyes in panic. Oh gosh¡­ If Aiden sees what¡¯s going on in the room¡­ I can¡¯t imagine what might happen. Amanda hastily wrapped the sheets tightly around her body, revealing nothing but her face. Elias¡¯ reaction was just as quick-he instantly grabbed his sleeping robe beside the bed and slipped his arms into it before he picked up all of ||| R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Amanda¡¯s clothes and tossed them into the wardrobe. At that moment, the doorknob was twisted from the outside before the door was flung open. Aiden. tottered in with teary eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay with me, Mommy? Mommy¡­¡± A frown formed on Aiden¡¯s face when he saw Elias in the room. The young boy let out a scoff before he hurried over to the bed. Elias couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when he saw the haughty look on the boy¡¯s face. What a grumpy young boy. I wonder where he got that temper from, huh? He¡¯s probably just like his own father. Aiden walked over to the bed and reached toward Amanda for a hug. However, Amanda was quick to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t move, Aiden!¡± ||| Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Did Daddy Bite You? The obedient boy stopped moving after that, and he simply stared at Amanda with his round, innocent eyes. Amanda felt like her heart was about to melt at that moment. ¡°Why?¡± the young boy asked. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of guilt when she saw the child¡¯s adorable but confused expression. It¡¯s all that b*stard¡¯s fault! ¡°Well, because¡­ I¡¯m sleeping on the bed, so you can¡¯te over!¡± She waspletely naked under the sheets. How was she going to hug Aiden if he came any closer to her? Furthermore, Aiden was already three years old-he was old enough to understand a lot of things! The boy stuck his lower lip out and pouted as he continued to crawl toward her. Amanda was too stunned to speak for a moment. If he tries to climb under the sheets with me¡­. Secondster, Elias reached his arm over and scooped the young boy up from the bed. ¡°Mommy¡¯s not free to hug you now. I can carry you around,¡± Elias offered. The boy turned around and red at Elias for a moment before he started thrashing his arms around. ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t want Daddy to carry me! Let go of me! Save me, Mommy! Daddy¡¯s evil!¡± Aiden was one to hold onto grudges. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Elias was amused by the young boy¡¯s actions, and he gave the boy a light smack on his bum. ¡°I was just a little stern with you earlier. Does that make me a bad guy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re a bad guy. You¡¯re evil! I don¡¯t want you to carry me. I want Mommy instead,¡± Aiden whined. Elias brought the young boy out to the balcony so that Amanda could get the chance to get dressed. He was even thoughtful enough to close the balcony door behind him. Amanda heaved a sigh of relief after she saw the man walking out, and she hastily picked up all her clothes before getting dressed. She hoped that she would be able to get fully dressed before Aiden next entered the room again. In the meantime, Elias brought Aiden out to enjoy the view of the estate from the balcony. However, Aiden wasn¡¯t in the mood to do that at all. He was still grumpy, especially after recalling how his father had scolded him earlier that day. ¡°Let me down. I don¡¯t want you to carry me, Daddy! I don¡¯t like you. I only like Mommy, and I want to go home with Mommy!¡± The young baby kept trying to wriggle out of the man¡¯s arms. He insisted on walking around on his own, but Elias didn¡¯t allow him to do so. Instead, Elias ced the boy on a higher ledge while keeping his arms on the boy¡¯s sides just to protect the boy. ¡°Why are you as vengeful as your mother? I just raised my voice a little earlier. Why don¡¯t you forgive me?¡± Elias noticed the simrities in physical appearances between himself and Aiden, but he also noticed the simrities in personality between Aiden and Amanda. The simrities were especially pronounced when it came to the way they held onto grudges. ¡°No!¡± The boy crossed his arms and let out a grunt before turning his head away, Elias couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the adorable look on the young boy¡¯s face. He reached his slender fingers over and tapped the child on his nose while speaking in an affectionate tone. ¡°What do you need me to do. ||| for you to forgive me, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to forgive you! I¡¯ll never forgive you. I hate you, Daddy! I don¡¯t like you! I only like Mommy, and I¡¯m going to look for Mommy. Put me down!¡± Aiden took a nce at the floor beneath him He wanted to jump off the ledge, but he felt like it was too high for him. Elias frowned a little as he spoke. ¡°How could you speak to me in that tone when you¡¯re asking me for at favor? I might consider letting you down if you change your tone a little,¡± he offered. ¡°Please let me down. I want to go to Mommy¡­¡± The young boy was losing his patience, and he pouted as tears began to form in his eyes. Elias only felt more amused to see the helpless and miserable look on the young boy¡¯s face. ¡°Well, I want you to forgive me first. I¡¯ll let you down if you forgive me,¡± he uttered with a smile. Aiden¡¯s round eyes widened before he responded in a grumpy tone, I¡¯m not going to forgive you! Let me down!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, then. You¡¯ll have to get down on your own,¡± Elias replied in a childish tone. There was a hint of a smile on the man¡¯s lips as he saw the feeble look on Aiden¡¯s face. He¡¯s so cute, he thought. Aiden¡¯s lower lip trembled for a moment before he started crying. ¡°Mommy¡­ I want Mommy¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, son. You¡¯re going to grow into a man, so you shouldn¡¯t cry and wail all the time.¡± Elias furrowed his brows at the sight of Aiden¡¯s tears. Is it right for a man to cry and wail like that? ¡°But I¡¯m just a kid. Mommy says that it¡¯s normal for kids to cry!¡± Aiden protested. Elias chuckled at this. ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t cry for no reason! You can tell me what you want-you don¡¯t have to cry about it. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Well, I want to get down, and I want to go to Mommy,¡± Aiden uttered. ¡°Well, like I said, I¡¯ll let you down once you forgive me, okay?¡± Elias was like a kidnapper who was trying to lure a child into his trap-his voice was gentle and convincing. The boy blinked a few times, droplets of tears still hanging on hisshes. He looked down at the ground and thought about it for a while. After some contemtion, he finally came to a decision. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay, fine. I forgive you. Let me down,¡± he said after he parted his lips. Elias finally got things to go his way, and he let out augh before he ruffled the boy¡¯s soft hair. ¡°That¡¯s great. What should you say when you¡¯re referring to me?¡± ¡°Let me down, Daddy,¡± Aiden uttered obediently. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you down.¡± Elias lifted the child off the ledge with ease and ced him on the ground. The young boy immediately began walking toward the room the moment his feet touched the ground. He didn¡¯t even turn around to take a look at Elias. Elias couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in exasperation. He sure is my child. He¡¯s even as cold-hearted as I am. By then, Amanda had already gotten dressed and was in the midst of tidying her messy hair. There were bite marks that were left all over her fair skin, and no matter how much she tried to cover them up, she simply couldn¡¯t conceal them all. ¡°Mommy!¡± A shudder ran up Amanda¡¯s spine when she heard her son¡¯s voiceing from behind her. ||| She hastily spread her lips into a smile before she turned around to look at the boy. ¡°Baby!¡± Aiden immediately leaped into her arms before giving her a tight hug. Then, he started sniffing her all over as if he were a little puppy. Amanda was puzzled by this. ¡°Why are you smelling me? Do I smell odd?¡± Elias stepped into the room then, and he took a seat on the couch as he watched the mother and son¡¯s interactions with one another. Elias couldn¡¯t help but feel rather jealous at that moment. ¡°Mommy, why do you smell like Daddy? You smell just like him!¡± Aiden uttered carnestly as he looked up at the woman. Amanda was speechless for a moment. She could feel her ears turning red as she recalled how a certain. b*stard had just made her wail and cry hours ago. Meanwhile, Elias, who was sitting on the couch, let out a deep chuckle. The kid sure has a sharp nose. ¡°Are you a dog? Why do you have such a sensitive nose?¡± The man teased the child yfully. To Elias¡¯ surprise, the child responded in a sincere tone. ¡°Yeah. I like being a dog when I y pretend.¡± Elias halted hisughter and thought about the child¡¯s words for a moment. That¡¯s true-he does do that sometimes. He let out an even heartierugh after that. Amanda lifted Aiden into her arms as she prepared to leave the room. Right before she stepped out, she turned around to give Elias a fierce re. ¡°Just you wait!¡± At that moment, Aiden reached his hand up to touch the hickey on Amanda¡¯s neck. ¡°What¡¯s this on your neck, Mommy? Did Daddy bite you?¡± Both Elias and Amanda were speechless for a while. Well, this is awkward. Neither one of them knew how to exin themselves to the young boy. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 I Will Avenge Mommy ¡°Erm¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know how to exin, especially when faced with Aiden¡¯s innocent and curious eyes. The man sitting on the couch wasughing and he had a doting smile that made it seem like he was watching a good show. Amanda stuttered and stumbled as she was unable to find the right words to say. Aiden became even angrier when he saw Amanda like this. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be afraid. Did Daddy bite you? If he did, I will avenge you.¡± Amanda was dumbfounded. It was true that Elias bit her, but she was curious about how this little guy was going to avenge her. ¡°So, how are you going to avenge me?¡± She was just curious and asked a simple question, but she didn¡¯t know that this sentencepletely ignited Aiden¡¯s anger. Without saying a word, Aiden turned around and pounced into Elias¡¯ arms. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Elias was still smiling as he watched his son suddenly pounce on him, and instinctively caught him. Then, this little guy mercilessly opened his small mouth and bit down on Elias¡¯ neck. Elias was first startled, then let out a muffled groan. This brat was really ruthless as he bit quite hard which almost caused Elias to bleed. Amanda was stunned when she saw this scene and really didn¡¯t expect her precious son to be so brave. He was so cool. He lifted Aiden and put him on the ground. ¡°You little rascal, do you have to be so ruthless?¡± Aiden stood on the carpet as he looked proud and let out a cold snort. ¡°You bit my mommy, so it serves you right! Nobody is allowed to bully my mommy! Not even you!¡± Amanda was almost moved to tears. He was truly her obedient son, and she didn¡¯t dote on this little brat for nothing. ¡°Baby, I was just joking with you. Daddy didn¡¯t bite me. It was a mosquito.¡± She walked over and picked up her son as she was afraid that Elias would hit Aiden the next moment. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re lying. Daddy bit you. He admitted it!¡± The little guy was stubborn. He was convinced that it was Elias who had done it, even though it was indeed Elias. Elias raised an eyebrow. ¡°When did I admit it?¡± Did he¡­ admit that he had bitten Amanda¡¯s neck? Aiden snorted again. ¡°Silence means acquiesce. Mommy said so.¡± Elias was speechless as he silently looked at Amanda. Amanda, deeply embarrassed, hoped the ground would open up and swallow her right now. She left the bedroom while carrying Aiden as she did not want to witness any possible domestic violence from Elias. While Elias was sitting there, he let out a chuckle. He reached out and touched his bitten neck. Today, he was quite ¡°lucky. He had been pped by Amanda. and bitten by his son, both of whom were the most important people in his life. But what could he do about it? He could only endure it. Aiden, who was taken away by Amanda, threatened Elias coldly, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Daddy, if you dare to bite Mommy¡¯s neck again, I¡¯ll bite you to death!¡± ¡°All right, all right. That¡¯s enough!¡± She really wanted to cover her son¡¯s little mouth. He was starting to get ahead of himself. She carried Aiden and left the bedroom. As soon as she stepped out, she bumped into Rosie, who was being blocked by bodyguards froming up. ¡°Get out of my way! I want to go up! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to stop me?!¡± After hearing the sound of the door opening, Rosie immediately looked up and saw Amandaing out while carrying her child. Their eyes met, and everyone present fell silent. Amanda didn¡¯t have the mood to deal with Rosie right now. She just looked at Rosie meaningfully and nned to leave with her son. As they passed by each other, Rosie¡¯s state of mind shattered because of Amanda¡¯s appearance at this moment¡­ Amanda¡¯s hair was messy and her clothes were unbuttoned and wrinkled¡­. Amanda clearly had an intimate encounter! Furthermore, Rosie had been making a fuss for several hours and the bodyguards had been blocking her from entering. In other words¡­ ¡°What were you doing in Eli¡¯s room?!¡± Although she had already guessed it, she couldn¡¯t help but ask. Amanda didn¡¯t say a word. She just wanted to leave with her son. However, Rosie stepped forward and tried to grab her arm, only to be firmly stopped by the bodyguards. ¡°Miss Momsey, please stop causing trouble. Mr. Winters will only punish us if he finds out.¡± The bodyguard spoke honestly. At this most inappropriate moment, Aiden spoke up. ¡°Daddy bit Mommy¡¯s neck! Daddy is a bad guy, and you¡¯re a bad guy too. You¡¯re all bad people. I don¡¯t like you both!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Rosie¡¯s eyes were filled with shock, and then tears welled up. She should have thought of it earlier. Elias and Amanda had done everything. Otherwise, how could this child have been born? Amanda covered her son¡¯s little mouth and whispered, ¡°Aiden, shut up!¡± After saying that, she quickly carried him downstairs and left. Rosie¡¯s restlessness also subsided. The bodyguards looked at her silently calming down and breathed a sigh of relief. If she had barged in, Elias would definitely not spare them. She stared at Amanda¡¯s figure as she clenched her fists, and her gaze was filled with intense hatred. Rosie sat motionless in front of the dressing table throughout the whole night while staring at her reflection in the mirror, and no one knew what she was thinking. She didn¡¯t even eat dinner. The maid brought her meal and said, ¡°Miss Momsey, please eat something. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to exin it to Mr. Winters.¡± ¡°Get out! Get out!¡± Rosie knocked over the tray of food, causing the delicious dishes to scatter on the floor. The maid was so frightened she dared not even clean up the mess. She just turned tail and ran away. The maid ran outside and furtively wiped her tears. Another maid happened to pass by and could tell that something was wrong. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Mr. Winters brought her back. She, a mere freeloader, is more difficult to serve than Mr. Winters himself.¡± ¡°You said it. She¡¯s always refusing this and that and loves throwing tantrums. She¡¯s not even a member of the Winters Family. Why should we suffer like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m going toin to Mr. Winters. It¡¯s no use telling Mr. Jones. He¡¯ll just tell us to endure it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going too. Whoever wants to serve her can continue serving her. I don¡¯t want to.¡± The two maids were about to go andin to Elias. At that moment, the door was forcefully pulled open, and Rosie walked out. ¡°Stop right there!¡± The two maids froze in ce as they were too scared to speak or even look up. ¡°If the two of you dare to speak ill of me in front of Eli, I¡¯ll make sure to pull your tongues out!¡± Rosie¡¯s fierce expression made her look like a wicked witch. The two maids were frightened and quickly lowered their heads in silence. After exchanging a nce, they nodded in agreement and tried to escape. However, Rosie grabbed them and said. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to say a single bad word about me in front of Eli, I¡¯ll make sure you beg for mercy and wish for death!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t¡­ We won¡¯t¡­¡± The two maids were immediately frightened to tears. ||| Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Why Are Your Ears Red? ¡°Scram! I don¡¯t want to see your faces!¡± Rosie was filled with anger and had nowhere to vent, so she unleashed it on the innocent maids. She just wanted to know what set Amanda apart from other women. Why did Elias fall head over heels for her, to the point of marrying her and even having a child together? In the past, the women around Elias were just as beautiful as Amanda, but he didn¡¯t seem interested in them at all. Rosie had treated those women cruelly and drove them away from him, yet he never said a word. Why was it that when it came to Amanda, they directly got married and had a child? Furthermore, Rosie wasn¡¯t even allowed to touch Amanda and Aiden. Could it be that Elias had truly fallen in love with this woman named Amanda? Was he helplessly and uncontrobly in love with her? The jealousy in Rosie¡¯s heart overflowed like a river. She wished she could make Amanda and Aiden disappear from the world! N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. In the dining room. It was dinner time again, and Elias was waiting for Amanda and Aiden toe, but they were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Go and see why they haven¡¯te to eat yet.¡± He looked at Colette who was nearby. Colette hesitated and answered, ¡°Miss Bailey said that she wants to take Mr. Aiden away. If you don¡¯t agree, she won¡¯te out to eat and you¡¯ll have to eat alone.¡± Elias frowned. Amanda was using a hunger strike as a threat? Even if she refused to eat, what about their son? Was Aiden not going to eat either? It seemed that the mother and son hade to an agreement. Elias stood up slowly and walked toward the exit of the dining room. He instructed Colette, ¡°Prepare a meal and send it to Aiden¡¯s bedroom.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters. Please wait a moment.¡± Inside the room. Amanda was discussing with Aiden. ¡°When your daddyes upter, we need to be on the same page.¡± Aiden blinked his grape-like eyes. ¡°Mommy, why do we need to be on the same page?¡± She was speechless. She almost forgot that he was just a three-year-old child. She had to be careful with her choice of words. She continued, ¡°If your daddy doesn¡¯t let us leave, we¡¯ll throw a tantrum. You¡¯re good at that. I need you to behave well. If we manage to go out, I¡¯ll buy you a cake.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± As soon as he heard the word ¡°cake,¡± his eyes lit up. He had been on a strict diet in the hospital recently, and the restriction on his food intake was taking a toll on him. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard outside the door. The two of them exchanged nces, and Amanda whispered, ¡°Quick! Sit properly. Your daddy is coming. Remember what I just told you. Behave well so that we can have cake tonight. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes. I remember! Don¡¯t worry, Mommy!¡± Aiden had a confident look on his face, which reassured Amanda. The door was pushed open, and the mother and son put on serious faces as they intended to show Elias who was in charge. Elias walked in while carrying a tray, and the aroma of the food filled the room. Aiden couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva. His little stomach was getting hungry. However, Amanda red at him and whispered, ¡°Hold it in, Aiden. Once we¡¯re out, I will take you to eat something delicious.¡± Elias ced the tray on the coffee table and looked at the mother and son murmuring to each other. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± ¡°Nothing! Hmph! Mommy and I don¡¯t want to talk to you!¡± Aiden put on a defiant yet adorable expression. Elias chuckled softly. ¡°Is that so? What did I do wrong to make both of you not want to talk to me?¡± ¡°Let us leave. We want to get away from here. Mommy doesn¡¯t like it here. She doesn¡¯t like the food here. Daddy, you¡¯re a terrible man who doesn¡¯t care about Mommy¡¯s feelings. I hate this kind of man the most. Aiden blurted out everything Amanda had taught him in one breath, but his adorable appearance had people having the urge to pinch his cheeks instead. Amanda, who was standing by the door, turned her back to the man and gave her son a thumbs up. Good job! He managed to remember about 80 percent of what she taught him. That was already pretty good. Aiden showed a proud smile as if he was showing off to Amanda. Mommy, am I amazing? At this moment, Elias nced at the piping hot meal. ¡°Your mommy doesn¡¯t like the food here, but what about you? Do you like it? Are you not liking it just because she doesn¡¯t like it? Or did she teach you to say that?¡± Aiden was confused by Elias¡¯ words. He blurted out without thinking, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Mommy who taught me to say that!¡± As soon as he finished his sentence, Amanda was speechless. This little brat was really innocent. Elias ||| sessfully tricked him with just a few words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mommy? Did I say something wrong?¡± Aiden looked perplexed. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s my fault.¡± She gritted her teeth. Elias watched her as she turned away and chuckled. ¡°Amanda, don¡¯t teach our child to lie. If you have something to say, say it yourself. You¡¯re audacious to use this little brat as a messenger.¡± Despicable se mbag. Amanda turned her body around and looked at the man sitting on the couch. ¡°Anyway, I want to take our son and leave this ce. He doesn¡¯t want to stay here either. Let us go.¡± ¡°Have you taken a shower?¡± Only now did Elias notice that Amanda had changed her clothes and her hair was damp. She had a bare face as if she had just finished bathing. However, the marks on her neck became even more visible which caused him to sinile. ¡°What do you care? I don¡¯t want to see you right now!¡± She turned her head away. Every time she looked at this despicable man, she was reminded of the intense and relentless moments they had shared for the past few hours. She felt like she was going crazy. As she undressed in the bathroom moments ago, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She was covered in countless hickeys. Each one served as a reminder of the passionate entanglement between her and Elias. As she indulged in her thoughts, her ears involuntarily reddened. Elias looked at her flushed ears and asked, ¡°Why are your cars turning red? Are you reminiscing about. something? Is it making you excited?¡± Amanda was shocked. She turned around and red at the man in front of her. ¡°Shut up! Are you crazy? Can¡¯t you see that Aiden is standing right here?¡± ¡°So what? He¡¯s just a little brat. He doesn¡¯t understand anything.¡± Elias leaned back. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re a shameless and despicable person!¡± If it weren¡¯t for their son being present, she really wanted to pounce on him and bite him. She wanted to make him shut up forever! However, he onlyughed even more heartily. ¡°Now that your body is covered in hickeys, who are you nning to show them to?¡± Amanda was surprised! Once again, his wordspletely shattered her sense of values. He was truly shameless to the core. ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!¡± She bent down and covered Aiden¡¯s ears. As they continued their verbal spar, Aiden stood on the side while looking up at them for quite some time, Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Stay Away From My Son! Aiden furrowed his brows and looked at his mommy, then at his daddy, and asked in a childish voice, ¡°What are you both talking about? Why can¡¯t I understand anything? Are you trying to bully me?¡± Elias chuckled and gestured with his finger. ¡°Come here. I will tell you.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Elias! How dare you!¡± Amanda felt like her brain was about to suffocate. Was this man crazy? What nonsense was he going to tell their child? Before she could stop Aiden, he had obediently sat on the couch next to Elias. Elias lowered his head and said something in Aiden¡¯s ear, and Aiden nodded. He looked like he understood. ¡°What did you say to Aiden? Do you have no shame?!¡± Amanda¡¯s heart started racing. She quickly went over and pulled her child behind her as if she was hiding him from a ferocious beast. Elias leisurely leaned back on the couch. ¡°Eat your meal, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you threatening me too? It¡¯s tit for tat. Anyway, you won¡¯t be able to leave tonight. Take your meal. I need to go to the study and take care of something. When Ie back, both of you will be in trouble if I see the meal still intact.¡± After speaking, he slowly got up and left the bedroom. It wasn¡¯t until the door closed that Amanda realized what Elias had said. She almostughed out of anger. She and her son had agreed to threaten Elias, but now he had turned the tables on them. Suddenly, the sound of rumbling came from the bedroom. She looked at her son behind her. ¡°Aiden, are you hungry?¡± Aiden smiled sheepishly. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m really hungry.¡± After speaking, he ran to the coffee table and picked up his fork and knife to eat. It seemed like he had really been starving. She felt unwilling, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn¡¯t let her son go hungry, especially since he had just undergone surgery and needed to recover. She sat on the couch and helped her son with his meal and fed him. ¡°Aiden, what did your daddy tell you? Can you tell me?¡± She was still curious about what that despicable man had said to Aiden. If he dared to say anything inappropriate, she wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook. Aiden said while eating, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after you finish your meal.¡± Huh? Why is this kid talking like Elias? ||| < They were truly a father-and-son pair. Even their tone of speech was the same. Amanda pursed her lips. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me now? I¡¯m just curious and want to know what your daddy said to you. Don¡¯t worry. I will keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Eat your meal and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Why was it always the same phrase? This little brat might be small, but his temper was not. He was bing more and more like his father. Amanda pouted and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said it. Daddy said, ¡®Eat your meal and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Aiden couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. He was getting tired of repeating himself, but his mommy still didn¡¯t seem to understand. Amanda waspletely speechless. Fine. I admit that I had overthought it. Elias, that jerk, is truly wicked. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t said anything inappropriate. After she thought about it, she figured Elias wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to utter such things. She continued to feed her son. As Aiden opened his mouth to eat, he stared at the hickeys on her exposed skin and asked, ¡°Mommy, did Daddy bite you here too? Why are there marks here as well?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to talk about it and just wanted to let this topic pass. I need to stop talking about this with Aiden. Even lying would make her blush. However, Aiden persisted. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m talking to you. Why are you ignoring me? Did Daddy bite you here too?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s mosquito bites,¡± she casually replied. He looked surprised. ¡°Mommy, are they super big mosquitoes? They bite just like Daddy! It¡¯s so amazing!¡± Amanda was speechless. Her innocent child was so naive. She wanted to quickly change the topic. She was truly speechless. One hourter. Amanda and Aiden were taking a stroll around the estate to help digest their meal. ¡°Don¡¯t run, Aiden. Take it slow.¡± Amanda followed behind her son with a worried expression. After all, the doctor had advised against letting the child engage in strenuous activities for the time being. Then, she saw Rosie walking toward them. Rosie stopped in front of Aiden and bent down to say something to him. [11 O Amanda couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows and quickly walked over. She heard Rosie saying, ¡°I want to apologize on behalf of your daddy, okay? Your daddy misunderstood youst time, but I will make it clear to him¡­¡± She immediately pulled her son behind her and looked at Rosie while saying, ¡°Stay away from my son!¡± ¡°You¡± Rosie was about to retaliate angrily, but when she saw Elias walking not far behind Amanda, her expression immediately turned into one of grievance. ¡°What did I do wrong? Why are you like this? I just wanted to talk to Aiden for a moment. It¡¯s not like I did. anything to harm him¡­ As Rosic spoke, tears started streaming down her face. She made it look as if Amanda had bullied her. Amanda was speechless at Rosie¡¯s hypocritical and exaggerated act. Which y was she trying to stage now? Aiden peeked out from behind Amanda and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to apologize on behalf of my daddy, you ugly woman! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Ugly woman! Bad woman!¡± At that moment, Elias¡¯ deep voice came from behind. ¡°Aiden, you shouldn¡¯t speak like that. His voice carried a tone of reprimand. Amanda was slightly taken aback and finally understood the y Rosie was trying to stage. It turned out she had noticed Elias approaching, so she put on an act. This woman was truly cunning and two-faced. She was able to shed tears so easily. ¡°Such a waste that you¡¯re not an actress with your acting skills. Aren¡¯t you tired after pretending to be -crazy all these years?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered to y along with such a woman. She took her son¡¯s hand and was about to leave. However, Rosie pitifully wiped her tears and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Eli. Don¡¯t scold Aiden anymore. He¡¯s just a child, and he¡¯s upset with us today, so it¡¯s normal for him to say a few harsh words to me. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Aiden, you should be more polite in the future,¡± Elias said to Aiden. Upon seeing his father defending that woman, Aiden became angry and snorted coldly. ¡°I hate you! Hmph! After speaking, he pulled Amanda¡¯s hand and walked toward the vi. Amanda also didn¡¯t want to stay here anymore. She let her son lead her away and nced back at Elias¡± cold gaze. It seemed like he was getting angry. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Elias! Are You Still a Man? Rosie looked at Amanda¡¯s back as she left and her heart was secretly happy, but she still pretended to be aggrieved and guilty on the surface. ¡°Eli, what are you waiting for? Go after her and help me exin. I really don¡¯t have any malicious intent. I just felt that Aiden looked too cute and wanted to tease him a little. I¡­¡± ¡°Okay. I know.¡± Elias¡¯ tone grew cold, tinged with a hint of impatience. He was about to catch up with Amanda, but then he remembered something and turned back to Rosie. ¡°How is your recovery going?¡± Rosie¡¯s heart tightened. While his words appeared to show concern for her, they actually carried an undertone of urging her to leave. Was this an attempt to drive her away? Was it because of that mother and son again? Rosie couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists. She whimpered with teardrops still in her eyes, ¡°Eli, I understand what you mean. I¡¯ll let my brother pick me up and I¡¯ll leave tonight. I don¡¯t want to cause you any more trouble. After all, it seems like Amanda and Aiden don¡¯t like to see me. I¡¯m sorry that my presence made them all unhappy. I¡¯m going to go and call my brother right now.¡± After saying that, she turned around and was about to leave. Elias felt a twinge of guilt, but he didn¡¯t call out to Rosie because if she stayed here, Amanda and Aiden would have to leave. There was no way for them to stay here at the same time. Although Rosie had saved Aiden¡¯s life, Elias had no other choice. He could only find another way to make up to her. Rosie walked away for a long time without hearing him call her name. Her anger grew stronger and fiercer. He was indeed very heartless. Even after she sacrificed herself to save his son, he still treated her coldly. Rosie could only walk toward her residence with lingering resentment, but did she really have to leave just like that? After all that she¡¯d done to get into the Winters Family? If she just left like this, she was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to have close contact with Elias again. No way! She had to find a way to stay. Inside the living room. Elias was sitting on the couch surrounded by an air of gloominess. He held a cigarette between his lips while appearing somewhat conflicted. At that moment, Amanda and Aiden came down from upstairs. Aiden was moring to go home while expressing his reluctance to stay here any longer 111 Amanda saw Elias sitting there at a nce as she walked downstairs. She was about to speak when he preempted her. ¡°Taylor wille to pick up his sisterter. You and Aiden should go back to bed.¡± Amanda was speechless. She couldn¡¯t help but feel like they were driving Rosie away, as the words made it seem as if she and Aiden were responsible for Rosie¡¯s departure. Upon further reflection, she realized that Rosie had donated bone marrow to Aiden, and Rosie was only here to enjoy the hot springs for a few days. It seemed heartless to chase Rosie away like this. ¡°We didn¡¯t intend to drive her away. It¡¯s just that Aiden isn¡¯t adjusting well here. I¡¯ll take him to stay at Northern No. 1 for a few days. Let Rosie continue enjoying the hot springs here.¡± Amanda wanted to add a few more words but realized that anything she said at this point would sound insincere, thus dropped the idea. She truly didn¡¯t like Rosie being close to Aiden. Even though Rosie had saved his life, Amanda couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that the woman harbored ill intentions. Hopefully, it was just her overthinking. ¡°I¡¯ll have Rosie go somewhere else to enjoy the hot springs. After all, I won¡¯t have any further dealings with her in the future. Instead, I¡¯ll be spending the rest of my life with you and Aiden, so your feelings matter more,¡± Elias said truthfully. Amanda didn¡¯t know how to respond to his words. At that moment, the butler approached and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, Mr. Momsey is here. He looks furious. It seems like he wants to seek justice from you.¡± Right after the butler finished speaking, Taylor¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Elias Winters! Are you even a man? You rejected my sister countless times before, and now that she has given up on pursuing you and even saved your son¡¯s life, you can¡¯t even tolerate her staying at your ce for a few days? It has only been two days and you want to chase her away? You¡¯re not even a man!¡± Taylor stormed into the living room and shouted at Elias angrily. Aiden was scared and hid behind Amanda, who instinctively protected him and covered his ears with her hands. Elias remained calm and extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray. He stood up and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°Take your sister back with you. Kadi Club is also part of the Winters Family¡¯s property. She can enjoy the hot springs there for free for a lifetime.¡± Taylor was dumbfounded. Did this se mbag not understand his intentions? Would a lifetime of free hot springs solve everything? ¡°Do you even understand what I¡¯m saying? Are you pretending to be clueless? Is this just about the hot springs? Is this how your family treats a life-saving benefactor? No wonder each one of you meets your comeuppance and meets a tragic end. Don¡¯t you reflect on it at all? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your son will face retribution?¡± [11 O < Taylor was losing his mind. Elias was heartless to the extreme. His words, however,pletely ignited Elias¡¯ anger. In the next second, he threw a punch at Taylor, knocking him to the ground. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Immediately, Aiden screamed in fear and started crying. However, Elias didn¡¯t stop there. He tightly gripped Taylor¡¯s throat while gritting his teeth as he said, ¡°I dare you to say it again! If you curse my son one more time, I¡¯ll take your life!¡± ¡°Cough¡­ I¡¯m just stating the facts! The Winters Family has already faced retribution, but you still haven¡¯t repented for your actions. This is divine retribution! Serves you right! Taylor¡¯s mouth was filled with blood from the beating, but he remained stubborn and defiant as he was determined to have thest word. Amanda was also frightened, but she picked up Aiden and tried tofort him. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t calm him down. The fight continued unabated on the other side. Amanda looked at Miriam, who was standing at the side. ¡°Miriam, take the child out and try to calm him down.¡± Miriam nodded and went over to hold Aiden in her arms. Then, she quickly left the horrible ¡®battlefield. ¡°Stop fighting! Stop it!¡± Only after Aiden was carried away did Amanda have the opportunity to step forward and try to intervene, -but no one paid any attention to her. At this moment, Rosie approached and witnessed the scene while bursting into tears. ¡°Taylor! Stop! Don¡¯t hurt Eli! Taylor! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t care less at this point after having taken so many beatings. Naturally, he fought back. Finally, Taylor seized the opportunity. Just as he was about to strike, Rosie suddenly opened her arms and stood in front of Elias. Everyone present was stunned. Taylor looked at his sister in front of him and roared, ¡°Get out of my way! Let me teach this scum a lesson! He¡¯s using you. Now that his son is fine, he wants to kick you out. What is there to like about such a person? Get out of my way!¡± ¡°No! Taylor, I¡¯m begging you. Stop fighting. Eli has his reasons.¡± Rosie¡¯s acting skills were impable as if she were a seasoned actress with years of experience. Onlookers who knew nothing of the situation would surely be moved by her dedication and sincerity. Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Stay Out of Men¡¯s Affairs ¡°Reasons? What reasons? He simply wanted to use you to save his son! Why can¡¯t you see through this?! Now that he¡¯s happy with his woman and child, he wants to chase you away, and you¡¯re still speaking up for him!¡± Taylor was about to explode out of rage. After all these years, his sister hadn¡¯t changed a bit. She had said she wouldn¡¯t pursue Elias anymore, but every word she spoke was in defense of Elias. How could she im to have let go? What a load of rubbish! Taylor finally realized that his sister had fallen for Elias in this lifetime. The atmosphere became extremely tense. Rosie angrily shouted at Taylor as tears streamed down her face, ¡°I want to! It¡¯s none of your business! I¡¯m willing to give everything to him, even if he¡¯s using me! I want to! I want to! I want to!¡± Her words stunned Taylor. Even Elias, who was being shielded by Rosie, was taken aback, as well as Amanda, who stood beside them. Elias felt a sense of shame and pulled Rosie aside. ¡°Step aside. Stay out of men¡¯s affairs.¡± Rosie was pushed to the side. As she stumbled and almost fell to the ground, Amanda quickly caught her. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Taylor! Stop it!¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Rosie instinctively pushed Amanda away with a look of disdain, causing Amanda to take a few steps back. Meanwhile, Elias noticed this scene and tried to reach out and support Amanda, Taylor became even more infuriated at the sight of this. Seizing the opportunity while Elias was defenseless, he threw a punch at Elias¡¯ face. ¡°How dare you push her away! Do you have no conscience? If it weren¡¯t for Rosie, your son would be in the morgue by now!¡± No one could talk sense into Taylor now. After years of frustration, he finally had an outlet for his anger. He remembered when he almost knelt outside the Winters Family¡¯s residence, begging Elias to see his sister. Yet Elias didn¡¯t even let him in the door. The humiliation was unbearable. Elias wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and retaliated. He threw a punch back at Taylor. Rosie let out a shrill scream. ¡°Ahh! Taylor, stop it! Stop hitting Eli!¡± Her scream was deafening to everyone present. The chaotic scene gave Amanda a splitting headache. Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and walked between the two men, shouting furiously, ¡°Stop it!¡± Elias halted his impending punch when he saw Amanda, and Taylor also stopped. Amanda nervously closed her eyes because she had seen the two men¡¯s fists about to descend upon her. However, nothing seemed to happen after she waited for a while. She slowly opened her eyes while breathing a sigh of relief. Then, she spoke. ¡°Enough! Stop fighting! It¡¯s my fault. This is all my fault.¡± Amanda looked at Elias. ¡°I taught your son to say those things. In truth, it was because I didn¡¯t want to stay here. Now that everything is fine, there¡¯s no need to chase Rosie away.¡± After saying that, she turned to Taylor beside her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault. Your sister saved Aiden¡¯s life, and we shouldn¡¯t have been so ungrateful. I sincerely apologize to both of you and hope you can forgive me. I also hope that Rosie can stay and recover before leaving. I want to see her leave healthy. Please agree to it.¡± She bowed sincerely to Taylor and Rosie while expressing her remorse. In fact, it seemed that all this conflict had originated from her. Taylor¡¯s hurtful words earlier had also inspired her. Even if Amanda didn¡¯t like Rosie and even if Rosie harbored suspicions, Rosie had willingly donated her bone marrow and saved Aiden, who was suffering. So, at the very least, she couldn¡¯t casually doubt Rosie. Elias remained silent with a grim expression on his face, while Taylor was at a loss for what to do due to Amanda¡¯s intervention. Rosie cursed in her heart, What a shameless woman. She¡¯s so good at pretending. However, she had to act like a gentle and virtuousdy. She feigned a look of grievance and innocence as she said, ¡°Amanda, you don¡¯t have to do this. It was all my own choice. I¡­¡± ¡°No need to say more. It¡¯s my fault. Please stay. I apologize on behalf of Aiden for his impolite words and sincerely hope you will stay,¡± Amanda said each word deliberately. Late at night. Amanda didn¡¯t leave tonight. Instead, she chose to stay in the estate because Aiden couldn¡¯t be comforted no matter what she did. After a long time of soothing him, he finally fell asleep. However, Amanda couldn¡¯t sleep and went out to the balcony to get some fresh air. She felt a great sense of oppression in her heart. Although she had shown her magnanimous side, she felt deeply frustrated. To be honest, she still couldn¡¯tpletely let down her guard against Rosie. Just then, she heard faint footsteps behind her and couldn¡¯t help but turn around. At that moment, she already knew who it was. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Amanda smiled and replied, ¡°I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so I came out to get some fresh air. What about you? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ||| Elias walked over to her side and followed her gaze to the sparse stars in the night sky. ¡°I couldn¡¯t fall asleep either.¡± After a while, he shifted his gaze back to her profile. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that. If you don¡¯t like her, you don¡¯t have to force her to stay. I can arrange for her to go somewhere else. There are plenty of ces for her to enjoy hot springs.¡± Amanda suddenly spoke while looking at the stars. ¡°Do you believe in retribution?¡± Elias did not reply. He detested hearing that word the most. What was retribution? He clenched his fists by his sides and lowered his gaze slowly. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just find some things quite miraculous. So many people have gone through bone marrow matching, yet only Taylor and Rosie¡¯s bone marrow were sessful matches. Perhaps it¡¯s fate.¡± Elias frowned unhappily. ¡°Fate?¡± What was fate? Wasn¡¯t it just another word for retribution? Elias sneered. ¡°Are you trying to tell me this is retribution?¡± Amanda looked at him and shook her head. ¡°No. I think this is an opportunity for reconciliation given to us by fate. In life, there¡¯s no need to create so many enemies for ourselves, especially when you have someone dear, someone important to you, that you have to protect. So, let¡¯s seize this chance.¡± If it were the old her, she wouldn¡¯t believe in such things and would go against it, but now that she had Aiden, all she wanted was to protect the health, safety, and happiness of the people most important to her. After hearing her words, Elias gradually loosened his tightly clenched fists. Ever since he learned about Aiden¡¯s existence, he had restrained his temper a lot. He also wanted to create a healthy environment for his child to grow up in. Perhaps¡­ Amanda had a point. ||| Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 A Happy Family of Three Meanwhile¡­ Taylor couldn¡¯t help but feel irritable. ¡°What¡¯s the point of you still sticking around? Can¡¯t you see that Elias still has no interest in you?¡± Rosie, on the other hand, was sitting at the dresser while studying her face in the mirror. I haven¡¯t taken good care of my skin during those years in the sanatorium. Seems like my skin has lost some of its sticity. ¡°You go back, Taylor. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll take good care of myself, and besides, I won¡¯t get hurt staying here.¡± Taylor replied, ¡°I¡¯m begging you to leave, you silly girl! What¡¯s the point of insisting? That Amandady did beg you to stay, but it was clear at a nce that she wasn¡¯t willing to say that! We, the Momseys, aren¡¯t such shameless people! Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Then, he stepped forward and grabbed her hand in an attempt to take her away. To his great dismay, Rosie drew her hand back from his. ¡°Taylor, I¡¯m begging you, too. Can you leave now? I just want to stay here, even if I¡¯d only get to see Eli a few more times a day like this.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless! I don¡¯t care about you anymore! Don¡¯t call me for anything from now on, you ingrate! You only know how to side with someone else instead of your own brother!¡± Looking frustrated, he furiously turned around and left her bedroom, mming the door shut with a loud bang as if to vent his anger. Rosie, however, smiled at her own reflection in the mirror. She caressed her face, saying, ¡°What a top- notch actor you are! It¡¯s time to take care of your skin, though.¡± She had seen Amanda¡¯s skin up close while being helped by her tonight. It¡¯s so fair and radiant and has such a delicate feel to it; no wonder Eli is infatuated with her. Is there a man who dislikes women with peach-and-cream skin? But now that I can finally stay by Eli¡¯s side. I guess there won¡¯t be anyone to shoo me away anymore. The next morning, Rosie sat in the dining room early, awaiting the others toe together for breakfast. Soon, she heard the muffled sound of approaching footsteps, which she knew must belong to Elias. She didn¡¯t even have to guess who it belonged to. And sure enough, the man slowly entered her line of sight, whereupon she put on a rehearsed sweet smile. ¡°Good morning, Eli.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Good morning.¡± Elias was more or less surprised to see her. A maid pulled out the dining chair for him to sit down. Soon, an American breakfast was served and ced before him. ¡°Mr. Winters, here is the American breakfast you asked for.¡± The dining room was quiet except for the sound of the man¡¯s knife and fork clinking against his te. Neither of them spoke; Elias had nothing much to say to Rosie, whereas Rosie had no idea what to say despite wanting to speak to him. She was about to break the silence when Aiden¡¯s energetic, childlike voice suddenly rang from outside. I¡¯m so hungry, Mommy-so hungry that I could eat a horse!¡± In an instant, the man¡¯s frosty, good-looking face warmed at this adorable voice. A doting smile sprang to his lips; he put down his knife and fork and looked back to watch Amanda and their son walk into the dining room. ||| The mother and son talked andughed as they entered the dining room, only to see Rosie sitting there. Amanda was startled for a moment, but she quicklyposed herself and greeted her. ¡°Good morning, Miss Momsey.¡± Rosie was smiling the whole time. ¡°Good morning, Amanda.¡± Amanda turned to say to Aiden, ¡°Aiden, say good morning to Miss Rosie.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to! Humph!¡± With a haughty look on his face, the boy mbered onto his dining chair. Then, he picked up a piece of bread and shoved it into his tiny mouth. Amanda smiled helplessly. Rosie said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Aiden is still angry with me, but it¡¯ll be fine once his anger has subsided.¡± The maid came over, asking, ¡°Miss Bailey, what would you and Mr. Aiden like to eat for breakfast? Would you prefer a traditional breakfast or a Western one?¡± ¡°A traditional breakfast, please. I¡¯d like to eat some dumplings. Can you bring Aiden a bowl of congee and a soft-boiled egg?¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Bailey. I¡¯ll bring them right away.¡± After the maid had left, Amanda put the bib on Aiden and said to him tenderly, ¡°Take your time when eating your congeeter, you got it? Don¡¯t let it burn your tongue.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. Mommy, I want to eat dumplings, too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Aiden then cast a nce at the breakfast ced before Rosie before curling his lips in disgust. ¡°Looks tasteless at a nce,¡± he remarked. Then, he took a fancy to the breakfast ced before Elias, which he stared at greedily with puppy-dog eyes. ¡°Daddy, is your bacon delicious? Can I have a bite of it?¡± he said. while drooling in an adorable manner. Amanda took a tissue to wipe the corner of his mouth. ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re drooling.¡± Elias smiled without saying a word. Spearing a piece of bacon with his fork, he brought it to Aiden¡¯s lips. upon which the little boy opened his mouth and swallowed it. ¡°It tastes so good! I want more of it!¡± ¡°Hmm, all of this is yours.¡± Elias pushed his te over to Amanda. Amanda frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t let him eat so much for breakfast. Otherwise, when he gets to kindergarten later, he won¡¯t be able to eat much for lunch, and then he¡¯ll soon be hungry in the afternoon.¡± Elias reassured her in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just tell the teacher to fix him an extra meal in between.¡± The family of three was having a good time together in perfect harmony. Compared to them, Rosie seemed like such a fifth wheel sitting at the dining table; she even had the feeling that she was making a fool of herself. The smile slowly faded from her face as she watched the family of three. Here I am, sitting here while being ignored as if I never existed¡­ She had fantasized countless times that if she and Elias were to marry, they would give birth to an adorable child, and the three of them would be together as a family¡­ And now, she finally saw the scene. However, she wasn¡¯t the woman of the house, nor was the child her own. O < She bit her lower lip, looking resentful as her grip began to tighten on her ss of milk. Losing control of her emotions, she squeezed her ss tighter and tighter. The next thing she knew, the ss of milk slipped from her hand and dropped on the floor, breaking to pieces with an ear-piercing crash that drew everyone¡¯s attention. Only then did shee to her senses. Immediately, she resumed her gentle and weak demeanor. ¡°Sorry, it slipped out of my grasp just now. I¡¯ll clean it up,¡± she apologized and was about to get up to pick up the ss shards on the floor. Elias frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let them clean it up instead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. There aren¡¯t many broken pieces, anyway.¡± Rosie stooped to clean up the mess, only to let out a of pain. Her finger was cut, and blood was oozing from it. cry Hearing her cry, Elias stood up; he walked over to her and saw her bleeding finger. ¡°Don¡¯t move anymore. Let them clean it up.¡± He pulled her up from the floor before instructing Miriam, ¡°Go treat Miss Momsey¡¯s wound.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± Miriam stepped forward to reach for Rosie¡¯s hand, only to be met with a look of disgust from thedy. Startled, she withdrew her hand, saying, ¡°Miss Momsey, let¡¯s get your wound treated, or it¡¯ll get infected.¡± Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 My Brave Little Boy Only then did Rosie follow Miriam out of the dining room. Amanda watched them leave. Even though she thought Rosie¡¯s act was deliberate, she nheless said to Elias, ¡°Won¡¯t you go take a look?¡± However, Elias chose to return to his seat and continue with his breakfast. ¡°It¡¯s just a cut on the finger. It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± he replied. A cut finger doesn¡¯t require me to keep my eyes on it. ¡°You¡¯d better go take a look,¡± urged Amanda. In reality, she could tell that what Rosie really needed was the man¡¯s attention. Elias wasn¡¯t willing to go at first. However, now that she had urged him twice, he had not choice but to get up to go and take a look. Aidenmented with a haughty expression, ¡°Humph! A cut finger doesn¡¯t hurt that much. I didn¡¯t even cry when I cut my fingerst time, nor did I have medicine applied to it. It healed the next day.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle. She tickled his nose,plimenting him, ¡°What a brave little boy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s of course! I¡¯m gonna protect you when I grow up, Mommy,¡± replied Aiden with at smug-looking face before he took a bite of the dumpling in his hand. Amanda looked at her son¡¯s chubby little face, which seemed to have rounded out somewhat. after a few days of rest and recuperation in Winters Estate. ¡°Aiden, are you nervous about going to kindergarten today?¡± Her son had been in the hospital for so many days, after which he returned and spent about half a month recuperating in Winters Estate. She was really worried that he might have a hard time getting used to kindergarten. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous! I want to y with other kids. It¡¯s been a long time since I yed with. them. Mommy, I kind of miss them.¡± Amanda patted his head with a smile. ¡°Good to hear that.¡± After breakfast, Amanda and Elias nned to send Aiden to kindergarten together. ¡°Hurray! Time to go to kindergarten!¡± Aiden had never looked forward so much to going to kindergarten before. Amanda used to have to cajole him into going to kindergarten, and he would cry about not wanting to go. She looked at him in the back seat with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re so well-behaved now. You never 14 wanted to go to kindergarten before-even when I coaxed you.¡± ¡°I want to go to kindergarten! It¡¯s much more fun than in the hospital, which wasn¡¯t fun at all. I hate being in the hospital, and I don¡¯t want to go there anymore.¡± Both Amanda and Elias, who was driving, fell silent at his words. During this time, they had thought up all kinds of excuses to coax the boy into staying a few more days in the hospital. Over time, Aiden began to know what had happened, especially in theter period, when his condition worsened and he spent every single day in pain and suffering. Luckily, he received a bone marrow transnt from Rosie at this point. Otherwise, there was no telling how much longer his pain and suffering would continue. The boy cheered excitedly along the way, making so much noise that his adult parents had helplessness written all over their faces. After sending him to kindergarten, they got back into the car. ¡°Where do you want to go? I¡¯ll take you there,¡± suggested Elias. Now that Aiden had been discharged from the hospital, Amanda was suddenly at a loss for what to do. The renovation of her studio had previously been put on hold due to Aiden¡¯s hospitalization. After thinking for a while, she said, ¡°Can you take me to Central Tower? I¡¯m gonna continue with my studio¡¯s renovation.¡± Elias wanted to tell her that she didn¡¯t have to work that hard. However, he thought better of it and drove her there without saying a word. On their way there, Amanda got a phone call from Jack. Ring! Ring! She nced at the caller ID before answering the phone. After hesitating for a moment, she said, ¡°Mr. Allegra, what can I do for you?¡± Although she was already aware of their blood rtionship, she really couldn¡¯t bring herself to call the man ¡°Father.¡± Jack was clearly disappointed on the other end when he heard her call him Mr. Allegra. Nevertheless, he asked, ¡°Is it okay if we go see Aiden this evening?¡± He and Edith had been very polite with Amanda, always asking for her permission whenever they wanted to see Aiden. Amanda smiled. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay, but we¡¯re now staying at Winters Estate. You and Mrs. Allegra can come right over.¡± ¡°Alright, see you this evening,¡± said Jack before hanging up. This didn¡¯t sound like a phone conversation between father and daughter at all. ¡°Who was it?¡± asked Elias. ¡°It was Mr. Allegra. He wants toe to see our boy.¡± Elias darted a nce at her. He suggested impassively, ¡°Mm-hmm. Why don¡¯t we invite them. to stay and join us for dinner?¡± Amanda neither agreed nor objected to this. Soon after that, night came, shrouding the whole city of Imperia in darkness. Jack and Edith were ready to arrive at Winters Estate with their younger daughter Stephanie. However, when their car reached the gate of the estate, a figure appeared from nowhere, startling everyone. A look of panic spread across her face the moment she made out who it was. It was actually Crispin! He was pounding on the car window, saying something that they couldn¡¯t hear very well. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Stephanie hurriedly exined, ¡°Dad, Mom, I really have no idea how he found us here! It wasn¡¯t me who told him about this!¡± She was totally freaking out; she didn¡¯t want to lose favor with her parents anymore. My standing in the family has be much lower since Amanda showed up. And now, if my image in their mind¡¯s eye is ruined because of Crispin, how am I going to live the rest of my life? Strangely, however, Jack wasn¡¯t angry this time. He rolled down the car window, saying, ¡°Get in the car. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± Both Stephanie and Edith were surprised. Crispin was also startled for a while; he really never expected Jack to speak to him so affably all of a sudden. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t want to get in?¡± asked Jack. Crispin nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, I want to get in! Thank you, Mr. Allegra.¡± Then, he opened the passenger side door and got in. Seeing Crispin get in the car, Stephanie turned as pale as a sheet. She felt so embarrassed, she wished the ground could open and swallow her up. Crispin looked back at her with infatuation. ¡°Steph¡ª¡± As soon as he called out her name, however, he was stopped by Jack beside him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you save what you have to say until we get inside?¡± All Stephanie felt was humiliation; not only that, but she had lost face right in front of Winters Estate. Why wouldn¡¯t Crispin go away? And Elias is going to see thister on¡­ Oh, God! I¡¯m better off dead instead! Why would I end up with a man like him, who sticks to me like gum on my shoe? How irritating! At the moment, she no longer had any good feelings for him at all. She just wanted to find an excuse to get rid of him, but she didn¡¯t want to getbeled as a b*tch. On the other hand, Amanda and Elias had been waiting in Winters Estate¡¯s reception room, while Aiden had changed into loungewear and was ying with toys beside them. The scene was as harmonious as it could be. Sitting on the couch, Elias smiled unconsciously while watching the scene. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we weren¡¯t divorced and if all of this was true¡­ Just then, Boris came over to him. ¡°Mr. Winters, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra has arrived, along with Miss Allegra. By the way, there¡¯s a man following them from behind whom I don¡¯t recognize.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, okay. You may go now,¡± said Elias before slowly getting up to get ready to greet the Allegras. Amanda stood Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Announce Your Existence to the Public A momentter, the Allegras were brought into the reception room by the maid. Elias said in a deep voice, ¡°Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra.¡± Jackplimented with a smile, ¡°Your estate truly deserves to be called little Imperia. We almost lost our way around here.¡± Stephanie was also taken aback by the size of Winters Estate. She had always heard about. how magnificent the estate was, but it wasn¡¯t until she was here that she was finally able to see it for herself. What a big ce! It¡¯s like a pce. Edith, however, was in no mood to admire the architecture of this ce. As soon as she entered the living room, her gaze shifted toward Amanda. She was only wishing that Amanda would call her ¡°Mom,¡± but on second thought, it was a bit of a luxury to wish for. ¡°You tter me, Mr. Allegra.¡± Elias¡¯ lips curled into a smile. Amanda had been listening to their exchange of pleasantries. After a long hesitation, she eventually said to the couple, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra.¡± Jack and Edith¡¯s expressions froze for a second at the distant manner in which she called them. They knew that this kind of thing couldn¡¯t be rushed, but their hearts sank when they heard her call them in such a cold and formal way. Jack turned his attention to Aiden, upon which his expression changed instantly. He teased the boy dotingly, asking, ¡°Aiden, are you happy that your grandpa came to see you?¡± As he spoke, he handed over the toy he had brought with him. ¡°Here¡¯s the toy your grandma and I bought for you. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so cool! I love it!¡± Aiden paid no attention whatsoever to the change in mood. between the adults. Carrying the new toy in his arms, he trotted aside to y with it right away. Only then did Amanda notice a man standing behind Stephanie, who looked unfamiliar to her and whom she didn¡¯t recognize. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned closer to Elias¡¯ ear, asking, ¡°Who is that guy behind Stephanie?¡± Elias also tilted his head toward her ear, whispering, ¡°He¡¯s the man she loves so much that she can¡¯t live without.¡± Oh¡­ I see, thought Amanda. Perhaps the couple didn¡¯t feel anything about such a natural and intimate gesture, but it didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the Allegras, especially Stephanie, whose heart was burning with 111 jealousy as she watched this. The guy who was supposed to be my fianc¨¦ has now be my brother- inw! How can anyone put up with this? ¡°Mr. Allegra, why did you get him here as well? Do you have something you¡¯d like to announce?¡± asked Elias, guessing Jack¡¯s intentions correctly. ying toys with Aiden, Jack replied with a smile, ¡°Yeah, I do have something to announce. Aren¡¯t you inviting us for dinner? We¡¯ll talk about it over dinnerter on.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get ready for dinner,¡± said Elias before leading Amanda out of there. At this very moment, Stephanie was a bundle of nerves, wondering if her father was going to criticize her again at the dining tableter. Is Dad gonna scold Crispin and me again? Crispin also thought he was going to get scolded. He sped Stephanie¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Steph, I¡¯m here with you, and we¡¯ll face this together. I won¡¯t leave you suffering alone anymore.¡± However, Stephanie silently withdrew her hand from his. Crispin¡¯s heart skipped a beat at her response. What does that mean? Is this woman getting cold feet? I¡¯ll never give up after finally getting this far. I must be Jack Allegra¡¯s son-inw! At dinner time, everyone took their seats at therge dining table in the dining room. They were at Winters Estate, and Jack wasn¡¯t sitting at the head of the dining table either. However, he was the oldest of everyone here, and this made him appear as though he were the master of the house. Elias and Amanda sat together with Aiden seated between them. They looked just like a family. On the other hand, Stephanie reluctantly seated herself next to Crispin. Everyone was silent; none of them dared to speak. Elias also chose to keep silent, though he was supposed to y host to others now that they were on his turf. He knew that Jack must havee today because he had something important to announce. The adults could remain silent forever, but not little Aiden, whose stomach was already rumbling. He demanded, ¡°Mommy, I wanna eat! I¡¯m starving!¡± Elias said, ¡°Mr. Allegra, why not let Aiden go ahead and eat first? He¡¯s really hungry, and besides, he¡¯s still recovering at the moment.¡± He had shown Jack enough respect by asking for thetter¡¯s opinion despite them being at his estate. epting the favor, Jack replied with a smile, ¡°Yeah, just go ahead and eat your fill. my little grandson. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡± Amanda picked up some food and put them on Aiden¡¯s te. Aiden picked up the food with his hand and ate them right away. He didn¡¯t care what the adults were thinking. Whatever they¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s fine as long as I don¡¯t get starved. Jack picked up his ss of red wine and took a sip of it, seemingly summoning his emotions. ¡°It¡¯s quite rude of me to take care of my family¡¯s affairs at your ce today, Elias. I¡¯d like to apologize to you in advance. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Elias replied, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Mr. Allegra. Without your participation, Winters Enterprise wouldn¡¯t have gotten to where it is today.¡± Jack nodded before turning to look at Stephanie and Crispin across the dining table. Seeing that he was about to talk about herself and Crispin first, Stephanie couldn¡¯t help but plead, ¡°Dad, I was wrong! I won¡¯t be headstrong anymore, and I¡¯ll obey you in everything. Can you please don¡¯t talk about this anymore? I really have-¡± However, Jack cut her short before she could finish her speech. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. What I¡¯m trying to say is this: if you two really love each other, I won¡¯t stop you anymore. Just be together as you two please. When you want to get married, I¡¯ll throw a wedding for you.¡± Stephanie was shocked by his words. Did Dad have too much to drink? But he took only a sip of his drink! Sitting next to her, Crispin was simply beside himself with joy. He grabbed her hand, saying, ¡°Steph, this is great! Mr. Allegra sees our love for one another, and he¡¯s approved of it!¡± Stephanie looked all dumbfounded. Dad actually approved of it! I wanted to use his objection as an excuse to reject Crispin, and yet he actually approved of it? ¡°Dad¡­ you didn¡¯t have too much to drink, did you?¡± She was so stupefied, she wasn¡¯t able toe to her senses for a long while. Jack smiled. ¡°Your mom and I have been thinking and reflecting a lot these days, especially after your sister was found. Aiden¡¯s illness this time also made us realize that in reality, it¡¯s fine as long as you all are happy. Who doesn¡¯t want to do what they love in their lifetime? So, your mom and I have decided to give you and Crispin our blessing.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Edith also looked at Stephanie with a smile. ¡°Are you happy about this? It took me a long time to talk your father into agreeing to it.¡± Stephanie had no idea how to express her bitterness at this moment. But I don¡¯t want to marry Crispin anymore! she screamed inwardly. Crispin nearly dropped to his knees and kowtowed. He said with tears of excitement, ¡°Thank ||| you so much, Mr. Allegra! I promise that I¡¯ll make Steph happy. I¡¯ll love her for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. Good to hear that,¡± replied Jack before turning to look at Amanda. ¡°And now, let¡¯s move on to the next topic. Amanda, we¡¯re nning to announce your existence to the public. I want everyone to know that my eldest daughter Amelia has been found.¡± His words came as a bolt from the blue to Stephanie, whose jaw nearly dropped when she heard this. ||| Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 I Agree Before everyone realized what Jack had just said, Stephanie was the first to blurt out, ¡°Why?!¡± Are you so eager to announce Amanda¡¯s existence to the world?! Wouldn¡¯t that diminish my standing even more in the future? She had clearly sensed that her parents were more or less turning her loose, to the point. where they didn¡¯t even care if she was dating a poor guy like Crispin. Instead, they werepletely focused on Amanda. Is it because Amanda is dating Elias Winters, the scion of the most prestigious family, and has even borne a child for him? So, Mom and Dad really don¡¯t care about me anymore¡­ She was thoroughly disappointed. How could this happen? As soon as my sister showed up, I gotpletely forgotten. Does that mean all the love and affection I have received over the years will be taken away from me? Jack frowned. ¡°Why? Your sister has returned, so she should have the status of a member of our family, of course. She¡¯s a daughter of the Allegra Family, after all.¡± Stephanie argued, ¡°But¡­ The outside world doesn¡¯t know about her existence. Wouldn¡¯t it be strange to suddenly announce it like this?¡± In any case, she didn¡¯t really want her father to announce Amanda¡¯s existence to the public. Crispin¡¯s face also turned serious. I initially courted Stephanie for her status as the only daughter of a wealthy family. But now, things have changed with the addition of a sister. Doesn¡¯t that mean my future inheritance will be halved? Atst, Edith said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about it. We¡¯ll just announce it truthfully. It was our negligence in taking care of your sister in the past that resulted in her being lost. Now, we should acknowledge her existence.¡± Even Mom said so! Stephanie feltpletely ignored. My life is only going to get worse from here, I suppose. On the other hand, Amanda was sitting there, remaining silent the whole time. Elias turned to ask her, ¡°Amanda, what do you think?¡± Hearing this question, Jack and Edith turned to look at Amanda nervously, fearing that she would disagree. After all, she hadn¡¯t called them ¡°Dad¡± and ¡°Mom¡± voluntarily until now. Amanda simply watched Aiden eat his meal without saying a word. Actually, she didn¡¯t really feel the need to be addressed as the eldest daughter of the Allegra Family. However, it seemed that everyone was eager for her to return to the family, except for Stephanie, whom she could tell wasn¡¯t too weing toward her. After what felt like an eternity, just when Stephanie thought she might refuse and was rejoicing in secret, Amanda said, ¡°I agree.¡± ||| r As soon as these words left her mouth, Jack and Edith heaved a sigh of relief. The weight on their hearts was finally lifted. Edith couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s set it for the end. of this month, then.¡± ¡°I have no problems with that.¡± Amanda picked up a tissue and wiped the grease from the corner of Aiden¡¯s mouth. Elias stared at the side of her face with a slight frown. His gaze was inscrutable, as if he couldn¡¯t figure out what she was thinking. Stephanie¡¯s inner delight was shattered. She actually agreed! From now on, my standing in the Allegra Family will likely be in jeopardy. I¡¯ll no longer be the pampered and spoiled young daughter of the family! ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± She made up an excuse and left. Crispin got up and hurried after her. Watching the pair leave, Amanda slowly said, ¡°Seems like Steph doesn¡¯t really want me toe back.¡± ¡°How is that possible? She¡¯s just being childish and unable to ept it for a moment. Don¡¯t worry about her. Come on, let¡¯s eat,¡± replied Jack perfunctorily. Then, he began eating to mask the awkwardness of his younger daughter suddenly leaving the dining table. In the washroom, Stephanie stood before the sink, looking at herself in the mirror while trembling all over with rage. I know I have no right to stop my sister froming back, but¡­ why have Mom and Dad stopped caring about my feelings ever since she appeared? Everything used to revolve around me in the past. The next moment, tears welled up in her eyes. She was filled with grievances that she could. express to no one. Suddenly, Crispin pushed the door open and came in. ¡°Who let you in? Get out!¡± Stephanie quickly wiped away her tears. This was the first time she had ever lost her temper at Crispin. Crispin was also taken aback, but then he thought it might just be her spoiled temper. Just bear with it for the sake of the infinite, bright future. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Steph. I understand how you. feel. Your parents might¡¯ve ignored you for the time being, but when everything returns to normal, they¡¯ll still love you just the same.¡± He reached out to wipe her tears away. Stephanie tried to dodge him, though. The more she thought about this, the more indignant she felt. Why did Amanda end up with Elias Winters, who has good looks, a good physique, and lots of money, whereas I only ended up with a penniless guy? Comparisons were odious. Without the contrast with Amanda, had Elias not entered her world, she might¡¯ve thought that Crispin was fine. She might even want to marry him and have children with him, and she would have no problem eloping with him. But now, she didn¡¯t want to anymore. She just didn¡¯t want to. We¡¯re both daughters of the Allegra Family. Why could Amanda end up with such an outstanding one-of-a-kind man, while I only ended up with Crispin? Now that I think about it, he seems like an ordinary person who could be found everywhere; there¡¯s nothing special about him. ¡°Crisp, I feel like Mom and Dad are punishing me. I don¡¯t want to think about getting married for now. I¡¯m not even in the mood for a rtionship¡­¡± She was on the verge of saying she wanted a breakup, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. Crispin immediately gathered himself. Even a fool could understand what that meant she wants a breakup! There was no way he could let that happen. I¡¯ve worked so hard to get to this point. How can I give up easily? ¡°Steph, I didn¡¯t mean to pressure you. If you don¡¯t want to think about it for now, then we won¡¯t. I can wait for you, and I¡¯ll always do. Please don¡¯t say something like this, okay? It really hurts.¡± Seeing how devastated he looked, Stephanie felt even guiltier. I¡¯ve let this man down. But the truth is, I really don¡¯t like him. anymore. All of a sudden, Crispin said, ¡°Steph, you don¡¯t want your sister to return to your family, right? Perhaps I can help you with it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll help me?¡± Stephanie was really curious. How is he going to help me? Crispin replied, ¡°Mm-hmm, I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯d do anything for you as long as you don¡¯t break up with me, okay? Please, Steph, I can¡¯t live without you.¡± Stephanie was lost for words. Her guilt worsened. How can I hurt such a nice guy? Actually, if he had dated an ordinary girl, he could¡¯ve lived a happy life. What went wrong was that he met me. ¡°Crisp, you don¡¯t have to do this for me. This is a matter within our family, so you don¡¯t have to get involved in it. My dad doesn¡¯t like you in the first ce, and if he discovers what you¡¯re doing, he¡¯ll surely make you suffer for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m willing to do anything for you, Steph.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, Stephanie was deeply moved. However, even after being moved, she still didn¡¯t want to marry Crispin. Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 I Really Will Bite You Meanwhile, Rosie was having dinner alone because she had no one to dine with her. Poking in boredom at the food in her bowl, she asked the maid next to her, ¡°What kind of dinner party are they having over there? Why can¡¯t I be a part of it?¡± The maid replied, ¡°It seems that somebody from the Allegra Family hase over to see Mr. Aiden. That¡¯s why they¡¯re having dinner together.¡± ¡°The Allegra Family? You mean Jack Allegra?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± Rosie had absolutely no idea about the cause and effect behind this. Puzzled, she asked, ¡°Is Jack Allegra on such good terms with the Winterses? Why would hee over to see that little brat? What does that boy have to do with him?¡± The Jack Allegra she remembered wasn¡¯t a kind and amiable person; he was calcting in every way and as treacherous and cunning as a fox. ncing behind her to ensure no one was around, the maid whispered, ¡°I listened for at moment just now. Miss Bailey seems to be a daughter of the Allegra Family, and they¡¯re discussing which day to announce it to the public.¡± Rosie nearly jumped to her feet in shock. ¡°What?! What did you say?! How could Amanda Bailey be a daughter of the Allegra Family?!¡± Amanda Bailey is the Allegra Family¡¯s daughter? Isn¡¯t she the daughter of that penniless gambler? How could she be the Allegra Family¡¯s heiress? I remember that Stephanie Allegra, the heiress of the Allegra Family, is still in school. How could she have already given birth to a child? The maid shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but from what they were saying, it didn¡¯t sound like a joke. That would exin why the Allegras came to see Mr. Aiden. If Miss Bailey is indeed their daughter, Mr. Aiden would be their grandson.¡± All of a sudden, Rosie felt somewhat panicked. Her biggest source of pride had been her family background, which matched that of Elias perfectly, while Amanda was just a slum- born ugly duckling who wasn¡¯t even good enough to stand by his side. If Amanda is really a daughter of the Allegra Family, her family would be of a higher ss than mine! Wouldn¡¯t that make her and Eli a perfect match made in heaven? She stood frozen in ce, unable toe to her senses for a long time. Didn¡¯t God make me a bone marrow match for that little brat to help me? Why would He give that temptress such a big surprise? After dinner, the Allegras sat in the garden for a long while before leaving. Aiden had fallen asleep in Amanda¡¯s arms and was carried back to his bedroom by Miriam to sleep. At this moment, only Amanda and Elias were left in the garden. The moon shone brightly, while the scent of flowers filled the air. It had been a long time since they had enjoyed such a peaceful andfortable atmosphere. In the past few weeks, their nerves had been stretched thin. They had been in a constant state of tension and panic, feeling as though their hearts were going to give out on them. Amanda gazed up at the pitch-ck night sky as a gentle breeze caressed her soft, long hair. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve been in such a state of mind.¡± The man beside her seemed to have had a few drinks. He was tipsy, his gaze unfocused as he stared at her profile. ¡°Why did you agree to it? I remember that you didn¡¯t seem to want to return to the Allegra Family before.¡± Amanda raised the corners of her mouth to form a smile. ¡°You probably didn¡¯t look into it before, but Stephanie was part of the reason why I went missing as a child. Even an idiot can. see that she doesn¡¯t want me toe back, so I¡¯lle back despite her wishes.¡± Stephanie? thought Elias. Indeed, he hadn¡¯t looked into how Amanda had gone missing all those years ago. He had only taken that photo of Stephanie to surmise what she would¡¯ve looked like as a grown- up. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I¡¯m sleepy. Time to go to sleep,¡± said Amanda before standing up. She was about to leave with no desire whatsoever to pay any attention to the man behind her. However, Elias protested, ¡°Don¡¯t you care about me anymore? I¡¯m a bit wasted, and I need. you to help me up.¡± His voice was deep and seductive, with even a hint of flirtation. Of course, only Amanda could hear him speak in such a voice because it was only in front of her that he would reveal his true self. Amanda let out a sneer before turning to look at him. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need me. I won¡¯t put my head in the lion¡¯s mouth anymore. Go back on your own by leaning against the wall.¡± Elias was speechless. A lion¡¯s mouth? Am I that scary? His eyes narrowed. Leaning back in his rattan chair, he raised his chin slightly, asking, ¡°Am I that scary?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m covered in hickeys you left behind! What do you think about that?!¡± replied Amanda, growing angrier as she spoke. Now that nobody was around, she really wanted to bite this man. Because of him, she dared not wear any revealing clothes in front of her son. She had to cover herself up because this man had left his marks all over her body in a domineering fashion! To her dismay, however, Elias burst outughing in a cheerful voice, eyeing her up and down. as if undressing her with his gaze. This made Amanda deeply ufortable, as though she had been taken back to the night when the man had pressed himself on top of her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! Stop it!¡± She covered her chest with her arms. Eliasughed even harder, though. ¡°So what if I¡¯m looking? Are you gonna bite me?¡± ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that?! Just you wait, Elias Winters!¡± Amanda flipped out at once. After ncing around to make sure that nobody else was there, she instantly lunged at the man. However, Elias¡¯ good-looking face had fondness written all over it. In aid-back manner, he opened his arms, weing his woman into his embrace. groan Jumping into his arms, Amanda bit fiercely into his shoulder until she heard a muffled of pain from him. Her lips curled into a smile. Good that you know it hurts. However, just as she was about to get up and leave, the man¡¯s long arm tightened around her slender waist, while his other hand pressed her head to his chest. Struggling in vain, she swore furiously, ¡°Let go of me!¡± The man¡¯s voice was charmingly husky. ¡°Keep on biting if you want. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much. In fact, it makes me more sober.¡± Amanda replied, ¡°I think you¡¯re crazy. I really will bite you to death!¡± ¡°Just admit it-that you can¡¯t really go through with it. You can¡¯t bring yourself to be cruel to me,¡± said Elias with augh, totally unconcerned by her warning. Amanda bit into his other shoulder without saying another word. This time, she didn¡¯t hear him groan; he seemed to have prepared himself for this. She then bit into his shoulder a few more times, only to hear him say in a seductive voice, ¡°How about we go back to our room to bite each other? It¡¯s not safe here; someone might see us.¡± ¡°Elias Winters! Don¡¯t you have any sense of shame?! Even I¡¯m embarrassed by you!¡± chided Amanda. How can he still behave like this despite already being a father? How dare he actually flirt with me! Pushing him away abruptly, she got up and ran away, looking like a princess fleeing. in a panic. This time, instead of stopping her, Elias watched her disappear into the distance with at smile. He murmured softly, ¡°So you really are a princess, huh¡­¡± I¡¯ve got to work even harder to be a good prince, then. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be good enough for this princess, he thought. I have to speed up the process of regaining control of mypany. Tomorrow, I have to talk to Jack Allegra about this. This sly old fox is so absorbed in reuniting with his daughter. He¡¯d better not forget about battle for power. my Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 It¡¯s Not a Secret Tonight, while some were having a good sleep, others were staying awake all night. Rosie, for instance, was pacing back and forth in her room, unable to calm down. Now, not only Stephanie, but Rosie also didn¡¯t want Amanda to return to the Allegra Family. If Amanda officially returns to the Allegras and bes their daughter, I¡¯ll have even less of a chance of winning Eli¡¯s heart. In fact, I¡¯ll never stand a chance at all! ¡°What should I do¡­ What should I do?! What on earth should I do?!¡± She hadn¡¯t a clue what to do. She was biting her nails in anxiety, so anxious her nails were about to bleed. The thing was, it seemed that Elias still had little interest in her. I¡¯ve made such a huge sacrifice, yet all I get in return is him not disliking me. Unable to sleep at all, she came to the estate alone, wanting to speak to Elias, though she had no idea what she wanted to say. As luck would have it, she ran into a slightly inebriated Elias walking toward her along the way. Elias¡¯ gaze was vacant, but he wasn¡¯t too heavily drunk. ¡°Why are youing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?¡± He stopped in his tracks, looking at Rosie, who looked all flustered as if she had something on her mind. Seeing him at this moment, Rosie felt both excited and torn. She stammered, ¡°I¡­ I am¡­ kind of having trouble falling asleep.¡± If it were Amanda, Elias might have asked why she was having trouble falling asleep. However, since it was Rosie, he didn¡¯t really care and simply replied, ¡°Oh,¡± and was about to brush past her. Just when he brushed past her, Rosie grabbed his sleeve, saying, ¡°Wait a minute, Eli.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Elias frowned slightly while looking down at her hand gripping his sleeve. ¡°Let go of me.¡± She immediately let go before putting on an expression that looked as innocent as a little rabbit. ¡°Sorry.¡± The man seemed rather impatient. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Rosie hemmed and hawed again for a while. ¡°I heard a rumor, and I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s true. I heard the servants say that Amanda is a daughter of the Allegra Family. Is that true?¡± Instead of answering, Elias stared at her with a frown. Rosie added with an embarrassed smile, ¡°It¡¯s probably just the maids spreading rumors. I ||| might¡¯ve misheard it, too. I just wanted to let you know. If it¡¯s false, you have to discipline those servants lest they go around spreading false-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s true, and it¡¯s not a secret. We¡¯re going to make it public. Soon, the whole world will know that Amanda is the Allegra Family¡¯s long- lost eldest daughter.¡± Rosie stood frozen in ce after listening to the man¡¯s speech. It was one thing to hear it from the maid, but hearing it directly from Elias was another. So, Amanda really is the daughter of the Allegra Family! ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± asked Elias again. Gathering her wild thoughts, Rosie shook her head with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s great! If that¡¯s the case, no one will say that you and Amanda aren¡¯tpatible anymore. You two will no longer have to keep your marriage a secret.¡± These words sounded as awkward and unwilling as they could be. Without saying a word, Elias walked toward the vi, leaving Rosie to stand there alone while watching the man¡¯s tall and good-looking figure disappear. This is getting even harder to deal with now¡­ Amanda has too many trump cards up her sleeve, doesn¡¯t she? Not only is she Eli¡¯s ex-wife, but she¡¯s also the mother of his son and Jack Allegra¡¯s long-lost daughter¡­ God is clearly helping that seductress in every way! So, what¡¯s the point of me donating my bone marrow? To get the three of them together as a happy family? The more I think about this, the madder I¡¯m getting! Amanda was staying in Winters Estate these days. She didn¡¯t have a problem with Rosie¡¯s presence anymore; instead, she was slowly getting used to it. Aiden¡¯s health was also improving day by day. He was always capering around, which made her sigh with relief. After that, she started busying herself with work again. As for the dinner. party at the end of the month, she left the preparations to Jack. Her only responsibility was to show up at the party by then. She was looking at the interior design drawings when Elias called. She answered the phone with her free hand, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I had an evening dress tailor-made for you to wear at the dinner party at the end of this month. Try it on when you¡¯re free this evening. I¡¯ve texted you the address.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± She smiled without turning him down. For a long time, the man on the other end didn¡¯t hang up. He seemed to want to say something more, but eventually, he decided against it and ended the phone call. After hanging up the phone, Amanda continued to focus on the design drawings. Just then, a man came in. ¡°Excuse me, are you Miss Amanda Bailey?¡± Amanda looked up at him. This guy looks so familiar¡­ Where have I seen him before? ¡°Hi¡­ May I know who you are?¡± ¡°Hi, Miss Bailey. I¡¯m Crispin Coyote, your sister Stephanie¡¯s boyfriend.¡± Oh¡­ right. He¡¯s the man whom Stephanie loves so much she can¡¯t live without. Amanda put down the design drawings in her hands. She got up and walked over to him, asking, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Crispin replied, ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you. Do you have a moment right now?¡± He made the bold move of coming here directly because there were only a few days left until the dinner party at the end of the month. Once Amanda¡¯s existence was announced to the public that night, it would be toote for him to take action. Talk to me? About what? Amanda lifted her wrist to check the time. It seems to be time for lunch. ¡°Well, in that case, we can have lunch together,¡± she suggested. Crispin nodded with a smile. The two of them thus went to a nearby restaurant and casually ordered a few dishes. In case, they weren¡¯t really here to eat. any Amanda, however, was genuinely curious about what this Crispin guy wanted to discuss with her. ¡°Now can you tell me what you¡¯d like to talk to me about, Mr. Coyote? I¡¯m all ears.¡± Crispin took a sip of his tea before saying, ¡°Things have been quite difficult for Steph and me. Before Mr. Allegra found you, the Allegras focused all their attention on Steph, so they objected to our rtionship no matter what. But things are different now. Ever since you appeared, Mr. Allegra has changed. He¡¯s started to support our rtionship, which I¡¯m happy about. Still, I¡¯m worried because his affection for Steph seems to have waned. Steph has been feeling a bit down, too.¡± So, he¡¯s concerned about meing back andpeting for attention? Amanda smiled without saying a word while gesturing with her eyes for Crispin to continue. Crispin continued, ¡°Miss Bailey, do you understand the depth of our feelings for one another? It¡¯s true that we¡¯re seriously ill-matched in terms of social position, but we had this chemistry between us, and so we couldn¡¯t help falling in love with each other- Before he could finish his speech, Amanda toyed with her teacup, saying, ¡°How can I not understand? Before I knew Jack Allegra was iny biological father, I had also lived in a slum. Do you know how much I¡¯ve suffered during my secret marriage to Elias? Elias and I were even more ipatible than you and Stephanie.¡± ||| 34 Instantly, Crispin was rendered speechless, unable to respond. Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Such Maliciousness at Such a Young Age? Amanda looked at the speechless man and nced at the table full of dishes. She had lost her appetite. She already knew the purpose of Crispin¡¯s visit. It was simply to prevent her from returning to the Allegra Family and to prevent her from taking away the love that belonged exclusively to Stephanie. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say? If not, I¡¯ll leave. You can eat the dishes at this table. Don¡¯t let them go to waste.¡± Amanda picked up her bag and was ready to leave, but Crispin grabbed her wrist. She looked at his hand with disgust, and he instinctively let go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize. Miss Bailey, please don¡¯t leave yet. I still have something to say.¡± ¡°Speak up. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± She nced at her watch and pretended to be busy. Crispin picked up his teacup and took a sip. Amanda did have a strong presence and she didn¡¯t seem like someone who grew up in the slums. ¡°Miss Bailey-¡± ¡°Did Stephanie send you to find me?¡± Once again, she interrupted his words. She couldn¡¯t stand men who beat around the bush, perhaps because she was used to Elias¡¯ straightforward and blunt way of speaking. Crispin gathered his courage. ¡°Miss Bailey, do you have any issues with your sister?¡± ¡°Why do you say so? When did I show any signs of having issues with her?¡± ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re not very enthusiastic about your sister, Stephanie.¡± He decided to bepletely frank. After all, he had to pass this test. Otherwise, Stephanie would never believe him. He hade this far, and it was already difficult enough to get Jack¡¯s approval. If he was rejected by Stephanie at this point, all his efforts would be in vain. Amanda smiled but remained silent. She picked up her teacup and took a sip before speaking slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t like her very much. So what? If you have something to say, just say it directly instead of beating around the bush.¡± ¡°Miss Bailey, can you not return to the Allegra Family?¡± r 14 Upon hearing this, Amanda paused for a moment and then smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the reason? Also, Mr. Coyote, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re meddling too much? Do you think you¡¯re already the son-inw of the Allegra Family? Whether I return to the Allegra Family or not is not something you should be concerned about, right?¡± Crispin was overestimating himself. Who did he think he was? ¡°I love your sister, and I don¡¯t want her to be unhappy. So¡­¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t want me to return to the Allegra Family? What kind of reasoning is that? You¡¯re the one spoiling her. Why should I spoil her as well? Crispin, get your mind straight.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. It felt like she was talking to a lunatic. After paying the bill, she got up and left. Crispin sat at the dining table as he watched her retreating figure, and suddenly let out a sinisterugh. He muttered under his breath, ¡°I have advised you nicely. Since it hase down to this, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡± Elias was sitting at his desk, signing documents at the Winters Enterprise. At that moment, there was a knock on the office door. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Without looking up, he said, ¡°Come in.¡± Yacob entered the office, directly sat on the chair opposite Elias, and waited for Elias to finish his work before reporting. However, Elias continued signing while saying, ¡°Just tell me.¡± Only then did Yacob straighten up. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been investigating these past few days and it¡¯s not easy. I only managed to find a little bit of information. The Allegra Family has changed. several maids, and they¡¯ve also changed several butlers. I found out from a retired butler who served in the Allegra Family a few years ago.¡± Elias stopped signing and looked up at Yacob while waiting for him to continue. He was going to listen carefully to this part. ¡°This old man said that when the youngdy from the Allegra Family went missing years ago, Stephanie also went missing. The whole family was searching for the children. In the end, Stephanie returned on her own, but the youngdy from the Allegra Family was still missing. Later, Stephanie slipped up once and told the butler that she asked her sister to take her out, but she went back on her own without caring about her sister.¡± Elias leaned back in his chair and squinted his eyes. Such maliciousness at such a young age? Yacob rested his arms on the desk and leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯m saying that Stephanie¡¯s behavior at the dining table that day was unusual. It seemed like she didn¡¯t want Miss Bailey to return. to the Allegra Family for fear that Miss Bailey would take away the love that belonged to her.¡± ¡°Is the information reliable?¡± ¡°It should be. This butler served the Allegra Family for many years. He said he watched both. children grow up. Stephanie had always been spoiled and willful since she was young. She alwaysined that her parents favored her sister. Amelia, on the other hand, is timid. and weak. She didn¡¯t know how to defend herself every time she was framed by Stephanie. In that aspect, she¡¯s quite simr to Miss Bailey, who had a hidden marriage with you. She indeed has a timid and cowardly character.¡± So, Amanda decided to return to the Allegra Family just to see Stephanie cry? If that were the case, Amanda¡¯s disappearance years ago would be closely rted to Stephanie, but could a young girl really be so malicious? ¡°Mr. Winters, what are you thinking?¡± Yacob asked as he saw Elias remained silent for a while. Elias replied, ¡°I¡¯m thinking if Stephanie was really that malicious at such a young age.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, some children have inherent wickedness. It needs to be corrected through education, but even with education, it doesn¡¯t guarantee a good oue. Considering Stephanie¡¯s character, I don¡¯t find it surprising that she would do such things. Look at how happy the entire Allegra Family was when they found Miss Bailey. They were practically celebrating, except for Stephanie, who pulled a long face and looked gloomy.¡± Just then, Elias sat up straight. ¡°Arrange a meeting with Stephanie. I want to talk to her.¡± ¡°If you question her now, she definitely won¡¯t admit it. Maybe she even forgot about the things she did when she was young. After all, she was so little back then.¡± Yacob shrugged. However, Elias instructed him coldly, ¡°Just go and make the arrangement. No more nonsense.¡± ¡°All right. Understood.¡± In the evening, Yacob came to pick Stephanie up from the Allegra Family. She looked surprised. ¡°You¡¯re here to take me to see Elias? For what reason?¡± Ever since her sister was found. Elias hadn¡¯t bothered with her. Why did he suddenly want to see her? ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you get there. Mr. Winters is waiting for you.¡± Yacob simply conveyed. the message. Though Stephanie had a hint of suspicion, she still got into Yacob¡¯s car. She just wanted to see what Elias wanted from her. Yacob drove her to a seaside vi. Where is this ce? I¡¯ve never been here before, she wondered. The car slowly came to a stop in front of the vi. Yacob got out and opened the car door for her. ¡°Miss Allegra, this way please.¡± ¡°Where is this?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°Oh. This is one of Mr. Winters¡¯ properties. He rarely stays here, but hees here to enjoy the view and such for a few days when he¡¯s mentally and physically exhausted.¡± She paused for a moment, then got out of the car. She nced at the peculiarly built vi and couldn¡¯t help but feel curious about what it looked like inside. Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 You¡¯re Different, Your Thoughts Are Malicious Stephanie walked into the vi with curiosity in her heart, while Yacob remained motionless outside the car. She was puzzled as she turned back and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing in with me?¡± Wasn¡¯t Yacob always by Elias¡¯ side? Why was he standing outside waiting now? N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Yacobzily leaned against the car, crossed his arms, and replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need. You¡¯lle out later, and I have to drive you back. Besides, you can¡¯t do anything to Mr. Winters, so there¡¯s no need for me to go in.¡± His disdainful tone indicated that he didn¡¯t even regard Stephanie as important. She snorted coldly, then turned and walked into the vi. Inside the vi, there was no one in sight. Is Elias not here? She looked around, but she couldn¡¯t locate Elias, so she couldn¡¯t help but call out, ¡°Elias? Are you here?¡± At that moment, footsteps sounded from upstairs. She involuntarily looked up and saw Elias in a ck suit standing by the railing, looking down at her with a serious expression, as if contemting something. Elias took a step forward and descended the stairs slowly. Stephanie began to feel a little nervous. She swallowed hard and her voice trembled slightly as she said, ¡°Your bodyguard said you wanted to see me.¡± He walked down the stairs toward the living room and replied, ¡°Please have a seat. There are some matters I need to discuss with you.¡± She tightly sped the hem of her skirt with her hands. Her body was stiff as she walked over and sat on the couch. The atmosphere was tense, and the entire vi was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. It had to be said that Elias had a formidable presence that made her unable to lift her head to meet his gaze. She didn¡¯t even dare to take a breath. After what seemed like a long time, Elias finally spoke. ¡°Amanda is returning to the Allegra Family. Do you not wee her?¡± Stephanie suddenly raised her head and instinctively retorted, ¡°Who said that? I¡¯ll beat the crap out of the person who said that! We searched for my sister for so many years, and now that we finally found her, of course, I wee her back!¡± He smiled and remained silent, but his gaze was fixed on her, which made her even more nervous. ¡°Why are you smiling? Don¡¯t you believe me? We¡¯re about to hold a recognition banquet for her. Isn¡¯t that enough to satisfy her? Do you still have toe and test me? You really treat your ex-wife well!¡± Her words became incoherent. She didn¡¯t even know what she was saying. Cold sweat started to form on her forehead,yer byyer. Elias¡¯ voice sank. ¡°Why are you so nervous? I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nervous! I¡¯m just defending myself against your nder and attempts to sow discord!¡± she retorted angrily. Eliasughed and leaned back. ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us here now. Let¡¯s be honest. The truth is, you quite dislike your sister. The disappearance of your sister years ago was also rted to you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! Who told you that? Who is spreading rumors?!¡± Stephanie became so agitated that she shot up from her seat, as if someone took a jab at her sore spot. Elias ignored her emotional outburst and continued, ¡°You were only three or four years old back then, and your sister was six years old at most. You insisted on going out to y, so she took you out. As a result, the entire Allegra Family realized that you two were missing. They searched for both of you all day until the evening when you appeared in the sight of the adults alone, but your sister was nowhere to be found. Isn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence?¡± Her face turned pale, and cold sweat dripped down to her chin. Her breathing became rapid. and shallow. How did Elias know about this? Who was the one that told him? There were only a few people who knew about it, and the servants and butlers in the Allegra Family had been changed multiple times. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you think that I intentionally caused my sister to go missing when I was only three or four years old? Don¡¯t you think your spections are ridiculous? How old was I back then? I was scared! I didn¡¯t even know what happened! Now, I don¡¯t remember what happened back then or why my sister and I went out. Do you think it¡¯s reasonable to use me of such things? What do you have against a three- or four-year-old child?¡± Stephanie trembled with anger, or perhaps it was guilt because she was the only one who knew what really happened. When she was young, she always felt that everyone revolved around her sister. They praised her for being well-behaved and understanding, while she was always the one being scolded. She genuinely wished that her sister would disappear so that everyone¡¯s attention would be focused on her alone, and they would dote on her. She swore that she never intended for her sister to go missing, nor did she have that capability. She begged her sister to take her out secretly to y, so the two of them crawled through a doghole and sneaked out. However, she quickly became tired and cried incessantly, so her sister, left with no option, had to carry her on her back. After walking for an indeterminate amount of time, they got lost. Her sister, deciding to take a break, ced her down before she leaned against a tree trunk and fell asleep. In the evening, the entire Allegra Family went out searching for them. In fact, the two sisters. hadn¡¯t gone far. They had short arms and legs to begin with, and thus couldn¡¯t have wandered too far. They were lost in the woods outside the vi area. Her sister was too exhausted and slept deeply. Because of that, she didn¡¯t hear the voices of the adults. Stephanie, on the other hand, heard them and followed the sound, leading the Allegra Family to find her and bring her back home. However, she hadpletely forgotten about her sister. She did have a moment of selfishness back then. She didn¡¯t want her family to find her sister. Since then, her sister had truly disappeared from the world, as if she had vanished. Afterward, the attention of everyone in the Allegra Family waspletely focused on her. They treated her like a rare treasure and protected her as if she was the most precious thing. When she was brought back home, no matter how her family members asked, she refused to tell them where her sister was. She only said she had forgotten and didn¡¯t remember. Over the years, Stephanie had carried a deep sense of guilt while enjoying the love and favor from her family, as if it was only natural. She hoped her sister was living well in some corner of the world, but she didn¡¯t want her sister toe back because her sister would take away her parents¡¯ love from her. Stephanie now regretted giving that photo to Elias. She thought her sister would never be found, but she turned out to be Amanda! If she had known that Amanda was her lost sister, she would never have allowed Elias to take that photo. ¡°Other children might not, but you¡¯re different. Your thoughts are malicious.¡± Elias¡¯ sudden remark interrupted Stephanie¡¯s chaotic thoughts which caused her mind to buzz. Malicious? He used the word ¡°malicious¡± to describe her when she was only three or four she really malicious? years old. Was Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 How Much Does This Man Love Amanda? ¡°You actually call me malicious?! Why?!¡± Stephanie was rather shocked. Is that the kind of woman I am to this guy? Elias let out a snort of contempt. ¡°Why, you ask? You know full well what you¡¯ve done, and I can¡¯t be bothered to ask. That being said, from now on, if you dare toy a finger on Amanda and her son again, I¡¯ll never let you get away with it! Remember this: I won¡¯t forgive you, even if your father begs me on his knees!¡± Stephanie retorted, ¡°What makes you assume that I had something to do with my sister going missing back then? You don¡¯t have any evidence of it! What makes you think I¡¯m malicious and wouldy a finger on her and her son?! And besides, even if you won¡¯t let me get away with it, so what? What can you do to me, anyway?!¡± She was as mad as a ho. This guy is simply unreasonable, using me without any substantial evidence and even warning me in advance! This is an absolute insult to me! He stood up and strode up to her, causing her to step back repeatedly in fear. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± she asked. Elias unceremoniously grabbed her by the cor. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know what it means to suffer a fate worse than death. Try it if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± he said, throwing her onto the couch before turning to leave the vi. Stephanie fell onto the couch, her face as white as a sheet. For a long time, she didn¡¯te to her senses; a chill ran down her spine, and a cold sweat broke out on her palms. A fate worse than death¡­ He actually said that! Just how much does he love Amanda?! Does she matter that much to him?! Atst, she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. She stood up and turned to look at the tall man who was about to walk out the door, yelling furiously, ¡°If you love her that much, why did you divorce her?! Didn¡¯t you divorce her because you didn¡¯t love her anymore?!¡± The man paused for a moment, but he didn¡¯t answer her question, nor did he even nce. back at her. Instead, he continued stepping out the door. I don¡¯t need to exin to anyone whether I love Amanda or not. ¡°Elias Winters, you unreasonable lunatic!¡± Stephanie picked up one cushion after another. from the couch, hurling them onto the floor. Just then, Yacob came in and caught one of the cushions she threw. He said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss Allegra. It¡¯s gettingte already. Don¡¯t you have a date with that Crisp guy? Now that there¡¯s nothing getting between the two of you anymore, why not make the most of this time to get lovey- dovey?¡± Stephanie hurled another cushion at him. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?! How dare Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. = youe here and mock me!¡± Yacob nimbly dodged it while still maintaining his carefree demeanor. He replied with augh, ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m a nobody, but I¡¯m better than someone who was so malicious at the age of four as to make her sister go missing just topete for attention. Tsk, tsk. If this were a pce drama, you¡¯d at least make it to the final episode.¡± ¡°You b*stard! What nonsense are you talking about?! Get lost! Get the hell out of here! I don¡¯t want you to give me a ride!¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes rounded with rage. Why does even this f*cking bodyguard know about this?! He shrugged before tossing the car keys onto the couch. ¡°That¡¯s fine. You think I¡¯d be happy to give you a ride? Here, take the car keys and drive yourself back. The car isn¡¯t worth much, anyway. You may consider it a gift from Mr. Winters.¡± Good thing that I don¡¯t have to give her a ride. It¡¯s nice to have some free time. He turned around and left without the slightest hesitation. Stephanie was left alone in this seaside vi, listening to the echoes of her own angry voice and the sound of the waves. Even the sound of the wind blowing on the sea seemed to be mocking her for being malicious. In Winters Estate¡­ Night came. After bathing Aiden, Amanda carried him back to bed and helped him change into his pajamas. Then, after telling him stories for a long time, she finally got this little brat to sleep. She slowly tiptoed out of the room in light footsteps. Relieved that she could finally get some rest, she rubbed her neck, which was somewhat sore from constantly looking down at design drawings these past few days. As soon as she raised her head, she came face to face with Elias, who was still in his suit. He had probably just returned. ¡°Is Aiden sleeping already?¡± ¡°Yeah, he just fell asleep. Have you had dinner?¡± she asked. Elias replied, ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯ll go down to eat after taking a shower.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m going back to my room, then,¡± said Amanda before preparing to leave. Before I knew it, things had be awkward again between us. He grabbed her wrist, though. Amanda looked up with a frown. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Elias asked, ¡°Have you really decided to return to the Allegra Family? Maybe things are fine as they are now. Once your identity is made public, there¡¯ll be a lot of inconveniences. You¡¯ll no longer be able to be yourself as much as you want, and you¡¯ll be constrained by your social status.¡± He looked dead serious, as if giving her a piece of sincere advice. I¡¯ve always been constrained by my status as the scion of the Winters Family since I was born. I could never be myself. Does Amanda have to go through the same thing now? Amanda replied, ¡°No one can restrain me. After my identity is made public, I¡¯ll still be myself, though you might not have it easy. Those tabloids will certainly dig up the fact that you and I have been secretly married. They¡¯ll make up all sorts of stories about it, and you might go from being a dreamboat to a sc*mbag.¡± After all, countlessdies on the inte. idolized him as the nation¡¯s heartthrob. They would never have imagined that Elias was already married and divorced with a three-year-old son. Elias let out a snort of disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t live for them. I have my own things to do.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± replied Amanda with a faint smile. He slowly released his grip on her hand, after which she walked toward her room. He realized that she had indeed grown up and changed a lot; she was very different from the woman he had secretly married all those years ago. The present Amanda was unppable and perfectly capable of handling things on her own. For some reason, a sense of danger crept over him. He felt that this woman didn¡¯t need his protection anymore, which left him. feeling frustrated. Soon, it was time for the dinner party at the end of the month to formally introduce Amanda as a daughter of the Allegra Family. Jack was so excited; he had the most luxurious hotel ballroom reserved to host the dinner party and invited friends from all over the world. to witness this asion. As Amanda was sitting at the dresser wearing makeup, she suddenlyughed at herself in the mirror. Selina, who was helping her with her dress, asked, ¡°What are youughing at? Today is a big day for you! All eyes are on you as you turn from a Cindere into a real princess-no, you¡¯ve always been a princess. You¡¯re returning to your rightful home.¡± Amanda replied, ¡°I wasughing because this party is even grander than when I got married. All I did back then was get my marriage certificate, and I hadn¡¯t even met Elias in person, and yet I became the Winters Family¡¯s daughter-inw just like that. That being said, I never got to enjoy the privileges of being the daughter-inw of a rich family for a single day. I never even had a wedding before my divorce.¡± ¡°Amanda, why don¡¯t you stop mentioning those unhappy things? Elias is bending over backward to please you now, and you won¡¯t even respond to him,¡± said Selina in an attempt to divert her attention. After all, it was such a joyful asion. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Amanda Has Disappeared Amanda smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. At that moment, Crispin entered the lounge. Not having even an ounce of good feelings toward this man, Amanda didn¡¯t even want to spare him a nce. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. However, Crispin didn¡¯t mind her attitude and sauntered in with a smile. ¡°Miss Bailey, pleasee out. Mr. Allegra and the others are waiting for you.¡± Amanda let out a snicker and turned to look at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to return to the Allegra Vi, so why are you kindly asking me toe now?¡± She was being sarcastic, but she didn¡¯t know that Crispin had ill intentions. He still wore a smile on his face and ignored her deliberate provocation. He looked at Selina, who was standing by the side. ¡°Could you step out for a moment, Miss Yaleman? I have something I would like to privately discuss with Miss Bailey.¡± Selina gave him a once-over. ¡°What is it that you can¡¯t say in front of me? Or are you trying to do something to Amanda?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? I am her sister¡¯s boyfriend and her future brother-inw. How could I possibly do anything to her?¡± Crispin acted as if he didn¡¯t care about their casual guesses. At that, Selina retorted, ¡°Then, why do you want me to leave? Just say it in front of me.¡± Meanwhile, Amanda didn¡¯t say anything to make Selina leave. It was obvious that she wanted Crispin to get straight to the point. ¡°Alright, then. Miss Bailey, I owe you an exnation. I was impulsive that day. Please forgive my audacity. It was because I love your sister too much and just wanted her to be happy. So¡­ I¡¯d like to apologize to you. I won¡¯t do anything so foolish again.¡± Crispin seemed very sincere, and anyone would be moved by his apology. Amanda was the exception-she couldn¡¯t even be bothered by his speech. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I only ask for you to stop meddling in our family affairs, Mr. Coyote.¡± ¡°Thank you for forgiving me. By the way. Mr. Allegra asked you toe out quickly. Take the elevator on the left. It seems like he has prepared a surprise for you. I don¡¯t know the details, but you¡¯ll find out once you head over Crispin¡¯s smile remained stered on his face. Amanda smoothed out her hair and nced at Selina. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should leave.¡± However, Selina wasn¡¯t one who liked attending such events; she probably felt that she didn¡¯t fit in. ¡°Amanda, I think I¡¯ll pass on this one. Maybe I¡¯m too small-minded to feelfortable in this setting. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Amanda could understand the woman¡¯s feelings and didn¡¯t want to force her to do something she didn¡¯t like. ¡°You should go back first and rest up. No need to wait for me.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± And so, Amanda followed Crispin out of the rest area and headed toward the banquet hall. When they reached the elevators, Crispin took her to the one on the left, saying, ¡°This Miss Bailey.¡± ¡°What surprise could it be?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask. way, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. Mr. Allegra didn¡¯t tell me. He only told me to take you on this elevator.¡± Amanda wondered if Jack had prepared a gift for her, or maybe a huge bouquet outside the elevator. Those were the only surprises she could think of. Otherwise, what else could it be? After entering the elevator, Crispin stood behind her before the smile on his lips slowly disappeared. However, at this moment, Amanda didn¡¯t know what she wouldter face. The elevator descended floor by floor, and she waited for the moment when the elevator doors would open. The elevator doors slowly opened with a ding, Crispin suddenly mentioned, ¡°You should head over first, Miss Bailey. Turn right after you exit the elevator on the left. I think I left my phone in the rest area earlier. I have to go get it.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t heed his words and walked straight out of the elevator. Is the banquet hall on this floor? Why is it so empty and quiet? And where is the surprise? I don¡¯t see anything. It wasn¡¯t a disappointment, just curiosity about what surprise Jack had prepared. Amanda followed the direction Crispin had pointed in search of the banquet hall. Instead, she found a long corridor where nothing could be seen. In the next second, a handkerchief suddenly extended from behind her and covered her mouth. She started to struggle, but before she could even scream, she was knocked unconscious and fell into the arms of the man behind her. Two men then carried the unconscious Amanda on their shoulders. They first entered at room, and soon after, the two of them walked out of the room while dragging arge suitcase with them. Amanda was hidden inside. Meanwhile, everyone was waiting for Amanda to appear in the banquet hall, but there was no sign of her. At this point, Crispin had quietly returned to Stephanie¡¯s side. Jack was starting to lose his temper. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t shee yet? Surely she is not having second thoughts?¡± ¡°Just wait a bit longer. Women take time to get ready, and it¡¯s not even time yet.¡± Edith spoke up for Amanda. She knew that Amanda might be struggling internally and perhaps feeling conflicted. She didn¡¯t want to rush her. Stephanie, however, didn¡¯t say anything despite the discontent written all over her face. Just why does Amanda have such a grand ceremony waiting for her after shees back? ¡°Is this even necessary? Hmph!¡± she softly grumbled. When Crispin heard that, he leaned close to her and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Amanda won¡¯t be able to come tonight. No one will know she exists.¡± After all, the matter hadn¡¯t been announced yet, and the guests invited tonight had no idea. Jack was going to announce that they had found his eldest daughter. The guests thought that this was just an ordinary party. Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened instantly as she looked at Crispin, who was behind her, and lowered her voice. ¡°Did you do something?¡± ¡°Hush¡­¡± Crispin simply signaled for her to be quiet. Stephanie¡¯s heart raced, and she felt a sense of inexplicable panic. What exactly did Crispin do? Why can¡¯t Amandae? Did he hide her somewhere? Endless possibilities shed through her head. Her mind was a tangled web, so much so that she couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. When Amanda still hadn¡¯t arrived after a while, Jack couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He turned to Edith and urged, ¡°Go to the lounge and see what¡¯s going on. Check if she is feeling unwell.¡± He also didn¡¯t want to believe that Amanda had suddenly changed her mind. He knew that she was not that kind of person. Edith then nodded and left the banquet hall. Beside them, Elias narrowed his eyes, wondering why Amanda hadn¡¯t arrived. After all, she wasn¡¯t one who would change her mind at thest minute. Did something happen? He took out his phone and dialed her number, but no one answered no matter how times he tried. Her phone was turned off when he called her again. What¡¯s going on? many He had a feeling that something was wrong. Turning around, he was about to go to the lounge and check on Amanda when Edith came back in a fluster. She blurted out in a voice. filled with anxiety, ¡°What should we do, Jack? Amanda isn¡¯t in the lounge. I can¡¯t find her anywhere! Where could she have gone?¡± Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Chapter 335 This Is Unbelievable ¡°What did you say? She¡¯s gone?¡± Elias panicked in an instant. His intuition told him that something had gone wrong. Edith also looked anxious as she stuttered, ¡°I went to the lounge¡­ and I looked around for a while but couldn¡¯t find her. I even asked many staff members, but they all said they didn¡¯t see her. What should we do? Did she run away?¡± Tears immediately rolled down Edith¡¯s cheeks. She didn¡¯t even consider any other possibilities. She thought that Amanda escaped because she didn¡¯t want to return to their family. ¡°How is that possible? She promised us! How could she go back on her word?¡± Jack also didn¡¯t think of the worst as he assumed that Amanda had simply changed her mind. Only Elias¡¯ expression remained unwavering. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Amanda wouldn¡¯t go back on her decision. Something must have happened.¡± After saying that, he stormed toward the entrance of the banquet hall without any hesitation. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The look on Crispin¡¯s face promptly changed, and he exchanged a nce with Stephanie as he realized that things were not looking good. If Elias got involved, the man would surely find clues quickly. Crispin had expected everyone to think that Amanda had fled at thest moment, but Elias didn¡¯t believe it. Jack and Edith quickly followed suit, leaving Crispin and Stephanie standing there, unsure of what to do. ¡°Where did you hide Amanda? Will Elias suspect us? You know that we¡¯ll be in serious. trouble if he finds any evidence against us!¡± Stephanie vividly remembered what Elias had said to her that day in the seaside vi. His words were etched in her mind. ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Crispin warned in a lowered voice. ¡°If someone overhears us¡­¡± He then pulled Stephanie aside. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t find anything that will lead back to us. We need to quickly catch up and pretend we have no idea, or else he will suspect us.¡± With that, he grabbed Stephanie¡¯s hand and followed the trio. ||| Everyone arrived at the lounge and indeed, there was no sign of Amanda. Elias furrowed his brows. ncing at Yacob who was following behind him, he instructed, ¡°Please get the manager. We need to check the surveince.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Check the surveince?! Stephanie looked nervously at Crispin, who was beside her. They would see everything if they checked the surveince. But Crispin held her hand as if to reassure her. Before long, Yacob and the manager, whose forehead was covered in sweat, arrived in the lounge together. ¡°You better talk to Mr. Winters yourself. What a sh*tty hotel!¡± Yacob spat impatiently as he stared at the manager. Trembling, the manager stammered, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Winters. I¡¯m truly sorry. We don¡¯t know what happened either. The surveince equipment is under maintenance today, and coincidentally, Miss Bailey walked into a blind spot right after leaving the lounge. We didn¡¯t capture any footage of her leaving the hotel on the other surveince cameras either.¡± ¡°So, she is still in the hotel?¡± Elias spected, lost in thought. The manager froze and waited for his instructions. ¡°What should we do?¡± he asked. ¡°Search room by room, you idiot! We¡¯re going to find her as long as she¡¯s still in the hotel!¡± Elias shouted in anger. Taken aback, the manager adjusted his sses and replied, ¡°Yes! Got it! I¡¯ll have people start searching right away.¡± He practically scrambled out of the lounge in a hurry. Yacob caught the look in Elias¡¯ eyes and turned around, leaving the lounge as well. If this manager and his team were in charge of the search, it would probably take them the whole night. It would be faster for Yacob¡¯s own group of men to join in on the search. Edith couldn¡¯t help but cry out, ¡°What is going on? How did Amanda suddenly disappear? She hasn¡¯t left the hotel, so where could she be? Has she been kidnapped?¡± Jack only remained silent, his expression grim. He didn¡¯t know what was happening either. ¡°Of course, she¡¯s been kidnapped. There are only two types of people who would take her at a time like this, no?¡± Elias spoke, calmly analyzing the situation. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but ask. At that, Elias observed Stephanie¡¯s expression andmented coldly, ¡°The first type would be Amanda¡¯s enemies, and the second type would be those who don¡¯t want her to return to the Allegra Family.¡± Stephanie was already nervous, to begin with, but having Elias stare at her while saying these words made her feel even more uneasy. It was as if the usations were directed at her. On the other hand, Crispin remained as steady as a rock, seemingly unaffected by Elias¡± suspicions. Unable to bear it any longer, Stephanie snapped, ¡°What are you trying to say? What are you insinuating by saying these things while staring at me? Am I the second type of person you mentioned? Elias Winters, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± ¡°Did I mention you? Why are you getting so worked up? Or is Amanda¡¯s disappearance really rted to you?¡± Elias replied. ¡°Bullsh*t! I¡¯ve been with you all along. When would I have time to seek Amanda out? I haven¡¯t seen her at all today!¡± Stephanie¡¯s heart pounded like it was about to leap out of her chest. ¡°That¡¯s right, Elias. Stephanie has always been with us. She couldn¡¯t have done it. Besides, it¡¯s her sister whom she has relied on since childhood. It can¡¯t be Stephanie. You must be mistaken.¡± Edith still remained biased toward her younger daughter. She couldn¡¯t believe her little girl would do such a thing. However, Elias sneered, ¡°Whether it is or not, we¡¯ll know once we find Amanda.¡± Everyone then waited silently for the search to end. Stephanie was terrified that Amanda would expose Crispin after they found her. However, Crispin seemedpletely unafraid. Amanda hadn¡¯t left the hotel, and it was only a matter of time before they found her. Stephanie couldn¡¯t understand why Crispin was so calm. After some time, Yacob finally returned, panting as if he had run back and forth many times. Elias was leaning against the couch. As soon as he saw Yacob, he immediately asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± ? Panting, Yacob shook his head helplessly. ¡°It really is strange. We searched the entire, hotel, but we still can¡¯t find Miss Bailey. Where can she be? The surveince footage in the hotel. lobby didn¡¯t show her leaving.¡± Everyone, especially Edith, panicked. She couldn¡¯t help but cry out, ¡°What¡¯s going on? How could Amanda just disappear like this? What should we do?!¡± Elias pondered for a moment before he slowly stated, ¡°If she didn¡¯t walk out, then it¡¯s possible that she was taken out using a tool.¡± Yacob immediately understood what Elias meant and blurted out, ¡°Mr. Winters, do you mean a suitcase? Many travelers left with their suitcases. I¡¯ll check the surveince again to see if there¡¯s anything unusual.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I need to see it for myself.¡± Elias stood up and followed Yacob out of the lounge. Jack and Edith also went with them. Crispin¡¯s expression finally had a slight change now. He hadn¡¯t expected Elias to be clever enough to think of a suitcase so quickly. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Spare No One After everyone had left, Stephanie finally dared to ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Did Elias figure it out? Did they really move her out in a suitcase?¡± Crispin didn¡¯t say a word and only furrowed his eyebrows. Seeing his expression, Stephanie grew even more anxious and shoved him. ¡°Say something! Is that the case?¡± ¡°It is¡­¡± ¡°What?! What if Elias finds out? If he traces it back to you, he¡¯ll only me me! Are trying to drag me down or help me?¡± you Stephanie was on the verge of breaking down. Even if it was indeed Crispin who did it, Elias would vent all his fury on her. She couldn¡¯t even imagine how Elias would punish her. ¡°Stephanie, calm down! They won¡¯t trace it back to me. I don¡¯t know those people at all, so they won¡¯t find any connection to me, let alone implicate you.¡± Crispin grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, trying to get her to calm down. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± She was truly terrified of being seen through by Elias. Crispin reassured her, ¡°We have to follow them now. We can¡¯t let him notice anything unusual, or he will soon suspect us. Don¡¯t forget that Elias already isn¡¯t pleased with you.¡± Meanwhile, Amanda found herself curled up inside a suitcase, dazed and confused. Two men. lifted the suitcase she was in and ced it in a car before driving away from the hotel. No one knew where they were taking her. ¡°This chick¡¯s quite the looker. Should we¡­¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Our only concern is money. Once we have it, you can have any woman you desire. Don¡¯t let your lust jeopardize the n.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re right, Hunter.¡± Vaguely, Amanda could hear their conversation even though she was in the suitcase. She wanted to struggle, but she had no strength left in her body. She could only allow them to take her away. She managed to open her eyes with great difficulty, but everything was pitch ck. As she ||| O < tried to cry out, she realized her mouth was covered with duct tape. The drugs had taken effect and rendered her powerless, and the next moment, she slipped into unconsciousness. An hourter, the two men arrived at a small rundown motel with Amanda and brought her into a room. One of the men then instructed, ¡°Bring that woman out. We¡¯ll be in trouble if she suffocates. The boss especially reminded us not to harm her in any way.¡± ¡°Alright, Hunter. But who is this woman? That hotel we were just at was no ordinary ce. Only the wealthy and influential can go to that hotel.¡± As he spoke, he opened the suitcase. ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t care. I just want the money,¡± Hunter replied as he took a cigarette and lit it. The man proceeded to pull Amanda out of the suitcase and blindfold her before cing her on the bed. While moving Amanda to the bed, he couldn¡¯t help but be tempted by her attractive figure. He scanned her from head to toe, and his saliva almost dripped from his mouth. Hunter swiftly covered Amanda with a nket, putting a stop to any bad intentions his younger partner had. ¡°Forget it,¡± he growled. ¡°She¡¯s not someone you can touch. Listen to me -once we have the money, you can find any woman you want. Just not her.¡± Only then did the man avert his gaze and put on a yful smile. ¡°I understand, Hunter. Are you hungry? How about I go out and get you some food?¡± ¡°Go ahead. Just don¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± On the other side, inside the hotel¡¯s surveince room. Everyone was carefully examining the surveince footage frame by frame. Since many guests had left the hotel with their suitcases tonight, they had no clue where to begin their investigation. Crispin and Stephanie stood at the back nervously while their eyes remained fixed on the surveince screens. Truth be told, Crispin had no idea what the person who took Amanda away looked like; he had only been in contact with the middleman. As for the person who would carry out the final act, he knew nothing about them. Stephanie also stood anxiously on the side, afraid that Elias would notice any slip-ups and ||| < immediately suspect her. She didn¡¯t know why she was so afraid, but she felt like she was looking at the Grim Reaper when she looked at Elias¡¯ back. She was scared that he would suddenly turn around and end her life right there and then. Elias ced both hands on the control panel as he stared at the dozens of surveince screens. Every person seemed suspicious to him. As they didn¡¯t know where to start, they would have to investigate their suspects one by one. ¡°Start investigating. Look into all of them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a huge task, Mr. Winters,¡± Yacob mentioned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have any news for tonight. Ten guests left with suitcases during the time Miss Bailey disappeared. Do we have to investigate them all?¡± ¡°Yes. Do not overlook even one person. She only wanted to prevent Amanda from attending tonight¡¯s banquet. It shouldn¡¯t be a matter of life or death for her, so yes, investigate them. too.¡± Elias had made his first guess. Considering how Stephanie would be the one who had the most to gain tonight if Amanda was absent, it was likely that she was behind all this. But he didn¡¯t have time to deal with her now; he had to find Amanda first. ¡°Copy that!¡± Yacob then turned and left, starting another night of searching. It was going to be another night of doing overtime work. Jack was standing off to the side with a frown. ¡°You two go back and keep Aidenpany. Don¡¯t let him suspect anything. That child can¡¯t be separated from his mother. Elias and I will search for Amanda.¡± Edith didn¡¯t want to leave at first, but when she thought about Aiden, she reluctantly nodded. in agreement. They couldn¡¯t tell the child about this yet. It waste at night when Amanda slowly emerged from a deep slumber thatsted for over five hours. Gradually, she opened her eyes, only to find a ck cloth obscuring her vision, preventing her from seeing anything. Her mouth was taped shut, and she couldn¡¯t move as her hands and feet were bound. ¡°Mm¡­ Mmph¡­¡± While lying on her side on the bed, she struggled to make a sound. 111 5 34 The man, who had been dozing off, noticed her awakening and perked up. Clearing his throat, he informed her, ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed, miss. We¡¯re just doing a job for money. You¡¯ll be fine once we get through tonight. We¡¯ll personally escort you back tomorrow. Please forgive our rudeness, but we can¡¯t let you see our faces. It¡¯ll get a bit troublesome if you do.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Mmm!¡± Amanda desperately struggled as though she was trying to say something. However, the man continued chattering away while oblivious to her struggles. ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ve sent that kid to buy some food. We¡¯ll feed youter. Don¡¯t be too picky. After all, we have limited resources. It won¡¯t be as good as the meals you have in hotels.¡± He paid no attention to Amanda no matter how much she struggled. Amanda finallyy there quietly when she got tired from struggling. She had a feeling she knew what these people¡¯s motives were. They simply wanted to prevent her from attending tonight¡¯s banquet because they didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity to the public. There are only a handful of people who would do this. Who else could it be, if not Stephanie and her devoted boyfriend? Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Quick-Witted Amanda Amanda¡¯s mind was in disarray as she slowly began to recall the events before she fell unconscious. She remembered that Crispin had told her to take the elevator on the left, and he had then returned to retrieve something. She ended up not finding her way to the banquet hall before everything suddenly turned pitch ck. When she woke up, she overheard a sleazy conversation between two men, and now she found herself lying on a bed. Amanda sorted out her thoughts and concluded that this was Crispin¡¯s doing. Does Crispin have the audacity to do this? Perhaps it is at Stephanie¡¯s behest? After all, he ims to be deeply in love with Stephanie and willing to do anything for her. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when the duct tape was suddenly ripped off her mouth, and one of the men fed her some food. She whipped her head the other way and hissed, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you double the fees. Tell me, who ordered this? Was it Stephanie?¡± The man took back the food he had brought to her lips. ¡°Sorry, but we have our rules in this line of work. We can¡¯t betray them, or else no one would dare to hire us again. Just stay here quietly for one night. You¡¯ll be able to go back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hunter, let me feed her. It¡¯ll be a aste to let such a beautiful woman starve.¡± ¡°Enough. She¡¯s not going to be interested in you. Don¡¯t waste your effort.¡± Hunter scoffed and sat aside to eat his own boxed meal. Even through the darkness, Amanda could feel the repulsiveness of the man leaning in. She roared, ¡°Get away from me! I¡¯m warning you, if you dare touch me, just wait and see how I deal with you tomorrow. Stephanie won¡¯t be able to protect you then!¡± ¡°What a foul temper for such a pretty face. No wonder you¡¯ve gotten yourself into trouble. Whatever! It¡¯s your choice whether to eat or not. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± The other man watched Amanda struggling on the bed and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Even if you manage to escape, the two of us can still overpower you. Besides, we don¡¯t know this Stephanie you¡¯re talking about. She¡¯s not the one who hired us. We¡¯re just working for a middleman.¡± Amanda let out a cold snort. ¡°Ha! There¡¯s even a middleman involved? How professional. I¡¯ll pay you ten times the price. Give me the middleman¡¯s contact information.¡± < ¡°Ten times!¡± The man¡¯s aplice was tempted. After all, who wouldn¡¯t be enticed by an offer that was ten times the original? The man exchanged a nce with his partner before turning to Amanda. ¡°We¡¯ll let you go once everything is settled after tomorrow. If you¡¯re interested in working with us, we can discuss it then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Amanda epted the offer without hesitation. She was curious to know who was the one who hired these people. Still, deep down, she felt more inclined toward Stephanie. Amanda¡¯s disappearance tonight would only benefit Stephanie, as thetter had never wanted Amanda to reunite with the Allegras in the first ce. However, this night was unbearable for Amanda. Being in the same room with these two men was as ufortable as it could get. She dared not sleep for a second, fearing they might do something to her if she drifted off. eyes She kept her wide open in the middle of the night, staying alert even though a ck cloth covered her eyes. She heard one man probably sleeping on the couch snoring, but she couldn¡¯t hear the other man. Suddenly, a hand that belonged to the other man rested on her shoulder. ¡°Take your filthy hands off me!¡± Amanda snapped. The man instinctively withdrew his hand in shock. He hadn¡¯t expected Amanda to be awake and constantly on high alert.. ¡°You¡¯re still awake. I thought you might feel lonely, so I came to keep youpany.¡± His repulsive words made Amanda physically ufortable to the point of nausea. But she held back and asked, ¡°You want to keep mepany? How do you n on doing that? Do you like me?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± The man shyly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful. You¡¯re just my type. You also look like the lead actress from this drama I¡¯ve been watchingtely. Anyway, you¡¯re really pretty.¡± This silly-looking man¡¯s actually interested in women! Should I take advantage of his interest to get away? Amanda¡¯s eyes darted around, and she lowered her voice. ¡°Then, could you help me untie ||| O < the ropes? I feel suffocated and it¡¯s really ufortable. Let me rx a bit, okay?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that! Hunter will scold me. He doesn¡¯t want me to touch you or get close to you. He even said you don¡¯t like me.¡± Good for Hunter for being self-aware, Amanda thought. How did this silly man even get into this line of work in the first ce? Instead of saying those words out loud, she put on a wide smile and teased, ¡°He¡¯s not me, so how would he know if I don¡¯t like you? He¡¯s too presumptuous. I think our personalities. match well. Can I see what you look like?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I don¡¯t look as good as you.¡± The man seemed somewhat insecure. This fool¡¯s not as gullible as I thought. He still hasn¡¯t taken the bait. Amanda patiently persuaded him, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care about appearances. I believe the most important qualities a man should have are responsibility andmitment. Looks don¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Really? I think the same way, but it¡¯s rare to find a woman who thinks like that nowadays. You¡¯re a specialdy.¡± The man gripped Amanda¡¯s hand in excitement as though he had finally met someone who appreciated him. Amanda instinctively wanted to retract her hand, but she fought against it for the sake of her escape n. Suppressing the feeling of disgust, she forced a smile. ¡°Of course. It proves that we¡¯re fated to meet. I have a special feeling about you even though I haven¡¯t seen what you look like yet.¡± ¡°Really? Do you have feelings for me too?¡± The man grew even more excited, his voice trembling. It was the first time in his life that he had been praised by a beautiful woman. Amanda nodded. ¡°Can I see you? I really want to see your face.¡± The man hesitated for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint Amanda. And so, he finally stated, ¡°Alright, let me remove the blindfold for you.¡± ¡°Aw! Don¡¯t do that. Help me untie the rope, and I¡¯ll remove the blindfold myself. I want to unveil this mysterious mask myself.¡± Amanda¡¯s tone even carried a hint of coquettishness that melted the man¡¯s heart. After all, no one could resist it when a beautiful woman flirted. The man had long beenpletely smitten. He eagerly agreed again and again. ¡°Okay. Sure thing! I¡¯ll help you untie it.¡± ||| 34 < Thus, Amanda turned around, and the man quietly undid the ropes on her. Ha¡­ It seemed that not only women but even men liked honeyed words. The man was so delighted he had lost his reasoning with just a few words of ttery. Amanda breathed a sigh of relief when the man finally took off the rope. She quickly tore off the ck cloth covering her eyes, only to be greeted by a big and chubby face. She threw a punch, eximing, ¡°F*ck! You pig!¡± What grand dreams for a pig head! The man let out a miserable shriek as he fell to the ground. By now, Amanda had gotten up and rushed to the door, identally waking up Hunter who was still sleeping. He was greeted by the sight of Amanda fleeing outside the room the moment he opened his eyes. ¡°Get back here!¡± Hunter got up and started to chase after her. Meanwhile, the man who looked like a pig remained on the ground as he covered his bleeding nose and wailed in pain. |||N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Elias¡­ Is It Really You? ¡°Hunter, my nose hurts! It¡¯s bleeding!¡± Hunter, who was seized by the leg by the man lying on the ground, grew increasingly impatient and kicked him away with a forceful blow. ¡°Get lost! It¡¯s all your fault, you wimp! You let her escape! Just wait until I get back. I¡¯ll deal with your *ss!¡± Running frantically, Amanda dashed out of the rundown motel. The owner of the motel at the front desk stood in shock when she saw Amanda. How in the world is this beautiful woman I did not see entering my establishment now fleeing out of here?! ¡°Miss! You-¡± The owner wanted to ask Amanda a question, but thetter paid her no mind and continued running out of the motel. Fearing she would get caught and dragged back, she nced back every now and then. The rough voice of a man echoed from behind. ¡°Stop right there! Come back! Come back here!¡± Amanda¡¯s expression grew frantic. As she was still in her high heels, she kicked them off and ran barefoot. But the next moment, she cried out in pain when she stepped on a sharp pebble. ¡°Gah!¡± Amanda had to lean against a wall and slowly inched forward when she couldn¡¯t continue. walking. However, the man chasing her was closing in fast. Thinking on her feet, she swiftly darted into a nearby alley and watched as the man ran past like a gust of wind. Once she was certain he had gone far enough, she breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, limped out of the alley. What am I supposed to do now? She had nothing-no phone, no cash, no way to make a distress call or hail a cab. Not only that, her injured foot hindered her ability to walk properly. and Moreover, she had never been to this area before. It was even more dangerous than the slums where she had lived as a child. Every passerby seemed like a sinister criminal. Amanda felt the piercing stares of those who walked by and instinctively hugged her shoulders tightly. She had to find a way to escape from here. ||| O She had no choice but to keep walking along this road even though she didn¡¯t know when she would reach a familiar neighborhood. Time seemed to stretch endlessly, and her legs were throbbing in pain on top of the initial injuries she sustained. She finally sat down on a bench by the roadside. When she spotted a nearby mini. convenience store, she considered going inside to borrow a phone, but then she realized she didn¡¯t remember Elias¡¯ phone number. Meanwhile, Yacob searched everywhere for the guest who had left the hotel with a suitcase tonight, while Elias aimlessly drove around in his car. Elias was anxious and restless that he was in the dark about Amanda¡¯s situation. Although he guessed that the person who kidnapped her wouldn¡¯t harm her, there was always a chance that something unexpected could happen. She could be in any kind of danger as long as he didn¡¯t have his eyes on her. The mere possibility of that was driving Elias crazy. He had countless regrets over his actions concerning this woman. If only I stayed by Amanda¡¯s side today¡­ Just as Elias was losing control of his emotions, he saw a familiar figure sitting alone on a bench at a corner up ahead, looking lonely and helpless. At that moment, a glimmer of hope appeared in the depths of his pitch-ck. immediately parked the car by the roadside and strode toward that person. eyes. He Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Amanda sat on the bench with her head hanging low from exhaustion. The soles of her feet were still throbbing. Am I going to have to continue walking like this all night? She needed to find a familiar building nearby or try to recall Elias¡¯ phone number to see if she could remember it. Suddenly, a pair of polished leather shoes came into her field of view. A spark of hope ignited in her despairing eyes as she slowly raised her head and saw Elias¡¯ incredibly handsome face. ¡°Elias¡­ Is it really you? I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡± she whispered in a weak voice. She felt as if she were in a dream. looked grim. ¡°Do you want to talk about it? If you don¡¯t want to, just go to sleep. It¡¯s not toote to tell me when you wake up.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Amanda¡¯s stomach rumbled. The woman bashfully asked, ¡°Could you cook me a bowl of instant noodles? I¡¯m a bit hungry. It¡¯s been a while since I ate.¡± ¡°Alright. Give me a minute.¡± Elias got up and went straight to the kitchen. The thought of Amanda¡¯s current disheveled state made him wish he couldy his hands on the person who took her away. Meanwhile, Amanda leaned back on the couch. She gradually calmed down as she listened to the sound of the waves outside. At the same time, Hunter searched around the motel but found nothing. When he returned to the motel in a fit of anger and saw his foolishckey, he couldn¡¯t contain his frustration. ¡°You useless piece of garbage! It¡¯s all your fault! You let her escape. How are we going to get the money now?¡± ¡°Hunter, I¡¯m sorry. She lied to me. I was fooled-¡± ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°What else can we do? We need to run. We¡¯re done for if we get caught! The worst part is that you let that woman see both of our faces. She¡¯ll definitely call the police! We can¡¯t any longer. Hurry up and run!¡± Hunter started packing up, preparing to flee. stay here Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Don¡¯t Go Amanda almost fell asleep on the couch in the seaside vi. She was exhausted since she was. too afraid to close her eyes to sleep earlier. Now that she was in a safe ce, she finally let her guard down. However, the aroma of the freshly- cooked food reached her. She slowly opened her eyes. As expected, a te of pasta was set on the coffee table before her. Elias watched her as he sat off to one side. From the look on his face, she could tell it wasn¡¯t his intention to wake her. She rubbed her eyes. ¡°You should¡¯ve woken me.¡± ¡°You look tired,¡± Elias murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m starving. The pasta will get soggy if you leave it like that. It¡¯ll affect the taste.¡± At that, Amanda straightened her body and leaned in to smell the food. Her stomach immediately growled. He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can make you another one.¡± Her hand reaching for the fork paused when she heard that. Then, she loaded a small amount of pasta onto the fork and took a bite. It tasted rather nd. It seemed to her that he was thinking about her injury. However, it was delicious. Maybe I¡¯m just hungry. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Amanda finished the pasta within a few minutes. Even the garnish didn¡¯t go wasted, proving her to be starving. She drew a tissue paper to wipe the corners of her lips before beginning her story, ¡°The pair who kidnapped me were staying in somewhere named River Inn. The environment is dirty. You should send your men there. The two might still be there.¡± He hummed. ¡°Besides, Crispin was the one who asked me to go with him. However, he said he left something behind when we were halfway there, so he asked me to go to the banquet hall on my own before he walked away. I was knocked out halfway. It has to do with him, but I don¡¯t understand how my decision affects him. I believe Stephanie is the person behind everything.¡± Stephanie is responsible for this. Crispin has nothing against me. He¡¯s doing this to please her. Elias narrowed his eyes. Deep in thought, he didn¡¯t reply to her. < She couldn¡¯t help but break the silence after waiting for him to speak for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just wondering, maybe everything is Crispin¡¯s own doing. Stephanie isn¡¯t involved. She knows nothing at all.¡± He¡¯s bad news. He won¡¯t simply do it in the name of love. He must be up to something for kidnapping Amanda. After all, he won¡¯t settle for being the live-in son-inw of the Allegra Family. However, Amanda had a different mindset from Elias. To her, Elias was defending Stephanie. She was white with fury. There was a bite to her tone when she muttered, ¡°Stephanie must. impress you a lot, huh? It¡¯s not unlikely that she didn¡¯t n this. I¡¯m giving Crispin the benefit. of the doubt. After all, what harm can I do to him even if I choose to return to the Allegra Family? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll harm his interests. He has no reason to kidnap me.¡± Amanda just didn¡¯t get it. He¡¯s a nobody. Her misunderstanding gave Elias a hard time. He pondered for a few seconds before exining, ¡°Calm down, Amanda. Listen here, Crispin indeed has nothing against you, for now. But it changes the circumstances once he¡¯s married to Stephanie. He bes an Allegra. Before you came along, Stephanie was the only daughter. She was the heir to the family assets. But it¡¯s different now. You¡¯re back. You¡¯re not in his original n. Do you get it?¡± The words sent a shiver down her spine. She hadn¡¯t thought about that. Is he speaking the truth? I thought Crispin¡¯s love for Stephanie is sincere. ¡°I heard that Crispin and Stephanie almost eloped in the past. It proves that he doesn¡¯t care about the family¡¯s wealth. There¡¯s no way he wants to stop me from returning to the family. I think he just wants to be with Stephanie.¡± Elias scoffed at that. ¡°You underestimate his ambition. He studied hard for his whole life. One day, he finally got the chance to climb the socialdder. Marrying Stephanie is thest step to reach the top of the socialdder. However, you got in his way. He won¡¯t give up just like that.¡± ¡°Are you implying that Crispin is pretending to love Stephanie this whole time?¡± Elias exined, ¡°We¡¯ll test him to get the answer. However, I¡¯m suspicious of him. He¡¯s not good.¡± At that, he left the couch and stopped before her. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to sleep.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± She watched as he bent forward as if trying to tease her. She pulled ||| < back out of reflex. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you to the room. Remember your leg injury? You¡¯re not going anywhere on your own like that.¡± She hung her head low without a word. I¡¯m making too much of it. In the end, she allowed him to carry her upstairs. The echo of his footsteps resonated with her thumping heart. She couldn¡¯t name it, but she was longing for hispany tonight. He escorted her to her room. After gently setting her on the bed, he tucked her in. ¡°Get some rest. We¡¯ll continue the discussion tomorrow.¡± After that, he turned around to leave. However, Amanda grabbed his wrist and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t go. I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± The fear of being drugged earlier lingered in her mind. The feeling that the culprits woulde for her again if she fell asleep kept bothering her. Elias stopped in his tracks. He looked down at the woman in the bed and teased, ¡°Are you asking me to share a bed with you?¡± He expected her to retort, but she only nodded, which surprised him. Hiding the rest of her body in the nket, she poked her head out of the nket obediently like a harmless bunny. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it, Amanda.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Just don¡¯t go. Stay with me. I¡¯m shocked to the core. The feelings just won¡¯t go away.¡± Despite his warning, Amanda refused to let him go. Elias fixed her with a level gaze. ¡°Fine. This is what you asked for. Don¡¯t regret this.¡± The next second, he removed his coat and climbed into the bed. Lying next to her, he wrapped his arms around her body. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Better.¡± She closed their distance, feeling secure in his arms. His embrace had such a magical effect. It still was after all this while. The only difference was that he wouldn¡¯t bother to do so in the past even if she begged him. O However, Elias had changed. All she needed to do was speak up and he would do anything for her. A whileter, he spoke again. ¡°Do you regret it now?¡± ¡°Not yet. Why do you keep asking the same question?¡± He cupped her face in his hand before pressing a kiss on her lips. ¡°You asked for it. It¡¯s not my fault, okay? You¡¯re not allowed to scold me or cry tomorrow.¡± She was speechless upon hearing that. Jerk! How dare he? He¡¯s being unreasonable! | Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Returning to the Allegra Family Amanda woke up slightly after 10.00AM the next morning. She found herself alone in the bed while Elias was nowhere to be found. Barely feeling her limbs, she slowly sat up. Memories ofst night caused her cheeks to flush. Jerk really isn¡¯t holding back. He practically drains me out. She forced her sluggish body out of bed and headed into the bathroom. After washing herself up, she put on one of Elias¡¯ robes and went downstairs. The sound of waves hitting the shore reached her. It started her morning with a pleasant vibe. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Amanda arrived in the living room, but Elias was still nowhere to be seen. However, the aroma of food emanated from the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen with questions in her mind. The next moment, she saw Elias¡¯ tall stature cooking something at the cooktop. The aroma caused her to drool. The sun shone on his side profile, the sight mesmerizing her. Thebination was nothing but harmonious. She had no idea how long she had stared at him. Suddenly, he turned around and transferred the food to a te. Seeing her in the kitchen, he frowned. ¡°Why are you standing here? How long have you been awake?¡± Amanda snapped out of her trance. ¡°Long enough to watch you cook. What are we eating for breakfast?¡± She walked into the kitchen. The mouth-watering food he set on the kitchen ind was rich in aroma and vor. ¡°There are only two of us. You cooked too much for breakfast.¡± ¡°You were exhaustedst night. I know you¡¯re spent, so a nutritional supplement is important. Besides, you haven¡¯t had breakfast. You must be starving.¡± At that, he picked up two tes and walked toward the dining room. ¡°Help me set the table. The breakfast doesn¡¯te for free.¡± Picking up the bowl of chicken broth without a word, she couldn¡¯t help but take a sniff. It smells good. My stomach is growling. < The pair each took a side of the dining table in the dining room. ¡°I¡¯m digging in. I¡¯m starving,¡± Amanda announced. With that, she started eating. Elias calmly put a bowl of broth in front of her. ¡°Take your time.¡± His reminder fell on deaf ears. She was famished, so she was focused on eating. Compared to Amanda, who had a full stomach, Elias didn¡¯t eat much. To her, it felt good to have her hunger satiated. After finishing the bowl of soup, she leaned back in her chair and announced, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Go get changed. We¡¯re seeing the Allegras.¡± ¡°Can I refuse? I want a few days to myself.¡± Last night¡¯s experience traumatized Amanda. She was against the idea of seeing the idiots from the Allegra Family after having a nice breakfast. Elias tried to convince her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious who the culprit is? Besides, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra are worried about you.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± A solemn expression fell on her face. Surging to her feet, she left the dining room and headed for the bedroom upstairs. In the Allegra Vi, Stephanie woke up to the news of Amanda getting found. It struck her hard. I¡¯m doomed. Amanda won¡¯t let Crispin go. It¡¯ll ruin my image if he exposes me to my parents! Therefore, she called him over in the early morning. I¡¯m not taking the me for him. ¡°Let me exin, Steph. I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way¡­¡± Cold sweat trickled down his forehead at the fact that Amanda managed to escape. I¡¯m busted! The middleman probably didn¡¯t say a word about me. Therefore, even though the kidnappers fall into Elias¡¯ hands at some point, they won¡¯t rat me out. However, I¡¯m the one who asked Amanda to go with mest night. It¡¯ll raise suspicion. Quick! Think, Crispin! What am I supposed to say if she confronts meter? Stephanie grew impatient. ¡°Save it. I¡¯m warning you-don¡¯t you dare implicate me if O r Amandaes to see youter. It¡¯s not my business.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Steph. I¡¯ll never say anything about you. Besides, it was never your n. I did it for you spontaneously.¡± At this point, Crispin was still pretending to be a lovesick man. Little did he know, Stephanie was no longer in love with him. All she wanted was to dump him. She shushed him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mention me! I know nothing about this! Nothing at all! Stop talking to me.¡± She then dragged him to the living room. Her parents were waiting for Amanda on the couch. They were worried sick about their eldest daughter. Jack walked back and forth in the living room. He looked like a man who was waiting for his wife outside the delivery room. A question left him as soon as he noticed Crispin in the room. ¡°Why are you here, Crispin?¡± I didn¡¯t ask him toe over. Before Stephanie could speak, Crispin exined, ¡°Mr. Allegra, I couldn¡¯t sleepst night. I was worried about Amanda too. I came over after learning that she wasing back. I need to make sure she¡¯s fine.¡± Stephanie watched Crispin. He disgusts me. He has the audacity to say such things, eh? Why did I even fall for him in the first ce? Jack nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s nice of you. Elias told us that Amanda is safe. He found herst night. They¡¯reing back today.¡± [1] ¡°Really? That¡¯s good to hear. Steph and I can rest assured.¡± At that, Crispin held Stephanie¡¯s hand. She cast him a smile, but deep down she was rolling her eyes. Crispin Coyote is a fake man to his core. He¡¯s so good at pretending. Did he also pretend to be in love with me before this? At that moment, the butler came into the living room. ¡°Mr. Jack, Mr. Winters and Miss Bailey are back.¡± As soon as he finished the words, a handsome man and a gorgeous woman walked into the living room. Elias greeted those present. ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra.¡± Amanda opened her mouth, but the words refused to leave her. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to call the couple her parents, so she simply addressed them as Elias had. ||| However, Jack and Edith couldn¡¯t care less about the way Amanda addressed them. Her well- being was more important to them. Edith got up from the couch and wrapped Amanda in an embrace. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. I was worried about you getting wronged by those people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should¡¯ve assigned a bodyguard to you. I wasn¡¯t expecting that somebody would strike around this time.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes were reddened by emotions as well. Last night was a terrible night for him. After all, they lost their daughter once. They would never forgive themselves if they ever lost her again. Even though Amanda hadn¡¯t felt a sense of belonging in the family so far, she wrapped her arms around her crying mother and consoled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Edith finally stopped crying. She wiped the tears off her face before holding Amanda¡¯s hands. Looking around, Amanda noticed Crispin in the corner. How dare he show up after everything? He has no shame at all! Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Is This How You Treat Me? Shifting her attention to Crispin, Amanda mocked, ¡°Why are you even here? You¡¯re not the son-inw of the family yet.¡± Before Crispin could answer, Stephanie spoke up. ¡°Crisp isn¡¯t the son-inw not officially the daughter of the Allegra Family either. You have no right to question him.¡± yet, but you¡¯re Crispin shot Stephanie a grateful look. I knew it! She still has feelings for me. She only stays away from me because she worries that I will go after another woman. Truth be told, Stephanie couldn¡¯t care less about defending him. She simply hated Amanda¡¯s guts. ¡°Watch your mouth, Steph!¡± Jack scolded. Stephanie could only keep her mouth shut, but she wasn¡¯t pleased either. Instead of getting angry, Amanda smiled. ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re marrying Crispin? What I¡¯m about to say might affect your rtionship. Therefore, I think your fianc¨¦ should give us a moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again-we aren¡¯t nning for marriage,¡± Stephanie spoke through gritted teeth. She wanted nothing to do with Crispin at all. ¡°You two, please don¡¯t fight. I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± Crispin was well aware of what Amanda. wanted to tell the Allegras. Since she asked, he would go. To his surprise, Stephanie grabbed his wrist. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Stay!¡± Then, she turned to Amanda. ¡°You can say anything you want in front of him. We¡¯ve got nothing to fear.¡± Amandaughed at those words. She nced at Elias. ¡°May I?¡± Elias took a seat on the couch with a neutral expression, not giving a damn about the matter. ¡°Of course. Say what you want. We¡¯re here to find out the truth.¡± Jack and Edith shared a look. Both found confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. What are they talking about? ¡°Mr. Crispin, do you have anything to do with my abductionst night?¡± Amanda wasn¡¯t the type to beat around the bush, she cut to the chase. ¡°What are you implying, Miss Bailey? This is a serious matter. I have nothing to do with it.¡± Crispin¡¯s innocent look fooled Jack and Edith. However, it didn¡¯t work on Elias, who observed TII him from the couch. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then, it must be her n, is it?¡± Amanda was biased toward Stephanie being the person behind her abduction. It has to be her! Crispin holds no grudge against me. Stephanie was offended upon hearing that. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± she growled. ¡°Just because you have Dad and Mom to back you up doesn¡¯t mean you can make groundless usations, Amanda!¡± Stephanie¡¯s heart was hammering against her chest. She didn¡¯t want to be involved in this matter just because Crispin said something he shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Why are you so agitated? I didn¡¯t mention your name.¡± Crossing her arms, Amanda tilted her chin in challenge. ¡°I-I am not! You¡¯re being unreasonable! Even if the family owes you for not raising you all these years, you don¡¯t have to vent it out on me, do you?¡± Amanda ignored the words and continued, ¡°The only reason the person kidnapped me was to stop me from attending the party. For For now, now, the suspect is the person who benefited the most if I couldn¡¯t make it to the party.¡± Her retort choked back any words Stephanie attempted to say. Stephanie didn¡¯t even know where to start. It hurt Edith to see the siblings fight. Therefore, she stepped in. ¡°There must be a misunderstanding, Amanda. Stephanie would never do that to you. Just like us, she has been looking forward to your return after all these years.¡± Meanwhile, Jack kept quiet when his daughters were fighting. After Edith spoke up, he finally said, ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, Amanda. Elias and I will look into this matter. We¡¯ll find out the truth. I¡¯ll hold the party again on another day. In any case, nobody can stop me from announcing you as my daughter to the public.¡± The group fell into silence at his determined speech, including Stephanie. Is Dad starting to suspect me? ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± Amanda¡¯s words shocked the people in the room. Nobody was spared from the surprise, including Elias. Jack and Edith exchanged a look. They were both overjoyed but helpless. The couple turned to Amanda in anticipation. ¡°What did you just call me? Can you say that again?¡± Jack burst into tears. After all these years, he had long since given up on hearing his eldest daughter call him ¡®Dad¡¯. However, he heard those words again today. Am I dreaming? Looking at her excited father, Amanda repeated, ¡°Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom.¡± The next second, Edith¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with a hand, so nobody could hear her sobbing. Finally, Amelia is calling us ¡®Dad¡¯ and ¡®Mom¡¯ again. ¡°Can you believe it, Jack? Our beloved Amelia has returned to us. We need to keep her safe this time. We won¡¯t lose her again!¡± Edith said passionately as she leaned in Jack¡¯s arms. Jack caressed his wife¡¯s back with a soothing hand. ¡°Our family will never be apart again. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for too long.¡± Stephanie was green with envy at the sight. Dad and Mom must be exaggerating. It¡¯s been a while since they found her. What¡¯s the point of getting all excited over a title? Do they really have to do this? Are they nning to leave everything to Amanda if she calls them that way a few more times? The thought sent a chill down her spine. Soon, she¡¯ll be recing me as the beloved daughter of the Allegra Family. I¡¯lle after her in our parents¡¯ eyes. Things will change soon. Ever since she reappeared, Dad and Mom no longer care about me. To keep Amanda safe after her failed abduction, Jack demanded she and Aiden stay over in the Allegra Vi. Besides, he and Edith could rest assured. As such, Amanda had no choice but to agree with his n. Moreover, she wanted to get to know her parents after they had been absent from her life for years. In the afternoon, Elias sent Aiden to the vi after picking up the boy from kindergarten. The boy wasn¡¯t scared of strangers and could quickly adapt to a new environment. After all, he had been moving around a lot with his mother since a young age. ¡°You should go. You haven¡¯t had any rest today,¡± Amanda told Elias. A shadow fell across his face. ¡°Is this how you treat your lover? Tossing him aside once he¡¯s of no use to you?¡± ¡°Then, how about staying over in the vi? But we¡¯re divorced, though. That would be scandalous if you stay,¡± she teased. Elias remained silent. Indeed, he was well aware of it. However, Amanda and Aiden were staying in the Allegra Vi for the time being. He had the massive manor all to himself. And there¡¯s Rosie¡­ Elias began with a serious expression, ¡°Stay with our son at night. If you¡¯re afraid, hug him close. Just pretend I¡¯m by your side.¡± ||| O This time, Amanda was the one who kept quiet. What is he implying? Does he have no confidence in me? Do I look like I¡¯ll definitely wake up to a nightmare? At that, he turned around to leave, but she called out from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll call you if anything happens.¡± Elias chuckled. Does it mean she agrees to my pursuit? However, he gave up on that thought. There¡¯s no time for this. I¡¯ve got work to do. ||| Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Have You Developed Feelings for Elias? Amanda saw Elias chuckling, and he seemed pretty charming while doing so. Intrigued asked, ¡°What¡¯s so amusing? Did I say something funny?¡± ¡°Based on your performancest night, I can¡¯t help but think that perhaps you do have: feelings for me,¡± he responded. With those words, he casually strolled toward the gates of the Allegra Vi. It took Amanda a moment to grasp the meaning behind hisment about her performance from the previous night. He was definitely implying her performance in b What a shameless jerk! ¡°Elias Winters, you¡¯re such a shameless man!¡± she yelled angrily at his retreating figure. Nevertheless, he merely raised his arm and waved. Even from behind, Amanda could tell that he was stillughing, and he looked pretty charming as he did so. What a shameless person! She snorted in disdain and turned back toward the vi. As Elias prepared to head toward his car, he spotted Crispin walking toward him. It appear that Crispin was likely heading home as well. Elias stopped in his tracks. Crispin nced at him, attempting to ignore him and pass by. Unexpectedly, Elias called out, ¡°Crispin.¡± Crispin halted and turned to look at him. ¡°Mr. Winters, is there something you need?¡± Elias cut straight to the chase andmented, ¡°Do you believe it¡¯s worth resorting to such tactics to win Stephanie¡¯s favor?¡± It was as if he had already uncovered the truth. Crispin struggled to suppress his guilt and force a smile. ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re implying, but I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make Steph happy because I love her.¡± It appeared as though he was ying dumb. Elias¡¯ lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Put an end to your petty schemes. Jack will never give you another chance. As for getung involved with my woman, I will hold you responsible, but I don¡¯t have time for that now 14 < ¡°Mr. Winters, I know you¡¯re all influential figures. Even if you can¡¯t locate the kidnappers, you shouldn¡¯t me me. It will only undermine your capability. Besides, I genuinely don know what I did to upset you. It seems like you¡¯re singling me out in any case.¡± Elias narrowed his eyes slightly and carefully scrutinized Crispin from head to toe. He ha underestimated Crispin¡¯s unwavering determination to climb the socialdder. Suddenly, Elias forcefully seized Crispin by the cor. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Crispin panicked, fully aware that he couldn¡¯t match El strength. After all, he had witnessed Elias¡¯ ruthlessness in the past. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, you can pursue whatever you desire. If you want to win Stephanie¡¯s hea you¡¯re on your own. I won¡¯t stand in your way. However, should you bring harm to my woman and child, be prepared to face the conO sequences!¡± Elias dered. He regarded Crispin¡¯s timid demeanor with disdain. ¡°By the way, Amanda is now the eldes daughter of the Allegra Family. If you have any intentions involving the Allegra Family, I won¡¯t interfere. However, when ites to Amanda, I will take charge. You¡¯d best look afte yourself.¡± Crispin¡¯s face turned pale. He understood that he couldn¡¯tpete with Elias. At that precise moment, Stephanie coincidentally walked by and caught sight of the scene unfolding. Shocked, she eximed, ¡°What on earth is going on?!¡± Initially, Stephanie had intended to step outside and savor a breath of fresh air, feeling increasingly irritated by the constant bustle of her parents and Aiden engaging in a game of hide-and-seek. However, as soon as she stepped out, she was confronted with this spectacle. Two men appeared to be engaged in a struggle, or more urately, it seemed like Elias was pummeling Crispin. Without hesitation, she hurriedly intervened and rescued Crispin from Elias clutches. What are you doing. Elias? Why are you bullying Crisp? Do you believe the things Amanda said? It¡¯s no wonder you two were once married!¡± The mere recollection of their past marriage stirred an instinctive anger within Stephanie. She couldn¡¯t fathom why she was feeling this way Elias took a step back visibly irritated by the sight of this couple. He had no interest in their matters Just take care of your man he retorted ¡°What do you meant Stephane couldn¡¯t help but challenge s 0 It had been a long while since she had been so close to Elias, and she couldn¡¯t help but notice his undeniable handsomeness. It was unfortunate that he was her older sister¡¯s ex-husband. ¡°Are you two nning to marry? If that¡¯s the case, I can talk to your father, and you can rush into marriage and leave the Allegra Family,¡± Elias suggested. ¡°What gives you the right to interfere? Do I need your permission or your intervention with my father to get married? Elias, you overestimate your importance! What are you to me? You¡¯re not even my fianc¨¦!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Stephanie¡¯s words were filled with resentment. If it hadn¡¯t been for Amanda, perhaps she and Elias would have sessfully be engaged in the past. If things had gone differently, Elias would have been her fianc¨¦ by now. The more Stephanie dwelled on the situation, the stronger her anger and jealousy became. Meanwhile, Elias nced at the woman before him and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. ¡°I distinctly recall warning you long ago that this man isn¡¯t as good as you believe. Yet, you remain stubborn.¡± His words only intensified Stephanie¡¯s rebellious spirit and gave her a sense of purpose. ¡°Well, are you any better? On the one hand, you pretend to be deeply in love and eager to be engaged to me, but on the other hand, you¡¯re engaging in a passionate affair with Amanda. Don¡¯t you realize you¡¯re a sc*mbag? Since you can¡¯t let go of Amanda, you have no right to interfere with whom I choose to be with! Either way, I won¡¯t be with you.¡± Stephanie¡¯s resentful words ced the me on Elias for his infidelity andck ofmitment. Of course, Elias failed to grasp her meaning. After all, he was a straightforward man who couldn¡¯t care less. He chuckled coldly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about whom you choose to be with, but the man you¡¯re so passionately in love with has hidden motives. Naturally, I feelpelled to intervene. Besides, my woman now holds the title of the Allegra Family¡¯s eldest daughter, so I have every reason to interfere.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te up with excuses, Elias. You¡¯re just a sc*mbag who can¡¯t let go of my sister and child, yet you insist on trying to manipte my emotions! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being excessively domineering?¡± Stephanie shouted in anger. Her words left Elias feeling inexplicably perplexed. ¡°Seriously, what a load of crap! It seems that hanging around garbage for too long can lower one¡¯s IQ Elias retorted, paying her no further attention as he strode toward his car without a 111 < 34 backward nce. ¡°Elias, what are you saying?! Whom do you dare to call garbage? Who do you think has a lowered IQ?¡± Stephanie rushed forward to argue with Elias, but his car slowly drove away from the Allegra Vi. Meanwhile, Crispin, who had been quietly observing the scene unfold, seemed to have figured something out. He started to believe that Stephanie¡¯s love for him had diminished. It was in the depths of her eyes and amid all the insults where he glimpsed a flicker of affection that couldn¡¯t be concealed. ¡°Steph¡­ Have you developed feelings for Elias?¡± Crispin voiced his suspicions. Upon hearing those words, Stephanie abruptly turned around and reacted strongly. ¡°Nonsense! I don¡¯t have feelings for him! You¡¯re spouting utter nonsense!¡± ¡°But you-¡± ¡°No buts about it! I don¡¯t have feelings for Elias. I truly don¡¯t!¡± Stephanie interrupted firmly. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 I Will Always Believe In You Witnessing Stephanie¡¯s intense reaction, Crispin became even more convinced of his thoughts. Stephanie had undeniably developed feelings for someone else. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She had fallen for Elias, her very own brother-inw. Under Crispin¡¯s unwavering gaze, Stephanie felt uneasy, and her attempts at exnation. sounded feeble even to her ears. With anger in her voice, she yelled, ¡°I¡¯ve already said nothing is going on! Stop spreading rumors! I would never steal a man from my sister. Even after their divorce, such thoughts never crossed my mind!¡± In truth, these words served as reminders for herself, a constant warning to resist the allure of Elias. Crispin revealed a faint smile. ¡°Steph, I trust you. I will always trust you.¡± However, concealed beneath that smile was an insatiable greed that knew no bounds. Whether Stephanie loved him or not was of lesser importance. What truly mattered to Crispin was bing a son-inw of the esteemed Allegra Family by any means necessary. ¡°Crisp, you¡­.¡±Stephanie suddenly found herself at a loss for words, overwhelmed by guilt. ¡°Steph, I believe every word you say. Don¡¯t worry. Even if they investigate me, I won¡¯t expose you. It has nothing to do with you, after all,¡± Crispin assured her. Stephanie remained silent as her gaze fixed upon him. This only deepened Crispin¡¯s conviction that Stephanie was now guarding herself against him. In any case, she didn¡¯t wish to marry him, and that was something he could not ept. He needed toe up with a n to expedite their marriage. The more it was dyed, the slimmer their chances of getting married. Determined to take control of the situation, he seized Stephanie¡¯s hand and began to lean in for a kiss. However, she deftly evaded his advance. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. It¡¯s not good if my family catches us. I¡¯ll go back first,¡± she eximed, turning around and running away As Crispin watched Stephanie¡¯s panicked figure sprinting away, a cold chuckle escaped his < 14 lips. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you love me or not. I will definitely be your husband. You have no other choice.¡± As Elias returned to the Winters Estate, he gazed upon the vast property, only to find it incredibly dull. Boris, the butler, approached him from behind. ¡°Mr. Winters, would you like to have a meal, freshen up with a bath, or maybe indulge in a rxing soak in the hot springs first?¡± Elias cast a nce at Boris. ¡°Didn¡¯t Rosie take a dip in the hot springs today?¡± Boris rified the situation. ¡°Not every day, Mr. Winters. She did so justst night.¡± ¡°How has her health beentely? When does she n to go home?¡± Elias inquired further. The peculiar circumstances of both him and Rosie residing at the estate piqued his curiosity. Boris responded bluntly, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely certain about Miss Momsey¡¯s health condition, but her temperament has been quite vtiletely. She¡¯s been quick to snap at the staff, and we¡¯ve had to rece the helpers who attend to her multiple times.¡± Elias scoffed disapprovingly. ¡°Did I bring her here solely to discipline my helpers?¡± Boris maintained a stoic silence in response. ¡°Help me pack a few clothes and send them to Gxy Bay. I¡¯ll be staying there for a few days,¡± Elias requested. ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± Elias nonchntly slipped his hands into his pockets and cast another nce over the estate. There was a peculiar sense of absence as if something were missing-perhaps the incessant noise caused by that little brat, Aiden. ¡°Mr. Winters, would you like to have dinner as well? I¡¯ll have the helper prepare your clothes immediately. ¡°Yes, but keep it simple and fast.¡± ¡°Understood Then, they made their way toward the vi. After arriving at the dining hall, Elias pulled out a chair and seated himself. The atmosphere felt oddly hushed and carried a sense of solitude. Normally, the presence of his son would disrupt his meals, but now the space seemed vacant and deserted. 111 r Soon after, Boris entered with a hearty serving of food. ¡°I specifically requested to keep it simple,¡± Elias remarked, reaching for his utensils. Boris chuckled softly. ¡°Thete Old Mr. Winters had instructed us to take good care of your daily needs, especially when ites to your meals.¡± Grandpa¡­ Elias momentarily paused while reaching for a te. A faint smile yed at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Alright, then. You may leave now,¡± hemented. Boris nodded and left the dining hall. Just as he exited, Rosie hurriedly burst in. Boris greeted her politely, ¡°Miss Momsey, is there something I can assist you with?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Eli? Is he nning to stay outside?¡± Rosie inquired impatiently, hastening to rify the situation. Finally, I have this perfect opportunity. Amanda and that little brat have both moved out of the estate, but now Eli is going to leave as well. What¡¯s the point of me being all alone in this estate? ¡°It is Mr. Winters¡¯ affair, and we do not have the right to inquire,¡± Boris responded. ¡°I¡¯m asking you where he is right now!¡± Rosie didn¡¯t wish to waste time conversing with the butler. She wanted to speak with Elias directly. Boris swiftly replied, ¡°He¡¯s having his meal in the dining hall.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Rosie immediately made her way toward the dining hall. Boris nced at her hurried figure. Shaking his head helplessly, he murmured to himself, ¡°Dealing with this stubborn girl is best left to Mr. Winters himself.¡± It was because Rosie only disyed her gentle and charming side when in Elias¡¯ presence while behaving like a madwoman in front of others. Rosie briskly entered and caught sight of Elias, who was leisurely enjoying his meal. Instantly, her anger dwindled by half. Elias lifted his gaze slowly and inquired, ¡°Do you need something from me?¡± Rosieposed herself and asked, ¡°Why are you also choosing to stay outside? You don¡¯t want to be around me, do you?¡± 34 < Elias chuckled softly. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I¡¯ve been rather upiedtely, so I¡¯m staying closer to the company. If you wish to indulge in the hot springs, feel free to do so as much as you desire. Once you¡¯ve had your fill, I¡¯ll have Taylore to take you home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving, so what¡¯s the purpose of my remaining here all alone? I¡­¡± As Rosie spoke, she realized she might have said too much and abruptly halted. Eliasughed and met her gaze. ¡°Did you truly believe I was unaware of your intentions? You saved my son¡¯s life, and I am indebted to you. I will grant your every request, except for the one thing you desire. It is beyond my ability to fulfil it in this lifetime. So, do not waste your time on me.¡± ¡°How do you know you can¡¯t grant my request? You won¡¯t know unless you try.¡± Having already breached that barrier, Rosie no longer wished to continue the pretense. It was better to be direct. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to, and I have no desire to attempt it. Is that reason sufficient?¡± Elias responded firmly. Silent tears welled up in Rosie¡¯s eyes. Much like in the past, Elias had resolutely rejected her once again. Her emotions plummeted to the depths as she uttered, ¡°I¡¯ll gather my belongings and leave. You don¡¯t need to leave. This is your home. I should be the one leaving.¡± After saying that, she turned around and left the dining hall, each step feeling as heavy as if bearing the weight of a thousand pounds. ¡°Wait.¡± Rosic stopped in her tracks, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes. She anticipated Elias was about to intervene and stop her. With a hopeful smile, she turned back toward him. However, Elias merely wiped the corners of his mouth, rose from his seat, and stated, ¡°You may stay here for as long as you wish, using your status as the savior. I¡¯ve been upiedtely, so I doubt I¡¯ll return.¡± Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Crispin¡¯s Scheme Having said that, Elias exited the dining hall without casting a backward nce or bidding farewell. It felt as though he was purposefully avoiding her presence. Rosie¡¯s gaze fell upon the barely touched food on the table. Does he truly need to depart in such haste? Am I some kind of monstrous being? Am I genuinely that repugnant to him? At the Allegra Vi, Amanda found it hard to drift off to sleep at her birth parents¡¯ house. Meanwhile, Aiden, that mischievous little boy, had fallen into a peaceful slumber. Jack had spent quite a while entertaining his grandson tonight, leaving the little one fatigued. Amanda observed the peacefully sleeping child. She gently covered him with a nket before venturing out of the bedroom with unhurried steps. She had intended to take a solitary walk in the garden. To her astonishment, she stumbled upon Edith wrapped in a coat, standing beneath the moonlit sky. ¡°Mrs. Alle-¡± Amanda hesitated, feeling that the formal address was inappropriate. Opting for a more intimate term, she called out, ¡°Mom, what brings you out here?¡± Upon hearing her voice, Edith turned around and greeted her with a smile. ¡°You can¡¯t sleep too? I suppose I¡¯m too excited. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep tonight, so I decided to take a walk.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m just not used to the bed, so I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Amanda said. Edith walked over and settled onto a wicker chair. ¡°Join me, my dear. Let¡¯s have a chat, just us mother and daughter.¡± Amanda gracefully took her ce on the opposite chair, relishing the caress of the gentle breeze against her cheeks. The garden exuded a delicate fragrance, lending a pleasant ambiance to the moment. ¡®Don¡¯t let your dad fool you with his early slumber. He, too, was brimming with excitement today, eagerly anticipating this moment for quite some time,¡± Edith remarked. Amanda offered a gentle smile but remained silent. Edith continued, ¡°These past years, you have endured so much. Your dad informed me about the hardships you faced under your adoptive father¡¯s mistreatment, and how he consistently demanded money from you. Is that true?¡± As she spoke, her eyes shimmered with genuine concern. < 1:1 Amanda¡¯s lips curled into a gentle smile. ¡°Those are all things of the past now. The one who endured the most was my mother. She faced countless hardships throughout the years. Wherever she went, she always took me with her. I found happiness in being by her side. Later, when I married Elias, he helped me resolve many of my problems. During that year, my adoptive father didn¡¯t harass me at all. I thought things had changed, but it turns out that Elias had been protecting me all along.¡± Recalling that year of their secret marriage, Amanda knew that although Elias didn¡¯t fulfill his duties as a husband and showed no concern or care for her, he did step in when her mother passed away. When her adoptive father came demanding money, it was Elias who sent him away. That year wasn¡¯t exactly filled with happiness, but it was peaceful and stable. At that time, she even thought she could live like that for the rest of her life. Edith nced at Amanda with a mixed expression when Elias was mentioned, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. Speaking slowly, she said, ¡°Elias is a good young man. With the Winters Family gone, he¡¯s the only one left to hold everything together.¡± With the conversation reaching this point, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Elias. ¡°Mom, let Dad support him. He simply wants to reim the shares rightfully belonging to him from Old Mr. Winters.¡± ¡°Naturally, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. We are a family now, and he is Aiden¡¯s father. We will him,¡± Edith replied. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Hearing Edith¡¯s words, Amanda felt relieved for Elias. It was better to have someone extending a helping hand rather than battling alone. Edith then asked hesitantly, ¡°Amanda, is there still a chance between you and Elias?¡± support The smile that graced Amanda¡¯s lips gradually faded. The truth was, she didn¡¯t want to confront this question. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She genuinely didn¡¯t know what to do. It felt like a glimmer of trust had rekindled within her toward Elias, yet she couldn¡¯t shake her fear of repeating past mistakes. Conflicting emotions left her feeling torn and unsure. Observing her daughter¡¯s inner turmoil, Edith decided to divert the conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on that for now. Let¡¯s talk about something more enjoyable. What style do you prefer? I¡¯ll have someone redecorate a new room for you tomorrow.¡± Amanda just smiled and responded, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Aiden and I can sleep in the same room. For now, he still can¡¯t bear to be separated from me.¡± ||| < In the following days, life gradually returned to its familiar rhythm. Despite the dy in the recognition banquet, Jack took matters into his own hands and issued an official announcement on thepany¡¯s website, acknowledging Amanda¡¯s rightful ce in the family. The revtion sparked a buzz online. This turn of events only fueled Crispin¡¯s anxiety, and he feltpelled to act swiftly. With Amanda¡¯s return to the Allegra Family, Stephanie¡¯s days grew increasingly unbearable. She felt utterly neglected by her parents. ¡°Where are Mom and Dad? Why haven¡¯t theye for dinner?¡± Stephanie had spent entire day sulking in her room. The evening had arrived, yet there was no sign of her parents. Reluctantly, she made her way to the dining room alone. the The helper, who was serving the dishes, responded, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Allegra suggested you proceed without them. They are in the garden, enjoying their time with Aiden, digging in the soil.¡± Digging in the soil? Stephanie couldn¡¯t believe that her mother, who was known for her elegance and poise, and her perpetually authoritative father were actively engaged in soil-digging activities with a three-year-old toddler in the garden. What a disgrace! The way they spoil that child is utterly appalling! A disdainful snort escaped Stephanie¡¯s lips as she ced her spoon on the table. Throughout the day, she had sequestered herself in her room, but no one had bothered to check on her. It turned out that her parents were preupied with ying with that little brat and indulging in soil- digging activities. In the past, Stephanie¡¯s parents would take turns coaxing her toe down for dinner, fearing that she might go hungry, but now, the couple seemed to have their minds consumed by the return of their eldest daughter, Amanda, and their newfound grandchild. They werepletely oblivious to Stephanie¡¯s existence. Just then, her phone buzzed, signaling the arrival of a text message. Stephanie cast a casual nce at the screen, only to discover that the message was from Elias. The whole situation of him sending her a text message felt rather peculiar. She immediately picked up her phone and opened the message, revealing a sequence of numbers. 5022 Cloudview Hotel A hotel room number? What can this possibly mean? 111 34 Utterly bewildered, Stephanie grappled toprehend the intended meaning. She hastily replied to the message, ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ However, as time passed, no response came. She double-checked the number and confirmed that it was indeed Elias¡¯ phone number. Perhaps he is upied and unable to reply? Stephanie decided to call him directly. However, to her surprise, the call ended abruptly as soon as it connected. This couldn¡¯t be a mere coincidence-it was surely intentional! Filled with frustration, she sent another message. ¡®What do you mean by all this?¡¯ After a few minutes of anticipation, a notification chimed, and she eagerly opened the message. ¡®You¡¯ll know when ¡®You¡¯ll know when youe. From that point on, regardless of what she sent, no further replies came. Confusion mingled with curiosity surged within Stephanie. Determined to unravel the mystery, she decided to venture out and see what was happening. She got up and left the dining room, and the helper nearby asked, ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you going to finish your meal?¡± Stephanie hurriedly responded, ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m going out.¡± With that, she hastened back to her room, swiftly changed into a different outfit, and then set off in her car. Meanwhile, Jack and Edith were happily engrossed in ying with their grandson, and they had no interest in what Stephanie was up to. Inside room 5022 at Cloudview Hotel, Crispin sat before the desk, his fingers dancing across the keyboard as he peered at the messaging page on his phone. As he noticed the indicator revealing that Stephanie had read hisst message, an evil grin curled upon his lips. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Early Morning Argument He then leaned backward, even lighting a cigarette and starting to smoke. Crispin had never dared smoke in front of Stephanie to give her the impression that he had excellent morals, and it was clear that she had always treated him that way. Had Elias not shown up, she would have remained devoted to Crispin but sadly, she now fancied Elias. However, Crispin had to be the Allegras¡¯ son-inw, so she could only be his wife. Ding! Dong! The doorbell suddenly rang. Stephanie had arrived, which made Crispin perk up at once. He stubbed the cigarette in the ashtray and closed the curtains with a remote before heading toward the foyer. Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! The doorbell kept ringing as if she was panicking already. Crispin eyed the switch on the wall and immediately switched off all the lights in the room, making his surroundings pitch ck. After that, he slowly opened the door but hid behind it. Meanwhile, Stephanie was confused when the door opened. What is going on? Why didn¡¯t he switch on the light? It ispletely dark! ¡°Elias, what are you doing here? Why haven¡¯t you switched on the lights? You-¡± Before she could finish, she was dragged abruptly inside by a man¡¯s arm before the door closed quickly. ¡°Help! What do you want?¡± She was pushed against the wall and could sense clearly that the man¡¯s body was moving closer. She thought that it was Elias, and she somehow blushed involuntarily even if it wasn¡¯t visible in the room. ¡°W-What do you want to do to me?¡± Her voice shook. In the next moment, Crispin lowered his head and kissed her forcefully and deeply. ¡°Mmph! What are you doing?¡± Stephanie attempted to struggle but somehow weed it after remembering that it was Elias. Her mind was nk. Is it Elias who is forcefully kissing me? Goodness! It is amazing yet exciting! However, she didn¡¯t know that it was Crispin, the man whom she had loved so entirely before, who was doing these things. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°W-Why are you treating me like this?¡± She was shy and embarrassed, not even daring to TH look directly at the man even in the dark. Crispin replied hoarsely, ¡°Don¡¯t you want it?¡± He then kissed her again, but Stephanie felt that the voice sounded strange. Does Elias sound like that? However, she soon lost all rationality and let herself go. As for Crispin, the reason he dared to do this was because Elias was attending a banquet in the hotel. At that very moment, Elias was chatting with famous figures from different circles. He hadn¡¯t nned oning that night but had heard that Amanda would be there, so he attended the asion as well. However, he didn¡¯t see her at all, which disappointed him. He went to the balcony alone and called Amanda, but he gave up when she didn¡¯t pick up after a long while. He soon left the banquet; he might as well go home and rest rather than remain bored there. After all, he hadn¡¯t slept much recently since he had been so busy that he didn¡¯t have time to eat. He then drove back to Gxy Bay, intending to get a good night¡¯s sleep before going to the Allegra Vi to see his son and Amanda. He had been away from them for several days, yet he missed them so much that he was losing sleep. The following morning, Crispin was nowhere to be seen in room 5022 of Cloudview Hotel, leaving Stephanie dozing on the bed until she was awoken by the doorbell. She rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, finding herself lying on the hotel bed as the doorbell continued. ringing. Without thinking of recalling what happened the night before, she quickly got up and opened the door, carefully hiding behind it. The waiter brought breakfast and smiled when the door opened. ¡°Hello, this is your breakfast. One Mr. Winters ordered for you.¡± Mr. Winters? ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have toe in. Just push the trolley inside.¡± Stephanie was still undressed, so of course she couldn¡¯t let anyone in. The waiter had no choice but to inform her, ¡®Call the reception desk when you¡¯re done, and we will come and collect it.¡± 24 ¡°I know, I know. Just go.¡± She closed the door right away and studied the trolley, recalling the waiter had just mentioned Mr. Winters. Mr. Winters? Is he referring to Elias Winters? He is the only one I know with thatst name. So, it¡¯s really him who slept with mest night! Stephanie felt happy yet hurt. Why did he disappear so early in the morning? Has he fled the room? At that moment, Crispin took a stack of cash and handed it to the waiter in the corridor. around the corner from the room. ¡°Did you say what I¡¯ve told you to?¡± The waiter took the money. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I repeated it word for word.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Remember to never tell anyone about this or you will be in great trouble,¡± Crispin mentioned with a secretive expression. The waiter had been working long enough to know this and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± The Allegra Vi had erupted into chaos early in the morning. Amanda had slept in for a while since she had workedte into the night. She checked the time when she woke up, nning to go back to sleep. However, she then heard amotion downstairs. What is going on? She got up and put on her dressing gown before tidying herself up in the bathroom. After changing into her usual outfit for home, she left the room. Themotion became louder as soon as she left the room, but she couldn¡¯t hear what the argument was about. It seemed to be Jack and Stephanie arguing while Edith was trying to pacify them. ¡°Why won¡¯t you believe what I say? Do I look like a liar?¡± Stephanie shouted at her frustration lining her tone. parents, Amanda listened to the argument as she headed downstairs, not knowing what everyone was arguing about since she couldn¡¯t understand it. Jack was extremely furious and scolded Stephanie, ¡°Shut up and stop talking! Don¡¯t let your sister hear anything! Why are you acting like this? Besides, Elias is not that kind of person. You shouldn¡¯t act so out of turn!¡± THE 34 The Gave Alegra exchanged when they had repom where bo begin, while Edith looked cond Only Sorphanie Integrally we meses Amanda¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your ex-hande with me light. That¡¯s what happened Aumtuar ne Dad, what do you mean by that? Am I someone who behaves that way?¡± Amanda hade up behind them by then and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What happened with Elias?¡± The three Allegras¡¯ expressions changed when they heard her speak. Jack didn¡¯t know where to begin, while Edith looked conflicted and hesitant. Only Stephanie looked victorious and vindicated as she turned around proudly to meet Amanda¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your ex-husband Elias slept with mest night. That¡¯s what happened.¡± Amanda was so shocked that she froze to the spot. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Confronting Elias How is that possible?! She didn¡¯t believe Stephanie¡¯s im at all, nor could she believe it. Elias would never do something like this and besides, Stephanie was Amanda¡¯s sister now. Even if Stephanie had been a stranger, he would never sleep with just any woman. Amanda paused for several seconds before letting out a coldugh. ¡°Do you think I will believe you? He never touched you when he had the right to do so, so why would he do it now? Even if you don¡¯t like me, you shouldn¡¯t involve Elias in this!¡± Stephanie waspletely dumbfounded by their skepticism. Is my im that unbelievable, or is his usual public image so uptight that everyone thinks he will never do such a thing? She was nearly mad with anger and wanted to cry. ¡°Why don¡¯t any of you believe me? It¡¯s the truth. The man who you think would never do anything wrong has slept with me! See? This is the message he sent mest night. He asked me to go over!¡± Stephanie was so angry that her hand shook as she pulled out her phone, opening her chat history for everyone to see. However, she found that all of it was now mysteriously gone. ¡°How is that possible? Why is it gone? Elias was the one who sent the message and I didn¡¯t delete it, so why is it gone?¡± She panicked and didn¡¯t know what to do other than go through her phone, yet she couldn¡¯t find it. Amanda felt that Stephanie was showing signs of madness and suggested, ¡°Alright. You¡¯d best stop looking for it. Since you¡¯re so certain it was Eliasst night, just invite him here to interrogate him. Everyone knows that he will never deny something he has done. Up to now, Amanda still didn¡¯t believe Elias would do something like this and refused to believe a word of Stephanie¡¯s im. ¡°Fine! I want to confront him! I want to ask why he treated me that wayst night!¡± Stephanie was frantic and wanted to know what Elias had been up to the night before and whether he had treated her that way because he liked her. ¡°Enough! Do you think this isn¡¯t embarrassing enough? Does everyone have to know about this?¡± Jack shouted, feeling that his youngest daughter might have been toyed around by some disgusting man. He wanted to go to that hotel and check the footage. ¡°Dad!¡± Stephanie burst into tears of anger. However, Amanda remained calm. ¡°Dad, Elias isn¡¯t really an outsider. However, we do have to rify the whole thing without ming the wrong person or letting Stephanie be humiliated like that.¡± They had to investigate this, or Stephanie would act out even more. Jack did not say anything else, while Edith felt helpless and didn¡¯t know what to do with matters like these. She only went along with what Amanda had said. Amanda took out her phone, only to realize Elias had called her multiple timesst night, but she hadn¡¯t picked up at all. She called him back and when it connected, hiszy yet seductive voice came through as if he wasn¡¯t fully awake yet. ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± ¡°Where are you? Come to the Allegra Vi. Something important hase up.¡± The man fell silent for several seconds. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Beep. Amanda frowned after hanging up. What has he been up to that he is not even awake at this time? It didn¡¯t seem like Elias usual behavior since he would usually rise early as long as it wasn¡¯t a weekend. Stephanie became anxious as she watched Amanda call Elias, and she blushed slightly as she recalled what had happened the night before. Everyone soon gathered in the living room to wait for Elias, their expressions all unhappy aside from Stephanie. She was already imagining how she could greet him when he arrivedter; he might admit to what he had donest night. They would have to withstand great pressure while facing her parents as well as Amanda. It was a tormenting thought but if Elias remained stoutly on her side, she would stand firm no matter what just like how she had been loyal to Crispin. No¡­ I¡¯ll be even more loyal than that! The butler headed over and couldn¡¯t help asking a question after sensing the tense atmosphere. ¡°Sir, shall we start lunch preparations now?¡± There¡¯s no need. Tell everyone to take the day off and rest. No one is allowed to interrupt the conversationter.¡± Jack¡¯s expression was thunderous. The butler didn¡¯t know what had happened, but he could sense that it was extremely important. Nodding. he turned and left. There were only the four of them left in the Allegra Vi now, all waiting for Elias¡± arrival in order to carry out the ridiculous interrogation After a while, footsteps sounded outside the house, indicating that Elias had probably arrived. Everyone didn¡¯t show much reaction aside from Stephanie, who sat up with an unconscious smile. She even fluffed her hair. Elias felt strange when he entered the house since there weren¡¯t any helpers at all. Are they all on leave? There was also the smell of gunpowder in the air, which made him frown as he headed straight to the living room. He found the Allegras all there, including Amanda. Have they been waiting for me? Elias stepped into the living room, his gazending on Amanda first as his tone clearly softened. ¡°Why did you invite me here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something important!¡± She stood up and approached him before looking up into his handsome face. It was no surprise that Stephanie had wayward thoughts about him since no woman could resist his looks. But¡­. Amanda demanded coldly. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you woken up at this time? This isn¡¯t your usual style.¡± He nced at the expressions everyone wore before replying seriously. ¡°I sleptte, so I got upte. Why?¡± Amanda looked back at Stephanie. ¡°Which hotel was it?¡± Stephanie didn¡¯t even dare look up and meet Elias¡¯ eyes as she murmured shyly, ¡°Cloudview Hotel.¡± Jack and Edith listened intently as Amanda interrogated Elias, refusing to believe that the young man would do such a shameless thing ||| Cloudview Hotel? Why does it sound familiar? Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Suddenly. Elias remembered the banquet he had attendedst night which seemed to have taken ce at the hotel. What a coincidence! He had a bad feeling that something had gone down. Amanda turned to him again. ¡°What about you? Where have you been and what have you donest night?¡± He didn¡¯t like her attitude at all but replied honestly, ¡°Cloudview Hotel, where I was attending a banquet. What do you want to say?¡± ||| Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Elias, I Am Going To Sue You Amandaughed scornfully and nced at a shy-looking Stephanie. ¡°Stephanie was also at Cloudview Hotelst night.¡± Elias became more suspicious and stared straight into her eyes. ¡°So? What then?¡± Stephanie was now anxious after seeing that Elias seemed to know nothing aboutst night. Is he trying to deny his responsibility and feign innocence? She became anxious and gripped the hem of her shirt tightly. Amanda looked straight into Elias¡¯ eyes and enunciated slowly, ¡°Well, Stephanie imed that a man slept. with her therest night.¡± Elias¡¯ eyes widened abruptly, though it was unclear whether it was from panic or shock. Amanda went on, ¡°She said that the man was Elias Winters.¡± Elias immediately denied it as soon as she finished speaking. That¡¯s impossible!¡± The words struck Stephanie as if they were from a giant hammer and she became dumbstruck. Did he deny it? Why? He was the one who did it to mest night, so how can he deny it so decisively? She couldn¡¯t help but stand up and confront him. ¡°Why won¡¯t you admit it? You invited me to Cloudview Hotel and¡­ How can you deny it? You even ordered breakfast for me. Have you forgotten about it? But how can you forget it? You¡¯re merely reluctant to take responsibility for it, huh? Elias Winters, I never expected you to be that sort of person!¡± Stephanie was close to tears now. Elias had actually denied everything without hesitation, acting as if nothing had happened the night before. ¡°What sort of person am I? I was at the hotel to attend a banquet, so where have I got the time to go see you? Besides, how could I know that you were at the hotel as well? You imed that I invited you there, so where¡¯s the proof?¡± His questions shut her up. Proof? Stephanie did have itst night, but the chat history had mysteriously disappeared for some inexplicable reason. It was like everything had been a dream; however, it had felt so real and besides, the bloodstains on the bedcovers were proof enough. It had been her first time, after all. Amanda crossed her arms and watched their confrontation as if she was a mere outsider. She felt that Elias wasn¡¯t lying, but Stephanie didn¡¯t look like she was either. That meant that someone had really slept. with Stephanie the night before, though it was unclear whether it was Elias. Meanwhile, Stephanie was insistent that it had been Elias. Right now, they had to investigate this-why was the woman so adamant that it was him? ¡°I-I received your messagest night and even checked it several times to make sure it was from your number. You sent me the room number. It was room 5022 at Cloudview Hotel, which is why I went there. You dragged me inside as soon as you opened the door, and then¡­ How can you deny it? The waiter who served me breakfast this morning said it was from one Mr. Winters. Is it not you, then? How many people with thatst name can enter the hotel?¡± Stephanie was close to losing it, her scalp tingling as she recalled the details of their entanglement which, Elias refused to admit to. What was she going to do now? Did she have to threaten him at gunpoint or fall to her knees to plead with him? Elias watched how unraveled she was bing and frowned. ¡°Your story is pretty detailed, but I think have been tricked. I will always admit to what I have done, but never to what I have never done.¡± you ¡°Elias Winters! How can you treat me like this? It was youst night! You stole my virginity! Do you know how much it hurts? How can you do this to me?¡± She broke down in tears. If Elias refused to take responsibility, then what could she do? She didn¡¯t have any proof. Before Elias could say anything, Jack stood up angrily and shouted, ¡°Enough! Shut up. Go back to your room! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve embarrassed yourself enough?¡± ¡°Dad, I wasn¡¯t lying. It really was Elias. How can he deny it? I went to Cloudview Hotel and he was there too. How is that a coincidence? The waiter even said it was one Mr. Winters!¡± Stephanie grabbed hold of Elias¡¯ arm, so frustrated that she was willing to die to prove herself right. However, Elias pushed her away coldly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°It was you! Elias, I am going to sue you. I¡¯m going to use you of taking me against my will. How can you sleep with me but not admit to it? You sullied my innocence!¡± Stephanie stared at him, filled with hatred from how cruel he was. However, he remained cold and merciless as he growled. ¡°Go on and sue me. I¡¯m not afraid since I have. done nothing wrong ¡°How dare you?!¡± She pointed at him angrily, unable to say anything else. Jack stopped her before she went further. ¡°What are you trying to do? Do you want this to be known to everyone? Do you not know who you have been gallivanting around withst night? If Crispin knows about this, do you think he would still want you? Shut up!¡± Jack hadn¡¯t approved of Crispin initially and had slowly convinced himself to ept the man, but now this had happened. If Crispin ever knew about this, it would be a whole other story if he was willing to marry Stephanie. ¡°Mon, Dad, it¡¯s fine if Amanda doesn¡¯t believe me, but how can you two not believe me too? I¡¯m speaking. the truth!¡± ¡°Stop talking. I¡¯m begging you! Stephanie, please!¡± Edith had a splitting headache now. She was more inclined toward believing that someone had taken advantage of her daughter, though that person¡¯s identity was unknown. Jack nced at his wife before stating. Take her back to her room. I need to talk to Elias.¡± Crispin¡¯s voice came from outside the living room at that very moment. ¡°Is all of it true?¡± Everyone turned around in shock to find Crispin, who had been standing there for some time. It was unclear how much he had heard, but he probably knew everything judging by his pale face. Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened and she looked as if someone had seen her naked. ¡°Crisp-¡± Meanwhile, Crispin was about to give the best acting performance of his life. He walked dejectedly toward her, even stumbling slightly to the point he nearly fell. When Stephanie caught him, he looked at her with reddened eyes. ¡°Stephanie, is it all true? Last night- ¡°1-1.¡± She didn¡¯t know how to exin it. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Thest thing Jack wanted was for Crispin to know about this, but now thetter had heard everything. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 I Only Want Amanda Jack didn¡¯t want to mistreat the poor young man and cleared things up straight away. ¡°Crispin, you¡¯ve heard everything and we haven¡¯t intended to take advantage of you on purpose. I haven¡¯t taught my daughter well, so just act as if we¡¯ve never brought up your marriage if you mind it¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Crispin burst out, ¡°I¡¯m willing to! Mr. Allegra, I¡¯m willing to marry Stephanie. I will always want to marry her no matter what she has done, I can¡¯t live without her.¡± Stephanie¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the man before her. Is there a man willing to ept such a ridiculous thing? Jack and Edith were stunned too since they assumed Crispin had only been after their family wealth. It seemed now that he really loved Stephanie to his core. ¡°Kid, are you really willing to marry her? Can you ept what has happened? Jack didn¡¯t understand. After all, how could a man stand being cheated on, especially by a woman he loved? Crispin had to make his performance as perfect as possible, so he faked a look of hurt and disappointment. ¡°I can¡¯t, nor can I ept it. But, I can¡¯t stand living without Stephanie even more and can¡¯t live without her, so I want her.¡± Ha! His words could make the people of Cludan tear up. Both Amanda and Elias looked disgusted upon hearing that. It was so cheesy and nauseating: Crispin really would say anything to be a son-inw to the Allegras.. ¡°Stephanie, do you want to marry me?¡± Crispin asked as he looked at Stephanie sincerely. At that point, Stephanie looked at a cold-looking Elias, whose gaze contained a hint of scorn, and then at Crispin, who only wanted her. Anyone would know what choice to make here. And so, Stephanie gave uppletely on Elias and shut her eyes. ¡°I want to marry you!¡± It was better to marry Crispin who loved her deeply than to let Elias continue degrading her. ¡°Crispin, take Stephanie back to her room, Jackmented. Crispin nodded helplessly before helping Stephanie upstairs, but his lips curved up in an evil smile the instant he turned around. Everything was going ording to n. Even if it sounded callous, he had reached his goal. He had been the one who slept with her anyway, so it was okay as long as he knew he hadn¡¯t lost out or been cheated on. After Stephanie and Crispin were gone, Jack nced at Elias and then at Amanda after some consideration. ¡°Amanda, take your mother to the garden. I need to discuss something with Elias.¡± Amanda nced at Elias and made a noise of assent before helping Edith out of the room. Soon, both Jack and Elias were left alone. Jack settled on the couch. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Elias sat opposite the couch, looking directly at the old cunning fox facing him. He already knew what Jack wanted to ask about. However, Jack did not speak for a long time, only studying Elias quietly as if trying to discern something from the younger man¡¯s gaze. On the other hand, Elias remained calm and silent, so Jack couldn¡¯t read. him at all. ¡°Mr. Allegra, just say whatever you want. Don¡¯t y games. Eventually, Elias was the one to speak up first. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Jack¡¯s expression was solemn as he stated, ¡°I want to know if Stephanie saw youst night and whether you have done such a thing to her.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve said it already. Why should I be afraid to admit to something I did?¡± Elias looked straight at Jack as he uttered the words calmly, his gaze firm. Jack asked again, ¡°So why did such a coincidence take cest night? Someone asked her to go to Cloudview Hotel where you incidentally were, and the waiter even said her breakfast was sent by one Mr. Winters. Was it not you?¡± ¡°That proves that someone is trying to frame me.¡± Elias suddenly recalled that he hadn¡¯t intended on attending the banquet, only joining in the merriment. after identally hearing that Amanda would be there. However, he hadn¡¯t seen her at all, which meant that someone was plotting against him. Jack stared at him again. ¡°Do you want to win my oldest daughter Amanda back?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Elias answered truthfully. It wasn¡¯t something he could hide; he always had wanted to do so, but he hadn¡¯t gotten Amanda¡¯s permission yet. ¡°You can only choose one between my oldest and my youngest daughter.¡± It was clear that Jack also suspected Elias as the man who had slept with Stephanie. Elias was slightly infuriated andughed coldly. ¡°Mr. Allegra, you¡¯re implying something here. I¡¯ve married Amanda and have had a child with her. I only want her. As for Stephanie, I will only look into the man that has framed me.¡± ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll be waiting for the news. If you find out who it is, allow me to deal with him. I don¡¯t want to give that poor boy Crispin any trauma, alright?¡± Jack emphasized. He had already changed his impression of the young man. Elias narrowed his eyes slightly. Why do I feel that things are progressing strangely? Is Crispin so useless that he can stand being cheated on? He really is willing to sacrifice his shame for the sake of wealth, huh? In Stephanie¡¯s room, Crispin helped her dry her tears. ¡°Steph, stop crying. You¡¯re making me sad. ¡°Crisp, are you dumb? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯ve been finding opportunities to break up with you recently? I¡¯m sullied now! Why do you still want to marry me?¡± She was starting to believe that Crispin¡¯s love for her was pure andpletely unadulterated. He smiled gently and kissed her tears away affectionately. Im sorry. You were¡­ taken advantage of because I couldn¡¯t protect you better. I¡¯m sorry, and I will never let you go through this again.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you! It¡¯s that sc*mbag¡¯s fault! I never expected Elias to be that sort of person. It was really himst night, yet he refused to bear responsibility for what he has done!¡± ? Stephanie was nearly boiling with anger, but Elias wouldn¡¯t admit it at all and besides, she didn¡¯t have any proof. Crispin looked at her with an expression that was close to tears. ¡°Steph, can you not mention him anymore? My heart hurts.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really don¡¯t deserve you.¡± While Stephanie had been considering splitting up with Crispin, he had never considered giving up on her. She suddenly felt that she would never find another man who loved her this much. ¡°Stephanie, I love you. I still love you no matter what you¡¯ve gone through. I just want you.¡± He continued charming her to make her feel guilty. She had nothing to say to that and was now willing to marry Crispin, but she still couldn¡¯t take this lying down. Elias Winters, just you wait. I will take my revenge! Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Elias Got Mad Elias¡¯ expression was dark as he left the Allegra Vi. He had just walked out through the entrance when he heard Amanda calling out to him from behind. ¡°Wait.¡± The man paused in his tracks and turned around. In reality, he could already guess what Amanda wanted to say to him.. She walked up to him and said, ¡°Just now, what did Mr. Allegra-I mean, what did my dad say to you?¡± The man examined the expression on her face as he said, ¡°Before I can answer your question, I need you. to answer a question of mine. Do you believe what Stephanie said?¡±- Amanda was slightly stunned. This b¡±stard has learned how to attack preemptively! Of course, she didn¡¯t believe Stephanie¡¯s nonsense, but since Elias had asked her so sincerely, she felt like causing trouble for him. tha ¡°Of course I do. It was Stephanie¡¯s first time, after all, and there was no need for her to lie. Also, she swore the manst night was you, and she even provided evidence. Even though the evidence wascking, it also hinted that the mysterious man could be you. But what about you? You couldn¡¯t exin yourself at all.¡± When Elias heard her words, a look of disappointment appeared in his dark eyes. So, she believes it. He nodded. ¡°I see.¡± With that, he turned to leave, but Amanda grabbed his arm. ¡°So, what did my dad say to you?¡± ¡°Since you believe Stephanie¡¯s nonsense, what Jack said to me no longer matters.¡± Elias pushed Amanda¡¯s hand away as he turned around and walked toward the parking lot. More urately, he was a little mad. He didn¡¯t mind if everyone else didn¡¯t believe him, but he wanted Amanda to believe him. She was the woman he had married and had a child with. How can she suspect my morality and taste? Do I look like the sort of man who would fall for women like Stephanie? Moreover, even if I truly fancied Stephanie, I wouldn¡¯t use such cheap tricks to steal a woman¡¯s first experience. Amanda could see that Elias was mad, for anger emanated from the back of his figure.. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She didn¡¯t stop him this time, deciding to let him investigate what exactly had happened. She was about to turn around and go back when she saw Stephanie and Crispin walking out together. Stephanie was probably seeing Crispin off. When the two caught sight of Amanda, their expressions soured. Crispin, of course, had to y his role. He put on a disgraced expression as he looked at Stephanie. ¡°You should hurry back and rest. I¡¯ll be going home now. No matter what, you have to eat your meals regrly and get enough sleep. I¡¯ll do my best to convince Mr. Allegra to put our marriage on the agenda. Don¡¯t worry. No one would know about this. Never ||| ? ¡°Okay. Thank you, Crisp.¡± Stephanie trusted Crispinpletely, and she was wholly devoted to him. Crispin nced at Amanda, snorted, then turned around and left. Amanda was so mad that she felt likeughing. What does this have to do with me? Isn¡¯t Stephanie the one who did it to herself? Stephanie red at Amanda in hatred as she said coldly, ¡°Are you happy now? Elias ruined my life and stole my first time! He didn¡¯t even want me! How can you two be so vicious? You stole the motherly and fatherly love that belonged to me, and now he stole my first time-¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Before Stephanie could continue, Amanda interrupted her. ¡°Wait a minute! Why are you painting us as heinous demons? Also, how did I steal motherly and fatherly love from you? Aren¡¯t I their biological daughter as well? If I didn¡¯t go missing when I was young, wouldn¡¯t I be enjoying their love all this while? Or did you purposefully make it so that I would go missing when I was young, so you can hog all the love from Dad and Mom?¡± ¡°Nonsense! I was only three or four back then, so how can I possibly cause you to go missing on purpose? You¡¯d better watch your mouth, Amanda!¡± Amanda had hit Stephanie¡¯s Achilles heel. Amanda smiled and didn¡¯t say anything as she walked toward the Allegra Vi. Stephanie grabbed her arm. ¡°Be clear about it! Are you going to spout nonsense to Dad and Mom again? Im warning you, they will never believe your nonsense! ¡°Then, do you think that they would believe the nonsense you just spouted about Elias telling you to go to a hotel room and stealing your first time? Is that even believable?¡± Amanda mimicked Stephanie¡¯s tone from before, pissing the younger woman off. Stephanie widened her eyes, so furious that she was about to explode. ¡°Amanda, watch your tongue! Do you think a woman would joke about things like this?!¡± ¡°Then, do you think it¡¯s appropriate to turn Elias into a se mbag just because of what you said?¡± ¡°That was the truth. I wasn¡¯t ndering him. I never thought that you¡¯d trust your ex-husband so much.¡± Amanda sneered. ¡°It¡¯s not about him. I trust his taste in women. He would never fancy someone like you.¡± With that, Amanda even looked at Stephanie from head to toe, her face filled with disdain. Stephanie lowered her head and looked at herself, disbelief coloring her eyes. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®someone like me? Why wouldn¡¯t he fancy me?¡± Stephanie felt humiliated. It was even more infuriating than when Elias refused to admit to it. ¡°Well¡­ How should I put it? When I secretly got married to Elias back then, he brought women home as well. Those women had pale skin and attractive figures, and their personalities were soft and their voices gentle. You¡¯re a far cry from that, so you don¡¯t match his aesthetics.¡± With that, Amanda sneered in disdain and walked away. A stunned Stephanie was left standing where she was. She couldn¡¯t recover even after a long while, for she was still trying to picture the women Amanda described. Wait a minute¡­ Aren¡¯t those women your typical two-faced bich? So, Elias likes the sort of woman who is all looks and has no virtue? r It was midnight. Amanda tossed and turned in bed, unable to go to sleep. Too many things had happened today, and her mind was in a mess. Even though she didn¡¯t believe Stephanie¡¯s words, it seemed to be true that Stephanie was vited. So, who exactly was the man fromst night? She didn¡¯t believe that it would be Elias, but who would pretend to be Elias and vite Stephanie? It was surely someone who had inside information, and also knew that Stephanie liked Elias. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get Stephanie to the hotel room so easily. Who can it be? No one suspected Crispin at all. After all, Crispin¡¯s outstanding performance today had convinced. everyone that he truly loved Stephanie. Amanda couldn¡¯t sleep, so she went to the balcony for some fresh air. Suddenly, her phone rang. She frowned. Who is calling me at this hour? When she picked up her phone to look, she realized that it was a call from Elias. She hesitated for a moment before answering the call. What is it?¡± Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 I Can¡¯t Sleep Because I¡¯m Angry There was silence at the other end of the line for such a long time that Amanda almost thought the call was not connected. Then, she nced at the phone screen, which showed that he was engaged in the call. She ced the phone to her ear again and warned, ¡°Speak up, or I¡¯m hanging up.¡± A man¡¯s deep and hoarse voice sounded from the other end of the line. It sounded as if he was slightly. drunk when he asked, ¡°Why are you still awake?¡± Oh¡­ This man is interesting She turned and leaned against the railing. ¡°How could you answer your phone when you are asleep? What is it? You have insomnia?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t sleep because you made me angry.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Made him angry? Amanda suddenly regained herposure. It might have been the words that she said. earlier in the day, but since when did Elias be so narrow-minded that her sentence could make him lose his sleep? She chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that. You are so narrow-minded that you can¡¯t fall asleep after I said a few, words, huh?¡± The call was silent for a long time to the point where Amanda could imagine how ugly Elias¡¯ expression was. After a while, Elias spoke again. ¡°You are more powerful than everyone else.¡± Amanda was silent. Is heplimenting or scolding me? Then, sheughed. ¡°So, why are you calling me in the wee hours?¡± ¡°I want to torture you¡­ in bed.¡± Amanda¡¯s little face reddened in that instant as she remembered how that night went, so she couldn¡¯t help. but scold in anger. ¡°Elias, show some shame! Be civilized!¡± ¡°If you doubt me again the next time, I¡¯ll make sure to live up to my words.¡± The man sounded like he was exasperated and could feel himself gritting his teeth when he said those words, so he was lucky that they were merely on a phone call. Amanda sighed softly. ¡°So, did you investigate who was the one who bedded Stephanie that night?¡± ¡°Oh, why are you so concerned? I thought you hated her a lot?¡± ¡°No matter how much I hate Stephanie, she¡¯s still my biological sister. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to be concerned about her when someone has bullied me? Is that against thew? As awyer, I want justice. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± She enunciated her words so clearly that everyone would think that she was concerned about Stephanie¡¯s matters. Elias snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Only I know what your truest thoughts are.¡± ¡°Huh? Then, tell me, what I am thinking now?¡± ¡°You are thinking whether I¡¯m really the man from that night.¡± Amanda was so shocked that her eyes widened. Did this se*mbag study psychiatry, which is why he can read R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only minds? If she was honest, she could not quite, believe that Elias had unreasonable thoughts about Stephanie, but what if it was really true? She was afraid about it and merely wanted to search for real evidence to prove that the man that night was not Elias to feel rest assured. She was so frightened by her thoughts. Although she resented Stephanie, she should be sympathizing with Stephanie¡¯s first time now that Stephanie had encountered such a thing. So, why should she be entangled with the issue of whether that man was Elias or not? Amanda suddenly felt that she had fallen into the abyss of her feelings for Elias and could not extricate herself from it. It was just like how she was back then. Why do you always fall for the man¡¯s same tricks? Is this what they call fate? Does this mean I can only fancy Elias alone? Otherwise, why do I have no interest in other men? Amanda remained silent for the longest time, which left Elias on the other end of the line ecstatic because what he said was correct. The man addedzily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I said that if it ain¡¯t me, it ain¡¯t me. Why wouldn¡¯t I have the guts to admit that I slept with which woman?¡± ¡°That just shows how great you are. You can sleep with any woman you fancy, including your ex-wife.¡± Amanda snorted coldly as she mocked in a strange tone. Eliasughed pleasantly. ¡°Am I right to say that this is an invite?¡± ¡°Invite my ¡°ss! Shameless!¡± At that, Amanda mmed the phone and refused to give Elias any more chance to tease her. Then, she turned and returned to her room to sleep. At the same time¡­ Elias, who had been at the other end of the line, was at Cloudview Hotel. After watching the surveince footage from that night, he finally discovered the room where Stephanie met her unfortunate fate. ¡°Mr. Winters, I found it. It¡¯s Room 5022. Yacob suddenly turned toward Elias to report. Elias leaned against the chair and had just ended the call with a smile on his lips when he heard Yacob¡¯s report. Then, he rose to his full height and went over to the monitoring station. When he saw where the said room was, he went in that direction. Yacob breathed a sigh of relief in exhaustion as he followed behind Elias and muttered, ¡°Why do you even card to check the surveince? You could have saved the time and asked Miss Allegra directly instead.¡± ¡°Are you teaching me what to do?¡± The man stopped in his tracks and nced at Yacob. Yacob immediately fell silent and shook his head. ¡°No¡­. Actually, on top of his ego, he did not want to waste time with Stephanie. To say that Mr. Winters is like this is not fair either. He merely values his dignity too much and he is just as willful. Whenever he is with someone whom he fancies, like Amanda, he can¡¯t wait to be a bootlicker. However, with someone whom he doesn¡¯t like, he will feel that it is a waste of time to even look at them. Sigh¡­. And just because I¡¯m his personal bodyguard, I had to stay up for the past few days to the point where I haven¡¯t slept. Yacob yawned and followed Elias to Room 5022. The moment they entered the room, they discovered that Room 5022 had been cleaned a long time ago, which meant that there wouldn¡¯t be any traces left. ¡°It has been cleaned. There is no more value,¡± Yacob said. However, Elias was searching the entire room and he looked like he was looking for something. Yacob couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you looking for, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there any surveince here? If there is, it¡¯ll serve as a piece of overwhelming evidence.¡± Yacob¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mr. Winters, we¡¯re talking about a room. How can there be cameras here? Wouldn¡¯t it be against thew?¡± Is Mr. Winters blind? How can there be surveince cameras in the room, especially in a high-end hotel room like this? Wouldn¡¯t the hotel be sued to their death if someone finds out? Elias raised his eyes to meet Yacob calmly. ¡°Have such things decreased, though? Isn¡¯t the existence of such surveince a significant benefit to me?¡± There was nothing that Yacob could refute. It looks like Mr. Winters is really panicking since he is hoping for such a thing to happen. After searching around, Elias found nothing and was disappointed. Yacob couldn¡¯t helpmenting. This is not a shady hotel on the streets. So, I don¡¯t think they would make an amateur mistake of having cameras in the room.¡± An impatient Elias gritted his teeth. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t need your reminder!¡± After saying that, he left the room, and Yacob followed suit too. ¡°How about your investigation? Are there any results?¡± Elias asked. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Set Him Up Yacob, with a serious expression, replied, ¡°They couldn¡¯t get anything useful from anyone other than a server. He said that a man iming to be Winters requested breakfast to be sent to room 5022 and even gave him a good tip.¡± Winters? Elias frowned. ¡°Did you not ask what the man in question looked like?¡± ¡°Of course I did. But the server said he received so many guests every day that he couldn¡¯t remember his appearance. He only recalled that the man tipped him generously and requested the breakfast to be delivered to a youngdy in 5022¡± Elias fell silent. It seemed that someone was deliberately framing him, going to such extreme lengths. He searched in his mind for a while but couldn¡¯t think of any recent enemies who would do such a thing. and he couldn¡¯t understand why they chose Stephanie either. Could it be that the person mistook Stephanie for his soon-to-be fianc¨¦e and chose to target her? Or he couldn¡¯t think of any other valid. reason. ¡°Bring that server over. I want to question him myself.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Yacob obliged. Meanwhile, Elias fell into deep thought as he gazed at the number te 5022. Who could be behind this? He had too many enemies, but who would be bored enough to pull off something like this? He couldn¡¯t think of anyone for the time being. Momentster, Yacob returned hastily, wearing a troubled expression. ¡°Mr. Winters, the waiter has disappeared. It¡¯s strange; he was here just an hour ago when I questioned him, but now he¡¯s nowhere to be found.¡± Elias became furious instantly. ¡°Idiot, don¡¯t you understand? They are setting me up, and now they¡¯ve eliminated the only eyewitness.¡± Freshly out of the Allegra Vi, Crispin hurriedly arrived at the Cloudview Hotel only to find the server who delivered the food was being questioned by Yacob. He panicked, knowing his borate n would bepletely exposed if the server revealed anything. By then, he would lose everything, unable to marry Stephanie, let alone be the Allegras¡¯ son-inw, and his long-awaited entry into high society would be gone. This was the closest he had ever been to sess. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose. Once Yacob left, Crispin immediately pulled the waiter into a stairwell-deserted and echoing, creating a creepy atmosphere. The server recognized him, and after some hesitation, he eximed, ¡°It¡¯s you! That gentleman was just asking about you, Mr. Winters. You-¡± ¡°Shh¡­ Pipe down.¡± Crispin covered the server¡¯s mouth and, after making sure no one was outside. ¡°Take this and leave. It contains all my savings over the years, a total of 70 thousand. It should be enough for you to livefortably for several years. My only requirement is that you leave this ce and stop working here.¡± ||| The server was stupefied, having trouble believing such a fortune would actually strike him. ¡°Why are you doing this, Mr. Winters? I can¡¯t take this. Is this some kind of trap?¡± The server, having worked in this profession for a long time, knew those who visited this very hotel were either rich or influential, or both. Thest thing he wanted was to get involved in some big shot¡¯s business. Seeing how much of a coward the server was being, Crispin snapped, ¡°Just take it. Don¡¯t ask any questions. unless you want to die a terrible death. With this money, you can livefortably for several years and find another job. If you don¡¯t take it and stay here, you¡¯ll have nowhere to hide when the person who just questioned you returns. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± After much consideration, the server finally decided to take the bank card. He was just a lowly service staff and didn¡¯t want to get involved in the world of these influential people. He knew he would end up in a terrible situation if he did. After watching the server leave with the money, Crispin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Keeping the server around was indeed a mistake. He¡¯d be in serious trouble if Elias managed to find anything. He¡¯d be as good as dead if the CEO realized he had used Elias¡¯ name to sleep with Stephanie! Now, the pressing matter was to marry Stephanie as soon as possible. He had to do it before Elias. uncovered the truth, or all his efforts would be in vain. It had be a race between him and Elias-whichever one acted faster would be the winner. The evening arrived, and Crispin returned to the Allegra Vi at dinner time. Because of Jack¡¯s attitude. toward the young man, everyone in the house now regarded him as the son-inw.. Stephanie, too, hadpletely given in as well. Now, aside from marrying Crispin, she didn¡¯t seem to have any better options. While everyone was enjoying dinner, the butler approached and reported, ¡°Crispin in here, sir.¡± ¡°Set an extra ce setting; let him join us,¡± Jack said, and the butler obliged, nodding and leaving- Shortly after, Crispin entered the dining room, greeted everyone, and sat beside Stephanie while a maid. added a ce setting for him. ¡°Thank you so much foring every day to check in on Stephanie, Crispin,¡± Jack said. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m more than willing to do it,¡± said Crispin with a modest smile. ¡°I worry Stephanie might take things too hard if she¡¯s alone, so I thought somepany might help. Also, Mr. Allegra, could we move our wedding forward? I fear someone with malicious intentions might exploit this situation.¡± ¡°I dare them to try! No one but you guys know about this!¡± Stephanie hit the roof at the mention of that night. She felt incredibly insulted when the man who screwed her, Elias, ended up denying it. At that, Crispin held her hand and spoke gently. ¡°But walls have ears, not to mention when you guys hire many domestic workers. I worry your reputation might tarnish if someone leaks it. Let¡¯s get married. quickly. If this matter does get out, as long as I¡¯m not bothered by it, no one will dare say anything about you.¡± Tik, tsk. Even Amanda was beginning to be impressed by Crispin. Coyote sure has a silver tongue. Even Jack¡¯s ||| er bing convinced 1 hat everyone other then Fliesend that Cayete¡¯s love for Stephanie is snadulterated Edith spoke up we well ¡°Howe considerate of you Crisp You¡¯re right too I can hand Stephanie to you with an round mind nom With Faith¡¯s apparel. Crispin fall he had already schuered half h¨¦r ercess and he responded with a gensle erile, ¡°Thank you Mr Aleges Perests to mid Mrs. Allegra, that I will make re Kirphonir diren¡¯t suffer an pri Tot it better to weghell the Mr as hottiered before getting married Amanda oked the looked at the devoted man Think or that he never the wholly fisused on finding the truth. I¡¯m Ti have the traulic anem Crispin¡¯s smile free the corner of mouth # set at in and rain my n, that fitingCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Lie Detector Jack and Edith exchanged a nce and nodded in agreement. ¡°Amanda¡¯s right. We can¡¯t sweep this issue under the carpet and leave it at that. I will find that scoundrel. I can¡¯t have my two girls suffer a grievance,¡± Jack growled angrily. Edith echoed as well. ¡°We have time. I believe Elias will soon uncover the truth.¡± Immediately, Crispin felt uneasy. The whole family was united in their desire to discover the truth, but if they did find it, he¡¯d be the one in hot water. Meanwhile, from Stephanie¡¯s perspective, her parents were purely biased toward Amanda. They don¡¯t care about my feelings at all! With a loud p, Stephanie angrily mmed her palm on the table, startling everyone present. She sprang up and eximed, ¡°Mom, Dad, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too biased?! Why won¡¯t any of you believe that I¡¯m telling the truth?! Won¡¯t let your two girls suffer a grievance? Huh, more like not letting Amanda suffer any grievances! All you guys care about is whether she¡¯s upset. You don¡¯t care about how I feel at all!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! How am I being biased now?! Have we not spoiled you growing up? Your sister has only returned to us in about a month! Besides, this whole thing is not adding up. Should we not investigate it thoroughly? How are we supposed to believe who¡¯s right or wrong when Elias won¡¯t admit to his actions and you can¡¯t provide any substantial evidence?!¡± Jack was furious at this point, thinking his younger daughter was bing increasingly unreasonable, still behaving willfully when she had caused massive trouble. ¡°Stephanie, we¡¯re doing this for your own good. Don¡¯t you want to know who that beast was that night? Your father is also looking into the matter. If it really was Elias, your father won¡¯t show him mercy.. However, before Edith could finish her words, tears streamed down Stephanie¡¯s face like a never- ending waterfall as she sobbed, ¡°Why are you guys like this?! It was obviously Elias, but why won¡¯t any of you believe it?! Your daughter has been defiled, yet you choose to believe in Elias rather than me?! Why would you think he would admit to a shameless act he hasmitted?!¡± Stephanie¡¯s cries now echoed throughout the silent dining room, and the Allegra couple was also at a loss. for words. Only Amanda gazed calmly at her younger sister, asking. ¡°You insist that it was Elias. Does that mean that you saw him with your own eyes?¡± Crispin tensed up at once, feeling nervous about Amanda¡¯s question. He was confident that he had disguised himself well, and Stephanie wouldn¡¯t likely suspect a thing. ¡°1¡­¡± Stephanie was suddenly speechless. It was pitch ck that night; she couldn¡¯t see anything at all. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Amanda pressed on, frustrating Stephanie, and she argued, ¡°Elias deliberately turned the lights off that night. The room was pitch ck. I couldn¡¯t see anything, but I could. tell it was him. He texted me, telling me to go to the hotel. Who else could it be other than him?! And right after I entered the room¡­.¡± She hesitated to continue recounting the rest of the night. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t actually see Elias,¡± Amanda analyzed calmly. ¡°You just assumed it was him.¡± ¡°What do you mean I just assumed?! It was Elias! He told me to go to the hotel! As for why he turned the lights off, how would I know?! He probably felt ashamed of what he was doing!¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you immediately make out who that person is if he hadn¡¯t turned the lights off?¡± Amanda retorted calmly. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because he wants you to think he¡¯s Elias and that he turned the lights off. The w is already right in your face. How can you still not get that someone is clearly trying to frame Elias?¡± ¡°Who is it then? Who¡¯s trying to frame Elias?! Tell me!¡± Stephanie was beside herself with fury at this point. She couldn¡¯t understand why she had so much faith in Elias when they had been divorced for years. Crispin, on the other hand, hurriedly interjected, seeing that they were already beginning to solve the mystery. ¡°You¡¯re awyer, Miss Bailey. We won¡¯t be able to out-debate you. But a grown man has to own up to his actions. I¡¯m sure Mr. Winters understands that when even I do. Besides, you and Mr. Winters have been divorced for so long, and you can¡¯t possibly know what kind of person he has be over the years. What we want is the truth and not your forced trust.¡± Tsk¡­ Who says Crispin is weak and incapable? Amanda thought the man was rather resourceful. Though he was wholly protective of Stephanie, he was also throwing dirt at Elias. She could interpret it as him being angry about being cuckolded, or maybe he was desperately trying to stop this heated discussion. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he was afraid of something and, at the same time, hiding something. Her sharpwyer¡¯s instincts told her that Crispin was certainly hiding something. At that, she chuckled lightly. ¡°You have quite the way with words as well, Mr. Coyote, eloquently portraying me as a rude and unreasonable woman. Besides, this has nothing to do with my divorce from Elias. Please refrain from bringing that up. There are clearly many strange details in this case that need to be investigated thoroughly. For example, why were the lights turned off? And Stephanie never saw Elias¡± face the whole time. Isn¡¯t it illogical to conclude it was him?¡± The debate had now turned into a showdown between Amanda and Crispin. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Miss Bailey, as Stephanie¡¯s boyfriend, the issue has already broken my heart deeply. I beg you not to defame Stephanie anymore. As her sister, shouldn¡¯t you care for her? I bet your ex-husband has everything to do with this!¡± Crispin knew that reasoning wouldn¡¯t persuade Amanda, so he pulled the emotional card, hoping to sway Jack and Edith at least. Meanwhile, Stephanie cried even harder, held in Crispin¡¯s arms, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a police case, they need to present solid evidence. Are you directly convicting Elias without any concrete proof? Who do you think you are, Mr. Coyote?¡± Though weaning a smile as she spoke, traces of maliceced Amanda¡¯s eyes, and Crispin was determined more than ever to bring the marriage forward, for he believed the truth would surface very soon. Finally, Jack had enough and roared, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough! We¡¯ll know at once if Elias is lying from a lie detector test!¡± Everyone was stupefied at once, and Amanda nearly burst intoughter. No wonder Elias called him a for. What a cunning move-a lie detector test. Stephanie instantly sat upright from Crispin¡¯s embrace, her eyes shining with excitement. ¡°Great idea, Dad! Let¡¯s do it tonight! I¡¯ll want everyone to know the truth! If he doesn¡¯t dare to show undoubtedly him!¡± up, it¡¯s Everyone eagerly anticipated the lie detector test¡¯s results, except for Crispin, who remained silent¡­ Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 You Alone Cannot Doubt Me Amanda smirked, believing Elias would flip out on the spot if he knew what they had in store for him. Use a lie detector on Elias? The thought of it amused her. Everyone at the dining table had their own hidden agenda, Jack wanted to thoroughly test Elias¡¯ character. If he refused to show up, he must be hiding something. And if he darede, they would bombard him with questions. Stephanie, on the other hand, was the happiest of them all, for she believed her name would be cleared. soon. Elias would be doomed whether he chose to show up or not. If he came, it would prove her innocence. If he didn¡¯t, it would further prove that she wasn¡¯t lying. Either way, it was to her advantage, for she was a hundred percent sure the man that night was none other than Elias. She had never considered any other possibility. Stephanie couldn¡¯t even imagine the consequences if the man from that night turned out to be some random guy and not Elias. She thought she mightpletely lose her mind. ¡°A lie detector?¡± Sure enough, Elias¡¯ pitch-ck eyes were filled with disbelief. Only that cunning for coulde up with such an idea, thinking of using a lie detector to test the truth of my words, Original from N?velDrama.Org. It was simply an insult to his character. Meanwhile, Yacob was struggling to hold back hisughter aside. Never had he imagined his boss would one day be requested to take a lie detector test. It was absolutely absurd. Still, he forced his amusement down and asked, ¡°So¡­ will you go, sir?¡± To be honest, either choice was embarrassing. If he went, it would be an insult to his character. If he refused, it would be like admitting he was the man that night. Elias wanted nothing more than to strangle the b¡±stard who slept with Stephanie that night. He questioned exasperatedly why the man imed to be him, of all people, and caused him such massive trouble. Grimly, Elias shot his bodyguard an icy nce and said. ¡°Of course! Why should I let them think I have a guilty conscience?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking, Mr. Winters. They might think you have a guilty conscience if you refuse to show up. It¡¯s just a lie detector. That thing won¡¯t detect anything if you¡¯re not lying.¡± Yacob earnestly exined and shut up instantly when he received an icy gander from Elias, who then sneered, ¡°You seem quite excited about the lie detector. Are you interested in it?¡± ¡°Not really. I just want to see what it looks like. I bet Jack¡¯s lie detector is imported¡­¡± Yacob let slip his true thoughts. In actuality, he wanted to see how Elias would look when tested by the lie detector. I can already tell how interesting it¡¯ll be just imagining it. Haha¡­ Elias snorted. Looks like Jack, that sly old fox, doesn¡¯t believe a word I say but trusts Stephanie instead. Then again, she¡¯s his daughter. That¡¯s understandable. Still, it¡¯s rather disgusting that he would think of using a lie detector, ||| As night fell, Elias arrived at the Allegra Vi as agreed, and a squidgy little body threw itself into Elias¡± arms as soon as he entered. ¡°Daddy! I missed you so much! Long time no see!¡± Indeed, he hadn¡¯t visited the little guy for a few days. Elias had been busy investigating Stephanie¡¯s casetely, not to mention he had a pile of work waiting for him in his office. He barely had any time to himself at all. ¡°I missed you too,¡± said Elias as he picked Aiden up. Tm rather busy with worktely. But once things. settle down, I¡¯ll pick you up from school every day, okay?¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Aiden cheered and clung to his father¡¯s neck, thrilled. The kid was practically a mini Elias. Just then, Amanda approached them and patted Aiden¡¯s bum gently, reminding him, ¡°Time for a shower, Aiden. The nanny¡¯s looking for you everywhere.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. I want to y with Daddy. I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time.¡± Aiden held onto his father tightly as if someone might separate them. ¡°You can y with Daddy after your shower, or he wouldn¡¯t want to y with you when you¡¯re smelly.¡± At that, Aiden looked at his father and asked, ¡°Will you really not y with me if I smell, Daddy? Am I smelly?¡± ying along, Elias pretended to sniff him and frowned. ¡°Well, a little bit. How about you take a shower now, and I¡¯lle looking for youter?¡± ¡°Oh¡­. Okay.¡± With that, Amanda took Aiden back into her arms before handing him to the nanny aside, saying, ¡°Be a good boy and take your shower. Your father will go looking for you after you¡¯re done showering.¡± ¡°No lying. Mommy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡± After the nanny took Aiden away, only Amanda and Elias were left in the room, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to prepare?¡± Elias retorted, causing a chuckle to escape Amanda. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t come. Besides, who knows if this lie detector is reliable? Elias turned silently grimly, and seeing that there wasn¡¯t anyone around, he pulled Amanda into his arms, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. ¡°What are you doing? This is my parent¡¯s house!¡± Amanda freaked out and looked around. Though there. wasn¡¯t anyone around, it would be mortifying if anyone saw them. However, Elias disregarded everything and leaned into her car to whisper, ¡°Anyone can doubt me, even the lie detector, but alone cannot.¡± ¡°Why?¡± you ¡°Because I care about how you feel, understand?¡± Elias said, then nibbled on her lips as if punishing her. Amanda winced in pain and pushed him away. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± O < Just then, voices came from upstairs, likely the Allegrasing down after learning that Elias had arrived. Amanda quickly moved to the side and straightened her clothes while Elias stood calmy still, waiting for. this absurd trial. To think my character needs to be tested with a lie detector. How truly ridiculous! Still, he came, for he didn¡¯t want anyone to doubt him, especially not Amanda. Jack and his wife slowly walked downstairs, and upon seeing Elias, their expressions turned grave. Following behind them were Stephanie and Crispin, both silent. However, a hint of smugness could be seen on Stephanie¡¯s face, as if she believed her goal was about to be achieved. After everyone gathered in the first-floor living room, J?ck was the first to break the silence. ¡°Elias, I know this is quite absurd, but since things have escted to this point, I believe it¡¯s necessary to clear the air. I hope you can understand why we¡¯re doing this.¡± ¡°Say no more, Mr. Allegra,¡± replied Elias grimly. ¡°I came here because I also want to prove myself. However, your doubts about me have made me doubt your character as well.¡± Silence fell in the room. Even Amanda was taken aback. This guy¡¯s presence sure is overpowering. Despite being the number one ¡®suspect,¡¯ he can still voice out his suspicion toward everyone¡¯s character and turn the tables around. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 A Sense of Abstinence Jack even felt somewhat ashamed. He turned his head away, not wanting to meet Elias¡¯ gaze. Everyone fell silent except for Stephanie, who charged up to Elias angrily while shouting, ¡°Elias Winters, you coward! Why can¡¯t you admit to what you¡¯ve done? You were the one who told me to meet you at the hotel. You were the one who did those things to me! Why don¡¯t you dare admit it?! How can you let me, a girl, face all the gossip and nders? Are you even a man?!¡± s, Elias remained indifferent toward Stephanie¡¯s hysterical outcries. In fact, he thought she was being ridiculous. ¡°Why should I admit to what I never did? Didn¡¯t you guys ask that I do a lie detector test? Let¡¯s do it then.¡± Stephanie stood frozen in ce, wide-eyed, wondering if Elias was really not afraid of a lie detector. Does he think he can deceive the machine? ¡°Elias, you really won¡¯t yield until the truth¡¯s in front of you, don¡¯t you?! Do you really think you can fool the lie detector?!¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind? A lie detector is used to detect true and false statements. Do you really need to bber about it?¡± Elias honestly didn¡¯t want to entertain the ridiculous woman anymore, for he thought. every word with her was just a waste of time. At that, he turned to Jack. ¡°Where¡¯s the lie detector, Mr. Allegra? Let¡¯s get started. I still have many thing to attend to. I don¡¯t have time to waste on some ridiculous test.¡± Tension filled the air, and everyone was feeling various emotions. ¡°It¡¯s in the study. Follow me,¡± said Jack as he walked toward the study after clearing his throat with everyone following him. Elias took a gander at Amanda before following Jack. Amanda, on the other hand, smiled, at ease as she joined everyone in the study, for she knew the man from that night couldn¡¯t possibly be Elias. Left behind were Crispin and Stephanie. Crispin approached Stephanie and said, ¡°Stephanie, let¡¯s go too.¡± ¡°Fine! Why should I back down when even he dares to face it?!¡± Stephanie headed toward the study. angrily. On the other hand, Crispin remained rooted on the spot, his gazeplicated. Still, the uracy of the lie detector wasn¡¯t one hundred percent, and having only seventy to eighty percent uracy wouldn¡¯t prove anything. Amanda was amazed by what she saw in the study, and she thought her birth father really lived up to hist reputation as an old fox. He was really serious about the whole lie detector test. He even hired a professional team to test Elias. Does he want to achieve 100% uracy? ¡°Is everything ready? How urate of a test are we looking at?¡± Jack asked, looking at the team. One of them stepped forward and replied, ¡°A lie detector is just an auxiliary tool, Mr. Allegra. The uracy rate can only reach about 75 to 80 percent. So, we¡¯ll do our best.¡± Jack nodded in response, ¡°Ant wow w < uracy rate of 80 percent will be sufficient. I¡¯ll know what to do.¡± If Elias passed this test, he wouldn¡¯t have any doubts about him anymore. This whole situation is too troublesome. Meanwhile, Amanda took a seat and prepared to watch the show. It was her first time seeing Elias in such a passive situation. Stephanie, on the other hand, was filled with anticipation, hoping that the lie detector could innocence and make everyone believe she didn¡¯t lie, as well as reveal Elias¡¯ true colors. prove her Only Crispin stood there, burdened with worries, afraid that something unexpected might happen. ¡°Please take a seat, Mr. Winters,¡± said one of the staff to Elias, who obliged impassively, sitting in the chair, allowing the staff to attach sensor patches onto him. When they unbuttoned his shirt, Amanda couldn¡¯t help speaking up. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you removing his shirt?¡± Elias chuckled in response. ¡°Does it make you ufortable?¡± he teased, making Amanda want to roll her So much for being considerate. I shouldn¡¯t have pointed it out for that b*stard of a man. eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not removing his shirt, Miss Allegra,¡± the staff exined awkwardly. ¡°We need to attach the patches to the chest too.¡± ¡°Sure, got it.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t bother to inquire further. She crossed her arms and took on an indifferent attitude, ready to watch the drama unfold. Meanwhile, Elias nced at the woman unbuttoning his shirt and said, ¡°Please hurry. I still want to leave a good impression on my ex-wife.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Sure..¡± The staff awkwardly and quickly unbuttoned his shirt and attached the patches to his chest. ¡°Shur up, you!¡± Amanda scolded after recovering from her split-second stupefaction. Stephanie, on the other hand, was made upset by the former couple¡¯s interaction. She couldn¡¯t believe they were still flirting at this time. Why does it look like Elias and Amanda have remarried? What does this make of my experience that night, then?! ¡°Can we get on with it, Dad? If the prep work takes this long, wouldn¡¯t the test take all night?!¡± Stephanie urged impatiently. ¡°Let¡¯s get it started, then,¡± Jack ordered from the couch aside. After the staff finished adjusting the equipment, they turned to Jack. ¡°We¡¯re ready, Mr. Allegra. You can ask your questions, and we will conduct the test.¡± With that, Jack stood up and went up to Elias, questioning while looking into the young man¡¯s eyes, ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Were you the one who defiled my daughter, Stephanie, that night?¡± Elias was half-reclining on the couch right then, with patches stuck to his handsome face and exposed chest, creating a sense of abstinence. ¡°No,¡± he answered without hesitation. ||| Original from N?velDrama.Org. < The next second, Stephanie barked, ¡°You¡¯re lying! Dad, this lie detector isn¡¯t urate at all! It¡¯s not reacting at all!¡± ¡°Can you pipe down?!¡± Jack was beginning to get a headache from Stephanie¡¯s relentless nagging. ¡°Do you think this is one of those childish lie detectors you see on TV, beeping immediately after asking a question? This is a scientific data analysis. You know nothing about this! The professionals willter provide us with data to tell us if he¡¯s lying after we¡¯re done asking him!¡± Stephanie immediately shut up. She genuinely thought it would be like those lie detectors she saw on TV, beeping right after Elias answered a question. Meanwhile, Amanda couldn¡¯t help bursting into laughter. Oh, my dumb sister, you really are hopelessly dumb. ¡°Rx, Stephanie. We¡¯ll know the resultster.¡± Crispinforted her gently, cing his hands on her shoulders. Elias, on the other hand, looked straight at Amanda and said, ¡°You should take this test, too, once I¡¯m done. I also have a few questions for you.¡± ¡°Me? Are you nuts?!¡± Amanda thought she had misheard. What is this man up to this time? Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Elias Winters! I Hate You! any other Elias leaned back on the couch and smiled silently before turning to Jack. ¡°Go ahead and ask questions you have.¡± ¡°Why did you coincidentally appear at Cloudview Hotel that night? Do you really have nothing to do with you also denying what happened to Stephanie? Stephanie said you texted her to meet her at the hotel. Are this?¡± Jack threw all his questions at Elias, and thetter maintained his rebellious posture while answering. ¡°I¡¯ll answer your first question first, Mr. Allegra. I was informed of the event held in Cloudview quite early. on. I initially hadn¡¯t intended to show up, but someone unintentionally revealed to me that Amanda would be there. So, I decided to take my chances. However, I never saw her despite having waited over an hour. With that, I headed home. Oh, I also tried calling Amanda a few times, but she never answered them. As for your second question, I have absolutely nothing to do with Stephanie¡¯s incident, and I never texted her.¡± His wlessly smooth justification was a solid p in Stephanie¡¯s face. Even Jack began questioning the case, which was getting increasingly bizarre. Meanwhile, Amanda was stumped. So, Elias went to Cloudview Hotel to look for me? Now, it sounds even more like someone¡¯s trying to frame him. At that, she stood up and asked gravely, ¡°Do you still remember who told you I¡¯d be at the event?¡± At that, Elias gazedzily at Amanda and pondered for a moment before answering, ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten. It was likely a secretary or someone unimportant, or I would remember.¡± ¡°In other words, someone intentionally led you to Cloudview Hotel,¡± Amanda asked again. ¡°Yes.¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She couldn¡¯t stand watching Amanda and Elias unt their affection. for each other as if no one else was around. ¡°You¡¯re lying! You were the man from that night! It was you, Elias Winters, no matter how you try to argue! How could there be so many coincidences?! How could you so coincidentally be in the hotel that night while I was. Is there anyone to prove that you went home to sleep that night?!¡± ¡°I live in Gxy Bay,¡± Elias arguedposedly. ¡°The surveince cameras there can prove it. It won¡¯t be broken as coincidentally as with the ones in the hotel.¡± Stephanie was instantly speechless, turning to her father like a helpless child. ¡°Dad, he¡¯s lying! He must be lying!¡± However, Jack only turned to the data analyst working aside and asked, ¡°How is it? Do we have the results?¡± ¡°We do. ording to the analysis, Mr. Winters didn¡¯t lie, but the uracy of the lie detector is only around 75 to 80 percent. You should consider it carefully.¡± ¡°What? He didn¡¯t lie? Dad, this can¡¯t be true! It¡¯s not urate at all! He¡¯s definitely lying!¡± Stephanie was emotionally overwhelmed. She couldn¡¯t fathom that the man she had been with that night might not be Elias. The thought of it being someone else disgusted her, and she didn¡¯t know who this repulsive person might be. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop making a scene and go to your room!¡± Jack was losing his patience with his daughter¡¯s outburst. That said, the result was both expected and unexpected for him. ¡°Dad!¡± Stephanie was unwilling to ept this reality. She couldn¡¯t believe it wasn¡¯t Elias. ||| It had to be him! If it wasn¡¯t Elias, whom did I sleep with that night?! At that, Jack turned to Crispin and requested, ¡°Crispin, take Stephanie to her room.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Crispin approached Stephanie and gently led her out of the study,forting her, ¡°Come, Stephanie, let¡¯s go to your room. We¡¯ll figure this out. Mr. Allegra will find the truth,e.¡± ¡°I hate you, Elias Winters!¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she red at the man sitting on the couch. After Crispin dragged her out of the study, the space finally quieted down. Meanwhile, Jack looked at the lie detector data analysis pages, lost in silence. If Elias didn¡¯t lie, then who could it be that defiled Stephanie¡­. On the other hand, Elias had already removed the patches from his body. ¡°We¡¯re done here, right? Please excuse us now. Mr. Allegra. I¡¯d like to talk to Amanda privately. I¡¯ll use your study for a while.¡± At that, Jack nced at him and turned away angrily. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was angry. Maybe just like Stephanie, he couldn¡¯t ept that it wasn¡¯t Elias. In that case, it probably didn¡¯t matter who that man was anymore; finding him would only drive Stephanie crazy. After Jack left. Elias slowly stood up and casually buttoned up his shirt as he walked toward Amanda, ¡°It¡¯s your turn; let¡¯s y truth or dare.¡± What? What is he talking about?! ¡°Are you crazy? This is a lie detector test, and you want me to take it? Have I lied?¡± Amanda said disdainfully, heading out of the study at once. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can escape. You¡¯re taking the test tonight one way or the other,¡± said Elias, yanking her back to him. At that, one of the staff members awkwardly spoke up. ¡°Mr. Winters, if you want to continue the test, I can adjust the equipment- However, before he could finish his words, Elias interrupted, ¡°You can all leave. I know how to operate this thing.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sorry?¡± The staff members took a moment to react and nodded in acknowledgment before leaving the study, even considerately closing the door behind them. Now, only Amanda and Elias were left in the massive study. ¡°What are you onto?¡± ¡°You know exactly what I want.¡± With that, Elias slung her slender waist over his shoulder and walked to the couch, cing her on it. He then applied the patches on Amanda¡¯s temples and neck before slowly unbuttoning her shirt. ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Amanda struggled, trying to get up, but the man held her down firmly. ¡°I am. I¡¯m mad for a verification,¡± Elias said as he undid her shirt. When he saw the beautiful sight on her chest, his Adam¡¯s apple involuntarily bobbed. He ced the patches on her chest, pressed the start button on the device, and stood in front of Amanda. ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions. Answer truthfully, or the lie detector will make things. awkward¡± ¡°Just make it quick. I¡¯m exhausted and just want to go to bed.¡± Amanda replied impatiently, but it was to conceal her guilt. She feared Elias might ask questions that would put her in an awkward position. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Thank You for Still Being Willing to Love Me Elias was about to speak, but Amanda continued, ¡°No indecent questions. I won¡¯t answer them.¡± that, Elias chuckled under his breath. ¡°What indecent questions do you think I¡¯d ask? What do you keep in that little head of yours, Bailey?¡± Oh, am I in the wrong now? Would I have gotten such ideas if you never behaved so shamelessly?! ¡°Cut the crap and get to asking. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you here,¡± said Amanda, bing impatient. However, Elias¡¯ smile grew increasingly intense as he propped his hands on both sides of the couch, trapping the young woman within his embrace. His dark eyes turned serious as he asked solemnly, ¡°Tell me, after four years of absence, do you still have feelings for me?¡± ¡°Does it even matter anymore? Can¡¯t you ask something more substantial?¡± ¡°Answer me. I want to know!¡± Elias pressed on, his fathomless eyes fixed on her. At that, Amanda turned her head away and replied, ¡°No. I have no feelings whatsoever, only resentment for your heartlessness four years ago.¡± However, Elias chuckled and continued, ¡°Since you¡¯ve returned, I¡¯ve slept with you many times against your will and seeded every time. Do you not feel anything? If you didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have seeded so easily.¡± ¡°So? It¡¯s just a normal physiological response.¡± ¡°No.¡± Elias purposely leaned closer, looking at her delicate face. ¡°You feel something, deeply. You just don¡¯t want to admit it.¡± ¡°If meaningless questions are all you want to ask, keep them to yourself. I don¡¯t want to answer any of it.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Amanda didn¡¯t want to answer the questions but that she couldn¡¯t face her heart, let alone speak the truth. ¡°Answer me, Amanda. Do you still love me?¡± Elias asked while drawing her chin toward his face. He knew Amanda loved him deeply in the past, but now, he wasn¡¯t sure anymore. Amanda, while staring at his raven-ck eyes, was just about to deny it when Elias warned. sternly and said, ¡°Think twice before answering. I want the truth. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still strapped to the lie detector.¡± ||| O J His words stunned Amanda, and she gazed dazedly at the man before him, hesitating to answer. After what felt like an eternity, Elias spoke softly. ¡°I just want an answer. Why won¡¯t me? I know I was wrong all those years, terribly wrong. However, I have nothing left to ask you tell for now. I haven¡¯t forced you to remarry me, and I haven¡¯t forcefully taken back custody of our son. You should know that if I wanted to, I could do all of that, but I haven¡¯t. I just want to know one thing, and you are reluctant to even answer that!¡± Amanda¡¯s heart started racing, and a thinyer of sweat appeared on her forehead. She was getting nervous. Seeing her nervousness, Elias unexpectedly felt relieved. After struggling internally for a while, Amanda hesitated and finally lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. ¡°I guess¡­ I do.¡± This time, it was Elias who was stunned. He thought he had misheard her, so he chuckled. lightly and turned to the lie detector. The data analysis on it showed that Amanda wasn¡¯t lying. It was true that Amanda still had feelings for him, but she was forcibly restraining herself, not wanting to expose her love for him. Amanda sighed softly, peeled off the adhesive patches on her body, buttoned then looked at the towering figure helplessly. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± up her shirt, Elias was surprised by the results he got. He didn¡¯t expect Amanda to have feelings for him. still. Tears began pooling in Elias¡¯ eyes, and it surprised Amanda when she inadvertently gazed at him. Are those¡­ tears? She thought she might be mistaken. ¡°Are you crying?¡± Amanda approached him. She appeared so delicate and petite in front of him. Elias turned around and held her tightly in his arms as if to shove her into his heart. It could also be understood as a disy of emotional excitement. Amanda was taken aback for a moment before she slowly raised her arms, hugging the man¡¯s back. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± She was momentarily puzzled. Is he thanking me? What for? Elias rested his chin on her neck, inhaling the faint fragrance that was uniquely hers. His ||| O < voice was hoarse and low. ¡°Thank you for still being willing to love me; thank continuing to love me even after I treated you so badly in the past; and thank you¡­¡± you for There was even a sense of gratitude in his tone. Amanda stood still, allowing the man to hold her, feeling his warm breath spraying on her neck, tickling but also giving her a sense of security. Before she knew it, tears streamed down her cheeks. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was crying either. ¡°Elias¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Does it make you that happy to know that I still love you? I loved you even more four ago, but you were never even willing to spare me a nce.¡± years Thinking about her past self made her heart ache, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to open her heart again to ept this man. She was afraid of repeating the same mistakes. Even when Elias treated her wonderfully now, she still hesitated. Perhaps the wounds were too deep, and she was so afraid now that she didn¡¯t want to open her heart again. Elias tightened his arms around her and said, ¡°I was aplete jack*ss before. People are like this, unable to see what they truly need. I understand now, but it¡¯s toote. I know you won¡¯t forgive me, but as long as I know you still love me, that¡¯s enough. You can live however you. want for the rest of your life, and I won¡¯t force you to do anything. Even if Amanda didn¡¯t want to remarry, didn¡¯t want to be with him, and didn¡¯t want to give their child back to him, he would ept it all since he deserved it. He would protect this mother and child for the rest of his life and make sure they were taken care of. All of a sudden, Amanda didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ Meanwhile, upstairs, Stephanie threw things around her room in a frenzy, her entire being in a manic state. ¡°How can it not be him?! How could he not be lying¡­ No, it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± ¡°Stephanie, don¡¯t be like this¡­¡± Crispin stepped forward and hugged her to prevent her from hurting herself by throwing things. The floor was already filled with shattered pieces. Stephanie broke down and cried, saying, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Elias that night, who was it?! I was¡­ ||| O Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. < taken by aplete stranger¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Stephanie. I don¡¯t mind any of this. Let¡¯s pretend nothing happened and move on, okay?¡± Crispin thought that with time, this matter would eventually pass. After all, he was the man she was with that night, so he didn¡¯t care about it at all. However, it seemed that Stephanie was having difficulty getting over it. ¡°I mind!¡± Stephanie roared. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of the prestigious Allegra Family! How could I be casually defiled by a random, sleazy man I don¡¯t even know?!¡± Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Why Are You Here? Crispin fell silent at once. He seemed to have understood Stephanie¡¯s anger, and it simply stemmed from the fact that the man from that night wasn¡¯t Elias. ¡°Ah! Why did things turn out like this? Why?!¡± Stephanie screamed in anger, driven mad by the possibility that the man from that night wasn¡¯t Elias. ¡°So, if the man from that night was Elias, would you feel better and not be so devastated?¡± Crispin suddenly spoke, and the whole room fell into a dead silence. Stephanie¡¯s face turned pale, and she froze in ce, her eyes wide open. After some time, she suddenly turned around. ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± ¡°Tell me, Stephanie, have you fallen for Elias?¡± It was his second time asking the same question, but this time, he already had an answer. Still, he couldn¡¯t ept the fact that his girl. had developed feelings for someone else. ¡°I haven¡¯t! I already told you I haven¡¯t! No, no, no! How many times do I have to tell you that I haven¡¯t fallen for him?!¡± Followingly, she dashed angrily into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. It was evident that she didn¡¯t want to see Crispin or talk to him at the moment. Crispin suddenly smiled as he looked at the shut door. He believed that he now had the most. definite answer-Stephanie had indeed fallen for Elias, and her feelings were deeper than he had imagined. Both Jack and Elias were now investigating the matter. As it seemed impossible to pin the me on Elias, Crispin had to find a scapegoat, or the issue would drag on indefinitely. Ultimately, only two results woulde of this. For one, the investigation would lead to him, and Jack wouldpletely ruin him, making it impossible for him to survive in the whole of Imperia. As a result, it would leave him worse than dead. Alternatively, the truth would remain hidden, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to marry Stephanie, leaving them in a perpetual state of uncertainty. Neither oues were desirable for him, so the matter needed to be resolved. After taking another gander at the bathroom door, Crispin left indifferently. In the CEO¡¯s office of Winters Enterprise, Elias was reviewing a document at his desk when. O the internal phone rang, and his secretary¡¯s voice came through, saying, ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Stephanie Allegra wants to see you.¡± Stephanie? Is she here to cause trouble again? ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± Elias didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He didn¡¯t want to say a word to Stephanie, especially when it was such a sensitive time. ¡°Miss Allegra said she won¡¯t leave until you see her, though.¡± Elias frowned in displeasure. He detested unreasonable women like her. ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He put down the document in his hand, wanting to see what the woman was up to. After a while, the secretary brought Stephanie into the office. ¡°Would you like something to drink, Miss Allegra?¡± the secretary asked. However, before Stephanie could answer, Elias went to the couch and said, ¡°She won¡¯t be drinking anything. You may leave now. Close the door behind you, and don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters,¡± the secretary replied and left the room. Once she heard the door close, Stephanie let out a coldugh. ¡°Are you not even willing to offer me a ss of water? I once nearly became your fianc¨¦e, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you,¡± Elias said curtly. ¡°I never intended to marry you, let alone have as my fianc¨¦e.¡± you Stephanie stared at him in shock. Though she already knew it, hearing it personally from him was still surprising. ¡°Do you really not have feelings for me? Not even a sliver?¡± She still wanted to ask, even though it was unnecessary. Elias sneered in response. ¡°What feelings should I have for you? It was your father who forced you upon me from the beginning. If it weren¡¯t to reim the shares, I wouldn¡¯t have even spared you a nce. Besides, why are you asking so much? Aren¡¯t you infatuated with. Crispin? Now that you two can finally be together, why aren¡¯t you getting married. immediately?¡± Stephanie¡¯s heart bled at his heartless tone and the disdain in his eyes. < R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Heavens knew how happy she was when she woke up that morning, knowing Elias had slept with her. She had even drawn a n for the rest of her life with him, but fate seemed to enjoy ying tricks on her. With teary eyes, she asked, ¡°There¡¯s no one else now, just you and me. I just want to know, was it really you that night?¡± ¡°No. How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn¡¯t me? Haven¡¯t I undergone a lie detector testst night? It wasn¡¯t me. Please remember this answer; no matter how many times you ask, it wasn¡¯t me,¡± Elias said, already fed up with being asked the same question repeatedly, making him annoyed and restless. Instantly, tears rolled down the young woman¡¯s cheeks, yet she persistently asked, ¡°There¡¯s no one else here, and there¡¯s no lie detector. Please tell me the truth! Was it really not you?¡± At that, Elias stood up, no longer wanting to answer such a tedious question. ¡°Just leave. My office is not a ce for your unreasonable behavior.¡± With that, he walked toward his desk. Stephanie stood up as well. ¡°If it was you that night, maybe I wouldn¡¯t feel so terrible. I don¡¯t want to give my first time to a man I don¡¯t know, so please tell me the truth. I won¡¯t tell anyone, I beg you.¡± Elias became utterly speechless. It¡¯s impossible tomunicate with this woman; she¡¯s like a lunatic. Looking at her as though he was looking at an idiot, Elias said, ¡°Please leave. I don¡¯t want to hear any more of your nonsense. The fact remains that your first time was indeed given to another man, not me. Stop bothering me; I have no interest in you, and I won¡¯t resort to such. despicable means.¡± ¡°No¡­ How can this be?!¡± Stephanie waspletely heartbroken. She was beginning to believe that Elias might not have been the one that night. What should I do now? The thought made. her feel sick. Just then, the internal phone rang again, and the secretary¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Rosie Momsey wants to see you.¡± Good Lord, another one. Elias felt an instant headache, but after ncing at the young woman before him, he said into the phone, ¡°Let her in.¡± Let these two women deal with each other. They can have my office. I¡¯ll leave. Momentster, Rosie entered and was just about to greet Elias when she saw Stephanie standing there with red, tearful eyes. ¡°Stephanie? What are you doing here?¡± Rosie looked puzzled. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 That Man Has Been Found ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here? You, on the other hand-aren¡¯t you supposed to be insane? You¡¯ve disappeared for years. What are you doing here all of a sudden?¡± Stephanie looked at the woman standing before her, thinking she must be seeing things. Isn¡¯t this Rosie? I heard she was sent to a mental institution years ago. When did she get out? ¡°Can¡¯t I recover? I¡¯m here to find Eli, of course. What are you doing here?¡± Rosie already had a problem with any woman being close to Elias in the first ce, and now, Stephanie had popped up out of nowhere. ¡°That¡¯s for me to know and you to find out,¡± said Stephanie disdainfully. ¡°You don¡¯t still have expectations for Elias, do you, Momsey? He didn¡¯t even like the sane you. Do you really think he¡¯ll be interested in the crazy you?¡± Stephanie felt superior to Rosic. Either way, she was much stronger than an extreme lunatic, right? ¡°What did you say? I dare you to say that again!¡± ¡°Who cares if I talk bad about you? Oh, have I hit a nerve? Am I not stating the truth?¡± Meanwhile, Elias felt his headache worsening as he watched the two women quarreling. He despised women making a terrible scene. As such, he decided to leave the room, leaving the woman to fight it out in there. It wasn¡¯t until long after the door closed that Stephanie and Rosie realized Elias had left his office. ¡°Eli?¡± Rosie nced at the shut office door, then red daggers at Stephanie. Since Elias had left, she felt even less restrained and started acting recklessly. At that, she went up to Stephanie and grabbed her by the cor. ¡°I¡¯m warning you-don¡¯t think about going after Eli. You¡¯re not worthy.¡± ¡°Huh, what a joke. Do you think you¡¯re worthy if I¡¯m not? Besides, what are you still doing here, trying to get his attention? He¡¯s already been married and even has children. Do you really think you still have a chance?¡± Stephanie looked down on Amanda, but she despised the madwoman in front of her even more. ¡°He¡¯s divorced, though. Do you know what that means? It means he¡¯s currently single. Why won¡¯t I have a chance?!¡± Rosie wouldn¡¯t give up on any chances. ¡°Oh, you poor thing. You probably don¡¯t know how devoted Elias is to Amanda Bailey,¡± said Stephanie as she grabbed her bag, ready to leave. She didn¡¯t want to entangle herself with the 111 < madwoman any further. However, Rosie grabbed her wrist and said, ¡°No matter how devoted he is to Amanda, and no matter what connection she has with your family, I won¡¯t let them rekindle their old rtionship!¡± At that, Stephanie sneered and pushed Rosie¡¯s hand away. ¡°That¡¯s great. I don¡¯t want them to rekindle their rtionship either. Good luck, then.¡± With that, she left Elias¡¯ office, leaving Rosie standing there alone. She took a deep breath as if she could still sense Elias¡¯ presence in the air, giving her the illusion that he was still around. That evening, Elias took a break in his seat after a lengthy five-hour meeting, nning to go straight home and get some rest. He was truly feeling tired. Just then, his phone vibrated, and he checked the caller ID to find it was Amanda. It was already past 8.00PM, and something important must¡¯ve happened if she called him at this hour. With that, he answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Two seconds of silence filled the call before Amanda said, ¡°Come over to my parents¡¯ ce. will you? That guy has been found. He came to us voluntarily.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you arrive.¡± ording to her tone, it was someone no one expected, and Elias couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± With that, he got up and left the meeting room. Yacob, who had nearly dozed off from all the waiting outside the meeting room, immediately stood up when he saw Eliasing out. ¡°Where are we going now, sir? To bed?¡± Yacob had spent several nights awake looking for Stephanie¡¯s mystery man, but so far, he found nothing. I¡¯m going to the Allegra¡¯s.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yacob looked utterly defeated. He was almost driven to madness, and if this kept up. he believed he would copse very soon. ||| O However, Elias continued, ¡°There¡¯s no need to follow me. Go back and get some rest. I¡¯ll call you if anything happens.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Yacob¡¯s eyes lit up at once. ¡°Thank you for understanding your subordinate, Mr. Winters! Good night!¡± With that, he strode toward the elevator, seemingly afraid that his boss would change his mind the next second. A chuckle escaped Elias as he watched the bodyguard¡¯s resolute figure before he turned to the other elevator. Still, who could the mystery man be? It seemed that it was someone beyond everyone¡¯s expectations, ording to Amanda¡¯s tone. Meanwhile, everyone had gathered in the Allegra Vi¡¯s living room. It was a heavy, silent. atmosphere, for no one dared to speak. Only one middle-aged man, looking remorseful, kneeled on the floor, bowing his head as if he had committed a grave mistake. Jack and Edith were sitting on the couch, looking visibly shocked as they had a hard time. grasping the situation. Meanwhile, Stephanie stood there rigidly as if she had lost her soul. Crispin held her body, wiping away her tears that flowed continuously. Amanda, on the other hand, observed the middle-aged man¡¯s expression, scrutinizing his every subtle movement, trying to decipher something from it. However, the man¡¯s face seemed as lifeless as ashes, and she couldn¡¯t discern anything. He appearedpletely defeated. Just then, a set of heavy footsteps rang out, and Amanda immediately knew who the neer was. After arriving in the living room, Elias frowned upon seeing the scene before him, then looked at the middle-aged man who appeared honest and submissive. Is he the one who vited Stephanie that night? It was indeed unexpecting. In fact, he thought it was impossible. He couldn¡¯t associate this. meek and submissive middle-aged man with the events of that unfortunate night. Stephanie¡¯s emotions reached a breaking point. The man from that night wasn¡¯t Elias after all, but this man before her, who looked even older than her father¡­ O She felt nauseous. She even wanted to die! ¡°Why did you do this to me? Why?! Who are you to do this to me?!¡± Stephanie suddenly stood up and pped the middle-aged man. A bright red palm print appeared on the man¡¯s face, and he continued to apologize, but he wouldn¡¯t reveal the motive behind his actions. Amanda thought the whole story didn¡¯t connect well though the deed had already been. done. my ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying sorry?! How much is your apology worth?! You ruined innocence, and now you¡¯re trying to apologize to me?! Have we ever mistreated you? My father took pity on you and allowed you to work as a gardener here, yet you¡­¡± Stephanie struggled to continue speaking, feeling sick at the thought of spending the whole night entangled with this man, who was even older than her father. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Interrogation. She turned around and wanted to escape, only to run straight into Elias¡¯ chest. As she lifted her head and met the man¡¯s eyes, she felt an unprecedented sense of shame, and she avoided. his gaze, looking flustered as she fled in a panic. Crispin didn¡¯t rush to follow her this time. Instead, he observed the expressions of everyone present, wanting to make sure they all believed the situation. ¡°Crispin, go and apany Stephanie,¡± Edith reminded Crispin, though her heart writhed in pain. Crispin finally came around and immediately chased after Stephanie. However, the young woman¡¯s shout came from upstairs. ¡°Nobody follow me!¡± He had no choice but to stand there, looking frustrated as if he was experiencing the same. pain as Stephanie. In reality, he was the mastermind behind all of this, including the scapegoat before him. Edith broke down and cried upon hearing her daughter¡¯s hysterical cries, whereas Jack infuriatingly walked up to the man and kicked him in the chest. The man was knocked to the ground before he coughed up blood, looking seriously injured as if his days were numbered. ¡°How dare you touch my daughter?! Do you f*cking think you can get away with this?¡± Jack had the urge to kill the gardener right then. He regretted ever being lenient and letting the middle- aged man in, allowing him to defile his daughter. Still, no matter how they vented their anger and insulted him, the man never exined at word, only continuously apologizing. This all seemed off to Amanda, and she wondered if this feeble man could really defile Stephanie. He even coughed up blood after being kicked, for God¡¯s sake! Hadn¡¯t Stephanie said they spent all night doing it? Could this man really go that far? ¡°What¡¯s the use of apologizing now? Can it bring back my daughter¡¯s innocence? Butler! Call the cops! Send this man to jail! I don¡¯t want to see him for the rest of my life!¡± Jack fumed, kicking the coffee table in front of him, his anger burning wildly inside. ¡°No, we can¡¯t call the cops!¡± Edith stood up and pulled her husband back. ¡°If we do, our daughter will bepletely ruined! The whole country will know! You know how the media. blows things out of proportion and adds fuel to the fire! How can Stephanie ever leave the house again like this?!¡± ¡°Are we supposed to let this beast go, then? I fed him and took care of him, provided him a decent life, and this is how he repays me by defiling my daughter! This is simply sphemy! ||| O < Let¡¯s not forget that he even tried to shift the me onto Elias! It¡¯s obviously an attempt to bring chaos to our family!¡± Jack¡¯s blood pressure rose, and he felt dizzy all of a sudden. At that, Edith quickly helped him back to the couch. ¡°Calm down. Let me exin.¡± During this, the gardener discreetly nced in a certain direction while kneeling. Only Amanda and Elias noticed this, for they had been observing him the whole time. They followed the gardener¡¯s gaze and saw Crispin. What does that nce mean? Amanda couldn¡¯t figure it out at the moment, but she had a feeling Crispin was no simple man. Just as the situation became chaotic, Crispin jumped in again, saying, ¡°I have an idea, Mr. Allegra, but I don¡¯t know if everyone will agree to it. That said, it can quickly resolve this. matter.¡± ¡°What is it? Tell us, Crispin!¡± Edith said, looking expectant. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Crispin appeared humble as he suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s send him to prison on charges of theft. Although it won¡¯tpletely soothe our anger, at least he won¡¯t escape punishment. Secondly, let Stephanie and I get married as soon as possible. This way, the matter will be settled quickly, and no one will know that Stephanie went through such a thing. Even if they find out, they won¡¯t dare say anything. As her husband, I will wholeheartedly protect her.¡± Tsk¡­ Amanda was almost moved. What a considerate and caring son-inw. However, she felt that Crispin seemed very goal-oriented. The kneeling man, on the other hand, remained silent as if he didn¡¯t care about his fate. He even seemed indifferent though they might execute him on the spot. Edith was rather satisfied after hearing the proposal and looked at her husband. ¡°Jack, what do you think? It¡¯s a good solution. It¡¯ll resolve our anger and send this beast to prison. Our daughter won¡¯t see him again in her lifetime, and she won¡¯t be reminded of this incident. As long as Crispin takes good care of her, I believe Stephanie will recover quickly.¡± As reluctant as Jack was, he nodded in the end, for it seemed there was no other choice. ¡°Lift your head,¡± Amanda said, walking up to the middle-aged man. ¡°I¡¯m too filthy and unworthy to look at your face,¡± replied the man, and Amanda sneered. ¡°Are you a dead mouse who feels no cold? Are you that unbothered even when we want to throw you into prison? Since you have no remorse, why did you frame Elias? If you wanted to vite Stephane, you had plenty of chances in this house. Was it necessary to go through. all the trouble and lure her to the hotel?¡± Crispin panicked at once. Why must Bailey always meddle in my ns? Can¡¯t she just mind her own ||| O < business?! ¡°You¡¯re crossing the line, Miss Bailey!¡± Crispin feigned anger. ¡°Either way, Stephanie is your sister. Can¡¯t you show somepassion toward her?!¡± My goal is right ahead. If Bailey steps in now, I¡¯ll have to start all over! I can¡¯t have her ruin my ns again! ¡°Shut up! You have no right to tell me what to do when you haven¡¯t even be a member of this family!¡± Amanda barked, ring daggers at Crispin. Crispin was somewhat stunned, unable to utter a word. Amanda then turned her gaze back to the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground. ¡°Answer my question!¡± At that, the man snuck a nce at Crispin, who red back at him as though warning him to think twice about his answers. After a moment of contemtion, the middle-aged man said, ¡°That¡¯s because I knew Miss Stephanie liked Mr. Winters. If it were Mr. Winters, she wouldn¡¯t be angry and call the police, blowing the matter out of proportion.¡± ¡°How do you know that? You¡¯re always either digging soil or weeding. You¡¯ve never had a chance to meet Stephanie. How would you know all of this?¡± Amanda used herwyer skills. to dig deep into the matter. ¡°I heard it from the maids,¡± the man replied. While Crispin appeared calm on the outside, he was panicking inside, afraid that Amanda might uncover something and disrupt his ns once again. Meanwhile, Amanda pressed on, but Elias suddenly went up to the kneeling man andmanded, ¡°Tell us in detail how you executed the n. Exin every single step without leaving anything out.¡± Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Obvious ws Abound The middle-aged man was startled and speechless. He couldn¡¯t help shifting his gaze to Crispin, and Amanda and Elias caught their interaction. Before they could speak up, Crispin scolded the man, saying, ¡°Miss Bailey and Mr. Winters are asking you questions. Why are you looking at me? What are you trying to do, frame. me?!¡± Upon hearing the clear hint, the middle-aged man hurriedly lowered his head, appearing meek and honest as if even telling a lie required much thought. ¡°Speak! Now!¡± Elias looked at the man. He never paid much attention to the gardener the few times he visited the Allegra Vi, but never did he think the man had such audacity to do something like that. Still, the middle-aged man continued to kneel with his hands on his knees, nervously stroking his pants as he was clearly flustered. No¡­ Someone like him couldn¡¯t possibly havee up with such an borate n and even urately shift the me onto me, Elias mused. What¡¯s more, this man has no connections to spread false rumors to me. If it weren¡¯t that someone had told me Amanda would also be at the event, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to Cloudview Hotel at all! Amanda, too, wanted to know the entire process of how the middle-aged manmitted the crime. Crispin, on the other hand, was actually freaking out despite his calm demeanor. He feared the man would slip up and implicate him. ¡°I-I nned it f-for a long time,¡± said the middle-aged man as he stammered. ¡°As such, everything went smoothly that day. I used a virtual number online to text Miss Stephanie, luring her to the hotel. It was all in the dark, so she didn¡¯t see who I was. I left before she woke up, and I deleted the text messages from her phone before I left. I also bribed the waiter, asking him to tell Miss Stephanie that the meal was sent by Mr. Winters. That¡¯s it. I thought I could get away with it, but I never knew¡­¡± There was no need to say the rest, for everyone already knew. However, Amanda still expressed her doubts, asking, ¡°So, were you the one who spread the false information to Elias? Were you so sure that he would attend the event at Cloudview Hotel?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure, but I was secretly relieved when Mr. Winters actually went there,¡± the middle- aged man replied. At that, Elias questioned, ¡°Whom did you bribe within thepany?¡± < ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is solely my responsibility. I don¡¯t want to involve anyone else. Please, Mr. Winters, don¡¯t ask any further. If punishment is needed, let it be directed at me alone. I won¡¯tin,¡± pleaded the man, showing no signs of resistance as though resigned to his fate. Amanda instantly grew suspicious and said, ¡°You seem pretty resigned to your fate. Do you have nothing left in this world? Since you im to love Stephanie, why would you destroy her like this? It seems your motive for this crime doesn¡¯t quite add up.¡± Seeing that Elias and Amanda¡¯s relentless pursuit was nearly rendering the middle-aged man speechless, Crispin quickly intervened. ¡°Enough, both of you! You¡¯re not the police. Why do you want to reopen Stephanie¡¯s wounds? Please, stop talking now. I can¡¯t bear to hear more!¡± Crispin appeared genuinely pained as if every word they said was causing him great agony. ¡°You, of all people, have no right to mention Stephanie¡¯s name!¡± Crispin grabbed the man by his cor. Then he turned to Jack. ¡°Mr. Allegra, hurry and send him to the police station. I can¡¯t stand to look at him for even a second. He reminds me of all that Stephanie went through.¡± Jack was furious, and he didn¡¯t want to see the gardener either. At that, he waved his hand. dismissively and said, ¡°Deal with him as you see fit. I don¡¯t want to see this ungrateful beast.¡± With that, he went upstairs while Crispin dragged the middle-aged man out of the living room roughly, looking like he had a deep-seated grudge against the man. Left alone, Amanda and Elias exchanged a nce. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s the mysterious man?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°Judging by his appearance, it doesn¡¯t seem likely,¡± he replied. ¡°Also, he seems unfamiliar with the whole process, and it seemed like he was reciting a rehearsed text.¡± ¡°Yes, it seemed as though he was reciting. Not only that, but he looked pretty resigned and ready to meet his end. It¡¯s strange. Ask Yacob to do some investigation,¡± she suggested. While she didn¡¯t like Stephanie, she still wanted to uncover the truth, for there were obvious ws in the story. Elias frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this tomorrow morning. Yacob hasn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for several days.¡± Meanwhile, outside the Allegra Vi, Crispin nced around to ensure no one was nearby before pulling the man aside. ¡°What was that just now?¡± he whispered. ¡°Do you not want the money anymore? Why didn¡¯t you say everything I taught you?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot. You said too much, and I¡¯m getting old. It¡¯s hard for me to remember O r everything.¡± The man looked embarrassed, feeling ashamed of not performing well. Crispin snorted coldly. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t say a word. Once we¡¯re at the police station, keep quiet and get ready to go to jail. You probably won¡¯t get out for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°What about my wife¡¯s illness¡­ Will you give us the money? She can¡¯t wait any longer, and she needs a kidney transnt immediately,¡± the man pleaded with a shaky voice, his eyes filled with hope. ¡°I know, man. You¡¯re annoying. I¡¯ve already contacted the hospital. They¡¯ll perform the surgery on your wife the day you go to prison. Don¡¯t worry, I keep my promises,¡± Crispin said as he constantly nced around, afraid that someone might overhear their conversation. Relieved, the middle-aged man said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Coyote. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. From now on, I will take full responsibility for your wife¡¯s illness. You just stay in prison and be at ease. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have to wait for many years; when the time.es, I¡¯ll find a way to get you out.¡± Crispin made these promises to put the middle-aged man¡¯s mind at ease while he served his sentence. He wanted everything to go smoothly so that he could marry Stephanie and be a son-inw of the Allegra Family. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Coyote. Thank you for saving my wife.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only At the same time, Stephaniey on the bathroom vanity in her room and continuously vomited as she felt disgusted. She couldn¡¯t believe that it was the old gardener from her house who had slept with her that night. She had always thought it was Elias and even fantasized about him falling in love with her body. She had imagined a happy life with Elias, but it turned out to be this old and repulsive man. ¡°Why did this happen¡­ How could this happen¡­.¡± Stephanie cried and wailed, asionally dry heaving. Momentster, Crispin entered the bathroom with a worried expression. ¡°Stephanie, what are you doing?!¡± He rushed in and embraced Stephanie tightly, looking pained and full of tenderness. ¡°Stephanie, why are you so foolish? Why¡­¡± Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Chapter 361 I¡¯ll Go With You ¡°Let me go!¡± Stephanie struggled to break free from Crispin¡¯s embrace, but the man only tightened his hold on her and pleaded, ¡°Stephanie! I won¡¯t allow you to hurt yourself like this! You don¡¯t need to hold onto those memories. That man will never appear before again. Just try to forget it, and everything will be alright!¡± you However, Stephanie stared at Crispin with bloodshot eyes and snapped, ¡°How can I forget?! It was a real and painful experience. Tell me, how can I ever forget that? Leave me alone!¡± ¡°You can, Stephanie. Please try to forget this incident and live our lives happily together from now on, okay.¡± Crispin attempted to calm her down by speaking gently, but Stephanie continued to bawl as she shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t do it. I really can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get married, Stephanie. I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life healing your trauma, okay?¡± He gazed at her with sincerity. Stephanie looked at Crispin, moved by his genuine expression, and asked, ¡°You won¡¯t despise me?¡± She felt tainted by that vile man and even started to hate herself. Yet, Crispin never left her side. ¡°No,¡± said Crispin as he gently tidied her disheveled hair with a smile. ¡°I will never despise my Stephanie. In my heart, you¡¯re pure and perfect.¡± ¡°Crisp¡­¡± In moments like this, no woman could resist the tenderness of a man. He would be like a ray of light in the darkness. Crispin¡¯s face drew closer to hers, and this time Stephanie didn¡¯t evade his touch. Instead, she closed her eyes and epted his kiss. As their lips met, a smile appeared on Crispin¡¯s face. He knew he was another step closer to sess. The following day, Elias arrived at Winters Enterprise as usual for work. There were many things to handle recently, but with Jack¡¯s help, he should be able to reim the shares that belonged to his grandfather soon. After a busy morning, he was about to grab some lunch when his secretary asked, ¡°What would you like for lunch, Mr. Winters? Shall I order something for you or-¡± ||| O Before the secretary could finish asking, Elias instructed, ¡°Just order me something from the cafeteria. I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Alright.¡± Momentster, the secretary entered the office with a lunch tray and ced it on the coffee. table in the guest area before leaving. He remained seated behind his desk, staring at theputer screen, but it was unclear what he was looking at. Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence. Elias looked up, and his initially indifferent handsome face showed a hint of warmth. He curled his lips into a slight smile. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Amanda walked into the office and closed the door behind her while exining. ¡°My studio is under renovation, and I took a trip to the furnishing za. I thought I could perhaps drop by on my way back.¡± Only then did he slowly rise to his feet and walk toward the guest area. She sat on the couch and noticed the delicious spread of food on the lunch tray. She had been hungry all morning, and her stomach was rumbling for sustenance. ¡°Is this your lunch?¡± ¡°Yeah, I had the secretary get it from the cafeteria, but I haven¡¯t had a chance to eat it yet. Have you eaten? Let¡¯s go out for lunch,¡± said Elias. s, Amanda simply ced her bag aside, picked up the cutleries, and took a whiff, eximing with delight, ¡°It smells so good! Let me have a taste.¡± With that, she took a small piece of ribs and continued with surprise, ¡°The chef at yourpany¡¯s cafeteria is amazing; this is way better than the restaurants outside.¡± Then, she proceeded to eat the man¡¯s lunch without further ado. He couldn¡¯t help but release an amused chuckle. ¡°Is that so? Then, you¡¯re wee toe over and have lunch with me every day.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ This is also delicious. Let me taste this too. Amanda looked at the abundant variety of dishes on the tray, at least seven or eight in total. Well, the secretary is pretty diligent. It looks like she wants to stuff her boss with the amount of food she purchased. He sat across from her, quietly watching her eat, seemingly entertained by her eating. ¡°What happened? What are you so ravenous? Did you not have breakfast?¡± O r ¡°Yeah, I was in a rush to head out, so I skipped breakfast. Are you really not going to have some? I¡¯ll finish everything if you don¡¯t!¡± She double-checked with him. ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Elias. ¡°I¡¯ll have the secretary get another serving if you want more.¡± ¡°Oh, no. This is enough. Your secretary is really considerate; she ordered all this food for you. Trust me. One person couldn¡¯t possibly finish it all.¡± Amanda was starving, and everything tasted amazing to someone in her current condition. Sure enough, she finished nearly all the food on the lunch tray in no time. Then, she picked up the ss of warm water from the coffee table and drank it, washing down her meal. She finally felt full and content after such a delicious meal. Once she was done, she leaned back on the couch, caressing her stomach, which still seemed. somewhat t, but in reality, she was stuffed. ¡°I¡¯m full now, but you haven¡¯t eaten even a single bite. Ask your secretary to get you another serving.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Elias replied. Just then, a knock came at the door. ¡°Come in,¡± said Elias without looking. It was Yacob. He hade to report on the investigation, but he didn¡¯t expect to find Amanda there as well. Still, he greeted Amanda. ¡°Hello, Miss Bailey.¡± ¡°Have you found anything?¡± Elias already had an idea of what Yacob was going to say. That was because he had sent Yacob to investigate the background of the gardener early this morning. When Yacob saw that Elias didn¡¯t mind Amanda being present, he went straight to the point. ¡°Yes, the gardener¡¯s name is Raymond Porter, 50 years old. He is an honest. person with no children, but he has a bedridden wife suffering from kidney failure. She has been in the hospital for years, undergoing dialysis and other costly treatments. It seems they have a very loving rtionship, and his wife¡¯s illness prevented them from having children. It doesn¡¯t seem likely that he would harm Stephanie.¡± ¡°Aha! What did I say? That gardener didn¡¯t look like the perpetrator at all, but¡­ why would he be willing to take the me? Is someone forcing him to confess?¡± Amanda frowned. On the other hand, Elias narrowed his eyes. ¡°The person forcing him to confess is likely someone we know. They¡¯re probably worried that we¡¯ll trace it back to them, so they got a scapegoat. I have a feeling that this gardener might have done it to keep his wife alive.¡± O 34 Amanda got the gist of it as well. It was indeed touching, but she also thought the gardener was rather foolish. Even if his wife recovered, he would end up in prison. What was the point? ¡°I¡¯ll have a chat with this man. Maybe I can get some information out of him,¡± she said, grabbing her bag and preparing to leave. Elias stopped her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. It won¡¯t be easy to get information from him. We¡¯ll have to use some tactics.¡± ¡°What tactics?¡± a puzzled Amanda inquired. However, Elias only shot a look at Yacob. As they had a good rapport after working together for years, the subordinate instantly understood his boss¡¯ intention. So, he simply nodded as he exited Elias¡¯ office without another word. Only Amanda remained clueless, unable toprehend what they were up to. Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 It¡¯s Okay, I¡¯ve Got You Later, Amanda and Elias arrived at the prison¡¯s visitation room. The prison guard led Raymond out. At this point, the gardener had already been handcuffed and there was no concealing the lifeless expression on his face. His head hung low as he sat across from them, lost in his thoughts. Amanda looked at the man in front of her as she questioned in a professional tone, ¡°Are you really going to take the me for that person? Are you content with the result?¡± s, Raymond remained silent as he stared at the handcuffs on his wrists and said nothing. ¡°Are you so devoted to taking the me for that person because you have nothing left to lose? Do you truly believe that person will cure your wife¡¯s illness for you?¡± Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t matter what Amanda said, he continued to keep his head down as if he were a statue. One might even suspect he indeed was a statue if it weren¡¯t for the slight rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed. ¡°Raymond Porter, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± She couldn¡¯t help flipping out. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? Answer me!¡± ¡°I have nothing to say, Miss Bailey. I did it all. There¡¯s no need to probe further or use any tricks. It was all me.¡± He refused to confess, and he even tried to leave. In all honesty, she was on the verge of blowing up. She had never once felt so powerless before as she was unable tomunicate with the litigant as awyer, for the person refused tomunicate. Next to Amanda, Elias simply smirked and finally spoke up, ¡°Tell us why you did it, then.¡± ¡°Because I had admired Miss Stephanie for a long time, so I had ill intentions and couldn¡¯t help but make all the mistakes-¡± Raymond spoke the rehearsed lines as if reciting from a textbook. So, Elias interrupted him bluntly in a rather scathing tone, ¡°Enough. Save your lies for the kids.¡± After that, Raymond returned to silence, keeping his head down and not uttering another word. It seemed that there was nothing left in this world that was worth cherishing for him. When Elias saw that Raymond was insistent on being the scapegoat, he checked his wristwatch for the time, only to frown and mumble, ¡°What¡¯s taking him so long?¡± ¡°Sorry? Whom are you waiting for?¡± Amanda looked puzzled, but Elias only said, ¡°You¡¯ll find O r out in a moment.¡± She felt utterly baffled by his actions. At the same time, she was also feelingpletely exasperated regarding the middle-aged man before her. So, she tried to persuade him earnestly. ¡°Sir, you need to think things through. You are letting the real culprit get away while you take the me for him¡­¡± ¡°I am not taking the me for him. I did it, Miss Bailey. Thank you for your kindness, but I will bear the consequences of my actions. Now, please leave,¡± Raymond said as he rose to his feet. Unexpectedly, Elias spoke up, ¡°Do you really think he will cure your wife¡¯s illness for you? Even if he does fulfill his promise, I can always sabotage his efforts.¡± Raymond immediately halted in his tracks upon hearing Elias¡¯ cruel words and froze in ce. Elias looked at his rigid back and continued with a drawl, ¡°Can the person you¡¯re covering for fight me? If he can¡¯t, then be prepared to bury your wife.¡± Raymond was wholly triggered at this point, and he turned around, mming both hands on the table, yelling at Elias, ¡°How dare you! Leave my wife out of this! This has nothing to do with her!¡± Amanda was startled by his rage and instinctively clutched Elias¡¯ arm. Meanwhile, Elias remained entirelyposed as he embraced her in return. Then, he simply said reassuringly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve got you.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She was rendered speechless by his actions. It was such a crucial moment! Couldn¡¯t he take things seriously for once in his life? Then, he calmly raised his eyes to look at Raymond as he replied, ¡°What do look like I¡¯m joking?¡± you think? Do I On the other hand, Elias was relieved to see how enraged Raymond was, for it clearly meant that his wife was his weakness. ¡°I will give you a piece of my mind if you dare touch my wife!¡± Raymond wanted nothing more than to beat Elias up right then and there. s, the prison guard beside him pulled him back, shouting, ¡°What are you doing, Porter?!¡± Elias wore a faint smile on his lips as he spoke the most ruthless words, ¡°Does your wife matter if you like Stephanie? She¡¯s bedridden, and you¡¯d rather go to jail than take care of her. Do you even care about her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch my wife! I won¡¯t let you off the hook if you dare touch her!¡± Raymond < roared, after which the prison guard immediately seized the moment to tase the prisoner for resisting capture and to subject him to a painful electric shock, causing him to copse weakly to the ground. Still, Elias continued to provoke him. ¡°Oh, rest assured, I will definitely harm her. You can¡¯t do anything in jail. All that¡¯s left is between me and the person you¡¯re covering for. If you think he can¡¯t defeat me, it¡¯s better to admit the truth quickly, or your wife will be the sacrificial pawn in this struggle.¡± ¡°You guys can fight all you want, but why should my wife be dragged into this mess, you b*stard?!¡± Raymond had practically indirectly admitted that he was taking the me for someone else. Nheless, he hadn¡¯t realized what he had said yet as tears flowed uncontrobly down his cheeks. Perhaps his tears were due to the pain of the electric shock or out of sheer concern for his wife¡¯s safety. He trusted Crispin because he believed Crispin would understand his position as the young man also came from a humble background. He wholeheartedly believed that Crispin would take good care of his wife. Meanwhile, Elias signaled with his eyes for the prison guard to step back, and only then did the guard leave. After that, Elias pulled Raymond up from the ground and enunciated, ¡°You¡¯ve got no one to me but yourself. I¡¯m only doing this because you¡¯ve obstructed my path. You may act as his scapegoat, but you also got in my way. Do you truly understand what repercussions your actions will have? You have to choose a side. Will it be him or me? If you tell the truth, I can still arrange for your wife¡¯s treatment at the hospital. Think it over.¡± Raymond indeed fell into deep thought upon hearing Elias¡¯ proposal. Crispin was undoubtedly no match for Elias. He could already envision a future wherein his wife would be the sacrificial pawn in the battle between these two men. That said, he had already promised Crispin. He couldn¡¯t go back on his word and was afraid that Crispin might harm his wife if he spilled the beans. Just as he was in a dilemma, Yacob arrived, fashionablyte and panting as he dashed into the visitation room. He had barely gotten himself together as he handed his phone to Elias. As they were currently in a prison, there was a signal blocker, so Yacob had toe in person. Then, Elias yed a video recorded in the hospital for Raymond to see after taking the phone from Yacob. ¡°You see this? The person you trust hasn¡¯t sent your wife to the ICU or arranged any surgery for her yet. Your wife is now in aa, and at this rate, she may notst much longer. In fact, she may not even have the chance to undergo a dialysis treatment. the instant you¡¯re behind bars; she¡¯ll just be waiting for Death to collect her. Frankly, there¡¯s 34 really no need for me to dirty my hands if that trulyes to pass.¡± Raymond snatched the phone and looked at the video of his wife lying unconscious with a pale face. Her skin looked translucent under the hospital light, and it was as though her soul was escaping the confines of her body with each breath she took. very How can this be?! Crispin has already promised me that he¡¯ll take good care of my wife! How can this be happening?! Is Crispin lying to me? Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 A Young Man When Elias saw how shocked the man looked, he knew that Raymond was swayed. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worth taking the fall for that person? You¡¯re not so naive as to think that you¡¯ll get out of jail sooner orter, are you? If that person can¡¯t even save himself, how is he going to get you out of here?¡± Sure enough, Raymond sported a conflicted expression. His mind was a mess, and he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time to ponder. Once you¡¯ve decided, contact us through the prison officers.¡± With that, Elias turned around and left the visiting room. Amanda also departed after taking a look at Raymond¡¯s conflicted expression. Meanwhile, Yacob stepped forward and snatched his own phone. Raymond asked anxiously, ¡°How¡¯s my wife now?!¡± ¡°Are you as blind as you are a fool? Mr. Winters hasn¡¯t even made a move yet. I only went to the hospital to take photos of your wife and saw her there all alone. The person who has made you a scapegoat hasn¡¯t even hired a caretaker for her. Although I have nothing to do with the two of you, I still feel sorry for her.¡± Yacob tutted and kept his phone in his pocket. He was ready to leave, knowing that Raymond wouldn¡¯t reveal anything for the time being. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! You doctored the video somehow! You¡¯ve deliberately set things up before showing that to me!¡± Raymond refused to believe them as he didn¡¯t think Crispin would lie to him. When Yacob saw how agitated the man was, he said with a smile, ¡°Ah, I see that there¡¯s some fight left in you. As for whether it¡¯s true¡­ Why don¡¯t you think things through yourself? Besides, you should be fully aware that only you can get yourself out of this mess. No one else can save you.¡± With that, he stepped out of the visiting room as well. Raymond felt his sanity snapping as he bawled his eyes out. Yet, he still refused to reveal anything. Meanwhile, outside the prison, Elias was leaning against his car as he took a long drag out of ||| his cigarette. ¡°So, you asked Yacob to go to the hospital just for that. Are you sure you can make Raymond expose the culprit by doing so?¡± Amanda crossed her arms, appearing doubtful. He merely allowed the smoke to pass from his lips before he said slowly, ¡°You saw his reaction, didn¡¯t you? At the very least, he was finally willing to speak. Moreover, judging from his reaction, I can tell he understands that the person he is taking the me for is no match. for me. He¡¯s definitely swayed.¡± ¡°Are we going to wait for him to contact that person, then? Unfortunately for him, I¡¯m sure that person won¡¯te,¡± Amanda said firmly. Just then, Yacob came over and reported, ¡°Raymond still refuses to say anything, Mr. Winters. However, I can tell that he¡¯s agitated.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on both ces. You¡¯ll be keeping guard at the hospital for the next few days. If somebody wants to transfer Raymond¡¯s wife to another hospital, capture and interrogate them,¡± Elias ordered sternly. ¡°B-But! What about my bed?! I have a perfectly good bed at home!¡± Yacobmented. He had just gotten a good andfortable night¡¯s sleep the day before, but he had to pull an all- nighter again?! Elias shot him a re. ¡°And? Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°No, sir. I¡¯ll never dare to disobey your orders!¡± Yacob immediately opened the door and motioned for the man to get into the car. After Elias entered the vehicle, Amanda nced at Yacob and said with a smile, ¡°Chin up. You¡¯re bringing justice to the victims. It¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°Thanks for yourpliment, Miss Bailey.¡± Yacob forced himself to smile as he whined inwardly, If this is somendable, why don¡¯t the two of you do it? Yacob arrived at the hospital with a great yawn. When he saw the unconscious woman in the room, he genuinely felt sorry for her. He went to the front desk and asked the nurse, ¡°What¡¯s going on with the patient on bed no. 14? A few days have passed, but her family members haven¡¯t visited her yet.¡± ¡°I have no idea. Several days ago, a young man came over and asked about transferring her to another hospital. I guess he¡¯s still going through the procedures,¡± the nurse replied. Yacob asked, ¡°Who was the young man?¡± r ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps it¡¯s her son. He looks really young.¡± A young man? That rules Raymond out since he¡¯s in jail. The two of them don¡¯t have a child, so it¡¯s not their son either. Could it be the person Raymond is taking the fall for? ¡°Do you remember what the person looks like?¡± Yacob was curious about the person who had the guts to do such a thing and push the me onto Elias. The nurse shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. As you know, I see many people every day. Anyway, I recall him being young and well-mannered.¡± A well-mannered young man? Yacob¡¯s mind instinctively ran through a list of Elias¡¯ enemies but couldn¡¯t find anyone who matched those qualities. Who could the person be? Anyway, I suppose he¡¯ll show up at any moment. He has to transfer Raymond¡¯s wife to another hospital, after all. So, he returned to the ward and sat down outside. He figured he might as well wait for the person to show 1. Meanwhile, Crispin, who was ready to transfer Raymond¡¯s wife to another hospital, stepped out of the elevator and saw Yacob seated outside the ward. He quickly moved backward and rounded a corner to hide himself. There was a hint of anxiety flickering in his eyes. Isn¡¯t he Elias¡¯ bodyguard? Why is he here? Have they found me out? Truthfully, Crispin could already tell that Elias doubted Raymond¡¯s statement, but he didn¡¯t expect they woulde to the hospital so soon. If Raymond¡¯s wife fell into their hands, the man would certainly expose Crispin. Nheless, given the current situation, it wasn¡¯t like Crispin could transfer the woman to another hospital. What should I do? Crispin fell into a dilemma. He was about to marry Stephanie, so he couldn¡¯t possibly allow anything to derail his n. Since Elias just wouldn¡¯t let him off, Crispin had no choice but to resort to thest move. That way, he could make Raymond keep the secret while also bing part of the Allegras. {¡± 34 Original from N?velDrama.Org. In the evening, Yacob had the urge to take a nap, for he hadn¡¯t had any proper rest for the past few days. He had been waiting for the entire afternoon, but no one was seen visiting Raymond¡¯s wife. Just then, a mask-wearing doctor arrived and was ready to enter the ward with an instrument trolley. Yacob saidnguidly, ¡®Wait a minute. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take the patient¡¯s blood pressure measurements.¡± Yacob took a look at the unconscious woman and inquired sharply, ¡°Is there even such a need? Why don¡¯t you transfer her to the ICU immediately?¡± ¡°That requires the attending physician¡¯s permission. I¡¯m only his understudy.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Yacob decided there was no point asking further questions. The doctor then pushed the trolley into the ward and closed the door. In actuality, Crispin had disguised himself as the doctor. He walked up to the bed and looked at the unconscious woman, who was the only person Raymond was concerned about. If he could control the woman, he could definitely make Raymond take the rap for him and admit to the wrongdoing. However, if the woman fell into Elias¡¯ hands, Crispin would be doomed. Therefore, he would only be at ease once he had eliminated the woman. He fished out the syringe he had prepared in advance and took a look at the door before injecting the liquid into the woman. Once he was done, he left the ward with the trolley. Yacob watched as Crispin walked away, oblivious to what had happened. He had been exhausted as of late, so he wasn¡¯t as vignt as usual. Besides, he wasn¡¯t familiar with Crispin. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 I¡¯m Afraid You¡¯ve Made a Huge Mistake ¡°Come over here, 0345. You have a phone call.¡± Back in the prison, when Raymond, who was spacing out in his cell, heard the prison officer calling out to him, he rose to his feet and stepped out of the ce. Presently, he was in a dilemma, not knowing what choice he should make. Apparently, Crispin, who came from a poor background, was no match for Elias. Moreover, if Raymond told the truth, Elias might help him get his wife¡¯s illness treated. After all, Elias was extremely powerful, and the private hospital run by the Winters Family was one of the best in the country. Raymond was still hesitant as to whether he should betray Crispin, for he desperately wanted to cure his wife, and time was running out for her. When he arrived, he hastily picked up the phone and heard Crispin bellowing, ¡°Why did you disobey my order? Why did you contact Elias? You betrayed me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t betray you! I didn¡¯t tell him anything!¡± Raymond replied anxiously while clenching the phone. your However, Crispin refuted, ¡°You¡¯re lying! When I went to the hospital to transfer another hospital, I was targeted by Elias¡¯ bodyguard. Also, your wife is dead. When I arrived wife to at the hospital, she had already stopped breathing. You decided to trust Elias instead of me. Do you think a wealthy man like him would sympathize with your situation? He even killed your wife to achieve his goal. He¡¯ll definitely go looking for you again. Let me make it clear- your wife had already passed away by the time I arrived at the hospital, and Elias¡¯ bodyguard was just outside the ward!¡± Once he said his piece, he hung up the call. Raymond was rooted to the spot, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. When he came to his senses, he growled, ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense! What happened to my wife? What happened to her?!¡± He was plunged into a state of despair. He had been doing everything to ensure that his wife would stay alive, but things ended up going against his wishes. Just then, another prison officer came over with a solemn expression. ¡°Raymond, we just received a call from the hospital. They informed us that your wife passed away yesterday. She experienced heart failure and her heart has stopped beating.¡± Raymond had always been aw-abiding citizen, but he became hysterical at this moment. He grabbed the prison officer¡¯s clothes and snarled, ¡°What did you say?! I have to see my wife now! I have to see her now!¡± The other prison officer quickly subdued him and mercilessly struck him with a taser, causing him to copse to the floor, but his tears still streamed down his face uncontrobly. It was a piece of bad news that was even worse than death for him. After all, he had been doing all he could to let his wife stay alive. In the morning, Amanda received a call when she was still sound asleep. When she heard what the other party said, she became fully awake in an instant and sat straight up on the bed. What?! She¡¯s dead? How did that happen? What¡¯s the cause of her death?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still looking into the matter. It¡¯s said that she suffered from cardiac arrest. I¡¯m heading to the hospital right now.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be going to the hospital as well.¡± Amanda lifted the quilt and entered the bathroom. After a very quick wash. up, she changed and went to the hospital. got When everyone arrived at the hospital at 10.00AM, they only saw the woman¡¯s corpse remorseful Yacob. and a Elias and Amanda learned that Raymond¡¯s wife had been dered dead, and her corpse was ready to be transferred to the mortuary. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Winters. It¡¯s all my fault. I was taking a nap yesterday when a doctor came over and said he was going to take the patient¡¯s blood pressure measurements. However, not long after he left, Raymond¡¯s wife suffered from cardiac arrest and soon passed away despite the doctors¡¯ attempt to save her.¡± Yacob wished he could turn back the clock. He had always been a meticulous person, but he was too exhausted the day before. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. As Amanda looked at the corpse that was covered with a white cloth, she furrowed her brows. ¡°It¡¯s over. Raymond will never tell us the truth now. The woman he loves is gone, so he no longer has the desire to get out of jail.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so useless!¡± Elias growled at Yacob before turning around to leave. Yacob hung his head low in silence, knowing that he was in the wrong. He had disappointed Elias. In Elias¡¯ eyes, Yacob would never make such a mistake. To make matters worse, the mistake was so grave as the murderer managed to kill Raymond¡¯s wife on his watch. Amanda nced at Yacob and patted his shoulder. ¡°Stop ming yourself. There¡¯s no point wallowing in self-pity. It¡¯s not your fault that the culprit is too ruthless. Still, there is no doubt. that he¡¯s the person who has made Raymond a scapegoat.¡± With that, she turned around and left as well. Yacob balled up his fists, determined to get to the person that made Raymond take the fall. When Elias entered the car and was ready to head to the prison, Amanda got into the passenger¡¯s seat. As she buckled up, she said, ¡°Where are you going? Take me with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can go there on my own.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere without me. I can tell you¡¯re furious right now, and you need me to help calm you down,¡± Amanda intoned seriously. She was worried that Elias was going to cause a scene, especially considering his temperament. The man took a long look at her before driving the car away from the hospital. On the way to their destination, Elias remained silent all along. Amanda realized that they were heading to the prison. It seems that he¡¯s going to face Raymond directly. She wanted to say something as she nced at his side profile. Yet, as she parted her lips, she found that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to utter a word. So, she looked away and decided to keep quiet. When they arrived at the prison, the warden told them that Raymond was already aware of his wife¡¯s death as the hospital had informed them about it. Raymond had gone mad, so they decided to put him in solitary confinement. Then, the warden took the two of them to the confinement cell. When the door was opened with a creak, they saw Raymond facing the wall while seated. Hist face was pale, his gaze was hollow, and his mind seemed to be somewhere else. It was as if he had lost his soul. ¡°Raymond?¡± Amanda called out to him, but he didn¡¯t respond to her. Elias walked up to him, and when he saw how listless the man looked, he said, ¡°That person killed your wife. Are you still going to take the fall for him?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who killed my wife?¡± Raymond sneered as a look of disdain appeared on ||| 34 his face. Elias fell silent and furrowed his brows. Raymond went on to say, ¡°You¡¯re a wealthy man, so poor people like us are as insignificant as ants in your eyes. You killed my wife just to make me expose that person.¡± Then, he looked Elias in the eye and continued, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve made a huge mistake, Mr. Winters. I¡¯ll never tell you anything.¡± The woman he loved had left for the other world, so no one could threaten him now. Instead, he was going to seek out his end just to keep his wifepany. ¡°What makes you think I killed your wife? Do you have any evidence?¡± Elias questioned. Nheless, Raymond only scoffed and remained silent, ignoring the two of them altogether. ¡°Raymond, you have to understand that we¡¯re just trying to get to the truth, so why would we kill your wife? Elias even sent a bodyguard to protect her. You-¡± Before Amanda could finish her words, Raymond refuted hotly, ¡°Say whatever you want, but it¡¯s the truth that my wife was killed under his ¡®protection.¡± Although his words were harsh, it was also the truth, and she had no idea what to say to that. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 How Could You Be So Ruthless? Amanda had nothing to say, for Raymond¡¯s wife was indeed killed on their watch. Suddenly, Elias tugged the woman behind his back and nced at Raymond. ¡°Does that mean you won¡¯t believe me no matter what I say now?¡± Raymond remained silent and looked out the window dispassionately. It was as if there was nothing in this world that was worth his attention. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡± Even Amanda was shocked as she asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± She had no idea what move they could still use to make Raymond expose the culprit, considering that the woman he loved was gone for good. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that your wife¡¯s corpse is still in the mortuary. You¡¯re her only rtive. If no one helps her deal with the funeral¡­¡± Elias didn¡¯t finish his words, leaving it to Raymond¡¯s imagination. Even Amanda found Elias cruel as his actions were inhumane at this point. It was at this moment that she came to realize Elias was a resolute man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Raymond finally reacted and turned to look at him. ¡°How could you be so ruthless?¡± ¡°The oue depends on whether you¡¯re going to tell us the truth. So, the ball is yet again. in your court. Since you understand the kind of person I am now, you¡¯d better not test me.¡± Elias sported an icy expression. It was as if he indeed had no concern for someone else¡¯s suffering. All of a sudden, Raymond donned a dejected smile. ¡°I¡¯m such a useless husband. When she was alive, I couldn¡¯t get her illness treated. I can¡¯t even organize her funeral now that she¡¯s dead. I truly don¡¯t deserve a woman like her.¡± ¡°This matter has nothing to do with you in the first ce. If you tell me who you¡¯re taking the fall for, I¡¯ll get you out of here right now.¡± Raymond was certainly swayed. He was resentful of Elias for killing his wife, but at the same time, he wanted to see his wife for onest time. The moment Elias caught sight of his hesitation, he pressed, ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days to consider. Your wife¡¯s corpse can¡¯t stay in the mortuary forever. Contact me when you¡¯ve made up your mind.¡± With that, he left the confinement cell with Amanda. Then, he said to the prison officer, ¡°If anyone visits him or contacts him through phone calls. or emails in the next few days, let me know immediately.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Suddenly recalling something, the prison officer continued, ¡°By the way, before we received a call from the hospital, someone called and talked to Raymond. He only told us that he¡¯s Raymond¡¯s distant rtive. The callsted for several minutes.¡± ¡°Give me the phone number!¡± Elias frowned, feeling that he was getting closer to the truth. When Amanda returned to the Allegra Vi in the evening, she realized that the atmosphere was rather cheerful in the dining hall. They talked to each other joyfully, and Aiden kept asking his grandparents to ce more food on his te. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Then, all of them stopped and looked at her upon registering Amanda¡¯s presence. ¡°You¡¯re finally back, Amanda. Come on and have a seat.¡± Edith was the first to speak. Aiden leaped away from the chair and wrapped his arms around his mother¡¯s legs. ¡°Where have you been, Mommy? I miss you very much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a good boy. I¡¯ve been busy for the past few days. Have you been eating your meals on time?¡± Amanda gently caressed her son¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been a good boy. You can ask Grandma about it.¡± He took Amanda¡¯s hand and brought her to the dining table before pigging out on his food again. The child was a typical foodie. Jack said slowly, ¡°I tried to call you, but you didn¡¯t answer. I have some good news to share with you. Steph and Crispin got their marriage license today, and the wedding will be held by the end of the month. Although we¡¯re in a hurry, we still have to hold a proper wedding for them.¡± Did they get the marriage license already? Amanda nced at Crispin and Stephanie in shock. Whenever Stephanie looked at Amanda, unpleasant memories from the past returned to haunt her. She closed her eyes in shame as she got to her feet and said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling under the weather, Dad. I¡¯ll be going back to my room now.¡± With that, she left the dining hall. ¡°I¡¯ll keep herpany, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra, Please go on and enjoy your meal.¡± Crispin was O ready to leave upon finishing his words. Jack stopped him by saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go upstairs a bitter? Let¡¯s discuss the wedding. How many of your rtives will being? Your parents-¡± Before he could finish his words, Crispin cut him off, replying, ¡°I no longer have any rtives, Mr. Allegra. I only have my mother now. I¡¯ll tell her toe to the wedding, and there won¡¯t be anyone else.¡± ¡°Only your mother?¡± Edith felt that something was amiss. Jack furrowed his brows with displeasure. ¡°Is she the only one who wille?¡± What kind of wedding is that? Basically, only our friends and rtives will be attending. Crispin replied with a gentle smile, ¡°Mr. Allegra, I¡¯m not a local, so I don¡¯t have any friends and rtives here. The rtives in my hometown are too far away, so they might not be willing toe. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Therefore, Jack and Edith exchanged nces and stopped pestering him about his rtives. In actuality, the true reason Crispin refused to invite his friends and rtives from his hometown was that he felt they were just a bunch of bumpkins. Also, he wanted to sever ties with those poor rtives. Once he did, only then could he forget about his dirty past and start a new life. Besides, he would be part of the Allegras soon, there wasn¡¯t a need for him to remember those unimportant people. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Steph¡¯s room now.¡± Crispin nodded with a humble smile and stepped out of the dining hall. Edith let out a sigh. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not a big deal anyway. It¡¯ll be good enough if he¡¯ll always prioritize Steph.¡± Jack fell silent. He had always looked down on a poor man like Crispin in the past. s, he had no choice but to agree to the marriage since his daughter truly loved the man. Only Amanda felt that something was off about Crispin. She couldn¡¯t put it into words, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel as though smugness was practically oozing from his very being. It was as if he was rxed enough to start behaving impudently after achieving a particr goal. He already had no regard for Jack and Edith before the wedding was even held. On the other hand, Stephanie immediately ran away from Amanda, acting akin to a rat seeing a cat. All in all, she genuinely couldn¡¯t brush aside the feeling that Crispin was up to no good. So, 34 she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys find Crispin strange?¡± Jack said, ¡°What do you mean? borate.¡± He initially shunned Crispin, believing that the poor man was after their wealth. Nevertheless, following the incident, he felt that there was a good chance that the man¡¯s love for Stephanie was sincere. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t put a finger on it but there was definitely something bothering him about Crispin¡¯s attitude after the man got a marriage license with Stephanie. Amanda shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about it myself. Frankly, no man would ever put up with his girlfriend cheating on him. However, it seems that Crispin has never med Steph for her betrayal. It¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t mind it one bit. Is this how a man is supposed to react? It would¡¯ve been more than understandable if he had experienced some struggle beforeing to ept it. Yet, he¡¯s been very calm.¡± Jack knitted his brows together. He certainly had noticed Crispin¡¯sposure, but Stephanie throwing a tantrum was giving him a headache, so he wasn¡¯t exactly in the state of mind to think too deeply about Crispin¡¯s reaction. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Wedding by the End of the Month Edith couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you guys overthinking things? I believe that Crispin truly loves Steph, and I only hope that he¡¯ll treat her with sincerity. There¡¯s nothing else I ask for.¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Amanda stopped dwelling on the topic. She knew she couldn¡¯t persuade Edith, event though the woman was her mother. On the other hand, Jack fell deep in thought. When Stephanie returned to her room upstairs, she plunged onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow before bawling her eyes out. She felt that everyone was mocking her, especially Amanda. Both of them were from the Allegra Family. While Amanda found one of the wealthiest men in the country, Elias Winters, Stephanie ended up with a poor guy, Crispin Coyote. Even the wedding was fully paid for by the Allegras. As such, it was only natural that she was frustrated. Crispin soon entered the room and closed the door. However, he didn¡¯t go over and appease her in a hurry, unlike what he would usually do in the past. Instead, he slowly sat down on the bed and watched as the woman¡¯s shoulders trembled. Since they had gotten the marriage license, he could be considered part of the Allegra Family. As such, he just had to act normally. Also, Stephanie had been repeatedly throwing a tantrum in the past few days, so his patience was running out. She felt the man sitting on the bed, but he just wouldn¡¯t cate her. Burning with rage in an instant, she lifted her head from the pillow and bellowed. ¡°Get lost! Stop annoying me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of being sad, Steph? Let bygones be bygones. Since we now have the marriage license, we¡¯re a legally married couple. You should stop thinking of the past,¡± Crispin said perfunctorily. Nevertheless, Stephanie was even more enraged upon hearing that. She pushed the man away and barked, ¡°What makes you think you can speak to me like this? Do you seriously believe you¡¯re already part of the Allegras just because we have gotten our marriage license? Are you also despising me because I was f*cked by a wretched middle-aged man?¡± An unfazed Crispin merely put on a smile. ¡°Well, I should thank that man. If not for him, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up getting together with me.¡± Stephanie was petrified upon hearing that. A momentter, she red up, saying, ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you also mocking me? Are you saying that you¡¯re the only one who would marry me?¡± He¡¯s basically saying that just because I slept with that wretched middle-aged man, I could only choose him! With a smile, Crispin rose to his feet and went to pour her a cup of water in silence. Then, he held the cup out for her andmented, ¡°Drink some water and calm down.¡± ||| r Stephanie glowered at him. ¡°Tin asking you what you meant by that.¡± ¡°Nothing at all. Steph, I know you feel ufortable just thinking about the gardener, but that¡¯s a price. you have to pay for betraying me. Just get over it, and you¡¯ll realize it¡¯s no big deal. I don¡¯t mind it His voice sounded so nonchnt that it was as if he was talking about the weather. anyway.¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What are you talking about? Is that what a human is even supposed to say? What do you mean that it¡¯s a price I have to pay for betraying you? Is that what I am now in your heart? A wh*re?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that true, though? If you were not in love with Elias, all of that wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Crispin sounded displeased even though he was the mastermind behind the incident. Also, he was the one who bedded Stephanie that night. However, he was utterly disappointed when he saw the woman willingly arrive at the hotel. Stephanie used to be an innocent and loyal woman, but she ended up being Elias¡¯ simp. Even though Crispin was the one who bedded her that night, the woman was there to give herself to Elias. The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. Stephanie used to im that she loved Crispin only, but she eventually betrayed him and was even willing to do the deed with another man. Meanwhile, Stephanie was beyond shock, for she didn¡¯t expect Crispin to say such a thing. Has he only been pretending that he doesn¡¯t mind it? Does he look down on me as well? ¡°If you despise me so much, you don¡¯t have to marry me. It¡¯s not like I love you! Countless men will line. up to woo me!¡± Stephanie felt humiliated, for even a man who used to be her simp now belittled her as well. Crispin kept the smile on his face. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t mind it, so you¡¯d better not harp on this issue. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be mentally taxing f?r both of us.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Stephanie felt that the man before her had changed. He was no longer the gentleman she used Original from N?velDrama.Org. to love. ¡°You¡¯ve changed,¡± she muttered. You wouldn¡¯t talk to me or treat me like this in the past.¡± ¡°You have also changed, haven¡¯t you? You used to be loyal to me, but you¡¯re in love with Elias now. You love him so much that you were even willing to give him your first time.¡± Stephanie was speechless upon hearing that. Crispin had been holding the cup of water the entire time, but she didn¡¯t have the intention of taking it. As such, he could only put it down on the table and said, ¡°Life goes on, so just move on and stop thinking about the past. It¡¯s not like you can change anything. You¡¯d better get some rest. I¡¯ll take my leave now. Soon, I¡¯ll be busy making the arrangements for the wedding with Mr. Allegra.¡± With that, he left the bedroom and closed the door. The moment the door was shut, Stephanie broke down mentally. She picked up the pillow and hurled it at the door before yelling, ¡°Argh!¡± Even a poor man like him has the guts to bully me now! Who does he think he is? O ? When Amanda was done with the shower, she stepped into the balcony and let the night breeze whisk through her long hair. She decided to dry her hair with the wind and go to sleep. She had also prepared a cup of warm milk. The moment she took a sip, her phone started ringing. Upon realizing it was Elias calling, she picked it up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m outside the Allegra Vi. Is Aiden asleep?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s sound asleep. What are you doing outside our home?¡± The man replied in a husky and exhausted voice, ¡°Can youe out for a while? I¡¯m a little frustrated.¡± Amanda frowned and remained silent for several seconds before replying, ¡°Give me a second. I¡¯ll get changed.¡± Then, she entered the bedroom and changed into different clothes before leaving the vi. The man¡¯s luxury car was indeed parked outside the entrance. Elias leaned against the car with a cigarette between his lips. The smoke blurred his handsome face, but Amanda could still see his frustration. Too many things had happened as ofte, so she let out a sigh and approached the man. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going home at this hour?¡± Elias straightened up and put out the cigarette before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home. I miss you.¡± Amanda had no idea what to say to that. Several momentster, she uttered, ¡°By the way, Crispin and Stephanie have gotten their marriage license, and their wedding will be held by the end of the month.¡± He was surprised upon hearing the news. Jack had always been a shrewd man, so it was a mystery as to why he even allowed such a thing to happen. ¡°Did you just say they got their marriage license and the wedding will be held by the end of the month? Who came up with that idea?¡± Elias furrowed his brows. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Answer My Question Amanda turned around and leaned against the car before crossing her arms. ¡°Who else could it be? It¡¯s Crispin, of course. He seems eager to marry Stephanie. I feel that he¡¯s been too calm after all that has happened.¡± On the other hand, Elias remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. She asked, ¡°What would you do if you were Crispin?¡± He turned to look at her with a doubtful expression. His gaze seemed to say, Try betraying me, and you¡¯ll know the consequences! Amanda batted her alluring eyes. ¡°Say something. If your woman let a middle-aged man bed her, what would you do? Would you still be calm and not so sad? Would you also be eager to get married?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re asking me a question with sincerity, I¡¯ll answer it with all seriousness.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Elias nced at her gorgeous face and continued, ¡°If I discover you betrayed me one day and even let another man take you to bed, I¡¯ll lose it and kill that man. If you, just like Stephanie, got framed and bullied by a middle-aged man, I¡¯d destroy him and bury his corpse beneath the ground. However, the fact that you¡¯ve betrayed me will drive me nuts.¡± Amanda was rendered speechless upon hearing that. It is just a hypothetical question, so why is this man so serious? Moreover, he seems determined to put his words into action if I have the audacity to betray him. It was understandable that she was terrified. ¡°So, will you betray me? Even emotional cheating is not allowed,¡± he pressed. Amanda felt helpless, wondering what was wrong with the man. Aren¡¯t we talking about Stephanie? Why is it about me now? ¡°Mr. Winters, several days ago, you said you wouldn¡¯t interfere in my affairs no matter what I did, so what is it with you now?¡± Elias replied solemnly, ¡°I won¡¯t interfere in your affairs, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can fall in love with. another man. I won¡¯t allow you to find a stepfather for my son.¡± Is this what he meant when he said he wouldn¡¯t have a hand in my affairs? I think he has some misunderstanding about the definition of freedom! Seeing that the woman refused to give him a definitive reply, he demanded, ¡°Answer my question.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I didn¡¯t betray you after everything you did to me in the past, so why would I betray you now?¡± Amanda had the urge to roll her eyes, considering how unreasonable the man was. Four years ago, Elias mercilessly dumped her and their child, but she still didn¡¯t cheat on him. After the divorce, she always kept an appropriate distance from other men, so why would she betray him now? Elias furrowed his brows and pulled the woman into his embrace before pressing her head against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I did to you. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying this? If an apology is useful at all, my suffering four years ago was all for nothing!¡± Amanda sneered. Elias only hugged her tightly without a word. ||| O . J She pushed the man¡¯s towering figure away. ¡°Alright, alright. That¡¯s so off-topic. Let¡¯s talk about Stephanie.¡± He snapped back to reality and said, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with Crispin. All the clues show that he doesn¡¯t love Stephanie. He¡¯s only after the Allegras¡¯ wealth.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Truth was, Amanda was doubtful. When she saw how loyal Crispin was to Stephanie, she thought it was true love. Elias snorted at that. ¡°I¡¯m a man, so you should believe me. No man can ever put up with his woman cheating on him, and there¡¯s certainly no way he doesn¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°Do you think we should stop the wedding?¡± Amanda wasn¡¯t a busybody, but she was part of the Allegras now, after all. As such, she couldn¡¯t let such an unscrupulous man marry her sister. ¡°Why would we stop it? It¡¯s Stephanie¡¯s choice, and it has nothing to do with us. Now, I just want to get to the person who framed me.¡± Elias was determined to find the person who made Raymond a scapegoat. It would be ridiculous if he wasn¡¯t aware of who his enemy was. As for Crispin, he could tell that the poor man just wanted to climb up the socialdder by marrying a wealthy youngdy. With Jack in charge of everything, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem. As such, Elias wasn¡¯t so concerned about it. Amanda nodded. ¡°What if Raymond refuses to expose that person?¡± ¡°We just have to wait. I have plenty of time anyway, but his wife¡¯s corpse can¡¯t stay in the mortuary forever. He loves his wife very much, so he won¡¯t keep his wife waiting.¡± Eliasmented. For the next few days, they didn¡¯t receive any good news from the prison. The prison officer informed them that Raymond merely looked at the wall the whole time in his confinement cell. He refused to eat or say anything. Moreover, no one visited Raymond during this period, which was strange. It would be the end of the month soon. That was when the wedding of Stephanie and Crispin would be held. All of a sudden, Stephanie said she wanted to go to the prison and see Raymond. No one knew what was on her mind, but she insisted on doing so. ¡°You¡¯re getting married soon, so why do you want to see the man who tortured you? Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯ll recall those horrible memories?¡± Amanda asked, to which Stephanie barked, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! I¡¯m going to see him now!¡± With that, she turned around and left the dining hall. Crispin said that he would keep Stephanie company before running after her. None of them were in the mood to finish their breakfast. Jack was so vexed that he let out a sigh. I¡¯ll die from getting too furious sooner orter. All she does is cause a scene all the time. She¡¯s still so willful after such a humiliating incident. She¡¯s hopeless.¡± ||| ? Then, he turned to look at Edith. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for always doting on her. How am I going to let her manage the family business in the future?¡± Edith only let out a sigh, refusing to say a word. Only Amanda felt that something was off. After leaving the dining hall, she gave Elias a call. ¡°Stephanie is going to the prison to see Raymond. Crispin is with her now.¡± ¡°Why is she going to see Raymond?¡± Elias was puzzled as to why the woman was doing such a thing. Amanda was perplexed as well. ¡°I have no idea, but she insisted on going. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s out of her mind.¡± Meanwhile, Crispin was driving Stephanie to the prison. It was Crispin¡¯s idea to see Raymond, and Stephanie merely obeyed his order. No one knew what had happened in the past few days, but Stephanie no longer had the guts to go against the man. ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl. I¡¯ll let you have a proper night¡¯s sleep today.¡± Crispin extended his hand in an attempt to touch her. Stephanie was so terrified that she flinched. Her face was void of any color. It was as if she had just seen a ghost. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. Others might think that I¡¯ve been bullying you.¡± Crispin¡¯s voice sounded helpless, but there was a sinister glow radiating from his eyes. He had to see Raymond, but if he went to the prison at this point, Elias¡¯ suspicion would be aroused. As such, Stephanie was the best person to do such a thing. Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Self-harm When they arrived at the prison, Crispin took Stephanie to the visiting room. He had to speak to Raymond alone, so the woman couldn¡¯t be present. ¡°Steph.¡± He extended his hand to tidy up the woman¡¯s hair, but she shied away as if he was a pervert. Still, Crispin pulled her into his embrace and said gently, ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯lle out quickly.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After Crispin entered the visiting room, Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief. The man seemed to have turned into a different person after they got the marriage license. He would torture her every day. It hade to a point where she felt she was on the brink of going mad. When will all of this eventuallye to an end? Now, she didn¡¯t even dare to resist or inform anyone about it. She still hadn¡¯t made heads or tails of what was going on. Crispin used to be her simp, but now, she was terrified of the man. A whileter, Crispin finally left the visiting room and took her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Stephanie let the man take her away like a puppet. ¡°Be a good girl, Steph. Where do you want to go for our honeymoon after the wedding?¡± However, Stephanie only remained silent.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Say something. Otherwise, I¡¯ll assume that you¡¯re trying to resist. You should understand by now that I¡¯ll stop at nothing to achieve my goal. Despite Crispin¡¯s gentle voice, every word he said was as piercing as a de. A flustered Stephanie replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anywhere. It¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll choose a ce you love.¡± Stephanie felt suffocated. She wanted to run away from the man, but they were legally married now, so she was unable to do that. What should I do? In the afternoon, Amanda and Elias took Aiden to watch an animated movie, after which they went for dinner together. They had promised that they would go out and have fun with the child every week so that he would grow up in a healthy environment. They didn¡¯t want Aiden to feel that he was different from the other kids. During the meal, Elias fed his son some food before stating, ¡°Stephanie has been acting strangely as of ¡°I think so too. She used to be a spoiled princess in front of Crispin back then, but now, she¡¯s more like his obedient wife.¡± Amanda was shocked by Stephanie¡¯s transformation over the past few days. Has she be mature suddenly since the wedding is around the corner? ¡°The wedding is only five days away.¡± The man sounded helpless, for he still hadn¡¯t found the person who framed him. Raymond was determined not to expose anything. Suddenly, his phone started vibrating. He put down the spoon and looked at his son¡¯s greasy mouth before saying. ¡°I¡¯ll answer the call.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Aiden nodded obediently and picked up the spoon. Amanda found him adorable. She pulled out a wet wipe to clean the child¡¯s mouth and stole a nce at the man, who was on the phone. She noticed a change of expression on his face. It seemed that something had happened. As such, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± After the call ended, Elias picked up his coat and looked at her with a frown. ¡°I have to head to the hospital right now. Raymond attempted to harm himself, and he¡¯s on the brink of death now. Go on and finish the food with Aiden. I¡¯ll ask Yacob to send you home.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Aiden watched the man leave and called out, ¡°Come back, Daddy!¡± Amanda was rooted to the spot, shocked by what she had just heard. What did he just say? Did Raymond attempt to harm himself? It wasn¡¯t until Aiden called out to his father again that Amanda came to her senses and hugged her child. ¡°Be a good boy, Aiden. Your daddy has to attend to something. Why don¡¯t I feed you the food?¡± Deep within, she was puzzled as to why Raymond would do such a thing, for there wasn¡¯t a reason for himp to do so. By the time Elias arrived at the hospital, the doctors had given up on saving Raymond. The man was pronounced dead. After the light outside the operating room went out, the doctors came out. Elias went over and asked, ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ve done our best to save the patient. He already lost consciousness from severe bleeding before he was sent to the hospital. There was little we could do to save his life,¡± a doctor replied and shook. his head, after which he left the ce. The prison officer and Elias fell silent upon hearing that Why would he harm himself out of nowhere? Elias turned to look at the prison officer. ¡°Why did he try to harm himself? What did he use?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason either. Miss Allegra and her boyfriend visited Raymond today. After that, he started behaving strangely. In the evening, he somehow obtained a piece of broken ss and injured ||| r himself. By the time we discovered his anomaly, he had already passed out. We immediately sent him to the hospital¡± Elias¡¯ expression turned thunderous. Is it Stephanie¡¯s doing? Did she make Raymond end his own life just because she felt it was the most humiliating incident in her life? How did she persuade Raymond to do so, though? All the clues pointed to Stephanie, for only she had the motive to do such a thing. Since the wedding was around the corner, Crispin had directly moved into the Allegra Vi. He imed that he could take better care of Stephanie by living with them, but in truth, he had been torturing the woman every day. In the bedroom, Crispiny down on the bed after he was done with the shower. He nced at the woman on the corner of the bed and murmured, ¡°Steph,e over here. It¡¯s gettingte, so we¡¯re supposed to sleep. Stephanie trembled uncontrobly as she replied, ¡°You can go ahead. I¡¯m not sleepy yet.¡± Every waking moment, she had been trying to run away from the man. However, her parents wouldn¡¯t believe her even if she went out there and told them about what she had gone through. After all, Crispin was a master of pretense. ¡°I saide here. You¡¯re supposed to go to bed now.¡± All of a sudden, Crispin¡¯s voice turned harsh. Stephanie froze upon hearing that. Despite her reluctance, she still rose to her feet and approached the man before sneaking under the quilt. Suddenly, someone was heard knocking on the door from the outside, after which Elias said, ¡°Open the door, Stephanie. I need to talk to you.¡± Elias?! Stephanie immediately lifted the quilt and stared fixedly at the door. It was as if her savior was right outside the room. ¡°Let¡¯s answer the door together.¡± Crispin had already figured out why Elias was looking for the woman. The two of them walked toward the door together and opened it. Elias¡¯ towering figure was just outside the room. When Stephanie registered the man¡¯s presence, tears almost slid down her cheeks. Hearing the noise, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but approach them. When she saw Elias standing outside Stephanie¡¯s room, she only watched them in silence. Elias cut to the chase by asking, ¡°Why did you go looking for Raymond today?¡± Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 I Want to Sleep With You and Mommy Stephanie subconsciously looked at Crispin. She had the urge to tell Elias that the man beside her was the one who made her head to the prison. However, Crispin grabbed her shoulders and nced at the man across from him with a smile. ¡°Have youe all the way herete at night just to ask her this question, Mr. Winters? Steph is exhausted and needs. some rest. Why don¡¯t we talk about it tomorrow?¡± ¡°You have no right to speak. Get lost!¡± Elias was arrogant as he had no regard for Crispin at all. A seed of resentment was nted in Crispin¡¯s heart after he was told off. ¡°Speak! Why did you go looking for Raymond? Did you force him to end his own life?¡± Elias only wanted to get to the person who framed him. However, all the clues were halted after Raymond passed away. Perhaps the culprit was watching him in the dark, waiting for a chance to stab him in the back. Did hemit self-harm? N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Did you just say he ended his own life? Why would he do that?!¡± Although she was resentful of Raymond, she would never force him to do that. She didn¡¯t have the guts to do such a thing either. Crispin, on the other hand, was calm and collected. A faint smile formed on his face when he learned of the news. Still, he pretended to be shocked. He immediately pulled Stephanie behind his back and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, this has nothing to do with Steph. She only went to the prison and scolded him. There¡¯s no way hemitted self-harm because of her. You must be mistaken.¡± Elias squinted as he found Crispin strange for always interrupting them. With that, Crispin pulled Stephanie back into the bedroom and closed the door. Elias looked at the closed door and sneered before striding toward Amanda. ¡°Is he dead?¡± she asked. He nodded. ¡°Yes, he has been dered dead. Hemitted self-harm by injuring his wrist. He had lost. consciousness from severe bleeding by the time they discovered him. As such, the doctors were powerless to save him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s odd that he chose to harm himself at this point. His wife¡¯s corpse is still in the mortuary. Doesn¡¯t he care about her anymore?¡± Amanda was puzzled. Raymond loved his wife, so he was even willing to take the fall for someone else just to get his wife¡¯s illness treated. Why would he end his own life out of nowhere? Elias fell deep into thought as he couldn¡¯t make sense of the situation either. Suddenly, the door behind Amanda opened. Aiden ran out of the room while d in pajamas. When he registered Elias¡¯ presence, he called out in surprise, ¡°Daddy!¡± ||| r Both of them were startled for a moment. Elias soon came to his senses and picked up his son with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve gained some weight. Have you grown taller?¡± ¡°Yes. Grandma measured my height today and said I¡¯ve grown taller!¡± Aiden wrapped his arms around his father¡¯s neck and snuggled up to him. Amanda put on a helpless smile. What a loving pair of father and son. I guess no one can break their bond. Aiden nuzzled his father¡¯s neck and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay over tonight, Daddy? I want to sleep with you and Mommy.¡± The two adults exchanged nces, not knowing how to reply to the boy. They were in the Allegra Vi, so it would be inappropriate for Elias to spend the night here. As for Elias, he hadn¡¯t returned to the Winters Estate in a long time since Amanda and Aiden left. He would feel lonely if he lived alone in the spacious home. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t stay over.¡± ¡°Why? I want to stay with you! We haven¡¯t slept in the same bed for a long time. Don¡¯t you love me and Mommy anymore?¡± Aiden pouted with an aggrieved expression. Elias stroked the child¡¯s head. ¡°What are you talking about? There¡¯s no way I don¡¯t love you and your mommy anymore. Why don¡¯t youe over to my ce instead?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes brightened when he heard that. Elias nced at Amanda. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to the Winters Estate tonight? I haven¡¯t returned to the ce in a long time since you two moved out.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I have to inform my father about it.¡± Amanda had just moved into the Allegra Vi, so she had to inform Jack if she wanted to stay somewhere else. Jack happened toe upstairs and heard their conversation. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can go anywhere you want. It¡¯s just that your mom and I don¡¯t have the heart to see you suffer. You can stay at his ce for a few days. However, you can¡¯t stay there for too long since you guys are divorced.¡± Jack approached Aiden and gently pinched his face before saying with a smile, ¡°You can go home with your daddy tonight. Give me a call when you miss me, alright?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Aiden struggled out of Elias¡¯ embrace to get down. ¡°I have to get my toys, Daddy!¡± Elias had no choice but to put him down, after which Aiden ran to his room to get his toys. Amanda turned to look at Jack. ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Anyway, both of you need to take some time to think about your future.¡± With that, he headed to the other end of the corridor. Amanda and Elias exchanged nces. Despite knowing what was on each other¡¯s minds, they didn¡¯t utter a word. ||| When they arrived at the Winters Estate, Aiden said excitedly, ¡°Wow! My room looks the same, but there are more toys now!¡± Aiden was ted, for the entire home felt like his kingdom. Amanda put on a helpless smile and nced at Elias. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat much just now. Do you want some noodles?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. The cook has gotten off work, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it for you. Although it won¡¯t taste as delicious as what the cook makes, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be good too.¡± Elias replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy if you¡¯re willing to prepare noodles for me.¡± He wouldn¡¯t ask Amanda to prepare noodles for him unless she was willing to do it, for he didn¡¯t have at right to do so. Moreover, he was in a worrying situation. Presently, the Winters Family was deep in trouble, and he was the only one shouldering all the pressure. He was worried that if he copsed under the pressure one day, Amanda and his son would be dragged into the mess. In the dining hall, the man was seated there with his eyes closed to get some rest while propping up his forehead with his hand. Too many things had happened as ofte, and he had to personally deal with every one of them. Moreover, after Stephanie made Raymond end his own life, Elias couldn¡¯t even get to the person who framed him. A momentter, Amanda put down a te of pasta with a poached egg on top in front of him. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s still hot. She then pulled out a chair and took a seat. Elias stuffed some noodles into his mouth with a fork. The aroma put a smile on his face. ¡°It tastes like home.¡± He would usually eat out, and when he was home, the cook would prepare food for him. Although the food prepared by the cook was as good as those served in a five-star hotel, it didn¡¯t taste like home. Elias hadn¡¯t enjoyed such ordinary yet cozy moments in a long time. Amanda cated him by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Take your time to look into the matter. Even though Raymond is dead. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find some new clues. There¡¯s no way the crime is mistake-free. It¡¯s just that we haven¡¯t thought of some of the details.¡± When Elias recalled Crispin¡¯s behavior, he frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Crispin has been acting strangely? He seems to have be Stephanie¡¯s spokesperson now. It¡¯s as if she has lost the right to speak for herself.¡± Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Wedding Day Back in the Allegra Vi, after Crispin took Stephanie back into the bedroom, he said impassively. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep. We have to go to the wedding venue tomorrow to take a look. The wedding is around the corner, after all.¡± ¡°How did that even happen? Why did he end his own life?¡± Stephanie still couldn¡¯t recover from the shock. after hearing the news. ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± The atmosphere in the room was depressing. Suddenly, she lifted her head and questioned, ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? Raymond harmed himself after you visited him today. I didn¡¯t enter the visiting room at that time.¡± Crispin made Stephanie throw a tantrum so that she could head to the prison, but it was he who wanted to see Raymond. Did Crispin force Raymond to self-harm? At the thought of this, Stephanie felt that the man before her eyes was terrifying. It was as if she was being cooped up in the same room as a ghost. Crispin approached her with a wicked smile and ruffled her hair. ¡°Why must you get to the bottom of the truth? It¡¯ll only make you feel troubled. So what if it was me? There¡¯s no use keeping that man, for he¡¯d only be my obstacle. As such, I had to eliminate him as soon as possible. After all, I¡¯ll be husband soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Stephanie swatted his hand away. your The next instant, she felt a p in the face, causing her to copse onto the bed. She covered her face and sobbed. With her eyes filled with despair, she looked up at the man. ¡°Why did you force Raymond to harm. himself? What did he have anything to do with you?¡± She didn¡¯t know what was going on between the two that Crispin took so much effort to make Raymond. end his own life. ¡°That¡¯s because he knew my secrets. Are you happy with the answer? Also, I¡¯m warning you-stop pulling a long face. Are you trying to tell everyone you¡¯re sad? Why can¡¯t you get over the fact that some other man bedded you that night? Why did you even go to the hotel in the first ce? Are you fine with Elias bedding you but not another man? Let me break it to you-I was the man who made love to you!¡± After he finished speaking, the room fell silent. Stephanie covered her burning cheek and red at the man in disbelief. ¡°W-What did you just say?¡± Seeing how bbergasted the woman was, Crispiny down on the bed and said nonchntly. ¡°You heard me. Are you happy now? I was the one who slept with you, not that wretched middle-aged man. Do you feel better now? If you do, stop looking sulky all the time.¡± The next moment, Stephanie approached the man and lifted the quilt before growling. ¡°Why did you lie to me? Why did you disguise yourself as Elias? Why did you do such a thing? When did you be this kind of man?!¡± ||| O Despite his fury, Crispin slowly rose to his feet and replied with a smile, ¡°I should be the one asking you that. I was just giving you what you wanted. If I asked you out as Crispin that night, would youe to the hotel? You wouldn¡¯t. However, when I asked you out as Elias, you came to the hotel without hesitation and were willing to give yourself to him. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re cheap?¡± Did he just call me cheap? ¡°What right do you have to call me that? So what if I love Elias? Don¡¯t I have the right?¡± Stephanie broke down mentally. She had never expected that the man who bedded her that night was Crispin. It was even more uneptable than if Raymond had slept with her. It never crossed her mind that Crispin, who had always been pining for her, would do such a thing. It¡¯s no wonder he wanted to force Raymond to end his own life. If Raymond was still alive, this matter would be exposed sooner orter, and Crispin would be kicked out of the Allegra Family. Does he only want to marry me for my family¡¯s wealth, just like what Elias and Dad said? An enraged Crispin stood straight up. ¡°You have the right to love him, but you betrayed me! You didn¡¯t want me anymore and started despising me!¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t refute him, for it was the truth. After getting to know Elias, she started feeling unhappy with how ordinary Crispin was. All of a sudden, she realized that since she was a wealthy youngdy, why would she be the partner of an ordinary man? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you have nothing to say already? Then go to bed! You still have to go and try on a wedding dress tomorrow. I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense.¡± Crispin theny down on the bed again and covered himself with the quilt. He just wanted to get everything ready for the wedding as soon as he could. Even though he and Stephanie were already a legally married couple, not many people were aware of it, after all. ¡°I want a divorce! I want a divorce!¡± Stephanie wailed. She didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of her life with this man, for he was a demon. Upon hearing that, Crispin opened his eyes and pulled her onto the bed before giving her another p. Then, he grabbed her hair and barked, ¡°What did you just say? I dare you to say that again! How could you say you want a divorce when we just got a marriage license?¡± Stephanie tipped her head back in pain, feeling like her scalp would be ripped off. Original from N?velDrama.Org. It wasn¡¯t until this moment that she realized the gentle-looking Crispin would resort to violence. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 ¡°I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting a divorce. Just carry on with the wedding, or I¡¯ll make life a living hell for you. It has taken me a lot of effort toe this far, so I won¡¯t allow anyone to get in my way!¡± Stephanie sobbed and closed her eyes in despair. Am I going to spend the rest of my life like this? Why did I even fall in love with a poor man like him in the first ce? Why?! Unbeknownst to her, their first encounter was also part of Crispin¡¯s n. Soon, it was the wedding day. As Stephanie¡¯s sister, Amanda naturally had to attend the wedding. Jack had requested Aiden to be a pageboy. The young child was reluctant, but he eventually gave in to Jack after thetter persuaded him for a long time. Elias was also in attendance. Since he was only Amanda¡¯s former husband, he didn¡¯t have toe. However, he and Jack were business partners. ¡°Are they getting married just like this? I still haven¡¯te around to that idea.¡± Amanda was in a dazed state. After all that had happened, Stephanie was eventually marrying Crispin. Elias picked up a ss of wine and scanned his surroundings. All the guests were people he was familiar with. Jack had invited most of the prominent business people, which went to show how much he prioritized the wedding. All of them were smiling except for Stephanie. Presently, she was spacing out in the lounge. The woman looked at herself in the mirror. There was no doubt she was beautiful with delicate makeup and a wedding dress. However, when she recalled Crispin¡¯s evil nature, she felt disgusted. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t dare to resist, nor did she have any idea what to do. When Amanda entered the lounge and saw that Stephanie¡¯s mind was somewhere else, she said, ¡°The wedding will begin shortly. Are you ready to go out?¡± Although the bond between them wasn¡¯t strong, she was her older sister, after all. Moreover, she wouldn¡¯t want to be a wet nket since it was Stephanie¡¯s wedding. ||| Stephanie turned to look at Amanda, appearing hesitant. She had a strong desire to ask for help, but she didn¡¯t dare utter a word. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Amanda noticed her anomaly as well. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Stephanie shook her head. So what if I ask for her help? She is no match for Crispin. After all, she is a frail woman. Elias entered the lounge just then, but he didn¡¯t spare Stephanie a nce, for he was there to look for Amanda. ¡°Your son is throwing a tantrum, Amanda. Please deal with him right away.¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded loving. ¡°What is he doing again? Why is he causing a scene when he¡¯s just a pageboy?¡± Amanda appeared helpless, for her son was getting naughtier as he grew up. ¡°Well, he¡¯s gotten into a fight with another pageboy.¡± A smile formed on Elias¡¯ face at that. Amanda frowned and left the lounge at once. The man was ready to leave as well, but Stephanie looked at him as if he was her savior. Elias is the only one who can save me now! Crispin is wary of this man. After all, he¡¯s a nobodypared to Elias. Just as Elias was about to step out of the room, Stephanie rose to her feet and lifted the hem of the wedding dress. Then, she approached the man and took his arm. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Elias turned to look at her hands. Stay away from me. There seemed to be a hint of disdain behind his gaze. Stephanie subconsciously retracted her hands and looked out of the door. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone else around, she whispered, ¡°Can youe in for a while? I need to tell you something. Please ¡°The wedding will begin shortly. You¡¯d better get prepared.¡± Elias had no intention of listening to her nonsense, but Stephanie dragged him into the lounge and closed. the door. ¡°I¡¯m about to tell you something very important! Don¡¯t you want to know who framed you? It wasn¡¯t Raymond. I¡¯m telling you that it wasn¡¯t Raymond! It¡¯s someone none of us could¡¯ve expected!¡± The man narrowed his eyes. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Raymond wasn¡¯t the one who disguised himself as you and told me to go to the hotel. It was-¡± Before she could finish her words, the door opened suddenly. Elias turned around and saw Crispin. Upon registering Crispin¡¯s presence, Stephanie hid behind Elias immediately. She appeared as if she had just seen a ghost in broad daylight. Her action had undoubtedly enraged Crispin. He said with an insincere smile, ¡°What are you two doing? Mr. Winters, legally speaking, Steph is my wife now. As such, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for the two of you to stay in a room alone. It¡¯ll be scandalous if word gets out. Moreover, you¡¯re her sister¡¯s ex- husband ¡°Do you want me to beat you up? Or do you want me to ruin your wedding?¡± Elias had no interest in listening to the man¡¯s derisive words. He would give Crispin a punch to teach him a lesson if thetter crossed the line. Crispin continued with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s some inappropriate behavior, Mr. Winters. You¡¯re making me think something is going on between you two.¡± The next moment, Elias punched him in the face. Instantly, Crispin¡¯s cheek swelled, and blood streamed out from the corner of his mouth. It went to show how much force Elias used. ¡°Since it¡¯s your wedding, I don¡¯t want to make a scene. However, if you keep spouting nonsense, don¡¯t me me for going hard on you.¡± With that, Elias turned around and left the lounge. Meanwhile, Crispin didn¡¯t stop him. He merely kept a smile on his face without a word, for he knew he was no match for Elias, at least for now. That was why he had to gain a footing in the Allegra Family first. After the door was closed, Stephanie trembled uncontrobly, and her face was pale. She knew this man wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook. ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed in you, Steph.¡± Crispin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and approached the woman. A terrified Stephanie stepped backward. ¡°Don¡¯te near me! Please! Don¡¯te here! There¡¯s nothing going on between us!¡± ¡°I know there¡¯s nothing between you two. Elias has no interest in you at all. Even if you stand in front of him without any clothes on, he won¡¯t be interested.¡± Crispin was fully aware that Elias loved women like Amanda, so there was nothing to worry about. He reckoned that Stephanie had pulled Elias into the lounge to seek help. Although it was the truth, the words hit Stephanie hard. Elias indeed didn¡¯t love her at all. Suddenly, Crispin clenched her chin forcefully. ¡°What were you trying to tell him? Did you want to seek his help? Do you think he¡¯s the only one who can save you because I¡¯m afraid of him? You¡¯re pretty naive, aren¡¯t you?¡± Stephanie was horrified by his hideous expression. She wanted to struggle out of his grip, but the man glowered at her and barked, ¡°I¡¯m warning you-stop pulling any tricks. Elias won¡¯t save you. In fact, no one can save you. I won¡¯t harm you as long as you¡¯re obedient. You¡¯re not my target in the first ce.¡± After leaving the lounge, Elias fell deep in thought. What was Stephanie trying to tell me? Who was the person that none of us could¡¯ve expected? Since she already knows that Raymond wasn¡¯t the man that night, there isn¡¯t a reason for her to force him to end his own life. Who was it, then? All of a sudden, a figure sprang into his mind. He seemed to have figured out who the culprit was. When Amanda was done dealing with the fight between the young boys, she approached the man. She let out a sigh and said, ¡°That brat is getting naughtier as time goes by. Whenever he¡¯s in a crowded ce, he¡¯ll ||| O De 1111 Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Elias didn¡¯t respond to her as his mind was somewhere else. Amanda poked his arm. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Only then did Eliase to his senses. He turned to look at her and said solemnly, ¡°Stephanie already knows that Raymond wasn¡¯t the man that night, and she¡¯s also aware of who forced himself on her.¡± ¡°What?! In that case, there¡¯s no reason for her to force Raymond to harm himself. Who did it, then?¡± The man looked her in the eye and uttered slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember there was someone else who went to the prison as well?¡± Amanda instantly realized what he meant as her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s him? No way! Why would he do such a thing? Are you mistaken?¡± ¡°It¡¯s him. That¡¯s the only possibility.¡± Elias sneered and turned to look at the wedding venue. The wedding would begin soon, was about to marry a poor man who would stop at nothing to climb up the socialdder. and Stephanie Crispin was the one who headed to the prison with Stephanie! Did he disguise himself as Elias and force himself on his girlfriend? Who on earth would do such a thing? Amanda found the entire incident preposterous. She couldn¡¯t imagine that the gentle-looking Crispin would do such a despicable thing. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 We¡¯re Equal, A The wedding finally began. The Wedding March sounded as Jack entered the venue with a smile. Only Stephanie hooked her arm around her father¡¯s with a sorrowful expression. It was as if she was going through torture. Meanwhile, Crispin was waiting for them at the altar. His smile was smug and insincere. Amanda felt a chill running down her spine when she thought of what was ahead of Stephanie. ¡°Stephanie must be terrified now. She¡¯s marrying a monster that she used to be deeply in love with.¡± However, Elias showed no sympathy at all as he mocked. ¡°She had iting. I had told her about the nature of the man, but she assumed that I was merely sowing discord. I no longer want to be bothered by this matter, but this trashy man surely has some gall to frame me.¡± Amanda asked doubtfully. There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the point of Crispin doing that? Stephanie is his girlfriend, so it¡¯s only natural that he wants to do the deed with her. Why did he disguise himself as you and force himself on her, though? There¡¯s no feud between you two, so, why did he frame you?¡± Elias snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Stephanie already started despising him and was trying toe up with a way to get rid of an obstacle like him.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Amanda thought that the duo was deeply in love with each other. Stephanie previously wanted to elope with Crispin, so why did she stop loving the man out of nowhere? Elias nced at her and said seriously. ¡°You¡¯re her sister, but I¡¯m your man and Aiden is your child. On the other hand, Stephanie has found a poor man. Do you think Crispin isparable to me at all? It¡¯s only natural that she¡¯s sulky.¡± Amanda was astounded, for she didn¡¯t expect that was what was on Stephanie¡¯s mind. The man continued with a smile, ¡°She wanted to get rid of the poor man, but Crispin certainly wouldn¡¯t give up just like that. It has taken him a lot of effort toe this far, and he¡¯s about to be part of the Allegras. Do you think he¡¯d give up?¡± Amanda finally understood everything. ¡°So, he pretended to be you and slept with Stephanie. Then, he shifted the me to you and ruined her reputation so that she would be used of betrayal. At that point, he could pretend to love her very much. and insist on marrying her to be part of the Allegras.¡± Elias said, ¡°Unfortunately, he revealed his true colors too soon. Stephanie found out the truth before the wedding was even held. He¡¯s arrogant, but he doesn¡¯t have the intellect to achieve his goal.¡± ¡°What should we do, then? It¡¯s not like we can just let him be part of the Allegras,¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask. As she looked at the smiling Jack standing in front of the altar, she was worried. It was dangerous to let such a scheming man be part of their family. ¡°Crispin¡¯s ultimate goal isn¡¯t to be part of the Allegras only. I believe his ambition doesn¡¯t stop there. Since he has the guts tomit so many atrocities, it¡¯s not surprising that he intends to snatch your O family¡¯s wealth away.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we get rid of him right now, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to collect evidence. Just tell Jack a little about it so that he won¡¯t believe that brat entirely. That cunning old man has always been shrewd, but he can¡¯t see through Crispin¡¯s nature this time.¡± Elias squinted and looked at the married couple in front of the altar. Stephanie seemed to be on the brink of tears. Everyone at the wedding was cheerful and pped their hands for the newlyweds. Only Stephanie gazed at the man beside her with a look of horror on her face. Jack put her hand into Crispin¡¯s and said, ¡°Crispin, I¡¯ll give my daughter to you now. She has always been willful, so I hope you¡¯ll be more patient with her. I¡¯ll treat you like my own son. I¡¯ll be at ease as long as the two of you love and support each other. As her father, all I want is for her to be happy.¡± At that moment, Jack found Crispin to be a decent man who was worthy of his daughter. With tears threatening to stream down her face, Stephanie wanted to tell her father that she wasn¡¯t willing to marry that man, but she didn¡¯t have the bravery to do so. Crispin gripped the woman¡¯s hands and said to Jack, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Allegra. I¡¯ll make sure to take good care of Steph. As long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t let her suffer any grievances.¡± His words sounded sincere. If not for the torment Stephanie had gone through as ofte, she herself would have believed that the man would take care of her forever. After a hectic day, the wedding finally ended. By the time they saw the guests off and returned home, they were exhausted. Amanda and Elias were seated on the couch while whispering to each other, so no one could hear what they were talking about. Aiden was sound asleep in the man¡¯s arms, still d in the custom-made suit, which made him and his father look alike. It was as if they were made from the same mold. When Crispin and Stephanie stepped into the living room, Amanda and Elias stopped talking and nced. at the newlyweds. Stephanie looked like a sorrowful woman who was void of any vitality. She was like a flower that would wither at any moment. On the other hand, Crispin appeared confident as he was finally part of the Allegras. He said with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Bailey and Mr. Winters? Why did you stop talking when you saw us? Have we interrupted you or something?¡± Elias is merely Amanda¡¯s ex-husband, so I¡¯m the only son-inw of the Allegra Family now! N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°You¡¯ve indeed interrupted us, so go back to your room and stop bothering us,¡± Amanda said with contempt. After learning everything that Crispin had done, she was no longer willing to be gentle to him. Crispin put on a smile. ¡°It seems that there are many things you aren¡¯t aware of, Miss Bailey. For example, O my wife and your former husband were looking for my wife, they would¡¯ve done something indecent.¡± Upon hearing that, Elias felt his fury burn within him. If not for the child in his arms, he would have pounced on Crispin and kicked him. Noticing the man¡¯s wrath, Amanda gently ced her fingers on the back of his hand in an attempt to appease him. Then, she lookednguidly at Crispin. ¡°Anyone could¡¯ve made a mistake at that point, but my former husband wouldn¡¯t. He¡¯s my ex-husband, so I know everything about him. As for you¡­ Do you seriously believe you¡¯re a part of the Allegras now?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Miss Bailey? I¡¯m Steph¡¯s husband now, and you¡¯ve just returned to the Allegra Family. We¡¯re equal, aren¡¯t we?¡± Crispin didn¡¯t think he was inferior to Amanda. Although he was a new member of the Allegra Family, Amanda had only returned to the family recently. As such, it wasn¡¯t like her bond with the Allegras was strong. As Stephanie listened to their quarrel, she felt diffident. Now, she didn¡¯t have the guts to go against Crispin. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Why Don¡¯t You Stay Over Tonight? Amanda nced at Elias. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay over tonight? Aiden is asleep in your arms, so you can just take him to the bedroom.¡± The man frowned. Upon hearing that, Crispin was flustered, for he didn¡¯t want to let the two of them remarry and Elias be part of the Allegras. That would put him in a dangerous situation. Sooner orter, Elias would eliminate an obstacle like him. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for him to stay over. He¡¯s your former husband, after all.¡± Amanda rose to her feet and sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a groom staying over at his father-inw¡¯s home on the wedding night. Don¡¯t you have a home? You¡¯re a man, but you didn¡¯t even prepare a house for your wife. How do you have the nerve to stay at our house? What right do you have to criticize my ex- husband?¡± Crispin was rendered speechless while feeling aggrieved. There was no doubt he was poor. However, considering the property prices in Imperia, he could never afford one regardless of how hard he worked. That was the reason he wanted to marry Stephanie. If he was also wealthy, he would no longer have to suffer such grievances. Crispin¡¯s mother was just behind him. When she saw her son getting jeered at, she barked, ¡°You b*tch! What right do you have to scold my son? My son has worked hard to be part of the Allegras, and Steph is in love with him. Don¡¯t you agree, Steph?¡± Stephanie closed her eyes, refusing to utter a word. Then, she turned around and went upstairs. ¡°I dare you to scold me again! Are you nning on living off us? Your son moving into our house isn¡¯t enough for you, and now, even an old bat like you is trying to stay with us.¡± Crispin retorted, ¡°Miss Bailey, since you¡¯re awyer, please mind yournguage. ¡°Your mother is the one who should mind hernguage, Didn¡¯t you hear she just called me a b*tch?¡± Amanda found the man deplorable. Meanwhile, Crispin took his mother¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you go and get some rest? I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them bully you, Crispin! It¡¯s your home now, so she has no right to interfere in your affairs. She¡¯s a divorcee, but she¡¯s still unwilling to leave her parents¡¯ home. She¡¯s the shame of this family! You have to toughen up!¡± The older woman didn¡¯t think there was a problem with her staying in this house. She even felt that the house would go to her son in the future. ¡°Stop it, Mom! Please go to your bedroom!¡± Crispin sent her a signal, after which the older woman reluctantly returned to her bedroom. Amanda crossed her arms and scoffed. ¡°Is that what¡¯s on your mother¡¯s mind?¡± Crispin held his fury in and turned around. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Bailey. My mom is a woman from a vige, so she can be boorish sometimes. Please forgive her.¡± ||| With that, he whirled around and went upstairs as well. He knew that things would only get worse if he stayed there any longer, but he didn¡¯t have the power to go against the two of them. It¡¯s only the beginning. Just you wait! After the man was gone, Amanda sat back down on the couch. ¡°Did you see that? He¡¯s revealed his true colors.¡± ¡°So, do you really want me to stay over tonight?¡± Elias was most concerned about this question. ¡°Yes, of course. Since a sc*mbag like Crispin can stay here, why can¡¯t you?¡± A smile formed on his face. ¡°I¡¯m only your ex-husband, so it¡¯s inappropriate for me to stay over.¡± Amanda narrowed her eyes at that. ¡°Do I have to remarry you before I can make you stay?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, but it¡¯s alright if you want to see it that way.¡± Suddenly, Amanda straightened up and said seriously. ¡°Do me a favor. If you can kick Crispin out of the Allegra Family, I¡¯ll remarry you.¡± Although she hade up with a request, she was also helping herself out of this awkward situation. She had been pondering and observing this man for a long time. She came to the realization that she still. loved him, so she wanted to give it another shot. However, a startled Elias only stared at her with his dark gaze, for he didn¡¯t expect the woman to say that. Noticing his silence, Amanda thought that it was all her wishful thinking. As such, she looked away in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s alright even if you don¡¯t want to remarry me. I was just saying. You don¡¯t have to take it seriously. You were quick to divorce me back then, anyway.¡± When she recalled the moment Elias divorced her in the past, she felt an invisible hand twisting her heart. The man ced his hand on the back of her neck and locked lips with her. Amanda¡¯s disbelief. Is he out of his mind? Our son is still around! Original from N?velDrama.Org. eyes widened in It took her some effort to push the man away. ¡°Are you nuts? You¡¯re still carrying our son!¡± go back on ¡°Get ready, Amanda. I¡¯m determined to achieve my goal. We¡¯ll surely remarry. You mustn¡¯t your word, or I¡¯ll tie you up and lug you to the city hall¡± Elias looked her in the eye with a big smile on his face. Amanda was startled for a moment before letting out augh. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it, so you mustn¡¯t and disappoint me. Do it quickly, though. I don¡¯t want to let that scheming man have a taste of power wealth. ¡°I have countless ways to deal with him, but the prerequisite is that Jack has to side with us. Your father seems to confide in that piece of trash.¡± Amanda was rendered speechless, for she couldn¡¯t deny that Jack saw Crispin in a different light now. He even acknowledged Crispin as his son-inw. ||| Inside the bedroom, Stephanie left the bathroom after a shower and saw Crispinnguidly scrolling on his phone in bed. She halted for a moment before she sat down in front of the dressing table and dried her hair. The woman in the mirror was void of any vigor, looking nothing like a newlywed. Crispin looked at her from behind and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s our wedding night,e over here right now. Now, we¡¯re a legally married couple that everyone is aware of.¡± Stephanie remained unmoving, for the idea of approaching Crispin made her feel disgusted. Enraged by her inaction, Crispin sat up on the bed. ¡°Do you want me to go over? Come here now!¡± Only then did Stephanie rise to her feet and get into bed. She quickly covered herself with a quilt, ready. to sleep. Much to her surprise, the man came on top of her and kissed her cheek. ¡°Everything that belongs to you is also mine now. For the things you¡¯re unable to fight for, I¡¯ll do it for you. Your father runs a massive business, but all you do is squander your time away.¡± He clicked his tongue and continued, ¡°Go tell your father tomorrow that you¡¯re going to work at his company. I¡¯ll also join you.¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened. Does he want to gain a footing in thepany and snatch our wealth away? She didn¡¯t expect Crispin to be so wildly ambitious. It was to the point where she was too stunned to speak. A momentter, she asked, ¡°Since you have a job, why do you want to work at my father¡¯spany?¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how little I earn now? Since your father runs a bigpany, I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be a ce for me. Moreover, thepany will be yours sooner orter. As such, you have to get used to managing it.¡± The man revealed his vicious intentions. Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 My Master Would Like to See You Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The next morning, Jack and Edith were having breakfast in the dining hall while the driver sent Aiden to school. Amanda had to head to thew firm to check on the renovation progress, for she wanted to start working sooner. It felt terrible staying at home all the time. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t someone who could stay idle. When she entered the dining hall and saw her parents, she said, ¡°Good morning, Mom and Dad.¡± Jack replied with a smile, ¡°Did you go to bedtest night? I heard that Elias stayed over. Where is he?¡± ¡°Oh, he went to work early in the morning. He¡¯ll be quite busy today,¡± Amanda exined and sat down. beside Edith. Just then, Crispin and Stephanie stepped into the dining hall as well. He instantly turned from a violent husband into a humble son-inw. ¡°Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra. Steph and I will be heading to the airport after breakfast, so we¡¯d like to bid you farewell first.¡± ¡°Sure, just forget about everything else and have fun on your honeymoon trip. You must take good care of my daughter, Crispin,¡± Edith said with a smile. Crispin nodded with a smile and pulled out a chair for Stephanie to sit on. When Amanda saw how hypocritical the man was, she said to her father nonchntly, ¡°Any update on Steph¡¯s case, Dad? I heard that Raymondmitted suicide in prison. Something fishy seems to be going on.¡± Crispin¡¯s expression changed when he leard that. He was resentful of Amanda for being sharp-tongued and always targeting him. ¡°I¡¯m still looking into the matter, but I haven¡¯t found any clues yet.¡± Jack frowned at the mention of this matter. Stephanie looked at Amanda, her gaze seemingly asking for help. Amanda certainly understood her intentions, so she nced at her sister and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to go on a honeymoon trip. Steph? That will be boring, and you must be exhausted from dealing with the wedding. Why don¡¯t you get more rest instead?¡± Stephanie, who was ready to agree with her sister, replied, ¡°I-¡± Before she could finish her words, Crispin cut her off. ¡°Amanda, honeymoon is every woman¡¯s dream after a wedding, so I don¡¯t want to let Steph regret not having the trip in the future.¡± Amanda sneered. ¡°Do you think my sister is a mute or something? Why do you always speak for her?¡± At that, Crispin was startled for a moment. He smiled in embarrassment and nced at Stephanie with a gaze that seemed to act as a warning for her not to say any nonsense. ¡°I¡­ I..¡± Stephanie was hesitant to tell everyone the truth. A momentter, she said to Amanda, ¡°I think I¡¯ll go.¡± When Jack noticed Amanda¡¯s hostility toward Crispin, he reminded her by saying, ¡°Crispin is part of our family now, Amanda. As such, you have to be gentler to him. I heard that you argued with his mother last night.¡± ¡°Dad, arguing with Mrs. Coyote was thest thing I wanted. However, she called me a b*tchst night. Could you have put up with it if you were me?¡± Jack appeared astounded. ¡°What? Did she call you that?¡± Crispin was flustered upon seeing the older man¡¯s expression, so he hurriedly exined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Allegra. My mother is a vige woman who can be brusque sometimes, so she maye across as rude to Amanda. I¡¯ll apologize to all of you on her behalf. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± Disdain was written all over Jack¡¯s face. ¡°Tell your mother not toe again. We want nothing to do with ill-mannered people. Also, I don¡¯t want to hear anyone calling my daughter names. If the same thing. happens again, don¡¯t me me for being harsh.¡± With that, he got to his feet and left the dining hall. Edith eased the tension with a smile, saying, ¡°Alright, just make sure it won¡¯t happen again. Let¡¯s have breakfast. You guys have to head to the airport, after all. Crispin dipped his head with a smile, but a seed of resentment was nted in his heart. I have to teach Amanda a lesson. Otherwise, she¡¯ll destroy me sooner orter! After breakfast, Amanda arrived at thew firm and saw that the renovation was almostplete. She just had to buy some office supplies and hire some workers before her firm couldmence business. Just then, she received a call from an unfamiliar number. She took a look and realized it was a call from Esmos. Since she had no intention of picking it up. rejected it straight away. she Since her return, most of her clients were from Cludan. She had also stopped contacting her friends and former colleagues in Esmos. Much to her surprise, she received a call from the same person again a momentter. After hesitating for a bit, she decided to connect the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Are you Miss Bailey?¡± Amanda was startled for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes. Who are you?¡± ¡°Did you give birth to a child in Pleybia Hospital three years ago?¡± A hint of doubt formed on Amanda¡¯s alluring face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°You only have to reply yes or no.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s a yes?¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯re the person we¡¯re looking for.¡± Amanda was perplexed as to what the other party was talking about. What does he mean that I¡¯m the one they¡¯re looking for? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. What do you want?¡± The man replied, ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in Cludan in five days. Let¡¯s meet up by then. My master see you.¡± His master? ¡°Who is your master? Do I know him?¡± She had many clients when she was in Esmos, but no one would be concerned about where she had given birth. What are they up to? She couldn¡¯t figure out what the other party was trying to achieve. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we meet.¡± He hung up the call the next moment, leaving Amanda in bewilderment. She looked at the contact number from Esmos, feeling perplexed. What on earth just happened? After giving it some thought, she decided to cklist the contact number. For some reason, she had a feeling that the other party was dangerous. When she was done monitoring the renovation progress in the evening, Elias called and said he would like to have dinner with her. She agreed to it and left the building, only to see the man waiting for her. She got into the car and realized there was a hint of joy on the man¡¯s handsome face. It seemed that he was in a good mood. ¡°Why are you treating me to a meal all of a sudden? What¡¯s the asion?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I treat you to a meal for no reason? We can have dinner together whenever we feel like it, right?¡± A smile formed on Elias¡¯ face as he stepped on the gas pedal and left the ce. They soon arrived at a restaurant that served Cludanian food. Elias didn¡¯t let the woman touch the menu since he knew she had trouble choosing dishes, so it would take her a long time before she could even ce an order. As such, he did the honors instead. ¡°I¡¯m going on an overseas business trip, so I won¡¯t be around for a week. Don¡¯t confront Crispin during this period, and I¡¯ll deal with him when I return. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll get Yacob to protect you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fool, so I understand. You¡¯d better take Yacob with you, for you¡¯ll need a bodyguard when you¡¯re overseas. I stay at the Allegra Vi most of the time, so no one can harm me.¡± Amanda shrugged. No wonder he wants to treat me to a meal. He¡¯s going on a business trip for a week. ¡°Keep your guard up and protect yourself. Also, don¡¯t forget about your promise. The man curled his lips. Amanda was startled for a moment before realizing he was talking about their remarriage. She picked up her ss and took a sip of water. ¡°I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 I Know I Don¡¯t Have the Right to Hug You Yet Although none of them made it clear, they knew they were not far from remarrying each other. Amanda picked up her cup and took a sip of tea before asking, ¡°What are you doing this time? Why are you going to stay there for such a long time?¡± Elias ced some food on her te and replied, Tm going to deal with some problems at the subsidiary. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be interested in listening to it. If not for the fact that Aiden is here, I would¡¯ve asked you. toe with me.¡± ¡°Are you so confident that I¡¯d go with you?¡± The man only put on a smile and took a sip of tea. Noticing the embarrassment in the air, Amanda coughed and said, ¡°Bring Aiden a gift when youe back. Otherwise, he¡¯ll forget about you after not seeing you for a week.¡± ¡°Tll spank him hard, then. How can he forget about his own father?¡± Nheless, Elias¡¯ voice sounded loving. She smiled as well, and the man asked, ¡°What about you? What gift do you want?¡± Me? Forget it. There¡¯s nothing I want. Just bring Aiden a gift.¡± Elias fell silent and ced more food on her te. Original from N?velDrama.Org. After dinner, he sent her back to the Allegra Vi. He initially wanted to see Aiden, but he gave up on the idea upon learning that the young boy was asleep. He insisted on letting Yacob protect the woman. ¡°I¡¯ll let Yacob stay by your side. You can contact him and ask for his protection at any moment. I¡¯ll only be at ease this way.¡± ¡°Alright, if that will make you focus on work over there. She decided not to turn him down again, for the man only wanted her to be safe. Moreover, he would probably be distracted from his work in Esmos if Yacob wasn¡¯t there to protect her. Elias breathed a sigh of relief when she finally agreed to it. The moonlight shone on his towering figure. He looked at the slender woman in front of him and hesitated for a bit before pulling her into an embrace. He rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around the frail woman before whispering. I know I don¡¯t have the right to hug you yet, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Amanda was besotted with the man¡¯s maic voice. She slowly lifted her arms and draped them around the muscr man. A smile formed on Elias¡¯ face after the woman responded to him. Then, he let go of Amanda and locked lips with her, making the woman lose herself in the intimate moment. Just then, Crispin pulled up his car in the distance and saw everything. He couldn¡¯t help but clench the steering wheel. Their kiss meant nothing to him, but it showed that Amanda and Elias¡¯ rtionship was on the mend, and they would probably remarry soon. In that case, it wouldn¡¯t be long before Crispin was destroyed. After the kiss ended, Amanda pushed the man away with a red face. ¡°Go home now. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to bete for your flight tomorrow.¡± With that, she turned around and ran into the vi. Elias watched the woman flee until she was out of sight, then entered his car and left the ce. Not long after Amanda entered the vi, Crispin came over and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for to do such an indecent thing outside the house, Miss Bailey. What if Aiden sees- ¡°Aren¡¯t you two supposed to be on honeymoon? Why are you back?¡± Amanda recalled the duo heading to the airport in the morning, so why were they home now? you ¡°Well, Steph is under the weather, so we¡¯ve decided to go on our honeymoon trip at ater time. After all, there¡¯s no rush.¡± Crispin¡¯s exnation was perfunctory, but he didn¡¯t care. On the other hand, Stephanie let the man ce his hands on her shoulders like a marite. Initially, Crispin intended to go on the honeymoon trip, but he was worried that many things might happen when he wasn¡¯t around. For example, Elias and Jack would do their best to get to the truth regarding Stephanie¡¯s case. In that case, he would be in danger. As such, he had to stay in the Allegra Vi and keep an eye on them so that he could deal with any problems that came his way. Amanda decided to ignore the trashy man, but she sympathized with Stephanie when she caught sight of the woman¡¯s sluggishness. ¡°Wait a minute. Did you just say what I was doing was indecent?¡± Amanda sneered, and her gaze was full of disdain. ¡°Who do you think you are? What right do you have to criticize me? What you¡¯ve done is even more revolting¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, Miss Bailey?¡± The smile on Crispin¡¯s face faded. ¡°Nothing at all. I merely look down on you.¡± With that, Amanda turned around and headed upstairs. After the woman was gone, Crispin¡¯s expression turned hideous as he exerted more force on his hands. The pain in her shoulders made Stephanie yell. ¡°It hurts! Let go of me¡­ Crispin stared at her and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re so useless. Ever since your sister returned, your parents have been neglecting you. You¡¯d better help me get into your father¡¯spany sooner. Otherwise, both of us will be left with nothing in the end.¡± The next morning. Amanda decided to sleep in since she had nothing to do. By the time she got out of ||| < bed, the driver had already sent Aiden to kindergarten. After she was done washing up and getting changed, she picked up her phone and saw Elias¡¯ message. I¡¯ve boarded the ne. That man is probably up in the sky now, and the ne will supposedlynd in the evening. I hope everything goes smoothly for him. In the afternoon, Amanda decided to head to the furniture mall, for she had to purchase some office equipment. She was ready to head out after getting changed. Just then, she received a call from Esmos again. After hesitating for a bit, she answered the call. On the other end, the same man was heard saying, ¡°Please don¡¯t go anywhere else in the next few days, Miss Bailey. My master is going to set off soon. We¡¯ll contact you when we arrive at our destination. Please with us by then. My master has something very important to tell you.¡± meet up Amanda was fed up with the man talking about his master. Who is his master? What does he have to do with me? ¡°Well, who is your master? Why does he want to see me? What¡¯s the important matter?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we meet.¡± ¡°Stop keeping me on tenterhooks. It¡¯s not like I care. I¡¯m not going to see him if you don¡¯t let me know. what¡¯s going on first. I won¡¯t meet up with strangers. Due to the nature of Amanda¡¯s work, she typically wouldn¡¯te into contact with people she wasn¡¯t familiar with. The man remained silent for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not up to you. If you¡¯re willing to meet us, we¡¯ll go over and pick you up. However, if you refuse to cooperate, don¡¯t me us for being harsh on you.¡± With that, he hung up the call. Amanda¡¯s chest tightened when she heard the man¡¯s threat. Who is the man over the phone? Who is his master? Chatper 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Mr Lawrence The next few days were rtively calm with no abnormalities. Since Yacob always stayed by her side, Amanda decided not to go out at all. She was afraid that Yacob would be bored staying at the Allegra Vi, so she arranged for him to protect Aiden at the kindergarten. Finally, she had a moment to catch her breath. She went for a walk in the garden, enjoying the faint fragrance of flowers while emptying her mind. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was an international call, but it was from Elias. A smile finally appeared on her face as she answered the call. ¡°Are you done with work? You finally thought about calling me, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. Never-ending meetings, you know. It¡¯s nighttime there, right? Is Aiden asleep? Let me talk to him for a bit. She scoffed and toyed with the flower petals in front of her with her other hand. ¡°Not yet, but Yacob is with him, and they¡¯re having fun with the mini excavator. I don¡¯t understand why he likes ying with excavators. My father bought him a mini version, and he¡¯s busy destroying his grandfather¡¯s garden. A low chuckle came from the phone. ¡°In that case, I shouldn¡¯t disturb him. He¡¯s pretty mischievous, just like I was when I was young ¡°Were you this mischievous when you were younger? I only remember Grandpa saying you were a cheeky child.¡± Thinking of Howard, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Sigh, he has already passed away for several months. At the mention of Howard, the man on the phone fell silent for a while. It seemed as though she could. imagine the expression of reminiscence on his face. After a moment, Amanda tried to break the awkward silence. ¡°By the way, when are youing back?¡± ¡°In two days. Why? Missing me already?¡± ¡°What? No. It¡¯s your son who misses you.¡± She would never admit that she missed Elias. The man¡¯sughter sounded pleased. ¡°Stay at home and wait for me. I¡¯ll be back the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Just then, Elias¡¯ side seemed to have received another call. He had no choice but to hang up on her. ¡°Sorry, I have to take this call. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± After hanging up the phone, she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. She then looked at little Aiden. ying with the mini excavator beside her, while Yacob stood guard like a knight by his side. Looking at this, she shook her head helplessly. She was getting tired and let out a yawn, intending to go back to her room and sleep. Once this little troublemaker is done ying. Yacob will carry him back to sleep. Just as she was about to go in, her phone rang again. She thought it was another call from Elias, but upon closer inspection, it was another international call. She looked at the phone that kept ringing, searching her memory for the important figures she had known in Esmos. I don¡¯t think any of them have any connection with me. Since her phone kept ringing, she answered the call after hesitating for a while. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss Bailey, we have arrived in Imperia, and my master has settled down. He wishes to meet you. Would you like toe on your own, or shall we pick you up?¡± ¡°Where do you get the confidence to think I¡¯d want to meet your master? Besides, can you tell me who your master is?¡± She wanted to know who this so-called master was. This time, the man on the phone didn¡¯t hide it anymore and said directly. ¡°My master¡¯sst name is Lawrence. Does it ring a bell?¡± Lawrence? Is it the Lawrence Family I knew when I was abroad? I¡¯ve never had any dealings with anyone from that family, so why would they look for me? When she was abroad, she wanted to take on the Lawrence Family¡¯s legal affairs, but they didn¡¯t even spare her a nce as she was just a rookie. Why would they want to meet me now? Do they want to coborate? I¡¯m based in Cludan now, so what use will they have for me? Her mind was filled with questions, but she managed to calm down and ask, ¡°Is it Mr. Lawrence of the Lawrence Family? The new heir?¡± She vaguely remembered that this new heir had a peculiar temperament. The outside world only knew that he was young, but no one had seen him in person, and there were no pictures of him online. He was well protected. ¡°Yes.¡± Really? ¡°Why does he want to meet me? I have no connection with Mr. Lawrence. Why would he suddenlye all the way here to meet me?¡± She couldn¡¯t figure it out, for she didn¡¯t even know what this Mr. Lawrence looked like, but he hade all the way to Cludan to meet her. The man on the phone reiterated his words like a robot. ¡°You¡¯ll know when youe to Cloudview Hotel. My master is currently dining at the restaurant. He said he¡¯d wait for you for half an hour.¡± After that, he hung up the phone directly, not giving Amanda a chance to reply. At this moment, she stared at the disconnected call on her phone screen and pondered for a long time. but she still couldn¡¯t figure out the connection between herself and Mr. Lawrence. However, her curiosity had been piqued, so she decided to go and find out. In the restaurant of Cloudview Hotel, a man dressed in a ck shirt and pants was dining alone at a dining table. He had an exquisite and handsome mixed-race appearance, with features leaning toward the Eastern side. While waiting for Amanda to show up, he used his knife and fork to slowly cut the steak on his te. I wonder what Amanda looks like. This is also my opportunity to seek revenge and reim my child. I can¡¯t allow the Lawrence Family¡¯s offspring to be left adrift outside. With a cold expression, the bodyguard standing beside him said, ¡°Sir, Miss Bailey will be here soon.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ||| The man kept his gaze lowered, looking at the piece of steak on his te with a strong sense of disdain. He then muttered. ¡°This tastes terrible.¡± After a while, Amanda entered the restaurant and scanned the room. With just one nce, she locked her gaze on the man. It wasn¡¯t because she recognized Mr. Lawrence, but because he exuded a strong presence. His striking appearance and aristocratic demeanor made it impossible to look. away. She could confirm that he was the newly appointed head of the Lawrence Family. For some time, she stood in ce, observing him. He continued to cut his steak as if he hadn¡¯t noticed her presence. She then slowly walked to the seat across from him and sat down. Meanwhile, the bodyguard left tactfully. After she looked the man up and down, she thought, Tsk. tsk. With looks like that, how can he be so low-key? Not even a single photo can be found online. She initially thought it was because he was unattractive, so he didn¡¯t want people to know about his appearance. The man finally raised his gaze, looking at the woman in front of him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and his thin lips exuded a seductive appeal. His eyes were filled with a hint ofziness as he asked, ¡°Are you Amanda?¡± Well, she¡¯s a beauty. That was his evaluation of Amanda in his mind. In that case, I¡¯m not too unlucky. The child won¡¯t look too bad either. At this thought, his anger subsided quite a bit.. Chatper 377 Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Why Did He Mention a Child All of a sudden? ¡°I am. You¡¯re Mr. Lawrence, I assume? What brings you to me?¡± Amanda felt relieved that the meeting ce was a restaurant and not a hotel room. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t havee. Meanwhile, the man continued to examine her appearance. Judging from the smile on his lips, he seemed pretty satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m here to reim my child. As you should know, the Lawrence Family will never abandon their offspring.¡± When she heard that, she waspletely dumbfounded. He¡¯s tall and hot, but what is he talking about? Why can¡¯t I understand a word? Why is he mentioning a child all of a sudden? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean. Why would youe to me for a child? What child are you talking about? I don¡¯t know you, so how would I know where your child is?¡± Puzzled by the man in front of her, she had the urge to leave immediately. The man, noticing her clueless expression, sneered. ¡°Have you forgotten? Let me refresh your memory, then. Four years ago, I came to Cludan and stayed in this very hotel. You heard about my stay here, so you lurked in my room. Taking advantage of my drunken state, you slept with me and naturally became pregnant with my child. Then, you gave birth to a boy at Pleybia Hospital. Do you remember now?¡± Hearing his words, she became even more confused and furrowed her brows. She was almost on the verge of bursting intoughter due to the situation¡¯s absurdity. As she leaned back in her seat, she said, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, I can now confirm that you¡¯ve made a mistake. I did not meet you four years ago. While it¡¯s true that I spent four years abroad, I have never encountered you personally; I¡¯ve only heard about you. This is the first time I have seen you in person, so the woman you¡¯re talking about is probably not me, and I couldn¡¯t have had your child.¡± After saying that, she stood up and grabbed her bag, preparing to leave. She didn¡¯t want to get involved with this man, for he didn¡¯t seem easy to deal with. However, just as she was about to turnaround and leave, the bodyguard stepped forward and blocked her path. ¡°Miss Bailey, it¡¯s better not to pretend anymore. My master has already investigated everything. You are the woman from before.¡± This voice¡­ The same man has been calling me for the past few days. Amanda¡¯s anger suddenly red up. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re really an idiot. You can¡¯t even get such a simple matter right. You haven¡¯t investigated. anything! I am not the woman you¡¯re looking for!¡± She pushed away the bodyguard¡¯s arm and tried to leave, but he continued to block her. At this moment, she realized she might have fallen into a trap. Although they were in a restaurant, it was clear that no one darede forward and intervene in the matter. In the end, she had no choice but to take out her phone from her bag and call Yacob to resolve the situation. She was grateful now that Elias had left Yacob behind when he left, for Yacob was indeed useful at times like this. Yet, as soon as she took out her phone, the man standing up beside her snatched it away and looked at her with a cold expression. ¡°I wanted to have a proper conversation with you, but since you¡¯re not cooperating, I¡¯ll have to consider other options.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do? I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯m not the person you¡¯re looking for!¡± ¡°Whether you are or not, it¡¯s up to me to decide. Lawrence nced at the bodyguard behind him. ¡°Take her away. With that, the bodyguard roughly grabbed Amanda¡¯s delicate arm, preventing her from struggling free. They then walked out of the restaurant while the man led the way. Although many people saw what was happening, no one dared to intervene. Late at night, after Yacob carried the sleeping Aiden back to his room, he left the rest to Colette at the Allegra Vi. When he passed by Amanda¡¯s room, he nced inside and thought, She must be asleep by now. I shouldn¡¯t disturb her. Before he left the vi, he deliberately nced at Amanda¡¯s room on the upper floor. The lights are off. She¡¯s probably asleep.Aiden¡¯s room is also dark, so Mrs. Colette has probably left too. He nned to get some rest himself. It had been an exhausting day, and he had to wake up early tomorrow to apany Aiden to kindergarten. Little did he know that Amanda was no longer at the Allegra Vi. Instead, she had been kidnapped by a stranger. As his final task of the day, he opened his WhatsApp and reported to Elias. ¡®Both Aiden and Miss Bailey, are asleep. With that, he considered today¡¯s tasksplete. Meanwhile, in Esmos, Elias was in a meeting, listening to the tedious reports at the conference table. Suddenly, his phone vibrated, so he picked it up and took a nce. When he saw Yacob¡¯s report, a smile formed on his lips. He needed to see that message every day to feel at ease. After that, he immersed himself back into work. Just then, his beautiful blonde secretary brought him a cup of coffee and said in broken Corynthean, ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± In fact, Elias understood her intentions. She had been deliberately trying to get closer to him these past few days, seeking his attention. He had grown tired of it. After he beckoned with his finger, the bodyguard approached him, leaning closer to his ear. ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Keep that woman away from me. She wears too much perfume.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± In no time, the blonde woman hovering around him was kicked out of the meeting room. Before leaving. she cast a lingering look at Elias, seemingly expressing her dissatisfaction with hisck of interest. Back in Cludan, Amanda had been locked inside a guest room at Cloudview Hotel. She realized the gravity of the situation and started to retreat. ¡°What are you trying to do? Let me out! You have no right to imprison me!¡± She nced at the door behind the man, trying to find an opportunity to escape, but his tall figure seemed like an imprable wall. ¡°Hand over the child, and I will let you go. I have no interest in a woman like you who actively crawls into someone else¡¯s bed,¡± he said with a disdainful look in his eyes as if he were staring at something filthy. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Hearing that, she sneered. ¡°You¡¯re truly ridiculous. What child? What are you talking about, crawling into people¡¯s beds? Mr. Lawrence, you seem to be overly confident. Do you think every woman would want to crawl into your bed? Well, let me tell you, I don¡¯t!¡± I¡¯m going crazy. How did I get involved with such a lunatic? Why is he asking for a child from me? The man smiled mockingly instead of getting furious, and he chuckled with pleasure. ¡°Let me tell you my name, then. Perhaps you don¡¯t remember myst name, but you should recall my first name, Symeon. Does it ring a bell?¡± Symeon? This rings no bell! ¡°No! No matter how many times you ask, my answer remains the same. I don¡¯t know you at all, and I haven¡¯t given birth to your child. Please check again, investigate properly, and stop falsely using innocent people!¡± She was on the verge of a breakdown. No matter what she said, he refused to listen and stubbornly believed that she had given birth to his child. At that moment, Symeon¡¯s expression became sinister, and his smile vanished instantly. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to waste your time with me here, eh? You don¡¯t want to admit it, do you?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t given birth to your child, so what am I supposed to admit to?¡± Chatper 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 You Better Not Touch Me ¡°You¡¯re quite stubborn. Good, I admire that.¡± Symeon grabbed Amanda¡¯s chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. At this moment, she was indeed a little flustered, so she resorted to mentioning Elias to save herself. ¡°You better not touch me, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°Oh? Tell me, how will I regret it?¡± He seemed unimpressed, not thinking that she could do anything to him. ¡°No matter how powerful you are abroad, here you¡¯re just a stranger in a foreignnd. Your power means nothing here,¡± she replied. ¡°Is that so? It seems like you have someone backing you. Tell me about it.¡± He maintained his nonchnt attitude, almost asking for a beating. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Amanda didn¡¯t really want to brag, but in this critical situation, her life was at stake. As she stared firmly into his eyes, he said, ¡°My father is Jack Allegra, the chairman of the Allegra Group, and my husband is Elias Winters, the head of the Winters Enterprise. If you dare to touch me, they won¡¯t let you leave this country so easily.¡± However, seeing that he was influential himself, she wasn¡¯t sure if Jack and Elias could intimidate him, After all, during her time abroad, she had heard a bit about the Lawrence Family¡¯s enormous wealth and their century-old family status. After hearing her words, Symeon smirked eerily. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s something you have there. But¡­ What did you say just now? Is Elias your husband? Are you sure you¡¯re not joking with me?¡± At this moment, her eyes lit up with hope. So, he knows Elias. There¡¯s still a chance, then, ¡°Yes. He¡¯s my husband.¡± ¡°For how long have you been married?¡± Amanda hesitated. If I tell him that we are in the process of getting a divorce, he will dismiss it and continue to keep me imprisoned. After careful consideration, she said, ¡°Five years.¡± If we hadn¡¯t divorced, it would have been five years since we got married. Suddenly, Symeonughed even harder. After he released her chin, he walked to the side, lit a cigarette, and ced it between his lips. ¡°I met Mr. Winters at a partyst year, and he told me that he was single. So, when did you suddenly be his wife? And you¡¯ve been married for five years?¡± Hearing that, she widened her eyes in shock. Does he actually know Elias? ¡°You really have guts, daring to make up such lies. Do you think I don¡¯t understand the situation in Cludan, so you can just talk nonsense to me? Sorry, but I happen to know your so-called Mr. Winters.¡± Symeon looked at her embarrassed expression and enjoyed her difort. Unraveling human deceit was the man¡¯s favorite pastime. At this point, she had no choice but to tell the truth. ¡°Since you know Elias, then I¡¯ll be honest with you. I was married to Elias, but we got divorced. When you met himst year, we were divorced, so, of course, he would say he was single. Even when we were married, we kept it low-profile, and Elias never imed to be married, so hardly anyone knew about our marriage. Thinking back, it was truly heartbreaking. After hearing her exnation, he let out a scornful chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re quite persistent, huh? You immediatelye up with a new lie after being exposed. You¡¯re a habitual liar. How much of what you say is actually true?¡± It seems useless to say anything to him. She noticed that he was now sitting on a couch a few steps away from her. Immediately, she turned around and rushed to open the door, making her escape. When Symeon saw this, he muttered, ¡°Sh*t!¡± How did I let her escape? Where are my men guarding outside? He dialed his bodyguard¡¯s number, and the bodyguard¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I thought she couldn¡¯t escape, so I went to the restroom. ¡°Bring her back to me!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After hanging up the phone, he remembered the name Amanda had mentioned earlier. Elias Winters? Well, well. Things are getting interesting. It seems like this woman has some skills. She managed to climb into my bed and catch Elias¡¯ attention. Initially, he thought she was just a brainless fool, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be so scheming. I don¡¯t think Elias is easily swayed by women. Now, I¡¯m getting more curious about the child she gave birth to. A child born with her intelligence should not be too stupid. After Amanda ran out of the room, she didn¡¯t dare go directly to the elevator; instead, she chose to take the stairs. She hid in the hallway and heard the bodyguards looking for her outside. Nervously, she held her breath, and tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. I can¡¯t remember thest time I was this nervous. After she heard the bodyguards leave, she cautiously walked down the stairs. These heels are killing me. She immediately threw away her high heels and hurried down the stairs, even though she was on the tenth floor. If he catches me again, I¡¯m afraid I will never return. It took her a full ten minutes to make it downstairs, and she was panting heavily. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone chasing me anymore. She didn¡¯t dare to take her car; instead, she ran outside the hotel and hailed a random cab. However, at this time, it was tough to find a cab. She waited for a long time but didn¡¯t see one. So, she decided to continue walking in the direction of her home while waiting for a cab. Finally, she spotted a cabing from the front. She raised her hand to g it down, and the cab slowly. stopped in front of her. Only after she got into the cab and closed the door did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was an exhrating journey, for she feared that Symeon would catch up with her any Thankfully, she safely arrived outside the Allegra Vi.second. By the time she got home, it was already 3.00AM, and all the Allegras were asleep. Amanda tiptoed back to her room and closed the door. Just as she did, her phone rang again. It startled her, and her nerves almost shot. Her phone slipped from her hand and fell onto the carpet. As she patted her chest, she bent down to pick up the phone and saw another domestic unknown number. She then answered the call, asking, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Do you think you can run away so easily? I can find you effortlessly. If you¡¯re sensible,e to me yourself. By the time I find you, I won¡¯t go easy on you¡± With that, the call ended. Shocked, her eyes widened. It¡¯s him again! At this moment, a text message came in. She opened it, and it read, ¡®No. 45, Sacred Heart Vi.¡¯ It was from the same unknown number just now. Is this an address for me to find Lawrence? I¡¯m not crazy! Why would I go find him? I won¡¯t go! Absolutely not! Chatper 379 Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Conduct a DNA Test Amanda turned off her phone directly and settled herself on the bed to calm her nerves. I shouldn¡¯t go out for the next few days until Elias returns. I might be caught by Lawrence if I went out. That would be disastrous. For the whole night, she couldn¡¯t sleep well, constantly thinking about what Lawrence had said. If it weren¡¯t for the DNA test proving Elias as Aiden¡¯s father, she might have doubted herself. Speaking of which, how did his investigationnd on me? I have no connection with him, so how did I appear in his investigation? Could someone be sabotaging me? Or else, I just don¡¯t understand. With the Lawrence Family¡¯s influence, how could they fail to uncover such a simple matter? Lost in her thoughts, she fell into a deep sleep and had a long dream. In the dream, she saw Elias and Lawrence fighting violently. She wanted to intervene, but she couldn¡¯t get to them. Covered in blood, Elias shouted at her angrily, ¡°Why did you betray me? Why?¡± She tried to exin, but she couldn¡¯t utter a sound, making her feel utterly helpless. ¡°No! No!¡± She woke up from her dream with her forehead covered in a cold sweat. Only then did she realize it was just a dream. Just then, Colette knocked on the door. ¡°Miss, are you awake? Aiden wants to see you.¡± Hearing that, Amanda slowly sat up, straightened her pajamas, and then got up to open the door. The moment the door opened, Aiden rushed into her arms, hugging her tightly. When she looked down at her son¡¯s tender and innocent face, her motherly love surged. She crouched down and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong. Aiden?¡± ¡°I had a nightmarest night, Mommy. I dreamed that you didn¡¯t want me and Daddy anymore.¡± The more he said, the more aggrieved he became, so he hugged her even tighter. After she nced at Colette standing by, she said, ¡°You can go and attend to your duties. I¡¯llfort him.¡± Colette nodded and left. Amanda then took Aiden back to his room and gently reassured him. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It was just a dream. Why would I not want you and Daddy? When Daddyes back, we¡¯ll go to the park together, okay?¡± ¡°No, I want to go to Universal Studios.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll do whatever you want. Now let¡¯s wash our faces and brush our teeth. You have to go to kindergarten, okay?¡± Only then did he finally forget about the nightmare fromst night and nod happily. ¡°Okay. When will - Daddye back?¡± ¡°Probably tomorrow night.¡± Right, he¡¯ll be home soon. At her answer, he was filled with anticipation. I¡¯ll wait for Daddy toe back and take me to Universal Studios. It will be amazing to go with Mommy this time. After the mother and son finished preparing. going to kindergarten. At this time. Yacob was already waiting downstairs. However, he was unaware of what had happened to Amandast night.. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to drop Aiden off at school.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Although he didn¡¯t know the reason behind her behavior, he agreed to her request. These days, he was the one who had been taking Aiden to school. She seems a little strange today. After breakfast, Amanda and Aiden got into the car, and Yacob drove them away from the Allegra Vi. He couldn¡¯t hold his curiosity back. ¡°You don¡¯t look too well. Are you sick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. By the way, before Elias returns, you must protect Aiden¡­ and me.¡± She feared that Lawrence might find information about Aiden. After all, he had already found out about her, so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to find her child. Hearing that, Yacob furrowed his brow. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I find out more. Right now, I can¡¯t exin everything in just a few words. Anyhow, before Elias returns, we shouldn¡¯t act rashly.¡± She didn¡¯t want to provoke Lawrence unnecessarily. Perhaps it¡¯s just a case of mistaken identity, and helping him find the person he¡¯s looking for should be enough. There¡¯s no need for a confrontation. Besides, he seems to know Elias, and their families might have business connections. I don¡¯t want to escte the situation. I¡¯m innocent anyway, and I have no connection with Lawrence. The truth will eventuallye to light. However, little did she know that ever since they left the Allegra Vi, a car had been tailing them, but the driver was skilled enough to remain unnoticed by Yacob. After dropping Aiden off at kindergarten, Yacob drove Amanda back. ¡°Where do you want to go? Your studio?¡± She had been busy with her studio recently, but unexpectedly, she replied, ¡°Nowhere. Just take me home¡­ Until Elias returns from Esmos, I don¡¯t want to go anywhere. I¡¯ll stay at home.¡± This shocked him for a moment, but he nodded in agreement. After they left, the car that had been lurking around slowly stopped outside the kindergarten. The window. was rolled down, revealing a handsome mixed-race face. The man then ordered his bodyguard, ¡°If the child was born in that year, he should be around this age now. Conduct a DNA test.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Let Dr. Albert do it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Symeon trusted no one but Dr. Albert. Only Dr. Albert¡¯s results can convince me. In the following days, Lawrence didn¡¯t call to harass Amanda again, which made her puzzled. Did he disappear just like that? If it weren¡¯t for the text message on her phone, she¡¯d have doubted if everything was just a nightmare. She looked at the message. ¡®No. 45, Sacred Heart Vi. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, her emotions were mixed; she felt relieved yet worried, fearing that Lawrence might suddenly appear and bother her. Suddenly, her phone rang, startling her. As she held her chest, she took a deep breath. The call was from Elias, so she answered the call. ¡°Why are you calling at this time? You scared me.¡± On the other end of the line, Elias frowned. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be daytime in Cludan. Why are you so scared? What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± He had just finished his shower, and he was making the call to her while sitting on the bed with a towel wrapped around his waist. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll tell you when youe back. By the way, when will you be back?¡± ¡°Are you missing me?¡± He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s your son who misses you. He dreamt of you and wants to see you.¡± ¡°Some trouble came up, so I might be dyed a few days. Help me exin to Aiden that I¡¯ll be back a bit.ter, but I¡¯ll bring him some gifts.¡± Hearing that, she fell silent for a few seconds but replied with a smile, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll exin it to Aiden. You should get some rest early. You might have to wake up early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay, take care of yourself.¡± Chatper 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Watch How I Make You Pay for That! After Amanda hung up the phone, she fell into silence. Elias is onlying back after a few days, which means I have to stay home and can¡¯t go out for such a long time. Can I stay home just like that? But I can¡¯t do anything in Allegra Vi. I can only apany Aiden. Meanwhile, at No. 45, Sacred Heart Vi, Symeon stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the lake view outside. He was waiting for the result of the DNA test from overseas. The result should be out soon. At this moment, the maid brought a cup of coffee. The bodyguard took it and gestured for her to leave. ¡°Sir, your coffee.¡± Symeon took the coffee and took a sip, letting the bitter taste clear his mind. ¡°Make a call to urge him.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll make the call right away. Just as the bodyguard was about to call Dr. Albert to urge the DNA test result, he received a phone call. He then handed it to Symeon. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s from Dr. Albert. It seems the DNA test result is out. Hearing that, Symeon immediately handed the coffee back to the bodyguard and picked up the phone. Sliding his finger across the screen, he ced it on his ear, his expression turning serious. ¡°Yes. What¡¯s the result?¡± After a brief conversation on the phone, his face went from gloomy to stormy, as if a hurricane was about to strike at any moment. The bodyguard, curious about the result, asked, ¡°Sir, what did Dr. Albert say? Is the child one of the Lawrence Family?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Symeon replied coldly. At his answer, a shocked expression crawled on the bodyguard¡¯s face. ¡°So, that means Miss Bailey is indeed the woman who crawled into your bed back then and gave birth to a boy.¡± ¡°Exactly. We must reim the child.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± At first, Symeon had doubts about whether the child was his, but after hearing the result, he went from surprise to anger. How could she deceive me for four years and wander around with my child for such a long time? She¡¯s ruthless. Watch how I make you pay for that, Amanda. *** Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. On the other side of the ocean, inside aboratory, the gray-haired Dr. Albert hung up the phone and looked at the woman beside him. ¡°Are you satisfied now? I¡¯ve vited my professional ethics and lied for your sake. Shouldn¡¯t you release my granddaughter now?¡± ¡°Of course. Thank you for your help, doctor. We both got what we wanted. I won¡¯t harm anyone.¡± A faint smile tugged on the woman¡¯s red lips as she flipped her long hair flirtatiously. Then she turned to leave theboratory, leaving behind these words. ¡°Doctor, you can see your lovely granddaughter tonight. And don¡¯t forget to send that fabricated DNA test result to Cludan as soon as possible. Symeon prefers paper documents. He thinks it feels more authentic.¡± In fact, the DNA test result stated that the alleged father is excluded as the biological father, meaning the child had no biological rtion to Symeon. But with this woman¡¯s meddling, everything had be chaotic. No one knew why she did it. Ding! Ding! While Amanda was having dinner, she suddenly heard the notification sound of receiving a message from her phone. She unlocked the screen and opened the message, revealing a photo. The photo contained the result of a DNA test, written entirely in Esmorian. When she saw the test result, her eyes widened in disbelief, and she dropped her utensils on the floor. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Colette picked up the utensils and handed her a new pair. Afraid that Colette might see the content on her phone, Amanda quickly put it away, pretending that nothing had happened. ¡°I was just lost in thought. Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± On the other side of the table, Crispin noticed her uneasiness. It looks like something happened. ¡°Are you okay, Miss Bailey? You seem disturbed.¡± Tm full. You guys enjoy your meal.¡± Right now, she had no time to bother with Crispin. Her mind was filled with the image of the full Esmorian DNA test result she had seen earlier. It was like a bolt from the blue. How is that possible? How could Aiden possibly be Lawrence¡¯s biological son? This is definitely a joke. It¡¯s simply absurd! But the DNA test result stated otherwise. Suddenly, her phone rang again. She recognized the number; it was Symeon calling. After much consideration, she decided to answer the call. Without waiting for him to speak, she questioned, ¡°What are you trying to do? Did you forge a fake DNA test result to scare me? My son has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Is that so? Are you saying I can send this to Elias?¡± ¡°No!¡± she instinctively shouted. Elias is in the thick of his work in Esmos. If he sees this, he will surely have self- doubt. Besides, there¡¯s no need to spread this fake information everywhere. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to send this to Elias, thene to me quickly. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee what I¡¯ll do,¡± Symeon threatened before hanging up. At this moment, Amanda was on the verge of going crazy. What is he up to? Where did he get this fake DNA test result from? If this spreads, it will surely cause a big stir. In the evening, Symeon sat on a couch in the living room, staring at the electronic version of the DNA test result on his phone. The physical copy would be arriving soon. He had already sent someone to pick it up personally, and it would be in his hands within a few days. After a while, the bodyguard entered, followed by a slender woman¡¯s figure. ¡°Sir, Miss Bailey is here.¡± ¡°Good. You may leave.¡± The bodyguard left and closed the door. When Amanda entered the living room, she was not in the mood to look at the luxurious vi, only wanting to figure out what this man wanted. ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t you just want to find the woman who crawled into your bed? Why are you harassing my son? And why did you create this fake DNA test result? Do you really think anyone would believe it? Even if you show it to Elias, he won¡¯t believe it.¡± Hearing that, Symeon chuckled. ¡°If it¡¯s fake, why are you so worked up? Besides, who told you it¡¯s fake? I had the DNA test done overseas specifically, and you think it¡¯s fake? Where does your confidencee from?¡± ¡°My confidencees from the fact that this child is not yours! I don¡¯t know you at all, and I didn¡¯t crawl into your bed. How could I have your child? If you¡¯re desperate for a child, find another woman to bear one for you. If you can¡¯t have one, then adopt! Stop being a lunatic here!¡± she shouted, feeling like she was about to copse. How can I exin to this man in a way he¡¯ll understand? Chatper 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Taking Back What Belongs to Me Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Is that so? Then, how do you exin this DNA test?¡± Symeon firmly believed in Dr. Albert¡¯s test results. and trusted only him. ¡°I can present you with another DNA test result between Elias and my- Before Amanda could finish, he interrupted her. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in your doctor. I only trust mine.¡± This left her speechless. It seems impossible to change his mind once he has made up his mind. ¡°Why did you stop arguing? Can¡¯te up with anything to say?¡± In his eyes, her silence meant she had. no reason to argue anymore, so he took it as her surrender. There¡¯s really nothing more to say because you never listen. Let¡¯s just wait for Elias toe back and have him talk to you personally.¡± Initially, she wanted to handle this matter herself and not bother Elias with it, but now it was evident that she was powerless and could only wait for him to return to deal with it. With that, she turned around to leave. However, he spoke in a slow andmanding tone. ¡°Stop right there.¡± ¡°What now?¡± You¡¯re just going to leave like this?¡± Amanda was almostughing out of exasperation. Unable to hold back her anger, she yelled at Symeon, ¡°What do you want to do?! Imprison me? Is that all you men are capable of? You don¡¯t even know which woman you slept with, so why are you ordering me around here? Also, with the status of the Lawrence Family, how could you let a woman crawl into your bed and bear your child? Isn¡¯t it a bit toote for toe looking for her now?¡± The moment she finished speaking, he threw a document envelope at her. She was taken aback for a moment before picking it up. When she opened it, her eyes widened in shock. you Inside were pictures of herself from the past four years in Esmos, but they looked like they were taken. secretly. Who took these photos? Among the pictures, many of them showed her pushing a baby stroller while shopping, and in those photos, Aiden was still an adorable baby. ¡°Where did you get these photos?¡± With a smile, Symeon replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been spying on you for the past four years, wondering when you would show up with this child in front of me. I didn¡¯t expect you to never appear and insteade to Cludan with the child. I didn¡¯t know what your intentions were.¡± At that, she waspletely dumbfounded. Had he been spying on me during my four years in Esmos? ¡°So, for the past four years, you¡¯ve been sending people to spy on me?¡± He replied with a firm tone, ¡°I had found out about your existence long ago and knew that you were pregnant, but I wanted you toe forward on your own. I didn¡¯t expect you to stay hidden, so I had to come find you myself. The descendants of the Lawrence Family cannot be led astray. I¡¯m iming the child for sure.¡± ¡°But he is not your child! What do you want him for? Do you have a fetish for raising other people¡¯s children?¡± Amanda nearly started to doubt herself, for Symeon had been brainwashing her, trying to mak her ept the clues he had investigated. ¡°I have a DNA test as evidence. Why do you still deny it? I don¡¯t care who you want to be with; the child. belongs to me. I¡¯m not interested in you anyway.¡± ¡°Dream on. I will never give him to you. He is not your child. Let me repeat this for you once more: he is not your child!¡± she stated firmly before turning around to leave. At this moment, she was exasperated, for no matter how she exined, he just wouldn¡¯t listen. How could I not know whose child I was carrying? I had only been intimate with Elias, so how could I have given birth to another man¡¯s child? And that DNA test is even more suspicious. That¡¯s clearly a fabricated DNA test result, but why did he fabricate it? Just as she left the Sacred Heart Vi area, she ran into a familiar face. So, she stopped in her tracks and. looked at the person before her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to ask you. What are you doing here, Miss Bailey?¡± Crispin had been. following Amanda all the way to see what she was up to, and now he seemed to have caught something. ¡°Why do I need to report to you? What, have youe here to set your sights on another naive and wealthy woman?¡± she retorted with sarcasm. Meanwhile, he nced at the luxurious vi behind her and thought, 4 person living in this ce is no ordinary person, for sure. ¡°Miss Bailey, it hasn¡¯t been long since Mr. Winters left. Are you feeling lonely already? Are you here for another man? Unlike you, I have my heart set on Steph. Once I have her, I won¡¯t touch any other woman.¡± ¡°Watch your mouth. Don¡¯tpare me to someone like you. You know what you¡¯ve done.¡± She didn¡¯t bother to look at him anymore, so she turned to leave, not wanting to waste her breath on him. Unexpectedly, he grabbed her wrist. Let¡¯s see if the owner of this vi wille out and y the hero. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She struggled, trying to pull her hand back, but his grip only tightened. As he stared into her eyes, he said, ¡°I want to know who the owner of this vi is and who you¡¯re dating behind Elias¡¯ back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking for it.¡± Amanda delivered a p directly, but Crispin blocked it with his other hand. The two of them were locked in a tense standoff since he refused to let go. He was determined to force the owner of the vi to show up and save her. However, after a considerable amount of time passed, no one came out from inside the vi, so he sneered. ¡°It seems like the person inside doesn¡¯t care much about you. Even in this situation, he didn¡¯t. come out to¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a low andmanding voice suddenly cut through the air. ¡°Let go of your dirty hand.¡± Both Amanda and Crispin turned their heads simultaneously, as if a god had descended. The man exuded an air of nobility and authority, despite his casual tone. Instinctively, Crispin released her hand and looked at the man before him. ¡°Get lost.¡± Symeon nced at Crispin and spoke only one word, then turned to face Amanda. ¡°Let the driver take you back. Think carefully about what I said. Otherwise, I¡¯ll use my way to take back what belongs to me.¡± With that, he turned and walked back into the vi. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you back, Miss Bailey. This way, please, the bodyguard told her. With a frown and a displeased expression, she followed the bodyguard and left the ce. Left alone, Crispin pondered over the man¡¯s words. ¡°Take back what belongs to me? What did he mean by that? What does Amanda have that belongs to him? Chatper 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 We¡¯ll See About That Upon arrival at the Allegra Vi, Amanda stepped out of the bodyguard¡¯s car, whereupon thetter said, ¡°Someone will bring you your car tomorrow.¡± She then responded with an affirmative hum and walked away without saying a single word. In the meantime, Crispin was following right behind Amanda closely as he also arrived at the Allegra Vi. After parking his car, he confronted Amanda once again and asked, ¡°It seems that there is more than meets the eye between you and that man. He said he would take something that belongs to you away from you. What would that be?¡± Amanda stopped in her tracks and looked back. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else better to do than poking your nose into my business? Who do you think you are to demand an answer from me? Worry about yourself?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t force you to do what you don¡¯t want, but it seems to me that I just got the goods on you. Think about it-if Elias knows you went out to meet another man tonight, what would he think?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Amanda stared at the man before her, questioning her initial judgment for thinking of Crispin as a faithful man. Damn it! Even a dog is much more loyal than this fe. As Amanda seemed to have fallen for his schemes, Crispin smiled and replied, ¡°Nothing. I just want to tell you that I have my eyes on you, so it¡¯d be wise for you to stay out of my way. If I¡¯m in trouble, things won¡¯t end well between you and Elias either.¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re capable of pulling that off?¡± While Crispin appeared to be rather confident with his sinister n, Amanda only sniggered. unconcernedly. ¡°Well, we could find that out if you push your luck. After all, it¡¯s every man for himself, and I¡¯m no exception as I would do anything to protect my own interest.¡± ¡°Oh, really? We¡¯ll see about that.¡± In response, Amanda reacted with a cold grunt and headed inside the estate. There is no way I¡¯d concede to this guy! No way! As Amanda slowly disappeared from sight, Crispin chuckled coldly and said, ¡°Hmph! How feisty! We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Later that night, Stephanie was lying in bed, pretending to be asleep. When Crispin came back, she heard the noise and unknowingly tensed from head to toe, but she continued to keep her eyes closed. Deep down, she was unwilling to face that man, but Crispin couldn¡¯t care less about her as he bossed her around like she was his maid. ¡°Get up and fetch me a cup of tear Nevertheless, Stephanie only responded with silence by continuing to feign slumber. Piqued by her reaction, Crispin lost his cool. ¡°I said get up! I¡¯m talking to you! Do you know how tiring it was for me to stalk Amanda just so that I can find something to use against her? Is this how you treat your husband?¡± ¡°Alright, I heard you¡­.¡± Stephanie was forced to creep off her bed as she put on her sleeping robe and left the bedroom. On the other hand, Amanda, who was just done with her shower, returned to her room, only to feel thirsty shortly after. Thus, she made her way to the refrigerator in the kitchen to grab herself a bottle of water and ran into Stephanie, who was making tea there. Ever since she moved into the Allegra Vi, she heard that Stephanie never had to do any of the house chores by herself. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t understand why she was making tea at that moment. Is she drunk or something? No, wait. I think I caught a strong alcoholic scent when I was talking to Crispin earlier. Could she be making the tea for him? ¡°Are you making tea for Crispin?¡± Startled by Amanda¡¯s voice, Stephanie snapped out of her trance and ced her hand on her chest. ¡°Damn! You nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± ¡°Why are you so freaked out? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re doing something shady¡± Amanda entered the kitchen and opened the fridge, reaching out for the bottle of water before she opened it and guzzled the water down her throat. Meanwhile, Stephanie didn¡¯t say a single word as she continued to make her tea. Deep down, she wasn¡¯t sure whether Elias understood what she told him, for she had only revealed half of the story. Furthermore, it seemed to her that Amanda knew nothing about her situation, not to mention the hostility and grudge she had against her. Therefore, she didn¡¯t think they would have a lot of interaction with each other. However, unlike what Stephanie expected, Amanda took a look around the kitchen and went on Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. 10 close the door after making sure that they were alone. ¡°Crispin was responsible for Raymond Porter¡¯s death, as well as the man who slept with you that night, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Despite knowing the truth, Amanda still wanted to hear it from Stephanie herself. Soon, Stephanie slowly looked up with her mouth wide agape, unable to utter a single word, but despite her silent response, her expression gave away her thoughts. ¡°How did you know that? Did Elias tell you that? I didn¡¯t manage to finish the whole story when Crispin came in thest time ¡°That¡¯s plenty, actually. Elias is smart, and he was able to figure out the rest of the story with his wits.¡± The next second, Stephanie grasped Amanda¡¯s hands tightly and said, ¡°Save me! Please, I can¡¯t take it anymore! Ever since we got married, Crispin has changed. It¡¯s as though he¡¯s be a different person. He is no longer the gentle and caring senior I once knew before¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Elias is already working on it, and I believe we¡¯re going to find something useful soon. Furthermore, we already know the truth, and all we need is just some concrete evidence.¡± Nheless, Stephanie responded agitatedly by grabbing Amanda¡¯s hands. ¡°I can¡¯t wait much longer, though. I can¡¯t take it anymore. Even one second with him feels like a decade to me now¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re now in the Allegra Vi, not to mention the fact that you¡¯re the Allegra Family¡¯s daughter while he is your family¡¯s son-inw. What¡¯s the worst that he could do to you?¡± Amanda could tell from Stephanie¡¯s strange reaction that something was wrong. When she looked downter, she noticed the blood stains. beneath her fingernails, which indicated that she might have been pricked by needles.¡± ¡°What happened to your fingertips?¡± Amanda seized her hand. Stephanie¡¯s reflex prompted her to retract her fingers as she moaned in pain. ¡°It was him. He did this to me, she cried. ¡°What?¡± How could he do such a thing? He is such a b*stard! Does he really think of himself as the Allegra Family¡¯s heir? ¡°I¡¯m going to teach him a lesson now.¡± When Amanda was about to leave, Stephanie held her hand and stopped her. ¡°No, please don¡¯t do that. If you piss him off, he is going to upload the video of what happened that night onto the inte. By then, my life will be ruined.¡± Do you seriously believe he¡¯ll do that? He is the man in that video that night¡¯ It he really has the guts to do that. I¡¯d really love to see him do it because I don¡¯t think he dares to do the Stephanie cried in response. Tve seen that video. Only his back was shown all the time, but my face was clearly seen, so if this video goes public, no one will recognize him.¡± Damn it I can¡¯t believe that b*stard had it all nned out! How wicked¡± ¡°But even so, you can¡¯t just stand by and let him bully you! That¡¯s actually abuse. He must be out of his mind to treat you like that Amanda got madder when she stared at the wounds on Stephanie¡¯s fingertips, unable to stand by and watch Stephanie get bullied without doing anything. In fact, when she was working abroad as a defendingwyer back then. she would not help any defendant who was charged with domestic violence. Staring at Amanda¡¯s angry look, Stephanie finally understood how much having a family meant to her. She then cried to Amanda and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amelia I didn¡¯t mean to keep Mom and Dad in the dark. about that matter. It really slipped my mind, and I was still too young to¡­.¡± She sank to her knees. emotionally, condemning herself for the mistake she made in her youth. Amelia is my sister. I should have shared everything I have with her, but what did I do back then? I left her behind and ran off to look for the maids without telling them where she was. What was wrong with me back then? Chatper 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Does He Look Like Me? When Jack and his wife sat at the dining table for breakfast the next morning, Crispin acted like a good husband with his arm wrapped around Stephanie¡¯s waist. Seeing their lovely interaction, Jack said with at smile, ¡°How sweet! I¡¯m so grateful and happy to have a son-inw who loves my daughter so much!¡± Stephanie was depressed, but to prevent the video from being leaked, she had to pull herself together and put up with Crispin¡¯s oppression. Crispin, who had his arm around her waist, pinched Stephanie¡¯s skin to remind her to behave herself. Overwhelmed by the pain, Stephanie forced herself to make a request to her father on Crispin¡¯s behalf. ¡°Dad, Crispin is so busy with his work now that we hardly see each other every day, so I think it¡¯d be best if he works in ourpany. That way, I can see him whenever I go to the office¡­ Before Stephanie could finish her sentence, Amanda stepped into the dining area and asked, ¡°He is just a teacher, and what¡¯s he going to do in ourpany? Teach?¡± What the heck is Amanda doing?! It looks like she is trying to stir up trouble here. Crispin furrowed his eyebrows, feeling annoyed. In the meantime, Amanda appeared to be holding a needle in her hand, and no one quite understood what she was trying to do. ¡°Why are you holding a needle, Amanda? Is there something you need to sew?¡± Edith was the first who noticed the needle in Amanda¡¯s hand. Amanda sat down beside Crispin and smiled. ¡°Oh, nothing. Actually, I found this on the floor and was wondering who dropped it so carelessly. Imagine if Aiden identally pricked his hand or something¡± ¡°What?¡± Jack furrowed his eyebrows unhappily. When Stephanie saw the needle, she subconsciously curled her fingers, her heart stabbed by a sting of pain. At the same time, her mind was flooded with images of Crispin torturing her, which filled her with tears. ¡°Are you alright, Stephanie?¡± Edith quickly noticed something wrong with her daughter. The next second, Amanda directly poked the back of Crispin¡¯s hand with the needle, causing him to scream in agony. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°What the heck is this?!¡± Jack stood up immediately.eyes Amanda looked at Crispin with an innocent expression and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but a tough man like you should be able to tolerate this. Aren¡¯t I right? Come on, I¡¯m sure you can do this better than a woman.¡± Jack reacted with a poker face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Amanda? Where are your manners?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do this on purpose, Dad. It¡¯s not like Crispin is going to get mad at me for that, right?¡± Amanda spoke in a cocky manner. Crispin reluctantly endured the pain and pulled the needle out of the back of his hand, responding with a smile. ¡°Of course not. Why would I do that?¡± Meanwhile, Stephanie, who saw that, secretly chuckled, knowing Amanda was trying to stand up for her. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Good, I knew my brother-inw was a magnanimous man.¡± Amanda gave a sarcastic reply in an attempt to intentionally provoke Crispin. Now, this is what a man without chivalry will get for bullying a defenselessdy! Have a taste of your own medicine, Crispin! ¡°Anyway, I have a meeting to attendter, so I¡¯d like to excuse myself now if I may. As for the question of whether Crispin should join ourpany, it seems to me that his job as a university lecturer is a pretty fulfilling career. After all, teaching is a noble profession, as well as the most fundamental essence of education. If he enters ourpany, he is probably going to be bored,¡± Jack answered, thinking there was no suitable position for Crispin to take on should he join hispany. As soon as Jack finished his words and left the dining area, Edith rose from her seat as well. ¡°Enjoy your meal, folks. I have an appointment with my friends.¡± Soon, the dining area was left with only three of them in it. Thus, Crispin dropped his pretense and asked, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Amanda folded her arms and looked at the man with contempt. ¡°Nothing, plus I told you it was ant ident, didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t tell me a man like you can¡¯t take that.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re not afraid I¡¯d tell Elias about your affair with that man fast night.¡± ¡°Oh, please go ahead. I dare you to do so, for doing that is only going to grant your death wish even sooner. That man you think I was meetingst night is definitely not someone to be trifled with. Once Elias returns, I¡¯m going to tell him the evil deeds that Crispin hasmitted so that he can be driven away from the Allegra Family as soon as possible. Wait, what? That man she met is not someone to be trifled with, huh? Crispin was stunned. Who¡¯s the big shot she met secretly? ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡ªif you even dare toy a finger on my sister, I¡¯m going to give you the best acupuncture treatment ever. Try me if you don¡¯t believe it.¡± Amanda made herself clear and stood firmly, showing no fear toward Crispin¡¯s oppression. ¡°Your sister is going to pay the price of your belligerence. I¡¯m going to¡­.¡± Crispin swallowed his words, although he was initially going to threaten Amanda with Stephanie¡¯s sex tape. After all, if the Allegra Family knew what he had done to Stephanie, they would cast him out of the family. ¡°What are you going to do? Spit it!¡± Amanda was waiting for Crispin to reveal his intentions. ¡°Nothing.¡± Crispin suppressed his anger with a smile, knowing it wouldn¡¯t do him any good if he got on Amanda¡¯s wrong side at that moment. Therefore, he seized Stephanie¡¯s hand and left the dining area. As soon as they exited the dining area, Crispin red at Stephanie and threatened her, saying, ¡°How dare youin to Amanda?! Do you really think she can save you? Even if she can save you, there is nothing she can do about the tape I have.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tell her anything. She found it out herself, I swear. It wasn¡¯t me!¡± Stephanie reacted with panic her eyes filled with horror. ¡°If you¡¯re scared now, good! Keep it that way. I want you to know that I¡¯ll do my worst if I have to.¡± To Crispin, Stephanie was the only person he could keep under his thumb, as well as his ace in the hole. On the other hand, Yacob came to Aiden¡¯s school to pick him up but had to wait for a few moments. before the kid finally showed up. ¡°Let me help you.¡± Yacob volunteered to help Aiden carry his bag. Aiden pouted in response. ¡°Why is it you again? Where is Dad? Why is he still not here yet? He is always a liar¡­¡± ¡°He is going to be back soon. Probably in a few more days,¡± Yacob answered with a smile. At that moment, a car stopped right in front of them. As soon as the driver opened the door, a handsome man stepped out of the vehicle. Once he made his presence felt, he radiated a dominant aura so strong that it drew Yacob and Aiden¡¯s attention. Who is that guy? He doesn¡¯t seem like a regr person. Despite his best effort to ce that face. Yacob still failed to recall who that person might be. ¡°How old are you?¡± Symeon ignored Yacob and directed his attention to Aiden. Aiden looked up, fixing his gaze on the man. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Mr. Mills. I want Mommy.¡± Aiden then seized Yacob¡¯s hand as he couldn¡¯t wait to leave. With that, Yacob carried the child and looked at the man before him, whereupon he made his way toward the car. In the meantime, Symeon didn¡¯t stop them from leaving as he set his eyes on the child in Yacob¡¯s arms. At that moment, Aiden pulled a smug face at him mischievously while Symeon watched in amusement. ¡°Does that kid look like me?¡± He asked the bodyguard right beside him, chuckling. The guard was stunned since he was not able to give an answer, considering how brief his encounter with Aiden was. ¡°Um¡­ I think he looks more like his mother. The guard was quick on his feet enough to think. of a safe answer as he couldn¡¯t find any traits that suggested any sort of resemnce between Symeon and Aiden. Symeon carefully recalled Aiden¡¯s boyish appearance and nodded. ¡°Yeah, he looks like his mom. After all, she¡¯s the one who gave birth to him.¡± Chatper 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 I Miss You, Amanda After getting into the car, Aiden asked, ¡°Mr. Miller, who¡¯s that man back there? Do you know him?¡± ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t. I haven¡¯t even seen him before.¡± ¡°In that case, I think I did the right thing by not talking to him. After all, Mommy once said I shouldn¡¯t talk to strangers.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Yacob chuckled upon hearing the child¡¯s innocent response. ¡°Well, you did the right thing. When your dad gets back, I¡¯m sure he is going to reward you handsomely.¡± However, Aiden didn¡¯t seem happy with that as he replied with a grunt, ¡°I don¡¯t need a reward from him. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s taking him so long toe back. I hate him.¡± ¡°Your dad is busy, but he¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°No! No! No, I don¡¯t want to hear that¡­¡± Aiden covered his ears, feeling annoyed. Watching the kid¡¯s adamant attitude, Yacob shook his head as he began to notice the resemnce between the boy¡¯s temper and his father¡¯s. As the days went on, Amanda only spent her time staying in the Allegra Vi to avoid unwanted trouble. Whenever she had to leave home, she would only do so with Yacob¡¯spany. Deep down, she couldn¡¯t wait for Elias to return to her side despite knowing he had to take a few days off to take care of some important business in Esmos. Amanda was idling around in the rattan chair in her garden, where she was enjoying the peace and harmony that nature was bringing her. Nevertheless, the strange words that Symeon once said kept looping in her mind at the same time until she heard Aiden¡¯s voice. ¡°Mommy!¡± When she turned around, she immediately greeted her son with open arms, ¡°Hello, my little darling, I see that you¡¯re finished with your school.¡± ¡°Yes, Mommy. Let me tell you something. I saw a strange man today, and he asked me some questions, but I didn¡¯t answer them. I¡¯m a good boy, aren¡¯t I?¡± Aiden bragged about himself, expecting a compliment. from his mother. Amanda reacted by pecking the boy¡¯s cheek. ¡°That¡¯s very smart of you, my good boy! What strange man are you talking about, though?¡± ¡°He looked somewhat biracial, but I haven¡¯t seen his face before,¡± Yacob came closer and added. Upon hearing Yacob¡¯s words, Amanda widened her eyes. Could it have been Mr. Lawrence? How did he manage to find Aiden¡¯s kindergarten? Amanda then looked at Aiden and asked, ¡°What did that man ask you, Baby?¡± ¡°He asked me how old I was.¡± Amanda¡¯s face darkened, for she knew Lawrence had made his move. ¡°Aiden, I want you to stay away from that man from now on. Do you get me? No matter what kind of question he asks, you should never answer him. If you see him, just ignore him. Okay?¡± ¡°Alright, Mommy, I heard you. Now, I¡¯d like to use the bathroom.¡± ¡°Sure, go and look for Miss Selina. She¡¯ll take you to the bathroom.¡± Amanda let go of her son. While Aiden turned around and hurried toward the house, Yacob knitted his eyebrows upon noticing the darkened look on Amanda¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know that man?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t. Keep an eye on Aiden and make sure no one gets close to him!¡± Amanda said with a pair of furrowed eyebrows. ¡°Of course, but this man we met this afternoon seemed different. He looked like some kind of rich and powerful individual.¡± Yacob recalled the bodyguards and luxury cars around the man whom he and Aiden. met earlier that day. ¡°I don¡¯t care who he is. No strangers should be allowed to be anywhere near Aiden. Amanda walked away. in frustration as soon as she finished her sentence. Yacob, who was left behind, stood still and kept his eyes fixed on Amanda¡¯s silhouette. Deep down, he had. a feeling that Amanda knew that man, or she wouldn¡¯t have reacted so dramatically. Upon returning to the room, Amanda reached out for her phone and dialed Symeon¡¯s number. The phone call connected, and the man¡¯s maic voice sounded. ¡°So, you¡¯ve made up your mind, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Screw you! Who do you think you are, getting so close to my son?! How many times do I have to tell that he isn¡¯t your son?! What¡¯s wrong with you? Do you really like raising someone else¡¯s kid?¡± you Despite Amanda¡¯s mean attitude, the man on the other side of the phone wasn¡¯t piqued at all. Instead, he responded to her words with patience, saying, ¡°You must be waiting for Elias toe back, right? Let me tell you something-he is busy taking care of the issues I left him over there, so he is not going to be back. anytime soon.¡± ¡°What? What have you done?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just stirred up a little trouble with his projects to keep him upied. By the time he is done. dealing with those issues, I¡¯ll be gone with the kid.¡± ¡°How dare you?!¡± Amanda hung up the call as she refused to waste more time talking to Symeon. What should I do now? After a brief contemtion, she quickly decided to give Elias a call. However, the phone. without anyone picking up the call for a while, but just as Amanda was about to end the call, someone answered the phone. rang ¡°Hey, Amanda. Is everything alright?¡± The noise in the background suggested that Elias was in the middle. of a meeting. ¡°Are you in the middle of something now? If you are, I¡¯ll call you backter. I can wait,¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to worsen Elias¡¯ mood with some bad news, knowing he was busy with work. Thus, she was thinking of telling him about it after he returned. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just tell me what it is. I won¡¯t be done so soon anyway.¡± Elias sounded tired from the other side. of the phone. ¡°Have you been up all night?¡± Amanda was sympathetic, believing Elias hadn¡¯t slept the night before after calcting the difference in time zones. It should be morning over there in Esmos. ¡°Yeah, something came up, and I had to attend to it. I didn¡¯t have time to sleep. The man could be heard. typing in the background while talking to Amanda. In the end, Amanda¡¯s pity got the better of her, and it dissuaded her from telling Elias the truth. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing. I just missed you, but since you¡¯re so busy, I guess I shall leave you to it. Call me back when you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°Yeah, I miss you too, but I¡¯m really busy at the moment. Maybe I¡¯ll call you backter.¡± Elias chuckled as his voice indicated just how happy he was to hear Amanda say that to him. ¡°Sure. Take good care of yourself, and take your meals punctually.¡± ¡°I really miss you, Amanda. I¡¯ll call you backter, okay? I can¡¯t listen to your voice anymore. If I keep doing that, I¡¯m going to lose focus at work.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talkter, then.¡± Amandaughed softly and hung up the call before letting out a sigh. Knowing how busy Elias was with his work, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to add to his pressure by unknowingly creating a distraction. Lawrence is like a demon that hides in the dark. There is no telling when he will show up again. Moreover, I can¡¯t believe he actually found Aiden¡¯s kindergarten. Now, it looks like there is no safer ce than home for us both. Aiden must never go to school. It¡¯s safer for him to stay at home with me. For the next few days, Amanda and Aiden stayed home without going anywhere, which made Yacob, along with Jack and Edith, bewildered when they noticed this. ¡°Amanda, why haven¡¯t you headed down to your office? Also, why hasn¡¯t Aiden gone to school?¡± Jack gave in to his curiosity and asked when everyone settled down at the dining table. While serving Aiden¡¯s dish, Amanda replied, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been nning to take a break, actually. Furthermore, I can afford to take a few days off work, knowing our family can keep me fed anyway. Don¡¯t you think so? As for Aiden, he¡¯s caught a cold for the past few days, so I¡¯d like to take good care of him. while I¡¯m around.¡± Chatper 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 That¡¯s What Love Is Like Aiden looked up and fixed his gaze upon Jack¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for Dad toe home. Mom says once he is back, we can go out and y together.¡± As soon as they all heard the child¡¯s words, suspicion arose within them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Jack asked. Amanda helplessly closed her eyes, secretlyining about her son¡¯s indiscretion to herself. Nheless, she still smiled and answered, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just an excuse because I¡¯m toozy to take him. out.¡± While Jack continued with his meal without saying a single word, Crispin, who was quietly listening all this while, seemed to notice something wrong Is Amanda afraid of that man in Sacred Heart Vi? This can be my leverage against her, but Amanda doesn¡¯t seem to be afraid right now. So, the question is- how can I use that leverage to my advantage? Not long after that, Jack asked, ¡°By the way, Amanda, the contract of our legal advisor is expiring soon, and we haven¡¯t found a suitable candidate yet. Thus, would you like to consider this offer? After all, I think you have what it takes to nail it.¡± The moment Crispin heard Jack¡¯s words, his face changed. It was then that he finally understood that Amanda was the reason Jack had been keeping him from joining hispany. So, I guess I will never gain Jack¡¯s trust even after I¡¯ve be his son-inw. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can manage it, Dad. I¡¯m already the legal advisor of Winters Enterprise, and I think being the legal advisor for twopanies at the same time is going to pressure me a lot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a part of our family, and I doubt there is anyone else better for me to ce my faith in when it comes to this offer. So, please don¡¯t turn me down.¡± Jack was getting more and more convinced that Amanda had the potential to be his heir, feeling impressed with her mature thinking and excellent managerial skills. In the end, Amanda helplessly agreed to her father¡¯s offer, although she could tell that Jack was trying to pave the way for her to join hispany. Meanwhile, Stephanie, who was watching that, could only envy her sister. While Amanda was a professional and famouswyer in the industry, Stephanie was starting to regret her initial decision to study dance. After all, there was no suitable position for her in Jack¡¯spany, given her qualification. After the meal, Crispin returned to the room with Stephanie and gave her a terrible scolding. ¡°Look at yourself. Do you have any idea how much your qualification sucks? You could barely help out with anything at all in your father¡¯spany. For that, there is nothing else we can do besides watching her join your father¡¯s business empire. Can¡¯t you see it? Your father is investing his resources in your sister!¡± Crispin was mad despite his inability to change the situation. ¡°So what? Thatpany belongs to our family in the first ce, so what¡¯s wrong with Amanda joining it? Why do you want to get into my father¡¯spany so desperately anyway?¡± Crispin reacted with a snigger and said, ¡°Do you seriously think I¡¯m going to be happy with what I have now? Let me get this straight with you¨CI want to be more than just the Allegra Family¡¯s son-in- law.¡± The man changed his clothes and made his way to school to start off his day after finishing his words. As Stephanie heard the sound of the door being closed, she copsed onto the ground, her eyes filled with panicky emotions. Crispin¡­ He is eyeing the Allegra Family¡¯s legacy and fortune¡­ Oh god, what kind of person have I brought into our family? In the meantime, Amanda apanied Aiden in the garden where the child was so engrossed in ying. with his excavator ride. He then told Amanda that he wanted to be an excavator operator when he grew up, leaving his mother speechless. Soon, Crispin walked closer to the duo and said, ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what Aiden loves ying. Well, he is a boy. so that shouldn¡¯t be surprising at all, I guess.¡± As Amanda ignored him and focused on her instead, Crispin walked closer to her and added, ¡°You haven¡¯t really left home at all recently. Is it all because of the man at Sacred Heart Vi?¡± Amanda continued to ignore Crispin as she walked toward the rattan chair and sat down, taking a sip of tea from her cup. In response to thedy¡¯s indifference, Crispin smiled and answered, ¡°Oh, it looks like I guessed it right. Who is that man? Why are you so afraid of him that you won¡¯t leave home?¡± ¡°Oh, dear Crispin, why are you still worrying about me even when you¡¯re going to be in huge trouble soon?¡± Amanda intentionally intimidated Crispin, wanting the man to put a stop to his nonsense and get out of her hair. As Amanda expected, Crispin began to turn panicky, squinting. ¡°What do you mean? Why would I be in huge trouble?¡± ¡°Do you seriously think your n is wless and perfect? Or do you think my dad really trusts you without question? If he really trusts you, why didn¡¯t he let you into hispany? Haha¡­¡± Amanda intentionally didn¡¯t finish her sentence, leaving Crispin hanging and guessing her message. She then rose from her seat and walked up to Aiden. ¡°Aiden, drink some water. It¡¯s so hot today, and you don¡¯t want to end up getting a heatstroke.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Aiden certainly enjoyed his time ying in the garden, but as he was sweating profusely, he began to feel thirsty and decided to get off his excavator. On the other hand, Crispin found himselfbewildered and puzzled, wondering what Jack actually thought of him. Is he starting to suspect me for something? But I didn¡¯t do anything wrong to him, did I? Amanda¡¯s words sessfully made Crispin doubt himself and overwhelmed him with a strong sense of insecurity. Meanwhile, Elias could finally have a good sleep after a long day. After returning to his estate in New Montana, he swiftly took a shower and copsed onto the bed. While he could have gone ahead and slept. until dawn, he thought about the call that Amanda gave him earlier that day, which put a smile on his face Therefore, he endured his exhaustion and grabbed his phone, giving Amanda a call. A few momentster, the call was answered, followed by Amanda¡¯szy voice. ¡°Why are you calling at this hour? It should be midnight over there.¡± ¡°Yup, I was going to sleep, but then I missed you too much.¡± ¡°So, how was everything? Good?¡± Amanda chuckled on the other side of the phone. ¡°Yeah, I think so. At least I can finally heave a sigh of relief, although I still have some unfinished business to take care of in the next few days. How is our son doing? Is he mad at me?¡± ¡°Of course he is. He is calling you a liar who always fails to keep his promise. He doesn¡¯t even want to talk to you anymore.¡± Amanda¡¯s voice sounded so coquettish that it was almost too confusing for Elias to tell whether she wasining or ying on his sympathy. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that.¡± Elias chuckled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I may give in to my temptation and fly back immediately just to pin you down in bed.¡± As Amanda responded with silence, the manughed even louder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared?¡± ¡°Why should I? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen that before.¡± Amanda¡¯s face blushed in embarrassment, but because they were talking to each other over the phone, she was grateful that Elias couldn¡¯t see her expression at that moment. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, really? Then I guess I¡¯ming back right away now.¡± Eliasughed happily. ¡°Come on, be serious, would you? You¡¯re already a father, and you ought to start taking things more seriously.¡± ¡°So? That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t get turned on, does it? I¡¯m merely just falling for thedy love, and what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to hear something like that from you, Elias.¡± Amanda was stunned because she didn¡¯t think a nonchnt man like Elias would flirt with her. So, that¡¯s how he¡¯s like being in love¡­. Chatper 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Elias Is Back When Elias heard that, he was stunned for a second. I didn¡¯t think something like that woulde out of my mouth either. Amanda. You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve ever said something like that to. ¡°What¡¯s with the silence?¡± Amanda asked. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think I would say something like that either. If you want to hear more of that, I could always say that to you.¡± While Elias would never flirt with another woman like that, he had no problem doing that to Amanda. ¡°Such a sweet-talker¡­ I don¡¯t like a man who flirts. So, when are youing back?¡± Amanda quickly changed the subject. ¡°Maybe another 3 to 4 days. What¡¯s wrong? Is there something urgent?¡± Elias lit up the cigarette in his mouth and took a puff on it. On the other hand, Amanda¡¯s eyes darkened when she heard Elias¡¯ response. 3 to 4 more days? Oh man, why is this taking so long? I wish Elias could know that I dare not leave home until he is back. Despite the thought of that, Amanda refused to add to Elias¡¯ worry, knowing he was stressed enough with his work. After all, she knew Elias would immediately rush back home if she told him about their current situation. If he did that, his work and hispany¡¯s image would be affected, which was not something that Amanda wanted. ¡°Aiden and I will be waiting for you. We¡¯ll see you home once you¡¯re done with your work. Have a good rest for now. I bet you still have to wake up early tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Sure, babe. Send me a text message before you hit the hay. I want to know that you go to bed safe and sound. ¡°Alright.¡± Amanda smiled helplessly and hung up the call, ready to take a shower. However, just when she entered the bathroom, she received a call from Symeon. After a brief hesitation, she reluctantly decided to answer it. ¡°Why did you call?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay home until Elias returns?¡± The man on the other side of the phone mocked Amanda, finding her actionughable. Amanda leaned on the doorframe and replied, ¡°That¡¯s because I want to stay home. What are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°What about your son? Doesn¡¯t he need to go to school? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re ruining his academics?¡± ¡°He is still just in kindergarten. It¡¯s not like taking a few days off is going to ruin his future. Thanks for asking, although I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡± Amanda wanted to hang up the call right away, but Symeon said, ¡°Despite your persistent denial that your child isn¡¯t mine, the evidence found all suggest that I¡¯rn indeed the father. Thus, I don¡¯t understand why you keep denying the truth because it¡¯s simply meaningless.¡± ¡°Do you mean that fake DNA report? I don¡¯t believe it. When Elias returns, I¡¯m going to make sure he does a paternity test for further verification. Moreover, what other evidence do you have besides your paternity test report?¡± ¡°I found a witness who saw you entering my room in that hotel anding out in a disheveled What do you think about that? manner. Amanda was stunned when she heard Symeon¡¯s words. Wait, what? ¡°I must say I¡¯m really impressed, Mr. Lawrence. I never thought you could distort the whole story with so much fake evidence, as if your fabricated lies were the truth. Phew, I should be grateful that I¡¯m rational and calm enough at the moment, or I would have fallen for his words easily. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to believe in me, but I¡¯ve already sent the video to your email inbox. Check it out if you¡¯re interested. As for the other evidence, I¡¯m still in the midst of gathering them, but thus far, the most convincing one is the DNA paternity test report, which you won¡¯t believe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. Like hell I¡¯m going to buy that, unless you do another paternity test in Cludan.¡± Who the heck is going to believe some DNA paternity test report that¡¯s fully in Esmorian? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me! ¡°Well, since you said so, I¡¯ll do as you wish, but what if the result is just the way I thought it would be? Would you still deny it?¡± Amanda replied in a serious manner, ¡°If your DNA test report that is done in Cludan confirms your biological rtionship with Aiden, I¡¯ll give him back to you with no question, but that will never happen. 1 was the one who gave birth to my son, so, of course, I know who the father is!¡± What a joke! Elias is, of course, Aiden¡¯s father! No one else but him! ¡°Alright, remember your promise then. Cludanians don¡¯t break their promises.¡± Amanda paused and responded by mocking Symeon. ¡°You¡¯re a fast learner, aren¡¯t you? I never thought you¡¯d know our traditional virtues so well.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have to learn. I grew up in Cludan and only moved to Esmos when I grew older.¡± What am I doing? I shouldn¡¯t be wasting time chatting with this man! At the thought of that, Amanda indifferently hung up the call. She then stood in front of the basin and looked at herself in the mirror. telling herself that she must hang in there until Elias returned. Otherwise, Symeon could abduct her and threaten Elias with that. The Lawrence Family is not someone to be trifled with. For the next four days, Amanda continued to stay home with her son as she intended until Elias returned. ¡°I¡¯m going to the airport to pick Elias up. Would you like toe with me?¡± Yacob asked. ¡°Yes, I have something to tell him. Let¡¯s set off right away Amanda agreed without hesitation, thinking she must also bring her son along. Thus, she searched the house for Aiden until she found him ying with his Lego. ¡°Aiden, we¡¯re heading to the airport now. Dad ising back.¡± Nevertheless, Aiden reacted indifferently as he grunted coldly and continued to y with his toys. Then. Amanda walked up to him and rubbed his head. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you, Aiden. Why are you grunting like a piglet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a piglet, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t grunt. Dad didn¡¯t keep his promise, and I don¡¯t like him for that.¡± Aiden was mad at Elias for not returning home within three days as he had promised. ¡°Dad was busy, but now he is back, plus he brought you a present, so aren¡¯t you curious to find out what it is? ¡°But¡­ I still hate Dad for not keeping his promise.¡± Amanda then crouched down and coaxed her son. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to meet your Dad and make him apologize to you, right? Give him a chance, would you?¡± ¡°Fine. Aiden acted like he was forced to tag along. At the same time, Yacob, who witnessed the boy¡¯s reaction, helplessly shook his head, thinking Elias would be so disappointed if he could see Aiden¡¯s expression. Soon, the three of them made their way to the airport. An hourter, they arrived at their destination and waited for Elias to show up. When the man finally showed up at the arrival gate, Amanda¡¯s eyes lit up because she was able to quickly spot him among the crowd. ¡°Come on, Aiden. It¡¯s Dad. He is out. Amanda kept encouraging Aiden to greet Elias, but the kid was still angry. Thus, he only stood still in ce with his arms folded, responding with a cold grunt. Amanda shrugged her shoulders at Elias and silently spoke by puckering her lips. ¡°Your son is mad.¡± After seeing Amanda¡¯s reaction, Elias immediately knew what was going on. He then curled his lips. upward and walked up to Aiden, whereupon he carried him in his arms. ¡°I heard some kid is angry with his dad. Let me see who he is. Hmm?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Aiden jutted his chin belligerently without looking at his father. Chatper 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Your Son Is Still Mad at You When Amanda saw her son¡¯s reaction, she secretly chuckled in amusement. Oh, I can¡¯t believe my son has quite a temper. ¡°Look at our son. It seems that he doesn¡¯t want to talk to me.¡± Elias helplessly gazed at Amanda, comining to his wife in an adorable tone. In the meantime, Yacob couldn¡¯t help but have goosebumps running all over his skin when he saw that. What¡¯s with Mr. Winters? Why does he sound like a kid? Am I seeing things? Or is he out of his mind? While Yacob¡¯s eyes were filled with doubts, Elias gave him a cold re and said, ¡°Step aside if you can¡¯t stand it.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ I¡¯m used to it, Mr. Winters.¡± Yacob smiled. Amandaughed in amusement when she saw the funny interaction between Elias and Yacob, finding them interesting. In the meantime, Aiden made a loud grunt when he realized he had been neglected. Elias looked at his own son in his arms, smiling lovingly, ¡°You have my attention, but is this a reminder for me to coax you?¡± ¡°Hmph! You broke your promise. You¡¯re not a good father.¡± Aiden gave in to his temper and spoke, although he was initially reluctant to talk to Elias at all, ¡°But I brought you a present. Would you take a look at it?¡± Elias knitted his eyebrows. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want it!¡± Aiden responded with an adamant attitude. Amanda then poked her son¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Give your father a chance to apologize. I thought we talked about this at home.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any present at all. I don¡¯t think he prepared any either.¡± In fact, Aiden had been paying attention to anything that might seem like a present from the moment Elias showed up, only to fail to notice anything noteworthy. Amanda then turned her attention to Elias and asked, ¡°Are you trying to lie to my son? Where is his present?¡± Elias then turned around and gazed at his assistant. ¡°Where is my present? I thought I told you to hold it for me.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s right here. I almost forgot about it.¡± Elias¡¯ assistant smiled awkwardly and quickly brought the present to Elias. Although Amanda couldn¡¯t see clearly what that present was, she noticed her son¡¯s desperate reaction as he hurried to check out his present and eximed in excitement. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that kids love it.¡± Elias reacted with a chuckle. Soon, the smile on Amanda¡¯s face faded away when she received a phone call from Symeon. Not him again. She immediately hung up the call and looked at Elias, as well as Yacob. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the estate. 1 have something I¡¯d like to tell you all about.¡± Elias and Yacob exchanged gazes in puzzlement, but they didn¡¯t ask Amanda anything because they reckoned they would find out more soon enough. Upon arrival at Winters Estate, Aiden was taken by the butler elsewhere so that he could y by himself. After all, it had been a while since thest time he was there. On the other hand, the three adults made their way to theke, where they decided to have their discussion held. ¡°Now, what is it that you want to tell us?¡± Elias sat down on the bench and waited for Amanda to talk. Amanda deliberated for a moment, wondering where she should start telling Elias and Yacob the story. At the same time, she was worried that Elias would get angry after hearing her story, fearing he would sumb to his temper and do something reckless. She then looked at Yacob and said, ¡°You should sit down as well. I¡¯m thinking about how I should start telling the story.¡± ¡°Me? As Mr. Winters¡¯ subordinate, I think it¡¯s better for me to stand because I doubt I deserve to sit side by side with him.¡± ¡°I said sit down. I can¡¯t think with you on your feet. What I¡¯m going to tell you both is noughing matter, and I need you to restrain Elias if he gets too mad because I don¡¯t want him to do anything silly.¡± Amanda sounded frustrated. Yacob was seen with a confused look on his face when he saw Amanda acting so mysteriously. Although he could tell that Amanda had been hiding something inside of her for the past few days, it seemed to him that whatever she was going to tell them was serious. Meanwhile, Elias was already seen with a darkened face, thinking he should have known that something. had would happen to him away from home. However, Amanda chose to keep him in the dark until he returned. ¡°Now, just sit down and keep quiet.¡± Yacob obediently sat down beside Elias, whereupon the two men fixed their eyes upon Amanda and waited for her to talk. ¡°Now, tell us what happened.¡± Elias looked at Amanda. ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t get mad. The reason I¡¯m bringing this matter up is that I want all of us to think of a solution together, so you need to stay calm. Okay?¡± Amanda shuddered at the thought of her imagination in which Elias angrily barged into Sacred Heart Vi to murder Symeon. Meanwhile, Elias was beginning to feel more annoyed as Amanda behaved indecisively. ¡°So, are you going to tell us or not?¡± He was overwhelmed by his impatience. ¡°Now, promise me that you¡¯ll stay calm, okay? Please.¡± Amanda still appeared hesitant because she had a strong feeling that Elias would sumb to his emotions and temper. ¡°Alright, I promise you. Now, talk, Elias answered with a darkened look. Amanda looked at Yacob, who was sitting beside Elias. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to restrain him.¡± Yacob responded by giving Amanda a firm look, as if he was telling her to stop wasting time and tell them what happened. Amanda then cleared her throat and took a few seconds to organize the story in her mind. After that, she went on to speak in a euphemistic manner. ¡°Here is what it is. I believe you guys know the Lawrence Family from Esmos, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Elias knitted his eyebrows. Although he had met Symeon, the new heir of the Lawrence Family, a few times, they were not close to each other. At the same time, Yacob also held his breath, looking forward to what Amanda would say next. After a brief hesitation, Amanda eventually decided to speak her mind in order to prevent any unwanted misunderstanding. ¡°Um. The mysterious and famous heir hase to Cludan for me¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± Elias couldn¡¯t wait to hear the truth, but Amanda still seemed hesitant and indecisive as she revealed what had happened. Amandacked the courage to look her husband in the eye but eventually decided to go ahead and tell the truth. ¡°This heir went through the record in the hospital where I gave birth to Aiden in Esmos four years ago, insisting he was his son as he wanted to take him away with him. He then tried to convince me that their biological rtionship was real by presenting a DNA paternity test report, which was done in Esmos. That¡¯s all.¡± After finishing thest few words, Amanda didn¡¯t notice any response from the two men, even thinking she might have spoken so fast that she left them confused. However, the moment she looked up, she immediately saw Elias¡¯ darkened face, knowing he was going to lose his cool anytime. ¡°What the f*ck!¡± The man swore just as Yacob quickly seized his arm. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey said you have to stay calm.¡± ¡°Come on! Could you really stay calm if you were in my ce? I gave you a task to protect them, but you didn¡¯t seem to know about that at all, did you?!¡± Elias was so angry that he was tempted to murder Symeon. It was then that Yacob recalled the man he met when he picked Aiden up at school. That man Aiden and I ran into that day. Is he the Lawrence Family¡¯s heir? He is the biracial guy you¡¯re talking about, isn¡¯t he?¡± Yacob asked, looking at Amanda. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Amanda nodded, shuddering at the thought of their encounter that day. If Yacob hadn¡¯t been around, my baby would have been taken, wouldn¡¯t he? Chatper 388 Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Jealousy Soon, Elias flipped out and rose from his seat. ¡°Damn it! How dare he get so close to my son!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I brought this matter up to you guys so that we can all think of a solution together. What should we do now? That guy seems to think that Aiden is his son, but that¡¯s impossible. You, of all people, should know that, Amanda replied helplessly. After all, she had already exined to Symeon countless times but to no avail, because the man still insisted that he was Aiden¡¯s father. A question suddenly shed through Elias¡¯ mind as he turned around and looked at Amanda. ¡°Why does he keep thinking that Aiden is his son? Did you get in touch with him when you spent those few years in Esmos? What happened between the two of you?¡± Elias was overwhelmed by a sting of pain at the thought of that possibility. ¡°How am I supposed to know that? I only heard about him when I was in Esmos, and that was all! There was no chance for us to get in touch with each other. Furthermore, why would a big and prestigious family like the Lawrences be interested in a rookiewyer like me? What are you talking about?!¡± Amanda was annoyed because she didn¡¯t expect Elias to doubt her, although the real purpose of bringing that matter up was to discuss the matter with him. As the atmosphere began to grow a little tense and awkward, Yacob stood up and interfered with a fake cough. ¡°Miss Bailey, you said Mr. Lawrence presented a DNA paternity test report to prove his biological rtionship with Mr. Aiden, but since we all know that¡¯s impossible, that means that report must be fake, which begs the question-who counterfeited that report?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well. There must be a mastermind behind all this, and whoever that is must have led Symeon to me. Furthermore, he insisted that thedy he slept with four years ago was me, iming he had conducted a long investigation before he found that out. Then, he said he had been observing my life as a single mother over the past 4 years, even hoping I would go to him with our son one day, but I came back to Cludan instead. Thus, he made his move and came for me.¡± Amanda carefully recalled every word Symeon said, thinking there was nothing she had missed. It seems that Symeon was already sure Aiden was his son in the beginning, but why? As she got more and more engrossed in telling her story, she unknowingly forgot about Elias feelings. As Elias¡¯ face darkened more and more, Yacob, who was afraid a conflict would happen, quickly gave an excuse and left the area, ¡°Um. I think I should check on Mr. Aiden. He is probably hungry now or something.¡± He finished his words and walked away. In the meantime, Elias sniggered in a jealous manner, fixing his gaze on Amanda¡¯s expression as she tried. hard to recall every detail. Then, thedy snapped out of her trance and asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Deep down, she couldn¡¯t understand why Elias would snigger because his wife and son were in potential danger. ¡°So, you said Symeon had been observing you for thest four years, right?¡± In fact, Elias had no idea where Amanda was in those four years. Besides, he didn¡¯t know what Amanda was doing and was unaware of their son¡¯s existence, which was what made him even angrier when he thought about the possibility that Symeon had been watching his wife all this time. Amanda couldn¡¯t refute Elias¡¯ argument. What he says kind of makes sense¡­ Nevertheless, the man¡¯s jealousy got the better of him shortly after. ¡°If there was really nothing between the two of you, then why did he say that you were the woman he slept with four years ago?!¡± Elias gritted his teeth, questioning his wife angrily. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°H-How am I supposed to know that? I¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t know what to say, wondering what Elias was doing. Why is he interrogating me like I¡¯m being tried? ||| r ¡°What are you talking about, Elias?! You, of all people, should know whose son Aiden is. Don¡¯t you think so? Why would you doubt me for that?! I didn¡¯t sleep with any other man in those four years, and when we divorced, I was already pregnant! I was pregnant when I left the country. Before we divorced, I was crazy over you, but you wouldn¡¯t even look at me. So, do you really think I had time to do something like that? Where is the trust you have in me?!¡± Amanda was in a rage, thinking she shouldn¡¯t have brought that matter up with Elias because that would only make her more anxious and angrier. Amanda¡¯s words were like a bucket of cold water sshed at Elias. Yeah, Aiden is my son, and I know that. We did a DNA test to confirm that. Furthermore, before Amanda and I divorced, she did everything she was supposed to as a dutiful wife, not to mention the fact that she didn¡¯t do anything wrong to me at all. Therefore, there was no way she would have slept with any other man in those four years. At the thought of that, Eliasughed at himself for his foolishness and meaningless rage, finding his fickle emotions a little ironic. He then walked closer to Amanda to hug her, speaking in a deep voice. I¡¯m sorry. I lost my mind¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I shouldn¡¯t have brought this matter up to you. The reason I¡¯m telling you all this is that I don¡¯t want to face that man alone, but at the same time, I was also afraid that you¡¯d get the wrong idea about my rtionship with Symeon after hearing my story. If you¡¯re going to misunderstand one way or another, then I should have kept this to myself in the first ce! I don¡¯t need your help to protect my son!¡± Amanda turned around and stomped off without looking back. Elias then seized Amanda¡¯s wrist and pulled her into his arms, refusing to let her go, no matter how hard. she struggled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amanda¡­ Listen to me. I. I was just jealous.¡± In the end, the man confessed and admitted his jealousy. While Amanda reacted with a cold grunt and continued to ignore the man, Elias had his arms wrapped. around her and said, ¡°I was busy in Esmos in the past few days, but whenever I was free, I would think of you, and I couldn¡¯t help it. Then, when I came back, the first thing I heard from you was that news before we even had a chance to share an intimate moment. So, I just couldn¡¯t help but sumb to my emotions. After all, I can¡¯t stand imagining Symeon watching you in the shadows in those 4 years.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point? I didn¡¯t know he was watching me either. I didn¡¯t even know his existence to begin with.¡± ¡°Alright, I get you. It was my fault, Amanda. I¡¯m sorry. Please talk to me, would you?¡± Elias hugged Amanda tightly in his arms, afraid that he would lose her once again. In fact, Amanda would hate to get mad because it was hard for her to stand up to Symeon alone, which was why she needed Elias to help her. After all, Aiden was indeed their son. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you and our son and keep you both from anyone who would harm us. Believe me, okay?¡± Elias whispered gently in Amanda¡¯s ear, his breath tickling her ear. Amanda was helpless. ¡°Alright, I got you. Now, let me go. Your breath is making my ear really ticklish.¡± As Amanda tried to push the man away, Elias tightened his arms around even more, chuckling. ¡°What about now?¡± He then kissed her earlobe and added, ¡°I miss you, Amanda. I miss you so much.¡± Is this how a man who¡¯s in love behaves? Such a sweet talker. Amanda shoved the man away, her face blushing in embarrassment. ¡°Stop it right there. Your flirtatious words aren¡¯t going to work on me.¡± ¡°What is your desire then? I can do anything to please my beloved wife. Elias smiled mischievously. Chatper 389 Chapter 389 Chapter 389 A Preposition ¡°Beloved wife?¡± Amanda repeated those two words with contempt and added, ¡°For your information, we haven¡¯t remarried yet because you haven¡¯t done what you promised me.¡± Elias¡¯ face darkened. ¡°By the way, has Crispin been behaving himself for the past few days?¡± His husky voice was deep. ¡°You know he will never behave himself. What¡¯s worse is that I found out he¡¯s been abusing Stephanie. Thus, you need to act as soon as possible, or Stephanie can¡¯t hang in there much longer.¡± Oh,e on! Crispin is stirring up trouble as if things weren¡¯t bad enough. Elias put his hands in his pocket and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think Crispin was a man like that. After all, he seems to treat outsiders pretty politely, but when he is with the woman he loves, he abuses her. Stephanie must have fallen in love with a piece of crap.¡± ¡°Besides, Crispin is not satisfied with just being the Allegra Family¡¯s son-inw. His ultimate goal is to find a way to get into the Allegra Group.¡± Elias chuckled in response. ¡°A useless trash like him must have gone through a lot before he got this far. So, of course, he is not going to be satisfied with what he has now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a lot going on recently. Amanda appeared to be tired. ¡°I¡¯ve tracked down the hotel waiter, and I believe it won¡¯t be long until Crispin gets kicked out of the Allegra Family. Elias wrapped his arms around Amanda. Suddenly, something crossed Amanda¡¯s mind as she looked up. ¡°Wait a second! There is something I forgot to tell you about!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The reason Stephanie has been putting up with Crispin is because he has their sex tape. Therefore, he threatens to upload the video onto the inte whenever she tries to resist him. If the tape goes public, Stephanie¡¯s future is going to be ruined.¡± Damn! How could I forget about something so important? That¡¯s the most pressing issue because Stephanie will no longer fear that man only if the tape is gone. Elias knitted his eyebrows. ¡°He is even more terrible than a piece of sh*t!¡± Later that evening, Amanda returned to the Allegra Vi with Aiden, but Elias tagged along, much to the Allegra Family¡¯s surprise. ¡°Elias?¡± Jack came out to greet his grandson, but when he saw Elias, he couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised. -Before Jack could respond further, Amanda said with a smile, ¡°Dad, Elias is going to stay at our ce for a few days. Would that be okay? After all, there are so many vacant rooms in our house.¡± ¡°Yeah, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem, but where we are is pretty far from his office. Are you sure it won¡¯t be inconvenient for him?¡± Jack was confused, wondering what Elias was up to. Soon, Elias said, ¡°Mr. Allegra, I¡¯ve been away from Aiden for too long, and I want to keep himpany for a few days, but don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t impose on you for too long.¡± ¡°Just make yourselffortable. I was just afraid that you¡¯d bete for work. You¡¯re wee to stay with Aiden for as long as you want.¡± Jack carried Aiden in his arms with a smile on his face. Aiden looked at Jack and shed his present in excitement. ¡°Look, Grandpa! Dad bought me a present!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Hurry up and show it to me! Let¡¯s head upstairs and meet up with your grandma, okay?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jack then gazed at Amanda and said, ¡°Amanda, show Elias around the house so that he could pick the room he prefers. I¡¯m going to head upstairs with Aiden¡± ¡°Sure. Dad.¡± At that moment, Crispin happened to step out of the elevator just as he saw Elias right in front of him. Intimidated, he didn¡¯t think Elias woulde back so soon because he thought it would at least take him a few more weeks before he came back. ¡°Mr. Winters, are you staying here for the night?¡± Crispin asked probingly. Amanda answered with a smile, ¡°Not just for the night. He¡¯ll be staying with us for quite a while, in fact.¡± She then turned her attention to the man beside her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to take you upstairs for you to pick a room you like.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I sleep together with you?¡± Elias asked as if there was no one else around him. Amanda red at him and said, ¡°You wish!¡± In the meantime, Crispin stood in ce and watched their lovey-dovey interaction, thinking their chances of remarrying were pretty high. If they remarry, the first thing they¡¯re going to do is to get rid of me. No way! Foreseeing the trouble he would be in, Crispin reckoned he had to do something to save himself. Later that night, Simon was in his own vi, where he finished his shower and changed into his sleeping. robe. Upon pouring herself a ss of red wine, he was about to sit on the couch just when he heard someone knocking on the door. He then ced the ss on the table and answered the door, only to see his bodyguard at his doorstep. ¡°Sir, someone by the name of Crispin Coyote is here to see you. He said he¡¯s Miss Bailey¡¯s brother-inw.¡± Amanda¡¯s brother-inw? Symeon knitted his eyebrows in confusion, wondering what Crispin was seeing. him for. ¡°Tell him to wait downstairs.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Meanwhile, Crispin was sitting on the couch in the living room downstairs, silently waiting for the mysterious figure that he was going to meet. Although he had no idea who he would be seeing, he could tell that the man he was going to meet was not someone to be trifled with. Not long after that, Symeon walked down the stairs, gazing at Crispin with an indifferent expression as he was able to immediately recognize who that was. That¡¯s the man who tried to get physical with Amanda outside my vi. Haha! He must have a death wish toe all the way here to meet me. Symeon walked downstairs and sat down opposite Crispin, but thetter subconsciously stood up and greeted him respectfully, ¡°Nice to meet you, Sir. My name is Crispin Coyote, and I¡¯m Amanda Bailey¡¯s brother-inw.¡± ||| r ¡°To what do I owe you the pleasure?¡± Symeon looked at Crispin with a haughty expression, as if Crispin was his ve. Deep down, he had nothing but contempt for Crispin due to what he did to Amanda that day. Needless to say, Crispin was also able to tell how lightly Symeon thought of him. ¡°I don¡¯t know your name and where you¡¯re from, but I believe you have some sort of secret rtionship with my wife¡¯s sister, or she wouldn¡¯t be so scared of you.¡± ¡°Scared of me?¡± Symeon sniggered, doubting Amanda was really scared of him. After all, he didn¡¯t sense her fear because all she did was turn a deaf ear to his words. ¡°Excuse me, who am I speaking to Crispin asked. ¡°Lawrence.¡± Lawrence? Crispin hesitated for a second and smiled. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, Amanda hasn¡¯t left home for the past. few days with my nephew-inw. I wonder whether that has anything to do with you.¡± Crispin¡¯s voice clearly echoed through every corner of the estate. Symeon chuckled with his arms folded. ¡°What does that have to do with you? Are you here to stand up for her or to challenge me?¡± Despite his question, he believed Crispin didn¡¯t see him standing up for Amanda as he could still remember how he treated her that day. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m here to offer you a proposition. Would you ept it?¡± ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯m all ears,¡± Symeon responded calmly, acting like he was watching a clown¡¯s performance. Chatper 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 What¡¯s Your Issue With Amanda? Crispin was-secretly delighted when he thought that Lawrence had taken the bait. Now I must cause some trouble for Elias and Amanda, so they won¡¯t have time to meddle in my affairs. ¡°Of course, if we are going to cooperate, it¡¯s all down to your arrangements. After all, I still don¡¯t know what happened between you and Amanda and why she¡¯s so afraid of you.¡± He had been pondering this question for days, wanting to exploit it as leverage against Amanda. However, it seemed like she didn¡¯t care at all, so he couldn¡¯t understand why she would stay at home all day. It was only when Elias returned that Amanda dared to leave her house with the child. Crispin firmly believed that something was going on. Symeon remained silent as his gaze fixated on Crispin. The atmosphere grew awkward, and Crispin realized that Symeon wasn¡¯t willing to divulge his affairs. Crispin then decided not to pry too much. He would be d as long as he could use this man to hinder Amanda and Elias. you ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve asked too many questions. Here¡¯s the deal: I can be of service to you. I¡¯ll help with whatever need since I have convenient ess to the Allegra Residence,¡± Crispin offered. The crux of the matter was that he didn¡¯t know Lawrence¡¯s true intentions or goals, which made cooperation seemingly impossible. Symeon¡¯s deep eyes locked onto him for a while before asking, ¡°What¡¯s your issue with Amanda?¡± ¡°Not much. I¡¯m just a son-inw who married into their family. It¡¯s normal for her not to like me, but she¡¯s constantly going against me and trying to break me up with my wife. I can¡¯t tolerate that. I guess¡­ your goal is probably to get Amanda?¡± Crispin cautiously asked. There were only two possibilities for a man to be that persistent with a woman. Either he deeply loved. her, or he harbored intense hatred and wanted to seek revenge. Perhaps Amanda had betrayed Mr. Lawrence? Crispin had heard that she had spent four years abroad, making it quite possible. ¡°You¡¯re quite clever. However, I don¡¯t want her or the child. And if the child can¡¯t be separated from her, I can take both of them away, whether she likes it or not Symeon smiled. Crispin felt confused. Does he want the child? Wasn¡¯t the child Elias? Why did he want Elias¡¯ child? ¡°Sorry for prying, but do you know whose child it is? You¡¯re here to take Elias¡¯ child, and it won¡¯t be easy.¡± Crispin couldn¡¯t grasp Lawrence¡¯s intentions at the moment. Symeon sneered coldly and replied in an icy tone, ¡°What about taking away my own child?¡± Crispin¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Symeon with disbelief. ¡°You mean¡­ Aiden is¡­ your child? Not Elias?¡± He had stumbled upon a huge scandal which was a shocking revtion. Amanda has cuckolded Elias! The child is Mr. Lawrence¡¯s! Symeon, who wasn¡¯t surprised by his shocked expression, exined in a low voice, ¡°Do you still want to cooperate with me? How can you be of use when Armanda seems to dislike you, and won¡¯t allow you near her child? How will you be able to help me?¡± Clearly, Simon didn¡¯t regard Crispin as anything more than a clown. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, we can cooperate. I can help you get the child! I understand your feelings. That¡¯s your child, and leaving the child in such circumstances is uneptable!¡± Crispin dered. He had firmly resolved to tread through these murky waters. He was determined to intervene as long as it meant he could destroy Amanda and Elias. Symeon simply stared at him and didn¡¯t respond. Crispin knew his mere words couldn¡¯t prove his usefulness, so he continued, ¡°I can bring the child to you. If the child goes missing. Amanda and Elias will ||| surely be busy searching for the child and won¡¯t have time for their trivial matters.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then bring the child to me, and we¡¯ll talk,¡± Symeon said and stood up before walking toward the elevator without bothering to listen to the babbling of this clown. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, just wait for my good news!¡± Crispin watched as the man left, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. The next morning, after Symeon woke up, he descended the stairs where his bodyguards were already waiting, and one of them was holding a file folder. ¡°Master, this is the paternity test result that I just retrieved.¡± With a cold expression, Symeon extended his hand, and the bodyguard handed him the file folder. After opening it, he flipped through the pages of the Corynthean version of the paternity test report. He only trusted Dr. Elbert, but since Amanda insisted that he did a DNA paternity test upon returning to Cludan, he had toply. He wanted to see how Amanda would react now. Skimming over the data and analysis, he turned to thest page, which confirmed the parent-child rtionship. The man smiled as he was unsurprised by the result. He took a photo of the final page of the DNA test result with his phone and sent it to Amanda for her to see. ¡°Master, how much longer do we need to stay here? Many matters back home require your attention, the bodyguard reminded him. Symeon nced at him and retorted, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m oblivious? Will the Lawrence Family crumble because of my absence?¡± The man grew increasingly angry, and his temper red. Noticing that, the bodyguard bowed his head and kept silent as he was fully aware that he had spoken too much. I¡¯m running low on patience as well. If this man persists in pestering me, I¡¯ll have to resort to more forceful measures. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The bodyguard reminded him once again, ¡°Master, Elias returned yesterday and moved into the Allegra Vi. I¡¯m unsure if he¡¯s aware of this.¡± Symeon sneered, ¡°Do you honestly believe Amanda would inform him that she has cheated on him?¡± He knew Amanda would never dare to disclose this information. After all, Elias held considerable influence. If he discovered that the child wasn¡¯t his, he might even go as far as to kill the woman. Meanwhile, at the Allegra Vi, Amanda washed up and changed into a fresh outfit after waking up. She was going to wake Aiden and take him to school. It had been several days since he hadst attended kindergarten, and now that Elias had returned, she felt more emboldened. Suddenly, her phone chimed when she received a text message. She grabbed her phone and discovered that the message was from Symeon. After opening the message, she was met with a photograph. After seeing its contents, she stood frozen in ce, unable to regain herposure for quite some time. It was yet another falsified paternity test in Corynthean. What is this man trying to achieve? Why is he producing so many counterfeit paternity test reports? Does he have nothing better to do? Could it be that even paternity tests in Cludan were subject to maniption? Is he so influential and powerful that he could tamper with paternity tests both in Cludan and Esmos? ||| Chatper 391 Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Face-to-Face Confrontation Suddenly, the phone rang, and it was Symeon calling. She could already imagine what he was going to say but decided to answer the call after a brief hesitation. Before Amanda could utter a word, Symeon¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end. ¡°What more do you have to say now? Isn¡¯t it time for you to fulfill your promise?¡± My promise? Amanda bit her lip and was about to have an emotional breakdown, but she patiently exined to the man on the phone, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, I¡¯m genuinely astounded by you. I now firmly believe that you¡¯re doing. this deliberately. You aren¡¯t clueless; you¡¯re intentionally trying to separate me from my child by fabricating multiple paternity tests. I truly can¡¯tprehend why you want to take my child away. Is it because of a grudge against Elias?¡± That was the only reasonable exnation she could think of. He wanted to retaliate against Elias by taking away their child due to their deep-seated animosity. ¡°So, you¡¯re attempting to backtrack on your words once again, huh?¡± Symeon retorted. ¡°I have nothing more to say, but I want to make it clear that the child isn¡¯t yours. If you have any grievances with Elias, confront him directly. What kind of man seeks revenge by involving an innocent child?¡± Amanda dered before abruptly ending the call. She, too, was infuriated. Lawrence indeed possesses remarkable capabilities. He could produce counterfeit paternity test results both overseas and in Cludan. Meanwhile, Symeon chuckled coldly after the call ended abruptly. He had long foreseen that this woman would never admit her actions. ¡°Master, what should we do next?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done what I can by fulfilling everything she demanded. Now, we can only retrieve the child through our methods.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± At the same time, at Allegra Vi, Amanda barged into Elias¡¯ room and found him sleeping on the bed. after staying upte the previous night. ¡°Elias, wake up, she urged. As she approached the bedside, Elias pulled her down onto the bed before pressing her beneath him and murmuring. ¡°Stay with me for a while.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Look at this! I strongly suspect that this person is targeting you, which is why he¡¯s attempting to snatch our son as an act of revenge. Upon hearing the word ¡®revenge¡¯, Elias immediately awakened. He took hold of her phone and examined it intently while muttering, ¡°Damn¡­ I¡¯ve had enough of this nonsense.¡± Elias suddenly lifted the covers, but his arm was grabbed by Amanda. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve reached this point so we can only confront him face-to-face. I want to see what this guy is up to.¡± His impression of Lawrence remained stagnant from their brief encounter years ago. Logically speaking. what kind of grudge could exist between them? ¡°Calm down. I find it odd¡­ Simr to him. Amanda Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ||| initially acted impulsively, but upon further contemtion, she found the situation rather strange. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s peculiar. It seems as though someone deliberately led him to us.¡± Elias lit a cigarette and ced it between his lips. ncing at her, he asked, ¡°Is our son awake? He shouldn¡¯t go to kindergarten these days. ¡°Yes, I know. I haven¡¯t allowed him to go since you were away. I was afraid he might suddenly take our child away. However, the primary concern was how to resolve the current predicament. ¡°I believe we should have a conversation with him¡± ¡°Tll go talk to him.¡± Elias extinguished the cigarette butt. He thought that Symeon was likely telling the truth. Yet, to fullyprehend the situation, he needed to engage in a face-to-face conversation. Soon, eveping fell upon Sacred Heart Vi. Symeon, who had intended to go out, received an unexpected phone call from Elias, who requested to visit. ¡°Master, what do you think Elias wants?¡± ¡°What else could he want? He has just returned to the country and is unaware of everything. It¡¯s most likely that he wants to probe the situation. However, I doubt he knows that he has been deceived.¡± Symeon was starting to admire Amanda. She dared to cuckold Elias and even had the nerve to comin about Symeon to Elias. How amusing. Ding! Dong! The doorbell rang outside, and the bodyguard turned to open the door. Meanwhile, Symeon assumed aposed posture and was prepared to have some fun with Elias. A deep and heavy footstep approached, but Symeon didn¡¯t bother to turn around, for he knew who it was. However, a smirk appeared on his lips. It seemed to be two years ago when hest saw Elias. Elias, with his tall figure, slowly made his way to the other side and sat on the couch. He acted as if he were in his territory and showed no courtesy as a guest. Two formidable figures faced each other in silence, but the air was already thick with hostility. ¡°Are you here to remain silent?¡± Symeon finally broke the silence. Elias sneered before lighting a cigarette and cing it between his lips. He exhaled a disgusted breath and flicked the ashes before saying. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be the one who starts the conversation? After all, you¡¯vee all the way here to provoke me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m merely doing what needs to be done. The heir of the Lawrence Family must not remain estranged.¡± ¡°Coincidentally, I wanted to say the same thing. The heir of the Winters Family mustn¡¯t remain estranged either Elias straightened his posture and extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray. At that, Symeon let out a disdainfulugh. ¡°Yours? Are you sure that child is yours?¡± With that, he tossed two paternity test reports onto the coffee table-one conducted in Esmos and the other in Cludan. Elias picked them up and nced at them while chuckling. ¡°Quite thorough. You¡¯ve conducted paternity. tests both domestically and internationally. I¡¯m curious, have you managed to offend the entire medicalmunity? Why did they give you forged paternity tests?¡± ¡°So, you firmly believe that the child is yours? Have you done a paternity test?¡± Symeon questioned. 23 ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯d advise you to do another one. Given our past encounters, I don¡¯t want to see you raising my son while being cuckolded,¡± Symeon remarked calmly, seemingly undoubting his paternity test results. Elias¡¯ anger red, and the smile on his handsome face gradually vanished. ¡°Symeon, do you have a grudge against me?¡± ¡°Why would you say that?¡± Elias lit another cigarette and exhaled smoke while suppressing his impatience. ¡°If we have no grievances, why do you want to take my woman and child? Do you intend to raise my son for me? Or perhaps you¡¯re interested in my woman?¡± Upon hearing that, Symeonughed and responded sarcastically. ¡°Please get your facts straight. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m interested in your woman. Rather, your woman climbed into my bed, got pregnant with my child, but refused to return him to me. Though I hesitate to admit it, having a Lawrence Family heir outside poses a potential threat, and I must resolve this matter. Chatper 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 You¡¯ve Worked Hard, Ex-husband ¡°What makes you think that way?¡± As Elias looked at Symeon, he realized this man wasn¡¯t foolish for having the ability to investigate Amanda¡¯s background. Was someone intentionally leading him into this? Symeonughed and thought that Elias was truly smitten by Amanda for him to ask such a question. ¡°Elias, are you a fool in love, or has Amanda brainwashed you? Aren¡¯t the paternity tests conducted in Cludan and Esmos enough? Why are you still demanding proof from me?¡± Symeon was growing impatient. Over the past few days, Amanda repeatedly questioned him, and he had politely presented the evidence each time. Now, it was Elias¡¯ turn to doubt him. Even the most patient person would have lost their cool by now. ¡°It seems like you know nothing about Amanda¡¯s past. Allow me to enlighten you. Five years ago, Amanda and I got married-it was a secret marriage, known only to a few. However, we were indeed husband and wife. After a year of marriage, we divorced, and she was already pregnant at the time. She then spent four years in Esmos and gave birth to our child before returning to the country with him. So, at what point did she sleep with you? I don¡¯t doubt what happened to you: I sympathize with you. However, you might have gotten the wrong person.¡± Elias had made it very clear that he didn¡¯t think Symeon was lying. Someone had probably climbed into Symeon¡¯s bed, sessfully conceived, then gave birth to a child, but this person wasn¡¯t Amanda. I understand now. You¡¯re trying to get Amanda out of this. Well, how do you exin these two paternity tests?¡± Symeon also lit a cigarette, though he wasn¡¯t a smoker. The current situation made him crave one. Initially, he thought it would be a simple task to take the child away, or he could perhaps take both the child and Amanda. He hadn¡¯t anticipated Elias¡¯ sudden intervention, whichplicated the process. ¡°They¡¯re both fake. You must have offended someone, or why would they go to such lengths to deceive you?¡± Elias exhaled smoke, and the solemn expression on his handsome face gradually disappeared when he realized that this matter had nothing to do with Amanda. He didn¡¯t believe there was anything between Amanda and Symeon. However, he couldn¡¯t hide his joy after verifying it himself. ¡°What makes you certain these are fake?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m the child¡¯s biological father.¡± The man¡¯s words were filled with unwavering confidence. ¡°Show me your paternity test, then, Symeon responded. Elias sneered. ¡°Is a paternity test necessary? Haven¡¯t you seen my son? Doesn¡¯t he resemble me?¡± ¡°Not really. I think he bears some resemnce to me,¡± Symeon answered. Elias was speechless upon hearing that. Damn it¡­. He realized he couldn¡¯t get through to Symeon. He then stood up and said, ¡°It seems there¡¯s no point continuing this conversation. You won¡¯t cease harassing them until I present you with a paternity test, am I right?¡± Symeon fell silent upon hearing that, and he fixed his gaze on Elias with unwavering determination. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take the paternity test and show you the results. I¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± said Elias with a nod. Communicating with Simon had be impossible, so it was time to let the evidence speak for itself. Moreover, Elias didn¡¯t want to resort to violence with Symeon, considering the coborations between Winters Enterprise¡¯s overseas subsidiaries and the Lawrence Family. As Elias¡¯ footsteps faded away, Simon stubbed out his cigarette and leaned against the couch before ||| < squinting his eyes slightly. Things were growing increasinglyplex. All the leads he had followed pointed to Amanda being the woman from that night, and the paternity test confirmed that the child was his. Yet, Amanda refused to admit it, and Elias refused to doubt his woman. Meanwhile, at the Allegra Vi, everyone waited anxiously, for they were uncertain of the oue of Elias¡¯ discussion. They knew Mr. Lawrence wasn¡¯t easy to handle, and with Elias¡¯ quick temper, things could escte into a fight. Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open. Amanda, who was lying on the bed, looked up to see Elias returning. She instinctively sat up and asked with anticipation, ¡°How did it go?¡± The annoyed Elias removed his suit jacket and tossed it onto the end of the bed. ¡°Damn it, I even have to do a paternity test for that jerk!¡± he cursed. ¡°What? Did he ask you to do a paternity test?¡± Amanda then realized something. ¡°Right, I made him do two paternity tests. I suppose he grew tired of it and redirected his anger toward you.¡± Elias theny back on the bed before pulling Amanda into his embrace and resting his head on her neck, taking in her delicate fragrance. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If a paternity test can rid us of this troublemaker, it would be the simplest solution.¡± Amanda smiled helplessly as she lowered her head, then gazed at the man¡¯s prominent nose bridge and thick eyshes. She gently reached out and touched his cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, my ex- husband.¡± The term ¡®ex-husband¡¯ sounded harsh. Elias¡¯ expression turned solemn instantly, and he sat up before looking at the woman in his arms. ¡°When will you change that title? I don¡¯t like it. It sounds unpleasant.¡± ¡°The truth is often unpleasant.¡± ¡°Tell me some lies, then.¡° ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how to tell white lies.¡± Amanda smiled faintly. The man chuckled somewhat helplessly and brushed her nose lightly. ¡°Amanda, why am I just realizing how exasperating you can be?¡± ¡°In the past, you never cared enough to understand me, so you found me dull and uninteresting. Moreover, her world used to revolve around Elias, which made her lose her personality while bing a submissive and resentful woman trapped in a confined life. Elias suddenly fell silent, and he casually¡¯ suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s take Aiden out to y tomorrow. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve spent time with him, and he has beenining for a long time.¡± ¡°Do you still have the mood to go out? Aren¡¯t you afraid something might happen?¡± Symeon was still watching them, and he could suddenly appear at any moment and take the child away. It wasn¡¯t the right time to go out and have fun. Elias yed with Amanda¡¯s delicate fingers before bringing them near his lips and giving them a gentle kiss. ¡°Your future husband isn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. There¡¯s no need to be so worried,¡± he said. Future husband¡­ What a despicable man. ¡°You should sleep soon. I¡¯ll be going to bed soon.¡±No longer wanting to entertain him, Amanda pushed him away and withdrew her fingers. are you going? Just sleep here. Since you¡¯re already here, don¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?¡± She wanted to rip this man into pieces. ¡°Amanda, stop distancing yourself from me all the time. I¡¯ll grow tired if I¡¯m always the one taking the initiative.¡± The man¡¯s gentle tone carried a yful hint.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chatper 393 Chapter 393 Chapter 393 You Know I Miss You, Amanda Amanda blinked and found herself entranced by the man¡¯s deep, ck eyes. Was she truly that cold and distant, always keeping him away? In the meantime, Elias seized the opportunity presented by her momentary silence and attempted to break down her defenses. His handsome face inched closer as though he was about to kiss her lips. Noticing this, Amanda yielded and closed her eyes while anticipating his kiss. Elias smirked when he knew he was about to seed. However, just as their lips were about to meet, the bedroom door swung open abruptly, and Aiden¡¯s voice interrupted them. ¡°Mommy! Daddy! What are you ying? Why didn¡¯t you include me? Hmph!¡± Aiden rushed into the room, bringing a gust of cool air along with him. Amanda instinctively moved away from Elias and pushed him aside. Meanwhile, Elias felt annoyed by the untimely interruption caused by this little brat, and he closed his eyes helplessly. If Aiden weren¡¯t his child, he might have been tempted to throw him out. Climbing onto the bed, Aiden nestled into Amanda¡¯s embrace. ¡°Mommy, I want to sleep with you guys. You never include me in your games. That¡¯s not nice!¡± ¡°Baby, your daddy and I weren¡¯t ying. We were discussing something important.¡± Amanda¡¯s face flushed. She realized that it was impossible to avoid such awkward situations with a child around. -Elias expression soured as he pinched his son¡¯s cheek and gritted his teeth. ¡°You came at the perfect time, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amanda swatted the man¡¯s hand away, recognizing his dubious intentions. The unfulfilled Elias looked frustrated as he stood up and said, ¡°You two go to sleep. I¡¯m going out for a bit. He didn¡¯t feel like sleeping anymore. Amanda couldn¡¯t suppress herughter as she held her baby in her arms and watched the man leave angrily. ¡°Why are youughing, Mommy?¡± ¡°Nothing. How about I tell you a story?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After closing the bedroom door, Elias nned to step outside for a smoke before returning to his room to take a shower and sleep. With a cigarette between his lips, he strolled through the garden and noticed that Crispin had driven off. Going out sote, huh? Remembering what Amanda had mentioned about the video in Crispin¡¯s possession, Elias realized that destroying that video would render Crispin useless, leaving him without any means of resistance. After discarding his cigarette into the nearby ashtray, Elias returned to the vi. Without knocking, he entered Crispin and Stephanie¡¯s room. As soon as he stepped inside, he found Stephanie on the bed and looking at him with a fearful expression. ¡°Elias?¡± ¡°Why are you still here? Didn¡¯t Crispin take you with him?¡± Elias thought that both Crispin and Stephanie had left, not expecting her to still be there. ¡°I.. I didn¡¯t want to go with him. Why are you here?¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t face Elias after what had ¡°I heard that Crispin has a video of you. Do you know where he keeps it?¡± Elias inquired. ¡°I¡­ I saw it on his phone, but he said he had multiple backups¡­ Stephanie was initially startled, for she hadn¡¯t expected Elias to already know about this. Undoubtedly, Amanda must have informed him. Noticing a nearbyptop, Elias asked, ¡°Is this Crispin¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Elias opened theptop and tapped on the keyboard with his slender fingers, and his dark eyes focused on something. Stephanie couldn¡¯tprehend what he was doing. After a few minutes, the man stood up and nced at her. ¡°Just be patient and wait a few more days.¡± With that, he turned around and left the room. Stephanie hesitated to speak, but now, she had no face to shout and yell at this man. She had brought all this upon herself, after all. Upon returning to his room, Elias switched on hisputer and began hacking into Crispin¡¯sptop while searching for all the backups of that video. It wasn¡¯t until midnight that he had gone through all of Crispin¡¯s ounts and deleted every video that could be found. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch them one by one, especially the ones involving Crispin and Stephanie. He wasn¡¯t interested at all. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Meanwhile, after soothing her baby to sleep. Amanda decided to go to the kitchen and pour herself a ss of water. As she passed by Elias¡¯ room, she entered almost instinctively. She only wanted to see what the man was up to, but unexpectedly, she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. It turned out he was taking a shower. As Amanda was about to turn around and leave, the sound of running water ceased, and the bathroom door swung open. Elias emerged, wearing only a towel around his waist. His short hair was dripping wet, and a faint mist enveloped his handsome face. ¡°Why are you here?¡± A smile formed on his handsome face when he spotted her, for nothing could be more surprising than this scene. ¡°I just happened to be passing by and wanted to see what you were up to. Aiden is asleep, and I was going to get some water¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Elias teased her as if he didn¡¯t believe her excuse. ¡°You should go to sleep. I¡¯m leaving. I have to wake up early tomorrow.¡± After Amanda finished speaking, she turned to leave. However, Elias suddenly pulled her into his arms, and they tumbled onto the soft bed. ¡°What are you doing- He pinned her down and spokezily. ¡°I was nning to take a shower and go to sleep, but you just had toe knocking at this moment. It seems rather intentional.¡± I didn¡¯t do it intentionally. Don¡¯t be unreasonable. I came to check if you were asleep. You-Mmh!¡± Amanda¡¯s words were cut off as he forcefully kissed her lips. This time, there was no interruption from that little brat. It was a tender and lingering kiss filled with reluctance. ¡°Are you out of your mind? This is the Allegra Vi!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe this man was so shameless. She tried to get up, but he pulled her back. ¡°So what? This is my room, and your son is fast asleep. No one else wille in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Amanda was determined, but the man got up and walked over to lock the door, then embraced her slim body tightly. ¡°Now, can you feel at ease? No one wille in.¡± ¡°Why are you acting this way- ¡°Amanda, you know how much I miss you. She was speechless upon hearing that, but she knew it too. When he was in Esmos, he would call her every day, but he barely brought up their child. He teased and flirted with her most of the time. Eventually, her heart softened, allowing this despicable way as a sleepless night followed. man to have his The next morning. Amanda slept deeply and nearly forgot about her promise to take Aiden out to y. When she finally woke up, it was already past 10.00AM, and the man beside her had disappeared. Amanda held her dizzy head and sat up as she felt sore all over her body. Following that, she put on her robe and left the room. As she was about to go back to her bedroom to freshen up, Aiden suddenly came to her mind! Chatper 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 So Soon. Upon returning to the room, Amanda realized that Aiden was already gone. Is he gone already? Her immediate thought went to Lawrence, assuming that he might have taken her child. Amanda couldn¡¯t help. but tremble with anxiety and was about to go look for Elias. At that moment, the nanny happened to pass by the door, and Amanda grabbed her arm. ¡°Where is Aiden? Where has he gone off to?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Winters took Mr. Aiden out early this morning. They¡¯re probably having breakfast by now.¡± Hearing this, Amanda instantly heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that the father and son were together. ¡°Okay. I understand. You may continue with your duties.¡± With that, she returned to her room to freshen up and change her clothes. As she entered the bathroom. she was startled by her reflection in the mirror. Her snow-white skin was covered in countless hickeys left. by Elias. Damn it! This despicable man has gone too far! How would she exin this if Aiden saw themter? Elias was carefully feeding their son in the dining room, and the boy was enjoying his meal. After a while, Amanda entered the dining room and witnessed this loving scene, which helped ease some of her anger. ¡°Are you two the only ones having breakfast?¡± Elias smiled as he nced at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what time it is already?¡± It was almost 11.00AM, and it was nearly lunchtime. ¡°Which meal are you feeding him now, then?¡± ¡°Lunch. Once he¡¯s done, I¡¯m taking him to Universal Studios. Why don¡¯t you have something to eat as well? We might not have time once we¡¯re there.¡± Elias wiped Aiden¡¯s mouth clean as he spoke. Amanda nodded and turned to the nanny. ¡°Please make me a bowl of spaghetti.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She felt a sense of happiness upon seeing this, but safeguarding that happiness wouldn¡¯t be easy. Suddenly, she overheard a conversation between the nanny and Crispin from outside. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Crispin.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Stephanie?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the room and hasn¡¯te out. Breakfast was delivered to her room.¡± ¡°I see. Carry on with your duties.¡± Then, she heard Crispin¡¯s hurried footsteps as he left. Amanda frowned. ¡°He didn¡¯te back all night. Who knows where he¡¯s been fooling around, yet he dares to throw a tantrum-¡® Before she could finish her sentence, Elias interrupted her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve deleted all the backup videos, which exins why he¡¯s displeased.¡± ¡°What? Already?¡± Amanda was genuinely surprised. She knew it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Elias to do so, but she didn¡¯t expect it to happen so quickly.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The man chuckled softly. ¡°He stored them in such idiotic ces. He has no understanding of these things, and it was a piece of cake finding them.¡± ¡°Now, he has nothing to threaten the Allegra Family with.¡± ¡°Yes, when I return tonight, I n to kick him out of the Allegra Family.¡± Elias¡¯ tone was indifferent as though he was discussing something trivial. Meanwhile, Crispin found Stephanie lying on the bed like a lifeless dog, looking dejected and terrified. upon returning to the room. ¡°Get up!¡± He walked over and pulled back the covers. With that, Stephanie sat up with disgust and fear written all over her face. Now, she felt both disgust and fear toward this man. She couldn¡¯t put the feeling into words, but it made her sick to her stomach. ¡°What did you do? Do you think you¡¯ve erased all those videos? Do you think 1 don¡¯t have any backups?¡± The videos? Stephanie looked confused, unable to grasp the meaning of his words for a while. Crispin became enraged by her reaction, and he roared, ¡°Let me tell you this! The videos cannot be erased! I¡¯ve already uploaded them to the inte! You¡¯ll never escape my grasp!¡± In reality, Crispin¡¯s fury stemmed from someone hacking into hisputer and phone,pletely deleting all the backup videos. He now had nothing to threaten Stephanie with! ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ You¡­ Stephanie was frightened by his current behavior and curled into a ball. She was afraid of experiencing domestic violence again. However, Crispin grabbed her ankle and pulled her closer. ¡°Is this how you want to escape from me? So what if the videos are in my possession? As long as you listen to me obediently, how could I ever upload my own wife¡¯s videos online?¡± Stephanie knew him well to some extent. She wondered if Elias had seeded when she saw how agitated and insane Crispin was. ¡°You¡¯re so worked up because you don¡¯t have any backups anymore, am I right?¡± Hearing that, Crispin paused for a moment, revealing a sh of panic that exposed his vulnerability. ¡°I do have them! Do you think I¡¯m that stupid? I have backups everywhere- Before he could finish his sentence, Stephanie suddenly burst intoughter. She wasughing freely as if she had been liberated. ¡°Hahaha! Crispin, you¡¯re finished. The videos in your possession are completely gone. You can no longer threaten me.¡± ¡°I said I have them!¡± Crispin was infuriated and raised his arm before pping Stephanie¡¯s face. However, Stephanie couldn¡¯t feel the pain because she felt liberated. She was finally going to escape from this devil. ¡°Crispin, I¡¯m no longer afraid of you. Elias will never let you have any backups¡± Stephanie believed in Elias¡¯ technical skills. This man would never leave any backups behind. Crispin hesitated for a moment, then flew into a rage and grabbed her by the throat. ¡°So, it was you who let Elias ess myputer and phone to locate those videos!¡± ¡°So what if it was me? Do you really think you can enter the Allegra Family¡¯spany and inherit the Allegra Family¡¯s fortune? Dream on!¡± Stephanie keptughing as if she had already divorced him. ¡°Stephanie! You¡¯re ruthless!¡± The man tightened his grip around her neck as he squeezed the life out of her. Stephanie¡¯s face gradually turned crimson as she coughed and struggled. ¡°Release me¡­ Let go of me¡­¡± Stephanie pleaded and couldn¡¯t stop coughing. Just then, the nanny knocked on the door. ¡°Mr. Crispin, Miss Steph, the chairman has returned and wishes to speak with you.¡± Hearing that, Crispin swiftly released his hold on Stephanie¡¯s neck. As she copsed onto the bed, she coughed and desperately gasped for air. She was almost strangled to death just moments ago. Following that, she quickly rose to her feet and opened the door before rushing out. The nanny, who witnessed this, was startled butpletely clueless about what had unfolded earlier. Meanwhile, Crispin stood frozen in the room, for he was well aware that his time had run out. He hadn¡¯t achieved anything yet. Was he truly going to be ousted from the Allegra Family like this? He refused to ept it! After wasting so much effort to enter the Allegra Family, leaving with nothing was simply uneptable. How could hee to terms with that? ¡°Mr. Crispin, Mr. Crispin? The chairman is summoning you to the study,¡± reminded the nanny kindly once again. Hearing that, Crispin bellowed angrily, ¡°I know! Now, get lost!¡± The nanny was frightened and quickly turned to flee. It was the first time she had witnessed Crispin in such an irritable state. Chatper 395 Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Remarrying Meanwhile, inside the study, Jack emanated anger as his expression w sped behind his back. somber, and his hands were ¡°Dad, save me! I want to divorce Crispin! I want a divorce!¡± Stephanie rushed into the study as if her life depended on it and hid behind her father. Jack supported her unsteady body and furrowed his brows. ¡°Regretting it now, huh? Do you want a divorce now? Didn¡¯t I warn you about this? You didn¡¯t listen to a word I said. You even had the audacity to run away from home and elope with that man!¡± Stephanie couldn¡¯t utter a single word. She simply continued sobbing with her head held low. She knew she had made a mistake. It was her misjudgment that led her into the scoundrel¡¯s trap. ¡°I was wrong¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Dad¡­¡± Jack seemed to already know everything, and he didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead, he shielded her behind him. Outside, they could already hear Crispin¡¯sposed and steady. footsteps drawing near. When Stephanie heard those footsteps, she was stricken with fear. She was now terrified of this man as if he were a ghost. ¡°Did you call for me, Mr. Jack?¡± Crispin entered the study, still wearing an innocent smile on his face. With a resounding smack, Jack angrily mmed his hand onto the desk. ¡°I never expected you to have such audacity! I demand that you immediately divorce Stephanie and leave the Allegra Family! We will not tolerate having a son-inw like you!¡± Indeed, Crispin disyed no signs of panic. Instead, he smiled. ¡°Why are you acting like this, Mr. Jack? Weren¡¯t you moved by me? Why the sudden change of heart?¡± ¡°Get out! Get out now! I will have mywyer handle the divorce proceedings with you!¡± Jack no longer wanted to see this se mbag. At one point, Jack thought his eyes were ying tricks on him. Perhaps he had truly misjudged Crispin, but the man didn¡¯t disappoint him at all; he perfectly embodied the impression Jack had formed when he firstid eyes on him, deceitful and cunning. ¡°Mr. Jack, we- Just as Crispin was about to speak, Jack shouted angrily, ¡°Get out! I don¡¯t want a son-in- law like you!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t put it that way. I married your daughter when her reputation was tarnished-¡± ¡°How dare you bring that up?! Stefan! Bring someone in and throw this animal out!¡± Jack was boiling with anger as he called for the butler. Within seconds, the butler and the bodyguards entered the study. Crispin surveyed the scene before him and knew he wouldn¡¯t have a favorable oue if he continued to cling on and not leave. A wise man knew when to retreat, so he departed. He cast a profound gaze at Stephanie, who was hiding behind Jack, then turned around and left the study, bidding farewell to the family for good. As Crispin stood outside the Allegra Family¡¯s vi, he turned to look at the house and chuckled to himself. saying, ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy to chase me out. Since it¡¯s a divorce proceeding. I won¡¯t hold back.¡± He would hire the bestwyer and strive to secure as many benefits as possible. In the evening. Amanda and Elias returned home after spending the entire day outside ying with Aiden. Upon their return, they noticed a somber atmosphere enveloping the entire house. Just then, the butler approached them and asked, ¡°Miss and Mr. Winters, have you had dinner yet? Do you need the kitchen to prepare any food for you?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve already eaten. By the way, why does the atmosphere feel strange? Where are my parents? Also, where¡¯s Stephanie?¡± Amanda asked. The butler calmly exined what had transpired during the day, saying, ¡°Well, after you took Mr. Aiden out this afternoon, the chairman chased Crispin out and proposed a divorce. The divorce proceedings will Elias remained unsurprised andmented, ¡°Fits his style of doing things, decisive and swift.¡± ¡°You knew about this? Am I the only one who didn¡¯t know anything about it?¡± Amanda felt like she had been kept in the dark all day. Elias cradled their sleeping son in his arms and exined, ¡°I¡¯ve already handed the evidence I found to Mr. Allegra. I shouldn¡¯t interfere with how he handles it since it¡¯s a family matter.¡± Amanda was lost for words when she realized that she was the only one who remained uninformed. Following that, Elias walked toward the elevator, and Amanda followed suit. Upon returning to their room, they gently ced their son on the bed and covered him with a nket.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Then, Elias gestured for her to step outside. It seemed like he had something to say to her. Amanda followed him out of the room and closed the door quietly, not wanting to disturb their child. ¡°Bring your ID along with you at 8.00AM tomorrow. I¡¯ll have Yacobe pick you up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Amanda waspletely bewildered. She couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. ¡°What for?¡± Elias¡¯ handsome face showed a hint of calmness. ¡°We¡¯re getting married again, of course.¡± ¡°Us? Getting married?¡± Elias nodded slowly and asked, ¡°Why? Are you having second thoughts? I¡¯ve fulfilled your requirements, so you have no reason to refuse me. Besides, I have to face the heir of the Lawrence Family now, and he¡¯s not easy to deal with. If I don¡¯t even have a status, how can I have the qualifications to confront him?¡± Although his reasoning made some sense, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was taking advantage of the situation. She hesitated to have such a hasty remarriage. When Elias noticed her hesitation, it only strengthened his determination to remarry as soon as possible. He feared that Amanda might change her mind at thest moment. That¡¯s settled, then. I¡¯ll have Yacobe pick you up in the morning. I have some matters to attend to tonight, so I won¡¯t be sleeping here.¡± If it weren¡¯t sote, he would have eagerly taken Amanda to the city hall to register their second marriage. ¡°Hey, you- Amanda wanted to say something, but he seemed afraid of her refusal as he turned and walked toward the elevator without giving her a chance to speak. Feeling helpless, Amanda shook her head and decided to talk to Jack. She guessed her parents were feeling. quite down at the moment. As soon as she turned around, she saw Stephanieing out of the room. Before she could say anything, Stephanie embraced her and burst into tears, saying. Thank you, Amanda. I¡¯m finally going to be free. I can divorce Crispin and get rid of him.¡± Of course, Stephanie knew that Elias was willing to help only because Amanda was the one who convinced him. Otherwise, given Elias¡¯ impression of her, he wouldn¡¯t willingly assist her. Amanda was momentarily stunned but then hugged her in return. The next day, Yacob arrived at the Allegra Vi to pick Amanda up early in the morning while she was still asleep. She was half asleep and went to open the door when the nanny knocked on it. Following that, the nanny informed her, ¡°Miss, Mr. Winters¡¯ bodyguard hase to pick you up. He said you and Mr. Winters have important matters to attend to this morning.¡± Important matters? Suddenly, Amanda¡¯s mind cleared up. We¡¯re getting married again! Indeed, they were supposed to register their marriage again this morning, but upon ncing at the time, it was only 700AM. Is it really necessary to be this early? ¡°Okay.¡± Hearing that, the nanny nodded and turned to leave. Chatper 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 A Mysterious Woman Amanda got ready for the day and slipped into herfortable exercise wear before heading to the vi. As she caught sight of Yacob, who seemed to be running out of patience after waiting for what felt like an eternity, she approached him with a huff and remarked. ¡°Did you have to pick such an early hour? It¡¯s only 7.30AM.¡± Then, he held the door open for her and calmly exined, ¡°The journey to the marriage office will likely take 30 minutes, not to mention any traffic dys. Mr. Winters is waiting in line and doesn¡¯t want to dy this matter further.¡± Astonished, she gazed at him and was lost for words. Elias, queuing up already? Does he not feel he is taking things a bit too far? Ironically, the man was conspicuously absent when they were first married, leaving Howard to dispatch his men to handle all the arrangements. Yet, in this moment of remarrying, Elias stood in person at the marriage office and woke up two hours earlier just to line up. As the clock ticked past 8.00AM, Amanda arrived at the marriage office. While peering through the window, she caught sight of a tall man with a brooding expression. Once the car pulled to a stop, she stepped out. The moment Elias saw her, he strode up to her and wordlessly pulled her into the building, his emotions still in turmoil from the exhaustive two-hour wait. He had almost sumbed to the fear that she had changed her mind. Thus, when he saw her stepping out of the car, a profound sense of relief washed over him as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his weary shoulders. ¡°Slow down. I can hardly keep up-¡± Amanda uttered, nearly breaking into a run to match his brisk pace. He hastily pulled her into the hall, where a long queue had already formed at the counter for registering new marriages. Suddenly, his face darkened further, and his grip on her hand tightened so intensely that she winced in pain, furrowing her brow. However, an awkward chuckle escaped her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not that long. Soon, it¡¯ll be our turn.¡± After hearing this, Elias turned to re at her. ¡°Were youte because you were considering changing your mind?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ It¡¯s just that you¡¯re taking this so seriously. We¡¯re not kids anymore, and this is our second marriage. Is there a need to be the first in line?¡± Amanda¡¯s mind was swirling with bewilderment. Our boy is already in kindergarten. Do we need to focus on something as frivolous as romance? For what seemed like an eternity, he fixed his gaze on her in utter silence. It was as though his intense stare could prate right through her. ¡°Why are you giving me that look?¡± His intense gaze left her feeling distinctly ufortable, even though she knew she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. ¡°Why does it bother you that we¡¯re remarrying? Shouldn¡¯t we still have a sense of ceremony around our marriage? Are you even a woman? What woman doesn¡¯t appreciate romance on such asions?¡± Elias had hoped Amanda would value the formality of it all, but he was taken aback by her apparent disdain. ¡°I¡­¡± While she appreciated the sentiment, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was necessary. After all, they were only remarrying. As a result, his face remained stormy throughout the procedure, and the officers could almost be forgiven < for thinking that she had coerced him into the marriage. As they left the marriage office, a rare smile finally graced his once icy face as he nced down at the two marriage certificates. Elias decided to keep them both rather than give one to Amanda, and he also chose not to tell her where they were hidden. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to give one to me?¡± She could not help but ask when she noticed him promptly hiding the two certificates from her sight. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them safe, he replied with a soft hum. A hushed silence enveloped her as she gazed at him. Suddenly, a sense of being deceived lingered in her mind. Eventually, she inquired, ¡°What shall we do now?¡± Then, his gaze shifted toward her, and he responded, Tll go to the hospital and check on the DNA test result. Afterward, we can swiftly confront that demon and banish it. Otherwise, you and Aiden might hesitate to venture beyond the doorstep, gripped by fear.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± In the meantime, Elias held the door ajar, patiently waiting for Amanda to enter the car before turning to Yacob, ¡°Send her back to pack up her things.¡± ¡°Pack up my things?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°Yes, tonight I¡¯lle by to take you and Aiden back home with me. After all, we¡¯re legally wedded now, and it only makes sense for us to live together,¡± he stated, presenting his argument so logically that she found herself unable to protest. Following that, he gently closed the door, and through the tinted ss, she observed him conveying further instructions to Yacob. After a brief exchange, Yacob eventually returned to the car. As the car gradually drove away, Elias stood in quiet contemtion, his gaze fixed on the receding vehicle. Curious, Amanda inquired, ¡°What did Elias say to you just now?¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t help but smile as he teased, ¡°Do you truly want to know?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°I do.¡± His tone of voice had deeply awakened her curiosity. Then, he cleared his throat and stated, ¡°Mr. Winters has entrusted me with the personal supervision of your packing. Once you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll escort you and Aiden back to the estate. Should the faintest hint of reluctance arise, I won¡¯t hesitate to bring you back forcefully.¡± After hearing this, her lips twitched, leaving her momentarily speechless as she couldn¡¯t fathom what that foolish man, Elias, was thinking. On the other hand, Elias kept a watchful eye as Yacob drove off with Amanda. Then, he returned to his car and headed straight to the hospital. The prospect of a straightforward DNA test banishing Symeon would have filled him with ecstasy. However, given the pressing matters, he understood it wasn¡¯t the right moment to confront Symeon since. he still had not gotten his hands on Howard¡¯s shares. After arriving at the hospital, he made a beeline for Dr. Lenard¡¯s office. He had gone to this doctor for help. with the DNA test, hoping to avoid any needless dys. In the meantime, Elias proceeded directly into the office and settled into a chair, patiently awaiting Dr. Lenard¡¯s return. A few minutester, an elderly man with a head full of striking white hair entered the room with a displeased expression. ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Winters.¡± ¡°Is the DNA test done. Dr. Lenard?¡± Elias asked. ¡°Oh, um¡­ Yes,¡± Dr. Lenard stammered, an odd glint in his eyes. He seemed uncertain, as if unsure where to direct his gaze. Then, he walked over to his desk and retrieved a document from the drawer, which he handed to him. Before Elias could nce at the test report, the doctor promptly fabricated an excuse to exit the room. ¡°I apologize, but I have an urgent meeting to attend. Feel free to stay here as long as you need,¡± he said before leaving. ¡°Very well.¡± Just before leaving the room, Dr. Lenard nced back at Elias, who was busy retrieving the test report from the folder. It became difficult for him to continue staring at Elias¡¯ carefree ignorance, so he quickly left the room. Meanwhile, Elias opened the document and swiftly flipped through the test report until he reached the last page. He had no doubt about his status as Aiden¡¯s father, but he yearned to see the confirmation. However, shock consumed him as his eyes fell upon the results, causing his pupils to dte in disbelief. Surprise and confusion painted his face, for the report suggested the improbable ¨C he was likely not Aiden¡¯s father. It is not possible! How could Aiden not be my son, given that the brat resembled me? The situation was beyondplicated; it felt as if he had been struck by lightning. How could something so impossible be possible? How could the DNA test im I am not Aiden¡¯s father? How could Symeon be his father? Uncertainty and bewilderment overwhelmed him, leaving him wondering what in the world was happening and how everything had turned soplicated. Suddenly, a loud crash resonated from outside the office. ¡°Aah! I¡¯m so sorry, Miss! I didn¡¯t mean to bump into you.¡± Elias¡¯ head snapped around at the sudden crash of a nurse¡¯s tray hitting the floor. Curiosity piqued, he hastened to the door and cautiously poked his head out of the room, only to see a mysterious woman walking away. Chatper 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Stop Right There! Driven by his instincts, Elias pursued the mysterious woman, his gut telling him she wasn¡¯t just a random stranger. Soon, the chase led him to the elevator entrance, where she swiftly slipped inside and closed the doors, leaving him a step behind. His fingers furiously pressed the button, but the elevator had already begun its descent. He had no choice. but to dash toward the nearby staircase leading to the next floor. At eachnding, he paused, listening intently for any sign of the elevator doors opening before resuming his hurried descent to the next floor. His breath was heavy when he reached the ground-floor lobby, where he stood in anticipation, waiting for the elevator doors to part. A reassuring ding echoed, and as one of the doors slid open, he was met with an empty elevator. Huh? Elias couldn¡¯tprehend it. He had clearly witnessed the mysterious woman step into the elevator, and it hadn¡¯t stopped on any floor. Yet, he couldn¡¯t fathom how she was missing. At this moment, he heard the elevator doors behind him chime and slowly slid open. Hence, he turned to see a woman wearing dark sunsses walking out. On the contrary, the woman was startled to see a figure in the lobby, so she promptly dashed toward the hospital entrance. However, her hurried footsteps attracted his attention, and the man instantly turned around. When he spotted her fleeing figure, he immediately advanced and grabbed her shoulder. Nevertheless, the mysterious woman stood frozen, not budging an inch, yet Elias could sense the nervousness emanating from her. ¡°Who are you?¡± he demanded, his grip tightening on her shoulders as he forcefully turned her around. However, her sunsses obscured half of her face, leaving no identifiable features except her striking, bright red lips. In a hushed yet resolute tone, she demanded, ¡°Let me go!¡± In response, he tightened his grip on her wrist and prepared to remove her sunsses with the other hand, eager to unveil her identity. In the meantime, panic flickered in the eyes concealed behind the dark lenses, as she couldn¡¯t afford to let Elias discover her identity. A sudden idea struck her like lightning, and without hesitation, she cried, ¡°Help! There¡¯s a pervert! Help!¡± Her sudden outburst instantly captured the attention of everyone in the lobby, causing a hushed murmur to ripple through the crowd as they exchanged curious whispers. On the other hand, Elias had no choice but to let go of her when he realized the gravity of the situation. After all, as a public figure, it could lead to significant trouble if people recognized him and started filming. In a swift motion, the woman shook him off and disappeared into the bustling crowd. ¡°Stop right there!¡± he shouted. His intention to chase after the mysterious woman halted as he was suddenly encircled by a group of well-meaning elderly men and women. ¡°Boy, you look like a sessful man. How can you do this?¡± one of them chided. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s bad enough that you have the nerve to act like a pervert in public. Why are you running after her?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a handsome man. How can you be so bad? Can¡¯t you just be nice when looking for a girlfriend?¡± Amidst the cacophony of the chattering group of elderly men and women, Elias felt a mounting pressure in his head as if it were on the verge of exploding. Unable to endure it any longer, he swiftly pulled out his ||| < phone and urgently called Yacob. ¡°Get to the hospital right now!¡± He could not do anything right now as many people had already started filming him. Even the tiniest hint of criticism against the group could be twisted and stered all over the inte, inviting an onught of public bacsh and curses. Meanwhile, outside the hospital, the mysterious woman removed her sunsses, unveiling a breathtakingly beautiful face. With a proud smirk, she briefly nced at the crowd surrounding Elias. Shortly after, she gracefully slipped into her car and swiftly sped away from the hospital. In the meantime, the situation only de-escted when Yacob finally arrived at the hospital and led Elias away from the scene. However, Elias wore an intensely displeased expression inside the car, his features contorted by the perplexing DNA test and the mysterious woman seemingly materializing from thin air., ¡°Are you alright, Mr. Winters? Where do we go now?¡± Yacob asked. After hearing this, a shadow crossed Elias¡¯ face, his expression darkening. ¡°Return to the office immediately. Additionally,b through the hospital¡¯s surveince records and uncover the identity of that woman. I have a feeling she¡¯s not just a random person.¡± ¡°Are you upset because of this woman?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Elias answered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Yacob admitted, his expression reflecting his puzzlement at Elias¡¯ response. Elias sighed, his fingers massaging his temple in frustration as he uttered, ¡°As it turns out, the DNA test confirms that I am not Aiden¡¯s father.¡± ¡°What? How can it be?¡± Yacob¡¯s shock was palpable. Aiden looks remarkably like Mr. Winters; it¡¯s impossible to believe they¡¯re unrted. ¡°You have doubts about the test¡¯s uracy, Mr. Winters?¡± ¡°Of course. Still, Dr. Lenard conducted the test himself. Logically, his professionalism shouldn¡¯t be doubted, but¡­¡± Elias found the test results absurd. How could Aiden not be my son? Who is that mysterious woman? Her presence couldn¡¯t have been a mere coincidence. It seems she was covertly observing my reaction earlier. Then, he took a deep breath, pushing aside the unsettling thoughts. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll get another DNA test done elsewhere.¡± He adamantly refused to ept the results since he believed that the little brat had to be his, without a doubt. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t entertain any other possibility. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As the evening descended, Elias drove over to bring Amanda and Aiden back to his estate. However, Jack and Edith couldn¡¯t help but feel reluctant to bid farewell to the little brat. After spending so many days together, they had grown deeply attached to him. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. If you miss Aiden, I promise to bring him over for a visit. We won¡¯t be going too far away.¡± Amanda reassured, offering themfort in her words. Jack let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Now that you¡¯re with Elias, I can finally rx. He¡¯s always ||| < been the man I had in mind for you. At least I don¡¯t have to worry about him having any ulterior motives.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. After all, the Winters Family reigned as one of the wealthiest families in the world, and if there was one thing they nevercked, it was an abundance of money. ¡°You must promise to visit us often, Amanda!¡± Edith eximed with heartfelt emotion. ¡°Why are you crying, Mom? Imperia is not that far away. We¡¯ll still be together,¡± Amanda reassured, embracing Edith with exasperation and helplessness. Meanwhile, Stephanie turned to Aiden and asked, ¡°Will you miss me, Aiden?¡± ¡°Hmph! No way,¡± the little brat retorted, his anger lingering from his not-so-nice first impression of her. With a heavy heart, Stephanie reluctantly lowered her head, a deep sense of knowing that Aiden didn¡¯t hold any affection for her. With a gentle tap on her son¡¯s head, Amanda lectured, ¡°Baby, don¡¯t talk to your aunt like that.¡± With a decisive tone, he dered, ¡°She¡¯s not my aunt.¡± Afterward, he shifted his attention to the toy in his hands, no longer willing to engage in conversation with the adults. Amanda turned to Stephanie with a tender smile. ¡°Please take good care of Mom and Dad. Don¡¯t let the boy¡¯s words affect you. As he grows older, he¡¯lle to understand.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Stephanie replied with a nod, her words hovering on the tip of her tongue, yet hesitating to escape. Just then, Elias returned to the room after loading the car. As he lifted Aiden into a carry, he told Amanda, ¡°It¡¯s time to leave. Everything has been packed and loaded.¡± ¡°Elias, you mustn¡¯t divorce Amanda again. If you tried it. I assure you, the experience won¡¯t be as pleasant asst time. She has us now, and we¡¯ll forever be her staunchest supporters,¡± Jack asserted firmly. Elias turned to look away from Aiden to Jack¡¯s wrinkled countenance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t give her another chance to leave me,¡± he dered resolutely. Chatper 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 The Woman Named Melissa As such, the family of three returned to Winters Estate, When they arrived, the butler whisked Aiden away to y. Since the boy had been to the estate before, he was familiar with the staff, and everyone loved this mischievous little guy. Suddenly, a thought struck Amanda, and she turned to the man beside her. ¡°By the way, have the paternity. test resultse out yet?¡± ¡°Not yet. By the way, are you hungry? I et¡¯s have the kitchen whip up something delicious,¡± Elias smoothly changed the topic, his hesitation evident as he avoided discussing the matter. Nheless, she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something was off, but she decided not to pry further. Then, they headed to the dining room, where the man courteously pulled out a chair for her. ¡°What about Aiden? Shall we call him to join us for the meal?¡± Meanwhile, the nanny serving the dishes smiled warmly and replied, ¡°Mr. Aiden is having a great time in the garden and refuses toe back for dinner. We¡¯ll prepare another serving for himter.¡± Amanda returned the smile and said nothing. Tve been quite upied these days. If you feel bored, why not contact your friends to keep you company?¡± ¡°I know.¡± She nodded in acknowledgment, her eyes gently scanning the dining room. She felt like she had entered a whole new world, where she was now known as Mrs. Winters after remarrying. ¡°Let¡¯s have a wedding once things settle down. Elias suddenly spoke up. While picking up some delectable dishes, she was taken aback, and the statements made her pause in surprise. ¡°A wedding?¡± ¡°Yes. Four years ago, you were looking forward to a wedding, and even Grandpa was eagerly looking. forward to it, but I couldn¡¯t fulfill that wish. I want to give you a perfect wedding now that we¡¯re remarried.¡± He knew every woman dreamed of a perfect wedding to mark such a momentous asion. On the other hand, her enthusiasm seemed to have waned over the years. Four years ago, she had yearned for a grand wedding, but now, with Aiden already three years old and attending kindergarten, she appeared uncertain about its significance. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if a wedding still meant anything to her. When Elias noticed Amanda¡¯s hesitation, he asked, ¡°Do you not want it?¡± She managed a faint smile, struggling to put her thoughts into words. ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel it¡¯s unnecessary.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Men and women had different perspectives. For women, envisioning a wedding at the perfect age and amidst carefree moments was often the cherished dream, but the reality weaves a different tale in our modern times. ¡°There¡¯s no particr reason. I just don¡¯t look forward to it as much anymore. With Aiden already being three years old. I can¡¯t help but wonder if we should have him as the ring bearer if we were to have a wedding now Her words carried a tinge of resentment 111 After hearing this, Elias¡¯ heart sank as he felt the weight Amanda¡¯s wouds, if a web his past actions. While suppressing his emotions, he nightched his lips, took daag huwa w patiently, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s drop the wedding tall first if you¡¯re not in the mood fasyway warung m happen at some point, and everyone needs to know aldur your status M. W**** As he finished speaking, his phone vibrated. He nced at the corn and nordlig Though she couldn¡¯t hear the conversation, his face hinted at something serious After hanging up the call, he said, ¡°I need to attend in something You and Audun way need to wait for me.¡± Before Amanda could inquire about the reason for Elias distressed expression, he holy word en from the dining room, leaving an air of urgency hinting at pressing matters demanding s elsewhere. Has something serious happened? Her thoughts incled back to the lingering doors door the paternity test, and the man¡¯s evasive behavior only fueled her suspicions. Is there a problem with the resulty Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang, and she noticed the caller was Lawrence Yen of her wanted to ignore the call, but curiosity got the better of her. With a hesitant sigh, the answered the call and brought the phone to her car. ¡°Hello?¡± On the other end, Lawrence¡¯s voice carried a hint of amusement. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to any may call heard that you moved back to Winters Estate. Does that mean you and Elias are remarr ¡°So, what if we are? I¡¯m sorry if you called just to pry into our personal life, but I don¡¯t have me for the chatter.¡± As she wrapped up her words, a longing to end the call tugged at her heart, yet the enigmas voce on the other end uttered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Puzzled, Amanda furrowed her brows, seeking to unravel the meaning behind those cryptk words 700Tuan do you mean?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Lawrence replied. ¡°Regardless of your actions, I will take the child with me, even da means employing force. If reason falls on deaf ears, I am left with no alternative but to act deny After hearing this, her eyes widened, and she tightened her grip on the phone. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The paternity test results are out, and Elias is not the father. He¡¯s probably donning a himself now. Maybe he¡¯ll willingly return the child to me in a matter of days.¡± In the meantime, Amanda stood there, her world crumbling around her. Her lips trembled is defied to absorb the shocking revtion that Lawrence had just dropped. She thought it could p desperately hoping she had misheard. Did he say Elias is not Aiden¡¯s father? How paid that be pecastle one talking nonsense! That¡¯s impossible! The child is his! Are you the one behind all With a wry grin, he probed, ¡°Why do you cling to denial, refusing to embrace the trunk? You¡¯ve dome many paternity tests, so you should know. What¡¯s the point of denying it? Is there anything in it for prom no deceive him like this?¡± While biting her lip, Amanda clutched her phone tightly, desperate to shield herself from fa unsettling revtions. She abruptly ended the call, feeling like someone was orchestrating a satuster ple in the shadows. How could every paternity teste back negative? Who have I identally offended so moment such a cruel turn of events? < Her mind raced desperately trying to pinpoint the cris,n dhe answer remained clusive After taking a deep local de reached for her plone again, determined in all Ilias and rity the paternity test beboucle Unfortunately, he was reachable, leaving heueless abom what he might be preupied with Meanwhile s arrived at a high-end residentialpiles As he approached, Yacob, standing by the roadude caught sight of Hay deck car and immediately straightened up s parked the car on the side of the mad, opened the door, and looked at Yacob. Did you find her? ¡°Yes, I found her. Her name is Melissa Walters. Thendlord said she moved in recently and paid rent for six months. It seems she also returned from Exmos not long ago. She¡¯s living in Unit 1702 in Building 5 Melissa Walters. However, no matter how hard Elias walked his memory, the name held no familiarity Today at the hospital, he saw this woman wearing sunsses and couldn¡¯t see her face clearly. Hmm¡± Then, he drove toward the residentialplex. As he approached the entrance, the vignt security guard gged him down, but after a few words exchanged through the rolled-down car window, the guard quickly let him in. In the meantime, Yacob followed behind, driving the car into theplex. Soon, Elias parked directly in front of Building 5, exited the car, and walked inside. ¡°Mr. Winters, should I apany you?¡± Yacob asked as he stepped out of the car. However, Elias nced at him and stated, ¡°No need. Wait for me here.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Chatper 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 It Must Be a Lie This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Elias stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 17th floor. As the elevator ascended, he pondered over what this woman named Melissa Walters could possibly want. She hade all the way from Esmos, rented a ce for half a year, and it was evident that she wasn¡¯t nning to settle down. permanently. Whatever her purpose, it had captivated his curiosity. Ding! The elevator door opened slowly. He walked out of the elevator and headed straight for Unit 1702. While standing outside the door, he contemted for a few seconds before pressing the doorbell. Seconds. ticked by, but there was no response from within, causing him to arch his brows. Yacob insisted the woman would be home, so why had she not answered the door? She must be avoiding me on purpose. Elias pressed the doorbell again, but his patience waned as the seconds dragged on without a response. A sly grin crept across his face, and he spoke with unwavering determination through the door. ¡°I know you¡¯re inside. If you don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯ll find a way to make you do so.¡± After what felt like an eternity, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a woman in a bathrobe. He was spellbound as he caught sight of her true face, a breathtaking beauty that radiated charm from delicate feature. ¡°Who are you looking for, sir?¡± Melissa inquired. every However, he cut in abruptly, and his tone was icy, ¡°You don¡¯t know my name? You didn¡¯t know my name when you followed me to the hospital?¡± ¡°Who followed you? It¡¯smon knowledge that people visit hospitals for medical care. Do you think your family is running the hospital? Why don¡¯t you mind your own business?¡± she countered with a smirk. Elias maintained a sereneposure, his voice steady as he confirmed, ¡°Indeed, it is.¡± A hush fell over Melissa as she pondered the rumors surrounding the formidable Winters Family-an affluent and influential force in the country whose wealth was woven intricately into various industries. ¡°Open the door.¡± While saying this, he pushed the door open and walked in without scruples. He didn¡¯t behave like a guest but more like an intruder. Then, she followed closely behind him and asked, ¡°What do you want from me?¡± As Elias red at the woman standing before him, a tinge of suspicion colored his expression. ¡°Care to exin why you were tailing me to the hospital? Spare me the excuse of seeking medical treatment, as I¡¯ve confirmed you didn¡¯t see a doctor today,¡± he retorted, his voice tinged with an undertone of intensity. With a graceful flick of her lustrous locks, Melissa responded nonchntly, ¡°Can¡¯t I visit patients?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me. I can tell that you didn¡¯t visit any patients. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t check that information?¡± His patience was wearing thin with this woman. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. I was just passing by and identally bumped into that nurse. Why are you so persistent and even following me to my house? Are you the boyfriend of that nurse?¡± As Melissa continued to feign innocence, a yful smile danced across Elias¡¯ lips. He settled onto the couch and stated, ¡°I¡¯m not too busy tonight, so I can afford to waste some time with you.¡± ¡°Sir, how is this appropriate? You, a married man, staying alone in a single woman¡¯s house? Won¡¯t your wife be jealous?¡± she asked. With a wry smile, the man shot back, ¡°How do you know I have a wife? Have you investigated me, or do I have ¡®married man¡¯ written all over my face?¡± At this moment, she wanted to curse at herself for giving it away but maintained a calm facade. ¡°I have at secret crush on you. So, I investigated you¡± After the exnation reached his cars, Elias fell into a brief yet profound silence, his thoughts swirling like storm clouds. Soon, a scornful chuckle escaped his lips, carrying the weight of his disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of that.¡± When she heard those words, Melissa felt a tingling sensation surge through her scalp. This man is too arrogant! Am I not even worthy of having a secret crush on him? ¡°Then, who is worthy? Your ex-wife? Didn¡¯t you divorce her?¡± she retorted with fiery determination. Despite having remarried, he had no desire to divulge any information to this outsider. Thus, he found himself echoing the same question he had posed earlier. ¡°What¡¯s your purpose in following me? Does my paternity test have anything to do with you?¡± ¡°None! It has nothing to do with me! I genuinely was just passing by!¡± she asserted fervently. As he gazed upon this woman, it became apparent that extracting valuable information from her would be an uphill battle. Resigned to reality, he knew he had to entrust Yacob with further investigation. With that realization, he stood up, peering down at the mysterious figure before him, and inquired, ¡°You went to Esmos four years ago and suddenly returned. What purpose did you rent this ce for?¡± Despite the tense situation, Melissa maintained a stoic silence as she gazed at the man before her. Dealing with Elias proved far more challenging than she had ever envisioned. Instead of sumbing to anger or suspicion, he exuded an unwaveringposure while questioning her intentions. While other ordinary men, upon receiving such shocking paternity test results, would have hurried home to confront their wives. Yet, Elias not only withheld me from Amanda but also shielded her from the truth and chose to seek Melissa. At this moment, doubts crept into Melissa¡¯s mind, casting shadows over her carefully crafted scheme. As he left her doorstep, she hastened to close the door firmly behind him. The weight of the situation pressed upon her, and she knew she could no longer linger here as she had to find a new ce to stay. As Yacob saw Elias walk out of the building, he promptly stubbed out his cigarette and stepped forward with curiosity written all over his face. ¡°Mr. Winters, how did it go? What did the woman say?¡± he inquired. eagerly. ¡°She said nothing. Send someone to investigate this woman¡¯s background in Esmos,¡± Elias replied. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Elias¡¯ countenance turned somber, casting a shadow over his features. < When Elias finally arrived back at Winters Estate, the night had cast its inky embrace. He anticipated Amanda and Aiden had already drifted into slumber, so he nned to take a soothing shower and slip into bed. However, as soon as he entered the dimly lit bedroom, he saw his wife reclining on the bed and reading a book as if awaiting his return. As the sound of the closing door reached her ears, she instinctively lifted her gaze and caught sight of her husband¡¯s return. A sudden flutter danced within her chest, tinged with a hint of unease that she couldn¡¯t shake off. When she nced at him, it was evident that he seemed utterly unfazed, as though the paternity test hard never taken ce. With a casual tone, he remarked, ¡°You¡¯re still not asleep? I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡± Amanda¡¯s words were poised on the tip of her tongue, but upon learning of his intention to take a shower. she gracefully decided to defer her thoughts to a more opportune moment. Fifteen minutester, Elias emerged from the bathroom with a snug towel draped around his waist. Then, he sat on the bed and gently took the book from her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep. It¡¯ste. You can read it tomorrow.¡± ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Chatper 400 Chapter 400 Amanda was captivated by his wless profile, but the words she spoke next seemed to hang in the air. laden with unspoken tension. ¡°I heard that the paternity test you did doesn¡¯t match with Aiden.¡± Her voice tinged with difort as if she struggled to catch her breath amidst the weight of the revtion. Elias¡¯ pitch-ck eyes slightly widened, then darkened. Who told you that?¡± ¡°That Lawrence¡­ Aren¡¯t you even a bit suspicious?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but stand up for herself, a sense of surprise washing over her as she realized he had no intention of addressing the matter. There¡¯s no need to say anything. It¡¯s definitely a lie.¡± Although Amanda also thought the same, Elias¡¯ reaction genuinely surprised her. ||| 33 Always Be with You ¡°Why are you so sure? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might have betrayed you?¡± Amanda¡¯s expression was earnest and she didn¡¯t seem to be joking. As Elias gazed upon her current expression, a chuckle effortlessly escaped him. ¡°Even if I give you ten times the courage, you wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°What makes you think I wouldn¡¯t dare? Why are you so certain?¡± She didn¡¯t like his confidence, which even bordered on arrogance. The man breathed a profound sigh as his slender fingers caressed her cheek tenderly. Tm only certain that Amanda from four years ago wouldn¡¯t dare. As for the current you, I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± She felt a subtle surprise washing over her as his words puzzled her initially. However, after a brief moment of contemtion, a flicker of realization illuminated her expression. Four years ago, Elias was confident that Amanda¡¯s love and loyalty ran deep for him. However, the tides of time had brought about significant changes, and he had caused her immense pain. Nevertheless, if she were to betray his trust and stray from their path, it would send his world into a chaotic whirlwind of panic and despair. For him, the once-overflowing love she had shown him four years ago now seemed to have waned, a poignant realization that he couldn¡¯t escape ming himself for entirely. With a genuine and solemn gaze, she inquired, ¡°Are you saying that I don¡¯t love you enough now and that I might do something to hurt you?¡± Then, he chuckled lightly. ¡°Although I couldn¡¯t bear it, you have the right to do so because I hurt you too deeply.¡± At this vulnerable moment, Amanda¡¯s heart seemed to melt. As she curled her fingers, she discovered a side of Elias she hadn¡¯t anticipated behind his invincible facade, he, too, experienced moments of vulnerability. ¡°If I do something to hurt you, how would you handle it?¡± She suddenly became curious about how he would respond four yearster. If it were four years ago, it would be clear that he would kick her out of Winters Family and never see her again. However¡­ He stared at her face for a long time before saying, ¡°I might go crazy, but I would also keep you by my side and never allow you to leave me¡ª¡± ¡°Even if I betray you?¡± she interrupted. Elias remained silent, essentially confirming it because even if Amanda did something that hurt him, he still wanted to keep her by his side. However, she looked at him in a daze, not knowing what to say. He gently drew her closer with a tender embrace and kissed her earlobe. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me. I don¡¯t want to experience the pain of losing loved ones again. If it happens again, I might consider ending my life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± She instinctively hugged him tightly. Elias couldn¡¯t help but smile as he noticed Amanda¡¯s powerful reaction. The sight warmed his heart and reassured him that he held a meaningful ce in her heart. 111 r On the other hand, she keenly perceived that this man was incredibly fragile behind his seemingly invincible exterior, unable to endure any more emotional blows. Witnessing loved ones depart, one by one, inflicted a pain too heavy for anyone to bear. ¡°Elias, I¡¯ll always be with you.¡± In the end, she softened her heart. After all, she was the one who fell in love with this man first. He gently released her from his tender embrace, locking eyes with her in a moment of unspoken. connection. He leaned in slowly, their lips meeting in a soft, lingering kiss. To his delight, this time, she didn¡¯t refuse; instead, her arms wrapped around his body, embracing him back as she responded to the warmth of his affection. Amanda¡¯s reciprocation ignited a newfound intensity within Elias, and his passion soared to new heights. Meanwhile, at the Sacred Heart Vi. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve found a suspicious woman. She always seems to be deliberately appearing around us,¡± the bodyguard said. Symeon nced at him and asked, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still investigating, but this woman keeps showing up around us. It feels like she¡¯s tracking you.¡± Tracking me? Symeon¡¯s brow furrowed as he contemted the situation. Apart from Amanda, there were no women he knew in Cludan. Who could this woman be? ¡°Find out as soon as possible,¡± he urged. ¡°Okay. The bodyguard continued, ¡°Sir, Elias already knows the paternity test result, but he still doesn¡¯t want to hand over the child to us. What should we do?¡± Then, use force.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± After conducting so many paternity tests, Symeon¡¯s reservoir of patience had finally run dry. There was simply no justification for squandering any more time on the matter. Suddenly, his phone rang, and he swiftly answered the call. On the other end of the line were the Lawrences. Following a brief yet meaningful exchange, he hung up. Take the child away as soon as possible. They¡¯ve urged me to go back,¡± he stated. ¡°Understood.¡± On the other hand, Melissa packed her belongings overnight, preparing to move out. However, as soon as she stepped out of the residentialplex, a car blocked her way. ¡°Miss, our master requests your presence.¡± ¡°Who is your master?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You¡¯ve been tracking our master for quite some time. It¡¯s time for you to show yourself,¡± the bodyguard said. ||| Lowneme! Melissa¡¯s eyes widened She couldn¡¯t believe But she had taken painstaking measures thy main hidden, yet, somehow, she had been unearthed With a sudden surge ed adrenaline, she nned on her heels, her heart pounding After all, they were standing im a bustling paddie street, and indeed no harm would be tall her here, she hoped Unfortunately, her optimism proved to be her downfall, as the moment she tried to rape and desperately called for help, the imposing bodyguard swiftly intervened, forcefully yanking her back to the waiting car Curiously, despite the strange and unsenling scene that unfolded before them, the passersby only paused momentarily, their curiosity fleeting, before returning in their own affairs. It was as if an invisilde veil of indifference shrouded the incident, allowing the car to vanish into the distance. Soon, Melissa was brought to Sacred Heart Vi The bodyguard escorted her into the vi, where Symeon waited for her on the living room couch As Melissaid eyes on him, a facade of serenity masked the tempest swirling within her heart. Four long years, yet this man remained unchanged with his striking charm and unyielding demeanor Coincidentally, her phone rang at this moment. She hesitated and intended to hang up, but an unintended touch on the screen caused her to answer the call inadvertently. To her surprise, it was the voice of Dr Lenard that came through the line. ¡°When will you release my grandson? I¡¯ve done what you asked, you¡¯re going too far!¡± With an air of serenity, she put the phone to her car. ¡°You¡¯ll see him this afternoon. Go home and wait, she assured before ending the call. ¡°What do you want with me, sir? Melissa feigned unfamiliarity with Symeon, though they had previously shared a physical rtionship. ¡°You¡¯ve been following me for so many days. Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± Symeon said. Suppressing a grin, she couldn¡¯t help but notice how overly self-important he and Elias appeared. Their words were strikingly identical, tempting her to burst intoughter. Meanwhile, Symeon remained entirely oblivious to her identity, having neverid eyes upon her before. On the contrary, Melissa knew everything about the man before her, including all the schemes she had set up and the multiple fabricated paternity test results. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just think you¡¯re handsome and wanted to get to know you. Is that not allowed?¡± she said flirtatiously. The woman¡¯s words danced frivolously through the air, their carefree nature pricking Symeon¡¯s patience like a needle. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but be captivated by her undeniable beauty, which possessed a mesmerizing allure tinged with a hint of assertiveness that demanded attention. Chatper 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 I¡¯ll Send Someone to Follow Her ¡°And then? Now that you¡¯re standing in front of me, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Symeon gazed at the woman before him, her calm demeanor betraying no hint of admiration for him. ¡°Oh, handsome guy, what¡¯s your name? You look like you¡¯re of mixed race. Do you have a girlfriend? If not, can you consider me?¡± Melissa¡¯s tone was frivolous and perfunctory, prompting a cynical chuckle from Symeon. ¡°Sure,¡± Sure? Given this man¡¯s usual disposition, he would typically decline such advances, yet here he was agreeing. It left Melissa momentarily speechless. ¡°Are you speechless now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try to date then.¡± Melissa approached and sat next to the man, her slender fingers grazing his shoulder. In the next moment, Symeon swatted her hand away and stood up. ¡°Stop pretending. Tell me, why were you following me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I just like you and want to be in a rtionship with you.¡± She raised her hand and brushed her lengthy hair, her red lips curving seductively. He had no way to deal with such a woman, and at that point, he finally got angry. ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Why are you so fierce? You¡¯re so handsome, but your temper is so bad.¡± Melissa stood up with a pitiful expression. ¡°Get out!¡± Symeon didn¡¯t want to look at her for another second. She was just causing trouble. Melissa slowly turned away and sported a sensuous smile. Then, she left the vi. After she left, a bodyguard walked in. ¡°My master.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on her. She must have some ulterior motives,¡± Symeon said. The bodyguard nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll send someone to follow her.¡± After leaving the Sacred Heart Vi, Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, I¡¯m out of that ce. Initially, her n was well thought out, but it seemed both men had discovered her ruse simultaneously. It wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for her to stay longer there.. Her goal had been achieved. Symeon¡¯s attention was now focused on Amanda and her son and he did not suspect Melissa. Suddenly, her phone rang. ||| Melissa answered the call, and a young girl¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Mommy, when are you coming back? I miss you.¡± ¡°I will be back soon. Be obedient and stay with Grandma for a few more days, okay?¡± ¡°But I miss you.¡± ¡°I miss you too, but I have to go on a business trip. Be a good boy and wait for me for a few more days. I will be back soon to be with you.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Melissa¡¯s tone was gentle, a far cry from her insincere attitude toward those two men. Still, no one could fathom her true motives. At the Winters Estate. Amanda had been staying home these past few days, not daring to go out. Aiden hadn¡¯t gone to kindergarten either. After all, things hadn¡¯t been resolved yet, and Symeon was still in Imperia. But today, Amanda had to go to the Allegra Family. She had to negotiate the divorce with Crispin. Jack had been calling her, reminding her to bring Aiden along. It had been a few days, and he missed Aiden. ¡°I have some business to attend to at thepany. As soon as I¡¯m done, I¡¯lle over. Let Yacob send you there first, okay?¡± Elias emerged from the dressing room, adjusting his tie, and speaking to Amanda, who was still lying on the bed. ¡°Alright, please finish your work quickly ande over. I¡¯m worried that Crispin might cause trouble.¡± After all, Crispin had only been a member of the Allegra Family for a few days. He hadn¡¯t gotten anything yet, and now, he was told to leave. How could Crispin be willing to ept that? ¡°Okay.¡± Elias bent down and kissed her lips, whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll order Yacob to be always by your side. Amanda smiled, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit nervous. Lately, she didn¡¯t know why, but she always felt uneasy. Perhaps it was because of the sudden appearance of Symeon. Then, Elias went out of the vi, and the car was already waiting. Yacob opened the car door for him. ¡°Mr. Winters, some new information about Melissa came in from Esmos.¡± ¡°What did you find?¡± Yacob¡¯s expression was severe. ¡°We found out that Melissa gave birth in the same hospital as Mrs. Winters four years ago, on the same day. The only difference is that Mrs. Winters gave birth to a boy, while she gave birth to a girl. Although this information seems unrted to us, I find it strange. How can there be such a coincidence? The woman you identally met happened to have given birth in the same hospital as Mrs. Winters.¡± It was indeed strange. Elias¡¯ mind raced, and he seemed to understand something. ¡°Make a copy of Melissa¡¯s medical records from the hospital in Esmos and give it to me. I¡¯ll have Symeon personally investigate this,¡± He had a daring hypothesis. Could the child Symeon had been searching for be with this woman? Same hospital, same day of giving birth. Symeon¡¯s investigation might have gone wrong, especially since Symeon didn¡¯t even know the identity of the woman who had slept with him. ¡°Yes!¡± Elias got into the car and nced at Yacob. ¡°Is the sample for the DNA test at the other hospital ready?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ready. This is Aiden¡¯s toothbrush. I n to send it over now,¡± Yacob said. However, Elias reached out his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll deliver it personally. I want to see what can go wrong this time. Please send Amanda and Aiden to the Allegra Family.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yacob handed the sample bag to Elias. When closing the car door, Elias reminded him again, ¡°Remember, always stay by Amanda and Aiden¡¯s side. Crispin is like a mad dog now and he could bite at any time.¡± ¡°Understood. You can rest assured.¡± At the hospital. Elias personally delivered the sample for the DNA test to the hospital. However, he didn¡¯t notice that there was a car following him to the hospital. The person driving the car was Melissa. After following him to the hospital, Melissa looked annoyed and helpless. She muttered to herself in a low voice, ¡°Why is this man so persistent? He had already done the DNA test once and knew the result. Why does he want to do it again? I¡¯m speechless.¡± She almost envied Amanda for having such a good man. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, she still had to cause some trouble. The result of the DNA test must not confirm the father- son rtionship. Soon, she saw Elias walking out of the hospital. She picked up her phone and dialed a number. ¡°You guys are at it again. This time, double the price, and it must be done.¡± After hanging up the phone, Melissa slowly left the hospital in her car. In another car, Elias, through the car window, noticed a somewhat familiar figure in the car next to him. Wasn¡¯t that the same woman, Melissa? How could this be so coincidental? Every time he went to the hospital, he would run into this woman! Chatper 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 The Majestic Appearance of Mr Winters ¡°Speed up and catch up with the car in front, Eliasmanded the driver. The driver nodded and said, ¡°Understood.¡± Thus, the two carsmenced a pursuit, one trailing the other. Melissa quickly noticed that a car was following her, and to her surprise, it was Elias¡¯ cart She immediately panicked and tried to shake off the pursuing car, but it continued to follow closely behind her. It wasn¡¯t until the next traffic light that she intentionally timed to pass on the green, leaving the car behind trapped at the red signal. Seeing that she had shaken off Elias¡¯ car, Melissa smiled victoriously and let out a sigh of relief. Inside the car, Elias wore a grim expression as he issued anothermand to the driver, ¡°Head to the Sweusia Residence.¡± He remembered that this woman had rented a ce there. The driver drove him to the residential area. Elias went to the seventeenth floor and pressed the doorbell, but he did not receive any response. At that moment, a neighbor from the adjacent apartment opened his door and asked. ¡°Excuse me, are you looking for the person living across from me?¡± ¡°Yeah, is she not at home?¡± Elias turned back and asked. The neighbor kindly reminded him, ¡°A beautiful woman rented the ce a few days ago, but she suddenly moved out recently, so the house is empty again.¡± Moved out? Elias narrowed his eyes slightly. Melissa must be hiding something. Otherwise, why would she be in such a hurry to move out? Was it because he discovered something? At the Allegra Vi. Today was the day for divorce negotiations. Jack had called awyer, intending to finalize the divorce agreement today, of course, under the condition that Crispin was obedient. Stephanie hid in her room because she didn¡¯t want to face Crispin. Jack had summoned Amanda back too because she was also awyer. He wanted her to listen in and analyze the situation for him. He only trusted his people now. Upon Amanda¡¯s arrival at the Allegra Vi with Aiden, Mrs. Allegra took Aiden to y in the garden. She didn¡¯t want to face this situation as she was both disheartened and troubled. Therefore, the divorce negotiations with Crispin involved only Jack, Amanda, and thewyer. Crispin arrived at the Allegra Vi on time and was led by the louder to th ¡°Dad, I¡¯m on time, but where¡¯s Stephanie for this divorce talk! After all about cam iniritage Erigine true nature emerged, discarding his previous genteel demean and behaving more like a rotten Jack was growing exasperated just seeing him. ¡°Stephanie doesn¡¯t want now your We or handling this matter on her behalf Hmph she used to love me so much, but now that were divorced, des not even here Lace dors disappear, huh¡± Crispin sat down in the chair opposite Jack, crossing his legs. Jack nced at thewyer, and thewyer took out the pre prepared divorce agreement and handed a over Mr. Coyote, please read the divorce agreement carefully. If you have no objections, please sign your name¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Crispin picked up the divorce agreement, a disdainful smile still lingering on his face He had only been the son-inw of the Allegra Family for a few days, and now he was about to be kicked out. His grand ambitions had not been achieved at all. Fate was truly ying tricks on him After reading the divorce agreement, Crispinughed and threw the agreement onto the table, saying ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit too unfair? After all ve served your daughter for several years, became your son-inw for a few days, and now you want me to leave with nothing. This family is to VASE yet you¡¯re being so petty?¡± Crispin thought he would at least get some money, but he didn¡¯t expect that they would single penny and wanted him to leave with nothing. give him) He had already spent all of his savings in his effort to marry Stephanie, so it was uneptable for him to get a divorce without receiving anypensation. Jack became angry and mmed his hand hard on the table. However, Amanda grabbed his arm and signaled him to remainposed. Amanda smiled slightly and looked at Crispin across from her. ¡°This family¡¯s wealth was earned by my father. What does it have to do with you? Moreover, you¡¯ve only been married to Stephanie for less than month. What right do you have to demand money? You two haven¡¯t acquired any real estate during your marriage too, so there¡¯s no talk of post-marital joint property. So, what money do you want?¡± Even thewyer on the side was stunned, but he was happy that there was no more need for him to speak. so he just stood quietly by. Crispin was growing agitated by Amanda¡¯s presence. He was facing all this mess because of her. Otherwise he would still be securely seated as the Allegra Family¡¯s son-inw, maybe even integrated into the Allegra Group by now. ¡°What does my marriage with Stephanie have to do with you? Is it your hobby to interfere in everything Crispin sneered. Amanda smiled widely. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve forgotten that I am also a member of this family. This is my family! Crispin, be smart and sign the papers. Otherwise, don¡¯t me us for not being polite.¡± ¡°Do you think that Elias has deleted all the videos? What if I have a backup? If I upload the video online, it right affect the stock of Allegra Group, don¡¯t you think?¡± Crispin had reached a state of madness. Besides money, he didn¡¯t care about anything else. If he obediently divorced now, his life would only be more miserable. Who would pity him then? ¡°Unfortunately, you don¡¯t have a backup. If you did, you would have already released in You wouldn¡¯t have waited until now,¡± Amanda said. ¡°I won¡¯t sign this agreement. Let¡¯s see each other in court. I won¡¯t sign this unfair agreement Crispin said. getting up and preparing to leave. Unexpectedly, at that moment, there were heavy footsteps outside the study, and a menacing male voice dered. ¡°Who said it¡¯s up to you whether to sign or not?¡± This voice! Elias As soon as Crispin heard Elias¡¯ voice, he instinctively froze in ce. After all, the person he feared the most now was that man. Elias walked into the study and looked at Crispin¡¯s serious expression. He smiled and said, ¡°Are you not used to seeing me here? Do you think I can¡¯t handle this matter? Sorry to disappoint you, but we¡¯ve remarried. I am now the son-inw of the Allegra Family and have every right to handle this matter¡± ¡°You!¡± Crispin wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t dare to provoke Elias. He was afraid of getting beaten up. After all, Elias was capable of doing anything. ¡°Crispin, I advise you to obediently sign this divorce agreement. Otherwise, you will bear significan consequences.¡± Elias said expressionlessly. ¡°What can you do to me?¡± Crispin said dismissively. Does Elias think he can control everything? Elias sneered. ¡°Do you think that when I hacked yourputer, I only hacked your various ounts an deleted those videos? I¡¯ve also found a secret that you don¡¯t want anyone to know about.¡± ¡°What did you find?¡± Crispin became a little panicked. He was recalling if there were any secrets left in hisputer. He thought he had cleared everything. Elias sneered, ¡°For example, the secretly recorded videos when you dated your students, and the videos of you helping students cheat¡­ Tsk, I didn¡¯t expect your private life to be so exciting. If I were to make these things public, I¡¯m afraid you would lose your job as a university lecturer. Is that worth it?¡± Chatper 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Let¡¯s See What I¡¯ll Do ¡°How dare you?¡± Crispin¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. Elias sneered, ¡°Then, wait and see if I dare to do it or not.¡± ¡°Impossible! You¡¯re just trying to scare me! There¡¯s nothing like that on myputer! You can¡¯t find. anything You¡¯re ndering me!¡± Then, let¡¯s see what I¡¯ll do. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, I found the video of you with a female student in a hotel room. I wonder what cllect it would have if that video were to be shared online.¡± Elias¡¯ smile grew even wider and it was filled with malice. Jack and Amanda, upon hearing about his despicable actions, looked at Crispin with disbelief and disgust. ¡°What a beast! I never expected you to do such despicable things! How can you have the audacity to be at teacher?¡± Jack was truly angered. He realized that he had made a mistake by allowing such a beast to be his son-inw, tarnishing the reputation of the Allegra Family. Amanda was even more furious. She felt sick just talking to him. Crispin waspletely panicked because the incident Elias mentioned had indeed happened, but he had already deleted the video long ago. How could Elias possibly find it? Elias, of course, understood the panic and doubt in his expression. He smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wondering how I found the videos even though you¡¯ve deleted them, right? You seem to have forgotten that I can recover data. Sorry, but my major isputer science! Crispin couldn¡¯t stand firm anymore. It seemed that Elias had indeed managed to restore those videos! If those videos were to be uploaded online, it would be an even greater embarrassment than him being cheated on by someone. Elias nced at Yacob, who was standing beside him, and said, ¡°Please make Mr. Coyote sign the papers. Be gentle.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± So, Yacob walked directly to Crispin, kicked his leg, forcing him to kneel on the ground, and then ced. the divorce agreement in front of him. ¡°Ah! My leg!¡± Crispin screamed in pain. ¡°Mr. Coyote, please sign. Mr. Winters asked me to be gentle, but I¡¯m a rough man. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t be gentle.¡± After speaking. Yacob ced Crispin¡¯s right hand on the table and took out a dagger. Crispin¡¯s eyes widened, his voice starting to stammer. ¡°What are you doing? What are you guys trying to do?¡± He desperately tried to pull his hand back, but Yacob held it firmly. In the calmest voice, Yacob said, ¡°If you don¡¯t sign, then this hand will be useless. I¡¯ll just chop it off.¡± ||| r No no ne You can¡¯t do this! Yacobiniled ¡°Then, sign it You have no choice. If you don¡¯t sign, you won¡¯t be able to leave here today, at This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. the meaning behind his words was already clear. Crispin looked around at the people present, his eyes hult of hatred, but he had no power to resist. The could only take the pen, and with each stroke, he signed his name on the divorce agreement. Then he Angrily sant ¡°Is this okay? Let me go!¡± dy ¡°Mb Coyote is indeed reasonable. Alright, you may leave now.¡± After Yacob finished speaking, he let go of Crispin¡¯s hand. Immediately, the bodyguards came forward and escorted Crispin out of the study, expelling him from the Allegra Family. Jack didn¡¯t forget to instruct. ¡°Throw away all of this beast¡¯s belongings! I don¡¯t want to see anything rted to him in this house!¡± Yes The bodyguard nodded. The study suddenly fell quiet. Thewyer kept the divorce agreement and bid farewell to Jack. ¡°Well, Mr. Allegra, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave now.¡± ¡°Abright, go about with your business¡± Thewyer left the study and closed the door. Now, there were only three of them left in the study. Elias pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at Jack. ¡°Mr. Allegra, everything is settled now. You don¡¯t have to worry about this anymore.¡± ¡°I never expected that I would allow such a cunning man to enter our family.¡± Jack sighed deeply and suddenly remembered something. He looked at Elias and said, ¡°You¡¯ve remarried Amanda, so why are you still calling me Mr. Allegra?¡± s was slightly taken aback, then he smiled. ¡°Dad¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jack looked at the couple in front of him and finally felt a littleforted. After being thrown out of the Allegra Family, Crispin fell to the ground. The kick from Yacob had weakened his legs. As someone who was only good in academics, his physical fitness was weak. How could he possibly withstand a kick from Yacob? ¡°You, Stephanie, and Jack, are simply not giving me a way out. Since you don¡¯t want me to have a good life. I won¡¯t let you have a good life either!¡± Crispin struggled to stand up, gritting his teeth and muttering to himself. He stared at the Allegra Vi with resentment for a long time, then reluctantly turned and left. He would find a way to hinder the Allegra Family. This revenge must be avenged. But now he had nothing, and he had signed the divorce agreement. How could he take revenge? Suddenly, Crispin thought of Symeon from the Sacred Heart Vi. A sinister smile appeared on his face He couldn¡¯t fight against the Allegra Family or Elias, but that influential man could Crispin turned and left, nning to find Symeon. At the Sacred Heart Vi At that moment, Symeon was having a meal. A bodyguard came in to report, ¡°My master, Crispin is here to see you. He says he has something important to discuss with you.¡± Something important? Symeon frowned slightly. ¡°Let him in¡± After a while, the bodyguard brought Crispin into the dining room. Crispin didn¡¯t dare to sit down and could only stand aside. ¡°Mr. Lawrence.¡± ¡°What important matter do you have to discuss with me?¡± Crispin guessed that Symeon probably didn¡¯t know yet that he had already fallen out with the Allegra Family and signed a divorce agreement. He smiled and said, ¡°I certainly have something important to tell you. You wanted a child, right? Well, what I want to tell you is that Amanda and Elias have remarried!¡± Remarried? Symeon furrowed his brows. ¡°When did this happen?¡± At this point, do Elias and Amanda still have the mind to remarry? Should he say that these two were bold. or that they didn¡¯t take him seriously at all? ¡°It happened just a few days ago. After they remarried, Elias brought Amanda and his son back to the Winters Estate. They hardly ever leave the estate now. If you want to take the child, it¡¯s going to be quite difficult.¡± Crispin saw that Symeon didn¡¯t speak and continued. Theard that the security system at the Winters Estate is top-notch, with a world-ss security system. If you want to secretly take the child, it¡¯s practically impossible¡± ¡°Do you know all this so clearly?¡± ¡°I wanted to cooperate with you, so of course, I had to know all this.¡± Crispin acted like a sycophant, and anyone could see that he was trying to tter Symeon. Chatper 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Wait for Me Symeon chuckled, gently cing down his utensils, and raised his eyes to meet the mboyant figure before him. ¡°How do you want to cooperate with me?¡± He couldn¡¯t think of any use this person could have for him. Seeing that Symeon took the bait, Crispin felt secretly delighted and excited, ¡°I can help you to get the child. At the moment, I still have the privilege to see him. If you¡¯re willing, that is.¡± ¡°What do you want in return?¡± Symeon didn¡¯t understand why Crispin was so eager to help; it couldn¡¯t be just for the sake of helping. Crispin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ve done some research online. The Lawrence Family has a strong influence. I just hope that you can arrange a small position for me in the Lawrence Family¡¯s subsidiary in Cludan. I just want to make a living. ¡°Oh? The Allegra Group seems to be quite influential as well. As the son-inw of the Allegra Family, why do you want to enter the Lawrences¡¯pany?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. My father-inw doesn¡¯t trust me at all, and he¡¯s kept me out of the Allegra Group. So, I thought of finding another job. I wonder if you migh Before Crispin could finish his sentence, Symeon interrupted him. This won¡¯t be difficult. What matters is whether you can truly assist me. Spare the chatter. Bring the child to me, and your desires will be fulfilled. Now, leave. I want to eat.¡± Symeon didn¡¯t want to waste any words, nor did he want to look at him any longer. He didn¡¯t like people who used his child to climb the socialdder, and he even looked down on them. To be able to use even a child, they were shameless scoundrels. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Crispin was overjoyed to receive such a promise. He left with bows in a lowly matter. All that remained was to bring the boy Aiden before Symeon, securing his entry into the Lawrence Family¡¯s Cludan subsidiary. This was something he had never dared to imagine before. This was the esteemed Lawrence Family. Being able to have a connection with the Lawrence Family meant a guaranteedfortable life awaiting him in thetter half of his days. After Crispin left, the bodyguard stood by and asked coldly, ¡°My master, do you n to trust Crispin and ce him in an important position?¡± Symeon picked up his wine ss, swirled it lightly, took a sip, and said, ¡°What worth does he hold? Continue with your ns, and retrieve the child as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He didn¡¯t believe in this kind of person and merely dismissed Crispin casually. Besides, he didn¡¯t believe that Crispin could take the child away from Elias. In the evening. Elias and Amanda returned to the estate with their child. As soon as they arrived, Aiden immediatelyined of being tired and wanted to sleep, so the nanny took him to bed. Amanda¡¯s stomach growled with hunger, and she nned to eat something. Elias wanted to apany her. But before they could enter the vi, Elias¡¯ phone vibrated. He answered the call, and Yacob¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Mr. Winters, we found Melissa. She¡¯s drinking at a bar, but it¡¯s strange. She¡¯s talking to a few men about something, and I feel that something is not right. So, I caught those men, and they all confessed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Elias asked, his face tense. ¡°It turns out that those men kidnapped the child of Professor Turold, who conducted the DNA test for you this time.¡± Kidnapped? Elias suddenly realized. ¡°So, the DNA test result I received earlier could also be the result of these people¡¯s kidnapping?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. These men also kidnapped the granddaughter of Dr. Lenard before, which led to the test result showing that you are not rted. The mastermind behind all this is that woman named Melissa. We are currently trying to arrest her.¡± D*mn it! ¡°Wait! I¡¯ming right away!¡± After hanging up, Elias muttered angrily. This woman has gone too far. How dare she y me like this!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? What did that call mean? Did someone tamper with the DNA test?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t hear clearly, but she grasped the general idea. Elias expression was serious. ¡°Yes, someone has been misleading us. I need to go out for a while. You don¡¯t have to wait for me. Go to bed early.¡± ¡°Please be careful.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Elias embraced her delicate body and kissed her forehead. Yet, no one could predict the events Elias would face on this trip. However, Amanda felt a somewhat inexplicable anxiety. The man loosened his grip on her, intending to turn and leave. She instinctively hugged his tall figure and said, ¡°You must be careful. Now you have me and our baby, so please take good care of yourself, alright?¡± Elias chuckled softly, pinching her cheek to lighten the mood, teasing her, ¡°I believe you truly love me now.¡± ||| ¡°We¡¯re in this situation, and you still have the leisure to say such things.¡± Amanda pushed Elias away angrily, but he pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and firmly captured her lips in a passionate and lingering kiss. After the kiss ended, Amanda¡¯s face turned crimson, and she shyly leaned against Elias¡¯ chest. Intentionall I tease you¡¯ teasing her, Elias said, ¡°You¡¯re blushing just from that? Wait until I¡¯m back and you¡¯ll see how Amanda pushed Elias¡¯ body away in anger, but there was a sweet smile on her lips. ¡°Wait for me toe back. Go and eat now; be a good girl¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Elias turned, got into the car, and left. Amanda stood in ce and watched the car leave until it disappeared from her sight. Then, she reluctantly turned and walked toward the vi. The butler asked, ¡°Mrs. Winters, what would you like to eat?¡± ¡°Just something simple. It doesn¡¯t matter. I can¡¯t eat much alone anyway.¡± After Elias got into the car, his gentle demeanor vanished. Now, he only wanted to catch Melissa and find out the purpose behind her actions. He arrived at the location where Yacob was. Several men were crouching on the ground, trembling and not daring to look up at Yacob. Elias got out of the car and walked over. Yacob said, ¡°Mr. Winters, these are the men.¡± ¡°Did you guys kidnap Professor Turold¡¯s child?¡± He asked in a low voice. One of the men, the leader, trembled and raised his head. His head was bloody, indicating that Yacob had taught him quite the lesson. ¡°It was that woman who told us to do it. We were just doing it for the money. We never harmed those children. We only kept them for a few days and then returned them. They were treated well, with good food and drinks. We never hurt those children, absolutely not!¡± Elias looked at Yacob and asked, ¡°How many children have they kidnapped?¡± ¡°I just interrogated them. They kidnapped the children of the two professors who conducted the DNA test for us. I just had someone release Professor Turold¡¯s child. The child of the doctor who conducted the DNA test for Symeon in Cludan was also kidnapped. The purpose was the same, to make the DNA test results prove that Symeon is the father of the child,¡± Yacob answered truthfully. Chatper 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Mr Winters, Wake Up! Elias looked at the people squatting on the ground and said, ¡°It seems that someone tampered with the paternity test that Symeon did abroad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± At this moment, Yacob¡¯s phone rang. After answering the call, he seemed to have received some news. ¡°T¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, we have found Melissa Walters. She¡¯s on Caxton Street. Our people are chasing her, but she refuses to stop.¡± After hearing this, Elias turned around and got into his car, preparing to personally go and intercept this woman. He wanted to see what she was doing and her reason behind it. ¡°Mr. Winters, let us go instead.¡± Yacob stopped him from closing the car door, but Elias coldly nced at him. ¡°No need. I want to stop her. myself.¡± After saying that, he mmed the car door shut and turned the car around to leave. Yacob nced at the men behind him and said, ¡°Take these people back first. We¡¯ll talk when I get back.¡± Then, he also got into the car and followed the car in front of him as he had to protect Elias¡¯ safety at all times. Meanwhile, Melissa was speeding on the street with several cars following her, trying to force her to stop. She couldn¡¯t stop no matter what because once she did, she would be caught by Elias¡¯ men. She refused to stop despite the constant honking of the cars behind her. She kept driving until she reached the outskirts. She didn¡¯t know where else to go, but those cars still followed closely. ¡°He¡¯s nuts! Is it necessary to force me like this? Is he trying to kill me?¡± Melissa looked at the cars in the rearview mirror, gritting her teeth. What should she do now? How should she get rid of these cars? Suddenly, a white Koenigsegg rushed directly toward her. If the cars from before were just closely following her, trying to force her to stop, then this white Koenigsegg was clearly trying to crash into her. With a loud bang, Melissa¡¯s car was forcefully hit from behind, forcing her to pull over. But she clenched her teeth and refused to stop. If she stopped now, she would definitely be caught and interrogated. Then, Symeon would know everything and he would forcefully take away her baby! This was absolutely uneptable! Everything Melissa did was for her child. She couldn¡¯t let Symeon take her child away. ||| baster pussies they owery child she chose to sacris Ananda¡¯s child because she knew the day Symeon tound you that Xiany¡¯s tubt was just his, he would be Amanda and her child go. Puwess shuters in her liber clubt was taken away, she might never see her daughter again. Nobis could see the heive exexol the man in the car behind her. She knew she couldn¡¯t escape anymore. Since i hade to the she would rather pull him down as well. Sushions x sped up and overtook her car before stepping before her. He was betting that she wouldn¡¯t state to crash into him She mumeshately steppest on the brakes with the tires screeching against the ground, almost hitting him. She was pale with tear Hose could he be so daring? Seeing that she had nowhere to escape, her only choice was to get out of the car obediently or crash into #shold de Melissa was coverest in cold sweat. She couldn¡¯t let Elias catch her as he would definitely hand her over to Sumcont She gripped the steering wheel tightly as she was conflicted about what to do. Meanwhile, Elias had already parked the car and was preparing to get out of the car and approach her because he knew that she didn¡¯t dare to crash into him. However, he didn¡¯t intend to do anything to her. He just wanted to ask why she was doing this. As for Symeon, he would let Amanda decide if they should hand her over to him. Unexpectedly, Melissa tightly gripped the steering wheel with furrowed brows and stared straight ahead as if she had made up her mind before suddenly stepping on the elerator. The engine roared as her car crashed into the white Koenigsegg. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Elias hadn¡¯t had time to open the car door when he saw the car crashing towards him. He didn¡¯t even have a spare second to think. Bane¡¯ Melissa shut her eyes tightly and stepped on the elerator without a care in the world and could feel that the car was pushing the other car far away. Her heart was pounding like it was about to jump out of her chest. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that s car had been pushed dozens of feet away with a dent in the body. She hit her head on the steering wheel as blood oozed from her forehead and felt a bit dizzy. The white Koenigsegg remained motionless and she could see Elias lying motionless on the steering. wheel. Taking advantage of that moment, Melissa quickly drove away. As she passed by, she caught a glimpse of Elias whose face was covered in blood Her heart skipped a beat as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and stepped on the elerator, desperate to escape The white Koenigsegg waspletely wrecked, with all the airbags deployed Elias forehead was covered in blood which flowed out continuously as hey motionless on the steering wheel Blood stained his thickshes as he tried his best to pry open his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t find the strength to do that. In the end, darkness enveloped him as he lost consciousness and fell into aa. Soon, Yacob caught up to him in his car and fell to the ground from fear when he saw the scene He pushed open the car door and dashed over, trying to wake Elias up. ¡°Mr. Winters! Mr. Winters, wake up! Don¡¯t sleep! Wake up! But Elias had lost all consciousness and it was useless no matter how loud he shouted. Then, a few more cars stopped one after another and everyone came up to help and quickly rescued Elias from the car before sending him to the hospital. Yacob held Elias¡¯ body in the car and whispered, ¡°Please don¡¯t die. How am I going to answer to the late Old Mr. Winters?¡± Howard had repeatedly instructed him to protect Elias, but now.. Yacob could even feel that Elias¡¯ breathing was weakening. If this continued, it would be hard today if he could survive. In the Winters Estate, Amanda was apanying Aiden to draw. He held crayons and drew a picture of a man, a woman, and a child on the paper. She smiled and asked, ¡°Is this our family that you¡¯re drawing?¡± ¡°Yes, this is Mommy. This is Daddy, and this is me. We¡¯re flying kites in the garden,¡± Aiden exined seriously. Amanda gently touched his head with a smile, but the next moment, she suddenly felt a pain in her heart that felt like a knife was cutting through her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but cover her chest and frowned in pain. Chatper 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Mr Winters¡­ Had an ident Just then, Colette brought juice and dessert over and saw that Amanda¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good, so she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mrs. Winters, what¡¯s wrong? Are you alright? Why do you look so pale?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just suddenly felt a bit ufortable in my heart. It¡¯s probably because I didn¡¯t sleep well last night.¡± Amanda shook her head. She didn¡¯t know why her heart hurt a lot just now. She looked at the time again and realized that it was almost 10 p.m., but Elias wasn¡¯t home yet. She then looked at Aiden, who was drawing, and said, ¡°Aiden, take a break and have some juice.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Colette saw that her face was really pale and advised her, ¡°Mrs. Winters, why don¡¯t you go to your room and rest for a while? I¡¯ll help Mr. Aiden take a bath and prepare for bed when he gets tired. Don¡¯t stay up toote. Your health is more important.¡± Amanda looked at Aiden and asked, ¡°Is that alright? Can Mrs. Colette put you to sleepter?¡± Although Aiden wanted her to put him to sleep, he chose to let Colette apany him when he heard her say that her heart wasn¡¯t feeling well. ¡°Yes, Mommy. You should go to sleep if you¡¯re not feeling well.¡± Amanda patted his little head and said, ¡°Good boy, I¡¯ll go lie down for a while. If you can¡¯t sleepter, come find Mommy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± So, Amanda went back to her room alone, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. She didn¡¯t know why her heart kept aching, as if it was trying to tell her something and Elias¡¯ face kept appearing in her mind. She wanted to call and ask, but she was afraid that he must be busy. Forget it, let¡¯s not disturb him. Then, she picked up the phone and called Boris to say, ¡°Call me when Elias is back.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Winters.¡± After hanging up the phone, Amanda felt restless again. She tossed and turned in bed, but just couldn¡¯t fall asleep. So, she yed with her phone for a long time before finally falling into slumber. -She had a very long dream. In the dream, she saw Elias on a deserted road, waving at her as if to say goodbye. No matter how she ran towards him in the dream, she couldn¡¯t go near him or make a sound. Suddenly, he was covered in blood, lying motionless on the road, as if he was dead. ¡°No! Elias, no!¡± ||| Suddenly, she woke up from the dream and sat up abruptly with her forehead covered in cold sweat. She was gasping for air as she was still immersed in the nightmare. After checking her surroundings, she realized that it was just a dream and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank heavens it was just a dream. Amanda massaged her forehead for a while before flipping the covers and getting out of bed, only to realize that it was already morning. It was eight o¡¯clock in the morning now. So, she went to the bathroom to freshen up before changing into a set of home clothes. When she arrived at the living room, she saw Colette cleaning. ¡°Mrs. Winters, you¡¯re awake. Mr. Aiden is still sleeping. Should I wake him up?¡± Amanda waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let him sleep. He doesn¡¯t have school and he¡¯ll just make a fuss if he wakes up.¡± ¡°What would you like for breakfast? I¡¯ll have the kitchen prepare it for you.¡± ¡°Just some congee and side dishes. I don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡± She looked around to find that Elias wasn¡¯t there. Did he note back all night? Amanda remembered asking Boris to call her if Elias returned before going to bed. Hmm¡­ Amanda looked at Colette and asked. ¡°Where is Elias? He didn¡¯te back all night?¡± ¡°Yes. Mr. Winters didn¡¯t returnst night.¡± Then, she turned around and walked toward the kitchen. Amanda suddenly felt unstable and her heart skipped a beat. He didn¡¯te back all night and didn¡¯t even give her a call. Did something happen? Even when he was busy on a business trip abroad, Elias would always find time to call her. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. She picked up her phone and dialed Elias¡± number, but it went to voicemail. His phone is switched off? Amanda¡¯s heart sank. Something must have happened! How could the busy bee Elias turn off his phone? Her heart started to race as she panicked and dialed Yacob¡¯s phone. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. After ringing for a long time, the call was finally connected. The background on the other end was a bit chaotic, and Yacob sounded exhausted as if he had experienced a great disaster. ¡°Hello¡­ Vacob! What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t reach Elias and you both didn¡¯te home all night. Where did he go?¡± Yacob remained silent for a long time. I¡¯m sorry; it¡¯s my fault for not protecting Mr. Winters¡­¡± Her pupils contracted as she gripped the phone tightly while her lips trembled. ¡°What are you saying¡­ W- What happened to him?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters¡­ had a car ident¡­ He¡¯s still in the emergency room, but his injuries are too severe, so there¡¯s a high possibility¡­¡± Amanda¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Her eyes widened with tears streaming down her face and she shouted angrily, ¡°Where are you guys now? Which hospital are you at?¡± She felt her whole body shake and couldn¡¯t help but cry out loud. How could this be? Was the bloody scene she dreamed ofst night real? Was Elias¡¯ soul saying goodbye to her? ¡°No!¡± Amanda cried out in despair. At the hospital, Yacob stood motionless outside the operating room with clothes stained with blood as if he had fought against death. Medical staff kept going in and out of the operating room, but no one knew what was happening inside. When Amanda arrived at the hospital and saw Yacob standing outside the operating room, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. Her legs felt weak and almost fell to the ground. He stepped forward and supported her. Amanda saw the bloodstains on his clothes and cried, ¡°Is this his blood?¡± Yacob didn¡¯t say anything, which was as good as confirming it. Amanda cried even harder. How could there be so much blood? How could one person bleed so much? Yacob¡¯s clothes are almost soaked in blood¡­ ¡°Why? Why did this happen? He promised me that he would be careful.¡± Amanda still remembered Elias¡¯ promise to her before he leftst night saying that he would be fine and that he would definitely return. But now, why was he lying in the operating room in critical condition? ¡°It was that woman, Melissa Walters, who hit Mr. Winters before running away.¡± Yacob¡¯s voice was hoarse. Last night, he kept trying to wake Elias up on the way to the hospital, but Elias wasn¡¯t responsive no matter how hard he tried. Melissa Walters? Why is this name so familiar? However, Amanda didn¡¯t have the heart to think about that. She just wanted to know when Elias would come out of the operating room. ||| ¡°When will hee out?¡± she asked with a sob and her whole body pale without a trace of color. Chatper 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Please¡­ Don¡¯t Do This Yacob clenched his fists, unsure of how to answer the question because he didn¡¯t know when Elias could Amanda stood there, staring at the sign of the operating room with tears streaming down her cheeks and sttering onto the ground. It was like her shattered heart which was in unbearable pain. ¡°You have to wake up. Please. Do you hear me¡­ Amanda pleaded tearfully at the door of the operating room oblivious to the pain of her tightly clenched. fists as her nails dug deep into her palms. She wondered if Elias had felt any pain from losing so much blood. Suddenly, the lights in the operating room went out, and both Amanda and Yacob were startled and waited eagerly for the door to open. Finally, a doctor walked out from inside and Amanda immediately went up to ask, ¡°How is it? How did he do?¡± Yacob followed suit, ¡°Doctor, how is Mr. Winters? Is he alive?¡± The doctor took off his mask and shook his head weakly. That action chilled Amanda to the core as she felt weak in her knees, but Yacob held her up. ¡°Can¡¯t you say something? What exactly happened?¡± Amanda finally broke down and shouted angrily at the doctor. Her shouts echoed in the quiet hallways making her despair and helplessness even more pronounced. The doctor was startled by her angry shout but remained calm and answered, ¡°He has regained signs of life, but although his life has been saved, the injuries are too severe. So, we can¡¯t give an urate time frame for when he will wake up.¡± Then, the doctor turned around and left. Amanda stood still as tears streamed down her face one drop after another like pearls on a broken string. After a while, the doors of the operating room opened, and the medical staff pushed the hospital bed out. Amanda was the first to walk over and cried out, ¡°Elias, wake up. Look at me, please¡­ I beg you¡­.¡± ¡°Mrs. Winters, please keep quiet. This is a hospital. Please calm down¡­¡± But Amanda couldn¡¯t control her tears no matter how the medical staff tried to persuade her. When Amanda saw Elias, she felt like her heart was being torn apart and it hurt too much. His body was covered in medical equipment and his face was pallid under the oxygen mask as if he had no life left. Amanda wanted to rush over and touch his face but was stopped by Yacob. ¡°Please calm down. Mr. Winters is going to the ICU.¡± ? ? ¡°I want to go in and see him¡­¡± Amanda despairingly knelt on the floor, covering her mouth as she cried out. She knew that she needed to be stronger in this tough time because there were many responsibilities she had to take on, but she couldn¡¯t take it anymore seeing Elias like that. Inside the Intensive Care Unit, the doctor allowed Amanda to enter for a short while wearing protective clothing after Yacob¡¯s repeated requests. She stood in front of the bed looking at the unconscious man while listening to the beeping sounds of the monitoring devices and felt like her world was copsing. ¡°Elias¡­ please wake up. I beg you¡­ You promised me that you would be fine¡­¡± He had promised her before he left, so why did it turn out like this? She had felt uneasy at that time and should have stopped him when she had the chance. With trembling hands, Amanda held his hand and pleaded repeatedly, ¡°Please, wake up soon. Aiden and I can¡¯t lose you. We both need you¡­¡± However, Elias remained motionless on the hospital bed as if he didn¡¯t hear her at all. Tears poured down Amanda¡¯s face as she sobbed, ¡°Have you fulfilled your responsibilities as a father? You¡¯ve just reunited with Aiden and you¡¯re just going to abandon him like this? Elias Winters! Wake up, please. I¡¯d do anything for you to wake up¡­¡± Outside the Intensive Care Unit, Yacob watched the scene with guilt. It was his fault for not protecting Elias, otherwise, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this. The Winters were relying solely on Elias to manage them. Now, the entire family could fall Elias¡¯ ident. apart after Those who had long wanted to seize power were probably already itching to make their move. After a while, Amanda exited the room with tears still flowing uncontrobly. However, Yacob said, ¡°Mr. Winters is still unconscious, but we must take action on his behalf. We can¡¯t let news of his car ident leak out, otherwise, those people in the family will definitely try to seize power.¡± Amanda closed her eyes with a nod and said hoarsely, I know.¡± She was really tired and mentally exhausted. The next two days, she stayed in the hospital and never left even just for a moment, but Elias showed no signs of waking up. During this time, many people from the family called to ask about Elias¡¯ whereabouts. To which, she replied that he was abroad for a private matter. The people from Winters Enterprise were also looking for Elias every day, but all she and Yacob could do wase up with excuses. Elias was the sole decision-maker for all major projects in Winters Enterprise. Yet, he was unavable. < He was now out of danger and had been transferred to a regr ward, yet he still refused to wake ¡°Aiden has been looking for you. You should go back and spend time with him,¡± Yacob said as he approached Amanda from behind. 1. Amanda was in a low mood. Even if she went home, she couldn¡¯t hide her strained face from Aiden. So, she shook her head, ¡°You can go back. Just tell Aiden that I¡¯m on a business trip with Elias.¡± ¡°But this can¡¯t go on. He needs someone to be with him and Aiden relies on you a lot,¡± Yacob said truthfully. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything and just sat in front of the hospital bed, staring at the man in a deep sleep. How she wished she could see Elias open his eyes in the next second. Seeing Amanda in such a lost state, Yacob sighed softly and turned to leave the ward. ¡°When are you going to wake up¡­ I know I¡¯m tired, but you¡¯ve been sleeping for days.¡± No matter what she said, the man on the hospital bed remained motionless. In a series of sighs, Amanda gradually sank into despair. She was really reaching her limit. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. At the Winters Estate, Yacob had returned and was giving Boris some instructions before going to see Aiden. Without Amanda and Elias at home these past few days, Aiden had be much quieter. He was unhappy since he couldn¡¯t even go to kindergarten, so he could only cause trouble around the estate. ¡°Mr. Aiden has been irritable these past few days. He¡¯s been saying that he wants to see his parents, but Mrs. Winters and Mr. Winters can¡¯te back,¡± Boris said. Chatper 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Your Child Is in My Hands Yacob watched as Aiden threw stones at the fish in theke in the distance who looked just like a mischievous child, but it seemed like he was trying to get the attention of the adults. Yacob had been by Elias¡¯ side in the hospital for the past few days and he had almost forgotten about this little guy. He walked to the edge of theke and looked at the sulking Aiden before asking, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt the fish when you throw stones at them?¡± Aiden turned around and nced at him, snorting, ¡°If it hurts, they¡¯ll avoid it.¡± ¡°Do you want to see your mommy?¡± ¡°Hmph! Mommy and Daddy are both bad people. They haven¡¯te to see me for days and just left me here. They¡¯re all bad!¡± It seemed like Aiden was furious. Yacob squatted down and straightened Aiden¡¯s shoulders, making him look directly at him.. ¡°Listen to me. Your mommy and daddy didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Something big happened these past few days, and they couldn¡¯te. Do you understand?¡± Yacob¡¯s expression was extremely serious, as if Aiden could really understand what he was saying. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now. Wait a few more days and your daddy wille to see you. Besides, this estate is so big. There¡¯s everything here. You can do whatever you want. If you have any requests, you can tell the butler, alright?¡± ¡°Adults are always like this. You are always lying to me! Hmph!¡± Aiden shook off Yacob¡¯s hand and ran in Boris¡¯ direction. Yacob felt a bit helpless, but he couldn¡¯t directly tell him that Elias was in aa from a car ident. Then, he instructed Boris, ¡°Take good care of Mr. Aiden. Feed him and put him to bed on time.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± At the Sacred Heart Vi, a bodyguard brought a detailed report to Symeon. ¡°My master, we found out that the woman who was tracking you before also stayed in Esmos for four years. She also spent time at the Pleybia Hospital and seems to know Amanda.¡± Symeon nced at the report, which detailed the woman¡¯s name as Melissa Walters and was unemployed. -in Esmos, but she owned quite a few assets. She knows Amanda? Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. That would exin why this woman was tracking him. Was it at Amanda¡¯s behest? Although he still couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on, he ordered, ¡°Continue to track this woman and see what she¡¯s up to.¡± ||| ¡°Yes, my master.¡± Symeon then asked, ¡°What about my son? Is he still at the Winters Estate?¡± Up until now, he still believed that Amanda¡¯s child, Aiden, was his. The bodyguard replied, ¡°Yes, he hasn¡¯te out at all, and it¡¯s strange that Elias and Amanda seem to have disappeared as well. We haven¡¯t seen them for days. Lasked around, but Elias hasn¡¯t gone to the company either.¡± Both of them disappeared? But Aiden¡¯s left at the Winters Estate¡­ This piqued Symeon¡¯s curiosity, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. He just wanted to take Aiden away. ¡°Design a reasonable n as soon as possible to bring the child out of the estate.¡± ¡°We¡¯re working on it. Don¡¯t worry. The bodyguard nodded. At the same time, Melissa was hiding in a run-down motel to escape the pursuit of those people. She couldn¡¯t help but recall the images of Elias covered in blood. She didn¡¯t know if he was dead or alive. She knew she had hit him hard and it was a violent impact that was difficult for a human to withstand. She had been hiding in this motel for a few days and didn¡¯t dare to go out. She had long abandoned her car on the outskirts. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. Melissa nced at it and saw that it was a call from her mother in Esmos. She answered the phone, and her mother¡¯s voice came through, ¡°When are youing back, Melissa? Strange people have been asking the neighbors about your personal life the past few days. They almost found out about your daughter. Luckily, I happened to be there and stopped the neighbors from revealing this. I¡¯m afraid these people are from the Lawrence Family and want to take away your child.¡± Melissa¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It must be Symeon¡¯s people investigating. She didn¡¯t expect them to be so fast. She had to get Symeon to take Amanda and Aiden away as soon as possible; otherwise, they would eventually find her. ¡°Mom, take Dulcie and stay at the other house for a few days. I¡¯ll finish things here and return. I¡¯ll be back soon. Just wait for me.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± However, Melissa couldn¡¯t help but remind her, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t let Dulcie talk to strangers. You do the same.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± After hanging up the phone, Melissa fell into deep thought while feeling anxious and restless. She had already strayed too far down the wrong path, and there was no turning back now. She had to go all out and prevent Symeon from finding out about her. By then, it wouldn¡¯t just be about taking Dulcie away as it would take her life. Another three days passed, and Elias still showed no signs of waking up in the hospital. Amanda¡¯s mood lowered with each passing day. She had said everything she could, but he still refused to wake up. She felt a sense of despair. When the doctor came for rounds in the morning, he said that Elias was slowly recovering, but they couldn¡¯t tell her when he would wake up. ¡°Would he not wake up and be a vegetable?¡± Amanda asked. The doctor sighed deeply. ¡°Mr. Winters suffered severe injuries, especially to his head. If he never wakes up, it¡¯s possible that he could be a vegetable. But we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of him waking up. It¡¯s hard to tell when he¡¯ll wake up.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart sank into an abyss after hearing that. After the doctor and nurses left, she stood rooted to the spot for a long time, unable to recover her senses as tears once again fell from her eyes. She looked at Elias lying on the hospital bed as her voice choked, ¡°Please, wake up. Even though I know you¡¯re tired and in pain, you must wake up¡­¡± She held his hand and hoped that he could hold her hand tightly like he usually did, but there was nothing. Nothing at all. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. Amanda took out her phone from her bag and nced at it. It was an unknown number. She didn¡¯t want to answer it, but she was afraid that it might be someone from the Winters Family. She answered the call and put the phone to her ear. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Mommy! Where are you?¡± ¡°Aiden? Whose phone are you using to call me?¡± Amanda was slightly startled before realizing that it was Aiden. But why is he using a stranger¡¯s phone? Is this the maid¡¯s phone? On the other end of the phone, Aiden was very happy. Mommy, a prettydy said she wants to bring me to find you.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart skipped a beat and her face changed. Prettydy¡­ ¡°Aiden!¡± Just as she called out his name, the voice of a woman reced Aiden¡¯s voice on the phone, ¡°Your child is in my hands. If you want to see him, follow my instructions.¡± Chatper 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Please Wake Up Soon, Aiden and I Are Waiting for You Amanda gripped the phone as she sat on a chair and spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± She didn¡¯t know where Aiden had been taken, and she didn¡¯t even know who this woman was, but she found the woman¡¯s voice somewhat familiar. She seemed to have heard it somewhere before. ¡°Never mind what I want to do. Just do as I say or else your son¡¯s life won¡¯t be spared.¡± Amanda became angry and shouted at the woman on the other end of the phone, ¡°If you dare to harm my son. I will never spare you!¡± She was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. She had been by Elias¡¯ side all these days, and he still hadn¡¯t woken up from hisa. And now that her baby had been kidnapped, it made her feel like she was going crazy. Laughter came from the other end of the phone. ¡°I guess you must be having a hard time now, taking care of your unconscious husband and having your child taken away from you. If I were you, I would prioritize one of them. Otherwise, you might lose both of them in the end and that would be even more painful, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Amanda widened her eyes in shock. Who is this woman? How does she know that Elias is lying unconscious in the hospital? Hardly anyone knew that Elias was involved in a car ident, so how did this woman know? Could it be¡­ Amanda suddenly remembered that Elias had mentionedst night before he left that he was going to catch a woman, and that woman was the mastermind behind this absurd farce. She tightened the grip on her phone and shouted furiously, ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one who hit Elias! You¡¯re the one who forged those paternity tests! You¡¯re the one who misled Symeon toe after me! It¡¯s all your doing, isn¡¯t it?!¡± ¡°Heh¡­ you¡¯re quite clever, connecting all these things together. Yes, it¡¯s me. If you want your son to be safe, then do as I say, otherwise, I¡¯ll send your son¡¯s fingers to you as a wake-up call.¡± ¡°You b¡±stard! If you dare to touch my son¡­¡± Before Amanda could finish her sentence, the phone was hung up. She wept in despair while listening to the hang-up tone and wondered if anyone could tell her what to do now. Amanda looked at the man lying unconscious on the hospital bed and cried, ¡°What should I do now? 1 want to stay by your side until you wake up, but our son has been taken away by that woman. I have to go save our son. What should I do¡­¡± Her fingertips trembled uncontrobly as she tightly held her phone. In an instant, all the burden was ced on her shoulders. If she said the wrong thing or made the wrong decision, it could cost her baby¡¯s life. That night, Amanda sat silently in front of the hospital bed, and no one knew what was going on with her. The next morning, Yacob bought breakfast for her, but she just shook her head. At this moment, Yacob¡¯s phone rang. After answering the call, his expression changed drastically, and he chided furiously, ¡°What? What are you all doing? You can¡¯t even watch a child!¡± Amanda, however, remained indifferent and just smiled. It turned out that the Winterses had just discovered that the child was missing. After Yacob hung up the phone, he noticed her expressionless face and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you okay? Didn¡¯t you hear the content of the call just now? How can you remain calm when your child is missing?¡± At this moment, Amanda¡¯s phone rang. She nced at it and saw that it was the same number as the woman who calledst night. Her mission had arrived. Amanda answered the call, and the woman¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Go see Mr. Lawrence now and tell him. that the child is his and that it was you who slept with him four years ago. After that, go to Esmos with him. Do it immediately!¡± Following that, Aiden¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Mommy, pleasee quickly. I miss you so much,¡± he called out. Hearing Aiden¡¯s voice broke Amanda¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t want to do anything for this woman, but her baby was still in this woman¡¯s hands, and she had no choice but toply. ¡°Understood. What about my son?¡± Yacob, who was beside her, widened his eyes upon hearing this. It turned out that Amanda had known. about the child¡¯s disappearance a long time ago. No wonder she didn¡¯t react at all when she heard that the child was missing. ¡°The child and I are in Esmos now. We¡¯re waiting for you here. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a man of my word.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After speaking, the call abruptly ended. Yacob looked anxious and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you know who took the child?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the woman who hit Elias.¡± ¡°It¡¯s her! Melissa!¡± few Yacob couldn¡¯t believe it. This woman must be crazy. He had been busy with Elias¡¯ affairs these past days and didn¡¯t have time to look for her. Yet she dared to take the liberty toe and take Elias¡¯ child! She deserved to be taught a lesson! Yacob turned to leave the ward but was stopped by Amanda. ¡°You won¡¯t find her. She had taken the child to Esmos.¡± O and now she had taken Aiden away. enough of Melissa. She had caused Elias to end up like this, Amanda calmly looked at Yacob and said, ¡°Yacob, take good care of Elias. When he wakes up, tell him toe to Esmos to save me and Aiden.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Hearing that, Yacob grabbed her arm. Now that Aiden was taken away, if Amanda got caught too, Yacob might get into trouble after Elias had regained consciousness. ¡°I¡¯m going to save our child. If I don¡¯t go, this woman might harm him. You don¡¯t want to see Aiden missing an arm or a leg, do you? You have to believe that this woman is capable of anything and what she did to Elias is an example!¡± Amanda got emotional as she spoke. After that, Yacob unwillingly let go of her arm and he felt helpless. Amanda was reluctant to leave but she had no choice but to do so. Besides, Elias was still unconscious. There were some things that she had to do. Amanda returned to the bedside and leaned down to gently kiss Aiden¡¯s forehead before whispering, Please wake up soon. Aiden and I are waiting for you.¡± After speaking, she stood up and left the ward without looking back. She didn¡¯t dare to look back, afraid that she would never want to leave if she did. When he saw this, Yacob clenched his fists and looked at Elias who wasying on the hospital bed as he muttered to himself, ¡°Wake up quickly, Elias. Amanda and Aiden need you.¡± As soon as Amanda walked out of the hospital, she felt dizzy. She hadn¡¯t had a breath of fresh air for several days. She looked up at the dazzling sunlight and let out a disdainfulugh. She felt that she was unfortunate since she always encountered issues. A taxi slowly stopped in front of her, and she got in after the door was opened. ¡°Miss, where do you want to go?¡± the driver asked. ¡°Sacred Heart Vi, Amanda stated the name of the vi area, then closed her eyes slowly. She was thinking about how to talk to Symeonter. Chatper 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Meeting Symeon Meanwhile, at Sacred Heart Vi, Symeon was having breakfast when his bodyguard came in to report, ¡°Master, Miss Bailey is here. She says she wants to see you and has something important to tell you.¡± ¡°Amanda?¡± Symeon didn¡¯t expect Amanda toe to him voluntarily. He thought she would continue to deny everything and put on an act until the end. ¡°Let her in.¡± Amanda was waiting outside the door when suddenly a car honked behind her. She turned around and saw Crispin getting out of the car, looking smug as if he had made it in life. ¡°Why are you here too?¡± Crispin was surprised. Amanda was even more surprised to see him here. At this moment, the bodyguard came out and said, ¡°Pleasee in, Miss Bailey, Master is waiting for you.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered with Crispin. Without having to guess, she knew he was just trying to gain favor. After all, anyone could see that Symeon was a big shot. With that, she walked directly into the vi. Crispin tried to follow, but the bodyguard stopped him. ¡°Sorry, you can¡¯t go in. Master is meeting with a guest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Crispin. I¡¯ve met your Master before. Please go in and let him know I have urgent matters to report to him.¡± In fact, Crispin wanted to go in and tell Symeon that that kid seemed to have disappeared suddenly and that he was rumored to have been kidnapped. ¡°Wait here,¡± the bodyguard said and closed the door. At that, Crispin could only stand outside while feeling insignificant. Inside the vi, the bodyguard led Amanda to the dining room where Symeon was having breakfast. The man nced at her and asked, ¡°Have you had breakfast? Would you like to join me?¡± ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡± Symeon looked at the bodyguard, who tactfully left the dining room, giving the two of them some privacy. ¡°Have a seat. What do you want to talk to me about?¡± The man wiped his mouth with a napkin. Amanda pulled out a chair and sat across from him while looking directly at Symeon¡¯s handsome face. After much thought, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say those insincere words. r But what will happen to Aiden if I don¡¯t say those words? After much internal struggle, she finally made up her mind and said, ¡°Stop looking for evidence and don¡¯t be bothered by it anymore. I admit it, the child is yours. Take me to Esmos.¡± Upon hearing that, Symeon calmly looked at her, as if he wasn¡¯t surprised at all by these words. But when she fell silent, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°And then? What happens after I take you to Esmos?¡± He wanted the child and not her. Amanda was a little annoyed and frustrated as she ran her fingers through her hair. She said, ¡°Take me to Esmos, and then the child will show himself.¡± ¡°So, you mean the child is already in Esmos? You¡¯ve hidden the child in Esmos?¡± Amanda neither confirmed nor denied it because she had no idea what the situation was. Symeon took it as her confirmation and nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then. I was nning to take you with me anyway. After all, the child can¡¯t be separated from you. It was best that Amanda willingly go with him, but Symeon had another question. Would Elias agree to Amanda leaving? ¡°What about Elias? Will he agree? Have you two fallen out?¡± Amanda was not in the mood to answer so many questions now. She just wanted to go to Esmos as soon as possible and see her son. She remained silent but Symeon had already imagined the whole scenario in his head. ¡°Is it because Elias found out about the paternity test results which caused the fallout? He doesn¡¯t want you or the child anymore? No¡­ let me think, the child was sent to Esmos, so he must have wanted to get rid of both you and the child. That¡¯s why you sent the child away first, right?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh. It was a pity that Symeon didn¡¯t be a screenwriter. He had quite an imagination. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as how you think. So, when do we leave? I miss my son.¡± Amanda said firmly. Symeon saw the determination in her eyes, the urgency almost overflowing. That was exactly what Symeon wanted, this kind of urgency that would make her willingly go with him. ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll have someone arrange your visa. Go back and wait for my news. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything more. She got up to leave, but as soon as she stood up, she received a text message on her phone. It was from Melissa, and the message read, ¡®Say that you want to stay by his side. Say that nowhere else to go.¡± you have Amanda¡¯s blood boiled upon reading it, but she had to endure it for the sake of her child. With that, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning to look at Symeon: ¡°Can I stay here? I¡¯ve been kicked out by Elias and have nowhere else to go.¡± ||| O Symeon looked at her pitiful appearance and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°You can choose any room upstairs.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± At this moment, the bodyguard came in and said, ¡°Master, Crispin wants to see you.¡± Crispin What could Crispin want from Symeon? . Amanda returned to Symeon¡¯s side and said, ¡°Don¡¯t see him. He doesn¡¯t like me and is only here to badmouth me. Why listen to his nonsense when I¡¯ve decided to return the child to you? He¡¯s just a clown who wants to gain wealth and status.¡± After hearing that, Symeon nodded. ¡°Makes sense.¡± Then, he looked at the bodyguard and said, ¡°I¡¯m not meeting him. Drive him away¡± ¡°Yes¡± After the bodyguard left, Amanda also left the dining room. By then, Symeon was left alone in the dining room. He chuckled softly while looking at the unfinished breakfast in front of him. The development of the situation seemed to be getting more interesting. Amanda and Elias had fallen out. and she hade to him voluntarily. It seemed that he didn¡¯t need toe up with another n anymore, but he also felt that something was not quite right. Symeon stood up and walked out of the dining room and headed to the garden outside the vi He faintly heard the argument between the bodyguard and Crispin outside. Crispin wanted to barge in but was firmly stopped by the bodyguard. After a while, the bodyguard who came back passed by the garden and saw Symeon. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Did he leave?¡± ¡°We drove him away.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As if reminded of something, the bodyguard asked, ¡°Master, should we continue investigating Melissa?¡± ¡°Not for now. I don¡¯t have the energy to deal with her anymore. I just want to return to the country as soon as possible. There are many things I need to take care of, and I also want to bond with my son.¡± After all, he had never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father since Aiden was born. ¡°Yes, I will arrange Miss Bailey¡¯s visa as soon as possible¡± r 34 ¡°Good.¡± Symeon turned to look at the window on the second floor. One room had its curtains tightly closed, and Amanda must have chosen that one. Chatper 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 None of Your Business! As soon as Amanda entered the room, she immediately closed the windows and drew the curtains shut before locking the door. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She took out her phone and dialed Melissa¡¯s number, and it took a while for Melissa to answer. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Why did you ask me to stay with Symeon? Where¡¯s my child? I want to hear my son¡¯s voice.¡± Shortly after, Aiden¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Mommy.¡± Upon hearing Aiden¡¯s voice, Amanda¡¯s lifeless face finally showed a hint of warmth. ¡°Aiden, are you okay? Did you eat and sleep well?¡± ¡°Yes, but Mommy, when are youing to see me? The prettydy said you woulde to see me soon. but why haven¡¯t you arrived yet?¡± ¡°Wait a few more days. Mommy wille to see you soon. You have to eat and sleep well, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. Mommy, I¡¯m going to y with the little girl now.¡± -Little girl? Where did the little girle from? Amanda was puzzled, and the next moment, Melissa¡¯s voice rang from the other side of the phone, ¡°How about it? Are you relieved now? I didn¡¯t mistreat your son. He is happy here. As long as you do as I say, you will be able to see him soon.¡± Amanda could tell from Aiden¡¯s voice that he was in good condition. Even so, she didn¡¯t feel rest assured. ¡°How do I pick up my son when I arrive in Esmos?¡± ¡°You will know when you arrive. I will bring him to you. After speaking, she hung up the phone again and didn¡¯t answer any more calls from Amanda no matter how many times Amanda called. Now, Amanda could only wait and make ns after she arrived in Esmos. But she still had some concerns. After she arrived there, she would be alone so she wasn¡¯t sure if she could really deal with that woman and Symeon by herself. At the same time, in New Montana, Esmos, Aiden was ying happily with a little girl. The little girl was beautiful and adorable. ¡°Aiden, can you help me with this?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Aiden obediently took a doll that he disliked because he thought of himself as a big brother. Melissa and her mother stood outside the door as they watched this scene. ||| ¡°You know, this little boy gets along well with Dulcie. Despite his young age, he is quite gentlemanly and knows how to be modest.¡± Melissa¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°It¡¯s because his parents are prominent figures in high society. They naturally pay more attention to education.¡± After all, this child was Amanda and Elias¡± child. In her eyes, Amanda was a responsible mother, and Elias was not a spoiled rich kid. She heard that Elias was a workaholic among the second generation of the wealthy in the country. Melissa¡¯s mother, Mary Tonig, couldn¡¯t help but ask again. ¡°Whose child is this? He has been staying at our house for several days. Aren¡¯t his parents worried?¡± Hearing that, Melissa merely gave a perfunctory response. ¡°He¡¯s the child of a friend. They have something to do, so they asked me to take care of him for a couple of days.¡± She just hoped that Amanda could stay with Symeon for a little longer, prolonging the time and giving her enough time to start a new life. Four dayster, Symeon was ready to return to Esmos and booked an evening flight. ¡°Aren¡¯t you packing?¡± Symeon nced at Amanda who had nothing in her hands. She didn¡¯t look like she was going abroad but rather going out for a stroll. Amanda replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring anything in the first ce, so why pack? Or is the Lawrence Family unable to afford even daily necessities?¡± Hearing that made Symeon smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, we¡¯ll buy them when we get to Esmos.¡± So, she followed the man out of the Sacred Heart Vi. Just as they walked out of the vi gate and were about to get into the car, a figure suddenly rushed over and blocked their way. ¡°Mr. Lawrence! Wait!¡± Amanda finally saw who the person in front of her was. ¡°Crispin?¡± Crispin looked at the man behind Amanda and saw that it was Amanda. Didn¡¯t shee herest night? Why is she still here? Could it be that she didn¡¯t go back all night? ¡°Why are you still here? Doesn¡¯t Elias care? Doesn¡¯t it bother him that you spent the whole night at another man¡¯s house?¡± Crispin was shocked because, in his impression, Elias was an extremely possessive person with a domineering and nasty personality so how could he allow his woman to spend the whole night at another man¡¯s house? Or had Amanda and Elias already fallen out? ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with him. Symeon grabbed Amanda¡¯s wrist and walked toward the car while giving Crispin a cold nce. ¡°Get lost.¡± ||| O r Crispin stood still, and before he could say anything, he saw Symeon and Amanda get into the car. Noticing that, He could only desperately tap on the car window, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, please wait for me, I really have something to say to you, I¡­¡± At the same time, inside the car, Amanda looked at Crispin¡¯s face outside the car window and then looked at the handsome man beside her before asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear what Crispin wants to say?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s unnecessary. I¡¯ve already achieved my goal, and I don¡¯t have time to waste on him.¡± With that, Symeon nced at the driver and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Then, the car slowly drove away. In the end, Crispin was left behind no matter how hard he tapped on the car window. Symeon refused to listen to a word from him, even if it was just one word. ¡°Mr. Lawrence!¡± Crispin shouted, but all he could see were the taillights of the car. At the airport, after theypleted the check-in, Amanda found an excuse to go to the restroom and entered thedies restroom. She entered a cubicle and dialed Yacob¡¯s number. It only rang twice before he answered, and Amanda heard his nervous voice, ¡°How is it over there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m leaving for Esmos. Take care of him after I¡¯ve left. Has he¡­ woken up?¡± After asking this question, Amanda already knew the answer in her heart. If Elias had woken up, Yacob would have called her. Yacob remained silent for a few seconds, and that silence made her feel heartbroken. When will he wake up? she wondered. ¡°Do you really have to go? Can you handle it alone?¡± Yacob asked concernedly. He didn¡¯t feel at ease letting Amanda go, but currently, there was no better way to save Aiden. ¡°I have no choice. It can only be like this. You must stay with him until he wakes up.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Amanda spoke again, ¡°Don¡¯t leave his side, especially at a time like this. I¡¯m afraid someone might try to take his life. ¡°I know, I haven¡¯t left his side for a moment.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it.¡± Amanda hung up the phone but couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh. She was heartbroken knowing that he was still unconscious and a tear rolled down her cheek. ||| Back in the VIP lounge, Amanda noticed Symeon sitting there with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes when he heard footsteps. Chatper 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Mr Winters Had Remarried Symeon looked at Amanda. ¡°Do you feel ufortable after such a long trip?¡± ¡°No.¡± She replied as she sat down on the sofa across from him. As soon as she sat down, Symeon gestured with his eyes for the bodyguard sitting next to him to leave; thus, the bodyguard tactfully left the waiting room. He picked up the ss of ice water next to him and took a sip. ¡°With your identity, it¡¯s unlikely that you can enter the Lawrence Family, so you can only be my mistress. As for the child, we will acknowledge him since he belongs to the Lawrence Family.¡± She felt speechless as she would be invisible even if she went there since they focused on their child, not. the mother. D¡±mn it! I don¡¯t care about the Lawrence Family at all! Amanda smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, and it¡¯s enough as long as I can be with my son, Symeon was quite satisfied but also somewhat surprised to receive this response since the position of Mrs. Lawrence was something many women dreamed of, but she seemed indifferent. He looked at her with interest and examined every subtle expression on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be my wife and you¡¯re not after this position?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t after these things, why did you climb into my bed and take the risk of having my child?¡± He was puzzled. She smiled as that was a good question. I shall ask Melissa about it. How will I know? However, Amanda could only give a superficial answer now just for her child¡¯s sake. ¡°Maybe I thought. about it before, but not anymore.¡± ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°This is because I know this position doesn¡¯t belong to me.¡± She picked up her phone and started scrolling through the videos. Symeon directly took her phone away. She looked up at him with a puzzle. He said, ¡°By my side, you are not allowed to use anymunication devices.¡± ¡°Why? Who says so?¡± She questioned. ¡°No reason. It¡¯s my rule.¡± He closed his eyes and didn¡¯t intend to continue the conversation with her. Amanda felt a little panicked. If that is the case, how can I contact Yacob and find out if Elias has woken up in the Southern Province? How can I contact that woman? In the hospital ward, Yacob felt extremely anxious when he stood by the bed and looked at the unconscious Mr. Winters. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Amanda is about to go to Esmos, but my master still hasn¡¯t woken up. What shall I do? He wanted to stop Amanda, but he had to let her go for the sake of Aiden, ¡°Mr. Winters, please wake up soon! It¡¯s toote!¡± Yacob knew Mr. Winters would be furious if he woke up and discovered that Amanda had taken such a risk. There was a knock on the door from outside. Who is it? A nurse or a doctor? There were not many people knew about Mr. Winters¡¯ car ident. Yacob turned around and opened the door, only to see Taylor and Rosie, a brother and sister, standing outside. ¡°Why is it you? Why are you here?¡± Who tells this brother and sister? While Yacob was still wondering. Rosie rushed into the ward and shouted at the unconscious man. ¡°Eli, Eli, wake up! How did you be like this? You¡­¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Why are you shouting? Can¡¯t you see how seriously injured Mr. Winters is!¡± He quickly stepped forward and pulled her away. Taylor also came to the bedside and couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he saw the scene. ¡°It¡¯s only been a month. How did it¡­ be like this?¡± ¡°Both of you, don¡¯t be in a hurry to grieve. I want to ask who told you about Mr. Winters¡¯ ident.¡± Rosie was immersed in grief and couldn¡¯t say a word, and she looked at her brother, Taylor. Taylor sighed. ¡°She insisted on going to the estate to see Mr. Winters but the butler identally let it slip, and we found out this. However, just realized how seriously injured he was after I came to the hospital. Was it a car ident?¡± Yacob snorted and didn¡¯t want to talk to them anymore. Rosie reached out to hold the man¡¯s hand, but Yacob pushed her away with disdain. ¡°Miss Momsey, please behave yourself as Mr. Winters has already remarried. In other words, he is now a married man. Please don¡¯t touch him.¡± ¡°Remarried? I don¡¯t believe it! If they¡¯re remarried, where is Amanda? Since Mr. Winters is in a situation like this, shouldn¡¯t she be waiting for him to wake up?¡± Rosie cried out in tears. ¡°Why are you shouting? This is a hospital room and Mr. Winters needs rest. If you want to shout, please go outside. Besides, Amanda has been here for a few days already,¡± Yacob replied. ¡°Huh¡­ I don¡¯t believe it until I see her. You said they¡¯re remarried, so please show me the marriage certificate!¡± She was demanding and didn¡¯t hear any news about Mr. Winters¡¯ remarriage. Yacob lost his patience and forcefully pulled her out of the ward. ¡°Enough. Both of you have visited him. so please go back as it¡¯ste, and Mr. Winters needs rest Taylor looked at the man lying on the bed without signs of waking up. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How long will it take him to wake up? He¡¯s been unconscious for several days?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The doctor didn¡¯t say. So, you should leave quickly and let Mr. Winters rest. He needs to wake up soon.¡± After speaking. Yacob told concerned the siblings. ¡°I warn you not to take advantage of his weakness or spread the news of Mr. Winters¡¯ car ident. Otherwise, when he wakes up, you will bear the consequences.¡± Taylor said indignantly. ¡°Who do you think I am? Am that shameless? I will do it when he is conscious even if I have a conflict with him. ¡°Rosie, let¡¯s go. Good intentions are often met with ingratitude. It¡¯s not like anyone cares to see him, he said as he was about to leave with his sister, but Rosie¡¯s feet seemed rooted to the spot and motionless. ¡°Taylor, please go back first. I want to stay with Eli as he must be very lonely now, and I want to stay with him until he wakes up¡­¡± Even Yacob couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. ¡°Miss Morisey, please go back. Mr. Winters really needs rest. Furthermore, what does it mean for you to stay by his side at thiste hour? I¡¯ve already said that Mr. Winters has remarried and he is now a married man.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait for him to wake up and let him tell me personally!¡± She stubbornly refused to leave. Yacob lost his patience and forcefully pulled Rosie out of the ward. ¡°Do whatever you want, but you cannot enter the ward or get close to Mr. Winters. This is also an order he gave me before. If you¡¯re not satisfied, please wait for him to wake up andin to him to punish me or even fire me. In short, Tam now carrying out my duties.¡± After speaking, he closed the door to the ward. Taylor couldn¡¯t help but be furious when he looked at Yacob¡¯s terrible attitude. ¡°Thisckey thinks he¡¯s Mr. Winters¡¯ brother, but he¡¯s just a bodyguard.¡± Chatper 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Hurry and Bring the Child Over Rosie stood still and watched the door of the hospital room. ¡°Taylor, you should go back first. I want to stay here and wait for Eli to wake up and see it with my own eyes before I can feel at ease.¡± Everyone knew she had feelings for Elias, but it was also well-known that Elias didn¡¯t like her. If facing the rejection from Yacob made Taylor feel ashamed, then Rosie¡¯s reaction now wholly baffled. him. ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t you have any self-respect? They¡¯ve already kicked you out, and you still want to wait here for him to wake up? Besides, Elias will still treat you with indifference even if he wakes up. What are you expecting? It¡¯s been so many years. Can¡¯t you find someone else to like?¡± Taylor was so angry that he was about to spit blood. He couldn¡¯t understand why his sister couldn¡¯t get over the same man. ¡°Taylor, please don¡¯t bother me. How can I sleep at home if I can¡¯t see Eli wake up?¡± she said. Taylor looked at his stubborn sister and angrily turned away as he couldn¡¯t be bothered with her anymore. Elias watched everything in the corridor through the ss inside the hospital room. He said nothing. returned to his position, and never left Mr. Winters¡¯ side. At the airport. Amanda sat in the first-ss cabin, covered with a thin nket, staring nkly out the window. The man beside her looked at her delicate profile, wondering what she was thinking. The ne wouldnd in a few hours, and Amanda didn¡¯t know where she would go from there since Symeon himself hadn¡¯t figured it out yet. The child was his, the heir of the Lawrences, and would never be abandoned. But what about Amanda? He stared at the side of her face and ignored the bodyguard next to him, who had called him several times. ¡°Master?¡± Symeon turned to look at the bodyguard. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I was asking, after you arrive in New Montana, where will Miss Bailey be staying? Will it be at the Lawrence Estate?¡± the bodyguard asked. He answered, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll figure it out after seeing the child. The bodyguard asked again, ¡°How should I answer if your father asks? What about Miss Elizabeth if she asks?¡± Elizabeth was his fianc¨¦e. She was a possessive and strong woman who would eliminate any woman standing next to him and not allow any woman to be around him. Symeon nced at Amanda while thinking of her sharp tongue and smiled. ¡°Let Amanda handle it ||| O herself. She¡¯s awyer, so she should be able to handle this kind of thing¡± He acted as if it had nothing to do with him. The bodyguard said nothing more because he understood what his master meant. Symeon unintentionally looked at Amanda¡¯s profile again, wondering what she was thinking with such a heavy heart. At this moment, she looked out the window while thinking about Aiden and Elias. These two men were the most important in her life. Melissa kidnapped one, and the other was injured and unconscious after being hit by Melissa. Now, she hated Melissa, as she had disrupted her peaceful and soon-to-be happy life. If she saw Melissa, she would tear her mouth apart without hesitation. But¡­ Why did the name Melissa sound so familiar? She felt like she had heard it somewhere but couldn¡¯t remember where. In the hospital in Cludan. The next morning in early dawn, Yacob came out of the hospital room and was ready to have breakfast outside, but when he pushed open the door, he saw a woman sitting on the nearby recliner. Rosie had stayed here all night. He thought this wealthy youngdy would have left long ago, so why was she still here? ¡°Miss Momsey? Rosie?¡± Rosie was half-asleep, but she heard someone calling her name and instantly woke up, thus immediately. standing up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Has Eli woken up?¡± When she saw that it was Yacob, her face showed a hint of disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s you. Has Eli woken up?¡± ¡°No, but why did you stay here all night? Go back. After saying that, Yacob beckoned his subordinates to watch over Mr. Winters and went to have breakfast himself. Rosie wanted to go inside, but he stopped her. ¡°Feel free to wait outside, but if you want to go inside, just forget it, as Mr. Winters doesn¡¯t want to see you. Even if he wakes up, you will be thest person he wants to see.¡± He nced at her coldly, then turned and walked toward the end of the corridor. She could only helplessly stay outside the hospital room and looked through the ss at the man lying on the bed. In New Montana, Esmos. ||| The car slowly stopped inside the estate. Amanda was stunned by the magnificent building in front of her since it was truly spectacr, like the mansion of a hundred-year-old aristocratic family. Symeon approached her and said, ¡°The housekeeper will take you to restter. Please bring the child here as soon as possible and don¡¯t waste my time because I have a lot of things to do.¡± She frowned. ¡°But you took my phone and didn¡¯t let me contact the outside world. How can I have someone bring the child over?¡± She said it so confidently that it caught him off guard. He nced at the bodyguard behind him and said, ¡°Keep an eye on her and let her bring the child back as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After speaking, Symeon walked in the opposite direction. The bodyguard handed the phone to Amanda. ¡°Miss Bailey, bring the young master back quickly. The master as well as his father has been waiting for the child¡¯s return.¡± The butler stood by, seemingly waiting for her to finish the call before taking her to rest. These two people wouldn¡¯t let her make a phone call alone. Amanda didn¡¯t care about that and directly dialed Melissa¡¯s number. After a while, the call connected, and Melissa¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you arrived in New Montana?¡± ¡°Bring the child over quickly. Mr. Lawrence wants to see his son.¡± Amanda looked at the bodyguard and the butler while she said this to make sure they could hear it. On the other end of the phone, Melissa remained silent for a few seconds before saying. ¡°Tomorrow, I will bring the child over, but you have to obediently stay by Symeon¡¯s side with the child. Otherwise, I will continue with my ns and give you one surprise after another.¡± ¡°What else do you want to do?¡± Amanda was almost amused by anger. She was urged to rush to the other end of the phone and tear this woman apart. Melissa replied, ¡°Heh¡­ Don¡¯t forget that Elias is still lying unconscious in the hospital in Cludan, so I can make him stay unconscious forever. I will continue my ns if you don¡¯t listen to me.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chatper 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Symeon¡¯s Fianc¨¦e Amanda clenched her phone tightly while gritting her teeth. ¡°Melissa, do I have some deep grudge with you? Why are you tormenting the people around me like this?¡± ¡°We have no deep grudge, but just me your bad luck as you happened to encounter such a malicious. woman like me. I just want to achieve my goal, that¡¯s all After speaking. Melissa hung up the phone directly. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Amanda was so angry that she threw her phone onto thewn. The bodyguard picked up the phone and looked at her angry expression while asking. ¡°Miss Bailey, are the people you hired not obedient? Do you want us to teach them a lesson?¡± ¡°No need. The child will be sent over tomorrow!¡± After speaking, she walked toward the vi area and nced at the indifferent butler. Take me back to my room. I need to rest.¡± The butler exchanged a nce with the bodyguard and then followed her footsteps. The next day, at noon, a taxi stopped outside the Lawrence Estate. The car door opened, and Aiden got off the car by himself. He felt timid when looking at the unfamiliar faces before him. However, when he saw Amanda, he immediately smiled and ran towards her. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Aiden!¡± Amanda was still wondering why only Aiden was allowed toe. Was Melissa going too far? Wasn¡¯t she afraid of losing the child? However, when she saw her son rushing toward her, she couldn¡¯t care about that anymore and hugged him. Symeon saw the little guy running towards Amanda and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He instructed the bodyguard beside him, ¡°Pay attention to the surroundings and see if anyone is secretly watching.¡± He didn¡¯t believe someone would be so audacious to let a childe alone. ¡°Mommy, why are you here, and why does the prettydy say I have a new daddy?¡± He looked at Amanda curiously, nced at Symeon beside her, and timidly hid in Amanda¡¯s embrace. Amanda didn¡¯t know how to exin at this moment, so she could only hold the baby tightly in her arms. -She didn¡¯t know how long had passed when Symeon said. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat. Let¡¯s take the child to have a meal.¡± She just held him in her arms and remained silent. In the dining room of Lawrence Estate, Amanda sat at the long dining table, watching Aiden eating like a ||| O piglet since his mouth was full of oil. On the other hand, Symeon sat across from them and looked at them like a gentleman. However, she felt ufortable under his gaze. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Why aren¡¯t you eating? Don¡¯t you like Western food? Do you want to have Cludian cuisine?¡± He noticed that she didn¡¯t even touch her knife and fork, as if it didn¡¯t suit her taste. At some point, he started to care about this woman as he thought it might be a kind of guilt because he couldn¡¯t give her a future and had to take away her child. Amanda shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry. Let him eat.¡± She looked at her son¡¯s appearance and wondered why Melissa didn¡¯t give him food. How could he be so hungry? ¡°Don¡¯t they give you food?¡± Aiden ate the steak with big bites and said childishly. ¡°Mommy, the chef here cooks really delicious food. Can wee here often?¡± She felt speechless. Aiden is such a foodie. If Elias hears his son say this, he will probably be so angry that he will spit blood on the spot. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything. She picked up the juice in front of her and took a sip. On the other hand, Symeon couldn¡¯t help but look at the little guy running toward Amanda with a smile. Whose personality is he like? It shouldn¡¯t be me; I do not have this personality. It must be like his mother. Symeon¡¯s gaze involuntarily drifted to Amanda¡¯s face again. This woman was quite beautiful, especially her eyes, gentle yet bright, even with a hint of seductiveness. At this moment, the sound of high heels came from outside the dining room. His expression changed slightly as soon as he heard the sound of high heels. He seemed to dislike this sound. He picked up his ss of iced water and took a sip. Then, the sound of high heels got closer and closer, entering the dining room. A woman¡¯s clear voice sounded. ¡°Symeon, you¡¯re back but why didn¡¯t you inform me? I could have picked you up.¡± He looked him. up and saw his fianc¨¦e, Elizabeth, a strong-willed woman with extreme possessiveness towards He didn¡¯t answer but just nodded lightly. Her gaze shifted from Symeon to the mother and son, and her smile gradually disappeared. She had heard that Symeon had brought back a mother and son. It was said that this child was his illegitimate child, and this trip to Cludan was to bring back the Lawrence Family¡¯s heir. Elizabeth almost went crazy with anger when she learned about this. However, when she thought about how her fianc¨¦e, a man like Symeon, could have such a clean private life, she realized that countless women had tried every means to climb into his bed. ||| She didn¡¯t me Symeon or this illegitimate child, but she absolutely couldn¡¯t let this woman stay by Symeon¡¯s side. Elizabeth looked at Amanda, carefully examined her appearance from top to bottom, and smiled slightly. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Elizabeth, Symeon¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± She dered her sovereignty at first. The meaning was clear to ask Amanda not to have any crooked ideas. Amanda understood the meaning behind her words, but she never thought about what would happen between her and Symeon. She only thought about how to escape from here with her son. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Amanda.¡± ¡°You seem to be Cludanian? Is this child yours?¡± Elizabeth asked with a tone that not revealing a hint of jealousy as if she could fully ept it. Amanda nced at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s better for you to ask Mr. Lawrence yourself. I¡¯m not obligated to answer your questions.¡± Upon hearing her answer, Symeon smiled as if he appreciated Amanda¡¯s response and encouraged her to continue provoking Elizabeth. Elizabeth was already going crazy with jealousy when she saw Symeon¡¯s appreciative gaze. How can he look at another woman with such eves? However, Elizabeth still pretended to be calm. ¡°Alright, can¡¯t you at least answer whether you like Symeon or not?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but sneer and looked up at the beautiful and elegantdy. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to answer. She picked up a napkin and wiped her son¡¯s greasy mouth, saying, ¡°Aiden, are you full? Let¡¯s return to our room, as it¡¯s time for your nap.¡± ¡°Huh? Mommy, I¡¯m not full yet¡­¡± Aiden stared at the dessert that had just been served and hadn¡¯t even tasted it yet, but he was about to be dragged away by his mommy. However, she picked him up and ordered, ¡°We¡¯re leaving even if you¡¯re not full!¡± Chatper 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Amanda¡¯s Assertive Counterattack When confronted with Amanda¡¯s remarkably impolite behavior, Symeon surprisingly said nothing, as if he were condoning her actions. Elizabeth watched as Amanda left, holding the child, then shifted her gaze to the man¡¯s silent expression. Her frustration simmered within her. ¡°Symeon, please don¡¯t tell me that this is the mother of your illegitimate child. Her words were infused with disdain, as if she were mocking his taste in women. However, Symeon let out a soft chuckle and looked up at her. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s the case. That child is also mine. If you can¡¯t bear it, you can propose breaking off our engagement. I will cooperate with your decision. After all, I wouldn¡¯t want to hinder your happiness for the rest of your life.¡± With that said, he slowly rose from his seat, ready to leave the dining room. Elizabeth stood there, dumbfounded. She had never expected Symeon to say such words, as if he genuinely didn¡¯t care about her feelings. She clenched her fists and followed behind the man. Despite her desire to curse in her rage, she still maintained theposure of a nobledy. ¡°Symeon, you must know that our identities forbid us to casually mention breaking off the engagement. Neither my family nor yours would approve.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°So, we can only get married,¡± Elizabeth¡¯replied with a smile remaining on her face. Symeon, however, sneered. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of the challenge that we need to coborate for mutual sess. If you have a man you like, I can fulfill your wishes. There¡¯s no need to waste your entire life tied to me. Let me make it clear. I won¡¯t love any woman.¡± ¡°May I ask why?¡± Elizabeth had long seen through Symeon¡¯s cold and heartless demeanor, yet she couldn¡¯t help but yearn for some special treatment within his heart. Symeon came to a halt and looked at her. ¡°There¡¯s no why, and I¡¯m not obligated to tell you.¡± When Elizabeth thought of that woman from earlier, she couldn¡¯t suppress her jealousy and anger. ¡°Then, may I ask you a question? Why could that woman climb into your bed? Why were you willing to touch her? Why would you even allow her to bear your child?¡± She asked three questions in one breath, though they all boiled down to one query. She wanted to know why Symeon would have made love with another woman. After lulling the baby to sleep, Amanda slipped away alone to wander around.. This ce was too vast that it was easy to get lost in, so she didn¡¯t dare venture too far. Unfortunately, as soon as she walked down the stairs, she ran into Symeon¡¯s fianc¨¦e. At that moment, Amanda considered a swift retreat, but Elizabeth¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Stop. Why ||| O r the sudden escape upon seeing me? Am I really that scary?¡± This woman was undeniably tenacious. Amanda sighed inwardly, then she turned around and answered fluently in Esmorian, ¡°Excuse me, do you have something to find me for? It seems we don¡¯t have much to talk about.¡± She didn¡¯t want to have too much involvement with Symeon¡¯s fianc¨¦e. She seemed like a tough character and a jealous woman who couldn¡¯t have what she desired. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s plenty to talk about.¡± Elizabeth looked at Amanda with a murderous gaze. If she could, she would have killed this woman on the spot. Amanda looked calm. ¡°Aren¡¯t you his fianc¨¦e? Wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate to talk to him directly?¡± ¡°I just want to see what charm you have that capture Symeon¡¯s interest.¡± Elizabeth approached and carefully inspected the beauty in front of her. What kind of allure did she have to bewitch that man, even to the point of having his child? Symeon had always stayed away from women. Many people wanted to get close to and please him, offering him various types of beauty, but he had never been moved. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Elizabeth had even suspected he might be gay, but that didn¡¯t seem likely now. Otherwise, where did the childe from? So, that meant Symeon did have sentiments and attraction toward women, just not toward her. As this realization sank in, she clenched her fists, her nails sinking deep into her palms. Amanda crossed her arms and raised her delicate chin slightly, looking disdainful. ¡°Symeon is a normal man, so why don¡¯t you ask him such a question instead of me? I¡¯m not him. How would I know?¡± ¡°Of course I should ask you. There are many women more beautiful than you, but Symeon doesn¡¯t show interest in any of them. Why is it that he¡¯s inexplicably drawn to you? Could it be that you¡¯ve yed some sort of tricks?¡± Elizabeth looked down on this woman with contempt, deeming her unworthy of Symeon¡¯s status, yet she had a child out of wedlock with him. Amanda sneered. ¡°You¡¯re just bullying the weak and fearing the strong. You don¡¯t dare to question your own fianc¨¦, so youe to bully me.¡± ¡°You should have known you¡¯ll never be epted into the Lawrence Family. Don¡¯t hold on to any hope. Symeon won¡¯t marry you. Even if you have his child, it will eventually be mine. You won¡¯t even be able to be its mother.¡± Amanda finally grasped the situation-Symeon¡¯s fianc¨¦e was now asserting dominance. However, Amanda didn¡¯t even care about Symeon, so what was the point of engaging with this woman? Amanda looked speechless. ¡°Miss Elizabeth, I¡¯m not interested in your man. Please hold his heart and have him release me as soon as possible. I have no intention of staying here and bothering you either.¡± In the face of Amanda¡¯s words, Elizabeth was momentarily stunned. She thought Amanda was purposely mocking her. The next instant, a resounding pnded on Amanda¡¯s face, the sound echoing sharply while the impact left a red, swollen mark. Elizabeth looked at Amanda¡¯s rapidly reddening cheek. An inexplicable sense of satisfaction coursed through her. Atst, her pent-up anger was vented. Amanda¡¯s face was twisted to the side from the force of the p. She couldn¡¯t react for a moment. Did Symeon¡¯s fianc¨¦e just casually p her? Amanda wasn¡¯t even Symeon¡¯s lover, so why should she endure such humiliation? Elizabeth looked at her startled expression as her previous arrogance hadpletely gone, which brought her some relief. ¡°You, as a mistress, shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant. I-Elizabeth¡¯s words had barely finished when Amanda pped her face even harder than Elizabeth¡¯s before. Elizabeth was left bbergasted. How could this woman dare toy hands on her? Did she have who she was dealing with? any idea ¡°You dare to p me, you- Before Elizabeth could finish her sentence, Amanda pped her again. Elizabeth didn¡¯t even have the strength to fight back. She stumbled back two steps, looking incredulously at the fragile-looking woman before her. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. So what if you¡¯re Lawrence¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Does that mean you can hit people at will? The p just now was just for self-defense!¡± Chatper 416 Chapter 416 Chapter 416 In a Vegetative State? After Amanda finished speaking, she sighed in relief, flicked her long hair, and walked toward her room. without looking back. ¡°Stop right there! You b*tch! How dare youy a hand on me! Stop right there!¡± Yet, no matter how loudly Elizabeth shouted from behind, Amanda paid her no mind and continued walking up the spiral staircase. Elizabeth was so enraged that she wanted to tear that woman apart on the spot. However, at that moment, she realized several maids had just witnessed the scene. What a disgraceful scene! How could she ever face those maids in the future? With frustration, Elizabeth turned on her heel and stormed out. Back in her room, Amanda nced at Aiden, who was still napping on the bed. Afterward, she entered the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Tsk¡­ That p truly packed a wallop. Her face had turned red now. Fortunately, she had pped her back too. Otherwise, her anger might have kept her awake all night. However¡­ A gloomy cloud swept over Amanda once again. She didn¡¯t know if Elias had awakened yet or what the situation was like over there. Symeon had confiscated her phone and didn¡¯t allow her to contact the outside world, so she had no idea about the situation back in Cludan. It was possible that Elias probably had not regained consciousness; otherwise, why hadn¡¯t hee to find her and Aiden? Amanda turned on the faucet and sshed the icy water onto her face, trying to clear her mind. As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you awake yet? Don¡¯t you want to see me and Aiden?¡± At the same time, back in the hospital in Cludan, Yacob had been stationed there for ten days, and his mental resilience was on the brink of shattering. Ten days had passed, yet Elias still showed no signs of waking up. What would happen to Amanda in Esmos if he didn¡¯t wake up soon? It had been so long since she left, and Yacob couldn¡¯t even contact her, so he had no idea about her situation over there. ¡°Elias, please wake up soon. Time is running out now. Amanda has been in Esmos for three days, and I can¡¯t reach her by phone. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s managed to save the child. If this continues. I¡¯m afraid. Amanda will be in danger¡­¡± Even Yacob couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious for Elias. After all, no man would be willing to have his woman and child stay with another man, especially when facing various unknown risks. As Yacob looked at Elias in aa, he sighed deeply and turned to walk out of the ward. As soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw Rosie waiting nearby. It had been several days, and no matter how he tried to drive her away, Rosie stubbornly stayed here and refused to leave. She insisted that she wanted to witness Elias wake up with her eyes. Over time, Yacob didn¡¯t feel like dealing with her anymore, so he just let her be. ¡°How is it? Has Eli woken up?¡± Rosie asked with hopeful anticipation. Yacob shook his head. ¡°Not yet. Miss Momsey, why do you need to put yourself through this? Just go back. Even if Elias wakes up, the one he wants to see is not you. Aren¡¯t you bringing humiliation upon yourself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I just want to wait for him to wake up.¡± ¡°Fine, suit yourself.¡± Yacob didn¡¯t have time to deal with Rosie now as well. He had to go to the doctor¡¯s office and find out the situation. If Elias still couldn¡¯t wake up, he must take some measures. He couldn¡¯t let Amanda and the child remain in danger since the Lawrence Family was challenging to deal with. He could sense that Amanda must be extremely anxious right now. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Yacob arrived at the doctor¡¯s office, and upon seeing him, the doctor stopped flipping through the medical records. ¡°Mr. Mills, please have a seat.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. Just tell me directly. When can Elias wake up? Is there any hope for him to wake up?¡± He had already waited too many days, and his patience had worn thin. Every day he opened his eyes, he saw Elias in that unconscious state. Yacob was reaching his limit and was even weighed down by mounting pressure. Every day, people from the Winterses were probing about Elias¡¯ whereabouts. However, deception could only work for a while; sooner orter, the truth would be discovered. He just hoped that Elias would wake up before this lie was exposed. However, the doctor sighed and shook his head. ¡°The situation doesn¡¯t seem optimistic. Today, we conducted some tests on Mr. Winters and found that his head injury is quite severe. There are blood clots, which may be why he¡¯s in aa. Unfortunately, the blood clot site is delicate, making it risky to perform. surgery. If there¡¯s any slight mishap during the surgery, it could cost him his life.¡± Yacob¡¯s heart sank. So, there was no hope? Was Elias going to be in a vegetative state? ¡°So, what you¡¯re telling me now is that there¡¯s a high possibility that Elias might end up in a vegetative state and never wake up again?¡±2/3 ¡°Well¡­ That seems to be the case for now, but we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of a miracle that one day, he might wake up on his own. It¡¯s hard to say for sure¡­¡± Yacob fell silent. What kind of nonsense was this? So, the doctor was basically saying that they should let nature take its course and leave it up to fate since the medical intervention was useless. If that was the case, what about the Winters Family? What would happen to Amanda over there?! Yacob left the doctor¡¯s office feeling disheartened, then returned to the ward. He gathered his trusted subordinates in the ward to discuss urgent matters. After about half an hour, four men entered the ward together, facing the slumbering Elias. A heavy silence fell upon everyone, burdened by heavy hearts. After a while, Yacob began, ¡°Brothers, Elias has always been good to us. Now that he¡¯s in trouble, we can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing. Besides, Elias only has one child. If he truly never wakes up, Mr. Aiden will be his only heir. We mustn¡¯t let the child fall into someone else¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Yacob, just tell us what we need to do. Elias has treated us well, so we must repay him.¡± ¡°Yeah, tell us what we need to do.¡± When Yacob saw the steadfast attitudes in these men, he felt somewhat relieved. Although Elias often had a bad temper, he was never stingy with hisrades. Almost everyone had received some form of favor, big or small, from him. Yacob looked at the man lying unconscious on the hospital bed and continued, ¡°Very well. Since you all share this sentiment, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. The Lawrence Family has imprisoned Mrs. Winters and Mr. Aiden. Although Elias hasn¡¯t woken up yet, I know he would want us to try to rescue them. So, this operation is not an assigned mission. It¡¯s entirely voluntary. I won¡¯t force any of you, as great risks are involved, and the Lawrence Family is difficult to deal with. If you are unwilling to take this risk, you can speak up now. I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± The other four men exchanged nces with each other, but none backed down. They even looked determined, as if victory was within their grasp. ¡°Yacob, there¡¯s no need for more words. We¡¯re all in. We must rescue Mrs. Winters and Mr. Aiden. Only then may Elias be at ease.¡± Chatper 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Symeon¡¯s Slowly Falling In This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The dawn broke. Rosie was still stationed outside, almost dozing off and falling to the ground. She stood up and stretched with a yawn. Suddenly, the door to the ward swung open. Yacob walked out with his men, wearing a cold expression. Rosie didn¡¯t attempt to initiate a conversation with him because she knew he wouldn¡¯t respond to her. Yet, she wondered, What were these people plotting inside the ward? Rosie furrowed her brows as she closely observed them. Yacob nced at the woman standing outside the door, then looked at his subordinates and said, ¡°Go back and get ready. The flight leaves tonight. See you at the airport.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Thus, the four of them turned around and departed. After hearing Yacob¡¯s words, Rosie couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where are you all headed? With Eli in this state, are you sure you want to leave? Can¡¯t you wait for him to wake up?¡± ¡°It will be toote if we wait for him to wake up,¡± Yacob replied. She didn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind his words because she knew nothing of the situation. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand what I mean, but you should know this-even if I¡¯m not here, you won¡¯t be able to get inside. I will have someone guarding this ce 24 hours a day, and no one will be able to enter.¡± After saying that, Yacob turned and went back into the ward. Rosie clenched her fists in anger, but she could do nothing. Inside the ward, Yacob walked up to the bedside and gazed at Elias, who was covered in injuries. He sighed in resignation. ¡°Elias, I know what¡¯s on your mind and what you want to do. So now, I¡¯m stepping in to take care of things on your behalf. I hope I cane back, and when I do, I hope you¡¯ll be awake.¡± He stood by the bedside and looked at Elias for a long time¡­ In New Montana, Esmos. Symcon, who had returned from thepany, was surprised when he heard the -butler¡¯s report. ¡°What? She pped Amanda?¡± The butler answered truthfully, ¡°Yes, Miss Elizabeth went to find Miss Bailey first. They had a conversation. Then, Miss Elizabeth suddenly pped Miss Bailey, but Miss Bailey retaliated and pped her back twice.¡± It sounded like a tongue twister, but Symeon surprisingly understood. He chuckled. He didn¡¯t ever expect Amanda to be so bold, daring enough toy hands on Elizabeth. It was true when they mentioned that those who knew nothing would fear nothing. ¡°Where is Amanda?¡± ¡°Miss Bailey should be sitting in the garden now, and Mr. Aiden is ying there too.¡± Symeon nodded and walked toward the garden. Although no one dared to say it out loud, the butler could tell that his master¡¯s attitude towards this woman was somewhat different. Perhaps it was because of the child¡¯s existence, or maybe he had other feelings for her. In the garden. Symeon spotted Amanda sittingfortably under a parasol, savoring her coffee. On the other hand, the little guy was squatting while digging the garden soil, getting dirty with mud all over his clothes, like a little mud monkey. There was a hint of disdain in the man¡¯s gaze, but he couldn¡¯t help but smile. After all, that was just a child¡¯s inherent nature. As Amanda watched Aiden ying gleefully in the distance, she was lost in thought. How could we escape from this ce? The security measures in this estate were very strict, making it almost impossible to leave through. conventional means. She had to think of other ways. Suddenly, the silhouette of a man slowly sat down beside her. Amanda was startled and turned her head to look. It was Symeon. ¡°When did youe back? Why did you walk so quietly?¡± She frowned. Symeon¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°I heard you pped my fianc¨¦e twice today. Tsk¡­ Amanda couldn¡¯t help but narrow her pair of alluring eyes. So, he¡¯s here to settle the score with me, isn¡¯t he? She remainedposed. ¡°So what? I was just acting in self-defense. Even if she takes me to court, I have valid reasons to exin my actions. I am innocent as long as you don¡¯t tamper with the surveince here.¡± Symeon furrowed his brows slightly. He realized that this woman seemed to have a deep misunderstanding of him. ¡°What makes you think I will definitely stand on Elizabeth¡¯s side?¡± Amanda sneered, her voice unwavering. ¡°Just because she is your fianc¨¦e.¡± Symeon suddenly had nothing to say. Even if Elizabeth was his fianc¨¦e, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean he would stand on her side because he had no feelings for her. He lounged in the chair and followed her gaze, looking at the cheerful little guy ying in the distance. Then, he slowly spoke, ¡°If you were pped, it¡¯s only fair to p back. Besides, I won¡¯t interfere in this matter because it¡¯s between you two women.¡± Amanda was quite surprised by his reaction. It seemed that the rtionship between this couple wasn¡¯t as strong as she had assumed. Otherwise, how could this Lawrence have an illegitimate child outside? Tsk¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t seem to love your fianc¨¦e, but she¡¯s devoted to you.¡± Symeonughed. ¡°Just because she loves me, does that mean I must love her back? It¡¯s not an obligation.¡± That was such a sc*mbag attitude. Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything. However, she still had to find a way to leave this ce. So, Amanda took the initiative to broach the subject. ¡°Can I explore the estate?¡± After all, her situation was akin to being under house arrest as she couldn¡¯t contact the outside world or step outside the estate. Symeon looked into her captivating eyes and murmured, ¡°You can explore, but never think about leaving. You can¡¯t leave.¡± Had she made her intentions that ringly obvious? She remained silent and lifted her coffee cup to her lips for a sip.. At this moment, Baby ran over, covered in dirt. ¡°Mommy, y with me!¡± Amanda looked disgusted at her son and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯te over! Look at your hands! They¡¯re so dirty. Stay away!¡± ¡°No, I want Mommy.¡± Baby reached out his two muddy little paws and pounced toward Amanda. Amanda even jumped up and dodged backward, shouting like a child, ¡°Aiden Bailey! I¡¯m warning you! Don¡¯t rub your dirty hands on me or soil my clothes, or I¡¯ll spank your butt.¡± ¡°Then, y with me, Mommy!¡± He yfully chased after her everywhere, giggling happily as he saw her scared and hiding everywhere. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to y with mud. Stay away from me! Meanwhile, Symeon watched this scene and, surprisingly, found it quite harmonious. He alsoughed along. If this scene was legitimate, he seemed to understand the essence of the happiness those people wanted. His woman and child were ying under the sun. While he had been busy all day,ing home to see such a heartwarming scene, his heart also rxed. Chatper 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Special Treatment Symeon¡¯s phone buzzed. He took a nce and saw that it was Elizabeth calling. He could already imagine what she wanted to say, probably wanting toin. He swiped open the screen and pressed it to his car. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be having dinner with your parents at this time? How do you have time to call me?¡± ¡°Symeon, hasn¡¯t the butler told you about what happened today? I thought the Lawrence Family¡¯s butler would be very diligent, but it appears he¡¯s rather unprofessional.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s words were full of sarcasm. Symeon chuckled lightly. ¡°He did tell me. Isn¡¯t it a matter of you two pping each other? Neither of you. suffered any loss, so what¡¯s there to be concerned about?¡± His casual tone infuriated Elizabeth on the other end of the line. ¡°Do you really like that woman so much? Is that why you let her have your child? I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so special about her. There are plenty of women who are more beautiful than her. Why does she hold such a special ce in your heart?¡± Actually, Elizabeth wanted to convey that she didn¡¯t think there was anything about her that made her inferior to Amanda. So, why couldn¡¯t Symeon take notice of her? As Symeon listened to the woman venting on the phone, he remained expressionless. ¡°Are you done? Hang up if you are. I¡¯m about to have my meal.¡± With that, he abruptly hung up the phone, leaving no room for Elizabeth to retort. Amanda and her son were already seated and having their meal in the dining room. Symeon was concerned they wouldn¡¯t be ustomed to the food, so he instructed the kitchen to prepare Cludan cuisine. He looked at the bowl of noodles in front of Amanda, emitting a fragrant aroma. Next to her, the little guy was eating the noodles with such dedication, as if that bowl was his whole world. Symeon sat on the chair and gazed at the little guy, asking, ¡°Is it delicious?¡± Though he hadn¡¯t been fond of children, the thought that this was his child made him more patient. Baby nced at Symeon but didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he scooted closer to Amanda and whispered, ¡°Mommy, has Daddy been naughty recently?¡± Amanda frowned. ¡°What did you say?¡± For a moment, she didn¡¯t understand what her son was saying. Baby looked at Symeon timidly and continued, ¡°Then, why did you change daddies for me?¡± Amanda and Symeon exchanged nces, falling into silence and even feeling lost for words. Symeon didn¡¯t say anything but directed his gaze toward Amanda, signaling for her to exin. On the contrary, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to rify. All she wanted was to take her child and leave this ce as soon as possible. At that moment, she only realized that these circumstances also impacted her child¡¯s young, innocent heart. At such a tender age, the little one might ponder, Didn¡¯t I just recognize a Daddy? Why is there a new Daddy again? Why are there new Daddies everywhere? Amanda lowered her head and whispered in Baby¡¯s ear in a voice only the two could hear, ¡°We didn¡¯t change daddies. We¡¯re just guests at this person¡¯s house. You have to behave. Otherwise, this kick us out, and when Daddy finds out, he¡¯ll spank you again.¡± Baby¡¯s big, grape-like eyes widened as he looked at Amanda, who nodded seriously. person will Left with no choice, he could only sit obediently in the chair and eat his noodles. He quickly finished the noodles in his bowl and hopped off the chair, announcing, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m going to bed now. Bye-bye!¡± By the time Amanda reacted, her son had already disappeared. She smiled helplessly. Well, the security measures here were quite reliable, so her son wouldn¡¯t get lost anyway. Meanwhile, Symeon had already signaled the nanny nearby to follow Aiden. The nanny nodded and left. However, he was a little curious about what Amanda had just said. Why did that little guy cast such a peculiar gaze his way? ¡°What did you say to Aiden just now? Why does he seem a little afraid of me?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing much. I just told him to be obedient. You have a bit of a short temper, and I said you might spank him if he misbehaves.¡± Amanda ate her noodles slowly while the man¡¯s face turned dark. intentionally creating a bad image of me in Aiden¡¯s mind? What if he doesn¡¯t get close to me after ¡°Are you you¡¯re gone?¡± Amanda sneered inwardly. Heh. She had no intention of letting Baby get close to this Lawrence guy anyway since the child wasn¡¯t even his, to begin with. However, for the safety of Elias in Cludan, she still had to endure it for now. After seeing her remain silent, Symeon pressed on. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re doing it on purpose, not letting the child leave you so that you can stay by my side forever?¡± deliberately Amanda¡¯s lips twitched involuntarily at the corner. This man waspletely narcissistic. Did he really think that all women desired to stay by his side? How ridiculous! Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Amanda continued eating her noodles. After finishing thest bite, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and responded, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I don¡¯t want to stay by your side forever. I can¡¯t even use my phone. What¡¯s the point of such a life?¡± After speaking, she got up and left the dining room while Symeon was left sitting there, looking at the empty bowls of the mother and son. He couldn¡¯t help butugh. This mother-and-son duo was quite interesting, and he was the one who had brought them into this situation. The butler walked into the dining room and looked at the absent-minded master. He spoke, ¡°Master, you seem to have a lot of patience for Miss Bailey.¡± Normally, he had never seen the master disying this kind of patience with any woman, not even his fianc¨¦e, Miss Elizabeth. Symeon snapped back to reality. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, even Miss Elizabeth hasn¡¯t received this kind of treatment.¡± Symeon fell into silence. He didn¡¯t think he was giving Amanda any special treatment, but he had indeed. grown ustomed to having her by his side. Suddenly, he contemted that if this mother and son continued to stay by his side all the time, their presence would probably inject some color into his otherwise monotonous and boring future. Back in the hospital in Cludan, although Yacob had already set off, a new set of guards was stationed at the ward, so Rosie still couldn¡¯t get in. Every day, she yearned to go inside and see Elias, but no matter who she encountered, they wouldn¡¯t let her in. It had already been seven days. Apart from returning home to shower and change clothes, Rosie hadn¡¯t left the hospital. She was practically glued to the ce. Even her brother, Taylor, couldn¡¯t stand her anymore. He sent someone to the hospital to bring her home, but it was useless. She just refused to leave. ¡°Please, just let me go in and take a look. I promise I¡¯ll just take a nce!¡± Rosie pleaded desperately. The guards on duty appeared troubled. ¡°Miss Rosie, please don¡¯t make things difficult for us. We¡¯re just following orders. Yacob had emphasized many times before he left that we shouldn¡¯t allow you inside. sorry.¡± Rosie hung her head in defeat, then sat back in the nearby rest area. Suddenly, the medical equipment in the ward started to sound an rm as if something had happened. The guards immediately pushed open the door and went in to check. Rosie also rushed in, her face full of anxiety as she approached the bed. Chatper 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Might Wake Up The bodyguard looked at the rm from the instrument and immediately panicked, shouting, ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor? Quick, call the doctor!¡± After a few moments, the doctor and nurses rushed into the ward and drove out the bodyguard and Rosie. to start rescuing Elias. Rosie stood outside the ward, staring at the door without blinking, afraid that Elias would really pass away. ¡°He won¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t. Elias is so lucky. How could he just die like this? He won¡¯t. He won¡¯t¡­¡± she muttered. The bodyguard next to her was moved by Rosie¡¯s reaction. After all, one could only tell who the right person was for them after an ident happened. For example, since the car ident, Amanda, the wife of Elias, has only appeared for a few days before disappearingpletely along with their child. The whole estate was buzzing with gossip. Amanda, afraid that Elias would be stuck in a vegetative state. for the rest of his life, ran away with their child. After an unknown amount of time, the door to the ward finally opened. Rosie rushed forward and asked, ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. Mr. Winters is showing signs of waking up. He was talking in his sleep when we tried to save him. We¡¯ll observe him for a few more days. There¡¯s a possibility that he will wake up.¡± After hearing this, Rosie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? What did he say?¡± The bodyguard was also eager to know what Elias had said while unconscious. Whatever Elias said during hisa must be the most important thing on his mind. The doctor said, ¡°It seems like he was calling someone¡¯s name, Amanda. Is that his wife¡¯s name?¡± Amanda¡­ The hope on Rosie¡¯s face instantly disappeared and the bodyguard next to her felt sorry for her as well. After all that Rosie had done, Elias only cared about his wife, After the doctor and nurses left, Rosie stood outside in a daze for a long time. The bodyguard could not bear it anymore. ¡°Miss Momsey, go back and rest. We will be here to guard him. You¡¯ve seen it yourself. No matter what, Mr. Winters only has his wife in his heart. Don¡¯t waste your time.¡± Rosje red at him angrily. ¡°Who do you think you are? I¡¯ll do what I want!¡± New Montana, the Lawrence Estate. There was a banquet held in the estate tonight. The butler told Amanda in advance not toe out, or it would be troublesome. 1/3 ¡°Miss Bailey, please remember not to wander around. You and Mr. Aiden can stay in this vi. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere else.¡± Amanda rested her chin on her right hand and absentmindedly pressed the remote control with her other hand. ¡°Hmm¡­ Deep in her heart, she wasining, Geez, it¡¯s just a banquet. It¡¯s not that high-ss. What¡¯s the big deal if I out? Am I embarrassing? go How could she contact the people back in her home country and find out how Elias was doing now? Every day spent here felt like an eternity, and her heart was in agony. She was getting desperate. ¡°Can I make a phone call? I¡¯m not allowed to go out every day, and I¡¯m not allowed to make phone calls. either. Is this house arrest? How long is this going tost? Do you guys n to imprison me for the rest of my life?¡± The butler smiled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When the young master adapts to life here, we will arrange for you to leave. The master should give you a sum of money by then. It should be enough for you to live the rest of your life. After that, you can¡¯t see the young master anymore. We¡¯ll pretend this never happened.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She stared, confused. These people were delusional. Why should she give these people the child she worked so hard to carry for ten whole months? While they were talking, Symeon came downstairs wearing a navy-blue suit, adjusting his tie as he walked and exuding a royal air. Amanda nced at him and did not react at all. Instead, she continued watching her movie. The man was attracted by her indifferent nce as few women treated him this way. Symeon walked up to Amanda and blocked her view. She impatiently said, ¡°You¡¯re blocking my view of the TV. Move.¡± ¡°This outfit must not look good. Judging from your expression, you seem to dislike it.¡± Amanda finally looked him in the eye and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just that this outfit looks average on you. I think Elias would look handsome in this suit.¡± After saying that, she imagined Elias wearing this suit in her mind. Hmm¡­Extremely handsome. She could not help but smile. Sensing the affection in her words, Symeon, narrowed his eyes and asked in an interrogative tone, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t found you, were you nning to spend the rest of your life with Elias and have my son call him Daddy?¡± Amanda choked. Come on! This child belongs to Elias from the start! 2/3 She could not say that. For Elias¡¯ safety, she had to endure it, even if she had to be a paragon of patience. Her silence caused a hint of anger to suddenly surge in Symeon¡¯s heart. He sneered. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why ar you so infatuated with Elias? You went to great lengths to conceive my child, and now you are completely devoted to Elias. Are women really this fickle?¡± She did not know what to say and could only brush it off. ¡°Because I realized that you¡¯re really not that great, and Elias is more suitable for me.¡± He snorted. ¡°He has abandoned you now, hasn¡¯t he? The lonely ending you¡¯re left with is what you deserv because you¡¯re flirtatious and love one man after another.¡± After speaking, Symeon angrily turned and left. He himself did not even know why he was so angry. Amanda, on the other hand, looked at the man¡¯s back in confusion and almost burst intoughter from anger. ¡°A woman who loves one man after another? He actually said that about me, huh.¡± Since when did she be a flirtatious woman who loved one man after another? After leaving Elias, had she liked any other man? The butler next to her coughed twice and could not help but say, ¡°Miss Bailey, you should be gentler in front of the master. The master likes obedient women, ¡°I don¡¯t care what he likes. Anyway, I¡¯ll leave sooner orter.¡± Seeing Amanda¡¯s attitude, the butler could not believe that there was a woman who would treat his master like this. Women usually actively pursued the master while he would not even spare them a nce. This beauty was quite special indeed, which was why the master treated her differently. The banquet. Tonight¡¯s banquet was held in the garden of the estate with the scent of flowers wafting through the air. The guests sat elegantly at the dining table, engaging in graceful conversations. Symeon sat there silently drinking his wine. None knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about why Amanda was so devoted to Elias. At this moment, Elizabeth, who was in a ck spaghetti-strap dress, walked over and sat next to him. Symeon, I apologize for my attitude that night. Please forgive me.¡± Everyone said that Elizabeth was a proud and strong woman who only acted subserviently in front of Syracon. Chatper 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Who Let You Come Here? Symeon took a sip from his wine ss and looked at her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk about forgiveness between us. As long as we don¡¯t provoke each other, it¡¯s fine.¡± Elizabeth did not know how to respond to his words, so she smiled and remained silent. She then decided to bring up another topic. ¡°What about the child after that woman leaves? We cannot let him grow up without a mother¡¯s love. Why not give him to me? I will treat him as my own child-* Finally, she realized that dealing with a man like Symeon required a soft approach, not a hard one. However, before she could finish her sentence, Symeon interrupted her. ¡°No need. The child will be taken care of. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± His meaning was clear. Elizabeth would never be allowed to have contact with the child. ¡°Why? We¡¯re going to get married eventually. Do you not n to let me be involved with the child at all? Are you afraid of what I might do to him?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s heart was bleeding. Why was this man so cold and heartless toward her? Symeon simply looked at her in silence, not saying a word. It was obvious that he agreed with her assumption. Meanwhile, Amanda looked down at the banquet taking ce below. This was the perfect opportunity for her to find an exit and escape. She looked at the child sleeping soundly beside her. Amanda returned to the bed and gently woke up Aiden. ¡°Baby, wake up, Wake up.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ I want to sleep.¡± ¡°There are so many fun things outside. Don¡¯t you want to go?¡± Amanda used a coaxing tone to persuade the boy. Aiden rubbed his eyes, looking extremely sleepy. ¡°What¡¯s so fun outside?¡± ¡°Look, there are so many people outside. Shall we go out and y?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± As soon as the word was mentioned, he became energetic. He sat up, climbed down from the bed, and went to the window to see the crowd outside. He eximed, ¡°Wow, Mommy. There are so many people. I want to go out and y too.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Amanda had already made up her mind. If they were caughtter, she would me it on him. So, she secretly sneaked out of the vi with the child. Amanda pointed to the distant banquet and said, ¡°Baby, let¡¯s go there. There¡¯s lots of delicious food and fun things.¡± They would never get lost there. Symeon would definitely bring Aiden back if he saw him. Aiden ran toward the banquet while Amanda walked in the opposite direction. She wanted to explore the vi and check if there were any secret passages. She had to find a way to escape. Did she have to listen to Melissa and stay here forever? No way! As Amanda walked, she saw a gardener tending to the weeds. His phone was in the back pocket of his pants. She quietly approached him and took the phone from the gardener¡¯s pocket. Then, she quickly dialed. Yacob¡¯s number. However, it kept ringing for a long time without an answer. What was going on? Could something have happened back home? Amanda did not give up and dialed again, but still, no one answered. She had no choice but to return the phone to its original ce.. Meanwhile, Yacob, who had just arrived at the airport, turned to his four friends, and said, ¡°This mission is very dangerous. We need to be prepared for injuries.¡± ¡°Yacob, we know. Lawrence Estate is not easy to infiltrate.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already checked and hacked into the security system of the Lawrence Estate. There are over a hundred cameras inside. It was difficult looking for blind spots in the system.¡± Yacob furrowed his brows. Unexpectedly, the person continued, ¡°I did find a few blind spots, though. It¡¯s just enough for us to get in. However, the estate is huge, and it will be challenging to find Mrs. Winters. There are at least a hundred rooms inside.¡± ¡°I think Mrs. Winters might be hidden in the more secluded vi area.¡± Yacob analyzed the situation. ¡°I¡¯ve already made contact with an insider in the estate. A gardener. I paid him a hefty sum to draw a map of the estate for me.¡± Yacob raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. When Mr. Winters wakes up, I¡¯ll make sure he reimburses. you.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, but can you help me get a promotion on Mr. Winters¡¯ behalf?¡± ¡°You¡¯re ambitious, but I like people with ambition. Sure, no problem. Alright, let¡¯s get back on track. Tell me about the map.¡± Yacob just wanted to find Amanda and Aiden as soon as possible so that he had an exnation for Elias. ¡°This is the map. Based on my analysis, I believe thedy and the child might be hidden in Vi No. 4. ording to the gardener, Symeon has been frequently going in and out of Vi No. 4 recently, and there are sounds of childrening from there. However, only designated servants are allowed to enter, and others are not permitted.¡± Yacob looked at the map, squinting his eyes. It seemed that Amanda was in Vi No. 4. ¡°Brothers, let¡¯s go. For Mr. Winters, for our future.¡± Yacob put away the map and looked at his brothers, giving them encouragement and orders at the same time. At the banquet, Aiden suddenly rushed into the midst of the event. Many people looked at this little guy who had barged in with strange looks and started whispering about him. ¡°Whose child is this? I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many people bringing children here today.¡± ¡°This child looks like he¡¯s not a local, and he¡¯s quite pretty.¡± Aiden was born in Esmos, so he easily understood what they were saying. When he saw a tiered cake, he reached out to grab a bite and brought it to his mouth. His eyes widened at how delicious it was. Meanwhile, Symeon was elegantly enjoying his meal when he heard the discussions. He turned his head. to take a look and could not take his eyes off the boy. How did this little guy end up here? Symeon immediately got up and walked toward Aiden. He buttoned up his suit jacket and carried the little one with one arm before walking to the side. When Elizabeth witnessed this, she did not think the child was lost. She was certain that the woman must have sent the child over, wanting him to be shown to the world so that she had a legitimate reason to be with Symeon. Her hand clenched around the wine ss as she gritted her teeth. ¡°She¡¯s delusional! Do not even think that this will gain you anything from Symeon. You do not deserve it!¡± Symeon carried Aiden to a secluded spot by theke and ced the little one, covered in cream, on the grass. He squatted down and asked, ¡°Who let youe here?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I want to eat that cake. The cake is so delicious.¡± Aiden¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of the cake. It was so big. Symeon felt a little helpless. He wiped Aiden¡¯s hands clean with a napkin and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have the butler bring some cake to youter, okay?¡± Chatper 421 Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Escape n ¡°Yes! That cake was delicious.¡± Symeon looked at Aiden and tentatively asked, ¡°If I give you lots of delicious food, will you call met Daddy?¡± He knew that children needed time and that he could not be too impatient, but he could not stand hearing. Aiden call Elias Daddy every day. Aiden¡¯s round eyes looked around and said, ¡°No! I already have a Daddy. My daddy said I can¡¯t call other men Daddy.¡± Symeon did not get angry. He just smiled and patted Aiden¡¯s little head. Meanwhile, Yacob led his four men into the Lawrence Estate at night, taking advantage of the evening banquet. After the five of them used hooks to climb over the wall and entered the estate, they hid in a blind spot of the surveince cameras and began discussing their n. Tonight, while the banquet is going on, we need to act quickly. I¡¯ll search Vi No. 4, and just in case, you guys search the other vi areas. Remember, whether you find anything or not, we¡¯ll meet here at 10 p.m. We must get out by then.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Thus, the other four men infiltrated the estate while Yacob wore a mask and nced at the brightly lit banquet in the distance before heading toward Vi No. 4. Meanwhile, Amanda was also searching for an exit in various corners of the estate, but she had been searching for over an hour and found that the estate waspletely sealed off with no way out. If she wanted to leave, she would have to climb over the high walls. How could she climb over such high walls with a child? She looked at the tall walls in front of her and felt like there was no way to escape. Seeing that the banquet was about to end, she returned to Vi No. 4 where she was staying. When she returned, she found Aiden sitting on the sofa in the living room and eating cake with cream all over his face. ¡°When did youe back?¡± She sat on the sofa. Aiden was focused on eating and did not look up. ¡°That man brought me back. He said he would give me lots of delicious cake.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s nice. Didn¡¯t he scold you?¡± Amanda thought Symeon would be furious when he found out about Aiden. She did not expect him to just bring him back just like that. She could not help but sigh. It seemed like Symeon really treated Aiden as his own son.1/3 Wouldn¡¯t he be devastated when he found out the truth in the future? ¡°No. That man said I can call him Daddy and he will give me lots of delicious cake.¡± She was stunned for a moment and looked at him. Then, you called him Daddy and he brought you all these cakes?¡± Her blood pressure instantly rose. She really wanted to give Aiden a good beating. How could he call someone Daddy just for some cake? He shook his head. ¡°No, Daddy said I can¡¯t call strangers Daddy.¡± At this, she raised an eyebrow and was pleasantly surprised. She did not expect him to have some principles. Elias must be very relieved. He had worked so hard for a long time just to hear Aiden call him Daddy. ¡°Alright. Stop eating. Let¡¯s go take a bath and sleep.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished eating yet. These are all for me.¡± Aiden looked longingly at the cakes. Amanda picked him up. ¡°You can eat them at home. Daddy will buy you even more cakes.¡± ¡°Really? Then, why hasn¡¯t Daddye to find us yet?¡± Faced with the child¡¯s question, she did not know how to answer him. She could only soothingly say to him, ¡°He¡¯lle soon. Daddy has been feeling sick these past few days and not at all well. When he¡¯s better, he¡¯lle to find us.¡± As she said that, she carried Aiden back to their room upstairs. As soon as she entered the room, a figure quickly entered through the window. Startled, Amanda screamed, ¡°Ah!¡± The figure covered Amanda¡¯s mouth and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s me! Don¡¯t scream!¡± Why did this voice sound so familiar? Yacob! Amanda widened her eyes and took off the man¡¯s mask. Indeed, it was Yacob. ¡°Yacob! It¡¯s really you!¡± She stopped shouting, but now it was Aiden¡¯s turn to scream. He saw a person in ck rushing in to grab Mommy, so he shouted, ¡°Help! Help!¡± Amanda quickly turned around and covered the little troublemaker¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t shout. It¡¯s Mr. Yacob! Look carefully!¡± It was only then that Aiden stopped screaming and blinked at the man in front of him. She quickly closed and locked the door. ¡°How did you get here? The security system here is very strict.¡± After the initial excitement, Amanda was more worried. This was the Lawrence Estate. Would Yacob really go undiscovered here? ¡°I came to take you back. I have a detailed n. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yacob looked outside, unsure if the screams from earlier had attracted attention. Amanda¡¯s immediate concern was if Elias woke She looked at Yacob with joy in her eyes. ¡°Did Elias wake up?¡± Yacob fell silent, and this silence made Amanda¡¯s heart sink into an abyss. Had he not woken up yet? It had been a month already. Why had he not woken up? ¡°He hasn¡¯t woken up yet, so why aren¡¯t you by his side?¡± She could not trust anyone else but Yacob to be by Elias side. Yacob said, ¡°I know what Mr. Winters thinks and what he wants to do. If he wakes up and doesn¡¯t see you guys, he will definitely be furious. I need to take you back before he wakes up.¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± Amanda was worried. It might not be easy to get in here, but it definitely would not be easy to get out either. Yacob¡¯s expression was firm. ¡°It has to be okay. Even if it¡¯s not okay, it must be. I can¡¯t take you away tonight. I need to make a thorough n. The main goal tonight was to find out where you guys are.¡± He approached Amanda and said, ¡°Listen. I¡¯ll go back and discuss it with my brothers. I¡¯lle to pick you up in four days because Symeon might have to go on a business trip then and we can only take advantage of his absence.¡± ¡°Okay, Aiden and I will wait for you.¡± ¡°Remember. Stay here for these four days and don¡¯t change locations, Otherwise, I might not be able to find you.¡± Yacob reminded her again. ¡°I know. I understand. You should go now.¡± At that moment, there was a knocking sound from outside the door. ¡°Miss Bailey, are you okay? I heard you scream for help just now. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! You must have misheard. Aiden and I were just ying around!¡± Amanda made up an excuse, hoping to deceive the butler. She looked at Yacob and whispered, ¡°Go! Go!¡± Yacob nodded, then quickly jumped out of the window, and disappeared into the night. Outside, Symeon¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°Open the door. If you don¡¯t open it soon, I¡¯ll break in.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Chatper 422 Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Who Are You? After seeing Yacob disappear into the night, Amanda¡¯s tense heart finally rxed as she adjusted her mindset. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t say anythingter. No matter what that man asks, you¡¯ll say you do not know, okay?¡± Aiden nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± It was as if he really understood what Yacob had just said. She smiled and stroked her son¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re the best. I¡¯ll reward you with another small piece of caketer.¡± Then, she turned and ran to the door, gripping the doorknob and taking a deep breath before opening the door. Symeon, the butler, and a bodyguard were currently standing outside the door, as if they were ready for a battle at any moment. Symeon nced into the room and asked, ¡°Are you okay? I heard you and Aiden calling earlier.¡° ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯re fine. Aiden and I were just ying around. We used to do this often,¡± Amanda replied, then -looked down at her son beside her. ¡°Right, Aiden?¡± Aiden nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, yes. We¡¯re ying games. We¡¯re fine.¡± Although he did not understand what was going on, he knew he had to protect Mr. Yacob. Symeon found their reaction a bit strange. It was as if they were trying to hide something. He furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°Are you sure everything is okay?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine, really. Aiden and I were just ying around. Nothing is wrong,¡± Amanda said with a smile, reaching out to stroke her son¡¯s head. Aiden also cooperated and said, ¡°We¡¯re fine, really.¡± Symeon did not say anything more, but he walked straight into the room and looked around, not noticing anything unusual. ¡°I told you we¡¯re fine, but you still don¡¯t believe us.¡± So, Symeon nced at the butler and bodyguard outside the door and said, ¡°You can go back to your duties.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± -After the butler and bodyguard left, Symeon looked at Aiden and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t finish the cake. Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Aiden looked at Amanda with a pitiful expression. ¡°Mommy won¡¯t let me cat it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Symeon asked, puzzled. Amanda smiled helplessly. ¡°You spoil him too much. It¡¯s almost bedtime, and you would let him cat so much sweet food. Do you want him to get cavities?¡± He fell silent and thought Amanda made a good point. ¡°Your mommy is right. You can cat some tomorrow.¡± After saying that, he looked at Amanda and said, ¡°You two should go to bed early. If nothing is wrong, don¡¯t make a fuss. The butler and bodyguard might think something happened.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Amanda nodded and watched him leave the room. The moment the door closed, she breathed a sigh of relief. He was finally gone. Amanda returned to the window in worry and looked outside. She could not see Yacob¡¯s figure anymore, but hope still ignited in her heart. In four days, they could finally leave this prison. A smile appeared on her lips. She wanted to return to Cludan immediately and stay by Elias¡¯ side to wait for him to wake up. It had been almost a month since shest saw him. She really missed him. Meanwhile, in Cludan. As Yacob was not in the country, Rosie had the opportunity to enter the hospital room. It was the result of a lot of begging. The bodyguards were annoyed by her constant pestering, so they allowed her to enter for a short while. Rosie entered the hospital room and looked at Elias, who had been in aa for almost a month without any signs of waking up. ¡°Could it be¡­ you really want to be a vegetable? Is that what you want?¡± Rosie muttered to herself as she held the man¡¯s hand. She knew him too well. He would rather die than be a useless person lying in bed. Suddenly¡­ His fingers moved slightly, and his eyes widened in astonishment. She looked down at his fingers, afraid that what she had just felt was an illusion. ¡°Elias! Are you awake? Elias!¡± Rosie shouted, but the man seemed unresponsive. It was as if the movement earlier was just her imagination. As her shouting was too loud, a bodyguard entered the hospital room to pull her away. ¡°Miss Momsey, you should leave. Mr. Winters needs to rest. If I knew you would be so noisy, I would not have let you in.¡± The bodyguard grabbed Rosie¡¯s arm and forcefully pulled her out. ¡°No! I really saw him move just now. His hand moved! Quickly call the doctor. Is he waking up?¡± She looked at the motionless Elias on the hospital bed, desperately trying to convince them. The bodyguard nced at the bed and only saw an unconscious Elias. Exasperated, he pulled her out of the room. ¡°Miss Momsey, please leave. There¡¯s no point in clinging on here.¡± However, at that moment, a cough echoed within the hospital room. Rosie and the bodyguard froze, turning their heads to look inside the room. At that moment, Elias was coughing violently. The bodyguard was shocked and immediately turned to call the doctor. Meanwhile, she rushed to the bed. ¡°Elias! Elias! Are you awake?¡± Elias slowly opened his eyes, as if they had been sealed for thousands of years. His deep gaze was filled with silence. He furrowed his brows slightly as he looked at the room around him and the tearful woman in front of him. After an examination, the doctor announced, ¡°Mr. Winters has fully regained consciousness. Now, he needs to rest. The injuries from the car ident were severe, and it will take at least a year or more to fully recover.¡± The doctor continued, ¡°Also, remember not to let him experience any more stress. The blood clot in his brain has notpletely dissipated yet. If he gets too excited, it could cause the clot to spread, and then his life would be in danger.¡± Thank you, doctor.¡± After the doctor left, the bodyguard excitedly approached Elias. ¡°Mr. Winters! You¡¯ve finally woken up!¡± Although Elias had awakened, he was still a bit disoriented. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who are you?¡± His voice was hoarse, and his breathing was rapid. ¡°Ah? I¡­ The bodyguard was dumbfounded. Did Elias not remember him? Rosie was also stunned. What was going on? Had he lost his memory?. Chatper 423 Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Elias¡¯ Amnesia As they spoke, Elias struggled and tried hard to sit up straight, but because his body was covered in wounds, he felt as if every part of his body was screaming with every little movement he made. He then removed the nket from his body and took the intravenous line tube off his hand. However, just when he was about to get up and walk away, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong sense of dizziness. Elias stood up, only to copse onto the ground, but Rosie quickly got a hold of him. ¡°Eli! Are you okay? You haven¡¯t recovered from your injury, which is why you must rest in bed. Now, lie back down.¡± Nevertheless, the man reacted coldly by pushing Rosic away, despite his impaired movement due to his severe injury. ¡°Get out of my way! I need to find¡­¡± He then ced his hand on his forehead, overwhelmed by a painful headache. Deep down, his intuition. told him that he was after something, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t remember what he was looking for. As he kept trying hard to recall what it was, his headache grew even more intense, making him feel as if his head was about to explode. ¡°What are you looking for? Just tell me. I¡¯ll help you!¡± Rosie was desperate to make sure Elias would get back to his bed, considering the fact that he had just woken up from his unconsciousness. I¡¯d hate to see him faint again. In fact, I don¡¯t think I have the guts to even imagine that. ¡°I need to find¡­ Just get out of my way¡­ I need to find¡­¡± What exactly am I looking for? Elias couldn¡¯t remember what it was as he weakly copsed onto the floor. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! While the man was getting so weak that he struggled to be on his feet, there was nothing much a woman like Rosie could do due to her physicality. Thus, she red angrily at the bodyguard as a gesture to beckon for them. ¡°Are you guys dumb or what? Get over here and help me out!¡± It was only then that the bodyguard quickly came to Rosie¡¯s aid and helped Elias get back onto his bed. They then tucked him in and helped restrain him so that the nurse could reinsert the intravenous tube into the vein in his hand. ¡°Since Mr. Winters just woke up, his body is still weak due to the severe injuries he suffered from. Furthermore, the blood clots in his head are still there, so it would be best for him to remain still and calm, or he could be in danger.¡± The nurse gave Rosie a word of advice as Rosie and the bodyguard¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. As soon as the nurse left, Elias slowly opened his eyes. Nheless, he felt much calmer, although he could still not forget about the person he was supposed to find. At that moment, everyone that he saw around him only seemed like a stranger to him, but deep down, there was a voice in his head that kept telling him to look for the mysterious person whom he didn¡¯t have the slightest idea about at all. Seeing Elias awake, the bodyguards immediately surrounded him and restrained his arms. ¡°Mr. Winters, you should really stay in bed. You were in a car ident in which you suffered severe injuries, so you need to rest well, or your health will be in jeopardy. Please, Sir! I still need to answer Yacob when hees back, which is all the more reason I can¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± ¡°Wait a second! Who are you people?¡± Elias impatiently looked at the two people standing in front of him. even closing his eyes in frustration. As the bodyguard was about to exin, Rosie stopped him from doing so with a gesture. ¡°Rest well. Call us if you need anything. We¡¯ll just be outside,¡± Rosie said as she took the bodyguard out of the room with her and closed the door behind them. In the meantime, the bodyguard seemed confused, standing in the corridor while wondering what Rosie was up to. Rosie exined, ¡°Let¡¯s not provoke him anymore. I think he might be suffering from memory loss or something. Moreover, he¡¯s still weak from his injuries, so we should keep him calm so that his emotions wouldn¡¯t fluctuate too much. Thus, I say we wait until he brings the matter up in the next few days.¡± The bodyguard swallowed his words just when he was about to respond. He then nced at Elias in the ward, nodding as it seemed to him that Elias had trouble recognizing the people around him. Later that evening, Elias was prohibited from eating straight away after he woke up as the doctor wanted to give his body time to recover. Soon, the room door slowly opened as Rosie walked in. She then poured Elias a ss of water and gave it to him. ¡°Take a sip, Eli. The doctor said you mustn¡¯t eat until tomorrow.¡± Elias, lying in his bed, held the ss of water in his hand and took a sip. ¡°Who are you? You and that man were right beside me the moment I opened my eyes. Who are you people?¡± He asked. Rosie was stunned, wondering why Elias would ask a question like that. Has he really lost his memory?! Oh, dear. When she didn¡¯t respond, he asked again, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you. Who are you?¡± ¡°Eli, have you really forgotten who I am? Do you even know who you are?¡± Rosie asked. ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Elias responded indifferently. Elias¡± words left Rosie even more confused. After all, she found it hard to believe that Elias couldn¡¯t seem to recognize anyone else, although he was still aware of who he was. ¡°Eli, do you not remember anything at all? Do you not remember how you were involved in the car ident? How much can you still remember about your past?¡± It seemed to Rosie that Elias was suffering from partial memory loss instead of total amnesia. Not long after that, Elias was overwhelmed by a terrible headache as he tried to recall bits and pieces of his lost memory. Enduring the pain, he gritted his teeth and answered. ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember anything. The only thing that I remember is that I need to find someone, yet I can¡¯t remember who I¡¯m supposed to be looking for¡­¡± ¡°Looking for someone?¡± Is he referring to Amanda? Rosie¡¯s expression darkened at the thought of Amanda. After all, she hadn¡¯t paid Elias a visit at all ever since he was caught in the ident despite her sworn love. for him. Where are you now when Elias is lying in the hospital? Your true love is nothing but bullsh*t, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t remember anything. Just cut yourself some ck, okay? Your health is the most important thing right now,¡± Rosie said. Deep down, thest thing she wanted was for Elias to find Amanda because if that happened, she would lose her chance of getting close to him. On the other hand, Elias sized Rosie up warily and asked, ¡°Who are you then?¡± His natural instinct told him that the woman standing in front of him was someone with whom he shared a close rtionship because she was the first person he saw the moment he woke up. Upon a brief hesitation, Rosie replied, ¡°You¡¯re the whole world to me, but as for the question about who I am. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to find that out by yourself. The reason Rosie said that was because Elias had never treated her the way she deserved before he lost his memory. Elias squinted upon hearing Rosie¡¯s vague answer. ¡°Are you my¡­ lover?¡± The man couldn¡¯t think of any other way to exin their rtionship and why she was the first person he saw right by his side when he woke up. My lover? Rosie heard the answer that made her eyes brighten up, having long been eager to be Elias¡± girlfriend. Soon, it quickly urred to her that she could perhaps take advantage of Elias¡¯ partial amnesia and steal his heart. As her ill intention took over her conscience, she leaned closer to Elias and whispered. ¡°I¡¯m someone more important than your lover because I¡¯m your woman.¡± Elias went silent in response, wondering whether Rosic was telling the truth. Wait, what? She is my woman? Why don¡¯t I feel anything for her? It¡¯s almost like the feelings that I have for her are nothing more than those I have for an acquaintance or a friend. On the other hand, Rosie thought Elias fell for her words when she noticed his silence. Thus, she went on and said, ¡°I nearly had a heart attack when I learned that you were caught in the ident. I had been waiting here for days until you finally woke up. Thank god you came to your senses in the end, or else I would have been caught in a depression.¡± At that moment, Elias¡¯ bodyguard entered the ward once more and asked, ¡°Mr. Winters, would you like to have some water¡­¡± Just as he was about to pour Elias a ss of water, he noticed a ss with some water left in it, awkwardly smiling at the sight of that. Elias looked at the bodyguard. ¡°Who are you?¡± The bodyguard was stunned for a second. ¡°I am your bodyguard.¡± Chatper 424 Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Rosie¡¯s Evil n ¡°Alright, I heard you. Now, you may excuse yourself. I¡¯d like to have some rest,¡± Elias said as hey down, showing no interest in entertaining the two people in front of him. In the meantime, Elias¡¯ bodyguard wanted to say something, but when he noticed Elias¡¯ tired look, he obediently left as he was told. Nevertheless, Rosie seemed reluctant to leave, so the bodyguard whispered in her ear and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss Momsey. Mr. Winters would like to rest.¡± ¡°Leave first. I¡¯ll catch upter.¡± Elias¡¯ bodyguard didn¡¯t say anything in response as he turned around and left the ward. Now that she was finally alone with Elias, Rosie stood there and set her eyes on the side of the man¡¯s face. ¡°The doctor said. you could have some congee tomorrow. So, maybe I¡¯ll make some for you in the morning and bring itover.¡± Meanwhile, Elias looked at Rosie, tempted to turn her offer down, but when she told him that she was his woman, he felt sympathetic for her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Rosie chuckled in amusement. ¡°Rosie Momsey.¡± This is fate giving me a second chance. I must seize the opportunity and be the woman Elias wants. I must have his heart! ¡°Alright, I should make a move now. See you tomorrow. Rest well,¡± she said and left the ward. Upon hearing the sound of the door closing. Elias frowned with a scowl on his face. Deep down, the voice that kept telling him to look for someone still remained, yet he couldn¡¯t remember who he was supposed to find. Nevertheless, the more he tried to think about it, the more his headache hurt. In the meantime, Elias¡¯ bodyguard was calling Yacob to inform him that Elias. Winters had woken up, but the call couldn¡¯t get through. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t my call get through?¡± At that moment, Rosie walked out of the ward and happened to see what Elias¡¯ bodyguard was doing, which made her anxious the next second. If Yacob learns about this, he may rush back and expose me. On the other hand, the bodyguard was helpless after failing to reach Yacob. Thus, he turned around and saw Rosie behind him, greeting her. ¡°Miss Momsey.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t reach Yacob?¡± Rosie faked a smile. ¡°Yeah, Yacob never misses a phone call. There must be something going on over there, but I guess he¡¯ll reply to me when he sees it.¡± ¡°I see. Anyway, I¡¯ll make a move first while you stay here and look after him.¡± As soon as Rosie turned around, the smile on her face instantly disappeared. I will make sure nothing stands between me and Eli! I will do anything it takes to get rid of anyone who gets in my way. When Rosie returned to the Momsey Residenceter, she approached the butler and asked, ¡°Where is my¨Cbrother?¡± ¡°He is in the gym, Miss Momsey.¡± Rosie then went straight to the gym and saw her brother there. At that moment, Taylor was seen running on the treadmill, shirtless and sweaty, while giving off a sexy and manly aura. ¡°Give me a moment, Taylor. Pause your workout as I have something to discuss with you.¡±1/3 Nevertheless, Taylor didn¡¯t even bother to look at his sister and replied, ¡°Every time youe to me, it¡¯s definitely for nothing good. You either bug me to help you arrange a date with Elias or want me to be the matchmaker for the two of you. Let me be honest with you-stoping to me for this nonsense again because I won¡¯t help you anymore.¡± Taylor was tired of Rosie¡¯s obsession with love, as if she had nothing else better to do. Also, he was not happy with the fact that Rosie was so obsessed with Elias that she became unwilling to open herself up to other opportunities. Rosie responded by forcefully pulling Taylor off the treadmill. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I want you to keep someone distracted for me.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Taylor picked up his towel and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Rosie leaned close to Taylor¡¯s ear and whispered a few words, whereupon Taylor frowned in puzzlement. The next morning, the bodyguard, who was still standing guard outside the ward, almost fell asleep. Soon, Rosie arrived at the ward with a thermal sk in her hand, gently patting the sleepy bodyguard¡¯s shoulder. It was then that the bodyguard immediately snapped out of his sleepiness and stood up straight. When he saw Rosie, he heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I dozed off, Miss Momsey.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll head inside and get this congee for Eli. Meanwhile, you should get refreshed and buy yourself breakfast. See youter.¡± ¡°Thanks, Miss Momsey, but I don¡¯t think I need¡­¡± As the bodyguard was about to refuse, Rosie smiled and said, ¡°You should go. I wish you could see yourself drooling just now. Imagine if Eli saw that? It was then that the bodyguard instinctively felt the corner of his mouth and embarrassedly smiled, nodding his head. Upon seeing Rosie enter the ward, the bodyguard made his way to the restroom, but as soon as he walked right through the door, he was suddenly ambushed by a man in ck who covered his mouth with a handkerchief. Before he knew what was going on, his vision slowly became blurred just as he lost consciousness. Meanwhile, Rosie entered the ward and saw Elias still asleep, whereupon she gently ced the thermos on the cab. Not long after that, she received a text message on her phone, whereupon she took a quick look at it. ¡®Okay,¡¯ the message read. The next second, an evil smile appeared on her face. Indicating that she had just gained control over the situation in the ward. At that moment, Elias opened his eyes and saw Rosie looking at him. In response to the man¡¯s pitch- ck eyes that were staring at her, Rosie couldn¡¯t help but feel a little panicky on the inside. ¡°Eli, you¡¯re up. Are you hungry? Have some congee, would you? You haven¡¯t eaten anything for quite some time.¡± Rosie spoke while pouring the congee into a bowl before she was going to feed Elias. Nevertheless, Elias sat up straight and took the bowl from Rosie¡¯s hands, speaking in a deep voice. ¡°You may leave now. I can manage everything by myself.¡± For some reason, he seemed reluctant to be in the same space with Rosie, but nheless, thedy didn¡¯t object to that as she obediently turned around and left. ¡°Rest well once you¡¯re done eating. For the next two days, you¡¯re only going to have congee.¡± After saying that, Rosie closed the door behind her when she exited the ward. She was then greeted by another bodyguard who was no longer the same man Yacob arranged to be there. Instead, it was someone from the Momsey Family. ¡°Miss Momsey.¡± ¡°Stay here and protect Eli. Make sure he doesn¡¯t leave the hospital. He¡¯s still weak.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Also, no one is allowed to enter the ward, including the Winters Family¡¯s butler,¡± Rosie added. ¡°Got it.¡± With a smirk on her face, Rosie walked toward the end of the corridor, thinking about her n of isting Elias from the rest of the world so that she could have him for herself. On the other hand, Amanda was over the moon about the fact that she was about to leave the Lawrence Estate and go home soon. At the same time, Aiden couldn¡¯t stop asking his mother when they would go home. ¡°When are we going home, Mommy?¡± ¡°Soon, my boy. Yacob wille to pick us up,¡± Amanda replied. ¡°Hooray! We can finally go home and see Daddy.¡± Aiden happily scampered around his toys. Although they were happy that they could finally escape from that ce, Amanda still forced herself to remain calm, knowing their escape n would be foiled if Symeon became suspicious. After all, Symeon would always be sure to keep her and Aidenpany whenever he was free even though he was a busy man with a tight schedule. Furthermore, Aiden was informed by the butler that Symeon would being hometer that night to have dinner with them. When Symeon was about to arrive, Amanda was told to take Aiden to the dining area and wait there. ¡°Aiden, stop ying. Let¡¯s go have dinner.¡± Amanda got up from her seat and walked closer to her son, seizing his little hand, whereupon she walked out of the bedroom. Chatper 425 Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Battle of Wits In the meantime, Symeon had already taken his seat in the dining area but hadn¡¯t started eating yet. After all, he was waiting for Amanda and Aiden. Looking at the table full of oriental cuisines, Symeon couldn¡¯t help but smile in joy because he felt as if he had be a kind-hearted man. Unlike his present self, his former self wouldn¡¯t spare a thought for anyone else, let alone tell his chef to make dishes that he didn¡¯t like just for someone else or wait for someone. Soon, when he heard Amanda and Aiden¡¯s voices from afar, a warm smile appeared on his face. When Symeon turned his head, he saw Amanda and the boy entering the dining area. He then fixed his gaze on the child and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Despite having spent a few days there, Aiden was still apparently wary of Symeon, holding Amanda¡¯s hands tightly. Soon, Amanda carried Aiden and ced him on the chair, rolling his sleeves so that he could eat morefortably. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Then, Amanda looked at the table full of oriental cuisines and became bewildered, wondering what Symeon was up to because she knew he didn¡¯t like oriental food at all. ¡°Mommy, I want that chicken wing.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Nevertheless, before Amanda could ce the chicken wing on Aiden¡¯s te, Symeon had already beaten, her to it by cing it on the boy¡¯s te. ¡°You don¡¯t like oriental food, so why did you have your chef make them?¡± Amanda skeptically asked. Symeon smirked, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m just here to apany you for the meal. I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± ¡°Does it matter? I¡¯m just here to keep you bothpany, plus I¡¯m not hungry anyway.¡± Symeon smirked in response. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t say anything more as she directed her attention to feeding Aiden. After all, she couldn¡¯t stand the mess that Aiden created while trying to finish the meal by himself. A few momentster, Symeon suddenly said something. ¡°You guys will move to a different ce tomorrow.¡± As soon as Amanda heard Symeon¡¯s words, she lost her focus and identally dropped the fork and knife from her hands onto the dining table, staring at the man¡¯s face in front of her. A different ce? Why? Why should we move to a different ce? Amanda¡¯s first instinct immediately prompted her to suspect that Symeon might have discovered something because she couldn¡¯t think of any other reason that might exin why he wanted them to move. In the face of Amanda¡¯s dramatic reaction, Symeon furrowed his brows in puzzlement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You have a problem with that?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant, but I don¡¯t understand. Is it necessary for us to move out? Where exactly are we going? I¡¯m already used to living here.¡± Symeon smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not far from here, actually. We¡¯re just moving to the next vi. You won¡¯t be leaving thispound. Theyout and structure of that building will be exactly the same as this one. In fact, I can even have them made just like the one in your room here.¡± Amanda went silent, finding that to be even stranger because she couldn¡¯t understand why Symeon wanted them to move to the vi next door. Yacob is going to act in the next two days. Our n is going to fail if he can¡¯t find me and Aiden. What should I do now? At the thought of that, Amanda had a feeling that Symeon knew what she was up to. What if I refuse to go along with Symeon? He is going to get suspicious of me, isn¡¯t he? What should I do now? ¡°I heard you¡¯re going on a business trip in two days¡¯ time. Is that true?¡± Amanda asked. Symeon picked up a porcin bowl and took a sip of the soup in it, nodding. ¡°Yup, I¡¯m going on a business trip to Fliaria for a week. What¡¯s wrong? Do you have something to tell me?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was just curious actually. I was wondering what that has to do with us moving to the vi next door.¡± ¡°Nope, nothing at all. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s going to be a thorough cleaning going on soon, so it¡¯d be better for you both to stay there for a few days. If you can¡¯t get used to staying there, you could move back here next week.¡± Symeon put his words so casually that it sounded like something trivial. In fact, Symeon¡¯s butler noticed a few suspicious silhouettes from the security footage when he was told to take a look at them. As those silhouettes were seen in Vi No. 4, Symeon quickly decided to arrange another ce for Amanda and Aiden to stay for the sake of their safety. Nevertheless, if Amanda insisted on not following Symeon¡¯s n, it would seem obvious to him that she had something to do with those mysterious infiltrators. At that moment, neither of them said a single word as if they were in a battle of wits and mind with each other. Sensing Symeon¡¯s intention, Amanda nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say then. We can move back here next week anyway. Just let me and Aiden sleep in the same room because it usually takes quite a bit of time before he can finally get used to a new environment. No problem! I¡¯ll just take Aiden to Vi No. 4 and meet up with Yacob at midnight by then. In the meantime, Symeon heaved a sigh of relief and lowered his guard when he heard Amanda¡¯s affirmative reply. ¡°Thanks for being so understanding. If you need anything while I¡¯m away, you could. approach my butler directly. However, you mustn¡¯t leave the estate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of that. Without your orders, I won¡¯t be allowed to leave the estate.¡± Amanda reacted with ant indifferent tone, to which Symeon smiled without saying a single word. After dinner, Amanda surprisingly felt tired because she hadn¡¯t eaten enough, having exhausted her energy in her battle of wits with Symeon. Then, upon putting Aiden to sleep, she went downstairs alone to the kitchen where she opened the refrigerator to find something to eat. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t seem to find anything much to eat in the refrigerator as all she could see were fresh and raw vegetables. Well, I guess the people in this house don¡¯t fancy fast food a lot. Now that the chef has already gone home, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have no choice but to be my own chef. Soon, Amanda randomly picked a few ingredients and nned to cook herself some pasta. After spending about ten minutes, she made a te full of pasta, whereupon she was about to enjoy it at the dining table. However, before she could take her first bite, she heard Symeon¡¯s footsteps from outside the kitchen. Then, she looked up and saw Symeon walking into the dining area. When Symeon saw the hot steaming bowl of pasta, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you still hungry?¡± It was then that he began recalling their dinner earlier that night. Wait a second, it looks like Amanda was only busy feeding Aiden during dinner just now. She didn¡¯t eat much herself, did she? Amanda sat down and grabbed a fork and a spoon as she began munching the pasta. ¡°I was starving all of a sudden, not to mention the fact that I have a habit of eating supper. But you don¡¯t need to worry about I¡¯ll wash the dishes myself without dirtying your kitchen.¡± She replied casually. Symeon wouldn¡¯t mind if Amanda dirtied his kitchen, but he also didn¡¯t find it necessary for him to borate in response to that. Soon, he grabbed a chair and sat down beside her, watching her eat pasta in a serious manner. ¡°Do you have any ns if I let you walk away now?¡± ¡°Me? Of course.¡± But why should I tell you?Of course, I¡¯m going to bring Aiden with me and reunite with Elias. Deep down, Amanda believed that they would live a happy life again when Elias woke up. Symeon asked again, ¡°What are your ns?¡± Deep down, he had no idea when he had be so interested in Amanda. In fact, she had grown on him so much that he became curious about her past and her future ns. Nevertheless, Symeon didn¡¯t know why and how he developed such a keen interest in Amanda, thinking it was their son, Aiden, who linked them together. ¡°Why should I tell you that? That¡¯s my privacy.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I guess. If I want to know it, I could always find out anything I want to know about your life. Symeon¡¯s voice sounded cold and ruthless, as if everyone was just a pawn in his eyes. Amanda snorted coldly. ¡°You sound confident, Mr. Lawrence.¡± Chatper 426 Chapter 426 Chapter 426 No Signs of Being in a Hurry Symeon smiled and replied, ¡°Try me.¡± After taking herst bite, Amanda took the te and walked toward the kitchen to wash the dish before going to bed. Nevertheless, she heard the man¡¯s voiceing from behind her. ¡°Just leave it there. Somebody else will take care of it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Amanda turned around and walked out of the dining area, ready to return to her room. for a shower before bed. Meanwhile, Symeon was left alone behind at the dining table, finding Amanda¡¯s response amusing as he chuckled silently. She is an interestingdy, isn¡¯t she? But why does it seem to me that she is not the samedy as she was that night four years ago? Has Amanda really changed? Or is it because my memory failed me after such a long time? strange. Deep down, Symeon could still remember thedy¡¯s enthusiastic approach and the things she said to him. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t hear them clearly because he had been drugged at that moment. While it seemed to him that Amanda had be apletely different person from the one he met that night four years ago, Symeon believed that was because people changed with time, thinking her role as a mother must have made her a more mature woman than she ever was before. At the same time, he kept convincing himself not to overthink as there was no way he would have captured the wrong person. We ran a DNA paternity test, and Amanda admitted it herself. So, nothing could go wrong. Two dayster, it was finally time for Amanda to execute her escape n with her son, but for some reason, she appeared to be restless the whole day. After all, Symeon was supposed to fly off in the evening, but at that moment, he was still seen sitting in the mansion without any signs of being in a hurry. Having moved into Vi No. 5 with Aiden, Amanda was waiting for Symeon to leave so that she could sneak into Vi No. 4 with her son to meet up with Yacob at midnight. Soon, the nanny, Colette, came over to inform Amanda and Aiden for dinner. ¡°Miss Bailey, it¡¯s time for you and Mr. Aiden to have dinner.¡± Amanda desperately asked, ¡°Has Mr. Lawrence left?¡± ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t. He is still in the study.¡± What¡¯s he doing in the study? It¡¯s almost dinner time. Are you still going to Fliaria for a business trip? ¡°I thought he was going on a business trip. So, why is he still in the study?¡± Amanda sounded agitated, confusing Colette. 111 14 Alre about that. Colette turned around and walked away upon giving a brief reply. After that. Amanda copsed onto the couch in a panicky manner. If Symeon changes his n and cancels his business trip tonight, Yacob is going to get caught when heester. In fact, the reason Yacob and the others were able to easily infiltrate the ce so easily was because the banquet gave them the perfect disguise to do so. On the other hand, the entire mansion was quiet without any special activity going on, which would make any strange and unusual movement conspicuous and noticeable. Deep down, Amanda could already foresee how terribly her n would fail if Symeon decided not to leave the mansion that night. A few momentster, Colette came again to remind Amanda for dinner. ¡°The food has gotten cold, Miss Bailey. Would you like to heat them up for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ming.¡± When Amanda arrived at the dining room alone, she was surprised to see Symeon sitting there. In fact, the sight of the man shocked her so much that she nearly screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Why are you so surprised to see me?¡± Symeonughed in amusement. Amanda did her best to keep herposure, grabbing a chair before keeping a distance between herself and the man. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Symeon looked behind Amanda but didn¡¯t see the child. ¡°Where¡¯s Aiden? Isn¡¯t he hungry?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s asleep. He can eat when he wakes up. After all, he gets cranky when he doesn¡¯t get enough sleep.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly me. He¡¯s truly my son.¡± Symeon chuckled happily. Bullsh*t! What a piece of crap! Amandained to herself on the inside. ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you supposed to go on a business trip? Why are you still here?¡± She asked while eating without looking Symeon in the eye, afraid that she would give herself away. Symeon went silent for a few seconds and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave after our dinner, but unfortunately, that little guy is asleep.¡± It was then that Amanda felt relieved. So that¡¯s what it is. Now, hurry up and leave now, or I¡¯m going to have anxieties. ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s plenty of time for you to spend with him when youe back.¡± §¤ While the dinner was shrouded in an awkward atmosphere, Amanda was too engrossed in observing Symeon¡¯s reaction without realizing that she hadn¡¯t been eating enough. At the same time, Symeon also noticed Amanda¡¯s preupied emotions, although he didn¡¯t expose her. Upon finishing his meal. Symeon wiped his mouth with a napkin and slowly stood up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving now. If there¡¯s anything you need, just tell the butler.¡± ¡°Roger that. The butler is the only person I can go to. Furthermore, I¡¯ve been prohibited from getting my hands on any form ofmunication device, so there¡¯s also no way for me to contact you either.¡± Amandained helplessly. As Symeon said nothing more and left, Amanda watched the man walk away and heaved a sigh of relief. She then looked at the table full of delicious food right in front of her. suddenly feeling in a good mood. The chefs here are really skilled, and I won¡¯t be able to taste their cooking after leaving this ce. So, I must enjoy these delicious foods while I still can. Later, when Colette brought over a bowl of soup, Amanda smiled and said, I¡¯d like to have one more te of this. The dishes tonight are especially delicious.¡± Colette nodded, finding Amanda¡¯s attitude a little strange. After all, Amanda didn¡¯t seem to be in a good appetite at all when Symeon was around. Nheless, now that he had left, her appetite suddenly changed and improved. Later that night, the entire mansion was shrouded by darkness with all the lights off, except for the streetlights. Because of that, Amanda was nning to take advantage of the dark surroundings to sneak into Vi No. 4 so that Yacob could find her with greater ease. ¡°Wake up, Aiden. Wake up!¡± In fact, Aiden had been in a drowsy state, although he spent almost the whole day sleeping without even taking his dinner. Nevertheless, despite Amanda¡¯s effort in waking up her son, Aiden couldn¡¯t seem to get up from his sleep. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m freezing¡­ The child murmured. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Freezing? Wait, why are you freezing?¡± Amanda immediately grabbed a nket and wrapped it around Aiden, but as soon as she did that, she heard Aiden¡¯s soft voice once more. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m hot¡­¡± ¡°Wait, what? How could you freeze and feel hot at the same time?¡± Amanda¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she wondered whether her son had a fever. He had been sleeping all day with barely any appetite. When I fed him earlier, he told me he was already full even though he only took a few bites. At the thought of that, she stuck out her arm to touch Aiden¡¯s forehead. Gosh! He is really having a fever! D*mn it! Of all the times this could have happened, why does it have to happen now? Yacob is supposed to get us out of here tonight, yet now Aiden is having a fever¡­ Seriously?! What a joke! you in her arms and held him tightly, pressing her chin against his forehead,forting him. ¡°Hang in there, my darling! Once we get out of here, I¡¯ll take to the doctor right away.¡± She responded, wrapping the child with a nket as she left the room with Aiden in her arms. At the same time, Amanda deliberately slowed down her pace, in order to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. As tiring as that was, the weight of a three-year-old child only added to Amanda¡¯s strenuousness. Apart from that, the fact that Aiden caught a fever left her even more worried and bothered, but even so, there was nothing else she could do besides praying that they both could leave the mansion safelyter. ||| dommy¡­¡± Aiden, who was suffering from a fever, kept calling out to Amanda. He sounded like a wounded animal, which broke Amanda¡¯s heart. But she couldn¡¯t do anything at the moment. She needed to stick to Yacob¡¯s n to make a sessful escape, so she had to bear it all. ¡°Baby, Mommy is here. I¡¯m sorry. Just hold on a little longer, okay? Yacob will rescue us soon.¡± Holding the child in her arms, she sneaked into Vi No. 4 with beads of sweat formed on her forehead. It waspletely dark in the vi. Everything remained untouched. Housecleaning was just an excuse. Symeon was aware that something was wrong from the beginning. Amanda carried Aiden to her bedroom upstairs and found that the room still looked the same as before she moved out. Even the bedsheet remained unchanged. Standing in the middle of the room, she suddenly felt a chill running down her spine as if she had willingly walked into a trap. Could it be that Symeon already found out about our n? If so, Yacobing here tonight is no different from walking right into an ambush! She turned around to leave. Suddenly, the lights in the room turned on and the harsh light caught her off guard. She involuntarily closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was met by the sight of a man standing outside the room. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but take a step back. Her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. It was none other than Symeon. He hadn¡¯t left! Everything was part of his n! ¡°You¡­¡± She was speechless. Symeon smiled at the sight of her shocked expression. ¡°What about me? Curious to know why I didn¡¯t go to the airport and showed up here instead?¡± ¡°So, you set us up.¡± Despair rose in Amanda¡¯s heart as she held Aiden in her arms tightly. Symeon walked into the room. ¡°That¡¯s not true. When I checked the surveince footage, I Chatper 427 Chapter 427 Chapter 427 The n Failed ¡°Mommy Mommy Aiden, who was suffering from a fever, ked calling out to Amanda He sounded like a wounded animal, which broke Amanda¡¯s heart But she couldnt do anything at the moment she needed to stick to Yacob¡¯s n to make a sessful escape, so she had to bear it all ¡°Raby, Mommy is here. I¡¯m sorry Just hold on a little longer, okay? Yacob will rescue us Holding the child in her arms, she sneaked into Vi No 4 with beads of sweat formed on her forehead. It waspletely dark in the vi. Everything remained untouched. Housecleaning was just an excuse. Symeon was aware that something was wrong from the beginning Amanda carried Aiden to her bedroom upstairs and found that the room still looked the same as before she moved out. Even the bedsheet remained unchanged. Standing in the middle of the room, she suddenly felt a chill running down her spine as if she had willingly walked into a traj Could it be that Symeon already found out about our n? If so, Yacobing here tonight is no different from walking right into an ambush! This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She turned around to leave. Suddenly, the lights in the room turned on and the harsh light caught her off guard. She involuntarily closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was met by the sight of a man standing outside the room. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but take a step back. Her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. It was none other than Symeon. He hadn¡¯t left! Everything was part of his n! ¡°You¡­¡± She was speechless. Symeon smiled at the sight of her shocked expression. ¡°What about me? Curious to know why I didn¡¯t go to the airport and showed up here instead?¡± *So, you set us up.¡± Despair rose in Amanda¡¯s heart as she held Aiden in her arms tightly. Symeon walked into the room. That¡¯s not true. When I checked the surveince footage, I found somebody entering the vi. I also heard your screams, but both you and Aiden denied it. Therefore, I became more cautious by taking preventive measures. I didn¡¯t expect you to fall for it so easily. So, are you nning to escape tonight? After learning that I¡¯m leaving for a business trip, you deliberately chose to escape around this time.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, she only held Aiden tighter. What should I do next? Her mind was in a tangle. She wanted to tell Yacob to note here tonight, but she didn¡¯t even have a phone to call him. I can¡¯t just sit around and watch him fall into the trap. Her silence drew a chuckle out of Symeon. ¡°You¡¯re not denying it? Then, it seems like I got that right. I must admit I underestimated you. You¡¯re more cunning than you look. I thought you would stay here obediently. Never did I expect you to have such a trick up your sleeve. Otherwise, I thought you would try hard to please me, so I would keep you by my side. Like that. you could at least see your child more frequently for the rest of your life. However, you chose the most foolish approach, which is to run away with the child.¡± At that, he took a step forward. Amanda took a few steps back with Aiden in her arms. ¡°Aiden is not your son!¡± Even though she had told him the same thing countless times, he only sneered. ¡°You keep denying it. If it was before, I might still have doubts. But you had admitted it. Now you want. to escape, so you deny that the child is mine again. What makes you think you can convince me this time?¡± ¡°No matter what your belief is, Aiden is not your son. The woman named Melissa is the one behind everything. She threatened to kill my son if I didn¡¯te here with you. This is it. The truth.¡± He probably won¡¯t believe me. Amanda had such a feeling, but she still wanted to tell him the truth. Symeon listened to her in silence. His expression betrayed nothing. Atst, he asked, ¡°Is that all? Anything else? If not, can you hand him over to me? Can¡¯t you see he is suffering from a fever? Is this how you, his mother, behave? Neglecting your child¡¯s health only to carry out. an escape n that will never work? What, you think you can escape?¡± Symeon took another step forward, trying to snatch the child from her. Amanda held Aiden tightly and took several steps back. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! And I don¡¯t need you to remind me that Aiden has a fever!¡± ¡°Mark my words. Even if I¡¯m not around today, you don¡¯t stand a chance of escaping!¡± ||| syncon spoke with authority. He spoke as though he feared nothing. More urately, he was at ease. At the same moment, a figure showed up outside the window. The person knocked on the window. Even though the light in the room was on, they didn¡¯t receive any response. Just when Amanda was about to tell the person to note inside, Symeon rushed over to her and covered her mouth, restricting her from making any sound. Yacob was shocked by the sight when he sneaked into the room. He never expected Symeon to hang around. Amanda bit the hand that covered her mouth hard, causing Symeon to recoil in pain. Then, she shouted, ¡°Run! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Yacob immediately did as told. He turned around and hopped over the window to escape. However, the commotion already attracted the attention of the bodyguards who patrolled the estate. Symeon walked over to the window and growled at the bodyguards waiting out there, ¡°Get them! No one is going anywhere!¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ I¡¯m so cold¡­¡± Aiden fell into a deep sleep after onest cry. Amanda looked down at him as she cried, ¡°Wake up, Aiden! Don¡¯t sleep!¡± Symeon sprinted over and snatched Aiden from her. ¡°Give me back Aiden! Give him back!¡± Amanda reached out her hands, trying to take her child back. To her surprise, two bodyguards rushed into the room and held her hands behind her. She was unable to struggle out of their grip. Symeon watched her as she broke down in tears. He coldly used, ¡°The child needs to see the doctor. It¡¯ll be toote if he gets a high fever.¡± After that, he turned around and left the bedroom with Aiden in his arms. The two bodyguards continued to hold Amanda in their iron grip. Her mobility was restrained. At the same time, she heard a bodyguard calling outside. ¡°We¡¯ve got the man! Bring him to Mr. Lawrence!¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened. She fell into bed in despair. They caught Yacob¡­ What will happen next? What will Symeon do to him and the others? ||| The two bodyguards remained silent, so Amanda yelled angrily, ¡°Answer me! What will he do?¡± The bodyguards¡¯ expressions told her she wouldn¡¯t get any answer from them. They left her in the room and said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. You let Mr. Lawrence down. From today. onwards, you¡¯ll stay in the room until you realize your mistakes. In addition, you are prohibited from seeing Mr. Aiden.¡± After that, the men closed the door and locked it. ¡°Open the door! Let me out! B*stards!¡± Amanda rushed to the door, trying to open it but it just wouldn¡¯t budge. No matter how hard she knocked on the door, nobody answered her. Chatper 428 Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Won¡¯t Keep a Disloyal Woman Amanda slumped to the carpet in despair. She kept knocking on the door as she cried, but there was no response from the outside. Aiden was having a fever while Yacob got caught. Besides, it had almost been a month, but Elias hadn¡¯t woken up. How did things turn out this way? She felt despair enveloping her and as if there was no escape. Meanwhile, Symeon immediately summoned the family doctor to treat Aiden. After giving the child a checkup, the doctor injected the boy and concluded, ¡°He needs to rest well and drink plenty of hot water. I gave him an injection to reduce his fever. All he needs is a good rest. He should be fine if his fever reduces after a night. He can only have light meals at the moment.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± After the doctor left, Symeon sat on the bed. He looked down at the sleeping boy, whose cheeks flushed from the fever. Symeon picked up a cooling patch and put it on Aiden¡¯s forehead. Aiden mumbled in his sleep, ¡°Daddy¡­ Daddy.. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Symeon held the boy¡¯s small hand, but deep down he knew that the boy wasn¡¯t calling out to him but to Elias. To Aiden. Elias was his only father. A whileter, Aiden started calling out in his sleep again. ¡°Mommy, Mommy, where are you?¡± Symeon¡¯s face darkened when he heard Aiden calling for Amanda. He became angry at the thought of Amanda. It turns out her meekness and obedience are just an act. He decided that from that day on, he would prohibit Amanda from meeting Aiden again. After all, they were bound to separate. Therefore, it was better to break off the tie between the mother and the child once and for all. Dawn broke. < Amanda hadn¡¯t slept all night. She curled up in the corner, hugging her legs close to her chest. She buried her face between her knees. Suddenly, the sound of the door opening startled her. Her head snapped to the door, only to find Symeon pushing the door open and walking in. She surged to her feet with nervousness written all over her face. She asked, ¡°How is Aiden? Is he feeling better?¡± He sneered at the flustered look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise to know you care about him. To think you didn¡¯t get him a doctor when he was having a fever. You even thought about escaping with him in that state. You¡¯re a failed mother.¡± I asked you a question! How is Aiden doing? Answer me!¡± Amanda screamed at him as tears streamed down her face. Her heart ached at the thought of how the fever upset Aiden Last night. Symeon smiled. The fever has gone down. All he needs is a good rest.¡± Upon hearing this answer, Amanda cked her shoulders in relief. Thank goodness. Aiden is fine. Otherwise, I¡¯ll never forgive myself. Symeon looked at her red eyes. It seems like she cried all night. He teased, ¡°Were you cryingst night? I wonder whether it was out of regret or it was because your n failed.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t answer him. She moved to sit on the bed and looked at the morning sky outside the window. Since she already got on his bad side, she no longer bothered to hide her true self as she ignored him. But Symeon walked up to her and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. ¡°Do you think you can get away by staying silent? We interrogated the person we caughtst night, but he didn¡¯t say anything at all. He¡¯s really stubborn. I just want to know who sent him. It couldn¡¯t be Elias, right?¡± Since it was a critical situation, Amanda knew better than to drag Elias into this matter. Therefore, she denied, ¡°Of course not! I¡¯ve fallen out with Elias. He wouldn¡¯te to save me.¡± ¡°Then, who else could it be? You¡¯re a charming woman, aren¡¯t you? Men are willing to y the white knights for you,¡± Symeon mocked. She snorted but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that you¡¯re not allowed to see Aiden starting today. From now on, he has nothing to do with you.¡± As soon as he finished the words, Amanda jumped out of bed and angrily shouted at him. ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide this! Aiden is my son! He has everything to do with me! Who do you think you are? Are you that desperate to raise somebody else¡¯s child? How about taking some paternity tests to find out whether he is yours? Moreover, finding out Melissa¡¯s motives behind everything. If she doesn¡¯t have a grudge against you, then she must hate your guts, which is why she wants you to suffer such kind of punishment.¡± Why would Melissa do this? She¡¯s being unreasonable like a woman who is out of her mind. ¡°Amanda, you¡¯ve said those same words countless times. Hearing them tires me out. But no matter what you say, you aren¡¯t seeing the child.¡± Symeon didn¡¯t take her words to his heart. He turned on his heel to leave. Amanda grabbed his arm, ¡°Stop right there! Let Yacob go and give me back Aiden! Mark my words. You¡¯ll regret it. Aiden is not your son.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve gone crazy. I¡¯ll have a therapiste to treat you tomorrow. After all, you¡¯re the woman who gave birth to my child. I¡¯ll be nice to you.¡± At that, he turned around to look at her delicate face. For a moment, she had him in a trance. ¡°How great would that be if only you were being genuine over thest few days¡­¡± It would¡¯ve been better if she hadn¡¯t been pretending all these days and wanted to stay by my side for real.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Symeon sneered at the thought. ¡°Too bad your heart is given to somebody. I¡¯m not keeping a woman who isn¡¯t loyal to me.¡± He pried her hand off his arm as he turned around to leave. He shut the door before her. The gesture plunged Amanda¡¯s world into darkness. Exhausted, she didn¡¯t have the strength to knock on the door and shout anymore. I wonder how Yacob is doing. Where are they keeping him? I can¡¯t keep going on like this. It¡¯s too early to give up yet. I need to find a way to save Yacob and Aiden. Elias is in aa, so I¡¯m the only person who could save everyone. Amanda went to the window and scanned her surroundings. She was staying on the second floor, not too high from the ground. She could climb down if she made a rope out of the bed sheets. O Not nove. It has to wait. They¡¯ll find out my n any second if I try to do this in broad daylight She nned to sneak out of the room to find Aiden tonight. Then, she also needed to liet out where Yacob was being held Even if she and Aiden might not be able tivescape, Yacob had to return to Elias, Otherwise. she would worry aliout Elias, who stayed alone in the country Meanwhile, in a hospital in Cludan, the butler went to the hospital to check on Flias¡¯ well being because he hadn¡¯t been able to contact Yacob for the past few days. As soon as he arrived outside the sick room, he was stopped by the bodyguard. ¡°You can¡¯t go in. Mr. Winters is resting¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, his butler. I have something to discuss with Mr. Winters¡± He assumed that the bodyguard was new, and didn¡¯t recognize him. Therefore, he sidestepped the bodyguard as he tried to go inside the sick room. But once again, the bodyguard stopped him. ¡°Sorry, but you really can¡¯t go in there. It¡¯s Mr. Winters¡¯ order.¡± Chatper 429 Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Couldn¡¯t Help but Shiver ¡°Are you sure? But I heard that Miss Momsey visits Mr. Winters every day. When did you start working for Mr. Winters? I don¡¯t remember seeing your face around.¡± The butler couldn¡¯t remember having the bodyguard around. Is it because I¡¯m getting older? Did my memory fail me? The bodyguard remained expressionless. ¡°Mills asked me to protect Mr. Winters before he left. In the meantime, I only take orders from Mr. Winters¡± Mills? The butler was surprised that the bodyguard referred to Yacob by his surname. After a long stare-off, the defeated butler had no choice but to turn and leave. Once he arrived in the lobby on the first floor by elevator, he immediately took out his phone and called Yacob, but nobody answered. He had a feeling that something was wrong. How could a bodyguard, who trained under Yacob, address Yacob that way? They usually call him ¡°Yacob. Something is fishy about him. He¡¯s most likely an outsider. Besides, I can¡¯t reach Yacob either, which further confirmed something isn¡¯t right. Inside the sick room, Elias leaned against the bed as he flipped through a financial magazine in boredom. Meanwhile, Rosie had a gentle smile on her face as she peeled an apple beside him. Elias had been itching to use hisputer or his phone a long time ago, but Rosie kept. making up excuses and reasons to prevent him from using any of them. It was mainly because she didn¡¯t want him to find out the news about Amanda and Aiden online. Over thest few days, she had been asking her men to work overtime to delete any photos of Amanda and Elias on the inte. ¡°Have an apple, Eli,¡± she said. His gaze moved from the magazine to her expectant face as he coldly replied, ¡°You can have it. I don¡¯t feel like eating.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She had no choice but to take a bite of the apple herself before looking at his side profile. ¡°Eli, what are you reading? Are you bored? Do you want to go out for a walk in the garden together?¡± ||| {¡± She had been staying with him over the past few days. Other than her, he had never seen anyone else. It¡¯s frustrating. Since she imed to be his girlfriend, he had no choice but to bear her presence. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I want to rest for a while. You should leave. He put the magazine aside. Rosie noticed that he was down, so she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk outside. You¡¯ve been cooped up here all day. It¡¯s not good for your health. Please, Eli Elias stared at the woman in front of him with a nk face. He had zero interest in Rosie. I wonder how I fell for her in the first ce. He lifted the nket off him and slid out of the bed to leave. Rosie grabbed a coat and followed him. ¡°Wait for me. Eli. It¡¯s best to put on a coat. It¡¯s chilly in the autumn night.¡± In the garden, Elias looked at the yellow leaves falling before him. Beside him. Rosie kept talking about past events, but he wasn¡¯t paying attention to a single word. He couldn¡¯t remember spending time with her in the past. ¡°Eli, do you remember? You used to take me on trips during autumn, Rosie said with a face full of longing. These were the scenes in her dreams, the moments she hoped to experience with Elias one day. Her dreams would being true if Amanda never came back. It was as though God gave her a second chance, so she must seize it. Elias nced at her indifferently and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s okay, though. We still have plenty of opportunities to create beautiful memories in the future. We¡¯ll make many memories together,¡± Rosie said in wonderment. Our happy life together is about to begin. Elias looked at those expectant eyes in silence. He felt that he didn¡¯t love Rosie at all, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell her. Over the past few days, she told him about many things that happened between them. She emphasized that she endured a lot of hardships for him. He felt that he was no different from a sc*mbag if he broke up with his girlfriend, who had been staying by his side after he woke up from the ident. O r He even instinctively avoided her attempt when she tried to hold his arm. Rosie brought a hand to her head awkwardly as she spoke up to smooth things over. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand that you haven¡¯t fully recovered your memory, so you don¡¯t remember anything. I won¡¯t rush you. Take your time.¡± She was so understanding, causing him to feel a sense of guilt. However, he couldn¡¯t ignore the strong sense of resistance in him. Rosie was still chattering about their past, but Elias decided to cut in. ¡°If I never get my memory back and can¡¯t remember you, will you still wait for me?¡± He was told that he had been in aa after the ident and almost became a vegetable. However, Rosie stayed by his bedside the whole time, never leaving. Atst, he finally woke 1. She was stunned for a moment before casting a smile at him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll wait. Otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely me me if I don¡¯t once you recover your memoryter.¡± He was speechless. Having nothing more to say, he moved forward in silence. He didn¡¯t know what would happen after he regained his memory. At this stage, he didn¡¯t have any feelings for her. He treated her colder than he treated a stranger. Since he hardly said anything along the way, Rosie couldn¡¯t figure him out. Before the ident, she couldn¡¯t even get close to him. But even though he lost his memory for the time being, she still felt like she hadn¡¯t gotten any closer to him. At least we are closer than before. At least Eli believes that I¡¯m his girlfriend. ¡°Eli, what are you thinking? Do you mind telling me? After all, we are dating,¡± Rosie said. Elias¡¯ attitude was cold. ¡°Nothing. Just thinking about when I can leave the hospital. I want to go home.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Home¡­ Just mentioning the word ¡°home¡± made Rosie tremble with fear. For now, she could keep Elias locked in a world in which only she existed. However, once they returned to the Winters Estate, he would see so many servants there. All of them knew about Amanda and Aiden¡¯s existence. When the time came, he would spot her fabricated lies. No! Eli can¡¯t go home! ¡°But Eli, I don¡¯t want you to go home.¡± Rosie blocked his path. III r Elias frowned. ¡°Why? What¡¯s the reason? ¡°Because¡­ Because once you go home, you¡¯ll throw yourself into intense work again and forget about me, your girlfriend. Now I enjoy every single day, which I can stay by your side all the time,¡± Rosie confessed. Elias couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the words. They were too cheesy, and he couldn¡¯t bear to listen. However, Rosie imed to be his girlfriend. Therefore, there was no way he could react uncharacteristically. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Otherwise, the Winters Family wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain its glory¡± Rosie clenched her fists and bit her lip, unable to form a protest. Chatper 430 Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Searching for Yacob Lawrence Estate,te at night. It was finally nighttime, and Amanda could carry out her n. She pressed her ear against the door but heard no movement outside the room. Then, she went to the window. She found that all the lights in the estate were off, indicating that everyone was asleep at the moment. Therefore, she returned to the bed and took off the bedsheets and the quilt. She made a rope out of them before throwing it out of the window. She looked down from the window. The rope was long enough to help her get to the ground. Although it shouldn¡¯t be too risky, she was still nervous. After all, it was her first time escaping from somewhere with a makeshift. rope. Sitting on the windowsill, she looked down at thewn below. Lucky me. It isn¡¯t too high from here. I could make it to the ground in no time. She took a deep breath before holding onto the makeshift rope tightly as she slowly descended from the window. It took Amanda nearly half an hour to reach the ground safely. By the time she reached the ground, she was covered in sweat and her heart was racing. Exhausted, she copsed on thewn, gasping for breath. nning and practicing are different things, huh? Thebination of nervousness, excitement, and fear was agonizing. Fortunately, shended safely. After resting for a short while, she got up from thewn and quickly left the area. She walked into somewhere darker. Quietly, she arrived at Vi No. 5. She sneaked into the living room, which was pitch ck. Everyone should be asleep. She didn¡¯t dare to take the elevator, so she had to ascend the stairs to reach the second floor. After opening the door, she saw Aiden curl up in bed, seemingly asleep. Upon catching sight of her son, she burst into tears. She walked into the room and closed the door. After that, she approached the bed, looking at ||| r her sleeping son. ¡°Aiden¡­¡± Amanda softly called out, not expecting him to immediately open his eyes. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Aiden rubbed his eyes in disbelief. When he realized that Amanda was really standing there, he threw himself into her arms, wrapping his arms around her neck tightly. She involuntarily hugged him back. ¡°Where were you, Mommy? The strange man told me that you left and you didn¡¯t want me anymore¡­ Amanda couldn¡¯t help but frown at the words. That man is out of his mind! How could he say things to a child? Doesn¡¯t he know such words could hurt a child¡¯s feelings? ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ll never abandon you. He was just joking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I believe you, Mommy.¡± such N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Amanda smiled at his consideration. ¡°Be a good boy and wait here. I¡¯lle to pick you up once I find Yacob. Is that alright with you?¡± She wanted to bring Aiden along, but it would increase their chance of getting caught. Besides, it was safer for him to stay here. After all, Symeon believed that Aiden was his son. Therefore, he would never mistreat Aiden. ¡°Okay.¡± She smiled and patted her son¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re such a good boy. One more thing, don¡¯t make that stranger angry, okay?¡± As long as Symeon believed that Aiden was his son, all Aiden needed to do was be obedient. With that, Symeon would spoil Aiden without a doubt. ¡°Sure¡­ Mommy, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± ¡°Then, sleep.¡± Amanda helped Aiden to lie on the bed before covering him with a nket. She gently patted him to sleep. A whileter, Aiden fell into a deep slumber. His steady breathing was a sign. Reluctantly, she kissed her son¡¯s forehead for thest time before she left the bedroom. quietly. After making sure that Aiden¡¯s fever had subsided, she needed to start looking for Yacob next. ||| Amaisha had no ch She stood there cluelessly without any idea about where to begin her search. She bad walked around the estatest time, but she didn¡¯t see any secret passages or anythui of the sort Ten vis were scattered in the estate. She currently had ruled out Vi No. 4, where she was staying and Vi No. & where Aiden was staying 1 Bere could Yacob be At that moment, she saw two men walking in her direction. Her eyes widened in fear at the idea of getting caught. She quickly hid in the nearby bushes ¡°That guy is half-dead already. Should we inform Master about this?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to. Just continue the interrogation. That guy can take it. We¡¯ve been interrogating him for the past twenty-four hours, but he just won¡¯t say a word. He¡¯s a tough one? ¡°Then, you can handle it tonight. I¡¯m exhausted. I barely sleptst night.¡± Their conversation angered Amanda. How dare theyy a hand on Yacob? Clenching her fists, she followed the two men secretly. I¡¯m sure I can find where Yacob is being held if I go after these two. She followed them all the way to Vi No. 7. It wore her legs out. Finally, the two men stopped. It seems like they¡¯re keeping Yacob here. She scanned her surroundings to make sure nobody was around. Then, she sneaked into the vi after the pair. To her surprise, the two men didn¡¯t go upstairs. Instead, they headed toward the basement. my guess is right, I¡¯ll find Yacob in the basement. When she followed the men to the basement, she was stopped by a door with a digital lock The two men were about to enter the room. Amanda carefully watched the man¡¯s finger as one of them entered the password. She tried to remember the password, but she wasn¡¯t confident that it was correct. 34 After the door closed, she approached the door and studied the digital lock in worry. She had to get the passcode right on the first try as entering the wrong code would surely trigger the rm. After repeating the scene of the man entering the password in her mind, she opened her eyes and quickly entered the passcode. The door opened with a beep. Even Amanda herself was shocked. I can¡¯t believe I did it! She opened the door and slipped in quietly. As soon as she entered the room, she heard screams. There are at least four to five of them. Why are there so many people down here? There were many rooms underground. She tried her luck with the first room. Through the window on the door, she found a man being beaten and interrogated. She recognized the man as one of Elias¡¯ bodyguards, who was also a subordinate of Yacob. Does it mean they caught Yacob and all hispanions that night? Tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes, and she clenched her fists in determination. She walked down the corridor as she listened to the screams. She felt bad for them.. When she finally arrived at thest room, she heard insultsing out of the room. The voices belonged to the two men she followed earlier. She peeked into the room and found Yacob on a chair. His upper body was stripped naked. The men were applying a violent electric shock to him. D*mn it! Symeon is a sick man! He even designed a torture room in his estate! No matter the torture, Yacob remained silent from the beginning and didn¡¯t even make a sound. He took it in silence even though the sc*mbags insulted him, beat him, or electrocuted him. Amanda couldn¡¯t bear to watch him suffer. Chatper 431 Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Mr Winters Gets Angry In Cludan, Elias pushed the vase and fruit te beside him to the ground with a loud crash, making a piercing sound. Rosie had been exining something to the bodyguard outside the door and immediately rushed in when she heard the sound from the room. ¡°Eli, what¡¯s wrong with you? Are you okay?¡± She looked worried, followed closely by the bodyguard. Elias stood by the window with his back to them, and demanded in a deep voice, ¡°Go handle the discharge procedures. I want to leave the hospital.¡± She nced at the bodyguard behind her before putting on a soft expression and walking up to the man. ¡°Eli, listen to me. The doctor has suggested that you stay in the hospital for a month. It¡¯s only been a few days since you woke up and your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet Before she could finish, the man interrupted her mercilessly, ¡°I said I want to leave. Go get me discharged. Why? Can¡¯t you do as I say?¡± Elias looked at the bodyguard as he murmured the words and thetter instinctively looked at her, not knowing what to do. Elias followed his gaze toward Rosie and was utterly enraged. ¡°Why are you looking at her? Who do you work for? I told you to get me discharged! Get out!¡± ¡°Mr. Winters¡­¡± The bodyguard didn¡¯t know what to do since he was initially working for Rosie anyway. She gave him a look as a signal, and the bodyguard instantly understood. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go now.¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! He turned and left the ward but instead of handling the discharge, he waited outside the door for her to come out. She was a little flustered because this was the first time Elias had gotten angry since he woke and it was just as terrifying as before. She smiled awkwardly. ¡°Eli, don¡¯t be angry. We stopped you from leaving for your own good.¡± up ¡°There¡¯s no need. I want to leave. Get me a set of clothes,¡± Elias said expressionlessly. She saw that there was no way to stop him, so she nodded in agreement. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get ready.¡± r When Rosie left the ward, the bodyguard who had been waiting for a while enquired, Momsey, what should we do? Should we really get him discharged?¡± She frowned. ¡°We have no choice. Otherwise, he will be suspicious.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do it.¡± suggested the bodyguard. ¡°Wait, after you handle the discharge procedures, tidy up the residence in Flimley. I¡¯ll let Elias stay there temporarily. We can¡¯t let him go back to the estate for now.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She looked back at the ward as if she could see the angry man through the door. Did Eli want to leave the hospital because he sensed something? That was impossible. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t regained his memories at all or he would have kicked her out long ago. He hadn¡¯t though, which meant that Eli hadn¡¯t regained his memory and had even epted the fact that she was his girlfriend. Thinking of this, a sweet smile appeared on her face. Meanwhile, Amanda hid in the secret underground room in Lawrence Estate and waited for the two men to leave before secretly approaching the door of the room where Yacob was being held. There was a password lock and also a fingerprint lock so she couldn¡¯t get in and could only shout through the small window on the door. ¡°Yacob! Wake up! It¡¯s me, Amanda¡¯ Yacob!¡± She had to shout several times before he eventually stirred slightly, and she continued calling out, ¡°Yacob, I¡¯m Amanda! Wake up quickly!¡± Hey on the cold and damp floor, struggling to lift his head and look towards the door when he indistinctly heard her voice. He seemed to have really seen her face. Could he be dreaming? How did Amanda find her way here? When he heard Amanda call his name again, he became sure that this wasn¡¯t a dream. His voice was weak and hoarse. ¡°You¡­. How did you get here? Leave quickly!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to save you! Are you okay? Can you hold on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your saving! Just leave! Protecting yourself and Mr. Aiden is more important. than anything else.¡± He coughed from the pain in his wounds after exerting himself while speaking. Amanda nced behind her to check that there was no one there before lowering her voice. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Let me tell you, Yacob, I will find a way to save you and get you out of here! If it weren¡¯t for your unwavering loyalty to Elias, I wouldn¡¯t havee to rescue you.¡± Mr. Winters¡­ Thinking of Elias, Yacob couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows, wondering if his employer had woken up yet. ¡°How do you n to save me when you can¡¯t even ensure your own safety?¡± Yacob chuckled. He never expected to rely on a woman to save him, plus how could Amanda save him? It was practically putting her in a difficult position. Amanda remained silent for a few seconds. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I will find a way. Just hold on for two more days.¡± After speaking. Amanda turned and left. After leaving Vi No. 7, Amanda didn¡¯t return the same way she hade but went directly to find Symeon. It was already around 5 a.m. and one servant had already woken up to prepare for work. They walked past Amanda sleepily while yawning and were awakened instantly after seeing her as if they had seen a ghost. ¡°You-¡± ¡°Where is your master? I need to see him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­ in Vi No. 5 and living with the young master in adjacent rooms.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She walked straight toward Vi No. 5 and entered the vi openly, shocking the housekeeper who was cleaning the ce. Amanda didn¡¯t say anything and walked upstairs to the room next to Aiden¡¯s. So, this man was living next to Aiden. Her sneaking in to see the baby had really been. dangerous in retrospect. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, but there was not response from within, so she simply pushed open the door and walked in. The dim deskmp illuminated the man sleeping on the bed. It turned out that this pervert didn¡¯t like turning off the lights when he slept. She stood in front of the bed while looking at him and pushed him without hesitation. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, wake up. I have something to discuss with you.¡± In fact, she wanted to call this man a pervert! Symeon hadn¡¯t entered into a deep sleep and opened his eyes the moment he heard her voice. When he saw Amanda standing in front of the bed, he was somewhat surprised and t up abruptly. ¡°How did you get in?¡± He clearly remembered that Amanda was locked in Room No. 4 of the vi, so how could she have appeared in front of his bed? Was he dreaming? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. All I want to say is that you can have Aiden, but release me and everyone you captured.¡± Amanda certainly wouldn¡¯t surrender her son, but she had to free herself in order to save him. She couldn¡¯t save the child with just herself and Yacob; instead, she had to go back and wake Elias and let him intervene. The only one who could confront Symeon was Elias now. Chatper 432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Let Me Go Symeon squinted his eyes, thinking he had misheard. ¡°You mean you just want to leave with them without fighting for your son anymore? You don¡¯t want to take him from me?¡± This did not seem characteristic of her since she had sworn to protect the child with her life. so why had she suddenly changed her mind? Her voice was choked. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want to give Aiden up, but I know I can¡¯t win. against you. You won¡¯t give him back to me, plus¡­ the child will be better cared for with you. I have also realized my situation and don¡¯t want to fight with you anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand.¡± It was just¡­ Why did he feel a little reluctant to let her go? ¡°Let me go since I won¡¯t bother you anymore, and release those people. They are innocent. and were just following orders, suggested Amanda. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± She found his response strange. He actually said he needed to think about it. She had already made such a concession, yet he still needed to consider it. What was going on in this man¡¯s mind? ¡°I¡¯ve already made this big of apromise, but you still need to think about it. How far do you have to push me before you are satisfied?¡± She was unbearably angry but had nowhere to vent her rage. Seeing her agitation made Symeon smile, feeling that this was the reaction and expression Amanda should have. He had wanted to keep Amanda here for a while, hoping that she would give in and stay by his side with the child, and hadn¡¯t expected this sudden turn of events. ¡°How do I know if you¡¯re ying tricks? You¡¯re a very cunning woman, so I have to be on guard.¡± Symeony back on the bed, pulling up the nket, and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep a little longer. Are you leaving or staying? If you are staying,e sleep with me.¡± ¡°You b*stard!¡± She angrily turned and left. He watched her figure indulgently. ¡°Once I¡¯ve made up my mind, I will find you. Go back to your room or I will just kill those people.¡± Amanda¡¯s body stiffened for a moment as she walked out the door before she continued on her way. Symeon didn¡¯t seem so easily fooled; if he didn¡¯t make up his mind, she would be trapped here forever. She could handle being pampered with good food and drink. every < day, but what about Yacob and the others? If they were tortured like thus for a few more days their lives would be in danger. Amanda walked out of Vi No. 5 and happened to run into the butler who had risen early He froze at the sight of her and almost couldn¡¯t recover. ¡°You. What are you doing here? I¡¯m going back now, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble, Amanda replied, brushi past him but then remembering something and turning back. ¡°Do you have Elizabeth¡¯s contact detaile¡± ¡°Why are you asking for that? ¡°Never mind. Just give it to me. I need to talk to her about something¡± ¡°Do you think I would give it to you? Hurry back, it would be a disaster if the master found out.¡± He urged her to return to her room. She smiled. ¡°Even if I go back, do you think I can stay there obediently? If you let me call her. then I will stay in my room obediently. Otherwise, I wille out again.¡± The housekeeper had no choice but to take out his own phone and dial Elizabeth¡¯s number. ¡°Miss Elizabeth, Miss Bailey wants to talk to you.¡± He then handed the phone to Amanda. ¡°You have one minute, and I will be listening Amanda took the phone. ¡°Miss Elizabeth, can youe to see me? Your fianc¨¦ has locked me up, and I¡¯m feeling a bit bored and lonely. I want someone to chat with.¡± ¡°What? Do you think we have anything to talk about?¡± asked Elizabeth. ¡°Who knows? Maybe we¡¯ll find something the longer we chat.¡± Elizabeth fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°Wait for me.¡± She then hung up the phone, and Amanda handed it back to the butler. ¡°Okay, I will go back to my room and stay there obediently now.¡± The housekeeper seemed to have read her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Mr. Lawrence¡¯s temper can¡¯t be pacified. Not even Miss Elizabeth can do it. ¡°I just want someone to talk to. I don¡¯t know anyone here.¡± She smiled faintly and left. Amanda returned to her room and quietly kept the bedsheet that she had twisted into a rope. It seemed that the security in this mansion wasn¡¯t very strict if it hadn¡¯t been discovered for so long. After about an hour, Elizabeth arrived. This time, she came to the mansion not to lind Symeon but headed directly toward Amanda, which was unexpected by everyone. Entering the room, Elizabeth looked at Amanda, who was lying on the bed, looking drowsy ¡°Why did you invite me here? You didn¡¯t just want me to watch you sleep, did you?¡± Amanda stretchedzily. She was indeed very tired since she hadn¡¯t slept for a day and a night, but she still forced herself to sit up. ¡°I called you for a chat. I don¡¯t know anyone here after all.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Elizabeth sat on the single-seater couch nearby. ¡°How have you ended up like this? I saw that you were treated well a few days ago. Why are you locked up now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything now. I just want to leave. Can you help me?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush anymore and directly stated her purpose since this negotiation style was most suitable for dealing with non-locals. Elizabeth wasn¡¯t surprised by Amanda¡¯s decision because she knew Amanda would eventually see through everything. ¡°How can I help you? You don¡¯t want to stay with Symeon anymore? You don¡¯t want anything? Are you sure you won¡¯t regret it in the future?¡± ¡°No. With you here, I can¡¯t develop anything with Symeon. I just want to leave unscathed.¡± murmured Amanda. Elizabeth shrugged helplessly. ¡°I would like to help you but as you know, Symeon doesn¡¯t listen to me. Whatever I say to him is useless.¡± Elizabeth wasn¡¯t surprised by Amanda¡¯s decision because she knew Amanda would eventually see through everything. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to persuade him. I want you to help me leave. Once I¡¯m gone, his attention. will gradually return to you.¡± Amanda began to persuade Elizabeth, not caring about the situation anymore since leaving was her top priority. After all, Amanda had to save Yacob and the others and search for Elias after that. Clearly, Elizabeth was convinced. With Amanda by Symeon¡¯s side, it would be difficult for him to pay attention to Elizabeth. Thus, it was better to get rid of Amanda quickly, which will give Elizabeth more opportunities to develop a rtionship with Symeon. ¡°How can I help you?¡± Chatper 433 Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Mr Winters Is Discharged From the Hospital Great, she took the bait. Amanda¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°Is there anyone that Symeon is afraid of? Whom does he fear the most?¡± ¡°The person he fears the most¡­ For a moment, Elizabeth couldn¡¯t think of anyone that fitted the criteria. He was the head of the Lawrence Family and the most powerful person there. after all, so who could he possibly fear? But¡­ Elizabeth suddenly had a glimmer in her eyes. ¡°I know. He fears his father. Well, it¡¯s not exactly fear, but more like respect. He listens to his father¡¯s words and follows them as if they are orders.¡± ¡°Alright then, find his father and tell him that you¡¯re unhappy because of my presence and that you want me to leave. His father will put pressure on Symeon, and we won¡¯t have to worry about the rest.¡± Elizabeth nodded and turned away but turned back to Amanda as if remembering something. ¡°I want to ask you a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you really have no feelings for Symeon at all?¡± Elizabeth couldn¡¯t believe it. How could a woman not be moved by a man as outstanding and handsome as Symeon? And why did she secretly have a child? In order to allow Aiden to stay here safely for a while, Amanda could only reluctantly answer, ¡°I¡¯m tired. He doesn¡¯t care about me at all. He only wanted a child when he found me and now, I can¡¯tpete with Aiden, so I want to leave and live my own life.¡± This exnation was enough to convince Elizabeth. After all, women were like this. When they couldn¡¯t see a future or hope, they would naturally retreat. Meanwhile, Symeon had finally woken up and, after getting ready, changed into a suit. He was preparing to go to thepany when the butler followed after him. ¡°Master, Miss Elizabeth visited this morning, but she went directly to see Miss Bailey.¡± Symeon stopped in his tracks and turned to the butler. ¡°She went to find Amanda? Why?¡± The butler shook his head, indicating his ignorance. He didn¡¯t dare mention that he discovered Amanda had escaped from her room though, especially the fact that he had given Amanda Elizabeth¡¯s contact information. He thought he was the only one who knew about Amanda¡¯s escape and wanted to keep it a secret. Symeon had originally nned to go to hispany but then decided to go to Vi No. 4 since he wanted to see Amanda. Her attitude had changed too quickly, making him feel like this woman was ying tricks. He arrived at her room and after the butler opened the door, he walked in. It was quiet, and she was lying asleep on the bed, looking exhausted. He stood in front of the bed, staring at her for a long time. As if feeling ufortable being stared at, she suddenly rose from her sleep and screamed, ¡°Oh!¡± She gasped for breath and regained her senses after seeing Symeon. Sitting up, she couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Are you crazy? Do you know how terrifying it is to startle someone like that?¡± ¡°When I woke up from my sleep and saw you, my reaction wasn¡¯t as exaggerated.¡± He chuckled lightly. ¡°Did youe here just to scare me?¡± Symeon replied, ¡°Of course not. I want to ask why Elizabeth came to find. you.¡± ¡°What else? She¡¯s your fianc¨¦e, so she probably doesn¡¯t like seeing me here. How could she be in a good mood after you brought me to your house? Don¡¯t you know how tofort her? She has nowhere to vent her anger, so she can only take it out on me.¡± ¡°Are you telling me all this so that I can look for her and stand up for you?¡± He raised an eyebrow. Amanda smiled. ¡°You won¡¯t, and you shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m not important to you, so why would you provoke your fianc¨¦e for someone insignificant like me?¡± Symeon didn¡¯t like her sarcastic tone. ¡°How badly have I treated you?¡± Was that why Amanda had the determination to leave, even if it means leaving her child behind? She chuckled lightly and flicked her hair. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, but you can be a little more straightforward. Let me and those people go, and you and your fianc¨¦e can have peace.¡± That being said, the more she wanted to escape, the more he didn¡¯t want her to leave. This feeling was strange and hard to exin. ||| J ¡°I said I will consider it. Until I make up my mind, you have to stay here obediently. If continue to run around, be careful that I¡¯ll kill those people directly After saying that, Symeon turned and left without looking back. you After being left alone, she sighed and leaned back on the bed, feeling mncholic. There were too many things she needed to worry about now, and only she could handle them. Back in Cludan, afterpleting the discharge procedure, Rosie didn¡¯t bring Elias back to Winters Estate but instead took him to a residential property under her name, After entering the house, he looked around with unfamiliar eyes. He had no memory of this 300-square- meter apartment and it felt like he had never lived here before. ¡°I used to live here?¡± ¡°Of course not. The Winters Family is wealthy, and you have many properties under your name. This is just one of them. We¡¯ll stay here tonight. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t befortable going back to the estate. You used to live there,¡± exined Rosie. He surveyed the ce and then sat down on the sofa. Suddenly, he asked. ¡°Did you live with me before?¡± ¡°No. Even though we were a couple, you respected my wishes and never forced me into anything He felt a sense of relief at her words since he subconsciously didn¡¯t want to have any connection with this woman. ¡°Give me my phone.¡± Rosie panicked. How could she give him his phone? What if there were many pictures of Amanda and her son in the album? That would expose everything. Seeing herck of response, Elias demanded again, ¡°Give me my phone. I¡¯ve been discharged and using my phone is not such a big deal.¡± ¡°Well, your phone couldn¡¯t be found after the car ident, so I¡¯ll have them buy you a new This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. one. He fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°Give it to me tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s alreadyte now. Do you want to rest?¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he had already walked towards the bedroom. ¡°Im going to bed. Knock on my door tomorrow morning while bringing along my new phone. Remember, don¡¯t change my phone number. I still want to use my old one.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Chatper 434 Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Brother-In-Law? Early the following morning, Rosie brought a phone to the door and knocked on it. ¡°Eli, it¡¯s me.¡± The door slowly opened only after a few minutes and Elias extended his arm out while in a robe. ¡°Give me the phone. I won¡¯t be having breakfast, so you don¡¯t have to wait for me.¡± She didn¡¯t have a chance to say anything before he took the phone and closed the door, leaving her alone to face the cold sound from it. Why does it feel like he is still so indifferent to me even though he has lost his memory? Inside the room, Elias opened his contacts first after getting the phone. There were many numbers, but he couldn¡¯t remember any of them. Of course, Amanda and Yacob¡¯s phone numbers had been blocked, so he couldn¡¯t see them. He held the phone but didn¡¯t know who to call. He wanted to go out and familiarize himself with his previous life, but Rosie, who imed to be his girlfriend, kept stopping him, which made him feel suspicious. He felt that she seemed to be afraid of him getting in touch with his past life for some unknown reason. He looked at the names in his contacts but didn¡¯t want to call any of them, so he threw the phone aside and went to bed directly. Although his body had recovered quite a bit, the car ident had caused him serious injuries, and overexerting his mind would give him headaches and dizziness. Suddenly, the phone rang. He abruptly opened his eyes, got up, and picked up the phone, which disyed an unfamiliar number. He looked at the unfamiliar number for a moment. hesitated, and then answered the call. A woman¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Elias, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why did you block my number? Even if you¡¯ve be my brother-inw, there¡¯s no need to block me!¡± Brother-inw? This phone call contained way too much information, so he asked in return, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Do you think I want to call you? It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t been able to contact my sister recently. My parents are worried, so they asked me to call and ask you about it. What has happened since all of you seem to have disappeared recently? What happened to my sister, and where is Aiden? My parents miss Aiden- Suddenly, Rosie knocked on the door. ¡°Eli, open the door. I have something important to tell you.¡± Elias hung up the phone directly and turned his head to look at the door impatiently. Why was Rosie so persistent? After he had walked over and opened the door, she gave him a fake smile. ¡°Eli, let me borrow your phone again. I forgot to set up something for you earlier.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s this. Rosie snatched the phone from his hand and then opened the settings to set up something. After that, she opened his contacts and turned around to sit on the couch beside her, deleting Jack Allegra¡¯s phone number in that short moment. She had just remembered that she had. forgotten Jack¡¯s number. If he called Elias, it would expose everything. ¡°Okay, I just set up the inte for you.¡± Elias took the phone and answered indifferently, ¡°I can set it up myself. You don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± Rosie rubbed her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just used to taking care of you.¡± She suddenly thought of what the woman on the phone had said earlier about him being her brother-in- law. Does Rosie have a sister? ¡°Do you have a sister?¡± he asked. Rosie was stunned and shook her head. ¡°No, I only have a brother. Why?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just thought if you had a sister, she would be very happy.¡± He was testing her, but she was so in love with him and couldn¡¯t help falling for Elias¡¯ praise. Then, with a sweet smile, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a sister, but I don¡¯t have one¡­¡± He responded, ¡°Hmm, I have a bit of a headache and want to sleep a little longer. Call me when it¡¯s time for lunch.¡± ¡°Okay, Eli, you must rest more. It was a little risky for you to be discharged from the hospital. so early.¡± She didn¡¯t disturb him any longer and turned to leave the room.. The moment the door closed, his handsome face instantly darkened. Rosie didn¡¯t have a sister, yet the woman on the phone had called him her brother-inw. Ihat does this mean? Outside Winters Estate, the Allegra Family, including Jack, Edith, and Stephanie, hade to the estate to see Amanda and her son since they hadn¡¯t been able to reach Amanda. recently or couldn¡¯t contact Elias either. Jack was close to assuming that the family of three had been kidnapped, since they wouldn¡¯t have suddenly disappeared otherwise. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t reach Amanda, and you can¡¯t even contact Elias when you¡¯re his butler. What about Yacob? Has he disappeared too?¡± Jack was getting annoyed and scolded the butler. The butler looked aggrieved since he couldn¡¯t talk about the ident, not to mention tell Jack about the strange details he had noticed. So, he could only silently endure it. ¡°I couldn¡¯t contact Yacob either.¡± That was true; he hadn¡¯t been able to reach Yacob for a long time. Stephanie also looked puzzled and told her father, ¡°It¡¯s really suspicious. When I called Elias just now, he seemed like hepletely didn¡¯t recognize us. It¡¯s so strange. What is he ying at? Where did he take Amanda and the child?¡± Indeed, many things had happened at the estate but the butler couldn¡¯t say anything. That had been Yacob¡¯s instructions before leaving. At the Lawrence Estate, Elizabeth had somehow gone toin to Symeon¡¯s father, which infuriated him so much that he rushed over from Carrania overnight. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. In the study, he angrily scolded Symeon for having a child out of wedlock while scattering things all over the floor. However, Symeon didn¡¯t argue from beginning to end and allowed. his father to insult him. ¡°You actually did such a thing. I can¡¯t believe it. You useless waste! You actually had a child. out of wedlock. Why are you still keeping that woman in your home? How am I supposed to exin this to Elizabeth? When do you n to let that woman leave?¡± Symeon coughed. ¡°I¡¯m nning to let her leave soon. I¡¯m keeping her here because the child. is not yet ready to adapt to a life without his mother.¡± After shouting at Symeon for a long time, his father got tired and sighed deeply before sitting down on a chair. ¡°At this point, it¡¯s toote to say anything else. If the child belongs to the Lawrence Family, then he must stay, though that woman absolutely cannot. She will affect the rtionship between you and Elizabeth.¡± Rtionship? Ha ha ha. It¡¯s reallyughable. Symeon felt like there was no rtionship between him and his fianc¨¦e at all. Chatper 435 Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Escaping from the Estate. It was alreadyte at night by the time Amanda returned. She had been waiting for Symeon to look for her. Yet, she had wasted her entire day waiting for him only for him to stand her up. Frankly, she found it strange as his father told her he had already returned. So, he should have already done something by now. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the door was pushed open. She immediately sobered up and rubbed her eyes, only to see Symeon. Thus, she straightened her spine as a vignt expression appeared on her face. ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? Weren¡¯t you waiting for me?¡± Heughed. ¡°When have I ever waited for you? You narcissist,¡± she snarked. He simply chuckled at her response. ¡°Congrattions, your scheme seeded. You are more than wee to leave now, Of course, the people who intended to save you will be apanying you. However¡­ the child will be staying with me.¡±¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise. I knew it would work! Still, even though she was deliriously happy, she had to appear calm in front of him. Unfortunately, Symeon had already noticed the brief flicker of joy in her eyes. ¡°I truly didn¡¯t expect you to reach an agreement with Elizabeth. I have to say, you¡¯re quite a wily one.¡± He had indeed underestimated this woman who appeared soft and meek on the outside. For a moment, he had forgotten that she was actually a rising star in the legal world. Nheless, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to his words as she replied, ¡°Before I leave, can I see Aiden? I want to have a good chat with him. That way, he will definitely be more obedient. Otherwise, I¡¯m certain that you wouldn¡¯t be able to calm him down even if you cloned yourself to satisfy his needs.¡± Symeon nodded. That was true enough. This little guy seemed well-behaved most of the time. Regrettably, the instant he started making a fuss, no one could hope to talk any sense to him until he calmed down on his own. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t instill any thoughts of hatred toward me in the child. You have to tell him. that I am his biological father.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything as she gave him a begrudging nod. Well, that didn¡¯t matter. She already had a n in ce. The moment she returned to the country, she would immediately have Elias rescue Aiden. She wouldn¡¯t waste even a single second to get her son back from this fiend. Amanda arrived at Aiden¡¯s room. He was already fast asleep, but he had just fallen asleep. So, he hadn¡¯t hit the REM sleep cycle yet. Therefore, when she quietly opened the door, Aiden opened his eyes almost instantaneously. When his eyesnded on her figure, he happily climbed out of bed and threw himself into her arms. ¡°Mommy, where did you go? You didn¡¯t pay attention to me for several days!¡± he eximed piteously. Amanda hugged her son tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. This would probably be the longest time she would be separated from her baby, primarily because she didn¡¯t know how long it would take for Elias to wake up. ¡°Aiden, it¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault. I¡¯m sorry, Mommy didn¡¯t mean it.¡± He couldn¡¯t bear to hear her so choked up. So, he gently touched her cheek as he consoled her, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m not angry. I was just teasing you.¡± Regardless, his words still made her snap back to reality as she wiped away her tears and. smiled through her pain. ¡°Aiden, you have to stay here for a while longer. Mommy wille and pick you up, okay? Just be patient. I promise this is thest time you¡¯ll have to wait for me.¡± ¡°What are you going to do, Mommy?¡± ¡°Mommy has something to take care of. I¡¯ll ask this man here to take care of you in the meantime, okay? Mommy will pick you up as soon as I¡¯m done.¡± Amanda felt her wavering control over her emotions falter. Unfortunately, she had to y her part and maintain a strong facade in front of her son. To make matters worse, Baby looked utterly pitiful as he pouted, and held onto her tightly, acting spoiled. ¡°But, I¡¯ll miss you¡­¡± Once she heard his words, he couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore. Sure enough, her tears flowed down her cheeks as she cried silently. Nheless, she didn¡¯t want to worry her darling son. So, she hastily turned her face away to prevent him from seeing her despair as she frantically wiped away her tears. Once she had managed to compose herself, she swiftly took out her phone and handed it to him. ¡°Here, this phone is Mommy¡¯s present to you. You can call me whenever you miss me. I promise that I¡¯ll answer inmediately. Okay, Mommy will teach you how to make a phone call Then, Amanda unlocked the screen and opened the contacts tab. There was only one phone number saved, hers. Finally, she taught Baby how to call her step by step. By the time they were done with their impromptu lesson, Baby¡¯s mood had brightened considerably. ¡°Mommy, can I call you every day?¡± ¡°Of course, anytime. Call Mommy whenever you encounter anything, and Mommy will do the same as well.¡± Baby held onto the phone, thrilled. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call Mommy every day.¡± As she gazed at her son¡¯s innocent and pure eyes, she could barely wrangle her tears back. He was just a three-year-old child! He was too young and naive to understand what was going on. Yet, he had to experience things that even adults found hard to bear. Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Symeon walked in. ¡°Aiden, it¡¯ste. It¡¯s time to sleep. You¡¯ll be going to kindergarten tomorrow.¡±¡± ¡°Kindergarten? I haven¡¯t been to kindergarten for a long time.¡± Baby¡¯s eyes lit up. He did miss his friends in kindergarten. Meanwhile, Amanda looked at Symeon, and he exined, ¡°I¡¯ve done a thorough investigation. So, he will be enrolled in the kindergarten he attended in the United States. He should be familiar with it.¡± She had to admit, it was a good call to send him off to kindergarten. At least she didn¡¯t have to worry about Aiden being confined in these four walls before she could stage a rescue. ¡°Aiden, off to sleep with you then.¡± Aiden obediently mbered under the covers, but he held onto the phone Amanda tightly. It was as if he was afraid someone would snatch it from him. gave him Once Aiden wasfortably cocooned under the nket, she gently patted him twice and soon heard his breathing even out. The child had fallen asleep. Only then did she slowly rise to her feet and take a deep look at Aiden, who was sleeping. It was as though she was trying to etch his face into her mind¡¯s eye. Then, she left the room. without looking back. She was terrified that if she looked at him for a moment longer, she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear leaving. Symeon followed her to the corridor. When she was sure they were out of carshot, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer as they streamed down her face uncontrobly. Then, she turned her attention back to Symeon. ¡°Don¡¯t take the phone I gave to him. He will need time to get used to it. It¡¯s not a big deal for me to call him, right? You don¡¯t have to be so petty.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I would take it. It¡¯s just a phone.¡± As Symeon looked at her sobbing her eyes out, he couldn¡¯t help the snicker that fell from his lips. Why leave if she was so reluctant to part from Aiden? Ding. The elevator door slowly slid open as Symeon finally inquired, ¡°It¡¯s clear that you don¡¯t want to go. So, why leave? Is it because I can¡¯t give you the status you desire?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Think whatever you want.¡± Amanda wasn¡¯t in the mood to discuss these things with him. In truth, she might not be in the mood to discuss anything with him ever. So, she spun on her heels and strode into the elevator, pressed the button for the first floor, and watched as the elevator door slid shut. As the door closed, his repugnant face also disappeared from her line of sight. Yacob and his four brothers were stuffed in a multi-purpose vehicle outside the estate. They weren¡¯t looking too hot as they were practically covered in injuries and looked almost half- dead. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When Amanda arrived and caught a glimpse of their many, many injuries, she was shocked. beyond words. She had expected it to be brutal, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad. ¡°Are you all okay?¡± ¡°This is nothing. We¡¯re hanging in there,¡± Yacob said through gritted teeth. Nevertheless, she knew he was putting on a brave face. So, she quickly got into the car and instructed the driver, ¡°To the hospital. Now.¡± The men had to be treated for their injuries before they could even consider returning to the country. Otherwise, with injuries like these, how could they possibly board a ne? Yacob immediately saw that Aiden wasn¡¯t with her. So, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr Aiden? Why isn¡¯t heing with us?¡± ¡°Do you think that lunatic would let us take the child with us?¡± Chatper 436 Chapter 436 Chapter 436 I Heard You Woke Up? Yacobs inumeshately came to a realization as he tightly heal his fat in agiration 56. Anten is a pide? How are we supposed to leave now? Do we, adulis, need in carnice a child just to escaper These words pierced through Amanda¡¯s heart as tears controbly streamed down her face Calm down! Do you think I don¡¯t know all that? How if we don¡¯t do ilis, none of us will be able to escape! All of you will die here! Besides, it might be safe for Auden to stay here than to follow in Magha now, what we need to do is recuperate, return to our country as soon as possible wake up thias, and have him save Aiden Only Elias can stand up against Symeon! You know fully well that we are no match for that psychol He seemed to sober up after listening to her angry works. Considering their current situation, she had the right to it The only person who could make Symeon wary was Mr Winters. Unfortunately, they were no match for Symeon at all. Yacob fell silent as he leaned against his chair However, he couldn¡¯t help but think about Aiden, a young child left behind. He couldn¡¯t imagine just leaving Aiden like that. Amanda naturally saw through his thoughts and sighed. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, so we need to hurry tip, return home, meet up with Elias, and ask him to save his own son as soon as possible! No one in the car said anything else. Instead, they silently drove to the hospital. After a momen of silence, she suddenly spoke up, ¡°Did you ever investigate that woman named Melissa Walters? Who is she, and why did she trap all of us?¡± did, bugdidn¡¯t find anything useful.¡± Then, he remembered something and continued, ¡°By the way, when Melissa was abroad, she gave birth to child in the same hospital as you. Other than that didn¡¯t find anything special. I really don¡¯t know what this man is up to.¡± Whenever he thought that Mr. Winters was almost harmed by this woman. It made him so mad. Regrettably, he didn¡¯t have time to find her before this entire mess happened. Meluia Walters Melissa Walters¡­. this mane sound so familiar? Where had she heard it before? Where du Earth did she hear it? Suddenly. Amanda¡¯s memory went back to four years ago when she gave birth to her child in Pleybia Hospital That pitiful woman in the adjacent bed¡­. andas eyes widened in an instant as that scene hit her like a train wreck! The pregnant woman lying next to her at that time was Melissa Walters! Melissa did give birth to a child on the same day as her, but she only went intobor a few hourster. Apanda had a boy, while Melissa had a girl. At that time, after they both gave birth in the hospital, no one came to visit them. So, they felt a sense of All Amanda was discharged, she even said goodbye Meles hoping to be her again if fat allered k She thought things over and truly could find when die ever wronged Melisen to why did Mebus treat She really roubar understand what was going on! Melina gave birth to a got a girl to the next second, she suddenlyected the dors, afl everything became clear The reason why Melissa gradually drew Symeon¡¯s attention to Amanda and created dose fate paternity texts. She even went as far as to turn Alden ium Symbi¡¯s child! Did she do all that just to hide the girl from him? So, the logical conclusion was that the girl Melissa gave birth to in the hospital four years ago was none other than Symeon¡¯s child Melissa was the woman who climbed onto Symeon¡¯s belt Yes, that had to be it! Amanda suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Melissa was so cumming and ruthless, sacrificing a stranger she barely knew in order to protect her own daughter. Who did Melissa think she was? That woman was a psychol Symeon and this bitch were truly a match made in heaven or hell in this case! ph saw the furious look in Amanda¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t help but inquire tentatively, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you gemember something?¡± Know why Melissa did this.¡± Why Vacoleskel eagerly. He also desperately wanted to know the reason behind this crazy woman¡¯s She looked at Yacob with hatred in her eyes and snarled. ¡°Because the child she gave birth to is Symeon¡¯s biological child¡± His take was filed with utter shock, but he quickly understood the implications. ¡°So, Melissa pushed all of us into his trap and made Aiden stay with Lawrence, just to protect her own child. This woman is really ruthless Th, it¡¯s time for lunch. You didn¡¯t eat breakfast, so you need to eat lunch.¡± Rosie knocked on the door, but there was no response. She was about to knock again when the door uddenly opened, startling her. T ¡°Yeah,¡± Elias replied and walked toward the dining 23 Rosie followed behind him, trying to start up a conversation. ¡°Did you sleep well? Is the bed here comfortable I can ask them to change it if you¡¯re not used to it.¡± She knew Elias was difficult to please. After all, he had been pampered since childhood. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± He sat down at the dining table, picked up the fork and knife, and started eating his meal. Then, she sat across from him, cautiously asking. ¡°Eli, I don¡¯t know if you like these dishes. I made them myself¡­¡± The man paused with the utensils in his hand, looked up at Rosie, and his eyes revealed a hint of disdain. Regardless, he still ate the food and said, ¡°It¡¯s good. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t find a reason to dislike her, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to like her. So, he didn¡¯t have any intention of getting closer to her. Rosie, who was unaware of his true thoughts, assumed that two perfunctory sentences were made out of concern for her. So, she smiled and replied, ¡°Eat more if you like.¡± Then, she served him more dishes, but he didn¡¯t eat a lot. Instead, he was more focused on the rice. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Just then, his phone suddenly started ringing. He heard the sound of his phoneing from the bedroom. So, he quickly took a few more bites, ced his utensils down, and said, ¡°I¡¯m full. Take your time.¡± Finally, he turned and went back to his room after saying that. She didn¡¯t even have a chance to talk to him before she heard the familiar sound of the door closing, cold nd familiar. Back in his room. Elias picked up his phone and saw another unfamiliar number. Why were there so many unknow nombers calling him? Driven by lus curiosity and annoyance, he answered the call. Then, a woman¡¯s voice came from the other end 1 heard you¡¯re awake. However, I can¡¯t understand what on earth you¡¯re thinking. Your woman is in danger Aren¡¯t you going to save her?¡± His woman? ¡°Who are you?¡¯ After a few seconds of silence, the woman on the other end of the phone hung up. He tried dialing back, but his call couldn¡¯t get through. Chatper 437 Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Amanda Returns. Melissa was shocked when she managed to muster her wits to hang up the phone. What happened to Elias? Did he lose his memory? Otherwise, how could he have asked her that question? How could he possibly have asked who she was? Melissa was well aware that Elias hated her to the bone, so how could he not recognize her voice? If he had lost his memory¡­ A smile appeared on Melissa¡¯s face. It was as if even the heavens were helping her. If he had lost his memory, Symeon would take longer to uncover the truth. That would give her more. time to escape and start a new life with a new identity. Melissa looked at her sleeping daughter on the bed and whispered to herself, ¡°Dulcie, I¡¯m only doing all of this to keep you by my side forever. As for Miss Amanda and Aiden, I truly hope they can stay safe¡­ She believed that even if Elias lost his memory, he would eventually regain it. The moment he did recover his memory, she was certain that she would have dealt with everything on her end. Frankly, she didn¡¯t want to ruin Amanda¡¯s family, but she had no choice! She wouldn¡¯t be able to pull a fast one and seed when her opponent was Symeon. So, she could only use Elias¡¯ influence to win the battle. After Amanda had taken Yacob and the others to the hospital in New Montana, she finally had some time. for herself to rest on a couch that was avable in the ward. acob wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as he had had a good night¡¯s sleep. When he pushed himself up, he immediately noticed Amanda sleeping on the couch. The instant he laid his eyes on her, he couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of Aiden. How was he going to exin this complication to Mr. Winters? At dat moment, a nurse came in to change the IV bag, causing Amanda to be roused from her sleep. Once she saw that Yacob was awake, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re awake. Do you want something to eat? I can buy you some breakfast.¡± ¡°Theres no need for that. You can continue sleeping. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired.¡± 0 Unfortunately, now that she was awake, she had no intention of wasting her time on something like sleep. Instead, she sat up and went to the bathroom to wash her face with cold water in order to get rid of all the exhaustion lingering on her person before returning to the ward. I wonder how Elias is doing now. Do you think he¡¯s already awake?¡± Yacob chimed in. ¡°He probably hasn¡¯t woken up yet. If he¡¯s already conscious, my people would have informed me about that. Still, it is strange that he hasn¡¯t contacted me after such a long time.¡± She suddenly remembered something, blurting, ¡°Oh, right. When we left, that psycho returned our phones to us.¡± Last night, Amanda wanted to call Elias, but she was way too busy with the hospital admission procedures. So she didn¡¯t have the chance to do so. 13 Nheless, after she heard Yacob¡¯s words, she realized that even if she did give him a call, it would be pointless. That man was probably still in a deep sleep. Thus, she picked up Yacob¡¯s phone and handed it to him. ¡°Call your people and ask about Elias¡± He nodded and immediately dialed the number. Yet, the number was strangely turned off. ¡°It¡¯s turned off?¡± He looked at her with a befuddled expression on his face. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Amanda was also stunned. ¡°How could your people turn off their phones? Did something happen? Call the butler.¡± Yacob instantly called the Winterses¡¯ butler. This time, the call was quickly answered. He wasted no time demanding. Mr. Jones, what¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t anyone answering the phone at the hospital?¡± The butler was so agitated when he heard Yacob¡¯s voice that he almost cried tears of relief. ¡°You finally called back! Something happened! I think something happened! I went to the hospital the other day to visit Mr. Winters, but the bodyguard guarding the door wouldn¡¯t let me in. I also found out that the bodyguard wasn¡¯t one of ours. These days, Miss Rosie has been apanying Mr. Winters. Yet, when I went to the hospital yesterday, I found out that Mr. Winters has disappeared! They told me that he has been discharged! I have no idea where Mr. Winters is now, and the doctor even informed me that he has long regained consciousness!¡± ¡°What?! That Rosie Momsey actually took Mr. Winters away? Alright, I¡¯ming back immediately!¡± Yacob desperately wished he could grow wings just so he could return to the country after ending the call. This Rosie Momsey was really something. She pretended to be pitiful, and now she had the gall to take Mr. Winters away right under their noses. Amanda listened to their conversation and was almost driven crazy with anxiety. ¡°What¡¯s going Elias getting involved with Rosie again?¡± ¡°Well.. it¡¯s a long story. After you left with Lawrence, the Momseys somehow got the news and paid to thy hospital. Since then, Rosie has been waiting outside the ward every day. However, I¡¯ve never ond allowed her entry, Before Ideft, I also instructed my people not to let that woman in Who knew this woman would be cunning? Now, she has reced my people with hers and taken Mr. Winters away. Demn it! Yacob punched the bed rail in frustration, causing him to wince in pain. Amand was frozen to the spot as her wide eyes were filled with shock. So. Roye had been with Elias all these days when she was away? Would be disappointed to see Rosie after he woke up? We¡¯re returning tomorrow! We cannot waste even a minute more!¡± Yacob struggled to get up- Unfortunately, he was severely injured, making it rather challenging for him to even get out of bed. You stay here and recover! I¡¯ll head back and scout things out! We need to stay in touch at all times!¡± Amanda growled in fury Yacob finally became quiet, but he couldn¡¯t possibly allow Amanda to return alone without some backup. Rosie was cunning and full of tricks. Amanda might not be able to handle her withouting in harm¡¯s way. ¡± He was about to speak, but Amanda interrupted him. ¡°I know what you want to say. I¡¯m just going back to take a look. I will report to you if anything terrible has happened and discuss it with you. I¡¯m not going to charge in there without taking stock of our circumstances. I just don¡¯t feel safe knowing the crazy b*tch. has squirreled Elias away.¡± Besides, Yacob and the others were too injured to board a ne. Therefore, it was only logical that she should return to the country just in case. It definitely didn¡¯t help that she couldn¡¯t wait to finally be reunited with Elias. Eventually. Yacob caved as he also knew that there were no other better options at the moment. So, Amanda Bought an early morning flight back to Cludan. While she was waiting for her ne to land, she couldn¡¯t help but feel utterly burdened by the weight on her shoulders. Exhaustion clung to her like a leech. So, she desperately wished Elias would wake up soon to share the burden with her. Regardless, when she recalled that Elias was now in Rosie Momsey¡¯s hands, she felt utterly tormented. She sat in the cabin as her eyes wandered across the dense clouds outside the window. Unlike her composed facade, her heart was in chaos. She didn¡¯t know what she had done in her past fife to warrant such a difficult life. Her son was now imprisoned by Symeon while her man had been taken away by Rosie. Ha¡­ Did they have to torment her to death before they would finally cease their scheming? Tears slowly fell from Amanda¡¯s eyes, falling onto the back of her hand. She was really tired. Elias. I¡¯ming to find you.¡± she didn¡¯t consider another possibility: Elias had lost his memories and forgotten her existence. Erisy in bed and entered a deep sleepte at night. He had a strange dream in which a woman¡¯s figure was always Tollowing him. Nheless, it didn¡¯t matter what he did as he would fail to see through the fog hiding her away from him. Chatper 438 Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Don¡¯t Go! At first, the woman in his dreams always followed him, but he could never see the woman¡¯s face. But gradually, that woman disappeared. He desperately searched for her but couldn¡¯t find her. The feeling in his dreams was so strong as if he had lost the most important thing in his life. It felt like something even more important than his own life. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Suddenly, he woke up from his dream. Elias abruptly opened his eyes in the pitch-ck darkness. The feeling of loss and emptiness. overwhelmed him as if his heart had been hollowed out making him feel ufortable and depressed. Upon hearing his voice, Rosie quickly rushed into the room. These past few days, she didn¡¯t dare to enter without Elias¡¯ permission, but when she heard his cry, she thought something had happened, so she rushed in. ¡°Eli, are you okay?¡± Rosie looked at the man on the bed with concern. His forehead was covered in a cold sweat as if he had just had a nightmare. ¡°Eli, did you have a nightmare?¡± He sat up, holding his forehead. She quickly poured a ss of water and handed it to him. ¡°Drink some water, Eli.¡± Elias took the ss and drank two sips before cing it on the bedside table. I¡¯m fine, you can go now.¡± Rosie wanted to get closer to this man, but she felt that Elias still rejected her even if he had lost bis memory. Even with Amanda gone, could Elias still not love her? Elias locked up at the woman in front of him. ¡°When can I go to thepany? I can¡¯t stay here all the time. It¡¯s suffocating.¡± You can¡¯t go anytime soon. The doctor rmended that you stay in bed for at least three months. It hasn¡¯t been that long yet, and your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered- Before she could finish her sentence, Elias impatiently interrupted, ¡°Am I unable to take care of myself now? Why can¡¯t I go to thepany? Aren¡¯t you confining me by keeping me locked up here every day?¡± Rosie looked at him with a distressed expression and shook her head frantically. ¡°No, how could I? I¡¯m just worried about your health¡­ ¡°Then don¡¯t. I¡¯m much better now.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll go make arrangements¡­¡± She turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. At that moment, a sinister smile appeared on Rosie¡¯s face. 111 ¨C 13 It seemed that Elias still hadn¡¯tpletely given up on Amanda. She would make himpletely believe that she belonged to him. In the evening. Ding-dong. The doorbell rang. It was dinner time, and Elias and Rosie were sitting in the dining room, ready to eat. The nanny went to open the door and shouted, ¡°Mr. Momsey, why are you here?¡± Taylor was here. This was also part of Rosie¡¯s n. Originally, Taylor didn¡¯t want to deal with his sister¡¯s affairs anymore, but he couldn¡¯t win against his sister¡¯s persuasion, so he agreed, but only for thest time. After Taylor entered the dining room, he first observed Elias¡¯ current state. He confirmed that the unfamiliar look in Elias¡¯ eyes was indeed the look of someone who had lost their memory. ¡°Taylor. Why are you here, my brother?¡± Rosie pretended not to know anything. Taylor was too focused on Elias and casually replied, ¡°Oh, I just came to see you guys.¡± He sat across from Elias and stared at thetter as if trying to see through this man. Facing Taylor¡¯s scrutiny, Elias looked back at the man with an arrogant attitude and said bluntly. ¡°What the hell are you looking at?¡± In the next second, however, Taylorughed. ¡°Tsk¡­ Even after losing your memory, your temper hasn¡¯t changed at all. I thought it would change a little.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Elias was extremely impatient. He heard Rosie addressing him as brother just now. Could this be Rosie¡¯s brother? ¡°Eli, this is my brother, Taylor Momsey.¡± Elias ju?r nodded and continued eating, not intending to pay any attention to this man. He found himself quite annoyed by Taylor. Taylor looked at Elias¡¯ current demeanor and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I never expected this. You really lost your memory. Do you seriously not remember who I am?¡± When fus sister told him that Elias had lost his memory, he didn¡¯t believe a word of it. He thought his sister was just trying to find a way to ask for his help again. Elias couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with Taylor and continued eating his meal. Yet, Taylor couldn¡¯t stopughing, feeling that this was karma. How pathetic it was for Elias to lose his memory! Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Taylor!¡± Rosie looked at her brother, who wasughing in a gloating manner, and gave him a look to ||| remind him not to forget the purpose of their visit. ¡°Alright, alright. I got it.¡± Taylor looked at Elias again and said meaningfully, ¡°After your ident, my sister has been by your side. all the time, waiting for you to wake up. You can¡¯t let her down.¡± Elias nced at him coldly without saying a word. Taylor and Rosie exchanged nces. Taylor continued, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re quite eager to go to the company.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Finally, a reaction. Taylor cleared his throat and said, ¡°Your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, but you¡¯re rushing to go to thepany. You¡¯re just making my sister worry if you do that. So, I have a win-win solution for you. Elias put down his cutleries and looked at Taylor, waiting for thetter¡¯s proposal. ¡°Take my sister with you to thepany. This way, you can focus on your work, and my sister can feel at case. It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡± After Taylor finished speaking, Rosie felt relieve. He finally said it. If she had said these words herself, she would seem too maniptive. Elias nced at Rosie and asked, ¡°Do you want to? My work might be boring, and I might have to work.te. Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course, Eli. I just worry about you. I want to be by your side so I can feel at ease. How about I be ir secretary?¡± Another new proposal emerged, and Elias suddenly felt a headacheing on. These siblings were really annoying. It¡¯s okay. Just tay by my side. Elias immediately stopped her. ¡°Okay.¡±A shy smile appeared on Rosie¡¯s face. Elias couldnt help but feel helpless. Was this truly the woman he had chosen? Why did he feel nothing toward ater, even after losing his memory? Had his tastes changed as well? After finishing their meal, Rosie went to the kitchen to help the nanny clean up the dishes while Taylor got ready to leave, Before leaving, Taylor said meaningfully to Elias, ¡°Don¡¯t let my sister down again. She has sacrificed too much for you. If you hadn¡¯t woken up this time, I¡¯m afraid she would have gone crazy.¡± Chatper 439 Chapter 439 Chapter 439 To the Momsey Residence Elias suddenly felt heavy-hearted after hearing those words. He clearly felt nothing for Rosie, but he had to take responsibility for her. This responsibility weighed on him, making it hard for him to breathe. Elias didn¡¯t say anything and came to the terrace alone to light a cigarette to his lips after seeing Taylor off Unconsciously, memories of the dream he hade back to his mind. Who was that woman in his dream? It didn¡¯t feel like she was Rosie. There was also a voice in his head telling him to find someone when he woke up. Who was he supposed to find? Why couldn¡¯t he remember anything? Every time he thought about it, his head would ache terribly. ¡°Eli, why are you smoking?¡± Rosie suddenly appeared and took the cigarette from his lips before. extinguishing it in the ashtray. He nced at her indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Although he knew he should take responsibility for a woman who had been loyal to him, he couldn¡¯t help. but feel annoyed when he saw her. Yet, he couldn¡¯t exin why. The next day, in the afternoon, Amanda finally returned to Imperia. When the nended, her heart. also feltforted. She thought that as long as she saw Elias, everything would be fine. Yet, she didn¡¯t expect what awaited her ould be such a shocking scene. After leaving the airport, she went directly to the esite and met the butler. She wanted to know the situation in detail. Boris almost shed tears when he saw her as so much had happened in the Winters Estate these few days. He knew everything, but he couldn¡¯t speak his mind. It felt suffocating. Mrs. Winters, you¡¯re finally back: Where is Mr. Aiden? Why don¡¯t I see him?¡± Boris couldn¡¯t help but ask. Amanda sighed softly, ¡°Aiden will need some more time toe back. Don¡¯t worry, he will be back sooner orter. By the way, tell me what has happened during my absence. How did Rosie Momsey end up staying by Elias¡¯ side?¡± Just the bought of Rosie being with Elias at this moment made her furious. Since Yacob left, I haven¡¯t been to the hospital. Later, I heard that Mr. Winters woke up and wanted to go to the hospital to see him, but a bodyguard stopped me and wouldn¡¯t let me in. I realized that the person isn¡¯t one of our people. He was someone I had never seen before. And Rosie could freely enter and leave Mr. Winters¡¯ room, but we can¡¯t. Later, I wanted to go to the hospital to inquire about Mr. Winters¡± condition, but he was already discharged. I don¡¯t know where he went.¡± After hearing Boris¡¯ ount, Amanda¡¯s anger ignited instantly. Rosie was absolutely disgusting. She took advantage of the fact that no one could stay by Elias¡¯ side and took him away. O 133 ¡°But, you said Elias woke up: How long has he been awake? Amanda couldn¡¯t help but show her joy when she heard him saying that Elias had woken up. He replied. ¡°I only heard about it. I don¡¯t know the details because I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Winters since he woke up.¡± Amanda fell silent for a few seconds and looked at the butler. ¡°Prepare a car for me. I¡¯m going to look for him.¡± ¡°Where do you want to go, Mrs. Winters?¡± Boris asked. She replied. To the Momsey Residence.¡± Amanda drove to the Momsey Residence and rolled to a stop in front of the vi. She got out of the car and looked at the vi in front of her. She knew that Rosie wouldn¡¯t hide Elias here, but she didn¡¯t know where else to find him. So, she decided to meet Taylor first. Taylor couldn¡¯t possibly not know the whereabouts of his sister, Rosie. Inside the gym, ¡°Mr. Momsey, Miss Bailey is here. She wants to see you,¡± Stefan said to Taylor, who was sweating profusely on the treadmill and almost fell off the treadmill when he heard that. ¡°Who? Amanda? Elias Winters¡¯ woman?¡± He thought this woman had disappeared from the face of the earth, but she suddenly appeared. This is bad. Amanda¡¯s shown up. Can Rosie¡¯s little schemes work anymore? Even if Elias had amnesia now, he uld eventually regain his memory. If he saw Amanda in person, he might even regain his memory on the spot. Rosie would be abandoned again by then. ¡°Do Of you want to see her, Mr. Momsey?¡± Stefan asked. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Course. Quickly bring her in!¡± Taylor replied. ¡°Okay After St¨¦fan left. Taylor immediately picked up his phone and tried to call Rosie. But he couldn¡¯t get through even after a long time. He dialed again, and the call finally connected. ¡°Taylon, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you calling at this time? I¡¯m having dinner with Elias,¡± Rosie said. You still have the mood to cat? I¡¯m telling you something bad happened. Amanda is back! She¡¯se to find us! She¡¯s not far from finding Elias, especially now that he has gone to thepany. It¡¯s even easier to td hun! Taylor eximed. Upor hearing this, Rosie fell silent. He could imagine how panicked she must look right now. ¡°Taylor, please. I¡¯m begging you. Stall Amanda for me. You can¡¯t let her find Elias. Otherwise, all the efforts. I¡¯ve made these days will be in vain!¡± Rosie pleaded. ¡°Easier said than done How am I supposed to stall her? What can I use to stall her? Should I imprison her?¡± Even Taylor felt a sense of panic now. After all, they were deceiving someone who had lost their ||| 23 memory. If they were exposed, not only would their previous efforts be wasted, but they would also face Elias¡¯ revenge! Everyone in this circle knew how hot-tempered Elias was. If they provoked him, they would lose. everything! ¡°Taylor, don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll tell you what to do. Stall her for now, and then lure her to look for Elias in another ce. I¡¯ll take the opportunity to ask Elias to take me somewhere else. He¡¯ll definitely agree.¡± ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do that. I have to go now. Amanda¡¯sing, Taylor agreed hastily as he saw the butler leading Amanda toward him through the window. He prepared himself mentally and put on his clothes before walking out of the gym to head toward the living room while Amanda followed the butler into the living room. Stefan asked, ¡°Miss Bailey, would you like something to drink?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m here to talk to Taylor. I¡¯ll leave after we¡¯re done. It¡¯ll be quick,¡± she answered. She had no time for pleasantries when she had already figured out the intentions of this brother-sister duo. She wanted to tear them apart with her own hands. And so, the butler didn¡¯t say anything else and silently left the room. At this moment, Taylor entered the living room, still looking nonchnt. ¡°And here I was wondering wh¨° was visiting. I didn¡¯t expect you toe to me voluntarily. What brings you here?¡± Amanda sneered and sat on the sofa while lightly smoothing her skirt. She looked up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? There¡¯s no need to pretend to be innocent in front of me.¡± Chatper 440 Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Betting on Our Love Taylor sat calmly on the sofa, elegantly crossing his legs, and asked, ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Care to give me a tip?¡± ¡°This is what I hate most about you, Taylor Momsey. Pretending to be ignorant when you clearly know. Is this fun for you? You let your sister take Elias away while we were away. Do you think it¡¯ll work out?¡± But there was something that Amanda couldn¡¯t understand. Since Elias had already woken up, why would he willingly go with Rosie? Could it be that Rosie drugged Elias? Or maybe Elias¡¯ condition wasn¡¯t as good. as she imagined? ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. I haven¡¯t been in contact with my sister muchtely. Ever since I tried to persuade her to give up on Elias, she refused and didn¡¯t want to see me. It¡¯s been a long time since I last saw her. How would I know if she took Elias away?¡± Taylor decided to y dumb until the end. Every moment he could dy was a moment gained. Amanda was almost amused by his antics. She flicked her long hair and revealed her exquisite face. ¡°Taylor, let¡¯s be frank. Without your help, your sister can¡¯t do anything. She¡¯s useless!¡± The words ¡°useless¡± pierced Taylor¡¯s heart. He suddenly stood up and shouted, ¡°What the hell did you just say? Say it again! My sister¡¯s not useless! If you¡¯re so capable, how could you let my sister take advantage of this situation?¡± Seeing his intense reaction, Amanda smiled. ¡°You¡¯re admitting it?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Only then did Taylor realize that he had fallen into her trap. He sat back on the sofa and stopped the pretense. ¡°So, what?¡± Tell me where Elias is!¡± She was losing patience and just wanted to see Elias immediately. Taylor saw her lose control and carried the n he discussed with Rosie earlier. ¡°Elias¡­ is currently on a business trip out of town. Do you want to go? It¡¯s not easy to find that ce.¡± ¡°Give me the address.¡± He hesitated. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed if you go.¡± ¡°Disappointed? What do you mean?¡± Amanda had sensed that something was wrong. If Elias could go on a business trip, it meant he was clear-headed and his body had mostly recovered. Why did he leave with Rosie, that state? o Taylor kleared his throat and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand the medical terminology, but let me put it simply. Elias ha annesia and doesn¡¯t remember you.¡± Boom! Amanda felt as if she had been struck by lightning and her head buzzed. How could this be? How did such cliche thing happen to her? Sering her panicked state, heughed. ¡°How did you think my sister took him away? He willingly grabbed onto my sister as soon as he woke up and treated her as his woman. My sister exined, but he didn¡¯t listen. You know it too, my sister has always liked him so of course, sheplied¡± Amanda¡¯s mind went nk. She couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying anymore. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you. If you go and see them right now, all you¡¯ll see is Elias and my sister being affectionate. Won¡¯t it hurt your heart?¡± He deliberately provoked her. Amanda shouted angrily, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go! It¡¯s because he hasn¡¯t seen me! If he sees me, he¡¯ll remember everything! Even if he has amnesia and doesn¡¯t remember who I am, he will still love me!¡± Taylor pitied her seeing her uncontroble emotional outburst and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make a bet. If you don¡¯t say anything and he still has that chemical reaction called love when he sees you, then I¡¯ll believe that you two are truly in love. No matter how much my sister cries and screams, I¡¯ll definitely take her away and leave you two alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Amanda was betting on the love between her and Elias. ¡°But if Elias doesn¡¯t remember you at all, and doesn¡¯t have any feelings for you, then you¡¯ll have to walk away. You¡¯ll have to admit that the reason you were able to return to this man isn¡¯t because he likes you, but because you gave him a child. He wanted you because he wants a child and that is all.¡± Taylor¡¯s words pierced Amanda¡¯s heart. It was a dangerous gamble.. If she couldn¡¯t make Elias fall in love with her again in his amnesiac state, she would bepletely out of his life. Seeing her hesitation, Elias drawled out his words. ¡°Are you scared? I¡¯m surprised that you are capable of fear, Now that Elias doesn¡¯t remember who you are, it¡¯s impossible for him to fall in love with you. Don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s never looked straight at you before you divorced him. Admit it. He doesn¡¯t really like you. he just wants to keep the child by his side. That¡¯s why he epted you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shut up! It¡¯s not like that!¡± Amanda had never been confident about remarrying Elias for this reason. She was afraid that he wanted to remarry just to keep Aiden, so she reluctantly epted him. She was ufortable to be faced with Taylor¡¯s provocation. But a voice popped into her mind. ¡®Don¡¯t believe him. Elias loves you. That¡¯s why he wanted to remarry¡¯ ¡°Sure We¡¯ll see.¡± Arianda wiped away her tears and just red at Taylor silently. It waste at night, but Rosie couldn¡¯t sleep as she was waiting for Taylor¡¯s call to report the situation. Suddenly, her phone rang, and she immediately ran over to check. It was indeed Taylor calling. With an expectant expression, she answered the phone, Taylor, how was it? I¡¯ve already made. arrangements here. Elias has agreed to take me to the Chudrif tomorrow-¡± However, Taylor cut her off before she could finish her sentence, ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll bring Amanda to find you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Taylor, did you misunderstand something? I asked you to help me stall her, not to bring her along to find Elias Rosie was furious. Since when did Taylor be so stupid that he can¡¯t understand such a simple thing? I know, Rosie. But hiding like this is not a solution. How long do you n to hide? Elias will eventually regain his memory! When he remembers everything, everything you¡¯ve done will be in vain.¡± Rosie¡¯s face turned ugly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ve found the best psychologist. The psychologist will brainwash him.¡± ¡°Rosie, we should use this opportunity to make Amanda give up on him while he still has amnesia Only then, can this man forever belong to you, you fool.¡± Chatper 441 Chapter 441 Chapter 441 The Encounter Between Amanda and Elias Rosie was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean. Taylor!¡± ¡°I made a bet with Amanda. If she can make Elias fall in love with her without saying anything, even though he has lost all his memory, then I¡¯ll genuinely believe they¡¯re in love and support their rtionship ¡°What?¡± How could you make such a promise without discussing it with me?¡± Rosie was infuriated. On the other end of the phone, Taylor said. ¡°You¡¯re such a fool. I¡¯m giving you a chance here. Now, Elias has amnesia, and he doesn¡¯t remember anything. How could he possibly fall in love with Amanda? Even if he does fall in love with someone, he should fall in love with you, who has been by his side all along¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Rosie wasn¡¯t confident of that. After all, Elias had never liked her. What if stole his attention the moment she appeared! ¡°No need to worry. Elias is currently suffering from amnesia. It¡¯s like a fresh start. I¡¯m a man, and I understand men the best. Elias values trust the most. Inthis current state, he won¡¯t develop feelings for a stranger. Even if he doesn¡¯t love you, he won¡¯t hurt you Taylor had thoroughly investigated the situation and found out that the woman, Grace, could enjoy herself by Elias¡¯ side for many years due to his guilt toward her. ¡°But, Taylor, is this going to work? I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m afraid of what might happen when they see each other.¡± ¡°If it turns out that way, then let go. What¡¯s the point of holding on to a man who doesn¡¯t belong to you? You¡¯re being fearful all the time. What will you do when he regains his memory?¡± or had grown tired of his sister¡¯s approach to love, but he couldn¡¯t change her. This was an excellent opportunity to bring closure fually. Either let Elias be with Amanda, or perhaps it would be his sister who ended up with Elias. ¡°Ok Rote hung up the phone and let out a wry smile. Step aside and give Elias back to Amanda? No way! In the evenin Amanda resumed to the Winters Estate and sat alone in a wicker chair in the garden, lost in thought. No one knew what was on her mind. Upon hearing of her return, Boris hurried over, cager to inquire about any news. Mrs. Winters, how did it go?¡± ¡°Taylor told me he would take me to meet him tomorrow,¡± Amanda said. Boris was concerned. ¡°Shall I arrange for a few bodyguards to apany you tomorrow? I don¡¯t trust the mriseys.¡± ¡°Ehas is experiencing amnesia What should I do Amanda suddenly blurted out The butler was taken aback, appearing surprised. ¡°Amnesia? How could this have happened? ¡°You¡¯re also wondering how it happened, right? I¡¯m questioning it too¡± After saying this, Amanda fell into an endless silence. It had been a long time since she had seen Elias. Tomorrow, she would finally see him Yet, she suddenly felt a bit afraid. She had hoped and waited by his bedside for him to wake up, and now that he was awake, she was afraid to see him in this state. They had gone through so much together and finally came together. How could this¡­. The next day. Taylor and Amanda took the high-speed train to Chudrif. It wasn¡¯t too far, so they reached there after half an hour. Amanda had been in a state of nervousness the entire time. She was scared that when she saw Elias, she might burst into tears involuntarily. She didn¡¯t even know if he would remember who she was. After they left the train station, Taylor received a phone call, and his expression changed drastically. He shouted angrily into the phone, ¡°Are you f*cking crazy? He hung up the call furiously. Amanda furrowed her brows, looking at Taylor¡¯s inexplicable anger. Taylor nced at her and said? ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital The hospital? What happened to Elias? Is he experiencing lingering effects from the car ident?¡± Amanda¡¯s first thought was that something had happened to Elias, perhaps a residual effect from the car ident. Taylor, however, replied impatiently, ¡°It¡¯s not about Elias. It¡¯s my sister. She got into a car ident and suffered minor injuries.¡± Amandy breathed a sigh of relief, but why was it so coincidental? Amanda followed Taylor to the Blossomvale Hospital in Eplines. From the moment they entered the hospital, her heart started racing. She could feel that she was getting closer and closer to Elias. She hadn¡¯t even thought about what to say when she saw Elias. She was lost in thought until she stood outside the hospital room. She returned to her senses and looked ¡°at the door in front of her. She was so nervous that her palms were sweating. This was even more nerve- wracking than the first time she had met Elias, Taylor noticed her nervousness and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Amanda fixed her gaze ahead, not bothering to look at the man besute her She swallowed nervously and steeled herself to push open the door to the hospital room. However, inside, there was no sign of Elias, only Rosie lying on the bed. Disappointed, Amanda walked into the ward without even ncing at Rosie. She asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Elias? You two better not be ying tricks on me.¡± ¡°Amanda, why would you say that? Eli was just here. He went to help me with the payment procedures. He should be here soon,¡± Rosie said. Taylor, on the other hand, had a stern expression. ¡°How did you get into a car ident? How can you be to careless ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Taylor. I¡¯ll be more careful next time. I just wanted to protect Eli. He¡¯s just recovered from a serious illness. His body can¡¯t withstand any more harm Amanda finally understood. Rosie hade to y the role of a beautiful savior. That was why she was admitted to the hospital. Taylor also understood. His sister was cunning. He had just said that Elias valued trust, and now she did this to strike a chord in Elias¡¯ heart. ¡°Rosie, you¡¯re truly something. To attract a mag attention, you can even get into a car ident deliberately. Why didn¡¯t you just get yourself killed?¡± Amanda insulted her roughly, while Ro?ie appeared to be pitiful, on the verge of tears. Amanda was surprised. When did Rosie, the crazy woman be like this? Suddenly, a sinister and terrifying voice came from behind, ¡°What benefit do you gain from her being ¡°Hed?¡± This voice¡­ Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Amanda¡¯s whole body stiffened, afraid to turn around and look. It¡¯s him, it¡¯s him¡­ It¡¯s high she has not met for such a long time. When has entered the room, not only did Amanda stiffen, but Rosie did as well. She was afraid that Elias would instantly remember everything when he saw Amanda. El, you¡¯re trick. Fl¨¢s regnded with a simple ¡°yes¡± and walked directly toward Amanda. He spoke in a deep voice. ¡°Who are you? You speak so maliciously. Are you deliberately causing trouble? very step Elias took as he approached her felt like a stab in Amanda¡¯s heart, causing it to bleed. Every Armanda slowly raised her head to meet his pitch-ck eyes, her own Chatper 442 Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Elias, Look at Me Elias was at a loss when he met Amanda¡¯s teary eyes. He hadn¡¯t said anything hurtful, so why was she crying? The two of them locked eyes, neither of them speaking first. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them standing there. The Momseys werepletely ignored as if they were air. Seeing the gaze they exchanged, Rosie was consumed with jealousy. She intentionally tugged on Elias¡± sleeve and said. ¡°Eli, don¡¯t be like this. Amanda was just joking with me. We¡¯re all friends. There¡¯s no harm intended.¡± Her words finally broke the atmosphere enveloping them. Elias immediately withdrew his gaze and looked at Rosie on the hospital bed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rosie smiled and shook her head. She was happy that she had regained his attention. Upon seeing Rosie¡¯s current state, Elias frowned unhappily. ¡°In the future, you don¡¯t have to protect me when something like this happens. I¡¯m a grown man. I don¡¯t need you to save me.¡± ¡°I know. I was just worried about you. After all, you just got out of the hospital.¡± Elias fell silent. He didn¡¯t think there was any danger on the road just now, but Rosie rushed before him and pushed him aside. Then, she got hit by a car. Fortunately, she was fine, with just a few scratches. Meanwhile, Amanda, looking at Elias concerned expression, was unable to breathe from the heartache. Alis gaze on her just now showed that he was so unfamiliar to her, yet there was a hint of tenderness when StarTooked at Rosie. Aminda instinctively reached out and grabbed Elias arm, her voice trembling. ¡°Elias, look at me. Look at¡± me! Don¡¯t you recognize me anymore?¡± Ehay furrowed his brows and carefully examined the woman in front of him. He had no memories of her in his mind, but he felt that she was very beautiful. Pho.is ther Observing his emotionless gaze, Amanda couldn¡¯t contain her emotions any longer. Tears welled up in her eyes as she grasped the man¡¯s clothes fervently, pleading. Take a good look at me! How can you forget who I am? Elias!¡± Rosie, who was on the bed, witnessed this, and her heart raced. She exchanged a meaningful nce with her brother, Taylor, silently urging him to separate Amanda from Elias. Taylor approached Amanda from behind, coughed softly, and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t forget our agreement.¡± Of course, I remember! However, Elias seems to havepletely erased my existence from his memory, gazing at me like a total stranger. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me who you are, how am I supposed to recognize you?¡± Elias replied. There was no recollection of this woman in his mind, but he was troubled by an unexined headache. r Amanda, on the other hand, found herself unable to utter a single word. Her tears flowed uncontrobly as she stared into the man¡¯s unfamiliar eyes. Suddenly, Elias head throbbed painfully, and he felt unsteady on his feet. He instinctively held his forehead. Rosie panicked and eximed, ¡°Eli, are you okay?¡± The next moment, Amanda reached out to support him, but Elias instinctively pulled his arm away. saying. ¡°It¡¯s alright, thank you.¡± Amanda looked at her rejected hand and couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh. This man had truly forgotten her,pletely erasing her from his memory, yet he remembered the woman he despised the most, Rosie. What a big joke. ¡°Elias! How can you forget me? How can you just¡­ Amanda¡¯s emotional statepletely copsed, and she angrily shouted at him. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside for a moment.¡± Taylor stepped forward to pull her away. Bet Amanda¡¯s eyes were fixed on the man as if he wanted to see through him. Elias, despite Amanda¡¯s emotional outburst, remained unresponsive. Taylor decided to forcefully escort her out of the ward. After the door closed, the room was left with only Elias and Rosie. ¡°Eli, are you okay?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! mine. Who was that woman just now? She cursed you to death, and you don¡¯t care?¡± Fosiy put on a gentle and innocent smile again. ¡°Amanda was in a bad mood today. She¡¯s not usually like this. Please don¡¯t be upset. Ehas scoffed. You¡¯re quite carefree. She cursed you, and you¡¯re still speaking up for her.¡± Rosiedjspliyed an innocent smile and patted her own head, In the corridor. Facing Ananda, who was struggling to control her emotions, Taylor said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that the bet would only count if he recognizes you without you saying anything?¡± Amanda burst into tears, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down. She still didn¡¯t want to believe that Elias had forgotten about her, treating her like a total stranger without any hesitation. When a beautiful woman cried, it always evoked sympathy in others, especially with Arnanda¡¯s tearful and pitiable appearance. Taylor squatted down, wanting to console her. However, he realized that Amanda¡¯s current suffering was all due to his sister. ||| ¡°If you give up now. I¡¯ll consider¡­¡± Taylor hadn¡¯t finished his sentence, and Amanda suddenly raised her head. ¡°Why should I give up I haven¡¯t said anything yet. I still have a chance. Besides, it¡¯s said that he has amnesia, so it¡¯s normal for him to forget me.¡± She wanted to show these shameless siblings that even if Elias had amnesia, he could still fall in love with her again. Their remarriage was not just because of their child. ¡°Why are you so stubborn? He¡¯s already like that, so how can he still like you? He treats you as a total stranger now. Why won¡¯t you believe a man¡¯s true nature?¡± Taylor was starting to lose patience. This woman was too stubborn. Amanda sneered, ¡°True nature? What true nature? He has amnesia now, and he haspletely forgotten about hating your sister.¡± In the evening. Elias wanted to take Rosie out to eat, and Amanda insisted on joining, saying. ¡°I want to go too.¡± ¡°Amanda, you¡­ Elias looked at Amanda. Although he didn¡¯t dislike her approaching him, he still refused, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I would take you with me.¡± Dealing with one woman was already troublesome enough, so Elias didn¡¯t want to deal with another one who had suddenly appeared. aid I want to go with you. Aren¡¯t you curious about who I am?¡± Amanda met the man¡¯s dark eyes. Rosie felt uneasy for some reason. Every time Amanda appeared, she couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. anda. El¨ªas is taking me out for some sushi. You probably don¡¯t like them.¡± ¡°Who said that? I love it. Besides, I¡¯m hungry too. Let¡¯s go.¡± Amanda got into the car, fastened her seatbelt, and looked at Rosie in the front seat. ¡°Just take me out for a meal It should be fine, right?¡± This time, Rosie had nothing to say. She looked at Elias beside her, hoping he would ask Amanda to get out of the car. But Elial seemed indifferent. He started the car and slowly merged onto the road. Chatper 443 Chapter 443 Chapter 443 I¡¯m Your Wife Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Soon, they arrived at the restaurant Actually. Arnanda didn¡¯t really like sushi. She simply wanted to spend more time with Elias. She had gone to great lengths to escape from Symeon-that perverted man-only to meet Elias. Yet. Elias seemed to have forgotten entirely about her. After entering the private lounge, Amanda saw Rosie sitting obediently next to Elias. That used to be Amanda¡¯s ce. Rosie was sitting there on purpose. At this moment, he got up and went to the restroom, leaving only the two women in the private lounge Amanda walked up to Rosie and said. ¡°You sit across from me. I want to sit here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Rosie asked innocently. Her eyes made Amanda feel sick. Everyone knew how malicious Rosie was, yet she was pretending to be innocent. ¡°Do you want me to expose the truth right now? I¡¯m willing to y along with you and your brother, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to do it this way, Amanda said. If worsees to worst, she would just spill the truth to Elias and let him deal with it himself. Rosie reluctantly got up and sat across from Amanda. After a while, Elias returned, only to see Amanda sitting next to his seat. He narrowed his eyes slightly. hesitated for a moment before walking over to sit next to Rosie. was happy. She used to be afraid that he would reject her. Now, Elias had be closer to her. Amanda watched and clenched her fists under the table. Hedooked at Amanda¡¯s face and said straightforwardly, ¡°You¡¯re a woman yourself. Can¡¯t you respect each other Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh, feeling a bit deste. She said. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what kind of rtionship we have?¡± o ¡°Tell me has said calmly, seeming uninterested. Rose panked and looked at Elias with a frightened expression. ¡°Eli, L.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Elias asked. My wound suddenly hurts. I just recalled that I can¡¯t eat sushi. Maybe we should go to another restaurant.¡± Even she herself found that excuse ridiculous. Amandaughed, knowing exactly what Rosie was afraid of. Although he acted as if he didn¡¯t care about Amanda. Rosie nonced a bit of anticipation in his eyes Amanda said, ¡°If you want to change, go ahead. I¡¯ll stay Rose looked at him with anticipation. To her surprise, he said, ¡°They don¡¯t only serve sushi You can eat something else.¡± Now that he was going to stay, the speechless Rosie had a hunch that he still had feelings for Amanda After finishing the meal, Amanda didn¡¯t say a word to them anymore. Elias also remained silent. Throughout the whole time, Rosie was the only person talking. He would asionally respond with sinct remarks. After arriving at the hotel, the three of them had rooms on the same floor. The elevator chimed when its door slowly opened. Rosie arrived at her room first. She inwardly cursed the receptionist for giving her the nearest room from the elevator. ¡°Eli, I¡¯ll head in first,¡± she said. ¡°Okay, go ahead, Elias said before he walked toward the end of the corridor. His room was further ahead. Amanda didn¡¯t even spare a nce at Rosie and walked straight ahead. Rosie stood by the door, watching them leave. haswas tall, and Amenda was slender. They were a perfect match, which made Rosie jealous to the point of madness. When the duo made a turn at the corner at the same time, Rosie¡¯s chest tightened. Amadda walked ahead, with Elias following closely behind her. Are our s right next to each other? When she finally stopped, the footsteps behind her also stopped. She turned around to see him standing in ce, waiting to see her enter her room. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you want toe into my room?¡± Amanda asked. Elias chickled softly. ¡°I want to know what kind of rtionship we have.¡± He wanted to know what made this woman burst into tears as soon as she met him today. Amanda¡¯s smile gradually faded. She turned around and approached him while looking into his dark eyes. ¡°Before answering that question, you have to answer mine first. He was silent, waiting for her question. ¡°Have you fallen in love with Rosie after losing your memory?¡± Her voice was choking. She stared right into his eyes. If he said yes, whatever she was going to say would be meaningless. Amanda was afraid at this moment. She was really afraid that Elias would fall in love with another woman after losing his memory. Even if she told him the truth and he came back to her, it would only be for the sake of their child. ¡°Does this have anything to do with the rtionship between you and me? Is it important?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s importar. You have to answer me. She stared at his face. He didn¡¯t know how to answer that question. Rosie imed herself to be my girlfriend. If I say that I didn¡¯t love her, won¡¯t that make me a sc*mbag? The truth was, he didn¡¯t feel anything for Rosie, let alone the memories they had in the past, ¡°I refuse to answer, Elias said. He lost his memories, hence the vignce. Many people would take advantage of his amnesia to confise him. Amanda smiled. ¡°If I say that I¡¯m your wife, will you believe me?¡± His dark eyes flickered with surprise, but his expression quickly regained its indifference. Before he recovered his memories, there would probably be more womening to im to be his wife. What evidence do you have?¡± She smiled faintly. ¡°You can investigate it. I have nothing to be afraid of. We also have a son Elias deep eyes were instantly stirred up like a raging wave. He spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Are you saying we¡¯re married:¡± She bddell. I don¡¯t know how Rosie described your rtionship, but you better stay away from her. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless to you when you recover your memories. You¡¯re very confident. ¡°Of course, haven¡¯t done anything wrong, so I have nothing to fret. Unlike Rosie, who only knows how to y innocent. I only speak with facts¡± Amanda mentioned Rosie with disdain. Chatper 444 Chapter 444 Chapter 444 If You Miss Me at Night Amanda opened the door, ready to enter her room. She stopped and turned back to look at Elias behind her. ¡°This is my room. If you miss me ai night, you cane find me¡± Then, she entered the room and closed the door He sneered as he found it ridiculous. Why teowld I mix What is there to most He then entered his room, which was abutting to hers. It was a coincidence that their rooms were next to each other. The moment Amanda entered the room, she shed her disguise. Leaning against the door, she slowly slid down and cried. The way he looked at her with those unfamiliar eyes pained her, causing her tears to flow incontrobly. Why did it turn out like this? When will he be able to recover his memory? Suddenly, her phone rang. Amanda picked up her phone and nced at it. It was Aiden calling front - Esmos. She quickly wiped away her tears and calmed herself before answering the call. ¡°Sweetie, what¡¯swrong? Did you miss me?¡± ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to eat that. Mr. Lawrence is forcing me to eat it. I hate it.¡± sat on the carpet and smiled. ¡°You need the nutrients, sweetheart. How else will you grow But don¡¯t want to eat fried eggs. I want to eat pasta. The egg-fried rice you made when we were at Dad house was delicious¡± She sighed softly. ¡°Could you pass the phone to Symeon? I need to talk to him.¡± ¡°Okay, Mojimy. I¡¯ll pass the phone to him.¡± This little guy is really smart. She heard the sound of Aiden running to Symeon. Aiden sid Symeon, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, Mommy wants to talk to you.¡± This little guy is really clever, Symeon thought. medutely after, Amanda heard Symeon¡¯s voice from the phone. ¡°Is he calling toin to you? Not ally; it¡¯s just that Aiden doesn¡¯t like the food. You shouldn¡¯t force him to eat it.¡± Symeon coldlyughed. ¡°You¡¯ve already abandoned hum, so why do you care about what he cats? I am his guardian, and I am responsible for his diet and daily life. This is all part of the nutritionist¡¯s meal n.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®abandoned him? Are you willing to let me take him? Besides, your father and 13 hancee don¡¯t ept me at all Amanda¡¯s anger surged up Why are men so annoying? Symeon spected, and his tone was full of sarcasm. If you really love Aiden, you should beg me to keep you by my side and not turn away to leave.¡± Your Amanda had many harsh words she wanted to say, but she held them back. After all. Aiden was still in Symeon¡¯s hands Before this, she was afraid that Symeon would think that Aiden was his own child Now, she was afrant that he would torture Aiden after realizing that Aiden was not his child. Thus, before she and Elias could rescue Aiden, she hoped that Symeon wouldn¡¯t discover this secret and would treat Allen well. ¡°Let¡¯s stop this argument. It¡¯s pointless. Anyway, if you have even a tiny bit of guilt toward Aiden, treat him better. He¡¯s just a bit picky about food. Why are you so harsh on him? Or is your family too poor to buy food? If you can¡¯t afford it, send him back to me.¡± ¡°You have wild imaginations. Why would I return my son to you? Dream on.¡± He hung up the phone sctly, not giving Amanda a chance to retort. She couldn¡¯t understand why Symeon was so angry. Didn¡¯t he want Aiden? Now that Aiden is with him, why is he so angry! What right does he have to be angry? left everything under his control? Her phone rang again. She quickly picked it up, thinking it was Aiden calling back. To her dismay, it wasn¡¯t. It was Yacob calling. He was probably getting bored at the hospital. answered the call, ¡°Yacob¡± ¡°Jacob ¡°How is it? Have you seen Mr. Winters? How is he now? **I saw him. He wake up, but he hasn¡¯t fully recovered¡± ¡°Really Thark great! Tell him what happened to Aiden and ask him to save the young boy.¡± He sounded exted as if he had found hope. Amanda let out a helplessugh. ¡°But he lost his memories. He doesn¡¯t remember anything, not even me.¡± He exploded in anger. What the hell? He lost his memories? How could this be? He doesn¡¯t remember anyone; Not even you? Has he forgotten about me too? ¡°What do you think? If he doesn¡¯t remember me and Aiden, will he remember you? Whenever he looks at me, it¡¯s ake he¡¯s looking at a stranger ¡°What should we do? He needs to recover his memory quickly. What should we do about Aiden?¡± Im thinking of a way. Just focus on your recovery until your injuries are almost healed before returning to the country.¡± Even if they let them return to the country now, they probably couldn¡¯t take a ne. They would have to erature a flight of more than ten hours with their injuries, which would be unbearable. ||| ¨C 23 Treally want to fly back to the country now and tell Mr. Winters everything She stopped him ¡°But you can¡¯t. Your leg is still broken, and it will take at least a hundred days to recover from the injuries. Just take care of yourself¡± ¡°But what about Aiden¡¯ I¡¯m worried!¡± Amanda knew Yacob was worried. She was equally in distress. However, what could they do about it? She couldn¡¯t fight against Symeon at all. Likewise, Yacobs had given it a shot and ended up miserably. ¡°At least for now, Symeon thinks Aiden is his son, so he won¡¯t do anything to Aiden. He might even spoil him, but we live to save Aiden before Symeon discovers the truth.¡± ¡°We gotta think of a way to help Mr. Winters recover his memory.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m thinking of a way. I asked the doctor. He said that Elias is not in a state for any stimtion. right now. It could cause emotional instability. There are blood clots in his brain, which is dangerous¡± Yacob fell silent for a long time, seeming to be trapped in a dead end with no way out. Meanwhile, Eliasy on the bed after taking a shower. As soon as he closed his eyes, Amanda appeared in his mind for some reason. He opened his eyes, not knowing why he was thinking of that woman. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The words Amanda said before entering her room echoed in his ears. This is my room. If you miss me at night, you cane find me.¡± Now, he was was thinking about her. Chatper 445 Chapter 445 Chapter 445 You Want To See Me? Elias had trouble sleeping once he remembered Amanda¡¯s face. Her tearful face kept appearing in his mind. It was beautiful and lovely at the same time. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of rtionship he had with her and the reason why he couldn¡¯t remember anything about her. He tried hard to search for memories of Amanda in his mind, but his head started to ache. The slight pain turned into a sharp, stabbing pain. When he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, he took a painkiller and finally felt some relief. Every time he tried to retrieve his lost memories, his head would ache terribly, so he couldn¡¯t continue his attempt.. The next day, Rosie arrived at Elias¡¯ door early in the morning and rang the doorbell. However, nobody answered the door even after she waited for a long time. What¡¯s going on? Could he have gone out without me? But that¡¯s impossible! He only came here to apany me. Hell never leave this ce alone. Suddenly, somebody opened the door. Elias walked out of the room. A smile immediately appeared on Rosie¡¯s face. ¡°Eli, I thought you weren¡¯t inside your room. What takes you so long to answer the door?¡± ¡°Oh, I was changing.¡± see. So, where are we going today? It¡¯s been a while since I got to rx.¡± C Before Elias could speak, someone in the next roona opened the door. He couldn¡¯t help but look over. After he finally fell asleepst night, he began to dream about the owner of the next room in his sleep. Ananda walked out of her room. She was wearing a ck spaghetti-strap dress, which easily showed off her curves. Her long and curly hair hung loose behind her shoulders. She looks like she¡¯s going to a nightclub instead of going for a walk. Elias frowned unhappily at the idea, although he didn¡¯t know where the emotion came from. The mere sight of Amanda walking out of the room next door already made Rosie furious. Amanda¡¯s outfit only enraged Rosie even more. She¡¯s shameless! Feeling the pair¡¯s gaze on her, Amanda casually began, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m not nning to go with you today. I have some personal matters to attend to. You guys have fun without me.¡± Alter she hooked a slender finger around the chain of her bag as she walked toward the elevator. Elias sneered and mocked, ¡°And you need to dress like that for personal matters?¡± Amanda stopped in her tracks as a smile formed on her lips. He finally took the bait. As long as he still cares about me, there¡¯s a chance for him to remember everything. She spun around and met his eyes. ¡°Who do you think you are? You have no right to interfere with my lite. Since you don¡¯t remember things, you have no control over me. Of course, I won¡¯t miss the opportunity to mess around.¡± Then, she walked toward the elevator without looking back. The elevator doors happened to open at the time The passenger walked out, and she walked inside. Elias and Rosie remained in the corridor as they watched her receding figure. Rosie clenched her skirt tightly with both hands because she saw anger burning in Elias¡¯ eyes. Even though she had no idea what it was about, she had a feeling that Elias might regain his memory if he came across Amanda again ¡°Eli, are you okay?¡± ¡°What is my rtionship with her? She¡¯s pushing my buttons. Do you really not know her?¡± Withdrawing his gaze, Elias turned to Rosie. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know her that well¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? But you know her name, don¡¯t you?¡± Rosie seems quite familiar with Amanda before, but why is she denying it now? Rosie was at a loss for words. There¡¯s no right answer to his question. What exactly should I say about Amanda? ¡°She¡¯s the legal consultant of yourpany, That¡¯s all I know.¡± Elias fell silent at her simple answer. For the rest of the day, Elias apanied Rosie to various ces. However, he seemed absent- minded the sole time, as though he was deep in thought. In the evening. Rosi? suggested they have dinner together, but he refused. He excused himself by telling her that he wanted to rest. Therefore, he went straight back to the hotel. Roste ate alone inthe hotel¡¯s restaurant, extremely upset by his refusal. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s with the long face? Who made you angry? Taylor arrived at the hotel. He had a meeting with a client at noon and only returned to the hotel in the evening to his sister with a sour face. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what happened. Rosje had a displeased frown on her face. She immediately scolded her brother when she looked up at ham. ¡°It¡¯ aft your fault! I asked you to keep her upied and not let them meet each other, yet you insisted bn bringing her along. And your ridiculous theory is useless. I found that even though s can¡¯t remember her, he¡¯s clearly interested in her.¡± ¡°Really seems like I underestimated her. Even when he can¡¯t remember anything, she still piques his The fact that Amanda charmed Elias amazed Taylor. F at times like this, she can still pique his interest Could it be that Elias and Amanda are truly in love? Their marriage wasn¡¯t because of their child¡¯s sake but because of manual attraction, after all? That¡¯s impossible. Elias drurced Amanda for another woman four years ago! Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. 23 Finding her busscher boss in thought. None could help us demant Tell me? What should we do now? Txis my faul Even if I can distract her temporarily can¡¯t keep her here forever Sooner orter they meet each other not like they live on differs ners¡± Rove felt more upset aller getting scolded by her brother Now that Elias and Amanda had crossed paths with each other, they were getting closer day by day However, Rosie couldn¡¯t do anything to do then. Z wow jest chore white xx Tim not giving up Fate has given me the chance I must seise it¡¯ You¡¯re being paranoid Besides. Elias has yet to wementber everything. If you want him to forget about Amandaetely, you have to make him tall in love with you. Even if he regains his memoryter, he wont leave you because he haspletely fallen in love with you Rosie slowly raised her head. ¡°But the problem here is to make him fall in love with me,¡± Taylor didn¡¯t have a solution to that. The siblings fell into silence; neither of them spoke After returning to the hotel, Elias pondered for a moment outside his room. Instead of opening the door with his key card, he made a beeline for Amanda¡¯s room. He hesitated for a long time at the door without ringing the doorbell. However, he didn¡¯t feel like going back to his room either. The thought of Amanda going out in a dress like that made him angry. all he needed to ing the doorbell. It rang, but there was no answer in the room. Is she not back yet? Or is she usleepy Just as he turned ground to leave, the door opened unexpectedly. Amanda, still in the dress he saw this morning, look him with a puzzled expression. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Before he could answer, she smiled. ¡°Are you perhaps wanting to see me? Chatper 446 Chapter 446 A shadow fell on Elias¡¯ face. ¡°Why are you still wearing that dress? Do you like it that much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I¡¯ll wear whatever I want, Amanda said dismissively as she turned around and om He followed her into the room. The door slowly closed behind them. He used, ¡°You¡¯re the legal consultant of Winters Enterprise. Dressing like that will embarrass us.¡± The statement took her aback for a second. So, that was what Rosie told him. How shameless of her! ¡°Am I just a legal consultant to you?¡± Elias furrowed his brows at her words, remembering that she imed to be his wife. If she¡¯s my wife, what about Rosie? ¡°I warn you, don¡¯t lie to my face. Tell me already, what is your rtionship with me?¡± Amanda sincered at his demanding attitude. ¡°You don¡¯t believe what I say, but you believe Rosie¡¯s words. What¡¯s so different between us?¡± She had a lot of pent-up anger. She was determined to find the marriage certificate when she returned to the Winters Estate, so she could show it to him to shut him up. However, the marriage certificate was nowhere to be found, as though it had disappeared into thin air. Besides Rosie, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who would have taken it. Elias continued in a deep voice, ¡°You imed to be my wife, but the first person I saw when I woke up after the ident was Rosie instead of you! Where were you?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t bring herself to answer him. I can¡¯t tell him what happened to Aiden, can I? What if it worsens his condition? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Do you have nothing to say?¡± Elias turned around sharply and walked out of the room. He thought he was angry, but he didn¡¯t even know why. As soon as he was in the corridor, he bumped into Rosie, who waited outside his room. She had brought him dinner. Before she could knock on the door, she saw hime out of Amanda¡¯s room. She became furious instantly.. ¡°Eli, what were you doing in her room? You told me you want to rest in your room! Why did you lie to me? Were you in her room the whole time?¡± Rosie was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. She was angry, afraid, and a little unsettled. She was afraid that Amanda¡¯s presence would trigger Elias¡¯ lost memories. But Elias just nced at her indifferently and said, ¡°Mind your own business. Can¡¯t I have a chat with my legal consultant?¡± Rosie didn¡¯t dare to yell at Elias. Frustrated, she went to Amanda¡¯s room and rang the doorbell. Amanda opened the door to find Rosie outside her room. She immediately tried to close the door. However, Rosie forcefully pushed the door open and walked into the room. ¡°How dare a woman like you show up here? You weren¡¯t there for him after the ident. Now that I¡¯ve taken care of him until he woke up, you had toe back and take him from me. Howe there¡¯s such a shameless woman like you?¡± ¡°Are you done talking? If you¡¯re done, then get out.¡± Amanda had no time for Rosie. Her attitude provoked Rosie. Grabbing Amanda¡¯s arm, Rosie snarled, ¡°Then, tell me, why weren¡¯t you by Eli¡¯s side when he was in the hospital? You must know he was seriously injured! Where did you go?¡± ¡°Why would I tell you? You have no right to use me. Moreover, why did you steal our marriage certificate? Can you rece me and be his wife just like that?¡± Rosie felt a little guilty, but she put up a tough front. ¡°I didn¡¯t take it. Just because you can¡¯t find it doesn¡¯t mean I stole it. You¡¯re delusional.¡± At that, she turned around to leave. This time, Amanda grabbed her arm. ¡°Rosie, Elias will never be yours. Even though he loses his memories, you will never turn his head. If you don¡¯t believe me, try it.¡± Rosie¡¯s heart trembled, feeling extremely anxious. She pulled her arm out of Amanda¡¯s grasp and left the room in haste as if a wild beast was chasing after her. The door closed with a thud. Rosie quickly walked toward her room. She used the key card to enter the room. It was only then that her racing heart gradually calmed down. If I allow this, Elias will eventually remember everything. No, this isn¡¯t going to happen! I finally got an opportunity to be close to Elias. I won¡¯t let it slip away. So, she grabbed her bag and took out the paternity test results, which she stole from Winters Estate. It stated that Elias wasn¡¯t the biological father of the child. When she first read the results, she was shocked. Elias isn¡¯t the child¡¯s father, yet Amanda dares to let him raise the child for her! Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She even suspected that the car ident had to do with the paternity test results while Amanda was absent during that time, probably because Elias kicked her out. But now she shows up again. It contradicted Rosie¡¯s theory. If the boy isn¡¯t Elias child, why is Amanda so eager to get Eli¡¯s memories back? After all, no good wille to her if he remembers everything. No, I can¡¯t sit here watching things unfold. I must do something Clenching the results in her hand, Rosie decided to talk to Elias. Elias returned to his room. He couldn¡¯t get Amanda¡¯s face out of his mind, nor could he forget the ck dress that frustrated him Is she only thepany¡¯s legal consultant? Then what¡¯s the truth behind her im of being my wife? Among the two, ||| The sudden ringing of the doorbell interrupted his thoughts. He opened the door impatiently, only to see Rosie standing outside. He furrowed his brows at the sight of her. ¡°Can we talk tomorrow?¡± He wanted to close the door, but Rosie stopped him. ¡°Eli, I have something important to tell you. It¡¯s about Amanda.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sure enough. He can¡¯t resist learning more about Amanda. Rosie was green with envy at the idea. It also strengthened her determination to do what she was about to do, even though she was worried that her announcement would worsen Elias¡¯ condition earlier. Here goes nothing. ¡°Can we talk inside?¡± Elias stepped aside, allowing her to walk into the room. After closing the door, he turned to her. ¡°What is it? Tell me. He was indeed interested in Amanda now. He was eager to know what their rtionship was before he lost. his memory. Rosie put on her best innocent look again. Her doe eyes were fixed on his face as she began, ¡°Eli, I lied when you asked me about Amanda¡¯s rtionship with you today.¡± Chatper 447 Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Elias Fainted Again A flicker of astonishment appeared in his dark eyes, and he couldn¡¯t wait to find out the answer. ¡°So, what exactly is her rtionship with me? Speak up! ¡°Eli, believe me, I¡¯m doing all this for your good. I truly don¡¯t want you to be hurt. I¡¯m afraid the truth might overwhelm you. 1- ¡°Enough with the excuses! Spit it out! What¡¯s the real story?¡± Elias sensed he was edging closer to the truth, his curiosity driving him to uncover the connection between him and Amanda. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure where to begin exactly. The rtionship between you two isplicated. It¡¯s too complicated for me to exin in a few words¡± ¡°Well, then take your time and start from the beginning. I¡¯ve got time now, so spill it!¡± Elias was getting impatient with Rosie¡¯s tearful demeanor, but he had to suppress his anger because he wanted to uncover the truth. Rosie noticed his impatience and intentionally stretched the suspense. She took a paternity test from her bag and handed it to him. ¡°Eli, have a look at this first. After you¡¯ve read it, try not to get too worked up. Let me exin everything slowly¡­¡± With a puzzled expression, Elias took the paternity test and quickly flipped to thest page. As his eyes fell upon his name, his dark pupils abruptly contracted. When he reached the test result, his handsome face was filled with shock.. ¡°What is this? What does this mean? Whose child is this? Mine? Then, why doesn¡¯t the paternity match?¡± A throbbing sensation crept into his head, but he gritted his teeth and determined to suppress it. He wanted Rosie toy out the events that transpired before his memory loss. ¡°Eli, this is a bit of a long story. It has to start from your rtionship with Amanda¡­¡± ¡°Just get to the point already!¡± he eximed in frustration. Rosie trembled slightly. Despite her awareness of how terrifying his anger could be, she was taken aback by his outburst. Summoning a deep breath, she said, ¡°Here¡¯s what happened. Yourte grandfather coerced you into a marriage with a woman, but you didn¡¯t want to. In a desperate move, he threatened to die if you defied his wishes. Therefore, you ended up marrying her. However, you never liked her initially, so you divorced her after a year of marriage. Four yearster, that woman suddenly returned from abroad with a child, iming you as the father. You decided to take responsibility and care for them, but then you got into a car ident. After the ident, that woman and the child disappeared together. You were lying in the hospital unconscious for a long time when I found you. The doctors said you might be a vegetable, yet you thankfully regained consciousness. Although Rosie didn¡¯t explicitly state who the woman was, Eliasprehended the truth. ¡°So, that woman is Amanda, and this paternity test concerns me and that child. After my ident, she ¡°1/3 appeared with the child, only to return when she knew about my amnesia. Is that right?¡± Rosie remained silent and nodded. Abruptly, a wave of dizziness swept over him, coupled with an intense headache. When she saw him, his mind flooded with images of Amanda¡¯s tearful eyes. Was it all an act? Elias took two steps back, and the paternity test fell onto the carpet. An explosion seemed to rupture his mind, and his nose started to bleed. Then, he copsed backward, engulfed by darkness as consciousness slipped away. ¡°El Rosie was truly frightened by this scene. Her eyes widened as she hurried over to help him up. However, she realized he hadpletely lost consciousness, Tears welled up in her eyes as she cried out, ¡°Eli, don¡¯t scare me. I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have told you this.¡± Although the doctor had warned her not to provoke his emotions, she couldn¡¯t control herself. all No matter how she called out to him, he remained unresponsive. Trembling, she retrieved her phone andi dialed 911 before reaching out to her brother, Taylor, who was also lodged in the same hotel. On the other end of the phone, Taylor was about to go to sleep andzily asked, ¡°What¡¯s up? What¡¯s going on now? Can¡¯t you let me get some rest?¡± ¡°Taylor, pleasee quickly! Elias has fainted, and he¡¯s bleeding from his nose. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Taylor¡­ please hurry¡­¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong? Hang on, I¡¯ming right away!¡± In the next room. After taking a shower and changing into her pajamas. Arnanda heard a woman¡¯s distraught cries coming from the neighboring room.. Isn¡¯t that Elias¡¯ room? Why is there a woman crying? Is it Rosie? Momentster, she caught the sound of the next room¡¯s door being opened, and Rosie¡¯s cries grew more pronounced. Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in rm; something was definitely amiss. Tossing her nket aside, she hastily slipped on the hotel slippers and hurried outside. As she swung her door open, the sight of Taylor supporting an unconscious Elias caught her off guard. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What the hell is going on?¡± Rosie, who had been standing there all along, could only cry inconsbly. Supporting Elias¡¯ body, Taylor responded, ¡°Don¡¯t ask too much for now. Let¡¯s quickly take him to the hospital. It might take a while for the ambnce to arrive, even after dialing 911. Let¡¯s take him to the hospital ourselves.¡± ¡¸ support. Mada pushed aside the sobbing Rosie and walked over to Elias to offer her Working together, Amanda and Taylor struggled to guide the unconscious Elias into the elevator In thete hours, inside the hospital By the time Elias was wheeled out of the emergency room, the clock had struck 1am. Amanda stepped forward to question the doctor as she asked, ¡°Doctor, how is he? Is he alright?¡± ¡°For the time being, his condition is stable. However, we need to conduct a brain CT scan. I¡¯ve noticed several injuries on his body. Has he been involved in a recent car ident?¡± the doctor inquired Amanda nodded, ¡°Yes, indeed, there is a blood clot in his head. And what about the nosebleed? Is it a cause for concern?¡± ¡°The nosebleed is likely due to his emotional distress and heightened stress levels. Try to avoid situations that could further agitate him emotionally or lead to head trauma. A blood clot in the brain can result in symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and even loss of consciousness. As his family, you all should exercise caution and vignce.¡± Although the doctor continued speaking. Amanda¡¯s attention slipped away. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! After the doctor left, she turned to face Rosie, who had been crying beside her. Stepping closer, Amanda delivered a resounding p across Rosie¡¯s face. Stunned, Rosie clutched her cheek and looked incredulous. ¡°How dare you p me!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? How dare you p my sister!¡± Taylor stepped forward and grabbed onto Amanda. Unfortunately, the p had alreadynded, and it was heavy. Amanda forcefully disentangled herself from Taylor¡¯s grasp and locked her fierce gaze on Rosie. ¡°What did you say to Elias? Why did he suddenly turn like this? What kind of stress did you put him through¡± Chatper 448 Chapter 448 Chapter 448 You Actually Hit Me for Her Tdidn¡¯t say anything, and I don¡¯t know why he turned out like this. Who do you think you are to p me? When he was in the hospital needing care after the ident, where were you then? Now that he¡¯s regained consciousness, youe swooping in. You¡¯re the most shameless one around here!¡± Rosie roared at Amanda in anger. p! Amanda delivered another sharp p across Rosie¡¯s face. ¡°You know nothing! What¡¯s all this yelling about? Let me make this clear-if anything happens to Elias, you won¡¯t get away easily!¡± Amanda retorted fiercely. ¡°Enough, Amanda! If you p her again, I won¡¯t stand by! Taylor intervened, firmly gripping Amanda¡¯s arm. He had witnessed his sister being pped twice, yet he couldn¡¯t bring himself to raise his hand against a woman. Amanda red at him angrily. After breaking free from his grasp, she walked toward the direction of the ward without looking back. She was determined to find out what was afflicting Elias. With apletely puzzled expression, Rosie stood in ce as she watched Amanda storm off ¡°Taylor, why did she p me? What right does she have to hit me? She was the one who abandoned Eli when he was unconscious. What gives her the right now?¡± Taylor remained silent. Instead, he looked at her swollen cheek and said, ¡°Tll fetch an ice pack for you.¡± As he walked away, Rosie inexplicably burst intoughter. The stillness of the hospital corridor only amplified the eerie undertone of herughter. I want to see if Elias will still be interested in Amanda after finding out all of this! Inside the ward. Amanda sat by the bed, watching the sleeping man. He looked pale, and his brows furrowed. It was as if he was having a nightmare. She held his hand and noticed his furrowed brows gradually rxing. In his current state, she couldn¡¯t muster the courage to discuss Aiden¡¯s situation with him. Furthermore, Elias¡¯ injuries were far from fully healed. Considering a flight of several hours was unrealistic because he might faint halfway. After an indeterminate period, Elias finally woke up. Slowly, he opened his deep, dark eyes. This time, the first sight that greeted him upon waking was Amanda-the woman who imed to be his wife. Seeing Elias awaken, Amanda felt a surge of joy. ¡°You¡¯re awake! How are you feeling? Any difort? I¡¯ll call the doctor for you.¡± As she was about to call for the doctor, Elias grabbed her delicate wrist and stared at her face intently. At that moment, all that echoed in his mind were the words Rosie had spoken and the haunting memory of the paternity test results. [1] < He was utterly consumed by hatred! It hurts¡­ Amanda winced in pain as her wrist felt like it was being crushed, her brows furrowing. Elias gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Hurt? You do know what it feels like to be hurt, don¡¯t you? Have you ever considered my feelings? Do you realize how much pain I was in when Iy in the bed after the ident?¡± Stunned, Amanda stared at the enraged man before her. She struggled toprehend why Elias was so infuriated or what Rosie had said to provoke such a vehement reaction from him. ¡°What did Rosie tell you?¡± It had to be something Rosie had said. Otherwise, how could he be so provoked? ¡°Are you implying that what she said isn¡¯t true?¡± ¡°What exactly did she tell you? Tell me!¡± Amanda grappled with the urge to shout, mindful that he couldn¡¯t get emotionally agitated due to his severe injuries. However, control slipped through her fingers. At that moment, the door to the ward opened, and Rosie walked in. ¡°Eli¡­ You guys¡­ Rosie froze in ce. She couldn¡¯tprehend the situation unfolding before her eyes. On the other hand, Elias immediately noticed Rosie¡¯s swollen face, marked by a faint palm print. Who had pped her? ¡°Who did this to your face?¡± His voice was hoarse and feeble. Rosie turned her gaze toward Amanda and silently shook her head. ¡°No one.¡± Following Rosie¡¯s gaze that led to Amanda¡¯s face, Elias was slightly taken aback. He asked, ¡°Did you p her?¡± ¡°So what if I did? Someone as shameless as her deserves it.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The next moment, Elias¡¯ palmnded on Amanda¡¯s face with a resounding p. The sound echoed through the entire ward. Taylor, who had walked in, was utterly stunned by the scene. Rosie¡¯s initial astonishment quickly transformed into a smug smile. It seemed Elias had taken all her words to heart, and he believed them without a doubt. How can Amanda possibly exin herself now? After all, the paternity test report is right there in ck and white. There¡¯s no room for denial. Amanda¡¯s face turned to the side. She didn¡¯t expect Elias to p her. Her eyes quickly welled up with tears as she gazed at Eliis pale and handsome face through the mist. ¡°You hit me for her! I can¡¯t believe that you actually hit me for her!¡± ¡°So what if I did! What right do you have to p her? Look at what you¡¯ve done! How dare you show up in front of me!¡± A fit of coughing punctuated his words. His emotions were running so high that he aggravated its injuries. The coughing fir was so intense that it triggered a throbbing headache. Lying on the bed, Elias held his forehead in anguish and made agonizing sounds ¡°Elt calm down. You need to stay calm Rosie tried to soothe the agitated Elias A cold sensation settled in her heart as Amanda observed this scene, and a bitterugh escaped her lips Without ncing back, she retreated slowly, turned around, and exited the ward On the hospital bed, Elias continued to cough violently Despite the agony from his wounds and the throbbing in his head, his gaze remained locked on Amanda¡¯s figure until it vanished through the doorway His heart simmered with loathing as he ruminated on the contents of the paternity test report. Yet, paradoxically, he didn¡¯t want her to leave his sight. He didn¡¯t even know how to exm this conflicting and tangled emotion. Taylor shifted his gaze between the bedridden Elias and Amanda¡¯s disheartened figure before stepping out to follow her. Amanda made her way to the hospital garden and found a secluded corner to let her tears flow freely Why do things turn out like this? What should I do now? Is there anyone who can show me the next step? Elias can¡¯t bear further stress in his current state, and Yacob is still immobilized in the hospital. How can I possibly save Aiden on my own? ¡°Amanda¡­ Don¡¯t be too sad. Elias is having amnesia, and he can¡¯t remember anything- Taylor, who had followed her, couldn¡¯t help but offer a few words offort upon seeing her so crestfallen. Amanda abruptly turned around and eximed, ¡°Leave me alone! Stay far away from me! Isn¡¯t this all thanks to you and your sister? What right do you have tofort me here? Disgusting! Are you proud of your sister¡¯s despicable behavior?¡± Taylor remained silent. He, too, believed that Rosie had crossed the line. He had no idea what she had said to Elias to provoke him into pping Amanda, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chatper 449 Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Eli, I¡¯m Begging You ¡°What¡¯s good does apologizing to me do? Can it bring back Elias¡¯ memories? I can¡¯t hear to see him get triggered. No matter what I say to him. I have to be careful and think twice, but what about your sister? She provoked him deliberately, making him pass out and end up hospitalized once again. Are you sure Rosie truly loves Elias? Does loving someone mean wanting to see them in excruciating pain? Are you Momsey siblings mentally deranged or what?! Amanda vented all her anger at Taylor and stormed off. Taylor wanted to catch up with her, afraid that she might do something reckless in her current emotional state. However, she turned around and yelled at him. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t follow me!¡± In the ward, Rosie tried to soothe Elias for a long time, but he still couldn¡¯t calm down. Finally, a doctor came and administered a sedative injection, which eventually helped him quiet down. She sat by the bedside, watching the man sleep peacefully. A smug smile crept onto her lips. No matter how many ps Rosie had received, she still wondered why the way Elias had hit Amanda for her earlier had been so cool. It turned out that Elias could also stand up to other women for her. This feeling was too blissful. She even wished to have this sense of happiness forever. However, to maintain thissting sense of joy, she must get rid of Amanda. Otherwise, her current happiness will be undermined sooner orter. ¡°Eli, I am the one who loves you the most. You have to believe me.¡± Suddenly, the door to the ward swung open. Rosie turned her head with an annoyed expression, only to find her brother, Taylor, standing there. She pressed her index finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet, then got up and pulled him to the corridor outside the ward, closing the door behind them. ¡°What are you doing, Taylor? Eli is sleeping. Don¡¯t disturb him! He¡¯s had a tough day!¡± ¡°So, you do know he¡¯s tired. You know very well that he just experienced a major car ident. His injuries hadn¡¯t healed properly, yet he left the hospital. Besides, he still has blood clots in his brain, so he can¡¯t be triggered, and his emotions can¡¯t fluctuate too much. Despite all this, you still made him hospitalized again, atst! Rosie, sometimes I question whether you truly love Elias or not. Do you love him so much. that you want to see him in agony?¡± Taylor had listened to every word Amanda said. He wondered if his sister¡¯s feelings for Elias were genuine love or mere possessiveness. ¡°What are you talking about. Taylor? How could I be the one who made Eli faint and be hospitalized. again? It was clearly because of Amanda!¡± ¡°Then, what exactly did you say to Elias? Why did he end up like this?¡± Taylor was genuinely curious. He had noticed that his sister became even gloomier after returning from the sanatorium. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. I just showed him the evidence, and he reacted like that after seeing it.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. < ¡°What evidence?¡± ¡°Here, this is it. I found a paternity test report in the Winters Estate. Rosie handed the file folder to her brother. Taylor received it with a skeptical look on his face. He pulled the paternity test report inside and quickly flipped to thest page. After reading the conclusive results, his eyes almost popped out of his head. ¡°How is this possible? That child is not Elias? How could the child that Amanda gave birth to not be his?¡± What man can endure such humiliation? How could he not be furious? Taylor wondered as he stared at the paternity test report in disbelief. Upon seeing her brother¡¯s shocked expression, Rosie nodded innocently. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want Elias to be deceived all this time. Maybe his car ident before was rted to this paternity test.¡± ¡°So, are you saying that Elias found out that the child was not his, leading to aplete fallout with Amanda, and that¡¯s why he had the car ident? Then, Amanda disappeared with the child. Now that Elias has amnesia, so that¡¯s why she returned?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it seems for now. When we came to the hospital, there was no sign of Amanda at all.¡± Taylor had nothing to say. He just couldn¡¯t understand how Amanda could do such a foolish thing. Given intelligence, it didn¡¯t make sense for her to resort to such a crude scheme. How could she use someone else¡¯s child to manipte Elias? It was only a matter of time before it was exposed. Taylor just couldn¡¯tprehend it. He waspletely bewildered. At this very moment, Amanda appeared alone in a nightclub, downing one ss of alcohol after another, attempting to drown her worries in alcohol.. ¡°Miss, you really shouldn¡¯t drink anymore. You¡¯re already quite drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. Just pour me another drink. I will pay you, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°I said, pour me a drink!¡± Amanda shouted at the bartender, clearly already drunk. The bartender had no choice but to pour her another ss of alcohol. She gazed at the liquid in the ss, but the image of Elias pping her came to her mind. Huh¡­ How ironic. The man she loved the most had pped her across the face because of Rosie. Even so, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to let Elias experience distress. She was really afraid that he might die from it.. ¡°Elias, oh Elias, you¡¯re so cruel to me. Whether it was four years ago or now, you¡¯re so heartless¡­. She took a sip of the alcohol and muttered to herself, ¡°Four years ago, you didn¡¯t love me, so whatever you did to me was justified. But now, you im to love me, yet you don¡¯t remember anything. Not only that. you even want to teach me a lesson for another woman. Tell me, how can you be so cruel to me? Despite all this, I still can¡¯t bear to hurt you.¡± Following that, she sobbed in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks like broken pearls. Though several men approached her, wanting to strike up a conversation, she ignored thempletely She just buried her head and focused on drinking, letting the alcohol numb her senses. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been drinking. Eventually, she was so drunk that she could hardly walk straight Amanda staggered out of the nightclub on her own, leaning against the wall for support. She didn¡¯t know where she was headed and had forgotten where the hotel was. It was alreadyte at night, and she waited for what felt like an eternity, but no cabs were in sight. Amanda could only stroll by herself, though she didn¡¯t notice two familiar figures walking toward her. ¡°Eli, you should go back to the hospital. It¡¯s hazardous like this. You fainted again tonight. Eli, I¡¯m begging you. Go back to the hospital and stay there!¡± After waking up, Elias insisted on leaving the hospital, and no one could stop him. Rosie could only follow him out of the hospital. Suddenly, Elias came to a halt. Rosie also stopped when she noticed his pause and followed his gaze to the front, only to see a heavily drunk Amanda. How coincidental it was that they bumped into Amanda everywhere they went. Amanda was swaying while leaning against the wall. Every step she took could lead to a fall. Elias looked at her drunken state, and the lingering hatred in his heart burst forth again. He decided to ignore her and walk past her. Unexpectedly, at this moment, two young men walked out of the nightclub and stared at Amanda for a long time, preparing to approach her. Chatper 450 Chapter 450 Chapter 450 She Vomited on Rosic Amanda¡¯s eyes were unfocused as she weakly leaned against the wall, swaying unsteadily. Two young men approached Amanda, both realizing that she was drunk and defenseless. Thus, they surrounded her. ¡°Hey there, beauty, where are you going? How about we take you home? Look at you; you¡¯re so drunk¡± ¡°Yeah, where are you going? We¡¯ll give you a ride¡± Amanda looked up at the two people before her but couldn¡¯t see clearly. All she saw were multiple blurry. images. She shook her head, trying to focus, but still couldn¡¯t discern their features. ¡°Get lost!¡± She tried to shoo them away with a feeble wave of her arm, though the guys interpreted it as flirtation. They immediately grabbed her delicate arm and tried to take her away. Although Amanda struggled to break free, her drunkenness made her powerless. Even if she yelled and cursed, it had no impact. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Let go of me! If you don¡¯t let go, I¡¯ll call the police! Back off!¡± ¡°Miss, you¡¯re in no shape to be alone like this. How can we trust you to walk on your own? Of course, we¡¯re going to be your knights in shining armor.¡± The two men pulled Amanda toward a car parked at the roadside, clearly intending to drag her into the car and take her away. Initially, Elias didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter, but witnessing the scene, he couldn¡¯t help but meddle. Rosie had been silently observing his expression, wondering if he still had any feelings for Amanda in this state of frustration. ¡°Eli, let¡¯s go back to the hospital. Please, I¡¯m begging you, Rosie spoke up. However, Elias didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. His gaze remained locked onto Amanda as the two men dragged her toward the car, seemingly ready to bundle her inside. Elias thought he could just stand by and watch. What pity did he have for a woman who betrayed him? Moreover, the thought of the paternity test made his blood boil and put his mind on the verge of explosion as well. Yet, when he saw Amanda about to be forcibly taken into the car by the two men, his body acted before his mind. He quickly walked to the side of the road and pulled Amanda into his arms. Upon seeing Elias¡¯ intervention, the two men, who were about to seed, panicked at the sight. How could someone else be snatching their prey?. ¡°What the hell are you doing? How dare you snatch her? We spotted her first!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! Who do you think you are, bud? What right do you have to steal our woman?¡± Amanda, who was drunk as a skunk, was yanked so suddenly that her head spun. Her woozy state led her ** to instinctively grasp onto the man¡¯s tall body and lean against his chest. She slowly raised her head just enough to glimpse his proud chin. Who is this? She wondered, but she couldn¡¯t see clearly as her vision blurred. That sharp jolt left her feeling dizzy, and a sensation of nausea surged. ¡°What do you mean, who am I? She¡¯s my wife. Do you have anything else to say?¡± Elias had been suppressing his anger, and now he had the perfect opportunity to vent it on these two men who had provoked him. The two men were speechless and looked at each other before returning to Elias. ¡°What evidence do you have to prove that she¡¯s your wife? How can you make your wife drink herself into a stupor? What kind of good husband are you?¡± This remark sessfully angered Elias. He pushed Amanda, who was in his arms, behind Rosie and instructed. ¡°Take care of her.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Then he took off his jacket and tossed it into Rosie¡¯s arms. Immediately after, he kicked one of the men swiftly, causing him to scream in pain as he toppled over. The scene attracted a crowd of onlookers. Rosie supported the drunk Amanda. She wanted to push her aside in disdain, but Amanda couldn¡¯t stand steady. Rosie didn¡¯t care about Amanda¡¯s condition, as she was only worried about Elias getting hurt. He had already been through so much emotional turmoil tonight, and now he was fighting again. This could end badly. ¡°Eli, stop it! Don¡¯t fight anymore! Don¡¯t you understand your condition? You can¡¯t be fighting! Eli!¡± Rosie shouted. However, no matter how Rosie called out to him, Elias ignored her. He relentlessly pummeled the two troublemakers, venting his pent-up rage. Meanwhile, Amanda couldn¡¯t hold back her nausea and began to retch uncontrobly. When she was just about to throw up, Rosie steered her toward a nearby tree, eximing. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare puke on me. If you dare puke on me, we are so done!¡± ¡°Blech¡­¡± Unable to hold back, Amanda ended up vomiting all over Rosie, and she even used Rosie¡¯s clothes to wipe herself clean afterward. Rosie stared in disbelief, her eyes wide open. No one had ever dared to vomit on her before, yet now she was covered in alcohol-soaked vomit. ¡°Ah!!! Amanda Bailey!¡± Rosie promptly shoved Amanda to the side, causing Amanda to hit the tree. She clung to the tree tightly. her face marked with confusion. ¡°Where am I? I want to go home¡­ I want to sleep. I¡¯m so tired¡­¡± It was unclear how long the fight had gone on, but Elias finally ceased his assault. He stopped not because he had had enough; rather, his head was starting to hurt. Elias walked to the tree, grabbed Amanda¡¯s cor, and angrilymanded, ¡°Move! Go back home!¡± ¡°I want to go home¡­ I want to sleep¡­ ||| ¡°2/3 ¡°I swear, I wish I could just strangle you!¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she used to be his woman, he wouldn¡¯t have given a d¡¯mn about this mess tonight. The mere thought of the paternity test drove him to a point where he could hardly control his desire to destroy her. With lingering resentment, Rosie followed behind them. Why did it alwayse to this? Even at this moment, she had no choice but to trail behind them. Once they were back at the hotel, Elias first paused in front of Rosie¡¯s room. ¡°Just go to sleep. It¡¯s getting ¡°Eli, maybe I should apany Amanda for a bit since she¡¯s in this state.¡± Elias nced at the vomit on Rosie¡¯s clothes and retorted, ¡°Are you sure you want to parade around covered in vomit? Isn¡¯t that gross? Go wash up. Her room is right next to mine, not far at all¡± With that, he took hold of Amanda and led her down the corridor. Full of resentment, Rosie stood still and watched the attractive pair leave. She clenched her fists and looked down at the vomit on her clothes. Why was she the only one in such a miserable state? Amanda was truly going overboard! She actually threw up all over her! Rosie looked at the vomit on her clothes, nearly feeling nauseated herself. She quickly swiped her card to return to her room for a shower. She had no intention of wearing these clothes for another second. On the other side, Elias, gripping Amanda by her cor, looked disgusted as he arrived at her room. He took out the room key from her bag and unlocked the door. He pushed her into the room and was about to leave, but Amanda grabbed his arm urgently. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡­ Don¡¯t go¡­ Elias looked at her coldly, then dragged her into the room and threw her onto the bed before turning to leave. Chatper 451 Chapter 451 Chapter 451 The Unforgettable Kiss Elias turned around and looked at the woman in bed, watching her seizing his arm tightly. ¡°Let go¡± He gritted his teeth. I don¡¯t have time to waste with this woman. He grew increasingly frustrated as he was worried that his emotions would get the better of him and prompt him to kill. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me, Elias. You can¡¯t treat me like this, Elias! Why are you doing this to me? Please don¡¯t go! As annoyed as Elias felt, he couldn¡¯t shake off Amanda¡¯s hand. Thus, he suddenly turned around and pinched her chin hard. ¡°Give me a reason then. Tell me why I can¡¯t treat you like that!¡± You can¡¯t do this to me! Out of all the people who could have treated me like this, you shouldn¡¯t be the one! Please get well soon, okay? Aiden and I are waiting for you¡­¡± Elias looked at the innocent look on Amanda¡¯s face while asking her more questions to find out what exactly was going on. ¡°Who is the man that you were with?¡± He was dying to know the man whom she cheated on him with. After all, he was piqued by his ego to see whether the man really deserved her more than he did.. In the meantime, Amanda could barely think straight at all because she was too drunk. Therefore, all she did was babble and repeat the same few sentences again and again. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, Elias. Please don¡¯t go¡­ Amanda soon fell asleep while babbling incoherently, seizing and resting on Elias¡¯ muscr arm. Realizing that he wouldn¡¯t get any useful information, Elias tried to take his arm off Amanda and leave the room. Nevertheless, Amanda suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked his lips, catching the man off guard. At the same time, Amanda¡¯s unexpected reaction left Elias with his eyes wide open. Although he naturally tried to push her away, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do that as her charm attracted him. This feeling when our lips are pressed against each other is strange. It feels like something that we used to do lot back then. The next second, Elias cupped Amanda¡¯s face and nted a kiss on her lips without hesitation, biting them as if he were trying to punish her. Soon, the taste of blood began to sweep through their tongue as Amanda moaned in pain and shoved Elias away. Meanwhile, Elias pushed Amanda onto the bed and left the room without looking back. After hearing the sound of the door being closed, Amanda continued lying on the bed and murmured to herself, ¡°Ouch. that hurts, you prick!¡± How could he bite me like that? Was it because I drank too much? Or because I was too tired? Amandained until she fell asleep. On the other hand, Elias rushed out of the room with a confused mind. He was overwhelmed by an indescribable bad feeling for some reason, although he didn¡¯t know how to express it. At the same time, Rosie returned to her room and quickly took a shower before changing her clothes. Also, she wanted to see whether Elias was in his room so that she could rest assured and stop overthinking. ¡°Eli! You¡­¡± Rosie walked closer to Elias, seeing him standing in the corridor with a strange expression on ||| < his face. What happened? As Rosie got closer, it became clearer and clearer to her that there were bloodstains on the man¡¯s lips, which seemed slightly swollen. Wait a second! He looks like he has just been kissed. Her next thought confirmed her suspicion. Elias has been standing outside the corridor, and he is still wearing the same outfit as when he left. Did he juste out of Amanda¡¯s room? Upon hearing Rosie¡¯s voice. Elias snapped out of his trance, his eyes filled with panic as he immediately swiped his card and entered his room without a single word of exnation On the other hand, Rosie was left standing outside alone while trying to figure out what had just happened. I was only away for a short while to take a shower, but that was already enough for Amanda to take advantage of Haha! You¡¯re indeed smart and cunning, Amanda¡¯ I can¡¯t believe you managed to find a way to share a kiss with Elias, even under such circumstances, Rosieughed maniacally at the thought of that. No matter what I do, the two of them will always find their way to each other, just like mas. Why? Is this all fate¡¯s doing? I was given this chance so that I could be with Elias, wasn¡¯t I? Rosie began to doubt herself for grasping the opportunity. What a long night! Elias stood in the shower as the cold water rained on his body. He was trying to sober up and keep himself alert so that he wouldn¡¯t be filled with thoughts of the intimate moments that he and Amanda were sharing when he became free. Deep down, he couldn¡¯t lie to himself about how he felt, knowing he enjoyed that kiss with Amanda and was even looking forward to more. Nevertheless, as soon as he thought about the paternity test result, his hatred immediately consumed himn and prompted him to hate her. But¡­ Why did kissing Amanda Bailey feel so familiar? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Elias stared at the wall andughed in contempt, murmuring to himself. ¡°Come on, she used to be your wife, which means she must have slept with you for countless nights. So, why am I surprised about how familiar her kiss felt?¡± Yes! That must be it! Elias refused to admit the fact and embrace the feelings he still had for the woman whom he deemed had betrayed him. The next day, Amanda woke up to her phone¡¯s ringtone, realizing it was already noon. Due to the headache from her hangover, she slowly sat up straight with her hand on her forehead. After taking a few moments to fumble around for her phone, she finally found it and put it on her ear, askingzily. ¡°Hello. who is calling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Taylor Momsey. Elias and my sister are going back to Imperia. I¡¯ll be leaving as well. So, why don¡¯t youe with us? There isn¡¯t a reason for you to stick around here any longer either¡± Upon hearing those words, Amanda instantly sobered up and came to realize that Elias was gone. She was then reminded of the p she gave the man in the face when they were in the ward the day before. At the thought of that, she lost her temper. ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern. Get lost!¡± ||| r She hung up the phone directly. Meanwhile, Taylor, who was now at the subway station, looked at the disconnected call and turned around, giving his sister and Elias a helpless look. ¡°She just hung up on me. I guess she doesn¡¯t want toe with us, so let¡¯s go.¡± Elias, who had remained silent all along, sneered sarcastically while walking straight to the entrance. After what she did to me, she still thinks she is in a position to throw a tantrum at us?! At me?! ¡°Wait up. Elias. Rosie called out to Elias, picking up her pace to catch up to him. At the same time, Taylor nced at the crowd behind him and sighed before following the duo. On the other hand, Amanda spent her whole day in the hotel without eating or drinking. Then, she took the train back to Imperia, but when she arrived, she didn¡¯t look for Elias immediately. Instead, she went straight back to the Winters Estate, but little did she know that Elias was also headed to the same ce. In the meantime, Elias was allowed to return to the estate mansion because Rosie had already made sure there was nothing left behind that could prove Elias and Amanda¡¯s rtionship. ¡°Wee back, Mrs. Winters.¡± Boris politely greeted Amanda. ¡°Yup¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Winters is also back and appears to be with Miss Momsey. What¡¯s going on?¡± He seemed confused, not knowing what was going on. Wait, what? Elias is back? Amanda was surprised. ¡°What?! He¡¯s back? With Rosie Momsey? Where are they now?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the living room now. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about because they won¡¯t let me get close enough to them.¡± Chatper 452 Chapter 452 Chapter 452 You Don¡¯t Deserve to Love Him! Before the butler could finish his words, Amanda immediately made her way to the vi, wanting to see what the two of them were doing. Upon arrival, Amanda could already hear Rosie¡¯s voice from the outside before even stepping into the building. ¡°Calm down, Eli. Your health is the most important thing. Furthermore, what¡¯s done is done, so forget about the past and move on. The reason I didn¡¯t want to tell you this was because I was afraid you¡¯d get so angry that your emotions would take a toll on your health. Perhaps it¡¯s not a bad thing that your memories are gone.¡± s had remained silent ever since they returned to the estate, leaving Rosie confused about what he was thinking. Having to crack her head to figure out what was on Elias¡¯ mind, Rosie hated to be kept guessing. Meanwhile, although Elias was uninterested in the words from Rosie¡¯s mouth, he was still annoyed by them. I¡¯m going to get some rest now. You may stay here for as long as you want. Whenever you want to leave, just inform Mr. Jones. He¡¯ll get a driver to give you a ride home.¡± Upon finishing his sentence, Elias stood up and walked toward, seemingly reluctant to be around Rosie any longer. At that moment, Amanda happened to enter the living room just as she bumped into Elias face-to-face. While the two of them stopped in their tracks, Elias sized her up unhappily and questioned her purpose. What are you doing here?! Do you really think you still have a ce here after what you have done?¡± ¡°Why not? I am still your wife, technically. So, why can¡¯t Ie back?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but wonder what lies Rosie had fed Elias to make him hate her so much.. ¡°Do you seriously think I¡¯ve forgotten everything? Your paternity test result is still in this house. I¡¯m not blind. I saw it! Elias sneered. The paternity test result? Amanda stood like a statue and paused, suddenly thinking about the fake paternity test results that were made earlier. While Elias would never believe them at that time, the same could not be said for him, especially because he had lost his memory. She then quickly turned her attention to Rosie, who was standing right beside her, knowing Rosie had shown Elias the fake paternity test result and caused him to faint once more the night before. How wicked! ¡°So, it was you! You showed Elias the fake result and provoked him. Because of that, he had a nosebleed and fainted, leading to hospitalization. How could you do something so wicked to him?! You b*tch!¡± Amanda lectured Rosie harshly out of anger. On the other hand, Rosie shook her head repeatedly, acting as if she was the sympathetic victim. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t want him to see it either, but¡­ But¡­¡± ¡°Are you ming her for exposing your despicable deeds now? Where is your sense of shame?!¡± Elias stood in front of Rosie andmented. Her first response says it all. She is panicky instead of being mad. ¡°That paternity test result is fake! When you regain your memory, you¡¯ll find out the truth. Why won¡¯t you believe your wife? You¡¯d rather buy an outsider¡¯s story instead of believing your wife?! Have you really fallen for Rosie after you lost your memory?! Before all this happened, you wouldn¡¯t even bother to look ||| ¡°1/3 at her at all because she was the woman you hated the most! Amanda couldn¡¯t fathom why has started believing Rosie¡¯s words after losing his memory was it because she was the first person yen sam te?en you opened your et No. Eli. Don¡¯t fall for her nonsense. It¡¯s not like what she said. I¡¯ve that Elias would believe what Amanda sand Roue panicked she was afrand ¡°Not like what I said? Do you think no one remembers the things that you did in the pau Amanda angrily red at Rosic. Then she turned her attention to Elias again and added ¡°You could go around asking your friends, anyone around you Everyone knows how much you hate her and how annoying she always has been to you. She may have fooled you but she will never be able to fool everybody else¡± How could you say that, Amanda¡± Do you think ruining my image in Flis heart is going to make him forgive you for what you¡¯ve done? Your marriage only happened because Eli¡¯s grandpa threatened you guys with his own life. But now? You made a terrible mistake and wronged Eli What do you have to say about that? The paternity test result clearly shows that Eli and your child are not rted by bloot How audacious of you to think that Elt would raise a child that is not his for you¡± Desperate, Rose did all the could to demonize Amanda¡¯s impression as she hoped that she would never be able to clear her name While thedies argued, Elias started to be overwhelmed by a strong dizziness. Suddenly, he begin to lose his footing, leaning against the wall for support. Amanda immediately walked up to him and asked in a concerned manner. ¡°Are you alright? Youa seem unwell. Are you having a headache? I¡¯ll have Mr. Jones call for the doctor.¡± Amanda was about to turn around to call for Boris, but Elias held her by her shirt and reacted rudely. ¡°Get lost! Get out of my sight now! I don¡¯t want to see you anymore! You cheated on me, yet you¡¯re acting like you have the moral high ground! Get lost!¡± With his hand on his forehead, Elias slowly walked toward the elevator. At that moment, all he wanted was some peace and solitude. After all, he was overwhelmed by information and the noise, as if his head was about to explode. Nevertheless, when he thought about the paternity test result, his head hurt even more like there was someone cutting his head open with a chainsaw. Amanda wanted to give chase, but Rosie grabbed her by the shoulder from behind. ¡°You heard Eli. He doesn¡¯t want you here! Get out of the ce now!¡± How annoying! Finding herself at the end of the rope, Amanda turned around and pped Rosie in the face again. After that, she groped her hair so hard that Rosie screamed in agony. ¡°Are you out of your mind?! Let go of me¡¯ Ouch! What do you think you are doing?!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You have no idea how annoying you are, Rosie, but let me tell you one thing-your evil scheme is going to fail. Elias will nevery eyes on you even though he has lost his memory, not because of the past that he cannot remember now, but because he hates you! He hates everything about you.¡± ¡°Ouch! You¡¯re hurting me! Let go of me!¡± Not long after that, Boris walked in and saw the fight between the two women. Thus, he immediately stepped in and stopped them. ¡°Let her go, Mrs. Winters! Please!¡± Nevertheless, Amanda pulled harder and harder, as if she wanted to pull every strand of Rosie¡¯s hair from her scalp. ¡°Let me tell you something. Rosie! I¡¯m holding back because I don¡¯t want Elus to suffer from a ruptured wound, but if it weren¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t even give a d¡¯mn about someone like you. Don¡¯t you dare say how much you love Elias again! You don¡¯t deserve to love him because all you do is put him in ||| danger again and again!¡± Upon finishing her sentence, Amanda let go of Rosie¡¯s hair and dusted off her hands just as the few strands of hair fell onto the ground from her palm. She then looked at Boris and said, TIl be staying somewhere outside. So, I¡¯m counting on you to take care of Elias, but that woman should never be allowed to stay in this house. She turned around and left after making her point understood. In fact, she didn¡¯t leave because she was mad at Elias, but because she didn¡¯t want to make him mad. As for Rosie, she would never agree to let her stay in the Winters Estate while she was away. ¡°Who do you think you are to kick me out of this house? Eli trea Chatper 453 Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Are You Threatening Me? After watching Amanda¡¯s leaving backpletely disappear, Boris said seriously, ¡°Miss Momsey, it¡¯s gettingte. You should go back. Mr. Winters has already instructed me to have the driver take you.¡± ¡°Why should I leave? Eli didn¡¯t tell me to leave when he told her to go. Besides, he¡¯s in such an unstable mood right now, How can I feel at ease leaving?¡± Rosie walked toward the elevator, wanting to go up and see how Elias was doing. But the butler stepped forward and said a few more words, ¡°Miss Momsey, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but Mr. Winters is in a bad mood right now. Even if you go up. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t get a good reception. It¡¯s better to go home and talk about it tomorrow.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Rosie hesitated for a moment. It seemed like he was right, but she couldn¡¯t control herself. She just wanted to go up and see. And right now, she didn¡¯t want to leave Elias for even a second. Just likest night, all she did was go home to take a shower and change her clothes, but Elias and Amanda ended up kissing. If she completely disappeared, these two might just end up in bed together. Absolutely not! She absolutely didn¡¯t want to leave Elias again! ¡°Do you need to meddle in my affairs? Just do your job! Stop bothering me!¡± Rosie gave Boris a disdainful look and went straight into the elevator. He watched as the elevator doors slowly closed and shook his head helplessly. ¡°You never know what you have until it¡¯s gone.¡± Ding dong. The elevator doors slowly opened. Rosie eagerly walked out and headed toward Elias¡¯ bedroom. When she reached the door, she found it tightly shut. She knocked on the door. ¡°Eli, can you please open the door? Have something to eat. You haven¡¯t eaten or drunk anything since you came back all day. Your injuries haven¡¯t healed properly yet. How can you be so fierce¡­ Suddenly, the door was forcefully pulled open, which startled Rosie, who immediately covered her mouth. ¡°Eli¡­¡± Elias looked extremely impatient. ¡°Go back. I want to be alone for a while. If there¡¯s anything, we can talk about it tomorrow.¡± Seeing that he was about to close the door again, Rosie stepped forward to stop him. ¡°Eli, listen to me. What Amanda said isn¡¯t true. She has lost her sanity now and desperately needs someone to take the me. That¡¯s why she¡¯s endlessly ndering me. Our rtionship wasn¡¯t that bad before. If it wasn¡¯t for Grandfather forcing you to marry her, we might have..¡± ¡°Enough. Stop talking. I understand. You should go back. I¡¯m tired.¡± Elias closed the door and didn¡¯t want to listen to her anymore. ||| Rosie looked at the closed door helplessly but could only turn around and leave. After leaving the Winters Estate, Amanda didn¡¯t go anywhere else but chose to stay in a hotel. Looking at the time, it should be morning in Aiden¡¯s ce. So, she called him, wanting to talk to her baby. In her current low mood, only Aiden could give her hope. Ring Ring¡­. After the call connected, Aiden¡¯s energetic voice came through the phone, ¡®Mommy! You finally called me!¡± Im sorry. I¡¯ve been a little busy these past few days. Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to kindergarten. Mr. Lawrence said he¡¯d take me to the kindergarten Tused to attend. Mommy, I can see my old friends again!¡± When they returned to Cludan, this little guy couldn¡¯t stop thinking about those friends and was worried that he would never see them again. Now, he could y with them again. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy. I¡¯m going to y with my friends now. I¡¯ll call you after school. Bye.¡± ¡°Okay, you can call me anytime. I¡¯ll be waiting for you. She thought the call would end there, but unexpectedly, Symeon¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s fun to do this every day? How long do you n to maintain this contact?¡± As soon as Amanda heard his voice, her smile disappeared instantly. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. You promised me that you¡¯d always pass the phone to Aiden. You can¡¯t regret it now. He¡¯s still young and cant leave me. If you break our contact, it¡¯ll cause him trauma. No one will be able to revert the damage done then.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Merely stating the facts.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Simon snorted before hanging up the phone mercilessly. Amanda¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but constrict as she listened to the ending beep. She had to bring Aiden back as soon as possible. If not, she feared what would happen when Symeon discovered the truth. But what could she do now? The doctor told her that Elias couldn¡¯t be triggered further. Now that Elias only trusted Rosie and treated her as the enemy. What could she do to let him believe her? Suddenly, her phone rang again. Amanda looked at the strange yet oddly familiar number but couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen it. So, she answered, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. How have you been?¡± Hatred filled Amanda¡¯s heart when she heard that voice. It was the d¡¯mned Melissa! She was about to han up the phone as she didn¡¯t want to hear a single word from this crazy woman, but it seemed like Melissa had already anticipated her move and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up yet. Don¡¯t you want to know what I¡¯m going to do next?¡± 2/ ¡°What do you want to do? What else can you do? You¡¯ve already achieved your goal. What else do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Cludan now. I want to see you all. I heard that Elias has amnesia?¡± ¡°What do you want to do? It¡¯s because of you that Elias had a car ident and lost his memory. Do you still want to get close to him? I¡¯m not going to let it happen!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m already outside the estate. I think he would be happy to see me now. After all, he knows nothing about his past self.¡± Amanda hung up the phone directly, got up, and left the hotel room, nning to go to the estate to save Elias. Melissa was simply going too far. She had already yed with everyone to this extent and still wouldn¡¯t let them go. At the Winters Estate, it was alreadyte at night, and Elias had been smoking one cigarette after another. lost in thought about what Amanda and Rosie said. Who should he believe? Or should he trust no one? Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. ¡°Mr. Winters, a Miss Melissa Walters wants to see you. She ims to be an old friend of yours.¡± Melissa Walters? He had no impression of this name whatsoever and immediately responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her. Chatper 454 Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Did Elias Not Lose His Memory? ¡°But Miss Walters said there is something very important she needs to tell you, and she said she must see you.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Elias extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and got up to open the door. ¡°If she insists on seeing me, then she can wait outside. But I won¡¯t see her.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. But I think I saw Mrs. Winters just now, and she was arguing with Miss Walters¡± Boris reported truthfully. Although he knew that a lot had happened recently, he had no idea about the specifics. He also had no idea what was happening with these people, who were causing so much trouble. Did they get into a fight? Elias furrowed his brows. How could Amanda get into fights with anyone? Was there no woman in this world that Amanda could get along with? And so, he walked out of the bedroom to go and check. ¡°Where are they?¡± The butler followed behind him and said, ¡°Miss Walters is waiting for you by theke. I didn¡¯t let her in. and if you don¡¯t want to see her, I will send her away. Miss Bailey should also be heading toward the lake.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite capable!¡± Elias red at the butler, who felt slightly wronged and didn¡¯t know what to do, Melissa sat on a bench by theke, looking at the serene water under the estate¡¯smpposts. She had come here to test whether Elias had really lost his memory. If he had truly lost his memory, it would be a great thing for her. It would be best if he never remembered anything, then Simon would never find out about her and Dulcie. Suddenly, she felt a rush of footsteps behind her. She thought it was Eliasing, but the sound of the footsteps didn¡¯t seem like a man¡¯s. Could it be¡­ Smack! A pnded on Melissa¡¯s face before she could even see who it was. She was about to look up to check when another pnded on the other side of her face. Soon, both of her cheeks started to swell and burn with pain. ¡°How dare you show up in front of us? Do you think we have no way to deal with you?¡± It was Amanda¡¯s voice. It¡¯s her. Melissa adjusted her messy hair and slowly stood up. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be waiting in the estate, and yet the first person I encounter is you. Has Elias really lost his memory? Why is he treating me with such disdain? It shouldn¡¯t be like this. She was in the estate, but she encountered Amanda first. ¡°You made me suffer on your behalf at Symeon¡¯s ce, and it will alle back to you in the end!¡± The moment Melissa looked up. Amanda was slightly stunned because this face was the woman who was in the same hospital ward as her four years ago when she delivered Aiden. They only met once during the few days they stayed in the same hospital room. She never expected that Melissa would cause such a big disaster for herself. ||| ¡°It won¡¯t. As long as Elias has amnesia and can¡¯t recall anything, Simon won¡¯t find out the truth. Then, everything will be what I want.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Melissa, I really don¡¯t know what grudges you have against me to do this to me. I only stayed in the same ward with you and treated you well. How could you repay my kindness like this?¡± Amanda felt like she was about to explode from the anger. She desperately wanted to tear Melissa into pieces as she was the cause of all of this. ¡°We don¡¯t have any grudges. If anyone is to me, it can only be because you were too good to me. I didn¡¯t forget about you, and when things happened, you were the first person I thought of using. Another pnded on Melissa¡¯s face, and Amanda was hulling. How could this shameless woman say that? ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Melissa. You have a daughter too, who was born on the same day as my son. If you can do this to my son, I can do the same to your daughter!¡± Amanda shouted. However, Melissaughed. ¡°You won¡¯t. I knew you wouldn¡¯t do that. That¡¯s why I dared to do this. You¡¯re too nice and also a righteouswyer. You won¡¯t harm an innocent child.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you hurt me? I¡¯ll tell you right now that I¡¯ll do it. Don¡¯t assume that I¡¯ll never break my principles. Even a worm will turn. You better watch your daughter closely; otherwise, I¡¯ll let you have a taste of my pain, too!¡± Amanda¡¯s words made Melissa feel ufortable, but she consoled herself that Amanda wasn¡¯t the type of person to do that. Amanda also noticed the rmed look in Melissa¡¯s eyes and added, ¡°Settle your own problems yourself. Why should we be the ones to suffer in your stead? You dared climb onto Symeon¡¯s bed, yet don¡¯t have the guts to admit it? You¡¯re not worthy to be a mother. When your daughter grows up, she¡¯ll be ashamed of you. She won¡¯t be grateful for what you¡¯re doing for her!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! She won¡¯t! Everything I do is for her!¡± Melissa couldn¡¯t take it anymore, as Dulcie was her life. She couldn¡¯t let Dulcie misunderstand her. However, Amanda snorted. ¡°Yet, you harmed numerous innocent people. Did you really think you could hide this for life? Symeon will find out the truth sooner orter, and Elias will recover his memories. Do you think you can run away from their power? Even if you run to Mars, they both will work together to find you. Until then, even Symeon can¡¯t save you because Elias will destroy you!¡± Melissa was terrified as she stumbled backward with widened eyes. That was the day she feared that woulde. If Elias and Symeon coborated, she would be caught no matter where she ran to. Then, it could very well be her death. ¡°Impossible! It won¡¯t happen!¡± Seeing Melissa¡¯s reaction, Amanda knew that she was scared. That would make things easier. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re still scared. You came running here when you heard Elias had amnesia. Have you not thought that it was a trap to lure you here?¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It¡¯s a trap? Did Elias not lose his memory? That¡¯s impossible! She turned around and wanted to run, but saw Elias, who just so happened to be walking in their direction, and she panicked. Amandaughed at her flustered expression and went up to grab her shoulder. ¡°You walked into the trap ||| yourself. Don¡¯t me anyone.¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Melissa struggled to leave, but Amanda wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. Chatper 455 Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Hate Melissa was so frantic that she didn¡¯t hesitate to shove Amanda away. As a result, Amanda tumbled to the ground as Melissa took the opportunity to flee. Unfortunately for her, Amanda wasn¡¯t about to allow the woman to get away so easily. So, she immediately grasped onto Melissa¡¯s skirt. She wanted Melissa to experience the panic she felt because of Melissa¡¯s schemes. She wanted this deplorable woman to learn that not everyone would be happy to be one of her pawns. Meanwhile, when Elias saw what was happening, he walked over, shouting angrily. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Melissa froze in ce the instant she heard his voice. She couldn¡¯t help but assume that Ehas hadn¡¯t really lost his memory and that this was all a trap. On the other hand, Elias¡¯ anger wasn¡¯t because he saw the two women fighting. It was because he saw Amanda being pushed to the ground. That scene ignited his fury almost instantaneously. It was odd that even he didn¡¯t understand why he would be so angry by such a sight. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Amanda had done unforgivable things against him. She even went as far as cheating on him. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help feeling outraged when he saw that she was being bullied by someone else. Elias couldn¡¯t help but wonder if something was wrong with his brain. Why would he keep siding with Amanda unconditionally? Amanda struggled to stand up as the palm of her hands had been scrapped when she fell. So, they stung rather terribly at the moment. Although he noticed the injury on her palm, he still snarled, ¡°Why did you return? Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave? How dare you show your face here?!¡± Melissa originally thought he was talking to her, but when she saw that the man¡¯s gaze was directed at Amanda¡­ She immediately realized that Elias really had lost his memories. Otherwise, why would he be so harsh toward Amanda? She had seen how Elias treated Amanda in the past. He had always been gentle with her, treating her like a precious gem. A sly smile appeared on Melissa¡¯s face. Then, she whispered into Amanda¡¯s ear when she helped the woman up. ¡°So, he has truly lost his memories. You were lying to me. You¡¯re quite cunning yourself.¡± Amanda was about to explode with anger. Melissa would have revealed her true colors long ago if it weren¡¯t for this annoying man. Unfortunately, he just had to appear right now, ruining her ns while he was at it. ¡°Do you think I care about you? I wouldn¡¯t even bother thinking about you if I weren¡¯t so worried that you¡¯d be used for your money and status!¡± Amanda spun on her heel and stomped off without looking back. Sure, her actions were partly fueled out of spite. Regardless, she also sincerely doubted Elias would take Melissa¡¯s words at face value after causing such amotion. Elias clenched his fists tightly by his sides as he stared at her retreating figure. Nheless, he didn¡¯t bother chasing after her. He had no reason to chase after a woman who had cheated on him. ||| Then, his gaze shifted from Amanda¡¯s figure to the unfamiliar woman before him. He had no impression of her. Where did this Melissae from? Coupled with what Amanda spat earlier¡­. What did she mean by ¡®deceiving him for money and sex?? The man couldn¡¯t help but sneer. Did he seem that foolish? ¡°Who are you?¡± Melissa carefully observed the man¡¯s expression. It seemed like he truly didn¡¯t recognize her. So, it was true that he had lost his memory? He had definitely lost them. Otherwise, his first reaction upon seeing her would be to kill her. After all, she had caused the car ident. that almost took his life and kept him in the hospital for so long. So, Melissa was certain that the man had indeed lost his memory. ¡°I am¡­ an old friend.¡± ¡°Old friend? Then, tell me what kind of friend you are. The man turned to the butler behind him. ¡°You¡¯ve been working under the Winterses for years, so have you seen this person before?¡± ¡°No.¡± the butler shook his head. Melissa no longer felt the least bit anxious because the man had truly lost his memories. This meant she could make up whatever story she wanted. ¡°I can tell you our rtionship in detail.¡± s, before Melissa could finish her sentence, Elias had already lost interest and raised his hand. ¡°Get this woman out of here. From now on, don¡¯t allow any unfamiliar woman entry. Do they think my estate is a free market where anyone cane and go as they please?¡± After that, the man turned and walked toward his home without even a sliver of hesitation. He didn¡¯t want to know who Melissa was or what she had to say. It was all because of what Amanda had said earlier. What did it mean to deceive him for money and sex? Did he look like someone who would be easily deceived by a woman? ¡°Elias, don¡¯t you want to hear what I have to say? Do you just believe everything Amanda says? Do you know what she has done to you?¡± Melissa wanted to use the fake paternity test to create some misunderstandings between the two. Regrettably, she didn¡¯t know that Rosie had already used that test to scheme her way into Elias¡¯ good graces. The man suddenly stopped in his tracks and stood still. A glimmer of hope appeared in Melissa¡¯s eyes. She thought she had sessfully piqued his curiosity. Sadly, Elias didn¡¯t even turn his head as he said resolutely, ¡°Even if Amanda has once betrayed me, she was once my woman. Although I have forgotten many things from the past, I believe my judgment wasn¡¯t that bad. I don¡¯t want to hear about her from other women. I will investigate it myself.¡± ||| Then, the man left without even so much as a backward nce. Melissa stood there in a daze for a long time. Even though he had lost his memory, this man was still so rational. He didn¡¯t want to hear about Amanda¡¯s past from other women. Should she consider him a good man or just in foolish? Nevertheless, she had to admit that Amanda had found herself a good husband. There were very few people who could remain rational in this situation. Naturally, now that she had seen first-hand that her attempt to sow discord had failed, she felt a bit scared. Although the current situation was advantageous to her, she was still terrified. She was well aware that her days were numbered the instant Elias regained his memories¡­ or, when Symeon learned the truth. Amanda was still a ball of anxiety after departing from the estate in a huff. Although she had spoken harshly, Elias was still an amnesiac after all. What if he believed Melissa¡¯s nonsense? Melissa¡¯s schemes would be a stumbling block to awakening his memories. She didn¡¯t know when Elias would recover his memories. The longer this drags on, the longer I won¡¯t be able to ask for his aid to save Aiden. When she stepped out of the estate, a car followed her and slowly stopped beside her. She halted in her tracks and saw that it was the Winters¡¯ driver. So, she asked, ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters told me to take you away,¡± the driver replied. Elias wanted her dead so badly. There was no way he would be so kind right now. She definitely didn¡¯t believe the driver¡¯s nonsense. In fact, she wouldn¡¯t even buy into that ridiculous notion even if she were beaten to death. Thus, she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did Elias really say that? That¡¯s impossible. I won¡¯t get in the car if you don¡¯t tell me the truth.¡± The driver hesitated and stammered, ¡°Mr. Winters r-really asked me to take you. H-He said¡­¡± ¡°What did he say? Tell me!¡± ¡°He said he didn¡¯t want you to die on the way and dirty his road.¡± Of all the¡­. This despicable man! He really did know how to hit where it hurt! However, she had to admit that it did match Elias¡¯ demeanor since he genuinely hated her with every fiber of his being Chatper 456 Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Why?! Amanda bit her lip and turned to look at the mansion¡¯s gate, asking the driver in the car, ¡°Where is that woman? Does Mr. Winters really n to have a long talk with her?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. ¡°No, Mr. Winters didn¡¯t even let that woman say a word. He just sent her away.¡± Sent her away? She was stunned for a second as she turned to look at the mansion¡¯s gate. Why would they chase Melissa away? Didn¡¯t they want to hear what she knew? At this moment, the mansion¡¯s gate slowly opened, and she saw a car approaching from a distance. It wasn¡¯t until the car passed by that she saw an expressionless Melissa sitting in the back seat. Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh. It seemed that Elias really didn¡¯t listen to a word Melissa had to say. Now, why is that? Amanda thought it over for a moment as she got into the back seat of the car. Then, she said to the driver, ¡°Turn back. I want to see Mr. Winters. I have something to say to him.¡± The driver hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding. ¡°Okay.¡± At this moment, Elias was alone in the study. He had locked himself in and refused anyone entry lest they disturbed him. No one knew what he was doing inside. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door by the butler outside. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey has returned again. She says she wants to see you.¡± ¡°Get out! Didn¡¯t I make myself clear?! No one is allowed to disturb me! Are you ignoring my orders?!¡± Elias impatiently stomped to the study door, intending to scold the butler. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey-¡± The poor butler hadn¡¯t even managed to finish his sentence when Elias swung the door in his fury. Oddly, his anger was doused the instant he caught sight of Amanda standing outside the door. open Just then, the butler seized the opportunity to say, ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey forced her way in. I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± butler as he decided to m the door in their faces. s, Amanda suddenly dashed in and shut the door to the study before Elias could do so. The butler, who was standing outside the door, looked utterly befuddled. It took him quite some time to snap back to his senses. Once he did, he smiled and shook his head wryly, saying to himself, ¡°As long as Miss Bailey is here, Mr. Winters will definitely regain his. memory.¡± No one dared to approach Mr. Winters whenever he was in one of his moods. In fact, Miss Bailey is the only brave soul who would bother Mr. Winters no matter what mood he was in ande out unscathed. Elias took a step back when he saw Amanda closing the door of his study. Then, he began to reprimand her harshly, ¡°Get out! How dare youe in?!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He wasn¡¯t so irrational that he would explode whenever he saw her. It was just that he couldn¡¯t help but feel furious whenever his mind wandered to the paternity test. Frankly, he wanted to end her right then and there after seeing that test. Amanda turned around, leaned against the door, and stared at Elias, who was pacing back and forth angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what I want to say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! Get out of here!¡± Elias didn¡¯t want to see this woman at the moment, because it would greatly confuse his mind and affect his judgment. ¡°You do. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have chased Melissa away.¡± Then, she took a step forward, intending to get close to the man. Although she was annoyed with him and definitely wanted to give him a good beating, she still restrained her temper from blowing up. She knew she couldn¡¯t me him for this. Whenever she recalled how he barely got out of his life because of the car ident and had only regained his consciousness recently, any ire she felt toward him died down. She was aware that Elias wouldn¡¯t treat her as though she was an enemy if he hadn¡¯t lost his memories. That was why she couldn¡¯t just give up on him. She certainly couldn¡¯t pin the me on him for trusting Rosie¡¯s instigation when he had lost key moments of his memories. Instead, she should try her best to calm herself and have a good chat with him. s, he couldn¡¯t help but take a step back when he saw her approaching. He even hissed, ¡°Get away from me.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I get close? I used to be your wife, your lover. We have done everything together. r Now, all you do is push me away. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit toote for that?¡± Amanda took another step forward, wanting to get closer to the man. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t help his rising fury the instant he was reminded of the past. The nerve of you to bring up the past! So, you still remember that you¡¯re my wife! Then, why did you betray me?! How could you cuckold me? Do you think you could do whatever you want just because I used to love you?!¡± There was no doubt that he used to love her a great deal before he lost his memories. That was because there was no other possible exnation for his ridiculous and moronic actions. whenever it came to her. Since Rosie informed him that she found the paternity test in the manor, it meant that he had discovered the truth before he lost his memories. He had probably lost control of his emotions right then. So, it was no wonder he got into a car ident! Amanda could feel angryughter bubbling from her lips. Nheless, she forced it down. and retorted, ¡°If you really want to know the truth, investigate it yourself. Don¡¯t believe whatever Rosie says! If you take her word for it, trust me when I say that you will regret it. Sure, you wouldn¡¯t regret them now, but I¡¯m certain you will regret everything you¡¯ve done. once you regain your memories.¡± The man didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he stared at her in silence, as if waiting for her to continue. When she noticed that he had finally calmed down, she continued, ¡°There are many things I want to tell you, but your current physical condition isn¡¯t exactly the best. I¡¯m genuinely worried that your body will fail on you the instant you¡¯re agitated. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t give you the outline. I can tell you the proof you have right now, huh? Those are all fakes, including the paternity test. I do have a child, but that child is yours. I have never once betrayed you. Even though you insisted on divorcing me, I have never even considered other men in the four years we have been apart. So, don¡¯t believe whatever nonsense others are spewing! They have no idea what has really happened. Elias frowned. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just tell me what¡¯s going on?! Especially regarding the paternity test!¡± Chatper 457 Chapter 457 Amanda desperately wanted to tell him everything. s, if she revealed the whole truth at once, she was truly afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the shock and would fall into aa yet again. If that happened, it would be another round of the waiting game. This time, she wouldn¡¯t know when he would wake up or if he would even regain his consciousness, ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe me either. That¡¯s why I said you should personally investigate these matters yourself. Don¡¯t believe anyone. Only believe the results of your investigation.¡± By doing so, he would be able to slowlye to terms with the truth through the investigation. It also had the benefit of putting him at ease with the plus side of preventing anyone else from massively distorting the truth. Unfortunately, Elias couldn¡¯t understand where she wasing from. So, all he felt was annoyance and frustration as he demanded, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just tell me?!¡± She hesitated as she thought things through. In the end, she didn¡¯t have the words to convey the absolute mess their lives were. Besides, she could barely voice the words herself. How could she possibly tell Elias that Symeon had pretty much kidnapped their son and was raising Aiden as his own? Frankly, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Elias fainted right on the spot, which would do absolute wonders for his recovery. ¡°Because the truth is too cruel. I-I¡­ can¡¯t tell you. You need to investigate this yourself. Since time isn¡¯t exactly of the essence right now, I¡¯d much rather you take your time learning the truth of the matter. After all, your injuries haven¡¯t fully healed yet, and you can¡¯t do anything. in your current state. I don¡¯t want you to take any unnecessary risks. The safety of both your and our son is paramount! I don¡¯t want to lose any of you!¡± Amanda said as tears welled up in her eyes. 7 D Mr Winters Bully You? Elias stared at her face and suddenly felt a headacheing on. He couldn¡¯t help but stumble to his seat, supporting his forehead as he endured the piercing pain. Amanda instinctively wanted to approach him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Headache¡­ Medicine¡­¡± Medicine? She panicked and turned around, running out of the study and shouting, ¡°Mr. Jones! Mr. Jones! Where is the headache medicine? Hurry and bring it here!¡± She kept calling for Boris. Eventually, Boris heard her and cried from downstairs, ¡°The headache medicine is in Mr. Winters¡¯ bedroom. I¡¯ll get it right away!¡± Then, she looked at the man in the study, who had a pained expression on his face. ¡°Hold on! The medicine will be here soon! Hang in there!¡± After a while, Boris brought the headache medicine. She immediately snatched the bottle from him, turned around, and dashed to the study. Then, she hastily unscrewed the bottle. cap and handed two pills to Elias. He took the pills and gulped them down. After a while, he could feel his headache easing up. When he looked up, he instantly noticed Amanda¡¯s worried expression. Although he couldn¡¯t remember anything, he still felt inclined to believe her words. ¡°Are you saying that the child is ours and the paternity test was a fake?¡± Amanda nodded, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else lest she caused more harm than good. He started having a headache after exchanging information, so she was genuinely afraid that he would faint if she said anything else. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re being so insistent, I¡¯ll give you a chance. I will personally investigate this matter. If the truth does not corrte to my findings¡­ I trust you understand what I¡¯m not saying.¡± Elias¡¯ eyes were filled with cruelty. Of course, he wanted to find out the truth. It felt terrible. not knowing anything about the past. Anyone could easily exploit his weakness and deceive him. Amanda hesitated, nodded, and turned to leave. Suddenly, she remembered something and turned back. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the hospital? Your wounds aren¡¯t healed yet. You¡¯re still seriously injured. Besides, everyone would be more at ease if you¡¯re being hospitalized.¡± No hospital.¡± The man emphasized each word, his tone filled with undeniable disgust for hospitals. Amanda sighed softly. ¡°Then, take care of yourself. There are still many things you need to do.¡± Elias watched her figure as she walked out of the study and felt a strange emptiness in his heart. There was a voice in his mind shouting, Don¡¯t let Amanda leave! Suddenly, his headache returned. His head would start pounding whenever he tried to think deeply about his lost memories. Well, he would wait until the truth was revealed before thinking about it. In the following days, Amanda didn¡¯t dare to disturb Elias. She knew that he needed space to investigate and digest this new information. Plus, she didn¡¯t want to provoke him than necessary.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Just then, her phone rang, and it was a call from Yacob. any more She answered the phone, saying impatiently, ¡°Why are you calling me when you should be resting? There¡¯s no point worrying about things other than recuperating. Besides, it¡¯s not like you can do anything right now.¡± ¡°Why are you being so fierce? Did Mr. Winters bully you?¡± She didn¡¯t say anything as she worried her bottom lip. Then, she heard Yacob continuing, ¡°He doesn¡¯t remember anything right now. You should be the bigger person here. You need to think about your past and think about Aiden! Aiden is our priority right now! You have to help Mr. Winters regain his memories. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid Aiden will truly treat that despicable trash as his father.¡± ¡°I know, but he¡¯s seriously injured now. If I provoke him, he will have a headache or even faint. How can I get him to regain his memories when he¡¯s far from the picture of health? His wounds haven¡¯t even healed yet, and there are blood clots in his brain. If I tell him now, he might faint from agitation. Then, who knows when he¡¯ll wake up?! Or, if he boards a ne. and experiences some air turbulence, the blood clots in his brain might disperse. In the end, we¡¯ll be back to square one! I can¡¯t do anything right now! What else can I do? Well? I¡¯m up for ideas!¡± Amanda was truly out of wits at this point. It felt as though even the world was against her as everyone backed her into a corner, forcing her away from her loved ones. Yacob fell silent after hearing her. It was clear that he had no solution for the conundrum. they were facing right now. After a while, he said, ¡°Although I can¡¯t do anything now, I can move around. Somewhat. It n to infiltrate Lawrence Estate and protect Aiden.¡± ¡°You? Symeon knows what you look like. There¡¯s no possible way you¡¯re going to seed in that fruitless endeavor. Also, do I need to remind you that your legs are broken? How can you protect Aiden when you can¡¯t even move without a wheelchair?¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve forgotten about disguise techniques. And¡­ are you telling me Lawrence Estate discriminates against the disabled? How scandalous! Don¡¯t you think I can get myself. hired as a gardener?¡± Amanda had nothing to say to that. So, she sighed in resignation. ¡°Just be careful. No one will be able to save you if you¡¯re discovered.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that useless. I¡¯ll call you once my mission seeds.¡± Then, he hung up the phone after that. Eventually, Amanda rose to her feet and walked into the bathroom, preparing to freshen up and have a meal. If Yacob could infiltrate Lawrence Estate to take care of Aiden¡­ Well, she would feel much. more at ease. Her phone rang once more after she was done with her morning routine. She picked it up and saw the caller ID disy-¡°Husband.¡± Was it a call from Elias? He actually took the initiative to call her? This was unbelievable. She answered the phone, but the voice on the other end dashed all her hopes. ¡°Miss Bailey, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you to make a trip to thepany. This is Mr. Winters¡¯ request.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡± She thought Elias was calling her. So, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. Nheless, she changed into an appropriate outfit before taking her bag and headed off to Winters Enterprise to see what was happening. Amanda went directly to the legal department the moment she arrived at Winters. Enterprise, assuming that some legal issues needed her consultation. s, as soon as she made her way to the elevator, the elevator doors slid open, and Elias¡± assistant walked out. ¡°Miss Bailey, you¡¯ve finally arrived. Come with me to the conference room.¡± She entered the elevator, looking utterly puzzled. ¡°The conference room? Not the legal department?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters is meeting with clients in the conference room. He wants you to listen in. I don¡¯t know what his intentions are. You¡¯ll have to hear it from Mr. Winters himself.¡± She nodded and didn¡¯t ask further questions as she quietly followed the assistant to the conference room. Her eyes immediately fell on the man in a suit sitting at the conference table. It was evident that he was busy conversing with his clients. The assistant led her to sit quietly behind the man. She stared at his proud back, waiting to be called on for her legal advice. Yet, what surprised her was that throughout the whole process, the man didn¡¯t call her even once. She was truly just there to listen. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know what Elias was nning. Chatper 458 Chapter 458 Chapter 458 We Remarried? After the client left, the assistant and other staff members also left one by one. Thest one even attentively closed the door to the conference room. At this moment, only Elias and Amanda were left in the spacious conference room. It was so silent that they could even hear each other¡¯s breathing. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why did you call me here in the first ce?¡± ¡°I wanted to see if you were a realwyer.¡± She was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Of course, there was nothing mirthful about it. Instead, she was scoffing out of sheer frustration. So, she told this man to investigate the truth, and the first thing he investigated was her? ¡°Why go through all this trouble? You could have asked me to show you my credentials. Besides, I¡¯ve been sitting here listening for two hours. Can you actually tell if I¡¯m a realwyer after making me sit through something so trivial?¡± She couldn¡¯t keep up with this man¡¯s train of thought. What sort of nonsense was he thinking? Finally, the man stood up slowly, buttoned his suit, turned around, and looked at her. ¡°Have you eaten? If you haven¡¯t, let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± Now, she was beyond confused. ¡°You¡¯re asking me if I¡¯ve eaten? I rushed over as soon as I received the call. How could I possibly have had the time to eat?¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s eat together.¡± He walked toward the conference room door, and she watched his retreating back,pletely bewildered. What was this man trying to do? Was he making a fool out of her? Nheless, she still followed him to a famous restaurant in Imperia. After the waiter served their food, he left the private room. Amanda stared as Elias ate elegantly and couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°So, you¡¯re now able to sit. down and have a meal with me calmly?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Since you¡¯re so confident, coupled with the fact that I haven¡¯t found the truth yet¡­ Of course, I can.¡± ¡°So, why did you request my presence today?¡± He sliced up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth, his tone cold and natural as he said, Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Show me a photo of the child. I couldn¡¯t find any photos of the child at home.¡± She imed that the child was his, but he couldn¡¯t find a single photo of the child in the entire estate, let alone a picture of the three. So, he wanted to see a photo of the child¡­. Amanda rxed slightly and answered, ¡°Oh, there are no photos of the child in the estate. because we had remarried recently. I was separated from you for four years before that happened. So, you didn¡¯t have the chance to witness the child growing up.¡± ¡°What? We remarried?¡± Elias looked puzzled, finding it somewhat unbelievable. She took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Yes, it was just before your car ident. We had just obtained our marriage certificate. The child and I had just moved into the estate legally, so there aren¡¯t any photos avable.¡± ¡°Then, why couldn¡¯t I find any documents proving our rtionship at home?¡± He felt like he was seeing a ghost. He couldn¡¯t find the divorce certificate, and now Amanda. was telling him they had remarried. Yet, he couldn¡¯t find the marriage certificate either! She held the teacup as a cold sneer appeared on her lips. ¡°You should ask Rosie Momsey about that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He narrowed his eyes, staring at Amanda, waiting for her to continue. She simply raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why did Rosie forbid you from returning to the estate after you were discharged? It¡¯s because she wanted to remove all the important things from the estate before allowing you to return. That¡¯s why there¡¯s nothing useful avable.¡± Elias fell silent. He couldn¡¯t believe that the first person he saw after waking up would do. such a thing. ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Amanda smiled, picked up her cutlery, and tasted a piece of beef. The taste was indeed as fantastic as advertised. Then, she said, ¡°Because she wants to be your woman. Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯ve said it once, and I¡¯ll repeat it. Rosie can deceive you, but she can¡¯t deceive everyone. Just ask around. Everyone knows just how much you despise her. How could you possibly allow her to be your girlfriend?¡± He furrowed his brows and pursed his lips as he carefully recalled Rosie¡¯s actions after he regained consciousness. It seemed that she had indeed been keeping him under house arrest. Suddenly, the phone beside him started vibrating. He picked it up and nced at it. It was a call from Rosie. Amanda also noticed the call and observed the man¡¯s expression, wondering if he would answer it. Elias answered the call after hesitating briefly and put it to his ear. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve arrived at the estate. Mr. Jones said you went out. Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m near thepany, Do you need something?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just worried about you and wanted to see you. Can Ie to thepany to see you?¡± He thought it over for a moment and didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Alright,e to thepany.¡± Then, he ended the call. An impassive Amanda sat across from him, somewhat disappointed. It seemed that this mant didn¡¯t fully believe what she said. So, she wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, picked up her bag, and rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave now and not disturb t your date.¡± ¡°Who said about going on a date with her?¡± ¡°You invited her to thepany to meet you. Isn¡¯t that a date? I¡¯ve already told you what she did, but you don¡¯t believe-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he interrupted her, saying, ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to investigate the truth myself. How can I investigate the truth without contacting her?¡± Was Elias exining himself to her? Amanda¡¯s heart tightened, and a hint of a smile appeared on her lips. Regardless, she made sure to shoot him a cold nce before saying, ¡°Then, my advice is to investigate things. thoroughly. I hope you will find the truth soon and stop doubting every word I say.¡± Once she said her piece, she turned and left the private room. Although he still hadn¡¯t regained his memory, he was starting to suspect Rosie at the very least. Since he was about to investigate that scheming b*tch, that just meant the day when the truth would be revealed was not far away. Once he learned about the truth, he should be able to ept it gradually. As long as that happened, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry that he would get agitated whenever they started discussing matters. Elias, who remained seated at the dining table, looked at Amanda¡¯s empty te and. muttered to himself, ¡°You left after only a few bites. What a waste.¡± Then, he continued eating by himself. When Elias returned to his office, Rosie had been waiting an hour. He pushed open the office door and saw her sitting on the couch in the reception area. As soon as she heard the door open, she stood up with a joyful expression and turned around. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re finally back. They said you went out for a meal. I didn¡¯t expect it to take so long. Who did you go with?¡± He walked toward his desk, sat down, and said in a deep voice, ¡°With Amanda.¡± Rosie¡¯s smile instantly disappeared the instant she heard Amanda¡¯s name. He went out to eat with that b*tch Amanda! What¡¯s going on? Has Elias started to believe Amanda¡¯s story? Chatper 459 Chapter 459 Chapter 458 We Remarried? After the client left, the assistant and other staff members also left one by one. Thest one even attentively closed the door to the conference room. At this moment, only Elias and Amanda were left in the spacious conference room. It was so silent that they could even hear each other¡¯s breathing. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why did you call me here in the first ce?¡± ¡°I wanted to see if you were a realwyer.¡± She was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Of course, there was nothing mirthful about it. Instead, she was scoffing out of sheer frustration. So, she told this man to investigate the truth, and the first thing he investigated was her? ¡°Why go through all this trouble? You could have asked me to show you my credentials. Besides, I¡¯ve been sitting here listening for two hours. Can you actually tell if I¡¯m a realwyer after making me sit through something so trivial?¡± She couldn¡¯t keep up with this man¡¯s train of thought. What sort of nonsense was he thinking? Finally, the man stood up slowly, buttoned his suit, turned around, and looked at her. ¡°Have you eaten? If you haven¡¯t, let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± Now, she was beyond confused. ¡°You¡¯re asking me if I¡¯ve eaten? I rushed over as soon as I received the call. How could I possibly have had the time to eat?¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s eat together.¡± He walked toward the conference room door, and she watched his retreating back,pletely bewildered. What was this man trying to do? Was he making a fool out of her? Nheless, she still followed him to a famous restaurant in Imperia. After the waiter served their food, he left the private room. Amanda stared as Elias ate elegantly and couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°So, you¡¯re now able to sit. down and have a meal with me calmly?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Since you¡¯re so confident, coupled with the fact that I haven¡¯t found the truth yet¡­ Of course, I can.¡± ¡°So, why did you request my presence today?¡± He sliced up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth, his tone cold and natural as he said, ¡°Show me a photo of the child. I couldn¡¯t find any photos of the child at home.¡± She imed that the child was his, but he couldn¡¯t find a single photo of the child in the entire estate, let alone a picture of the three. So, he wanted to see a photo of the child¡­. Amanda rxed slightly and answered, ¡°Oh, there are no photos of the child in the estate. because we had remarried recently. I was separated from you for four years before that happened. So, you didn¡¯t have the chance to witness the child growing up.¡± ¡°What? We remarried?¡± Elias looked puzzled, finding it somewhat unbelievable. She took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Yes, it was just before your car ident. We had just obtained our marriage certificate. The child and I had just moved into the estate legally, so there aren¡¯t any photos avable.¡± ¡°Then, why couldn¡¯t I find any documents proving our rtionship at home?¡± He felt like he was seeing a ghost. He couldn¡¯t find the divorce certificate, and now Amanda. was telling him they had remarried. Yet, he couldn¡¯t find the marriage certificate either! She held the teacup as a cold sneer appeared on her lips. ¡°You should ask Rosie Momsey about that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He narrowed his eyes, staring at Amanda, waiting for her to continue. She simply raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why did Rosie forbid you from returning to the estate after you were discharged? It¡¯s because she wanted to remove all the important things from the estate before allowing you to return. That¡¯s why there¡¯s nothing useful avable.¡± Elias fell silent. He couldn¡¯t believe that the first person he saw after waking up would do. such a thing. ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Amanda smiled, picked up her cutlery, and tasted a piece of beef. The taste was indeed as fantastic as advertised. Then, she said, ¡°Because she wants to be your woman. Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯ve said it once, and I¡¯ll repeat it. Rosie can deceive you, but she can¡¯t deceive everyone. Just ask around. Everyone knows just how much you despise her. How could you possibly allow her to be your girlfriend?¡± He furrowed his brows and pursed his lips as he carefully recalled Rosie¡¯s actions after he regained consciousness. It seemed that she had indeed been keeping him under house arrest. Suddenly, the phone beside him started vibrating. He picked it up and nced at it. It was a call from Rosie. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Amanda also noticed the call and observed the man¡¯s expression, wondering if he would answer it. Elias answered the call after hesitating briefly and put it to his ear. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve arrived at the estate. Mr. Jones said you went out. Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m near thepany, Do you need something?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯m just worried about you and wanted to see you. Can Ie to thepany to see you?¡± He thought it over for a moment and didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Alright,e to thepany.¡± Then, he ended the call. An impassive Amanda sat across from him, somewhat disappointed. It seemed that this mant didn¡¯t fully believe what she said. So, she wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, picked up her bag, and rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave now and not disturb t your date.¡± ¡°Who said about going on a date with her?¡± ¡°You invited her to thepany to meet you. Isn¡¯t that a date? I¡¯ve already told you what she did, but you don¡¯t believe-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he interrupted her, saying, ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to investigate the truth myself. How can I investigate the truth without contacting her?¡± Was Elias exining himself to her? Amanda¡¯s heart tightened, and a hint of a smile appeared on her lips. Regardless, she made sure to shoot him a cold nce before saying, ¡°Then, my advice is to investigate things. thoroughly. I hope you will find the truth soon and stop doubting every word I say.¡± Once she said her piece, she turned and left the private room. Although he still hadn¡¯t regained his memory, he was starting to suspect Rosie at the very least. Since he was about to investigate that scheming b*tch, that just meant the day when the truth would be revealed was not far away. Once he learned about the truth, he should be able to ept it gradually. As long as that happened, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry that he would get agitated whenever they started discussing matters. Elias, who remained seated at the dining table, looked at Amanda¡¯s empty te and. muttered to himself, ¡°You left after only a few bites. What a waste.¡± Then, he continued eating by himself. When Elias returned to his office, Rosie had been waiting an hour. He pushed open the office door and saw her sitting on the couch in the reception area. As soon as she heard the door open, she stood up with a joyful expression and turned around. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re finally back. They said you went out for a meal. I didn¡¯t expect it to take so long. Who did you go with?¡± He walked toward his desk, sat down, and said in a deep voice, ¡°With Amanda.¡± Rosie¡¯s smile instantly disappeared the instant she heard Amanda¡¯s name. He went out to eat with that b*tch Amanda! What¡¯s going on? Has Elias started to believe Amanda¡¯s story? Chatper 460 Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Hypnosis. Inside the car, Elias had been looking out of the window while being lost in thought. Rosie didn¡¯t disturb him and sat quietly beside him as she yed with her phone. After a while, he turned to her and asked in a deep voice, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like the direction to the hospital. Where are we going for the check-up?¡± ¡°Eli, the doctor was too busy, so I arranged for the check-up at our family¡¯s hospital. I will take the results to that doctor afterward. Our hospital is a private one, so the examination. will be quick and won¡¯t dy you for long. Rosie exined. Hearing that, he didn¡¯t say anything else, but his brows furrowed slightly, and they continued. the journey in silence. Half an hourter, the car slowly came to a halt before being parked in the hospital parking lot. Elias and Rosie got out of the car and walked toward the hospital¡¯s main building. After Rosie took him through a series of examinations, she led him to the doctor¡¯s office, which had a sign that read ¡°Neurology.¡± But the moment Elias entered that office, he felt heavy-headed. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a bell, and he stopped in his tracks. After noticing that, Rosie asked, ¡°Eli, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Did you hear a bell ringing?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t hear any sounds.¡± Rosie innocently shook her head. Eli thought it was just his imagination and walked into the office. The next moment, Rosie pointed to a single couch and said, ¡°Eli, please sit here. The doctor will be here to examine you soon. There are blood clots in your brain after the car ident, and it¡¯s dangerous if they spread, so we need to recheck it.¡± Eli didn¡¯t give much thought to it and sat on the couch. He had a feeling that something was off but could not put his finger on it. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the doctor here yet?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long. Let me make a call to remind them. They might be busy at the moment.¡± Rosie smiled and left the office. In the corridor, Rosie dialed a phone number and said, ¡°I¡¯m out now. Hurry up, but don¡¯t let him suspect anything. Also, don¡¯t take too long. He gets irritable easily, and he has a bad temper.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Momsey. I¡¯m an expert at this.¡± After Rosie left the office, Elias suddenly heard a faint sound of a bell in the air. He furrowed his brows and looked around, but he couldn¡¯t see any trace of a bell. Is it just my imagination again? Elias felt increasingly drowsy and sleepy as hey on the single couch. He wanted to sleep, but the doctor still hadn¡¯t arrived after a long time, and he was getting impatient. At that moment, a whiteb coat woman entered the office. She closed the door and sat next to him before saying with a gentle smile, ¡°Mr. Winters, I¡¯m sorry for beingte. Let¡¯s begin. now.¡± Begin? Begin what? Isn¡¯t it a brain examination? They had just taken a CT scan, so why do they need to start again? Elias couldn¡¯t understand what the doctor was doing, but he was getting increasingly tired, and his eyelids were getting heavier. Following that, he heard the female doctor say, ¡°You can take a nap if you¡¯re feeling sleepy.¡± Suddenly, a series of bell sounds echoed incessantly in his ears. Elias slowly closed his eyes, and the sounds became fainter and fainter until hepletely lost consciousness. He soon entered a bizarre dream. Elias seemed to enter a dark world and kept walking forward until he saw a ray of light and a vi. He pushed open the door and saw a pitiful woman kneeling on the ground while another woman pped her. He approached and saw that the woman on the ground was Rosie, and the woman pping her was Amanda. Elias was puzzled as he watched this scene. He heard Amanda say to Rosie, ¡°Who do you think you are, trying to steal my man? Even though I¡¯ve done so many things to hurt Elias, he still chose me! Because he¡¯s just a jerk! He doesn¡¯t like any woman who treats him well. He likes someone like me, who ys hard to get!¡± you make ¡°Why do you treat Elias like this? He hasn¡¯t done anything wrong to you. Why do him wear a cuckold¡¯s hat and deceive him into raising you and other men¡¯s children? It¡¯s unfair to him!¡± Rosic cried. ¡°He¡¯s doing it willingly. He likes me so much that he¡¯s willing to raise my illegitimate child. What¡¯s it to you?¡± Amanda sneered. As Elias watched this scene, he felt as if his mind was exploding. He angrily turned around and tried to escape but found himself in another room as soon as he turned around. Inside, he heard the sounds of passionate lovemaking between a man and a woman. With trembling hands, he pushed open the door and saw a couple making love on the bed. When he saw the woman¡¯s face clearly, his heart felt like it had been stabbed! The woman on the bed was Amanda! Elias widened his eyes in shock as he looked at the scene in front of him where Amanda shamelessly slept with other men andpletely disregarded his feelings. He suddenly rushed forward and kicked the man off the bed while Amanda arrogantly pulled up the covers, saying, ¡°Did you see that? It¡¯s good that you did. Now, I don¡¯t have to lie and deceive you anymore. The child isn¡¯t yours, but so what? You love me and won¡¯t mind. raising the child for me, right?¡± Elias looked at the beautiful yet detestable face in front of him, wishing he could strangle this woman to death. Suddenly! ¡°Get out! Get lost! Get out of my world!¡± Elias woke up from his dream and opened his eyes abruptly. His pitch-ck eyes stared at the ceiling, and his gaze was fierce. Soon, he realized it was just a dream. He was still in the doctor¡¯s office, and the doctor was nowhere to be seen. Sitting in front of him was Rosie. ¡°Eli, what happened to you just now? Don¡¯t scare me. Are you okay? Why do you look 50 pale, and why are you sweating so much?¡± Rosie wiped the cold sweat off his forehead with at tissue. Elias grabbed her wrist, and she froze. She looked at him with a guilty expression and was unsure if the hypnosis had worked. He stared at her for a long time before releasing her wrist. With that, Rose cautiously asked. Eli. what happened to you just now ¡°It¡¯s nothing evidentally fell adeep¡± Well the doctor and ¡®reventering well but your deep quality isn¡¯t good, which isn¡¯t beneficial for your recovery Roxie pretended to be unaware of what happened. Flint closely end up and walked out of the doctor¡¯s office. He felt like he had only slept f esod ten minutes in the office, but when he nced at his watch, he realized he had slept for th After waking up from such a strange dream, he airprisingly started to have some truest in Suddenly, he felt guilty toward her but didn¡¯t know where this guilt came from. unsure if the hypnosis had worked. He stared at her for a long time before releasing her wrist. With that, Rosie cautiously asked. ¡®Eli, what happened to you just ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Fidentally fell asleep.¡± TLOW?¡± ¡°Well, the doctor said you¡¯re recovering well, but your sleep quality isn¡¯t good, which isn¡¯t beneficial for your recovery¡± Rosie pretended to be unaware of what happened. Elias slowly stood up and walked out of the doctor¡¯s office. He felt like he had only slept for ten minutes in the office, but when he nced at his watch, he realized he had slept for three hours. After waking up from such a strange dream, he surprisingly started to have some trust in Rosie Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Suddenly, he felt guilty toward her but didn¡¯t know where this guilt came from. Chatper 461 Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Being Possessed After leaving the hospital, Rosie nced at the man¡¯s profile, eager to gauge the effects of the earlier. hypnosis Hence, she asked tentatively. ¡°Eli, what should we do now?¡± Elias stopped walking, his gaze clouded with confusion upon hearing this. It appeared that he, too, had forgotten his intended course of action. He turned to face the woman behind him and asked, ¡°What would you like to do? ¡°I¡­ Well, it¡¯s already noon, and my stomach¡¯s growling. How about we grab some lunch?¡± she suggested. Instead of declining, he nodded and replied, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡± As they strolled toward the parking lot, her heart swelled with joy as she observed his retreating figure. Inwardly, she pondered, Is it working? Could this signify the sess of the earlier hypnosis? At least he no longer rejects my presence. Heh¡­ If this keeps up, perhaps I¡¯ll be the sole upant of his thoughts and heart. Suppressing her excitement, she followed behind him and entered the car. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Once they settled into the vehicle, the driver navigated away from the hospital. Throughout the ride, Elias remained silent. His mind seemed upied by the faint, mystical sound of bells. However, no bells were in sight when he scanned his surroundings. Meanwhile, Rosie noticed his strange demeanor. Hence, she feigned concern and inquired, ¡°Eli, are you okay? Do you have a headache again?¡± ¡°No. By the way, did I talk in my sleep at the doctor¡¯s office earlier? Also, is the doctor a woman?¡± He only remembered seeing a female doctor as she entered the room, and then an inexplicable drowsiness overcame him. During this time, he drifted into a prolonged dream. Eventually, he awoke, only to realize that three hours had slipped unnoticed. She feigned a puzzled expression and remarked, ¡°Yes, it was a female doctor. However, you didn¡¯t talk in your sleep. Perhaps you were simply exhausted and dozed off.¡± Then, he fell into contemtive silence and said nothing. For the rest of the day, Elias was quite amodating toward Rosie. He didn¡¯t return to thepany but dedicated the entire day to her. Even he couldn¡¯t fathom the reason behind his actions. It felt as though an inner voice urged him that he cherished her above all else. As night fell, he dropped her off near the Momsey Residence. She beamed as she unfastened her seatbelt, ready to exit the car and return home. In the meantime, he also stepped out of the car, apanying her to the residence¡¯s gate to bid farewell. ¡°Eli, thank you for today. You¡¯ve spent the entire day with me.¡± Head inside. It¡¯s gettingte,¡± Elias replied. ¡°Alright then, see you tomorrow. By the way, I¡¯ve recently learned two new dishes. Ill prepare them for you tomorrow and bring them to your office, Rosie said with a joyful smile before darting toward the vi Just then, Taylor stepped out of the vi and was met with an astonishing sight. He blinked in disbelief. momentarily wondering if his eyes were ying tricks on him. Nheless, he was taken aback by s 1-3 uncharacteristic gentleness toward his sister After seeing her safely inside. Elias swiftly retreated into his car. Despite feeling peculiarly dazed, the prospect of overtime work didn¡¯t cross his mind. He only wanted to head home and enjoy a restful night¡¯s sleep. Soon. the car pulled away, and Rosie hummed merrily as she ascended the steps. She unexpectedly encountered her brother standing there in a daze. ¡°Taylor, what brings you out here? Anyway, I¡¯m utterly exhausted today, so I¡¯m heading to bed,¡± she said. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and asked anxiously, ¡°Hold on! What¡¯s going on between you and Elias? ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you witnessed. Eli has been treating me well,¡± she responded with an irrepressible giggle. The present scenario delighted her, and she secretly wished Elias would always treat her this way. Taylor appeared perplexed upon hearing this and struggled toprehend their current rtionship. The inexplicable change in Elias¡¯ demeanor led him to believe that the man had been possessed, as he now acted contrary to his usual demeanor. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right. Even after he lost his memory, he wouldn¡¯t treat you so warmly. Despite not rejecting you, I¡¯ve noticed him avoiding you. And now, he¡¯s suddenly so close to you, his indifference reced with intimacy. What exactly transpired between you two?¡± he asked. In a sudden realization, he blurted out, ¡°Did you two¡­ You know?¡± The only exnation he could conjure for such a drastic change in a man was a romantic involvement. Rosie blushed and yfully punched her brother. ¡°What are you insinuating? Eli would never do that. No way!¡± ¡°Well then, what is it? Is he possessed or something? How could you possibly be with such a fickle man?¡± he inquired, his curiosity undeterred. Though she knew everything, she chose silence as her response. However, the notion of Elias being possessed wasn¡¯t entirely off the mark. Unbeknownst to him, he had willingly sumbed to the art of hypnosis. The hypnotist had skillfully interwoven Rosie into the man¡¯s memories, prompting him to ept her. ¡°I¡¯d rather not tell you. Isn¡¯t this a positive development?¡± She grinned before sauntering into the vi, leaving Taylor in bewilderment. Meanwhile, Yacob had sessfully sneaked into the grand Lawrence Estate under the guise of a gardener, tending to flowers and clearing weeds. Yet, this wasn¡¯t his primary objective-his foremost task was safeguarding Aiden. However, two days had passed, and he hadn¡¯t caught sight of the little guy anywhere within the sprawling estate. Since the previous incident, Symeon had relocated Aiden to another vi. Hence, Yacob had to search relentlessly. While clearing the weeds with a fellow gardener, Yacob asked, ¡°Do you know where the master¡¯s illegitimate son might be?¡± The gardener eyed him warily before responding. ¡°What are you getting at? It¡¯s wise not to delve into the master¡¯s private matters. You might end up losing your job.¡± 111 23 Yacob offered a knowing smile as he lit a cigarette. Im not prving Tve just heard of the master & fondnes for the little guy My concern is that if the boy happens to venture into my working area to y and I fail to recognize him, any mishap would undoubtedly lead to my undoing. Wouldn¡¯t the master be furious? His exnation seemed to ay the gardener¡¯s concerns since this apprehension was natural in their line of work. Meanwhile, simr concerns were shared by all servants within the Lawrence Estate. They feared that serving Aiden inadequately might lead to Symeon¡¯s punishment. Thus, word had spread that catering the little guy was no trifling task. Then, the gardener patted Yacob¡¯s shoulder and reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it too much. Just keep your distance when you encounter Mr. Aiden. Even if a mishap urs, it won¡¯t be pinned on you. Moreover, he hardly ever ventures into our area. So, don¡¯t worry.¡± Just then, a car slowly passed by their vicinity. The gardener pointed and informed, ¡°See that car? It¡¯s the one that fetches Mr. Aiden to and from school every day.¡± Following his gesture, Yacob¡¯s gaze settled on the car heading toward Vi No. 1. Suddenly, he said, ¡°Oh, my stomach¡¯s acting up. I need a bathroom break. Can you cover for me for a while?¡± Then he grimaced in difort. ¡°You¡¯re full of excuses as always. Hurry, though, my shift is almost over,¡± the gardener grumbled. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Chatper 462 Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Why Is He So Fickle? Yacob conjured up a stomach ache excuse to trail the car. He wanted to find out which vi it was heading 10. Eventually, he noticed the car pulled up in front of Vi No. 2, where Symeon and Aiden disembarked Despite his concerns. Yacob felt a sense of relief upon observing the little guy, who seemed displeased yet unharmed. Then, he thought, Lawrence likely remains oblivious to the truth, thus maintaining his affection for the little guy. Nheless. I must rescue the little guy before this lunatic uncovers the truth. Hence, he stood by, watching Aiden enter Vi No. 2 before departing with a sense of reassurance. He nned to talk to Aidenter that night. After returning to his post, Yacob suddenly noticed the car driving out again. He instinctively lowered his head and resumed weeding the grass. He feared that Symeon, sitting inside the vehicle, might recognize him. The car passed by in silence, and only then did Yacob dare to look up. He breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed Symeon was engrossed in his phone, showing no inclination to nce out from the ear window. Then, his thoughts drifted to Amanda, wondering how she was faring back in the country. He knew about Elias¡¯ amnesia and inferred that she must endure a trying period. Sighing, he murmured. ¡°Mr. Winters, please regain your memory soon. I fear I cannot rescue Aiden alone. He knew that he could only silently watch over the little guy. As the night deepened, the entire estate sumbed to a deep slumber. Yacob reverted his original appearance and silently entered Vi No. 2. Once inside, he ascended the stairs to Aiden¡¯s master bedroom and gently pushed open the door. Just as he expected, the little guy was sleeping inside. Initially, he had merely intended to nce at the child and depart. However, a faint whimpering caught his ear, and he furrowed his brow as he listened. ¡°Mommy¡­ Does Daddy not want us again, Mommy¡­¡± Aiden¡¯s intive murmur tugged at Yacob¡¯s heartstrings, even against his resolute nature. Never before had he felt such empathy for a child¡¯s sorrow. So, he approached and gently stroked the little guy¡¯s head. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter, How could Mr. Winters not want you? He cherishes you more than anything, but he¡¯s just unable to be with you now. When Mr. Winters regains his memory, he¡¯ll destroy Lawrence Estate and bring you back to his side. Aiden seemed to sense someone touching him and opened his eyes in fear. When he saw it was Yacob, he eximed in surprise. ¡°Is it you, Yacob? Are you here to take me home? Did Daddy send you?¡± The baby climbed out of bed and rushed into Yacob¡¯s arms. Yacob held the small body tightly and said. ¡°Yes, your daddy asked me toe.¡± When are we leaving? I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. It¡¯s lonely without Mommy or you Everything¡¯s so boring.¡± Aiden¡¯s frustration had reached its peak. He felt utterly lifeless and devoid of purpose within the estate¡¯s confines. Yacob suddenly felt guilty and didn¡¯t know how to exin it to the child. He thought for a long time before saying. ¡°Soon, we will take you back very soon. Your daddy has been a little busy recently When he¡¯s done, he wille and pick you up. You¡¯re going to kindergarten, right? Haven¡¯t you seen your old 111 13 Triends? Why are you still unhappy! I can¡¯t find my old friends, and they don¡¯t want to y with me anymore¡± Aiden pouted in grievante Yacob hugged the child rightly and reassured him. ¡°You can make new friends. Don¡¯t ¡°What about you? Will you stay with me? It¡¯s lonely here by myself¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Of course, your daddy specifically asked me to apany you. I¡¯m here every day, nting flowers and weeding over there. If you¡¯re free, you can y with me, okay?¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Aiden was finally happy to see a familiar face. At the sight of the little guy¡¯s smile, Yacob¡¯s mood improved greatly. Back in the country, Amanda decided to go to the Winters Enterprise. She was growing restless just sitting around in the hotel. Since she knew Elias had initiated an investigation, she could discern that progress should be underway. Also, she couldn¡¯t afford to ce too much trust in Rosie. Determined, Amanda decided to visit thepany. She approached the receptionist and expressed her desire to meet him. After a call through the secretary¡¯s internal line, she was directed to the 17th floor and started heading toward the president¡¯s office. Suddenly, the secretary intervened and blocked her path. ¡°Miss Bailey, could you please wait for a moment? Mr. Winters is currently upied and might not have time to see you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nearly noon. What¡¯s keeping him so upied? I just want to say a few words. If he¡¯s busy, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Amanda was about to proceed, but the secretary stood firm, blocking her way. ¡°Please understand, Miss Bailey. Mr. Winters is genuinely preupied. Forcing an entry might lead to repercussions for me. It¡¯s not easy to secure employment¡­¡± After hearing this, she was almost persuaded, understanding the challenges of being an employee. She didn¡¯t wish to make things more difficult for them. Hence, she turned toward the waiting area whenughter reached her ears from behind the office door. Then, she thought, Huh? A woman¡¯sughter? This voice¡­ It sounds strangely familiar. What is going on? Perplexed, Amanda turned back and approached the office door. She strained to listen and could clearly discern Rosie¡¯sughter from inside. Her eyes widened in disbelief. In the meantime, the secretary, standing beside her, noticed her intention to barge in. Hence, the secretary hastily intervened to stop her. ¡°Miss Bailey, the waiting area is that way! ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Amanda brushed the secretary aside, pushed open the door, and entered The door swung open, and she saw Elias and Rosie sharing a meal in the meeting area. Rosie had brought the lunchbox, and the scene left Amanda in disbelief. Is this the lunchbox prepared by her? The secretary was mortified and stammered, ¡°1-I¡¯m sorry. Mr. Winters. I couldn¡¯t stop Miss Bailey She insisted on barging¡­ He had earlier caught sight of Amanda entering. Moreover, he could also notice her visage contorted with displeasure and her eyes simmering with fury. Hence, he nced at the secretary and asserted. Its none wch the gare Bred The need cave 2 for your sweetheart. I¡¯m not your depth a Amarele sand thin schule keeping les en the math eleting tech in her huge Chatper 463 Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Our Son? ¡°Do you have something to talk to me about?¡± Elias looked at her, feeling a strange sensation in his chest that he couldn¡¯t describe. ¡°I did have something to talk to you about, but it seems that it¡¯s not important anymore. You two can continue with your business,¡± said Amanda before turning around to leave. Rosie was rejoicing in her heart. Everything was heading in the direction she wanted. Unexpectedly, the man sitting on the couch suddenly stood up and walked toward Amanda. In just a few steps, his long legs brought him in front of her, and he grabbed her wrist. ¡°What do you want?¡± Amanda looked back angrily. Elias tightly held her wrist, not even knowing what he wanted to do. It was just an instinctual desire to hold onto her and not let her go. At this moment, Rosie walked over to them and hypocritically intervened. ¡°Amanda, since you¡¯re here to talk to Elias, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Did I interrupt your conversation? I can go out first if that¡¯s the case.¡± She seemed very tactful, wanting to leave the office. However, the man spoke up. ¡°Sit back down. If there s something she wants to say, she can just say it. There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t listen to.¡± Rosie was quite satisfied with the man¡¯s response and had no choice but to go back and sit on the couch. Amanda simply closed the office door, retracted her hand, and then went to sit in the reception area. She looked at this pair of ¡°cheaters¡± and said, ¡°Alright, since you want me to say it, then I¡¯ll say it. I just want to ask how your investigation is going. Isn¡¯t it like what I said-that everyone in our circle knows how much you used to hate Rosie?¡± Upon hearing this, Rosie changed color drastically. How dare this b*tch ask Elias to look into this! ¡°Amanda, what do you mean- ¡°What do I mean? Am I not telling the truth? But the truth is so cruel.¡± Amanda crossed her arms and looked at Elias, waiting for his answer. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Elias pinched the space between his eyebrows, feeling a headache from hearing the argument between the two women. He said, ¡°What you said is true, and my investigation yielded the same result.¡± Then, why are these two people having lunch together in his office? Eating the boxed lunch prepared by Rosie? I couldn¡¯t understand this! I really couldn¡¯t understand! Rosie¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Eli-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Elias interrupted, ¡°But when I had a car ident and almost ended. up in a vegetative state, she was the one who stayed by my side without leaving. So, I don¡¯t need to be too heartless toward her now.¡± Both Amanda and Rosie¡¯s expressions changed at these words. Amanda looked incredulous. What did this mean? Did Elias, who had lost his memory, start to appreciate Rosie? On the other hand, Rosie went from disbelief to happiness, but she felt that the man¡¯s changes were all 173 thanks to that miraculous hypnosis. ¡°So, are you choosing her? Do you like her? Are you bing interested in her?¡± Amanda questioned aggressively. s frowned. ¡°I just think that people can change. She seems to be doing nothing wrong now, so there¡¯s no need to be ruthless toward her.¡± Ha! Amanda felt that this man had changed; it seemed he was leaning toward Rosie now. ¡°Could you please leave us alone for a moment? I have something to discuss with mywful husband. You¡¯re being kind of a nuisance. Her face turned cold as she turned to look at Rosie. Rosie stood up helplessly. ¡°Well then, Elias, I¡¯m going back first. Take care of yourself, especially since you haven¡¯t fully recovered. Follow the doctor¡¯s advice,¡± she said. After that, she reluctantly looked back at Elias and finally left the office, closing the door behind her. Amanda got up and walked to the office door. Suddenly, she swung the door open, and sure enough. Roste stood outside, seemingly preparing to eavesdrop. When the door swung open, Rosie was first startled, her eyes widening. Then, she smiled awkwardly. saying, ¡°I-I was just about to leave. You two have a nice chat. I just wanted to close the door.¡± With that, she turned around and left in embarrassment. Amanda witnessed her leaving and then closed the door, locking it to prevent anyone from interrupting their conversation. Elias watched all of these actions. She turned around and saw him sitting on the couch. She couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and asked right away. ¡°So, what do you want now? Are you nning to cheat again? Don¡¯t use your memory loss as an excuse. If you tell me that you¡¯re interested in her, I¡¯ll leave immediately and won¡¯t disturb your time together.¡± At this moment, Elias was inwardly conflicted. His reason told him that he wasn¡¯t interested in Rosie, but there was a voice in his heart telling him to be kinder to her because he owed her so much. But what did he owe Rosie? He couldn¡¯t even figure it out himself. But¡­ what does it mean to cheat again? This phrase made Elias unhappy, and he retorted, ¡°What do you mean by cheating again? Did I cheat before?¡± He didn¡¯t feel like someone who was unfaithful in a marriage. How could he have cheated? Amanda was about to explode with rage. How could this man be so infuriating? She didn¡¯t want to provoke him, but he kept going astray. At this rate, when would she manage to bring Aiden back? ¡°What do you think? You¡¯re already a se mbag, to begin with, and now you want to continue cheating under the excuse of memory loss? I¡¯m caring about you, but what about you? Do you know that our son is being held captive, waiting for you to save him? But instead, youe here and flirt with another woman after losing your memory!¡± Unable to take it anymore, she blurted out everything on her mind without considering whether it would upset Elias¡¯ brain. ¡°What do you mean by being held captive? What do you mean by our son?¡± Elias still hadn¡¯t investigated the true origin of this child, so he couldn¡¯t be sure if the child was his or not. Amanda was almostughing out of anger and sat down on the couch. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s our son. When will you recover your memory? I¡¯m on the verge of a breakdown. Do you know that? Every time I think there¡¯s. hope, you lean toward Rosie!¡± Chatper 464 Chapter 464 Chapter 464 It¡¯s Been a While Elias remained alert and slowly spoke. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say if he is my son. Are you trying to deceive me into rescuing the son of you and your lover?¡± He didn¡¯t want to doubt Amanda, but the paternity test inade it difficult for him to let his guard down. He had to investigate thoroughly before concluding whether or not the child was his. Amanda¡¯s heart sank at his words. She couldn¡¯t bear to stay for another second. Immediately, she stood up, picked up her bag, and turned to leave the office; tears streamed down her face as she walked away. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist pping this man across the face. Elias sat on the couch this time, watching as the woman mmed the door and stormed out of the office. He had to investigate everything before he could determine the truth quickly. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t distinguish whether Amanda¡¯s words were true or false. After getting up and returning to his desk, he called his assistant on the inte. Within a minute, the assistant entered the office, looking flustered. ¡°Mr. Winters, you called for me. Is there something wrong? He was busy at his workstation and was taken aback when his boss suddenly called him into the office. ¡°How is the investigation I asked you to do? What is my current marital status? Am I married or divorced?¡± Elias asked. The assistant answered, ¡°Oh, I just received a call from the relevant department. They said you¡¯re currently married, and if your marriage certificate is missing, it can be reissued-¡± So, what Amanda said about remarrying was true? Elias cut the assistant short. ¡°What else? Did I have a child with Amanda? What happened before my car ident? Why did I have the ident in the first ce?¡± The assistant looked confused by the questions. ¡°Um¡­ I haven¡¯t found out about those things yet. And almost no one knew about your car ident, not even me, until a few days ago. I don¡¯t know when you had the ident or when you woke up. As for your marriage to Miss Bailey, only a few people know about it, and even fewer people know about the child.¡± Elias¡¯ face darkened, and he waved his hand, signaling for the assistant to leave. The assistant had no choice but to leave the office and close the door. Elias felt that something must have happened before his car ident-something intense. The ident must be rted to the paternity test, but it wasn¡¯t just because of the test. Since the ident, whenever he used his brain for too long, he would get a headache. And now, his headache was starting again. He opened the drawer and took out some painkillers, swallowing two pills. Amanda wandered aimlessly on the street, not knowing where to go. At this moment, Aiden made an international long-distance call to her. She sat on a nearby bench and answered the phone. Aiden¡¯s excited voice came through the phone, saying, ¡°Mommy Mommy. I saw Mr. Yacob! Mr. Yacob said he will y with me every day¡± She immediately perked up. Yacob managed to sneak in there so quickly? He didn¡¯t even call me to let her brow 13 Maybe it was inconvenient for him to call from Lawrence Estate. ¡°Aiden, did you really see Mr. Yacob?¡± she asked ¡°Yeah. Mr. Yacob came to see me in my room. He said we¡¯ll be able to go home soon, and he will y with me every day.¡± Aiden replied. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Yacob had sneaked into Lawrence Estate now. If he were found out by Simon again, Simon would definitely kill him this time. ¡°Aiden, listen to me. You mustn¡¯t tell anyone about Mr. Yacob. Do you understand?¡± ¡°But Mommy, can¡¯t I tell Mr. Lawrence too?¡± Aiden asked innocently. Amanda¡¯s heart jumped up into her throat. She immediately stopped him, saying, ¡°Exactly! Especially Mr. Lawrence. You absolutely mustn¡¯t tell him where Mr. Yacob is.¡± ¡°Why? I don¡¯t think Mr. Lawrence is a bad person. Even though he¡¯s stern, he hasn¡¯t bullied me,¡± replied Aiden. After these days of spending time together, he hade to believe that Symeon wasn¡¯t a bad person despite his foul temper. Amanda¡¯s heart skipped a beat. At this rate, Aiden might end up getting along peacefully with that Lawrence guy! She patiently exined to her son, ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ they have a grudge against each other, so you can¡¯t say anything. You got it? Be good and stay there. Mr. Yacob will y with you every day, but anyone, or Mr. Yacob won¡¯t be able to stay there anymore.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. you can¡¯t tell ¡°Okay, Mommy, I got it.¡± At that moment, Symeon¡¯s voice rang on the other end as he called Aiden toe over to eat. Then, Amanda heard the man¡¯s voice through the phone. ¡°Why do you always call him during his mealtime? Don¡¯t you know it would affect his appetite?¡± ¡°It was Aiden who called me. How would I know when he¡¯s eating?¡± She couldn¡¯t speak nicely to this man. Had it not been for this lunatic, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation, and Elias wouldn¡¯t have had the car ident and lost his memory. ¡°You¡¯d better cut down on the number of times you talk to him. That way, he can slowly forget about you,¡± Symeon said coldly. He didn¡¯t want to see Aiden constantly talking to Amanda over the phone in front of him. Amanda suppressed her anger and said, ¡°He needs time to adjust, no? If you suddenly cut off his emotional support like this, what kind of trauma will it leave on his young mind? Will you take responsibility for healing him if he ends up with mental scars? It will be toote for you toe to me then.¡± There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. After that, he hung up. She looked at the disconnected phone and felt an inexplicable worry. At this rate, will Symeon discover the truth? What if Elias couldn¡¯t recover his memory¡­ She wanted to go to the hospital and ask the doctor about it Just as she stood up and was about to leave, she bumped into a man¡¯s chest. She looked up and was surprised to see Simon. ¡°Simon why are you here? I haven¡¯t seen you in a while¡­ I felt like they hadn¡¯t seen each other in a century, and this person was almost disappearing from her memory Seeing her surprised expression, Simon replied with a chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time indeed, but you don¡¯t have to be so astonished. We¡¯re notplete strangers 21 Speechless. Amanda forced a smile and lowered her head. She felt that Simon was the person she owed the most to. Simon saw her awkward expression and deliberately changed the subject. ¡°By the way, how have you beentely? Is Elias treating you and your son well? I believe he¡¯ll cherish the time he spends with you and your son this time. After all the effort he put into bringing Amanda and her child back, he would definitely take extra care of them to make up for the lost time. Chatper 465 Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Elias Gets Jealous Amanda forced a bitter smile, not wanting to bring up the matter. It¡¯s hard to put into words. Besides, she didn¡¯t want Simon tough at her after she told him the story. I have something to take care of. Let¡¯s talk another time. I have to go¡± Amanda had been avoiding Simon¡¯s gaze, not wanting to say another word. After all, I don¡¯t have the right to talk to him, and I probably deserve it. He could tell something was wrong with her, so he reached out to stop her. ¡°Are you avoiding me? Although we can¡¯t be lovers, we were good partners and good friends once. Can I not even talk to you now?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m busy. Let¡¯s talk another day, okay?¡± Clearly, she was feeling uneasy, so Simon couldn¡¯t bring himself to pressure her further. He withdrew his arm. ¡°You¡¯re trying to avoid Elias seeing us together, aren¡¯t you? He¡¯s the winner now. Why would he be afraid of me, especially when I¡¯m out of the game?¡± His words carried a hint of self-mockery. Amanda was stunned momentarily, but she was no longer facing away from him. After all, she could run, but she couldn¡¯t hide. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Simon. Elias isn¡¯t that kind of person. How about this? Let¡¯s find a ce to sit and talk. We shouldn¡¯t talk on the roadside.¡±¡± Simon smiled. ¡°Sure. That¡¯s a good idea. Besides, I owe you a meal. I¡¯ll make up for it tonight. Therefore, allow me to treat you to dinner.¡± Dinner? Amanda looked up at the sky and btedly realized that it had turned dark. I can¡¯t believe I spent the afternoon wandering on the streets. The time sure passes quickly! At the same moment, a car passed them. The pair didn¡¯t notice that Elias was sitting inside the car. Meanwhile, Elias looked out of the window of his car with a gloomy expression. He happened to spot the pair on the street. He couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows as he fixed the handsome man and the beautiful woman with a stare. Is that what Amanda did when she said she loved me? By allowing another man to touch her in public? Who is that man? Is she cheating on me? Elias was enraged by the thought. It turned out his wife was a promiscuous woman. To think they weren¡¯t divorced yet fueled his anger. In the clubhouse, Simon brought Amanda to a private room to ensure they could eat with privacy The waiter served them the dishes and left the room immediately, leaving the two in awkwardness. Amanda focused on eating, not feeling likemunicating with Simon, even if it was just making eye contact ||| < 13 ou seem downtely. Do you mind telling me what happened?¡± Elias noticed the troubled look on Amanda¡¯s face at first sight when they met up. He had been trying to ask her but didn¡¯t find the opportunity. Amanda paused for a moment before looking up with a smile. ¡°You think so? But I¡¯ve been doing well recently.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, that¡¯s fine.¡± Simon didn¡¯t want to push her, so he changed the topic. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Aiden doing recently? Has he adapted to the local kindergarten? I passed the kindergarten several times but never saw him ying outside.¡± Amanda¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of Aiden. She just kept eating without answering. The change in her expression didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Simon. He asked with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to him?¡± ¡°No!¡± Her head snapped to him, and she exined, her voice uncertain. ¡°Nothing happened to Aiden. He¡¯s fine. He has been staying at home all this time. Everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Nothing happened. You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you? Let¡¯s dig in. We should leave after the meal. I don¡¯t feel like staying here.¡± Amanda continued eating. Even though she had no appetite at all, she forced herself to eat. Simon was puzzled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to stay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you. I¡¯ve been busy recently¡­¡± Simon fell silent, but he knew Amanda was only making up an excuse because he hadn¡¯t heard of her doing any job recently. After failing to reach out to Amanda, their client came to him instead. He stared at her without saying a word, causing her to fidget in her seat. She felt that she shouldn¡¯t befriend Simon anymore. It¡¯s best to cut ties with him. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Then, Amanda got up and left the private room. Simon sat alone in the room. He looked at her te, which was still full of food. He could tell Am no appetite, yet she kept stuffing food into her mouth. His intuition told him that something had indeed happened, but she refused to tell him. Amanda walked toward the restroom just to avoid Simon¡¯s prying gaze. She didn¡¯t know why she felt guilty when she was meeting his eyes. It¡¯s as if I¡¯ve wronged him. The next moment, Amanda froze in ce before she turned the corner. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the man who walked toward her. It¡¯s Elias¡¯ What is he doing here? Is he meeting up with his clients? Elias caught sight of her as well. He walked straight up to her and used, ¡°How dare you use me of 23 cheating when you re meeting another man in a private room here? What are you two up to?¡± His words wereced with jealousy. Anyone could see that he was jealous, but he thought otherwise.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Amanda got angry at his harsh words. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! I¡¯m just having dinner with a friend!¡± ¡°Having dinner? What¡¯s the need to do that in a private room? I bet you two are having an affair.¡± s sneered, his voice full of disdain. ¡°Watch your mouth, Elias! You¡¯re making a groundless usation! I wouldn¡¯t have chosen only to have dinner here if I cheated on you. I could¡¯ve slept with him now.¡± As soon as she finished speaking. Elias felt anger swell within him. He grabbed her chin and pinned her against the wall. ¡°Sleeping with him? Have you f*cking forgotten that you are still my wife? You¡¯re not sleeping with him!¡± ¡°Oh? Now I¡¯m your wife? Then, why are you entangled with Rosie? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for her.¡± The two started another round of argument. Since they were burning with anger, neither one was willing to back down. Amanda didn¡¯t want to argue with Elias, nor did she want to provoke him, but she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Tightening his grip on her chin, Elias spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times. She was the first person I saw when I woke up. No matter how much I used to dislike her, she had done nothing wrong since I woke up. I don¡¯t need to treat her like an enemy.¡± Amanda sneered. ¡°I bet you have ulterior motives. After all, you lost your memory and don¡¯t remember anything. You can do whatever you want. Who am I to me you?¡± ¡°Amanda! I warn you, mind your words. I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯ll investigate the matter. Once I find out the truth, everything will go back to normal.¡± Elias finally let go of her chin, but his eyes red at her. Chatper 466 Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Since We Were Once Husband and Wife The sudden anger from Elias stunned Amanda and left her shocked for a while. Finish your meal ande home immediately. I have to tell you that I won¡¯t spare you if you dare fool around with that man here!¡± He suddenly leaned close to her car and gritted his teeth as if he wanted to grab and lock her up. ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± she asked. ¡°What if you don¡¯t?¡± He sneered while grabbing her delicate neck and pressing his forehead against hers and said in a low voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll make you understand what it means to be ruthless.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Although she knew he had lost his memory now, she couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious because his temper hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that wild man. Believe me, I can do it,¡± he said word by word, and his expression didn¡¯t look like he was joking. ¡°Are you crazy? You don¡¯t even know who that person is!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who he is. What does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Go home immediately! Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡± He emphasized again. She smiled. ¡°Go home? Where should I go? Did you ask me to go home, and didn¡¯t you kick me out? If I go back to the hotel, what does it do with you? I¡¯ll go back whenever I want.¡± After speaking, Amanda turned around and was about to return to the private room, but unexpectedly, he grabbed her back. ¡°Go back to the Winters Estate!¡± She was stunned and looked into his eyes while thinking she had misheard. At this moment, Simon walked out of the private room as he hadn¡¯t seen her return for a long time, so he was worried and decided toe out and look. Unexpectedly, he saw this scene after taking a few steps, as he didn¡¯t expect Elias to be there. ¡°Mr. Winters, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. What a coincidence,¡± Simon said. Elias¡¯ face instantly turned cold upon hearing his voice. He pulled her behind him and sneered. ¡°What? Can¡¯t I be here? Or am I disturbing your dinner?¡± The jealousy coating his words was overflowing. Even a fool could hear it. Sumon smiled. ¡°She is already your wife, and I didn¡¯t expect you to be jealous for no reason. Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have any thoughts about her anymore. We were just having a meal as friends as it was a meal I owed her a long time ago.¡± Yacob kept the news of Elias¡¯ ident tightly under wraps so almost no others knew about it. Therefore. Simon didn¡¯t know about his amnesia. Elias said, ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t need male friends or having a meal alone with male friends Do you 13 understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve made it clear, how could I not understand? In that case, I won¡¯t disturb you and will leave first. Simon didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Amanda as she was with Elias now, and he shouldn¡¯t cause any problem for her. ¡°Amanda, I¡¯ve settled the bill and will leave first. I won¡¯t see you off as you should return with Mr. Winters. We¡¯ll meet again when we have the chance.¡± She hesitated to speak and could only nod. ¡°Goodbye.¡± She watched Simon leave and felt that they probably wouldn¡¯t meet again as she could feel it. Suddenly. Elias looked at her with a reluctant gaze and said strangely, ¡°If you can¡¯t bear to part with him. go after him.¡± Only then did shee back to her senses. She then looked at Elias¡¯ handsome face and sarcastic, thin lips and coldly snorted without saying a word. Elias could confirm from Simon¡¯s words that he must have loved this woman before he lost his memory, and he would often get jealous. He grabbed her wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± At this moment, his assistant chased after him and found him. ¡°Mr. Winters, why haven¡¯t you returned for so long? Mr. Worcester and the others are looking for you.¡± ¡°You just tell them I have something to do, and I¡¯m leaving first.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The assistant was confused, but after seeing Amanda, he understood everything and could only watch as she and Elias left. Winters Estate. After Elias brought Amanda back to the estate, he pulled her into the bedroom. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She was pushed onto the bed, and she couldn¡¯t help but cry out while struggling to sit up. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± However, he suddenly pounced on her while pressing her down on the bed, observed her face up close. and said, ¡°Since we were once husband and wife, we¡¯ve done intimate things before. What¡¯s wrong with getting on the bed? Is it necessary to be so surprised? Unless our marital rtionship had already broken before I had the ident.¡± Otherwise, why will there be a paternity test? He couldn¡¯t understand under what circumstances he would do a paternity-fest. He must have discovered that she had a lover or that the child didn¡¯t resemble him as he grew older, so he did a paternity test and found out that the child wasn¡¯t his. This made him furious, and his emotional outburst during the car ident caused him to lose his memory. He reasoned through the events before his car ident in his mind. It shall be like this¡­. ||| 23 ical condition What do you want to do. You can¡¯t do He hasn¡¯t revereted his memories yet, and his body hain 1 fully healed How can he think about that kind of thing? It is chy a munk mat However, Amanda was afraid that he would exhaust her After all, he had just had a car ident, and his wounds hadn¡¯tpletely healest He wrapped his long arms around her slender waist and chuckled ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that Tell me if you¡¯re willing, but you¡¯re a little resistant now. I am not resistant, but I just don¡¯t have the mood! Now, Yacob and the others are seriously injured and hiding in Lawrence Estate to protect Aiden¡¯s safety while Elias has lost his memory again. Hoe can I have the mood for that? ¡°You infuriate me! Go away! She pushed the man off her, and he didn¡¯t force her anymore while saying. It seems that our marital rtionship wasn¡¯t that harmonious before I lost my memory¡± She looked at him with a puzzled expression, but he smiled. ¡°I just want to know why the first person I saw when I opened my eyes after the ident wasn¡¯t you but Rosie, whom I hate the most.¡± ¡°This is because I went to save our son but didn¡¯t seed. After I left, Rosie took advantage of the opportunity¡± ¡°I just want to know where our child is now and why he needs others to save him. Was he kidnapped or suffering?¡± Elias was curious. How could Amanda have this kind of attitude if it was a kidnapping? She would have been anxious and in tears a long time ago.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chatper 467 Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Conniving B*tch Amanda fell silent. Is it a case of kidnapping? I doubt it. With Aiden right next to Symeon¡¯s side, he¡¯s practically being showered with affection to the point of being spoiled. Even if he wants the stars from the sky, Symeon would likely figure out a way to get them for him. Amanda said, ¡°When you investigate and find out the truth, or when you regain your memory, everything will be clear.¡± Elias fell silent, fixing his gaze on her. ¡°Then, let¡¯s wait until I¡¯ve thoroughly investigated the paternity test first.¡± With that, he got up and prepared to leave the bedroom. Suddenly, his phone rang. Elias picked up the call, and Rosie¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Eli, there¡¯s a heavy rainstorm predicted tonight, and I¡¯m terrified of thunder. Could I stay at your ce for the night? Taylor is away on a business trip, and I¡¯m really scared.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He hesitated for a few seconds and then responded, ¡°I¡¯ll have the drivere pick you up.¡± ¡°Thank you, Eli!¡± The room was so quiet that Amanda could hear each word of their conversation with utmost rity. Isn¡¯t it an obvious scheme to stay overnight? Can¡¯t Elias see through it? She couldn¡¯t hold back her anger. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s doing it on purpose? She just wants to come over and sleep here! Scared of thunder? Even if Taylor isn¡¯t at home, aren¡¯t there other people in the Momsey Residence? Can they really let her stay all alone in such a huge vi?¡± Even if the Momsey family members are not around, there are still servants and housekeepers! Elias nced at her indifferently. ¡°So what if I can see through it? She was the first person I saw when I regained consciousness. Kindness deserves gratitude in return, and besides, there are plenty of rooms here. What¡¯s the harm in letting her stay here?¡± Having said that, he strode out of the bedroom. Amanda sat alone on the bed, and her mind was a mix of emotions. The amnesiac Elias appeared to have developed a soft spot for Rosie. Although Rosie had saved Aiden before, Amanda was also grateful to her. However, Rosic always tried to break up their little family of three. How could she tolerate it? Midnight. Amanda noticed that Elias didn¡¯t return to the room to sleep. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t being back tonight Can¡¯t he possibly share a room with Rosie, right? The thought made her scalp prickle. Acting swiftly, she rose from the bed and left the bedroom. Just as she did, she happened to see the housekeeper walking toward the elevator. She inquired. ¡°Where is < Mi Winters? He¡¯s not going to sleep with Rosie, is he?¡± ¡°How could that be? Don¡¯t worry Mr Winters is in his study, but we¡¯re not allowed to disturb him. So, I have no idea what he¡¯s doing in there After hearing his words, Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. Amanda, why are you here?¡± Suddenly. Rosie¡¯s voice came from behind her. Amanda turned around and saw Rosie walking toward her th a look of disbelief Roste had thought that after Elias kicked Amanda out that day, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to return to the Winters Estate, but what was this situation now? The housekeeper looked at the two of them and silently walked away. I should inform Mr. Winters about ther Neither of them noticed that he had quietly left. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it strange to see me, Elias¡¯wful wife, here? Do you think that by stealing our marriage certificate, I¡¯m no longer the mistress of this ce? Are you naive or just in foolish? Remember, we¡¯ve already officially registered our marriage at the city hall.¡± Rosie let out a coldugh. ¡°How shameless can you get! Where were you when Eli had his ident? And what about that paternity test? How dare you call yourself the mistress of this ce? Elias ced so much trust in you, and you actually betrayed him. I won¡¯t allow you to hurt Elias anymore!¡± Amanda was utterly fed up with arguing with this lunatic and had no interest in saying anything more. ¡°Rosie, heed my warning-don¡¯t try to wedge yourself between Elias and me anymore, or I might do things you can¡¯t even imagine.¡± ¡°And what might that be? Will you abduct me or even kill me?¡± Rosie didn¡¯t believe that Amanda could do anything outrageous. After all, Amanda had her own ethical standards and always portrayed herself as a righteouswyer. Amanda sneered. ¡°If you push me to the brink, anything is possible.¡± ¡°You!¡± Just as Rosie was about to retort angrily, she caught sight of Eliasing up the stairs. She immediately put on a pitiful and aggrieved look. ¡°Amanda, why are you so against me? I just wanted to stay over for one night. I¡¯m really scared of thunder, and Eli also agreed¡­¡± Amanda observed her melodramatic act. Just a while ago, she exuded such pride, yet now her tune had wiftly changed. Ar that very moment, Amanda also discerned faint footsteps behind her. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around and see Elias standing behind her. Confronted with this sudden shock, Amanda was somewhat flustered. Ehas looked at them expressionlessly and remarked, ¡°Why not continue your argument? Weren¡¯t you quar intimidating just now Can you really resort to violence if I push you to the brink?¡± 2.3 < How ridiculous. Roste, this crazy woman, is really good at ying the victim. What a conniving b*tch she is! ¡°Give it a shot then¡± After saying that. Amanda couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay any attention to the two people in front of her. She turned around and walked back to the bedroom, forcefully shutting the door with a resounding thud. Hearing the loud door m, Rosie trembled in fear. Tearfully, she walked up to Elias and said in a pitiful voice, ¡°Eli, I didn¡¯t mean to make Amanda angry. It¡¯s just ¡°Enough, don¡¯t say any more. Go back to sleep. It¡¯s already raining outside. ¡°But I still get scared when I¡¯m alone in the room and hear thunder¡­ Rosie was poised to enact her dramatics once more, inching closer to Elias in an attempt to persuade him to stay with her tonight. Although Elias saw through her intentions, an inner voice continuously urged him not to reject Rosie. However, somewhere deep inside, a touch of reluctance left him in a state of internal conflict and uncertainty. ¡°Are you suggesting that I sleep in the same room with you?¡± Elias directly exposed Rosie¡¯s intention. Rosie lowered her head slightly, exuding an air of shyness. However, before she could say anything. Elias dashed her hopes with his next words. ¡°Let the nanny sleep with you. If you¡¯re still scared. I¡¯m left with no alternatives. With that said, he turned away and left mercilessly. Left alone in the corridor, Rosie was at a loss and even found it amusing. Should Ibel him an unyielding macho or clueless about romantic cues? I¡¯ve taken it to this level, yet he still suggests having the nanny sleep with me. Does he really have no sense of romance? Chatper 468 Chapter 468 Chapter 468 A Stranger¡¯s Call Rosie hurriedly caught up with the man, grabbing his arm. ¡°Eli, can you apany me for a while?¡± The man stopped and turned to look at her. ¡°It¡¯ste, and I¡¯m tired. I have a busy day tomorrow. If you¡¯re scared, you can talk to the nanny. Besides, there¡¯s nothing a grown man like me can talk to a young woman like you about.¡± With that. Elias removed her hand and walked away. Rosie watched his cold back and gritted her teeth in anger. Amanda couldn¡¯t sleep all night, her mind filled with thoughts of that despicable man. The more she thought about him, the angrier and more aggrieved she felt. ¡°Elias, who do you think you are? You were so cruel to me four years ago and still treat me the same now. Do you think you¡¯re all that because you have amnesia? I¡¯ll get into a car ident tomorrow and get amnesia too. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s afraid of whom then!¡± She was so angry that she paced back and forth in her bedroom. In the early morning hours, she estimated the time and realized that it was almost nighttime at Lawrence Estate, so she decided to call Yacob to discuss what to do next. Amanda dialed Yacob¡¯s phone, and it rang for a long time before he answered. Then, she heard Yacob deliberately lowering his voice on the other end. ¡°Why are you calling me at this hour? I was searching everywhere for a bathroom.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it nighttime there? Shouldn¡¯t you be off work by now? What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°I applied for the night shift patrol and am currently on duty. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re busy, then forget it. I just wanted to ask how things are over there. I received a call from Aiden, and he said he was happy to see you.¡± Yacob¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything here besides secretly protecting Aiden. By the way, how is Mr. Winters? Has he regained his memory?¡± ¡°No, not only has he not regained his memory, but he has also started to appreciate Rosic Amanda¡¯s mood was somewhat depressed. ¡°What? How is that possible? It¡¯s all my fault. I should have taken care of her before I left, or else she wouldn¡¯t have misled Mr. Winters.¡± Amanda sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. Tell me what I should do now. How can we help him regain his memory?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll think of something. I know a psychologist who might be able to help. Let me look for that doctor, and I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± O 13 After hanging up the phone, Amanda felt relieved. At least she felt there was still hope. Elias amnesia was indeed a psychological issue, so it was necessary to find a psychologist. She wondered why she hadn¡¯t thought of it before. The next morning, early dawn. Amanda had only fallen asleep after five in the morning, so she didn¡¯t know when Elias had left. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The car was already waiting in front of the vi for him to get in. ¡°Mr. Winters, there¡¯s a meeting at 9 a.m., a meeting with overseas clients at 2 p.m., and a dinner party in the evening¡­ The assistant reported Elias¡¯ schedule, which Elias acknowledged before getting into the car. Suddenly, Rosie¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Eli, wait for me!¡± The man turned around and frowned. ¡°What are you doing here? I¡¯m going to work, not to have fun. I can¡¯t take you with me.¡± Moreover, it was impossible for him to focus on work with a woman by his side, especially when that woman was Rosie. Rosie ran up to him. ¡°Eli, I won¡¯t disturb you at work. Can I hitch a ride with you back home? I¡¯ve already researched it. You will pass by my house on your route to thepany. Just drop me off at the intersection, and I¡¯ll only have to walk a few hundred meters to get home.¡± With that said, the man had no choice but to let her get in the car. After getting in the car, Elias instructed the driver, ¡°Send her home first.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. Just drop me off at the intersection of Volund Road. It¡¯s only a few hundred meters away from home, and I can take a walk,¡± Rosie insisted. The man didn¡¯t say anything more. So, the driver drove the car to the intersection of Volund Road, and Rosie unfastened her seatbe hesitation, waved goodbye to the man, and walked away. Yet, after Elias¡¯ car left, Rosie stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around to watch the car disap into the street. A sinister smile appeared on her lips. At Winters Estate. Amanda woke up in the afternoon. The nanny hade and knocked on her door several times before but failed to wake her up. In the end, she only woke up when she received a phone call. Upon hearing the ringtone, she instantly became alert and reached for her phone. She thought it might be Yacob calling with news about the psychologist, but when she picked up the phone, she saw it was an unfamiliar number. 111 < 23 = She answered the call with a disappointed expression, and a strange man¡¯s voice came from the other coat. ¡°Miss Bailey, can we meet up? I have a case I would like to entru to you.¡± It turned out the stranger was looking for her to be his defense attorney, but she had so many things to handle right now, and she wasn¡¯t in the mood to help defend someone else. Moreover, she would only cause harm to her client if she took on a case in her current state. She couldn¡¯t focus at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not taking on any cases recently, I¡¯m busy with my own personal matters¡­¡± But the man on the phone started crying before Amanda could finish her sentence. ¡°Miss Bailey, I beg you. I know you¡¯re a very capablewyer, and my daughter would die in vain if you refused to help me 1 can¡¯t ept that. My daughter was only three years old Three years old? The same age as Aiden. What happened? This piqued her curiosity. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, can you briefly tell me what happened?¡± ¡°My daughter was killed by a monster. I want to die with her, but I can¡¯t stand to watch that monster go free. He hired the bestwyer and might only spend a few years in prison or even not go to prison. Miss Bailey, I beg you. Please help me!¡± As awyer, Amanda¡¯s sense of justice waspletely ignited. This was another tragic case, and it involved a poor little girl. Although she couldn¡¯t work on this case, she could hand it over to Simon. He had a good reputation in the legal profession and was particrly skilled in these types of cases. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up then. I may not be able to advocate for you, but I can introduce you to a friend of mine who is very good at these kinds of cases. His name is Simon Nicholson.¡± ¡°Is it Simon Nicholson from Justice & Associates? I¡¯ve already tried to contact him, but his secretary rejected me and wouldn¡¯t even meet with me.¡± Chatper 469 Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Meeting With Simon? It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll help you contact Mr. Nicholson. He probably doesn¡¯t know the details. If he knew about your situation, he would definitely take on this case.¡± One had to know that Simon¡¯s secretary was a snob and never took on cases from ordinary people. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you at Lily Cafe. Don¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Amanda immediately got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Then, she changed into a new set of clothes, called Boris to lend her a car, and left the mansion. After she left, he called Elias to report the situation. Since Elias was meeting with a client at the other end of the phone, he casually responded, ¡°Got it.¡± While driving, Amanda contacted Simon. She studiedw in order to uphold justice and had no reason to stand by and do nothing now that something like this had happened. The call took a long time to connect, and she heard Simon¡¯s voice on the other end, saying, ¡°Amanda? | never expected you to call me voluntarily. After what happened yesterday, I thought you would never call me again.¡± Though she was indeed embarrassed to call Simon, this matter was urgent, and she couldn¡¯t worry about that now. ¡°Simon, listen. It¡¯s urgent. A case has been presented to me, but I¡¯m not in an appropriate state to advocate for it right now and would like to hand this case over to you. In simple terms, it¡¯s about a three-year-old girl who a boy killed. It is said that the other party has hired awyer, and there is a high possibility that the case will result in probation. The father¡­¡± Before Amanda could finish her sentence, Simon questioned, ¡°Is this case real? Are you sure you haven¡¯t been deceived? If such a heinous case does exist, there¡¯s no reason for me not to know about it. I deal with the police and the court every day, so how could I not know if there really is such a heinous case? Are you sure it was one of the parties involved who contacted you?¡± Suddenly, Amanda calmed down. The car had already slowly stopped near Lily Cafe. She found a random parking space and then picked up her phone to continue the conversation with Simon. ¡°The person who called imed to be the girl¡¯s father. Why would someone make up such a case and contact me if it¡¯s fake? And why did they ask me to meet at Lily Cafe?¡± ¡°Have you arrived at the cafe? Don¡¯t go inside yet. Wait for me. I¡¯ll be there soon. I just happen to be somewhere near Lily Cafe.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Once the call ended. Amanda fell into contemtion and confusion. She didn¡¯t think it was a scam. Why would someone make up such a tragic story to deceive her and what was the purpose of doing so? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. O < 13 After getting out of the car, Amanda arrived outside the cafe and looked inside but couldn¡¯t find any middle-aged man with the voice she heard on the phone. A whileter, Simon appeared behind her. ¡°Amanda.¡± She turned around. ¡°Simon, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I made some calls just now. There haven¡¯t been any cases like you described recently, and a case of this nature would definitely be in the news, but I haven¡¯t seen any of such news. Are you sure it was one of the parties involved who contacted you?¡±. Amanda frowned and didn¡¯t speak. Instead, she took out her phone and dialed the unfamiliar number that called her earlier. Unexpectedly, the phone prompted that it was turned off. What does this mean? Did he call me to meet him here and then turn off his phone? Could it really be like what Simon said, that this was just a trick? ¡°That¡¯s strange; it¡¯s turned off. Could it really be just a trick to get me toe out? But why would they deceive me?¡± Amanda looked up at Simon. In the meantime, Simon was also puzzled by the meaning behind the call and said, ¡°It could be one of your enemies. You¡¯ve fought against the odds in many cases to uphold justice, and those people all hate you to the core.¡± Speechless, Amanda wondered if her enemies hade to seek revenge on her again. ¡°Let me send you home. Otherwise, someone mighte to take you awayter,¡± Simon said. Amanda took another look inside the cafe through the window, but there were only a few people inside. all of whom were handsome men and beautiful women. There was no middle-aged man with the voice she heard on the phone. So, had she been deceived? Just as she turned around to leave, she noticed a familiar figure in the cafe. The person looked like Rosie. Amanda thought she might have been mistaken, but when she walked closer and took a closer look, she saw that it was Rosie. How could Rosie so coincidentally be inside the cafe? ¡°Amanda, what are you looking at? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, nothing. I saw someone I know.¡± Afterward, she turned around and left with Simon but still couldn¡¯t figure out who the man who called her was and why he wanted to deceive her. Once inside the car, Simon couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. That person called you to trick you into coming out, but nothing happened when you arrived? They would have taken you away even if they wanted to retaliate against you.¡± After receiving her call, Simon rushed over, afraid that he would be a step toote and Amanda would be taken away. §Ô 23 Yeah, it s strange. No one came to talk to me while I was waiting for you to arrive ¡± That evening. Elias returned to the mansion, and the Ingler greeted him. ¡°Mr Winters, you¡¯re home. Would you like to have dinner! ¡°No Where¡¯s Amanda¡¯ Has she returned?¡± ¡°Miss Bailey has returned, but she came back with Simon, and he left after dropping her off Boris reported truthfully Ehas stopped in his tracks and frowned at him. ¡°Sumon? How did she get involved with him again?¡± Boris remained silent because he didn¡¯t know what had happened while Ammanda was out Then, Elias walked straight into the vi, determined to find Amanda and get some answers. Did she leave m a hurry today just to have a private meeting with Simon and even let him drop her off at home? She simply had no regard for him, her legal husband. Yet, before he reached Amanda¡¯s room, his phone vibrated. He nced at it and saw that it was a call from Taylor, so he answered the phone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter ¡°Where is Rosie? She has yet to return home all day. Wasn¡¯t she at your cest night? I called today, and the butler said she came home in the morning with you. However, she still hasn¡¯t returned home. What s going on?¡± Elias immediately frowned. ¡°What did you say? Rosie hasn¡¯te home? You haven¡¯t seen her all day?¡± ¡°Yes! I can¡¯t reach her on the phone either. Where did she go?¡± ¡°I dropped her off at home this morning. How would I know where she went?¡± Elias felt that this was not his fault. But his answer made Taylor even more furious on the other end of the phone. ¡°What kind of response that? Are you trying to deceive me? She¡¯s missing, and I can¡¯t find her, no matter how hard I look. Help me find her. You have such a widework, after all.¡± After saying that, Taylor hung up the phone. Chatper 470 Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Disappearance Elias looked at the disconnected call on his phone and remembered that he had dropped off Rosie at the intersection of Volund Road this morning. Could she have disappeared there? Moreover, how could a living person just disappear? Could she have been kidnapped? The man immediately turned around, and the butler followed behind him. ¡°Mr. Winters, aren¡¯t you going to look for Mrs. Winters?¡± ¡°No. Prepare the car. We¡¯re going to Volund Road.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Boris didn¡¯t know who had called or what had happened, but since Elias had ordered him to prepare the car, he could onlyply. At the same time, Amanda stood by the window in her room, watching the man get out of the car and walk toward the vi, only to get back in the car and leave. What does this mean? Is he noting back tonight? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She instinctively turned and left the bedroom, chasing after him. Then, she arrived in front of the man¡¯s car and tapped on the window. The man inside the car saw her and rolled down the window. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Where are you going? It¡¯s almost midnight, and you¡¯re still leaving to go somewhere?¡± How was he going to recover his health with such a work schedule? ¡°Go to bed first. I have something to take care of.¡± After saying that, the man was about to roll up the window, but Amanda persisted and asked, ¡°What exactly are you going to do?¡± ¡°Rosie has gone missing, and I¡¯m going to look for her As soon as he finished speaking, he rolled up the window, and the driver slowly drove away. Amanda was left standing there, confused. Missing? How could she go missing? She remembered seeing Rosie inside the cafe when she was lured there by that unknown phone call today. How could she suddenly disappear for no reason? Amanda picked up her phone and dialed Rosie¡¯s number. As expected, it was unreachable and turned off. For some reason, she had a bad feeling and a hunch that the unknown phone call and Rosie¡¯s disappearance might be connected. After all, she didn¡¯t believe in coincidences. Amanda dialed the number of the unknown man who had called her earlier that day but found it was also turned off. ? At the intersection of Volund Road, Elias¡¯ car slowly stopped by the roadside. He exited the car and looked around to see four surveince cameras in the area. These cameras should be able to track Rosie¡¯s whereabouts ¡°Check the surveince footage.¡± ¡°Yes¡± His bodyguard turned and left. While standing at the intersection, Elias regretted not sending Rosie back to her doorstep this morning. If he had done so, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. The distance between the Momseys¡¯ vi and this ce was only 400 meters, but even if something had happened, such a distance was¡­ After a while, the bodyguard returned and yed the surveince video he had just captured on his phone. ¡°Mr. Winters, this is Miss Momsey, captured on the surveince footage. Her whereabouts are unknown after she walked to the end of this road, though. The alleyway she turned into is a blind spot for the cameras, so nothing was recorded.¡± So, something must have happened in that alleyway. Elias looked at the bodyguard and instructed, ¡°Go and see if any cars have been parked for a long time on that road. Then, check their dashcam footage.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± The bodyguard was about to leave when Elias¡¯ phone started vibrating again. He picked it up and saw that it was a call from Taylor. After answering the call, he heard Taylor¡¯s panicked voicee through. ¡°Elias! Could my sister have been kidnapped? I can¡¯t find her anywhere, and I can¡¯t think of any other reason for her to have disappeared.¡± At that moment, another call came in, and it was from Rosie! A look of surprise shed in Elias¡¯ dark eyes as he said, ¡°Rosie is calling. I¡¯ll answer the call and tell youter. He hung up on Taylor and answered Rosie¡¯s call, but he heard a rough male voice instead of a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Your girl is in my hands. Bring 1.5 million in cash for the ransom if you want to save her. Otherwise, I¡¯ll end her. I¡¯ll inform you of the specific locationter. Prepare the cash and wait for my call¡± With that, the man hung up without giving Elias a chance to speak. Elias looked at the phone and immediately told the bodyguard, ¡°Track the location of this number.¡± Soon, the bodyguard found the location. ¡°Mr. Winters, the location of this number is on another street not far from us. It¡¯s a crowded street, which makes it difficult for us to catch the person¡­¡± The street next to them had one of the bustest night markets in the city, so the culprit might have chosen it to confuse him and stall for time. < 24 ¡°There¡¯s no need to catch them. Wait for the next call.¡± Then, the phone rang again, and Elias looked at it. It was Taylor calling. A trace of disappointment appeared in Elias¡¯ eyes as he answered it ¡°How is it? Did Rosie call you?¡± ¡°It was from Rosie¡¯s phone, but it was from the kidnapper. She has indeed been kidnapped.¡± Taylor, on the other end of the line, exploded in anger. ¡°What? She¡¯s been kidnapped? How much do they want? Where will the exchange take ce?¡± They want 15 million in cash but have yet to mention the location. Let¡¯s wait for their call.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the cash!¡± After Taylor hung up. Elias could only go home and wait for the call. 00 Winters Estate. After returning home, Elias didn¡¯t go to his room but sat on the couch in the living room, lost in thought and silently waiting for the kidnapper¡¯s call. Then, he heard footstepsing down the stairs and looked up to see Amanda walking down from upstairs. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Have you found Rosie?¡± ¡°Not yet. Why do you care when you don¡¯t like her?¡± ¡°I may not like her, but do my feelings for her matter in life-or-death situations? Even if I dislike her. I wouldn¡¯t want her to go missing.¡± Elias sneered. ¡°She¡¯s been kidnapped, probably by my enemies.¡± Since the man used the words, ¡°Your woman is in my hands,¡± when he called, Elias thought this matter might be directed at him. ¡°Kidnapped?¡± Amanda looked shocked and immediately remembered seeing Rosie at the cafe earlier that day. She was fine then, so how could she suddenly be kidnapped? Her shock piqued Elias¡¯ interest, and he asked, ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°When was she kidnapped? I saw her at a cafe this afternoon. How could she suddenly be kidnapped?¡± ¡°What? When did you see her?¡± Elias sat up straight, suddenly bing alert. Amanda carefully recalled the time the unknown man had called her and then calcted the time she had driven to the cafe. ¡°It was around 2: 30 p.m. I went to a cafe to meet someone and saw her there too. How could she be kidnapped?¡± 34 Elias frowned. Chatper 471 Chapter 471 Chapter 471 I¡¯ll Deal With You When I Return In other words, Rosie didn¡¯t return home that morning and then appeared at a cafe at 2:30 p.m. So, the kidnapping must have taken ce between the afternoon and evening. Elias looked at Amanda and asked, ¡°Which cafe was it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Lily Cafe on Tessin Road.¡± After getting the name, Elias immediately picked up his phone and dialed the bodyguard¡¯s number, giving orders, ¡°Go to the Lily Cafe and check the surveince footage from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Rosie went to that cafe.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± After hanging up the phone, Elias returned to reality and looked at Amanda, asking, ¡°Why did you go to that cafe?¡± ¡°I¡­ went to meet a friend.¡± She chose to keep the phone call from the stranger a secret. After all, she had no evidence and hadn¡¯t even seen the man. Even if she told Elias, he might not believe her. Elias let out a disdainfulugh. ¡°A friend¡­ Are you talking about Simon Nicholson? I interrupted your date yesterday, and you two made up for it today while I wasn¡¯t home. You two seem quite close.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let him send you home. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have known about date today,¡± Elias mocked her, clearly showing his jealousy. ¡°Elias, you¡¯ve gone too far. Today, I¡­¡± your She stopped halfway through her sentence, suddenly realizing that Rosie appeared at that cafe before she was kidnapped. How could there be such a coincidence? Could the stranger who called her today want to kidnap her but mistook Rosie for her? It seemed possible. ¡°Why did you stop? I¡¯d like to hear the rest of your exnation.¡± Amanda suddenly became serious and asked Elias, ¡°Are you sure that the person who kidnapped Rosie is your enemy? 1 also received a call from a stranger today, asking me to go to the Lily Cafe. Could the kidnapper who wanted to kidnap me mistook Rosie for me?¡± ¡°What happened? Who called you?¡± It was an unknown number that I didn¡¯t recognize However, the guy told me he wanted me 14 to be his defensewyer and described a very brutal case. I couldn¡¯t refuse him, so I agreed meet with him and thought about handing the case over to Simon, but he said he had neve heard of such a case and thought I might be tricked. That¡¯s why he appeared at the cafe. H was there to protect me, afraid that something might happen to me.¡± After Amanda finished speaking, instead of understanding her, Elias became even angrier and sarcastically said, ¡°So, when encountering such a situation, the first person you think of is not your husband, but your former colleague? Are you sure our rtionship was harmonious before my car ident?¡± ¡°I¡­ Can you be more reasonable? Simon is awyer. Since I can¡¯t take this case right now, of course, I would hand it over to him. You¡¯re not awyer, so what¡¯s the use ofing to you for this kind of thing?¡± Amanda was furious. The man was deliberately picking a fight. Right then, the bodyguard called, and Elias answered the call. ¡°Speak!¡± The bodyguard on the other end of the line reported, ¡°Mr. Winters, we checked the surveince footage. Miss Momsey did enter that cafe but left around 3 p.m. We don¡¯t know where she went after that, and the street surveince didn¡¯t capture her figure.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After hanging up the phone, Elias fell silent. They were stuck in a dead end again. A whileter, Elias looked at Amanda and said, ¡°Let me see the unknown number that called you today.¡± The kidnapper¡¯s phone couldn¡¯t be reached now, and he wanted to see if the phone number Amanda received was the same as the one he received. Amanda took out her phone and showed him the phone number. After looking, Elias realized it was not the same number. That meant the kidnapper might have used a different phone number for each call, which meant that locating him would be meaningless. Boris walked in and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, Mr. Momsey is here. He said he has something to discuss with you. I couldn¡¯t stop him, and he insisted oning in¡­ Before he finished speaking, Taylor¡¯s voice had already entered the living room. Elias. I have the cash ready Did you receive the call Taylor walked nuo the living room anxiously and noticed that Amanda was also present so be restrained himself a luule ncing at Boris, Elias said, ¡°You can leave. We do have something to discuss.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters.¡± Boris left the living room and asked the cleaning maid to leave too. Suddenly, the phone on the coffee table vibrated as a call came in. The three of them looked at the phone vibrating on the coffee table at the same time. Taylo urged, ¡°Answer it quickly. It might be the kidnapper. Looking at the time, he might be callin to give us the location.¡± Elias answered the call and put it on speakerphone. The stranger¡¯s voice came from the othe end. ¡°Elias, is the money ready? I¡¯ve given you plenty of time, and the amount of money I asked for is nothing to you.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. The money is ready. Where do we make the exchange? If you¡¯re onl in it for the money, I suggest that you not harm Rosie. Let me warn you, if she loses a single strand of hair, her brother will never forgive you.¡± Amanda found it strange when she heard Elias¡¯ words. Why would he mention Taylor at suc a moment? Clearly, the kidnapper was his enemy, so why would they be afraid of Taylor? At that moment, Taylor couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my sister, or I won¡¯t spare you! The man on the other end of the phoneughed. ¡°Enough with the chit-chat. Hurry up and bring the money over, or I might identally kill my hostage. Go to 45 Empyrean Street. I¡¯ll be waiting there.¡± After speaking, he hung up the phone. Elias looked at the hung-up call and had a hunch that this person wouldn¡¯t make the exchange so easily. ¡°I¡¯ll go there now.¡± Taylor turned around to leave, but Elias stood up and shouted to stop him. ¡°How will you contact the kidnapper when you get there? The kidnapper only calls me.¡± ¡°Come with me then. Hurry up and save Rosie.¡± Taylor turned back and yelled at Elias. However, Elias nced at Amanda and ordered, ¡°Stay home and don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll deal with you when I return.¡± Since the kidnapper¡¯s target was Amanda, she couldn¡¯t move about either, as it would be even more troublesome if both of them were kidnapped together. After that. Elias and Taylor left together. 111 34 tighten because her premonition hade true. However, she didn¡¯t notice a sneaky figure upstairs quietly sneaking into her room and the leaving quietly. Amanda sat on the couch, praying that Rosie would be rescued. After all, she was Aiden¡¯s savior, and Amanda didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Rosie. Chatper 472 Chapter 472 Chapter 472 I¡¯m Going To Save Elias Elias drove Taylor to the location the kidnappers had mentioned but found no one there talk to them. ¡°What the hell is going on? Did we get tricked? We are at 45 Empyrean Street, so where an they?¡± When Taylor couldn¡¯t see anyoneing to exchange with them or receive any from the kidnappers, he became impatient and anxious. Elias didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he looked around, searching for suspicious individuals. But too many people were here, making identifying anyone difficult. The kidnapper was cunning for deliberately choosing a crowded ce like this. Suddenly, the phone rang, and both looked at the phone in Elias¡¯ hand. It was another unfamiliar number. cal Elias immediately answered the call. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for a while. Where are you? Don¡¯t te me you¡¯re stuck in traffic. I¡¯ll end you if you y any tricks on me.¡± His patience was running out. The kidnapper was too cunning and was toying with them. The man on the other end of the phoneughed. ¡°There are too many people here, so it¡¯s not convenient for us to make the exchange. Let¡¯s change the location again. I¡¯ll send address on your phone.¡± you th After speaking, he hung up the phone again, not allowing Elias a chance to speak. Elias looked at the phone and couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°D*mn it! They want to change to another location.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on? They¡¯re going to change the location? Are we just going to do whatever they say and go wherever they want? They¡¯re deliberately messing with us!¡± Taylor couldn¡¯t control his emotions either. Although he was eager to save Rosie, anyone would get angry after discovering they had been yed with. Elias didn¡¯t say anything but turned to get into the car, angrily shouting at Taylor, ¡°Get in the car!¡± Taylor had no choice but to get in the car with him. ¡°Once I find the kidnapper, I¡¯ll kill him for sure! How dare he y with me! D¡¯mn it¡± Taylor cursed as she fastened her seatbelt. Soon, a text message came in with the next location. Elias drove to the next location, which was in the suburbs. It was crowded everywhere be but was now deserted. What did this kidnapper want? It didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to make a trade with them but rather y with them. By now, the sky was gradually darkening, and it looked like it could rain at any moment. Suddenly, the phone rang again, and Elias answered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re changing the location again. Let¡¯s make the exchange here!¡± The two men had reached their peak and were frustrated by the repeated changes in location. The man on the phone continued tough. ¡°We can make the exchange here, but the money needs to be ced in a safe ce. I¡¯ll send someone to retrieve it, and definitely won¡¯t show up in person.¡± ¡°Where should we put it? Hurry up and tell me!¡± Elias shouted angrily into the phone. ¡°There¡¯s an abandoned factory ten meters ahead. Put the money there, and I¡¯ll send someone to retrieve it. Then return home. Your woman will appear before you once we receive the money.¡± Elias sneered. ¡°Why should I trust you? What if you take the money and still don¡¯t release her? You don¡¯t seem trustworthy.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, I advise you to trust me, or else your woman will die in my hands. I¡¯m only after the money and need it urgently, so I don¡¯t want to harm anyone.¡± Elias nced at Taylor. Thetter had heard the entire conversation since the call was put on speaker. The man on the other end of the phone hung up again, and Taylor looked toward the abandoned factory in front of them and said. ¡°Let¡¯s put the money there. We have no other choice and can only take a gamble.¡± Then, Elias called his bodyguard and instructed. ¡°Continue to track the location of these numbers, even if they keep changing SIM cards every time!¡± After hanging up the phone, Elias started the car¡¯s engine and drove toward the abandoned factory in the distance. When they arrived at their destination the two got out of the car and ced the money in the center of the factory They looked around to ensure no one was around before reluctaraly leaving On the way back, Taylor kept muttering, ¡°If this kidnapper dares to y me, I¡¯ll twist his head off and kick it around.¡± ¡°This kidnapper should only be after the money and won¡¯t harm anyone. If he does kill his hostage, he won¡¯t be able to escape. We¡¯ll find him, no matter where he¡¯s hiding.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The kidnapper doesn¡¯t seem stupid, so he shouldn¡¯t harm anyone.¡± Meanwhile, at the mansion. Amanda was waiting for them to return when she suddenly received a call from an unfamiliar number. It was the same middle-aged man who called her at noon. Wasn¡¯t his phone turned off? Why has he turned it on again? Amanda hesitated for a few seconds, then answered the call, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss Bailey,e to the abandoned factory.¡± ¡°Who are you? Why did you trick me into going to the cafe earlier? Why should I listen to you and go to some abandoned factory?¡± The man on the other end of the phoneughed. ¡°Miss Bailey, don¡¯t you understand the current situation? I originally wanted to kidnap you, but since you refused to enter the cafe, 1 had no choice but to kidnap Rosie Momsey. Both Rosie Momsey and Elias Winters are in the abandoned factory, and Elias is injured. Don¡¯t you want to save them? You im to uphold. justice, but two innocent people are now injured because of you. Are you just going to stand by and do nothing?¡± Upon hearing that, Amanda widened her eyes in shock. So, this isn¡¯t Elias¡¯ enemy, but mine? ¡°What happened to Elias? What did you do to him?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see when youe. I didn¡¯t know he was already seriously injured. If I had known. I would have been gentler. Now, there¡¯s so much blood flowing out from him, and I have no idea how to treat a wound. It seems that Rosie doesn¡¯t know how to do it either. Are you sure you¡¯re noting to take a look?¡± He¡¯s bleeding¡­. Her face turned pale as a sheet of paper Elias had just recovered from the injuries he sustained in the car ident and now he was 34 injured again and bleeding¡­ After quickly hanging up the phone, Amanda rushed out of the vi. Boris wanted to stop her, but she ignored him and drove away. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m going to save Elias! He¡¯s injured!¡± ¡°Mrs. Winters, where are you going to save him? How could Mr. Winters be injured?¡± Boris only wanted to stop her and didn¡¯t want to harm her, so he could only watch as she drove away from the mansion. However, a long time after Amanda left the mansion, Elias returned to his car and parked it outside. The surprised Boris saw Elias¡¯ car and hurriedly ran over, holding an umbre, ¡°Mr. Winters, are you okay?¡± ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± The man got out of the car and took the umbre handed to him by Boris while walking toward the mansion. Chatper 473 Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Framed Boris exined anxiously, ¡°But Mrs. Winters said she was going to save you. She got in a car and left. I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± ¡°Save me?¡± Elias stopped in his tracks and looked at the butler. ¡°Where did she go to save me I¡¯m perfectly fine. Why would she need to save me?¡± Boris looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I only heard her say she was going to rescue you but couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re useless!¡± Elias turned around and was about to get in the car to find her. It was raining heavily, and something could go wrong if Amanda went out alone. However, Taylor stopped him. ¡°What could happen to Amanda? The most important thing right now is to save Rosie. Didn¡¯t the kidnappers tell us to return here and wait? Let¡¯s wait. They will only call you, so what should I do once you leave?¡± Elias frowned and pushed Taylor¡¯s hand away. He turned and walked back into the vi, calling Amanda while doing so. At first, the call went through, but no one answered. Later, the phone went out of service. Where did she go? How could her phone be out of service? Did she run away? Did she realize she couldn¡¯t deceive me anymore and wanted to escape? Elias couldn¡¯t help but start to have wild thoughts. While he sat on the couch in the living room, the nanny brought him a towel to wipe off the rainwater, but he ignored her. He kept calling Amanda repeatedly, but her phone was still out of service. Taylor couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Enough already! What could possibly happen to Amanda when she went out alone? The kidnappers still have Rosie right now, and she might be in danger. How can you let someone else distract you at such a moment?¡± Just then, a bodyguard came in and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, we have located the location of every phone number, and we f-found¡­¡± ¡°What did you find? Spit it out!¡± Elias was extremely frustrated at the moment and had no patience left ¡°We found that the location of the third call from the kidnappers is in this mansion 111 TA As soon as these words came out, both men showed different degrees of shock on their faces. ¡°What did you say? Here?¡± Elias thought he had misheard. The location of the kidnappers¡± call was in the estate. What did that mean? The kidnappers were here? Taylor cursed, ¡°D*mn it! So, it was an inside job? No wonder the kidnapping went so smoothly.¡± The bodyguard continued, ¡°A-And¡­¡± ¡°If you have something to say, just say it! Why are you beating around the bush?¡± Elias was furious. The kidnappers came from his own, making him feel yed. Though embarrassed, the bodyguard still answered truthfully, ¡°We traced the call to Mrs. Winters¡¯ room, and we found a phone and a voice changer in her room.¡± Elias looked shocked and couldn¡¯t speak for a while. Meanwhile, Taylor also took a while to react. ¡°What does that mean? So, Amanda kidnapped. Rosie and used a voice changer to pretend to be the kidnapper? Did she go out just now to retrieve the ransom money, or is she going to release Rosie?¡± Just then, the butler walked in with a look of joy. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Momsey has been brought back unharmed.¡± ¡°Eli, Eli! Sob, I was so scared¡­¡± Rosie walked out from behind the butler. She looked dirty and tearful and wanted to throw herself into Elias¡¯ arms. But Elias suddenly stood up and walked out of the vi, pushing her into Taylor¡¯s arms. Taylor held his sister and looked at Elias¡¯ back. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Taylor, what¡¯s going on with Eli?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to exin. I didn¡¯t expect the mastermind behind this kidnapping to be Amanda, She¡­¡± Taylor still couldn¡¯t believe Amanda would do such a thing, but the evidence was there, and there was no way to deny it. ¡°What? How could this be? Even if Amanda hates me, she wouldn¡¯t do something like this¡­¡± ¡°How would I know? Let¡¯s follow Elias to take a look. I think she¡¯s going to where we just lett the ransom. We¡¯ll know once we see¡± Taylor turned around and was about to leave. Rosie watched her brother¡¯s back, and a strange smile appeared on her face, but she burst into tears again the next second ||| ¡°Taylor, wait for me. I¡¯ming with you. I don¡¯t believe it was Amanda who did this!¡± Outside the abandoned factory, Amanda parked the car outside and rushed into the factory but didn¡¯t see anyone. Instead, she saw a bag of cash. She walked up and opened the bag. When she realized it was filled with cash, she seemed to realize something was wrong. It seemed like she had been tricked¡­. There were about 1.5 million dors in these banknotes, which should be the ransom that Elias and Taylor had left. But there was nothing else here besides the money, and there weren¡¯t any traces of a fight. Where did Elias go¡­ Amanda was about to turn around and leave when she suddenly heard tires rolling on the road outside. Is there a car outside? Then, she heard the sound of a car door opening, followed by heavy and urgent footsteps. After that, she saw Elias standing in front of her. The moment Elias walked into the factory, he prayed in his heart, Please don¡¯t let it be Amanda, please¡­ But there she was. A whileter, Taylor and Rosie arrived. Amanda looked at the three of them in confusion. Elias seemed to be uninjured. With a choked voice, Rosie cried, ¡°Amanda, why did you do this to me? How could it be you? Are you here to take the ransom? I know you hate me, but I never thought you would kidnap me. Why did you do this¡­¡± After speaking, Rosie started to cry softly, looking just like a conniving b*tch, both hypocritical and deceitful. Amanda had the urge to p her. Taylor also looked puzzled ¡®Amanda, you weren¡¯t such a person before. Why did you start uving such methods? I know you don¡¯t like Rosie and think she¡¯s interfering with your rtionship with Elias. But such behavior is really uneptable You¡¯re out of your mund You¡¯re awyer who upholds justice How could you break thew?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. didn¡¯t do anything! I came because I received a call saying that Elias was kidnapper. Are you all crazy?¡± However, her attempt to exin was futile. Elias stared at her intently as if trying to see through her. Finally, he spoke. ¡°Are you still trying to quibble your way out of this? We found the kidnapper¡¯s phone and voice changer in your room. How are you going to exin that?¡± Faced with the man¡¯s angry roar, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but tremble, her face filled with disbelief. ¡°What did you say? The kidnapper¡¯s phone? A voice changer? How is that possible?¡± Chatper 474 Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Locked in the Basement Amanda, her mind inplete disarray, couldn¡¯t believe the kidnapper¡¯s phone was found in her room- how was that even possible? ¡°Amanda, even if you despise me, you shouldn¡¯t do this. I was really scared. Do you know how terrifying the kidnapper was? I almost got killed¡­¡± Rosie sobbed, leaning into her brother¡¯s embrace. Taylor sighed andforted his sister, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay now.¡± ¡°You two go back to the car!¡± Elias ordered the two without turning his head around. ¡°Eli, don¡¯t be too harsh on Amanda. Maybe¡­ she was just confused for a moment. I believe she wouldn¡¯t do something like this when she¡¯s in her right mind¡­¡± Rosie shouted toward Elias¡¯ back in a feigned sympathetic tone while Taylor pulled her away, leaving behind the rainy, gloomy, and damp- smelling factory. Rosie looked back at the man¡¯s angry silhouette, unable to suppress a smirk. As the footsteps of the Momsey siblings grew distant, Elias walked step by step toward Amanda, his gaze reminiscent of someone looking at a lunatic. Amanda kept shaking her head, her feet pushing back involuntarily, tears streaming down her pale face. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I¡¯m not the kidnapper, I really am not¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®not?¡¯ The evidence is conclusive. What do you want all this money for?!¡± Elias grabbed Amanda by the neck, his anger not directed at the ten million in cash but at Amanda¡¯s motives. With the slightest mistake, Rosie could¡¯ve been killed. Did Amanda really want to kill Rosie? ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe me? I told you I came here because of that phone call, the one who called me during the day. He said you were injured, so I came here!¡± ¡°How do you exin the kidnapper¡¯s phone and SIM card in your room then? What about that voice changer?¡± ¡°Those aren¡¯t mine; someone must be trying to frame me!¡± Amanda¡¯s mind raced, but she couldn¡¯t figure out who would want to set her up. She initially thought the caller was her enemy, but now it seemed that it seemed moreplicated than that. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. If it were just her enemy, they could¡¯ve killed her outright But now, they were trying to drive a wedge between her and Elias, and Amanda couldn¡¯t fathom who the mastermund behind it 13 this was. Elias forcibly dragged her away from the abandoned factory, reeking of mold. With a loud rumble, the sky started thundering again, and the raindrops grewrger. It seemed that this rain wouldn¡¯t stop anytime soon. ¡°Where are you taking me? Let go of me!¡± Amanda struggled, attempting to pull her hand. away, but she couldn¡¯t outmatch the man¡¯s strength no matter how. Elias shoved her into the car, then mmed his foot on the gas pedal, speeding away in the heavy rain. Meanwhile, the Momsey siblings stood there,pletely bewildered. ¡°Eli, you can¡¯t leave us behind! What about us?!¡± ¡°What else?¡± Taylor countered. ¡°He has clearly left you to me. Come on, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s pouring rain, and you¡¯ve been through quite a scare. Go home, take a hot shower, and get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Taylor helped his sister into the car, but Rosie remained stubborn. ¡°No, Taylor, I¡¯m not going back. I want to go to the Winters Estate. Send me there.¡± ¡°Why do you want to go there? The two of them are surely going to have a big fight. Are you nning to mediate? What if you get injured in the process? Don¡¯t intervene at a time like this!¡± ¡°But Eli is still injured,¡± Rosie reasoned. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to get too agitated; it might cause his wound to reopen. Please, let¡¯s go to the Winters Estate.¡± Taylor had no other choice; his sister was determined to go. If he didn¡¯t drive her there, she might just brave the rain and walk there herself. Later, at the Winters Estate, Elias flung Amanda onto the living room couch after taking her back by force. Boris, who had followed them inside, attempted to intervene as he watched his master about to get physical with a woman. However, Elias shouted at everyone, ¡°Get out! All of you get out¡¯ No one is allowed in¡± At that Boris had no choice but to silently withdraw Amanda copsed on the couch, tears streaming down herce Above, thunder rumbled louder and louder and in front of her was the menacing figure of Elias She felt there way to escape. Suddenly, he pressed her down on the couch, his face contorted in anger. ¡°What else can¡¯t you do when you¡¯re capable of something like this?!¡± He now strongly suspected that Amanda was lying to him, and the child might not even be his, hence the paternity test results. ¡°What have I done? I¡¯ve told you it wasn¡¯t me! Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± ¡°How can I believe you? There¡¯s concrete evidence and witnesses. How can I believe you? Have you really be this ruthless, Bailey?¡± Just then, Taylor and Rosie burst in, and despite Boris¡¯ efforts to stop them, they entered the room. ¡°Eli, no! Don¡¯t do this! You¡¯ll strangle Amanda!¡± Rosie rushed forward, grabbing the man¡¯s arm. A headache immediately overcame Elias upon hearing the woman¡¯s voice, and he shoved Rosie onto the floor. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± Elias angrily shouted at the siblings. Taylor helped his sister up and snapped toward Elias¡¯ back. ¡°Why take it out on my sister. when your woman has done wrong?! If she hadn¡¯t been worried about your emotional state. and insisted on coming, I couldn¡¯t be bothered toe and watch you two argue!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± the man continued to shout, his headache worsening. Pretending to look very concerned, Rosie dissuaded him, ¡°Eli, don¡¯t get angry. You need to stay calm. Otherwise, it could stimte the blood clot in your brain. Please, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m fine now. Don¡¯t argue with Amanda; I believe she won¡¯t do this again.¡± ¡°What are you, crazy? How can you still be so forgiving when she has kidnapped you?! She nned a kidnapping! If Elias really cares about you, he should hand Amanda over to the police! Otherwise, every time you get close to Elias, Amanda wille after you. For all we know, she might kill you on a whim when she¡¯s upset! What are you going to do then?!¡± Taylor snapped. ¡°No, Amanda wouldn¡¯t-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop arguing! Mr. Jones, lock Amanda in the basement until she realizes her mistake! Hearing Elias¡¯mand. Bors and the security guards rushed in Although they felt ufortable about it they still followed orders and took Amanda away Chatper 475 Chapter 475 Chapter 475 You Actually Want Me Dead! ¡°Why are you locking me up? I already told you it wasn¡¯t me! Why do you believe Rosie but not me? Just because those things were found in my room that I did it?! Have you never heard of ¡®framing?!¡± Amanda shouted angrily at Elias while being taken away by the bodyguards. s, Elias was suffering from a splitting headache right then. He tried standing up only to slump weakly onto the couch, holding his head and groaning in pain. ¡°Eli! Are you okay? Quickly get the car ready to take him to the hospital!¡± Rosie panicked upon seeing Elias¡¯ condition. It seemed he had been triggered again. Although the doctor had warned against stressing Elias, he had faced plenty of stress since leaving the hospital without authorization. She was genuinely worried that he might end up in a worse state. Amanda, seeing this, also panicked and widened her eyes. ¡°Elias!¡± She tried to rush over but was held back tightly by the bodyguards, unable to move. At this moment, Elias, lying on the couch, looked at Amanda and said, ¡°Throw her into the basement! Did I not make myself clear?! I will go to the hospital myself!¡± The two bodyguards forcibly led Amanda away, out of everyone¡¯s sight. Rosie tried to support Elias, but he avoided her, struggling with the headache, and told Boris, ¡°Get the car. Take me to the hospital.¡± Elias could feel he was reaching his limits; he needed medical attention. Indeed, within seconds of standing up and before he could leave the living room, blood. sprayed from his mouth, and his tall figure fell heavily to the ground, making a dull thud. Everyone was shocked. Boris was the first to react, rushing over to help him and shouting, ¡°Someone, quickly! Get Mr. Winters to the hospital!¡± Rosie was also stunned by the sight. There was blood on the floor, and he had actually coughed up blood¡­.. What did that entail? Rosie stood frozen in ce, unsure of how to react. She was genuinely afraid Elias night slipy into a coma again and be a vegetable, never waking up again. THE Hospital, inside the ward. It was already the early morning of the second day when Elias stirred. The rain outside was still falling heavily, and the sky was overcast, mirroring his current mood. The first person he saw after opening his eyes was Rosie. It was only after he realized that Rosie was the woman whom he despised the most before losing his memory that he understood why he always felt a deep sense of aversion wheneve he saw her. ¡°Eli, you¡¯re awake! Do you want some water?¡± Rosie, delighted to see him awake, quickly got up to fetch some water. Elias didn¡¯t stop her and slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard. His head still throbber slightly, but memories of the previous day flooded back. He couldn¡¯t help but frown¡­ So, Amanda kidnapped Rosie, and now Amanda was locked up Rosie handed him a ss of water. ¡°Eli, drink some water.¡± in the basement. Elias didn¡¯t reach for it; instead, he asked her, ¡°When am I getting discharged?¡± ¡°The doctor said they need to observe you for another two more days because the bleeding in your head seems to have spread, and you even coughed up blood. I don¡¯t really understand all the medical terms the doctor used, but in short, they want to keep you under observation for another two days. Elias remained silent, lost in thought. Regardless of what Rosie said to him, he ignored her. In the end, she could only sit quietly on the side, waiting for him to speak. The sky outside the window remained grey and had been raining all day. It wasn¡¯t until the evening that Elias suddenly spoke, ¡°Go to the Winters Estate and get something for me. It¡¯s in the first drawer of the study desk, in a file folder.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t feelfortable leaving you here alone. I can ask my brother to go get it¡ª¡± ¡°I want you to go!¡± Elias¡¯ tone was firm. He wanted to get away from Rosie, whom he felt was monitoring him 24/7 and suffocating him. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll go. Don¡¯t be angry Rosic reluctantly turned and left the hospital room Alter closing the door, she instructed the bodyguard, who was standing guard. ¡°You must not leave this ce You absolutely cannot let El be discharged prematurely 111 21 ¡°Yes.¡± Amanda had been trapped in the basement of Winters Estate for a whole night. Apart from being given food and water, no one came to see her. Still, she worried about Elias¡¯ condition, not knowing how he was faring at the hospital. Suddenly, the sound of the door opening came from outside. Amanda immediately stood up and leaned against the door frame, shouting, ¡°Let me out! Let me out!¡± However, upon meeting the neer, she fell silent. She didn¡¯t even want to entertain the individual. Rosie walked into the basement, stood at the door, and looked at Amanda, who was imprisoned inside, laughing maniacally. ¡°Look at you, poor little thing. Why isn¡¯t Eli on side this time, huh? Can you even sleep in a ce like this at night?¡± ¡°F*ck off, you wretched b*tch!¡± your ¡°How dare you curse me even in your state?! Do you think I wanted toe and see you? I just wanted to see how miserable you are.¡± ¡°Just you wait, Rosie Momsey!¡± Amanda gritted her teeth and looked at Rosie outside. She shouldn¡¯t have had a trace of pity for Rosie. This woman was truly despicable. However, Rosie responded with an even more maniacalugh. ¡°Wait for what? For Eli toe back and deal with you? He doesn¡¯t believe a word you say now, and you think you can deny it when they¡¯ve found physical evidence in your room?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, an idea hit Amanda-Rosie was the mastermind! Rosie was at the cafe when she was lured there by the mysterious call! If Simon hadn¡¯t shown up in time, she might have been the one kidnapped. ¡°So, it was you, Momsey! You set me up! You lured me to that cafe that day! You hired people to kidnap me!¡± Amanda thundered. Rosieughed in response. ¡°You¡¯re quite clever. That¡¯s right, I hired people to kidnap you, but you found yourself a savior. I couldn¡¯t do anything, but how could my n go to waste? So, I decided to get myself kidnapped. me yourself for it Why did you bring in Simon? Without him, maybe Fli would have gone all out to save you, even though your dead body might be all there¡¯s left by the time they find you? ¡°You wicked wench. You actually want me dead!¡± ¡°How can Eli be with me if you don¡¯t die?! It¡¯s on you for standing between us like a wall!¡± Chatper 476 Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Escape From the Estate Amanda nearlyughed from rage. In fact, she was on the verge of madness. ¡°Do you think that without me, Elias would fall for you? Let me tell you! My existence ys no factor in Elias¡¯ interest in you! Even without me, he would never choose you! You lunatic Her words sessfully angered Rosie, and her hands trembled in rage. ¡°What did you just call me? I dare you to repeat it! Who are you calling a lunatic?¡± ¡°You, of course! Are you not crazy? Why did you stay in a mental hospital if you¡¯re sane ther You think Elias doesn¡¯t like you because of my existence? He looks down on you from the bottom of his heart, and it has nothing to do with any woman. You¡¯ve known each other for so long; if he really liked you, he would have been with you long ago. Why would he wait until now? Elias isn¡¯t the kind of man who hesitates. If he truly likes a woman, he¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep her by his side!¡± Amanda wanted to provoke the lunatic and use her to escape. ¡°Y-You! Just you wait!¡± Rosie, seething with anger, turned to the bodyguard aside and demanded, ¡°Open the door!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that, Miss Momsey. Mr. Winters said that no one except him is allowed to visit Mrs. Winters.¡± The words ¡°Mrs. Winters¡± from the bodyguard¡¯s mouth angered Rosie again, and she shouted, ¡°Open the door! Why did Elias ask me toe back?! It¡¯s for me to see Bailey! So, open the door! How would I know if she repented if I didn¡¯t go in? How am I supposed to exin it to Eli, huh?!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The bodyguard was still hesitant, not knowing what to do. ¡°Do you want me to call Elias and get his approval? Do you want to be fired right after starting your job?¡± Rosie threatened, acting as if she were the mistress of the estate. The bodyguard didn¡¯t want to anger the young woman either, for it seemed that Elias had been treating Rosie quite welltely, so she probably wouldn¡¯t lie. Reluctantly, the bodyguard opened the door to the basement, giving Amanda a chance to escape. Rosie walked into the basement and wanted to close the door, for she wanted to teach Amanda a lesson there and then. Lo and behold, Amanda grabbed her hair, causing her neck to arch backward in pain. ¡°Ah My hair! Let go!¡± 13 ¡°Let go? Didn¡¯t youe in here for me to pull your hair? Why are you screaming? Do people like you know what pain is? Who do you think you are to act all high and mighty here? Do you really think your n is seamless?¡± Amanda kicked Rosie to the ground and yanked out a handful of her hair before tossing he aside. She then opened the door to the basement and escaped, locking Rosie inside the room. Furious, Rosie got up from the ground and frantically pounded on the door. ¡°Amanda, you b*tch! Let me out! Let me out!¡± Naturally, Amanda paid no attention to her. Quietly, she reached the basement exit only to find the bodyguard standing outside. How could she escape when confronting the bodyguard physically was not an option? Amanda searched the area for something she could use to distract the bodyguard. Finally, she noticed a wristwatch on her wrist. She quickly removed it and hurled it toward a dark corner. The bodyguard, hearing the sound, immediately became alert, looking around and heading toward the dark corner. Seizing the opportunity, Amanda dashed out like a gust of wind, disappearing before the bodyguard could react, However, Winters Estate was vast, and even if she managed to escape the estate, it was located in the suburbs. She would be exhausted and stranded before reaching safety. What should she do¡­. Amanda contemted and finally decided to trouble Simon. Though she really didn¡¯t have the humility to call him again, she had no one else to ask for help now. Then again, there was another issue. The bodyguards had confiscated her phone before throwing her into the basement, cutting off her contact with the outside world. The rain continued to pour, and it was getting heavier.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Amanda sought refuge behind a building while trying to figure out how to call Simon. She needed to find a phone first. ¡°Mrs. Winters! What are you doing here?¡± Suddenly, a housemaid from the Winters Estate passed by and was startled to see Amanda standing there. She didn¡¯t know how to react. 23 Amanda quickly pulled the housemaid toward her and covered his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t scream. please! I¡¯m begging you!¡± The housemaid nodded desperately, and Amanda released her grip. The housemaid took a few breaths of fresh air and looked at her. ¡°Mrs. Winters, how did yo get out here? Mr. Winters will be furious if he finds out.¡± ¡°How is Elias? Has he returned from the hospital?¡± Amanda asked, her eyes filled with concern. The housemaid felt sorry for her. Despite how Elias treated Amanda, she still cared about Elias¡¯ well- being. ¡°He hasn¡¯t returned yet. ording to Mr. Jones, the hospital wants to observe him for another two days. But Mr. Winters is fine now and resting in the ward.¡± ¡°Can I borrow your phone for a call? I can¡¯t stay here; I have to get out.¡± The housemaid hesitated. ¡°Are you nning to escape, Mrs. Winters? Mr. Winters will be furious if he finds out. You shouldn¡¯t.¡± Amanda was on the verge of tears. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you. Let me use your phone. I can¡¯t stay here; I have to get out.¡± She hadn¡¯t contacted Aiden all day, and he would surely cry if he couldn¡¯t reach her. Since returning home, Amanda would call Aiden several times a day. No matter how trivial the topic, Aiden would share it with her, and she would always listen attentively. It had been so long since shest spoke to her baby boy, and she worried he might throw at tantrum over there. Aiden was usually well-behaved, but no one could calm him down when he got upset. Seeing Amanda on the verge of tears, the housemaid¡¯s heart softened, and she lent her the phone. Amanda took the phone and thanked her profusely. ¡°Thank you. Don¡¯t worry; no matter what happens, I won¡¯t reveal your involvement.¡± Then she desperately searched her mind for Simon¡¯s phone number. After a while, she managed to recall thest few digits. She dialed the number, her heart pounding, afraid of dialing the wrong one. Time was running out, and she couldn¡¯t stay in one ce for too long. especially with the bodyguard likely discovering her escape and searching for her. Chatper 477 Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Taken Away by Simon Beep¡­ Beep¡­ The call went through, and a man¡¯snguid voice came through on the other end as if his peaceful dream had been interrupted. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Simon! It¡¯s me. Can you¡­ please save me? Elias has locked me up. I escaped just now, but they¡¯ve already found out and are trying to catch me. I don¡¯t know where to go either after leaving the estate¡­¡± ¡°Amanda? What happened? Why did Elias lock you up? Are you okay? Wait for me. I¡¯ll right away.¡± The next split second, a woman¡¯s voice abruptly came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Who the hell are you? Are you crazy, calling a man to save you in the middle of the night? What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you about to die?¡± A woman¡¯s voice? Simon already has a woman in his life?! It was inappropriate for her to disturb his life, especially now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you,¡± said Amanda and hung up the phone directly. After a deep sigh, she handed the phone back to the housemaid. ¡°Here you go.¡± Just then, sounds of the bodyguards searching for her came from behind. It seemed that the had started searching the entire estate. At that, Amanda quietly pleaded with the housemaid. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell them that you¡¯ve seer me, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Winters. Please take care.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± So, in the pouring rain, Amanda ran to another part of the estate. She couldn¡¯t let herself be caught again. She had to get out. Amanda searched the vast estate and finally found a small dog hole at the base of a wall. should¡¯ve been the exit for the dog s used to keep. He rarely came home when she and Eltas married but deliberately kept a dog in the house When he returned, he would rather spend time with the dog than spare her a nce. It was a cruel aoay that, in Hias eyes, she was worth less than a dog Less than half a yearter, the dog died due to an ident. Since then, Elias never kept a p again and would nevere home, for he had even fewer reasons to do so. Now, this dog hole had unexpectedly be her lifeline. Amanda didn¡¯t want to crawl through the dog hole, but she didn¡¯t have a better option. Rainwater trickled down her cheeks, and she couldn¡¯t distinguish whether it was her tears the rain. She eventually made her way to the dog hole, slowly crouched down, and then crawled out through it. After emerging from the dog hole, Amanda felt even more lost. Outside the hole was a dense forest with no clear direction. How was she supposed to find her way?! But going back was not an option; she would surely be locked in the basement again. It was a rainy night, pitch ck, with only the estate¡¯s lights illuminating the nearby area. Beyond that, everything was shrouded in darkness. Amanda gazed into the distance, gritted her teeth, and headed in one direction. She was confident that she would eventually find her way out. Braving the heavy rain, she navigated through the woods, her clothes soaked and her body trembling from the cold. She knew she was likely to catch a severe cold, but at this point, she couldn¡¯t afford to think about it. Her priority was to make it out. In the hospital, Elias was about to rest his eyes for a moment when his phone suddenly rang. ¡°Speak!¡± he answered the call in annoyance. ¡°We have a problem, sir.¡± The anxious voice of a bodyguard came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Miss Bailey has escaped. We¡¯ve searched the entire estate and can¡¯t find her anywhere. We finally spotted her on the surveince cameras heading toward a wall, and then she disappeared. There¡¯s a dog hole there; she might have escaped the estate!¡± ¡°What!¡± Elias sat up abruptly, roaring in anger. ¡°You useless bunch! You can¡¯t even keep an eye on one woman! Go and find her immediately!¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Momsey insisted I open the door. As soon as she went in, Miss Bailey ran out and locked her inside¡­¡± Before the bodyguard could finish his sentence, Elias shouted. Just go find her¡¯ Don¡¯t bothering back if you can¡¯t find her!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After hanging up the phone, Elias¡¯ anger surged to new heights. How dare that d*mn woman run away?! Where does she want to run to? And that Rosie Momsey is nothing but a troublemaker! Who said she could open the door to the basement?! Elias had the impulse to rush back to the estate immediately, but a sudden bout of dizziness forced him to lie back down in bed. Amanda had no idea how long she had been walking in the vast forest. She couldn¡¯t see the lights of the estate anymore and was beginning to doubt if she would ever find a way out. Sh even started hallucinating, trembling, and her legs weakening. When would she finally get out of this forest¡­ All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She stumbled and fell to the ground, her body covered in a mixture of mud and rainwater. She felt like she might die there, but then she saw a road just a few steps away. Summoning thest shreds of her consciousness, Amanda struggled to her feet and staggered toward the edge of the forest. She finally reached the road but hadn¡¯t caught her breath when the headlights of an approaching car blinded her. Terrified, she fell back to the ground, and the sound of screeching brakes echoed in the rain. The car came to a stop in front of her, and she shielded her eyes to see the vehicle. A car? I¡¯m saved! Amanda was about to stand up to ask for a ride when she realized the man getting out of the car was Simon, who rushed to her after taking a moment to recognize her. ¡°Amanda! What happened to you? Get in the car.¡± He helped her into the car, finally sheltering her from the heavy rain. Amanda sat in the backseat, gazing at the man in the driver¡¯s seat, finally recognizing him as Simon. Amanda was running a high fever by this point, and her consciousness was bing unclear. ¡°Simon¡­ Is that you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Amanda. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. You might have a high fever. How long were you running in the rain? Why are you so wet? And why did Elias lock you up? What happened. Simon asked a barrage of questions as he drove, but when he turned around to look at Amanda, he realized that she had fallen asleep. She must have fallen into a fever-induceda. He needed to get her to the hospital quickly. However, suddenly, a group of bodyguards appeared in front of their car. They seemed to havee from the mansion and were probably trying to take Amanda back. ¡°Hand our Madam back!¡± one of them shouted angrily, pounding on the car window. Simon paid them no attention. He stepped on the gas pedal, and the car sped away. The bodyguards automatically moved to the sides, fearing they might be hit by the speeding vehicle. They could only watch helplessly as Simon took away their Madam. Chatper 478 Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Who Is This Simon? After driving a considerable distance, they finally managed to lose the group of bodyguard and Simon breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Amanda in the back seat, who had fallen unconscious. He knew getting her to the hospital was now a top priority. At that, he sped up, heading toward the downtown hospital. However, the rain was getting intensifying, seemingly conspiring to slow him down. During this time, Simon¡¯s phone kept ringing, disying a woman¡¯s name-Violet. Howeve he never answered any of them. Seventeen missed callster, she finally gave up and didn¡¯t call again. Meanwhile, Elias had been anxiously waiting in the hospital, eager to return to the estate an see what had happened. However, the doctor insisted he stay put, and a nurse stationed. herself at the nurses¡¯ station. One had to pass by the station to reach the elevator, leaving no opportunity for him to sneak away. He kept his eyes glued to his phone, waiting for a call from his bodyguards. Why haven¡¯t they called yet? Haven¡¯t they found her? He cursed their ipetence, unable to believe they couldn¡¯t even keep track of one woman. Elias was growing increasingly impatient and felt a throbbing headache starting to form. He leaned against the bed, his eyes fixed on the phone screen, feeling restless. For some reason, he felt a growing sense of unease, as if he feared that Amanda had indeed. managed to escape. Finally, the phone vibrated. Elias immediately picked it up, unlocked the screen, and put it to his ear. ¡°How is it? Have you found her?¡± The bodyguard on the other end of the phone stammered, ¡°Mr. Winters, Mrs. Winters, she¡­ she escaped from the estate through a dog hole and got into a car. We couldn¡¯t stop her, and it seemed like they had nned it in advance. I checked the car¡¯s license te, and it belongs to Simon Nicholson, the founder of Justice & Associates, which means Mrs. Winters left with this Mr. Nicholson¡± The bodyguard sand something else on the phone, but Elias couldn¡¯t hear it anymore All the registered was the fact that Amanda had left with someone named Simon Nicholson 11 Who is this Simon Nicholson, and where did this guye from?! s, he couldn¡¯t recall anyone by that name due to his amnesia. At that, Elias turned grimmer by the second, and he even began to suspect that Simon mig be the man Amanda was seeing behind his back. Elias¡¯ head started throbbing intensely, and he felt dizzy. He clutched his head with one hand, trying to endure the pain, and asked, ¡°Did Amanda know this Simon Nicholson for a long time?¡± ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re not sure about that.¡± ¡°Find it out then! What are you waiting for? Get me the address of this Simon Nicholson!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± After hanging up the phone, Eliasy back on the bed, his severe headache making his phon slip from his grasp and fall to the floor. His head was pounding, and he felt like his thoughts were a tangled mess, causing him. excruciating pain. With a painful groan, Elias pressed the call button above his head. In a matter of seconds, a doctor and a nurse rushed into the ward. Elias, unable to hold on any longer, closed his eyes, gradually losing consciousness. Meanwhile, Simon had just brought Amanda into the same hospital. If Elias knew how close he was to Amanda at that moment, he would have crawled if he had to, just to get her back. The next day, when Amanda opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in Simon¡¯s house. Since returning to the country, she had only been to Simon¡¯s house a few times, but she remembered it vividly because of its unique interior design. Amanda sat up and remembered the previous night¡¯s events-how she had escaped from the estate through the dog hole and narrowly avoided being hit by a car. Had Simon saved me? At that inoment, the door to the room opened, and Simon, now dressed casually, walked in carrying a mug of ginger tea. He was surprised to see her awake You¡¯re awake? Great¡¯ Ive reheated this ginger tea several times overnight, waiting for you to wake up and drink a ¡± Amanda cleared her throat and replied, ¡°Thank you, before taking the beverage from hum and drinking it all in one go. As she looked at Simon, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of guilt. She owed him so much. During her four years abroad, Simon had helped her tremendously, which was why Aider had been so eager to matchmake them. But¡­ Suddenly, she recalled the voice of a woman she had heard when she called for helpst night. ¡°Simon, are you¡­ Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Are you seeing someone?¡± Amanda asked cautiously. Simon didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Not really. She¡¯s just someone my family introduced me to. She keep pestering me despite me telling her that we¡¯re not a good fit. Yet, she won¡¯t listen.¡± So, in the end, Simon hadn¡¯t reconciled with Lunabelle. Amanda wanted to get out of bed, but Simon stopped her. ¡°What are you doing? You ran ou in the rain last night and had a high fever, reaching up to 104¡ãF. We just managed to bring it down this morning. What were you nning to do now?¡± ¡°I should leave; I can¡¯t bother you any longer. Otherwise, that girl might misunderstand. She already seemed a bit confused on the phonest night.¡± Simon frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, she and I won¡¯t work. And you¡¯ll be doing me a favor if you can help me get rid of her. I can¡¯t give her a future, and I don¡¯t want to waste her time. Amanda had nothing more to say, but she genuinely wanted Simon to start anew and have his own happy life. ¡°Lie back down. Your body is still weak. How long were you in the rain to get such a high fever? And why did Elias lock you up? Didn¡¯t you two make up? Isn¡¯t he spoiling you now? How did things suddenly change? Did you have a fight?¡± Last night, while taking care of her, Simon analyzed that the two might¡¯ve had some conflicts.tely, or Elias wouldn¡¯t have been so confrontational during theirst encounter at the club, as if he didn¡¯t know that Simon and Amanda were old acquaintances. In reality, Simon was unaware of Elias¡¯ amnesia caused by the car ident, and Amanda didn¡¯t want to disclose it either, for if the information were spread, the Winterses might cause trouble again, perhaps even using Elias¡¯ amnesia against him to remove him from power ¡°It¡¯s nothing By the way can you help me get a new SIM card I haven¡¯t talked to Atden for two days, and he¡¯ll definitely cry if he can¡¯t reach me. Amanda looked at Simon with urgency. Despite already sensing something was amiss, he didn¡¯t confront her and simply nodded. ¡°Alright, you continue to rest. I¡¯ll go get you a new one and be back soon.¡± Once Simon left the room, Amanday on the bed, feeling an inexplicable worry. Would Elias Winters let her go if he found out she had run away? Would he cause trouble for Simon? Chatper 479 Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Mr Winters Is Furious The answer was inevitable. Despite his amnesia, Elias still had his explosive temper, like a ticking time bomb. In the hospital, when Elias woke up, he found Rosie, the woman he used to despise the mo and now, he seemed to have rediscovered that feeling of disdain for her. Meanwhile, Rosie approached Elias with delight when she saw that he had awoken. ¡°Eli, you¡¯re awake! You¡¯re finally awake. You scared me. When the hospital called me yesterday, was so scared I cried.¡± Ignoring her feigned concern, he sat up and noticed the bandage on Rosie¡¯s forehead. Curiosity prompted him to ask, ¡°What happened to your head?¡± As such, Rosieunched into another round of her melodramatic performance. ¡°Eli, I just wanted to check on Amanda, but she locked me inside and then ran away, injuring me in th process¡­ She thought that by saying that, Elias would be even more disappointed in Amanda. However, to her surprise, Elias flipped out. ¡°What did you say? You went in and let her out? Who gave you the right to go in there? I kept her locked up to keep everyone out! What righ do you have? Speak!¡± He was already in a terrible mood because Amanda had run away, but now that he knew it was Rosie¡¯s foolishness that had caused it, his anger intensified. Rosie stammered in response, ¡°Eli, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Get out! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Elias roared. Rosie felt a sense of familiarity in his words. It was something she often heard from him in the past. Why is it that even when he has lost his memory, can he still blurt this phrase out? Is his dislike for me still so intense despite not remembering a thing? No, impossible! Rosie refused to believe this cruel reality. Just then, a knock came from outside the ward. ¡°Come in Elias ordered, still seething A bodyguard entered and handed Elias a file. ¡°Sir, this is the information I found about Simon, as well as his address¡± Elias nced at the file, and his eyes filled with increasing anger So, Nicholson had been acquainted with Amanda for the past four years while she was abroad! So. Can this child possibly be Simon¡¯s? Unconsciously, Elias Winters recalled the paternity test report at home, and his headach red up again. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He suppressed the headache and continued to look at the information. After finding Sim address, he threw off the covers and tried to leave. you r Seeing that, Rosie hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Eli, what are you doing? The doctor said. to be observed for two more days. Besides, you lost consciousness again yesterday. You ca leave-¡± But before she could finish her sentence, Elias shouted angrily, ¡°Get out of my way! If it weren¡¯t for you, Amanda wouldn¡¯t have escaped! What right do you have to stop me now? Get lost!¡± Elias had finally lost his patience with Rosie. He pushed her onto the bed and walked out c the room, with the bodyguard following closely behind. ¡°Go find Simon,¡± he ordered. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°I want to go too, Eli!¡± Rosie got up and chased after him, but Elias had no time to deal with. her. He was solely focused on one thing: finding Amanda and bringing her back! Amanda kept saying she wanted to save the child and that the child was in danger, but she couldn¡¯t provide any details about the child¡¯s whereabouts. It was all very suspicious. As he stepped out of the ward, a nurse tried to impede Elias, but the bodyguard stepped forward to block her. In Simon¡¯s house, Amanday on the bed, feeling a bit bored and achy all over. Her fever had subsided, so she decided to get up. She put on her robe and walked out of the bedroom. heading downstairs. The housekeeper was preparing lunch, and the delicious aroma filled. the air. The housekeeper noticed her and couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Miss Bailey, why are you up? Mr. Nicholson specifically instructed me to take care of you and make sure you rest well If you need anything, just let me know. You don¡¯t have to get up ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve been lying in bed for too long I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit. You can continue with your work Dont mind me, Amanda said with a side. 23 Hearing her response, the housekeeper nodded and said, ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll continue preparing lunch. If you have any special requests, please let me know. But considering your current condition, it¡¯s better to have something light. Too much oily food might not sit well with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any specific cravings; just make whatever you think is best, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll eat whatever I can manage, though I doubt I can eat much.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Have a rest on the couch. I¡¯ll prepare you a fruit tter to whet your appetite.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Amanda replied and sat on the couch. She checked the time and wondered whi Simon hadn¡¯t returned yet. It had been a while since Aiden could reach her, and she bet the boy must be worried sick. Thankfully, Yacob was there tofort him. Finally, sounds of heavy footsteps approached from outside the door. Amanda immediately. and turned to look. Sure enough, Simon had returned. got up ¡°You¡¯re back! Did you get the SIM card?¡± ¡°Of course, I also bought you a new phone. The SIM card is already inserted,¡± Simon replied as he handed her the phone. Amanda happily took the phone and quickly made a video call to Aiden. Not three secondster, the call connected, and Aiden appeared on the screen, looking like a crying mess. His eyes were red, and his voice choked, ¡°Mommy¡­ sob¡­ why didn¡¯t you call me for two days? Do you not love me anymore? Why didn¡¯t you call me? You promised to call me every day. Mommy, you broke your promise¡­¡± Seeing that the little guy was gravely upset, Amanda tried tofort him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart. I lost my phone two days ago, and I called you right away after getting a new one. I¡¯m really sorry. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ I¡¯m angry. You didn¡¯t call me for two days. I dreamt that you held another child¡¯s hand and didn¡¯t care about me.¡± ¡°That will never happen, silly. I will never abandon you. I will only ever hold your hand. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± Amanda felt so heartbroken that she wished she could reach into the screen, hold her baby, and wipe away his tears. ¡°Alright, I forgive you this time, Mommy, because I promised I¡¯ll always forgive you ¡°Thank you, Aiden. You¡¯re such a good boy. Whether it was due to her illness or emotional vulnerability. Amanda¡¯s tears also began to flow Chatper 480 Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Will You Imprison Me Again? Simon also approached and couldn¡¯t help but greet, ¡°Aiden, do you remember who I am?¡± The little one with red, teary eyes in the video chat suddenly widened them and joyfully shouted, ¡°Mr. Simon, it¡¯s you!¡± Upon hearing this long-lost term of address, both Amanda and Simon exchanged a stunne look, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Nevertheless, Simon smiled and greeted little Aiden, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I heard you were crying. You¡¯re a man. You can¡¯t cry so easily.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t cry¡­ I was just afraid that Mommy wouldn¡¯t answer my calls. I was afraid somethin happened to Mommy.¡± Amanda handed the phone to Simon, gesturing for him to chat with Aiden for a while. Simon took the phone casually and began chatting with the little guy, hisughter tender. and affectionate. ¡°Really? So, you were worried about your mommy, huh? That¡¯s very good of you. She lost her phone but quickly got a new one and called you after getting a new SIM card. She wasn¡¯t avoiding your calls, alright? Don¡¯t be upset anymore.¡± Watching Simon patiently talk to Aiden on the side, her guilt toward him deepened. She owed Simon so much kindness. How could she ever repay it? Just then, the doorbell outside rang, and the housekeeper hurriedly walked out of the kitchen, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll answer it.¡± A few secondster, the housekeeper came running back, her face filled with fear. ¡°Mr. Nicholson, the person outside says he wants to discuss work with you. It was a pre-arranged appointment, but as soon as I opened the door, he barged in aggressively-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the living room door was kicked open from the outside. Amanda was startled, her body trembling uncontrobly. She turned to look, her face filled with shock as she stared at the intruder. Meanwhile, Aiden was still shouting from the other end of the phone. ¡°Mr. Simon, when will you take me out to y? You said you would take me out to yst time, but you never did. You¡¯re lying to me¡­¡± Simon furrowed his brows and said to the little guy, ¡°I have something to attend to here, so I¡¯ll hang up now I¡¯ll call you back tonight. Be a good boy and eat and sleep, okay?¡± With that, he hung up the phone and stood up, looking at Elias, who had suddenly barged in with a fierce and menacing look, looking like he would go on a killing spree at any moment 13 Mr. Simon? The use of this term made Elias clench his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking. So, that child is really Amanda and this b*stard¡¯s?! So, my suspicions were right! I got into the car because I read the paternity test! Seeing Elias¡¯ terrifying and ominous appearance, Amanda stepped forward and said, ¡°Ple. don¡¯t cause a scene at Simon¡¯s house. I asked for his help. I escaped because I wanted to ca my son. He hasn¡¯t been able to reach me for two days. He missed me-¡± s, before Amanda could finish her words, Elias roared, ¡°Whose son is he? Yours with th b*stard, isn¡¯t he?! You keep insisting that the child is mine, but what about that paternity te you and this wild man his parents? You kept saying that the child is mine! What about the paternity test? And take him out to y?! Exin it to me! I demand a valid exnatic Are After his furious outburst, Elias¡¯ head started to ache again. Just at this moment, Rosie and the bodyguard, who caught up from behind, also entered th room. ¡°Eli!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Winters!¡± The two shouted in unison, but the man didn¡¯t even turn around to look at them. At this moment, Elias was consumed by anger, wishing he could strangle Amanda right ther and there. However, this was Simon¡¯s house, so he had to restrain himself. Amanda shivered under the yelling but quickly regained herposure. ¡°It¡¯s not what think at all. You¡¯ll understand everything once you regain your memories.¡± you Standing beside them, Simon was utterly confused, unable toprehend the meaning of their conversation. He had no knowledge of Elias¡¯ amnesia due to the car ident, so Elias¡± words made no sense to him. Suddenly, Elias felt his braincking oxygen, and his body became unsteady. Rosie rushed to support him immediately. ¡°Eli, are you okay? Let¡¯s go back to the hospital. Your body can¡¯t handle this stress- However, before she could finish her words, Elias pushed her away, and she fell into the arms of the bodyguard. Upon seeing Rosie, Simon became even more perplexed. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡®Rasic? Weren¡¯t you in a mental hospital When did you get our? And wasn¡¯t Elias always despising 211 you? How did you two reconnect?¡± Simon¡¯s words deeply wounded Rosie, and she angrily retorted, ¡°Shut up, you two-timing couple! If it weren¡¯t for you, Elias wouldn¡¯t be like this, and he wouldn¡¯t have-¡± ¡°Shut your mouth and get out!¡± Elias couldn¡¯t take it any longer and yelled at Rosie, who wa standing behind him. Rosie stood frozen in ce, staring nkly at Elias as she wore a grieving look. Silence filled the air as traces of tension lingered. Elias took two steps forward, his pitch-ck eyes boring into Amanda as he enunciated, ¡°Amanda, come here. You are still my legal wife. You have no reason to be with other men. I¡¯ll give you another chance. Come back to me right now.¡± Amanda hesitated and didn¡¯t dare go over. She knew that if she returned to Elias, given his current state of amnesia, he would surely imprison her again, which would lead to Aiden. losing contact with her again. Who knew what would happen then?! Meanwhile, Simon stepped in and spoke on her behalf when he caught her indecision. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what has happened between you two, please rest assured that there is nothing improper between Amanda and me. She caught a high fever from being in the rainst night, nearly 104 degrees, and only just recovered this morning. She needs rest and should not be jostled around. Let her stay for two more days before returning.¡± However, Elias did not pay attention to Simon or acknowledge his words. Instead, he fixed his eyes on Amanda, waiting for her response. Seeing that she had not taken a step forward, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Come over here ande home. with me immediately! This is our family matter, and we don¡¯t need outsiders interfering!¡± ¡°If I go back with you,¡± Amanda asked uncertainly, ¡°will you still imprison me? Will you cut off my contact with the outside world?¡± ¡°Of course! Even if you¡¯re my wife, you must face the consequences of your wrongdoing. Your previous act of kidnapping Rosie was over the line. I cannot turn a blind eye to it.¡± Every word Elias said felt like a needle piercing Amanda¡¯s heart, hitting the mark. Chatper 481 Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Amanda, You¡¯re Ruthless Enough Amanda was in a state ofplete desperation as she felt helpless in trying to awaken Elias, who had lost his memory. And she couldn¡¯t find a way to peacefully get along with him. ¡°I refuse to go back with you! Since I have too many things to do, I can¡¯t be imprisoned by you. I just can¡¯t!¡± She turned around angrily and refused to look at that man again as she feared that even a single nce would make her lose her resistance and be trapped in the mansion once more. Even Simon was taken aback as soon as those words left her mouth. His intuition told him that something irreparable must have urred between these two individuals, and Elias¡± behavior towards Rosie was also peculiar. Who in their circle didn¡¯t know how much Elias used to despise Rosie? How could he bear to be in the same vicinity as her? Although Elias was only a few steps away from Amanda, it felt like insurmountable obstacles. separated them. ¡°Don¡¯t force me! I¡¯ll say it onest time! Come here!¡± However, Amanda ignored him as she believed that Elias, with his lost memory, was simply being unreasonable and incapable ofmunication. It seemed that she would have to rely on herself and Yacob to save Aiden. She couldn¡¯t go back this time, no matter what. How could she execute her n if she returned and was imprisoned by Elias for a year or two? It was even more absurd to think about awakening his memory. His heart sankpletely when he observed her resolute expression as he was certain that the DNA test was urate since he had conducted it himself. The car ident and the DNA test were connected, and her lover should be the man standing before him, Simon. He let out a self-deprecatingugh. ¡°I was so naive like a foolish dreamer hoping you would. choose me over your lover. How could that ever be possible? If you truly cared for me, how could you have a child with another man? Amanda, you¡¯re heartless enough, but I won¡¯t ept If you don¡¯te with me today, you¡¯ll be begging on your knees tomorrow!¡± After speaking, he turned around without looking back and left. She was flustered, so she turned around, but all she saw was the man¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°Elias! Can¡¯t you stop causing trouble? I don¡¯t have a lover, and I haven¡¯t had a child with anyone else! It¡¯s not at all what you think. Do you suffer from delusional disorder or something?¡±14 She rushed forward as she intended to exin earnestly to him. However, her head spun, and she copsed before taking a few steps. Simon, who was behind her, quickly reached out and supported her. ¡°Rosanne, please help Miss Bailey back to her room to rest quickly.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Nicholson.¡± The nanny finally gathered the courage to approach and assisted the unconscious Amanda toward her room upstairs. Outside the Nicholsons¡¯ ce. Elias, who was consumed by anger, had got back into the car. The bodyguards and Rosie also entered. ¡°Mr. Winters, where are we going now?¡± The bodyguard nced at Elias through the rearview mirror and saw that the man wore a sour expression that no one dared to provoke. Rosie sat in the car and refrained from speaking casually as she feared that if this man became displeased, he would kick her out of the car. ¡°To thepany!¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, you just left the hospital secretly. We should go back and rest- The bodyguard¡¯s words were cut off when he saw the intense gaze of Elias in the rearview mirror, so he fell silent immediately. Rosie wanted to say something but hesitated and decided against it. At this moment, Elias resembled an enraged beast. And so, the bodyguard drove him to Winters Enterprise. When Elias stepped out of the car, Rosie attempted to follow him but was stopped by a shutting car door in front of her face. ¡°Miss Momsey has been through a traumatic experience due to the recent kidnapping.¡± Elia commanded, ¡°Please take her back to the Momsey Residence to rest as I don¡¯t want to disturb her for the time being to let her rest properly.¡± ¡°Eli! I¡¯m worried about you, and I¡¯m fine!¡± She could clearly sense that he was pushing her away, as if he had returned to his past self and slowly growing distant and disinterested. The bodyguard nodded. ¡°Yes, I will ensure she arrives safely.¡± After Elias left, the bodyguard looked at Rosie in the car. ¡°Miss Momsey, I¡¯ll take you back. Given Mr. Winters¡¯ current state, you¡¯ll only be scolded even if you go up, so let him be alone for a while.¡± She retreated into her seat and said nothing more, then allowed the bodyguard to drive her back to the Momsey Residence. However, she discreetly took out her phone and sent another message to the psychologist. ¡®When is the next therapy session? He¡¯s starting to distance himself from me.¡¯ Soon, she received a reply. ¡®I happen to have some free time these days. If you can get him toe, three hours will be sufficient.¡± A wicked smile appeared on her lips as she swiftly typed a response. ¡°Then, let¡¯s schedule it. for tomorrow. Please clear your schedule. After sending the message, she smiled and gazed out of the car window, but her smile took on a sinister aura. She would try again if hypnosis didn¡¯t work once since she was determined to make him fall in love with her, so she would never give up easily. In the evening. Amanda leaned against the headboard, but her mind was still upied by Elias¡¯ furious. departure earlier in the day. However, she detected a hint of disappointment in his anger. She didn¡¯t want him to be disappointed in her. Even though she couldn¡¯t awaken him, whot had lost his memory, she didn¡¯t want to give up on him. She still wanted to be with him and didn¡¯t want to abandon him when she saved Aiden. It hadn¡¯t been easy for the three of them to live together. How could they give up so easily due to this setback? He would surely despise her if he knew that she had given up on their family so easily with his lost memory, He had expressed his desire for her to stay by his side forever on more than one asion when he recalled the numerous experiences they had shared. Lost in her thoughts, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh, thus tears streaming down her face. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open, so she hastily wiped away her tears and looked up. It was Simon. She mustered a smile and asked, ¡°Simon, is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°Amanda, you¡¯re crying?¡± ¡°No, I just felt a bit drowsy earlier, so my eyes were a little sore. By the way, is there something you need?¡± He replied, ¡°Oh, I have an important dinner tonight, and I might have to attend it. Can you stay home alone? Rosanne is also here, so you can reach out to her if you need anything. I¡¯ll ask her to keep you company.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You can go ahead as I¡¯ve recovered from the fever but am just a bit weak. I¡¯ve also my medication, so I¡¯ll have a video call with Aiden tonight and then go to bed.¡±taken He nodded. ¡°Alright, if you need anything, just call me immediately, and I¡¯lle back right away.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. You should leave quickly, and it¡¯s not good to bete.¡± ¡°Okay, please get some rest and sleep early.¡± After hearing him close the door, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh again as she couldn¡¯t burden him like this anymore. Chatper 482 Chapter 482 Chapter 482 pped There was another knock on the door, most likely the Amanda instructed, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± nanny. The nanny entered with a te of chicken soup. ¡°Miss Bailey, you didn¡¯t eat much earlier. How can you not eat when you¡¯re sick? Please have some soup to nourish yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you. Just leave it here, and I¡¯ll drink itter.¡± ¡°Okay, you can leave the te here when you¡¯re finished, and I¡¯lle to collect it.¡± The nanny ced the soup on the bedside table and left. Amanda nced at the light soup, but she had no appetite, so she turned over, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.. She had a long and chaotic dream. Later, she faintly heard amotion, which grew louder and clearer and made it impossible. for her to fall back asleep. She slowly opened her eyes and could clearly hear themotioning from downstairs. It sounded like the nanny was arguing with a woman. Strange. Since she couldn¡¯t sleep anyway, she got up and saw what was happening. She wore her robe and walked out of the bedroom, and the noise became even more audible. ¡°Let me in! Who do you think you are, a nanny, to stop me from entering? Simon would never stop me from entering!¡± ¡°Miss Lynch, please stop causing trouble for me. Mr. Nicholson specifically instructed that you cannot enter if you visited recently, and I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in? Why is he treating me like this because of that woman on the phone? Doesn¡¯t he want me anymore?¡± Following the sound, Amanda arrived downstairs and saw the nanny blocking a beautiful young woman outside the door. The woman had an arrogant and domineering look; thus, she refused to leave. Upon seeing Amanda descending from upstairs, Violet Lynch¡¯s anger surged ¡°It¡¯s you! It¡¯s 0 14 because of you that Simon has canceled our date! How shameless can a woman like you be!¡± ¡°Miss Lynch, please leave!¡± The nanny quickly stepped forward to stop her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Unexpectedly, Violet pushed the nanny aside and walked straight toward Amanda. Without saying a word, she pped Amanda in the face. The nanny beside them was stunned and shouted, ¡°Miss Lynch, how can you hit someone?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I hit her? I¡¯ll hit a shameless woman like her every time I see her.¡± Violet¡¯s anger was evident in her words. She was already furious, but she never expected that he would bring this woman home. I have never lived here before, so why does this woman have the right to? Amanda looked at the woman in front of her and asked, ¡°What gives you the right to hit someone?¡± before, ¡°You¡¯re Simon¡¯s ex-girlfriend, right? Old Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson have mentioned. you and they said they would never agree to let you into the Nicholsons as you¡¯re always. pestering him. Who do you think you are? Do you think he is some kind of savior? What gives you the right to bully him? He finally had a chance to start a new rtionship, and now you¡¯re here to cause trouble again!¡± Violet had always known that there was a woman in Simon¡¯s heart that he couldn¡¯t forget, but she was willing to wait. She had waited a long time, and finally, he had rxed a bit and agreed to go on a date with her, but a phone call had shattered all her dreams. ¡°You¡¯re Simon¡¯s new girlfriend?¡± Amanda questioned. Girlfriend? Not really. He reluctantly agreed to have a meal with Violet, but she felt it was progress! ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, we might have already be boyfriend and girlfriend by now.¡± Violet¡¯s face was full of resentment as she coldly snorted. Amanda looked at the woman in front of her and said, ¡°First of all, I¡¯m sorry, as I didn¡¯t know he was in a new rtionship. The situation was urgent then, and I didn¡¯t mean to disturb. you. Besides, I have no rtionship with him other than being ordinary friends. Please don¡¯t misunderstand. You can continue to date him, and I will never be a hindrance between you two.¡± Violet looked Amanda up and down. At this moment, Amanda had a in face and looked a bit sickly, but her temperament and features revealed that she was a beautiful woman. Violet sneered disdainfully. ¡°Nice words. You live in Simon¡¯s house and upy his time. every day. Thus, he even stopped answering my calls. How can I continue to date him? You¡¯re hypocritical, so Old Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson don¡¯t like you as you¡¯re good at 111 pretending. Please show some real action!¡± Amanda nodded as she indeed needed to take real action and not trouble him anymore. She had to solve her own problems. Furthermore, he should not be involved in this dispute as she couldn¡¯t let him. get because of her again. hurt ¡°Okay, sorry, I¡¯ll leave now, and you just wait here for Simon to return. Don¡¯t let me disturb your enjoyment, and I hope you can make up for his emotional loss.¡± Amanda went upstairs after she said that. The nanny immediately approached her, ¡°Miss Bailey, you can¡¯t leave as I won¡¯t be able to exin to Mr. Nicholson if you leave. How can I tell him?¡± Violet, who was on the side, sarcastically answered, ¡°What else can you say? Just tell the truth. Can you stop her if she insists on leaving?¡± Amanda showed a helpless smile. ¡°Yes, please tell Simon I insisted on leaving, and I don¡¯t want to bother him anymore. I¡¯m already fine now, so I will handle things independently. Let him live his own life.¡± After speaking, she quickly went upstairs, changed into a different outfit, then took her phone and went downstairs. The nanny couldn¡¯t help but try to persuade her, ¡°Miss Bailey, why don¡¯t you wait for Mr. Nicholson to come back and talk to him yourself? I really can¡¯t take charge of this.¡± The nanny was worried that Simon would be angry with her because of Amanda¡¯s departure. ¡°No need for it. I heard him saying that you cared for mest night, changed my clothes, and helped me to lower my fever. You really went through a lot of trouble. Thank I¡¯m leaving now as I have something to take care of.¡± you, Rosanne. Amanda left the house without even wearing the new clothes that Simon bought for her. Instead, she wore her old clothes. After seeing herpletely leave, Violet felt relieved and sat on the sofa; she looked at the nanny, ¡°Alright, please stop staring. Can you stop her if she insists on leaving? Please pour me a ss of water, as I¡¯m a bit thirsty,¡± The nanny couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she made her way to the kitchen as she still needed to figure out a way to contact Simon and give him an update. However, Simon had specifically mentioned that the event he attended that evening was exclusive and prohibited the use of phones. It was already approximately ten o¡¯clock at night when Simon finally departed from the Chatper 483 Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Strike Back Upon hearing the nanny¡¯s sigh, Violet deliberately picked a fight. ¡°Why are you sighing? I find it strange how you treat me. You¡¯ve known me for so long, yet you¡¯re not as kind to me. However, it¡¯s the first time you meet that woman, right? Why are you so concerned about her? Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a homewrecker? She¡¯s ruining someone else¡¯s rtionship!¡± ¡°Miss Lynch, please watch your words. Miss Bailey isn¡¯t that kind of person. Mr. Nicholson only brought her back because she had a high fever. What a poor girl. Besides, she has been emphasizing that there¡¯s nothing between her and Mr. Nicholson. They¡¯re just friends. I heard that they met abroad four years ago. You might get sick by getting jealous over nothing.¡± After the nanny finished speaking, she entered the kitchen without waiting for Violet¡¯s response. Watching the nanny¡¯s back, Violet couldn¡¯t help but let out an ironicugh. She¡¯s a mere nanny! How dare she disrespect me? Who does she think she is? After Amanda left Simon¡¯s house, she btedly realized that she had nowhere to go. She couldn¡¯t even go to a hotel, as she didn¡¯t have her ID or bank card. She had absolutely nothing. She had no idea how long she had been walking, but she eventually arrived at a park. Couples in love were making out in dark corners. She stood there alone, feeling out of ce. As she had nowhere to go, she sat on a bench and stared at her phone absentmindedly. Suddenly, her phone rang again. It was a call from Aiden. A glimmer of hope illuminated her eyes as she quickly answered the call. ¡°Aiden!¡± However, on the other end of the phone, Symeon spoke up. ¡°It seems like you still have phone with you.¡± The smile on Amanda¡¯s face disappeared instantly. ¡°It¡¯s you? Where¡¯s my son?¡± your ¡°Your son? You¡¯ve abandoned him, so he¡¯s my son now. You¡¯re nothing but a tool tofort him. Once he grows up, he won¡¯t need you anymore.¡± She clenched her fists, wishing nothing more than to tear the lunatic apart. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about you. Where¡¯s Aiden? He can only fall asleep after talking to me on the phone every night. Give him the phone.¡±1/4 ¡°He¡¯s asleep. He has been crying all day. I heard that he had a long video call with. you this afternoon. Now, he¡¯s in bed.¡± So, he¡¯s just asleep. Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. On the other end of the phone, Simon sneered. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been answering these past few days? If you¡¯ve already decided not to answer, why did you contact me again? It¡¯s better to cut things short than suffer. Aiden is still young and will get over it in a short time. You don¡¯t need to go through all this.¡± ¡°My phone was broken! I just bought a new one today and got a new SIM card!¡± The thought of Symeon and Melissa turning her life upside down frustrated Amanda. They¡¯re not getting away with it! Melissa keeps setting me up. It¡¯s only fair if I give her a taste of her own medicine. Tightening her grip on the phone, Amanda suddenly asked, ¡°Did you look into Melissa. Walters like I asked you to?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I advise you to look into the matter. She came to Cludan for me. Don¡¯t you find her suspicious?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as I have my son, I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡± Symeon wasn¡¯t interested in Melissa at all. As long as she didn¡¯t pose a threat to him, he didn¡¯t care about her. Amanda took a deep breath and said, ¡°What if she could threaten Aiden¡¯s safety?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange? She had been observing you since you set foot in Cludan. Why does she need to observe you? Because she wants to kidnap Aiden. The only reason I followed you to Esmos last time was that she took Aiden there. I gave her arge sum of money to bring Aiden back to me. Now, she shows up again. She wants to kidnap Aiden again and ask me for ransom. When she realized Aiden wasn¡¯t with me, she disappeared. I think she might have gone to you. You better stick to Aiden like glue. She is a resourceful woman, and I don¡¯t want her to seed again.¡± Melissa isn¡¯t the only person who can set others up. It¡¯s my time to create obstacles in her way. Symeon, on the other end of the phone, remained silent for a long time before saying. Tll have someone check her out. I won¡¯t let anyoney a finger on Aiden as long as he¡¯s with me. If she¡¯s nning to hurt my son, I¡¯ll kidnap her first.¡± After that, he hung up the phone. Amanda, on the other hand, smiled. She had achieved her goal. Let the two fight. Only then would I have a chance to save Aiden. When Symeon meets Melissa, the truth wille to light. By then, he¡¯ll realize that his child isn¡¯t Aiden but Melissa¡¯s daughter. When the two finally met each other head-on, she would contact Yacob for help. Meanwhile, in the Nicholson Residence, Simon had left the party early because he was worried about leaving Amanda alone at home. Therefore, he wanted to go back and check on her. As soon as he entered the house, he found Violet sitting on the sofa in the living room, looking like she was about to fall asleep. At the same time, the nanny came out of her room and addressed him, ¡°Wee home, Mr. Nicholson.¡± Violet heard their voices and immediately opened her eyes. She was surprised to see him when she turned her head. She got up from the sofa with a smile. ¡°Simon, you¡¯re back! I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± He wasn¡¯t happy to see her. Instead, he frowned and mumbled, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Before she could answer, he turned to the nanny and asked, ¡°Did Miss Bailey drink the soup? What about the medicine?¡± Hanging her head low, the nanny fumbled for an answer. Simon¡¯s eyes flitted from her face to Violet¡¯s as he demanded, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Nicholson, it¡¯s all my fault for not keeping Miss Bailey. She left earlier.¡± ¡°Left?¡± Simon¡¯s voice cracked as though the news shocked him. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. His reaction took Violet aback. It was her first time to see this side of him. ¡°It¡¯s because of Miss Lynch that Miss Bailey had to leave¡­¡± The nanny didn¡¯t want to take the me, so she came clean with Simon. Violet looked incredulous as she eximed, ¡°Hey! What the hell are you talking about? What¡¯s with the usation? She chose to leave on her own. It has nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°Miss Lynch, you were so harsh and even pped her. You said such hurtful words. If it were me, I would¡¯ve left too¡­¡± pped? The keyword buzzed in Simon¡¯s mind. Furious, he yelled at Violet, Violet Lynch! Who gave you the right to p her? You have no right to do so! ¡°Simon, please listen to me. I didn¡¯t mean to. I was just blinded by rage. I didn¡¯t-¡± Violet panicked. Not knowing how to justify herself, she regretted pping Amanda Chatper 484 Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Help Me, Elias! ¡°Enough talking. Now, please leave my house. It seems like we aren¡¯t meant for each other, and I¡¯ll exin it to my parents.¡± Simon now fully understood that if he didn¡¯t like Violet, he should be more honest with her. It was the only kind thing to do. Leading her on without telling her he wasn¡¯t interested in her would only hurt her in the end. ¡°Simon, how could you? We-¡± Violet was on the verge of tears. She just realized that Simon. was really angry, and no words could appease his anger. ¡°Please leave. It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have made it difficult for both of us. When ites to love, you either have feelings for that person, or you feel nothing at all. Time won¡¯t change anything.¡± Simon made it clear. He didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Violet anymore. ¡°Simon, don¡¯t do this to me. I¡¯ve learned from my mistakes. It won¡¯t happen again. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her. I was just too angry at that moment. She has exined everything to me, rifying that there¡¯s nothing between you two. Now, I believe her. I really do.¡± Violet¡¯s mind was in chaos. She wished to get Amanda to back her, but she didn¡¯t know where to begin. Her attitude gave Simon a headache. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Miss Lynch, our parents only introduced us to each other in the hope. that we could get along. Obviously, I¡¯ve tried, but we aren¡¯t meant to be. So, let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s time.¡± ¡°You only had meals with me once and even left halfway through that time. What gives you the right to make that conclusion? You¡¯re only angry because I chased that woman away! Why do you have to jump to conclusions? I¡¯ll find her and bring her back! Just you wait!¡± After that, Violet turned around and ran away without looking back. She was afraid that staying would give him the chance to say more hurtful words to her. Watching her run away, Simon sighed softly and looked at the nanny. ¡°Just wait at home. If Amanda comes back, call me immediately. I¡¯m going out to find her.¡± ¡°All right, but Mr. Nicholson, please take a coat with you. When Miss Bailey left, she was still wearing the same clothes as when she first arrived here. Even more, the clothes aren¡¯tpletely dry.¡± Simon frowned at the statement as he waited for the nanny to bring him the coat. Amanda is neglecting her health! Has she gone to Elias by any chance?14 He couldn¡¯t think of anywhere else Amanda could go at the moment, but considering Elias¡± fierce expression and his admission that he would imprison her if she returned, she probably wouldn¡¯t head to him. Then, where did she go? Meanwhile, the sky had turned dark. The night fell on Imperia. Neon signs dotted the buildings, creating a lively atmosphere. Amanda wandered down the streets without anywhere to go. Don¡¯t tell me I have to sleep on a park bench tonight. She looked at the couples in the park, feeling a pang of bitterness. What¡¯s wrong with up my life? She stood and nced at her phone before she smiled. She suddenly felt hungry, but she couldn¡¯t do anything without money. Suddenly, she noticed the watch on her wrist. She remembered that it was a prestigious brand. Since it was a gift from Elias before he lost his memory, she decided to sell the watch. Otherwise, she would have to sleep on the streets tonight. Amanda finally had cash with her after selling the watch and could afford to stay in a hotel tonight. However, she didn¡¯t have an ID, so she could only look for an unlicensed inn to stay in. Late that night, she started to regret choosing the inn because it began to make her ufortable. The ce had poor sanitation, and the room was too small, while it also emanated a strange smell. After locking the door, she scanned the room and decided to make do for one night and find. another ce tomorrow. At midnight, she was startled awake by the frenzy of door-knocking from outside. She stared. at the door in fear, shouting, ¡°Who is it?¡± However, there was no answer from the outside. The person continued to knock on the door, causing her to huddle in her bed, not daring to move. The knocks on the door never stopped, as if the person outside was trying to break down the door. Amanda quietly got off the bed and slowly moved to the door as she tried to see who was outside through the peephole.2/4 She was so nervous that cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Even her mouth quivered in fear. She looked through the peephole, only to find an eye looking in from the other side.. The sight frightened her. Stumbling, she fell to the floor. Her eyes widened, and her face paled. Did I just see a ghost? Then, another round of knocking on the door started again. Each knock was louder than thest, giving her a feeling that the door would break at any moment. Amanda felt her legs go weak. She crawled onto the bed to pick up her phone. The first. number that came to her mind was Elias¡¯. It was the only number she could remember, as though it was her nature. She dialed the number with trembling hands while the sound of frantic knocking continued. outside. She felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown. Finally, the call connected. A cold voice came through the phone. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Help me, Elias!¡± Upon hearing Amanda¡¯s voice, Elias, who had calmed down, instantly exploded with anger. ¡°Help you? Help you from what? Amanda, do you think it¡¯s funny to y tricks on me? Are you trying to show off? You must be out of your mind!¡± At that, he hung up the phone. Amanda stared at the screen. He ends the call before I can say anything. Suddenly, a raspy voice came from outside. ¡°Darling,e on! Open the door! I¡¯m freezing to death out here! Stop messing around and just open it. We were just arguing. Do you seriously want me to sleep in the hallway?¡± Looking at the door in confusion, she had a feeling that the man was a human trafficker. Even more, he made up a story. The other tenants who heard him would nevere out to intervene. After all, they would just think it was a quarrel between a husband and wife. Therefore, she dialed Elias¡¯ number again. The call finally connected after a long time. His voice, on the other end, was extremely irritable. ¡°Will you ever stop? I¡¯m warning you, if you call again, I¡¯lle over and kill both of you!¡± ¡°Elias, please don¡¯t hang up! Pleasee and rescue me! I don¡¯t have enough time to exin everything to you. If you don¡¯te to my rescue now, you won¡¯t have the opportunity to kill meter- Ah!¡± Before she couldplete her sentence, someone forcefully kicked open the door, causing her to scream in terror. At the same time, her phone slipped from her grasp. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She quickly retrieved the phone and clutched it tightly in her hand. Chatper 485 Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Come Out Here! The door was kicked open, and a tall, burly man walked in with a lecherous grin. ¡°Honey,e back home with me. Let¡¯s not make a scene. We were just having a little argument. Do you really want to run away from home? Let¡¯s go!¡± The man forcefully grabbed her wrist and tried to take her ¡°Who are you? Let go of me! Help, someone!¡± away. Despite Amanda¡¯s frantic screams, there was no one in sight. It felt as though the entire city. had been abandoned. Undeterred, the man forcefully dragged her out of the motel. As they passed the front desk, the woman on duty seemed unfazed by the situation and remarked, ¡°Keep it down, folks. Guests are sleeping. If you two want to argue, do it at home.¡± ¡°This is the payment for the broken door. Sorry about that. My wife and I just had a little disagreement, and she¡¯s running away from home. It won¡¯t happen again. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Amanda shook her head frantically. ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all! I don¡¯t even know him! Call the police, please! He¡¯s a human trafficker! I don¡¯t know him, and I¡¯m not his wife!¡± ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t care about your family matters. Just go on your way, and don¡¯t disturb others. trying to rest.¡± And so, the man arrogantly dragged Amanda out of the small motel and onto the street. It was already 4 a.m., and the streets were deserted. ¡°What the heck are you going to do? Are you a human trafficker?¡± With a face full of stubble, the man couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Stop pretending to be innocent. Anyone staying in a ce like that isn¡¯t exactly a model citizen. You¡¯d be better offing with me. At least you¡¯ll have a ce to sleep.¡± ¡°Let go of me! Get lost!¡± Amanda fought desperately, attempting to pull her hand back, but she was no match for a man nearly three times her size. ¡°You¡¯re just a nobody without even an ID. Who would care if you drop dead? Stop making a scene.¡± Relentlessly, the man continued to drag her toward the car parked by the roadside. Amanda yelled in desperation, but there was no one around to hear her cries. Besides, this area was a red-light district with terrible security. Amanda watched helplessly as she was about to be pulled into the car. She nced at her phone and realized Elias would not rescue her. She dialed 911 directly, but before the call could go through, the man snatched her phone and attempted to wrest it from her grasp. Amanda clung to her phone with unwavering determination, resolute in not letting it bet taken away. She needed it to call Aiden. ¡°Give me the phone! Are you looking for death?¡± the man growled in frustration. Amanda seized the man¡¯s hand and sank her teeth into it as if wishing she could tear off a piece of his flesh. The man howled in pain and retaliated by kicking her in the stomach, sending her tumbling roughly a meter away. ¡°Ah!¡± Wincing in pain, she clutched her aching stomach, but there was no time to dwell on the agony. She seized the opportunity to scramble to her feet and sprinted in the opposite direction. However, the man quickly caught on and chased after her. ¡°Stop right there! Don¡¯t you dare run!¡± Amanda sprinted with all her might, determined not to let him capture her. She couldn¡¯t afford to be caught. The man delivered a powerful blow to her neck in the next moment, causing a surge of dizziness, and she copsed to the ground. Elias, at the president¡¯s office of Winters Enterprise, didn¡¯t bother going back home because he knew sleep wouldn¡¯te easy. His thoughts were consumed by vivid images of Amanda standing beside Simon, and the tone of the child¡¯s voice on the phone, addressing Simon affectionately as if he were their father. The mere thought of it filled him with fury. He sat in his office and smoked several packs of cigarettes. The smell of tobo permeated the room. It wasn¡¯t until close to 4 a.m. when he received that desperate call from Amanda that he felt like his lungs were about to burst with anxiety. Then, when a second call came in, Elias began to suspect that something was terribly amiss. The call abruptly ended, as though a real emergency had urred. ||| 94 What could possibly happen to Amanda at Simon¡¯s ce? Could that useless Simon not even protect Amanda? Elias frowned as he looked at his phone. He attempted to redial, but the call couldn¡¯t connect His intuition screamed at him that something had gone terribly wrong. Quickly extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray, he snatched his suit jacket and left the office without a second nce. He sped all the way to the Nicholson Residence. After ringing the doorbell, the maid hesitated to open the door andmunicated with him. through the inte, ¡°Mr. Winters, what brings you here again? Mr. Nicholson isn¡¯t at home, and Miss Bailey isn¡¯t here either. The people you¡¯re looking for aren¡¯t here; only I¡¯m at home.¡± Only the maid is home? Can something have truly gone wrong? Elias looked at the video doorbell and asked, ¡°Where did Simon go? Where did Amanda go? Why aren¡¯t they at home?¡± ¡°Miss Bailey was asked to leave by Miss Lynch, and Mr. Nicholson went out to find Miss Bailey.¡± It was a tangled mess of a situation. Elias grew increasingly impatient. ¡°Who is Miss Lynch? Just exin everything!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Miss Lynch is Mr. Nicholson¡¯s blind date. She¡¯s quite fond of Mr. Nicholson, but Mr. Nicholson-¡± Before the maid could finish her sentence, Elias had already pieced together the puzzle. He turned on his heels and retreated to his car, leaving the premises. So, now, Amanda has disappeared, and Simon¡¯s clueless about her whereabouts. She was driven away by Simon¡¯s blind date. What on earth is happening? Isn¡¯t Simon her boyfriend? Why is he on a blind date? What is the rtionship between Amanda and Simon? Amidst a whirlwind of questions, Elias couldn¡¯t afford to ponder them all. He needed to find Amanda first. 111 Inside the car, Elias made a phone call. ¡°Get me the location of a phone number right now. I need to know the location immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, give me a few minutes.¡± After three minutes, a message appeared on Elias¡¯ phone, confirming that the phone¡¯s location had been sessfully determined. Elias hit the gas and headed toward the location. Thete-night streets were eerily empty, so speeding wasn¡¯t a concern. The usual half-hour journey only took him a little over ten minutes to reach the pinpointed location. However, there was no sign of anyone when he got out of the car. Where could she be? Elias instantly became furious and dialed the phone again. ¡°Are you absolutely certain the location is here? I don¡¯t see a soul in sight. What the hell am I supposed to find?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, the phone¡¯s GPS location is undoubtedly here. There is absolutely no mistake!¡± He ended the call and dialed Amanda¡¯s phone number. Suddenly, a faint ringtone echoed from somewhere nearby. Frowning, Elias followed the sound and found the phone discarded in a nearby flowerbed. He picked it up and noticed that his own phone number was disyed on the screen. To his surprise, it wasn¡¯t a saved contact name but his phone number. This seemed to be a new phone with no contacts saved. In an instant, he realized Amanda had memorized his number and used it to call for help. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of unease washed over him. Where could she be now? With a panicked expression, Elias scanned his surroundi Chatper 486 Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Eyes Turned Red With Fury As Elias took in his surroundings, he suddenly realized that this ce seemed to be the red- light district. Could it be possible that Amanda has been abducted by human traffickers? The mere thought of this possibility sent a pounding ache through his head, and he tightly gripped the phone Amanda had left behind. He swiftly dialed his bodyguard¡¯s number andmanded, ¡°Gather the team and find Amanda. Search every nook and cranny of Imperia and bring her back to me!¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯m on it!¡± After ending the call, Elias gasped for breath and suddenly felt dizzy. His body copsed to the ground. Right where he had discovered Amanda¡¯s phone moments ago, his eyes caught sight of a few fresh drops of blood ¨C still glistening as if freshly spilled. Struggling to regain hisposure, Elias reached out and brushed his fingers over the crimson stains. In an instant, his eyes turned red with fury. He had a strong premonition that Amanda left behind these bloodstains. In his mind, vivid scenes of Amanda¡¯s possible ordeal shed before him. The more he dwelled on it, the more his head throbbed, and his remorse deepened. If only he had foreseen this, he would have spirited Amanda away today, by any means necessary. Suddenly, his phone buzzed with an iing call. Elias anticipated it might be his bodyguard with some leads, so he hastily picked up the call. However, he wasn¡¯t prepared to hear Simon¡¯s anxious voice on the other end. ¡°I heard from Rosanne that you came to my house. How¡¯s it going? Any updates? I¡¯ve been searching high and low, but Amanda is still nowhere to be found.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a useless mess! You have a blind date, and yet you¡¯re fooling around with. Amanda, a married woman! Let me tell you, I found her phone in the red-light district, and there were even a few drops of blood on the ground. If anything happens to Amanda, I won¡¯t spare you!¡± With that, Elias abruptly cut the call, refusing to waste another word on Simon. His top priority was locating Amanda as swiftly as possible. 14 Suppressing the throbbing headache, Elias returned to his car, determined to scour the area for any leads. He had a nagging feeling that she should be close by. Since this was the red-light district, could it be possible she had been forcibly taken into one of those bars or nightclubs? With this in mind, he drove from one hotel to another. When he passed a nightclub, he continued without stopping. This particr club was owned by someone he knew, and it catered to the rich and powerful clientele. He couldn¡¯t believe they would be involved in such sordid and disgraceful activities. annoyance. Elias entered the nightclub, the deafening music instantly furrowing his brow in As he stepped inside, a swarm of women attempted to engage him in conversation. Without any hesitation, he firmly pushed them away and used lipnguage to convey his message. Get lost. The women¡¯s seductive smiles froze on their faces, their disappointment evident as they turned to leave. Elias proceeded to barge into one private room after another, forcefully kicking the doors. open. However, the person he was searching for remained elusive. ¡°Ah! Who¡¯s this? How did someone just barge in like that? Where¡¯s security?¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? Who let you in?¡± Elias entered thergest private room that was filled with men and women. Among them were a few familiar faces from his social circle. After thoroughly searching the room and finding no trace of Amanda, he intended to pivot. and make his exit. Unexpectedly, a man¡¯s voice called out from behind, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Mr. Winters? Long time no see! What brings you here?¡± ¡°It really is Elias Winters. Elias, where have you beentely? We haven¡¯t heard from you.¡± Elias halted in his tracks and nced back at the people in the private room. Even those who didn¡¯t recognize him initially quickly adopted a more amodating attitude and offered him friendly smiles upon hearing his name. As he observed these men and women, a sense of revulsion washed over him. Are these my friends from before I lost my memory? Have I really been friends with these people? ¡°Trash,¡± Elias muttered softly under his breath before turning away apathetically. Everyone present appeared bewildered,pletely oblivious to the reason behind his unexpected reaction. ¡°What¡­ What does Mr. Winters mean? We didn¡¯t provoke or offend him. He came in on his own.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Winters has a bad temper. Who doesn¡¯t know that? It¡¯s his territory, so let¡¯s just bear with it. Come on, let¡¯s get back to enjoying ourselves.¡± With that, the men and women in the private room resumed their revelry. Meanwhile, a bucket of water suddenly sshed onto Amanda¡¯s face. The bone-chilling sensation instantly jolted her back to consciousness. Amanda¡¯s eyes snapped open. After she wiped the icy water off her face, her expression. turned to one of terror as she surveyed her surroundings. When she spotted the overweight man, her heart sank. It meant that her previous escape attempt had failed; instead, this man had captured her. She nced at her hand and discovered her phone was missing. How am I supposed to contact Aiden now? ¡°Where is my phone? Give it back to me!¡± Amanda yelled at the man, and her voice seemed capable of shattering the entire room. The man was taken aback, unprepared for such a powerful voice from this seemingly delicate woman. ¡°Why are you yelling? Are you trying to attract the police? I¡¯ve already tossed your phone. somewhere, and I¡¯m not about to fetch it for you. Besides, do you think I¡¯d let you use your phone to call the cops? Dream on!¡± ¡°What do you want from me? Let me go!¡± Amanda struggled to stand up and made her way toward the exit. She knew deep down that she couldn¡¯t truly escape, but she wanted to give it a try. To her surprise, the man didn¡¯t stop her. He simply watched as she walked away. However, as soon as she opened the door, she found herself confronted by two menacing men who angrily barked at her, ¡°Get back inside!¡± 34 All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The door mmed shut with a loud thud. Behind her, the man couldn¡¯t help but release a mockingugh. ¡°Hahaha, run if you want! Go ahead, run! Do you really think you can escape once you¡¯re in here? Where do you think you can run to? Do people without IDs naively think they can take on the world all by themselves?¡± ¡°You¡¯re now involved in charges of illegal detention, human trafficking, physical abuse, intentional harm, and more-¡± Before Amanda could finish her sentence, the man sneered. ¡°Quite well-versed in thew, aren¡¯t you? But why didn¡¯t you know to stay in a legitimate hotel? You don¡¯t even have an ID. What good is your legal knowledge? People like you without IDs disappear every day in this world. Do you think the police can handle it?¡± ¡°Just because I stayed in an illegitimate hotel, does that give you the right to do whatever you want with me? Who do you think you are?¡± She had never imagined that something like this could ur in this city, where an intruder could forcibly enter her room and openly abduct her without any fear of consequences. Chatper 487 Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Clever Amanda The man chuckled. ¡°We can capture you precisely because you don¡¯t have any identification documents on you. What¡¯s the point of wandering around? Let me introduce you to a job. I guarantee that you¡¯ll live a good life.¡± ¡°What kind of job?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Amanda narrowed her eyes. She already knew what business this man was into. She was also not likely to be the first victim. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. What can country bumpkins even do? There is nothing special about you except for your pretty face. Did you think I would really let you manage a club? Your job is simple. Just sleep with the men. I don¡¯t need to teach you anything, right? Every woman knows how to do it. The only difference is in your obedience. If you¡¯re obedient, you¡¯ll suffer less. Otherwise¡­¡± At that moment, a scream of pain came from the next room. The man nced at the wall behind him and said, ¡°Did you hear that? If you don¡¯t listen, you¡¯ll suffer like her. It¡¯s your choice.¡± Amanda¡¯s heart clenched when she heard the woman¡¯s scream. She could not help but scowl. Suddenly, a thought struck her mind, and she smiled, saying, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want to suffer. I¡¯ll definitely be obedient!¡± She needed to find a way to escape. One look at the men standing guard outside, and she knew she could not overpower them with force. She had to outsmart them. She did not even have a phone with her now, so there was no way for her to call for help. She also could not escape if she were locked up in a room with no windows. She had to leave this room first. The man heartilyughed. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than the others. Among the women we caught over the past few days, you¡¯re the most beautiful. Who said beautiful women are brainless? You¡¯re quite clever and good at adapting to your situation.¡± Amanda remained silent. The man seemed relieved as he continued, ¡°Alright, wait here. Since you¡¯ve decided to be obedient, I¡¯ll have someone bring you food. You can eat, take a shower, and then go to work in two hours¡± 14 These sc*mbags! Just how many girls had they harmed? The man was about to leave when Amanda stopped him. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you changing your mind?¡± ¡°No. I just find the woman next door annoying. How can I rest with her screaming like that? Why don¡¯t I go over and talk to her?¡± The man skeptically scanned her up and down, sizing her up. ¡°You?¡± How could he trust this woman to persuade the other woman? Amanda was not just beautiful, but she was also clever. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go and persuade her. Her screams are so annoying. If she keeps screaming like this, it will also affect the men,¡± she responded. will ¡°How are you going to persuade her? That woman next door is tough. She has been resisting us for two whole days. She won¡¯tpromise. Do you really think a few words from you work?¡± The man did not believe her. Amanda smiled and replied, ¡°You are all men and always speaking in crude and brash ways. that frighten others. I am a woman, and women connect easily with other women. Anyway, we can¡¯t escape now. We can¡¯t even die, so why should we suffer so much? Even if we escape, life won¡¯t be easy. It¡¯s better to stay here where we¡¯ll have no worries about feeding and clothing ourselves.¡± Her words struck a chord with the man as heughed and said, ¡°You are right to think like. that. If those women were more like you, I would have less trouble. They all cry and scream, pretending to be chaste and virtuous. The moment they enter here, none of them can escape.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you are right. I¡¯ll talk to her. I really don¡¯t want to listen to that shrill screaming. anymore.¡± ¡°Alright, but I¡¯ll only give you ten minutes. Once the time is up, you will leave, even if you haven¡¯t gotten through to her.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Every life mattered. She could not just do nothing as the woman next door was tortured to death. The man brought her to the room next door, pushed the door open, and gestured for the men beating and torturing the woman inside to leave. Then, he let Amanda into the room The man also stood inside the room to monitor everything and hear every word Amanda would say. The woman, beaten and bruised, was lying on the ground as she sobbed. It was heartbreaking, and Amanda wanted to cry just by looking at the woman. Amanda approached and tried to help the woman up, but the woman jerked and instinctively pushed her away. Grabbing the woman¡¯s hands, Amanda asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Who are you? Why do you care about my name? You filthy scoundrels, get out! I will never yield!¡± the woman shouted. Amanda tightly hugged the woman. Then, with her back facing the man behind her, she whispered in the poor woman¡¯s ear, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We will get out of here.¡± ¡°Hey! What are you saying? Let me hear it! You are to dissuade her from fighting, not to add. fuel to the fire!¡± the man shouted angrily. For a moment, the woman visibly stiffened in Amanda¡¯s arms. Amanda let go of the woman in her arms and gently said in a coaxing voice, ¡°Stop struggling. Since we are here, we can¡¯t escape. If we can¡¯t escape, we should find a way to suffer less. What can you achieve by being beaten up? They won¡¯t let you die. They will only make you suffer before forcing you to ept your fate. It¡¯s meaningless.¡± The woman stared nkly at Amanda as if she were wondering what Amanda whispered just now was only a hallucination. She desperately wanted to see a clear answer in Amanda¡¯s eyes. Amanda could not say anything, so she mouthed two words. Trust me. ¡°What do you think?¡± Amanda asked. In an unprecedented move, the woman replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Hearing this, Amanda smiled, tightening her grip on the woman¡¯s hand as if to give her strength. The man behind them was also shocked. Amanda sure was a skilled woman. She managed to dissuade the other woman from fighting with just a few words. That was quite impressive. ¡°Really?¡± The man could not believe it. The woman responded, ¡°I want to be with her. Otherwise, I won¡¯t cooperate.¡± ||| ¡°You¡¯re so naive. Do you think she can save you with a few kind words? She can¡¯t even save herself. Fine, you can stay together. Just stop causing trouble.¡± Done with the two women, the man walked out of the room. Soon, the door closed. Now, the only ones in the room were Amanda and the pitiful woman. Amanda asked, ¡°Can you tell me your name now?¡± ¡°Moon.¡± ¡°Okay, Moon. Have faith in me. Someone wille to save us.¡± She believed that Elias woulde to save her as he would definitely find this ce. ¡°Why are you so confident? We don¡¯t stand a chance of escaping at all.¡± Amanda smiled and replied, ¡°Still, you chose to trust me. If you truly trust me, then there¡¯s no need to question so much. People can shape their destinies, and it¡¯s up to us to seize the opportunity to break free.¡± Chatper 488 Chapter 488 Chapter 488 My Dad Is Called Elias Winters. Moon gazed at Amanda. For some inexplicable reason, she felt a force in her heart urging her to trust Amanda. ¡°Alright. I believe you.¡± ¡°In that case, eat your meal and get a good night¡¯s sleep. We only stand a chance at escape when we are well-rested and nourished,¡± Amanda advised. Moon obediently nodded. Amanda, however, nced at the door and let out a soft sigh that only she could hear. She didn¡¯t know if Elias woulde to rescue her. She had made two phone calls, and the second one was abruptly cut off. Elias should be aware of her perilous situation. After a while, a man entered the room with two boxed meals as well as some toiletries and clothes. ¡°After you finish eating, take a shower and change into these clothes.¡± With that said, the man left. Moon had been hiding behind Amanda all this time because she had been beaten numerous times in the past two days. Every time she saw these people, she would tremble in fear, as if she had encountered a ghost. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear these clothes. I don¡¯t want to sleep with those men. I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want¡­¡± Moon was afraid of these clothes because, on the first day, she was forced to wear revealing attire. However, she would rather die thanply. She even bit one of them, resulting in at beating. Amanda noticed her fear andforted her, holding her and saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t have to wear them. They won¡¯t let you go out like this with your current injuries.¡± That finally calmed Moon down. Amanda picked up the boxed meal and began to eat. She was indeed famished. Since fleeing Simon¡¯s house, she had not eaten a single meal or had a sip of water. In the subsequent days, Elias scoured all the bars and nightclubs in the area, but there was no 14 sign of Amanda. The worst possibility even crossed his mind. Amanda might be dead. With what happened to her and the fact that her phone was left behind while drops of blood stained the ground, it was difficult not to consider the possibility of death. However, the mere thought of this possibility caused Elias excruciating pain. He refused to believe it. It could not be true. Elias waited in the mansion for any leads from the bodyguards, but there was no good news. He only received reports of fruitless searches. ¡°Useless! All of you are useless! You can¡¯t even find one person. What good are you?¡± Elias sat in the chair behind his desk as he angrily reprimanded the bodyguards standing. before him. One by one, the bodyguards lowered their heads, too afraid to speak. They had thoroughlybed through the area, but they just could not find Amanda. They had even checked the airport and train station, but there was no record of her purchasing any ticket under the name of Amanda Bailey. ¡°Mr. Winters, we were truly meticulous in our search through the area, but she is nowhere to be found¡­¡± ¡°Then, keep searching! Perhaps there are hidden surveince cameras! Examine the car that was parked there that night. Review the entire dashcam footage! Now, leave!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After the bodyguards departed, Elias leaned back in his chair. His long fingers were pressed against his forehead as he stared at Amanda¡¯s phone, lost in thought. He wondered how she was faring right now. He firmly believed that she was still alive. She would not be so easily killed. Suddenly, the phone rang. It was an international long-distance call. Elias frowned. Why was there an international call? Amanda¡¯s phone didn¡¯t have any saved numbers; it had apletely new SIM card. He hesitated momentarily, but the phone rang as if determined to keep ringing until the call was answered. 24 While he did not want to answer someone else¡¯s call without permission, he had no choice but to answer the phone since Amanda was gone. After much hesitation, Elias finally swiped the screen and answered the call, cing it against his ear. Before he could utter a word, a child¡¯s voice came through the phone, brimming with. innocence and cuteness. ¡°Mommy, what are you doing? Why haven¡¯t you called me all day? I can¡¯t sleep. I want you to tell me a story.¡± The voice of a child¡­ Elias felt a tightness in his chest. Could this be the son that Amanda mentioned? He suddenly recalled the day he went to the Nicholsons¡¯ house and heard a child addressing Simon as ¡°Dad¡± over the phone. His curiosity was immediately reced by anger, and he contemted hanging up. However, the little voice on the other end of the line coquettishly pleaded, ¡°Mommy, why aren¡¯t you talking to me? Today, that strange man was acting weird again. He wanted me to call him Dad, but I won¡¯t call him Dad. I have my own dad. I told him my dad¡¯s name was Elias Winters. He¡¯s not my dad.¡± Elias gripped the phone tightly, his entire body stiffening as his pitch-ck eyes were filled with shock. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The boy called Elias Dad¡­ ¡°Mommy, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? What are you doing? Answer me, Mommy! Mommy?¡± Elias suddenly felt a surge of excitement. His fingers tightened around the phone as he slowly exined, ¡°I¡¯m not your mommy. I am¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the child eximed in surprise, ¡°Dad!¡± Elias froze. The boy had called out Dad just by hearing Elias speak. What did this mean? It meant that the boy knew Elias very well. It meant that Elias had always been referred to as Dad, so the child recognized him solely by hearing his voice. Elias awkwardly replied, ¡°Um, yes, it¡¯s me. It¡¯ste. Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet, sweetheart? Also, who is making you call him Dad?¡± 34 Who was this strange man the child mentioned? Was it Simon? No. During the visit to the Nicholsons¡¯ house that day, the child had happily addressed Simon as Dad. ¡°It¡¯s that strange man. That annoying, unfamiliar man who always tricks me into calling him. Dad. I won¡¯t call him that. I have a dad myself. Mommy said I can only call one person Dad.¡± Hmph! Only allowed to call Elias Dad? What, then, did he hear at Simon¡¯s house that day? Elias felt a surge of jealousy in his heart. He retorted, ¡°Is that so? Then, why did I hear calling Simon Nicholson Dad?¡± you ¡°Well¡­ Uncle Simon is different. Uncle Simon is different from Dad. Mommy said I am the child of her and Dad, so I only have one dad.¡± Elias now wanted to know why the child was in Esmos, and why he was staying with another man. Who was this man? ¡°Dear boy, can you tell me why you¡¯re in Esmos? Did Mommy bring you here?¡± ¡°No, it was a beautifuldy. The beautifuldy told me Dad was waiting for me here, but she lied. Dad isn¡¯t here at all. However, Mommy promised to take me back home soon. Mr. Yacob is also here. He has been with me every day.¡± ¡°Yacob?¡± Why did that name sound so familiar? It felt like he had heard it somewhere, but he could not remember where. The more he pondered, the more his head throbbed. Ever since the car ident, he would get a headache whenever he exerted his mind. Chatper 489 Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Hypnotized Again Just then, Symeon¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, instructing Aiden to go to sleep. Right after that, Symeon spoke into the phone, ¡°Do not disturb the child¡¯s rest.¡± After saying that, he hung up the phone without realizing that it was Elias on the other end. Elias was lost in thought as he looked at his phone. Who is this man, and why is the child with him? Amanda had always told him about wanting to rescue her child, iming that the child wast in the hands of a dangerous person. Could she be referring to this individual? With that thought in mind, Elias picked up his phone and immediately made a call. ¡°Help me track the location of another phone,¡± he ordered. Soon, the call was returned. ¡°How is it? Did you find it?¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, the location of this number is from a mysterious mansion in New Montana. We don¡¯t know the specifics, but the signal ising from inside the mansion.¡± After hanging up the phone, Elias furrowed his brow. A mysterious mansion¡­ At that moment, Boris walked in and knocked on the study door. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Momsey wishes to see you. She said she¡¯ll just take a look at you and leave. If you don¡¯t let her in, she¡¯ll wait outside all night.¡± ¡°Let her wait.¡± He had no desire to deal with Rosie right now. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Amanda and the child. He wondered whether this child truly was his. ¡°Yes.¡± Just as the butler was about to leave, Elias called him back. ¡°Stop.¡± Hearing that, Boris halted his steps. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you have any other instructions?¡± ¡°Let her in.¡± Now that he had lost Amanda, if he had also lost Rosie, he would have another problem. It was better to send away this bothersome person before dealing with her. After a while, the butler brought Rosie into the study and then left. Rosie put on a feigned expression of concern as she entered the study. ¡°Eli, are you okay? I heard that you¡¯ve been experiencing headaches these past few days. You need to take your medicine on time, you¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Elias impatiently interrupted her. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen me, you can leave. Don¡¯t make me repeat my words. I have a lot of things to deal with. now, and I don¡¯t have time to waste with you here.¡± He was cold and heartless. Rosie was startled upon hearing that and felt like Elias had changed once again. She had originally nned to continue hypnotizing this man, but hepletely ignored her these days. He didn¡¯t answer her calls or reply to her messages and didn¡¯t take her seriously. at all. His guilt toward her seemed to be disappearing quickly. Thus, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer and had to take action. ¡°Eli, I¡¯m just worried about you. That¡¯s why I wanted to see you. Why are you so heartless¡­¡± ¡°So now that you¡¯ve seen me, can you go back? You can go now. I¡¯ll have the driver take you back.¡± Elias didn¡¯t even want to look at her. The next moment, Rosie nced at the bell in her hand and gently shook it. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The quiet study was suddenly filled with the chime of the bell, and the sound of it seemed to have stirred the depths of the man¡¯s spirit. Elias suddenly looked up and searched around, but there was no sound of a bell, making him wonder why he heard the sound of a bell. It was the same during thest check-up at the hospital. He heard the sound of a bell for no reason, but the people around him couldn¡¯t hear it. Noticing that the man reacted to the sound of the bell, Rosie put her hands behind her back. and shook the bell in her hand again. The man began to feel drowsy. He even felt his vision bing blurry and was slowly losing consciousness. Elias looked at Rosie standing there and asked, ¡°Did you hear the sound of a bell?¡± After saying that, she shook the bell in her hand again. Elias couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open any longer. He appeared drowsy and gradually closed his eyelids before resting his head on the desk. Seeing this, Rosie approached and called out a few more times, ¡°Eli? Eli?¡± No matter how she called him, the man didn¡¯t respond. Only then did she feel relieved. Then, Rosie went outside the study and told the psychologist who had been waiting there, ¡°Come in. Let¡¯s make it quick.¡± The psychologist¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she uncrossed her arms and entered the study. Rosie locked the door to the study so that no one could enter. Inside the study were now only Rosie, the psychologist, and Elias, who was hypnotized and asleep. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in a good state right now. He might experience memory confusion.¡± The psychologist leaned against the desk while observing the man¡¯s pale face. However, Rosie had made up her mind. ¡°I can¡¯t worry about that anymore. The more awake he is, the more he hates me. I can¡¯t let him hate me more. I want him to like me, and I want to live in his heart completely.¡± ¡°Okay. I understand. I will only focus on my job, and you will bear the side effects.¡± Hearing that, Rosie didn¡¯t say anything and just stared at Elias. Three hours passed. Boris passed by the study several times, but the study door was never opened, and neither Elias nor Rosie emerged. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they were doing in there. Just then, the nanny walked by, and the butler stopped her. ¡°Did you see Mr. Winterse out while you mopped the floor? Or did you hear any noise?¡± ¡°No, but when Miss Momsey went in, it seemed like she brought a woman with her.¡± ¡°Brought a woman?¡± Boris looked puzzled. Could it be the female driver who just brought Rosie here? Boris found Rosie¡¯s behavior strange today. Usually, a male driver would drive her here, but today, a beautiful woman drove her, and this woman didn¡¯t look like a driver. At first, he thought she was Rosie¡¯s friend. But what are Rosie and her friend doing with Mr. Winters in the study? Boris couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he approached the door and knocked. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you need something to drink? It¡¯s been three hours. Are you thirsty?¡± The study was quiet at that moment. The psychiatrist was hypnotizing Elias while Rosie stood by, and she refrained from making any noise. Unfortunately, it was precisely at that moment when Boris came to knock on the door. Both the psychiatrist and Rosie turned their heads to look. The man who was sleeping on the desk furrowed his brow. As if he had suddenly lost hist mind, he shouted, ¡°Leave! Get out!¡± Rosie noticed that the man hadn¡¯t opened his eyes, indicating that he was still under hypnosis and hadn¡¯t awakened. The psychiatrist signaled Rosie with a nce to go and dismiss the butler. It was crucial at that moment to avoid any unnecessary noise, as it would significantly impact the effectiveness of the hypnosis. Chatper 490 Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Where Are You, Amanda¡­ The study door swung open just as the butler continued to shout outside. Rosie furrowed he brow and scolded in a hushed voice, ¡°Leave! Eli is resting. Don¡¯t disturb him!¡± Rosie was genuinely concerned that it would disrupt the hypnosis effect. She didn¡¯t want to waste this rare opportunity she had found tonight. ¡°Miss Momsey, I came to inquire if Mr. Winters would like some tea or coffee. Furthermore, this is the Winters¡¯ residence, and it¡¯s not your ce to interfere. After all, you are not Mr. Winters¡¯ wife.¡± Boris had grown tired of Rosie¡¯s presence. She would visit every few days and always boss the Winters¡¯ staff around as if she were already thedy of the house. Even when Amanda was, she didn¡¯t have many opinions about the staff. So, who was Rosie, an outsider, to behave this way? With that, he pushed open the study door and intended to enter. Rosie was startled and quickly stepped forward to stop him. ¡°What are you doing? I already said Eli is resting inside. You can¡¯t go in. If he needs will call for you¡­¡± you, he Before Rosie could finish her sentence, Boris interrupted her, ¡°Miss Momsey, please understand your position. You are not thedy of the house here, and you have no right tomand me.¡± ¡°How dare you speak to me like this! Are all the Winters¡¯ staff this impolite? Is this how Eli usually teaches you!¡± Just at that moment, the psychiatrist noticed that Elias was about to wake up. She swiftly stood up and approached Rosie before whispering something in her ear. Rosie¡¯s face turned pale as she nced at the man slumped over the desk. ¡°Well, you may leave now. I will contact you if I require anything. You don¡¯t have to send me home. Eli will have the driver take meter.¡± Rosie deliberately put on a show in front of the butler, making him believe that the psychiatrist was just her friend. Despite seeing the true nature of the psychiatrist, Boris still harbored doubts. ¡°When I entered the study just now, this youngdy wasn¡¯t here. How did she suddenly appear? Who let her in? Mr. Winters doesn¡¯t see just anyone.¡± ¡°What are you doing? She¡¯s my friend, and she came with me. I can¡¯t just leave her behind, can I?¡± Rosie was so afraid that Boris would investigate that she quickly signaled for the psychologist to leave. Seizing the opportunity, the psychologist turned around and departed without wanting to linger for even a moment as she didn¡¯t want to be discovered. She didn¡¯t know how Elias. would react if he found out that she had hypnotized him, She had been in dire need of moneytely, which was why she took on this job. Otherwise, she would have ignored Rosie¡¯s request. After the psychologist left, he looked at Rosie and said, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte, Miss Momsey. You should return now. Mr. Winters is too upied to apany you, but I will have the driver take you back.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave now. I have to wait for Eli to wake up¡­¡± How could she leave now when she hadn¡¯t even witnessed Elias waking up yet? At that moment, there was a stir behind them as the man woke up, and both of them turned. to look instinctively. Elias propped up his head and sat up from the desk with his brow furrowed. It seemed as though he had just emerged from a long dream and was momentarily disoriented in his current surroundings. Only when he looked up and saw Rosie and Boris did he realize that he was back in reality, that the dream was over. Rosie cautiously called out, ¡°Eli¡­¡± Elias nced at Boris and said, ¡°Go and grab me a ss of water. I¡¯m thirsty.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The butler turned and exited the room. At this moment, only Rosie and Elias remained in the study. The man stared at Rosie as if attempting to see through her, making her feel uneasy and toot afraid to meet his gaze. As Elias looked at Rosie, an inexplicable fondness welled up within him. He didn¡¯t know where this feeling came from. It was as if something waspelling him to like Rosie, but his body resisted. Both forces battled within him, which caused him pain and difort. ¡°Eli, are you¡­ alright?¡± Rosie felt that the way Elias was looking at her was peculiar. The psychologist had left too abruptly earlier, and she hadn¡¯t inquired about the effectiveness of the hypnosis this time. Could it be that it hadn¡¯t worked due to the butler¡¯s interruption? Rosie grew anxious, but Elias didn¡¯t disy any impatience toward her. Instead, he spoke in at deep voice, ¡°It¡¯ste. Spend the night here.¡± She looked up in confusion while gazing at Elias¡¯ handsome face. Is he allowing me to stay overnight? Is this for real? Rosie thought she must have misheard, but Elias did indeed tell her to spend the night. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Okay! Thank you, Eli!¡± She nodded happily. At that moment, Boris entered the study with a ss of water and handed it to Elias. Elias downed the entire ss of water in one gulp, then looked at Boris. ¡°Prepare a room for Rosie. It¡¯s late, and she will spend the night here.¡± Boris was taken aback as he thought that he had also misheard. But when he nced at the excited Rosie, he reluctantly nodded and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You may all leave. I wish to be alone.¡± Elias felt his mind in turmoil at the moment, as if he had suddenly acquired numerous. fragmented memories. He wanted to sort through these jumbled memories in his mind and. had no desire to engage with anyone. ¡°Well, Eli, rest well. If you need anything, just call for me, and I wille immediately.¡± Rosie happily departed from the study. As she turned around, a triumphant smile graced her face. What does this mean? It meant that the hypnosis had worked. That is fantastic! Elias has now changed its attitude toward her for the better. After the butler left with Rosie, he couldn¡¯tprehend why Elias¡¯ attitude toward her had made a complete 180-degree turn just after three hours. Although he couldn¡¯t fathom it, he still arranged a guest room for Rosie to stay in. Inside the study. As Elias sat behind the desk, his mind was buzzing, and he was unable to calm down. He pulled out a cigarette and ced it between his lips before lighting it. The smoke veiled. his handsome face and, at the same time, intensified the jumbled memories that had been forcefully imnted in his mind. He couldn¡¯t fathom why these memories existed as they felt ufortable and peculiar. However, he couldn¡¯t dwell on that now. His utmost priority was to locate Amanda and deal with that call from the mysterious estate in New Montana. Why was the child there? These uncertainties could only be urately answered once Amanda was found. After Elias extinguished the cigarette, he grabbed his phone and murmured softly, ¡°Amanda, where are you¡­ Chatper 491 Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Seems to Have Seen Madam¡¯s Figure Early the following morning. Rosie woke up promptly with the first rays of daylight, her determination clear. It was to prepare a hearty breakfast for Elias. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. However, as she finished her morning routine and stepped into the kitchen, she overheard the chef murmuring that Elias had already left Winters Estate and he might not return to the mansion all day. ¡°It¡¯s not even 8 a.m. yet. Where could Eli have gone? To the office?¡± Rosie couldn¡¯t help but ask. Beside her, the chef shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Mr. Jones mentioned that Mr. Winters seemed to be searching for someone, but I¡¯m not privy to the details.¡± Finding someone? It must be Amanda! Rosie clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Hadn¡¯t the hypnosis workedst night? Why is he still so fixated on finding Amanda? She left the kitchen and immediately dialed her psychologist. Once the call connected, she unleashed her frustration, ¡°Is your hypnosis even work? Why did he wake up so early to search for that woman? Why isn¡¯t he focused on me? What¡¯s your exnation for all of this? If your hypnosis is causing this, you better not continue, and don¡¯t expect to receive the remaining payment.¡± The psychologist on the other end of the line replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to me me. Just tell me if that man spent the night with you.¡± ¡°He did, but so what? It hasn¡¯t stopped him from seeking out that woman.¡± The more Rosie mulled it over, the angrier she became. If she had known this would be the oue, she wouldn¡¯t have consulted this psychologist. It seemed utterly useless, and she had squandered a significant sum of money. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that sufficient? It is already yielding results. You can¡¯t expect me to erase his memory of that woman, right? His life will go on, and he¡¯ll continue with his responsibilities. However, his attitude toward you has changed, and that¡¯s the desired effect. With these changes in his attitude, you can develop a deeper connection with him, understand? Rosie narrowed her eyes. ¡°How do I cultivate that?¡± 14 ¡°Miss Rosie, you¡¯re not one to be clueless about love. Must I really school you in this? Staying by his side is your priority now. As long as you¡¯re with him, he won¡¯t develop any aversion toward you. He maye to see you as considerate. Regarding the bell I gave to you, refrain from using it haphazardly. It can disrupt a man¡¯s mental state, possibly leading to hallucinations and nightmares.¡± Upon hearing the psychiatrist¡¯s advice, Rosie felt reassured, a smile gracing her lips. So, that¡¯s the way of it. Nevertheless, Rosie retained her haughty demeanor as she retorted, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll give it a shot. If he still refuses to ept me, I will hold you ountable. You won¡¯t escape my scrutiny!¡± With that deration, she promptly terminated the call. For a prolonged moment, Rosie stared at Elias¡® contact number on her phone before finally mustering the courage to dial it. The call was answered. A masculine voice emanated from the other end, inquiring. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Eli, I originally intended to prepare breakfast for you. Why did you leave so early? I heard you have a busy day ahead. Could we possibly share dinner tonight? It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a meal together.¡± that After conveying her request, a profound silence hung in the air, making Rosie doubt whether she would receive a response. Yet, just as she was losing hope, Elias¡® voice broke through, saying, ¡°Sure, meet me at Paradise Night Club tonight. I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ll be there on time!¡± Upon ending the call, Rosie nearly leaped with tion. Her heart brimmed with joy! It appeared that Elias¡® attitude toward her had indeed undergone a significant change, and she was determined to seize this opportunity. First, she would indulge in a beauty treatment and don an exquisite dress before rendezvousing with Eliaster in the evening. In the evening. In recent days, Elias had scoured tirelessly for any sign of Amanda, his frustration mounting. 24 There was no record of her leaving the country, and it seemed she hadn¡¯t even departed from Imperia. Yet, he remained unable to uncover any trace of her whereabouts. Inside the club, he downed one ss of wine after another, attempting to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Then, as if on cue from the previous night, that international call rang again. Without hesitation, he answered, greeted by the same youthful voice. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Aiden, it¡¯s daddy.¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to break the news of Amanda¡¯s absence to Aiden. He feared it would haunt the little one¡¯s dreams. ¡°Daddy, where¡¯s Mommy? I want to talk to Mommy.¡± ¡°Mommy¡¯s not feeling well, Aiden. We need to let her rest for a couple of days, okay? Can Daddy chat with you instead?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mommy? Is she sick? I really want to talk to her! I don¡¯t care!¡± Aiden grew increasingly anxious. His reliance on Amanda had been a constant since he was a toddler, and the thought of her being unwell distressed him deeply. Elias hadn¡¯t expected such strong affection from such a young child. It underscored the close bond Amanda and Aiden shared in their daily lives. With patience, heforted Aiden on the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your mommy¡¯s just tired. from work, so she decided to sleep early. I¡¯ll make sure she calls you tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. Since Mommy¡¯s sleeping, let¡¯s not wake her up. Daddy, when are you and Mommy bringing me back home? I miss home.¡± His heart softened instantly upon hearing this sentence, tinged with a touch of pain. Elias replied, ¡°We¡¯lle to get you as soon as Mommy is feeling better, okay?¡± ¡°Yay! I¡¯ll wait for you here! I promise to be good and listen to Mr. Yacob.¡± Aiden¡¯s well¨Cbehaved nature tugged at Elias¡® heart. He couldn¡¯t help but smile and good; wait for me to pick you up. Make sure to go to bed early.¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± After ending the call, the smile vanished from Elias¡® face, and he fell into deep contemtion. say, ¡°Be He had to find Amanda quickly and uncover why Aiden had ended up in that mysterious 34 mansion in New Montana. Suddenly, the door to the private room swung open. The man nced up and realized it was Rosie. Although he had no particr interest in her, an inexplicable impulse urged him to be more cordial. ¡°Eli, I didn¡¯t expect to find you here.¡± Rosie adopted an innocent and naive expression, pretending to be a gentle, unassuming figure as she walked into the private room. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the food been served yet? You¡¯ve already had quite a bit to drink, and it¡¯s not good for your health,¡± Rosie remarked. Her gaze fell on the wine bottles spread across the table as soon as she entered. It appeared that he had already emptied half a bottle. Elias replied nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not in a good mood, so I thought a few drinks might help.¡± Suddenly, his phone buzzed, and he answered the call. The bodyguard on the other end of the line sounded excited as he reported, ¡°Mr. Winters! Our team seems to have spotted someone who looks remarkably simr to Madam at the Dream Nightclub. Would you like to check it out? I¡¯m on my way there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there! Wait for me!¡± After speaking, Elias promptly stood up and nced at Rosie. ¡°You can have your meal alone as I have something important to attend to.¡± Watching his anxious expression, Rosie felt a pang of disappointment. She retrieved the small bell the psychiatrist gave her from her bag. Though she wasn¡¯t supposed to use it, her determination outweighed her reservations. Chatper 492 Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Getting Closer As the door was about to close, Rosie held the small bell and shook it without hesitation. Elias suddenly stopped, experiencing dizziness as the door ahead blurred into multiple images. He vigorously shook his head, attempting to clear his mind, but it only intensified his disorientation. Persistently, the sound of the bell echoed in his ears, at a time near and far, as though beckoning his thoughts. Elias slowly turned around and saw Rosie sitting innocently, seemingly unaware of anything. ¡°Eli, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Rosie inquired. ¡°Did you¡­ hear the bell ring?¡± he asked. Rosie shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t hear anything. Eli, are you experiencing auditory hallucinations?¡± Elias fell silent, momentarily forgetting his intentions. He looked at the door before him and asked, ¡°What was I about to do?¡± ¡°Oh, Eli, you mentioned wanting to urge the waiter to take our order. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be here soon. I¡¯m not hungry. We can wait,¡± Rosie reassured him. Hepletely forgot his intentions and returned to his seat, but something still felt amiss. ¡°Eli, are you okay?¡± She frowned and asked. Elias replied indifferently, ¡°Nothing, but I feel like there¡¯s something else I need to do.¡± The sound of a bell ringing continued echoing in his ears, near and far, as if only he could hear it. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can think about it while we eat. I¡¯ll help you figure it out, Rosie reassured with a smile Elias didn¡¯t say anything else. When the waiter came with the menu, he absentmindedly ordered a few dishes and handed the menu to Rosie. He felt like he had forgotten something, but he couldn¡¯t recall it 14 Meanwhile, outside the Dream Nightclub, the bodyguard anxiously awaited Elias¡® arrival, expecting they would enter together. However, there was still no sign of him after a two¨Chour wait. One of them questioned, ¡°What¡¯s happening with Mr. Winters? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to join us. immediately? Why hasn¡¯t he shown up yet?¡± Another bodyguard suggested, ¡°Maybe something dyed him? Should we give him a call?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not. Mr. Winters has been in a bad moodtely. I¡¯d rather not risk getting scolded.¡± A third bodyguard hesitated. So, they continued to wait in uncertainty, unsure of when Elias would arrive. After dinner, the driver chauffeured Rosie back to the Momsey Residence. However, Rosie didn¡¯t wish to return home. ¡°Eli, would you mind going for a walk with me? There are so many beautiful flowers blooming near my house,¡± she requested. Elias Winters contemted refusing, but his thoughts led him to reply, ¡°Sure, it¡¯s your call.¡± Thus, the two of them strolled around the Momsey Residence, with only the sound of their footsteps breaking the silence. The surroundings exuded tranquility, and the fragrance of flowers permeated the air. ¡°Eli, you¡¯ve lost weight recently. You should eat more. Perhaps I can make some soup for you someday¡­¡± Rosie began, but before she could finish, Elias gradually halted as if he vaguely recollected his earlier intentions in the private room. Suddenly, Elias turned and briskly walked toward where the driver had parked. Rosie watched his hurried steps and eximed, ¡°Eli, where are you going?¡± ¡°Back home! I have something to attend to. I need to leave now!¡± Without even ncing back, he hopped into the driver¡¯s car. In the blink of an eye, the car sped away, leaving Rosie fuming and stomping her feet in frustration. Outside the Dream Nightclub. The car gradually came to a stop, and Elias exited as the bodyguards swiftly approached 94 ¡°Mr. Winters, you¡¯ve finally arrived. We¡¯ve been waiting here for two hours, and we were starting to think you wouldn¡¯te,¡± one of the bodyguards expressed. ¡°I forgot. Couldn¡¯t you have called or reminded me?¡± Elias retorted. His tone was icy as he strode directly toward the club¡¯s entrance. The bodyguards exchanged puzzled and somewhat hurt nces. After all, Mr. Winters had promised to come right after the phone call, so how could he forget? Yet, none of them dared to question Elias. Once inside the club, Elias turned to the bodyguards and demanded, ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Two hours ago, they reported seeing a woman who resembled Madam in the Dream Building. It¡¯s been two hours, so she may have already left,¡± one of the bodyguards exined. cautiously. Elias suddenly became furious. He closed his eyes briefly and said, ¡°Then, go find her! Bring the person in charge here!¡± Initially, he hadn¡¯t suspected that Amanda would be there when he passed by this ce. Het hadn¡¯t expected a kidnapping incident in such an upscale location. After a brief wait, the club¡¯s manager approached. When he spotted Elias, he nodded and smiled obsequiously. ¡°Mr. Winters, what brings you here today? Are you here for some leisure or¡­¡± ¡°Looking for someone.¡± Elias retrieved his phone, his expression devoid of emotion, and showed the manager a photo of Amanda, ¡°Have you seen this woman?¡± The manager nced at the woman in the photo and was surprised. Isn¡¯t she one of the recent hustlers? Could she be rted to Mr. Winters? Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The manager hesitated briefly, then forced a fake smile and replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her, and we have a constant influx of visitors here daily. It¡¯s challenging to remember them all. Let met ask the staff; perhaps they might recall something.¡± With that, the manager turned and left. At that very moment, Amanda and Moon hid in the restroom, quietly discussing their next move. They knew they couldn¡¯t escape tonight and had to apany those men. However, Amanda was determined not to participate in their illicit activities. They needed to find a way to protect themselves. 34 ¡°What should we do? It¡¯se to this point, and there¡¯s no way we can escape,¡± Moonmented. She was terrified and clung to the hope that Amanda could somehow rescue them from the impending fate that awaited them in those men¡¯s beds. With time running out, they needed an escape n. ¡°Stop crying,¡± Amanda whispered urgently. ¡°When the timees, tell that man you want to be with me. No matter what, we have to stick together.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that okay?¡± Moon looked skeptical, uncertainty in her eyes. Amanda gently patted her shoulder and reassured her, ¡°If you trust me, do as I say. There¡¯s simply no way out at this point.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°What are you two doing in there? Come out immediately! I¡¯m getting impatient. There¡¯s still a lot of work left to be done!¡± A gruff male voice boomed from outside the restroom, shattering the brief moment of respite. Chatper 493 Chapter 493 Chapter 493 You¡¯ve Been Calling My Name So, Amanda and Moon walked out. The man, who was waiting impatiently outside, warned them. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything funny. Once you¡¯re in here, you won¡¯t be able to escape! Follow my instructions and behave, or else you¡¯ll suffer!¡± ¡°I understand that, of course. I was just trying to convince her. I¡¯m not disobedient,¡± Amanda said fearlessly. The man snorted and looked at Moon. ¡°And what about you? Have you thought it through? I you react like earlier and scream when someone touches you, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Moon was scared and hid behind Amanda. Her voice was trembling as she said, ¡°I want to be with her, no matter what we have to do. I won¡¯t do it alone.¡± ¡°What? Together? You two together with a man in bed? What the heck are you thinking?!¡± the man eximed. Amanda, however, looked at the man and asked, ¡°Why not? Those people are more open- minded than you think.¡± The man didn¡¯t say anything. He thought for a moment and realized it wasn¡¯t impossible. ¡°Do as you please. I¡¯m amazed that I can¡¯t even separate you two. You even have to go to the bathroom together.¡± However, Amanda saw a man¡¯s figure passing by the corner of the corridor ahead at that moment, and the figure resembled Elias! Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be him? However, she only saw his back and couldn¡¯t be sure. If it wasn¡¯t him, she would be even more miserable at the hands of these se*mbags. ¡°What are you staring at? Hurry up and walk!¡± The man turned around and scolded Amanda angrily for being lost in thought. Amanda caught up again, but she was plotting in her mind. She needed to find an opportunityter to test it out. If it really was Elias, they could escape tonight, then. She couldn¡¯t stay here for another second; it was like hell on earth. She directly put on an act! ¡°Ouch!¡± She suddenly clutched her stomach and bent over in pain, looking miserable. The man and Moon were both startled. Moon asked quickly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Amanda blinked at Moon, indicating for her to cooperate. Moon was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. On the other hand, the man looked skeptical and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you now?¡± ¡°What did you feed us tonight? Why is my stomach hurting so much? Can¡¯t you give me something good to eat? It¡¯s all expired,¡± Amandained while clutching her stomach and pretending to be in excruciating pain. The man was stunned. Even if he had been a bit stingy with the food for these women, it couldn¡¯t possibly be expired, right? ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. How could I give you expired food?¡± Amanda pinched Moon¡¯s abdomen harshly, causing Moon to scream in pain. ¡°Ah! My stomach¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Is your stomach hurting too?¡± Only then did Moon realize what Amanda meant, so Moon held her own stomach and said, ¡°My stomach hurts too. What did we eat tonight? How could this happen-¡± ¡°It must be the takeout. I think those dishes were about to spoil, and he dared to give them to us. He expects us to earn money like this, but our health is ruined. How can we make. money?¡± Amanda scolded the man. The man began to doubt whether there really was a problem with the takeout. In the next second, Amanda turned around abruptly while saying, ¡°I can¡¯t take it I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Come back! They¡¯re still waiting for you over there!¡± anymore. ¡°I can throw up in the bathroom or on those people. You choose!¡± she said as she ran toward the bathroom, with Moon quickly following from behind. The man started to panic. He was urged to bring the two women over, but it ended. up like this. He began making phone calls as he cursed andined. 21 Meanwhile, Amanda and Moon stopped pretending in the bathroom and started discussing their n. ¡°Moon, you stay here and stall them. I think I saw someone who can help us just now, but I¡¯m not sure. I need to go out and check. If it¡¯s not him, acting rashly might make our situation worse, but if it is him, we can escape tonight.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m scared. I can¡¯t handle it alone. I¡¯m really scared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Just stay here. Tell him that you have diarrhea and can¡¯t leave at all. Keep talking to him and let him know you¡¯re inside.¡± ¡°But what if hees in? I¡¯m terrified.¡± Mooncked courage the most and was especially afraid of facing those sc*mbags. Amanda sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here then. You go out and check it out for me. The man¡¯s name is Elias. If you find him, tell him my name is Amanda Bailey, and I need him to save me.¡± ¡°How does he look like? And how do I get out? That man is guarding outside.¡± ¡°I have a way. There is a window behind this restroom. Climb out, and it leads to another corridor.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I have no experience. I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Moon felt that she couldn¡¯tplete such a difficult task. The window outside was three stories high. Falling would either result in death or disability. Amanda was a little angry. ¡°Are you just going to let the chance to escape slip away like that? Do you want to be trapped here forever? Be brave! There¡¯s nothing more important than escaping!¡± Moon stopped talking, nodded, and asked again, ¡°What does that man look like?¡± ¡°He¡­ is very handsome. If what I saw earlier was him, he is wearing a ck suit tonight and. about 187 centimeters tall. Most importantly, his name is Elias Winters, and I¡¯m Amanda Bailey. You must remember my name and his name!¡± Moon nodded. She had made up her mind this time as she couldn¡¯t be trapped here forever. That would be worse than death. So, with Amanda¡¯s help, she climbed out of the small window while perspiring profusely. She closed her eyes and flipped into another window before entering the corridor. Moon fell onto the carpet but did not feel much pain. She got up and faced the long corridor before realizing that it was full of private rooms. 34 If that was the case, how could she find the man named Elias? There were so many people¡­ She saw that there was no one around and walked into the club¡¯s garden. It was filled with. lively conversations between men and women. She felt like a monster intruding into the human world. Amanda said that the man was handsome and tall¡­ and most importantly, his name was Elias. ¡°Elias¡­ Elias¡­ Elias¡­¡± Moon repeated the name over and over as she was afraid of forgetting it. Unbeknownst to her, a tall figure had been trailing her until she reached a secluded corner, where the figure suddenly embraced her from behind. Moon was startled as she spun around and eximed, ¡°Why have you been following me?¡± ¡°Because I heard you saying my name.¡± She was surprised! So, he was Elias? Chatper 494 Chapter 494 Chapter 494 I Am Elias Moon carefully observed the man standing before her. He was undeniably handsome, just as Amanda had described¡­ He was almost unbelievably handsome. Was this Amanda¡¯s boyfriend? Elias saw that the girl had been silent for quite some time, and he was growing impatient, so he asked, ¡°Please speak up. Why did you keep mentioning my name? How do you know me? Although he wasn¡¯t particrly interested in why this girl knew him, he sensed that there was more to it. Upon being scolded in this manner, Moon snapped out of her thoughts but still maintained a submissive demeanor. ¡°Um¡­ May I ask if you are Mr. Elias Winters? Are you Elias Winters?¡± She found it hard to believe, considering the dangerous circumstances surrounding this matter. Elias replied while suppressing his impatience. ¡°Yes, I am Elias Winters. Why do you know my name? Please exin.¡± ¡°Great! I finally found you. I¡­ I am here on behalf of Amanda Bailey. She mentioned that she thought she saw you earlier, but she needed to confirm. So, she asked me to find you. If 1 I found you, I was supposed to tell you that her name is Amanda Bailey, and she needs your help.¡± Moon ryed everything Amanda had told her and felt a sense of relief as she did so. Upon hearing Amanda¡¯s name, Elias became instantly alert while furrowing his brows and grabbing Moon¡¯s arm. ¡°Where is she? Take me to her!¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the restroom over there. I¡¯ll take you there. Please save us. Those scoundrels want to force us into sleeping with men. I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Sleeping with men? Elias¡® anger surged, and he even felt the urge to destroy this club. He clenched his fists, pursed his lips, and followed closely behind Moon. Everything else could wait until he saw Amanda. Moon led him to the restroom they had just been in, but the man guarding outside was nowhere to be found. What did this mean? 14 Was Amanda also gone? Moon immediately panicked and searched around but was unable to locate Amanda. anywhere. Elias furrowed his brows. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°The man who was guarding us has disappeared.¡± Moon finished speaking and entered the restroom. Initially hesitant due to it being the women¡¯s restroom, Elias disregarded that concern in his pursuit of saving Amanda. He entered the restroom and found it empty. Amanda was gone? ¡°How could she disappear? Amanda said she would stall that man so I could find you. How could this happen¡­ Could they have discovered my escape?¡± Moon panicked and felt guilty. ¡°If they find out that Amanda helped me escape, will they mistreat her-¡± Elias abruptly turned and left the restroom before Moon could finish off her sentence. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Moon hurriedly followed while pleading with Elias. ¡°Mr. Winters, please save me. I don¡¯t want to be alone here. They will capture me and take me back!¡± However, Elias paid her no attention. He didn¡¯t even nce back as he said, ¡°Follow me!¡± Moon followed closely, afraid of being left behind, while also searching for Amanda¡¯s. presence. Elias searched through all the rooms in that corridor, but he couldn¡¯t find anyone. He turned back and asked Moon, who was trailing behind him, ¡°Where do they usually keep you?¡± ¡°We are usually kept in this room. If we don¡¯tply, we get beaten. Could it be¡­¡± Moon. began to have a foreboding feeling, but Elias continued to ask her, ¡°What? Tell me!¡± ¡°They have been pressuring Amanda to apany people over there. Could they have taken her directly to that man¡¯s room?¡± ¡°Which room?!¡± Elias felt a sudden throbbing in his temple and shouted in anger. Moon was almost petrified and couldn¡¯t recall the exact room for a moment. She said while trembling, ¡°It¡¯s the room at the far end on the third floor. I can¡¯t remember the exact number¡­¡± The man proceeded directly toward the elevator, but it never arrived, so he headed for the 21 staircase instead. Moon followed closely behind him without missing a step. Elias descended five flights of stairs in one breath and arrived at the third floor. He spotted the rooms at the very end and looked at Moon before asking. ¡°Which room? Do you have any recollection?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Moon gazed at the few rooms in front of her. It seemed like it was either room 3102 or 3103. ¡°It¡¯s one of these two rooms, either on the left or right. I was crying and struggling so much at that time, so I didn¡¯t pay attention to the room numbers.¡± Elias kicked open the door in front of him and barged in, only to find a couple engaged in an intimate act. They screamed in fear as they were startled by Elias¡® sudden intrusion. ¡°Ah! Who are you? How dare you barge in!¡± Upon realizing that he had entered the wrong room, he turned around and left without giving the couple a chance to say anything else. Then, he kicked open another door, revealing a man uttering disgusting and vulgar words. toward a bathroom door. Upon hearing the sound of the door being kicked, the man first felt startled, then angrily shouted, ¡°Who the hell are you? Why did you kick my door open? Where are the security guards? Where is the manager? Is this the level of service here where anyone can just barge in?!¡± Elias grabbed the man¡¯s bathrobe cor and said, ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing? That¡¯s my woman, and you dare to engage with her?! I think you¡¯re tired of living!¡± ¡°What are you doing? Let go! Let go! If you don¡¯t release me, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± The man panicked slightly after realizing that Elias was a formidable individual who didn¡¯t care about the man¡¯s status or identity. The security guards and the manager quickly rushed over upon hearing themotion, and they were dumbfounded when they witnessed the scene inside. They never expected Elias to be so forceful, even kicking open the door. ¡°Mr. Winters, this is inappropriate. You can¡¯t affect our business. The woman you¡¯re searching for is not here!¡± ¡°Whether she¡¯s here or not, it¡¯s not up to you to decide. I¡¯ll find her myself¡± Elias threw the ||| 34 man in front of him to the ground like trash and then walked toward the bathroom. In the short distance of a few steps, he could feel his anxiety growing. He was afraid to push the door open, but he also yearned to find Amanda. He didn¡¯t want to wait another second. ¡°Mr. Winters, if you insist on doing this, we won¡¯t be polite either. Excuse us. We¡¯re just conducting business as usual.¡± The manager and security guards hurriedly entered to restrain Elias. However, to their astonishment, a team of bodyguards also rushed in and prevented them from entering. They shut the door and provided Elias with a tranquil environment. Within the room. Elias stood outside the bathroom, and all he could perceive was the sound of water rushing. His voice was strained. ¡°Amanda, is that you¡­.¡± No response came from within, prompting him to inquire with determination. ¡°Amanda? Are you inside?¡± Chatper 495 Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Are They Deeply in Love With Each Other? There was still no answer. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He wanted to push the bathroom door open but found that it was locked from the inside. When he turned around and saw th mess in the room, he knew there had been a struggle. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. He kicked the bathroom door open and was shocked by what he saw inside. ¡°Amanda!¡± At that moment, Amanda was lying on the floor and surrounded by broken ss. There was a cut on her wrist, and blood was slowly flowing and dripping into the drain. His legs suddenly felt weak, and tears welled up in his eyes. He rushed over and lifted Amanda from the pool of blood while pressing his thin lips against her pale forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. Hold on.¡± Although Amanda had already fallen into aa, there were still signs of life. The bodyguards outside the door and the people in the club were arguing. Moon stood anxiously by, not knowing how Amanda was doing. Suddenly, the door was pulled open! Everyone turned their heads and saw Elias holding Amanda, who had cut her wrist, and they were all dumbfounded. Moon covered her mouth in shock. How could this happen? How could Amanda¡­ ¡°Get the car ready!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The bodyguard turned and headed toward the stairwell, leaving the elevator for Elias. Elias hurriedly carried Amanda toward the elevator, and his lips were constantly whispering to her, ¡°Hold on. We¡¯ll be at the hospital soon, and everything will be fine.¡± Late at night at the hospital. They continued the efforts to save Amanda¡¯s life until the early hours of the morning, and she finally regained consciousness and was sent back to her hospital room. 14 Elias stayed by her bedside while waiting for her to wake up. Meanwhile, Moon stood outside the room. She wanted to go in but was afraid to do so as t door was blocked by the bodyguards. It wasn¡¯t until the doctor called Elias to sign some documents that he walked out of the roc and noticed Moon had been waiting outside all this time. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. When Moon saw hime out, she immediately stood up. ¡°Mr. Winters, how is Amanda? want to go in and see her. I¡¯m really worried about her.¡± No matter what, if Amanda had climbed out of the window, she wouldn¡¯t be the one bearin all of this. It was all because Moon was too slow in finding Elias. If she had found him sooner, Amanda wouldn¡¯t have been forced tomit suicide. ¡°Go, but you have to leave before Ie back from the doctor¡¯s office. I don¡¯t want her to wake up and see someone other than me as the first person.¡± Although the first person he saw when he woke up from the ident was not Amanda, he wanted to be the first person Amanda saw when she woke up. He couldn¡¯t exin why he fe this way. Moon nodded obediently and walked into the hospital room. After Moon entered, the man looked at the bodyguard beside him and said, ¡°Send her home after she comes out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Moon entered the hospital room, she saw Amanda lying on the bed. Her face was as pale as paper, and she had bandages wrapped around her wrists. They were still stained with blood. ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m sorry. I was too slow¡­¡± She held Amanda¡¯s hand but didn¡¯t dare exert too much force as she feared hurting. Amanda¡¯s wounds. ¡°Amanda, if we meet again someday, I will definitely repay you.¡± Moon looked deeply at Amanda¡¯s sleeping face, then turned and left the hospital room because Elias had said that she had to leave before he came back. She didn¡¯t want to disturb their private time. C 24 Moon walked out of the hospital room and happened to meet Eliasing out of the doctor¡¯s office. Elias looked at her and said in a deep voice, ¡°Go home. I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let anything happen. to her.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, you must love Amanda very much.¡± Love¡­ The man frowned slightly. Perhaps he was in love before the amnesia caused by the ident, but there were still many mysteries to be solved. He couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. Moon thought the man¡¯s silence meant agreement, so she continued, ¡°I finally understand why Amanda was so confident.¡± Elias was puzzled. ¡°Confident?¡± ¡°Yes. We were in that situation where there was no response even if we shouted for help, and she still believed that we would escape. She evenforted me and said you woulde to save her. At that time, I thought she was naive, but now it seems that I was the naive one. Today, I saw you holding her, and if I were her, I would also be confident like her. I believe you will save her and find her.¡± Elias furrowed his brow. ¡°What are you talking about, and what do you want to say?¡± The man felt like he understood what the girl was saying, but at the same time, he wished he didn¡¯t understand. Moon smiled lightly. ¡°What I mean is, there is a spiritual connection between you two. Only those deeply in love can have this kind of spiritual connection.¡± Those deeply in love¡­ Elias was engulfed in endless silence. During the past few days of searching for Amanda, he had experienced many inexplicable premonitions, all of which turned out to be urate. Moon said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving. If we are destined to meet again, I hope to see you two grow together.¡± After saying that, Moon left with Elias¡® bodyguard. old s watched the girl¡¯s gradually disappearing figure and repeated softly. ¡°Only those deeply in love can have this kind of spiritual connection¡­¡± So, he and Amanda were deeply in love with each other¡­ 34 But what about the DNA test? He wanted to ponder over these doubts, but his head couldn¡¯t help but ache. He took a deep breath and then opened the hospital room door. He found Amanda still in a deep sleep, and the doctor said she would probably wake up tomorrow morning. The man sat on a chair beside her while staring at her without blinking, and then his gaze shifted to the bandage on her wrist as he furrowed his brows in displeasure. He was unable to help himself as he muttered under his breath, ¡°Idiot! Couldn¡¯t you have waited a few more minutes? I would have found you. Since you have already seen me, why don¡¯t you believe me? Why did you choose such a foolish way?¡± The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. If he had arrived a stepter, would Amanda have died tonight? He still had so many mysteries to unravel, and yet this woman had chosen to cut her wrist. andmit suicide directly. After cursing, he tenderly grasped Amanda¡¯s fragile hand and said gently, ¡°Please wake up soon. I have numerous questions for you, and¡­ we must save our child. I long to hear from you about what transpired with the child, why they were in that enigmatic mansion, and what urred before I lost my memory.¡± Unbeknownst to him, Rosie stood outside the hospital room at that very moment, and her face was contorted with hatred. She had fervently wished for Amanda¡¯s demise. Why had Amanda resurfaced once more? Chatper 496 Chapter 496 Chapter 496 You Had Regained Your Memory? The next morning, at the break of dawn. When Amanda opened her eyes, she discovered Elias¡® head resting in front of her hospital. bed and gently cradled her injured wrist as if safeguarding a precious treasure. She touched his head, and he sleepily raised his head. After he saw she was awake, his instantly filled with surprise. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Are you feeling any difort? I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡± After speaking, he got up and walked towards the ward without giving her a chance to respond. eyes She propped herself up and leaned against the headboard. Her face was somewhat pale, and she still felt weak. Suddenly, she felt a wave of pain emanating from her wrist, so she lowered. her head and noticed that her wrist was wrapped in white. gauze. Then, the distressing memories from the previous night flooded back to her, and she remembered everything. At that moment, Elias entered the ward with a doctor. After the doctor drew the curtain and examined her, he opened the curtain and said to Elias, ¡°Mr. Winters, she¡¯s fine, and she¡¯ll recover as long as she rests well. Please remember to keep the wound dry.¡± After the doctor left, she felt thirsty and looked at him. ¡°Could you please pour me a ss of water? I¡¯m quite thirsty.¡± He looked at her without saying a word but still turned around to fetch her a ss of water. Then, he handed it to her and specifically instructed her, ¡°Drink with your other hand.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She was momentarily taken aback, but she used her other uninjured hand to drink the ss. of water and ced it aside. He settled back into his chair and stared at her intently as if afraid that if he didn¡¯t keep a close eye on her, she would escape in the next second. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that¡­ Is there something on my face?¡± She felt a bit unnerved by his intense gaze. Finally, he spoke up with his deep and solemn voice. ¡°Do you realize how reckless your actions were? You might have died if I had arrived a few minutesterst night. 14 She lowered her head in silence and said, ¡°I thought I would never escape and would rather die if that kind of person vited me.¡± get away, so I He forcefully struck the nearby cab with a loud p, which startled her and caused her. body to tremble. ¡°You crawled through a small opening and jumped out of a three¨Cstory window to flee from the estate, and now you¡¯re scared? Even if you¡¯ve been vited, so what? Are you going to seek death? Didn¡¯t you keep saying that you wanted to save your son? Who will save your son if you die?¡± Son¡­ His wordspletely awakened her mind. She had actually forgotten about Aiden when she attempted suicide by cutting her wristst night. It was just that the situation was critical at that time, and she had no means of escape, so she chose this method as her mental state was on the verge of copse. Now, she felt it was truly foolish when she thought about it. What will happen to Aiden if she dies? Simon will discover the truth sooner orter, and will he mistreat Aiden then? What if Elias never regained his memory? I had actually contemted suicide with so many questions swirling in my mind. Elias also calmed down after he saw her remain silent for a while, but tears streamed down her face one after another. ¡°Amanda, let¡¯s talk calmly and peacefully.¡± He indeed had many things that needed rification. She looked up at his face and swiped away her tears. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I want to resolve my doubts, such as the child¡¯s matter. For now, I won¡¯t ask why the DNA up in a test appeared in the estate, but I simply want to know why the child ended. mysterious estate in New Montana. Your phone has been in my possession these past two days, and I¡¯ve been answering the calls from the child.¡± She widened her eyes as she thought her phone was lost, but she didn¡¯t expect he had found it. ¡°What did you tell him? He knows nothing, and please don¡¯t make things up. She appeared nervous. He replied, ¡°I told him I¡¯ll bring him home in a few days.¡± Amanda froze. For a moment, she felt that this man seemed to have regained his memory. so her mood suddenly became excited, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Have you¡­ regained your memory?¡± Otherwise, why will his attitude towards her make aplete 180¨Cdegree turn? However, he looked at her coldly. ¡°No, but Aiden must be brought back. Please tell me the exact address and bring me to retrieve him. We¡¯ll find out through another DNA test whether he is my child or not.¡± When she heard the man say the word ¡°no,¡± disappointment filled her heart as she wished he could return to how he was before the car ident. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you. Can you hear me?¡± ¡°I heard you. Do as you please, as I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, so there¡¯s nothing to fear. Actions speak louder than words. However, sitting on a ne for over ten hours might be too much for you to handle with your current physical condition.¡± He replied, ¡°That¡¯s not something you should worry about. Just rest in the hospital for a few days and prepare yourself. If he is my child, why should he stay with someone else? You still haven¡¯t told me why he¡¯s there.¡± ¡°It is because the estate owner believes Aiden is his child, but he¡¯s not. Someone sabotaged it and intentionally falsified the DNA test, so the DNA test in the estate is fake. I can swear on life that the child is yours. If I¡¯m lying, let me be hit by a car when I leave.¡± my Every word she said left no room for doubt. Although it was such a vulgar oath, it still surprised him, and he even started to believe what she said, so his doubts gradually dissipated. ¡°We¡¯ll leave in five days. If everything you said is true, I will find the mastermind behind this and eliminate him directly, but if you¡¯re lying to me and the child is not mine, then Amanda, please be prepared to spend the rest of your life in darkness.¡± After saying that, he stood up and walked toward the hospital room door. When he exited the room, he noticed the bodyguard standing guard beside him and ordered, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he proceeded toward the elevator. He needed to return to thepany and discuss the work for the next two weeks as he had to make a trip to New Montana this time. So what if he lost his memory? Even if he lost his memory, it wouldn¡¯t hinder him from doing what he desired. After regaining consciousness from the car ident, he felt as though multiple individuals were manipting him due to his amnesia, and from that moment on, he ced his trust solely in himself. Within the confines of the hospital room, Amanda noticed her phone resting on the bedside. table. Has Elias ced it there? She reached for the phone and dialed Aiden¡¯s number. The call connected swiftly, and she heard Aiden¡¯s innocent voice on the other end. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± It appeared that Elias had been conversing with the child over the past few days when Aiden directly addressed him as ¡°Daddy.¡± Chatper 497 Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Bring Them Back Together After regaining herposure, Amanda smiled and said, ¡°Aiden, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Mommy, are you feeling better? Daddy said you were sick and unwell, so you haven¡¯t called me in the past few days.¡± That¡¯s how Elias exined it to the child. Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m better now. Have you been behaving well over there?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Yacob always praises me for being well¨Cbehaved.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Mommy, Daddy said you and he wille to pick me up soon. Is it true, or are you tricking me again?¡± She hesitated momentarily, thinking about what Elias had said earlier, and replied, ¡°Maybe Daddy really wants toe and get you.¡± ¡°Yes! I can finally go home. Mommy, I don¡¯t want to stay here. This strange uncle always. stops me from doing this and that, and he¡¯s so mean. He even wants me to call him Daddy, but I won¡¯t.¡± She smiled and said, ¡°Sweetie.¡± Amanda remembered the n she had set up to frame Melissa and wondered if Symeon had found her in these past few days. Aiden¡¯s innocent voice came through the phone, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Yacob wants me to go over.¡± ¡°Then, go quickly. Remember, be a good boy and listen to Mr. Yacob. We¡¯ll bring you home. soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She unexpectedly felt nervous after she hung up the phone, but she couldn¡¯t exin why. Elias seemed determined to bring their child back, even though he still hadn¡¯t regained his memory. Could his current physical condition really handle sitting on a ne for more than ten hours, though? She couldn¡¯t help but worry, but she also wanted to bring their child back as soon as possible. The longer Aiden stayed by Symeon¡¯s side, the more danger he would be in. This was because Symeon could discover the truth and even direct his anger toward innocent Aiden at any moment. Suddenly, her phone rang. She nced at it and saw an unfamiliar number, which looked familiar. She answered the call, but she only heard a panicked woman¡¯s voice on the other end, ¡°Amanda! How could you be so heartless! You actually told Symeon that I was nning to kidnap your son, and now he¡¯s treating me like a kidnapper and has me wanted everywhere!¡± She was stunned for a moment, then chuckled lightly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Lawrence to act so quickly, but it seems he¡¯s not fast enough; otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have had time to call me.¡± ¡°Why did you do this?!¡± Melissa sounded furious on the phone as she shouted hysterically. Amandaughed. ¡°Who do you think you are to ask me that? What gives you the right to let Symeon keep my son? What gives you the right to destroy the happiness of our family of three? If it weren¡¯t for you, Elias would not have had a car ident and lost his memory; if not for you, how could I have been separated from my baby? And now, you have the nerve to ask me why I did this?!¡± ¡°Amanda! Don¡¯t celebrate too soon, as I won¡¯t spare you once I¡¯m caught!¡± ¡°I would love to see what you can do once the truth is revealed.¡± After saying that, Amanda hung up the phone. After hanging up, she felt a bit uneasy, so she dialed Symeon¡¯s phone number after hesitating. for a while. It rang for a long time before he answered. Symeon, who was on the other end of the phone, seemed to be in a meeting, and his tone was not friendly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Please speak quickly as I¡¯m in a meeting.¡± ¡°Well, Melissa called me again.¡± He remained silent for a few seconds, ¡°What did she say to you?¡± ¡°She threatened me, saying that if she is caught by you, she won¡¯t let me go. I guess if she is found by you, she will make up stories. You should decide what to believe from what she says. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to teach me that, as I knew.¡± Amanda said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re busy then.¡± 24 When she was about to hang up, Symeon said again. ¡°Don¡¯t answer if she calls you again and leave this matter to me. I¡¯ll just eliminate her if she threatens you again.¡± Eliminate her? If she¡¯s eliminated, how will we ever know the truth? ¡°No¡­ we need to keep her alive. We need to know why she¡¯s doing this.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but feel scared. If Melissa is really eliminated by him, then this matter will never be resolved. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll keep her alive for you since you want to know why.¡± Amanda felt that the atmosphere was strange for some reason. She coughed and replied, ¡°Well, you¡¯re busy. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± After hanging up the phone, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had to save Aiden as soon as possible to feel at ease and then let Symeon and Melissa fight each other like dogs. Esmos. After Symeon hung up the phone in the meeting, his face became even grimmer. He didn¡¯t expect Melissa to be so audacious. She was running for her life, yet she still had the audacity to threaten Amanda. If it weren¡¯t for Amanda¡¯s plea just now, he might have ordered his men to eliminate Melissa without leaving any potential threats. He found it strange that Amanda had such an attitude. He nced at the employee who was reporting the work and then made a phone call. A voice. came from the other end, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°How is it going? Have you caught the person?¡± ¡°We are scouting the area and found her hiding in a farmhouse, so we n to take action. after dark.¡± ¡°Remember, keep her alive and bring her back, as I have some questions to ask.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Lawrence. By the way, I found out that this woman is apanied by her mother and a little girl. Should we bring them back?¡± A little girl? He frowned involuntarily. ¡°How old is the little girl?¡± 34 ¡°She looks about two or three years old.¡± She is the same age as Aiden. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Suddenly, he remembered the nonsense Amanda had said long ago about having a child. with Melissa in a hospital. More and more doubts seemed to surface. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Bring them all back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After hanging up the phone, he continued the meeting and nced at the tablet beside him. The surveince camera at home showed Aiden ying with a gardener. Lately, this little guy seemed always to be ying with this gardener, which made him suspicious. At Winters Enterprise in Cludan. Elias was in his office, assigning tasks to thepany¡¯s executives as he was about to leave for about half a month. At that very moment, thendline phone rang. He swiftly pressed the answer button, and hist secretary¡¯s voice said, ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Momsey is here. She insists on seeing you, and it¡¯s imperative. I informed her that you were engaged in a work discussion, but she insisted on waiting for you toe out.¡± He was about to instruct her to wait, but suddenly, a realization struck him, like an inner voice guiding him, whichpelled him to treat Rosie with nothing but utmost kindness. Chatper 498 Chapter 498 Chapter 498 You Should Hate Me ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elias looked at the executives in front of him and said, ¡°The future of thepany relies on all of you for the next half month. If there¡¯s anything, call me. Alright, you can go back to work now.¡± The office door opened, and one by one, the people left. Then, Rosie walked in, holding a thermos in her hand. ¡°Elias, I see that you¡¯ve been busy with worktely and not getting enough rest. So, I made some soup for you. Have some. I won¡¯t take up much of your time. I¡¯ll leave once you finish.¡± He slowly stood up and walked toward the reception area. Then, he saw her open the thermos and pour a small bowl of soup on the side. The man sat expressionlessly on the sofa, not even ncing at the bowl of soup in front of him. Instead, he looked at her and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. The Winters¡® chefs are hired to do such things.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s different. I made it myself¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the man interrupted her, ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Besides, I¡¯ll be going abroad for half a month.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my business. I don¡¯t see why I should tell you anything.¡± She fell silent after hearing his blunt dismissal. Then, her heart turned cold once again. Why couldn¡¯t this man fall in love with her not matter what she did? She could only get a little bit of tenderness through hypnosis. Even so, it would disappear in an instant. ¡°Elias, why are you always so cold to me? What did I do wrong¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I know you¡¯ve been good to me, and I know what you want. But I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t give it to you. It doesn¡¯t matter what has happened between Amanda and me. I am still her husband. As for whether that child is mine¡­ I want to verify it myself¡± ¡°You still won¡¯t leave her even though Amanda has betrayed you and deceived you?¡± Tears welled up in Rosie¡¯s eyes. 14 Unfortunately for Elias, he would get a headache whenever a woman started crying before him. So, he pinched his brow and patiently exined, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t ever bother with a woman who has betrayed me, but¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter what the oue of my rtionship with Amanda will be because it won¡¯t affect us. We are only suitable as siblings, not as lovers. I don¡¯t have any feelings for you. Do you understand me?¡± Rosie¡¯s heart sank as if she had fallen into an abyss. It was clear and hurtful, as if she had been given a death sentence. It was impossible for him. to ever love her. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Elias, why? Can¡¯t we be together even without Amanda¡¯s meddling? Can¡¯t feelings be cultivated? Why is it impossible for us?¡± She truly didn¡¯t understand what sheckedpared to Amanda. Just why couldn¡¯t she capture this man¡¯s attention? ¡°To put it gently, we¡¯re notpatible. To put it bluntly, you¡¯re not my type. I¡¯m telling you right now that it won¡¯t change anything, even if you get stic surgery. So, I¡¯m sorry.¡± After saying that, Elias stood up and went back to his desk, grabbing his suit jacket. ¡°I have another meeting to attend. You can leave on your ownter or have my driver send you home.¡± Rosie looked at the soup she had spent three hours cooking. Yet, the man left without even tasting a single spoonful. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, but she had no expression on her face because her heart had diedpletely. She had done so much. In fact, she even went as far as to portray Amanda as a kidnapper. Yet, Elias still refused to love her. How ridiculous. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Suddenly, her expression turned somewhat sinister as she muttered to herself, ¡°Since I can¡¯t have him, I¡¯ll destroy everything. What I can¡¯t have, you, Amanda, can forget about having too.¡± Let¡¯s go to hell together! All of you can forget ever having a happy ending! Amanday in the hospital bed but couldn¡¯t fall asleep no matter what she did. ||| 24 Suddenly, the door to the ward behind her was pushed open. Thus, she immediately turned to look only to find Elias standing there. So, she propped herself up and looked at him. ¡°Why are you here sote?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I finished my work and came to see you on the way.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Suddenly, she felt awkward, not knowing what to say. Elias looked at the white bandage on her wrist. It seemed that no blood had seeped through after the dressing was changed. He felt somewhat relieved. ¡°Tell me about the child. What was I doing when you were giving birth?¡± Amanda hesitated for a moment. ¡°Our rtionship wasn¡¯t good in the past. You probably didn¡¯t like me when you married me. So, we married in secret. After a year of marriage, you were never home. Then, we got divorced. After the divorce, I found out I was pregnant. I gave birth to the child overseas, so you weren¡¯t by my side. Frankly, I didn¡¯t know what were doing.¡± After she finished speaking, Elias Winters fell intoplete silence. you He initially wanted to regain his lost memories. Now, he learned right from the supposedly most important person in his life that he used to be a deplorable person. He wasn¡¯t even by her side when she was giving birth? ¡°You got pregnant after the divorce. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I told you before the divorce, but you didn¡¯t believe me. You didn¡¯t believe that I would get. pregnant with your child. So, you insisted on getting a divorce.¡± After Amanda finished speaking, the man fell into silence once again. He realized that recovering his memory was another trial for him. It turned out that he had done so many terrible things in the past. Elias looked at her and said hesitatingly, ¡°Then¡­ you should hate me. Why did you choose to remarry me?¡± ¡°Huh. Why? I have repeatedly asked myself this question too. You were so cruel to me back then! Why would I choose to remarry you again? Maybe it¡¯s because of love, butter on, you treated me very well really well. It also didn¡¯t hurt that you were also good to our son. It it weren¡¯t for whatever this is, maybe we would have continued to be happy like that The person right at the top of Amanda¡¯s sh¡¯tlist was none other than Melissa Walters That cruel woman who destroyed their family¡¯s happiness just because of personal gain. Love¡­ When Amanda mentioned the word ¡®love, the man¡¯s cold heart gradually began to crumble. and melt. His heart was willing to melt for Amanda. Now, he found himself willing to believe Amanda¡¯s words. He wanted to believe that their son was his and that the DNA test at home was fake. ¡°Let¡¯s depart in three days. I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± He was eager to uncover the truth and to see their son, with whom he had been conversing for the past two days. Would the child resemble him more, or Amanda? ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m concerned about your well¨Cbeing¡­ Are you sure you can handle this?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I need to make this trip. You need not worry about my health. I¡¯m fine.¡± Although he sensed that something was amiss with his body, he could no longer concern himself with that. If Aiden was indeed his son, he couldn¡¯t bear to leave his child in danger. Chatper 499 Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Answer Me! After that heavy conversation, Elias and Amanda fell into silence once more. Then, he slowly rose to his feet. ¡°You should rest. I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Amanda called out to him, and he turned around. ¡°What else do you want to say?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¨CIt¡¯s nothing. Just be careful on the way back. If possible, I still hope you would consider allowing me to lead the team while you give your orders within the country. I don¡¯t want you to take any unnecessary risks.¡± She had already consulted the doctor, and Elias¡® current physical condition was far from suited for sitting on a ne for more than ten hours straight. His wounds were far from healed, and being at a high altitude could reopen his injuries. Moreover, there were still blood clots in his brain, which was very dangerous. He simply looked at her before saying, ¡°I have already made up my mind. There¡¯s no need to persuade me otherwise. Someone will pick you up from the hospital tomorrow, pack your things then. We¡¯re departing on Friday.¡± and you can So, she could only watch helplessly as Elias left the ward. It wasn¡¯t until she heard the sound. of the door closing that she was certain he had gone home. Symeon finished his work and returned to the Lawrence Estatete at night. Once his bodyguard opened the car door, he reported, ¡°Master, the people have been captured, and 1 have locked them in the vi area on the east side.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising that they were captured, but locking them in a vi was rather unexpected. Symeon looked up at the bodyguard. ¡°Why did you lock them in my brought them back out of the kindness of my heart?¡± He obviously brought this woman back to interrogate her. ¡°I will take them to the secret room underground.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. vi? Do you think I Tll take a shower before meeting them. In the meantime, you can interrogate them for me in my stead 11 ¡°Yes.¡± Then, Symeon looked at the butler beside him. ¡°What about Aiden? Is he asleep?¡± ¡°He went to sleep after talking to his mother on the phone.¡± ¡°By the way, I saw in the surveince footage that this little guy has been ying with a gardener recently. Who is this gardener? When was he hired? Also, why is Aiden spending so much time with him?¡± Simon remembered seeing Aiden happily ying with a gardener in the surveince footage during the day. The butler looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure. We have dozens of gardeners in the house. I¡¯ll inquire about it.¡± ¡°Once you know who they are, bring them to me. I want to question them myself.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Where are you taking us? What do you want?¡± Melissa tightly held her child in her arms and protected her mother behind her as she sharply questioned the bodyguards. s, the bodyguards remained indifferent to her plight. ¡°Just follow me, I won¡¯t harm you. You should be more concerned about what our master wants to do to you.¡± Master¡­ Melissa¡¯s face turned ugly at the mention of Symeon. She didn¡¯t want to confront Symeon face to face. She was scared, genuinely terrified that he would recognize her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him! I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just afraid to face him because of your guilty conscience after making so many mistakes. It¡¯s understandable that you wouldn¡¯t have the guts to face our master. Unfortunately, that¡¯s not up to you!¡± After that, the bodyguard pushed the three of them into the secret room. Melissa turned around and shouted angrily as she swept her gaze across the dark and damp. environment they had been forced into. ¡°He wants us to live in a ce like this?! Is this a ce for people to live in?!¡± Suddenly, Dulcie, who was in her arms, burst into tears. The child¡¯s grievances and filled the entire secret room. panic Yet, the bodyguard merely turned a blind eye and left without another word. 24 ||| Melissa screamed at the iron door, ¡°If your master knew who this child was, he would regret. this decision!¡± ¡°Then, you should personally exin yourself to our master. We¡¯re just following orders. We would never do anything against his wishes.¡± Melissa¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t hold back her tears either. ¡°Melissa, how did ite to this? How did we end up locked in here? The child is so young! How can we live in a ce like this?¡± ¡°Mom¡­ don¡¯t cry. I will find a way. I will definitely rescue you and Dulcie.¡± Melissaforted. her mother, holding her crying daughter tightly, not knowing what to do. Eventually, Dulcie finally fell asleep in her arms after waiting in terror for God knew how long. Suddenly, low and heavy footsteps came from outside. These footsteps made Melissa¡¯s whole body involuntarily stiffen. She recognized these footsteps¡­ Symeon. It¡¯s him! He¡¯s here! Melissa held her child tightly in her arms as the low and heavy footsteps stopped in front of the door. Soon, the door swung open. The instant the door opened, Melissa instinctively turned around. She didn¡¯t want to face this man, not at all! She had done so despicable things, like dragging Amanda and her child into this battle. It was all to never see this man again. Simon¡¯s voice came from behind her. ¡°Turn around.¡± Melissa just held her child tightly in her arms and refused to turn around. Mary was also startled when she saw the man who suddenly came in. Isn¡¯t he Dulcie¡¯s biological father? ¡°Melissa! Isn¡¯t this person¡­¡± Mary hadn¡¯t even finished her sentence when Melissa covered her mouth, stopping her from saying anything else. ¡°Mom, hold the child. I don¡¯t want to wake her up. It was so hard for her to fall asleep.¡± Then, she looked at Symeon. ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere else. You wouldn¡¯t be so cold¨Chearted as to let a child suffer, would you?¡± Symeon shot a nce at the little girl and then walked out of the room. 34 Melissa followed him. There were bodyguards all around them, and there was no chance of escape. ¡°First of all, I can clearly tell you that what Amanda said was all a lie. I didn¡¯t threaten her, nor did I kidnap Aiden. It¡¯s all nonsense. Her goal is to make you catch me.¡± Symeon couldn¡¯t help but sneer. Sure enough, it was just as Amanda had imed. Melissa¡¯s first sentence was to deny everything. ¡°Then, tell me why Amanda would lie to me. Why would she want me to catch you?¡± Symeon retorted. Melissa looked at the man in front of her, somewhat lost in thought. It had been many years. since she had seen this man up close. Since that night, she had never dared to appear in front of this man. This man was still so handsome and cold¨Cblooded. Symeon looked at the woman before him and felt a sense of familiarity. s, he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen her. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question! Answer me!¡± The man¡¯s tone abruptly escted, catching Melissa off guard and snapping her back to reality. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not sure! She¡¯s just spouting nonsense. I didn¡¯t abduct Aiden, and I didn¡¯t demand any ransom!¡± Melissa simply didn¡¯t want to disclose the truth, unwilling to let this man separate her from Dulcie. Chatper 500 Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Why Did You Touch Me? ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question. Since you¡¯re being so insincere, you can stay until you¡¯re willing to tell the truth.¡± After that, Symeon nced at the bodyguards and intended to leave. here Melissa panicked as she blurted, ¡°Are you even human? You¡¯re forcing two women and a child to stay in this dark and damp ce!¡± Symeon stopped in his tracks, smiled, and looked back at her. ¡°Who are you to me? Why should I care about your lives? If it weren¡¯t for Amanda pleading your case, I might have killed you on the spot when we captured you.¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes widened in shock as her breath caught in her throat upon hearing those ruthless words. This man was so heartless! ¡°Why are you so heartless? You don¡¯t even know who we are! Yet, you want to kill us. Aren¡¯t you afraid of regretting itter?¡± ¡°Regret? Why should I regret it? I don¡¯t care who you are. I only care about the safety of my son.¡± After that, Symeon left without looking back. Melissa looked at the man¡¯s resolute figure and couldn¡¯t help butugh. It was aughter filled. with sadness. This man now dotes on Amanda¡¯s son as if the boy was the most precious thing in the world. However, he was more than willing to kill his own daughter. Sure, it was all her fault for not speaking the truth. However, if she were to reveal the truth. she might never see Dulcie again. She might be just another Amanda. Symeon had taken Aiden away and driven Amanda off. The Winters¡® circumstances would befall her if she ever confessed. That was why Melissa was willing to do anything to drag Amanda and her son down with her. It was just to ensure that she and her daughter would always be together, but¡­ Now, Symeon wanted to kill them, mother and daughter. 14 Finally, the day of departure arrived. Amanda and Elias arrived at the airport and entered the waiting lounge to wait for boarding. At this moment, he was leaning on a single sofa, resting his eyes, while she stared at him. observing hisplexion. She was still worried if he could handle the long hours of the flight. ¡°Is it just the two of us going? Are you sure we can bring the child back with just the two of us?¡± He slowly opened his eyes, ¡°Who said it¡¯s just the two of us? Of course, I won¡¯t go to Lawrence Estate alone. The others have already left.¡± So, that was why she couldn¡¯t see the bodyguards following them¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward. So, she cleared her throat and changed the subject to alleviate that strange atmosphere between them, inquiring, ¡°After we arrive, what¡¯s your n to rescue the child? Do you have a feasible n?¡± pay ¡°Of course I do. I don¡¯t n on forcing our way in. That¡¯s thest resort. First, I will them a visit and try to resolve things peacefully. If the other party is being unreasonable, I have nothing else to say to them.¡± She actually thought the man made a lot of sense. However¡­ Amanda chimed in. ¡°Don¡¯t take any action yourself. Please let your bodyguards handle it. Your physical condition is not suitable for violence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m seeking revenge for my child, and you want me to hold back? Do I look like someone with a good temper?¡± Elias was close to bursting a vessel in his fury. Just the thought of his son being forcibly kept by someone else made his blood pressure rise. So, Amanda telling him not to resort to violence was clearly an impossible task. She sighed wearily and ended the conversation before things got uglier. They didn¡¯t wait long in the waiting room before hearing the boarding announcement. So, she and the man went to check in and board the ne. Amanda felt even more nervous after they entered the first¨Css cabin because she felt that returning to Aiden might not be as easy as they envisioned. She didn¡¯t know if Symeon had caught Melissa yet. ||| If Melissa had already been caught, then the truth might finallye to light. Otherwise, this trip to Symeon¡¯s home ground would definitely lead to a sh between Elias and Symeon. There was no doubt it would be a fight to the death where neither would back down. Elias, who was sitting next to her, naturally noticed that her mind had wandered elsewhere. So, he asked, ¡°What are you thinking? Fasten your seatbelt.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Amanda realized that she had actually forgotten to fasten her seatbelt. To make matters worse, she could clearly feel that the man beside her was not feeling well the moment the ne took off. She looked up at the man¡¯s profile and noticed that he had a furrowed brow and a paleplexion. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Elias endured the throbbing headache. During the turbulent takeoff, he felt like his brain was about to be shaken out of his skull. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The splitting headache returned, and after the ne stabilized, he immediately pressed the call button. When the flight attendant came over, he asked for a ss of water and took out two painkillers. His complexion gradually improved as the drugs kicked in. Amanda looked at him with concern. ¡°Are you really okay? We just took off, and there are still over ten hours left. What will you do if you get worse?¡± ¡°Just sleep. Don¡¯t worry about me. You should rest, too. Once we arrive, I will head straight to the Lawrence Estate.¡± He didn¡¯t want to wait for another second. Every second felt like. torment. How could Amanda possibly fall asleep? So, she spent her time looking at him, watching him slowly fall asleep. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead when he fell asleep. So, she gently wiped it off with a tissue. s, the man¡¯s cold sweat didn¡¯t cease. It also seemed like he was having a nightmare as he was saying some inexplicable things in his sleep. ¡°Get away! Go!¡± ||| ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! Get out of here!¡± She watched him struggling in his dream, saying some unpleasant things. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t know what he was dreaming about to make him so angry. Suddenly, Elias woke up from his dream and harshly grabbed Amanda¡¯s hand, which was wiping his sweat. In fact, it was the same hand that had been cut when she intended tomit suicide. She cried out in pain, ¡°Let go¡­ It hurts¡­¡± The man finally realized what he was doing and immediately released the woman¡¯s hand. Then, he looked at her piteous expression as she cried in pain. Elias became a little angry at that. ¡°Who told you to use this hand? Also, why did me while I was sleeping?¡± you touch ¡°I was just trying to help you wipe off the sweat on your forehead. You really¡­ take my kindness for granted.¡± Amanda snorted as she touched her wrist wrapped in gauze. Then, she snapped her head to look out the window in frustration. The man remained silent. Then. he gently took her wrist, examined it, and saw that there were some blood stains on the gauze. Elias¡® face darkened slightly, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me while I¡¯m sleeping in the future, especially this hand. Take good care of it. Otherwise, the wound will reopen and leave a scar. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Finally, he carefully unwrapped the gauze and took a look. The wound wasn¡¯t too serious, so he felt relieved that she was fine. He couldn¡¯t exin why, but he sensed his heart drawing nearer to this woman. It was so strange as he had even begun to feel his heart pang at the sight of her difort. Could this be the love she imed he had for her? Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Chapter 501 I Don¡¯t Need You To Teach Me How To Do Things! After more than ten hours of flying, the ne finallynded. Amanda could clearly see how exhausted Elias was from his haggard expression. She couldn¡¯t imagine how he endured these ten-plus hours in such a state. Every time there was turbulence, he appeared to be in excruciating pain. She wanted to share some of his pain but found herself unable to do anything. She could. only watch him suffer. Both of them felt a renewed sense of life when they stepped off the ne. As Elias took a few steps forward, he seemed to struggle to bnce himself and leaned. against the corridor wall. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Amanda immediately went up to support his arm and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Do you feel ufortable anywhere? Do you have a headache, or do you feel dizzy?¡± He straightened his body and withdrew his arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s go. They¡¯re waiting.¡± She looked at his back, wanting to say something but hesitating. In fact, what she wanted to say was that since they had already arrived, there was no rush. They could rest for the night. and hit the road tomorrow. However, obviously, he wouldn¡¯t listen to her. Leaving with no choice, she followed him out of the airport, where a car was waiting for them. The bodyguards were already opening the car door. After Amanda and Elias got into the car, the bodyguard in the driver¡¯s seat said, ¡°Mr. Winters, we have everything prepared. Are we going to Lawrence Estate now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amanda looked at Elias and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you need a rest? Yourplexion doesn¡¯t look good.¡± I¡¯m fine.¡± She couldn¡¯t say anything more. She could only let the bodyguard drive them toward Lawrence Estate To be honest, she was very excited because she would soon be able to see Aiden She hadn¡¯t seen him for almost two months. She wondered if the little boy had grown taller. At the same time, Symeon was having a video conference in his study at Lawrence Estate. When he heard a knock on the door from the butler, he quickly ended the meeting and turned off the computer. ¡°Come in.¡± The door was slowly opened, and the butler walked in with a man. ¡°Master, this is the gardener you were looking for.¡± Symeon looked behind the butler and saw a young man wearing a hat. He couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, but he felt a strange familiarity. ¡°Alright, you may leave. I¡¯ll talk to him,¡± Symeon ordered. The butler left the study quietly and closed the door. Symeon looked at the man in front of him andmanded, ¡°Take off your hat.¡± Yacob, who hung his head low, suddenly smiled and took off his hat. He looked right at Symeon. Symeon carefully observed Yacob and realized why he felt so familiar. Wasn¡¯t this the man who broke into the mansion to save Amanda? So, he works for Elias? ¡°It¡¯s you! You work for Elias!¡± Symeon sprang up from his seat in surprise. Yacob smiled. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I wonder why you want to see me. Did I disappoint you as a gardener?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been lurking here just to apany Aiden?¡± Yacob retorted, ¡°No, not to apany him, but to protect him. I don¡¯t trust your people.¡± Symeon was stunned, but then heughed. ¡°Elias must be very touched to have such a good bodyguard like you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I just want to do my job.¡± ¡°How dare you appear in front of me like this? Now that I¡¯ve found you. do you think I¡¯ll let you be around Aiden?¡± Symeon was curious why Yacob seemed so calm andposed. Yacob smiled and remained silent because Elias would arrive soon, after which he would be able to go home. 24 < There was nothing else to care about. Just as Symeon was about to speak, the butler knocked on the door again. ¡°My master, there¡¯s an urgent matter you need to know.¡± Symeon furrowed his brows. ¡°Come in.¡± The butler hurriedly entered the room. He nced at Yacob and walked to Symeon¡¯s side, whispering something. Symeon¡¯s face fell as he looked at Yacob, who remained calm. He finally understood why Yacob was soposed. It turned out that Elias hade to New Montana. ¡°My master, what should we do now?¡± the butler asked. ¡°Now that he¡¯s here, there¡¯s no reason to keep him out. Let him in, and I¡¯lle shortly.¡± The butler nodded and left the study. Symeon looked at Yacob. ¡°The reason you are so calm is because Elias is already here. You are confident that he can take Aiden away, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course, Aiden is Elias¡¯ son. I don¡¯t think you have the right to detain someone else¡¯s child, Mr. Lawrence,¡± Yacob said. Symeonughed, annoyed by that remark. ¡°Here we go again. Don¡¯t you know how to read? Can¡¯t you read the results of the DNA test?¡± Yacob alsoughed. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, have you really investigated Melissa¡¯s background? Have you ever considered that she was the woman you had a passionate night with back then? And that the little girl she gave birth to is your own daughter? She set Amanda and Aiden. up order to keep her daughter by her side!¡± in ¡°What evidence do you have to prove what you¡¯re saying is true?¡± Symeon couldn¡¯t believe that the woman locked in the secret room was the same person from back then, let alone the fact that the little girl was his daughter. How was that possible? ¡°Why don¡¯t you do a DNA test with the little girl and find out? Anyway, now that you¡¯ve captured Melissa, she can¡¯t forge the results anymore. This time, you will be able to find out the truth¡± Yacobs certainty made Symeon start to feel anxious Could the little girl in the secret room realiy be my daughter? Impossible! How could I have slept with a woman like Melissa Walters? And how could I have a child with her? This is absolutely impossible! Symeon couldn¡¯t bear the thought of having a passionate night with a malicious woman like Melissa, let alone having a child with her. ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t need you to teach me how to do things!¡± He left the study without looking back. Meanwhile, Yacob gazed at his enraged demeanor and smirked. ¡°Elias, we¡¯re gonna save Aiden this time.¡± Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Who Are You To p Me! The butler led Amanda and Elias to the living room. He served them tea as they waited for Symeon. She nced at the man beside her. He seemed extremely exhausted, and yet he insisted oning. ¡°Are you really okay?¡± she asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m okay or not anymore. We are here, and tonight, we must take Aiden. with us no matter what.¡± He picked up the cup in front of him and took a sip of the tea that was served. He frowned. ¡°Foreigners are foreigners. They don¡¯t understand our tea at all. It tastes terrible.¡± Just at that moment, Symeon¡¯s voice resounded. ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s wrong with this tea? I¡¯m all ears.¡± Amanda¡¯s body stiffened. Finally, this was the day she had been waiting for all the while. She wasn¡¯t entirely confident that she could sessfully take Aiden away tonight. Symeon walked up to them and sat opposite them. Amanda and Elias remained motionless, as if they were the owner of this mansion. Elias looked at Symeon, sizing him up from head to toe as if he was a stranger. In fact, it was the first time Elias met Symeon since his amnesia. The look in his eyes made Symeon feel strange. Why does he feel like a stranger to me? Is it an act? ¡°Even if you despise me, there¡¯s no need to look at me with such eyes. It makes you seem hypocritical and pretentious.¡± Symeon chuckled softly. Elias narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°It seems that we knew each other before this.¡± Symeon was puzzled, not quite understanding what Elias was saying. Elias stared directly at the man in front of him. ¡°Since we know each other, why did you trouble my wife and take away my son? Don¡¯t mention DNA tests. I don¡¯t believe them at all.¡± Whether he truly believed it or not, he would never admit it in front of Symeon, whether he truly believed it or not. 13 Symeon was stunned for a few seconds. He even doubted if Elias had amnesia. How could he pretend as if we had never known each other before and forget about everything that had happened? He asked, ¡°Are you suffering from amnesia or dementia? Why aren¡¯t you bringing up the past?¡± Elias smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right; I did lose my memory. I had a car ident and forgot everything that happened before that. If you have the time, you can help me remember what had happened before. I¡¯m all ears, but if you¡¯re busy, give me back my son, and I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± ¡°I expect nothing less from a married couple. Do you guys think that I¡¯m an easy target?¡± Symeon looked at Amanda. ¡°You acted all weak in front of me, and that was all a mere show. You promised not to appear in front of me and Aiden anymore. You even promised to give him to me. Was it all a temporary measure? Were those lies? About you having a fight with Elias?¡± She had be aplete b*tch to him, and her acting skills were quite good. She remained indifferent. ¡°If I didn¡¯t say that, you wouldn¡¯t have let me go. I came to Esmos with you because Melissa kidnapped Aiden and threatened me to do that. She lied to you that Aiden is your son so that you would return the child back to me.¡± Elias said in a deep voice, ¡°So, Melissa is the cause for all of this. Why don¡¯t you bring that woman out so that we can interrogate her in person?¡± Symeon didn¡¯t say anything and looked at the bodyguard beside him. The bodyguard, who immediately understood the meaning of that gaze, left. After a while, the bodyguard brought Melissa to the living room. When she saw Amanda and Elias, her eyes widened. She turned around to escape, but she was forcibly stopped by the bodyguard. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the person, so the rest is up to you. After all, I had no idea about any of this. Please uncover the truth.¡± Symeon had no intention of interrogating her because he had already done so, but Melissa refused to say a word. Amanda stood up and walked up to Melissa without saying a word. She pped Melissa in the face. Melissa was dumbfounded, touching her face and looking back at Amanda. ¡°Who do you think you are to p me?¡± ¡°Who? You¡¯re asking me who? How dare you ask me that?¡± Amanda let out a disdainfulugh. She was so angry that her blood was boiling at Melissa¡¯s shamelessness. 0 23 The two men remained indifferent, silently watching the scene. Symeon was more curious about the truth. Judging from Amanda¡¯s action, he had a guess in mind. Disgust grew stronger and stronger in him. He didn¡¯t want to have any rtionship with a woman like Melissa, but a sense of foreboding dawned upon him. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, would we be turning our backs against each other? And you¡¯re asking me that?¡± Amanda shouted angrily at Melissa. Melissa turned her head guiltily, not daring to meet Amanda¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. What does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°Why are you still hiding things from him? Don¡¯t forget that you are locked up by him! He can go for a DNA test with your daughter at any time. I don¡¯t believe you can forge the results while locked up.¡± ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying at all! I am innocent. I don¡¯t even know why I am locked up here.¡± Melissa clenched her teeth. She believed that no one would ever know about it as long as she didn¡¯t reveal the truth. Amanda let out a coldugh. ¡°Four years ago, we both delivered at the Benecy Hospital. I had a baby boy, and you had a girl. You pitied me, so you took care of me. I was grateful to you, but that¡¯s not a reason for you to drag me into this mess. I have no obligation to bear the consequences of your deeds. You have no right to keep my son with Symeon forever.¡± Elias cast a cold nce at Melissa before shifting his gaze to Symeon, who sat silently opposite him. ¡°Did you catch that? I certainly did. If your intelligence is insufficient toprehend, allow me to interpret it for you. This woman falsely used Amanda in order to prevent you from taking away her child.¡± Symeon¡¯s expression contorted with anger as he met eyes with Melissa and demanded, ¡°Tell me that this is not true.¡± Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Have You Regained Your Memory? At this moment, Melissa¡¯s face turned pale, her body trembling slightly, tears welling up in her eyes as she shook her head. ¡°No! It¡¯s not true! I didn¡¯t do it! I have no grudges against her. Why would I frame her? I didn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°I heard that you were locked in an underground secret room. You kept a three-year-old child in the basement. Do you think you deserve to be a mother?¡± Amanda prodded. Melissa suddenly shouted angrily, ¡°Isn¡¯t all of this your fault? You deceived him and made him arrest me everywhere. Why are you pretending to be a good person now? Hypocrite! ¡°You can lie to everyone for the sake of your child, so why can¡¯t I?¡± The next moment, Melissa grabbed Amanda¡¯s shoulders and shook her violently. ¡°Why did youe here? Why did you let him catch me? If you had given me a little more time, we could all have a happy ending. But you¡¯re so selfish, only thinking of yourself! You have Elias, but what do I have? How can Elias possibly let his son stay here forever? Sooner orter, he will take the child away, but what about me? I can only rely on myself, fighting for a chance. to keep Dulcie by my side. Why won¡¯t you just let me do that?¡± As Melissa spoke, she broke down and cried out loud. Symeon¡¯s face was filled with astonishment, his eyes wide open, unblinking as he stared at Melissa. It seemed like his entire body¡¯s blood was flowing in reverse. So, the little girl in the secret room is my daughter? Symeon was stunned, unable to utter a word, his brain seemingly struggling to catch up with the revtions. Meanwhile, Elias had already stood up and stepped forward. He forcefully pushed Melissa to the ground and shielded Amanda behind him. He looked at the woman on the ground coldly and said, ¡°Take your dirty hands off her. Your daughter should feel ashamed for having a mother like you.¡± After saying that, he turned to Symeon. ¡°Now, do you still have any reason to keep my son detained? Release my son immediately. I don¡¯t wish to engage in any further discussions with you, nor do I want to interfere in your family matters. Handle it on your own.¡± Symeon withdrew his gaze, stood up, and looked coldly at Elias. ¡°Whether it¡¯s true or not, I have to verify it. After the test, I will let you leave. You will have to stay here during this period because I also want to check the DNA test results between you and Aiden. If it turns out that the child is not yours, you should thank me for finding out that you have been deceived.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. 14 Elias sneered. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± When he was in Cludan, he never believed in Amanda and thought she was deceiving him. However, in this very moment, faced with Symeon¡¯s skepticism, he strangely had no hesitation andpletely believed that Amanda would never betray him. Symeon didn¡¯t say anything further and turned to the butler. ¡°Arrange guest rooms for them I want to oversee the DNA test personally, and no one else is allowed to interfere.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The butler nodded. Melissa, who was on the side, panicked. If the DNA test revealed that Dulcie was Symeon¡¯s daughter, she may never see Dulcie again in her lifetime. Late at night. Amanday in bed, unable to fall asleep. Despite being so close to Aiden, she couldn¡¯t go see him. It was simply torture. At that very moment, Elias was staying in the room next door. This was all a deliberate arrangement by Symeon. He knew that they were married, yet he purposely arranged for them to stay in separate rooms. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Amanda got up, put on her robe, walked to the door, and opened it to find Elias¡¯ tall, handsome figure standing outside. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, so I came to find you.¡± ¡°So, finding me will help you sleep? I can¡¯t sleep either,¡± she said, feeling puzzled. Elias simply entered her room, closed her door, and turned to look at her. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. Why do we have to sleep in separate rooms? Symeon did it on purpose. Does that align with your wishes too?¡± Amanda¡¯s heart tightened. Since Elias had the ident, the two of them had never slept in the same bed again. Moreover, he had amnesia and didn¡¯t believe her at all, rejecting her. How could he be willing to share a bed with her? What does he mean now? Amanda asked, ¡°So, you no longer have any doubts about me? Do youpletely believe what I say?¡± ¡°At the very least, I believe that we are still legally married and haven¡¯t divorced. Since we haven¡¯t divorced, why should we sleep in separate rooms?¡± Amanda found herself unable to argue. Whether it was before or after his amnesia, she wasn¡¯t a match for him. Elias went straight to her bed, leaned against the headboard, and looked at her. ¡°Come over. I have some questions for you.¡± Amanda, filled with questions, got back into bed and looked at the man¡¯s rxed sleeping posture. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± ¡°Did anything happen between you and Symeon when you were here?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Amanda¡¯s anger red up instantly. ¡°What do you mean, Elias? So, you still suspect that I betrayed you! You believe those words from Symeon, thinking that I cheated on you!¡± Amanda¡¯s temper was like a raging fire, catching on instantly, which startled Elias. Elias froze for a second, then said in a deep voice, ¡°I was just asking. I didn¡¯t mean to suspect you. I didn¡¯t believe Symeon¡¯s words either. I¡¯m just concerned that you might be taken advantage of by that scoundrel while you were here undercover.¡± ¡°How could I let him take advantage of me? What are you thinking?¡± Elias didn¡¯t say anything more, remaining silent for a while before asking again, ¡°Has our son been mistreated by Symeon while he was here?¡± ¡°I lied to Symeon because I was afraid that he would mistreat Aiden once he knew the truth. If Aiden were his child, he would treat him well, and I would have enough time to return to find you! Who would have imagined you would lose your memory and start believing in Rosie?¡± The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. When she returned to Cludan, what she saw was the sight of Elias and Amanda together. It almost made her vomit blood. Elias gently ced hisrge palm over Amanda¡¯s cold hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. After we return this time, I will make it up to you and Aiden.¡± 34 Amanda gazed at the man and felt that something was amiss. Is he truly Elias? ¡°Have you regained your memory?¡± Otherwise, how could he have transformed so quickly? Elias shook his head. ¡°No, I still can¡¯t remember many things, but after hearing you talk about so many things these past few days, I think I must believe in my wife and child, right?¡± Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Why Are You So Close to Me? ¡°Do you not remember anything?¡± Amanda felt somewhat frustrated. It had been such a long time, yet Elias couldn¡¯t remember anything. What hurt her most was that Elias had even forgotten the way he used to love her. Elias remained silent, his gaze fixed on her. She sighed, feeling helpless as she leaned back on the bed. She didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. He furrowed his brow. ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? I may not remember now, but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll never remember. Why do you look so disheartened?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°But do you remember how you used to love me? I look like a stranger to you now, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Of course not. At least we¡¯re legally married, so you look more familiar than a stranger.¡± Amanda was left utterly speechless. This despicable man was driving her crazy. Looking at her angry and helpless expression, Elias oddly found her somewhat adorable. Gentle ripples of affection began to stir in his heart. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say to you now. Your injuries haven¡¯tpletely healed. You should sleep on the bed, and I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± Just as Amanda was about to get up and leave, Elias extended his long arm, pulling her back. into his embrace. Suddenly, Elias¡¯ handsome face drew near hers. Amanda instinctively pushed him away, almost falling off the bed. Fortunately, Elias quickly caught her and pulled her back onto the bed, pressing her underneath him. This ambiguous position made the atmosphere in the room extremely awkward. Amanda looked at the man pinning her down. His face was so close to hers. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she had been this close to Elias. He was still as handsome as ever, and in those dark eyes, there was only her. ¡°Why are you so close to me and pressing down on me?¡± Amanda¡¯s voice suddenly became incredibly soft Elias looked at her delicate face, and his heart slowly epted the fact that she was the woman he deeply loved. He also understood why he had loved Amanda so much in the past ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. Why can¡¯t I be this close to you? Why can¡¯t I press down on you?¡± He shamelessly retorted. Amanda¡¯s cheeks instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato. She turned her head away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t youpletely mistrust me before? Go away!¡± It had been a long time since they had been intimate, and she felt a bit ufortable. Moreover, Elias was experiencing amnesia. She felt like she was with apletely different man. Elias, on the other hand, adjusted her head and looked straight into her eyes. ¡°I trust you now. Otherwise, why would I endure the difort ande all the way here with you?¡± Amanda remained silent, gazing into his eyes. Once again, she found herself falling for him. She could never run away from Elias. Every time they met, she would fall for him. As Elias slowly leaned in, about to kiss her lips, Amanda suddenly pushed him. away. in the mood for this here. Let¡¯s wait until we get back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Eliasy on the bed and closed his eyes, feeling resigned. The atmosphere he had so carefully built had been ruined. Amanday on the sofa, preparing to sleep, but Elias got up and, in a slow, deliberate manner, said, ¡°I was just teasing you. I¡¯m not in the mood either. I¡¯m going back to sleep. Go sleep on the bed.¡± After saying that, he turned and left the room, leaving Amanda sitting on the couch, confused. She looked at the closed door. Did Eliase over here just to tease me? What the hell? However, even after Elias left, Amanda still couldn¡¯t sleep. So, in the middle of the night, she put on her robe and decided to take a walk. Having stayed here before, she had some memory of the Lawrence Estate¡¯syout. She found her way to the garden, where the scent of flowers filled the air. She wondered whether Aiden had dreamt while sleeping. 24 Soon, she would be able to take him home, and she was excited at the thought of it. Although Elias had lost his memory, he was starting to believe what she said. Upon their return, they could swiftly rekindle the happiness of their family of three. As for those lost memories, she and Aiden would also make every effort to help Elias recover them. She believed it wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Suddenly, she smelled the scent of tobo. Amanda frowned unhappily and followed the smell, only to find the back of a man. She was about to turn around and leave when she realized it was Symeon standing there. Symeon also noticed the footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw her. He then extinguished his cigarette and said, ¡°You see me and want to leave immediately? Do you hate me that much?¡± Amanda stopped in her tracks and looked at Symeon. ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate you, but there¡¯s nothing left to say between us.¡± Symeon sneered. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be anything to say? You and Melissa made a fool out of me, and now you want to escape unscathed? How can there be nothing left to say?¡± She was left silent by his words. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? You were quite the talker when you were deceiving me. Can¡¯t say a single word now?¡± He felt extremely ufortable at the thought of having a daughter with Melissa and couldn¡¯t believe he had a child with such a woman. That¡¯s impossible! ¡°I was just protecting myself. If you want to see it as deception, I have nothing to say. However, Melissa did deceive you. You can ask her. After all, she is the mother of your child,¡± ¡°The truth of the matter is still uncertain. Let¡¯s wait for the DNA test results before making any conclusions.¡± Symeon had no intention of admitting that Melissa was the mother of hist child. Amanda smiled. ¡°I can assure you that regardless of the test results, the fact remains that Aiden, Elias, and I are a family of three. I know who my son¡¯s father is.¡± He tightly pursed his lips and stared at her without saying a word. ¡°It¡¯ste now. I¡¯m going back to sleep, and you should too. I hope you can provide the DNA test results as soon as possible so that we can return home.¡± As she turned around, Symeon said, ¡°If you could sleep, you wouldn¡¯t be standing here.¡± Symeon continued, ¡°Elias said he lost his memory due to a car ident. Is this true or a joke?¡± He didn¡¯t think Elias resembled someone suffering from memory loss, but he also felt Elias had changed so much. Could he really have amnesia? ¡°He¡¯s not lying, and it¡¯s not a joke. Before we returned to Esmos, he was indeed in a major ident and was in aa. The person responsible for the ident was Melissa. So, I¡¯m very angry with that woman!¡± Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Chapter 505 An Unexpected Oue Symeon found it somewhat unbelievable. Melissa seemed to possess extraordinary influenc The mere mention of Melissa¡¯s name ignited a raging fire within Amanda. She wished she could tear Melissa into pieces. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Melissa, we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. You and Elias might still be good friends. It¡¯s all because of this woman. For her selfish desires, she dragged our family into this mess.¡± Symeon furrowed his brows. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into it. Melissa is just an illegitimate child. How is she capable of doing so much?¡± However, the identity of Melissa¡¯s biological parents remained unknown. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. All I know is that when I gave birth four years ago in the same hospital as her, she only had her mother with her. I was also alone at the time, so I felt a sense of camaraderie. Little did I know that getting involved with her would lead to disaster. She nearly killed my husband. If Elias didn¡¯t wake up from that car ident, I wouldn¡¯t spare her.¡± As Melissa¡¯s eyes burned with hatred, Symeon couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange sense of envy for Elias. Yet, he quickly dismissed these emotions as foolish. ¡°You¡¯re incredibly devoted to Elias.¡± ¡°Of course, as a married couple should be,¡± Amanda replied. He didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back and get some sleep. The doctor will be here tomorrow to take blood samples.¡± After saying that, Symeon turned and left, leaving Amanda standing there, watching his departure with a sense of loneliness. Is that just my imagination? How would someone like Symeon, a noble and privileged gentleman, feel lonely? He has always gotten what he wanted. She smiled wryly and shook her head,ughing at her naivety. The next day. As expected, early in the morning, the doctor arrived at the estate to collect blood samples from Amanda, Elias, Symeon, Melissa, and the two children. 14 Now, they just had to wait for the DNA test results, which would be ready in three days. Amanda remained unfazed, knowing that the facts would speak for themselves. Melissa, too, was unafraid because she understood there was no escaping the truth. Surprisingly, Symeon was the one who grew increasingly nervous. What if Melissa¡¯s daughte turned out to be his daughter? During those few days, Symeon hadn¡¯t even nced at Melissa and Dulcie. He quietly waited. for the DNA test results. On the fourth day, everyone gathered in the living room to wait for the results of the DNA test. At that moment, in the living room, Amanda and Elias sat together while Melissa sat alone. on the side, and Symeon, with a stoic expression, upied a single couch. A phone call from the researchb indicated that the DNA test results were ready and on their way. Elias nced at Yacob, who was beside him, and said, ¡°Get the car ready.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yacob couldn¡¯t wait to leave. He had been staying here for far too long that even a wanderer like him was starting to miss home. Amanda looked at Melissa, who looked hopeless, and asked, ¡°Have you given up now? Have you finallye to your senses?¡± Melissa rolled her eyes at Amanda and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t all of this happen because of you? What else can I do?¡± ¡°Do you think it ends here? You¡¯ve caused our family to be separated for so long, and you nearly killed my husband in a car ident. Do you think I can simply forgive and forget? Let me tell you, after the DNA test results are announced, I will reveal my ns for revenge.¡± Amanda was no saintly figure, as she had learned the art of retaliation. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Melissa¡¯s eyes widened with panic. ¡°Tin already in this situation. What else do you want from me Hmph Just wait and see Just then, the butler walked in with a man and said, ¡°My master, Dr Andrew is here Symeon up straight. Although he seemed to already know the result, he still wanted to bear the final verdict 24 Dr. Andrew took out a file and handed Symeon several DNA test results, saying. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, as per your request, ourb has produced these DNA test results as quickly as possible. First of all, the results show that Miss Bailey and Mr. Winters are biologically rted to Aiden. However, Mr. Lawrence, you have no blood rtion to Aiden. These are the DNA test results.¡± Upon hearing this result, Symeon¡¯s pupils constricted. Although he had foreseen it, the words still sent a shock through him. He epted the DNA test results from the doctor while giving a self-deprecating, bitterugh. Meanwhile, Amanda smiled, and Elias finally rxed his stern face and wrapped hisrge hand around Amanda¡¯s slender waist. The two stood up and looked at Symeon, who looked incredulous at the moment. Elias said, ¡°Since this has nothing to do with us anymore, we¡¯ll take the child and leave. Tell your men not to stop us, and you can handle your family affairs.¡± After speaking, Amanda and Elias were about to leave. Symeon remained stoic as he fixated on the DNA test results. Amid this tension, Dr. Andrew delivered an unexpected twist, saying, ¡°However, there are two more DNA test results that maye as a surprise. You share a biological parent-child rtionship with Dulcie, but Miss Walters does not.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned. Even Amanda and Elias, who were leaving, abruptly turned to look at Melissa. Melissa was also shocked. Her eyes widened, and she shot up from her seat, blurting out, ¡°What are you saying? Dulcie and I aren¡¯t biologically rted? That can¡¯t be true! 1 to her. How can we not be biologically rted?¡± Melissa felt her mind go nk. gave birth Meanwhile, Symeon, seated there, released a relieved breath. Fortunately, Dulcie was not his and Melissa¡¯s child. However, a new question arose. Who was the biological mother of Dulcie, and why had Dulcie been in Melissa¡¯s care? Melissa grabbed the doctor¡¯s clothes in overwhelming emotions and said, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean?¡± Please calm down. The DNA test results are definitive. From a medical standpoint, there is no biological link between you and Dulcie. It is possible that unbeknownst to you, there was 34 an error at the hospital¡± ¡°An error What nonsense are you talking about? How is that possible? Melissa¡¯s faith in her own life and reality was rapidly unraveling Amands was genuinely print as a meal. The little girl want Melissa¡¯s daughter Mellie¡¯s scions o sppeared not only aboard bar alios ofienfione Joe that moment there we wa mith aged man inreaded open de wens an error at the hospital.¡± ¡°An error? What nonsense are you talking about? How is that possible?¡± Melissa¡¯s faith in her own life and reality was rapidly unraveling. Amanda was genuinely surprised to hear this result. The little girl wasn¡¯t Melissa¡¯s daughter? Melissa¡¯s actions now appeared not only absurd but also ridiculous. Just at that moment, the resonant voice of a middle-aged man intruded upon the scene. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Casey Carter All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Simon, when will you stop fooling around?¡± All heads turned in the direction of the voice. It was Simon¡¯s father and the head of the Lawrence Family. Simon saw his father approaching and closed his eyes as if he already knew what his father would say and how he would punish him. Tobias Lawrence stormed through the crowd and walked straight up to Simon. ¡°You little brat! It¡¯s bad enough that you have a child out of wedlock, but what¡¯s worse is that found you the wrong child and mother! When did you be so ipetent? How can I trust you to manage the entire Lawrence family?¡± Simon looked impatient. ¡°I can handle it myself.¡± ¡°What are you handling? You¡¯ve only made things worse! How can we continue to cooperate with Cludan?¡± Simon remained silent. He was already filled with anger, and his father¡¯s scolding only made him more irritated. What puzzled Simon now was that if Dulcie was his daughter, then who was her biological mother? However, Elias was no longer interested in the Lawrence Family¡¯s affairs and said in a deep. voice, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, please hand over my son now. Do I need to pay two months of child support before you can do that?¡± The sarcastic tone in the man¡¯s words provoked Tobias. He frowned and looked at the butler. ¡°Bring both the children here!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The butler nodded and left. After seeing the DNA test results, Melissa was still shocked and couldn¡¯t snap out of it. She stumbled up to Simon. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the man I spent the night with at Dawn Hotel four years. ago?¡± Simon removed Melissa¡¯s hand from him with disgust and said coldly, ¡°I can now confirm. that the woman from that night was not you.¡± Amanda, who was standing nearby, thought of something and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know that the child isn¡¯t yours, but what about your mother? She was with you the entire time when you gave birth. Didn¡¯t she know?¡± 14 Melissa suddenly thought of her own mother and widened her eyes. ¡°Right! My mother! She must know what happened!¡± Her mind waspletely nk now. She had always thought she slept with Simon, the high and mighty heir of the Lawrence Family. Had she been wrong? Simon looked at the bodyguard, who immediately got the message and went to find Melissa¡¯s mother. Meanwhile, Tobias sat on the sofa, looking furious but unable to vent his anger as Elias was here. He didn¡¯t want outsiders to see this side of him. After a while, the butler brought in two children. ¡°Mommy!¡± Aiden immediately spotted his parents and happily rushed over, throwing himself into Amanda¡¯s arms. Amanda, who hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time, instantly teared up. She bent down to hug the little boy, who seemed to have be much heavier. Elias heard the sound of Aiden¡¯s cute voice and trembled slightly. He turned around and saw the little boy running toward them happily. His lips curved up into a gentle and indulgent smile. Melissa, on the other hand, rushed over like a mad woman to grab Dulcie while shouting, ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re not my daughter! Who are you? Where is my child?¡± Dulcie was immediately frightened and started crying. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m Dulcie¡­ sob¡­¡± After the bodyguard brought in Mary and saw this scene, she quickly stepped forward and pulled Melissa away, saying, ¡°What are you doing? Have you gone crazy? How could you treat Dulcie like this?¡± ¡°Mom! Do you know anything about this? The DNA test result just came out, and this child is not mine at all! I¡¯m not rted by blood to this child!¡± Melissa roared angrily, while Mary froze for a moment, seemingly not too surprised, and justforted Dulcie in her arms. However, Simon had already figured it out. Mary clearly knew about this. He stepped forward and snatched Dulcie from Mary¡¯s arms, saying, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on? Why is this child in your hands, and where is her biological mother?¡± T-I don¡¯t know!¡± 24 ¡°You don¡¯t know? Fine, then you and your daughter will spend the rest of your lives in that small underground room where the sun never shines.¡± After saying that, Simon handed Dulcie to the nanny beside him and said, ¡°Let the child get. some rest. She¡¯s not allowed to see these two people again.¡± The nanny nodded and carried Dulcie away while Dulcie kept crying and calling for her grandma. Mary¡¯s heart was breaking as she raised her granddaughter with her hands. ¡°No! I¡¯ll talk. I¡¯ll talk! This child¡­ I picked her up at the hospital¡­¡± Mary finally told the truth. Not only Melissa, but everyone was stunned. ¡°Mom, what did you say? You took someone else¡¯s baby from the hospital? Then what happened to my child? I clearly remember giving birth to a child! Where¡¯s my child?¡± Melissa couldn¡¯t believe what her mother was saying. She actually took someone else¡¯s baby. Why would she do that? Mary cried bitterly, ¡°Your¡­ Your child died shortly after birth. They said it was due to ack of oxygen during childbirth. I feared you would be too devastated, so I took another baby. She asked me to take the baby away and never appear in front of her again, so I agreed. I thought it was a win-win situation, so I¡­¡± ¡°How could this be¡­ This can¡¯t be! The baby you took is Simon¡¯s child, but not mine! How could this happen? This is too much of a coincidence! Who is the woman you mentioned? Who gave you this baby?¡± Melissa felt like she was going crazy. Mary hesitated and refused to speak. Melissa angrily shouted, ¡°Do you want to be locked up in the small underground room forever?¡± Mary finally realized the gravity of the situation. She timidly looked at Simon and said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Mrs. Carter, the wife of the chairman of Horizon Group, thergest jewelrypany in Cludan.¡± Simon narrowed his eyes. ¡°So, you are Mr. Carter¡¯s mistress, and Melissa is the illegitimate daughter of the Carter Family?¡± As soon as this fact was revealed, Mary lowered her head in shame, not knowing how to face her daughter. Meanwhile, Melissa¡¯s eyes widened as she was unable to react for a while. After organizing her thoughts, she finally spoke. ¡°So, Dulcie is the daughter of my stepsister, Casey Carter! Mom! How could you do this to me? How could you make me raise Casey¡¯s child? How could you, Mom?¡± Casey Carter¡­. Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Sleeping in the Master Bedroom Together Elias had lost interest in listening to the family¡¯s troubles. He held Amanda¡¯s waist and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to stay here for another second.¡± Amanda had initially wanted to take revenge on Melissa, but now she realized that reality was even crueler than her revenge ns. Melissa had already received the punishment she deserved, and it was even more severe than what Amanda had nned for her. Amanda nodded and hugged Aiden tightly. The three of them walked out together. Simon felt a splitting headache. How did things be soplicated? He watched Amanda, Elias, and Aiden walk away and felt a tightness in his chest. That scene was an eyesore for him. Tobias could no longer bear it and ordered the bodyguards, ¡°Get these two women out of here. I never want to see them again in my life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I want Dulcie. Give Dulcie back to me!¡± Mary cried. She couldn¡¯t live without her granddaughter. However, the bodyguards ignored her and forcibly pulled her and Melissa away. Like a puppet, Melissa allowed the bodyguards to take her away. After everyone had left, the living room fell silent. Only Tobias and Simon remained. Tobias looked at Simon in front of him and said in a heavy tone, ¡°They have proposed to break off the engagement. Although Elizabeth is trying her best to stop it, I don¡¯t think the oue will change. I have some doubts about your ability due to this matter. I don¡¯t know. if you can truly be the heir.¡± Simon remained silent, tightly pursing his lips. His handsome face was tense. ¡°The subsidiary in Cludan has encountered some problems recently. I want to send. you there on a business trip for six months to develop the market and to avoid the limelight. Additionally, the matter of your illegitimate daughter must not be leaked. Let this farce end here. You can raise the little girl as an adopted child, but you must never admit that she is your biological daughter. Otherwise, your position will be in jeopardy, and the entire family will not ept it.¡± Simon still didn¡¯t speak, but he indicated his agreement. 14 < Amanda held Aiden and sat in the car. Aiden looked at Elias and suddenly felt that Elias seemed unfamiliar. Although it had also been a long time since he saw Amanda, he didn¡¯t have this feeling toward his mother. Amanda could tell that Aiden was afraid of Elias. She gave Elias a look, as if to say, Talk to your son. Why are you staying silent? You¡¯re not a stranger. Elias reached out hisrge hand and awkwardly patted his son¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, okay?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help butugh. This man was a typical guy. He loved the kid but didn¡¯t know how to express it. ¡°Dad¡­ why are you acting so strangely? Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± Aiden asked curiously. Elias froze, realizing that even a child could sense his amnesia. He smiled. ¡°How could I not recognize you? I would recognize you even if you turned to ashes.¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Elias, what are you saying? Ashes, my lord. Can¡¯t you say something positive?¡± Elias was speechless. He didn¡¯t know what to say or how he used tomunicate with Aiden before his amnesia. Elias looked up at Amanda again. ¡°How did Imunicate with this little guy before?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Amanda thought about Elias¡¯ previous interactions with Aiden, which could be described as tricking Aiden. She smiled. ¡°You used your wealth and power to win over my son.¡± Elias raised an eyebrow. ¡°Was I really that straightforward? And he fell for it?¡± ¡°Yes, my son is easily swayed. You bought him some gifts and took him out to y, and he called you ¡®Dad¡¯ very soon after that.¡± Elias¡¯ face darkened slightly as he looked at Aiden, who was sitting beside him, and then said seriously, ¡°Aiden Bailey, I¡¯m warning you. From now on, besides me, you can¡¯t call anyone else Dad even if they buy you gifts and take you out to y, understand?¡± Aiden looked at his dad with a dumbfounded expression Dad, are you silly? Of course, I won¡¯t call anyone Dad There can only be one dad, right? I¡¯m not a child. I understand¡± What che could he be if not a child? A little trickster? 21 As the father and son bantered, Amanda couldn¡¯t stop smiling. She didn¡¯t know how happy she looked right now. Finally, the three of them were together again. Yacob drove them to the Winters Family¡¯s vi in New Montana. Elias and Amanda nned to stay there and spend time with their child for a few days. before returning home. Since they were already here, Elias might as well cultivate his rtionship with Aiden. After all, Elias couldn¡¯t remember anything from his past. Soon, night fell. Amanda and Elias took turns telling stories to Aiden to put him to sleep. They spent a full two hours before finally getting him to doze off. The two of them quietly got up and left the room, closing the door behind them. Amanda stretched and yawned. ¡°This little guy¡¯s energy never runs out. From now on, it¡¯s your turn to y with him. I can¡¯t handle it anymore. I would have fallen asleep if he stayed. awake any longer just now.¡± Upon saying that, Amanda walked toward the guest room. Elias grabbed her wrist. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To bed. I¡¯m so tired. I want to take a hot bath and then get a good night¡¯s sleep. I didn¡¯t sleep well on the ne.¡± Elias looked deep into her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife, so shouldn¡¯t we sleep in the same. room? Let¡¯s sleep in the master bedroom together.¡± Amanda¡¯s ears turned pink instantly as she looked into Elias¡¯ eyes. She saw a hint of mischief Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. in them. Although what he said was right, she hesitated. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sleep in the master bedroom. We¡¯re not divorced; there is no reason to sleep separately.¡± Amanda was rendered speechless. So, she followed Elias into the master bedroom. As soon as they entered, Elias took off his clothes, revealing his toned chest and abs. ||| 34 This strong visual impact almost made Amanda¡¯s nose bleed. She hadn¡¯t seen a man¡¯s body for a long time. Yet, when she saw the scars on his chest and abs, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart ache. It must have been painful when he had the ident¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower first. Do you want to join me?¡± Elias said something suggestive in a serious tone. Amanda was stunned for a moment before she blushed. ¡°No. I¡¯ll shower by myselfter.¡± Elias refrained from pressing her and proceeded to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the air, causing Amanda¡¯s thoughts to drift. Despite having engaged in intimate activities with him before, she still felt a sense of shyness each time. Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Chapter 508 You¡¯ve Never Called Me ¡®Dear¡¯ Before Not long after, the bathroom door opened. Hearing the sound, Amanda froze and didn¡¯t move. She saw Elias wearing a white towel around his waist and drying his hair with another towel. The smell of him slowly wafted over to her. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but swallow when she witnessed this scene. The man also noticed her reaction and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m the one who lost my memory, not you. It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve seen my body, right? Still can¡¯t get enough?¡± Amanda¡¯s face turned red instantly, and she stood up in a panic. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve been waiting for you. You took so long to shower, especially for a grown man.¡± After speaking, she walked toward the bathroom, avoiding eye contact with him as she was afraid that he would see through her. Elias didn¡¯t expose her either. He watched Amanda enter the bathroom and close the door. He wanted to see how she woulde outter. She didn¡¯t take her pajamas with her, and the extra towel was wrapped around his waist. He imagined her sticking her head out and asking him for helpter, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. Inside the bathroom, Amanda finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her heartbeat slowly returned to normal. She stood before the sink and looked at herself in the mirror, feeling a bit ridiculous. What haven¡¯t they done together? They even had a child. What was there to be shy about? Amanda took off her clothes and stood under the showerhead, nning to shower quickly. She was really tired and wanted to get a good night¡¯s sleep. The warm water washed over her body, making her feel more awake. She finished showering in ten minutes. When she turned off the showerhead, realization struck her. She searched around for a while but still couldn¡¯t find the towel. Where is the towel? I was in such a hurry earlier that I didn¡¯t take my pajamas with me. What should I do now? Do I have to go out naked! Although she and Elias had been married for some time, and he had seen every part of her 11 body countless times, he had lost his memory now! He didn¡¯t remember her, let alone her body. How could she have the courage to walk out like this? Amanda walked to the bathroom door, unlocked it, turned the handle, and stuck her head. out to see the man lying on the bed, ying with his phone, looking content. Elias heard the noise and nced up. ¡°Are you done showering?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Thene out. What are you waiting for?¡± Elias looked serious as he stared at his phone. screen, seemingly unaware of what was happening. However, there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.. Amanda hesitated for a long time before finally uttering, ¡°Elias¡­ um¡­ Can you get me a towel or my pajamas? There¡¯s no towel in the bathroom.¡± ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any pajamas here either. You can go to the closet and grab one of my shirts to wear. I¡¯m in the middle of a game and can¡¯t leave.¡± Elias didn¡¯t lift his head, but he secretly observed Amanda¡¯s reaction. Amanda was about to explode with anger. She only asked him to get it because she didn¡¯t want to go out! What a jerk! Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Suppressing her anger, she patiently said, ¡°Elias, can you please get it for me? I can¡¯te out right now. I¡¯m not wearing any clothes.¡± ¡°So what? Aren¡¯t we husband and wife? I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve seen your body before. What¡¯s there to be concerned about?¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t remember now! You don¡¯t remember anything!¡± Amanda was really furious now and couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice. This caught Elias¡¯ attention. He suppressed his smile, put down his phone, and innocently. looked at Amanda. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to drive me crazy, aren¡¯t you? I mind, even if you don¡¯t! If I ask you to get it, just get it! Why are you talking so much?¡± Amanda¡¯s patience was worn out by this b*stard. Elias got up and walked to the bathroom. Looking at the little head poking out from behind the door, he thought it was rather cute. 111 24 He smiled and said, ¡°If I don¡¯t get it, are you nning to sleep in the bathroom tonight?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m thinking. Just tell me if you¡¯re going to get it or not!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it, okay? Just wait.¡± Elias found it really funny that Amanda was getting so worked. The man turned, walked to the closet, and came back with one of his white shirts. 1. Amanda snatched it from him and closed the bathroom door again, afraid that he would barge in the next second. She quickly put on the man¡¯s white shirt, buttoning up every button carefully, and then fell into a dilemma again. Should I just go out like this? But what¡¯s the difference between wearing Elias¡¯ shirt and not wearing it? It¡¯s so loose that he can see my figure under the shirt, but what else can I do? I can¡¯t really sleep in the bathroom. After some internal struggle, Amanda started to walk out of the bathroom. After all, they were husband and wife, and sooner orter, she had to face this. Even if they avoided the awkwardness tonight, they would still have to face it in the future. Things should start to get better after this one awkward encounter. Elias had been waiting outside for a long time before Amanda walked out. Originally, he wanted to tease her a bit, but when he turned around and saw her, he was stunned. She was wearing his white shirt that highlighted her curves. Her long, wet hair was sexy, and her legs. were enticing. He admitted that, at this moment, he was somewhat tempted. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve seen me.¡± Amanda tried to appear calm. She walked toward the bed, lifted the covers, and hid herself under it, not wanting to be stared at by the man anymore. However, the next second, Elias had caught up to her and pressed her down. Without saying a word, he forcefully kissed her lips, not giving her any chance to refuse. ¡°Mmm¡­ What are you doing, Elias? Are you crazy?¡± Elias looked at Amanda¡¯s face and furrowed his brows. ¡°Have you always called me by my first name? Have you never called me ¡®Dear¡¯ before?¡± ¡°Dear?¡± Amanda thought carefully. Indeed, it seemed like she had never used that term before. ¡°Amanda, try calling me ¡®Dear. I would like to hear it.¡± When did Elias be so shameless? The previous Elias never requested to be addressed as ¡®Dear.¡± Amanda turned her head away. ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°You refuse? I believe you¡¯re asking to be kissed some more! Do you want to call me ¡®Dear¡¯ or not?¡± After uttering those words, the man once again kissed her lips, almost suffocating her and depriving her brain of oxygen. Amanda had no choice but to plead for mercy. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll say it! Dear, please stop kissing me! There! Let me go now!¡± Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Since You¡¯re So Obedient Elias was satisfied when he heard the term ¡°Dear.¡± He released Amanda, gently caressing her face. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Remember, you should call me that from now on. Don¡¯t address me by name; it doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯re a married couple, especially one with children.¡± Amanda was speechless. She wanted to roll her eyes, but she feared that the man would kiss her again and deprive her brain of oxygen. So, she obediently nodded. Elias chuckled softly. ¡°Good. Since you¡¯re so obedient, we can now get to the point. I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡± Amanda was bewildered. Her mind was filled with question marks as she asked, ¡°Get to the point? What are you trying to do?¡± She thought that Elias was still injured, so he wouldn¡¯t have such thoughts. Moreover, he was currently suffering from amnesia. Could he have the desire to engage in intimate activities? But she was mistaken. This man did have the leisure to think about such things. ¡°What do you think? What else can a man and a woman do in this suggestive position?¡± The man¡¯s voice became extremely hoarse. Amanda widened her eyes. She understood what he meant, and her immediate reaction was to struggle desperately. ¡°You can¡¯t! Your injuries haven¡¯t fully healed yet. Do you want to worsen your condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping track of the time. It¡¯s been over two months since the ident. Mrs. Winters, are you going to be so heartless?¡± Elias¡¯ voice sounded genuinely aggrieved. Amanda fell silent. He sounded so pitiful, but what was there to feel pity for? Amanda just wanted to roll her eyes at him. Men would always be men. They never forgot such matters. ¡°It¡¯s not about me being heartless; it¡¯s about your body. You shouldn¡¯t move so recklessly. It¡¯s not good for your current physical condition. Have you forgotten how you has a splitting headache on the ne yesterday?¡± Amanda¡¯s words were interrupted when Elias forcefully kissed her lips. ¡°Your mouth is such a killjoy. It¡¯s only good for kissing. Don¡¯t talk. Shh, just listen to me.¡± She realized that she couldn¡¯t stop Elias from doing what he wanted. She felt helpless and could only surrender. Amanda slowly closed her eyes, feeling the man¡¯s passion and affection. The next day. When Amanda woke up, it was already noon. Rubbing her eyes, she noticed the crystal chandelier hanging above her head. She suddenly remembered everything that happenedst night, and she couldn¡¯t help but blush. She had no idea how long they had fooled aroundst night before the man finally let her sleep. After getting up, Amanda went to the bathroom to freshen up, then changed into a casual outfit and went downstairs. Before she even entered the dining room, she overheard a conversation between Elias and Aiden. Amanda was immediately pissed. ¡°Dad, why isn¡¯t Mommy here for lunch? Isn¡¯t she hungry? She¡¯s been sleeping for so long. I¡¯ve already woken up, but she hasn¡¯t gotten up. She¡¯s sozy.¡± ¡°Your mommy was clinging to mest night, asking me to tell her stories. I told her so many stories, so she¡¯s still sleeping now. It¡¯s okay for her to stay in bed for a while. I¡¯ll have lunch. with you.¡± ¡°Huh? Does Mommy like to hear stories too? What kind of stories does she like to hear?¡± Elias reminisced about the passionate night and smiled. ¡°She likes stories that make her scream, so I told her stories for a long time before she obediently went to sleep. She¡¯s not as obedient as you.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the best child in the world.¡± Aiden lifted his head in pride, looking incredibly cute. Elias patted his son¡¯s head. ¡°Then, be good and eat well. I¡¯ll watch you eat, okay?¡± ¡°Dad, you have to eat well too. Let¡¯s see who finishes first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Standing outside the dining room, Amanda was about to explode with anger. What nonsense was this man saying to the child? What did he mean by stories that would24 make her scream?¡± Was he referring to her uncontroble excitementst night? Amanda¡¯s face turned red again. How could Elias be a good father? How could he spout nonsense around the child? She stormed into the dining room, ring at the two. Looking up, Aiden shouted happily, ¡°Mommy, you finally woke up. Are you hungry? Come and have lunch!¡± ¡°Never mind lunch.¡± Amanda looked at Elias and said, ¡°And you, what were you talking to Aiden about? What nonsense were you telling him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything weird. Aiden just asked about it.¡± Elias looked calm. He didn¡¯t think that he had said anything inappropriate. Amanda was about to explode with anger. This man simply should notmunicate with children. She sat on the chair opposite them. Looking at the innocent expressions on the faces of the father and son, she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡± he asked. Amanda gave eating. him a disdainful look. She picked up the fork and knife. Then, she started. Meanwhile, Aiden seemed to sense that something was wrong with Amanda. He kept his head down and focused on eating. He reminded Elias, ¡°Dad, eat quickly. Don¡¯t provoke Mommy when she¡¯s angry. She¡¯lle to us when she¡¯s happy again.¡± Elias couldn¡¯t help butugh at his son¡¯s maturity beyond his age. ¡°Where did you learn all this? Who taught you that?¡± ¡°I learned it from TV. The male and female leads are all like this. Women are troublesome. When I grow up, I won¡¯t marry a wife. Having Mommy alone is already tiring enough,¡± Aiden said with a mncholic expression as if he had already seen all there was to see. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but tap on Aiden¡¯s forehead. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? You said. that you don¡¯t want to marry a wife, but let¡¯s see if you can find a wife when the timees.¡± ¡°Aiden, you don¡¯t have to marry a wife, but you can¡¯t bother my wife. Understand? Your mommy needs to be with me. She doesn¡¯t have time to be with you,¡± Elias said to Aiden in a serious tone. Amanda was speechless andughed. ¡°Come on, why are you saying these things to a child?34 He¡¯s so young. When he grows up, he might not even pay attention to us.¡± The man snorted. ¡°It¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t. We can spend time alone, and he¡¯ll y by himself.¡± Aiden shouted in frustration, ¡°Why? I want Mommy to be with me. If Mommy doesn¡¯t have time for me, does she even have time for Daddy? Mommy said she will always be with me.¡± you ¡°That was when you were little. When you grow up, Mommy doesn¡¯t have to be with all the time.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ll be all grown up.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to grow up. I want Mommy to be with me forever!¡± Elias frowned. ¡°No, a mature man doesn¡¯t rely on his mother when he grows up.¡± ¡°But I want to!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°I want to!¡± Amanda observed the two arguing. She didn¡¯t know if she shouldugh or cry. Elias was behaving like a child himself, arguing with his three-year-old son. Chatper 510 Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Amanda Gets Jealous In the following days, Amanda and Elias had a wonderful time in New Montana with their child. Then, they began their journey back to Cludan. They opted for a private ne on their return, which made Elias rtivelyfortable. He didn¡¯t suffer as much this time. However, they unexpectedly encountered an acquaintance when theynded at Imperial Airport. Elias and Amanda stopped in their tracks while Aiden eximed from behind, ¡°It¡¯s that stranger!¡± Amanda gently held Aiden¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Shh, be quiet.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing the shout, Symeon turned around and spotted the three of them. He was. somewhat surprised but also felt that it was expected. He was surprised that Elias had stayed in New Montana for a few days before returning. Instead of walking away, Elias approached Symeon and asked, ¡°Why are you in Cludan? What brings you here?¡± There was a hint of aggression in Elias¡¯ tone, as if he would attack at any moment. ¡°I was exiled here to receive punishment. Does that answer satisfy you?¡± Symeon didn¡¯t evade the question. He knew that Elias harbored a deep hatred toward him. Elias snorted. ¡°What do you mean? Coming to Cludan is considered exile? I think you¡¯re here to enjoy yourself. If you truly were exiled, you should be thrown to a faraway ce. Your father is too lenient.¡± Symeon fell silent. He could feel Elias¡¯ anger, but it was his fault for detaining their son for several months. It was a consequence of his actions. Symeon¡¯s gaze shifted to Amanda and Aiden, who were behind Elias. There was a time when he truly believed that Amanda and Aiden were his, but it turned out to be a huge misunderstanding. This sense of loss and regret lingered for a long time. Noticing Symeon¡¯s gaze, Elias stood between the two, saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Lawrence Family teach you that it¡¯s impolite to stare at someone¡¯s wife in public?¡± ||| Symeon didn¡¯t say anything. He simply smiled and turned to his bodyguard, ready to leave. Amanda felt a bit embarrassed and grabbed Elias¡¯ sleeve, saying, ¡°What are you doing? In public, even if someone wants to look at anyone else, no one can stop them.¡± ¡°But I can stop him. From now on, I will be at odds with him,¡± Elias said, lowering his head to pick up Aiden and lead Amanda away from the airport. At the Winters Estate. Upon arriving at the Winters Estate, Boris approached as soon as they got out of the car and. said, ¡°Mr. Winters, you have finally returned. Miss Momsey heard you wereing back today and had been waiting for you at home since early morning. We tried to convince her to leave, but it was unsessful.¡± Amanda¡¯s expression instantly changed. Rosie was truly shameless. ¡°As the mistress of the Winters Estate, I will go and meet her. Take Aiden back to the room and let him rest.¡± Elias was a bit concerned. ¡°Are you sure? She can be quite difficult to deal with.¡± He thought he had made it clear to Rosie before leaving, but this woman was still clinging on and wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°Leave it to me. Women¡¯s matters should be handled by women.¡± Elias didn¡¯t say anything more. Instead, he walked in another direction with Aiden. Amanda followed Boris, who led her to meet Rosie. When they arrived at the reception room, Amanda immediately saw Rosie sitting there, looking lifeless. As soon as Rosie heard footsteps, she stood up with a hint of surprise on her face. But when she turned around and saw that it was Amanda, the joy on her face instantly disappeared. ¡°Where is Eli? Why were you the only one who came back? Who gave you the right to be here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable. I am the mistress of the Winters Estate. If I can¡¯t be here, then where should I be?¡± Amanda retorted. ||| Rosie said, ¡°How dare you still call yourself the mistress of the Winters Estate? You betrayed Elias, and the child isn¡¯t even his. How can you still be audacious to say that you¡¯re the mistress of the Winters Estate!¡± ¡°So, you were hoping for us to divorce, huh? Well, you¡¯ll be disappointed. I have already exined everything to him, so there is no misunderstanding anymore. Your dream is now shattered. Hurry up and leave. Seeing that you¡¯ve saved Aiden before, I don¡¯t want to make it too embarrassing for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled to have brushed off such a big matter as a misunderstanding. What happened to Eli? How could he trust you so much? Where is he? I want to see him and talk to him in person!¡± Rosie was making a ruckus. Amanda felt like her ears were going deaf. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to sit here and wait, then you can keep waiting. We, as a family of three, are going to have dinner. Goodbye.¡± With that, Amanda left without even looking back. Rosie was so angry that she picked up the coffee cup on the tea table and threw it on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have done to Elias. Why does he trust you so much? I have done so much, but he still won¡¯t give me a chance.¡± Even hypnosis didn¡¯t work. She refused to surrender. Amanda stopped and turned around. She looked at Rosie, who looked like she was about to copse. She said, ¡°First of all, you don¡¯t have to pay for the broken cup because you saved Aiden. Secondly, love doesn¡¯t need to be forced. If he likes me, he likes me. If he doesn¡¯t like. me, that¡¯s it. You are not his type at all. Even if he cheats on me, he won¡¯t choose give up. You can either start your life again or remain stuck in this dead end.¡± Hearing that, Rosie sat down on the couch. Her mind was nk. He wouldn¡¯t even choose her if he cheats? As she stared at Amanda¡¯s departing figure, her eyes were filled with hatred. you. Just Could she just watch Elias and Amanda live happily ever after? No, she couldn¡¯t do it! Since she couldn¡¯t have him, Amanda shouldn¡¯t have him either! In the study room. O < Amands who at the top the ging race of his fon do the time to my thy cult to get within the The mo chuber and call the top yen Beiling the will the Grammy The froth to 1 prostowy Stop the dome shorty gro donna. Di pus have helings te heet Did you reject hee umply Rose quite well in me because you have wille and chili?¡± Amanda heard from Boris that Aiden had gone to bed, and Elias was in the study. So, Amanda went to the study. She found the man seemingly in a video conference on hisputer. After all, he hadn¡¯t been home for many days, so there were many things he needed to deal with. After she walked into the study, Elias said a few words and ended the video conference. ¡°Are you done with it?¡± Elias didn¡¯t expect Amanda toe so soon. After all, he had the impression that Rosie wasn¡¯t so easy to deal with. ¡°No matter how she reacts, I have said what I needed to say.¡± The man chuckled and said, ¡°So, this is how you do things. She wille to thepany to look for meter. I got to know her a bit after I woke up. She is not someone who easily gives 1. Amanda secretly clicked her tongue. Her heart started to ache, and she sarcastically remarked, ¡°You seem to have gotten to know Rosie quite well in such a short time. Do you have feelings for her? Did you reject her simply because you have a wife and a child?¡± Chatper 511 Chapter 511 Chapter 511 Amanda¡¯s Outburst of Anger Upon hearing Amanda¡¯s words, Elias was initially taken aback, but he quickly understood what Amanda meant. Elias smirked and asked, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°Jealous of her? Seriously? So, do you like Rosie or not?¡± Amanda retorted. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Elias was merely teasing her. He said on purpose, ¡°And what if I do? It¡¯s only natural for someone who wakes up after a car ident to have a positive impression of the first person they see, right?¡± Amanda thought, Hah¡­ Well, he has sessfully incurred my wrath. Amanda suppressed her fury and forced a smile. ¡°Is she beautiful to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like her, and I don¡¯t have any feelings for her, but I can¡¯t deny that she looks quite. charming.¡± Still, Elias simply didn¡¯t find Rosie¡¯s sweet appearance appealing. He didn¡¯t feel anything. toward her. Aesthetics were subjective, after all, and everyone had different preferences. Amanda smiled, but her eyes betrayed her anger. ¡°Oh, she looks charming, does she? Then go to her! She¡¯s still waiting for you, so go to her, you scoundrel!¡± With that, she angrily turned around. She couldn¡¯t bear to see this man for another second. She even regretted remarrying him. How did Elias, who had lost his memory, be like this? When Amanda turned around, Elias suddenly stood up and pulled her into his arms. He realized that Amanda was genuinely angry, and the consequences were serious. Amanda struggled. ¡°Let go! Let go of me!¡± ¡°Amanda, are you seriously angry? I was just teasing you.¡± ¡°Just teasing? Well, now that you¡¯ve lost your memory, you can go ahead and fall for anyone. you want. If it weren¡¯t for me and Aiden holding you back, you would have gone to find. other women a long time ago.¡± Tears streamed down Amanda¡¯s face as she spoke. She had endured a lot of grievances in the past few days, and now, they all burst out. ||| The man realized the gravity of the situation. He understood that Amanda wasn¡¯t just jealous, but she was also genuinely angry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have teased you like that. Can you forgive your husband, hmm?¡± ¡°Elias! So, it¡¯s true that you think Rosie looks charming and you like her!¡± Some women were like that. When it came to love, they couldn¡¯t tolerate even the slightest hint of betrayal. Elias looked at her tear-stained face and picked up a tissue to wipe away her tears. He suddenly felt flustered. ¡°It was all just a joke. How could I possibly have any feelings for her? If I did, why would I keep my distance from her? And what does her appearance have to do with me? I haven¡¯t even looked closely at her face, so please stop crying. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have. made you cry.¡± The man straightened her body and looked at her tearful face, feeling heartbroken but unsure of how to comfort her. He regretted the jokes he cracked just now. He never meant to make Amanda. cry. Seeing Elias at a loss for words, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but smile through her tears. Relieved to see her smile, Elias let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Please stop crying, okay? I made a mistake, and I promise not to tease you like that again.¡± ¡°Elias, you¡¯d better regain your memory soon, or you¡¯ll drive me crazy.¡± Once Elias regained his memory, he would stop fooling around with her because he knew that she was sensitive and couldn¡¯t handle any jokes. Elias didn¡¯t say anything. He held her tightly in his arms, as if afraid she would run away. Meanwhile, in the vi area of Gxy Bay Symeon stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the swaying shadows of the trees. outside, feeling infinitely lonely. He didn¡¯t even know what he had been doing for the past few months. He couldn¡¯t believe. that he had treated someone else¡¯s woman and child as his own. Was there anyone more foolish than him in the world to be manipted by Melissa? His phone vibrated. ||| Symeon turned around and picked up the phone. ¡°How is it going?¡± ¡°We have already infiltrated the Carter family. In the next few days, we will collect Casey Carter¡¯s hair and send it for a DNA test.¡± ¡°Okay, do it as soon as possible.¡± After hanging up the phone, Symeon was going to smoke a cigarette, but he heard the sound of the door being pushed open behind him. He turned around and saw the petite figure of Dulcie. She was looking at him with a timid. expression. She looked like she had something to say. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He could handle Aiden at least, but this delicate little girl made him unsure of how to treat her. Dulcie was now alone. The people closest to her, her grandmother and mother, were both gone. Symeon, her uncle, was her only family left, but she wasn¡¯t close to him. Her voice. trembled as she called out, ¡°Mr. Symeon, I want to drink water. I¡¯m thirsty.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the nanny with you?¡± Symeon had clearly instructed the nanny to stay by Dulcie¡¯s side 24/7, so how could she be thirsty? ¡°She fell asleep and can¡¯t be woken up¡­¡± Symeon frowned in displeasure, thinking that he should fire this nanny. How could she fall. asleep and not be able to wake up? How could she take care of Dulcie like this? Symeon walked over and picked Dulcie up. He went downstairs to the kitchen and poured at ss of water. Then, he fed her the water. After drinking the water, Dulcie obediently handed the ss to the man. She seemed like she wanted to say something but was too afraid to speak. Her behavior made people feel sorry for her. ¡°Just say whatever you want to say.¡± Symeon also noticed her hesitance. Dulcie¡¯s voice was soft and tender. ¡°Mr. Symeon, I miss Grandma and Mom. When can I see them again¡­¡± Symeon¡¯s face immediately turned cold. ¡°Remember, from now on, they are not your grandma and mom anymore. I will help you find your mom. Also, I am your dad. You should call me Dad from now on, not Mr. Symeon.¡± Those words were too difficult for the three-year-old Dulcie to understand and ept at ||| O once. She pouted in reluctance. Seeing her about to cry, Simon said, ¡°Are you going to cry? Crying is not allowed.¡± In the next second, Dulcie burst into tears pitifully. Symeon noticed that girls were truly different from boys. When he was harsh with Aiden, Aiden didn¡¯t cry, and he also resisted. But with this delicate little girl, Symeon could only spoil her. ¡°Alright, stop crying, okay?¡± Simon tried to make his voice gentler and held Dulcie in his arms,forting her. He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but Dulcie eventually fell asleep in his arms. He gazed down at the little girl in his embrace, noticing how tiny and delicate she was. He also noticed a resemnce in their eyebrows. The sensation of this familial connection was. quite peculiar. It felt as though he was destined to love her without the need for any conscious effort. Symeon carried Dulcie to his room upstairs. Tonight, he would let Dulcie sleep in his bed while he willingly settled for the couch. He believed that he was more capable than the nanny. As the next day approached, he nned to dismiss the nanny right away and search for a more qualified recement. Chatper 512 Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Symeon¡¯s Phone Call The following morning, Symeon heard Dulcie whimpering in her bed. He thought it might be another one of her nightmares and reluctantly got up tofort her. However, when he reached her bedside, he was startled to see the child¡¯s cheeks were rosy. Instinctively, he touched her forehead and realized she had a fever. Panic washed over him, and he shouted. angrily, ¡°Anyone! The child has a fever!¡± The nanny hurried to the room and asked, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, what happened? How did she get a fever?¡± He was furious and scolded her, ¡°How dare you ask! You slept like a log and weren¡¯t even aware when the child left the room!¡± However, the nanny was at a loss for words and didn¡¯t know how to respond to the scolding. Then, Symeon reached for his phone and called his private doctor, urgently asking him to In about half an hour, the doctor arrived at the vi. After giving Dulcie some fever-reducing medicine, the doctor reassured him, ¡°The child must have caught a cold. Also, her fever will go down after taking the medicine. Just give her the remaining dose in two hours and keep her warm. Ensure she gets plenty of rest and. drinks warm water. Don¡¯t worry because she¡¯ll be okay in a few days.¡± Symeon finally breathed a sigh of relief, wondering how the child had caught a chill. He couldn¡¯t help but question if he had covered her with a nketst night. At that moment, Dulcie, softly crying in her sleep, murmured, ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommy¡­ Grandma¡­¡± Whenever someone fell ill, their emotions could be affected, and this was especially true for children. However, Symeon was a grown man and didn¡¯t know how tofort a sick child. What should I do? Seeing the unwell child in bed, Symeon felt helpless. He realized the nanny was unreliable, and no other woman was around tofort the little one. Suddenly, someone came to his mind¡­ At the Winters Estate, Amanda had been back home for several days, and it was time for Aiden to go to kindergarten. Summer vacation was about to start, and he hadn¡¯t been to kindergarten much this year. ||| O ¡°Aiden, hurry up and get ready. Grab your backpack, and Mr. Yacob will take you to kindergarten.¡± ¡°I know, Mommy. You¡¯re so naggy.¡± Yacob walked over, picked up Aiden, and assured Amanda, ¡°I¡¯ll take him to school.¡± She smiled and nodded. Then, she sat on the couch and was bored since Elias had left for work early that morning to attend several meetings. At that moment, the nanny rushed downstairs and said, ¡°Madam, your phone has been ringing for a while.¡± ¡°Bring it over.¡± Amanda took the phone and saw an unfamiliar number. After hesitating momentarily, she swiped the screen to answer. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± She froze upon hearing the voice, instantly recognizing it as Symeon¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t understand why he was calling her. She had hoped to have no further dealings with him after all the suffering he had caused her family. ¡°Why are you calling me? Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?¡± Her tone was far from friendly, given the pain he had brought into her life. ¡°Do you have to be so hostile? I¡¯m not calling to cause trouble but to seek your help.¡± ¡°Help? What¡¯s wrong with you? What can I do to help you?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t fathom why. Symeon, with his influential family background, would need her assistance. Then, he exined, ¡°Dulcie has a fever, and she keeps calling for her mother. She can¡¯t see. Melissa anymore. I n to help her find her biological mother, but right now¡­ I¡¯m struggling to take care of her. Can youe and take a look? You¡¯re a mother and should know how tofort a sick child.¡± She hesitated upon hearing this request. She had no desire to see him, but she couldn¡¯t ignore the plight of an innocent child. Dulcie was just a three-year-old girl, and with her grandmother and mother absent, she must be frightened. Additionally, given the man¡¯s somber disposition, it was only natural for children to be afraid around him. After some thought, Amanda reluctantly agreed, ¡°Okay, send me the address. I¡¯lle overter.¡± However, as she hung up the phone, she started to regret her decision. She knew that Elias would be furious if he knew about this, but it could upset him even more if she didn¡¯t tell him about it. ||| So, she dialed his number to let him know. However, he didn¡¯t answer after several attempts. Frustrated, she tried calling Jean, his secretary, who picked up quickly. ¡°Where is Elias? Let him answer the phone; I have something to tell him.¡± Jean hesitated for a moment and replied, ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Winters is currently busy. I don¡¯t think he has the time to answer the phone.¡± ¡°Is he in a meeting?¡± However, Jean was not adept at lying. She hesitated and eventually confessed, ¡°It¡¯s not at meeting, but Mr. Winters is meeting someone. It might not be convenient for him to answer the phone right now, so I¡¯ll go in and ry your message.¡± ¡°Fine, go ahead and pass the phone to him. I just wanted to say a few words.¡± Jean knocked on Elias¡¯ office door with the phone in hand. When the secretary entered the office, Amanda heard a familiar woman¡¯s voice through the receiver-it was Rosie¡¯s. At that moment, her mind was flooded with questions. Why is she at Elias¡¯ office again? She just wouldn¡¯t give up, huh? Then, a man¡¯s voice came from the phone. ¡°Amanda, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something urgent?¡± ¡°Rosie is in your office, Elias! Don¡¯t lie to me; I heard her voice!¡± She grew angrier by the second, especially since he hadn¡¯t informed her about Rosie¡¯s visit. He sounded somewhat helpless as he responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know how she got here, but she insisted on seeing me. If I didn¡¯t meet her, she threatened to cause a scene. I¡¯m trying to send. her away. By the way, what did you want to tell me?¡± Suddenly, Rosie¡¯s voice interrupted again, loudly protesting, ¡°Who are you to stop me from seeing Eli? Even if you¡¯re married, can¡¯t I see him? We used to be like siblings! Amanda, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Amanda couldn¡¯t believe Rosie¡¯s audacity. Before she could respond, Elias abruptly ended. the call. Consequently, she attempted to call again but couldn¡¯t establish a connection. B*stard! She cursed and eventually decided not to inform him about the matter she had initially intended to report. She returned to her bedroom upstairs, changed her clothes, and headed to the garage. Afterward, Amanda headed to the address Symeon had provided. It took her about an hour to reach Gxy Bay, and she rang the doorbell at the specified house number, waiting for someone to answer. Chatper 513 Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Ignoring His Call Amanda entered the vi and spotted Symeon waiting inside, looking somewhat disheveled. She immediately noticed how the typically well-groomed man appeared exhausted from tending to a sick child. ¡°Thank you,¡± he uttered, conveying his appreciation in just two words. He felt grateful that Amanda had come, considering Dulcie wasn¡¯t her child and had no connection to her. ¡°I didn¡¯te to help you. I came for the child¡¯s sake,¡± she rified her intentions. She had. arrived to spite Elias, who had infuriated her by being with Rosie at the office. However, she didn¡¯t want to dwell on it. At this moment, her top priority was to ensure Dulcie¡¯s well-being. ¡°Well, thank you anyway.¡± ¡°No problem. Where¡¯s the child? I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± ¡°She¡¯s upstairs. She¡¯s had some fever-reducing medicine, but she¡¯s been semi-conscious, asionally calling for her mother,¡± Symeon exined as he led Amanda upstairs. ¡°Children tend to miss their moms, especially when they feel unwell. And with your serious expression, it¡¯s no surprise she¡¯s scared of you,¡± she muttered as she followed him, but he silently listened without retorting. After entering the room, Amanda saw Dulcie curled up on the bed, repeatedly calling for her mother. It was a heart-wrenching scene. She sat on the bed and gently ced her hand on Dulcie¡¯s forehead, which still felt hot with fever. ¡°Her temperature hasn¡¯t gone down. Has she been taking the medicine on time? She¡¯s still shivering.¡± Following this, she wrapped the child in a nket and fetched another from the end of the bed to ensure she was snugly covered. ¡°Mommy¡­ Mommy¡­¡± Dulcie kept calling for her mother. As a mother herself, Amanda was heartbroken. She gently lifted Dulcie from the bed and held her close in her arms, using her body heat to providefort and warmth. ¡°Do you want me to call a doctor?¡± Symeon furrowed his brows. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Dulcie¡¯s already starting to sweat. Her fever should go down as she sweats it out, and she¡¯ll start feeling better. Please, go get a ss of water for her. Keeping her well- hydrated when she has a fever is essential since she loses fluids quickly.¡± After hearing this, he went to get a ss of warm water. She carefully gave Dulcie half a ss of water and reassured her, ¡°Sweetie, go to sleep. Mommy¡¯s right here with you. Dulcie nestled in her arms, her little hands clutching onto Amanda¡¯s clothing as if she had found the comforting embrace of a mother. Symeon stayed with them, having postponed his meeting to look after Dulcie. Two hourster, the child¡¯s fever had finally subsided, and herplexion had improved. Amanda had been holding Dulcie in her arms the entire time, and her back was beginning to ache. She intended toy Dulcie on the bed and take a short break. However, as soon as she did, the little hands gripped her clothes tightly, and Dulcie murmured, ¡°Mommy, please don¡¯t leave. I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Amanda looked up and exchanged a nce with Symeon. Feeling helpless, shey on the bed to comfort the child, saying, ¡°I¡¯m right here. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± After soothing Dulcie and ensuring she had fallen asleep, Amanda gently released the child¡¯s hold on her clothes and motioned for Symeon to step outside. The two of them exited the room and closed the door quietly. Amanda finally sighed in relief and decided to broach the topic. ¡°Her fever has subsided now. When she wakes up, offer her something light to eat. She may not have much appetite, so prepare some porridge and vegetables.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± ¡°So, are you not going to let Dulcie contact Melissa again? After all, she has raised Dulcie. since she was a child.¡± When Melissa¡¯s name was mentioned, the man¡¯s face darkened slightly. ¡°That woman doesn¡¯t deserve to be my child¡¯s mother. Besides, she is not Dulcie¡¯s biological mother.¡± Amanda recalled the name she had heard earlier that day. Casey Carter. She knew that Casey was the daughter of the Carter Family, and she was Dulcie¡¯s biological mother. ¡°When are you nning to introduce Dulcie to her biological mother? By the way, does the Carter Family have a daughter named Casey? I¡¯ve nevere across that name.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still investigating this. We¡¯ll know for sure once the DNA test resultse out.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She didn¡¯t need to worry too much since Symeon had a vastwork of contacts in the country. At this moment, Amanda¡¯s phone rang. She nced at it and noticed it was a call from Elias, but she chose to end it. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Symeon, who had witnessed this, inquired, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering his calls? Are you two fighting?¡± [1] < ¡°No, I just don¡¯t want to talk to him now. Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head out. Aiden should be done with kindergarten, and I promised to pick him up.¡± Symeon had no reason to keep her any longer and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have the driver take you.¡± ¡°No, thanks. I drove here. You should return and apany Dulcie. When she wakester, make sure she stays hydrated and drinks some water.¡± up ¡°Okay.¡± As Amanda left, Symeon turned back toward the door, his hand gripping the handle as he prepared to return to Dulcie¡¯s room. Suddenly, his phone vibrated, and he answered the call, asking. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sir, the DNA test results are in, and I¡¯m on my way back.¡± ¡°Just give me the results,¡± Symeon requested eagerly. He couldn¡¯t wait to know if Casey was Dulcie¡¯s biological mother. ¡°Yes. Miss Casey is indeed Dulcie¡¯s biological mother.¡± After hearing this, Symeon¡¯s tense expression gradually eased. He felt a mix of relief and surprise. It suddenly dawned on him that the woman named Casey was the same person. from four years ago. However, he was now in a dilemma about how he should arrange for Dulcie to meet her biological mother, Casey. As Amanda was driving, her phone buzzed incessantly with calls from Elias, but she chose to ignore them. When she reached the kindergarten, only ten minutes were left until the school day ended. So, she waited for Aiden inside the building. Her son¡¯s face lit up with joy as he rushed into her arms upon seeing her. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re the first one to pick me up today. You¡¯re awesome!¡± ¡°Of course, I promised you, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go find Daddy. He said he¡¯ll take us out for a big meal tonight.¡± ¡°Really? How about we go home and change first?¡± ¡°Yay!¡± She eagerly held her son¡¯s hand and assisted him into the car. Right now, seeing Elias was thest thing on her mind because she knew it would likely result in an argument. Meanwhile, after wrapping up his tasks at Winters Enterprise, Elias contemted calling < Amanda. However, all his attempts to reach her went unanswered. He knew she was upset, yet he was unsure how to apologize. Chatper 514 Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Is His Love for Her Sincere? Elias didn¡¯t deliberately ignore Amanda¡¯s call earlier in the day. He had been dealing with Rosie, who was a nuisance, and wanted to sort that out before talking to Amanda. Now, Amanda wasn¡¯t picking up his calls, and he was at a loss about how to make amends when he returned hometer. The thought of it was giving him a headache. Just then, his phone rang, and he thought it might be Amanda, so he quickly answered it. However, it was Taylor on the other end, and Elias couldn¡¯t hide his disappointment. ¡°What do you want?¡± Elias asked, his voice filled with helplessness. ¡°How did you upset my sister today? She looks down as if she¡¯s lost her motivation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to talk to you about. Please take care of your sister from now on. I¡¯ve repeatedly told her that there can be nothing between us. I appreciate what she did when I woke up from the ident, but gratitude isn¡¯t love. I have a wife and children now. Rosie. needs to understand that.¡± Elias felt like he had repeated these words endlessly, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, but Rosie seemed unable toprehend. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯m afraid my sister doesn¡¯t. You know how she feels. about you. She¡¯s infatuated, and her emotions run deep. Don¡¯t be so harsh, or she might do something foolish,¡± Taylor said. ¡°You have to look out for your sister. In any case, I must prioritize caring for my wife and children.¡± After stating this, Elias ended the call, choosing not to borate further. Desperate, he called Amanda again, but she still ignored his calls. Consequently, he sighed. and prepared to go home after work to address the situation. After returning to Winters Estate, Amanda lounged on the couch and yed with her phone. Suddenly, her phone rang, and she assumed it was Elias, but it turned out to be Boris calling. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Mrs. Winters, Mr. Winters has returned and is looking for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Then, she looked at Aiden and suggested, ¡°How about we y a game with Daddy?¡± Her son¡¯s eyes lit up at the idea, and he abandoned his toy, eager to know the game. ¡°Please tell me more, Mommy.¡± ¡°How about hide and seek? You lock the door so he can¡¯t find us.¡± ||| r ¡°What¡¯s the point of that? Mommy, you¡¯re so childish¡­¡± Hisment left her momentarily stunned. So, she decided to y her ace card and sweet- talked her son. ¡°If you lock the door, I¡¯ll take you to Universal Studios tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wow! Okay!¡± Aiden eagerly agreed and quickly locked the door. Amanda smiled and added, ¡°When Daddy knocks on the doorter, remember not to open. it. Just tell him you and I don¡¯t want to see him, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, but Mommy, did you have a fight with Daddy again?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re just ying a game with him,¡± she said with a smile. However, he saw through his mother¡¯s act and muttered, ¡°You guys must have had an argument. Poor Daddy, he¡¯s got to figure out how to make you happy again. Mommy, you¡¯re the toughest nut to crack!¡± Amanda was taken aback by her son¡¯s response. She couldn¡¯t help but notice how much he resembled his father, Elias Winters. After a while, they heard the doorknob turning. The man outside struggled with the door for a few seconds and said, ¡°Aiden, can you open the door for Daddy? I bought a cake.¡± The mention of cake made Aiden¡¯s mouth water. However, Amanda frowned and reminded her son, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about our trip to Universal Studios. Do you still want to go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± So, the little guy resisted the temptation of the cake and said to his father, ¡°Mommy and I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± She nodded satisfactorily with a faint smile and continued ying with her phone. Then, the man outside spoke in a low voice. ¡°Who taught you to say that?¡± ¡°Mommy! Mommy told me to say that!¡± Aiden blurted out almost instantly. Amanda nearly fell off the couch and muttered to herself, This little brat! She quickly rushed. over and covered her son¡¯s mouth, giving Aiden a stern look. ¡°What did you say? How could you say that?¡± ¡°But Daddy asked-¡± ¡°Shh! Go y with your toys.¡± ||| O < Aiden stuck out his tongue and made a face. ¡°Mommy is so childish. Daddy already knows. He would¡¯ve figured it out even if I said nothing.¡± Amanda snorted and leaned against the door, refusing to open it. At that moment, Elias, standing outside the door, felt helpless. ¡°Amanda, can you please let me exin? Anyway, I bought a cake.¡± ¡°Cake? I never mentioned wanting a cake. Besides, what¡¯s there to exin? Hanging up on my call today says it all. You¡¯ll sleep alone tonight because I¡¯ll be with our son in his room.¡± ¡°I hung up on you to spare you from getting upset. Rosie spoke without any filters, and I was concerned it might bother you.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite the exnation! So, have you talked to Rosie about staying out of our lives?¡± Amanda asked skeptically, arms crossed. Meanwhile, Aiden, ying with toys on the side, couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Daddy is in trouble because Mommy is so angry right now.¡± Elias realized that persuading Amanda to open the door was futile. He sighed and said, ¡°Fine¡­ you can stay here for tonight. Just one night, though. You have to return to our room. tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Dream on! I¡¯d rather sleep with our son every night.¡± Amanda deliberately provoked Elias, finding sce in getting under his skin. However, she began to feel somewhat unreasonable, and she no longer heard Elias trying to make amends. This left her questioning whether his love for her was sincere. I Amanda was disappointed and thought to herself, What a despicable person! Men are all the same, not a decent one among them. Is he satisfied with a fewforting words, and then he just walks away? Her heart felt heavy, and she even briefly entertained the thought of divorce. Tears welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes, and Aiden noticed her distress, asking, ¡°Mommy, are you crying?¡± ¡°No, sweetie. I just got something in my eye.¡± Just then, the sound of a key card swiping resonated from outside. The door swung open forcefully, revealing the tall figure of the man who had entered. Amanda wiped her teary eyes and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°How did you get in?¡± ¡°This is my home, so naturally, I can use a room card to enter,¡± Elias said with a gloomy expression. Chatper 515 Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Coaxing Her Amanda was momentarily taken aback and snapped, ¡°Who let you in? Get out! I said I will sleep in my son¡¯s room from now on! Get out!¡± Elias¡¯ expression soured, but he managed to keep his temper in check, not wanting to upset. Aiden. He calmly took her hand and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this outside so we don¡¯t disturb our son. Besides, he needs to bathe, and the nanny is waiting.¡± She was speechless and thought, This man surely knows how toe up with excuses. Their son chimed in with a touch of teasing. ¡°Daddy, Mommy is mad at you. You should calm her down. It¡¯s not easy to soothe her when she¡¯s upset.¡± ¡°Aiden Bailey, hush!¡± ¡°Oops¡­ Mommy, you don¡¯t look pretty when you¡¯re angry.¡± Aiden then yfully stuck out his tongue before retreating to the other side of the bed. Elias gently held Amanda¡¯s wrist and urged, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset with our little guy. It¡¯s my fault. Please, let me exin. Remember, we agreed not to argue in front of our child?¡± She found herself at a loss for words as he skillfully used her words against her. ¡°Aiden, be a good boy and let the nanny help you with your bath.¡± ¡°Okay, Daddy. Remember to coax Mommy, or she¡¯ll get even angrier,¡± Aiden advised. Elias smiled helplessly and replied, ¡°I know.¡± He then led Amanda back to their master bedroom. She quickly pulled away from his arm and sat at the dressing table, ignoring him. anger. He He studied her annoyed expression and searched for the right words to ease her noticed her mood seemed slightly better now that they were back in the bedroom. Then, he took off his suit jacket and tossed it on the bed, loosened his tie, and sat at the edge of the bed. He looked at his wife and asked, ¡°Honey, are you not going to talk to me?¡± However, she remained silent as her hands idly toyed with the cosmetics at the dressing table. Elias chuckled lightly, loosened his shirt cor, and got up. He approached Amanda from behind and gently ced his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Sorry, I messed up. I¡¯m ready to face whatever punishment you choose.¡± ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want to talk to you right now. In fact, I don¡¯t want to speak to you until next month. You can sleep on the couch, and I¡¯ll take the bed.¡± She got up and headed to the ||| O bathroom, not giving him a chance to respond. He stared at the closed bathroom door, realizing that sleeping on the couch wasn¡¯t an option. He had a wife to share a bed with, and the thought of sleeping alone was unthinkable. The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. As Elias heard it, he couldn¡¯t help. but picture Amanda showering inside, making his Adam¡¯s apple bob nervously. How could I possibly sleep on the couch with that image in my head? Ten minutester, she emerged from the bathroom wearing her pajamas. Her hair was partially dried, her skin wless, and her slender figure alluring in the lightweight sleepwear, radiating an irresistible charm. ¡°I¡¯ve finished my shower. Now, it¡¯s your turn. But remember, you¡¯re sleeping on the couch tonight. No wandering thoughts, or else I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Shey on the bed and picked. up her phone to pass the time. He looked at her with longing eyes and spoke hoarsely, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be so hard on me. I haven¡¯t done anything unforgivable. I hung up your call to prevent Rosie from getting angry at you.¡± ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses. Don¡¯t attempt to talk your way out of this, or I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Elias approached the bed, and the scent of Amanda¡¯s shower gel wafted through the room, tantalizing his senses. ¡°I messed up. I promise not to hang up your calls again, okay?¡± ¡°Stop talking and go take your shower.¡± She saw through his intentions but intended to give him a lesson. ¡°After my shower, can I sleep on the bed?¡± ¡°Forget it! The couch is your only option tonight, or I¡¯ll sleep in the other room. You decide.¡± Observing her resolute stance, he let out a resigned sigh. Then, he removed his shirt, revealing his toned chest and abs, and headed to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at Elias¡¯ chiseled physique and couldn¡¯t help but wonder, Is he using his muscr charm to entice me? Unfortunately for him, I won¡¯t fall for this. After hearing the sound of water running in the bathroom, she couldn¡¯t help but scoff as she scrolled through her Twitter feed. Later, he emerged from the bathroom, draped in just a towel around his waist, his wet hair clinging to his forehead. ||| O < Without looking at him, she warned, ¡°Don¡¯te any closer, and don¡¯t provoke me.¡± Still, he tried to coax her, ¡°Honey, please let me sleep on the bed. A grown man like me squeezed onto that couch can¡¯t possibly get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°Then, sleep on the floor.¡± She briefly shed a smile, and as she looked up, she inadvertently caught sight of his gleaming abs before quickly averting her eyes. ¡°Sleep on the floor? Amanda, do you have to be so merciless? Haven¡¯t I apologized enough?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just not pleased. I want you on the floor. If you don¡¯t want to, head to the next room. We absolutely can¡¯t share the bed tonight.¡± Elias finally grasped the seriousness of the situation and reluctantly agreed, settling for the couch. He understood that Amanda was determined to make him ufortable that night. His handsome face tensed briefly before he turned toward the couch. ¡°If I have to sleep here, let me stay in your room.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but crack a faint smile, swiftly concealing it from his view. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. This standoff persisted until midnight, with Elias tossing and turning restlessly on the couch, unable to fall asleep. Watching the man¡¯s restless form, Amanda, who couldn¡¯t sleep herself, furrowed her brow. ¡°Why are you fidgeting so much? You¡¯re keeping me awake.¡± ¡°Honey, this couch is too ufortable. I can¡¯t stretch out; I can¡¯t sleep,¡± he pleaded, his tone. softening as if he sought somepassion. However, she scoffed and said, ¡°Then, sleep on the floor since there¡¯s plenty of space there.¡± Elias gazed at Amanda, who was tucked into the bed, a cunning smile ying on his lips. He was well aware of her greatest fear, and under the current circumstances, he didn¡¯t feel guilty about employing a small ruse. ¡°Honey, something is moving next to you. What did you put there?¡± Her eyes immediately widened, and her entire body tensed. She didn¡¯t dare to make a single. Chatper 516 Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Don¡¯t Touch Me, and Keep Your Distance ¡°What are you talking about? There¡¯s nothing beside me,¡± Amanda replied, her fear mingled. with a suspicion that Elias might be ying a prank on her. ¡°Honey, I swear something is moving next to you. Just turn around and see for yourself.¡± She reluctantlyplied, but there was nothing there. It was bing evident that the man. was attempting to spook her. ¡°Elias! Seriously? How old are you? How childish can you be? You scared me!¡± let Elias couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Amanda¡¯s irritation. ¡°Since you¡¯re so scared, why don¡¯t you. your dear husband keep youpany while you sleep? I promise not to do anything. I¡¯ll just obediently stay by your side.¡± ¡°No, thanks! No matter what happens tonight, you can¡¯t sleep on the bed. If you dare to, I¡¯ll get mad and won¡¯t talk to you for a month.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, you go to sleep. I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± Although he wanted to sleep. on the bed, he didn¡¯t want to provoke his wife or risk her leaving home. Amanday back down and chose to ignore Elias, but she still couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Noticing her restlessness, he suggested, ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, how about I tell a story, just like we did to help Aiden fall asleep?¡± She didn¡¯t respond but let him proceed. So, Elias adjusted into a more rxed position, facing Amanda from the couch, and began, ¡°Let me share a real-life experience from when I was studying abroad. My father insisted I keep my background a secret, so I rented an apartment. Most of the tenants were working professionals and students. Nothing unusual happened during my first week there, but I sensed movement under my bed one night while I was asleep.¡± She was utterly engrossed in the story, and her body tensed involuntarily. Driven by her. curiosity, she pressed, ¡°And then?¡± Seeing that she took the bait, he continued, ¡°So, I turned on the light and checked under the bed but found nothing. However, I noticed¡­¡± ¡°What did you find? Tell me!¡± With a sly grin, he said, ¡°I found a woman¡¯s bracelet. At first, I thought it belonged to the previous tenant and decided to return it to her, thinking it might be some kind of special token of love.¡± ||| O and She sat upright, her gaze fixed on him. ¡°So, is the bracelet left by the previous tenant?¡± ¡°Let me continue. After I picked up the bracelet and ced it on the table, the movement. under the bed stopped for the night. However, I started hearing strange noisesing from the table. Each time I checked, there was nothing there.¡± ¡°What could it be? Is it something supernatural?¡± Amanda unconsciously held onto her nket tightly. She had a deep fear of ghosts and the unknown. Elias couldn¡¯t help but find her fear endearing. He continued, ¡°So, the following day, after my sses, I visited thendlord and informed her about the bracelet. Her response was quite peculiar. Her face went pale when she saw the bracelet, and she promptly shut the door, instructing me to leave.¡± She asked, ¡°What does that imply?¡± ¡°At the time, I had no clue. I simply left the bracelet on thendlord¡¯s windowsill. Later, I learned that a murder urred in my rented room. It was a tragic incident involving a couple whose heated argument had turned fatal. The woman¡¯s body had been hidden under. the bed.¡± Amanda¡¯s face turned pale, and she gripped her nket tightly. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that bracelet belonged to the murdered woman? How is that even possible? The police would have investigated the scene thoroughly and wouldn¡¯t leave such a crucial piece of evidence. behind. And even if they somehow overlooked it, how could thendlord have missed it during her cleaning?¡± She was completely immersed in the story Elias was narrating. He smirked and replied, ¡°It¡¯s quite the mystery, right? I can¡¯t exin it either.¡± ¡°So¡­ There¡¯s only one possible exnation. It¡¯s the spirit of the woman, returning from beyond the grave. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been hearing those noises under the bed, and after you. picked up the bracelet, the eerie sounds resumed.¡± She had let her imagination run wild, concocting a chilling ghost story. However, he remained silent, allowing her to indulge in her vivid imagination. She curled up, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She had a deep fear of such supernatural urrences. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t bear to stay on the bed any longer and even sensed some movement underneath it. ¡°You might have a point there, I suppose.¡± Elias could even discern Amanda¡¯s embarrassment in the dimly lit room. ¡°Please¡­ just stop¡­¡± She huddled on the bed, shivering, and didn¡¯t dare to turn around. Even though a man was lying on the couch staring at her, she was still gripped by fear. However, he remained silent since his intention was to create a spooky atmosphere to get an ||| O < opportunity to snuggle up with his warm and sweet-smelling wife in bed. Meanwhile, Amanda found herself unable to sleep, a constant feeling of something lurking under the bed haunting her. This unease was precisely why she avoided horror movies. altogether. After a while of tossing and turning, she suddenly broke the silence. ¡°Elias.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Are you asleep yet?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Amanda clutched her nket tightly. A yful grin formed on Elias¡¯ lips, ¡°Well, as I mentioned, I can¡¯t fall asleep on the couch.¡± ¡°Then¡­ why don¡¯t youe up and sleep?¡± He promptly sat up upon hearing that. ¡°Really?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, but you have to stay on your side. Don¡¯t touch me, and keep your distance.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Elias didn¡¯t waste a moment and headed straight for the bed. Hey beside Amanda, causing her to sense the bed¡¯s dip and the familiar scent of the man. She immediately rxed, and her breathing steadied. However, he embraced her and asked, ¡°Honey, why are you so chilly? Have youe down. with a cold?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just sensitive to the cold.¡± ¡°Well then, let me warm you up.¡± His mischievous grin grew even bolder after saying this. Chatper 517 Chapter 517 Chapter 517 So, Elias Has Regained His Memory? ¡°Go away! I told you to sleep on the bed, but I never said you could touch me! Back off!¡± Amanda struggled incessantly, trying to push away the man who was tightly holding onto. her, but she couldn¡¯t budge him no matter how hard she tried. ¡°But you¡¯re scared now. How can I, as a man, leave my wife alone?¡± Elias held her in his arms and whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m just holding you. I won¡¯t do anything to you. But if you keep struggling like this, I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t do something.¡± She was speechless. As soon as he said this, Amanda really dared not move anymore. Seeing her suddenly quiet down, the man chuckled softly, lightly kissed her earlobe, and said, ¡°Be a good girl and go to sleep.¡± Originally, he did have some intentions after getting on the bed, but he thought about it and decided against it. After all, he didn¡¯t want to make Amanda angry. Of course, so long as he wanted, he could get his way with her, even if Amanda would get mad at him. She could never stop him. Nheless, he wanted her to submit to him. willingly when she was in a good mood. ¡°Sleep, my foot. How can I fall asleep after you told such a terrifying story? Do you think. everyone is as fearless as you and can sleep in a haunted house?¡± Amanda put herself in his shoes and thought that if she lived in such a haunted house, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep and would probably get sick from fear. Seeing her scared like this, Elias felt a bit sorry for her, so he couldn¡¯t help but tell her, ¡°Stop thinking about it and go to sleep, because it¡¯s all made up by me.¡± ¡°What? Made up by you?¡± Amanda looked incredulous and broke free from the man¡¯s embrace. The man couldn¡¯t help butugh when he saw her shocked expression and nodded. ¡°Who knew I was such a good storyteller? I managed to deceive you with it.¡± ¡°Elias! Did you make up such a terrifying story just to get on my bed? Do you have nothing else better to do?¡± ¡°But if I didn¡¯t do that, you wouldn¡¯t let me get close to you at all.¡± ||| r ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you get close to me now that I know?¡± Amanda¡¯s face turned cold, looking like she could explode at any moment. Elias knew that he had no hope of sleeping on the bed tonight, so he sighed softly, then lifted the nket off himself and got up to leave. Amanda watched his back and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To sleep on the couch. What else? Or are you letting me sleep on the bed?¡± Elias, with his tall figure, stood by the bed, giving a sense of security. Amanda awkwardly said, ¡°You¡­ You can sleep on the bed. However, as a punishment, you can only lie next to me, but you must not get close to me. Don¡¯t even try it. Nowe here!¡± Although the story was made up, she already felt a sense of fear that couldn¡¯t be eliminated in a short time. She would still be afraid to sleep alone on the bed. Elias paused for a moment, then smiled. ¡°So, even if it¡¯s made up, you¡¯re still scared?¡± ¡°Enough nonsense from you. Get on the bed and sleep. Otherwise, you can sleep on the floor!¡± This way, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of something crawling out from under the bed. Elias immediately returned to the bed and pulled up the nket. ¡°Then, I choose to sleep on the bed. If you can¡¯t sleep and feel scared, I don¡¯t mind letting you sleep in my embrace.¡± ¡°No need!¡± 3 ¡°I mean, if you have a nightmare, you can crawl into your dear¡¯s arms, which will always be open for you.¡± ¡°Shut up, Elias, you¡¯re so annoying. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The only response she got was a low chuckle from the man. Elias had already anticipated that in the middle of the night, Amanda would be frightened by a nightmare and crawl into his arms to seekfort. Amanda closed her eyes and ignored the man behind her. After a while, she fell into a deep sleep, but she also had a strange and terrifying dream. In the middle of the night, Amanda woke up from the dream, panting heavily, her eyes filled with fear, and she was covered in cold sweat. ||| T Instinctively, she turned around and crawled into the man¡¯s arms, cing her arm around. his waist, instantly feeling safe. At the same time, the feeling of fear in her heart gradually faded. away. She knew it was just a dream, but she still felt scared after having a nightmare. The sensation was too real. Amanda held onto the man tightly, but she didn¡¯t know that the corners of his mouth were almost reaching his eyes. The man gradually tightened his long arms, embracing her tightly, and his chin rested on top of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, darling, I¡¯m here.¡± Amanda¡¯s body stiffened. She didn¡¯t expect this shameless man to be awake. She wanted to push him away, but he held her even tighter. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, why push me away? Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯m here for?¡± ¡°Elias, you shameless man! This was all intentional!¡± Amanda really wanted to bite him. ¡°It was intentional, but I also intentionally wanted you to hold onto me.¡± She was at a loss for words. Elias lifted her angry little face and slowly leaned in, kissing her. Amanda wanted to resist, but the man kissed her deeper and more passionately. The next day, in the morning. Amanda woke up at noon and felt like she had been tossed around by Eliasst night. She didn¡¯t expect to let that despicable man have his way with her. Wasn¡¯t she angry? How did it turn out like this¡­. Amanda sat up, dragging her sore body to the bathroom to freshen up. After changing her clothes, she nned to look for something to eat. Her stomach was growling. She had been feeling hungry since the middle ofst night, plus their lovemaking sessionsted until ungodly hours as Elias refused to let her off. She sat down in the dining room, and the kitchen was serving food. All of a sudden, her phone rang, and Amanda nced at it. It was Elias calling, probably wanting to tease her. Amanda answered the phone and ced it by her ear. ¡°Why are you calling? Checking if I¡¯m awake?¡± ¡°My dear wife is so clever. Have you slept enough?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m replenishing my energy and will continue sleeping after eating!¡± A chuckle came from the phone. ¡°Sure, sleep as much as you want. I¡¯ll wake you up when Ie back. In the afternoon, I¡¯ll have Yacob pick up the kids from school.¡± ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± ¡°By the way, tomorrow is your birthday. Is there any ce you wish to visit? Let me know.¡± Birthday? She almost forgot herself. There had been too many things happening recently. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter. I need to eat. I¡¯m too hungry. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After ending the call, Amanda sensed that something was amiss. My birthday? Did Elias actually remember my birthday? Isn¡¯t he suffering from amnesia? Amanda¡¯s eyes gradually filled with astonishment. Last night, Elias mentioned his time studying abroad. Even though it was fabricated, he actually recalled studying abroad. So, has Elias recovered his memory? As she contemted on this, tears welled up in her eyes. She grabbed her phone and attempted to call Elias, but received no response after several tries. He was likely upied. However, the mere thought of him regaining his memory caused Amanda¡¯s heart to race, almost bringing her to tears uncontrobly. This is wonderful! Elias has finally regained his memory! Chatper 518 Chapter 518 Chapter 518 Who Are You, and What Do You Want? Amanda was still basking in the joy of the man regaining his memory when her phone. suddenly rang. She thought it was the man calling back, but when she answered the phone, she realized it was Symeon calling. Could something have happened to Dulcie again? Amanda picked up the phone and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong now? What do you need from me?¡± ¡°Even though I shouldn¡¯t be calling you, Dulcie is not in a good emotional state right now. Can you come and take care of her for a while tonight? I have to attend a cocktail party and will be back in an hour.¡± ¡°Alright, just one hour. I have to leave when the timees. I have a lot of things to do today. and can¡¯t stay for too long.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After ending the call, Amanda started to eat. The good news made the meal taste even better. Tonight, she nned to teach Elias a lesson. He regained his memory but never bothered to tell me. This is uneptable. How long does he n to keep it a secret from me? Amanda was too tiredst night, so she didn¡¯t drive herself today. Instead, she had the driver take her there. After the driver dropped her off at Gxy Bay, Amanda entered by herself without letting him follow. The driver was puzzled by this, so he decided to call Yacob and report this to him. Meanwhile¡­ Elias was having a meeting in the conference room, which was about to end. Yacob was waiting outside and received a call from the driver. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Well, Mrs. Winters asked me to drop her off at Gxy Bay, but she didn¡¯t let me follow her in. She said she would call me to pick her up in about an hour. I found it strange, so I wanted. to let you know.¡± ¡°Gxy Bay?¡± Yacob found it odd as well. < After ending the call, Yacob suddenly remembered that Symeon seemed to live in Gxy Bay. Could she have gone to meet Symeon? That¡¯s impossible! Suddenly, the door of the conference room opened. The executives inside started toe out one by one. When Elias came out, he looked at Yacob. ¡°Get the preparations done. We¡¯re going to a cocktail party.¡± ¡°Right, Mr. Winters. Um, I think there¡¯s something that I need to report to you.¡± ¡°Speak, what is it?¡± Elias was in a hurry to make a quick appearance at the party and then go home to spend. time with his wife. He had exhausted Amanda so muchst night that if he went back even a littleter tonight, he would probably end up sleeping on the floor.. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Just now, the driver called. He said that Mrs. Winters went to Gxy Bay and asked him toe pick her up in an hour.¡± ¡°Gxy Bay?¡± The man stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yacob. Yacob nodded. ¡°Yes, I also find it odd. Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s rted, but Symeon seems to live there. Could Mrs. Winters be going to meet- Before he could finish his sentence, Elias interrupted sharply, ¡°Impossible! Amanda is doing all she can to avoid him. How could she possibly go to him on her own? Are you trying to tell me that they are having a secret affair?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just think there must be something going on with Mrs. Winters going to Gxy Bay.¡± ¡°Enough, let¡¯s go to the party. When I go backter, I¡¯ll ask her myself.¡± Elias didn¡¯t want to dwell on this matter anymore because he believed that Amanda would not betray him, let alone have any business with Symeon. At the party. Elias quickly changed into a suit and arrived at the party, intending to stay for a while,plete the formalities, and then leave. But as soon as he arrived, he saw someone he despised, Yacob was also surprised to see Symeon. ¡°Mr. Winters, why is he here? But this also shows. that Mrs. Winters probably didn¡¯t go to find him.¡± ||| O Elias snorted, picked up a ss of red wine, and took a sip, not wanting to spare another nce at Symeon. Yacob followed behind him, pondered for a while, and finally spoke. ¡°Mr. Winters, when do you n to tell Mrs. Winters about regaining your memory?¡± In fact, Elias had already regained his memory a long time ago-when he went to Esmos to save Aiden. Otherwise, Yacob wouldn¡¯t have been able tomunicate with Elias so smoothly and effortlessly. But he didn¡¯t understand why Elias had been hiding this matter all along. Suddenly, a figure bumped into Elias¡¯ arms. He instinctively held onto the person and realized it was a woman. The woman looked up at him and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she immediately straightened up. Elias furrowed his brow, let go of the woman¡¯s hand, and replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± The woman nodded at him and then turned to leave. Yacob spoke up from the side. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you know who that woman was just now?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Elias seemed indifferent, gently swaying the ss of red wine in his hand. Yacob said, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of the Carter Family, a famous beauty in the circle who has captivated many wealthy young men. Many rich kids have been trying to ask her out on a date, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered with any of them.¡± ¡°Really? Who did she captivate? Well, she didn¡¯t captivate me, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Yacobughed. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you also have feelings for Miss Carter? Although she is quite beautiful, she ispletely different from Mrs. Winters.¡± ¡°Shut up! How can shepare to my wife?¡± Elias let out a snort. ¡°You¡¯d better choose your words wisely. Besides Amanda, I won¡¯t have any feelings for any other woman.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, no one canpare to our dear Mrs. Winters¡¯ beauty.¡± Elias chuckled. ¡°At least you understand that much.¡± ¡°I am undeserving of your praise, Mr. Winters.¡± ¡°Now get lost.¡± Elias couldn¡¯t be bothered with him and walked in the opposite direction to greet his friends. ||| r Meanwhile, Symeon searched the whole venue and finally spotted Casey. He took out his phone and compared the photo to her, confirming that she was the woman. So, she¡¯s Dulcie¡¯s mother? At least, that was what the results of the DNA test indicated. He couldn¡¯t understand why Casey gave birth to a child and then abandoned the child. How could she do such a cruel thing? Casey seemed to be having a hard time getting along with the other wealthy youngdies present. She walked alone toward the terrace, unaware that a man was following her. The man observed as she walked toward an empty corner, so he immediately pulled her aside and pressed her against the wall, rendering her immobile. Casey¡¯s eyes widened in fear. ¡°Who are you? What do you want? Let me go!¡± ¡°Stop pretending. You know who I am.¡± ¡°How could I possibly know who you are!¡± Casey attempted to break free and flee, but how could a woman match a man¡¯s strength? Enraged, Symeonughed. ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am, but four years ago, you had the audacity to enter my bed and secretly give birth to my child, only to abandon it after!¡± He truly couldn¡¯tprehend why this woman had done all of this! Was it solely to seek revenge on him? Chatper 519 Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Sowing Discord Casey was taken aback. ¡°What are you talking about? I never slept with you, nor did I have child. You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else. I have never seen you before, let alone have your child!¡± your Even Symeon was almost deceived by her panicked appearance. How could she deny it? ¡°Why won¡¯t you admit it if you dare to do it? How can there be such a malicious mother like you in this world? You gave birth to her and then abandoned her. You truly don¡¯t deserve to be a mother!¡± Symeonpletely lost control of his emotions. This was truly the most shameless woman he had ever seen, even more heartless than Melissa. The man¡¯s hand tightly gripped Casey¡¯s delicate neck. If he squeezed a little harder, he could. possibly strangle her to death. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­ Cough¡­ You¡¯ve mistaken me for¡­¡± Casey desperately grabbed the man¡¯s hand, trying to pry it open, but it was futile. ¡°How could you say such things?! You wretch!¡± In the next second, Elias¡¯ mocking voice came from behind. ¡°How bold, Mr. Lawrence. Just because you can¡¯t win her love doesn¡¯t mean you have to kill her, right?¡± Symeon immediately let go, and Casey took the opportunity to escape, hiding behind Elias. Her voice trembled as she grabbed the man¡¯s clothes. ¡°Please, save me! I don¡¯t even know him, but he insists that I had his child. This is absolutely absurd!¡± After hearing this, Eliasughed. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, you really have some nerve. Are you trying to disregard our country¡¯sws? Abducting women in public willnd you in jail. I advise you. to familiarize yourself with ourws.¡± At this moment, Symeon was filled with anger and had no intention of arguing with him. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Get lost, Elias! I don¡¯t have time to talk to you right now! This is my private matter, and there¡¯s no need to exin it to you!¡± Elias chuckled. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯ve encountered me. I am here to right wrongs and help the weak!¡± However, he didn¡¯t know that his act of heroism had left a deep impression on Casey behind him. O Casey looked up at his handsome profile, her clear eyes filled with admiration. ¡°Do you really have to meddle in other people¡¯s business like this, Elias?¡± Symeon was getting impatient. He was merely dealing with his own affairs, and Elias just had to step in and interfere. Elias sneered. ¡°Yes, from now on, opposing you will be one of my hobbies.¡± After speaking, he turned to look at Yacob. ¡°Send thisdy home, and also give her my phone. number.¡± Casey widened her eyes, looking puzzled, but Elias said, ¡°If Mr. Lawrence bothers you again. in the future, call me, and I¡¯ll definitely be there to help. Because only I can put him in hist ce.¡± After speaking, he left without looking back. Yacob looked at Casey and said, ¡°Miss Carter, this way, please. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Casey kept staring at Elias¡¯ back until she couldn¡¯t see him anymore, then she returned to her senses. She secretly nced at Symeon, who was standing there. She was so scared she hid behind. Yacob and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go. I don¡¯t want to see this person again. He¡¯s too terrifying.¡± Yacob nced at Symeon, then took Casey away. Symeon was left standing there, full of anger, with nowhere to vent. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, and his knuckles cracked. Since Casey had left, staying at this party was no longer possible. He turned around angrily and left. Gxy Bay After Amanda lulled Dulcie to sleep, she looked at the time and realized it was time for her to leave. So, she made a phone call to summon the driver to pick her up. She asked the nanny to stay with Dulcie so that when Dulcie woke up, she wouldn¡¯t feel lonely. Just as Amanda arrived downstairs, she ran into Symeon, who had just returned, and he ||| < looked exasperated. She didn¡¯t know who had provoked him, but it didn¡¯t matter to her as she didn¡¯t want to get involved. She just said, ¡°Dulcie is asleep. I¡¯ve asked the nanny to watch. over her. I should go back now.¡± Symeon sat on the sofa, a gloomy expression on his face. He looked up at Amanda¡¯s figure and asked, ¡°Is there really no problem between you and Elias?¡± Amanda stopped in her tracks. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°If he truly loves you, how could he be fooling around with other women at the party and even give them his phone number? Or is it that you just like his yboy nature?¡± Symeon¡¯s words were full of sarcasm. Since Elias was determined to oppose him, he decided to return the favor. ¡°Impossible! My husband is not that kind of person!¡± Amanda refused to believe it. Elias wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. Symeon sneered. ¡°You think I¡¯m lying? I saw it with my own eyes. Just wait and see. In a few days, that woman will call Elias. You can check his phone anytime. If he doesn¡¯t let you touch his phone, then it proves that there is more than one secret.¡± ¡°Enough of your usations! I came here to apany Dulcie for the sake of my child, and now you¡¯re trying to sow discord between me and my husband, is that right?¡± Amanda regretteding here now. Symeon was truly heartless. As soon as she finished speaking, she left the vi without looking back. Meanwhile, Symeon leaned back on the sofa andughed. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to exin yourself. Elias. If I can¡¯t have it easy, neither can you! Winters Estate. When Amanda returned to the estate, Elias hadn¡¯te back yet, and Aiden had already fallen asleep. She sat alone on the bed in the bedroom, constantly pondering over Symeon¡¯s words. What exactly happened at the party tonight? Amanda¡¯s mind was in chaos, and she even started to get a headache. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. After an unknown amount of time, footsteps could be heard outside. It should be Eliasing back. Amanda looked up at the door, and the bedroom door was pushed open. Elias came in and O < saw her sitting on the bed, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re back? I heard that you had the driver take you out today. Where did you go?¡± He casually asked, never expecting that Amanda would go to Symeon¡¯s house. ¡°Who was the woman you were protecting at the party?¡± The smile vanished from Elias¡¯ lips in an instant, causing him to pause in the midst of undressing. He looked up at her and asked, ¡°What woman?¡± He had just returned from the party with Yacob. Who could have informed Amanda about it? ¡°Stop pretending! Not only did you defend that woman, but you also gave her your phone. number. Elias, tell me what you¡¯re up to!¡± Amanda was genuinely furious. After going through so much, they finally got the chance to settle down, but now she wondered if Elias was growing tired of it all. Is he getting interested in other women? ¡°How do you know all of this? Who told you? Did you really go to Gxy Bay to look for Symeon?¡± Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t fathom who would possess such knowledge, including the fact that he had given his phone number to the woman. This information should only be known by the four individuals who were present. ¡°Yes, I went to Gxy Bay to find Symeon!¡± Elias¡¯ face immediately fell. ¡°Why did you go look for him?¡± Chatper 520 Chapter 520 Chapter 520 I Wasn¡¯t Trying To Protect That Woman The air was tense. It seemed a fight was about to break out. Both of them were consumed by anger, and neither was willing topromise, ¡°Answer my question first. If you won¡¯t answer, why should I?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to indulge. him and his bad habits, especially now that he had regained his memory. There was no need. for pretense anymore. Elias clenched his fists tightly, struggling to maintain control. It looked as if he would confront Symeon and teach him a lesson for daring to seduce his woman in the next moment. Suppressing his anger, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. I wasn¡¯t trying to protect. that woman. I don¡¯t even know her. Everything I did was to oppose Symeon because I saw him mistreating her. I decided to mess with him, that¡¯s all.¡± Trying to rid himself of any doubt, huh? Amanda couldn¡¯t help but let out a sneer. ¡°What are youughing at? Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Elias felt uneasy witnessing her mockingughter. He disliked Amanda treating him like this. They were husband and wife, so why was Amanda always siding with Symeon? Amanda looked at the man standing by the bed. ¡°Do you think I would believe what you said? When did you, Elias Winters, be sopassionate and just? I never knew you had such virtue in you before.¡± ¡°Whether you believe it or not, it¡¯s the truth. And what about you? Why did you look for him? Could it be that you truly have feelings for him?¡± Elias became consumed with jealousy at the thought of Amanda staying by Symeon¡¯s side with their child while he was. unconscious. There was a possibility that they might develop feelings for each other, and he couldn¡¯t bear it. He would never allow his woman to have feelings for that perverted Symeon! ¡°Since I don¡¯t believe a single word of what you said, I don¡¯t see the need to answer your question.¡± Amanda stood up and prepared to leave the bedroom. As she passed by the man, he grabbed her hand and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Once we can be honest with each other, then we can share a bed again.¡± After saying that, Amanda shook off his hand and was about to leave. Elias was genuinely furious. He couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and shouted at her retreating figure, ¡°Why won¡¯t you believe what I said? It¡¯s the truth! If you don¡¯t believe me, ask that woman! She was being choked by Symeon, almost dying. Could I just stand by and do nothing?¡± ¡°With Symeon¡¯s personality, he cares more about his reputation than anything else. How could he possibly choke a woman at a party? Come up with a believable lie, will you? If you say Symeon was flirting with that woman, I might believe it.¡± After saying that, Amanda left the bedroom without looking back. Elias looked at her departing figure in disbelief. ¡°Amanda! Who are you married to, huh? How well do you know that scoundrel? What makes you think he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing?¡± Amanda ignored him and walked toward the staircase. The man caught up with her, gripping her delicate shoulders. I¡¯m talking to you! Answer me!¡± ¡°Stop being unreasonable!¡± She felt that Elias was deliberately changing the subject, diverting her attention. ¡°Who are you calling unreasonable? Do you think I¡¯m being unreasonable now? Then, who do you think is the perfect man in your eyes? That scoundrel?¡± Elias was now blinded by jealousy, wishing he could kill Symeon for sowing discord between him and his wife. ¡°Let me go!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°I won¡¯t let go! Tell me, why did you go looking for Symeon on your own? Did you realize you fell for him only after you returned to me? Did you develop feelings for him during your time in Esmos?¡± Elias tightly held Amanda¡¯s shoulders, staring into her eyes, hoping to find a clue. Amanda turned her head away. ¡°Elias, you¡¯re not thinking straight right now. Let¡¯s talk again once you¡¯ve calmed down. I¡¯m tired. I need to sleep.¡± ¡°Amanda! Have you learned to keep things from me now? I¡¯m your husband. Why are you treating me like this?¡± The man¡¯s anger was evident, looking to erupt any moment now. But he had to restrain his temper because the person in front of him was the woman he loved. ¡°And what about you? Aren¡¯t you also hiding things from me? You regained your memory a long time ago but never bothered to tell me. You just want to see me anxious and spend all my time around you. Do you find it satisfying?¡± r Amanda vented all her frustrations. The man was slightly taken aback. ¡°You noticed?¡± ¡°Surprising, isn¡¯t it? Did you think I would never find out? You thought you could tell me when you felt like it, and I would be deeply moved?¡± ¡°You misunderstand, I didn¡¯t mean that! I¡¯ve only recently regained some memories, and there are still many fragmented things I can¡¯t remember. I just wanted to wait until 1 fully regained my memories before telling you¡± Before the man could finish speaking, Amanda ruthlessly interrupted him, ¡°Enough, don¡¯t exin anymore. I don¡¯t want to hear it. At the end of the day, after you lost your memory, you started to distance yourself from me emotionally. You have to admit that you don¡¯t trust me as much anymore.¡± ¡°How can I trust you if you don¡¯t tell me?¡± Elias was on the verge of copse. Why is it so difficult to communicate with women? ¡°I said, let¡¯s talk again once you¡¯ve calmed down.¡± Amanda removed the man¡¯s hand from her shoulder and went downstairs. This time, Elias didn¡¯t chase after her. Not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because he felt dizzy, and his head was beginning to throb. It had been many days since he had a headache after returning to the country, but now it was happening again. He had a hard time steadying his feet as well. cing one hand against the corridor wall, he watched Amanda¡¯s fig¨¹re descend the stairs. step by step. Forget it. I¡¯ll talk to her again after tonight. No matter what he said now, Amanda would not want to listen. He didn¡¯t have the energy to exin anymore. Amanda went to the garden alone and felt a sense of loss when she realized the man didn¡¯t continue chasing after her. What¡¯s wrong with me? She didn¡¯t want to get angry at Elias just now, but she couldn¡¯t control her temper. Justst night, they were being so intimate and affectionate to each other. How did they be enemies now? Suddenly, she heard some movement from the garage. She nced over and saw Elias driving a sports car out. O T She felt even worse now, a suffocating sensation in her heart. He actually drove away. Tears uncontrobly welled up in Amanda¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t want Elias to leave, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to reconcile with him. Chatper 521 Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Misunderstanding Elias arrived at the club alone, seeking sce in alcohol to drown his sorrows. He couldn¡¯tprehend why Amanda was always siding with that scoundrel. What did that scoundrel do to influence Amanda like this? The Amanda that I know, the one who used to only have eyes for me, is she gone? He had never felt such a strong sense of crisis before as he felt threatened. Although he despised Symeon¡¯s actions, he had to admit that Symeon indeed had an irresistible charm. when it came to women. Symeon was every woman¡¯s dream, whether in terms of his appearance or his background. Elias poured himself another ss of alcohol and downed it in one gulp. ncing at his wristwatch, he noticed that it was almost midnight. Amanda hadn¡¯t called him once. Haha¡­ She¡¯s truly heartless. If I don¡¯t return home all night, will she not care at all? After finishing an entire bottle of alcohol, he grew bored. Elias stood up, swaying, and leaned against the wall as he left the private room. He intended to go home. Even if Amanda didn¡¯t call him ore looking for him, he would still home. He wanted to set an excellent example for Aiden and be a responsible father. go Just as he exited the club, he spotted a familiar figure but couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen. her before. When the figure turned around and approached him, Elias finally got a clear look. It was the woman he had rescued from Symeon earlier tonight. Carter, was it? His vision was slightly blurred, and he was even seeing doubles. He shook his head. vigorously to regain some rity. Suddenly, a gentle and clear female voice reached his ears. ¡°Mr. Winters, it¡¯s me, the one you saved tonight. My name is Casey Carter. Thank you for rescuing me.¡± Elias squinted his eyes and looked at the woman in front of him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask Yacob to send you home? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡­ My friend asked me to bring her some clothes. Her clothes got stained from drinking.¡± ||| O Just as Casey finished speaking. Elias suddenly grabbed her wrist. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived at the perfect time. Go back with me and exin to her what really happened. She doesn¡¯t believe me at all.¡± ¡°What?¡± Casey was startled by the man¡¯s sudden action, and then she examined his face up close, feeling a bit shocked. She couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes, and her eyshes trembled. The man¡¯s face was truly captivating, and the pheromones emanating from him made her dizzy. ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe me at all. Doesn¡¯t she know my character? How can she suspect me of being interested in other women¡­¡± Elias suddenly let out a self-deprecatingugh, as if mocking himself. Casey began to understand the situation. So, he already has a girlfriend, and they even had a fight. He came here to drown his sorrows in alcohol. She really wanted to know what kind of woman could be so heartless as to make Elias so sad. How could she bear to do it? ¡°Mr. Winters, I can go back with you to exin things, but I¡¯m afraid your girlfriend will be even angrier if she sees me.¡± As a woman herself, Casey naturally understood a woman¡¯s thoughts. Given the current situation, if she really followed him back to exin things, it was likely that his girlfriend. would fly into a rage. Elias was too intoxicated to hear clearly what she was saying; he only knew that he needed to take her back and rify things with Amanda. But after walking a few steps, he copsed to the ground due to a headache, his brows. furrowing in pain. Looking at the woman in front of him, he seemed to see Amanda¡¯s face. ¡°Are you okay, Mr. Winters? What happened to you? Please don¡¯t scare me!¡± Casey was a little frightened when she saw the man suddenly copsing on the ground. There was no way she could lift the heavily intoxicated man by herself. Elias reached out and caressed her cheek with hisrge palm, gently saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. Stop being angry at me, please¡­¡± After saying that, he was struck by another intense headache. The man groaned in pain and ||| O thenpletely lost consciousness. ¡°Mr. Winters! Wake up! Mr. Winters!¡± No matter what Casey said, the man didn¡¯t respond. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. This time, she was truly frightened. It was the first time she had encountered such a situation. Regardless, he was her savior, and she couldn¡¯t simply leave him alone. Amanda had a restless night. She had been awaiting the sound of Elias returning, but she hadn¡¯t heard anything throughout the night. Great, just great. That despicable man actually had the audacity to stay out all night. She decided to ignore the man for the next two weeks. She stayed up the entire night. When she picked up her phone and took a nce at it, there were no missed calls, and it was already six o¡¯clock in the morning. Why should I care about that despicable man? I need to get some rest, or I won¡¯t have any energy for the rest of the day. Just as Amanda closed her eyes, she heard someone knock on the door. ¡°Mrs. Winters, Mrs. Winters, please open the door, something happened.¡± Something happened? Amanda instantly opened her eyes, threw off the nket, and put on her slippers before. rushing to the door. The butler was standing outside the door in a panicked state. He said, ¡°Bad news, Mrs. Winters. The hospital called and said Mr. Winters fainted again due to a headache and was sent to the hospital. He is still unconscious and is expected to wake up around noon.¡± ¡°What? The hospital? Prepare the car for me. I¡¯ll head to the hospital right away.¡± ¡°Mrs. Winters, please calm down. The hospital said Mr. Winters would wake up around noon. I¡¯ve asked the kitchen to prepare some soup. Once it¡¯s ready, you should take it with and let him drink it. From what I heard, Mr. Winters had too much to drinkst night. and almost suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding.¡± you Amanda froze at the mention of Elias drinking. Could it be that he went drinking because he was in a bad mood after our argument? ||| O Amanda felt guilty all of a sudden. If it weren¡¯t for their argument, Elias wouldn¡¯t have consumed so much alcohol that he almost suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding and ended up with a headache in the hospital. It was all her fault. She was so blinded by rage that she failed to consider the consequences. How could she forget that Elias had recently experienced a car ident, and his body hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet? And he still dared to drink alcohol. Moreover, the doctor had repeatedly emphasized that Elias must maintain a positive mood and avoid stress. During their argument, she didn¡¯t think about any of that. Amanda returned to her room, consumed by self-me. She had no knowledge of how Elias had spent the night at the hospital, but she imagined it must have been excruciating for him. After freshening up in the bathroom and changing her clothes, Amanda patiently waited in the kitchen. By the time the soup was ready, it was already approaching noon. Once the soup was packed, she took it with her and made her way to the hospital. When she arrived at the inpatient department, it took her a few minutes to locate the ward where Elias was being cared for. However, as soon as she pushed open the door, Amanda found herself frozen in ce, her gentle expression vanishing instantly. This was because she caught sight of a kind-hearted woman tenderly tucking Elias into bed. Chatper 522 Chapter 522 Chapter 522 I Will Keep Calling Until You Answer the Phone So, was that woman with Elias all nightst night? Amanda¡¯s eyes instantly welled up with tears as her pent-up frustration and anger burst forth. Initially, she had felt guilty, thinking that Elias went out drinking because of their argument, which led to him being hospitalized for gastric bleeding. However, now it seemed Elias. hadn¡¯t been lonelyst night. At least he had a beautiful woman by his side. So, was that the woman whom he rescued at the banquet? Tears slowly trickled down her cheeks, slid to her jawline, and fell to the ground like a broken string of pearls. Amanda ced the soup pot she had been cooking for hours on the nearby chair outside the ward and silently walked ¡°way. Was this how marriages were? Was it impossible for men to remain faithful to their marriages for a lifetime? Would they always be drawn to other women and unable to resist the temptation to cheat? Perhaps Elias was no different from those men, growing weary of his wife and children at home while constantly being attracted to beautiful women outside. She didn¡¯t want to argue with Elias whether he had fallen for another woman. She just felt a chill in her heart. In the ward, Elias woke up from his dream and grabbed the hand of the woman beside her. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, Amanda!¡± When their eyes met, he realized she wasn¡¯t his wife, so he immediately let go of her hand. and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± It took several seconds for Elias to realize that this was the woman Simon choked at the banquetst night.. Casey hesitated momentarily before briefly recounting what had happenedst night, ¡°Well¡­st night, I ran into you at the club. You insisted I take you home to exin things to your girlfriend, and then you passed out. So, I called an ambnce to save you.¡± ||| Elias¡¯ expression became increasingly grim, furrowing his brows. ¡°Have you informed my family?¡± When he woke up, he expected to see Amanda there, but the first person he saw was not her. ¡°Yes, the hospital has already contacted your family.¡± They called, but Amanda didn¡¯te. Elias was utterly disappointed. How could Amanda be so heartless? Even if they had argued, he ended up in the hospital, yet she didn¡¯t even bother to check on him. The old Amanda he knew would never behave like this. He couldn¡¯t figure out what went wrong. Elias looked at Casey before him and said, ¡°Thank you forst night. You can go now. I¡¯m fine. My family wille take care of me.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Um¡­ alright, I¡¯ll leave then.¡± Casey also felt out of ce staying here, especially since he was someone¡¯s boyfriend. Taking care of him should be the responsibility of his partner. She turned and left the ward. However, as soon as she walked out, she saw a thermos sk on a nearby chair, which looked like it belonged to someone¡¯s household. Could it be that Mr. Winters¡¯ family had already visited? She took the thermos sk and returned to Elias¡¯ bedside. ¡°Mr. Winters, I found this outside. the door. Is it from your family?¡± Elias looked at the thermos sk, opened the lid, and found it contained medicinal. soup. His first thought was that Amanda hade and happened to see Casey in his ward, so she angrily left the thermos and walked away. ¡°Help me get my phone.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Casey was utterly bewildered by the situation and fetched the phone from the side table nearby, handing it to Elias. He took the phone and said, ¡°Thank you, Miss Casey. You can go now. I¡¯ll have my bodyguard escort you. Just wait in the parking lot.¡± At this moment, Yacob walked into the ward. ¡°Mr. Winters¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Elias interrupted, ¡°Yacob, escort this Miss Casey back home.¡± O J Of course.¡± Casey could tell he was in no mood to chat with her, so she tactfully turned around and left the ward with Yacob. After hearing the door close, Elias couldn¡¯t wait any longer and dialed Amanda¡¯s phone. It turned out that he had misunderstood her, but now the misunderstanding was probably even worse. He needed to exin himself properly. However, after making several calls, no one answered. Elias knew that Amanda was avoiding his calls. So, he sent a series of messages on WhatsApp, urging her to answer the phone, but there was still no response. Finally, he left a message on WhatsApp. ¡®I will keep calling until you answer the phone. Then, he started calling over and over again, persistently. On the fiftieth call, Elias finally got through. He excitedly shouted Amanda¡¯s name, ¡°Amanda, where are you? Can youe find me? Let¡¯s talk face-to-face. Things are not what you think. What you saw is not real.¡± Amanda replied, ¡°What are you talking about? Let¡¯s talk after you¡¯re discharged. I¡¯ve asked the doctor, and they want to observe you in the hospital for two more days.¡± ¡°I want to see you now. I can¡¯t wait for two days.¡± Stub ¡°Elias, can¡¯t you stop being so I know what you want to talk to me about. You just want to say that woman has nothing to do with you, right? I understand. Please just stay in the hospital and take care of yourself.¡± After saying that, Amanda was about to hang up the phone, but Elias spoke sternly, ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude? Do you not care about me anymore? Even if I cheated, you don¡¯t care?¡± Rather than being angry at Amanda¡¯s attitude, Elias was more flustered. He didn¡¯t like Amanda¡¯s indifferent attitude toward him. They were a married couple. They were supposed to spend their lives together. So, what was the meaning of this? How could she be so indifferent? Did she not love him anymore? The possibility that Amanda didn¡¯t love him anymore made Elias furious. ¡°Elias, I don¡¯t want to argue with you right now. You drank so muchst night. Go and drink. the soup I cooked for you. We¡¯ll talk when you get back. I need to take Aiden to school.¡± Her dismissive tone made Elias feel even more frustrated. ¡°Amanda! Imand you toe to the hospital after taking Aiden to school, or else I will leave the hospital right now. No one can stop me. If you don¡¯t believe me, try me.¡± ||| After saying that, he hung up On the other side, Amanda looked at the disconnected phone call and couldn¡¯t help but smirk. It was pretty amusing that someone was currently entangled with another woman yet couldn¡¯t muster the anger to confront her properly! Did he think she was that easy to push around? She used taking Aiden to school as an excuse to avoid further arguing with Elias. She found the argument futile anyway. However, Elias¡¯ threat just now had struck a chord with her. It nearly caused her to have at stomach ulcer, leaving her in a state of restlessness. Amanda nervously bit her lip as she nced at her phone screen. Eventually, she decided to make a trip to the hospital. She wanted to see what more this ¡°young master¡± had to say. Chatper 523 Chapter 523 Chapter 523 Elias Winters, Don¡¯t Touch Me! In the hospital room, Elias hadn¡¯t taken a single sip of the medicinal soup in the thermos sk. He fixed his gaze on the door, eagerly awaiting Amanda¡¯s arrival. However, as time passed without any sign of her, he grew increasingly doubtful if she would actually come. Just as he was about to make another phone call, a knock on the door suddenly interrupted him. A glimmer of hope flickered in Elias¡¯ dark eyes as he looked up at the person outside and. said, ¡°Come in.¡± True to his expectations, Amanda entered the hospital room with an expressionless face. A hint of delight appeared on Elias¡¯ pale, handsome face. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re here.¡± Reluctantly, Amanda approached the bedside and noticed the untouched thermos on the side table. She opened it and saw that nothing had been touched. An unhappy frown creased her forehead. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you drink this soup? I have been simmering it in the kitchen for hours. You¡¯re wasting my effort.¡± ¡°If you had personally cooked it, I would have savored every drop,¡± Elias quicklyforted. ¡°Regardless of whether you want to drink it or not, just tell me. What do you want to say?¡± Amanda was about to sit down, but Elias suddenly embraced her. He held her tightly. ¡°Are you angry with me?¡± ¡°Elias! Let go of me. We are in a hospital now. Don¡¯t act recklessly. What if the doctors or nurses walk inter?¡± She struggled to break free, but his grip only tightened. ¡°Even if they see, what¡¯s the harm? Can¡¯t I embrace my own wife? Besides, they will knock before entering.¡± Amanda¡¯s futile struggles forced her to give up. She turned her head away unhappily. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°Honey, look at me.¡± Elias cupped her face in his hands, making her meet his gaze directly, and then he spoke slowly with utmost sincerity, ¡°Honey, I solemnly assure you that I have no connection with that woman whatsoever. I faintedst night, and she kindly called 911 for me and brought me to the hospital. That¡¯s all.¡± O J Elias thought he had exined it enough, which was the truth. However, Amanda responded with a cold, mockingugh, making him uneasy. ¡°What are youughing at? Are you doubting my words?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doubting. I suppose your ount is urate. But I want to ask you one thing. Is she the one whom you saved at the banquetst night?¡± Elias fell silent at the mention of these words, and his silence served as an implicit confirmation. Upon observing his silence, Amandaughed even more audaciously. ¡°As expected, my guess. was right. You have good taste, Elias. She is beautiful, with an exquisite figure and a refined temperament. She muste from a wealthy background, which matches yours quite well.¡± Her seemingly serious and calm evaluation infuriated Elias. He firmly held her chin. ¡°Amanda! Stop it! What does her beauty have to do with me? I am already a married man. What more could I be with her? You underestimate me! Do you think I¡¯d be unfaithful and disloyal in our marriage?¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t help but want tough even more upon witnessing his anger. ¡°I was just wondering why, out of all the mistreated women in this world, you happened to save her? Is it fate?¡± ¡°Amanda!!¡± At this point, Elias wished he could rip her clothes off and make her beg for mercy beneath him, but this was a hospital. ¡°Why are you so furious? Is it because I hit the nail on the head? That woman is indeed stunning, and it¡¯s only natural if you are attracted to her. I can understand. You don¡¯t have to act so innocent. After all, you haven¡¯t done anything to betray me.¡± Her casual tone seemed to imply that even if he hadn¡¯t betrayed her yet, he eventually would. Elias tensed up, staring at the delicate face before him, and suddenly, he approached to kiss her passionately, disregarding her consent. Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in an instant. She hadn¡¯t expected this man to dare to engage in such behavior in a hospital room. ¡°Ugh! Elias! Have you lost your mind¡­ Mmm!¡± He covered her mouth, not allowing her to utter another word, wholly absorbed in this retaliatory, passionate kiss. It was unclear how much time had passed, but Amanda began to feel suffocated. Finally, Elias ||| < decided to release her. Amanda gasped for breath, her face flushed, as she looked at him and rebuked, ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± She attempted to get up and leave, but unexpectedly, Elias forcefully pulled her back, flipped her over, and pinned her down. ¡°If you say anything else that angers me, I will make love. with you right here. Let¡¯s see if I dare or not.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Amanda dared not move or protest further because she knew this man could do anything. She turned away and warned, ¡°I warn you not to do anything reckless. You have no shame, but I still do.¡± ¡°Since you understand the fact, why did you provoke my anger? You used me event though I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡°Excuse me, I used you? Didn¡¯t you y the hero and rescue the damsel in distressst night? Where did I use you?¡± As soon as Amanda finished speaking, the man kissed her again, even more passionately. ¡°Your mouth isn¡¯t suited for talking. You only know how to provoke me. Your lips are only for kissing from now on.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ Mmm!¡± Amanda couldn¡¯t utter another word as Elias kissed her forcefully for another five minutes. He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice hoarse and deep. ¡°Amanda, I am seriously. telling you once again. Yes, I saved herst night, but it has nothing to do with her appearance. It¡¯s simply because Simon was the one who bullied her. However, since you¡¯re this enraged, I promise I won¡¯t intervene in these matters anymore.¡± ¡°Why not? Why won¡¯t you intervene? In situations like this, you should step in and help. Otherwise, countless innocent women will suffer. Imagine the psychological trauma they would endure! This isn¡¯t being nosy; this is saving lives and preventing tragedy!¡± Amanda was angry that he had gotten involved with a beautiful woman, but to be honest, in situations like this, one couldn¡¯t just turn a blind eye. The man chuckled, lowered his head, and lightly kissed her forehead. ¡°Then, why are you so furious? If you believe I did the right thing, why are you so mad? Is it because that woman is more attractive than you, and you feel threatened?¡± Men will always be men, talking without thinking straight. Thus, this statement sessfully provoked Amanda once again. She forcefully pushed the man away from her. ¡°More attractive than me? Hah! So, you finally admit it! You believe that woman is more attractive than me, so you showed sympathy and helped her. If that woman were slightly less attractive, would you have ignored her?¡± At that moment, Elias deeply regretted his words and wanted to p himself. Why did he have to say something like that? He honestly didn¡¯t expect her reaction to being so intense. ¡°Get away! I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± ¡°Amanda, that¡¯s not what I meant. How could that woman be more beautiful than you¡­¡± ¡°Elias Winters, don¡¯t touch me! Go away!¡± Chatper 524 Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Don¡¯t You Think She¡¯s Pitiful? Smack! In the next instant, a resounding p echoed through the room as it struck Elias¡¯ face, leaving him stunned. Amanda took advantage of the moment to angrily push the man away and stormed out of the ward. Before Elias could catch up to her, he heard the heavy door mming shut. He closed his eyes helplessly. Amanda was genuinely furious this time, and he didn¡¯t know how to make up with her. Elias sat up and immediately went after her, but a nurse blocked his way as soon as he stepped out of the ward. ¡°Mr. Winters, you can¡¯t just leave without permission.¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s against the hospital¡¯s policy. It¡¯s not time for you to be discharged yet.¡± Just as he was on the verge of losing his temper, Yacob arrived and pulled him back, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll watch over him.¡± After the nurse left, Yacob restrained him and said, ¡°Mr. Winters, you should stay put. I bumped into Mrs. Winters earlier, and she instructed me to keep an eye on you and ensure you don¡¯t leave prematurely.¡± Elias was frustrated. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop her? Didn¡¯t you see how angry she was? Do you know how difficult it is to appease an angry woman?¡± Yacob silently muttered, ¡°Well, it¡¯s your fault for making her angry in the first ce. Besides, it¡¯s pointless for you to go now. Mrs. Winters is still furious, and who knows how she¡¯ll take it out on you? It¡¯s better to let her cool down.¡± Elias suddenly fell silent, his face darkened, and he reluctantly returned to the ward. That p just now was well-deserved. He truly regretted uttering those words. Amanda ran out of the hospital alone, her emotions overwhelming as tears streamed down her face. She believed the impulsive words that had slipped from Elias¡¯ lips just moments ago were his true feelings. The image of that woman gently tucking Elias in kept reying in her mind. She seemed. pretty beautiful. Was she truly more beautiful than her? That didn¡¯t matter. What mattered. was that Elias believed this woman was more attractive than her. Could this be considered an emotional affair? Once the mind wandered, physical infidelity wasn¡¯t far off, was it? All of a sudden, despair gripped Amanda¡¯s heart. If that day were toe indeed, what would she do? She couldn¡¯t bear to imagine Elias. asking for a divorce again. She had worked so hard to convince herself to enter into this marriage again, to remarry Elias. Now, was she destined to repeat the same mistakes? Suddenly, her phone rang. It was a call from Symeon. She initially didn¡¯t want to answer the phone, but it kept ringing, so she reluctantly picked it 1. To her surprise, it wasn¡¯t Symeon¡¯s voice on the other end; it was Dulcie¡¯s sweet, innocent voice. ¡°Miss Amanda, can you pleasee and keep mepany today? Daddy isn¡¯t home now, and I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Your dad isn¡¯t home? Where did he go? Then, how did you have his phone?¡± ¡°Daddy went to work, and the nanny is home with me, but I don¡¯t like her. She¡¯s always mean. to me, and I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to get involved in Symeon¡¯s affairs anymore, but the child was innocent. That man had quite the nerve to carelessly leave the child at home with a nanny and note home to check on her. ¡°Dulcie, listen to me. Would you like to go to kindergarten with Aiden to y?¡± Dulcie had been in Cludan for quite a while and was indeed of kindergarten age. If she went to kindergarten, she would have many other children to y with and wouldn¡¯t feel so lonely. Dulcie happily replied, ¡°Okay, I want to y with Aiden. I like ying with him.¡± ¡°Great, then I wille over and keep youpany today. When your dad returns, we¡¯ll talk to him together, okay?¡± ||| O ¡°Okay, Miss Amanda,e quickly. I have lots and lots of toys, and you can y with me.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± After ending the call, Amanda couldn¡¯t help but sigh. What had she gotten herself into? Symeon had caused so much misery for her family, and now she had to apany his little girl. However, she also felt that Dulcie was so innocent that she couldn¡¯t reject her. Soon, night fell. Amanda stayed in Gxy Bay until evening, but Symeon still had yet to return. He must. have been swamped, managing a multitude of tasks. ¡°Miss Amanda, are you in a hurry to go home?¡± Dulcie had been observing Amanda check. her watch, looking very anxious. Amanda smiled and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m just wondering why your dad hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± She nced at her phone, which disyed dozens of missed calls, all from Elias. He had sent. lengthy messages on WhatsApp, but she hadn¡¯t had time to read a single word. Just then, the nanny¡¯s voice came from outside the yroom. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, you¡¯re back.¡± Amanda felt relieved. He finally came back, and she could go back now. Aiden also needed. her company. Upon hearing that Symeon had returned, Dulcie became frightened and immediately sought. refuge in Amanda¡¯s embrace as though she had encountered a wild beast. Amanda instinctively held the little girl even closer and then heard the man¡¯s footsteps stop behind her. She turned around and saw Symeon standing at the door, somewhat surprised to see her. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Oh, Dulcie called me toe. I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe back. I wanted to discuss. something with you.¡± Symeon raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°What do you want to discuss?¡± ¡°Dulcie has been in Cludan for a while now, and it¡¯s unhealthy for her to stay locked up at home like this. Over time, it could affect her psychologically. So, I suggest enrolling her in the kindergarten as Aiden. They already know each other and can look out for each other.¡± Amanda gently stroked Dulcie¡¯s head,forting her. O Symeon nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s a good suggestion. We can do that.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll head back now. Also, please be gentler with children, especially with little. girls. You¡¯re quite aloof with her, yet you expect her to call you ¡®Daddy. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s pitiful?¡± Symeon remained silent under Amanda¡¯s criticism. However, he didn¡¯t mind being scolded. by her at all. In fact, he found it refreshing. At least she seemed more reliable than Dulcie¡¯s. biological mother. That Casey didn¡¯t even acknowledge her own child; she was not fit to be Dulcie¡¯s mother. Upon seeing Symeon¡¯s silence, Amanda felt a little awkward to continue. After all, he wasn¡¯t her husband, and she didn¡¯t want to annoy him with her nagging. She handed Dulcie over to Symeon and said, ¡°Dulcie, Miss Amanda is going back to keep. Aiden company. Promise me to go to bed early tonight, alright?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Then, Amanda reminded Symeon again that he needed to tell Dulcie a storyter, or else she might have trouble falling asleep. Symeon nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Dulcie. You¡¯ll be able to y with Aiden at kindergarten soon.¡± ¡°Really? Does Aiden still remember me?¡± ¡°Of course, Aiden has a great memory.¡± Amanda¡¯s smile was so contagious that it momentarily captivated Symeon. There was a moment when he truly wished that she was the mother of his child. Chatper 525 Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Dulcie Is Missing! After returning home to the Winters Estate, Amanda discovered that Aiden didn¡¯t need her company at all as he was busy imitating his kindergarten teacher, giving a lesson to Yacob. She shook her head with a smile, feeling somewhat helpless. Thus, she went to her bedroom, showered, and finally applied skincare products at the dressing table. Suddenly, her phone rang again, and it was Elias calling. Amanda wanted to pretend not to see it, but not only did the phone receive calls, but it was also bombarded with incessant WhatsApp messages. Had this man gone crazy during his hospital stay? Annoyed, she answered the phone. ¡°Elias Winters, are you out of your mind? Why are you calling so many times and sending so many messages?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you haven¡¯t replied to me.¡± She could hear a hint of grievance in his tone, as if he were a neglected housewife. ¡°Honey, can you listen to my exnation, please?¡± ¡°Exnation for what? What you said were heartfelt words, not lies. What is there to exin? I should thank you for your honesty, which made me see myself clearly. I used to think I was the most beautiful in your eyes, but it turns out you are quite rational. It¡¯s nice to know. I¡¯m relieved.¡± Amanda¡¯s every word was dripping with sarcasm. Elias was not a fool and could naturally hear it. ¡°Amanda, you not the truth.¡± will always be the most beautiful in my eyes. What I said was just out of anger, ¡°Huh¡­ Elias, don¡¯t you find yourself quite insincere? It¡¯s toote to say these things now! Besides, even if someone is more beautiful than me, what¡¯s wrong with that? Why can¡¯t you admit the fact?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Elias fell silent on the other end of the phone because he realized that whatever he said now would be wrong, even his breath. She asked impatiently, ¡°Do you have anything else to say? If not, I¡¯m hanging up. I want to sleep. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°What about Aiden? I want to talk to Aiden.¡± ¡°Aiden is busy ying with Yacob. He doesn¡¯t have time for you.¡± The speechless Elias felt abandoned by this mother-son duo. He then asked, ¡°I¡¯ll be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Will youe pick me up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy. Yacob can pick you up.¡± ¡°What are you busy with? Why don¡¯t you have time? Your husband is getting discharged, and why don¡¯t you care at all?¡± Elias was nearly losing his temper. Amanda would retort not matter what he said, making him extremely frustrated. Amanda sneered, ¡°Care? Do you need me to care? Didn¡¯t a beauty send you to the hospital? Let her pick you up from there as well. That¡¯s how it should be, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Amanda!¡± ¡°People in the hospital shouldn¡¯t get angry; it affects their recovery. I have nothing more to say. I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡± With that, she hung up the phone directly, not giving him. any chance to vent. She looked at the screen of her phone and imagined that Elias must be seething with anger at the hospital right now. Well, let him be angry, that sc*mbag. At Gxy Bay, Symeon sat by the bed, holding an open children¡¯s fairy tale book, and awkwardly started reading the stories from it. Dulcie obedientlyy on the bed, staring at the man before her for a long time before whispering, ¡°Daddy, you don¡¯t read as nicely as Miss Amanda.¡± At that, Symeon stopped. He was not good at this, and of course, he couldn¡¯t read as nicely as Amanda. He didn¡¯t even particrly like children much, finding them noisy and annoying. ¡°Do you still want me to continue reading?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes; otherwise, I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡± Despite being genuinely afraid of her daddy, Dulcie couldn¡¯t sleep without hearing a story. So, Symeon continued to narrate the romantic and beautiful fairy tales with his deep voice. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been reading, but eventually, he heard Dulcie¡¯s steady breathing. He put down the storybook in his hand, tucked her in, and then left the room. Just as he exited the room, the bodyguard approached him, ¡°My master, what should we do about Miss Casey? She refuses to acknowledge that she gave birth to a child, let alone knowing you. It¡¯s like she has amnesia.¡± ¡°However, ording to the DNA test, she is Dulcie¡¯s biological mother, and I am Dulcie¡¯s. biological father. She can¡¯t escape that fact,¡± Symeon said with narrowed eyes. ¡°This woman is truly undeserving of being Dulcie¡¯s mother. But she is, and what I don¡¯t understand is why she initially provoked me, gave birth to my child, and then abandoned her. Did she do all of this just to get back at me?¡± The bodyguard suggested, ¡°Should I investigate Miss Casey¡¯s experiences over the past four years? Maybe she had an ident that caused her amnesia?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in any of that. Since she doesn¡¯t want to admit it, I don¡¯t want to force her. Dulcie doesn¡¯t need a heartless and unfeeling mother like her,¡± Symeon dered firmly. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Tomorrow, go and handle Dulcie¡¯s enrollment procedures to let her attend kindergarten.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Symeon added, ¡°The market in Cludan isn¡¯t as easy to develop. I need to make a big move, so you take good care of Dulcie. I don¡¯t have much time to look after her.¡± ¡°Understood, my master.¡± The next day, since the enrollment procedures would take at least two or three days, Symeon could only bring the little one to thepany today. Dulcie didn¡¯t want to stay home, let alone stay with the nanny. Symeon locked her in his office and instructed her, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t go out. If you need something, just tell the secretary outside. You can y with the toys here, but you must not touch anything on my desk, understand?¡± She nodded obediently, ¡°Understood.¡± He reached out and patted her soft, furry head. ¡°Good girl.¡± After he left, Dulcie yed in the office for about an hour but soon grew bored. So, she ended up lying on the sofa and taking a short nap. Today¡¯s meeting was longer than usual, so Symeon wouldn¡¯t return for another two hours. After waking up, Dulcie felt the need to use the restroom, so she opened the office door and went to find the secretary. However, she found that the secretary was not in the office area, and she wandered through. the company. As she passed by an employee, she asked sweetly, ¡°Sir, where¡¯s the restroom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over there,¡± the employee replied, thinking someone had brought a child to work but didn¡¯t inquire further. After using the restroom, Dulcie got lost again and forgot where her daddy¡¯s office was located. As a little child, she wandered around until she stumbled upon an open elevator door. Without hesitation, she stepped inside and pressed a random floor button, intending to exit the elevator and search for her daddy. Eventually, when Dulcie exited the office building, the security guard noticed her peculiar behavior, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention. When Symeon had brought her to thepany, they had entered directly from the underground parking lot, so the receptionist and security guard were unaware of Symeon¡¯s connection to Dulcie. Outside the office building, Dulcie gazed at the bustling street in front of her, feeling utterly confused. Overwhelmed with fear, she had the urge to burst into tears. Chatper 526 Chapter 526 Chapter 526 The First Encounter The little girl wandered on the street, unsure where to find her daddy. She sat on a bench by the roadside, waiting for her daddy for what felt like an eternity, but he didn¡¯t show up. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled with hunger. Dulcie swallowed hard and spotted a beautiful woman passing by. Upon gathering her courage, she approached her. ¡°Excuse me, Miss¡­¡± The woman stopped and bent down to meet the gaze of the adorable little girl before her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Can you help me find my daddy?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Little did Dulcie know that the beautiful woman in front of her was her biological mother, Casey. Casey looked around but didn¡¯t see anyone who resembled the little girl¡¯s parents. Could she be lost? Parents nowadays were really careless. How could they allow such a young child to wander alone on the street? Casey slowly squatted down and spoke gently, ¡°Do you know where your home is or perhaps your dad¡¯s phone number? I can help you make a call.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°What should we do then? How about I take you to get something to eat first and then take you to the police station? The police officers can help you find your parents. How does that sound?¡± This was the best solution Casey could think of. Dulcie¡¯s eyes widened as she nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m really hungry. I want to eat.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Casey stood up and reached out her hand to the little girl. Dulcie ced her small hand in Casey¡¯s palm. The moment she held this little hand, Casey¡¯s body involuntarily stiffened as if she had been electrified. It was strange¡­ It felt almost like fate, as if it was destined for her to meet this little girl. O Casey shook her head with a smile, thinking that her maternal instincts were overflowing. She did not even have a boyfriend, so where was all this motherly loveing from? Without dwelling on it further, she led Dulcie by the hand, walking ahead, ready to find a restaurant with child-friendly food. The originally scheduled two-hour meeting had dragged on inside thepany for three hours due to constant arguments. Simon was ready to return to the office as soon as he left the meeting room. He nced at his wristwatch and noticed it was already noon. That little one must be hungry; it was time to take her out for lunch. As Simon passed by the secretary¡¯s office, he looked at the secretary, who was getting up, and asked, ¡°Has Dulciee out?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve been here the whole time and haven¡¯t seen here out,¡± the secretary replied. Simon nodded and proceeded toward the office. The little girl seemed rtively well- behaved today. At least she listened. The man pushed open the office door, ready to show his fatherly tenderness. However, het was surprised to find it empty. Had she hidden somewhere? Simon scoured the office but couldn¡¯t find the small figure anywhere. He even checked the lounge area in the back, but no one was there either. Could this be what the secretary meant by noting out? Did she jump out of the window? Jump out of the window! The man¡¯s face instantly showed shock. He quickly walked to the window and found it tightly closed. He was immediately relieved. What was he thinking? He must be going crazy. Ever since this little one came into his life, he had felt a bit more anxious, something he had never experienced before. With anger, Simon left the office and headed toward the secretary area. Upon seeing the president¡¯s unpleasant expression, the secretary stood up in fear and asked, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, w-what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Where is she? I can¡¯t even see a trace of her. Are you sure she never went out? Are you sure you¡¯ve been here the whole time?¡± Simon questioned. ¡°How is that possible? I have been here the whole time. I didn¡¯t leave¡­¡± The secretary felt wronged. She had been here the whole time, except for a brief bathroom break that took less. than five minutes. Could it be that things went awry during that short period? Simon sternly demanded, ¡°Tell me the truth!¡± ¡°I really¡­¡± Before the secretary could finish her sentence, the man roared, ¡°How can the child disappear without a trace? Did she vanish into thin air?¡± ¡°I¡­ Mr. Symeon, I only went to the restroom for a few minutes. I don¡¯t know if she left. during that time,¡± the secretary exined. Simon¡¯s anger red up instantly. He picked up his phone and dialed the bodyguard¡¯s number, ordering, ¡°Check the surveince. Dulcie is missing.¡± After Casey finished lunch with Dulcie, she took her to the police station. Initially, she nned to leave, but the moment she turned around and saw tears streaming down the porcin doll-like face, it was so pitiful that she couldn¡¯t bear it.. When faced with the police¡¯s questions, the poor little girl stuttered and didn¡¯t know how to answer, feeling helpless and desperate. Casey empathized with her deeply. She recalled her own childhood when she had gone missing, too. She was scared of the kind strangers who tried to help her, so she couldn¡¯t help. but cry endlessly. She wished she had someone to hold her back then, but she could only hide in the corner and cry alone. Eventually, unable to resist herpassion, she decided to stay, waiting until Dulcie¡¯s dad could be found. The police tried to coax her with many snacks, asking for her home address, parents¡¯ names, and phone numbers, but they couldn¡¯t get any information from her. The police eventually gave up and decided to seek help online, asking the public to assist in locating the child¡¯s father. ||| O < ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore, okay?¡± Casey consoled. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m scared.¡± Dulcie whimpered, her lower lip quivering, her big, watery eyes brimming with innocence, making her utterly adorable. Casey gently wiped away her tears and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Everything will be fine once we find your dad. What about your mom?¡± person and I Dulcie lowered her head and confessed, ¡°Daddy said that Mommy is a bad shouldn¡¯t want Mommy anymore. He said he would help me find a new mom and that we can meet her soon.¡± With just a few simple sentences, Casey imagined a dramatic story of infidelity, divorce, and a father taking away custody of the child, not allowing the child to see their mother. It was so heart-wrenching. Casey looked at Dulcie with deep sympathy and hugged her, saying, ¡°Dulcie, you¡¯ve been through so much.¡± These thoughts also led Casey to reminisce about her own biological family, where her father had countless mistresses outside, and her stepmother took over, driving her mother tomit suicide by jumping off a building. These years, she had lived a miserable life under the oppression of her stepmother. Now, she only hoped to find a job quickly, move out, and escape the family controlled by her stepmother. However, she was also unwilling to give in. Why should she simply surrender the family her mother single-handedly built to the stepmother who reced her? The mere idea of Dulcie having a stepmother who would take her mother¡¯s ce and endure a wretched existence like hers brought tears streaming uncontrobly down Casey¡¯s face. ¡°Miss, are you lost too? Why are you crying?¡± Dulcie asked with concern. She remained silent, overwhelmed by the immense pity she felt for Dulcie, who had no clue of the life that awaited her in the future. Chatper 527 Chapter 527 Chapter 527 You¡¯re Dulcie¡¯s Dad? Simon erupted in anger inside thepany, venting his frustration on anyone within reach. ¡°You¡¯re all useless! You can¡¯t even keep an eye on a child!¡± At that moment, the bodyguard entered the office. ¡°My master, I reviewed the surveince. footage and discovered that Dulcie left thepany building in the elevator. I followed the street cameras and saw a woman had taken her away. They went down an unnamed street where there were no cameras. After that, their whereabouts are unknown.¡± Could human traffickers have kidnapped her? Simon couldn¡¯t stay still. He abruptly stood up, grabbed his suit jacket, and stormed out of the office, commanding, ¡°All of you, go find her now! You¡¯re fired if you don¡¯t locate my daughter today!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The bodyguard followed closely behind him. ¡°My master, we saw in the footage that the woman who took her was young and appeared to be pretty, but we couldn¡¯t get a clear view of her face to identify her.¡± ¡°To dare to kidnap children at such a young age, I¡¯ll kill her if I catch her.¡± Simon¡¯s words were deadly serious. Just then, an employee handed him a phone. ¡°President, take a look at this. It¡¯s a video just released by the Ripplewood Street Police Station, helping a lost little girl find her father. This little girl looks a lot like¡­¡± Before finishing the sentence, Simon snatched the phone and immediately recognized Dulcie in the video. Her little face was smudged from crying as if she had suffered a great injustice. Her big eyes were filled with fear. His heart clenched as he tossed the phone back to the bodyguard and strode towa elevator, unable to wait even a second longer. Inside the police station, Dulcie sought refuge in Casey¡¯s embrace, staring wide-eyed i. innocent little puppy. Suddenly, a female police officer entered and said, ¡°Dulcie, your dad is here. Go and see if its him.¡± Upon hearing the word ¡°Dad,¡± Dulcie subconsciously turned around and clung tightly to Casey as if she was afraid of this dad. Casey frowned and said, ¡°Dulcie, are you afraid of your dad?¡± Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps came from outside. A man¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Dulcie,e here.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. This voice¡­ Not only was Dulcie scared, but even Casey¡¯s body froze as it conjured up terrible memories. Casey raised her head abruptly, her eyes widening in astonishment. Could Dulcie¡¯s father really be¡­ this man? Simon looked at her, and a hint of surprise appeared on his handsome face. ¡°Why is it you?¡± Casey¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. She was also afraid of this man as she couldn¡¯t forget the scene of him choking her that night. If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Wintersing to her rescue, she might have died there. ¡°You¡¯re Dulcie¡¯s dad? Are you really her father?¡± Casey looked utterly incredulous. How could such a terrifying man have such an adorable daughter? With a gloomy expression, Simon questioned, ¡°So, you secretly took Dulcie away? What do you want? You refuse to acknowledge the child¡¯s existence, yet you secretly took her away?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand a word of what you¡¯re saying! You must have mistaken Dulcie for my child. Let me tell you, you¡¯re really wrong. I have never had a boyfriend, let alone given birth to a child. I took Dulcie away today because I happened to run into her on the street. I wanted to ask you, how could you let such a young child roam freely on the streets?¡± Casey still wanted to rify things with this man. Otherwise, he would always think she was evading responsibility. Simon looked at her incessantly talking mouth and let out a disdainful sneer. He interrupted, ¡°You¡¯re saying so much just to clear your name. Since that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t have to pretend to be a good person here.¡± man stepped forward and snatched Dulcie back into his arms. Dulcie reached out her. little hand and looked toward Casey, crying: ¡°Miss¡­ sob¡­ sob¡­¡± Simon held Dulcie in his arms and scolded her, ¡°Why are you crying? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to wander around? Wait until we get home. I¡¯ll teach you a lesson. Let¡¯s go home.¡± The female police officer beside them couldn¡¯t help bute forward. ¡°Sir, the child was scared when she got lost. Please don¡¯t me her anymore. She¡¯s still very young.¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll take my daughter and leave first.¡± listening to Dulcie¡¯s cries, Casey¡¯s heart ached. She didn¡¯t know why she felt this pain ast if Dulcic was her daughter.. She also walked out. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Dulcie¡­ Hey, can¡¯t you be gentler? You¡¯ve frightened her so much!¡± Outside the police station, Simon held the crying Dulcie and looked back at the woman: ¡°What else do you want to do? You don¡¯t acknowledge her as your daughter, so how I discipline my child is none of your business.¡± After saying that, he carried Dulcie and was about to get into the car. However, Casey also got into the car and snatched Dulcie back from the man¡¯s arms, saying, ¡°The child was frightened. I¡¯ll return with you and put Dulcie to sleep before leaving. Clearly, you¡¯re not a good father.¡± Simon looked at her stubborn eyes and chuckled. ¡°I want to see how long you can keep up the act.¡± Obviously, amnesia didn¡¯t exist at all. This woman clearly cared for Dulcie but refused to admit that she was Dulcie¡¯s biological mother. After returning to Gxy Bay, Casey spent a long time soothing Dulcie to sleep. Simon had been waiting outside the room. When Casey came out, he blocked her way, ¡°Casey, do you think what you¡¯re doing is meaningful? Since you¡¯ve decided to abandon us, don¡¯te back to disrupt our father-daughter life.¡± ¡°Mr. Lawrence, I don¡¯t understand why you insist I am the child¡¯s mother. If it were me, how could I not recognize her? But it really isn¡¯t me. I haven¡¯t even had a boyfriend, let alone¡­ slept with a man. How could I be pregnant and have a child?¡± Casey found this utterly absurd. Suddenly having a husband and a daughter out of nowhere felt like a dream! Although the daughter was incredibly cute, and the husband was rich and handsome, this whole scenario was obviously unrealistic. Could there be some kind of trap in all of this? She had been through enough with her stepmother already. Could this be another trap the stepmother set so her father would kick her out and the stepmother could seize all the family assets? As Casey thought about it, it seemed entirely possible. Simon squinted slightly and remarked, ¡°The DNA test results have proven that you are Dulcie¡¯s mother. Do you still have any uncertainties?¡± ¡°DNA test?¡± Casey was taken aback. How could this be true? Who had conducted the DNA test? Was it reliable? She had never been involved with any man, so how could she have a three-year-old daughter? Chatper 528 Chapter 528 Chapter 528 The Truth Symeon shot a nce at the bodyguard behind him and said, ¡°Get the report.¡± The bodyguard nodded and left. Then, the bodyguard returned with the DNA test within a minute. Simon took it and threw it right into the woman¡¯s arms. ¡°Take a look for yourself. What¡¯s the use of denying it? The fact is right in front of you.¡± Casey opened the file folder with an incredulous expression on her face. Then, she quickly flipped through the pages and found that she and Dulcie truly had a parent-child rtionship! What did this mean? Was she Dulcie¡¯s biological mother? She held onto the DNA test results with shaky hands, unable to believe her own eyes. She had never had a boyfriend or any intimate rtionship with a man. Forget the man before her, how could she possibly have a daughter? What was going on? So, Casey slowly raised her head and looked at the man¡¯s handsome face. Eventually, she started shaking her head, saying, ¡°It¡¯s impossible, absolutely impossible. How could this be¡­¡± The DNA test slipped from her hand and fell to the ground as she turned and fled as though the hellhounds were snapping at her heels. The bodyguard was about to chase after her, but Symeon stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to chase her. She knows everything; she just doesn¡¯t want to admit it. A woman like her is not. worthy of being my child¡¯s mother.¡± The bodyguard nodded solemnly. Casey ran all the way out of Gxy Bay and only stopped after running a long distance. Once she did, she started gasping for breath. Her mind was filled with images of the DNA test. She still couldn¡¯t ept this reality. How could this be¡­ ||| O r She was in such a daze that she didn¡¯t even know how she had returned home. As she passed through the living room, she saw her stepmother, Eleanor Collins, and her younger brother chatting andughing. Nheless, she blithely ignored them as she walked past them without a care. s, Eleanor noticed her, and the smile on the woman¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? How could youe home without even greeting us? Is this how you treat your elders?¡± Casey simply stopped and nced at her young stepmother. ¡°Well, this is how I live my life. What can you do about it?¡± She had never liked her stepmother and wanted to move out. However, she was afraid that her stepmother would use the opportunity to tarnish her image in front of her father. Once that happened, that would only make their strained rtionship even worse. Just then, Philip Carter, who was Casey¡¯s father, came downstairs and said, ¡°Casey, why are you being so rude to Aunt Eleanor? You¡¯re not a child anymore, don¡¯t you have any manners? Is this how I¡¯ve taught you?¡± The moment Eleanor saw that Philip was here, she immediately put on a different face and said kindly, ¡°Philip, don¡¯t me Casey. She¡¯s a grown-up now, so you shouldn¡¯t treat her so harshly. Besides, it¡¯s not a big deal. We¡¯re family.¡± How hypocritical. Casey didn¡¯t want to waste even a second looking at this pretentious woman. So, she turned. to go upstairs. s, she was scolded by her father. ¡°Look at you, and look at your younger brother. Your younger brother is far more sensible than you.¡± Younger brother? The child that Eleanor had with her father? In recent years, her father had been overjoyed to have a child in his old age. Regardless, she always had a niggling feeling that this younger brother came at a strange time. Regrettably, she had no evidence to prove her suspicions. ¡°Well, I suppose you should just spend your time on that guy, then. I just want my mother and I to have our rightful share of the inheritance.¡± Once she had said her piece, she went upstairs without looking back. ¡°You¡¯re really trying to make me angry! You brat!¡± Philip red at his daughter¡¯s retreating back. In fact, he was so angry that he almost fainted due to the high blood pressure she had caused him. Eleanor hurriedly ran over to support him and said, ¡°Hey, why are you getting angry with a child? She will understand your good intentions in the future.¡± ¡°She always makes me so angry. She¡¯s already twenty-four years old! How can she still be considered a child? She¡¯s as stubborn as her mother. They¡¯re both as stubborn as a mule,¡± Philipined as he made himselffortable on the sofa. Meanwhile, Eleanor pretended tofort him. Still, she thought inwardly, Thank God I killed the child Casey had given birth to. Otherwise, there would be even more trouble brewing before I could get my hands on the Carters¡¯ money. Eleanor knew that Casey had slept with a rich and noble man in the past. If Casey had given. birth to that man¡¯s child, there was no doubt that Eleanor would be leading a miserable life right now. In fact, just the mere thought of how her scheme had failed made her furious. She had drugged Casey back then with the intention of sending her to the bed of a fat and disgusting gangster with the hopes of ruining Casey¡¯s reputation in one fell stroke. Yet, by a twist of fate, she sent this little b*tch to the bed of a big shot. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Eleanor didn¡¯t know who that mysterious big shot was. She only knew that he was a very rich and powerful man. So, when she discovered that Casey had be pregnant, she knew right then that she had to stop the child from ever being born. s, she only found out about the child when Casey gave birth as the hospital called to ask the family to sign some papers. Casey holed herself in her room as she sat on the bed, holding a pillow, utterly lost in thought. She didn¡¯t even notice that tears had rolled down her cheeks. Was that child really hers¡­. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she couldn¡¯t lie about the DNA test. When did she give birth to this child? Dulcie looked like she was already three! Regardless, she was more than certain that she was only 24 this year! So, was it possible that she had given birth when she was only 21? Even if that did happen, it still didn¡¯t exin the fact that she had no memory of giving birth, or meeting Mr. Lawrence. How did this childe into existence? It seemed too unbelievable. Now that she had more time to herself to digest this piece of news, it was also more than a little bit terrifying. Over at the Winters Residence, Elias was discharged from the hospital at noon. Since he hadn¡¯t figured out how to exin himself to Amanda, he decided to head to the It was already evening by the time he returned to the Winters Estate. When he inquired about Amanda¡¯s activities, he learned from Boris that she didn¡¯t seem to be waiting for him toe home. If anything, she had been out all day and only arrived. home ten minutes before he did. Also, to make matters even more outrageous, she was currently soaking in the hot spring. ¡°Soaking in the hot spring?¡± Elias almostughed at the absurdity of it all. Boris nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Aiden has already taken a bath and gone to sleep. Madam is soaking in the hot spring. She also instructed me to tell you to rest early and not bother her once you returned.¡± Elias¡¯ anger surged to its peak after hearing the butler¡¯s words. This woman was deliberately provoking him. Well, it was a shame that she wasn¡¯t going to get what she wanted because he was determined to bother her! Therefore, he dismissed Boris and stomped right in the direction of the hot spring. Boris watched the man¡¯s angry figure and shook his head helplessly. He didn¡¯t know how long this couple would keep fighting. It didn¡¯t help that whenever they quarreled, it was the Winters¡¯ employees who suffered. Amanda was reclined in the hot spring, d only in a towel. Her hair was casually gathered in a bun as beads of perspiration glistened on her forehead. She had her eyes closed as she leaned against the stone wall, seeking rxation. Besides, she had already anticipated Elias¡¯ inevitable intrusion. Hence, she had mentally prepared herself for any situation. As expected, a series of urgent and enraged footsteps drew nearer. A smile graced her lips. The footsteps grew louder until they halted in front of her. Elias bellowed in anger, ¡°Amanda, what is the meaning of this? Are we now going to live our own lives and remain married in name? Don¡¯t you care that I¡¯ve been discharged? What about my injuries? Have you stopped loving me?¡± s Day! Amanda slowly raised her eyes and said, ¡°So what? If I have indeed stopped loving you, wouldn¡¯t it make it easier for you to cheat on me emotionally?¡± stared at her inplete bewilderment. He couldn¡¯t understand how things had turned out this way. In fact, why was he being falsely used of something he didn¡¯t even do? At this point, he was on the brink of losing his temper. The next moment, he took off his suit jacket and threw it aside in a huff. Then, he unbuttoned his shirt, one button at a time. Soon, he started removing his pants, starting with his belt. She felt a bit panicked when she saw his reaction and instinctively swam away with furrowed. brows. ¡°What are you doing? Who told you to undress? Find another time to soak in the hot springs! This ce belongs to me tonight.¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he had already walked straight into the hot spring. To make matters worse, his long legs carried him toward her. ¡°Ah!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but scream as she started resisting, pushing him away with her hands. Unfortunately, she was no match for him as he only embraced her tighter, making it impossible for her to struggle away from his grasp. Chatper 529 Chapter 529 ¡°Amanda, what did you just say to me earlier? I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t catch it. So, repeat it.¡± He held her tightly, and there was no hiding the threat in his tone. Unfortunately, or perhaps. fortunately, she could clearly read the underlying message in his eyes: If she dared to say it again, he would take her right here! ¡°Let me go! Stop acting like a lunatic!¡± ¡°So, you do know that I¡¯ll lose my temper! And whose fault is it? It¡¯s all because of you! Amanda, tell me, are you not satisfied until you have sessfully driven me mad?¡± Elias held her beautiful chin, forcing her to look straight into his eyes. She nced around fearfully and felt relieved that there was no one nearby. Of course, no one could be here. Still, she was afraid that the servants passing by might overhear their conversation. ¡°Let go of me! This is a hot spring!¡± ¡°So? This is still the Winters Estate. Just who dictates the terms that I can¡¯t turn into a stark raving lunatic in the confines of my own home?¡± Elias was getting frustrated. He realized that ||| O it was useless, no matter how much he apologized or exined himself. Thus, he could only resort to using force to get her to see reason. ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to waste her breath on him. They couldn¡¯t communicate at all. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The man felt his lips curl into a sneer as he gazed at her speechless appearance. ¡°What now? So, you¡¯ve finally felt the frustration that I¡¯ve been gued with? I¡¯ve kept exining myself over and over again for the past two days, but did you listen? No! I¡¯ve told you so many times. that I have no thoughts about any other woman. But no, you refuse to believe it. Now, you¡¯re using me of having an emotional affair. Just when did I do such a thing? Exin it to me. clearly! Help me understand!¡± The man seemed to have truly been driven mad. He needed toy everything out tonight. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get a good night¡¯s rest at all. Amanda, who was forced to look at his irritable yet frantic appearance, couldn¡¯t help the chuckle that fell from her lips. She didn¡¯t know why she found his situation funny, but she just did. As a result, she failed to restrain theughter that bubbled within her. ¡°What are youughing at? Do you find my current state amusing?¡± The man became even angrier. Was Amanda actually mocking him? Did she find his current deadlock situation hrious? Amanda simply looked at him. ¡°It is quite amusing. If you were a real man, you would actually admit to your actions. It¡¯s just appreciating a beautiful woman. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Besides, you haven¡¯t done anything. It¡¯s just like having an emotional affair. It isn¡¯t as ifmitting an emotional affair is a sin. I dare any couple to say they can go their whole lives without wandering. It¡¯s normal.¡± Elias¡¯ dark eyes were filled with shock as he eximed, ¡°Normal?! Are you saying having an emotional affair is normal?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s normal. The human lifespan is at least 80 years. I can understand that it would be so boring to be loyal to one woman for the rest of your life. You¡¯re allowed to asionally fantasize about other beautiful women-¡± Before she finished speaking, the man grabbed her slender waist as he snarled, ¡°Are you saying that you will have an emotional affair with another man in the future?¡± Amanda was rendered speechless once more. This man really couldn¡¯t understand humannguage. She was talking about him! So, why was he pointing fingers at her right now? ¡°Talk, Amanda! Tell me right here, right now. Are you going to have an emotional affair in the future?¡± ||| O Inters, please don¡¯t change the topic. We¡¯re talking about you having an emotional ¡°Elias affair, not me!¡± ¡°When have I ever had an emotional affair? I just wanted to go against Symeon. How would I know that woman would have caused such a big impact on you? If I had known about this earlier, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have intervened.¡± Elias had regretted ever bothering with that nonsense. If he hadn¡¯t poked his nose in that business, they would be having a wonderful time celebrating Amanda¡¯s birthday right now. Oh, right. Today was Amanda¡¯s birthday. He almost forgot about it. They had agreed to celebrate her birthday. s, their ns had all gone down the drain. because of this incident. In the end, it was all Symeon¡¯s fault. He just wouldn¡¯t leave Amanda well enough alone even after returning to the country. ¡°I told you that you did the right thing by helping me.¡± ¡°Then, what did I do wrong? Tell me!¡± Elias felt like he was going crazy since they had been. in circles for days. Amanda merely sneered as she retorted, ¡°You had impure thoughts. I told you, you¡¯ve cheated on me emotionally.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°You did¡­ Mmm!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he decided to kiss her, sealing her lips and preventing her from saying anything that could cause him to riot. They kissed for who knows how long. As there was hot air wafting in the hot spring, toward the end of their kiss, she felt like she was well on her way to fainting due to suffocation. When he finally decided to release her, she didn¡¯t even have the energy to do anything but remain slumped in his arms. She closed her eyes as she tried to catch her breath while. leaning against his strong chest. Meanwhile, Elias gazed at the blushing Amanda, who looked utterly adorable and delectable¡­ He could feel his barely-there control on his urges on the verge of snapping. ¡°Do you still want to continue our conversation?¡± ||| O Amanda inhaled deeply before shooting him a disdainful look. Then, she straightened herself and tried to leave. s, she had barely made a few steps when the man tugged her back into his embrace. Now, she was truly angered. ¡°What else do you want to do?!¡± ¡°Amanda, I¡¯m really angry. Do you know what day it is today? How could you ruin it like. this?¡± Elias said through gritted teeth. His words caught her off guard as her mind tried toe up with an answer. What day is it. today? Why is it so important? What did she ruin? ¡°Is it Father¡¯s Day?¡± Elias had a dark expression on his face. ¡°Today is your birthday! You ruined your own. birthday! It was supposed to be a beautiful day for us to spend together. Yet, you chose to spend your time fighting with me!¡± Amanda blinked at him dumbly when those words finally hit her. Oh, today is my birthday¡­ She remembered on the day that they had a fight, he had asked her what birthday gift she wanted and how she wanted to celebrate the day. Nevertheless, she quickly snapped out of her thoughts and refuted coldly, ¡°You had a hand in ruining my birthday as well. What right do you have to me me? Besides, it¡¯s just a birthday. We celebrate it every year, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She became indifferent toward birthdays ever since Aiden was born. He nced at her apathetic demeanor and grew increasingly frustrated. ¡°Amanda! Birthdays ur annually, but will you have another 26th birthday? Will there be another opportunity? Do you have to feel so despondent on your 26th birthday?¡± She only tilted her head as she thought, Why am I getting the feeling that this man cared more about my birthday than me? Amanda appeared perplexed by his attitude. ¡°It¡¯s just a birthday. So, why all the fuss? I don¡¯t even mind.¡± s, Elias wore a somber expression as he replied, ¡°Because it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m able to commemorate your birthday with you.¡± Chatper 530 Chapter 530 Chapter 530 You Just Find Me Amusing! The atmosphere turned icy at the drop of a hat after Elias¡¯ words. Amanda gazed at the man dumbly. Meanwhile, the remnants of anger had yet to disappear from his face. He was genuinely furious. This was the first time he had wanted to celebrate her birthday sincerely, but it was all ruined. When they were secretly married, he didn¡¯t even know when her birthday was. In fact, het barely paid any attention to her at all. It was his grandfather who reminded him of her birthday. When he learned about it, he only instructed the kitchen to prepare a slice of cake for her. In retrospect, there was no doubt that Amanda was disappointed with him back then. So, he desperately wanted to make it up to her. s, it was all for naught because the day was. ruined anyway. Therefore, he was angry. Still, he was even more upset at himself for causing such a disturbance on her birthday. ¡°Then, you can celebrate it with me next year¡­ I don¡¯t mind.¡± She suddenly felt less vexed. In fact, she had known deep in her heart that he didn¡¯t mean to say the wrong thing. It was just that she couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous regardless of the circumstances. He pulled her into his arms and gently pressed her head against his chest. ¡°Can you hear it?¡± His bizarre actions slightly took her aback. ¡°Hear what?¡± ¡°My heartbeat.¡± She slowly raised her head and stared at him in confusion. ¡°Heartbeat? What do you mean?¡± The man lowered his head and looked at her solemnly. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear how fast my heart beats for you? Do you know how nervous I am when I saw your impassive attitude? I thought you didn¡¯t love me anymore. I was petrified that you didn¡¯t want me anymore! So, do you understand where I¡¯ming from right now?!¡± Although the man was yelling in anger and appeared very distraught, she still couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. Her mind started envisioning him as an aggrieved Tibetan Mastiff that had its furs standing on end. Now that she had time to think about it, wasn¡¯t he exactly like that? Sure, he was hopping mad at her. Yet, he still wanted her to cuddle him and soothe him. In the end, Amanda couldn¡¯t hold back her amusement and giggled softly. Truth be told, she would be giggling up a storm if she hadn¡¯t tried very hard to restrain herself. Elias immediately started ranting in indignation. ¡°Are you actually finding this funny right now? Do you really find my anxiety so hrious?¡± ¡°No¡­ I swear I¡¯m notughing at you. I just think you¡¯re quite amusing.¡± To be fair, a grown man acting both angry and aggrieved was adorable. ¡°You¡¯re definitelyughing at me. You¡¯re doing it right now! Everything I do makes youugh. I¡¯m worried that you have fallen out of love with me, but all you¡¯re doing isughing. You don¡¯t even care! You just find me amusing.¡± Elias was not only angry at this moment but also a little heartbroken. It seemed that she didn¡¯t like him as much as before. She couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him when she caught sight of the despondent look on his face. So, she gripped his arm tightly when he turned around to leave. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I just find my Dear cute, that¡¯s all.¡± Dear? When he heard her address him as ¡®Dear,¡¯ a glimmer of hope appeared in his disappointed eyes. What did that mean? Was it a sign that she had forgiven him? Elias looked at her softened expression and asked stiffly, ¡°So, are you still angry? Are you going to continue to make a fuss?¡± Couples argue all the time. As long as they intended to stay together, both parties would have toe to a consensus after talking it out instead of holding grudges against the other. Hence, she snorted lightly before responding, ¡°Oh, forget it. It¡¯s my birthday today, so I don¡¯t want to make a scene.¡± It was already around 10 p.m., and her birthday would be over in two hours. She had to admit that it was a pity. She was so caught up in her anger that she didn¡¯t even prepare a birthday cake. They could have celebrated her birthday happily as a family of three. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today, and you n to soak in the hot spring here? Are you just going to waste time like this?¡± Amanda shot him a helpless nce as she retorted, ¡°What else can I do? It¡¯s toote to buy a cake now, so we can only do this. Let¡¯s talk about it next year.¡± Frankly, she had never celebrated her birthday properly since Aiden was born. ¡°We still have time. Come with me.¡± Elias pulled her up from the hot spring, and Amanda readily allowed him to lead her out of the het spring. Of course, she was still sporting a rather befuddled expression. She was only wrapped in a bath towel. Hence, when he turned around to look at her, he muttered under his breath, ¡°D*mn¡­ you¡¯re seducing me.¡± She was renderedpletely speechless as she stared at the ridiculous man before her. It was his ownck of self-control that was making things difficult for him. So, who was the one to me here? Definitely not her¡­. Nheless, it didn¡¯t matter that he had helped her get dressed, as he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at her right now. He was deathly concerned that he would take her right then. and there if he lost control. Once that happened, he could kiss any of hisst-minute birthday ns for her goodbye. Therefore, the moment they were both dressed, he led her to the dining room. There was already a table of food prepared. It was a full-course meal he had arranged several days in advance. Although they didn¡¯t bother hiding the fact that they were squabbling, the chefs still followed his instructions and made the dishes. In the middle of it all was an exquisite cake. She looked at the gorgeous cake and turned to look at him. ¡°When did you buy the cake?¡± ¡°Very early. If we hadn¡¯t argued, maybe¡­¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Maybe what? Maybe the three of us would have already finished the cake.¡± At the end of the day, it was still all his fault, wasn¡¯t it? Amanda pulled out a chair and sat down with a smile. ¡°Help me light the candles. I want to make a wish.¡± Elias sat next to her and patiently helped her light the candles, saying, ¡°Hurry up. It¡¯s almost midnight.¡± ¡°We¡¯re eating in the middle of the night¡­ Aren¡¯t you afraid of gaining weight?¡± She sped her hands together tightly, preparing to make a wish. He promptly replied, ¡°You¡¯re already married and a mother of one. So, what¡¯s the big deal? As long as I don¡¯t mind, no one else has the right to criticize you.¡± This man really doesn¡¯t know how to speak without inciting the urge for her to beat him up. Regardless, she still closed her eyes and made three wishes in her heart. Then, she opened her eyes and blew out the candle. The man immediately removed the candle before the wax could drip on the cake and asked, ¡°What did you wish for?¡± ¡°How could I tell you that? It¡¯s a secret.¡± Then, Amanda cut herself a piece of cake and took a bite. It was very sweet, so she could only eat a few bites. Otherwise, she would ruin her dinner. Elias looked at the food, which seemed to have cooled down over time and frowned. ¡°The food isn¡¯t warm any longer. Let¡¯s heat it up in the kitchen.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I can¡¯t eat much anyway. Besides, these dishes look really good.¡± She put the cake aside, took a bite of the food, and nodded in satisfaction. The dishes truly suited her pte. The man didn¡¯t say anything else. After all, these dishes were made with her in mind. Right now, it didn¡¯t matter as long as she was happy. Once she had gobbled a few bites, she couldn¡¯t help but prod, ¡°Are you really not interested. in that beauty?¡± ¡°How many times do you want me to say it?! Do I have to gouge out my heart for you to believe me? Or¡­ Do you want me to confront that woman face to face? I have a clear conscience! So, you can ask that woman yourself. Go ahead and ask her what I¡¯ve done to her.¡± Elias realized that there would always be a lingering unease in her heart if he didn¡¯t allow her to discover the truth on her own. ¡°I refuse to go!¡± Amanda stated firmly. ¡°Bully for you then. I have made up my mind. I will introduce you to Miss Casey, whether you like it or not. This is all to prove my innocence,¡± Elias dered with unwavering determination. It was evident that there was no way she could sway him into making at different decision. She didn¡¯t respond besides shooting him a deadpan look. Yet, she couldn¡¯t deny that deep down, she did want to meet this Miss Casey. However, she also had reservations. She was of the mind that doing so wouldpromise her principles, and it was somewhat uncouth. Eventually, she bowed her head and silently consumed her meal, refraining from further conversation. Although she knew he couldn¡¯t have any connection with that woman, there was a great part of her that yearned to possess his entire inner world. Thus, she found it hard to swallow when that position was threatened. To make matters worse, she didn¡¯t exactly like this possessive side of hers, as it was a side that would raise hell if he ever spared a woman. another nce. Chatper 531 Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Am I Annoying? The following day, after finishing breakfast, Symeon nned to take Dulcie to kindergarten, as this marked her first day at preschool. She would be studying at the same kindergarten as Aiden, where the two children could look out for each other. ¡°Daddy, can I go y with Aiden?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Dulcie¡¯s face lit up with joy at the mention of Aiden. She eagerly put on her backpack, more excited than ever to go to kindergarten. As the nanny was about to open the door, she was startled and let out a cry. Symeon frowned and looked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you screaming?¡± ¡°You scared me. Miss Carter is outside.¡± Miss Carter? Casey Carter? Dulcie immediately let go of Symeon¡¯s hand and ran over. ¡°Pretty Miss! What are you doing here? Have youe to see me?¡± Casey didn¡¯t pay attention to the man¡¯s expression and instead hugged the sweet, soft Dulcie affectionately. ¡°Yes, are you going out? Why are you carrying your little backpack?¡± she asked gently. ¡°Daddy is taking me to kindergarten, and I¡¯m going to y with Aiden. I¡¯m so excited!¡± Although Casey didn¡¯t know who this Aiden was, seeing Dulcie¡¯s joyful expression, she couldn¡¯t help but smile too. Symeon spoke up. ¡°Why have youe when you won¡¯t even acknowledge her?¡± ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t. I just genuinely don¡¯t remember when I had a child. Maybe I forgot¡­¡± Casey had been tossing and turning all night, trying to recall when she had been intimate with a man and when she had given birth. Before returning to Cludan with her father, she had settled abroad with her parents. But since that homewrecker, Eleanor Collins, had risen to power and her mother had jumped off a building, she had returned to her home country with her father. She had no recollection of what happened before returning to Cludan. Her mother¡¯s death 14 had left her in a daze, and she had been living each day in a fog, following her father back to the country in a daze. Symeon raised his proud chin and waited for her to continue. Casey held Dulcie in her arms and said hesitantly, ¡°But the paternity test made me doubt. Regardless, the test result won¡¯t lie. If she¡¯s my child, I will definitely acknowledge her. Even though I can¡¯t remember anything right now, I still want to be with her. Maybe I¡¯ll remember something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote. You don¡¯t deserve to be Dulcie¡¯s mother.¡± With that, he snatched Dulcie from her hands, causing Dulcie to burst into tears. ¡°Stop crying,¡± Symeon coaxed the little girl coldly. ¡°Go to the kindergarten and y with. Aiden.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Why are you so harsh on Dulcie? She¡¯ll be traumatized, ¡± Casey said, trying to ruffle Dulcie¡¯s little head. However, Symeon nced at her and threatened, ¡°Get away! What right do you, an ipetent mother, have to lecture me?!¡± With that, he carried the crying Dulcie out of the house, leaving Casey standing there in shock for a while before chasing after them. By the time she caught up, Symeon had already driven away with Dulcie. Man, he sure is heartless, disregarding the child¡¯s feelings. Will Dulcie grow up mentally healthy in this environment? So, Casey hailed a cab and quickly caught up with Symeon¡¯s car, wanting to see which kindergarten he would take Dulcie to. Aftering to a slow stop outside Royal International Kindergarten, Symeon got out of the car and carried Dulcie out of the car seat. By now, Dulcie had stopped crying, but her face still bore traces of her earlier tears, looking pitiful. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dulcie?¡± Symeon didn¡¯t quite know how tofort her when he heard Amanda¡¯s voice behind him. A slight warmth appeared on the otherwise cold face of the man as he turned around to see Amanda leading Aiden by the hand, heading toward them. Dulcie, upon seeing Aiden, instantly forgot about her earlier fright and happily wriggled out of the man¡¯s arms. ¡°Aiden!¡± Aiden was equally delighted to see Dulcie. ¡°Dulcie? Are you going to the same kindergarten as me?¡± ¡°Yeah, Daddy said I¡¯ll be going to kindergarten here from now on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll protect you then. I know this ce really well.¡± Aiden immediately transformed into a little gentleman and even imed he would protect the little girl. Amanda watched the two children get along so harmoniously and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect these two to y so nicely together. Now, you can rest assured that Dulcie will have Aiden to look after her at kindergarten during the day.¡± She had been watching the two children the whole time and hadn¡¯t noticed that Symeon had been staring at her. Amanda smiled and turned around, only to meet Symeon¡¯s intense gaze, causing her smile to freeze on her lips. Why is he looking at me like that? Elias withdrew his gaze. ¡°Why did Elias have you send the child to school? Has ite to a point where you two are arguing non-stop?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hope for something better for me? Besides, what benefit does it bring you if me and my husband turn against each other?¡± ¡°Of course, there are benefits. Watching Elias Winters suffer is one of the great joys of my life.¡± Symeon didn¡¯t shy away from expressing his true thoughts. Amanda was stupefied. Why are these two men so twisted? Elias had said the same thing before; his pleasure came from seeing Symeon make a fool of himself and having conflicts with him. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Symeon could tell that Amanda was distracted. Amanda snapped back to reality. ¡°Nothing, I just think you men can be pretty immature and boring. Since there¡¯s no trouble between us now, why do you still need to target each other?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back and ask your man? By the way, has he exined the situation with that woman to you? You don¡¯t mind at all?¡± Amanda¡¯s expression changed slightly at the mention of that woman. ¡°That¡¯s our business. We will handle it ourselves. No need to concern yourself.¡± Symeon sneered, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so. ¡°Stop with the sarcasm. Instead of being like this, why don¡¯t you be gentler with Dulcie? Do you really want her to grow up in this kind of environment and be as annoying as you?¡± 34 No longer wanting to pay any attention to Symeon, Amanda turned to leave. But thatment struck a nerve with the man. Symeon grabbed her wrist and asked, ¡°Am I annoying?¡± ¡°Yes, you are,¡± Amanda retorted, shaking off his hand. ¡°You speak sarcastically and always try to pick fights. It¡¯s incredibly irritating.¡± Symeon looked at his hand and chuckled, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think Winters is any better. When he didn¡¯t fancy you before, he was much more annoying to you than I am now.¡± Chatper 532 Chapter 532 Chapter 532 You Must Be Seriously Crazy Amanda was rendered speechless, unable to refute. It was true that Elias from before disliked her and always tried to avoid her. Seeing her silence, Symeon asked a bolder question. ¡°If you had met me first instead of Elias, would you have fallen for me?¡± ¡°What? Are you even hearing yourself?!¡± Panic overcame Amanda suddenly, and she thought, He¡¯s not interested in me, is he? Hell no, don¡¯t! Thest thing she wanted was to get involved with a difficult big shot like him. Symeon stared into her eyes and asked again, ¡°If Aiden were really my child, and you were the woman I had a one-night stand with back then, how would you have chosen? Would you stay by my side like you do with Elias?¡± Amanda widened her eyes. She truly hadn¡¯t expected Symeon to ask such a question. It was insane; how could he even entertain such a thought?! She took a step back and resolved not to visit and care for Dulcie in person anymore. She was genuinely scared. ¡°You must be seriously crazy,¡± she said, then immediately turned and got into her car to swiftly drive away. Symeon, on the other hand, stood rooted to his spot, and a chuckle escaped him before letting out a deep sigh. He didn¡¯t understand why he had acted this way. He was mocking his own immaturity and the tragedy of encountering a woman like Casey. Since childhood, he had always hoped to live in a happy and harmonious family. But his father¡¯s repeated infidelity shattered his expectations for marriage. Now, with Dulcie, he hoped even more that she could grow up in a happy family. Unfortunately, he had crossed. paths with Casey, an irresponsible woman. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. What Symeon didn¡¯t know was that Casey had followed him to the kindergarten. She stood behind a tree and had heard nearly the end of their conversation, wearing a shocked expression that she couldn¡¯t shake off. So¡­ Symeon likes this woman? And this woman was married, with a child? Oh my¡­ With a frightened expression, Casey turned and fled. She couldn¡¯t believe the esteemed Mr. Lawrence, who seemed so aloof and indifferent to everyone, would actually fall for a married 111 14 woman. No wonder Dulcie said her father wanted to find her a new mother. Is Symeon looking to break up someone else¡¯s family and forcibly marry this woman? Thinking this, Casey felt like her moralpass was shattered. No, this can¡¯t happen! If Dulcie was really her daughter, she would never allow her daughter to call another woman. ¡°Mom.¡± After returning home, Casey kept thinking about the woman Symeon was talking to. That woman was stunning, exuding an air of wealth and sophistication in her every move. Moreover, anyone who could send their child to the Royal International Kindergarten. should have a wealthy husband. As she passed by the garden, she saw her father, Philip, and Eleanor locked in an intimate embrace again. She couldn¡¯t understand why her father, at his age, could still be so lecherous. Philip noticed his daughter passing by and quickly gestured to Eleanor to behave. After all, they were still elders. ¡°Casey,e here.¡± Casey had initially intended to just keep walking, but hearing her father¡¯s summons, she reluctantly went over to see what he wanted. With great reluctance, she approached her father. ¡°Dad, what do you want?¡± ¡°I have found a potential spouse for you recently. Take some time to meet them, and if you fancy any one of them, get married by the end of the year.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m still young-only twenty-four years old. Why are you in such a hurry to marry me off?¡± Casey looked at Eleanor beside her father and suddenly understood. It was probably this vixen who had been whispering in her father¡¯s ear. Eleanor wanted to marry her off quickly so that her father would focus all his attention on them, mother and son, and fight for the family fortune. Eleanor smiled and said, ¡°A woman¡¯s best years are just a few, so while you¡¯re still young and beautiful, why not quickly find a wealthy and dependable husband? This way, both your father and I can rest assured about your future.¡± ||| ¡°Eleanor Collins, let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about kicking me out of this house.¡± Philip frowned. ¡°How can you call Eleanor like that?! She¡¯s also doing it for your own good. Your mother is no longer here, and I can¡¯tmunicate with you anymore either. Finding a man to stand by your side isn¡¯t a bad idea. I don¡¯t want to see you lonely.¡± Philip hadpletely fallen under the spell of that vixen, and no matter what Eleanor said, he believed it. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll be lonely, then transfer all the shares of thepanies under your name and all your assets to mine! That way, I¡¯ll never be lonely, and I will fight whoever says I¡¯m lonely!¡± Casey¡¯s words stunned Philip. He never expected his daughter to say such things. Eleanor seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. ¡°Casey, what are you saying? Your father is still alive; how could he transfer everything to you? Besides, you have a younger brother. Are you just going to leave him with nothing?¡± ¡°Younger brother? Since when do I have a younger brother? My mom died a long time ago, and she only gave birth to me!¡± The next second, Philip pped her across the face. The loud p made Eleanor grin smugly. Still, she pretended to be kind and grabbed Philip, saying, ¡°Honey, what are you doing? How can you p your child? She¡¯s just being foolish; she¡¯ll understand your good intentions in the future.¡± ¡°Casey, if you really think this way, then I¡¯vepletely failed in raising you all these years! You disregard even your own family and only think about fighting for the family fortune! Can I rely on you when I¡¯m old?¡± Philip was so angry that he felt his blood pressure rising. Casey touched her cheek, feeling the impact of the p. This was the first time her father. had ever pped her. Tears slowly welled up in her in her eyes. Seeing her crying, Philip felt a twinge of regret. After all, she was his own daughter. Casey, holding back her tears, looked at her father and seethed, ¡°Your upbringing of me? What have you taught me? To have affairs time and time again, to marry and divorce repeatedly? Or have you taught me how to force my husband¡¯s first wife to death?¡± ¡°You! You wretched creature! What are you saying? You¡­¡± Philip clutched his chest, struggling to stand as he was overwhelmed with anger. But the more Casey cursed, the happier Eleanor became, as it served her interests. ¡°Both of you have driven my mother to her death, and now you want to drive me out of this family?! Well, let me tell you, dream on! My mother¡¯s shares are mine, and I will never hand them over to you! Forget about it!¡± With that, Casey turned and left, tears streaming down her face. She couldn¡¯t bear to look at that despicable couple for another moment. Chatper 533 Chapter 533 Chapter 533 What Are Your Intentions This Time? Eleanor watched Casey walk away and tried to calm Philip, who was seething with anger. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so upset. It¡¯s not worth getting yourself all worked up.¡± ¡°Casey has really pushed me to the edge. I never thought she would turn out like this. Can I even count on her to take care of me in my old age? It¡¯s like she¡¯s eagerly waiting for me to die so she can inherit the family wealth,¡± Philip fumed, a mixture of disappointment welling up within him. anger and He had neverid a hand on his daughter before, but in a fit of rage, he had pped her. It hurt him more than it hurt her. ¡°Ever since her mother passed away, Casey has harbored resentment toward you, believing that you were the cause of her mother¡¯s death. You know this, and even our son Peter doesn¡¯t sit well with her. I¡¯m genuinely afraid that she might target Peter in the future. That¡¯s why I wanted to find her a suitable partner so she could start a family of her own. Once she bes a parent, she might understand our perspective,¡± Eleanor said, feigning concern, appearing concerned for her son¡¯s future. However, her primary goal was still to regain half of thepany¡¯s shares that Casey held. Philip¡¯s health was deteriorating, and if something were to happen to him, Casey would have the authority to kick her and Peter out of the family. Philip looked at her with a sigh. ¡°I wish she could understand your good intentions. She¡¯s grown up but still so immature. I wonder when she¡¯ll finally grow up.¡± ¡°Could you consider transferring some shares to Peter¡¯s name, dear? That way, he would have the right to challenge his sister in the future. I¡¯m genuinely worried that one day, they¡¯ll turn against each other, and Casey might not even acknowledge Peter,¡± Eleanor pleaded. ¡°It¡¯s not urgent, and it¡¯s not solely my decision. Thepany was founded by Casey¡¯s mother and me. We had an agreement that ownership couldn¡¯t be transferred unless it was to Casey,¡± Philip exined. He also didn¡¯t see that his younger son, Peter, who was just an eight-year-old boy now, would have the immediate need for such arrangements. Eleanor¡¯s resentment deepened further upon facing another rejection. She knew she had to find a way to deal with Casey; otherwise, her and her son¡¯s future in the Carter Family would be bleak. Back in her room, Casey hid under her bed covers and sobbed. She remembered the farewell letter her mother had left before jumping off the building, every word of it expressing her disappointment in her father, which had left Casey equally 1:4 disillusioned with men. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Looking at her father¡¯s current state, he seemed like an ipetent ruler. Casey wondered. what she could do to outsmart Eleanor. Suddenly, a face popped into her mind. Casey slowly lifted her head, thinking of Symeon. This man appeared to have a powerful background, and she wasn¡¯t sure if he could outmaneuver Eleanor. However, he seemed to despise her now, so why would he be willing to help her? Moreover, Symeon was interested in¡­ that woman. With this thought in mind, Casey was taken aback by herself. She seemed to have epted. the fact that Dulcie was her daughter. There was no denying it; the DNA results from the paternity test had made it abundantly clear that the child was indeed hers. That evening, at Gxy Bay, after Symeon returned home and changed into slippers, he casually asked the nanny, ¡°Where¡¯s Dulcie? Is she asleep?¡± ¡°Not yet. Miss Carter is telling her a bedtime story. Sir, is Miss Carter your new girlfriend? She has been coming over every day to apany Dulcie, and Dulcie really likes her. They¡¯re having a great time together.¡± Casey? Symeon¡¯s action of changing into slippers paused for a moment. He looked at. the nanny and asked, ¡°She¡¯s beening over these past few days? What does she want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. She justes to keep Dulciepany, and she hasn¡¯t done anything else.¡± The man¡¯s eyes shifted upstairs. He took off his suit jacket and handed it to the nanny before heading toward the staircase. As Symeon reached the door, he could hear Dulcie¡¯s adorableughter from inside. ¡°Dulcie, do you miss your mother?¡± I do but Daddy said Mommy isn¡¯t my mommy anymore, and he wants to find me a new mommy ¡°Are you afraid of your dad?¡± ¡°Yes, Daddy can be very scary, and he gets angry if I don¡¯t call him Daddy¡± 111 J 91 Symeon turned grim at the conversation, finally realizing this was how the little one had been evaluating him. He grabbed the doorknob, pushed the door open, and walked in, saying in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s already late. Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Upon seeing her father, Dulcie immediately dove into Casey¡¯s arms as if she had encountered a terrifying ghost. Casey was heartbroken to witness her daughter¡¯s fear, wondering how such a young child could be frightened like this, especially when it was her own biological father. Symeon¡¯s face turned even darker upon witnessing this scene. He turned to Casey and said, ¡°You can leave now; I¡¯ll coax her to sleep.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already so scared just seeing you. How do you expect to coax her to sleep? You should leave. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± While Symeon was rendered speechless, Dulcie peeked at him in Casey¡¯s arms. The man fell silent momentarily and then turned to leave the room, closing the door behind. him. He leaned against the corridor wall, took out a cigarette, lit it, and waited for about half an hour. The room door opened from the inside, and Casey walked out, getting startled when she saw the man standing next to her against the wall. Symeon stubbed the cigarette and stood up straight. ¡°Speak up. What are your intentions. this time?¡± ¡°What intentions could I have? I just came to check on Dulcie. Besides, I didn¡¯t stop you from pursuing someone else¡¯s wife,¡± Casey replied with a sarcastic tone. Symeon narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°You followed me to the kindergarten today?!¡± So, she overheard my conversation with Amanda in the morning. ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional; you were talking in public. I couldn¡¯t avoid hearing it,¡± Symeon, wearing a wry smile, retorted, ¡°So what? You climbed into my bed of your own ord back then, secretly gave birth to this child, and then neglected her. Now, what right do you have to use me? We haven¡¯t even married, let alone discussing infidelity. Why put yourself in the role of a legal wife?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Casey was left speechless, unable toe up with a response. It seemed like he was right, but she was unwilling to ept it. 34 She calmed herself and said, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t argue about these things with you. Since you already have someone you like, can you return Dulcie to me? After all, you can continue to have more children in the future, while I only want Dulcie. I promise I won¡¯t get married or have more children; I just want to love Dulcie.¡± 44 Chatper 534 Chapter 534 Chapter 534 He¡¯s Already Married?! Symeon¡¯s face showed surprise, followed byughter. ¡°What are you dreaming about? Give Dulcie to you? Are you even worthy? Why do you think you, a mother who refused to acknowledge her existence, can take care of Dulcie?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know before, but now that I¡¯ve seen the paternity test results, although I still can¡¯t remember, I will slowly ept it. I believe if Dulcie stays with me, I will eventually recall everything.¡± She had never intended to shirk her responsibility; she simply knew nothing. ¡°No need, I will take care of my daughter. I can provide for her. So, you don¡¯t need to worry. You can go find your man and get married. And since that night was just an ident, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Symeon didn¡¯t take that one night seriously; it was only because of the appearance of this little life that he felt responsible. ¡°Since you have a woman you like, why won¡¯t you give Dulcie back to me? In the future, you will marry another woman and continue to have children. Dulcie will have a stepmother! I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Symeon burst intoughter out of anger. ¡°You won¡¯t allow it? Who are you to not allow it? Where were you for the past three years? If I hadn¡¯t brought Dulcie before you, would you have remembered her?¡± Once again, Casey was left speechless. After all, she had indeed been irresponsible. However, she had to fight for Dulcie¡¯s custody. She couldn¡¯t let her daughter call another woman ¡°Mom.¡± What if that stepmother treated Dulcie poorly? If Symeon had other children in the future, would he still treat Dulcie as well? Human hearts were naturally biased, so favoritism. was inevitable. Casey bit her lip and turned away. Convincing this man wouldn¡¯t be easy. Suddenly, she remembered Symeon¡¯s conversation with that woman earlier that day. It seemed that the woman had a family, and there was no sign of her wanting a divorce. Symeon would probably have a hard time pursuing her. At that, she turned back to Symeon and said, ¡°The woman you like has a family, right? What if I help you win her over? In return, can you give Dulcie back to me? After all, you will continue to have children with her in the future. You might even prefer the children you have with her. So, let Dulcie stay with me.¡± Symeon was slightly taken aback by Casey¡¯s words, which genuinely surprised him. 14 He knew it; she really was no benign woman. No wonder she could climb into his bed back then, secretly give birth, and then abandon it only to reim the child now. That said, Amanda¡¯s husband was the Elias Winters. He was curious to see what Casey was capable of that could break up Elias and Amanda. He viewed it as pure entertainment because he believed there was no way Casey could capture Elias¡¯ heart. ¡°Well then, go ahead. Her husband is not someone ordinary people can seduce. You¡¯re too confident in yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you think I¡¯m confident or not. As long as I seed, that¡¯s all that matters! So, will you agree or not? If you agree, I will help you win that woman. But the condition is that you give Dulcie back to me.¡± Casey hadn¡¯t even realized what she was saying; she was only focused on getting Dulcie back. Symeon smirked. ¡°Well, I await your little show.¡± It was clearly an impossible task. No woman could capture Elias¡¯ heart except Amanda. Symeon had some knowledge of Elias from their few interactions before. At that time, Elias had shown no interest in women, and it had been puzzling when he suddenly got married and had a child. It seemed like he had found true love. After saying that, Symeon turned and entered the room to check on Dulcie. It was only after hearing the door close that Casey realized the absurdity of the words she had just spoken. Oh my God, this is pure wickedness. I¡¯m about to destroy someone else¡¯s family. But what about Dulcie¡­ Late at night, after Casey returned home, shey in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The thought of herself potentially ruining someone else¡¯s family made her feel like an irredeemable viin. However, hearing that Symeon had agreed stirred something within her. In reality, any woman who ended up with Symeon should be happy. After all, Symeon appeared to be a talented and mysterious man with a good family background. She couldn¡¯t understand why any woman would reject Symeon. Thinking about this, Casey felt a pang of sadness in her heart. What was she doing? It was as if she were actively helping her husband pursue another woman,pletely shattering her moralpass 111 Suddenly, her phone rang. She checked it to find a call from Elias. She had his number saved, although she had never called him before. She didn¡¯t expect him to call her on his own initiative. Casey had to admit that she had a favorable impression of this man. After all, he had saved her before. She answered the phone. ¡°Mr. Winters, do you need something from me?¡± ¡°Miss Carter, I apologize for disturbing you sote. However, would you have some time. tomorrow to meet? My wife might still be a bit emotional, and I hope the three of us can have a face-to-face conversation to rify things.¡± Wife? Elias doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend; he¡¯s married?! He¡¯s actually already married?! Casey suddenly felt a bit disappointed, realizing that good men were taken early, leaving no room for opportunities. However, due to her involvement in the strained rtionship, she felt obliged to rify things. ¡°Alright, Mr. Winters, I have time tomorrow.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have someone pick you up. I apologize once again.¡± After hanging up the phone, Casey couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I really envy his missus. She¡¯s getting so much attention.¡± If this situation were happening to an ordinary woman, her husband would probably think she was being unreasonable. The disparity in people¡¯s destinies was truly immense. The next day, in the president¡¯s office of Winters Enterprise, Amanda had some regrets after arriving. She wasn¡¯t sure what to say when facing this Miss Carter in person. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t havee. I don¡¯t want to meet her. It¡¯s pointless.¡± Elias held her slender waist and said, ¡°We¡¯ve already invited her. It would be impolite to send her back halfway. Just consider it as making a new friend. I have a feeling that you and Miss Carter could be friends. Your temperaments are quite sinr.¡± She had initially wanted to avoid this meeting, but Elias¡¯ words made her curious. Last time at the hospital, she had only seen the woman¡¯s back and profile, which she found quite attractive. She wondered if the real person was even more beautiful. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ||| Just then, the office phone rang, and the secretary¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Casey Carter has arrived. She says she has an appointment with you.¡± ¡°Alright, please bring her in.¡± Chatper 535 Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Mr Winters Is a Good Husband Amanda began to feel a bit hesitant. She regretted agreeing to this meeting and thought she appeared petty. Someone had saved her husband¡¯s life, and now she was about to question their intentions. It felt inappropriate. Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Jean, the secretary, entered with Casey. ¡°Mr. Winters, Miss Carter is here,¡± Jean announced. ¡°Alright, please prepare a cup of coffee for Miss Carter,¡± Elias instructed. ¡°Of course.¡± Jean exited the office and closed the door behind her. With Jean gone, the two women finally had a chance to take a good look at each other. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Amanda sized up Casey, who was indeed beautiful, with striking features and a captivating demeanor. Amanda hadn¡¯t seen such a stunning woman in a long time. Casey, on the other hand, was shocked and somewhat panicked when she saw Amanda. She¡¯s the woman Symeon talked to outside the kindergarten! He was only words away from confessing his feelings to her. So, this is the woman he likes, who also happens to be Elias¡¯ wife?! Casey¡¯s mind went nk. She had promised Symeon that she would help him pursue this woman, but how could she do that now? Elias was her savior. How could she ruin his happiness? That wouldn¡¯t be right! She would be punished by the heavens! She feltpletely incapable of carrying out her promise. The atmosphere in the room became tense. Elias remained silent, and Amanda felt that Casey¡¯s presence was enough to ease her worries. She could tell that Casey was a sweetheart. So, she decided to break the ice and stepped forward, extending her hand to Casey. ¡°Hi, Miss Carter. I¡¯m Amanda, Elias¡¯ wife.¡± Casey, still in a state of shock, couldn¡¯t snap out of it for a while until Amanda called out to her again, saying, ¡°Miss Carter? Are you okay?¡± She turned to look at Elias as if to say, ¡°Have we frightened her?¡± Elias wore a slight smile while speaking in a deep voice, ¡°Miss Carter, my wife just wanted to ||| 13 get to know you. There¡¯s no other intention behind this meeting, so please don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Casey finally regained herposure, feeling embarrassed. ¡°Um, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was just lost in thought. You¡¯re very beautiful, and I feel like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before.¡± She reached out and shook hands with Amanda. Amanda raised an eyebrow slightly and said, ¡°Really? Well, it¡¯s not surprising. We all live in Imperia, so it¡¯s possible we¡¯ve crossed paths before. Please, have a seat, Miss Carter.¡± At that moment, Jean brought in three cups of coffee and ced them on the coffee table. She then smiled and left the room. Casey took a seat on the couch and watched the sweet and affectionate scene between the Winters couple across from her. She suddenly felt overwhelmed with guilt. ¡°I wanted to thank you. My husband had a car ident a while back, and he hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. He fainted this time, and it was thanks to you that he was taken to the hospital. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what might have happened.¡± Amanda smiled warmly, and Elias, watching his wife¡¯s profile, couldn¡¯t help but smile too. His Mrs. Winters knew how to handle social situations, and the fact that she hadn¡¯t made Casey ufortable indicated that she had let go of any suspicions. Casey had been watching Amanda closely and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. After all, Mr. Winters also. saved my life once.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard that it was because of Mr. Lawrence that you were in troublest time. Do you have any connections with Mr. Lawrence? Why was he bothering you?¡± Amanda inquired, wanting to understand the rtionship between this woman and Symeon. Symeon didn¡¯t seem like someone who would resort to violence against a woman without reason. Obviously, the couple hadpletely forgotten what Mary had said about Dulcie¡¯s biological mother when they were abroad, so they had no idea that the Casey before them. was Dulcie¡¯s mother. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know him, and I have no idea why he would treat me that way.¡± Casey replied. She had no intention of revealing the bizarre events that had transpired since she herself hadn¡¯t fully comprehended how she ended up with a daughter and a man in her life yet. She couldn¡¯t help but find it somewhat amusing that she and Symeon had both developed an interest in the Winters couple. What an odd situation it was. ¡°That¡¯s really strange. I know him to some extent, and I didn¡¯t think he had a penchant for mistreating women. It¡¯s quite despicable,¡± Amanda mused, lost in thought. ||| < Casey felt uneasy hearing that. She had expected Amanda to reject any association with Symeon, but instead, she had acknowledged it. Moreover, Elias seemed oblivious to any affair between Amanda and Symeon, making her feel even more awkward for him. ¡°Mrs. Winters, do you really know Mr. Lawrence? Are you close?¡± Casey asked deliberately, trying to nudge Elias, who remained expressionless, into action. Amanda smiled gently. ¡°We¡¯ve met, but we¡¯re not very close. His daughter and attend the same kindergarten, so we¡¯ve crossed paths a few times.¡± my son both Elias, listening intently, furrowed his brows. ¡°His daughter also attends Royal International Kindergarten? Who allowed that?¡± Amanda chuckled. ¡°Who needs your permission to attend any kindergarten? Besides, Aiden knows Dulcie; the two kids can y together.¡± Elias¡¯ face darkened slightly. He had no interest in having his son y with Symeon¡¯s daughter. Casey noticed that Amanda seemed to be covering up her rtionship with Symeon quite well, and Elias didn¡¯t seem to have any suspicions. She felt a pang of sympathy for this man. The three of them engaged in an awkward yet harmonious conversation for about an hour. Casey used the excuse of having othermitments to leave early, and Amanda offered to walk her out. Elias had a meeting to attend, so he let them. go ahead. Amanda and Casey walked toward the elevator in thepany corridor. After hesitating for a while, Casey decided to wake Amanda up. ¡°Mrs. Winters, Mr. Winters is a good husband. I hope you two have a long and happy marriage.¡± Implicitly, she meant that Elias was a great guy, and Amanda should stop eyeing other men, or she might regret it sooner orter. Amanda naturally sensed that there was something odd about this statement and asked with a smile, ¡°Miss Carter, what do you mean by that? I¡¯m not quite sure I understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just think that Mr. Winters is a very good man. He¡¯s loyal to you and hasn¡¯t done anything to betray your trust. You don¡¯t have to worry. But¡­ ¡°But?¡± Amanda looked at the woman in front of her, feeling like she was being deliberately reminded of something. Casey smiled faintly. If a woman can find a lifelong partner, she should never let go. Otherwise, she¡¯ll regret a deeply. Til be going now, Mrs. Winters. You don¡¯t need to see me With that she entered the elevator, leaving Amanda standing there feeling puzzled. Chatper 536 Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Are You Particrly Afraid of Me Misunderstanding You? Amanda couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Casey was implying something and yet wouldn¡¯t reveal anything. Is she expecting me to guess? But how can I possibly figure it out?! At that, she shrugged in resignation and returned to Elias¡¯ office, ready to have lunch with him as soon as he finished his meeting. She waited in his office for over two hours before he returned. When Elias pushed open the office door, he saw Amanda sitting on the guest area couch, flipping through a financial magazine with boredom. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The irritation he had umted during the meeting dissipated upon seeing his beloved Amanda, and he smiled. ¡°Were you waiting for me? Hungry?¡± Elias walked over and sat beside her, his arm naturally encircling her waist as he took the magazine from her hands. Amanda met his intense, dark gaze as she replied, ¡°That Miss Carter is quite strange. She told me not to let go of you and said otherwise, I would regret it. I feel like she had a hidden agenda in what she said.¡± ¡°Really? Did she say that?¡± Elias found Casey¡¯s words quite interesting. She not only helped rify the misunderstanding but also spoke well of him. Amanda nodded, wanting to gauge Elias¡¯ reaction. Unexpectedly, he chuckled. ¡°Well, she¡¯s absolutely right. You should cherish me properly, or you might regret it.¡± ¡°But her words seemed to imply something else. She seemed to suggest that she wasn¡¯t your ¡®outside woman¡¯ and that you have other women outside. So, what I should be wary of isn¡¯t her.¡± Amanda¡¯s expression was serious as she spoke as if she had already gathered evidence. Meanwhile, Elias¡¯ charming smile gradually faded. Amanda¡¯s teasing words seemed to have led them into an unexpected impasse, leaving him feeling somewhat helpless. As Elias¡¯ charming simile gradually faded, Amanda¡¯s teasing words seemed to have led them into an unexpected impasse, leaving him feeling somewhat helpless. Darling, you¡¯re not joking with me, are you? What do you mean by that?¡± 14 Amanda looked into his deep, dark eyes and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You really are nervous, huh? Are you so afraid that I might misunderstand you?¡± ¡°No sh*t!¡± Seeing herugh, Elias finally breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, following their usual pattern of arguments, who knew how long it would take to make things right with Amanda? Amanda chuckled even more at his reaction. ¡°Really? Then I should argue with you more often so that you can spoil me.¡± Well, maybe we should argue more often. That way, you¡¯ll be more inclined to pamper me.¡± In the next moment, Elias simply captured her head and kissed her passionately, leaving a lingering and fervent kiss before pressing his lips to her forehead. ¡°Haven¡¯t I pampered you enough, Amanda? I¡¯m almost at the point of spoiling youpletely.¡± ¡°Hmph, that sounds good, but your missus is hungry now. Do you care?¡± Elias chuckled indulgently and pulled her up from the couch. ¡°Let¡¯s go then. I¡¯ll take you to eat.¡± However, Amanda held onto his hand. ¡°You have another meeting this afternoon. Let¡¯s not. go out. We can just have something in thepany cafeteria. After eating, you can take a nap, or else, how will you have the energy to yell at people in the afternoon?¡± Yell at people? Elias pulled her into his arms and lightly tapped her nose. ¡°Who told you I yell at people?¡± ¡°Do I need someone to tell me? I passed by the meeting room earlier and heard passionately scolding someone inside.¡± you The man smiled without saying a word, kissed her forehead, and then led her out of the office to the company cafeteria for lunch. On her way back, Casey¡¯s mood plummeted to an all-time low. She was torn about what to do. If she wanted to regain custody of Dulcie, she had to help Symeon win over Amanda. But Amanda was Elias¡¯ wife, and Elias was her savior. How could she repay kindness with betrayal? Her heart was in turmoil, and despite reminding Amanda several times, it seemed like Armanda didn¡¯t understand her hints. Did Amanda have an affair with Symeon? Because it appeared that Amanda was keeping something from Elias. Thinking about this, Casey felt Elias was innocent in all this. 24 Casey let out a deep sigh, stopped in her tracks, and looked back at the Winters Enterprise building. Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was Dulcie calling. She had taught Dulcie her phone number just the day before, and she didn¡¯t expect a call so soon. Thinking of her adorable little Dulcie, a smile formed on her lips as she answered, ¡°Dulcie.¡± ¡°Pretty Miss, can youe over and y with me? I¡¯m so bored all alone, and Daddy has gone to work. He won¡¯t be back untilte.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯lle right over.¡± After hanging up the phone, Casey was filled with anticipation. She hailed a cab and told the driver, ¡°Gxy Bay, please.¡± She eagerly looked forward to spending time with that little bundle of joy. She had missed. three whole years of Dulcie¡¯s life, and now that Dulcie was three years old, Casey was determined to make up for lost time. After arriving at Gxy Bay and getting out of the car, Casey couldn¡¯t help but smile and walked toward the vi. Just as she entered, another car slowly pulled into the vi, and Symeon stepped out of the car. Initially, he hadn¡¯t nned toe back that day, but suddenly, he remembered that Dulcie was alone at home for dinner. As Dulcie¡¯s father, he felt obligated to have dinner with her. After all, children neededpanionship. He remembered when he was a child, he wanted his parents to be with him every day, but he could only see his father once every ten days or half a month, and his mother was always sad and had no mood to y with him. He remembered how he used to long for his parents¡¯pany when he was a child, but he could hardly see his father once every ten days or so. His mother was always gloomy and had no interest in ying with him. He couldn¡¯t let his own child go through the same experience. As soon as Symeon entered the house, he heardughter and joyful voices from Dulcie and Casey inside. That woman¡¯s here too? Symeon frowned unhappily. It seemed that Casey was truly determined to regain custody, or else why would shee so often? He had never heard Dulcie¡¯s happyughter like this in front of him before. ||| 34 Symeon walked step by step into the dining room, hearing Dulcie say to Casey, ¡°If only you were my mommy. Miss Amanda would be nice too. I like both of you.¡± Amanda¡­ After hearing that name, Symeon¡¯s steps came to a halt. So, Dulcie also thinks that Amanda would be a good mother for her¡­ Huh, too bad she can¡¯t¡­ He used to believe without a doubt that Amanda was the mother of his child, only to find out in the end that it was all a joke. Inside the dining room, Casey, looking at Dulcie¡¯s innocent and carefree smile, couldn¡¯t help. but smile herself. But upon hearing Dulcie¡¯s words just now, she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Does Dulcie also think Amanda is the perfect mother for her? ¡°Dulcie, do you really like Miss Amanda?¡± Chatper 537 Chapter 537 Chapter 537 To Eat or Not To Eat Dulcie nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, because if Miss Amanda bes my mommy, I can y with Aiden every day.¡± Upon hearing this response, Casey breathed a sigh of relief. So, it was for this reason. She had thought Dulcie had genuinely taken a liking to Amanda, liking her as a mother. Suddenly, Dulcie seemed to spot something and instinctively hid beside Casey, her happy expression disappearing. Casey followed Dulcie¡¯s gaze and was startled to find Symeon standing at the front of the dining table. ¡°You¡­ What are you doing back?¡± Symeon looked at the harmonious scene in front of him and said sarcastically, ¡°If I didn¡¯te back, how would I know you¡¯re here corrupting my daughter every day.¡± ¡°When did I corrupt Dulcie?¡± Casey retorted defensively. This man was incredibly hurtful; she hadn¡¯t taught Dulcie anything bad. Symeon removed his suit jacket and hung it over the back of a chair before sitting down. At that moment, the nanny approached. ¡°Mr. Lawrence, you¡¯re back. Would you like me to set another ce at the table?¡± Symeon responded with a simple nod. The nanny quickly brought over another set of tableware, along with a te of pasta. At that, he turned his attention to Dulcie and tried to sound gentle. ¡°Dulcie,e sit next to Daddy. I¡¯ll feed you.¡± ¡°Daddy, I don¡¯t want to. Casey can feed me.¡± Symeon turned grim at once, and he huffed, ¡°Eat if you want to; I don¡¯t care.¡± So, he began eating on his own. The atmosphere at the dining table turned extremely cold. Dulcie didn¡¯t dare to eat and just stared straight at her father. Symeon acted as if Casey and Dulcie didn¡¯t exist, focusing on his meal and even taking a phone call in the midst of it. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Casey couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and spoke up. ¡°The way you¡¯re behaving, how can Dulcie eat? Can¡¯t you be a bit gender with her?¡± 111 13 < ¡°Gentle?¡± Symeon repeated, finding it rather amusing. He thought he had been gentle enough with this little thing-gentle in a way that no one had ever seen. Yet, this little one treated him like a stranger. ¡°Yes, gentle. Children need to be treated gently, especially little girls.¡± Symeon put down his chopsticks and stared at Casey. ¡°So, you want to use this as an excuse to take custody of Dulcie?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that, but I really want to have Dulcie with me. You don¡¯t seem to take good care of her, and you don¡¯t even like kids. Why do you insist on taking her from me?¡± Casey knew she couldn¡¯t win a legal battle against this man. Her heart sank. Symeonughed, a mocking tone in his voice. ¡°You denied the existence of this child from the beginning, abandoned her after birth. Now you¡¯re pretending to be a good mother. Are you qualified? You¡¯re not. I won¡¯t give you custody unless my future partner mistreats Dulcie. But I won¡¯t choose a woman like that in the first ce. So, there¡¯s no chance for Dulcie to be with you.¡± Casey¡¯s heart felt like it had been nailed shut. Unless the stepmother didn¡¯t want Dulcie, Symeon wouldn¡¯t give her custody. ¡°Whatever, you two go ahead and eat. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± With that, Symeon got up and left the dining room, heading upstairs to his room. Once Symeon was gone, Dulcie breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Casey, ¡°Casey, let me tell you, when Daddy gets angry, don¡¯t talk to him. He¡¯ll scold you. Just wait until he¡¯s not. angry anymore.¡± Seeing how sensible Dulcie was, tears welled up in Casey¡¯s eyes as she tightly hugged the little girl. ¡°Why are you crying, Casey? Is it because you¡¯re so scared from Daddy¡¯s scolding?¡± Casey held onto Dulcie, her voice trembling. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I got some dust in my eyes. Also, from now on, don¡¯t call me Casey. Call me Miss Casey, or¡­ you can call me Mom.¡± She had never heard Dulcie call her Mom before, and she wondered what that would feel like. Dulcie blinked her big, watery eyes. ¡°But Daddy said I can¡¯t call anyone Mom.¡± Casey paused for a moment and smiled. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. You can¡¯t just call anyone Mom. Now, let¡¯s eat. You need to grow up big and strong.¡± 111 After finishing her lunch, Dulcie went to take a nap. Casey had initially nned to rest for a while because ying with the child was quite exhausting, and she felt like she could hardly straighten her back. However, she suddenly remembered that Symeon was still in his room. So, she gathered her and walked to his room¡¯s door. She was about to knock when the door swung open from inside. courage Symeon looked at the woman standing outside. ¡°What are you doing here? Trying to eavesdrop?¡± ¡°Now, why would I do that? I have no such obsession. I came to talk to you.¡± Symeon stepped out of the room, standing tall in the corridor, his imposing figure casting an intangible sense of oppression over Casey¡¯s frail form. ¡°Speak up. What do you want? I¡¯m about to go out, so make it quick. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you.¡± The disgust in Symeon¡¯s eyes toward Casey was evident. Casey was well aware of the image she held in this man¡¯s eyes, so she didn¡¯t bother hiding anything. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Amanda? Have you known each other before? How long have you liked her? When you started liking her, did you know she was someone else¡¯s wife?¡± This string of questions furrowed Symeon¡¯s brow. ¡°Why are you asking all this? What does it have to do with you? I¡¯m single, not married. I¡¯m free to like whomever I want. Don¡¯t think you can tie me down with a child, especially a child you obtained through such underhanded means.¡± Symeon had always believed that the night four years ago was premeditated. At that time, he had been drugged and not in his right mind, desperately needing a woman to relieve his difort. Casey had conveniently shown up and, subsequently, Dulcie was born. However, what he didn¡¯t understand was why Casey had abandoned the child she had worked so hard to obtain. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t want to know now. He had no intention of being responsible for Casey, and there was no way he would let Dulcie be taken away from him. Casey stuttered, ¡°I just want to rify whether you have unrequited love for Amanda or if you both have feelings for each other. If you admire each other, isn¡¯t Elias Winters pitiable, kept in the dark, not knowing anything?¡± Chatper 538 Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Mutual Affection or Unrequited Love Symeon narrowed his eyes as he observed Casey, the woman standing before him. This woman isn¡¯t seriously dumb enough to help me pursue Amanda, is she? Will she stoop so low to do something so morally wrong? ¡°What does it matter if mutual affection or unrequited love? What can you possibly do about it? Oh, by the way, weren¡¯t you supposed to help me win over Amanda? How¡¯s your n. going?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­¡± Casey hesitated. ¡°Elias saved mest time, and Amanda is his wife. I can¡¯t repay kindness with enmity.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Symeon nodded. ¡°So, tell me, what did Elias do to save you? Do you really think I would strangle you in public? Do you really believe he saved you for your sake? You think too highly of yourself.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Symeon¡¯s derogatoryments about Elias made Casey feel uneasy. In her mind, Elias was indeed a hero who had willinglye to her aid. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Remember, Elias didn¡¯t save you for spite me. He would have intervenedur sake. You¡¯re not that charming. He did it just to that day even if I had strangled a dog because he hates me. He resents the time I spent with his wife, and that¡¯s all there is to it. Understand, fool?¡± With that, Symeon walked away without looking back, heading downstairs. He checked his wristwatch; he had a client meeting in the afternoon. He had been in Cludan for about half a month and found that the market here wasn¡¯t as easy to prate as he had thought. To make a mark, he needed to put in some serious effort. Meanwhile, Casey stood in ce, looking surprised. What did Symeon just say? The time he spent with Amanda? What does that mean? These two don¡¯t actually have a romantic history, do they? As the notion crossed her mind, her emotions swirled in aplex mix, leaving her unable to describe her feelings. In the evening, at Winters Estate, after sessfully putting Aiden to sleep. Amanda intended to return to her room to sleep, assuming Elias would be in bed ying with his phone alone. However, when she returned to the room, she didn¡¯t find the man anywhere. After searching around, she spotted his back on the terrace, seemingly on a phone call. 14 Initially, she didn¡¯t want to eavesdrop, but she identally heard a word that made her in her tracks, deciding to listen to Elias¡¯ conversation. ¡°Be cautious, all of you. Lawrence has been aggressively encroaching on our market in Cludantely. They¡¯ve already snatched one project from us.¡± ¡°I know, we¡¯re keeping an eye on it, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. Lawrence is offering double our price, and they¡¯re bound to win.¡± stop Elias picked up a cigarette, lit it, and smirked. ¡°If this happens again next time, don¡¯t bother asking me for approval. Just spend the money and secure it. I won¡¯t lose to that trash.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters, we understand. We¡¯ll definitely win the bid this time.¡± After hanging up the phone, Elias stubbed out his cigarette and nned to return to his room to sleep. But as he turned, he saw Amanda standing there and immediately put on a gentle expression. ¡°What are you doing here? Is Aiden asleep?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Amanda looked at the man walking toward her, opened her arms, and hugged him. ¡°Honey, is there a problem with thepany?¡± Elias didn¡¯t want Amanda to worry aboutpany matters. He brushed it off casually, saying, ¡°Running a business is never smooth sailing. They¡¯re just minor issues; you don¡¯t need to worry. Your only job is to enjoy each day with Aiden.¡± She nestled her cheek against his chest, her eyes filled with sadness. She had overheard everything earlier, and it was rted to Symeon. Was Symeon deliberately opposing the Winters Family in business matters now? This man was bing more and more outrageous, even bringing it into their business affairs. ¡°By the way, why didn¡¯t you tell me that Aiden and Dulcie go to the same kindergarten?¡± Elias frowned disapprovingly. He didn¡¯t want to be further entangled with Symeon in any way. ¡°Well¡­ to be honest, I rmended it for Dulcie,¡± Amanda gently exined. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want any association with him, and I don¡¯t either. But Dulcie is so lonely here, with no one she knows, and even her dad is a recent acquaintance. She has no emotional connection. here. Luckily, she got to know Aiden and can y with him.¡± Amanda¡¯s exnation softened Elias¡¯ anger by half. He couldn¡¯t stay mad at a little girl. It was just that he and Symeon had a rivalry that knew no bounds. Meanwhile, at Gxy Bay¡­ 24 Dulcie wasn¡¯t feeling well, and she had little appetite, so Casey went to the supermarket to buy some fresh vegetables, nning to make a refreshing and delicious vegetable sd for the little one. After returning to Gxy Bay, the nanny opened the door and helped her carry the groceries into the kitchen. ¡°Ms. Penny, I¡¯m going to make a vegetable sd for Dulcie and maybe some soup. She can have a few spoonfuls. It¡¯s better than not eating at all.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Carter, you¡¯re really patient. You have more patience than Miss Bailey did before. I can see that Dulcie clings to you more than to Miss Bailey,¡± the nanny replied with a smile. Casey paused her vegetable washing and asked, ¡°Did Amanda used toe here often to apany Dulcie?¡± ¡°Not too often, Mr. Lawrence would usually call and plead with her toe. It seems Mr. Lawrence has a different kind of trust in Miss Bailey, and I can tell that Mr. Lawrence treats. her differently. Even Penny can tell¡­ Casey smiled and continued preparing the vegetables. Unexpectedly, the nanny whispered to her, ¡°Miss Carter, Miss Bailey just arrived. She¡¯s waiting for Mr. Lawrence in the study. I called Mr. Lawrence to inform him, and he said he¡¯d be back soon, tsk tsk¡­¡± Amanda is here? ¡°Amanda is here?¡± She raised her head abruptly. ¡°In the study? What is she doing here?¡± Casey hadn¡¯t expected Amanda to have the audacity toe here looking for Symeon. What did this mean? Did these two really have an affair? Her heart started racing. Penny shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She said she had something to discuss with Mr. Lawrence and was waiting in the study.¡± At that moment, they heard the low, steady footsteps of a man approaching from outside. Penny hurriedly went to greet him, and Casey overheard her saying, ¡°Mr. Lawrence, you¡¯re back. Miss Bailey is waiting for you in the study, and Miss Carter is here too. She said she wanted to make something for Dulcie to eat.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head to the study first, and I¡¯ll check on Dulcie in a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ||| r 34 Casey¡¯s curiosity was piqued as she heard the man¡¯s footsteps fading away. She was eager to find out if there was something going on between Amanda and Symeon. ¡°Ms. Penny, could you help me chop the vegetables? I¡¯lle overter to cook. I¡¯ll check on Dulcie first.¡± With that, Casey also headed upstairs, but instead of going to see Dulcie, she made her way toward the study. Chatper 539 Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Did Amanda Really Betray Elias? Inside the study¡­ Amanda hadn¡¯t visited just to speak to Symeon but also to search for the bid proposal he might have hidden in his study. Recently, Lawrence Group had been consistently opposing Winters Enterprise, and Elias had been visibly anxious in the past few days. If they failed in this bid once again, the members. of the Winters Family would surely cause trouble. They were already eager to remove Elias from his position as president, and they couldn¡¯t afford to leave any leverage behind. Amanda searched Symeon¡¯s study for a long time but didn¡¯t find any useful information. Instead, she identally lost one of the buttons on her blouse, and her hair was slightly disheveled. Maybe it¡¯s not in the study¡­¡± Amanda muttered softly. Moreover, she didn¡¯t find any safes or storage boxes here. She only wanted to find the bid proposal, so she didn¡¯t open any of the other documents she came across. Suddenly, the sound of a man¡¯s footsteps came from outside the study. Symeon has returned! Amanda quickly returned to her seat, pretending to have been waiting for a long time. She fanned herself with her hand, creating the illusion of impatience, and waited for Symeon to enter the room. Suddenly, the study door was pushed open. Symeon entered the study and immediately spotted the back of a woman sitting across the desk. for a Amanda turned to look at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally back. I¡¯ve been waiting for you long time. Your nanny didn¡¯t even want to turn on the air conditioning for me. It¡¯s so hot in here.¡± ¡°Why did you wait for me in the study then? You could have waited in the living room,¡± Symeon said as he sat down at the desk, observing Amanda across from him. Her cheeks were flushed, seemingly from the heat. Though the study wasn¡¯t air-conditioned, it wasn¡¯t hot enough to cause such difort. Amanda¡¯s appearance seemed more like she had just finished running 1. I just wanted to take a look at your study I didn¡¯t expect it to be so neat, with hardly any books Amanda remarked putting down her hand that had been fanning herself. 14 Symeon nced at the empty bookshelves behind him and smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve just moved here, haven¡¯t had the time. By the way, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I do have something to discuss with you, but you might not necessarily tell me,¡± Amanda began. Business proposals like these were considered trade secrets, and it wasn¡¯t something he could casually share. ¡°You haven¡¯t even told me yet, so how do you know I won¡¯t?¡± Symeon sensed that her intentions might not be straightforward. After pondering for a moment, Amanda finally decided to speak up, ¡°I want to know the content of your bid proposal. Will you tell me?¡± Symeon fell silent, squinting his eyes slightly. ¡°Are you asking on behalf of Elias? Is Elias so useless now that he sends you here to use your charm on me? Do you think I would tell you?¡± Amandaughed. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Of course, I know this is a trade secret and can¡¯t be disclosed casually. But could you please be more polite? This has nothing to do with Elias. He has no idea about my visit. If he did, we¡¯d end up arguing again.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m truly touched. Are you leaving just like that? You came all this way and haven¡¯t said. a word to me. Have you forgotten why you came here, or have you already achieved your goal?¡± Symeon¡¯s words were clear, indicating his suspicion about Amanda¡¯s true purpose for being there. Amanda came to a halt, turned to face the man behind the desk, and said, ¡°What exactly do you mean? If you have something to say, just say it straight. There¡¯s no need to beat around. the bush.¡± Symeon stood up, circled the desk, and walked up to her. He helped her fix her cor, where the button hade undone. ¡°Is Elias so broke now that he can¡¯t even afford decent clothes. for you? Letting you wear something like this?¡± Amanda instinctively took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s it to you? The button came off identally. Don¡¯t go looking for trouble for no reason.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯ve been searching in the study for quite some time, right? You didn¡¯t find what you were looking for, so you¡¯re nning to leave, am I right, Miss Attorney?¡± Symeon¡¯s words were dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Yes, so what? Elias didn¡¯t ask me to do any of this, but I care about him. I want to do something for him. And you, why do you always oppose him at every turn? If not for you, our family of three would have been so happy. He hasn¡¯t done anything to wrong you. What gives you the right to be at odds with him?¡± Amanda finally let out her pent-up frustration. She couldn¡¯t understand why Symeon held such resentment against them. 111 21 Symeon watched her vent her anger, then smiled and said, ¡°You done? Feeling better?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°As awyer, you know very well that what you¡¯re doing is illegal, yet you came anyway. can I say? Is this true love?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. It was pointless. She knew she couldn¡¯t change. Symeon¡¯s mindset. ¡°Fine, think whatever you want. I¡¯m leaving.¡± What Amanda was about to turn and leave when Symeon reached out and grabbed her wrist from. behind. She jerked her hand forcefully, trying to pull it back. In the process, she twisted her ankle, and a sharp pain shot through. It was painful enough that she almost fell, but the man behind her caught her. Her ankle had been somewhat off since she had sprained it a while ago. It was prone to injury. ¡°Be more careful when you walk,¡± Symeon admonished in a low voice. Amanda yanked her hand away from him. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t grabbed me, I wouldn¡¯t have twisted my ankle. Let go!¡± However, this scene was observed in great detail by Casey, who had concealed herself around. the corner of the hallway. She watched in astonishment as they disyed such an intimate. interaction. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, when Amanda pushed Symeon away, it almost appeared as if they were engaged in flirtatious banter. What¡¯s going on? Has Amanda truly betrayed Elias? Are Symeon and Amanda involved romantically? Have theye here for a secret rendezvous? Casey suddenly felt that her image of Amanda had beenpletely shattered. She couldn¡¯t believe that Amanda would betray her husband, who had been so good to her. Furthermore, Amanda¡¯s disheveled appearance, her tousled hair, and the blush on her cheeks raised questions Casey didn¡¯t even want to contemte. Amanda then pushed Symeon away and walked downstairs on her own. Symeon watched her struggle to walk and asked, ¡®Shall I assist you in returning?¡± ¡°No, I can manage on my own¡± 34 Without casting a nce behind her, she departed. Chatper 540 Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Let¡¯s Each Take What We Need Then! Symeon stood at the top of the stairs, watching Amanda as she left the house. After she had gone, he turned slowly. As he turned, he happened to spot Casey emerging from around the corner in the hallway. He paused for a moment, his brow furrowing in surprise. Casey walked toward him, and Symeon asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I went to check on Dulcie. She¡¯s asleep.¡± ¡°Right, if there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave. I¡¯ll take care of Dulcie,¡± said Symeon before heading to Dulcie¡¯s room. However, Casey let out a disdainful chuckle. ¡°To think the future. heir of the Lawrence Family would stoop so low and do something so shameless.¡± Symeon stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Casey, utterly perplexed. ¡°Shameless? Exin yourself.¡± What have I done? Casey turned away from him and, facing his bewildered expression, said slowly, ¡°Falling for someone else¡¯s wife and having a secret rendezvous with her here. It¡¯s incredible that you could do something like this. And don¡¯t forget your daughter, Dulcie, isn¡¯t feeling well.¡± Casey couldn¡¯t contain her anger. How could she trust someone like this irresponsible father with Dulcie? She was determined to fight for custody and would never leave Dulcie with such a deadbeat. Symeon was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Casey¡¯s misunderstanding. He chuckled. ¡°You saw Amanda, and that¡¯s why you think I¡¯m having a secret meeting with her here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case? The facts are right in front of me. I just can¡¯t understand why someone of your status, who can have any woman you want, would fall for Elias¡¯ wife. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She felt sorry for Elias. He loved his wife so much, and if he found out about today, it would break his heart. Symeon didn¡¯t feel the need to exin himself further to Casey. After all, he had no future with her, and there was no point in exining. ¡°Think whatever you want. I¡¯m going to see my daughter now. If you want to stay here, go ahead. I¡¯m keeping you around because Dulcie likes you. But if you continue to be annoying. get lost. I don¡¯t have time to listen to your nonsense.¡± TH 14 With that, he walked toward Dulcie¡¯s room without looking back. Casey stood in ce, watching as Symeon entered Dulcie¡¯s room and closed the door. She was trembling with anger, feeling like she had just witnessed a pair of despicable individuals¡ªa scoundrel and a shameless woman! Symeon didn¡¯t even bother to exin himself. What did that mean? Had he been caught, so he decided to act recklessly? Did he not care at all? Was he hoping Elias would find out about this, leading to a divorce so he could have Amanda? Casey¡¯s imagination ran wild, and she believed this was the case. She had initially thought it was just Symeon¡¯s unrequited love, but now it seemed that Amanda had also betrayed Elias, and the two of them were mutually infatuated. When Amanda had emerged from the study earlier, with her disheveled appearance, unbuttoned cor, flushed cheeks, and their intimate behavior, even a fool could guess had happened in that study. What a despicable, shameless pair! what Casey couldn¡¯t understand it. Amanda had cheated on Elias, so what right did she have to be angry with Elias for helping her? It was a case of double standards! In that case, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless! Initially, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to break up Amanda and Symeon in her pursuit of gaining custody of Dulcie. But now, it seemed that breaking up Elias and Amanda might be the best choice. At least that way, he wouldn¡¯t be kept in the dark or end up wearing the horns of a cuckold. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. With Elias¡¯ temper, if he found out he had been cheated on, he¡¯d probably go crazy. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s each take what we need!¡± Casey murmured to herself as she looked at Dulcie¡¯s closed door, secretly firming up her resolve. In this game, it appeared that Elias was the most innocent and pitiable one. If her n seeded, Symeon and Amanda would be a couple, and she would gain custody of Dulcic. But what would happen to Elias? It urred to her that, in the end, Elias would be the one left alone. However, Elias still had his son by his side. If they divorced, Elias would certainly fight for custody of his son. Perhaps this is the best oue. In the evening, at the cocktail party, Casey had inquired about Elias¡¯ presence and wanted to test his feelings. Upon entering the party, she searched but couldn¡¯t find Elias anywhere. Just when she thought he might not be attending tonight, everyone¡¯s attention shifted toward the entrance as Elias arrived. It couldn¡¯t be denied that this man had a natural charisma that made him stand out wherever he went. Elias was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, effortlessly engaging in conversations. with others and wearing a bright smile. Casey didn¡¯t dare to approach him directly. She waited for an opportunity and noticed that Elias had gone to the terrace alone, so she mustered the courage to approach him. He stood at the terrace railing, gazing up at the dark night sky with its dim moonlight. He swirled the red wine in his ss and took a sip. Elias didn¡¯t particrly enjoy attending these kinds of parties, but due to recent pressure from the Lawrence Group, he needed to expand hiswork. He couldn¡¯t afford to have no cards to y when the time came. Suddenly, Casey¡¯s gentle voice came from behind. ¡°Mr. Winters, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here tonight.¡± Elias turned to see her and was genuinely surprised. ¡°Miss Carter, you¡¯re here too.¡± ¡°Yes, what a coincidence. Why didn¡¯t you bring Mrs. Winters with you?¡± ¡°Oh, Amanda has something else going on tonight, and she doesn¡¯t like these kinds of events. There¡¯s no need for me to insist.¡± Casey gave a slight smile, raising her wine ss to take a sip. She wished she could tell this man the truth: your wife isn¡¯t upied; she¡¯s meeting Symeon in secret! She changed her approach, hinting indirectly, ¡°Mr. Winters, I truly admire your wife. Your treat her so well. Regardless of what mistakes she might make, you¡¯d forgive her, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Elias nodded without much thought. ¡°More or less. I owe her a lot from the past.¡± ¡°Well, hypothetically speaking, if she were to betray you and have an affair, would you still forgive her?¡± Elias clearly didn¡¯t like this hypothetical scenario and furrowed his brows unhappily. ¡°No man likes being cuckolded. But Amanda wouldn¡¯t betray me.¡± ||| 34 ¡°I¡¯m just asking hypothetically. What would you do if your significant other cheated on you? My family is trying to set up an arranged marriage for me, and I¡¯m curious about how married people handle such situations.¡± Casey was seeking advice from a married man. Elias pondered for a while before responding, ¡°If she truly cheated on me, I would still love her and let her go. After all, I wouldn¡¯t want to see her suffer.¡± His response stunned Casey. 44 Chatper 541 Chapter 541 Chapter 541 You Like It Casey was left in a daze, staring at the man before her for a very long time. She couldn¡¯t help but recall the image of Amanda leaving the study at Gxy Bay earlier that day-disheveled clothing, tousled hair, flushed checks. There was no way something innocent had urred. in that study. She couldn¡¯t understand how someone as good as Elias could be betrayed by Amanda. After a long silence, Elias spoke up, ¡°But this is just my personal choice. Everyone¡¯s decisions. are different. If you find yourself in such a situation, follow your heart. Whether it¡¯s revenge or blessing, love itself doesn¡¯t follow any rules.¡± Tears welled up in Casey¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, love truly doesn¡¯t follow any rules.¡± She couldn¡¯t tell Elias about what she had witnessed earlier that day. After the incident where Elias had copsed and was rushed to the hospital, she learned about his recent major car ident and residual blood clots in his brain. He couldn¡¯t handle any more shocks or emotional distress. If she were to tell him about what she had seen at Gxy Bay, Elias might just faint again. She had to tread carefully and take it step by step. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve encountered some emotional setbacks, Miss Carter.¡± ¡°Yes, and no,¡± she replied. Was this really just an emotional setback? She had inexplicably given birth to Symeon¡¯s child, and she still had no idea how that had happened. Elias ced his wine ss down and said, ¡°Let me remind you, if it¡¯s about Lawrence, it¡¯s best to give up on that hope now. He¡¯s not a good man, and you two won¡¯t have any future. His presence here is only temporary; he¡¯ll return to Esmos sooner orter. It¡¯s gettingte; I should go back. My wife wouldn¡¯t be pleased if I¡¯mte.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned and left. Casey stood there, watching his retreating figure, deep in thought for a long time. She knew Symeon was unreliable and wouldn¡¯t actively pursue anything. However, she had already entered Symeon¡¯s world, and now she even had Dulcie. There was no escaping it. She would likely need Symeon¡¯s cooperation to regain custody of Dulcie and have Symeon relinquish parental rights. Judging by how much Symeon cared for Amanda, he would probably listen to whatever she said. When that time came, she could take Dulcie and leave, far away. Nothing was keeping her tied to the Carter Family. Her father was infatuated with his mistress, Eleanor, most of the time, and there was nothing she cherished about her family anymore. Elias didn¡¯t find Amanda in their bedroom in Winters Estate when Elias returned. Finally, he noticed the bathroom lights were on, so he took off his coat and entered. Inside the bathroom, Amanda was taking a bath, still pondering over the failed bid document. Sigh¡­ You already know it won¡¯t be so easy to obtain, Bailey. Then again, to think Symeon would harbor such hatred toward Elias. But what¡¯s there to hate? If it weren¡¯t for our interference, Symeon would probably still be deceived by Melissa Walters and kept in the dark forever! Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open. Amanda instinctively turned her head to see Elias. She reclined in the tub, soundingzy, ¡°Why are you back so soon? Weren¡¯t you supposed to attend the party?¡± ¡°I was worried you¡¯d be bored here alone, and the party is boring.¡± Elias walked over and sat on the edge of the bathtub, gazing at Amanda, whose skin was covered in bubbles, giving her an almost ethereal appearance. ¡°What are you staring at? Just so you know, it¡¯s off-limits. I¡¯m not feeling well these days, so that¡¯s not happening.¡± Elias¡¯ gaze was far from innocent; it was clear he had some mischievous thoughts. He chuckled softly. ¡°How do you know what I¡¯m thinking? Unless you¡¯re thinking the same. thing.¡± ¡°Be serious. Leave now; I¡¯ll be done in a moment.¡± ¡°What if we soak together? I¡¯m a bit tiredtely, too. There¡¯s been too much going on¡­¡± When she heard that he was tired, Amanda¡¯s heart sank. It must be because Symeon had been constantly opposing him that he felt exhausted. Taking the opportunity, she asked, ¡°Has Symeon been opposing you a lottely, and he even snatched your project partner?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about these things- Elias hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when Amanda interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m your wife; how could I not worry? You haven¡¯t told me what¡¯s really going on, and you¡¯re leaving me here to fret alone.¡± Elias fell silent for a few seconds, deciding that he should tell her the truth to prevent her from worrying needlessly. ¡°It¡¯s actually not that big of a deal. I¡¯m just concerned that they might tamper with the bid. documents. Lawrence has been quite generous, and their bids are consistently one percent. higher than ours. I suspect there might be someone within our organization leaking information to them.¡± Of course, it was still just a suspicion, and there was no concrete evidence. Amanda couldn¡¯t help but get nervous as well. ¡°Corporate espionage? What should we do? If this spy really exists, won¡¯t we lose this bidding again?¡± ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ve prepared two contingency ns to adapt to the situation.¡± When it came to work, Elias couldn¡¯t help but be serious again. ¡°Alright, since we¡¯re home from work, let¡¯s not talk about work. Let¡¯s rx,¡± Amanda said. Elias chuckled. ¡°I want to rx, but you don¡¯t, so I have to keep thinking about work.¡± This b*stard¡­ Seeing her silent, Elias began to coax her. ¡°Do you really want to see your husband exhausted like this every day, with nothing on his mind except work and no ce to relieve his fatigue?¡± ¡°Okay, okay, but don¡¯t take too long. I¡¯m tired too.¡± Elias¡¯ lips curled into an indulgent smile. ¡°I won¡¯t tire you out. Just cooperate.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve be more smooth-talkingtely. Where did you learn all this?¡± ¡°You like it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it! I still prefer the old, aloof Elias.¡± She joked. She actually preferred the current. Elias, who pampered her to no end. ¡°Is that so? Why do I feel like you find the current me harder to like?¡± ¡°Your feeling is wrong. You don¡¯t understand me at all. You better leave first and let me get dressed. Do you want me to stay in the bathtub all night?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. She had tried to get up several times, but Elias didn¡¯t move, as if he was nning to watch her get out of the tub. Elias smirked. ¡°We¡¯ve been married for years. Why are you being shy?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Amanda stood up straight from the bathtub, and indeed, she left Elias somewhat visually stunned for a few seconds. Chatper 542 Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Am I a Bad Woman in Your Eyes? It was already noon the next day when Amanda woke up. She was so exhausted that at one. point, when the maid came to call her for breakfast, she couldn¡¯t get up. She even missed sending Aiden to kindergarten. Last night, Elias had exhausted her for too long, leaving her feeling sore and tired. However, that man seemed refreshed and went to work as usual. When she woke up, it wasn¡¯t a natural awakening but rather a phone call that disturbed her. She reached for her phone and saw that it was Elias calling. She answered the phone somewhat irritably, ¡°What do you want? Are you calling to console me?¡± The man on the other end of the line chuckled indulgently. ¡°Yes, how are you feeling? Just woke up, huh? I heard you slept in all morning and didn¡¯t even have breakfast.¡± ¡°Could I even get up? How dare you ask that question? Don¡¯t you know how unreasonable you were last night!¡± Amanda didn¡¯t even have the energy to flip out. ¡°Okay, okay, it¡¯s all my fault. How abouting over for lunch? I¡¯ll treat you.¡± ¡°No need, I don¡¯t feel like going out. I¡¯ll just eat something at home.¡± ¡°Alright, suit yourself. If you get sleepy, just eat and go back to sleep.¡± Amanda¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°How is that any different from raising a pig? Eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating.¡± ¡°So what? I can afford it, and I¡¯m willing to do it.¡± ¡°Elias! You really have a sharp tongue. Well, you¡¯d better go earn money quickly, or you really won¡¯t be able to afford me. I¡¯m not easy to maintain.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go make money then. You better get up and have something to eat.¡± Despite feeling a bit angry, after hanging up the phone, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a warm and sweet sensation. ¨C Her current life was what she had always dreamed of the man she loved and her child were both with her, and it wasfortable and rxing. But there was still Symeon, like a ticking time bomb. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Symeon might surprise Elias at any moment. Casey arrived at Gxy Bay very early. As soon as she entered, she saw Symeon preparing to leave with Dulcie, who seemed ready for an outing, with a small backpack on her back. ¡°Are you taking her to kindergarten?¡± ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t need toe over to take care of her today. Go back,¡± Symeon replied, holding Dulcie in his arms, exuding a burst of fatherly warmth. Dulcie extended her little hand and greeted Casey, ¡°Good morning, Miss Casey. I¡¯m much better today. I¡¯m going to kindergarten, and I want to y with Aiden.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Casey replied. Symeon, holding Dulcie, walked past her, nning to leave. Casey followed, saying, ¡°Let mee along. I won¡¯t be a bother; I¡¯ll just help you drop Dulcie off at kindergarten.¡± Symeon ignored her, not wanting to lose his temper in front of the child and tarnish hist image as a father. During the drive, Symeon remained silent. Casey and Dulcie chatted in the back seat, engaging in whispered conversations. Symeon didn¡¯t attempt to join their conversation and instead focused on driving. After half an hour, they finally arrived at the kindergarten, and the three of them got out of the car. When the kindergarten teacher saw Dulcie, she happily greeted her, ¡°Hello, Dulcie! You¡¯re finally here at kindergarten. I and the other kids have missed you a lot. Are you feeling better. now?¡± Dulcie walked over and shyly replied, ¡°Thank you, teacher. I¡¯m much better now, and I¡¯ve missed you all too.¡± After leading Dulcie into the ssroom, the teacher turned to Symeon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dulcie¡¯s dad. We will take good care of her.¡± Symeon nced into the ssroom and instructed, ¡°Dulcie has a sensitive stomach, so please give her light and non-greasy food.¡± ¡°Okay, you and Dulcie¡¯s mom can rest assured. We will take good care of Dulcie.¡± Dulcie¡¯s mom? Symeon and Casey exchanged nces, and before Casey could speak, Symeon coldly said, ¡°She is not Dulcie¡¯s mother,¡± Casey felt a bit awkward, finding this man incredibly petty. The teacher also looked embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I thought she was Dulcie¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Well, take good care of Dulcie. We¡¯ll be on our way,¡± Symeon concluded, then turned and left. Casey looked back into the ssroom with lingering worry before departing reluctantly. Outside the kindergarten, Symeon, with an emotionless expression, said to her, ¡°Take a cab back by yourself. I have to go to the office.¡± ¡°Hey, are you really so ungentlemanly that you won¡¯t even give me a ride? It¡¯s rush hour and it¡¯s not easy to get a cab.¡± ¡°So what? It¡¯s not my concern. You can take the subway.¡± Symeon had already gotten into the car and was fastening his seatbelt. now, Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Casey, however, couldn¡¯t resist being sarcastic and snarky. ¡°If it were Amanda, you¡¯d probably be eager to offer her a ride, right?¡± The man paused for a moment, then let out a heartless chuckle. ¡°What do you have topare with her? She¡¯s more beautiful than you, more sessful in her career, and as a mother, she¡¯s far more responsible than you. Let me ask you, what have you ever done that¡¯s worthwhile? Sneaking into my bed, giving birth to my child, then abandoning her, and pretending to be innocent. Now, when the paternity test reveals the truth, you try to take Dulcie away. Tell me, what have you done that¡¯s right?¡± Symeon truly looked down on Casey, but he didn¡¯t know about her past experiences or why she couldn¡¯t remember the pregnancy and childbirth events. Casey was left speechless and felt like her self-esteem was being trampled upon. ¡°Do I appear to you as a bad woman?¡± she asked. bed, gave ¡°What else would you be? Have you done anything decent? You sneaked into my birth to my child, then abandoned them, only to confess when confronted with the DNA test. Now, you¡¯re trying to take the child away. Tell me, what have you done that¡¯s righteous?¡± Symeon didn¡¯t hold back in expressing his disdain for Casey. He didn¡¯t know the reasons. behind her actions or her inability to recall what happened during her pregnancy and childbirth. Casey wasn¡¯t denying her actions but genuinely couldn¡¯t remember what had transpired. ¡°I¡¯m not denying it; I genuinely don¡¯t remember these things. I even suspect I might have. amnesia, or else how could I have no recollection at all.¡± Symeon coldly suggested, ¡°I rmend you see a therapist. I can arrange one for you.¡± ¡°Do you have to be so hurtful with your words? Have I done anything terribly wrong? I¡¯ve admitted it now, and I¡¯ve promised to make it up to Dulcie. Why do you have to be like this? As a father, have you set a good example?¡± Casey retorted. Symeon couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. ¡°What have I done? As a father, am I chasing after at married woman now? Do you want your daughter to suffer like this in the future?¡± He unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the car door, and got out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? As a father, do you want your daughter to suffer like this in the future?¡± Chatper 543 Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Misunderstandings Between Amanda and Casey Symeon got angry when Dulcie was mentioned. ¡°Why are you bringing up Dulcie?¡± he snapped. ¡°You¡¯re chasing someone else¡¯s wife right now, and in the future, when your daughter gets married, do you want her to suffer if a homewreckeres into her life? You should start umting some virtue for your daughter!¡± Casey retorted, not knowing why she was so passionate, even a bit angry. She couldn¡¯t understand why Symeon was so insistent on destroying someone else¡¯s family, but then she thought about what she had witnessed outside the study the day before. It wasn¡¯t just Symeon¡¯s one-sided infatuation; it seemed to be mutual. Why would they want to hurt others like this? Don¡¯t they realize that having an affair is disgusting? Symeon was angry but also chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with you? And as for my daughter, even if she doesn¡¯t marry, I can still afford to support her. If I had known you were this kind. of person, I wouldn¡¯t havee to you in the first ce.¡± Symeon was furious but chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s it to you? Besides, I can still provide for my daughter, even if she doesn¡¯t marry. What you should do now is disappear from our father- daughter world. If I had known you were this kind of person, I wouldn¡¯t havee looking for you.¡± He now felt like he had brought trouble upon himself. Casey knew that trying to take Dulcie from him was a losing battle; he would never give custody to such an irresponsible woman. ¡°You!¡± ¡°What ¡®you? Just say what you have to say.¡± Casey struggled to contain her anger. She knew she couldn¡¯t win a verbal battle with this. man, so she decided to speak calmly. ¡°If you end up with the woman you love and have children with her, would you give Dulcie back to me?¡± Symeon found this question amusing. ¡°If I marry my woman, why would Dulcie be any of your concern? I won¡¯t let Dulcieck a father¡¯s love; she¡¯ll only get more.¡± ¡°But Dulcie might mind. She might not want to call your woman ¡®mom.¡¯ What if she can¡¯t adapt?¡± ||| O Symeon thought about this question very seriously and then replied, ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t let them meet. I won¡¯t embarrass my daughter, and I¡¯ll let her choose her own path.¡± ¡°What if Dulcie chooses to stay with me? After all, you¡¯re a father, and there are many secrets she can only share with her mother.¡± ¡°If ites to that, Dulcie can stay with you, but custody must remain with me.¡± Having made thismitment, Casey immediately felt relieved. If Dulcie could stay with. her, it didn¡¯t matter who had legal custody. But the condition now was whether Symeon could truly be with Amanda. Only then would. he not be preupied with Dulcie. Casey couldn¡¯t understand why Amanda, now that she and Symeon were already having an affair, didn¡¯t choose to divorce Elias. Continuing like this would only cause more harm, especially to the two children. They had done nothing wrong to deserve this. Symeon drove away, leaving Casey standing in ce. She dialed Amanda¡¯s number on her phone. She had considered countless ways to break up Amanda and Elias, but in the end, she realized she couldn¡¯t do it. She might as well confront Amanda directly. The call was quickly answered, and Amanda¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m Casey, Mrs. Winters. Can we meet? I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you. privately.¡± There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. ¡°Alright, you choose the location, and I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the coffee shop in the city center.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Casey looked around and realized she couldn¡¯t find a cab, so she decided to walk a few hundred meters ahead to catch the subway. At Winters Estate, Amanda wore a puzzled expression after hanging up the phone, unsure. why Casey would suddenly call her. It seemed quite mysterious, and she had no idea what Casey wanted to talk about. Nevertheless, she decided to go and find out. So, she changed into a different set of clothes. and drove herself to the city center. After about 40 minutes, she arrived at the coffee shop in the city center. As soon as she entered, she spotted Casey sitting in a corner, appearing as though she had been waiting for a long time. Amanda walked over and offered a polite smile. ¡°Miss Carter, what is it that discuss with me?¡± you wanted to Amanda took a seat, and Casey also smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s order something first.¡± A waiter approached, and Amanda casually ordered atte. Then she looked at Casey sitting across from her. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. I¡¯m quite curious about why you asked me to meet. you. What do you want to talk to me about?¡± ¡°I saw everything yesterday.¡± ¡°Yesterday? What did you see?¡± Amanda waspletely puzzled and couldn¡¯t understand what Casey was talking about. Casey¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I saw you at Gxy Bay Gry Bay? Amanda was shocked. How could Casey have seen her there? She hadn¡¯t even considered that Casey might have seen her at the vi; she had thought Casey had seen her in the neighborhood. ¡°I¡­ I was visiting a friend. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± Casey couldn¡¯t believe Amanda was continuing to lie, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Elias. ¡°Mrs. Winters, I mean, I saw you at Symeon¡¯s house,ing out of his study.¡± Amanda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You were at Symeon¡¯s house too yesterday? How did you end up there?¡± She truly didn¡¯t expect Casey to be at Symeon¡¯s house, and she hadn¡¯t seen Casey there yesterday. Casey saw meing out of the study? What does this entail? Did she catch me searching in Symeon¡¯s study? But what did it matter? She wasn¡¯t afraid of Casey reporting her to Symeon, as he had already seen through her. Im not asking why you were there. But why are you telling me this? Even if you saw me leaving the study, what does it matter?¡± Casey was taken aback by Amanda¡¯s righteousness and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve done anything wrong at all? How can you justify this behavior to Mr. Winters when he has been so good to you?¡± Casey couldn¡¯t bring herself to criticize Amanda and Symeon¡¯s behavior directly. She didn¡¯t. want to be too harsh in her words, especially since she still had a somewhat favorable impression of this woman. Amanda smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not entirely right or honorable, but I¡¯m doing it for Elias¡¯ good.¡± The two of them were clearly not on the same page, and they were talking about entirely. different things. Casey mistakenly believed that Amanda and Symeon were having an affair, while Amanda thought Casey was referring to her actions in stealing the bidding documents. Casey was bewildered. Her moralpass had beenpletely shattered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe. you¡¯re saying these things. You and Symeon¡­ this is for Mr. Winters¡¯ good? Are you sure he won¡¯t be angry when he finds out?¡± ¡°Of course, he¡¯ll be angry, but I¡¯ll be honest with him. Just not right now. He¡¯s swamped with the her coffee. Casey couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°So, for what¡¯s between you and Symeon, you need to pick the right moment to confess to Elias?¡± Chatper 544 Chapter 544 Chapter 544 I¡¯m Not Interested in Her, and She¡¯s Not Interested in Me Amanda couldn¡¯t quite understand Casey¡¯s strange reaction. Why is this woman so concerned about my rtionship with Elias? Amanda narrowed her eyes slightly and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Miss Carter, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve actually fallen for Elias. He¡¯s not only a married man but also has a son.¡± The cafe bustled with people, but the atmosphere between the two women was extremely tense. Casey didn¡¯t expect to be turned against like this and forced a smile. ¡°Mrs. Winters, that¡¯s exactly what I wanted to tell you. If you don¡¯t cherish this happy marriage, sooner orter, another woman will interfere.¡± Is she dering war on me? A sneer escaped Amanda. ¡°So, you¡¯re dering war on me?¡± If Amanda hadn¡¯t misunderstood, Casey hade to her and openly stated her intention to insert herself into Amanda and Elias¡¯ marriage. She hoped she had misunderstood. But Casey firmly replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re not worthy of a great man like Elias. If you hadn¡¯t done what you did with Symeon, there might have been room forpromise. But now, it¡¯s impossible, especially since you¡¯ve decided to find the right time to confess to Mr. Winters.¡± Better to rip the bandage off quickly. Elias needed to know about what had happened. between Amanda and Symeon, and he needed to make a decision sooner rather thanter. Amanda looked at Casey, who had a gentle and clean appearance. She felt that this woman. was different from the others. Could she have been wrong? Moreover, Amanda was at fault for trying to steal the bidding documents from Symeon¡¯s house. However, she hadn¡¯t seeded. Did that really make her unworthy of Elias? This seemed like a deliberate provocation! ¡°Miss Carter, if you want to be a mistress, you don¡¯t need to be so long-winded with. excuses. The reasons you¡¯re giving me all seem like jokes.¡± Since it hade to this, there was no need to pretend anymore. your ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a joke? You¡¯re awyer, a prestigious one at that. Don¡¯t you have any moral boundaries?¡± Casey couldn¡¯t understand why Amanda was so unapologetic, especially since she was a high-profile lawyer. Didn¡¯t she find infidelity distasteful? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I admit that going to Symeon¡¯s house and doing what I did in the study was wrong. But that¡¯s not a reason for you to be a third party. If you¡¯re determined to interfere in our marriage, then let¡¯s see who wins.¡± With that, Amanda got up and left, taking her bill with her. Casey watched Amanda¡¯s departing figure and couldn¡¯t help but grip her coffee cup tightly. She had only wanted to remind Amanda to leave on her own ord, but Amanda seemedpletely ungrateful. Moreover, she didn¡¯t think anything was wrong with what had happened between her and Symeon in the study the day before. Of course, why would someone who cheated think they were wrong? If they knew it was wrong, they wouldn¡¯t have cheated in the first ce. Casey couldn¡¯t help but smile, a mocking expression on her face. She had identally stumbled upon Symeon and Amandaing out of the study the day before. Who knew how many secret meetings they had had before?! Thinking about how Elias had been kept in the dark was rather pitiful, but she couldn¡¯t proactively expose the truth. Firstly, Elias wouldn¡¯t believe her and might even think she was. trying to sow discord. Secondly, Elias might distance himself from her and not want to see her again. She needed to gather evidence of Amanda and Symeon meeting privately again to make Elias believe her. However, now that Amanda knew, they would likely be more cautious during their next secret rendezvous. It might not be so easy to catch them again. Winters Enterprise, president¡¯s office¡­ Elias had just finished a meeting and was passing by the secretary¡¯s area when his secretary up and informed him, ¡°Mr. Winters, Mrs. Winters is here, waiting for you in the office.¡± stood Upon hearing that Amanda had arrived, a faint smile finally appeared on his face. The meeting had been infuriating, as these ipetents couldn¡¯t aplish anything without his direct supervision. Now, the thought of his dear wife¡¯s presence allowed him a moment of rxation. Without dy, he returned to his office and found Amanda casually flipping through at magazine on the guest area¡¯s couch. Her nonchnt appearance exuded a captivating allure. Amandazily nced up and asked, ¡°You¡¯re done with the meeting?¡± Elias ced his documents on the coffee table and sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her slender waist. ¡°Why did you suddenly decide toe see me?¡± She picked up a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°I was passing by and thought I¡¯d check on you. See if you¡¯ve been working hard to make money. Otherwise, how can I stayfortably at home?¡± Amanda saw ayer of sweat on his forehead and couldn¡¯t help but assist him. Elias chuckled. ¡°You saw it, didn¡¯t you? So, are you reassured now? Your husband was nearly driven to anger by those useless people.¡± ¡°Why are you getting angry on such a hot day? Can¡¯t you have a better temper? Everyone is doing their best.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll listen to my wife. I¡¯ll work on my temper.¡± Elias picked up her delicate hand and started ying with her fingers as if examining some precious artifact with great care. Amanda smiled. Seeing Elias like this, she couldn¡¯t bear to let Caseye between them and destroy their marriage. Absolutely not. Elias suddenly spoke, ¡°There¡¯s a jewelry auction tomorrow. Would you like to go? I¡¯ll buy you a ring.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m not interested in these things. I already have one to wear.¡± ¡°Also, about our wedding from before, I forgot because of my car ident. Let¡¯s make up for it. Once I¡¯m less busy, I¡¯ll have them start nning the wedding. We can have Aiden be the ring bearer.¡± Elias found the image of their son participating in their wedding to be quite entertaining. It added a unique touch. Amanda suddenly asked, ¡°What do you think of Casey?¡± Elias furrowed his brow slightly. Why is she bringing up Casey again? Wasn¡¯t that all in the past? ¡°Haven¡¯t you met her in person and heard her exnation? Why are you digging up old matters?¡± ¡°No, I just want to hear your opinion of her. What do you think of her character?¡± Amanda gazed at him seriously, waiting for his response. This was crucial to whether or not Casey could sessfullye between them. s though carefully for momen and rent holkabout her character? I¡¯ve only met her a few times and don¡¯t tann mouch shannst hann Tens¡¯te character Do you think the would there ispany pay plumfup? and theat Thi garation couple line of pussel Those would me that thee to you do mipleposent in het die leser To that the refun Flim hold Amanda¡¯s chin booking or how to Top nesting one partist and leaving wild though Elias thought carefully for a moment and replied, ¡°How would I know about her character? I¡¯ve only met her a few times and don¡¯t know much about her. I can¡¯tment on her character.¡± ¡°Do you think she would interfere in someone else¡¯s rtionship?¡± This question caught Elias off guard. ¡°How would I know that either? Are you worried that she might come between us? Well, don¡¯t worry. I have no interest in her, and she has not interest in me.¡± ¡°Is that really the case? What if she is interested in you?¡± Elias held Amanda¡¯s chin, looking at her seriously. ¡°Are you nearing your period and having wild thoughts?¡± Chatper 545 Chapter 545 Chapter 545 On-site Bidding Meeting ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question, so answer me directly. What does that have to do with whether I¡¯m on my period?¡± Amanda furrowed her brows and unhappily removed the man¡¯s hand. The man was clearly averse to this question. Why did he imagine a love rival for himself for no reason? ¡°Amanda, what¡¯s the point of discussing hypothetical situations? It won¡¯t happen, and even if it does, I won¡¯t pay any attention to them, so you have nothing to worry about.¡± Elias didn¡¯t want her to worry about unnecessary things. Maybe being idle at home has made her overthink things. He continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue working on your studio? Didn¡¯t you want to open aw firm? Though it got dyed because of the car ident and Aiden¡¯s matter before, you have plenty of time now.¡± Amanda finally understood what he meant and smiled. ¡°I understand. You think I¡¯m bored at home, which is why I¡¯m thinking about these meaningless questions, right?¡± ¡°No, I just think you can do something you enjoy. Weren¡¯t you passionate about upholding justice before? You put in so much effort to be a renownedwyer. It would be a shame. to give it all up, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Of course it would be a shame. I will open my ownw firm and n to do it soon. But back to the question I just asked, do you think I¡¯m being unreasonable?¡± Amanda suddenly felt aggrieved, like she had be an unreasonable and nagging woman in the man¡¯s eyes. But if she were to tell Elias that Casey had confronted her today and said she wanted to intervene in their marriage, he would certainly not believe it. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Elias realized that reasoning was futile, so he decided to take a more direct approach. He firmly held Amanda¡¯s head in his hand and forcefully kissed her before she could react, silencing her anger. Amanda struggled to push him away, but he kissed her even more passionately. As she pounded his chest with her fists, she gradually got caught up in the passionate kiss as well. After who knows how long, Elias finally let her go and watched her panting with a smile. ¡°Do you still wish to continue arguing? If you do, I¡¯ll kiss you again. I am pretty free now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so shameless.¡± ¡°Is this how you should be speaking to your husband?¡± he said. ¡°I advise you to take back that statement. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off so easily tonight.¡± Speechless, Amanda¡¯s face turned red in an instant, and she stood up, preparing to leave. However, the man pulled her back into his arms and sat her on hisp. ¡°Have lunch with me, okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. You can eat by yourself. I¡¯m going home to eat alone.¡± ¡°Dear, are you angry?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I just don¡¯t want to eat with you.¡± Elias held her slender waist. ¡°But I want you to eat with me.¡± Amanda struggled to get up, but no matter what, the man wouldn¡¯t let her leave his embrace. During the interview session that afternoon. Casey nned to apply for Winters Enterprise first because she had to find a reasonable excuse to get close to Elias. Now, she could bepletely at ease because Amanda didn¡¯t think she did anything wrong at all and even nned to find the right time to confess everything to Elias. In other words, Elias would sooner orter face that Amanda betrayed him. Casey changed into a professional suit and stood outside the interview room with her. resume in hand, waiting. Suddenly, someone came out and shouted, ¡°Casey Carter, it¡¯s your turn.¡± She stood up, took her resume, and entered the interview room. When she entered, Casey was still nervous. After all, Winters Enterprise was an internationalpany, so the interview should be strict. After sitting down, she looked at the row of interviewers in front of her, waiting for them to ask questions. Just as the interviewer was about to ask a question, the door of the interview room was pushed open. Everyone instinctively looked over, and Casey was shocked to see that it was Elias himself! She never thought the interview would also attract Elias. She just wanted to enter Winters Enterprise unnoticed, so she instinctively lowered her head. As Elias entered the room, his pitch-ck eyes slightly widened when he saw Casey sitting there. He didn¡¯t expect her toe for an interview. The Carter Family¡¯spany seems to be doing well. Why would shee to Winters Enterprise instead? He just stood by and listened for about ten minutes, then left. After all, he was just passing by and happened toe in and take a look. Seeing the man leave, Casey was able to answer the questions confidently. After the interview, Casey walked out and nned to go home. Just as she reached the elevator, she ran into Elias, who was also walking over. What a coincidence¡­ Elias Winters looked at her and took the initiative to speak. ¡°Miss Casey, why did you think ofing here for an interview?¡± ¡°I want to rely on my own efforts and see if I can seed on my own. My stepmother is quite. hostile toward me at home, and I have also fallen out with my father, so I can only find a job. on my own.¡± The man nodded. ¡°I see. Then I wish you sess in the interview. I¡¯m sorry to say that I have no control over the hiring process, so I won¡¯t interfere with the results.¡± ¡°I understand. I didn¡¯t mean to use any connections to get hired. If I don¡¯t seed in the interview, it just means that I¡¯m not suitable for Winters Enterprise, and I will send my resume to otherpanies.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good.¡± With a ding, the elevator door opened, and Elias looked at her. ¡°After you. I need to go up.¡± Casey nodded and walked into the elevator. Once the elevator door closed, Elias¡¯ expression changed slightly. He thought of Casey¡¯s sudden appearance for an interview and the inexplicable things Amanda said to him in the office. It was still necessary for him to keep his distance from Casey, or else Amanda might feel ufortable. A few dayster, at the bidding conference. Elias and Symeon personally came to represent their respective family businesses. While waiting for the final bidding result, it was clear that although there were a total of 25panies participating in the bidding, only one would be selected between Winters Enterprise and the Lawrence Family business. Yacob sat next to Elias and whispered, ¡°I have someone keeping an eye on them, so there shouldn¡¯t be any tricks.¡± ¡°But now I am certain that we do have a mole within our organization,¡± Elias said expressionlessly. Yacob was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Winters, why would you say that?¡± Elias turned his head and observed Symeon¡¯sposed demeanor, remarking, ¡°Take a look at the expression on his face. It looks like he¡¯s anticipating a triumph. He must be feeling confident, which exins his calmness.¡± Chatper 546 Chapter 546 Chapter 546 You Put In Less Effort Than Amanda Over half an hourter, it came as no surprise that Lawrence Group eventually won the bidding. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Elias wasn¡¯t surprised either, so he wasn¡¯t too angry and simply got up to leave the bidding. meeting. Outside the venue, Yacob followed behind Elias and walked toward the parking lot. Symeon¡¯s voice came from behind them. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not surprised by the result.¡± Upon hearing this, Elias stopped and waited for Symeon to catch up before saying, ¡°I just want to tell you that those who do wrong will eventually face the consequences. What¡¯s more, there¡¯s nothing to be happy about things obtained through such means.¡± ¡°Mr. Winters, you didn¡¯t put in the same effort as your wife did. At least she came and talked to me once. Even though I didn¡¯t agree to anything, she has obviously put in more effort than you.¡± When Amanda was mentioned, Elias¡¯ face darkened slightly. ¡°What did you say? Amanda came to find you?¡± ¡°Yes, Amanda came to find me. She wanted to steal my bidding documents, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t find them. Actually, I didn¡¯t hide them very well, but she still doesn¡¯t know me well enough, so she searched around and couldn¡¯t find them.¡± Symeon¡¯s words were filled with a hint of regret. Elias clenched his fist. He might have punched him right away if they weren¡¯t in a public ce. ¡°Yacob, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± They quickly left the ce while Symeon stood there watching their backs and sneered. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s over? This is just the beginning.¡± At the Carter Residence. Casey had been anxiously waiting at home for the interview results. But it had been two days, and still no results. Did I get rejected? Just as she poured a ss of water and was about to drink it, her younger brother, Peter, bumped into her while running around the house. The ss in her hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. ¡°What are you doing, Peter? The ss broke.¡± She was about to squat down and clean up the mess when Peter stepped on it with his foot, causing blood to flow out. He immediately burst into tears. ¡°Ouch! My foot hurts! Mom, help me! Sobs-¡± Seeing this scene, Casey panicked and quickly carried Peter to the couch to check the sole of his foot, only to realize that the little guy had been running around the house without wearing shoes. When she saw several pieces of broken ss stuck in his foot, she knew she had to rush him to the hospital because there was no way to deal with it at home. Upon hearing her son¡¯s cry, Eleanor quickly ran downstairs and panicked when she saw the bloodstains on the floor. ¡°What¡¯s going on, huh? How did this happen? Why is there blood? There¡¯s broken ss, too! Peter, let me see what¡¯s happened.¡± Eleanor rushed over and pushed Casey aside. Then, she looked at her son¡¯s bleeding foot, shouting in distress, ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did you step on ss? Tell me!¡± Before Casey could exin, Peter cried and used, ¡°It was Casey who broke the ss, and I stepped on it. Mom, my foot hurts so much. Take me to the hospital quickly. I¡¯m dying! There¡¯s so much blood.¡± Upon hearing this, Eleanor was furious, and she turned around and pped Casey, saying, ¡°Casey, how could you be so cruel? You¡¯re a grownup, yet you are still picking on a child. Did you purposely break the ss to make him step on it? Don¡¯t you know how painful it is? How malicious of you. You¡¯re just like your mother. No wonder your father wants nothing to do with her. Now I finally understand why.¡± Stunned by the p, Casey thought that Peter was indeed following in his mother¡¯s footsteps, full of lies. The next second, Casey couldn¡¯t hold back and pped Eleanor in return, knocking thetter to the ground. Peter cried even louder when he saw that. The living room instantly became chaotic. Philip, who was in a video conference upstairs, finally came downstairs and was dumbfounded when he saw this scene. How did it turn into such a chaotic mess in just a few moments? ¡°What¡¯s happening here? Stop crying, all of you!¡± Peter held his bleeding foot and cried, ¡°Casey broke the ss and hurt my foot, and she also hit Mom. She¡¯s a meanie! A meanie!¡± Hearing this, Philip was furious. ¡°Casey! How did you turn into this? You even hurt your younger brother. Also, how could you hit your elders?¡± ¡°You only believe what they say. Would you believe what I say? Your son was running around. the house and bumped into me, causing the ss to fall and break on the floor. It¡¯s his own. fault for stepping on it. What does it have to do with me?¡± Casey had just finished speaking when Philip couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and pped her. ¡°You¡¯ve be just as unreasonable as your mother!¡± ¡°Philip Carter! If you dare say another bad word about my mother, I¡¯ll kill your son!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Eleanor and even Philip were shocked. When did hist gentle and weak daughter be so terrifying? Eleanor picked up Peter and ran away, saying, ¡°I will take you to the hospital. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Philip looked at his daughter, who was now full of rage, and shouted, ¡°Get out! From now on, you¡¯ll no longer be my daughter. If I keep you as my daughter, I fear that I won¡¯t be able to live much longer. Get out of here!¡± ¡°You said it yourself.¡± Tears welled up in Casey¡¯s eyes. She wiped them away, turned around, and left the Carter Residence, not even bothering to change out of her slippers or her casual clothes. Philip watched her leaving figure and the shattered ss on the floor, feeling so angry that he couldn¡¯t even stand steady. Late that night. Casey wandered the streets aimlessly, but there was nowhere for her to seek shelter. Unconsciously, she walked to the outskirts of the Gxy Bay Vi area. But she didn¡¯t have. an ess card and couldn¡¯t enter. She could only squat pitifully next to the green belt on the side. Unfortunately, the weather suddenly changed and started to drizzle. At that moment, she caught sight of a stray cat while she was desperately searching for a ce to seek shelter from the rain. Soon after, a car came to a halt in front of her, and its headlights were aimed at her face, making it hard for her to open her eyes. The door swung open, and a man holding a ck umbre emerged, positioning himself in front of her to shield her from the wind and rain. Casey looked up and finally recognized the man standing before her-It was Symeon. She was about to speak, but due to being soaked in the rain for too long and catching a cold, she immediately copsed onto the ground, losing consciousness. Symeon gazed at the woman lying on the ground and muttered in frustration, ¡°You fool, couldn¡¯t you have made a phone call?¡± Disregarding her soaking body, he lifted her up and ced her in the car¡¯s back seat, then slowly drove into the residential area. Chatper 547 Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Love Is Hard To Exin The following morning, Casey woke up to find herself in a soft andfortable bed. Then, she realized that it was already the next morning. Suddenly, she felt someone holding her hand. When she looked over, it was Dulcie. Am I at Symeon¡¯s house? She could only remember a man stariding in front of her with an umbrest night, and then she passed out. But then she remembered that the man was Symeon! Struggling to sit up, she asked, ¡°Dulcic, where is your father?¡± Dulcie saw that Casey was awake, and her big, innocent eyes widened. She eximed, ¡°Wow! Miss Casey, you¡¯re awake. My daddy asked me to stay here with you. He said you would be very happy to see me when you wake up.¡± ¡°Yes, I am very happy. So, where is your daddy?¡± ¡°Daddy is in the study. It¡¯s raining today, so he didn¡¯t go to work and stayed home with me,¡± Dulcie answered like a well-behaved child. Casey smiled and patted her head. ¡°Dulcie, why don¡¯t you go y for a while? I¡¯ll go talk to your daddy ande back to watch cartoons with youter.¡± ¡°Okay! Daddy said we can¡¯t go anywhere today because it¡¯s raining.¡± ¡°Yes, today your daddy and I will both stay at home with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Dulcie happily ran off to y. Afterward, Casey got up, feeling tired but much better than the previous night. She realized that her fever was gone, and there was medicine on the bedside table. In the study. When Symeon heard a knock on the door, he was in the middle of looking at an electronic contract on hisputer. He closed the webpage and said, ¡°Come in.¡± The study door opened, and Casey walked in. Upon seeing her, the man didn¡¯t react much. He coldly asked, ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°¡­ I came to thank you. Thank you for taking me inst night. I had a fight with my family yesterday, 50¡­. ¡°This is your family matter, so you don¡¯t need to tell me, nor am I interested in it. I took you in to repay for taking care of Dulcie all these days. Besides, you are Dulcie¡¯s biological mother, and It¡¯ll be unjust of me to be rude to you.¡± The man¡¯s attitude was so cold that it sent chills down Casey¡¯s spine. you Casey suddenly had nothing to say and nodded with a smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to your work and head outside first.¡± < ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Casey looked confused. Symeon said, ¡°Remember to take your medicine. The fever may be gone now, but it mighte back.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. Thank you. I¡¯ll leave as soon as I¡¯m better and find another ce to stay. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble or let your¡­ misunderstand us.¡± She meant to say his girlfriend, but that woman was no girlfriend. Symeon had cheated, after all. Symeon ignored her and continued with his work. He wasn¡¯t interested in what Casey thought of him or why she was kicked out of her housest night. After Casey left the study, she ran into the nanny, holding a cup of hot tea. ¡°Miss Casey, why are you out here? I was just about to bring this up to you. Drinking this. It¡¯ll make you feel better faster.¡± ¡°Thank you, Penny. I really appreciate it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You took care of Dulcie during the days she was feeling unwell and helped me a lot. I should be the one thanking you.¡± Penny smiled and waved her hand, then handed her the hot tea. Since Casey couldn¡¯t refuse, she finished the tea in one gulp. ¡°Miss Casey, you should go back and rest. Rest is the key to recovering from a cold and fever. When you¡¯re well-rested, your body will recover faster. By the way, you can let me know what you want for lunch. I¡¯m going to buy groceries now anyway.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much appetite. You can make anything you like, but I probably won¡¯t eat much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s normal to not have much appetite when having a cold and fever. Then I¡¯ll make something light for you,¡± Penny said with a smile. Casey nodded with a smile but felt a pang in her heart. Even a stranger like Penny cared about her so much, but her own father only had that mistress and her son in his mind. He didn¡¯t care about her at all. Morcover, she had been away from home sincest night, and he hadn¡¯t even made a phone call. Did Philip not notice the heavy rainst night? He must have, but he only cares about Eleanor and his young son. ¡°Thank you, Penny.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Go back and rest quickly. Oh, by the way, Miss Casey, I noticed that Mr. Lawrence treats you differently. He personally carried you here yesterday and took care of you all night. He even changed. your dirty clothes.¡± ¡°What? He changed my clothes?¡± As soon as Casey thought of that, her face turned red with embarrassment. How could she let Symeon change her clothes for her? Penny covered her mouth andughed. ¡°Yes, he did. I was busy bathing Dulcie at that time, and you were burning up, so Mr. Lawrence changed your clothes for you, helped you put on clean clothes, and even fed you your medicine. If you didn¡¯t know, you would think you two were dating.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Us. Dating? Just thinking about it made her feel ridiculous. It was unfortunate that Symeon liked Amanda and not her. So what if he changed her clothes? She had slept with him before. Otherwise, where did Dulciee from? ¡°Mr. Lawrence¡­ is a good man, and I am very grateful to him.¡± ¡°Yes, you need to work hard and try your best to win over Miss Bailey. You and Mr. Lawrence are quite compatible. I heard that Mr. Bailey¡¯s father is a mix between Cludan and Esmorian, and his mother is also Cludaian. So, he might also marry a Cludaian woman. Moreover, Mr. Lawrence doesn¡¯t look like a foreigner and is appealing to us. He is tall and handsome, so you should consider it carefully; otherwise, you might lose to other women.¡± ¡°I¡­ even if I like him, he doesn¡¯t like me. I can¡¯t force him to be with me.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Love can¡¯t be forced. Forget it. I¡¯ll go and buy groceries.¡± Penny turned and left, leaving Casey standing there, alone and with a face full of helplessness. It would have been great if Symeon didn¡¯t like Amanda. At least she could try to integrate into this family and be his wife and a good mother to Dulcie. Unfortunately, feelings couldn¡¯t be forced.¡± Meanwhile, at the Carter Residence. Philip did not go to thepany all day. Instead, he sat in the living room, anxiously waiting for his daughter to return so that he could scold her. However, she hadn¡¯t returned. He couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. His son, Peter, began to scream and shout once again, and Eleanorined, ¡°It¡¯s all Casey¡¯s fault. She injured my son¡¯s foot. What if it leaves a scar?¡± ¡°If it does leave a scar, he will learn his lesson and won¡¯t run around the house barefooted in the future,¡± Philip said coldly. Chatper 548 Chapter 548 Chapter 548 You¡¯ve Been epted ¡°Watch how you speak to us. Even if you¡¯re angry, you shouldn¡¯t take it out on us. It¡¯s your daughter who made you angry. What does it have to do with us?¡± Eleanorined unhappily. Philip was already annoyed, and herints only made it worse. Ever since he married Eleanor, there hasn¡¯t been a moment of peace in their home. Sometimes, he truly envied his friends¡¯ harmonious families. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You don¡¯t know how to manage a family. I don¡¯t understand how my friends¡¯ families. can be so harmonious. Even though they¡¯re blended families too, their wives can get along so well with their husband¡¯s children. But why can¡¯t you do it? You¡¯ve been in the Carter Family for so many years, but you still can¡¯t handle Casey. You¡¯ve even turned us against each other.¡± Philip had a lot of pent-up anger, and Eleanor happened toe over, so he vented it all out on her. Eleanor¡¯s temper exploded instantly, and she pointed at her son¡¯s foot wrapped in gauze. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you have any sense of reason? It¡¯s your daughter who intentionally injured my son¡¯s foot. She wants to cripple my son so that she can inherit all of your assets, yet you still say I don¡¯t know how to manage a family. She¡¯s an ungrateful child. How do you expect me to be good to her?¡± Eleanor wanted to drive Casey out of the house, and this was a rare opportunity she couldn¡¯t miss. She absolutely couldn¡¯t let this father and daughter reconcile. ¡°Why are you shouting? Do you even understand how inheritance works? You don¡¯t understand anything. yet you bber all day long. Inheriting the family fortune has nothing to do with being disabled or not. Even if Peter is disabled, he can still inherit my assets. Casey has no reason to do such things!¡± ¡°Then why can¡¯t your daughter be more epting and acknowledge that you have a biological son? You should know she refused to acknowledge my son as her brother while I was pregnant!¡± Philip furrowed his brows and sighed. ¡°Alright, stop talking. She hasn¡¯te back yet. It seems like she¡¯s furious and didn¡¯t bring her bank card, money, or ID. I don¡¯t even know where she spent the night.¡± ¡°Your daughter is already in her twenties. Why are you so worried? Doesn¡¯t she have ssmates and friends?¡± Eleanor¡¯s tone was full of disdain. After hearing that, Philip became more and more worried. He wanted to go out and take a look, worried he might receive bad newster and regret waiting this long. Just as he was about to get up and leave, Peter came over and hugged his leg. ¡°Dad, stay with me. My foot hurts so much, and I don¡¯t want Casey toe back. She always bullies me.¡± ¡°Peter Carter, that¡¯s enough! She¡¯s your sister. Do you think I don¡¯t know how you injured your foot? You always like to run around the house without wearing shoes. Who can you me after stepping on broken ss? This is all your sister¡¯s fault, but aren¡¯t you also responsible?¡± Philip usually doted on his son, but no matter how much he doted on him, he still had to teach him the right principles. ¡°Philip, that¡¯s enough. There¡¯s a limit to how biased you can be. My son¡¯s foot is injured, but you¡¯re scolding him.¡± Eleanor stepped forward and hugged her son. However, Philip couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her. ¡°I¡¯m going out to look for her. If something happens to her, I¡¯ll regret it for the rest of my life.¡± 13Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Eleanor held him back. ¡°Where are you going to look? Imperia is huge. How are you going to find her? If she doesn¡¯t want to be found, you won¡¯t be able to find her.¡± ¡°What should we do then? Just sit here and wait for news of her death?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯lle back sooner orter. With no money and ID card, she can¡¯t do anything¡± ¡°But what if she doesn¡¯te back? Casey is heartbroken, and I told her to leave. If I don¡¯t go and apologize, will she even swallow her pride and submit?¡± Philip regretted the harsh words he said yesterday. Still trying to persuade him to stay, Eleanor said, ¡°If she were that determined, she would have left this house long ago. She wille back. Just wait and see.¡± Gxy Bay. Casey slept again the whole day and clearly felt much better that evening. During dinner, Symeon was not at home either, so it was just her, Dulcie, and the nanny eating together. Little girls ate delicately. As she watched Dulcie eat, she couldn¡¯t help but remember her own childhood when her mother was still around. She would always be by her mother¡¯s side, letting her mother feed her. Tears couldn¡¯t help but flow down her cheeks as she thought about it. Dulcie looked at her crying and became a little flustered. ¡°Miss Casey, why are you crying? Is the food not good, or are you too hungry?¡± ¡°No, I just miss my mom.¡± Speaking of missing her mom, Dulcie pouted and lowered her head. ¡°I miss my mom too, but Daddy says. she¡¯s not my mom. She¡¯s a bad woman. ¡°Dulcie, was your previous mom good to you?¡± She was really curious about where Symeon found Dulcie. ording to Dulcie, she didn¡¯t grow up Symeon and only recently returned to his side. with Dulcie whispered, ¡°Yes, my mom and grandma were very good to me, but after Daddy found me, my mom didn¡¯t want me anymore, and neither did my grandma. They abandoned me and gave me to Dad. I don¡¯t know why.¡± It was so sad to hear Dulcie say that¡­ Such a young child being tossed around like an object and without a stable home. Casey gently touched Dulcie¡¯s head. ¡°Dulcie, no one will abandon you anymore, okay?¡± ¡°Really? Daddy also told me the same thing. Although he can be strict, he is still good to me.¡± Dulcie could feel it, too. Although Symeon wasn¡¯t always gentle, he took care of her in every way and would do many things for her, like telling stories and taking her to the mall. ¡°Well, you should believe your daddy¡¯s words. He will definitely not abandon you. Eat your meal now. It won¡¯t taste good when it gets cold.¡± 23 fa de poetion. Your job offer letter w ¡°Really¡±Thank Really Thank you an I love in Gxy Ray Vi Bera, 6th house on the Bear mor You¡¯re wee. The pb offer letter wo per Aber ending the call Casey united This onger need to sele on her facher Dukin nodded obediently and continued to eat her meal. Just then, Casey¡¯s phone began to ring. She nced at the screen and saw an unfamiliar number. After hesitating for a few seconds, she decided to answer the call. To her surprise, a soft and gentle female voice spoke from the other end. ¡°Miss Carter, this is the Human Resources Department of Winters Enterprise. We are pleased to inform you that you have been epted for the position. Your job offer letter will be delivered tomorrow. Could you please provide us with your address?¡± ¡°Really? Thank you so much! I live in Gxy Bay Vi Area, fifth house on the first row.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. The job offer letter will be delivered tomorrow. You are required to report to the company within five days.¡± After ending the call, Casey smiled. This was great news! Being epted meant she could finally have a job and no longer need to rely on her father or worry about her stepmother¡¯s mood. Chatper 549 Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Taking Dulcie to the Movies After hanging up the phone, Casey heard her phone ringing again. She picked it up and nced at it, and her smile froze because the call was from her father, Philip. Not wanting to answer the call, she hung up directly. But the phone kept ringing as if it had to be answered by her. Casey was annoyed, so she reluctantly put the phone to her ear and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, your dad.¡± Philip¡¯s voice on the phone was extremely awkward, and he still had the air of a father. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. I can hear it from your voice.¡± She didn¡¯t want to say anything to Philip now. ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude? The older you get, the more disobedient you be. You were so obedient when you were little.¡± ¡°When I was little, what I had was not obedience but foolishness. If I had known that you were such an irresponsible man and had let down my mom, I would have left with my mom a long time ago. Maybe my mom wouldn¡¯t have ended upmitting suicide.¡± ¡°You! How can you talk to your dad like that? Do you have any manners? You¡¯re talking as if I killed your mom.¡± Casey sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it true? If you hadn¡¯t insisted on marrying that mistress and divorcing my mom, why would she havemitted suicide!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your mom couldn¡¯t ept it. I told her Eleanor was pregnant, so I had to marry her. I couldn¡¯t just let her get an abortion. Besides, your mom and I divided our assets equally, and we would. still raise you together. But she just couldn¡¯t ept the reality. How can you me me for that?¡± Philip felt wronged and didn¡¯t think it was his fault at all. Casey hung up the phone directly, feeling that she could no longermunicate with her father. Anyway, her mother had given her all the shares, and if that vixen Eleanor dared to have any ideas about her shares, she would soon instigate her father toe and find her. Therefore, she simply stayed away. Since she couldn¡¯t avoid it, she could just stay away from them. At night, Symeon exited the study, and Dulcie pestered him to go out and y. She had been cooped up at home all day and was going crazy. Daddy, I want to go out and y. Can you and Miss Casey take me out? I want to watch the PAW Patrol movie. Many kids from kindergarten have already watched it, but I haven¡¯t.¡± Symeon picked her up and said, ¡°But it¡¯s time for dinner. We¡¯ll go after we eat, okay?¡± ¡°No, I want to finish the movie first. I¡¯ll be a good girl and eat my dinner.¡± Dulcie¡¯s sweet voice sounded so cute that Symeon couldn¡¯t resist. She was indeed her father¡¯s little sweetheart. O The man¡¯s slender fingers gently brushed her little nose. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go watch a movie. Let¡¯s get changed.¡± ¡°Yay! Daddy, you¡¯re the best. You¡¯re so good!¡± Dulcie got off the man and quickly ran upstairs to change clothes. Meanwhile, Symeon watched her hurried figure and instructed, ¡°Take your time, and don¡¯t rush. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± After a few steps, Dulcie suddenly remembered something and turned back to pull Casey. ¡°Miss Casey, help me change into a dress. I want to wear a dress to watch the movie. Hurry up.¡± Casey instinctively looked at Symeon, and the man said in a deep voice, ¡°You shoulde too, just in case I can¡¯t keep her under controlter.¡± Hearing that, Casey didn¡¯t refuse and let Dulcie pull her upstairs. Half an hourter. Casey and Dulcie came downstairs after changing their clothes. In the meantime, Symeon was sitting on the couch, feeling sleepy. He finally understood why they say women take a long time to change clothes. It seemed to have started from such a young age. They took forever to change clothes. Dulcie had changed into a beautiful pink princess dress, making her look as adorable as a porcin doll. ¡°Daddy, is this dress pretty? Miss Casey says I look like a princess.¡± Dulcie smiled shyly, looking extremely cute. A smile appeared on Symeon¡¯s lips. ¡°Yes, you are very beautiful. Let¡¯s go.¡± Dulcie instantly skipped outside, no longer resembling a little princess from earlier. Chuckling, the man followed behind his daughter while Casey looked at the pair, feeling a sense of admiration. She couldn¡¯t believe she had such a cute daughter with this man. Dulcie lived up to her name, sweet and adorable. When she smiled, she looked like a little angel and melted people¡¯s hearts. Her skin was quite simr to hers, fair and white, but her eyes resembled Symeon¡¯s while her nose resembled hers¡­ When they arrived at the cinema, they discovered the cinema was filled with parents and their children. It was truly a children¡¯s show. Dulcie giggled, holding hands with Casey and Symeon, swinging her little hand back and forth, seeming incredibly cute. After they bought c and popcorn, Dulcie wanted to take a sip, but Symeon warned her with a nce, causing her to retract her little hand in fear. < 93 Daddy, I want to drink c too.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t drink that. It¡¯s too cold. Have this warm orange juice instead.¡± Symeon handed it to her. Dulcie pouted and looked at Casey with a pitiful expression. ¡°Miss Casey, I want to drink c¡­¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Don¡¯t you remember your upset stomach? It¡¯s only been a few days. Can you wait a little longer before drinking it?¡± Casey patiently reasoned with Dulcie. The man watched the interaction between the mother and daughter, and for a moment, he seemed to have fallen into a trance. It was as if he already had a wife and daughter; the three of them were a happy family. But he quickly dismissed that thought. He always believed that Casey was not worthy of raising Dulcie and that she was not a qualified mother. After entering the hall, Dulcie watched the movie attentively from beginning to end,ughing uncontrobly. Symeon and Casey couldn¡¯t get into such a childish animated film, but they still apanied Dulcie and watched the whole thing. It was already 9 p.m. when the movie ended, so they could only find a restaurant to have dinner. Dulcie had beenining about being hungry and was even starting to throw a tantrum. But Symeon was actually somewhat happy because at least Dulcie could now be herself in front of him and dared to express her emotions. That meant she was slowly epting him as her father. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Once they entered the restaurant, Symeon carried Dulcie and chose a seat by the window. Casey was about to sit down when she noticed a familiar face in the establishment. Isn¡¯t that Eleanor? Upon closer inspection, she realized that Eleanor was dining there with Peter, but the man sitting across from her was not her father, Philip. Casey furrowed her brow, eager to identify the man, but the crowded restaurant made it impossible to get a clear view. She observed Eleanor engaging in lively conversation with the man while Peter happily enjoyed his meal beside them. It appeared Peter was quite acquainted with this man. That was something peculiar to Casey because Eleanor didn¡¯t have many friends in Cludan, so why would she bring Peter out for a meal with a stranger? Could this man be the person Eleanor is having an affair with? Is she cheating on Philip? Chatper 550 Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Symeon Saves the Day Dulcie nced at Casey, who appeared lost in thought, and asked, ¡°Miss Casey, what are you looking at? Are you hungry? Should we order?¡± Startled by Dulcie¡¯s voice, Casey snapped out of her reverie but still couldn¡¯t help but nce in that direction. Indeed, Eleanor was dining with Peter and a man who was definitely not her father, Philip. He looked. much younger than her father. Symeon also noticed her distraction and asked, ¡°What are you looking at? Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry. You go ahead and order for Dulcie. I need to go to the bathroom. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± After saying that, she left with her phone. Symeon observed her mysterious expression but didn¡¯t pay much attention. Then, he took the menu and showed it to Dulcie. However, Dulcie was worried about Casey, ¡°Dad, Miss Casey seems preupied.¡± ¡°You little rascal, what you know about being preupied?¡± Hearing the term ¡°preupied¡± from the little girl¡¯s mouth was a bit surprising. It was probably something she learned from one of her ssmates in kindergarten. ¡°Miss Casey does seem preupied. Why don¡¯t you go and check on her?¡± ¡°Why should I care about her? That¡¯s her privacy. If she doesn¡¯t want to tell you, then don¡¯t pry too much, understand?¡± Dulcie pouted and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Order your food. Didn¡¯t you say you were hungry? What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I want to have these chicken wings.¡± Casey quietly approached Eleanor from behind and discreetly took a photo of this harmonious scene with her phone. Then, she walked up to the dining table and said, ¡°Stepmother, what a coincidence The term ¡°stepmother¡± caught the attention of many people, including Eleanor and the man sitting across from her. They looked up with a bewildered expression. Upon seeing his sister, Peter looked disgusted. ¡°Casey! You¡¯re so annoying. Why did you disturb us while we were eating? I hate you. Dad scolded me because of you, so I hate you. Leave.¡± Casey looked at her detestable younger brother and sneered. ¡°Do you think I want to see you? But you don¡¯t own this restaurant, so I cane and go as I please. Can you do anything about it?¡± ¡°Casey, do you really need to talk to your little brother that way? He¡¯s young, but are you as childish as him? I just brought Peter here to have a meal with a friend.¡± 13 Eleanor didn¡¯t want to lose her temper in public. After all, so many people were watching, and this restaurant was crowded with customers. It wouldn¡¯t look good if things got out of hand, so she just wanted to get rid of Casey quickly. ¡°Oh¡­ a friend. Who is this man to you? Does my dad know him, too? Should I call Dad toe and eat with us since we¡¯re all friends?¡± As she spoke, Casey was about to take out her phone to make a call, but Eleanor quickly stopped her. ¡°No! No need. Your dad is busy today and should still be in a meeting. Let¡¯s not disturb him. We¡¯re done eating anyway. Let¡¯s go.¡± Eleanor used her eyes to signal the man across from her to quickly go and settle the bill so that they could. leave. The man quickly understood and stood up to settle the bill. However, Casey stopped him. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s your name? So that I can mention you when I chat with next time. May I have your name?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ I need to go settle the bill, youngdy, so don¡¯t block my way.¡± my dad The man didn¡¯t want to get entangled with her anymore. Moreover, there were so many people here, and someone they knew would eventually notice if they continued to cause a scene. But Casey stubbornly blocked his way and wouldn¡¯t let him leave. ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me your name, sir? Is your name something to be ashamed of?¡± ¡°Casey, you¡¯re so annoying. Why are you blocking my daddy¡¯s way? Move!¡± Peter grabbed her clothes and angrily scolded her. From that, Casey got an unexpected clue and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Daddy? You call this man, Daddy?¡± At that point, Eleanor turned pale and angrily reprimanded Peter, ¡°Peter, what nonsense are you spouting? You should be calling him Uncle John. Why do you call everyone Daddy, you brat?¡± ¡°Why are you scolding me, Mom? Didn¡¯t you teach me to call him ¡®Daddy?¡¯ Why are you scolding me?¡± Peter felt wronged and sat on the ground, crying loudly like a mischievous child. Seeing this scene, Casey couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips into a smile. Meanwhile, the man Peter called ¡®Daddy¡¯ was furious and shouted at Casey, ¡°How can you be so unreasonable? How could you bully a child so much younger than you? Is this how Philip taught you?¡± ¡°How my dad brought me up has nothing to do with you, and it¡¯s normal for me to tease my younger brother. Can an outsider like you interfere with our matters? Or do you have some rtionship with Peter?¡± By now, Casey had already guessed most of the story. She suspected that this man had a rtionship with Peter, or else why would he be so agitated? Moreover, she found it strange when she discovered Eleanor was pregnant. Her dad was already old, so how could it be so easy for him to get a woman pregnant? ¡°I am Peter¡¯s-¡± Before the man could finish his sentence, Eleanor covered his mouth and angrily rebuked, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? This is our family matter. You, an outsider, have no right to interfere with Original from N?velDrama.Org. 1. Even if they don¡¯t get along, they are still siblings, so it¡¯s not your ce to meddle. You invited me to dinner today because you want me to speak well of you in front of my husband. But now I¡¯m telling you that it¡¯s impossible. This meal is on me.¡± After speaking, Eleanor picked up her son, who was throwing a tantrum on the ground, walked toward the cashier, quickly paid the bill, and left. Casey and the man stood facing each other in the same spot. The man looked at Casey and raised his arm in anger, ready to p her. ¡°You, youngdy, are so unreasonable. The Carter Family¡¯s upbringing is not that good, it seems. I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson on behalf of your father!¡± Seeing the p about toe at her, Casey instinctively closed her eyes, feeling she couldn¡¯t dodge this. p. Unexpectedly, just as the man was about to p her, she heard him scream and fall to the ground. Casey opened her eyes and witnessed the man Peter referred to as ¡°Daddy¡± being knocked down, clutching his nose as blood gushed out. ncing to the side, she noticed Symeon¡¯s towering figure standing there, his expressionposed as he uttered in a deep voice, ¡°You, a grown man, resorting to violence against a woman. That¡¯s truly disgraceful.¡± Upon hearing these words, the onlookers erupted in apuse and cheers. ¡°That¡¯s right, a man assaulting a young girl. What kind of person does that?¡± ¡°He even has the audacity to criticize the young girl for being unmannered, yet hecks basic manners himself.¡± ¡°People whock manners are often the ones who are quick to judge others for theirck of manners.¡± Witnessing the scene, the man could only cover his nose and hastily exit the restaurant. Chatper 551 Chapter 551 Chapter 551 You¡¯re Not Allowed to Get Married Casey nced at the man beside her, still savoring the warmth of his touch from earlier. But Symeon dampened her spirits. ¡°You didn¡¯t order any food and decided to interfere in other people¡¯s. affairs, leaving Dulcie starving and waiting for you to return so that she could eat. You¡¯re being selfish.¡± After saying that, he turned and walked toward Dulcie¡¯s seat. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Casey stood there, feeling perplexed. Did he just call her selfish? But when she thought about Dulcie waiting for her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for thetter. She quickly returned to her seat and saw Dulcie¡¯s adorable face resting on the table, almost in tears from hunger. As soon as the little girl saw Casey return, she perked up, seeming full of energy. ¡°Miss Casey, you¡¯re finally back! Let¡¯s order our food. Daddy and I have been waiting for you.¡± Casey felt a twinge of sadness. It was clear that Dulcie was putting in a good word for Symeon, trying to leave a good impression on him. In other words, Dulcie was trying to help Symeon please her. ¡°I¡¯m starving too. Let¡¯s order quickly, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starving to death.¡± Dulcie stared at the menu with eager eyes. Symeon observed Dulcie, feeling a mix of emotions. He could also see that Dulcie was trying to y a matchmaker between him and Casey. It was past 10 p.m. after they finished dinner, and Dulcic was so exhausted that she fell asleep on Symeon¡¯s back, murmuring in her sleep, ¡°Daddy, Miss Casey is very nice and perfect for you¡­ Don¡¯t let her slip away¡­ Symeon nced at Dulcie sleeping on his back, then looked at Casey walking beside him. ¡°Did you teach her to say that?¡± Puzzled, Casey asked, ¡°Huh? What? How is that possible? Why would I teach her those things?¡± ¡°To be Mrs. Lawrence and Dulcie¡¯s official mother, of course. Those must attract you to do so.¡± The man¡¯s face remained expressionless and calm. Casey widened her eyes, not knowing how to react. Was this man suffering from delusions? ¡°Even if I wanted to gain custody of Dulcie, I wouldn¡¯t teach her to say those things. You can rest assured!¡± Symeon sneered. ¡°It¡¯s best if you didn¡¯t.¡± Afterward, he ced Dulcie in the backseat of the car and returned to the driver¡¯s seat, ready to drive home. Casey also got into the backseat, but the man nced at her. ¡°Sit in the front.¡± ¡°Why? I want to sit in the back and take care of Dulcie. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a chauffeur? I¡¯ll only chauffeur my daughter. You¡¯re not worthy of that.¡± Symeon fastened his seatbelt as he spoke. With no choice, Casey sat in the passenger seat. No one spoke during the drive, afraid of waking Dulcie in the backseat. After returning to Gxy Bay. Symeon carried Dulcie back to her bedroom, tucked her in, and then returned to his room. In the meantime, Casey stood in front of the bed for a long time before returning to her own room. She had to leave tomorrow to rent a house. Otherwise, how could she report to Winters Enterprise? Also, it would be best to find a ce near thepany. As she pondered, she quickly fell asleep and had a strange dream. In the dream, she was actually getting married to Symeon! She was wearing a beautiful wedding dress, standing in the church, holding her father Philip¡¯s arm while walking toward Symeon. On the other hand, Symeon was wearing a suit, standing there with a cold expression but a loving smile, waiting for her. This scene was so blissful, and Dulcie was there as the flower girl, beaming with happiness. Suddenly! A voice came from behind them. ¡°You are not allowed to get married!¡± Casey turned around abruptly and saw Amanda standing at the church entrance, her face filled with sadness as tears streamed down her cheeks. When Symeon saw Amanda, the smile on his face instantly vanished, and he seemed to hesitate. Seeing that, Casey felt a pang in her heart and gripped the man¡¯s arm, pleading, ¡°No, don¡¯t go. You¡¯re supposed to marry me. We have Dulcie. We¡¯re a family of three¡­ Don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t go¡­.¡± Suddenly, she woke up from the dream. Her eyes shot open, and sweat formed on her forehead while she breathed heavily. She realized it was just a dream. That dream is too absurd¡­ Slowly sitting up and running her slender fingers through her hair, Casey heard a knock on the door, followed by Penny¡¯s voice. ¡°Miss Casey, are you awake? There¡¯s a package for you.¡± A package? It must be the offer letter from Winters Enterprise. She immediately got up and rushed to open the door, where she saw Penny standing outside with a < package in her hand. ¡°Here, Miss Casey, your package. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°By the way, what would you like for breakfast? Mr. Lawrence has already taken Dulcie to kindergarten.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve all left¡­¡± Well, I shouldn¡¯t stay here alone any longer. Casey smiled and replied, ¡°No need, I should leave too. I¡¯ve already troubled you for a long time.¡± ¡°Then at least have breakfast before you leave. You just recovered from a cold, so you need to take care of yourself,¡± Penny nagged. But Casey shook her head and smiled. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll grab something on the way because I have something urgent to attend to. Sorry, Penny.¡± ¡°You youngsters don¡¯t know how to take care of yourselves. If you eat out, go to a clean restaurant, not a food stall.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, Penny.¡± After closing the door, Casey opened the package and found that it was indeed a job offer letter from Winters Enterprise.. Now that she had found a job, she needed to start looking for a ce to live. Once shepleted her morning routine and changed into a fresh outfit, she left Gxy Bay Casey first explored the vicinity of Winters Enterprise to see if there were any affordable houses for rent, but they were all expensive. Fortunately, she had a habit of saving some money, so the high rent price wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her. She quickly signed a contract with andlord. The house was fully furnished, so she didn¡¯t need to buy any furniture and could move in with just her luggage. It took her an afternoon to clean the new house and get it all organized by evening. She could finally get a good night¡¯s sleep and continue tidying up the next day! Casey had just settled onto the couch and turned on the TV when her phone suddenly rang. She picked up her phone and saw that it was Symeon calling. Why would he be calling her? Could it be Dulcie calling her on his phone? Curious, she answered the call and, as expected, heard Dulcie¡¯s sweet voice on the other end. ¡°Miss Casey, have you left? Why didn¡¯t you stay to y with me? Did Daddy treat you badly? Why did you Dulcie¡¯s voice on the phone sounded choked, as if she was truly saddened. leave?¡± Chatper 552 Chapter 552 Chapter 552 You¡¯re No Different From A Stepmother Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Upon hearing Dulcie¡¯s pitiful voice, Casey felt her heart shatter and gentlyforted her, ¡°Dulcie, please don¡¯t cry. I just rented a house nearby. You cane and y at my ce in the future. Also, I have at kitchen here, so I can make lots of delicious food for you. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Really? Then, I¡¯lle over tomorrow. No, I want to go now!¡± Immediately, Dulcie weakly replied, ¡°But Daddy doesn¡¯t allow it. He told me to go to bed, so I must go now. Miss Casey, can Ie to your house tomorrow?¡± ¡°Of course you can. Go to sleep now, and see you tomorrow.¡± She was about to end the call when she heard Symeon¡¯s deep voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t say a word when you arrived and left without saying anything either. You¡¯re really something. Is it because you wanted to see Dulcie cry for you?¡± ¡°Please, can you not speak so harshly? What do you mean by saying I just wanted to see Dulcie cry? I¡¯m her biological mother, not a stepmother, I¡¯m not that malicious.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no different from a stepmother.¡± After saying that, the man abruptly hung up, denying her the chance to retaliate and leaving her so furious that she couldn¡¯t contain her anger. However, she spected that Symeon was busy coaxing Dulcie to sleep, making her feel slightly better. She helplessly smiled and shook her head. If Symeon hadn¡¯t fallen in love with a married woman, he would actually be a responsible father. Despite not being gentle and often stern, he never shied away from his responsibilities. Just like the fact that he didn¡¯t particrly like children yet still made an effort to get along with Dulcie. The following day. Casey arrived at the human resources department of Winters Enterprise on time to begin her work. The HR staff member who handled her onboarding procedures scrutinized her appearance and remarked, ¡°Today is your first day at work. How can you dress too casually? After fishing your work at noon, you should go change into something more appropriate.¡± Lowering her head and examining her clothes, Casey noted that she was wearing a casual shirt and slim jeans, which seemed too informal. She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Afterpleting the procedures, she proceeded to her workstation and familiarized herself with her job responsibilities. Since she applied for a job in the design department, the likelihood of encountering Elias was quite slim, except for chance encounters in the elevator. She didn¡¯t aplish much all morning. It was her first day of work, so she felt clueless and struggled to 1: understand anything. At noon, Casey nned to go to the nearby mall to purchase a set of professional attire. After all, the HR staff had expressed concerns about her inappropriate dressing. Ding. The elevator door slowly opened. Casey looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Elias standing inside the elevator, unable to believe her luck toe upon such a rare encounter. The man saw she wasn¡¯t moving and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing in?¡± ¡°Uh, oh, yes. I am.¡± Then, Casey quickly stepped into the elevator, and the doors closed slowly. Besides the two of them, Elias¡¯ personal bodyguard, Yacob, was also present in the elevator. Yacob merely nced at her before returning his attention to his phone.. Elias suddenly spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re here to work at thepany, which means you passed the interview.¡± ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t expect it myself.¡± She still had to show respect to Elias as he was her boss, after all. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters. I will work hard in the future. Yacob, who had remained silent all along, suddenly made a sarcastic remark. ¡°Is it the new trend for youn women from wealthy families to experience an ordinary lifestyle? Why don¡¯t you work at your own family¡¯spany instead ofing to Winters Enterprise? Are you trying to spy on us?¡± The fact that Elias didn¡¯t reprimand him for hisment indicated that he also had some doubts. After pondering for a few seconds, Casey decided that there was no need to lie, so she chose to tell the truth. ¡°I had a falling out with my dad. My stepmother has been making things difficult at home and trying to kick me out. Since I can¡¯t enter our family¡¯spany, I can only earn money on my own.¡± Yacob didn¡¯t say anything further. Elias, however, fell into silence. He suddenly thought the name Casey Carter felt familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, even prior to knowing her, But he couldn¡¯t recall where. Ding. The elevator door slowly opened. Casey said to Elias, ¡°Well, Mr. Winters, I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She exited first, followed by Elias and Yacob. Yacob remarked, ¡°Mr. Winters, don¡¯t you find this Miss Carte quite suspicious? It¡¯s hard to determine if her words are true or not. Although you saved her at the partyst time, and she seemed afraid of Symeon, I saw them having a meal together yesterday. Could those two be dating?¡± Somewhat taken aback by the news, Elias asked, ¡°Are you certain?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. Don¡¯t you believe in my eyesight? I think Casey might be a business spy sent by Symeon, and 2/ perhaps the whole act of you saving her was just a charade.¡± The man narrowed his eyes slightly. If that were true, then Casey¡¯s acting skills were remarkable. Also, since Casey managed to pass the interview, it would indicate the presence of a mole within the ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then both she and Symeon are doomed. I won¡¯t let either of them go. Keep an eye on these two for me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elias proceeded toward the office building with Yacob trailing behind him. On the other hand, Casey arrived at the shopping mall and visited several stores before finally selecting one and purchasing a set of professional attire. As she was leaving, she unexpectedly spotted Eleanor also shopping there. Moreover, she was still apanied by the same man as yesterday, the person Peter referred to as ¡°Daddy.¡± That woman was utterly shameless and treated Philip like a fool. Casey walked directly toward them and stood in front of the two, saying, ¡°Has your rtionship reached such an intimate point? Are you nning to divorce my dad since you¡¯re going out daily with a man?¡± Startled by Casey¡¯s sudden appearance, Eleanor couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had been happening these past few days. Why had she kept encountering this troublemaker? Eleanor¡¯s face paled, and she quickly withdrew her hand from the man¡¯s arm. She exined, ¡°I was just shopping and happened to run into him. He forcefully brought me here to exin things, but I refuse to listen.¡± After speaking, Eleanor tried to leave, but since Peter wasn¡¯t present today, Casey had nothing to worry about. She grabbed Eleanor¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Peter isn¡¯t here today, so you can tell me the truth. Is Peter his child? ¡°What are you saying, Casey? No matter how much you dislike me, you can¡¯t make such usations. Do you have any evidence?¡± Eleanor reacted like a startled cat and was on the verge of exploding. Her emotions were extremely agitated. Chatper 553 Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Symeon and Dulcie Came ¡°Aren¡¯t you two standing together with enough evidence? Moreover, the more I look at Peter, the more he resembles this man-¡± Before Casey could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Eleanor. ¡°You better stop all this nonsense, or else you¡¯ll be creating misunderstandings between many people. Do you want to ruin this family before you are satisfied? Why are you so malicious? You are just like your mother, unwilling to see the Carter Family prosper!¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious, Eleanor. On what basis do you have the audacity to be so self-righteous? I have caught you twice, and you still cunningly deny knowing this man. How can there be such a coincidence? Do you take me for a fool? Let me tell you! This is not over. I will definitely get to the bottom of it!¡± After speaking, she turned around abruptly and left, not wanting to look at this shameless couple. Eleanor watched her leave and began to feel anxious. If Philip found out about this, she and Peter would be finished. The man beside her looked at her panicked expression and arrogantly remarked, ¡°What is there to be afraid of? If we get discovered, I-will bring you and Peter away. After all these years, we have made a lot of money from the Carters. There¡¯s enough for us to livefortably for the rest of our lives.¡± ¡°You are short-sighted. What can we do with that money? Even if we run away, we definitely can¡¯t continu living in Cludan because Philip won¡¯t let us off the hook. But if we settle abroad, that money won¡¯t be enough for us to live for the rest of our lives.¡± Upon hearing that, the man also started to worry. ¡°Then, what should we do? Philip¡¯s daughter has already discovered us and won¡¯t keep it a secret from her father. They are father and daughter, after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will figure something out. I have to take more money from Philip before leaving, or else I won¡¯t be satisfied.¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes rolled around, and a wicked smile appeared on her lips. Instead of waiting for Casey to go to Philip and expose her, it would be better to take the initiative and worsen their father-daughter rtionship to the extreme. That way, Philip won¡¯t believe Casey, no matter what she might say. In the afternoon, Casey packed her things and went home. Since it was her first day of work, she hadn¡¯t adapted to the new environment yet but would gradually. learn to adapt. She first went to the supermarket to buy some fresh vegetables and then nned to go home and cook for herself. Just as she walked out of themunity, she saw a very eye-catching sports car with a cute little girl on the hood and a handsome, tall man beside her. It was Symeon and Dulcie. Casey was startled because she didn¡¯t expect the father-and-daughter duo toe looking for her. In the meantime, Dulcie sat on the hood with her little feet swinging back and forth. She casually turned her head and saw Casey¡¯s figure and excitedly screamed, ¡°Miss Casey! Over here! I¡¯m here!¡± < 1/ The little one reached out her hands toward the man, wanting to get off the hood. Therefore. Symeon could only pick her up and put her on the ground. Then, like a little butterfly spreading its wings, Dulcie ran toward Casey with open arms. Seeing this scene, Casey couldn¡¯t help but smile. The child was too adorable and worth seeing even after a busy day. The tall figure of the man behind slowly approached as well. ¡°You came to find me. Have you eaten yet?¡± Casey asked. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. I told Daddy that I wanted toe find you, and you promised mest night that you would cook delicious food for me. You¡¯re not lying to me, right?¡± The little girl clung to her arm, acting spoiled. Perhaps this was the magic between being a biologically rted mother and daughter. Although they had just met, they quickly became familiar with each other. Symeon stood in front of them, expressionless. ¡°Dulcie insisted oning to find you, and I couldn¡¯t do After saying that, the man turned around and was about to leave. But Dulcie¡¯s little hand grabbed onto his clothes. ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t go. Please, don¡¯t go!¡± Symeon stopped in his tracks, turned around, and touched his daughter¡¯s head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you want to see her? Let her y with you for a while, and I wille pick you up at night, okay?¡± ¡°No! I want you to have dinner with me. Miss Casey can cook dinner for us. Don¡¯t go out to drink with them. It¡¯s not good for your health.¡± Symeon¡¯s heart melted as soon as she said that, but he also felt a bit helpless. He chuckled lightly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay and apany you.¡± After all, he only had this one precious daughter, so he could only spoil her. Just then, his phone rang. He nced at it and hung up the call. He had just arrived in Cludan and wanted to expand his market in Cludan, so he had to adapt to the local customs and constantly attend banquets and drinking parties. But since Dulcie had expressed her opinion. he intended to make a change. Casey couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw him giving in to his daughter. Back at Casey¡¯s rented house. Dulcie looked around happily while Symeon followed behind the little girl with a disdainful look on his face. He couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°The bathroom is too small, and the kitchen is too small. It¡¯s just a one-bedroom apartment. Everything¡¯s too small.¡± In short, this whole house was too small for Symeon and made him feel suffocated. Casey snorted lightly. ¡°It¡¯s too small for someone like you who is used to living in a vi, but it¡¯s enough. O 9 for me. Besides, it¡¯s very close to my workce. That¡¯s why I rented it. Also, the rent is quite expensive. It costs nearly five thousand a month.¡± ¡°Is that expensive?¡± Symeon looked puzzled. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Indeed, that amount was nothing for this big shot. But with her current situation, it was expensive for her. After all, she was still living off her pocket money back in the Carter Family and hadn¡¯t even earned her first sry in life. Therefore, of course, she would think it was expensive. Symeon returned to the living room and sat on the crowded couch. ¡°Whichpany are you working for?¡± After hesitating for a moment, she replied, ¡°Harling Corporation.¡± If she mentioned Winters Enterprise, Symeon would definitely have doubts, so she couldn¡¯t say it. The man refrained from asking further questions and casually grabbed the remote control to switch on the TV, only to discover nothing worth watching. Meanwhile, Dulcie continued to chatter and converse with him, appearing quite content.. ¡°Dulcie, why don¡¯t you stay here and y with your daddy while I cook in the kitchen? Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ But I want to help you!¡± ¡°No need. You¡¯re so kind, but I can manage. I¡¯ll be quick, so you stay here and enjoy some cartoons with your daddy for a while.¡± After uttering those words, Casey made her way toward the kitchen. In the meantime, Symeon, seated on the couch, seemed uninclined to assist. After all, he had been spoiled since childhood and had rarely set foot in the kitchen. < Chatper 554 Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Come Home With Me Now After seeing Casey enter the kitchen, Dulcie looked back at her father sitting on the couch and furrowed her little brows. ¡°Daddy.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± The man ying with his phone didn¡¯t pay any attention to his daughter¡¯s expression. Then, Dulcie walked up to him and climbed onto the couch, leaning against him. ¡°Daddy, you can¡¯t just sit here. You should go help Miss Casey. That way, she will like you more.¡± Like me? Symeon put down his phone and looked at his daughter. ¡°Why should I try to make her like me?¡± ¡°If she likes you, she can live with us and be my mommy. Next week, there¡¯s a parent-child sports event at the kindergarten. The teacher said that parents should bring their children to participate, I want Miss. Casey to be my mommy¡­¡± So, that was the reason. The little girl was quite intelligent. All this buildup was to let Casey attend the parent-child sports event as her mother. Symeon lightly flicked Dulcie¡¯s forehead. ¡°I can go alone and participate in all the events without her help. Understand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same. But¡­ I also want my mommy and daddy to participate together. Aiden¡¯s parents will be there too, and I want the same. Dulcie was on the verge of tears. She was anxious about why her father couldn¡¯t understand her thoughts. After listening to her words, Symeon seemed to understand her feelings. The man¡¯srge hand gently touched Dulcie¡¯s fluffy little head and said, ¡°Alright, I understand. I will talk to Miss Casey.¡± ¡°Yay! Daddy, you¡¯re the best! You go and help her now. Otherwise, she won¡¯t help us. It¡¯s a mutual thing.¡± Dulcie hugged her father¡¯s arm and swayed it back and forth, putting on an extremely adorable face. Symeon felt his heartpletely melting upon looking at his cute daughter. With no choice but to get up he walked toward the crowded kitchen. In the meantime, Dulcie watched her father¡¯s back andughed happily. When the parent-child sports event arrives, I will have both Mommy and Daddy with me. Let¡¯s see who dares to make fun of me for not having a mommy. Hmph¡­ In the kitchen. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Casey was busy washing and preparing vegetables when suddenly, she turned around and saw the tall figure standing outside the kitchen door, about to lower his head ande in. She instinctively furrowed her brows. ¡°Why are youing inside? This kitchen is already small, and I can barely turn around with you here.¡± < Frowning, the man rebuked, ¡°Do you think I want toe in? Dulcie told me toe in here. She said she wanted me to help you.¡± How thoughtful of Dulcie, Casey thought happily. Dulcie is indeed my good daughter. ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t need your help. You can leave. I¡¯ll be done soon. I might be even busier with your help, and you don¡¯t even know how to cook.¡± Regarding this point, she had every right to criticize the man who always seemed all high and mighty. He probably didn¡¯t even know what was in the fridge. ¡°Dulcie asked me to help you because she has something to ask of you. Let me ask you on her behalf. Whether you agree or not is up to you.¡± Symeon didn¡¯t care because he could handle all the activities at the parent-child sports day with Dulcie by himself. Puzzled, Casey asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a parent-child sports event at the kindergarten next week, and Dulcie wants you to attend as her mother because all the other kids have both their parents there. So, if you want to go, you can go. If you don¡¯t, then forget it.¡± After Symeon finished speaking, he nned to turn and leave the kitchen. Casey was stunned for a second and said, ¡°Of course I want to go. I am her mother, after all. What do you mean by attending as her mother?¡± The man nced at her and retorted, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when you remember everything. You¡¯re not qualified for that title yet.¡± Following that, Casey fell into silence, puzzled as to why she had no memories of it at all. One hourter. Casey finished cooking the dishes and ced them on the dining table. Since the house was so small, the dining room was also small, so they simply ate on the coffee table in the living room. They barely managed to fit in with the tall man sitting on the couch. Dulcie was eating happily and without stopping. She kept eating the dishes and behaving extremely well. Upon seeing that, Symeon couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Is it that delicious? The nanny at home is a certified chef but I¡¯ve never seen you enjoy the food this much.¡± Dulcie unhappily replied, ¡°It¡¯s different. Miss Casey¡¯s cooking tastes like home, while the nanny¡¯s cooking tastes like restaurant food. It¡¯s not the same.¡± Happy to receive such praise, Casey continued to feed Dulcie bite after bite. Meanwhile, Symeon didn¡¯t eat much, either because he wasn¡¯t hungry or because he wasn¡¯t used to her cooking. After dinner, they didn¡¯t stay long before Symeon had to take Dulcie home. But upon mentioning they were going home, Dulcie lowered her head sadly, looking very aggrieved. < ¡°Daddy, can I stay at Miss Casey¡¯s tonight? I¡¯ll be good and won¡¯t cause any trouble-¡± The conversation was interrupted by Symeon¡¯s firm rejection. ¡°No, you have to go home because you have school tomorrow, and she has to go to work.¡± ¡°I can go to school by myself tomorrow. I don¡¯t need anyone to take me¡­¡± Dulcie wanted to stay because going back meant sleeping alone in her own bed and listening to her father¡¯s emotionless, boring stories. Symeon held her little hand and rejected her once again, ¡°It¡¯s not up for negotiation. Do you think you¡¯re eighteen? We¡¯ll talk about it when you¡¯re eighteen. Now,e home with me. It¡¯s time to take a bath and go to bed.¡± After saying that, the man took Dulcie away. While pouting, Dulcie looked at Casey with a grievance, waving her little hand. ¡°Goodbye, Miss Casey. Can Ie over tomorrow?¡± ¡°Of course you can. You¡¯re wee toe over every day.¡± Casey also wanted to keep Dulcie overnight, but the man obviously would disagree. Later, Symeon carried Dulcie away with one hand while Dulcie kept waving her hand at Casey and then wiped away her tears. Her pitiful appearance almost broke Casey¡¯s heart. It made her even more determined to take Dulcie back. Back at home, she suddenly felt empty and could feel Dulcie¡¯s presence everywhere. Casey couldn¡¯t help but shed tears, not knowing when she would be able to be with Dulcie every day. That was unless Symeon gave up Dulcie¡¯s custody to her. Suddenly, she remembered the ambiguous scen she witnessed between Amanda and Symeon outside the studyst time, which made her extremely uneasy. She even perceived these two individuals as despicable scoundrels who would harm others to satisfy their love. That won¡¯t do! She must ensure that Amanda voluntarily leaves Elias to prevent further harm to him. At least that way, h could gradually find sce during the rest of his life. Chatper 555 Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Parent-Child Sports Event It was soon the day of the parent-child sports event. Many parents came to the kindergarten, some even wearing matching outfits prepared by the kindergarten in advance. Symeon brought Dulcie to the kindergarten entrance, but Dulcie refused to go in and waited eagerly for Casey to appear. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not wait anymore and go inside. The event is about to start, and we need to change clothes.¡± Symeon held her little hand, but Dulcie stubbornly stood still, constantly looking into the distance, hoping Miss Casey would suddenly appear. ¡°Please, don¡¯t go inside yet. Miss Casey promised toe to this event, so she will definitelye. Let¡¯s wait a little longer, Daddy. Don¡¯t be so impatient.¡± As she spoke, Dulcie kept looking ahead, her eyes shining with anticipation. ¡°Stop waiting. She would have arrived if she wanted toe.¡± ¡°No, Daddy. Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Miss Casey said she woulde, so she will definitelye.¡± Dulcie firmly believed that Casey would not deceive her. That left the man speechless, but he had no choice but to apany this little one and wait. He didn¡¯t react much to Casey not fulfilling her promise. After all, that woman didn¡¯t have much of a good character. Otherwise, how could she abandon her own child? So, it was normal for her not to keep her word, and there was nothing to be angry about. It was just that Dulcie seemed unable to believe that fact. The parent-child sports event was about to start, and he even heard the teacher¡¯s announcement on the kindergarten¡¯s loudspeaker, indicating that it would start soon. Forget it. This matter isn¡¯t important. We can just forfeit. The man stood aside, motionless, while watching his daughter. He wanted to see how strong this little one¡¯s perseverance was. Suddenly¡­ A gleam appeared in Dulcie¡¯s eyes, and she happily shouted toward the distance, ¡°Miss Casey, over here. We¡¯re waiting for you here!¡± Hearing her screams, Symeon looked up and saw Casey getting out of a cab and running toward them. looking very rushed. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I was a bit busy today, so I tried to finish my work beforeing. I¡¯m notte, am I?¡± She gasped for breath as she ran up to the father and daughter. Dulcie shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. it hasn¡¯t started yet, so we can still go inside now. I knew you woulde.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Let¡¯s go in, quick.¡± 1 < ¡°Forget it. It has already started. Let¡¯s go home,¡± Symeon said. But Dulcie stubbornly held the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Daddy! It¡¯s just the beginning of the first game. Even if we don¡¯t win the first one, winning all the games that follow will still be impressive. Let¡¯s go inside. I told Aiden that I wanted my parents toe. Miss Casey agreed to be my mommy for a day. Why aren¡¯t you being more proactive?¡± She was getting frustrated, feeling like her father didn¡¯t understand anything. Symeon looked puzzled, evenughing at the situation. ¡°What should I be proactive about?¡± ¡°Be proactive in calling Miss Casey your wife, or else the other kids at kindergarten will figure out that you¡¯re pretending¡­¡± Dulcie pouted, looking like she was about to cry. Casey sighed withpassion. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go inside. Don¡¯t worry, Dulcie, your daddy and I will do our best.¡± After hearing that, Dulcie finally smiled and happily skipped inside the kindergarten. Then, Casey looked at the man beside her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you understand children¡¯s feelings at all? She wants to prove to the other kids that she also has parents who love her, and today is a perfect opportunity.¡± Her words were followed by silence. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best today just to make Dulcie happy.¡± Symeon didn¡¯t say anything more and followed behind Dulcie into the kindergarten. At the parent-child sports event. The first game was almost finished. Symeon, Casey, and Dulcie came out after changing their clothes. Meanwhile, the teacher from Dulcie¡¯s ss was almost going crazy from anxiousness when she saw them. ¡°Why did youe sote, Dulcie¡¯s dad? The first game has already started. I was so worried. I tried calling you, but you didn¡¯t answer. But¡­ we need both parents to participate. Isn¡¯t Dulcie¡¯s mom coming?¡± The teacher remembered that Symeon had mentioned before that the woman beside him was not Dulcie¡¯s mom. Before the man could speak, Dulcie spoke up first. ¡°Miss Brown, this is my mommy. She¡¯s my mommy!¡± Seeing the teacher¡¯s awkward smile, Casey exined with a smile, ¡°Miss Brown, please help us keep this well-intentioned lie a secret. Children also have their pride.¡± The teacher immediately understood what was happening and didn¡¯t ask any further questions. ¡°Then, head over quickly. The second game is about to start.¡± ¡°Okay, we will do our best,¡± Casey smiled and waved to the teacher before walking toward their position. However, she noticed that Symeon was staring nkly at something and followed his gaze to see Amanda wearing matching outfits with her son while feeding him some water. < Casey¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had almost forgotten that he and Amanda were in love and that Amanda¡¯s son and Dulcie were in the same kindergarten. Just then, Dulcie shouted at Aiden, ¡°Aiden!¡± Immediately after, Elias and Amanda turned their heads to look over. The two children quickly ran toward each other, whispering something that the adults couldn¡¯t hear. However, the expressions on the adults¡¯ faces were not pleasant. Elias and Amanda looked at the two people in front of them and exchanged a nce, feeling incredulous. ¡°Are you lying to me, or is Casey lying to you? Didn¡¯t you say Symeon wanted to strangle her? Now, she has be Dulcie¡¯s mother and came to participate in the parent-child sports event?¡± Amanda. questioned. Elias¡¯ handsome face tensed up, and his tone sounded extremely displeased. ¡°Who knows what their rtionship is?¡± However, Symeon walked over to them in a generous and natural manner. That left Casey with no choice but to walk over as well. After all, the two children were in the same ss. Symeon looked at Amanda and asked, ¡°Did you win the first game?¡± ¡°So what if we did?¡± Amanda didn¡¯t want to talk to Symeon and subconsciously yed with the mineral water bottle in her hand. On the other hand, Elias unabashedly looked at Casey and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this? Why are you walking with someone who almost strangled you in the past? Are you trying to be his daughter¡¯s mother? Are you out c your mind?¡± These words were spoken without any politeness, almost to the point of cursing. Casey hadn¡¯t had an opportunity to exin yet when Symeon interrupted, saying, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this further demonstrate my irresistible charm? Also, you¡¯re being too critical. How could I possibly strangle her in front of everyone? Evidently, you saw a beautiful woman and became so infatuated that I wanted to y the hero. Why are you defaming me?¡±