Rory held the candy wrapper carefully in his hand as he nodded vigorously. "I'll be a good boy and wait for you, Missus.""That's lovely, Rory."Hannah's gaze grew warm as she ruffled his hair again. However, when she spun around and looked at Misty, her expression was grim. Misty was horrified when she saw the look in her eyes. As she backed away with a pale expression, she clamped her hands over her stomach and blurted, "Hannah, you can't do this to me! He's nothing but a homeless brat if you dare—""If I dare to what?"Hannah smirked, tilting her head to one side. It was meant to look adorable, yet she seemed particularly domineering when she did so. Clenching her fists, she strode toward her."Misty, who do you think you are?""Hannah," Darren called out to her when she walked past him. He handed the brochure to her again as he said warmly, "Don't hurt yourself." He showed no intention of stopping her.Misty was on the verge of losing her sanity as she stared at
Heather swallowed hard. She could do this. It didn't matter if they found out about Londyn Welfare Center. Londyn Welfare Center had a well-established history. It was founded by a Yewlander during the war. Technically, it was a charitable organization funded by overseas holdings. No matter how influential the Winchester Group was in Hopeldon, they couldn't possibly do anything with it. Moreover, they had Connor. Heather felt more reassured when she was reminded of his way of doing things. He was infamous for being vicious and reckless. Despite Winchester Group's powerful influence, they were still a legal organization. They stood no chance against Connor. As this thought crossed her mind, she finally managed to stop trembling. Her wavering gaze turned firm as she flashed a warm smile. "Ms. Misty went volunteering at Londyn Welfare Center, and she found out that Rory was diagnosed with severe peptic ulcer disease. Thus, she volunteered to pay for his medical expenses.
Was Hannah going to detest Rory too? Was she going to doubt him and give up on him?He told himself that he wouldn't be sad. After all, he was already used to this. These adults wouldn't pay him any attention, and nor would they care about his intentions. They would only believe in Heather and regard him as a natural-born criminal. They avoided him at all costs. It seemed like he wasn't worthy of any kindness. At this point, the candy in his mouth tasted bitter and sour. This must be a prank from Hannah to punish a disobedient kid like him. She gave him a sour candy, only for him to realize it was bitter beneath the sugar coating. With his head hung low, Rory desperately tried to widen his eyes. His effort was in vain as his tears fell uncontrollably. When his tears splattered on the colorful candy wrapping, colorful rays of light were reflected. His eyes dimmed in contrast. Just then, he felt something soft and cool against his ears. He glanced up and realized Han
Could he? Rory's eyes lit up with disbelief. He wasn't sure whether he was hallucinating because he had been anticipating this for so long. His eyes were glued to Hannah. His lips twitched, yet he couldn't bring himself to speak. He stared at her as his eyes began to redden. "Rory, you don't like being with them either, don't you?"Hannah lifted a brow, waiting for his response earnestly. She continued gently, "I hope you can lead a happy life. If you're willing to believe in me, come with me, alright?"Rory's whole body shook with elation as his gaze was fixated on her palm. "I…"He opened his mouth, only for his tears to blur his vision. He could feel a lump welling up in his throat. Tears streamed down his cheeks, but he wiped them off violently. This wasn't a dream. Did he really have the opportunity to leave that terrible place and start anew? Could he be like the other kids who were able to live happily?Rory lifted his hand as if he were reaching out to a swe
Once they got back, Misty wouldn't go easy on him. She would teach Rory a lesson, and make it very clear to him that his fate was in her hands. After all, she could've just informed the netizens during her next livestream that he had already opened up to her. Then, she would get herself another obedient puppet to clear her name, and earn her more fans. Rory looked horrified. Since he was still young, he was clueless. Yet, he was aware that some people visited their welfare center to find themselves children available for adoption.Indeed, it was compulsory for them to go through a set of procedures. Children weren't allowed to just be brought away right on the spot. He didn't dare to wish that Hannah would adopt him. It was too much for him to even hope that he could become part of her family. However, he was devastated by the fact that he couldn't even escape from that place. His face paled as he gritted his teeth, horror filling his expression. Misty's grin widened upon
Misty's expression turned sullen. There was no way that she would let Hannah have her way. Since she was so eager to bring Rory with her, Misty would do anything to prevent her from doing so. She would make him stay. The more Hannah wanted to treat him well and protect him, the more Misty itched to make him learn his lesson. Hannah's gaze became cold when she picked up the malice in Misty's eyes. "Try me, then."She stood up straight. With a stern expression, she held Rory's hand as she stated firmly, "He will come with me today."Judging from Heather's attitude, she could tell how Londyn Welfare Center treated the other children. If she failed to bring Rory with her, he would face severe punishment. The last thing she would do was to send a child back to his abyss of hopelessness Her gaze turned frigid as the thought of beating up Heather and Misty crossed her mind again. If she hurt them, they would probably give in. "Given your experience in fighting, of course, we
Naomi burst into a fit of laughter ruthlessly. Even Nina and Kaden stifled a laugh. "Hahaha!" Naomi was still laughing as she remarked boldly, "Rory referred to Hannah by her name, but he called you Uncle Darren instead!"Didn't that imply Darren was way older than Hannah? Her howling made Darren shoot a scathing glare at her. She had always respected him. When she met his eyes, she instinctively ceased her laughter, but a loud snort was heard shortly after. It was already hard for Nina and Kaden to hold back their laughter, and Naomi's snort made it worse for them. They burst into laughter right away, their shoulders trembling in elation. The entire residence was filled with delightful laughter. Hannah smiled as she glanced over at Darren. As she approached him, he could sense her scent wafting through his nose. Her clear eyes seemed particularly adorable as she tilted her head to the side and glanced at him. With a mischievous look in her eyes, she whispered in his ear
"But I wanted to let everyone try."Rory glanced at her timidly as he whispered, "Hannah, was I wrong?""You're not."It was tough for Hannah to bring herself to rebuke him when she met his eyes. She flashed a gentle smile at him as she carefully chose her words. As she kept her emotions in check, she continued, "If we want to try it, we'll have Mrs. Tate make us another serving. This is for you, so you can finish it on your own, alright?"He blinked and finally nodded obediently. "Alright."Hannah heaved a sigh of relief when he finally began to devour his food. She just couldn't bear the fact that he was constantly aware of his surroundings, and desperately tried to please them when he was just a child. He was at an age where he was supposed to live well, not ponder how to please adults. "Hannah, don't be hasty," Darren said warmly, sensing her change in emotions. He patted her hand lightly underneath the table as he continued, "Take it slow. He'll have to get used t