Nina wasn’t sure where Hope was originally from, so she made sure to get a little bit of everything for her. “Try a little of each. If you find something you like, you can go back for more. As long as we don’t waste anything, you can get as much as you’d like.” “If you picked it, Aunt Nina, then I’ll like it all,” Hope said with determination. And she meant it. She cleaned her plate completely, not even leaving any sauce behind.Once everyone was full, Nash drove them to the amusement park. At first, Hope seemed a little reserved, but after a few rides, she started to let loose and really enjoy herself. “Orion, I really love the carousel! Can we ride it again?”“Last time, I rode the big horse while you rode the little one. Let’s switch this time,” Orion said, taking her hand.Since they were both still young, they spent most of their time in the children’s area, trying out all the rides they were tall enough for. Finally, they went on the Ferris wheel as a family. When they r
Hope quickly stashed the bottle back in her bag and settled on the floor, trying to look casual. “Hope, what were you doing?” Orion asked as he came over, ready to play.Hope, still just a six-year-old, wasn’t exactly skilled at hiding her emotions. She avoided looking him in the eye, turning her head away. “Nothing. I’m just a little sleepy and thought I’d rest,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.Orion shrugged, sitting beside her. “Okay, go ahead and nap. Where’s Mrs. Watson?”“She went to get some dessert. I was hungry,” Hope replied, pulling a blanket over her face. Orion adored his little sister. If he ever found out that Hope had done something to hurt her, he would never speak to her again. But she felt like she had no choice. If she didn’t do this, she might never see her own family again. After all, she hadn’t done anything to hurt Orion’s parents, and she hadn’t harmed him either. As for his sister, she was just a baby, too young to even talk yet. Besides, if something
“Mom, I want to go to the hospital with you!” Orion shouted as he ran after Nina.Hope instinctively tried to grab him, but Orion was running too fast, and her hand grasped at nothing but air.At the door, Nina paused and turned around. “Orion, your dad and I are really busy right now, and we can’t keep an eye on you. Please stay home. Mrs. Watson is here to take care of you. That’ll make us feel a bit more at ease.”Orion was a well-behaved child. Even if he came to the hospital, he wouldn’t cause any trouble and might even help take care of Gemma. But the hospital was crowded and chaotic, and she and Nash would be incredibly busy. What if Orion ran into trouble? It was safer to leave him at home.“Alright, Mom. But as soon as Gemma’s fever breaks, please tell me right away,” Orion said, reluctantly stopping as he realized the situation. He waved at his mom, hoping his sister would get well soon.Hearing the door close, Hope approached with her doll, her face lighting up. “Hey,
“It’s none of those. We recently hired a new nanny to help out,” Nina replied, but she already sensed that something was amiss. The doctor wouldn’t have asked about their childcare without reason.The next moment, he handed her the test results. “Your daughter’s fever is due to poisoning. You brought her in just in time. Another hour and it could have been too late.”Nina felt as if the world had stopped, hoping desperately that she had heard wrong. Nash quickly took the report and scanned the words, which confirmed that Gemma’s blood contained toxic substances.“In cases we’ve seen before, nannies might slip children a mild sedative to keep them calm. But this is poison. It’s clear someone intended serious harm,” the doctor added, disbelief evident in his voice. “I can’t fathom why anyone would do this to a child.”Nina’s focus returned to the immediate task. “Doctor, please start detoxifying my daughter. We’ll get to the bottom of this,” she said, exchanging a glance with Nash. I
Gemma was saved.Nina, pale from blood loss, had no color left in her lips. She used the table for support as she stood up, swaying slightly as she moved toward the hospital room.“Ma’am, please sit and rest here for a bit. We need to give you a transfusion. In your current state, you won’t make it to the room, let alone take a few more steps without fainting,” the nurse said, quickly grabbing Nina’s arm.Nina knew she wasn’t in the best shape. She didn’t push herself, instead taking a seat to rest. After drinking some glucose water to regain her strength, she went to see her daughter.Gemma’s condition had improved. Her fever had come down slightly.“Her temperature should return to normal in about three hours. If it spikes again, come find me immediately,” the doctor instructed carefully.Nina committed every word to memory. After the doctor left, she sat by her daughter’s side, gently stroking Gemma’s forehead as she murmured, “Sweetheart, please wake up soon.”Meanwhile, on
Mrs. Watson didn’t even dare to sleep through the night. She woke up every two hours to check on Gemma, making sure everything was just right. Even with all these precautions, she still worried about Gemma’s safety. There was no way she would risk feeding her something unsafe.“Alright, you can go now,” Nash said. Without concrete evidence, he couldn’t just lay the blame on Mrs. Watson. If only he had security cameras installed at home, he would know exactly who was responsible for Gemma’s poisoning.As soon as Mrs. Watson left, Nash received a call from his assistant. “Mr. York, I’ve sent over the background report you requested.”According to the report, Mrs. Watson’s family life was straightforward. She had a daughter who got married a few years ago. The couple ran a grocery store together and had a young son. They had no debt, and there were no large deposits in their bank records. Her previous employers also spoke highly of her, saying she cared for their children as if t
"Her fever’s already gone, isn’t it?" Hope asked, glancing at Gemma in her cradle. Resentment slowly took root in her heart. Gemma had stolen everyone’s attention. Why did she have to take Orion’s too?All Hope wanted was to play a game with Orion, but even that was too much to ask."Yes, her fever is down, but I’m still worried," Orion replied, patience wearing thin. His tone held a hint of irritation as he added, "I told you, if you want to play, go play by yourself. Stop bothering me. Gemma is my sister, of course I’m concerned about her!"Orion no longer felt the same fondness for Hope as before. Gemma might not be Hope's sister, but they were all going to be one family and would be living together. Shouldn't Hope be just as worried about Gemma’s fever, like a sister would be? How could she still be in the mood to play, and expect him to join her?"Orion?" Hope froze, her eyes widening. Orion had just pulled away from her. He had never been so harsh with her before. Tears
"You all can go over to her, but I’m the only one who can’t. How is that supposed to make me feel like part of this family? You’ve never really wanted me to fit in," Hope said, feeling more and more upset as she spoke.If Gemma were to disappear from the world entirely, then Orion would only have one sister, her. His focus would be solely on her, and he would never be cross with her over another sister again.If only she had given Gemma more of that medicine before. She remembered the little bottle still tucked away in her backpack. The bad people had told her the substance was powerful. Just half a bottle could kill an adult, and a child would need even less. Just a few more drops, and Gemma would be gone forever.Then, not only would she see her real mom again, but she would also have Orion all to herself."Stop thinking that way," Orion insisted. "We really are a family. It’s because we’re a family that we need to take care of Gemma and be considerate of Mom."But no matter w