The competition had a specific rule: each contestant would team up with a child. Together, they would enter a maze-like dream castle, and the adults must come out of exit A within a limited time, while the children must exit through exit B. The team that completed the task first would win rewards and the opportunity to babysit the young master.As Avery looked at the scene layout, she frowned in disapproval. The maze resembled a prison cell, and she believed that even though Daniel was a boy, he still deserved an environment that reflected innocence. She disagreed with someone's aesthetic choice in designing the maze.Avery completed the written test at the office and then joined the line at the practice office. However, she soon realized that she didn't have a partner. She had forgotten that each contestant must line up with a small child at the entrance, and there were already numerous people waiting for the referee's order.As Avery joined the line alone, countless eyes fell upon h
Daniel blinked as he gazed at Avery. Earlier, he had been quietly observing the contestants in the arena and had no intention of approaching them. However, when he spotted the beautiful aunt he had met at the airport, he couldn't resist coming forward to watch.He hadn't meant to disrupt the proceedings, but he was pleasantly surprised when Avery recognized him. It felt good.With a hesitant nod, Daniel agreed to participate. Avery's hand remained on his shoulder as she noticed his thick coat despite the summer heat. She raised an eyebrow and expressed concern, "Baby, why are you wearing such a heavy coat in the summer? Aren't you feeling hot? Shall I help you take it off?"Daniel nodded in response and obediently extended his small hand to unzip the jacket, revealing a thick sweatshirt underneath. Avery frowned upon seeing this and swiftly removed his long sleeves, tossing them directly to Elliot, who was standing nearby. She believed there was no need to bundle him up like a rice du
As the crowd looked on, Avery emerged from Exit A, drenched in sweat. She didn't even spare a glance at the onlookers as she turned towards Exit B, hoping to see Daniel there as well.And just as Avery reached Exit B, Daniel appeared. His eyes searched the area, and when he turned around, his gaze met Avery's. Instantly, a delighted smile spread across Avery's face.She thought to herself, "As expected of my son. How could he only be stubborn and troublesome as his eccentricity was described in the advertisement? He is smart. Where did Elliot put his eyes?"Avery hurriedly trotted over to Daniel and enveloped him in her arms, praising him, "Daniel, you're so awesome!"The scene was warm and harmonious. Elliot, who stood not far away, raised an eyebrow, his surprise evident in his eyes. He narrowed his gaze and contemplated.It seemed he had underestimated Avery. She not only understood psychology but also managed to win his son's favor. And now, she had even broken the records in Mich
The next day...Avery arrived at Stone Manor early in the morning. But when she entered the door of the living room, she was suddenly blocked by a figure.The person was not tall, but her body was plump. And a strong fragrance pervaded Avery's nose from the person.At first, Avery thought that the servants of the Stone family had come to teach her the rules. But when she looked down, she was surprised to find that it was an old acquaintance. It was Lauren.Lauren was the youngest daughter of the Smith family—in fact, she was her father's illegitimate daughter. Many years back, Avery had no idea what means Lauren used to return to the Smith family.It was also due to her instigation, that Avery was expelled from the Smith family.According to the investigation her eldest brother did, since she was rescued six years ago, there had been one more woman in the Stone family. And that was Lauren.Not only was she able to come and go freely in the Stone manor. She was also allowed to approach
Avery was taken aback by the situation, and Lauren quickly sought refuge by Elliot's side."Elliot, Daniel, I can take care of you both perfectly fine. Why would you want to invite someone from an unknown source?" Lauren expressed her concerns with a touch of resentment. "Daniel doesn't like strangers approaching him, and what if the person invited has ill intentions? What if something bad happens to him?" Elliot interrupted coldly, "You've had a chance for a few years, and I haven't seen any improvement in Daniel's condition." Lauren's face hung with grievances, her cheeks turning red. "That's because he hasn't been cooperating. I hired expensive psychological counselors out of my pocket, but no matter what I did, he rejected me..."Elliot raised his hand to stop her and said sternly, "Go to the housekeeper for reimbursement, and don't bother us here."Lauren's pleas and tears failed to elicit tenderness from Elliot. She glared at Avery, twisted her waist, and left.Elliot paid no
After finishing breakfast, Avery accompanied his son for a morning outing. Elliot, presumably to ensure the competence of the nursery caretaker, closely supervised the activities. The lunch break posed a challenge for Daniel as well. As Avery prepared to put Daniel down for a nap, Elliot casually remarked, "My son isn't accustomed to taking naps." This implied that she couldn't successfully coax Daniel into sleeping. Enraged, Avery promptly escorted Elliot out, administered acupuncture to Daniel, and then gathered some pieces of paper from the bedroom to craft various musical instruments like drums, pipes, flutes, and more. "Daniel, Auntie wants to show you something, but you must sleep afterward." "Auntie, I want to see it." Daniel, who had been silent until now, gradually grew comfortable with her and naturally responded to her words. "Oh, you're quite curious," Avery playfully smiled, gently tapping the tip of Daniel's small nose, and granting his request. She began by playing
Minute by minute, time slipped away, and Elliot's lips grew thin and cold, forming a straight line. Expressionless, he stared out the window. Soon, his subordinate called back with information. "Master, according to our investigation, the woman's qualifications and certificates are credible, but she is using a false name. She appeared in the hospital's obstetric department six years ago, gave birth, and then disappeared. She has only recently been active in the imperial capital city."Elliot's grip on the phone tightened as he heard this. His hand trembled slightly before he hung up. Leaning back on his leather chair, his eyes glowed fiercely, resembling a predatory beast. Was it just a coincidence? The faces were so different, almost imaginary. This woman was extremely ugly, heavily relying on makeup, whereas the woman who married into the Stone family six years ago despised cosmetics.But hiding one's true identity was not beyond the realm of possibility. Elliot's heart raced, pound
Perhaps it was fate, tonight there was no moon, and even the bodyguards stationed outside had relaxed their vigilance. Avery held the slumbering Daniel in her arms, bypassed the bodyguards and surveillance, and ventured toward the darkness beyond the villa. With her carefully crafted disguise, she believed she could leave the city immediately, escaping his watchful eyes.A glimmer of hope ignited in Avery's heart as she realized that she could finally leave and make her long-awaited dream come true. The family of three, along with their foster mother, could finally be reunited. She had been helpless six years ago, forced to leave her loved ones behind, but now she possessed the strength to rescue Daniel from this wretched place.Unbeknownst to her, Avery had successfully evaded the surveillance and made her way out of the villa because Elliot willed it. "Daniel, we can finally begin a new life together, openly and honestly," she whispered to the sleeping child. Just as she was overcom
When Daisy observed her brother's peculiar smile, she couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart. It was an unsettling sight for her, a soft-hearted girl, and she suddenly feel a hint of sympathy for the man named Elliot. However, she didn't intervene or stop her brother, allowing her curiosity to guide her actions.Like a curious cat, Daisy watched intently as David skillfully typed a series of English letters, repeatedly pressing the enter key. The computer screen was soon filled with a dense white code against the black background.Meanwhile, in the study of Stone Manor, Elliot reclined in his chair, closing his eyes. Suddenly, the landline phone on his desk rang, prompting him to sit up and answer it in a methodical manner.As soon as the call connected, instead of hearing Julian's voice, Elliot was bombarded with chaotic screams coming from the other end. Frowning, he listened attentively, trying to make sense of the commotion."What's going on?" Elliot's eyes darkened with a to
On the other hand, when Avery and David returned home, they startled Daisy. Curious about what had happened, Daisy asked them for an explanation. David recounted the rescue process. Seeing Daisy's excitement, Avery handed her over to David, treating her like a little adult, as Avery needed some time to calm her emotions.Feeling exposed by Elliot so quickly and in such a humiliating way, Daisy couldn't help but feel ashamed. She scolded herself inwardly for her failure.With that incident fresh in Avery's mind, she felt a bit uneasy about the safety of her two precious children. Before heading upstairs to freshen up in the bathroom, she told the two of them, who were still engaged in conversation, "From today onwards, you two can no longer go out alone.""Mummy, we understand," Daisy obediently nodded, her mind filled with the fear-inducing scene of her mother being locked up."Okay," David replied nonchalantly, as if lost in thought.Observing their well-behaved expressions, Avery t
The person in the video turned out to be none other than Daniel."Has Daniel been here?!" Elliot furrowed his brow, carefully examining the image multiple times. The movements, demeanor, and vague expression of the person in the video perfectly matched Daniel.But wasn't Daniel supposed to be in his small bedroom in the front yard? When did he come here?Soon, Elliot found an answer to this doubt when the housekeeper mentioned that Daniel had been absent from his bedroom for some time. It seemed that he had slipped away during a moment of distraction."This little rascal!"Just as Elliot was engrossed in the video, it abruptly turned black. He clicked and tried to switch to the next screen, but it remained useless, still displaying darkness."Daddy is stupid, Daddy is stupid!" The little robot in Elliot's hand loudly screeched with its demonic voice.The bodyguard struggled to hold back his laughter, realizing that only the young master in the imperial capital could dare to call Maste
Elliot's expression suddenly turned dark, and he felt the urge to run. He forcefully disconnected the phone call, marched towards the door, hesitated, took three steps forward, and then hurriedly turned back towards the bedside. Despite his reluctance, he lifted Daniel and placed him gently on the bed, covering him with a quilt. Sternly, he commanded, "Stay here obediently. Don't wander around without sleeping!"Daniel looked at his father's serious face and quieted down, responding with a soft "Hmm."Observing his father's anxious demeanor, Daniel realized that there must be an emergency, and decided to postpone their discussion for later.Leaving the bedroom, Elliot walked purposefully towards the utility room in the backyard.After a sleepless night filled with restlessness, the sky was on the verge of dawn, revealing a faint silver hue in the distance.Elliot's gaze fixated on the disheveled lock on the door, his fist gradually clenching tighter and tighter."Avery, you treacherou
Daniel stared at Elliot in disbelief, his eyes filled with astonishment. The cold expression on Elliot's face seemed ready to explode with anger, but there was also a hint of longing. Daniel's little nose wrinkled in aggrieved sadness as he realized that his father had no intention of bringing back his aunt.With a pouting mouth, Daniel deliberately spoke up, "No, I don't want my father to accompany me. I want my aunt."Elliot's eyes widened, and anger surged within him. How could this heartless child, whom he had raised and accompanied for six years, show such ingratitude over a woman he barely knew?"No aunt, go to sleep!" Elliot forcefully covered Daniel with a quilt, restricting his movements. Daniel struggled, using his hands and feet to free himself."Bad dad, I want my aunt! My aunt promised she would stay with me today."His aunt had made him a promise.Elliot lay down next to him, placing the little one in the crook of his arm, thinking that Daniel would eventually tire himse
Elliot had set up the code with the knowledge that only Daniel could decipher it. There was no other way to escape from this room, so she had no choice but to seek help from David."Mommy, you're locked up. Who would dare to do anything to you?" David's voice turned cold as he heard about his mother's predicament on the other end of the phone. He vowed not to spare the person who dared to harm his mother."Don't worry, Mommy is fine. You must prioritize your safety when you come," Avery hurriedly reassured her son, concerned that his anxiety might lead to reckless actions."Don't worry, Mommy. I'm on my way." David didn't have time to think about retrieving his tools from the study. After receiving the location, he set off immediately.Within ten minutes, David arrived at the vast Stone family estate as swiftly as possible. Skillfully evading several bodyguards, he searched through the numerous houses until he found the locked room.Under the cover of darkness, Daniel stood before the
Yes, a few days after Daniel's birth, Avery made the difficult decision to give him to Elliot. It was a choice she never wanted to make, but she felt she had no other option. At that time, Daniel was diagnosed with leukemia, and his blood type was rare. Avery wanted to try to save him, but she had two other children to take care of, and she lacked the financial means and medical resources to provide the necessary treatment for Daniel. So, she believed giving him to the Stone family, who had better resources, would be the best choice, right?Elliot questioned her conscience, and indeed it hurt her deeply. How could it not?Daniel was born after a near-death experience during childbirth in October, and he was part of the flesh that came from Avery's body. She often woke up from painful nightmares, crying helplessly in the middle of the night because she missed him dearly.In her desperate pursuit to find a cure for Daniel's condition, Avery risked her life multiple times, climbing trea
Elliot's voice dripped with icy menace as he held a sharp dagger against her cheek, sending shivers down Avery's spine. Her face turned pale, and she tightly clenched her small hand, uncertain about what to do next.Should she tell the truth? No, she couldn't. If he discovered her true identity, he would never let her take her son away."Ever since the airport, you've been masquerading as this apparition, intentionally getting close to my son. And now you're here, pretending to be his nanny. Speak up! What is your true motive for approaching him?" Elliot's cold words thundered in Avery's ears as he pressed the dagger against her cheek, his other hand slowly caressing her face, smearing the thick foundation that concealed the truth, making it impossible for the naked eye to discern the extent of the deception.That despicable woman!Elliot's eyes, filled with dark coldness, pierced through Avery as he nearly saw through her facade. The realization that he had almost been deceived by he
Perhaps it was fate, tonight there was no moon, and even the bodyguards stationed outside had relaxed their vigilance. Avery held the slumbering Daniel in her arms, bypassed the bodyguards and surveillance, and ventured toward the darkness beyond the villa. With her carefully crafted disguise, she believed she could leave the city immediately, escaping his watchful eyes.A glimmer of hope ignited in Avery's heart as she realized that she could finally leave and make her long-awaited dream come true. The family of three, along with their foster mother, could finally be reunited. She had been helpless six years ago, forced to leave her loved ones behind, but now she possessed the strength to rescue Daniel from this wretched place.Unbeknownst to her, Avery had successfully evaded the surveillance and made her way out of the villa because Elliot willed it. "Daniel, we can finally begin a new life together, openly and honestly," she whispered to the sleeping child. Just as she was overcom