When Diane woke up, she saw Emily sitting by the bed and looking at her.
"Mommy?" Diane whispered. "Sweetie, you finally woke up. How do you feel now? Do you want some water?" Emily asked as she helped Diane sit up. Diane felt dizzy. "Mommy, I feel my stomach is a little upset. What happened to me?" "Diane, do you remember what happened back then?" Emily stroked her hair gently. Diane had just woken up and did not know what had happened. She looked confused. "I remember that Mr. Clown gave me a balloon. The fairy printed on the balloon was very similar to Mommy, and then..." Diane frowned and tried hard to think back. "Mommy, was I kidnapped? How much did they ask for?" Diane asked seriously. Diane was like a small miser. She knew it wasn't easy for her mother to make money and wouldn't give the money to the kidnappers. Diane wouldn't forget about it. "Stupid Diane." Chris came through the door and heard Diane's last sentence. He walked to Diane and gently knocked on her head. "You idiot, you need to be more vigilant." Chris looked displeased. "Chris, don't worry. I'm fine now." Diane took Chris' hand. She knew that Chris was worried about her. This was how he expressed his concern. Chris' face turned red. He handed a brooch to Diane. "Keep it. This is a GPS device. I can always find you, as long as you don't take it off." Chris looked into Diane's eyes. He was very serious. Diane carefully took it over and put it on her clothes, "Okay, Chris. I'll always wear it. If I get lost, you must find me. I don't want Mommy and you to be sad." Emily looked at her children and felt touched. Chris was very talented in mechanics and computer technology. He made a brooch-shaped locator for Diane, and it must be effective and Diane would be safer. Though Chris always seemed to be mean to Diane, he cared about her deeply. Looking at the kids, Emily felt that her life was interesting with these two little angels. Emily couldn't help thinking of the other two children. They were killed the moment they were born before she could even hold them once. At that moment, the door to the ward was opened. "Emily, is Diane awake? I bought some food. Are you hungry?" Louise walked in with two bags in her hands and closed the door with her foot. "Diane, how do you feel? I'll kiss you." Louise put down the bags and went to check on Diane. She liked Diane and Chris very much. Louise kissed Diane's cheek and forehead. "And Chris, come over. I'll kiss you too." Louise then turned to Chris. Louise was amused by Chris' reluctant expression. Diane stayed in a private ward. Louise was a member of the Norris family, and she managed to get the best room for Diane. Emily was very grateful to Louise. They were both young misses of wealthy families, yet five years ago, Emily had become a laughingstock of the upper class. Louise was also affected since they were close friends. But the Norris family was very protective of their family members, so Louise was doing fine. "Sweeties, I have something to discuss with your mom. Can you wait for us in the room?" Louise said and looked up at Emily. Emily could tell from Louise's expression that she had something important to tell her. They walked to the end of the corridor. There were only a few people, so they could talk privately. "I'm sorry, Emily. The clown and the other guys got away." Louise blamed herself. "It's alright. I already know who is behind this." Emily smiled. "You've already done too much for me. You are my hero. You saved Diane." "Do you believe what that clown said? Do you think Laura, your stepmother, wanted to kidnap Diane?" Louise didn't know much about Laura, though Laura was the hostess of the Hopkinson family. "I won't let my children get hurt again. I will make them pay for what they did," Emily said angrily. "Emily, just calm down first. You still have Chris, Diane, and me." Louise looked at Emily in concern. "Don't worry. I'll watch out for myself. I won't act rashly," Emily promised. "Alright, let's go back. Don't let Chris and Diane wait too long." Emily and Louise walked towards the ward. As they reached the door, they heard the children's laughter from the ward. They felt better when they heard the kids' laughter. Louise pushed the door and said happily, "Chris, Diane, we're back." The door was wide open, so Emily could see everyone in the ward. "Aaron? Ian? Why are you here?" Emily asked. Then she saw Derek sitting on the sofa next to the bed. He watched the four children playing together and looked relaxed. For some reason, Derek felt Chris and Diane looked similar to Aaron and Ian, and they got along naturally. He heard Emily's voice and turned to the door. Louise's exciting voice was still echoing in the room. Her face froze. She didn't expect Derek to show up. "Emily," Aaron said. Emily felt someone hugging her leg. She looked down and realized it was Aaron. "This is for you." Aaron held a cookie in his hand. His eyes sparkled. He was obviously happy to see Emily. "The cookie is yummy," Emily praised. Ian pouted. He wished that Aaron would also bring him a cookie. "This one is for you." Ian raised his head, and Chris handed him a piece of chocolate. "This chocolate is very sweet. I like it very much. Try it," Chris said. Ian took the chocolate and put it in his mouth. "I like it too. It's so sweet," he laughed. 'Since Chris gave me the delicious chocolate, I'll forgive Emily today,' he thought. Louise looked at Aaron, then at Chris, and finally at Emily. They looked harmonious together. Louise had a feeling that she could not blend in since they were like a family. 'I guess I'm overthinking.' Louise shook her head.Derek stood up and walked to Emily. He rubbed Aaron's head. "Aaron spoke for the first time when he saw you. I took him to the hospital for a thorough examination," Derek said to Emily. "Aaron stays in this ward every time he comes, so..." Emily nodded. "Has Aaron's examination results come out yet?" Emily couldn't help asking. She seemed to really care about Aaron. "Just like before, he is OK. However, he is willing to talk to others now. This is a good sign." Derek's gaze fell on Aaron. "Come home with me," Aaron said to Emily once again. This was already the third time he said so. 'Aaron is very persistent in bringing me home,' Emily thought to herself. Chris was unhappy when he heard this. He ran to Emily, pulled Aaron away, and threw himself into Emily's arms. "Emily is me and Diane's mommy. We're a family, so we're going home together," Chris said domineeringly. Emily rarely saw Chris being agitated, but between Aaron and Chris, she would choose Chris without
Emily did not answer Derek immediately. She thought for a moment and said, "I can help Aaron, but I'm not sure if I can cure him since I'm not a doctor." "Also, I can go to the Scott's often, but I won't live there," Emily added. "Deal." Derek knew that Emily would not agree to be Aaron's nanny. However, he was willing to take a step back since she was special to Aaron. She could make Aaron feel better. Then Derek looked at Aaron. "Let's go home." Aaron, however, kept looking at Emily. "Aaron, I need to take care of Diane now. In a few days, I'll go to your house to see you, okay?" Emily crouched. Aaron nodded. "And Ian." Ian was happy since Aaron also cared about him. "Alright, I'll go to your house to see you and Ian," Emily laughed. Derek nodded at Emily and Louise before leaving with Aaron and Ian. Emily closed the door and saw Louise was still standing there. "Louise, what's wrong?" Emily found it strange. "Emily, I didn't know that you've been through
"Emily? Why are you here?" Rose shouted in surprise. Emily heard Ian cry. She had just brought Aaron down the stairs when she saw Rose bullying Ian. Emily hurriedly stopped Rose. When Emily walked into the living room, she saw Ian standing there. He was crying, and Emily felt like her heart was going to break. She hugged Ian. "Ian, it's alright. Don't be afraid." Emily then turned to Rose. Her tone was stern. "Rose, Ian is your son! How can you treat him like this? You are not worthy of being a mother!" Emily loved Chris and Diane very much, so she could not understand why Rose was so mean to Ian. Because of Emily's comfort, Ian stopped crying. He could feel Emily's concern for him. He leaned his head on Emily's shoulder and wished that Emily was his mother. "Ian, I am your mother. I will marry Derek in the future, and we will be a family!" Rose said angrily. She felt that Ian and Emily were so annoying. "You can marry Derek, but you shouldn't use Aaron and Ian. Th
"Derek, Rose is right. You hired me. I'm in no position to give opinions on your family issues. I protected Aaron and Ian out of duty." Emily did not want to argue with Derek anymore since he would not believe anything she said. "Time is up. I need to go home now. Bye, Derek. Say goodbye to Aaron and Ian for me," Emily left in a hurry because she did not want to spend another minute with this arrogant man. Derek didn't stop Emily. As a father, he was only trying to protect Aaron and Ian. When Derek returned to the room, Aaron and Ian turned their heads away and didn't want to look at him. They were not happy with Derek because he misunderstood Emily. Derek thought, 'Raising children is a lot harder than running a company.' He picked up the boys and put them on the bed. Derek lay next to them. He kissed Aaron and Ian on the head. "I know you don't like Rose and she isn't a good mother, but..." "But she is our mother. Is that what you are going to say?" Ian whispered.
"Stop, Emily. Do you want to kill me?" Rose uttered a few words. "Tell them to stop. Don't follow us anymore." Emily loosened her grip on Rose's neck. Rose was terrified. She was afraid that Emily would strangle her. "Stop! All of you, stop." Rose was very scared, tears streamed from her eyes. The bodyguards looked at each other. They halted their steps but did not leave. Emily hated Rose so much that she wanted her dead. But Emily had Chris and Diane, so she wouldn't do it and was only threatening her. Emily saw a dried riverbed beside the cemetery and dragged Rose toward it. "Rose, you don't think I'll kill you, right? You have brought me here to see the graves of my children, and yet you have ambushed me with these men. I know you are trying to kill me. I'm acting in self-defense. What do you think the jury will say?" Emily shouted so everyone could hear her. The bodyguards didn't dare to get close. Emily brought Rose to the side of the riverbed. "Rose, drop dead
Emily was glad that her four years of poor life had made her accustomed to carrying cash with her. Otherwise, she wouldn't even have the money to take a taxi. Because she was drenched, she had to pay the driver an extra fee for cleaning the car. When Emily reached the door, it opened from the inside. "Mommy," Diane called out happily. She had been lying by the window waiting for Emily to return, so when she saw Emily, Diane ran down like a happy puppy. Chris, who had heard the sound, also came out of the room. He found that Emily was soaked, and she smelled like she had been in a river. He frowned. His mother left early with an anxious look. Who did she meet? How did she fall into the river? Chris did not ask his mother. If she did not want to say anything now, he would pretend not to notice it. "Mommy, you're wet. You should take a hot shower and drink some hot milk." Chris was very good at taking care of Emily and Diane. "Mommy, why are you wet..." Chris cut in and
After Derek left with Emily, Terry and Nick were no longer in the mood for fishing. They packed up and prepared to leave. At that moment, a few bodyguards stopped them. "Gentlemen, did you see a woman?" the bodyguards asked. "Who are you?" Terry asked warily. Nick raised his fishing rod. "Terry and Nick? Why are you here?" A woman's voice sounded. Terry and Nick turned to look. "Rose?" they said together. Rose walked over, surrounded by bodyguards, yet she was in a bad shape. There was a wound on her forehead, and her face was covered in dried blood. Her expensive clothes were torn. "Have you seen a woman?" Rose said impatiently. "I see many women every day. You are one of the women I saw today." Nick shrugged his shoulders. Rose couldn't get any information from Terry and Nick. For who they were, Rose didn't dare to be rude to them. She could only vent her anger on the bodyguards. She slapped the bodyguard beside her. "You are all trash. You can't even find
Chris continued to crack the firewalls of the Hodkinson Group. As time passed, he looked more serious, and it took him a long time to crack the firewalls. The Hodkinson Group had been around for almost a hundred years. Even though it was not as good as before, it still had many advantages. At this time, the Hodkinson Group was already a mess. Peter, the head of the IT Department, was called back as soon as he entered the house. The department staff could not stop the hacker, so Peter could only deal with the hacker himself. "Give me the computer." Peter snatched the seat violently. Yet the hacker was obviously better than Peter. Peter's interception could only stall the hacker for a short time, and then Peter's defense collapsed instantly. Peter was sweating. He didn't even have the time to wipe it. The hacker's code was close to the last barrier. If it was cracked, everything about the Hodkinson Group would be accessible to the public. As the supervisor of the IT Depart
Time flied, and before everyone realized it, a year had gone by.During this time, Charlotte's life abroad appeared calm and routine. She woke up early every day for classes, diligently completed assignments, engaged in academic discussions with her classmates, and participated in various club activities. In the eyes of her friends, she was a positive and energetic girl.Only she knew deep down that she had been waiting, waiting for the one she loved so dearly, the prince who had promised to come back for her.Late at night, Charlotte often found herself sitting alone at her small dormitory desk, gazing out the window at the starry sky, feeling a lingering sense of loss and loneliness in her heart. She had asked herself more than once where Kingsley was and why he never wrote or called.On this sunny day, Charlotte went to the school library as usual, ready to work on an important paper. She sat by the window, her desk piled high with various referenc
Kingsley knew deep down that Charlotte wasn't that kind of person, but the beast suppressed within him was roaring uncontrollably, and the malice rooted in the marrow of his bones surged through him, causing even his blood to boil.His eyes turned cold and gloomy as he glanced towards Charlotte's siblings, emotions spiraling out of control within him.If without them...If...Kingsley suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders.He turned to see Freya's hand resting there, her expression hardened, eyes gazing up at him with concern.Charlotte pushed past Aaron and edged forward.Seeing Kingsley's obviously troubled eyes, her heart raced, her voice becoming raspy and hard to hear. "Wait... for me..."At the sound of her voice, Kingsley visibly froze, then the darkness in his eyes lifted abruptly as he stared into hers, his tone somewhat uncertain. "Charlotte? What's with your voice?"Charlotte's eyes reddened, but she bit her
On this day, Charlotte's siblings took her to the hospital to visit Kingsley at Derek and Emily's insistence.At the hospital entrance, Freya and Chris chatted as they walked toward Kingsley's room. Charlotte's footsteps behind them were eager, and Diana held her back, squeezing her hand to calm her.Charlotte glanced at her sister, understanding the concern in Diana's eyes, biting her lip to suppress the impatience in her heart.She couldn't be blamed for being eager; since witnessing Kingsley jump from the school building rooftop, she hadn't exchanged a word with him.Their closeness was stark, yet they were almost separated by life and death. The image of Kingsley jumping from the building was like a nightmare etched in her mind.Thinking about it brought back that choking feeling, making her breath quicken. She forced herself to endure it, following her siblings into the exclusive elevator that took them straight to Kingsley's floor.&nb
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the curtains, spilling onto the carpet.Charlotte opened her eyes just in time to see Emily changing the water at her bedside. Emily was surprised when she noticed Charlotte waking up. "Charlotte, you're awake!"Charlotte nodded silently.There was a faint sound coming from outside the door. Charlotte glanced over, her expression puzzled. Emily explained beside her, "Ian and Diana are both back, and your father is outside interrogating them."Charlotte's expression shifted slightly at that news. She looked somewhat anxious.This matter was clearly her own problem, yet it seemed her father was pursuing it as if her brothers and sister were solely responsible, which felt unfair to them. The guilt inside her intensified as she thought about it.Seeing Charlotte attempting to get up, Emily quickly intervened, "Hey, Charlotte, don't move! Your injuries haven't healed yet!"As if sensi
The Scott family manor was brightly lit.After more than three years, the Scott family once again activated the first level of defense. The black-clothed bodyguards, who were early at the Scott family manor, stood firmly on guard, while the Scott family servants gathered in the hall and garden, heads lowered, waiting strictly.Vehicles neatly lined up and entered the gates of the Scott family, bypassing the open-air fountain and proceeding towards the main house.Chris's face was vaguely pale; he had learned from a phone call with Diana on the way that their parents had returned. Emily and Derek were already aware of everything that had happened.Judging by their current demeanor, one could see that Emily and Derek were genuinely angry. After all, they had kept the truth from Emily and Derek for so long, and now it was revealed after such a significant accident.Beside them, Charlotte remained silent and withdrawn. Her once clear and bright
It was hard for her to believe that the clean, even a little shy Kingsley she knew and the bloodthirsty, horrible person in front of her were the same person.She had always known that Kingsley's condition was serious, but it was only when she was confronted head-on for the first time that she realized just how horrible it was. Kingsley didn't even look like a normal person at this point."Kingsley!" Freya's expression changed; she became nervous and cautious as she slowly stepped forward. "Drop the knife and come here, let me see your wound."At this point, Theo's death was completely unimportant. If Kingsley is allowed to see more bloodshed or even directly kill Theo, I'm afraid his condition will worsen, and he won't be able to regain his sanity at all.In the face of Freya's coaxing, Kingsley did not react at all. Holding the knife in one hand, he pressed his other hand against Theo's neck harder and harder."Kingsley!" Freya was anxious, but she d
Outside the school, Charlotte was escorted to a waiting car. The vehicle was equipped with special materials, bulletproof and resistant to various thermal weapons. Even though the school's premises had been cleared of bombs, Theo had come prepared, and no one knew if he had any other plans lurking in the shadows. Chris wasn't about to let his sister take such a risk.The people at the school had no idea what kind of life-and-death disaster they had just narrowly avoided. They all emerged from the school, unaware of the danger they had faced. They got into various luxury cars and departed one after another. Originally, Carl wanted to wait at the door, but with too many acquaintances coming and going, he had no choice but to hide in the Scott family's car.Chris voiced his concern, "Are you sure Theo will keep his word?""Not entirely," Carl replied, taking off his gold-rimmed glasses and impatiently rubbing his brow. "But Kingsley had to take a gamble on whether Theo still had it in
When these words were spoken, all the bodyguards present were shocked. Theo was filled with disbelief."What did you say? You're going to declare war on me in the manner of the Livingston family?" Theo almost laughed out loud. "Do you know what you're talking about?"Carl's face hardened for a moment as well. "Kingsley, calm down!"Kingsley, however, paid no attention to him. He stared into Theo's eyes, showing no hint of hesitation or fear. He said, "I know exactly what I'm doing, so don't you dare underestimate me."This declaration made Theo's face darken, his expression obscure, filled with deep thoughts.Charlotte looked at Chris somewhat helplessly. She didn't understand what was happening. Was this a big gamble by Kingsley?Chris composed himself, looked towards Kingsley and Theo's confrontation, and softly explained, "The Livingston family has rules. Members can challenge each other when there are disputes or unavoidable conflicts. They fight one-on-one in a life-and-death due
Ben held Charlotte at gunpoint, then glanced at Theo, who sat calmly and inquired, "What do you want?""I know you plan to use her against Kingsley and the Livingston family. My request is simple: ten million dollars and a getaway car," Ben stated viciously."Oh? You're not seeking vengeance for your family?" Theo remained composed."I'm not naive! I know how to negotiate with someone like you for maximum gain. You never intended to aid in avenging my family, did you?"Theo chuckled softly. "Looks like you're still somewhat sharp, but... still an idiot!"At Theo's words, two black-clad bodyguards suddenly emerged, advancing toward Ben."Aren't you worried I'll kill her? Then you'd have nothing to hold over Kingsley!" Ben exclaimed in panic."Foolish! My aim was always to destabilize Kingsley mentally. If you did kill Charlotte, I'd owe you gratitude."Hearing this, panic flashed in Ben's eyes, and in his haste, he aimed his pistol at Theo.