Gale looked at her with a soft yet determined gaze. "So, tell me, what really happened.""Gale, why have you always believed that Heather had anything to do with it?" Matthew asked. "You wandered off and got lost. The police investigated, and there was no evidence pointing to her abducting you!"Aurum stood on the side, feeling shocked. Was Gale's childhood disappearance somehow connected to Heather? It sounded unbelievable at first, but after giving it some thought, Aurum felt that Heather did have a motive. She was the biggest beneficiary.Heather must have taken Gale away, sent her to an orphanage, and sent Natalie to the Yarn family to be raised as a dignified young lady! That way, her daughter could enjoy everything that belonged to Gale, including the engagement. Was that the truth? The realization struck Aurum suddenly. He could not wait to hear Heather's answer."Over these years, I've tried to find the truth, but I never found anything," Aurum spoke up.Shawn glanced at h
Matthew's face turned crimson, then purple. For a moment, he could not accept this truth. Matthew felt the pain of being betrayed by the person he trusted and loved the most.Heather's hand rested on the tombstone. "I admit it. I've guarded this secret for so many years and never told anyone. I might as well speak my mind since things have come to this!""Heather! This was your plan from the start!" Matthew exclaimed."Yes." Matthew took a few short breaths in succession. "When you suggested that I should adopt Natalie, I thought it was an opportunistic idea. But, it turns out, it was a deliberately planned scheme!""Exactly. Everything was meticulously planned. Matthew, they're both your daughters. Why should only Mary's daughter enjoy wealth and prosperity?" Heather said, looking at him."I did it because you, Matthew, are incapable!"Heather pointed at him, her fingernail almost poking into his eyes."You lacked ability and strategy; you were scared to answer my calls whene
"That's right! I thought of many ways and made many plans. Finally, I decided the charity banquet had the best chance to snatch you away.""How did you do it?"Heather chuckled twice. "Do you really need to know the details?""Yes."Heather shrugged and said, "It's quite simple. I sneaked into that charity banquet. I noticed you liked desserts, cakes and such, but Mary always stopped you, afraid you'd get cavities. So, I prepared a beautiful cartoon cake to attract you.""Sure enough, you were quickly drawn to it. The moment you saw that cake, you walked straight toward me. Once you got close, I immediately covered your mouth."Heather raised her hand, revealing two shallow scars on her hand."Look, Gale. You bit me at that time and left a scar.""You were sharp-toothed even as a child, and looking at you now, you're still the same! Nothing has changed!"Gale glanced at the scar.That was the least of her concerns. She wanted to know more about how Heather took her away from
Heather glared at Gale. "After you fainted, I took you to the loading bay, placed you in a cardboard box and loaded you onto a large truck to quietly transport you out of the hotel.""As soon as the truck drove away, I saw security personnel gathering at the entrance, beginning to seal off all the hotel exits.""You had already been taken away. Mary lost her precious daughter! Hahaha!"Heather leaned against Matthew's chest, laughing maniacally."Matthew, I felt so excited then. However, you started neglecting me, and you spent more time with Mary because of Gale's disappearance. I felt so sad. You still cared about the daughter you had with her!""I took the opportunity and suggested you adopt Natalie. Although you hesitated, you couldn't deny my request. You couldn't bear to see Natalie suffer with me...""That's how it happened! That's it! Matthew, you finally know the truth now! You had seen my malicious side! You won't want me anymore. You hate me, right? You want to get rid
Matthew and Mary saw through each other. The two seemed to be thinking of each other, a pair of unfortunate lovebirds."Are you done? Don't worry, you two will be together, for a lifetime. No one will tear you apart!" Gale spoke up.She would not accept Matthew staying in Sea City. Matthew should stay with Heather; that was his choice, and thus he should continue being with her."Gale, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Although I wasn't involved and didn't know about what Heather did... I still have faults. I...""You certainly have faults. You took her in and made her jealous, which gave her a chance to harm us. She is the mastermind, and you are the one who caused all of this." If Matthew had not been with Heather, none of this would have happened. Gale finally understood how she disappeared years ago. The truth revealed by Heather and the details described by Mary about Gale's disappearance matched perfectly. Gale's suspicions were correct. It was indeed Heather who did it."Yes. I ma
"I need to say my piece! I've decided to reveal the truth. I've kept silent for so long; holding onto this secret has been unbearable; it's time to let it all out!" Heather was determined."I never regretted taking Gale away. My only regret is that I had the chance to kill her, and I didn't take it."Matthew turned pale with fright and immediately covered her mouth, preventing her from saying more. No wonder Natalie had such a stubborn temper. Matthew did not understand before, but he finally understood after Heather's outburst: like mother, like daughter! Both were insensitive troublemakers.Gale chuckled softly. "Why are you so flustered? I just took a little longer to respond. I never said I'd go back on my word. All I wanted was the truth!"It had happened, causing a series of consequences that were irreversible. Ever since Heather had taken her away, Gale had lived a completely different life. What difference would it make even if she settled the score with Heather now? Could
Matthew and Mary were incompatible from the start."Tomorrow, your heart surgery will proceed as planned. The doctor said there's not much risk. After the surgery, I'll arrange for your transfer to any hospital outside Sea City," Gale said."Which hospital are we transferring to?""Any hospital away from here."Gale intended for Matthew to leave immediately after the surgery!"Okay. No problem," Matthew responded."After the transfer, never set foot here again.""No problem.""Good. Our relationship ends here. From now on, we'll never see each other again."She was forceful. She then turned and walked away. She was decisive and resolute because she never wanted any association with them again.Shawn's sharp gaze swept over Matthew and Heather, a clear warning. Promises made must be kept. Otherwise, he would not hesitate.Shawn swiftly caught up with Gale and took her hand. Their figures grew more distant, disappearing on the path through the cemetery.The sky darkened compl
Throughout, neither Shawn nor Gale spoke a word.Only after Shawn left did Peach dare to approach quietly. "Gale, did something happen?"Gale's heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong?"She felt guilty.She always felt that whatever happened between her and Aurum would spread throughout Sea City in the next moment. Everyone would know, and they would all look at her with strange eyes, gossiping about her. Gale unconsciously tightened her grip, only to find her palms sweaty.Peach replied, "Nothing really, it's just that... things seem a bit off between you and Mr. Wood.""Is that so? Nothing's wrong, it's all... normal. What could possibly be wrong? Don't... don't guess randomly, kid," Gale stuttered.She tried hard to complete her sentence, but she just could not. She felt even more nervous!"You two didn't communicate at all." Peach looked surprised. "Not a word. It was like a silent play. It made me feel so suppressed, like my heart didn't dare to beat, afraid of disturbing your