Lily cared for the two children for five years, and they had come to see her as family. When Lily passed away, it deeply saddened the children.Caroline released her hold on the children and said, "Lily's funeral will be on December 25th. I'll take a leave of absence to be there with you."The two children nodded with tears in their eyes.-Meanwhile, at Villa Foresta.Casey offered Daniella a place to stay for the night. She sat in his room, aware that their two-day time limit was about to expire, yet Casey showed no sign of checking his phone.As Daniella undressed in the bathroom, her phone suddenly rang. She quickly picked it up when she saw Hector's caller ID."Hello, Mr. Hendrix?" Daniella leaned against the bathroom door, trying to listen for Casey on the phone.Hector spoke. "I've found the bone marrow, which can be delivered anytime. You can name the price."Daniella didn't hear Casey's voice from outside. She wondered if the room was soundproofed exceptionally well.
Initially, Axel wasn't sure if Evan would agree to it. He didn't expect his father to agree so easily.Axel's eyes slowly brightened, and he said, "Thank you, Daddy."Evan smiled, but he felt a pang of sadness. He hadn't anticipated Axel being so overjoyed about something so trivial.-In the afternoon, Evan took a leisurely stroll through the mall, holding Axel's hand after lunch. Axel had already thought about the gifts, so he headed straight for the shop. He picked out a scarf for Caroline and a thermos flask for Tyler, knowing how much he liked warm drinks. He chose a large doll for Liora that she could cuddle with. Then, he purchased a tie for Evan.Evan was visibly surprised by the gift. "For me?"Axel nodded. "Daddy, you deserve a Christmas gift too."Evan leaned over and gently ruffled Axel's hair.Axel was taken aback because Evan was beaming with an infectious happiness he had never seen before. He couldn't hide the joy on his face and said, "Daddy, you should smile
Tyler lifted the thermos flask, remarking, "I know who sent this."Caroline grasped the scarf-packed gift box, asking, "It's from Axel, right?"Tyler nodded. "I have a gift for Axel too, Mommy. Could you arrange for its delivery?""Mommy, I've got a present for Axel too!" Liora said."Alright," Caroline replied, contemplating who should handle the gift deliveries, when Eira approached."I'll do it! I met the man who came this afternoon! He looks plain, but he has enormous eyes and a graceful face," Eira stated.Caroline realized Eira was referring to Reuben but didn't expect her to describe him as dull.Caroline instructed the children, "Fetch the gifts from upstairs. There's a watch on my bedside table. Please bring it as well."Liora playfully teased Caroline, "You secretly bought a gift for Axel too, Mommy."Caroline affectionately patted Liora's head. "It's the same watch you have."The two children hurried upstairs to retrieve the gifts while Caroline provided Eira with
Kenny hesitated to leave. "What if those bullies bother you?"Caroline glanced at him. "They won't. We're in the cemetery. Neil, Scott, please escort the funeral celebrant."The group noticed Caroline's determination and chose a different path without commenting further.Once they departed, Evan approached the tombstone. Caroline's icy glare met him, and she slapped him without a word.Reuben's eyes widened in shock at the crisp slap. "Ms. Shenton!"Caroline suppressed her anger. "How dare you come here!"Evan turned solemnly, matching Caroline's intense anger with his own cold stare. "Do you realize what you're doing?"Caroline closed in on Evan. "I'd like to ask you: what have you done?"Evan's temples pulsed with veins. "Explain yourself!"Caroline's eyes turned bloodshot. "You sent the doctor to get my consent for Lily's surgery, and she died during the operation!"Evan emanated an eerie presence."Can I control the surgery? Can't you see I hired the best medical team fo
Reuben gazed at Caroline and spoke. "Mr. Jordan isn't that kind of person, Ms. Shenton. You worked for him for three years. Have you ever seen him use such unethical tactics?"Mr. Jordan invested a lot of manpower and money into commissioning the medical team. You've crossed a line today, Ms. Shenton."With those words, Reuben departed.Caroline stood in front of the tombstone, silent.She thought, 'Have I gone too far? I wanted to believe that you intended to save Lily willingly, too. Yet, Lily died during the surgery performed by the doctors you hired! You won't even swear to it. How can I trust that your conscience is clear?'After some time, Caroline walked toward Katie's tombstone, placing the bouquet she had prepared before it. She retrieved a tissue and used it to clean the tombstone."Mom, I'm here. Do you blame me for not visiting in so long?" Caroline managed a weak smile. "I changed my name and hid for five years abroad. I'm a fashion designer now, with a few small ach
Scott casually mentioned, "I glanced back before leaving and remember seeing Carol slap Evan.""What? She slapped that scumbag?" Kenny exclaimed.Neil nodded. "She believed Lily's passing was closely linked to Evan.""I'd think the same if I were in her shoes, given that my boss commissioned the medical team," Paige said between bites of her food.The group turned their attention to Paige.Paige, feeling bewildered, asked, "Why are you all looking at me?""Women think straightforwardly. If the scumbag wanted revenge on Caroline, he wouldn't use such an obvious tactic," Kenny remarked.Scott added, "Vital signs can drop during surgery, resulting in death."Neil chimed in. "True, mishaps occur, but we can't rule out the possibility of tampering."Kenny looked perplexed. "You make it sound so mysterious. Have you been reading too many mystery novels?"Neil asked, "What do you mean?"Kenny put down his spoon and clarified, "The hospital belongs to the scumbag. The person must be
"He asked my mom to make her death quick so she wouldn't leave a bad last impression on him. In the end, she couldn't do it because she knew I'd be left alone if she was gone."But after that incident, she fell apart. She started drinking and smoking excessively with the money my dad left. She'd hurt herself after drinking, covering her arms and legs in scars."I was terrified to go home, fearing I'd find her dead or hear her cries. I suffered for five years until she got diagnosed with cancer. I begged her to get treatment, but she held me with her frail, scarred hands, saying she wouldn't burden me."She left me some money, hoping I'd grow up well. She told me not to resent my father—he was the devil. She wanted me to grow up as a pure-hearted angel because I kept her alive for those five years."As Scott briefly shared his life story, Caroline cried."Don't you hate your father?" Caroline asked.Scott handed her a glass of water. "What's the point of hating him? Hate only torments t
Neil smiled and said, "Thank you for this."The woman snorted and replied, "You know that's not what I want to hear. Why don't you express your gratitude differently?"Her suggestion wiped the smile off his face. "I'm sorry.""Is it too difficult to give yourself up to me?" she asked. "Never mind. I'll let you off this time since things aren't settled yet."Neil thanked her once more."Stop thanking me. I'm happy to help!""Get some rest.""I'll play with him for a bit first." She hung up the call after that.Neil stared helplessly at his phone. Just as he was about to shut his laptop, someone opened the door to his office.Thomas nodded at Neil and closed the door.Neil stood up and respectfully greeted Thomas, saying, "Uncle Tom."Thomas took a seat across from Neil, looking serious. "Neil, I need an explanation."Neil resumed his seat, pretending to be puzzled. "What do you mean, Uncle Tom?""I saw Lyra's photo at Yulia's place. How long are you going to keep it from me