When Ryan rushed to Riverwood Hospital, he saw a still unconscious Rachel in her ward. The room was silent, so he dared not make a sound. He stepped lightly into the room and looked at Daniel, who stood near the window.Daniel had already taken off the suit he wore to the wedding and tossed it onto the couch by then. Only a white dress shirt remained on his body. One couldn't help finding Daniel lonesome upon seeing the back of his figure.Ryan felt it was inappropriate to say anything since Rachel was on the bed. So, he crept toward Daniel's side and typed a message on his phone. It read, "Are you okay?"Daniel turned to face him with little to no emotion. "Are you here to see what kind of a joke I've become?"He couldn't care less about disrupting his unconscious mother's rest. After all, they had sent her to the hospital not long ago, and the doctors had given her some sedatives through her IV drip. Because of that, he wasn't afraid of waking her.With a sigh, Ryan answered in
Jessica stiffened once she heard that. Every bit of arrogance she showed earlier turned to fear, and she dared not look toward the door. The words he told her echoed in her head, "If you fail to marry Daniel, you'll …" The memory of the man named C choking her made her struggle to breathe even now. With a gulp, she respectfully asked, "W-Why are you here?""Me?" C's lips curved beneath the silver mask as he approached her. "I've been in your home all day. Didn't you know? Oh, that's right. Your entire family attended your wedding, so it's natural that you're unaware of when I came here. Then again, that doesn't matter, right?"Jessica unknowingly took one step back. Words gathered at the back of her throat, but she couldn't bring herself to say them. C soon closed in and trapped her against the side of her bed. Her body trembled as she muttered, "P-Please, I'm begging you! I don't want to die …"Had she known this would happen, she wouldn't have made a deal with this terrifying de
The Johnson and Winston residences were the same. Their older generations had built their family homes, and both houses had a long history. Yet, their architectural styles differed because they had separate regional cultures. The Winston residence sat against a mountain. Meanwhile, the Johnson residence had a stream that flowed past its front gate. Vining flowers and plants covered the fences surrounding their estate. Upon entering, the many fruit trees with thick trunks proved how long these trees had existed. Further in was the elegant, vintage house. Yet, the insides had various modern furnishings and decor.Rebecca only saw the house's interior through her past video calls with Zelda. Now that she had seen it in person, she felt her ancestors' taste in furniture was incredible. Still, it wasn't the right time to admire those things because she needed to locate her nephew first.The group hurried after entering the Johnson residence. They split up and searched around for
"Go and find a doctor who'll cure you instead of throwing a psychotic tantrum at me." Sam instantly stepped back when Serena came close to him. His brows gathered with the utmost disgust. "My mother's family name is Stigg, so I don't have a cousin from the Seales family! Don't fucking act like you're close to us! Tabitha, escort her out!"He didn't want to waste a single breath on her. He led Rebecca away without sparing any respect for the heiress.That pissed Serena off so much that she stomped hard on the ground. She was about to chase after Sam when Tabitha stopped her. "Please don't make things difficult for me, Ms. Seales," Tabitha stated. As an outsider, she couldn't comment on how Serena often visited the residence when Zelda hated it. The worst part was Serena had insisted on coming when today was Rebecca's official return. Serena kept wanting to take part in the Johnson family's affairs. Because Serena was a relative of the family, Tabitha couldn't interfere. Still,
Rebecca had sprinkled some cheese onto the stuffed tomatoes. It smelled great and was still warm from baking. That became an undeniable temptation for the already starving Oliver. No matter how firm his mental resolve was, he couldn't help gulping. He wanted to accept the tomato Rebecca handed to him. Oliver reached out but quickly retracted his arm. His doe eyes focused on Rebecca as he muttered a strict reply. "Daddy says everyone must eat together at the dining table. We can't sneak food in the kitchen."He had uttered those words seriously yet kept gulping. That made him appear even more adorable. If not for Rebecca's oily hands from cooking, she would've given in to his cuteness and patted his head. She couldn't believe how lovable her little nephew was. "Well, how about you don't tell your daddy about this? Besides, look at your Uncle Sam …"Rebecca turned to snatch the buffalo wings from Sam and rat on him, only to realize he had disappeared from the kitchen before she n
Everyone present was stunned momentarily by the kid's words, but soon they started laughing. Even Sam, who had been pulling a long face, and Caleb, who rarely showed much expression, couldn't help but smile. Everybody was touched by the question but soon felt sad by the circumstances that led to that question. Oliver mightn't feel so lonesome if his mother were by his side. He might've grown up as happily and as healthily as his peers and would've been more expressive. What a pity!Rebecca smiled when she heard the question, but felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She couldn't understand the others' reactions. She turned to Oliver earnestly and answered, "I'm sorry, my dear nephew but I can't be your mom. You also can't call me pretty miss. You need to call me Aunt Becca, because I'm your dad's sister. So, I can't be your mom."Oliver's eyes grew bigger as he tried to digest what he was told. It was only moments later when he responded, "Aunt?""Yes, I'm your aunt an
Before Mike could finish his sentence, he felt a pair of cold eyes piercing into him. The owner of those eyes asked in a warning tone, "What did you say?""Ms. Brown's …" Mike shuddered when he noticed he had used the wrong title. He cleared his throat and continued."The salesperson who handled Ms. Rebecca's properties relayed the news. He said that Springford Estate and a few properties under her name are being put on the market for sale. Also …" Daniel's face darkened with every sentence Mike uttered, and Mike's voice became softer and softer until he could no longer carry on.Mike actually didn't plan to inform Daniel, since these properties were transferred to Rebecca as per the divorce agreement. It shouldn't be any of their concern what she does with the properties. However, Mike couldn't hold it in when he saw Springford Estate being listed. Mike's father used to work under George and he himself started working with the Winston family after he graduated from college.
Everyone knew of Zelda's condition. Whenever someone mentioned Rebecca getting lost as a child, she'd get a bit hysterical and suicidal. It was as though she was a different person.Yvonne realized that she had misspoken and stole a glance at Zelda. To her relief, Zelda was all smiles and was looking at Rebecca with a kind glint in her eyes. "No worries. Becca couldn't be with us then, but she'll be with us from now onwards."When Zelda used to think of her daughter suffering outside the Johnson family, she'd find it almost unbearable, and this in turn made the whole family sad as well. She knew that she shouldn't wallow in the past anymore as Rebecca had returned. She promised to love and pamper her little daughter from now till forever.Everyone present was relieved to see Zelda so optimistic, especially her husband. Kenneth was so pleased that he grabbed her hand in his. Although Zelda was feeling embarrassed, she didn't remove her hand. She only said, "What are you