Ch. 1081..1090
Chapter 1081 Blew Up Their Underground Base
Mother handed me the jade key back when she was still alive, urging me to protect it no matter what. Never will I hand over such a crucial treasure as the jade key to this evil woman before me!
Widening her eyes, Yumi riposted, “No, I didn’t… I don’t know anything about a jade key! Let me go! My mommy will definitely come and save me! At that time, you’ll be dead!”
“Mommy? Are you referring to Natalie? Will she really save you when the two of you aren’t related by blood at all?” Zophie scoffed with a mirthless smirk.
She deliberately said that to break Yumi. Unexpectedly, Yumi insisted obstinately, “My mommy will definitely come and save me!”
“You’re still being stubborn, brat? Is that woman pure just because she’s standing in the sun? Her hands are similarly stained with blood! Such a two-faced sl*t can only dupe a four or five-year-old kid like you!” Zophie snarled, loathing her to the core.
Chagrin swamped her as she took note of the unwavering trust in Yumi’s eyes toward Natalie. If it weren’t for that woman, Gale wouldn’t have died in that explosion, blown to bits and pieces!
Yumi didn’t quite understand the meaning of the word “sl*t.”
Nonetheless, she was certain that the woman was scolding Natalie.
From the instant Natalie appeared at the orphanage and helped her, a glimmer of light seemingly broke through the darkness she once imagined her life to be.
Natalie adopted her and took her away from the orphanage, bringing her home where Franklin, Sophia, Xavian, and Clayton resided. She could sense that everyone in the family loved and cared for her sincerely.
All that was given to her by Natalie. In this world, no one had ever treated her so well other than her biological mother.
Hence, she was so livid upon hearing Zophie scold Natalie that her face flushed bright red. Opening her mouth, she bit Zophie’s hand hard. She exerted all her might while doing so, giving it her all.
Never having expected such a young child to be so aggressive, Zophie only realized what had happened when her hand was bleeding. As pain assailed her, she shoved Yumi away.
Yumi failed to brace herself for it. The back of her head hit the wall with a thud. Lifting her hand, Zophie wanted to slap her. But just when her hand was about to land on Yumi’s face, she stilled and thrust a finger in her face instead.
“Brat, don’t think that you can fool me just by playing dumb! You’re the kid the organization is looking for. Since the jade key isn’t with you, it’s naturally with Natalie. Since you’re so sure that she’ll come and save you, I’ll exchange you for the jade key. If she isn’t willing to hand it over, I’ll set you on fire!” Zophie warned through clenched teeth.
All at once, Yumi’s heart jolted. Crap! This evil woman wants to exchange me for the jade key! Meanwhile, the four children were picked up by Yandel.
When Natalie received a message from the man telling her that the children were with him, the weight on her heart finally lifted.
Jerome went to her, and they both watched the surveillance footage Xavian sent over together.
The footage was taken from a distance, so it only captured the woman’s features roughly. That aside, the resolution was pretty low.
Natalie combed through her circle of acquaintances before shaking her head. “I don’t know this woman. Shall we start by investigating this woman—”
Before she had finished speaking, Jerome interrupted her. “I know this woman.” “Who is she, Jerome?” Natalie asked nervously. “She’s Zophie, a member of Blaze.”
With an icy expression on his face, Jerome continued, “It’s a mysterious crime syndicate whose leader and organization is unknown. Many filthy and unethical things are spurred by Blaze behind the scenes When did you get involved with Blaze, Natalie?”
At the mention of Blaze, Natalie finally had some recollection of things. She sucked in a breath. “I know why, then. Half a year ago, I blew up Blaze’s underground base in Dellmoor, Chanaea.”
Chapter 1082 Only Death Awaits Her
The instant Natalie’s words rang out, Jerome exclaimed in astonishment, “What? You were the one who blew up Blaze’s underground base in Dellmoor, Chanaea? The internal rumors credited it to Prince Jonathan, claiming that it was his subordinates who accomplished the raid and detonation in Chanaea this time.”
His voice brimmed with regret on Natalie’s behalf. On the contrary, Natalie didn’t find it meritorious and didn’t mind whoever the rumors credited.
Back then, she only slipped into Blaze’s underground base to obtain the antidote for Samuel’s accelerated aging. Even if she could reverse time and make a different decision, she would still choose to find the antidote and blow up the underground base filled with biochemistry perils.
“It doesn’t matter.” Natalie shook her head indifferently as she maintained solemnly, “I’m only concerned about this woman known as Zophie. Where is she now, and why did she kidnap Yumi? Wouldn’t it have been better to take Sophia if she wanted revenge against me? Since she knew that the kids are my weakness and wanted to use them to threaten me, why did she take Yumi instead of Sophia when it boiled down to a choice between the two of them?”
She simply couldn’t make any sense of that. Although Blaze was exceedingly mysterious, they didn’t seem the type to make such a careless mistake, judging from her few confrontations with them. “Could it have been an accident?” Jerome wondered with a frown.
“That’s impossible,” Natalie answered intuitively. “I asked Sophia, and at that time, she and Yumi were the only ones there. When it boiled down to a choice between the two girls, picking Sophia would’ve been the smarter choice. There must be some reason that woman took Yumi away instead of Sophia, my biological daughter.”
“My men are already investigating the matter. They’ll report back as soon as there’s news. Natalie, that woman must have had some motive to choose to capture Yumi alive. As such, Yumi’s life won’t be in danger for the time being. No matter what, I’ll figure out a way to help you rescue her together,” Jerome vowed.
Natalie felt much more at ease with Jerome helping her. “Thank you so much, Jerome.” She cast her gaze back at the man. At that, Jerome pursed his lips. “How many times have I repeated this? There’s no need for such formalities between us.”
Time ticked by. There was no news from Jerome’s side, but Natalie’s phone on the table started ringing. The caller ID indicated an unknown number. Swiping the answer button, Natalie brought her phone to her ear. “Hello—”
“Turn off your phone’s location tracker.” A woman’s eerily cool voice drifted out of the phone. “You’re Zophie?” Natalie inquired, cutting straight to the chase.
“Sure enough, you’re something else that you even know my name.” In a flash, the woman’s voice turned chilly. “Since you know who I am, you must know that your precious daughter is in my hands. If you want her to remain safe and sound, do as I said and turn off your phone’s location tracking!”
“Okay, I’ll do it.” Exiting the phone call interface, Natalie turned off the location tracking function Xavian developed for her. “I’ve turned it off, Zophie. Now, you can tell me why exactly you kidnapped my daughter,” she uttered, her brows furrowed.
Zophie glanced back over her shoulder at the girl tied in the corner before sneering, “This kid should’ve had a jade key on her. But now, it isn’t with her. Thus, it must be in your hands. Hand me the key, and I’ll return her to you. I’ll slowly settle the score for our other past grievances with you in the future.”
A jade key? Immediately, Natalie recalled the precious jade key hanging around Yumi’s neck when she first adopted her.
At that time, she felt that it was more of some insignia or a key to some sort of mechanism besides being valuable, so she suggested that Yumi entrust it to her for safekeeping.
Never had she thought that Yumi was kidnapped by a member of Blaze because of that jade key. Since Blaze wants the jade key, it proves that its importance far exceeds my expectations previously.
When Zophie received no response from her, her voice suddenly turned vicious. “Speak up! Did you not hear my demand clearly? I want the jade key! Give me the jade key on this little girl! As long as you do so, I promise that she’ll remain alive. Otherwise, only death awaits her!”
Chapter 1083 You Threatened Me First
Yumi must have been terrified when she was kidnapped by the woman! Besides the fact that Blaze was a crime syndicate involved in all sorts of immoral activities, Zophie was sounding like a crazy woman over the phone.
As such, Natalie was extremely worried about Yumi’s current situation. She tightened her grip on her phone as a determined gaze flashed across her eyes. “I’m the one you’re after. Let the kid go and don’t hurt her! Otherwise, not only would you not get the key, I’ll make sure you and your organization pay a terrible price for this!”
Although they were just speaking over the phone, Zophie could not help but feel slightly intimidated by Natalie.
“Natalie, I’ve already said that I don’t care whether the child lives or dies. I only care about getting the jade key.” Zophie raised her voice as she continued, “Give me the jade key and I’ll let the child live. If you don’t give it to me or play any tricks, I’ll make sure you never see the girl again. Not only that, I’ll make sure she dies a painful death!”
Zophie did not sound like she was joking. As Natalie was worried that Zophie would get too agitated and end up hurting Yumi, she replied without hesitation, “Yup! I have the jade key. I will give it to you, but I want to hear Yumi’s voice now to make sure that she’s still safe!”
There was silence on the other end of the line, and Zophie seemed to be hesitating.
However, Natalie was not intending to back down. “Zophie, since you are holding the child hostage to threaten me, you have to let me know that she’s safe! If I can’t be sure that you have not harmed her, not only would I not give you the key, but I would also destroy it so that you and your organization can forget about having it ever!”
Natalie had set a clear bottom line. She could always get the key back again after losing it. However, if something bad happened to Yumi, it would be irreversible!
“All right then. I’ll let you hear her voice,” Zophie finally replied. A few seconds after rustling sounds sounded through the phone, Natalie heard the girl speaking in between sobs. “Mommy…”
“Yumi, are you okay?” Natalie’s voice softened instantly. “Mommy, I’m fine,” Yumi reassured Natalie, trying her best to control her emotions as she did not want her mother to worry. “Tell me the truth.”
Yumi was taken aback for a moment when she heard the woman’s words. The next instant, tears started flowing down her cheeks. After all, she was only five, and it wasn’t easy for her to force herself to be brave in such a situation.
Unable to hold back any longer, the girl answered, “Mommy, I feel a little dizzy, and I feel like puking… I’m very scared…”
“All right, hang in there. Mommy is coming to save you.” Natalie could feel her heart aching badly. “When you’re scared, just think about what you want to do with me, Franklin and Sophia after you get home. When you are back, tell me all about it and we will do all of them together…”
Yumi felt a lot better after hearing Natalie’s words. “Okay, Mommy! I will wait for you!”
“That’s my good girl!” Zophie was not sure what Yumi and Natalie had talked about exactly, but she could tell that the girl was visibly more relaxed and did not look as terrified and flustered as before.
Zophie felt extremely uneasy about the change. She did not like it at all. What the h*ll just happened?
What did she say to the girl?
Zophie snatched the phone back from Yumi’s hands and said, “That’s enough for you to confirm that she’s safe.” “Did you hit her?” Natalie questioned.
“You—” “You don’t have to answer me,” Natalie interrupted the woman before continuing, “Let me repeat myself. Even though you have Yumi now, I will only give you the key on the condition that she’s perfectly safe. If you hurt her even a little bit, I’ll make sure that the jade key is destroyed to a similar extent…”
Zophie could barely believe what she had just heard. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “Natalie, are you threatening me now?”
“You threatened me first,” Natalie replied coldly. “I’ll give you the key, but I’ve hidden it in a secret place. As such, I’ll need some time to prepare. Two days is all I need. Two days later, you can decide on the method of our exchange.”
Chapter 1084 Silver Tongue
“Two days?” Two days seemed rather long to Zophie. “Yup,” Natalie replied in an unwavering manner. “If you are not even willing to wait two days, there’s nothing I can do. Just remember that I’ll be treating the jade key in the exact same way you treat Yumi. You can weigh the consequences yourself.”
Zophie did not find anything amiss with Natalie’s request, and given how firm the woman seemed, Zophie had no choice but to agree. “Sure. I’ll give you two days then. Two days later, I’ll send you a message with the details of our exchange.”
“No problem.” Natalie thought for a brief moment before continuing, “For the next forty-eight hours, you have to send me a video of Yumi every six hours so that I’ll know that she’s still safe. If you delay in sending the videos, our exchange shall be delayed by an equal amount of time.”
You!” Zophie did not expect Natalie to keep pushing her luck. “I think that’s a reasonable request,” Natalie said in a frosty voice. “If you can’t even do that, how am I supposed to believe that you’ll return Yumi to me safely after I’ve given you the key?”
It felt as if Natalie knew exactly what Zophie had up her sleeves. Getting the jade key was not enough for Zophie to forgive the woman for causing Gale’s death!
Although they were just speaking over the phone, Natalie had a silver tongue and was pretty much talking Zophie into agreeing to all of her requests.
Sensing that she was losing control of the situation, Zophie quickly said, “I will do as you say. I don’t think there’s anything else we need to talk about. I’m hanging up now.”
The next moment, the line went dead. Natalie slumped into her chair in exhaustion after putting down her phone.
Jerome had been beside Natalie all the while when she was speaking with Zophie. Even though he could not hear the full conversation, he had clearly heard what Natalie said and noticed that the jade key had been brought up many times during the conversation.
As such, the man could not help but ask, “Natalie, what’s the jade key that you kept mentioning? What has it got to do with Yumi?”
Yumi was Natalie’s adopted daughter, and the latter had mentioned to Jerome how she adopted the little girl previously.
However, she had not told him about the jade key, which was connected to Yumi’s background.
As Natalie trusted Jerome greatly, she decided to tell him the full story. “Back then, when I adopted Yumi, I discovered that she was wearing a unique jade key. As I was worried that she might accidentally break it while playing, I decided to keep it safe for her so that she could use it to search for her family in the future. But now, it seems like there’s indeed something special about the jade key, and that’s why Blaze has been trying so hard to get their hands on it.”
“That’s for sure.” Jerome frowned and said with a solemn expression, “Blaze has wild ambitions. If I’m not wrong, that’s probably the key to some kind of treasure. That’s why they are trying to get it at all costs! If it ends up in Blaze’s hands, the world might be in danger!”
Natalie had already considered everything the man just said.
No doubt, it would definitely be detrimental to let Blaze have the key.
“Do you really intend to give Zophie the jade key?” Jerome asked uncertainly before continuing, “And you’re going to try to get the key back after making sure that Yumi is safe?”
“That’s not the best plan,” Natalie answered while tapping her fingers on the table lightly. “Whatever we thought about, I’m sure Zophie would have thought of it as well. Once the key is with her, it would be very difficult for us to get it back. Moreover, after giving her the key, there would be more things for us to take care of, and it might put Yumi in danger too. She’s my child. I don’t really care what happens to me, but I am not going to put my daughter at risk.”
If that’s the case, it seems like there are not many options left for us.
With a deeper crease between his brows, Jerome asked, “Natalie, what do you think is the optimal solution then?”
Chapter 1085 Would Not Expose
Natalie lifted her head under Jerome’s stare and met his eyes. “I’m not going to hand this jade key to Zophie or Blaze before I can determine its usefulness. I’ll keep the key by my side. Now, I just need to find a way to duplicate the key in two days.”
His mouth was left slightly ajar as he was shocked by Natalie’s idea. “I may not have personally seen the jade key, but I imagine it’s not going to be easy to replicate a piece of jade that was carved into the shape of a key. I don’t think two days will be enough for you to copy it…” said Jerome. His concerns were already considered by her.
Thus, she nodded and said, “That’s right! There’s no way an ordinary person can do it. However, if that person is willing to help out, then two days is possible.”
“Who?” “Varre Appleby,” Natalie uttered his name slowly.
“Varre used to be a master craftsman hired by the government. However, I heard from my father that there has been no news about him in recent years.” Jerome sighed. “His skills can be described as divine, but his whereabouts are unknown. Two days may not even be enough time for you to find him…”
Despite that, Natalie didn’t seem at all dejected. In fact, she smiled confidently. “What if I say I know his daughter?”
Jerome couldn’t believe his ears. “What? You know Varre’s daughter?”
“Mhm.” Raising her chin, she continued, “I need to ask Mr. Appleby to replicate that jade key as fast as possible to fool Zophie. Even if I make the exchange with her, it’s not guaranteed that she’ll return Yumi to me. If I have to choose one over the other, I will do my best to protect Yumi. It won’t matter to me if the fake key is shattered or not. I don’t care how other people view my relationship with Yumi, but since I’ve adopted her, I’m not going to give up on her. She is my daughter, and she’s so very obedient. To me, there’s no difference between her and Xavian, Franklin, Clayton, or Sophia. This is the only way I can protect her and the children for now, so I must give it a try!”
When Natalie finished speaking, admiration and infatuation surfaced in Jerome’s eyes as he stared at her.
He thought the days he spent away from her and in the army would help him grow powerful enough to protect her. Yet, it surprised him that she was getting increasingly capable at an astonishing speed when he wasn’t paying attention.
It was as though the present and the past were overlapping. He could only stand by her side and stare at the confident glow emanating from her body, just like how it was when they were young. “I’ll go with you to look for Varre,” Jerome suggested.
With a shake of her head, Natalie declined, “I know you want to protect me, and I’m grateful for that, but you can’t come with me. There’s no way Zophie’s letting me roam around for forty-eight hours without having someone keeping an eye on me. I still need your help to put up a smokescreen!”
Since she had made her reasoning clear, he had no choice but to agree with the plan.
“Okay, I’ll continue to put up the act as you wish. However, you must maintain contact with me. If you encounter any danger at all, you must call me right away. Promise me.”
“I promise,” said Natalie without hesitation. After their conversation ended, Natalie summoned Billy. Before Samuel went to look for Jorden, he intentionally left Billy behind for her.
Even though on the surface, he simply left her a skilled bodyguard, the truth was anything but. Not only was Billy skilled as a bodyguard, but he also represented the power and resources that Samuel had secretly cultivated over the years.
“I’ve sent someone to track down Zophie, Mrs. Bowers,” Billy informed.
“Try to keep it discreet.” Natalie continued, “She’s a member of Blaze, so she has likely received professional training before and has a powerful anti-detection awareness. I’d rather have the process of tracking her down be slow than to have it noticed by her.”
“I understand.” “Oh yeah, help me find someone.” As she pulled out a hyper-realistic mask from the drawer and handed it to Billy, she informed, “I need someone who can act well to wear this mask before traveling between Chanaea and Loang once.
Also, remember to reinforce security and prevent any accidents from happening. You need to treat this substitute like she’s me. So, remember to use the Bowers family’s and Dream’s resources if it’s necessary to ensure she isn’t exposed.”
Chapter 1086 What Happened To Your Face
Billy never imagined Natalie would give him an order like that. “What about you, Mrs. Bowers? Don’t you need someone by your side?” His eyebrows furrowed. “Are you going to do things by yourself?”
“That’s right,” Natalie replied. “What about your safety?” “I’ll be fine as long as the smokescreen is done perfectly.” There was confidence in her voice. “But—” He opened his mouth, but was unsure of what to say.
Before Samuel left, Billy was ordered to take good care of Natalie. The latter had no idea what he should tell his employer if Natalie got hurt when he was playing along with the substitute.
“No buts.” Natalie cut him off. “This is my decision, Billy, and you are my subordinate. So, you will do as I say.” Staring at her determined look, Billy knew there was no point in trying to persuade her. Hence, he agreed, “Yes, Mrs. Bowers.”
After he left, she opened the safe Yandel specifically made for her and removed the box containing the jade key. Pulling out the jade key again, she held it in her hand and fiddled with it.
The jade key was milky white in color, but it had good transparency. When illuminated by sunlight, pink luster could be seen emanating from the key. The carving was abnormally exquisite while the key’s teeth profile was fine and complex.
It was just a key, yet it was made in such a magnificent manner. It would be natural for anyone to wonder what was being protected by a lock that could only be opened by a unique key like that.
In the past, Natalie had thought about that before. However, it was likely that whatever secret hiding behind the key was more valuable than she ever imagined if even Zophie and Blaze wanted it. She started searching for raw materials in the safe while thanking Yandel in her mind.
Raw jades never really interested her, but Yandel loved to find unprocessed gems for her. Not only that, Yandel would periodically renew the materials kept inside the safe. The relatively bad ones would be replaced by better ones.
Because the quality of the jades was great, Natalie was able to locate a white jade that was extremely superior in quality fairly quickly.
Even though the quality still wasn’t as great as the jade key, it was pretty close. Unless someone were to inspect it closely, they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
She proceeded to put the jade key and the white jade into the box.
Then, she spent some time putting on a disguise and the hyper-realistic mask she had prepared beforehand. When she was ready, she carried her computer bag and left Dream.
Meanwhile, after Anna tucked her child into bed, she massaged her shoulder as she descended the stairs, preparing to welcome Natalie. She received a call from Natalie saying that her arrival would be in ten minutes.
Soon after she arrived downstairs, she heard her doorbell ring. Swiftly, Anna approached the entrance and opened the door. She then uttered subconsciously, “Natalie, you—” Before she could finish her sentence, she cut herself off and swallowed the rest of her words.
That was because the woman standing in front of her with a computer bag had ordinary features with lots of freckles on her face.
While she wasn’t ugly, she still looked very different from the Natalie that Anna was familiar with. “Who are you? Why are you here?” Anna stared at the woman warily.
“Don’t you recognize me, Anna?” With a smile, the woman stared at Anna with clear eyes. It was a face unfamiliar to Anna.
However, she recognized the eyes. She felt as though she had seen those eyes before. There’s no one else but Natalie who would call my name in that tone. Then, a lightbulb flashed above her head as she said, “Natalie? How can it be you? Why did your face become like that?”
Chapter 1087 The Only Way
As Natalie held onto the bag tightly, she smiled. “Can you let me enter your house first, Anna? We can talk about the details inside.” “Sure! Come in!” Anna stepped backward and took out a pair of cotton slippers for her to wear.
Upon wearing it, Natalie stepped into the house before Anna closed the door. Both women went into the living room. Anna proceeded to pour a hot cup of coffee for Natalie and put it on the coffee table.
“Can you tell me what’s going on with your face now, Natalie?” Staring at her friend with disbelief, Anna frowned. “Is this plastic surgery? Why did you make yourself look like that?”
“This isn’t plastic surgery.” Natalie raised her hand and rubbed her jawline for a moment before pulling the hyper-realistic mask off, thus revealing her true appearance.
“What is this?” When Anna saw that, she gasped in utter shock.
“It’s a hyper-realistic mask.” Upon placing the mask on the table, Natalie smiled. “I have more important things to discuss with you right now. Once I’m free in the future, I’ll take my time explaining to you the process of making one.”
“Oh, okay.” Anna glanced at the mask before nodding, still in a daze. With a serious tone, Natalie spoke. “I’m visiting you today because I have something I need you to do for me, Anna…”
In the past, Anna was deceived by Caleb and treated as a stake for a bet. Because of that, she almost fell into an abyss she would never climb out of. It was all thanks to Natalie that she was able to start a new life with her daughter and say goodbye to her dark past.
“There’s no need for you to be so polite, Natalie. Just tell me what you need me to do.”
Natalie uttered one word at a time, “I want to meet your father, Varre, right now, Anna. I need to ask him to help me replicate a jade key in two days. This replica is very important because it’s the only way that can solve my problem.”
The moment Anna heard that name, her smile froze. Even the look in her eyes darkened as her face paled. Then she bit her lip.
“Anna…”
Anna stopped biting her lip and held her friend’s hand. “Must you find him for help? I know how to carve ordinary jade, too. Show me the original, and maybe I can replicate it in two days as well.”
Hearing that, Natalie opened her bag, pulled out the box, and handed the jade key to Anna. “This is the jade key.” Upon receiving the jade key, Anna started examining it closely.
The jade wasn’t the issue when compared to its carving. The difficulty of making a key like that was nightmarish. Not only were the key’s teeth intricate, but the phoenix at the key’s head was also incredibly difficult to carve. Only a skilled craftsman could pull off something like that.
While Anna was confident she could handle the teeth, the phoenix was likely beyond her capabilities. At the very least, it would be extremely challenging with no room for mistakes.
It was then Anna finally understood why Natalie wanted Varre to replicate the key. Even she herself couldn’t complete the task in two days.
The only person in the world who could do it was her father.
“Natalie, I…” She wasn’t sure what to say to Natalie. “Two days is too short. Can you give me a week? I think I can pull it off if the deadline isn’t that tight.”
“I believe you, Anna, but I really only have two days.” There was bitterness in Natalie’s voice as she explained with difficulty, “I need your father to replicate this key so I can save my child.”
“Child?” Natalie proceeded to tell her friend about Zophie kidnapping Yumi.
“I have no other choice. In order to make sure Yumi is safe, this is the best way to do it. I’ve considered all my options, and this is the one with the highest probability of succeeding.
Varre has disappeared for more than ten years now. No one knows where he is, but you’re his daughter. If anyone knows his whereabouts, it’s you.” Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and continued, “It’s not enough to just find him.
I can’t guarantee I can make him help me. However, if you ask him for help on my behalf, there’s no way he’ll reject your request! I know I’m forcing you to help me, but this is the only way left for me.”
Chapter 1088 Endure
Anna was in a tough spot. Seeing the hesitation on Anna’s face, Natalie didn’t push her friend and simply waited for a response. After a long consideration, Anna’s hands clenched tightly before she raised her head to look at Natalie. “You’ve helped me a lot, Natalie.
If I didn’t meet you at Fullmoon that night, I would’ve been ruined by that b*stard Caleb. I wouldn’t have been able to protect my daughter. For so long, I’ve been waiting for a chance to repay my debt to you. Now that I’ve finally gotten the opportunity to do so, of course I’ll do my best!”
Natalie could sense there was something more going on between Anna and her father. However, she was an outsider, so she wasn’t going to question her friend about it. Still, she was touched by the fact that Anna was willing to help her out. “Thank you, Anna.”
With a faint smile, Anna shook her head and muttered, “That’s what friends are for, right? No need to be so polite. Actually, back in Fullmoon, when I was chasing after Caleb, even though it was painful, I never once abandoned the idea of winning him back. I was so stupid.
All I could see was that man while completely forgetting about my daughter. If you hadn’t helped me see his true ugly self and forced me to end my relationship with him, I think I would’ve been stubborn until the very end. I probably wouldn’t have been able to protect my child. While it was merely a kind gesture on your part, that completely changed my and my daughter’s fate. So, no matter what, I must help you with this!”
Those were the words she had wanted to tell Natalie for a long time. At the moment, Natalie only had a working relationship with Anna. From Anna’s perspective, however, Natalie was her savior, the person she was the most grateful to in her life.
Natalie had basically changed the course of her life that night. If Anna was driving on the wrong track before, Natalie was the one who corrected it. “Sleep at my place tonight, Natalie. Tomorrow morning at five, we’ll set off to find my father,” Anna informed.
“Okay.” Meanwhile, Zophie grabbed a bottle of clean water and two buns before approaching Yumi. “Eat.” The woman spoke petulantly before crouching down in annoyance. “You better eat.”
The girl was frightened by Zophie’s awful tone. Even though her body was restrained, she still couldn’t help but scoot backward a little and curl up in fear. She’s so scary! In reality, Yumi was afraid.
However, when she recalled Natalie’s reminder and promise on the phone, most of the fear in her heart dissipated. The frightened look in her eyes was replaced by a more resolute one.
While Zophie studied the girl in detail, she noticed Yumi’s confused gaze had gradually regained focus.
“Witchcraft!” she cursed. I have no idea what Natalie told her, but she seems much more stable compared to when she was initially captured. Even the light in her eyes is getting brighter. What kind of person is Natalie? Not only was she able to blow up Blaze’s research base in Chanaea, but she also managed to adopt this special child! She’s even willing to offer that invaluable treasure to get this child back. Although… So what if she’s incredible?
Lifting her hand, Zophie grabbed Yumi’s cheek and stuffed the buns into the girl’s mouth. “Eat this right now! I better not see you spitting it out!”
Yumi’s mouth was filled with the buns.
After being left in the open for too long, the buns were no longer soft. Additionally, she was being force-fed the buns, so she was having a really difficult time swallowing them. Her cheeks swelled as her face turned red.
Despite that, she didn’t resist and slowly chewed the buns. I promised Mommy I’ll wait for her! I’m going to eat until I’m full and try to stay in top shape so I won’t drag Mommy down when she comes to rescue me! This pain is nothing! I can endure this! Mommy said she’ll rescue me! I know she won’t go back on her promise!
Chapter 1089 Laughing Stock
Zophie thought Yumi would be as stubborn as before. However, she did not expect that no matter how harsh she was, the latter did not shed a tear. Instead, the girl merely chewed and swallowed the bun that Zophie fed her.
The woman’s thrill of taking revenge quickly evaporated. Getting tired, Zophie stopped feeding her. “Just look at you. Starving and pathetic.”
Yumi said nothing and merely continued eating the bun. “Like ‘mother,’ like daughter. Just as I thought, any child raised by Natalie is absolutely revolting.” Yumi swallowed the last mouthful of food and glared at Zophie. “Don’t talk about my mommy like that!”
Zophie was momentarily stunned. Then, her red lips parted as she snapped, “I can’t believe you’re still defending that woman! Why are you taking it so personally when she’s not even your biological mother?”
Yumi had no wish to say too much to Zophie. However, perhaps because defending Natalie had become second nature, she could not help blurting out, “You can bully me. However, I won’t allow you to say such things about my mommy! She’s the best mommy in the world and is as important to me as my biological mother!”
This is ridiculous! Cursing inwardly, Zophie flung the remainder of the bun she was holding onto the ground. The more she behaves like this, the more frustrated I get.
“This is what I get for feeding you,” she spat out. Then, she slowly stood up and warned in an icy voice, “You’d better pray that that ‘best mommy in the world’ of yours keeps her word and hands over the jade key in two days. Otherwise, I’ll end your life.”
With that, she left the dim room. Zophie went along the secret passage, then up the stairs to her room. After turning on her computer, she checked Natalie’s itinerary.
Her red lips curled into a smile when she saw that Natalie had booked an early morning flight from Loang to Chanaea.
As expected, she left the jade key in Chanaea. According to Blaze’s instructions, I should report the whereabouts of the jade key and Natalie to King. But… I don’t feel like doing that. All King cares about is that key. He couldn’t care less that Gale died. If I want to avenge Gale’s death, I’ll have to rely on myself, not Blaze. Of course, if I get the jade key, I’ll give it to King to make up for taking matters into my own hands.
“Gale, in less than two days, I’ll make that woman pay for all the wrong she did to you. As members of the same organization, we didn’t have anyone we loved or the right to be loved. However, you were the only one who gave me hope and cared about me. Everyone else in this world may forget you, but I won’t. Wait for me. Wait for me!”
At five o’clock the following morning, Anna entrusted her daughter to the nanny before leading Natalie out the door.
As a master craftsman skilled at carving, rumors about Varre still circulated, although his whereabouts were a mystery. If Natalie had not inadvertently stumbled upon the fact that Varre and Anna were father and daughter, she would not have been able to trace him.
Even though the person Anna was going to look for was her father, she looked grim. There was no sign of the joy of returning home on her face.
On the bus, Natalie gazed at Anna’s lips, which looked as though they were about to bleed from Anna biting them. The former could not help but ask, “Anna, you and Mr. Appleby—”
“Natalie, why must people have fathers?” Anna suddenly asked. Natalie was silent. “Even when a woman has a career, she still has to care for her family and children. Regardless of whether a man has a career, he can abandon his family and children. When he doesn’t want them, he can walk away without hesitation.
And when he changes his mind, he can return at any time and seek forgiveness with a few sweet words.” Anna had a confused look in her eyes, and her voice was faint.
Natalie was bereft of words. All she could do was continue listening to Anna talk about the thoughts that were troubling her.
“All men are the same. Caleb was like that, and so was my father. If men deserve forgiveness because they changed their minds and chose to return, wouldn’t the suffering the wife and children went through turn into a laughing stock?” Tears rolled down Anna’s cheeks as she spoke.
Chapter 1090 He Has Been Waiting For You
A look of realization flashed across Natalie’s eyes. It turns out she repeated the same mistake. That sc*mbag, Caleb, was like that. Even her biological father, the famous Varre Appleby, was no different.
With tears in her eyes, Anna said, “This matter has always troubled me. I vowed to find someone who was nothing like my father. However, I never expected I’d still end up treading the same path…”
Natalie raised her hand to wipe away the tears on Anna’s face. “I’m sorry, Anna. I’ve made things difficult for you by asking you to accompany me and forcing you to face the demons that scarred you in the past.”
Anna looked at Natalie and said earnestly, “You don’t have to apologize because you haven’t done anything wrong. Saving Yumi’s life is much more important. I’m the one who trapped myself inside a cage and refused to step out of it. Don’t worry. I’ll pull myself together and do my best to persuade him to carve that jade key so you can bring Yumi back safely.”
Natalie nodded gratefully.
It’s not easy for her to take that step for me. If I get a chance in the future, I’ll have to treat her better. Way, way better!
The bus continued swaying gently as it continued on its way to a remote area halfway up a mountain.
Once the bus reached the station, the two women alighted from the vehicle.
“This is where Mr. Appleby is staying now?” Natalie asked.
Anna nodded. “Mm-hmm. Follow me. I’ll take you to him.”
After getting off the bus, the pair had to walk for around forty minutes before reaching an old monastery.
“He lives here?” Natalie was so shocked that the question just slipped out.
No wonder everyone looking for him couldn’t find him. I didn’t expect him to be living in seclusion and at such a remote monastery at that! Who would’ve expected the master craftsman who loved carving would become a monk?
Anna bit her lip and gave no reply. Instead, she stepped forward and knocked using the iron ring affixed to the wooden door.
Clang! Clang!
The sound rang out crisp and clear. Soon, a monk wearing robes came out.
He greeted them and enquired politely, “Are you here to offer your tithes?”
“No, that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to look for… Father Benedict,” Anna said, her voice hoarse.
As soon as the monk heard who she wanted to meet, his expression shifted. “Father Benedict is…”
Anna furrowed her brows and asked, “What’s the matter? Didn’t he join this monastery over twenty years ago? Do you mean to tell me he’s no longer here and has gone elsewhere?”
Natalie tensed upon hearing Anna’s questions.
Two days isn’t a lot of time. If he has gone someplace far away and we have to spend more time on the road, there’ll be no time left to create a duplicate of the jade key.
The monk shook his head. “Oh, that’s not what I meant. He’s here. It’s just that he’s not feeling too well, so it’s inconvenient for him to meet visitors.”
“He’s not feeling too well?”
“That’s right.”
Anna asked worriedly, “Why is he unwell?”
The monk was startled by how agitated she was. He answered hesitantly, “You’re not a member of this monastery, so I can’t divulge such information.”
“Well, what if I told you I’m his daughter? Will you tell me then?” Anna demanded, revealing her identity.
The monk’s eyes reddened as soon as he heard that. He murmured, “Are you really his daughter? I’m so glad you’re here. He has been waiting for you. However, he dared not contact you and forbade me to get in touch.”
Anna’s heart lurched, and dread surged through her.
“What do you mean he’s waiting for me? I don’t understand what you’re saying. What on earth happened to him?” Her voice was no longer as steady as before. Instead, it quavered slightly with emotion.
The monk wiped the tears from his eyes, then moved aside slightly to let them through. “Come with me. I’ll take you to him. You’ll roughly understand when you see him.”