Ch. 281..290
Chapter 281: You Admit That This Is All Your Fault?
“Don’t move.” Hazel reached out and pulled a white hair from his head. “You have white hair.”
She held it up in front of his face and quickly threw it away. Joshua raised his eyebrows slightly. Why did he feel that Hazel had just taken out a bunch of his hair and not just one?
Joshua frowned and followed her into the police station. They talked to the officer at the front desk, and Rachel was released within a few minutes.
She looked coldly at Joshua when she walked out.
“Joshua, you are really somebody!” Rachel sneered angrily. “You rich guys are really different. You can easily make the police do as you say!”
Hazel felt a headache starting. She was hoping Rachel wouldn’t have heard the rumor, but sure enough, someone had said something in front of Rachel, so she thought that Joshua was behind everything. She rushed to explain, “Mom, these are all misunderstandings…”
“You shut up!” Rachel said angrily. “Hazel, which side are you on? Now that you have a boyfriend and you don’t want a mother, huh?”
Hazel still wanted to say something, but Joshua said faintly, “Hazel, this time I was really careless. Your mother has the right to blame me for that.”
“You admit that this is all your fault?” Rachel’s eyes brightened.
“… Yeah.” Joshua was helpless.
“Hazel, you heard him!” Rachel grabbed her arm. “It’s all his fault. Now you should go home with me!”
“Mom…” Hazel was desperate, she knew that things would not go over smoothly. She stood still and shook her head firmly, “I can’t go back now.”
“Hazel!” Rachel stared at her angrily, “What happened to you? Joshua locked me up for his own family! But you didn’t learn anything from this, and you are choosing to stand by him and leave your mom?”
“Family?” Joshua frowned slightly. Suddenly, he looked like he clued into something he hadn’t before.
“Mom,” Hazel sighed, “I have been raised by you. You should know me well enough, what you just said was unfair.”
Rachel was stunned, and she realized that she had just gone too far.
Rachel was about to say something, but Hazel continued, “Mom, please believe me. I want to talk to Joshua first.”
“… Fine.” Rachel had to agree.
Hazel took Joshua to the corner.
“Hazel,” Joshua said to her, “You just took my hair. Is it because you want to use it for DNA identification?”
Hazel was nervous. It turned out he knew everything. She put her hand in the pocket, hesitating whether she should hand the recorder pen to Joshua. She had planned to wait for the DNA results to come back and then decide.
“Do you think that I am a child of the Flores family?” He asked, but his look was one of utter disappointment. “Why didn’t you ask me?”
It turned out that Hazel had always misunderstood him when it came to them, so she did not ask. He suddenly felt that he was not communicating with Hazel very well, and maybe if he had talked to her sooner, there would not have been so many misunderstandings.
Hazel had been dealing with the Flores family, and she did that for him. He actually made Hazel suffer so much because of his absurd reason, and he should have noticed before. However, he knew he was not their son, so he did not think that Hazel may have thought it, he was waiting for Hazel to open up to him.
“Then … are you their son?” Hazel asked awkwardly.
“If I say I am not, would you believe me?” Joshua was vulnerable. If he remembered it correctly, he had said it once.
Hazel was a bit stunned. Last time Joshua said that he was not a child of the Flores family. She thought that Joshua denied it because he was unwilling to forgive them. If his answer was the same this time, she didn’t know whether she should believe it or not.
“As I said, you won’t believe me even if I tell you,” Joshua said faintly.
“You should do the DNA identification first. You will believe the results of the test.”
“Joshua…” Hazel was a little embarrassed. She looked at him with a complicated expression, “I certainly believe you. But did something happen to you before that involved the Flores family? You were willing to help them unconditionally, so your relationship with them is not a simple one, correct?”
Joshua looked depressed. Hazel hurriedly said, “Sorry, did I ask something that I should not ask?”
“No.” Joshua shook his head. He looked at her and said, “Hazel, you should’ve asked me earlier. I told you, I won’t keep you in the dark no matter what you ask.”
Hazel felt extremely guilty, maybe because both of them had too many hesitations. They should have had better communication with one another.
“Tomorrow, I will take you to the orphanage.” Joshua said calmly, “It’s about time to face things. We’ll also take the opportunity to visit Aunt Jennie.”
Hazel nodded awkwardly.
“Hazel.” Joshua suddenly called her.
“What?” She looked up at him.
“Tell me, what did you plan before I came back?” Joshua was a little nervous in his voice. “Did… you plan to give up on me? Don’t lie to me.”
“I…” Looking at Joshua’s deep pupils, she suddenly felt that she couldn’t lie to him. After taking a deep breath, she continued, “Joshua, the last thing I want to give up is you. But, I want to be with you if we are happy. If one day, we would only make each other suffer, then it is better for us to separate.”
Joshua suddenly grabbed her wrist. Although he was mentally prepared for anything, he still felt pain in his chest when he heard what Hazel said.
He should have known that she had a decisive temper, and he suddenly felt scared when he thought about how close he had been to losing her.
“But…” Hazel looked at him and continued, “I think even if I really met such a situation, I wouldn’t leave you. Joshua, I love you more than I thought.”
“Hazel,” Joshua placed her in her arms, “I…”
Chapter 282: Are You Ready To Face That?
Joshua stopped what he was going to say.
“Hazel, I really want to promise you now, but I don’t want to influence your judgment.” He said quietly, “Let’s go to the orphanage first. Wait until everything is over and tell me your answer.”
Hazel was touched. Joshua was always so considerate, and he would not force her to do anything. Maybe she really should trust him more.
“Would you like to go back to Denmark Residence with me?” He asked.
“My mom won’t agree.” Hazel shook her head.
“Okay.” Joshua anything more, he just lowered his head.
Joshua took Hazel to the hospital to ensure she was not hurt and then took her to the hotel to stay with her mother.
***
When Hazel was walking out the door of the hotel to go to Denmark Residence, she saw Joshua waiting in the lobby.
Hazel was stunned. She asked curiously, “You did not return to the Denmark Residence last night?”
Joshua nodded. “Well, I worried about your safety, so I slept in the room next to yours.”
Hazel was touched again. Joshua always liked to stand silently in a position that made her comfortable, but he would never want to disturb her.
“Let’s go.” She whispered.
“Is your mother not going with us?” He asked.
“She is not interested in your business.” Hazel shook her head, “But I talked to her, and she said she would let me handle it.”
They quietly drove to the orphanage, and when they stopped in front of it, they saw a fire. Joshua and Hazel rushed to get out of the car as the smoke billowed up into the sky.
The children were all panicked, huddled together outside in the courtyard. Several of the children were crying, and others were trying to comfort them.
Joshua and Hazel ran and found Jennie Collins. They asked her, “Aunt Jennie, what happened?”
“The orphanage suddenly caught fire. Fortunately, the children are all safe.” Jennie looked at the two and frowned.
“Did you call the fire department?” Joshua asked.
“Yes,” Jennie said.
As her voice just fell, a siren of a fire truck sounded, and it flew into the driveway of the orphanage.
Joshua and Hazel helped to move the children to a safer place and got them blankets. The fire was quickly put out, and once the fire department left, Joshua called his men to clean up the mess.
An orphanage helper took the children to the classroom, while Jennie took Joshua and Hazel to survey the fire’s destruction.
“Only this room here was on fire, and it was burnt very badly.” Hazel frowned and asked, “What is this room for?”
“This is the data room,” Jennie said.
“Data room? Why did the data room catch fire, but not any other room?” Hazel couldn’t help but whisper. The fire seemed to be set deliberately.
“That’s because the information of everyone in the orphanage was stored in this room.” Joshua said, “Aunt Jennie is not used to using computers. All the information is in paper form. If it burns, then all of the information is gone.”
Hazel was shocked. “That is, someone set fire to burn all the data in this room!”
“Yeah.” Joshua’s eyes got darker, “It seems that some people can’t let things go.”
Hazel had a theory that if some people didn’t want the orphanage’s data to be available, what were they trying to hide?
She looked at Joshua, and she had an answer in her mind. Perhaps, the arsonist did not want Joshua’s birth story to be disclosed.
“Are you on to something?” Jennie frowned at them.
“Well…” Hazel looked at Joshua, not knowing how to speak.
“Aunt Jennie,” Joshua said faintly, “I want to ask you to tell Hazel what happened that year.”
Jennie looked at him intricately, “Are you ready to face that?”
Joshua smiled shallowly, not answering.
“Follow me,” Jennie said, and she turned and led the way.
Hazel looked at Joshua, and Joshua calmly said, “Go.”
Hazel followed Jennie and came to a cemetery near the orphanage. They came to a small tomb, and Jennie looked at the tombstone with a bit of sadness.
“This child was named Jughead by his parents. Not a name I would approve of, but he liked it very much.” Jennie said, “When he was ten years old, a very rich couple came to the orphanage and decided to adopt him. He was very happy, but just before the adoption was officially complete, he went to the river with a few friends to have fun, as some kind of celebration before leaving.”
“But then there was an accident. Jughead fell into the river. Although he was quickly rescued and taken to the hospital, he had a fever, and later, he was diagnosed with acute pneumonia. He didn’t make it through the night. Later, the couple adopted another child, that child was Joshua.”
Hazel looked at Jennie in shock, she hadn’t finished the story, but Hazel suddenly understood.
Jennie went on to say, “Joshua was in the group of children who went to the river with Jughead that day. He always blamed himself for not keeping an eye on Jughead. Even though the doctor said, Jughead had pneumonia before he fell into the water, and his death had nothing to do with it.”
Jennie wiped her eyes and continued with her story, “The day that Jughead was taken to the hospital, Joshua followed behind the ambulance on his bike. He stayed outside of the intensive care unit and watched over him every moment until he left this earth. Since then, he has been afraid of the hospital. He did overcome that to some extent, but he had never liked to take medicine.”
Hazel suddenly recalled that she used to wonder why Joshua was so afraid of taking medicine, but they were not together at that time. He just said that if she had to take care of him, she would have to take care of him to the end. He would not give in to her curiosity.
She felt so uncomfortable and that she was a horrible person. She was dating Joshua and enjoying his tenderness and thoughtfulness, but she never really cared about what he liked or what he was afraid of, she never asked about his past.
Even when the curiosity of him not wanting to take medicine was in her head, she let it go and never thought about it again until Aunt Jennie told her the story.
Suddenly, Hazel asked, “Is this child… Jughead… is he Lanny and Caroline’s child?”
If this was the case, everything made sense. Joshua had blamed himself for the death of Jughead all his life, so he would naturally be unconditionally good to the Flores family to make up for what he thought was his fault.
Chapter 283: Did She Cause Any Damage?
“You actually know the Flores family?” Jennie was somewhat surprised, “Did they also harass you?”
Hazel couldn’t find the words to reply, she just sighed.
“Hazel, Joshua has always been very affectionate, and I think you must’ve seen that.” Jennie seemed to have guessed what Hazel was thinking, “He feels guilty for the death of Jughead, so it was inevitable for him to take care of the Flores family. I hope you can understand.”
“I understand. He has always been such a kind person.” Hazel whispered.
It was also because of his personality that he would continue trying to find her through various methods even after her parents passed away, and he would not hesitate to return everything from Denmark’s family to her.
When Joshua cared for others wholeheartedly, he never really thought about himself, which was true to her and to the Flores family.
Hazel reached the recorder pen in her pocket. She felt a little depressed.
She had intended to hand it over to Joshua, but now it seemed that giving it to him would only make him embarrassed.
When the two returned from their chat, Joshua was waiting for them at the gate.
“Hazel, you go to see the kids again. They like you very much. They all want to see you.” Jennie said.
Hazel nodded and turned to the classroom to spend some time with the children. Jennie carefully watched her walk into the building, then took the recording pen from her pocket and handed it to Joshua.
“Hazel threw it out, she didn’t know I saw her, so I grabbed it. I wanted you to get it back.” Jennie said, “She seemed to be worrying about something, she didn’t even notice me pick it up. Although I am still not overly satisfied with her, you like her. I hope you can make it.”
“Thank you, Aunt Jennie.” Joshua looked down at the recorder. Hazel had intended to give him yesterday, but she chose to throw it away. Was Hazel trying to hide some injustice for his sake? What a silly girl!
“Joshua, what had happened in the past has passed. You don’t owe anyone. If you don’t want to walk out of the past, you will only hurt people around you.” Jennie said meaningfully.
“I understand,” Joshua said. It was time for him to ease his consciousness.
After Joshua and Hazel spent some time at the orphanage, they said goodbye to the children and Jennie.
As they were driving back to the hotel, Joshua asked faintly, “The results of the DNA test, when will they be back?”
“The hospital said that we could have the results by tomorrow at the earliest.” Hazel looked at him. “But I don’t care about the results anymore. Joshua, I believe in you.”
“The results of the identification are still needed.” Joshua’s eyes went dark.
Although Hazel didn’t need the results, someone would.
He then asked, “Are you sure you still want me to drive you back to the hotel? Or somewhere else?”
“To the hotel.” Hazel sighed. Rachel was still very reluctant to accept Joshua, so Hazel had to find another way.
“Good.” Joshua nodded.
As his voice just fell, his phone suddenly rang. Joshua pressed the answer button, and his expression looked a little anxious.
After hanging up the phone, Joshua said faintly, “No hotel anymore. You are coming back to the Denmark Residence with me.”
“Why?” Hazel asked curiously.
“Your mother went to Denmark Residence. She had just arrived.” Joshua said calmly.
“… My mom?” Hazel was feeling a bit dizzy. She thought she had persuaded Rachel, but it turned out Rachel wanted to go to Denmark Residence to either find trouble or cause some of her own.
Hazel hurriedly asked, “Did she cause any damage?”
“Not yet,” Joshua said faintly. “It looks like she’s just arrived.”
“What should I do?” Hazel looked at the time. “I am afraid that it will be dark by the time we get back. I really don’t know what my mom will do…”
“Don’t worry, Nanny Carter is there,” Joshua said faintly. “They should be able to get along.”
His comforting obviously did not have much effect.
When they arrived at Denmark Residence, Hazel rushed in and saw Rachel sitting in the living room talking with Nanny Carter.
“Look, it’s okay,” Joshua whispered.
“If only it was really okay…” Hazel saw the situation, but she felt weak.
Knowing her mom’s style, Rachel probably wouldn’t do anything too nasty, but she had really keen eyes. Presumably, Rachel was observing everything that was happening in the Denmark Residence. Once Rachel collected enough “evidence,” she would definitely take Hazel away without a second thought.
“Young Master, Miss Crowe, how have you been?” Nanny Carter greeted them.
“Fine.” Hazel glanced at Rachel and asked Nanny Carter with a low voice,
“Nanny Carter, did my mom do anything outstanding?”
“Miss Crowe, look at what you said.” Nanny Carter said uncomfortably, “Your mother is a very good person. We were having a good conversation.”
Hazel felt even more upset. Rachel was especially good at getting information by talking to people. She would have gotten a lot from her conversation with Nanny Carter.
“Mom…” Hazel stood awkwardly at Rachel’s side. She couldn’t guess how many reasons Rachel had found to force her to leave Joshua.
“Mrs. Crowe,” Joshua said calmly. “How about staying for dinner tonight?”
Rachel looked sharply at him as if she was looking at a suspect. When she last met him, she was completely annoyed with Joshua. After all, this man successfully sweet-talked her daughter, who she had for nearly twenty years.
Although she still hated Joshua, Hazel had actually made such big changes for him. That she was a little less annoyed and a bit more curious, she could not understand what was so good that Hazel could be so obsessed with him?
Joshua looked calm, and when Hazel thought her mom was going to refuse, Rachel nodded and answered, “With pleasure.”
Hazel was stunned. She had thought Rachel had already prepared herself to start counting the crimes that Joshua had committed, but she actually agreed to stay for the dinner. Did Rachel just change her mind, or was it… was it just a test?
“Mom, what do you plan to do?” Hazel came to her side and whispered helplessly.
“Let’s eat first.” Rachel glanced at her, “You think I will tell you when you ask?”
Hazel was stunned and couldn’t speak. She looked helplessly at Joshua. Her mom was too mighty, and now she could only pray for a happy ending.
The three of them walked to the table and sat down. Rachel looks at the dishes on the table, all Hazel’s favorite. At least, Joshua really cared about her.
Chapter 284: You Mind Your Own Business
Hazel suddenly remembered about her book and said to Nanny Carter, “Nanny Carter, I left a book here a few days ago. Did you see it?”
“I asked someone to put that book back in your room.” Joshua said faintly, “Just remember to pick it up next time.”
“Okay.” Hazel nodded hard.
“By the way, I saw you commented on the latest pages. Is there anything about that book you don’t understand?”
“Yeah, that is…”
Seeing that the two began talking like nobody was around, Rachel frowned. Hazel and Joshua’s manner of getting along astonished her. They looked like a pair of sweet lovers, but also like a pair of good partners.
Even if she still hated Joshua, Rachel felt that they were a perfect match.
While they were having dinner, Lily was hiding in the corner, taking photos of them with her mobile phone while grinding her teeth.
“What are you doing?” Theresa noticed her and said, “Lily, can you stop? You were lucky they did not drive you out last time. If you anger Mr. Denmark again…”
“Okay, I know.” Lily said in reluctance, “I didn’t do anything. What are you worried about?”
After that, Lily turned and left. She had wanted to do something, but she was afraid to see Rachel. Yesterday she saw Rachel’s CQC abilities with her own eyes, which scared the hell out of her.
Rachel frowned suddenly when she looked toward the dining room door and saw Lily leaving. How could this girl be in the house? Rachel’s expression became extremely unpleasant. She remembered that she was blatantly trying to steal Hazel’s boyfriend. What was wrong with Joshua and Hazel’s minds? How could they tolerate such a girl staying in the same house as them?
Hazel wasn’t able to relax and enjoy her dinner, and her mother got angry while they were eating. She couldn’t figure out what they did to piss Rachel off so quickly.
After the catastrophic dinner, Hazel quickly proposed, “Mom, let’s go back…”
“Go back?” Rachel glanced at her with dissatisfaction, “We’ve come here. Why are you going back? Are you afraid that I know something, so you want to take me away?”
Hazel’s head was pounding. Rachel sounded like she was going to stay for the night.
“Yeah, why should you go to the hotel when you can stay here?” Nanny Carter also said, “I have arranged the guest room. Mrs. Crowe, please stay here tonight.”
“No worries.” Rachel said. “I’ll just sleep with Hazel.”
Hazel was disturbed by her mother’s attitude, she really wanted to stay at Denmark Residence for the night.
Rachel was very picky about everything. Last time she decided to leave the Imperial Capital so quickly because she guessed that the house they were living in was provided by Joshua. She hated Joshua and certainly would not stay in that house. Although Rachel didn’t say it, Hazel knew it.
It seemed that she still hadn’t changed her mind about Joshua, but she decided to stay at Denmark Residence overnight. She must be plotting something. Hazel was panicking.
“Let’s go, show me the night views around here.” Rachel looked at Hazel.
Hazel put on a poker face. She even suspected that Rachel was going to try to secretly collect evidence of some illegal activity and then put Joshua directly in handcuffs.
Joshua perceived what Hazel was thinking. He said calmly to Rachel, “Let me…”
“No,” Rachel interrupted him, “You mind your own business. Let me have some time with my daughter.”
Rachel was rude, but Joshua and Hazel couldn’t say anything. Hazel had to show Rachel around Denmark Residence, she tried to gauge Rachel’s facial expressions and attitude, but she looked unpredictable.
After finishing the sight-seeing in the Denmark Residence, Hazel couldn’t help but ask again, “Mom, what are you doing?”
Rachel looked like she didn’t hear what Hazel said. She thought for a while, then she looked sharply at Hazel and said, “You are quite familiar with this place!”
Hazel was stunned. It only made sense that after she moved in here, Joshua would spend time showing her around. He even made some changes to please her.
Rachel didn’t press on this topic. She said with some confusion, “These servants seem to respect you very much, too much…”
Rachel naturally knew that the more respectful the servants were to Hazel, the more Joshua cared for Hazel. It seemed that Joshua really attached great importance to her daughter.
“Really?” Hazel asked awkwardly, “I didn’t notice that.”
Rachel was speechless, her daughter was really being spoiled by that man.
Hazel seemed to have totally shut down her defense system when it came to him; she wondered if Joshua was worth that kind of trust.
Lily flew by in the corridor in front of them.
“Why the hell is she here?” Rachel asked with an ugly face.
“Who?” Hazel looked back and saw the empty corridor. Lily was nowhere in sight.
“Forget it. Maybe my night vision had gotten worse.” Rachel said coldly, “Let’s go back to the room.”
Hazel follows Rachel blankly. Lily walked out of the corner and took some more photos of them, and sent them to the Flores family. Caroline called her soon after she received them.
“Lily, that woman really wanted to stay in the Denmark Residence?” Caroline asked in annoyance.
“Yeah.” Lily said unwillingly, “Auntie, it’s unfair! Joshua and Hazel are not married yet! You have not moved into Denmark Residence yet. Why is Hazel’s mother qualified to live here first?”
What Lily had said was like a critical hit to Caroline. Caroline was even more annoyed, cursing Hazel and Rachel on the phone.
“Auntie, how about you move in here too?” Lily suggested. If Caroline also came in, Denmark Residence would be full of excitement. Lily couldn’t wait to see how Joshua and Hazel would suffer when Rachel and Caroline began fighting with each other.
“I’ll come tomorrow,” Caroline said with some weakness. “It’s too late today. But Lily, you should give that plan a shot now!”
“Really, Auntie Caroline?” Lily was somewhat surprised.
Chapter 285: To Be Caught
She actually knew that if Caroline went to Denmark Residence, she would be driven away, and that is why the Flores family needed her on the inside. She encouraged Caroline to go to Denmark Residence just because she wanted her to cause problems, but she didn’t expect that she would show up the next day.
“Of course, someone is willing to help!” Caroline was proud of herself,
“Enough of the chatter for now. You must seize the opportunity as soon as possible, Lily!”
Hearing that, Lily was distraught, “Auntie, I want to use that method too, but they are very watchful over me. I am afraid I have no opportunity to drug Joshua…”
Even if there was a chance, Lily was now so afraid of him, she dared not even get close to him.
“Why are you so stupid?” Caroline cursed, “If you don’t have a chance, can’t you find someone around him to help create the chance?”
Lily suddenly thought of something. Her eyes brightened. Perhaps, she should change her tactic.
***
Hazel didn’t get anything from Rachel, so she walked to the kitchen feeling defeated. She wanted to get her glass of milk before bed, but after she poured the two glasses, she saw someone go past the kitchen door.
She was ready to attack, she ran to catch them and asked, “Who?!”
Before she got too far, Theresa walked out from around the corner, looking worried. She whispered, “Sister Hazel, I have something important to tell you.”
Hazel raised her eyebrows. Was Theresa actually the person she just saw?
“What is it?” Hazel asked.
“Lily called my parents,” Theresa said with some helplessness. “My parents seem to be coming here tomorrow!”
“Really? Did Lily tell you that?” Hazel couldn’t help but frown. If the Flores family came, they would definitely fight with Rachel.
“No, I have been keeping an eye on Lily, and I saw her taking pictures of you. And I got the information about my parents coming tomorrow directly from her after she talked to my mother.” Theresa explained.
“Okay, I understand.” Hazel said, “You go to bed and get some rest.”
Hazel went back to the kitchen and saw the two cups of milk on the counter.
She looked at it sadly, one cup was for Joshua. But did she really want to deliver it to Joshua now? As she hesitated, Joshua walked in through the kitchen door.
“For me?” Joshua asked faintly, staring at the cup of milk.
“Yeah.” Hazel nodded and handed one cup to him. “Exactly, I don’t have to take it to you since you are here.”
Joshua took it. He looked at Hazel with a little surprise, “You are not getting one cup for your mom?”
“My mom hates milk.” Hazel smiled shallowly. The two walked out of the kitchen together. She asked, “Are you going to the study room?”
“Yeah, there are still some things that are not finished,” Joshua replied.
“Just go to bed early…”
As the voices of the two were getting farther and farther, Lily suddenly got out of a cupboard in the corner of the kitchen. She was very excited now. She really did not expect it was so easy to drug Joshua.
She deliberately revealed the information of the Flores family coming to Denmark Residence the next day to Theresa. She expected that Theresa would leak the message to Hazel.
The person Hazel saw was actually her, and after luring Hazel out of the kitchen, she snuck in. She was unsure which cup Hazel would give to Joshua, so she simply put the drug in both cups of milk.
Lily couldn’t believe that it went so smoothly, she was sure that Joshua would not be alert after drinking his milk. She joyfully climbed the stairs and stopped outside of Joshua’s study.
The Flores family assured her that the drug worked very quickly, she pushed open the door. The study was dark, Lily hesitated for a moment but then hurried in and shut the door.
The situation was perfect, there was only one chance, and she could not hesitate any longer. What Lily didn’t know was that Rachel was standing in the corner watching her enter the study.
Hazel returned to her, but Rachel wasn’t there. She was surprised, even though she knew her mother was up to something. She was on her way to find her, but Rachel pushed the door open.
“Mom, I have something to discuss with you…”
Rachel interrupted her, “Hold on, Hazel. Let’s go and see a drama!”
Then Rachel grabbed Hazel’s wrist and pulled her toward the study.
“Mom,” Hazel paused with some weakness, “It’s so late. Can’t we just get some rest?”
“Hazel, I advise you to come with me right now.” Rachel looked back at her meaningfully, “You don’t want to miss the scene of how you got betrayed!”
Hazel was stunned, “Mom, what are you talking about? Stop this.”
Rachel didn’t care. She took Hazel and walked toward the study, and kicked open the door.
In the darkness, Hazel heard two people scream in fear. Rachel pulled Hazel into the study and turned on the lights. On the sofa were two naked bodies, and their clothes were scattered on the floor.
“What are you two doing?!” Rachel shouted.
The two on the sofa were frightened. Lily proudly picked up the article of clothing closest to her and pretended to be covering her chest with a flustered look. She didn’t even glance at the person under her, she just looked up at the doorway.
Rachel and Hazel were standing at the door. A touch of fear mixed with doubt appeared on Lily’s face. Hazel should’ve also drunk the milk that was drugged. Why was she still alert?
It was just a thought that flashed through her mind for a split second because no matter who was at the door, she was very happy to be ‘caught.’ It was even better than Hazel saw the scene herself!
“Hazel, it is just like what you see. Joshua and I are in love with each other. Please forgive us!” Lily said with tears in her eyes.
“Hazel, look at what Joshua has done behind your back!” Rachel said angrily, “You of all people should be very clear now of what kind of person he is!”
Chapter 286: Is Your Paranoia Getting Worse?
Lily was sadly crying, “Hazel, let me come clean with you. In fact, I have been having an affair with Joshua for a long time. This is not our first time. He told me that he never touched you at all because he had no desire for you at all! He likes my body, likes everything about me. He just doesn’t want to hurt you, so he hasn’t broken up with you…”
Saying that, Lily looked at Hazel provocatively. Rachel really wanted to beat the hell of Lily and Joshua. She looked at Hazel with some worries. Hazel was easy-going, but she could become extremely ruthless when someone crossed her.
Rachel suddenly worried that Hazel would not be able to accept such a horrible shock. However, Hazel’s reaction was not what she expected, and she didn’t seem to be sad at all, it was more so sarcastic.
Hazel looked at Lily indifferently, “Lily, if you tell a story even you won’t believe, will your conscience get hurt? Or, do you have a conscience at all?”
“You…!” Lily was angered. Why was Hazel so calm? Some inexplicable panic flashed in her mind. She suddenly knew that something was wrong.
Taking a deep breath, Lily said angrily, “Hazel, you just continue to deceive yourself! Are you blind? Don’t you see what we are doing?”
“I saw it, and I can still see it very clearly.” Hazel sneered, “But I think you are the blind one. Even if you do something like that with another man, it has nothing to do with Joshua. Is your paranoia getting worse?”
Rachel was stunned. She understood what Hazel meant and swiftly glanced at the sofa. She was totally surprised. The man on the sofa wasn’t wearing any clothes, and even though his face was covered by a piece of clothing, Rachel’s eyes were sharp. She realized that the person under Lily was on top of was not Joshua.
Rachel looked at Hazel in surprise. Hazel had been calm since she came in, which meant… she knew it from the beginning?
“You, you have paranoia!” Lily was mad. She turned her head to look at the man on the sofa, reached out, and pulled off the clothes on his face. She seemed to be anxious to prove something, shouting, “Now you see, he is… you, who are you?!”
She couldn’t say any more, she made a face of utter disgust. The person under her was a complete stranger. Where was Joshua?!
“What happened?” A male voice came from the door of the study. Rachel turned back and saw Joshua standing behind them.
“It’s what you are seeing.” Hazel shrugged.
Lily also saw Joshua. She was so shocked that she rolled down from the sofa and pointed at them with grief, “You, you set me up!”
At this moment, she finally knew that both Joshua and Hazel did not drink the milk that she had drugged. They must have discovered her plan from the beginning.
Hence, Joshua turned off the lights in the study and made her mistakenly think that the person in the study was him. No wonder she had the feeling that something was wrong.
“Set you up?” Hazel said coldly, “Did we make you put drugs in the milk? Did we tell you to sneak into the study? Lily, you have been caught!”
“You, you…” Lily was annoyed and desperate. “You guys framed me! I’m innocent.”
“You are innocent?” Hazel smiled coldly. Lily seduced Joshua in front of her again and again, and her plots came one after another.
“She doesn’t deserve a long conversation.” Joshua said impatiently and turned to Lily, “Denmark Residence does welcome you, please leave.”
Joshua was about to drive her away. Lily couldn’t help but shudder. She looked at Hazel. “You, you can’t do this to me!”
“Hey, please take care of her. We need to go to sleep.” Hazel looked at Joshua. She didn’t want to spend one more second talking to Lily.
“Get some rest now.” Joshua reached out and touched Hazel’s hair. “You don’t have to worry about these things.”
Hazel and Rachel returned to the room together, and Rachel’s expression gave an impression of unpleasantness.
“Hazel, you knew that guy in the study was not Joshua.” Rachel asked in annoyance, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Mom, I told you not to go. You didn’t listen.” Hazel said, somewhat helpless.
“And when you saw Lily sneak into Joshua’s study, why didn’t you think of stopping her first? Instead, you let her put on her show and then took me to catch them on the spot?”
“If he betrayed you, then the man would not be worthy of you. Why should I stop?”
“What if he was framed?”
“If he can be framed by the people around him, and that can only prove that he is useless! If he is so incompetent, he can’t protect you at all. How can I allow you to be with him in that case?”
Hazel was speechless. She understood now how much Rachel didn’t like Joshua. She really wanted to break them up, so she would let Lily mess around.
Taking a deep breath, Hazel said helplessly, “Then you saw it too. He was wise enough not to be framed. He can protect me, and he has not betrayed me. Are we clear?”
Rachel could not say anything. She looked at Hazel angrily, “Why must the guy be him? Hazel, don’t you find out, you have lost all of your vigilance around this guy? How can I feel relieved?”
“Mom, I’ve decided to be with him. You must’ve known it the last time you were here, right?” Hazel said blankly. “Why should I be on alert around him? Just like when I am by your side, okay?”
Rachel was feeling hurt. It turned out that Hazel had begun seeing Joshua as a part of her family.
“Like this time, Lily put the drug in my milk too.” Hazel continued, “I didn’t know, but Joshua found out. He came to tell me and took the milk away. I don’t have to worry about any conspiracy or scheming around him because I know that he is very reliable!”
“Reliable?” Rachel sneered, “What about the Flores family?”
Chapter 287: You Want Me To Stay?
“The situation with the Flores family is a bit special…” Hazel frowned and looked a little depressed. She took a deep breath and said, “Joshua is very caring. I knew it from the beginning. Because I like him, no matter what decision he will make, in the end, I will support his choice.”
“Even if he let the Flores family bully you?” Rachel’s face turned nasty.
“He won’t.” Hazel shook her head. “Mom, don’t worry. You know me well enough, right? If it turns out we will only hurt each other if we are together, I will let go. Before that, what I need to do is to believe in him, not to interfere with him.”
Rachel still wanted to say something, but she really didn’t know what to say.
She walked to the window in annoyance, seeing the bodyguards were dragging the crying Lily out of Denmark Residence.
She sneered, “That Joshua, who you say is very sympathetic, is not so soft-hearted when he deals with others.”
“Mom, which side do you stand on?” Hazel was stunned. “That girl wanted to drug your daughter. Why does it sound like you are worried about her?”
Rachel struggled and continued, “It’s not right that girl tried to drug you. But why had Joshua set her up and let his bodyguard take advantage of her instead of stopping her from the beginning?”
Hazel was speechless.
“Mom, do you really think that we would let that happen in the Denmark Residence? And in the study of all places, okay?”
Rachel looked at her blankly, “I clearly saw…”
“You just saw that they weren’t wearing clothes but didn’t see if they were actually doing anything, right?” Hazel explained, “Joshua told the bodyguard not to do anything to Lily. It’s a pity that our sofa was ruined…”
As she was speaking, several servants lifted the sofa out of the study room.
It seemed that they were going to throw it away. Rachel stood at the window of the guest room and saw this scene. Rachel turned back, and she looked at Hazel with anger and helplessness.
“Our sofa? Our?”
Hazel was a little embarrassed. She had been used to living in Denmark Residence, that Joshua made her feel like the house was hers. So, she had begun to think of it as belonging to her and him.
“Forget it, I don’t care about your business anymore!” Rachel said sullenly,
“I will go home tomorrow. Don’t turn to us if you are bullied!”
Hazel felt powerless. She knew very well if she was to be bullied in the future, her parents would definitely stand up for her. However, since Rachel had already planned to leave, she could let out a sigh of relief.
She planned to help Rachel leave early tomorrow morning to avoid conflict with the Flores family.
***
The following day, Rachel was obviously angry and got up early. Hazel got up with her to help minimize any confrontations. Joshua was waiting for them in the dining room, when they walked in her stood up and helped them with their chairs.
Rachel didn’t look at him. She said to Hazel, “Buy me the ticket for 10 o’clock. After breakfast, I will go to the station…”
“You are leaving?” Joshua asked with a little surprise.
“Isn’t it happy for all of us?” Rachel sneered, “Should I stay to see others bullying my daughter?” Rachel seemed to be getting more annoyed.
Joshua raised his eyebrows. He said faintly, “Mrs. Crowe, in that case, you should stay a little longer and see for yourself if there is anyone who dares to bully Hazel.”
Hazel looked at him.
Last night, she told Joshua that the Flores family was coming today, and she planned to send Rachel away early to avoid conflict between the two, so why did Joshua want Rachel to stay?
“You want me to stay?” Rachel’s pupils shrank, and she looked at him unexpectedly, “Joshua, what are you planning?”
Joshua smiled, “And, I’ve also sent someone to bring Mr. Crowe and Ronald, too. They will be there today.”
Did he actually invite her father and brother?! Hazel was shocked and couldn’t speak. A storm was raging in her head!
What exactly was Joshua thinking? Did he want to stir up more trouble? Hazel thought that his decision was simply ridiculous.
“Okay, I will have to wait and see what’s happening here!” Rachel was surprised. She sneered, “Hazel, I’m staying.”
“Joshua…” Hazel wanted to say something but was interrupted by Joshua.
“Hazel, do you believe me?” He whispered.
Hazel hesitated for a moment and finally nodded, “Belief.”
Joshua’s deep eyes had a little bit of a smile. He reached out and touched Hazel’s head. “Although you sounded a bit reluctant, I will not disappoint you. Hazel, you can be assured, I will settle this fast.”
Hazel had a million questions going through her head. Was Joshua going to solve his problem with the Flores family completely? But even so, why did he call her family members? Hazel couldn’t figure it out. However, she chose to believe him.
The three of them had just finished breakfast and gone to the living room when the Flores family arrived.
Joshua had previously instructed his men that Flores’s family were not allowed to be close to Denmark Residence, so they followed a middle-aged man.
Hazel was a little surprised. She recognized the man, Fred Cohen, a director of Denmark Group. Joshua told her privately that he was a good friend with her biological parents when he was young, and he had pursued her mother once.
Why was he with the Flores family, though? The Flores family rushed into the living room. Caroline was holding Lily, who was sobbing, in one of her arms. Caroline shouted rudely, “Joshua? Show yourself!”
Joshua, Hazel, and Rachel were sitting on the sofa. A talk show was going to be on, the guest was going to be Mathew Carter, he was going to be talking about his new movie.
Hazel did not want to miss it, so Joshua turned on the TV, and while they were waiting for it to start, the Flores family barged in.
“Director Cohen,” Joshua looked at him faintly. “How come you are here?”
Chapter 288: How Dare You
“I came here today for the sake of these people.” Fred said calmly, “They came to me and said that they had something to do with you. But you didn’t want to see them, so they just asked me for help.”
“Director Cohen is really warm-hearted,” Joshua said faintly, his eyes a bit sharper.
Warm-hearted? Hazel didn’t think so. When Fred walked with the Flores family, there was something fishy about it. She could detect it, and Joshua naturally could too.
“Thanks for the flattery,” Fred said. “Joshua, I think you might want to solve the problem this family has.”
Seeing that Joshua wasn’t paying any attention to them, Caroline was even more annoyed. She took Lily, pushed her directly in front of him, and said, “Joshua, you are impossible! I see Lily as a daughter and entrusted you to take care of her. But, you let some man take advantage of her and drive her out of your house in the middle of the night! You better explain it to us today!”
The only one left to fight in the Flores family was Caroline, Lanny had still not recovered from his injuries, and Henry was too afraid of Hazel since she beat him. As for Lily, she could only stand there and keep crying.
“She said that? It seems that she has not changed in her ability to turn things upside down.” Hazel couldn’t help but ask, “But I am very curious, what do you want?”
“None of your business!” Rachel pulled Hazel’s arm in dissatisfaction, and lowered her voice, and said, “Let him take care of his own business!”
Joshua looked at Hazel and gave her a reassuring eye. Hazel knew he could handle it, so she shrugged and kept her mouth shut. Caroline glanced at Hazel with annoyance. She wanted to yell at Hazel, but she saw Rachel next to Hazel and recalled the day she was beaten by Rachel.
She hurriedly turned her eyes at Joshua and said, “Lily was a virgin, and
you took it from her. You must marry her!”
Hazel was stunned, she could not figure out how Caroline came up with such ridiculous logic. Once again, the Flores family showed her that they truly had no shame when they wanted something.
“You said that I took her virginity?” Joshua said faintly.
“Of course!” Caroline insisted. She said arrogantly, “Joshua, don’t think that you have the power and money that you can bully Lily! You must marry her, or I will sue you for raping her! You will not walk away with it easily!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Joshua said, “If you want to sue me, I believe that Director Cohen will be very willing to help find a lawyer for you. However, I suggest you watch this video first.”
As his voice just fell, the screen of the TV in the living room turned, and it suddenly began to play a surveillance video.
Caroline sneered. “Do you think a video can scare us?”
Joshua ignored her. Caroline looked up at the TV, and her face changed.
On the TV screen, it was the study of Denmark Residence. Although the lights were not on, the infrared camera had clearly illuminated everything inside.
A man was lying on the sofa, but he was obviously not Joshua. Then the door of the study was pushed open, and Lily sneaked in.
Lily, who was crying, turned pale with fright. She already knew what was going to happen next. She didn’t expect that Joshua had not only known her plan but also beaten her in her own game and actually recorded it.
“Don’t watch! Don’t look at it!” Lily stopped crying and went crazy. She rushed in front of the TV, waving her arms desperately.
But the TV in the living room of the Denmark Residence was really a large screen.
Lily could not cover it.
Everyone saw Lily moved to the sofa and began to take off her clothes. She pushed the man onto the sofa and started taking his clothes off. He had been resisting, but Lily looked extremely horny, and she managed to get his clothes off.
“Ah–!” Lily screamed wildly, reaching for a vase next to her and planning to smash the TV.
“How dare you?” Hazel said coldly, “This TV is worth hundreds of thousands. Are you sure you can pay for that?”
Lily paused. Hazel waved her hand, and the servants on her side hurriedly grabbed the vase from Lily’s hand and held her.
“Let go of me!” Lily was screaming at the TV in front of her.
“You can’t get away just by smashing the TV. The surveillance video is in our hands. We can play on another TV or the computer at any time.”
Hazel said indifferently, “In case of the lack of your knowledge, I don’t mind explaining a little more to you.”
Lily was so enraged that she looked like she might kill someone. She had totally lost her mind and wanted to smash the TV, and then when Hazel stopped her, it only set her off more.
Hazel didn’t plan to let her go quickly. Lily not only wanted to drug them but also to seduce Joshua.
“Lily, now everyone in this room knows that it was you who tried to r**e an innocent man that is with the Denmark Family. Don’t you think you owe us an explanation?” Hazel sneered, “But we don’t want you to promise to marry him. After all, even that guy is way out of your league, right?”
Hazel looked at Joshua, and Joshua nodded and said, “My bodyguards all have a good taste.”
The two of them echoed each other and made Lily even more angry and frustrated.
“You, you…” As she saw Hazel smiled and pointed at the TV screen, Lily’s face turned white like paper, and her body softened.
The Flores family looked really concerned, with the video as evidence, they could not do anything to Joshua.
“Director Cohen, are you still helping them to find a lawyer?” Joshua asked with a smile.
Chapter 289: What A Coincidence
Since he came in, Fred had been watching the situation develop. It seemed that the only help he provided to the Flores family was to bring them to Denmark Residence.
Seeing that Lily was thoroughly defeated, Fred sighed, “With this evidence, I certainly won’t stand on their side. But… they said you are their son. Although I feel a little ridiculous, I still brought them to see you and to figure out the situation. What do you say?”
Fred had expected everyone in the room to be shocked when he said they thought he was their son, but nobody really seemed to react.
Hazel took a deep breath. It seemed that the Flores family couldn’t help but have to launch the final attack. As her eyes fell on Fred, Hazel was stunned. Did the Flores family reach an agreement with the directors of Denmark Group?
This was not impossible.
Although Joshua was the president of Denmark Group, many directors knew that Joshua was only a foster son to Denmark’s. Naturally, many of them wanted to make a move, but Joshua had been so good at operating the Denmark Group that these people could do nothing but wait for an opportunity.
Therefore, those directors were very likely to engage with the Flores family. After all, kindness was both the biggest advantage and the biggest weakness Joshua had.
Joshua looked at Fred calmly and said faintly. “I am not their son.”
Caroline suddenly cried out loud and said, “Joshua, my son, I know that you hate us in your heart. We shouldn’t have abandoned you in the past, but we also had difficulties at that time!”
Lanny and Henry also began weeping, trying to make it sound as real as possible.
“Easy, guys,” Fred said. “You said that Joshua is your son. Is there any evidence?”
“Evidence? Of course, we have it!” Caroline stopped crying. She took out a photo, “We gave the child to this woman. And this woman ran an orphanage, the same orphanage Joshua had stayed in!”
“If that is the case, then let’s go to the orphanage and figure it out.” Fred put forward a solution. “Moreover, the orphanage should have the data of all the children they accepted. When we check the orphanage file, everything will be clear, right?”
“Okay, let’s go now!” The Flores family was very confident.
“No need to go there,” Joshua said.
“So, Joshua, does that mean you are going to admit them?” A dark light flashed in Fred’s eyes.
“You thought too much.” Joshua said calmly, “The orphanage caught a fire a few days ago. The information in the data room was destroyed. I am afraid you will be disappointed if you go there.”
“What a coincidence?” Fred looked at Joshua in a suspicious look. He smiled and said, “Joshua, when we just wanted to go to the orphanage to check the information, the information was burned. Could it be… someone deliberately burned the information to hide the truth from us?”
“I think so too.” Joshua said calmly, “But that person is going to be really disappointed. They may not know the information of the orphanage was saved electronically.”
“What, what? How is it possible?!” The Flores family faces immediately sunk at the same time.
“Why do you think it is impossible?” Hazel asked curiously.
“This, this…” The Flores family stuttered and could not answer.
Fred had also become somewhat uncomfortable, and the Flores family was a bunch of idiots. He could only direct the show by himself now. “I have investigated the orphanage before. I heard that the orphanage head couldn’t operate a computer, so there was no electronic file. I didn’t know the electronic file you are talking about existed. When was it built?”
“It seems that Director Cohen is very clear about the orphanage too.” Joshua’s pupils shrank.
“It’s about your identity. Of course, I should be careful.” Fred also slowly pulled off his neutral mask.
“The electronic file was created by the orphanage a few years ago.” Joshua said faintly, “After all, paper files are too easy to be damaged. Is that right, Director Cohen?”
“It’s easy for electronic files to be altered too.” Director Cohen also said calmly, “How do we know this electronic file in your hands is true or false?”
“Very wise.” Joshua nodded, “That’s why I scanned all the information at that time.”
Fred’s face became stiff. If it was a scanned version, then he couldn’t question the authenticity of the file. He didn’t expect that Joshua actually took precautions at such an early age. It was impossible for him to see the future and to do things that would protect them. He could only say that Joshua did things very carefully, which had been his usual style.
Joshua smiled, “Director Cohen, rest assured. I have already notified Aunt Jennie, and she is now coming over with a scanned copy. Soon the truth will be clear to all of us.”
Fred’s expression was one of disagreement, but he looked at the Flores family and gave them a wink.
“What can it prove even if it is scanned?” Caroline received the signal and argued, “Who said that the scan could not be faked? Joshua, why won’t you admit it to us? To deny your relationship with us, you actually would rather burn the information and make some fake things to fool us?”
Hazel frowned. The Flores family were still not going to give up. It looked like no matter what Jennie brought, they would insist that it was fake evidence.
“Joshua,” Lanny said, “I understand, you don’t want to admit us not only because we gave up on you, but because your mother doesn’t like your girlfriend, so you are angry with us, right? But we only meant good for you!
“Yeah, you are so good, rich, and handsome. Hazel has a bad temper. And she knows to do nothing. She doesn’t deserve you at all!” Caroline kept speaking like a firing machine gun, “You are the president of Denmark Group. The woman standing by you should be very capable too, just like…”
When Caroline was thinking, suddenly, an interview with Mathew Carter was broadcast live on the TV.
The show had already begun. After the surveillance video of the study room was displayed, the servant of Denmark Residence had switched the TV back to the previous channel. Now, Mathew was narrating his life experience and repeatedly thanking the mysterious female boss of Joshua-Hazel Pictures, who invested in him.
Caroline had heard about Mathew’s story from Lily. After all, Lily had wanted to be a star in the online drama, so she kept mentioning Mathew’s name to Caroline every day.
Caroline’s eyes lit up and pointed to the TV, “Joshua, your life partner should be exactly like this mysterious female boss of Joshua-Hazel Pictures!”
Chapter 290: You Took Our Child
Hazel almost burst into laughter. Although, she knew that it was a very serious situation. Both sides were yelling and confronting each other, but she really couldn’t hold back.
“What are you laughing at?” Caroline said with annoyance, “I tell you. This woman is much more capable than you are. She invested in animation and earned tens of millions. The film was hot before it was even released.
The online drama she invested in hundreds of millions of hits with its first episode… Only the woman who can make money in everything she does is worthy of Joshua!”
Caroline heard these words from Lily. It was rare that Lily did not exaggerate much, and it’s even rarer that Caroline could remember.
Hazel smiled and said, “Thank you for your compliment. I will be too proud.”
“You, you…” Caroline glared at her, “Who praises you? Do you think you can compare with her?”
“I am not better than her or worse than her.” Hazel’s mood looked great.
“Just keep bluffing!” Caroline was even angrier. “You thought you were here, huh?!”
“You just said it out of your own mouth, Hazel is indeed the one who can make money in everything she does,” Joshua said faintly.
Joshua’s words sounded like thunder, and everyone was shocked.
The entire Flores family, including Lily, were surprised. They always looked down on Hazel because from the beginning, they took it for granted that Hazel was only with Joshua for his money! It turned out that they were wrong about her?
Caroline’s facial expressions kept changing. She thought she was talking about someone else when she was boasting, but it was actually Hazel? She could not feel any more frustrated at this.
Rachel was the most astonished because she had no idea about any of it.
“Joshua, Joshua, I know that you like Hazel, but you can’t tell a lie like this for her!” Caroline was struggling. She insisted that Joshua was lying.
“Joshua, Hazel, that makes Joshua-Hazel Pictures. Is it a surprise?” Joshua calmly asked.
“You went to Director Carter’s set to find me and went to Joshua-Hazel Pictures to seek trouble.” Hazel was a little surprised. She added, “Yet, you didn’t know about it all this time?”
The faces of the Flores family looked like hell. They went to the set and to the Joshua-Hazel Pictures studio because someone told them to, they only knew they could find Hazel there.
As to why they could find her there, that was beyond their knowledge. Naturally, they did not think about the relationship between Hazel and the company. Even if they had begun thinking, they would’ve assumed that Hazel was just a staff there, they looked ignorant in everyone’s eyes.
Fred choked hard for a few seconds. Then he said, “Miss Crowe’s career has nothing to do with what we are discussing now.”
“Right, right!” The Flores family suddenly came back down to earth. Their target was Joshua himself, they did not want to continue to engage with Hazel anymore.
“Joshua, I know that you have money and status now, and you don’t want to admit we are your biological parents.” Caroline said with a sad face, “We are just some farmers in a remote location of the state. Our identity is so humble that you look down on us, of course, you don’t want to have anything to do with us…”
“Shut the fuck up!” An angry voice came from the door of the living room.
Jennie came in with a cold look on her face. She said angrily, “If you are really the parents of Joshua, Joshua would admit it, whether you were farmers or even thieves! But if you are not his parents, even if you were the President of the United States, he would not accept you!”
They didn’t expect Jennie to arrive so fast. The Flores family was getting extremely flustered.
“It’s you!” Caroline pointed at Jennie angrily, “You took our child! And, now you say Joshua is not our child. I think you must have tried hard to destroy our relationship. That’s why Joshua won’t admit we are his parents. What have you done? You vicious woman!”
Jennie ran an orphanage all on her own for a long time, and she had seen all kinds of people and been patient. However, with Caroline, she could no longer hold back.
“Caroline, how bad is your memory?” Jennie said coldly, “You sold your child to me for five hundred dollars. And you said, if I didn’t pay and take that child, you would throw him in the mountains to feed him to the wolves! Also, have you really forgotten why you had to sell your own child?”
“I…” Caroline’s face was white. She hadn’t had time to explain anything.
Jennie yelled again, “You didn’t want to raise the child because when he was born, there was something wrong with his right leg. He could not walk normally! Now look at Joshua, his legs are good and healthy. How could he be your child?!”
Hazel was shocked, Jennie never told her that detail. No wonder the Flores family had started acting weird after seeing Joshua and let Henry harass her. It seemed that they had already known Joshua was not their child, so they just tried to stay and find a way to seize any property the Denmark family had.
Fred did not know what to say, he looked at Lanny, Caroline, and Henry angrily. He never thought that they would actually conceal such an important thing from him, it was too late to try and convince him.
“You… you are a liar!” Caroline’s look was a bit more chaotic. She said desperately, “Our child was very healthy, no disease at all! He was not disabled, no way!”
“Even if he was not disabled, would you sell your own child? This is called human trafficking, illegal, did you know that?” Rachel couldn’t help but speak out. Her profession made her intolerable to such things.
“We gave him life. How is selling our own child breaking the law?” Caroline said with guilt.
“It’s also illegal to sell your own children!” Rachel was even more annoyed,
“And even if you mention it in front of me, a policewoman, I won’t count it as surrendering yourself to justice!”
Caroline’s face was pale. She was very nervous now, not knowing what to do.
“No, we didn’t sell him!” Lanny said hurriedly, “We just sent the child to be fostered by capable hands because we were so poor! And Jennie saw our poor condition and decided to help us with some money!”
“Yes, that’s it!” Caroline hurriedly echoed.
“That’s called the offense of abandonment, still illegal!” Rachel was not giving up.
“We can follow up on this really old story from the past later.” Fred had to argue. He said, “And, we have only heard words from your side. We still cannot prove that Joshua is not their child, right?”