Chapter 551
Chapter 551
Chapter 551
“It’s hard to say who owes the other more between your mom and me, but that pure and perfect woman whom I remember is long gone. I was biting off more than I could chew, trying to date an amazing woman like your mom when I wasn’t even worthy of her time and effort. Perhaps she had only intended to be with me for a while, but I thought she was going to stay with me forever.” It was the first time Nathan had spoken to me about Isabelle so openly.
He began to tear up as memories of their past filled his head. This was the first time I felt his love for Mom. He used to love her as much as Christopher loved me, and he genuinely wanted her to be happy.
I tried my best to calm myself down, but my fingers kept trembling as I stared at Nathan. I said, “I understand. Crystal is right: you don’t owe me anything. In fact, I’m the one who owes you after everything you’ve done for me. Don’t worry, I’ll ask Mom to spare the Tanner family as a means of making it up to you for not kicking me out back then. Thanks for raising me. Goodbye, Dad.”
Since I wasn’t his daughter, that could very well be the last time I ever called him “Dad.” I should be calling him “Uncle Nathan” from that point on.
I then pushed my way through the crowd of journalists and ran toward the exit. A few of them tried chasing after me but stopped the moment I flashed them a fierce glare. Just as a car pulled up outside the hospital, I got in immediately to escape from the journalists.
“What’s the matter? Did something big happen? Why are the journalists chasing after you like that?” Lucas asked in confusion as he watched me pant heavily.
Still unable to speak due to the shock, I shook my head and simply sat there in silence with my arms wrapped around myself. I eventually regained my composure after quite a while and saw that Lucas looked a lot better than when I was at the Goldstein residence. “Why are you here?” I asked casually.
“I was just passing by while helping my dad with some errands.” Lucas knew better than to press me for answers if I didn’t feel like talking about it.
I then sat up straight and told him, “I’ve just discovered something horrible and I can’t stay calm right now. What do I do, Lucas?”
“You should try talking to someone about it. I’m sure you’ll be able to calm down as long as you have your determination and pillar of support with you. Where’s Christopher?” Lucas asked curiously.
“He’s out on a business trip. You know how the Lane family business is just as big as the Goldstein family’s, right? His mother dumped everything onto him, so he’s really busy.” I slumped weakly against the seat. Whatever strength I had mustered earlier seemed to have disappeared once again.
“Lucas, I’m really thankful for you keeping me company the whole time I was by the seaside. I can’t imagine how difficult life would’ve been if you weren’t there to look after me when I lost my sight.”
Lucas had always been a very reliable friend to me; our friendship had gotten stronger the moment he carried me on his back looking for a doctor to treat me late at night. As such, I felt a strong urge to tell him about the problems I was facing.
“I’ve stumbled upon yet another problem now, Lucas. What should I do?”
“Just tackle your problems one by one. Tell you what, I’ve always firmly believed that no problem is unsolvable. If there is one, that just means you’re not strong enough,” Lucas replied while staring deeply at me.
“Certain things have nothing to do with strength, though. Guess what? I just found out earlier that I’m not a Tanner! Nathan Tanner isn’t my father! Funny, isn’t it? All these years, I’ve been complaining about Nathan not treating me like his daughter, only to realize he was never my father, to begin with! Not only that, but I now owe him big time for having raised me!” I shouted anxiously while pointing at myself.
“What? You’re not Nathan’s daughter?”
Chapter 552
Chapter 552
Lucas seemed to be a lot more agitated than I was. He slammed on the brakes all of a sudden, causing the car to swerve around before crashing into a car parked on the roadside.
He hit his head when he jumped from the shock and sat back down with a frown. He asked anxiously, “So… You’re saying that you’re not Nathan’s daughter?”
I found it strange the way he was so anxious and shocked about it. Even I didn’t overreact to that extent.
The other driver got out of his car and shouted furiously at Lucas, “Hey, what the hell are you doing? Look at the damage you’ve done to my car! You think you’re so great just because you’re rich and drive a Porsche? Huh? You think that gives you the right to just ram into other people’s cars?”
Lucas couldn’t even be bothered to deal with him and simply shoved a wad of cash into his hand as he said, “Here! Now, get lost!”
Noticing that Lucas was a rich guy, the driver tried to ask him for more money. “You think this is enough? This car is brand new and I’ve only just driven it once! Pay up…”
Lucas cut him off by shooting him a cold glare. The driver was so terrified that he shut up and ran off immediately.
Lucas then turned around to face me. “Are you saying that Nathan isn’t your father? Did he admit to it himself?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Why are you so worked up about it, Lucas? Don’t tell me you’re my long-lost brother or something?” I couldn’t help but crack a joke when I saw how anxious he was.
Realizing he had lost his composure, Lucas gave me a thoughtful look and said, “Who knows? Maybe you really are my long-lost cousin!”
“Pfft… As if!” I exclaimed with a sigh. There’s no way I’m Mark’s daughter! He doesn’t seem like the type who would let someone else raise his own child for him! But really… Who is my biological father? That was when I felt a sudden urge to find out more about it and to see my mom.
“Take me to the Goldstein residence. I’m really conflicted right now. I need to see my mom, or I won’t be able to calm myself down.”
I thought I would see Mom and Mark at the Goldstein residence, but they both happened to be out. I asked a bodyguard where they went, and he told me Mom had headed over to Wildefield with Mark. According to him, they were going to a holiday resort there because it had hot springs which were good for health.
I then grabbed my phone and gave Isabelle a call, only to hear a strange noise in the background when the call got through. There was a dull thud like something hitting the floor, followed by the sound of ceramics shattering.
“Mom! Mom!” I called out to her as I realized it was the sound of a phone dropping on the floor. Her voice was heard on the other line after a brief pause, “What’s the matter, Eve? I’m a little busy at the moment, so I’ll be hanging up if this isn’t anything urgent.”
“I have something really important to tell you, Mom!” I would always hear weird noises in the background whenever I called Isabelle, such as piano music or things being smashed to pieces on the floor. On top of that, she would always sound rather strange when she spoke to me, so I could not help but wonder if I was interrupting them or something.
“Okay, go ahead!” Mom let out a groan all of a sudden after saying that.
What the hell was that? That sound she made was so weird! Could it be that they’re… I burned bright red at the thought of that. “What’s wrong, Mom? Should I call you back later?”
“It’s fine, just go ahead and tell me what you wanted to say!”
I tried my best to rid myself of those thoughts and lowered my volume as I asked, “I went to see Nathan at the hospital today and he said I’m not his daughter. Is this true, Mom? Am I not a Tanner?”
There was a short moment of silence on the line, and I was then put on hold as she answered another incoming call. I placed my phone on the table and stared blankly into space while waiting for her to get back to me.
Mom put my call back on after quite some time. She didn’t sound the least bit surprised. “It seems he found out about it long ago. Yes, it’s true that you’re not his daughter. I have some things to take care of right now, so I’ll tell you more when I get back. Bye!”
Chapter 553
Chapter 553
“Hey, wait!” I wanted to say something but Mom had already hung up on me. With the phone still in my hand, I could only let out a sigh in response.
I really wished I had my mom by my side at the time, but she was somewhere far away with Mark.
News articles about my identity could be seen all over the newspapers in the afternoon. Thanks to the popularity I gained from my previous drama with Crystal and Monica as well as my art being displayed overseas in Anglandur, my news became a hot topic of conversation.
It wasn’t long before practically everyone in Avenport knew about me not being a Tanner. As a result, I received quite a few calls in a row.
Sabrina, Darius, Dylan, and even Julia called to check on me. She asked if I wanted to make a trip to the Lane residence, and I said yes after giving it some thought.
I did not know what exactly happened back then, but Julia had indeed been nice to me ever since she came to accept me. At least she behaved like that until Isabelle returned and after word got out about me being her daughter.
It was all truly a strange combination of events and circumstances.
It was my first time coming over to the Lane residence without Christopher around. I handed a servant some gifts I had brought after stepping through the front door. Dylan then came running toward me the moment he saw me. He was about eight to nine years old. When he threw himself like that, I nearly lost my balance.
“Hey, Aunt Eve! That game console you bought me is amazing! I carry it with me every day and I just can’t get enough of it!”
“Well, I’m glad you like it, Dylan. Now, get off me before Shelley sees us, or she’ll scold you again!” I said while struggling to carry him in my arms.
“Oh, come on! It’s been ages since my mom carried me like this! Let me enjoy this a little while longer. In return, I’ll tell you some good news!” Dylan stuck his tongue out and winked at me.
“But you’re too heavy for me to carry, Dylan!” Mustering all of my strength, I managed to place him down on the bench before giving him a light smack on the head. “Come on, now. Spill it! What’s the good news?”
Dylan rubbed his head as he leaned in to whisper into my ear, “I’m sure you would like to know where my Uncle Christopher went, right? I heard Dad talking on the phone last night. Uncle Christopher is currently in a small town called Mapleton. It’s located at the border of Yorksland. I bet he’s having a blast there with his friends right now!”
“Huh? Darius knows that much?” I was confused.
Darius and Christopher are both in charge of very different things. Sabrina told me that Christopher is on a secret mission. Isn’t strange that Darius would know his exact whereabouts?
I then pulled out my phone and sent Christopher a text: I hear the women in Yorksland are very “passionate.” You’d better not let them seduce you now!
Christopher didn’t respond to me this time, but I wasn’t disappointed because he was out there carrying out a dangerous mission and putting his life on the line. There was no way he would have time to reply my texts so quickly.
I sent him another text after that. I just found out that I’m not Nathan’s daughter today, and I’m freaking out right now. Since he isn’t my biological father, he has no obligation to raise me and treat me well at all, but he did so anyway. As such, I really hope that my mom would stop going after the Tanners. I’m not sure if this is the right course of action and my mom would probably get mad at me for it too, but I believe you’ll support my decision because you’re my prince!
Dylan walked up to me and tried to sneak a peek at my phone after I sent that message. “You were texting Uncle Christopher, weren’t you? Make sure to add those three magic words! My mom says you need to say those words every day to keep your relationship strong!”
“You cheeky little…” I gave him another light smack on the head before turning around to send Christopher the three words. Sometimes, you just have to tell your significant other how much you love them, or they’ll never know!
“I’m not cheeky! I’m mature for my age! Also, I’ll have you know that I have a girlfriend, so stop hitting me on the head!”
Chapter 554
Chapter 554
The Lane family was rather nice to me even though Christopher wasn’t around. Darius kept topping up my plate with food but Julia had a conflicted look in her eyes when she looked at me. She probably wasn’t expecting my mom to be an old acquaintance of hers.
Julia asked me to go for a walk with her in the garden after the meal. Shelley wanted to join us, but Julia immediately rejected her request by saying, “Go check Darius’ closet and see if he needs any new clothes. The weather is turning cold soon; you should get him some extra coats.”
“But I already had one tailored yesterday…” Shelley stopped mid-sentence when she realized what was going on and continued by saying, “I mean, I’ve already checked his closet yesterday and we just need to decide on which design to go with today. I’ll get to it right away. Have a nice day, you two!”
I could tell that Julia had something she wanted to talk to me about, so I followed her into the garden. Julia tended to her garden often as she loved her flowers a lot. The place was filled with beautiful flowers in full bloom.
She then stopped in the center of some lilies and knelt down to touch them. “Look at the flowers. They’re all blooming in such bright colors, showing their most beautiful sides to the world. See these two flowers over here? They are quite similar in size and look the same at first glance, but there are tiny differences between each individual flower. This one is growing in a suitable spot, so it blossoms nicely. The other one is growing on the side and hasn’t been receiving enough nutrients, so it won’t last long even if it does blossom. The same principle applies to marriages.”
I was able to read between the lines and immediately understood what Julia was implying. “Are you saying that my marriage with Chris won’t last long because of my mom, Mrs. Lane?”
Julia thought she would need to beat around the bush before getting to the point, only to have me do the exact opposite. Since I had already addressed the issue, she decided to cut to the chase. “I’m glad to see that you’re on the same page! Had I known that you are Isabelle’s daughter and Robert’s niece, I would never have agreed to you marrying Chris in the first place!”
“Why is that, Mrs. Lane? I don’t understand why the grudges of the previous generation should affect the next!” I exclaimed with a sigh.
Everyone kept telling me we should not be together, and I was getting really sick of hearing that.
“I’ve been through a lot more hard times than I have good times, but meeting Christopher made me realize that all of my sufferings have occurred so that he could come into my life and bring me happiness. My life is only complete with him in it, so why can’t we be together? Why can’t I be happy? Am I just fated to live a miserable life forever?”
Julia let out a wry smile when she noticed the anger in my eyes. “Because you’re Isabelle’s daughter, that’s why. You’re a good kid, really. It’s a shame you are a descendant of the Anderson family.”
I looked her in the eye and asked in a questioning tone, “Are you trying to separate us again, Mrs. Lane?”
“You may not know this, but your mother has a long and messy history with the Lane family.” Julia frowned as she said that, her eyes glancing at Darius’ room from time to time.
“Are you referring to my mom’s history with Darius?” I asked.
This time, it was Julia’s turn to be shocked. “Your mother told you about something like that?”
I shook my head. Mom had barely spoken to me ever since she returned as she was busy with work all the time and behaved rather mysteriously, much to my confusion. The only thing she talked about the most was my Uncle Robert. She would also often remind me that the Lane family was our enemy.
“I’ve long since known about the history between Mom and Darius. Darius told me about it himself.”
The look on Julia’s face turned grim instantly. “Darius knew about it but never told us? If he had said it earlier we wouldn’t be in such a messy situation. Did you know that your mom approached Darius with bad intentions?”
Chapter 555
Chapter 555
Julia has gone too far with what she said! I may not know the details as to what happened back then, but that’s my mom she’s talking about! With that in mind, I cranked up the hostility in my tone and said coldly, “You shouldn’t talk about my mom like that, Mrs. Lane.”
“But I am simply speaking the truth. Why do you think I can’t accept you being Isabelle’s daughter? Your mother deliberately seduced Darius after finding out that he’s my son; she practically had him wrapped around her finger. She was even going to use him against us! Had I not realized that in time, the Lane family wouldn’t even exist today! She has always been trying to seek revenge for the Andersons. Does she really think I don’t know that just because she keeps it to herself?”
“That’s impossible!” I rebuked her immediately. My mom would never do something like this! She’s always been kind and gentle! She’s an angel that has descended from heaven. There’s no way she would manipulate a guy who loves her so much for her own personal gain!
“Why do you think I objected to their relationship and locked Darius up at home on her wedding day? It’s precisely because I noticed what Isabelle was up to! You can go ask your mom if you don’t believe me.”
“That won’t be necessary!” My expression grew completely cold. Being a businesswoman, it was in Julia’s nature to be suspicious of others. I didn’t blame her for doubting my intentions when I dated Christopher, but I wasn’t about to let her talk about my mom like that.
“You were the last person to see my Uncle Robert, Mrs. Lane. My mom saw that and you know it. That’s why you’re making such horrible accusations! You wouldn’t have said all that if you didn’t know! In other words, you’re feeling guilty for causing the death of my uncle!”
I knew it was inappropriate of me to say such things, especially when things were not looking great for Christopher and me. However, my mom was my own family member; there is no way I could sit by and let someone insult her like that!
“You…” Even Julia was shocked by my sudden outburst and stared speechlessly at me for quite a while before continuing, “I can understand your desire to defend Isabelle because you are her daughter. Likewise, I am defending my son as his mother. I don’t blame you for what you said.”
That’s a perfectly rational response from her, and yet… Why am I feeling a lot worse after hearing it? I let out a sigh at the thought of that and looked up at the sunny sky above. “Regardless, I still respect you, Mrs. Lane. I may have made a lot of mistakes in life, but I will not give up on Christopher even if the entire world objects to our relationship. I don’t care if you call me heartless or shameless for insisting on dating Christopher, but we’ve promised to spend the rest of our lives together, and nothing will ever change that.”
I didn’t care if people labeled me as unfilial for liking the son of our enemy. Christopher was a man who would sacrifice his life to save mine in a heartbeat, and I would never let go of him for the world.
Julia was about to say something in response but my stubbornness shocked her so much that she held her tongue in the end. I figured she probably recalled our peaceful times together as well as her promise to hold a grand wedding for me.
She then let out a sigh moments later. “Your relationship with Chris has long been beyond my control. He went as far as pointing a gun at his head when you were dying at the hospital – what more could a mother like me possibly do? However…”
Julia’s tone turned cold all of a sudden as she continued, “I will not allow anyone to cause the Lane family any harm, and I mean anyone. Is that clear?”
So that’s what she’s concerned about? I chuckled at the thought of that. “Understood. I’ve already made my stand the moment I chose to be with Christopher, haven’t I?”
Chapter 556
Chapter 556
“Can you guarantee your mother won’t try anything funny?” Julia questioned me.
“I can’t guarantee anything, but I will try my best to resolve this grudge.”
This is probably the only thing I can do at this point. Judging by Mom’s attitude, it doesn’t seem like she’ll let go of her grudge so easily…
The look in Julia’s eyes softened a little as she said, “You’d better remember your promise. Since Chris has made up his mind on marrying you, I shall hold a grand wedding for you two. Looks like you’re bound to become my daughter-in-law.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lane!” Christopher was a part of myself that I couldn’t afford to lose, and I really needed someone on my side in a time like this. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep going if everyone were to be against us.
Mom’s whereabouts remained unknown to me, and news about my identity was all over the television by the next morning. I was unable to focus on my art. I just could not seem to draw anything of satisfactory quality.
Frustrated, I let out a sigh and tore the painting down before throwing it into the trash. I had promised to present Remington with a nice painting to help boost the hype of his auction, but I was no longer sure if I could even get it done in time.
Finishing an artwork within two weeks was a piece of cake for me when I had great ideas. This time, however, a month had already passed and my canvas was still blank while my trash was filled with scrapped paintings.
I tossed the newspaper aside after flipping through a couple of pages, only to quickly pick it back up when one of the articles caught my eye. Aside from articles about me not being Nathan’s daughter, there was another one calling me Mark’s daughter.
I read through the article carefully and saw that the journalist had gone into great detail by deducing Mom’s relationship with Mark as well as my age. The article concluded that I was actually the heiress to the Goldstein family, much to my amusement.
Pfft… What a joke! How is that even possible? I had jokingly mentioned that a few days ago. Who would’ve thought someone actually started a rumor about it and published it in the newspaper! Besides, if Mark really is my dad, then why haven’t they told me about it after being together for so long? Am I really that unimportant to them?
I tried calling Isabelle again, but there was still no answer. Mom was the only person who knew the truth about me not being a Tanner, and yet she was nowhere to be found, not even at the Goldstein residence. What on earth is she so busy with that she can’t even make time to see her own daughter?
Recalling Nathan’s pleas, I sent Isabelle a text. Mom, will you please spare the Tanners? Nathan did raise me even though I’m not his biological daughter, so it’s perfectly justifiable for him to have treated me poorly. Will you please let them go for my sake? I know you’re mad at him for what he did to you, but to forgive is a virtue. I hope you will reconsider your actions after reading this message.
Suddenly, there was an urgent knock on the door, followed by Sabrina’s desperate yelling, “Hey, Eve! Are you there? Something big has happened!”
I quickly opened the door and saw her child crying in her arms. Thinking there was something wrong with the child, I took him over from her and asked, “What happened? Why is she crying so loudly?”
“No, it’s not about my kid! Mr. Lane and Zach have run into some trouble at the border!” Sabrina shouted with tears in her eyes.
Hearing that hit me like a bolt from the blue. I was so anxious that I nearly dropped the child. “What? What happened to Chris? Tell me!”
Chapter 557
Chapter 557
As my voice was too loud, it attracted the attention of the neighbors. Noticing them opening the door to take a look, I quickly led Sabrina into the living room and closed the main door behind me. “What exactly happened, Sabby? Stop crying. I’m going to pass out from the panic!”
After hearing my questions, Sabrina immediately burst out crying. It was weird because I had never seen her being so helpless before. “Something terrible happened to Zach and the others when they were on a mission at the border. After getting shot, t-they went missing!”
“Missing?” I staggered back and asked, “What do you mean that they’re ‘missing’? How could two people disappear in broad daylight?”
“It’s true!” Sabrina wept while carrying her child. “I just got the news from Sean. He initially wanted to ask about my situation. However, he accidentally let it slip that Zach and the others were involved in a shooting incident and went missing! What should I do? Eve, I’m so worried. My baby is still so young, too! W-What if-”
“T-There’s no way that will happen!” I screamed and cut her off. Then, I tried to console myself, “It’s impossible! Chris and I haven’t even gotten a chance to hold a wedding yet, and I didn’t manage to see him off, either. Therefore, there’s no way he could leave me just like that. Don’t jump to conclusions, I’m telling you!”
At that, Sabrina stopped crying and looked at me hopefully. “Eve, you have a way around it, am I right? Go on and inform Darius and the others about it. Since they’re so powerful, they’ll definitely have ways to find them.”
“You’re right. I’m going to find Darius, so stay right here. If there’s anything, I will call you. N-No! Nothing will happen. I’m sure of it.” However, when I turned around to leave, I accidentally bumped into the wall in my hastiness. Although I tried hard to calm myself down, I had to try a few times to unlock the doors with my trembling hands.
“You must ensure that they come home safely, Eve. I only have you to rely on,” Sabrina begged while holding onto her baby.
“Of course they will be safe and sound!” At that moment, I was unsure if I was comforting myself or her.
As we were just weak and defenseless, we could only think of finding help in that situation. Therefore, Sabrina must have met with her parents before turning to me as a last resort.
Suddenly, I thought of finding Mark and Isabelle but I quickly dismissed that thought. After all, my mother did not even appear after the expose of me not being Nathan’s daughter. Thus, there was no way she would assist me in finding Christopher, especially when the Lane family was her enemy.
I tried to call Darius, but the line was busy. Thus, I hailed a cab right to his office as he should be at work at this hour. However, I was stopped by the security guard at the main entrance of the building. After knowing that I was there to find Darius, he refused to let me in unless I could prove that I was somewhat related to him.
“Miss, Mr. Lane is a handsome guy, so there are plenty of women lining up to meet with him every day! How could I be sure that you don’t have a hidden motive in looking for him? Last time, a woman claiming to be his cousin almost managed to seduce him, and in return, I was so close to losing my job. If you don’t have any special reasons to meet with him, don’t ever think of going inside.” The security guard blocked the entrance, ignoring my panic and anxiety.
“Why are there so many unruly women recently? Why can’t they see if they’re even worthy of getting together with the mayor? Besides, the mayor is already married and doesn’t have the time to care about petty things like this.”
After hearing that, I asked anxiously, “If I manage to prove myself, will you let me inside?”
“Yes. So, who are you?”
Picking up the newspaper on his desk, I pointed to the headlines. “Take a look. This is me! You can read up on me later. Someone as prestigious as me—a daughter of the Goldstein family—would never want to become some man’s mistress.”
Chapter 558
Chapter 558
“The daughter of the Goldstein family? Let me take a look!” When the guard read the newspaper, I took the opportunity to run as fast as possible. “Go on and take a look. I really have something urgent going on.”
“Hey! Wait for a moment!”
Ignoring the guard’s yells, I rushed to the building’s top floor as I remembered Dylan saying that Darius’ office was on that floor with pretty flowers placed right by his office door.
After coming out of the elevator, I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. I looked around and saw two flower pots placed by a door. However, as I was going to knock on the door, which was ajar, I overheard the conversation inside. Darius was on the phone; his words were enough to make me stop in my track.
“Have you not found him yet? I thought Chris was at Mapleton, a town with less than ten thousand residents. How could you only find his phone and not him? I don’t care what you do, but locate him immediately! After all, you’re professional mercenaries, so you must spot him before the others do!”
It seemed that Darius knew all about it, for Mapleton was the place Dylan had mentioned to me before. This meant that Chris and Zachary must have gone missing for a couple of days. The call that Darius made earlier must have been about this matter as well.
Immediately, my heart lurched in my throat. What a horrible situation he must be in, having gotten shot and disappeared for a few days!
“Sean, I’m counting on you. I’m begging you to please bring him back!” Darius continued for some while, but my mind blanked out. The only thing I could think about was Christopher being hunted down.
“I’ve finally found you. I can’t believe you dared to make a fool out of me. Get out of here right now. Even if you are the daughter of the Goldstein family, you don’t have the right to visit Mr. Lane as you wish.” The bodyguard walked over and started to drag me out of the building.
Meanwhile, Darius opened the door upon hearing the commotion outside. When he saw me being tugged away by the guard, he shot me a stunned look before motioning the guard to leave. “Yvonne, why are you here?” he asked.
Although I was trying my best to calm myself down, it was futile and my hands were still shaking uncontrollably. Darius handed me a cup of warm water and said, “Calm yourself down. After that, you can talk slowly.”
“Darius, you’ll find Chris, right?” I asked in a panic.
Upon hearing that, Darius’ expression darkened, and he knitted his eyebrows together. “What are you talking about? Chris is still at the border carrying out his mission. Did you hear some weird rumor from someone else?”
“Darius, you don’t need to hide it from me. I heard everything you talked about on the phone just now. How is Chris right now? Is he hurt? How serious is his injury?” I asked away while warming my hands on the cup.
Darius was momentarily hesitant. He then explained, “It’s not as bad as you think. The border is a vast area, so he must be resting with Zachary at some villager’s home. You don’t need to worry about anything.”
“I have the right to know about it, don’t I? I’ll keep worrying if you don’t tell me the truth. And I don’t want the sugarcoated version of it.”
After seeing how persistent I was, Darius sighed with worry. “As Chris was carrying out a secret mission, they did not bring many subordinates with them so as to remain low-key. However, they encountered some competent enemies and had to split up. It can’t be confirmed if he’s hurt or not.” Seeing how my face was clouded with anxiety, Darius comforted me. “Don’t overthink it. Didn’t Chris manage to come back safe after every mission? He’s more powerful than you think he is; don’t underestimate him.”
“But I-”
“Yvonne!” Darius’ tone turned stern. “You are my future sister-in-law, so it’s normal for you to worry about his safety. However, Chris is destined to be a part of the military. Even if he gives up the chance of being promoted, he’ll still be a major. As the woman behind Christopher, you’ll need to accept this fact, do you understand?”
Chapter 559
Chapter 559
Nevertheless, I don’t understand why I can’t worry about Christopher. As it was the first time Darius spoke to me in such a stern manner, I was at a bit of a loss.
“He will still need to carry out missions in the future. Since you chose to be together with him, you need to be mentally prepared and stop feeling as anxious as you are now. Your negative emotions will affect everyone around you, and Chris would not want to see that. The ladies of the Lane family stay calm as they deal with challenges.”
“So this is the meaning of being the woman behind Christopher.” Looking at him, I could not help but laugh. Darius was right, for I had lost my mind as it was the first time this had happened to me.
The Lane family must have been the first to know about Christopher’s disappearance. However, even when I went over to have dinner with them, they did not bring it up as they had faith in Christopher. No wonder when we were eating, Julia seemed to have something to tell me even though she gave it up in the end.
It seemed that Julia had wanted to inform me about Christopher. However, she forgot about it after we got into a quarrel.
“Thank you for your advice. I understand now.” I smacked my head and calmed myself down. Since they chose to believe in Christopher, I should too. Then, I took a sip of the water and felt that it tasted sweeter from before. Although I wanted to hurry back to accompany Sabrina, I could not help but blurt out, “Darius, did my mother know about your identity when she met you?”
Darius was taken aback by my question. He hesitated for a moment before answering, “I was the one who told her about it. When she was going to graduate, I revealed my identity. At that time, Isabelle was startled and even rejected the gift I gave her. I had a hard time understanding why she stopped contacting me after that; she even refused to reply to all my email messages.” After smiling bitterly, he continued, “I don’t know why you’re suddenly asking me this question. However, I think I now understand why she cut me out of her life. It’s because I’m my mother’s son, so she chose to treat me as a random stranger.”
After knowing the truth, I smiled. “Darius, I’m counting on you to bring Chris back to me. If you receive any updates about him, please do inform me right away.”
Darius sent me off when I left the building. When the security guard saw that, he wanted to kick himself and apologized to me repeatedly. I waved it off and left for home, not wanting to make a scene.
When I reached home, I found Sabrina still pacing around the house while carrying her baby. Noticing my return, she questioned in a hurry, “How is it? What did Darius say? Is there any news about Mr. Lane?”
“Darius told me that he has sent a team of mercenaries to find them. The situation is not as bad as we think it is. Seeing that Darius was rather laid back – he was even shocked at my frantic behavior – I think we’re really overthinking it.” I scratched the back of my head and explained, “Darius even got angry at me and told me that I was being unreasonable if I were to continue to feel distraught.”
“Really?” Sabrina immediately stopped crying. “If even Darius thinks that we’re worrying needlessly, it must be a minor issue. I can’t believe Sean told me the wrong information! I’ll teach him a lesson when I get home. Also, when Zach comes back, I’ll punish him by letting him sleep in the guest room for a week. How could he scare me like that?”
The abrupt U-turn in her attitude drove me speechless.
“Okay. I’ll need to bring my baby home, or else my mom will nag at me for leaving her alone for such a long time. Let me know if there’s any good news. Even if the news isn’t satisfactory, notify me as well.” Sabrina rushed out of the house while carrying her baby in one hand and a milk bottle in the other. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared from my sight.
Chapter 560
Chapter 560
After waking up from my nap, I got up and went to get something to eat from the fridge. With a bottle of yogurt in hand, I went to turn on the TV as I sipped on it. After a moment, my expression changed. The bottle slipped from my hands and fell onto the floor, splattering yogurt everywhere.
But I wasn’t faltered by it. I was sitting on the floor staring blankly at the TV when I stood up suddenly. Rushing to my bedroom, I packed two sets of clothes, my travel documents, and my ID. I then headed for the airport without informing anyone.
How could I have been so foolish? I had completely forgotten the reason I went to look for Darius after being shouted at by him. He tricked me with his words, and I believed him. Someone like Darius wouldn’t have said something so inappropriate. Those words were more likely to come out of Julia or Shelley. How could a man like Darius think of something like this?
Besides, based on my understanding of him and the bland relationship he had with Shelley, he couldn’t have been so sentimental. That was why he must have had thought of what to say beforehand and comforted me.
Things seemed to be much more serious than I thought. Christopher was in great danger, and they chose to let Darius, who was the worst liar, lie to me so that I would not worry.
I didn’t know if I should thank them or be mad at them for trying to hide it from me. Not caring about anything else, I rushed towards the airport. I never thought about stopping at all. I must find Christopher this time.
Since he was in such great danger, I needed to go see him. I wanted to be with him no matter what. If everyone disapproved of this, we’ll just die together. At least that way, we’ll be together.
While buying the plane tickets, I pulled out my phone and took a look at the message Mom had sent me. We’ll talk about minor things like this next time.
I was disappointed. If something like this was minor, what was serious in her eyes? Even though Mom loved me after she was back, I could never feel what I felt in the past. Perhaps the years of separation became a wall between us. Mom would never tell me anything, and she was never there whenever I wanted to tell her anything.
In the end, I told her to take care and left without any hesitation.
“Please give me a ticket to Yorksland. I want someplace that’s closest to Mapleton,” I said as I handed the ticket agent my money.
I had only found out about Mapleton of Yorksland a while ago. It wasn’t the town’s original name, but everyone liked to call it that. Renowned for its red flowers, the town was a beautiful sight, and a lot of people were attracted to visit the place. However, a fire soon burned everything down to waste, and the place was rebuilt into the town now known as Mapleton.
I sat in my seat and listened to the other passengers chat among themselves with my eyes closed. I slowly drifted off to sleep when I suddenly had a nightmare. In the dream, I saw blood flowing out of Christopher’s chest non-stop. He tried his best to walk forward but fell onto the ground after a short distance. The man tried to get up but had no energy left in him.
Then, his once bright eyes darkened and slowly closed.
“No… Chris…” I jolted awake from my dream and sat up straight in distraught. I had shouted, “Don’t die!” right as I woke up, waking up the other passengers on the plane. Some of them muttered their displeasure while a few of them asked if I was okay.
I shook my head but said nothing before pulling the blanket closer to myself. Christopher, please be alright. You have to wait till I find you.
Little did I know, my screams alarmed someone who was passing by earlier. The person was originally about to leave, but they stopped in their tracks. They then acted as though they were walking by again, just to take another look at me.
I couldn’t go back to sleep after waking up from the nightmare. Whenever I closed my eyes, I would see Christopher in danger, his body covered in blood. So I got up and went to the restroom.
After disembarking the plane, I walked along the unfamiliar streets. As I passed by an alley, a group of men came out from nowhere. One of them covered my mouth with a handkerchief as we passed by each other. But before I could even react, my vision darkened, and I lost consciousness.