Ch. 1266..1270
Chapter 1266 Odell lifted the cup and took a sip of tea without a word.
John frowned intently and asked, “Has something happened to Sherry?” “I don't know,” Odell said without any change in his expression
John's eyes gleamed with iciness for a brief instant. He remarked with a soft chuckle, “Master Carter, | believe there are many more opportunities for us to work together in the future. You, of all people, should know that since you are a successful businessman just like me.”
Odell remained silent.
John adjusted his approach and stated, “I'm not going to force you to tell me where Sherry is. All | want to know is how she's doing currently, and if something bad has happened to her. Could you tell me that at least?”
Odell peered into his eyes, “She's fine. Nothing's going to happen to her.”
“Is that so?” John asked with a marked squint, “Then, why did Mrs. Carter look so frantic when she rushed out back then?” “This is all | can tell you.” Odell set down the cup of tea with the same disinterested look on his expression, “I
can't tell you any more than that.”
The only reason he even bothered to give John some glimpse of information was due to his recognition of John’s persistent efforts over the last nine months.
John thanked him with a smile, “Alright, thanks for the information.”
In the hospital, shortly past midnight, the rhythmic wail of a baby echoed across the delivery room. The door that had been shut for a long time opened at last.
In the corridor, Sylvia handed Isabel, who had fallen asleep in her arms, over to the nurse before approaching the delivery room. Sherry and her newborn baby were being carefully carted out.
Sylvia approached the bed and smiled at Sherry. Sherry returned a smile that was tired but filled with joy.“ Come on, Sylvia. Take my daughter.” Sylvia quickly took the little girl in her arms.
The babe was tiny, and her face was still wrinkled, typical of a newborn‘s. Still, her skin was bright and rosy, and her features suggested that she would grow into a beauty just like her mother.
After she took a good look at the baby, she smiled and turned to Sherry. “She looks just like you, especially her eyebrows and nose.” Sherry laughed. “Of course.”
Sylvia smiled and went into the ward alongside Sherry and her new baby. Sherry fell asleep shortly after that, and Sylvia placed her daughter by her side.
Isabel was taken into the ward to join them shortly after that, and the nurse put her on the couch.
Sylvia sat next to Isabel and reached for her phone.
Odell had texted her half an hour ago.
Sylvia jovially sent a text to Odell: “She just gave birth to a beautiful daughter, and both of them are doing well. She needs someone to stay by her side, so | won't be going home with Isabel tonight.”
Having given birth twice, she knew what childbirth was like. She understood that Sherry must be feeling especially frail currently and that she needed someone by her side.
After she sent the text, Odell replied shortly after, “Okay, do you need me to get you anything?”
Sylvia answered, “No need. They've prepared everything we need. Just go get some rest.” Odell replied, “Got it.” She set her phone aside and promptly fell asleep on the
reclining chair next to the bed.
The next day, Sylvia was awakened by a deafening cry. She woke up to Sherry busy attending to her baby.
Isabel had woken up at some point before her and was trying to help her aunt take care of the baby.
Sylvia shot them a look. Why were they talking to the baby as if a newborn child could understand what they were saying? She stepped forward and gently took the baby into her arms. She informed Sherry, “She's hungry. She needs to be fed.” Sherry stammered, “Uh... Okay.”
She turned to Sylvia and Isabel and said apprehensively, “. I'll breastfeed her myself. Why don't you two go and get breakfast?”
Chapter 1267 “Sure.” Sylvia handed the baby to her with a smile, then she took Isabel with her and left.
After they left, Sherry lifted her shirt and put the baby to her body. The baby stopped crying after that. Sherry beheld the baby's pink and rosy cheeks and how satisfied she looked. Instantly, she smiled tenderly at the beautiful sight.
Sylvia and Isabel stayed there until past noon. She was going to stay here for two more days, but Sherry insisted on her hiding again. She said that the obstetric nurses could take care of her well enough.
With that, Sylvia left with Isabel, deciding that she would come to visit Sherry again the next morning.
After half an hour's drive, the car swerved into a familiar district and parked in front of the house. Sylvia and Isabel stepped out of the car and walked into the house hand in hand.
To her surprise, John was still there.
The pair of father and son, Odell and Liam, were both reading in the living room. John was sitting on the other side of the living room with Flint in his arms, playing
with the toddler. When Sylvia and Isabel walked in, he turned to them and greeted them with a smile. 1
Sylvia immediately fixed an upset look on her face. Isabel also scoffed at the sight of the unwelcome guest.
John smiled and asked casually, “Mrs. Carter, what kind of paint were you shopping for that it took you an entire day to find?” Sylvia was caught off guard...
John stole a look behind the pair and asked curiously,” Where's the paint? Couldn't you find it?” Sylvia shot him a look. “Master Stockton, shouldn‘t you be heading back?”.
John glanced at his watch. “Well, | do suppose it is time to go back.” With that, he rose with Flint in his arms. Flint stretched his chubby arms in the direction of his mother.
John handed Flint to her before bidding farewell to Sylvia and Odell. “Master Carter, Mrs. Carter, | apologize for intruding for the past two days. I'll be heading home now.”
Sylvia ignored him. Odell turned to Sebastian to say, “Sebastian , please see Master Stockton out for us.” With that, Sebastian nodded and walked John out.
After making sure that John had left the property, Sylvia went to Odell with Flint in her arms. “Why did he stick around till so late today? Was he waiting for me to come back before leaving?”
“Yeah, he must have known that you went to see Sherry last night.” “But that's no reason for him to wait for us to return before leaving.”
“You were in a hurry when you left last night, so he was worried that meant something had happened to Sherry. After seeing the two of you return without any signs of nervousness or fidgeting, he figured that was a sign that everything was fine with Sherry and finally decided that he could leave in peace.”
Sylvia seemed mildly surprised by this deduction and had nothing more to say after that. Isabel, who was listening to their conversation, remarked with an exasperated sigh, “Adult relationships are so complicated.” With that, she leaned against her brother's shoulder, took out a tablet, and continued watehing her favorite drama.
Meanwhile, in a silver car that was speeding down the highway, John was seated by himself in the backseat. He took his phone out and dialed a number.
The call was quickly connected, and he promptly asked without any greeting, “Is everything ready?“
It was Peter's voice that answered him, “Just as you have instructed, | have men posted on the junction Mrs. Carter passed by last night. If she passes by the same section again, my men will follow her and see where she goes.”
John reflected for a moment then said, “Sherry must be somewhere in that area. Have you men scout the area, go to the hotels and residential areas, and see if there is any sign of her.”
“Yes, sir, right away.”
John then hung up. He looked at the view outside the window, a deep and introspective look surfaced behind the lens of his glasses. It had been almost nine months.
‘Sherry, where have you been hiding?*
Had she never thought of him this entire time? Did she not miss him at all?
Chapter 1268 It was obvious that John had not given up on Sherry. From that day onward, Sylvia always made sure to instruct Jacob to take another route every time she went to Sherry. She took special care to avoid heading down the route where she saw John‘s men last time.
The days passed by without trouble. Eventually, Sherry was discharged from the hospital and went to a confinement center near the hospital.
One particular morning, Sylvia took a car to the confinement center as usual. However, the traffic was significantly worse today since there was a newly opened shopping mall in the area. There were a lot of cars on the road and traffic was heavy.
They were only two hundred meters away from the confinement center, and traffic was at a standstill.
After waiting more than ten minutes without moving even an inch, she lost her patience and decided that it would be easier to get out of the car and walk to the confinement center. She stepped out of the car with a set of new clothes she had bought for Sherry‘s baby in tow.
Meanwhile, there were several men dressed casually and walking along the roadside. From time to time, they would glance at the heavily congested road.
It was now nearing the tail end of the summer, and fall would be soon approaching. Despite that, the weather was still rather hot and dry. They began to sweat after only a short walk.
One of them wiped away the sweat pooled on his forehead and remarked, “We've been patrolling this area for more than twenty days by this point, and we've gone to every single hotel and residential area without finding any signs of Miss Sherry. Hell, we haven't even seen anyone who remotely resembles her. This area must be a dead end.”
“It's Master Stockton‘s direct orders, so who are we to oppose him? Just do the job you're paid to do.” “But what if we never find her? Will Master Stockton blame us for not doing our job well?”
“Let's do our best... Huh? Isn‘t that Mrs. Carter?”
One of the men spotted a familiar figure from the corner of his eye and immediately brought everyone's attention to a person on the sidewalk. Two of his partners quickly pulled him around a corner on the street where they could safely spy on the said person without drawing attention. After observing the figure for a while, a smile began to form on their faces.
“It is Mrs. Carter, | recognize her. Let's follow her.”
“Be careful. Don't let her see us.”
“Got it.”
With that, they began their mission and tailed Sylvia until they reached the confinement center. Downtown Glanchester, in Stockton Tower, an important board of directors meeting was underway.
Seated at the head of the conference table was John in a tailored suit. He sat in a princely manner and was toying around with a pen in one hand while listening to the reports relayed to him by the members of the senior management team.
Suddenly , Peter stepped into the conference room and quickly approached him. He bent down and carefully whispered in his ear, “Sir, there's news from Westchester.
Clack!
The pen John was toying with fell on the table. The directors who were in the middle of their presentation paused and looked at him.
John straightened his expression and informed them with a swift smile, “There‘s something | need to deal with. The meeting is postponed, and we will pick up where we left off after | come back.” With that, he rose and left without any further discussion.
Peter followed him closely and promptly informed him after they stepped out of the conference room, “This morning, the men that | appointed to locate Mrs. Sherry at Westchester happened to spot Mrs. Carter walking down the city center. They figured that she must have decided to travel on foot to avoid having to sit through the hectic traffic. They carefully followed her until she entered a confinement center.”
Aconfinement center? Something flashed in John‘s eyes, and he urged Peter to continue, “And then?”
Peter relayed accordingly, “The confinement center has very strict security protocols, so our men could not get inside. They waited outside until past noon when they finally saw Mrs. Carter emerge. They said that she was carrying a large bag that seemed to contain clothes when she entered, but by the time she left the place, her hands were empty. | think it is safe to deduct that she went in to pay someone a visit and to drop off some gifts.”
She went to a confinement center to see someone?
The only time someone would go to the confinement center to visit someone was if the latter was a mother who had just given birth.
John thought about it intently. He remembered the scene roughly twenty days ago when Sylvia had received a call and suddenly left the house in a hurry, only to return the day after. A sharp look appeared in his eyes. He immediately beelined for the elevator while giving orders to Peter who was following him, “Tell them to keep an eye on the confinement center. | will be right there.”
“Yes, sir.” A thought suddenly occurred to Peter, and he cautiously informed John, “But, sir, the meeting...” “The meeting is canceled. We'll decide when | get back.”
Chapter 1269 “Understood.” Several days later, in the confinement center at Westchester, it was slightly past noon, the perfect time for a nap. Sherry had just fed Caprice and then taken a quick nap with her.
For some reason, she suddenly woke with fright after a very brief nap, and she found herself drenched in sweat when she woke. She sat up and anxiously looked at her daughter, Caprice.
The adorable girl was sleeping soundly, her eyes zipped into two lines, and she seemed perfectly at peace. Sherry breathed a sigh of relief and gently took Caprice into her arms.
The postpartum nurse, who was tasked by Sylvia to look after Sherry, noticed this and quickly approached Sherry and asked in concern, “Miss Sherry, is everything okay? Did you have a nightmare?”
“No, | don't know what that was about either. Maybe | just had too much to eat today,” Sherry remarked with a smile and told the nurse, “Why don't you go get some
rest as well? I'll take care of Caprice myself.” “Alright, just call me if you need anything at all.” “Sure.”
The nurse went to the couch and quickly got some shuteye.
The room was quiet.
Sherry looked at her daughter who was still sleeping soundly in her arms and felt a great sense of relief and comfort overtake her. Despite that, she felt her heartbeat thumping furiously against her chest. There was still a deep sense of uneasiness somewhere within her.
After a while, she got out of bed with Caprice in her arms and approached the window. The windows ran from the floor to the ceiling and were sealed tightly. The ward was located on the sixth floor of the confinement center. It was in a very ideal location, facing the main street which offered a panoramic view over the city. The new shopping mall that opened very recently was in full view as well.
The streets were crowded with people and there was a lot of traffic. Everything looked about the same as usual. She wagered that hormone instability was the cause behind this strange agitation boiling inside her. As she sighed, Caprice suddenly began rustling about in her arms.
Meanwhile, inside a hotel that was directly across the road from the confinement center, there was a particular room on the eighth floor of the hotel that was aligned nearly perpendicular to the room in which sherry stayed.
Atall man was perched next to the window with a telescope held tightly in his hands. The binoculars offered a clear view of Sherry despite the great distance separating the man and his subject. He was able to see Sherry standing in front of the window with the baby in her arms.
The binoculars shook in his trembling arms. After a while, a smile slowly formed on his lips. “Sherry, you sure took a long time for me to find.”
So, she had given birth to his daughter after hiding from him for so long
Two days later, on Saturday, judging by his usual pattern, John should arrive anytime now.
Sylvia and Odell had been at home all day with the children until evening had rolled around, and yet there was no sign of their guest.
Sylvia muttered, “Is he coming or not?”
“| think he hasn’t given up on looking for Sherry,” Odell said.
“Then, why hasn‘t he come here yet? Do you think he was held up by some important business on his side?” “Could be.”
Sylvia stated, “I'll go check up on Sherry then. She‘s going to check out of the confinement center tomorrow, so | should keep her company.” She rose as she said that.
IL
Odell suddenly grabbed her arm and asked, “Are you coming back tonight?”
Chapter 1270 “Probably not. Look after the kids and make sure they sleep early. You should sleep early as well.” Odell pulled a face and stayed silent.
Sylvia bent over and planted a kiss on his lips, then she asked, “Did you hear me?”
He smiled softly. “I got it. Don't worry.”
She then exchanged a few words with the children before heading out.
She had only just left the house when Odell turned to the children and commanded sternly, “Go back to your room. Isabel pouted and complained , “It's only eight o‘clock!”
It was nowhere near bedtime yet.
Odell approached her and effortlessly picked her up in one hand, then he carried Flint, who was rolling around on the floor. At last, he turned to Liam and asked in an authoritative voice, “Liam?” Liam closed the book he was reading. “Yeah.”
With that, all three children were escorted into their room.
After shutting the door, he instructed Aunt Tonya, “Aunt Tonya, | have something | need to deal with, so I'll leave the children to you.”
Aunt Tonya smiled. “Alright, got it. I'll take good care of them.” Odell nodded, then he grabbed his coat and headed out.
There was an important event going on at the company tonight. He had originally informed his staff that he was not attending because he wanted to spend time with Sylvia and the children at home since it was the weekend. Now that Sylvia had left, he figured there was no point staying at home by himself, so he might as well go to the event and mingle around.
The night was quiet.
There was not much traffic on the way to the confinement center, and it only took less than half an hour for Sylvia to arrive. The car was parked right outside the entrance to the center. Just as she got out of the car and was about to head inside, her phone suddenly rang. Aunt Tonya‘s anxious voice rang across the phone,” Sylvia, this is bad, Madam Carter is missing!”
Overcome by shock, Sylvia quickly asked, “When did she go missing?” Aunt Tonya answered frantically, “I have no idea either. | think she went out by herself shortly after you and Odell left.”
Sylvia frowned upon hearing this. “Why did Odell leave?” “He mentioned he had something to attend to and left. Sebastian is already looking for Madam Carter with some of the guards, but there‘s no sign of her yet. Her legs are frail and her mind is not exactly well either. What if something bad happens to her?” Tonya grew more anxious with every word she spoke. “Calm down, Aunt Tonya, I'll be right back,” Sylvia said and got back into the car. The car immediately sped down the highway and went back to where it came from.
Meanwhile, there was a shadow lurking a short distance from the confinement center. It was John who was pressed against the wall and sneakily spying on the car that was quickly accelerating in the opposite
direction.
Next to him, Peter asked in a voice filled equally with concern and perplexion, “Why did Mrs. Carter leave in such a hurry after only just arriving?” “Maybe something came up at home.” John was just as puzzled by this strange behavior. He was just about to march up to her to confront her and make her bring him
to see Sherry. Peter asked again, “Sir, what should we do now?”
John glanced at the confinement center. At the entrance were two security guards with devices that would immediately alert the police at just one click of a button.
Since it was nighttime, there must be more security guards inside , thus trying to force his way inside was a reckless and suicidal idea.
After a long silence, he decided , “Keep an eye out. We'll decide our next move when the sun comes up.” “Got it.”
Meanwhile, in Sherry‘s ward in the confinement center, she had just fed Caprice when the phone rang.