Ch. 916..920
Chapter 916
Madam Carter's bedroom was located on the first floor, facing the sun.
Upon opening the door, Sylvia immediately spotted Madam Carter who was sleeping soundly in bed.
Amaid who seemed to have been entrusted with taking care of the madam was seated right next to the bed. Upon noticing Sylvia, the maid stood up and greeted her politely, “Madam.”
Sylvia stared at the old lady on the bed.i
Madam Carter looked completely different from the kindly old lady who used to take her by her hand and address her affectionat ely as her darling granddaughter . Madam Carter's hair was noticeably whiter now and she looked much older.
Why was she sleeping in the middle of the day? Why did she need a maid to attend to her?
“Aunt Tonya , what's wrong with Grandma ?” Sylvia asked Aunt Tonya who was standing by the doorway.
Aunt Tonya regretfully informed her, “She suffered significant damage to her head and entered a vegetative state.” Sylvia frowned, “How did that happen?”
Aunt Tonya a conflicted look appeared on her face as she seemed at a loss to convey the events that had led up to this. After some hesitation, she said, “Many things have happened over these past years.”
Sylvia walked in and sat next to the sleeping Madam Carter.
The maid left the room to give Sylvia some privacy and Aunt Tonya did not enter the room either.
The only ones left in the spacious room were Sylvia and Madam Carter who remained lying on the bed.
Sylvia took Madam Carter's hands the way she had always taken hers and whispered, “Grandma, I’m here to see you.” Madam Carter did not respond.
Sylvia pursed her lips, not knowing what to say.
She had no recollection of what had happened over the past nine years.
Even if she was suffering from amnesia, how was it possible to have forgotten everything?
Something mystical must have happened to transport her soul from nine years ago to the present day in an instant.
With no one around, she spoke to Madam Carter, “Grandma, the truth is,
I'm not the Sylvia from the present day, I’m the Sylvia from nine years ago. Everyone thinks that I've lost my
memory, but | know | haven't . I've just somehow been transported here from nine years ago. | thought that this was all a dream until i pinched myself hard several times when | found myself here.”
She was very serious as she said this. Meanwhile, the man who was standing by the door pursed his lips, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“If something as bizarre as this could happen to me, I'm sure your recovery would not be impossible either.” Sylvia muttered,” By the way, | also gave birth to three beautiful great grandchildren for you and they are adorable...”
She stopped talking when she felt herself choking up.
“Grandma, I'll leave you alone for now.”
She still had to find out what had happened in the past nine years.
She got up and walked out, immediately spotting Odell in the corridor just outside the door. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded in front of him.
He regarded Sylvia with a dark, intense stare.
There was such depth in his eyes that Sylvia could not decipher what was on his mind. Sylvia greeted him blankly, “Hey.”
“Have you finished your chat with Grandma ?” he asked softly.
“Yeah.” Sylvia asked, “When did you get here?”
“Just now.” He answered without a change of expression.
Sylvia sighed, slightly relieved.
If he only just came here, he probably had not caught a word of what she had said to Madam Carter. “Let's go, it's time to eat.” He said as he took her hand.
He held onto her hand so tightly that it was impossible for her to wring herself free.
She was hungry anyway and followed him into the living room.
Asumptuous meal had been laid out on top of the dining table, consisting of most of her favorite dishes. Odell pulled out a chair for her to sit.
She looked around.
Sebastian, Aunt Tonya, and the three children were nowhere to be seen, it was just the two of them in the living room at the moment.
Sylvia asked suspiciously, “Aren't you going to ask Aunt Tonya and the kids to eat dinner as well?” “They already ate.”
Chapter 917 “Oh.”
She was fine with them not being here because she knew that the children would cry again if they saw her, especially the cute little chubby girl. The sheer thought of it upset her.
She picked up the spoon and began eating. She went straight for her favorite dishes.
She eyed a plate of fish that was just slightly too far away from her. However, she estimated the distance and guessed that she would have to stretch her arms almost across the table just to reach it, so she decided against it.
She lowered her head and went back to eating what was already on her plate.
That was when a piece of the fish that she had been eyeing was placed on her plate. It was none other than Odell who had given it to her.
He put one piece on her plate, then another, and yet another before stopping.
Sylvia was very astonished by this as if she had witnessed some sort of miracle. She thanked him kindly, “Master Carter, don't worry about me, please just enjoy your meal.”
Odell frowned and spoke in a gentle voice, “I'm your husband, just call me by my name.” “Oh,” muttered Sylvia , and ate the piece of fish with her head lowered.
She ate quickly and set down her cutlery after she had eaten her fill.
“I'm already full. Please, take your time.”
She stood up and prepared to leave.
Odell grabbed her wrist and asked, “Where are you going?”
Sylvia replied, “I want to talk to Aunt Tonya.”
She wanted to ask Aunt Tonya what had happened all these nine years.
“You want to ask her about the past nine years?” His dark eyes were staring at her so intently that it felt as if they would bore holes into her skull.
Sylvia blinked and muttered, “Something like that.”
Odell made a look, “I can tell you about it.”
“There‘s no... No need, I'll just ask Aunt Tonya.” She pulled her hand free, then turned and walked outside.
Odell‘s expression darkened, he informed, “Aunt Tonya is upstairs.”
“Okay.” Sylvia turned around and went up the stairs.
She walked as fast as she could, making sure to avoid Odell's gaze as if she was afraid of being devoured by him. Odell stared at her deeply. After she went upstairs, he took out
his phone and called Skylar.
When Skylar picked up, he asked immediately, “Are you free later?”
“Good, let's meet up.”
Meanwhile, Sylvia spotted both Liam and Isabel squatting side by side in the corner the moment she walked up the stairs. It was quite obvious that the two had been trying to eavesdrop.
When they saw Sylvia coming up the stairs, they seemed overwhelmed with guilt and stared at her warily.
Sylvia smiled and acted as if she did not know what they were doing. She asked curiously, “What are you two doing here?” Isabel, “Hmph! You know exactly what we are doing!”
She seemed very upset and puffed up her round cheeks until she looked like a ball.
Liam frowned and turned to her, “It's not like Mom wants to forget about us, don't be angry at her.”
There was still a grimace on Isabel's face, but her eyes began swelling up with tears.
Sylvia quickly approached them. Then, she knelt and patted the girl's head, “Dear, even if | don't remember you now, just know that I'm still your mother and | wouldn’t abandon you.”
Perhaps it was because of their blood relationship, she had taken a liking to them as soon as she had seen them and seeing them upset made her sad as well.
Isabel burrowed herself tightly into Sylvia's embrace and muttered weakly, “I don't want Mommy to forget me.” Sylvia felt something tightening in her chest as she silently embraced Isabel.
Isabel seemed to calm down after this, she turned up and looked at Sylvia with a vulnerable expression , “Mommy, you'll remember us, won't you?”
Sylvia was dumbfounded. She had been transported here from nine years ago, how was she supposed to remember?”
However, the little girl's hurt expression wounded her, so she promised her, “Yes, | will.”
Chapter 918
Asmile instantly appeared on Isabel's face.
Liam seemed delighted to hear this as well.
Noticing that the two of them were feeling better, Sylvia smiled and asked, “By the way, what's your name?” Isabel's smile was instantly wiped away and her eyes began to well up again.
Liam instantly became stoic as well and his mouth pursed up in unhappiness.
Sylvia patted Isabel's head, afraid of saying the wrong thing,”
Uh...”
“Hmph, stinky Mommy, you don't even know my name anymore!” Isabel turned and ran away.
“My name is Liam Carter, and my sister‘s name is Isabel Ross.” Liam informed coolly before turning around and chasing after Isabel.
Sylvia froze again.
Liam Carter, Isabel Ross.
How was it that both siblings had different surnames?
She let these questions sit inside her head and searched around until she found Aunt Tonya in the largest bedroom. Aunt Tonya was taking care of Flint alongside two matron nurses,
Flint was sleeping soundly on the bed.
As soon as Sylvia came in, the two matron nurses stepped out of the room to offer her some privacy.
Sylvia approached Aunt Tonya and sat down next to her on the couch positioned right next to Flint's bed, “Aunt Tonya, please tell me about what happened in the last nine years.”
Aunt Tonya stared at her blankly and asked, “Sylvia, do you really not remember a single thing at all?”
Sylvia was worried that Aunt Tonya would think that she had lost her mind if she mentioned that she had come here from the past so she just said, “No, | don't.”
“Well, okay.” Aunt Tonya sighed and took her hand, “A lot happened in the past nine years, | guess I'll start with the night everything started between you and Odel...”
Her gentle voice rang out inside the spacious and cozy room. Meanwhile, inside an elegantly decorated cafe in the old district. Odell and Skylar sat facing each other across a table right next to the window.
He was describing Sylvia's symptoms of memory loss and enquired, “Do you know what's going on?”
It was the first time that Skylar had encountered such a bizarre scenario as well. After considering for a moment, she felt like she had to ask, “Master Carter, are you sure that she did not sustain any significant injuries to her head?”
“lam certain that there is nothing wrong with her physical state.”
Sylvia had undergone two full-body examinations yesterday. The first time was when she had been taken to the hospital and the
other had been after she was found unconscious. He had specifically instructed the doctors to perform an examination on her brain but they had not found any issues with her.
“She was doing fine the last time | saw her. The second master took her away for a day but | doubt that he could do anything to wipe away nine years of memory.” Skylar speculated , “Could it be that | missed something? What could it be?”
Odell was very understanding, “Don't worry, take your time and think about it.” Skylar did exactly that. After some time, she raised another question, “Master Carter, what is the cutoff point of Mrs. Sylvia's memory?”
Odell frowned and informed, “It was on this night from nine years ago when both of us had been similarly deceived by our respective stepmothers and we spent the night in the hotel. She‘s only able to remember everything that led up to that point.”
“Why this night specifically?” Skylar asked again, “Could you tell me what happened that night?”
“After that night, my stepmother had someone barge into the room to catch me in the same bed with her before forcing me to marry her.”
“And after that?”
“There was a big misunderstanding at the time because | thought she was in cahoots with my stepmother. Even after we got married, | was indifferent and at times, even cruel to her. This lasted for almost two years until | took Carter Corporation back into my hands and banished my stepmother. | got together with another woman after that and due to another misunderstanding, | had her locked up for half a year until she gave birth. | then kicked her out after that.”
The more he spoke, the heavier his tone became.
Skylar sighed, “It seems to me that that night is something of a crucial turning point for Mrs. Sylvia.”
Chapter 919 Odell grimaced in silence.
After a while, Skylar continued, “Since there are no signs of any physical damage, then the source of it all must be mental. | doubt that the second master kidnapping her for a day would have resulted in her losing memory of everything over the last nine years. | believe that her amnesia should be closely related to the trauma from her half-year stay in Galston that resulted in her depression.”
With all that information provided, she asked, “She refuses to tell me about those six months in Galston. Do you by any chance know what she experienced during that time?”
Odell answered, his voice was hollow, “She was imprisoned by Thomas in those six months and was frequently threatened, and even terrorized by him.”
“Was that all he did?”
Odell frowned and added, “She was locked up in a dark room, all by herself, for more than three months.” Skylar pressed further, “What did he do to her during those three months?”
“| have no idea:”
All of what he just told Skylar had been relayed to him by Aunt Tonya.
Sylvia had never mentioned anything about her time in Galston. It was a traumatizing mark in her life that she preferred not to acknowledge.
As much as he wanted to know, he was aware of how hard it was for her to speak about it and had never asked her about it. Skylar observed Odell's expression and mentioned carefully, “I believe the second master is still in Westchester now.” Asharp gleam appeared in Odell‘s eyes as he said, “He's at the police station.”
“| believe that what happened to Mrs. Sylvia was a direct result of those three months. Do you think you should ask the second master about it?”
Odell grimaced, “Hm.” He supposed he would have to. At Carter's old residence.
Aunt Tonya told Sylvia about everything, from the beginning to the end. First, she covered Sylvia's marriage with Odell, then about how Tara had tried to get in between them. She told Sylvia about how they had gotten divorced after that and how it had ended with Sylvia taking Isabel away. Then they had reunited and remarried three years later. After that, things had gone awry with Madam Carter and Sylvia nearly lost her life at Cloudy Heart Lake because of Tara. The story continued until the point where
Sylvia had gotten kidnapped by Thomas and ended up unconscious at the hospital.
As the story had gone on, the sky outside had turned from day to night. Sylvia was dumbfounded by all the information that she had received and was having trouble processing all of them. After a long while, she asked in utter disbelief, “I got married and divorced twice with Odell?”
“Yes, and it was all because of that witch, Tara.” As an afterthought, Aunt Tonya suddenly added, “And Thomas.” Tara and Thomas.
Sylvia felt a burst of rage burning inside her upon hearing the mention of their names, perhaps due to everything she heard about them from Aunt Tonya.
It was especially so regarding Tara. When she considered how they had grown up together in the district, she thought of her as her friend. She used to share everything with her, whether it was her deepest secrets or her most treasured belongings.
She felt much better upon hearing that Odell had finally realized what Tara truly was and cut things off with her for good.
“So where is Tara now?” She asked curiously.
Aunt Tonya shook her head, “I'm not too sure about that either. | haven't seen or heard about her since you returned from Gaston.”
Sylvia nodded. Her thoughts went to Thomas. “Thomas.” She muttered.
As the name escaped her lips, it felt strangely familiar, even though she had no memory of it. She asked in a puzzled voice,“ Why did he do all this to start with? I've never done anything to get on his bad side, so why did he want to tear me away from Odell?”
Aunt Tonya seemed very troubled and was at a loss as to how to answer such a question. After she thought about it, she asked, “Sylvia, do you have no memory of Thomas at all?” “No, this is the first time I've heard about a secret brother of Odell. I've never even met him before.”
The man who had been standing by the door the entire while smiled upon hearing this.
Chapter 920 Aunt Tonya sighed, “Right, | almost forgot. You only met him after you married Odell.”
Sylvia repeated her question, “So why did he do all this to me? Was it because Odell took back the corporation and drove him and his mother away?”
Just as Aunt Tonya was about to reply, there was a knock on the door. Sylvia looked over along with Aunt Tonya.
“Who's that?” Aunt Tonya asked.
“It's me.” Odell said in a low voice, “Are you two done yet?”
“Oh, we're almost done.” Aunt Tonya said as she stood up.
Sylvia was about to stand too but Aunt Tonya made her sit again and remarked, “This is the bedroom that the two of you share. You don't have to leave.”
Sylvia stood up anyway.
Aunt Tonya looked at her curiously.
She whispered, “I’d better go out with you, | don't want to be alone with him.”
She was afraid of him.
Before the age of twenty-four, Odell had seemed very indifferent and the thought of approaching him filled her with
apprehension. Meanwhile, the Odell in the present day seemed much more attentive toward her, but now that he was older, there seemed to be some sort of mysterious air that instilled this sense of seniority in him. This factor only made her more wary of approaching him.
Her thoughts about the present Odell were evident on her face. She was like that twenty—year—old girl of the past who was still rather naive and innocent of the way of the world again.
Feeling heartbroken and helpless over this, Aunt Tonya muttered softly, “Alright, then.” Sylvia immediately took her arm. The door was pushed open, and Odell strode into the room.
When he saw Sylvia walking out with Aunt Tonya, he was stunned. As she was about to walk past him alongside Aunt Tonya, he grabbed her arm and said, “I need to talk to you.”
His voice was gentle, but his tone was strong and irrefutable .
Before Sylvia could answer, Aunt Tonya gently moved her hand away and addressed her with a motherly smile, “Sylvia, take your time. I'll be waiting right outside, | won't be far.”
With that, she went out and closed the door.
Suddenly, it was just the two of them left in the room.
Sylvia suddenly jerked her arm away and tried to wring herself free from Odell. Odell stared at her silently for a moment before letting go.
She instantly took two steps back.
Odell took a sapphire ring out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Remember this?” Sylvia‘s eyes lit up as she said, “Didn't | give this to Tara?’
“Yes, this was the ring that | gave to you on that rainy night that | first met you, which you later gave to Tara. With this ring, she convinced me that she was the one who had saved me that night.”
Sylvia was baffled by this.
She still remembered that night, but she could not believe that Odell was the same boy that she had met.
She remembered what Aunt Tonya had just told her about Tara‘s involvement with her and Odell.
She processed everything in her head and asked, “So, was it because of this ring that you ended up with her?” “Yes.”
“Oh.” Sylvia pursed her lips.
As far as she was concerned, none of these things existed in her memory so she was not sure how to even respond in this situation.
“Take it,” He offered suddenly.
She obediently lifted her hand.
He put the ring in the palm of her hand and helped her close it
into a fist before staring into her eyes, “Keep it and don't give it away again.” She murmured, “Okay.”
“Tara is in jail now,” He informed suddenly.
She was startled by this revelation, “How did she end up in jail?”
“She turned herself in.”
She ended up turning herself in after she had confessed to everything that Thomas had instructed her to do, perhaps out of fear of Odell's wrath.
She was right to be afraid because Odell had used some of the resources at his disposal upon finding out about this development to make sure that she would not have a good time in jail.
Sylvia scoffed, “She deserved it.”
Even if she could not recall any of what Tara did to her, she knew that Tara was the one who had put Madam Carter ina vegetative state and had to be bound to a bed for life.
Odell observed how flushed her cheeks were with anger. He reached out and caressed her cheeks. Sylvia immediately moved backward as if she had been electrocuted. Odell frowned..
Sylvia chuckled awkwardly, “Uh... Was there anything else you wanted to say?” She figured that if there wasn't, she would rejoin Aunt Tonya.
Odell realized how desperately she wanted to escape and he remarked, “There is one other thing.”