Ch. 921..925
Chapter 921
“What is it?”
“Go out with me tomorrow.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We're going to meet someone.”
“Who?”
“You'll know when you get there.”
“Okay.” Sylvia agreed before asking again, “Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” He looked her up and down and stated, “That's all.” “Then I'll go out first.” Sylvia walked out.
“Wait a minute.” He suddenly stopped her.
Sylvia turned back to him and asked, “What's up?”
He walked up to her and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her forehead, “You don't have to leave, I'll just sleep in the guest room myself.”
With that, he walked past her and walked out of the room.
Sylvia felt a strange tightening feeling in her chest.
She pursed her lips, then sat back down onto the sofa and took out her phone.
The phone seemed far more advanced than the one she had nine years ago.
She turned on the phone and went through the list of accounts she followed on social media and the people on her friend list. She barely knew a vast majority of them.
After she went through her contacts, she flipped through her photo album
The moment she opened it, she noticed that most of the pictures were of her three children.
There were pictures of Liam quietly sitting by himself, usually occupied with reading books or playing with puzzles. There were also pictures of Isabel in silly, hilarious poses as well as group pictures that she took with the kids.
She looked at the way she had smiled in those pictures and noted that she seemed genuinely happy.
She found herself immersed in these pictures and went through the thousands of photos that were there, one after another. At one point, she fell asleep.
It was the next morning when she woke up.
When she opened her eyes, she saw three adorable faces staring at her..
Liam and Isabel were standing side by side next to her bed while little Flint was sitting next to her pillow. All three pairs of large eyes were staring at her intently.
They were adorable.
She immediately sat up and took Flint into her arms first, then she reached for both Liam and Isabel, “Why are you kids here? Is there anything you need?”
Awounded look surfaced in Isabel's eyes, “Mommy still doesn't remember us.”
Liam did not seem very pleased either, he grimaced and stayed quiet.
A flash of emotion appeared in Sylvia‘s eyes.
Had they come to see her first thing in the morning in hopes that she would recall who they were?
She patted their heads and said softly, “Don't be upset, Mommy will do her best to remember all of you, okay?”
Liam pursed his lips.
Isabel pouted and remarked, “You usually kiss us when you want to make us feel better.” Sylvia smiled and asked, “Really? May | kiss you then?”
Isabel grunted, “Humph!”
Liam stated coolly, “You're our mom, of course you may.”
Sylvia immediately moved over and gave them each a kiss on their adorable little faces. The two kids seemed rather appeased by this gesture.
Flint squealed as if he was demanding to be kissed as well.
Sylvia hurriedly carried him into her arms and kissed him on the cheek.
Flint giggled.
Sylvia was amused and planted another kiss on his cheek, then she turned to ask Isabel and Liam, “Do you two want to kiss your brother?”
Liam turned away Isabel complained, “I don‘t want to kiss a snot-faced baby.” Both of them seemed repulsed by the suggestion.
Sylvia was speechless. So be it.
Chapter 922 Shortly after, Aunt Tonya knocked on the door to call them for breakfast Liam took Flint into his arms and walked out with his sister.
Sylvia rose from the bed and washed up, then she went through the closet and chose a combination of a white shirt and a pair of jeans. She tied her hair into a high ponytail before heading to the living room.
Odell and the children were seated together at the dining table. They all turned to her at the same time upon noticing her enter. Sylvia met Odell's eyes and smiled politely, “Good morning.”
Odell returned the greeting, “Morning.”
Sylvia sat across from Odell with the two children.
After a while, Odell asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
In between bites of food, Sylvia answered him, “I slept pretty well.” Odell stared at her rosy cheeks and stayed quiet.
The silence continued for some time until he was full and set down the cutlery. Then he looked at her again, “We're heading out soon, is there anything else you need to get?”
Sylvia remembered him mentioning something about them going to meet someone today and replied, “No need.” “Hey Baddiee, where are you going?” Isabel asked curiously.
“We're going out to meet someone.”
“Okay.” Isabel did not press for more information.
Odell got up and walked out, as if to wait for Sylvia outside.
Sylvia was almost finished with her food. She wiped her lips with a napkin and asked Isabel curiously, “Isabel, why do you call your dad Baddie? Is that how you usually address him?”
Isabel grinned, “Yeap.”
“Why would you call your father that?”
Isabel's eyes suddenly welled up with tears and she answered meekly, “Because he wasn't nice to you before.” Sylvia pursed her lips at the thought. So, it really had been because of her.
Aunt Tonya had informed her of Odell’s past wrongdoings, but she decided that she would not add any further comment considering how she could not recall any of them.
She gently caressed Isabel's cheeks and told her, “Isabel, I'll be back with your daddy in no time. We'll play some games together when | get back, alright?”
Isabel's eyes sparkled and she chirped joyfully, “Okay!”
Sylvia stood up and went outside.
A black car was parked just outside the door. The windows and doors were closed, so Sylvia could not see who was inside the car.
She figured that Odell was probably sitting inside and waiting for her already.
She quickly approached the car and opened the door to the passenger seat only to see Cliff seated inside. Cliff smiled awkwardly. “Good morning, Madam.”
Sylvia laughed dryly and took a step back, then she opened the rear door and got inside to sit with Odell. He was wearing a black tailored suit and sat up straight in an elegant, confident manner.
The atmosphere inside the car seemed rather heavy, possibly due to the dark look on his face.
Sylvia quietly lowered the window to let some air into the car to alleviate the tension.
“Drive.” Odell commanded.
Jacob who was driving promptly started the car.
Half an hour later, they drove out of the city and arrived at a detention center located on the outskirts. Sylvia followed Odell out of the car.
She silently gazed at the gates leading to the detention center with a look of confusion on her face. ‘What are we doing here?
Shortly after, a young police officer in uniform approached
them. He greeted them with a very pleasant smile, “Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter, good morning.”
It seemed like he was acquainted with them.
However, Sylvia could not for the life of her remember who he was, she simply returned a simple greeting, “Good morning.” Odell took her hand and said to him, “Show us the way.”
“Sure.”
They entered the lobby of the guardhouse after that.
Chapter 923 Officer Sach glanced at Sylvia and asked, “Master Carter, would you like to head inside with Miss Ross?”
“Il go in first.” Odell said while letting go of Sylvia‘s hand. Then, he turned to inform her, “Wait for me here for a while and don't wander around.”
“Okay.” Sylvia answered, but inside her mind, she muttered a silent complaint, ‘Why would | just wander around? I‘m not a child.‘ Odell turned to the officer again, “Officer Sach, please have someone watch over her.”
Sylvia was speechless.
Officer Sach proceeded to summon two of his officers and entrusted them with the task of watching over Sylvia.
They had Sylvia sit down somewhere nearby.
Meanwhile, Odell went into the room.
It was a heavily guarded room, and was as quiet as a cemetery inside. It was rather dark inside and there was nothing save for a table and two chairs inside.
Odell sat down in one of the chairs. After a while, Thomas came in through another door.
His hands had been handcuffed and he was still wearing the same clothes from the other day. By this point, his clothes had already become very creased.
The look in his eyes shifted the moment he saw Odell and he asked with a sense of urgency, “Is Sylvia awake? How is she doing?”
Odell glared at him icily. Thomas proceeded to sit opposite him and continued to pester him with questions, “How is she doing now?”
“When you took her to Galston with you for half a year and kept her locked up for three months, what did you do to her during that time?”
Thomas rolled his eyes and asked, “Why are you asking me about this?”
“Tell me, what did you do to her in those three months?” A menacing glare shone from within Odell's eyes.
Thomas grimaced and stayed quiet.
The silence lingered in the air for several seconds longer.
Odell suddenly asked, “Do you want to see her?”
Thomas's eyes seemed to gleam at this offer, but darkness quickly returned to them, “You're going to let me see her?” “Tell me what you did to her in those three months, then I'll let you see her.”
Thomas frowned and asked suspiciously, “You promise to let me see her if | tell you?”
Odell responded, “Yes, certainly.”
Thomas seemed to withdraw his gaze from Odell and fell silent for several seconds before confessing, “I tried to hypnotize her during those three months.”
Odell frowned, “Hypnotize her?”
Thomas grinned sardonically, “| wanted her to forget about you. | gave her some drugs that helped with easing the nerves in the brain before | began conducting certain hypnotizing practices on her.”
Needless to say, his experiment had been a complete failure since not only had he failed to achieve his original task, she had even started to self-harm due to the depression that had befallen her from the experience.
It was either because the technique had not been viable to begin with, or she simply loved Odell too much. Odell‘s face darkened and he pressed further, “Anything else?”
“No.” Thomas looked at him, “Can | see her now?”
Odell shot a hostile look at him.
In any other circumstances, he would not allow Thomas to see Sylvia even if it was a matter of life and death. But now, he figured that it would be fine.
He frowned contemptuously and declared, “Sure, I'll let you see her now.”
With that, he got up and walked out of the visitation room.
Thomas seemed rather startled by this answer. He had not expected Odell to be so cooperative. However, none of this mattered.
He straightened his collar and ran his fingers through his hair.
Shortly after, the closed door was open again, and a slender figure walked in.
Thomas smiled and looked at her.
Sylvia was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny.
She started by saying, “Are you Odell's brother, Thomas Carter?”
The smile on Thomas lips instantly vanished.
He froze as he watched Sylvia looking him up and down as if he was a complete stranger. After a moment, he muttered to himself, “That explains it...”
Chapter 924
Sylvia became very uncomfortable when she saw how Thomas was scrutinizing her up and down and asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Thomas suddenly chuckled, as if amused by something.
It was no wonder that Odell had asked him about those three months. This explained why he was fine with him meeting Sylvia.
“It's nothing.” He brushed it off.
Sylvia sat on the chair that Odell had sat in previously and asked suspiciously, “| heard that you wanted to see me. Why did you want to see me?”
Thomas rubbed his hands together and asked with a smile, “You don't remember me at all?” Sylvia shook her head and answered genuinely, “I only remember what happened nine years ago.” They had not even met each other yet nine years ago.
Thomas pursed his lips.
Noticing his silence, Sylvia asked impatiently, “What exactly did you want to see me for?” “Nothing, | just wanted to see you.”
“To see how I've been doing?”
“Hmm,” he said.
Sylvia scoffed, “Well, | suppose I'll have to disappoint you by letting you know that I've been doing just fine. Even if | don't remember what happened over the past nine years, | now have three lovely children and Odell has been nothing but kind to me. Carter Corporation is doing very well under his leadership, so you can just sit tight here and rot away. Don't think about hatching any strange ideas to hurt any of us.”
She spoke with such righteous nepotism that her cheeks were flushed red with anger.
Thomas listened to her patiently and could not help but burst out laughing toward the end, “Sure, I'll take you at your word.” Sylvia frowned, “Why are you acting so strangely?”
Why was he still laughing even in his present state? What was with that strange laugh?
Thomas suddenly fell silent.
Sylvia shot him a look and asked, “Do you have anything else to say? If not, then I'm leaving.”
He clasped his hands together and said, “I'm done.”
Sylvia immediately got up and walked out. Just as she was about to reach for the door handle, she suddenly heard his voice from behind, “I wish you nothing but happiness.”
She froze and looked back at him. She turned just in time to see his figure from behind.
He had a tall and lean frame, and the light around him produced a strange effect of loneliness that filled her with a certain somberness.
She felt a rush of inexplicable emotions swelling inside her. She figured that this sense of sympathy she felt for Thomas had to be due to his blood ties to Odell. She pursed her lips and walked out the door.
Odell was leaning against the wall next to the door so as soon as Sylvia emerged, she bumped into him and almost stumbled into his arms.
She quickly drew herself backward and remarked with a quick smile, “I'm done talking to him.” Odell frowned and held out a hand toward her.
Sylvia was confused by his behavior, “What are you doing?”
He frowned, “Give me your hand.”
He spoke with a sense of authority.
She grimaced slightly.
His face darkened.
She noticed his darkening mood and immediately lifted her hand.
He instantly clasped her hand with his.
Then, he led her out of the detention center and asked, “What did you two talk about?”
“Not much.”
“Neither of you talked?” He looked at her coldly.
More than anything else, Sylvia was afraid of the way Odell was glaring at her and quickly blurted out, “We talked a little.” “What did you two talk about?” He asked.
She decided that honesty was the best policy, “I told him to stay in there and not think about hatching any strange ideas. | told him to not think he could steal Carter Corporation away from you.”
Holding back a smile, Odell asked, “What was his answer?” “He behaved quite strangely.” “How so?”
“Not only did he not get upset, but he even had this weird smile on his face the entire time | talked to him.” She suddenly turned to face Odell, “Don't you think he’s pretty weird?”
Odell could not hold it in any longer and chuckled. The pent-up tension inside him over the past two days since finding out about Sylvia's amnesia seemed to deflate at once. “What are you laughing about?” Sylvia asked, just as puzzled as before.
He raised his hand and gently pinched her cheeks, “I'm laughing at him.”
Chapter 925 “Why are you laughing at him?” “Because he got what he deserved.”
“Oh.” It was true, he had gotten exactly what he deserved. There had been no reason for him to do what he did and cause her lapse of memory
They drove back steadily the same way they came until the car reached the old Carter residence and stopped in front of the gate.
The bodyguard that was guarding the gate promptly approached and opened the door for Sylvia. Sylvia turned around and prepared to get out of the car, but she suddenly felt something tugging at her hand. She turned and looked at Odell suspiciously.
His deep eyes were looking at her tenderly and as he spoke, his voice was deep with bass but pleasant to the ear, “I need to go back to the office to deal with something. Just stay at home and don't wander around. Call me if anything comes up at all.”
Sylvia grimaced.
He was treating her as if she was a child.
Even if she had lost her memory, she was still an adult.
Upon noticing her silence, Odell patted her on the head and asked, “Did you hear me?” Sylvia's mouth twitched, “I did.” “Alright, go.”
He let go of her hand.
“Okay.” Sylvia turned and got out of the car.
The car drove away as soon as she stepped out.
She stole one last look at the car before walking into the house.
Sebastian, Aunt Tonya, and the others were chatting happily in the yard.
Sylvia approached them and asked curiously, “Aunt Tonya, what are you two chatting about?”
Aunt Tonya was taken aback by this.
Sebastian and the others were just as astounded by this.
They were still getting used to the new Sylvia. The Sylvia from before would have never joined in their gossip sessions. Aunt Tonya remarked with a smile, “We're talking about Wanda‘s hometown.”
Aunt Wanda added, “To be specific, we're talking about my cousin.”
“| see.” Sylvia commented.
Aunt Tonya had always been fond of making small talk and gossiping with the others. Sylvia figured that she might as well join them since she had nothing else to do. Besides, she figured it would be a good way for her to figure out what was going on these days.
She turned and sat with them.
Aunt Tonya and Sebastian were once again startled by her behavior.
She merely smiled and said, “Please continue. Don‘t mind me.”
Aunt Wanda and Sebastian both turned to look at Aunt Tonya.
With a resigned look on her face, Aunt Tonya turned back to Aunt Wanda and said, “So, you were saying?”
Aunt Wanda chuckled and picked up where she left off, “Yeah, we were talking about my cousins’ wife, she sure is something...” She prattled on and on.
The conversation resumed as if it had never been interrupted. Both Sebastian and Aunt Tonya loved listening to such tales and chimed in with some funny remarks now and then.
After a while, Sylvia felt a little overwhelmed.
She even started to feel sleepy, perhaps due to the pleasant weather. Moments before she was about to doze off, she suddenly heard someone scoff. Aunt Wanda suddenly stopped talking and both Aunt Tonya and Sebastian‘s expressions suddenly changed.
Sylvia was alerted by this and woke up. Something told her to turn to the living room where she immediately spotted Isabel standing with her arms crossed in front of her as she pouted. The little girl seemed rather upset.
She was taken aback by this display, so she smiled and asked,” Isabel, what's the matter?”
“You told me that you were going to play with me and my brother when you came back. Why are you sitting here with them? Don't you want to play with us?” Her voice grew fiercer as she went on
It seemed like her rage was boiling over.
Sylvia seemed astonished.
It was not so much that she did not want to play with them, she had merely forgotten. She had nearly forgotten that she had three children.
She hurriedly explained, “Isabel, I'm very sorry, | just wanted to hear what Aunt Tonya was talking about. | promise it's not because | didn‘t want to play with you.”
Isabel was still very upset, “You're lying! I've been watching you for a long time. You were almost about to fall asleep. You weren't even listening to their conversation!”
Sylvia was silent. Aunt Tonya and the rest of them were quiet as well.
There was a sort of awkward tension in the air fora moment until Isabel suddenly turned red and started to scream with tears in her eyes, “You used to look for us the moment you came home every time!”