Ch. 1151..1160

Chapter 1151

Too lazy to move, Sally stayed curled up in the seat. "There's probably a pinhole camera in the bedroom, so look for it. Also, remember to cover your nose when you enter the house." "Okay." Cooper pushed open the car door and alighted from the vehicle.

Sally proceeded to lock the car door. She then leaned back against the seat and napped for a while. When a knock sounded on the car window, her eyes reflexively popped open.

Only when she had ascertained that the person outside the car window was Cooper did she unlock the car door and move over to the passenger seat.

After the man got back into the car, the smell of agarwood clinging to his clothes discomfited her slightly. In a mild voice, she asked, "How was it?"

"It's best that you remain ignorant," Cooper said, then drove toward the city.

When Sally was feeling better, she divulged, "I sneaked into Geraldine's house today, deliberately staging a gas leak and luring her out before turning the whole place inside out. There was a safety deposit box in the bedroom. In it were a few hundreds of thousands in cash and two house deeds in her name. That aside, there was a wedding photo of her and Edward above the head of the bed."

Cooper gave a bark of laughter. "It looks like she's been with Edward for quite some time since they'd even taken a wedding photo together. And Edward must have accepted a huge sum in bribes that he could afford to gift his mistress two houses when he's only a chief secretary."

"I'll contact Edward tomorrow," Sally stated.

Cooper shook his head. "No, that's too quick. A wedding photo can't prove anything unless they have a fake marriage certificate, or we unearth evidence of his corruption."

Edward would still be unaffected if Geraldine were to deny any relationship between the two of them.

Aware that Cooper was right, Sally decided to shelve her plan.

By the time they arrived back at Swallow Garden, it was already past seven o'clock in the evening. Cooper circled to the passenger seat and opened the car door, bending down to carry Sally. "I'll walk by myself." Sally slapped his hand away.

"While barefooted?" Glancing at her sock-covered feet, Cooper slipped his hands under her knees and scooped her up. "You weren't the least bit shy earlier, so there's no need to start now."

"I shouldn't have gone over. I should've had you experience the feeling of seeing yourself make news with seven women tomorrow," Sally retorted expressionlessly.

A frown marred Cooper's countenance. "Don't mention that anymore. It repulses me."

The instant Amanda saw Cooper returning with Sally in his arms, she trotted up to them and exclaimed, "Uncle Cooper, you're finally romantic for once and know to carry Aunt Sally! But why didn't you give her flowers? Daddy planted a lot of flowers personally. In the past, he used to gift Mommy a bouquet of fresh flowers every day."

"It's because your Aunt Sally doesn't like flowers," Cooper replied.

Amanda wrinkled her nose. "It must be because you're too lazy to bother."

After Cooper carried Sally into the living room, Amanda took a few award certificates and test papers out of her bag. "I scored full marks in three subjects and got three excellence awards!" "Wow, that's great, Mandy! What do you want as a reward?" Cooper scooped her up and sat her on his lap.

"To visit Great-granddad before going to Disneyland to have fun!" Amanda swung her head sideways with a bright smile on her face. "Uncle Cooper, you must send my test papers to Daddy so that he can have a look. Oh yes, you've also got to tell him I got three award certificates while Lucian only received one."

Stroking her head, Cooper gently promised, "Okay. I'll definitely tell him about it."

"It's going to be the new year soon. Will Daddy and Mommy be coming back?" Amanda questioned, her ebony eyes brimming with anticipation.

Having grown up in Dartan, both Amanda and Lucian had celebrated four new years there. Last year, they had spent the new year domestically after coming back. Alas, Armand wasn't by their side at that time. Cooper knew how much they yearned to have their parents with them during the new year meal.

He couldn't bring himself to lie to Amanda, so he resorted to changing the subject. "We'll go to Baykeep and visit your greatgranddad tomorrow, okay?" Amanda's eyes lit up. "Aren't you busy with work, Uncle Cooper?"

"I'll leave it to the others. Let's go and see what's for dinner tonight." Cooper got to his feet with her in his arms and headed toward the dining room.

Chapter 1152

At the crack of dawn, Sally scooped Amanda out from under the covers.

Initially, Amanda was still feeling all groggy, but the moment she learned that they were going to Baykeep for breakfast, she jolted wide awake. Seeing that Sally was wearing a black sweater, she likewise insisted on the same.

Sally carried her to the walk-in closet and had her pick her clothes herself.

Cooper and Lucian were already waiting downstairs. A while later, the sight of Amanda skipping down the stairs with her hand in Sally's greeted them.

She wore a black dress with thick leggings and had a round beret on her head, complemented by a pair of black boots on her feet.

Her face was chubby, and she gave off a cool vibe while looking adorable. On the whole, she was both beautiful and sassy.

Nudging his glasses, Cooper frowned. "Doesn't Mandy favor red and blue? You're wearing black, so you also made her follow suit?"

Before Sally could explain, Amanda interjected, "I chose it myself! I've never worn this dress before."

After going downstairs, she spun in a circle in front of Cooper. "Do I look cute, Uncle Cooper?"

Cooper picked her up and pecked her on the cheek. "Yes! You're the cutest, Mandy."

Once they all boarded the helicopter, Cooper checked the safety equipment of both children in the back. Then, the aircraft slowly lifted into the air and flew toward Baykeep. The weather that day was pretty great, and the sun gradually rose from the east.

An active person in nature, Amanda alternated between gazing out the window and chatting with Sally. "Can we go abroad by helicopter, Aunt Sally?"

"Yes, as long as the flight route is approved. Is there somewhere you'd like to go?" Sally asked.

With twinkling eyes, Amanda said, "I want to go to Eskaria to look at the pyramids! Aren't they open to the public now? Are there really pharaohs in mummies?"

"Their bodies would've long since decayed, leaving only skeletons behind. Do you dare look?" Lucian chimed in.

When Amanda heard that, goosebumps rose all over her skin, and she promptly stopped talking about that. "It seems that the pyramids in cartoons are fake." She propped a hand against her cheek and heaved a sigh. "I've lost my passion for life."

Listening to their juvenile conversation, Sally was tickled pink. Her lips curved up, and she laughed soundlessly. When she noticed Lucian's gaze drifting to the pilot's seat every so often, realization dawned upon her.

She unfastened her seat belt. Reaching back, she hoisted Lucian to the front.

Right then, the helicopter was on autopilot. She placed his hands on the steering wheel and started introducing the equipment around the cockpit to him.

Beside her, Cooper glanced at them but said nothing.

Lucian had been on a helicopter many times, but he had always sat in the back because of his tender age.

That was the first time he had had the opportunity to touch the equipment in the cockpit at close range. His eyes were so bright that they glowed.

In the back seat, Amanda teased with a snicker, "If you weren't sitting on Aunt Sally's lap, you couldn't even reach the steering wheel, Lucian. You've still got to grow taller."

"I can still reach without sitting in Aunt Sally's lap. You're the one who can't reach," Lucian riposted.

Snorting at him, Amanda turned to talk to Cooper instead. "Uncle Cooper, they might have ignored you, but I won't."

"You ignored me earlier too," Cooper muttered gloomily.

Amanda gave a whoop before flashing him a sweet smile. "It's not too late for me to talk to you now. My music teacher taught us a song before the final exam. Shall I sing it for you?"

She asked him for his phone and searched for the song from the music player application.

When music drifted into the air, she sang along in a sweet and juvenile voice while swaying her head sideways. Her adorable singing filled the entire cabin of the helicopter.

Cooper looked back over his shoulder at her adorable demeanor and sighed inwardly.

She's pretty obedient, believing for real that her mommy is recuperating abroad while her daddy is keeping her mommy company. She didn't make any demands about having them hurry back or insist on seeing them. But then, there'll always come a day when the truth comes to light.

Chapter 1153

In no time, the helicopter entered Baykeep's airspace. Sally taught Lucian to contact the control tower.

Despite sounding young, Lucian was steady, so the control tower's staff didn't suspect anything and directed them about the altitude of the helicopter's descent.

Twenty minutes later, the helicopter landed on a helipad on the top floor of a hotel.

It was a touch chilly in Baykeep that day. In fact, it was still raining then. As it was also easy to catch a cold during that particular season, Cooper made a call and had breakfast delivered to the hotel. He decided to wait until the weather had improved before going to the hospital to visit Herbert.

After breakfast, Sally pulled Cooper aside to talk. "Call Steven to come over. I want to make a trip to Baykeep University."

"Stefan is studying in Baykeep?" Cooper asked.

"Yeah," Sally said impassively. "Baykeep is the Zeigler family's territory. Mr. Zeigler has quite a close relationship with my father, so I can rest easier when Stefan is here."

It so happened that Stefan had no lecture that morning.

Without asking any more questions, Cooper took out his phone and gave Steven a call.

Sally took a taxi to Baykeep University. Before the vehicle reached the university gates, she spotted Stefan standing there with an umbrella in his hand.

When the taxi came to a stop, she swung open the car door. "Stefo."

"Sally." Upon seeing it was Sally in the taxi, Stefan quickly closed his umbrella and got in. A great many droplets of rain fell on his black woolen coat.

Wiping the water from his coat with a piece of tissue, Sally frowned and asked, "Why are you just wearing a coat when it's zero degrees today? Didn't you buy a down jacket?" "I did, but the zip broke."

It was early when Sally traveled to Baykeep. It was only half past eight right then. She brought Stefan to the diner from which they ordered takeaway earlier for breakfast.

After they took a seat by the window, Stefan whined, "This is the first time you came to Baykeep to visit me, Sally."

Since Sally sent him to Baykeep over two months ago, she hadn't been back, merely having called him twice.

She had watched Stefan grow up, and he was her only family besides her parents.

For that reason, the coldness on her face faded significantly when she was with him, and her tone was also exceedingly gentle. "Sorry, that was an oversight on my part. I've been busy investigating Edward, so things have been rather hectic. I'll call you once a week and inquire about things here from now on."

Eating a bite of spaghetti carbonara, Stefan asked, "Was it really him who reported Mr. Zane for pulling strings for someone?"

"Yeah..."

Since there was no sign prohibiting smoking in the diner, she took out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. She lowered her head and lit a cigarette.

Then, she told Stefan everything she had discovered in the past few days.

"Other than coming to Baykeep to visit you, I have something else to do." She tapped the cigarette between her fingers against the ashtray.

"Is Ninette attending classes regularly?"

Ninette Dawson was the freshman who alleged that Pablo had forced himself on her. She had skipped a grade to enter university, so she was only seventeen years old presently.

A little over two months ago, Pablo had gone to Baykeep for a meeting. Ninette was the person in charge of that convention. The following day, she called the police in tears, claiming to have been sexually assaulted.

Stefan had his head lowered as he ate. "Yeah. The public trial for Dad's case is still pending, but someone has leaked news of her testifying in court. Many people have been gossiping about her after learning she had been raped. I heard that her mental state isn't quite well, and she has been living in the dorm on campus."

Sally grew up by Pablo's side. Thus, she knew the kind of person her father was. Even with ironclad evidence right before her eyes, she didn't believe that he would do such a thing. She lowered her eyes and studied her brother. "Is anyone making life difficult for you at the university?"

"Who would dare? At most, they gossip behind my back. I can't be bothered about it." Picking up the cup of black coffee, Stefan took two sips with indifference written all over his face. "Don't be afraid if anyone gets physical with you. Just hit them back. Call me over if you aren't their match," Sally said.

"I've never been afraid. I'll be utterly worthless if I can't even defeat a few people, considering my height," Stefan joked. While speaking, he inadvertently glimpsed the ring on her finger. In a flash, his eyes darkened.

Chapter 1154

Following Stefan's gaze to the ring on her finger, Sally explained plainly, "Someone framed me. Cooper married me to get me out of police custody."

Stefan slammed his cup onto the table, his expression frightfully grim. "Would he possibly be so kind?"

Sally stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, her voice hoarse from smoking. "No, but we have our own motives. General Zeigler is Genevieve's grandfather. The Gaudette family wants to make a move against the Zeigler family. As it happens, the Loake family has a grudge against the Gaudette family. Cooper wants to link hands with me to bring down the Gaudette family."

Lifting his eyes, Stefan caught sight of some faint marks on her arm since she had rolled up the sleeves of her sweater. They didn't appear as though they were mosquito bites.

Immediately, irritation swamped him, and his face went as black as thunder.

"He's merely a businessman. How is he capable of bringing the Gaudette family down? He'd be lucky if the Gaudette family didn't pick trouble with him. Not only are you not getting anything out of the collaboration with him, but you even have to sleep with "

"Stefo, I'm not a little girl, and I don't want you to meddle in my private life," Sally interrupted, cutting off the unpleasant words he wanted to utter.

Stefan clenched his jaw tight, his expression as gloomy as ever.

Inherently detached, Sally was admittedly bad at coaxing others. But when she saw that Stefan was livid, she gentled her tone slightly. "Let's not talk about this. I'll bring you to the mall to buy some clothes." She got to her feet from the couch. When Stefan remained sitting there motionlessly, she could only walk over and pull him up.

"Let's go." Verily, she hadn't much patience.

If it weren't for the fact that he was her brother, she would have long since spun on her heel and left when he acted so obstinate with her.

This time, Stefan didn't continue throwing a tantrum. He got up from the couch and grabbed her hand instead. Then he stuffed it into his coat pocket.

His brows knitting together, he asked, "Why are your hands always so cold, Sally?"

"Such is my body constitution from birth. I'm used to it." Whenever it was winter in the past, Stefan liked to grasp her hands and place them into his pockets to warm them up.

Sally simply allowed him to hold her hand.

They shopped in the mall until afternoon, and she bought him a lot of clothes.

When they walked past a children's clothing store, she noticed that the blue rabbit gloves on the mannequin's hand looked incredibly beautiful and remembered that Amanda didn't wear any gloves when they left home, so she bought them for her.

"She's not your kid. Why are you being so nice to her?" Stefan grumbled in displeasure.

"She's Genevieve's daughter and General Zeigler's great-granddaughter. It was also with the Zeigler family's help that you could come here to Baykeep to study," Sally answered.

If the Zeigler family or Cooper were unforgiving, I wouldn't be capable of going up against the Gaudette family alone.

Subsequently, she added, "Besides, she's pretty cute."

Halting in his tracks, Stefan tilted his head and stared at her, his gaze eerily dark. "Have you fallen in love with Cooper, Sally?"

"You seem to be greatly prejudiced against him," Sally said with a faint smile.

"There's nothing good about him with scandals all over the place. Back then, he even almost killed you, but you had Dad let him off the hook," Stefan said sullenly, wearing a baleful expression on his face. Taking the shopping bag the salesperson handed her, Sally left the children's clothing store with him.

Stefan parted his lips to speak further, but ultimately, he said nothing.

By the time they exited the mall, it had already stopped raining. Nonetheless, it was exceedingly dark. Sally wanted to send Stefan back to the university first. However, Stefan insisted, "I'll send you back to the hotel first."

When the taxi arrived at the entrance of the hotel, he was adamant about escorting her in. "How long are you staying in Baykeep, Sally?"

"It depends. Mandy is going to the hospital to visit her great-granddad tomorrow. If there's enough time, I want to ask Ninette out to talk about things."

Taking off his scarf, Stefan wound it around her neck to conceal her snow-white skin. "Call me if you need anything."

Sally glanced at the scarf on her neck before murmuring in acknowledgment.

At that precise moment, Cooper came through the revolving door while carrying two boxes of snacks. At the sight of Sally, he stopped short. Coincidentally, Sally spotted him as well.

Chapter 1155

Sally called Cooper over and introduced Stefan to him. "This is my younger brother, Stefan Loake. You've probably never met him."

Cooper swept a gaze over Stefan. The latter was still young, and his displeasure was blatantly etched across his features. "I don't think an introduction is necessary. He knows me. He merely couldn't care less about me."

"I never said that." Stefan pursed his lips.

Sally had no intention of having them make conversation in the first place. She watched as Stefan left through the revolving door before she headed toward the elevator with Cooper.

While doing so, she eyed the boxes of snacks in the man's hands. "Why did you go out and buy them by yourself?"

"The store doesn't offer delivery, but Mandy was craving their snacks. I was free, so I just made a trip there." When the elevator doors opened, Cooper walked in ahead of her.

After turning around to face the front, Sally pressed the button for their floor.

Out of the blue, she heard a snigger from the man. She jerked her head back and regarded him in puzzlement. "Why are you laughing?"

Cooper's thin lips curved into a sneer. "I merely feel that little boys are truly intriguing. They pull a long face in front of outsiders but become all obedient before their sisters. It's as though everyone is picking on them."

Aware that he was mocking her brother, Sally countered evenly, "So, you never did the same when you were twenty years old?"

"I've got no elder sister, so I was never that childish at twenty years old," Cooper replied.

"If you'd like to experience it, just say the word. I don't mind having another younger brother." Sally had her arms crossed, her indifferent voice threaded with a teasing hint. Cooper's brows furrowed. "Stop grossing me out."

When Steven saw Cooper and Sally coming back together, he asked whether they would like to go to the Zeigler residence for dinner that night. In response, Cooper said that they would only be going tomorrow after visiting Herbert at the hospital.

Steven could only put his down jacket back on before leaving.

Cooper had reserved a presidential suite with two luxurious bedrooms. Sally wasn't worried that it would be unsafe for Amanda and Lucian to sleep together.

The bright bathroom was filled with steam, and two figures were lying in a tangle of limbs in the bathtub.

Cooper was extraordinarily aggressive, so much so that Sally was gripped by the urge to break his arm.

Her hair was all drenched and stuck to her cheeks. Panting, she snapped irritably, "Go and seek my brother out if you don't like him. Why are you taking it out on me?" "Don't you defend him quite staunchly?" Switching their positions, Cooper hoisted her onto his lap.

He lifted his hand and brushed the hair off her cheeks, snickering softly. "Kids will always be kids. He couldn't even mask his emotions. Couldn't you tell at all?"

Because of the steam, Sally's cheeks were slightly flushed. Despite that, her voice remained relatively detached.

"He is a Loake."

"Just in name. He isn't your biological brother." Even if they were related by blood, I reckon he wouldn't care anyway.

Cooper was displeased. His hand that had dropped down returned to her waist once more.

Sally's entire body went limp, and she almost collapsed on the man. The knuckles of her hand clutching at his shoulder turned white from the strength of her grip. "Can you please stop being so wicked?" Cooper merely chuckled softly.

Seeing that his hair was also soaked and plastered against his forehead, Sally found him to be seemingly far gentler at that moment compared to the times a sense of menace and aloofness emanated off him whenever he wore glasses.

The illumination of the lights rendered his narrow eyes mesmerizing.

They made Sally's apathetic heart pound wildly. She couldn't help leaning forward and gently kissing the corner of his eye.

Sensing her tenderness, Cooper asked lightly, "You're reminded of your man?"

"Aren't you my man?" Sally chuckled.

Cooper's mood took a turn for the better. "If there's no restriction on Stefan, send him abroad sometime soon."

Sally furrowed her brows. "But he has never been abroad since young."

"Isn't it good, then? He can go out there and get used to life," Cooper said nonchalantly.

In truth, the recollection of the look in Stefan's eyes when they were in the lobby of the hotel earlier made him exceedingly ill at ease. He added, "One day, something will either happen to me, or you'll regret it." Such was the sense of foreboding lingering within him.

Chapter 1156

Lucian caught a cold after being in the chilly wind for a short while because he wasn't wearing a cap or scarf when he disembarked from the helicopter. The next day, he turned sickly. Afraid that he would pass it to Amanda, Cooper and Sally took two separate cars from the hotel to the hospital, bringing with them a child each.

Sally took Amanda to the inpatient department while Cooper led Lucian to the outpatient department for an injection.

Because of Herbert's unique identity, he was the only one on the eighth floor of the inpatient department. Those from the Zeigler family took turns coming to care for him every day. Regretfully, he was still in a coma even then.

When Amanda entered the ward and saw Herbert unconscious, she trotted to the side of his bed and carefully took his hand.

Intending to give Amanda some space to keep the man company alone for a while, Sally left the ward.

She went to the end of the corridor and lit a cigarette as she stood by the window.

That part of the building faced the south gate of the hospital. She casually glanced out the window and saw a taxi coming to a stop in front of the building. Someone then alighted from the vehicle. The man who got out of the taxi was tall and bore a vague resemblance to Stefan.

Doesn't he have a class this morning?

Sally was stunned for a few seconds. Upon seeing that the person downstairs appeared to have entered the hospital, she took out her phone and called Stefan.

The ringing tone persisted for a long time before Stefan finally answered the call. "Hello, Sally."

"I think I spotted you going into the hospital through the south gate. What happened?" Sally asked mildly, for she could hear something amiss in his voice.

"It's nothing. I just sustained a minor injury," Stefan mumbled vaguely.

Sally was just about to press for an answer when a voice drifted out from the other end of the phone. It sounded like a nurse confirming with Stefan whether he was making an appointment with the orthopedic department. Right after that, the call was disconnected.

She suddenly remembered that Stefan seemed to have been nursing his right arm when he climbed out of the taxi earlier.

Yet, he had told her that he merely sustained a minor injury. That had her worried out of her mind.

Striding over to the door of the ward, she peeked in. After ascertaining that Amanda was still talking to Herbert, she hurried toward the elevator.

When she arrived at the orthopedic department, however, she didn't see any signs of Stefan.

She again phoned the man. The instant the call was connected, she stated, "I know you made an appointment with the orthopedic department. I'm right at the door. Where are you?" Stefan was intimidated by her intense aura and told her he was in the CT scan room.

Following the directions on the signage, Sally made her way to the CT scan room. She arrived just as Stefan had completed his CT scan. But then, he needed to wait ten minutes to obtain the results. She walked over and scrutinized his right arm. "What happened?"

"When I stepped out of the dorm this morning, someone threw a pot of daffodils down. It hit me. There's no staff on duty in the infirmary on campus during the holidays, and my arm hurt badly, so I came to the hospital to have it checked out."

A deep frown marred Sally's countenance, and she asked in concern, "Is it fractured?"

"No."

Sally wasn't a doctor at the end of the day, so her hands were tied despite her worry. All she could do was wait for the result with him.

After receiving the X-ray, she took him to the orthopedic department.

The doctor took a look at it and said Stefan's arm was fine, advising the latter to merely reduce the use of his right hand these few days and allow it to rest. Then, he prescribed some medication. In return, Sally thanked him.

Just when she came out of the doctor's office with Stefan, her phone rang.

The instant she answered the call, Cooper asked on the other end of the phone, "Where are you? And why isn't Mandy in General Zeigler's ward?"

"Mandy isn't there?" Sally exclaimed in puzzlement.

As soon as Cooper heard that, he knew that she wasn't with Amanda. He immediately hung up the phone and started searching for the girl.

Sally did not expect Amanda to leave Herbert's ward either.

The inpatient department was huge. Worried that Amanda might have gotten lost after leaving the ward, she had Stefan go downstairs to collect the medicine and wait for her.

Chapter 1157

Sally then rushed to the inpatient department and found out from the nurse that Cooper had gone to check the surveillance footage.

It turned out that shortly after Sally left the inpatient department, Amanda left the ward. However, she took the stairs instead of the elevator. Besides, Amanda's GPS watch was dumped in the corridor on the fifth floor.

Meanwhile, Cooper went through all the surveillance footage from over twenty surveillance cameras, yet Amanda was still nowhere to be seen.

At that point, Cooper was getting worried. Right then, Sally arrived, so he put on a cold expression as he reprimanded, "I told you to watch Mandy, didn't I? Why did you leave her alone in the ward?" In response, Sally said, "I wanted her to keep General Zeigler company-"

"Why couldn't you just stay outside the ward?" Cooper interrupted her speech. He was so angry that the veins on his neck were bulging. "If you can't even watch a child, what are you good for? Warming my bed?"

Those words hurt Sally like salt in a wound, and her expression turned grim on the spot.

Just then, someone rushed over and shoved Cooper aside rudely. "How is this Sally's fault? That child ran away on her own, no?

Why aren't you blaming the child for roaming around alone?"

Stefan was shielding Sally as he glared at Cooper. "I dare you to scold Sally once more!"

Upon hearing that, Cooper shot Stefan a vicious look.

Sally didn't expect Stefan to show up, but when she saw that Cooper was clenching his fists, she was afraid that he could end up beating her brother up. Therefore, she pulled Stefan to the side and ordered softly, "Wait for me downstairs."

"Sally, why did he have to scold you?" Stefan gritted his teeth in anger. "It's not like that child is yours-■"

"Shut up, Stefan!" Sally scolded.

Seeing that Sally was angry, Stefan fell silent, though his expression remained dark.

Suddenly, Cooper seemed to have understood something when he saw the medicine bag that was dropped on the ground. "You can't watch a child, but you sure can take good care of your brother," he sneered.

"I don't need you to search for Mandy anymore! Bring your brother along with you and get lost!" Cooper shouted and left.

Sally then picked up the medicine bag and gave it to Stefan. "I can't look after you now. Go back to school."

Stefan wanted to say something in response, but Sally had already turned around and left. While watching her leave in a hurry, he clenched his jaw. His expression was gloomy.

Sally went out to search both inside and outside of the inpatient department, but she still couldn't find Amanda.

A bad feeling grew in her heart when she found out that Cooper was still unable to locate Amanda. I shouldn't have attended to Stefan and left Mandy alone in the ward.

With that thought, Sally wanted to check the outpatient department. When she was on her way out, she vaguely heard the nurses passing by, grumbling about how there was a new batch of medicine arriving, but the freight elevator was out of service.

Sally immediately halted in her tracks and asked the nurses for the location of the freight elevator.

Apparently, the freight elevator was next to the emergency exit on the first floor. It was built right next to a small door to make things more convenient for the suppliers to deliver supplies.

However, the freight elevator was only used by the medical staff, so no one bothered to put up a notice outside it.

Sally then followed the nurses to the elevator operating room and quickly found out which floor the elevator stopped on by looking at the cables. After that, she went to fetch some tools to pry open the elevator door bit by bit.

Soon, Cooper arrived at the scene as well.

When the elevator door was pried open slightly, Cooper could see a tiny figure lying flat in the elevator.

"Mandy!" Cooper shouted and helped pry the elevator door open.

The moment the door was opened, he rushed inside.

Due to the fact that the elevator was an enclosed space, there was barely any air circulation in there. Amanda had been stuck inside for a long while, so she was completely drenched in sweat. Needless to say, seeing Amanda unconscious broke Cooper's heart. He quickly lifted her into his arms and rushed her to the emergency department.

The medical staff then brought Amanda into the emergency room to give her treatment.

Cooper was staring at the door of the emergency room, his hands trembling violently. As the seconds went by, the uneasy feeling in his heart grew. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to calm himself down.

Chapter 1158

Cooper only retracted his gaze when he felt his eyes tearing up.

It was then he saw Sally standing behind him, but he had no energy left in him to scold her. Hence, he said, "Go away and stay away. I don't wish to see you." Sally pursed her lips and left silently.

Shortly after, a nurse approached Cooper and gave him a glass of warm water. "Sir, please have a glass of water to calm yourself. Besides, your lips are chapped."

"Thank you." Cooper didn't take the glass of water. Instead, he just kept staring at the emergency room.

Left without a choice, the nurse put the glass of water on a chair nearby and left. After turning a corner at the end of the corridor, the nurse said to Sally, "He's very anxious and wouldn't drink any water." In response, Sally hummed and thanked the nurse.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the doors to the emergency room were finally pushed open. The medical staff wheeled a hospital bed out, and Amanda was lying on it.

Although Amanda had regained consciousness, she still looked as pale as a sheet.

Cooper rushed to Amanda's side and bent down to check over her. After heaving a sigh of relief that she was fine, he asked gently, "Are you feeling okay, Mandy?"

Amanda shook her head and answered, "I feel thirsty."

The nurse pushed Amanda away to let the doctor and Cooper have a moment alone. The doctor said, "The child fainted because she was dehydrated. She's fine. If you're still worried, you can keep her here for us to monitor her for the next few hours."

"Thank you," Cooper replied before sending the doctor off. After that, he went to Amanda's ward.

Lucian had come over to visit Amanda, but he was still feeling unwell after taking the flu shot. Therefore, he kept his mask on and stayed a distance away from the hospital bed.

After taking a few segments of the orange Cooper had peeled for her, Amanda said, "Uncle Cooper, Lucian told me you scolded Aunt Sally when you couldn't find me."

"I told her to protect you guys, but she didn't even take good care of you," Cooper answered flatly.

"Aunt Sally has nothing to do with it. I came out from the ward on my own." Amanda pursed her lips and added, "I was told that there was a pond behind the hospital. If I were to make a wish sincerely as I walk toward the pond, my wish would come true. I was wishing for Granddad to wake up soon. I thought it would be more sincere if I were to take the longer path. That was why I took the stairs."

Cooper lifted his hand to caress her cheek and asked, "If that's the case, how did you end up in the freight elevator?"

"I don't know." Amanda gave it some thought and continued, "As I was walking down the stairs, I was praying for Granddad. However, someone suddenly came from behind me and held a hand over my mouth. I caught a whiff of a nice smell and fainted there and then. When I woke up, I was already in the elevator. However, none of the buttons in the elevator seemed to be working. I wasn't tall enough to reach the emergency button either."

Cooper immediately realized someone was watching them closely. I bet the perpetrator was waiting for Sally to leave the ward. When that person saw Mandy walking out of the ward alone and going to the staircase, that person must've made her unconscious and dumped her in the elevator. However, the emergency exit didn't have any surveillance cameras, and the one in the freight elevator wasn't in service...

Seeing that Cooper wasn't responding, Amanda held and shook his hand before saying, "It's really not Aunt Sally's fault. Will you stop being angry at Aunt Sally, Uncle Cooper?"

"If she hadn't left you alone in the ward, none of this would've happened." Cooper felt fearful when he recalled how he saw Amanda unconscious in the elevator the moment the door was pried open. Sally abandoned Mandy to look after her brother. I can't forgive her for that.

Upon hearing those words, Amanda pouted. As she was about to say something, Cooper touched her cheek and uttered gently, "Have a nap, okay? Once you wake up, we'll go to Mrs. Sullivan's for a meal." Amanda saw Cooper frowning deeply, so she knew there was nothing she could say to change his mind. Feeling slightly exhausted, she quickly dozed off.

Cooper tucked her in and turned toward Lucian. "Luc, do you want to nap?"

"I'm not sleepy," Lucian answered. He then whipped out his headphones, put them on, and sat cross-legged on the couch to watch his show.

Chapter 1159

Cooper decided not to go and stayed by Amanda's side instead.

Steven subsequently dropped by.

It was just as Cooper had imagined. There were no surveillance cameras in the stairwell, while the one beside the freight elevator had been shut off. There was just no way they could find Amanda's kidnappers.

Steven asked softly, "If they really wanted to hurt Mandy, why did they take the trouble to throw her into the freight elevator?"

Cooper was just as confused as Steven was.

He would rather believe that a mentally unsound patient had accidentally run into Amanda and locked her in the freight elevator as a prank.

If the perpetrator had ill intentions, they could have made a move when Amanda was in the stairwell, and she would have lost her life.

Once Amanda had gotten enough sleep, Cooper helped her get changed.

Sally, who had been standing outside the ward, stood at attention and looked at Cooper when the latter emerged from the ward with Steven.

Unfortunately, Cooper didn't spare her a glance as he walked past her with Amanda in his arms.

"Aunt Sally." Leaning against Cooper's shoulder, Amanda turned around to look at Sally. "We're going over to my aunt's place for a meal. Why don't you come with us?"

"She'll be eating somewhere else. There's no need to worry about her," Cooper flatly replied as he quickened his pace.

Watching them enter the elevator, Sally couldn't help but feel unsettled.

She didn't blame Cooper for being angry at her, for she had indeed made a mistake. If they hadn't searched the freight elevator, Amanda would have died in there without anyone knowing. After failing to protect Genevieve, she had now let Cooper down a second time.

Meanwhile, as everyone had to take turns taking care of Herbert, all of them stayed at the Zeigler residence.

Even though many in the family were married, few of them had kids.

Thus, when the adorable and sweet-smiling Amanda arrived, she brightened up the mood in the home instantly.

Even though members of the Zeigler family knew about what had happened with Armand and Genevieve, all of them acted normally in front of the two children.

By the time dinner was over, it was already past eight. Cooper and two children subsequently spent the night there.

The weather was beautiful the next day, and Cooper remembered that Amanda had wanted to go to Disneyland. Therefore, he planned to get Steven to go with them after breakfast.

However, Amanda suggested, "Mr. Sullivan has to take care of Granddad at the hospital. Why don't you get Aunt Sally to come with us instead?"

"In that case, we'll just get Mr. Sullivan to switch with Uncle Yu van," Cooper replied.

"But I want Aunt Sally to come with us." Amanda tugged his hand and shook it. "It has already been one night, Uncle Cooper.

Stop being angry at Aunt Sally. It really isn't her fault."

Cooper stared intently at her. "I'm your real uncle. Why are you siding with an outsider?"

"She's not an outsider. She's my aunt." Amanda added, "Even if she's at fault, I forgive her. Will that do? Uncle Cooper, it would make me happy if you invited Aunt Sally to join us. How about that?" Amanda, proficient at acting cute, stared at Cooper with her big innocent eyes. They were capable of melting anyone's heart and dissipating the anger one harbored.

Having no choice but to relent, Cooper gave Sally a call and told her to wait at the subway station.

Once they had breakfast, the Zeigler family driver sent the few of them there.

The moment Amanda saw Sally standing outside the subway station, she struggled free from Cooper's arms and dashed toward the latter, calling out to Sally with the sweetest of voices. Sally knelt down and picked her up before saying softly, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Not like it's your fault." Amanda waved her hand. Then, she held Sally's hand as she skipped joyfully into the subway station. Since it was the school holidays and there was a direct train from Baykeep to Xedells, they arrived at Disneyland to be greeted by a huge crowd. As Lucian had bought VIP tickets online, they managed to get in easily and barely needed to queue for the rides.

When Amanda saw a shooting hoops game where she could win the stuffed bunny, StellaLou, she went to join the queue with the others in tow.

Thereafter, she bought a bunch of balls for Sally. "Aunt Sally, you have to win StellaLou for me!"

Ever since he saw Sally at the subway station, Cooper wore a scowl on his face. If Amanda hadn't insisted that she joined them on their trip to Disneyland, he had no intention of seeing her at all. Even when they were at Disneyland, he barely said a word to her.

Therefore, when Amanda requested Sally shoot hoops on her behalf, Cooper asked with a frown, "Why didn't you get me to help you?"

Chapter 1160

"Because the balls will be wasted on you," Amanda replied candidly.

Provoked by her words, Cooper maintained an emotionless expression as he took the balls from Sally's hands. "Just you wait. I'll win that stuffed bunny for you."

When it was his turn, Cooper stood outside the yellow line and made his shot. The ball subsequently went through the hoop.

"Wow, Uncle Cooper, you're pretty good!" Amanda cheered for him.

"It's just shooting hoops. No big deal." Cooper adjusted his spectacles before throwing another ball. Unfortunately, the ball hit the rim and fell onto the ground this time. Out of six balls, Cooper only managed to score twice.

In order to win the stuffed bunny, one had to score all six hoops, with none of the balls going into the same one.

Amanda shook her head with a sigh. "Uncle Cooper, you're such a disappointment."

Cooper was rendered speechless.

When it was finally Sally's turn, she deftly put all six balls through their designated holes.

Waving her arms in the air, Amanda cheered, "Hurray! You're amazing, Aunt Sally!"

Sally responded with a slight smile as she handed the stuffed toy she received from the staff to Amanda. After that, she asked the staff, "Is this all there is to win?" "There's still Gelatoni, a Valentine's Day edition of StellaLou, and a keychain," the staff replied.

Although there were plenty of other tourists playing the game, the small hoops and the requirement to score all six times made it difficult for anyone to win. "Aunt Sally, I want Gelatoni!" Amanda gave Sally's hand a tug, her face brimming with excitement. "I also want the Valentine's Day edition of StellaLou too!" After instructing Cooper to purchase more balls, Amanda hurriedly joined the queue in Sally's place.

Meanwhile, when the other tourists heard that a Valentine's Day edition of StellaLou was available, they, too, queued to play.

A young man, who was right in front of Amanda in the queue, did well by having scored five consecutive shots.

Amanda pulled Sally toward her and asked anxiously, "Aunt Sally, am I going to miss out on the Valentine's Day edition of StellaLou?"

"Don't worry," Sally replied. "He will miss the final shot."

The youth was about to shoot when he overheard Sally's words. He immediately turned around and glared at her. Sally reciprocated with an equally frosty look. Feeling a chill run down his spine, the youth quickly turned away.

Just as Sally predicted, he missed.

When his girlfriend saw how he failed to score, she snapped at Sally, "It's your fault that my boyfriend missed. Your curse affected his performance!"

"In that case, you're welcome to curse me now." Sally made a casual shot and managed to score easily.

As for the girl, she cursed Sally loudly so that she would miss.

In the end, Sally scored all six shots easily, infuriating the girl so much her face turned red.

Sally remarked snarkily, "Don't blame others for your lack of technique. Do you blame the ground whenever you trip and fall?”

As the seething girl looked closer at Sally, she suddenly yelled, "I know you! Your father is Pablo Loake. He was sent to prison for sexually assaulting an underage girl!"

Even though her eyes darkened, Sally ignored the girl as she covered Amanda's ears, preventing the latter from hearing those vulgar words.

"You really can't judge a book by its cover. I can't believe someone of your dad's stature is capable of committing such a despicable act!" the girl scolded Sally loudly, making the best out of her opportunity to

vent.

"Since he has you as a daughter, how can he harm an underage girl that way? Is he a pedophile? Have you been sexually assaulted by him—"

Before she could finish, a powerful slap landed on the girl's face, causing her to spin toward the ground.